vatheon | (no subject)

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Who: Death the Kid and Zelda
What: A chance meeting at an ailing Coral results in a collaboration of sorts.
Where: The Plaza
Status: Closed
Style: Action

[The moment Kid heard about it, he set out for the plaza.

Who he heard it from wasn't important, just an off-handed remark between unconcerned strangers who went on to discuss the weather, and whether to get their shoes in violet or in turquoise, but mention of the Coral's dwindling power was cause for investigation.

The grim reaper, cutting a stark figure in his usual monochrome, wandered around the sprawling growth of coral, letting his other sense do the reading that his normal sight could not, all at once plunging him into a world of ultraviolet. People were little spheres ablaze with sentiment housed by clumsy, delicate shells, aglow with surface thoughts and vital energy; creatures both sentient and otherwise too had their own distinct signatures.

The coral's appearance today was utterly unlike any time previous.

Kid thought it looked a little sick, but a grim reaper who has never once in his life caught so much as a cold was probably the wrong person to ask.]

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[By all rights, the princess should be relieved. The arrival cycle is over, so she won't be getting any more surprises this month. Duke is recovering, she's made it through the worst of the awkward conversations with Zelos and Link, and the Station Master finally helped her distribute tunics to everyone in the bubble.

Unfortunately, the state of the coral is making it look like that action might be a necessary precaution instead of Zelda just being paranoid as usual. She stands up from taking a reading with a heavy sigh. It hasn't stabilized since the last curse at all. Instead, it just keeps dropping, slowly but surely.]

What's wrong with you?

[Of course, the coral doesn't answer. It never does.]

A question I've been hoping to answer.

[The reaper has just approached, hands in his pockets, the unsettling stare aimed not on the coral any longer, but on the woman observing the target of their mutual attention.]

I've heard that the occurrence of what we call "curses" is an effort to inspire the emotional feedback that can be harvested to power the coral.

Perhaps the recent curses haven't been enough.

[What an odd boy. Zelda doesn't have any real way to identify just what he is, but there's definitely something a little different about him. She has no trouble discussing the coral with anyone willing to listen, regardless.]

That is what the data uncovered this summer suggests. The Head Priestess seems to think that it runs on faith - I would guess that's what the quest revolving around spreading the world of the great Lamufao came from. The coral has behaved this way before, but only when the Head Priestess was missing... the fact that she's still around and it's fluctuating like this is worrisome. I asked her about it, but she did not seem to think it was a matter of great concern.

[Zelda wants to trust Thalassino, she really does. She certainly can't trust the nurse, and while she likes Carol and the Station Master well enough, they don't hold positions of power and she knows it. It's hard to trust her when the power level keeps dropping and no explanation is offered, though.]

Faith.

That could be expressed in a variety of ways, I suppose. There are cultures that, in the reverence of something or someone they believe is a god, they give up items of value, food, even the lives of their own kind in sacrifice. Could it be that the tribute to Lamufao has been insufficient?

[That's a rhetorical question, seeing as the youth then looks speculatively at the coral.]

I wonder.

[Then, to Zelda.]

Excuse me, but I've failed to properly introduce myself, now that we're not under the effect of a curse. My name is Death the Kid.

[He's so polite that she almost refers to herself with her title, but she manages to squelch that impulse at the last second, smiling.]

I am Zelda Hylia. Please, call me Zelda. It's good to meet you under somewhat better circumstances.

[After a moment's thought she corrects that.]

Less chaotic circumstances, I suppose. I can't say that worrying over the state of the coral is exactly "better".

[His name brings up memories of the reapers she's met in Vatheon, though. Maybe that's what feels strange about him?]

Are you a reaper, Death? Or... Kid? What do you prefer to be called?

Lord Death would be my father. But like my Honorable Father, I am indeed a reaper.

[With that out of the way, he adds reassuringly:] Kid is what my friends call me, Zelda, it's just fine.

[He detected no recognition, so he assumes she may have met some of the other shinigami in the bubble, or possesses some secret ability, perhaps similar to Soul Perception, that gave her certain insights. But he mostly thinks it's that she's met Ronald Knox and his associates.]

There are a lot of observations made about the coral, but it brings us no closer to a solution. However, perhaps there is someone who has lived here in Vatheon long enough that we can ask?

[It's more a guess based on his name and general put together appearance. She has indeed met the other reapers. She hasn't met one who has a father that refers to themselves as Death, though - perhaps that's the one in charge? It would explain his impeccable manners.]

Kid it is, then.

[She shakes her head.]

