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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Berkut glances at Keigo. A part of him is surprised that the latter recognizes the spear, but he knows that he shouldn't be. Chroma is a small town where everyone at least walks by each other at some point.

While Keigo reins in inappropriate laughter, Berkut scowls and gestures at the . . . log.

"Out? Look at him." The markings on Tonbokiri's chest can be seen on the transformed tree. "Unless you wish to skin him, there is no getting out."

Berkut is right; Keigo felt it himself as his legs became a tree trunk. It won't be a matter of simply breaking away an outer shell.

"You know what I meant! We're going to figure out a way to un...tree him!"

He didn't have to say it like that, either! Skinning him. Gross!

But after a second of being horrified by the thought of peeling actual skin away from Tonbokiri, out of nowhere comes the idea of peeling the bark back like he's a giant banana.

There's no helping it now. Keigo's laughing, still holding it in at first so just his shoulders shake.

"Peeling!" With that outburst, he's truly laughing, long and loud. Almost like he can't stop himself. Maybe it's because he tried to hold back when he first noticed the spear.

"His spear!" Or maybe the stress of the situation is making him go crazy.

"Am- Am I losing it?"

Tonbokiri had been aware when the two men approached him, and could hear their conversation. So he does not know why 'peeling' and 'his spear' had set Keigo-dono to laughing so hard, but at the sound Tonbokiri feels more able to breathe than he has in what feels like a long time.

(Hopefully Keigo will not think he's losing it for sure when he sees the log start to look distinctly more human-like.)

Cautiously, still stiff from both the lingering magic and from not moving for so long, Tonbokiri opens his eyes and tries to move his fingers. He can tell, he is slowly returning to being flesh again...

Which brings the memory rushing back: when the tree creatures had captured him, he had been sleeping naked.
...
...
Honestly, the fact that he was captured at all is more embarrassing than being found like this. (A little.) But fortunately it is two men who have come.

He would apologize at least, but it will be a little longer until he can move and speak.

Yes, thinks Berkut, this man is out of his mind.

Before he can reproach Keigo for the absurd outburst, something in his periphery shifts. He snaps his head toward Tonbokiri, who, to his complete and utter surprise, has begun to change back into a humanoid. Surprise gives way to shock when he sees just how naked the Great Spear is.

For the first time in a long time, Berkut is rendered speechless. His outrage takes over and he looks away with a huff.

"Indecency doesn't suit you."

When Keigo emerged from the bark, he was still wearing the scavenged old-fashioned clothes he uses to sleep in. That is not the case for Tonbokiri. Did the transformation eat his clothes? Does he sleep naked?

It only makes the situation more hilarious.

Nothing quite like seeing a naked sword spirit to make him feel like doing a few sit-ups, though. And think about getting chest implants.

But the funniest thing is Berkut's uptight reaction.

"You're acting like you've never seen a naked man before! They must not have baths where you're from."

He has to catch his breath.

"Or mirrors!

Keigo laughs and laughs, completing the transformation without even realizing he's the force behind it.

Tonbokiri's lips twitch up in a smile for a moment. Although Asano-dono is laughing a bit much, he's amused at the reaction between the two men.

Fully released from the magic, Tonbokiri shifts so that he's sitting seiza, lays his spear before him, and bows towards his (unwitting?) saviours.

"Apologies for this one's immodest appearance." As he speaks, he pulls his long ponytail around to at least cover himself a little. "Asano-dono is correct in that there is nothing to be ashamed of, however it is inappropriate to be thus outside the proper context.

"But more than that, my deepest thanks for freeing me from that curse. I had wondered if I would be like that forever."

This peasant is not going to last the forest, and it won't be because of the monsters roaming the grounds. The obnoxious laughter is starting to give him a headache.

"Silence, or you'll be wanting for a new tongue," he snaps at Keigo.

Turning to face Tonbokiri, Berkut pauses. He doesn't recall doing anything that would have equated to a cure for the curse. The only thing that happened between spotting Tonbokiri and seeing him now is . . .

"Don't tell me that's what it took to undo the curse."

Keigo settles down into a few final chuckles. He's too curious about what Berkut is talking about.

"What is what it took to undo the curse?"

