End of all Hope

Sephiroth had just come back from one of the company's many pointless PR missions, ignoring as always the eyes which watched her as she leapt down out of the helicopter and walked coolly into the headquarters. No doubt if they hadn't just seen her slaughter enough monsters as easy as breathing, they would all be crowding around her asking a multitude of questions or just hoping to be seen talking to her by others. At times like then and even now, she oft wished she hadn't been born different. She got sick of the attention and the looks, be they fearful, adoring, or lustful, she'd seen them all entirely too much directed her way.

It was only moderately better once she'd gotten inside away from the press and public crowd. Inside she still had to deal with looks from the employees and infantry. At least they both gave her space to pass as she walked past them, and the newer members of the infantry had the good grace to show respect in lowering their gaze to the floor until she'd walked past them.

Arriving at the floor which was the domain of SOLDIER, she finally let herself relax just a little, the tense set of her shoulders easing somewhat and her body language relaxing into something less than a 'say a word and I'll gut you' statement without words. Swiping the keycard through her room's card-key lock to open the door, she let a small tired sigh escape as she walked into the room. A shower followed by some time alone with which to do something which wasn't physical sounded good at the moment.

Sephiroth had just come back from one of the company's many pointless PR missions, ignoring as always the eyes which watched her as she leapt down out of the helicopter and walked coolly into the headquarters. No doubt if they hadn't just seen her slaughter enough monsters as easy as breathing, they would all be crowding around her asking a multitude of questions or just hoping to be seen talking to her by others. At times like then and even now, she oft wished she hadn't been born different. She got sick of the attention and the looks, be they fearful, adoring, or lustful, she'd seen them all entirely too much directed her way.

It was only moderately better once she'd gotten inside away from the press and public crowd. Inside she still had to deal with looks from the employees and infantry. At least they both gave her space to pass as she walked past them, and the newer members of the infantry had the good grace to show respect in lowering their gaze to the floor until she'd walked past them.

Arriving at the floor which was the domain of SOLDIER, she finally let herself relax just a little, the tense set of her shoulders easing somewhat and her body language relaxing into something less than a 'say a word and I'll gut you' statement without words. Swiping the keycard through her room's card-key lock to open the door, she let a small tired sigh escape as she walked into the room. A shower followed by some time alone with which to do something which wasn't physical sounded good at the moment.

A week had passed since his little songbird had flown from its cage. If it hadn't been for the fact he had felt something which had suggested that his scrying spells had been lied to, then he might have not found his pet so quickly. Just one problem remained it would seem before he could reclaim the errant doll and return home. The current hiding place Beriana had chosen could prove troublesome to extract the golem from.

He never did much care for dealing with vampires. They had their uses, but other than those few uses they were almost as annoying as the humans which lived within this realm. Well, he would try to retrieve what was his the easy way and if they refused to give it up to him after learning just whom his doll belonged to, then he would just have to take the hard way. Hopefully no one would be harmed by the time he reclaimed what rightfully belonged to him. He'd hate to end up sparking a feud between the fae and vampires over such a trivial thing as the refusal to return one's property to its rightful owner.

Entering the club, he tried to sense just where his pet might be within the place but once again his senses chose to tell him that Beriana was just not here. If he hadn't known better and had already established that was a lie, he might have turned away to search the city. Instead he walked further into the club and scanned the bar and dance floor silently.

It was almost laughable how powerless he was compared to how Yuuko-san had been, but that did not stop Watanuki now; he was the current keeper of the shop and he would do anything in the limited grasp of his power to help his clients. So far, the only thing he had truly mastered --if you could call his control of it mastering-- was consulting dreams for answers that lay beyond his grasp.

The silk fabric of his kimono dragged silently over the floor of the shop as he wandered through the dream scape he had entered only moments earlier. It was rare the dream scape was this shaped, and even rare that it was a location that he recognized, but that did not stop him. The shop created in the dream looked empty, but that did not mean it was. He found his way outside, seating himself on the patio. Sometimes, you just had to wait for the answer to come to you. He dug through the folds of his kimono, finally procuring the silver, slim pipe he always carried. Lighting it, he breathed in the thick smoke, tilting his head back before he breathed it out in slow, silver rings and he waited.

