Ask Woodsman #33

Hallo! Me Is Woodsman #33. Me Live In Big Big Tree. Wat R U Need?

[askwoodsman33]

"Welcom To Big Big Tree"

note: Hi guys this is my first askblog!! It's gonna be based on the woodsman (woodsmen as a whole but) from block tales! please be nice lol I don't really know what I'm doing. admin is @orsterrant

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DNI: P3d0s, z00s, pr0sh1pp3rs, etc. Admin is a minor, and the wood men don't really have an age

Rules: No NSFW. No shipping. Please be mindful, I am a human being at the end of the day. Don't be weird about the woodsman.

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Woodsman #33 will talk in orange!

Tags: #Wat R Ur Question? - asks #Hallo! U Wantz To Talk? - interactions #Crowbar Guy! - Griefer interactions #Balding Man! - Mayor Thayniel interactions

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Interactions/roleplay is fine! Please be patient with me though, this is my first askblog and I might be kinda bad at it lolll 😭

Alrighty I think that's all lmk if I missed anything! Asks are open!

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[queuestuff]

"We got along like a house on fire!

Watched the new episode, very fun time! Now excuse me while I sob.

[askwoodsman33]

Hi woodman!

Trolley problem #: global warming

A trolley puts out 50 million tons of carbon per year which causes 3 deaths per year and warms the planet by 0.2 degrees Celsius. You can pull a level to crash the trolley into a wall though killing everyone on board

-trolley anon

"?" :3

"Uhhhhh......... Wat?"

...He doesn't understand the concept of death, doesn't know what celsius is, nor knows what a trolley is...

[askwoodsman33]

Caw!

[the crow gives you a random piece of metal, it's very shiny]

"Cawww!!!!" 33 calls in response, "Birdy!!!!!! Hallo!!!!!!! You's Givingz Me Gift?"

"Thankingz! This R Very Coolz!!!!! Shiny Shinee!!!!!" He holds the piece of metal to the light, confirming that it is indeed, very shiny.

[askwoodsman33]

asks are back open

[askwoodsman33]

// OOC POST

hiya! mod here, just letting you know i will be offline and not answering asks until i complete demo 4 to avoid spoilers, 33 will be back soon!

[askwoodsman33]

(Question for griefer lol)

I PRESENT TO YOU…

YOU BUT AS A WINGS OF FIRE DRAGON!!!

"Y0000000000! H0LY 5H17 DUD3!" Brad says enthusiastically, "7h47'5 c00l 45 h3ll br0! D4mn 1 l00k 51ck."

"Uh, 7h4nk5! Y0u dr3w 7h15? 7h47'5 f###in gr347!" He seems to really like it! "Y0u 907 my c0l0r 5ch3m3 p3rf3c7 4n' 3v3ry7h1n9. 1'd pr1n7 7h15 0u7."

[starystrwberri]

THIS IS THE UPDATED VERSION BTW NOW IT LOOKS MORE LIKE YOU

(I didn’t draw it btw i used a base and coloured it in)

[askwoodsman33]

"Y0000 7h475 3v3n 51ck3r! 3v3n 1f y0u d1dn'7 dr4w 17, 7h15 15 1mpr3551v3 4f br0!!!! 7h4nk5!"

[askwoodsman33]

Helloz! Youz seemz veryz nice! Howz arez youz doingz? I hopez is wellz

-"Handcrafted" anon

33 waves enthusiastically. "Hallo!!!!! Me's R Nice Seemz!!!! Haii!!!!!"

He seems happy! "Me's Doing Goodingz! We's Woodsmen R Founded Coconut Waterz! Yummies!!!!! Wells!!! We'z Wells!"

He smiles, "How R Youz? We'z Be Friends!"

[askwoodsman33]

Hey uh how are you?

"Hallo! Me R Gud!!" 33 says, "How R Youz? Me's Hopingz You Good Toos!!!" He offers you a bright smile.

[askwoodsman33]

(Question for griefer lol)

I PRESENT TO YOU…

YOU BUT AS A WINGS OF FIRE DRAGON!!!

"Y0000000000! H0LY 5H17 DUD3!" Brad says enthusiastically, "7h47'5 c00l 45 h3ll br0! D4mn 1 l00k 51ck."

"Uh, 7h4nk5! Y0u dr3w 7h15? 7h47'5 f###in gr347!" He seems to really like it! "Y0u 907 my c0l0r 5ch3m3 p3rf3c7 4n' 3v3ry7h1n9. 1'd pr1n7 7h15 0u7."

[askwoodsman33]

// putting this in a new starter so it doesn’t get too long! :D also tiny timeskip!

Finding their way back to the Sacred Hollow was an easy enough task, really. It was a path they had taken before, a path that they had grown familiar with - even if only walked once before. Their ears twitched and swiveled every few moments, picking up the sounds of various wildlife as they trekked. Birds, crickets.. a handful of others as well.

Soon enough however, they’d found their way to the Sacred Hollow. Now, it just came to the matter of ascending to the very top.. a more tedious task then simply walking to the Sacred Hollow itself.

Nonetheless, it was a task they could manage. Murmured hellos and greetings were given to the Woodsmen they came across, friendly faces that they couldn’t just ignore. They were never malicious to them - rather, the opposite. A smile and a hello was the least they could provide. Soon enough however, they’d found their way to the top. Right where Brad would be. Or, where they’d assume he’d be. Shaking themselves out briefly, tail a bit more fluffed out, they went to begin forward.

“Hello?”

@foxkin-hero

Opening the door, it's not very hard to see that Brad is... fine?

You immediately see him, with a few bandages on, merely playing video games as if nothing ever happened. A few leaves and stems poke their way out from the sleeves of his shirt, his collar, and his shorts. The room is as you remember, his pet gorilla in the cage his father was in, except with... more junk in it. He's settled in here much more than he was before, so that means he's moved in all of his belongings as well. He seems to be quite comfortable, here.

The unmistakable stench of Witches Brew that's been sitting out for a few days is... very noticeable. You have to tip toe over cans strewn onto his floor to even get past the door.

He doesn't seem to notice you, and his gorilla is asleep.

[haunted-folkz]

Stepping forward carefully, trying to avoid stepping on any of the cans, their gaze flickered to the sight of the gorilla briefly. All seemed.. rather peaceful, really. It was a relieving sight. He was fine, and he was acting as if nothing had happened at all - with what had happened.. they tried not to grimace with the memory of the transformation that they’d witnessed. The memory of just how painful it looked.

Once successfully past the barrage of cans near the entrance, having to keep their tail lifted a bit more in order to not let it brush against them and cause any noise, they took in a breath. Now or never. Either they’d be met with retaliation, or met with something more akin to friendliness.

They stood still for a moment longer, just trying to mull over what to say. “Brad?” It was all they could manage finally, wringing their hands out. “Hey - how’ve you been?” Maybe they could’ve sounded a little less awkward, anxious even, but.. oh well. Too late to turn back now.

[askwoodsman33]

"HUH?" He darts up in surprise, turning around to face his visitor. He scrambles to place his controller on the desk behind him, "5h17, y0u c0uld'v3 w4rn3d m3 7h47 y0u w3r3 h3r3 b3f0r3-" The sound of his character dying in his video game is heard. He whips his head right back to face his computer. "1... f0r907 70 p4u53." He sucks in a sharp breath, annoyed.

