awashlogs | Event Seventeen.

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Event Seventeen.

I went to the wood and got it;
I sat me down to look for it
And brought it home because I couldn’t find it.

he magical vines creep ever onward, slowly infringing upon the Town. No matter how many are chopped down, no matter how many are set on fire, they keep coming even so.

And slowly, one by one, the people in the Town start to fall to the curse that they bring along with them.

Stay and tend to the cursed? Venture out into the woods to find the castle at the source of these vines?

Whatever you choose to do, you'd better decide quickly; the curse only seems to get worse and worse the longer everyone is afflicted.

Welcome to Awash's seventeenth 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!

If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

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[ Fine, fine. Sure you're fine, A-Qiu. You can't even resist being princess-carried! ]

"Mister Wei" Haha! How formal! Is that any way to address [ your husband ] me? Oh, mind that bramble!

[ The way back is fraught with unusual dangers, in the form of curling vines. It's not so bad in Ruga, where he lives, but it seem that every house in Bluo is in the process of being taken over by these creeping, thorny vines. They snake across the pathway also. He has to kick several out of the way, before he whistles for his puppets to come pull them out of the way. The vines shred their paper hands, but they still do it. ]

Would you prefer a different form of address? I'm afraid "Dearest husband" is out of the question, before you ask.

[He'd meant that as a joke, but under the circumstances a little bit of worry might've slipped into his tone, oops. Deftly dodging vines as they go though--and keeping a little bit of distance between them and the puppets, if hopefully not enough distance for Wuxian to notice.]

The local vegetation has certainly been thriving lately... [as he hops over a little thorny patch in the road.]

[ Don't ignore me! I said, I was fine! Listen to your elders!! Watch, I will pull a talisman out and send out a spell! That'll show you both!! He lulls his head against Xie Lian's shoulder, more like a rag-doll than a voluntary gesture. Okay, I can't reach a talisman right now! It's because of how I'm being carried. That's all! That's all!! Don't think it's anything else! Hello! HELLO!?

His hand twitches slightly. Ha! Progress!! I moved my hand twice in a short while! He feels his eyes widen at seeing the puppets suddenly appear. I don't want to be dragged into your play! Get the fuck out of here!! But Shen Qingqiu is surprised to see that they actually are pulling the vines out of the way. The fuck?

His confusion only deepens at the two exchanging titles. What?! Did you two get married?! How long was I asleep! Why does so much time pass while I'm unconscious! This isn't a thing you can just put a black screen up and tell me that I'm supposed to accept it! Only he closes his eyes. Wei Wuxian, you really do love Xie Lian and willing to marry him?? Was a love confession given so by the two of you! Could it be that Xie Lian was just marrying out just to avoid living in a rough situation? And then being met with someone that admitted fond, true affections was enough to ease his heart?! His mind continues racing about. ]

... congratulations. [ Right, right, I can't just not give those! I'm honestly shocked! Shocked!! I thought your stories were going to end tragically in unrequited love, but instead you guys changed it around! Well done!! ]

Thank you!

[ —he says smoothly, even before he figures out what he's being congratulated for. Useful puppets? Knowing the way to A-Qiu's house? Congratulations to his wife for being so strong?

Or... that "dearest husband" remark. Does A-Qiu really think they're married? The poor man. He's infatuated (clearly) with Xie Lian, but still generous enough to offer his congratulations. He'll clear the matter up in a moment, but for now he'll say: ]

We're very happy. Oh look, we're here!

[ A half-shredded puppet yanks a crop of thorns away from the door. Wei Wuxian gazes at it for a moment. He's frankly amazed that the house is still standing, given what kind of "pet" Keigo's been keeping. Is it even safe to go inside?

...

Who knows! Pushing the door open now and going inside. He'll go first and find out how big and how hungry the dragon is. ]

Edited 2019-01-20 00:40 (UTC)

[Wait, congratulations for what? What does he--] Ah.

[It takes that "We're very happy" comment for Xie Lian to start to get the idea, his smile stiffening slightly at the revelation...he's hard-pressed between laughing and crying, what's an appropriate reaction to have to this, he doesn't know?

But it seems they've reached the house before he has time to think of a proper answer, and he turns his attention to focus on that instead. Following inside!]

...Where is your room, Shifu? You said you needed medicine?

[Safe questions. Important questions!]

Good.

[ Seriously, how much time has passed?! Oh well. So long as you two are happy, what can I say??

He wishes he could open his arms up to show the same confusion in gesture. The most that he is able to do is turn his hands over. Could a sick person do that! Okay, okay. I know it. I do! But I really don't want people to chase after me and tell me to take medicine!

But thankful for everyone, the dragon has been re-located to some cave. Shen Qingqiu isn't sure what he would do if that was a roommate as well -- help it build its horde? What would it even horde?! Ah, there's that word! It's time to get used to it since it's going to be in everyone's vocabulary when they talk to me!!

