Thirteen [Open to Org. EXCEPT XEMNAS]

[Fate]

Without Interference... Please
[July 21, 2010]

The Corridor of Darkness led straight to the round room, Where Nothing Gathers. No time had to be wasted then; they could start this initiation straight away. Any of the other Organization members could enter if they pleased, but Zexion did not care either way if they did. He wanted this to be done quickly and without any interference. If he could make sure the Superior did not appear, that would be even better. Liana did not need to meet the Nobody that would be dying tomorrow. She only had to report to him and Saïx at the moment. And that would most likely not change.

He turned to Liana now, the two standing in the middle of the room. "This is the meeting room, Where Nothing Gathers. You may only enter here through Corridor. We will begin the initiation briefly. Some of the Organization may also join us if they so choose. Tell me, is there anything else you wish to know before I begin?" There was something about this Nobody that made him suspicious. Then again, he mistrusted anyone that gave him the exact answer that he wanted to his questions. And after all of the traitors recruited in the past, he did not want to make the same mistake again.

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[Aerith]

I am merely curious.
--------

When the Corridor opened onto their destination, Liana stepped out into a room that felt incredibly isolated. Zexion confirmed this when he said the only access to this place was through Corridor. She was left to wonder if there was anything else outside this room. If this was all there was to the Nobody's world, there was simply no way for Lethe and Kyza to remain with her. They would be spotted quite easily.

After running her eyes over the thrones of varying heights, she turned to Zexion. "Yes, there is. What is outside of this room? I feel--" She caught herself quickly, then started that thought over. "It seems rather disorienting, not knowing where this is." There had been mention of sleeping quarters, now that she thought about it. "Are all the areas only accessible by Corridor?" She asked this purely out of her own curiosity. And even after she realized how it might be construed otherwise, it was too late to take the questions back.

[Fate]

You're Not the Only One

Her question was interesting, making Zexion raise his eyebrow slightly. She wondered what was outside of this room and if every area was only accessible by Corridor. Initially, he was suspicious. It either meant she did not know how to use Corridors yet, which he doubted, or she might be trying to bring someone in that could not use Corridors. It was questionable, though she also sounded merely curious. He did mention that there were other parts of this castle before.

"While this world itself is only accessible through Corridors of Darkness, the rest of the castle that this room is in is not," he explained, "There are many other parts of the castle and every room other than this one is accessible through ordinary means. The Grey Room is the main area of congregation for the Organization. It is where missions are handed out and one can relax." She would be seeing the castle shortly after this initiation was done. If this went well, he might show her some of it himself.

Though, now that he thought about, how was he going to go about this initiation? The Nobody he last recruited he had met before and knew about, but Liana he had no idea. He needed a little more history, a little bit more of a background. It might even clear up some suspicions he had, which would be beneficial to her and him at the moment. "Before I begin this initiation, I need to know a little more," he told her, going into his thinking pose. "I cannot fairly give you a title without knowing more. If the Dwarf Woodlands are not where you're from, then world do you come from?" That would be where he would start and then work from there. It was a broad enough question for her to answer as she pleased.

[/size]

[Aerith]

I will only say this once.
--------

So, they were inside another castle. She was beginning to see a trend.

Now that her question had been answered, Liana was presented with a question to answer herself. It was a somewhat complex question, since she was fairly certain Zexion would not be familiar with her homeworld. She had never heard of Heartless or Nobodies until Muriel mired herself too deep in darkness.

With a dispassionate tone, she explained her origins. "I am from a world called Merthyr. Our society revolved around the reverence of nature. It was somewhat of a decentralized religion, since we believed in many different spirits that governed the functions of the world. People were free to worship whatever spirits they wanted so long as they continued to revere the natural world. But there was an order of women who filled various roles as mediums, diviners, and healers. They inhabited the great temple we called the Palodinas. I was one of those women, hand-picked from the cradle. I knew nothing except my sisters in the order... and Muriel."

The barest hint of anger flashed across her face at the mention of that name. The taste of it was bitter, and she quickly moved on to erase it. The dispassionate look returned completely to her face.

"Merthyr was destroyed by the Heartless. Muriel allowed her greed for power beyond her already lofty position as High Priestess to consume her. The Heartless were drawn to her, but we did not know what they were. Muriel persuaded many that the Heartless were nature spirits given physical form and that it was necessary to sacrifice their hearts to them to gain eternal bliss in Paradise. When I went to confront her, I was attacked and lost my heart. Somehow, amidst the destruction of my world, I made it to Enchanted Dominion where I met those two Heartless."

