flowers gleam and grow (open mingle)

[superseding]

[ Throughout the month, there will be a lot of searching, salvaging, and planting of flowers! Rapunzel and Hotaru want to make a beautiful flower field or garden on the new island part of the base!

Inside, there will be some planters with flowers potted to be transferred outside once they're considered stroong enough. Outside, wherever it's been cleared for them to plant, expect to see buds and flowers. Do you want to be a Disney princess? Do you want to help out? Are you escorting while seeds and flowers are being collected? Do you want to encourage or admire the flowers? Do you want to make friends with Snap Dragons? There are as many options as there are types of flowers!

Come and frolic! Turn the island into the backdrop of a Disney movie. ]

Comments

[superseding]

a. cat, snap, and chase

[ There are many cats in the base, but Hotaru thinks they'd like some time to frolic in the flowers. Even cats can be princesses. Some cats definitely are.

This afternoon, she brought a gray cat out, and he seems to have focused his attention on a Snap Dragon. Hotaru realizes it a little too late, and he pounces. The Snap Dragon flies away, and the cat chases after his prey. ]

No! Stop! Come back!

[ Hotaru gives chase.]

b. flower glow sticks

[ Is going outside tempting because it's a lot warmer than the borderline freezing temperatures URSULA has made the base this evening? If so, maybe you'll pass by Hotaru as she's coming back in. ]

Are you going out? Please take these, if you want.

[ She holds out some flower bracelets and a flower crown made of the bioluminescent flowers. It's going to get dark, after all. ]

c. wildcard

[ Hotaru can be found planting and potting regularly, bringing flowers in or out of the base depending on what she thinks is best or what the weather is like. She'll also place some around the base as decorations, changing them out when they need to be. ]

b

[reversing]

[ she sure is not trying to bail because of the cold. homura's got no problem with it and despite how cold it is, she's staring down at the girl offering her what looks like a armful of neon signs. she blinks only once while staring down at them, as if she might be considering taking one (if only because the act of making a flower crown reminds her of someone very special, but...).

instead, she runs a hand through a strand of hair and tosses it over her shoulder. her expression is simple and unreadable, but her words are easy to understand. ]

No. They're unnecessary.

[ ...just maybe not in the way that she means them to be. or maybe she really is this mean??? who can truly tell with a face this blank.]

[superseding]

[ Everyone on this base is kind, Hotaru thinks, even new people she hasn't met yet, and she'll think that until proven otherwise (and have it peer reviewed by at least three other people maybe not really). There are at least two other people on this base who are expressionless in their own ways, and they are also kind and considerate in their own ways. Homura gets the benefit of the doubt.

Hotaru lowers her hands, accepting the denial. ]

There are a lot of fish and plants that glow in the dark out there. It's pretty and useful, isn't it?

[reversing]

[ what an unusual response, she thinks. the problem wasn't that they were gifts, so to speak, or that they were flowers or hand made jewelry. nothing about the crowns and bracelets that hotaru had offered had been offensive, really, but the idea of wandering outside with glowing things attached to her body seemed like a one way ticket to predatorsville. "useful," she calls them, and homura would agree - at a distance, they are useful. but if she's willing to strap glowing things to her body... she wonders about this girl's safety, momentarily.

...homura's not sure how to interpret that statement, though it's not evident in her expression. well. ]

At a distance, yes. The closer to the light you are, the easier a predator might see you. As such, keeping something like that on yourself... like a beacon, it'll only attract mosquitos. [ of course, there's fish that'll be able to see you regardless BUT SHE'S NOT MENTIONING THAT because apparently this is #rudehour

...she thinks she's being helpful, for the record. ]

a

[sniptuck]

[ hajime is just walking along to get some fresh air when the cat suddenly runs past her. she stares after him for a few seconds, wondering where he's heading off to when she hears hotaru yelling after him. ]

Hi Hotaru-chan!

[ without hesitating, hajime immediately starts running with hotaru because that?? seems like the most obvious course of action here? ]

[superseding]

H-Hajime-san, hi!

[ Hotaru is a little (closer to a lot) out of breath. She doesn't look like she'll faint from physical exertion anymore, but building stamina is still hard going. ]

I don't want the... cat and the snap dragon to... get into a fight...!

[sniptuck]

[ she glances back at the two that's ahead of them, frowning a little. ]

Do you want me to go get them?

[ she's asking because hotaru might want to stop them herself so. gotta let people have their character arcs if they want em. ]

b

[thatsthespirit]

[going outside is tempting because of the borderline freezing temperatures URSULA has made the base this evening. Hotaru manages to catch Milla just as she's heading out, and the spirit stops to examine the flower bracelets and crown curiously]

You made these yourself?

[superseding]

Yes. If you want to take them to look at them better, you can. You don't have to take them to keep them or take with you, if you don't want.

[ Hotaru's craftsmanship isn't shabby, but it's not perfect either. She took her time to make them, but making flower crowns and bracelets is something very new to her. ]

[thatsthespirit]

[Milla reaches out to pick up one of the bracelets, her touch careful and light. she doesn't want to ruin them, after all]

Thank you. I think they'll prove useful as a light source for when it gets dark.

[she turns the creation over in her hands as she inspects it]

May I ask where you found these glowing flowers?

a

[imsorey]

--Whoa there!

[Sorey reacts automatically, jumping up to grab the Snap Dragon before it can fly too far up and away and keeping it gently but firmly cupped in his hands.

