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Event Twenty-Six.
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I serve the man for centuries. I give you food, I give you wood. I give you shed, I hold the soil under your feet. | |
Welcome to Awash's Twenty-sixth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to make your own logs and posts for this event! | |
t's a calm, quiet, peaceful morning. It's still dark, the birds are still not even singing... and creatures, slinking and furtive, sneak into Town to drag friends, loved ones, and enemies alike away.
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[ His knowledge of folklore does come in handy sometimes. But he looks down at his hand, where the bird has pecked him hard enough to not only tear the glove, but also to draw a little blood. Maybe it’s trying to tell him something? ]
But I am not certain what might work, so please forgive me if I do something strange.
[ Like…smear his bloodstained finger all over the bark of the Keigo tree. ]
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It seems he should have been more concerned about the specifics.]
Is that blood?
I'm already turning into a tree! I don't need you to summon a demon into me [or whatever it is that blood magic does] at the same time!
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Well…I thought a blood sacrifice might work.
[ As morbid as it sounds. Hell, he’s not even the one who thought of it first! ]
Do you feel any differently?
[ Less…wooden, perhaps? ]
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[Despite the exaggeration, Keigo tries to take stock of his body. When he leans over, the bark still covers his lower legs. It may even be a little higher now. He tries to move his legs, hoping that the blood loosened the ground's hold on them and he'll be able to rip free and shake off the bark if it's not going to disappear on its own.
No such luck.]
It didn't do anything.
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[ Real helpful there, Tristan. He sighs, moving to sit down on the ground for the time being. All this curse-breaking is hard work—all that brainstorming even more so, come to think of it. ]
But I shall not give up.
[ He frowns, scrunching his brows thoughtfully, racking his brains for a plan—or it might just be that the partridge has come back back and is now pecking at the hem of his cape. ]
There must be something I can do to break this curse. But what force could be strong enough to overcome such a thing?
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Thankfully, Tristan says he's not giving up just before Keigo yells that and alienates the only person currently trying to save him.
In between mentally yelling about his tree legs, he tries to think of ideas. The only thing that comes to mind is how it's always important to form bonds in Chroma.]
The power of friendship?
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I do consider us friends…
[ He could’ve said that without a worried frown, but what can you do? ]
And so this must require some token of friendship.
[ What dryads would want with that, he doesn’t know. But he draws his sword and lays it down at Keigo’s roots. ]
My lord uncle gave me this sword many a year ago. I had used it to slay my greatest foe—Sir Morholt of Ireland. I relinquish it now for the sake of my friend.
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He's also touched that Tristan would give up his sword for him, but his priority right now is fixing himself.
Keigo closes his eyes and waits for the healing magic to begin.
And waits.
And nothing happens.]
That should have worked! That was really good!
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[ He sighs, peering into the sword’s reflection as if it might yield some answers. But aside from how it materialized with Tristan’s summoning, it’s functionally just an ordinary sword. Nothing fancy like Excalibur, certainly. ]
Ah, poor Keigo. It seems that I must fail you, as well.
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Why are you giving up?
[This is the worst!
But between the two of them, they've used up their only ideas.]
If you can't do anything else, can you go get help?
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Ouch.
[ His eyes flutter open to catch sight of that damnable partridge, which had just yanked at a lock of his hair most ferociously to get his attention. The little creature seemed to exude a fair amount of indignation toward him still, and he guesses that it must be because he’s so terrible at rescuing his poor friend.
He frowns. ]
No, I certainly will not give up.
[ Although running for help would be an option, but with Keigo rapidly turning, he’ll have to make a split-second decision either way. Turning to the partridge— ]
Please be off with you.
[ The partridge refuses to budge, and begins clucking at him, its fat little throat bobbing up and down, up and down. ]
I do not unders—ouch!
[ Again with the pecking!! He rubs at his eyes, at the small traces of tears he’d been about to shed before he’d been so rudely interrupted. But that innocent little action only seems to agitate the little bird some more, and in a flurry of feathers and fury it goes on the offensive, attempting to strike at his legs even as it lets out the most unholy shrieks. Tristan, taken aback, can only bring that tear-streaked hand to the bark of the Keigo tree and attempt to shoo it away. ]
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He's trying to help me!
[In case there was any confusion on whether he was yelling at Tristan or the bird.
In the of the argument between man and bird, though, stray tears brush against Keigo's bark. He feels a sudden sense of relief, like a tight belt loosening, in his legs.]
Something's happening! Do it again!
[Keigo is not sure what "it" is. Touching the bark? Being in pain? Getting a bird mad at him? Tristan just needs to make that magic happen again!]
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[ He’s currently bracing himself against Keigo as he tries to gently sidestep away from the bird without much success. Should he…Should he kick at it then? Is that how this is supposed to be done? But he can’t for the life of him recall any fairy tales which ended in such blatant mistreatment of an angry bird! ]
Shoo! Be off with you! I do not wish to hurt you—
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[Continue the fight - check. And Tristan definitely sounds like he's still in pain.
His legs remain tree-like.]
I think it was when you touched the bark.
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[ He drags his hand across the rough bark, feeling the wood bite into his skin. His tears might not have completely dried out yet, who knows? But he’s certainly beginning to bleed a little. ]
This…This no use.
[ Maybe he can tie it down with his magic harp strings? He carefully reaches behind him to get at his weapon, but the bird moves even faster, outright zipping at his finger like a bullet and clamping its beak down on it, hard. Hard enough to bring more tears to his eyes.
Whereupon it clucks in satisfaction and quickly scampers away. Tristan has to knuckle away his tears, but should any of them fall onto Keigo’s roots, well, who can say? ]
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[They already proved that didn't work, and also blood on his bark is gross. Just not as gross as having bark in the first place.
That bird really has it out for him. Again, Keigo feels a sense of kinship, sure that he would be attacked by a bird if their situations were reversed. It's enough to make a man cry.
Speaking of, Keigo catches the slight flicker of light hitting a stray tear Tristan flicks aside while rubbing his eyes and watches it land on treeself. His legs feel even lighter and he watches the bark start to recede.
Wait a minute.]
Tears! It's the crying that does it!
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Tears?
[ Tristan looks around warily for the return of that demon bird. So far it hasn’t deigned to return yet. He quickly rubs at his eyes once more and smears it onto the bark before he can question this any further. Hopefully that will be enough… ]
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[Either the build-up or that second intentional application does the job. The bark creeps downward even more quickly than it built up. The spell is broken, the transformation not just stopped but reversed.]
Look!
[Keigo shakes out his newly-free legs.]
We did it!
[With a little help from a bird.]
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[ Honestly it’s so stupid and contrived even he can’t believe it. But yes, even he can’t doubt the evidence of his own eyes, and Keigo’s own good cheer, which is a rare and wonderful sight even of itself.
Too bad they can’t celebrate, though. Already, he can hear that partridge clucking. It might’ve been their savior in this case, but Tristan doesn’t want to hang around it a moment longer. ]
Oh, I am truly glad, but… Can you walk? We must leave this place at once.
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I can!
[He never thought he'd be so happy to take a walk through the woods.]
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[ Not that he looks entirely happy about it. It’s nothing personal; they just need to get out of this damned forest before something decides to ruin the moment for them in here.
Gesturing— ]
But I fear we cannot celebrate. We must bring you to safety before anything else might come after you.
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[One encounter with tree spirits was enough! And who's to say there would even be a way to fix it if they turned him into a tree again?]
Let's go!