it was the silence underneath the stars

[democratically]

Who: Padmé + various
What: Catch-all event + various prompts
When: March
Where: Various locations
Content Warnings: Will update as needed.

PROMPT 1: JUNGLE LEVEL : OPEN

PROMPT 2: CATACOMBS LEVEL : OPEN

PROMPT 3: BLOOD DETOX : OPEN

Comments

PROMPT 2: CATACOMBS LEVEL : OPEN

[democratically]

[a at the entry]
[It isn't something that Padmé had thought about, having too many other thoughts on her mind. Where the dead go hasn't been something that she's sought to investigate, rather seeking to learn more about this place in general. The scream is wrenched from her throat as she finds herself tugged downward. Soil fills her mouth, losing her awareness as she plummets with a groan on impact. Heaving breathes as she coughs up dirt, spitting out the clumps that linger within. Yet she remains for several minutes there on her side, pain wrenching through her, before she rolls onto her back.

Nothing seems broken, so that is a good thing, although there's likely to be a very impressive bruise come tomorrow. She finds herself glancing around, but this is no jungle. There are vines above, but it's underground if she has to guess. Her glance roams, taking in what she can, listening for any sounds that might catch her attention, any threats that may be looming. Eventually, she does get up with a groan, finding a cut along her arm that oozes slowly blood. There's nothing to be done about that yet as she takes a step towards what appears to be a shrine. She doesn't know enough to know who it is for, and after a moment of exploring, she takes a seat to go through the backpack.

It's by now that she notices another arriving, no doubt in much the same way that Padmé had, and she rises, rushing over to see if they need any help. Or, perhaps, if they have any idea where they are.]

Hey! Take it easy. Do you need anything?

[b untouchable temptations]
[Should she just have sat by that goat head? Should she have tried harder to find a way back up? Had there been something that Padmé had missed? This place is too new and she barely has an understanding of it. She's been able to manage some of it, but this? She shivers, eyes darting around. How long...? The game had been strange, but Padmé had eventually figured out that she just needed to get it done and over with. This place? Is forward the only answer?

She'd lost time with the water, both in trying to figure out how to navigate it and later being disorientated. Stumbling and tripping, it had perhaps only been luck that had seen her to the other side where she had collapsed. It's made her wary now as she enters the room filled with treasure. It isn't actually something that calls to her. While she may have enjoyed fancy dresses, it doesn't sing in her blood to gather more wealth. If anything, she would rather use what she had to help others. But she hasn't seen anyone for some time, which is why it startles her when she does see someone.]

Do you see the exit?

[c exiting]
[Go, go, go... It keeps screaming in her mind. Get out, get out, get out. How long she's been down there, Padmé doesn't know. Minutes, hours, weeks, months, years... Time has lost it's meaning. No doubt she likely is a horrid sight as she suddenly emerges, straight out of the ground. At another time, she would have given things a little more thought, been a little more courteous to the fact that it may well be someone's grave.

Not today.

A breath of air is heaved as she wrenches downward, dirt all but covering her body, yet the blood remains. Between the mushrooms and her nails, a number has been left upon her arms and legs, and oh, oh, if this is another room... She's drained, sore all over, blood drenching her skin. Dried in some places, caked in dirt, freshly bleeding on others. She may well have fought a nexu, but this time it had been her own nails that had done this. But up, up you go, her mind says, and Padmé slowly lurches to one foot, swaying for a moment, before putting one foot in front of the other. It's all that she concentrates on, at least until she sees a person ahead, and only then does she croak out.]

Where... where is this?

[b untouchable temptations]

[thisislife]

[Lexi stumbled into the room not long after Padmé had entered, waterlogged and covered with thick streaks of mud, especially on her clothes and her hair. she looks like she'd gotten attacked like a swarm of angry mosquitoes, which had been true. she was glad Leslie did girl scouts and took them camping before she and Rue had entered middle school because she'd eventually figured out what to do about them.

the practical part of her says not to bother with the gold or gems or jewelry, that there had to be a catch somewhere along the line, something like Smaug or the items in that old Disney movie, "Aladdin." her greedy side for--attention, affection, positive reinforcement of any kind, told her that just one of those diamonds would pay the mortgage for a year or more.

so she put her fingers in her mouth, biting down hard, and made her way towards Padmé, only letting her fingers out of her mouth long enough to say] No, not yet. Maybe it's close? It better be close. [and she returned her fingers to her mouth, biting on them again]

[democratically]

[She looked about as good as Padmé did. The trials of this place were marked across her, and yet despite it all, that sheer stubbornness and determination to overcome remained. She had never been someone who would easily be broken. She might bend, on her own accord, but never shatter.]

