Solace In Night [RP Thread]

[sephiroth2]

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The journey to the massive hangar proved to be most enjoyable and in some cases even amusing to Nomis, the well-dressed man continuing to hold the small piece of metal in his grasp and in turn keeping the tight bond of the same substance coiled around Cerden’s wrists. The entire housing for the fleet of ships, was buzzing with life and a tingling excitement from the younger and least experienced soldiers.

When the appearance of the strangely dressed figure approached Salforge, Nomis’ grip on the metal grew tighter, most likely tightening around Cerden’s hands and causing him some slight discomfort, while no doubt the brothers and Jaakuna listened to the figure introduce himself.

"I am here for the departure of Twilight Town, the emperor expressly sent me here directly from the castle. I bring you news. Lord Clement is dead, I killed him in ascension to the rank of general. The clothing I am wearing are in reality what the prince of darkness wore. Clement was that same prince, and his title but not power, belongs to me now. Simply refer to me as Prince. Or Alfa, if you'd like. Now we've an assignment to complete."

As both Salforge and Jaakuna made their way onboard the large ship, Nomis seemed to be the only one to take a moment with Alfa, briefly bowing his head to the mysterious figure in respect before walking with him after the others.

“To defeat Lord Clement is quite the achievement. You must be in possession of great power, in order to have rivalled his own.” Said Nomis as he placed Cerden against the wall of the ship once inside, causing the metal around his wrists to stab and pierce the wall just enough in order to keep him connected.

"Do you need something, blondie?" Cerden asked Jaakuna, his snide remarks having slowly embedded themselves into Jaakuna’s mind, and continuing to grow with each moment the two stayed in the same room.

Trying his best to ignore Cerden, Jaakuna proceeded to stare out the glass, before turning his head slightly to just see Nomis and his amused smirk.

"Nomis, why don't you give me some details on what value your...dear brother has to you, eh?” Questioned Jaakuna, causing Nomis to smirk more, taking a moment to glance at his unmoving brother.

“There is always value in everything, Jaakuna. Remember that. Even the smallest piece can be important when used at the right time. And I do not like to waste anything useful. For now, what that means for my brother is that he is alive. Until that time comes however.”

 

[Piercing Light]

Radiant Garden​

In the upper district of Radiant Garden Ryoko found herself in front of a craftsman's establishment. The upper district was placed in stark contrast to the other areas of the world. This was where the elite found residence, living their lives in pampered arrogance at the expense of those less fortunate than them. They were in large part left alone by the Empire, as long as they paid their 'taxes' they stayed in good favor. They were safe, yet at the same time they suffered the same fear that lower class citizens did. It was clear the Empire did not value their lives, and as they grew in power their taxes became more meager in scope. They were all forced to ask the same question. 'What will become of us once we have run our course of usefulness?'

Ryoko scoffed and shook her head. She couldn't wait until these people were exposed to the true nature of the world. Soon they would grasp for fruitless hope, not long after that hope would die, and they would cling to the natural instincts of their dark hearts. But for now, she had business with the groveling owner of this shop. Stepping inside the store a cringe worthy aroma of polished furniture assaulted her senses. Wooden chairs, tables, cabinets, a makeshift maze was made of the space they inhabited. Making her way to the kiosk she was greeted by an elderly balding man dressed in suspenders and black slacks. He was the type of person who sucked up to anyone with power over him, so when he saw the Imperial soldier approaching he put on a crooked smile. He was about to speak, no doubt preparing to spew annoying 'yes man' dribble.

"I trust you have it ready?" Ryoko spoke before he had a chance to run his mouth. He got the hint, and with surprising speed for a man his age he moved to the shelf behind him and retrieved a small box. He placed it on the counter in front of him and opened it. Inside was a pendent, round in shape and composed of silver. On the cover was a picture engraved in the metal. It displayed a snake coiled around a dove, with the helpless bird of hope's beak stretched open in agony. Picking the pendent up from it's box an attached shining silver chain unraveled.

"Well? The chain is nice isn't it?" The old man stated gleefully. He looked like a dog begging for attention, all he did was fix the chain on her pendent, so pathetic. Ryoko hardly heard him, his existence was no longer a speck on her mind. She exited the shop, her eyes on the surface of her pendent. It was the only object in the world she could honestly say she 'cared' about. She could see her reflection in the metallic sheen, her cold eyes staring back at her. She thoughtlessly adjusted her violet hair as her face softened in reverie. Her thumb slid to the latch keeping the pendent closed. She thought to open it, but much of her knew nothing good would come of it. The image displayed on the pendent was a reminder to herself of how hopeless the world was, the contents were the proof. Letting out a sigh she brought the pendent around her neck. She had wasted enough time, she had to meet Ciel at the designated area.

Walking into the hanger she saw that a few of the generals had already arrived. She recognized everyone here, save one helmeted individual. She came just in time to hear him explain who he was, well who he was to them anyway.

"Oh?" Ryoko walked up to him, looking him up and down. "So you killed Clement? Well you had better make yourself useful. There is no point in losing a loyal man to gain a pompous 'Prince.'" She grinned and flicked his helmet.

 

[Lumine]

What would I think, huh? Ciel almost smiled at the implications of such a question. Sliding her cell phone closed, she redirected her gaze back at Joseph, and her voice came calm and detached, as if the thought came from a distant mind, or an echo of an answer that was down in depths unreachable.

"Whatever their reason is, it has become personal enough for them to invest their lives in it. Foolish or ambitious or desperate...It matters only as long as it drives their actions, but to dispel their beliefs as nothing of importance is the ultimate mistake." She paused, and looked at the damage that a 'foolish ideology' could do "It is only the right thing to assume their thoughts and think in the likeness of their actions, if you so wish to defeat them. For given in another time, in another fate, you or I might have been standing where they stand now. It is not wise to underestimate an unseen enemy, Mr Joseph, is what I think." Ciel finished, reverting her gaze back at him, and there was a hint of small smile playing on the edges of her lips. It was interesting to see how he viewed the UH from his perspective, and it started to clear out the commonalities and differences she noted among their opinion about the Rebels.

"I say let's not keep the other Generals waiting much longer, shall we?" Ciel had answered him before they started walking off towards Radient Garden's Hangar.

~*~​

Radient Garden's Hangar wasn't an excessively large one, actually it was relatively new despite the world being one of the oldest in this orbit of Worlds. It was fitting though and did well to accommodate the transportation flow of the various ships that came and left this world. The most common Ships were the passenger transporting ones, designed for ease of travel from one world to another efficiently and safely. They did not possess superior speed or powerful weaponry installed on, nor were they very large in size like some Shipment Delivery Ships. The only seemed to have a stronger hull and safety measures appropriate to secure the passengers on, which made them the perfect choice for inter-worldly Travelers. And it was on one such discrete and inconspicuous ship that Ciel and the other Generals in her company boarded.

It was inside that she had learned about Clement's eventual demise at Alfa's hands, and Alfa's subsequent promotion to a General. Ciel couldn't say she knew Alfa all too well, but for Clement to fall this easily, this definitely alluded to something. She had seen Alfa only a handful of times but even she could tell, that there was something different about him. Something that was off. Ciel, however dismissed the notion as quickly for there was a more pressing matter at hand. It was Nomis's 'Guest' that had more of her attention at the moment, after learning who he was and how he arrived with them here. Ciel had to stifle a sigh of disappointment.

"I would have thought you had more sense in you Mr. Nomis than to bring a prisoner along on this mission. Relative or not, I'm afraid we can not have any extra weight on this one." Ciel had said before walking up to the confined Cerdan. Her face was an unreadable mask as usual, but she spared a few words, in her cold and monotonous tone.

"I apologize, but this might leave you with a bad case of headache." No sooner had she uttered these words then her right hand moved swiftly and carefully, aiming a quick and heavy chop to the back of his head. And before he realized it, Cerdan fell forward and dropped to the ground unconscious. Ciel having ensured that he wouldn't pose much trouble or threat of escape in his current state, waved offhandedly to the two guards who stood at the doors.

