Fantasy &nbsp; ◟❀╎bouquet╻in.character

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Nellancholy · Nov 4, 2023

A soft "grr" rumbled out from Carnation's throat as she heeded Anemone's order. She didn't like to think of herself as like...a dog being held at bay by a leash, to be let off and ordered to chase and hunt on command.

But her cooler head won out, as it often did.

She opened her arms slightly as she gave Anemone a nod from atop the warehouse's roof. "I hear." The part "and obey" was left unsaid. "Follow closely, Lily. And consider not smothering my nose with your flames."

With that, Carnation tapped her toe on the edge of the roof twice, crouching slightly, and then leapt off with a spin and a forward tuck. Landing on all fours, freed from concern about being seen, Carnation streaked north, giving herself over to boiling blood.

Her eyes lit up red, every fiber of her being given over to hunting down her target and rending it apart.

As she crisscrossed the northern side of the area, the smell seemed to resolve, becoming...clearer, perhaps?

As if the "smoke" that surrounded it had been blown away.

But it was still diffuse...stagnant, even.

A scent that had the quality of...carrion.

She dropped down to ground level, standing on her feet but remaining slightly hunched over. She prowled, the slinking range of her motion continuing to resemble a predator rounding on its prey.

"Do slow down, Lily." She spoke as if she wasn't the one shooting around like an arrow. "Our prey is decomposing, as if it is barely able to move."

Whether that assumption would bear itself out fully remained to be seen.

606

NameisUser · Nov 4, 2023

Kenji

team

Anemone

location

Light Rail Station

interactions

Nellancholy

Steve Jobs

606

The situation was starting to get on Kenji's nerves. Splitting up was not his preferred approach, and the elusiveness of the Fragment was beginning to grate on his confidence but at least they were in pairs. He couldn't help but feel annoyed by the elusive nature of their target. "Are we really just going to keep chasing this thing around?" Kenji muttered under his breath, his irritation evident. His words carried a hint of cockiness. "I thought Fragments were supposed to be, you know, a bit more straightforward."

Kenji's confidence remained unshaken, and he continued to scan their surroundings as they moved through the warehouse district. The towering structures and the eerie silence of the area added to his frustration. He had always been a hands-on kind of guy, preferring direct confrontations, and the cat-and-mouse game with the Fragment was not to his liking. "Let's keep our eyes peeled," he added, “We'll find this thing eventually, no matter how slippery it is."

Despite his annoyance, Kenji knew that they had a mission to complete. He had a strong desire to prove himself as a valuable member of Bouquet, and he wasn't about to let his frustration get the best of him. Kenji had embraced the opportunity to become a Flower, to use his unique abilities and combat skills to make a difference. As they continued their search, Kenji couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. The Fragment was still out there, and the clock was ticking. He knew that they had to find it and put an end to its elusive antics. His annoyance had not faded, but it had transformed into a fierce determination. He was not going to let this Fragment getaway, no matter how tricky it was.

Will and Kenji moved through the warehouse district, scanning the area for any signs of the Fragment. The silence was oppressive, and the eerie atmosphere added to their frustration. They exchanged glances, both aware of the urgency of their mission. They had to find the Fragment, and they had to do it quickly. Kenji couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation. He was eager for the confrontation, eager to put his skills to the test and prove himself as a Flower. He had come a long way from his criminal past, and he was determined to make the most of this second chance.

With each passing moment, Kenji's confidence and determination grew stronger. He was not going to let this mission end in failure. They had come too far to give up now. The warehouse district was vast, but they were determined to search every corner until they found their elusive target. With each step they took, Kenji knew that they were one step closer to finding the Fragment. The elusive target could not escape them forever, and he was determined to be the one to capture it. The clock was ticking, and time was running out, but Kenji was not about to let the elusive Fragment getaway. He had a mission to complete, and he was ready to see it through to the end. Kenji was spending his time simply following Will's lead but knowing him it wouldn't take long before his frustration takes over.

Auda · Nov 5, 2023

Magnolia

Team

Crabapple

Location

Ginger Park

Interactions

gxxberkit

ERode

fluticasone

Tsk. Magnolia’s attack, even with the help of Aconite, barely did any damage as the fragment shrugged off his bullet like it was a pestering fly. Still, a crack was visible on the surface of the cannon-like protrusions, and he figured that a bullet or two would finish the job. However, with the fragment’s attention now focused on him, he won’t be able to fire without putting himself in danger. He has seen the landshark’s speed and it would close the distance between them before he could prepare for a second shot.

Magnolia could see the fragment’s intent behind its eyes, as it was planning on charging. If bullets won’t do the job—the sniper quickly disappeared in his hands, and a grenade replaced it right after—maybe some explosions will do the trick. Alas, Magnolia didn’t have the opportunity to use the explosives as another flower trapped the fragment with what appeared to be as the roots of a tree. The newcomer didn’t look familiar, and it was his first time seeing their abilities. A new recruit? In a Grade B battle? Well, it’s not like he was the one to judge, with him only being on duty for a month.

Despite the fresh face, their ability seemed to stop the Fragment from moving. Maybe it was too early for him to judge—Magnolia could only watch the next scene unfold, as both Crabapple and the newbie was taken down in quick succession. Crabapple, face soiled with dirt, donning a scowl as they stood up; and the surprised face of his other teammate as their crash was cushioned by beast’s body, almost like an oversized stuffed toy. Magnolia would have chuckled if the situation wasn’t as dire and Aconite seemed to be on the same page as him, based on the sudden upbeat tune of her music. At least he wasn't the only one who found the entire thing comical.

Still, they had a fragment to deal with and a teammate in need of help. Explosives were out of the question, as the newbie was still attached to the fragment and his long-ranged weapons would barely make a dent. Magnolia racked his head for a solution before the fragment takes the opportunity to eat the apple that fell onto its lap. Its mouth was currently the biggest threat. We just need to find a way to deal with it. They were currently in a sticky situation—wait, sticky?

Again, the grenade in his hands disappeared and a pink sphere replaced it. Its appearance was almost identical to a gumball you’d get at a candy store or in one of the dispensers littered around. The only difference was that it had a metallic shine compared to the usual plastic, and it was the size of a jawbreaker.

“Crabapple!” Magnolia gently tossed the bomb towards their leader. He didn’t want it to explode prematurely, after all. “Throw it inside the fragment’s mouth!” Crabapple didn’t bother to question his intent, and they quickly threw the bomb towards the beast as soon as it opened its mouth to take a bite of the person on top of it.

As soon as it hit, an explosion of pink filled the fragment’s maw. Slimy texture slowly oozed out of its mouth before solidifying into a gummier texture. Magnolia could see the fragment struggle in opening its mouth, but he’s not sure it’s going to last. Still, it should give them room to breathe and their newest member the opportunity to escape the beast’s grasp.

