Sousuke Aizen (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
theedgeofreason) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
spira_rp2013-04-24 03:10 pm
theedgeofreason) wrote in spira_rp2013-04-24 03:10 pm
While tyrants close the doors.
The past few weeks had, for Aizen at least, been somewhat trying.
The publicity he had been expected to deal with following the fall of Midgar had been an inevitable chore. Due to his position in the Gotei 13, pledges had to be made to help Bancour during its time of crisis. Wholesale destruction could quite easily breed scores of Hollows and it was Aizen's sworn duty, and that of his men, to eradicate them whenever they reared their bone-masked heads. Bancour was far, far out of his jurisdiction that was true, but there was no harm in proving that the Gotei 13 recognised no borders when it came to its collective dedication to its work. At the same time, he had been obligated to sit in on meetings with Archadian political giants concerning the delicate state of peace in the aftermath. To nobody's great surprise, and certainly not to Aizen's, The Archadian Empire had been the first to come under suspicion. Accusations, both the plausible and the far-fetched, had come thick and fast in the wake of the collapse. Even weeks after the incident some tempers were still running high, but nothing could be proved until Midgar was safe to examine.
Aizen's privileged position gave him access to Midgar's status reports and, while Bancouri officials had lobbied to keep them out of Archadian hands, Aizen's insistence that he have them when he was to be sending in his own men in to a potential Necrohol to aid Captain Komamura's already thinly stretched forces eventually resulted in the necessary papers crossing his desk. That all lands in the vicinity of the inner-city were considered too heavily poisoned by high concentrations of leaked Mako was certainly encouraging.
All in all, it had been an interesting change from the curious state of limbo that had reigned ever since Nabudis had accidentally been reduced to a blasted ruin and the Greenlands around it, now known as the Deadlands, to a smoking wasteland. Even so, dealing with manpower allocation and sitting on a council made of members trying by turns to and not to affix the word 'war' to the fore of it had taken their toll. After many packed days and what felt like even more sleepless nights, Aizen had been obvious about growing weary of it all and openly yielded to exhaustion. At the first opportunity, he had taken a few days leave and bid his Lieutenant deal with his duties in his stead. With no rest for the wicked, a phrase that had turned out to be truer than he had thought possible, Aizen clandestinely returned to the Desert Palace of Clan Khamja to deal with unfinished matters there.
The atmosphere in the Palace was much as it had been when he had left. Some things remained unchanged others ... well, they were quite different. Zexion, the Ryoka Alchemist, had made a full recovery where his exhaustion was concerned, but Aizen had been informed that the boy had not said a single word since waking and had spent most of his time holed up in his quarters. He had dealt with very few matters across phonelines, but he had sent word to ensure that Zexion was not to be informed of the new faces on the side of their enemies ahead of his return. He had made it clear that any Arrancar found breaking this order would find themselves dealing with the consequences. Nnoitra had, from what he had been told, kept himself well out of the way. Aizen was glad of this -- it minimised the chances of one of his more unruly Arrancar coming face to face with the subordinates of the man he had helped murder. Grimmjow and Neliel were doing as well as could be expected, her more than him. Luppi, to nobody's great surprise, was slow to recover from the injuries he had sustained at the hands of the Ryoka Berserker. He was considered to be out of danger, but he was still currently immobile and his moments of conscious lucidity were few and brief.
What had really nettled Aizen upon his return were whispers, whispers all too soon confirmed, that another of his Arrancar had struck out at a full-member of the Clan. He would have expected such of the rash, hot-headed members of his mismatched band of underlings, people like Nnoitra, who had already proved he could, Grimmjow who had as well, the Fracción Apache who was, as far as he was concerned, only biding her time. Even Szayel, albeit in a fashion less ... traditional than those, was not above suspicion. The name he had been given was a surprise to him. It shouldn't have been, especially not given past behaviour or the current state of affairs, but it had nonetheless given him pause.
