Information Gathering:Twilight Town (Felix/Open)

[Deleted]

How long had he been here? A few hours? A day? It was hard to tell as the white haired man’s eyes gazed out at the eternal sunset of Twilight Town. He had passed this world before on his travels, but had never stopped to visit the place until some time ago in the past. He had come here for information more so than anything, but found himself instead taking on small jobs here and there to help the town. He liked this place and its laid back atmosphere that was a welcome change from the chaotic atmosphere of other places he had wandered through. While his goal of information hunting had not changed, he found it was easier to take it at a slow pace and thoroughly search the various areas of town instead of rushing through the place.

While the townsfolk spoke of hauntings and other strange happenings around town, Deshi found that each little tale stemmed from a misinterpretation of logical things within the areas that the events were said to occur. For example, the fountain where you saw the other you was simply a trick of light on the mind and eye. The small waterfall itself became a mirror against the dark background of the stones. Add light filtering into the area at a certain angle and you got a mirror effect and in turn, the other you appeared.

They were simple things that kept the wanderer right where he was for the time being and gave him things to do in his free time. When he had finally seen all the secrets of this town, he started to come to the clock tower where a beautiful view of the sunset was for all to see. This place was quiet and great for clearing out the head. It was also a place where you could occasionally spot a strange train running along the tracks leading out of town that did not match the normal trains forms or descriptions. Since being here, Deshi had caught the shadow of a train on the track, but had never seen the train itself. He wasn’t sure if this train was truly a phantom train as the town said or if something protected it from being seen. Whatever the case was, Deshi didn’t ponder it for too long. After a few minutes of thinking, he pushed himself away from the wall and began to head back into the busier parts of town. He walked the streets at leisurely pace, enjoying the sounds of life in the town. He didn’t have any work lined up today, so his plan was to take the day off and try to get into that mansion he had seen earlier. He continued his walk, going through the town and the market before following the wall of the town to find the hole he had spotted in it earlier.

It didn’t take him long to find the large hole and after ducking under its arch to enter the forest beyond. He walked under the warm shade of the trees enjoying the peace until he finally came out into the clearing where the mansion rested. He moved before the giant old gates and looked at the mansion that was still standing despite the wear and tear on it. There was something odd about the mansion. Something that drew a person to it... like it had a secret it wanted to share. While a normal person would probably run away from such a feeling, Deshi did not. Instead, he looked carefully at the gates and noticed the lock was broken. Reaching out, he tested the gate and found that with a little pushing it squeaked open easily enough. Squeezing in through the gap he created, he entered the large over grown front yard and began to walk along its rocky path, heading towards the door. Half way there, the calm warrior stopped as he felt something watching him in the area.

Curious, he turned to look back the way he came scanning the area for trouble with his dark eyes. There was something there, but he couldn’t see anything yet.

[soulcyber]

A certain red-headed man could be seen walking through Twilight Town, wearing some normal clothes for once as opposed his more professional collared shirt. Today he wore a black muscle shirt with short sleeves, a trim of white on the collar, and a pair of cargo pants beige khakis that allowed him plenty of movement in case any unforeseen circumstances came about. Indeed, for today was a day he was taking to himself to enjoy, flirting with any girl he might come across that interested him, trying out all the food that was around aside from Sea-Salt Icecream, and even buying a souvenir or two. He didn’t plan to keep them for himself since he could travel to this world whenever he pleased but instead for someone at home. He wanted to buy her something cute that could take her mind off her current situation, take her mind off of her impending doom. She was terribly sick and her death seemed certain according to the numerous doctors he had sent her way although the red-head wanted to believe that someone out there could cure her. That maybe someone out there could get her well enough to move again so she could see the worlds for herself and so that the red-head could take better care of her. Indeed, if he got a second chance to do things over he wouldn’t allow any sickness to claim her but deep down he knew it was a pipe dream. She was going to die and slowly and painfully at that regardless of what he did… it killed him inside and while the logical part of him accepted it, his heart didn’t want to.
 
There has to be someone that can do something… I mean for heavens’ sake I deal with monsters that can cut buildings half on a damn near daily basis how can curing a disease be any more difficult?[/i] he questioned as his face fell morbid for a moment and he stopped in the middle of the town. He stood there unflinching for a moment until a small girl ran into him, said girl falling on her rump and looking up to the stranger.
 
”Hey what are you standing there for mister you got in my way!” she shouted, the crimson haired fellow raising an eyebrow as he crossed his arms, momentarily distracted from his morbid thoughts. Sighing lightly, he crouched down to help her up, offering his hand and while it was accepted the pink-haired girl still seemed to have quite the attitude as she crossed her own arms and pouted.
 
”What’s up?” he asked without much thought, instantly regretting that action as she began to talk,
 
”Well if you must know I was on my way to the big mansion over past the forest before you rudely bumped into me! Not only that but my camera is nowhere to be seen…” she started, glancing around the area for the camera. Felix did the same and found where the camera had fallen along with the girl and both watched as it was crushed underneath the unknowing foot of a bystander. Felix’s expression went sheepish as he turned around to face the girl slowly and as soon as he did she was already putting on the waterworks. Frantic to avoid any trouble, the freelancer quickly offered his services to do whatever she needed on the condition she would stop crying and as soon as the words came out of his mouth she stopped. Smiling brightly, she quickly explained the situation that she needed pictures of the mansion for a school project she was doing and that she would accept nothing less than high-quality pictures. This got a heavy sigh from the freelancer but he complied none the less, going to a nearby camera store and being forced to buy a rather expensive camera (one that was obviously far better than the one destroyed) for the girl. Handing it to her she looked at him with a puzzled expression and forced it back into his hands.
 
”Who said I was the one doing the picture taking? You’re the one who broke the camera in the first place take responsibility Mr. Mixamillin,” she stated, a groan escaping the freelancer’s lips as he shook his head,
 
”For the last time I told you my name is Felix Maximilian, #1 freelancer of Radiant Gardens!”
 
X---Sometime Later---X
 
After being duped into doing an unpaid job and buying an obscenely expensive camera, Felix could be seen heading toward the mansion in question, an expensive camera hanging by his neck. It didn’t take him long to find it and as he made his way there he noticed another man going toward the mansion as well. The red-head raised an eyebrow at this, figuring that the mansion probably wasn’t the most popular place with the ghost stories he had been told about from the girl and thus questioning why this man was there. Unless he was the ghost everyone was talking about although from what he remembered said ghost was in the window of the mansion.
 
And that obscenely large sword isn’t something you often see on the back of a ghost I would think,[/i] he mused as he followed behind making sure to keep his distance. He didn’t want any trouble with this expensive item hanging about his neck and it was fun to occasionally test his tailing skills and see how long he could do so without being caught. Coincidentally enough, it seemed to be a fairly long time that his tracking was undetected until the man got into the courtyard of the mansion. With the man turning back slowly, Felix smirked as he shrugged his shoulders and made his way in the small opening left behind, standing face to face with the stranger with about ten feet separating them. With his hands in his pockets, the red-head hoped to look as unthreatening as possible as he let out a small “hmph”.
 
”I don’t suppose you got duped into going here too did you?” he started, casting his glance away for a moment but still keeping the man in his peripheral vision, ”Whatever the case I’d appreciate it if we keep things civil as I’m only here to take care of a job. Don’t get in my way and you won’t have to find out why they call me the #1 Freelancer in Radiant Gardens, Felix Maximilian as it isn’t just because I take jobs all around the universe with a 99.99% success rate,” he explained, nudging his head toward his own katana on his back as he began to walk forward and past the stranger, ”but because I’m also known to break a few faces if need be to finish a job… and I’d rather not stain my good clothes,” he added his tone full of confidence to back up his claim. Stopping at the door, he would turn around to face the man, his facial expression still as smug as ever as he wondered whether he would cooperate with the freelancer in terms of not interfering with his job or if things would turn sour and a fight would break out.
 
Although in all honesty I can’t say that I am a 100% against a fight right now… be an interesting handicap to fight without breaking this camera after all, he mused as his gaze remained fixed on the man and waiting for his reaction.

[Deleted]

There is always a good and bad side to being Deshi. The good thing was that when something was indeed following you, you could pick up on it after a while even when you did not see said pursuer instantly when you turned to find it. The bad thing was the blank expression that one receives when finally showing oneself. For as the man in the rather ordinary clothing came out into the clearing, Deshi did not seemed surprised or startled by the man being there. He simply watched him for a moment, gauging how much of a threat he was. From his looks, he didn’t seem like much, but that did not keep Deshi from noticing the weapon the man wore on his back.

A katana? Interesting, but nothing that concerned Deshi. He had seen many weapons before and blades were the least of this warrior's concern. What mattered was if the man planned on using it or not. As for himself, Deshi did not appear to be carrying any weapon at all. There was nothing on his back or at his sides and nothing that would suggest a hidden weapon among all the folds of his white clothing. The only thing odd was a simple silver bracelet on his left arm with a single crimson tear drop on the end that glistened occasionally in the light that filtered into the area. He was technically unarmed even though very easily that could change with a flick of the wrist; however, he did not move to draw his weapon as he watched the red head carefully.

The man had his hands in his pocket and a camera around his neck. A common photographer if it weren’t for the sword he carried on his back….or the over confident smirk he wore. The illusion of photographer further diminished as he made a “hmph” sound and began to speak. Deshi listened, hardly being fazed by most of the words.

Cocky, irritating by some standards, and too full of himself for words.... In a nutshell, the red head was trouble on a stick. Not towards others, but towards himself. If Deshi had been hot-head or taken offense to what was said, the number one freelancer, would’ve found himself with a sword at his throat; however, Deshi heard the words and let them bounce off him not really fazed by the threat underneath all the bragging. Deshi let the man walk pass him and even took in that smug look on the man’s face without showing emotion. The man wanted a fight; however, Deshi wondered how much time he was worth. Should he play and find out or should he be nice? Maybe both?

