Looming Shadows

Avici<There is no time for questions or gratitude. Have you not considered that Binah Psyche is monitoring her students, & thus knows your location?>

*Roatha stuffs his hands in his pockets & bends over slightly, not losing his grin.*

R"Well, then we're proper fucked. Senthose won't even fight that albino hag with all of us behind him."

Avici<I can obscure her divinations, hopefully long enough for you to complete your mission. But you have to find Marluxia & Larxene quickly, before she discerns the ruse. There is safety in numbers, for it is unlikely that she will travel to this world herself, or expend the time & energy to create a construct that can fight at more than half of her level.>
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OOC: If I seem to be ignoring you, sometimes it's because my lousy memory kicked in, but sometimes it's a case like this--all 3 posters mentioned different things, & I could only follow 1 line of conversation, so I picked Leafy.

L"None of us can create Keyblade Armor. Thiera, send a message to Mom--"

*Euryale points to Lilith & Thiera.*

E"Their mother is our leader. Master Binah Psyche. She's, like, a super wizard."

L"--Right, so ask her for a set of Keyblade Armor. Kyohaku, the armor will allow you to transform your Keyblade into a vehicle, much like you can command it to appear or disappear at will."

Brooklyn<We can do that at the roost. Kyohaku can ride with one of you. Or we can take him.>

T"I'll contact Mom while in transit. Knowing her, we'll have the armor by the time we get there."

OOC: I assume that was directed toward me; no harm no foul, right? I hope this reply was acceptable.

Though he wasn't sure what was going to happen, Kyohaku nodded, "Alright, want me to try to use it now or whatever?" He was, of course, referring to the possibility that his keyblade could be used for transit, but it had then seemed as though it wouldn't be too much of a problem to simply drag him along.

Turning back for the moment he smirked and again peered upward, wondering how all of this worked still, but slowly moving into a little more of a comfort zone all things considered.

Eve:<Any idea where they might be?>
===
Safian:<He can ride with me!>

Xyukuse: "Better question: Why are we keeping someone that is clearly a liability?"

Avici<We last sent them to investigate the Xanatos Industries & Cyberbiotics labs, but they haven't reported back in some time.>

*He looks down at Xyukuse.*

Avici<Are you referring to yourself or Roatha? The Organization takes all members, especially those in need. Which is not to say that we don't have to fix foolish mistakes.>

*He looks over to Nero.*

Avici<According to Axel's report, you were warned by the genie that your wish could have unforeseen side-effects. I'd say that psychotic rage counts."

N"Are you--saying it's my fault--? That he's like this?"

Avici<Indeed. And it is difficult to say how long it will take us to fully undo that damage.>
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OOC: Yeah, I'm trying to use these OOC remarks to explain things that I think might not be clear.

L"You won't be able to use it until we can get you a set of armor. For now, you can ride with Safian."

E"She's a lion."

Xyukuse: "You tell me. Who's the raging psychotic?"

OOC: I really appreciate it. I hope I'm getting settled in here a little bit better as well.

"You mean literally a lion, or a lion girl who stands on two legs or something?" Kyohaku raised a brow, not seeming to mind the idea, but deciding to place his finger across his nostrils. Having seen what some other individuals around here looked like, he figured he might have needed it.

Safian:<I'm just a normal lion.>

Monu:<Who also talks and uses a keyblade.>
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Artexi:<You both were acting like it, and Roatha has the excuse of the wish to explain it.>

Eve:<We will begin our search there then.>

*The chains surrounding Xyukuse dissolve.*

Avici<In the meantime, we shall work to correct what has gone wrong in Young Roatha's heart.>

R"You see how that works out, Gramps."
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OOC: Hopefully, we can always use new members.

Brooklyn<All right, then. Follow us.>

*The gargoyles each head to the side of the building & jump off, gliding to the next building, grabbing onto it, & repeating the process. Lilith's Keyblade appears, but quickly changes into a flower like structure that wraps around her, becoming the pink aircraft from before, which hovers just above the roof. Euryale similarly creates her chariot & Thiera her...wing-thing.*

E"We'll talk more when we get there."

*They then head off after the gargoyles.*

Azuma: "Can we get him a tissue or something? He looks like he might drip or something."

Anywho, Azuma calls his glider which I forgot what it looked like, the other two doing the same.

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Xyukuse: "Maybe he was always a prick and you're trying to justify it by blaming it on some hokey wish."

Artexi:<That doesn't change the fact you're acting just as bad as he is. Well, just about.>
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*Monu gliders up and takes off, while Safian summon her arrow shaped glider, making room for Hinode*

OOC: By the way, I hope you don't mind Hinode using 'man' the way he does in a gender-neutral sense.

Having done his best to follow them for the time being, Kyohaku certainly didn't look nearly as out of his element as he had before, considering the new expressions that had been playing out across his face at this point. Exhaling a bit he smirked and followed the individual that he was previously speaking with, having consigned himself to the fact that this was naturally going to have to be the method in which they traveled regardless of how he would have wanted it.

Of course, he got on once room was made for him. "Hey man thanks for that!"

OOC: I don't, though I may or may not have my characters react differently.

