2024-04-26: Lost in the Dark
- Log: 2024-04-26: Lost in the Dark
- Cast: Redi Hayworth, Yulie Ahtreide
- Where: Caves underneath the Ruins of Memory
- Date: April 26, 2024
- Summary: Redi and Yulie fall into caves far underneath the Ruins of Memory. And considering what they had escaped from, there is much to worry about... not the least of which is each other.
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<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
Down, down, down they went...
The only small mercy was the loud SLAM of the door shutting behind them -- a huge slab of stone that smashed into the floor, and thoroughly blocked Brionac's path down here. And then, sliding and twisting through a chute-style slide, Redi and Yulie fall out...
...hitting the ground of a broad natural cavern, themselves, and rolling a few times to a stop.
It takes Redi a second to come to. As she does, flickering ember-like motes of violet and crimson waft off her; everything that just happened was stressful enough to make her powers flare up.
Redi pushes herself up, slowly; her clothes are dirtied and scuffed, and there's a scratch on her cheek. The cavern is a natural one, with high walls of stone all around -- and it's a long, long tunnel.
Redi holds a hand up, making a fireball float near her to light the room up. Then, she calls out: "Yulie...?"
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
They tumble and slide until, eventually... they come to a stop. Yulie is still for a moment - and then, when Redi calls out to her she groans, stirring to consciousness and rolling over onto her back.
"I'm here..." Yulie calls back. She can see the light of the fireball, now - Redi must be close by. She stays like that for a moment longer - until, eventually, forcing herself to sit up.
"Where are we...?" She asks. She stands, carefully, a hand reaching out to grab something to support and stabilize herself with. Everything comes rushing back. Brionac, and... everything that happened before...
...It's an odd feeling. She's terrified, of course, but a part of her just feels... well, like she expected it. The grim validation of knowing she was right to still be afraid. It isn't a pleasant feeling. Still, right now, there's something else to be worried about.
"How are you...?" Yulie asks. Not just physically - she can tell from the way she looks... well, from the way she looks like she had a long fall. She probably doesn't look much better, herself. She attempts, perhaps futilely, to brush some dirt and debris off of her skirt.
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Thank goodness," Redi says with a sigh of relief. She starts approaching, a little nervously; her hat is in her other hand, dangling from her fingers, and also dirtied from the tumble.
"...I'm not sure where we are," she admits, as she looks around. "It's... pretty deep under. But... only one way to go, at least."
She looks at Yulie, for a second, and then she crouches down next to her. Brionac, too, is on her mind; and everything else, with the memories that came back. There's still a few tear stains on Redi's cheeks.
"...I'm okay," she says. "Yulie, I-I... I'm sorry. I... I didn't know they'd be here."
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Yulie looks down the tunnel. Sure enough, one way. There are worse places to end up - if it were more of a maze, they'd be in trouble. They can count themselves lucky for that much, at least.
"Yeah..." She nods quietly - then looks back toward Redi as she crouches down next to her. She can see the tear stains... Redi says she's okay, and Yulie gives her a good long look, as if asking if she's really okay - then looks away, as she apologizes.
"You don't have to apologize... It's my fault. I should've been more careful..." She replies, shaking her head. "I should've known they'd come for me again eventually. The circumstances could've been better, but I'm just glad we got away..."
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
The fireball floats over Redi's shoulder. Now that she has it going, she doesn't really need to think about it; it just hovers in midair, bobbing up and down, and giving them both light. Though it reflects, too, off some crystals high up.
Redi looks at Yulie, as she looks away and says it's her fault. Redi hesitates for a moment, then she looks down; her pale blue eyes, still aglow, peer out from her bangs.
"Don't... don't say that, please."
She looks back up at Yulie, even if she is looking away. "It's not your fault that they won't leave you around. That they'll chase you to another continent, even... even after they're stupid war is over."
Redi's hands reach out, a way that she didn't quite have the nerve to after they encountered the spectral, illusionary Brionac soldier. She puts them on both of Yulie's shoulders, then leans closer.
"It's not your fault for wanting to be happy," Redi says, quietly. "You shouldn't have to give that up."
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Redi looks down. Yulie realises that her eyes are still glowing. It speaks to how intense everything must've been...
...But, Redi asks her not to say it - not to say that it's her fault. Yulie hesitates for a moment. ...She knows she's right. The fact that they're so persistent... It isn't really her fault, but...
Redi puts her hands on her shoulders, lean closer. Yulie looks toward her, finally - but her expression is still uncertain.
