Only a Breath [Emi/Org. XIII Members]

[Fate]

(I am going to put the last few posts from this thread that we are carrying over from FS)

Summary of what happened before these posts:
After leaving the Beast's Castle, Emi followed Zexion into a Corridor of Darkness that came out in the World that Never Was. He had her follow him to the Castle since he did not want to bother bringing her back at the moment. Things remained quiet for most of the walk until they reached Memory's Skyscraper. One thing led to another, Zexion provoking Emi, which in turn provoked him to create a massive illusion of a past life. It quite nearly broke her and it mentally exhausted both of them. She ended up blacking out and he brought her into the Castle with another Corridor of Darkness.

He left her in his private quarters while he stayed and read, Nyxar stopping by to see what was going on. He learned that Zexion not only brought her here but he had the full trust of a keyblade master. Emi woke up shortly after his arrival and proceeded into questioning Zexion. The two Nobodies were not particularly kind to the girl, as suggested here.

Guessing Game

The word exchange between Nyxar and Emi was short, her face conveying more information than her actual speech. She was confused. The Nobody sitting right in front of her looked almost exactly like the childhood friend she once had. Zexion gathered that no one had bothered to tell her the story of the Heartless and the Nobodies; everyone knew the story of the Heartless, but few knew the true story of the Nobodies. He wondered for a moment if he should fix this confusion. It was only fitting after all.

In an instant, her fervor was gone. She gave up as she talked to Nyxar, just wanting to leave and have nothing to do with the Organization or any of them again. He sighed to her question, keeping his arms crossed over his chest with that blank look on his face. "If you had listened to me before, you would know that there is no way out by ordinary means." His words were nonchalant, almost casual. "The only way for you to leave is to go through another Corridor of Darkness. I would not suggest this method of travel if you wish to keep your heart intact; you have already traveled through two of them and I doubt the third one would be as kind."

He then turned to Nyxar, his gaze ever so slightly colder. He knew manipulation when he heard or saw it; he considered himself almost a master of that art. From what Zexion could tell, since Nyxar was a decent manipulator and not a fool, there was an implication that Emi could give up her heart to get Ienzo back. He let his gaze relax again; he could play with this. Nyxar just gave him a great opening.

"You aren't suggesting that she give up her heart, are you?" he asked, an innocent tone covering his words. "That would be cruel; though, I suppose that would be the only way to get her friend back." He turned to Emi now, his voice becoming a bit more serious. "Nobodies are all that are left when a person of strong will loses their heart. They are given a soul and body but lack that heart that makes them whole. Without that vital piece, Nobodies cannot feel emotion. Though, many like to pretend to."

With that small explanation out of the way, he turned to Nyxar once more. "Perhaps our senior members are slacking," he said, his statement obviously made in jest. There was a slight undertone of sardonicism as well, made more toward a certain Number Seven; Saïx still seemed to have a rather high rank inside of the Organization, one that he did not know existed until now. It certainly did not when the Organization began...

--

Vexen stepped out of the dark portal he had summoned. He stood atop Memory's Skyscraper. From the tall building he could see the entire city, which remained as lifeless as ever. Only the Castle That Never was, which floated nearby, stood higher in the skyline. But it was more than just a tall skyscraper. It was the center of the World That Never Was. It would be it's heart, if it had one.

What really made the skyscraper unique, however, was the large television screen that was attached to its front. It had the unusual ability to project flashes of memories that belong to those nearby. From where he was Vexen couldn't actually see the screen, but he was quite aware of it's presence. He had always found the contraption to be rather interesting...

But enough about Memory's Skyscraper. It was worth noting, but it was nothing to make a fuss over. Especially when you had somewhere you needed to be going. And Vexen had an unofficial meeting with Xemnas, that he would hate to be late for. Looking up at the castle where the Superior likely was, the nobody couldn't help but wonder what new information awaited him inside of its gray walls.

--

Speaking of Which...

A new scent quickly got his attention, making his eyes widen slightly. The word 'new' was not the best description of this scent, for it was incredibly familiar to the Schemer. He remembered exactly who the scent belonged to, having spent much of his time as a Nobody with it. It was not a particularly strong scent, no; the Nobody's mind was stronger than his ability to fight. The scent's abrupt entrance into The World that Never Was intrigued Zexion to a certain degree. This deserved his attention more than the current situation.

