the storm is coming

Alys

this night is alive with the smell of insane —

The Wildwood was still in the cool evening air. Many of the forest's residents had departed for warmer climes now that Leafchange was upon them - though the will-o-wisps remained, bobbing here and there through the trees. Every time Alys ran into one, she ignored it, forging on with Sascha by her side as they hunted once more for a rose.

Now that the Family was gone, the seer had renewed her search with interest. Now there was less of a question of what a rose might be used for, less guilt for choosing her partner over the good of Caido. And so she split her time between the Greatwood and King's End, her goal clear: to find a Vi's Rose to use on Tal.

— it's reaching for me and it's calling my name

NOE

So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames

Noe found herself spending more time in the Greatwood than she cared to, hunting aimlessly for a rose. On this particular day, she knew that other Breakers were gathering to storm the city, hoping to cleanse at least some of it in order to move back home. The problem for Noe was that she wasn't sure where home was for her anymore.

Mika curled around her neck, hissing softly in the girl's ear as they traversed the Wildwood. It was late in the afternoon, a golden Leafchange sun setting the forest on fire. A breeze blew every once in a while, tossing down a cascade of yellow and orange leaves to crunch beneath the girl's feet. She paused briefly to touch a hand against a tree trunk, feeling its rough texture scrape against her hand, but then she was moving on again.

A figure appeared in the dying light of the setting sun, and Noe paused. A woman walked through the Wildwood with a small ursur at her side. Noe thought she looked familiar, perhaps in that vague way that one does when they've seen someone in passing at some event or other. With that in mind - and with the fact that Noe didn't see any infection on the woman - the girl took a few tentative steps forward. "Hello?" she called out, ducking beneath a low-hanging branch. "Who's there?"

You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain

Alys

this night is alive with the smell of insane —

It was growing late. The light of the setting sun was burnishing the forest in a soft, golden glow, and Alys knew that she would need a fair bit of time to find her way back to the village. Now that it was Leafchange, she wasn't keen to spend the night out in the wilderness if she could help it - the temperatures dropped once the sun set, and she hadn't brought any supplies with her to stave off the chill.

Just as she was about to turn back, though, a voice interrupted her musing. She turned to find a girl - a young woman, really - approaching. She thought that the stranger looked familiar, but she couldn't quite place where she'd seen her. Either way, she decided that a friendly approach was best - even if Sascha hid warily behind her legs, peering around at the girl with a low, tentative grumble of greeting.

"Hi," Alys said as the girl ducked under a branch. Hadn't she been at the pool party? "I'm Alys. Are you alright?"

— it's reaching for me and it's calling my name

NOE

So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames

It was interesting to think that it had been a while since someone had asked if she was alright, and now that a perfect stranger had done so, Noe had to pause to think. If she was being honest, she was a bit of a mess - and had been ever since she'd been cured. It hurt to think that things had been easier as a Friend of the Family, when her brother had worked so hard to find a way to save her - and yet they had been, in more ways than one.

Still, dumping her trauma onto a stranger wasn't in the cards for Noe today, so as Mika disentangled herself from the girl's hair to flit towards the woman - Alys - Noe simply nodded. "I'm fine," she said. "I'm just, you know. Looking for flowers." She paused. "What about you? It's getting late. Are you okay, or do you need help getting back to the village...?"

You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain

Pushing up from the ground before you is a blood-red rose.

---

You’ve encountered one of Vi’s Roses.. This counts as a rare creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. You can post a link to this thread in the character updates thread if you pick the rose, to have it added to your inventory.

Vi's Roses (rare): A beautiful crimson flower with thorns of deep gold, it is rumoured that these roses are coloured with Vi's lifeblood. When planted, they have the ability to cleanse the area around them.

Alys

this night is alive with the smell of insane —

Looking for flowers, the girl said, and Alys's heart fell. She knew that she couldn't be the only one out here searching, but to have come across someone else in search of one... what would they do if they actually -

FOUND ONE!

It was Sascha who noticed it first, darting from her bonded's side towards a spot just off the path, where Alys could see a burst of blood red sprouting up. With a gasp, she hurried over, dropping to her knees beside what could only be a Vi's Rose. The seer reached out a trembling hand, brushing her fingers over the flower's petals.

Then she looked up at the stranger. Tears filled her eyes - tears of joy, tears of gratitude, and perhaps even tears of sorrow, for she knew that she couldn't let this rose be lost to her after so long spent searching, and yet the young woman staring down at her was surely just as in need as she was. "My partner's infected," Alys offered thickly, pleading in her eyes. "I need this to cure him."

— it's reaching for me and it's calling my name

NOE

So it's gonna be forever
Or it's gonna go down in flames

The ursur moved, a sudden, surprising dart that had Noe taking a step back, as though frightened that the creature was coming for her. But it only moved to the side of the path, where it was seemingly protecting something small and red -

A rose. A little thrill coursed through Noe at the sight. This was what she'd been searching for! This was something she could contribute to the cause, something tangible that she could bring back and say she'd done for Stormbreak, even if she wasn't sure she wanted to live there anymore.

But then Alys was dropping to her knees beside the rose, looking up at Noe with tears in her eyes, and the girl knew that she could never take this from the other woman. She'd been infected, and she knew the cost to her loved ones. If this rose could be used to cure someone... that had to be just as important as freeing Stormbreak.

So Noe stayed where she was, nodding dumbly. "I hope it works out for you," she said softly, her own voice thick with emotion because of what she was walking away from.

And then she was gone. She didn't look back.

You can tell me when it's over
If the high was worth the pain

Alys

this night is alive with the smell of insane —

Relief coursed through Alys as Noe stayed where she was, seeming to understand the desperation coursing through the seer's veins. Sascha continued to stare at the girl, seemingly standing guard over her bonded and the rose, watching until Noe was long gone into the darkening forest.

And then Alys was digging up the rose, pulling it gently from the ground, placing it reverently into a small pot she'd been carrying around for just this purpose. By the time she'd finished, the light was fading fast, night falling over the Wildwood. But even though she was later getting back to the village than she'd anticipated, the seer didn't mind. For the first time in weeks, she felt lighter, more hopeful, and ready to face the future.

fin

— it's reaching for me and it's calling my name