He really isn't bothered by the nudity, but if Tonbokiri wants to cover himself (and he probably shouldn't walk back into town like that anyway) maybe he can help with that. It's not like any part of his clothes would fit him if he tries to share, so he'll need to improvise. There's a moment of hesitation as he remembers wondering if the tree people kidnapped him because he once damaged trees, but then he snaps off a small branch with a cluster of leaves.

"Here." Keigo offers it to Tonbokiri.

He blinks at the offered leafy branch, surprised that that's what Asano-dono is offering him, and worried over another injury against the forest. But it is true that the young man's clothes would not fit him, so he takes the branch and lays it in his lap.

"Thank you." He then answers, "I felt like I could move again when I heard you laughing, Asano-dono." He turns to Berkut-dono with a patient smile. "However, it is difficult to tell what the forest required to break this curse. Your designated colours are blue and red, are they not? Perhaps that has something to do with it, too." He rubs the back of his head and sighs. "I would like to know for certain, should there be others in my condition. Given how this place works, I doubt I was the only one thus abducted."

His expression becoming grave he asks Berkut-dono, "What is the situation?"

A bold one, isn't he, to deface a tree at a time like this.

If Tonbokiri regained mobility after hearing Keigo's laughter, then that's the cure. What is there to wonder? Berkut nearly snorts from the absurdity of it all when Tonbokiri draws his attention to the broader picture. He brings a hand up to perch on his waist.

"There are more who share your previous predicament. As for how many, I do not know. It seems that the creatures of the forest are most displeased with the townspeople's treatment of their habitat."

"I saved Tonbokiri?" It sounds impossible, but it checks out. The change started as soon as he started laughing. He saved him. Yes, Tonbokiri is bringing up other theories, but Keigo wants to focus on that part.

"You're right. My color is blue. It took crying to turn me back, which is kind of blue. So laughing could be yellow because it's happy!"

Keigo has the decency to look sheepish about his recent branch murder when Berkut mentions "treatment of their habitat." He was just trying to help and a single leaf wasn't going to be enough!

Tonbokiri takes Berkut's report with a grave nod. He worried that it would be so.
His eyebrows rise in surprise that Keigo had been a tree himself, and was cured by crying.

"What odd conditions to break the curse. Yet perhaps... it is not unlike what we faced in the castle of ice."

He lifts his head and smiles at Asano-dono. "But yes, you saved me. My thanks once again."

Taking up his spear again, he doesn't stand up quite yet.

"Now... I shall return to town. And pray that I do not meet Maribelle-dono between here and my clothing." He gives an embarrassed, rueful smile. Especially to Asano, who will no doubt remember Maribelle's ~~rant~~ lecture on decency.

"What of you two? Were you on your way to help more people?"

That makes a strange amount of sense, though it makes him wonder about those whose color is red. Is it not a color associated with anger?

But Tonbokiri had better not, thinks Berkut. A fine lady of nobility like Maribelle certainly doesn't need to have this image seared into her eyes. To even speak of her like this—the gall!

"Help? No, I've come here to learn more about the curse." He gestures to Keigo. "Take him with you. I've had enough of his clamoring."

"I don't want to go with you anyway!" At least Tonbokiri appreciates him. "I'm going back to town! That's what I was trying to do when I ran into Berkut." And followed the protection, however annoyed at him it was.

Keigo turns pale at the thought of Maribelle seeing him like this.

"Don't worry. When we make it there, I'll help you sneak back into town and shield you if someone sees us!"

Despite Berkut's dismissiveness of helping people, Tonbokiri knows he will do what is right.

From how these two are... he can somewhat imagine how this situation had gone. Well, Berkut had been there to escort Asano for a while, and neither had come to harm, so it is fine.

"That will be most appreciated, Asano-dono. I shall leave it to you."

He turns to nod at Berkut-dono. "Thank you for escorting Asano-dono this far. I hope your investigation continues on well. I intend to return to the forest if there is still anyone left out here, so perhaps I shall come across you later. Until then."

Standing, spear in one hand and branch in the other, he hesitates for a beat and glances towards the sky, trying to orient himself. Which way is south? Perhaps Keigo will know the direction to go.

Ugh. Best of luck with the noise pollution, Great Spear.