"How intriguing," he said, "We have a returning member." He stood from his chair and looked to Nyxar, ignoring Emi for the time being. "Watch her. I have business to attend to." He put his hood back on as he summoned a Corridor of Darkness behind him and backed into it quickly. He didn't need Emi following him yet again. He quickly vanished from his room, the Corridor of Darkness shutting before the temptation to follow the Schemer arose.

It seemed Memory's Skyscraper was getting a decent amount of attention today. Zexion walked through the Corridor of Darkness here, almost exactly where he was before. There was a cloaked figure on top of the building, making Zexion raise an eyebrow. It was a tad unusual for the scent's owner to be there. Nevertheless, he was going to wait until the other decided to come down before welcoming him back into the castle.

Vexen had returned.

--

"Why do people insist I need a babysitter?"
--

Emi shouted at Zexion when he once again backed in a corridor. Frustrated, she looked at Nyxar. "Lucky you, you're on Emi babysitting duty.

[/color]"

She pouted, thinking about what Zexion had said. She was stuck here unless he decided to take her home. Home where? Wouldn't it be just as easy to drop her in Radiant Garden? Those portal things could take you anywhere, she thought, and if he was just going to ditch her back at the Beast's castle, wouldn't it make just as much sense to go ahead and bring her home? It wasn't as if she had a family and friends to go back to.

It was all a matter of convincing that infuriating Nobody.

Right now, it was time to ditch the nanny and do some exploring. She flipped the collar of her jacket up. She had a conniving plan forming in her devious little mind. Just a few kinks to work out.

"So, what do Nobodies around here do to pass the time? Beat each other? Make sarcastic comments instead of actual conversation? Strip poker, maybe?[/color]"[/size]

--

Right as he was about to open a portal to the Castle, something caught Vexen's eye below him. A member of the Organization had just appeared. At first glance, he supposed it might be a new member whom he had never seen before, but on closer inspection, it became clear that it was someone he was very familiar with. "Zexion."

Vexen teleported down to where the other nobody stood. "Isn't this a pleasant surprise?" And it was-- at least to some extent. It wasn't as if he and Zexion had ever technically been "friends", as nobodies or otherwise. In fact, the Cloaked Schemer managed to get on his nerves quite often... But at least he wasn't as infuriating as the insolent neophytes that followed him in rank. He couldn't help but hope Marluxia and Larxene weren't the only ones to meet their end to the keyblade warrior.

"I had assumed that you had fallen victim to your pawn as well." He said this partially as a question. Obviously implying that he wanted an explanation.

--

Nobodies? Do something? Nice joke.

Nyxar shook his head, a grin working its way on his face. "I'm not babysitting anyone. You're a big girl, you can make sure you don't fall all by yourself, you don't need my help with that." Holding up a hand, Nyxar said, "I will, however, make certain you do not make too much havoc here in the Castle. Nobodies are often tightly wound."

Winking at Emi, the newest member of Organization XIII said, "I'm not tightly wound like they are." He was more than willing to help her around the Castle, and to help her make some minor mischief should that be her desire. It was far too quiet here, anyways. Oh, and the topic of what to do came up. There wasn't much to do around here, so Nyxar just shrugged.

"Normally, we leave the Castle when we are bored. So, for fun, oftentimes, we just go to some world and cause little minor mischief. Sound like fun to you?" Nyxar wasn't entirely certain what her idea of a party was, but, if she was willing to, he would take her with him off to some world. Zexion wouldn't be happy, but, eh, the Nobody could get over it.

--

Suspicious

"Indeed it is. Nice to see you too Vexen," he said coolly, taking off of his hood. He studied the other for a moment. His fall was one Zexion was unsure of. He knew exactly how the other members of the Organization fell, even the ones that had died after he did. He could only guess that Sora was responsible for their deaths, though Axel and Roxas were somewhat shrouded in mystery. However, Vexen's death had happened right under his nose and he was not sure how it happened. One guessed that it was also Sora's fault, but something seemed off about it.