Ulquiorra had attacked L and, from what he had been told, the preceding argument had taken place entirely in Old Rozarrian -- a language none of the witnesses could profess to speak. L had recovered, for a given value of recovery, and was up and about contrary to recommendation. He maintained that the altercation was one that concerned only blood, not the Clan, and Aizen had not been brought before Illua to answer for the crimes of his subordinate. In the end, Aizen only found himself disappointed that Ulquiorra had shown mercy. He, like Nnoitra, had been unsurprisingly absent following the incident.
Aizen resolved to speak to him on the matter, but it would have to wait until more pressing affairs had been attended to. The meeting, the debriefing put off following the mission itself, was still to be conducted. All of his Arrancar were expected to attend, even those in disgrace, though Luppi was to be the notable exception. L would undoubtedly be there regardless of the inevitable friction between him and his nephew, the presence of Zexion was assured and Gin Ichimaru had said, with his characteristic smile, that he wouldn't miss it for the world. He had even gone so far as to suggest that Marluxia, one of Khamja's older Ryoka recruits, also be present. The unknowns allied with the Berserker could easily be Ryoka, Gin had pointed out. Some of the files L had recovered from Midgar had certainly suggested such. With Zexion having been deliberately kept in the dark and Marluxia not yet up to date with the situation, they were unlikely to both be able to stifle reactions as to conceal a truth, should they attempt to do so. There was wisdom in the suggestion, and so Aizen had consented to it.
With the attendees decided, orders in the guise of invites had been sent out.
The publicity he had been expected to deal with following the fall of Midgar had been an inevitable chore. Due to his position in the Gotei 13, pledges had to be made to help Bancour during its time of crisis. Wholesale destruction could quite easily breed scores of Hollows and it was Aizen's sworn duty, and that of his men, to eradicate them whenever they reared their bone-masked heads. Bancour was far, far out of his jurisdiction that was true, but there was no harm in proving that the Gotei 13 recognised no borders when it came to its collective dedication to its work. At the same time, he had been obligated to sit in on meetings with Archadian political giants concerning the delicate state of peace in the aftermath. To nobody's great surprise, and certainly not to Aizen's, The Archadian Empire had been the first to come under suspicion. Accusations, both the plausible and the far-fetched, had come thick and fast in the wake of the collapse. Even weeks after the incident some tempers were still running high, but nothing could be proved until Midgar was safe to examine.
Aizen's privileged position gave him access to Midgar's status reports and, while Bancouri officials had lobbied to keep them out of Archadian hands, Aizen's insistence that he have them when he was to be sending in his own men in to a potential Necrohol to aid Captain Komamura's already thinly stretched forces eventually resulted in the necessary papers crossing his desk. That all lands in the vicinity of the inner-city were considered too heavily poisoned by high concentrations of leaked Mako was certainly encouraging.
All in all, it had been an interesting change from the curious state of limbo that had reigned ever since Nabudis had accidentally been reduced to a blasted ruin and the Greenlands around it, now known as the Deadlands, to a smoking wasteland. Even so, dealing with manpower allocation and sitting on a council made of members trying by turns to and not to affix the word 'war' to the fore of it had taken their toll. After many packed days and what felt like even more sleepless nights, Aizen had been obvious about growing weary of it all and openly yielded to exhaustion. At the first opportunity, he had taken a few days leave and bid his Lieutenant deal with his duties in his stead. With no rest for the wicked, a phrase that had turned out to be truer than he had thought possible, Aizen clandestinely returned to the Desert Palace of Clan Khamja to deal with unfinished matters there.
