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songerein2022-05-04 07:48 pm
dreamposts) wrote in songerein2022-05-04 07:48 pm
{ surprise eggs }
SURPRISE EGGS
A few days after the Tree of Stories has been established, there's a startling announcement that is spread throughout town: there are eggs in the room at the top of the tree! Two large eggs about a foot and a half long and half as wide can be found nestled in a nest. The owls have no idea what kind they are, where they came from, or how they got there and can only assume it must have appeared along with the tree. But the eggs are clearly unusual as they can move and jiggle about, often responding to what's going on around them. A lot of extra hands will be needed to ensure the eggs are protected and hatched safely.
Note: This log is open to everyone and doubles as a "Character Intro" for new characters who were just accepted this round. As a reminder, new characters are welcome to use their TDM threads and consider April as their first month in Song so that they're not really "new" if players wish to do so! Starting fresh is also acceptable.
The log has two parts, with the first portion focusing on the eggs and the second half forward dated to when they eventually hatch. Since the log is mostly isolated to the Tree of Stories, what happens here won't affect the character base at large. Any questions can be directed here. We'll ask for thread submissions during Activity Check at the end of the month.
I. EGGSITTING
The interior of the room housing the eggs is fairly large, almost as large as an entire floor of a one story house. There are no other rooms or doors, so it is an expansive space. There are, however, various furniture pieces such as a large table with chairs, large beanbag cushions, numerous pillows and blankets, and hanging from the ceiling are white and red crystals. The largest side has a large stained glass window that filters the sunlight to change into different colors.
A. Egg Warmers. Although no one knows what kind of eggs these are, it's decided the eggs should be taken care of. There's already a nest, but the eggs will need more than that—they even look like they're shivering! Calls for blankets, fabrics, and materials to tidy up and liven up the nest are made, as well as volunteers to watch and make sure the eggs are comfortable. However the eggs are picky! They like bright colors and they will push out anything they don't like.» BONUS: ROOM DECORATION. The room is a bit bare, and whatever is going to hatch from it will need their own space to sleep! Help redecorate the room to make it more comfortable and cozy for its future baby tenants. The eggs will seem to notice and glow a bit brightly as more things are added, but they will also shake violently if something they don't like is put in, the item either burning or slimed. Anything colorful and shiny will be a hit.
B. Temperamental Eggs. Unfortunately, eggsitting is more difficult when the eggs can exhibit emotions. Just like a newborn, the eggs will go in random bursts of emotions and it causes a bizarre assortment of effects. Sudden loss of gravity as everything in the room suddenly floats in the air; everything changing different colors; sudden temperature changes; strange music filling the air. Even worse when the eggs decide to move and roll around, risking injury as there are a lot of things they could bump into or spaces they can get stuck in. Sometimes they will try to deliberately run away from their sitters as if playing a game of tag. The only way to counter the effects and to calm the eggs down is with opposing dreamotion effects, so anything positive or calming. Perhaps reading stories, playing music, or singing lullabies will also help soothe them.
C. Egg Thieves! Somehow or another, three-headed lizards are trying to steal the eggs. However they're quickly identified by the owls as Erasers, the Story Eater's minion. But they seem to have noctaere elements to them as well, which is fortunate as it means dreamotion will work well against them. Should the lizards manage to make it into the room, the eggs will emit a loud ringing sound like a shrill alarm and the room will react to the threat. Fire erupting on the walls, storm clouds inside the room, ice covering the floor, strange black ooze that tries to trap people in place, the tree branches coming alive as fiery thorned vines whips—all out to try and eliminate everything. Unfortunately, those who are also trying to help rescue the eggs may get caught in the crossfire. Volunteers are requested to help guard outside, including on the large branches. As soon as a creature is spotted, it needs to be destroyed quickly! Using strong dreamotion abilities will help drive them out, and be careful as the tree will also lash out from the outside as well. The lizards themselves will spit out acid and inflict nightmare energy that can momentarily cause any who get hit to temporarily be afflicted by hallucinating one of their darkest fears.
