[Public Channel | Day 143]

[hippocarnival]

[ The radio comes on to the sound of creaking wood and a familiar voice that is, for once, not sounding all that agitated, though it’s a little distant. ]

“--just burn us out of this.”

“Then you’re just going to burn us with it!” [Yuya’s tone, comparatively, sounds snappish.] “Don’t--don’t do anything, I’m going to get us help--”

[The radio clicks off. And then immediately clicks back on.] “Hello?”

[The anger’s been smoothed out of his voice, and instead Yuya is sounding fairly composed.] “Is there anyone available right now who doesn’t mind coming to the Summerlands? We’re, uh--we’re stuck.”

“In a tree.” [ Lambert contributes helpfully. That’s not super specific or anything, and that’s is why burning things would help! There’s another creak of wood, something shifting and shuddering, and his tone doesn’t change a jot as he continues. ] “Which may or may not be trying to hug us to death.”

[Yuya is just going to ignore Lambert’s fatalism.] “We don’t really know where we are, but we were drifting… east of the city? Do these things have GPS?” [Does half the carnival even know what GPS is?]

“We’re going to get out of the tree!” [He pipes up confidently, despite it.] “But help would be appreciated.”


((Red = Yuya, Green = Lambert. Replies are separate, threadjacking is free and wild. These boys are dumb.))

Comments

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya grabs hold of one of the branches, just in case they lose their basket. But at least the tree settles quickly, and Yuya shoots Lambert a short, worried look before he peers down at the group between the branches.

That's tree-talking guy, isn't it? Lauren?] Uh... what'd the tree say?

[espigeon]

[Bird Lauren is cute. It is silly how disparate their sizes are. Looks like the young man wants to get right to it. Julien hangs on to a different, more docile tree with his feet and watches.]

...huh. Not a conversationalist?

[otoko]

[Gongenzaka is also there naturally, though coming in at a gallop unlike the others. And while Lauren is busy, he motions for the others to be a bit quiet-or at least for everyone but Lauren. ...Initially, anyway. He does frown, and mutter to the nearest of the rescue team-.] ...Mnhh... ...I, the man Gongenzaka, have been meaning to ask, exactly what it means if a tree carries more spirit than typical... ...Something does not seem right here...

[mylastchance]

[Not a conversationalist? Lauren or the tree? The answer is yes to both, which is pretty obvious when Lauren just straight up doesn't answer anyone's questions. It's not clear if he even heard Lambert or Yuuya or Julien.]

I think... she's sleeping.

[That's... Maybe kind of an answer. He doesn't mention that it doesn't feel like a tree because, that information is probably useless to anyone here anyway except to him. However, since trees don't actually sleep maybe that's already pretty obvious. He tries addressing the tree again, this time a bit more forcefully than before to cut through her sleepy haze. If you let them go we'll leave you to your nap.]

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya waves through the branches as Gongenzaka approaches. Look, buddy, he's fine!]

Who's sleeping? The tree? [The tree is a girl...? Yuya looks a little skeptical. But he doesn't know anything about fae plants.]

[whattaprick]

Then wake her up! [ Lambert hollers down, entirely oblivious to the actual conversation going on here.

There's another rustle of branches -- Lambert grabs for Yuya's shirt and the edge of the basket -- but the way Lauren puts more force behind the words seems to do the trick.

Mm, It's all right. I think I've had enough sleep anyway. There's a sense of someone stretching and yawning -- the tree bends almost double, with a groan of wood and cracking bark. About six feet off the ground, the branches abruptly release the basket and its riders, though the balloon fabric remains tangled elsewhere. Once they're released, the tree continues to shrink in on itself, more quickly now, and there's a strong sense of fae magic in the air. ]

[otoko]

AUH!!!

[Well, and Gongenzaka is jumping to the side, perhaps toward the others in some attempt to try and catch anything that falls.] YUUYA-!

[WHAT IS THE TREE DOING]

[mylastchance]

[Ah, so it wasn't a tree. Well, not a full tree at least. He's just going to stay quiet and let everyone else deal with this development for the moment.]

[espigeon]

Whoah, cool.

[Julien knows he should probably be reacting more strongly, but he's just not wired to shout and startle much. This is really interesting though!]

She's a tree fairy?

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya grips the basket for dear life as the tree just drops them--thankfully at 6 feet and not 20, but that's still not going to be a fun fall. Here's hoping Gon is prepared to catch two people and a huge wicker basket, otherwise he might want to get out of the way.]

[whattaprick]

[ As soon as they're dropped, whether someone catches them or not, Lambert's already bracing for the impact.

In the meantime, Julien turns out to be correct. The tree seems to slough itself off the pale, wingless fae that steps out of it, the way a blanket might slide off someone groggily getting out of bed. She's even stifling a yawn as she comes out. Bizarrely, she seems to be wearing a nightgown that mostly resembles a giant flower turned upside down and stuffed over her head. As fae go, she's on the shorter side, her hair an unruly mess with white flowers threaded through it.

