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[closed] wish i could find my way

WHO: Cairngorm and Lupin
WHERE: The Forest
WHEN: Mid-May
WHAT: they go in the forest, they do some tests, they come out
WARNINGS: none?!

[ It's safe to say that Cairngorm is having some conflicting feelings about being in the thick of the woods at the moment.

They've never been the kind to venture in here, even when people they liked disappeared. Not because they're afraid or that it's too dangerous, but - it just doesn't seem like it's worth it. Sure, like anyone else in town, they've heard about the strange things people find in here if they go in deep enough, but in their opinion, that information is simply not worth running the risk of something worse getting onto your plate. Clearly, Lupin feels differently, especially after the sudden and heartbreaking disappearance of Minato, his dearest friend. They're aware it would be quite difficult, if not impossible to dissuade him from looking for answers after his disappearance, even if they don't want him anywhere near this place. So, they do the next best thing they can do, which is to begrudgingly go along with.

The pair of them have made it rather far into the woods with only strange, unintelligible whispers and the constant feeling of being watched. They're not sure whether to be grateful or suspicious about that. Cairngorm seems rather tense - sharply focused, like they've been on the battlefield the entire time they've been walking, and preferring to say absolutely nothing unless spoken to directly. They keep themself a step apart from him so that they can fight at a moment's notice if need be. It doesn't help that they barely know the difference between mutant animals and not, so even when they see (mostly) harmless crows with tons of eyes scattering in the trees, or a skittish deer running away with wings, they're still on edge. And when they see an extremely suspicious pile of somethings (see:corn) up in the distance blocking their path, it's all the more reason for them to be concerned. ]

Wait. [ They halt, adjusting their vice-like grip on their blade while they squint and try to make out what it is. ] Do you see that?

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[ It's not like him to go into the forest like this, either. How much time has he spent warning others away from going in here at all? That's the first thing he tells people when they arrive - don't go into the woods, it's dangerous. Yet here he is. The hypocrisy is enough to make him smile darkly to himself - but, at the very least, he's not reckless enough to go in alone. Going in with someone you're close to always seems to improve your chances of coming back out unscathed; who better to invite, then, than Cairngorm?

With Minato gone, there aren't very many other choices at all. And that's the crux of this little adventure. He'd promised Minato that he wouldn't let him die - and just like that, his promise was broken by forces far outside of his control. Lupin can't let that stand. He can't bear to let that stand. Maybe he's been sitting around and playing it safe for too long. So off he goes, quieter than usual, himself, his smile replaced with a more serious expression, until... ]

... Yeah, I do. It looks like... corn.

[ make that a confused expression. He shoots a look over at Cairngorm, a "let's go check it out" without words, before warily beginning to close the distance between himself and the pile of vegetables. ]

[ Corn?? He seems to know what that is, and seems to think it's okay to check it out, but frankly, they don't trust anything from the forest to be normal or for Lupin to know what he can handle in here. It could be man-eating corn for all they know.

They take a quick step to keep half a pace in front of him, keeping their blade brandished in front of them all the way until they get within a few paces distance from the pile. Cairngorm slows, but only so they can take a few steps to the side, as if something might be hiding behind it. ]

These are... plants?

[ They knock one from the pile with a swift swing of their blade, rolling it underneath their heel. Their nose wrinkles at the crunching noise it makes, but they're at least relieved the pile didn't transform into some weapon or heinous creature. So far. ]

[ it would be kind of funny to see Cairngorm warily circling and nudging the corn with their weapon like it's a pile of grenades, but Lupin's in a rather grim mood, unfortunately. He, too, takes care approaching, just in case something is hiding underneath it all. ]

That's right. It's a vegetable, actually - you eat the inside. But...

[ that doesn't explain why there's a big pile of it here... he stares at it for a few more seconds, then glances over to his partner. ]

Can you move your sword through the stack? I want to make sure there's nothing but corn under there.