Unfortunately, there are very few people who have been here for an extended period of time who do not lose interest studying the coral properly. That same set of data recovered over the summer made it sound as if the coral emits some sort of gas that pacifies the locals, and I can't help but wonder if it affects most of us as well. I think at this point myself and Darkleer are the ones who have been here the longest and still express an interest in studying our situation, but neither of us have been here for even two years. I did speak with someone who said he here from the start before he left and made copies of the data he had, but it isn't exactly a substitute for having observed things myself.

[That's an adorable assumption. Kid will probably never dissuade her of it, either.]

A gas? That explains why my interest in the coral remains fixed, while those of my friends aren't terribly concerned. I'm immune to toxins that might otherwise influence humans.

[Who even knows, really.]

The same is likely the case with you, but I know of no one named Darkleer.

Darkleer is one of the many trolls in this city. He is an adult blueblood, and they're known for their constitution. My own is not terribly sound, so I am not sure why it wouldn't affect me.

[She rubs at her hand a little self-consciously. The Triforce, maybe? Would that be enough to resist the gas?]

I'm fairly certain the documents are accurate, though. The natives to this planet that don't spend excessive amounts of time down here seem to retain their sense of self, while the ones who live down here exclusively are a bit... air-headed. Those in charge don't seem to be terribly eager to give out information either, though I have certainly tried to get them to.

[Zelda really kind of hates the Head Nurse. She knows she knows something!]

There are certainly many of them here.

[And few of them, at least, of those Kid has met can meet the standards set to him by Lysunder and Karkat; both of them have proven not only helpful (in their own ways), but also not without their exceedingly attractive qualities.

Gosh, no, not attractive like that, he just thinks they have beautiful horns.]

That explains why more people haven't tried tackling this issue themselves.

What do you think is our next step? I'm inclined to try giving the Lamufao precisely what others think it needs. More energy, in whatever form that it will take.

[Besides, energy is like food. The wrong type will be just plain disagreeable.]

I think that should only be attempted if circumstances worsen. The coral did overload once, and some sort of portal opened up on the island, dragging a god of darkness here that we were forced to battle. Only as a last resort should we try to give the coral energy directly. Since it's still above half of its capacity, hopefully the scientists will manage to repair it soon.

[What should they do next? Waiting isn't exactly the best option... Zelda reaches out and places a hand on the coral.]

Perhaps I should try speaking with Thalassino again...

And what of the bubble?

The immediate danger may have passed, but the coral's power has depleted more quickly than before. Furthermore, no one with Soul Perception has tried. Those of us with that ability would surely be able to determine whether the power being fed directly to Lamufao is causing it harm.

[Provided they don't just go misreading the energy wavelength.]

Will Thalassino be able to truly advise us in a matter like this? Then we should try.

She may be able to advise us, yes. She's asserted before that it is the tampering that causes damage to the coral, and she has kept it stabilized for this long.

[She lifts her hand from the coral. Zelda asked the Head Priestess before what she could do to help, but the woman insisted that she do nothing at all. Acutely aware of the fact that they're all stuck underwater, she actually listened for once.]

The coral is what allows us to live down here. For everyone's safety, we should avoid doing anything to it directly if we can help it. I would not be opposed to a more drastic course of action if things continue to decline.

[Of course, everyone does have a means to breathe underwater now, so a little experimentation might not be so terrible...]

It's interesting that such care is demanded in the handling of the coral, yet those who conduct their experiments have no qualms with damaging the rest of us.

I wonder what would happen if the bubble became inhospitable to life.

[Would they all end up sent home?

...That should not sound so attractive. It runs up dangerously close to that darker, more childish resolution to wipe clean the slate of the world and achieve what he had once thought would be perfect balance, and he doesn't like it.

Furthermore, the very idea of endangering his friends makes his skin crawl.]

In any case, if the coral loses more power, we're in danger regardless.

I would imagine we would all be forced to live on the island if the bubble was inhospitable. Unless the coral were to be destroyed entirely, but... that must not happen. There are people here who don't have a life to return to.

[Zelda straightens, looking at Kid carefully, reaching out with her magic this time. He speaks like he could do something himself, and she wants to see why he would think that.]

[Death the Kid has no magical affinity, but that isn't to say he hasn't had extended contact with it personally; it takes strong magic to imprison a god and keep him hidden for months, and that leaves its own particular signs.

If he detects her scrutiny, he gives no sign. She has no wavelength he associates with witches, and therefore has no reason to be alarmed.

Reapers are the agents of balance, the overseers of maintaining an equilibrium of good and evil in the lives and deaths of all those within their domain. As a not yet fully-realized grim reaper, Death the Kid has all the potential power of a god slumbering in an apparently human-like shell, as capable of acts both virtuous and terrible, all for the sake of maintaining this perfect balance.

