kingdoms_of_auradon | Mother, Tell Me What To Do- Event

It began with flowers. Now, flowers were nothing new to Auradon, but these were clearly no ordinary flowers. For one thing, they were distinctly not native to the area, looking much more like they hailed from somewhere far more tropical, though even should anyone- Missrecalled or local- be familiar with such things, they wouldn't be able to identify what species they were or exactly where they might be from. For another, rather than growing over time, they'd all just simply appeared overnight. And they'd appeared everywhere. From outdoor spaces where one would usually find flowers, to all sorts of places indoors where one normally wouldn't find them. Draped in living garlands around the shoulders of suits of armor. Twining around the legs of tables and chairs. Literally sprouting right out of the woodwork or wallpaper in places.

Avoiding them entirely would be difficult, though doable if one were particularly determined. Fortunately, aside from their mysterious appearance and their sudden ubiquitousness they seem to be harmless. They even smell nice, though no two people will be able to agree on exactly what the smell is like, just that it's pleasant.

However some of the flowers will randomly cause something odd to occur. Touching one, or breathing in too deeply from one of the random flowers will draw forth a memory for all nearby to see and hear. Only one memory will display at a time, and anyone in the area can see and hear it, but only those close enough to have caught the scent of that particular flower will get the full effect. They'll see the figures and setting as solid, and may experience subtle additional effects related to the memory, such as the feeling of a breeze or the smell of cooking food. Anyone else will see and hear everything fine, but will not experience any additional sensations and will see the scene as somewhat transparent. The figures aren't solid, they just seem like that to anyone who was close enough to smell the flower when it triggered.

The memory, oddly enough, will not be from the perspective of the one it belongs to; they and their companion or companions will be observing from a third party perspective, thus allowing a person to see their own face in the memories without the aid of a mirror. Nor can the memories be interacted with; those viewing them are observers only, and while they'll be able to hear the figures in the memory and each other speaking, no one in the memories will be able to hear or perceive them in any way. The memories vary in content and tone from person to person, for obvious reasons, but a common thread will soon be spotted: all the memories involve the person's mother or similar maternal figure. Generally they are more likely to be positive memories, if such memories exist.

Once the memory fades that flower looses its ability and becomes just like any other flower in this event. However another flower nearby might have been activated...

Picking one of the flowers and taking it back to their rooms- which are one of the few places that remain entirely flower-free, for some reason- will result in the person having vivid dreams of their mothers or maternal figures. Again, while the content of those dreams will vary widely for obvious reasons, in Auradon, the tone will be generally positive. Perhaps bright and cheerful, perhaps nostalgic and somewhat melancholy, but the dreams will be generally good ones, and those who have them will wake feeling generally refreshed and like they slept well. The dreams are just that, dreams. Even those with no memories of their mothers can have these dreams - but in the drams they will have a mother, and the dream will center around that maternal figure one way or another. Again, these are dreams and our minds can create the sweetest fantasies when so inspired. These dreams will linger one day past the event for every day the flowers had been kept in the bedroom. Also, oddly, of the flowers people pick will show no signs of wilting or drying out, even days after being picked no matter where they're left.

Then, after a week, all the flowers- whether picked or left alone - vanish overnight, just as suddenly as they appeared. A strange phenomenon, to be sure, but once it's over, other concerns will likely take precedence once again. After all, something like that couldn't possibly happen again, right?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

From:

queen_butterfly

An attack? The little fairyfly tilted its head, confused, and opened its wings slowly again, not quite a move to help balance as it stood there, feet pulling together a couple pieces of grass under it into a sort of platform that could support it. It turned to look at where the scene was, and then back up to the kid. A little beat passed, and it jumped to move to a spot just in front of him.

Another slow flap as it settled down, feet pulling some more grass together again like before, and it stood up straighter, raising a hand to wave hello. It was a remarkably ordinary sort of gesture, easily recognizable if he were watching. But this was a butterfly... so why was it waving at him like that, like people did?

From:

nadenagi

He jumped back, startled and stared wide eyed at it. "I... wish the others were here..." he mumbled. They'd know what to do, right? Or their Charas might?

From:

queen_butterfly

Another little head-tilt, considering it. She could speak up, if she really wanted, but would that be wise? Would it be appreciated? The kid seemed wary, despite her attempt to wave hi... did he not know what a fairy was, maybe? He seemed to have mistaken her for something else....

A second's pause more, and then she turned and jumped, fluttering to another flower.

Another scene: an elf lady was kneeling there on the grass next to a very young child. She was helping them hold their hand up, a large black berry, shiny and spherical, in that tiny palm. The tot watched, eyes wide, as two of the large butterflies -- that black-with-purple one again, and a red-and-pink one -- landed on their little hand, to eat at the fruit.

"Stay quiet," the lady said as the small child looked up at her, making an excited little sound that turned into a giggle. "...If you're very gentle, maybe you can pet them?"

The child, eyes still wide, took care in bringing their hand in to their chest, cupping it carefully to the front of their shirt. The little insects flapped their wings a few more times, settling into place better there as they ate the little fruit, and that other little hand very carefully crept up over them... A finger was reached down, and carefully touched one of their heads.

"'S soff, momma!" They looked up at her, grinning. "Soff an' tiny!"

"You're doing very well, too...." She reached over, dropping another berry next to what remained of the first. The two fairies were making short work of it, and she was simply giving them reason to stay on the child's hand where they were.

"Can I keep 'em?"

"Well, I hope they'll stay in our garden." It wasn't directly a yes or no. These weren't mere animals, despite appearances. She eyed the two little things there. "Will you stay with us a while? Please?"

"Pleeeeeaaaaase?" Another careful but still ultimately slightly clumsy petting on them, from the child.

