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shineslightintodarkness) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
anemoi2012-01-17 01:38 pm
shineslightintodarkness) wrote in anemoi2012-01-17 01:38 pm
Entry tags:
Into the Woods - dangerous flora log
WHO: Hiroshi, Dave, Mokona, and Shampoo
WHAT: let's investigate some weird noises, surely nothing bad will happen.
WHEN: 1/17
WHERE: An abandoned park in Sirocco
NOTE: spooky spooky woods, 2% anemoi prize.
Narrator: The Park was near the far end of the city, with the drastic reduction in population, it was allowed to go fallow, and while nature has a way of reclaiming what's hers, it seem to be quite improbable for an entire forest to sprung up with elms and breeches that look at least decades old.
Then the sounds came from within, low and plaintive - it almost sounded like a plea for help, but no one knew who would've entered the forest and no one dared to risk their neck, thus the job was posted up.
Hiroshi: This seems altogether too suspicious.
Dave can't hear it
he has on headphones
And is quietly bobbing his head to some inaudible techno beat
Shampoo: Tsk, place need to be pruned
(Mokona is along because she's fretting over Hiroshi again)
(And is totally on someone's head, probably his)
Mokona: Mou... it looks spooky
Hiroshi was TRYING not to comment on that...
The trees had taken complete control of the land so it was almost a solid acre of woodland wonders. The sound did get a louder at the edge, and light seem to fade about ten feet in.
Hiroshi fights an internal urge to back away. "You two can fight, I'm assuming?" he asks, pulling out a notebook and pen.
Shampoo nodded but stayed silent, cocking her head towards the faint sound
Dave pulled off his headphones finally, "What?"
Shampoo: "You hear that?"
Dave: "Woah, this place is like straight out of the catalog for creepy forests"
"Help" "Save me" "I'm trapped" "Help"
Hiroshi furrows his brow. "Did they say anything about anybody else going in the woods on the job description?"
Dave: "Don't think so, but that doesn't mean someone isn't stuck out here."
"Or that there's some kind of monster trying to lure us to our doom
The scent coming from the forest seem normal, fresh leaves, the musk of wildlife, something sickening sweet like overriped fruit. Nothing seem to be moving in the vision.
Mokona: If someone's in trouble, then they need help!
Dave: "That's what in trouble means."
Hiroshi grips his pen a little tighter. "Or if you hear them crying out, it's already too late."
Mokona: Dave has a good vocabulary~
Shampoo muttered sliently to herself "Along with dirty mind..."
Dave: "Dude you haven't seen the half of it"
AlopexPlasma (6:32:43 PM): Mokona: They're still talking clearly, so it's not too late~ We can talk about Dave's dirty mind on the way there, okay?
Dave: "Let's not"
Hiroshi sighs. "Let's just get this over with. Keep an eye out."
Dave does this, though with the sunglasses no one can tell
The path inside the forest is surprisingly clear of debris, suggesting a game trail. The trees on the inside are gnarled and twisted, looking very ancient with witch's hair hanging from the branches as vines squeezed many of them. Is it their imagination or does one tree look human-like?
definitely imagination
Or that tree looks like a weeping woman. The pleads get louder as they move deeper, and the forest gloomier. Pitcher plants can be seen, and on a twisted oak was a strange rune mark.
Hiroshi's on edge; something about this forest gives him a bad feeling. Still, he looks around, trying to look for any creatures of note.
Shampoo doesn't notice but she's getting mad that twigs keep snagging her hair
Mokona slips under Hiroshi's shirt collar.
Hiroshi sighs. He wraps his scarf around closer, and frowns at the mark. "Hey, Mokona. You're supposed to be all magic and whatever, right?"
Mokona: Uh-huh
Shampoo: Really? Shampoo always thought Mokona a talking meatbun
Hiroshi: Do you know anything about why a rune might be on a tree?
Dave: "No way she's a pokemon - She told me"
The rune is at Shampoo's eye level and seem to be carved with something pointed and done relatively recent.
Hiroshi has that sort of long suffering "oh brother" look on his face.
Shampoo: what a pokemon?
Mokona: Hm~ Maybe to scare away bad things.
"Let's not get into that right now"
Hiroshi: So a ward of some sort, or simply an intimidation tactic?
But Shampoo's attention quickly focuses back on the rune, "ah, what a pretty mark..."
Mokona: Maybe! Mokona doesn't recognize it.
Hiroshi: Perhaps if I make a rough copy of it in my notebook...
Not a bad idea. And it seems no one is objecting to their loitering.
Hiroshi isn't by any extent a great artist, but he begins to lightly sketch the rune as best he can.
This whole questing for mystic symbols and puzzles seems eerily familiar to Dave
It's thankfully not a very complex rune. Almost as soon as he's finished however - something shot out from the bushes!
Hiroshi: G-GAH!