"...I know. I know it isn't, but... Because they're after me, people I care about keep getting hurt. They don't care who or what gets in their way." She murmurs. "...It's hard not to feel that way, sometimes."
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"That's... that's awful," Redi says, her voice still quiet. But she keeps looking at Yulie, now, despite the way her eyes are glowing. And there are, still, occasional motes of purple and red light crackling off her -- rising out of her.
She keeps her hands on Yulie's shoulders, as she looks at her, and sees that uncertainty.
"It isn't your fault," Redi says. "When they hurt someone, just... just because they're in the way to get to you. And..."
She squeezes her shoulders, gently, without thinking about it.
"...You bring a lot more than danger and pain into my life," Redi finishes. "A whole lot more."
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Those motes of light still crackle off of Redi, but they don't bother Yulie anymore.
Redi insists again that it isn't her fault, when they do those things. She feels her squeeze her shoulders gently, as she tells her that she brings a lot more than danger and pain into her life.
Yulie breathes in sharply. ...That's right. Redi's been through so much, too...
She reaches up, resting a hand over Redi's on her shoulder. Even if she still feels responsible for some things... it's nice to be reminded of some good things she's responsible for, too.
"...Thank you." She murmurs. "And... I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. Thanks for still sticking with me..."
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
Redi smiles, a little, when Yulie's hand rests atop hers. She looks at her hand, for a moment, and then she looks back at Yulie's eyes. She tilts her head to the side for a second.
"Of course!" she says. "I'm not going anywhere, I promise. And... it's okay, okay? I just--um--"
She glances to the side, finally, a little embarrassed. "I don't want you to feel like that. Or... or like you're a burden, because you're never a burden to me. And I'm told my opinion's very important."
She looks back at Yulie, then she grins. Just a little.
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Redi promises that she isn't going anywhere, and Yulie catches the way she glances away. ...It really is nice to hear that, and - Yulie finally smiles, and even laughs once Redi sends that grin her way.
"You're right, it is." Yulie agrees. She wipes at her eyes and then she offers Redi a smile, her expression softening.
"...Thank you. Again. I'm... glad. Really glad." She replies. She finally stands, now, extending a hand to help her back up, too. "I can't promise I won't get down about it all again, so... sorry if you have to give me another pep talk again sometime. But I'm glad I can count on you."
She smiles, not entirely serious.
"I guess we should try to find our way out, now...? If we don't know where we are they won't, either, so we should be safe..."
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
Redi hesitates for a second when she sees Yulie wipe at her eyes. But she smiles back at her, and she then she takes the offered hand.
"Me, too," she says. "And... it's okay. I don't mind giving you a pep talk. You might have to return the favor, sometimes, though."
She gets to her feet with Yulie's help -- then hops up -- and puts her cap on her head. She nods, then, and looks down the way. "We should," she says. "There's gotta be a way up to the surface. But..."
She starts walking, and glances back at Yulie. "We might be in for a walk," she says. "I've got some stuff packed, if it comes to it and we need to camp down here. What about you?"
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
"It's a promise. It's... okay to lean on each other, every now and then." Yulie replies with a nod. It's a lesson she keeps learning and relearning, so she doesn't mind sharing it. Redi stands up - and Yulie beams, as her cap returns to its rightful place.
It might be dirtied a little from the fall, but it's always good to see.
"Looks like it." Yulie replies with a nod. As for supplies... That gets a nod, too. "My supplies got a little squished, but I don't think anything's so bad that it's unsalvagable. I can probably whip up some dinner what whatever we've got on hand."
She thinks about that for a second, and then laughs.
"This wasn't quite the way I wanted you to try my cooking, but I guess life's funny like that..."
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Yeah... and I'm glad I can lean on you, too," Redi says. She smiles -- then, when she catches the way she beams about her hat, she strikes a little pose with a thumbs-up.
After that, though, Redi laughs.
She pauses for a moment, as she thinks about it for a moment. "Yeah," she agrees. "Mine are a bit squished. I think it's mostly the Symbols on the inside of the bag that kept them safe."
There's a moment's pause from Redi, too. Then she laughs. "It works, right?" she asks. She sends the fireball further ahead -- and they can see where the path begins to bend, further ahead.
"What'd you picture, for when I try your cooking? Something specific?" she asks. "Now I'm curious!"
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Yulie smiles back, then - and Redi's pose and thumbs-up gets a giggle out of her, her mood finally lightened.
"Thank goodness for those, at least..." Yulie nods. With the kind of lives they lead, they'd never keep anything without them.