II. HATCHLINGS
Sometime later in the month the eggs will finally hatch to reveal two very small winged kirin-like foals. One is a male with an orange yellow hue with a fiery mane and tail that flicker like a true blazing fire, his wings tipped crimson. The other is a female with a dark blue hue, with a silvery white mane and tail always flowing even when there isn't wind and small clouds appearing at her hooves. Although they cannot speak much, they can say their names: Perlios and Elimei. They don't know where they came from or who their parents are, but they prefer to stay in the tree where they feel safest. The lizard Erasers will also cease their attempts and no longer appear, providing some peace. Unfortunately, while Perlios is fairly active and curious, Elimei usually remains curled up in the nest and is plagued by nightmares.
A. Pastry Run. Seeing his sister suffering from nightmares, Perlios takes it upon himself to try and bring her things to cheer her up! Venturing into town, the sweet scent of baked goods attract his attention and with a bit of dreamotion magic, he brings them to life so they can march right on up to the tree. Unfortunately, he's a baby and it causes all sweet treats to take on interesting forms to run amok through town instead. This can be a little upsetting and cause Perlios's dreamotions to make every other food around him burn to a crisp. Help Perlios gather the runaway baked goods to bring back to Elimei.
» BONUS: MAKING GIFTS. Help Perlios make other gifts that could help cheer up his sister. This could be other baked goods, toys, or other shiny crafts they might enjoy.
B. Buried Book Hunt. Sometimes Perlios manages to sneak out and cause some mischief. This takes the form of grabbing books from the library and burying them in the ground. Why? To annoy the owls. Fortunately it's around the tree, but the Tree of Stories is massive, so it's a lot of ground to cover. Searchers will get some clues by seeing life sized paper cut outs of the story characters circling in place where the book is buried. However, retrieving the books may be a little difficult as depending on the genre, the cut outs may interfere, especially if they are horror based and monsters have spawned. Other books may have other elements of their stories creep out, like miniature castles or giant puddles. They can be dealt with, just a bit bothersome. Help recover the books quickly before the owls blow a gasket.
C. Nightmares. Elimei remains in constant sleep and can often be found making small sounds of distress as she seems to be trapped in nightmares. Nothing seems to wake her up, but dreamwalking and dealing with those nightmares can help. A few owls watching over them will alert anyone nearby when she is having one and will ask them to quickly dreamwalk into it to help end it. But the dreams are strange—could they have some secret meaning?1. Moon Rabbit. The dreamscape is set on a strange rocky, gooey black surface with the sky a bizarre green with purple stars that twinkle in and out of existence. In the distance a small strange looking white rabbit can be seen hopping about as if trying to escape from something. The "something" is quickly revealed to be a strange looking fox . The goal is to rescue the rabbit from the fox and help it gather mooncakes that are also being stolen by the fox.
2. Monster v. Hero. Here the hero of the story is terrorizing and hurting the people they are supposed to protect, whereas the monster that is supposed to be the villain is now fighting against the hero to try and save them. While one person will find themselves transformed into some kind of monster character type, the other can either be a fellow monster or some other side character to assist fighting the "hero," OR the other person could take the place of the hero instead and will behave violently and must be stopped. The cause of the "hero"'s strange behavior is due to an abomination found latched onto their back. Destroying the abomination will free the "hero" from the mind control, but it won't be easy as the "hero" must be defeated first before the abomination will release its hold. Saving the hero will restore everything back to order and end the nightmare.
3. Crumbling Library Tower. The first thing dreamwalkers will notice is they will find themselves looking a bit paper thin as they are now mostly two-dimensional and appear like a paper cut out, similar to those seen from the buried books. Movements are limited, which is unfortunate as the floor is immediately starting to crumble and give to a black abyss below. In this form they must climb up a spiraling tower of books while grabbing shining pages that stick out. Finding three will be enough to stop the process and additional pages will help rebuild the tower. Of course the ascent is filled with razor blades and scissors that will try to cut the climbers, so they must be avoided, deflected, or blocked. Any who fall into the abyss will be immediately ejected out of the nightmare and will need some time to recover.
