【fallen stars vs TREE】

[berriah]

Punch A Tree Log

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A Twisted Rumor

It's the day after the Fallen Star Meeting regarding the recent rumor. As morning brightens the city's night, stories are making their way from the bottom level to the top.

"The cherry blossom tree isn't going to hurt us, is it? It looks so scary."

For those who have learned the truth about rumors, this may especially distressing to hear. There's no time to wait: If anything is going to be done to save the tree's spirit, it must be done now.

The current plan is to address the tree spirit's wish to be remembered and acknowledged by holding a picnic by the lonely cherry blossom tree. Fallen Stars hope to reenact the lively Reblooming parties that had been happening on the upper levels all month. This tree, though the origin of that tradition, exists at the bottom level of Starsand City: Where spirits and kami are still feared. The hope is that this party will soothe the raging spirit and bring it peace... and, ideally, bring back all of the people who have recently gone missing.

But the meeting also ended on a note of caution. If the spirit will not peacefully give up the missing people, then more drastic measures may need to be taken. And... Spoiler alert, but this log is titled tree FIGHT.

Timeline of Events

This log will operate a bit different from normal! It's also an experiment, so if it doesn't work then apologies in advanced! In order to maintain an easy-to-follow timeline of events, there will be a top-level for each stage of the encounter. As the encounter progresses, new top-levels will be added to reflect each stage of the Rumor.

Character top-levels are still welcome, but please try to use the top-levels for time sensitive threads. Threadjacking is welcomed & encouraged, though please be respectful of one another. And of course, make use of the feedback section!

Backtagging is also still welcome. Event stages will be staggered over the course of the next week & past threads still have time to make an impact. Please don't feel rushed!

!

Timeline of Toplevels

OOC Check-In - There will be IC consequences for participating!

Feedback - Yell at me

Questions - Ask questions, Get Answers

---

The Night Before - For preparation during the night.

The Morning Of - For preparations before heading out for the picnic.

Hanami on the First Level - The picnic that was planned at the meeting.

A Shift in Tone - Reacting to the battle start.

Battle Guidelines

• Battle A - VS Tree Spirit
  
• Battle B - VS Bread
  
• Battle C - VS ???
  
• Battles D - VS Lost Spirits
  

Aftermath - Victory Party!

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Comments

[ai_nnihilate]

I know that.

[She does. Even if it can be very hard to prioritize herself when she's up on this intimidating pedestal. Even now, she has to warn herself not to open up too much to Dazai. It may sound like he can see through her, but that doesn't mean she can't protect him too. No, she's obligated to protect him too. He was among those who that creature was trying to hurt.]

Don't worry. When I'm back at the shrine, I can relax. For now... That thing slithered off somewhere. [Some human sarcasm seeps into her voice;] If it wants to be stepped on again, then I can be into that.

[bluemackerel]

You're not a rookie anymore! You've spent enough time with the Agency! Congratulations on the impromptu promotion! I don't see anyone else qualified to be my vice president. Unless... you'd rather me give it to Fauna, but I believe she'd be quite overwhelmed. She's even more of a rookie than you are, you know.

[He has to tease a little bit.]

...But you've proven time and time again that you can. The Guild? The Rats in the House of the Dead? You didn't need me there to finish those missions off - that second one least of all. [He shakes his head.] You're going to help me by being yourself. Doing what you've done before. Just sharing some of the authority with me.

You already got a taste of that when Kyouka joined us. This is just the next...unexpected step, since we're in a new world.

[nightwild]

Armed, huh.

[She takes a moment, thinking this through.]

... I'll tell you one thing right now. The only person who has ever beaten me in a fight is Elemental Knight. And that was before all this.

I'm not very smart. I can't think things through, and I can't tell when I'm doing the wrong thing. All I'm good for is fighting and breaking things. But as long as you can make me sure that the fight is for something good, then I won't lose to anyone.

[bluemackerel]

Never hurts to get a reminder every now and then.

[For a goddess, there's a natural humanity to her. Then again, that was from the perspective of someone who viewed humanity with a very odd lens. His brows arched.]

Oh, you're still on the hunt? My, my. Perhaps I should be as well. I'm not as powerful, but...I'm a thinker. [He can't neglect an opportunity for ADA...]

[That last sentence, however, catches him off guard. And he laughs.]

....I mean, so could I, so that'd hardly be a threat coming from a beautiful woman, but that's neither here nor there.

[nightwild]

[Sometime after she's cried on Chron and bullied Dimitri, before heading home with them, Fauna is going to hesitantly approach Satou.

... Though she's still not going to speak first- Rather, her hesitance and her body language make her look like someone who's expecting to get mauled by a bear for daring to endanger her cubs, and has accepted that she deserves it. Still, she's going to let Satou take the first move, here- Fauna isn't going to try to dictate any of this encounter, even if she has stuff to say.]

[ai_nnihilate]

[Satou leans back on her palms, lifting one of her boots higher as she replies without missing a beat;] Sorry, but my shoes are covered in evil goo and you've got a nice face.

[She's too tired to get embarrassed right now.

