paixaorpg | Two Out of Three [Completed]

Entry tags:

Two Out of Three [Completed]

Character(s): Kadaj & Yazoo
Content: The two brothers meet in the Café Ersesat, then start the journey towards the Morem o Lisboa.
Setting: Café Ersesat, H8 on the map, then gradually towards Morem o Lisboa.
Time: Sunday2 late morning/noon-ish.
Warnings: Mischief, mayhem, setting a Shadow Creeper on a crowd, throwing people off of trains... the usual.

On his way to the café, Kadaj made a series of observations about this city. Firstly, the plants were fake. He had wondered over to one curiously after seeing it glint in an incredibly unplantlike way, only to see that it was comprised of mere cloth and gems. Definitely not the sort of thing he was used to, but at least it meant there wouldn’t be any flowers around. Next, there were no animals. No rats, stray cats, dogs, or anything like that. Instead, he caught glimpses of strange glowing creatures—just what was wrong with this place?

Lastly, of course, everyone looked the same.

The same. There was hardly any real variation as far as the citizens’ appearances went. All blond hair and blue eyes. It was irritating, really; they reminded him of his older brother, that traitor, or maybe the President… If either one of them were here as well, he wasn’t quite sure what he’d do. He still had to get revenge on Cloud, of course, punish him for turning his back on Mother and all, as well as for his interference with Sephiroth’s plans. As for the President, well, after he had toyed with him, it seemed only proper to make him see the error of his ways as well. Kadaj couldn’t wait for that.

Mother came first, though, and before he could truly make his way to her, he had to meet Yazoo.

He finally reached the café he had told him they were going to meet, hesitating briefly before venturing inside. There were already people in it, of course, more of the usual, boring citizens. His brother should be easy to spot once he arrived… unless he had beaten Kadaj there?

He looked around, trying to test his theory. At no sign of his brother’s familiar form, he smirked slightly to himself and found a place to sit down, completely ignoring the line of people leading up to the counter. It wasn’t like he actually wanted anything from here anyway, so for now, he would simply wait.

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Yazoo had had the most unfortunate time dealing with this newfound bout of curiousity. On the way to the café, he'd wanted nothing more than to stop and examine several of the ... interesting features of this "Paixao" place. He'd been here long enough to make general observations, but this was all still so fascinating to him. What was the purpose of this place? Why did it exist, and why had he, Kadaj, and Mother been brought here? Why had their plans been postponed, and for what purpose were they postponed for?

To be quite frank, it didn't matter. Whoever or whatever was responsible for this would meet a rather untimely, gruesome fate. Yazoo was far from pleased about this situation and about the "sickness" this place seemed to rouse in him; he was willing to bet that Kadaj wasn't too excited about this, either.

And just what was this onset of emotions? He didn't need to get caught up in them. He had been fine before. He'd only desired Mother. This new all-too human way of life was debilitating.

The only outward sign of his annoyance was a half-irritated expression, though it was quick to disappear as he entered the café. It took but a moment to spot his brother among the pathetically dull, uniform inhabitants of the city, and he felt a most alien smile tug at his lips. "Kadaj," he called softly as he pushed through a small gathering of people and neared the other boy, then took a seat at the opposite side of the table.

Kadaj brightened considerably at the sound of his name, eyes immediately going to his brother to watch him approach. In all honesty, it hadn't been too long since he had seen him last, but since the three of them were almost always together, it had been hard to ignore his absence. The fact that their separation had been so unexpected was also a factor, so he didn't think it at all odd that upon seeing his sibling, he felt a surge of relief.

"Yazoo," he stated plainly in reply, smiling warmly back for an instant before going back to his usual smirk. "It's good to see that being in a new city hasn't made you lose your bearing." Like, for instance, he was certain it would have for Loz. Poor thing. Not. Too bad he hadn't made an appearance yet, at least so far as Kadaj knew. Perhaps they would have time to look for him later, but for now, more important things were at hand.

He glanced around the cafe for an instant, appearing suddenly bored. "Shall we get moving then? Mother must be waiting for us." He was eager to be on his way, and now that he had established his brother was all right, there seemed to be no reason to delay. He game a small, derisive laugh. "Unless you'd rather stay among these people a moment longer?" He jerked his head in the direction of the many blond customers, giving them a slight glare. He didn't like them one bit...

"You know I wouldn't let something even as unexpected as this have any apparent affect on me," he stated plainly, the tone of his voice dull and uninterested as he shifted in the uncomfortable chair. Kadaj's next few comments elicited a slight rolling of Yazoo's eyes and he removed himself from the chair, tilting his head to the side. "You don't even have to ask," he laughed softly.

Spending so much as another minute in this abysmal place was something that wasn't on Yazoo's To Do list for the day. He was anxious to see mother, and that feeling only increased tenfold now that he'd met up with Kadaj. It was a pity that it wouldn't be a true family reunion, but Yazoo had found no sign of Loz being here since he arrived; they'd simply have to deal without him. As nice as it would be to wait for him, the both of them would be absolutely crazy to pass up the opportunity to see who they'd desired to for such a long time.

This was their entire reason for being, wasn't it?