"Actually, that is not the case," he replied to Vexen's next question. "Riku did not manage to kill me. However, Axel commanded the Riku Replica that you created to destroy me after Riku nearly did. Interesting how I knew the Organization was already starting to fall." Vexen knew the particular statement that he was referring to, one that he mentioned the Organization was going to shambles. Number Four had immediately gotten on his case for it but was quickly shushed by Lexaeus.

"Tell me, was it Sora who saw to your end?" he asked, starting to walk toward the Castle and implying that Vexen should follow. He was going to get this question answered.

--

Clearly contemplating what had just been said, Vexen began to walk alongside Zexion towards the castle. "No. As I'm sure you've guessed, Axel was the one responsible."

So Axel's treachery was even greater than he had imagined. His sudden betrayal of Marluxia had seemed very strange. And his words had almost suggested he was loyal to Organization. But then why would he have taken out Zexion? Once the traitors were gone, such an act would have made no sense. With this new knowledge, Vexen was beginning to think he knew what had really happened...

"Now tell me: why is it-- do you think-- that Axel chose to see to our ends? Surely their must have been a motive."

Vexen made no attempt to hide that he thought he knew. No, Zexion should know to expect that his old mentor had speculation to make. The Chilly Academic always had a hypothesis. But he was interested to see if the other nobody had similar suspicions.

--

Treachery Meeting Justice Make For an Intriguing Story

The true start of treachery began with Vexen's death. To think Zexion had talked about the deaths of other members in jest with the traitor and he did not even know it. The betrayal was of no true surprise to the Schemer; it made sense at the very least. Axel had been following Marluxia's orders at that point and there was no doubt in his mind that Number Eleven would have ordered Vexen's death. Yes, that logic was sound.

"There is no doubt that Marluxia ordered Axel to kill you," Zexion said nonchalantly, "At that time, it seemed he was still pretending to follow Marluxia. Larxene's death was shortly after your own and Lexaeus' followed hers. Axel knew that Marluxia was to follow, which tells me that he was not on his side at that point. He held no alliance of any kind." Vexen's part of the question was answered. Zexion now had to contemplate the other side to it; while Vexen's death had a reason behind it, the illusionist was not too sure about the reasons behind his own death. Sure, he had thought about them many a time. There was a connection between his death and Saïx, that was all that he knew.

"He told me that I 'knew too much'," Zexion continued, "The only thing that makes sense is that he knew I could tell he was not completely loyal to the Superior. Other than that, I am unsure." The two had reached the Castle quickly and Zexion invited Vexen inside first before closing the door. The two continued walking inside. Vexen most likely wanted to see the Superior, but that would have to wait. The Superior was 'sleeping' again.

"The rest of the Organization fell after Castle Oblivion a year later, either by the means of the keyblade or other causes," Zexion told him, continuing to walk. He doubted that Axel was killed by Sora when he did not hold an alliance with the Organization. That was also a fact he would sooner or later need to learn. "Now, some members have resurrected and come back to the Castle. Axel and Marluxia have also been resurrected, but they have not returned. We currently have been recruiting and reconnaissance. I have managed to recruit one new member to fill Number Eleven's position as well as finding a new keyblade master that is not against us."

He smirked at this accomplishment. It was not one that many other members of the Organization could accomplish, or so he thought. He had the trust of a keyblade bearer; that was something none of the other members had before, excluding Axel and Roxas. They did not count. Roxas had been a Nobody. Zexion's keyblade master, Arc, was a complete being. Things were going to get incredibly intriguing.

--

"Maybe this guy will take me home. Nah, that would mess up the plot."
--

"Minor mischief? I could go for some minor mischief. A few words of warning, however: One, I am a recovering alcoholic who could never hold drink well anyway and two, I suck at picking locks. Other than that, I'm up for pretty much anything. What did you have in mind?[/color]

I need to distract him for a few moments so I can do a little mischief of my own. I may suck at picking locks, but I was always a major good pick pocket. Now, how am I going to go about hiding this thing? I can't wear it under my clothes. It may just have to wait until later... yeah, let's see where this party takes us. Maybe as I make my grand exit, I can snatch one of those cool cloaks on my way out as a souvenir. Plus I just want to piss that Zexion off one last time, and what better way than stealing his stuff? Muhaha...

