A Date with a Clown (logs)
Log Summary: Thesia gets slave crowned
The Magitek Research Facility was a place that constantly intrigued the young half-esper, even more so with all of the secrecy surrounding it. Only Nahrini had mentionned to her briefly what exactly a Magi-Tek knight was, but even she had been vague about what went on in the research facility. Even Alexander, a scientist who regularly frequented the facility denied that any espers that were captured were mistreated there. Still..After the rather..Unpleasant meetings with both Terra and Riami, she was left with only more questions - about the Facility, and about Kefka himself..Which was what brought her here, to this place. Most likely many areas in here were off-limits to all but the scientists and perhaps Kefka and Rufus themselves, and so she had to be careful where she poked her nose - and god forbid should she run into Kefka again, here of all places..
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The Magitek Research Facility had what one might call a guest-list. It contained a list of approved personnel, and their pictures, and their ranks and it listed just how far they were to be allowed to go inside of this facility. For the record, Rufus ShinRa was actually only allowed so far inside of it-- beyond a certain point, only those who had been part of Gestahl's Empire were permitted to go any further. Kefka was on the list, and he had clearance all the way to the deepest facility.
Thesia might be surprised to discover that she was on the list too, as she came to the front doors of the Facility. Two posted guards stood at attention, straightening when they saw her approaching and reaching for their weapons. However, once she'd come into view, they relaxed, and the taller of the two nodded a greeting. "Did you wish to enter the factory, General Thesia?" He asked, with all the evident politeness of someone who worked for ShinRa.
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Thesia blinks slowly, as she reaches the front doors. Granted, she'd only been here once or twice, and had never really checked the guest list, nor really had much official reason to be here. Still, she is rather surprised at the greeting, simply nodding to the two guards as she steps up to the double doors, waiting for them to open. "Yes, of course.." she replies rather shortly. Wasnt it obvious that this was why she was here? Still, they are just doing their job perhaps, and so she nods and steps back a little, waiting for the doors to open. "By the way, have any of you seen Kefka come through these doors?" she queries, pausing a moment outside before going through. Really, she didnt know the guy that well to actually fear him, but she had seen how countless others had practically quivered at the mere sight of him; And it only piqued her curiosity all the more. Still, why did that stupid green haired girl deny even knowing him? Was she not a resident of Vector, AND a half-esper? Surely..But anyway, perhaps she could save these questions for Kefka, should she find him inside..
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With a nervous laugh and an incredulous look between the two of them, the guards turned to Thesia, looking nothing short of....well, disbelieving. "Of course, Ma'am. He and the Emperor built this facility. Would you like to see him? He might be in, I haven't checked."
The doors slowly opened, groaning with protest as the wheels and cogs that allowed them to pull apart without human assistance strained against the heavy weight they were pulling. Like the rest of the factory, the doors were nothing short of solid, thick and padded with alloys stronger than mere steel. If no Espers were kept in here, it begged the question just what /was/ kept in here.
Thesia hmmms, arching a slender brow at the pair of them as they give her funny looks..What, so Kefka spends the majority of his life locked up in here? She frowns a little at the thought. Was he not a war general, rather than a scientist? Or was he both? Who knew? Perhaps she's about to find out..She frowns a little at the two of them, nodding again, "Of course, I am here to see Kefka." without another moment to lose, she simply nods to the two of them as they open the door, striding into the next room, and whatever she might find there. Indeed, what else is kept inside the factory, other than the rumoured espers that she had yet to see?
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Well, as the doors finally clanked open, the first thing the young General was likely to see was a hallway, and stairs leading up. Once she'd passed them by, the guards traded puzzled looks, and shrugged as the doors slowly cranked closed again behind her, barring the way that she'd come.
Inside, it was warmer than out, the whole factory seeming to be veiled in an ambient layer of steam. Sounds of machinery clicking into place and squeaking and squealing as it ran like clockwork hammered through the echoing, metal halls like a bizarre chorus. Up the stairs and further down the hall she was traveling, Thesia would find a fork in her path; straight ahead, there was a door with the word 'Maintenance' scrawled on its window, that looked as though it had to be pushed open; to the right, the hall continued, leading back down and out into a gigantic assembly hall, where it appeared that Magi-Tek Armor was being built, serviced, and fueled. What else would be in the Magi-Tek factory aside from Espers? Why...Magi-Tek, of course, and Magi-Tek Knights.
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Hmm...So this is where the famed Magi-tek weapons were built and serviced but..How exactly DID they power these things anyway? Her curiosity is once again piqued as she nears the machinery, wandering through the assembly hall as she examines the machinery, paying special attention to the people working on them..Did not Nahrini mention something about Magi-Tek weaponry too? Were they made the same way as the nights too? She frowns as she pauses somewhere in the middle of the steam and machinery, overwhelmed by it all..
