Plot || The Star Wars Vaikuntha Special

[hatejakku]

Who: Open
When: June 8-14
Where: Everywhere
What: The race for the crystals is on!!
Warnings/Notes: OOC Post


Crystals have fallen out of the Dream Width in a beautiful meteor shower and scattered all over the world! Due to their origins and mysterious properties, the Curti Center is interested in gathering as many as they can for researching purposes. To incentivize the public in helping out, O'aka has donated a few silver coupons to those top few who collect the most crystals. There's also a rumor that the one person (or more if there's a tie) who collects the most, wins something marvelous and mysterious~

The hunt for these crystals have taken storm across Vaikuntha and they're suddenly worth a lot. It's all anyone talks about anymore! The locals have gone crazy with it! If you weren't interested to begin with, surely the madness that is this new fad has sunk its teeth in. Besides, who knows what the crystals can actually do? Are they gifts? Curses? Dust collectors? Only one way to find out.

NAVIGATION
❄️ Snow	🔎 Shadow	🔥 Flame	🌼 Flower	☔ Rain	☀️ Sun	❤️ Love	🌵 Arrow
🎭 Sword	🎶 Chime	👻 Grey	🥚 Egg	✉️ Chrome	🏁 Rainbow	🐹 Plasma

LEADERBOARD
Character	| Crystals
Klonoa	| 08 ❄️🔎❤️🌵🎭👻✉️🐹
Kuja	| 07 🔎🌼🎭🎶👻✉️🐹
Frisk.bin	| 06 🔎☔🌵🎭✉️🐹
Uendo	| 05 ❄️🔎🎶✉️🐹
Corrin	| 04 ☔❤️🌵🎭
Red	| 03 🌵🎭✉️
Okuyasu	| 03 ❄️🌼🐹
Tyzias	| 02 ❄️🐹
Megatron	| 02 🌼🐹
Maul	| 02 👻🏁
Sephiroth	| 02 🌼✉️
Naoto	| 02 ❤️✉️
Adrien	| 01 ❄️
Castor	| 01 ✉️
Selphie	| 01 🌵
Pidge	| 01 🥚
Minimus	| 01 🌵
Kenichi	| 01 🐹
Papyrus	| 01 🔎
Naomi	| 01 🌼
Ovelia	| 01 🌼
Asriel	| 01 🎭
Kanji	| 01 ❤️

Comments

[acapriciousreaper]

It really is, Kuja reflects, quite a lovely forest. He's arranged for a leisurely stroll through the woods, and while he didn't specifically request anyone to come with him... would it be so awful to have company while doing something positive, for a change?

Chemist allows for the easy storage of all the necessary accoutrements for an al fresco lunch on the way.

[bleating_heart]

Asriel drifts slowly by, completely horizontal as he leans back with his arms crossed behind his head. He glances to the side, looking at Kuja. He also happens to be floating 4 feet above the ground.

"Hey."

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja blinks, looking down at the floating figure. "Ah, Asriel. I must say I'm surprised to see you here, but quite pleased, if I'm being honest. You've mastered Flight, it seems."

[bleating_heart]

"Not through lack of hitting lampposts for a month, I assure you." He drawls, before flipping upside down to lay in his chest on the empty air below.

"Y'know, I haven't been flying since I killed Frisk that bunch of times. Pretty neat to be able to just, do it, without the accompanying angst and stuff. How 'bout you? You seem pretty upbeat today!"

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja nods faintly. "I feel... content. There's something to do, and my studies are progressing well. Life is... improving."

[bleating_heart]

"Hey man, take your good vibes wherever you can get them. I'm just glad the group at the house isn't murdering each other anymore, and Papyrus is doing good with his girlfriend. Still kind of amazed at that combo, not gonna lie. Gotta ask though, what are you studying? I heard some rumor you were going to try that whole summoning thing yourself?"

[acapriciousreaper]

"Ah, yes, well. As soon as I've mastered Illusionist, I think I shall be paying a visit to the Summoners' Guild. I think... I think perhaps it might help, to make peace with some things."

[bleating_heart]

"Wow, really? You want to become a summoner?" Asriel is... actually kind of surprised.

And a little impressed.

"...Maybe it's time I faced a bit of my past, too." He says, rubbing his chin thoughtfully.

There's something he's been avoiding for... quite a long time.

Geomancer.

[acapriciousreaper]

"I've always been fascinated by Eidolons, and... There are several to whom I owe an apology." Kuja glances over at the monster, considering. "Let me know if you would like help with that. The gods only know you've done enough for me."

[sassafrisk]

Frisk strolls alongside Kuja, smiling as they drink in the scenery. With the frenetic energy that's carried them through their search for the crystals, it's nice to occasionally get a break with their best friend. (Papyrus had been upgraded to "vaguely familial relation" in the year and a half that they've been on Vaikuntha.)