IDKnuggets · Nov 5, 2023

Nymphaea

team

Buddleia

location

Underground Walkway

interactions

Rose

AzaleaWonderland
Buddleia

fluticasone
Rafflesia

November Witch

The edge of Nymphaea’s blade danced across the surface of the fragment’s leg, drawing a line that could barely be more than a paper cut. She cursed, steadying herself as she came up to her full height. “Damn, came up short.”

Before she had the chance at a second attack the monster curled into a ball, aiming to bowl Ms. Fortuyn down- with a flailing mass of tentacles in tow. Fortunately the more experienced flower dove out of the way just in time and the mass of fur and tentacles rolled a gutter ball.

Growing fed up with the writhing appendages that tried to squeeze the life out of it, the fragment decided it was time to do something about it’s parasite problem. Wisps of steam rose off of the beast wherever water touched it and small bubbles began to burst to the surface around it’s feet as the water around it came to a boil. Ms. Fortuyn cussed- Chione thought it felt strange to hear her use profanity- and reached a hand out, summoning one of her barriers around Mariana just as she was swallowed by a cloud of scalding steam. The protective barrier severed Mariana’s connection to her tentacles as it rose, sending the already wild flower spiraling into a rage. Her fists beat against the wall of butterflies encasing her, trying to get at the monster on the other side- it was anyone’s guess as to how long it could hold her.

Wiping the sweat from her brow, she felt grateful for the breathability of her new outfit. If her transformation had stuffed her into a more cumbersome outfit, one with a jacket or god forbid a layered dress, she wasn’t sure she could have withstood the heat in the tunnel. Though, she dreaded the coming winter- her uniform was better fit for crossing the Sahara than fighting in a snowstorm.

Nymphaea cursed their luck as Mariana burst free of her containment wielding an enormous anchor that impacted the concrete with a sound like a wrecking ball. At this rate she was going to bring the entire place down around them before the fragment did. “Fuck- get your shit together and think, Mariana!”

Free of the tentacles trying to crush it, the fragment turned its sights on the confident flower who had encouraged them to fight. A wave of warm water enveloped Nymphaea as the monkey launched itself into a spin-dash towards Rose. Nymphaea had to admire the fluidity with which the girl swung her whip- it was like watching a ballet dancer in action. What really made her jaw drop though was not the impressive agility Rose displayed, but the certifiably insane decision to chuck her weapon away as an enormous monkey ball barreled towards her.

“Whoa, whoa, are you mental?!” Nymphaea dashed after the fragment, but there was no chance that she would intercept it- especially not before it could turn Rose into a pressed flower. Just when Nymphaea was sure they would be peeling what was left of Rose off of the concrete, she jumped up and grabbed the handle of her whip. It hung over one of the pipes spewing cold water into the tunnel, giving Rose the extra leverage she needed to hoist the fragment into the air by the leg. It dangled upside down for a moment before it’s own weight brought it crashing back down to the ground with a heavy thud, providing Rose the perfect opportunity to slip away. A relieved sigh escaped Nymphaea's lips as she did, and under her breath she muttered an impressed- "Nice one, crazy girl"

Rose met Nymphaea halfway, breathlessly relaying her plan to take down the fragment. “Not a bad plan- not sure how willing the octopus is gonna be to play along with it, so we’ll have to work around that mess.”

Nymphaea returned her shield to it’s place on her back, instead opting to draw her second sword. Her first attempt at attacking had come up short and as a consequence it hardly had any effect on the fragment. When the others gave her an opening, she couldn’t waste it like she had before.

“I’ll have to stay in cutting range while you work on throwing it off balance.” She gave her swords an experimental swing before calling out to Ms. Fortuyn. “And I’ll be counting on you to make sure I don’t get crushed, coach- by the fragment, or that crazy octopus.”

tsurene · Nov 6, 2023

Crown Imperial

mood.

internally screaming

location.

ginger park

tags.

gxxberkit ,

ERode ,

Auda

Their jade green eyes sparkled when their roots were able to land on the Fragment's tail. It was a success! Now, if they're able to turn the soles of their feet into roots, they'll be able to prevent it from sliding across the park. Whoever lands the final blow didn’t really matter, since they will be behind the Fragment to prevent friendly fire.

But reality had other plans for Crown Imperial. Just as they were about to transform their feet into roots, a sudden, unexpected force sent them tumbling through the air. The Fragment, which had seemed so vulnerable a moment ago, now unhinged its jaws to swallow the descending Flower whole. Desperation crept into their eyes as they struggled to maintain their grip on the tail, their initial confidence giving way to fear and uncertainty.

Any attempt to free them from its clutches was in vain, with their roots being weaponized against Crabapple when they landed a hit on its temple. So here they are, lying on top of the Fragment's beard like dinner being served. Crown Imperial had already withdrawn their powers less they get dragged even further. Though the Flower somehow kept their mouth shut throughout the whole ordeal, it didn't stop Gunay the civilian from screaming into their conscious. They're finally getting a little taste of the Bouquet App's gravity, and they refuse to die within a week of being a magician. Not when they have a chance to make up for all the time they wasted.

As the Fragment tries to take another bite, the Flower notices a small, pink ball that's getting larger by the second. Wait a minute... is that a bomb?! Crown Imperial immediately jumped out of the way before that "bomb" exploded in the Fragment's mouth, its gummy substance solidifying the more it struggles to chew. They're shocked by whoever in the team had candy powers, but at least there’s one less weapon to worry about.

Crown Imperial was about to run towards Crabapple and Magnolia’s direction, but then another idea popped up in their head. Yeah, sure, aiming for the tail was a horrible idea due to the Fragment being able to flip and spin. But why is it capable of being so fast despite its heaviness? It’s because of those damned flippers that are as wide as its body. Had it not been for those, the Fragment wouldn’t have propelled them so high and they would’ve successfully ingrained their feet into the ground. Crown Imperial rushes back to the side of the Fragment, seizing the moment before that bubblegum in its teeth wears off.

“Hey newbie!” Crabapple shouted, already frustrated by their reckessness, “Get the hell out of there now!”

Alas, they didn’t head their calls, as they’re already grabbing onto the tip of the Fragment’s left flipper. Exerting as much energy as they could, they used an arm and leg to dig into the limb, just in time for the Fragment to start bucking and twisting. It’s like a rodeo, with the Flower holding on to dear life as to not thrash around like last time. But because that they have a more stable position, it’s way harder to shake them off, and much easier to reach for the right flipper with their other arm.

Now both of its flippers are tied to its back thanks to Crown Imperial’s roots, exposing its lower cannons and underside. The Fragment’s still able to beat the ground with its tail, but now it couldn’t charge at others like it used to. Elated that they’re able to successfully use their powers, the Flower called out to their teammates to grab their chance at landing another attack.

“Attack the flippers! Attack the flippers!” Crown Imperial cried, uttering their first words in the entire battle. Their voice became slightly husky from not talking for so long. “Hurry!”

♡coded by uxie♡

gxxberkit · Nov 6, 2023

Beauty is finite; ugliness is infinite, like God.