Chances are, there is some trick to this place.

[She did glance back over her shoulder. A two way entry? Would it also be an exit? That seemed ridiculous though. Across the way, maybe?]

Did you want to split up, or search together?

[thisislife]

[Lexi feels like she's gone through hell. one of the annoying levels, not the fiery ones. she'd pinched herself multiple times to make absolutely sure she was awake, and each time she was. unfortunately]

Yeah, probably. Definitely. This is probably a tempting "oh, let's see how greedy you are," kind of thing. 'Cause I really doubt we're going to find a magic lamp with a genie inside just sitting there and going "take me!"

[a little like formed between her eyes as she thought]

Together. That way, if there's something awful in here, it will be the two of us against them.

[democratically]

Magic lamp?

[Sorry, Lexi. Padmé has no idea what tale that is, as it isn't something that she has heard of. Although magic to help... That would be too good to be true.]

Of course. [Offering a smile, before glancing around.] Hmm, circle around first, and then go inward if that doesn't reveal anything?

[thisislife]

Yeah, it's--it's a legend on my home planet. Supposedly, there are these ancient oil lamps where if you rub the lamp, you'll get a genie. A really powerful being who can grant you three wishes. But it's just a story you tell kids when they're going to sleep.

[definitely too good to be true. but if anywhere had a something like that, it would be here. too bad all of the stuff has giant neon flashing signs which read "TRAP"]

[democratically]

What is the catch...?

[Is the lamp hard to obtain? Otherwise, it seems like it would indeed be too good to be true. One use only and it disappears? Something?]

[thisislife]

No catch in the "Aladdin" movie? In that, anyone could wish themselves into becoming a genie and having all of their magic. But there's always a catch for the genie, they have to live in a lamp or something like a lamp. [she attempts to catch soemthing of Robin Williams' original timbre] Phenomenal cosmic power! Itty-bitty living space.

[and the lamp was hard to obtain. usually involved traps and puzzles and riddles. at least that's what she's heard of]

[democratically]

They are trapped there then, these genie?

[That doesn't seem the nicest of lives.]

[thisislife]

Yeah. I think that they lay dormant the whole time between--god, I hate to even say it--masters. At least I'd hope so? Being trapped in a small place where you couldn't even put up a poster would suck.

[and she's babbling. she's babbling and she doesn't know where the 'stop' button is, as usual]

But I doubt they'd give us access to that kind of thing here.

slavery mentions

[democratically]

And there is no way to free them?

[Because that sounds quite a lot like slavery to Padmé.

Her lips purse a little, as she glances. She hadn't been able to help many of the slaves on Tatooine. It had been her fault, torn in too many places and not approaching it correctly. She knew Sabé had done what she could, but it would never be enough. Perhaps when things settled she could try again...]

No. That seems a little too easy, especially after everything we've gone through to get to this point.

slavery mentions

[thisislife]

Sure, but the person who has the lamp and the wishes has to wish for the genie's freedom. I saw it in a movie back when I was a kid.

[of course Disney couldn't always be trusted when it came to the proper telling of fairy tales and legends. she assumes that if genies really did exist, most people would be so caught up in their own wishes to even think about what the genie felt like.

but now that she thought about it, she felt bad for the genies. who may or may not exist]

God, I know. I'm glad I'm as skinny as I am, if I hadn't been, there would have been no way to get through some of those passages. And then there was the passage which opened into a little ledge surrounding a giant hole.

[democratically]

And once freed what did the genie do?

[Hopefully live their life. Padmé does wonder if they would still have wishes, or if it is the lamp then that does it, or a combination of both. Even imagining it...

