au scenarios open post

[ofstarlight]

AU SCENARIOS OPEN POST !

» Hit this up for all kinds of scenarios. » Put my character's name in the subject line. If you leave it blank, I'll surprise you with a muse. » Prose and brackets are both welcomed. » Here are some possibilities but open to all sorts of things! Stranded. Arranged Marriage. Apocalypse / Post-Apocalypse. Assassins. Fake relationships / engagements / marriages. Victorian Era. Fairy Tales. Mythology. The Hunger Games. Harry Potter. The 100. Pick one of my characters: here.

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[stevegrogers]

[ Pain settled like a drifting current and it kept yanking him under wave after wave to nearly drown in the grief surrounding him. The ones he considered family were gone, settling into unmarked graves to davey jones' locker. How could he survive when they hadn't? Shivering from the chill and also from the loss, Steve buried his face in his sandy hands. Slowly, he sank to his knees along the shore, the waves lapping at him but he barely felt it. What would he tell their families? Well, first off, how would he make it off the island to tell anyone anything? He didn't even know his current location and it would take some time for others to send a rescue ship to look for them.

What if they never did? What if no one ever came out?

The sound of a voice startled him because he forgot about the one who saved him fro a moment. Shifting to look at her, he gave a jerk nod of his head. But a single thought occurred to him. ]

Why me? Out of everyone you could save - why did you pick me? [ There were plenty of stronger men on board, far better men in Steve's eyes. Ones who deserved life and breathing much more than he did. ] But I mean - thank you. That was - a big risk you took.

[ He looked down with a frown. ] How long have you been stuck here? Did your boat crash?

[divulsion]

[Why him?

Oh, she couldn't tell him that. Not now, certainly. Not everything she wanted to, certainly. Not yet, not until they were both in too deep that he would surely hate her like the others. If she were stronger she would pull his ship back now and put him back on board, let him go now before she found herself too invested.

And yet she still had that glimmer of hope that perhaps he might be different. It was possible, after all, that there could be one man in this world who might understand her and have compassion for her, and that man might be the one she brings to this land. Perhaps.

He moves on before she's forced to answer, however, and Wanda simply shakes her head.]

I've been here since I was very young. I was left behind...and I haven't seen another ship pass this way in a long time. [She swallows. That much is true in a sense.] Come, there's nothing we can do right now. The storm will only grow stronger before it gets better. We need to take shelter.

[stevegrogers]

[ Being a man of action, it pained Steve to not be able to do anything to save those who meant so much to him. They always helped him no matter what but when they needed him most he failed them. Heart aching, he turned to his rescuer and the pain only grew from her tale. How terrible it must be to be trapped, especially alone and without any true hope of someone else wandering along to help. A fate he feared he now shared. What if they were stuck on the island indefinitely? What if he never made it back to the kingdom? To be fair, he never wanted to rule but he still took the responsibility very seriously.

Shelter, yes With a nod of his head, he stood up and offered a hand for her to take. Better safe than sorry with all the wild terrain even if she would know it well having been there for so long. ]

I am so sorry for your misfortune. Has no one ever came out this way and located you before? [ A remarkable feat with how many ships were always sailing off everywhere all the time. ]

[divulsion]

[The one thing Wanda hasn't missed in all this time is having to be so careful with her words. It's second nature to her all the same as she doesn't nod or shake her head. Her words skirt around the truth.]

No, no one has ever found me before.

[She always found them, always brought them to her island and always, eventually, found herself forced to let them go. The ones she didn't care for easy to let go, and the ones she'd come to feel something for...she hadn't had the heart to condemn them to stay once they learned the truth and wished nothing more to do with her.

Wanda holds his hand firmly, less to prevent him from getting away and more hungrily. Out of a desire to experience physical contact once more. The touch of his hand nearly undoes her. It's all she can do not to tremble as she leads him from the beach and into the thick jungle to the rocky cliffs where she's made an oversized cavern her home. She stops at the mouth, pulling aside some of the thick palm fronds that cover the entrance.]