He extended his left arm dramatically towards the exit in an obviously invitational manner, and said, with as sincere a tone as possible, "care to lead the way, dear brother?" Kadaj, after all, deserved this most of all. As much as Yazoo wanted to meet Mother and gain her love, he knew Kadaj wanted and needed it more. "Mother awaits, after all."

"My mistake~" Kadaj said in return, thoroughly amused by Yazoo's replies. Of course nothing like this would get to them; they were so much more than this all, so much better than the rest of the displaced newcomers. While they all fumbled with their new surroundings and fretted over pointless things, he and his family would continue, undaunted, towards their ultimate goal. Like Yazoo said, Mother was waiting...

That thought brought him to quickly to his feet, even as he laughed softly at his brother's theatrics. All three of them had a taste for that sort of thing, didn't they? Maybe Mother did too... well, soon enough, they would be able to know that for certain. "Naturally," he said, heading towards the door. "Heh, where would you be without me to show the way? You and Loz, you'd be lost." Which wasn't exactly true; he knew they'd at least manage to scrape by if he wasn't around, but it was fun to rub that in, wasn't it?

His levity was gone the instant he stepped outside and paused to recall just which direction he was heading. It simply wouldn't do for him to have to take out his journal for directions on where they were headed while people could actually see him, especially his sibling. He was quite fond of appearing omniscient, and far be it from him to disillusion anyone of that anytime soon. "Yes, this way," he mused aloud to himself, before turning back. "Come, Yazoo. Mother is waiting in the Morem o Lisboa. We must go to her."

"As lost as any would be when missing a part of themselves," he mused aloud as he followed his sibling, regarding the occupants of the café with one last, half-interested glance before he exited the building. While Yazoo and Loz wouldn't be completely incompetent without Kadaj, he was still the leader; they really weren't much without him, but that had never been anything Yazoo had regretted. The three of them were very much their own people, but they were always better together.

The brief halt in movement was no cause for alarm when it came to Yazoo; his brother's silent contemplation was met with a patience reserved strictly for those in his family. "You seem to know this land more than I do," he replied offhandedly to his brother's declaration. Perhaps Kadaj, unlike Yazoo, had taken it upon himself to study the map he'd been given upon entry to this gloriously pathetic excuse for a world. While Yazoo knew how to read the map, and was prone to doing so out of boredom, he hadn't quite managed to memorize the location of more than a few areas. This was due largely to disinterest.

He half-frowned as he recalled their lack of transportation, brows furrowing slightly in irritation as his shoulders slumped. They would be making this trip by foot, no doubt. Yet another unfortunate truth to further push their plans back. Normally, it wouldn't be much of a problem at all, but his newfound human-like nature left him feeling exhausted after too much activity, and with an annoying rumbling in his stomach.

Humans were such pathetic creatures.

"Of course," he replied, following after his brother.

"True enough..." Kadaj was glad now he had found at least one of his brothers so early after arriving. He had no doubt that he would have slowly gone insane without either of them around. Well, no use in thinking about that now. He had one at least, and he was certain still that Loz would be soon coming to join their little reunion. Maybe Mother would be the one to lead them to him? He answered his own question automatically. Of course she would. Mother could do anything...

He started walking then in the direction he had decided upon, smiling back at him. "I could hardly go looking in the city for you and Mother without knowing where everything was, now could I? That"--his voice took on a flat tone--"and I hate not knowing things." He was going to do all he could to learn about the city, and uncover all its secrets. Maybe then Mother would look upon him with favor? Until they got back to somewhere familiar at least, he would be the one who knew the reins in this place. Then, it would fall that much easier before them. Perfect...

"So what have you been doing since you arrived?" he asked, deciding conversation was much better than the silence around them or, worse yet, the sounds of the city and all of its... inhabitants. Revolting things. Besides which, he was eager to get Yazoo's input on the peculiar... being he had run into upon entering the gates. The other people showing up were interesting at least, but the people already there? Not so much.

He chuckled softly, gently shaking his head. "I'm quite positive this place will satiate any hunger for knowledge you might have. Paixao certainly is--" he waved a hand in the air, as though searching for the right word, "--Interesting. I've given up wondering why everything is fake, and why these... people seem nothing more than carbon-copies of each other. It's all so curious...." He trailed off for a moment, gathering his thoughts and preparing to answer his sibling's last question.

"Aside from search for you? Nothing too exciting, I assure you. I did meet a lovely girl after I entered the city. Olette. She was quite a help. I met someone named Ivy, as well." By now, he'd managed to secure a pace that kept him roughly a step behind and just to the left of his brother. "She called me a woman."

Silence.

Suddenly, his tone seemed more confused than certain, "...this place has--I never used to feel tired until now, or--what's that word?--Hungry. It's not so much distressing as annoying, but I can't help wonder if it's happened to you, as well?" A shrug rolled off his shoulders as he finished: "perhaps it's unimportant. I don't suppose you've had much excitement?"

Interesting was an understatement. Kadaj wasn't nearly as excited about solving the mysteries behind this place as he was about meeting Mother, but perhaps that would change when they saw her. He still had to prove himself after all, and what better way than this? He resolved to come up with a plan about how to unravel all of that later, though.

