graveknocker | call me out 🔪

[whatever twist of fate led her to wake up here, she's not questioning. Helena might have a kind heart, might care for others well, but she also knows that surviving sometimes means accepting the hand you are dealt, and waking up in a world full of magic was a far better fate than running in the same circles.

and magic is enchanting to her. it provides an easy cover - anything she doesn't know much about, she can claim to have had an accident of her memories getting muddled, that her parents didn't let her go out much. closer to the truth than a lie, and it works just fine.

but it means when it comes to strange happenings, she's at a disadvantage to note the event. to find oneself in the thick of it, before they can realize it's happening. that wandering into the wrong cursed garden, lured by a flower's sweet scent, leaves her in a bit of a bind. it's so lovely, surely it will do no harm to nap there, when no one else seems to be around...

and so it is that an unconscious young woman is bound to a tree, one that seeks to slowly sip away another life, to add to the bodies buried under the earth and fuel its own spell. whoops.]

[ western country is, as always, beautiful- to rustica, that is, who appreciates all things. the people, the streets, the atmosphere...it's always nice to come home, even if he doesn't remember much of it. requests have seem to be more frequent lately, and thus they are here without a sage by their side, but it does little to ruffle his feathers. he barely balks in the face of any adversity, to begin with.

still...what an interesting thing this is.

working to remove the strange curse lingering in the area isn't quite his job, so he takes the initiative to approach the source, air thick with something heavy on the tongue. he must say, he wasn't expecting there to be still be someone here, entangled against the bark as if having a nap. ]

Are you fond of that young lady? It pains me to tear two things apart, but it's time for you to have a proper rest. Please don't fret, I'll make sure to give you a lovely, sweet dream, full of nothing but good things.

[ the branches sway, earth shifting at the protest of it's roots, unwilling to let go of it's victim. but rustica merely raises a gloved hand with a sweet smile and a soft, bottomless gaze. ]

Now, please sleep well, like all should after a wonderful meal. Amorest Viesse.

[ The air ripples, sparkling briefly for a moment. Like slowly sinking into a bed after a long day, the wood groans, leaves settling down as if the wind had died off. it sinks deep into it's core, enveloping it like a blanket, like a final goodbye- there's only the soft rustle of the grass beneath his feet, rustica reaching out to catch the would-be victim before she can fall. ]

My fair lady. [ he gently shifts to hold her properly, gently brushing the hair out of her face. now, would that be enough to wake her up, is the question...? ] Have you slept enough, yourself?

[she's being pulled out of strange dreams, where everything feels liquid and odd, like she can't run, and then suddenly it all clears. no scent that lulls her to sleep, no heaviness in her limbs. instead there's a warmth, a security, and her eyes open - he'll see what she's been told is there, dark eyes and their veil of blindness, looking very much like she was just roused from a deep dream.]

What happened...?

[there's a voice she doesn't know, but she has to trust it, ask her questions. the last thing she remembers is deciding to nap, but something's changed in the atmosphere...]

[ ah, there she is. his soft smile only brightens once she opens her eyes, but he does tilt his head curiously at the light milky film that seems to envelop them. it doesn't do much to shake him, naturally, and at her voice it seems to escape him. far more important things to worry about, or something. ]

You looked like you were having a very pleasant dream. I'm almost jealous. But when one wanders through a garden, I find it's far more beautiful with someone at your side to enjoy it with.

[ he moves to help her sit up a bit more a before he holds out his hand- air sparkling before a few star-like shapes plop into a red-gloved palm. she still seems a bit out of it, and certainly, life-draining trees probably take their toll. he holds one to her mouth, carefully. ]

Here now, eat one of these.

[ if she chooses to, she'll find the small object is sugar...one that melts in the mouth easy, and in a few moments, both her limbs and her mind will feel far less heavy. ]

[perhaps one should be a little more skeptical about eating strange things when just having nearly died, but Helena didn't survive this far by being careful always. instead, she obediently eats the shape, eyes widening in pleased surprise to find it's sugar.]

Thank you, sir...I'm sure it was more than a dream, if you had to wake me, so thank you for your kind assistance. I'm lucky you were coming by.

[her hand feels over the ground, and yes, there it is - her cane back in her hand, so everything is now all right in the world. and oh, the fog is lifting, and she feels more like herself again.]

[ perhaps people should! but rustica certainly wouldn't, and neither would this girl, apparently. he makes a pleased hum as she takes the offered sugar, clearly happy to see her up and about. With all these recent happenings, it's good to see such a positive outcome.

Then again, he sees the positives in almost anything. ]

But of course. When one sees a lovely young lady by herself, isn't it only natural to offer a hand?

[ rustica watches quietly as she gropes around for the cane, and once it's back in her possession, he shifts his position- ]

The flowers are in bloom, and it's a lovely day for a walk. Can you stand? Or shall I carry you, if you'd permit it?

Ah, I don't think that would be necessary, sir...

[a touch embarrassing, to be carried if she's fully capable of walking under her own power. carefully, she gets back to her feet, leaning more on her cane than him to spare the way it would mean she'd need to impose upon him more than usual. but once she's standing, she smiles brightly.]

May I have your name? Mine is Helena.

call me out 🔪

rustica 🥺

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