It's Like I've Been Awakened

[Vivilene]

"I don't think it's fur," Vivilene said a little absent-mindedly, her fingers going through far-too-thick swathes of hair. "But I guess you're right. Maybe you'll grow some, too, one day?"

This spawned the image of a tyrannosaurus rex with long, flowing hair that twinkled silver in the moonlight. Something about this caused Vivilene's mouth to twist in amusement as she tried not to burst out laughing in fear of potentially hurting Grace's feelings. "It'd be pretty."

She nodded along as Grace spoke, and her lips turned into a gentler smile at the repeat of that word-- pretty, she liked it --but her mind was fairly distant. Carrying was good. Vivilene could carry some very small things, like birds and cats at her size-- but how did people get taller?

The elf half-twisted to look down at Grace. Maybe it had something to do with her posture, but Vivilene didn't have a tail and her back would hurt if she was hunched forward like that all the time.

"... does your back hurt?" She asked a little suddenly.

And then, Grace brought up something she hadn't thought about for. Vivilene didn't know what she could do until she'd done it, either-- what if she could do anything?

What would she even do? Vivilene took a long moment to think, watching the trees roll by. She wouldn't like to make people, and birds, but she would like to make other things. "Creating sounds nice," she said. "I'd like to make-- trees, and... make whatever this is." She fluttered the woven leaves draped around her shoulders until the word came to mind. "A cloak. Clothes."

Clothes on Grace would have to be pretty big.

"It'd be nice to make, ahh, water, too. I'd like to-- just make glowing pools and things that are around these forests, you know?" She added, with some gentle fondness. "I don't know where I'd-- put it, but it'd be nice to sit by a nice pool of water during the night and sleep near it, and you can just-- do that where ever."

Did this make sense? Vivilene was unsure. She stared distantly off for a few moments before she took a long breath. "What would you do?" She asked. "You seem like you'd like to fly, like the birds."

@Grace

[Grace]

Another hum of thought. Grace imagined herself with long, flowing white leaves, the way Vivilene had. She'd assumed it just... part of the elf's body, really, but she could see herself with cloth draping down to either side, gleaming white. Vague longing took her, a sort of dim desire for such a thing herself--nothing urgent, or greedy, but more a mild wistfulness. "If you ever learn how, I would like that, too," she said, thoughtfully. She couldn't know it, of course, but what she was imagining was more a horse blanket--barding or a horse caparison--than a dress.

Three-toed steps on long legs propelled them slow and steady toward the edge of the White Wood. Grace thought about the rest of what Vivilene had said, too: what if she could do anything? Fly? -Did she want that?

She gave it all due consideration, trying to imagine what Vivilene described with creation, and the concept of flight. But she found that she was content, as she was; happy in her simple, fresh life. Perhaps that would change once she had experienced more, but for now she wanted for nothing.

"That sounds beautiful--creation," Grace said, at last, her tone warmly encouraging. "And maybe you'll be able to do that, some day. Maybe you did, maybe you created some of this water, and these trees, but we just don't know it. Maybe you thought us all into being?" It was as good a theory as any, right now. "As for myself, I don't think I need to fly. I'm happy, dear," and whoops, there it was, the little Grandma word she'd managed to restrain until now. Oh well. "My back doesn't hurt, though. My bones feel weary, but it isn't bad. I think it just means I'll sleep all the better," she added, cheer in her ancient voice.

She couldn't tell how long it had been, but at last there was the distant sight of darker foliage and Grace spoke, peering through the trees. "Is that the Green Forest?" she asked, curiosity in her; she took a deep sniff, trying to discern any new odors. There was a faint musky scent--a fox or something similar, perhaps. But other than that it smelled much the same; of petrichor, rain; of earth and water, trees and grass.

@Vivilene

[Vivilene]

Vivilene would love nothing more than to make pretty clothes for Grace but her shoulders were immediately weighed down with an immrense amount of pressure.

As much as she liked the idea of the challenge, she wasn't sure how she'd make clothes so big or how she'd even manage to get it on Grace. She'd have to ask Jupiter for help. Jupiter was big.

She was, however, quite happy to have a friend. "I'll figure it out, I think," she said. At least-- she hoped she would.