Art Credit: me teehee

GRAY, ISIS - KINABALU She/Her

The spotlight had moved away from Kinabalu and had turned to shine on the other members that had converged here. The first one to steal the stage was Aconite— the catalyst for the following mistakes that were made. At least Kinabalu now felt empowered, as though she could feel herself able to do more. With a huffy growl, Kinabalu ran towards the Fragment.

Kinabalu was probably the worst Flower to be here right now. She only had incredibly close-range weapons, and her best (and only) elements were distraction, stealth, and charisma. Everyone else had distraction covered—unfortunately—and stealth wasn’t necessary here. And, she was pretty sure that the Fragment didn’t know how to speak or understand speech.

Crown Imperial made an opening, and Kinabalu was going to take it while she could—if she didn’t, what else could she do?

She neared the Fragment and dug her heels into the ground, pushing off and jumping onto its back. As her hands grabbed the fins, she almost slipped— but luckily, she caught herself from falling off of it by plunging a dagger into the flipper. The Fragment rumbled as she swung herself onto its back.

While she sat there next to Crown Imperial, she thought, and she came to a conclusion.

The belly was exposed now, and, typically, that was where weak points were, right? Plus, the fins were ugly, and she didn’t want to be close to them for much longer. Ew. She looked to the Flower in front of her, and then called to the ones out away from them.

“No! Aim for the—”

The Fragment rumbled again, this time as a warning for what was to come— an explosion, one that shot out into the sky and came hurtling down towards the blue-tinted performer. The boom of the shot shoved Kinabalu off of the Fragment, rolling her back onto the ground at a speed much, much faster than she would’ve liked to.

That wasn’t great, but it was fine enough.

Standing up, Kinabalu’s appearance faded out. Everyone else had distraction covered. Maybe stealth wasn’t such a bad idea after all?

She made her way back to the fragment, this time holding a dagger out in front of her. She jabbed it into the Fragment’s belly, pulling to slice into it. Her eyes glanced over to the thrashing tail. Don’thitmedon’thitmedon’thitme

GINGER PARK | Tags:

ERode

Auda

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Steve Jobs · Nov 7, 2023

good will hunting

team

Anemone

location

Warehouse District

interactions

NameisUser (Kenji)

As Will and Kenji approached the forklift driver, he began noticing more workers coming in and out from a rolled up door. Most operated inside of the building or were in the process of moving items into the trucks but it seemed like at least one of the drivers was on break.

"Hey!" Will spoke firmly, "we have a few questions for you."

"Depends. Who's askin'?" the other man muttered, far more focused on his phone than either of the two in front of him.

"A concerned citizen," Will replied, "we've received reports of some unusual activity in the city so my colleague and I have been tasked with investigating this district."

His words seemed to pique the worker's interest as he lifted his gaze to meet the duo. He was an older man with a hard hat, scarred lip, and five o'clock shadow.

"You're not cops are ya? Cause I ain't never heard of citizens gettin' told to 'investigate' anything." His crows feet crinkled behind his glasses as he sized up the pair, paying particularly close attention to Kenji before turning back to Will.

"Does he look like a cop to you?" Will asked, not bothering to hid the condescension in his voice. The man wasn't wrong per se. Bouquet certainly eradicated the Fragments terrorizing the city, but the connotation disgusted him. "Listen, I don't give a fuck about whatever you do in your free time, but we're trying to figure out why we were called down here so that we can go home."

"Tch, beats me." The worker paused to light a cigarette, taking a long drag before finally answering. "I know Kenzi was complain' about a weird smell earlier, but she'll do anything to get attention."

Will turned to Kenji and gave him a knowing nod. "You go find Kenzi, I'll keep asking around."

606 · Nov 8, 2023

click! Letizia lily of the valley location warehouse district transformation interactions Carnation (Sophia) tags Nellancholy

return to happiness...

Lily would listen thoughtfully, their head bobbing up and down as their hands rested on the handles of their weapon, barely processing do not engage before the groups began to split off. When Carnation commented on their flames, from someone slightly less experienced than themself, the air around them would heat up from mild frustration but no flames appeared, as if it showed control of their powers, mostly.

"They have rarely caused a problem,"

they replied softly, holding back more unkind words as they would quickly follow behind the slightly faster flower, with minimal usage of fire bursting out like jets from their feet to give them a small boost so they wouldn't get left in the dust quickly stopping as Carnation would stop ahead, again, the air near Lily would rise in temperature as Carnation would tell them to slow down, but remembering the other didn't mean it negatively and took slow deep breaths before looking around.

While Lily's senses were not as heightened as the other flowers, that wasn't to say they also didn't have a heightened sense of their own. In their typical form as Letizia, they had trained their senses to be heightened already to help with cooking and their more informal training, so when they were their flower, it increased to be slightly better, catching a faint whiff of something.

Yet as they took a few steps forward, eyes darting around, their hands went to the hilt of their weapon as the ground began to trouble and the buildings near them began to shake slightly. For a moment, it was like a mini earthquake before, just like the scent, it would stop and they looked to Carnation for confirmation that the other had felt the tremor as well.

"Did you feel that too? We must be getting closer,"

they said softly, weary to raise their voice much in case the fragment around them was somehow nearby, but given how it kept appearing and disappearing, was unlucky.

it is what it is

♡coded by uxie♡

ERode · Nov 8, 2023

fluticasone

Auda

gxxberkit

“Wahahaha! Can we go higher?!"

A ball of energy, of condensed malice, fired for Aconite, and she leapt up in response, narrowly dodging the cannonball itself. It struck the tip of the tree she stood upon, then erupted in an explosion that rattled windows and organs, that ruined hairdos and outfits. But Aconite herself? She was really feeling it now, riding the wave of the explosion to rise even higher, to shine even brighter. Her phantasmal band kicked it up another notch, as she somersaulted over the cityline, voice becoming omnipresent in the wake of that thunderous blast.

It was good, really, that at least one person was enjoying themselves, because the rest of it was definitely not pleasant.

Magnolia’s success had kept the newbie in the game, and Crown Imperial’s roots now pinned the flippers of the Fragment down against its own body, their arcane prowess straining against the outsized strength of an already outsized monster. Crabapple, recovering from her misfortunate incident, was rushing in to beat the shit out of the Fragment once more, her countenance just a touch away from completely murderous. Kinabalu too rushed for the side, their daggers biting deep into the blubber of the beast before they slide open, as if intent on gutting it. No blood or organs poured out though, only a gush of magical particles, followed by the muffled roars of the Fragment itself. They were doing well in their offense! It looked a bit as if they were poking at a beached whale, but it looked nevertheless like a successful strategy!

Then, the Fragment fired one of its armpit cannons, a blank shot.

The recoil rippled through its own body, shifting it slightly. It followed through with an appropriate twisting of its long tail, which translated into a twisting of its body, then its head. And that was all it needed, as it began to roll.

Forwards and backwards movement was impossible, but sideways movement, empowered by the recoil of its secondary cannons? That, it could achieve, even without its flippers. And luckily for it, Crown Imperial, Kinabalu, and Crabapple were all off on to its side.

