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Post by Deleted on Jul 15, 2012 23:20:54 GMT -5
Snake sat in the large chair in his room trying to make sense of the reports Fang had given him. Having stepped up again in his proper duties, Fang had went back to doing more written work then decisive. Snake had asked him to deliver the detailed reports on the missions he had assigned to the various members.
There was one from Bullseye, detailing her check on Halloween Town. From what she had written the world was quickly becoming more and more like a frozen glacier with each passing minute. People were trapped in their homes, and the entrances to the doors in the woods were completely unreachable. Skull's man had unleashed chaos upon the world. The world was slowly becoming a frozen grave for everyone trapped inside.
Snake could have read on about the state of the world, but he was not looking for that report. Next was a report on Wonderland from Tears. It was a detailed account on the General, or as Tears had indicated the fissure, who was in control of the world's people. There was chaos and anarchy in the streets, and death and punishment in the castle. Tears indicated that a civil war was impossible now.
Smiling on this, Snake went on to the next report. A report on Smile's actions in Destiny Island. He had left the world burning after an encounter with a keyblade hero. Snake could only shake his head at the report. He had left the keyblader alive! The reason Snake was working with Skull and his fissures in the first place was because he promised that the Keyblade Heros would show if they threw the worlds into chaos. Finally one appeared and Smiles let it slip through his hands!
No doubt this was due to that new girl he had. Snake had never seen Smiles take an interest in anyone. What could he possibly see in this girl? Snake could only scratch the ruffles on his cheek. Smiles was always a wild card.
Turning away from the reports, Snake found himself glancing up to the painted portrait on the wall. It depicted a woman in her forties in a sun dress holding a small girl of about three in her arms with matching brown hair. "Oh Marcy." Snake said to himself aloud. How he wished she was still here. How he wished he could have seen his daughter grow.
Anger made his old hands shake as he suffered the same flashback he always had when he looked at that picture. Walking through a door.... The body of his wife and daughter on the floor in a pool of blood... The man with the keyblade in his hand. The man who had proclaimed himself hero to all of town. Drawing his gun in desperation as the man turned on him... The gunshot...
"I vowed I would never let another suffer from the hands of those who only brought death." Tears fell from his eyes as he turned back towards the reports. The portrait caused him pain every time he glanced at it. But it reminded him everyday as to why he had started this committee.
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Fang sat at the computer at his desk, glancing at the different maps that indicated where each member of the committee was. Currently he followed the cruiser of Smoke as she made her way from the top of the mountain on The Land of Dragons. No doubt she was following the fissure who was with her.
He doubted there would be much discussion between the two. In fact he doubted that they even noticed each other. Smoke hardly ever spoke to anyone. She was also one of the most neutral persons in the committee. Fang never had any problem with her. She had her own reasons for joining the committee, and Fang had never pressed her about them either.
Running his index finger across the screen, the map changed to show one of where Tears had been on Wonderland. She had spent a lot of time in the castle, and a bit in the surrounding town as well. But she had not ventured out into the woods or anywhere outside the castle city. She was somewhere in the castle at the moment, but she had already handed him her full report. Tracking of committee members could be found in any world except in the castle itself.
This was how they kept track of how things were going. Everyone was trackable... Well almost everyone. Fang waved his finger across the screen. However instead of another map coming up, this time the computer read, 'Unknown.' in black letters surrounded in gray.
Sighing Fang spat, "Smiles." the teen was the only one who not only knew of the tracking device, but how to render it useless as well. Waving his finger once more, Fang was not surprised at all to find that Ivory's tracker had the same message. "Snake gives him too much power." Fang said to himself.
Reaching into the drawer of his desk, Fang pulled out a cellphone. Pushing the number five and then send, Fang waited till the ringing stopped. "Smiles Snake is calling another meeting. Return to base." He said into the phone. Of course there was no answer on the other line, just the sound of someone hanging up.
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Smiles stepped out of the portal and onto the castle steps. As Ivory followed him, Smiles let the portal close. Now that they were finally away from Timeless River, Smiles looked up at the castle with new found interest.
"This world is the same that Thomas back there spoke of coming from. This castle used to belong to heroes. How ironic." He said with a smile. Leading the way inside, Smiles encountered the same defense measures and disarmed them as well.
As he came to the moving staircase, he turned towards Ivory. "There is a meeting later today that we will have to attend. But your welcome to go to the common room or quarters until then if you wish. I'd like to speak to you though about some things I mentioned back there."
Smiles then turned towards Ivory and pulled her into a very "big" hug. It was a hug that could have meant more if one returned it. But Smiles didn't wait for her to hug back. Instead he started up the stairs. He had to go speak with Snake.
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Post by Sprow on Jul 16, 2012 2:12:02 GMT -5
Ivory, once they stepped through the portal that Smiles had opened up for them, was still inwardly recoiling about the fact that she had blood all over her. With her current state of mind, she wasn't really able to form any sentences at the moment so she remained silent. Her mind was repeating several times in her head that she had blood all over her front. The thought was both disturbing and disgusting at the same time. After following Smiles a few steps, she finally blinked and started registering where they were.
They had returned to the castle. As she looked up at it, she heard Smiles mention that it had been the one that Thomas had come from. This castle and world had once belonged to keyblade heroes. So, that had been why Smiles had gasped at what Thomas had said about his homeworld. "It...is." Only just now, she was gradually pulling out of her shock and repulsion.
As they walked up to the castle and headed inside, Ivory wasn't surprised to see that armor appear once again. She watched as Smiles, once again, disarmed it in the fashion he had shown her before. She still couldn't help but watch the armor carefully as it left them alone. Following smiles all the way to the moving staircase, she brought her gaze back onto Smiles when he finally turned to face her.
Ivory listened to him as he explained they were to attend a meeting later today. She was welcome to visit the common room or the quarters until that time. Acknowledging what he had just told her, Ivory nodded to confirm that she had understood him. She did not think he'd bring up what he had said back in Timeless River so soon though. In fact, like he had back on Timeless River, Smiles had once again caught her off guard.