He turns and looks at you again, and only then does he realize who his visitor is. Brad fidgets with his hands, now anxious. "...0h. 17'5 y0u." His voice goes flat. You can't tell what he's feeling. When you first met him, he was obnoxious and explosive, keeping none of his emotion under check or guise. Now, you sense that he's matured. His eyes hold depth and age in them that were not present before. He stares at you. "50... wh47... wh47'r3 y0u d01n' h3r3?"

He laughs, awkwardly. From his appearance you can tell he definitely didn't expect a visitor today. His mass of long, white hair is messier than usual, and he's wearing a skull t-shirt and shorts. His obnoxious lime-green jacket and black-and-red cargo pants are absent. He still wears his cap on his head. Now that you're closer, you can see that he's definitely not as he used to be. Not only were leaves poking out, vines had wrapped themselves onto his limbs. The area where he'd stabbed himself was covered in bandages, but you could make out green discoloration from the patches of skin that were uncovered. His red teeth have grown sharper, and his whole appearance is more scraggly than before. He has changed quite a bit, but that was to be expected- you don't transform into a monster without feeling the effects afterward.

He seems to not know what to do, or say. So he stands and stares, all in heavy, deep silence.

[haunted-folkz]

Evidently, the awkwardness appeared to be a shared feeling between the two. They shifted their weight from one foot to the other, an ear twitching ever so slightly. Why couldn’t this be easy? Maybe once, they’d have felt some caution towards the other for what had happened in the past. But, that was just that - the past. Not to mention, they had fought a far worse foe.

.. They did their best to not let the slight anxiety at the memory slip into their expression.

How long would it linger with them? Far longer than they would’ve liked, no doubt. One didn’t come from the matter of fighting their own internal battles and practically dying without holding some level of trauma from it. They had done well in shoving it down thus far, but every now and then.. it was hard not to feel the effects of repressing it.

They were quick to shake the thoughts off, though their tail was noticeably far more fluffed up than before, ears pinned back ever so slightly as they shifted to place a hand to their arm. “I wanted to check on you. See how you were doing. Your dad said you made a full recovery, but..” They trailed off, if only momentarily. “Wanted to stop by myself. Doesn’t sound like you get visitors that often, anyways.”

[askwoodsman33]

Brad stays quiet as he listens to this. "My 0ld m4n 70ld y... y0u w4n73d 70 ch3ck up 0n m3?" He sounds quite surprised, but there's a hint of something else- the soft edge of joy. "R34lly?" He sounds flattered but seems to push it down.

He shifts a little. "W-w3ll- 0bv10u5ly 1 w0uldn'7 937 4 70n 0f v15170r5 4f73r 7h47 h4pp3n3d. 4nd 17'5 n07 l1k3 4ny0n3 c0m35 by 7h15 b19 0ld 7r33 4nyw4y5." He stammers.

"4nd... 1'm f1n3. Y0u d0n'7 h4v3 70 w0rry 4b0u7 m3."

[haunted-folkz]

At the very least, that slight shift in tone - even if only momentarily - had them easing up ever so slightly. Their shoulders slumped, ears perking up as they watched the other curiously. “Hard to swing by when you’ve got to climb the whole thing.” It was an attempt at a more lighthearted comment, an attempt to lighten whatever mood it was that had begun to settle.

With that however, even if looking the slightest bit skeptical with the response.. they’d take it. A response was better than a lack of one, at least. “That’s.. good.”

For a moment, they fell silent, pondering and just.. thinking. “What’ve you been up to?” It was easier than bringing up anything about themselves. They were visiting him to make sure he was okay, after all.

[askwoodsman33]

Brad chuckles. "7h47'5 7ru3. 7r33'5 4 p41n 1n 7h3 455 70 937 70, bu7 47 l3457 7h3 w00d5m3n kn0w 7h31r w4y 4r0und. 7h3y c4n m4k3 900d 9u1d35." He shakes his head, "571ll, 1 h0n357ly h4v3 n0 clu3 h0w my 0ld m4n 9375 up h3r3, c4n3 4nd 4ll." He looks at you to see if you bought his lie. Not entirely sure, but satisfied enough, he shrugs. "H0n357ly? 1'v3 b33n d01n9 n07h1n9 4f73r 1 907 d15ch4r93d fr0m 7h3 h05p174l. L1k3, l173r4lly n07h1n9."

"1'v3 b33n 47 my c0mpu73r 0r my 7v 4ll d4y f0r 7h3 p457 7w0 w33k5, 74lk1n9 70 4 f3w w00d5m3n 'c4u53 1 w45 b0r3d... 74k1n9 c4r3 0f 7h47 b19 9uy 0v3r 7h3r3-" He gestures to his gorilla, "8u7... n07h1n9 3l53." There's definitely something else. You've noticed it from the moment you walked in. Brad doesn't act the same anymore. Obviously, it could be chalked up to the traumatic and life-altering experience he went through, but for his behavior to change so drastically and so soon? One could even say he's pleasant to talk to, now. (Though supposedly he wasn't always a jerk.)

And something about the way he holds himself, the way he looks, like a cornered animal. Something's not adding up. If Brad was fine the entire time, he wouldn't have been driven out by the villagers, hiding where none could find him.

But what could it be? It doesn't seem like he's a different person entirely, but it's suspicious enough. It doesn't look like this is something he'll just tell you. But it's digging at you. He's not okay, he's probably far from it. Why is he putting on a front, then?

[haunted-folkz]

Their gaze shifted to the sight of the gorilla briefly, a slight smile tugging at their lips. Things really did seem far more peaceful here, even with the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. That something was wrong, even if they couldn’t quite place their finger on it.

“Haven’t gone out from the Sacred Hollow much?” They found themselves asking, shifting to lean more weight on one side than the other. One ear swiveled somewhat, as if picking up a sound, but they made no comment regarding it.

There was another long pause, before they pressed their lips into a thin line. “..I hate to prod, but are you sure you’re okay?”

[askwoodsman33]

"Y3p." He says, with a pop. He falls into silence as well, but breathes out a sigh when he hears your question. "D4mn 17. Y0u c4u9h7 m3." He holds his hands up, mocking a criminal that's been caught, but his demeanor changes, again. This time a grim expression spreads itself across his face.

"Y34h, uh..." He quiets down, "1'm n07, bu7 1 d0n'7 r34lly kn0w h0w 70... 3xpl41n 17."

[haunted-folkz]

“Try me.” It was the first thing that had slipped out once he’d spoken. They’d gone through their own fair share of things - could understand better than anyone a complicated situation. Complicated feelings. “Doesn’t have to be some perfect explanation, you know - just.. tell me something.”

Sitting and not knowing what was wrong at all.. they didn’t like it. Not when it ensured that they couldn’t do a single thing to help. They kept their eyes on Brad all the while, not once looking away just yet.

[askwoodsman33]

"...F1n3. Ju57... Pl3453 d0n'7 l4u9h 47 m3 0r 4ny7h1n9." He cringes slightly.

"50... y0u kn0w h0w 1 574bb3d my53lf 4n' 3v3ry7h1n9?.." His pallor changes, "Wh3n 1 7urn3d 1n70 7h47... 7h1n9, 1 w45 5upp053d 70 d13." He fidgets nervously with his hands, clearly uncomfortable at the memory, "47 l3457, 1 l34rn3d 7h47 4f73rw4rd5, bu7 wh3n 1 d1d 17 1 w45 50 d35p3r473 7h47 1 d1dn'7 c4r3 wh47 h4pp3n3d 70 m3. 1 n33d3d y0u 90n3."