Sure, she had sworn off the dangerous life for good. But, there wasn't anything else to do. And she was pretty sure this guy wouldn't let them get caught, hurt or dead. And she was also pretty sure that one night of fun wouldn't turn into two years of misery like last time. She was a little older now, a little wiser from her experiences. She wouldn't let things go too far.

Besides, this castle was full of snarky spoil-sports with their cloaks on too tight. Nyxar's idea of "minor mischief" was probably messing with the thermostat. Emi's idea of "minor mischief" was vandalism and wading naked in public fountains. "Major mischief" was grand theft auto and beating people to the point of death.

She laughed to herself, bitterly. Good times. Good times. [/size]

--

(I believe Vexen, Nyxar, and/or possibly another member of the Organization is up to post next. You guys can take your pick)[/blockquote]

[Matt]

No Time to Beat Around the Bush

The question may have been answered, but Vexen remained unsatisfied. Everything that was said sounded true enough. No, it wasn't a matter of what had been said, but of what had not been said. Zexion wasn't stupid. Undoubtedly he knew-- or at least assumed-- more than he was saying. And Vexen was determined to hear what the other nobody had to say.

A look of annoyance appeared on Vexen's face when Marluxia was mentioned. So the 'Graceful Assassin' wasn't really gone. How incredibly disappointing. Though despite the dissapointment of thew news, it was nothing to dwell on at the moment. The next statement was much more intriguing. A keyblade wielder that might actually be on the Organization's side? It certainly sounded like an impressive find, but it wasn't as flawless as Zexion seemed to believe. "Don't be so fast to assume he's our ally. Just because Sora's motives can be read like a book, doesn't mean this new wielder is incapable of deception."

"Anyway..." He paused for a moment, before returning the previous topic that the two had been on. "You must have some idea who was pulling Axel's strings. Certainly the question must have crossed you mind."

[Fate]

A Schemer Never Tells His Secrets

"You seem to be forgetting who you are talking to, Number Four." Zexion stopped in his tracks and stared at Vexen, his arms crossed with a look of discernment on his face. "Do you really think I would make such a statement if I had not already put this keyblade bearer to the test? His motives are very clear. You may not be able to read the motives of others nor see past deception, but I can; it is my line of work, after all." He knew he was pushing buttons here and Vexen would not be pleased with what he said there, though he was not lying. Zexion knew how to see past the deception of most and Arc was someone who made it clear what he was thinking; the punch in the face emphasized that point.

"Yes, it has crossed my mind multiple times," he replied, continuing to walk. "Though I have not arrived at a clear answer. Whoever it may be, it is certain that they had something to gain from all of this. What could they gain from getting rid of me?" His tone turned slightly sly at the end as he wondered how Vexen would respond to all of this. It was clear that the two, while being a bit more than acquaitances in their past lives, were only allies now. They worked together because they had to and Zexion knew that the scientist had a decent head on his shoulders.

The Schemer never liked to say exactly what he was thinking, his trust extremely limited. He wanted to see if Number Four could figure out his suspicions on his own. Number Seven made Number Six extremely suspicious...

(Now would be a good time for some mischief if you still plan on causing any)

[/size]

[Administrator]

Out of mind, out of sight.

Nyxar shook his head. "I didn't have anything planned ahead. I normally like to summon Heartless and watch the rest of the Organization scramble to exterminate them before they cause any real harm." Nyxar grinned, a mad gleam in his eye. "Of course, that's just me...

"I don't know what you like to do for fun. So, any suggestions?" He was open to most anything, so long as it wouldn't get the rest of the Organization too terribly mad at him. But, then, there was always the face that he didn't really care what the rest of the Organization had to say about his actions. It was hard to find the willpower to care about anything when one had no emotions.

It was made even more difficult when one didn't exactly like the majority of one's coworkers. The only one that Nyxar really got along with was Zexion, and he would still prank Zexion if he had the chance. Of course, that was just part of who he was, despite being a merciless killer, he still enjoyed a good joke. And he knew how to pull of a rather good joke.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

"Gotta get them before they get you."
--

Emi smiled sneakily. Instantly a plan came to her and before Nyxar had a chance to protest, Emi started undressing. She explained and threw her coat over his face. For some reason she figured it was okay as long as he didn't actually watch.

