paixaorpg | Foundation Day Festival: Food Tent

Flonne had not been happy to leave Laharl alone. Sure, she could see that he was getting a little tired of her superglue act, but she really was worried about him. He'd finally told her he'd be fine if she wanted to go do something on her own, but...well, she really didn't want to. She'd never be able to enjoy herself doing it - she'd worry far too much about him and wonder if he was okay. She'd finally just dragged a folding chair outside the tent and sat in the sun, enjoying the warmth and keeping an eye on the people who were coming and going. Maybe she could warn Laharl if anybody dangerous arrived.

So when someone in a black cloak headed towards the tent, all senses went on red alert. The Organization wore black cloaks! He had to be one of them! She bolted out of her chair and ran, screeching to a stop in front of the cloaked figure and throwing out her hands. "Hold it right there!"

It never occurred to her to wonder why a member of the Organization would be carrying a large pink stuffed bear and plush cobra.

Kit had followed Death, as he had requested. He didn't really know why he was so fascinated by him... he still was a little wary of him, but he seemed pleasant enough. Then again, so did the Lone Power, sometimes. But on to other things...

He looked at the girl who had stopped Death, and tilted his head, confused. "Hey, why are you stopping us?" He asked. "Did we do something wrong?"

Death was on his way here to meet Timon, and certainly didn't expect to be stopped by somebody he'd never seen before acting as though he'd done something horribly wrong. THAT IS WHAT I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW, he said simply, hand ready to summon his scythe - he'd wound the cobra around his waist to leave his hand open, in case something like this should happen. Anybody else would have written off a little girl, but Death had seen dwarves and knew some very interesting things came in small packages.

I HAVE NEVER MET YOU BEFORE, he told Flonne, AND I HAVE NO QUARREL WITH YOU. I WISH TO PASS.

Alice looked up at the girl who had shouted. Before this, she was starting to wonder about a certain ghoul shed just released somewhere. She supposed THAT would bring about new repercussions, but she was fine with that.

Also, a part of her missed Chizuru. Very VERY much, and it would help to get her mind away from such thoughts.

"Is there a problem, Miss?" Alice asked sweetly.

Flonne was a bit taken aback by the completely innocent reactions of the people she'd stopped. She'd thought the Organization would be more sinister, would act evil. Villains should act like villains, after all! That way, you could tell them apart from the heroes!

"Yes! There is!" she replied emphatically to Alice, then pointed dramatically to Death, addressing him. "You're with the Organization!"

The facts that such a proclamation often started a fight, the Organization was inherently dangerous, and she was still running low on magic following her healing Laharl hadn't quite congealed in Flonne's mind. The one thing she was focused on was the very suspicious person in front of her. She would not let him get Laharl. That was what was important right now.

Kit blinked. "The... what Organization?" For all he knew, Death could be with something called the Organization, not that he knew what that was. "What's going on?" He looked up at Death, confused.

To say that Death was taken aback by Flonne's proclamation would have been a gross understatement. Part of the Organization? He was trying to gather information on them to stop what they were doing. Why would he be one of them?

And then he remembered what he was wearing.

Oh. That was the problem. A cloak of woven darkness could easily be mistaken for the uniform of the Organization if one had never seen it. Hopefully this sort of misunderstanding wouldn't happen again, but given that his choice of clothing wasn't likely to change, Death was all too certain it would.

ORGANIZATION XIII IS RUNNING THE CITY, he explained to Kit, AND DOING A RATHER POOR JOB OF IT, TO PUT IT LIGHTLY. He then turned his attention back to Flonne. THERE HAS BEEN A MISTAKE, he told her. I AM NOT WITH THE ORGANIZATION: I HAVE SIMPLY COME HERE TO MEET WITH TIMON. He opened his journal, keyed to the appropriate conversation, and turned the screen around, holding it out so it would be easily readable. YOU SEE.

NOW, he continued patiently, preferring to talk this out rather than force his way past the girl, MAY I ENTER?

Alice looked calm, but did feel a bit amused. Honestly, if Death's cloak was all that this girl had to tip her off about the Organization, she was bound to get herself in a bit of trouble. As it was, Alice couldn't fathom why the girl would want to STOP an Organization Member from going where they wanted to go in the first place.