"Escort him to the Radient Garden Prison and assign him a fitting solitary Cell in Level 7. Mr. Nomis will deal with him on our return." she finished and reverted her gaze back to the rest of the generals.

"Now that this is out of the way, I think we can start." She said calmly and comfortably took her seat, as the ship's engines came to life.

"Just as stated in Ryoko's earlier message, The objective of our mission is to find and capture a Pure of Heart." She started, pausing for a moment to make sure she had all their attention "As you are all aware, Twilight Town is not under the jurisdiction of the Empire, well, for now anyways. The ruling Government and the Citizens of the City are very wary of the Empire and Imperials, and would take hostile action if our identities are learned about. For this very reason, we will have to go under cover, assuming fake identities as we pursue our objective. We are to capture a Pure of Heart, and we are to capture them alive. The method of which we can locate our target requires a Keyblade wielder." At this point, the Ship had took off, and started taking altitude and gaining speed by the second.

"Despite their rarity these days, it is not entirely impossible to find one. It is in our luck that there was a sighting that confirmed the presence of a Keyblade on this world. Although our source does mention that he is not entirely sure if he really saw the Keyblade or not, The Emperor has decided that it was worth the risk to investigate this event and seek out the Keywielder and consequently the Pure of Heart. You are free to decide whichever method that suits you in hunting them down, however, It is key that you don't under any circumstances draw attention to us, or do what might arise their suspicion in you. Alerting them to our presence would definitely decrease our odds dramatically of finding the Pure of Heart." Ciel had paused, deliberately slowing her gaze at Jaakuna, and it was quite difficult to escape the meaning of her warning gaze. He wasn't the most suitable individual for these kinds of missions, but orders were orders...

"It is also preferred if you capture the Keywielder alive, He would serve a better purpose to us alive at the moment than being dead. This ends our briefing of the mission, if you have any inquires, state them now." Ciel finished, crossing one leg over the other as she rested her back comfortably against her seat. Hopefully, this mission will be a swift one...

 

[Ðari]

Alfa's head nodded in acknowledgement. "It came with the timing General Nomis and my method of excecution was one Lord Clement did not foresee."

With Cerden's incapacitation and him being carried away by the guards, the newly appointed general gave his full attention to Lady Ciel as she spoke. His helm cast the reflection of her face, it was as if he rolled his eyes briefly for a moment, such was the nature of someone his age. In the dead of his own silence, the air was ripe and lit with Ciel's voice, almost as if it were a type of flammable substance, where if you interjected and acted as a spark, it could sink the hull of their small aerial craft.

"If I were convinced this was just a retrieval mission, I'd of kindly of done this alone without any help. Does it really require all of us Generals to be dispatched at the same time? That kind of density of our forces is lackluster and misguided. What is the emperor thinking?" Alfa said, addressing Ciel directly now.

Salforge sighed, "It's mere instruction. No need to feel complacent about our positioning and timing Alfa. Orders are orders after all."

The sheen of his Helm now captured Salforge's reflection. As the mercenary's eyes remained shut as he was seated leaning back portraying a focus and sense of quiet in his disposition.

"Rare, a keyblader surfacing and naturally being on a world we don't deem even some form of sovereignty over. I'll admit, blending in is something I'll have to work on." salforge released himself as he opened his eyes.

"If I possessed even a modicum of patience, I'd leave it for Lady Ciel to properly answer my question to our lord's intent. Lady Ciel." he drew again into her, and severing Salforge's entry into the conversation.

It felt like a direct line, Salforge's eye that floated below his lid as dull and listless as it may. Tracing to find the Prince's mask, he seemed specifically geared towards Lady Ciel. Unknown to himself, he was unaware of this, but he was protective of Ciel to the extent he acknowledged her as a friend in the ministry of this mighty alliance of men and women alike. A fist formed, quickly noticing he didn't intentionally ball it. I see, he thought, dismissing his balled fist into a calm open palm to brace his elbow.

 

[King Sora X]

Jaakuna really wouldn’t be considered a general, but due to his anger, and how little that fuse can be, The Emperor probably saw it best to put him at that kind of level. That’s really the reason why Jaakuna is among the likes of Alfa, Salforge, and old man Nomis. Furthermore, Jaakuna took a good deal of his attention to what Nomis had said in response to Jaakuna’s question about what real value that his traitor of a brother, Cerden had to him.

“There is always value in everything, Jaakuna. Remember that. Even the smallest piece can be important when used at the right time. And I do not like to waste anything useful. For now, what that means for my brother is that he is alive. Until that time comes however.”

Jaakuna hadn’t expected such a response from such a very timid, and rather quiet individual that Nomis was, but truly he did live up to his reputation to every bit that described Nomis as cold-hearted, but calm and collected. Jaakuna could respect that. At least one of them could keep their cool. Jaakuna just shrugged, and nodded as he knew he understood what Nomis meant.

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There was a brief moment of silence as Jaakuna and Nomis had finished their brief talk, but that silence was broken when Cerden had noticed the mood of the ship had changed once a rather cold-looking lady came into the room. When Cerden first looked at her, he had flashbacks of when he first laid eyes on his wife, Maria. Of course the obvious difference would be that Maria didn’t have that coldness that this lady has.

Cerden took a deeper look at her, and she fit the description of the very cold, and rather ruthless, Ciel Ordine. Cerden’s assumptions were proved to be true when she spoke. Her voice had a subtle sound to it, but still is sounded of a cold-hearted, and rather two-sided Empire bitch that would just do anything to get what was hers, but do it in a very calm manner. When she spoke to Nomis, Cerden knew she meant him. That was an obvious observation when she mentioned the word ‘relative’. Cerden was the only relative within the ship. He wouldn’t be for longer, however.

She had came over to Cerden. Very calmly, but in that very cold manner, Ciel uttered a few words that would express her following action of knocking Cerden upside the head so hard that not only would he be unconscious, but he would wake up with a severe headache. Just before she whacked him, Cerden knew what was coming. This is going to hurt. I just know it.

“Nice to meet you t--”

Before he knew it, Cerden’s eyes had rolled to the back of his head, and a large thud noise was heard as his motionless, unconscious body made contact with the cold steel of the ground of the ship. It was Cerden’s nap time, anyway.

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Jaakuna knew Ciel was cold, but damn! He didn’t know that she could be so cold-hearted just like that. Truly he was among the right people. Jaakuna can really learn a lot by hanging out with Ciel and the rest of the Generals.

Ciel’s mouth began to move as she took her seat rightfully beside Salforge, as those two were near inseparable. Her soft, but cold tone spoke of the upcoming, undercover, and quite secret mission of going into Twilight Town, and finding a Pure of Heart. Jaakuna nodded in and out, but he heard what he needed to hear. There was the needing of a Keyblade Wielder, which isn’t going to be too hard, but Jaakuna did know that very few exist, and even less that are wanting to go with The Empire willingly.

Her next motion involved talking about how the generals would have to go undercover, and assume different identities. It made sense. Jaakuna definitely knew this wouldn’t be no walk in the park, and just go up and get the prize, kind of mission. It was, at the very core, a very secretive mission that involved careful planning. It wasn’t that Jaakuna had a problem with this, but the fact that this involved him not trying to attract attention would prove to be difficult for Jaakuna.

Letting out a short cough, Jaakuna turned to Ciel, but not moving from his seat. He merely shifted his body away from where it was previously which was facing Nomis. “ I don’t get why we don’t just bomb the entire world altogether. Just seems like a waste of time on our part.”

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​

Unconscious for a good three minutes, Cerden was being dragged by his arms, with his legs dragging on the cold ground that had grains of dirt going through the cracks on the same said ground.