He couldn't help but be amused at Yazoo's summary of events, turning around to smirk at him and examining him for a moment. "You don't look that womanly. Maybe in a poorly lit area, but otherwise, I don't see it." The grin vanished. "I'm disappointed you needed help from a little girl, though. See that it doesn't happen again."

He faced forwards again, smiling reappearing on his face. "I don't feel tired at all, or hungry. I've been looking forward to the Reunion so much that I haven't really been thinking about it, but now that you mention it..." He considered it for awhile, silent. Perhaps it was his imagination, but he did feel a bit slower than usual in his walk, the effort needed to put one foot before the other seeming to be more than he remembered. "... Strange. Maybe that's something else I need to uncover.

"As for any and all excitement I've had... I ran into the strangest person. I couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, but it reminded me of you, Loz, and Mother all at once. There was also this... pull around it. I don't know what it was, but it wasn't like anything I've ever run into before. The... person called itself 'Desire,' and it was the one that told me where Mother was. It seemed to know much more than that, though. Without being told, it knew Mother's name and mine. Meeting it was... unnerving, to say the least." He looked back at him again, clearly waiting for his opinion on it.

He feigned a whining tone and huffed softly, "Please, Kadaj~ I would have rather asked her help than spend an even longer time attempting to figure the journal system out. And I don't look a bit womanly, even in dimly lit areas," he stated. "Furthermore, I don't see how it's possible to overlook the fact that I am missing the single-most important physical attribute of women when it comes to defining the sexes: breasts. However, I digress...." He sighed, a bit perplexed by his sudden chatty nature. "Whatever effect this place is having on us, it's far less important than Mother, and I doubt we'll have long to deal with it anyway." There had to be a way out of here.

He made an odd face at Kadaj, a single brow arching as the shorter sibling went on about the strange creature. "Odd. I can understand the pull you felt, if its name has anything to do with it's nature, but I have no idea how it would know such information...." Perhaps they would manage to run into this person and Yazoo could see for himself just what it was that Kadaj saw. It was intriguing, to say the least, given its affect on Kadaj.

"I suppose all that matters is that it gave you information on Mother's whereabouts. I'm assuming from the information it knew that it also knew it would be a mistake to give you false information," he concluded with a smirk, tilting his head casually to the right.

"Oh, fine~ saving time is a good enough reason, I suppose." Kadaj had no problem with Yazoo's talkativeness; in fact, he was rather pleased by it. Much better than walking on his own had been. "And I don't know, Yazoo. From behind you could pass, then, at least until you spoke. Women don't have voices as deep as yours." He let that drop too, though, but his smirk remained even as he went on. "Whatever effect it is might be effecting her too, you know. I doubt it, powerful being that she is, she must be above such petty things. It's intriguing to think about, though... if a bit insulting. Mother, reduced to the same state as a human..." His expression turned solemn again, and half to himself, he added, "She's already been though so much for us. Something like that would just be adding insult to injury, I think..."

He shook himself out of whatever mood had settled over him, smirking at him again. "Yes, it knew not to give me false information. I made it very clear I wouldn't tolerate it if it did. Everyone who was at Joutenheim can agree that I'm not someone to be trifled with." Not that that had stopped Desire anyway, but Yazoo didn't need to know that. "If we run into it again, maybe we can get a few more answers out of it, what do you say to that?" Torture being the preferred method of course, but there was no need for him to say that. Smiling serenely, he went on. "That pull it has... I wonder if we could have that power ourselves? It may come in useful."

As much as he was enjoying this harmful, perhaps even slightly playful chat with his brother, he couldn't help but think how odd it was that now that they had the time to talk, they managed to fit a decent amount of Just How Much Can Yazoo Pass for a Woman? chatter in among the usual banter concerning mother. As silly as it was, he was glad for it; there was something about it that made him feel lighthearted. "I'm not sure something like that would slow her down. If anything, it'd be a minor annoyance. ...She has been through so much for us. She'll be proud, especially of you."

What followed Yazoo's last statement was completely unexpected on his part: he reached forward to rest his hand on Kadaj's shoulder in a show of affection that was far from common. His eyes widened slightly as he realized the odd action, and he quickly removed his hand, eager to act as though nothing unordinary had happened. "I would very much like to ask this Desire person about the whereabouts of Loz and... Yes, I do suppose it would be useful. Things would be much easier. Perhaps there is a way to gain such a power?" It would be worth asking about, as far as he was concerned.

"Ah," he rubbed gently at the back of his neck, then stretched his arms toward the sky, "how far to Mother, do you know? I'd hate to think we'd already be halfway there if we had our bikes~"

Kadaj was honestly quite glad the lighthearted conversation was over, mostly because that meant Yazoo didn't get a chance to start a Just How Much Can Kadaj Pass for a Woman? debate. That probably would have led into one about Loz as well, and... well, the less said about that, the better. "Of course it wouldn't slow her down, but the irony seems too much to bear. Thank you, though, I hope she is proud."