"4nd wh3n... wh3n 1 d1d 7h47, 17 f3l7 50 p41nful. 7h3 l457 7h1n9 1 c4n r3m3mb3r 15 f33l1n9 l1k3 1 w45 b31n9 r1pp3d 4p4r7 4nd 7h3n 17 4ll w3n7 d4rk." He shudders, "17 f3l7 l1k3 50m37h1n9 w45 cl4w1n9 17'5 w4y 0u7 0f my b0dy."

"Wh3n 1 7h0u9h7 1'd d13d... 50m37h1n9 5p0k3 70 m3. 8u7 17 w45n'7 7h3 v01c3 7h47 lur3d m3 70 7h3 5w0rd 1n 7h3 f1r57 pl4c3, 17 w45 50m37h1n9 d1ff3r3n7." He says solemnly.

[haunted-folkz]

Oh. Oh. That was what this all was about. The incident in which they had last seen each other.. it wasn’t one they tried to think about often. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Brad had certainly proven as much.

The matter of nearly dying, or having meant to die due to a sword.. it wasn’t an experience they were unfamiliar with. It was almost laughable, really. If anything, they were about the only two people in similar situations — two people who had survived an incident that should have killed them.

But the mention of the voice.. that was concerning. Their first thought went to Hatred, to the very being they had fought tooth and nail again - but instead, he had mentioned it being a different voice.

The words had them tilting their head to the side, just the slightest.

“This voice -“ They began, frowning a bit. “It wasn’t malicious, was it? Or.. is it?” If it was a voice, it was likely it lingered. They weren’t keen to think of what could result of some new malicious voice, however - they only hoped it was a positive thing.

[askwoodsman33]

He shakes his head, “17 w45n’7- 17 w45 7h3 5p1r17 0f 7h3 v3n0m5h4nk. 4nd h3 w45 P1553D.”

“H3 w3n7 0ff 0n m3 f0r d01n9 50m37h1n9 50 57up1d, h0w 1’d ju57 v10l4t3d 3v3ry rul3 4 9u4rd14n h45 70 f0ll0w, y4d4 y4d4… M1nd y0u, 7h15 w45 wh1l3 1 w45 1n 3xcrux1471n9 p41n 4nd 0n 7h3 v3r93 0f dy1n9-“

“4nd 7h3n, h3 570p5 y4pp1n9 70 73ll m3 1’m 4 d3m190d n0w.” He says all of this quite casually, despite the weight of what he just told you. A WHAT?

[haunted-folkz]

Really, some time ago, Kyra could have tried to point out just how strange everything he was saying was. Talking about a guardian of the sword, about the second voice in his head — to some, it would have sounded bizarre. But, with all they had gone through? It was far from the most bizarre thing they had heard of, or gone through.

But, the mention of being a demigod did have them pausing.

“You’re a.. what?” They blinked a few times, an ear swiveling ever so slightly. “Did you just say demigod?”

[askwoodsman33]

"Y34h." He leans a bit in his chair, "1'm l1k3, 1mm0r74l n0w. H4lf 1mm0r74l? 1 dunn0. 17 d035n'7 m4k3 53n53 4nyw4y5."

He seems a little bit too chill about this.

A little. What does he mean he just casually became immortal?

"17'5 n07 7h47 1mp0r74n7, bu7 4pp4r3n7ly 17 w45 7h3 0nly w4y 70 k33p m3 4l1v3, c4u53 7h3 5ur93 0f p0w3r fr0m 574bb1n9 my53lf w0uld'v3. My 0r191n4l b0dy w45n'7 equ1pp3d 70 h4ndl3 17, 50 7h3 5p1r17 w0rk3d 50m3 m491c bull5h17, 4nd 74d4..."

[haunted-folkz]

Well, that was certainly an explanation. It was.. puzzling, admittedly. Then again, they’d certainly seen and dealt with far more confusing things. The announcement of Brad being immortal was practically the tip of the iceberg.

“Tada.” They gave a jazz-hands type motion as they repeated the words, squinting a bit. “It’s - I mean. I guess it makes sense. Better to be immortal then.. dead.” They nearly bit their tongue. “I’m, um, glad. That you’re fine, I mean.” A small frown tugged at their lips, one ear twitching. “I didn’t want to.. you know, hurt you. That wasn’t the intent.”

[askwoodsman33]

"Y34h, 17'5 wh473v3r. 1 d0n'7, uh... f33l 4ny d1ff3r3n7?" He shrugs. He winces a little at the mention of the fight, "N4h, 17'5 ch1ll, 1 m34n 1 w45... b31n9 4n 455h47, 1 d353rv3d 7h3 b347d0wn." "K1nd4 w31rd 7h47 57uff pl4y3d 0u7 l1k3 7h15 7h0. 8u7 1'v3 l34rn3d n07 70 7h1nk 4b0u7 17." He doesn't seem at all too bothered about any of this, at all- but perhaps it is all a front. If anything, Brad has probably shoved everything into a locked safe inside of his mind, refusing to acknowledge the weight of the world collapsing in on him. Perhaps he believes that if he is ignorant to all that is around him, he wil be fine. But he is wrong. The mask slips a little. And a little more. He starts to look uncomfortable. He tries to distract himself, but it's all futile- his feelings resurface, and the tide washes away his cover. His mask falls. It crashes and crumbles under his feet. "0h 90dd4mn17." He immediately turns away from you, but you saw it- He's tearing up, and badly. He covers his face with his hands, scooting himself as close to his desk as possible.

He starts muttering to himself. Something about "f00l" and "3mb4rr451n9." "7h15 15 57up1d" and "90 4w4y..." Your hunch was correct- Brad Thayniel is far from okay. But what do you do with a man who refuses to know himself?

[askwoodsman33]

"why are you calling sir Thaniyel "balding guy" ? , the "crowbar guy" is also bald /j" - Maroon musketeer (woodman can call her Musketeer girl)

33 tilts his head. "Balding Guy R Old!!!!!! Old Guy Baldingz!!!!!!" He affirms, "But... Crowbar Guy R Not Old! Not Bald!" He points at Griefer, who has a full head of long white hair with raccoon stripes, perhaps the only part of himself that he takes care of. "Not Baldingz!"

[askwoodsman33]

// putting this in a new starter so it doesn’t get too long! :D also tiny timeskip!

Finding their way back to the Sacred Hollow was an easy enough task, really. It was a path they had taken before, a path that they had grown familiar with - even if only walked once before. Their ears twitched and swiveled every few moments, picking up the sounds of various wildlife as they trekked. Birds, crickets.. a handful of others as well.

Soon enough however, they’d found their way to the Sacred Hollow. Now, it just came to the matter of ascending to the very top.. a more tedious task then simply walking to the Sacred Hollow itself.

Nonetheless, it was a task they could manage. Murmured hellos and greetings were given to the Woodsmen they came across, friendly faces that they couldn’t just ignore. They were never malicious to them - rather, the opposite. A smile and a hello was the least they could provide. Soon enough however, they’d found their way to the top. Right where Brad would be. Or, where they’d assume he’d be. Shaking themselves out briefly, tail a bit more fluffed out, they went to begin forward.

“Hello?”

@foxkin-hero

Opening the door, it's not very hard to see that Brad is... fine?

You immediately see him, with a few bandages on, merely playing video games as if nothing ever happened. A few leaves and stems poke their way out from the sleeves of his shirt, his collar, and his shorts. The room is as you remember, his pet gorilla in the cage his father was in, except with... more junk in it. He's settled in here much more than he was before, so that means he's moved in all of his belongings as well. He seems to be quite comfortable, here.

The unmistakable stench of Witches Brew that's been sitting out for a few days is... very noticeable. You have to tip toe over cans strewn onto his floor to even get past the door.

