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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[ He ruffles Jion's hair. ]

I didn't mean right now. I've got another job for you.

[ He circles around and starts setting about removing Jion's boots. ]

Lie back, first. Put your feet up.

Um. Okay? [ He's kind of sweaty (gross), and some of his hair sticks out funny from the hair-ruffle. ] Hold on, I'll do it.

[ His boot laces need a moment of fidgeting to properly loosen, and he puts them aside before slowly lying back on the sofa. He keeps himself propped up on his arm for a moment though, looking curiously at Wei Wuxian. ]

What do I do after lying down?

[ He gently coaxes Jion's arm away, so that he'll lie back properly. ]

Why, you relax, silly. What else does a person do, on a sofa? Stay there. Close your eyes for now.

[ He turns away. Presently, Jion might smell rice cooking, and hear Wei Wuxian's tuneless humming. ]

Oh. [ He blinks, looking a little guilty for a moment, but concedes easily enough. Flopping back onto the cough, he gives a nod as he sleepily rubs at his face. ] Um, okay. Thanks, I won't be long, I just need a few moments ...

[ Jion dozes quietly on the cough afterward. After a while, he mumbles, ] -- shizun, your humming sounds really nice.

I was humming?

[ That's right, he probably was. A tune to make Jion rest and feel peaceful. Where had he heard it before? He can't remember. ]

Sit up now, I've got something for you. It'll make you feel better right away, I promise.

[ He brings over a bowl of rice porridge. It looks highly questionable; rather than the usual white, it's a sickly grayish color. There might even be a few cucumber slices on top. But the cook doesn't seem at all phased by the weird color or ingredient choices. He's got a spoonful ready. ]

Say aaah!

Huh? You didn't need to ...

[ So he says, as he blearily sits up, but Jion's stomach growls as Wei Wuxian takes a seat. Curse or not, he's always been kind of a big eater, and the prospect of anything edible has his appetite going. ]

And I didn't know you can cook? Kinda didn't take you to be the type for it. Oh, not in a bad way, just something I assumed, I guess.

[ Then he sees the color of that porridge. But well, he's eaten some pretty awful stuff before. ]

... um, I can eat it myself?

[ It's not that he can't cook, it's more that nobody lets him. ]

Sure, if you feel up to it!

[ He hands the spoon over, but he'll be holding the bowl for you. A sick person shouldn't over-stress themselves, after all.

And if Jion does decide to actually eat this concoction, what he'll taste is bland rice and cucumbers. The cucumbers, interestingly, look and taste exactly the way cucumbers ought to look and taste. Don't ask where he got them, however. ]

[ Well, anyway, that's for the first few seconds. In the second few, the burn of cayenne pepper will start to build. This porridge doesn't smell or taste at all like cayenne, because colorless spices (like the ones found at the castle) have no smell or taste. But even without smell or taste, the pepper is still perfectly capable of lighting your mouth on fire.

Sorry, but that is the active curse-breaking ingredient. ]

[ He takes the spoon, staring at the (admittedly kinda grim-looking) porridge for a second. And then he pops it in his mouth and eats. ]

Oh, this is actually pretty decent. [ When it comes to food, Jion's standards are depressingly low, and he gets another spoonful. ] Kinda surprised you managed to get fresh vegetables when it's so cold, I thought it was all going to be preserved stuff ...

[ And then the spice hits him. Jion sits straight up in an instant, dropping the spoon as he claps his hands to his mouth, face scrunched up as he muffles a yelp. ]

... ?!

[ He deftly catches the spoon before it hits the floor, and helpfully scoops up a new spoonful. ]

Tsk tsk. You're so weak and sick you can't hold a spoon properly. Now please, just sit back and be fed. Say aaaah!

[ That sure did the trick in chasing away every last bit of drowsiness, and Jion gives Wei Wuxian a teary, wide-eyed stare. ]

No, that's not -- it's -- ow, oh god --

[ He can't even talk properly, and it's burning through his nose every time he breathes. Still, he resists the urge to spit it out and swallows with effort. Before staring fearfully at the spoon. ]

Um, did ... did you [ sucking in a breath past gritted teeth ] make this specifically for me?

[ Please say no, so he can reject the remainder without being rude. ]

[ He grins. ]

Spicy, isn’t it! Big change from all that bland food we’ve been eating! Go on, go on, have some more, I made it just for you!

[ He holds the spoonful up, eyes alight and face expectant. Come on Jion, you can do it! ]

[ Ohhhh no, oh no. Of course Wei Wuxian made it for him. Jion manages a half-hearted nod without even really knowing what he just agreed to, before choking out, ]

-- right, thanks.

[ Pushover that he is, he takes a deep breath to steel himself, then arduously resumes eating.

He may or may not be crying a little, swiping his sleeve at his face as his eyes water, and he has to fight back sniffles. ]

[ Turning red and sniffing with watery eyes....that's the sign of a really good dish, where he's from. Well no, that's not quite right. Everyone from Junmeng is pretty spice tolerant, but Wei Wuxian was always beyond hardcore when it came to a taste for pepper. No one who ever knew him ever let him anywhere near a kitchen.

Which was really too bad, as he is (in his own mind) quite a good cook. Here, however, he's under no such restrictions. ]

Feeling better? The spice will make your qi circulate more freely.

[ A beat. ]

It'll also cure the curse.

[ Oh god it hurts so bad. But Jion can't bear the thought of rudely leaving behind any of the food if Wei Wuxian really made it for him, so he forges bravely on, even as he has to wipe at his face with his sleeve to mop up the tears and sweat. ]

The curse?

[ His tongue's going kind of numb? While it's still burning? He swallows, then decides to take a short break, fanning himself to try and dissipate the heat. ]

What curse? And, wait -- qi? What does that have to do with a curse?

[ He hasn't noticed himself, but the obscene amount of pepper's already kickstarted him into being a bit more alert. It sure is working, albeit painfully. ]

There's a curse going around, spread by the vines that have been growing all over the town recently. If you get scratched, even the tiniest wound, you're liable to fall ill. It starts with fatigue, and progresses to unconsciousness. When I saw that you, my very hale and hearty disciple, were feeling a bit sluggish, I was suspicious.

[ He smiles broadly. ]

And, if you weren't cursed, that's fine too! Pepper is good for your energy circulation, as I said.

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Event Seventeen.

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