He starts to explain where his room is before he remembers that his "nightwear" are on the bed. No!! I can't show my room! I didn't think I would have any guests and if I invited any sister over, I would have done after I hid those! I just wanted some fucking casual pajamas!! ]

You ... you don't need... to take me so far. [ Breathing in slow, he gathers his strength. He decides to just give up struggling too much as that's what's draining him the most. Right, to explain things! ] I have none here... there is no medicine that came with me. But if my meridians are cleared, that will ... help.

[ He knows where Keigo's room is, having barged into it before to gawp at the egg, so A-Qiu's room must be the other one, by simple process of elimination (he'd barged into that one, too). But as soon as he barges into it (again), he— ]

Ack!

[ —barges right out again and shuts the door. Because there's a dog!!! On the bed!!! Okay, it's not actually a dog, he can tell that much, but it reminds him of a dog, and that's reason enough not to go in there.

He waves to Xie Lian. ]

Just, ah, just set him on the sofa, for now.

[ To A-Qiu: ]

I'm not a physician, but as far as I can tell, your meridians are fine. I'm not sure how I'd go about directly clearing them. I mean... we could try "mutual cultivation."

[ That's a giant euphemism in his world, for relations between cultivators, but they're both men so obviously it's not an issue. Obviously. ]

I mean, just to get your spiritual energy circulating.

[ Obviously!!! ]

Edited 2019-01-20 04:20 (UTC)

[That sudden yell was kind of--well, sudden? Xie Lian can't help glancing curiously in the direction of the now-closed door as he moves to deposit their patient on the sofa....

...Okay the following comments get curious looks too, actually, everything Wei Wuxian does feels like a constant stream of question marks.]

Mutual cultivation?

[Should he know that term? He feels like he should know it.]

[ He feels his throat contract at hearing that yell. He waits for his entire face to be ripped clean, but it isn't?? His eyes open to look towards the young man returning.

Wei Wuxian! You really are a true prince! I take back thinking of you as a villain! I somewhat take back your undressing me in the streets -- I understand, you were worried! But!! You really understand the situation! You didn't even loudly exclaim what you saw! Though, you did loudly exclaim... it's fine! Really, really!! You are my frog-bro!!

His warm feelings increase as he is set upon the sofa. But he feels the freezing touch of worry at hearing that his meridians are fine. Wait, wait, how could that be?! His eyes widen as he recalls hallucinating earlier but when that stopped, he assumed the rest of his issues would go away, too. Like one of those stories, it lasts but a few days in order to promote sympathy then is gone just as quickly. But wait, could this actually be lingering?!

But what if it isn't? Object of elimination. I can't tell right now. Mutual cultivation. Oh! So both of them would place their hands upon pressure points? I can't say I've ever had that happen, and it's a bit dicey, but well, it's not like we have too many choices in front of us. ]

Such a thing is fine with me.

[ Xie Lian has........no clue what he's talking about. He's clearly very pure and innocent. Which is actually somewhat concerning, if he was about to be married.

But Shen Qingqiu... didn't he agree to that far too easily? Without even flinching? Actually, didn't he agree to kissing every day awfully easily too?

What..... does it mean.........? ]

Edited 2019-01-20 07:07 (UTC)

[ The wheels in his mind turn....

... but get stuck and don't actually lead him to any conclusion. Apropos of nothing, why is this house so warm, there isn't even a fire going? Anyway, he's just going to casually reach for Shen Qingqiu's (elegant) arm and push back his sleeves and — ]

What's this?

[ There's a clear, red scratch on the back of the man's hand. ]

When did this happen?

[Alright, it doesn't look like there's any answer forthcoming on the "mutual cultivation" front...Xie Lian pushes the question to the back of his mind, along with his questions about Shifu's room, and focuses his attention on the scratch instead.]

I saw that scratch earlier--it doesn't look deep, and I don't sense anything wrong spiritually...could it be something similar to those events from before?

[Something caused by the town itself...]

[ Great! I have to admit my big fuck-up! Well, I don't have to admit it in so many words, right? Omission of the truth isn't lying. Okay? Okay! ]

No. I had ... cut it upon one of the vines. [ A weak smile. Really, you worry too much! ] I was attempting to dispel the vines with fire, but it ended up this way instead. [ All right! The bush is officially beaten the fuck around!! ]

A little while later I began to hallucinate and suffer from other ailments. [ His head moves just barely to look towards Wei Wuxian. ] I was a little ... worried about qi deviation caused by my poisoning...

[ Another reason to see the young cultivator beyond dealing with the frogitis. If he is in the starting stages of qi deviation, he needed to figure out where he could isolate himself and fast to settle his own flowing energy!! Sure, he was given an explanation that it was something happening in the town, but what if it wasn't?! ]

... but, if my meridians are clear...