He doesn't seem to notice you, and his gorilla is asleep.

[haunted-folkz]

Stepping forward carefully, trying to avoid stepping on any of the cans, their gaze flickered to the sight of the gorilla briefly. All seemed.. rather peaceful, really. It was a relieving sight. He was fine, and he was acting as if nothing had happened at all - with what had happened.. they tried not to grimace with the memory of the transformation that they’d witnessed. The memory of just how painful it looked.

Once successfully past the barrage of cans near the entrance, having to keep their tail lifted a bit more in order to not let it brush against them and cause any noise, they took in a breath. Now or never. Either they’d be met with retaliation, or met with something more akin to friendliness.

They stood still for a moment longer, just trying to mull over what to say. “Brad?” It was all they could manage finally, wringing their hands out. “Hey - how’ve you been?” Maybe they could’ve sounded a little less awkward, anxious even, but.. oh well. Too late to turn back now.

[askwoodsman33]

"HUH?" He darts up in surprise, turning around to face his visitor. He scrambles to place his controller on the desk behind him, "5h17, y0u c0uld'v3 w4rn3d m3 7h47 y0u w3r3 h3r3 b3f0r3-" The sound of his character dying in his video game is heard. He whips his head right back to face his computer. "1... f0r907 70 p4u53." He sucks in a sharp breath, annoyed.

He turns and looks at you again, and only then does he realize who his visitor is. Brad fidgets with his hands, now anxious. "...0h. 17'5 y0u." His voice goes flat. You can't tell what he's feeling. When you first met him, he was obnoxious and explosive, keeping none of his emotion under check or guise. Now, you sense that he's matured. His eyes hold depth and age in them that were not present before. He stares at you. "50... wh47... wh47'r3 y0u d01n' h3r3?"

He laughs, awkwardly. From his appearance you can tell he definitely didn't expect a visitor today. His mass of long, white hair is messier than usual, and he's wearing a skull t-shirt and shorts. His obnoxious lime-green jacket and black-and-red cargo pants are absent. He still wears his cap on his head. Now that you're closer, you can see that he's definitely not as he used to be. Not only were leaves poking out, vines had wrapped themselves onto his limbs. The area where he'd stabbed himself was covered in bandages, but you could make out green discoloration from the patches of skin that were uncovered. His red teeth have grown sharper, and his whole appearance is more scraggly than before. He has changed quite a bit, but that was to be expected- you don't transform into a monster without feeling the effects afterward.

He seems to not know what to do, or say. So he stands and stares, all in heavy, deep silence.

[haunted-folkz]

Evidently, the awkwardness appeared to be a shared feeling between the two. They shifted their weight from one foot to the other, an ear twitching ever so slightly. Why couldn’t this be easy? Maybe once, they’d have felt some caution towards the other for what had happened in the past. But, that was just that - the past. Not to mention, they had fought a far worse foe.

.. They did their best to not let the slight anxiety at the memory slip into their expression.

How long would it linger with them? Far longer than they would’ve liked, no doubt. One didn’t come from the matter of fighting their own internal battles and practically dying without holding some level of trauma from it. They had done well in shoving it down thus far, but every now and then.. it was hard not to feel the effects of repressing it.

They were quick to shake the thoughts off, though their tail was noticeably far more fluffed up than before, ears pinned back ever so slightly as they shifted to place a hand to their arm. “I wanted to check on you. See how you were doing. Your dad said you made a full recovery, but..” They trailed off, if only momentarily. “Wanted to stop by myself. Doesn’t sound like you get visitors that often, anyways.”

[askwoodsman33]

Brad stays quiet as he listens to this. "My 0ld m4n 70ld y... y0u w4n73d 70 ch3ck up 0n m3?" He sounds quite surprised, but there's a hint of something else- the soft edge of joy. "R34lly?" He sounds flattered but seems to push it down.

He shifts a little. "W-w3ll- 0bv10u5ly 1 w0uldn'7 937 4 70n 0f v15170r5 4f73r 7h47 h4pp3n3d. 4nd 17'5 n07 l1k3 4ny0n3 c0m35 by 7h15 b19 0ld 7r33 4nyw4y5." He stammers.

"4nd... 1'm f1n3. Y0u d0n'7 h4v3 70 w0rry 4b0u7 m3."

[haunted-folkz]

At the very least, that slight shift in tone - even if only momentarily - had them easing up ever so slightly. Their shoulders slumped, ears perking up as they watched the other curiously. “Hard to swing by when you’ve got to climb the whole thing.” It was an attempt at a more lighthearted comment, an attempt to lighten whatever mood it was that had begun to settle.

With that however, even if looking the slightest bit skeptical with the response.. they’d take it. A response was better than a lack of one, at least. “That’s.. good.”

For a moment, they fell silent, pondering and just.. thinking. “What’ve you been up to?” It was easier than bringing up anything about themselves. They were visiting him to make sure he was okay, after all.

[askwoodsman33]

Brad chuckles. "7h47'5 7ru3. 7r33'5 4 p41n 1n 7h3 455 70 937 70, bu7 47 l3457 7h3 w00d5m3n kn0w 7h31r w4y 4r0und. 7h3y c4n m4k3 900d 9u1d35." He shakes his head, "571ll, 1 h0n357ly h4v3 n0 clu3 h0w my 0ld m4n 9375 up h3r3, c4n3 4nd 4ll." He looks at you to see if you bought his lie. Not entirely sure, but satisfied enough, he shrugs. "H0n357ly? 1'v3 b33n d01n9 n07h1n9 4f73r 1 907 d15ch4r93d fr0m 7h3 h05p174l. L1k3, l173r4lly n07h1n9."

"1'v3 b33n 47 my c0mpu73r 0r my 7v 4ll d4y f0r 7h3 p457 7w0 w33k5, 74lk1n9 70 4 f3w w00d5m3n 'c4u53 1 w45 b0r3d... 74k1n9 c4r3 0f 7h47 b19 9uy 0v3r 7h3r3-" He gestures to his gorilla, "8u7... n07h1n9 3l53." There's definitely something else. You've noticed it from the moment you walked in. Brad doesn't act the same anymore. Obviously, it could be chalked up to the traumatic and life-altering experience he went through, but for his behavior to change so drastically and so soon? One could even say he's pleasant to talk to, now. (Though supposedly he wasn't always a jerk.)

And something about the way he holds himself, the way he looks, like a cornered animal. Something's not adding up. If Brad was fine the entire time, he wouldn't have been driven out by the villagers, hiding where none could find him.

But what could it be? It doesn't seem like he's a different person entirely, but it's suspicious enough. It doesn't look like this is something he'll just tell you. But it's digging at you. He's not okay, he's probably far from it. Why is he putting on a front, then?

[haunted-folkz]

Their gaze shifted to the sight of the gorilla briefly, a slight smile tugging at their lips. Things really did seem far more peaceful here, even with the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. That something was wrong, even if they couldn’t quite place their finger on it.

“Haven’t gone out from the Sacred Hollow much?” They found themselves asking, shifting to lean more weight on one side than the other. One ear swiveled somewhat, as if picking up a sound, but they made no comment regarding it.

There was another long pause, before they pressed their lips into a thin line. “..I hate to prod, but are you sure you’re okay?”

[askwoodsman33]

"Y3p." He says, with a pop. He falls into silence as well, but breathes out a sigh when he hears your question. "D4mn 17. Y0u c4u9h7 m3." He holds his hands up, mocking a criminal that's been caught, but his demeanor changes, again. This time a grim expression spreads itself across his face.