She skirts around a pile of gold coins.]

Yes. A longer way, although I do wonder if some of the tunnels had been bait dangled. It is hard to tell if the direct path is the better.

c. Exiting

[opress]

[Savage had been followed her as a significant safe distance ever since he had first caught sight of her face in another portion of the catacombs. Why was he following? He felt himself confused by her, since she had Airy's face but definitely didn't feel the same in the Force. So he follow discreetly, uncertain and confused by the fact that this woman moved like someone very well suited to helping themselves out of tight situations - like Airy - but something was off

It was Airy but not Airy. An imposter? No, she didn't act like someone wearing Airy's skin, not that he wouldn't be surprised by that happening because this was a catacomb and undead things didn't do reasonable action. Then again, he knew plenty of species that wore the skin of others so... maybe he was just thinking too hard about it.

He watched her go through the exit and slowly approached himself, needing to be certain he stayed out of sight just in case. The door that wasn't a door had him moving cautiously as well, and he stepped to the edge of stone and peered down into the pit of corpses, mushrooms and... well, there she was. His glowing golden eyes watched her struggle, and he used a Force leap to get to the other side where she was crawling.

The spores were already eating into her skin it seemed. Carnivorous mushrooms; he'd heard about those.

Savage reached out a hand in her direction. She wore Airy's face, so perhaps she had answers as to why. Using the Force, he moved to capture and pick her up so that he could bring her to the stone where he stood.]

...Airadne?

[democratically]

[It was the glorious breathes of fresh air that Padmé greedily took, almost afraid that it wasn't true, that it was another test. She shuddered, not quite as sentient as she usually was. Yet each passing beat of her heart seemed to cement that she wasn't there. The game had been one thing, and even the hardships that she had had there had been pale in comparison.

She didn't clue in, at least not right away, not until her mind prodded her into action. The all but weightless sensation that seemed to be within her head, and yet wasn't. No, it was still reality. She swallowed, regretted that choice as the taste of soil made her cough. There was a shake of her head, trying to clear her throat, having to do it several times before she did finally manage to sputter out.]

No. Padmé.

[opress]

[Who? Somehow the name was faintly familiar to him, like he might have overheard it during a conversation that he was privy to but unable to react to. Maybe it was his imagination on thinking he had heard it, but what was for certain was that she wasn't Airy with a new hair style or clothing.

A part of him thought of losing interest and dropping her into the mushrooms to be consumed. She was none of his business, but then... he had come this far that it seemed like a waste to just release the Force and let her drop still alive.]

I'll get you out, but you're on your own from there. [Maybe. It depended how interesting he found her once he had elevated over his safe rock outcropping and set down. Humans were so delicate sometimes.]

[democratically]

[She assumed that he was a friend of Ariadne, given his initial reaction to her. It wasn't any sort of recognition that Padmé expected with her own name though. While it may be known in some circles in her own galaxy, it would be circles that dealt with politics or Naboo for the most part.

Despite the situation, Padmé still held a certain level of calmness. She had never been one to get herself worked up overly so in stressful circumstances While she would like to be back at her residence, she wouldn't have given up if he had chosen not to aid. Even if she had needed to crawl, she was going to get out of this.

There was a small nod though, resolute.]

T-thank you. Your name?

[opress]

[Given that she had mushrooms growing over her skin, he would have expected some more panic than there had been. It seemed she was definitely either out of it or calm beyond measure. He would give her credit even as he leveled her off and examined the extend of her infestation. It was getting worse.]

Savage.

[She probably knew his brother. Everyone knew his brother, not that many knew what a Zabrak was.]

Do you have water to wash your skin?

[democratically]

[It was a little of both. She was well known for her calmness, but she could say that she had never been in a situation quite like the one that she had just experienced. While not fearful, a part of her also didn't want to look back, lest she somehow find herself at the start all over again. She might be a little more prepared though, although more drained and hurt.]

It was lost somewhere below.

[Not that her mind would go to her skin first. Rather, the taste of dirt that lingered in her mouth. The mushrooms... They hadn't quite some into thought yet, with other matters seemingly more present.]

... have you any?

