(no subject)

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

Who: Kuja, Sephiroth, Xehanort, Vanitas, Kefka, Magus, and one extraordinarily confused black mage.
What: New evil lair of doom and death! Wholesome! Shiny! Safe!
Where: The Outer Continent
Warnings: Evil lair may not actually be wholesome or safe.

For some time now there had been an unusual amount of traffic flowing through the Outer Continent. Cargo ships laden with supplies, smaller vessels carrying workers, and one very irate dragon came and went at irregular intervals. It looked for all the world as if Kuja had decided to build a village out here.

In truth, it was only his palace being worked on. He barely remembered destroying it at this point, only that he had when he'd sent roots from the Iifa Tree erupting out in all directions, but perhaps it was best if those memories remained muddled and vague. It felt as if another Kuja had gone through that horrible time when he could have sworn he heard each second of his life running down, a steady, neverending tick-tick-tick as loud and maddening as a metronome, and he was not about to disabuse himself of that comfort by dwelling on it unnecessarily; it allowed him to keep a healthy distance between himself and his own mortality even after he'd already died once.

Keeping busy helped, too, and he had been busy, albeit with nothing that his fellow villains would find useful to themselves. They could plot the downfall of humanity or spread that virus around for kicks or whatever it was they were all doing--he had more pressing concerns at the moment, like making sure everything was just right with the restoration of his home. He was sinking quite a bit of money into it, far more than he'd paid for his airship, and woe betide the stonemason who got a single detail wrong. Altogether, however, he was pleased with what had been accomplished. Humans really were industrious builders if you assembled a large number of them, bribed them adequately, gave them a few black mages to carry things around and do the monotonous, repetitive tasks that nobody liked, and worked them around the clock.

Of course, the black mages were made from Mist. Some of the workers had begun coughing after a short while, and that had irked him at first, but he'd only needed them to stay alive and fit until they were done shoring everything back together and repairing the broken stonework. Now that the place was livable they could crawl off into a corner and die of that pesky little virus for all he cared (although it would be a shame if he ever needed them to come back and fix something). At this point he had only to put the finishing touches on it himself, and then he'd be satisfied.

But for now he was relaxing in the shade of the airship dock and supervising as his black mages, given new orders, took quite a large amount of furniture off the Angel's Raine. He reclined against the wall, his face lifted to the cloudless, sunny sky, and heaved a sigh of contentment. What a marvelous day this was! Surely nothing could ruin it for him.

Comments

[black-masamune.livejournal.com]

"You certainly look relaxed," a silky, baritone voice purred from nowhere. Like the Cheshire Cat himself, Sephiroth seemed to materialize from nowhere only a few feet off to Kuja's side. The man's arms were crossed over his chest as he surveyed the crafty aristocrat's work. "I see you've gotten to work rebuilding a place for yourself."

Sephiroth was no stranger to the toils of crafting one's own living space. The base deep withing the Northern Crater had been crafted by him, after all. However, he hadn't used the hands of men and mages to build it. Sheer willpower was all the great general had needed to mold the earth into the home of his liking. It made the end result more personal, he felt. However, it also raised his blood pressure a bit since it was his own creation his allies had a tendency to want to destroy.

Green cat eyes studied every pattern and detail of the stonework being put into place, and the tall man found himself nodding in approval. When it was complete, Kuja's new base of operations would be a Shangri-La Sephiroth felt he would have to visit often.

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

Kuja's eyes flew open when a voice spoke out of nowhere. Sephiroth had most assuredly not been there a second ago.

Well, turnabout was fair play, wasn't it?

"I have. It's come along fantastically." He swept an arm grandly at the entrance hall (http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/9412/hallway3.jpg) behind him, which must have contained his airship's weight in marble alone. "It was a wreck just last week." His smile hadn't faded; if anything, it had widened. Having his palace back was still so new that even looking at the freshly restored walls brought a glow of pride.

"What brings you he--"

Several black mages were coming down the ramp off of the Angel's Raine, holding a very large steel cage between them. They didn't seem to understand the need for caution or delicacy--one tripped, the others stopped in confusion and let go, and the cage hit the ground with a furious and very loud snarl, cutting him off.

"Mmnnn," he said instead, staring as the door swung open ominously. "Never mind that mess. May I offer you a drink?"

[black-masamune.livejournal.com]

"Of course, I am a bit thirsty." he said as he stepped through the door. He had to resist laughing at the black mages' expense, and instead turned his attention to the lavish decor. His eyes carefully scrutinized every last detail of the entry hall, admiring it all. Kuja had spared no expense it seemed.

