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

[luciacorina]

"You're one of them! And they all bow to Her! I won't be Her pet again!" Her clawing at the vines has subsided, though she's still huddling away from the opening, as much as she is capable. "I won't, I'd sooner die than go back to the Hall!" She shakes her head, tangled black hair almost more leaves than curls falling into her face. She mutters, voice lower, "Can't trust them, never, take nothing, touch nothing, taste nothing..."

[vermillionpledge]

Alisaie stays where she is, not moving any closer but wanting to remain within the girl's field of vision. Nothing she says makes sense, but the frantic mantra sounds familiar at least. She recalls being told similar upon their first visit to the Faerie Kingdom, not that it prevented the pixies from having some fun at her and her brother's expense. Was she trapped somewhere? Being held captive? It would certainly explain why she's having such a severe reaction to her captivity now.
She decides to try a different tack. "Can you tell me where you are right now?"

[luciacorina]

"The-- the Wood, outside the Hall, I didn't know the Wood would try to pull me back too, the vines, grasping, I have to get out, have to get away, I won't go back!" That's at least a somewhat coherent answer to the question, even if it bent back to the same thread. "The thorns are Hers too!" There aren't actually any thorns on the vines surrounding her. Which is good, because she'd be in much worse shape if there were.

[vermillionpledge]

The mostly-coherent answer is encouraging. Perhaps if she can keep the other girl talking she’ll be able to snap her out of this.
“Who is She? Did She hold you captive?” An obvious question, maybe, but if it gives them both time to think it will be worth it.

[luciacorina]

"The Lady, She took me, to be her pet, to be a songbird, I won't be Hers again, I won't let them pull me back under Her spell!" Her fingers twitch on a zither she isn't holding. "I have to get away while I can still think!" She yanks on a vine, instead of clawing, though they're so densely grown together that it doesn't have much effect.

[vermillionpledge]

“I know you may not believe me, but I promise you: I serve no one but myself and I won’t hold you captive. You aren’t safe here, but wherever She is it is somewhere else.”
She stays put for now, but hopes fiercely that this will work. She refuses to abandon someone she can help. Never again.
“I can keep working to free you, but I’ll need to come closer again. Is that all right?”

[luciacorina]

"But... you're an elf. All the wood elves follow Her." She's peering wide-eyed through her hair at Alisaie, seemingly paying no attention to the declaration that she isn't safe here. "Aren't you Hers?"

[vermillionpledge]

It’s been nearly a year since she last heard that word, and in that time it’s become jarring again. But the girl is looking directly at her for what feels like the first time, and there’s awareness on her face. Maybe they’re getting somewhere after all.
“Some people have called me an elf before, but I’m not one. I’m an Elezen. Are you from Norvrandt?”

[luciacorina]

"I... I've never heard of an Elezen. You're not an elf?" She blinks, pushing her hair away from her face. "I'm from Vankrik, of course." The confusion itself seems to be helping to pull her out of the spiral of panic. "I've never been anywhere else."

[vermillionpledge]

“Vankrik…” She sounds out the unfamiliar syllables. Perhaps one of the shards? Though she knows by now that they must be somewhere far, far outside her world. “I come from Sharlayan originally. A city of scholars, though I wouldn’t count myself among their number. If I work on cutting you free, will you be all right? I don’t want to leave you in there any longer than I have to.”

[luciacorina]

Lucia Corina blinks, looking down at the vines. "Oh... Yes?" She wants to free her? "Thank you? I... what's your name?" She hasn't retained the first introduction, or indeed much of what's happened since the plants started growing--it's all a haze of fear, memory slipping through her fingers like sand. "Are you a traveler?" The city name is unfamiliar. "Is Sharlayan to the south?"

[vermillionpledge]

Alisaie can’t fault her for not retaining information in that state. A relieved smile breaks across her face and she moves closer, still moving slowly so as not to startle her further.
“Alisaie Leveilleur,” she says. Cautiously, she resumes her progress on the vines. “Far to the north, actually. I haven’t heard of Vankrik either.” A considering pause, and she looks back up at the other girl. “What’s your name?”

[luciacorina]

"I'm Lucia Corina." She smiles hesitantly back. The ears still make her nervous, but... Rue and Kane were safe, weren't they? As long as she's not a wood elf, it's fine, surely? She's clearly not a sun elf, of course, but if she's from far away, perhaps there are other types entirely there. "...Aren't we in Vankrik?" She's slightly less certain about that than she was, but she still doesn't know where else she could possibly be. She's always been in Vankrik, all her life.

[vermillionpledge]

Enough of the vines have been cleared away that Alisaie has a better look at the girl - Lucia Corina - inside. Dark hair, pale skin, an expression tending more toward curiosity than fear. That’s much better.
“I don’t know where we are, if I’m being honest. And neither does anyone else. But I will get you out of here, and we can try to find out.”

