queenofheartsrp | First Light [Action; accidental video; video]

[A bright, blinding light fills the gardens, emanating from the new arrivals' clearing. It is strong enough to hurt one's eyes, but it has no other ill effects. After the initial flash, the Vine starts recording, so the mirrors, too, fill up with the light as it shines and then fades.

When it has grown dim enough, a figure is revealed, lying on the ground, dressed in the familiar white shift of a newcomer. She stirs at once, leaping up. Her eyes are wide, her face distorted with alarm and confusion as she cries out.]

Wassily--!

[She is about to say something else, but the light flares again, and the Vine takes this as a sign to stop recording.

A few minutes pass, and the woman reappears, facing the mirror, dressed plainly in black. The light from before is no longer in evidence, and she can be seen clearly. She is perhaps in her early thirties, with long blond hair. She is much calmer, and smiling, though she still shows signs of strain. She seems to have become aware of her surroundings and the situation, and her concern now is for those she is addressing as she speaks in a quiet voice.]

Hello--all of you. My name is Epsilon. Are there many of you here? Are you all right?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I suppose you're right about that. [The woman's phrasing gives her pause.] I assumed you were named after the country, but that isn't the case, is it?

[The thought of people being attacked here is distressing, and Epsilon frowns.] I'm very sorry to hear that. It's bad enough that people have been taken from their homes. That they should be endangered as well... It shouldn't be allowed to happen.

No, I was answering to Canada long before England ever thought of letting me become a proper country.

It was a cautionary tale, I think. And on some level, I have to approve, simply out of moral obligation to some of my favourite things in the world. If you don't take care of nature, you can hardly expect it to be sweet to you. It... is cruel that the flowers became violent, but I like to think lessons were learned, even if it was the hard way.

So you are the actual country? [If so, this is probably the most unusual individual she's met here so far, but Epsilon shows more interest than surprise.] I have visited Canada before, but it's a pleasure to meet you in person, as it were.

How can you teach a lesson through cruelty? I don't believe any good lessons have been learned that way.

I agree that we should take responsibility for our environment, but nature is neither sweet nor cruel. It simply is, so what kind of lesson is that?

You know where I live? And, yes, I am the country, it's all a bit complicated, but, oh, that's wonderful. Where have you been?

And, honestly, I don't think nature is inherently sweet. You've apparently never aggrevated a beaver. It's not the best teaching method, but it certainly worked on plenty of children I've seen reared.

[She's pleased to see Canada so happy and only too glad to answer her question.] Yes, I've traveled extensively. Much more in the past than recently, but I saw quite a lot of Canada with my father. We attended conferences, usually in the major cities, but we did make time to see some other areas. Canada's done such a wonderful job of preserving its wilderness. I think I most enjoyed the visiting the forests--and the prairies, so open.

I agree that children should be raised with discipline, but surely there's a huge difference between loving discipline and attacking someone--I don't see how those are the same at all.

First Light [Action; accidental video; video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]

[video]