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[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

Hood down, Zexion is at a table.

He has neither food nor drink, but papers spread all across every surface, several pens (of different colors, even) and at his left his massive black-covered book that he pages through, making notes across all the pages.

He is attempting to construct a time-line. For relative uses of the term 'line'.

It's more like a meandering wave to make room for all the points needed. Such as tracking all movements of the Organization members in the castle at the time, Namine, as well as those of the Hero and his less-bright companion.

There is a big red X on the time-line.

His last known location before he dropped off the radar. He might learn more from his own demise by finding out who had the possibility to witness it.

...Now, in that place, in that time, who was present but unaccounted for?

[Kingdom Tag/Tag of Memories: Zexion, Billy Kaplan, Larxene]

Comments

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

There's a boy at a table a few feet away, giving him a look.

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

"It's generally considered good manners to introduce yourself." Zexion states, not looking up from where he pages through his book to double check something.

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

"--Billy Kaplan," he offers, after a long moment. "Which one are you?"

Behind him, his entourage is looking about as nervous as they get. Billy takes note of that and tenses, should he need to fight.

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

"Zexion, number VI." Zexion introduces. After a moment, he gestures to an open seat at the table. "You're welcome to sit if you wish. I assume from your entourage that you're the one who stood up to the King for us."

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

Billy does. He glances over the timelines; he's a bright boy, he can more or less guess what they are, if not who they pertain to.

"--I didn't stand up to anyone. I happened to be standing nearby when it happened."

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

"The other members of my Organization tell it differently. III speaks of it as though he witnessed a miracle as proof of sainthood in most religions, and while he is a sentimentalist I trust his judgment as far as recounting what he saw." Zexion states blandly. "That aside, you would not be flanked by lessers if you did not hold some importance to the Organization worth investing such resources in."

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

Billy winces at III's name. He's having no trouble, keeping up with Zexion's speech and vocabulary, though he finds the content less than believable.

"I've offered to help Xaldin and Xigbar recover, after they get their hearts. Xaldin's --" He wants to say feelings, but he'll settle with "--opinions on me might be suspect. I'd hate to disappoint you if I don't start -- doing whatever it is saints are supposed to do."

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

"Worry is not needed. I am a scientist, not a man of faith." Zexion says in the same bland, even tone.

He's not even trying to fake emotions.

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

It would be more disturbing, had Billy not been exposed to it in a distinctly more vulnerable state.

"Right. I was being figurative. I didn't have faith, so much as had faith thrust upon me."

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

"Heroes gather followers. It's part of the natural order of things." Zexion stated, pausing as he reread a few pages of the book.

He made another note on the timeline. "REAPPEARANCE OF VIII." with the number of hours unaccounted for since his last reported sighting.

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

"-huh?" In his world, heroes tend to attract fear and loathing. It's a thing.

"What're you doing?"

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

"Going over the information I have received in regards to the castle oblivion project to map out in what order the events occurred. No one has been able to or been willing to give me an accurate account of my disappearance." he makes a few more notes, sitting back to look at the diagram critically.

"Only VIII of the Organization has unaccounted time in the same area that lines up correctly. This leads me to believe either he is the one who is responsible or that he knows who is." He caps the pen and sets it down, folding his hands over the table and looking at Billy. He doesn't blink.

"Heroes. If the enemy is a hidden one, they attract fear. In cases where the enemy is a clear and known danger, they attract followers. It's a matter of self-interest of those involved." he explains calmly.

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

Billy knows roughly that Axel did something Very Bad. He remains silent on the matter. "...Do you think, maybe, you shouldn't be trying to find out? When that sort of thing goes wrong, it blows up hard in your face. And you wind up not existing."

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

Zexion doesn't even quirk an eyebrow, though one twitches for a moment like it wants to on it's own.

"Considering all evidence supports the fact that I already come to that end, it stands to reason that I have little to lose in that manner."

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

"The timeline will repair itself. And it will change thing when it does," Billy insists. "You're here, but everyone else has been Obliterated. Or they were never Nobodies in the first place. Or Axel doesn't get a heart, or -- you see where I'm going with this?"

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

"You are attempting to use morality and ethics to reason with someone who has no use or ability to follow either." Zexion explains, still unblinking, hands still folded on the table in front of him.

"I have been given a chance to avert my own demise, and have no intention of 'going gently into that good night'. Don't get me wrong, I would miss the others if they were gone, in the ways that we are capable of. But the only one I really intend on saving if he can't do so himself is Lexaeus." He looks away then, just for a moment, briefly looking down at the time-line.

Lexaeus's apparent demise is noted there. Shortly before Zexion's own last known whereabouts.

Zexion looks back up to Billy. "That aside, careful study have lead me to believe that my actions will not in fact cause any rift at all. I am however willing to take that risk, as previously stated."

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

What is it with Nobodies and confusing common sense with ethics and morality? Someday, he'll figure it out.

"I'm not saying you shouldn't do it because it's wrong! I'm saying you shouldn't do it because it's stupid!"

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

Zexion tilted his head to the side.

"I'm apologize. I met someone else from the same world as you which made me question the genetics and educational system thereof." he states. "While your world might be different, I do trust in science and the stability of nature. Paradoxes are man-made, nature does not contradict itself. I am not X, but it stands to reason that all changes to the time-line have already been made and we just play through them. If not, I doubt my actions are the first ones to have caused a rift and in that case, the universe can clearly handle it."

He steeples his fingers together.

"Or, in simpler terms, there is no point worrying about it. I have made my decision. Unless someone ends me here, I am going to do this. So far, my compatriots are still around."

[bluespells.livejournal.com]

"--wait, did you just insinuate that I'm poorly educated and possibly inbred?"

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

"No." Zexion stated, very firmly.

"I quite plainly stated others of your world give that impression."

[harmitwithspark.livejournal.com]

She didn't require comment as she stepped from the paths directly in front of Zexion's table. Her task wasn't complete yet, she was merely delivery the pertinent papers she had found thus far.

A psychoanalysis of Riku and the heartless's effects upon him in one neat folder, and a deconstruction of Namine's artwork and the power behind it in another. The reports were slightly damaged themselves; what pages were near incomprehensible due to water damage or burning and so forth were included, with her own possible reconstructions of the pages tucked carefully behind.

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

Zexion looked up from the table, paging through each of the folders silently. He nodded at Larxene.

"Thank you, XII. These will be helpful. If that is all you are dismissed." He didn't believe in keeping subordinates around on the off-chance that they would be needed.

[harmitwithspark.livejournal.com]

"Several portions of the underground are severely flooded. Do you wish recovered files from those portions be given directly to you untouched, or should I salvage what I can?" she did not know how good Zexion was at document restoration and examination. It was why she asked.

[cloakitwithplot.livejournal.com]

That was a good question. He weighed the options. On the one hand he did have some document restoration skills, an 'acceptable' level as far as he was concerned. On the other hand Larxene had more context with which to go by, since chances are they were related to the project itself.

"...If you feel you can salvage them, please do so. Otherwise I will try my hand at restoring them." he eventually decided.

[harmitwithspark.livejournal.com]

She had information recovery skills. At times that necessitated document restoration. She was not an expert, but she was above passing. "Yes, sir, I will search those sections next then."