Old Habits Die Hard

Old Habits Die Hard; CLOSED
Topic Started: Jan 3 2010, 09:17 PM (115 Views)
Chizu	Jan 3 2010, 09:17 PM Post #1
ModPink Posts: 1,143 Group: Global Moderators Member #232 Joined: Sep 26, 2009	Sunday. Thifax stood on top of one of the buildings in Second District, watching as the fireballs she sent out moved through the streets. Monitoring Heartless activity was an easy cover. She wondered whether her fireballs would come back with any interesting information. Well, she doubted it anyway. She paused for a moment to look down at the network of streets below her, taking the time to think through her plan again. What am I doing? she thought for just one moment as she stood there. There was no logical reason for her to carry on like this. Logically, she should be doing as much as possible to carry out Xemnas's orders. And yet...something that Netto and Randy had told her in Shinya still stuck out. There was...a waste of human life going on here that her morals would never let her simply ignore. If she continued on this path, though, she would need to be extra careful. Let's hope she still remembered how to do this. With another glance around to make sure that no one was watching, Thifax entered the abandoned building where the meeting was to take place. She had already slipped by Arcadia's current headquarters with an envelope addressed to the Prime. The envelope contained the current time and location, and was signed cryptically with the numeral 3. Thifax had no idea what she hoped to achieve by the meeting, but she supposed there was no harm in trying.



Lawman	Jan 4 2010, 07:42 AM Post #2
Moderatus Rex Posts: 1,792 Group: Global Moderators Member #100 Joined: Jul 11, 2008	Flashback [Arcadia Headquarters; Prime's Office] "For me?" Lavender asked as an Earth division operative handed her an innocuous-looking envelope. There was no indication as to who the sender was, other than the number "3", and sought to address the current Prime - which would be none other than herself. "When you picked up that thing did you run it through a proper security scan?" The amethyst-haired Esper asked, reaching for the letter opener on her desk. "Positively, ma'am," the Arcadian operative replied, nodding his head. "No explosives, biological agents or toxins were found; it's safe." "Thank you; you're dismissed," Lavender nodded, gesturing towards the door leading out of her office; after the Earth division operative had left Lavender deftly cut the envelope open, removing a single piece of paper within, which turned out to be an appointment letter, requesting to meet her at a specific abandoned building within Traverse Town's Second District. The purple-haired Scotswoman huffed as she leaned back against her chair, reading the note. Could it be a trap? But no matter... Lavender tried her best to keep this a personal matter as she arrived at the appointed place at the appointed time; as such, the Arcadian leader showed up not in her Arcadian uniform, but in casual clothing. If Thifax had been observant of her surroundings, she would notice at this point a violet-haired young woman with pointed elf-like ears, wearing a flowing lilac-colored dress and a long-sleeved white blouse over it standing beneath the doorframe. "Are you the one who asked me out?" Lavender addressed the girl in black, in a friendly but cautious tone as she walked towards the girl, raising the note she had received earlier from her.



Chizu	Jan 4 2010, 10:06 AM Post #3
ModPink Posts: 1,143 Group: Global Moderators Member #232 Joined: Sep 26, 2009	If she had a Heart, Thifax would have been surprised. But on second thought, perhaps not that surprised. She was already aware that Hiro Tsukasa was no longer in contact with Arcadia, and if the group was still functioning, they would have a leader. But she expected someone like Fenrir or Celestial, who had been high up in the ranks during Arcadia's operation, not someone who was a complete stranger to her. Granted, she recognized the woman from the field. She had seen her in action during the first attack on Shinya, and recognized that she was a capable leader. Also, so many things made sense now. Had the leader been an old hand, it was unlikely that Tsukasa be kept out of the loop. Arcadia becoming public was one of those things she found odd as well, but one that made better sense now that a new person was in charge. Of course, she didn't discount the fact that this could be a trap. "You're the Arcadian Prime?" she asked mildly, her tone even and polite but with no emotion behind it. "You were at Shinya, so you know who I am. Organization Member No. III, Thifax."



