Rising Sun [text/action]

[mother_of_god]

[Her last memory is heat and rust and darkness. Now there is light and life and comfort- at least, more comfort than she's felt in seven years. (Or less comfort for part of her that has lived a life free of constant pain.) She sits up with difficulty, blinking in the bright. The air is clean, carrying a fresh smell she'd forgotten after half a life in a basement room. The world is green and dazzling and living. Birds twitter, leaves rustle, a breeze rolls past her ears; no beeps or rumbles or electric hums.

[Dread creeps up her insides.

[A cat meows. She peers at it in surprise, then notices the scroll. A few moments' fumbling with bandaged fingers and it's open. She reads, silently, then turns her attention to the Vine, which unfurls its parchment and stylus helpfully, apparently aware that speaking isn't high on her list of strengths. She reaches for the stylus automatically, before realising that her fingers are too restrained to operate it. But there's another way.

[The Vine offers a new text to the residents. Unusually, the words aren't hand written, but singed into the parchment.]

Is this Paradise?

Comments

[headlessfoal]

[Oh. Uhm.]

It's not, like, a bad thing. Being a freak. My whole school is full of 'em.

[mother_of_god]

[There is peeking. And a look of utter bafflement. You have apparently announced that up is down, Vivi.]

[headlessfoal]

Cause, I mean, I've never met anybody else who can fly. It was weird seeing lots of people floating around here.

[mother_of_god]

[She relaxes a teensy bit, enough to reply.]

people don't. unless they're monsters. i can like this, though.

[headlessfoal]

You can fly?!

[mother_of_god]

not for real.

[She looks down at her unconscious real body.]

only when i'm like this.

[headlessfoal]

I could take you.

[She holds out her arms helpfully.]

[mother_of_god]

[She's... hesitant.]

it might be dangerous...

[She means for Vivi, but that would involve more words.]

[headlessfoal]

Nope! It's not dangerous at all.

[mother_of_god]

you could get hurt.

[headlessfoal]

Nope, I've done this lots.

[Vivi. What are you talking about, you hurt yourself all the time you spaz.]

[mother_of_god]

[While she would not normally trust someone else, this girl is flying, so can probably be held to her word. (Alessa: does not always make the best decisions.)

[So after a moment, she nods and fades from view. The meatsack below stirs and peers up.]

[headlessfoal]

[Vivi doesn't really see to react to the reality of the meatsack. She just comes down to gather her up and carry her into the sky.]

[mother_of_god]

[Thin, fragile arms wrap around her as they rise, and the girl silently stares around them, hungrily taking in the beautiful landscape. It's more beautiful than anything she's seen in a long time, even for the part of her that hasn't lived in nightmares half her life.]