estoria | ( mini-plot post: open to all )

Entry tags:

( mini-plot post: open to all )

Who:

jawdacity & all of cerealia!
When: towards the end of the event (so this won't conflict with any event threads you may already have going). 2-3pm.
Where: Abandoned village + surrounding jungle
What: THERE ARE EXPLOSIONS. And mushrooms.
Rating/Warning: Possible NSFW for gore?

Details about this mini-plot HERE

"World of Loudening Screams" (Watch on YouTube)

(theme song of this post, courtesy of

moribound.)

[ it's another muggy, meandering day in the jungle; nothing seems to be out of the ordinary. ]

IN THE VILLAGE

[ if your character is near the center of the village, they'll bear witness to the curious sight of a herd of shuffling mushroom beasts. in terms of threat level, to the experienced hunter they may have ranked low on the scale: slow, lacking an external fang or claw, they seem to be interested only in their endless march forward.

but, if your character is close enough, they may catch sight of a red-haired young man, a manifesto of anger written across his face. one breathless moment, the calm before the storm, and then he hurls a metallic pair of gloves at the closest beast, the gloves trailing arcs of flame.

what may strike your character first is the searing heat, the thrum of the earth below their feet. the whole village is demolished in a moment, the dying cries of the beasts rising above the din. the explosion lasts much longer than it should, the line of mushrooms going up one after another.

if you're too close, you might be torn in two. you might lose a limb, or two, or three. you might go deaf, you might lose your sight. you might lose all your eyelashes, your clothes. maybe the bag of mushrooms you'd collected for dinner is now little more than ash.

keep running. the smoke trails into the air. someone is screaming. the smell of charred meat follows you even after you disappear into the jungle. ]

IN THE SURROUNDING JUNGLE

[ if your character is close enough to the village, they'll feel the blasts, one after the other. the jungle is on fire, quickly spreading. maybe you'll hear the screaming, too; maybe your lungs will fill with smoke. maybe you'll run into one of the last mushroom beasts, fleeing from the explosion only to trigger a lesser one in the depths of the jungle.

it came from the village, didn't it? maybe someone you love was swept up in the explosion.

if you manage to escape the stampede of terrified jungle beasts (some of which may stop to crunch you up as a quick meal as they dash away from the blast), maybe you can venture closer to see what's happened.

or maybe you should get as far away as possible. ]

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[It's only then that it hits her like the weight of a ton of bricks. What could she have done anyway, without the power of Undine? What can she do, without water artes? She wants to be a hero. She wants to save everyone, like Milla, but even as a nurse, her powers are limited. She wonders if there's even anyone left to save.

Her hand is numb. She rubs at the spot where IV had gripped her so tightly and desperately, responding with an automatic nod.]

Mmm. [She hums, falling gently against a tree as she catches her breath. The rough bark isn't kind to her clothes, so she does her best to stay on her feet.] Everything I eat's going to taste like ash.

[IV doesn't look as nearly worn out as Leia despite their equally disastrous appearance. The part of him fixated on getting out of the area doesn't let him succumb to the crash of adrenaline. He looks behind himself, away from the village and toward the depths of the jungle, and begins to move.]

Let's look for a river.

[Seeing as Leia seems to have given up on her foolhardy plan of charging headfirst into the fire (or what's been left behind by it in the aftermath), he doesn't reach for her this time.]

[Her eyes do light up at the suggestion, eager for something to do. She can't fall apart now, not when the danger isn't over. She stares at him for a moment as she rights herself and starts to follow him; then she'll nod with determination, something that should seem more familiar coming from her.

Her voice is breathy, but her tone is firm.]

Okay.

[She does recall there being a river, after all, but with how disoriented she's become, there's no way she can pinpoint it without some effort.]

But what about you? Does it hurt anywhere? [Guilt tugs at her suddenly as she catches up to him.] I . . . I didn't ask.

[Spurred on by Leia's agreement, IV begins to head in one direction (an educated guess based on where they were and where he'd last seen a source of water, though he can't say so with absolute certainty). As long as they're moving, he can claim to be content.]

I'm fine. The bracelet protected me.

[He's surprisingly okay as a result. But having experienced the accident in relatively close distance, his body is still tense from the shock of excitement.]