It is suggested at every turn that he bring someone with him when venturing deeper into the forest. But Berkut doesn't believe his dignity will last if he keeps certain company for too long, and he's all too eager to be left alone. Expecting that one of the two will know the way back—Keigo can't be that useless—Berkut takes the first step of the trio in the opposite direction.

"Hmph. See to it that you make yourself presentable first if you do."

And, just like that, he's gone.

"What's his problem?" Keigo asks after Berkut has left and can't get mad at him for asking.

As much as he hates it and will complain at any opportunity, he's used to people treating him like that. But he was even being rude to Tonbokiri!

"We came from this way." Finding himself still able to make out a bit of the path they followed to Tonbotreeri, Keigo starts them off on the way back to town. Which will be good up until they reach they point where he met Berkut.

Tonbokiri worries about Berkut being on his own in the forest, without even his warhorse, but this seems to be the best way to move forward...
Indeed, Berkut-dono is already gone.

He smiles at Asano's question. What, indeed. He has some idea, but it would be discourteious to speak of it as if it were gossip. He has something else he would like to ask of Asano-dono anyway.

"If I may, although I am relieved that you happened to laugh when you came across me, I am curious as to what you found so amusing."

"It was your spear. There you were, being a tree, but you were still holding your spear!"

It feels like he's not getting across what was so hilarious about it. Maybe it was one of those things where you had to be there. Except Tonbokiri was right there. Just not on this side of things.

"I don't know. It just seemed really funny at the time."

He smiles, although (as Keigo suspects) he doesn't get it.

"Indeed I was still holding it. It was a near thing though, having being rendered unconscious."

He tilts his head curiously. "You'd said 'peeling' and 'his spear', and I wondered what you were imagining... Well, no matter the reason, I am glad you found it funny at the time. And that the idea of skinning me did not go further."

"Oh, right, the peeling. I said we would get you out of there, and I just meant it like 'we're going to save you!' and Berkut took it way too seriously and said we wouldn't be able to without skinning you because you were all tree.

Then I thought about peeling the bark away like you were a giant banana, and that was even funnier!"

Did they have bananas in that place where the swords lived?

(They do~)

"A banana?" Tonbokiri blinks in surprise, but then gives a hearty chuckle. "I see. I was yellow, after all. That is indeed an amusing image. Well, except the being skinned part."

Arriving to the end of the faint trail Asano and Berkut had left, Tonbokiri glances at the sky again to orient himself as best he can and leads the way south.
With any luck, the forest will know their intention and give them a path soon.

[[ooc: We could play out Keigo going another rank up in 'awesome comrade' as he helps Tonbokiri get back into town unseen? But we could tie it up here if you like!]]

"I know! Why would he even say something like that?"

But Berkut's offenses seem a little less annoying with the distance the two groups have put between themselves, so Keigo isn't going to linger on them now. (Just remember them in the future anytime he has a chance to complain.)

"This looks right! I think this is about where I met up with Berkut, and he was coming from this direction."

[ooc: Sure! Keigo is here for operation mostly-naked infiltration.]

Tonbokiri shifts his direction towards where Asano indicates, and it does not take long to find a path.

"Well done. It seems we have found the way out."

Tonbokiri strides confidently forward, the rough forest floor beneath his feet and the branches that reach over the path completely inconsequential.
What is of consequence, however, is that he is naked, and they are drawing near the edge of the forest. If any woman catches sight of him like this... It does not bear thinking of.

The trees are thinning out, so he stands with one large one between him and the town. "I am depending on you, Asano-dono. How would you like to proceed?"

He's not a tree. They're finding their way out of the woods. A good time all around. And now Tonbokiri is counting on him!

But how can he sneak him through their small town? Keigo tries to channel every ninja movie he's every seen.

"Stay here. I'll go case the joint."

Wrong type of movie.

The general idea is the same, though, and Keigo steps free of the trees, turning his head back and forth constantly to watch for anyone coming their way. So far, so good.

He stops behind a house that shields him from the road, peers around the corner, then turns back and waves Tonbokiri towards his hiding space.

Event Twenty-Six.

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Tonbotreeri XD

My only regret is I didn't think of it sooner.

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mission: infiltration

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I'm distressed that I missed the notif for this for a week. Sorry! ;A; let's wrap this up...

Whoops! I assumed you were busy with back-to-school stuff. But yeah, they're just about done here.

There was for sure some of that too. ;;