With the dry joke passed, she lowers both feet to the ground again. Red eyes sweep over the crowd again, and as Dazai now knows she is searching for threats.]

Mm, still hunting. And I hate it, because it means that thing won. Now that I know it's out there, I have to look for it. Cowardly but smart, whatever it is...

[She tilts her head back,] Satou, by the way. You can just call me that. You?

[ai_nnihilate]

[Satou is ashamed of how easy it's been to sneak up on her tonight. She flinches and lifts her gaze suddenly, on high alert and ready to strike. Is that thing back? Does she need to fight? Or worse, has someone become injured-- Is there another Rumor?!

But instead, she sees Fauna. Fauna, who Chron brags about being so high spirited and tough, now looking so... Small. Frail, but not in the physical sense. Satou suddenly remembers seeing Fauna in battle, and how she herself had been too angry at that creature to acknowledge her daughter's friend.

Satou hops to her feet, eyes flashing with concern.]

Fauna-chan? Are you okay? What's wrong? Did it hurt you?!

[bluemackerel]

[She didn't miss a beat, either. Still. He's keeping 'you have a nice face' in mind. It's an honor to get complimented by a goddess, even if it was part of an exchange of banter.]

I don't necessarily think that means it won. If someone runs from a fight, it's usually because they're well aware they're going to lose if they stay. We're on the winning side, and the festivities around us are living proof. It's just a matter of luring it out somehow and eliminating it somehow to fully secure our victory. I'll be looking for it as well. If my group finds it...will a simple prayer reach you?

[He's only half-joking there. ADA should keep their eyes peeled as well, now that they're becoming an organization again.]

That's a relief, since casual is far easier for me...Osamu Dazai. Just Dazai is fine. A pleasure.

[nightwild]

Huh? No- I'm fine, my Discs just need to recharge, I'll be-

[why is Satou being so nice? So caring? Why is she concerned about her at all?]

I wanted to ask you all that!

[bluemackerel]

[Dazai listens to her little speech, and none of these are unfamiliar qualities to him. Not smart? Acceptable. Can't think things through? He's used to it. Can't tell when she's doing the wrong thing? That's half of ADA at home, the other half being the portion that gets them to do the right thing.

Unfortunately, he's on the 'wrong thing' side sometimes, but that's beside the point.]

Well then. All of that is acceptable to me. And any fight we take on will be for the good of everyone.

I've got faith in you, Fauna. [He extends his hand. Seal this with a handshake. She's in. She's got a lot of potential. He can tell. And he's never wrong with that.]

[ai_nnihilate]

I hope that's the case... and yes, I can hear most prayers. If you really mean them, anyway.

[For better or for worse, a kami of Satou's level can hear most any prayer that is sincerely directed her way. They keep her strong, but not always sane.]

Dazai? Thank you for your help earlier. You all were pretty brave to fight something like that. [His group, huh? She's filing that away for later, while wondering if those three people were supervised by Dazai. Wasn't Fauna there? She'll have to ask later.]

And sorry for making you wait so long. Were you all okay? No one got hurt, did they?

[nightwild]

[She reaches out and takes his hand with a shake... and with a little more force than she means to. She uses her lion form the least, so being overcharged on this form and her having its extra strength isn't something she's used to.]

Then I'm in. I won't be much good at the detective stuff, but for armed stuff, leave it to me.

[It's weird. She feels... calmer now. More assured.

Like when she followed the goddess, in a way. That sense of... not belonging, but a sense of community. Of shared goals. The sense that she isn't alone.

Would she feel this way if not for Satou's calming influence? She isn't sure. But for now, she feels like she's found a moment of clarity, and something to do with it.]

[ai_nnihilate]

[It's only brief. A split second, a flash of honesty that is quickly pulled back until control... But Satou looks horrified.

She worried her.

She worried Fauna. She worried Fauna. She worried Fauna, she worried someone that she is supposed to be protecting--

But that expression turns into a soft smile. Sincerely felt, yes, but Satou's heart doesn't hold only one emotion.]



... Mm. I'm okay. I'm sorry that you had to wait so long, Fauna-chan... I put you through a lot of trouble. Sorry.

[nightwild]

[There's a pause as Fauna's mismatched ears twitch, and she tries to process what she's hearing. It doesn't make sense. All of this is all wrong, she doesn't know how to even begin-]

The hell are you talking about?

[Oh. like that.]

What do you mean you put me through trouble?! I'm the one who put you- Why are you apologizing, it's my fault that your daughter vanished-?!

[bluemackerel]

Oh, I'd never offer up a false prayer. That'd just seem impolite, considering.

[So. That's good to know. If he really does find that thing - or if Fauna or Atsushi does - they can just offer up a prayer, and Satou will be alerted. It's always best to have the deck stacked in your favor, Dazai knows, and that's why he's making absolute certain it is.]

No skin off my teeth. It's kind of my job at home. A problem happens, I'm one of the people who heads off to fix it, life and limb. [He shrugs.]

But we made do. Everyone's fine, so far as I know. Atsushi's used to it - he's my protege, Fauna is quite the capable fighter, and I'm unfamiliar with our final companion, but she showed quite a bit of intuition during that whole skirmish. [So he should probably find and speak to her, too.] They were a bit emotionally shaken, if I'm being honest, but I talked to them and it seemed like things cleared up.