After a few seconds of debating, a light smile appeared on Deshi’s face as he met the red head’s eyes evenly.

“You are quite the talker Felix Maximilian and while it would be interesting to see how many words you can actually back up, I didn’t come here to start a fight. Nor did I come here because I was duped into anything. I came here seeking information,” Deshi responded back in calm, non-threatening tones. The approach was gentle despite all the words that the freelancer had spoken; however, a careful eye would notice that the white haired young man’s dark eyes did not hold any of the gentleness that he wore on his face or held in his voice. His eyes were serious and alert, watching the freelancer for a wrong move. He didn’t want to fight if not necessary. No, like the man before him, he’d prefer this stay...what was it the red-head had said? Civil? Yes, civil. All he wanted was to explore the mansion to see if he could find out more information about the place, this town, or anything else. Who knows maybe a clue to controlling the Void was in the house; however, he wouldn’t know if the freelancer got in his way. Maybe this freelancer could be helpful though. He did say he took jobs from all around the universe, right? Did that mean he could travel off this world at will and come back like he could? If so, then maybe he had some information to share, but would he share it was the true question? Questions. Questions. Only one way to get answers right? But first, where was his manners?

“I am Deshitana,” he said taking a step forward before pausing to keep the distance between them a safe one. “Perhaps you would be kind enough to let me travel with you, seeing as our intended destination is the same?” he nodded at the mansion and then watched the freelancer to see if he would be trouble or easy to work with.

[soulcyber]

After a moment of the two simply staring at each other, Felix with his smug facial expression and the stranger with his seemingly neutral face, the man he had been following would let a small smile curve against his lips as he spoke. The freelancer listened to his words, a small “is that so?” escaping his lips as the man explained himself before shrugging his shoulders and nodding. While a fight would be fun it was true that he hadn’t come here looking for one and whilst on the job the red-head wouldn’t want to tarnish his record for success any further if the fight didn’t go too well. Not that he was confident in his victory though, more so just worried that if he broke the camera in the festivities he would have to buy ANOTHER expensive camera today. Seeing as he wasn’t getting paid for this job, that was something he wished to avoid despite how exciting a fight may be and thus he decided to play it cool. After all, the guy was just after information apparently and while he couldn’t say much about this mansion, Felix knew plenty of other things about this world and all the other worlds that happened to be out there.
 
”Just want information huh? Hmm well I suppose this mansion wouldn’t be a bad idea in terms of where to look if you were working under the assumption that there might be a massive library or something,” he explained as he sighed lightly. Regardless, the stranger would soon take a step toward the red-head, his eyes narrowing as he did so as his expression turned far more serious. Indeed, the smug look on his face had vanished instantly, his body tensing all around and ready to fight if it turned to that despite the fact there was a fair amount of distance separating them still. In fact, it took a moment before the freelancer decided to respond to the man’s inquiry, allowing his smug look to come back on his face.
 
”Well I suppose that wouldn’t be too bad to have some company, if this place is indeed haunted or whatever perhaps it would be prudent to have some backup assuming you can fight,” he started, turning his back as he opened the front door of the mansion, ”Although let’s get two rules established real quick. Number one, if you decide to strike me from behind or try anything sneaky such as that, do be ready to deal with the consequences. Number two, since it you said you’re seeking information, if you wish to get any out of me you’ll have to pay me first and the value of what I say will be based upon the question itself. Understood?” he explained but didn’t wait long for an answer as he proceeded into the mansion. Once inside, his eyes would examine the environment he now found himself in, a bit amazed by just how much disarray it seemed to be in.
 
”You’d think if that some ghosts were haunting this place they’d at least have the common courtesy to clean it up a bit. I don’t know about you but I wouldn’t be able to live in a place like this with everything thrown about,” he stated, attempting to make a bit of small talk as he looked around. Books were strewn across the floor, the railings on the stairs and the upper floors were in disrepair, and all around this mansion seemed to have an eerie atmosphere about it. While it didn’t really affect the freelancer, it wasn’t like he couldn’t feel it none the less and it made him raise his guard even if his body language didn’t seem to show it. Either way though he was here for a job and thus began to take pictures at random of the mansion, taking quite a few of the area they were in now.
 
”Jesting aside, what’s the first question you got for me Deshi? Be sure to make it count as my services don’t come cheap and you may find yourself broke before you even get to the important questions you may have,” he explained, deciding to shorten the man’s name a bit. Deshitana was too long for him and he wanted to see how this straight-laced guy reacted to being called a nickname. It would be fun if the teasing got to him and he got a bit miffed about it but either way the freelancer was more focused on his job at the moment… and making sure that he didn’t break this damn camera.
 
Seriously, this thing cost me a fortune and a half![/i] he thought as he continued taking pictures at random, I swear I am so going to get that little girl back even if it’s extremely petty to do so… hmmm getting her some ice-cream and putting something in it might be fun,[/i] he mused, a mischievous grin curved against his lips as he snickered lightly.

[Deleted]

Deshi said what needed to be said, and in turn he had gotten a “Is that so?” followed by a shrug and nod from the man before him. Was that small statement that passed the red head’s lips a sign of feelings of being threatened or perhaps challenged by the words Deshi spoke? Was he still bent on a fight? Was it out of boredom the man wanted this fight or did he perhaps see something in Deshi that suggested he’d harm him? He didn’t understand the statement or the tension running through the young man. After all, Deshi did appear to be unarmed and besides a slight challenge, he hadn’t done anything to suggest he wished the other man harm. It was quite strange, but Deshi only ponder the strangeness for a few minutes before he was brushing it off as the man gave his shrug and nod. He seemed to understand Deshi’s words, but still did not trust him enough to relax. Strange, but a trivial matter that he did not let bother him for long.

Despite what the other may think, Deshi was not interested in the trivial. What he wanted was information that he was certain the freelancer had. Sure enough, the red head confirmed the thought when he spoke. He told him a little bit about the mansion without knowing it which in turn caused Deshi to question his logic in regards to the place.

“Why not have some measure of assumption? It is a mansion after all. I can’t imagine it being a complete waste of time,” he responded his tones remaining calm and even the whole time. There was a brief moment of silence before Deshi requested to travel with Felix and took a step forward before stopping once more. He took note of the reaction. The narrowing of the eyes and the smug expression disappearing becoming serious instead as his body tensed up again.

Deshi simply smiled at this reaction. This was amusing to say the least. Here he was every bit looking the part of an unarmed citizen just a bit out of place thanks to his clothing making someone clearly armed nervous. He began to question if this tension was truly a matter of trust or if this was pure display. A way of saying this is my turf, so back off. He wouldn’t be surprised if the latter was truly the case. Some fighters , especially those that loved to fight, were like that. They simply wanted you to know they were the boss and the best way to handle said fighters was to play right along, so that is what he did…for now.

Deshi remained calm and harmless as he waited for an answer, finally getting one after the man’s smug look had appeared on his face once more. Deshi listened to the words the slight smile never leaving his face. So this one was one who liked to taunt and see what made one tick, huh? Well too bad for Mr. Freelancer. He wasn’t about to get any reaction from Deshi. Instead there were a simple responses. To the “assuming you can fight” bit, Deshi simply nodded at him and said, “I will not be a burden to you” before becoming quiet once more as the freelancer turned his back on him and open the front door of the mansion. As the man opened the old house up, he spoke again and Deshi took in the words easily enough; however, there was a slight problem wasn’t there. This issue of payment. What did he mean by that exactly? While Deshi did carry a small amount of money on him varying vastly in weight and worth, he did not know if the freelance would want what he had or if this payment was going to be a form of something else. He’d guess he’d fine out in time, so for the moment he gave him a simple response back, “Understood.”

However, he wasn’t sure if the man had heard him or not for the freelancer had gone into the mansion and began to look around the area. Deshi followed, stepping slightly away from the door, which for the moment he left open as he looked around the area they had entered. The place was a mess. Furniture was broken and scattered about, dust clung to almost everything within sight, and the railing on the stairs looked far from trustworthy as it hung lopsided in some places. The place had been abandoned for quite some time , but there were some small things barely noticed by the normal eye that made the calm warrior question just how long it really had been since someone was in the place. Looking at a pair of chairs and the faintest traces of footsteps in the dust on the floor, he could tell at least two or more people had been here besides himself and this freelancer; however, he did not point these things out to the other man as he walked a bit further in, heading towards a toppled over chair.

As he leaned down and righted the chair out of habit, he heard the freelancer speak in regards to the looks of the place.

“It is a bit messy, but not unbearable. I could make do with it if I had too, but then again this isn’t my home, so why worry?” he responded back as he moved away from the chair and off to the side to get out of Felix’s way as he began to take random pictures of the place. “Besides the dead— walking, spirit, or made up—don’t particular care how things look as long as whatever it is they live in or are around works and is comfortable. They couldn’t care less what the living thought about the presentation of their homes and resting places.”

Now, these words could’ve been an attempt at a joke on Deshi’s part; however, if one were to look at him at that moment, his eyes and slight frown would betray the unfortunate truth. He knew the dead quite well and during his time in arena he had seen everything from the pure dead to the reanimated to the spirit types. Each one equally annoying in their own way, but always interesting to figure out how to defeat...if you could get around the looks and smells that is. Anyway, as he pondered the odd bunch that was the dead, he began to wonder just what sort of spirit lived here. The place certainly seemed like it belonged to the dead and yet, he did not get chill bumps as he did when dealing with the cold presence of the dead. Maybe the spirits here were hiding. Maybe they had left. It would be interesting to find out nonetheless.