» BONUS: DREAMOTION FOCUS. While dreamwalking is the main method to help Elimei, focusing positive dreamotion energy to the small foal will help as well. Sharing one's good dreams via the crystal lantern is another method. There is also black ooze that starts to pool around Elimei that can be cleared away with positive dreamotion, especially those filled with hope and love.
2. Monster v. Hero. Here the hero of the story is terrorizing and hurting the people they are supposed to protect, whereas the monster that is supposed to be the villain is now fighting against the hero to try and save them. While one person will find themselves transformed into some kind of monster character type, the other can either be a fellow monster or some other side character to assist fighting the "hero," OR the other person could take the place of the hero instead and will behave violently and must be stopped. The cause of the "hero"'s strange behavior is due to an abomination found latched onto their back. Destroying the abomination will free the "hero" from the mind control, but it won't be easy as the "hero" must be defeated first before the abomination will release its hold. Saving the hero will restore everything back to order and end the nightmare.
3. Crumbling Library Tower. The first thing dreamwalkers will notice is they will find themselves looking a bit paper thin as they are now mostly two-dimensional and appear like a paper cut out, similar to those seen from the buried books. Movements are limited, which is unfortunate as the floor is immediately starting to crumble and give to a black abyss below. In this form they must climb up a spiraling tower of books while grabbing shining pages that stick out. Finding three will be enough to stop the process and additional pages will help rebuild the tower. Of course the ascent is filled with razor blades and scissors that will try to cut the climbers, so they must be avoided, deflected, or blocked. Any who fall into the abyss will be immediately ejected out of the nightmare and will need some time to recover.
» BONUS: DREAMOTION FOCUS. While dreamwalking is the main method to help Elimei, focusing positive dreamotion energy to the small foal will help as well. Sharing one's good dreams via the crystal lantern is another method. There is also black ooze that starts to pool around Elimei that can be cleared away with positive dreamotion, especially those filled with hope and love.
I-C
Yeah...
[She says slowly at first, peering out and around again just to be sure the coast is clear before she asks—]
What is that?
[And more importantly, how is it going to help them in fending off this Eraser if it does make an appearance?]
I assume he already knows the name of the ~*Flower King*~
[ He screws on the new filter—this one with larger pores—and begins repressurizing the tank. ] You're familiar with the flowers, I'm sure? They dispel nightmare energy, so logically, Noctaere must be equally repulsed by them.
yes that is perfect đź‘Ś
I'm not, actually.
[A crooked smile, and she tucks a hair behind her ear. Should she be familiar with them? Tifa stays away from anything related to the nightmares if she can help it... She hasn't had the greatest experience with them in the past.]
Wouldn't it only feed into its energy? In my experience, they live off the bad energy.
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[ As to who those might be, she's free to guess, but he's since learned people are a little touchy when it comes to talk of their nightmare-induced rampages. Funny, that. ]
As to how they might affect these Eraser-Noctaere hybrids—or a Noctaere that was never human—that's yet to be seen. [ A pull of the gun's trigger produces a hissing burst of blue mist. It lingers, glittering for a moment before the wind dispels it. ] Hence today's trial!
[ He smiles cheerfully. ] And if this idea fails, I'm counting on you, our fearless Flower King, to dispatch the three-headed devils!
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She still has plenty of questions sitting on the tip of her tongue, like the two brave Reverein citizens that have come down from a noctaere state and how it happened, and where he managed to find these flowers, for reasons of her own, but she'll save them for when the job is done, and they're free of their duty.]
You seem pretty confident in those gadgets, so we'll try yours first.
[She makes a face, her nose crinkling at the bridge.]
Rather not go near those things if I can help it. Faced off against a few of them already, and they're not as easy as they look to take down.
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[ As soon as he says this, the detective's head turns sharply. ] Did you hear that, your majesty?
[ Was it a mischievous egg stirring, the wind in the leaves, or perhaps the scrabble of claws on bark? ]
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Tifa lowers herself in the branches and presses a stern finger to her lips to keep them both hushed, a look of seriousness settling into her expression while she listens carefully for it.
