open starter #2
location: south beach, near the low settlement/jungle time: nightfall, at some point during the swaparoo, time is fake
Lily couldn’t sleep, because she was cold. And she couldn’t walk around the jungle to clear her head, because she would feel everything, and then she would have a headache that made her nauseous. So instead of sleeping or meditating, she was in her treehouse, holding a hollowed-out coconut shell full of dirt, trying to will something to sprout.
She didn’t actually know if earth-attuned needed seeds or not, but she was willing to bet not, because she’d seen some people walk away with flowers blooming in their footprints. Being earth-attuned might be worth it if she could grow flowers on a whim, because then her treehouse would be full of them.
She stared into the dirt, willing something to grow. Hibiscus. Plumeria. Rose. Something.
Nothing happened. She scowled, setting aside the coconut, and in the resulting quiet she heard a noise outside. Footsteps. Well, whoever it was would know she was awake; her old candles were still lit. But the rope bridge was up and the trapdoor latched, so unless the person was a good tree climber she was safe.
She poked her head out the window and looked down. “Who is it? What’s the password?”