songerein | { a bit leafy }

Entry tags:

{ a bit leafy }

A BIT LEAFY

More details on everything can be found here.

I. LEAF STORM

II. INFESTATIONS

COMMENTS

I. LEAF STORM

During the first week of November, a storm of leaves will pass through town. It starts innocuous enough, with just a bluster of leaves carried in the wind that looks normal for the changing of the season. But as the days progress, there are large bursts even downpours of leaves that just fall all over town. And with this storm come strange things…

A. Leaf Monsters. As the leaves pile up and people attempt to rake and blow them away, there will be some strange movement...until it's revealed that oddly shifting pile of leaves suddenly rises up to try and attack, blasting sharp leaves and even trying to "engulf" the unexpecting, trapping them in piles of leaves. Time to deal with this sudden leaf invasion! (Note: the leaf monsters will be most active during the first week of the month and then taper off by the end of the second week. By mid-month, only a few will pop up here and there.)

🔥 Burn Burn Burn! Using any kind of wind will only disperse the leaf monster and make them split into more. They need to be destroyed completely, and the best way is through fire. Dreamotion fire especially.
🪤 Trapped. But be careful with that fire! There may be those trapped within the leaf monster itself, and burning it may hurt those inside. This is the one time using wind to disperse the leaves may be warranted, but maybe a "controlled blast" will help to keep the monster from spreading.
🐌 Animal Aid. While fire is the most effective, there are other methods—mainly through certain critters. The chickens around that statue from the Dream Board could probably help scratch and break them apart. Finding some special rainbow snails from the lake just south of town will also help as their glittery slime will not only trap the leaves, but also break them down quickly.

B. Leafever. The strange leaf storm and the leaf monsters are also bringing a strange cold-like disease, likely spread through the pollen or spores attached to the leaves. Those who get caught by the leaf monsters are most likely to catch it. Fortunately the effects are mild and only last a few days, week at most, but can be caught multiple times. There is also a cure, but it requires the same leaves that brought it.

🤧 Achoo! While having the leafever overall feels no different than a bad cold, some of the symptoms and side effects are a lot more…unusual with little consistency between individuals. Some may find themselves sneezing bubbles, others secreting slime as they sweat, and all dreamotion effects going haywire.
♨ Incense Burner. One way to help ease and lessen the effects of the leafever is to burn the leaves in a special incense burner infused with special dreamotion focused on healing and soothing emotions. A special stone must also be used, and it can only be found in the hot spring caves in Dragefjell, Dragon Island.
🍂 Leaf Sap. For the actual remedy, sap must be collected from the leaf monsters. How? Well—that's for everyone else to figure out, good luck. Maybe try squeezing the leaves? Or cook them?

C. Dryad. The most severe side effect of the leafever is the individual slowly turning more tree-like, some becoming similar to dryads. There are no serious side effects and will only last for about a day or two. In fact, those who "turn dryad" will feel healthier and livelier than usual. But it may be an interesting experience regardless.

🌲 A bit stiff. As the skin turns more bark-like and limbs become a bit more "wooden," those affected may find their movements a bit more limited at first. A bit of exercise and a gallon of water dumped on them will help loosen them up.
🌷 In tune to nature. While in this state, there will be an increased sense of awareness regarding all things plant. This includes the leaf monsters, allowing them to sense and pinpoint any that may be hiding or lurking around. There will also be a brief time where they can even control and call upon plants to do their bidding.
🍃 Big shed. When the symptom finally ends, all the leaves, branches, and bark will just fall completely off the individual and they will return completely normal without a single blemish. …And clothes. Hope this isn't happening out in public, ahem.

II. INFESTATIONS

With the changing of the seasons, all kinds of critters are either passing through on their migratory route…or burrowing in to start hibernation. Usually it's not a problem, but perhaps due to all the strange dreamotion energy flux over the past year, the creatures are behaving a little differently and getting in the way more than usual. The storm of leaves isn't helping matters, aiding in some of them to travel through. While some will appear during it, the majority will cause problems from around the second week onward.

A. Bugged Trees. Those living in treehouses are going to have a bit of a time as a number of insects will be looking to find a new place to chill during winter. Specifically, their home. Those who are under the dryad effect may want to be careful of any bugs that may be attracted to them.

