A Watching Eye

A Watching Eye
Date of Scene:	01 January 2013
Location:	Hollow Bastion - The Library
Synopsis:	Seith walks in on Hati performing a bit of her own 'magic', but the two do not exactly hit it off like fireworks, even if they do manage a reasonable conversation.
Cast of Characters:	Hati, Seith

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Hati has posed:
For all the skills that a werewolf might be able to provide the Shadow Lords, there are relatively few that often get called upon in Hati's case. Usually, she is asked to be the 'dumb muscle' for someone else's plans, and rarely is she called upon for her quickness, her wit, or her skill with a blade. One of her lesser known talents is one of those rare magical abilities that she has honed over the years - and the only one that Serrak had ever been able to teach her. Magic simply didn't come naturally to the wolf, and this small shred of it had come after years of practice and patience - which would surprise many who have seen the short-temper that she usually shows. The fact she can scry at all seems like a small miracle.

The small werewolf is off in one of the alcoves near the library, her trenchcoat left hanging over a chair, as well as the leather holsters for the two daggers she almost always wears beneath it. Instead, the girl is wearing only a sleeveless shirt, which shows the line of pink scars that sometimes criss-cross along one arm. She's wearing a necklace with a blue gemstone that hangs down along her chest, which is a recent addition, but otherwise she seems little different from the girl who had walked away the victor from their match in the courtyard.

Before her lies a silver bowl, partially filled with a slightly gold-tinted oil that seems to shimmer on the surface. One of the daggers is missing from it's sheath, and lays on the table nearby. Slowly, Hati takes it in one hand, and runs the edge of the blade against the palm of the other, holding her hand tight as she grits her teeth, then extending it over the bowl. A few drops of crimson fall into the oil, splashing and then swirling slightly with the motion of the oil.

For the moment, the wound she'd just inflicted on herself is ignored, and the wolf leans forward, obviously looking for something in the motion of the liquid. Her eyes widen, and that injured hand grips the table slightly as she watches, ears tucked. Then, it's gone. Her eyes search the surface, and ... nothing. "Damnit." She growls, slaming her hand down on the table, then whimpering as the pain returns.

Seith has posed:
The clacking of metal and boots against the stone floor of the Hollow Bastion rings through the hallways. For once, Seith had not been within the library - and who knows what the heavy armored elf has been up to. As he moves through the halls, he flicks his fingers now and again, lighting the torches upon the walls as he passes through. He's not doing this for dramatics, he just wants the halls to be well lit, and allow himself to see clearly as he moves through them.

It's when he reaches the large doors of the library that his footsteps stop. It's rare for others to invade this place - although LEXUS had said that he was interested in learning more of the books in this particular place. The man then hears sounds - something moving. The man decides to enter, carefully opening the door and letting himself take a moment to get used to the different lighting of the library.

When he corrects his vision, his gaze lands upon Hati, just as the girl gazes into the bowl and tucks her ears. This is soon followed by her rude exclaimation, and the man wandering further into the library, letting the doors close behind him with a dramatic 'clunk' of wood against the frame. "What is wrong, miss Hati?" Seith offers, halting a few feet away from her so he would not intrude. His hands are behind his back, and the man looks more curious than anything else.

Hati has posed:
Normally, it wouldn't have been hard for the wolf to hear Seith coming through the halls or into the library. However, there is a certain amount of focus required by scrying, and it often calls for tuning out outside distractions. The sound of metal footfalls and the flaring of torches to life fall under such distractions. The fact that the halls hadn't been lit, though, suggests that the wolf had been here for quite some time. The small candle that sits beside the seer's bowl has burned down and there is a journal with a few pages worth of writing laying open on a nearby table.

Of course, the sound of a voice speaking directly to her, and then the clunking of the heavy doors causes Hati to turn abruptly, those mismatched eyes on alert and her ears perked. The movement causes her hand to wipe past the stone table the bowl rests on, leaving a distinct red smear across it. "Seith." She narrows her eyes at the mage. The last time she'd really had any interaction with him had been the day he challenged her in the courtyard, and she had proven herself that day. Shadow Lord or no, the girl isn't the sort to go addressing most of the others in Hollow Bastian as 'Lords' unless they earn that right.