"I have more fruit and wine," she offered.

The red one simply continued to eat; the black one paused to stand, craning its tiny head up to see her better. Its wings opened, and closed....

The scene faded again, leaving only the present butterfly. It turned to look back up at Nagihiko again, watching his reaction....

From:

nadenagi

Confusion. His reaction was confusion. But also...

He put a hand over his chest, not quite over his heart but close. A pain like longing stealing over him.

"I want to go home..." he whispered. "I... I want my mom..." a tear ran down his face.

From:

queen_butterfly

Her wings closed again slowly, her stance sinking. A glance down, and she slid from the plants into their shade.

A moment later, she stepped closer to the young human, her dress's skirt whispering over the grass, announcing her presence in her usual adult form. She knelt beside him, making no sudden moves as she reached up -- would she be allowed to wipe that tear?

No words, only a soft, worried smile, her posture a silent offer for a hug, if he wanted that.

Edited (accidentally some info) Date: 2023-07-15 04:55 am (UTC)

From:

nadenagi

He looked up at her, surprised, but he didn't pull away or run. He hung his head, however, ashamed of himself.

From:

queen_butterfly

She wiped his cheek gently, not quite guessing correctly at why he was hiding afterwards.

Quietly, "I'm sorry, poppet." A little pause. "There's someone I miss as well."

Given, it wasn't a parent or child of hers that she was thinking of... but that didn't really matter, did it?

"It seems sadder, somehow, though, to miss someone while all alone... would you mind terribly if we missed them together?"

From:

nadenagi

"Al....alright.." he said, softly. "Do... Do you think we'll ever get home again?"

From:

queen_butterfly

"I don't see why not." A little pause, considering before asking, "Tell me about her...?"

From:

nadenagi

"About... Amu-chan?"

Um, no, Nagihiko. That was not who she was asking about....

From:

queen_butterfly

"Is Amu-chan your mother's name?" Well, she didn't know....

From:

nadenagi

"Wh...what?!" he asked, startled. "N... no... Oh... you wanted to know about mom...?"

From:

queen_butterfly

"About whoever you'd like to tell me about. I could tell you about someone I've been reminded of too, if you'd like....?"

From:

nadenagi

"If... if you want. I'm not as good at being a friend as my sister... but I am good at listening..."

From:

queen_butterfly

"I don't think I'd believe you're not. You're plenty capable of that, poppet." Just because she didn't know him very well personally didn't mean that she had doubts there; this was a kid, and children, well... they were quite often capable of more than they expected.

"Would you want to tell me about someone first, or ought I tell you first?"

From:

nadenagi

He pushed some hair back, flushing a little. "You can..."

From:

queen_butterfly

She nodded a little. "One of my oldest friends," she said. "He seems to know me better, sometimes, than I know myself. Always knows just what to say, to help when I've been upset. We could always tell each other anything. And he would always be there to help me, and I, him. He's one of those people one could spend the day with, not say a single word, and still feel like you've had a wonderful conversation.

"Some time ago, I was..." How to put it? Well, she didn't want to lie.... "I was hurt. And it was such that I couldn't do something I had intended to do. I couldn't give someone a present I'd planned. And he came to visit... he wasn't even able to come speak with me first, and I know he was very upset about what'd happened... but he remembered so well what I'd wanted to give them, and he gave it for me." She smiled faintly. "I think things quite possibly turned out even better for those people, than if I'd been the one to give it myself.

"I had to be away for a long while after that... but he was one of the first people I met with again after. He helped me fix my home... rebuild my castle. He helped me clear the ash and debris, and get my garden started. A long time ago, I'd given him a few bits of the roses from my garden... and he'd cared for them, and brought them back to me for my new garden."

She reached up to her hair -- surely this one was of her magic's making, given that she'd planted the real ones some time ago -- and she pulled down a little blossom, a darker, intense sort of deep purple, matching the hems of her gown, and offered it over to the child, intending to simply gift it away. "I really don't know where I'd be now, if it weren't for him. I owe him so much...."

From:

nadenagi

He nodded, listening intently. "He sounds wonderful," he said quietly.

From:

queen_butterfly

She nodded. "He's always been there for me... and I've tried my best to be there for him, as well. I don't even remember when it was that we met; I know we had to have, at some point, but it feels as though we've always known each other...."

She set the little rose in Nagihiko's hands, quiet, her smile soft. "There's so much that I don't remember, from when I was younger... and much that didn't happen for me, as it would for a good many others.

"...What's it like, having a mother the way humans do...?"

From:

nadenagi

He held the rose gently. Cradling it like it was precious.

"I'm not sure I'm the best one to answer," he said softly. "Nadeshiko knows our mother better than I do. But... she's firm. Kind where she can be, but firm. Focused. I still... don't really know how..." he trailed off. "It's hard. Nadeshiko really is the better one to ask..."

From:

queen_butterfly

"But I'm curious what you've experienced. Everyone sees something different.

"I remember seeing human mothers with their children... singing them to sleep... feeding them, when they were very small... giving them hugs, when they fell and hurt themselves a bit...." Quieter, "I don't remember ever quite being so small that I was treated the same way, precisely...."

There were downsides to practically beginning one's sapient existence as a form of adult, after all. Some were never that interested in the things they missed out on. Mallia, on the other hand, was curious about everything.... And though there surely had been some instances of having been so little physically, things were sometimes lost over the centuries.

From:

nadenagi

He hesitated, then nodded. "Not since I was really little, but... yeah. Mom... she's as driven as dad is, in some ways. About dance. About teaching us, though she mostly teaches my sister. She... she can be kind. But she also doesn’t like it when I sneak out to just... be myself... by myself... but she has her reasons," he said feeling compelled to defend her.