R"Well, while you little girls are bickering with each other & waiting for a housewife to come whoop your asses, I'm gonna go finish the mission."

*So he turns & heads off.*
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*So the gargoyles eventually lead them to the roof of a clock tower. When they land & dismiss their vehicles, Thiera looks over the edge.*

T"This is over a police station!"

Brooklyn<Yeah, Elisa brought us here.>

*Thiera looks back.*

T"Where is Detective Maza, anyway?"

Brooklyn<That's a long story.>

Broadway<Basically, she & Goliath took Bronx to go help an old friend. Brooklyn's in charge while Goliath is away.>

*Thiera raises an eyebrow.*

T"Weren't you frozen in stone for a thousand years? What friend of yours could possibly still be alive?"

Broadway<That's the crazy part, some of the villagers we rescued have been living on Avalon! We knew it was magic, but we didn't know that time worked differently there.>

Xyukuse: "I don't want to carve your eyes out because my ex made a wish because he couldn't move on. I want to carve your eyes out because I hate you. Big difference."

OOC: I figured as much; I just wanted you to know that he wasn't screwing things up so much as that were how he spoke.

Sitting on the tops of tall buildings was, admittedly, totally Hinode's scene, but then again being anywhere near Police Stations usually wasn't. Then again where he was from they were called disk inspection utilities, and they, well, let's say that things didn't quite work there the same way they do here.

"A police station?" He couldn't think of anything else to say. "Don't look at me - I didn't do it!"

*Everyone lands and dismisses their respective gliders*

Monu:<As in Avalon from Arthurian legends?>

Safian:<At least new guy has a sense of humor!>
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*Eve and Artexi head off as well, Artexi rolling her eyes at Xshittyname*

Artexi:<Let's go Nero.>

*Nero numbly staggers along. After walking a short distance, Roatha walks up the steps to a skyscraper & kicks the glass doors open, striding into the lobby.*

R"Yo! We're here to see Xanatos, bitches!"

*Some parents in the lobby cover their children's ears. [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] walks up to them, his right hand in his pocket, his left hand held out for a shake.*

Owen<Fortunately for you, Mr. Xanatos has indeed been expecting you, but I'm afraid I'll have to be more polite.>

R"Sorry, where are my manners? Mister Bitch."

*He abruptly grabs the man's right hand, forcing it out of his pocket to reveal that he has a fist made of stone.*

R"Hehaha, what the Heh-Hell happened to you?"

<This is merely a job-related accident. If you will follow me to the elevator, please?>
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Brooklyn<We don't know many human legends.>

Broadway<I've heard of him. Macbeth told me about him.>

T"Macbeth from...Shakespeare?"

*Broadway shrugs.*

Broadway<Iunno. He & Demona are old enemies.>

*Lilith scrunches up her eyes & rubs her forehead.*

L"...What the Hell are you people talking about?"

Brooklyn<Demona was Goliath's mate, but she's our enemy now. She's a gargoyle with fiery red hair, you can't miss her. But she also knows how to use magic & other human weapons.>

L"Thanks for the heads up, I guess. Anyone else we need to worry about?"

*Lexington starts counting on his fingers.*

Lexington<Well, aside from Demona, Macbeth, & Xanatos, there's also the Pack, Tony Dracon, & Dr. Sevarius. I--think that's everyone.>

L"*Sigh.* ...We might be here for a while."

Brooklyn<I really doubt they're all going to be causing trouble at once, if that makes you feel any better. Besides, it looks like you brought a few of your own enemies to the party.>

Azuma: "We'd hate to take anything from you. Although you probably wouldn't mind us taking your enemies. Wait, mate? Actually, I don't want to think about it."

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Xyukuse: "Some accident."

Eve:<Please excuse his rudeness, we are not all like him.>

*Eve follows him to the elevator, while Artexi looks at Nero then follows*
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Safian:<Unless they do a big old villain team up.>

Admittedly a lot of what was being said was, well, it wouldn't be right to call it going over his head. Kyohaku wasn't a dumb individual, but this world was very different from his own.

For the time being he had decided to keep relatively silent, hoping to learn more and avoid looking like an idiot by saying the wrong thing.

In a way he was kind of like Brooklyn - he didn't know much about human legends either.

Owen<I'm afraid that Mr. Xanatos is actually out at the moment. He is overseeing a broadcast at Pack Media Studios.>

R"Then why are you wasting our time HERE, Mr. Bitch?"

Owen<Because Mr. Xanatos has deduced that you will be looking for the other black-cloaked individuals, who stole his research. He has also requested that I show you the security footage. We assure you that we have had no contact with your presumed comrades.>

*While he's talking, Roatha makes a sudden move towards Nero, who jumps.*

R"Hahahahahaha!"
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*As she explains, Lilith frequently shifts her glances between the gargoyles & Hinode, as if addressing both of them.*

L"The ones in the cloaks call themselves the Organization, but really, Senthose will let in just about anyone who can use a Keyblade."