Mokona: KYAAAAAA~!
Shampoo jumps from her spot near the tree and rushes to whatever popped out with a kick
: Dave whips out his busted ass legendary piece of shit snowcone sword
Congratulations, you just killed an unusually large rat!
Hiroshi takes a moment to regain his composure. Then grunts in annoyance. "Geez, just a rat..." Still, he notes the size of the rats in this forest.
Shampoo's face cannot display the true horror of finding a rat that size
Shampoo: I no seen rats that big before! Ugh, I don't like this place anymore
As soon as the rodent of unusual size flopped, the cries for help got louder, it seem that they're not too far away.
Mokona: It's big!
Dave: "Jeez all your talk about monsters and shit have gotten me nervous"
"Just a perfectly normal monster rat"
Hiroshi: It sounds like whatever is calling to us is close.
Shampoo: Can't we leave them there by themself, their fault they in trouble
Mokona: Shampoo's scared of rats, huh?
Shampoo: That silly, I not scared of pest.
She doesn't look Mokona in the eye when she tells her though
Hiroshi crosses his arms. "Regardless of how we feel one way or another, and as much as I hate to suggest it... ...chances are if we want to get the information we want on the monsters around here, we have to go that way no matter what."
Mokona: Let's go super fast, then.
Dave: "So it's time for some good ol' fashioned questing."
"Joy"
Hiroshi begins making his way in that direction; he grabs a stick en route just for the feeling of security.
Shampoo sighs but follows, keeping her eyes peeled towards the origins of the strange sounds
The roots seem as though they're intentionally tripping up the party as the path becomes choked with hand-shaped leaf vines - but Hiroshi's stick managed to warn them of the worst of the tangles. but soon it clears up again to a truely massive oak tree that should have been seen well before one enters the forest. No plants grow around it, leaving a loamy rust-colored soil exposed with several jagged rocks. On the otherside of the clearing are delicate pink cone-shaped flowers with fan-like leaves.
The cries seem to be coming from above.
Hiroshi shields his eyes, looking up. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Dave, "Weird."
Dave investigates the flowers
Large fruit sway in the wind, looking at first like very peculiar peaches but something's not right.
Shampoo: "What the..."
The flowers seem to tremble at Dave's approach
Dave: *poke poke*
That "instinct" thing that Hiroshi doesn't like to admit he has is kicking in. "This all screams 'trap'" if you ask me.
Dave: "Well obviously."
Shampoo goes to pick up a rock but seems content to hold on to it instead of throwing it
Dave: "But we're not gonna get anything done if we're afraid of traps"
Hiroshi begins taking notes on the sights. "Well, I'm assuming none of us are stupid enough to climb up there, right?"
a peach turns... revealing a shriveled face.
Hiroshi hurks, and backs up.
Dave: "..."
"Guys"
Shampoo: Good thing no one went up there...
Dave: "I'm having second thoughts about this whole thing"
Hiroshi is staring, and yet rapidly taking notes. Tree has faces on fruit...
The flowers seem to shake and jerk almost as if shooting something. Dave may feel pollen hitting his face.
Dave coughs and backs up
Shampoo can't help but remembering the old tales of her home, "You know, back at home... Shampoo hear that peaches were Heaven's fruit. Immortality fruit..."
Then Dave starts looking around with a panicked expression
Suddenly, another one of the peaches drop, rolling towards the edge of the clearing.
Hiroshi: Something tells me the only life those fruits would want to extend is the tree's.
Hiroshi stops taking notes for the time being, raising the stick defensively, ready to run at a moment's notice.
Shampoo goes to throw her rock at the fallen peach
Dave: "Stay the fuck back."
"All of you"
The rock hits it, sending it rolling away. The cries suddenly stop.
After a minute of nervously waving his sword around, Dave dashes off into the woods.
Shampoo: "Stupid boy come back here!"
Hiroshi: "DAVE!" A terrible flashback, then, of Takeshi. Shit --! He runs after Dave.
The entire forest erupted into cackling laughter as the Hiroshi chases after Dave.
Mokona holds onto Hiroshi for dear life.
Shampoo runs after the two, catching up and passing Hiroshi but still lagging behind Dave
Branches seem to lunge and claw at the humans and Mokona as they pass by, the laughter still ringing.
Dave is freaking out, chopping at vines and branches pretty much at random
Hiroshi swings at the branches as best he can, holding down Mokona as best he can. "Dave! Calm down! If you keep running like this..."
Pissed off, Shampoo picks up one of the chopped branches and chucks it at Dave's back to slow him down, "Stupid boy! Stop!"
There was a scream when one of the branches was lopped off.
Living trees. Son of a bitch. Of course.
EricOverbringer (7:24:19 PM): Dave is hit by a rock and falls over
Dragomorph (7:24:29 PM): Hiroshi keeps all this in mind; he'll be writing like crazy when he's not trying to rush.
shinigamikitsune (7:25:36 PM): The tree turns on the group, a jagged maw opening in it's trunk as it's roots snake out, grabbing for the prone Dave.