With a growl, the wolf flexes her hand, then steps out of the alcove just far enough to reach her things and pull out a small coil of bandage. Apparently she does this often enough to be prepared for such things, and without saying a word, she begins to wrap her hand ackwardly. It's a difficult task with just one hand, but she doesn't ask for his help. "No matter how skilled the seer, sometimes if you look for something, it remains unclear." It's a cryptic answer at best, but scrying is that sort of art that sometimes works like those who search for the future. Sometimes there are flashes, scattershot images, but some of the skill is in interpretation.

"Sometimes the others ask me to look for people, but they don't even know who they are looking for. It's like searching a drop of rain in a river. It's impossible." Likely, she'd been asked at some point to search for one of these Princesses of Heart, or for the mysterious Keyblade wielder, or for any of a number of other people that seem to be on the Shadow Lord 'watch list'. This, though, seems personal. The wolf isn't lying outright, but she is dancing /around/ the truth. She hadn't been looking for someone unknown for some other Shadow Lord, but searching again for her wolf, with the same frustratingly vague results.

Seith has posed:
Seith is... surprised when the girl almost seems startled. Almost, but not quite. While still moving towards her, he starts getting the view of her actions a little belated, so by the time that she steps out of the alcove, she's already wrapping her hand with the bandage. The man continues to step a little closer, and then places his both hands out and with their palms aimed up. "If you wish, I can wrap your hand for you. My daughter got herself some cuts now and again - so I kind of know the spiel. A glance towards the table behind her of course betrays that this wound is likely self-inflicted for the purpose of... whatever she was doing. A purpose she words not moments later.

"Oh? A seer?" Upon having spoken those words, she can probably tell in his eyes that she just got his attention. Did he not know that she offered that service? And if he doesn't, what may be the reason he doesn't know? Is he mistrusted by the other Shadow Lords? It doesn't look like he cares that she simply called him Seith. It's more than enough for him that she actually spoke his name.

The man's gaze skips to the bowl once more, as well as the stroke of crimson on the table, and then looks to her. "It must be difficult indeed, to look for something without knowing what you are looking for. Like looking for an answer without looking for a question. What are you looking for, perhaps I can help? Although, of course, no promises in that area."

Hati has posed:
The wolf looks up with a piece of bandage caught between her teeth, narrowing her eyes towards Seith as she tucks it around the palm of her hand, wrapping around the fingers. "I'm not your daughter." She states as if this weren't painfully obvious. Hati is the unwanted daughter of an alpha - the girl not quite good enough to replace Serrak's own lost daughter, and she certainly has no wishes to act as anyone else's surrogate. "I'm fine. It's a high cost, but blood is the only price for more powerful searches. Unicorn blood is good for most things that take a bit more effort, but the seer's own blood is the most potent."

She finishes tying off her hand, but doesn't seem to feel any need to explain her gift. Whatever reason he has for not knowing about it, it doesn't seem to matter to her. "It's something only the most gifted can manage, and I'm not that gifted." The wolf explains, grabbing a towel and using it first to wipe off her hand, and then the dagger. It's a wickedly shaped thing, with a curved, ornate blade - the sort of thing that doesn't really go with someone who usually fights as a huge, hulking wolf. "Doesn't mean I can't try."

Like most wild animals, she doesn't like to turn her back on someone she doesn't trust, so the girl steps into the alcove sideways, keeping a wary green eye aimed at him as she goes to clean up the scrying table. Other than Hati, it seems to go unused these days, and now that the oil has been tainted with her blood, it is useless to any other potiental seers until she's cleansed it thoroughly. "There are a number of things that cannot be found. Those who are shielded by great pwer - like the Princesses that Lady Malificent seeks. Those who are dead, and have passed on to the other side - into the farplane, or the domain of Hades, or whatever other underworlds exist. Those protected by a seer themselves. And lastly... those who simply do not exist."

The table is cleaned, and the wolf tips the contents of the bowl into a basin nearby - she'd dispose of it later by burning the oil, but for now it can sit there and wait. "I think what I seek is the later." She laughs humorlessly. "It's like a human praying to some god, when they are only really talking to themselves. A futile effort, but maybe it soothes the spirit somehow." She shrugs her bare shoulders, flexing her fingers now and again as if the pain is something she might want, rather than wish to avoid.

