awashlogs | Event Twenty-Six.

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Event Twenty-Six.

I am a Tree,
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.

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.

Whether you're one who's been dragged deeply into the woods, or one who's been left behind...

Surely you can't let this be?

After all, you may never see them again if you allow them to stay out in the woods, frozen horribly into just another tree in the woods. Good luck!

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!

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

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I. tree people

[ Were you taken off into the woods by the dryads? Great, because Cairngorm was, too. What’s not so great is that their only physical change for the time being is some bark growing on some patches of their crystalline skin, so when they step on a stray branch on the ground with that heavy crystal weight of theirs (~400 pounds), they don’t think much of it.

Until they hear a little crack and look down at the source, and see it’s connected to someone else. ]

Ah!! Creep!

[ They react about as you would expect; by jumping away with a sound that’s half horror and half surprise, literally cringing away. Without a mirror out here, it’s hard to tell that the same thing is happening to them. After their little bout of fright, they point a finger suspiciously at you, brows creased. ]

You! [ Are they hurt? Are they even someone from the town, or a replica? ] What is that?

II. just like in those zombie movies, cw for dismemberment

[ The Tree Disease progresses fast, but - they aren’t like most beings here. If a part of them is starting to become more tree like than they’d like? Well, the logical part would be to just break it off. The only problem is that the current part of them that seems infected is their left leg and arm; their leg has grown into roots that have latched them into the ground, and their left arm up to their forearm rendered into mostly twisting branches.

Maybe you’re a passerby trying to save all of those who have been stolen away, or maybe you’re just another unfortunate soul dragged into treedom, but when Cairngorm calls out, it seems that getting healed isn’t the first order of business on their mind. ]

Hey, you. [ They wave with their good hand to try and get your attention. ] Can you move? These roots are...

[ Too deep! Which means its time to get a leg chopping. ]

III. just like in those zombie movies part 2, cw for dismemberment

[ What started out as a great idea really… didn’t work out! They are now legless and sadly realizing that they should have never tried to just cut out the infection, because the tree growing continued even after breaking off the rooted parts. Their only hope now is to try and drag themself out of the forest using their arms, the twisting roots growing from the open breaks on either mid-thigh still attempting to root them to the forest floor.

It’s during this desperate attempt to escape that some of their foliage gets tangled up with you - whether it’s other roots near your feet, or your shoelaces, or something else. Either way, they can barely see anything in front of them while dragging along the floor like this - and now, it’s a tangled mess given the twisting type of tree they’re becoming. ]

Ugh… [ It takes about one futile attempt to tug their arm free before they realize it won’t be that simple. A simple glance away will reveal both their limbs not too far off from where the two of you are stuck together, half crystal and half yellow tree roots. To be honest, they look a little creepy too; it'd be easy to mistake them for some monster trying to get the better of you by the way they clutch on to the part of you that's stuck to them, their touch distinctively heavy and inhuman. ] Get off. I'm trying... to make it back...

[ They complain, as if this is totally your fault. ]

IV. wildcard!

( anything else you want! cairngorm here is going to perish to becoming a tree, but will return to town after death penalties. though their broken limbs will be glittering in the forest for those around to see! feel free to contact me at ishimarus for anything specific. )

[Link is sprawled on the forest floor, taking a break from hauling his heavy wooden feet and hands around as he wanders, when he hears someone or something approaching him with heavy footsteps. He doesn't bother making himself known - he isn't in the mood to talk right now, and he's not sure he would object to one of those mutated animals eating him right now - but then there's a shriek, and words are being spoken to him, so he rolls over onto his back to squint up at whoever it was.]

Uh... hello. [It still hasn't occurred to him that his person may have stepped on one of the twigs growing out of his body right now. Instead, he's trying to place the person's face, and finally concludes that he's never met them.] What... is what? The curse?

[He refrains from pointing out that they have it too.]

[ They can't help but continue to stare, eyes wide. They've definitely never spoken to this person, even if they might have seen him around town vaguely in their memory, so it makes it all the more alarming, considering the forest has a bad habit of taking on appearances of townsfolk. It's better to be safe than sorry, so they keep their distance for the time being. ]

Curse? I'm obviously talking about those plants growing from you.

[ What else would prompt foliage to start growing from one's body other than a curse, they guess... it's still freaky. ]

You're saying it's from a "curse"?

I don't know, but I'm not sure what else it could be.

[Link tries to push himself up into a seated position, doing what he can to keep any more little branches from breaking off.]

Did those forest fae carry you out into the woods, too?

[ They're silent for a moment, as if to agree that they don't know what else it could be, either. ]

Well, yes. It's not the first time beings from here have done it, though... [ They sigh. ] I thought they'd want to eat some of the inhabitants, or something like that... not do that. Unless they plan to eat you as a plant.