🪲 Giant Beetles. Some may remember these fellows from previous years. The beetles are quite friendly, but they are quite large, large enough to ride on. They can also cause some rough damage on gardens and yards, their massive size creating large holes as they burrow into the ground. However, some are really useful with their pincers, capable of pruning unwanted branches. If not chasing them away, perhaps one could use them instead? (Especially against leaf monsters.)
🐞 Ladybugs. These ladybugs are average sized (thank goodness), but they have quite the attitude. Preferring colorful and well tended flowers, they will speak their mind should they find any that are wilting. They will also drop critiques on anyone with poor etiquette and living poorly. Those who have well kept homes will have an easier time with them…and also suffer large groups coming in hosting parties in the branches.
🦗 Crickets. The crickets are of the musical sort, ready to put on a performance to try and endear themselves to receive temporary lodging. Just for a few days! Their range of music is wide, from classical to punk rock to country to jazz to even rap. And while they try to be polite, well… Sometimes music jams happen whether they should or not. Like late at night. Crickets are nocturnal after all.

B. Migration Migraines. As if dealing with bugs wasn't enough, other critters are either migrating or looking to hibernate around town. One would think the Wildlands would have plenty to offer, but some may find the easy access to food in town a bit more enjoyable.

🦡 Honeycomb Badgers. These interesting looking badgers have a honeycomb for a back. While they will dig up gardens in search of tasty flowers, they need to "shed" their honeycomb and are deliberately going to people to offer it. They are not harmed and will just reveal normal fur beneath before a new honeycomb forms.
🦒 Flying Giraffes. A flock of large winged giraffes will be flying in and roosting on various tall buildings. They act a lot like Canadian geese, so…beware.
🐻 Cotton Bears. These cute little bears look like they could be living teddy bears with how small and plush they appear. And for winter, they are looking to sleep somewhere nice, soft, and warm. Like a bed. Now they don't really care if they are occupied or not, so maybe it would be better if some dens and beds could be made for them instead.

C. Field Foes. The farms situated around the outskirts of town are preparing to harvest their fields, but there's trouble. Unless it gets sorted quick, food might be harder to come by for the winter!

🌾 Scarecrow Rebellion. Something is wrong with the scarecrows, but no one is sure what. They're either sitting in the fields not trying to shoo away the numerous wildlife that have decided to come through, or actively waving their pitchforks at the very gardeners and farmers they're supposed to help. Perhaps they feel a bit underappreciated so some word of thanks could help them get back to work. In the meantime, some help clearing out the fields of unwanted visitors, especially the crows, will be needed.
🍄 Hopped Up Hares. Among the unwanted "vermin" are some hares that have somehow gotten into some…strange green mushrooms that have made them behave a bit erratic. They're digging up tunnels, wearing carrots on their heads, and stare blankly out into the distance. Catch them and drive them away! And maybe feed them some special pellets that will help cure them of their, uh, "ailment." It's not recommended to eat the mushrooms should they be found, but if one does…well, enjoy the same dizzying, heightened experience the hares did.
🍆 Oversized Veggies. Some young "genius" thought creating a special formula mixed with dreamotion would help the crops grow larger and faster. However, it only caused the vegetables to overgrow to as large as an adult person and are now rolling dangerously through the fields. Some even get into town! Pumpkins, carrots, lettuce, corn, potatoes, cabbages—all manner of vegetables are rolling around, so stop them before they cause too much destruction.

I. LEAF STORM

II. INFESTATIONS

COMMENTS

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Heh, that they do, though how true it is remains to be seen.

[Hell, he's practiced a lot of things over his long life and he's yet to attain perfection in any of them. Possibly because it's an ideal that doesn't exist. But that's neither here nor there, what they're looking for is enough skill to capture a few bugs, nothing more. So he'd settle for luck aiding them in their endeavor.]

Alright, then! It's pretty fun once you get the hang of it.

[Waiting with hands on his hips, he watches her scan the tree, then realizes the problem.]

Here, let's try it this way--

[He reaches out to grab her by the waist, hefting her up onto his shoulders for a piggyback ride of sorts. Moving closer to the tree, he starts scaling it, raising her higher and higher until she's level with the lowest branches.]

Think you can manage from here?

[ Taken literally, the saying is impossible—no one is perfect, not even gods. But the intent behind the saying—that practice brings you closer to proficiency, is true, and she knows Yato understands that too. ]

Oh!

[ She wasn't expecting to be picked up so abruptly, but she doesn't protest. She's amused, actually, as she finally gets to experience what all children do with their parents—a ride on the shoulders. It's novel, viewing the world from such a height, and she finds she rather likes it.

Once she's level with the branch, she reaches out and grabs onto it. With a little maneuvering, she manages to get herself atop the branch with little difficulty. Looking up, she finds it much easier to plan a route upwards, and—she spies something that could potentially be a nest for the bugs they're seeking. ]

Yes. I see the nest as well.

