What We Know

What We Know
Date of Scene:	16 September 2013
Location:	Fluorgis - Shard Seekers HQ
Synopsis:	The Seekers speculate on the nature of the keyblade quests.
Cast of Characters:	Lily, Faruja Senra, Shiki Misaki, Zia, Deelel, Chita

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Shiki Misaki has posed:
It is less than 24 hours after the ordeal in Castle Oblivion.

Getting down the mountain and out of the darkness back to the World of Ruin was considerably more difficult than getting back to Fluorgis. Quite a few Heartless, to say the least.

But for those of you who went to retrieve Shiki, the worst is behind us, and we can go and crash for a while.

It's time for that customary time where we sit around and tell everyone what we did on our vacation type evening at home, if by 'vacation' you mean 'soul-harrowing fantasmic journey'.

And there's a lot to talk about...

Shiki immediately collapses into the nearest comfy chair as soon as she can get through the door, taking her hat and shoes off.
"What a night."

Zia has posed:
Unbeknownst to many, what might have been a 'long night' was actually more like two strung together without nearly enough sleep. Adding injuries and a long journey home on top of it means that Zia is just about half-dead by the time she drags her sorry self through the door of Shard Seeker's HQ. Though her crystal held off stone sleep, it didn't mean she could stay up forever, and right now, the floor is looking awefully comfortable.

Oh wait, chairs. There are chairs. *floomp* The gargoyle slumps back into one, then winces as her injured wing gets jarred. A potion or two on the way had helped, but she'll need a full day's regeneration to fix that particular problem. "Dinnae even get me started lass... Ah could jus' aboot fall asleep right here."

She leans her head back, legs sprawled out, looking as if she might nod off before any conversation is to be had. Then again, certain individuals who may just show up might give her reason to wake up a bit.

Chita has posed:
Chita had actually taken off as soon as he got outside, and not really said why past 'Priel was missing'. He didn't have time to expand upon such, and even injured, on his Chocobo, he seemed to make relatively good time 'away' from there. Perhaps someone else had realized that during the scuffle with Lucas he had stuck Priel on his Chocobo to run outside, and by the time they got outside, the Chocobo was confused about something and Priel was gone.

He would go looking for her.

It was only by coincidence that after his failed search he had came back towards this area after the detour towards Luca following a group of Heartless that might have held Priel, Chita made his way back towards the crossroads to head back towards Fluorgis. Which is why the garden door to the HQ opens and Chita slips inside, closing the door behind him. Senra, his Chocobo, was free to wander around the back area. He was good mannered. He wouldn't eat any plants... that didn't smell like Gyshal, likely. "Ah... you did make it back before me. I imagined such. How long have you been here?" His right arm was wrapped up in a sling made out of a scarf, one might remember he hurt said arm in the encounter in Oblivion.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Fresh off the heels of his most recently diplomatic mission, one Temple Knight Faruja Senra has beaten a hasty path back to Fluorgis upon the first word of 'Shiki', 'danger', and 'injured persons'. He's barely been in the building for five seconds before he's sizing up those here; Even before he speaks, the group of tired adventurers are already being hit with Cure spells.

Nor does he look particularly happy. "By Ajora, are you all alright!?" Is his first question, unnecessary as it may be. That red eye of his is wider than usual in concern, tail lashing, and generally looking worried out of his gourd. Zia, and even Chita are being attended to most, given their obvious injuries.

"What happened, Shiki?" He asks, kneeling beside Zia's chair, peering at a wing. Chita does get a slight glare at first, but otherwise the Templar seems far more concerned with the well being of his friends for the moment.

Lily has posed:
It's about this time that the door to the good ol' HQ creaks open again, and Lily and Dandy - who've both been AWOL for months - trudges in. Or rather, an extremely excited Dandy on a leash is tugging a very exhausted and dirty Lily in through the door and she's struggling and gasping to keep up.