He expected no less of the man. Kuja was one who lived on the uppermost tier of society. He had to be surrounded by beautiful things both because he admired them and because only the beautiful were fit to be around him.

"To answer your question earlier, I was bored being at the base. The Remnants are off doing their own tasks, and I would rather not have to converse with the others yet," he smirked at the shorter man, "So I figured, why not come visit with one of the few of my allies who annoys me the very least?"

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

The oblivious mages simply stood there, looking as bemused as they possibly could, as a fully-grown coeurl stalked out from the broken cage, glared around the dock, and then launched itself at them.

Even this disaster wasn't going to annoy him. Not today, not when everything else had worked out just right. He simply turned away with a sigh, leaving the fight to play out on its own, and headed after Sephiroth. The ex-general's words brought an indelicate snort of amusement out of him. "I see," he murmured. "Well, do stay a while. Although I'm sure I could be more annoying if you wish--I could follow you home, scribble all over your walls, act like an uncultured boor?" For all that Kuja was a blithe man, easily given over to theatrics, this was something new--it was almost playful. He was in an excellent mood indeed. "No? I can spare us both the undeserved headaches instead."

Outside, one of the black mages appeared to have realized that it was under attack. A cry of "KILL!" echoed faintly up the long hallway before two massive stone doors swung shut and closed off the outside world.

It was a bit of a walk, but the air got much cooler farther in and the vaulted ceilings kept it circulating. The whole structure had apparently been designed with both form and function in mind, with the end result that the living areas were quite comfortable. Most of them were still either unfurnished or partially furnished, but the parlor (http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/4488/sittingroom.gif) wasn't one of them. He really had spared no expense; this was the home of an aesthete who had access to an obscene amount of money.

Kuja made no move to fetch the drinks, instead picking out a couch and making himself comfortable on it, but, given that he'd had his ambulatory Mist-weapons moving house for him, he probably had them bring him his wine too.

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

The familair darkness portal that had come to be associated with the elder darkness controller appeared, releasing it's habitat as he glared around the room in a fury. "The jester isn't here, is he?" Xehanort said before composing himself as he nodded to Sephiroth. "I heard you had a new place, and wanted to check it out, much better than the last persons"

occ: the psycho bunny's here just because >D

[unbirth-vanitas.livejournal.com]

"If you did that, Kuja, I might have to kill you quite horribly. I'd hate to do that." Sephiroth seated himself on one of the incredibly comfortable couches, sitting opposite his host. The general let out a deep sigh as the cushions seemed to suck the exhaustion right out of his very bones.chuckled as Kuja bemoaned the mere existence of the jester. He was so glad the others he worked with couldn't tolerate Kefka. It certainly made for good conversation.

One silver brow lifted as he saw Xehanort appear. It inched even higher as he saw the young man who was trailing behind the old codger. He was reminded of Grobyc, for some reason, though he doubted the youth beside Xehanort was any kind of robot. The black-clad male leaned against one of the finely decorated walls and seemed to study the area, but who knew what he was really looking at or thinking behind that mask?

"Are you going to introduce us to your 'friend'?" he asked, smirking a little as he raised his glass to drink from it. The young man scoffed even as it looked like his master was about to speak.

"Who're these guys? I can barely tell if that one's a chick or not!" Vanitas said, gesturing in Kuja's general direction. "Nice digs though. A bit too fancy for me, but pretty cool."

Sephiroth's eyes narrowed, though not because of the remark. The boy's voice sounded eerily familiar, but he couldn't quite place it.

Three guesses as to what sort of company he means. First two don't count. XD

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

The only response to Sephiroth's half-hearted threat was a grin as Kuja kicked his legs up onto the marble coffee table, sprawling out as comfortably and lazily as a big cat in its own territory. Perhaps he would have said something else, but then a portal appeared and deposited Xehanort and a masked boy into his living room.

Never mind that Xehanort always seemed to arrive this way--Kuja blinked. And before he could get a word in, the boy was already pointing at him and talking.

"Can't you? Have fun trying to figure it out," he said with absent amusement, although he was a little bemused as well. At times it seemed as if his allies were all connected by an invisible string. Kefka had better not be attached to it. He'd probably break something, or write on it, or...

"Have a seat, gentlemen, although might I advise you to be more careful about where you open those portals? You never know what you'll teleport yourself into. I do have company on occasion." He smiled guilelessly, raising his own eyebrows. "You'd be better served knocking on my front door."