Distracted from his main objective, Deshi had completely forgotten about Felix as he moved over to the stairs coming to a rest at the bottom of them and looked up at the second floor debating if he should go up there and move things around to see if said ghosts really exist; however, Felix brought him right back to the main reason he had decided to come with the freelancer in the first place. Asking him directly what he wanted to know and reminding him once more of the price for his questioning him. He had even shorten his name to the nickname the medics used to call him, but of course the freelancer would not know that. Nor would Felix know of the creature inside that stirred slightly at his jesting.

There was a brief silence as Deshi watched the freelancer with a cold expression as his slight smile turned slightly malicious as his eyes flickered grey before returning back to normal a moment later. The slight loss of control lasted a second and then Deshi was blinking, breaking eye contact as he turned away slightly to compose himself. When he had regained himself once more, he leaned casually on the post of the stair’s railing making sure not to lean back too much and break it as he folded his arms and looked at Felix with a serious, his smile gone.

“To business then,” he began, but then paused as the door to the mansion slammed shut on its own accord. There was a strange sound that suggested the door had either locked or got stuck when the slam happened. So they were stuck together for a bit. No problem. He was sure between the pair of them that if push came to shove, they could easily find a way out, but for now they would have to deal with being stuck. He wondered if the freelancer would freak out or ignore this little oops on the wind’s part. Regardless of what happened, he’d learn more about his companion from whatever he did. Always a value to that sort of information.

As for himself, while this little event was indeed interesting, the calm warrior was not afraid or fazed by what he was pretty sure was nature playing games with them. Shaking his head to get rid of the distraction, he refocused on Felix and began to talk again.

“To be honest, I do not know what currency you use, freelancer; however,” he stopped a moment and reached into his pocket pulling out a rare dragon jewel that he was not afraid to part with since he knew where to go if he needed another. Anyway, he tossed the jewel towards the freelancer as he began to speak. “We can start with the jewel. I’m sure it can fetch you a nice sum wherever you trade it. In return for the jewel, I want you to tell me everything that you know of the shadows and the shells that roam the worlds. What are they exactly and what are they after? ” He finished his request, keeping his tone business like the whole time.

He gave the man a moment to answer, noticing the mischievous grin appear on his face and heard the snicker. Now, it was Deshi’s turn to narrow his eyes slightly, curious as to what the man was planning to have a grin like that….

[soulcyber]

“Is that so?” the red-headed freelancer answered when Deshitana responded to his comment regarding the messiness of the mansion they were exploring, ”You make it sound as if you’ve met a ghost before… although that wouldn’t too hard to believe considering I’ve seen dragons, guys with silver hair that could conjure giant meteors, and plenty of other things that are just about as far-fetched. Regardless, assuming that the ghosts are spirits of those that have died before you’d have to think there is at least one that was a neat freak or cared a little bit about the state of their humble abode. I mean if I were a ghost I would, it would be a lot more satisfying to have people come in the mansion thinking “Oh everything’s cool here,” before proceeding to throw things about and what not,” he explained although didn’t continue the dialogue any further as he took to taking his pictures.
 
Eventually, the freelancer prompted Deshitana to begin asking his questions and upon hearing the words “To business then,” he took a moment to turn his head and listen to the man. As he did so though he would also get a whiff of dust that went up his nostrils causing him to sneeze rather loudly and mask the sound of the closing door from his own ears. He would groan as he sniffled a bit, shaking his fist in the air in case any ghosts were indeed nearby and watching him.
 
”At least clean the dust once in a while you freeloaders!” he complained but turned his attention back to Deshitana and requested he continue. Soon enough the man would speak again as he threw a gem at Felix, the freelancer grabbing it in the air and examining it as Deshitana spoke. He wasn’t much of an appraiser but from the looks of it the gem was rather shiny which boded well and it was a gem he had never seen before. In his travels gems were something he saw quite frequently and thus to see something seemingly so rare was interesting. On the other hand, the fact that it was given over so easily regardless of whether the man in front of him truly had no knowledge of what currency he would need to barter with was suspicious. In fact one might even say that perhaps the gem was a well-replicated fake but without an appraiser the freelancer wouldn’t be able to determine such a thing.
 
Eh I suppose if he cheats me I could always beat him up some other time and get the money the info I give him is worth,[/i] he mused, justifying parting with the info that he was about to give Deshitana. Turning around and taking some more pictures, the freelancer let out a small “hmmm” before parting his lips to speak.
 
”Not sure why you would want to know about such creatures but hey if that’s how you want to spend this gem far be it from me to stop you,” he started, taking a moment to clean the lens on the camera, ”Anyway the “Shadows” you speak of are called “Heartless” by most folk and their a rather nasty bunch as you have probably already deduced. Their goal from what I know is to gather the “hearts” of bystanders, the more innocent and I suppose “lighter” ones being the ones they typically shoot for. Most people die after having their heart taken although I have heard a thing or two about some surviving the ordeal and turning into something else. Perhaps that’s the “shell” you speak of although your description wasn’t very good so I can’t say for sure. Their motives are unknown to me and the last time I dealt with one of those guys negotiations failed due to the interference of a random individual. They are called “Nobodies” and I’ve never spent much time investigating them as they tend to keep their tracks well-hidden and it didn’t seem to be a very fruitful endeavor even if I did. That being said I might know some other stuff of importance although my memory is kind of foggy to be honest,” he paused turning around to face Deshitana. Crossing his arms and tilting his head, he would put on an innocent facial expression before parting his lips to speak once more.

”I don’t suppose you got anything to jog my memory do you Deshi-chan?” he started before grinning smugly and bring his head back upright, ”Something shiny or perhaps some greenbacks might help jog it if you’re curious. In the event that you do my memory might return if you wish to make any additional inquiries,” he added before turning back around and taking more pictures, now proceeding upstairs. Whether or not he was able to weasel more money out of Deshitana he wasn’t sure but more importantly he wondered how Deshitana would react to being called “Deshi-chan”.
 
I doubt he knows anything about Japanese suffixes added to the end of names but I can’t help but think he’s getting a little riled up by the cutesy names I’m giving him,[/i] he mused snickering under his breath, I really am a giant troll aren’t I?[/i]

[Deleted]

Deshi heard Felix’s comment about the dead and neatness and paused for a moment to ponder what Felix was saying. Dragons were nothing new to the mercenary, he had seen plenty of them in his life to know they were far from fairy tale, but these silver head people summoning meteors were something new. What sort of “people” could summon something that clearly belonged in space? Were they magic casters or perhaps the powerful constellation summoners he had fought on occasion? If they were the latter…would these people be a problem for him like they were? Would they bring him close to death once more or were these beings minor in comparison to such powerful beings? Hmmm…another question find out the answer to among many.

In any case, Deshi shook his head at Felix’s comment.

“I cannot say that there isn’t one that likes a clean space or if they want people to enter and be in awe at what they see. Most of the time, the dead seems to be want to be left alone and if they do have something nice they become quite aggressive if the living disturbs what they own in anyway,” he said. “They are not as kind or keen to impressing as you may think. Getting you to join them? Well that is another story.”

After speaking, the pair fell into silence as Felix continue to take his pictures. After a moment, Felix spoke again and prompted Deshi to begin asking his questions. When the door shut on its own accord, it was almost completely muffled by Felix’s sneezing that was followed by his even louder complaint. In response, the house seemed to groan in anger before falling silent again. A coincidental wind blowing by rather than an actual complaint about the complaining? More than likely, but it was still amusing how the house had a way of being right on cue about things. While this strangeness might’ve kept him amused under different circumstances, Deshi let the event slid off him once more as he paid the freelancer a starting fee in the form of a jewel. He watched as the other caught and then examined the jewel and could sense the doubt of its worth the man had for the object.

He suppose he couldn’t blame him for being careful. After all, it could’ve very well been a fake; however, Deshi was not into cheating people and the only reason it was so easy to part with precious materials was because unless it was the cash he needed to survive, he wasn’t particularly attached to to much no matter how rare it was. So parting with the jewel was easy enough for him.

Thankfully, the jewel seemed to be enough for the freelancer to answer his questions. As he spoke, Deshi listened.

The shadows were called Heartless and had the purpose of eating others Hearts, but not in a literal sense that would mean ripping and tearing. Okay and they went for lighter Hearts? What did that mean? Was he referring to size and weight of a Heart or something else? If the latter, then what was that something? And what was this? People died without their Heart? Naturally.... but the shells were things called Nobodies that resulted if someone with a taken Heart survived? Okay….so how was it that the shells walked without a beating Heart? Was it their minds' will power that kept them going? Questions, questions, questions and not a enough valuables to trade for what he was sure the freelancer would not know. He’d have to find those answers as he traveled. For now it would be best to focus on the more pressing questions.

As Felix finished his answer and began in his own way to demand more money, Deshi gave the freelancer a calm and even gaze, a cold warning smirk crossing his face as he felt the Void turn within him, but with sheer will power he was able to keep the creature in check. Looking away from Felix, he searched his pockets and pouches for something else of value and came across some pure gold coins. Again a nice penny when traded. He had three of them in his hand, but for now he placed two in his pocket and tossed one towards Felix, the object glinting as it flew towards the freelancer through the air. Thanks to how useful gold was and the fact he was low on the weighty coins, Snow was reluctant to share more of it than necessary. Unlike the rare jewel, gold was actually a even more difficult to get than fighting dragons. People and creatures made sure of that, so he rather not waste it all on questions if he could help it.

With the price paid, Deshi spoke.

“You are quite persistent with your price, but considering that I am the paying customer, it would do you well to be a bit careful with how you phrase things. You might not know what I may pay on the next round if I am displeased with the services, Felix-kun,” Deshi said letting the man know he indeed understood the -chan at the end of his name and that the man was pushing his luck by trying to try his patience or trying to upset him. This man did not want him out of control, so if he stopped while he was ahead, he would remain safe and the conversation civil, but if he kept pushing Deshi's buttons….well, let’s not say what might happen.