The atmosphere in the Palace was much as it had been when he had left. Some things remained unchanged others ... well, they were quite different. Zexion, the Ryoka Alchemist, had made a full recovery where his exhaustion was concerned, but Aizen had been informed that the boy had not said a single word since waking and had spent most of his time holed up in his quarters. He had dealt with very few matters across phonelines, but he had sent word to ensure that Zexion was not to be informed of the new faces on the side of their enemies ahead of his return. He had made it clear that any Arrancar found breaking this order would find themselves dealing with the consequences. Nnoitra had, from what he had been told, kept himself well out of the way. Aizen was glad of this -- it minimised the chances of one of his more unruly Arrancar coming face to face with the subordinates of the man he had helped murder. Grimmjow and Neliel were doing as well as could be expected, her more than him. Luppi, to nobody's great surprise, was slow to recover from the injuries he had sustained at the hands of the Ryoka Berserker. He was considered to be out of danger, but he was still currently immobile and his moments of conscious lucidity were few and brief.
What had really nettled Aizen upon his return were whispers, whispers all too soon confirmed, that another of his Arrancar had struck out at a full-member of the Clan. He would have expected such of the rash, hot-headed members of his mismatched band of underlings, people like Nnoitra, who had already proved he could, Grimmjow who had as well, the Fracción Apache who was, as far as he was concerned, only biding her time. Even Szayel, albeit in a fashion less ... traditional than those, was not above suspicion. The name he had been given was a surprise to him. It shouldn't have been, especially not given past behaviour or the current state of affairs, but it had nonetheless given him pause.
Ulquiorra had attacked L and, from what he had been told, the preceding argument had taken place entirely in Old Rozarrian -- a language none of the witnesses could profess to speak. L had recovered, for a given value of recovery, and was up and about contrary to recommendation. He maintained that the altercation was one that concerned only blood, not the Clan, and Aizen had not been brought before Illua to answer for the crimes of his subordinate. In the end, Aizen only found himself disappointed that Ulquiorra had shown mercy. He, like Nnoitra, had been unsurprisingly absent following the incident.
Aizen resolved to speak to him on the matter, but it would have to wait until more pressing affairs had been attended to. The meeting, the debriefing put off following the mission itself, was still to be conducted. All of his Arrancar were expected to attend, even those in disgrace, though Luppi was to be the notable exception. L would undoubtedly be there regardless of the inevitable friction between him and his nephew, the presence of Zexion was assured and Gin Ichimaru had said, with his characteristic smile, that he wouldn't miss it for the world. He had even gone so far as to suggest that Marluxia, one of Khamja's older Ryoka recruits, also be present. The unknowns allied with the Berserker could easily be Ryoka, Gin had pointed out. Some of the files L had recovered from Midgar had certainly suggested such. With Zexion having been deliberately kept in the dark and Marluxia not yet up to date with the situation, they were unlikely to both be able to stifle reactions as to conceal a truth, should they attempt to do so. There was wisdom in the suggestion, and so Aizen had consented to it.
With the attendees decided, orders in the guise of invites had been sent out.
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But after that, it was mostly the boss and Ryoka Pinkie Pie talking about stuff that Yylfordt didn't really give a hoot for.
And then Szayel muttered something, and Yylfordt frowned and looked over at his little brother and hissed back, "Lyh oui yd maycd dno yht cuiht macc mega Vnaygcruf?"
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As for the girl, Aizen decided that it was wise to play his cards close to his chest on that matter. "We considered that she might be a Ryoka," he said, looking thoughtful, though he shook his head after a moment. "As it is, you have already dismissed the possibility. It's clear that she is an accomplished Holy Elemental, though whether she is native or simply a Ryoka from a group other than yours remains to be seen." That was possible. The term Ryoka and others, together with the stories associated with the the bad luck they are said to bring, were certainly around before Marluxia and his old cohorts arrived.
It was common knowledge that Holy Elementals were rarer than those with more ... pedestrian elemental alignments and that their abilities, like those of Dark, Poison and Plant Elementals could vary far more than the others. Their Limit Breaks had the option of being either restorative or offensive, depending on the person. The girl was clearly supportive and her Limit reflected that.
"Whichever it is, how they met is a point of interest to me." That was certainly the truth. "The Order have never shied away from mingling with natives, but they tend to stick to allied groups. The Mist Swordsmen, Akatsuki, the crews of The Blackjack and the Strahl -- all people that we are familiar with. This lone girl doesn't appear to be part of any of their usual circles."