Lawman	Jan 4 2010, 10:48 AM Post #4
Moderatus Rex Posts: 1,792 Group: Global Moderators Member #100 Joined: Jul 11, 2008	"You're the Arcadian Prime?" The girl asked as she registered Lavender's arrival. At the distance Lavender was now she could make out who it was - yes, she had seen that face back at Shinya, one of the Organization XIII members, and it was none other than... "You were at Shinya, so you know who I am. Organization Member No. III, Thifax." She continued, her voice was mild-mannered and respectful even with the apparent lack of emotion behind her speech. Lavender nodded at Thifax's introduction - apparently, like all Organization members she'd encountered since Kinclex this one bore no hostile intent; not that they had hostile intents to begin with, or so they said. Even if said Nobody wasn't here for a fight, Lavender couldn't afford to let her guard down. As Lavender's hand rested down on her side, unseen by Thifax's eyes the purple-haired Esper had her sidearm - her trusty H&K USP Compact - in a quick draw position in a holster strapped to her thigh, concealed beneath the loose, billowing fabric of her skirt that reached past her knees, ending halfway down the shins. "Well met, Thifax," Lavender replied, a friendly but mirthless smile on her face. Seeing how she had politely introduced herself, the purple-haired Esper did likewise. "I am Lavender Smith, and I am the acting Prime for Arcadia in the absence of the founder, Hiro Tsukasa." The aeromancer eyed Thifax cautiously, walking over to the Organization member until the two girls were merely ten paces apart. "You asked me out here for a reason, I suppose?" Lavender asked.



Chizu	Jan 4 2010, 11:29 AM Post #5
ModPink Posts: 1,143 Group: Global Moderators Member #232 Joined: Sep 26, 2009	Thifax noted Lavender's choice of words. In the absence. That implied that she didn't know that Hiro Tsukasa was alive and walking around, or she knew but he had somehow made it clear that until a certain point, she was to take over as Arcadian leader. Either way, it seemed as though this was a temporary arrangement. "I did," said Thifax when Lavender asked if she brought her out here for a reason. Thifax looked around the building, listening for any outside ears. Finding none, she nodded and looked back at Lavender. Lavender would notice that they were standing in a hallway, and the only windows nearby had been boarded up long ago. It was the perfect place to talk without being observed or overheard from the street. "Consider this a warning, Miss Smith," she said, "The Organization and its intentions are...not what they appear to be. You understand that I can't say much at this point, however, conflict between the Organization and the light-wielders in the future seems likely. It's also highly likely that Arcadia will be involved in said conflict, given what I know about this organization."



Lawman	Jan 4 2010, 12:21 PM Post #6
Moderatus Rex Posts: 1,792 Group: Global Moderators Member #100 Joined: Jul 11, 2008	"I did," Thifax replied. Lavender noticed that the Organization member appeared to be on high alert, carefully looking around her surroundings, presumably on a lookout for any ambushers - or eavesdroppers; whatever her intentions were, it appeared that she wanted to keep this meeting a secret. "I came alone," Lavender replied, dangling the Mentor's Stone in her right hand as she performed a test - aside from herself and Thifax, the stone revealed no other energy sources nearby. "Consider this a warning, Miss Smith," Thifax said. "The Organization and its intentions are...not what they appear to be. You understand that I can't say much at this point, however, conflict between the Organization and the light-wielders in the future seems likely. It's also highly likely that Arcadia will be involved in said conflict, given what I know about this organization." Now that came to Lavender as a surprise - now, she had her suspicions right from the start when Xenmas revealed his plan regarding Kingdom Hearts, but little did she expect her suspicions would be backed up by one of the Organization's own. Well, that certainly got the Arcadia leader's interest... "I have a few questions, if you're able to answer them," Lavender chimed in. "But why are you telling me all these?" The aeromancer asked - it seemed a little strange that Thifax would warn her about the Organization.



Chizu	Jan 4 2010, 02:01 PM Post #7
ModPink Posts: 1,143 Group: Global Moderators Member #232 Joined: Sep 26, 2009	Thifax nodded at Lavender's question. There was no emotion behind the gesture, however, it showed that Thifax understood the logic behind the question. In fact, she had been anticipating this, which is why she hoped that she was still able to do this. Otherwise, her words would mean nothing. She closed her eyes slowly, her hand clenching into a loose fist. There was a sudden flash of light, one that would be familiar to Lavender by now. Thifax's Nobody coat disappeared, replaced by a uniform that felt almost alien on Thifax's skin by now. A part of her recognized it, and Thifax realized that somehow, she was physically more comfortable in this than in her Nobody coat. The uniform was a white long sleeved shirt with sleeves that hugged her arms, with a black pleated skirt underneath and white boots with black trim around the edge. A black vest with white trim around the sides settled over the outfit, and a black cross pendant rested just below her collar. It was an Arcadia uniform--Faith's Arcadia uniform to be precise. "Reason enough?" asked Thifax as she opened her eyes again, looking up at Lavender.