Alice walked over to the girl and got up close to her face. "Now tell me, girl who is barring our entrance, what would you do if he WAS an Organization Member? It is good to have a plan, seeing as how we've had the misfortune of meeting them ourselves. However, WE had weapons. I know I had to check mine at the front gate, but I'm assuming you do not have a weapon. In that case, don't you think it unwise to do what you just did, on a logical level? You might cause unwanted trouble to yourself."

Still no luck. Jintetsu and Marona had been wandering the festival for hours, but she didn't seem to have noticed anyone she recognized, and Jintetsu was starting to get a little edgy. It wasn't like he could explain to her why he hadn't said a word since they'd come into the festival.

They'd been en route to investigate the great big white tent (via pointing, which was always so much fun), but whatever was going on in front of it was blocking the entrance - including the impossibly tall skeleton in a black cloak. There wasn't much chance of Jintetsu failing to recognize that guy, but he couldn't tell Marona who it was, either.

With any luck she'd have the common sense on her own not to go near him.

Marona was growing more and more certain she was just wasting Jintetsu's time. She hadn't seen anyone she recognized, and most certainly had not seen any sign of Ash. And additionally Jintetsu had been strangely silent ever since they'd entered, only gesturing to her. He hadn't seemed terribly talkitive before, but he had spoken a little. Was he mad at her? He didn't really seem it, but he did seem kind of on edge.

The young chroma followed along as they approached a very large tent, but she stopped beside Jintetsu as she took in the sight that was blocking the entrance to the tent. She found herself gasping. Was that... a skellington? She'd seen some strange things since she'd arrive, but nothing quite like this. While it was true she was no stranger to the dead this was not something she'd ever seen before.

Flonne looked at the proffered journal, trying to keep one eye on its owner at the same time. There it was in black and white - Timon's agreement to meet with...wait, this was Death? Wow...she'd been so caught up in his potentially being an Organization member, she hadn't ever really looked at his face. They must've made him check his scythe at the gate, she reasoned, because she certainly didn't see it. "Oh..." That had taken the wind right out of her sails. "Okay, then..." She stepped aside to let him pass, inadvertantly walking right into Alice's scolding.

Now this was not something she would stand for. She'd been trying to protect Laharl, and here she was getting bullied for it! No way was she backing donw, not to somebody who obviously knew nothing about friendship or love! "If he was part of the Organization," Flonne replied, words as icy as she knew how to make them, "then I wouldn't let him in. I don't need a plan for that!"

((OOC: Kit has disappeared.))

THANK YOU. Death nodded to Flonne. He hadn't meant to intimidate her at all, really - he simply needed to make this meeting, after all. An exchange of information, especially in a city such as this one, was always a hight priority.

He turned, intending to have one last word with his companions before continuing on into the tent. I SHALL RETURN IN A WHILE. PLEASE WAIT - Surprise stopped his statement in midsentence as he realized that someone was missing. KIT? he questioned, turning again, gazing over the heads of the crowds, trying to find him and not being able to. KIT. He'd heard that children found hiding humorous - THIS ISN'T FUNNY. - but he didn't think Kit would do something like that.

Annoyance gave way to something Death hadn't felt before: worry. Never before had he been so unsure, especially when it centered around one of his companions. CHRISTOPHER RODRIGUEZ. The voice rumbled across the grounds, making people shiver as they found themselves glad that voice wasn't addressing them. COME HERE. It was obvious in the tone - obedience was expected, and anything less would not be tolerated.

And yet there was nothing. Kit was well and truly gone.

Death fell silent for several very long seconds, the eerily deep silence of one who was accustomed to being silent, who had no need to breathe in order to exist. Finally, his gaze returned to Alice, taking in Marona and Jintetsu as well. He gave a quick nod to Jintetsu, acknowledging the presence of a friend. I SHALL RETURN. The words may well have been written in stone. PLEASE WAIT FOR ME.

With that, he swept past Flonne and into the tent, leaving behind plush toys that had until just recently been amusing, intent on finding Timon and getting as much information on these disappearances as he possibly could. This entire situation had very quickly become personal for Death. It would not be easily let go or forgotten.

Alice turned to the little girl. "A rather simple sounding solution, don't you think? It would only work if the Organization didn't see him, or weren't looking for him. From what I heard, these aren't very nice people, and to underestimate them would be a mistake. You can be shirty with me all you like, but it wouldn't change the fact that you need protection, would it?"

Alice watched as Death walked away, giving him a curt nod. She trusted that whatever he was doing was vital to their mission. In the end, she was glad to be reunited with him again. There was something rather comforting about being around a being she had been close to ever since returning to Wonderland.