A black mage did, indeed, come in bearing a tray of wine at around that point. There were only two glasses, and Kuja sighed and sent it off for more. They were highly useful as weapons, but they weren't very autonomous.

Re: Three guesses as to what sort of company he means. First two don't count. XD

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

Xehanort nodded as he took a seat, before shooting a glare at Vanitas. "You will stand" he said, his tone clear that he wasn't going to put up with the masked man's shit as he would say. Xehanort turned to the other two. "I belive we should do something about Kefka, it appears that he was able to best one of us in battle" with those words Xehanort glanced at Sephiroth, a faint smirk on his face. "and his wild card nature is going to get us noticed eventually"

Hmmm...androgynous people of both sexes with the beauty of porcelain dolls?

[black-masamune.livejournal.com]

"That's exacty what I said." Vanitas mumbled in response to knocking before entering. He tilted his head slightly as his master reprimanded him, and rolled his eyes under the mask. "Calm down, sir. The hell am I supposed to do if you die of a heart attack?"

Realizing his own words, he started laughing hysterically and held his hands on his knees as he doubled over a bit. Sephiroth watched the two impassively and with a smirk on his lips. It disappeared as soon as Xehanort mentioned his rather...unfortunate mishap in battling the clown. Determined to keep his cool, he brushed the words off and took a glass from the tray, replacing it with the one he had previously, before the black mage scurried off to get more.

"Yes, I believe we should. He's getting to be more incorrigible as the days go on," he said, "Though I certainly won't complain about his absence as of late."

And the occasional would-be hero who ends up doing fetch-quests for him.

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

When Xehanort mentioned Sephiroth's fight with Kefka, Kuja's gaze slid over to the silver-haired man. His eyebrows had shot back up, but, to his credit, he said nothing on the subject. This was the first he'd heard of the incident--possibly because he'd been too busy out here to pay much attention to what the others were doing.

He straightened just long enough to take one of the glasses and then sat back again, running his finger idly along the rim of the cup. "And do you come to us with something specific in mind, or do you only feel you'd like to see the intolerable thing eradicated?" He was looking thoughtful now, but he held his peace so Xehanort could speak.

The black mage returned with another two wine glasses, set them on the table, and shuffled off again to who knows where as its master silently dismissed it.

And the Mailman bringing the latest Epicene Weekly

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

Xehanort nodded as he rose, "We can't deny that Kefka is powerful, his use of magic almost rivals my own, and certainly outclasses yours Kuja" he said as he turned away, glancing at the Black Mages working on construction. "We shall strike when he is most weak" He glanced back at Sephiroth, "You fought the jester before, how did that work out?"

And Girl Scouts...because they sell to ANYONE

[unbirth-vanitas.livejournal.com]

Vanitas finished his bout of laughter and stood up straight. His masked eyes slid from Kuja to Sephiroth a few times. Getting the hint from his master, he smirked behind his mask at the ex-SOLDIER.

"He kicked your ass, didn't he?"

"He got away missing a limb. I doubt he can regrow them, so there's an advantage." Sephiroth replied quickly. That was all he was going to say on the matter as well judging by how he took another long swallow of wine from his glass.

Vanitas shrugged, apparently giving up on the subject, then turned to the tray of wine the black mage brought. He grinned a bit and slipped the black casing of his mask off his face. After setting it aside on a side table near him, he picked up a wine glass and looked at it.

"Fancy," he chuckled softly and looked once over at his master for approval. Not that he'd need it.

Girl Scout cookies are good...if they're made from real Girl Scouts.

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

That got a laugh out of Kuja, almost too soft to be heard. He didn't argue with Xehanort's assessment of his power; the man could believe as he wished. He certainly looked harmless enough, especially in repose.

"Well, there you go: he's made of flesh and blood. Decapitate him. I'm sure that would be effective, unless he's part fish." He sipped from his own glass, then lowered it a bit. His smile had grown both smaller and sharper. "Of course, it would be a shame to let all that magical talent go to waste, wouldn't it? I have a proposal for you.

"Sephiroth, do you remember the airship I mentioned when we first met? I didn't ask after it for sentimental reasons. The Invincible is a weapon, but, more importantly, it absorbs and contains souls." He traced the rim of his glass again, idly catching a drop of wine. "They have power for those who know how to draw it out. The jester's, I'm sure, is quite strong. We could put it to excellent use."

He sucked the wine off his finger and shrugged.

