towerofanimus | Infighting Week Two

[...

That's not creepy or anything, Kuja. :C

Fortunately, Zidane is blissfully unaware of any such thoughts, just trying his best to be friendly to this guy who's sort of his brother.]

Strong's one word for 'em. Yeah, sure I have! They're big in Lindblum. They're not bad. I'm eating some-- [He looks down at his own food and after a moment, sums it up.] Bugs.

You doing okay?

[Oh, there's a lot you don't know about him, Zidane. Be thankful Kuja is very good at keeping his thoughts private.]

I'm faring well. I'm still doing my upmost to win, but I didn't expect to be the only one voting.

[Also he's gonna snag some of you lunch, Zidane. Crispy scorpions on a stick are pretty good, omnomnom.]

[That's good, because he would rather not know about Kuja's murderous thoughts. Although maybe it would be better if he did know, in case a warning would be helpful.]

Me too! I know we can do it.

[He means it. He's confident.

Zidane doesn't object to Kuja taking a scorpion, indicating with a gesture of his hand that he can help himself. There are plenty of bugs to go around! He's really enjoying his salted chili grasshoppers.]

Uh, yeah, about that...

Maybe you shouldn't vote next time. I think people were objecting to the idea of being made to vote for their own teammates, since it's--you know, terrible. [Not to mention that they had to vote for them and then watch them die. Ugh.]

[People are so weirded out by bugs, but Kuja knows they're just more protein in the end. Also pleasantly crunchy. He really does love those scorpions, since they make him think of his Palace.]

Yes, I realize that now. I thought I wouldn't be the only one voting strategically... However, seeing the atmosphere of the game so far, I think it would behoove me to also refrain from voting. I don't need any more ire directed at me if I can help it.

If you would, I'd be grateful if you could pass around my personal horror that I was responsible for someone's death, and that I won't vote any more in the future.

[People eat other animals, so why not bugs? It's kind of fun. And crunchy. Zidane is just gonna grab some of Kuja's pickles, while they're sharing, stealing a few off his plate with the greatest of ease.]

I know you didn't mean anything bad by it, but that's probably a good idea. [Not that he doesn't think Kuja is capable of some bad things, but he really doesn't think Kuja did intend any harm this time.] Sure, I'll tell people, no problem!

[He sighs, pausing in his eating for the moment. Seeing those people be hurt--it had been awful to watch. At least Ventus didn't suffer, though he couldn't say the same for the others.] I guess it was going to happen to somebody no matter what, but I wish it hadn't. D'you think they'll really keep treating people okay if our group wins?

[The people in the other groups hadn't seemed to be doing well, and Zidane didn't see any reason to trust the people who'd put them in a contest like this. Not that he's going to stop trying, no matter what.]

[Kuja doesn't mind Zidane stealing off his plate: he is a thief, and Kuja stole from him first. As long as he doesn't try to take the pufferfish, of course. Kuja doesn't need his advocated poisoned.]

Thank you. Refraining from voting could be seen as rebellious, though... Ah well, it's a minor thing.

[Kuja's more worried about his reputation and winning than other peoples' suffering. Really, Ventus got off easy: a painless death and an escape from the circumstances.]

The three competitors have argued about approach in the past. Dax would keep things as they are, while the other two would make it worse. I've talked to a few people in Jason's group, to sabotage it as much as they can. Jason's current justification for his extreme means is that it's more convenient for those in charge, that it's easier to keep people compliant. So, not only do we need to excel, but we need to prove the fallacy in Jason's reasoning.

Excess cruelty will give birth to bitterness, which will turn, eventually, on the tormentor.

[Kuja's not bitter. Not. At. All.]

Looks like if we don't vote, they choose someone random, so they can't be that mad about it. I'm not gonna vote no matter what--it's bad enough they make us play this game against each other in the first place. Making us vote for who to die's sick.

They've done this before? [He shakes his head.] Stuff's bad enough already without makin it worse.

I'll excel, no problem! [He's confident, at least.] How else're we gonna prove he's wrong, though? Not that I don't agree with you, cause I do.

Nothing good comes out of being cruel.

[Zidane's remark isn't at all pointed, either!]

Not like this specifically, but they have quarreled amongst each other publicly before.

[Yeah he's gonna pointedly ignore that.]

As long as we're in agreement on this matter. Most likely they'll keep trying to divide us all.

Huh. I wonder why they keep arguing where we can see if they're working together here. Cause that's kinda weird. It seems like a trick. [Experience and his own job as a thief have made Zidane suspicious.]

Do they have a boss or something? Somebody behind the scenes?

[Zidane's willing to let it go.]

I got your back, Kuja. And I got everybody else's back, if they need it. I won't let them mess with me like that.

Not that I know of, but it's a good idea. If it is an act, it's a good one: they seem to be pitting us against each other well. Either by turning us against our podmates, as it were, or by building resentment between those who have suffered and those who have not.

[Yeah, Kuja trusts Zidane to get his back.... with a knife. Kindness or not, he doesn't believe for a second Zidane could change his mind so quickly. Not that Kuja will be the first to break the charade.]

Yeah, I don't know what to think about 'em. This whole thing seems fishy. But if that's true, I dunno how we can figure out what they're really up to. We can't let them divide us, though, that I know. No matter what.

[He nods, determined.

Zidane is blissfully ignorant of Kuja's thoughts, having been sincere in his own words.