"Interesting, isn't it?" Asked a familiar voice at her shoulder.
Regardless of Thesia's reaction, Kefka only looked up at a particular suit as it was wheeled into the factory and tech workers began attaching fueling pipes to the coupling in the back, which had been designed for efficiency more than aesthetic qualities. If he was smiling under the make-up, he seemed a bit distracted, blue eyes wandering the facility with an almost obsessive quality, making certain that everything was in its place. "How simple they seem in a battle, and how complex here. I trust you're well, General?" He looked back at her once more, a subtle emphasis on the word 'General'-- was he teasing? Who could tell? "You've been away a while, or so I hear."
And he'd heard that she was looking for him, too, but that led to the question of where he'd been and what he'd been doing and such details really were not important just now.
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Thesia bites her lip as she hears that familiar, creepy voice. Though she knows better than to cower in fear like others she has seen. Why should she, anyway? She is totally ignorant of the evils that Gestahls' General has commited. Which may just be a dangerous thing at that.
"General Kefka.." she turns to face him, bowing respectfully. She may be a bit too proud, a little too cold at times, but she at least knows her place in the heirarchy. And this is definitely NOT a person to mess with or to be smart Alecy with.
"Yes, I just returned from my trip from Spira. It seems things are settling down there now.." Well...A lot of..Other stuff happened there too..A meeting with two half-espers that seemed inexplicably angry towards her because of her mere affiliation with the Empire, despite her repeated attempts to protect one of them..A meeting with a certain Sephiroth too..And a brief run-in with many others that might be interesting to the Empire.
She frowns a little at the thought, obviously troubled by something, trying to hide her thoughts from the crazed clown, but despite being a somewhat good actress herself, these are things that have plagued her ever since the trip back to Terra. Still, she's oddly quiet now as she simply gazes back in quiet curiosity at the numerous techonological contraptions being built around her.
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"Spira?" he murmured idly, letting his eyes follow her as she bowed, and looked away-- did he make her uncomfortable? well, he should-- before turning back to the machines as well. "Spira is very far away." Though perhaps not quite far enough. For comfort? Or for its own safety? Hmm...oh, so many questions. "Tell me about your trip. And if you've time, I've been curious about Narshe. I understand you were there during the latest conflict with the Returners?" That is to say, do elaborate on your travels, Thesia. Where in their previous meeting he'd been very clearly unwell, and probably a little less friendly than usual, he seemed almost polite, reserved, carefully controlled now. What could bring about such a change?
...well, for one thing, he was no longer ill. Motioning with one bejeweled hand to a nearby staircase, he started towards it, the gesture meant to be interpreted as a sort of 'follow me'. "I can show you the production process of Magitek Armor, if it so interests you."
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"Spira?" he murmured idly, letting his eyes follow her as she bowed, and looked away-- did he make her uncomfortable? well, he should-- before turning back to the machines as well. "Spira is very far away." Though perhaps not quite far enough. For comfort? Or for its own safety? Hmm...oh, so many questions. "Tell me about your trip. And if you've time, I've been curious about Narshe. I understand you were there during the latest conflict with the Returners?" That is to say, do elaborate on your travels, Thesia. Where in their previous meeting he'd been very clearly unwell, and probably a little less friendly than usual, he seemed almost polite, reserved, carefully controlled now. What could bring about such a change?
...well, for one thing, he was no longer ill. Motioning with one bejeweled hand to a nearby staircase, he started towards it, the gesture meant to be interpreted as a sort of 'follow me'. "I can show you the production process of Magitek Armor, if it so interests you."
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Thesia blinks a little, glancing sidelong at the general. Of course, she cant read his mind, but if she knew what he was thinking, she might even be insulted. Her? Uncomfortable, fearful of him? Bah! She's not afraid of anything! Or at least..That's what she'd like to think. The question about Spira however, causes her to frown some more even as she follows him, growing oddly silent once more as if trying to figure out how to answer that. "As I said, it was rather uneventful, we went in, helped the people of Bevelle to clear their city of monsters, and we went out again..Although I must admit, Hyro, although he is quite a strong fighter, is not really suited to such matters of...Tact.."
She glances back towards the general again, pausing briefly in her walk, "We also encountered someone else, someone who seemed to resemble a certain Turk, but who did not seem to recognize us..Although it could have been a coincidence." Though she doesnt really believe in coincidences. What exactly was Kaelin - if that's who she was - up to in Spira? Or were her eyes merely playing tricks on her? She shakes her head. "All the same, it's over now, I believe that the New Fayth owes us a favor in the future." At least they wont pose a direct threat to them at any rate.
As for that other matter...Well, she falls silent again, anxious to change the subject as she glances towards the Magi-Tek armour, adding almost hastily, "But, do tell me about the armour here..How exactly is it made? Is it anything similar to the process of imbuing a Magi-tek knight with 'magic?' I am not entirely sure I followed that procedure either.."