He was always waiting.

Kaname hadn't bothered changing when he was informed of the visitor who'd arrived during the night. He'd been seated in a chair in the rooms he'd used to share with Yuuki when the servant interrupted him and he stood slowly giving her portrait one last glance before he left the room closing the door behind himself carefully and locked it with a key. Nobody entered that room but him anymore, he wouldn't permit it.

His footsteps on the carpeted floor were almost soundless as he descended the stairs one hand tucking his hair behind an ear where it'd slipped loose from the band holding it back at the base of his neck. He stopped in the doorway of the room his guest had been shown to, his expression giving nothing of his thoughts away as he appraised the other man slowly.

He hadn't expected him to come back after they'd almost killed each other when Yuuki had died. He didn't regret the fight at all. It had been exactly what he'd needed at the time to get a handle on the grief and rage that had taken him over. Everything had been so raw then, and now he'd come back although Kaname hadn't bothered to chase after him when he ran. This actually confused the vampire a little but if Zero was that masochistic, so be it. He didn't have the patience to deal with the neurosis of a former Quincy turned vampire and given Zero's views on how he was going to have to survive now, it wasn't that much of a surprise he'd returned although Kaname'd have thought it would have taken longer .

"....I didn't expect to see your face again." The words were quiet as he moved further into the room where Zero could see him. "After all our last ...encounter was hardly something anyone could call friendly, although at the time I wasn't quite myself. " He settled into one of the chair,red eyes locking on Zero's face. "What reason do you have for seeking me out, Kiryuu? "

Hisana's footsteps were silent as she approached the entrance to the estate, one hand closed at the neck of her kimono as she paused staring up at the structure. It had been so long since she'd passed through these gates and she was unsure of how she'd be received, given that for all intents and purposes, she'd been declared dead centuries ago. Her fingers tightened around the fabric before she slowly released it and her breath caught briefly in her throat. She was half afraid to cross the threshold given she had no idea how he'd react. Her hands dropped to her sides before she walked through the gate.

She'd only regained her memories fully within the last few months and fear more than anything kept her away before now. She still wasn't sure if returning was the best option but he..deserved to know at least that she was alive still. Whether or not he had someone else, at least that pain could be relieved. Her footsteps slowed as she approached the main house, small hands closing around the fabric of her kimono without her realizing it, betraying how nervous she was. She stepped up onto the walkway and stopped outside the door before lifting a hand to the touch the screen to slide it aside. She wouldn't enter uninvited but at least she could look inside.

Even though she knew how much time had actually passed, it felt like it had only been a few weeks since she'd last stepped into these rooms and she couldn't keep herself from moving into the room. She quietly walked to the bookcase before her fingers brushed over the spines lightly and a slight smile curved her lips. He'd always been proud of his books.

Ienzo had never seen so many books in one place in his life. While he had seen libraries before, they had been nothing at all like this one, this was like something out of a rather good dream of what his version of Heaven might be like. A slight frown ceased the boy's expression as his blue eyes fell on the lone sore spot amid the rest of the scene...his Heaven definitely wouldn't allow such an assault on the senses as the man before him was pulling off.

"...Excuse me..but who are you and what insane mind came up with those things you're currently wearing?" Ienzo finally asked the man.

Roxas had started getting worried when Riku was gone for a week, before he dropped Namine on the island. He'd had a good idea of where Riku was and stepped out of one of the portals into the castle checking the rooms before he made his way down to the labs. He knew it was basically a trap but kept going, moving into the labs before he walked over to where Riku was, his eyes narrowing as he crouched down beside him.

"....How'd they find you?"

Ienzo looked back toward the interior of the castle as he worked to activate the platform which would take him from the castle down to the city. Of course, once he'd actually gotten down there the ramifications of the loss of power hit home even harder than they already had previously. Sinking down to sit on the platform as it rested at the edge of the city, he pulled the dark coat tighter around him and mulled over the last few days again, silently glad that even without his own heart back, Lexaeus had tried to care enough for him to even do that much for him. The larger man might have done more if he hadn't told him to not do anything which might end in him getting turned into a Dusk.

