EVENT LOG: Leave a Light On

[pluviosamods]

LEAVE A LIGHT ON

You aren't scared of the dark, are you?

The dark is safer than the light. It's the light the reveals the things you'd rather not know. It's the light that's essential to knowledge and to growth. It's the growing things you should be worried about around here. They've been waiting for you for a long time.

... Of course, so has everything thing. But it's the growing things that have the opportunity, now. No matter how dark and stormy the night, morning always comes.

This is the event mingle post for Leave a Light On. This event includes general content of rapid plant growth and the possibility of infection by the Growth (plant-related body horror element) for participating characters. The IC duration of this event is the afternoon and evening of Day 4.

This is not an event with heavy moderator involvement. Players are welcome to make their own top-levels on this post.

Further information on the event can be found here.

Comments

[airplaneskyward]

“I’m selfish because I came after you because… because I love you, and I didn’t even think about anyone else, just you.” Being able to see the top isn’t helping, apparently, he’s… he doesn’t think Casper is getting better.

“You… we need to get you somewhere safe where you can recover, 心爱. I don’t know if that’s… mental or physical. But I’m getting you there.”

He and Casper make it to the top of the staircase, and then to the elevator that deposits them back on the top deck. He heads for the cafeteria, since it was plant free, and pulls Casper down onto a couch facing the glass walls and the open sky with him. “It’s okay. No plants. We’re okay. We made it.”

[helborn]

He's on the couch before he can protest - he's going to get it dirty! - but he settles against Beida and closes his eyes. "I'm glad you're okay." Himself... he's not sure. The adrenaline is wearing off and he's just... tired on a level that he wasn't sure he could be. "... I don't... I don't know what I want to do now..."

[airplaneskyward]

Shang Beida wraps an arm around Casper's shoulders and lets out a long breath. "I'm fine, baobei, it's you I'm worried about. Can you... rest? Just for a little while?" He can see Casper's hands trembling. He doesn't know how to fix it, but... diving back in definitely isn't it, no matter how much Casper wants to help.

[helborn]

"... I don't know if I can." He should - he definitely should - but he's not sure how. "I'm just... exhausted without being tired." If that makes sense? He's not sure if it makes sense. He's not even sure if he's speaking English properly.

[airplaneskyward]

"Just... be here with me, okay?" He shifts them so that Casper's head is in his lap--maybe if he's lying down it'll help? He channels a tiny trickle of spiritual energy into him through a hand on his chest, trying to focus on it being soothing. "We're okay."

[helborn]

He can feel... something, but he's too tired to figure out what. He's suddenly looking up though, blinking slowly at Shang Beida before closing his eyes. "Mm." Bob wiggles out of his pocket and perches on the back of the couch, preening himself as best he can.

"'m just gonna... be here... help if you need it..." His sentences are only half-formed, and it's frustrating. He doesn't like sleep. He doesn't like dreams. He hasn't slept since he showed up here. But right now... all he wants is a nap. ... He's not in a defensible position, but he'll... he'll be okay, right? He has to be. "... Sorry..."

[airplaneskyward]

“I’m here, Casper. You’re safe. Sleep.” Casper is slurring, his face creased in distress, trying to fight to stay conscious, and he needs rest so clearly. “I won’t let anything hurt you,” he murmurs. He would fight any and every other person on this goddamn boat right now if the tried to disturb Casper. Now is his chance to recover, at least a little, and the younger man needs it so fucking badly he hurts to look at.

Shang Beida’s hand is a little shaky on Casper’s chest as he closes his eyes and lets himself process that he found his boyfriend facedown and insensate in water and he might not have survived if he hadn’t come when he did. He… he did something right, he saved him, but… his chest hurts, and he can see Casper’s too-still body behind his eyelids.

[helborn]

His shoulders curl in a little, and as he slips into slumber he folds his arms across his chest protectively. He's used to having to spring awake, and he's clearly fallen into some kind of defensive position as best he can. His chest slows its rise and fall - not completely, but enough to tell that he's asleep.