At first, she was confused for a second what he meant. It only just then registered when he had suddenly turned and pulled her into a big and rather sudden embrace. Her reaction was pretty much like that of a deer caught in the headlights of a car. Then, when her mind began to register that she was currently being embraced by Smiles, her face turned scarlet. Before she could even think on how to react in response to the hug, Smiles had already released her and headed up the moving stairs. Ivory watched him go, pretty much confused and not generally sure how to react to the situation.
Once he was gone, only then did it just register to her that she was standing there alone for the moment. Pulling out of her surprise, Ivory looked over at the sets of areas she recalled. She definitely knew where she wanted to go. Ivory, being covered in blood all over her front, very much wished to clean up. Now that Smiles was gone, she stepped onto the moving staircase. Pausing, she waited as the steps turned to the appropriate hallway that she intended to go.
Walking down the hallway, she went to her quarters. Taking out her ID card, Ivory put it into the slot as it scanned it. Hearing the door lick open, Ivory turned the doorknob and pushed it open, returning her ID card into her pocket as she stepped inside. The events of Destiny Island and Timeless River had her pretty much mind blown right now. Her mind reminding her about the blood all over her front, Ivory had closed and locked the door behind her before heading towards her bathroom.
Stepping inside, she examined her condition in the mirror. She had a good amount splattered into her hair. Like it or not, she'd have to wash it all off. Taking off her clothes, Ivory headed into the shower and began cleaning herself. As she did so, her mind wandered back to the events that took place on both worlds. She was angry with Darius but she couldn't help but wonder where he was now and if he was alright. They were siblings, after all and family. Ivory may be mad at him but she'd never want him dead. As for the fissures, the things were enshrouded in more mystery.
In the long run, they knew how fissures came to being but not the full story. They had only seen the birth of one in Timeless River. No doubt, it was the first one considering how different in appearance it had looked from the other they had witnessed that Skull had revealed to them. Why they were working with them, Ivory could only wonder. Honestly, the things bothered her. What if they used one of them to host a fissure? How did that even work? No doubt, it wasn't anything good or pleasant. Then, there was what had happened with Smiles. It had been a bit odd to have a mentor the same age range as she. Now, she had to sift her thoughts through about what had transpired on Timeless River and upon arriving here.
Smiles had done a lot for her. Where he could have killed her, he did not. Instead, he had taken her in under his wing and introduced her to the rest of the committee he was a part of. He had shown her a way of life completely different from her own. He had made her a stronger person because of it. Smiles had trained her to fend for herself. She no longer was the timid, frightful girl anymore that she used to be. Now, she was someone else that could actually handle her own problems for the most part. She was more confident than she had ever been. He had made her stronger and had always been there for her. Unlike Darius, Smiles had done a lot for her and also made her a stronger person in the time that she had encountered him up until now.
Ivory knew that she greatly appreciated all that he had done for her even if the lessons had been harsh. It had all been necessary to get her to the level she was at currently. Without him, Ivory wouldn't have gotten this far. She would've probably ended up dead on her own or ended up being smothered by Darius again and not get any better. Sure, there was still a lot for Ivory to learn but she felt a lot more capable than she had before meeting Smiles. Smiles had always been patient with her. His teachings during training could be harsh but they were all necessary. If he hadn't been so harsh when they were training, she wouldn't have such a fast learning curve and success rate. Some of it was pure luck though. Ivory could only wonder when it would stop being just luck and become actual skill. Obviously, she'd need more experience.
As for her intelligence, she was sure she had surprised Smiles back in Timeless River theorizing about the world's sudden change in condition on them. Ivory was definitely no genius but she wasn't stupid either. Her intelligence had to be in a range above average but nowhere near genius. On top of it all, being an introvert made her more observant of things around her. It was based on her observations that had lead to her theories. Those that weren't as quiet as her usually didn't notice some of the things she did. She could even read subtle body language and know what a person was going to do before they did it. The only one she really couldn't read was Smiles. He was an enigma through and through. The fact he had taken a sudden interest in her had surprised her and caught her completely off guard. Ivory, honestly, did not see it coming and wasn't exactly sure how she was going to react. She knew that she had admired him because of the fact he had taught her all she knew and for that, greatly respected him. She wasn't exactly sure how far her admiration for him went though since she was still confused and hardly had time to think on it.
Finished with her shower, Ivory stepped out and wrapped a towel about herself. Heading over to the dryer, she began to dry her hair. It was a great relief to be free of the blood and grime she had collected during the trip. She didn't think she took long before her hair was finally dry. Brushing it and getting dressed in clean clothes, Ivory headed out of her bedroom and took a seat at the living room area of the quarters.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 16, 2012 19:10:55 GMT -5
Snake was still starring at the picture when the door to his office began to open. Eye's narrowing, Snake glanced up to see the only person who would enter his office without knocking first. Smiles looked very much the same he always did. His hair was messy, his eyes way to open, and his mouth holding that same damn smile.
"I have a bone to pick with you, you know." Snake said as Smiles strolled over to the empty chair on the other side of his desk. He took a seat in the chair and threw up his feet on Snake's desk as if this was his office, and not the other way around.
Smiles responded first with a larger smile. "You worry to much." He accused Snake. Shaking his head, Snake got to his feet. His relationship with Smiles was a special one. It was different then the ones between him and the other members of the committee.
"I'm an old man Smiles. That is what we do. We worry." Standing up, Snake went over to the picture he was looking at before. He placed his hand on it, hoping that he could just touch his dear one more time. "Why did you leave the keyblade hero alive at Destiny Island? I had to send Smoke to deal with your mistake."
When Smiles let out a laugh, Snake turned and glared right at the teenager. "I fail to see how this is humorous."
Smiles crossed his arms and turned the revolving chair so that he was facing Snake. "I don't make mistakes. She's alive because I let her live. Smoke will have no trouble getting rid of her."
"It is not Smoke that I am worried about. It is you. When I started this committee..."
Snake went to continue, but Smiles cut him off. "I was there remember. I know exactly why you wanted to start this organization. Don't tell me you don't trust me... Not after all this time."
Letting out a sigh Snake turned away. "It's that girl. She's done nothing but..."
Smiles had gotten out of his seat at the mention of Ivory. "That girl has made this boring life interesting again. She is a true member of this organization and I plan to prove how good she really is."
Turning back to Smiles, Snake rose an eyebrow. How did he plan on doing that. "After this meeting of yours, she will be taking the three trials."