Seith has posed:
Seith patiently lowers his hands back to his sides, and then crosses them along his midrif. "No, you are not. I was merely pointing out that I've bandaged hands before." He reminds her, "Please don't try so desperately to find for fault in my words, there is no need for that." The man relaxes, and then nods patiently as she speaks of blood. "Unicorn blood?" He repeats after her, somewhat surprised. The true pure blooded kind from those rare worlds where such things existed, or the monsterous versions from places like the World of Ruin?

When she's done though, the man looks elsewhere - to the panes of glass that allow light to flow into this place during the nights. Now, there is only a moon that shines its silver gleam upon this place. With her trying so badly not to show her back to him, he decides to move away from her a little - to give her room. "There's so few things in life that are only for the gifted, and that cannot be learned otherwise." Seith comments, "So Scrying is one of those things you say? Interesting..." He pauses for a moment, and then adds; "But you are right. That doesn't mean you can't try."

He then turns his body halfway towards her again, and nods his head. "That's a lot of restrictions. It is more interesting though, how you seem not to know what you are seeking, but you are seeking." He moves his hands to his back, laying one palm into the other and wraps his fingers. "And you seem to think they don't even exist. It sounds like you are looking for Hope after all."

Hati has posed:
The wolf growls faintly under her breath. "Lost daughters seems to be a common theme among Shadow Lords. Unfortunately, it's the wayward replacements that get abandoned time and again by their so-called fathers." The wolf is obviously referring to herself, but there's more to itt than that. While she has few allies among the Shadow Lords, it is fairly common knowledge that one other had disappeared along with Serrak, abandoning his own apprentice, Katyna, in the process. "Then again, you've let your heart grow cold when it comes to that, so maybe you won't have to repeat their mistakes."

Hati still remembers his words about his lost loved ones, and her judgement on him still holds fast in her mind. He is little better than a Heartless, himself and his reasons are little more than the excuses of a weak man not willing to take responsiblity for his mistakes. Of course, she doesn't put this to words, but it's clear that she doesn't care for the mage's company in the least. It's no different than most of the other Shadow Lords, though. She tolerates their presence, although she would claim none of them as friends, or even as true comrades.

"Innocent blood is good for dark deeds." She shrugs, then steps out from the alcove again, walking over to pull up her daggers. The leather straps are laced in around her shoulders, normally hidden by the jacket she wears. "Work can only get a seer so far. The rest depends on having the gift. I don't." She explains without any hint of self-pity. "Serrak had the gift, but even he couldn't find the one he wanted most to see. Maybe that's the curse that comes with having such power."

With a dismissive snort, Hati tightens the straps, checking the reach of the two daggers where they lay against her back. They are neatly hidden there, where it takes only a motion of her hand to unclasp them and turn them into deadly weapons in her grasp. "There are probably a hundred 'Hope's in the world, which one do you want to find?" She smirks with a roll of her eyes, not really enthusiastic about playing along with the mage's idea of mind-games. "You should know who I seek." Really, it is a bit foolish for her to expect him to remember that offhanded comment - the one where she had mentioned wishing to find Serrak and the 'White Wolf'.

Seith has posed:
"Oh?" Seith expresses in regards to the werewolf-girl's comment about lost daughters. "I never abandoned her, nor do I seek to replace her. To do so would be foolish. Nobody could take her place." He remains collected about it; "Though I would not say that I've let my heart grow 'cold', Hati. She's dead - let the dead rest. There are many reasons for that, more than just the one I spoke to you that day."

Still, he's not that willing to go on babbling about his inner doubts and what-not. He's not even understanding what Hati's big deal is - since she seemed to agree that the dead should remain dead. His gaze trails over to the daggers, taking note of them as well as their leather straps. It's understandable that the girl would have a way to battle outside of her werewolf form. "Ah yes, I did hear that Serrak had that gift. I should have guessed some of that would have been passed down upon his apprentice." He'd had some scrying done for him in the past after all. Had that been Serrak perhaps?

The little snort then draws his attention back to the girl. "What hope /I/ want to fight? Hrrm... I think I've spoken of my 'hope' to you before. A better world in which people have the power to keep their loved ones alive. A better place - one without foolish impurities." It's a loose translation, but comes down to about the same thing that Hati wishes for.

"As for what you seek. I can only infer by your comment that they 'don't exist', that this would be the fabled White Wolf you spoke of?" Seith tips his head up a little as he says this, before he wanders off to a nearby chair and settles down. "Would you mind telling me a little more about this? It interests me."