In any case, with the warning given Deshi moved onto his questions.

“You mentioned two things that has caught my interest. Tell me about the silver head people and also what you mean by "lighter Hearts". How does this all play into the bigger picture? And are the silver heads something I should worry about, meteror summoning power aside?” he asked, trying to place the pieces together. Lighter Hearts…did this have something to do with the whispers of that war he heard about flowing through the worlds? Or was this something else?

[soulcyber]

OOC: Sorry for being so late with this >.<!

Watching the gold coin glitter as it was thrown at him; the freelancer had a peculiar thought come across his mind as he waited for it to near him so he could catch it. Indeed, he began to think more about this mansion and the odd vibe he got from it and not because it was supposedly haunted. While perhaps it was due to watching too many cartoons as a kid, he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was more to this mansion that met the eye. It wasn’t huge but it certainly wasn’t small and he couldn’t help but think that there had to be some secrets laying around for those determined enough to look for them. Maybe some secret tunnels that lead to the clock tower, an underground bomb shelter, or perhaps behind a bookcase somewhere there was a laboratory of some sort! Yes, the more he thought about it the more the red-head wanted to believe it as it would certainly make for an interesting sight. Furthermore, if he took a couple shots of some secret passages or what have you, then he was certain his client would be more than satisfied and he can get back to relaxing.

Heh and maybe I can pick up a girl or two while I’m at it, I’m on vacation anyway,[/i] he mused, catching the coin as he looked over to Deshitana for a moment, Perhaps I can even convince him to play my wingman, have him nearby so girls can compare us and say I’m the better catch,[/i] he finished musing as he took the coin and bit into it. As it would seem, the currency exchanged was real and not some counterfeit garbage that his customer was trying to play off as real. Slipping it into his pocket, Felix’s ears perked up as Deshitana began speaking once again, a grin curving against his lips at the warning he was given along with the “kun” suffix added to his name.

”Ah so you are aware of Japanese suffixes… hmm most people aren’t, I am impressed,” he started, putting his hands on his hips as he kept that smug look on his face, ”Either way, understood, I’ll be a little more careful with my tongue although I suggest you don’t attempt paying me in a more violent method, I wouldn’t want to have to hurt you now,” he finished as he yawned and went back to taking pictures again. Before he could get many more in though it seemed that Deshitana was continuing his questions, Felix listening intently as to what Deshitana wished to be elaborated on. Stopping for a moment to put a hand to his chin in thought, the freelancer released a small “hmm” as he considered how to answer. As he did so, he began to precede up the stairs to explore the mansion a bit more, intent on finding something special here if there was anything. After reaching the top of the stairs, he would take one hand and let it slide across the railing as he walked to the left and parted his lips to speak, assuming Deshitana was following him and in earshot.

”Well in terms of “lighter hearts” what I mean by that essentially is the “better” of a person you are, the more likely it is for Heartless to look for you. This applies even more so to those who have a keyblade, a rather odd weapon that actually excels in slaying Heartless and most beings of “darkness”. Heh you’d think that the creatures would be smarter and NOT attack people with keyblades and just go on attacking weaker folk that can’t defend themselves but perhaps a keybearer’s heart is tastier than others or something,” he explained, reaching one end of the mansion. Knocking on the door for a moment, the freelancer wondered whether or not he’d get a response but entered without waiting for more than a second. Once inside, he noticed the broken table almost immediately as well as the silverware, assuming that this was probably a dining room before the “renovations” to it had been made. Beginning to take pictures again, the freelancer would begin speaking once more without confirming whether or not Deshitana had followed him.

”At any rate I’m not really sure what their purpose is, perhaps they are just creatures that are driven by an instinctual need to feed on hearts or they are collecting them for some greater purpose. While the latter seems possible it doesn’t really concern me much so I’ve never investigated it and stuck with just beating them down to make a buck here and there. As for the silver-haired folk they are rather dangerous and if you happen to encounter them I suggest you be extremely careful. They’re usually rather quick to fight and extremely powerful and probably stronger than anything you’ve faced thus far. If anything it’d probably be prudent just to flee as you probably won’t gain much out of beating them unless you’re trying to be some sort of “Hero of Justice”,” he finished, releasing another yawn as the dining room quickly lost interest for him. Stopping his picture taking for a moment, he would look back to Deshitana with a grin as his eyes narrowed and his facial expression became a bit more mischievous.

”That aside if you have any more questions to ask feel free to do so while I tear this place apart,” he noted as he quickly went to moving around cabinets and what not looking for any secret panels or what have you, ”You can join me in that too as two heads are better than one and I can’t help but think there’s something hidden in this damn mansion. Someone spreading a rumor that ghosts exist here would be a good way to keep meddling kids away from exploring and perhaps finding said hidden something. That being noted, even if the endeavor proves fruitless I’m going to explore every inch of this place until I find something interesting hehe,” he spieled, quickly getting to work and searching every inch of the dining room for something special.

And I don't care what it is I just want to find something![/i] he mused as he explored with an excited yet mischievous expression.

[Deleted]

(You only took half the month! *crosses arms* Just joking. No problem. I’m use to waiting. ^^)

Deshi watched the freelancer catch the coin before biting on it to test if it was real or not. He found the action amusing although only a slight smile rested on his calm face as he watched him. The action of biting coins was something he had seen done before; however, he knew the test was flawed in many ways and he actually had to once hunt down a thief that had taken many goods from a merchant using perfectly replicated fake gold. The gold and the material it was made out of passed the bite test. Only those who study jewels and rocks of the earth could see the difference between these fakes and the real thing, a skill that Deshi had learned quickly once he was free from the arena. He wasn’t a pro at it, but he was good enough to know when he was being cheated or not. Now don’t get anything wrong here. He didn’t exactly mind being cheated…if the challenge made up for it that is; however, since most missions were not challenging and he needed some form of income to survive, he was quick to put people in their places should they try to give him less than what he asked for or what they promised. He wasn’t greedy and compared to many for hire his services were rather cheap, so he did not understand the need to cheat someone out of money well earned, but people would people. There was nothing to be done about that.

Anyway, Felix took the coin and slipped into his pocket before responding to his words, the grin and smug look had returned. He said he was impressed by his knowledge of Japanese suffixes saying most did not know this at all. That was understandable. Most did not travel or fight such diverse groups as he had. Most had not had the to encounter other languages and gather from tone whether and display whether or not it was insulting or not. Language was a hard thing to learn and while Deshi was not exactly the best at speaking himself, he listened well enough to learn what he needed to know. In any case, the only response Felix would get was a simple nod before the calm warrior was listening to the next set of his words.

If the freelancer was looking for a different reaction besides mild amusement or calmness, well he finally got a more natural one from Deshi after he finished speaking. Deshi sighed slightly as he shook his giving Felix an annoyed look as he spoke, his left eye turning grey.
“You know your threats would be mighty tempting to take seriously if I was not in my right mind. I might actually show a thing or two about pain,” he said his calm tones changing slightly to ones that held annoyance. The words were not his own…he knew this well, but he could not stop them now that beast inside had woken slightly and had at least one eye on Felix. While he struggled inwardly to keep it from taking fully over, on the surface he remained calm as he watched the freelancer yawn before he went about taking more pictures. Thankfully, the man did not do anything else to provoke the Void from boiling over as he considered Deshi’s questions letting out a “hmm” as he placed his hand on his chin and began to head up the stairs.

Deshi let him walk passed him, turning slightly to watch him continue his way up before trailing behind like a shadow staying a safe distance, but still within hearing range of the freelancer. He listened to his words considering them carefully. The “better” part of a person? Was he referring to good and evil tendencies then? If so, did he mean that the more good your intentions were the more likely the shadows would come to attack? Was this in a literal sense or was he referring to the goodness in one’s Heart? Deshi frowned slightly pondering that for a moment. It made sense for shadows to consume Light, but if they were after those with good intentions why did they come after him so viciously when all he did in life was fight and currently wandered the worlds doing small jobs for others? Did that part of him become the “better’ half of him? Did it out weigh the Void, then?

Questions and more questions, but these were some that the freelancer would not be able to answer. Again, he’d have to go poking around later. In any case, he quickly put the thoughts aside as Felix began to mention something about a weapon called the keyblade, explaining how that weapon could effectively destroy the Heartless and most beings of darkness. Of evil then?

As the question went through his head, he felt the Void literally shrink back a bit as if the very thought of a such a weapon displeased it. The sudden shift of the Void caused Deshi to become dizzy for a moment, but thankfully Felix had his back to him and he had the rail to support himself on. He leaned slightly on the rail as he fought for just a brief second to gain his senses back. When had regain composure, his eyes remained as they were before one grey and one dark brown; however, his personality was unbalanced something caused by the reaction the Void had to the weapon and his thoughts on perhaps finding said weapon to destroy it. The Void was not pleased and it wanted to lash out at Felix for placing such a thought in Deshi’s head; however, it could not get around the boy’s will power, so it simply smoldered on the edge waiting for a crack.

While all this played out mentally, Deshi remained slightly leaned against the rail for a moment as he remaining quiet as he wondered about the keyblade and if the battles he fought against the Heartless were for not. If the keyblade exceled in getting rid of the creatures and the darkness…then what reason was there to fight anymore? What was his purpose?

“To surrender to me and just let me paint the world with pain and misery,”[/color] the Void responded back to the question in his head. No. His purpose was to do something about this beast trying to destroy him and be himself again. With new found determination, he was able to push the Void away, the grey eye going back to normal dark brown as he regained his calmness. He closed his eyes for a moment and let out a small breath, relieved that battle was over. He was a bit drained, but at least happy and thankful that Felix had been exploring a room when the event had occurred.