Oh. Yeah . . .

[She'd almost forgotten, somehow. She should have been there, she thinks, but at least the bracelet was. She can't complain about that.

Her voice trails off there, and her gaze still wanders towards the worst of the fire for reasons she can't explain. Maybe it's sick fascination, curiosity over the whole thing, but as much as she itches to be there as part of the action . . .

She continues to follow him. He seems to know where he's going, so she doesn't question it.]

But the accident . . . Did you see it?

Edited 2015-10-12 03:59 (UTC)

[IV can only hope he's headed in the right direction, though any path that takes them to cleaner air is better for him than the opposite. Fire doesn't just pose a risk to the skin; he knows it can damage the lungs, too. Slight though it may be, he feels the smoke thinning somewhat as they advance through the jungle.]

I didn't see the whole thing, but there were monsters. [And an idiot, whom IV omits for reasons.] It was the explosions that caused the fire. The village . . . there's nothing left.

[She figured that much out. An explosion is hard to miss, though she didn't know about any monsters involved. It doesn't surprise her though, so her reaction is neutral, even as he reminds her: there's nothing left.

He's so insistent on this. It hits her that he must've been close. Even if he was able to activate the bracelet in time . . .]

You should let me look you over.

I'm fine.

[He'll answer with this as many times as she'll ask. Besides the impact of landing on his back from the initial explosion (as well as the potential superficial burns on his face that may surface later like a delayed sunburn), IV is fine. It isn't as though he'd nearly lost an eye this time.]

The fire didn't touch me.

I know, but--

[She'll immediately protest, even though she believes him. As the words come out, though, she does the difficult thing and bites her tongue; because she's still new to this thing, being with him, and it isn't exactly the best time to be pushing boundaries.

She lets out a sigh, seeming a little frustrated that she doesn't know how to handle this. It wouldn't be the first time, either . . . Her voice is softer in tone and volume when she finally admits:]

It'd make me feel better.

[At that, IV's pace slows and he comes to a grinding halt with the soggy ground giving under his boot. A little bit of guilt – the knowledge that he's shoving Leia away – gnaws at his insides. He brings his hands up to his hips, and then twists around to face her.]

. . . Finding the river comes first. Then you can check.

[Leia notices the sudden lack of footsteps too late and nearly bumps into him. It does force her to look up though, so at least now she's paying attention.

She gives him a little space, stumbling back as his words register.]

Ah--

[She pauses abruptly, words stuck in her throat, until . . .]

. . . Sorry. That's fair.

[She's relieved. All the more motivation to find the river, so she picks up her pace and refuses to fall behind anymore.]

[IV settles next to Leia, allowing the both of them to control the direction they go. The cleaner the air becomes, the more he itches to find a source of water to wash off the grime. He doesn't offer any more in the way of words.

This far from the remains of the accident, it's incredible how quiet their surroundings are, considering. In fact, the jungle's practically been lifeless since they'd arrived at the village.]

[It's jarring. If there were any screams at all, they stopped, and Leia feels like she's come to her senses. What good would running into the fire do for anyone . . . ?

The realization isn't enough to dispel the doubts and what-ifs completely, but as the atmosphere calms, she seems to do the same. Predictably, the silence doesn't sit well with her either, so for the first time since she found him again, she cracks a smile like things are going to be okay.]

It sure is weird without those monsters following us.

[She should probably be thankful, though. Even if they were cute, when they weren't nibbling at her hair. (And then there was that bird . . .)]

[The shift in conversation has IV thinking, and there's a pregnant pause while they continue to walk as he considers what Leia said. It's strange that there are no more monsters at all in sight, but the way she says it indicates something else.]

What monsters? [He pauses, then waves.] Ah, you mean those things from earlier. I wasn't as fortunate to have that kind of company, but it looks like they were persistent.

Mm. [Yeah, she can definitely sense his sarcasm there. She lets out a snort, because "persistent" is a bit of an understatement; though she knows they never bothered IV.]

Maybe they thought I had food. Sorry, little guys. [She doesn't actually sound sorry at all.] Or . . . maybe they thought I was food!

[And . . . speaking of food, she'd rather not think about what the fire will do to their food supply. Fear momentarily grips her again and without realizing it, she clenches her fist, which shakes. Still, she keeps going. Eventually, she can hear running water . . . Thankfully, she'll focus on that instead.