Aizen did not care to mention that the girl might be a Cetra, or how extremely likely that looked now that Marluxia had denied knowledge of her. They were known to be extinct, their blood thinned through centuries of mixing with other Hyur races. It was possible that a known Cetra ability could come up down the line, but it had never been documented. In either case, Aizen had no desire to inform Marluxia that she was likely to be special in some way, not until he had at least discussed it with Neliel, and possibly brought it up with L, who could possibly look into her past to find anything unusual or Szayel, who would undoubtedly have opinions to put forth.
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"She was not present at the incident that brought us to this world," Marluxia answered, "but that is all I can confirm." Spira was strange, locked off to the worlds Marluxia knew, but having a word for off-worlders such as themselves indicated the concept, at least, already existed. Keyblade bearers long past had visited, perhaps, or others. Marluxia didn't know what part of the known or unknown universe Spira existed in, but he was aware that the universe was larger than the worlds he knew, and Lumi came from worlds outside of those, as did the mercenary currently in the Order. It was not beyond the realm of possibility that visitors from those kinds of worlds had occurred in the past.
How had Axel and Saix met her, he wondered? Saix wasn't prone to making friends. He was prone to making enemies, but not so much friends. Axel, on the other hand, had a knack with youngsters, strangers... neophytes that made him almost downright sociable.
"To find out where they met, I'd suggest looking at Axel before Saix," he added. "The closest I expect Saix has come to making a friend here, without the mediation of a third party, is Grimmjow. Axel is the better equipped in that department."
And if Saix had been the one to make friends with the girl first, that was interesting all on its own.
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They were both being careful with what they said. You could hear it, if you listened; the things they weren't saying. Things like why they were interested got conveniently left out.
Instead of flicking bogeys, she stared at Ulquiorra. He had his eyes closed, but if you looked, you could see that the one he'd taken out was filling in to look normal again under the eyelid.
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"Very well," Aizen said, giving Marluxia a nod and then turning his attention back to the group at large. "Most of you have had some first-hand experience of the Ryoka in the past," he began, clearly addressing his Arrancar and not L, Gin and the two Ryoka themselves. "What you have seen is evidence that they are a risky battle proposition, even for you. Right now, we cannot be sure how they rank as a group. The Fire Elemental, Axel, is quite possibly the most powerful one we have seen thus far, though Elemental strengths and weaknesses should always be taken into account."
Aizen was sure that Ulquiorra had only fared as well as he had against Axel on account of him having the Elemental advantage over Fire. That he had been cut, even slightly, still concerned him. Doubtless Ulquiorra had brushed it off, but had he found himself up against the Thunder Elemental that he had faced before, the tide may have turned in a completely different direction, and very quickly.
"Should you find yourselves up against them in the field," he said, looking at certain individuals -- Nnoitra, Szayel and Grimmjow for good measure, "you are instructed to withdraw should it become apparent that you cannot win. That is an order."
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He didn't care how powerful Aizen said they were. As far as he was concerned, the risk was overestimated. Without the girl and her Limit, if that's what it was, they wouldn't have won. Nel had taken out the Fire Elemental even where Ulquiorra had struggled, and from what he'd heard, it was always a war of endurance between Grimmjow and that Berserker.
When he'd ended up facing a party with a Ryoka present, it hadn't been her that had given him the trouble. The Ryoka had been annoying, but she hadn't done the most damage to the party. He'd been forced into Oversoul by the Jashinist, not her. Nel hadn't had her mask cracked by the Ryoka, that had been down to the Mist Swordsman. Or woman. Whatever.
One thing was clear enough, though. The ones he'd seen in action seemed to fucking own their Elements. The Thunder Elemental chick had been as zap-happy when he'd seen her as that Axel guy had with his Fire in Ulquiorra's recording. That meant they had weaknesses, too, and Ulquiorra was obviously a fucking idiot for not responding Fire with Water.