"Y34h, uh..." He quiets down, "1'm n07, bu7 1 d0n'7 r34lly kn0w h0w 70... 3xpl41n 17."

[haunted-folkz]

“Try me.” It was the first thing that had slipped out once he’d spoken. They’d gone through their own fair share of things - could understand better than anyone a complicated situation. Complicated feelings. “Doesn’t have to be some perfect explanation, you know - just.. tell me something.”

Sitting and not knowing what was wrong at all.. they didn’t like it. Not when it ensured that they couldn’t do a single thing to help. They kept their eyes on Brad all the while, not once looking away just yet.

[askwoodsman33]

"...F1n3. Ju57... Pl3453 d0n'7 l4u9h 47 m3 0r 4ny7h1n9." He cringes slightly.

"50... y0u kn0w h0w 1 574bb3d my53lf 4n' 3v3ry7h1n9?.." His pallor changes, "Wh3n 1 7urn3d 1n70 7h47... 7h1n9, 1 w45 5upp053d 70 d13." He fidgets nervously with his hands, clearly uncomfortable at the memory, "47 l3457, 1 l34rn3d 7h47 4f73rw4rd5, bu7 wh3n 1 d1d 17 1 w45 50 d35p3r473 7h47 1 d1dn'7 c4r3 wh47 h4pp3n3d 70 m3. 1 n33d3d y0u 90n3."

"4nd wh3n... wh3n 1 d1d 7h47, 17 f3l7 50 p41nful. 7h3 l457 7h1n9 1 c4n r3m3mb3r 15 f33l1n9 l1k3 1 w45 b31n9 r1pp3d 4p4r7 4nd 7h3n 17 4ll w3n7 d4rk." He shudders, "17 f3l7 l1k3 50m37h1n9 w45 cl4w1n9 17'5 w4y 0u7 0f my b0dy."

"Wh3n 1 7h0u9h7 1'd d13d... 50m37h1n9 5p0k3 70 m3. 8u7 17 w45n'7 7h3 v01c3 7h47 lur3d m3 70 7h3 5w0rd 1n 7h3 f1r57 pl4c3, 17 w45 50m37h1n9 d1ff3r3n7." He says solemnly.

[haunted-folkz]

Oh. Oh. That was what this all was about. The incident in which they had last seen each other.. it wasn’t one they tried to think about often. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Brad had certainly proven as much.

The matter of nearly dying, or having meant to die due to a sword.. it wasn’t an experience they were unfamiliar with. It was almost laughable, really. If anything, they were about the only two people in similar situations — two people who had survived an incident that should have killed them.

But the mention of the voice.. that was concerning. Their first thought went to Hatred, to the very being they had fought tooth and nail again - but instead, he had mentioned it being a different voice.

The words had them tilting their head to the side, just the slightest.

“This voice -“ They began, frowning a bit. “It wasn’t malicious, was it? Or.. is it?” If it was a voice, it was likely it lingered. They weren’t keen to think of what could result of some new malicious voice, however - they only hoped it was a positive thing.

[askwoodsman33]

He shakes his head, “17 w45n’7- 17 w45 7h3 5p1r17 0f 7h3 v3n0m5h4nk. 4nd h3 w45 P1553D.”

“H3 w3n7 0ff 0n m3 f0r d01n9 50m37h1n9 50 57up1d, h0w 1’d ju57 v10l4t3d 3v3ry rul3 4 9u4rd14n h45 70 f0ll0w, y4d4 y4d4… M1nd y0u, 7h15 w45 wh1l3 1 w45 1n 3xcrux1471n9 p41n 4nd 0n 7h3 v3r93 0f dy1n9-“

“4nd 7h3n, h3 570p5 y4pp1n9 70 73ll m3 1’m 4 d3m190d n0w.” He says all of this quite casually, despite the weight of what he just told you. A WHAT?

[haunted-folkz]

Really, some time ago, Kyra could have tried to point out just how strange everything he was saying was. Talking about a guardian of the sword, about the second voice in his head — to some, it would have sounded bizarre. But, with all they had gone through? It was far from the most bizarre thing they had heard of, or gone through.

But, the mention of being a demigod did have them pausing.

“You’re a.. what?” They blinked a few times, an ear swiveling ever so slightly. “Did you just say demigod?”

[askwoodsman33]

"Y34h." He leans a bit in his chair, "1'm l1k3, 1mm0r74l n0w. H4lf 1mm0r74l? 1 dunn0. 17 d035n'7 m4k3 53n53 4nyw4y5."

He seems a little bit too chill about this.

A little. What does he mean he just casually became immortal?

"17'5 n07 7h47 1mp0r74n7, bu7 4pp4r3n7ly 17 w45 7h3 0nly w4y 70 k33p m3 4l1v3, c4u53 7h3 5ur93 0f p0w3r fr0m 574bb1n9 my53lf w0uld'v3. My 0r191n4l b0dy w45n'7 equ1pp3d 70 h4ndl3 17, 50 7h3 5p1r17 w0rk3d 50m3 m491c bull5h17, 4nd 74d4..."

[askwoodsman33]

My arm is hurting so badly, do you you have any medicine or stuff to help the pain go away?

33 looks around for anything that could pass off as medicine, quite worried about the anon. Though woodsmen don't need medicine and don't succumb to sickness like humans (save for fungus, insects, and tree diseases) 33 still tries his best to find medicine. To no avail.

"Me's Sorriez!!!! We's Wood People Not Needingz Medicin!!" He squeaks out a hurried apology, "Me Can't Findingz Any..."

Desperate, he goes to Brad to see if he has any medicine at all. Fortunately, he does. A bottle of Telanol, a common pain reliever, is handed over to 33, who hands it over to you.

"Here Goes! Medi-cynes!" :D

"Me Hopingz Your Arm Better Soons!"

[askwoodsman33]

// putting this in a new starter so it doesn’t get too long! :D also tiny timeskip!

Finding their way back to the Sacred Hollow was an easy enough task, really. It was a path they had taken before, a path that they had grown familiar with - even if only walked once before. Their ears twitched and swiveled every few moments, picking up the sounds of various wildlife as they trekked. Birds, crickets.. a handful of others as well.

Soon enough however, they’d found their way to the Sacred Hollow. Now, it just came to the matter of ascending to the very top.. a more tedious task then simply walking to the Sacred Hollow itself.

Nonetheless, it was a task they could manage. Murmured hellos and greetings were given to the Woodsmen they came across, friendly faces that they couldn’t just ignore. They were never malicious to them - rather, the opposite. A smile and a hello was the least they could provide. Soon enough however, they’d found their way to the top. Right where Brad would be. Or, where they’d assume he’d be. Shaking themselves out briefly, tail a bit more fluffed out, they went to begin forward.

“Hello?”

@foxkin-hero

Opening the door, it's not very hard to see that Brad is... fine?

You immediately see him, with a few bandages on, merely playing video games as if nothing ever happened. A few leaves and stems poke their way out from the sleeves of his shirt, his collar, and his shorts. The room is as you remember, his pet gorilla in the cage his father was in, except with... more junk in it. He's settled in here much more than he was before, so that means he's moved in all of his belongings as well. He seems to be quite comfortable, here.

The unmistakable stench of Witches Brew that's been sitting out for a few days is... very noticeable. You have to tip toe over cans strewn onto his floor to even get past the door.

He doesn't seem to notice you, and his gorilla is asleep.

[haunted-folkz]

Stepping forward carefully, trying to avoid stepping on any of the cans, their gaze flickered to the sight of the gorilla briefly. All seemed.. rather peaceful, really. It was a relieving sight. He was fine, and he was acting as if nothing had happened at all - with what had happened.. they tried not to grimace with the memory of the transformation that they’d witnessed. The memory of just how painful it looked.

