Flying the Coop

Flying the Coop
Date of Scene:	10 April 2013
Location:	Traverse Town
Synopsis:	Princess Garnet encounters Kuja who tries to bring her back to Alexandria castle with force. Garnet however has other plans, and once again 'flies the coop' with the help of a mysterious benefactor.
Cast of Characters:	Serah Farron, Garnet, Kuja

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Garnet has posed:
There were times when Cloud Nine could become quite busy. After the visit from the two Alexandrian guards the other day, Princess Garnet, aka Dagger, was feeling increasingly nervous.

She needed to step out for a bit of fresh air, and to get away from the usual business of the pub. Although deep down she trusted Aerith and Tifa, and realized that she was safer there than she was outside, she was also hesitant to get them into trouble because of her.

"Oh Zidane, where are you?" She sighs aloud to herself as she wanders down a lonely alleyway by herself. "I am certain that you would know what to do...I..I miss you..."

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron found her way to Traverse Town after all! Its taken a while since she's been lost in this world. Fortunatly she had a few rtavelling companions to make it easier, and then almost by chance they found the portal that leads to Traverse. She heard about this place, so she was curious about it, since it was a nexus of all of the worlds it seems, a centerpoint of people. If anyone knew about Lightning or Snow, it would be here, mostly likely.

Although, she doesn't know about the little white mage girl that apparently has the same problem she does, looking for people she cares about and not knowing where to go. She wasn't close enough to hear the murmuring though, but she walks through the plaza, looking around quite amazed at this place "So its always night here hm? That's weird, but interesting..." She muses, hands in her back as she sways about.

Kuja has posed:
Garnet would sense something behind her. A fleeting darkness, moments before she would feel a slender, almost effeminate hand upon her shoulder, and then it would rise to caress her cheek. She hadn't even sensed the man approach her, but yet, there he was all the same. "And so the Canary remains just as beautiful, even in freedom. But how terribly selfish is it, that she would keep her dulcet song to herself? Should she not return to the cage, as is her destiny? I pine for that day, when she discovers that her song, is only for me to hear."

He was flamboyantly dressed, and presuming she turned, as was his intent, he'd allow his hand to slide away, his other brushing back through his hair, upon which sat a single feather. The reports from Alexandrian soldiers within the Cloud Nine had indeed led him to his prey.

"Are you not tired of flying away?" He would muse. "You are needed upon the grandest stage of all, the show cannot go on without you."

All throughout the district, she would see glowing yellow eyes in various alleyways. Hints of conical straw hats, as they advanced slowly in a march. And then would come the Mist. It would roil out so suddenly that she might mistake it as fog, but the sickly feeling that would overwhelm her might indicate to her that it was anything /but/ fog. "Come home.. my lovely little songbird." Another hand would be placed to his mouth, a single finger raising as he regarded her with amusement.

Garnet has posed:
Princess Garnet shivers a bit in the cool of the night. What is she thinking, what is she doing out here? She should never have run away from home, from the safety of the palace and the guards and yet...She must do something! There must be something she can do! After she had heard of what had transpired in Burmecia, she cannot simply close her eyes to this any longer! And with the guards in town already, she really cannot hesitate any longer. Perhaps Tifa and Aerith will be willing to help her. It's not much but it's something..

She turns around to head back inside Cloud Nine, but moments before she can do that, she hears a familiar voice, and suddenly feels a hand on her shoulder. Eyes narrow as she spins around to face him angrily, warily. She did not know much of Kuja, except that her mother's behavior had changed upon his arrival.

"Kuja. What are you doing here? What do you want? I will not go back with you, not after what I heard about Burmecia. What was Queen Brahne thinking? And what part did you play in this..Massacre?"

She backs away from him then, eyes darting about nervously as she realizes she's backed into a corner.

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron doesn't really know what's going on there, she doesn't know those people... but she can tell at the girl is not pleased with it. And attacked by that other girl too.

Wait, its a man? Such long hair and odd clothes, its hard not to get mistaken here.

But either way, she's about to leave them... when she realizes that there isn't anyone else around. She looks at her hand for a moment. What's the use of having some sort of power if she's not going to be using it for what she believes in? But she doesn't know what's going on yet... so she gets closer, getting ready to intervene if need is.

Kuja has posed:
The man turned away from her, speaking in a sort of grim Soliloquy unto himself. "Alas, the Canary seeks to blame the Elephant Lady's ugly desires upon myself. All I did was provide her with the tools. Should I be blamed if she used my gifts to cull a nation of vermin? I am but an actor upon this grand stage of life. It broke my heart to see the Elephant Lady consumed by such greed, such jealousy! I watched with great sorrow in my heart as General Beatrix cleaved through the rats, and led my dolls to reduce the nation to naught but ashes."