Catching how quickly Yazoo moved his hand away, he merely raised an eyebrow at him in response but otherwise said nothing, adding in a slight quirk of his mouth. It wasn't as if he had overstepped his bounds, really, so there was no need to draw more attention to it than that. Besides, it was oddly... comforting? Something like that. "I'll definitely keep that in mind for later, but I get the feeling Desire's a rather slippery thing to catch. It'll be hard to corner it. Should be a good challenge, I think~"

He looked forwards again, eyes narrowing slightly at the path before him. "She's on the other side of the city-- near Muspelheim. We won't be walking all the way, thankfully. There's a train that stops near here, and it will bring us close enough to the hotel she's staying at that we can walk the rest of the way. I think we're nearly there, in any case."

A decent challenge would be welcomed with open arms, especially if this Desire person really did have anything that might prove useful to them. "I'd be disappointed if it wasn't a challenge," he said pointedly and cast his gaze skyward, though the view certainly wasn't anything to get too excited about -- at least in his opinion.

He made a soft sound in approval of the train ride; he wasn't quite sure what it was, but anything that cut a significant amount of time out of this trip wasn't about to be turned down. He didn't care about what it was, as long as it got the both of them to Mother faster. In any case, it was certainly a lot better than walking, and Yazoo's legs were already starting to feel strained. The pain was irritating; it would be nice to give himself a bit of a rest.

"This is surreal," he mused aloud as his gaze fell to his sibling, "...finally meeting Mother. We've waited so long. I still can't believe it's finally happening. Ah- what is this?" This new surge of emotions was exceptionally... and mind-bendingly annoying. Why had this Paixao place needed to do this? "I feel so anxious."

"Yes, me too... hopefully there are many more waiting for us in the city." Kadaj had high hopes for that. After encountering someone as powerful as Desire right after entering the city, well, it seemed very likely that it had just been the tip of the iceberg. Much better than back on the Planet, where the only ones who could truly rival them were the traitor and his friends.

Soon enough, the train station came into view, already bustling with activity. Kadaj eyed the people around it with distaste, turning an equally disapproving eye on the station itself. Not at all up to his usual standards; hell, this thing belonged in a museum. Old, ugly, loud... He continued heading towards it anyway, dodging the people boarding or leaving the train with ease. As long as they didn't get in his way, he didn't care about them, so there was no point in wasting effort on destroying them all, as tempting as it was.

"Surreal describes just about everything about this place, really, meeting Mother included. It's like a dream come true, wouldn't you say~?" He gave him a small grin before turning his attention back to the people in front of him. He decided not to address that statement about being anxious, mainly because that might reveal the fact that he was too. Even with his brother's statement that Mother would be proud of him, it was very hard to be certain of that. What if she expected more of him? He didn't know, and wouldn't know until he finally saw her.

It was frustrating, and even more so now that people were still blocking his way. It looked like someone was going to get hurt after all... He glanced back towards Yazoo again, tilting his head towards them slightly with a significant look. A Shadow Creeper or two would be good enough to take care of them, then he and his sibling would be able to board the train in peace.

Ah, the train station. Good ole salvation for his poor, pained legs. Apparently, not only was it an amazing convenience, it was so much a convenience that it also served as a stronghold for activity. Well, he certainly didn't mind the amount of people if they stayed out of their way. For some reason, he doubted it would happen, but he pressed on. The thought of having to share a train with this obscene amount of people was less than appealing, but -- Anything for Mother.

"I would." And it really was a dream come true. They'd worked so hard for this, to make their Mother happy, to do as she wanted. He still wasn't sure what to expect. Would she be happy with Kadaj? What about himself? Would she question Loz's absence? Scold them like the children they were for losing a sibling and leaving him to fend for himself? Perhaps she'd have work for them, perhaps not.

It was... strange. He wanted to please her so much, and wanted her happy, but what did he know of her? They were working so hard for a Mother they'd never met. While thoughts like that may have made on questions motives, it instead made Yazoo all the more excited to finally have the chance to see her. Briefly, he wondered if Kadaj felt the same. The Reunion with Mother was most important for the "youngest," after all. Kadaj had worked the hardest, he had put the most effort into the cause and had always been determined to do whatever it took to make her happy, yet, he never met her, had he? Surely, this was an exceptionally happy time for Kadaj.

...And this place was still extremely unfortunately populated. The more he saw, the more who got in their way, the more they irritated him to an astounding degree (though, truthfully, he only looked half-irritated). He nodded in reply to Kadaj's silent suggestion and extended his left arm, fingers fanning out against the air as he turned his hand up horizontal to his wrist. Within a matter of moments, a shadowy figure began to emerge from the ground and soon took the form of a Shadow Creeper and was soon accompanied by a second. The pair seemed to do a great deal of getting people to move out of their way, and Yazoo smirked as he watched the ensuing outburst of panic before looking back at his sibling and nodding toward the train. "Shall we?"

Kadaj watched with an expression of thinly veiled glee as the Shadow Creepers did their work, distracted with that for just a moment before turning his attention to the train once more and heading towards it, replying, "Yes, let's." The way was clear, so there was no reason to linger, even if it was terribly amusing to watch the people scramble about in terror. Perhaps they would get a chance to enjoy that sight later, but not now.

