Just a legend, cold words on a page

[thatsit]

So far things had been going as well as could be expected, if not a little better. The hotel staff, well used to discretion as they were, had been adept at keeping an eye on matters. There had been some tense moments in the restaurant, if the waitstaff were to be believed, but they'd resolved themselves peacefully.

It was a good sign. Ila were the only clan to have come from outside Khamja, and their history with Skite had been less than amicable. Their inclusion was probably the biggest risk Ignis had taken with his recruiting, but when it had come down to it they needed powerful healers, and if they came accompanied by tough fighters then so be it. That they could control themselves, and that members of Khamja didn't feel the need to break into violence around them, was only a bonus.

Everyone had stayed within the hotel's confines for the day. Ignis had been glad of that. One or two had been less than pleased with the request, and some had been less pleased again regarding the issue of tags, but he was reasonably sure he'd managed to placate most of them.

He read over the notes he had for their itinerary while he waited for everyone to assemble in the conference room. He'd been up late last night trying to get a somewhat friendly member of the Kingsglaive assigned to the survivalist training, to no avail, and he'd been up early again this morning ensuring everything was in order for the swift processing and manufacture of the tags they'd require so their esteemed guests didn't have to remain confined to the hotel for too much longer. His third can of Ebony of the day sat half drunk by his chair. After so long on the lowerworld and rationing his supply to make it last he'd consumed enough in his first two days back in Insomnia to give himself the jitters, but he'd become accustomed to the caffeine once more rather quickly.

The conference room was one of the hotel's largest. A huge, oval table occupied the centre of the room, and a projector hung from the ceiling, directed to a huge blank wall where it could be used for presentations and displays. Ignis had no intention of using that, but he did prefer the table set up of the room. It would be interesting to see who chose to sit next to whom, for one.

Ignis took a drink from his can and cast his eye over his papers again. Weaponry, clothing, chocobos, food, potions, ethers, camp supplies, water, medical supplies, communication; they weren't going to be heading to Pulse quickly with a shopping list this long and involved, but at the very least the time could be useful. They needed to ensure everyone was capable of surviving in the event they became stranded with nothing.

It was just a pity they'd refused to give him Nyx for that purpose.

Comments

[declaregamuza]

"I think our appearances will attract enough attention as it is," she said, looking over at Grimmjow and Saix. She'd already earmarked them as the most likely to do something stupid and get into trouble. They hadn't needed much encouragement before, but if any idiot was going to find some shady dive to get drunk in, it was one of those two.

Now they were together, they'd probably egg each other on. She was hoping Aerith and Fang could be roped in to helping control their idiot, and she could concentrate on controlling hers.

[thesilentstorm]

Lumi gave Marluxia a look of subtle amusement.

Four stars in this city would undoubtedly be worth way more elsewhere. Everything he'd seen so far was fancy, so he didn't think he'd have to go top-tier to have a nice time elsewhere. Wearing black wasn't exactly a hardship, either. It was a little dark for him, and he usually preferred grey, but he'd not object to the status symbol.

So long as the locals didn't assume they just had no idea about convention.

[raindownhell]

Fang, as if reading Nel's mine, pointing at Saix and, to a lesser extent, Lea.

"That means no bar fights," she said.

She wouldn't mind a cocktail bar herself, but she didn't need a tag. She was normal, except for the tattoos, and even the l'Cie brand, if it was recognised, which she doubted very much it would be, would simply look like a tattoo of poor taste.

Still, she was suddenly interested in the white-haired man and his boyfriend. She wouldn't have pegged him for the scariest one at the table, though she suspected that was part of it in and of itself.

[thewingsoffreedom]

Levi held his tongue as Ignis reminded him about the Nagapuri girl. The daemon thing was, of course, completely unexpected, but if he was trusted by Ignis, Levi knew he'd just have to put up with it.

He quite liked the whole black-equals-respect thing, though he had to admit that the Kingsglaive uniform didn't garner quite as much of it as he'd like, though this was mostly because a fair number of their recruits, particularly the lower ranks, were either Hunters from outside the wall seeking stability also called 'foreigners' by the locals, or criminal conscripts given the choice between prison and military service on a stipend. The ones who joined for family glory, the nobby ones, rose up through the ranks quickly and were given slightly different uniforms. They, like the black suits of Crown-based pen-pushers, the Military Police and the Crownsguard uniforms, were easy to tell apart from the standard Glaive gear, be it the formal one, or the one he had on.

He never had got the formal one made, though he supposed that was because he was almost eternally going to be passed over for fancy roles, mostly because of his supposedly objectionable personality and lack of manners. He didn't mind.

"Last thing, before we wrap this up," he said, unfolding his arms and stopping himself giving Ignis a Look for that earlier bombshell about Daemons. "What's everyone's preferred weapon? Just so I know what to bring when we do the camping training."

