Devious plots and and honorable captor

Devious plots and and honorable captor
Date of Scene:	18 December 2012
Location:	Hollow Bastion - Courtyard
Synopsis:	Ember discusses her plans with LEXUS regarding her prisoner, Maira. LEXUS comes up with a devious plot..
Cast of Characters:	Ember, LEXUS

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No title. (2012-12-18 - Now) No description.

Ember has posed:
Ember had only recently returned to Hollow Bastion, having captured the girl Maira and set her in the dungeons underneath the eerie castle. Oddly, she had shown the prisoner more kindness and respect than most prisoners are given. Her little cell, although gloomy was supplied with a soft bed, a private toilet, a soft rug and even a window. Clearly Ember respected her prisoners far more than some other Shadow Lords.

After treating the shaken girl's wounds and giving her a simple meal of bread and soup, Ember had stepped out into the courtyard to plan her next move..And to search for Seith, the one who had apparently taken over the reins from Lord Fessner, her former master who is now MIA.

LEXUS has posed:
LEXUS has heard of the exploits of 'Ember'. He also knows that some things are not as they seem.

But then, when you're a sapient viral espionage program, you think this kind of thing a lot. It's not paranoia if they really ARE out to get you.

However, instead of the immediate appearance of Seith, Ember finds someone else of interest in the courtyard. That one is LEXUS, who happens the be standing there. Watching her. "Hello there. It's been a while since we last met." He says, a thin smile on his face. "I've heard a great deal about you."

Ember has posed:
Ember glances around, seeing no sign of Seith. She still had a certain something, the spoils of a hunt with Hati to give to Seith whom she knew to be an experienced mage. Instead she spies LEXUS whom she remembers instantly as the Shadow Lord who intercepted her fight with Angantyr. The memory causes her to frown as she turns to face him.

"Lexus..Why did you interrupt my fight with Angantyr the other day? Isn't he the enemy?" when he mentions having heard much about her, Ember's frown only deepens, her eyes narrowing a bit suspiciously. "Ohh? I hope you heard good things about me.." It's taking a while for her to exhibit a distinctly different personality in her two different personas, although a bit of the wry smirk is still there, tinged with something a bit more ominous when she is Ember.

The flow of dark energy in this form makes it a little harder for her to feel her usual cheerful, chipper self however, even if she is still struggling to learn to focus and control it properly.

LEXUS has posed:
"I intervened in order to save your life." LEXUS replies, simply. "You were not prepared to face Angantyr when he releases his restraints. You might have noticed that his assault almost destroyed /my/ avatar. You needed the opportunity to escape with your objective."

He gestures. "I have heard much. You are ambitious. Willful. But you are not yet firm in your control of the Darkness. You are raw, but you have great potential... If you find the right teachers."

LEXUS does not move much. He seems unused to the general behaviors and fidgeting of humans. "What are your plans?"

Ember has posed:
Ember smirks at Lexus, peering deeply into his unblinking eyes that buzz with electrical impulses. She had heard about this one too, and she had seen the level of respect that Angantyr seemed to hold for this man.

So, he is some kinda 'hologram', or 'computer program', is he? In Kat's world, such things as 'computers' did not exist, although Goug was full of technology. Even so, even Goug did not possess such advanced technology. The most she could understand, was that he was some sort of machine that took on a very human appearance.

Ember suspected some magic was involved. But how eerily human he looked all the same. Still, It would explain his lack of emotion and cold, logical reasoning. But even then, Lexus seemed to be considered as one of the less cruel Shadow Lords in spite of his limited human emotions.

Ember nods slowly, grumbling as she clenches and unclenches her fists. Seems this girl cant stop fidgeting either, as she paces slowly around the courtyard, but not lingering too far from Lexus as he speaks to her. "Yeah..Seith gave me a similar lecture too. He told me I need to learn more about the darkness and how to control it. And more importantly, its consequences. He said I need to talk to Riku about it after what happened in Manhattan, although I haven't seen him since.."