He did his best to quiet any nagging doubts about whether or not Mother would approve of them as he boarded the train, unimpeded by any fool that might ask he or his brother for a ticket. Apparently the little display of power earlier had been enough to make sure that they got a free ride on the rickety old thing, and Kadaj sincerely hoped they'd be wise enough to continue running the train as usual-- assuming, of course, that the conductor hadn't fled by now.

It was impossible to rid his mind completely of thoughts of Mother, however, not that he had wanted to anyway. As he found himself a nice seat by the window and looked out to watch the continuing chaos outside, he couldn't help but think of all the things he wanted to tell her. Everything that he had seen and heard, all the people he had met... well, she probably had a good idea of them all anyway, and he could hardly be a chatterbox around her when there was work to be done, but just being able to talk to her, know that she was listening and, if he was lucky, saying things back.... So many things that others would take for granted, that was what he wanted, and he would do anything to achieve it.

"They look like chocobos running around with their heads chopped off, wouldn't you say?" he asked his brother in an amused tone, voice giving no indication of his thoughts. He may very well resort to endless chattering now just to keep himself from bursting in anticipation. He could contain himself, but still... it was hard. Maybe he should find something else to entertain himself then, if only so he could spare poor Yazoo's ears.

He cast a single, lingering glance over his shoulder as he boarded the train, his expression smug as he felt a sense of pride over his somewhat minor accomplishment. If anything, this just proved how much better his little family was than anyone else. They were the ones with the power, not these pathetic, lowlife excuses for beings running around as though their heads had been severed. It wasn't like Shadow Creepers were the hardest things to get rid of, either; these people were just incompetent. Obviously.

He took a seat near his brother and watched him quietly for a moment -- or at least it seemed like a moment. It could have very well been several minutes, but Yazoo had failed to keep track of time and eventually wound up lost in his thoughts. His mind continued to race, much the way it had during the trip here; in fact, it was becoming harder to pick one subject from the cluster and stick with it for more than a minute. There was so much he wanted to know.

The sound of Kadaj's voice pulled him back into reality and he averted his gaze out the window, smiling fondly at the mayhem. "They really do," he chuckled softly. At least the occupants of Paixao were good for entertainment. That, alone, was enough to make Yazoo slightly more fond of this place, though he was also quite pleased with the reaction his little act received. Not only had they not been checked for tickets, they had been given plenty of room to themselves, and few so much as dared to look at them.

A trembling voice soon informed the occupants of the cabin that they'd be departing momentarily and apologized for the short delay, as apparently some members of the crew had been intent on leaving. Yazoo was sure the poor, terrified boy had said other things, as well, but he had little patience for attempting to decipher the muddled words of idiots that couldn't keep composure. "I quite like this treatment."

"Me too." He watched the people run around for a little while longer before turning away, smiling around instead at the others in the same car as them. They looked so frightened... he was almost tempted to speak with them, just to make their fear even worse, but decided against that, not seeing them as really worth his time. Besides, they seemed so bland anyway that it wouldn't stay interesting long, so...

Unless, of course, he had a few Shadow Creepers appear inside the train as well, but that would just be overkill, wouldn't it? Not that he minded overkill... hmmm.

He could think of one use for them, though. Glancing around, he spotted a likely looking candidate (a rather bland woman who seemed to be about ready to wet herself in terror) and said, "Hello... would you mind running up to the front of the train and informing the conductor to head directly to the stop nearest the Morem o Lisboa? We have a very important meeting that we simply can't miss." No use in stopping at all those other places along the way. It seemed like that would mean too that all the other poor people on the train wouldn't be able to leave until he and Yazoo had reached their destination. How very sad.

She gave him a fearful look and gulped before nodding, visibly trembling as she rose from her seat and all but ran to do as he had directed. He was almost disappointed, really-- no attempt to fight back? Well, maybe it was better this way; as amusing as it would have been, they still needed to reach Mother soon.

"Terribly obedient, these people of Paixao. A little fear goes a long way, don't you think?" he said to his brother, smiling widely. He was practically basking in all of this, really, but he didn't really feel like stopping. He was just too euphoric about seeing her... maybe it was getting to his head?

He chuckled at the poor lady's response to his sibling's suggestion. He didn't mind having such authority over these people, but if this was all the resistance they were going to be met with, he could find himself very bored, very quick. There was only so much obedience he could stand. It was a pleasure to have things handed to them on a silver platter, but honestly, a little defiance was always more than willingly accepted. It kept him on his toes.

"Indeed. I'd like to know where all their backbones are, though," he said with a sigh, already finding himself too bored and anxious for his liking. Was this the fastest the train could go? "You'd think we'd be provided a bit of entertainment for this trip. After all, look at all this room we cleared out of the kindness of our hearts. Are people not appreciative of hard work anymore?" The tone of his voice had been suggestively low and laced with sarcasm as he'd spoken, and he leaned slightly forward as he finished, resting his left hand on his knee. "T'ch."

He'd kill for something to do right about now. At least their bikes kept them occupied with their surroundings and gave them something to do and control; this train left them sitting there like mindless puppets without a care in the world. How did people do this every day? Where was the thrill? The danger? It seemed incredibly pointless. If he had to stuff himself in a compartment with a bunch of strangers every day and have to sit there with nothing to do, he'd wind up killing something, or someone.