He would turn back to her. "Your mother wishes only now to make things right. She has seen the error of her ways, and I have convinced her that she ought to reconcile with her fledgeling. You should fly home, little canary. Every day that you are away is akin to an age of grief for her."

He does not even seem to notice that the other woman has arrived, as if they were indeed the actors in some street play. Still, the Black Mage dolls advance, to circle the district, the Mist concealing all but their glowing yellow eyes to onlookers.

Garnet has posed:
He refers to her mother as 'Elephant Lady', and it causes Garnet's teeth to clench, her fists to tighten as she glares back at him. But a princess does not lose her cool so easily, or reaction with undue emotion. That would be unseemly, even in the presence of such a sly individual. "Do not...EVER..Call my mother Elephant Lady again. She is the queen of Alexandria, and you would do well to afford her more respect than that. Kuja."

There is a definite edge to her voice, although she seems to waver, to hesitate, when she realizes what Kuja says is true. Yes, mother acted of her own free will, he did not coerce her or trick her at all. He just used slippery words and cunning suggestions to encourage and fuel her anger and pain at the loss of her father. Of course, that is when things went bad for her mother initially, because she was deeply depressed and needed an outlet.

How very convenient, that he should choose that precise moment to come into their lives. Even so, she does not trust this man, but..She wants to see her mother. "You could have done something. You could have stopped her. Why did you just stand there and watch? You watched as her life was torn apart after the death of my father, and all you did was give her weapons to play with and encouraged her to use them."

Princess Garnet takes another step away from him, shaking her head. "No, I will not go with you, for I do not trust you. Furthermore, two of your black mage dolls attacked myself and my friends. We could have been killed. How do you explain that?"

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron has heard enough of it though. Sneaking closer she is assured that the girl doesn't want to be anywhere close. And so she moves in. Before the black mages circle them too closely, she's moved inside of the circle, and makes herself clearly noticed with a shout "Hey you creep, she doesn't want to go along with you, so why don't you leave her alone, I already called the guards in!" A bit of bluff perhaps here. She didn't actually call them, she wouldn't know who to talk to and she didn't have much time either, but maybe it will dissiduate him from getting any closer at least.

Otherwise... she's already trying to prepare some of the magic she used before... if she could use it now, it might come in handy.

Kuja has posed:
Kuja titters at the mere suggestion of calling her aught but Elephant Lady, his smile becoming a touch macabre. He doesn't respond otherwise. He could afford to mock Queen Brahne outside of her presence, and she needed him too much to do anything but tolerate it. Oh she'd probably lash out at him some day, but he was all too prepared for that eventuality.

Two hands dramatically raise to the air. "I am but a peddler of art. That your mother turned my art into something gruesome, is hardly my fault. Why should I stop her? By what /right/ by what /authority/? She is the /Queen/, and I should afford her such respect that I can do naught but defer to her will. How could a man such as myself do anything before such majesty?"

He would show her his teeth now, in a sort of wolfish grin. "What makes you think that /I/ sent them to dance with you? I can command them, certainly, but the Waltz began by her will. Not my own."

Again he ignores Serah's presence, flicking a hand dismissively her way. "Alas, I respect the Queen so much now, that I can do naught but abide by her will now. Your mother is calling you home, and if you will not come...."

They begin to feel some small measure of the man's true power, as waves of darkness radiate off of him. "....then it is as the trite old saying says. Spare the rod..."

Garnet has posed:
Princess Garnet continues to shake her head stubbornly. She simply cannot believe that her mother was truly so cruel. Upset, depressed, out of her mind perhaps, but she is certain that this man played some role in her decision making.

"You, Sir Kuja, are supposed to be the Queen's advisor. I believe that is supposed to mean that you should advise her on the wisest course of action. Encouraging her to start wars with the rest of the world is hardly wise. As for those Waltzes, they were originally of your design, were they not? I find it hard to believe that you had nothing to do with them at all.."

Then a girl steps towards them and tells Kuja to back off. Garnet glances over at her, thankful for the intervention, but uncertain where it will lead. She is about to use the distraction to push past Kuja, and leave right there and then, but she can sense the dark magic in the air, and it chills her to the bone.

