03; Video; UN: Wildflower

[madcuriosity]

[Alice presses her lips together and is surrounded by many trees. Her eyes are a bit red and she swallows and takes a deep breath. She's clearly trying to have a "stiff upper lip" as it were.]

I... don't mean to worry anyone...

But I do believe I'm lost.

If I show someone everything around me, might you please point the way back, perhaps?

Comments

[angel_of_death]

The Brocéliande is closer to the shore. If you didn't go very far, you're probably there.

Can you tell where the sun is?

[madcuriosity]

I could climb a tree to see the sun? But the canopy is too thick. I can see that the sky is becoming a bit pink and red, though.

[angel_of_death]

The redder part is where the sun should be. The sky starts looking like that where it sinks close to the horizon.

[madcuriosity]

Then... [She bites her lip and tries her best to tell which part of the sky is redder.

She points west. Alice needs to go North.]

It's to the left of me.

Power has been out here for most of a few days. Sorry for the late reply.

[angel_of_death]

The city will be behind you then. It's to the south. When the sun sets, if you're still out, you should see a glow from the lights of the city.

[Camelot doesn't have a blackout ordinance like the London he knows.]

There are clearings to the north and west of the forest. To your left and in front of you. To your right is the coast.

There were paper ties in the trees to mark the way for will-o'-the-wisps, or will o' wisps as they call them here, but they may have been damaged by the weather... But, if you see anything like paper tied from tree to tree, you'll be on or right near one of those paths.

If you're not near a path, you should stay on your rock and wait for the others to come get you. There are dangerous faeries in that forest.

[He pauses, adding as an afterthought:]

What kind of magic were you given?

No worries!

[madcuriosity]

[She listens and tries to take it all in. The idea of being out in the dark is... terrifying, though. She takes a deep breath and tries to remain calm. Even if faeries can be dangerous... Alice... can't help wanting to meet them, but preferably not when she's lost.

At his question she blinks and looks back to the phone since she had been turning to try and follow what he was saying was where.]

Hmm? Oh ah- elemental magic, sir. Why do you ask?

[angel_of_death]

[Elemental magic. Elemental magic is good. It's the best sort for her to have in this instance, even.]

Those dangerous faeries I mentioned? I was told that fire magic is what they're weak to. So, if you see anything that looks like a shrub in the shape of an animal, and it gets close to you, use it.

[madcuriosity]

Hurt the faeries? Won't that make them angry with me? They curse people they're angry with!

[angel_of_death]

I don't mean hurt every faerie. The animal-shaped shrubs are called Bear Firs, and they're known to hunt people.

[madcuriosity]

Animal-shaped shrubs. [So... topiaries?] Bear Firs...

[But then he says:]

H-Hunt p-people?!

[angel_of_death]

Yes. They consume whatever they can catch. People included.

Now lets see if we can think of a way to help your rescuers find you faster...

[He'd offer the use of his familiar, but his familiar doesn't know her scent. Fortunately, it sounds as though someone who knows her is able to pursue that option.]

[madcuriosity]

It would be much too dangerous to try lighting a fire. I'm still very bad at fire magic.

[angel_of_death]

[That is... unfortunate.]

You have a point. It could get very dangerous if you lost control of it.

[A little girl lost in the forest is still better off than a little girl trapped in the middle of a forest fire.]

[madcuriosity]

I could make something with the earth, or a tree, perhaps?

[angel_of_death]

Something that stands out from the area around you would make it easier to spot you.

Can you influence the colour of what you make?

[madcuriosity]

That's very simple. I can make it terribly large as well. Perhaps a single sunflower, all on its own? Those can be terribly tall. [The problem is, here, is that Alice is TINY so while sunflowers can get very tall, she's thinking of one rather standard in size.]

[angel_of_death]

[Well... why not. It's a start, and even if the forest can play tricks with magic, a sunflower seems something rather difficult to make go wrong in any way that could be dangerous.]

Go ahead and give it a try.

[madcuriosity]

[Alice crouched down, placing her hands on the ground and then, promptly, caused a massive sunflower to sprout up in between the space in her hands. She kept her hands there and the stalk kept getting higher and higher and higher and higher, towering well over 10 feet tall and then stretching it up to 14 feet tall before the petals all fell open and the bloom sought out the sun's light, turning in the direction of the setting sun.]

[angel_of_death]

Good work. It looks good.

[Nice and big. Easy to spot even from a distance. Something to distinguish the rock from other rocks underneath the forest canopy, aside from its shape.]

[madcuriosity]

[She blushed at the praise and looked up at the sunflower.]

You really think this shall be alright?

[angel_of_death]

I do. It's large and brightly-coloured, and not in a spot you would normally see a sunflower in. It will help.

[madcuriosity]

Well, at least I did one thing right today. [She sniffles and wipes at her eyes.]

[angel_of_death]

The day isn't over yet. I'm sure you'll manage to do one or two more before it's done.

As for the future, maybe you could keep a totem or two on you just in case you get lost again. Do you know about totems?

[madcuriosity]

No, sir, I do not know what a totem is. Will you please tell me?

[angel_of_death]

You can use them to get to different places in the blink of an eye, so I hear. You're supposed to burn them and walk through the smoke. There is one type you can buy around Camelot, but the traders from Elphame that come around every month sell instructions for making others.