"Gil for your thoughts?" they ask, taking a sip of water from their thermos.

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja smirked quietly, as he walked along. "Only a gil? I couldn't possibly let them go for under a hundred, and that's cutting my own throat, you understand-" Yes, he was definitely in a 'good mood', it seemed, good enough to be a smart-arse, at least.

[sassafrisk]

"Oh, shush." Frisk sticks their tongue out at their friend, then flicks a hundred-gil coin at him with pinpoint accuracy. Gotta commit to the bit. "I'm genuinely curious. Something about forests like these tends to provoke long, philosophical monologues from a small child and their much taller friend."

[acapriciousreaper]

The coin is caught. "My life is... improving. I feel content, for the first time in a long time, I think. There's more to do, but for now it's enough to enjoy some time doing nothing particularly stressful."

[sassafrisk]

"You know, I kinda feel the same way." Frisk kicks a rock out of the way, looking up to the canopy with their hands in their hoodie pockets. "I mean, don't get me wrong. It's not like my life before I came here was remotely as crappy or... dramatic as yours. But...

"I've never really had a home before, you know? Someplace where I really felt like I belonged. But now I do, as cheesy as it sounds."

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja inhales. "I... honestly, I feel the same way. Admittedly, that's largely because of the two places I've called home, I burned one and the other would be a death sentence, but- Vaikuntha's all I have left, now."

[sassafrisk]

"Yeah. And I guess... you're a pretty big part of why I feel at home here, I think." Frisk sighs, jamming their hands into their pockets. "Like. Don't get me wrong. I love Papyrus, and the other Frisk, and Asriel." They notably don't mention Undyne.

"But if I just hung out with them, I think... I think I'd be too focused on getting back to the Underground to solve their problems. I wouldn't have realized just how great this place is for me, you know? And without you, I wouldn't have had so many opportunities to go out and see new places and experience new things... and of course, I would've missed out on, you know. Actually being friends with you."

[acapriciousreaper]

That... makes Kuja pause. "It's... funny, almost. You know practically everything about me, by now." Well, not everything. Privately, he hopes Frisk never sees Burmecia, or Cleyra. "I'm dimly aware of your relationship with Papyrus and that... Undyne woman. What of before them?"

mega-backtag, sorry

[sassafrisk]

"I'm an orphan." Even saying it now makes Frisk wince. All of their time with a proper family and a few good friends on Vaikuntha makes looking back on that time in their life all the more painful. "I wasn't exactly popular, either. Believe it or not, I was a real scrappy kid back home. I mean, there was Lilac, but, uh.

"...things went south with her."

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja glances down at the child and reaches out for a moment, hesitantly...
And then, awkwardly, places his hand on their head, as though he doesn't quite know what he should be doing, here. "I'm... I'm sorry."

this is super old but this thread is precious and i need more of it

[sassafrisk]

"I... it was my fault. And this isn't me being a self-blaming martyr or something stupid like that." Frisk clenches their fists, looking down. They know this is a dumb thing to lay on Kuja, considering he's done much, much worse in his own time. But they still can't help but to feel bad about it. "I wanted to run away from the orphanage, we got into a fight, and... she got hurt really badly."

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja inhales, and quells the immediate instinct of saying 'Oh, is that all'. "I am... not what you would call an expert, Frisk, but perhaps... perhaps you did hurt her. Possibly you meant to, possibly you didn't, I'm not certain, but can anything you do now undo the harm you caused? If not... then there is nothing you can do. Remember it, always, as an example of what you're capable of, if you let yourself be like that again... but remember, too, that every day is another day you haven't done that. Every day, you get better and better, yes?"

In spite of it all, in spite of everything, he finds himself smiling. "I'm certain there's not many people who'd crucify you for a childhood scuffle that went too far."

[sassafrisk]

Frisk flinches at Kuja's words, then smiles. They can't believe that their friend is giving them advice on dealing with crippling guilt and not the other way around. Accepting it is a lot harder than Frisk thought, really. They can see why Kuja struggled with the concept.

A ghost of a smile appears on their face. "Awwww, you're learning. Never thought you'd be the one to give me one of those speeches." They pause. "...thanks. "

[acapriciousreaper]

Kuja snorts. "What can I say? maybe it's finally actually starting to sink in."
There's a sigh, and then he's pulling away. "I must say, you're much better than I am, at least."

[sassafrisk]

"Took a lot of practice to get it right. A lot of practice." They jam their hands into their pockets, looking up at the sky. "Probably wouldn't have gotten as good at it if not for you, though."

[acapriciousreaper]

"Hah, hah, yes, do rub your comparative emotional stability in my face."