awashlogs | Endgame Pt. 2.

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Endgame Pt. 2.

I had a little nut tree,
Nothing would it bear,
But a silver nutmeg
And a golden pear;

t's nearing the end.

The atmosphere in the Town is different now. There's a hush, as if the entire world is expecting something, watching and waiting and prepared for some final outcome --

And then it happens.

The trees come surging forward suddenly, intensely, aggressively. It's a fierce attack a determined attack, branchy limbs trying to take down human and building alike in the Town. But the attack reeks, too, of desperation.

It's the last battle, the last chance to bring about a happy ending. What will you do?

Welcome to the second event in Awash's Endgame, 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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Tonbokiri, out and about more recently now to cut down trees, is pleased for the change of pace that a comrade affords. He raises a hand to return the greeting.

"It is no trouble at all, Thancred-dono. What do you require?"

"It might be once you've heard what it is," Thancred says. Still, he's glad that Tonbokiri is in good spirits. "You've heard of the trails to retrieve pages for the book, I assume? Might I trouble you for your company on them?"

"Again, no trouble at all!" Tonbokiri places one arm over his chest and bows slightly, a picture of confidence.

"Leave it to me. I have already taken back my page, so I am familiar with the tricks that the forest will play. Are you prepared to depart at once?"

That does help, and Thancred offers a short salute in return, smiling. “Thank you. Ah, then I assume you’ve experienced them? I’m in your debt.” A quick check at his sides, and he nods. “Of course. Please, lead the way.”

Lead the way he shall, further into the forest.

"Yes, I do have experience. For us, I believe the fog shall be the worst of it. Voices that sound like me shall try to lead you astray."

He puts a hand to his chin thoughtfully. "We have known each other only a short time, so we might not succeed immediately. However if we talk about what was said to us in the fog, and how it differs from what we would actually say, we will be able to narrow down the choices."

Thancred keeps an eye on the trees as they move. Just in case- though if they're going t be on trail, there's probably no need for that.

"Ah… I did hear about that," he says. "I agree- while I should like to think us friends, I should have liked to have more time…. Still, perhaps there's a way to help ourselves. If we spoke a particular sentence as we moved- perhaps, that Tonbokiri's desire to reach out and help is most impressive?" He gives Tonbokiri a hopeful smile.

To be ranked 'friend'? No, no, that would still take more time, wouldn't it?

That proposed sentence is so over-the-top, Tonbokiri nearly misses the idea behind it entirely.

"To say such a thing- I would not have known what to do if the voice in the fog had said that." He shakes his head, trying to come back to the heart of the matter.

"Your idea has merit though. I feel that the fog will use it to its advantage, however perhaps the forest will find some admiration for a clever solution to the problem?"

Since they're on a trial such as this together- surely they can be considered close, at least!

"If it's that unexpected, then I would believe that might just mean it would work!" He grins, hopeful.

"Ah, then perhaps we ought to remain truer to ourselves? To tell each other the sorts of things we usually say? …I fear I've often dealt in words meant to charm," he admits, smile slipping for a moment- but just that. "I hope so. We can only step in and see, though. So to that end- is there some key word you feel would say it is you, and only you who speaks it?"

"To be true to ourselves is the most reliable method. The voices in the fog are trying to lead us astray, and if we say unexpected things as well, we shall never pass through. So, a key word..."

Tonbokiri thinks that request over carefully. "Perhaps the most secure word would be one that I've not even thought of while here in Chroma yet. The town can see our minds, so I do not know how much advantage it would gain us, but anything will be of use.

"... I will talk about tigers."

“Tigers?” That’s a surprise, and Thancred’s eyebrows shoot up. “Well, I’ll look forward to hearing about them, then. And in turn- they’re great cats, aren’t they? I could speak of coeurls.”

Tonbokiri raises his eyebrows in surprise as well.

"I have not heard of a 'coeurl', but I shall look forward to your explanation."

It looks like they won't have long to wait before trying their method, as the walk deeper into the forest.

"It may start any time, Thancred-dono. Let's do our best."

Striding forward confidently, Tonbokiri is soon engulfed in fog. The feeling of his words being smothered by the fog as soon as they leave his mouth is still uncomfortable, but he must continue talking as to guide Thancred.

"About the tigers. There are five tiger cubs."

He'll just use 'tiger' in every sentence. Hopefully this trick will work!

“Then I hope I may provide an accurate description of them,” Thancred responds.

He nods confidently. “Let’s see each other on the other side of this,” he calls, stepping into the fog. Immediately it seems to cling- or perhaps he’s imagining it, from the way it covers everything. He listens closely, moving forward, towards where he believes he hear Tonbokiri’s voice.