"I can hear him in the hall and there is someone with him. I'm going to walk out there and cause some problems. Sound good? Just play along, I'm sure you're good at improv.[/color]"

She was nice enough to neatly fold her jeans, shirt and belt and to leave her sneakers neatly against the wall. She walked over and snatched her coat off Nyxar's face and put it with the rest. She was left mostly bare except her underclothes. She was never really the modest type anyway and this was going to be funny. Really she didn't even look all that cute, with or without clothes, but she couldn't wait to see the look on Zexion and whoever it was with him's face when a half-naked teenage girl came out of his room.

She messed up her hair a bit (was it even possible for it to get messier?) and put on her best "I just woke up" face. Then she wandered out into the hallway, motioning for Nyxar to follow her. She didn't even have to fake a yawn as she shuffled into the hall in her sock feet.

[Matt]

WTF?

Vexen stopped, his eyes narrowing as he met Zexion's blank stare with one of clear annoyance. Some things just never changed. And apparently his lack of respect for his superior members was one of those things. In retrospect, Zexion was really almost as bad as Marluxia or Larxene had been. He may stopped short of ever attempting a takeover-- even he at least knew not to cross the Superior, but it was the same basic ignorant attitude. An attitude that was evidently still as problematic as ever.

"For someone who claims to be so perceptive," he sneered, as he followed in beginning to walk again. "you also seem to be pretending to be quite clueless. And I'm afraid you simply can't have it both ways."

The two nobodies were still walking, though neither of them particularly seemed to be sure where exactly they were heading. It seemed worth noting that there had been no signs of any other members yet, leaving him to wonder how many actually remained. He might have inquired on the subject, but before either one of them could say anything more, a bizarre looking girl came stumbling out of a door that stood only several feet ahead of them. Vexen was quite taken aback, simply staring at her for several seconds. Her appearance may have been surprising enough on it's own, but to add to it the girl wasn't even wearing any clothes. Looking back towards the door that the strange girl had come out of, it occurred to him that it wasn't just anyone's room. It was Zexion's.

"Zexion!" he exclaimed in a voice that suggested he was now more angry than surprised. "What is the meaning of this?! Is this the way you've began conducting things around here in my absence?" pausing momentarily before adding disgustedly "Disgraceful."

[Fate]

Utter Disgrace

"At least I don't have to pretend to be clueless," Zexion said in jest. It was easy to tell that he was getting on Vexen's nerves. This was nothing new to him and it was easy to make the scientist react almost any way one wanted to. Vexen absolutely hated it when someone with a lower rank did not respect someone with a higher one. The Schemer never truly thought of himself lower than Vexen, especially since he was put in charge of the basement crew in Castle Oblivion.

The two were close to his room, the scents of Emi and Nyxar still present within it. However... one of them seemed to be moving, the one that smelled of cinnamon. Emi managed to leave his room, which meant that either Nyxar let her out or something else was going on. His scent seemed to be following Emi's, making the Schemer suspicious. He couldn't trust anyone could he?

No... no he couldn't.

Zexion barely registered what Vexen said, almost tuning him out as he looked straight in front of him. His mouth sort of dropped in complete shock at the situation. Emi was standing in front him... with barely any clothes on. Vexen's last word described the situation well to him: disgraceful. By no means was this Nobody a perverted one either; Nobodies had no such feelings and Zexion never particularly 'connected' with any females. It didn't help that he had never seen one this exposed, for he felt he was staring too much.

"I have been conducting myself in no such manner, Number Four," he managed to say, gaining his composure again. "This girl happened to find her way into my room, no doubt to cause mischief. What I don't understand is why our newest member allowed it to happen." Mild curiosity rang through his tone as he glared slightly at Nyxar. "Of course, I suppose one cannot trust others to fulfill their duties just yet."

He turned his gaze back on Emi, giving her a harsher glare. He was determined not to look any lower than her face, which he managed to succeed at as he stormed toward her. He forcefully grabbed her wrist and started dragging her back to his room. "In the meantime, I suppose you can meet our newest member Vexen."