[ She points up at it, so Yato will have information to plan his position. ]

[In hindsight he probably should've asked first before getting all physical, but thankfully she doesn't seem to mind. He's just gotten so used to grabbing and going during harrowing situations that the thought didn't even occur to him.

Only once she's secure in her place on the branch does he remove his hand from her, twisting around in order to see the nest of their targets. Yep, that looks like what he spied before he got bitten last time. Alright you little creepy crawlers, it's time to fight!]

Okay, I'm gonna climb back down and situate myself nearby under it. If you can just knock it around some, or even pull it down, then we should be good to go in regards to actually catching something this time.

[He carefully half-slides, half-climbs back down to the ground, hopping off a few feet above to land with a soft thud from his boots. Gazing back up, he shields his eyes from the sunlight with a hand and takes several steps to put himself in a better position. There. That ought to do it. Waving a hand at her, he grins.]

Ready whenever you are!

[ In the meanwhile, Nahida makes her way up the tree. It's not hard, tree climbing. The bark is rough on the hands and feet, but ultimately, they do not scratch her skin. Perhaps it would be more difficult if she were not a god, and did not have the strength of one. Though she may be among the weaker of the Archons, she most certainly had enough strength to lift her own weight.

Harder though is getting to the nest without disturbing it early. It takes her a moment to figure out which of the branches wouldn't shake under her weight, but eventually, she manages to get close to the nest.

It would be best to completely detach the nest and have it drop below where Yato can contain it within his net, she thinks. She hums, testing the insects' ability to hear through the air. Nothing. ]

I'll drop the nest in five... four...

[ She continues the countdown as she contemplates using Dendro here. She's not trying to hide her abilities from Yato by any means, but she had wanted to experience things as humans do. In the end, she decides against it. ]

...Three... two... one!

[ She grabs onto the nest, shakes it a bit, and the pulls. The nest holds stubbornly onto the branch, but in the end it's no match for a tiny god. Nahida pulls it off the branch and drops it directly below. ]

Here!

[Watching Nahida make her way up further towards their target has Yato a bit on edge, worried that she might slip and fall. The last thing he needs is to be responsible for the injury or worse of someone who looks like a child. That sure would win him points with other people.

But it seems his concern is for nothing. She has a good grip on the tree and is making smart choices of which branches to use. If he didn't know better, he'd have thought she did this on the regular.

Once she starts the countdown he grips his net tighter in preparation to strike. His gaze falls to where he thinks it'll land, and he braces his feet.]

Alright, here goes...!

[As the nest hits the ground and the insects begin scurrying out of it, Yato unleashing his net, wielding it not unlike a sword. It comes crashing down over top the fleeing creatures' home, containing the remainder of their targets within. The sheer number of which almost causes the net to scoot away from him, so he plants a foot on the handle while readying his knapsack.

After debating how best to go about it, he hauls up the net in a scooping motion, catching most of the loose insects. Quickly, he dumps the entire contents of the net, nest and all, into the sack, tying it off with its cord.]

We did it--! Nahida, nice going!

[Holding up the wriggling sack, he waves up at her, grinning widely. This more than makes up for the few that got away! All they need is a couple more types and they'll have plenty in order to make some pretty jewelry.]

[ Nahida fervently watches as Yato successfully contains the insects. As she suspected, Yato was the better choice when it came to capturing the insects in the net. She claps in glee as Yato completes the capture. ]

Our plan worked wonderfully.

[ Now, to get out of this tree... She could easily jump down and cushion the fall with her abilities. But she has thus far progressed through this experience without using any of them, and she wants to continue doing so.

She shimmies backwards towards the trunk of the tree and then stands up on the branch she's on. At the very least, she should reduce her height. She gets down a few branches before she runs out of branches to go down, and then frowns. It would still hurt a bit to land from this height, if she were human. Should she try scaling down the trunk? Hmm. ]

Edited 2023-11-12 09:38 (UTC)

Sure did! You were great.

[With the pack securely tied, Yato dusts off his hands with a triumphant hmph. He looks around for any stragglers that he might still be able to catch, but finding none, heads back towards the tree. For a bit he just watches her descent, until she runs out of hand and footholds and seems unsure of where to go from there.

At that point he hauls himself up to her height, presenting his back to her.]

Go ahead and climb on. I'll get you down the rest of the way, okay?

[ Oh! That would indeed be a solution. It's a bit strange to be so close, physically, to another person though. With a shy smile (not that Yato sees it), she gently wraps her arms around his neck and clings onto him. ]

Thank you very much, Yato. I appreciate the help.