Here, in here. [It's dark, but it's dry and he and Wanda can at least squeeze out their clothes before progressing deeper in.] It's not fancy but it's safe and solid.

[stevegrogers]

[ A little more hope escaped him at her words and his shoulders slumped in the temporary defeat. Not only had he lost everyone who mattered to him most but it appeared he would never find his way back to his kingdom either. Who would assume the throne in his absence? And what horrors would they bring? An ache settled deep in his gut just from the worry of it all but he tried to keep it to himself while they walked further away from the shore.

As they walked, he tried to make mental notes of everything they passed just in case he needed the knowledge. A person could never be too careful. They entered something cave-like and Steve slowly let go of her hand in favor of stripping off his shirt and pants so they could dry. Getting sick on top of everything else wouldn't help either of them. ]

No one else is on this island at all? [ In his youth, he heard plenty of stories about bandits, pirates and natives. None of which were warm and fuzzy. ] You'll want to get out of those wet clothes. I can go and get some wood for a fire. If we keep it low it should be okay.

[divulsion]

[Wanda has long since lost any sense of modesty here on the island. She's not sure she ever really possessed it. As he strips out of his wet shirt and pants, she in turn strips away the shawl around her shoulders and the dress wrapped around her form.

She doesn't drop it to the ground however, but rather begins to squeeze out the excess moisture before draping it over an arm. To his credit, the suggestions he makes are admirable. To try and find wet firewood in a storm so they could warm themselves is gentlemanly...but unnecessary.]

You don't need to do that. We already have everything we need here...just a moment.

[Still holding her clothes, she steps deeper into the cave, into a shadowy area where a torch lies waiting. She uses a bit of flint to spark the torch alight and lifts it, showing that this cave is quite large and well worn. And also more of a tunnel than it is a single space. Looking wet and cold, bedraggled at best, Wanda begins to pad barefoot in deeper.]

Squeeze out the most of the water here, and carry your clothes with you. I have dry firewood and a place for you to rest deeper in.

[stevegrogers]

[ In an effort to help, Steve always took on the more difficult circumstances, especially to prevent someone else from having to deal with it. A hero complex through and through his ma used to huff out all the time in his youth. The loss of her shattered him but he managed to pick himself back up, mostly because he knew the kingdom needed him. The only heir to the throne and one of such importance because their country existed as something of a central hub for plenty of other kingdoms.

What would happen to the kingdom now?

Shaking the thoughts away for the time being, Steve attempted to squeeze as much of the water as possible before he followed after her. An impressed look filled his face as she lit the torch and brought light to the cavern.

Much bigger on the inside than what it appeared outside. He gave a nod of his head and walked further in. ]

It's admirable you've survived this long by yourself. Must get really lonely. [ If only he knew. ]

[divulsion]

[If Steve thinks that this area is large now...it will be something once he follows her into the main cavern. The walls of this area aren't smooth, not even close, and they wind this way and that until depositing the pair into the main area within the mountain. A cavern whose highest point reaches well above the mast of his ship, with floors smoothed away by the times she's cleaned it and walked across them over the decades. The cavern opens at the top, and if his vision is quite good he may see the violent shaking of palms through that opening, hear the wind and see some of the rain drip through.

The water falls to a large, natural formation in the ground that holds fresh water. Around it are a series of mismatched chairs with similarly mismatched cushions at the seats, and occasionally wraps and blankets draped over the backs.

The entire cavern is full of salvaged furniture, taken from the holds of wrecked ships or from the ship's interiors themselves. It's a common room, with all of the necessities in one place but bathing and sleeping. A person could sit and read, could cook, could do most anything in that open space. At the far end he may even see a small garden of plants thriving despite the cover.

