NM Part 21

As halifax leaves the stage Bob floats back onto it and turns to the face the audience. "So ends the torrid tale of love gone wrong. When one shares their soul two many ways, there is never enough to go around. Vanbeltin let a night of wine and lust taint her judgement, and in doing so has destroyed three lives." The Orchestra begins to play the closing score as the actors are given a chance to stand and take their hard-earned bows.

As the audience stands and applauds other phantoms begin to form on the stage, to those that read the entire script and not just the final act they would recognize some of these as characters from the earlier acts. As the group rises they see four of the phantoms wearing the same clothes they have dawned, the actors that played the parts in the previous acts. As the bows are taken the final apparition is that of the director himself. The foppishly-dressed Bard Antonio Lasar, he takes a sweeping bow and turns to the group seemingly wiping tears from his eyes. "Thank you, thank you all. You've made this dream come true at long last. Thank you." With that the phantoms fade, the actors dissapating to the ether that spawned them as the music dies with a few last faint echos, leaving you all in the stillness and silence of the empty theater.

Marduke is already taking off the costume, "Search, and be quick daylight will be even less with this store completed I am sure. Each chapter has had piece of bone, and sheets so far. That and frankly." Glancing around as he considers, "We still need to face the negative spirit who would be against all this." Frowning as he considers, "So be on guard and pairs of two at least. Ka'Len care to join me?" Getting the last of the costume off.

Remi can't help but give a deep bow as they're applauded, natural entertainer that he is... But as soon as all the ghosts fade, the Bard starts to remove most of his costume as well, looking at everyone as he does so, "... Well, we got that over with, at least. Good job, too." And he smiles, before glancing at Marduke and nodding some, "I'm sure we'll be attacked by something soon enough."

Alba hurls off the Viking hat, deep red spots on her cheeks, and as she stalks toward the nearest bit of cover, she's already tugging at her costume. "I *hope* that we are," she snarls from the bit of curtain she finds to finish undressing, "it will be good to find a puzzle with a simpler key."

Ka'len takes a few bows, it's hard to resist after all, then he straightens and starts to strip off the dress and step over to the side of the stage to grab up his things, changing as needed and arming himself quickly. He looks over at Marduke and nods, "certainly I'll go with you," He looks at Remi and then Alba, nodding to each of them in absolute agreement while making sure his sword belt is balanced properly with the two weapons he's carrying.

Ask and you shall receive, as the party strips away their costumes an ear-splitting shriek echos through the empty theater as the familiar red coloring of a spectre forms hovering above the stage. "NO! No this is not possible! /I/ was to be the lady Vanbeltin and that Foppish twit was never going to finish this production without me! You will all pay dearly for this!"

"And this would be the Siren." Offers Marduke with a grim look on his face as he glances towards the apperition. Looking her over, then suddenly jumping to the side to find some cover to keep out of easy harms way and knowing how the others will react. Chanting a few words he changes his normal tatic and cast a shell spell aim towards Alba. "Guys I suspect just a hunch she is going to be more caster focus. Be on guard."

Remi's head snaps up to the Spectre just as he tosses the saber he used for the play to the side, the Bard looking startled. But to his credit, it doesn't seem to freeze him up... Evident by the fireball he launches at the dead actress moments later, flung from his palm. The orb lighting up the stage even as he moves to jump off it, to seek cover between the rows of seats infront of it while the evil ghost is distracted by his attack.

Alba bursts out from behind the curtain as the Siren makes her debut. The edges of her daggers flicker with faint white fire, a killer's grin on her face as she sprints to meet the ghosts face-to-blades, ducking underneath the trail of Remi's fire.

Ka'len shudders at the shriek and then mutters, "and a diva at that.." He nods slightly then draws out the blade he retrieved from where Sebastion dropped it while the other hand rubs one of his ears. "Vocally based too, like Remi here." He grins as Remi's attack brightens the room and calls out, "hey Remi why don't you show her what a proper set of lungs can do." The nobleman starts to run for the spectre though, grinning as well as he joins Alba,

The fireball impacts the spectre causing it to give another rattling shriek. Thrusting it's hands towards the group crimson lightning lashes towards the both the party and their discarded costumes. "Upstage me.. then I bind you to what you stole from me!"

As the curse takes effect the Stage is once again graced by Norg Yorgist, Baron Von Sloot and the Lady Vanbeltin. Only Marduke has managed to escape it's effects. However these changes are not just in costume as Alba and Ka'len find their genders altered to that of their former characters. Alba now a broad-chested human warrior and Ka'len the fair maiden. The second part of the curse becomes evident as well as the two ficitional rivals once more turn their attentions towards one another rather than the now-cackling spectre. The lady of course is free to act as she likes having no other target.