The beached whale, once just thrashing with its tail, had now transformed itself into a rolling car, intent on simply crushing flat the Flowers in its path.

NameisUser · Nov 10, 2023

Kenji

team

Anemone

location

Light Rail Station

interactions

Steve Jobs

Kenji followed Will's lead as they approached the forklift driver. The man seemed more interested in his phone than in their presence, but Will's words managed to draw his attention. Kenji couldn't help but admire Will's commanding presence and the way he handled the situation. As the worker questioned whether they were cops, Kenji couldn't resist a smirk. The idea of him being mistaken for a police officer was far from the truth, but it sure added some humor to the current situation.

The worker seemed to provide a clue, mentioning someone named Kenzi who had complained about a strange smell. Kenji's curiosity was piqued. He had an intuition that this Kenzi might be related to their mission. Will gave Kenji his orders and with a simple confident nod in return, Kenji set off to locate Kenzi.

Despite his annoyance, Kenji knew that they had a mission to complete. He had a strong desire to prove himself as a valuable member of Bouquet, and he wasn't about to let his frustration get the best of him. Kenji had embraced the opportunity to become a Flower, to use his unique abilities and combat skills to make a difference. As they continued their search, Kenji couldn't help but feel a sense of urgency. The Fragment was still out there, and the clock was ticking. He knew that they had to find it and put an end to its elusive antics. His annoyance had not faded, but it had transformed into a fierce determination. He was not going to let this Fragment getaway, no matter how tricky it was.

Kenji set off venturing further into the vast warehouse, its sprawling shelves reaching into the heavens, stacked high with various goods and packages. The scent of cardboard and industrial materials filled the air, creating a stark contrast to the typical urban surroundings he was used to. The ambiance of the warehouse with its towering shelves gave him a sense of being in a labyrinth, and his frustration from earlier only grew. He preferred the straightforward streets of the city where one could confront a problem head-on.

As he maneuvered through the aisles, his eyes scanned the surroundings for any sign of Kenzi. The woman had to be somewhere within this vast complex, and he was determined to find her. Despite his annoyance at the situation and the frustratingly elusive Fragment they were after, Kenji's confidence and determination remained unwavering. After navigating through the labyrinthine aisles, Kenji finally caught sight of a young woman who was unmistakably on her break. Kenzi sat casually on an overturned crate, her expression revealing a mix of annoyance and curiosity. Her dark hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and her attire was a stark contrast to the typical warehouse employee. She wore a T-shirt with a bold graphic design and a pair of ripped jeans, clearly not conforming to the usual standards. Her style and demeanor intrigued Kenji, and he couldn't help but find her intriguing and if nothing else was shocked health and safety didn't have anything to say about her style.

"Hey, are you Kenzi?" Kenji called out as he approached her, his confident and cocky tone fully on display. "We heard you mentioned something about a weird smell. Mind telling us more about it?" Kenzi shifted her gaze to meet Kenji's with a scrutinizing expression. She seemed unimpressed, but Kenji was accustomed to such reactions. He knew how to carry himself, and he wasn't about to let a bit of skepticism deter him. "Yeah, that's me," she replied with a trace of annoyance in her voice. "I don't know what's up with that smell, but it's been bothering me for a while. It's like a mix of rotten eggs and burnt hair. Definitely not the kind of scent you want in a place like this. Smells worse by the rear loading bay and that whole back area it comes and goes from up and down aisle 12B which leads to the bay ."

Kenji's interest was piqued by her description of the strange smell. It could be a significant clue in their mission to track down the elusive Fragment. "This smell could be related to the situation we're investigating." Kenzi raised an eyebrow, clearly not fully convinced. "Investigating what, exactly? You're not one of those corporate guys, are you?" Kenji couldn't resist a smirk, his cockiness shining through. "You could say we're like private investigators, looking into some unusual occurrences. We're here to get to the bottom of this so thanks for your assistance."

Kenji led the way back to Will, eager to share their findings. His stride was confident and determined, and he was ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead. They were one step closer to solving the mystery, and Kenji was determined to see it through to the end. As they reunited with Will, Kenji didn't waste any time in sharing the information they had gathered from Kenzi. "This smell she mentioned, it's like a mix of rotten eggs and burnt hair it's more noticeable near the rear loading bay and the aisle leading to it think she said 12 something. Not much to go on but at least it's a start, let's get in touch with the other two and give them the heads up."

fluticasone · Nov 13, 2023

buddleia

cedar fortuyn

underground walkway

peeved

rose | nymphaea | mariana

Few things pissed off Buddleia the same way someone purposefully ignoring her orders could. But she was also realistic enough to acknowledge arguing with the tentacle lady at her current state would only endanger the mission and herself. They couldn't keep up this reactionary procedure indefinitely; at some point, monkey sonic was going to blast out of here if left to its own devices.

As she was about to suggest something, the other two Flowers formulated a plan of their own. If they were being graded Buddleia would've praised them both for showing initiative. The plan would work well enough, especially considering how they would all have to work around tentacle lady.

She acknowledged Nymphaea's comment with a nod. Her voice carried through the battle that the unruly flower had engaged the Fragment in.

"Anchor girl here is probably our best bet at knocking it over - let's use her weight to knock it off balance."

She first focused on transferring her shielding towards herself and Nymphaea. Purple butterflies, each with their own unique pattern, fluttered from the walls to land on their skin. One sat on her wrist; she raised it to eye level, as if confirming to herself that she would be safe.

Then she charged.

Buddleia ran to the duo locked in battle and raised her mace overhead. One of Mariana's tentacles almost got in the way - a quick change had her missing the Fragment's face, hitting its horn helmet thing instead. The roar of pain had her gritting her teeth, rendering her deaf for a few seconds. With frightening speed, it switched its attention from Mariana to whatever had caused the fracture on its face.

She ran, refusing to look back as the red monkey chased after her. When the water made the floor slippery, she shifted her center of gravity forward and down, sliding across the tiles.

"Rose - now!"

On cue, Petra's whip extends behind her, tripping up the Fragment and sending it flying. It would've been comical had Mariana not been right behind it, saved only by a barely there shield before they both inevitably crashed into debris.

AzaleaWonderland

Nellancholy · Nov 13, 2023

It really was that simple, or so it seemed.

Sophia hadn't actually been at this for a long time, but Carnation's abilities hadn't let her down so far. The smell wasn't exactly stronger, but it became clearer, far harder to miss to her nose as she prowled.

The urge came, an absurdity born from the nature of her magical power. The urge to run her prey down and sink her teeth into it.

Resisting the compulsion to drop to all fours and streak towards her now-clear target, she broke into a jog, not waiting too long for Lily to follow.

"It is close." She snarled. "Let's bring it down."

She maintained her speed, her deep inhalations of the deceptively fragrant smell followed by ragged exhalations through her mouth.

Row 10, row 11...they were doubling back, but they were getting close.

606

November Witch · Nov 13, 2023

Rafflesia

Status: Excited, thrilled, frustrated, bruised, mostly uninjured.