Hati has posed:
For all that she had once had self-control over more instinctual reactions, this has faded over time as her memories returned. Wolves react differently than humans, and the smallest disrespect can often be seen as a threat. Her lip curls, but somehow she manages to restrain her tongue or her claws. It's not so much his words themselves, but that feeling like he's trying to pick at her for information. The wary parts of her wolf mind tell her to say nothing at all, but that wouldn't really work in this situation. So, Hati just growls, running a hand through her dyed hair.

"I'm starting to think they did." She had seen how lost Katyna had become without Fessner, and while she has managed better without the presence of her so-called 'father', the return of her memories and all the chaotic emotions that come with them has not been a pleasant experience. "But I think we can have a difference of opinion on the state of your heart." It wouldn't have been a far stretch to say that the wolf's own heart had grown cold, but something had awakened it again. Maybe those memories, maybe Skoll's arrival in her life, maybe the tales of the White Wolf, and the knowldge that if she gives in to the darkness, she might never find them.

She reaches a hand for her trenchcoat, plucking it up off the chair. It isn't the one she normally wears, but an older, patched one with signs of many past battles shown on the leather. "And I think your hopes are foolish. You can hold back death, but you can't stop it, not unless you want to strike a bargain with the lord of the Underworld, and even then it comes with too high a price." She shakes her head again, as if his words were something that bother her ears and she's trying to bat it away with the motion. "All you can do is fight to protect what is yours, and cherish it for as long as you have it."

As she slips on the coat, her hand touches the small black crystal that she'd looted from the Powerwild she and those in VALKYRIE had taken down. As much as she hated depending on other Shadow Lords, perhaps he might have some idea of how it might have changed that Heartless. "The interest of most Shadow Lords comes with a price. The more you know about me, the more you can use it agaisnt me. So tell me why I should do that?"

Seith has posed:
"My own lifetime is enough. I don't fool myself into believing that I have more than what nature has granted me. And though I may be an elf, I am certainly not the youngest of elves." But neither is he that extremely old. But it must be noted that when it comes to Morgan and him - time ran differently. She left their world earlier. Time was no in synch for the two of them. It's sad really, how he's freed his best friend from the Shadow Lords, though doesn't desire her thanks - nor does he come out with whom he is. In a ways, the best test to the coldness of his heart, would be her.

He turns himself back towards the panes of glass. "I am certainly not disagreeing with you, Hati. In fact, I simply agree with you on your words. Though there are some who would trust their friends to help protect what is theirs as well." He's not trying to imply a thing, he is simply reminded of how far people like Reize will go out of their way to do certain things for their friends.

The rummaging within her own coat then perks those elven ears just a little. That little 'twitch' as muscles pull, because one hears something. He turns back to her just as she is asking that question. Seeing as the crystal hasn't come out yet, he just observes the girl with her hand in her coat. "I am not interested in 'prizes' or 'things I can gain'. Whatever information you may have about yourself; I have no interest in using it against you. Remember, I found Leida - having abandoned the Shadow Lords - yet I didn't harm her either." The man pauses for a moment, hoping that he said something vaguely useful to make his point.

"I guess there's no reason to trust me, or why you would share your past with me. It's just my nature. I am someone who lives within the library after all. I love stories. Call it curiousity if you may. But I do not mean to pry either. Anyhow - I think I'm starting to run off on a tangent." He looks up to the moon outside the window for a short moment, and then looks back to Hati again. "I guess... if there's one reason... it would simply be because I'd like to know more about you - just as I do about my other allies. Maybe learn something. I'll see where it goes from there."

Hati has posed:
In some ways, hearing these creatures who live such long times talking about their lifetimes always itches something beneath the surface. Maybe it's all the times that she's come within a breath of dying only to somehow survive. Skoll would never have to worry over that, and this Elf would live long after she's gone - so long as the world still exists, that is. Their scale of time is entirely different from hers. "Friends, hrmph." The wolf huffs, letting out a breath that blows a few strands of hair out of her eyes. "Maybe if I had such things, I would."

In all this time, there are really no others she could claim as friends. Skoll was her brother, and their relationship is still tenuous at best. Katyna... well the wolf is certainly protective of her in that older-sister sort of way, but their paths may go in separate directions sooner rather than later. "I don't know much about Leida." The wolf replies with a shrug of her shoulders, "But you can't stand here and tell me that if it came to a choice between her life and yours, or mine, that you wouldn't choose your own in a heartbeat."

