[Thread : Semi-Open]

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Characters: Red XIII/Nanaki, Garnet 'Dagger' til Alexandros. Open to Steiner and Beatrix
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: Nanaki returns the Water Mirror to Garnet. Questions and other issues are discussed... once the poor thing gets treatment for his ailments!
Location: Alexandria
Date: Mid-Late January
Warnings: None so far.


Garnet had received the promised message; Nanaki (as Steiner had informed her) had sent word that he was near, and she'd set into motion. Donning white mage coat, gloves, and boots, she'd called for a proper guard, picked up a rod, and tucked her gifted nethecite into her pocket. She could not be too careful. With one soldier on either side, the Queen made her way out of the palace, pulling her cloak more tightly against the winter chill. A dusting of snow crunched beneath her shoes, as she made her way to the dock, where the small ferry boat waited to take her across. The lake itself was frozen in some places along the surface, and edges, promising a very uncomfortable swim for anyone who was unlucky enough to fall into it. Garnet paid it no mind as she boarded with her two body-guards, and the ferryman guided the vessel to the other side.

Alexandria in winter-time, was quite beautiful. Frost trimmed the windows and the same dusting of snow that littered the ground, also coated the roof-tops, the look something Garnet likened to powdered sugar. Smoke billowed from chimney and stovepipe, indicating the fires that burned within. A pleasant winter's day, to all appearances...

But it could not be dwelt upon. Not as she scanned the streets, waiting in anticipation for this stranger. She knew not even who she was looking for, but had no doubt he would make himself known soon enough.

Comments

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

Until now, Nanaki had never had much of a problem with winter. He was better suited for moving through snow than humans were, and with a flame-tipped tail came a rather high body temperature, not to mention his fur coat. Cosmo Canyon wasn't usually very cold, but as the weather changed on Gaia, the red creature had grown a thicker coat of fur for the winter. At the moment, however, it wasn't helping very much -- just another sign that something was very wrong with him after the experiments.

He was more skittish than usual, ignoring the many startled gazes that were cast his way. Even while the natives of Gaia were beginning to get used to Viera and Yukes and others that didn't look like anything they had seen before, he was still very unique, even on his own world. Unlike most of the other sentient races, he was also on four legs, and though he was fifty years old, he was really only a teenager. Alexandria was nice, but it wasn't his sort of place; mostly because it wasn't home. Besides that, the experiments had really done quite a bit of damage, and the potions he had taken hadn't helped. Between Jenova cells and Cid's attempt at fusing him with nethicite, his body was not having a good time of it, and it showed.

Looking around with his good eye, Nanaki noticed the guards and the woman between them after a few minutes. Sniffing the air, he frowned slightly. Beneath the smells of the city, and even that of the guards, there was something else; something that spoke of a life that required a bit more decorum, word-wielding, and banquets than he was strictly used to coming from the woman's direction. He didn't catch scent of the nethicite resting in Garnet's pocket, however; that scent was still all around him. Carefully approaching Garnet and her guards, he remained a careful distance away when he chose to stop, nodding his head lightly. "Queen Garnet?"

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

The site of him was not like anything she had expected. At first the Guard had moved into protective stance, taking this lion-creature for a fiend of some kind. But his gait was too calm, not the least bit violent, and so even though she clutched her rod tightly, she called back her guards. As he approached, he became curious, and when he spoke she almost dropped her rod. His voice was distinct, and she recognized it immediately. Garnet had come to expect many things, but not for this 'Sky Person" to be in the form of a beast.

"Yes. So, you are Nanaki, then."

She hesitated for a moment, looking him over. Four-legged or not, there was clearly something off about him. "...Are you alright? You don't look well..." He couldn't have come all this way on foot, could he?

so much drama ;_;

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

Glancing at the guards, Nanaki gave them a slight but deliberate nod. He knew what he looked like, of course, and considering what had happened in the past, their concern wasn't entirely unfounded. He wasn't here to harm anyone, though, and so the four-legged creature looked back to Garnet.

"Yes. And you are the Queen of Alexandria."

He wasn't bowing; as far as he was concerned, the rulers of men had little power over him, if only because they seldom remembered those like him. But he wasn't being disrespectful; he was simply treating her like he treated almost any other stranger who hadn't earned his irritation or suspicion. At her question, however, he frowned and took a step forward, only to pause as he was suddenly hit with vertigo, the cold suddenly sweeping in to practically choke him.

"I..."

The easy answer was that no, he was no where near all right, but Nanaki slowly slumped to the ground, the flame on his tail dangerously low.

;_; poor kitty

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Garnet gasped, one hand flying to her mouth. She hadn't expected him to collapse like that! A second later, she had darted forward, only to be held back by one arm -- one of the soldiers had caught the queen with her hand.

"Your Majesty, be careful--" she began.

"Release me! I'm in no danger, can't you see he needs help!" cried Garnet, and the soldier complied.

