sticksandbones | [CLOSED] Zahliyaquest...2

Entry tags:

[CLOSED] Zahliyaquest...2

Who: Zahliya, Luca, Joshua, Wolfwood, Dipper, Mamika, Siffrin, Loop, & Kiera
What: A gargoyle needs task-doers for character development
When: Mid-August, yes during the rainstorms, good luck
Where: ??? :)
Warnings: Typical Sticks trigger warnings apply, suicide, time loops resulting in multiple character deaths, Wolfwood just shot someone executioner style, more to be added

OOC notes, here is a rehash of your rules:

Mod tags will come either a) after everyone involved has tagged in or b) after 24 hours have passed since the last mod tag. This means if you are absent for any reason, the thread WILL move on without you.
Interaction in this log will be redeemable for MAIN AC, not just Bonus AC like most of our NPC threads.
This questline will shape Zahliya's outcome for the rest of the game, and may or may not result in an almost-full Corruption cure and therefore gamewide impact. I will let people know midway through the quest if he's currently aimed at aggression/confidence/staying in the Grove, or if he's on passive/indecisive/leaving the Grove.
The old OOC plotting post for this is here!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Zahliya appreciates Luca and Kiera so much... but they might notice that he's struggling more than just injury-wise. Luca, more so than Kiera, will be familiar with how the Gargoyle tries to conjure his flame most of the time; it's usually a flick of the wrist, and even if he thinks of himself as bad at magic, he's never not been able to conjure even the littlest flame after he started to practice more. This time, it's a flick of the wrist, a flick, a flick... and nothing, like trying to light a lighter without fluid.

His hand tightens into a fist. God, he feels so useless right now. And then Loop dumps? Light?? On him?? And that feeling of "what the fuck is wrong with me" is waylaid by another round of feeling grateful. He just has to remember. Remember how to cast. Remember the pieces of his life that were ripped out of his head.

Thanks to Dipper, the Warden is forced to dodge, and the ire is drawn. It's coming at Dipper with another conjured tree, this is what it does — raising it high overhead and trying to smash him. The armour it wears is beginning to wear down rapidly, though, and keen eyes will spot nothing but smoke underneath. There's a thunderous clap of metal hooves as it runs forward with this tree. Time to squish a teenager!

Meanwhile, on the side of villain monologues... she scoffs. Despite trying to appear holier-than-thou, though, she's seriously having to hold her wounds closed and her shirt on. If a titty falls out here everyone look the other way, it's y'all that are hitting her with bullets and swords!]

My, are you going to give me that opportunity to speak? Do you want my name, or do you like thinking of me as some nameless thing? It's "Zonari", for your information. See how civil conversations go?

You two in the front there look like siblings — shouldn't you know better than anyone that family should stick together? I'm simply removing those old memories he doesn't need. My father, that which you refer to as "the Forest", doesn't need interlopers. You lot have already taken so much from Him.

You people being in little Zahliya's memories makes them harder to remove. He keeps clinging to them. It's quite difficult to bring someone to the correct side of history when they've got a bunch of hangups on insignificant little—

[and then Siffrin fucking robs her blind. Yeah, that belt splits easily, and Siffrin will easily be able to run off with both swords, but he'd better be fast because she's wheeling on him and roaring in rage, trying to smoke him like a pig over a spit with her black fire. The surrounding forest is not immune, either, and will go up in flames shortly.

Further agitated, Zahliya is yet again desperately trying to conjure his own fire to counteract hers.]

[Luca feels metal slide into his hand. The weight and balance of a rapier is familiar enough that he recognizes it immediately. He clenches his fist, holding it tight for just a second, before loosening his grip once more. He glances toward his sibling, offering... not quite a smile, but certainly a less terse acknowledgement of their effort -

And then something catches his eye. He spots Zahliya struggling, the familiar and comforting flame failing to manifest. For the first time in ages, he places his trust in Kiera and her ability to get something done, and falls back. He kneels beside the gargoyle. One hand twines between those desperately flickering fingers, before his own flame manifests between them.

They've done this before. They'd combined their flame together, watching deep orange and red intermingle with green. He knows the close proximity won't hurt Zahliya, immune to flame as he is. Luca only hopes it provides him with the inspiration he needs.

And as he hopes, he turns his attention to Zonari and... simply laughs. He glances toward Kiera, a smirk upon his lips. He speaks to a Zonari he knows... probably isn't listening. But for his sibling's sake, it needs to be said.]