"Simply a modest suggestion."

Re: Indeed!

[king-zeal.livejournal.com]

The Magus slashed his way back into a normal dimension, his scythe ripping through the air behind Sephiroth. The man stepped through gracefully, swathed in rich purple robes that cinched at the waist with a muted gold sash. The hood was up, but even so, stray azure hairs hung free over his pale face, his crimson eyes flicking about and taking in the gathered minions of darkness. Interesting, to say the least..

"So.. is this the company you've taken to keeping, General?" his voice was smooth, quiet, but with a note of command. The Magus held himself with a regal bearing, as if the powerful people in the room were mere peons.. but then again, perhaps they were at some point in the future, a point which he discerned.

Yay Magus is here! Shenanigans will now commence

[black-masamune.livejournal.com]

"An airship hm? That's quite the tool you've gathered." he chuckled, listening intently as the cultured aristocrat continued on. Sephiroth's attention snapped toward Magus almost immediately as the purple-robed man appeared. The smirk returned to his face. "Ah, so we meet again. It's a pleasure to see you here."

He turned to the others and stood in order to introduce his newest ally. "This is the Magus. Do be courteous."

Vanitas just laughed after taking a good gulp of his wine. Seeing the scythe rend the air right in front of them had impressed him.

"Nice to meetcha." he said, grinning widely.

Knocking is so out this season, huh? XD

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

"I haven't recovered it at just this moment, but," he raised a finger, "it won't be difficult to get ahold of. It's probably languishing in Alexandria or Lindblum unless my brother decided to sell it." And even Kuja doubted that Zidane would do something that stupid, knowing what the ship was capable of. "You're welcome to accompany me if you like."

Then his gaze slid away, to a point behind Sephiroth, as the air rippled with sudden energy and Magus made his entrance. His head tilted.

Hm.

"A pleasure, Magus. I'm Kuja. Welcome to my abode--don't mind the construction." He straightened, his half-bow neat and self-contained. He left it up to Xehanort and his companion to make their own introductions. Vanitas's name he hadn't even learned yet.

Bah! We are villains, knocking is so Lawful Good

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

Xehanort raised an eyebrow as he listenied to the conversation, sipping at his wine. "Ah, an airship, those inferior vessels to my gummi ship, I must admit the abilty to travese to other worlds is helpful" he held out his hand to Magus. "Greetings, my name is Xehanort, this is my apprentince, Vanitas"

Heh, who knocks anymore anyway?

[king-zeal.livejournal.com]

The Magus nodded in turn to the people who greeted him, noting the interplay of politics in the room. A deft power struggle, it seemed, each more eager to outdo the last.. petty, in some cases. Ah, but what could be expected of villainy? By nature, competitive and egotistic, arrogant.. among other things. He had known similar entities numerous times, and in fact these people reminded him to a point of his commanders from the middle ages.

Kuja was a likely candidate for Flea; very effeminate, but dangerously so, appearing charming, even beautiful, in repose, but likely fatal when roused. Xenahort most reminded him of Ozzie, in the sense that he seemed to be the most self-assured in a room full of self-assured people, willing to endure indignities for the sake of assured victory. Ozzie had always been a sly one, after all. Then there was Vanitas, and Sephiroth.. the two seemed to be the most direct of the gathered, and thus the most decisive in nature, akin to Slash.. Slash had been one of The Magus' closest friends while he grew up with the Mystics, where Flea had been more of a companion, and Ozzie something like a kindly, if strict, uncle.

He snapped free from such thoughts, smirking softly, "A pleasure to meet you all, I am certain. Forgive the lack of haste in my reply.. A momentary distraction; I was assailed by the Black Winds upon entering." his smooth voice rolled each word with an aristocratic sense, expertly conveying meaning, hidden though it was, "It is rare for one such as myself to encounter such profound founts of destiny.. Rare indeed."

Knocking is for the WEAK!

[unbirth-vanitas.livejournal.com]

Vanitas gave a slight bow when he was introduced, then returned to his wine. He coughed a little after every gulp, but nonetheless grabbed another glass once his own was empty. In only a few minutes, he was as drunk as one could get and still be able to easily stand on two feet.

"So now that we're all here, what're we gonna do? I propose a spelling contest." he laughed. There wasn't much to be feared if he got drunk. Strangely, Vanitas was a friendly drunk, and preferred to simply hang on people and be somewhat friendly when his brain was swimming in alcohol, if his leaning on the wine-serving black mage was any indication. Definitely different than his sober self.

