Leif - Earth Stone

[the_last]

[As soon as Leif chomps on the fruit, he will experience sudden disorientation, as if suddenly unfamiliar with being inside his body, perhaps not even knowing why he is there or who he is. It lasts for but a moment and then slowly fades... He will suddenly find himself in a place that seems unusually quiet and gray, as though the color were stolen but there remains just enough to suggest that things have been greatly subdued. There are also about three spots in the distance that seem to almost glow with gentle hues of color, soft and welcoming. Too bad, they seem much too far away to reach.

Within the gray is an expansive forest of every tree imaginable and dry, brittle grass that extends to mid-calf. Here and there, one might even spot some faded prints left upon the ground. The sky is equally gray, although not one cloud can be seen. But a dark mist seems to swirl around the forest, not too thick but clearly present.]

Comments

[wouldntkilladragon]

And you're terrified of Sion.

[Still approaching.]

[karlsefni]

[ ... nnn sllllides a foot back like, a centimeter. ]

Fuck you! I'm not scared of anyone—not him, not your teammates, not anyone! Just because I don't want to make friends with every fucking person here doesn't mean I'm a coward!

[wouldntkilladragon]

Then why were you so nervous about being in Heliodor without me by your side?

[karlsefni]

That's—it's different!

[wouldntkilladragon]

How?

[Right up in your space now.]

[karlsefni]

[ STEPPING >>>>>>>>>>> AROUND YOU TO GO FORWARD, THIS HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH THE QUEST WE'RE NOT TALKING ABOUT THIS ]

[wouldntkilladragon]

Too scared to answer, huh?

[Following.]

[karlsefni]

It has nothing to do with this! —If you fucking want to know, ask me later, but I've got a quest to do!

[wouldntkilladragon]

It has everything to do with it. What happens when you see a unicorn anyway? Big beast, pointy horn, oh no, it approaches too quickly.

What will you do?

[karlsefni]

I'm here. To save. The unicorns. I'm not going to attack one if it does that.

[wouldntkilladragon]

And if they attack you?

[karlsefni]

Just what would they do that for?

[wouldntkilladragon]

You're not pure.

[karlsefni]

[ what ]

[wouldntkilladragon]

If you're not pure, it puts them ill at ease.

[karlsefni]

. . . . [ lol like people aren't normally ill at ease with me ]

Then I'll stay away, as long as they don't die. I don't need to interact with them to do that much.

[wouldntkilladragon]

Don't even try, do you?

[karlsefni]

Didn't you just say I put them ill at ease!?

[wouldntkilladragon]

You could try to find a way to put them at ease. Not all solutions are stab or avoid things.

[karlsefni]

I don't know how to do that—[ a pause, and he just. kind of. ] You're right, they're not, and maybe fighting and running are the only things I know how to do but if it works here, it works! What does it matter otherwise?

[wouldntkilladragon]

Because if it doesn't work, it's not you who suffers for your mistake.

[karlsefni]

[ . . . . wince ]

It's going to work. No one's going to suffer.

[wouldntkilladragon]

Oh, you say that now.

[karlsefni]

Because it's true—I won't let anything happen otherwise! [ hisses, stiff and tense and a little hurt, but. ]

Besides, what else am I supposed to do? Find some way to get them to calm down? If I mess up that, there's no repairing that shit!

[wouldntkilladragon]

Thinking like that, you won't help anyone.