EricOverbringer (7:27:17 PM): Dave blinks his eyes clear. Then the roots close in on air as about ten feet away Dave suddenly appears, in a dramatic post-sword-slash pose
EricOverbringer (7:27:38 PM): Dave: "Guys. Don't fuck with the flowers"
Dragomorph (7:27:52 PM): Hiroshi: Yeah, noted, thanks.
Dragomorph (7:28:14 PM): He holds the stick out; it's pretty ineffectual and he knows it, but it's better than nothing.
Cyndi Ko (7:28:44 PM): Shampoo stops in her tracks. "I seeing double." But that doesn't stop her from picking up another stick and wacking roots away
shinigamikitsune (7:29:56 PM): The Treant hisses as it raised it's lone hand up, the rest of it's branches shaking, the ground becoming uneven as it unroots itself. It suddenly points at a tree the closest to Shampoo which suddenly came alive and lunges it's branches to impale her!
Dragomorph (7:30:36 PM): Hiroshi freezes. Oh God oh God oh God what does he even do in this situation.
AlopexPlasma (7:31:28 PM): Mokona bites him.
Dragomorph (7:32:15 PM): Yeow! "Mokona, what the hell?!"
Cyndi Ko (7:32:26 PM): Her eyes widen as the ground moves and her body loses its balance, she can only watch as the branches come towards her
EricOverbringer (7:32:54 PM): A future copy of Dave tackles Shampoo out of the way before she gets impaled
shinigamikitsune (7:34:50 PM): The branches sink into the ground, leaves flying up!
AlopexPlasma (7:34:57 PM): Hiroshi needs to wake up!
AlopexPlasma (7:35:02 PM): *Mokona:
EricOverbringer (7:35:35 PM): Future Dave: "You good?"
Dragomorph (7:36:11 PM): Hiroshi blinks, then nods. Something needs to be done here. Something like a weakness. "Maybe if we just burn the tree..."
Cyndi Ko (7:36:15 PM): "Ow... I okay" She pushes Dave off. "Xie xie."
EricOverbringer (7:36:23 PM): Dave: "Okay"
EricOverbringer (7:36:26 PM): Future Dave*
EricOverbringer (7:36:31 PM): Future Dave vanishes
shinigamikitsune (7:36:54 PM): The Treant was not to be deterred as another tree goes for Hiroshi this time with special vengeance, roots shooting to try to tangle up all that they could.
EricOverbringer (7:37:27 PM): The remaining Dave is chopping at any branches that got close while trying to cover his allies
Cyndi Ko (7:37:58 PM): Shampoo blinks, confused for a second but puts that aside to get back to her allies
Dragomorph (7:38:41 PM): Hiroshi tries to dodge, but being the most normal of the bunch can't quite avoid getting his leg wrapped up. He falls with a cry.
shinigamikitsune (7:40:19 PM): Several trees found themselves pruned as Hiroshi was being dragged right towards the Treant's mouth. "That's right, keep crying..." It's voice reverberted from the hollow.
AlopexPlasma (7:41:03 PM): Mokona: "Someone help~!"
Cyndi Ko (7:41:28 PM): Shampoo rushes to Hiroshi and tries to pull him away
Dragomorph (7:41:56 PM): Hiroshi screams, trying desperately to grab something to stop the process. He grabs onto Shampoo with one hand.
EricOverbringer (7:42:38 PM): Dave being the only person who brought anything sharp
EricOverbringer (7:42:53 PM): hacks at the roots attacking Hiroshi
Cyndi Ko (7:43:30 PM): She grips his hand and pulls as hard as she can without hurting him
shinigamikitsune (7:43:46 PM): There's a bloodcurling scream as the root was hacked, red sap streaming out, the rest of the roots drawing back on reflex.
Dragomorph (7:45:00 PM): Hiroshi scrambles forward, as far away from the tree as he can, trembling.
Cyndi Ko (7:45:10 PM): "Aiya, you alright?"
EricOverbringer (7:45:14 PM): Dave: "This is fucked up"
Dragomorph (7:45:49 PM): He nods, working his way up to talking. "Big tree. We gotta take it down."
Cyndi Ko (7:48:31 PM): Shampoo frowns, "With what? Hand to hand not effective and we only have one sword."
shinigamikitsune (7:48:54 PM): The Tree is practically spitting in rage as it recovers from the pain.
Dragomorph (7:49:18 PM): Hiroshi: Did you see how it reacted to my suggestion? I think that may be as good an idea as any.
EricOverbringer (7:49:50 PM): Dave: "Anyone got a light?"
Dragomorph (7:51:09 PM): Hiroshi looks at his stick. Then at some of the dry debris around the tree. He snaps the stick in half. "Distract it!" he yells, trying to maneuver closer.