Sephiroth chuckled at the Heartless one and turned back to Magus, offering as close to an honest smile as he could.

"We were discussing Kefka Palazzo. You remember him from what I've told you, correct?" Sephiroth asked, lightly gesturing for the prophet to sit wherever he liked. The task really belonged to Kuja, but seeing as the general was the only one who had seen the man prior, he took the position without thinking.

Not knocking can lead to brain-scarring! Did anyone else who played IX notice Kuja's whip room? >D

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

"Xehanort, you're free to have absolutely nothing to do with the Invincible." Kuja seemed amused by the ploy at one-upmanship--but not surprised. He remembered what had ensued when the old man and Lynx had gotten together in Sephiroth's living room. Let others posture; he would sit back and watch the fallout like a bored sultan.

Normally, anyway. Now that Magus had arrived, Kuja was taking his measure instead. He seemed dignified, his words polite but weighted with the confidence of a man who knows he has nothing to prove to those around him. His initial impression was that Sephiroth had found an excellent ally (or had Magus found Sephiroth?).

"If you've not met the jester, you're a lucky man indeed. Please, make yourself comfortable." He nodded towards the tray of wine, inviting Magus to take a glass if he wanted.

The black mage that Vanitas leant against gave no indication whatsoever that it had noticed him. It didn't even seem to be breathing. It could have passed for a statue if it hadn't been moving about just a little while ago.

It had, however, started to list under the extra weight.

I did!

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

Xehanort watched the group here, most of them were dignified people, with the obvious exception of Vanitas. They would make do as subordinates, much better than that.....

Xehanort paused, sniffing the air, a burning smell was faint. "Anyone else smell that" he said as the door to the place burst open as a black mage flew into the room, his robes apparently being the source of the smell.

Kefka glided into the room, a large purple grin on his face as he waved with his only arm left. "Why Ello, gentlemen and what ever the hell Kuja is, I seem to have lost my invite

Cue Seph going "FFFFFFFFFFFUUUUU-" in his mind

[black-masamune.livejournal.com]

Sephiroth immediately felt dread settling down comfortably on his shoulders as an all too familiar and grating voice met his ears. And to think he had expected a civilized meeting with his allies? Ha! Fate said "fuck you" and exited stage left.

"Speak of the devil..." he mumbled under his breath before taking another sip of his wine.

Vanitas blinked, then laughed.

"Holy shit, it's that clown you told me about!" he said to his master, laughing hard. "A one-armed clown. That's damn poetic!"

Kuja will see him that "FFFFUUUU" and raise him a "Why, god, why?"

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

The noise Kuja made when the doors flew open down the long hallway was not unlike a growl. Speak of the devil indeed. He jerked his hand and the mage's blazing robes went out in an exhale of smoke, saving it and the rest of his parlor from further damage. He hadn't needed to direct his magic through the use of hand-signals since he was very young, and it was likely that he only employed one now to make it clear just who had extinguished the fire. He had tolerated the jester's erratic behavior and petty vandalism outside of his home, but it was obvious that such absurdities would find no welcome here.

"That," he said coolly, "is because the invitation was never extended. Nemo me impune lacessit, Kefka. Get out."

When Vanitas laughed, the black mage he was supporting himself on simply...toppled over. It laid where it fell for several minutes, radiating an air of faint confusion, before attempting to right itself.

Xehanort will see Kuja's "Oh God Why?" and raise him a "BRAND NEW CAR!" wait...

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

Xehanort clenched his hands as Kefka grinned and walked forward, walking right up to Kuja with a sickening grin. "Why Hello Kuja, What will I do with you, will I rape you like I did that guy who's name I can't remember, destroy you in battle like poor Sephy, or something worse. I got all day, and your body is so sweet, it sings to me, like candy to a child, I want to unwrap it and see what's inside.......see if I won a prize"

Xehanort stepped forward. "This is enough, Kefka, what is the meaning of your visit" he asked as Kefka glared at him.

"Meaning? Never have one. MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!"

Vanitas sees "BRAND NEW CAR!" and raises you "ONE SMOKIN' GUMMI SHIP" ...no really, it's on fire

[unbirth-vanitas.livejournal.com]

Vanitas gave a little yelp as he fell along with the black mage. He looked down at the small, squishy wizard and just laughed.

"So when do I get to rip the clown's arm off and shove it straight up his eyeballs?" he asked his master before yawning widely.