Seconds later, she was kneeling in the snow, hovering over him. She noted his vibrant colored fur, the strange flame on the tip of his tail. Was he on fire? No... it seemed to be a part of his make-up. Holding the rod in front of her, Garnet closed her eyes. A whisper, a prayer of a spell, Curaga, and a circle drew beneath his fallen form. A shower of warm light erupted from the ground, as the white magic went to work. Would that be enough? She hoped so; she'd brought no elixirs or potions with her.

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

As the glow of the magic faded, the flame sputtered and grew, though now it almost seemed to have a visible dark glow about it, and the faintest hint of sick-looking smoke could be seen near it. Nanaki sat up with a groan, shaking his head to get the snow out of his ear.

It was almost as though he was being poisoned from the inside out. He had taken two potions directly after he had been released, but the ill effects of the experimentation weren't fading; if anything, they were growing worse. Turning his head to look at Garnet, he sighed slightly. This would be much more embarrassing if he didn't feel so awful.

"Thank you." He still looked bad, but at least he could sit up now.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Cautious, Garnet laid her rod on the ground beside her. There was something about that flame that wasn't right, but she could think of nothing to do. Even if he had some ailment, her magic could only do so much.

She had questions; endless questions, her curiosity rising up, her genuine concern eclipsing even that; The fact that the flame on his tail was somehow connected to his vitality had not escaped her. "Can you stand?" she asked, "It may be best for you if we continued indoors."

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

Nodding, the red feline took a moment to gather his strength before standing, swaying slightly. If nothing else, Nanaki's opinion of Garnet had risen; she was genuinely concerned, and though he could tell that she had questions (it was likely that most of the people he encountered did, and especially a ruler, who needed to know all sorts of things).

"Out of the snow... that would be appreciated." Of course, he had no idea where they were going, so he waited for her and her guards to lead the way. He would follow; he only hoped that he wouldn't end up in another cage.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Rising from the ground, rod once again in hand, Garnet glanced around. It was no simple task, finding a place near-by that might house them without drawing stares. She was the queen, and he was certainly not someone who blended into crowds.

"If it would be alright with you, please, come with us back to the castle."

The Guards did their best not to recoil, though one dared to speak. "Your Majesty, do you think it wise--"

"Yes, it is the best solution. The dock isn't far from here, and there is no place safer than the castle."

That silenced the one who'd spoken, and both nodded in unison. As Garnet turned to make back for the dock, one fell into step beside her, the other flanking Nanaki (to serve the dual purpose of guide to the Lion, and protection against any potential attack on her Queen).

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

Squashing down the irritation he felt at the guards and their obvious mistrust, knowing that most of it was because he was a stranger (but certain that at least some of it was because he was a stranger who wasn't human), Nanaki followed Garnet to the dock, focusing on keeping his head high and not collapsing once more.

It was hard to tell just what was exhaustion and what was from the experiments, but he wasn't going to let himself look like a prisoner. He was the guardian of Cosmo Canyon and a protector of the Planet; Nanaki, Son of Seto and Jenova War hero. He wasn't a prideful creature, but he was not going to let more humans break his spirit.

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

The journey back to the castle was a short one; off the dock and into the boat, the ferryman eying Nanaki strangely and telling him to mind his tail, or else they'd all be in the lake. After that, it was smooth sailing, a knight there to help the queen out of the boat even as they tied it to the dock. Garnet lead the way up toward the main entrance, into the hall, and waited as the guards shut the doors behind them. She paused, hands still clutching her rod, eyes on Nanaki as though evaluating his state.

"Is there anything I can offer you? Something to drink perhaps? ...I don't suppose you drink tea, do you?" she didn't think so. It would be hard to hold a pot or cup with no fingers.

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

Having only twitched an ear in response to the ferryman, being perfectly capable of keeping track of his tail and not lighting things on fire, Nanaki instead looked at the castle. It was nice enough; not his sort of thing, but he could appreciate the work that had been put into it, as well as the aesthetic from an artist or a human's point of view.

Once inside, he smiled slightly at Garnet's question. He did have a bit of a taste for tea, even though it was boiled leaves (mostly thanks to Cid; the man was very adamant about his tea). At the moment, however, water would probably be the best. "I do at times; it can be... soothing. But I think water would... perhaps be best."

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

"Certainly."

The nearest maid was sent to the kitchen, with instructions to send the tea out to the the east wing. With that, Garnet lead the way down the short corridor, until they arrived at their destination. The room was open and spacious, a roaring fire in the decorative hearth against one wall, a few chairs and a plush rug in the middle of the half-circular room.

"Please, have a..." well, would seat be right? she didn't suppose he sat in chairs. She paused. "That is... make yourself comfortable. And please tell me what in the world happened! Certainly you couldn't have gotten into such a state just from traveling across the mist continent."