In hindsight, he'd been a fool more than once over..so focused in a way on getting his heart back and not stopping to think of what would come after he had managed to get it. And he certainly hadn't thought that they wouldn't all get their hearts back at the same time when it did happen. Curling a hand over his chest, he still wasn't used to feeling something there again, though he rather thought it shouldn't be racing as much as it currently was right now.

Lifting his head to look back at the castle again, he shivered involuntarily as he thought about Braig and his apparent willingness to play guinea pig for the others. If there was one thing he could possibly say that he'd learned these last years, it would be that when it came to the Dark and Heartless..there were no 'safe' experiments. He didn't doubt really that before the next couple years were up, Braig would again be no more and Xigbar would be back among their numbers.

Ienzo shivered again but this time with something other than fear as he pulled his legs up closer to his chest to wrap his arms around them. He'd never really realized just how cold the city was before now, or if he ever had he'd likely dismissed it too easily enough as something not important to be concerned over. Blue eyes scanned the area beyond the light of the platform silently wary and trying to actually think beyond everything else trying to distract him. It had been entirely too long really since he'd actually felt honest to god fear and nervousness, he really wasn't sure if he much cared for it, but he should be glad he could actually feel anything really...

And he should really get off this platform and away from the castle before someone up there realized he'd snuck out and away..but every time he thought about getting up and moving toward that dark city, he froze up at the knowledge of just exactly what awaited him in that place. The worse of it being that he had no way currently to defend himself against them.

He'd already been through that once, he had no desire at all to willingly subject himself to it again if it was at all avoidable.

Riku moved through Twilight's train station, easily avoiding the people there despite the fact the hood tended to block out gaping parts of his vision about 75% of the time. Thanks to Zexion and considerable practice moving while blindfolded, he didn't need his eyes really anymore to know what was around him or for that matter to track things. Like now, his current quary was no where in sight and yet he knew he was on its trail still, just a little further and he'd meet up with him.

In hindsight he should have known this was going to come, Xemnas cared little for the pawns he used, in that was he was similar to his heartless, 'Ansem'. Ansem had cared not one wit for anyone beyond himself, he was of the mind personally that Xemnas was like that as well, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to him considering the two came from the same being. Considering what had been happening recently with Xion, perhaps she was better off..but he still wished that Roxas hadn't had to suffer like he had and still was over it.

He moved through the city more like a black ghost than any actual part of the town around him, despite the time he spent here, there was very little about the place which actually meant anything to him. The only person whom had any true worth to him here in this place right now was the one whom he was currently tracking down. As the scent slowly got stronger, he slowed his pace down and as he entered the deeper part of the woods, he shortly found the blond he'd been seeking.

"Roxas.."

With the master of the estate away and busy, it fell to him to check on then sudden new arrival they seemed to have gotten. Even without the wards pinpointing their location, they would have been rather easy for him at least to find, he wasn't quite certain what the scent was underlying the more familiar smells of gum and female, but it was certainly loud enough that it refused to be ignored.

Opening the door to the room that she was currently within--thankfully one of the public receiving rooms, Zexion slipped inside and closed the door behind him before turning his attention completely to their unexpected guest, blue eyes studying her with some slight sardonic amusement as he took in the outfit and the way it was ill-fit over the woman's breasts, unless she was one of those sort who purposely chose such clothing to show off the size of their breasts.

"Might I ask what business you have here and whom you are?"

Laying on the cool metal, Ienzo wondered what the hell Dilan had been thinking when he had apparently decided to let Braig into a lab around anything that might possibly explode. He was pulled out of those thoughts when the sound of footfalls reached his ears and he sat up, one hand going up to rub against the building headache making itself known. "Braig, what the-"

The reprimand died on his lips as he realized the man in front of him wasn't the man he'd thought him to be. In fact, now that he was actually paying attention to his surroundings, he realized he wasn't even where he'd thought himself to be. Lovely, really..when he got back he was going to throttle Braig for this.