Whirrrr.... plunk plunk.... whirrrrrrrrrr...]
What is—?
[Plunk!
An egg seems to have made its escape from the nest, and has rolled its way down the tree, landing almost right into Sholmes' lap, while Tifa stares, bemused, at it.
So distracted that she hardly notices the motion of something down below...]
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Ah, Humpty Dumpty, you nearly had a great fall! [ Whether it's at Sholmes' chiding words or sensing the activity below, the egg begins to trill its alarm. He quickly rocks to his feet, egg cradled under one arm, gun raised and at the ready. ]
On your guard, Miss Lockhart! [ He shouts this over the egg's cacophony. ] Two from below. Still well out of my range.
[ As he says this, surrounding branches sprout thorns through their bark with a series of brittle pops. Thus armed, they begin to move with rumbling creaks, straining toward the threat. ]
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She doesn't know what she's going to do—one versus two isn't exactly going to play in her favour. If this were a fight against Shinra experiments, or even a behemoth, she could feel confident in being able to take it down on her own, but creatures made up of nightmare energy? That's a whole other beast... Literally and figuratively.
So...
Leaping down onto the moving vines, she pauses to look back to him.]
Think if I can lure them into range, you could give that a shot?
[She motions to his device.]
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[ Meanwhile, the egg's panic isn't making this any easier; it doesn't seem to discriminate friend from foe, and Sholmes ducks just in time for a spikey branch to whoosh over his head. ]
Easy, now. It's just a couple of silly salamanders. [ This assurance is barely audible over the wavering howl as he bounces the egg on his hip like a fussy human baby. ] You're quite safe with the Flower King and the Great Detective!
[ Then, gun raised, he calls to Tifa: ] Ready when you are!
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They picked the wrong tree today.
[It's all she says with a laugh as she leaps onto the moving vines, using them as a means to get down to the base of the tree. They do most of the work for her in carrying her down, but she does have to do a little weaving and dodging of the branches on the way, and she looks like she's riding them like a surfer would ride the ocean waves until she reaches the bottom, the thud of her boots so loud that it probably startles the egg.
And it's enough to grab the attention of the pair of the slithering creatures that she doesn't even have to call out to them. She does, however, sense that nervous feeling in her stomach that she always gets facing off against these things. Her dreamotion magic is okay, but it's far from the best—she'd rather punch and kick her way through them, but she knows that isn't going to work.
Well, not if she wants to take them down. Baiting them? That's another story.
It won't take long before Tifa's calling back up to Sholmes as she leaps up into the vines and out of the way, the salamanders right on her tail. They're disturbingly quick, and Tifa has to use some of her own magic to beat them back, swirls of fire threatening to set the vines around her ablaze if his trigger finger isn't quick.]
Get 'em—huh!?
[But just as she yells it, she feels something wrap tight around her ankle before it hauls her off the vines and into the air, dangling her upside-down. Seems the tree is already thinking she's a threat, too?]
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... At least, until she's caught by that vine. Oh, dear. But that will have to wait; the lizards are closing in fast. Sholmes braces himself and fires off a sweeping cloud of Glowing Dawn, trying desperately to cover the full array of six heads. Only the lizard in the lead takes a full hit, stopping mid-scrabble as all three heads hiss and flinch away.
The second only suffers an irritating whiff, then snorts and powers past its stunned comrade to ram headlong into Sholmes. Both he and the egg tumble backwards off the branch.
Oh, dear.
Just as he feels the sickening adrenaline and vertigo of free-fall, a vine shoots out to catch Sholmes around his middle—more for the egg's benefit probably, but he won't complain, even as the thorns bite through his overcoat. The good news is he's just out of the lizard's biting range: one arm is still clinging white-knuckled to the egg, the other cocking a fresh vial of Glowing Dawn into the chamber should the lizard attempt to lunge again. He glances around until he catches sight of Tifa. ]
Hah. Seems we've made a dog's breakfast of this, haven't we? [ He looks at the egg, grimacing in spite of his chipper words. ] Now, if it's not too much of a bother, could you please tell the tree to release Miss Lockhart? Gently?
