poison thorny flowers

Midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights

Noe picks her way through the Wildwood, until the clearing where they fought the mudlings is far behind them. Liam split off a while ago - apparently he had someone else to check on - leaving the girl with Thorn. She glanced at the man sidelong as they walked. He seems nice, but one can never be too careful. The last time she tried to be nice to a stranger, she'd ended up infected.

But, seeing as Thorn had healed her rather than leave her to suffer, she's inclined to think that he's not interested in her downfall. Instead, she pulls a low-hanging branch out of the way, indicating that he should go first. "So," she says, gently releasing the branch so that it doesn't smack either of them in the ass. "What brought you out here? Was it the mud monster?"

Long drive, could end in burning flames or paradise

Noe

last couple of months kinda been a disaster

Happy to join Noe on the trek out of the maze that the Greatwood always seems to be, the courtesan bids Liam goodbye as he parts from them. Happy to pick a trail along the way and move branches out of the way like it’s a game of tag they’re both playing to make sure the other doesn’t get smacked by any more Greatwood shenanigans, he flashes her a bright smile as he steps forward at the offer and immediately pulls another to the side that they can slide through without getting even more wet.

“Oh, gods no.” Thorn says with a light chuckle. “I wanted to go an’ check out the Village but I always get fuckin’ lost here. S’why I packed some sandwiches ‘cause it likes to spin me in circles.” Looking up briefly through the slight drizzle of rain and the tree leaves, Thorn squints a little glare at it before looking back at Noe. “Found the monster ‘bout the same time y’all did.” Comes the actual answer before he’s shouldering the backpack to sit a little easier on his back. “Just let me know if you wanna take a break. I can heal ya a little bit more. OH! An’ if you’re hungry I’ve got hella sandwiches, like I was sayin’.”

Hawthorn

tell all my friends i'm asleep if they ask ya

Midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights

Noe grins at Thorn as he holds a branch out of her way in turn, and then the path turns blessedly clear. For a while, at least, she thinks they'll be able to walk beneath the branches without having to duck and dodge every which way. "Gods, I know, right?" she says of the forest. "I spent some time here helping look for Roses a few seasons ago, and it's impossible to find your way anywhere. I guess the woods must take pity on you eventually, because I always ended up back at the Village... but it was usually way later than intended."

It's somehow a relief that Thorn wasn't looking for the mud monster. While she's sure that he did more than she in terms of bringing the mud creatures down, it's nice to know that she isn't the only one who'd accidentally ended up in battle. And now that the fight is over, it's kind of nice to have made a new friend, however bizarre the circumstances. "Oh my gods, yes to the sandwiches!" she gushes, spotting a large oak with enough branches that the ground beneath is relatively free of mud. She points, crowing: "It's fate! The perfect picnic spot!"

Long drive, could end in burning flames or paradise

Noe

last couple of months kinda been a disaster

“Right?” Thorn agrees a touch too enthusiastically to her complaint as they step through the forest. Granted, probably because they’re talking the way they are about the forest, it’ll be less likely to guide them where it is they want to go – but at least there’s company. And for that, the courtesan can’t complain too much.

Especially when a clearing comes across them and she agrees to sharing the sandwiches – a relief for Thorn that they wouldn’t all go bad with how preoccupied he’s been with the mud creatures. But there was something about healing and using his magic that made him starved. “Oh thank Frey.” Thorn says with a bright smile and a charmed laugh, shouldering his bag and jogs over the path in the clearing to the oak where the ground is blissfully dry.

He immediately drops to sit and pull his pack in front of him, sitting criss cross as he shoves up his sleeves and reveals all those tattoos that wrap around his wrist and drift up the backs of his arms to disappear in his bunched up sleeve, snagging the bag of sandwiches he’d made and brought with – using the bag as a makeshift little table. They’re all the same kind, a pepperoni, salami, and cheese mix that’s more akin to a cold cut type of vibe as he lets her decide which one she wants. “They’re all the same, but if there’s one that looks t’be a lil more appetizin’, feel free to take it.” Gesturing to the sandwiches, he sits back to let her choose. “Pepperoni, salami, ‘n cheese.”