You are not wrong that we are siblings. But we are not bound by blood. We, like many others, are free to choose their family. And like those others, we are also free to cut away the rotten branches that seek only to harm us.

Edited 2024-08-30 21:51 (UTC)

[Dipper would be hollering in agreement to Luca for his speech, but unfortunately, or fortunately, his plan worked and he’s got the Warden’s attention. That’s fine, that’s good because the tree comes down like thunder on Dippers head while he looks on in horror-]

[click, ka-schunk, BLAM!]

[With blood running down from his eye and a flurry of feathers at his feet, Dipper stands instead at the warden’s nine o’clock, and unloads his third round into his armor.]

C’mon, you’re not nearly as scary as half the crap I’ve fought back home.

[Despite that show, he’s also starting to feel the strain of using his powers. Still, he reloads again. Three more rounds.]

[So hey, does the temple group remember waay back before you guys got killed a lot how Wolfwood took a moment to readjust his Punisher, clicking the skull-shaped dial into place at the front and leaving it that way?

It was done for a reason, and he hasn't had the need to use it. At least, not until now.

There's a brief moment of blind panic in which it genuinely looks like Dipper just got squashed flat by that tree in front of him, only for it to quickly dissipate when he hears gunfire and sees him over on the warden's other side. Jesus CHRIST kid-

...but then he ALSO sees the way Dipper's eye is bleeding and mother fucker. He's going to GET you, if they make it out of this alive.

He spits into the dirt, kicking the bottom of his gun with his heel to throw it up into his arms, lifting it up underneath one as he widens his stance. The warden is far back enough from the group that he feels confident in doing this and, well, he's not going to do this without giving them a bit of warning. That warning will come in the form of the way the gun literally begins to glow a blinding blue at the tip, humming audibly as it revs. Thank God he has one charge left.

Now he just has to make sure he hits his target.]

Better duck, kid!!

[Dipper probably won't need to, he's not in the line of fire, but at the same time also he might want to get out of the way juuust in case because Wolfwood is about to attempt to blast the fucker's armor clear off its "body".]

[ Well, while everyone else is on the offense, Siffrin is running off with exactly what they came out here to get. He got the prize, and he's about to get obliterated for doing it. Luckily, Joshua is watching!

Before any of that fire can even touch Siffrin, it's instead slamming against an invisible barrier that shimmers briefly with a hexagonal pattern before fizzling into nonexistence. Joshua grunts softly, arm outstretched in the direction of the scuffle - that was a powerful attack, to break his shield like that. If he's going to help Siffrin get away unscathed, he's going to have to put more up right as the others go down.

Nothing he can't handle, though. He'll just have to keep a close eye on it. ]

[Ahhh yes, a cute little villain monologue! Just like they'd hoped for. They're content to let Zonari speak as much as she wants—while she goes on, they give Zahliya a thumbs up before stepping a little ways away, not wanting to make him any more of a target. Dipper and Wolfwood seem to have a handle of the Warden (probably), so their gaze flits back to the gargoyle.

All this talk of family... hah, it doesn't mean much to them! But they can take offence at ripping out memories, like she has any right to decide what isn't important enough to remember. Like anyone should have that right, to decide that for someone else.

There's a lot they could say in reply, but they opt instead to simply look very smug leading up to the moment Siffrin robs her ass.]

Who were you calling insignificant again~? [lmao loserrrrrr

The counterattack comes fast, though. They only panic for a second when the flames start pouring out, shooting a look at Josh when the stream is blocked by a barrier. Ah, they'll have to praise him later, too...

But for now, they they don't want to give Zonari another chance to attack their stardust. They snap their fingers, charging ahead to attack her side while she's distracted—hand curled into a tight fist, echoing the forceful slam of an invisible boulder, flickering black sparks dancing around the impact zone. Uncomfortably close to the flames, but hey, it'll be fine, probably.

They only need to knock her off her feet, buuuuut they're also not being very delicate about it. Sucks for her!! Get rocked, idiot!!]

Edited (i forgot the word but its fine i found it) 2024-08-31 01:53 (UTC)

[diplomacy won't exactly work if everyone keeps fucking aggroing the other party. kiera figures they and mamika are just about the only godsdamned people here who haven't attempted to land a blow on either the warden or the gargoyle, even if the aforementioned doesn't seem quite predisposed to speech.

it's true that kiera themself prefers to talk their way out of situations for the sake of ease, but that doesn't mean they wouldn't gladly beat zonari into the ground. so long as the gargoyle is in a mood to talk, though, they'll try.

they start by focusing on dousing what fire they can from trees lit up by the black flames. conjuring enough snow to fill an inn room should theoretically be enough for at least one tree at a time.]

