Bran Bal, the Soulless Village

[tidesnpcs]

Characters: Mikoto, Warrior of Light, Firion, Refia, Edward, Locke, Rude, Genesis, Blank, Vivi, Rikku, Mjrn, Serah
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: The group crosses over into Terra.
Location: Bran Bal --> Bran Bal Underground
Date: August 1, 1804
Warnings: Violence
Notes: Additional information on this week's segment can be found here. The treasures listed

Comments

Entering Bran Bal

[morehatthanmage]

"Miss Mikoto. This...This is where Bran Bal was, isn't it?"

Vivi didn't have enough knowledge of the place to remember everything but he was painfully aware of the fact that there used to be people here. Life here. He shuddered a little as he passed the nothing that was stood where he distictly remembered a house being. Even though a lot of the genomes had been evauated it was still horrifying to see the remains of a place where people had lived.

He started to think of whether the complete destruction was better or worse than the Black Mage Village slowly falling silent. And then he very hurriedly stopped thinking about that and started concentrating very hard on helping Refia push the sled.

[dewdrop_pebbles]

Mjrn was silent as she peered around the rubble, proof of Kuja's wrath unleashed. Her sharp eyes could pick out details here and there, of what might have been before the tragedy. That was no comfort, however. Seeing glimpses of what had been only unsettled her more. A people once existed here...and now, there was nothing. No noise, not signs of life. Only the act of listening for sounds of approaching monsters kept Mjrn focused enough from the horror and despair that this sight provoked.

As Vivi asked his question, Mjrn glanced over toward Mikoto. Her gaze was sympathetic, though she did not add questions or otherwise interrupt. Returning had to be difficult on the girl, and she didn't want to make it more so.

[knowshermachina]

Rikku crouched down near one of the larger bits of rubble, picking up a chunk of the brickwork that was barely recognizable as stone and turning it over in her hands.

"So...one guy really did this to the whole planet, huh?" Rikku still wasn't sure she believed that. It was just so...no matter how powerful a summoner got back home, this was so far beyond their power. Even Sin couldn't have annihilated...everything.

[nomerevessel]

Mikoto nodded at Vivi. "Yes. We're here."

She climbed up onto a higher pile of rubble, and looked around the whole landscape with a sombre expression.

"Kuja destroyed this planet," she went on, looking at Rikku. "He attained a permanent state of Trance, and used it to cast Ultima, the most powerful spell of them all. It's as we thought. There's nothing left..." She turned slightly, still surveying the village, and frowned. "There were once dwellings underground. Perhaps some structure remains intact, if we could find the entrance."

In Lufene's Suite

[timenpcs]

Whatever dreariness that lay outside of these underground chambers were a stark contrast to the opulence of the chamber here. Fitted out in a style fit for a queen, the suite sprawled out with color and light. To those who might know it, the area was decorated quite similar to the Desert Palace which Kuja had once claimed as his own, including a set of statues facing each other: one angelic and two demonic in appearance.

At the far end of the suite sat a figure, a Genome if the lazy flick of her tail were proof enough. Yet this one was not like the emotionless ones in the labratory, nor even like Mikoto in appearance. Her hair flowed long, waving cascades of gold, free-flowing down her back and spilling about her shoulders. Bold shades of green, dark and light comprised her attire, revealing as it may be.

Without deigning to raise her gaze from her book, she addressed her guests, bland and bored with them already. "No manners at all. One should ask for permission before entering a woman's boudoir."

[dewdrop_pebbles]

As the group entered the chambers, Mjrn's eyes widened. Though ignorant of the Desert Palace, the sheer extravagance of the area caught her attention and for a moment, she couldn't help but stare in wondering silence.

That only lasted for a moment, however. The Genome woman soon caught her attention and she paused mid-stride, glancing to Mikoto and then the woman again. Before she could ask any questions, the woman spoke and thus Mjrn's attention was drawn back to her. Curious and wary in equal measure, she hung back but nonetheless peered at the woman who didn't even bother to look at them. "...who are you?"

[morehatthanmage]

OOC: Assuming Vivi was on the desert palace team ingame. Because it wouldn't have made much sense to take him to Oeilvert anyway.

"um. Sorry." Vivi responded, almost automatically. He certainly wasn't thinking, still staring at the place around him. It was certainly familiar, light and stained glass and majesty all around. The only difference had been the size of the Desert Palace and the fact that nobody was dropping him in lava.

He was trying very, very hard not to immediately judge the strange genome based on this association.

[nomerevessel]

Mikoto stared at the other girl with a mixture of new and unpleasant feelings. Her expression flickered. She had been... replaced. Of course. It was not unexpected, that Garland should make a new Angel of Death, but Mikoto had never actually experienced that happening to her.

She didn't like it. In fact, she immediately felt a powerful hatred towards the Genome reclining so lazily before them. The new Genome reminded her far too much of Kuja already, but more than that: Mikoto was simply jealous. She had never felt this before. She didn't understand it.

Unsure what to do, Mikoto hung back, unwilling to meet her replacement's eyes.

In Lufene's suite -- later on

[dark0messenger]

The room he had been met with was far too familiar. Reminiscent of a certain time once upon a time, a better time in his opinion, but the present brought anything but pleasant feelings. Following his targets had led him here, to this lavish suite, and listening in on the conversation spoken between the group and this unidentified figure opened his eyes and mind to something else familiar. He had, once again, been replaced. That old man, that disgusting, stupid, foolish and ugly wretched old man had replaced him! Again!!

How dare he!For once, Kuja was acting as the crone had wished, keeping his disobedience at a much quieter level until things were sorted out in his favor! Who does he think he is!? The feelings of jealously, anger, and loathing washed over him once more, the same pattern of feelings plaguing him that did when he learned of Zidane’s birth. First Zidane, then Mikoto, now this Lufene

[timenpcs]

Kuja's arrival was expected but not exactly welcome to Lufene who still lounged in a chair, pouting. The nerve of Garland calling her out in front of everyone! And she'd been having such fun with them too.

"You're late," she retorted icily. Her arms crossed over her chest and she huffed, very much like a child bent on having a sulk. Not that she'd seen her older 'brother', but she had been told enough to know exactly which of the four of them he was. She glanced up at him then smirked. "You're not as pretty as I was told."

There had to be something she was best at, after all. Why Garland was so obsessed with his past failures when he had her was beyond Lufene's comprehension.

[dark0messenger]

The way the fourth of Garland’s sat in the chair, pouting, reminded Kuja of a child who didn’t get what she wanted. For all he knew, and figured, that’s exactly what she was. It would be a lie to say Kuja wasn’t far off, but he certainly wouldn’t admit to that. No, it wasn’t him who was wrong, it was her, and it was all of them. Her existence alone was an offense to his purpose, his livelihood, and as long as she was alive it would serve as a constant reminder to this. As much as he wanted to engage in combat and try his hand at ending her right here and now, that wouldn’t be appropriate

[timenpcs]

"I don't know, Brother, why don't you tell me?" Lufene replied, voice cold as the Esto Gaza landscape. Disinclined to stand up or really give Kuja any more notice or attention than she must, she settled into her chair further, crossing one bare leg across the other. As to his vain response regarding his looks, she blandly examined her nails. Once her guests departed, those would need another coat of lacquer