[ There's a pointed glance to the branches growing off of him - unlike him, there's only bark encroaching on one of their cheeks for the time being. ]

They've done something like this before?

[Link doesn't remember that, but maybe it happened before he arrived. Or that one time he was turned into stone for a while for no apparent reason. At any rate, it could be a clue.]

Did they curse people like this last time, too? Or was it something else...

[He tries to ignore that comment about being dryad food.]

There were beings from the sea that took some of us to an island... it was almost a year ago, now. [ They sigh. ] There wasn't any "cursing" to those that got taken, but apparently those left in the town became pretty ill. I wouldn't know for certain, though, since I was on the island.

[ To be honest, they sort of preferred the whole siren nonsense; at least then, nothing strictly physically threatening was happening to them. ]

Are you that familiar with curses?

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[Thancred definitely has a look for a moment- but he shifts, reaching out to try and disentangle the two of them. They're speaking, after all, so it should be fine.]

Of course- we might have a little more capability…. But is there any way I can be of aid now?

[ Cairngorm looks up, expression only relaxing slightly because they recognize the other. This is still a horrifying situation, so understandably, they remain on edge. ]

I don't— I don't know. [ They breathe out, letting him try to disentangle the two of them. ] I barely know what's happening to me.

[ When they look at him, it's more like they're asking, almost pleading for some sort of an explanation as aid, if he has one. Sure, it's a "curse", but they don't know much more than that. ]

[That's completely understandable- and he gets the impression that Cairngorm doesn't have much reference for this sort of thing.]

I can tell you that it seems to be some sort of transformation. Ah… into a tree- I've heard of people being claimed by the woods- admittedly, not this one, so it's not quite the same, but… beyond that, I don't know what to make of it. I'm sorry. [On impulse, he reaches out to touch Cairngorm- trying to offer what little reassurance he can.]

[ They only tense slightly when touched, not pulling away like they usually might. For once, they actually do feel like they need the reassurance, no matter how baseless - this is unlike anything they've experienced since being dragged here. ]

I see... [ The least they can do is understand the words that come out of his mouth, even if they're not sure what sort of implications that has for them. ] In what you've heard of— there's no way to reverse it? This sort of thing seems like it could kill a mortal...

[He doesn't push further, but he does keep his hand there- a point of contact, to try and help.]

…perhaps. I fear… from the stories I've heard, the person usually doesn't leave the experience unchanged. [Wildlings, claimed by the elementals- they retained their bodies, at least…]. But for reversing it- there was one incident where it was reversed. A mask, made by a person who loved the one steeped in woodsin, and that person was part of a grant rite to cleanse people. …I don't know whether such a thing would hold any sway here, though.

Well, I wouldn't know about how to make something like that happen. Who knows if there's even time for that...

[ They sigh, both aggravated and stressed out by the entire ordeal. The more they think about it, if that were the case, they feel it's unfair that the town received no hint or warning about the way to reverse this predicament like there has been clues in the past. It just seems cruel. ]

For a lot of those in here, I doubt there's more than a day left. That's hardly enough time to get into this part of the forest, much less make a "mask" out of some random material. It's probably the case that there is no cure.

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[ dextera hadn’t even recognized them, with how much the distortion had grown, and when he understands that the creature speaking to him is the legitimate cairngorm and not some trick of the forest, he’s necessarily horrified. by this point, he’s been freed from his own tree-like prison, but he still doesn’t have a handle on how any of this works. ]

Ca…

[ his voice gives out, a sign of genuine fear. ]

You’re…

[ They look up more at the fear in his voice than in recognition of it, brow furrowing when they see his face. Cairngorm knows this person— they're sure of it. But missing limbs like this, each containing a great deal of their memory, it's hard to remember everything about the townsfolk correctly. ]

Dex...tera. [ Yes, they're pretty sure that's his name. Their hold on him squeezes a little tighter, this time not out of utilitarian need, but out of fear. For themself. They'll never admit it aloud, but in a small sign like this, it's alright. ] It's— "Cairngorm."

[ Does he not recognize them? Or maybe he just doesn't know them. They can't remember; their head is so foggy from the transformation and the breaking. Nonetheless, they don't let him out of their grip, wanting if nothing else to be near someone familiar. ]

I know. You’re right. I’m Dextera.

[ his voice is quiet, as he crouches to make himself closer to cairngorm crawling along on the ground. he’s concerned, he’s terrified to be accurate, since he’s never seen the usually collected cairngorm in such a state. even when they broke their limb in dextera’s first meeting with them, they seemed so calm. ]

Does it…

[ does it hurt, he wonders? cairngorm can’t feel pain, but maybe the introduction of a tree has changed that. he shakes his head. ]

How long have you been like this?