She purposefully left out anything involving Owen. There was no need for that. This was simply an information session designed to build trust, not a therapy session intended to garner non-existent sympathy. She couldn't hold back everything about herself and expect to have a single shred of respect.

[Fate]

Duly Noted

Zexion listened intently, storing the information away for future use. She came from a world he had never heard of, one built around religion. She had been part of the order of women who kept the religion alive, or so he gathered. Not only that, but she had been handpicked from birth; she was no ordinary person in her world either, which meant there was even more to her than he could see. Almost needless to say, he was rather intrigued by what she was saying.

He was not one to miss the look that crossed her face either, the remnant of anger. This Muriel, greedy for power, did not sit well at all with Liana. From her description, Zexion could understand why. It sounded ludicrous to even think that one could gain anything satisfactory out of sacrificing one's heart to those creatures. What one gained when they lost their heart was far from Paradise, almost something that could be described as damnation. That's how many of the Nobodies saw it, Zexion included.

From what he was able to gather about Liana, she was a devout person and not keen on the idea of ones who lusted for power. Her role in the temple also suggested that she did not know just one type of magic like many of the Organization members did. That would be very interesting to have. "Very thorough explanation, and very intriguing," he responded after she finished. He liked thoroughness, often preferring it. It was just the right amount of insight he needed.

"You have a strong will," he proceeded to say, "That is what kept you from becoming a Heartless yourself, the fate most if not all of your world suffered." He paused for a second, thinking. A title was still not coming to mind to him, but her name and rank were. Alanix would her name, which had a certain flow to it. Her rank was simple, though slightly daunting to think about: thirteen. Hopefully, she would not betray as he did; becoming a Keyblade Master sooner or later would be helpful though.

Deciding to be honest with her, he spoke again. "I can only think of a name for you, not a title; perhaps more thought..." He trailed off, thinking for a second, then looked straight back to her; he could figure that out as he went. "Your rank is simple as well. You will be earning the rank of thirteen. If you remember the Keyblade Master I showed you earlier, his Nobody was the one to hold that spot before." He did not want to tell her anymore about Roxas. There was nothing else she needed to know at the moment.

"If you wish, I can start the initiation now," he told her, "Or, I can wait for some of the other Organization members to show so you may be acquainted with them." He kind of hoped she didn't choose to wait for other members. He didn't send out a Dusk for a reason.

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[Matt]

Another One?

The soft tapping of keys sounded through the Computer Room of the Castle That Never Was. Standing in front of the array of glowing screens, the Chilly Academic was searching for a certain bit of information on a certain topic. And as the large computer was supposed to contain knowledge of all of the Organization's affairs, it was naturally the best place to look. Or so one would think.

"No Results Found."

He frowned. So much for that. Evidently what he was after was not going to be found here, not so surprisingly. Although he had an idea for where to look next... That would have to wait. Through the use of his amazingly superior intellect, he was able to deduce that Zexion had just found a new member, and was beginning her initiation at that very moment. And while the last one of those had turned out to be somewhat of a waste of time, particularly after the Superior showed up, he supposed it could still be of interest to attend.

Appearing into his throne through a corridor of darkness, Vexen glanced around the room. Unsurprisingly, he was the first to arrive, and perhaps would be the only one to arrive. Most members did not enjoy coming to these little gathers, especially two within the same week. "Another one so soon?" he asked rhetorically. And not just another new recruit (only three days later), but another female... What were the odds of that?

"You know Zexion, the task of announcing this little occasion seems to have slipped your mind. I don't know how you expected everyone else to just know we were having an initiation..." Of course, despite this criticism, Vexen did not really feel like waiting for the others to arrive... They probably wouldn't come even if they were summoned. Far too undependable. "No point in trying to fix that now, I suppose. Just keep that in mind for future reference."

The Schemer no doubt would not appreciate the scientist's sudden takeover of things, but someone had to keep this initiation from becoming as long and dull as the last one. Which, as he recalled, Number Six had lead. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked loftily. "Introduce her."

[Aerith]

This should prove to be enlightening.
--------

Thirteen. The rank previously held by the Nobody of that child. Interesting. If the Keyblade master roamed the worlds, that must mean, of course, that his Nobody no longer existed. But if one of the Nobodies had discovered a way to regain his heart, why were the rest of them still here? Shouldn't they have used the same method to regain their own hearts?

