[ Closed ]

[noholdsbard]

WHO: Tristan & various
WHERE: Various
WHEN: All month
WHAT: Monthly catchall!
WARNINGS: Probably a lot of violence and talk of violence

[ Starters below! ]

Comments

Pyra & Wuxian!

[noholdsbard]

Sir Berkut…?

[ After some time wandering, Tristan glances around him, having confirmed Pyra’s presence but not that of their surly companion. How long and how far have they been venturing deep into the woods, anyway? It feels as though they’ve come a lot further than their previous expedition to find the hen—though this doesn’t look anything like the path they’d taken then.

And he hadn’t even heard a sound—nothing to indicate the trees coming alive to attack them, and Berkut certainly would have made some noise had he been attacked.

He turns to his remaining companion with a worried frown: ]

Perhaps we should turn back and search for him. My harp should still be able to detect his presence…

[pyrafect]

[ She had been certain that he was right in front of her, but a glance away and then back had taken him right from her presence. Startled by the loss of one of their group, she looks around worriedly, seeing nothing but the trees and their long shadows. The forest always comes with the uncanny feeling of being watched, as if there are spectators of a greater power presiding over their journeys, and she wonders if they might be laughing at how easily their party has lost one member. ] Lord Berkut—? [ She calls out, looking as if— well, to Tristan she might have looked lost this entire time thus far. Now she seems as if she’s at a sudden loss. ] He’s gone...

[ She intuits through her and Berkut’s connection that he is still alive and unharmed, so it couldn’t be that a tree or monster snatched him before their very eyes. Knowing that, the only way is to move continue moving forward. She brings a hand to her chest. ] But I feel that he is safe.

[ This might be a trial in of itself, that they are separated. ...But maybe it’s for the best. Berkut had accepted her power, and while he had not feared it, he loathes the both of them. Those feelings are only transferred to her, the dueling emotions like a maelstrom.

Being away from him feel wrong as his blade, but it is also a respite. Nonetheless: ] We should hurry.

[espritdecorpse]

[ There's an almighty crashing sound from above, of a body hitting branch after branch and hurtling down.........

....only to slow down and hover in the air, before righting itself and landing on two feet, at the base of the tree. Wei Wuxian puts his hands to the side of his mouth and calls: ]

Lan Zhan! Lan Zhaaaaan! LAN ZHAN!

[ One moment they'd been balanced together on the man's sword soaring through the forest canopy; the next, a sudden swipe of an errant branch had thrown them from it. His voice echoes through the forest, but there's no reply. He lets his hands fall. He won't let himself worry. There's no chance Lan Zhan would be hurt by something like this, after all.

...

Still, calling one more time won't hurt, right? He starts to lift his hands again, when— ]

Oh.

[ —he catches sight of Tristan. And... Pyra, who he honestly hasn't spoken to in a while. Sheepishly, he grins and reaches up, to rubs the back of his head. ]

Hi.

[noholdsbard]

[ Her association with Berkut grows still more troubling, but again Tristan finds himself unable to remark on the fact, this time because of a very loud interruption— ]

What—?

[ Instinctively, he puts himself between Pyra and the source of that noise, but a moment later he realizes that it isn’t even necessary at all. ]

Wuxian!

[ However did the man end up here? But as with all questions, it will have to wait, for any contact between man and tree at this stage can’t end well. He draws his sword, eying the tree closest to Wei Wuxian warily. ]

[pyrafect]

[ Pyra doesn't so much as take a defensive stance when she hears the crash, and she's not quick enough to stop Tristan from moving in front of her. Wei Wuxian corrects his fall with the grace of a swan; he does not need help.

It's been a long while indeed, and far too many things have happened in that time. She acknowledges the cultivator with a nod but nothing more, looking elsewhere.

Should the trees attack, she's ready to counter. Until then, she'll let the two men do the talking. ]

[espritdecorpse]

[ He's staring at Pyra, even as she nods perfunctorily at him and looks away. She is... as beautiful as ever. But he's puzzled. Of all the reactions he might have expected from her, this surprises him. His lips part, and he's about to ask her something when Tristan shouts his name.