Lawman	Jan 5 2010, 08:52 AM Post #8
Moderatus Rex Posts: 1,792 Group: Global Moderators Member #100 Joined: Jul 11, 2008	Lavender squinted slightly at the bright flash of light, and Thifax stood before her in a different outfit - gone was the greatcoat worn by Organization members, instead replaced by something the amethyst-haired Esper was all too familiar with. It was an Arcadia field uniform, right down to its standard black/white color scheme. "An Arcadia uniform..." Lavender murmured; there was no denying it. So Thifax was once an Arcadia operative, and that means she was once from Hyakuji. "Reason enough?" The Nobody asked as she looked up at Lavender. The purple-haired Esper nodded. "If you've taken the trouble to warn me about the Organization," Lavender began. "Would that mean you are our ally in this?" The amethyst-haired Esper asked. First things first, she had to know where Thifax's allegiances lay - despite knowing she was formerly from Arcadia and her warning about Organization XIII's motives, Lavender wasn't about to discount the possibility that she could also be a mole, sent by Xenmas to undermine her and Arcadia. "And I don't suppose you could at least tell me what was your previous name?" Truth be told, Lavender would very much prefer to address this Nobody by her human name.



Chizu	Jan 5 2010, 11:40 AM Post #9
ModPink Posts: 1,143 Group: Global Moderators Member #232 Joined: Sep 26, 2009	Thifax considered Lavender carefully, following the older woman's train of thought. If Thifax were in her position, she would consider the fact that she might have been sent here to gain Arcadia's trust. Indeed, that was the excuse she would present Xemnas with if any detail of her little escapade was made known. But that wasn't her intention, and she would have to find a way to make Lavender believe it. Of course, nothing she could say would give the older woman definite proof that Thifax wasn't lying. "You must consider me an enemy," said Thifax, finally, a coldness in her voice that hadn't been there before. "At least, the moment the Organization reveals itself to be a threat, you must. Because that's how Arcadia must see me. There are too many variables involved to trust the entire of Arcadia with this information. Maybe before...when the organization's existence was a secret and all of its members were chosen for their strength and their ability to keep secrets, but not now." "However," continued Thifax, "You may consider me an ally, privately. I don't have any proof that I'm not sent here by Xemnas to gain your trust, Miss Smith. I suppose you'll simply have to decide whether or not you can trust me." She paused for a long moment as Lavender asked for her name--her real name, not the one that Xemnas had given her. "Faith," she said, finally, "I don't think I need to caution you to only use it in private."



Lawman	Jan 5 2010, 01:43 PM Post #10
Moderatus Rex Posts: 1,792 Group: Global Moderators Member #100 Joined: Jul 11, 2008	There was a moment of silence, one which Lavender was expecting. The aeromancer had seen her fair share of moles back in her time in GLADIUS - would-be infiltrators sent in by enemy forces to undermine the organization from within, and Organization XIII would be no different from such enemies. After a while, the Nobody finally spoke, in that characteristically unemotional tone. "You must consider me an enemy," Thifax responded. "At least, the moment the Organization reveals itself to be a threat, you must. Because that's how Arcadia must see me. There are too many variables involved to trust the entire of Arcadia with this information. Maybe before...when the organization's existence was a secret and all of its members were chosen for their strength and their ability to keep secrets, but not now." Lavender nodded at Thifax's statement - with that line the aeromancer had to admit that there is a reason for her now to trust the Nobody. She still had her apprehensions, that was for sure, but there was no doubt that to have a pair of eyes and ears within Organization XIII would prove most useful indeed. Even if it meant Lavender had to keep her dealings with Thifax under wraps. "However," continued Thifax, "You may consider me an ally, privately. I don't have any proof that I'm not sent here by Xemnas to gain your trust, Miss Smith. I suppose you'll simply have to decide whether or not you can trust me." It took a while for Thifax to share her real name with Lavender, but she finally did. "Faith, I don't think I need to caution you to only use it in private." Lavender nodded at Thifax's - once known as Faith - statement. "Your word is good enough for me, Faith," A cordial smile crossed Lavender's face - this time displaying a genuine friendliness instead of the clinical charm the Arcadian leader had put on earlier. "They're proof to me that perhaps, there are still some things about you that the Heartless couldn't take away." Granted, Lavender had no idea what kind of a person Faith was before becoming a Nobody; but she believed it wouldn't be too much of a stretch to believe that she too was one who is kind at heart and possessing a heroic streak. "I suppose it's not an unreasonable deduction if I say we're essentially working for the same thing and for the benefit of the multiverse as a whole," Lavender reached out with her right hand to propose a handshake. She would like to believe that the damage done by the Heartless could be reversed; all those consumed by darkness - worlds and people - could be somehow brought back. Just not in the way Xenmas proposed, or so she hoped. Sure, Lavender's experiences had also taught her that hope leads to much hurt, but at the same time, it has always been this hope that kept her going.