Rafflesia’s brash actions continued as she flung herself towards the fragment, with a large anchor in tow. It was pulled taught behind her by a chain, dragging along the ground and ripping up the floor. There was nothing on her mind besides the complete and utter destruction of the fragment by any means necessary. A loud screeching and sparks came from the anchor behind her being dragged along the ground. Mariana grabbed the chain with both hands and heaved it forward. It flew past her, and into the fragment, crushing it between the debris and the massive hunk of metal.

The anchor and chain then dissipated as if evaporating into thin air only for Rafflesia to throw herself into the thing. Only to be stopped by a wall again. She sent a wicked glare at Buddleia as again a wall got in her way. The wall had given enough pause to keep Rafflesia from falling debris hitting her too though. Even if she didn’t realize it. Rafflesia could still sense some life from the fragment below the debris. Her tentacles worked hard, removing big and small pieces of concrete, piping, and other items.

Once she could see it, the tentacles swarmed it, lifting the fragment so it was suspended by her tentacles. Many wrapped around the base of each limb of the fragment. The black tendrils strained for a moment, shaking and shuddering against the will of the fragment until…

It ripped apart. Head, limbs, and body all separated and thrown aside. Rafflesia couldn’t look happier though. It was eerie, scary almost, how happy with herself she looked, a crazed emotion clear in her eyes. She stepped back, the tentacles shrinking back under her skirt and taking in the whole situation now as she looked around.

“Now that was fun~”

Steve Jobs · Nov 15, 2023

convergence

team

Anemone

location

Warehouse District

interactions

NameisUser (Kenji),

Nellancholy (Carnation),

606 (Lily of the Valley)

While Kenji looked for Kenzi, Will took to surveying the loading area and questioning any of the movers on break. Between the cigarette smoke, the hosed down floors, and burning petrol, it was difficult to pinpoint what the smell was, or if there even was one. Depending on who you talked to, the answers varied from "nothing new" to "probably just Sam forgetting his lactaid." It felt as though the fumes numbed everyone's nose everything except the singular soul who opted for a strawberry-scented vape. And even still, the vaper had no information for him.

It didn't help that he acted like an acerbic detective while looking like the intern of a fashion magazine. While he could have used his firm's name to lend himself some credibility, he disliked the idea of relying on them for information. Not to mention that identifying himself at the location of every freak accident (read: Fragment attack) was a bad look.

"Look I would help you if I could, but I haven't been able to smell anything since the seventies" his latest interviewee said gruffly.

"No, it's fine. Thank you," Will sighed, swiping his phone to see if Bouquet's radar picked up anything new.

No dice.

He debated sending a text to Kenji, but the Flower read his mind by appearing behind him.

"This smell she mentioned, it's like a mix of rotten eggs and burnt hair it's more noticeable near the rear loading bay and the aisle leading to it think she said 12 something. Not much to go on but at least it's a start, let's get in touch with the other two and give them the heads up."

Will turned to Kenji and gave him a knowing nod. "Row 12?" Will asked, though the answer was obvious.

He wasted no walking and typing, knowing that Kenji wouldn't wander off. Someone's saying it smells like rotten eggs and burnt hair. That sound about right, Carnation? Seems to be concentrated around the rear loading bay and towards Row 12 so we're heading over. Keep us updated and we'll form a plan once everyone's here. Will pursed his lips for a moment, glancing over at the younger Flower as they walked. Neither had as good of a smell as Carnation so they'd have to rely on Kenzi's statement and hope that the Fragment wouldn't disappear by the time everyone arrived.

Luckily the two were speedy and nobody stopped to question why they were walking with such purpose. Just as well, the radar seemed to be stabilizing, blinking in and out of existence, but not too far from the area. The alerts became more frequent, turning from dull blips to harsh beeps as they converged. Will raised his nose, frowning at how faint the scent was. Whether it was his insensitivity to most scents or the amalgamation of other pollutants, he could barely detect the sulfurous compounds. The only indicator that they'd arrived at the correct area was a concrete building with 12B spray painted in black.

Like the other warehouses around it, the building was painted beige with and a metal, roll up door in the center and a wooden, pedestrian door next to it. A broken lamp from hung the awning over the wooden door while the space above the metal door was woefully bare. There seemed to be no windows save for a narrow, horizontal pane of glass on the pedestrian entryway.

All they had to do now was wait and figure out a way to eliminate the Fragment without burning down the entire building.

fluticasone · Nov 15, 2023

 
                  Autumn Morning
                
                  Cloudy with a small chance of drizzling
                
                So what exactly was it?
              
 spacer 
 
		 Steve Jobs

		 Nellancholy

		 NameisUser

		 606

                          Fragment(s) Located
                        
                            F/E
                          
                            grade
                          
                            Warehouse
                          
                            location
                          
                          Anemone
                          
                          squad leader
                          
                        When they enter the warehouse, it's a hive of fragment activity. Multiple F-E grades roam the shelves, knocking crates over, bumping into shelves - a couple launched themselves at a Flower as they entered. A human walked amongst them, oblivious to the amorphous blobs surrounding him while he moved boxes left to right. Upon sighting the Flowers, he pulled off the mask covering the lower half of his face and made his way over.
                      
                        "Hey, authorized personnel only." There was no bark or bite to the tone, just a tired worker who didn't want to get in trouble. "There's something leaking in here so we're trying to find it. Niki was supposed to be watching the door... where the hell is he? Where the hell is everyone anyway?" But even as he spoke, his calm fatigue morphed. His voice became angrier, his words sharper - they went from normal grumbling to vicious swearing.
                      
                        And when you looked down at his feet, well... looks like he was on his way to becoming a Fragment too.
                      
                          Anemone (Will)
                        
                          Carnation (Sophia)
                        
                          Foxglove (Kenji)
                        
                          Lily of the Valley (Letizia)

Auda · Nov 15, 2023

Magnolia

Team

Crabapple

Location

Ginger Park

Interactions

gxxberkit

ERode

fluticasone

For a team that’s half-assedly put together, they weren’t doing too bad considering they were fighting a Grade B fragment. However, Magnolia knew that those cannons would be a problem and it unfortunately came back to bite—pound? No that sounded so wrong. Squash? Flatten—him in the ass. The fragment quickly made a mess of the park. It bounced off walls and trees in a makeshift game of pinball. Magnolia’s not sure he could do anything about the situation. He doubted that his bullets would pierce the quick rotation of the beast’s body and while the ‘gumballs’ he used earlier may slow it down, the momentum is simply far too great for it to be effective.

The fragment, having bounced off a wall again, rushed towards Magnolia’s position. The sheer speed of the beast made it hard to dodge, and he wasn’t exactly the most athletic to do so. In cases like this, there was only one thing to do. Panic. With nothing else in his mind but the thought of being crushed by what essentially was a Hydraulic Press on wheels, Magnolia summoned his weapon with the most firepower. The weight of the rocket launcher settled on his right shoulder. He didn’t bother aiming, there was only one direction to shoot at after all. Magnolia then pressed the trigger without having second thoughts.