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He'd fought a lot of Ryoka and they were always a pain in the neck. Either they travelled in big groups, or they fucked around with weird techniques. The Berserker was the only true fighter among them and he wasn't better than him. He wouldn't even say they were evenly matched. They'd just never fought long enough for the battle to be decided.
Next time, and he didn't doubt that there would be one, Grimmjow intended to make that right.
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He sighed, kind of wishing that Aizen had done this with the first major battle with one of them, the one that had resulted in Nnoitra going into Oversoul. Ulquiorra'd been there, too.
The various accounts that Stark had received second- or third-hand told him that the Ryoka were a powerful group and that they kept powerful friends. Even one Ryoka amongst a group of natives had the potential to be very difficult when it came to battle, even when Arrancar outnumbered them. He knew that he was unlikely to face one and have the Elemental disadvantage -- he had a lot of them under his control -- but even then, some of them sounded awkward in ways other than that. They sounded like a lot of work. A lot of work he didn't want to deal with.
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There was bound to be a next time, but Yylfordt agreed with the boss on this one; better to back away from a fight you can't win. Especially where elemental weaknesses were concerned. Skite on the whole were a diverse group when it came to strengths and weaknesses, but what that also meant was that they'd need a lot of luck to run into one that wouldn't be able to destroy any of them.
Or worse, the likes of that gun toting old guy, who he remembered hadn't set out to kill them, but, unlike Saix in Ulquiorra's memory there, had been a bit more straightforward about getting them out of the way.
He glanced at Apache, and then at Grimmjow. They needed to tread carefully.
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She recognised, however, that this did not make her safe, and she was already aware of the thunder mage among the Ryoka, and the potential threat she would be. Combat with Ryoka got messy, that much was clear. In this instance, Nel's reluctance to enter the fight, Ulquiorra's propensity for using only as much force as he deemed necessary, Grimmjow's impulsivity, and Luppi's pride had caused additional problems, but there was no indication that different behaviours would have been of any assistance.
She'd never met a Ryoka on the battlefield herself. While she didn't relish the thought of doing so, she would make her best assessment of the situation, and react accordingly. Even if that meant withdrawing.
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It would be so easy, take the girl, and the Ryoka, and destroy every important tendon, leave them unable to move, and then Szayel could deal with them at leisure.
He did so want samples from them all. A whole sample, still living, would be delightful. He could find out how they worked, better than he could from a simple tissue sample from either Zexion or Marluxia, after all. They were possibilities, but there was no way either of them would consent to being properly studied, and unfortunately, Szayel would require their consent in this situation. But a captured Ryoka....
Being put in the same category as Grimmjow and Nnoitra, however, rankled.
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Ulquiorra, for his part, knew how much credit was due to the fire elemental now, but it didn't change his opinion on how futile such an opponent facing him would be. That he had managed to cut him was impressive, testament to his speed, and strength, but in a fight where Ulquiorra had not drawn his sword, and taking into account the elemental affinities at play, the fight had been even.
The fact that Neliel had brought the Ryoka down so quickly once she had released herself was proof enough of that.
Still, an order was an order, and should Ulquiorra find himself faced with an unknown entity again, he would be less restrained, and if he faced the girl with the lightning, he would react accordingly.
His attention flitted over Marluxia, who had been very forthcoming with what information he had, and Zexion, who after his initial outburst, had remained quiet. He was... different.
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He regretted speaking out when he did about Axel. The shock had overwhelmed him. While he had spent a few moments mentally kicking himself for the outburst, he knew now that it was probably not a bad thing to have done. His shock had been obvious, nobody could have missed it. He didn't know Axel was there, nobody could dispute that. Marluxia had even confirmed that he was also surprised to see him. Good. It meant that nobody could accuse him of knowing more than he was letting on and question him over it.
That was the last thing he wanted.
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She had joined during the time when Clan Skite were away, when they had battled the Ryoka group with the Berserker for the second time. She'd heard about his ability to pull a weapon out of nowhere, but she hadn't seen it until the recording.