Cyndi Ko (7:52:35 PM): She nods and goes straight at the tree, punching the trunk and ripping out exposed branches/roots
shinigamikitsune (7:53:25 PM): Roots try to stop Hiroshi - only to yank back as it swung it's solitary arm to strike at Shampoo to throw her away from it
EricOverbringer (7:53:54 PM): Dave goes to make with the choppy at the branches
Dragomorph (7:54:19 PM): Hiroshi tries to get as close to the base of the tree on the far side away from its maw as he can.
EricOverbringer (7:54:25 PM): away from Shampoo. She looks like she knows what she's doing and they want to split it's attention as much as possible
EricOverbringer (7:54:33 PM): he's distracting a tree.
EricOverbringer (7:54:43 PM): this is stupid
Cyndi Ko (7:55:21 PM): Shampoo's glad for the help, those roots pack a punch
AlopexPlasma (7:55:25 PM): Mokona hops around the clearing, screaming and making faces.
Cyndi Ko (7:56:00 PM): she can't help but be glad it doesn't spew acid or anything as she swings broken roots right back at it
shinigamikitsune (7:57:54 PM): Several trees were rendered harmless by Dave's quick strikes and Mokona seem to attract their attention, but alas Mokona is too nimble for clumsy beings that were not meant to move like they are. The treant tries to bite at Shampoo, cursing her in a most sickening way.
Cyndi Ko (8:02:10 PM): She tries to keep her eyes on all the roots but she jumps too close and finds her right leg to be too close to the mouth of the tree
Dragomorph (8:02:29 PM): Hiroshi digs through his pack. He's seen this somewhere... He works and extracts a shoelace from his shoe, bowing one of the two sticks with it. He gathers some tried material, sticks the other stick in the ground...
Dragomorph (8:02:48 PM): ...and using the bow, begins to rub. He's seen this on TV before, and it SEEMS scientifically sound...
EricOverbringer (8:02:49 PM): Dave: "Whatever you're doing do it faster!"
shinigamikitsune (8:03:14 PM): It held tight and seem to be trying to pull her in - there's an air of sadism about how it's going about, deliberately slow.
Dragomorph (8:04:58 PM): Hiroshi: Come on, come on...
Cyndi Ko (8:05:36 PM): Screaming curses at the top of her lungs, she tries to grab anything near her to stop being pulled in
shinigamikitsune (8:06:03 PM): A tiny little spark flares up as Hiroshi keeps rubbing, fragile but it's something!
shinigamikitsune (8:06:41 PM): She manages to latch onto an upper, non-arm branch of the Treant, forcing it to stop to use it's arm to try to pry her off.
Dragomorph (8:07:03 PM): He blows at the sparks lightly, pushing the sparks towards the material at the tree's base.
Cyndi Ko (8:09:38 PM): Shampoo: Hurry!
Dragomorph (8:10:03 PM): He rubs faster, trying to fight down an urge to panic.
Cyndi Ko (8:10:13 PM): She's feeling the strain of being pulled but tries to hold on as tight as she can to her only lifeline
shinigamikitsune (8:11:12 PM): It suddenly lets go as it feels the heat of the flames, the fire catching.
Dragomorph (8:13:05 PM): Hiroshi backs away from the fire, untying the slightly charred shoelace from the stick and running back to the others.
Cyndi Ko (8:20:13 PM): With a sigh of relief, Shampoo slowly drops back onto the ground on both feet and jogs back to the group. Her back feels painfully stretched out.
EricOverbringer (8:20:33 PM): Dave: "Hope it's dry enough to burn. Let's get out of here"
EricOverbringer (8:20:44 PM): "I don't think there was ever any people in here to actual save"
EricOverbringer (8:20:49 PM): were*
AlopexPlasma (8:20:57 PM): Mokona transfers over to Dave.
AlopexPlasma (8:21:11 PM): "It was the peaches all along?"
EricOverbringer (8:21:24 PM): "Or something"
Dragomorph (8:21:45 PM): Hiroshi: Let's talk about this after we're sufficiently far away, huh?
Cyndi Ko (8:22:00 PM): Shampoo: I never going to eat peaches again.
AlopexPlasma (8:22:33 PM): Mokona: Mokona will eat them so they can't eat her.
Cyndi Ko (8:23:29 PM): "Remind Shampoo to make Mokona a peach cake then. I'll feel better after cutting some up."
AlopexPlasma (8:23:54 PM): "Mokona will, because cake is really tasty!"
shinigamikitsune (8:27:06 PM): The Treant flails to put itself out but fails, the rest of the trees falling stll
shinigamikitsune (8:28:52 PM): Then all is silent around them, some of the oppressive air has lifted.
Dragomorph (8:31:46 PM): Hiroshi pants. "Gee, if these are going to be showing up more often..."
