Event Nine.

[awashmods]

Thus, on Life’s gloomy sea, Heareth the marinere Voices sweet, from far and near, Ever singing in his ear, “Here is rest and peace for thee!”

t's a dark night, and the sounds of feet in the darkness are further dampened and hidden by even more magic, as they are lured away by the soft sounds of dreams that are too good to be true, leaving the Town much, much emptier than when it began. On one side, an island, and a ticking clock to a gruesome death. On the other, the slow realization that those bonds everyone has been forging might mean much, much more than they first thought. Welcome to Awash's ninth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to start your own posts or logs for this event as well. If there are any questions, please ask them here. Please be sure to very clearly mark where your characters are in your prompts, so people know which they can tag depending on which group they are in. Thank you!

Comments

[swordfucker]

[what the fuck else she got in there

Guren squints dubiously, but eventually reaches to take that other one.]

Shut up already, you're annoying. [Even if it's completely true. This is a sweet gesture, though... He pockets one of them, in an actual pocket thanks, and unwraps the first to blink down at it.

Except... it's really ugly. What's with the shape? Wow. He points at it, staring at her.]

Did you sit on this or something?

[osuni]

[It's not even in a nice rice shape... It's like falling apart in a jumble of rice... Okuni shoots him a Look though, offended.]

The one who's being annoying is you! [YOU!!!! anyway stop, she's embarrassed.] And it's rice no matter what shape it's in!

[Baren likes her rice balls well enough!!!]

[swordfucker]

[She's so cute... Guren can't deny that, even, just watching her offense and looking back to this disaster of an onigiri. It's really just rice that she shoved into a leaf, right?]

I guess...

[But despite his rude hesitation, he takes a bite, trying to catch any dropping pieces of rice. He'll eat it, okay!!]

[osuni]

[GOOD!! Guren, a surprisingly good boy..... when it's not being buried underneath all his sass. Okuni is Pleased despite trying not to show it.]

See? Just rice -- and no tricks this time. [Though bugs are also!! good for you!!] It's not much, but it should be enough to keep your eyes open while we sail.

[swordfucker]

My eyes're going to stay open, anyway.

[So he says. But this does help, considering he hasn't eaten much at all... The forest shenanigans were...3 days ago? And he pretty much hasn't slept at all since then, and he's eaten just enough to get by. On top of this illness... horrible.]

This trip is serious. That island wasn't there before, so it has to be where they are, if not a trap. Either way, it means trouble.

[osuni]

[Okuni has some Doubt at that first part, not because she knows that Guren hasn't slEPT FOR THREE DAYS, but because she probably always Doubts pure shounen types when they say anything like 'i'll be fine'.]

All the more reason to conserve your strength before the big, dramatic battle. [She doesn't disagree with his observation though, clearly the island is a big hint if not the place where the others disappeared. It just feels strange and suspicious -- for them to have searched all this time only for the island to conveniently appear now?

Someone is messing with them...]

I know you enjoy pushing yourself to your limits, but do you have at least someone in mind who can step up when you get hurt?

[WHEN!!!]

[swordfucker]

[He flicks a stray piece of rice at her. Don't "when" him, punk.]

We're a group, and I'm training everyone to be able to step up, if needed. Rotating leaders, remember? There are a handful that would step up if needed, and I don't think we have to worry about conflict with how much they all just want to help each other.

We're all family.

[And then he takes another bite of rice.]

1/2

[osuni]

[Okuni nods along because she remembers him mentioning it before, everyone takes turns except Guren, yes yes

then











she whips her head around to stare at him

FAMILY???????????

WHO??? IS THIS GAP MOE BINCH???]

[osuni]

[NOW OKUNI IS UNCOMFORTABLE, GUREN!!! LOOK WHAT U DID u gave a perfectly good punk anxiety....

This is only because Okuni is allergic and not all used to people saying perfectly normal things like "we're family" because hm

turns out when you're an unlikable punk, no one says that to your face... It's only been her and Baren against the world -- the family she thought she had turned out to have hated her from the start, and she hasn't been rescued by any well-meaning individuals yet.]

Eh?! Are you okay, Ichi-chan?! I know you're not, since you look like you're going to fall on your face -- but that's a really embarrassing thing to say to a stranger! It's me, you know?? Did you forget and mistake me as someone you like?!

[GUREN IS SICKER THAN SHE THOUGHT!!!]

[swordfucker]

[Well, he was feeling fond and warm about it until she noisily goes off like that. Then, it's his eyes closed, irritated, trying to block her out until she outright calls him out on it being embarrassing...!! That's too much!!

His irritation breaks, and he balls up his fist to whack her over the top of the head.]

Shut up, already! The only embarrassing one here is you!

[osuni]

[Okuni shrieks!?? WHAT DID SHE DO TO DESERVE THIS!!!

but actually, getting hit in the head fills her with Relief... it's as if the World is Now Right Again.]

Don't take your anger out on me! What kind of embarrassing leader are you?!

[CLASPING HER HEAR PROTECTIVELY AS SHE INCHES AWAY]

[swordfucker]

Be quiet, you're making my headache worse.

[He's kind of serious about that part, since he's falling apart by how much he cares about literally everyone. Magic illnesses suck. But he's finished his dumb onigiri, at least.]