It took him a while, but Cerden finally regained consciousness, but he didn’t alert the Guards just yet. What he did do was open his eyes, and shift them to the left and to the right to get an idea of where exactly in Radiant Garden he was, and he noticed he was still in the area where The Empire kept their ships that would transport them from worlds to worlds of their choice. Cerden did remember that those Generals or whatever rank they would be are heading to Twilight Town.

Realizing that he had little to no chance of getting there, Cerden quickly got free of the hold the two guards had on him. He immediately covered his body in a light layer of glass by manipulating the grains of dirt that held multiple traces of silicon within them. By converting those into glass, he was able to cover himself in a clear, and transparent layer of glass. This layer of glass covered his chest, back, legs, and arms completely to the point where they were covered in glass, and Cerden could not only move freely and quickly, but also he could manipulate the glass easily.

“STOP!!” The two guards shouted as they hoisted their weapon of choice, which was a two-pronged lance that was as tall as their bodies, which was about sixty-five inches. The lances had a U shape, and both oozing with slight amounts of dark magic. The soldier’s themselves were dressed in standard Empire armor, which resembled the armor of the Legendary Dark Knight, but more run down than the actual thing.

The two guards came at Cerden with all they had. They each came from the left and the right, both positioning their lances in a horizontal piecing-motion. Cerden saw through this from a mile away. He merely took into the air, positioning his body vertically, and in the same motion, completely dodging the two lances. As the direct result of his actions, the two lances got caught in one another. Cerden landed on the lances as a pure mockery of how futile the attempts of the guards.

Smiling, Cerden spoke but a single word. “Tremor.”

That single word caused an unbalance in the ground below them, but by the time the spell took effect, Cerden took the air again, landing on a nearby balcony of the second floor of a nearby building. From that vantage point, Cerden laughed loudly as he saw the guards being flung into the air like a bunch of scared dogs on a trampoline. Cerden then took to the assault again to which he formed little daggers of glass, ten of them to be exact,. By pushing off the balcony, Cerden launched all ten at the guards, five into each, all hitting the heart area, but not killing them, just knocking them out

After the little fight was done, two things immediately happened. First, the glass layer that Cerden created was reduced to slimy dirt. Secondly, Cerden finally felt the headache that Ciel so generously gave him as a result of her thomp on his pretty head. A simple dose of healing magic will get rid of that.

Cerden had already been on the ground for a half a minute, which was evident as the silicon was slowly dripping down off of his clothes. He attended to the guards first. By dragging them, one-by-one, into a dumpster, and tossing them into said dumpster so that their unconscious body wouldn’t alert the others. Finally, Cerden emitted a light-brown glow from his right hand, and placed it gently on his head where he got rid of his headache. That only took a few seconds.

“Now how am I going to get out of here?" Cerden knew The Empire was more or less gone from Radiant Garden , but there had to be some form of their transportation left over.

Cerden wondered the streets for about five minutes until he came across another hanger, but not as big or as guarded as the one he previously had been was. He saw a single-seated ship that was empty, and only one person was there. This one person was the pilot who was about to board his own ship, but little did he know that Cerden was already running up top one of the buildings nearby. By calculating the correct angle and projectory of which his jump, and a perfectly-placed foot that would meet the back of the guy’s head, Cerden would not only get his ticket out of Radiant Garden, but he would also get a ship to keep.

“Next stop: Twilight Town!”

 

[ThePromise]

His relaxed responses were likely just a way of saving face for having not done anything about her until now. She'd know; this was not the very first time she had gotten the jump on people, and there was always that individual who just calmly responded to her without hesitation. What he really wanted to know is how she got behind him, but he must have been too proud to question this. Most people were. Accepting that he was surprised but only wanted to hide it in some attempt to appear cool and collected, Rika judged this man as she did most she came across. He wasn't the most intimidating, nor cool, nor impressive man she had ever had in her sights, but if he was willing to let this insult go unpunished then that was all the more power to her after all.

Most men were suckers anyway.

The man known as 'William' wouldn't have surrendered that information because he had no reason to fear her. Rika held no title as 'Emperor' here did, and he likely would have feared this guy a lot more than her. She had made it quick, had hoped that he would have understood that this was how it was going to be. He chose his side, the side of cowards behind various masks of power and authority, and it cost him his life to be on this side. That was the lesson she was prepared to teach many of this man's lackeys; that hiding behind power doesn't make you invulnerable to a quick and just death.

You couldn't rip a tongue out with a blunt object either ..so that comment was just strange and very uncool. Considering this environment she probably shouldn't have expected any real wit or thoughtful ways of responding to her coolly, and with the jump she got Rika didn't exactly expect him to say anything cool. Infiltrating this 'fortress' without any struggle whatsoever was just a blow to the man's pride, and he'd be lying if he said he didn't take pride in all of this 'power' he had in his hands. This bugged him, she knew that somewhere deep down he was experiencing some sort of negative emotion by just her presence here. She mocked him, saw him as nothing more than a child compared to her, and he was simply taking it. This was the man so many people were in fear of?

His final response was supposed to be taken seriously judging by how it drifted from casual to something else, something someone might've thought intimidating. Rika didn't really shift, but was starting to get a little bored with his responses. The guy was too casual about her, as if he didn't care about anything she said or did.

"To be honest ..I don't even know. I thought it'd be fun to mess with you a little but you're pretty boring. I didn't expect charisma ..but I did expect you to take this situation a little more seriously considering the intelligence I can just walk out of here with. Sometimes playing things cool isn't the smart thing to do." She grinned. "Now, being me, I can play this cool ..and I'm just walking all over you right now. I mean, I stole the information off that database, killed one of your own, and you know nothing about me except that I can infiltrate even your chamber without being detected. If you ask me, I'm a considerable threat to your objective. Buuuuut~" Rika mumbled softly, considering this man might have some wealth to him. This was a big chance for him, and for her.

"Let's say you buy my loyalty and my skills ..surely you've got enough cash to hire me. I heard you have some rebel problems ..now imagine if I did the job none of your other tools could; I bring you the rebel leader's head in a gift-wrapped box, send the rebels scattering and secure the worlds for you." From what that database told her, the Emperor's little 'network' was terrible. When did brute force win every confrontation or secure every world for a conqueror? There were few like her out in these worlds, surely he must've known that.

"Think about this carefully; I'm only offering once."

 

[Piercing Light]

A disheartening sigh came from the Emperor, his black cloak rising with the heavy alternating breath. He rose from his seat, his motions slow and indicative of a mind racked with thought. He turned to his right, placing his hand on the side of the chair as he moved behind it and within sight of his intruder. His eyes did not fall upon her, not yet. He brought his gloved hands to his hood, and with a smooth gesture he removed it from his head. Frayed raven black hair fell to his shoulders, It appeared worn, as if meditating in a sandstorm was a hobby oh his. His face gave the impression of a man in his thirties. He possessed a sharp jawline, ending as a slightly squared off chin. His skin was a dark tan, in defiance of the fact that his skin hardly ever received the touch of the sun. His eyes.. were closed.

"Boring you say? I suppose so. I apologize if I did not give you the response you were hoping for." He spoke earnestly, crossing his arms and leaning on the side of his throne. He figured his nonchalant attitude towards her break in was not taken well. The fact of the matter was that a breach of intelligence was not that big of a concern to him. It was an inconvenience for sure, however it hardly mattered in the long run. The archive contained much information, however what it lacked was insight and wisdom of the inner workings of the worlds. The true goals of his 'Empire' were not on some machine, they were locked safely in mind.

"I wouldn't think about it too much if I were you, I am not someone you can hold the same emotional candle to as most people, for better or worse... I am willing to hire you, just one thing." He turned his head to face her. He outstretched his hand, in it was a round metallic emblem. It was what identified an individual as an associate of the Empire. Some choose to wear it, others did not. It was simply an uncomplicated way of initiating a member. His eyes were now open. Visually they were orbs of swirling dark mist, as if a storm of malevolent winds were raging inside him. What Rika saw in his eyes was up to her. Those with a craving for the embrace of darkness tended to feel a sense of familiarity and desire. Those with an inclination towards light often felt threatened, as if they were in danger of being swallowed alive. There were those who did not meet either of these conditions, neutral people who would simply sense a great force of darkness.