Shadow Lords were selfish creatures by default, and even Hati would be averse to sacrificing herself, with the exception of a rare few. That thought comes into her mind then. Even if the White Wolf were a stranger, if they were in danger, she would still lay her life down for their sake. Foolish, but that is the way of hope sometimes, and for this wolf, it is a hope that may never really be found.

Her hand tightens around the crystal in her pocket, "The legends say that once, there were two wolves, bidden by the spirits to chase the sun and the moon as the greatest hunt. My brother and I were named for those wolves, and told us that it wasn't a story, but something real." She looks away, looking towards the moon. There is that ache in her chest, like some piece of herself is missing, lost. The anger ebbs and her ears fold back slightly. "I don't know who they are, or if they're even real, but I want to believe her."

With a growl, Hati breaks that moment, closing her eyes tightly and looking back at the armored elf. "Are you happy now?"

Seith has posed:
"I am... unsure." Seith answers. He's a man who doesn't 'need thanks'. Someone who doesn't believe he's specifically 'above' other people. "It would depend on how well I knew the other person. It may be foolish of a thing to say, but if another's value exceeded mine... or I guess, if I were deep friends with them, then I might sacrifice myself for them. Had my daughter not performed such a deed before I had the chance, I would likely have sacrificed my life for hers." And with that, she granted him life anew... one he'd used for revenge, and then to join the very party which got his family killed. He could not just go 'throwing it away'. But many might feel his choice in joining them... foolish.

"But on the topic of friends... perhaps you might try it? Although I guess it's rather difficult to 'just become friends'. After all, it's something that is developed." He is no stranger to friendship at least. He'd made friends in the past, and he's certain he could again if he wanted to.

The man ensures to be looking to Hati when she begins to speak about the legend. He gets comfortable within the nearest seat for it, in fact, and shows very clearly that he is listening. Upon the mention of a brother, he nods his head a little. "And what about your brother? Does he believe in the 'moon' and the 'sun' to chase?" After all, her decision to believe in that story might very well have to do with her brother as well. Family, after all, creates such intensely deep bonds at times.

The man then nods his head. "I am glad you shared that with me. It's a shame we do not have the ability to see the Threads of Fate. Though I hear Hades might have the ability to have those looked at... probably for a price as well, thus not something I'd suggest you do."

Hati has posed:
"She was brave, then." It wasn't that long ago that she had a conversation with Katyna about what it would mean to sacrifice yourself for someone you cared about. The knight, of course, had thought such a thing foolish, but it makes sense to someone like Hati. The pack, family, mate, these are the things that matter most to a wolf. Defending them is as natural as breathing - and it doesn't require the necessity of thought. Alas, Hati really didn't have any of those things, except perhaps her brother.

"I'm not exactly sure you should be the one trying to give me advice, elf. An old phrase says this: Why focus on the speck in your brother's eye when you miss the log in your own?" As stupid as it might seem for this thief/werewolf, she has spent a decent amount of time reading, which means that she has a few interesting phrases at her disposal. "It means worry about yourself before you start trying to fix others."

With that much said, the wolf pulls her hand out of her pocket. At first, it's still impossible to see what she's holding, "My brother believes, but he refuses to see those who care for him because he's blind ot the search. He insists he'll know, so he doesn't even /look/." Hati had already spoken to Skoll about this, and maybe she had gotten through that thick skull of his, but he had said that his heart wasn't his own, either. She is no expert on those he served, but his fight with darkness is his own business. She is certainly no help there, all she could cause is harm.

The thought of possibly striking a deal with Hades to find her wolf... it lingers in her mind a for longer than it rightfully should have. The longing has been there for so long, and with no relief. No. "I believe fate is what we make. I will find my wolf by searching with my own means, or I will not find them at all. I must be the one to catch them, or else the thread of the story is broken."

Seith has posed:
"She was... very brave." She might note just in the slight inflection of his voice that, while it was easy for him to say that she'd sacrificed her life for him... 'talking about it', was far more difficult for him. He averts his eyes momentarily, thinking about the loss of his family a bit 'too much' when Hati is around apparently. It does seem like there are some hangups regarding daughters within the Shadow Lords, that much is certain.