AlopexPlasma (8:33:02 PM): "Mokona hopes they don't! That wouldn't be very good.".
WHAT: let's investigate some weird noises, surely nothing bad will happen.
WHEN: 1/17
WHERE: An abandoned park in Sirocco
NOTE: spooky spooky woods, 2% anemoi prize.
Narrator: The Park was near the far end of the city, with the drastic reduction in population, it was allowed to go fallow, and while nature has a way of reclaiming what's hers, it seem to be quite improbable for an entire forest to sprung up with elms and breeches that look at least decades old.
Then the sounds came from within, low and plaintive - it almost sounded like a plea for help, but no one knew who would've entered the forest and no one dared to risk their neck, thus the job was posted up.
Hiroshi: This seems altogether too suspicious.
Dave can't hear it
he has on headphones
And is quietly bobbing his head to some inaudible techno beat
Shampoo: Tsk, place need to be pruned
(Mokona is along because she's fretting over Hiroshi again)
(And is totally on someone's head, probably his)
Mokona: Mou... it looks spooky
Hiroshi was TRYING not to comment on that...
The trees had taken complete control of the land so it was almost a solid acre of woodland wonders. The sound did get a louder at the edge, and light seem to fade about ten feet in.
Hiroshi fights an internal urge to back away. "You two can fight, I'm assuming?" he asks, pulling out a notebook and pen.
Shampoo nodded but stayed silent, cocking her head towards the faint sound
Dave pulled off his headphones finally, "What?"
Shampoo: "You hear that?"
Dave: "Woah, this place is like straight out of the catalog for creepy forests"
"Help" "Save me" "I'm trapped" "Help"
Hiroshi furrows his brow. "Did they say anything about anybody else going in the woods on the job description?"
Dave: "Don't think so, but that doesn't mean someone isn't stuck out here."
"Or that there's some kind of monster trying to lure us to our doom
The scent coming from the forest seem normal, fresh leaves, the musk of wildlife, something sickening sweet like overriped fruit. Nothing seem to be moving in the vision.
Mokona: If someone's in trouble, then they need help!
Dave: "That's what in trouble means."
Hiroshi grips his pen a little tighter. "Or if you hear them crying out, it's already too late."
Mokona: Dave has a good vocabulary~
Shampoo muttered sliently to herself "Along with dirty mind..."
Dave: "Dude you haven't seen the half of it"
AlopexPlasma (6:32:43 PM): Mokona: They're still talking clearly, so it's not too late~ We can talk about Dave's dirty mind on the way there, okay?
Dave: "Let's not"
Hiroshi sighs. "Let's just get this over with. Keep an eye out."
Dave does this, though with the sunglasses no one can tell
The path inside the forest is surprisingly clear of debris, suggesting a game trail. The trees on the inside are gnarled and twisted, looking very ancient with witch's hair hanging from the branches as vines squeezed many of them. Is it their imagination or does one tree look human-like?
definitely imagination
Or that tree looks like a weeping woman. The pleads get louder as they move deeper, and the forest gloomier. Pitcher plants can be seen, and on a twisted oak was a strange rune mark.
Hiroshi's on edge; something about this forest gives him a bad feeling. Still, he looks around, trying to look for any creatures of note.
Shampoo doesn't notice but she's getting mad that twigs keep snagging her hair
Mokona slips under Hiroshi's shirt collar.
Hiroshi sighs. He wraps his scarf around closer, and frowns at the mark. "Hey, Mokona. You're supposed to be all magic and whatever, right?"
Mokona: Uh-huh
Shampoo: Really? Shampoo always thought Mokona a talking meatbun
Hiroshi: Do you know anything about why a rune might be on a tree?
Dave: "No way she's a pokemon - She told me"
The rune is at Shampoo's eye level and seem to be carved with something pointed and done relatively recent.
Hiroshi has that sort of long suffering "oh brother" look on his face.
Shampoo: what a pokemon?
Mokona: Hm~ Maybe to scare away bad things.
"Let's not get into that right now"
Hiroshi: So a ward of some sort, or simply an intimidation tactic?
But Shampoo's attention quickly focuses back on the rune, "ah, what a pretty mark..."
Mokona: Maybe! Mokona doesn't recognize it.
Hiroshi: Perhaps if I make a rough copy of it in my notebook...
Not a bad idea. And it seems no one is objecting to their loitering.
Hiroshi isn't by any extent a great artist, but he begins to lightly sketch the rune as best he can.
This whole questing for mystic symbols and puzzles seems eerily familiar to Dave
It's thankfully not a very complex rune. Almost as soon as he's finished however - something shot out from the bushes!
Hiroshi: G-GAH!
Mokona: KYAAAAAA~!
Shampoo jumps from her spot near the tree and rushes to whatever popped out with a kick
: Dave whips out his busted ass legendary piece of shit snowcone sword
Congratulations, you just killed an unusually large rat!