Sephiroth was absolutely fuming inside, and his fingers just itched to summon Masamune and ram it through Kefka's brain. He even rose to do just that, though he didn't let his anger break the surface just yet.

"Kefka. I was thinking about a rematch. Hopefully this time you'll die." he uttered the last part softly, almost growling. His patience with the jester was almost at an end.

[king-zeal.livejournal.com]

The Magus raised his brows, and smiled behind the shadow of his hood as he tilted his head, observing the wicked jester and how Sephiroth, and the others, seemed to react to the man. Interesting indeed.. They all seemed reserved, prone more to thinking than acting, while Kefka seemed more vicious, but even then he didn't seem to be the type to do things without thinking.

"Ah, so you are Kefka. Interesting indeed." and it wasn't as if he were lying about it, it was interesting.

Pandora has just started playing "Peace Be Upon Us." BRB LOLing.

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

Kuja didn't rise as the clown approached him; to do so would suggest that this was worth getting up for. He didn't even put his glass down.

When Kefka spoke incredulity shadowed the Genome's face.

Then he grinned, and the expression was somehow worse than any amount of rage or indignation would have been. His eyes briefly darted past the jester to Sephiroth behind him, gauging his position. Mage on one side of Kefka, swordsman on the other. Everyone but Magus, who only seemed curious, either angry or irritated. Well.

"How adorable," he purred, saccharine-sweet now, and finally did place his wine aside. He stretched as he got to his feet, a fluid, luxurious movement that sent his arms out and his whole body arching up on his toes, like he'd just woken from a nap and needed to limber up. "Perhaps I can help you come to a decision?" Kuja crooked a finger as if to suggest that Kefka lean in to hear his suggestion, conspiratorial and inviting, but he was already stepping in close--close enough to crowd, and lean in himself, intimate, as if to whisper something.

The black mage continued to try and get up for a few seconds, but Vanitas had it pinned and it ceased struggling soon enough, its limited reasoning abilities working overtime as it contemplated this new obstacle. It didn't know how to ask Vanitas to move, so it could only draw one conclusion: it had to move him. "KILL," it decided a bit uncertainly, raising its arms.

And went limp, the yellow glow of its eyes dimming, as Kuja, not looking round, reached his mind out to whatever passed for its own and shut it off.

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

Xehanort held up his hand. "Be paitent, Vanitas. I'm sure my colleagues want a piece first" he said as Kefka listenined to Sephiroth and Magus. He paused only to flick Sephiroth off and nod at Magus before turning back to Kuja.

"Oh really, well I was never much for listening to others" Kefka said as Kuja leaned in close. "Bio" he spoke, the poison gas spell spreading outward from Kefka's body.

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

Bio certainly wasn't harmless if ignored, but he knew well that there was a window between the casting of it and the time that it would take to really begin affecting him--a small window, perhaps, but enough of one. While the gas burned already, Kuja didn't waste any time trying to counteract the poison yet; he was close enough to do what he needed and do it quickly. His slender hand patted Kefka's hair, curiously reminiscent of what Kefka himself had done to Kadaj at the Northern Crater.

Save for the fact that, quick as a striking snake, his fingers grabbed and held and he confided, "Wrong answer."

Lightning leapt from his fingers. With his hand on the jester's head the concentrated Thundaga really only had one place to go.

Somehow Kuja doubted that he'd have enough decency to perish, but a few thousand volts to the brain ought to at least incapacitate anyone.

[black-masamune.livejournal.com]

Sephiroth's eyes widened only so slightly as his host and the invader began to fight. He had expected Kefka to pull some stunt like that. However, he was pleasantly surprised to see Kuja fighting back just as quick and intensely as an angered leopard.

There was no reason to interfere. Yes, his own revenge would have been so sweet, -and he eventually would be the one to slam Masamune through the clown's brain in the end, so he swore- but for now he would just help his host in his own fight. With that in mind, he slipped back away from the direct line of fire and cast DeSpell upon Kuja to rid the man of Bio's effects just when they would begin to take hold.

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

Unfournaetly for Kuja, lightning bolts to the brain weren't much to Kefka, especially when he countered by gliding backwards, his hair coming off in Kuja's hand as he growled, touching the faint stinging side of his head. "Ultima!" he shoued as the blue dome spell started to fire out from him.

Xehanort growled as he stepped back. "Vanitas, KILL HIM"

[unbirth-vanitas.livejournal.com]

Sephiroth cursed as Ultima was cast. Again he had expected that, but not quite this soon. He summoned Masamune to his hand, ready to step in.