"Do not be a fool, Kuja. I will not go with you, willingly or not. And I will NOT be coerced into coming with you either. If you will not leave, then I shall have to make you leave!" She pulls out her magic racket then, pointing it at Kuja. "I do not wish to upset my mother by attacking her advisor, so I am giving you the choice to leave. Or do you think I am merely a harmless child?"

Eyes narrow angrily upon him, although she chooses to protect herself and the girl who seeks to aid her before attacking Kuja. Who knows what he's about to summon upon them?

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron sees Kuja getting ready to attack... and she's not going to hesitate. With him radiating darkness like that, she's really not feeling at ease anymore. She rushes in to move between the man and Garnet, nodding to her, a gesture for the protection spells, holding her hands toward Kuja as she tries to summon her own brand of magic. She hasn't been using these for long, so she's still getting used to what she can or cannot do.

Its not like there's a crystalgen grid where she can see what abilities she's learned, right? <.<

At any rate, she takes Garnet's hand and rushes to the side rapidly, out of the way of anything that come be shot their way, as she sends a salvo of her own magic toward Kuja.

Kuja has posed:
"I did advise her that attacking the nation of rats was not in her best interests. Alas, she did not see it that way. She was convinced that they intended to march on her any day, to steal you from her, as cruel fate stole away your Father."

He would bow, with one hand over his chest in a mocking fashion. "The Waltz is my creation, you are such a clever canary, to see my hand in their artistry. Still, I did not send them against you. They were under your dear, sweet mother's control. She regrets it now, and only desires to see you home."

He tittered yet again. "And so the Canary's dulcet song takes upon an unexpected harshness. But is it but the futile bluster of a helpless bird? Or has she truly become as predatious as a hawk? I will have to see for myself."

As Serah attacked, the man would remain stock still, his expression that of contemptuous amusement. Her magic would strike true, but he didn't seem to care all that much. Without even moving to offer a riposte, one black mage doll would take a step forward, stating a single phrase. "DESTROY!"

Serah would feel herself enclosed by sphere of darkness, in which the normal laws of nature didn't apply. Moments later, she'd be suspended in mid air. The Doll would continue to channel the spell against her.

"What is this, does my canary draw inspiration from a tulip? You only serve to add further disharmony in her song..alas, beauty is so fleeting, that it be time for you to wilt already."

With that, he would raise a slender wrist. A pulse of darkness emanate from his hand, and suddenly they would feel it, creeping throughout the Mist, causing them to become light-headed. Their movements began to slow, as the darkness-infused Mist washed over them, sapping them of their strength and willpower.

Garnet has posed:
Garnet frowns. "If that is the case, then I shall see my mother of my own accord, when I am good and ready. Not in the presence of you, or your little puppets. I wish to see her, and her alone.." Serah rushes forward to fend off Kuja, and Garnet goes willingly with her, hoping to flee..But the sudden mist makes her feel very drowsy and weak. She stumbles and slows down, tripping over her own feet. "Ugh..What is this..." She murmurs, clutching tightly to Serah's hand. "Please..Help me. I cannot go back with him!" Who knows what he will do?

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron is a bit woozy by the dark mist as well, but she's pulled Garnet a bit aside at least. But Kuja's attack lifts her up, and she's kept there, as if trapped in a dark bubble because of the black mage's magic.

But out of the bubble, comes out a string of attacks without any warning. Even if it doesn't seem that she can see the target like this, her attacks come out straight at Kuja. Maybe she doesn't need her eyesight for this kind of magic. A flurry of Ice, Fire and Thunder come out, sending like projectiles, the bubble bursting away as its pierced by magic, and Serah jumping out of it to a nearby balcony.

"She's not going back, you hear!"

Kuja has posed:
"What I hear is the bleating of sheep, not a chorus worthy of a canary and a tulip. If your song remains so discordant, then mayhaps I should cut it short!"

Flicking a wrist their way, they'd see the Mist reshape in front of them. It would appear now as an ephemeral, sinister looking red claw. It would lash out at their mouths, and the Mist would seek to trail down through their airways, into their lungs, suffocating them. But it was hardly finished, as these macabre claws would hold them in their sinister grip, raising them both into the air.

"Your mother has commanded me to bring you to her, and so I shall! Who am I to disobey such a puissant figure?"

And while they were hanging there, the Mist would reshape before each of them once again, this time it would appear as an amorphous spectre that would take the shape of each of their greatest fears, before advancing upon them. If it touched them in its grisly caress, then they would feel it lash at their very souls, draining them. Noone else would see what the other saw, not even Kuja, for indeed it seemed to be personalized to what their mind feared most.