Any further thought along that track was interrupted by the appearance of a new face. This one, like Zexion, enjoyed talking, it seemed. His tone of voice, however, suggested unbridled arrogance. He clearly believed himself above most things, and the way he talked to Zexion seemed to indicate superiority.

Unsure how to tread such unfamiliar waters, Liana chose to remain mostly silent for now. Although, she did say to Zexion, "I will do whatever you wish. I am not particular."

[Nothingness]

Yet Another Distraction

The cards had become an obsession for him ever since Axel's demise. His mind would not wander off of that subject; it just couldn't. It made no sense. There had to be some ulterior motive behind Axel infiltrating the Castle. He wasn't any fool, and there was no way that he would fight the Hero to the death. So there had to be something--"What's this?" A new card flew up, but it wasn't what he was expecting. A new member had joined them. Not officially, but had just arrived. "What the Schemer betting on no one showing?" Running the palm of a hand down his face, he dismissed the cards and vanished into a Corridor.

Taking his seat in the Round Room, he observed the newest member and the current ones in attendance. Vexen, naturally, was the only other person who would willingly butt in, and upon observing the new member's appearance, she looked to be a member of the Cloth. Interesting choice for the Schemer to pick up, but Luxord had at least a small amount of confidence in number Six's choice. Still, where would the fun be in not having a little game with the newest member? "Zexion," Luxord began, "I'm assuming you wouldn't be opposed to a small trifle of a test, would you? Just a whimsical game." Smirking, he looked at the newest member thoughtfully before asking, "You are walking along a lonely dirt road, and find two brothers, locked in argument and shaking swords at one another. Instead of overcoming their differences, they want you to settle it. They hand you a coin and ask you to flip it--heads, the brother on the left wins, and tails, the brother on the right wins. They do come to an accord, however, in that they'll kill you if you don't flip a coin or try to leave. The brother on the right says that he'll kill you if his brother wins, as does the other. How do you safely continue your travel and avoid certain death?"

[Aerith]

Does this count as overstepping my bounds? Hmm.
--------

Before Zexion could reply to either the new face or her words, yet another unfamiliar Nobody showed up. This one spoke in a curious accent and had a much more relaxed air about him than the one with long blond hair did. She was not all that interested in the idea of more tests. Was Zexion's judgment not good enough? And even Saïx had given his approval. Was she mistaken? Did this Organization not have one central leader?

There was something else that struck her as odd. So far, all of the Organization members she had encountered were male. Having spent practically all of her life surrounded by women--powerful women--this environment would take some time to get used to. If she stayed long enough to get used to it, of course. She would have to tread very carefully. If the Champion was insistent that she keep his secrets and report to him all of the Organization's major activities, she would be playing the part of spy. And she had an inkling that these Nobodies would not take kindly to her playing such a part.

A flicker of her old life came to the surface as she looked up at the newest Nobody, and she spoke before Zexion could respond. "For an Organization, this is not very organized. First, I have seen only four of you, and I know the names of only two. Second, there seems to be no set way to evaluate a candidate's worthiness if members can barge in and impose their own tests they create out of thin air. Third, I have still not been informed as to who exactly the leader of this unorganized Organization is."

She glanced next at the blond before returned her gaze to Zexion. Giving him a slightly apologetic nod, she said, "Forgive me for any impertinence, but if the temple on my homeworld had been run this way, it would not have commanded nearly as much respect as it did."

Brushing a few strands of hair out of her face, she looked back up at the accent-bearing Nobody. "But if you insist, I will answer you. Neither of the brothers can do anything if the coin is flipped but the results are not shared. As long as I know the results of the flip, they should do nothing to me, since they will be forced to wait until another traveler wanders by before they can decide their squabble." She tilted her head in thought. "Alternatively, if the coin was flipped hard enough, they would, in all likelihood, scramble madly off the path to find it, allowing me to continue on unharmed while they search vainly for the proverbial needle in the haystack. By the time they discovered the results, I should be well on my way."

Her stare was not intimidated in the least. "Are you satisfied, sir?"

[Fate]

Is It Possible to Get Anything Done Around Here?

Of course, this little meeting had to be interrupted and couldn't remain private. Vexen chose this time to come in and see what was going on. Normally, Zexion would not have an issue with this; after all, the Academic was a regarded member and a good acquaintance of the Schemer's. However, he had the audacity to give him criticism and take the control away from him for the initiation, commanding him what to do. Mind you, the Schemer took orders well and always did-- the right person had to be giving the orders. Vexen, in his mind was not.