The smell of gunpowder was the first thing Magnolia noticed, then the ringing of his ears as the explosive round made its way towards the fragment before detonating with a loud ‘BANG’. Lastly, was the force of it all as he was pushed backwards, rolling once or twice in an undignified manner before laying on his back as he stared at the sky. Pieces of debris flew over him and black smoke could be seen at the corner of his eyes. Fuck. Magnolia couldn’t move his limbs, whether from shock or something else, he didn’t care. His throat let out a chuckle before turning into full blown laughter. I could’ve died. Adrenaline made his fingertips tingle with both fear and excitement and his heart was threatening to burst out of his chest. Magnolia has never felt more alive.

Magnolia wasn’t sure if the rocket launcher did the job, and he wouldn’t have been surprised if it didn’t. He hoped that it dealt a significant amount of damage or stopped it from rolling around at least.

606 · Nov 16, 2023

click! Letizia lily of the valley location warehouse 12B transformation interactions Will, Kenji, Carnation tags Nellancholy Steve Jobs NameisUser

return to happiness...

As much as the way Carnation acts sometimes was mildly annoying, Lily always reminded themselves of working at the restaurant, knowing that there was far worse than usual kept their head cool. Lily was left to simply try and keep up with the faster Flower, looking at the numbers tick down slowly as Carnation followed the smell.

As the two of them got closer, Lily couldn’t even begin to pick up the scent, their face scrunching up slightly as they reached row 12, where the scent was the strongest. So Lily dipped into the row and began to look at the warehouses when they felt numerous notifications from their phones go off. With a heavy sigh, they pulled out their phone, careful not to look at it too long, but saw multiple Fragment notifications popup and disappear, and a message from Will.

We are at row 12 right now, smell is strong here, we will keep it on the dl

They looked up and waved their phone to Carnation.

“Will messaged, we are in the right area.”

And so the wait began, and Lily continued to be careful to look at all the large doors with spray-painted numbers, and ended up in front of one that read 12B, where the scent seemed to be the strongest. They were ready, standing near the door to see if they could hear anything before Will and Kenji both arrived with great speed.

Lily gave them a small wave as they were all back together.

“There sounds like someone is inside…so let’s be cautious,”

they said softly, trying to open the door as quietly as they could to reveal, finally, the source of the fragments they had been hunting down. Lily, being the first to enter at this point, would see the supposed human walking around and begin to look at all of the fragments in the warehouse, some noticing the group enter right away.

Lily quickly pulled out a single messer, the temperature around them rising as flames erupted from their hands and swirled around their blade, bringing it up quickly before slashing diagonally at the fragments that immediately launched at them. It wasn’t enough to kill them initially but the swing of the blade with a trail of flames following it was enough to stop them, for now. Yet it wasn’t enough for the flower, seeing the man beginning to approach them, unaware of the fragments yet also, seemed to become one as they.

Yet just as quickly as they first slashed, they were quickly to move after the two closest to them, they were quick to impale the one, it brushing into flames letting out a cry before ashes were left behind and the second one jumped on them and with their freehand, grabbed it, their hand bursting into flames as the second fragment soon was set on fire, and Lily unaffected by their flames.

Even though they were using fire, Lily still showed excellent control over the fire, it only burning and not flaring out, aware that they could set this whole building on fire, which would draw too much attention than needed. That was the one downside of their powers, it was hard to hide once they transformed into their Flower. Fire was destructive, yet effective. At least this was an inside job, meaning that as long as fragments didn’t go outside, there was no concern of weather for them.

“Will…there’s more than even I expected…and look at his feet,”

they said quietly, pulling their weapon back and their hand off of the burning and dying fragment, eyes glued to the man in front of them as he was turning into a fragment himself. They were a small and relatively inexperienced team, Will only having been a flower for half a year longer than Lily, could they take down this hive of fragments?

it is what it is

♡coded by uxie♡

AzaleaWonderland · Nov 17, 2023

"I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with their freedom."

Art Credit- Face: ElaraArt ~ Rose: angelhitsground

Everly, Petra - Rose She/Her

The beat of her heart echoed in her ears. In hindsight, if she had swung towards the thing, the heat of its body would have cooked her. Petra quickly dismissed the silly what-if scenario. After all, the fight wasn't over just yet. Tightening her hold on her battered rose whip, she listened to Nymphea's feedback. Rose nodded in agreement; that frenzied flower is a major wild variable in this plan. Oh well, they wouldn't be granting her a magical wish if the battles were straightforward and easy. Petra watched as Nymphea rushed into battle, asking for Buddleia's help with protection after foregoing her shield for an extra sword. The word choice of coach also piqued Petra's interest. She started wondering if the flower played sports, but there was no time for questions like that in the midst of battle.

Petra refocused on the battle, just in time to hear the lecturer's feedback. As much as she hated to admit it, it was a good point, if not a little obvious. Rose started moving around the tunnel and adapting to how the fragment moved so she could be in the optimal position. Even more infuriating is the beautiful skill she showed with her butterfly shield that somehow protected the two from that oppressive heat, and if that tentacle didn't get in the way, that blow would've broken that fragment's face into pieces. "Damnit. Unfair how damn cool that is," Rose muttered under her breath, ending her sentence with a sigh. Either way, Petra had a role to play, and she'd be damned if she messed it up. Her eyes quickly scanned for a strong anchor point in Buddleia's path. On cue, Rose used her whip, attaching it to the anchor point and then twisting her entire body to tighten it. The force of the fragment barreling into the whip also knocked her off balance, a sudden sturdy stomp with her right heel narrowly kept her on standing.

After standing in shock for a moment, Rose turned to the crash, seeing a newly formed mound of debris. Just in time to witness Rafflesia ripping apart the debris, trying to get to the fragment as if she were a starving orca to a shark. Despite being nearly hit by her, Petra's focus had prioritized the fragment for most of the battle, but now she could see Rafflesia and all her chilling frenzy. Petra almost felt bad for subjecting the fragment to the brutality of this flower as the tentacles thoroughly tore the thing apart in the most gruesome way Petra could imagine. Rose's hand covered her mouth for a moment as the sight made her want to gag. She shuddered at the crazed smile plastering the flower's face after such a disturbing display. Looking at her eyes made Petra's heart sink, there was something about those eyes that felt utterly inhuman.

Rose bit down, clenching her jaw and quickly looking away from the... flower. Deciding to turn her attention on the ex-fragment individual now lying upon the debris, Rose walked over to pick them up and start carrying them up the stairs. "I believe it's time for us to get out of here. After all, I don't know how to repair a pipe or anything. And I personally have had enough of saunas for a lifetime," Rose spoke softly, cautiously keeping Rafflesia in eyesight. "Unless I'm forgetting anything else? After all, I don't want any more debris possibly falling on us." She moved further up, getting her shoes out of the water at the very least. Her outfit was a little dirty, and one rose was missing, but managing to stay away from the fragments and falling debris, it was still in better shape than she could've hoped. It was hard to tell if she was proud of that or not by the expression on her face.

