New Moon/Zahliya Event START!

[mooninthewater]

NEW MOON, WHO DIS?

!

"INVITATION"

Everyone will get a recounting from Mizuki about his encounter with the creature in the woods, regardless of whether or not you had your own run in it with. He knows it was brought up before, but he just wants to make extra sure everyone is up to speed! He gives a general outline of information that he learned from Ydalir, the Trader. (And, yes, he calls her that to everyone.)

One, the creature's name is Zahliya, but has many overall titles. His full title seems to be "Zahliya, The Purifier, He Who is the First Sentinel, the Grove's Guardian". It's kind of a mouthful, but Mizuki seems adamant you do your best to remember it all.
Two, "Purifier" seems to imply his capability to ward off and, well, purify corruption from the forest. This is obviously going to be very useful to the Grove as a whole.
Three, the fog is apparently at its weakest during that of a new moon, hence the timing. Which is tonight, Mizuki happily reminds you!
Four... "Zahliya needs our help."

He doesn't seem to elaborate further on that last point. Feel free to ask him about it, or just go to your fellow neighbors and be like "hey, what the fuck is that cryptic twink on about???" Regardless of what you do with that information, Mizuki strongly encourages your to meet with everyone at the edge of the fog closest to the inn tonight.

!

GATHERING

...And by "strongly encourages", it means he will drag your dumb ass to the meeting if you need an excuse to have them actually show up. Mizuki seems very adamant about this. Zahliya is their friend now! We don't leave friends behind.

Mizuki explains that it seems relatively simple, all things considered. Simple relative to other things within the Grove, anyway. They just all gotta... "wish" for Zahliya. Sort of like believing in fairies, or calling out one's name for them to appear. Sort of.

He's certainly not going to lead in this, however. He's just here to provide the information! If anything, he's more hopeful that someone else will take the reigns from him the moment all knowledge about this is out there.

!

OOC

The OOC post about this event is here. I figured I should make the post about it initially, considering Mizuki dug for the lore about Zahliya, but considering he is not the leader-type, he will simply defer to the group from here. This is helpful for both chaos reasons and so everyone can more easily be involved. I also left the first prompt open for any pre-discussions about this you'd like to get out of the way, though if you would just like to read through Mizuki's discussion with the Trader and handwave knowing it, I'm totally fine with that, too. Mizuki wouldn't make any attempts to hide information from anyone, assuming they asked him the question first.

Recap of the Event so far! (Click to Expand!)

• The event begins with characters learning and talking about how to go about the information above. Caoimhe's brought a song. Natsuno brought knives. BB brought herself (unfortunately). Add brought... medical attention. All's well!
• Until it isn't, as when the moon is at its zenith, there's a horrifying roar and two mysterious sets of footprints within the fog. Using the goggles from the Shopkeeper, Add is able to find a twisted looking creature and a humanoid. It's decided that it's now or never to call out for their Guardian friend.
• And he does, in fact, appear! But he certainly doesn't seem to be doing so hot...
• ...but taking care of him might have to come second to the very angry monster beyond Felicity's barrier.

Comments

[neverleave]

I thought he -

[Not that Natsuno cares, but this creature is supposed to be particular on how you address it.]

Was big on official titles.

[devilishkouhai]

So then, BB's "Effervescent Monster Girlfriend?"

[neverleave]

Does your "Effervescent Monster Girlfriend" even know you're dating.

[devilishkouhai]

SIGH!!!! [ She says so exasperated! ] Do they need to know?!?!

[neverleave]

[She didn't even blow the air out, just said "sigh." Right, so she's one of those people who will say anything get a reaction. Natsuno decides to doubt everything she says on principle.]

Only if you don't want to be thrown into an institute for the criminally insane.

[devilishkouhai]

[ THANK GOD, what a smart man. Be careful though cause she'll throw a fast one on ya. She likes to switch it up, on principle alone. ]

Oh, that would be super interesting if that could happen! I feel like they would end up boarding the therapists after they are through with me.

[neverleave]

Don't sound so proud of it.