Hawthorn

tell all my friends i'm asleep if they ask ya

Orbs of light beckon and call from the darkened angles and shadows of trees. Were those whispers of your friends? Family? Fallen allies?

Was that a scream? Could they be in trouble?

Is it all in your head? Just your imagination?

Or something else altogether – because what if it’s true?

---

You’ve encountered a Will-O-Wisp. This counts as a common creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention. If you choose to follow this creature, you do so at your own risk, however, just having it in this thread is enough to satisfy your levelling requirements.

---

Will-O-Wisps Areas Found: Greatwood — Common Glowing orbs of light that dance and weave between the branches, despite their usefulness, these creatures are not to be trusted. Mischievous and loyal to no one, they will lead travellers astray at a moment's notice. Challenge Rating: Moderate HP: 38 | To Hit: +80 | Dmg: 5 Movement: Float 30 ft. (hover) SPECIAL SKILLS Misdirection: deliberately leads travellers away from their intended path; Elusive Motion: difficult to follow or catch due to erratic movement

TRAITS Luminescent Form: glows brightly in dim or dark environments; Branch-Dancing: weaves easily among treetops and forest paths; Mischievous Nature: acts unpredictably, without loyalty ACTIONS Eating a wisp is impossible, as it disperses into faint motes of light upon contact; attempting to do so leaves only a fleeting afterimage and a tingling sensation on the tongue.

Midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights

Noe laughs at Thorn's response, a grin on her lips as the little clearing comes into view. She joins him in sitting down, crossing her legs in front of her and leaning forward to check out the sandwich selection. They all look fairly similar (something that Thorn quickly confirms to be true), and so Noe selects one at random. "These look so good," she says, and it's not even a lie. While she's not usually one for cold cuts, preferring her sandwiches warm, after their battle, she has to admit that anything would be amazing.

A sudden light flickers in the corner of her eye, and she turns her head to find a will-o-wisp beckoning from among the trees. "Oh, it's just a wisp," she says dismissively, then turns back to her sandwich. "Just ignore it, it'll get bored and wander off." Or at least, that's how it's always worked for her before.

Taking a bite of her sandwich, Noe practically moans around her mouthful. "So good," she says, her voice muffled around the bread, meat and cheese.

Long drive, could end in burning flames or paradise

Noe

last couple of months kinda been a disaster

“Thanks!” Thorn says a touch too proudly – like he’s cultivated a perfect mix of structurally sound sandwiches when it came to the cold cuts. As he lets her decide which one to take, he picks one for himself once she’s made her own selection. But before he can unwrap it to take a bite, the sound that beckons to him from the will o wisp suddenly spotted as his hackles immediately lowering.


Heaving a soft sigh, he nods to her instruction. “I hate those things.” He mutters in a quiet dramatic drawl before he can finally delve into his sandwich, ignoring the will o wisp the best that he can. As he hears her say the sandwich was good, like it was life changing from the bite she’d taken, his grin brightens once he’s swallowed down his bite. “IM’glad. Took me awhile t’get the meat ‘n cheese ratio right but I think I’ve got it finally.” Which is partially why he’d had so many brought with him. He’d gotten a little sandwich making happy and made lots, so he’s happy to be able to share some of them.

Hawthorn

tell all my friends i'm asleep if they ask ya

Midnight, you come and pick me up, no headlights

Thorn seems pleased by Noe's praise, and she offers a closed-mouth grin his way as she finishes chewing her bite of sandwich. As the will-o-wisp tires of them and wanders off, the girl takes another bite, which is just as delicious as the first. She doesn't care that she's being dramatic, or that it's just a meat and cheese sandwich - very basic fare, really. It's delicious, in her opinion, which is certainly not being influenced by the fact that she almost just died, thanks very much.

In any case, Thorn's company and food is appreciated, and Noe is glad to be able to share in both. After their brief stop for food, the two of them carry on towards the village, eventually parting ways once the Greatwood has allowed them to return to civilization.

fin

Long drive, could end in burning flames or paradise

Noe