Laudna

[residentflorist]

code

Hyacinthus
Fabled to have sprung from the blood of Hyakinthos, a youth accidentally slain by Apollo
Playfulness, constancy, sincerity

Comments

weekend zero, sunday

[residentflorist]

[WELL. this has very much escalated quickly, and aerith has a copy of the rulebook that she's thumbing through and scrutinizing. what is this monster nonsense. why are we being sacrificed. what the absolute fuck. but despite this she glances up when she seems to notice someone else's presence, and her expression relaxes a little when she sees someone familiar.]

Oh, hey. Have you seen these yet?

[undread]

[wherever they are, in the void, she's been keeping to herself a little, talking to herself in a quiet voice to the dead rat with a bird skull sewn to his head that's fluttering by her side. but she'll look at aerith.]

Their rules... it doesn't make very much sense.

[residentflorist]

[i'm sorry she is very much looking at this dead rat. what is happening here. she does not look too perturbed because summons are real but it's equal parts confused and fascinated.

anyway, focus! she does look back to meet laudna's eyes again.]

Nope. But I think there's a few things that stick out a little more than others. [...] What do you think our affinities are for?

[like. why would they need these. just let them have their original abilities, damn.]

[undread]

I don't know. The prospect of having my life tethered to another person is not all that appealing, really... Nor do I think they'd wish to be tethered to mine.

w0 friday

[residentflorist]

[hello, we are at the pyre and staring at these posters. she is still smokey and doing her best, reading everything over with the deepest frown. but she notices someone moving from the corner of her eye and she turns her head, blinking in surprise before flagging her down.]

Laudna! [give her a second to cough up her wholeass lung.] Are you okay? [tell her about your bodydiving.]

[undread]

Hello, dear.

[she's in the midst of popping her shoulder back into its socket.]

My! They got one of them, too. [interesting. she will give aerith a smile, which is not that appropriate for the situation.]

I'm perfectly alright, but I took a bit of a tumble onto that fellow.

[pointing at the aventurine poster.]

[residentflorist]

[i honestly support laudna so much. but aerith looks a little concerned by this response, eyes drifting to her shoulder before she registers the actual words.]

You—huh!? [EXPLAIN THE TUMBLE] Tell me you don't mean that literally.

[undread]

[it's fine, it's fine. shoulder fixed. but yes, she's basically acting like she always acts, creepy cheerfulness.]

Quite literally. He was at the bottom of the trap door in the theater.

week 1; monday

[undread]

[let's explore new locations while we also experience the wonders of affection week. laudna is at the clothing store, inspecting the invisible sewing machine and poking through the available options.]

With a little embroidery and some darts, this seems perfectly serviceable.

[residentflorist]

[aerith is kind of currently enthralled with the clothing store because this is so many options? she likes options. she's also come to like laudna, actually, so she wanders away from the mannequin she was eyeballing to approach and watch the invisible sewing machine for a moment (so. staring at an empty space where the sound's coming from.)]

How long have you been sewing, Laudna? [good morning! sometimes you remember information about people and don't have those skills yourself so it's fun to ask.]

[undread]

For years. Since I was a girl.

[she's a little distant when she says that. but then she'll smile.]

Do you see anything you like?

[residentflorist]

Whoa...you must be really good at it then. [she notes the bit of distance in the tone, but she chooses not to press for now. this is about keeping things light. friendly. escaping from the ever-present nihilistic attitude looming closer and closer.

so. she looks back to the mannequins first, and then the walls where clothes hang before them.]

A few things here and there, I think. [...] Clothes and things like that are a little expensive where I'm from. You can get by if you have enough money, but I've never really thought to keep a lot of things. They're nice to look at though.

[it's not even about "oh i'm just a humble girl who doesn't need much", it's "i like the idea, but it just never worked out like that."]

week 1; friday

[undread]

[well. this is bad.

laudna is out by the island, since that's where everyone was found. it's not as though they're likely to find new clues out here, but it feels strange to just not acknowledge it.]

...How many were tempted by prizes, I wonder.

[residentflorist]

[this is bad. she's still here having wandered around on the beach, but she will come and join laudna.]

That's something Daan and I talked about on Monday, too. Adding those into the mix...it's dangerous. It's a way for some people to get a wish without finding your partner. [she looks briefly frustrated though.] But those three?

[literally one was a dog who just came back from a horrible ordeal, one was a child, and one was a man who didn't seem like he had any interest in hurting anybody else.]

[undread]

If you've already decided to be ruthless, you ought to be ruthless. After all, anyone could be partnered to someone sweet and cute, and you wouldn't know.

[she shrugs slightly.]

I believe it was inevitable that someone killed the boy.

w2 monday

[residentflorist]

[i feel like this extremely creepy house on an abandoned road might be laudna's vibe, so we are here exploring.]

Just another abandoned home...I'm starting to wonder if anyone ever lived here at all. They'd be pretty far away from anything if they did.

[but she doesn't get too far in her wondering before laudna is presented with memory time! to 2:43:11. thank you, you useless effect.]

[undread]

[pretty rude that someone could apparently just yank her out of there the whole time and they just didn't...

laudna isn't the type to ignore or offer not to talk about a memory. she saw it, and she's curious, watching with mild concern. why wouldn't she ask?]

Dear, what are those things?

[residentflorist]

[this is the funniest comment but yeah! this happens to her multiple times. but she will at least explain why. she doesn't seem too fussed about this particular memory.]

They're called Whispers. They're...arbiters of fate, like Red said. Beings born from the planet whose sole purpose is to keep destiny on course. If someone tries to stray too far, or if an event occurs that isn't in line with the planet's will, they'll intervene. But...not everyone can see them. At least not right away.

[which is the actual reason everyone just let her stand there for a while.]

w6 wednesday

[residentflorist]

[at some point when the party winds down a little...she's still in the vineyard! sort of just glancing around at their set-up. she's still somewhat transparent on-sight but it doesn't look like she's going anywhere for a bit.

but she does turn upon realizing laudna's there and smiles.]

It's good to see you again.

[undread]

Aerith!

[she will try to hug her even though obviously she can't.]

It's so wonderful to see you again.

[residentflorist]

[NOOOOO AHHHH. obviously she's immediately trying to hug her back, but unfortunately she is transparent...she phases through her, and laudna is treated with a very cold sensation and the most disappointed look on aerith's face. ugh...ughhhhh.]

I was really hoping that the longer we were over here the more solid we'd get. Looks like this is gonna have to do. [but the gloom is momentary and it's back to the very obvious happiness.] Letters have been nice, but it's never the same.

w7 monday

[residentflorist]

[today, aerith is sitting out on the ledge of the fountain in the middle of town and she appears to be focused on writing something. she's busy looking at her paper, scratching out a few lines before trying again, but eventually she senses a presence and looks up with a little smile.]

How was your first night, Laudna?

week 7; saturday

[undread]

[wow i'm so sorry that i somehow fully missed your monday pc this week was a disaster.

anyway. she is at the jamba juice.]

Aerith! We did it.

[hugs?]

[residentflorist]

[god that's such a mood honestly it's fine. but yes, hugs! absolutely hugs, and she's immediately all fond emotions and relief.]

It was scary to think about in the beginning, but it's over. We made it through. [and she's so glad for that.] All that's left now is one more night and then...whatever comes next.

[undread]

What comes next for all of you? Will you be alright?