I'm willing to bet your father will put you down like a rabid cur the moment you cease being useful to him. We've all seen what happens to those he "loves," and I've survived his like. [nene and her choking vines, her puppet strings. luca's mention of chosen family and culled branches.] You don't matter to him, Zonari, and he won't extend the same mercy we offer to you.

[The swords come lose and Siffrin catches them, turning immediately and taking off back towards the rest of the group. The enraged screaming from behind him suggests he probably shouldn't waste time looking back. He's fast, but he can feel the heat of her fire bearing down on him regardless, and he winces as he braces for the inevitable burning.

But it never comes. Siffrin exhales a held breath as the barrier blocks the oncoming flames and takes advantage of the cover to dart back over to the others. Unceremoniously, they toss the swords to Zahliya. They don't necessarily trust him, but at this moment it seems like probably the wise move to arm him properly.]

[ Oh, Mamika hates this. She hates that she has to try to be the voice of peace while everything around her is destruction and violence. The fact that this has happened way too much at this point should mean that she should be used to it, but she's not sure she'd ever really get to that point, no matter how much it comes up. Her wand is clenched so tightly in her hands that her knuckles have turned white, and it's taking everything she has to not just...

'Talking things through only works when both sides want to.'

You're wrong.

'You could stop the fight if you used your full power.'

You're wrong!! Words are powerful! She never wants to use her magic to force people to listen ever again! She just has to speak up! She just has to say the right thing! She just has to speak to their hearts!

She doesn't want anyone to get hurt... ]

That isn't true! How could you say we've taken anything when he's taken these people from their homes?! [ Deep breath. ] We are trying to stop him from taking! We are trying to make sure he doesn't hurt people anymore! Even the things he cares about he's done nothing but hurt! If you really want to help someone like that, father or not, you'll only get hurt, too!

Miss Gargoyle, Mister Warden, please listen! We don't have to take from each other! We can give! We can help! We can make sure everyone gets a happy ending! You have that option!! If you continue to fight us, then no one gets a happy ending!

[Zahliya does not remember how to cast his magic. That much is obvious by this point, and as he mentally scorns himself for it and simply wishes he had those memories back... Luca, of course, is right there. As he always had been. Among the many things that keep the small gargoyle going at the end of the day, it's always been Luca. Luca, who singlehandedly dragged him out of his constant attachment to the past, who has given him a slice of confidence, even in the wake of every mistake he's ever made. He clutches the flame in his hand, staring at it, and then crushes it in his palm.

Then, Siffrin tosses the swords his way, and Zahliya has to leap to catch them — the broken Daybreak in his hands, and Nightfall with his tail. He reminds himself to stop sitting there and pouting about all the things he can't do. Focus on the things he can. No matter how hard she'd tried, she couldn't excise the memories of everyone here from his head — even if he's now got two sets from his awakening at the Temple lodged in there now, thanks to that time loop. People were always supposed to be his strength. Not fire, not his ability to kill, and not even his ability to cure.

Zahliya focuses on Luca's fire. On the words of everyone here. On the sounds of gunfire, thanks boys... On Mamika's pleading, and Loop's, er, rocks, ones that launch Zonari off her feet and send her tumbling through the dirt — and he swaps Nightfall into his other hand, rushing out of the crowd of people around him to attack his so-called sibling with a leap into the air. Why are you all protecting him, when it's always been his job to protect you all?]

ZONARI!!

[She barely puts her hands up in time to block the assault with a wall of black fire, and while one might think Daybreak is useless in this state... the blade is replaced. "Healed", in a way, by Zahliya's green fire shooting out of the broken metal. His horns and tail, too, are lit the same way.

...

Meanwhile, the Warden! It is armoured, yeah, but that armour can be broken rather easily. Dipper's repeated bullets have put strain on it, dented it in such a way that it's awkward for the smoke creature to move around within, and that makes its repeated attempts to squash Dipper (illusion-Dipper) with entire trees difficult. It can't run to dodge Wolfwood's laser, either, which narrowly avoids hitting Zahliya at the same time the gargoyle is leaping into the air to beat the shit out of a woman. Luckily, no Zahliyas were harmed with that specifically, and the heat from the laser cuts clean through. The armour crumbles, half-melted, half broken into chunks from the hail of bullets, and the smoke creature within crawls out.

...