[ and their sword is longer than his cane. ]

[ Rather than reply, they just ready their stance (keeping careful distance away.) Maybe he meant to just pass the blade through slowly, but that's not what they end up doing; they take a heavy, horizontal swing at the center of the pile, effectively causing the top half of the corn to roll to the ground. Then, they peer at the remains of the stack, confirming that there is indeed nothing but corn there. ]

So... it's just a bunch of vegetables. [ Now that the likelihood of danger has evaporated, they just seem plain annoyed with the situation. ] Obviously we're not eating it.

[ Then what could it be there for?? ]

[ they have succeeded in making a big mess... Lupin's brow creases a little bit, but it doesn't really matter, so whatever!! The important thing is that there wasn't a monster and/or bomb sitting in all of it - although he supposes that's still a possibility if either is small enough. ]

Well... Normally, the only time you see it all gathered up in a pile like this is because it needs to be husked. It's useless the way it is now.

[ it sounds like a dumb suggestion, though. He squats down, picking up a piece of corn and looking for any sign that it isn't just... a piece of corn. (It is just a piece of corn.) ]

There are usually challenges in the forest, right? That seems more like a chore than a challenge.

[ They just wanted to slice through the enemy if there was one okay... ]

Husked?

[ wadda hell does that mean... confused, they just watch him as he inspects the corn closer, resting the edge of their blade in the dirt while they wait. ]

We're supposed to "husk" all of this?

[ Now... they're not too sure what that means. But they can see there is a lot of corn here, and they're going to be losing a hell of a lot of daylight if they're stuck doing some stupid chore for a ton of time. At least they're in agreement that this seems like an extremely lame challenge as far as the forest's tastes are concerned. ]

Your guess is as good as mine, my dear. Still, I can't think of anything else we could do with all of this. We're certainly not eating all of it.

[ For one thing, Cairngorm can't eat, and even if they could, Lupin doesn't think he could eat even one raw corn cob, let alone 200 or however many are in here. That would be cruel and unusual, even for the town! With a resigned sigh, he shakes his head, then squats down, picking up another ear and walking over towards Cairngorm to offer it to them. ]

Here. All you have to do is pull off the green bits - like this.

[ he puts his cane away into the holster at his thigh so that he can properly demonstrate. It's not hard, at least. ]

[ They watch him intently as he demonstrates, probably too intently, before taking the ear for themself. Once they've modeled what he'd done and determined that it is in fact just an easy, repetitive task (albeit gross with all those little stringy parts), they let out an aggravated sigh. ]

This is stupid. [ Having kept their blade resting against their body, they toss the cleaned cob to the dirt away from the massive pile of unshucked corn, so they can pick their weapon back up properly. ] I'm going over there. I'll work faster if I'm not talking to you...

[ Because he's distracting. They're annoyed by the task but they're at least trying to do what they can to make it go by faster - taking a few steps closer to the scattered pile of corn so they can take some to start with. ]

[ it is, indeed, stupid. Lupin is about to agree with them, but then they toss the cob on the ground (which he has a kneejerk reaction to, after going hungry for so long as a kid), and then they say they're going to go work alone and in silence. Now, he might not be in the greatest mood, but that sounds like it's going to make the task that much worse. ]

Wait - you don't have to do that, do you? This is going to be boring enough as it is. At least sit with me, Cairn.

[ do they really expect him to shut up for like half an hour straight when he's with them?! impossible... ]

We didn't come here to have fun. And you tend to talk a lot...

[ Not that they ever try to have to fun to begin with, in general. They're piling ears of corn into the crook of their arm without looking in his direction, before shooting him a glance while they walk over to a spot they deem okay enough to sit in. ]

Are you actually going to work faster if I sit near you?

Sure I am. A little stimulation helps ease work along, you know.

[ he at least doesn't think talking with them will slow him down - he's pretty efficient when it comes to work, and being sociable never got in the way of that. He picks up a handful, too, following after them to sit nearby. ]

Besides, we should stick close together. Getting separated in these woods is dangerous - and, supposedly, our bond's what keeps us safe.