[/size]

[Administrator]

I see a lovely bunch of coconuts...well, lovely is pushing it, but the saying holds.

After watching this part of events unfold, the beginning of the prank forming in front of him, Nyxar held back a smile, which was his body's natural response to this comedic situation. "And here I would have thought a scientist like you would have appreciated the natural state of things...well, that's what I get for thinking, eh?" Shrugging, the Nobody held out his hand.

"My name is Nyxar, I'm the newest member of the Organization. I'm the new number Eleven." I don't have a witty title yet, though I suppose that shall occur soon enough. "A pleasure to meet you Vexen." Looking behind him and making certain that Zexion had dragged Emi sufficiently out of range, the Nobody turned back to the Academic and muttered, "This was all the girl's idea. Her name is Emi, and I am currently attempting to get her to trust me so that I might use her as a tool in the name of the Organization. All of it eas for a good cause, I assure you. I don't plan on this happening often."

Nyxar laughed and shook his head. Hopefully, his fellow Organization member would understand his reasons and wouldn't inquire further. If he did, well, then this might get rather uncomfortable. He'd, after all, be under a bit of pressure. But that would be fine, so long as Vexen didn't inquire TOO much.

[Oathkeeper Emi]

You should have seen the look on your face! Haha!

--[/right][/size]

All the way back to his room, Emi let Zexion drag her but she had a childish smug look on her face. If Zexion had been the one with such a look, Emi probably would have slapped it off his face. She knew she'd gotten to him. Her plan had worked. She had thought of ways to push it even further but he had taken her away too quickly for her to put them into actions. When they reached his room and the door was shut behind them, she said "Payback for the illusion thing, jerk.[/color]"

Sure, she had punched him in the face but she hadn't gotten to enjoy the satisfaction of it having passed out seconds later. But this... this was good old fashioned revenge. As she picked up her various pieces of clothing and started to dress, she found herself grinning from ear to ear. It was just so much freaking fantastic fun.

But she knew she was totally about to get it. Zexion was just as childishly vengeful as she was. This would soon turn into a game of revenge tag, each one of them doing something to get the other in return for something the other had done, etc etc. He was pissed and Emi knew he had quite a few tricks up his sleeve that could make her miserable.

The question was, would he be able to use them? How would he justify that with the man in the hall, and Nyxar? Truth be told maybe on some level Emi had done this just so Zexion would get rid of her. But she mostly just did it to see the look on his face and it had been sweet."

[Fate]

Having Fun Are We?

He was slightly surprised he managed to drag her back into his room without a fight of any sort. Her plan worked then; he was a bit flustered now. Though, letting that show would be a mistake. Instead, he closed the door quietly once he managed to get the two of them in the room, letting go of her lightly so she could go dress. He turned away as she did, letting her have at least some privacy even if she did not care; it was obvious that modesty was not a trait she had nor cared about.

He waited until he thought she was done before turning around, a blank look on his face. His arms crossed themselves over his chest as he looked up at her, his eyes empty. She was grinning wickedly from her accomplishment: getting Zexion flustered, particularly in front of another senior member. It was a good thing he did not care too much for what Vexen thought about him as a person; he only needed his brain, after all.

"Do you feel better now, hmm?" he asked innocently, pacing a bit in front of her. "You can continue to play this revenge game if you wish. I'm not about to let you leave." He wandered over to his chair and sat down, the Lexicon appearing on his lap. "You might as well make yourself comfortable until I find something better for you to do; that is, unless you want to entertain yourself with Vexen. I do believe he is already annoyed with me; how deplorable."

The Lexicon idly started flipping pages, letting its master read. Zexion could have played into the revenge game; the temptation was there and he knew exactly what would make Emi feel horrible. However, the fact remained that while she could do all of the revenge plots she wanted, she was still stuck here. He wasn't about to let her leave just because she mocked him with her lack of proper clothing.

[/size]

[Matt]

A Possible Improvement?