He turns around. ]

That's me, that's my name. So what brought the two of you here, Tris—

[ He stops himself. A moment later, he claps a hand on the man's shoulder, his eyes flicking to the man's outstretched sword and then back to Tristan's face. ]

Do I have to keep calling you "Archer," these days?

[noholdsbard]

[ Again, he feels a wave of unease washing over him—one that comes not from the trees but from his companions. Despite having somehow lost track of Berkut, Tristan had yet to have the opportunity to ask Pyra about the strange nature of their relationship.

It’s just as well that he’s facing away from Pyra right now… ]

There is no need. You are both my intimate friends, and I will keep no secrets from either of you.

[ It’s not meant to be a jab, and he’s certainly not aware that it might be taken as one. But again, he glances warily at the trees surrounding them. ]

But we must be vigilant with maintaining our bonds, now more than ever.

"How sad . . . "

[superioritis]

[The trees have waged war. As idiotic as that sounds, it's true. Like the dryads before them, Berkut surmises this to mean that the solution can be found inside. Has the damned hen decided to show itself?

Tailed by Mythra, Berkut prepares to enter the fray when he spies Tristan nearby.]

Come to take action, have you?

[pyrafect]

[ Pyra stands a few feet behind Berkut, the distance respectful. She's keeping watch for any trees that might even dare strike at him. Already her boots are covered with the ash from those that had tried.

She may not look as vigilant as she appears, however. Instead, she may seem almost dazed, hollow, and without the mask of a smile: like a flower that has had all but one of its petals plucked.

Any doubts to her competency might be promptly put to rest as soon as a branch whips out at him. Waving a hand, she constructs a block the attack; flinging out another, flames engulf the rampant flora. They will now talk beside an modest inferno, the prince protected of wayward embers by a shield. ]

[noholdsbard]

[ In response to Berkut’s query, Tristan takes a brief glance at Pyra, before turning back to give him a nod. He would have gone into the forest even without their troubling predicament anyway, but at least this way people won’t question his actions as much.

Although he’d dearly like to question why Pyra is so apparently subservient to this man. These past few weeks truly have been quite the occasion for surprises. ]

It seems that we might better accomplish our goals together. If neither of you have any objections, I can cover the rear.

[superioritis]

[Ask her, not him.

By now, Berkut is used to Pyra's fiery displays. She generally doesn't leave his side, and he rarely sends her away. He's resigned himself to the fact that this is just how things are going to be until the end.]

You will not hear any from me.

[With his attention still focused on Tristan, Berkut cranes his neck toward Pyra.]

You?

[noholdsbard]

[ It’s a strange alliance, truth be told; it’s not one that he’s ever expected of either of them. But strangeness seems to be the order of the day as of late, and he knows that he can’t waste time questioning them on it.

There is only the forest looming ahead of them, waiting to swallow them up in an ambush. An ambush they’re willingly walking into.

Again he turns to Pyra at Berkut’s response, knowing that she would not object. Indeed, he wonders if she came here willingly at all, though he does not suspect Berkut of having forced her into anything. For now, however, he tries an encouraging smile: ]

It would not be the first time we have forged an alliance together in battle.

[ With or without Mythra, at that. But he fingers that thread of Mythra’s hair he’s tied among his harp strings. In the end, that’s what had brought him to the forest in the first place. ]

[pyrafect]

[ Of course she does not object, but the small smile with with she greets him in return seems as if it’s made of porcelain. She notices that his harp still carries a thread of gold, but does not comment.

Pyra lowers her hands, clasping them together as she looks away from the knight to the prince.

To Berkut: ] Would you prefer to lead, or shall I go first?

Jeanne!

[noholdsbard]

[ Ever since Sierra’s death at his hands, he’d always been wary of the church, though he frequents it still. In the end, he cannot say why he does so. Jeanne’s presence there might have given the place a sense of the sacred that it had lost since that day. Indeed, it is she he seeks out now, after having left her word of his intended meeting.

He opens those doors—and how heavy they feel in his hands!—almost expecting yet another surreal vision as he had experienced often enough before. There is always a woman to be found inside, with her hair shining like the sun, her eyes turning to him in expectation. It always seems to happen whenever there is something that needs doing in here. ]

…Ruler?

