Heart Game: Sol [#07]

[idolpro]

Note: please be as cryptic as possible regarding any specific actions your character takes when discussing them in the game channel to avoid influencing everyone else!

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[bluerosestyle]

It's a story from two years ago. I was here and I saw it all from up close. It was when the Gigas Cedar was finally cut down after 300 years. The carver got to choose his own Calling since his former one had reached an end, can you imagine that? Having a Calling that has an end! Well, he got lucky and...

[You find your vision blurring slightly again, and now you're watching a different scene! At least it's not the first time...

“And now, outside of the original plan, we have a duel between Zink, our head man-at-arms, and the carver…er, the swordsman Eugeo! You are not to lower your opponent’s life through direct strikes. Is that understood?!”

Zink, a young man about Sol's age loudly draws his sword from his waist, and, a bit later, Sol reluctantly draws his. His sword is blue and beautiful, and it's easy to tell it's not a normal weapon. In fact, the villagers gasp.

Zink seems to be overwhelmed by the aura of the sword. His head tilts back briefly before he regains his posture. With an even more hateful glare than before, the young guard jabs a finger at Sol and says “Does that sword really belong to you, Eugeo?! If it’s borrowed, I have the right to force you to use a different—”

Sol interrupts with righteous fury. “I got this sword in the northern cave, so it belongs to me now!”

The crowd murmurs, and Zink seems to be at a loss for words. But he doesn't push the issue any further. He spits into his palms and holds his sword up high. Sol, meanwhile, holds his blade perfectly still at eye level, draws his left side back, and crouches.

The villagers watch in silence as the big man Shu saw overseeing the preparations raises his hand high, then brings it down as he commands, “Begin!”

“Raaaah!!”

Zink is the first to charge. He bellows and races forward to deliver a vertical slice from overhead.

But then, his sword changes directions in midair, and he goes from an overhead swing down to a sideways swipe from the right.

“Y-yaaaah!!”

The shout is rather inferior to Zink’s, but Sol expertly sets his sword at the right shoulder. The blade glows deep blue. He makes one earth-shaking stomp and slices at a sharp forty-five-degree arc. Sol’s attack, which comes out a single pulse later, shoots forward with lightning speed, striking Zink’s sideways swing from above. The guard's steel blade shatters miserably.

The villagers marvel and applaud the flashy and unexpected conclusion. Zink and a man who seems to be his father retreat in stunned disbelief, and the music starts up again.]

...he broke his sword!

[The other men chuckle, shaking their heads.]

[we_meet_again]

[


OH SHIT!!! Sol is the carver!!! And he's REALLY DANGED GOOD AT SWORDS!!!

This is so cool!!!!!

Cobalt was right, the carver IS important!]


Incredible! He broke the sword in one swing!

That was two years ago already? I wonder what he's up to now.

[bluerosestyle]

"Now? He's out there in the woods, looking after the Tree of Life."

"Yeah, he came back not long ago. Was gone for two years, who knows what he did outside the village."

"I heard he wanted to bring Alice back."

"Alice? Who's that again?"

"The Village Elder's daughter! The one who was taken away by an Integrity Knight."

"Oooh, right right, when she was 11. She was childhood friends with the carver, right? And Zink had a crush on her, haha. Talk about pouring salt on a man's wound."

[we_meet_again]

[alright, filing all of that away.]

The Tree of Life? That sounds cool. What's that?

[bluerosestyle]

[And now he does get Strange Looks.]

"Drank too much, huh...?"

"No use telling you then, haha!"

[we_meet_again]

[ah dang it]

Ah... Sorry, I'm not from around here. There are a lot of things I don't know.

[bluerosestyle]

"Friend, this is the Tree of Life celebration. You're drinking and eating it."

"Every eighth day, we gather to thank the Tree of Life for our... life, you know?"

"Yours too, if you're here."

[we_meet_again]

...Oh!

Wow, what a cool celebration! Is there something I should be doing to give proper thanks?

[bluerosestyle]

"Just enjoy yourself! As much as you can."

"Yeah, the carver's the one doing the work for a change."