He would never go back on his word and has no idea there's any kind of "charade" going on (well, not that he trusts Kuja yet). He was only fighting Kuja when Kuja was--oh, just trying to harm and kill people.]

Hey, can I ask ya something?

How simple, then! Regardless of motivation for now, either way the solution is the same.

[Kuja didn't get as far as he did without some healthy paranoia.]

...I reserve the right to withhold my answer, but I won't stop you.

Wish it was as easy as it sounds.

[Paranoia isn't healthy, Kuja! Or so Zidane would say. He will never backstab you, in any case.]

Ha, right, didn't think I could make you answer.

I know you're a Genome like me. So--uh, where's your tail? I saw it before-- [Sort of awkward to bring that up, so he doesn't dwell on it.] --but where is it now? Or why isn't it?

Edited 2012-06-20 05:10 (UTC)

[Whoops, bad question. Not as bad as Kuja was expecting but. No. Terse answer go.]

I don't care for it.

[His body language screaams "drop it". Not that it ever stopped Zidane...]

[There were worse questions he COULD have asked, but he has some sense of self preservation.

And nope, it never did.]

How come? It's yours. [He curls his own tail; he couldn't imagine being without it.] Like your arms. And your nose.

...it's gotta be there somehow, right? [He leans back to look in the general direction of where it would be, ever the soul of tact.] You didn't--cut it off?

[Except unlike his arms and nose, it was... loaded. Unnecessary. Excessive. He doesn't expect Zidane to understand. On Gaia, it would be a unique feature, something to mark him out in a crowd.

Kuja doesn't turn, just shifts his hips so his train sways.]

Yes, Zidane, I chopped off my tail and left a big, ugly scar so I could sacrifice it to Maliris for a potion of eternal youth.

Ha ha, very funny. I know you didn't do that.

[Other people on Gaia do have tails; it's not that bad. Tails are cool. But no, he doesn't get it.]

I dunno. Maybe you could've with your magic. [And it could come back in Trance. Like a ghost tail or something.] But I guess you didn't. Is it just invisible?

[Not people like themselves. Congrats Zidane you're right on the money! Magic solves everything ~~even if he didn't intend to make feathers grow from his head. but that's another story~~]

Why do you care?

[Zidane never really cared about looking different. And where Kuja's concerned, magic is usually the answer.]

Cause I was wondering why you'd make it go away when it's part of you. Why don't you like it?

[You got that right. Nothing like magic to make those pesky extraneous parts go away.]

...Tell me, Zidane. When you first visited Terra, how did you feel?

[The memory is recent enough--and vivid enough, that it's not hard to remember. He's not sure if Kuja's trying to avoid his question, but he answers anyway.]

Confused, and weird. I was surprised, but it was familiar, cause there was this--uh, light that I remembered, but I didn't know why. Almost right away, Garland showed up and started saying stuff that made no sense. About my name and who I was and how I didn't know anything. Then I saw Mikoto. I didn't know what to make of any of it when I first got there.

[Kuja listens neutrally to Zidane, reserving his own opinion for now. Kuja doesn't like being so straightfoward with his feelings, so instead he'll lead Zidane to his point.]

And Garland, did he tell you about your nature as a Genome? Made a comparison, perhaps?

Garland? First he went away, then Mikoto talked to me a while. I saw the other Genomes. They were like a bunch of zombies. I didn't like that at all. I'd been looking for where I came from all my life, and it was--y'know.

[He leaves it at that. He'd been disappointed and angry to find out that the place he'd been from had been like that, but Kuja isn't asking about that, and it's not as if he feels comfortable telling Kuja everything. He's not exactly easy to talk to. The tension and weariness between them is obvious, even though Zidane tries to deal with it as best he can.]

But yeah, he did. Vessels, he said. [He sees what Kuja's getting at. This is awkward, but Zidane's an honest guy.] And--he compared me to you, if that's what you mean. He said we're a lot alike. And some other things about you. But--I thought I'd ask you about it.

[The tail thing had seemed a lot less painful to talk about than some of the other related subjects. Not that this isn't hard enough to talk about already.]

[Sorry Zidane, his tail is one of those personal landmines. In all honestly, Kuja's surprised Zidane is sharing this much, honesty or not. Kuja certainly would be lying through his teeth if their positions were reversed. Maybe Zidane knows that.]

And you had only been on Terra for... what, hours? A day? Now imagine you had spent over a decade languishing on that miserable rock.

[Yeah he's... gonna ignore the other part. For now, at least. He can ask about what Garland said later; for now, Kuja won't be distracted.]

[You can't get trust without giving a little. At least, that's what he believes. And someone else knowing the truth about him doesn't hurt him at all, because it's not a secret. When you're open, you don't have to be so guarded. He doesn't expect the truth from Kuja, partly because he doesn't know what to expect from him.]

I dunno, Kuja. It's tough to say. If I'd always been there--it'd be different. I'd be different. I wouldn't know anything else. I thought it was creepy, and weird. And later, I thought it was sad. That the Genomes were like that. First I was mad, and I said I wasn't like them, but I was wrong. They're not just vessels.

[He's thinking of the people there, first.]

They're people. I think... I think I'd've tried to help them. [And that's what he'd done. Kuja would have let them all die. Zidane knows this only too well, but he doesn't mention it now.]

Infighting Week Two

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