♕ 5th - video - The Sight

[skjalf]

[ there had been a point to her opening this channel. in light of the tragic losses they have suffered here, she has wanted to hold a dinner to celebrate the memory of those who have died and vanished. her mouth moves, but no words are produced. her face becomes deathly pale, her eyes wide and dilated as though in fear. but she has not seen a ghost. no, what she is seeing is something else entirely.

horrible images play before her, which only she might see. the blank look she sports is soon replaced with a one of complete and utter horror. ]

It is hot.. too hot to fight! The Dragon has come from across the sea to wage war against the Boar. Ah, the sun blinds the eyes!

[ she shudders, blinking her unfocused eyes. ] The field is an ocean of blood. I can barely hear over the din of it. The Dragon is swooping in, and his men roar behind him.

His Grace is brave to wear his crown to battle. He is winning.. standing alone in a field of dead, blood coursing over his boots. Ah, it is splendid and horrible!

[ once again, her face becomes a mask of pure terror, scrunching up while her eyes are too-wide for her face. ]

But here comes Lord Stanley! "For Tudor!" he calls. And His Grace has lost his horse. Treason, treason, treason!

[ and that seems to have snapped her out of it. still on camera, elizabeth exposes vulnerability for the first time to those aboard the ship at large, as she cannot control the violent shaking of her form or the tears that appear in her eyes. this is, unsurprisingly, a result of the nightmare she endured within the maze.

she cannot seem to speak for a long, long time. elizabeth covers her mouth with her hands to cover the fact that she is biting her lower lip so hard it is bleeding. and while she is able to finally get a few words out, it is muffled and quavering: ]

Forgive me.

[ she then abruptly ends the broadcast. ]

Comments

[skjalf]

( elizabeth says what she feels now, just like that, ellie. after seeing enough people come and go or out-right die, she does not feel like remaining mum about how important some of these people have become to her. ellie included.

a smile tugs at the corners of her mouth, until she is beaming warmly at the other girl. )

"Bros one-oh-one", is that what this is called? Then I like it very much, indeed. And you are correct. But people at home are neither so genuine, nor so kind.

I appreciate both perhaps more than you might know.

[endureandsurvive]

It sounds like people at home blow then. [Which probably isn't really fair of her, but fuck it. That practically makes them blood sisters in 'from shitty places where people suck'-landia or whatever and that counts for something.

Ellie fights down any trace of a smile (tries to, it kind of slips into the corners of her mouth), wrinkles her nose and squints ahead through the dense foliage.] We're almost there.

[And moves ahead, stepping across a few more tangled root systems until she reaches a thick wall of vines and wildlife. She shoots a glance back to Lizzie, hesitates--] Don't tell anyone about this, okay? [--and then pushes through, disappearing between the twisted flora to whatever lays behind it.]

[skjalf]

( the corners of her mouth twitch upward, and ellie becomes the recipient of a brief, but brilliant smile. ) How right you are. They truly do.

( not only is she beginning to catch the lingo, as it were, but she is also feeling the kinship between them. it's a wonder, and a comfort. she is thankful that they are here rather than their respective homes and that they have this opportunity to be friends. elizabeth will be certain never to squander it.

that smile so wants to brighten ellie's face. what it ends up doing is adorable, and again, she can't help but smile in return.

as she steps over the roots in order to join ellie by the wall of vines, she looks up with wide-eyed wonder. dully, she can process the fact that she is nodding her head. )

On my honour, Ellie. You have my word. ( then she steps forward, parting the vines to catch up to her friend once again. )

[endureandsurvive]

[The curtain of vines gives way to something of a meadow blooming with a kind of fern, blooming with heavy succulent leaves studded with velvety red and yellow flowers. They look like something out of a comic book, strangely alien and overlarge as they wind down in delicate curves to what must be the center point of the plant nest: a large, twisted tree like plant with rough coppery bark and branches broad enough to create a canopy between them and this level's top - small coin-shaped leaves turning absently in the still air, silvered on one side and bright red on the other. It's weirdly pretty, she thinks - quiet and still but not dead quiet.

Ellie turns, spreading her arms slightly.]

Ta-da.

[skjalf]

( to say that the sight before her is beautiful would be to do this flora a grave injustice. and it would also be a gross understatement. in fact, it is so very stunning that elizabeth is struck entirely speechless by it. her eyes are wide as she pans her gaze up and down, right to left to attempt to take in the entirety of the panorama before them. slowly, her mouth ceases to form a small 'o' of awe and instead allows a smile to replace it, fragile and tremulous before brightening with each passing moment.

ellie really does know her. she turns to her, still beaming and reaches to clasp their hands together. )

I have never before beheld such loveliness! Thank you. I am truly honoured.

[endureandsurvive]

[Wow okay, again with the touching. Sure. She catches her hands in return, a flicker of a smile catching at the corners of her mouth. It's-- nice. This is nice, right? If nothing else, she'd much rather see Lizzie happy than not.]

Sure. I mean-- you're welcome. I don't think anyone really knows this place is around, so it's kind of nice. [She shrugs, her hands fumbling gently in Lizzie's.] Quiet. It's a good place to read and stuff.