Doing a once over of the walkway as she waited for the others to follow out, Petra noticed something shiny at the bottom of the stairs that she didn't remember being there. She quickly brushed it off as probably a piece of metal from the pipes or whatever. Even though Petra has suppressed the initial fearful reaction to Rafflesia, she would prefer keeping them in sight rather than getting distracted by a piece of debris. "For the record," Rose turned her gaze to Buddleia, "I reject the earlier assumption I'd ever neglectfully endanger anyone other than myself. I understand I should've phrased my call to action better, but don't get it twisted."

Underground Walkway| Tags:

fluticasone

| Message...

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NameisUser · Nov 17, 2023

Foxglove

team

Anemone

location

Warehouse, aisle 12B

interactions

Nellancholy

Steve Jobs

606

As the team converged on the area, Kenji couldn't shake the annoyance that had lingered since the start of the mission. The elusive Fragment had tested his patience, but now, with the source identified, a surge of confidence replaced his frustration. Will's plan unfolded, and Kenji found himself at the entrance of an Amazon-like warehouse marked 12B. The scent of the unknown entity hung in the air, mingling with the pungent aroma of the surroundings. The building seemed nondescript, but the ominous atmosphere hinted at the chaos within.

The unfolding scene was beyond his expectations, and he couldn't help but marvel at the sheer number of Fragments. His eyes shifted to Will, exchanging a glance that conveyed shared concern. The human worker's mundane activities were a stark contrast to the chaos around him. Yet, as the man approached, a shift occurred. Anger infused his voice, and the startling revelation unfolded — the worker was on the verge of becoming a Fragment.

In that moment, Kenji knew action was needed. With a determined expression, he embraced his Flower identity. Transformation enveloped him, and the persona of Foxglove emerged. His shifted seamlessly into his flower Form his eye turned red, his hair lengthened and reaches all the way down to his thigh. Even his clothing change his top disappearing and his lower body is covered by a large pair of translucent, pink hakama pants hiding a set of Kung Fu, all being tied together by a series of white belts. "Time to put an end to this game of cat and mouse," Foxglove muttered, the irritation from earlier morphing into focused determination. His eyes glowed with a fiery intensity as he surveyed the Fragment-ridden warehouse.

The fragments sensed his arrival, some diverting their attention from their chaotic dance to face this new threat. Foxglove advanced with calculated steps, seamlessly transitioning into combat. His movements were a fusion of grace and agility, reminiscent of a fox navigating through a forest. With a swift motion, Foxglove unsheathed his weapon — a Lucerne hammer, its imposing presence complementing his agile form, a green gas danced along its edge mirrored the intensity of his resolve.

Foxgloves Lucerne hammer swung with deadly precision, each strike a testament to Foxglove's combat prowess. His agility allowed him to navigate the chaotic battlefield with ease, sidestepping lunges and countering with sweeping strikes. It was like watching a out boxer box, dodging and weaving waiting for the chance to counter. The poisonous strikes, a manifestation of Toxin Mode triggered by his lingering annoyance, added a layer of complexity to Foxglove's attacks. Each contact left Fragments weakened or incapacitated, writhing in the effects of the potent toxins. The warehouse echoed with the clash of combat, the Lucerne hammer dancing in the hands of the Flower, a symphony of destruction against the Fragment threat.

Amidst the chaos, Foxglove's movements became a dance of calculated strikes and evasive maneuvers. Fragments fell before him, their chaotic dance disrupted by the precision of his swings. The Lucerne hammer was a deadly extension of his will, each swing, each strike was a step towards quelling the chaos and bringing an end to the warehouse's Fragment infestation. He was a newbie when it came down to the intrinsic nature of being a flower but when it came down to a fight Foxglove could go with the best.

Nellancholy · Nov 17, 2023

Time seemed to slow as Carnation took a few more deep breaths, the unnatural smell of the Fragments building up in the cavernous warehouse like musk and rot and bile altogether. This didn't put her off one bit. For the few moments every few days she was allowed to be Carnation, she lived for the hunt and for its bloody end. No doubt, no regret, no fear she might be making a mistake.

Stepping gingerly, she tread past the man who was only in the midst of being consumed. Having long since transformed, she was beyond his notice. They would deal with his...liberation in a moment.

The Fragments were small and very much surmountable, if not exactly trivial. Not quite as small and crawly as bugs, more like large rats. Born of people's worst fears, despair, anger...if she showed such contempt to them, did that mean she was being contemptuous to the people who they spawned from as well?

Such questions and their prospective answers never remained in her head for long.

Lily and Foxglove took the initiative, flames and venom flaring forth as their weapons struck at the teeming mass. Thankfully, each Flower's skill with their weapons was instinctive, and these two certainly didn't fail to deliver. Though their were swift and powerful, there was yet to be much in the way of teamwork.

Well, if Will really wanted them to work on that, he'd tell them.

For her part, Carnation grit her teeth, her blood igniting as if with a spark of Lily's flames.

When a dog set upon its prey, it did not snarl or growl. A warning would be a mercy.

in a blink, the stagnant air in the warehouse stirred as Carnation shot forward like a bullet, her jaws clamping around what approximated a neck of one of the semi-solid Fragments. She spun, her neck and shoulders tightening as a tasteless, viscous tar filled her mouth, clogging around her teeth. The Fragment went flying as she loosened her grip, crashing into another and causing both to disperse.

A few others burbled to attention, her advantage of surprise lessened.

No matter.

Pseudopodia shot forth from their dense forms, looking to lash out at the beast that had set upon them.

To their misfortune, Carnation was easily able to dash aside, leaving their blows to dent a nearby metal container.

Before they could even retract, her spear slid into her hand, and a storm of slashes rent them apart.

Landing on her feet, Carnation looked back up at the man in the midst of transforming...

IDKnuggets · Nov 19, 2023

Nymphaea

team

Buddleia

location

Underground Walkway

interactions

Rose

AzaleaWonderland
Buddleia

fluticasone
Rafflesia

November Witch

A swarm of purple butterflies fluttered through the air around Nymphaea before coming to a rest on her skin. A matching barrier formed around Ms. Fortuyn as she charged into the fight, and Nymphaea was quick to follow. The two weaved away from stray tentacles on approach, dancing deep enough into the fray for Ms. Fortuyn to launch an attack.

One of the writhing tentacles nearly got in the way buy she deftly redirected her mace and caught the fragment in its horned helmet. The strike elicited an ear-splitting roar from the Fragment, it’s attention turning away from Mariana as it barreled after Ms. Fortuyn seeking revenge. Nymphaea was close on its heels- as was Mariana. Her anchor drug along the ground tearing open a deep gorge in the tile path. A shout from Ms. Fortuyn prompted Rose to leap into to action with her whip, sending it out like a trip wire to set the beast off balance. The Fragment crashed hard into a mound of debris and, before it could make any move to get up, was hammered deeper into the pile by an enormous anchor. The girl who had thrown the anchor perched on a wall of butterflies, keeping her from approaching the Fragment as debris tumbled around it.