It's unclear how long he'll remain asleep, or what will happen when he wakes, but he's at least asleep for now. Bob also blinks at Shang Beida, clearly also tired but not worn to exhaustion like his 'brother'. He tilts his head - isn't the older man going to relax at some point? Though knowing him, maybe 'relax' is not a word he really knows.

[airplaneskyward]

Shang Beida is going to stay on alert as long as Casper is asleep. He said he would keep the younger man safe and he meant it. Casper is vulnerable now, and that means the one of them that hasn't been nearly killed by plants needs to keep watch.

[helborn]

He sleeps for a little bit, but suddenly wakes up, sitting up in a panic with his hands curled into fists. He breathes hard, trying to figure out where the danger is coming from... but no, it's nowhere. Not right now.

... Where is he? ... Right, the ship. Right, Shang Beida. He turns slightly, breathing slowly starting to even out. "... S... sorry."

[airplaneskyward]

"Hey. Nothing to be sorry for. Do... you feel any better?" He rests a hand on Casper's shoulder. He kind of wishes the younger man had slept longer than that, but it's something, at least. "I'm glad you managed to get to sleep for at least a little while, you needed it." He's not Mu Qingfang, he doesn't know what to do when someone isn't okay. And he's really not sure how his small hoard of weird xianxia medicines would interact with Casper's ichor thing.

[helborn]

"I don't... know. I feel more... here?" He's not sure if he's making sense. "My brain feels like mush, but I'm... here." It sounds stupid to him even as he says it. Sleep... yeah, he needed it. He's not sure how much more he needs, but it's at least some. ... He's not tired anymore, at least.

"I'm just glad I didn't hurt you when I woke up. I... uh. ... Nightmare, as you can probably guess."

[airplaneskyward]

Shang Beida kisses Casper's temple. "I'm glad you're here. I wish you could have gotten... sleep without nightmares, but that's probably a rough ask after... what happened." He leans into the younger man, relaxing his alert posture a little now that Casper is awake. "I'm going to guess now that I won't be able to convince you to go back to sleep?"

[helborn]

"I know. It is." He leans into the other as well and shakes his head. "I don't... I can't. Not while people are still trapped in there. I can't let them be alone and scared like I was. I can't let them be hurt..."

He's not sure he could forgive himself if he did. "Please... don't try to stop me schatzi."

[airplaneskyward]

He sighs. "All right, 心爱. I don't... I won't try and make you be as selfish as I am. I'll come with you?" There's no way he could just sit up here while Casper went back below, especially in the state he's in. He needs to know that Casper is okay, needs to be able to see that he's not drowning in the dark again.

[helborn]

"... If you want. I just don't want people to get hurt. I know I should rest. I just... can't. Not when people need help."

He stretches a little bit, blinking slowly. He doesn't want to get up, but at the same time his sense of duty to the people here is stronger than his human desire to laze about.

[airplaneskyward]

"I can't-- I can't just sit here and know that you're down there again. I couldn't bear that. But I knew you were a hero, so I'm not surprised you want to help." He'd kind of like to enjoy watching Casper stretch, but he's too stressed and worried about him, and Casper too filthy and injured, for it to be fun.

"I just need you to be safe."

[helborn]

"I know. ... I know. And I - I don't know if I'm a hero, I just want people to be okay." Maybe that's what a hero actually does? He's not sure. (And if Beida brings up the Hero's Journey there will be Words.)

He stands and checks himself over. ... Dirty, a little scratched up, but it's okay. He's okay. "I need you to be safe too, though."

[airplaneskyward]

“I think caring more about if other people are okay than if you are is sort of the definition of heroism, baobei. I’m—I don’t want other people to be hurt or anything, but— if my skin and yours are intact, I can handle it. I’m— I’ve had to— not think about collateral damage for a long time. But I’d rather be able to see that you’re okay. I can’t—sit up here and imagine what might be happening to you.”

[helborn]

"Good." He takes a deep breath. He has a mission. He has something he can focus on - hyperfocus, really - and he has the means to do it. He's not going to leave anyone in the dark. His senses are sharp even if his mind is muffled, and he's ready.

"Let's get going. It's a lot of floors to cover. I think there's about a dozen of us? So we should make sure we count everyone we see."