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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[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.]

[Her touch doesn't surprise him – nor does he feel the need to jerk away – though the action does puzzle him. IV stops washing (he was about to pull the coat, anyway, and he tugs it out of the stream) and turns his head slightly, blinking, to face Leia.]

What?

[She cups her hand over his forehead to feel for his temperature, using her own for reference, though both feel the same. Her hand traces along his cheek and the scar that still holds secrets.]

I'm just checking.

[Though she doesn't tell him to hold still, her words and the way she says them seem to imply it. Eventually, a finger will settle on his pulse.]

Even if the fire didn't touch you, the explosion was intense.

. . . Do you feel anything? [Pain? Heat? Numbness?]

[It has been too long since anybody caressed his face. IV appreciates the thoughtfulness with which Leia conducts the assessment, and his eyelids flutter closed and then open when her hand runs over his scar. He feels his blood pulsating against her finger.]

It stings a little . . . like a sunburn. It doesn't hurt.

[Leia's eyes close as she counts, and she takes in his answer without questioning it much. She gets the feeling that he'd give a similar answer, even if it was more serious, but in this case, she believes him.

Satisfied, she lowers her hand and looks relieved.]

That'll go away.

[She goes back to kicking her feet in the water, smiling slowly.]

You're still a bit shaken up, but so am I. That . . . might a bit longer.

[IV pulls his head away to look back down at the stream, his coat still hanging in his grasp and dripping water on the ground. After that explosive chaos, the calming flow of water soothes the apprehension in his chest.]

I'll be fine.

[He can at least admit that he isn't fine right now. At this point, he's had ample time to recover, but dread has a habit of lingering – as does paranoia.]

You're really not hurt, right?

No.

[She answers easily. When IV goes back to what he was doing, she follows suit and finally starts to wash off her coat as well, caked with dirt and debris. Her movements are fluid and thoughtless, like she's done this before.

Thinking back, she has to admit it, though she's not sure if it's for his sake or her own.]

I probably would have been, though. If you hadn't been there.

[Her emphasizing his part in leading them away reassures IV, who begins wringing the excess water out of his washed articles of clothing. He'll think about where to lay those out to dry later. Leia's penchant for trying to be of help can be so reckless sometimes, not that IV can talk much.

Still:]

Don't go running inside when there's a fire. You'll only hurt yourself.

Thanks . . .

[. . . is what she was really trying to say, she realizes. It feels good to get that out there, though her mind still lingers on the what-ifs. Should she have resisted, tried harder?

She doesn't know, but his tone of voice is so serious. He might have never forgiven her if she did that.]

I'm fine, too. Promise.

. . . I'll think of something. [If there was a way to call out to Undine, then . . .]

[Words of reassurance are easily flung around, but promises are more serious. IV accepts Leia's and doesn't say more on the subject.]

For what, the fire?

[Under ordinary circumstances, he would have discouraged it. In a world with firefighters, that extra step is unnecessary from a well-meaning citizen. Unfortunately, there isn't anything like that in the jungle, so it means the aftereffects of the accident may linger for a while. Knowing this, IV wrings the edge of the coat a little tighter before releasing the tension.]

Whatever you do, take me with you.

[He didn't leave Rio behind. He won't leave Leia, either.]

[Wringing out her own coat after she's done scrubbing is actually pretty satisfying. Getting out the last bit of the water proves a good challenge, though his words do strike a chord and make her stop.

She nods.]

You've got my back, I've got yours.

[Though the next comment isn't nearly as serious. She starts to untie her blue ascot next.]

But what if I got in? [With a tip of her head, she indicates the water as she wets what now just looks like blue cloth. It's mostly a joke, but:] You might not follow me then.

[As he continues to wring his clothes, IV huffs. He sets the coat down momentarily to roll up his slipping sleeves again, and then he returns to his original task. He eyes the stream, which looks rather inviting after everything.]

Who says I wouldn't? It's humid, and the air wasn't pleasant earlier. If you're going to go in, do it now so I can, too.

[She nearly lets her ascot drift away in the stream. The gentle splashes from her washing it abruptly stop and she stares, a bit surprised. Until a moment ago, he hadn't looked like he was in the mood to even talk, let alone swim.

She lets out a laugh as she wipes something off her cheek with her thumb. It may be a bit inappropriate, but she's relieved; and she can't say no to that.]

Well, if you insist . . . !!

[Geronimo goes unsaid this time. She sets aside everything she's washed so far . . . and disappears into the stream, only to reappear in front of him a few seconds later. Water trails so aggressively from her hair down her face that for a moment she can hardly see. Her lips curl into a hardened smile though as she shivers and meets his eye.

. . . She's actually in his way. (Oops.)]

[Thanks a lot.

IV stares back, a faint smile of amusement tugging at his lips. It doesn't escape his notice that Leia's blocking his way to the stream. He isn't about to detour just for that, so he sets the coat aside and then climbs onto his feet to pull off his boots.]

Well, since you're there . . .

[A quick glance at the edge of the stream lets him know it's fairly shallow between himself and Leia. He tests its depth with one foot, before he reaches forward and clamps down on Leia's shoulders to "steady" himself as he drops into the water, applying pressure to submerge her temporarily.]

Eh--?

[To be fair, IV testing the waters with his foot is a major clue. In that split second, she steps back to finally make room, though she's quickly caught by the shoulders and her eyes close abruptly as she sinks under his weight, breath lost.