Garnet has posed:
Garnet smiles faintly at Serah, nodding. she does not even know who she is but she is thankful for her help. "Thank you. Please be careful.." Looking over at Kuja, she frowns softly, shaking her head as she backs away. "I cannot. I will not!" She darts out of the way of the magical mist, proving to be quite quick - or was it just luck?

But now, she is growing angry, and desperate. She does not wish to cause harm, but she has no other choice. "Sir Kuja, if you will not leave willingly, then you leave me no choice..." Magic stirs around her as she forms a magical summoner's ring of light and mist. Twirling some more, she points her staff to the sky, and the sky seems to open up, inviting a massive creature of immense power to rain down thunder and wind upon Kuja. She follows with a magic ball of light from her staff and holy magics.

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron wasn't about to let the princess do this on her own at least, not with that man was so insistent on it, and she clearly wanted nothing of it. And that's reinforce by how she strikes back at him. Even as he tries to trap her into his spells, she manages to jump out of the way, rolling off to the side, and then jumping on the rooftop nearby... and then running along it, while pelting Kuja with repeated attacks.

"She said no, can't you see? Go back to whatever queen you have and tell her to shove it!" She can be mean when pushed like that.

She feels another kind of energy welling inside of her after these repeated attacks... a new kind of magic? Well, let's try it out. She slides to a stop, and then raises her hands to the sky. A multitude of light beam fly out of her hands, straight up into the clouds above... even though its night, the sky seems to glow with a morning glow for just a moment.. and then a thousand arrows of light rain straight down on Kuja, imbued of a strong holy energy that he's sure not to mistake.

Kuja has posed:
The foppish man's recklessness with his own magic appears to be his undoing at times, as both ladies evade most ill effects of his magic.

He doesn't appear to be all that irritated about that. In fact, he seems elated, when the girl summons Ramuh on him. "The Lord of Thunder comes calling!"

He stands amidst the thunderous storm, with his hands upraised to the heavens. "Glorious! But your song is still off-key, my little Canary." The ball of holy energy cast his way causes him enough pause for him to raise his hand, creating a shield of gravity magic. Sparks fly, and in the end, wisps of smoke rise from his clothing as the radiance manages to find its way past his assault. And then Serah would follow up with her own storm of arrows of light. The man would seem annoyed enough by the assault that he actually turned, to snarl at her.

"It is time for the curtain to fall!" Raising his hands to the heavens once again, three corridors of darkness appear around him. Out of them appear the three Black Waltzs, remade, reborn. The winged creatures begin to fly around him in a perfectly coordinated circle, twisting and turning about as they did so. From each of them would appear a tether of coruscating darkness that would latch onto Kuja, and he would rise, ascendant off the ground. The air around them would grow still, and then reality would shatter around them like it was but a pane of glass.

They would be in a world where the laws of nature have no meaning. A world of pure dark entropy. A world of /Chaos/. Kuja stood in the midst of this world unharmed, but each had the sense that it was only because of the anchors that held him aloft. The two would twist as if they were but leaves caught in a tornado. Their bodies would fold upon themselves, then they would expand outward, their bones and sinew holding no meaning within it. And then they would feel whatever darkness they held within their hearts expanding as well, as the man raised a hand, tapping into the darkness within them, satiating him.

And then all of a sudden they were back in their world, surrounded by the Mist once again. It was over in seconds, but it felt like far longer. Their bodies were whole, and the memories of that world were already escaping from their mind. Yet they still felt a vague sense of dread.

Garnet has posed:
Garnet glances thoughtfully at Serah when she tells him and his queen to 'shove it'. "Err, excuse me, may I ask what you mean by that, miss?" Sadly, she's still quite naieve when it comes to such slang terms. But hse has little time to talk as Kuja unleashes another fearsome display of chaotic magic upon the pair of them. Garnet attempts to roll out of the way again, but this time she is not so lucky.

She screams out in pain as the dark magic rips through her, twisting to the side to try and avoid the brunt of it. But..She cannot give up now!

Climbing unsteadily to her feet, she murmurs a healing spell to wash over the two girls, healing and cleansing their wounds. "What will you do if you return my dead body to your queen? What do you think she will do to you then, Kuja?"

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron keeps her vantage point from the rooftops as she moves around, although the strong magical blasts sends her flying, making her roll off the roof, and almsot off it, as she manages to cling to the side with her hands, and then pull herself up "I mean that she can forget about it!" She pants, clearly working hard right now. Even in this state though, she can keep sending salvos of magic toward Kuja. If only she could understand how she's doing this better, she might have better control. As it stands, she feels like she's improvising mostly.

