Blooming in the Dark

  • So many newbies lately! Here is a very important PSA about one of our most vital content policies! Read it even if you are an ancient member!
Status
Not open for further replies.
FeelingMysterious

FeelingMysterious

Chaos Gremlin
Original poster
MYTHICAL MEMBER
Invitation Status
  1. Not accepting invites at this time
Posting Speed
  1. Speed of Light
  2. Multiple posts per day
  3. 1-3 posts per day
  4. One post per day
Online Availability
When I'm Conscious
Writing Levels
  1. Intermediate
  2. Adept
  3. Advanced
  4. Prestige
  5. Adaptable
Preferred Character Gender
  1. Male
  2. Female
  3. Transgender
  4. Agender
  5. Primarily Prefer Male
  6. No Preferences
Genres
Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Dystopian, Romance, Drama, Tragedy
lizzy.png

She slept fitfully on the worn wood, separated from her thin body and delicate skin by only the musty blanket she had found to lay atop of. Her pale hair was strewn across it messily, and her chest rose and fell slowly as she dreamed. It had been so long since she had spoken to anyone, she sometimes wondered if she had forgotten how to speak, but was afraid to say anything, fearful that a single word could make her found.

Curled like a newborn babe, she rested in the dim and dusty light that came through the cracked windows of the long-abandoned house.

Slowly, as though trying not to wake her, they began to grow. Pushed apart, the floorboards creaked as tendrils of green emerged, winding around her like a protective cocoon. Once she was wrapped in green, color began to emerge as small buds burst forth. Not faded color, like the photographs strewn on the floor in the next room or the dusty blue of the daytime sky, but true colors. Bright and beautiful against the near-white of her skin and hair.

A miracle, and no one there to see it. Not a single soul.
c751418_eb8557a86be85530b09a0e70f6e1b187.jpg

Lizzy - Charahub
 
Gray. The world only seemed grey to Cross's eyes as he trudged across the landscape. Deserted homes with all the color torn away, decorations wiped by the ceaseless struggle that people now lived. His cloak billowed in the wind, a grim reminder of the never-ending dust storms that swept through. The man cursed through his teeth, tugging briefly on the scraps of cloth around his neck. He would need to find shelter soon, or finally greet the death face to face. Cross shook his head before moving deeper into a jungle of metal and wood. He kept in the open, something many considered a death sentence, yet it allowed him full use of his only permanent tool. A giant slab of metal currently strapped to his back. Some called it a sword, in truth it was more a sheet of metal with a make-shift handle. It was however thick enough to slice clean through an ordinary man.
As Cross tried to find a structure that might withstand the coming storm, a grumble reminded him of his worst enemy. A hand subconsciously went to his abdomen, as a frown stretched across his face beneath his makeshift scarf.
Hunger.
It was his only constant companion apart from the slab of metal. With a grim face he opened a pouch on his belt, knowing he wouldn't find anything. His last ration had been devoured yesterday, and it was why he had come for one of the ruins in the first place. There were more dangerous, but also contained what he needed to survive. Cross could only grit his teeth as he came to one of the structures that mostly resembled an old building. The windows were cracked, and the wood worn, but it appeared to be dry. Furthermore, it was not large enough to house a large group of people. Cross found his hand on the hilt of his blade, before his foot pushed open the door. His large frame was to the side, expecting some kind of ambush from any residents within, but there were none. No lock on the door to halt his progress, no individuals within to attack. Every step he took inside was slow, careful, and never once did his hand leave the hilt it grasped. Every sense was ready for some kind of ambush, expecting some trick. And then it hit him. Like a knife through flesh, a scent pierced through the dull ash and musky smell of the structure. It was sweet, almost colorful in comparison to everything else. For just a second, Cross's grip faltered--then he quickly shook his head and headed towards the source. It was not inconspicuous, by any definition. A pile of green. Vines? Flowers? He did not have the knowledge to identify such a thing, but he did recognize two things: First was that the colors of such a plant were vibrant, alive. Such things were alive and well, unlike the dull rotting creepers and fungus that most flora consisted of. The second was that if it was alive, it was edible. Cross took a seat besides the mass of plant life, completely unaware of the girl housed within, taking a minute to appreciate the strength of life it had.
"If there is a god up there, thank you."
The man muttered under his breath before yanking off a single vine and biting into it. It was not exactly pleasant, but there was moisture inside, and the fibers did not taste of poison. He could survive the coming storm and for at least another couple of days thanks to this.
anime123-1.jpg
 
Within the cradle of leaves, a slim form stirred, turning so that a delicate face became visible. She had a small nose and sweet features, and large eyes that, when they opened, were a brilliant, emerald green. The same color as the vines around her. A slight gasp left her lips, and she moved back quickly from the man, hiding behind the tattered curtains of the window behind her. The plants clung to her, staying curled around her in a protective way and seeming to shift and curl with a will of her own as she stared out with a startled, slightly nervous expression.
 
