Tea and Key [Roxas]

Immediately after coming back, Luxord, Number X of Organization XIII, had decided to ensure his rebirth remained unknown to any and every entity that concerned his previous life. Without any interest to actually acquire a heart, what could the Organization possibly have to offer him? Besides, the only reason he had joined in the first place had been over Xemnas beating him in a game of chance, not over the possibility of gaining that which would make him whole. He already felt complete enough with his gambling after all. Now with a new game it was a fresh start with new possibilities, as if he'd waste them being bound to ones that kept hidden agendas from their subordinates. If the whispers from the top would not reach the bottom, then there would be no bottom to even ponder on such whispers.

Port Royal had been his first pick to hide in, considering the elements that Luxord enjoyed were more than plenty. Sadly, that was the exact same reason why he sought other another place. if he did not want to be found, he'd have to avoid the places the other players would look for him. As such, Wonderland came to mind as it was the exact opposite of that colorless, serious, shady, questionable and pirate-infested place. Though he certainly wished there were more gambling-oriented individuals and circumstances in that frantic folly insanity of a place. Still though, lots of places to throw off unsuspecting pursuers should the need arise.

With his hood on, as always, the gambler walked along the path of that strange forest. Tulgey Wood it was called, if he recalled correctly from the markers upon the intersection he previous had arrived upon. It certain was a peculiar place, as all of them were on Wonderland. Yet he couldn't pay much mind to it as he couldn't shake the feeling that a meaningful encounter would take place that day, his mind wrapped around it.

He asked the cards, but they did not answer him specifically, proving to be as cryptic as always. No matter though, he was certain fate would guide his steps to whatever this encounter was. Good or bad.

A delectable scent reached his nostrils suddenly, seemingly coming from a house nearby that he noted from the corner of his eye. He could only trace it back to being that of the most well blended teas, a craving suddenly awoken from within him. It had been such a long time since he had a good cup of that warm elixir. Perhaps whoever was making it would mind pouring a cup to a wandering gentleman? it was worth a shot, even if it meant dealing with the mad inhabitants of that dreadfully whimsical
sanatorium of a world.

Taking a peek above the gates, he felt no presence, but his sapphire-colored eyes did land upon a long table in which set numerous tea pots, all fuming and seemingly ready for pouring. "Curiouser and curiouser...", the Nobody commented to himself as he traversed the area, unsure why so many tea pots were there still warm yet nobody to give them the attention they required. That was certainly a waste and he could tell from the smoke coming out of them that they were certainly at the most perfect time to serve.

Looking around once more, attempting to sense the presence of anyone really, Luxord wondered if it would perhaps be considered rude to simply take a cup of tea for himself. It probably was, but while there were an enormous amount of chairs all surrounding the table, nobody was there to partake of the wondrous gentleman's true drink.

"As a gentleman I simply cannot stand idly while good tea is wasted. Pardon my intrusion then," he smirked to himself as he made his way to the other end of the table, taking a seat upon the comfortable and padded wooden chair. After adjusting his sleeves, the gambler grabbed the handle of a nearby tea pot and poured a cup for himself, adding then a spoon of sugar to go with it and a splash of milk. Breathing in the scent, he sighed in satisfaction before sipping at the hot liquid.

"Marvelous...", he commented to himself, though only to freeze as he noted a presence coming in from the same entrance he took, freezing in place as he wondered if it was the owner of that property, or someone else. He had a familiar feeling struck him though, setting off an alarm as such a thing could only have come from someone he had known in the past.


Had he been finally found out? Was he discovered? He'd have to make the next move carefully and thankfully his hood was still on. Calmly setting his cup upon its respective saucer, he waited for the other to come into the light so he could know their identity.


Had lady luck turned her other cheek to him after so long? He hoped not.