[ punctuated with him tearing a leaf off of the husk. In truth, he'd like the distraction of them, as well. Lingering on thoughts of Minato in here feels just as dangerous. He's been here long enough to know the forest will prey on those thoughts. ]

[ Fine... they'll go along if he says it won't impede his work, but they're making sure to keep an eye on him to make sure that's the truth. They agree about the staying near him to protect him, at least. Carefully, they glance around the clearing one last time before they set their blade in the dirt so they can sit down, following suit and tearing the strange leaves from the corn. ]

I know that already. That's why I want to get out of here quickly... [ The last time they went in here wasn't particularly pleasant, not that ever being in here is - killing doppelgangers of people you like makes for a bad outing. ] Before something worse than this pointless task appears.

[ keeping them close by and in his sight helps him feel better. On one hand, they're immortal. On the other hand... if they were lost to the forest, that means they might never come back until someone puts them back together. He'd do it, but who knows how long that would take. Unsurprisingly, Lupin's quick with his hands, and learns just as fast; he tosses the cob aside, and shucks the husk off the next one in half the time. ]

No kidding.

[ he sighs through his nose. He's fairly certain worse things will come, for one reason that he may as well make clear now. ]

I want to find a way to get Minato back. If that information exists, I think it'll be in these woods.

[ Cairngorm is also relatively dexterous, not to mention strong and ripping the corn husks apart with no hesitation. They glance over at him momentarily when he says that, before returning their gaze back to their hands, trying to be mindful. ]

If it exists. [ As always, they maintain a realist perspective of things, neither condemning his choice to come in here nor supporting it. ] You're not the first one to come in here looking for a way to bring someone back. Lots of others have tried - even Minato himself.

[ They're sure he already knows about the numerous attempts by other townsfolk to get back their loved ones, all of which have turned up nothing. That doesn't mean that information doesn't exist, but it does lead them to believe that it's highly unlikely that they'll be the ones to magically find it - at least, from their marginally pessimistic outlook. ]

You actually think they'd make that information accessible?

I know I'm not. I know it's a long shot, too.

[ it's not as thorough a condemnation as Cairngorm could have given him - not that he would have stopped, even if they'd called him an idiot without reservations. ]

But I have to try. I promised him I'd find a way to bring him back. If the information isn't accessible, it's just a matter of finding a way to access it. [ throwing some more husked corn into the pile. ] This is only plan A. I've got plenty more to try if this doesn't work out.

[ That makes them sigh, exasperated. Inwardly, they are asking why they always end up getting involved with these types... they can't help but see a parallel between the situation here: trying to find a way to bring someone back when evidence has largely pointed in the direction of saying that it's impossible.

They'd like to say you shouldn't have promised that, or try to make brush off some of the heaviness of the topic, but both options seem like they'd be in bad taste at the moment. It's very clear he's alredy in an actually bad mood. ]

As long as you're prepared. [ For it not to pan out, goes unspoken. At least they're making quick progress through the pile. ] Have you actually been in here a lot?

[ Sorry, Cairngorm. He's the type who's always trying to accomplish the impossible... ]

No... I try to avoid it. [ shuck shuck. ] I listen to what everyone else says about it, though - and I've been paying attention to what comes out of it when people survive the trip. If the town decides to grant us a wish for completing these tasks, for instance, even that would be enough.

[ he doesn't answer whether or not he's prepared. Lupin likes to think he is; part of his MO is being prepared for anything and everything, potential failures included. Throw a supernatural omniscient forest into the mix, however, and even he might not be ready for whatever wrenches get thrown into his plan. ]

Well, [ They start, accented by a loud rip from the corn. ] I've been in here a fair share for quests.

[ Which honestly isn't preferable, but they also think they're probably among the few that can come in here and come out relatively unscathed when it comes to the forest's beasts. They feel like the fact that they've been in here more alone means they should be the one calling the shots in here, but they keep that to themself and let the statement on it's own. ]

Never far enough to be made to do weird tasks like I've seen other people describe, or get a wish though. [ a beat. ] Just far enough to be attacked by a lot of things. We'll retreat if it comes to that..

[ they say this without an ounce of pliability; if he won't comply when they decide they should get out of here, they'll just have to drag him... ]

[ a little half-smile. ]

No need to tell me twice. You know I avoid fighting whenever I can manage it. Minato wouldn't want anything to happen to the two of us for his sake, besides.

