2021-04-29: The Menagerie's Vile Plot

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  • Cutscene: The Menagerie's Vile Plot
  • Cast: Magilou, Rokurou
  • Where: Spira - The Calm Lands
  • Date: 2020-04-29
  • Summary: Magilou catches up with an old friend, and invites him on an adventure.


The Fiend Arena might be the last place one would expect to see the illustrious Magilou, in all her behatted glory. But this is also the place which builds the most impossible monsters, and...

A man, hollering triumphant: "Hyah!"

Like breeds like, no matter the geographical distances involved.

As the fellow in charge stammers something about one man besting such a ferocious beast, there's a more subdued clapping, stepping from the shadows. "Oh, bravo," Magilou drawls, a grin dragged across her face like a Bienfu dragged after a boat. (That's a story for another time.) "You sure showed that persnickety bandersnatch what-for... Rokurou."

"That banderwhat?" The swordsman turns to the jester-witch, and his grin is much easier than hers, his scruffy hair not quite hiding the demonic markings down his face. "Man, Magilou, you make less sense every time we run into each other."

Magilou lifts a hand to her forehead, as if she might faint. "The cheek! That is bleak! My earnest encouragement, tossed in my face! Good thing I prepped insults, too, just in case!" In her acrobatic bending, her back arches, and arches, and arches...

"Okay, okay," he laughs, totally unfazed. "It's good to see you too, Magilou."

"And stiiiill kicking!" Magilou crows, as all at once she hops straight again, leg extending out in a demonstrative swat.

"Hell yeah," Rokurou grins, eyes shining with infinite potential. "I still need to fight me one of those elephant guys..." It is the infinite potential of swords and the stabbing therein.

"Ze shoooooopuf?" Magilou drags out the word, just as the Hypello do.

Rokurou slaps a fist into his palm. "Yeah, that's the one! Don't you think there's gotta be a badass warrior in their ranks?"

"Okay, sooo, I hear you on stabbing innocent beasts of burden until their Phoenix comes out," Magilou taps a finger to her temple, her grin going sly. "But I've got a better idea. You ever thought of going back?"

"Back? Like, to those Thunder Plains? Dodging thunderbolts is a great workout, but --"

All a sudden, Magilou's finger clenches with the other four to a mighty fist. "No, sword-for-brains! Gods, do you really only have that one braincell?!"

"Yup." Rokurou grins, still with a definitional lack of ruffle.

Magilou throws her hands up in the face of his grin. "Ugh! No, you dolt, I mean back to the Throne! You know, source of all maladies, keeps getting ironic renames? That Throne?"

"Huh..." Rokurou's grin fades to thoughtfulness, as he rubs his chin. "... nope, can't say I have. What's up, Magilou?"

"You heard of the most recent Lord of Calamity and her crew?" Magilou regains her composure with a smirk.

"Oh yeah," Rokurou's grin comes right back, too, "they sound great!"

"Well, they've decided they want to have a chat with dear sweet Althena, but she's shut her doors. No way in or out - but I happened to learn of a back door. All we have to do is complete a meandering side-quest finding shrines we lost track of centuries ago, and then--!!"

"Bust through Artorius's Throne and get through that way?!"

Magilou visibly deflates, slumping forward, before she lifts a finger to point at him. "Wait, how did you..."

"A Goddess isn't going to have average back doors," Rokurou points out, rubbing the back of his head. "That's just basic fortress defence strategy!"

"Right, I forgot you're totally impossible," Magilou mutters, straightening up. "Anyway, I'm gonna help them bust in. Call it... a favour to an old mutual friend." She raises a hand to her mouth; it can't quite hide her smirk. "You in?"

"You know me," Rokurou beams. "I show up wherever there's a good fight!"

"Great," Magilou says, as if the two of them reached some agreement not quite as obvious to the world around them. "Now come on, I've got gossip. You will not believe how that nerd is these days...!"

They're both grown-ups, so it probably involves sake.