Snake grew silent. He had heard Smiles mention that he wanted Ivory to rise in the rank. And he figured that she would face the first trial to do so. But to try all three?! The trials were ancient rings created by whoever had once owned this castle. Upon their discovery of it, they had tweaked it so that the first two might be used to their advantage. But the third... The third had been only used by one person, and that person died before they could complete it. The trials were no easy feat. They awakened the power within oneself while mentally challenging them. That was what the first two trials covered. The third, well they didn't really know much about it. Only one person had ever passed the third trial. And it was no surprise that he was standing in front of Snake.
Snake didn't think that the girl really had a chance at the last trial. From how Smiles had described it, her fate would be sealed the moment she crossed through the third ring. "Yes... perhaps that is a good thing." Not for the reason Smiles thought though. If Snake could get rid of the girl, he would have an easier time controlling Smiles.
"Good. I am glad you approve." Before Snake could even open his mouth again, Smiles had gotten up and walked right out his open door. Sighing and shaking his head, Snake walked over to his door and closed it shut.
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After the meeting with Snake, Smiles returned back to his own room. He washed himself up as well, put on a new set of clothes, and began to make his way over to Ivory's room. He knew exactly why Snake had agreed to Ivory trying the third trial. He thought she would return in the same state as the last person who went.
That wouldn't happen. Smiles had faith in Ivory. She had everything she needed to be an excellent assassin and warrior. The only thing she lacked was a bit of confidence it seemed. Smiles though was slowly changing that. At least he thought he was. As he came to Ivory's door, he knocked and silently awaited for someone to answer.
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Post by Sprow on Jul 16, 2012 22:26:23 GMT -5
Unaware of the conversation going on in the office, Ivory had allowed her eyes to wander her quarters. She had been living here but barely saw it half the time. Whenever she arrived here, she was usually headed right for the bedroom to go to sleep. Now that she thought about it, Smiles was right. They barely would get time to spend and thus, hardly live in their own quarters they were each given. Well, at least because of it, the place still managed to remain clean. Not that Ivory was a sloppy person but the area was squeaky clean compared to what she was used to. Also, she had come from an orphanage so this was luxury top of the line to her.
Spotting some books she had gotten herself while out during her rare moments of free time, Ivory picked one up. She wasn't sure what the meeting would entail but she was dressed in case she'd have to do anything that consisted of physical work again. Ivory had no idea that Smiles believed that she was ready for the trials, let alone all three of them. If she had, she might've been praying and writing her will by now.
Instead, here she was, reading a book. She didn't feel much like getting herself into possible trouble in the common room so she decided to remain in her room. At least here, she could find some rest and relaxation. Granted,not all of the members of the organization were bad, it's just a good number of them gave her the heebie jeebies. That and she wasn't sure how long it would take Smiles to return. She relied on him being around and helping prevent the others that didn't like her from bothering her too much. Ivory knew she'd have to come out of that at some point but she wasn't going to risk it unless she had to for now. Not until she was better at what she did.
At least an hour or so had passed by the time she heard someone knocking at the door. Closing her book, bookmarking where she had left off, Ivory set it down and got to her feet. Making her way to the door, she checked the peephole. Ivory always checked it to see who was at the door. Standing outside was Smiles. He had finished whatever business he was attending to and like her, had stopped to clean himself up apparently. He hadn't been wearing those clothes earlier.
For a brief moment, she hesitated as her mind was thrown back into confusion as to what she should do here but only for a moment. She was still wrapping her head around the things that took place in Timeless River and the hug from earlier. Well, it's not like she'd keep the door closed. There was no telling what Smiles would do if she left it closed and it wasn't like she intended to keep it closed. Smiles would probably scare the hell out of her by finding another means of entry via his portals anyway. There was another thing that made her see Smiles was good to her. He respected her enough to not just simply rip a portal open in the middle of her room or come waltzing in like he did with Fang's office or Snake's.
So, Ivory opened the door finally and peered back over at Smiles. "Hello, Smiles!" she greeted him with a smile, allowing him to enter her room as she politely stepped aside.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 17, 2012 1:17:49 GMT -5
Smiling, Smiles entered Ivory's room. He took a seat in one of the empty cushions in the living room couch chairs. Ivory's quarters looked fairly similar to his own. Except for a few things he had done to the place during the years. But for the most party he didn't spend much time in it. He was usually somewhere else.
Once Ivory had made her way to join him, and once Smiles thought she felt comfortable he spoke. "We have about an hour before the meeting begins. Instead of training or something like that I thought it would be nice to just talk. We really haven't had much time for just that. So tell me Ivory. Why is it you are still here? Why are you even in this committee?"
It was an odd question for Smiles to ask anyone. He didn't seem the type of person to want to get to know someone else. And for the most part he wasn't. But at the same time, he wanted to get to know Ivory. He knew her, but he really didn't know her that well. He thought now was a good enough time as any to find out. If she had questions, well perhaps he might even answer some of them.
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The door to Fang's room opened to reveal Smoke. Glancing up from his computer he gave her a small smile. "Welcome back." He told her at first. "I hear that you succeeded with your mission."
Smoke only nodded. Her eyes, though fixed on Fang, carried no emotion except what seemed like boredom. "Yes. It went fine." She said in a single monotone.
Fang sighed. There was just no getting Smoke on his side. He had Bullseye, she would have to do. He could have tried for Tears, but the girl was too unstable to work with anyone. "Well thank you." Smoke nodded in response again, and turned around and headed out the door. The game of politics was getting no where. And now he had to worry about both Snake and Smiles.
There was only one thing that Fang wanted. And that was control of the committee and its resources. He had it for a while, until Snake decided to come back from the dead so to speak. And then Smiles suddenly became a player with the arrival of his new "prodigy". Perhaps he could speak to Gat.... The idea of working with the large perverse man though didn't seem to appealing. Perhaps though he could convince Smiles to get rid of Snake. Then when Smiles wasn't looking, take him out as well...
It was a good idea. But there was one thing that made all of his plans halt. And that was the creatures that Snake had allied himself with. The fissures... Just thinking of them sent chills up Fang's spine. They had no clue as to how dangerous the creatures were. Not just to their enemies, but their allies as well. The fissures had no allies but their own kind. They would turn on them all.