She had little desire to meet them head on, if the recording was anything to go by. The idea of coming face to face with a group of people with abilities on the same level as that Axel guy set her nerves on edge. She didn't doubt that she'd probably be able to hold her own if fortune was on her side elementally, but she'd sooner not take the risk until she had more training with her Hollow under her belt, given the choice.
Without a choice, she'd fight tooth and nail regardless of the risk.
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Axel was just another Ryoka, wherever he had been. They were already aware of other members of The Order who had yet to show themselves in the field of battle. The Dragoon and the Gambler, the latter of which associated heavily with the crew of The Blackjack, had not deigned to show their abilities in the open. Nor had at least two of the others. The girl they had seen was more important for the moment, and she was definitely worth discussing further. On that matter, Aizen would rather speak privately.
"I think that concludes our meeting," he said, his voice soft. "If Neliel and Szayel, and L, if you are feeling up to the strain," a little false courtesy didn't cost anything, "would stay behind, I would appreciate it. Marluxia, I appreciate your presence here and your cooperation on this matter both now and in the future. Zexion," he turned to the boy, "I extend the same thanks to you. As for the rest of you, you may go about your business as you see fit. Ulquiorra, I will speak to you later."
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And the whole thing had taken less time than expected, too. Always a bonus. The boss could really talk when he wanted.
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She stuck her nose up in the air with one finger, and stuck her tongue out, making a 'nyah' sound effect at him before she made to leave.
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He threw her a poisonous look as she jumped away and pranced off before he ran his fingers through his hair, straightened his glasses, and got comfortable in the chair on his own again.
He'd been asked to stay behind, and that suited Szayel just fine as he had plenty of questions to ask. He crossed one leg over the other and relaxed, thinking back over what he'd seen. Interesting Ryoka, an interesting girl.... He really did need samples from a Ryoka. They required further study.
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He showed no other reaction than to bow, replying, simply, "Hai, Aizen-sama."
With his hands returned to his pockets, he made to leave, looking past L, rather than at him.
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He quirked an eyebrow at Lilinette as she made her energetic exit, but said nothing. Just as he said nothing when Ulquiorra bowed. That one put Saix to shame.
Of course, Saix had turned out to be a bigger traitor than Marluxia had aspired to be, so one had to wonder what secrets this obsequious little minion was keeping.
He left without waiting any longer. He'd need to catch Zexion on his own at some point. They needed to discuss the new information, without the audience.
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She cast Wonderweiss a smile of farewell, and then sat up straighter in her chair, waiting for the room to empty out.
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In truth, he wasn't feeling up to spending longer perched in a chair, in a room with Aizen. His head was pounding already, but he didn't want to openly admit to being that far weakened. He had too much pride to admit that he would struggle to deal with Aizen right now.
It was because of his pride that he stayed seated, eyes cast towards the floor as the others left in their turn. He had some suspicions he could bring up about the girl, but hadn't come across the concrete evidence as yet. It would take time, and right now, investing the sort of time necessary into working at his computer made L's head swim.
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He remembered the fight with the Ryoka that he had been present for. There was a Lightning Elemental there that had seriously injured Ulquiorra. It didn't surprise him that the Fire Elemental could pose that sort of danger to someone weak to his Element, or that the Berserker could be a serious risk to somebody without top notch defensive capabilities. Technique was every bit as important as Elemental alignment, Wonderweiss knew that. Some possible matches could result in a sweeping victory for an Arrancar, but, in the same way, it could easily go in the other direction.
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The content of the meeting had given him some things to think about, but, on the whole, he didn't consider much of it important. So there were more Ryoka than they thought and some girl was magical and had a shiny ability, big fucking deal. He'd take any of them on.
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He didn't feel up to talking, not after what he'd seen and what he knew, and didn't know, now. He needed time to think about it. Axel was the last thing he had expected to see during the meeting, and while the subject of his presence certainly distracted him from thoughts of Midgar, it wasn't exactly much of an improvement.
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