"Take it if you wish, you are now an agent of the Empire. With the information you have I trust you know what to do."

 

[sephiroth2]

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Nomis’ smirk widened for a brief moment, as the older man closed his eyes once General Ciel turned and made her way to the bound Cerden.

“You know best, Miss Ciel.” Said Nomis internally, a small chuckle uttered under his breath as the woman proceeded to not only knock out Cerden with one punch, but promptly had him removed from the ship.

"As you are all aware, Twilight Town is not under the jurisdiction of the Empire, well, for now anyways. The ruling Government and the Citizens of the City are very wary of the Empire and Imperials, and would take hostile action if our identities are learned about. For this very reason, we will have to go under cover, assuming fake identities as we pursue our objective.

We are to capture a Pure of Heart, and we are to capture them alive. The method of which we can locate our target requires a Keyblade wielder." Ciel began to say to everyone onboard, Nomis being one of possibly the few to rest back against his seat , his arms crossed as his metal cane rested against the arm of the chair.

"Despite their rarity these days, it is not entirely impossible to find one. It is in our luck that there was a sighting that confirmed the presence of a Keyblade on this world. Although our source does mention that he is not entirely sure if he really saw the Keyblade or not, The Emperor has decided that it was worth the risk to investigate this event and seek out the Keywielder and consequently the Pure of Heart.

You are free to decide whichever method that suits you in hunting them down, however, It is key that you don't under any circumstances draw attention to us, or do what might arise their suspicion in you. Alerting them to our presence would definitely decrease our odds dramatically of finding the Pure of Heart."

Though Nomis didn’t open his eyes at the last part, the older man let out another small chuckle, knowing full well that the famous ice-cold General would have been focusing her gaze directly on Jaakuna there.

So far everything seemed pretty ordinary. Out of all the somewhat strangely dressed individuals, Nomis was perhaps the least likely to stand out, what with his rather expensive but still normal clothes. Slower then directly taking the world and flushing out the individual, the same process was being used, albeit more delicately. It wasn’t until Ciel spoke again, that Nomis’ intrigue in everything was peaked.

"It is also preferred if you capture the Keywielder alive, He would serve a better purpose to us alive at the moment than being dead. This ends our briefing of the mission, if you have any inquires, state them now."

"If I were convinced this was just a retrieval mission, I'd of kindly of done this alone without any help. Does it really require all of us Generals to be dispatched at the same time? That kind of density of our forces is lackluster and misguided. What is the emperor thinking?" Spoke Alfa first, his focus primarily on Ciel even when Salforge immediately retorted with a sigh.

"It's mere instruction. No need to feel complacent about our positioning and timing Alfa. Orders are orders after all. Rare, a keyblader surfacing and naturally being on a world we don't deem even some form of sovereignty over. I'll admit, blending in is something I'll have to work on."

"If I possessed even a modicum of patience, I'd leave it for Lady Ciel to properly answer my question to our lord's intent. Lady Ciel."

“Gentlemen. Please allow Miss Ciel the chance to answer, won’t you?” Nomis added between the growing argument of the two men, his hands cupping the other as he glanced to Salforge and Alfa, his eyes peaking over the rim of his glasses and focused on them both until Jaakuna added his own thoughts on the mission.

“I don’t get why we don’t just bomb the entire world altogether. Just seems like a waste of time on our part.”

“May I, Miss Ciel?” The older man asked the General, waiting a moment for her to decide to let Nomis answer Jaakuna first, before he said anything to him.

“If it was merely a fact of wiping out a nuisance, that may have become a choice. However, a Pure of Heart is not only exceptionally rare, but a wealth of usefulness if one knew how to better use one. Especially with the accompanying Keyblade Wielder in tow. There are many possibilities. Some of which I hope to partake in personally.” Said Nomis as his smirk grew a tiny bit wider, his mind already running through said uses for the two subjects.

"As it stands, if we were to simply take the world by force, the resulting confusion and fighting may give our subjects more a chanve to slip through and out of sight."

 

[Lumine]

Hiroki had lost track of the number of times he looked at his wrist watch. He sat there, cheek resting to his elbow, his fingers drumming lightly against the wooden surface of his table as he watched, longingly the trays wafting with delicious smells travelling across the tables. His stomach rumbled, for the fifth time in a row and he sighed, regretting not taking that snack earlier. Once again, Asahina lives true to her fame, she was late. Hiroki wondered what was taking her so long this time. He leaned backwards in his chair, and stared at the sky above. It was still a mellow orange, staining the white clouds with the setting sun's warmth. It was beautiful, tranquil even. Though Hiroki had seen it many times, it always was soothing to look at it. Sometimes, he would tune everything else out, and just gaze at it, imagining for a few moments that it was the sky of his home, that he was still there and that nothing had ever happened. All just a bad dream. It was a small but welcome reprieve sometimes, for those moments when he missed his past, and when the memories were too much to be bottled so often.

He was content with his life right now though. He had been lucky to find this peace and quiet, to know friendship again. Even if he had discarded his true identity, for a more secure one. He didn't complain, as long as he served a greater purpose, as long as he helped, and as long as he protected Asahina. Before being a Pure of Heart, Asahina was a dear friend. He had known her for some time now, and she was a good person at heart, kind and caring though slightly timid and a bit of an air head. She was surprisingly persistent, though when she puts her mind to something. She was like a little sister to him, one he never had.

His thoughts were cut, when he noticed that a number of by passers started crowding around an advertisement billboard not so far off his right. A new poster was just posted on and it drew a lot of commotion and excitement from the crowd that started forming around to read it. There plastered in large and bright blue, white and orange letters was the announcement of the start of a new 'Struggle tournament'. It always was an event around here, and due to the flexibility of the rules, a lot of people participated in even if they were not such good duelers. Hiroki felt a pang of envy hit him. Back when he was at the academy his favorite lessons were Sword Practice, and he always looked forward to every time he held his blade in a competitive duel against his peers. The rush he felt when his blade clashed with another was gripping, challenging and he would take it on with a smile. And when it came to fencing, He was the best of his class.

But now, he sat there unable to draw this joy again like many of the ordinary citizens around him. He wouldn't want to draw attention, or jeopardize his true identity. He must keep his cover, for the sake of Asahina, and for the sake of protecting this world. A Key Bearer who doesn't wield a Key any longer. If the academies of Key were still around, they would have found that a true shame. A waste of promising potential. When you don't practice the ways of the blade for long, you lose the sword that would become fit to protect those who would need protection at the direst of times. Rustiness, in general, and lack of training wasn't something any true wielder was keen about, especially if they held their duty close to heart. At these times, no one would care though...Not after the Keyblade Wielders' Genocide.

Perhaps, I could buy some of the tickets for the first match, Hiroki mused to himself before he noticed Asahina finally coming out of the crowd. And with an unintentional sense of great relief, he smiled her way.

"Hello Hiroki..." She waved, taking her seat across him. She seemed in a cheerful mood enough. Though she seemed slightly nervous than usual.

"Hey Asahina! 's up?" He greeted her, "Right on time, aren't ya?" He teased, but his light hearted smile was enough to tell her that this wasn't new to him, he had expected it. And he would bet that the next time they meet, she would still be late. That was Asahina alright.

"H-here." She said, pushing a small box to him across the table.

"For me?" Hiroki was surprised, in a pleasant way. He tried to remember if today was his birthday, but he knew it wasn't until another 4 months, and no other special occasion came across his mind. What was this for, he wondered. Perhaps it wasn't for something particular.