The drunken Unversed Lord stood up fast, knocking the Black Mage away in the process, and flashed a huge grin to his master. His intoxication was gone in an instant.

"Finally!" He donned his mask again in a flash, and, not a second later, his keyblade was in his hands. As he flew at Kefka, malevolent, purely gleeful laughter broke out from him as he chopped down at the jester. He hadn't killed anyone of import as of yet, so being allowed to kill one of his master's "allies" was possibly the most excitement he'd have for a while!

"Guess your luck ran out Klowny!" he laughed.

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

Foreign magic enveloped him, driving the poison out of his body before it could take hold, and he was glad. He could cast Esuna, but doing so would waste precious seconds and to have one less thing to worry about was very, very good, especially as Kefka somehow appeared to be immune to the equivalent of a taser set on full being placed against his head. It made no sense, and would perhaps lead Kuja to wonder if there was anything rattling around in there later on, but for now he merely reacted. Ultima wasn't something he wanted going off in his parlor. He knew exactly what one could do with it.

When Vanitas leapt in and attacked, hopefully providing at least a momentary distraction, Kuja took the opportunity to unleash several fast-moving contrails of bright, purplish energy at the jester, at more or less point-blank range. It was Flare magic in a denser, more compact form--quicker to charge than Ultima, and still powerful, to interrupt Kefka's spell as it formed.

And also, incidentally, to try and knock him towards the glint of Masamune as it appeared. A fight between mages tended to be a disaster for their surroundings, and it seemed that Kuja still hoped to end this quickly and with a minimum of damage to his home.

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

Xehanort stood in the back, watching. He knew Kuja would probaly harp on him for not going against Kefka but he needed to watch, perhaps the clown could come in handy after all.

Kefka grinned as Vaintas leapt at him, dodging his attack by moving to the side, however this put him in the direct path of Kuja's flare, causing him to be blasted backwards into the door. leaving a smoking imprint on the wall as Kefka glared at Kuja, his body smoking as Kefka lay crumpled on the ground

[king-zeal.livejournal.com]

The Magus yawned softly, and watched the proceedings as if it were a circus orchestrated by gnats, or perhaps fleas, simply for his amusement. "Ah, the common problem when you fill a room thusly.." his tone began amused, but then shifted to scolding, speaking as a father might to a room full of naughty children, "What exactly do you all hope to accomplish by this foolishness? You do realize that this benefits not one of you, at all?"

He pushed his hood back, crimson eyes flashing with indignant annoyance, idly flexing his gloved fingers. No magic oozed from him, and he didn't even take a threatening stance, "You are all no better than children on a playground, squabbling over who has the best toys. Do you not realize that this is precisely why those of us with such aspiritions that we have all entertained ultimately fail? There is no real need for heroes anymore, not when you upstarts are busily swatting one another like insignificant lice."

He paused to allow that to sink in, giving his head a little shake. He hadn't lost his temper, and he hadn't said anything he didn't mean. The Magus didn't need this sort of amateur-hour idiocy.

[black-masamune.livejournal.com]

Vanitas groaned in disappointment as his kill was "stolen" from him by Kuja. He tossed an almost pouting look to his master before slowly stepping back away from the area. Sephiroth's eyebrow raised at the boy's behavior. He reminded him of Loz only much more excitable. Watching a battle between the two would be amusing for all sides, he figured.

Sephiroth eyed Kefka's smoking carcass with some disdain. Just to be sure, he thrust Masamune down at the body to see if he was truly alive or not. He suddenly didn't care anymore, but curiosity was a cat-killer.

Magus' quip caught his attention. The silver-haired man's head snapped in the prophet's direction, and the sheer and utter hatred radiating from the catlike eyes was enough to make lesser men tremble.

"This one refused to work with anyone like a civil human being. We've all been aiming to kill him for some time now to make sure his ways don't interfere with our collective desires, like they have every single time thus far. Do not accuse us of being children. This thing is a detriment to the alliance we all share." he said, his voice low. Seeing the general angry enough to break his normally stoic facade was soemthing none of them, bar Kefka, had ever seen before. "So don't behave like you're on a higher plane, Prophet."

He straightened up, quickly regaining his almost regal composure and turned to Kuja. "My apologies, my friend. If there is any lasting damage, I will pay for them in full. For now...I feel I must take my leave. The Remnants need to perform a new task for me."