Vivilene liked Grace's next suggestion a whole lot less, however. The pressure got heavier-- she didn't want to be responsible for thinking everyone alive. "Wouldn't I remember if I did?" She asked, with wild concern lacing her tone, as if Grace would know any better than she did. "I think it'd be nice, but-- ahh, I think it's a little... scary if I did a whole lot of important stuff like that and don't remember it."

'A little' was a gross underestimation, actually.

Her gaze lifted to the darkening forest and her perked up a little, the horrors of potentially not remembering your entire life forgotten. "Oh! That's it," she said, nearly falling off the tyrannosaur as she craned herself forward to see. "It's different but I think you'll like it. There's colour."

@Grace

[Grace]

Oh, no! The one thing she hadn't want to scare Vivilene with, and now she'd-

Grace scrambled to find a reason, any excuse, why that (horrible fear that also bothered her) was entirely impossible. "Well," she was quick to explain, "I'm sure that if we made things, did things, we'd... mark them, yes? So we could recognize them later. With... oh, I don't know; handprints or claw-marks. And I don't see those, so we must be new!" Her tone was gently but overly-brightly encouraging, a lie shrouded in happiness.

She hoped she was right.

But anyway-! Green tree time.

She slipped from the white forest down over the border, a strange lip of marble, into the green. This place was beautiful, too, in its own way; but the sense of safety, she noted, began to fade almost at once, here. A few paces in, she paused, again sniffing and looking around.

"Vivilene," she began, quietly, as if afraid to scare the feeling away, "Does it feel less like... home, to you, here? Not terrible, it doesn't feel bad but not... warm, anymore? Not safe?" It wasn't that it felt unsafe; far from it, the forest was quietly peaceful, insects creating a pleasant enough backdrop. But that... that assurance was gone. The promise that they were watched over-... no, that wasn't truly gone; but... as though the presence wasn't...

"Like the... statue-creature or--whoever said 'hello,' isn't here as strongly?" she suggested, uncertain.

@Vivilene

[Vivilene]

Mark them? Vivilene turned one of her hands to look at the palm, her long, thin fingers and the whiteness. It didn't seem too out of the question, actually-- Vivilene didn't know anyone who had hands like her. She didn't know anyone with claws like Grace.

Gradually, she started to settle. The fear trickled away, gradually, and she instead began to wonder how she'd mark clothes, if she ever managed to make them. "I guess you're right," she agreed distantly but carefully, totally unaware that Grace had lied to her face, albeit out of kindness.

Or-- lied sort of to her face, considering she was behind Grace's skull.

She remained distant, only barely aware of the change of scenery as Grace continued stepping carefully on, only looking up again as she heard her name. Less like home?

Vivilene hadn't considered it. The first few times she went out it felt-- cold, in a way, but that feeling was a lot less, now. Vivilene looked around, curious, and then picked her words carefully. "A little bit. It, um-- used to be... stronger, I think?" The elf fidgetted. "Maybe you just sort of... get used to it, and start to feel at home where ever you go?"

"Maybe she's just... not here? Like the forest is the statue's den or something? I mean it-- it can't be everywhere, can it?" She asked-- as if Grace would know where God can be --gently but curiously. "Do you want to go back?"

@Grace

[Grace]

The old tyrannosaur stood silent for a moment, considering Vivilene's offer. There was something... not unwelcoming but again, not home about this place, and she wondered if perhaps she wasn't meant to tread this far--let alone carry a child (not a child) out here.

Then, there was that... strange, biting sensation in her gut, which though Grace did not know it, was hunger at last rising in her. Something... told her that sating it might not be pleasant. That... somehow, it should stay between herself, and her. That she shouldn't involve Vivilene--not until she knew what 'sating hunger' actually entailed. Instinct, maybe, or maybe that statue in the White Woods was murmuring this into her ears--she didn't know, and it didn't matter.

"I can carry you back, first, if you want... but then I think I will go. I will come back, though," she promised, warmly.

She was curious about what lay deeper in these woods. Curious about the scent of hot sand farther south, of wet swamp to the north--both distant, distant odors, but they were there, and they were tantalizing.

"You can come with me, but I may go very far from here, and get tired," she added--reluctant to involve the elf in something that might turn unpleasant, but too polite to leave her out entirely. Oh, and manners--"Thank you for showing me the way here."