So everyone's healthy and happy. You've got nothing to worry about there.

[ai_nnihilate]

... I'm glad. Healthy and happy is still a lot to ask for after all of that.

[If they had slipped up even once, Satou wonders what would have happened. That battle could have been a disaster, honestly. If not for the Fallen Stars taking action, then the entire first level may have been destroyed.

She knows this negative 'what if' thinking will only make her upset, so Satou tells herself to switch gears. Instead, she focuses on what she's learned about Dazai in the past few minutes. If he's going to see this side of her, then she had might as well make sure he's a good person. Her reputation as a kami is precious, after all.]

You won't need to risk your life here, Dazai. But I appreciate knowing someone might risk a limb to solve the problems at hand. [No sense in telling danger seeking people not to seek danger. It makes it worse. She knows.]

I've got a feeling it's only getting started.

[ai_nnihilate]

Fauna-chan.

[Satou keeps her own voice level. Not raising it to match Fauna's, but not lowering it to bend to her either. Despite her own emotions, among which are a rising concern for Fauna, Satou lets Fauna's feelings take stage.]

Did you want that Rumor to hurt people?

[nightwild]

Of course not! If I had, I wouldn't have fought it!

[ai_nnihilate]

Then it's not your fault. Something awful happened to you. Not because of you.

You're allowed to be angry at that. You don't have to keep that anger inward.

[bluemackerel]

It is. So it's worth the celebration around us.

[Dazai wouldn't be surprised that if they truly faltered, the damage could've been catastrophic. That's the usual.

Satou seems to be trying to get a grasp of who he is. That's something no one's properly figured out since he joined the Port Mafia, so...that's a Hell of a task. Still, he'll give her the most sincerity he can.]

You're not the first person to tell me that I don't need to risk my life doing something. And you certainly won't be the last! I don't do it out of necessity. I do it to make the world I'm in a better place. To do good. [Or because Odasaku did. But he can't ever say that. Not to anyone.]

...Of course it is. I never doubted that for a moment. Nothing like this happens only once.

But it's best to celebrate as if it's the only time. Then we can be just as grateful for the next. That's how the world is - an inevitable but beautiful cycle. The wonders of humanity.

[Any world was beautiful but cruel. It was their job to make it remain that way.]

[nightwild]

Huh?

[Fauna's clearly lost. Confused. Why won't anyone blame her? That's all she's used to. That's all she's ever known before. Everything is her fault... So why won't anyone blame her, make it her fault? She knows how to be the villain, the monster, but... Not this.]

Shouldn't you be angrier at me? Dimitri warned me that it was dangerous, but I still was selfish enough to ignore that... Wouldn't you feel better if you were angry at me?!

[ai_nnihilate]

If you do that, even out of necessity, then your Atsushi-kun is going to follow your example. I could handle one suicidal hero, but if you make it trendy then I'll have to tie you up. [Realizing she has just started to MOM a GROWN ADULT, Satou tries to lighten things up with a shy joke;] I... It won't be fun either!

[She isn't certain for sure, but people don't take on proteges for no reason. And as a love kami, Satou is biased in believing that Dazai would care for this Atsushi. Family and friends are forms of love too, after all.

Which ties into how she turns her gaze upward and admires the rosy pink scene created by her magic.]

... But you're right. Humanity is worth protecting. Even if everything repeats over and over again, until the gears wear away to dust.

[ai_nnihilate]

[That confusion hurts to see. If it was a physical wound then Satou could clean it up and bandage it, but this? How can she heal this? The most she can do is give Fauna the tools... Healing hearts is so scary.

Even so, she takes a slow step forward. Her eyes stay on Fauna, checking for familiar signs of defensive behavior.]



How could I be angry? You're all here again and you're safe... and Fauna-chan, you were so brave. You fought so hard to make this world a better place. I'm proud that my daughter found such a good friend.

[nightwild]

[The tears that stopped earlier threaten to start again. Fauna doesn't know what to do when faced with this level of... kindness. Forgiveness. Understanding.

She stays rooted to the spot in confusion and fear.]

I don't get it...

[bluemackerel]

Unfortunately, you may be right. He's a healer, but I've never wanted him to try to be like me. That's dangerous for anyone. So I'll try to limit myself every now and then for his sake. [His foxlike grin doesn't falter, however. And don't get him started on suicide.] ...But hey, do what you must if I mess up. Fun or no. I'll accept my punishment.

[If there was Momming there, he Does Not See It. Let's not get into Dazai's Copious Parental Trauma here. It's...a lot. He does, however, get the recovery flirt. That's more comfortable.]

And I'm glad we can agree on that. Even if I often separate myself from the humanity I hardly understand...it's wonderous to see. ...Atsushi's my greatest window into seeing that all for myself. [Like family, that boy is. But also his greatest window into humanity. How happy humans can be, how it can be to truly care...that much.

It's something that's made his emptiness fade a bit with time. It's still there. But it's lesser. That's all he could ask.]