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Post by Sprow on Jul 17, 2012 2:02:47 GMT -5
No sooner had Ivory opened up her door and stepped aside to let Smiles in, he made himself at home by locating a cushion and placing himself upon it. Closing the door, Ivory headed in to the living room and sat in one of the couch chairs as well. Looking over at Smiles, she waited to hear what he had to say. Maybe he was going to fill her in on a few things?
As she sat there, once she had gotten comfortable, Smiles finally spoke. They had an hour before the meeting took place. Instead of taking this opportunity to train, Smiles decided that they could have a talk instead. Honestly, Ivory was a bit surprised that he would rather talk rather than train. Not that she minded. Training could take a lot out of her and sometimes she wondered how she managed to keep going after training and then going out on a mission. She definitely wasn't as feeble as she was when first starting out.
Quietly, she listened to what he was saying. According to him, they really hadn't much time to talk. That,she knew, was quite true. Usually, it was quick and usually work related. Still, it was strange that Smiles was suddenly doing this. Well, he certainly knew how to surprise someone. Ivory figured that he'd never cease to surprise her with the things he'd do.
Why was she still here? Why was she even a part of the committee? Well, there were the usual obvious ones. "Well, I've nowhere to go. My homeworld was destroyed by the Heartless. When you found me, I was lost and belonged nowhere. Having come here, it's become like a home I've not had for a while. I mean, sure, I could've waited around for my brother but that might've ended badly for me. I wasn't the strongest of personalities at the time and was rather...timid, inept. Darius coddled me so much that I wasn't able to do much on my own. Thanks to you, I'm more capable than I've ever been. I'm more confident and I greatly appreciate becoming one of the committee. I wouldn't know where else to go. Not that I couldn't manage now but with all the things I've learned, I can't just leave. It's...more interesting than living a normal life. Where roaming Gummi Space was interesting for when it lasted, it wasn't a stable place to be. Here, things are more stable while also being more interesting. Ever since being here, I've been introduced to new things."
She gave a shrug, not really sure what else to say to these questions. Ivory knew that she was also staying to bother her brother as well. It was his fault for leaving her by herself. Smiles had saved her life. Ivory could only wonder why these questions were being asked but went with the flow. Smiles was most likely curious so she'd answer what she could. "You've really taught me a lot." As she sat there, she wondered what Smiles was wondering about the fissures but guessed it might be for yet another time. Also, what were his reasons for being here? Most likely because it was interesting. Anything that was interesting, Smiles usually was around. "They weren't upset with us taking a bit in that world, were they?"
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 0:05:30 GMT -5
Smiles listened to Ivory's response with curiosity. Given everything that had happened, and that they had done together, it was a response that he supposed she would give. The answer he had wanted to hear was something else. But given the circumstances there was no way the answer he had wanted would be the one she had given. Not at this point in time. But that was his own fault. He had been so busy training her and doing different things, he didn't really have time to build much.
One didn't become friends without sharing one's knowledge. Smiles would add the word feelings and emotions as well, but his were a bit different. His whole personality was a bit different when compared to normal people. It was much easier to pretend and to lie, then to explain. Plus people tended to think he was insane.
As Ivory went on to say that Smiles had taught her a lot, he nodded in response. When she continued to ask about if they were in trouble for going to that world, Smiles could only laugh. "Oh no doubt. But in reality they are more upset with the fact that I won't do what they tell me, rather then how long it took. It is very easy to fall under someones wing in this organization. Fang has been at it for years. Snake has his own agenda now. And the appearance of us is worrying the both of them. But I didn't come here to talk about politics. Not that we can't. But I just want to get to know you. I've never had a friend before Ivory. Your my first."
That actually was the truth. When he was a child, Smiles never used to fit in with the other children. Usually cause he'd end up hurting them whenever they began to bother him. And of course they hated him for the fact that he was smarter then they were. So he never bothered.
"I find that many people don't really understand me. They all think that I'm shy and that I can't handle myself. That they need to direct me where I should go. That I need to be controlled." That was a complete lie, but Smiles sold it beautifully. People in the committee feared him. It was that fear that drove their need to try and control him. But he knew the way he present it would click more with Ivory, especially given her personality.
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Post by Sprow on Jul 18, 2012 0:39:28 GMT -5
Ivory wasn't really sure what else to say. She guessed she could've added the fact it was partially to show Darius that she could now take care of herself but that was petty. It was a unique place, the committee. Where she had arrived here and all that she had been through here, she felt that it was a stable enough environment compared to Gummi Space stuck in the cockpit of a Gummi Ship wondering where her next stop would be and if that would become her new home. There was also the fact that she wasn't able to see herself adapting to normal life again with everything she had been through here. She didn't get to interact like this with Smiles a whole lot but she was liking the change. It allowed her to get to know him a bit better and hopefully he'd not be too much of an enigma to her anymore.
As she sat there, when she finished, she watched as he gave a laugh to her question. No doubt, and by what he said, they had been upset but more so with the fact that Smiles wouldn't do what they told him. Well, she had already picked up on that one. Fang and Snake, the two most prominent figures, seemed to be annoyed or surprised when Smiles acted of his own accord. Apparently, it was easy to fall under someone's wing in the organization but that lead into a, no doubt, large conversation when it came to the place's politics. Hearing what Smiles said, she gave a nod accompanied by a knowing smile.
"I understand perfectly, I won't make you go into a long conversation about the politics. Like you, I'd rather know you a bit better as well. I consider you as a friend but one where I still don't know as well as I would like to despite the time we've been around each other." She did look a bit surprised when Smiles said that she had been the first friend he made.
Before she could ask him about it, Smiles went on to say that no one really understood him. They thought he was the shy type that couldn't handle himself. The others believed that they needed to guide him and control him. Now that he said it like that, he sounded a lot like how she used to be. Ivory's life consisted of being smothered by Darius, whom meant well but had done her a great disadvantage in the long run. She gave an understanding nod in response.