Meanwhile! From the ground where the "siblings" are tussling, Zonari tries to scream in her defence over the hail of swords clashing into magic. Zahliya is not going easy anymore, and Daybreak's green fire cuts easily through her black flame. Kiera has put out the rest with their snow, and that leaves her with little room to act or do anything, especially thanks to Loop knocking her off her feet. She can't even deal with Siffrin nor Joshua anymore.]

Your happy ending isn't his happy ending, child! How can you say everyone gets theirs when you clearly know damn well what he wants!

How could I not matter?! I'm the last thing he has that you people haven't ripped from him, other than that damn snake! You people wouldn't understand him nor his desires if they slapped you clear across the face!

[ With the blades safely in Zahliya's hands and so many attacks coming from so many angles, it's the perfect opportunity for Joshua to finally get to play the way he wants to. The mind is one hell of a weak point, after all. A little Imprint here, digging his fingers in there... It's been too risky to try thus far, but now that distraction is in play, he has his chance.

Zonari's mind isn't difficult to locate out of the rest. He's familiar enough with the others by now, and the Warden is... well. Different. Zahliya and Zonari are the outliers here, and there's no mistaking one from the other. It certainly isn't as easy breaking in as it is with others, but Joshua does his best to break through. With how angered she currently is, thoughts he may previously have had to dig around for might be at the surface, and that's just less work overall for him!

First, though, comes the Imprint. A subtle, crawling feeling that someone is behind her, watching her, that he aims to make an overwhelming itch the longer she ignores it. After that will come the skimming - just what is it that makes you tick, Zonari? ]

[Luca comes... dangeroulsy close to laughing his attempt off. After all, how could love and a little sentimentality ever overcome what had been done to Zahliya? But no sooner than the thought hits his mind, Luca watches the gargoyle, his gargoyle, leap into action. The flurry of blows is almost difficult to follow, especially over the massive laser that shoots over the fight and cracks the warden in twain.

Truthfully, Luca knows not what to do next. Zahliya is back on his feet, stronger than ever it would seem. His heart briefly swells, before another gout of fire shoots off of the tangled limbs of the quarreling siblings. Part of him thinks about joining the fight, before the bristling at the back of his mind reminds him that beyond conjuring a few miniscule flames, he's not to partake in this fight.

Run then? Hide and stay out of the way? That hardly seems like him. But what was there to do?

It takes Mamika's words, processing all she has to say, and Zonari's response in kind, for him to remember the promise he'd made. Maybe he even feels guilty for casting the first blow. At first, he still balks at the idea of simply talking things out, not after what Zonari had done. But even Zahliya had given his blessing, so...]

Then tell us! We can all - agree to lay down our arms if it means coming to a better understanding, yes? [He glances first to Mamika, an assurance that despite the misstep, he still has her back. And then he looks to the others. They will be... slightly less easier to convince. Never mind the fact that he's claiming for a ceasefire when he was the one to begin the fight itself. Then again, that really isn't the point here. Rather...]

Or maybe... the truth is that even you don't know. That despite your screaming and shouting, you don't know what he wants either. [Luca's words are halting. Stumbling. Once, he'd been good with people, a natural charmer. The last few years have truly done away with that. But gods, is he still trying.] Believe me, I know what it feels like, to question what your deity, your creator, truly wants with you.

[kiera, at least, still doesn't deal blows to either zonari or the warden, though at this point they're wary of the amorphous entity that pours forth from the warden's shell. they stay at luca's side, trying to show him that they at the very least have his back.

their gaze, though, keeps trained on the warden, in case it takes the opportunity to attack. yes, there are others engaging it, but one sly trick could easily overwhelm them all.]

[Wolfwood is leaving the attempts-at-talking to Luca and the others, because he can't really think of anything he'd say that wouldn't just piss Zonari off more and, oh, does he have words he'd love to give. Instead, he'll focus on doing what he was built for.

Good news: He and Dipper's combined efforts at shooting the Warden have successfully chipped away its armor, melting it off it's "body" and leaving the amorphous insides exposed. Hooray!

Bad news: He never really thought of what that would mean, exactly, should they have gotten this far. You can't exactly pelt a shadow with bullets, meaning the two of them are on the back foot. Wolfwood moreso than Dipper, who lacks any sort of magical ability. He has his gun and his fists, and neither will be effective against this creature, he imagines.

With the barrel still smoking, Wolfwood pulls back and slings the Punisher over his shoulder again, moving a little closer to Dipper just in case they've unleashed some new hell upon the group unintentionally.]