Possibly and preferably both.

"Ne, Kadaj~" he leaned back and tilted his head to the side, casting a lingering gaze at his sibling. "Any bright ideas?"

The people really were rather boring, and once more the prospect of a Shadow Creeper on the train floated into his mind, but he dismissed the idea when he thought of just how pathetic this thing was already. A Shadow Creeper on it might very well derail it or something, and then where would they be? Walking, probably, and there was no way Kadaj wanted to risk that. Even if it was incredibly slow, this was the fastest way to Mother...

His expression darkened slightly at Yazoo's words, and he laughed derisively, the sound cutting off just as abruptly as it had begun. "Of course they don't appreciate hard work anymore. They can't possibly understand what it's like to go through all that, can they, not with their petty little minds. Even something as simple as this escapes them...." He looked around at them all contemptuously, even though he addressed his sibling as though they were incapable of understanding him.

In a slightly calmer tone, he went on. "You would think that something of the magnitude of all that Mother has done for us wouldn't escape their notice then, but they can't even properly identify that, now can they? From the beginning they rejected her, and now... now, before they can even begin to realize their mistake, they will pay for it."

His unwilling audience seemed to cringe at that, and Kadaj felt some of his anger become amusement. He smiled very slowly at them, watching as they shrank back even further as his eyes passed over each of them in turn. Really, it hadn't even been them that the Shadow Creeper had been sent after. They seemed to be fitting in to the cliche cowed crowd role entirely too easily...

He became distracted again at Yazoo's words, turning back to look at him with a slightly more genuine smile. "We could throw some out while the train is still moving, maybe~? And they get to choose who goes first." He turned back to smile at them all again, unable to stop a small giggle. This was going to be fun~

His brother was too quick to anger, it seemed, but such was the nature of Kadaj. Yazoo had gotten used to the mood swings by now; it had become entertaining to see how others reacted to his sibling's seemingly constant state of instability. Even so, it was somewhat displeasing to have to listen to Kadaj rant; Yazoo was much more partial to the other's shows of happiness, however brief they were. ...And who wouldn't be? He was positively radiant when he smiled, or something of the sort. Was that the right word to describe it?

"Yes, they will pay." All of them... Hopefully not too long after they reached Mother. It was about time justice was served, as far as he was concerned. The pathetically inept idiots of this world were undeserving of her love, anyway.

Kadaj's suggestion drew an almost surprised sound from his lips. "So eager for blood~" he teased softly. It would be something to do, though. Besides, whatever Kadaj wanted... Yes, whatever he wants. That's the way it's always been. Oho, the teasing would be amazing, though. Just how long could they string these people along for?

"Well," he said finally, addressing their terrified guests, "you heard him. Which one of you will go first? Choose wisely~" Well, it didn't matter whether they chose wisely or not, did it? He shrugged the thought off and casually reached over to smooth a few unruly strands of Kadaj's hair, then turned back to their guests. Ah, they seemed as befuddled as ever, much to his amusement. "Don't make me choose for you or you'll all be going out at the same time."

Instant reaction. Those that were accompanied by friends and family huddled together-- like that would save them-- while those who had been riding the train solo went white and immediately started searching for possible allies amongst the others. So very... human of them, really. It was almost disappointing, in a way, but who could hope for more from such pathetic beings? Cowering from their fates like that...

His mind was wandering. Focusing on them all once more, he said to his brother, "I'm not really sure how much blood there would be, really, at least that got on the train. Think some might splatter on the windows and the sides of the car? Maybe further down along the train, since we're in motion-- unless they hit something very quickly. Then we could see it fairly easily...." He looked out the window at the city passing by, a little irritated again at how slowly they were moving. There would be a lot more blood splatter if they were moving fast, but at this speed.... "It's a pity Loz isn't with us. His strength would come in very handy right now."

Oh well, they would do fine without him. Giving Yazoo another small smile, he said, "They seem awfully reluctant, don't they? Maybe we ought to choose at random, then, or see who will volunteer? It'll be an awfully dull ride if they're all killed right off the bat, you know, although I suppose we could move to a different car once this one's emptied out..." That, and he simply couldn't wait to see their expressions as they were picked off one by one.

Goodness, it was extremely amusing that Kadaj went through all that trouble to describe possible amounts of bloodshed. He was thankful he hadn't gone into a speech about the amount of insides the mess would include; just thinking about it roused an uneasy feeling in his gut. "Thank you for the amazingly detailed imagery, Kadaj. My imagination would like to thank you. Ah- Yes, I do believe these little maggots would be easy for him to dispose of." They cowered even more, and he cackled. So much like tiny little mice huddled together for protection.

Briefly, he wondered if it would be best to pick the groups off first, or go with the stragglers. On one hand, the stragglers were alone... On the other, there were a few of them who hadn't actively sought out any group to huddle in, or at least were doing a damn good job of getting that impression across. All the families and friends relied on each other, like weak, defenseless newborns.

"You know as well as I do that none of these little puppets are willing to volunteer. I was hoping someone would step forward and point another out, but my expectations were apparently too high." He paused a moment and rubbed at his chin, scanning the occupants of the car over once before settling on a decision. "We should take the children first." Several gasps rang through the air, followed by the children being filtered behind the teenagers and adults, and Yazoo made a disapproving clicking sound in response.