"I can understand how that must feel. I was coddled by my twin brother all the time." What Smiles had said about himself as how others viewed him, Ivory wasn't sure if she probably saw a bit more to him than what the others were missing. "You, I would not consider the shy type. You can be quiet but you're charismatic and quite bold when you want to be. I'm pretty sure it showed when you spoke to Snake the way you did in the meeting and especially with the your forwardness when it came to walking into Fang's office. On top of it, you're not afraid to speak. I know what it's like to be shy and how people act when they are, you don't at all seem it to me." She gave a bit of a chuckle when Smiles had said that they believed he wasn't capable of handling himself and needed direction and control. Clearly, they didn't know Smiles and honestly, she didn't know him but the way he described it made it sound like she knew him a little better than most. Ivory could be completely wrong though.
"With all the training I've been through with you and the first time I ran into you, I'm pretty sure you're able to hold your own. That and walking out of the portal after facing my brother and his friend unscathed is enough to tell me you're more than what you appear to be. I also know how it feels to be controlled or directed. Darius did that a lot since our parents had died and even after our world was destroyed. I'm very happy to have made you for a friend who has built up my confidence and made me a more capable person than the one my brother made out of me."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 1:20:11 GMT -5
Smiles listened to all of Ivory's responses, nodding when he should, smiling when he should, even looking generally happy. Did he feel those things. Well to be honest the whole topic of building someones self esteem up was a bore. It was easy to do, and easy to manipulate. But the potentials of what this conversation might lead to were interesting. Smiles absolutely lived for the interesting.
"Your right of course. I think they all wet their pants when I spoke up for the first time." Smiles said with a laugh. "But I wasn't going to just let them take you away. You're my friend not theirs. Plus you don't deserve to be used. And no offense to Fang and Snake, but they use everyone and anyone they get their friends on." Smiles was using Ivory to, but she didn't know that.
The concept of Ivory's brother was a tricky one. It was one where Smiles had to tread very carefully on. Ivory was still very attached to her brother. It seemed to Smiles that only her anger held her from going back to him. There was two things one could do with anger. Encourage it, and make it turn into hate. Or Suppress it and make it turn into forgiveness. Smiles had no plans on encouraging Ivory's anger. Because the matter of fact was, Smiles did not need Ivory to hate her brother. He just needed her to chose and trust him.
"I would never hurt your brother Ivory. As long as he never laid a hand on you, what reason do I have to kill him? He just stood in the way of the job we had to do, and I had to move him out of the way. He's human just like all of us. He doesn't understand the importance of our mission. The importance of this committee. Fang doesn't either. He views this as some sort of business that his business like attitude can mold. Snake is so lost in his hatred that he doesn't understand either. He did... at one point. But he's lost that." Of course Smiles didn't know if Ivory understood the purpose of their organization. If she wanted to know she would have to ask.
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Post by Sprow on Jul 18, 2012 1:42:02 GMT -5
Ivory couldn't help but laugh a bit at what he said next. Oh yes, it definitely seemed like everyone had pretty much soiled their pants when Smiles decided to speak up. Either he didn't all that often or him not smiling meant he was upset and could easily show the others that he wasn't a force to be reckoned with. What he said next though, Ivory gave a nod. She was relieved that he hadn't let them make her go somewhere else by herself. Snake had wanted her to go by herself with someone being new. Ivory, where she usually respected figures of authority, wasn't so sure it was a good idea to have her go by herself being so new with a fissure which was a new ally that she couldn't find herself trusting. She guessed it was because of the fact they took over the bodies of others that alarmed her.
"I'm happy that you did. I honestly feel more comfortable being around you than I do most of the others. No offense to any of them, it's just I have been around you more and know you more than I do the others. You're right, no one should be used. I also don't exactly like the idea of being alone with a fissure. I've the nasty feeling they'd try to take over my body or something. Call me paranoid but it bothers me." Little did Ivory know she was being used when it came to the topic of someone being used by Fang or Snake.
When the subject turned onto Darius, Ivory listened respectfully to what Smiles was saying. It was true that her brother had been human. They were, quite frankly, all human here except for any fissures that stepped inside these walls. It was a great relief knowing that Smiles respected her enough to never lay a hand on Darius. She was angry with Darius but not to the point where she'd kill him over it. Ivory gave a nod, pleased to hear it. It mostly confirmed what Smiles didn't do and his words sounded genuine to her. The the topic turned to the importance of their mission and the importance of the committee. Where Ivory had joined them, she hadn't exactly been told the purpose of the committee.
"I'm glad that you wouldn't. You're right, he doesn't understand us or the mission. I'm mad at him but I wouldn't wish him dead because of it. Anyway, speaking of importance...the committee. I still don't fully understand this committee's importance other than the general things we've done so far. Mind if I ask what this committee's purpose is?" she inquired, genuinely curious and merely not asking to just progress the conversation.
"I'm sorry if it were obvious and I had missed it somewhere down the line."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 2:20:26 GMT -5
Smiles glanced over to her. "What was the committee's purpose?" Smiling, Smiles responded. "There's no trouble at all in asking. And well like I said, everyone has their own purpose for being in this committee." Smiles knew that what he was saying wasn't the actual answer to her question, but he wanted to explain what he was about to say first.
"Take someone like Fang. He joined the committee pretty shortly after he began. His reason's for joining? Well he told Snake he had a personal vendetta against the keybladers. And Snake bought that right up. But watching him I think that the keybladers have nothing to do with his reason for being in this committee. He a man who cares for nothing but himself, and his own personal goals. He saw an opportunity and took it."
Pausing, Smiles crossed his legs, getting a bit more comfortable in his seat. "Everyone has their own reason for being here, just like you. But the reason why this committee exists, and the reason why I remain in it, is because of what they are doing. I must ask you Ivory, what is a keyblader? How does one become a keyblader? According to Thomas, it seems you either are blessed with one, or you inherit one. What is a keyblade then? How is it a simple tool can provide so much power in one person?"
Having leaned back in the chair before, Smiles leaned forward. "Keybladers have a record of being the causes of wars, of disaster, their very weapon draws darkness to them. The committee stands to get rid of those who bring about darkness. That was the original reason the committee was started. Sadly now it's just become people's agenda."
Glancing over towards the digital clock, Smiles spotted that they had about thirty more minutes till the meeting. "Look at that here I wanted to not bore you with politics and I've done just that. Perhaps we should talk of better things?"