After a moment, Deshi took a few steps towards the room the freelancer was in as he listened to what else he had to say. At least this made more sense than the part about Light, Dark, and keyblades. The little shadows collected Hearts of all types for some unknown purpose, but liked key wielders’ Hearts because their Hearts were different and much more worth fighting….sounded like a defense mechanism to him. Anyway, the freelancer really didn’t know anything else about them except to kill them when he saw them. Logical thinking considering how they caused quite the mess when left alone.

As for the silver head men, they were powerful and violent. Do not try to fight them just get out of the way. End of story. Unexpected, but the point clear enough. Deshi was quiet for a moment as he sorted the information figuring out the best way to respond.

“Hmmm…I see. Perhaps, the shadows want the key wielders’ Hearts, because they are afraid of them. Maybe their goal is to kill the threat to feed on the weak. I wonder if I could find a keyblade and test that theory myself,” he said, truly curious as to what would happen if he did indeed had this weapon in hand or at least was faced with one. Would the Heartless attack even more viciously or…would the Void lash out? It would be interesting to know, regardless of the outcome. The calm warrior thought a bit more and then turned his attention to Felix about the same time the freelancer had turned to him. He saw the other’s eyes narrow and a mischievous grin appear on his face. He listened to his next words and couldn’t help, but to smile and nod at what he said.

A curious one that liked to explore. This would be fun to help with, but first he had just a few more questions. As Felix went to exploring cabinets and what not, Deshi asked his final round of questions.

“That sounds like a plan, but first a few more questions. Do you know how to obtain a keyblade? And, how many of the silver head ones are there? Any distinct description outside of hair color that I could use to identify them?” he asked before catching a movement from his right and focusing on it. While he waited for Felix to answer him and did his own exploring, Deshi watched as something white dashed to the room on the opposite end of the hall and crack the door before vanishing inside. Curious as to if this white thing was a ghost or one of the shells, Deshi drifted towards the door, staying alert. As he approached the door, he peeked into the room through the crack left by the white thing that had went in. From what he could see nothing was there, except books shelves full of well books.

Still curious, he pushed the door open some more so he could enter and then he began to walk along the tall shelves taking in the various books on them. As he scanned, the faded out spines, he began to wonder if any of these books would be of use to him in his search for information. So at random, he chose one. The one he had in his hand now was a delicate red covered book that might’ve been a journal or something at one point, but was now barely holding itself together. The calm warrior gently opened the book to keep it from crumbling. The inside of the book was made of yellowing paper and faded words that could not be read any longer. Disappointed, Deshi closed the book and put it back on the shelf before looking around the area once more. When he became tired of his search through the faded books, he headed back towards the door, cutting directly down the center of the room; however, he never made it to the door.

Five steps forward and his left foot sunk down a bit, the sudden shift almost twisting his ankle in the process. Stumbling more so from being off balance then pain, Deshi regained his balance and took a step back relieving the pressure of the floor tile he had stepped on. As he did, he watched as a strange symbol began to glow on the ground and then the floor began to tremble as part of it slid back and the rest of the floor slumped downward to create stairs before him. In less than a minute, a gaping hole was in the center of the room with stairs leading down into coolness and gloom. Deshi stayed where he was for a minute, examining the new discovery with an air of caution and then deciding to see what was down there despite it potentially being a trap, he moved towards the stairs speaking as he went.

“Come here, Felix,” he called out loud enough for him to hopefully hear over all the digging around he was doing. Regardless if he heard him or not, he figured Felix would discover he was not in the vicinity anymore and would come looking for him, so he continued his way down the stairs at a casual pace taking in everything he saw with a curious and careful eye, mapping the details of the place perfectly in his mind.

[soulcyber]

OOC: Then you also add insult to injury by making a way better post than me… that’s cold Deshi-chan :’(! Sarcasm aside I’m leaving the description of your secret room to you since it’s been FOREVER since I played KHII and I forgot most of how the mansion looks XD!
 
IC: And so the hunt for whatever secrets lie beneath the guise of a mansion in disrepair began, Felix putting all his energy into finding anything of interest. Whether it was a secret pathway, a hidden button, a concealed switch that revealed a rotating bookcase, the red-head was determined to find it! It would also seem Deshi-chan would also be aiding in this search, a smile and a nod having been his response to Felix’s proposal. While he didn’t let it show, this was something that pleased the freelancer as they could split up in their search and cover more ground. What didn’t please him too much were the more questions and while he had offered to answer any more inquiries he had hoped that none would come. Pouting and narrowing his eyes in disappointment (or perhaps annoyance), the freelancer crossed his arms as he stopped searching for but a moment to field the inquiry.

”Bah I didn’t think you would ask any more questions either and you’d just let me have my fun,” he complained although his tone was playful and suggested he was over-exaggerating, ”That aside in terms of getting a keyblade as far as I know it’s not something you just find, it’s more like a luck of the draw thing hence why there aren’t many keybearers running around. As for the silver-haired folk I’ve met three thus far and in terms of better description so you know how to avoid them…” he paused for a moment, putting a hand to his chin in thought as his mischievous grin returned,
 
”The first one I fought wielded a Souba and wears black tights for some reason, not sure why considering he’s as scrawny as a stick but oh well. He’s annoying but he’s incredibly cocky and if a guy like me who seems to be the definition of arrogance says you’re cocky then I believe it holds a lot of weight,” he followed, going back to searching as he continued speaking, ”The second one I fought has really long silver hair and longer than his hair is his ludicrous katana that must be somewhere around seven feet long. Considering how impractical it is for battle, it leads me to believe that he’s overcompensating for what’s between his legs hehe,” he continued, pondering on the third individual of the silver-haired gang he had met,
 
”The third one I didn’t fight since I was on business at the time but he’s got short hair like the first one and wears tights as well despite his scrawny frame. I didn’t talk to him long but he seems to get irritated if you talk about his mum so if you ever find yourself in an unavoidable fight with him, may prove prudent to take advantage of that. If anything, considering they all look somewhat similar, it’s possible they’re related but I haven’t confirmed that as fact for I never bothered to ask or cared. Oh and their names… the overcompensating fellow is Sephiroth, the Souba wielding epitome of narcissism is Kadaj, and the momma’s boy is Yazoo,” he explained as he pulled on a candlestick attached to the wall. At first it seemed to give way, an expression of delight painting the freelancer’s face until he pulled it off the wall since the screws were rusted. Pulling it back violently, he actually managed to bonk himself on the top of the head, holding back the yelp that threatened to escape his lips. He frowned at this development, staring at the candle and the mount attached to it with a strong disdain. Wondering how much it could make at the pawn shop, he sighed lightly as he looked back to Deshitana to see him leaving the room before he could make a witty comment. Pouting once more, the freelancer decided to end his search here in the Dining Room, figuring that a secret being put her was rather unlikely. After all, a dining room was frequented quite often and it was possible a guest would find a secret by accident. That being noted, he would trail behind Deshitana like he had earlier, doing his best to mask his presence and make as little noise as possible.
 
Although considering how focused he seems to be on following whatever trail he picked up I’m not sure such caution is needed,[/i] he mused but continued to proceed silently. Stopping at the door after Deshitana had entered; Felix would peer around the side to see what the stranger was up to. As it would seem, said stranger was keen on books as he quickly pulled one out but made sure to be careful with it as it looked as if it would crumble with a strong gust of wind. Attempting to read it, Felix could tell that probably wouldn’t prove a fruitful endeavor and was soon proved right as Deshitana closed the book and placed it back. Seeing that the man was about to turn around, Felix quickly pulled his head back to keep his presence unknown for the moment, a mischievous grin on his face as he thought of attempting to scare the stranger. While they probably weren’t on the friendliest of terms, the red-head couldn’t fight back the urge to see how such a serious guy like that might react to loud scream as he popped out of nowhere. Holding back the snicker that wanted to escape from his lips, Felix readied himself to scare Deshitana but lifted an eyebrow when he heard a strange noise coming from the room. When the noise stopped he peeked his head around the edge of the door again to see what Deshitana saw… a hidden staircase.
 
Huh?[/i] he thought in disbelief but his facial expression soon changed, a smirk on his face as his eyes took on an excited luster, Now that’s what I’m talking about! Good going Deshi-chan![/i] he mused as Deshitana decided to call for him seemingly unaware that Felix was so nearby. He would then proceed down the stairs, Felix waiting a moment before following behind the fellow at a cautious pace. While he was excited that secrets in this mansion did exist, he knew that if one were crazy enough to build a secret staircase in their estate they may also be crazy enough to build traps. Thus carefulness was prudent on the way down and the red-head was ready for whatever defense mechanisms may be built to protect this place. After all, going into a place loaded with spike pits, boulders that crushed everything in their path, fire breathing décor, or what have you was nothing new to him. That being noted, he was a bit surprised that nothing came up when they reached the bottom of the staircase, wondering if perhaps the traps were also in disrepair.
 
Or perhaps there really isn’t any traps?[/i] he pondered for a moment but dismissed the thought rather quickly. Instead he focused his attention on Deshitana who was rather intrigued with the room taking a moment to examine it… a moment where his guard would most likely be dropped. Grinning mischievously, Felix would manipulate a small amount of fire for just a moment, putting the candle he was still carrying with him alight. When Deshitana inevitably turned to face him as he looked around the room, Felix would have the candle underneath his chin using the illumination provided by the candle. His facial expression would be rather ominous as his eyes opened widely and his face was pale, his lips then parting to speak.
 
”You left me behind with the ghosts Deshi-chan!” he would state as his face was covered with a few streams of blood due to his earlier head injury. He hadn’t noticed prior actually but if anything it would make it look more convincing that he was a ghost that had come back to haunt Deshitana, the image he was trying to create. While it was unlikely that it would scare the guy, Felix figured it was worth a shot if nothing else, at the very least he was having fun with it.
 