Hiroshi takes a moment to regain his composure. Then grunts in annoyance. "Geez, just a rat..." Still, he notes the size of the rats in this forest.
Shampoo's face cannot display the true horror of finding a rat that size
Shampoo: I no seen rats that big before! Ugh, I don't like this place anymore
As soon as the rodent of unusual size flopped, the cries for help got louder, it seem that they're not too far away.
Mokona: It's big!
Dave: "Jeez all your talk about monsters and shit have gotten me nervous"
"Just a perfectly normal monster rat"
Hiroshi: It sounds like whatever is calling to us is close.
Shampoo: Can't we leave them there by themself, their fault they in trouble
Mokona: Shampoo's scared of rats, huh?
Shampoo: That silly, I not scared of pest.
She doesn't look Mokona in the eye when she tells her though
Hiroshi crosses his arms. "Regardless of how we feel one way or another, and as much as I hate to suggest it... ...chances are if we want to get the information we want on the monsters around here, we have to go that way no matter what."
Mokona: Let's go super fast, then.
Dave: "So it's time for some good ol' fashioned questing."
"Joy"
Hiroshi begins making his way in that direction; he grabs a stick en route just for the feeling of security.
Shampoo sighs but follows, keeping her eyes peeled towards the origins of the strange sounds
The roots seem as though they're intentionally tripping up the party as the path becomes choked with hand-shaped leaf vines - but Hiroshi's stick managed to warn them of the worst of the tangles. but soon it clears up again to a truely massive oak tree that should have been seen well before one enters the forest. No plants grow around it, leaving a loamy rust-colored soil exposed with several jagged rocks. On the otherside of the clearing are delicate pink cone-shaped flowers with fan-like leaves.
The cries seem to be coming from above.
Hiroshi shields his eyes, looking up. "You've gotta be kidding me."
Dave, "Weird."
Dave investigates the flowers
Large fruit sway in the wind, looking at first like very peculiar peaches but something's not right.
Shampoo: "What the..."
The flowers seem to tremble at Dave's approach
Dave: *poke poke*
That "instinct" thing that Hiroshi doesn't like to admit he has is kicking in. "This all screams 'trap'" if you ask me.
Dave: "Well obviously."
Shampoo goes to pick up a rock but seems content to hold on to it instead of throwing it
Dave: "But we're not gonna get anything done if we're afraid of traps"
Hiroshi begins taking notes on the sights. "Well, I'm assuming none of us are stupid enough to climb up there, right?"
a peach turns... revealing a shriveled face.
Hiroshi hurks, and backs up.
Dave: "..."
"Guys"
Shampoo: Good thing no one went up there...
Dave: "I'm having second thoughts about this whole thing"
Hiroshi is staring, and yet rapidly taking notes. Tree has faces on fruit...
The flowers seem to shake and jerk almost as if shooting something. Dave may feel pollen hitting his face.
Dave coughs and backs up
Shampoo can't help but remembering the old tales of her home, "You know, back at home... Shampoo hear that peaches were Heaven's fruit. Immortality fruit..."
Then Dave starts looking around with a panicked expression
Suddenly, another one of the peaches drop, rolling towards the edge of the clearing.
Hiroshi: Something tells me the only life those fruits would want to extend is the tree's.
Hiroshi stops taking notes for the time being, raising the stick defensively, ready to run at a moment's notice.
Shampoo goes to throw her rock at the fallen peach
Dave: "Stay the fuck back."
"All of you"
The rock hits it, sending it rolling away. The cries suddenly stop.
After a minute of nervously waving his sword around, Dave dashes off into the woods.
Shampoo: "Stupid boy come back here!"
Hiroshi: "DAVE!" A terrible flashback, then, of Takeshi. Shit --! He runs after Dave.
The entire forest erupted into cackling laughter as the Hiroshi chases after Dave.
Mokona holds onto Hiroshi for dear life.
Shampoo runs after the two, catching up and passing Hiroshi but still lagging behind Dave
Branches seem to lunge and claw at the humans and Mokona as they pass by, the laughter still ringing.
Dave is freaking out, chopping at vines and branches pretty much at random
Hiroshi swings at the branches as best he can, holding down Mokona as best he can. "Dave! Calm down! If you keep running like this..."
Pissed off, Shampoo picks up one of the chopped branches and chucks it at Dave's back to slow him down, "Stupid boy! Stop!"
There was a scream when one of the branches was lopped off.
Living trees. Son of a bitch. Of course.
EricOverbringer (7:24:19 PM): Dave is hit by a rock and falls over
Dragomorph (7:24:29 PM): Hiroshi keeps all this in mind; he'll be writing like crazy when he's not trying to rush.
shinigamikitsune (7:25:36 PM): The tree turns on the group, a jagged maw opening in it's trunk as it's roots snake out, grabbing for the prone Dave.