[discernments]

[ If there is one thing that Jeanne tries to keep to, it's going to the church and praying. Prayer harms no one, and it helps her center herself. It always has. That's how he'll find her, rising to her feet after sensing his approach.

She turns to greet him with a smile, as the doors open. She emanates serenity even if everything in Chroma seems to be pointing towards something ominous happening. ]

Archer. What can I help you with?

[noholdsbard]

[ So not a goddess then, but a supplicant. The sight of her still brings him some measure of relief, regardless. He walks up to her then, hesitating only a few paces short of her. Truth be told, he hadn’t been sure what he wanted from her, exactly. It isn’t just the king’s advice driving him forward like this. ]

I…seek spiritual guidance.

[discernments]

I will guide you however I can.

[ Whether it's because she's Ruler or whether it's because most consider her a saint, she is happy he came to her. It hasn't been lost on her that Tristan has been troubled. With his history, to have that guilt from Camelot hanging over him so much that he won't tell Artoria about it, being asked to kill someone—all of it must weigh on someone who feels sadness so acutely.

She gestures with a hand: come closer, speak more, it's all right. ]

What makes a knight like you feel lost?

[noholdsbard]

[ He hesitates a moment, before stepping closer, his head bowed in supplication. Perhaps even resignation. ]

Many things.

[ How helpful. He does finally look up at her, however. ]

The chief of them being that I must extend my apologies to both you and Master, for I must place a very heavy burden upon you both.

[discernments]

[ She frowns. He's said something similar to her before, but did something new happen that make him seek her out and say it again? ]

Will you be more specific? What is this burden you're speaking of?

[ Please explain yourself, Tristan. There's only so much she can figure out by his usual turns of phrase. She can't say he has nothing to apologize for because she knows what he can do, but she also knows he can be forgiven. Their Master would. ]

Tonbokiri

[youwillbeunequaled]

After the news had been announced on the forum of how essential the profile pages from the book were, Asano had told Tonbokiri about the three trials and they'd taken back their pages together.

Tonbokiri immediately went to place his page within the book, somewhat relieved that it stayed fast by magical means. Before closing the book, curiosity led him to flip through the few pages within, to see who had recovered this important item.

... He is very worried.

So here he is, seeking Tristan out. Hopefully he either crosses paths with him or he is at home, otherwise this will become challenging.

[noholdsbard]

Simply follow the sound of the music, Tonbokiri, for that will surely lead you to the right path—in this case, toward one of the old benches within town, where he sits and plays some melancholy little tune upon his harp.

He lifts his gaze at Tonbokiri’s approach, however, his harp playing petering out to a natural conclusion as he nods at his friend in greeting.

“Well met, Tonbokiri. You appear quite ruffled, as if you’ve been through some recent adventure.”

[youwillbeunequaled]

It is true, the only source of music in this town (melancholy or otherwise), seems to lie with Tristan.

It is also true that he has come directly from the trials with Asano-dono, and his battle uniform is scuffed with the dust of the cliff climbing.

"Well met, Tristan-dono. And your observation is correct- I have just returned from the three trials required to gain the book page with my information on it. You may have heard, that this thing is required for us to leave this place?"

Tristan is among the most active and well-informed people in this place. He has no doubt he knows. So he continues,

"I hastened to find you because I am concerned, my friend. When I placed my page in the book, I noticed that yours was not yet there."

[noholdsbard]

“Oh…” The harp in his hands vanishes in a shower of golden sparkles. It isn’t needed here, right now.

“I had hoped that no one would notice.” But it’s a foolish hope, he knows, because there are so few of the townsfolk left. Not to mention that there are plenty of other perceptive ones—he already feels ashamed that his failure would thus be known, and so soon, at that.

“How very sad…’

[youwillbeunequaled]

"You had hoped no one would notice? And you are sad I did?"

This completely defies reason to Tonbokiri, and it shows as an edge of exasperation in his usually even tone.

"You have nothing to fear from the trials. Why would you delay acting upon something this vital?"

[noholdsbard]

Tristan stares at his boots for a moment, recalling that his previous pair had also been lost to the forest before. Really, but this world was much too vexing for him.

After a moment, he sighs.

“I did not delay on purpose, my friend.” That much he has to make clear, though he suspects Tonbokiri’s realized it already.

“I have simply lost my page.”