[ They're grateful that he crouches closer, if only to themself. It's frightening to be changing like this, and moreso while they're alone; they're an independent gem who likes to shoulder things alone, but against something they can't understand and have no apparent way to come back from, they're desperate for something, someone to hold onto. ]

Days.... but it got worse suddenly. [ As if to signify this, the roots twisting around what's left of their legs inch deeper into the ground than where they'd been dragging before. ] I was still able to walk until yesterday.

[ even if dextera could help release cairngorm from this curse, there’s no way that he would be able to laugh at a moment like this. they seem truly scared, as scared as cairngorm ever shows. ]

…

[ he swallows. ]

You’re too heavy for me to carry… I’m sorry. I…

...It's fine.

[ They shake their head, not wanting him to feel guilty. They're pretty sure the only way they could be carried out of the woods is to be shattered completely... and they're not sure they can be put back together if all these wooden pieces are broken apart. ]

Do you— know if any humans have survived this? Progressing to this state.

[ They do what they can to keep their voice steady when they ask him. ]

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[ Fortunately, Akechi can still move-- it's hard, of course, and his ability to walk has been considerably compromised, what with most of his left side having turned into bark and vines, but the curse hasn't quite spread out to his feet yet. ]

Cairngorm-san...? [ Still, when he happens upon them, he can't help the mild surprise to see how quickly Cairngorm has been affected. ]

I can still walk-- [ There's a "for now" that goes unsaid. ] --though it hasn't been of much use, I'm afraid. Have you been able to get any help? From anyone else that hasn't been cursed....?

[ If they're relying on Akechi to help, well... at least he wouldn't be opposed to leg chopping? ]

[ Of course, it's nice to see someone's face that is at least familiar, even if they do feel a bit awkward asking someone else to do this for them; especially someone like Akechi who they see around often enough. It can't be helped in the current situation, though, so they just shove any feelings they have about it under the rug. ]

No. The few I've ran into weren't able to do anything. [ They're starting to think there isn't something that can be done, which is why they're resorting to this. ] It looks like the same case, for you.

[ Judging by the growing on him. They wait for his confirmation, beckoning him in closer from where he happened upon them. ]

[ And the confirmation comes easy enough: ] ... yes, I'm afraid so.

[ Still, he does as requested and trudges closer, slow, tugging at his own legs as they stubbornly try to attach themselves to the ground; it's almost like the pull of a magnet, and for now it's only making his muscles sore, but he's starting to think he won't be able to keep this up for much longer. ]

I've run into several people, though I haven't seen Lupin-san anywhere. He must have found his way back to town, by now...

[ Or maybe he wasn't affected at all? Either way, he figures Cairngorm would appreciate the information, and the knowledge that Lupin is probably fine. ]

...I see.

[ They sigh out, grateful for the information but, at the same time, disappointed from hearing it. All things considered, it's not like they can expect any positive news on that front, so they just shake their head, the only shift in their expression a slight tilt upwards of their brow. ]

I haven't seen him, either. But, unless he's stuck to the ground, he's probably running around in here looking for us.

[ Which is said with a scoff, like the idea is annoying rather than heartwarming. It is! They'll only get mad if he ends up hurt by coming in here. Besides, they're hoping they'll be able to solve this little problem on their own, or at least, with the aid of Akechi, so that no one else has to get involved.. ]

But, there might be a way to get back on our own.

[ Although Akechi isn't quite proficient at reading people's emotions, he figures his words must have brought at least some solace to Cairngorm, subtle as their expressions may be. ]

He is a very resourceful man. I'm sure he'll come to our aid soon.

[ And maybe he's saying this for his own peace of mind, too. It's terrifying, to think this may be their ultimate fate.

Regardless, Akechi is still not too fond of relying on anyone else for help, so: ]

In the meantime, I'll try to get back to town while I can still move, and hopefully find a way to break this curse. I'll come back for you and the others as soon as I can.

[ And unless he's stopped, he'll be turning on his (now mostly metaphorical) heels and trying drag himself back to town. If Cairngorm has something in mind, they might want to speak their mind... ]

What? Get back over here. [ They huff, bluntly, like this is obvious. ] I just told you to come over here, didn't I?

[ Usually they wouldn't be do direct or try to lean on others too much... but with the state they're in, pinned to the ground, they're a little more desperate for assistance in this regard. They don't want to become a tree after all - being something with a mortal lifespan is scary enough, and to be a plant of all things is even worse. ]

I'm saying that I have an idea already. But you'd have to do something for me first.

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