Lexington<Senthose?>

L"I was getting to that. Senthose used to be one of us, but he disappeared a long time ago. He was thought to be dead, but now I guess we know what he was planning. He is also hard to miss, having silver hair & red eyes, with a kind of catlike quality to them. Though telling you that is almost pointless, because it would be child's play for him to disguise his appearance through magic."

T"Also, the jet black, armored monster that attacked Roatha, he's Senthose's Heartless. A Heartless is a kind of monster that's born when someone loses their heart to darkness."

Lexington<Wait, but if this Senthose guy has no heart, then how is he--?>

T"The person's body & soul can keep functioning as a Nobody. Nobodies with very strong wills can retain their appearances, memories, personalities, & abilities. The main difference is that, having no hearts, they can freely wield the powers of both light & darkness."

Broadway<So...did Roatha lose his heart?>

*Thiera slowly looks down to the floor.*

L"...Not exactly, but it's close. Essentially, his heart, mind, & body have been overtaken by darkness. He's 'turned evil,' if you will."

*Thiera snaps back to attention, clenching her hands into fists at her waist.*

T"But we can fix it if we can just catch him! We can push back the darkness so that he regains his senses, & then once we defeat Senthose, he'll be cured!"

*Putting on a weak smile, Lilith puts a hand on Thiera's shoulder, prompting her to shrink back to staring at the ground. Lilith then turns her attention back to Hinode & the gargoyles.*

L"The affliction was the result of Senthose placing replicas of his heart in Roatha. He's been doing that to a lot of people."

Lexington<Why would he do that?>

*Another plump gargoyle emerges from the tower, this one sort of beige colored & very old, with white hair & a bad eye. He also has a sword strapped to his side.*

???<Isn't it obvious? He wishes to be immortal. There's an awful lot of that going around--that's what Xanatos wants, as well.>

T"Good evening, Hudson."

Hudson<Likewise, Lass, but you don't look very much like you're enjoying it.>

L"Stressful working conditions."

Hudson<I see. If you don't mind my asking, I don't recognize some of you.>

L"You missed introductions. I'm Lilith, Thiera's sister."

*Euryale waves from behind her.*

E"And I'm Euryale."

Eve:<Indeed, thank you very much Mr. Owen.>

Artexi:<Fuck off Roatha!>

*She pats Nero on the back*
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Monu:<I'm Monu, it's a pleasure.>

*He bows*

Safian:<I'm Safian! Guess you guys are a lot like me. In that we both have to hide from normals.>

Taiyo: "I'm Taiyo."

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Xyukuse: "What makes you think we're not here to finish what they started?"

Even though he wasn't exactly the most comfortable with the material involved, Hinode kept quiet for the time being and paid close attention to what was being addressed. He noticed that Lilith was trying to pay him equal attention, so he figured that she deserved the same for the time being.

"Alright, though, I'm lost. You said the Organization would accept anyone that had a Keyblade, so I assume that means anyone of us could just jump ship, right?"

He paused, not yet fully understanding the Order or anything like that. "I'm from a place where trust means anything. What do you guys have that means you won't sell us out? I mean, what's the promise that no one here just up and joins this Senthose guy? I used to be in a gang. In that environment you try to leave and you get killed."

Loyalty was obviously very important to him.

OOC: Ignoring the continuity problem that Owen never introduced himself, & even if he did, that's not his last name....

R"Aw, you need mommy to protect you?"

*Nero pushes Artexi's hand away & turns red as the elevator door dings open & they follow Owen into an office. It was inside of a stone room with heraldic tapestries hanging on the wall, but office supplies had unmistakably been set up around the space, including a desk with a computer & a nameplate that read "Mr. Owen Burnet."*

Owen<The theft occurred several months ago. If there was more information that you wanted, you would have returned for it as soon as possible. Clearly, this is a sign of an internal dispute.>

N"Okay, smart guy, so if you've got this all figured out, why would you want to help us?"

Owen<The theft was a paltry loss for Mr. Xanatos. He simply wants you out of his affairs.>
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Hudson<It's been quite a while since I've met a talking lion.>

L"We wouldn't do that, it's our function to fight villains like Senthose."

Broadway<But, uh, didn't you say that Senthose used to be one of you?>

*Lilith glares at him & he backs up, holding his hands above his head.*

Broadway<Okay, okay, sorry I asked.>

*She sighs, rolls her eyes, & crosses her arms, all at once.*

L"Okay, I suppose we can't tell for sure if someone is going to betray us until they actually do it. That's life."

Hudson<Lilith is right, lads. We didn't know that we would be betrayed by the Captain, or the Archmage, or Xanatos, or Demona, or the Pack-->

Lexington<This seems to happen a lot.>

Hudson<The point is, we would be worse off if we stopped trusting our comrades altogether. Without Elisa, we wouldn't have this clock tower.>

*He raises his hands, gesturing to the cavernous space & ticking gears around them.*

Hudson<We would have no home. Without our young friends here, we wouldn't know about this--Senthose & his--Organization, who could be a threat to that home.>

*Smiling brightly, Euryale raises a fist as though in triumph.*

E"Yeah! We won't betray our friends, & even if Senthose forces one of us to against his will, the rest of us will drag him back & make him see reason!"