While Liana told him that she would do as he wished, a fair answer, he glared back at Vexen. Harshly. Fortunately, to break the tension, Luxord came in as well. He gave Liana a riddle, which Zexion did consider using in the future for initiations; he always was a fan of riddles. It was a bit unnecessary, but he didn't object to it. He thought about it himself for a minute, going into his thinking position while taking his eyes off of Vexen. He found the answer for himself quickly, but of course had to wait for Liana to figure it out herself. She ended up doing that, and quite well, but she had other things to say first.

Interestingly enough, she said something completely different than answering the riddle first. Zexion listened intently as she spoke; the Organization was disorganized wasn't it? Right now, everything was chaotic since the Superior was acting separately. She did not know everyone's names yet either, which he could supply once she was done speaking; neither Vexen nor Luxord had supplied their names on their entrances. She also did not like that Luxord had given his own test even though Zexion had given his own. Her points were valid, which was why when she asked for forgiveness, he nodded his head.

Though, one could also question that and be suspicious when she asked for all of these things. He waited until she was finished before cutting in. "He should be very satisfied," he said, "You answered the riddle correctly and quite methodically. To formerly introduce you, this is Number Ten, Luxord, and Vexen, Number Four." He gestured to each respectively, though glared once more when he reached Vexen.

"If you would please reattach your mandible to your maxilla*," he started to say, his tone with a little more added force than before, "Then I will give you the unnecessary justification you ask for." He composed himself once more, turning to Liana. "Your points are very valid. The Organization has been suffering from chaos in its forming months. Our current Superior, who you will not be seeing at this meeting, has been incapacitated and thus has left us in our current state. Therefore, he has left me as his second-in-command to deal with the day-to-day operations, including recruitment and testing of new members." He looked specifically to Luxord when he said this, though nowhere near as harshly as he did when he looked at Vexen.

"And to answer you Vexen, I planned on holding this privately and reporting it to Superior myself. But, since you have decided to join us, I shall do the initiation ceremony now. Unless you wish to give me further objections?" He asked this nonchalantly, though just about anyone in the room could guess that Zexion was anything but thrilled with Vexen right now.

_{* Idea was supplied by Aerith.}

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[Nothingness]

How Rude of Me

A reprimand from the Schemer. How...weak. It wasn't that the Schemer didn't have a commanding air about him, it was that...no, wait, he didn't really have a particularly commanding air about him. Still, seeing as how this girl was no man's fool, Luxord figured that congratulations were in order, whether or not Number Six wanted it. Clapping his hands, Luxord smiled fondly at the newest number. "Bravo, mademoiselle. Both answers and very much correct, though I will say the first suits more to my liking. And I apologize for not formally introducing myself." Jumping off his chair and onto the platform, he bowed to her. "I am Luxord, the Gambler of Fate--Number 10. At your service."

Using a card to launch him back up, he landed lightly on his seat, and with a flick of the wrist, said to Zexion, "If you will pardon my interruption, you may now continue."

[Slash]

Saïx came in quietly, just soon enough to watch Zexion reprimand Vexen and Luxord for...something. Hmph. He doubted they would be horribly intimidated.

Luxord had apparently asked her a question and was pleased with the answer. He seemed more content with this one than the new Number Twelve, possibly because this one actually talked. She took orders without question and barely said a word unless spoken to first. The only thing that seemed to seperate her from a statue, mentality-wise, was her eagerness to fight whatever she could.

Speaking of which, where was she?

Oh, it's you.

[/center]

Aixfeur appeared quietly. She had been summoned, and of course had dropped everything. She was there because...well, no real reason. She didn't have anything to say or do. But she had been called there, so she was going to be there. Simple as that.

Looking down at the new member from her seat, she felt the slightest pang of recognition. That was...ah, that was the girl who had been with those two Heartless. The ones who she had gotten to take her heart. Yes.

She wondered where they were. Perhaps the girl and the Heartless had gone their seperate ways?

[Matt]

Getting Nowhere

And of course Luxord felt the need to show up, soiling all hopes of a serious gathering with his trolling bothersome presence. In retrospect, it probably would have been a better idea to send the Gambler a notification of the initiation if the goal was to keep him away. Perhaps if he had actually thought he was wanted there, he would have stayed away, seeing as aggravating his fellow members was obviously a hobby of his. Wasting everyone's time with a silly riddle, which Vexen rolled his eyes drastically upon hearing.