Although I imagine this new found area of the mansion will prove to be a lot more interesting and fun,[/i]

[Deleted]

(*Bows dramatically* As an artist it is my duty to insult with beauty. (It means thank you XD and okay. I’ll do my best. Been a while since I’ve played Kingdom Hearts myself.)

If you offer someone something you should treat the one accepting the offer with respect and kindness. It was proper business etiquette after all; however, Deshi was quickly learning that such things were not taught to Felix. If he had been anyone else except himself, he might’ve snapped at Felix’s attitude towards his questions, but luckily for the freelancer Deshi was tolerant of a lot of things and so let the attitude slide even if it was playful and over-exaggerated. Regardless of the complaint, Felix answered his questions telling him that the keyblade could not be found like any other weapon. He said that people got them thanks to luck. That didn’t make sense. He found a lot of things out of luck, but had never seen or heard of this keyblade thing until now. He wondered if Felix’s “luck” was his way of saying he truly didn’t know how to get a keyblade. Maybe there was something else involved with gaining one. Hmmm…perhaps he’d have to find the wielders to find out the truth of the matter. A shame really, but he suppose that it would be all too convenient for one of these keys to be within range. The Void chuckled at this bit of information, thinking it had one no doubt, but Deshi ignored the laugh...the taunt. Keyblade or not, he’d find a way to defeat the beast within him if it was the last thing he did. He would be himself once again and free that voice he heard in the chaos.

Anyway from there, Felix gave him a mischievous grin again as he began to speak on the white headmen making unnecessary comments that he had heard one too many times from those underestimating others based on actions or looks. He had had such comments thrown his way at times, so he blocked out the unnecessary add ons and focused only on the meat of what was being said. There were three white haired men all together, each with a unique weapon, two in tight black clothing with perhaps shoulder length hair or a bit longer—it was hard to say as short was such a vague word—and the last white haired man had long hair and a long sword. All were dangerous and should be avoided while one of the short haired folk was easily annoyed when one talked about his mother.

Sephiroth, Kadaj, and Yazoo…perhaps related, but unconfirmed. Hmm…interesting. He would keep the description in mind and work around them should he encounter any of them on his travels. He nodded at Felix as he began to pull on a candlestick.

“I see. Thank you for the information and advice,” he said and then fell silent as he caught the movement of the white thing out the corner of his eye. He was so focused on the movement, he didn’t notice Felix had hurt himself with the candle holder. Nor did he notice him following when he walked to the door the creature had disappeared behind. Even in the library he was oblivious to the freelancer following him and plotting to scare him. He moved around the library until he stumbled—literally—upon the button and secret stair case and began to head down, calling to Felix wherever he may be. As he headed down, he took note of the other presence close by and the footfalls that did not match his own letting him know Felix was a safe distance behind him despite all his sneaking about.

In any case, Deshi took in the small details of the hall, taking note of the various tubes down here and wondered for a brief moment what they were for. He turned to ask Felix about his opinion on the matter, but never got the question out as he looked over at Felix and had a sudden loss of control. It wasn’t fear that did it. No, it was the blood and the fact that he had been wrestling with the Void ever since he came here that caused this reaction. As he took in the ghostly appearance, his eyes shifted to grey for a moment as a cruel smirk appeared on his face.

“Do you really want to join the ranks of the dead, Felix? We can arrange that easily,” he said as he watched the other with insanity lacing his words and flickering through his eyes. The Void was out for just a moment and then Deshi's eyes returned to normal as the warrior shifted his weight back slightly to compensate for the slight dizziness that assaulted him as he looked away from Felix for a moment to regain his composure.

“Sorry about that,” he said after a while the smirk and insanity gone and his calmness back. “Perhaps you should not play so many games with me, Felix-kun,” he warned him gently, and then looking back at him, his eyes landed on the wound on his head. “I can bandaged that for you if you like,” he said remaining calm and patient once more. He was still curious about the mansion, but with the Void tumbling about like it was he began to wonder just how much exploring could be done before the fun was consumed by the creature’s wrath.

[soulcyber]

While the red-headed freelancer hadn’t been too hopeful to get a scared reaction out of Deshitana with his ploy, he hadn’t expected the reaction he did get. Indeed, upon seeing the freelancer’s face Deshitana’s facial expression changed almost instantly, a smirk tugging at his lips as his eyes took on a dark grey luster. Furthermore, when he parted his lips to speak his tone had also changed quite significantly, the calm and collected persona he had established being broken instantly. Yes, despite the man’s attempts to NOT let Felix get to him it seemed like he was beginning to show his true self or perhaps just another side of him.
 
Dissociative Identity Disorder perhaps?[/i] he mused as his own facial expression turned innocent as if he didn’t know what was wrong, I suppose it’s a possibility, most mercenaries do have checkered pasts that could lead them to developing such a disorder but… I don’t think that would change the color of his eyes. It’s not any of my business but it certainly intrigues me whether it’s D.I.D. or if he’s got some demon possessing him or something. He said he fought ghosts and what not so I suppose there is always a chance of that having happened, that one gave him a curse, he began to ponder but before his train of thought could continue he saw Deshitana stumble back, seemingly dizzy. After a moment Deshitana regained his composure, apologizing for the sudden threat and offering to help Felix with his head injury. The red-head didn’t reply immediately, instead taking a moment to stare at him with a blank gaze, almost as if he was analyzing him. And that he was, the freelancer interested in finding out what was it inside Deshitana that caused him to lose control of his actions for that short moment. Furthermore, it was prudent to exercise caution toward someone who just did a 180 in regards to their personality. When roughly five seconds passed though, the freelancer would relax his facial expression as he grinned just a tad and shrugged his shoulders.
 
”Ah my bad I just figured I’d try to make things a little more fun since we’re in what seems to be a haunted mansion anyway,” he started, pacing around the room and beginning to look over it more carefully, ”Although now it seems to be more than a haunted mansion that much is sure. As for the head wound don’t worry about it I’m sure the blood will coagulate soon enough and I’d rather not bandage it without disinfecting it first. Unless you also happen to have some rubbing alcohol or something doesn’t seem like there’s much point to throwing some band-aids on it,” he explained, allowing not only his eyes but his hands to examine the room. Yes, what Deshitana had stumbled upon had seemed to be a lab of some sorts, beakers and flasks strewn about as well as other pieces of technology. It didn’t seem in the best shape, seemingly ignored for some time but if one were determined to use the tech here they could most likely get it up and going. The question was though, what was this tech and everything else in this room for exactly? From a glance it was hard to tell and thus the red-head began to look for any notes that had been possibly left behind that might clue him in on the purpose of this lab. As he did so, he would also take a few pictures here and there for his other “client” but would steal a glance at Deshitana whilst doing so.
 
”So what was with the 180 in personality you displayed a moment ago?” the red-head started, looking back to the desk he was searching for any clues, ”I suppose it’s none of my business but I figured I would ask since I may be able to help you depending on what the issue is. If it’s Dissociative Identity Disorder I can refer you to a therapist but if it’s something like demonic possession we’ll have to explore other avenues of remedy for that,” he continued, his hand skimming against a note left on the desk in front of him. Pausing for a moment, he picked up the note and read it quickly, not entirely sure on what it all meant but a couple key words came up rather often, “Memories” and “Hearts”. While he wasn’t entirely sure what the relevance of “memories” were, “hearts” would most likely mean something involving Heartless whether the intention was good or bad. Crumpling it up in his hand, Felix threw the note over Deshitana’s head such that it would fall down in front of him to catch. From there he continued searching around this little laboratory of sorts but decided to continue the conversation he had started earlier even if it was a slippery slope.
 
”My line of work establishes a lot of connections so I’m sure if you got the money to pay for it I could find someone to help. If the end result is undesirable I’ll grant a refund of course but I can tell you now that my success rate is 99.99% on any job so you would be in good hands,” he added, pausing to turn around and face Deshitana, his hands gripping the edge of the table now behind him as he maintained that signature smirk, ”Or if I’m just talking out of my ass then you can ignore everything I just said. For all I know, I’m just making a wrong deduction although from my experience the color of people’s eyes doesn’t change unless they have some sort of problem, likewise with a sudden change in demeanor,” he finished, a lingering gaze being directed at Deshitana before he turned around to put his attention back to exploring. Although that was true, he made sure to pay enough attention to whatever Deshitana replied with, whether it was his tongue or his fist.
 
I suppose either response would be fun although I do hope for the former, certainly would enjoy getting more money out of this trip,[/i] he mused, shuffling through papers on the desk, his facial expression darkening, I need every cent I can get to take care of her,[/i] he continued in his head, a forlorn expression on his face for but a moment before dissipating so he could focus on the task at hand… there was no time to think of such things.
 
Be nice if I could say the same words I tell to clients about success to her though,[/i]
 
OOC: THE PLOT THICKENS! WHAT WILL HAPPEN!? WOAH!!!!!

[Deleted]

The small switch in personality was a quick one, but what had happened and what had been said could not be undone. Deshi hated this small, yet deadly flaw within him, but at least the Void had not had enough time to attempt to kill Felix. The calm warrior didn’t know what he would’ve done if that had happened. Too many times he had tried to make friends since he had become free of the arena and too many times, the Void either killed them or chased them away leaving the man alone with the insanity that slowly ate away at him daily. It was the reason he had stayed on the move and did his best to avoid people, but at times he was stuck with people and in turn had a larger chance to slip up, especially when faced with the playful or arrogant.

Deshi himself was harmless unless provoked and even when in a fight he did his best to end it quickly with as little injury to an opponent as possible. He went for knock out moves or pins that got people to surrender. He never wanted to kill, but the Queen who lavished all her favor upon him for reason even he did not understand, she…she had wanted him to kill and when he refused to do so, she forced him to do her will with that cursed crystal that held the Void. Since then, he could no longer trust himself….be himself. Depressing. ”Annoying?”[/color] the Void chuckled inside of him, taunting and teasing him again. He pushed the voice away and looked at Felix once more.