This place was as topsy turvy and hellish as always. It always gave Roxas the creeps, just like how the Underworld did, but in a much different way. Things were backwards and sometimes he felt like gravity would suddenly shift and cause him to float upwards rather than keeping him tethered to the physical ground beneath him. Things that should have been inanimate would stare at him, things would speak and he wouldn't know where the voices were coming from, but he knew that.. He knew that he had to make sure that nothing had gone wrong in the worlds. Or at least had gone awfully wrong.

With the Organization members fading back into existence one by one, as well as Ansem and Xehanort (from what he had gathered - it only made sense that if they were to reform that the rest would have as well), things were bound to go wrong around any corner that he walked around. The metaphor matched reality in that moment as the small Nobody's left side was unblocked by a sudden break in the treeline, a strange entrance causing him to peer his vision. It was peculiar, but there was a sweet, succulent scent coming from the depths of it; it smelled of sweet sugar and warm, wholesome tea leaves. The smell made him take in the deepest in inhales, exhaling slowly as his mind processed the sensation. A smile appeared upon his boyish facial features, his body being drawn towards it without much willpower of his own to control him.

Thankfully, however, caution did get the better of him and he made a cautious effort to make sure that he would be safe in the clearing. He hid himself behind a crevice in the wall, trying his best to sneakily look at the large table accompanied by a steaming kettle of lovely tea - what caught his attention shocked him more than anything he could have imagined.

An Organization XIII coat.

Snapping back to his original position to lean tightly against the wall, his blue eyes wide in shock; a hand was brought up to his mouth to try and capture the tiny yelp of surprise, but it was still just barely audible to him. Hopefully it wouldn't have traveled to the person sitting at the table. How exactly was he to approach this situation? Perhaps if it was someone he knew - someone that he had been acquainted with in the membership among the Organization - then he could help them? Guide them if they hadn't been shown the way after being reformed..? His hand dropped from his jawline back to his side, and he gritted his teeth together, stomach twisting nervously. Thoughts of the Organization's impostor ran through his head, Riku having been able to defeat him in the heat of battle. What if that's who it was at.. The end of the table?

Not knowing what else to do, the blond rounded the corner, slowly talking towards the opposite end, though standing beside the chair instead of sitting in it. He tried his best to tell who was underneath that hood just by the way they were sitting, their perfect posture leaving way too much to the imagination.

"Do I know you?"

The Gambler took precautions as he saw the silhouette slowly make its way towards him, the hand upon his lap discreetly moving, producing his deck with a sleight-of-hand trick seemingly out of the blue. They would not catch him by surprise, not while he could very much see them approaching the blonde Nobody. His hood hid his glare at the entity, though his focus wasn't entirely on them, but at his surrounding area as that could be a trap. His grip upon his cards tightened as the figure grew closer. That was it, he needed to act and have the upper-hand! Though he wasn't given even a moment to move, recognizing the blonde spiky hair and deep blue eyes on the spot, not to mention the small frame.

He was shocked really, his cards disappearing as quickly as they appeared when he recognized number XIII, Roxas. A torrent of mixed sensations surged from within him, figuratively of course, as memories came rushing back to him. From the first time he had seen him, to the last time in which his Somebody, Sora, had cut through him in the last game he had. How was he supposed to feel about him? Anger? That he was betrayed by the other? Nostalgia? Be glad to see a familiar face that most likely posed no threat to him? Suspect he was there to seize him and drag him back to The World That Never Was? These thoughts all came to mind, before the answer quickly blocked them all and he would chuckle inwardly when he neglected one detail... He was a Nobody. He wasn't supposed to feel anything, because he wasn't anything.

He couldn't help but chuckle politely and shake his head at the boy's question, gesturing with his hand as usual while replying, a habit as misdirection was a useful tool for gambling, "I would hope so Roxas. Or better put, I would hope you would remember me. Has this new game wiped away your memory? A shame if that is the case...". Calmly, he pulled back his head, smiling politely to the boy and bowed his head slightly as a calm and respectable greeting while adding, "A pleasure to see you again, Roxas," giving a small chuckle.