Remi stands once more upon the stage, dressed as Von Sloot, his saber held out towards Viking Alba in a classic fencing posture, the Bard, magically brainwashed and altered to be the character, looking rather arrogant and regal meanwhile. And he sneers at the broad chested 'man' then, regarding the lower class creature with disgust, before he suddenly springs forward to initiate the attack! Defending his lady's honor from the smelly, rude interloper.

Alba's head snaps toward Von Sloot, cruel eyes widening. With a laughing grin, exposing crooked (if shiny) teeth, the Viking whips his sword about his head, charging toward the foppish dandy with a rough battle cry!

Ka'len's mouth opens then he/she starts to growl before stopping as she starts to trip over the dress. A look is cast down, the bodice is pulled out and she stares at the chest there before shrieking up at the spectre, "and I just ENDED that curse!" The sword is still in hand and she lifts her hand, a fireball suddenly appearing in midaid and rishing towards the ghost. Someone's been secretly studying Remi's technique.

Marduke pushes back to his feet and holds up his hands to himself as he fights off the magic and resisting it lets out a deep breath. Opening his eyes he looks to his friends and just drops his jaw. "What in the..." shivering a moment and glancing to the chocobo costume and then himself checking to make sure his body parts are correct. Then glancing up to the enemy he frowns and stands up tall and straight, a snap of his fingers as he grabs his staff and taps it into the floor of the stage. "You cannot bind them to what was never yours. You want that which is eternal? I shall show you that which is eternal." Staring to chant and gathering the energy as he can around him. The ground around his feet starts to form a laying of frost and the air around him starts to chill. Four orbs of energy form around him circling slowly reflecting the light like they are made of ice. "From the eternal plains of endless white and deepest cold. From the court of the stage of dancing ice. I call forth the Lady Sharina, of Queen Shiva's Court!" Holding up his staff the orbs fly up disappearing, "Diamond Dust!" Pointing and aiming it at the spectre.

The cackling spectre is interrupted by the impact of the fireball and prepares to hurl a spell of it's own back at Ka'len only to be struck by the frigid blast and encased in a block of ice. Falling to the stage the ice shatters leaving the spectre momentarily stunned.

Remi meets Viking Alba sword to sword! And unlike his previous stage fighting, he's actually trying to hurt her now! Obviously still affected by the spell as he flashes that saber this way and that, trying to get a hit in even though it might not do TOO much damage, being a stage prop. And actually handling the blade pretty decently at that, using his natural speed and agility to his advantage, the Bard rather damn quick.

Alba can't but pause as her will returns, looking down at her broad, flat chest with a flash of something like panic. In a way, it's almost a blessing that Remi is striking to kill, because training takes over and her sword is brought up to meet the strike and bat it away. With a deep breath, she fills her lungs and lunges toward the stunned specter, sword limning in white flame, much-deeper voice roaring "KILL YOU!!" And once again, Alba is made very not happy, it seems.

Ka'len lets out a snarl and closes the distance while the Siren is stunned, he takes that moment aot grip the sword in both hands and swing away [Heavy Blow] while snarling, "I /better/ be boobless after you die or I will find a way to come after you, you undead shrieking bitch!" The words following the roar of Alba as 'she' regains her... his... it's.... whatever!

Marduke leans into his staff taking a breath for a moment, "Painful and hard to connect to the spirits." and then a wince, "Not to mention a very good way to make a lady spirit very grumpy at you. That will be a long tea time here soon." Pushing off his staff he continues to stand at his full as he looks to the stunned enemy and holding up his staff and a hand he starts to chant a new spell. Electrical energy cackling up his staff and pointing it towards the Siren, "Thunder." His voice quiet, even if the spell lets out quiet the boom as the lightning strikes over towards his target.

Still reeling from the summoning attack the Siren shrieks as the savage strike from Ka'len drives home, followed by Alba's enraged blow, and finally by the thunderbolt called down by Marduke. Giving one last pitifull wailing the spectre disintegrates into dist like the others. The tattered dress flutters to the ground but lands with a hefty *thunk* that would indicate somthing is inside. Alba and Remi regain their full senses.. but unfortunatly the physical changes do not fade. Though Remi is forced to take the damn costume off again.