Look alive, kid. I don't think it's over.

[Dipper’s seen enough anime fuck-off guns to know when someone shouts DUCK, he should just do it and ask later.]

I’m sorry was that a proton canon in your cross?!

[He sounds both impressed and incredulous, but he’s up and moving in close shortly after. That thing did a bananas amount of damage to the warden, but it definitely looks like they just unlocked its second form.]

[Dipper flips a switch on his gun, and in a short second the thing becomes a polearm with a blade at the end like some kind of transformers toy. He’s not in much better shape than Wolfwood here, seeing his magic is all ritual based or psychic based, but having nothing but his fists didn’t stop him from winning against a gundamn once so lets see how far that Pines luck gets him.]

I don’t suppose that thing has a flashlight mode or something.

[Shadows hate light, so-]

Edited 2024-09-01 23:41 (UTC)

[Loop steps back again once Zahliya jumps into the fray. This is supposed to be his character arc, isn't it? So it's only fair! That everyone let him get some good hits in! Get her ass!! Go Zahliya go!!

They slip into the sidelines next to Siffrin, giving him a shoulder bump. Enjoy that 0.2 seconds of physical contact it's all you get.] Good work, stardust! A smooth recovery, nine out of ten! Lost some points for style, but I get it, it's easy to forget in the heat of the moment~

[yay you did it etc, clap clap clap]

[So stingy, Loop. He was actually worried about you, the least you could do is give him a full second of contact.]

Fine, then you can take a stab at it next time.

[The slightest twitch at the corner of his mouth as he flips his dagger and takes a ready stance.

Ready or not, though, Siffrin holds off on diving right back into the fray. His more recent fighting tendency has been to Just Attack, but with all the people here shooting guns and giant lasers and whatnot at the creature, it doesn't seem wise to get close to it where one might catch a stray bullet. And the lady seems fairly occupied at the moment tussling with Zahliya. So Siffrin hangs back beside Loop, making handsigns to Craft a bit of healing and a buff for Zahliya in his fight. Enjoy the speed boost and health regeneration!]

[ Mamika turns to look briefly at the Warden, than to the gargoyles, realizing she has to make a choice here and she hates that. She doesn't want to pick?? Maybe the Warden will be okay?? ] W-wait! Come on, please! We can still talk, there's no need to keep fighting!

[ Urghghghh... She spins around to throw down another shower of hearts between Zahliya and his "sister", popping like firecrackers and giving off tiny gusts of wind and confetti. ]

Of course I don't understand!!! Do you?! Do you know why he pulled us here?! Do you know why he's bored and torturing us despite already getting rid of alternates to ourselves?? Are you going to tell me that makes sense to you?! If we're really the problem, then it's one he caused to begin with!

If you truly thought family was important, you wouldn't be doing this to Mister Gargoyle! Please... think about this rationally!!

[Zahliya whackwhackwhackwhacking his so-called sibling harder, thank you Siffrin, Twitter will cancel me for this scene for sibling abuse— and then Mamika literally forces them apart, sending Zahliya off his feet and Zonari into a backwards somersault across the clearing. She's still bleeding and full of bullet holes, clearly tired and losing the ability to put up much of a resistance, but this will give her some opportunity to recover.

...So she thinks, anyway, but Zahliya catches himself on his wings and rights mid-air, and he's too pissed off to listen to anybody right now, so uh. Mister "I don't know how to work my own magic lol" is now hurling green fireballs in her direction. Luckily, his fire only catches on corrupted things. Unfortunately the entire ground here is corrupted. Whoops! Sorry about the snow also, Kiera, it's gonna melt.

(At some point this will line up with Joshua's brain-digging, next tag she'll be flipped and still itchy thanks Josh, but take this for now. She's also looking like she's having a hard time focusing because she has one gargoyle trying to kill her, the Warden is armourless, Josh is in her brain, and y'all are yelling at her...)]

I'm not questioning anything!!

I want you all to die! I want it all to burn, I want you to suffer, I want all of you to rot from the inside out!

Every last damn thing he does makes perfect sense! This world deserves nothing less than death and destruction! He was the one betrayed!

[And as for those of you watching the Warden, don't worry, it can't do too much in this form. It's literally just a smoke creature... but it will wrap around Zonari and try to shield her from Zahliya's fire, and any onslaughts from you all as once. So much for boss fight phase 2.]

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i am taking joshua on a separate adventure, fingerguns

gasp, a mini adventure

a special chapter for our favourite troll and angel

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