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Post by Sprow on Jul 18, 2012 2:39:48 GMT -5
Ivory listened as Smiles spoke. Now that she thought about it, this had to be the first time she ever heard him talk so much. As she sat there, he went on to explain Fang's reason for joining the committee. Apparently, he had a personal vendetta against the keybladers but it seems to actually be that he had taken up an opportunity placed before him. Well, Fang certainly gave that impression to Ivory. It was clear that where he had been polite to her, that he hadn't liked her presence one bit.
Watching as Smiles got a bit more comfortable, she listened as he had carried on. Everyone was definitely here for their own reasons, that much was true. However, the reason the committee was around and why Smiles took part in it was because of what they were doing. Only then did he present the questions about the keyblade warriors. Ivory hadn't heard of them before until coming here to this committee. In her eyes, they were definitely thought of as powerful warriors. All the questions Smiles presented made her wonder. They only obtained what they had from Thomas. Now that she thought about it, where Thomas was a chatter box, they could probably find more answers to these questions if they asked him those.
Ivory shifted in her seat a bit too as she listened intently to what Smiles was telling her. Keybladers had a record of the causes of wars. The weapons drew darkness towards them and the committee was made to get rid of those that brought about darkness. Originally, this had been why the committee had been started. Now, it was just people's own personal agenda.
As Smiles had finished, he took that moment to glance at the clock. Following his gaze, Ivory noticed they had thirty minutes until the meeting. Bringing her gaze back over at Smiles when he spoke, she just grinned a bit. "You didn't bore me. If you did, I'd probably be asleep in my seat by now! Besides, I've never heard you talk so much, it's a nice change," she said jokingly. Now, what to talk about? Well, she guessed she could ask him questions about himself if he hadn't any about herself.
"Sure we can. So, how about yourself? You know, things like favorite color, who you are as a person, all that? You know, stuff friends should know?" she asked him. "Of course, I can answer your questions first if you prefer."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 20:53:33 GMT -5
Color... what a stupid question to ask. Color was something that Smiles considered as boring. In truth he didn't have a favorite color, because he thought the aspect of one having a favorite color was pointless. What could having a favorite color really tell someone about the person. Oh, she's a girl and she likes pink. He's a boy and he likes blue. He found it all pointless. But he wasn't about to let his opinion show in his face, or express that to Ivory.
"If I had to pick a favorite color... I guess I'd say the color of your hair." He said with a smile. Ivory's other question was a bit hard to answer. Who was he as a person? How did one actually answer a question such as that. Glancing over to Ivory again he made eye contact with her.
For once in his life, Smiles really didn't have an exact answer. "I don't really know... I've never had friends before. I'm not too sure what would be proper to say. I was born in the world called Twilight Town. My birth name was Marcus. I think your cute and that your trustworthy...."
Smiles trailed off. Marcus was his real name, given to him by his parents. He had cast aside that name though when he killed his parents. After that day his name officially became Smiles. He didn't think telling Ivory about what he did to his parents would go over so well. So he kept what he said about him light.
"What about you Ivory? What should I know about you?"
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Post by Sprow on Jul 18, 2012 22:15:04 GMT -5
Honestly, the color question was just a random thought that came to mind at the time. At least everyone had a favorite color. Despite the color that someone favored, that didn't make the person or even represent their personality in any way. Sure, there were some people that did but that wasn't likely. If anything, Ivory asked it since it was a common question people asked others when getting to know them. She had no idea that she just made Smiles think how dumb of a question it was or that she had bored him a little with it. Oh well, not like she was going to be able to know that.
It didn't take long for Smiles to answer though. Ivory remained kept in the dark as to how she made Smiles feel when she had gone and asked the favorite color question. Apparently, if he had to choose one, it was the color of her hair. "I see, an interesting color. Represents the unknown," she said with a smile.
When it came to the other part he was finally addressing, Ivory didn't shy away from the eye contact as he spoke. Since he hadn't friends before, she could understand that he wouldn't really know how to begin or even answer that. Still, he made an attempt. It was just a little but it was more than she had known of him before. His real name, well birth name, was Marcus and he was born in Twilight Town. The next two things that he said caught Ivory a little off guard again. She could see that he thought her trustworthy otherwise he wouldn't have told her what his birth name had been. As for the other part, plus the compliment of her hair coloring, well he definitely caught her off guard with those. Ivory had to refrain from twirling her hair like she always did when she was feeling awkward. Still, it wasn't hard to notice her face went a slight shade of pink. 'Stupid face!' she thought, noticing the sudden warm feeling to her cheeks which just added to how awkward she felt.
"Th-Thank you f-for the compliment, I'm glad you think I'm trustworthy." She wasn't really sure how else to respond to that but focused her mind back onto the bits he gave her. "Twilight Town, eh? Sounds intriguing." As for his name, looking at him, she found it a bit hard to picture him as a Marcus. Of course, it was a nice name. It was way better than plain Ivory which was just a color or the substance found in the tusks of an elephant. "Marcus...sounds better than plain old Ivory," she said with a smile. "Of course, I still see you as Smiles though."
The subject then turned to her. What should Smiles know about her? Well, she didn't want to bore him. It wasn't like her life had been all that interesting but she knew she had to give him information in return since it was only fair. "Hm...where to begin..." she trailed off in thought. "I and Darius were born on Meadows. I'm the younger twin. Growing up, I excelled in academics where my brother was the typical jock. I liked to observe others from afar being an introvert and it was because of that, that I seemed to attract trouble that way from idiots. I had two boyfriends, both broken up with over one just wanting to get closer to my brother and the other being a verbally abusive jerk. Darius and I discovered our armor in Meadows during a trek through the woods with the lady from the orphanage. Not sure why they came to us but they had. They came in handy when we had to fight for our lives off of Meadows when the Heartless consumed the world. Other than that, I'm not sure else what to give you. I guess most of the things you could get about me is from the times you've been around me already. I'm normally a quiet person but open around those I'm comfortable with like yourself. As for colors, I like blues and greens." She said that last bit with a smirk simply because she was putting some light humor into it. Now that she thought about it, the color question had been a bit of a joke.