Once under, her eyes open again as wide as they had been. The surprise still has a hold on her, though she takes it well, even as her hair starts to come undone. Her cheeks are slightly puffy from the last-minute breath she tried to take, but upon seeing him (his face, his hair, floating wildly--), she can't help but snort in an attempt not to laugh, which comes out as bubbles in the water and a gurgling sound to accompany it.

If this is a contest in holding breath, she is quickly losing.]

[The stream is deeper than he'd thought it would be. Perhaps the flood in the colony had contributed to its increased depth. Either way, IV flashes a smirk before straightening his knees to resurface. At full height, the water reaches the middle of his torso.

His hair sticking to his face in every which way, IV rakes a hand through its thick mane to push the strands back. In the motion, his wet shirt pulls against his skin – and no matter how annoying that'll be to deal with later, it feels good right now. He looks to the left and then the right as if to gauge the quality of the stream.]

Not bad. I'd have gone in sooner if I'd known it'd be this clean.

[The quality of the stream is something Leia should have probably considered, though things seem to be working out in her favor. She rises and breaks the surface with him, noting the weight of his hands on her shoulders; and similarly, she'll toss her own hair out of her face, sucking in a breath. Now that her hair is down and out completely, she has to tug some of it out of her mouth. Unruly and wet though it may look, she runs a hand through it.

Who knows where her hair tie went.]

It feels great.

[Beneath the yellow overcoat of hers, which remains abandoned on the shore, what's left is a plain white button-down that looks rather formal. On top of that, there's a black vest that makes her look like a waitress or bartender. She looks down upon feeling their weight, though her gaze settles on the water.]

I wish we could put this stream to good use, but . . . we could at least stay nearby. [Camp out for a while, though no more fires will be necessary, thanks. Some of the guilt returns in her voice as it tapers off.] Maybe monitor things from a distance, until . . . you know.

[Until it's safer. Until something changes.]

That might be best.

[The only waitress or bartender he's ever given a second glance, if so. Considering the circumstance, it's exhilarating to share this moment with Leia.

"You know." He knows, and it feels like she's been censoring herself all this time. IV studies Leia's face as droplets of water roll down to their chins. He wipes his forehead and eyes with the back of his forearm.]

You can say it, you know.

[As if to emphasize, he takes that first step by looking behind them, through the path they'd taken to come this far and where the fire must be dissipating – or spreading. He doubts it'll reach their location, but at least they're in an ideal spot for safety.]

If the fire makes it this far, we'll use the water somehow.

[She gives a quiet nod. Lifting her head, she follows IV's line of sight until she's met with the smoke and flames in the distance again--mostly the rising smoke. It's a sobering sight, and meeting it head on only cements it further.

She didn't leave anyone behind.]

You know how I feel about waiting . . . but if I've gotta do it, at least it's with you.

[Haa. She has to turn her head slightly, not quite being able to meet his eyes. Suddenly her hair is the most interesting thing in the world, and she starts to wring out the excess water. While she never saw herself as particularly secretive or prone to hiding things, she's also not used to being this open about her feelings . . . at least without some ridicule.]

That's okay, isn't it?

[Then at least it's with him, and at least he's here with her. He looks off to the side as he focuses on the floor of the stream, feeling his bottom surroundings with his feet. They're cool, and he'd take the cold over the unbearable heat of fire any day.

He looks up when he notices movement from Leia, only to notice that she's turned her head away by the most minuscule angle. She's playing with her hair, and that can mean one thing.]

Why wouldn't it be? This is how it should be . . . We're partners.

[In more than one sense of the word.]

[For right now, at least, this is how she wants it to be. Her expression warms with his reassurance, though she still feels lost. She'd have no idea what to do, if someone like Jude or Milla were to find her like this. Playing in a stream carelessly while people suffered . . .

Then again, they don't really need her.]

Yeah.

[She lets out a small laugh, though she quickly dips underwater as she wipes at her eyes when she feels tears forming.

She finally leaves her hair alone, and when she comes up . . . she splashes him. (Is that a challenge?)]

A jungle can't take that away, no matter what happens to it!

[Although he doesn't notice the tears, IV can at least tell that being away from the scene of the accident, unable to extend aid, is eating at Leia. Any other thoughts on the matter get cut short when she splashes him. He starts at the chilly contact, almost miffed, and then splashes right back with the flapping motion of his hand.]

Ah, that's right. The jungle can try, but it won't succeed.

[He decides to back up then and seat himself at the edge of the stream near their washed clothes, leaving his body submerged up to the lower half of his waist. He brings a hand to one sunburned cheek and then the other, so that the cool temperature of the water may take away the faint stinging. The tips of his fingers linger on the cheek with the scar before he drops them.]

. . . I won't let it, because I'm going to take care of you.

[Not if I take care of you first is the first thing to cross her mind. She shields herself with her arms against IV's retaliation and follows him to the edge of the stream. Her smile lingers as her laughter fades. It starts to waver when she thinks he's getting out, but seeing him get comfortable makes her do the same.

She joins him, and for the first time, she really feels the extra weight from her vest. She tugs at it as her cheeks warm at his words.]

Then I'll have to take care of you.

We'll make it out of here together and save ourselves for real. [And maybe teach whoever that was the meaning of the word "save," while they're at it.]

"For real," huh.

[IV's mind goes to their respective worlds. He pushes the thought aside in favor of himself, Leia, and their current predicament as he watches the stream rush down its stony path. And then he tosses his head, emphasizing his next words, before he slaps at the water to spritz Leia.]

That's a given. I'm not one to give up . . . and neither are you. We'll save ourselves and all the others while we're at it.

[Pretty words have a way of boosting morale. He likes them.]

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