He quickly unwrapped the decorative paper, and removed the lid of the small box. Resting inside the box was a small round oil painting. At first he couldn't tell who, but upon closer inspection he realized that the subjects of the painting were him and Asahina. It was very craftily drawn, and colored so richly with fine paint and astonishing detail. Even for someone who wasn't well versed in art as Hiroki, he thought it was a very beautiful piece. Asahina's own handiwork. He could tell that she put a lot of effort and passion in it, and he felt gratitude and appreciation for her to go that far to give him such a present.

"This is beautiful Asahina," He had said, still admiring the small but precious painting between his hands before he reverted his gaze back at her, "Thank you." He smiled gratefully.

"What's this present for though?" He had asked with a smirk, raising a single eye brow playfully at her. He still couldn't recall any special occasion that would make her give him a present, and he found that slightly curious. He noticed though, that she kept fidgeting in her place, entangling her fingers together, and sitting not so comfortably at the edge of her chair. She wouldn't meet his gaze directly, either. Hiroki knew her enough to tell that she was holding something back. A question, most likely, but she was too apprehensive to ask it right away.

"Okay, so, what is it that you want to ask me so badly?" He had asked, smiling with a lot of ease and openness now as he held her gaze reassuringly so as to drive away the unneeded nervousness. She was always too shy than need be...

 

[Lumine]

Between the heated exchange of words among Alfa and Salforge, there was a gap of lingering tension. Ciel's eyes had quietly, almost detachedly observed their reactions unveil. She couldn't tell much about Alfa's expressions, whose face hid behind the darkness of his helmet, though not his attitude, not his words. And she was right to assume, that there was a shift in his mannerism. Something more than just his rank, indeed changed. She was aware of his focused attention towards her, his concealed intent as he posed his question. It held more than just the visible request for answers. No, no, He was testing. He was observing her with the same riveting focus as she did. Her poised calmness didn't waver, nor did her face emulate any unintended emotion, it was as if the heated tension from earlier had frozen against her frigid gaze.

"To answer you Mr. Alfa; Yes, without a doubt our forces have been recently ill-managed, and improperly organized and deployed. And If it had fallen to me personally, I would have handled things quite differently. However, It doesn't. As it stands Orders are orders, and we are all pawns in the larger scheme of things... " She had paused momentarily, letting her answer sink in "I don't suppose the Emperor is unaware of these facts himself, but judging by his recent decisions it can hardly be missed that these actions are intentional and aren't just merely driven by sudden impulses and careless whims. I can not feign certainty but leaving Radient Garden unguarded at such a critical time does have its implications. Why would he do this especially after yesterday's attack on the base? It sounds almost irrational unless, he is deliberately leaving the stage clear for another Cast." She let the last sentence hang vaguely.

"Then, he sends us, all of his generals, to Twilight Town, a world outside his territory, with the single and only task to capture a Pure of Heart and a Key Wielder. Strange, isn't it? Naturally, a single one of us would have sufficed to get the job done as you mentioned earlier." Her gaze met the dark surface of his helmet, and there was a hint of amusement in her placid and quiet visage. She wondered what was his true aim behind all this.

"Given more thought though, you would realize that such a Seek and Capture mission by nature would consume more time. This is due to the rarity of the subjects we are seeking, and the very little amount of information to go on about. The fact that a Key Wielder have survived this long, undetected and out of our sight, also tells us that they have a strong sense of caution. Sending us all in to seek them out makes it clear how valuable of an asset and a priority the Emperor views the subjects, and how urgently he also needs them. Otherwise, why would he bother sending all of us?" She had finished, hoping her answers had satiated his questioning. On the other hand though, it never was about answers with Ciel. She was regarding a notion of different entirety.

" I don’t get why we don’t just bomb the entire world altogether. Just seems like a waste of time on our part." Jaakuna suggested.

"Bomb the entire world?" Ciel raised an inquisitive eyebrow. Although her voice was low and undeterred, it was hard to miss the mocking tone as she questioned Jaakuna's ever intelligent solution to manage their time. She almost rolled her eyes, but what did she expect from him after all. This was as far as he would allow himself to regard things in the light of logic, if he ever understood the meaning of that word any more. Obviously, someone had to save him some company just to keep tabs on his behavior, last thing they would all want is their dear schizophrenic colleague sabotaging their mission.

"May I, Miss Ciel?" Nomise had seen it fit to intervene and answer him instead. Ciel wasn't really enthusiastic to enlighten Jaakuna herself, so she gestured to Nomis to go ahead.

"If it was merely a fact of wiping out a nuisance, that may have become a choice. However, a Pure of Heart is not only exceptionally rare, but a wealth of usefulness if one knew how to better use one. Especially with the accompanying Keyblade Wielder in tow. There are many possibilities. Some of which I hope to partake in personally. As it stands, if we were to simply take the world by force, the resulting confusion and fighting may give our subjects more a chance to slip through and out of sight." So, that's what you're after Nomis. New toys to tamper and experiment with. You're no different than Mr. Bloody Sneer...Which reminds me-

"Although some of you already know this but there is some news I need to bring to your attention." Ciel announced, rather coldly. "The attack on the Base yesterday wasn't the only blow we received from the Unbound Hearts. Dr. Atomos, the Head of our Research and Development Division was found dead this morning in his mansion, murdered yesterday by none other than the Unbound Hearts themselves. We don't have much of the details yet, the scene and the case is still under investigation, but you will be all updated if anything of importance comes through." She had finished, and rose from her seat signalling the end of their discussion.

Walking up to one of the windows, she gave her back to the rest of the generals as they indulged themselves in their own talks and preparations. She stood there watching the vast and limitless space behind the Ship's glass. As always, it was overwhelming, breathtakingly beautiful and frightening, no matter how many times she had watched it before. Rich and Dark Velvet littered with thousands of glittering diamonds. This great universe housed so much that not a single life was enough to explore, all these stars as far as her eyes could see were each a world, a life of their own...Different rules, different hearts. And those were what her limited eyes could only see, what about those that exceeded a human's vision. All of them were dots in a vast sea, something this Huge could only own their respect and their inferiority. Her inner thoughts however were distracted by the sight of their destination zooming closer. She could see the little globe of orange and a myriad of other intermingled colors get clearer as they approached Twilight Town.

"I believe we'll be arriving soon." She spoke softly, but the statement was more to herself than the others.

 

[Piercing Light]

Asahina watched as Hiroki opened up her present to him. She was awash with anticipation, nearly begging time to fast forward to his reaction. Until he spoke she carefully kept her eyes on him, gauging his response. It wasn't unpleasant, in fact she could tell by the look on his face that he was admiring it. He spoke, praising her work and giving gratitude. Asahina positively beamed, joyful enough that her meek smile could never hope to convey how delighted she was. Recognition was something she rarely received growing up. Her hobby of paints and sketches was unmercifully looked down upon by her family.

Regardless it was her passion, for as little as she was able to express herself through her actions her art communicated her inner thoughts much clearer than her words. She had painted herself and Hiroki in an unconscious manner. The bold tone and detailed shading she had used to paint Hiroki was an indicator of how much she valued him as a friend. When she painted herself it was more of an afterthought. The details were all there, however her visage was hindered by flat colors and subtle shading. She was unaware of this herself, of the blatant self degradation in what was her one and only passion.

"I'm glad to hear that, I-I really am." She tried to fight back the flushing of her cheeks, she really needed to learn how to take a complement without leaning on the moment as if it were a grand treasure.


"What's this present for though?"

Her smile blinked back into a squirmy mess. That was a slightly complicated question. She had given it to him as thanks for all that he had done for her. The weight of loneliness was almost too much for her to bear before she met him. He had taken her out of a dark place, a place she never wanted to be again. There was another reason she had given it to him, she had heard that it was best to ask someone something important right after giving them a gift. She often wondered how many woman in the world had said 'I do' simply because they were entranced by an engagement ring.