Marduke starts walking up over towards the fallen dress to poke at it with his staff, not sure he wants to touch it or what may be inside. Glancing back to the others, he goes a bit pale and looks away. "Maybe there is a clue in the dress on how to fix you?" He offers not sure what else to say, the summoner is very much at a loss on this, and clearly very very thankful he isn't a chocobo.

Remi regains his senses just as he's about to bonk Alba in the back of the head with that saber... The Bard blinking, and looking around confusedly as he slowly lowers that sword, "... What happened?" He asks, before blinking again, as he notices the physical changes on two of them. Peering at them a long moment, before letting his gaze drift to what's left of the Spectre, "... That bitch." Alba looms over the tattered, fallen dress for a long moment, chest heaving, sword quivering in both hands, eyes wild and hateful. Slowly, the barbarian turns, fixing Marduke with his gaze. "The pages," he snarls, his tone brooking no argument. "FIX THIS ENDING SHAMAN, NOW."

Ka'len's chest rises and falls as she takes a few deepbreaths. Closing her eyes then she silently mouths the words 'please be gone, please be gone'. Then she looks down and sees the bosoms. " Damnit!" Ka'len is about to kick the dress when she registers the earlier thunk. She starts to go through the dress, ripping it as needed to find whatever was concealed within.

A simple leather satchel is concealed within the dress. The contents spilling out onto the floor as it's opened. Another blank Journal Page, another fargment of bone, and yet another bronze wedge. As the group ponders over their current predicament they hear... music? A blue glow forming over their heads as a now familiar trio reappear.

<All> It's a Bad day to be you, lost souls within this city isn't new.

<Eenos> With the Evil run Amuck,

<Meenos> In this prison you are stuck!

<All> It's a Bad day to be you! *Kupo*

<All> The bard he was a very simple knave, obsessed with seeing this horrid production made!

<Eenos> His writing skills are rather slack.

<Meenos> Did we mention he's a hack?

<Minos> He should have stuck to thieving as a Trade!

<All> It's a Bad Day to be You, escape is just impossible to do.

<Minos> When this tale of fate is struck.

<Eenos> You will see that you're the Shmuck!

<All> It's a bad day to be, really bad day to be.

<Meenos> Nobody would disagree

<Minos> It's a kupo guarantee!

<All> It's a bad day to be you! Kupo-ty Doo!

The trio fade away once again.

Marduke pulls out the journal as he starts to flip through it trying to find the conclusion to this section if it is there. "Is it a illusion? No no can't be, should of faded with her, unless it was a contingent spell. Could be, they real?" Not glancing up as he flips to another page, "I have never even heard of magic that could change ones sex. Very powerful, very odd a spirit would..' Cutting himself off and stopping himself from being side tracked. Glancing up to the moogles and tilting his head and chuckling. Then glancing to Alba he quickly glances back to the book clearly trying to find a solution, "What... oh I know!" Snapping his fingers with a grin, "Its a curse! We can fix that." Reaching for his pouch and pulling out the two cure-alls, "If its a curse or a enchantment, this will fix it."

Remi starts tugging at his costume again, frowning as he does so, checking at the same time that he didn't transform somehow as well. But he's given pause then by the three singing Moogles, turning towards them in mild surprise, and listening to their song... Shaking his head afterwards, he remarks to the others, "Feels like they're mocking us..." Before he ear perks a bit at Marduke's comment, and then nods, "Well, let's try it!"

Alba stares at Marduke for a moment, as though stunned at his lack of comprehension. Shaking his head he snatches up the blank piece of paper, shaking it in Marduke's direction for a moment. Turning to the nearest wall, he runs the palm of his left hand over the edge of the sword, hard enough to slice it open. Holding the blank paper against the wall with the back of his bleeding hand, he dips a finger into the blood, writing furiously, pausing again and again to renew his supply of 'ink.' [And as the Siren fell, defeated, the curse she laid over the weary travelers faded.]

Ka'len pulls everything out and then sighs, flopping onto the stage before looking at Marduke. She perks up as Marduke brings up the Cure-Alls. For a moment her eyes brighten and then slowly darken again. "There's only two Marduke, there's the three of us." She motions to the two human men and then herself before reaching for the fragment of bone for the bag. "Bob c'mere, lets put this in and see if you can remember any other ways to remove this curse." She pauses though as Alba reacts and then she waits, breath stilling in her throat as she waits for the reaction, if there is one.

As the bone is replaced in Bob's skull his eyes pulse with inner light for a moment but he just floats there. "Hmmm, wasn't I supposed to do somthing here? Weird..." As Alba writes in blood on the empty journal page it jerks itself from his hands and floats in the air, the blood on the page running and twisting until it takes on the face of the clown. An audible laugh echos through the room as the page bursts into flames and simply turns to ash.