[ He stops. Why is it so taxing to talk? I take back all the times I got upset when those on their sick beds in stories would pause so long!! I thought it was for drama, but it really, really sucks to talk! You feel just drained! I get it now! I apologize for all the times I complained!! ]

... it probably isn't be my poisoning.

Edited 2019-01-20 08:27 (UTC)

[ He pales. Qi deviation. But no, it's not that. Even if his own level of cultivation isn't high, he'd be able to tell if someone was in the early stages of qi deviation, he's sure of that. And even with clear meridians, the man's condition is worsening; he's having a hard time talking.

Absentmindedly, he strokes A-Qiu's forehead while he thinks aloud. ]

Those events from before... you mean with the costumes and the puppets. They were playing out stories with us. People here call them "fairy tales."

[ For that reason, he'd made a point of going to the library and reading every fairy tale he could find there, in hopes that it would make it easier for him to puzzle out the strange events in this village. ]

There's a story I remember.... something about a spindle and a bramble of thorns around a castle....

[ And a princess and.... ]

Ah! I know how to cure you!

[ It's obvious. He looks at Xie Lian ]

You... have to kiss him.

[ True love's kiss is what usually undoes a curse. And Shen Qingqiu is infatuated with Xie Lian, so.... this has to work. ]

Trust me, it's the only way.

[Xie Lian listens carefully to the explanation, taking mental note of the details of this "fairy tale" which seems to have afflicted their friend. Alright, there's definitely thorns, he's not entirely sure what a spindle might be used for in this context, but--wait what]

...I--are you sure?

[It's only natural that he balk at this, right? Wei Wuxian already took his first kiss, and now the man's suggesting he kiss this poor cultivation teacher? Kisses aren't that easily given! He's not that loose! But I mean if he has to but no that's still embarrassing does he have to can't someone else do it--he can't suggest that!?]

[ He looks up at the hand stroking his forehead. I really have been a burden. I'm sorry. Even if neither could hear all his thoughts, he didn't explain anything clearly to either one.

In the end, he believes that he is their senior and so should have done more to protect them from having been in this sort of situation. I really caused a lot of trouble just because I didn't want to be chased around with medicine. ]

[ Those warm feelings evaporated so fast that he feels the air rush out of his lungs.

ARE. YOU. FUCKING. KIDDING. ME?! ]

[ I get it! I get it! I know what you're going to say! I can already -- why!? This is what I get! This is absolutely what I get! I can claim that none of this is my fault and that I didn't back myself into a corner! I did this! I'M THE VILLAIN! IT WAS ME!

Fucking show me a little bit of mercy here! I had to be carried! I can barely talk! I can barely fucking move! I had to hallucinate seeing -- why?! I understand, but why! You don't have to punish me so badly for being a little stubborn!! ]

[ Wait. ]

[ What the fuck?! Why are you having your wife kiss me?! UM?? WHAT? WHAT?! ]

[ He can see how much Xie Lian balks at the idea and immediately uses what energy he has to shake his head. ]

He doesn't have to... [ Come on!! We can find another solution to this!! I understand what you're thinking, but what?! Also ... what?! It's fine, it's fine. You don't have to! Look, I'm also saying that he doesn't have to, and we can find someone else??

Sure, they kiss each other to deal with their frogitis but he can see how Wei Wuxian wouldn't want to deal with this mess as well. It's like ... how often do I have to kiss this person? I get it. ]

Quite sure. Look, it doesn't work if I kiss him!

[ He bends down, and presses a kiss against Shen Qingqiu's lips, without the slightest hesitation, as if it's something he does every day. Two birds with one arrow, a potent demonstration as well as fulfilling their daily "frogitis" kiss—which isn't even a real thing that exists, how did he get himself into this anyway?

He feels once again, strongly, that he ought to come clean about that; but telling the truth now would probably cause so much bad blood to accumulate in A-Qiu's chest he might die on the spot in his weakened condition. ]

Now you try, dearest wife!

[ He's distracted and so he calls Xie Lian the nickname he always uses, oblivious to how this just makes things that much weirder. ]

[He hadn't objected to the silly nickname before, but using it in this context suddenly fills him with an intense rush of embarrassment, and seeing Wuxian kiss Shifu so casually--he turns bright red at the sight.]

Y-y-y-y-you're--that--it's--

[why is this so hard he's flailing]

[But Shifu's condition is very much real, and Wuxian's obviously read up on all the local fairy tales, and with all that's happened this past week it'd make sense for this to be another fairy tale scenario, so he's probably right on this, and he doesn't want Shifu to die or whatever it is that's happening here--

He leans in and gives a really quick kiss!]

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