Infighting Week One

[animusmods]

Characters: any character participating in the Infighting event
Setting: pods, week one of the event
Format: any
Summary: All week one Infighting event threads should go in here, to keep things organized.
Warnings: horror, trauma, experiment results, impossible geometry, cabin fever

[Group Information]
Dax's Pod
Riki's Pod
Jason's Pod
End of Week One

Comments

[happygolucky]

[He gets it, but STILL. From his perspective, it does nothing to help lessen his still-existing doubts about Kuja.

Well, he's gonna be a bro and look out for Kuja regardless.]

Being able to send video and letters to people all at once is great.

Chemical farma-what? Cuticles? If magic is better, why read up on the other kind? You've got magic, you can just heal people.

[fallen_stage]

Very efficient.

[Oh c'mon bro, really? Use your head. Siiigh.]

Because, Zidane, this Tower can nullify my magic, and the infirmary stocks the chemical medicines as well. A system with redundancies has less weaknesses, surely you know that much.

[See, he's giving you some credit! ...Sort of. Also Kuja finds this shit fascinating but he doesn't expect Zidane to care about that.]

[happygolucky]

It's fun, too--when it's working, that is.

[Hey, he was raised in a troupe of acting thieves, he's no scientist! However, he can see what Kuja's saying.]

Oh, I get it. So it's something even I could use, huh?

[Since he's not some kind of super magician.]

Maybe I should learn that stuff too, then.

[fallen_stage]

[Kuja takes a moment to blow off the dust from his nails. Actually, that isn't a bad idea. It'd be one less reason for Zidane to pester him.]

There's no special skill involved, just knowledge. It's only getting to surgery that steady hands are needed, and that should be right up your alley.

[Thieves had to have a delicate touch to do their job.]

[happygolucky]

It's true, I'm great with my hands--I get that a lot.

[He smiles briefly.]

Surgery... It doesn't sound like the kind of thing you can pick up in a few days. Still, I'd give learning it a shot! Anything that can help. I'll have to look up the medicines and things too, once we get back.

Anything else useful you find out about?

Oh I bet you do, Zidane *wonk*

[fallen_stage]

I suggest you start familiarizing yourself with anatomy first. When we get back, I'll lend you a few books.

[Big ol' thick ones, Ziddy, hope you're prepared for a lot of study.]

What about you, Zidane? Surely you've sniffed out something interesting.

[happygolucky]

Familiarize myself with anatomy. Oh yeah, I can do that.

[He's just going to avoid making an obvious joke about being familiar with anatomy--he and Kuja aren't exactly on those terms. But he thinks it.]

Books, huh? [Hmm. He's not looking forward to reading a lot of books. He'd prefer a more hands-on approach.]

There's that group I told you about. It seems big. And I learned how to use the computer, and there's the free pancakes guy, and I met some nice girls. [That's important, right?] Other than that, I was just checking out the Tower before the power went out.

[fallen_stage]

[Kuja just rolls his eyes. Not his kind of humor, but ultimately harmless. He's about to make a quip about Queen Garnet overhearing, but that would just distract from the subject. Kuja will save that for when he really wants to twist the knife.]

Not as much on the information side. Quite the social butterfly, as always... in fact, there is someone I think you'd like to know. A young man named Yu is worth befriending.

[happygolucky]

[Kuja, there's no need for twisting any knives. Zidane is trying to be friendly here. :| ]

I get around, I guess. I like meeting new people. I'm most interested in helping them out, if I can. Yu? Haven't heard of him. Who's he?

[fallen_stage]

[Perfect~ With Zidane's charm, perhaps he could mitigate that.... unpleasantness Yu's still upset about.]

Yu's a young man with gray hair - about your age, but taller. He's friends with many others here and personable like yourself. Since you like to meet new people, I'd suggest finding him after this is over.

[happygolucky]

[Well, he's not adverse, as the guy sounds nice, but he has to wonder...]

Why?

I'm happy to meet and talk to anyone, but there are a lot of nice people here, so why do you want me to talk to him in particular?

