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

[vermillionpledge]

Reassured by the way the tension throughout Lucia Corina’s body eases slightly, Alisaie gets to her feet and offers a hand. “You’re not in my debt,” she says. “I helped you because I wanted to.” Seeing that smile again certainly doesn’t hurt, though. She has a lovely smile

[luciacorina]

Lucia Corina takes the offered hand and carefully stands again. She favors the injured ankle a little, but there's only a slight twinge, not a bolt of pain. "Your skill is certainly great enough to work a significant improvement. You have my thanks, then, if nothing more." The feel of the slighter girl's hand against hers is... pleasant. She's hardly touched anyone in a long time, has she? Gulda embraced her... she can't think of anything else. Wait, Gulda. The tower. Rue and Deorwine. She's long out of the Hall. Her brow furrows, trying to connect from there to here. When did she part from them? She's... she remembers a tall man with white hair, a younger one with blond, both grounding her back to the present on-- "The ship! I beg your pardon, I just-- remembered. We're on the Ship?"

[vermillionpledge]

Alisaie squeezes her hand a little once they’re both standing. Lucia Corina’s hand is a little larger than hers, and it’s oddly…reassuring. She doesn’t seek out physical affection, but she could get used to this.
Not that she should. She has no idea how long they’ll be on the ship, or even if Lucia Corina will continue to want her company.
“That’s right, though I don’t know much else. Are you well enough to head back?”

[luciacorina]

Lucia Corina squeezes her hand back, marveling a little at how warm and grounding such a simple gesture feels. She doesn't want to let go. She shouldn't force her company on Alisaie, of course, but... until the other girl pulls away... perhaps it's all right.

"I believe so, as long as I don't trip again... I could wish it was less dark, but given the consequences of the light, perhaps not."

[vermillionpledge]

“Hold on, then. I won’t let you fall.” She turns to smile at Lucia Corina again and leaves their hands linked. With her other hand she brings up the focus of her rapier, floating gently above her palm. The light it emits is weak, but it’s better than nothing.
“I was able to get down here with only this. We ought to be able to make the return trip with it, but be careful.”

[luciacorina]

Oh... oh. Lucia Corina's chest feels strangely tight. I won't let you fall. What a simple sentence to make her feel so much. She smiles back, a little shaken by the strength of her reaction. "I will... rely on your aid once more, then, miss Alisaie." She holds her skirts up a bit with her free hand, picking her way carefully away from the cocoon of vines that imprisoned her. The light is enough to see where the plants have made the floor treacherous, and her ankle is shaky but the surprisingly strong grip of the shorter girl is keeping her steady.

[vermillionpledge]

It’s not a quick journey back, both of them picking their way delicately over the tangled roots and vines that have taken the opportunity to rise up against their metal prison. Alisaie worries that Lucia Corina will hurt herself again, or that her ankle won’t be able to hold up to the strain, but apart from their slow, cautious pace the other girl holds her own.
“Where do you want to go? I can help you back to your room, or to the cafeteria?”

[luciacorina]

The healing is perhaps a little more effective than it should have been, simply because Lucia Corina is so prepared to believe in Alisaie's ability to help--she expects it to work, and thus it does. There's enough of a twinge that she's still grateful for Alisaie's steadying hand, but it's not too bad. And their cautious pace and the dim light of the other girl's artifact are enough to keep her from tripping again.

"The cafeteria, I think? It would be nice to have something warm to eat." She pushes her hair absently out of her face. It's worse than usually full of leaves and twigs and tangles, right now, but she's not really aware of it. "Or something warm to drink, either way."

[vermillionpledge]

Alisaie looks back at her when they finally make it close enough to the living quarters and cafeteria that they can hear voices. She’s been leading the way, hyperfocused on getting them back safely. It’s been difficult to converse as a result, even were she not feeling somewhat tongue-tied every time she speaks. Something about Lucia Corina makes her want to choose her words carefully, make sure she says the right thing. It’s an odd feeling, wanting to be careful.
But there are so few people here whom she can trust. So few who will trust her. Surely that’s the cause of her nervousness.
“Good idea. I think we’ve both earned some tea, and you need to rest.” She has no way to enforce that, of course, but she has to try.

[luciacorina]

Tension eases out of Lucia Corina as they make it into cleared corridors and can hear the sounds of non-flora life. "I remain immensely grateful for your assistance, miss Alisaie. I have been fortunate indeed to find myself safe in your hands."

As they step into the cafeteria, she rather hopes Alisaie will stick with her just a little bit longer. The other girl's company is... more than a comfort. She makes her way to the tea cart and takes two cups, looking up at Alisaie. "How do you prefer your tea?" Fixing her a cup is nothing, really, but she wants so desperately to repay her rescuer.

[vermillionpledge]

She isn’t used to being addressed as “miss Alisaie,” at least not by someone her age, but rather than making her uncomfortable the unfamiliar formality has begun to make her smile.
She thinks about refusing, generally unwilling as she is to let people do things for her, but it’s clear that Lucia Corina wants to make it up to her somehow. This, at least, is a harmless form of repayment.
“A good bit of sugar, no milk,” she says. She isn’t actually sure the ship has milk, but worth being clear.

[luciacorina]

Lucia Corina smiles at her, relieved that she can at least do something. She fixes two cups of tea, one with plenty of sugar and the other with a bit of honey--she's not used to the flavor of sugar, it doesn't seem quite right to her. "I had never had sugar before," she says, for lack of any other comment to make. "There are... many unfamiliar foods here." Like tomatoes.

She carries both cups to a table in an unspoken invitation for Alisaie to join her, one she's too uncertain to voice--she has been rescued. She has proved again how little she has to contribute, how much of a burden she is to the rest of their astonishingly competent company.

Alisaie has magic, and a rapier, can heal and fight. Lucia Corina is only a songbird.