But once they're inside, the girl - her cothes somewhat tattered, muddied, showing a few minor bloodstains, and otherwise been through hell, and expression weary, looks up...

And that weary look turns to jubilant glee. "HOOOOOOOME!"

Dandelion the Beagle goes charging around the room, barking up a storm.

Lily's glee dampens when she notices Shiki though... and she can't help but mention sympathetically, "You look how I feel... I hope nothing too bad happened...?"

Deelel has posed:
Deelel wants some down time but that's not possible at the moment she had in hand as she's flopped down what looks like a water bottle but the stuff in it is faintly glowing liquid she flops into a chair and starts to drink it without much of another word. She does seem to be out of it also a bit beat up, but then again it's hard to tell just how badly Deelel is hurt normally. Unless it's really bad and she's starting to have exposed voxels really. She looks over to the Templar for a moment.

"So there you are, greetings Templar."

Deelel is so not moving but the return of Lily does get a smile out the program.

"Nothing ... bad? You have no idea Lily. There's been something poking at out dreams and more."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki gives Zia a sort of 'buuuuuuuuuh' in response. "I know, I know. But..."

Mr. Mew is already makin' coffee. You know you can't resist the coffee. Not as good as it could be if someone with thumbs was making it, but how can you say no to the cat plushie?

She looks at Faruja and Lily, the latter of which makes her smile if only because her cheer is a welcome break from the atmosphere that was hanging around the group.

And they /are/ home. That's a good point.

"Probably only been back for a few minutes, actually," Shiki says to Chita, not actually sure how long she's been staring at the ceiling.

"Well... huh, hopefully we can all figure it out together," she says to Faruja. "'cuz I was hoping to get some answers, but I just left with more questions than when I came in. I'm sure the rest of you want to know what happened on my end as well... and how I got this."

She holds out her hand, half-gripped- and with a swirl of light, her two-tone keyblade appears in it, green and pink and marked with tattoos.

Zia has posed:
And there's just the person to wake Zia from her exhaustion. The moment that Faruja enters on the scene, she sits up a bit, which brings another wince. "We'll be alright, Ah think. Nothin tha cannae be healed, given time..." Then, her thoughts shift to Priel. Blue eyes shift to Shiki, then to the arriving Chita, who had stayed behind to search for the missing dragon-girl. The fact he'd come back empty handed said everything.

Oh, yes, thank you Faruja for making it easier to be in glomping distance. The poor mouse is likely in for a surprise as Zia hesitates a moment, and gives him a quick hug around the neck. Then, perhaps realizing how odd her behavior is, the gargoyle sits back a bit, flustered, "It's... good te see ye, as yerself that is." She mumbles, ears tucked down.

Something clearly happened here.

Zia offers Lily a small smile as the girl arrives, and then waggles her tail slightly at the dog. They were close enough to gargoyle beasts for her to have a fondness for them. Then, her nose catches the smell of coffee. Bless you Mr. Mew.

Oh right, important things.

Zia glances over just as Shiki summons her keyblade, but her own expression is guarded. She hadn't spoken to many people about her strange dreams, but clearly there were others who have been walking the same path.

Chita has posed:
"No, I am fine. I... was tended to, albeit briefly, by a healer elsewhere on the way back." responds Chita to Faruja coming towards him with /that look/ in his eyes. The glare didn't get caught, though he does look towards the others. When the dog comes barking in he winces a little before relaxing once again and looks towards Lily as if thinking about something. Then Shiki points out the elephant in the room.

"So... it is true, what we saw there." he remarks towards her, walking towards Shiki and looking at it before he raises a hand and...

Lowers it to pat her shoulder. "Not that it means much, likely, but I am proud of you. That you somehow obtained something of such importance means others will be protecting you for some time now. Make us proud and save our worlds." Since, to his knowledge, that was what Keyblades were for. Restoring worlds.

Lily has posed:
Lily hopes on the sofa herself, though it's more like collapsing. This, after smiling at everyone who took notice of her in turn. "Don't worry about me... what's een happening with everyone here...? This looks big..."