"Well, I uhh.." She whispered, she knew she was making this harder than it had to be, but to her life was like wearing a pair of boots stuffed with eggshells.

"Okay, so, what is it that you want to ask me so badly?"

Her eyes widened as if she had just been found with her hand in the cookie jar. He was dead on, she should have known he'd see right through her considering how perceptive he was. Her fidgeting ceased, her bluff had been called so she had no choice but to go ahead and ask now. She looked Hiroki in the eyes, a motion she had been avoiding until now. "Hiroki, what made you want to become friends with me?" She spoke softly and with hesitance. "I'm not very outgoing, and I don't have much of a presence... Sorry if this sounds weird, I've just always wondered about it."

 

[Ðari]

Alfa's dark helm never moved from his position. As he leaned against the closed door, Ciel's voice penetrated the rim of his helmet. His awakened "darkness" if one could call it naturally had an influence to some degree on his heart. However his avaricious intent was not so easily swain, he'd developed resistance...Clement's resistance. His powerful disposition wasn't one he could outwardly thwart, his manner of thought the knocked on Ciel's mind for analysis would become an evident pattern of contrast from his often lack of speech.

He'd raised his palm, a sign that he'd heard enough before placing it back on his arm. It was bad enough they were divided, and incident as Lady Ciel described had happened under their watchful eyes. Though at different posts, what could they have all done in the dead of the night? Lady Ciel had been closest to the situation and it passed a single glance in the general's eye that such actions would warrant further investigation. All the more reason for the generals to remain in Radiant Garden.

No matter how one reviewed it, the planning seemed far too perfect and held considerably in the unbound heart's favor. There was this undying possibility, should they engage any one of the generals or mercenaries, that they'd meet a swift capture within respect to each individual's skill set. No, Alfa wasn't buying the idea of concentrating their forces on locating "one man" if this pure heart was a man. His recent embrace and clutch of Clement's heart gave him the vast knowledge and experience of the conqueror that was Capricious.

Alfa's head tilted, as he looked down at Salforge who hadn't made any further comments. Strange, it was likely he'd taken everything in and had switched his head over into cold calculations, as he often did in replacement of a rest or reprieve. Patting him on the shoulder, there was no movement and this confirmed his suspicions of arrested attention.

"In response to you Jakuuna, bombing an entire world would suit us no merit. Conquest comes with obtaining resources, not exalting them in the very same batting of the eye. I should inquire your thinking be applied to singled out targets rather than becoming mere entropy for an entire world."

Salforge sat there with a pause as he'd folded his hands, and seemed to stare off into the vacuum of space. Coupled with his monotone sentiment, even he could sense their arrival was near. He stood up and appropriated his overcoat fixing it as it could be heard over the intercom their estimated arrival time. Turning to Lady Ciel he gave her a nod.

The plane strummed along, the locking of the landing gears in place. It was recommended they stay seated during the landing process, the shock absorbers weren't the best on this carrier ship. The small plane rolled along the asphalt as they touched down, as the brakes were being engaged they could feel themselves rolling to a crawl, then a full stop. Within a matter of moments, they'd appropriate their items from the overhangs and the doors opened. As Alfa didn't hesitate, he'd exited the door first.

"So this is Twilight Town." he said, as the sheen of the sun reflected off his helmet.

Salforge raised a hand over his brow to shield himself from looking directly into the light that looked to set in the west, yet never moved. "That, is quite the expanse."

 

[King Sora X]

Jaakuna shrugged the entire action he suggested entirely. At first, it was one of those things that would make sense. Now that he has heard his colleagues remind him of not only the importance this mission, he realized his "idea" was...errored. Going into that very frame of mind, Jaakuna took the words of Alfa and Ciel to heart. It was actually they got through to him, but the only one that could really get Jaakuna to somewhat think clearly was his new...friend, Nomis. It was odd, but the two of them had formed some sort of friendship. Jaakuna wasn't sure what to call it, but there was something there. Perhaps the two of them had a bonding aspect to their personalities that stemmed from enjoying others suffer, and doing cruel things to said people.

Time really did go by as the generals and Jaakuna(yup, he's not an official General) conversed about the mission. It was majorly Jaakuna doing the talking, but when Ciel mentioned that the ship was approaching Twilight Town, Jaakuna, half-interested, peaked out the window to see what the world that the Empire would soon control looked like. As he looked, he wasn't all that impressed. There wasn't anything about it that stood out. Then again, Jaakuna isn't one to jump into happiness, and do the happy-happy, joy-joy dance.

The ship that everyone was on landed on some unknown part of the very suburban world. The door opened, with Alfa being the first to make his exit, and soon followed the others until they all were out to the point Jaakuna was kind of half-interested still. He stood right next to Nomis, the only one he could talk to without getting the urge to murder them.

"So, how are we doing this?" Jaakuna asked as he stretched his arms, releasing a loud noise expressing his amount of how relaxed he is. "Are we just going to go around town as we are or we gotta suit up like two secret service agents or what?"
​

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
​

​

As Cerden made his way through the blackness of space, he was actually enjoying himself. This was a shock for him too. In the ship he found himself in, it was rather elegant, and armed with weapons, and what it seemed like, an invisibility option on it. Cerden knew instantly that this very option would prove to be very useful in the near future. Hell, even the current moment. This is because Cerden, as he went in the direction he knew The Empire were going, he was not far behind, but he knew he had to slip past them, and go ahead to hopefully gather up a plan in order what to do with the Empire.

A few minutes later, Cerden had already landed in the Sunset Station area. Cerden activated the invisibility option of his ship to not get any attention drawn to his ship or even his arrival. He did know that if attention was drawn to him, then that the word of his arrival would soon reach the Empire by whatever means they did get there. There was one major problem Cerden was facing at this very moment. This one problem was locating the Empire Generals, and why they have come to Twilight Town in the first place. He wasn't able to hear what their plan was, so that is what makes this a bit difficult for him.

Cerden shrugs it off, and just goes to wing it action by action. He walks up to the vendor that was selling tickets to Central Station. "One ticket please."
​

 

[Piercing Light]

"Oh... Are we here already?" Ryoko mumbled through a yawn, stretching her arms out in front of her. She had fallen asleep almost immediately upon entering the ship. She felt a briefing was not required for her. She knew they had to find a keywielder in order to find the Pure of heart, as well as the details of why one was needed. Also Twilight Town was her home world, she knew the lay of the land like the back of her hand. Rising to her feet she glanced over to Ciel. Salforge was by her side of course. Those two's relationship was fairly odd to her. They were partners in their work with the Empire, yet they could be seen interacting outside of their job. She knew they weren't lovers, Salforge was a hollow shell, and Ciel always had a wall of ice up between herself and others. She didn't get it, not as if she really wanted to.

Her eyes moved over to Jaakuna and Nomis... Those two were just as hard to figure out. Jaakuna was about as stable as a feline shoved in a box full of cat nip.... That was thrown down a rocky cliff face. Nomis was the polar opposite of him, a man who appeared to fancy the moniker of a sage. Shrugging her shoulders she walked off the ship, the familiar scarlet sky greeting her as the sky became visible. Most people found this world's sky 'calming,' it only served to infuriate her. She had bad memories here, and sunsets had the unfortunate side effect of making one become nostalgic.
A gleam of light caught her eyes, the sun's rays reflecting off of Alfa's helmet. Her face grimaced in reaction, walking over to him and standing in front of him. "You may want to take that thing off, you stand out like a straight man in a roller rink. Subtly dear Alfa, Subtly." She gave him a warning, though it wasn't her job to keep soldiers in check so she dropped it there. Turning on her purple lined fur boots she walked off.

She headed off towards a popular mall, she had not eaten at all today and was feeling famished. Taking out her cell phone she sent a text to Ciel. She wanted to give her a message without that husk hovering around.

