September 25, 2010 - 6:03am — Zergarikiaka
The heatless had already been sent out, accompanied by a few still loyal dusks. Their mission is simple, and explicitly explained. In fact, the orders had been repeated several times to cram it in their memories, and the threat of maximum punishment had been hung over the dusks heads, should they only go about their task in a half attempt. The mission is to find those that still attribute their loyalty to their fallen leader, or alternatly, would rather not serve the new 'management'. Either viewpoint would be good enough. Those that fit the bill, were to meet at a newly designated location, namely the hollow old oak.
Such would be perfect, with it's soft yet constant thrumming to drown out their voices from potential listeners, and it's enclosed form to hide them from hostile eyes. Further, it's great size could still bare a distant reminisance to the castle they had once existed in; not that nobodies exist in the first place. The oak also had some similarities to that old clocktower, with high branches where one could sit and watch the sunset if they so desired. They were not bound to the ground after all, and with a quick trip threw a door to darkness, they could appear anywhere in this forest. The interior isn't exactly as spacious as Where Nothing Gathers had been, nor is there the variation in seating levels. Essentially, this location would put any nobody who gathers at a rather equal level.
First and foremost to arrive, an ice blue stag steps threw the mouth of the tree's cavernous hollow, and silently takes a place at the opposite 'wall'. His step is silent, though his manner of walking had shifted from business-like to the stride of a war general. Focused, deliberate, confident, and powerful. Reaching that wooden back of the hollow, he sits and crosses one hoof over the other in a very business-like manner. Yellow eyes close patiently, and ears perk attentively as he awaits the arrival of any who would arrive. Important matters had to be discussed, and such had to be done sooner, rather than later. The hierarchy might have crumbled, and their leader might have been reduced to a minimalist state, but the former second in command is far from giving up and playing any lower role like a frighened outcast. Instead, he'd step it up, and take command in his former superior's place, as he would have had to anyway if Marluxia had not taken over. Even if there would be less than half of the origional numbers gathered in the end, they'd still be far from powerless... As the diviner would soon explain.
(ooc: Ok yeah, this struck me during work today and needed to be set up. I won't be here tommarow, so this had to be set up while fresh in mind.
Luff to all. <3)
He'd never expected them to
So, was this not what they all wanted, even if they had to bow to the traitors? Like him, they had no heart. No heart, no regret, no disgust, no shame. Axel would get to this knees for Marluxia if it meant he got there in the end, and the extra control over what went on was not unwanted.
When the fiery stag sauntered into the vicinity, he was passed by a which-way dusk, writhing it's way out to meet him. He eyed it with a cocked eyebrow as it examined him, continued to walk despite its examinations. It followed him as he approached a familiar blue stag, the dusk occasionally bumping into him as it convulsed. He almost wondered why it had remained loyal when offered death, bound hands, zipped mouths. In his eyes, death would be a far better fate for the lesser nobody, knew the reason they twisted was to express the screams of pain that couldn't escape their shuttered lips.
Giving a bark of laughter at his lone comrade, Axel gave a deep, mocking bow.
"Still flogging the dead horse, then~?"
He had been yet to have a chance to talk to Saix, wished he had have. However, whilst there could potentially be others around, he wouldn't risk it. The flurry just hoped the other was unbiased enough to remember that Axel was in this as much for him as he was himself in the run, hoped he kept in mind the real emotions over the forged ones with their fallen leader.
[ ooc: wasn’t sure if this was for everyone or just those that want different management, so if you want me to retract axel’s involvement, just drop me a line ;D
NEW ICON IS WIN 8D ]
(Hehe, yes. XD I think your
Anyway, I'm easy. XD Axel joining gives more of a challenge. <3 *ACCEPTED*)
The luna diviner did not quite expect Axel to be the first to show up. If anyone, he had predicted the origional apprentices, give or take a few. Either way, he did want to speak with Axel. He wouldn't turn him away. However, he wasn't entirely sure about the timing of his friend's arrivial.
The diviner turns his calm yellow eyes to the flurry, flicking an ear once at his comment. He had overcome a rather heavy dose of confusion from the past several days, and now would be far from going down that uncertain road again. "You're early." he states simply, more or less disregarding the flogging comment. "And here I thought you prefered to be fasionably late." he adds. His form of a joke, hard to see threw monotone. He wanted to suggest Axel head out before any others arrive; after all, those apprentices were not likely to stand to see a notorious traitor in their midst. For now though, he doesn't mind the appearance.