Despite the blank gaze he stared at the warrior with after Deshi had offered him assistance, he knew that the man was probably pondering the switch up in attitude. Knew that the man was no fool and trying to figure him out. He doubt, he’d succeed in placing the pieces all together outside of the fact that something had gone terribly wrong within Deshi and thus caused the switch up. He let him have his time to piece the scattered pieces together and then the freelancer’s facial expression relaxed as his grin returned slightly and he shrugged.

He was apologizing for his own actions to which Deshi simply nodded to before moving towards one of the tubes in the area. As he examined it he began to ponder what it was here for. Was this place for experiments then? If so was there perhaps something here that could give him a clue as how to free himself and the voice from the Void? Doubtful, but maybe if he could figure out if experiments was indeed what the tubes were used for then perhaps the similarities in data would help him find his way. It didn’t hurt to try, so try he would. As he began to casually drift about the room for clues, he listened to Felix talk. He mentioned that this was not an ordinary haunted mansion an obvious statement thanks to this find; however, when he mentioned the head wound Deshi paused and searched the medical pouch for something similar to what he was referring to. He didn’t know what a band-aid was and while rubbing alcohol was a familiar name to him, he did not carry that stuff on him; however, he did have one vial of medicine in his pouch somewhere….aha! He checked the vial and then slightly sighed as he placed it back in the pouch shaking his head. Nope that medicine would not be helping a bleeding head.

“I am afraid I don’t have anything to help with disinfecting. I just have some bandages that could probably help in protecting the wound until you can get help; however, I will not force you to do something you do not wish to do,” he said before moving from the tubes to spot a little pass the computer. No, he wouldn’t force anyone’s hand and after what happened, he was lucky this man was still around at all. While he was thankful the man had not fled, he wasn’t about push his thin luck further. He went back to exploring, spotting a white rectangular object on the floor—paper. He leaned over to pick up the piece of paper and flipped over to study its strange writing. The paper was discussing something about a Sora, memories, restoring, and some person named Namine. None of it made sense to him, but the name Sora rung a bell in his head. Hadn’t Genesis told him to remember that name? And had it not been that same name that been on the roosters at the Coliseum? Who was this Sora that his name appeared even her in another world? Was this place perhaps his home or simply connected to him? Hmmm….

His thoughts were cut short as Felix spoke again causing him to look up from the paper he had been studying and lock his eyes on the red-head. He was curious about the personality shift? Heh. He supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. After all the Void did lash out at the man, so he thought perhaps it was only fair that he told the man what he was dealing with, but where to begin? He heard the rest of the man’s words and could only smile slightly at them. No, this was not a personality disorder. Possession was closer to what it was, but it wasn’t possession in the usual sense and he doubted that Felix even knew about crystals.

There was a slight pause upon which the freelancer study a piece of paper before crumpling it and tossing it towards him. On instinct, Deshi caught it and unballed the thing. More memory data and now some mention about Hearts. Hmm…then the little shadows were connected to the place or did this once more have to do with Sora and whoever Namine was? Hmm….he placed the two pieces of papers together in his hands as he listened to the rest of what Felix had to say. Back to business and the Void then. Fair enough.

Anyway, Deshi didn’t doubt that Felix could be useful, but he wondered if the man would stay around until the end. After all, the answer he sought had alluded him for years, so he wasn’t sure what would happen with more eyes looking for the same answer. He already could tell the Void wasn’t liking the idea. He could feel it trying to escape, knock him back into the corner of its mind so it could stop the deal that could potential harm it, but Deshi kept the creature at bay.

“Your deduction is closer to the mark than you think,” he began carefully keeping the freelancer’s gaze until the man went back to exploring. When Felix turned away, Deshi placed the papers he had in his hands on the computer’s keyboard and leaned slightly against the down computer not expecting it to react as he continued.

“My problem is similar to a possession, but unlike ghosts and demons, the answers on how to get rid of the curse has been difficult to find. The people that made me this way are long gone and unless they’ve left some form of data lying about in a random world or what not, I have no leads as to what to do. While I do not doubt your skills as a freelancer and understand the need for money, I do not think I have the amount of money required to keep you as an employee for a long period of time. Like you, I work hard for whatever I get; however, if you truly wish to help me out, then I suggest a partnership instead. You won’t get paid as you would normally, but perhaps in exchange for your help, I can lend you mine in getting to your goal. What do you say?” Deshi finished watching the freelancer carefully as he continued to rest against the computer. As he watched the man explore some papers on a desk, he saw a dark expression cross the grinning freelancer’s face and wondered for a moment what was bothering him. Now it was his turn to wonder why Felix’s happy go lucky mood had changed. Was he the cause of the change or perhaps something closer to the man’s Heart. Stranger and stranger. Curious about and focused on this potential ally, Deshi didn’t notice that the pouch on his left side had pressed into a button hidden under the papers he had laid down on the keyboard. The button began to flash silently although its glow would be hardly noticed unless someone spotted the faint flash from under the paper.

(Indeed. Let’s see what happens.)

[soulcyber]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,470,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: #454545; padding: 29px 0px 0px 10px; border-radius: 8px 0px 0px 0px; border-left: #E34234 8px solid;][STYLE=font-family: arial; font-size: 130px; color: #E34234; line-height: 0px; text-transform:]T[/style]

[atrb=vAlign,top][atrb=style,background-color: #454545; padding: 25px 10px 0px 0px;][STYLE=height: 80px; font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 54px; color: #EDEDED; text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: -3px; line-height: 40px; margin-left: -4px; overflow: hidden;]HE #1 FREELANCER[/style][STYLE=font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 11px; text-transform: uppercase; line-height: 9px; letter-spacing: -1px; color: #E34234; text-align: justify; border-right: #E34234 10px solid; margin-left: -2px; margin-top: 2px;]Failure isn't even in my vocab![/style]

[atrb=border,0,true][atrb=width,470,true][atrb=cellspacing,0,true][atrb=cellpadding,0,true][atrb=style,background-color: #454545; padding: 0px 20px 10px 20px; border-radius: 0px 0px 0px 8px; border-left: #E34234 8px solid;][STYLE=font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 10px; line-height: 10px; letter-spacing: 0px; color: #DEDEDE; text-align: justify; margin-top: 5px;]█ TAGS Felix, Deshitana, Mansion, The Void, #1 Freelancer █ WORDS 1047 █ NOTES Sorry for the wait Deshi-chan, hope you enjoy! [/style] [STYLE=background-color: #353535; font-family: tahoma; font-size: 10px; color: #B5B5B5; line-height: 11px; border-radius: 3px; padding: 5px 10px 10px 10px; text-align: justify;][STYLE=float: left; background-image: url(http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww280/shiojisan/Felix.jpg); width: 85px; height: 85px; border: #454545 10px solid; margin-top: -20px; margin-left: -20px; margin-right: 5px; border-radius: 17px;] [/style][STYLE=float: left; background-image: url(http://i727.photobucket.com/albums/ww280/shiojisan/Felix.jpg); width: 55px; height: 55px; border: #454545 10px solid; margin-top: 4px; margin-left: -10px; margin-right: 5px; border-radius: 17px;] [/style] After speaking for a rather long time, basing much of his deductions regarding Deshitana’s condition on circumstantial evidence, he was surprised to hear that he was correct. Well perhaps not correct but close enough according to Deshitana who then decided to explain the situation regarding the recent 180. As it would seem, the problem was similar to possession and while his potential client didn’t say what it was exactly, the red-head could make a few guesses based on the sentence that he was “made” that way. Indeed, if he was “made” that way than there was quite a few possibilities as to what could be the problem but with the inclusion of the word “data”, the freelancer figured it had to be something akin to “programming” or brainwashing. While he didn’t suspect the man standing in front of him was a cyborg, he couldn’t completely shake the feeling that he wasn’t just your run of the mill human.   Well that was assuming he was a human anyway, the red-head had already seen a few races on other planets that looked like humans but weren’t. Thus the probability of brainwashing seemed to be more likely but if that were the case again it wouldn’t change his eye color when that “other side” of him attempted to take over. No, it had to be something else, perhaps some sort of device in the man’s body that while normally inactive would react to certain stimuli. Yes, that theory certainly had more merit and if he were to stick to it he could assume that at least one of the stimuli was agitation. Felix’s actions up to this point while playful in nature, could certainly be seen as irritating and Deshitana had certainly made it apparent that they were. Despite the warning given to him though, Felix had continued pestering the man and eventually elicited the response of an outburst. Deshitana was quick to contain it and try to play it off though which lead Felix to believe that this “curse” or whatever it was could be controlled. This was promising for even in the case the red-head couldn’t figure out how to completely cure the potential client of his problem he could at least work out some sort of “treatment”.   Although “treating” the problem isn’t something I’d be able to live with… that’s all that can be done for her and it’s been tearing me up inside knowing that,

[/i] he mused as Deshitana continued speaking now getting onto the subject of payment. This was a slippery slope and as Deshitana informed the red-head he wasn’t very rich, the freelancer couldn’t help but let a sigh escape. It always seemed to be the case with these “warrior” types, none of them had any cash despite all their adventures where they could find treasures worth millions. They could find treasure, skin a dragon and sell its hide, find some magic sword and auction it off or a number of other things yet they never seemed to do it. While that was true he could respect the fact that the man was honest with him and also worked to earn his keep instead of being a parasite that relied on the assistance of others. Whatever the case, Deshitana offered that instead of monetary gain perhaps a partnership was more apt or rather a favor system. While Felix didn’t hate the idea of a favor system, it often didn’t work as well in practice as it did on paper. To establish a favor system required trust and Felix had only known this potential client for an hour at best, not exactly a lot of time to build up trust between them. Thus the offer wasn’t very appealing yet as Felix attempted to open his mouth to say no, he hesitated as his eyes stared at the ground, losing a bit of their luster.
 