I am sure you have a plan in mind to find this keyblader, mind filling me in?​

 

[ThePromise]

He shifted from his seat of power, getting to his feet in order to confront her. It wasn't in her best interest to be seen like this; the idea was for the man to have to guess. Her voice was very feminine so there would be no confusion of gender, but having this guy pick her out of a crowd could just be bad for her. So with his standing, her left hand ran itself against the smooth seat's backside and retrieved one of the purposes she was in here. Rika's movement was as expected, subtle and with no sloppiness. Over a decade of experience was displayed, though only she was the one witnessing it. The Emperor wasn't watching, nor did he appear to listen for her. She didn't blame him, it was a hard job to do so. Being able to get past this guy twice was doing wonders for her ego, and the little girl in her was tempted, too tempted, to stop in front of him and stick her tongue out. Embarrassing gestures at the expense of someone's pride was immature ..but still funny.

Some sort of insignia had appeared in his hand, likely a representation of the Empire he had built. There were multiple reasons why taking that was not a smart idea but it would allow her open access to areas his other top leaders would have. No one could ask questions that way. As his eyes opened they would come across nothing there, leading him to believe that it was all in his mind until she tapped at his left shoulder to gain his attention. With the slightest of shift in that direction she would trace her fingers along his shoulders with her own device moving to her right hand in order to be utilized. Intentionally allowing him to feel this, she would stop at his right shoulder and lightly take the emblem from his open hand. At this point anonymity would be harder to manage, especially if she was going to reveal herself to his own personal maid. "What I'm doing is what your other lackeys can't do, and that's getting a job done right. I'll stop by and introduce myself soon enough, if someone doesn't kill them first~" She sounded a little cheerful with that sentence carried out, but she was officially an Imperial leader now. As she made her way to the throne rooms exit, there was obvious hesitance in her steps, as though she was thinking about something before parting with the man.

"..You know, if there's one thing I like more than being paid ..it's being paid up front. So if you could get your maid in here with some cash, I'd appreciate that." With that said, she was halfway towards the exit by now and expected him to meet her demand.

It was in his best interest.

 

[Piercing Light]

The Emperor sat back in his throne, watching as Rika left the room. She was hesitant on her way out, and wasted no time in expressing why. She wanted to be paid now, not later. The Emperor placed his hood back over his head, shrouding his appearance once more. She was asking for much, and not giving very much. Her behavior was not very indicative of someone who wanted to garner any trust. She killed one of his officers, stole information and destroyed the evidence, and she had a problem with him seeing her up close. He would have to be a fool to completely trust her.

Her skills could prove useful however..."Very well, I will have Catherine pay you... She will come to you."

As Rika strolled through the halls of Disney Castle she would soon see a woman with long blond hair adorned in a maid's uniform approach her. She was carrying a small sack and was not in a pleasant mood. A lanky young man in the wear of a soldier was trialing behind her. He was clearly flirting with her, much to her disdain. "Come on Catherine babe, you know you can't resist forever~" He tried to sound smooth, unaware of the growing murderous intent inside Catherine.

"Go... Away..." She said through grinding teeth and a boiling urge to drive a knife into him and watch him bleed out.

"You're just playing hard to get, I know you want a break from it all right? Ryoko must be a pain." He was reaching now, attempting to prey on her obvious hatred of her job.

"Gehen sterben..." She muttered, receding into her first language as her irritation grew. By now she had reached Rika, and without a word she tossed her the sack full of munny.

"Ohoho~ What have we here?" The leech was now focused on Rika, looking her up and down like a piece of prime rib. "A new ally huh? What do you say the three of us get together an- URK." A black heeled boot met his left temple, driving him into the side a stone pillar, through it, and into the garden. Catherine slowly lowered her leg, then showing a satisfied grin to Rika.

"Sorry about that, they'll let just about anyone in these days." She took a better look at her new comrade, she was certainly different from the usual riff raff. Her posture was devoid of any openings, no doubt she was a capable fighter. "You're pretty cute, I'd watch out for Ryoko if I were you, she might just try to get you in one of these ridiculous outfits too... Oh! there's enough in there for you to buy a couple nice cars if you so wanted."

 

[sephiroth2]

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The small thud of the ship finally landing was what caused Nomis’ smile to grow ever so slightly, his eyes glancing to General Ciel as she left the confines of the room with the others. Rising from his place within the room, the older man gripped a tight hold on the handle of his cane, pulling it away from it leaning against his chair, leaving behind a clear indent on the arm of the seat from some immense weight pressed upon it.

Stepping out into the setting sunlight, that which seemed to give the town and this world its name, Nomis soon found Jaakuna standing by his side. While many of the others already began to set out on their own, the two men seemed to prefer staying behind for a little bit longer. Jaakuna, stretching his arms and trying to get more relaxed from staying so long onboard the ship, seemed to not notice Nomis’ smile grow wider. All this as the man faced the setting twilight sun, just as Salforge and Alfa had decided to do some distance ahead.

"So, how are we doing this? Are we just going to go around town as we are or we gotta suit up like two secret service agents or what?" Jaakuna questioned Nomis after he had finished relaxing soon after, causing the man to reply, still facing the endlessly setting sun.

“As we are’, is precisely what we are to do, Jaakuna.” Spoke Nomis, turning around at that time to look towards the man, resting his body against the metal cane he always held.

“As far as anyone is to know, we are merely here to partake in this town and world’s sight. And under that guise, we will find the two.”

Walking away from Jaakuna and making his way to one of the numerous paths leading to the various levels of the town, Nomis took a moment to look back to Jaakuna, his blue eyes looking the man up and down.

“Your choice of wardrobe may not be of concern, but until we manage to corner the wielder, it may be best to curb your violent need on unsuspecting strangers.”

The sudden ringing of the town’s bells was what caught Nomis’ attention next. As the man turned his gaze up to the source of their sound, the looming structure of the massive clock tower was something Nomis knew he had to check, his feet already bringing him onto the path leading up towards it.

From the numerous signs that littered nearly every wall and corner, Nomis soon became familiar where the various areas of the town were, even when he had not stepped foot within them. At the moment, using the combination of his line of sight with the tower and signs, the well-dressed Nomis found himself in what was known as Station Plaza. Judging by the many people entering and leaving through the doors of the tower, it was a very popular location.

The ringing of smaller bells and clattering wheels on tracks also told the man that it wasn’t merely a clock tower. Not only a way to travel easily throughout this town, it may have been the single most important piece of transport for the entire world itself.

 

[Lumine]

"Hiroki, what made you want to become friends with me?" Asahina stuttered out, "I'm not very outgoing, and I don't have much of a presence... Sorry if this sounds weird, I've just always wondered about it." She said, trying to not to avert her gaze away from him.

The question caught Hiroki off-guard. He didn't foresee her asking a question like that, Could she have realized who he really is? Could she have discovered her true statu- No, no, It didn't seem like that. She was still oblivious to these facts. Perhaps, this was another moment of doubt. She was prone to have them once in a while, always questioning her self-worth, if she was ever important. To be frank, he thought she was subtracting a lot of credit from herself. When it came to self-confidence, Asahina could be easily swayed. She had cases where her self esteem was as close as a zero. He understood why, though, and he tried to let her see that she could do better, but there were other people closer to her who were too blind to understand her potential. And she was never easily convinced, it is never too enough, it is never completely right. Asahina could ever hardly satisfy herself, and in turn satisfy others. That complicated things sometimes...

"Where did that come from, dummy?" Hiroki questioned and patted her on the head playfully, his easy-going smile returning to his features. Even though, he was aware of her status as a being of pure heart, it was never a factor in their friendship. Asahina Had no idea that she was one, nor did she know of his origin as a Key Wielder. To her, he was her good friend Hiroki, Twilight Town's best mechanical engineer, a normal citizen who has been here for seven years. Hiroki knew she would lose her peace if she realized the truth, she wouldn't be able to live her life as normally, as blissfully as she is now. She was safer that way.

This, however, had nothing to do with them becoming friends.