Vexen glared at Zexion as he grabbed the girl and began to storm off with her. "Don't think you'll be getting off that easily Zexion." he called after them in a still unhappy voice. The Chilly Academic was not very sure what was going on at the moment, but one thing was certain: it was far from acceptable behavior by any means. He could only assume that the Superior had no knowledge of the scandalous events that appeared to be unfolding. But it was certainly something that would need to be brought to his attention as soon as possible.

Wait a minute... Had he just heard someone say "new member"? Wonderful. Another impudent imbecile to get in the way. Even with the recent loss of a certain few of less valuable members, apparently things still weren't going in the right direction. Not that that was really a surprise.

Turning, Vexen found the new member standing before him. It didn't take much examination to notice the abnormality of their appearance. He didn't look entirely human. Though technically he wasn't entirely human, but that wasn't the point. Were he a higher nobody, which he evidently was, human should have been exactly the way he looked. Not that his appearance was really an important priority at the moment.

So his name was Nyxar. It seemed a little strange that he would know Vexen was a scientist. He could only assume that he must have done his research, for there was nothing that would immediately tip him off on the subject... Had he just told a joke? If so it was a quite distasteful one. Hopefully there wouldn't be anymore jokes. They weren't something the scientist was particularly fond of.

"The pleasure is all mine..." he replied in a less than sincere tone, as he shook the other nobody's hand. It would be a stretch to pretend that he actually liked this Nyxar. Even if he were capable of liking him, he seemed rather annoying. But still... He was at least showing some sense of respect towards his superior member. That was more than could usually be said about many of the members of the Organization. Perhaps this new member would prove an improvement to those that had preceded him. Well, there was one way to see how helpful he really was.

"Tell me... Nyxar, who is this Emi, what is her relation to Zexion, and what is she doing in the World That Never Was? Humans do not just stumble here by chance."

[Oathkeeper Emi]

An idle mind is the devil's workshop.
--

[/right][/size]

She leaned down to finish lacing up her shoes.

"Actually, yes I feel much better thank you.[/color]

Really she did. Something about what she had just done had worked to de-stress her so she felt a little less trapped and like she wanted to break some crap and run out of there. She was tempted to just as he said and continue the revenge game. Just to see how far she could push him until he broke... but then she remembered what had happened the last time. A little- no, a massive pain shot through her chest when she remembered it, to the point she could feel it physically. She put a hand on her chest and made small, hurt noise. But then it was gone and she pushed the painful memories of his illusion away.

She wasn't sure how she was supposed to "entertain" herself with Vexen. Ah, that must be the man he was with in the hallway. She smirked. He'd certainly gotten an eyeful. But then she frowned again when she realized it wasn't actually an eyeful. Just a skinny, flat chested teenage girl with bad hair and scars. Whatever. She wasn't one to start getting self-conscious.

Somehow, she found herself sitting on the bed, staring intently at Zexion. She hadn't been aware she was doing it, but she sat there and watched him reading. No reason. He was just the only interesting thing in the room.

"Hey, remember that time I let you borrow my butterfly book? Oh wait...guess not.[/color]"

[Fate]

Lack of Clarity

Vexen shouted something at him in the hallway, something about not getting away with this. Yes, this had caused a bit of a scandal hadn't it? Zexion would deal with that at a later point, knowing full well that he could let it slip to the Superior that Vexen had gone over to Marluxia's side. It was a fact that while Vexen's number was higher, Zexion was the one in control and one that Superior held a certain trust for; well, that was how he viewed the situation. After all, if his theory was truly correct, Saïx did have something to gain by killing him off; rank.

The revenge game seemed to be over as she told him that she felt better; at least she had accomplished that for herself. He kept his eyes on his Lexicon, continuing to read. His ears faintly heard the sound of her sitting on his bed, which meant she wasn't about to go talk to Vexen. That was most likely a good thing, though it meant less entertainment for himself. She was going to stay here with him, watch him even. He didn't even realize she was looking at him until she spoke once more.

"I cannot," he told her, leaving the Lexicon open on his lap. The pages started flipping back to the beginning of the book, the pages that he originally started on. However, when he looked there before, there was nothing about his childhood. In fact, there was nothing before his early teen years. The only facts that could possibly link back were that his parents had passed and Ansem the Wise decided to be his foster father. There was nothing else.