[masterheartless.livejournal.com]

If Kefka had any sense of sanity, he would of left, but instead he simply mouthed a rather hoarse reply as Sephiroth stabbed through his back. Kefka retched, an digusting mix of vomit and blood covering the tiles in front of him as Xehanort quickly moved over to him, casting a dark portal as he grabbed the clown, who was slowly falling into unconsiousness as he tossed Kefka through the portal as it closed.

"My apologies, Kuja. I'm sure you would of wanted to finish the buffoon off yourself, but his magic while untrained is powerful. I could use a new heartless. Come Vanitas, there is much we have to talk about" Xehanort said as he opened the large door, about to walk out, this time taking the normal way if only to show a courtesy to Kuja when he glanced back at the no doubt royally pissed off man. "and thank you for the wine"

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

Kuja winced, rubbing the bridge of his nose, as Kefka slammed into the door and then...

Threw up all over the place when stabbed. Oh, no. The damage was bad enough, but it seemed the jester had gotten in the last word, if only figuratively--one last "fuck you" before Xehanort chucked him through the portal. His hand slid down to cover his mouth instead, stifling the groan that wanted to escape. He made no move to stop Xehanort from taking the body. As satisfying as it would have been to finish what he'd started, he'd cede that final pleasure to his allies. Kefka had been a thorn in their sides for much longer than he'd been a thorn in Kuja's.

There was no geniality left on his face as he turned to stare at Magus; he simply looked tired. Sephiroth said most of what was necessary (and he had such a glower as he said it that even Kuja was taken aback), so the Genome's contribution was brief. "To tolerate a rabid dog in your midst is foolish at best, Magus. An animal that bites indiscriminately must be dealt with."

To Sephiroth he nodded, lifting his hand dismissively as if to say don't worry about it. If anything Kefka ought to pay for what he had wrecked, but he knew the odds of that happening were about as slim as the moon falling from the sky. "Until we meet again...under less unpleasant circumstances, I hope." He muttered that last, almost too soft to hear, and glared at the...puddle...that been left on his floor.

[unbirth-vanitas.livejournal.com]

Vanitas let out a disgruntled "hmph" before adjusting his helmet. He trailed after his master like a reluctant dog tugging at its leash. Just when things had gotten fun, it had ended! On top of that, he felt little to no more of the buzz the wine had left in him. 'This blows...'

Sephiroth gave a curt nod to Kuja before he too left, though unlike certain people, he was civil enough to go through the front door. His black as pitch wing spurted from his back, and with it he flew away into the sky. And to think he had been hoping for a pleasant afternoon with an ally of his. How foolish of him to expect otherwise.

[king-zeal.livejournal.com]

"Dealt with, perhaps. Destroyed if it is no more than simply a dog, but that was no dog, now was it?" he dismissed the idea with a simple shake of his head, "Though I concur with the general statement therein, Kuja." he turned his attention to Sephiroth, tapping his chin with a finger, seeming to consider him for a long moment. His crimson eyes turned from the silver-haired general, to the Genome, to Xenahort and the departing Vanitas, seeming no more pleased than he had earlier.

At last, and at length, he spoke softly to those still present, "Just what is it you all hope to accomplish by this paradigm?"

Vanitas has made a friend. >D

[immoralkuja.livejournal.com]

"Wasn't it? It barks and froths and attacks all that it sees." Kuja shrugged. Magus would draw his own conclusions, had doubtlessly drawn them already, and he wouldn't spend much time justifying what he already knew: Kefka was a time bomb, and he'd been defused. "He could have been put to better use, I'll give you that. If I had the opportunity I would have made him into something more serviceable than a loose cannon. We shall have to see what Xehanort does with him."

Hopefully it wouldn't entail anything that the old man might regret later. Kuja was suspicious of the phrase I could use a new Heartless. If turning Kefka into one involved leaving any vestige of his mind intact, there was potential for disaster.

"Now, if you will excuse me, I must tend to the necessary repairs."

He inclined his head and then left, not out the door but deeper into the labyrinthine palace he'd built for himself. As he passed the black mage that he'd shut off earlier it sprang back to life. It climbed to its feet, its hat askew, and blinked twice.

"KILL," it repeated, but made no move to cast any magic. Then it tried: "WINE?" And then, somehow ominous in its focus and self-direction: "VANITAS."

It shuffled off after the Unversed Lord and his master, as patient and single-minded as the most faithful of hounds, and Kuja, although he really did groan this time, didn't stop walking. Vanitas could have the damned thing if he wanted it. He had two dozen more and this one was clearly flawed.