Flowers of Heaven 2: avante en garde

[idolpro]

There's a snap in the air like the fluttering of a banner in the wind, and then the heavy sound of some large animal breathing.

Gathering around you, though, are creatures that more resemble the idea of animals: lions, wolves, gryphons, unicorns, and stags with stunted bodies, gaping mouths, and rearing poses—like nothing so much as... heraldry. Indeed, upon closer inspection, their bodies seem to be made of stitched brocade. Nevertheless, they bow their heads to you, solemn and respectful, and nudge at you with their heads, paws, and horns, guiding you toward a gap that's opened in the thick curtain of kudzu vines and onto a winding path beyond.

Once you cross through, the vines grow rapidly to cover the open space behind you, and the voices of your fellow idols fade from your ears. It seems as if you’re on your own, now.

❀ ❀ ❀

Here, the path beneath you is partially-paved with ancient-looking stones, and in the distance, from no identifiable direction, is the faint, steady sound of a drum.

It seems the herald-creatures are carrying some things for you: a collection of sixteen different flowers, and a small lantern of blue flame, and a wreath woven from vervain, star of bethlehem, and chamomile.

---

Quick Links: Flowers | Status Effects | OOC Rules

Comments

IC RULES

[idolpro]

Characters will discover a scroll somewhere on their person, which may be unrolled to reveal words written in ornately flourished script in an unfamiliar language. The rules resonate in their minds when they look at them, despite the apparent language barrier.

Included, too, is a list of sixteen flowers, each with an associated meaning.

Look within yourself: you are connected to two Flowers of Heaven. You will find you know what they are.

You must make your way through the Garden, out to Freedom.
However, three Obstacles block your way.

The Blue Flame Pyre can burn past these obstacles, but its fire requires at least three Flowers of Heaven as fuel. A fire given more fuel may burn past more Obstacles, but at far greater cost to your Selves.

Express your collective desire to the Blue Flame Pyre, and it will burn the flowers that are willed. However, be warned: if the three most-desired flowers are unclear, the Pyre will burn all that seem to have been chosen, no matter how many that may be.

Your souls are tied to your personal Flowers; should one of your flowers be destroyed, so too will its nature within you be broken.
To lose both your flowers is to lose your Self.

You are not without protection, though: Your chancelfolk carry with them a symbol of your group’s unity. The one who wears the wreath will find their flowers preserved—for themselves and for any in your group who share them—regardless of how the Pyre burns. But be warned: for each person, the wreath’s protection will work but once.

The energy of Freedom will be powerful enough to heal those teams with the most Flowers remaining to their collective. All others must find their own way to becoming Whole.

THE FIRST OBSTACLE

[idolpro]

As you walk the path through the vines, you come to a place where the strands of some half-finished and abandoned spiderweb have meshed and twisted so fully across the path that it's too dense to pass through, too sticky to climb.

The heraldic animals go into a flurry of distressed activity at the sight... and then they pass you the collection of flowers, the lantern of blue flame, and the wreath.

Make your choices.

DECISION

[idolpro]

[gemuinemanagement]

Votes: Gorse + Star of Bethlehem

Robin is wearing the wreath (Gorse + Star of Bethlehem)

RESULTS

[idolpro]

Re: RESULTS

[idolpro]

[ Regardless of which flowers you placed in the lantern, the following flowers suddenly go up in vivid blue flame:

Lotus

and then

Wild Oats
Star of Bethlehem
Gorse
Water Lily
Oak

The fire has an unnatural feeling to it; when it leaps to the brambles blocking your path, they aren't so much burned as unmade.
And the path carries on. ]

@ NEMESIS

[idolpro]

[ A searing pain wracks your body, spreading white-hot from the center of your chest—perhaps you clutch at your chest, or double over, and there, over your heart, is a gout of flame, the same unnatural bright blue as the lantern. The faint image of OAK can be seen within the flame, and the pain only intensifies as it curls in on itself, withers, and then catches alight, burning bright before charring and crumbling to ash.

And then it’s gone. ]

@ TSUKASA

[idolpro]

[ A searing pain wracks your body, spreading white-hot from the center of your chest—perhaps you clutch at your chest, or double over, and there, over your heart, is a gout of flame, the same unnatural bright blue as the lantern. The faint image of LOTUS can be seen within the flame, and the pain only intensifies as it curls in on itself, withers, and then catches alight, burning bright before charring and crumbling to ash.