[fallen_stage]

[Kuja shrugs, putting away his nail file (where'd he find that, anyway..?) and pulling out a bottle of nail polish.]

He seems to have the most connections, that's all. I'm not forcing your hand or anything.

[happygolucky]

I didn't think you were. Just wondering. [He's not suspicious, just curious, as this is the first person Kuja's really told him about.

Kuja doesn't always like answering his questions directly, he's noticed.] But you guys know each other or something?

[Zidane leans forward to examine the nail polish.]

Ha, you found everything already? I guess you don't waste any time. [Not that Zidane does either, having cased the joint. Not that he's actually going to steal anything, but it's good to know where everything is.]

Hey, if there's gonna be a beauty contest, looks like you already got it covered.

[fallen_stage]

Not really. I've just seen him around.

[Kuja starts painting his nails a bold red. Nothing like a bright color to cheer oneself up, right? By his actions, one could tell that he's well-practiced at this. Not once does he get any on his skin or perfect cuticles.]

I doubt you do, either. Well, one should always be prepared.

[Haha, nice joke.]

Think of it more as... keeping up my morale.

[happygolucky]

Okay, I'll look him up. No problem. [He has no reason not to--it's a good idea to make contact and cooperate with as many people as he can here.]

Ha, you're right, I checked everything out already. Did that first thing. Better safe than sorry, right?

[He's a funny guy! ;3]

Morale, huh? Whatever works. I can see it. Bright colors are cheerful. You wanna do mine next? [He takes off a glove and shows the back of his hand with its completely unmanicured fingernails, grinning.

So maybe he shouldn't joke around with Kuja, but it's hard to know just how to deal with him. Joking comes naturally to him. Maybe it'll put Kuja at ease? And hopefully won't just annoy him...]

[fallen_stage]

Of course. I'm glad you know that as well.

[Do his? Well, that's unexpected, but that brings a smile to Kuja's face. Good job, Zidane!]

Ugh, your nails are terrible. No wonder you want my help.

[But Kuja's smiling, and it's sincere. Hope you don't mind him grabbing your hand, Zidane, because he'll get it with his nailfile.]

[happygolucky]

[Oh--er, what's happening?

Waaaaait a second, he hadn't actually been serious. But before he can make this clear or protest, Kuja is already smiling and grabbing his hand.]

H-huh?

Terrible? No way, they're not that bad, are they? They look okay to me! Just--normal.

[Not that Zidane has any idea.

He hadn't envisioned actually getting a manicure, but now Kuja seems to genuinely be in a good mood, and wasn't cheering him up his intention? What has he gotten himself into now? OH WELL, GUESS HE'S STUCK NOW.]

[fallen_stage]

They're simple awful, Zidane. They're uneven and ragged and - ugh! Aren't the hands vital to a thief?

[A ragged nail could snag at the wrong time - say, in someone else's pocket. Don't fret, Zidane, Kuja is doing this very well!]

[happygolucky]

I have been kinda busy lately, y' know.

Sure they are--I've got the best hands in the biz!--but fingernails aren't a big deal. I'm a pro, I know what I'm doin'.

[Pft, as if he'd make that kind of amateur mistake!

All right, he's still more than a bit UNSURE about all this, but his new thing is trying to give Kuja the benefit of the doubt, so he will--and complaining about things seems to put Kuja in a good mood, too. Still, he's keeping a wary eye on that red polish, just in case.]

[fallen_stage]

[Don't worry Zidane, Kuja wouldn't waste his cosmetics on you. Besides, it's the wrong color for him.]

I suppose that's why you wear gloves most of the time.

[Despite his complaints (which have cheered him up, thanks Zidane), Kuja takes care of Zidane's hands very neatly.]

How short do you want them?

[happygolucky]

Not really. It's to protect 'em.

[He doesn't care about how they look, and they don't get snagged on things. They're not claws, Kuja.

He's still having a slightly hard time believing this is happening. Kuja doing his nails. It's more than a little absurd. But he considers the question, figuring that at least Kuja looks happier. Maybe. Not that he's easy to read or anything.]

Uh, really short?