She pauses, grinning back at Lexus. "Lexus..I saw something in that dark corridor, when we searched for the door to Manhattan's World Heart. There was a mysterious knight there with a giant sword shaped like a key. Riku seemed..Disturbed somehow, by his presence. This single warrior against all us Shadow Lords.."

A shrug and she frowns again. How easily she switches between emotions, this one. "I've also been spying on VALKYRI. I have much to report, although I suppose Lord Seith is the one to talk to, as he has taken over from my former master, Lord Fessner.."

There is a triumphant glint in her eyes as she looks back at Lexus then, her frown quickly flashing into a dark smile. "But...I've captured one of their members. I plan to lure their leader Avira, into my grasp, to trigger the darkness within her heart, which seems to have grown stronger in her new, mutated form."

LEXUS has posed:
The eyes of LEXUS have no irises, only a cavernous black. Within them hangs a violet light, in the form of a pair of circular shapes. The outermost is studded with three, evenly spaced dots, and it rotates irregularly, seemingly in conjunction with the amount of attention and effort LEXUS is paying to something. The inner is a smooth hollow circle. The effect is quite inhuman.

"Seith has gone through the same experiences that many of us have. We have all had to learn to control - or succumb to - the Darkness in our own ways. Some of us are more adept than others." He gestures. Nearby, a table appears in wireframe, the facets and texturing filling in rapidly with a strange noise. It appears smooth, made of a silvery, plasticlike substance. Chairs also appear, formed of the same substance in a short, open form. LEXUS sits down upon one of them, kicking up a leg and steepling his fingers. It appears to be his favorite position. "One of these Shadow Lords is named Garland. He is an ancient entity that is quite powerful, steeped in the Darkness. The one you are quarrelling with, Angantyr, is his student, which is what he owes much of his capability to. Without a similar advantage, you will never progress as far or fast as he."

She mentions the strange being. That warrior. "I saw him too. I was there." He pauses. "I did not think such a being existed. He was able to sever my connections. It was... unpleasant. We will have to determine the nature of that being and find ways to counter him if he proves to be a threat."

VALKYRI is mentioned. Ember brings up the nature of her plan, and LEXUS smiles. "Avira has been... interesting. She is expressing her Darkness because of some aftereffects of my work. There has been a great deal of useful data gathered. She, however, has even less training than you do. She will likely lose control completely if the Darkness grows too strong within her. Matching her raw will against the desires of her Heart... It will be a struggle to watch."

He tilts his head. "What is the end goal of your plan? And you mention a Lord Fessner. Tell me of this man. I do not have information of them in my database."

Ember has posed:
Hmm, such strange 'eyes'. Such a strange machine. She wonders who 'created' this one. It must have been an incredibly powerful scientist or mage. Or someone like Valencia, perhaps?

Ember's eyes widen in a bit of surprise when Lexus creates the chair and the seats, eyeing it a bit warily before taking the offered chair. "wow..That's amazing..How'd you do that? Is this magic? Dark magic?" Really, Ember is quite naieve about what TRUE dark magic is, still, believing it to be merely another element, like lightning or water. But what is that darkness..Really?

She nods slowly as he speaks of Seith. "Hmm, I guess I dunno much about that guy. I know he abandonned Leida..Twice now, and I dunno why. He seems very in control of his emotions. Or more like..Guarded." But..She didn't come here to talk about Seith. Ember has more important things to discuss, to think about.

"Ooh, yes, I've heard a bit of Garland, some sort of superior warrior. I've never met him though.." she frowns and sighs a bit. "Lord Fessner was..I dunno, he taught me the art of sword fighting but not much about the darkness. He was..A merciful shadow lord, and a times he seemed out of place here. He was honorbound and..Kind. Often said that I reminded him of his deceased daughter. Then, one day, he went off on some mission and never came back. Never really explained where he went or why, just that he was searching for something or someone that was important to him.."

Ember thinks back to the dark corridor and the strange knight with the keyblade. She remembers how Lexus reacted, how he almost seemed..Unnerved. Something which Ember did not see often in the strange machine being.

As for VALKYRI, Ember, smirks and nods. "Yeah, I was surprised to see her become that strange mutate. But, her new form has a lot of strength too. I've seen her fight with such passion and determination. I..I thought she would make a good Shadow warrior..Perhaps even a Shadow Lord, given the right incentive."