He embodies Order, as it exists conceptually in his world, a fragment of the divine right on the cusp of his own awakening. Could he do it? Certainly. Would he? That depends, and unsettlingly, only on how much he deems it necessary for the survival of those he cares about.]

Don't worry. My friends live here too. I wouldn't want to see any of them come to harm, but neither will I stand idly by while Lamufao languishes. It's pitiful, how it's become the plaything of--

[He stops himself short of launching into a rant about fairness.]

This subject requires further observation before doing anything.

[Though she doesn't get all that information by a long shot, Zelda does get the impression of order and balance, two things she values dearly. The divinity gets across to her too on some level, though she's not certain if he's just deeply religious or if he's the same as she is. Either way, it calms her significantly.]

...it does seem wrong, doesn't it? Whether it is sentient like you and I or not, it is certainly alive. Experimenting on this way seems unfair.

[She smiles at him genuinely.]

It does require more observation, but you do have a great deal of energy to work with, don't you? I will ensure that we have a place to go to just in case things go badly. Until then, we can both keep an eye on Lamufao.

You'll do that? Really?

[It's pretty funny, when Kid smiles. He shows his actual age, still boyish enough to be gullible and earnest, who cares with the intensity of the young and unbetrayed.

Zelda has earned herself the sudden rank of Ally.]

[The princess has to school herself to not giggle at him. What a dopey little grin! It's endearing.]

Yes, of course. It is important that we figure out what is ailing the coral and that we fix it, but it is also important that we do not overly inconvenience anyone in the process. I will care for the people here. The timing at least is somewhat fortuitous, I just recently managed to secure enough tunics for the population. The Station Master helped me to distribute them, so everyone should have one now. Drowning should not be a threat any longer.

[Nerdy gods nerding about gods.]

Thank you for your generous gift, by the way. Do you know if the tunic's abilities extend to mitigating pressure? This far below the surface, it's of some concern.

[And making sure one has it on hand at all times. Kid still hasn't figured out what they're supposed to do, wear it under their clothing all the time and wash it every day?

He is probably the only person who even worries about that sort of thing.]

I am glad someone appreciates it! Most people seem to be fussy about their appearance. Honestly, it isn't that terrible.

[Zelda simply carries hers around and wears it to bed over her pajamas so it doesn't need washing as often. Everyone does things like that, right?]

Yes, it does. I was able to dive to the depth of the bubble with minimum discomfort. My ears did pop, but my eardrums did not burst. Hylians are slightly more delicate than humans from what I have observed, so I believe they should be sufficient. They may not allow people to permanently live at this depth, but they will be more than adequate to prevent death or serious injury. It has been tested on trolls and humans as well, but I have not had an opportunity to test it with any other races that may be about.

[Fussy about their--?

Oh no. He needs to go back to the villa and carefully count the stitches. Surely they're even on each side, right?!

Of course he hasn't been carrying his around, gosh. He's a grim reaper, he's more worried about the water spoiling his clothing! No, no, focus!]

Splendid, this is reassuring to hear. In a worst case scenario, survival is easily near at hand for everyone here.

[Unless the bubble gets attacked by a voracious army of salt-water piranha or something.]

[Of course the stitches are even on each side. There's three across the V-neck (six threads total) and 27 up each side. Zelda is a big fan of multiples of three.

What, 27 isn't an even number? It's a multiple of three, that's better than even.

Zelda nods, focusing on the word "survive".]

I will have to ensure there is a safe space for those that have difficulty with sunlight, and a food supply for people who cannot simply eat fish. There is fresh water available on the island so that much should not be a problem.

[As for the cannibals... well, she'll hopefully be able to deal with that tonight. She's praying Maka can see something in Serph that she hasn't yet.]

[Multiples of eight would have been ever so much better, but so long as they are even on each side, he has no complaints.]

That's quite thorough. There aren't many of us here who decline to eat anything that has a soul. I appreciate your consideration.

I don't expect the bubble to collapse. On the other hand, should it be attacked while the coral's energy is low, then an evacuation will be well advised. You'll keep in touch, and I'll do the same.

There are more vegetarians around than you'd think. It would be very distressing for them to have to change their diet, especially since it wouldn't even be already processed animals - we would have to catch and kill them ourselves.

[Zelda is too practical to care all that much about eating meat herself, but she does understand the mindset.]

It is rather unlikely that the bubble would collapse, but it's best to be prepared for the worst.

[Someone keep her from forcing people to start a vegetable garden on the island, please. That's hard labor!]

Yes, of course. I'll let you know when it's safe to proceed.

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