"It does!" She agrees with a laugh, then watches the fireball fly off, illuminating the path ahead - up to a point, until it starts to bend.
Redi's curious, though, about what her plans were. Yulie nods.
"My original plan was to make carbonara... That was the first dish I ever made for my traveling companions, too." Yulie replies, then pauses. "...That wasn't what we were trying to make, but it was the easiest way to salvage Raquel's cooking..."
She giggles.
"I think this'll make for a much better story later, though - and sometimes it's just more fun to make something on the fly." She says.
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Oh, that sounds fantastic!" Redi says, eagerly. "We have to do that later. Non-salvaged edition, though I bet you I could make something you'd need to salvage too."
She grins a little more at that. Redi isn't actually that bad of a cook, but...
She knows who the better cook is, of the two of them.
Then she smiles a bit more as she thinks about it. "Yeah," she says. "This is... it's definitely going to be memorable. The cave isn't all bad, either."
Now that they aren't worried about being followed -- or immediately in the aftermath of being haunted by those memories -- there's a chance to appreciate that. As they round the next bend, Redi makes the fireball float higher.
That makes the crystals on the ceiling and walls reflect. "They're pretty," she says. "And I doubt anyone else has been down here anytime recently, too."
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Redi's enthusiasm for her cooking gets a smile, and then another laugh.
"Definitely. It's something to think about for when we get out of here." She agrees with a nod. But that does mean getting out of here, first. But, as Redi says... this is actually pretty nice? Who knew there was something like this underneath them. Yulie's eyes are directed upward, following the fireball. The light plays across the crystals, shining and reflecting...
"It is..." Yulie agrees, mystified. "You're right. I wonder when the last time anyone say this was..."
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Mm-hm. Something to look forward to!" Redi says.
She looks up, too, at the ceiling. The crystals catch her eyes -- a bit literally, as there's the occasional glimmer of light blue where they reflect in them. Part of having glowing eyes.
"I'm not sure... no sign of anyone in awhile," she says, quietly.
And, as it happens, that's true for awhile -- the next couple of hours, as they make their way through the cave. Past turns and bends, over long stretches. By that point, Redi has had to recharge the fireball once.
And her legs are starting to complain; it's been a full day of adventuring.
But they come to a memorable sight: a large number of crystals on the walls and ground, except where they clear out, along the path into the chamber ahead -- and the way out of it.
And, mercifully, an entire underground lake. It stretches on into the darkness, though the fireball makes it reflect the many-colored crystals, too. Redi slows to a stop, whistling softly but lowly.
"Whoa..."
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
A couple of hours of walking pass. Yulie is still a little sore, but the worst of it has faded. Thankfully, the time passes without incident - she may have nearly tripped on a rock, once, but nothing worth worrying over.
And ahead, framed by crystals... is a large lake.
"Wow..." Yulie gasps, impressed, with a hand over her mouth. "This is incredible... I didn't think there'd be anything like this here."
She takes a moment to just stare it, and the way the light plays across the water and the crystals.
"This is lovely... I'm kind of glad we were able to see this, now." She remarks.
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Mm-hm," Redi says with a smile. She stretches her arms out over her head -- this accidentally makes the fireball lift up higher, too, making the light dim. She flushes, and mentally commands it down lower.
"Me too. Even if the circumstances weren't what I'd pick... it's good to see this," she says. She scratches at the back of her head.
"You, um--you wanna camp here?" she asks, looking sideways at Yulie. "We've been going for awhile. And... it might be good to sit down, get some food and rest, and start when we're a bit fresher."
She looks at the lake. Maybe get cleaned up, too, after the tumble she took.
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
It's funny how that works sometimes - things may not work out the way they'd hoped, but there's still good to be found in it. Yulie would've preferred not to get chased, too... but getting to see something like this is nice.
Yulie notices the light dimming as Redi stretches, accidentally sending the fireball higher. She smiles, but politely doesn't comment on it.
"I think that's a good idea..." Yulie agrees, nodding toward Redi. "It's better not to push it when there's no telling how much further we have to go, and having a lake nearby would be really useful. And..."
She pauses for a moment.
"...It is nice to have a good view when camping." She says. She, too, looks toward the lake. They're on the same wavelength - she could probably use that, too.
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Yeah, there's no telling... we could be here for a little bit," Redi admits. She tilts her head a little -- there's still a hint of a smile, from how Yulie caught the way she sent the fireball up too high. But, she didn't remark, either.
"I was thinking that, too," she says. She grins again. "A nice view is important! And the lake."