[ he at least knew him that well. Honestly, Minato would probably disapprove of them going into the woods at all, but Lupin considers this risk a calculated one. ]

We might be all right, though. The two of us. I'll bet you're closer to me than you were to the others you came in here with.

That's the reason you dragged me here, isn't it...

[ Because they're close, and it'll make getting deeper into the forest easier, for whatever reason. ]

But I'm not so certain it'll go smoothly just because of that. [ Their closeness, that is. ] I saw Dextera at the edge of the forest once after he and Guren had been separated inside here. It was like he'd gone insane. He thought he'd been lost inside here for days.

[ The circumstances were of course different, but how are they supposed to know one of them won't just start wandering off into the middle of nowhere in the forest unprompted? It's magic, they can't understand it. All they can do is try to prepare for and expect the worst. At least this first task is almost done with. ]

Close, or not... I won't rely on this place to be merciful.

You'd be my first choice of partner in anything, you know.

[ something he hopes they'd already know - but maybe they don't, because they're Cairngorm and never assume, and he's not too afraid to remind them. His arms are starting to hurt a bit from this repetitive corn-shucking motion, so he's grateful that the pile's shrinking fast. ]

But you're right. It won't be easy. All the more reason to stick close together, wouldn't you say?

Even in swimming?

[ It's dry, rhetorical sarcasm, not wanting to get sentimental or think too hard about what he's saying. They feel on edge, in here, and don't want to get distracted by anything. Though they do take note of it.

Nonetheless, it seems like they have nothing else to say on the topic outside of just joking around in their weird and rude way, keeping their eyes on the task at hand and at nothing else. Since they're nearing the end, they want to speed the process along as much as they can. There's only two or three left when they decide to speak again. ]

Here. You finish those. I'm going to get ready in case something comes out when we finish it...

[ at that, he actually laughs a little - a dry one, but a laugh nonetheless. Cairngorm never changes. Sometimes, it's a drag; other times, though, it's part of their charm, and right now, he's grateful for it. Lupin nods, picking up the corn without hesitation. ]

Got it. I'll leave it to you.

[ he has complete trust in them and their ability to protect him. Still, he keeps careful watch, too, especially as he peels the leaves from the final ear of corn and throws it in the pile. All he can hear are the usual whispers and ominous rustlings, though - then, suddenly, a loud creaking noise, as if a storm wind is blowing through the trees. And while that's not the case, the trees are moving; they're bending and curling, branches twisting together to make another near-perfect archway leading deeper into the woods. ]

... That seems like a sign if I ever saw one.

[ Their eyes go wide at the trees creaking and bending like that, blade drawn in front of them - truthfully, they fully expect some beast to come running through the path into the clearing. But one doesn't, even after a few beats of tense silence after Lupin says his piece. They don't exactly relax, but they do spare a glance his way, returning to where he's crouched. ]

Then, let's go.

[ They don't reach out their hand to him (in their mind, they should stay armed), but they do wait for him to get up so that they can go together side by side. ]

[ he's waiting for about the same - getting attacked by a tree would honestly be among the least weird things he's dealt with in this forest. Lupin glances their way at the same time, meeting their gaze in the middle.

(He can't lie: it's pretty damn comforting having Cairngorm around. Not that the great Lupin is scared of a few monsters, of course - but he always prefers to fight when he has the advantage, and they're close to indomitable.) ]

Stay close by, will you? That seemed a bit too easy.

[ getting to his feet, he skips ahead a few steps to walk beside them. Should they bring some corn with them? They can just go back and find it again later, he supposes. Surreptitiously, he marks one of the trees as they pass by, just in case. ]

[ That was definitely, definitely way too easy. They give Lupin a sort of weird look while he marks the tree, only belatedly putting together that he's making sure they can find this area again later. Things like that are strange to someone who lived in a place so small.

They don't say anything to his request, merely staying in stride with him as instructed in relative silence. Like before, they're not exactly feeling chatty, so it stays quiet like that for the tense moments they spend walking down this path, away from the clearing with the corn and towards... nothing, really. It just seems like more and more trees.