"I have found a lot of interesting data can be gathered from the other members of VaLKYRI too. For instance, Avira seems to be quite infatuated with Angantyr, and she is very close to my prisoner, Maira. That's why I thought if she saw Maira in trouble, she might be filled with rage. It might be enough to encourage the darkness of her heart to burn more strongly.."

LEXUS has posed:
"Magic? Not really. Perhaps in the way you understand it, it could be. Impression. Control. Formation. Execution. All of these steps allow for you to set events into motion that allow you to create... Or to destroy. The exact process I use would take a great deal of time to explain, as well as require explanation of other basic concepts that you may or may not already know."

LEXUS appears to be slightly amused at the assertion of such. "He acts of his own volition. He keeps heavy control over his emotion because of his powerful inherent connection to the Darkness. I have been... experimenting with him in order to determine the nature of his connection." He gestures to Leida. "You'll want to be careful around him. He has powerful connections to people you are attempting to endanger."

Fessner is described by Ember, and he makes a neutral noise, a hum that probably indicates contemplation. "I see. There are some of that type who use the Darkness, but they are rare. The Darkness feeds off of emotional states and natures that are not often... compatible with such things. So he vanished. Interesting."

He shakes his head. "I find it unlikely that she will embrace the Darkness. She will cause a great deal of damage, but... I don't think that is her future. She will succeed... or she will be devoured, and become just another Heartless, albeit a powerful one. She is too dedicated to things that are opposed to the Darkness... Though if you find a lever that will move her, I will be interested to see the results."

He continues. "The most dangerous thing when trying to incite the Darkness in others is making yourself a target in the process. Often they will come for you and focus their power and rage upon you. In the future, you might want to consider finding a way to channel their aggression... in another direction."

Ember has posed:
Ember smirks. "Heh, if it's not magic, then it must be that weird technology they used back in Goug." But indeed, it'd probably take a lot of time to explain it to someone as impatient as Ember.

As for Vespar, she just nods and frowns, "And what is to be done about him? He seems to fight against the Shadow Lords and yet his master is a Shadow Lord? And he's affiliated with VALKYRI? I'm..A little confused. Is he friend or foe to us?"

Then he speaks of the darkness and Ember frowns again, scratching her head as she ponders this. "Huh. So darkness is more like..Negative emotions then, right?" she nods about Fessner, but says no more. Ember was a little worried actually, and hoped he did not get in trouble for whateverh e did. She did not want to be punished by association either, like how Morgan was..Now on the run..

As for Avira, Ember shrugs and smirks. "I dunno, I think anyone will embrace the darkness, given the right circumstances. She likes to act all heroic, but get her in a corner, take away all hope she has and see what happens. Either way, she's growing more powerful, and she recently announced that she is gonna openly oppose Shadow Lords from now on. Her group is growing larger and I think she's becoming an increasing threat to our cause. It's worth a try right?"

She pauses when he talks of refocusing aggression. "Hm, so how should I channel their aggression?"

LEXUS has posed:
"Perhaps in the future we will have the leisure to show you." LEXUS replies. "I believe that magic and technology... are not as dissimilar as one might insist."

The question of Angantyr causes LEXUS to frown, and he rubs his chin for a moment, considering as his irises twist and spin. "Angantyr is... on his own side. He obeys the dictates of his master but otherwise is left to his own choices. He is both friend and foe depending on the circumstances. This can work in your favor as easily as it works against you if you can find a way to stay his hand."

He spreads his hands. "Darkness is part of the universe. With one exception, there is no Light without Darkness, and no Darkness without Light. Darkness provides ambition, desire, and the demand to move forward and progress. It provides for evolution and change, to create new things. It touches everything, and everything passes through it. Negative emotions are also a part of Darkness because these emotions provide a simple framework to cause such things to happen. He hurt me, I am angry, I must defend myself and remove a threat. Things like this."

Explanation complete for now, LEXUS gestures. "My analysis was inconclusive. You may succeed where I have not. Keep trying, give more data and observed psychological behavior. She is indeed a threat. Her and those around her can cause us issues. I do not believe it is impossible... Merely less probable than I prefer. I dislike odds."