And at the walls of the cavern there are openings, tunnels that are more narrow that lead to other places. Her bedroom. Other bedrooms. Bathing chambers and even a few longer tunnels through the mountain to the other end of the island. Wanda shivers once in the cool of the room, but sets the torch she's lit in a holder at the end of the tunnel they walked through. The placement of the torch sparks a line that travels to other torches in the room, lighting them all. Or at least, it seems to be a sort of mechanical result. In truth, Wanda's long since enchanted the torches to light when another is, to give her visibility in what might be an otherwise pitch-black cave.]

Survival is not one of the harder things about living here, thankfully. Those who were here before me....there must have been many of them to have created this shelter. I've benefited greatly from it.

[As for loneliness...]

The quiet has been the hardest part. There's only so long a person can stand to listen to themselves and only themselves. Most people are not meant to bear only their own company.

[stevegrogers]

[ With slightly wider eyes, he took in their new surroundings, at least, on his end since she had survived for a really long time on the island. It seemed impossible in so many ways but he tried to not think too deeply about it. Besides, he needed to start thinking of plans on how to get off the island and back to his kingdom. One he would gladly welcome her to even if it would be a huge change for her.

Gaze drifting around the space, he noted a few details like the garden area and the collected water. The first issues were always food and water since a person couldn't survive long without either. Wanda already took care of that and by the looks of it had made a home-like atmosphere for herself.

Shivering a little, he nodded his head. ]

How about we get our clothes dry and maybe rustle up something to eat? You must be really hungry after the daring rescue. [ He offered her a lopsided smile. ] I'm in your debt, Wanda.

[divulsion]

[Wanda can't help but be a little amused by Steve. Not so traumatized by he, or at least as much as she thinks he ought to be, she can't help but be surprised by how even in her home he feels the need to take charge. He must be used to being followed back home, she thinks, even as she takes her wet clothes over to a flat surface to be dealt with a little later.]

Your company will pay that debt quickly, I think. [She offers him a faint smile in the dim light.] I have dry clothes we can both wear, and food...you can help yourself. There's a cool box with meat you can put on the fire, or there's fruit in the bowl nearby if something lighter is easier on your stomach. The flatware and cooking utensils are mismatched but they're enough to get the job done...

[And with that said, Wanda retreats down one of the hallways to her rooms. It takes her little time to change into a simple robe, dyed blue a few years ago, she expects, and salvaged from a recent wreckage. The lace at the edges is simple and frayed but it covers her from her shoulders to he ankles. Clothing for Steve is easy to come by, perhaps more than he might expect. There are so many who have left behind so many garments over the decades. In the end she finds a robe made of somewhat finer material in faded grey, with no trim or adornment. It looks large enough to cover his frame until he's feeling well enough to try on what she has available to him.

Wanda returns with the robe and offers it to him, making no noise but for her feet whisking along the flat stone floor.]

Here, try this. It's dry and it will warm you a little until the fire can seep in a bit better. I can take care of your wet clothes.

[stevegrogers]

[ In actuality, focusing on the tasks at hand, kept Steve from feeling the trauma or too much of the aches. The pains would crash over him later in the silence but for the time being he could fall into more of a soldier mode, a state he almost never enjoyed. It took so much to convince the council long ago to let him attempt the ranks but protecting people mattered to him. He might doubt his ability to be a king but the other aspects of leading almost came naturally.

With a nod of his head, he moved over to grab some meat for the fire and look over the fruit for a salad of sorts. A simple meal but a needed one after what they both went through. Placing the meat to cook, he gazed up when Wanda returned. It seemed incredible she managed to last so long on her own and collected so much. Did no one ever survive to try and help her from the island?

There were a few things not adding up but he decided to keep them silent for the moment to gather more information. With a soft 'thank you', he stood up to slip on the robe, groaning a little from the pull on his muscles. Maybe the impact hurt more than he thought.

He reached down to flip the meat. ]

It's remarkable what you've done here. Must have witnessed a lot of loss to get some of this.

Do you like your meat medium or well done?