The only thing of interest is in the distance, the glint of something on the ground a step off the path, giving off a shimmer that can only come from a polished stone, as the two of them know so well. ]

There's something up there. [ They muse out, though the pair are still a bit away from it. Just to be certain, they check behind them, before returning to looking forward at the strange glimmer. ] It almost looks like...

[ A gem piece, though they can't tell what kind from this distance away. ]

[ yeah, he recognizes it, too - it's hard not to when everything around them is dull and gray. His strides slow to a stop as he gazes out at it. Like Cairngorm, he can't determine what sort of gem it might be from this distance (or if it even is a gem, frankly.)

Naturally, he's curious and wants to investigate. There's little doubt in his mind that it was placed there purposefully, considering how trips into the forest tend to go. The only question is if it's meant to mark their path or lead them astray. ]

... Shall we take a look?

[ it's impossible to know the answer right now. maybe they can get some more information if they get closer. ]

[ Wordlessly, they continue advancing, deciding that it's worth a short investigation. It might be a hint to another test, or some sort of important object they can take back.

But, in spite of all those possibilities, when the pair actually get close enough to identify the gem, Cairngorm's expression becomes difficult to read, kneeling down next to the shard and picking it up with a gloved hand. ]

This is... [ They turn the shard over once to see it from all sides. ] Jade.

[ It feels like a gem piece; the way it's broken is similar to fractures they've seen over the years when struck by arrows. They cast their eyes a bit further off the path, only now noticing that there are other shards around them in the space. Without consulting Lupin about it, they take two or three steps off the path to reach another piece, as if pulled off by a sudden compulsion. ]

Pieces of Phos...

[ The original one. They show him the minty-green crystal in the palm of their hand alongside the other piece, staying close to the ground. ]

Jade?

[ that's weird. From Cairngorm's reaction, it's easy for Lupin to guess that this must be a piece of another gem, even if he's never met any Jade. But it's that very fact that gives him pause. He doesn't follow them when they go to fetch the phosphophyllite shard, staying where he is.

He recognizes a setup when he sees one. ]

Cairngorm, wait. These have to be fakes.

[ They meet his eyes briefly, before returning to the shards. For some reason, they can't resist feeling like they had to pick up at least this piece of faux-Phos. ]

I've seen a lot of traps like this while fighting Lunarians.

[ They reassure him that they're not trigger happy to follow this very ominous trail, even though there's no way for their untrained eye to be able to tell if these truly have inclusions in them or not. They stand, but remain looking down the path of glittering stones. ]

Moreover, there are pieces of gems currently on the moon among these. [ Finally, they tear their eyes away, making their way back onto the path. ] Based on what Phos told me about that place, there's no way for at least those ones to be real.

[ he won't stop them from taking a piece if they want to. Maybe he should. After all, there are plenty of fairy tales where the hero is cursed for taking things that don't belong to them. Lupin follows their gaze out into the woods, as well, the twinkle of still more shards catching his eye temptingly - but the longer he stands here, the more he's sure that's their exact purpose. He shifts back onto one foot, edging towards the path again. ]

Is that so? I was just going off my intuition. My gut's not usually wrong when it comes to these things.

[ but if they have actual evidence these things can't be here, then all the better. Raising a hand, he beckons them to come back. ]

We'd better stick to the path - especially after all that corn-shucking we did to open it, no?

[ They were going to elaborate on why it was impossible... but it'd probably just depress Lupin to know that a gem's ultimate fate after being taken to the moon is getting thrown in the gem grinder, thus making pieces like this impossible to find. He seems convinced and focused on the path, besides. They only take a mildly forlorn look to those pieces of departed gems, dragging their heels back to the dirt road. ]

Yeah. [ Usually they're the one that wouldn't bother with an obvious trap like this... weird. Maybe it's just guilt from Phos that veered them off the path like that. They don't want to think of their behavior much. ] I told you, it's not like I was gonna go down there. I'm not stupid...

[ They'll just deflect, huffing while they join him back at his side and take an expectant step forward. ]

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[closed] wish i could find my way

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IMAGINE if i wasn't so slow

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