Though really, what WAS that girl thinking, trying to stop Death like that, mistaking him for an Organization member. Did she think that her yelling at them and trying to prevent them was the smartest thing to do? Honestly, the lack of precautions people took in this place was astounding.
Alice turned to the other two, curtsying slightly, as well as to Flonne. "Forgive my manners, and my hosts' as well, as he has things to do at the moment. My name is Alice. How do you do?"

Jintetsu barely noticed Kit's disappearance, as he hadn't been looking at him and had barely noticed he was even there. He tensed at Death's reaction to it, though. He already didn't like the sound of that voice, even though he could never remember what exactly it sounded like - maybe that was why.

He recognized the dark-haired girl from the other day, though, and nodded his head to her. That was the sorceress who'd just about crushed them all under a pile of flaming rocks. So her name was Alice? He hoped she wouldn't have a reason to defend herself while he was around; that really wasn't how he wanted to die again.

He'd have to let Marona make any introductions, though. Checking Haganemaru at the entrance was turning out to have been really inconvenient.

With Death now gone Marona could get a better look at what, or rather who had been blocking the enterance.

Her eyes widened a little at the blonde haired girl, at first glance there hadn't seemed to be anything too particular about her till you realized she had wings and a tail. Marona was certainly a little curious of what she was, but quickly shifted her gaze away to look to the dark haired girl who introduced herself as Alice.

"Um... Hello!" Marona greeted, awkwardly as she clasped her hands, bowing a little. She side glanced a moment to Jintetsu but he remained silent as he had since they'd entered. It wouldn't be polite to not give their names when Alice had, so she continued the introduction herself, "Ah um, this is Mister Jintetsu, and I'm Marona."

Normally, Flonne tried to give everybody a chance. After all, everybody was capable of love: demons, angels, humans, everybody!

But right now, she was very tired and very worried about Laharl, and she was rather upset that someone would go so far as to berate her for trying to protect the people she cared about. Under all that, she was finding it very difficult to find anything to like about Alice.

So she was taken completely by surprise when, after giving Flonne yet another set of reasons as to why what she was doing was pure idiocy, she curtsied and introduced herself. Trying to shake off the last of the shivers from Death's voice - had she really just witnessed one of the disappearances? - she nodded. "Hello, Alice-san. My name is Flonne."

She was much more excited at a greeting from the other girl, whom she'd only just seen. "Oh!" she exclaimed happily. "I didn't know you were here, Marona-san!" Remembering her manners, she turned to the man Marona had introduced. "And it's nice to meet you, Jintetsu-san! I'm Flonne!"

Niceties taken care of, she returned excited attention to Marona. "When did you get here, Marona-san?" she inquired, then finally realized something was off. After all, you never saw one without the other... "And, uh, Marona-san...where's Ash-san?"

Alice could tell she was getting on this girl's nerves, and, appropriately, tat was the last thing on her mind, especially when Kit had seemed to disappear off the face of the earth. Alice turned to the three.

"It is very nice to meet all of you. I suppose these aren't the best circumstances, as I've lost two people today. At the point, I'm a bit nervous, considering all my weapons are currently in someone else's employ, and my companion has seemed to have gone missing."

In truth, Alice was starting to get quite agitated having all of this happen within a very short time span. She had just been getting to know Kit and he was gone, Chizuru was starting to make her feel happy and SHE was gone, and now she had no weapons and no way to protect herself.

She was NOT a happy camper, and it was starting to show on her face.

Jintetsu caught all the names (though whether he'd remember them later was another story), but missed half of what Alice said, having noticed Flonne's ... wings and tail. Or at least that's sure what they looked like. He could swear they were moving.

Of course, between the silence and the odd staring, he was probably coming off as a lot ruder than he meant to, but toseinin weren't exactly known for their refined manners.

Marona was rather surprised when the wing and tailed girl, who introduced herself as Flonne, seemed to recognize her. Surprise soon turned to utterly confused and lost as it became apparent that it was more than just recognition. Flonne knew who she was and even more surprising, she seemed to know Ash. It... was like that boy she'd talked to once on the journal. He'd seemed to know her, and it had baffled her.

"I'm pleased to meet you both," she managed to utter to both Alice and Flonne, but her attention quickly centered on Flonne for obvious reasons.

"I-I've been here for a couple weeks now, I think, but... Um, I'm sorry, I don't remember ever meeting you, ah, Miss Flonne," Marona finally said, trying to sound as polite as she could.