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Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2012 23:19:50 GMT -5
If Smiles could have read her thoughts he would have been surprised by them. Currently there were two very real emotions going on. The first was he was intrigued and interested. Things that interested him were always good, and always made life much more worth living then plain old boring. The second was a real general likeness for Ivory. Part of it was for the general reason that she did make his life more interesting and because of that he did not just dispose of her as if she was a bore. The second part was a general growing physical attraction. Perhaps it was simply sparked because Ivory was his first friend, or perhaps it was something about her that just clicked. Either way it was a feeling that Smiles had never experienced before. Because of that he found himself slightly conflicted.
Listening to her, Smiles was slightly surprised by how much she opened up. She opened up much more then he had. He found her tale a bit on the average side, but that didn't seem to important at the moment. "I am sorry about your past relationships... I myself have never been in one. Shouldn't be too surprising given that your my first friend." Smiles said with a smile added.
The subject of her armor was the original source of his interest in Ivory. It had been that armor that had first pulled his attention. When she spoke of how it simply came to them, Smiles couldn't help but wonder why. What did it mean? It added to the level of interest. "I came upon my abilities at first after my parents passed away..." That was one way of putting it. Smiles had murdered his parents.
"With them came a level of interest in myself. I spent years simply exploring, until I had reached the fullest potential of my abilities." Trailing off another question popped in Smiles's mind. "Ivory... why are you angry with your brother?"
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Post by Sprow on Jul 18, 2012 23:57:17 GMT -5
Ivory looked back at Smiles when he apologized for the relationships she had been through. Really, she didn't find them as bad anymore. If anything, they made her wiser when it came to men. Granted, not all men but a bit wiser towards most of them. "It's alright, I got away from them before anything got to be too bad. Still, it's always worth the risk...after all, one must go through a mountain of rocks before finding the ruby." Smiles probably wouldn't understand the meaning behind that but then again, he was a sharp one. "At least now you've got a friend," she said with a returned smile.
She listened with interest as Smiles told her that he had come into his abilities once his parents had passed away. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear about your parents." Ivory could understand how it felt to lose one's loved ones. Of course, she had no idea that Smiles had actually left her in the dark about the truth of his parents' deaths.
Smiles's went on saying that with the awakening of his abilities,it had brought an interest in himself. He explored around for years before he finally reached the full strength of his abilities. Honestly, he sounded like a prodigy. Well, that wasn't a real surprise. Smiles had come off to Ivory as someone very keen of mind. Even the light of his eyes showed an intelligence wise beyond his years. "That's amazing. All by yourself? Wow!"
Then, unexpectedly came the question about why she was upset with her twin brother. She probably should have seen this sort of question coming though. After all, her anger was rather odd towards Darius. During the time she had spent away from him, she had felt an ever growing grudge against her brother for taking so long. Ivory had relied on Darius a lot as a kid and just before she met Smiles.
"Call it petty but it's a mix of things that has made me angry. One, for taking so long to actually find me. Two, for not being there. Three, for smothering me so much that I found myself lost and frightened without him before meeting you. I had thought he was dead for a time and gave up hope of ever seeing him again. I know I should have been happy to see him still alive. I am glad that he's still alive but I still can't help but still feel anger towards him. Probably childish of me but I had depended on him a lot and felt...I think...betrayed." Eventually, Ivory there was a chance that Ivory might forgive Darius.
"I also hated how he just decided to appear right while we were busy with a mission and judge us based on what he saw. I mean, I can understand what it looked like to him but we're not like what he saw. He doesn't know what our reason was for being there and doing what we were doing. Who is he to force me to go with him, anyway? I know he's my brother but that doesn't give him a right to go that far. He messed things up on us. Glad he didn't...couldn't hurt you."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 19, 2012 19:56:31 GMT -5
When Ivory went into the explanation of why she was mad at Darius, Smiles sat and listened patiently. Despite what Smiles actually thought about Ivory's explanation, he had no plans to comment on them. Her reasons were her own. It was not his place to judge them or try and change them. So he simply nodded when she continued to explain.
As the matter came to the exchange between himself and Darius, Smiles listened to her opinions with more interest. Smiles could tell that despite there being anger at Darius, there was concern for him as well. Just as there was concern for Smiles and the fact that Darius didn't hurt him. To know that Ivory cared for him made him smile.
"No one is invincible not even I. My skill was simply much higher then his. For that reason he could not hurt me. But I could have really hurt him if I wanted. I will not lie to you Ivory. If he was anyone else, he would not have been alive after a battle. I am not simply boasting my own abilities either. That is simple fact."
Smiles paused, thinking back to what Ivory had said about the reasons why she was angry, and the way Darius had acted when they met him. "Maybe this is simply my own lack of ability to understand what it is like to have a sibling. But if you two were separated for so long, and have been searching for each other for such a long time, why was it the first thing he did was attack you. I saw no joy upon his face when he ran into you. Only disbelief and disgust. He is your blood. Yet his actions not only condoned you, but he blamed himself for this. Perhaps this is a good thing, but if I was in your shoes, I would not be able to shake the feeling that he was basically saying that you can't survive on your own. For if he had been there for his "sister" you never would have been allowed to get away with that. Perhaps you are right. His whole life he has betrayed you, by not letting you have your own freedom."
Smiles was the ultimate manipulator. So easy was it for him to plant seeds of deceit and doubt in one's mind. Push the right buttons and one can do use emotions to their advantage. In all honesty, Smiles did believe everything he just said. What Darius was doing, was in a way preventing Ivory from becoming her own person. "Darius seems to see you as his sister. And not as Ivory, the woman in front of me."
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Post by Sprow on Jul 19, 2012 21:33:55 GMT -5
Ivory appreciated the fact that Smiles hadn't commented on how she felt towards Darius. It wasn't because she wasn't one to take advice from others, it's just it felt better to not hear a negative remark about it all. She knew that her attitude was probably selfish and childish on her part to treat Darius the way she did but she couldn't help herself. Ivory knew she should've been happy to see Darius. Well, she had been but the way he arrived on the scene just messed everything up. She didn't want for him to see her then during that mission and would've rather it on better terms but fate wasn't kind. Instead, Darius now believed she was a murderer after the things he saw her doing then.
Smiles was a good listener. He didn't make a peep the entire time she had explained how she felt or filled him in on information about herself. It was rare that anyone, other than Darius, wanted to listen to what she had to say and even Darius hardly gave her his full attention.