Standing up to his feet, he brushed his shoulder-length hair out of his face and behind his ears before properly facing the cloaked and hooded stranger before him. The action was done for two reasons really, the obvious being to get the annoying hair out of his face, but also to try and get a small handle on the sudden nervousness now beating against his chest like a trapped bird.

"Hello, I'm sorry about this. I didn't mean to trespass if this is your place. If you can tell me where I am and point me the way out..I'll leave." he told the cloaked man before him.

Mikage enjoyed going to the market early on saturday morning; not only could he buy the freshest fruits and vegetables, but it also reminded him of going there with his mom and grand-mom when they had still been alive. And by now all of the sellers on the market knew him by name, and many of them were willing to spare an extra apple or a free, fresh-baked piece of bread for a boy they had seen grow up from a little toddler to a what he was now. Biting down happily on a berliner, he paused when he caught sight of a flash of movement in the narrow alley between two large, old buildings. Thinking it a cat of some kind, Mikage stepped slowly into the alley, not wanting to scare the poor stray. He always had had a soft spot in his heart for strays, and he was sure there would be something in his shopping bag that the poor little creature would enjoy.

Coming to the farthest part of the dead-end alley, he rummaged through his bag for something for the cat and- oh. Well, it was a stray of some kind, just not the kind he was expecting. Crouching down carefully, he gave the boy a critical look. Good, he was still alive. That was good. "Hey."

Miguel had gotten bored at home and after a few failed attempts at entertaining himself with his guitar, he'd left it for the city and was currently wandering within the more seedier streets when he spotted something which caught his attention and inflamed his curiosity. "What is this, if I might ask?" he said with one finger gesturing at the rolled up canvas on the table between them.

"Ah, that is a map to a great and wondrous treasure."

Miguel's attention was rather snagged by those simple words, treasure usually implied there was adventure in the offering. However before he leapt to the point of asking how much the other wanted for it, he tried to give what Tulio called the 'little voice' a chance to object to the idea. "Why haven't you gone after it then?"

The merchant gave the blond a sad smile as he spread his hands in a gesture toward himself. "I am too old for such an adventure as it would be to go after such a treasure. If I were your age again, rest assured I would be out there seeking it."

The man had a point there..."How much?"

"For you, 2 peso duro."

"I'll give you 1 for it."




It was growing dusk by the time he'd managed to get the man to part with his new prize for a nice low price, but he'd done it and now he held the means to get some adventure back into his and Tulio's lives again. Clutching the map close to his chest as he entered their house, he considered going to find Tulio now to show him what he'd found or finding a place to spread out his new map on so as to properly check it out and maybe get an idea of just where this treasure might be. After a couple seconds of that, he decided the quicker he told the other man about his find and showed him his map, the faster they could get started on their newest adventure.

The attack hadn't come entirely out of nowhere. Hyuuga was a demon like any other, and he knew better than most the ideas that played in Hell. It was surprising how much people were willing to talk about secrets in front of you when they thought you were brainless. It had made it easier to at least anticipate something and make sure the targets of these purity driven idiots were never left alone --of course, being that the targets in question were three six year-olds, only those clueless would have left them alone to terrorize the charming denizens of Hell-- just in case the cowards ever really went ahead with their barely thought about plans.

And the worst part wasn't even that they had attacked; they could take them, easily. No, the worst part was that with Isaiah clinging to his leg, crying, it was really damn hard to go all out. And how he wanted to go all out. Not that he needed to, really, to beat these idiots, but they had gambled away their chances to a kind, quick death the moment they had attacked his kids.

Turning his wrist, Hyuuga slid his sword through one of his assailants, quickly scooping up his kid with his free hand. Ameiko and Aya-tan had already gotten the other two out, and if he wanted to play for real, he needed to bring Isa somewhere safe first. Holding out his hand, palm first, he quickly spun a gate to the Ishida residence, diving through the moment it had opened, closing it quickly behind him. Isa'd be safe here.

Except here was not the Ishida residence. Whoops.