He stared down at the female Nobody with disdain, raising an eyebrow. How dare she address his superiors with such blatant impudence? Anyone who dared speak so boldly during their own initiation would undoubtedly grow to be quite a problem. "You prove your point with your little outburst. Any organized organization would not allow for such impertinence from someone who has yet to even be officially initiated." Looking away momentarily, he shook his head. "Simply deplorable."

"As for your answer to the very much unneeded riddle-- well I cannot say I am as impressed with your answer as Number Ten appears to be. Both courses of action you named have serious flaws in their logic, and aside from being rather questionable on their own, the solutions contradict each other. Evidently, you were trying far to hard to come up with something clever, opposed to something practical. Simply suggesting that you kill one or both of the brothers would have been extremely more logical." He paused, before adding with a slight, mocking smirk. "Unless you're too morally opposed to the idea of taking one or two lives. In which case I'm afraid you're in the wrong place."

Was putting the girl's answer through such analysis really necessary? No. Please, the riddle itself was mediocre at best; hardly worth the acknowledgement of the Academic. But the smug little brat was clearly in need of being knocked down a peg or two. Besides, someone needed to counteract the absurdly unwarranted praise she had been given. As if she was anything special.

He glanced back to Zexion, who seemed to be attempting to take back control over the meeting. “Oh no, by all means, Zexion: continue.” He noted without much interest that Saix and that other girl, Aixfeur, had just shown up. Apparently somehow, better attendance could be expected when no one was invited. “Perhaps now you can finally give us the name of our new Number Thirteen.” Casually, he leaned back. “We’re all on the edge of our seats, as I’m sure you can see...”

[Nothingness]

Against My Better Judgment

Luxord sighed--of course Vexen had to add his pointless two cents. Well, if he was going to play that game, why not join in? Giving the Academic a curt reply, Luxord chuckled a little before saying, "Well, leaving bodies behind isn't that good of an idea, either. After all, when you run out of closets, where will you put them? Under the dusty rug or with the elephant?"

To make matters better, Number Seven just showed up with the newest Twelve. "For not sending any Dusks out, Schemer, we've all come to see the newest member. Though, I so wonder how these two discovered it."

[Aerith]

Perhaps no one else has the nerve, but I do.
--------

This Luxord seemed to be quite the amiable fellow, going so far as offer her a bow. Though, she wasn't certain if it was a show of respect or an attempt to be flirtatious. Such a silly thought. A Nobody being flirtatious. Respect, then. That was all the gesture was.

The blond, Vexen, was Luxord's polar opposite in this regard. Whereas Liana could reciprocate Number Ten's respect, Vexen earned none of her admiration. In fact, quite the opposite happened. This male had dared to trample on her self-worth and question the validity of her words.

Turning directly to him, she took a deep breath and fixed him with slightly narrowed eyes. "And you seem to have no knowledge of the workings of riddles. You assume that you, as the person traveling down the road, possess enough strength to overcome either of the brothers." She gave him an appraising look. "Somehow, I doubt that, in your case."

She paused briefly to notice two more Nobodies enter the room. Saïx, she recognized. And the other also tugged at her memory. Oh, she was the woman who had demanded Lethe and Kyza take her heart. At least she wasn't alone in being female. Although, from the quiet way the woman observed everything, Liana quickly began to doubt the woman's backbone.

No time for that now. Her eyes returned to Vexen. "And I suppose you are of the mind that I cannot possibly have anything relevant to add to this Organization because of my gender. Do not try to deny it. I have seen your kind before. I have cowed your kind before. I imagine you are the one person here who buries himself in his pursuit of knowledge to the exclusion of all other pursuits. I imagine you despise--well, pretend to despise--everyone else here because you believe them to be inferior to you in every way. And you compensate for the fact that you are essentially useless by bludgeoning other people into believing you really are intellectually superior. But, in reality, you come off as an arrogant pig that everyone around you wishes they could skewer and roast on a spit, then feed to the dogs beneath the table."

Throughout her entire analysis, she did not once raise her voice or change her facial expression to anything other than cool calmness. Granted, she should probably have held her tongue. While Vexen had quickly lost any chance of having her respect, he had been with this Organization for far longer than she had, which wasn't a difficult accomplishment, seeing as she was still not technically initiated.

He would get no apology from her, though. If she was rejected from the Organization for what she had just said, then so be it. The Champion would have to find some other way to get the information he wanted. She would not be kowtowing to someone like Number Four.