The man then shakes his head in regards to whether or not he should be giving advice. "I don't mean to meddle, Hati. Please don't misunderstand." He comments. "Still, I guess you are right. It's not like I have much in the way of friends myself anymore."

In regards to Skoll and Hati, it sounds like Hati got the smarts of the two of them in some ways. Yet... "It sounds romantic in a way." Seith has to admit, followed by a nod. "I mean, all of it. Making your own fate. It being your own journey. Having a symbolic person out there, waiting for you." It's hope, and he knows it. A very strong hope in fact.

The man then turns his gaze to her hand. "What's that?" He asks, recognizing that something is 'within' the hand.

Hati has posed:
There is the slightest of tilts downward from those wolfish ears. It's that slight change in his voice that does it. In her mind's eye, a memory filters to the surface.

She was small then, still a child. Skoll was off training, but Odin was there in the garden. Her mother was backed up against the wall - cornered with no chance of escaping the alpha. His words were like daggers, with every accusation you can imagine, and she let them come. Her mother had always been strong enough to withstand his words, but that only angered him more. It was when he raised his hand to strike her that Hati had enough. Her small jaws latched onto his hand, and in a matter of moments, he had slammed her into the wall, and then thrown her off of him, letting her skid across the snow-covered ground. In that moment, she saw the hurt in her mother's eyes, and the loss, even before her father turned upon her. No one attacked the alpha and lived.

There is an unfocused quality in Hati's eyes for a moment, and then a whimper as she shakes her head, trying to dislodge the hold of that memory. She reaches up, eyes closing, growling to herself, "Damnit." For that moment, she nearly forgets herself - where she is and what she'd been doing. Then, Seith's voice brings her back to the moment. "But if it isn't real... then it's the worst kind of false hope." If that is one of the few things keeping her together, then should that faith waver even the slightest, it is all to easy to topple that house of cards.

The question has her blinking, still trying to return from her own memory as she lifts the crystal in her hand. It's a strange star-shape, with smaller crystals that seem to float off of it by some magic power. "A Powerwild attacked some crossdressing boy in Traverse Town the other day. It was different somehow, though. Bigger, and it wielded fire. It dropped this after the fight was over." She turns the crystal in her hand. "I don't meddle with synthesis much, but it looks like one of those sort of crystals. I've never heard of one having that sort of effect on a Heartless, though."

Seith has posed:
Seith watches the girl as she becomes lost in her own memories. His ears twitch as the girl's sounds fall from her lips, and he considers her... with worry. He can only imagine what she is thinking of in that moment. What kind of memory she is reliving to create that kind of unfocussed gaze. She'd become a Shadow Lord, and he knows just how much she hates her father. But there must have been far more than just that to form Hati into who she is now. The 'reasons' for who Hati is now.

Still, in the desire not to meddle, he doesn't ask her what had caught her to be so... distant... in that moment. Not right now. Instead, he simply asks; "Are you alright?" It's an honest worry. "I don't know about that though. I mean, yes, it probably is the worst kind of false hope if it isn't real. But can you truly ever know, until the day you depart the world of the living?" He asks her. Still, he's not going to tell her wether to believe or not.

Then the crystal is brought up, and the heavily armored man watches it float a little. "A Powerwild?" He asks. Those were Emblem heartless. "If they are bigger and wielding fire, then it's probably something 'created' by someone. I don't know about Synthesis, nor the creation of them however. I don't know if those materials go into creating the Emblem carrying ones, or if they are simply a result when defeated. What I do know, is that LEXUS might hold that answer for you."

Hati has posed:
At the very least, Seith has the intelligence to let the memory play out rather than trying to interfere in that moment of silence. So far, these revelations have always been quick, and people have been too surprised to get involved. With the magic holding back those memories fading, who knows what would happen if someone actually /did/ try to step in. "I'm fine. Just old memories." She mutters to herself, rubbing the bridge of her nose before blowing out a breath of air.

His question about 'hope' has the wolf giving a more serious look at the elf as her eyes open, "I imagine it's like believing in anything else. There's only so long you can hold onto faith in something you can't see or touch." At least she isn't alone in that belief, though. Her brother still searches. Shrugging her shoulders, Hati rubs at her neck. She's been craned over the scrying pool for a while now, and it's lead to stiff muscles, "I wouldn't expect anyone else to understand." She barely understood that connection she felt.