@Vivilene

[Vivilene]

"Oh, no!" Vivilene said a little quickly. Imposing felt like a horribly bad thing and if Grace wanted to be alone, she should. She shifted, starting to try to scramble down and distracting herself from the twelve-foot-drop. "I can go back-- it's okay? You, ahh, know where I'll be anyway when you're ready to come back, right?"

Well. Hopefully she would.

Vivilene was sort of dangling from the edge of Grace's side, which may have felt more like a bug was clinging to her than a small elf was trying to maneuver her way off without being, God forbid, A Bother.

"Uhh-- what do you think you'll find out there?" She asked, because now was a good as time as any to casually ask questions. "I haven't really been out very far. I like it here, where it's white."

The elf looked down, and then back up. An exhale later and she let go, falling onto the grass. Thankfully, at least, it was fairly soft and only six or seven feet-- she lost her footing and landed on her back with a gentle oof.

She was soon getting up again, however, dusting herself off and shaking out her sore ankles. "Ahh-- I'll see you again sometime, though? In the forest?"

.... land.

Rolling 1d20: 5
Fail

@Grace

[Grace]

Grace's eyes widened as Vivilene slid right off. She turned, crouching low, as Vivilene spoke--hoping to sort of sidle to a tree so she could get down safely--but apparently her movement just jarred the elf loose. "Oh, Vivilene--are you all right?" she asked, concerned, massive body whirling to stare down with concern.

She seemed okay, though (surprisingly) and Grace exhaled a sigh of relief. "I'm not sure what I'll find," she answered honestly, "But I don't want to carry you even further out and then, well--you know, it's awkward to get back. But if you ever do want a ride," she hastened to add, "Just ask, all right, dear? It doesn't matter how far--I'll carry you." There it was again--Grandma-style kindness, and Grace seemed less aware of it, now.

"But I'll come back, once I've seen what lies past the trees," she added, in promise--and then leaned down, nostrils flaring as she sniffed at Vivilene's feet. "Are you okay-?" she asked, the concern creeping back into her voice.

@Vivilene

[Vivilene]

"Oh, no, I'm fINE," Vivilene squawked, a little alarmed as a fully-grown T-rex went spinning to face her. It was, at least, short-lived and fleeting. Grace wouldn't hurt things, especially Vivilene.

She shook out her cloak in a bird-like movement, leaves fluttering. For a moment she considered this offer, and then decided she'd make a note of it for some other time. Besides-- she quite liked being called dear. It was comforting, somehow, like-- well, being cared for by grandma.

"I will," the elf promised. "Maybe one day we can go explore the water at the bottom of the cliffs." She was certain there was a way, somewhere, and who really knew how big the world was beyond the trees?

Maybe it didn't end.

"Will you tell me about what you saw, when you come back?" She asked, gently. "I'd like to see it, sometime, too-- if that's okay?"

"I'm okay," she reassured-- and she was, aside from the dull throbbing in the back of her legs. She'd get over it, she was sure. Vivilene reached out, carefully, to rub Grace's snout as she came closer, briefly.

Then, gently, she stepped backwards, looking briefly out to the forest before her gaze turned back to the tyrannosaur. "I hope it's nice out there. I'll see you when you get back?"

@Grace

[Grace]

She was a tad taken aback by the squawed '-INE' but graciously enough didn't... mention that, or maybe she just didn't quite know how to do so.

But Grace nodded her head--one great big dip of it--at the mention of exploring the cliffs. "If we can find a way down--a safe way down--I would be glad to."

She paused as Vivilene touched her snout, going quite still, eyes briefly closing. A single hot-breath exhale breathed out; it was a friendly sort of gesture on the tyrannosaur's part, almost a little laugh. She pulled back, then, and spoke. "I won't be too long, I think. And whatever I see, I will tell you all about it."

Hoping, of course, that it wasn't going to be as dire as she somehow feared.

"Enjoy your walk," Grace added, and... in any other circumstance that might've sounded rude: 'hey enjoy the long walk back now that I dumped you all the way out here.' But the entirety of the White Wood, in Grace's mind, was safe; there was no difference in eating, drinking and resting at the outer edges than at the altar itself. She hadn't really taken Vivilene--in her mind--anywhere.

"I will come back soon. I hope I will have stories to tell," she added, kindly.

@Vivilene