Once successfully past the barrage of cans near the entrance, having to keep their tail lifted a bit more in order to not let it brush against them and cause any noise, they took in a breath. Now or never. Either they’d be met with retaliation, or met with something more akin to friendliness.

They stood still for a moment longer, just trying to mull over what to say. “Brad?” It was all they could manage finally, wringing their hands out. “Hey - how’ve you been?” Maybe they could’ve sounded a little less awkward, anxious even, but.. oh well. Too late to turn back now.

[askwoodsman33]

"HUH?" He darts up in surprise, turning around to face his visitor. He scrambles to place his controller on the desk behind him, "5h17, y0u c0uld'v3 w4rn3d m3 7h47 y0u w3r3 h3r3 b3f0r3-" The sound of his character dying in his video game is heard. He whips his head right back to face his computer. "1... f0r907 70 p4u53." He sucks in a sharp breath, annoyed.

He turns and looks at you again, and only then does he realize who his visitor is. Brad fidgets with his hands, now anxious. "...0h. 17'5 y0u." His voice goes flat. You can't tell what he's feeling. When you first met him, he was obnoxious and explosive, keeping none of his emotion under check or guise. Now, you sense that he's matured. His eyes hold depth and age in them that were not present before. He stares at you. "50... wh47... wh47'r3 y0u d01n' h3r3?"

He laughs, awkwardly. From his appearance you can tell he definitely didn't expect a visitor today. His mass of long, white hair is messier than usual, and he's wearing a skull t-shirt and shorts. His obnoxious lime-green jacket and black-and-red cargo pants are absent. He still wears his cap on his head. Now that you're closer, you can see that he's definitely not as he used to be. Not only were leaves poking out, vines had wrapped themselves onto his limbs. The area where he'd stabbed himself was covered in bandages, but you could make out green discoloration from the patches of skin that were uncovered. His red teeth have grown sharper, and his whole appearance is more scraggly than before. He has changed quite a bit, but that was to be expected- you don't transform into a monster without feeling the effects afterward.

He seems to not know what to do, or say. So he stands and stares, all in heavy, deep silence.

[haunted-folkz]

Evidently, the awkwardness appeared to be a shared feeling between the two. They shifted their weight from one foot to the other, an ear twitching ever so slightly. Why couldn’t this be easy? Maybe once, they’d have felt some caution towards the other for what had happened in the past. But, that was just that - the past. Not to mention, they had fought a far worse foe.

.. They did their best to not let the slight anxiety at the memory slip into their expression.

How long would it linger with them? Far longer than they would’ve liked, no doubt. One didn’t come from the matter of fighting their own internal battles and practically dying without holding some level of trauma from it. They had done well in shoving it down thus far, but every now and then.. it was hard not to feel the effects of repressing it.

They were quick to shake the thoughts off, though their tail was noticeably far more fluffed up than before, ears pinned back ever so slightly as they shifted to place a hand to their arm. “I wanted to check on you. See how you were doing. Your dad said you made a full recovery, but..” They trailed off, if only momentarily. “Wanted to stop by myself. Doesn’t sound like you get visitors that often, anyways.”

[askwoodsman33]

Brad stays quiet as he listens to this. "My 0ld m4n 70ld y... y0u w4n73d 70 ch3ck up 0n m3?" He sounds quite surprised, but there's a hint of something else- the soft edge of joy. "R34lly?" He sounds flattered but seems to push it down.

He shifts a little. "W-w3ll- 0bv10u5ly 1 w0uldn'7 937 4 70n 0f v15170r5 4f73r 7h47 h4pp3n3d. 4nd 17'5 n07 l1k3 4ny0n3 c0m35 by 7h15 b19 0ld 7r33 4nyw4y5." He stammers.

"4nd... 1'm f1n3. Y0u d0n'7 h4v3 70 w0rry 4b0u7 m3."

[haunted-folkz]

At the very least, that slight shift in tone - even if only momentarily - had them easing up ever so slightly. Their shoulders slumped, ears perking up as they watched the other curiously. “Hard to swing by when you’ve got to climb the whole thing.” It was an attempt at a more lighthearted comment, an attempt to lighten whatever mood it was that had begun to settle.

With that however, even if looking the slightest bit skeptical with the response.. they’d take it. A response was better than a lack of one, at least. “That’s.. good.”

For a moment, they fell silent, pondering and just.. thinking. “What’ve you been up to?” It was easier than bringing up anything about themselves. They were visiting him to make sure he was okay, after all.

[askwoodsman33]

Brad chuckles. "7h47'5 7ru3. 7r33'5 4 p41n 1n 7h3 455 70 937 70, bu7 47 l3457 7h3 w00d5m3n kn0w 7h31r w4y 4r0und. 7h3y c4n m4k3 900d 9u1d35." He shakes his head, "571ll, 1 h0n357ly h4v3 n0 clu3 h0w my 0ld m4n 9375 up h3r3, c4n3 4nd 4ll." He looks at you to see if you bought his lie. Not entirely sure, but satisfied enough, he shrugs. "H0n357ly? 1'v3 b33n d01n9 n07h1n9 4f73r 1 907 d15ch4r93d fr0m 7h3 h05p174l. L1k3, l173r4lly n07h1n9."

"1'v3 b33n 47 my c0mpu73r 0r my 7v 4ll d4y f0r 7h3 p457 7w0 w33k5, 74lk1n9 70 4 f3w w00d5m3n 'c4u53 1 w45 b0r3d... 74k1n9 c4r3 0f 7h47 b19 9uy 0v3r 7h3r3-" He gestures to his gorilla, "8u7... n07h1n9 3l53." There's definitely something else. You've noticed it from the moment you walked in. Brad doesn't act the same anymore. Obviously, it could be chalked up to the traumatic and life-altering experience he went through, but for his behavior to change so drastically and so soon? One could even say he's pleasant to talk to, now. (Though supposedly he wasn't always a jerk.)

And something about the way he holds himself, the way he looks, like a cornered animal. Something's not adding up. If Brad was fine the entire time, he wouldn't have been driven out by the villagers, hiding where none could find him.

But what could it be? It doesn't seem like he's a different person entirely, but it's suspicious enough. It doesn't look like this is something he'll just tell you. But it's digging at you. He's not okay, he's probably far from it. Why is he putting on a front, then?

[haunted-folkz]

Their gaze shifted to the sight of the gorilla briefly, a slight smile tugging at their lips. Things really did seem far more peaceful here, even with the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. That something was wrong, even if they couldn’t quite place their finger on it.

“Haven’t gone out from the Sacred Hollow much?” They found themselves asking, shifting to lean more weight on one side than the other. One ear swiveled somewhat, as if picking up a sound, but they made no comment regarding it.

There was another long pause, before they pressed their lips into a thin line. “..I hate to prod, but are you sure you’re okay?”

[askwoodsman33]

"Y3p." He says, with a pop. He falls into silence as well, but breathes out a sigh when he hears your question. "D4mn 17. Y0u c4u9h7 m3." He holds his hands up, mocking a criminal that's been caught, but his demeanor changes, again. This time a grim expression spreads itself across his face.

"Y34h, uh..." He quiets down, "1'm n07, bu7 1 d0n'7 r34lly kn0w h0w 70... 3xpl41n 17."