On the other hand I said I would sell my soul to the devil if it meant helping her,[/i] he began to muse with crossed arms and his eyes closed in deep thought, While it’s unlikely that he will be of any help to me in that regard it’s worth a try if nothing else right? If he can’t help me with that issue than I can always use him for something else assuming he’s useful anyway. Plus if he tries to skip out on paying back the favor I can always beat him up, that’s typically a reliable way to make sure one keeps their end of a bargain,[/i] he thought over and as he released a deep breath. Opening his eyes he would look over to Deshitana, his expression blank at first before he shrugged his shoulders and grinned.
 
”You know you might be signing up for helping the devil take over the universe or something Deshi-chan,” he started, a small “tch” escaping his lips, ”You don’t even know what my end-goal is and you’re willing to make a deal like that, I got to admit I’m impressed. That being said, I hope you can keep your word once we’re done getting whatever it is out of you cause if not you’re going to have one hell of an ass whipping waiting for ya if you cross me,” he would add, uncrossing his arms and taking a step closer. Extending his right hand toward Deshitana, his grin get a little wider as his eyes regained the usual luster residing deep within them and he parted his lips to speak.
 
”Whatever the case, let’s shake on it and get back to exploring this lab, hell if we’re lucky maybe something here will be useful in determining what we need to cure ya,” he added waiting for the man to shake his hand. Whilst he waited though and his eyes now open and able to see the room again he noticed a faint red glow near Deshitana, almost like a light that was blinking. He wished to ask about it but decided to ignore it for the time being as he figured it couldn’t be anything too important. Whether this assumption would prove to be correct or not though was completely up to fate.
 
And knowing how fate enjoys being a fickle bi%$# it’ll probably be the self-destruct mechanism or something,[/i]
[/style]

[STYLE=font-family: trebuchet ms; font-size: 9px; color: #606060; opacity: 0.9; text-align: right;]MADE BY AYU OF BACK TO NEVERLAND (x)[/style]

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[Deleted]

(No problem. Well then since you didn’t push the button, I guess I’ll let Deshi do what he does best in this sort of situation XD. Anyway, sorry if it doesn't make sense. DX)

Deshi had explained his situation more or less not really caring that the freelancer had stumbled upon his dark secret. While Deshi didn’t feed the man everything about him, he had given the man enough to understand two very important facts. One Deshi was not completely human. Being embedded with crystals had long ago stopped him from aging and if one were to dissect him, they would find a very complicated network of crystals and human parts blended in such a way that the human side did not die off and the crystals themselves could thrive peacefully within the host. At the center of this mess sat the tainted crystal of the Void. The one that worked to destroy him daily. The one that needed to be conquered. He was quite the mess inside and this mess was reflected outwardly, his body a patch work held together by stitches and staples hidden from view by his clothing. The other thing that the information would’ve given Felix was the fact that by agreeing to any part of this deal, the man would put himself at risk thanks to working closely with the Void that already hated the man for existing and would probably try to kill him too if given the chance. In a nutshell, the facts were something to else for the man to weigh among other things when dealing with Deshi.

Anyway, as stated before he didn’t mind that Felix knew something was wrong with him. No, the Void had already reared its ugly head, so it was better to be honest with the man than beat around the bush and in the end place the man in a situation less than safe. In any case as he spoke, he could feel rather than see the change in the man’s behavior as the freelancer made his own guesses as to what Deshi was. He didn’t know exactly what had caused the freelancer to become so serious a few minutes before and he didn’t know if it was the same thing that kept the linger feeling of tension in the room. Something was bothering the man although he didn’t say what and for the time being, Deshi didn’t pry for information as he continued to speak, turning the subject from himself to payment. Felix’s reaction to his words was expected.

After all, had he not just paid the man a pretty penny for the small chunk of information he had gotten? As he heard the sigh, he half expected the man to flat out refuse such a deal. It would not be a surprise. Most for hire type were particular about money and if they could not receive material gain from the deal being offered they typically turned away. On top of this, what Deshi was proposing to do would require the other party to take a chance and trust him and in turn he’d have to do the same. Deshi wasn’t one for leaving lose ends, but he did not really know the freelancer before him either. For all he knew this deal could get him in a world of trouble. Still if a solution to the getting rid of the Void could be found through making this deal, then he was willing to take a chance with the freelancer…even if the price later could potentially be heavy or damaging.

Pushing away doubt and clearing his mind, Deshi focused on Felix once more. The man had his eyes closed and seemed to be deep in thought, weighing his options in this rather risky deal no doubt. As he continued to watch the man, he saw the freelancer opened his mouth to say something, but then changing his mind remained silent for a moment longer. After a few minutes went by, the freelancer opened his eyes and focused on Deshi once more with a blank expression that only confirmed Deshi’s earlier assumption. There was something bothering this man. Something that bothered him so much that when he shrugged and grin once more, Deshi didn’t buy the cheerful cover up as he listened to the man’s words before speaking.

“If that situation comes to reality then, I will simply have to adjust won’t I?” he responded back as the first sign of emotion outside of his little slip up appeared. It was a smirk that clearly said that he was prepared to take responsibility for anything that may happen, but also in a position to rip Felix apart should he betray him. The Void hated this deal, but at the moment the beast could not get around Deshi’s mental barriers that had been reinforced by the hope this deal offered, so it could do nothing to stop or interfere with what was happening. Distressed, it watched and smoldered angrily at the situation unable to believe that Deshi might have found an ally that was actually agreeing to work against it.

In any case, the smirk was brief and just as suddenly as it came, it was gone as the calm warrior’s face relaxed and he listened to the rest of what Felix said. He nodded in turn. He understood the risk of going into the unknown, but he was not afraid to take the challenge of being blinded for the moment. The truth of all things always came out in the end. He would find Felix’s goal whether or not the man told him flat out or not. It was a puzzle to put together, so it be nice to see where it all led in the end. For now, the freelancer was agreeing to help him on the condition that he helped him in turn. He also gave him a fair warning as to what would happen should he decide to turn against him. Hmph. Back to beating him down, huh? Fair enough.

“Let your words be true and I won’t fail to keep my end of the bargain,” Deshi told him as he watched the man uncross his arms and move forward, extending his right hand to shake and seal the deal. The man’s usual cockiness came cutting through the heavy thoughts inside of him allowing him to grin even more. Deshi reached out and grasped the other’s hand firmly, the action feeling a bit odd since Deshi was a lefty naturally.

As they shook on the deal, Deshi heard Felix’s words and nodded as he released his hand a short while later. Exploring the mansion some more might be a good idea. Maybe they could stumble upon something else of interest like this strange ro—Hm?

Deshi thoughts came to a halt as he noticed Felix looking at something next to him. Following his gaze, the white haired warrior saw that there was something red and dimly flashing under the papers he had placed down a few minutes earlier. Curious, he moved the papers to the side and saw that the flash belonged to a small button on the computer. What did it do? Hmm…

As tempting as it was to push, Deshi hesitated for just a moment as he remembered that he was not alone and considered the color of the button. On one hand, this button could be mean trouble or something like that and by pushing it, Deshi would not only put himself in danger, but also Felix. Something that he was very sure the freelancer would not appreciate. On the other, Felix had seen the button first and even looked over at it as if he was curious about it too. If that was the case, then maybe pushing the button wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Then again red meant stop or do not push, so maybe he should not…

The quiet warrior folded his arms a bit as he frowned slightly at the flashing button. Such a tempting little flash, but what to do? He debated for a moment and then shrugging inwardly, his face went back to being neutral as he reached out and pushed the button. The button stopped flashing and then—

Nothing. Deshi blinked a few times as he waited for something to happen. Perhaps there was a delay? Tick. Tick. Nothing still. A look of disappointment and boredom appeared on his face as he turned to Felix with a shrug. He was on the edge of telling the freelancer they should turn around when unexpectedly, the computer began to beep, hum, and glow. Turning his attention back to computer, he watched as images came up on the screen. While most of them seemed blurry there were some that were still clear and seemed to be showing different parts of the mansion. As he looked at the different screens, he saw in the lower left screen what appeared to be a computer room of some sort and in it the slinking white form of a shell (a Dusk). He watched as the shell casually moved about the room as if it owned the place. While the appearance of shells meant trouble, Deshi was more curious as to where the computer room was. While he was sure a Corridor could lead him right to where that shell was, he didn’t want to use that method if not necessary. There had to be a door that led in there or something. Now then how could he get this camera to change its angle so he could see the room better?

He looked away from the screen and down at all the glowing buttons on the keyboard. Which one was for the…? Aha! He pressed a green button labeled “camera” thinking that perhaps this was the solution to his problem; however, instead of giving him options to control the camera, the whole area they were in shook a bit as a deep rumble was heard from somewhere down the hall of tubes behind him. He turned slightly and could see that a door or something was sliding open letting light drift out of the room ahead. As the door finished sliding, the room became quiet once more.

Heh. Mislabeled things, huh? Thankfully luck seemed to be on his side today and the “camera button” opened a door instead of set off an alarm or causing something worse from happening. Thanking whatever spirit that watched over him for nothing bad happening to him or Felix, he moved away from the computer done with the button pushing for now. He moved slightly down the hall before stopping and turn slightly towards Felix as he shifted his weight to the left and tilted his head slightly at the freelancer.

“What should we do?” he asked him shifting the power of leader to Felix since he didn’t want to let his curiosity get them in trouble. While he was curious about the room, he was in no rush to go to it if Felix wanted to poke about this area some more.