She drops her bag down, then sighs and stretches. She catches the way Yulie looks at the lake.
Same idea, she thinks. "Uh--we could take turns getting camp set up and cleaning up? I should get the cave and ruin dust off."
She pulls her hat off. For her, cleaning up also means getting her clean too.
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
They're in agreement! Yulie beams, pleased. This is going to be a great pick-me-up... for both of them, probably. There's something about camping that helps the soul relax, and they could both probably use that after today. They might not have stars over their head, but the glittering crystals make a nice substitute.
Yulie sets down her own supplies, then sends Redi a nod.
"Good idea. Do you want to go first? I'll need to set up a cooking fire and it'll take a little time for things to heat up after, so it'd be a good opportunity to make the switch." Yulie offers. She doesn't mind either way, of course.
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
It's not quite a starlit night... but it's just as good, in its own way. Redi looks up at them for a moment, before she shakes her head. No getting distracted!
"Sure, that sounds good," Redi says. She opens up her bags -- the messenger bag she carries and a smaller personal one -- then pulls out a few things, including a spare shirt and a bar of soap.
"I'll be back soon!" she says, before heading off towards the lake -- and behind some of the larger crystals.
Which gives Yulie the time she needs to prepare her part. Redi splits the fireball in two, though; a smaller one hovering by her, another one over the lake.
After a little while, though, there's a hint that Redi is done. The other tiny fireball is floating back.
And then Redi comes back around the crystals. She has a sleeveless white shirt and black shorts on -- sleeping clothes -- and her hair is wet and combed back, which makes her look different than usual. She grins at Yulie.
"That feels much better," she says. "Kinda cold, though. How's the fire and everything?"
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
Redi takes off for a bath, and Yulie gets to work. When Redi returns... she'll find a pleasantly crackling fire over which is suspended a pot of stew, currently still simmering. The rest of camp has been partially made up but there's still plenty left for Redi to busy herself with.
"Welcome back!" Yulie replies, offering her a smile. "I'm glad you enjoyed it. Feel free to warm yourself up by the fire a bit before you get started."
With that said Yulie stands up, taking one of her bags - and she, too disappears behind the crystals further in the lake.
And eventually she returns, freshened up and in her own cozy sleeping clothes - soft and pale blue. Her hair is down, for once, and her ribbon currently safely stowed away.
"I'm back...! The stew should be about ready now - are you ready to eat?" Yulie asks.
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
Stew!
Which, really, makes a lot of sense. It's the best way to use the medley of different camp foods they have, Redi thinks. But it smells good, already, and better than anything that Redi could have made.
"Oh, that's perfect," Redi says. "Thanks, Yulie! I left the soap over there, too."
She takes a seat.
By the time Yulie is back, she did get up, though -- getting out the bowls she had, a couple of spoons, and a blanket for sitting on. The bedrolls can wait.
She is warming her hands up by the fire, when Yulie returns. "How was it?" She looks sideways at her, smiling. "Yeah, I'm hungry!" she says. "What about you?"
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
"You're welcome!" Yulie replies. "Ohh, thanks, that'll be a big help."
And then, she returns. She takes a look over the campsite, and she can see where Redi has been busy - and thanks to her, it's all pretty much ready.
"It was incredible. I feel completely refreshed..." Yulie replies, pleased. A good bath is as good for the soul as it is for the body, and it feels nice to be all clean again.
"Definitely." Yulie agrees, taking her seat on the blanket. She feels even better now that she's in front of the fire, with the smell of delicious stew wafting over to her. She picks up one of the bowls and ladles some stew into it before offering it to Redi, then picks up the other and pours herself some. "Let's eat!"
<Pose Tracker> Redi Hayworth has posed.
"Nothing like a good bath after a long day," Redi says, with a smile. The two fireballs she made, finally, combine back into one -- then wink out. The cooking fire will do it.
Redi takes the bowl -- and she grins when she does, sighing happily. It smells good, and after all of that, she's more than ready to eat.
"Mm-hm!" she says. "Thanks, Yulie. First time you've cooked for me. Of many!"
<Pose Tracker> Yulie Ahtreide has posed.
<poem>"Absolutely." Yulie nods, fully in agreement. The fireballs join as one, then disappear. It's just them and the cooking fire, now. Yulie watches Redi intently, then seems pleased by her reaction. Cooking good food is nice on its own, of course, but seeing the reactions of the people she's cooking for makes it even better.
"First of many!" Yulie agrees. "I've got a spicy curry recipe with your name on it, now - so look forward to that."
And with that, she digs in. </poen>