"Though, I do not doubt the existence of these memories," he continued, looking at her more directly, "And I do not doubt that they happened. I am merely curious. Your memories of Radiant Garden have a certain clarity to them, something which mine seemingly lack. I wonder why that is so...?

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[Oathkeeper Emi]

And I remember everything, everything I loved
I gave it away like it wasn't enough...
-Start Again by Red
--

Now, Emi's mood had shifted into melancholy. "At least you aren't telling me I'm wrong anymore..." she said.

She wasn't sure how to answer his question. The answer was probably she was still herself, whereas he had... become something else entirely different. The memories in her head were still in the same vessel, they had just shoved to the back of her mind for years and years because they were too clear, too vivid, too painful.

But Zexion... his memories were not his own, not anymore. She scratched the back of her head, still trying to wrap her mind around that fact. She thought maybe, just maybe, those memories were still in his head... but they would be harder to uncover than they had been with her. She voiced her thoughts.

"Do you... do you ever thing you'll be able to get them back? The memories, I mean. Or are they lost forever?[/color]"

She almost didn't want to know the answer. If his memories were gone forever, that meant she was the only one left. It was selfish. She was the only one left that remembered herself. If Zexion didn't really, truly remember her, she might as well be the only survivor of that catastrophe. Maybe there were others out there... but she doubted they remembered the life of one little girl. And if they did, they probably had bad memories of her... Zexion may have been the only person in the whole universe that remembered good things about her.

She snorted. It was selfish but... understandable. She didn't want to be forgotten, because then she felt like she might just fade away.

[Fate]

An Illusionist From the Start

Zexion thought for a moment, glancing shortly at the Lexicon. The memories here were not the ones he was looking for, but they were all he had of Ienzo. He knew that living in the past was a foolish thing and that he could not return to it. However, memories were different. He did not like the feeling of not being able to remember something that someone else could. Why could they and not he?

"No," he said at first, "No memory is truly lost forever. Subscribing to psychological theories, your subconscious mind remembers all but your conscious one does not." He stood at this point, starting to pace as the Lexicon flipped slowly and somewhat randomly as it tried to guess where its master's mind was going next. "Memories can be forgotten in various forms, age being a prime example. Another is through the loss of a world, such as yourself. The others that survived Radiant Garden's Fall's memories were much like your own: forgotten, but not lost."

He stopped for a moment, his hand on his chin in a thinking pose. He wasn't sure why he had even bothered responding to this question and not continued reading now. What really mattered in all of this? He had been fine with not remembering his past before; Ienzo was no more and Zexion was all that was here now. Emi, though, was a stark reminder of what he had lost. Memories were all that the Nobodies had it seemed; remains of what they had lost and what they were looking to achieve once more. This thought process did not truly help him, but he continued to speak anyhow.

"None of this is the case here," he told her, studying her for a moment. "Age is no longer a factor since neither the mind nor the body deteriorates as a Nobody. Neither is losing one's world, for I remember Radiant Garden clearly. That would mean something else would have to be in play... but what?" He stood still again and continued to think, the Lexicon continuing to flip. It stopped on a page, seemingly transfixed on it. The Schemer turned his head to it, though he was admittedly confused by it.

It stopped on the page that described his powers that he had been gifted with inside of the Organization; the power of illusion. He raised an eyebrow to it, not entirely sure why his thoughts led him to this in particular. The entry there was very descriptive and detailed, though that was only natural coming from the tactician. Nonetheless, a few words caught his eye. "This power allows for the user to create an illusion of reality." It described more after that of course, though Zexion didn't bother to read what he already knew. He looked back at Emi, the blank face still there.

"It is a mental block," he told her, "Often enough, if something traumatic happens, the traumatized will try to push those memories away and forget them. Understand so far? His mind was racing naturally, though he had to remember to be patient. He paused for a second before continuing. "Occasionally, along with forgetting those memories, the traumatized attempts to bend reality, essentially lie to themselves in order to maintain comfort. This seems to be the case."

The problem was solved with an answer. Unfortunately, that was never the end and Zexion knew it. There was always the nagging question of what one was going to do with the information once one found it. He was not sure how to get past that obstacle in particular, though this was a start.

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