She knew they couldn't be far.]

[Although he doesn't reply in favor of brushing aside a curtain of vines, IV can and does appreciate Leia's attempt at humor. He at least acknowledges her efforts with a neutral glance over his shoulder. Then the sound of running water reaches his ears, and he turns his head in its direction.]

Can you hear it? We're close.

[He assumes Leia can, with her being as sharp as she is. He skips a few steps over uneven ground, picking up his pace with that momentum.]

[She doesn't really know how to react to that. Following him through the vines, she wonders if he'd prefer it if she was quiet; but she just can't. She does seem relieved though when he does speak--and it's good news to boot.

Even if she did already notice, the affirmation is welcome.]

Thank goodness.

[. . .]

Sorry. I don't have any spare clothes with me this time.

They're just dirty. We can wash them at the river.

[Although a change of clothes sounds luxurious right about now, he understands that it isn't realistic. IV takes the lead with his increased pace, and they soon come upon a slow stream. He trudges over to the edge and peers into the surface of the water.]

This will do. What do you think, Leia?

[It'd mostly been a joke, but she takes his answer in stride. A swim in an unknown river sounds a little luxurious, too, after all, even though she hadn't been expecting this. She's nothing if not adventurous . . . so after an initial glance that follows the direction of the stream downwards, she tilts her head.]

Geronimo?

[Okay, okay. She doesn't jump, but she is rather desperate to get clean by now. She gives him a look, sheepish smile lingering.]

We're here, so let's not be shy about it. [No turning back now, beggars can't be choosers, etc.]

[Geronimo. Honestly.

Nodding, IV rolls ups his sleeves before dropping to his knees. He cups some water in his hands to wash his face, the cool liquid chilling his somewhat burnt cheeks and countering the humidity of the jungle as he washes off the grime. The excess water trickles down to drip at his chin, and he looks over to watch Leia.]

[And she was so sure that would get a reaction, ah.

. . . For a moment, she doesn't do anything but kneel beside him, watching him curiously with worried eyes. Then he suddenly turns his head in her direction; and she'll try not to look too surprised about it as she catches his gaze. Suddenly the water is the most interesting in the world.

With a breathy sigh, she mimics him far less elegantly: she starts with a splash of water over her face, and doesn't bother with rolling up her sleeves. After all, they could use the wash, too.]

[They could, the same as everything else. Satisfied with the fact that they've both cleaned their faces, IV takes off his shrug and coat, leaving him with his shirt and pants. He drapes the coat over his lap and then pushes the shrug into the stream, allowing the movement of the water to caress the fabric.

He isn't concerned about getting his clothes too wet. After all, the jungle should dry them off fairly quickly.]

[Leia is slower to react, as she savors the coolness of the water over her face. She sighs contently and actually focuses on her breathing, which comes surprisingly easy to her after dealing with the smoke. She's genuinely surprised at how much of a difference this all makes.

Imagine if she actually got in . . .

She doesn't. Not yet. She does watch IV out of the corner of her eye though as she goes from kneeling to sitting. Slowly but eagerly, she tugs off her boots and the thigh-high socks underneath, setting them aside.

She dips her bare feet in the water and . . . seeing her own reflection, she'll splash her face one more time. With that out of her system, the yellow, puffy-shouldered coat of hers starts to come off as well.]

This was a great idea.

[By the time Leia gets in the water, IV has replaced the shrug with his larger coat while dragging the water over his forearms to wash off the ash. He looks up at the sound of splashing, then back down at the submerged coat.]

Yeah.

[He brings the back of his wet hand to his forehead, cooling it. There's a slight stinging sensation around his cheeks, where the heat of the fire must have done superficial damage. They're probably a little red.]

This jungle is too humid.

[She's actually content to sit by the edge; but it certainly does look like she'll plunge in any minute. A year ago--if she were younger, she might have done that. She might have pulled him in, too, just for fun.

Now she kicks her feet playfully, silently agreeing.

She notices the redness in his cheeks and remembers just then: he promised she could look him over. They've found the river.

. . . Without a word, she leans in closer, brushing aside some of his impressive hair for starters to get a better look at his face.]

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