"And... H-How do you know about Ash?" the Chroma questioned the fallen angel quietly.

Luxord was feeling rather pleased with himself as he portalled into the fairgrounds, near the mess hall where he knew Larxene would be. She could cause all the chaos she wanted - his fun would be to watch and to keep people from interfering. It was her show, after all.

So he kept an eye out for the blonde girl who had seemed so unbelievably happy that she'd gotten her precious Laharl back. Oh, there she was. Presuming to be standing guard - how cute. "Pardon me, miss," he said with a smile, his blue shirt and khakis an innocent enough outfit to go with it - no cloak for him, he'd rather not give the game away right from the first deal. "I seem to be lost." He knelt and took her hand, turning on the charm full force in an attempt to distract her. She'd be the most worried about that annoying Overlord and therefore the most attentive to the events inside the tent, and he just couldn't have that. "I wonder if a kind young lady such as yourself might show me my way?"

Flonne barely had time to register surprise that Marona didn't remember her before both her attention and her hand were captivated by a man who seemed to have appeared from nowhere. "I-uh-" she stuttered before managing to gather her wits. "Where are you trying to go, stranger-san?"

She didn't hear his reply over the sudden commotion coming from the food tent behind her - screams, and what sounded frighteningly like...lightening? Laharl was in there! Suddenly, the plight of the man in front of her just wasn't important to Flone anymore. "I'm sorry, stranger-san, but I really have to go!" she squeaked, trying to pull her hand out of his grasp. It was only when she tightened his grip on her that she realized his purpose may not have been as benign as originally thought.

Morality and politeness battled with worry and urgecny, and in the end urgency won out. She summoned her staff to her hand, screamed, "Let me GO!" and swung hard, connecting with a loud crack to the side of his head. That was all it took for him to release her and she was off in a dead sprint into the food tent. She had to help Laharl! She had to!

Alice smiled. The commotion was inevitable. It was sure to be the filth in black, the cloaked fools. They dared to come about, act so suddenly. Well, that fool girl might have wanted to fight them head on, but Alice knew better. Things had to be planned, actions had to be felt.

THEN she would attack. That fool girl would know what stealth meant.

"Beetle J," Alice said in a singy voice. "Might you help me with something?"

Upon acknowledgment of Alice's request, a thick green smoke began to roll into the tent. It quickly made it's way toward the group, lingering around their feet for a moment curiously. Compared to what smoke usually suggested though, this smoke in particular proved to be rather cool when brushing against the skin.

Laughter began to arise. It almost sounded as if someone were dying, gagging for air while choking on something. It rose louder and louder as the smoke itself began to rise around Luxord, curling around his limbs as it's colour faded. A familiar pattern hit ones eyes, blacks and whites, curling together to form pinstripes.

A figure formed over the man, resting on his shoulders, although the weight oddly lacked. A sinister smile was the first to be seen through the clearing smoke. The teeth held a yellow shine, termites crawling around them. They appeared as the only real hint of colour on their owners face. Aside from the dark, black circles surrounding his eyes, of course. Although, black was only a shade. The real colour in to his appearance belonged to his long red nails.

The demon wicked smile never left his features as he wrapped his arms around the organization members neck, clinging to him lovingly.

"Hello, kids." he greeted. "Stick around, we're gonna have some laughs."

Jintetsu reeled at the thing Alice had summoned, instinctively stepping half in front of Marona to make her less of a target. Good grief, that woman was doing it again? He didn't hold with all this preternatural crap anyway, and the last time he'd seen her use her magic, he'd been very lucky not to be flattened by it. The screams and strange noises suddenly coming from inside the tent reinforced his anxiety, too.

Laughs or not, he wasn't sticking around to get killed. While Beetlejuice's attention was (hopefully) occupied with Alice and that unfortunate bystander she was apparently targeting (why, he didn't know or care), Jintetsu abruptly grabbed Marona by the wrist and started walking away from the tent.

Yeah, Flonne knew the girl, but like hell they were going after her. If she was still alive by the time they left the festival, maybe he'd leave Marona with her then.

Re: 12:45ish, just outside the tent

chroma-girl.livejournal.com - 2007-10-20 02:26 (UTC) - Expand

Re: 12:45ish, just outside the tent

dix-des-coeurs.livejournal.com - 2007-10-22 13:05 (UTC) - Expand