Kuja has posed:
"You underestimate me, songbird. There is much that one can shatter, without the body giving way."

Another Black Mage would step forward for each of them, speaking enthusiastically. "DESTROY!" A sphere of gravity would form over each, tossing them into a nearby building. And then as they fell, they would feel a sense of foreboding, as he created a tiny star near each of them, the core the size of a pin's head. Then suddenly it would expand outward with the energy of a tiny nova of darkness, buffeting them back to the ground even further away from the flamboyant man.

Garnet has posed:
Garnet is not sure how much more she can take of this, but she does not intend to die this night either. "You are a fool Kuja. All you care about is power, chaos, destruction. My mother would do a lot better without the likes of you..." But even as she attempts to recover from his last attack, he sends another her way. Suddenly she finds herself pulled into a well of gravity, and she's suddenly freefalling, before a star begins to expand and explode towrads her.

"No, I will not surrender, I will not give in to you!" And she twirls her staff around, summoning another eidolon, this time it is Bahamut who explodes out of the sky, rushing towards her to scoop her up on his back and safetly deflects Kuja's star from hitting her. He rests her gently on the ground before rushing at Kuja, unleashing a powerful flare of energy of his own.

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron doesn't have time to run away for far before the next magical attacks rains down on her. Flare Star... now that was one huge and powerful attack there. She can't do much to avoid it, and she gets tossed around, falling into the lower balcony with a crash and a grunt. She lifts herself up... reaching for her pocket she takes out some of the potions she carries around... just an emergency, but she needs them. Drinking a few of them, she stands up again, looking down toward Kuja...

And aiming another flurry of spells toward him. They aren't in a good situation, might be wise to run away. But the princess seems ready to fight at least, so she's not giving up either. "You heard her, go away already!"

Kuja has posed:
When Serah attacks, he'd hardly even act, merely chuckling with disdain.

Kuja doesn't even move as Bahamut does a fly by run over him, hitting him with a flare. Wait, was he actually bleeding? And then he began to laugh. It was a horrible sound to behold, as he placed a hand up to his cheek to trace the line of blood. "Ah Bahamut, truly you have it all. King of the Dragons. Power, speed, manueverability....turn it against your master."

While the district was covered in fog, and neither could behold the sky, suddenly sickly red light would shine down upon them, filling the district with a crimson glow. While Garnet could not see what was causing it, she would have a sudden sense of deja vu, and dread, as if she's felt this before. Bahamut would suddenly spasm, and then go berserk, as it twisted in the air, beginning another strafing run back at Garnet and Serah. Its flares would rage all around him as Garnet would find herself struggling to maintain control of the Eidolon.

Garnet has posed:
Garnet blinks as Kuja suddenly turns her eidolon against her, and it is with dread that she realizes that even between the two of them, they dont stand a chance. "n-no! I'mpossible!" She turns and flees the eidolon, but she's not fast enough and it blasts into her, sending her slamming into the nearby alley wall. "Ugh...Bahamut..Please..Stop..."

She spins her magic rod around, calling upon another eidolon, hoping she can use them to wash away the first. "Leviathan, help me!" A flood of water rushes over the wall of the alleyway, riding on its massive tidal waves is Leviathan, shrieking with rage as he focuses his tidal fury upon Kuja, attempting to wash away.

And under the distraction (hopefully), Garnet makes her own exit, attempting to flee from Kuja. She reaches out, trying to grasp Serah's hand as she flees. "Come on, we must flee!"

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron jumps down the building, the distraction of Levianthan prodiving enough cover for her to move about, and take the princess' hand to flee away in a dark alley... hopefully where Kuja didn't have time to notice at least. She doesn't want to give her position so she doesn't attack this time, focusing on the escape.

Kuja has posed:
A tidal flood would wash over the man, and at first it seemed like he'd be washed away, but then he used a globe of gravity magic to anchor himself, as he patiently waited out the waters of the flood. "And the King of the Seas as well! Leviathan! The canary is truly amazing, but she is NOT YET READY TO FLY!"

The sanguine light would once again coruscate down, and Leviathan would twist, and spasm. Its scales would take on a dark tint, and the next time the tidal flood came out, the waters were as black as a tar pit. The darkness infused Eidolon would turn upon Garnet as Bahamut did, its waves crashing against both Serah and herself flooding them out of the district.

Serah Farron has posed:
Serah Farron is already gone by the time the fake eidolons strike back, disapeared. It might be hard to find them, although you know they can't be that far either. But is it worth chasing now?