A rare trace of a smirk appears on the diviner's lips. "Never thought you would be one for kissing up to the flower." he notes.
"Oh, you know me..." A joke
"Not really in my usual taste but, keeps the game interesting." He drops his tone, arches that slender neck towards the icy stag, a husky murmur that would be inaudible to anyone not standing directly between them "Plus, yanno, I'm good at using my mouth to smooth over the dirty parts. After recent little slip-ups, what choice did I have~?"
Indeed, this was far from the full truth. They had had their plans well before Saix had let the cat out of the bag, but Axel wanted to avoid Saix knowing that to avoid lengthy suspicious conversations at a time when time for such was limited. Marluxia would have held his tongue, Larxene hadn't known, and Axel was a damn good liar. Unless the dusks had somehow learned sign-language, he doubted the diviner would have any hints otherwise. Was one of the handy things about repeat offenders, how they learn to keep things hidden from lessons previous.
[ooc: oh lawd, YOU'RE RIGHT *giggles* now i can't stop looking at them! oh axel, way to freak saix out with your creepy lopsided grins ♥
easy, eh~? *SHOTDOWN* 8D tee hee, but awesome!
((This is a tracking comment
stalkwatch from the sidelines :B *munches popcorn*))(Consider this a track for
( >>; I might throw you a
(ooc: Well, this is intended
"A little?" another partial joke, accompanied with a momentarilly raise of brow and the vage trace of a grin. Of course, what Axel calls a 'little' in regard to mixing things up would be multiple times what he himself would bother with. Perhaps he was much more a creature of habits than the flurry. His grin drops back into a neutral near-pout at the following words. "My regrets." he shorts, eyes closing exasperatedly at the thought of that loudmouthed little girl. He was never one to slip up like that. All those synthetic emotions she drew into those who came too close, those who must have somehow touched her heart... It had gotten to him, and gave a lapse in judgement. He speaks quietly, barely a purr under the thrumming of the oak. "Such will not happen again. Just don't allow her too close again. She is not unlike terpantine, sweet but poisonous to our kind." he reflects. Statement out, he seems to recover from the moment of exasperation.
"However, I did say before that it was time to revise plans. At least we've established momentum now." he adds. He had figured out where future steps needed to go, but now it was time to incorporate the origional loyals to something new, and brilliant.
He is fallen. He has made no
He has made no move to pick himself up. No. But saix, it was the diviner that put steps into action.
It clearly pains him to walk, his head hangs, as if it cannot bear the weight of even his broken down antlers, once-crown of thorns knocked from its place atop his head.
he is in poor health, it is clear.
His body is more scar tissue than fur, barren patches where wounds are beginning to scab and heal.
He looks like something that should be dead, a great mass of decay and blood.
His eyes, once upon a time things that glimmered with power, clarity of a great hawk's, like a crocodile's, cold, are hazed, foggy, too many elements, smoke and burning water and sharp gusts of wind, he is all but blind.
He can make out dappled splashes of light and color, the blue, and, the red, sun and moon.
the moon is an errant thief. Pale fire snatched from the sun
he is still, tensed, a deer before wolves.
Air finds its way from his muzzle in a rough snort, inhalations, and exhales, taking in the familiar scent of moonlight and cold.
...but.
the scent of smoke, of fire, is hot on his senses, and he tosses his head slightly, taking a wary step back from the entrance of the humming tree.
And he stands, like the wounded beast he is, ready to flee, breaths make his skinny body shift, ribs press against flesh, the arch of his spinal cord against his skin plain as well, each vertebrae could be touched, counted, skin pulled tight over bone.
He does not enter, no, he merely waits to see if he has been tricked, legs trembling in his tension, deteriorating muscles tense and tight, wound like a spring.
"...Saix?"
