[Jaykobell]

Hm. She sat upon the mist, looking it over with a blank stare. It sat thickly over the entrance to the forest, keeping things from entering, as well as escaping. It was a massive threat to the ecosystem, as far as the fae could tell. That was why they needed to find the source of this problem, and more importantly, a way to fight against it.

She sat and stared, in silence, as she considered her options. It was a thick, menacing fog, unlike what they had seen before. Anything was worth trying out against it, at this point.

She got up, and she started heading towards it. There didn't seem to be anybody around, at least. It was but her and her thoughts.

[Kodai]

As far as mysterious black mists went, this one was pretty underwhelming.

Not that Z-20107 particularly had experience with mysterious black mists, but… you know. If people were getting all up in arms about something like that, you’d at least expect it to have shadowy snapping jaws or writhing tentacles or… or something. But this, as far as they could tell, was nothing, and they were almost beginning to regret coming out to take a look.

And then they saw her.

Z-20107 had not been particularly thrilled upon first being stranded on the planet. The inhabitants weren’t even capable of interstellar flight yet, for crying out loud! But then they had encountered a few of Evelon’s curious denizens – and stumbled upon its lively, thriving pet trade – and had quickly come to the conclusion that this was the best planet ever.

Gliding over to the fae, Z-20107 positioned themself in such a way that she wouldn’t be able to miss seeing them.

“Hello, °V°” they said, clasping their hands together conversationally as they pronounced the emoji. “Come to investigate the mist, I suppose? Would you perhaps consider working together? °V°”

[Jaykobell]

She had been staring, observing this fog with curiosity. As much as the fae wanted to protect the environment, they had no idea how to attack this mist. Instead, it was up to her to figure out: and she honestly didn't know any more than the higher fae did.

She would have taken as much time as necessary, had it not been for a rather unwelcome interruption.

When this creature of sorts appeared right in front of her, she frowned, her ears flattening. Something was immediately unsettling about this creature; the way their face looked, the way their body looked so human, and yet so abnormal to the species. Were they a friend? Or a foe?

And what was that bizarre method of speech? Everything about this being screamed of danger. "Who are you?" was all she asked, ignoring all of their other questions. She did not care for them. Until this creature proved their intentions were not malevolent, she would remain wary.

[Kodai]

Oh! A healthy dose of skepticism! Admittedly, it wasn’t beneficial for Z-20107, but they could appreciate the trait. Being trusting of a stranger quite often led to ruin.

As a notail, they understood that well.

Still, Z-20107 was not an E-xplorer and thus was not well-equipped to convince the fae that they were not a threat, which put their whole “convince the feline to work with them so they could nab a DNA sample” plan in jeopardy. Well, better start from the top.

“I am Z-20107, °V°” the notail replied, raising a (clawed) hand to emphasize the embroidered “Z-20107” on their shirt. “Normally I would not be out here, but with all the fuss being raised about this mist, I could not help myself. Though, so far, I have found it extremely disappointing. °V°”

They clasped their hands behind their back and looked out into the swirling darkness, their white, bird-like mask standing out in sharp contrast.

“Still, it would be a waste if I were to leave now without learning anything. So, what do you say? °V°”

[Jaykobell]

She remained nothing short of wary, even as Z-20107 introduced themself. Their appearance was unsettling still, and really, none of what they had said had really answered her question.

Still, perhaps they could prove useful in this investigation. If they found the mist to be disappointing, perhaps they had knowledge that she did not. In that case, it might prove to be the right call to cooperate with this strange being.

She remained suspicious, both psychologically and physically. "What do you know of this mist?" If they proved useful, she might agree to cooperate. If they were full of hot air, then perhaps the best course of action would be to send them flying with just a small taste of fae magic.

[Kodai]

Oh, she was smart, this one! If they had been an E-xplorer (or a X-enobiologist, for that matter), they would have hated her.

"That is a very good question, °V°" Z-20107 replied, ignoring the fae's suspicious tone. "What do I know about it? Hmm. Well, it is a gaseous substance that seems, by all appearances, to be exactly the same as your typical water-based vapor, differing only in color. °V°"

The notail tilted their head. "Now, one could make the case that this mist is having psychological effects on the local inhabitants, but without further testing it is impossible to definitively state that the mist is the cause of such phenomena. That is why the owner of that drinking establishment has asked for assistance in investigating the matter. °V°"

Z-20107 clapped their hands together. "So, are you ready to begin? °V°"

[Jaykobell]

She narrowed her eyes. They looked strange, acted strange, spoke strange - but they had knowledge of this mist, even is little more than she and the fae did. If they were truly here to investigate, perhaps it would be wise to cooperate and help them. As long as she could bring knowledge back to the fae, the means did not matter.

Of course, that didn't mean that she would drop her defenses completely. With a being like that, it would be foolish to do so. "Fine," she said quietly, straightening up, her posture speaking of power and pride both. "How do you plan to further research this?"

[Kodai]

Ah, now they were getting somewhere!