And then it’s gone. ]

DISCUSSION

[idolpro]

Re: DISCUSSION

[heavyliesthecrown]

. . . I hate spiders.

[ Bugs... ugh. ]

It seems... we have some decisions to make. But I think our best course of action, in order to protect one another, is probably to share what our flowers are?

Re: DISCUSSION

[worthathousand]

[ Look what the cat heraldic gryphon dragged in! ]

Mela's tits. [ it's under her breath, to her credit ]

Have I arrived right in time for a game?

Re: DISCUSSION

[daios]

[These games just keep getting weirder...]

Well, at least I do not think I will need to break down any doors...

THE SECOND OBSTACLE

[idolpro]

The path continues, the brilliance of the blue flame dying out with the last of the burnt flowers.

You're not sure how long you've been walking when you reach the iron doors. They have a heavy, defensive feel to them. At the center of the doors is what is probably a pair of massive handles... but the doors have been densely overgrown with vines to the point that they grow back faster than anyone can break them.

The heraldic creatures look upon the doors mournfully, inspecting them for any way to pull away the vines, but it seems beyond their ability. Once again, they offer the blue-flame lantern, the collection of flowers, and the wreath: something must be sacrificed.

DECISION

[idolpro]

UPDATE

[idolpro]

[ A new section appears on the scroll, unfurling into view—a series of ink drawings of twelve vials, each labeled with a unit's name. All of them are empty for a moment—and then begin to fill with bright blue ink.

LiliS, Heart Soldier Senshi, & WILD CITY: 79%
sensitIV: 71%
pep!pep!: 60%
BARiTONES, Taisho Roman Revolution, BAD END=DEAD END: 79%
future is now & ☆ZRAEL: 75%
AlcheME!: 70%
avante en garde: 80% ]

RESULTS

[idolpro]

DISCUSSION

[idolpro]

THE THIRD OBSTACLE

[idolpro]

After journeying a while longer—it’s unclear how long, and the way time passes here is… strange—you come upon a dense field of wooden and iron pikes jutting out from the ground, sharp points toward you, like a fortification. Here, thick as the kudzu is, it seems like it’s starting to wither. The leaves are brown at best and starting to liquefy into a kind of black tar at worst.

Can flame really take care of this…?

—actually, as you approach, fire is running along the sides of the path following you, and catches upon the stakes, setting them alight into a bright blaze and clearing your path.

DISCUSSION

[idolpro]

[ wow! so that happened! ]

PRE-ENDGAME

[idolpro]

[ You pass through the field of ominous pikes—and find yourself standing before three gates.

To your left is a gate of ivory, polished to a shine so bright that it refracts a brilliant rainbow of chaotic light.
To your right is a gate of twisting black horn, beautiful and unapologetically fierce-looking.
Between them and a bit further back is a gate of pure white flame. Even from here you can feel the searing, purifying heat of it.

Which gate do you take? Each of you may choose separately, if you wish; you feel instinctively that, whatever the significance of this choice, if indeed it means anything at all, it has no bearing on your connection with your unit. ]

[gemuinemanagement]

[shiny metallic things have GENERALLY done him no wrong so let's go ivory]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[worthathousand]

[ Pure white uncompromising flame. (guitar riff) ]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[daios]

[There is something that calls to Hades about the purifying flames. They seem like they could hurt, but a Phoenix will always rise from the ashes, so that's where he goes.]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[heavyliesthecrown]

[ . . . The one that seems the most majestic is clearly the white flames.

He sort of doesn't want to light on fire again though. Decisions are hard... eventually, after some deliberation, he goes through the white flame gate, though. ]

Re: PRE-ENDGAME

[unbr8kable]

[She stares between the three, none having any more apparent meaning than the rest.

The ivory is certainly stunningly beautiful...but perhaps too sparklingly bright for someone like her...well, who she probably is? Who knows.

The horn has a jagged beauty of its own, the sort of thing perhaps she might like to wield, given the choice.

Knowing nothing, it is actually quite difficult to decide.

But as these people she knows are her teammates head through the flaming gate, she considers it as well--no less impressive but less apparently for show--a gate of deeds and cleansing, and something about that settles well in what little is left of her. So she follows, jumping through the flaming gate like a lion in an old-fashioned circus.]