But he has no idea what to do about the cat trying to climb up his legs to get at it, besides look pleadingly over to Hotaru to help.]

These guys are, uh, pretty playful. Ouch.

[superseding]

I-I'm so sorry!

[ Hotaru comes to a stop before Sorey, bending over and trying to catch her breath. ]

I thought I had a better eye on him, but he was too quick...!

[ She kneels and gently wraps an arm around the cat before tugging him away, much to the cat's vocal dismay. ]

Thank you for protecting the snap dragon.

[imsorey]

[Once the cat is safely in her arms, he opens his hands to let the snap dragon come out, provided it doesn't get too close to any cats.]

Glad I could help. They're just naturally energetic, don't you think? I bet I'd be as energetic as that little guy if I'd been stuck in the base for so long too.

a

[braavado]

[While the cats have become a common sight around the base, Korra can't say the same for the...whatever it is that the cat happens to be chasing as they blaze past Korra.]

What the-- [Korra raises a brow at Hotaru when she spots her following them.] Need a hand?

[superseding]

[ Hotaru slows down as she nears Korra but doesn't stop because if she does, she won't be able to keep up. ]

Y-Yes!

[ She's not fit enough for this. Not yet, at least. If it sounds like this isn't the first time this has happened, it's because it isn't. ]

Can you stop one of them, or at least make sure the cat can't get to the snap dragon?

[braavado]

You got it. [Korra takes off in a sprint, easily catching up with the duo. When she's close enough, she makes a grab for the snap dragon, cradling it in her hands as she comes to a stop. The cat yowls at Korra as it prowls around her legs, apparently upset that it's been cheated of its prey.]

Come on. [She gently nudges the cat with her leg.] There's a bunch of other things you can chase on the island--I think? Ow! [Apparently unsatisfied with Korra's answer, the cat digs its claws into her calves and tries to climb up to get at the snapdragon again.] Hey, cut that out!

c!

[unidolize]

[ Dia is intrigued by all the new decor around the base. It's so pretty; look at all the flowers! Oh...how nice. This base was in need of something colorful and beautiful like this. Dia bends over to admire one of the pots filled with some pink flowers, a gentle smile on her face.

When Hotaru passes by, flowers in her hand, Dia turns to call out to her. ]

Excuse me, would you happen to be the one responsible for this?

[superseding]

[ Hotaru stops with her mini flower arrangement and looks at where Dia is before nodding shyly. ]

Yes, that was me. There's a high chance that any other flowers could be from Rapunzel, too.

[coronae]

a. gardening

[ it's pretty easy to find rapunzel outside all month long, especially with the base being as cold as it is now. her hair is braided up like usual and she seems to be drawing designs in the dirt, xs and ox and ts in an intricate pattern as she hums to herself.

she's ditched her shoes, somewhere. ]

And then the red ones will go here, and then it'll be - oh, just perfect! Don't you think, Pascal? Or should we put the purple ones here? I think the red will look prettier, though.

[ ah. she's planning where to put what flowers, and discussing it with her chameleon compatriot, who...doesn't seem to mind either way, actually, since he shrugs. ]

b. snapdragons

[ she's taken to carrying around some medical supplies just in case (there are so many people who do magic rapunzel almost thinks she may as well just sing her hair song and let everyone know, but old habits and a lack of cause) but even so if you get bit by a snapdragon or something else, her first instinct is to twist her braid in her hands. ]

Oh no! Here, let me just see...

[ have a fretting princess for your troubles. ]

closed to korra

[ earlier in the month, on a mission to the aurora to find flowers they can locate this darling. however, it'll take getting there through some less-friendly waters, so rapunzel asked a friend along. specifically a friend who actually knows how to defend herself. and them. ]

Thanks so much for coming along, Korra, I know it's - well, I guess it isn't an imposition? Or, well. You said so, so - [ she's rambling as she tries to find good footing on the floor, wary of whatever might be in the aurora. like cave crawlers or whatnot. and reapers. YOU KNOW. ]

a

[imsorey]

[If the chattering didn't get his attention, the attempted designing of the flower garden would have. He's curious to see how things are going, and it would add a lovely bit of color to the place, so he wanders over and kneels down to check out what she's got so far.]

You've really got this all planned out, don't you?

[coronae]

Oh! Well, I have ideas? But I mean, we can change them! If anyone wants? It's supposed to be nice for everyone, after all!

[ not just her. ]

[braavado]

Relax. [Despite the gloom of the Aurora, Korra manages to smile even as she holds a hand out for Rapunzel to grab onto if she needs it.]

I told you it wasn't any trouble. [She holds her free hand up, calling up a fire to light the way.] What are we looking for again?

[coronae]

Flower seeds! Of...any sort? Well, we're trying to find just flowers in general, for you know, purposes of...brightening things up? Though I wouldn't say no to finding more cooking-spices-seeds, either.

[ rapunzel does take that hand! her balance is usually pretty good but it's hard in the relative gloom - though that gets better when korra calls flame to her hands. ]

Hotaru - do you know her? - and I were thinking it would be nice.

b

[superseding]

[ Hotaru got a little too close a little too fast to a snap dragon, and she got bit for her carelessness. ]

It's not that bad. It's a good thing they're so small. It could be worse...

[ She holds out her hand for Rapunzel to see that it really could be worse. Even if Hotaru can magically heal herself, it doesn't usually occur to her until way too late. ]

[coronae]

Are you sure? Here, just let me...

[ WRAP HER HAIR AROUND. YOUR HAND? ]

Just, don't freak out, okay?