EricOverbringer (7:27:17 PM): Dave blinks his eyes clear. Then the roots close in on air as about ten feet away Dave suddenly appears, in a dramatic post-sword-slash pose
EricOverbringer (7:27:38 PM): Dave: "Guys. Don't fuck with the flowers"
Dragomorph (7:27:52 PM): Hiroshi: Yeah, noted, thanks.
Dragomorph (7:28:14 PM): He holds the stick out; it's pretty ineffectual and he knows it, but it's better than nothing.
Cyndi Ko (7:28:44 PM): Shampoo stops in her tracks. "I seeing double." But that doesn't stop her from picking up another stick and wacking roots away
shinigamikitsune (7:29:56 PM): The Treant hisses as it raised it's lone hand up, the rest of it's branches shaking, the ground becoming uneven as it unroots itself. It suddenly points at a tree the closest to Shampoo which suddenly came alive and lunges it's branches to impale her!
Dragomorph (7:30:36 PM): Hiroshi freezes. Oh God oh God oh God what does he even do in this situation.
AlopexPlasma (7:31:28 PM): Mokona bites him.
Dragomorph (7:32:15 PM): Yeow! "Mokona, what the hell?!"
Cyndi Ko (7:32:26 PM): Her eyes widen as the ground moves and her body loses its balance, she can only watch as the branches come towards her
EricOverbringer (7:32:54 PM): A future copy of Dave tackles Shampoo out of the way before she gets impaled
shinigamikitsune (7:34:50 PM): The branches sink into the ground, leaves flying up!
AlopexPlasma (7:34:57 PM): Hiroshi needs to wake up!
AlopexPlasma (7:35:02 PM): *Mokona:
EricOverbringer (7:35:35 PM): Future Dave: "You good?"
Dragomorph (7:36:11 PM): Hiroshi blinks, then nods. Something needs to be done here. Something like a weakness. "Maybe if we just burn the tree..."
Cyndi Ko (7:36:15 PM): "Ow... I okay" She pushes Dave off. "Xie xie."
EricOverbringer (7:36:23 PM): Dave: "Okay"
EricOverbringer (7:36:26 PM): Future Dave*
EricOverbringer (7:36:31 PM): Future Dave vanishes
shinigamikitsune (7:36:54 PM): The Treant was not to be deterred as another tree goes for Hiroshi this time with special vengeance, roots shooting to try to tangle up all that they could.
EricOverbringer (7:37:27 PM): The remaining Dave is chopping at any branches that got close while trying to cover his allies
Cyndi Ko (7:37:58 PM): Shampoo blinks, confused for a second but puts that aside to get back to her allies
Dragomorph (7:38:41 PM): Hiroshi tries to dodge, but being the most normal of the bunch can't quite avoid getting his leg wrapped up. He falls with a cry.
shinigamikitsune (7:40:19 PM): Several trees found themselves pruned as Hiroshi was being dragged right towards the Treant's mouth. "That's right, keep crying..." It's voice reverberted from the hollow.
AlopexPlasma (7:41:03 PM): Mokona: "Someone help~!"
Cyndi Ko (7:41:28 PM): Shampoo rushes to Hiroshi and tries to pull him away
Dragomorph (7:41:56 PM): Hiroshi screams, trying desperately to grab something to stop the process. He grabs onto Shampoo with one hand.
EricOverbringer (7:42:38 PM): Dave being the only person who brought anything sharp
EricOverbringer (7:42:53 PM): hacks at the roots attacking Hiroshi
Cyndi Ko (7:43:30 PM): She grips his hand and pulls as hard as she can without hurting him
shinigamikitsune (7:43:46 PM): There's a bloodcurling scream as the root was hacked, red sap streaming out, the rest of the roots drawing back on reflex.
Dragomorph (7:45:00 PM): Hiroshi scrambles forward, as far away from the tree as he can, trembling.
Cyndi Ko (7:45:10 PM): "Aiya, you alright?"
EricOverbringer (7:45:14 PM): Dave: "This is fucked up"
Dragomorph (7:45:49 PM): He nods, working his way up to talking. "Big tree. We gotta take it down."
Cyndi Ko (7:48:31 PM): Shampoo frowns, "With what? Hand to hand not effective and we only have one sword."
shinigamikitsune (7:48:54 PM): The Tree is practically spitting in rage as it recovers from the pain.
Dragomorph (7:49:18 PM): Hiroshi: Did you see how it reacted to my suggestion? I think that may be as good an idea as any.
EricOverbringer (7:49:50 PM): Dave: "Anyone got a light?"
Dragomorph (7:51:09 PM): Hiroshi looks at his stick. Then at some of the dry debris around the tree. He snaps the stick in half. "Distract it!" he yells, trying to maneuver closer.