Especially the sudden appearance of Shiki's keyblade. THAT gets Lily staring in a heartbeat. "... That looks... so siilar... the funny kid with the goofy hair."

Faruja Senra has posed:
"Deel. Be thee...quite alright?" He's always had trouble telling if the Program was injured or not! Someone give this rat lessons in Program-healing! He manages something of a smile to her, before the ball of sunshine that is Lilys walks in. "Good eve, my dear."

Then, hugs! Faruja goes pure red for a moment beneath the fur. "A...and thyself as well!" The rat returns the hug, a bit nervously, before he's peering at that injury again. "Could have been worse I /do/ suppose..." He still doesn't sound happy about all this. A glance to Chita. "Mmm. You /seem/ in one piece, for the most part." The rat's at least polite.

Faruja's concentration on healing, however, falters when Shiki pulls out a keyblade. For a solid minute, the rat is speechless. "...Shiki...my dear...how did thee come upon such a weapon?" Comes his quiet question, tail going still as he kneels, astonished.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel looks up and makes as comment about the keyblades, Deelel doesn't say something this time but the look on the basic's face is clear she knows something at least some of the others in the room are not aware of. The question is what? She doesn't seem to be saying for the moment. she has other things to say as she looks at Shiki.

"There are things going one and they been going on longer than Maleficent has been active with the Shadow Lords."

Deelel takes another sip of her strange glowing drink. Deelel just looks really wary and like something else is bothering her, but how do you explain the whole disc thing to people who don't exist in such a manner.

"A little while ago on he Wise OS, I an Isaac intercepted a viral program carrying a data. The ... dreams the keyblades claiming new wielders is part of an experiment. Being run by the man we fought at the gate to the castle. Addtionally the Shadow Lords have an entry point into the Wise OS as well."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Aaw, would you look at that? That is just /adorable/. In fact it's so adorable Shiki finds the energy to put her hands on her chin and go :3 as she watches Faruja get flustered. Pay no attention to the fact that she was holding a keyblade in the previous cut! Comedy has no need for continuity.

Mr. Mew can carry a lot of coffee cups on a tray thanks to the power of psychokinesis. He doesn't even expect tips. Should work for Hanekoma.

Shiki dismisses the keyblade just as she summoned it, although she doesn't mention why straight away. "Faruja, be nice to Chita. He helped everyone save me," she says, after giving him a really big smile when he puts his hand on her shoulder- because what can you really say in reply to something like that?

"Yep, it's a keyblade, alright. Just like Sora's... it feels like a part of me, really."

Deelel speaks, and Shiki listens. It seems as if it's time for the other shoe to drop.

"...an experiment, huh. Well, I hope they were ready for a result like this..."

"Yeah, a few months ago I started... having some weird dreams. Lucid dreams... in these strange places. I was walking on these huge platforms made of glass, with pictures of people on them... I met my shadow, and a voice that sounded like all of the people that were familiar to me."

"And then in another, I met that guy called Lucas..."

Zia has posed:
With her wing splinted, there isn't much else that can be done immediately but to ease the pain a bit, and the cure spells of the Templar go a long way in that. She eases back again, letting a slow breath pass from her lips as she settles into a more comfortable position. Luckily, no one had really noticed the other scratches and injuries she'd had /before/ going out to help Shiki. Now it all blends together.

It's Deelel who gets her attention. She'd caught bits and pieces about how they'd discovered the Seeker's plans, but this is more information than she had previously. Hearing Shiki retell the story of those first strange dreams feels eerie, and Zia rubs absently at the crystal around her neck. It's not that she doesn't trust these others around her, it's more that she's still trying to figure out what all this means.

"So the Shadow Lords were workin with this Lucas, fellow?" She shakes her head, trying to add that to an already confusing array of information floating around her head.