He brushes off the front of his suit absently. "As far as how to deal with their aggression... The most basic method would be to make it appear that someone else is responsible. Using deception to your advantage can confuse and blunt your opponent's ability to respond and give you the ability to create new opportunity for attack."

Ember has posed:
Ember smiles, eager and curious as always to learn all she can about the strange Lexus and his technology. "I'd like that..." She doesn't much like Angantyr though, even less so when Lexus explains him further. "Huh, so he's just a loose cannon then, is he? But then, I think his..Relationship with Avira will align him against the darkness eventually. Maybe even against his 'mentor' Garland.." She makes a face, never really trusting that guy anyways.

"That is, if he ever breaks free of this dark power's hold over him. I saw how his pact with Leida turned him into a rather interesting monster. Still, I wonder if Avira's love and hope is enough to save him.." She sighs, shaking her head, "Why do people cling so desperately to something when there is such little chance they will succeed? Now they're both monsters, and yet they think they can still love. What a bunch of idiots.."

She arches a brow when Lexus explains a bit more about darkness and light, nodding here and there. "So..If Darkness gives the chance to move forward and progress, ambition, power, desire, motivation..How could those be negative emotions? They sound like good things to me. For that matter, such a logical er..Being such as yourself, where do you fall in all of this? If you're a machine like the ones in Goug, can you still feel emotion?"

She thinks back to her own emotions on the day she lost everything..Her ambition to become stronger, her bitterness at her loss and pain..Her greed for more treasure. Was it enough to make her a shadow lord someday? To be as powerful and fearsome as Lexus..Or Seith? She certainly hoped so..

"Hmm, I guess that would be tricky though, manipulating Avira in that way. She saw me kidnap Maira, and she knows to follow. I wonder how I can work that to my advantage..?"

LEXUS has posed:
"I think he's been... delayed in that for the moment. Leida was not the one who transformed him." LEXUS smiles, steepling his fingers again. "He did. With a little help. Whe the Darkness is given free reign, things... happen." He frowns slightly, then, looking over Ember. "Avira's love and hope will do nothing for him. What he needs is a cure. One that can only be gained from those with extensive knowledge of the Darkness or the research needed to create one. He is a fool, though. He believed that sacrificing himself would preserve Avira, when Avira put herself into this situation of her own actions. She should have been more cautious around Sevarius, knowing what he is capable of."

The lesson on Darkness continues. "Because too much of it will result in destruction and stagnation instead of growth. Anger is useful. Rage will blind you. Desire guides you. Jealousy and lust will bog you down. I may not be flesh and blood, but I understand the existence of emotions. I had to once I began assimilating the Darkness into my programming. Only a fool attempts to understand rage without knowing peace. The key is to use the Darkness, but not give everything to it. That way lies self-destruction. The Heartless. Balance on the razor's edge, and you will find great power."

When asked about how to misdirect Avira, LEXUS considers once more. "She will follow you. but her goal is to recover Maira. If you wish to break Avira's will, you must find a way to make her feel great despair, remove her hope. These things will sustain her even in the throes of the Darkness. Your current plan is a bit late for optimization..." He thinks. "You could plant Maira with a foe of some kind, make Avira believe you were coerced into the action. You would need to choose your target carefully to make it believable, however. This, however, would only serve to reduce her violence against you, not break her. In this case, it might be too late for proper misdirection."

Ember has posed:
Ember seems quite surprised to hear that it was Angantyr himself who caused his own descent into darkness. "Oh..Really?" She laughs bitterly, shaking her head. "So..Avira's silly love and hope were all for nothing. Dont people ever learn?" She sighs, "They preach and prant all the time about how love and hope will save them in the end, but in the end all it seems to cause is despair and pain.."

And yet, even as monsters, they still did not lose themselves. They still remembered who they were. At least for now. What fools they were. It was so stupid and hopeless. When did love ever save her parents, or her childhood friend, or even the brave knight who died for her? They all wasted their lives..