“Impressive! I wonder how the mother cares for them all.”

Off to his left, the fog echoes the father cares, and Thancred stares for a moment before shaking himself and continuing on.

"Huh. That's nothing compared to a coeurl brood."
"I thought you were talking about tigers, not cubs."
"Impressive! I wonder how the mother cares for them all."

Tonbokiri listens to Thancred's voice coming from three different directions. He wavers for a moment because one used his chosen word, but it sounds enough unlike something he would say that Tonbokiri chooses to walk towards the third voice.

"Actually, it is a tantou tsukumogami who takes care of the tigers."

"Do coeurls have poorer mothers, then?"
"Actually, it is a tantou tsukumogami who takes care of the tigers."
"Both creatures must have their aptitudes."

The first, he thinks, is just plain rude, and certainly not Tonbokiri. And then- certainly that seems like something Tonbokiri knows a great deal of…

"A tantou tsukumogami! Do they take a tiger's form, then? Ah- I wonder if they might take a coeurl's form, too." He'll remember it this time.

"No, a tantou is a sword, not a tiger."

The strange conversation continues on, becoming more disjointed as they start to answer the wrong voice. Tonbokiri keeps leaning towards the voices that at least mention the coeurl, but in the end, a conversation like this is too complicated to keep up.

He truly does choose well, but he falls for too many of the nearly-correct voices. He knows this, because after some time he steps forward and is faced with the view of Chroma through the forest.

He shakes his head in disappointment, and waits for Thancred to join him.

It's… in the end, it's just strange, and he grimaces a little when he spots Chroma, disappointed in himself.

"Well, we did give it a good try," he offers. "But perhaps we didn't know enough- or perhaps the forest is simply a little tricker than that. What do you think, Tonbokiri?"

"Perhaps it is some of both. We can be swayed easily between two voices we feel are right. As well, talking about something became too complicated, and the forest took advantage of that. Mm. I feel that we were on to something with a keyword though."

"Perhaps one we share, instead of trying two." He hums, tilting his head to the side. "If we just used the one thing- or perhaps simply if we called out to each other? …though perhaps the forest could use that too easily…"

"If we just say the one word to each other? Mm. It's simple, so it's worth a try! Go ahead and choose the word, Thancred-dono. Then let us try again."

"Ah- you're entrusting me with it?" Thancred smiles after a moment. Hm- it had better be good, then…

Ah.

"What about- trust, then?"

Tonbokiri smiles at the straight-forward choice.

"Very well. 'Trust' it is, then."

And off they go into the forest again. When the fog comes, Tonbokiri has only one word to say into it:

"Trust."

His tone is confident and clear. Even if the fog plays with how they say the one word, surely Thancred would choose his voice sounding like that.

"Trust!"
"Dare you trust?"

The voices are like dreams of the sylphs, voices fluttering in the breeze- but that strong confident sound is exactly like Tonbokiri, isn't it? He strides towards that. "Trust," he responds, trying to be just as confident.

"Trust me!"
"Trust?"
"Trust."

Tonbokiri frowns slightly. Although the choice is clear this time, he would hope that Thancred-dono would sound even more confident. This is his word, after all.

Well, he seems confident enough, so they will just have to see.

"Trust." He says it in exactly the same tone as before. Changing could lead them astray.

"Trust?"
"Trust where? Trust who?"
"Trust."

Thancred stops for a moment- caught offguard by the questioning tone of one- and then shakes himself, forcing calm. "Trust us," he says, to the air- to the fog, and moves forward. Perhaps there's something in that, in the end- as he thinks he sees something in the fog, some sort of shape that's not a tree. "Aha!" He reaches out, starting to smile.

The trial in the fog is still difficult, however making decisions based on one word alone seems to make the task a little simpler. At last, he exits into clear air.

The forest has been tampering with his ability to sense people, so is it only a fraction of a moment before being touched on his arm that he senses Thancred's presence suddenly appear beside him. He smiles in return to the young man.

"Thancred-dono! Your idea worked. It seems we have made it."

He gestures before them to the imposing cliff face. (How is it even here? Magic is weird.)

"There is nothing to this except to climb. The difficulty does scale dramatically the further you go up, though. As you are willing to climb with me, at least we will be able to help each other up."

As he speaks, Tonbokiri takes a long strip of fabric from his waist and ties it into a holster for his spear. He cannot leave it behind, so onto his back it goes.

"As I have climbed this before, would you be agreeable with following my lead?"

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