No problem. I got you up there, after all. Only fair that I get you down.

[Aaaand back down they go! Once safely on the ground, he crouches down so she can slide off with ease. Mission accomplished!]

You up for hunting for more, or was that enough for you? I've still got a ways to go before I can turn them in.

[ She slides off his back, giving a gentle pat on the shoulders as thanks before smoothing out her dress with her hands. ]

I would love to continue helping you. So far, this experience has been very stimulating.

[ Not to mention Yato has made for very pleasant company. There's nothing much else for her to do besides gathering information about the world, and this too would further that goal. ]

[Grinning at the pat, he turns to jab both fingers at her in a sideways finger gun gesture.]

Atta girl! Between the two of us we'll have this taken care of in no time! I heard there's some in a nearby cave, so let's check that out.

[Hefting up his squirming sack, he picks up his net and hands hers over. On to the next destination!]

[ His cheer is infectious as the grin on her face widens. It's like a proper adventure! She's seen many adventures in dreams—hers and in the children of Sumeru's, but she didn't think she'd get to experience one so quickly.

She takes her net back and waits for him to lead the way as she thinks about their next plan of attack. ]

Insects that dwell within caves usually don't have eyes, but they are much more sensitive to vibrations in the air and the ground. They will be hard to spot, but once seen, they should be easy to capture. If these insects have jeweled carapaces, they may even try to disguise themselves with their surroundings.

[ Speaking of eyes though... she looks at Yato, curious to know if he's prepared for cave hunting. ]

[And off they go~! Thankfully he has a good idea of where that is thanks to asking around first. He sets off at a brisk pace, checking periodically to make sure Nahida can keep up. And marveling at her own knowledge of cave bugs. That's one detail he failed to ask about.]

Wow, you really know your stuff! So we'll have to go slowly until we can spot them from among the landscape itself, huh? Makes sense to me - otherwise they'd likely get eaten pretty damn quick. I think we can handle that.

[He gives his net a quick twirl, grinning. The hardest part will probably be trying to go stealthily enough to not disturb them.]

[ Her legs may be short, but she jogs to keep up with the taller man. She doesn't mind having to do so—it's also a novel experience, being forced to keep up with another. No one in Sumeru would think to outpace the Dendro Archon, which is almost a shame.

Still, he hasn't answered the question Nahida has in mind, so she decides to voice it: ]

Do you have good vision in the darkness?

[If it starts to look like she's getting too winded, he'll slow down for her. Last thing he wants to do is wear the poor kid out before they even get there. As for her question, it gets a thoughtful hum out of him.]

Mine's not bad, although there's nothing particularly special about it. I guess maybe we should've brought a flashlight of some kind. Hmm...

Push come to shove I may be able to conjure up some light with dreamotion energy. I've had some success with that before. How about you?

[ Luckily, she doesn't get winded easily, so she keeps apace with Yato without difficulty. She does notice that he's watching their pace though, and she appreciates the gesture. ]

It hadn't occurred to me to use dreamotion for any other purpose than as a method to reproduce my own capabilities.

[ She'd been far too concerned with the nature of the dream world that she'd forgotten the endless possibilities she could explore here.

Light, hm? That was typically the domain of Pyro or Electro—they were the two elements that produced light as a byproduct. But there were plenty of flora that could produce light without those two elements, and she's certain she can reproduce it. ]

Perhaps we can experiment, once we reach the entrance to the cave.

Yeah, that was my first thought too, to use it to replicate my weapons from home, but a friend of mine gave me the suggestion to try using that same ability to create light. It worked fairly well.

[If a bit unreliable. He is still new to all this, after all. And creating things is a far cry from what his usual capabilities are, that's for sure.]

Sounds like a plan to me. Between the two of us, I'm sure we'll come up with something.

[He flashes her a reassuring smile as they hurry along. Thankfully the cave isn't too far away and they end up there in short order, where Yato stops with a hand on the wall as he peers into the darkness.]

Alright then! Let's see what we can do about some light!

[ She examines the inside of the cave curiously. It's dark. Scary, perhaps, to the average person.

But to her? It's inviting.

Whispers of mysteries, adventure, and experiences that she's never had before whistle past her ears, beckoning her to enter. And she wants to, curious to know what lay within. But caves could be dangerous—monsters, poisonous air, venomous creatures, and sprawling labyrinths could be what awaited them. They could enter, never again to leave alive.

It would be chilling, were this not a dream. And a dream could not harm a dreamer, especially if it is a pleasant dream to be remembered.