Each Glaive was issued with a survival kit, including knives and related equipment, which they kept on them and looked after themselves. Anybody who lost the gear, or couldn't explain significant damage, would be expected to pay for it to be replaced out of their wage packet. If nearly all of them had knives of their own, it would cut down on the number he had to source, not that he minded particularly. Drautos would probably bitch about it if he needed a lot of them, but Levi knew he could tell him to take it up with Ignis Scientia to shut him up.

This lot seemed like a mixed bag, so he didn't think everybody would have the same weapon, not that he knew much about the array of classes available on the Lowerworld, but there was a good chance they'd run short on some things.

[innatelunacy]

Saix looked at Fang as he was essentially accused of being some out of control idiot. "I wasn't going to," he said. "Though the matter might be out of my hands depending on the reaction of the locals."

To his ears, of all things. Not his scar, not his eyes, not his hair, his ears. If any local idiot wanted to start a fight over them he wasn't going to take it quietly. Though, much like some of the others, he didn't see the point in seeking out the rougher parts of town for the sake of getting into trouble.

He was also slightly smug in a very I-told-you-so way about everyone else at the table that knew Lumi marking him as the most dangerous one there. Someone that powerful by Marluxia's side was a concern. He or Lea could deal with Marluxia, if it came to it, but the presence of Lumi made him hope that it wouldn't. They could deal with Marluxia on his own, but Saix wasn't sure he and Lea could take Lumi on between them.

"I use a claymore," he said, in answer to Levi's question.

[soundfivebitch]

Tayuya snorted when the berserker was the first one to pipe up. "That's what it is?" she asked, mockingly. "It looks more like a big blue spiky fucking spatula." One that he swung around like a kid having a tantrum.

She shook her head. "I'm a bard, so it's a flute, but I use kunai as well," she answered, looking at Levi. "Most of these assholes use swords, though."

[declaregamuza]

Nel nodded, doing a headcount around the table. "There's seven Zanpakuto here," she said, pointing out the users in turn. "Me, Ulquiorra, Szayel, Kadaj, Grimmjow, Yylfordt, and Apache." She gave Levi a small smile. "They don't all stay swords when they're in use, though. It's a bit complicated."

[joinmyreunion]

"Eight," Kadaj corrected quietly. "Lumi has one too."

Although it wasn't Lumi's preferred weapon as far as he could tell. He seemed to prefer guns. Still, all the Arrancar had swords to begin with, even if they weren't true Zanpakuto like his and Lumi's. They were close enough for Levi to know about.

[cierva]

Apache looked at Nel across the table.

"Mine's got a Chakram Bangle basic form," she said, correcting her. "It releases to knives. It's never a sword."

Hers was weird like that. Even Nnoitra's weird thing shrunk down to a sword, but hers wasn't like that at all. She wore her Zanpakuto as bangles, though they could just as easily be strapped to her belt. They only became spiked knives when she wanted to ramp it up.

[thesilentstorm]

"Indeed," Lumi said, agreeing with Kadaj. "My sword is a Zanpakuto, and I am proficient with knives, both in close combat and thrown, though I have a preference for firearms."

Lumi could kill people in all manner of ways. Stealth prevented his clothing getting blood on it, which made for an easier getaway, so knives were never a bad thing, either when used in a truly ranged fashion, or up close, but guns were good to use from a distance when discretion wasn't required.

That said, he had no illusions about the job. They weren't going to kill people, they were likely to encounter animals and Hollows. Nailing a human between the eyes wasn't much different to doing the same to an animal, though.

[declaregamuza]

Nel stared at Lumi. He had a Zanpakuto? How and where had he got that?

More importantly why did Kadaj know and yet she didn't?

"How long have you had that?" she asked, forgetting herself for a moment. Lumi was frightening enough as it was; he had the sort of power that could strangle you where you stood if he ever took it to mind to use it for that. He was a ghost, completely undetectable unless he let you know he was there, and she'd never doubted that he kept Hollow rounds for a reason. He'd certainly been quick to attend when Ulquiorra had returned with Ienzo.

But the idea of him with a Zanpakuto of his own made the Hollow in her cringe.

[hearstheplanet]

"I use a staff," Aerith answered, with a soft smile. It set her apart from all the swords and chakram bangles and guns in the room, at least. "I'm mostly a mage."

[gracefuldahlia]

Marluxia wore a smirk. It was permanently etched into his face, and growing deeper by the minute as every revelation came out about Lumi that gave people yet another reason to fear his strength.

Everyone had always considered Lumi to be the strongest of them, although they'd never guessed at how strong. Now it was as if everyone was re-evaluating and finding that even in their failure to estimate his strength, they'd drastically underestimated him.

He expected Lumi was enjoying it a little, too.

"As am I," he said, following on from Aerith. "I'm usually unarmed."

[thatsit]

Ignis turned his head slowly to look at Marluxia. He'd been present in the meeting at the Palace; it had been the reason for his initial attendance. He wasn't the only one in the room that had been in attendance, either.

"Really?" he asked, blinking behind his glasses.