[luciacorina]

"We're... lost somewhere? But-- how did I get here from the Wood?" She hasn't caught back up to remembering the Ship yet. But she's squinting out through the opening Alisaie is clearing, in the dim light of her focus. "Why is-- are those walls? We're inside?"

[vermillionpledge]

Lucia Corina seems to be coming back to some awareness of the here and now, and giddy relief bubbles up through Alisaie before escaping in a slightly-nervous giggle. “Aye, we’re on a ship. I’m not sure how or where, I just woke up here a few days ago.” She keeps working as she talks, the curious expression on the other girl’s face a little overwhelming.
Finally, it looks like she might be able to extricate herself, though she’s still a bit off the ground so it may require caution. “That should do it, I think. Do you want help getting down?”

[luciacorina]

Lucia Corina tentatively tries to move forward and stumbles, her legs shaky from being locked in place for so long. She catches herself on some of the still-intact vines, blinking down at her feet. "Oh! I-- beg your pardon. Help might be... appreciated."

[vermillionpledge]

Alisaie can’t help but smile at that, the gentle politeness coming back in as the panic fades. She stands firm, feet planted, and extends both hands. “Be careful! I would hate for you to get through all this unscathed and hurt yourself at the last moment. And what kind of rescuer would I be if I let that happen?”

[luciacorina]

Lucia Corina carefully reaches out and takes one of Alisaie's hands, waiting until she's stable before letting go of the plants with the other and linking it as well. She can't but smile back down at Alisaie, who seems to be terribly kind--how much easier would it have been, to just leave her trapped?

She edges forward on the uneven platform of roots, gripping the other girl's hands tightly, until she reaches the edge and can try to step down. The ground is quite a ways down, and she tries to fit her heel into a gap in the roots to use it as a step for part of the way, but after she lifts her other foot to try and step down the right of the way, it gives, pitching her forward and tangling her foot at an angle that bring a gasp of pain.

[vermillionpledge]

Alisaie holds her breath as Lucia Corina steps forward and takes her hands. Her grip is firm and warm, reassuring after the surge of adrenaline brought on by the last hour, and Alisaie does her best to stand steady while the other girl steps down-
Her fall is sudden and terrifying, giving Alisaie no time to react in any way other than bracing herself. It’s a short distance, but enough for injury if they aren’t careful. She grunts and sways a little as Lucia Corina falls against her but stays on her feet. They remain there, both catching their breath. Lucia Corina’s heart is pounding, or perhaps it’s just her own.

[luciacorina]

"I'm terribly, sorry, I--" Lucia Corina tries to pull away and stand up and her ankle twinges sharply with an unsteady wobble, sending her swaying. Her cheeks are burning--this young woman has been so kind as to come to her aid, and this is how she's repaid her? (A rare flush may actually be visible on her porcelain-pale skin.) "I beg your pardon," she repeats. "I didn't mean to... tumble so." She tries to steady herself.

[vermillionpledge]

Alisaie considers trying to extricate herself, but Lucia Corina makes a small pained sound and sways on her feet as she tries to put weight on her injured leg, and all embarrassment is forgotten. She can’t just abandon her because of a moment of - silliness.
Besides, maybe it’s too dark to see her blushing. She keeps her hands on the other girl’s upper arms, doing her best to keep them both steady.
“It’s all right,” she reassures, smile in her voice and on her face, “I didn’t assume you did it on purpose.”

[luciacorina]

Alisaie's hands are warm and solid and reassuring, and Lucia Corina manages to stabilize herself, with weight mostly off of her protesting ankle. "I... greatly appreciate your assistance, miss Alisaie. You did not need to put yourself out so for my sake." She hadn't realized, while she was trapped, how much shorter the other girl was, knowing she was lower down. The elf--Elezen--girl has a lovely smile. And flushed cheeks-- Lucia Corina hopes she hasn't hurt her. "You are terribly kind."

[vermillionpledge]

“And you are terribly polite,” Alisaie answers. “I could never have left you there. You were terrified, alone. What sort of person would I be if I had left you to your fear?”
She lets Lucia Corina keep bracing against her, unwilling to let go. Just in case she becomes unsteady again. It will be a bit of a walk back, and she doesn’t want to aggravate the injury. That’s all.

[luciacorina]

"Many would not consider it their responsibility to aid a stranger, especially one who... I'm sorry, I can hardly remember, but I don't think I was terribly... coherent. I fear you were working against me as much as the plants. And yet you persevered."

For all her slight frame, Alisaie is easily holding her steady, and Lucia Corina can't help but appreciate how... grounding it is. She is here, now, with this unfamiliar girl whose hands are warm against her arms, not lost in the shadows of her past.

"I'm not sure... there was somewhere..." She closes her eyes, frowning. "I... this place. We've been here some time?" Memory is filtering back in, but everything is muddled.