(event) WAY DOWN WE GO

[vestigemods]

EVENT LOG: WAY DOWN WE GO

AUGUST 14TH - 24TH

► THE BASICS

Not halfway into the month of August, the lake starts to recede - slowly at first, but then in great leaps and bounds until only a foot and a half of sun-warmed standing water remains. The lake going dry is concerning, for certain, but it's hardly the least of our problems... because on the lake bed is a hatch, askew and emblazoned with an unknown but eerie insignia, and beyond that hatch lies nothing but trouble.

Over the next few days, a brave and reckless team of explorers delve into the cave beyond - what is later revealed as a maintenance tunnel, just before the ceiling of that very tunnel caves in and traps them from both sides. Their supplies are limited, and phone signal is shaky at best. And what's worse, not more than a day or so later, the lake begins to fill back up, water pouring down into the open hatch. Can those who remain stage a rescue in time to save the explorers from drowning?

► MOD NOTES

• This log is a general dump for all log threads pertaining to August's Way Down We Go event - and in lieu of the lack of catch-all for August, you can feel free to do non-event log threads here as well! Go ahead and utilize vestigenet for any event-related network posts you'd like to make.
  
• The main chunk of the event takes place between the IC dates August 17th (reveal of the hatch) and August 22nd (the latest the spelunkers can be freed before they drown). No rush leaping on this event post, since I know most folks are honestly still plotting about it.
  
• All event information can be found on the July Event Infopost!
  
• Please take special care in this event to label your top-levels with identifying information such as the IC date, any prompts specifically pertaining to event roles (spelunker, rescue efforts, etc), and/or 'non-event' for any non-event prompts you may include. Just trying to keep things organized!
  
• I'm going to help solidify the plotting efforts over the next few days to help make sure everyone's on the same page, but none of it will be set in stone just in case latecomers want in too. If you want in, chime in on the spelunkers, rescue efforts, or support roles top-levels as applicable!
  
• Any questions can be directed to this top-level or, for a quicker response, to Trace on discord/plurk.

Comments

[mannerless]

Even as Wei Ying eyes the goblet, the shift in the woman's expression is clear in his peripheral, and his eyes flicker over at once to take in the radiance of that smile, lips pressing together to keep from grinning stupidly himself. Then the smile is gone, schooled away to something quite a bit less lively - a tragedy, quite honestly. He'll have to figure out a way to make it come back sometime.

In the meantime, he drinks from the goblet again, not wishing to ask her to hold its form for too terribly long. His lips curl at the corners when she concedes, admitting even the slightest bit of pride in this skill she has put so much effort forth to learn, because she should be proud of it. He certainly would, were he able to do such a thing. Her offer for food, however, earns a shake of his head. "Ah, no, thank you - I've plenty of food back at the cabin." It occurs to him now, brow knitting faintly, to ask, "You aren't staying out here, are you?"

[seaboard]

She looks around the small camp site, the plates and bowls she has fashioned out of the water for herself to keep her sustained. The simply meal. It wasn't a sustainable way to live, but she could hardly ask for anything else.

"Well, I..." She keeps her eyes downturned, "... I am afraid I must, as I knew little else how to proceed. I could hardly take someone else's house without an invitation."

[mannerless]

"Are they all full up?" He wouldn't know, quite honestly. He hasn't scouted the cabins since they selected their own, aside from the one trip he made to scavenge unspoiled food from the empty ones nearly a month ago now.

He takes another drink from the goblet to empty it, considering asking if, were he to hold it over his mouth, it would turn to more water still (as a neat trick, not because he's still thirsty)... But this matter of her sleeping out here in the dirt is much more pressing, and Wei Wuxian straightens up a bit with the importance of it. "Nope, that won't be happening. If you don't mind sharing house with a bunch of mostly well-mannered young men, you've got a room waiting for you back at my cabin."

Oh, but it seems to occur to him now, and he lifts his hands so they meet in front of him, fingers overlapping. In this manner he bows just slightly, a more proper and respectful greeting than the first one he offered, and says, "My name is Wei Wuxian. Can we pretend I remembered my manners and introduced myself before I offered a place to stay?"

[seaboard]

"Oh, I am not sure. I did not approach, that seemed so dreadfully illmannered of me - I could never impose on anyone else like that... to do so would be a poor reflection of myself and my family."

But as he corrects her, she just looks more confused, what - he wants to. "Oh please, no I could not ever - " then there are introductions and at least... that makes it easier. She breathes out slowly, evenly. Pressing her lips together and bows her head, lowering her upper body with it. "I am Gilia. Gilia St. Loe, of the Isle St. Loe, Second Child, First Daughter."

[mannerless]

Gilia St. Loe, Second Child, First Daughter. Straightforward enough. Not even Wei Ying and his often godawful memory can botch that one.

"Well, Lady Gilia St. Loe, I meant as I said - you have a room waiting, if you'll accept it. Otherwise, I suppose I'll just sleep out here by the water as well. I don't mind it one bit." All of which is to say that he's not leaving her to fend for herself in this place, even if 'fend for herself' right now mostly just means against her own thoughts, fears, and prevailing loneliness.

[seaboard]

He has her caught, so utterly, a trap of her own manners, she cannot let him stay out here, not for her sake - which she strongly suspects he is, since he said he had a hearth of his own to return to. She looks pained a moment, like a rabbit that has just found out it's in a trap, a surely pathetic look of which set of manners am I supposed to follow?'

"Would... would you not prefer to return to your own lodgings?"

this is so short forgive me

[mannerless]

The question gets a hum, and - "I certainly would. That's why I'm hoping you'll agree to come with me." While normally he would be quite a bit more sensitive to her obvious courtesy-driven plight, doing so at the moment would leave her out here alone and he's not about to allow that unless she outright demands it.

hushes your face

[seaboard]

"I... I am sure... it is not that I do not wish to - you should not deprive yourself on my account."

It's been a very, very long day. It has left her... frazzled, to say the least, and it's finally starting to chip. She can't stand much more of this.

"... I could not... be so bold but... I would be obliged if you..."

[mannerless]

"It's settled, then." He's grinning again, very much pleased by the concession however hard-won and stumbling it may have been. Now he offers back the goblet, empty of water to drink. "We can sit here as long as you'd like, I love a good campfire - but whenever you're ready, it would be my honor to show you the cabin."

[seaboard]

"I..." She feels so caught. Oh, what has she done? Imposing on this man.

"... I suppose I should not keep you any longer out here. Perhaps now?"