His reasons for being here were unknown to the gambler. Good or bad as they were. But for some reason, perhaps considering the regard he had for him before that whole mess happened, he chose to place a wager on him that could very well cost him his newly acquired chance. For better or for worse, he had been found by someone he actually did not mind back from his days serving the Superior in the Organization. Anyone else he would've most likely fled or fought to defend his whereabouts, specially those that stood at the top. Still though, nothing was certain and a simple draw could very well spell his misfortune, or fortune even. He'd have to play carefully, regardless of whatever memories he had of the other.

"And what a spot on timing you have. The mark of any decent player I'd say. I had just sat down to enjoy a nice cup of tea. Care to join me?", he gestured towards the spot beside him, already moving to pour him a cup of tea as manners were only superseded by gambling when it came to him. When he was done, he moved the sugar pot closer and return to his previous position, smiling calmly to the boy as usual, a gloved hand moving to his own cup once more. "We can pass out some cards as it has been a while since we've last played, has it not? Besides, much has happened to us both I'd wager, so I'm certain we aren't short of topics to talk about, hmm?", he calmly addressed the other Nobody, wondering what exactly he could gather from him but always on alert despite his relaxed demeanor. He hadn't made it through the game as far as he did wagering carelessly.

The voice.. Was that comforting or disturbing. It was instantaneously recognizable as Luxord, the Organization's tenth member - the controller of time and the one who took fate's every chance. Most looked at him as some sort of insane gambler who staked everything on chance, but maybe he had something going for him because of it - whatever the case was, "fate" had given every single one of them a second chance, it would seem. What was worrisome to the smaller Nobody, however, was the fact that when Luxord had met his first demise at the hands of Sora...

How could you.. Roxas..

He gulped down a heap of his own saliva that had accumulated within his mouth, his blue eyes watching attentively as the gambler pulled his hood down, the face being achingly familiar. He remembered when he was still a "zombie," as Axel so enjoyed to call him, Luxord, like the rest of the members, had trained him on how to perform missions accordingly and efficiently. At first, the Key bearer hadn't a clue on what he was supposed to say. This resulted in him smiling slightly awkwardly, giving a few curt nods when asked to sit down in the chair next to the polite gentleman. This was.. Too weird. Everything was happening all over again, but with a lot of regret and confusion this time around.

"Me? Playing cards? With you? You're funny." Roxas joked, taking a seat in the padded chair and looking at the warm drink steaming in the small glass in front of him. He fixed it the way he enjoyed (he had only had tea whenever Luxord would make it in the castle, so he doubted that this would stack up quite as well), and brought the hot beverage to his lips, sipping on it slowly, savoring the wonderful taste that danced calmly upon his tongue. Hot tea always screamed "maturity," which was odd because Roxas considered himself anything but that. He placed the teacup back on the table, both of his hands clasping around it nervously before he took in a deep breath, his shoulders raising simultaneously. The Key of Destiny turned his head, deciding to "play his cards right," as Luxord would probably say.

"I was watching, you know." Roxas, you should probably specify. He cursed himself internally, knowing that he had to be more articulate with his words to get his true point across. He would have to work on that. "Wh-.. Sora made you fade away. I was watching. I didn't want him to do it." He couldn't maintain eye contact. The young boy quickly utilized his neck muscles, or rather caused them to relax, tilting his head down to keep his gaze fixated upon the dark brown liquid in his cup. He wanted to pick it up again and drink more to give him something to do in this odd situation, but he couldn't bring himself to move - as if he had convinced himself that he was hiding from some sort of enemy. What he couldn't understand, however, was that the enemy he was afraid of was inside of him, gnawing away at his mind and thoughts, ruining him from the inside out.

"I just - I guess I wanted to say that, um," So much for being more "articulate." Roxas wouldn't know of a proper speaking habit if it punched him directly in the jawbone. His chest was tight and his stomach was twisted, the weird sensation of anxiety making things a little.. Tense. For him, at least.

"I'm sorry."