Honestly, with the way things were back on Destiny Islands, she had been worried that Darius would try to kill Smiles. After all, Darius's look on his face made it clear to her that he was disgusted with what she had done and it hurt him. No doubt, he had been mind blown to find her there, doing what she did. As Smiles spoke, she listened to what he had to say. What he said, hadn't been a surprise to her. Darius and she hadn't been warriors from the start. They had been normal people that came across armor that seemed to come to them. What for, neither of them knew but the armor granted them powers none of them could use on their own. For Smiles to say that Darius could have been killed in battle, it bothered her. No, she didn't take offense to what was said. It just made her worry about his well being. She knew he'd be a stubborn idiot and chase after her. With his abilities as they were, Darius would surely die in the long run and Ivory knew Smiles wasn't lying to her when he said so.
"I believe you. I figured as much when you had returned unharmed...Darius and I weren't warriors from the beginning, after all. I just hope he'll stop before he does end up dead in battle." She looked back over at Smiles as he commented about the situation concerning Darius. She didn't know that Smiles was simply utilizing her feelings to benefit his own means by planting doubt and deceit in her mind. Ivory had never seen Darius so angry at her before. Seeing her kill people must've thrown him off the edge. Even still, to go as far as trying to attack her? What sibling would do that?
As Smiles went on about Darius implying that her twin thought that she couldn't survive on her own, Ivory believed him there. Darius certainly acted like she couldn't manage for herself. Smiles was right. If Darius had been around, Ivory would've never attacked those people. She gave a nod at this to show she was agreeing with that fact and acknowledging what he was saying.
"You're right, he's seeing me as the incapable, timid sister that I used to be who always relied on him for help. He doesn't see the person I've become. He'll have to deal with it. I'm not going to let him tell me what to do."
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Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2012 21:50:50 GMT -5
Smiles understood what Ivory was saying, but he didn't know if she really understood exactly what that implied. "Your brother is not going to sit by and let you continue. That is not the type of person it is. I don't mean to frighten you, but it may very well be that your brother would rather see you killed then do something he was against. I only say this because he very much wanted to kill me. Killing is not as easy as it looks. Once it is done, if it is not done in the right context with the right support afterward, it could cause madness. I only say this so that you will be careful. I would hate to loose you."
The last part was very true. At this point Smiles would hate to lose Ivory. He would kill the person responsible for him loosing her if it happened. His reasons for feeling that way is slightly hard to figure out. Perhaps it has something to do with his new found friendship with her, or perhaps it is nothing more then someone taking away what was interesting. With Smiles its hard to tell exactly.
Glancing up at the clock, Smiles noticed that there was only five minutes till the meeting. They could wait a bit longer, but Smiles thought it would probably be best to go on and head up there anyway. "I think we better get going if were going to make the meeting on time. As much fun as I have with doing what Fang hates, we should head up there." Coming to a stand, Smiles nodded to Ivory and headed for the door.
Once the door was shut behind them, Smiles headed down the hall and back to the moving staircase. From there it was a matter of time before they were once again in the main lobby. There Smiles spotted Gat ahead of them, on his way to the meeting as well. The large man was the same who had hit on Ivory from before. Noticing them, Gat slowed down enough that they were walking next to him as they made it to the long hall that led to the meeting room.
The large man glanced over at Ivory and smiled at her. "You haven't hit me up on that visit to my room yet babe." He said with a wink. Smiles just rolled his eyes.
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Post by Sprow on Jul 20, 2012 22:37:42 GMT -5
Ivory watched as Smiles responded to the things she had said. He looked like he was trying to make his point more clear to her. Darius, according to him, would not allow her to continue. Well, she had already guessed this for herself. Darius had made it clear that he'd drag her back and make her repent for all he terrible things she had done. When Smiles brought up the fact that Darius might actually kill her, Ivory furrowed her brows quizzically. Would Darius do such a thing? She guessed if he was driven enough, he might. It all depended on the situation.
Paying close attention to what Smiles was saying, it wasn't hard to feel unnerved by the things he brought up. "I...I'll be careful." She gave Smiles a reassuring incline of her head while inwardly cringing at the thought of Darius ever going that far. If Darius was actually trying to kill Smiles, did it mean that Darius had already snapped from the things he had seen her do? That remained yet to be seen but it did seem unlike Darius.
Once again, Smiles glanced up at the clock. When he did, Ivory followed his gaze. The digital clock's face revealed that they had just five minutes before the meeting was to start. Turning her pale blue eyes onto Smiles, she gave a nod accompanied by a slight giggle. No doubt, Smiles was implying arriving late to a meeting in which Fang most likely hated. "Alright, no problem." With that, Ivory got to her feet as well and followed Smiles' lead out of her quarters. Ensuring it was locked, she followed his lead down the hallway and back to the moving stairway.
By the time they had made their way to the main lobby, it wasn't difficult to spot the large figure ahead of them headed in the same general direction they were going. Taking notice of them, Gat had slowed down so that they were now walking alongside his large figure. Already, Ivory inwardly recoiled. The guy had a strange liking for her when clearly their age was too far apart and she wouldn't ever find someone as perverse as he was attractive. Honestly, he gave her bad vibes. She was a bit happy though that she hadn't been caught alone by this Gat yet. She wasn't exactly sure how she'd handle a situation if she ever did end up alone around this guy.
"Where your offer was nice, the heater and blankets in my room are in proper working order. Thank you." She was polite about it but she did not at all think that offer had been nice. In fact, she had been greatly repulsed by it. She had caught a glimpse of Smiles' face and could see the roll of his eyes at what Gat had said. Hopefully, it would be enough to keep Gat at bay since her words, though polite were also saying in a gentle way that she wasn't interested but there were those that never got the hint. Ivory had put up with a perverse boyfriend once before, she had learned fast enough that she didn't like that sort. On top of it, she didn't like the way Gat treated Smiles upon first meeting him since she held a lot of respect for Smiles. So, his chances of anything with her were void. Ivory wasn't a hoe either so if that's what he thought she was, he was very wrong. Ivory just hoped he wasn't the type to try something drastic.
She was careful to keep Smiles in between them in a way while ensuring she kept her eyes focused ahead of them, not daring to look at the larger figure that was trying to grab her attention.
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