paixaorpg | It was a secret meeting in the dead of the night...

Characters: chaos, Saix
Content: A potentially fateful meeting...
Setting: Ceu de Mouraria
Time: Week 22, nightfall
Warnings: I'm pretty sure Saix qualifies for one all on his own...

It was late evening, and the cool breeze scattered ashes across the otherwise pristine road. Whatever chaos had expected, this certainly wasn't it. Someone had taken offense to the opera house, and in a big way.

Maybe they'd done a bad show?

Leaning against a lamp post, chaos studied the ruin. There was no doubt in his mind that the fire had not been natural; he could still feel the residual power in the air, and the faintest whiff of brimstone. Hellfire? Maybe; there were certainly enough demons in the city.

chaos pushed the thought from his mind. He might ask around later, try to find out what happened; for now, though, he was expecting someone. He didn't know the man's name - did not, in fact, even know if the person he was meeting would be the same one he'd talked to in order to set up this meeting. All things considered, he knew very little about the situation in this city - and even less so about the castle in which it resided.

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As things turned out, the emissary was the same man that chaos had been speaking to. It would have been well within his rights to ask someone else to go, but his current standing in the castle made him the best suited for the job... and if things happened to go wrong, he could defend himself well enough in a fight.

Not, of course, that the fact that this was the same man would be immediately noticeable. This was an official function and as such, it called for the standard and immediately recognizable outfit of the Organization, with the hood up. He was an unknown, recognizable only in that he was one of their number.

Not that really should have been a suprise, given the swirling portal of darkness that he stepped out of, but he supposed it was possible that not everyone in the city was familiar with how they tended to operate.

Familiar as chaos was with the process of teleportation, he had to observe the portal for a moment to eke out its nature. A wormhole, tunneled through... Well. It wasn't often that the concepts of light and darkness worked out so literally, in his experience, but it seemed to be the order of the day in this castle. Regardless of the medium, the ability itself spoke of power.

The black-coated, hooded figure was taller than chaos, but the olive-skinned (apparent) youth didn't feel intimidated. The man's aura would have been more frightening than a size advantage, in any case, but that didn't phase chaos, either.

He bowed his head slightly in greeting and showed his empty hands. "Unarmed and alone," he affirmed, before folding his arms once more. He gave the man - and himself - a moment to adjust to the surroundings before going on. "I suppose we should begin with introductions. You can call me chaos."

Empty hands weren't always the consolation some would take them as. The Organization was proof enough of that. But for the time, Saïx would take chaos at his word. Most people would be less than inclined to bring weapons to a supposedly peaceful meaning, and he would console himself with that and the fact that his own weapon was nothing but a thought away.

As were reinforcements, for that matter, but this was hardly the sort of thing one announced at such a meeting.

"My name is unimportant," he answered. "I am merely a part of the whole; you may call me what you wish."

Power was never far from chaos; it was his nature. But he could suppress that power when he needed to; indeed, he'd made that suppression an artform over the past few millennia, such that no human - and few others, for that matter - had even guessed at his true nature in the past 3000 years. The idea simply didn't occur to them.

He studied the hooded figure for a moment, then came to a decision. "Hati, then. It suits you." He gave no further explanation; either the man would understand the reference, or he would not.

Just being in his presence, chaos knew that 'Napellus' had not been forthright about himself. The similarities between the two made it clear that they had been cut from the same cloth. Time enough to consider that later, though.

"What is the Organization's purpose, and how are the people who have been brought here related to that purpose?" he asked, almost certain that he would not be given a straight answer.

There was a moment of silence following the name chaos offered and the slightest of nods. He was familiar enough with the name to know to whom (or rather, what) it properly belonged to and it did, indeed, suit quite well. Besides, it had the added bonus of not being something that those who knew his true name would associate with him. Convenience, at a simple cost.

Unfortunately, the same could not be said of chaos' question. Their true purpose was nothing to do with this castle they were in, and few would have understood if he'd even bothered to explain. No, if chaos wanted the truth of their actions, he'd have to ask elsewhere. Similarly, he was hardly about to give up the reason that they were situated here. More than one person had been driven to seek them out thanks to that information, and he was loathe to add another to those ranks.

"They're unrelated. This place is simply the most convenient for us."

Okay. He'd been expecting something like that. He'd have to find those answers elsewhere; chances were that Napellus could provide part of the answer, at least.

That didn't leave him with much to go on, admittedly. "I don't suppose you can tell me how the process that brings people here and sends them back works," he stated more than asked. Another question to put to Napellus.

The embodiment of destruction stopped leaning against the lamp post, letting his arms fall. "Very well. I came here to make an offer. Stop experimenting on and attacking the people who are brought here, and I will offer no direct opposition to your Organization, nor allow harm to come to your members through inaction. Those are my terms."

If he'd wanted to, perhaps. But the city had held her secrets this long, and 'freeing' the mechanism might well have had unfortunate consequences on the city. Experience had shown that it could be rendered unstable, if not watched. Another secret to keep.

There was only a snort to answer chaos' statement. If he could send people back to whence they had came he would have already done so. It would have solved the problems at hand more the once, and possibly even saved him this excuse for a negotiation. If he'd had his way, it would have been over already.

But it wasn't his decision. Not if he wished to keep his head in the game. It was Xemnas' and he was here to speak for the Organization through him. Regrettable, yes, but what other option was there?

"I'm merely the messenger. I'd need to take your offer to the others for further discussion. In addition, we have never been the aggressors. We have only defended ourselves when attacked."

Well, perhaps except for where Larxene was concerned, but some amount of violence was to be expected, when she was involved.

"Non-aggression works both ways," he said, shrugging just a bit. "If your people can keep from antagonizing the visitors, I will do what I can to keep the visitors from attacking you and yours on sight. However, this is contingent upon the cessation of the kidnapping and experiments." If the Organization doubted his ability to uphold his end of the bargain, chaos would have to display a measure of his power. He might have to, anyway; Hati would be well within his rights to demand some proof of his capability.

Not that chaos intended to show anything approaching his full strength. Somehow, he didn't believe the city would survive -that-.

Yes. It worked both ways and it was utterly foolish when nearly the entire city seemed bound and determined to attack them for merely existing. Perhaps they deserved it, but neither did they deserve to be beaten to within an inch of their (un)lives for attempting to turn over a new leaf. It was a common story, really. Each new world seemed bound and determined to remove them for merely seeking the only thing they could truly want.

"I can't make any promises until after I've brought your offer before the others. Would you be willing to wait?"

chaos nodded once. "Alright." And... that was that, really. He had nothing more to say or do until 'Hati' returned.

"I'll contact you once I have an answer."

And with that, Saïx once again called up a portal of darkness and vanished. He'd be true to his word, and pass on both the offer and the corresponding answer, but he had no real inclination to remain there any longer, if their business was concluded.

It was a secret meeting in the dead of the night...

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