[devilishkouhai]

Why not? Therapists are all whack anyways, then again I'm an AI and you are - [ A pause, the air stills around them and she asks with a dignified breath. It is quiet enough only for them to hear. ] Are you even human?

[neverleave]

[He quirks an eyebrow, mostly because he didn't expect her to lower her voice for this question.]

I'm a vampire.

[Natsuno keeps his voice quiet to match hers, though he doesn't mind admitting it anymore. Still, he appreciate BB's surprising show of tact.]

AI... so like a robot?

[devilishkouhai]

YEAH A FUCKING VAMPIRE!?!? SO LIKE DO YO SPARKLE!?!?! LIKE EDWARD FROM TWILIGHT? I AM TOTALLY TEAM EDWARD BY THE WAY!!!

[ She says that, rather loudly a stark comparison from before. ]

No not a robot, an Artifical intelligence. I just got a weird body when I got here.

[neverleave]

[Aaaaaand respect levels plummeted back to zero.]

Again with the sparkles bullshit? [Okay so he might glow sometimes - but the sun el, not vampirism SHUT UP] Where does it even come from.

[devilishkouhai]

Did I say it again - oh no BB's memories are on a tizzy it seems. [ OUR SHINNING BEACON!!!!! OUR GLOWING VAMPIRE PROTAG!! ]

What you don't know twilight - oh well duh, of course not. [ She rolls her eyes as if she forgot others cant break the fourth wall like her, ] It's a popular love novel that many people were obsessed over for a while. It was cute, not the best - so like whatever. But also, BB thinks its funny.

[neverleave]

Not you. [Someone else told him that, in a different world.] Anyway, romance novels about vampires are stupid. Most of them are reanimated corpses. [And who'd want to kiss that? Gross.]

[devilishkouhai]

What but they're all the rage? Its all about that scandalous and sexy idea of being bitten by one? You know what I'm talking about, right, right?

[neverleave]

No.

[Just one syllable, but it's several degrees colder than everything that came before, sharp and final. "Scandalous and sexy?" He'll never forget how terrifying and helpless he felt lying there, so sick he couldn't move, as his dead best friend sunk fangs into his neck for the last time. How Tohru-chan cried icy tears as Natsuno slipped into darkness.

All the rage? Such stupid, romanticized bullshit.]

Artificial intelligence? More like an obnoxious moron.

1/2

[devilishkouhai]

HEY!

[devilishkouhai]

That's Devilishly Cute obnoxious kouhai too you~~~

[ So she says, having matched his cold and cruel statement of 'No,' with a loud and obnoxious affirmation of 'HEY' back. ]

So cute, I can feel the edgy angst coming out of you!!!

[neverleave]

[That's it, that's the ragequit point, sorry BB - ]

Get lost.

[Yeah he's just gonna walk away to... another spot a few feet across because they still have a gargoyle to summon and a monster to slay.]

[devilishkouhai]

[ Never apologize!!! BB is insane - so insane she is attempting to drag Natsuno into her pocket dimension because she wants to bully him more!! You are so bullyable Natsuno!! It's so cute, she likes the way you say mean things and act so much like a human with their common senses and disparity against her insane standard. She wants to eat it ! Chomp on it ! She wants to break you ! She is insane, but only to a point!

The point here: I wanna bully him more!!!

She is so simple and quaint.

Do you get dragged in and suddenly find yourself on the beaches of some other world? Or are you able to deflect the strange pressure of an eldritch abomination attempting to drag you into its realm where it can play with you as if you were nothing more than a mouse and her the cat - -

Player Consent is important so it is up to you !! ]

[neverleave]

[I realized that abomination realm adventures would mess up Natsuno's event timeline, so let's put a pin in that.

He shakes off the sudden pressure and keeps walking stubbornly, not wanting to even look at BB.

Please bully him later, it can be her treat after she comes back to life!]

[devilishkouhai]

[ Sad Tsun noises!! ]

NoooOoooooOoooOooOO commme backkk~~!!!