"Oh, I could have gotten much more detailed than that, really, but..." He trailed off, glancing out the window again. "Maybe it's best we see for ourselves instead~? I'm sure it would give us all a much, much better picture than any one our imaginations could provide." Besides which, he was starting to wonder just how much damage being thrown off this train could do, really. It wasn't going terribly fast after all, but it was still unlikely they'd be in any real shape to pick themselves back up after landing out there. Landing and rolling, maybe getting caught on the tracks? Hmm... that would definitely cause the most damage, but it still sounded incredibly fun to have them leave streaks of blood on the streets, smears where they tried to stop themselves from tumbling end over end, torn flesh and broken bones...

Again, his mind was wandering. It was time he stopped thinking and started doing. Yes Loz's presence right now would be sorely missed, and in fact he wanted to do his best to remember this little game of theirs so he could tell it to him once they met up again. He would probably be disappointed they had done it without him, but there was always the opportunity they could do it again, right? Assuming they didn't shut down the trains after this, of course. Such a shame that would be...

"You should never expect much from humans, Yazoo. You'll only ever be disappointed." He turned away from the window again, letting out a small sigh. "And, like all other puppets, you just need to know which strings to pull. Luckily enough, it seems like you do. Now..." He tilted his head slightly to get a better look at the others on the train, eyes narrowing as he searched out the children hidden among them. One rather unfortunately curious boy peeked out the tiniest bit from behind the others, freezing wide-eyed as Kadaj's gaze locked with his. In a soft, pleasant tone of voice that could nonetheless be heard over the sound of the train's rattling, he said, "Hello."

[OMFG my brain died. XD]

This was almost too much. Yazoo wasn't entirely sure what to think about Kadaj pressing the matter. This was a game, wasn't it? They were planning to string these poor people along for a wild ride before informing them it was a joke, right...? Well, of course. Kadaj wouldn't needlessly murder people, so there was no real reason for Yazoo to feel this tinge of confusion and ... anxiety.

A little chill shot up his spine as Kadaj greeted the boy; it wasn't often he heard Kadaj speak with that tone of voice. It was chilling in its polite nature, and somewhat unsettling when given the object of the pleasantry. If the kid hadn't been confused and scared before, he must have been now -- but Yazoo couldn't help wondering if Kadaj was able to have the manipulative influence over the people of Paixao that he'd had on Gaia.

"Don't scare him too badly, Kadaj, or he'll make a mess everywhere," he insisted quietly, glancing once at the boy, then to his brother. He didn't want to have to deal with a mess, and half-cringed at the thought of having to, both hands now gently massaging his thighs. They ached, and he was never walking again if this was to be a reoccurance. ...Oh, as if. It wasn't nearly as bad as he would like to make it out to be, unfortunately.

He was getting a little impatient now, and tired of delaying. This dilly-dallying had gone on far enough, as far as he was concerned, so it was time for them to move on. Of course, he wouldn't dare give an end to this that wasn't befitting of all that had built up for it, so this would require a decent amount of theatrics to see it through. Yazoo might not appreciate that, maybe, but then again...

He favored the boy with a small smile, giving a minute movement of his head to invite him over, saying in the same pleasant, quiet tone, "Come on... this won't hurt a bit, I promise." He had to laugh at that, then, even though he knew it was in poor taste. Quite honestly, he didn't care, and with any luck, his brother at least would be laughing with him.

The boy, of course, looked even more terrified at that and clung to what Kadaj could only assume was his mother, before, strangely enough, seeming to lean close and whisper something in her ear before letting go and rushing towards him before she could reach out and grab him again, which she did so, in vain. She cried out, moving to rise from her seat before she was snatched back again by those seated beside her, the ones restraining her giving him terrified looks as they did so, obviously afraid of angering him further. The boy was very clearly trying very hard to put on a brave face throughout all this as he approached, even though he was still visibly quaking in terror.

Kadaj had to admire that, really. Even if it was in a human, that sort of quality was hard to come by. As an aside to his brother, he remarked, "He doesn't seem too scared, Yazoo. It seems like I've found the bravest in the bunch, wouldn't you say? His mother should be proud." He rose from his seat and reached out for the boy's hand, smiling a little wider once the child accepted it.

Tremulously, the boy spoke, looking up at him with the kind of sincerity that only the very young and very naive can muster. "I-if I go... please leave Mommy alone?" he asked, eyes wide and shining with unshed tears. It was easy to see the trust there, almost painfully so.

It was kind of cute, really. "Don't worry. I'll see what I can do." Gently, he led him over to the door to the car, forcing it open and bracing himself against the frame for a moment as he ventured a brief glance outside. "How would you like to do this, then?" he asked, looking back at him. "Shall I throw you, or do you think you're bold enough to jump?"

The boy looked rather surprised he was being asked for input, but after getting a glimpse of the scenery shooting past outside, he lifted both his arms in a clear request to be picked up, looking up at Kadaj pleadingly again.

