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

WHY ARE U GIVING CHUNG TRUAMA!!

[devilishkouhai]

[ BB got smooshed beneath a tree, it's fine Chung you tried your best. She is in his arms, attempting to gasp for breath though he is trying to heal her. This body is rather beyond repair, and she is a muttering mess of words something about - ]

Ss-stupid human body...

lava event was fels turn now its chungs :)

[shineprism]

( even chung can't move a tree. not alone at least. that doesn't stop him from trying, feet digging into the dirt as he strains to give bb even an inch of reprieve-

it's not enough. he knows it won't be. healing her would only open her up to more pain before he could free her, anyways- )

Hold on, BB- ELSWORD!

( where is he? the two of them, surely- it's not an especially large tree, is it? not like his was- he's pretty sure his was an oak tree, the bastard. )

[devilishkouhai]

[ Hero types are annoying, they ruin everything afterall. The best of Humanity standing against the worst of what can be - why do they do that? Contradictory and pointless, the projections within the moon cell have surmised as much, and when she had - no another her. Had merged themself entirely with the Moon Cell, causing it to have personality through BB's existence. It thought them senseless and subjected them to the notion of extinguishing their life. If not because of Hakuno's and her servant's swift action - the Moon Cell would have.

She would have, killed all of humanity - because they are worthless.

His cry is delicate and stupid - she murmurs some demeaning adjective that is lost in the noises her body makes in tandem with everything that she feels. ]

Don't bother - [ Can be made out between the gurgling and blood filling her lungs. She is a servant but now in a human body, it is... Strange. Annoying even. BB just thinks it's entertaining if anything - they don't know do they? Don't know if she has made their life more complicated as the fog turns black. It makes suffering, while she is dying all the more worthwhile. She is excited, to hear the stupid thoughts they come up with when she is gone. That none would think to connect her death, and the fog change together - how hilarious, how stupid, how utterly futile! They are helpless, and will always be helpless. ]

Mizuki.. [ Her thoughts are deranged, she is almost speaking some of it out loud but it is garbled and unintelligible except for suddenly saying his name - ]

[shineprism]

No- BB, hold on! Just a little longer, please-!

( but it's too late, isn't it?

this doesn't stop him from trying anyways, futilely trying to prop the tree up enough that she could be pulled out-

even if she's already dead, she deserves to be treated with respect, not- not just left there. even if he's failed her, he can send her off properly, and wait for her return. she's not the first one he's failed to save, and in his heart he knows she won't be the last. but... she's the first he can make it up to, at least.

once she returns from the garden.

...

chung stops trying to move the tree, crouching beside bb instead and taking one of her hands in his. a soft glow emits.

as bb dies, she should at least feel no pain. )

I promise... I'll make this as gentle as possible. And then, when you come back, I'll make you something wonderful to eat. Alright...?

[devilishkouhai]

[ BB hears, I'll make you something wonderful to eat?

Wait what, but why..?

In the haze of her thoughts, she feels uncertain as the fading feeling of death is something new, strange, and fleeting. For an AI, this experience is deliciously unique that she can add to her hall of information and storage base. Death is not something she herself is foreign too - BB, has died many times. Is allowed to know she died many times.

But for an AI, dying is different then it is as a human. It's like information leaving from you, as she slowly began to be deleted. Stripped essence by essence, consciously aware of yourself being lost to deletion. Bit by bit. Dying as a human though - this was different. It is as if everything was in front of you, and you are as powerless as you are when being deleted. Yet it is, different. Everything is a haze, and everything is fading away. But present, and its in that presentness that is being taken away.

She remembers pain, she always felt pain. BB's birth came out of pain after all. From the desire of one girl, Sakura. Unable to want deal with it. The pains of love, and what came with it. Knowing the one you love is going to die, be reset, and that they would never remember you or any of the moments you had. That pain is the reason for BB's existence, and she thrives within it.

Then all of a sudden it's gone.

It's quiet.

She's left with herself, and the hallow feeling of where her presence is. ]

Why?

[ BB manages though, she knows she is dying and it is only out of sheer will and unnoticed anger that she is able to keep on living enough to ask him that question.

Why are you going to cook me food? I've done nothing.

In the fragility of morality, it's the AI part of her that is dead, and the human part of her that remains here between them.

But then all of a sudden, the question changes and with the last bit of breath she finally says: ]

Why didn't... Haku..no come for me instead?

[ She remembers something from the future that she isn't supposed to know - but this is BB. She knows everything, unfortunately. She knows one day far off in the future of Chaldea Hakuno finally breaks their silence, and steps forward to save Nero. But deep down inside, in the silence of her inaction - for once, BB's question and curiosity as she watches this all take place below her.

She wondered why, Hakuno didn't even stop to say hello.
Wondered why, Hakuno never came for her.

What is that feeling?

Before she can hear any answer, she dies in Chung's kind and caring regards. ]