[haunted-folkz]

“Try me.” It was the first thing that had slipped out once he’d spoken. They’d gone through their own fair share of things - could understand better than anyone a complicated situation. Complicated feelings. “Doesn’t have to be some perfect explanation, you know - just.. tell me something.”

Sitting and not knowing what was wrong at all.. they didn’t like it. Not when it ensured that they couldn’t do a single thing to help. They kept their eyes on Brad all the while, not once looking away just yet.

[askwoodsman33]

"...F1n3. Ju57... Pl3453 d0n'7 l4u9h 47 m3 0r 4ny7h1n9." He cringes slightly.

"50... y0u kn0w h0w 1 574bb3d my53lf 4n' 3v3ry7h1n9?.." His pallor changes, "Wh3n 1 7urn3d 1n70 7h47... 7h1n9, 1 w45 5upp053d 70 d13." He fidgets nervously with his hands, clearly uncomfortable at the memory, "47 l3457, 1 l34rn3d 7h47 4f73rw4rd5, bu7 wh3n 1 d1d 17 1 w45 50 d35p3r473 7h47 1 d1dn'7 c4r3 wh47 h4pp3n3d 70 m3. 1 n33d3d y0u 90n3."

"4nd wh3n... wh3n 1 d1d 7h47, 17 f3l7 50 p41nful. 7h3 l457 7h1n9 1 c4n r3m3mb3r 15 f33l1n9 l1k3 1 w45 b31n9 r1pp3d 4p4r7 4nd 7h3n 17 4ll w3n7 d4rk." He shudders, "17 f3l7 l1k3 50m37h1n9 w45 cl4w1n9 17'5 w4y 0u7 0f my b0dy."

"Wh3n 1 7h0u9h7 1'd d13d... 50m37h1n9 5p0k3 70 m3. 8u7 17 w45n'7 7h3 v01c3 7h47 lur3d m3 70 7h3 5w0rd 1n 7h3 f1r57 pl4c3, 17 w45 50m37h1n9 d1ff3r3n7." He says solemnly.

[haunted-folkz]

Oh. Oh. That was what this all was about. The incident in which they had last seen each other.. it wasn’t one they tried to think about often. Desperate times called for desperate measures, and Brad had certainly proven as much.

The matter of nearly dying, or having meant to die due to a sword.. it wasn’t an experience they were unfamiliar with. It was almost laughable, really. If anything, they were about the only two people in similar situations — two people who had survived an incident that should have killed them.

But the mention of the voice.. that was concerning. Their first thought went to Hatred, to the very being they had fought tooth and nail again - but instead, he had mentioned it being a different voice.

The words had them tilting their head to the side, just the slightest.

“This voice -“ They began, frowning a bit. “It wasn’t malicious, was it? Or.. is it?” If it was a voice, it was likely it lingered. They weren’t keen to think of what could result of some new malicious voice, however - they only hoped it was a positive thing.

[askwoodsman33]

He shakes his head, “17 w45n’7- 17 w45 7h3 5p1r17 0f 7h3 v3n0m5h4nk. 4nd h3 w45 P1553D.”

“H3 w3n7 0ff 0n m3 f0r d01n9 50m37h1n9 50 57up1d, h0w 1’d ju57 v10l4t3d 3v3ry rul3 4 9u4rd14n h45 70 f0ll0w, y4d4 y4d4… M1nd y0u, 7h15 w45 wh1l3 1 w45 1n 3xcrux1471n9 p41n 4nd 0n 7h3 v3r93 0f dy1n9-“

“4nd 7h3n, h3 570p5 y4pp1n9 70 73ll m3 1’m 4 d3m190d n0w.” He says all of this quite casually, despite the weight of what he just told you. A WHAT?

[askwoodsman33]

I wanna know.. are there any woodswomen? (Female woodsmen)

- L.R.O

"R Woodmen Girlz? Yeag!!!! We R Have Girl Woodman!" He says happily, "Lotsa!!!!! We's Haveingz Much! Feemail!!!"

[askwoodsman33]

// putting this in a new starter so it doesn’t get too long! :D also tiny timeskip!

Finding their way back to the Sacred Hollow was an easy enough task, really. It was a path they had taken before, a path that they had grown familiar with - even if only walked once before. Their ears twitched and swiveled every few moments, picking up the sounds of various wildlife as they trekked. Birds, crickets.. a handful of others as well.

Soon enough however, they’d found their way to the Sacred Hollow. Now, it just came to the matter of ascending to the very top.. a more tedious task then simply walking to the Sacred Hollow itself.

Nonetheless, it was a task they could manage. Murmured hellos and greetings were given to the Woodsmen they came across, friendly faces that they couldn’t just ignore. They were never malicious to them - rather, the opposite. A smile and a hello was the least they could provide. Soon enough however, they’d found their way to the top. Right where Brad would be. Or, where they’d assume he’d be. Shaking themselves out briefly, tail a bit more fluffed out, they went to begin forward.

“Hello?”

@foxkin-hero

Opening the door, it's not very hard to see that Brad is... fine?

You immediately see him, with a few bandages on, merely playing video games as if nothing ever happened. A few leaves and stems poke their way out from the sleeves of his shirt, his collar, and his shorts. The room is as you remember, his pet gorilla in the cage his father was in, except with... more junk in it. He's settled in here much more than he was before, so that means he's moved in all of his belongings as well. He seems to be quite comfortable, here.

The unmistakable stench of Witches Brew that's been sitting out for a few days is... very noticeable. You have to tip toe over cans strewn onto his floor to even get past the door.

He doesn't seem to notice you, and his gorilla is asleep.

[haunted-folkz]

Stepping forward carefully, trying to avoid stepping on any of the cans, their gaze flickered to the sight of the gorilla briefly. All seemed.. rather peaceful, really. It was a relieving sight. He was fine, and he was acting as if nothing had happened at all - with what had happened.. they tried not to grimace with the memory of the transformation that they’d witnessed. The memory of just how painful it looked.

Once successfully past the barrage of cans near the entrance, having to keep their tail lifted a bit more in order to not let it brush against them and cause any noise, they took in a breath. Now or never. Either they’d be met with retaliation, or met with something more akin to friendliness.

They stood still for a moment longer, just trying to mull over what to say. “Brad?” It was all they could manage finally, wringing their hands out. “Hey - how’ve you been?” Maybe they could’ve sounded a little less awkward, anxious even, but.. oh well. Too late to turn back now.

[askwoodsman33]

"HUH?" He darts up in surprise, turning around to face his visitor. He scrambles to place his controller on the desk behind him, "5h17, y0u c0uld'v3 w4rn3d m3 7h47 y0u w3r3 h3r3 b3f0r3-" The sound of his character dying in his video game is heard. He whips his head right back to face his computer. "1... f0r907 70 p4u53." He sucks in a sharp breath, annoyed.

He turns and looks at you again, and only then does he realize who his visitor is. Brad fidgets with his hands, now anxious. "...0h. 17'5 y0u." His voice goes flat. You can't tell what he's feeling. When you first met him, he was obnoxious and explosive, keeping none of his emotion under check or guise. Now, you sense that he's matured. His eyes hold depth and age in them that were not present before. He stares at you. "50... wh47... wh47'r3 y0u d01n' h3r3?"

He laughs, awkwardly. From his appearance you can tell he definitely didn't expect a visitor today. His mass of long, white hair is messier than usual, and he's wearing a skull t-shirt and shorts. His obnoxious lime-green jacket and black-and-red cargo pants are absent. He still wears his cap on his head. Now that you're closer, you can see that he's definitely not as he used to be. Not only were leaves poking out, vines had wrapped themselves onto his limbs. The area where he'd stabbed himself was covered in bandages, but you could make out green discoloration from the patches of skin that were uncovered. His red teeth have grown sharper, and his whole appearance is more scraggly than before. He has changed quite a bit, but that was to be expected- you don't transform into a monster without feeling the effects afterward.