It was right as Cross's hand had moved back to the mass of vegetation that it suddenly shifted. Right as the mass was dashing back behind the curtain, Cross already had his blade pulled off of his back and pointed in front of him at the movement. It was just over four feet long, and thick enough that one could sit on it and it would not snap. Cross's expression had gone from one that was mild and even pleasant to a hard and battle-ready one in a moment's passing. His eyes were narrowed, searching for the source of the commotion. Any movement that was not his own was an enemy. That was how he had survived this long in a wasteland. But as his gaze looked through the vegetation, what was there was not what he expected. There was no thief, no assassin lying in ambush, not even a wild animal hidden away. It was a young girl, perhaps the most pale young girl he had ever seen, nervously watching him. Something in Cross softened, as if a knot had untied itself within him. He let out a deep breath, feeling his rush of adrenaline leave nearly as quickly as it had come. He let the point of his blade drop into the wood floor, though he did not put it away just yet.
"Who are you child, why are you here?"
For a child this young to still be alive, she must have been recently abandoned, or perhaps was meant as bait. It was why he did not let his guard down entirely just yet. His mind couldn't help but go over the odd manner in which the plants seemed to . . . move? He could not say for certain, but they seemed to be more alive than other vegetation he had seen, and she was the source of it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FeelingMysterious
The tiny girl blinked out at him, face hiding behind one sleeve of her oversized shirt. "... Lizzy," she whispered in response. Some of the flowers were twined through the silver hair, matching the color of her long, feathery lashes.

She watched the man with uneasy eyes. So far, she had not met anyone who was kind when they saw her and her plants, which wrapped around her bare legs and arms as though reluctant to let her go.
 
The tiny girl blinked out at him, face hiding behind one sleeve of her oversized shirt. "... Lizzy," she whispered in response. Some of the flowers were twined through the silver hair, matching the color of her long, feathery lashes.

She watched the man with uneasy eyes. So far, she had not met anyone who was kind when they saw her and her plants, which wrapped around her bare legs and arms as though reluctant to let her go.
 
Cross took a step forward, his blade slowly scraping along the floor until it was not longer between him and this young "Lizzy," but he did not relinquish his grip just yet.
"That answers one of my questions, what about the other?"
Cross did not sense any kind of trap, but he refused to let a reliance on intuition be his undoing. Though his eyes narrowed again as he watched the plants around Lizzy seemingly come alive and wrap themselves around her. This was either some odd plant . . . or this girl was not everything she appeared to be.
"And perhaps . . . how did these plants come to be here?"
The question was not malicious, but Cross was cautious. His ears still trained for the back corners of the structure, half-expecting someone to jump out during the conversation.
 
"They just grow on their own," the girl mumbled, shying further behind the curtain as though trying to disappear into it. She had always had this happen. It used to be just if she was upset or excited sometiems, but now every tie she slept, a miniature garden grew. They seemed to love her, and she loved them as well, feeling a deep connection to them.

Others did not have quite the same feeling about them. They were angry, or frightened, and so she had been hiding like this for... a long time.She couldn't quite remember.
 
"Wha--"
Cross's thought process paused immediately at that one comment. If someone had attacked him that very moment, he would not have reacted in time. Plants just grew around her? Cross pulled away the curtain Lizzy hid behind, though he did not make a motion to hurt her. The man put himself down on one knee, and for the first time got a good look at the young girl. She was definitely pale, unbelievably so. More important was the plant life working its way around her limbs and through her hair. One hand reached up to the top of her head, and grasped one of the vines, though he did not pull away.
"And this happens . . . often?"
Cross was trying to put his guard back up, his sense of watchfulness that kept him alive, but if he was right about this . . . the harshness had already gone from his voice, replaced more by a slight sense of wonder
 
Lizzy pulled her thin knees up to her chest defensively when the curtain was pulled away, shrinking back from his touch. She closed her eyes and lowered her head a bit in a nervous way when he touched her, but gave a small sound of affirmation in response to his question. "Mm."

He didn't seem threatening... but Lizzy had a hard time trusting people. She had been abandoned because of this strange ability, and people who had been around her always left.
 