Chita has posed:
So it seemed that fellow was speaking the truth, though. Shiki had been going through a trial to get a Keyblade. "Is it even a bad thing, in that case... that he is? If he is able to put people through a process that can grant them keyblades, perhaps even only chosen ones... then... by all means he should be allowed to. Unless there is a way outside the Keyblades that can restore our world?"

Chita looks among those present and can't help but shake his head and chuckle softly at Faruja's response to such attention before looking back towards Shiki, "I... hate to ask, but I need to know, Shiki. That man, the one in the robes, claimed... that you killed Priel. What happened?

Lily has posed:
"Shadow lords? Lucas?" Lily queries, blinking wide-eyededly at this whole debacle as she swings her legs about, hands in her lap and head tilted over towards SHiki... after grinning at Faruja's flusteredness. "Experiment? ... I got back just in time, didn't I... why did there have to be MORE trouble..."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja's gaze turns to Shiki's smiling face, assaulted first by that look of adorable, and /then/ a smiling, happy sister-type. A small, strangled groan escapes the rat, managing to look even more flustered as well as agonized. Finally, he just slumps against the couch. "...Fine. So long as he causes no harm." Then, he turns to the bunny in question.

"Thank thee for saving her." That much, at least, seems to come easily enough, a note of sincerity in his voice.

The Templar goes quiet, however, listening to Deel and Shiki. He looks as confused as Zia admits to, content to take it all in for the moment. At least until Chita mentions the blades.

"'Tis a sacred gift from Faram, such a blade. Yet...so too, is it a burden. What doth ye wish to do with such a weapon, Shiki?" Asks the Templar.

A glance back to Chita. "Shiki...is this true?" His voice is more curious than condemning. A fuzzy brow rises. "And odd dreams. Mmm. 'Tis boding, though ill or kindly I know naught."

Faruja's attention turns to Lily. "My dear, trouble is the life of an adventuring company."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel nods humms as she tilts her head at Shiki.

"It also matches up your the 3rd one I'm aware of Additionally, there's at least been four involved however. Also Mr Mew was apparently protection you given their contents of the file. However there's at least two more subjects out there, I know the identity of one but not the other."

Deelel tilts her head for a moment "I suspect he was an agent of the Seeker. OR the seeker I can't confirm that however."

She looks at Chita for a moment. She smiles sadly at them. Perhaps she's going to say something more but she's distracted for a moment as she looks to Faruja as well.

"Yes, all power has a price, very terrible price. Think what a keyblade wielder could do if they turned their power to ... less reputable ends. Unlock worlds let things in, break the seals on that which should be sealed."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki looks at Mr. Mew.
Mr. Mew hands her a cup of coffee.
Shiki takes the coffee, puts it on a table next to her, and then picks up her cat and hugs him.

"Man, I dunno," Shiki says when Chita floats the idea that this might not all be such a bad thing. "I mean, I don't like being someone's pawn... and I don't like the idea that there were other people, either... but there doesn't feel like there's anything /wrong/ with the keyblade. I was even able to release someone's Heart when I used it to fight the Noise. So I guess I'll use it to keep doin' that, Faruja. And if we can get the Device working consistently, maybe I can use it like Sora did on world shards?"

"Man, though. I thought Lucas was such a nice guy!" Shiki said, duckfacing. "He even helped pick Priel up, and put her somewhere safe when Iiiiii."

Her jaw makes movements for a while, but nothing comes out. She realises she hadn't thought about it in a while. Subsequently, Chita comes out and asks her, and-

"Oh."

Shiki tightens her grip on Mr. Mew, and her hair droops down in front of her eyes. "Priel... showed up in the middle of... when I went to Castle Oblivion... Lucas showed me how to get there in another dream, and he told me that I'd have to go through the memories in the rooms to earn a keyblade. But Priel showed up half-way through... there was a Mission on my cellphone when she arrived, and it was basically to just have us fight."

"I only realised later on that it wasn't my mission. It was hers."