Protected by the butterflies that fluttered lightly against her skin Nymphaea continued her charge, leaping onto the chest of the mostly buried Fragment as the anchor seemed to dematerialize. Her twin blades cut a deep ‘x’ into the beast’s exposed stomach, causing it to cry out and rumble beneath the rubble. She readied her blades for a thrust, holding a moment as her eyes scanned the Fragment for any sign of changing back. She wasn’t sure how the change would manifest and didn’t want to risk hurting the person within by mistake. Out of the corner of her eye Nymphaea spotted tentacles working to dig the Fragment free. She briefly wondered what that psychotic octopus was doing now, but didn’t have to wait long for an answer. Mariana’s tentacles encircled the base of the monster’s limbs and hoisted it- along with Nymphaea- into the air.

She slipped as the Fragment shifted beneath her, sliding down its torso and falling to the ground with a splash. Her head hit the hard tiled ground with a wet sounding smack, her swords clattering down on either side of her. Through fuzzy eyes Nymphaea watched as the Fragment’s muscles strained against the tentacles pulling at them, ultimately failing as they came apart with a sick tearing sound. Her eyes widened and she scrambled to move out of the way as the bulk of the monster’s head and torso plummeted towards her. Just making it out of the way in time, Nymphaea leaned against one of her swords for support as she tried to pull herself together.

“Now that was fun~” a sickeningly pleased voice cooed from behind her, and she unsteadily spun around to face Mariana. Her eyes reflected a sadistic pleasure that sent a shiver down Nymphaea's spine.

“Are you fucking insane?!” Nymphaea demanded, swinging the blade that didn’t support her up to point at Mariana’s face. Her still unfocused eyes danced from her hand up the length of the blade, seeming almost caught off guard by the weapon in her hand. She let the weapon drop, sliding it into the sheath on her waist and storming off with a frustrated shout and a curse.

A metallic skittering caught her attention as her foot sent something at the base of the stairs sliding a few feet. Glancing down, a single rose peeked out from the water at her feet. Nymphaea reached down to pluck the flower from the water and found there was more to it. From the base of the rose, in place of a stem, sprouted a grip and in turn from that grip a short blade. She eyed the roses that hung at the hem of Rose’s skirt, two of which clearly had a larger gap between them than the rest.

“How’re they holding up?” she called up to Rose, raising the dagger for her to see as she climbed the staircase after her. She eyed the former fragment in the girl’s arms with a hint of sympathy, wondering just what they were meant to do with them now. Obviously they couldn’t just leave an unconscious person lying in the street, right?

Steve Jobs · Nov 21, 2023

Autumn Morning

team

Anemone

location

Warehouse District

interactions

NameisUser (Kenji),

Nellancholy (Carnation),

606 (Lily of the Valley)

The truth became clear once Will stepped into the warehouse. It wasn't simply one Fragment, but a collective. Weak, but fast, it must have been easy for them to evade the app's radar and gather at the warehouse where burnout and fatigue emanated from the hearts of the overworked employees. Even beyond the lack of Fragment sight, it didn't surprise him that someone with such a high level of exhaustion could ignore the boxes falling from their shelves. Thankfully, the Fragments didn't seem to be causing destruction, simply more of a mess for the next shift.

"Hey, authorized personnel only," a blond man shouted, approaching the group. "There's something leaking in here so we're trying to find it. Niki was supposed to be watching the door."

"Yes, we ran into him earlier that's why we're here," Will gestured to the rest of the Flowers,"we've come to fix the leak so if you-"

"Where the hell is he? Where the hell is everyone anyway?" His words seemed to fall on deaf ears as anger tinged the other man's voice, reflecting the dark puddle swirling around his feet.

“Will…there’s more than even I expected…and look at his feet,” Lily whispered.

Will nodded in response. "Support Foxglove while Carnation and I take care of the other guy."

His visage burned blue for a few moments before returning clad in black, blue, and white. Plucking three weights from his scale, he dropped several of the smaller Fragments and crushed them beneath his feet. He didn't bother to check whether they were still moving and instead skirted the edges of the hoard until he came in closer view of the man-turned Fragment and Carnation who stood victorious over a larger corpse. He gazed at Carnation for a few moments before shuffling two weights back and forth. An ethereal, white chain wrapped itself around Carnation's wrist, lessening her gravitational field.

"You should be feeling lighter than air Carnation," he said before turning his attention to their main enemy, "now let's take care of this thing before he attracts anymore friends."

By contrast, black shackles snaked around the man who was now fully a Fragment. With a single motion the shackles pulled him towards the ground, leaving the monster to struggle.

fluticasone · Nov 22, 2023

buddleia

cedar fortuyn

underground walkway

just outside bouquet

very tired

rose | nymphaea | mariana

Buddleia had seen her fair share of brutality during battles. But nothing quite like the almost fanatic reverence in which Mariana violated the Fragment. This would have to be something she discussed with her, and as well as the rest of the older Flowers. Safe to say, this particular Flower would always need someone capable of incapacitating her if necessary.

Rose carried the the former Fragment with an ease she herself likely didn't realize wasn't natural. They'd need to be reminded, if only to avoid some previous incidents where a Flower accidentally decommissioned a street light by grabbing it too tight.

"For the record," Rose said. "I reject the earlier assumption I'd ever neglectfully endanger anyone other than myself. I understand I should've phrased my call to action better, but don't get it twisted."

Buddleia could only sigh in response to Rose. Her petulant words were not at all dissimilar to some of the children she tutored, so she simply rolled with it and nodded. She could claim all she wanted, but until the newcomer saw the very real sacrifices Flowers made because of duty, her statement felt like nothing more than lip service. It's not as if it was her first time being cast as an authority figure to be challenged - that happened every weekday. At the moment, there were bigger things to worry about - namely, Mariana, the woman whose crazed laughter had echoed in the tunnels just moments ago.

"They should be fine."

Buddleia took a cursory glance at the former Fragment.

"They won't remember anything, so just leave them. We can't be invisible people dragging a very visible body around."

With a callousness born of experience, she helped prop the unconscious person at a landing just before the entrance. She warily eyed Mariana, as if expecting her to argue, then gestured for all of them to follow her above ground.

Emergency response was already setting up, pushing back the rubberneckers who had nothing better to do than gawk. A graduated flower gave them a discrete nod, acknowledging their presence. He gave them space, parting the crowd so they could pass unseen and unfelt.

"Beyond protection, part of being a Flower is a vow of silence."

Buddleia began her lecture as they walked their way back to Bouquet. The stroll was peaceful, as if to subvert the chaos of the earlier battle. In less than five minutes, they were at the store.

"Children are able to see and hear us. From now on, you can call me Buddleia. I've been at this for almost five years."

The backdoor to Bouquet opened without resistance; someone had forgotten to lock it. With a shrug, she beckoned everyone inside.

"Congrats on getting through your first fight unscathed. Welcome to being a Flower."

AzaleaWonderland