Cyndi Ko (7:52:35 PM): She nods and goes straight at the tree, punching the trunk and ripping out exposed branches/roots
shinigamikitsune (7:53:25 PM): Roots try to stop Hiroshi - only to yank back as it swung it's solitary arm to strike at Shampoo to throw her away from it
EricOverbringer (7:53:54 PM): Dave goes to make with the choppy at the branches
Dragomorph (7:54:19 PM): Hiroshi tries to get as close to the base of the tree on the far side away from its maw as he can.
EricOverbringer (7:54:25 PM): away from Shampoo. She looks like she knows what she's doing and they want to split it's attention as much as possible
EricOverbringer (7:54:33 PM): he's distracting a tree.
EricOverbringer (7:54:43 PM): this is stupid
Cyndi Ko (7:55:21 PM): Shampoo's glad for the help, those roots pack a punch
AlopexPlasma (7:55:25 PM): Mokona hops around the clearing, screaming and making faces.
Cyndi Ko (7:56:00 PM): she can't help but be glad it doesn't spew acid or anything as she swings broken roots right back at it
shinigamikitsune (7:57:54 PM): Several trees were rendered harmless by Dave's quick strikes and Mokona seem to attract their attention, but alas Mokona is too nimble for clumsy beings that were not meant to move like they are. The treant tries to bite at Shampoo, cursing her in a most sickening way.
Cyndi Ko (8:02:10 PM): She tries to keep her eyes on all the roots but she jumps too close and finds her right leg to be too close to the mouth of the tree
Dragomorph (8:02:29 PM): Hiroshi digs through his pack. He's seen this somewhere... He works and extracts a shoelace from his shoe, bowing one of the two sticks with it. He gathers some tried material, sticks the other stick in the ground...
Dragomorph (8:02:48 PM): ...and using the bow, begins to rub. He's seen this on TV before, and it SEEMS scientifically sound...
EricOverbringer (8:02:49 PM): Dave: "Whatever you're doing do it faster!"
shinigamikitsune (8:03:14 PM): It held tight and seem to be trying to pull her in - there's an air of sadism about how it's going about, deliberately slow.
Dragomorph (8:04:58 PM): Hiroshi: Come on, come on...
Cyndi Ko (8:05:36 PM): Screaming curses at the top of her lungs, she tries to grab anything near her to stop being pulled in
shinigamikitsune (8:06:03 PM): A tiny little spark flares up as Hiroshi keeps rubbing, fragile but it's something!
shinigamikitsune (8:06:41 PM): She manages to latch onto an upper, non-arm branch of the Treant, forcing it to stop to use it's arm to try to pry her off.
Dragomorph (8:07:03 PM): He blows at the sparks lightly, pushing the sparks towards the material at the tree's base.
Cyndi Ko (8:09:38 PM): Shampoo: Hurry!
Dragomorph (8:10:03 PM): He rubs faster, trying to fight down an urge to panic.
Cyndi Ko (8:10:13 PM): She's feeling the strain of being pulled but tries to hold on as tight as she can to her only lifeline
shinigamikitsune (8:11:12 PM): It suddenly lets go as it feels the heat of the flames, the fire catching.
Dragomorph (8:13:05 PM): Hiroshi backs away from the fire, untying the slightly charred shoelace from the stick and running back to the others.
Cyndi Ko (8:20:13 PM): With a sigh of relief, Shampoo slowly drops back onto the ground on both feet and jogs back to the group. Her back feels painfully stretched out.
EricOverbringer (8:20:33 PM): Dave: "Hope it's dry enough to burn. Let's get out of here"
EricOverbringer (8:20:44 PM): "I don't think there was ever any people in here to actual save"
EricOverbringer (8:20:49 PM): were*
AlopexPlasma (8:20:57 PM): Mokona transfers over to Dave.
AlopexPlasma (8:21:11 PM): "It was the peaches all along?"
EricOverbringer (8:21:24 PM): "Or something"
Dragomorph (8:21:45 PM): Hiroshi: Let's talk about this after we're sufficiently far away, huh?
Cyndi Ko (8:22:00 PM): Shampoo: I never going to eat peaches again.
AlopexPlasma (8:22:33 PM): Mokona: Mokona will eat them so they can't eat her.
Cyndi Ko (8:23:29 PM): "Remind Shampoo to make Mokona a peach cake then. I'll feel better after cutting some up."
AlopexPlasma (8:23:54 PM): "Mokona will, because cake is really tasty!"
shinigamikitsune (8:27:06 PM): The Treant flails to put itself out but fails, the rest of the trees falling stll
shinigamikitsune (8:28:52 PM): Then all is silent around them, some of the oppressive air has lifted.
Dragomorph (8:31:46 PM): Hiroshi pants. "Gee, if these are going to be showing up more often..."
AlopexPlasma (8:33:02 PM): "Mokona hopes they don't! That wouldn't be very good.".