[opress]

[He frowned a little, knowing that he didn't have to help her any more than he had and probably shouldn't. However, they had to be close to the exit at this point, so there was less need to conserve his resources. It would be a waste to give it over and the water not help though.

He finally decided to play on his brother's book of earning a favour for some kind of assistance. That was a thing, though he recalled an old conversation about altruism. That wasn't the Zabrak way, so he'd likely need something in return for the help someday.

He eased into a crouch as he dug into his pack until he found the water bottle and offered it out to her.] Does it hurt?

[democratically]

[Earning favour. Padmé may have thought twice about it had she heard his thoughts. It wasn't that she had never called to a friend to ask for help, but it wasn't an expectation that they help. In turn, if Padmé saw someone needing help, she would help, with no need for recompense. It was something that her parents had instilled within her since she was young.

She wasn't certain what his answer would be, slightly wary as he squatted down, yet the bottle was offered. Padmé was mindful, only squirting a small amount into her mouth to swish it around, before spitting it out. Even then, she took just a small amount before handing it back to him. It was enough to ease her throat as she cleared it.]

Thank you.

[Everything hurt. Even if there was nothing actively trying to harm her, she had still needed to wiggle and crawl through openings. In that sense, her small frame had offered some assistance, although it may have also made her bolder in some of her routes. But she looked to the mushrooms that he was likely asking after. That dull constant throbbing. Some had been removed, and yet others... Well, they had been more than a little troublesome with how they seemed to have grown.]

It isn't pleasant, but at the moment, I prefer to get out, and then address the other issues.

[opress]

[She didn't seem too harmed so far, but he wasn't about to offer full medical treatment either. He was mostly curious of her familiar face, and he openly stared at it as he tried to determine differences that went beyond hair style. Facial features were definitely the same.

They could be twins! Those were extremely rare on his planet, and he hadn't seen too many on other planets either. Maybe he was a touch too curious for his own good.]

We can travel together for awhile, if you care to.

[The sooner they left the catacombs, the sooner she could remove the other filth that covered her from falling into the mushroom pit. And this way, he could potentially ask questions about her. Or just loom because he wasn't good at asking questions. Either worked in his favour.

He took back his water bottle and rose to his feet, gesturing at the path to take. Hopefully there wouldn't be too many small confined places to crawl through. He hadn't done well with any of those given his size.]

Where do you... come from?

[democratically]

[It hadn't crossed her mind to ask for it from him, but rather to get out and seek aid in the city itself, whichever was closer. If anything, she wanted not to tread a line too far, lest she pass over whatever boundary he had set. That was the feeling that Padmé got from him. Not that it stopped her own gaze from slipping back at his offer, brow furrowing slightly, yet she wouldn't mind that.

Padmé fought the urge to scratch along her arm as she nodded, taking more steps forward. Out of this place, she hoped. Each step one step closer...]

Naboo, originally. It's a planet.

[opress]

[One aspect he thought would go in his favour was that he was big and thus if they ran into anything that happened to be a fight, he would be the likely target. So, he could play protector - not a role he had often other than Maul - which might convince her to travel with them.

He watched her start to walk and made no effort to assist her. She seemed stable enough, so he eased into a walk and took the lead. Then stopped and turned back to look at her. She was from the same galaxy as he was?

Naboo. The planet where his brother had been cut in half.]

Close to the Outer Rim, yes. I'm from Dathomir. [Obviously. Now he was more curious of her.]

[democratically]

[It was a focus to put one foot in front of the other. She wasn't a trained warrior, even if she might have been trained in defence since she was younger. There had yet to be a day where Padmé had regretted that they had decided to add that into her studies, as it had come in helpful. One might expect a senator to lead a rather quiet life, but Padmé broke that mould.

Still, her eyes shifted from the form that moved ahead of her, to the sides, glancing now and then behind her, just in case. She'd never had any extraordinary senses like Anakin, but she also wasn't a fool. She wouldn't trust that she was truly free until her head hit her pillow. And the others... Was Sabé suffering down here too? Anakin? Obi-Wan? She would only hope not.]

I have heard of your planet, although I cannot claim to be overly familiar with it.

[One of many planets to come under attack during the war, according to reports that she had read.]