"We went all-out against one another, but right at the end... I... I think she let me win. And she said some things to me... things I..."

She swallows, mouth suddenly dry. "I don't think I'm... really want to explain them right now. But she failed to get me, so... she..."

Zia has posed:
"There's always more trouble." Zia comments with a tired smile in Lily's direction. Her tail flicks slightly at her side. Listening as the conversation moves back and forth, her ears swivel to follow it. "Though anyone working with the Shadow Lords is bound to be more trouble than most."

Propping her head on her hand, the gargoyle's eyes settle on Chita. There are things she would like to say, but for now, she holds her tongue. She knows too much, and it's best not to keep her lips sealed for now. "If it's somethin tha our enemies wante see happen, it may be worthwhile bein a bit cautious." She smirks a bit, "Though Ah doubt tha we'll be seein our dear Shiki runnin around in red and black 'n tryin te destroy the world anytime soon."

She quiets again when Deelel continues to rattle off information, noting in her own mind the numbers and that distinct unknown individual. Alas, that gets to remain a mystery for a while longer.

Instead, she just listens to Shiki's story of the confrontation with Priel. At the end, the gargoyle gives little more than a sad shake of her head. "Ah cannae say Ah understand everythin aboot yer world, lass, but..." Zia isn't even sure the questions to ask. Hrm.

Lily has posed:
"It sounds like there's things happening out there we don't know anything about. Big and important things..." Lily exclaims clearly and regretfully, showing a potentially startling amount of more mature insight given her usual demeanor. Listening to all this has gotten her shoulders sagging...

But she's no questions so far. Poor SHiki seems way too shaken up. So much so that she reaches over and gently grabs her arm to squeeze it comfortingly!

Chita has posed:
Chita's eyes closed as he listened and he was completely silent, and towards the end, after he heard that she had let Shiki win, he walked towards the door to the garden, opened it, walked out then closed it behind him.

For several seconds there was no sound then what was likely one of the fence posts surrounding the outdoor bath being broken. Likely by a kick of some sort. Probably from an angry Viera who was no longer inside the building for the moment.

Deelel has posed:
Deelel says "Nice does not mean one is good, and mean does not mean one is evil."

Deelel leans back downing the last of her drink of whatever it was. She pauses at the mention of Priel and seems a bit bit surprised at why happened with Priel she seems actually sad. She frowns for a moment and says "She chose her path but didn't ... not an end like that."

T She looks over to Zia for a moment giving her a look but well she will respect her right she's a comrade.

"Also the nature of what happened with my ... twin needs to be spoken on. Still Shiki it was not your fault."

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja gives a nod, looking satisfied. "Then may Ajora bless thy efforts, Shiki. 'Tis holy work. Never forget thy friends, either, for we are here to help. The Shard Seekers are /family/."

Faruja soon finds his own seat, sitting down and crossing his legs now that he's done healing. "Though be wary; there shall be those whom would very much wish to use thy power."

All the Templar can do is sigh, shake his head, and cross his chest at the story of Priel. "...Poor wretch. May she find more peace in the Lord's arms than on this earthly coil."

One of the rat's ears twitches as Chita assaults something in the garden. "He shall be fixing that." Hmph!

Lily, however, hits things on the head. The ratling's tail flicks as he leans back. "Quite so. /That/ is something we must change. This Seeker...Lucas...methinks we must research them." The rat's gaze goes thoughtful, a small frown on his muzzle.

Deel interrupts his thoughts. "Twin, Deel?"

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki waits for the sound of breaking wood to finish.

"The reaper's game is a terrible thing."

She shakes her head, moving her hand once Lily squeezes her to put it on hers. "I know, Dee, I know it's easy to say that. But sometimes I wonder, what if she'd never come to Daguerreo, what if things had never got to that point, and I just, I just..." Sigh. "I don't know."

"But one thing I can say for sure," she says, looking briefly at Mr. Mew. "I'm going to become stronger for this."