“Well! I suggest we try to find the source of the mist, °V°” Z-20107 replied, all too happy to get the ball rolling. “For surely, it must come from somewhere. And if we can figure out where, then we are bound to learn a great deal more about it. °V°”

They turned to face directly into the roiling black mass enveloping the forest, feeling a bit nostalgic. It was like their teen years all over again! …Except for that mist, of course. But that was just a minor detail.

Without another word, the notail strode directly into the darkness, showing no hesitation at all. Z-20107 even started talking nonchalantly, fully expecting the fae to follow them just as confidently.

“Now, I must admit that I do have certain suspicions about its source. So, if you perhaps notice any machinery lying about, please do speak up, hmm? °V°”

[Jaykobell]

The source of the mist? ... Truthfully, that was a fair beginning point for this whole thing. As bizarre as they were, the fae admitted that they might just give her the answers she needed to help the fae with this mystery problem.

She followed warily behind the Notail. While she was agreeing to work together, that didn't mean she would blindly trust them. "Machinery?" she repeated, frowning. "This is happening throughout the world. This is not the work of machinery." How could it be? So suddenly, and literally everywhere? It couldn't be the work of machines.

[Kodai]

Z-20107 was quite intrigued by the fae’s instant dismissal.

“And how can you be so sure? °V°” they replied. “If you think it is impossible for a dedicated group to set up and set off a series of machines in different areas of a world simultaneously, then I must inform you that you are, in fact, mistaken. °V°”

It was impossible to tell because of the mask, but something in the notail’s voice suggested a conspiratorial smile.

“Furthermore… Perhaps you are unaware, so allow me to fill you in on something. The owner of the drinking establishment not far from here suggested quite clearly that a certain group of individuals appeared after the arrival of the mist. °V°” Z-20107 folded their hands in front of them. “Now, I must stress that correlation does not equal causation, but considering the circumstances – namely, that there seems to be no record of this mist as a natural phenomenon – I do not consider it a stretch to say that the two are related in some manner. °V°”

[Jaykobell]

What an aggravating and annoying creature they were, this Z-20107. Some sort of know-it-all creature — and if anything, it confirmed that they seemed more attuned with technology than nature, which was a stark contrast to the fae's connection to nature.

Her face turned to something that mixed both annoyance and offence. "Nature can create many a disasters and phenomena," she retaliated, her voice falling into a bit of indignation. If they were going to be snarky about it, she would do much of the same. "This feels like the works of nature," she clarified. "Things created of machines do not feel like this. They reek of humans meddling and stains on Mother Nature."

"So perhaps you are the one who should be educated in the ways of this world." And if this trip turned out to be nothing but them arguing, well, so be it. Of course, if things did turn out that way, she would be ditching this creature in the blink of an eye.

[Kodai]

Z-20107 couldn't help but freeze up at the mention of humans. If there was one thing that unsettled them about this world, it was the way they carelessly tossed the name around. Some people were even under the delusion that they were humans!

It was all terribly shocking, really. Z-20107 had the feeling that the inhabitants of this planet didn't even know what humans were. Ah, if only they too could be lost in the sweet bliss of such ignorance...

"Ah, hrm, °V°" they coughed, trying to recover themself. "Well. I did not say that it could not be a natural phenomena. Only that it seemed unlikely. Unless you know something I do not? °V°" They looked down at the small feline.

"Has the planet undergone any changes in recent years? Increased industrial pollution, higher temperatures... anything? °V°"

[Jaykobell]

Granted, it felt a little gratifying to have pulled the reins on that annoying character. Unfortunately, her higher knowledge had little to continue the conversation in that same direction. While she clearly knew more about this planet than Z-20107, she and the fae knew little about the mist itself: which was the topic at hand, in this situation.

"The planet has changed in the past centuries," she admitted. "Humans have been rather parasitic in many ways. But fae have not noticed anything insofar as this mist is concerned." Although, it did make her wonder if the others knew of whatever Z-20107 was. If anything, they were just as concerning as this mist.

[Kodai]

Z-20107 thought as the pair continued walking. Hrm... Well, they didn't know much about the humans-that-weren't-humans living on this planet, but if they had even the slightest relation to those horrifying denizens of the universe, then the notail was completely ready to admit that they might be the cause behind the mist.

"Well. We will not know what the truth is until we find some evidence, °V°" they replied, looking out into the darkness of the mist-shrouded forest. "You know this area better than I, yes? Is there any likely spot we could begin this investigation? °V°"

[Jaykobell]

Whatever small instance of silence she could get was a relief to the fae. Z-20107 spoke strangely enough as it was.

As they reached the forest, the Kuhna frowned just a little bit. "I am not familiar with every single place of this world," she pointed out dryly. Did this creature expect her to be some sort of compass, or map? She was not such, she could guarantee them that much.

"Forests typically have a clearing of some sort," she said. "Otherwise, we simply ought to explore it by traveling through it. They are usually harmless, although some may bear home to animals." Perhaps one could shred this aggravating being to shreds for her. It might just make this exploration and mission a whole lot easier on the fae.

[Event posts end here]