Hyuuga stared up at the unfamiliar estate, his eyes narrowed, before Isa's quiet sobs were enough to make him tear his attention away from the building before him to the child still tucked against his chest. Setting him down, he gave him a critical once over, using a bit of spit and his thumb --that was the way parents did it, duh-- to clean the boy's face. He might be splattered with blood, but from the looks of it, none of it was his. He has just been unfortunate enough to be too close to the falling corpses.

Ciel signed the last of his papers with a flourish, setting his pen aside then. For today, his work was done; much earlier than he had anticipated even. Sorting the signed documents together, he set them on the corner of his desk then, to be delivered to his factories come morning, and leaned back in his chair. For a moment he idled, before he reached for the top drawer, opening it and taking out the invitation in it. It had come days earlier, and though it had been interesting enough to keep, he had not yet had a chance to respond. Though he wondered who was the sender in the first place. He did not recognize the name, and a quick search had told him it certainly was no human business man who had sent him this. All of this had only fanned his intrigue, but he wanted more information on this man first before he committed to anything.

Turning slightly, he bade for Sebastian to come, looking at him when he opened the door. "Sebastian, ask Sammael to come. I wish to speak to him."

Gino waited patiently outside of the hotel for Locke to appear. He was glad she had agreed to go on a few more dates with him after their first meeting --getting ice cream and touring the city a bit more totally counted as dates-- and now that she had agreed to come to the lake with him, he had to admit he was kind of excited. He liked this city fine enough, but it wasn't his home. Home was where he could swim in a lake, sprawl out on the grass with a book in the summer, and talk with his uncle whenever he wanted.

It kind of helped that nobody at the lake would give him the stinkeye should they find out what he really was.

Closing the door of the eccentric little store, he adjusted his hold on the books he'd bought as he turned in the direction of the flat he'd been staying in ever since he'd arrived at this out of the way town. He wagered he maybe had another day, maybe two at most before he should move on and find himself another bolthole, just on the off-chance that someone might have sent the creature who'd created the abomination that he was after his trail.

Admittedly such running really wouldn't do him any good in the end-run of it all, but damned if he was going to make finding him any easier. Especially since the man would just drag his ass back to that hellhole that housed his clan.

Unlocking the door to the flat, he opened the door with a slight push from one shoulder since his hands were full with the books. Maybe he might find something in them which would work for certain on the both of them, fast enough so that there wasn't any chance of stopping or reversing the fatal effects.

Locke waved contently as she left the hotel room, a map of the town tucked into her back pocket and her purse over her shoulder, secure in the knowledge that Hisoka had waved back and that Jou was occupied with Jun and hadn't seen her leave. She left the main lobby and went into the town, breathing in the different and confusing scents deeply, reveling in being in such a new place. She'd never been on vacation before, and she was determined to enjoy it.

But after walking through the town aimlessly for a while, browsing the shops and streets, her feet began to get tired, and she supposed she should be getting back; she still wanted to spend time with her family, after all. She reached into her back pocket for the map and jolted when she realized it must have fallen out, who knew how many streets back. She breathed in shakily, trying to catch her own scent, but the town was too new and too confusing, and she had no idea what direction she'd come in. She cursed herself an idiot and started wandering, finally sitting down at a fountain when she'd given up on backtracking. Hisoka'd be able to find her eventually; she just hope she didn't worry anyone too much.

Really, one would think that Soul Society would learn from their mistakes, they had already lost one traveling between them and Earth and yet there had been nothing done it would seem to prevent a reoccurance of the same thing happening again. Of course one could make the excuse that no one would have expected such a powerful captain could have been taken captive so easily but then they weren't quite as willing to really play as dirty as he did. Perhaps after this they'd learn to start traveling in pairs or higher, but he rather doubted it.

Arriving at the room in which he'd requested the boy be put, he paused for a moment to prepare himself just in case the boy had managed to wake and work loose of his bindings in the space of time he'd been originally placed in this room and the time Aizen had found time to actually come see his new guest. Opening the door, he noted the boy still lay trussed up on the massive couch that rested just a small distance from one of the rooms sparse white walls.

"Evening, Hitsugaya-taichou. I hope the journey here wasn't too rough on you."