"I don't need reasons to be your Friend." his smile softened, warming up his features, "As long as we enjoy our time together, laugh, have fun and be there for each other, then this is all the reason I need. " He retraced his hand back.

When he looks at her now, he realizes how far she is from that young girl he had seen on the pier 7 years ago. Back then, she looked gloomy and miserable, as if she was standing at the end of the world. A person who had given up. Someone who had thrown away hope. But now, she has changed. She still faced her self degrading problems, but she would never stop trying, she would never throw away hope. She still had everything, all the future laid out in front of her. He...He had nothing back then. He had lost everything, an empty person. She might think he saved her back then, but She was the one who saved him from falling into the abyss.

"Now," He announced with a cheerful smile as he opened up the menu, "before, I faint out of starvation thanks to your lazy highness, What are we ordering?"

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Ciel's PoV will be Posted here

 

[ThePromise]

That had been easier than previously suspected. When confiding in the leader of Section III she had gotten much concern from the Director in charge, and it took a little insuring for him to agree to this. She could expose her true loyalties at any time, and her examination and trouble making around the fortress had gone off without a hitch. There was hardly any reason for the boss to fear for her safety, but after a silent huff from her eager body Rika could understand why he was worried. As a former Agent she was treading in dangerous waters, and no matter how strong she knew she was, she could be killed if she were to underestimate someone too much. That went for the big dummy she just left too, what with his idea of a blunt object tearing out flesh. What a silly comment that was, she thought, but perhaps she'd need to give him a little more credit. Outside of the verbal engagement he had gotten a mass of followers who served under him, some proud, others fearful. Regardless there was no trace of fear on her soft face, nor any tension within her body as she conversed with him.

Rika knew, the moment that she left that dark room and into the corridors of the fortress, that he had not given her reason to fear his power. It was that kind of thought that the Director had to give her time and time again in the past. The Director was more than a leader, he was her friend, and as a friend he had to open her eyes to the reality that was before her time and time again. Just because she left without incident this time, did not always mean it could be this way in other occasions.

Luckily, she was not as ..well, arrogant as she used to be, and had come to accept her own weaknesses but embraced her strengths all the same. The man obviously had some power, whether it was behind him or simply on his person.

If there was one thing that could be taken away from that clash of personality, it was that she gave him plenty of reasons to fear her. For the time being, Rika was happy letting him rest a little easy on that throne believing he was not to be pressured by her questionable methods, because sooner or later this would all blow up in his face.

And she'd be there, whether grinning, or dying to make it all possible.

The sound of scuffling and voices had caused her to pause for but a moment and gain a little more information. There were two of them, and considering this little emblem in her hands she didn't need to fear any questioning any longer. Deliberately, she pressed forward again and turned the nearest corner to her right, coming towards the woman in the maid outfit as mentioned earlier, and another person. Judging from his posture he was pretty unimpressive even from her distance; a lack of brawn and masculinity, which may explain why the maid girl looked so upset. Without that masculinity to grab her own feminine attention, he had to rely on what people would call 'smooth talking'. Smooth talking would be a series of promises and statements that would be false, but would still be utilized in order to help gain the potential date's attention. From where she was standing, this guy was failing pretty hard, and she could hear just about everything as they drew closer.

Pocketing her emblem, her hands would go to her hips just as the girl, Catherine she heard, made her final approach. The bag of her pay was tossed, and Rika had quickly removed her right hand from her hip, catching the bag by its flaps with some impressive show of reaction time. Shaking it idly, her emerald eyes watched as the contents had bounced inside. It was definitely cash but it wasn't the cash her world made use of. It didn't matter too much due to the outlets of another world that could use such currency. They'd need it more.

The lanky and unimpressive soldier had made an approach towards her now and examined her, likely assuming she'd be a good conversationalist and holding much more interest in who she was as a person rather than Catherine. Physical attractiveness, the weight of her bosom, and the curve of her bod had little to do with this redirection of course.

Hah, no, she'd be serious about this now. There was no need for her to dirty her hands with him

"He's yours." Tossing the bag in the air a couple of times and sizing the amount up, it was easy to tell even without holding it that it was hefty. The Emperor had his wealth, she couldn't deny that. Despite its weight she managed to hold the basketball-sized bag without much struggle, as her line of work demanded physical strength in the arms and legs. And then, after a little more admiration of her pay, the maid had swiftly dealt with the flirty soldier, sending him into a pillar and crashing into the gardens outside. Rika was for the most part unfazed at the feat of physical strength, but she'd give the girl credit. Looking at the new hole in the fortress, Rika's glance was brought once more to Catherine, who had admired her physical beauty, making some mention of this Ryoko girl. She had been on the database too, but the examination of her physical profile was very short. Girl had the vibe of a psychopathic murderer, but Rika didn't know better. "So, warrior maid has a little skill huh?" Grabbing the flaps of the bag again, she lowered it and held it casually from here. The amount Catherine implied felt more than accurate. "You know if you just did that from the beginning, you could have saved a lot of trouble."

Rika knew the way out of here, but would rather keep this girl in her company a little longer. Perhaps she'd learn a little more about the work force around here.

"Wanna ..escort me out? Tell me a little about yourself while you're at it, first impressions are everything to me."

And most people ****ed them up really quickly.

 

[Piercing Light]

"Where did that come from, dummy?"

Asahina let out a soft gasp as Hiroki's hand patted her head. It didn't bother her, she was quite familiar with this. He could tell she was legitimately bothered, and that she was once again being hard on herself. She was grateful he knew just how to calm her down. She relaxed as the weight of his hand subtly ruffled her azure hair, his smile also proved to be contagious.

"I don't need reasons to be your Friend." He stated with genuine regard. "As long as we enjoy our time together, laugh, have fun and be there for each other, then this is all the reason I need. " He drew his hand back, though the sensation lingered. Her face flushed as she found herself almost wishing he'd pat her head a little longer. It was a comforting act to her, one that made her feel secure. She lightly tugged on the strands of hair that fell across the right side of her face, almost as if she were trying to hide behind them.

"Sorry... Hiroki. It was a dumb question after all." She whispered, these few words all she could get out at the moment. She felt ashamed at herself for questioning a good thing. Perhaps it was due to her never having friends before, but until now it always felt a tad surreal to her. She thought about what he said, the idea of being happy as long as they had time together. She couldn't think of anything that would drive them apart, and that made her smile up at Hiroki.

"before, I faint out of starvation thanks to your lazy highness, What are we ordering?"

Asahina giggled, thankful that the mood was bright again. She picked up the spare menu on the table. "Hey, I went through the market district to save time, you should be impressed." She chided back playfully as her eyes scanned the menu for any delectable foods. She spotted what she wanted and placed the menu back on the table. "I think I'll get the clam chowder... And thanks Hiroki, I can be a dummy sometimes."


~~~

"You know if you just did that from the beginning, you could have saved a lot of trouble."

Catherine raised an eyebrow as she looked to the busted pillar. She ran her right hand through her blond hair as a sigh escaped through her lips. Her eyes went back to Rika. "Nah, If I did that my heels would be worn down from the number of skulls I'd have to cave in." She stated halfheartedly.

"Wanna ..escort me out? Tell me a little about yourself while you're at it, first impressions are everything to me."

"Huh?..." Catherine was caught off guard by this woman's interest in her, aside from Ryoko the only company she had here in the castle was that of perverse men. She suddenly found herself mildly excited at the prospect of a sane female friend. "Sure sure~ Just follow me." She began walking. "My name is Catherine, though I'll bet you already picked that up from that mut back there. Uh... A little about myself huh? Well I am twenty-two years old, and I've been serving the Empire for eighteen months. I used to be a mercenary on another world, but after the Empire attacked there was nothing left for me. That's when Ryoko showed up, instead of killing me she took the chance to acquire herself a 'cute maid.' It's rather annoying, though it's better than being on the bottom of the barrel right?"