-STALK-
((Stalk~, Dem won't join in
(Sorry, impatient bored zerg
Yellow eyes turn away from the flurry, to the entrance of the giant oak tree hollows. Another unexpected appearance, as far as arrivial order goes. True he did expect Xemnas to arrive, but not so early considering his condition. How the organization seemed to enjoy defying the norm. He immediatly sees the fallen king's response to scenting Axel nearby, and looks back at the flurry. He speaks softly, to keep his voice muted to Xemnas' now much sharper ears, cloaked by the humming of the oak. The loss of much of his vision had apparently increased his other senses dramatically. "We'll have to talk later, Axel. I'll explain everything then." he states quickly, then raises to a stand. His ears twitch as he hears the almost sad call for him. He couldn't ignore it, nor would he want to. He could tell this would probably be difficult, with some of those that participated in helping Marluxia in the recent attack showing up. Axel in particular, really. Further, the possability of Xaldin showing up, even if he had been a former apprentice, might make things harder on the former superior.
He looks back at Axel momentarilly. He'd have to hope it would go without saying that nothing of this upcoming meeting was to be mentioned to anyone who doesn't attend. Certainly Axel, of all nobodies, could hold his tounge. Quickly putting his focus back on the broken nobody outside, he steps threw the mouth of the tree and into the direct sunlight. The light is easilly captured in his icy blue fur, giving it the illusion of shining...
Like moonlight... Stolen light from the sun, to give to the earth and illuminate the night.
He brushes his strong neck against the fallen king's scarred frame in a nuzzle. "Xemnas, I'm glad you're here." he speaks more confidently, aiming to give off that confidence to the broken one. "It's ok Xemnas... Axel is nearby, but I'll have to handle him later, along with the others that have been... difficult." he speaks much more softly, then looks out for the others who aim to join the meeting. They should be showing up at any time.
He had arrived. Axel hadn’t
Axel hadn’t seen much of their fallen leader since the battle, but knew he was in more than a sorry state. In hindsight, it probably would have been more humane to just have gone the full nine yards. But then, that was precisely why they had stopped when they had. Death as a respite, a possible restoration point-they were yet to know if they would appear here again, whether this was an afterlife, immortality whilst not being quite mortal. The flurry gave a short nod to the diviner’s words, knowing now was no longer the time nor the place no matter how low they kept their voices. And so, he turned his attention to Xemnas.
It was almost satisfying how he became almost caught in headlights at Axel’s scent on the wind. The flurry remembered a time when he had been almost afraid of Xemnas, when threats of becoming a dusk had seemed so real. In this new world, though, those were threats long passed. He saw no challenge in the former boss, just a broken being like he had always threatened they’d be. He was out of the way, no longer a threat.
Axel would certainly have his fun. Fire in darkness, flames in light, it was just as dangerous, unpredictable, no matter what the scene. Would always burn it all down.
He gave a thick snort as the diviner met the broken being, nuzzled him carefully, forged emotion. His nose wrinkled slightly at the sight, more at the words. Sauntering forwards, he approaches the fog-eyed stag, radiating confidence, mischievousness, heat
“What’s this, not even a hello?” He gives a predatory grin, sharp whites, tosses his head back and gives a sarcastic laugh. “Hardly a proper way to treat your superiors~”
His confidence is not much
His tail gives a small flick of tension, too tired to raise his head, broken crown of thorns that once threatened to gut open the belly of the sky itself.
His weight shifts upon skinny legs, it was a burdon just to make it to the oak, and he has not been eating well.
As in, he had not been eating.
hardly a proper way to treat your superiors
he cowers slightly, cowers.
he does not bow or break.
he cannot bow any lower.
he cannot break any more.
What number is he now? he has lost his number. He is truly nothing, just Xemnas. Just Xemnas.
"your hipocrosy is disgusting"
the words rise like bile in his throat, and he spits them at the red stag.
He doesn't want to stand anymore, it causes him pain to stand.
He clings to the wall of the oak as he makes his way to the back, as far from the burning, the heat, the light, as he can, letting his legs give out beneath him, laying like the dying thing he is.
he doesn't bother keeping his eyes open, useless eyes, he sees with his ears and nose.
with his hooves.
Maybe he would tell Axel to go to hell.
But he would probably like it there.
Saix turns his head slightly,
Now that these two are here, certainly the rest would be arriving either by Door to Darkness or foot, soon enough.
(SHORT I KNOW SORRY. D8)
((For now, just tracking.
Signature by Roo ♥
[Temp. track for now. Xigbar
*nudgenudge*