[ Is the egg even in control of this chaos? He has no clue, but it can't hurt to ask. ]
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[She has no idea what a dog's breakfast is in this manner of speech, but they definitely have. She doesn't want to set fire to the vines to fend it off lest she only anger the tree more, so she dangles there for a while, trying to wriggle free from its clutches, pulling herself up and attempting to rip the vine in half if it still refuses to let go.
... Nope, she's stuck. And so is he now, apparently.
But she has no time to ask if he's okay, because that other lizard is coming in hot, and while he remains out of its reach, Tifa doesn't. His shot had bought her a little bit of time to try and free herself, but it's regained its composure enough to roar and hiss at her, trying to swipe at the hairs that dangle from beneath as she drops...
...
And shoots a small fireball at its face. It hardly does anything—it looks like it merely tickled—but whatever she can do to give Sholmes a little more time, and an opening.
As for the egg, it vibrates violently in his hand, trilling and shrieking still, but the tree makes no move to free them. So, it's Tifa's turn to ask.]
Think you can give us a hand here!?
[They're trying to save its life!!! This time, the tree does respond, but not in the way she was hoping, and instead, it hurls them both up several feet.]
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[ But once he reaches the apex of his trajectory, gravity doesn't tug him back down; the egg has rendered them—lizard included—completely weightless in its fear. Sholmes couldn't look more undignified as he ineffectually paddles the air for momentum ... until he realizes he has just the tool for creating thrust: a few short puffs from his gun propels him to the nearest bough. ]
Here. Hold this, would you? [ He nudges the egg, sending it drifting in Tifa's direction, then braces his feet on the underside of the branch. A quick kick and he floats back down, firing off a thick cloud as he passes the lizard.
The creature snarls, trapped in the suspended cloud of Glowing Dawn essence. Its swiping claws miss Sholmes, but the hooked tail swings around to snag the cross-body strap of his bag and pull him back in range. ]
Unhand me, you bumptious newt! [ He empties the last of the Glowing Dawn round in the snapping mouth of the nearest head. ]
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Although when he gives it his last shot, Tifa uses the thick branches of the tree to throw herself at it, rounding around with a kick for good measure against the side of its head, sending it spinning back several feet, its claws freeing Sholmes in the process.
But then the vines rustle again, and this time, rather than hoist them up—]
Oh no...
[All in the same swift motion, gravity returns to normal and the vines loosen around their ankles, and Tifa falls to land on a nearby branch that's only barely thick enough to catch her. She breaks the fall with her back hitting it with a decently loud thud, with the egg kept braced in her arms against her.
But she's already looking up and around.]
Sholmes!? Are you okay?
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How the devil do we kill these beasts? [ He pulls a pen knife from his pocket and hacks at a few of the binding vines. ] Burn them with that fire of yours? Ah—!
[ He pauses in freeing himself long enough to dig in his bag of tricks and pull out a few vials of a ghastly yellow fluid. Judging by the way he shakes and examines them through squinted eyes, it seems even he isn't certain of the contents. ] ... Yes! These will do nicely—viscous and highly combustible. Your flames should cling to those scales long enough to deal some proper damage.
[ He leans his weight enough to get a good bead on the lizards: both look thoroughly groggy—on the ropes, even—but a couple of heads have been spared the worst of it. Enough to make one last ditch effort, especially with that egg so tantalizingly close.
Once they've scrambled back in range, Sholmes winds up and tosses each vial in turn. The sticky contents shatter on a head, a back, a flank. ]
Now, Miss Lockhart, set them aflame!
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Her fists erupt, the embers flitting through the air around her turning to flames that burst forth from her gloves as she winds herself up, waiting for his go-ahead.
The beasts screech, and Tifa leaps down from her branch for some added momentum, aiming for the back first with a fiery punch, the flank second with a roundhouse kick, and then finishes it off with another punch to the head. The flames roar and spread quickly as they catch the yellow liquid, and Tifa affords herself a quick glance up to the tree when she hears a panicked rustling overhead.]
Yeah. I got it.