Cross narrowed his eyes briefly as Lizzy curled herself into a ball, as if to make herself disappear in front of him. She was afraid of him, that much was clear. Not that he could really blame the girl, she was so thin and light he could probably break her with his bare hands if he had the desire to do so. Cross mulled over the information he had been given before finally letting out a sigh and setting the slab of iron back in its sheath. He then sat down, leaning against the wall next to Lizzy.
"What are you doing here? There doesn't appear to be anyone else around."
For better or worse, his guard was now dropped around this young girl. She seemed incapable of harming him, there did not appear to be anyone else around, and it was quite possible she could give him the means for continued survival.
 
"No," Lizzy answered quietly. "Just me. I'm... hiding." He had already found her, so she supposed that he could know that. She shifted a bit away from him, running her fingertips lightly over the leaves, which rustled in response. "Too tight," she murmured to them. They rustled again, and then in what was clearly reluctance, slid off of her, save for a couple flowers that stayed in her hair, and thin vines that were twined around one leg and arm.
 
Cross looked over, and found the plants around Lizzy seemingly moving under her control. It was definitely an odd sight, to see plant life move of its own accord. Why would she be alone like this? Surely someone would have found her already?
"Hiding from what? The coming storm?"
As if to solidify his statement, the wood of the structure began to rumble, and some dust blew in from the cracks in the windows. The dust storm was well and truly within the jungle of metal and wood now, and likely wouldn't subside for another hour or two. However, Cross had a feeling the girl was talking about more than just the storm. It seems odd that someone with her ability would be left alone, was she running away from someone?
 
The tiny girl shook her head. "No... from, people." She reached up to tuck a strand of silver behind her ear. She coughed a bit as the dust blew in, moving away from the window. She picked up the blanket she had been laying on, not taking note of the green moss dotted with flowers that sprung up in her steps along the floorboards. She was used to it. She curleed up against the side of the broken-down couch, away from the wind and dust that was coming in the broken window.
 
Cross watched the girl as she padded over to the ruined furniture, attempting to escape the grit of the outside world. His gaze followed her footsteps, pinpoints of life amidst the grey of the world.
"Why, what have people done to you?"
Cross couldn't imagine anyone hurting her, she was far to valuable alive for that to be the case. Perhaps she had been in a larger community and fought over? The girl was essentially a living, breathing source of plant life, something Cross had never seen before, and he doubted any others had. Was she trying to escape strife? She looked so thin he wondered how she had even survived up until this point.
 
However, the man's question was answered a minute later, at least one of them. Lizzy's stomach rumbled softly, and moments later a green vine wound up from the floor, curling over and blossoming with golden, tear-shaped fruits. The girl smiled softly, and picked one. "Thank you," she murmured, nibbling at it. A human couldn't be as healthy as would be ideal off just fruits, but she would never starve, because the plants loved her.
 
Cross frowned as the girl ignored his question, though his eyes widened slight at the vine of fruits grown by the girl. He found himself playing nice with the Lizzy for the time being. He had no real desire to harm her, and she certainly wasn't a threat to him.
"Those plants . . . do you control them? And you did not answer my previous question."
Cross found his own stomach rumbling slightly at the sight of real, fresh food. Something he had not had in ages. He forced himself to stay back though, turned his gaze to the storm outside. The dust blew onto his cloak, marring the already dirty fabric even further, though he resolved to stay where he was for the time being. This girl was clearly not comfortable around him, or perhaps anyone.
 
"No, they just like me," Lizzy answered quietly, then blinked at him. "Which question?" She was a bit more relaxed now that she had some space and was fully awake. She tilted her head a bit at him and then after a moment, she picked another fruit. She held it out shyly, biting her lip a bit. "Are you... hungry?"
 
Cross eyed the fruit with some degree of suspicion. People rarely offered things out of the goodness of their heart. If someone was helping you, it was because you could help them, or they were planning to backstab you. For the time being, Cross used the opportunity to sit himself across from Lizzy, away from the window, and took the fruit, though he did not partake. It was practically murder to do so, as the scent hit him and every primal instinct told him to tear through it like there was no tomorrow
"I asked you why you were hiding from people. Have they done anything to you?"
He would wait for her explanation, though it was becoming clear to Cross that Lizzy had a very different experience in the world thus far compared to him.
 
The girl hesitated and then, after a few moments where it seemed that she wasn't going to answer, she nodded. "I was... left," she said softly. The family that had raised her tenderly, who she loved so dearly, had vanished one morning. She had scared them, she knew, because of the plants that had started to grow out of nowhere one day, and then soon after she just woke up... and they were gone.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom
Back