(Apologies if I side step anyone's post,  but I'm just gonna go)<br/><br/>Valspan was reluctant to go below deck to appraise the "Spirit Weapons" Grandus had collected over the years.  He could sense more than he needed to know all of the items were bad news,  very bad news for him especially,  since he was not the typical personality to bond to a demon chained to a sword.<br/><br/>After some prodding though,  he would slowly move down to appraise the demon tools.  His curiosity was stronger than any sense of self preservation,  he was with this crew afterall.  His vines hovered over the objects,  until he felt.... Heard a whisper from the back, from the bottom corner of a chest, buried as much as Grandus could.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"Would you like to play with me?</span><br/><br/>Valspan gingerly wove his Vine into the pile,  wrapping around and pulling free a doll.  It was a beautiful doll,  porcelain skin,  raven black hair,  and a satin dress as red as blood, it's joints made of gold, giving it some hefty weight for a small dog. Valspan was sure he'd heard a voice, a voice dripping with malevolence,  but also genuinely asking. The eyes of the doll gave away it's true nature,  deep black soul sucking voids in the otherwise pretty face.<br/><br/>Valspan could feel the dolls eyes take in his form,  and he could feel the evil pouring from the doll over his vines, like a fog coming off the small toy. It didn't bother him at all though. He wasn't a force for 'good' by any means.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">"What are you doing with those ladies?"</span><br/><br/>Its voice tickled his mind,  feeling like a little bird upon his shoulder,  singing a silent song just for him.<br/><br/>"I'm digesting them, little one.  What is your name?" To anyone watching,  the tree was talking to himself, the little doll in his grip silent and innocuous.<br/><br/>There was a moment of silence before a giggle made him shiver,<span style="font-style: italic">"You're funny! I'm Evelin! What's your name mister?"</span><br/><br/>"I am Valspan of the Tickling Roots.  Come,  let's go play,  I believe you've been cooped up in here for too long."<br/><br/>From that point on, a pair of Valspan's vines would always be playing with the doll,  even if he was going about other duties,  and he could often be heard talking to himself,  much much more than he used to.  Often, the doll was perched on the edge of his mouth, watching into his stomach as he 'played' with the contents.