[osuni]

[Thinks about pushing Guren overboard later, decides not to do it... she's not that cruel..... and also they're not on the same boat???? missed opportunities.

anyway that's not fair, don't make her concerned after all these shenanigans guren... GOD!!!]

Hurry up and lie down then, old man. There's still ten minutes left.

[HUFFS... watch as Okuni scampers off, FREE




then she comes back with like a cup of water and sets it warily near him, like he's a wounded animal.... THERE, GUREN]

[swordfucker]

[He has, in fact, not decided to lie down. He glances over from his observing others when Okuni appears again just to leave him... water.]

...Thanks.

[Why is she like this, he's so tired. He reaches to pick up the cup with a sigh.]

You're a real weirdo, you know that?

[osuni]

[Okuni expected this... At least he ate a riceball though, she'll take that as a small win in everyone's list of don't let town dad die.]

I'm not sure whether or not to take that as a compliment, since it's coming from you of all people.

[But she smiles at him??? Pleased by either the thank you or the insult... spoilers it's the insult. It's not as nice as hearing "you're a real punkass", but it's close. OKUNI IS WEIRD!!!]

But it does sound nicer now then it did back in the forest!

[swordfucker]

[Guren gives her a very irritated, very tired look, but that's all. He won't say if it's meant to be compliment or insult, since he likes to keep those things to himself. Especially when he's fond of someone anyway.]

Don't remind me of that shitty forest. I'm still pissed off.

[What a gigantic waste of time, he's mad at himself...]

[osuni]

[FOUR HOURS OF BONDING IN A FOREST!! it's good for u guren]

I won't say it wasn't tiresome. [a true understatement... Okuni was expecting BLOOD AND GUTS, not all of her chroma friends telling her she's a lamer. somehow that was worse??] But cheer up, Ichi-chan! Everyone whose voices we heard back there definitely still like you, probably.

[swordfucker]

[Real talk I read that as boning and I wondered for a moment what could possibly happen to cause this.]

Shut up, I don't care about that. [Yes he does... but that's his secret!! His very top secret.]

Either they're in trouble and need our help, or we're the ones in trouble, with this illness. Whatever it is, we're going to fix it. That's that.

[osuni]

[IMC RYING ASH????????

What a prompt answer though... Admirable!!]

That would sound more impressive if you didn't look so terrible.

[Okuni's not feeling her usual Great self either, but she'd like to think she's in a much better shape than town dad. Maybe she just has a better immune system than him? Maybe age is a factor???]

How sick did you feel when you woke up the day everyone went missing? Did you get worse or is it pretty much the same?

[swordfucker]

[Yeah Guren is Holt honestly. I'll accept this.]

...It's been getting worse. Haven't you noticed it, too?

[Maybe it's because she's newer, or just, you know, the way that she is. Guren gives her a studying look and then turns back to the others working around them. Everyone looks some level of sick.]

The longer everyone's been gone, the worse it gets. I'm not the only one who's sick here. [Even if he is town dad levels, shh] Everyone's pushing through this right now.

[osuni]

[It's because Okuni is just the way she is, tbh. That and she's fortunate enough only to know a few of the ones missing?? Watch as she faints out of exhaustion as soon as they get home.]

-- The longer everyone's gone?

[wait, like

what]

So all of us are sick because the people we know were taken from the town?

[swordfucker]

That's what it's looking like.

[He doesn't seem to notice her internal crisis at this, just focusing on the other groups working on supplies and such.]

Everyone's a varying level of sickness, so it must have to do with the bonds we've made. Not just the length, but the closeness between who we're missing... It's a guess, but it lines up with what I've seen, and how this town works.

[osuni]

[This is all news to Okuni!!!! She'd shriek about it if she wasn't reminded that Guren is actually Sick right now, so she decides to display some rare-ass tact and complain only in the mildest of tones.]

That's stupid. Making friends is already a pain without adding an extra punishment!

[She's annoyed?? SHE'S ANNOYED!!! She's taciturn and allergic to friendship, but she likes watching other people be friends with each other and bond!! this is awful.]

If that's how it really works, then it's no wonder you're so sick.

[swordfucker]

Shut up about that already. I'm fine.

[He says that, but even when he sighs and scrunches his face in annoyance, it's clear to see he's getting worse by the minute. There are dark circles under his eyes, he's pale, he's stiff and tense to stop himself from wobbling or dealing with vertigo, and he keeps bringing his hand to his head in attempts at subtle gestures that hide his pain from his headache.

When can they all rest.]

Just worry about getting ready. We're leaving soon, so I have to check on the others.

[osuni]

[When can Guren rest, there I fixed it.

Okuni's no stranger to people who like to push themselves above and beyond. She and Baren are both those sorts of people too. But the difference here is that there's always been the two of them to share their burdens with, and the implicit understanding that where one falters the other will most definitely pick up the slack. There's never been a need for one to tell the other to stop.

She pushes her lip out in thought, chagrined despite her best efforts. Guren is annoying and won't fight her!! He delegates except when it comes to his own responsibilities! He has a journal filled with stuff about plant drugs in his basement!!

But he's not. . . .

A bad................. person..................

Anyway, Okuni wrestles with her inner voice that's telling her to leave him at it, then finally -- somewhat peevishly.]

Do what you want. There's nothing else for me to do here, so I'm going to go around and see if everyone else is prepared.

[She's sure Guren is going drag his dead-ass sick body around, so Okuni's going to be smart and start on the other end!!!]