Chizu	Jan 6 2010, 09:33 AM Post #11
ModPink Posts: 1,143 Group: Global Moderators Member #232 Joined: Sep 26, 2009	Some things about her that the Heartless couldn't take away... Thifax thought about the events that had led up to this...up to the moment she decided that her goals and Xemnas's goals could not be the same thing. Perhaps that was true. Perhaps there were some things the Heartless couldn't take away from her. One of those things was the belief that gaining her Heart at the expense of the rest of the worlds would not be right. And she would never be able to forgive herself for it once she had her Heart. Thifax looked at Lavender's hand. Here, she stood as the Arcadian she used to be, and not the organization member that she was now. Somehow, she realized that accepting Lavender's hand would be a point of no return. If the things she had already done hadn't made that point clear, once she took Lavender's hand, her fate would be sealed. No matter how this played out, in the future, she would appear to be a traitor. And she would die as a traitor. She reached up, slowly taking Lavender's hand and shaking it. It was a good thing, that as a Nobody, she didn't possess the ability to fear. The benefit of the worlds as a whole was more important than her own. As she released Lavender's hand, she let her Arcadia uniform fade away, replacing it with the Organization's coat again. Thifax reached beneath her coat and drew out a sealed envelope of brown paper, handing it to Lavender. "I want you to have this, but you can't open it yet," she said, "It contains information, but while I still act as the third member of Organization XIII, I'd rather you didn't possess that information. Please open it when I die or when my betrayal becomes public." Which, incidentally, would most likely be the same day. "More such envelopes will follow after this, with the same instructions."



Lawman	Jan 6 2010, 10:12 AM Post #12
Moderatus Rex Posts: 1,792 Group: Global Moderators Member #100 Joined: Jul 11, 2008	Those few moments were the most intense indeed, and Lavender felt almost breathless as she stood there with her hand outstretched. It was as if the entire universe hung in equilibrium. And finally, the Nobody reached out, taking hold of Arcadia leader's hand in a handshake. Lavender smiled and nodded approvingly at Thifax's - once called Faith - gesture, at least for her, at this very moment what Lavender saw was not a Nobody and Organization XIII, but a fallen Arcadian, miraculously returned from the dead. It was truly heartwarming, and Lavender felt it. The saddening part for the amethyst-haired aeromancer however was knowing that in her current state, Faith was simply incapable of feeling so. Perhaps it was a primal empathy humans share, that gave Lavender a glimpse of the Nobody's feelings - or lack thereof - at the moment they shook hands. As the two let go, Faith once more changed back into Thifax, the Arcadian uniform fading away, replaced by the Organization greatcoat. "I want you to have this, but you can't open it yet," Thifax said as she removed from within the folds of her coat an envelope of brown paper, passing it to Lavender. "It contains information, but while I still act as the third member of Organization XIII, I'd rather you didn't possess that information. Please open it when I die or when my betrayal becomes public." Lavender nodded grimly as she took the envelope from Thifax. She couldn't help but be filled with both admiration and pity for the Nobody - no doubt, once her actions came to light it would make her a traitor to the Organization, with only one possible consequence that the aeromancer dreaded to think about. Yet at the same time, it wasn't as if she could defect to the other party. A double-agent, forced to tread the fine line between light and darkness. "Duly noted... Faith. And, although it may not mean much to you... I wish you good luck in your endeavor." Lavender nodded affirmatively. Tragic and noble, if Lavender would say so herself, the situation unfolding before her was almost like the stuff Shakespearean plays were made of.



Chizu	Jan 7 2010, 10:41 PM Post #13
ModPink Posts: 1,143 Group: Global Moderators Member #232 Joined: Sep 26, 2009	Thifax had begun to turn around when she stopped suddenly, looking up at Lavender as the older woman wished her good luck. The words meant nothing, but she would have preferred it if they did. She didn't think that it was right, not being able to feel anything from those words. Still, they stirred up the memory of an emotion in her, and that memory alone was strong enough to make her stop in her tracks. Because it showed that Lavender cared. Thifax remembered what it was like to feel loyalty. She didn't think she would have felt it for Xemnas. But she might have for Lavender. In fact, had she managed to hold on to herself for just a few more moments, she might have been the one under Lavender's command. Someone else would have been Number Three. But that someone else would not be in a position to do what she was capable of doing. She nodded once, reaching up around her neck and holding onto the medallion. When it came to that, she was not afraid to die. And for those people who had enough emotion to count on her, and to trust her, she didn't intend to fail. Of course, she would need to deceive a fair amount of people to get anything meaningful at all out of all of this. "It means more than you think, Miss Smith. Thank you," she said quietly, before turning around fully. She waved a hand, opened up a dark corridor, stepped through it, and was gone. She wouldn't immediately return to the Castle. Instead, she would attempt to get something done that was actually useful to the Organization. At least then, her extended absence wouldn't be questioned.



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