When he can offer her little in the way of answers to her quandry about the crystal, the wolf sighs, closing her hand over it. "There was no one there controlling it. So if that's the case, whomever made it just let it run free. What a waste." She tucks the crystal back into her pocket. It still didn't really answer the question on if the synthesis material is safe or not, though. "LEXUS." The name draws a small growl from the wolf. It seems bad enough that Katyna claimed both LEXUS and Seith somewhat responsible for what happened with VALKYRIE, but she doesn't want to get dragged into some other Shadow Lord's plans. "I'll ask, but I don't trust him. His influence and yours nearly got Katyna killed. I'm not going to be anyone's pawn."

Seith has posed:
"Hrrrrm." Seith lets out a rumbling and somewhat concerned sound when Hati explains that indeed, she'd been reliving old memories. It's a gaze he'd seen in others before, she wasn't the first one. The continued discussion on hope however, simply has him nodding. "It's different for everyone." He admits. Strength of Heart, belief, all of that. It's never the same for anyone. But Hope did seem to be at least some level of constant, in that it tended to be good... at least in the beginning.

When she then goes on to comment on the heartless, the man nods. "The heartless are a natural force. Either you lead them, or they do their own thing. Emblem or not." Seith notes, and manages to answer her unanswered question moments after; "Either way, the element is harmless on its own. The Moogles might be able to do something with it." His gaze then grows darker. "As for 'my' influence - I don't know what you speak of. Clearly, you dislike LEXUS for some reason. But if you are refering to the Illusions I gave Katyna access to - it was by her request. She manipulated them herself. Though I do believe... she wanted a specific 'werewolf' as one of the illussions." He notes, without speaking a shred of untruth.

"I don't intend to make anyone into my pawn. Certainly not Katyna or you. Though you may want to watch the poor girl. I sent her to Riku to give her an idea of the dangers of darkness... but I am worried that she may not catch onto the message. Though, of course, it is her own decision what to do. It seems she wishes to come under my tutelage after all."

Hati has posed:
Hati easily dismisses matters of the heart, and lets the topic of her Wolf fade to the background in favor of the discussion about the Heartless and the crystal it left behind. "I know that, but someone had to have brought it to Traverse Town. Like that foolish man with the pot-Heartless before. I don't know of any attacks planned, and this one had no backup. So either it escaped someone creating Heartless, or someone set it loose with no concept of the danger." For all that Hati might be allied with the Shadow Lords, she is never one for random destruction without a purpose.

"No. I thought LEXUS to be one of the wiser of the Shadow Lords, but Katyna lead me to believe that he nudged her towards using that flame-girl Maira as a weapon against Avira. It nearly got her killed, and the entire plan seemed like a foolish idea." Her tail sways behind her in an irritated fashion. "She's far too impressionable. She'll do anything someone suggests if she thinks it will prove herself to the Shadow Lords." There is a part of her that stores away the mention of that 'werewolf' illusion, but it doesn't actually concern her at the moment. Katyna only found out recently that Skoll is her brother, so she can't be held responsible for plans made before that.

"I've already tried to warn her, but she wants so badly to make the darkness her own. She doesn't seem to care about the price." The wolf's ears slick back. "I don't want to see her hurt, but I don't want to stand in her way if that's what she wishes." She slides her hands back into the pockets of her jacket. Some friend she is - a failure even to the one person besides her brother that she cares about. "Maybe you'll have better luck with it, but I can promise you something. If you get her killed with some plan of yours... you'll be joining her shortly there-after."

Seith has posed:
"Pot-heartless?" Seith asks, "You mean those things with the spiderlegs?" The man knows of a wild variety of heartless, and make no mistake, he can 'change' heartless if he wants to. But that's all but temporary sorcery. "Either way, I am afraid I don't know. But there's enough amongst us that will set Heartless loose while knowing the danger just fine, Hati. Think of people like Negaduck." He points out.

The man then nods his head. "I don't know what the deal is with LEXUS and Katyna. So I am afraid I cannot comment on that. But I do get your statement about her being impressionable. Although I think it's more like... she will take power at any cost. A dangerous thought to have."

"As for letting her make darkness her own. Who knows, maybe she'll surprise her. If she wants me to teach her, I will teach her. I won't stand in her way. But neither will I let an ally die. So you do not need to worry about that. I feel she has a certain... how do you say... potential."

