Night 48: Main Hallway 1-West

[sdatislife]

[From here.]Shinji paused at the major hallway, playing the beam of his flashlight over the walls. This was familiar by now. He'd come through this hallway a couple times before and it was usually as far as he'd gotten into the institute at night. Usually he just stopped - he didn't particularly want to find out how far the corruption went or

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[itneverwas]

[From here]Once more, Xemnas wandered into what was part of familiar territory by now. His orange eyes gazed around the area, noting the small number of patients to be already present. The small beams of light provided by their flashlight pierced the darkness, but he disregarded them as he swept his own over the walls, determining whether a threat lay in wait

[perfectrecord]

[From here]

After a thankfully uneventful trip through the north-south hall, von Karma soon arrived at the intersection to the main hallway. Save for a lone woman emerging from the prosecutor's former patient block, he had seen no one en route.

By contrast, the main hallway was busy. Several patients were standing around, although they were engaged in their own matters and thus paid him no attention. He found the place near the stairwell where he had agreed to meet Mr. Scar, but there was no sign of the swarthy man yet. Hmph. What did he expect from the lazy lion who spent most of the afternoon shift lounging around in the Sun Room?

Very well. The prosecutor would wait a short period of time for Scar, but not for too long. He wanted to hurry to their destination before any of the monsters could present themselves. As he recalled the blade-wielding clockwork demon from two nights ago, his jaw clenched. That was an incident he didn't care to repeat.

Several minutes passed. Where in blazes was Scar?! This tardiness was

[itneverwas]

No threat lay in wait, yet the number of patients within this area slowly increased. Blending in with the darkness while accomplishing missions was the way the Organization usually acted. Yet, walking these familiar paths was less efficient in this situation. No, to acquire the knowledge he was seeking, he needed to interact with these patients, to question them for information.

Eventually, the Superior's gaze fell upon a lone man standing near the stairwell. It was a man older than most of the patient populace, his age seemingly near that of Ansem the Wise judging by mere appearances. His posture was one of annoyance, impatience, tapping his foot and clutching his own arm as if he was waiting. Narrowed eyes only seemed to emphasize the fact that this man was not in the greatest of moods. Obviously, this man was one that, as with many, still retained emotion, an existence

[perfectrecord]

Fifty-nine seconds, by von Karma's count. Still no sign of Mr. Scar. Just as he set his cane back to the floor and pulled away from the wall to return to his room, he suddenly became aware of a figure who seemed to have materialized right in front of him. Of course, von Karma had been looking around for a lanky, black-haired, green-eyed fool instead of... this well-toned, silver-haired, orange-eyed man standing before him. Furthermore, neither the person's actions nor his question were threatening, so it was only now that von Karma had really noticed him

[itneverwas]

The stare was returned, but the Superior's own gaze didn't falter. The older man's authority did little to intimidate this hollow man that no longer held his essence, didn't exist. A moment passed in silence, yet his own expression remained unchanged as he waited in patience. There was no ounce of impatience or annoyance or intimidation...Xemnas merely waited

[perfectrecord]

There was something disquieting... something reminiscent about this stranger's persistent gaze. Only one other man was able to hold the unblinking stare for quite as long, and while von Karma grudgingly found that person to be useful, he also made sure to stay arm's length away from him. Which is what he intended to do around the figure now addressing him.

Hn. An affected smile. Just like that of that other person, only this one was far more subtle, much less exaggerated. And far less childish.

von Karma didn't return the smile but nodded in respect after the man had introduced himself. Although, what in blazes did this Xemnas mean by "hollow shell?" That was no occupation; that was a distinction that implied despair... and ergo, possible weakness of mind. His eyes narrowed a little, his gaze somewhat more exacting as he peered at the man to try to draw out any hidden flaws.