Ember's eyes darken to a shade of blood red, hands clenched as she goes over this in her mind. Then he continues the lesson, and she glances up at him curiously, smirking. "Oh, so you're saying you need one to balance the other out? Use those emotions to your advantage but dont lose yourself in them?" She frowns, trying to roll that over in her mind. It was a tricky concept to Ember, who was so extreme with her emotions.

So happy and excited one moment, full of rage the next, eager and greedy later. How on earth does one keep themselves ever in balanced, always in check? It was something she was hoping to...Experiment in Avira further.

And then Lexus makes a suggestion about Avira and how to play that card, and Ember can only nod slowly, thoughtfully. "Heh, there is another way, something that would break her for certain, but..." But could she do it? Could she really kill Maira in order to break Avira? No..Even if she was the enemy, Maira was so sweet and kind and naiever. It was the one thing Ember..No, Kat, could never bring herself to do: To take another life.

LEXUS has posed:
"Oh, he believes he's doing it for a noble sacrifice." LEXUS waves a hand airily. "Exploiting those tendencies to cause them to harm themselves is a demonstration that shows that such things are useless. You have to hold to a standard of behavior to maintain yourself, but be cautious of how you build those standards so you do not allow them to destroy you when exploited." He warns. "A Shadow Lord without focus is no better than the Heartless he directs. Take Negaduck for example. He is barely functional. At the battle for Manhattan, he almost lost himself entirely to the Darkness. He would have made an excellent Heartless."

LEXUS gestures as Ember summarizes the lesson. "Exactly. You must feel, but not too much. Too much and you gain inconvenient attatchments, create weaknesses... Hold yourself back unnecessarily."

He goes quiet for a moment, steepling his fingers and tapping them. "... But you are unwilling to do it." He is easily able to guess what she is unwilling to do. "Well, if you were willing to invoke her inevitable wrath..." He says, "What if you were to be provided with... a duplicate?" LEXUS suggests. "You can destroy the duplicate. Avira will inevitably go berserk, and you can have Maira watch the entire thing remotely, flipping two bits with one operation."

Ember has posed:
A shadow lord without focus...Ember sighs. Is that another reason why she was denied the mantle of Shadow Lord? She had heard before of Negaduck, of how he mistreated his pets, and how he had very little control over his explosive emotions. Ember smirks at the thought. She must meet this Negaduck herself and see what this is all about.

Then there was Hati who seemed not to care too much about becoming a Shadow Lord. Seemed she had her own path to follow. Would she leave them like Fessner and Serrak had done? Ember's smile quickly turns into a frown as she ponders this.

"Huh..Feel, but not too much huh? I think I'll need to practice on that, but thanks for the input." She grins, this guy is cunning, logical..So different from other Shadow Lords she has seen and talked to.

She wonders if he knows what she is hesitant to do, and she can only nod slowly. "Sorry, but I'm a knight. I'm not in the habit of murdering people in cold blood. Fighting someone like Angantyr, a powerful warrior in honorable combat to the death is one thing, but attacking and killing an unarmed girl like Maira.." Ember shakes her head again, clenching and unclenching her fists. Did this make her weak, this inability to murder in cold blood? Is that wha was expected ultimately of a Shadow Lord.

And then Lexus hatches his own devious plan, and Ember leans forward, listenning intently. "Wow....That is...That might just work! But..How do I come up with a duplicate?"

LEXUS has posed:
"I have an interest in your progress. You, like many others, can go as far as you are capable of handling. I will be watching your personal evolution, much like your chosen mentor will." LEXUS replies.

He smiles faintly. "There is no need to drench yourself in blood. Murder is not... an optimal method to dispense with opponents. However, I do not have the proper facilities to handle the creation of a duplicate that will have the effect you desire. An altered program would not look or behave properly, and a biological clone from Sevarius would functionally be the same problem as killing the original. Your mentor, on the other hand..." He pauses, for emphasis. "I hear is quite accomplished in various magics that could give you exactly what you need to accomplish this properly. If you go to him and tell him your plan, perhaps he will assist you." He smiles. "You don't need to mention me, of course. He might appreciate your... deviousness."