[And with her hands now wrapped around one of the lizard's tails, she throws it as far as she can, hurling it away from the tree before she punts the second one after it. They roll on the ground, their limbs twisting and flailing as they try to shake the flames off, but it only works to spread the combustible fluids over their slick bodies.
Meanwhile, the egg is teetering on its branch and it makes a noise in an attempt to get Sholmes' attention.]
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Now he's less puppet and more Tarzan as he swings the vine close enough to hurl himself on the branch next to the egg, catching it before it can topple. He pulls up to a more comfortable crouch with the egg hugged in his arms. ]
Hah! That sent them packing! [ He lets out a triumphant laugh as he watches the lizards struggle, then turns his attention back to Tifa. On judging that she's unscathed, he calls out: ] I've seen fisticuffs—fancy myself a bit of a pugilist—but that was something else entirely!
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It was nothing. You did most of the work.
[Just another day ending in Y for Tifa, and she couldn't have done that without Sholmes' brilliant idea. Honestly, it could have been worse, and she's faced off against much more fatal enemies in the past, so these lizards weren't too much of a problem. The only issue she had was the nightmare energy, but even that was laughable at best.
And with them taken care of for now, they have other pressing matters to be concerned about.]
How's the egg?
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Sholmes turns his attention back to the egg which has, thankfully stopped wailing in distress. He dusts off the crystal-covered shell and coos: ] See? Didn't I tell you we have this all well under control?
[ A pause, and his eyes slowly widen. Then, to Tifa: ] Oh. Oh dear ... Have you laid eyes on the second one?
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Tifa feels as if the pit of her stomach has sunk to her ankles, and she glances around, to the beasts that are slowly fading, to the branches around her and then up over her head, and then to the egg in Sholmes' arms.]
I... didn't. It's not still hiding away, is it?
[She feels like she's lost an actual child in a very busy shopping centre. Except that child is an egg, and that shopping centre is an oversized tree.]
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Previous egg sitters have set up a cozy pillow fort, complete with draped blankets and stacked cushions. The entire structure sags, soaked as it is by the dreamotion storm clouds crowded against the ceiling. ]
Do you know where your sibling is, my dear? [ The egg in Sholmes' arms wriggles in response, begging to be put down. He obliges, and it rolls end-over-end through the spreading puddles to the fort. ]
I expect this room would look much worse if a lizard came through.
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She follows the egg, and kneels next to the fort, and peels back the blanket to allow it to pass through. It's there that it flops (can eggs flop? Because this one sure did) and rests against one of the pillows as if... it's fallen asleep?
... ]
Well, that's helpful...
[Not.
She makes a face at it and proceeds to look around the room, pulling back the blankets and lifting the pillows, much to the egg's dismay, but that's when she hears a chattering sound coming from the deepest, darkest corner.]
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[ He joins in the hunt, upending baskets and peering under tables—all the prime hiding places that Iris liked when she was a toddler. Nothing. Which only leaves that suspicious corner.
Sholmes loads a fresh round of Glowing Dawn, gives the compressor a few pumps, and cautiously approaches the shadowy corner.
Closer, closer ...
Until the chattering abruptly stops. One more step and something zips between his feet in a blur. Sholmes instinctively blasts it with blue fog, but it's too fast. ] What the deuce—!
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[Here she thought this would be an easy finish to the job. They could tuck in the eggs and be on their way—or rest next to them... that fort is looking pretty comfortable right now—but nothing is ever that easy where Tifa is concerned. She's sure that her luck is just rubbing off on Sholmes at this point.
She's about to dive for the egg when a blast of blue fog shoots out from his compressor, and she lifts a hand to her face as she tries to cough it out of her lungs, but the egg has already started tumbling out of the room, its shriek fading the further away it moves. Meanwhile, the other one is now sound asleep in the fort...]
Wait!
[She's still coughing!!! This stuff isn't harmful, is it?
But as the egg reaches the branch, it teeters left and right, forward and back, and then...
It tumbles over the edge, and Tifa shrieks mid-cough. The commotion wakes up the sleeping egg and it makes an ungodly wailing sound, like an angry, hungry, gassy baby.]
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