Finding none right away, he started to reply to Xemnas's question in kind. Just before he did so, he noted a familiar face walking past and greeting

[itneverwas]

A hollow shell...Xemnas had meant it in it's truest definition. An outer layer, but no more than that. Hollow from the inside, without an essence, without a heart. But whether Manfred von Karma could comprehend it or not, it was none of the Superior's concern. After all, there was a much more relevant subject at hand than explaining the Nothing that defined him

[perfectrecord]

As Xemnas took an inordinate amount of time to explain what information he sought, von Karma's expression gave way to a disapproving scowl, his fingers tapping against his upper left arm. Hmph. Of course. A new patient who had apparently missed his orientation session at Landel's Hellhole. And of course, as of several days ago, no one was allowed to post the "Surviving Landel's Institute -- for Imbeciles" primer on the bulletin board without the blasted staff taking it down.

Perhaps some other time, von Karma might have been more amenable to letting Xemnas copy the basic primer from his journal. After all, it would likely provide whatever answers the man was looking for without the risk of disclosing something potentially damning to the prosecutor. However...

"Mr. Xemnas," he said, a hint of impatience in his voice, "I have my own affairs to attend to before the night ends. I have no time to answer vague questions. You'll have to specify what 'matters of importance' you wish me to explain. Otherwise, I will take my leave

[itneverwas]

"You who stands in this corridor, holding the very image of impatience...you are waiting, are you not?" Xemnas said, words not spoken as a question but as an observation that countered von Karma's words of taking his leave. "However, other than myself there is no one that has approached you thus far."

The impatience still defined the other man, and though the Nobody had an idea of the reason behind such, he didn't quite leave. Instead, his gaze lingered upon the other man as he spoke. It may have been curious how calm his voice continued to be, even despite the other man's disapproval or crankiness. One that no longer existed...he could not quite care, after all.

"I see," he responded to the brief explanation of these 'trials'. "They certainly sound like experiments. Then, could that be the very reason why we are here?" The last words were not spoken to anyone in particular, however. They were only a hypothesis, one that just so happened to be voiced out loud.

[perfectrecord]

A presumptuous... and incorrect observation. Why did these idiots always take it upon themselves to make such assumptions about people whom they didn't know?! "Wrong, Mr. Xemnas. I was waiting for someone. However, since he failed to appear within a reasonable period of time, I was just about to leave when you approached me. Any fool could have seen that." The edge in his voice indicated that precisely who he was waiting for was none of Xemnas's business

[itneverwas]

One who still held his essence may have released a sigh, may have grown annoyed with the man's behavior. But considering Xemnas no longer had the heart to contain these emotions, there wasn't any of that. He did not sigh, there was no trace of annoyance upon his features. Lips curled up in what was a echo of a smile at what may have been a distant memory of amusement. "Very well, you were waiting. Yet, that was hardly the reason I spoke those words. But, you are a man that does not concern himself with purposes and motivations, are you?"

He shook his head. "Yet, I am afraid a motivation is of utmost importance. It tells of many things one wouldn't otherwise realize," he spoke. "When it is ignorance that defines you, you cannot claim to know everything. And when you do not know, all that you hope to accomplish is but a distant echo, an illusion you are unable to grasp because you cannot understand it's meaning

[perfectrecord]

Hmph. Once again, this Xemnas made another faulty assumption about von Karma. Of course he cared about purposes and motivations -- his own. As far as criminals such as Martin Landel went, however, it mattered not whether they committed their deeds for fun and profit or for those pathetic "extenuating circumstances." What did matter was that they were guilty of their sins against the 656 sacred commandments that comprised Part 1 of the State of California's Penal CodeInstead of saying anything on this, he just stared as he listened to Mr. Xemnas prattle on about the importance of knowing another person's motivation. When the man paused, von Karma flashed a cold smirk back at him and responded, his voice dripping a hint of sarcasm. "Thank you so much for your insight on such irrelevant matters, Mr. Xemnas. I always find it quite amazing how fools manage to twist simple observations into philosophical discourse. Now that you have finished your enlightening rambling, I will state once more that in Landel's case, it doesn't matter