So she closes her eyes and dreams—of a pathway lit by the beautiful blue of luminescent mushrooms. She dreams of Mawtiyima Forest, of the fungi that tower far above her, bathing the ground below with its soft glow. She dreams of fireflies dancing about in the dulcet hues of twilight. She dreams of the elegant arc of a Dendro Crystalfly's wings, bright and true, like a beacon in the darkness.

She dreams and dreams, letting the energy around her bend and morph into the shape of her wish, her delight, her joy and her wonder.

What Yato will see, at first, is the sprouting of tiny, bioluminescent mushrooms around Nahida's feet, far smaller than the average mushroom. They continue to sprout, rushing forward, until they enter the cave and cluster against the walls, providing a dim trail with which they could return.

Then, he might notice the fireflies that surround them—where had they come from? But they disappear as fast as they'd come, as if they'd never been there.

But the finale of Nahida's performance is the emerald hued butterfly that blooms in her outstretched hand—which is not actually a butterfly, upon closer inspection, but a crystal with four wings attached. The crystalfly flutters aloft, glowing softly. A little dim as a light source, but it could be enough.

With a soft sigh, Nahida opens her eyes—they're glowing brightly, as is the green of her locks and the leaf woven into her hair. She blinks as she examines the effects of her manipulation of dreamotion. ]

For a first attempt, this is a decent result.

Edited 2023-11-14 12:00 (UTC)

[For Yato the cave is just a cave, if an unfortunate reminder of his last excursion into one - one that lead into the underworld. So he's not the most keen to go traipsing right in without a light. Not scared, per se, but definitely cautious. He at least wants to be able to see if things are moving in there with them.

So he's about to try summoning his own puny light when Nahida gets to it first, working her imagination ten times as hard as he ever could. The sudden arrival of mushrooms is surprising, but not half as much as how they flow forward in a rush like a river. His attempts at dreamotion had been static, only conveying in his hands. To see what someone much more skilled is capable of puts him in his place, silencing him with awe.

Though not for too long. He's a motormouth, after all. After gaping at the butterfly, Yato cheers, holding a hand out for Nahida to high-five.]

Alright! Nice going! That beats 'decent' any day of the week! Nahida, you're amazing!

[ The glow in her eyes and hair fade as she smiles shyly, looking pleased while Yato showers her with compliments. She had wanted the mushrooms to be bigger—wanted the fireflies to stay, and the crystalfly to be brighter. This is an issue that can be rectified with practice, she thinks. ]

Thank you. I tried my best.

[ High-fives are a concept she's not familiar with, so she stares at Yato's outstretched hand for a moment, puzzled. Then she raises her own hand and gently places hers against his. Is this what he wants? ]

[Yep, definitely not your average kid, that's for sure. Not with Glowing Hair and Eyes of Power™. And that's besides her being super good at this dreamotion magic thing.

On top of that is the way she reacts to his offer of a high-five. S-So cute... He grins at her, reaching out to pat her head.]

You did great. Although... You're not anything close to a human or elf, are you? I've been meaning to ask that for a while.

[ Pat on the head! This is yet another novel experience... and it's a lovely one. She is rarely touched, for who would dare to touch a god? But she has desires like any other, and experiencing loving gestures such as hugs and the like are on the list. ]

That's a good deduction. You're correct.

[ But she doesn't elaborate any further, opting to smile in amusement and a slight splash of mischievousness. He would have to keep asking questions or putting together clues on his own to figure it out. ]

[Perhaps because he too is a god, he doesn't have any qualms about possibly offending another higher being. He's pretty good at that sort of thing anyway. Besides, it seems like she doesn't mind too terribly.]

Heh, do I get a hint or should I just guess?

[He catches that trace of mischievousness and raises an eyebrow. Somebody's either beholden to keeping her secret or just enjoys a good game of twenty questions.]

[ She has no intention of hiding her status as a god, so she's more than willing to give a hint. But to give a hint to someone who has no familiarity with Teyvat's history or culture is far more difficult than it initially seems. ]

I'm more than happy to give a hint, but it will take me a moment to think of one that will make sense to you.

In the mean time, let's continue our mission here.

[ She gestures at the cave with a smile. ]

[For his part Yato seems understanding and merely nods, starting off down the now lit path into the cave.]

No problem! Take your time. It might be a little while until we locate the bugs we're after anyway, so that'll give us something to do during the hunt.

[Inside the cavern he stops here and there to peer around rocks and under overhanging ledges in search of their prey. There's plenty of regular insects, just none of the elusive jeweled varieties they're hunting.]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject