If it were the real me and you | OPEN

[lupusxylem]

Who: Wolfwood and YOU!
What: Wolfwood schedules a cult book burning and invites everyone
When: March 10th
Where: The Church
Warnings: Relevant info for this event can be found here, general warnings for: monster attack which could lead to blood/gore/etc in threads, please tag accordingly! Will update as needed



Netbook | Morning

Hey everyone, it's me Wolfwood. Nicholas D. Wolfwood if you're new.

So, here's the deal. The church I bought has a problem. It came with a bunch of religious texts inside of it, and while that's...you know. What you'd expect in a church, these ones are like

super fuckin culty.

Not exactly what I asked for. Not that I asked for them at all. I keep trying to get rid of them but they keep showing up again later so

Basically Im gonna be burning them again this evening if anybody wants to come to the bonfire, or help me in getting rid of them cause theres a shit ton. Bring marshmallows or whatever, I dont care.

and before someone comes preaching to me about burning books, again: its cult propaganda bullshit. read it for yourself if you dont believe me
just make sure you chuck it in the fire afterwards or ill do it myself.

Church | Evening

[Should you choose to come to the Church later that evening for whatever reason, you'll find the Priest himself already hard at work setting up a pyre in the yard just outside of it. (Just look for the massive bound cross propped up nearby, you can't miss it.) With the way he loads up the firepit he's created with kindling, it's clear he's already had to do this once before. It's a bit tricky to find anything dry given that the snow is still on the ground in a lot of places, but he's making do with what he's got. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Beyond getting the fire going, there's a matter of getting the aforementioned books out of the church. It's just as Wolfwood described, should you grow curious and crack one open. They're very religious, but strangely...plant focused. Like it's a religion that revolves around the Forest itself, almost. Definitely nothing orthodox about this, that's for sure. There are quite a number of them to take care of as they've all refilled the church pews since the last time he did this.

Or, perhaps you're just here because you think bonfires are cool and want to simply enjoy yourself for a change. The Forest seems to have had its fun with the animal race given that everyone's back to normal at this point, so really, why not kick back and enjoy the warmth of the flames while it isn't sub-zero temperatures outside anymore?

Feel free to mingle...or don't. Perhaps the distant unease in the atmosphere is enough to stop you.]

Comments

[purevanillacookie]

[There is much Vash doesn't know about this Peepaw, and for now, Pure Vanilla will keep it that way. Instead he sighs, and leans on his staff, and frowns down at the ground. He thinks about the broken bed board in his house that vanished, he thinks about the door behind the Inn.

The souls trapped within the insects. And grimaces, his expression turning pinched.]

I truly do not know. Will they stop anything from entering? Perhaps not. But it should warn us.

[Or do nothing at all, and that is what Pure Vanilla is afraid of the most. His magic relies on the Moon, and the Moon here is.... bizarre. It follows the same waxing and waning but... something about it shifts. It's unstable. His powers may be as well.]

[oleaeuropaea]

A warning is... enough.

[It has to be. If he thinks about an attack, about being ambushed, his heart starts to jackrabbit. He glances nervously toward the church, thinking of Wolfwood there on his lonesome. He can't even remember if he has the Punisher right now, or if he'd left it at home.

This was stupid. This was all so stupid. He should have put up more of a fight.]

Thank you. For doing that.

[He tries to keep his voice even, keep his voice from breaking beneath the weight of ever What If that crosses his own mind. He blinks hard, hoping that the burning behind his eyes will go away.]

If there's anyone you can convince to stay inside, maybe that's worth doing...

[purevanillacookie]

[Will it be? Pure Vanilla keeps his doubts to himself. He has failed before. He may yet fail again. Instead he draws himself up a bit more, tries to find the confidence in himself that his friends had re-instilled, and reaches out to touch Vash's arm as he sees the other blink like that. Just a gentle squeeze, and the same thing he do for Wolfwood later. A little boost to his energy, a soft healing that feels like a warm blanket that settles around him. A little shield, a bolster.]

It is my honor to help, my friend. Please, keep hope in your heart. That everything will be fine, and our ill feelings are simply born out of concern and love.

[HAHA IF ONLY HE KNEW.

Letting Vash's arm go, he returns his hand to his staff and nods gently.]

I will do my best to talk people into remaining indoors. I hope my words will reach them.

[There's quite a few who seem completely stubborn...]

[oleaeuropaea]

[There's a brief moment in which Vash shies back. His eyes warily study Pure Vanilla. There's no reason to distrust the man, but he also isn't so eager to be touched. Not today, not when he needs every sense to be on alert elsewhere. But even he has to admit that comfort comes from that gentle gesture. He closes his eyes, relishing the warmth that just barely takes the edge off the chill creeping over his body.]

I'll try.

[He lifts his hand up, patting the top of Pure Vanilla's own just once, before lowering it once more. He can't promise more than he already has, but... at least they can admit it's something.]

All we can do is try. And keep trying until we're blue in the face. [His gaze shifts toward the forest.] And then, maybe we fight like hell.

[purevanillacookie]

[He will note the shy back and tuck it away for later. He has to remember humans are not like cookies, and touch may not be common place. But at least the brief healing seems to have worked some in relaxing the other.

For a moment Pure Vanilla is silent, looking out in the direction Vash is. When he finally speaks, his voice is soft, slightly sad.]

If it truly comes to that, then you may find me by your side, my friend.

[He takes a little look around, then offers Vash a slight smile.]

Thank you for pausing in your duties to speak with me, it has put my heart further at ease. Please, do not let me keep you any longer from your patrol.

[oleaeuropaea]

Maybe I'll hold you to that.

[He won't. If Pure Vanilla chose to back down or preserve himself, that would be just fine in Vash's book. He doesn't want anyone to put themselves at risk, especially over something that could be avoided. Vash would put it all on the line to protect others, but he still possessed the capacity to understand when others couldn't.]

Stay safe. And when this all blows over, maybe we can sit down and enjoy that jelly pizza?

[He tries to force a smile, but rather than offering Pure Vanilla a sunny thing that didn't reach his eyes, Vash gives up halfway through. He looks down to the dirt, then lets out a bone deep sigh.]

Or not.

[He doesn't really give the other man a chance to answer. Instead he continues on his path, though this time he's careful to watch the ground and not disturb any runes that Pure Vanilla may have drawn in his path.]