[we_meet_again]

If I wanted to meet the carver, where should I go? I know you said he's with the Tree of Life but I don't know where that is.

[bluerosestyle]

"You can't miss it, just follow the paved road until it makes a turn to your right, then walk straight ahead instead of following the path."

"But why go there? It's important, but it's just a tree."

"Right? Much better not to see it."

[we_meet_again]

Well, the carver is there, right? I'd like to meet the carver!

[bluerosestyle]

[They all look kind of confused...

Then someone makes a offhanded comment about dancing to break the silence, and the conversation is derailed!]

[we_meet_again]

[well that's... probably for the best.

Cobalt gets up too.]

Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with me! I appreciate it. I hope you all have a great evening!

[bluerosestyle]

"Enjoy the night."

"Don't drink too much!"

[we_meet_again]

[Cobalt says some polite goodbyes. Now that he knows that Sol might be around, he kinda wants to find him.

EVEN THOUGH IT MEANS GOING OUT IN THE WOODS AT NIGHT, BLEEERGH

He's going to try to grab one or two more de-worry meat sticks for the road. It may not be enough to overcome a very deep-rooted phobia, but maybe it can take the edge off, at least.]

[bluerosestyle]

[Cobalt ;; Surely they'll help! The people here seem not to have a care in the world, after all. Maybe it'll catch...

If he's heading out of the village, all he'll see are people going to the main square on his way back to the main gate. No goblins as of yet. Everything seems peaceful.

It's also peaceful outside the village. And dark. Will he follow the instructions or do something different?]

[we_meet_again]

[Before he goes anywhere, he's going to scarf down these skewers and check to see if his bit of grass is still glowing.

It's really important.]

[bluerosestyle]

[Yes! Maybe it's a liiiittle dimmer now than it was at first, but moonlight should make up for it...]

[we_meet_again]

[hhhhh okay well, it's something.

Axe in one hand, grass in the other, basket looped over one arm, he tamps down the voice that's yelling in the back of his head and sets out to find the Tree and hopefully Sol! Banzai!

He'll follow the instructions he got!]

[bluerosestyle]

[You follow the directions, and they lead you deep inside the forest! After a while, you come out to a clearing and find yourself facing...



...a very big, majestic tree. Well, that’s what you see at first, but then the sight changes even as you look at it; the trunk and its enormous roots take on a deep madder red color, and the branches and leaves disappear. Also, please keep in mind that it's night-time now. (Well, not that you need this reminder, but. You know.)

The monstrous tree you first saw is now little more than a gigantic trunk, pruned to exaggeration. It has a couple of branches in moss green and cotton candy pink color, and more than a few in navy blue color. In fact, it looks like the navy blue color is starting to spread onto the trunk...?]

[we_meet_again]

[Uwaaaaaa he has crane his neck so far back to just behold this giant thing! He can't even see the top in the darkness.

Is Sol anywhere around? If not, he's going to approach the tree.]

[bluerosestyle]

[Well he's nowhere in sight from here, but if Cobalt checks what's going on the other side of the trunk, he'll see Sol approaching a dying bonfire, in Taisho clothing and wearing a big scarf around his neck that he may have seen him wear before, carrying some silver and bronze branches. He throws them into the fire, and seems to murmur something while extending his hand over it. Almost immediately, the fire is rekindled.

He hasn't seen Cobalt yet.]

[we_meet_again]

[Since he doesn't immediately see Sol (because this trunk is BROAD) he walks up to the tree and pauses for a moment... before respectfully, reverently, reaching out to put his palms against the bark. He recognizes these colors, and he feels like he knows in his heart what this tree represents.

He puts his forehead against the trunk -- a gesture of love and appreciation. Tree, you are important, and you deserve to be cherished and nurtured. Cobalt doesn't have any magic words to give you but hopefully this good vibe from his heart can do for now.

After a few moments of this, he starts walking around the trunk and sees Sol burning the branches.]


...Sol?

[bluerosestyle]

[Sol turns around to look at him. He’s wearing an eyepatch on his right eye, so at least you don’t get to see dark bags under both his eyes... He looks paler than usual, his clothes are torn and have traces of dry blood on them.]

Cobalt?