He seems to not know what to do, or say. So he stands and stares, all in heavy, deep silence.

[haunted-folkz]

Evidently, the awkwardness appeared to be a shared feeling between the two. They shifted their weight from one foot to the other, an ear twitching ever so slightly. Why couldn’t this be easy? Maybe once, they’d have felt some caution towards the other for what had happened in the past. But, that was just that - the past. Not to mention, they had fought a far worse foe.

.. They did their best to not let the slight anxiety at the memory slip into their expression.

How long would it linger with them? Far longer than they would’ve liked, no doubt. One didn’t come from the matter of fighting their own internal battles and practically dying without holding some level of trauma from it. They had done well in shoving it down thus far, but every now and then.. it was hard not to feel the effects of repressing it.

They were quick to shake the thoughts off, though their tail was noticeably far more fluffed up than before, ears pinned back ever so slightly as they shifted to place a hand to their arm. “I wanted to check on you. See how you were doing. Your dad said you made a full recovery, but..” They trailed off, if only momentarily. “Wanted to stop by myself. Doesn’t sound like you get visitors that often, anyways.”

[askwoodsman33]

Brad stays quiet as he listens to this. "My 0ld m4n 70ld y... y0u w4n73d 70 ch3ck up 0n m3?" He sounds quite surprised, but there's a hint of something else- the soft edge of joy. "R34lly?" He sounds flattered but seems to push it down.

He shifts a little. "W-w3ll- 0bv10u5ly 1 w0uldn'7 937 4 70n 0f v15170r5 4f73r 7h47 h4pp3n3d. 4nd 17'5 n07 l1k3 4ny0n3 c0m35 by 7h15 b19 0ld 7r33 4nyw4y5." He stammers.

"4nd... 1'm f1n3. Y0u d0n'7 h4v3 70 w0rry 4b0u7 m3."

[haunted-folkz]

At the very least, that slight shift in tone - even if only momentarily - had them easing up ever so slightly. Their shoulders slumped, ears perking up as they watched the other curiously. “Hard to swing by when you’ve got to climb the whole thing.” It was an attempt at a more lighthearted comment, an attempt to lighten whatever mood it was that had begun to settle.

With that however, even if looking the slightest bit skeptical with the response.. they’d take it. A response was better than a lack of one, at least. “That’s.. good.”

For a moment, they fell silent, pondering and just.. thinking. “What’ve you been up to?” It was easier than bringing up anything about themselves. They were visiting him to make sure he was okay, after all.

[askwoodsman33]

Brad chuckles. "7h47'5 7ru3. 7r33'5 4 p41n 1n 7h3 455 70 937 70, bu7 47 l3457 7h3 w00d5m3n kn0w 7h31r w4y 4r0und. 7h3y c4n m4k3 900d 9u1d35." He shakes his head, "571ll, 1 h0n357ly h4v3 n0 clu3 h0w my 0ld m4n 9375 up h3r3, c4n3 4nd 4ll." He looks at you to see if you bought his lie. Not entirely sure, but satisfied enough, he shrugs. "H0n357ly? 1'v3 b33n d01n9 n07h1n9 4f73r 1 907 d15ch4r93d fr0m 7h3 h05p174l. L1k3, l173r4lly n07h1n9."

"1'v3 b33n 47 my c0mpu73r 0r my 7v 4ll d4y f0r 7h3 p457 7w0 w33k5, 74lk1n9 70 4 f3w w00d5m3n 'c4u53 1 w45 b0r3d... 74k1n9 c4r3 0f 7h47 b19 9uy 0v3r 7h3r3-" He gestures to his gorilla, "8u7... n07h1n9 3l53." There's definitely something else. You've noticed it from the moment you walked in. Brad doesn't act the same anymore. Obviously, it could be chalked up to the traumatic and life-altering experience he went through, but for his behavior to change so drastically and so soon? One could even say he's pleasant to talk to, now. (Though supposedly he wasn't always a jerk.)

And something about the way he holds himself, the way he looks, like a cornered animal. Something's not adding up. If Brad was fine the entire time, he wouldn't have been driven out by the villagers, hiding where none could find him.

But what could it be? It doesn't seem like he's a different person entirely, but it's suspicious enough. It doesn't look like this is something he'll just tell you. But it's digging at you. He's not okay, he's probably far from it. Why is he putting on a front, then?

[haunted-folkz]

Their gaze shifted to the sight of the gorilla briefly, a slight smile tugging at their lips. Things really did seem far more peaceful here, even with the nagging feeling that something wasn’t quite right. That something was wrong, even if they couldn’t quite place their finger on it.

“Haven’t gone out from the Sacred Hollow much?” They found themselves asking, shifting to lean more weight on one side than the other. One ear swiveled somewhat, as if picking up a sound, but they made no comment regarding it.

There was another long pause, before they pressed their lips into a thin line. “..I hate to prod, but are you sure you’re okay?”

[askwoodsman33]

"Y3p." He says, with a pop. He falls into silence as well, but breathes out a sigh when he hears your question. "D4mn 17. Y0u c4u9h7 m3." He holds his hands up, mocking a criminal that's been caught, but his demeanor changes, again. This time a grim expression spreads itself across his face.

"Y34h, uh..." He quiets down, "1'm n07, bu7 1 d0n'7 r34lly kn0w h0w 70... 3xpl41n 17."

[haunted-folkz]

“Try me.” It was the first thing that had slipped out once he’d spoken. They’d gone through their own fair share of things - could understand better than anyone a complicated situation. Complicated feelings. “Doesn’t have to be some perfect explanation, you know - just.. tell me something.”

Sitting and not knowing what was wrong at all.. they didn’t like it. Not when it ensured that they couldn’t do a single thing to help. They kept their eyes on Brad all the while, not once looking away just yet.

[askwoodsman33]

"...F1n3. Ju57... Pl3453 d0n'7 l4u9h 47 m3 0r 4ny7h1n9." He cringes slightly.

"50... y0u kn0w h0w 1 574bb3d my53lf 4n' 3v3ry7h1n9?.." His pallor changes, "Wh3n 1 7urn3d 1n70 7h47... 7h1n9, 1 w45 5upp053d 70 d13." He fidgets nervously with his hands, clearly uncomfortable at the memory, "47 l3457, 1 l34rn3d 7h47 4f73rw4rd5, bu7 wh3n 1 d1d 17 1 w45 50 d35p3r473 7h47 1 d1dn'7 c4r3 wh47 h4pp3n3d 70 m3. 1 n33d3d y0u 90n3."

"4nd wh3n... wh3n 1 d1d 7h47, 17 f3l7 50 p41nful. 7h3 l457 7h1n9 1 c4n r3m3mb3r 15 f33l1n9 l1k3 1 w45 b31n9 r1pp3d 4p4r7 4nd 7h3n 17 4ll w3n7 d4rk." He shudders, "17 f3l7 l1k3 50m37h1n9 w45 cl4w1n9 17'5 w4y 0u7 0f my b0dy."

"Wh3n 1 7h0u9h7 1'd d13d... 50m37h1n9 5p0k3 70 m3. 8u7 17 w45n'7 7h3 v01c3 7h47 lur3d m3 70 7h3 5w0rd 1n 7h3 f1r57 pl4c3, 17 w45 50m37h1n9 d1ff3r3n7." He says solemnly.