Smiling, he picked him up, giving him a small, comforting hug before moving him into a position more suited for throwing. Everyone in the car rather audibly took a deep, nearly perfectly synchronized breath of anticipation as Kadaj drew him back for the perfect swing--

-- then set him down gently again and gave him a small nudge back towards his seat, laughing outright as the boy's legs seem to give out on him the second he touched him again. "Just kidding."

"Come on... this won't hurt a bit, I promise."

As deceitful as the statement was, Yazoo couldn't help laughing along with his brother. If anything, it was the fleeting thought of the possibility of anyone actually believing what had been said that initially prompted his laughter. He couldn't help thinking he hadn't had such a good laugh in a while, especially over such a deliciously deceitful subject, though it certainly didn't last too much longer as he watched the brave boy step forward to accept his fate.

"My, my~" He was a courageous little thing, wasn't he? Deserving of praise and a little ant farm to rule over with an iron fist. "Good work, Kadaj. It seems you bring out the bravery in even the youngest." It was a pity they couldn't keep him; he was such a cute little thing. Ah, but so useless in his small form. Then again... He watched as the child took his brother's hand, then regarded his brother with a soft, lingering smile. Not all things in small packages were useless.

The child's inquiry was cute, and how sweet he was to be willing to give his life for his mother's safety, even at such a young age. Perhaps not all humans were pathetic weaklings; any proper mother fearing for the life of her child would have insisted that she take her offspring's place. After all, one would assume that the child had an entire lifetime to look forward to while, on the other hand, Mommy Dearest had already wasted the best years of her life.

However, all was well, and Kadaj would soon be urging the young child back to his seat. ... Right? His eyes narrowed slightly as his sibling picked the child up, lips parting in utter disbelief -- either this was an extremely good act or Kadaj was really going to toss the poor kid. He briefly thought of speaking out, but any tense nerves were easily put to rest as the child was set down, and Yazoo exhaled a soft, inaudible sigh of relief. Kadaj was way too good at this, it seemed, and that child was going to be traumatized for the rest of his life.

Even so, what an impression~ "What a marvelous show," Yazoo praised his brother, laughter immediately following. "I would have thought his adoring, beloved, and wonderful mother would have offered to take her son's place, though, regardless of the restraints. What about you, Kadaj? Surely, she's unfit to raise such a brave young boy." He shot the woman a cold, hard glare as he spoke of her, clearly offended by her lack of parenting skills. "Perhaps she should be tossed, but I'd hate to think of such a promising child having to go motherless. However, I fear we may be running out of play time. If we don't arrive soon, my patience is going to wear thin."

The boy finally picked himself up again, giving Kadaj one last terrified look before hurrying back to his mother's side and clinging to her tightly, hiding his face in her neck while she glared at the two of them, her anger at their actions for the moment overriding her fear. Took her long enough, really. He was as disgusted as Yazoo was that she hadn't brought herself to speak earlier, or at least found some way to break free of the others and save her child. Stupid, weak thing... then again, perhaps he should be taking his own advice and not be expecting so much from a bunch of humans. Clearly the boy had inherited all his redeeming qualities from his father.

Kadaj gave the two of them an almost wistful-looking smile before turning away and shutting the door to the car again. Wouldn't want to needlessly endanger anyone after all... After that, he found his seat again, ignoring the rest of the people as they seemed to let out a collective sigh of relief before starting to murmur amongst themselves, avoiding eye contact again even though there were a few that, like the boy had before, started sneaking in a few glances at him. They seemed to think it was more or less safe now, at least. The fools... he was tempted to whirl on them now and summon another Shadow Creeper-- or maybe just say "Boo!" and watch them all jump? Hmmm... no, maybe not. Not this time, at least.

He didn't answer his brother for a long moment, instead directing his gaze again out the window and the scenery going by. He wondered if he should tell him he actually had been considering throwing someone out of the train-- not the child, certainly, especially after he had said those things, but one of the other passengers... well, it didn't matter now. Maybe he would permit everyone the illusion of safety for a little while longer.

"Thank you, Yazoo; you were a wonderful accompaniment as well. Or maybe 'accomplice' would be more accurate?" He laughed softly, smiling as he looked at him finally. "And yes, she's a rather disappointing mother, but a child like that needs someone, at least... such bravery. She really should be proud of him." He gave the woman in question a look, and she nodded quickly in agreement once she noticed it, holding her son a little bit tighter. Relaxing once more, Kadaj turned his attention back to his brother, expression almost serene now as he replied, "I think we should be getting there soon, though, so there's no need to worry. If not, we might need to speak to the conductor about speeding things up... assuming this heap can go any faster, that is."

That turned out to be unnecessary, though, as the same trembling voice from before announced that they had arrived at their destination and would all passengers leaving at this stop please disembark with all their belongings... dull stuff like that. Kadaj tuned out everything past the part where it had been stated they had arrived, and he quickly rose from his seat as the train slowed, going again to the door and all but bouncing on the balls of his feet as he waited impatiently for them to come to a complete stop.

"Come, Yazoo~ Mother is waiting for us!" he exclaimed, the smile audible in his voice. "There's more walking to do, unfortunately, but you're rested enough by now that you can tackle it, right? I am. I can't wait..."

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Two Out of Three [Completed]

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