A Flare Star for the Dramatic

Kuja pops up with a slightly less magnificent cockatoo crest, today. He's idly playing with a peacock's feather. "Feathers for feathers. I oughtn't be surprised, after that nothing for nothing with that little ticket. At least these are quite pretty -- I think I got a deal, seeing as mine will grow back just fine..."

Kuja's not really got much important to say today. He's leaning onto the little table the crystal's resting on. He puts his elbows on the table, rests his head in his hands-- then puffs up his cheek on one side and hits it gently with the other hand to let the air out his mouth with a little pop. It is a gesture he would NEVER let another person see him do. "I miss my dragon." That's it. He stares sulkily at the crystal, until his brows slowly furrow.

"...You know, I can't really, ah, remember everything clearly about that day, but didn't I.. set the hoard of them loose behind me? How did I get them all to follow me out of Terra like that?"

He used telepathy, but Kuja cannot remember that he has telepathy. He spends a while thinking about it, but in the end shakes his head, and cuts the entry there.

"Today's the day~! We'll be meeting in the graveyard, at the stroke of midnight. I've woke up earlier than I wanted, so I think I'm going to crawl back into bed for a good nap later today... wouldn't want to be falling asleep on my feet while we're doing important work."

Kuja's drawn up a chair by the crystal today. He just doesn't feel like standing there pouring his feelings out. In his lap is a rough bouquet of marigolds, some looking a bit beat up. He's fussing with a length of blue ribbon, trying to use it to tie together the flowers' loose stems. "My kingdom for a good vase."

He's quiet a long time after that, weighed down by all the different things he could say. "...the pain of the petrification was... excruciating. I haven't-- I've never been in pain like that for one long, sustained time. It was torture. I don't call it that lightly, considering-- well. I barely know what to do with myself after that. Just.. go about my day? I keep feeling this jolt of panic like my whole body's going to stop in place again on some cosmic whim. ...I think I just want to go sleep."

"Lark came to me with a package today. No words about a sender, of course. I tried to test him to see if there was information he knew he shouldn't -- the man is SUSPICIOUS! -- but he didn't give me much. Anyway, it was.. something very nice. Something from Gaia. I don't understand how it could have got here, but it's not like I know how I did, either. Forgot to bring it in with me or I'd show it off. I'll get Phil to use his -- exoflecty, was it? Something like that -- to make a copy, I think, just in case it gets damaged."

"Spoke a little more with Albedo, today. He's living with that little.. green imp with the lute, apparently. Saw him there in passing as Albedo showed me downstairs to his laboratory. His sort of alchemy seems interesting! It's much different in Teyvat to what I've seen of it at home... if I could bring him a sample of a potion or an ether, I wonder if he could replicate it?"

"Judai owes me another round of cards, we had plans! Where has he BEEN? I'll be quite cross if the hounds finally showed up just to eat him." Kuja fronts being annoyed, but it gives way in a bit to.. a much emptier expression.

"...well, if he's gone, so it goes, I suppose. But if he's just distracted I'm going ahead and teaching him Tetra Master in retaliation. He's too polite, he'll play at least a round."