Marduke shakes his head slowly as he sighs, wincing as Alba starts to write in blood, "Alba that is madness." Stepping back as the page gets a face of a clown and burns up. A quick glance to Ka'Len, "No just you tow, Remi only had a..." Cutting himself off as he sets the cure-alls down and flips to a page in the book where he starts to read. "A work Unfinished: Antonio Lasar was a skilled minstrel and singer in his time, but suffered from a crippling case of writers block. Obsessed with wanting to create a major theatrical production he worked for years and ultimately created "One Night, three barrels of wine, 2 Chocobo and You. A Musical Love Story.". Having gained funding from the Marlon family to put on his production he was unable to finish it on it's opening night when a woman named Belinda Cariss who was the understudy of the actress playing the lady Vanbeltin coerced the local curio merchant to withhold and increase the price on the costumes needed for the show's final act. The money for the bribe to the Curio merchant coming from the Matron of the Turner family, who had her own reasons for wanting the Bard to fail." Closing the book Marduke glances up, "This one is done, drink your cure-alls, grab what we got and head back to the inn or estate, we have little time before nightfall, very little time." Glancing to Bob and tilting his head.

Remi takes a step back from the cackling clown page, his hand instinctively going up. And even after it turns to ash, he seems slightly paranoid... Glancing around himself, as if expecting to see the clown standing in a corner or something. Frowning then, he listens to Marduke's story from the book, before he nods some, agreeing, "Never heard of him... But yah, let's go... And like he said, I don't need the potion. I'm fine, I think." Patting himself down a moment for effect.

Alba takes a step back, baring her teeth at the cackling clown, and curls his hands to fists. "Madness?" Whirling on Marduke, the barbarian takes a step forward. "It scoffs at *me,* calls me mad, its eyes *shut* to the madness that infects this land, this pustulent *sore* of madness severed from the skin of *Terra,* and it scoffs at *me?!*" Snatching the Cure-All, he stalks towards the door, tearing at the stopper with his teeth. Once the bottle is open, he drinks it down in a breath, already slamming the door open and storming toward the Inn.

Ka'len glowers at the page before she looks at Remi. After that there's a little nod and then the girl reaches for the cure all and chugs it down. There's a little bit of a face made before the girl pushes herself up and grabs the satchel and any of her things (and Alba's if she spots them) before just shaking her head, "lets get back to the inn.."

The trip back to the inn is hurried as the son begins to set. The lost souls only begining to crawl from their shadows as the door is slammed and bolted. Bob floats around the common room. "Well 2 stories to go, 2 spectres to go. Things are looking up."

The cure-alls doing their intended job and restoring the two transformed party members back to their original states. Though it doesn't sooth the mental scars...

Marduke makes his way along and moves over to a table as he comes to a rest and lets out a long sigh. Then glances to Alba as he offers her a serious look, "He mocks us, he scoffs at us, but he does that to drive us mad. We cannot give in and must maintain ourselves if we are to survive this. Father Antlion has set one of the best traps I have ever seen." Then motions over to Ka'Len, "Bring the new metal piece over here, lets see if that will give me enough to identify what it depicts yet, deffinetly something of a spirit nature."

Remi flumps into a chair as soon as the reach the inn after hurrying across town, and starts to stiffle yawns and rub his eyes a bit, his energy level instantly dropping. And he watches the others then, glad Alba and Ka'Len are ok again, though mostly interested in some of the items they retrieved. Meanwhile commenting on the subject of the clown, "Hopefully when we're done here, he'll just be a big stain of greasepaint on the floor..." Sounding a bit grumpy.

Alba storms into the inn, twitching an ear back toward Marduke's speech. Without turning around, the newly-restored Viera waits for the Summoner to finish speaking his mind, then continues on her way to the pantry, slamming the door behind her.

Ka'len checks himself over, making sure nothing is out of place before sighing, "good... I doubt that Mordecai would be happy about having two wives suddenly." He snorts a little and then digs into the bag before pulling out the metalic piece and handing that to Marduke before he slumps down at the bar and reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose. He watches after Alba then looks over at Marduke, "she was talking about you. I know, I know.. you were teasing, but if there is one person that you will never tease and will treat gently and with kindness.." He points to the pantry door, "then let that person be Alba. Viera not raised in the city do /not/ have our sense of humor and she's obviously not a city viera, Marduke."

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