There's silence for a few moments, possibly while we notice Zia's fallen asleep and get her a blanket or something. When that's done, Shiki is sipping her coffee, and thinking. "Got a feeling that this 'experiment' could have something to do with making a keyblade user that the Shadow Lords can control. That's my theory. What do you guys think about that one?"

Zia has posed:
The white gargoyle doesn't even seem to notice she's being given a look, her eyes are already drooping as she leans her head on her hand. It's not meant as any disrespect to the loss of Priel, but the living have their limits. She leans her head back against the patched-up chair. The loud sound of Chita in the garden startles her a moment, but soon enough her eyes are half-lidded. Sigh. Trouble indeed.

Hey, blankets, blankets are good. She might just be half-asleep and listening, but it's impossible to tell, especially when she tucks curls up all in a quite un-gargoyle like fashion.

Lily has posed:
"Getting stronger's what got me looking like this." Lily admits mopily. "And I think it's helped. But I wish I'd been around to help... what was supposed to be a trip turned into a big adventure! ... all over the place... trying to find my way back."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel Says "I been there Deelel, I was forced into fights to the death to stay alive. Long before I met any of you. It's never easy but yes your right."

T Looks at Shiki and shakes her head a little bit.

"No I don't think it's that. There's a force that didn't want there to be more keyblade wielder from what information I have. You recall Merlin right? I do not think I was being lied to however take it what's the term with a grain of salt given the likely source. They didn't seem to be too happy about such. She looks at Zia for a moment and lets her well rest, she likely needs it.

"I will come clean I was having the same dreams part of the message was about me not accepting his offer."

Chita has posed:
After around a minute or so, Chita walks quietly back in. He didn't exactly seem happy about things, but he didn't say anything, simply closing the door behind him and walking over to a corner of the room with another chair in it to take a seat. He'd just have to apologize to Shiki later for bringing it up now. "Incidentally... when the conversation at hand is done, I do have a question for you all. I have been trying to find the answer to something for a while now." And he left it at that.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja shudders, going speechless for a moment. "To...have such a potent weapon in the hands of the Shadow Lords...'twould be a disaster! Yet, certainly can I see them striving for such." The ratling is well and truly frowning now.

"We /all/ must grow stronger. The worlds grow ever more dangerous and strifeful."

Shiki Misaki has posed:
Shiki Misaki is just stewing at the moment, trying to think, and ... not doing all that well because she's beginning to feel tired as well. "Why would they bring people like me to Castle Oblivion if they didn't want us to get keyblades? Why would he have a go at you, Dee, if... like..."

"Unless... oh, yikes. What if he got me to come to Castle Oblivion then tried to get Priel to bump me off? Like, I /could/ get a keyblade, but someone doesn't want keyblade wielders, so they, they get the people, and they get them to come to a pla-"

And Shiki can't help but let out this /enormous/ yawn. Eep.

Chita has posed:
"I suppose everyone seems tired as it is. I... suggest all of you get some sleep and we can all continue to talk at a later time. Do any of you need me to help you to wherever it is you plan on sleeping?" So offers the Viera with one arm still in a smake-shift sling. Then again, he was the type to try and be helpful no matter what.

Faruja Senra has posed:
Faruja stands, staring at Shiki. "Clever. And underhanded. 'Tis certainly within the realm of possibility. Shiki...be careful, hmm? And never fear to call for any of us. You are precious...and naught merely for the blade at thy side." Walking over, he picks up the hat, and gives her hair a good ruffling.

A nod to Chita. "Indeed. I shall make a few discrete inquiries, about this 'Seeker'. Ser and Dames, Ajora bless."

Deelel has posed:
Deelel looks up for a moment looks over to Shiki. "Rest we'll talk later, Faruja we will also need to speak later. We need to find who the 5th subject was as well. I know the idenities of four but not the last one."

With that Deelel gets up and starts heading off she's got things to do it seems.