And then she seems to notice her company for the first time, cocking her head slightly in surprise. ]

Hello.

[otoko]

[WELL HE'S GETTING YUUYA IN ANY CASE-rest well and safe in Gon's...Vines??? Also arms. Vines were more for the basket. He'll let the other down gently at least, and soon after looks to the fae in quiet amazement.

Y'know Gon, your mane is not far off from that bed-head of hers...] Auhhh... ...so you essentially flew into someone in the middle of sleep...

[They got the teddybear treatment...]

[espigeon]

[If Julien had been on the ground and right there he could've helped. This body doesn't have arms, but his back is nearly five feet off the ground when he's running. It all happens pretty fast, though. He winces as best a bird can as Gon catches the boy and the man hits the ground. Well, the ground doesn't look too hard down there.

He hops off the tree and glides to a landing closer to the group. Nah, the ground's not hard at all here, thinks the person designed around not taking any fall damage.]

Hello! [He nods at the faerie and inspects the man for injuries, though eyes appear over various feathers so he can see the other members of the party too.]

[hippocarnival]

[So reliable, Gon. Yuya rights himself quickly as Gon sets him on his feet, staring at the tree-turned-fae. They crashed into a person this whole time??]

Uh... hi. [He offers a sheepish smile.] Sorry about that.

[whattaprick]

[ Lambert's death grip on the basket turns out to be pretty unnecessary with the vines keeping it from crashing, but he won't release it until it's finally set down on solid ground and he can breathe easy. As it is, he rests crossed arms over the edge of the basket, eyes narrowed as he considers the fae.

... Whose attention seems entirely taken up by the less obviously human members of their party, clapping her hands together. ]

Oh, you're very pretty! [ She certainly seems to be waking up, as she glances between Julien and Gon -- though unsurprisingly, her eyes are drawn more to the more floral new arrival. ] ...but you aren't Fae, are you?

[betheman]

MNNNNN..! I, the man Gongnezaka, am merely glad that you were safe after all..!! [He insists, giving the other a bear hug.] It could have been far, far wor-

[Annnnnd he sure was just called pretty. He jumps, a slight blush coming to his cheeks as he blinks.

A-AUHH!! [WELL. UH. He was... ...Hmm.] I... I, the man Gongenzaka, suppose that technically, my body would perhaps be fae, at this point... ...though, I, the man Gongenzaka, was born human, in fact..!

[The confusions of having a body made of Fae Magic, see.]

[espigeon]

[Julien fluffs up his feathers, especially those around his head and neck, making himself look rounder and softer. In bird body language that's a friendly look.

If Gon's uncomfortable with this attention Julien wouldn't mind it. He is, tragically, less appealing to tree fae, but what can you do?]

So was I! I've got way less fae in me, though. Good afternoon! Sorry to wake you, but we needed to retrieve our compatriots here.

[hippocarnival]

[Ah, there's the crushing bear hug. Yuya takes it like a champ, muffling some 'it's fine' against Gongenzaka until he releases him to breathe again.

He gives his friend a look of amusement--the Steadfast Duelist flustered at being called pretty? But he says nothing and lets Gon keep his pride, instead regarding the fae with interest. He does remember Childermass telling him that summer Fae could turn into trees, back in Portland.]

[whattaprick]

[ The fae twitters at Julien's fluffing up, but it's not in an unkind way, though she does tilt her head at the mention of humans. It's at this point, though, that Lambert's going to interrupt rudely, having had enough of the niceties-- ]

Who are you? And just how long have you been asleep that you didn't even notice getting hit?

[ Perhaps surprised to be addressed in such a blunt tone, the fae jumps, blinking at them wide-eyed before she smiles again. Her expressions are a little wooden, but it seems the positive feeling is genuine, at least. ]

My name is Pussywillow. And let's see, I've been asleep... [ She taps a finger against her chin, thinking. ] ...Oh, a few years now, I think! It's hard to tell time when you're a tree.

[betheman]

Pussywillow..? [That is some sort of plant, is it not? Well. To be polite, he does manage a light bow, even if his blush is causing him to glow just slightly beneath his fur.

Darn glowing blood...] Considering that all here have come out of this safely, I, the man Gongenzaka, can honestly say it is a pleasure to meet you then. [Fae are strange. He hasn't been here a full year, but he knows enough not to bat an eye if she herself is treating this so...casually.] ...Though, I must ask...how long did you intend to sleep in the first place..?

[espigeon]

[Pussywillow. Julien laughs before he can stop himself, but this body is all bird, so all this manifests as is his tail trembling. He will not comment on that name. He won't. He has played with those kinds of branches as a kid and is not twelve years old.

At home he remembers the older, non-local champions making reference to a tree champion, a great slow intelligence that still managed to be much quicker on the draw than the Earthmind herself. He hadn't been able to pick up on if they were shitting him though.]

Wow! Do you... well, I don't know if there are seasons here. I see how that could get difficult to track.