Hati has posed:
The wolf nods her head just once, affirming the identity of the little thief-Heartless that were running around Traverse Town. "This desert-looking guy with a turban was using them to steal things." She rolls her eyes. "He had a treasure trove down in the sewers under Traverse Town." VALKYRIE had gotten most of the leftover treasure from that adventure, but Hati had been unconscious for most of the divvying up. Of course, they probably didn't look to fairly upon her snatching the crystal this time. "Hrmph. Negaduck would have stayed around to watch the destruction." She notes, looking at him with those mismatched eyes.

With a slow breath, Hati flexes her bandaged hand, a bit of red having seeped through the wrapping. It's nothing that a potion wouldn't fix, but the pain helps to clear her mind and get rid of the haze from her memories. Her gaze is a fierce one, but it's searching as well. She's still hovering on the edge - not really a true member of the Shadow Lords, and not an outsider either. Skoll wants her to try to find the light, but thus far, her experiences with the so-called heroes has been lackluster. The only one she would miss if she were to leave would be Katyna.

"If you know darkness as well as I do, you know it's a slippery slope. It takes more than just physical strength to use it without it turning around and using you." She speaks of darkness as if it were a living entity, and perhaps it is, in a ways. Light and dark were elements, with as much living qualities as any of the others. His mention of the knight-girl's 'potiential' draws a small growl from her lips, though. "She'll do what she wishes. It's her choice." She has to keep reminding herself that Katyna isn't part of her pack, and that she should butt her big wolfish nose out of her affairs.

The wolf tugs up her jacket, looking distinctly unsatisfied and perhaps a little unsettled by the conversation. "I should go. I'll leave the library to you to do ... whatever it is you came here for."

Seith has posed:
"Hrrm. Don't believe I know the person you speak of. But that kind of behavior is laughable." He may not judge often, but such obvious show of greed was indeed just that; laughable. Don't be mistaken, he has his own sets of norms and values. "But you are right, Negaduck would have stayed. Still, heartless are often left roaming to do their thing when they leave this place." He notes. "I don't think anyone is taking up the specific responsibility for that."

The man's green eyes trail their gazes to the girl's hand as she flexes it, before he comes to stand erect and moves around to a small table nearby, taking a book from it and walking it to the shelves in order to put it where it belongs. He doesn't always use his magic to do these simple deeds. Or rather, sorcery. That gaze in her eyes though, he caught it when moving away for a moment. He wonders what it means. What she is being so 'fierce' and 'searching' about.

"I do indeed. It's a very slippery slope. It takes willpower to contain and control it, not physical power. One needs a strong heart. But still - yes, it is her choice, as I said. But I will also take responsibility. I won't let her get herself too deep too fast. That'd be quite dangerous to herself."

The book is placed in its spot, and the man looks Hati's way once more after ensuring that the book is placed in its rightful place. "Oh, one more thing. This is... a favor if you may. Or a trade, if you would want something in return. Do you think it's possible for me to make use of your abilities to Scry? There's a group of people I'd like to keep track of now and again."

Hati has posed:
"The Heartless are not toys to be played with, but I suppose you give fools enough rope and they'll hang themselves." The wolf growls to herself, imagining that particular scene with some relish. Vengence is one of those things that goes hand in hand with the rage within her, whereas the more positive emotions work in contrast. "At the very least, I know that this won't be a danger to place in the hands of others. That's enough for now." She might try to sniff out more signs of who might be creating these kind of Heartless, but in truth - she had far more important things on her mind.

Her eyes do follow him as he moves around the room, but the wolf seems more wary and watchful now than outwardly agressive. Maybe he wasn't as responsible for what happened to Katyna. The girl did have a way of getting herself in over her head. Then again... that doesn't mean that she trusts him. "So long as you know the price, then perhaps you can save her from herself. That's something beyond my power." She tucks both hands into her pockest, taking up the last of her things with the conversation all but over.

He stops her though, one step from leaving. "Favors. Hrmph." The wolf rumbles, and it is as much of a warning as anything else. She is not so much different than others, who would expect fair payment for her services. She might work for the Shadow Lords, but even she had a price, and she would not go out of her way for them without it being paid. "So be it. Pay the price, and I'll be your eyes." Alas for Seith, the wolf doesn't mention just what that price is just yet. Let him think about just what he's willing to offer her in exchange.

With that, the wolf swooshes out of the room, her tail the last thing he sees before she vanishes around the corner.