He distinctly remembered the sudden appearance of a very large, very sharp scythe pointed directly at the throat of one Bellatrix Lestrange.

[thesilentstorm]

Lumi looked at Nel, who knew he was a Ryoka. What he had to say on the subject would mean infinitely more to her, and the others who were aware of what he was, than they would to Ignis and Levi, who were mercifully ignorant of the status of the Ryoka, but he decided that talking about it here and now wasn't in their best interests.

"I'll tell you about it after this meeting," he said, giving her a bit of a smile.

He was under no illusions about the effect his having a Zanpakuto had on the Arrancar.

He deliberately, however, did not look at Marluxia spouting blatant lies. He couldn't possibly hope to conceal the existence of that absurd pink scythe, especially since he'd waved it around theatrically in a hail of petals in front of at least four of those present, not counting him.

[theschemer]

"He did say 'usually'," Ienzo said wryly.

He might be unarmed ninety nine percent of the time. The rest, he used a gigantic flower-like scythe. He would have found it funny if it wasn't such a dangerous weapon in the hands of a rather lethal man, pink or not.

"I also fight unarmed, if I fight at all," he said, giving a shrug. "Combat isn't my strong suit."

He could fight, of course. He could fight with magic quite easily and he could use Alchemy just as well. Ulquiorra had gone to lengths to teach him hand to hand combat, especially since gaining his automail, but he wasn't exactly going to stand up amongst the likes of pretty much everybody else and say he was a fighter. That would be ridiculous.

[thechillyacademic]

Even thought about it. He was a mage, primarily. He didn't like combat, and had previously described himself as 'largely noncombatant', but enough of them had seen him enact his own personal ice age on a Hollow for that to be considered a lie, at best.

"I specialise in Ice magic," he said, flatly. Ice magic wasn't, after all, one of the common elements of the species. It was one of the rarities, much like Plant-based abilities, that were far more common in, if not other Licensed species, then the various monsters that roamed the world. "Though I am more than proficient with other elements. Should I need to be armed, I prefer a Dueling Shield. Sentinel is my primary physical class."

He didn't look like he should be, being a tall and quite willowy, if broad-shouldered, scientist, but he could weather more damage than almost anyone.

[gotitmemorised]

"Chakrams," Lea said, giving Apache a bit of a grin in a way that said 'same weapon!'.

It wasn't a common one, but they were useful, both when thrown and when used hand-to-hand. Dual-wielders weren't exactly unheard of, but they were less common than people using just one. You got more power in a two-handed swing, but infinitely more dexterity with two separate blades.

"And fire magic," he added, unnecessarily.

Well, Even had felt the need to say.

[raindownhell]

"I'm a Dragoon," Fang said.

An overwhelming majority seemed to favour swords, with two going for Chakrams, a few being unarmed mages and Aerith alone using a staff. Her weapon was closer to Aerith's than anything else, but hers had a few perks to it.

"I use a three-sectioned bladed lance," she clarified. "Does pretty well for me."

There was nothing quite like keeping something big and ugly and full of teeth and claws at the other end of a spear and out of swiping or biting distance.

[thatsit]

Ignis murmured wordlessly, conceding Ienzo's point. Marluxia had said usually, but it was interesting that magic wasn't the first thing he'd reached for when it had been urgent.

"I suppose," he said, finally, "though a large pink scythe tends to stick in one's mind." His lips quirked into a smile. "It certainly nearly stuck in Madam Lestrange's."

He turned his attention to Levi. "I use daggers and lances," he added, "Gladio uses greatswords and, of course, shields."

[declaregamuza]

Nel smiled at Fang. It wasn't quite the same dorky grin as Lea's to Apache, but the meaning behind it was similar.

"I'm a dragoon too," she said. "Used a lance before I picked up a sword. Now my Zanpakuto turns into one when it's released."

And she turned into a half-Hollow centaur, but that was a conversation for another time and place, much as the one where Lumi explained about his having a Zanpakuto.

[raindownhell]

Fang grinned at Nel. It wasn't a particularly common class, from what she'd seen of the Lowerworld. Sure, so she'd spotted a couple of spears and lances, but swords, short and long, seemed to be way more common.

"I like you already," she said brightly.

[thewingsoffreedom]

Levi listened, going over them in his head. Majority of swords, a flute, two Dragoons, one marksman, two Chakrams, a shield, a Scythe, a Staff and one truly unarmed and a lot with magic strong enough to be considered a viable weapon. That was quite the variety.

He should have had Ignis write them all down, but there wasn't much point in the end. One thing was definitely for certain.

"So that means you'll all need survival knives," he said, not sounding either pleased or annoyed with it. "Fair enough. We're going to start assessing you two days from now, with priority going to those who won't attend the camping trip, so we can get you out of the way. Ignis will speak to you to tell you when, and you'll be taken to the relevant location, I expect, and he'll also take your final decisions regarding tags. That's pretty much all for now."