Hi, I wrote you a book. D:

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

Sitting onto the rug after looking over the chairs and deciding that none would be particularly comfortable to curl up in, Nanaki curled his tail around his feet. He hadn't originally wanted to speak about what had happened to him at Dr. Cid's hands, but as time went on and his condition worsened, the red creature had started to realize just how important it was that others knew.

"It goes back to the Water Mirror. After I asked on the network for any information about the item, a man contacted me, asking to examine it before I returned it to you. I agreed, having a mind to travel in his direction already, and... well. Eiko and Captain Steiner had informed me that the Water Mirror is a piece to a puzzle, to open the way to another world." Nanaki smiled grimly, sharp canines peeking out over his lips. "Please don't be offended, but I do not trust the people of Gaia, just as they do not trust me or the other Sky People. We are from other worlds, yet no one has told us that this is not the first time Gaia and another world have touched. No one will say how it happened, or what happened; they only point and say that things should not be happening. I was growing weary of this, and Wutai is from my world, the absent princess a friend of mine; the attack upon it was reason enough to want to see it. The possibility that someone could try to devise some way to use the mirror, to give us answers if not solutions..."

He shook his head. "It was foolish, yet I left for Wutai. I was captured there by the same man and machines called 'rooks', equipped with a stone that robbed me of the only defense besides teeth and claws I have -- the fire that has always been a part of me. It was not my first time captured and tortured by a madman posing as a scientist, but he took the same stone and attempted to... fuse it, if you will, to me. The result of that, likely helped by the experiments that I had been subjected to once before, is this illness that made me collapse in the snow. I was released as a rescue party came, and found by a friend. They left the 'doctor' alive, but wounded. I... do not know if I would have done the same. Men like him... they are the true beasts, no matter how many legs they walk on."

Having grown tired from his story-telling, Nanaki shifted slightly, shaking his head. He hadn't named names; he wanted to see if Garnet knew the man, first, and how she reacted to his criticism of the policies the Gaians had taken toward the Sky People. After all, the Water Mirror was one of four -- but what if the other three showed up?

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

In the middle of Nanaki's story, the water, and a pot of tea, had been quietly delivered. The maid excused herself with haste once she had filled a dish of water for the lion, and poured a cup of tea for the queen. Garnet's attention never left Nanaki, even as she picked up the teacup. She listened intently, taking a sip from her cup every once in a while. When it seemed she had finished, she lowered the cup from her lips.

"I can only tell you, that the reason this Other World is not much spoken of, is because even those native to this world don't believe it. There are eight of us in all who have seen it with our own eyes, and only a few others who would believe it. You must understand, that the events that have transpired in Gaia's recent history, are things that even most of it's natives don't fully understand."

Setting the cup to saucer, and saucer to table, Garnet folded her hands in her lap. "The mirror is one of four artifacts, each associated with a shrine of the elements. In order to open this pathway, all four must be placed at exactly the same time. What I don't understand, is how this mirror was somehow removed from where it was housed in the water shrine."

She grew more serious then, her expression stern and unwavering. "This... 'Doctor' you speak of. Is his name, by chance, Cidolfus Bunansa?" the tone of her voice (one of disapproval) indicated that she already knew the answer to this question.

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

As Garnet spoke, Nanaki lapped at some of the water, keeping his eyes on the queen. When she was finished, he sat up, quickly licking some of the stray water droplets away.

"It seems that there is much about this world that is not understood. The one thing you can be sure of is that things do not work the way they used to. I know Eiko has said that the Iifa Tree does not revive people -- yet it does. You must keep in mind what you know as truth, but you must not let it be all that you see. It's the same with the mirror. Have you been to the shrine since all of this started happening? Things could have changed. Gaia isn't just your world anymore. There are locations and people from numerous worlds here now, and if those who did understand could at least let their story be known... those of us who have come here without a choice could, at least, be able to know more."

He would think back on this conversation later, during Memoria, and wonder if anyone that knew about it would tell all of those who had been trapped there what the strange place was, even if all the (possibly dangerous) details weren't shared. He would be disappointed when that wasn't the case. For now, though, Nanaki was moving on in the conversation.

"Yes, that is the man. I take it you know of him... though I hope you do not know of his activities."

[crowned-jewel.livejournal.com]

Garnet shook her head. "I know him only vaguely. He is a friend of a friend, and I should think that my friend does not know of his nature, either." At least, Garnet could not picture Vayne as being the type to condone such activities... therefore, he must have been as in the dark as she was.

She paused, contemplating her teacup. "And for the other part, no one wishes to cause unnecessary chaos. All these pieces of the puzzle, they won't help anything. Not right now." Perhaps she'd been a politician for too long.

[flameguardian.livejournal.com]

"People often turn a blind eye to things." He would let that go for now, though; instead, Nanaki shook his head. "You can't know that for sure. You are not the only ones who have experienced strange things. Some may be able to make connections."

Nanaki pushed the Water Mirror toward her a moment later, looking at it a bit strangely. "Here is the mirror, in any case."