Narshe? Well, hopefully with her skirting the issue, he has forgotten about it entirely. One can always hope in any case, right?
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There are all sorts of levels of discomfort, madam; always remember that. As he kept one ear to her story, listening with superficial interest, he lead the way up the staircase, until they were on the walkway far above, able to turn a critical eye to the entire room without being bogged up in matters of size. Certainly, the armor was of a far greater scale than most humans could really judge-- just about the size of those big, terrifying dragons that seem to plague every world-- but it wasn't beyond understanding. Well, for people like Kefka, anyway, though he was admittedly madder than a hatter.
"Unfortunate, then, though his purpose was to make certain you were kept safe, dear General. First Class SOLDIERs are a rarity these days." Actually, SOLDIERs of any kind, but let's not digress on matters that they both already understand. Instead, he latched on to the mention of a Turk. "Which Turk? I can't recall if any were supposed to be in Spira recently or not."
If it was Atziluth, then there would be problems. But he could probably take care of those himself, so he didn't press the issue very far, only nodding and smiling idly at the mention of New Fayth owing them a favor. ShinRa would be pleased to hear that, he didn't doubt it.
He /did/ notice her unwillingness to speak overmuch on Narshe-- or at all, really-- and made a mental note, allowing her to focus instead on the Magitek armor and offering an answer with evident cheer. "Like any other machine, it's refined from varios types of metal and alloys and assembled before any sort of power is imbued with it. Some metals and minerals, we have discovered, are better suited to channeling magical energy than others, and for the sake of enhancing the armors' performance, we use those in the construction of the engines that power them, and the weapons that they contain." He gestured broadly at the machinery beneath them, grinning at the people scurrying below. Lucky for them that they were used to him wandering about in their midst. "As for the magic...well, that's a bit of a top-secret process, I'm not sure you're cleared to hear about it. Most ShinRa employees are not."
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Thesia arches another curious brow as she tilts her head towards the 'Mad Hatter'. "Hmm? Why is that, may I ask? Do you not trust your allies, after all that we have been through so far?" she shrugs, "If we must learn to control these things ourselves, then it is best that we know how they work so that we can be prepared if they malfunction on us." well, true, usually only the Imperial army used these Magi-Tek armours, but there were instances when ShinRa soldiers were required to use them as well. Afterall, it was difficult to keep up to M-tek armour on foot, and highly inconvenient in battle if half your soldiers couldnt use the armour.
She clears her throat, shrugging a little, "Actually, Nahrini told me a little about the process of making a Magi-tek knight. Is it something similar to that then?" meaning..Are the powers of espers drained for their sake too? Or..Is it something more heinious than that even? Even now she doesnt know the full story..
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Matching the arched brow with a laugh, he shook his head. "Does ShinRa share the secrets of Mako infusion with the Empire? Your weaponry or electronics with our soldiers? No, things are very separate, dear Thesia. I would say the issue of trust begins with /your/ leaders. When we first met with your President, we made offers of information that he declined." That said? he turned, leading her further down the catwalk towards a more stable walkway on the second floor of the building. Far ahead of them, almost invisible through the steam and the dim lighting, was another door.
"Magitek Knights...similar, I suppose you could say, yes. What did she tell you?" Nahrini, yes. He knew that name.
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"No..." she narrows her eyes, clenching her fists and comes to a stop on the walkway. "This is different, General, it's...It's personal." she peers back at the General with those gleaming, golden eyes of hers, "I am no normal soldier as you must have guessed by now, not even by SOLDIER standards. You know very well what I am, what I am capable of. And it seems that my very affiliation with the Empire caused much hatred and loathing in my...Kin..Back in Spira..What is this big secret, with the Empire and the Espers? " whoops, did she just let that last bit slip? Oops, silly her!!
She blinks a little, biting her lip as if to keep her mouth shut on the matter any further. Hopefully she hasnt spoken too much already. Still, the only way she'll learn more about the Empire's secrets is if she reveals a few of her own. "Hmph. Nahrini told me quite a bit about the Magi-Tek Knight process..Seems they drain the magical properties of Espers and imbue it on their soldiers." as for the Espers? What happens to them after that? Are they simply tossed away like trash? She glances expectantly at Kefka then, as if hoping he may answer at least some of her questions and not manage to skewer her in the process for being so direct.
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Well, well, well.
For the first time since appearing by her shoulder, the General seemed to really look at Thesia, meeting her flashing eyes with his own, unflinching and cold and perhaps a bit unnerving in their piercing, empty amusement. Personal. That changes everything, doesn't it? But he didn't say that part aloud, instead listening to her angry shout and blinking once, almost unperturbed, when she finished, his lips curled in a smile. "What is the secret? What is the secret..." He turned away again, continuing along the catwalk and motioning distractedly for her to follow him. "I do know what you are, it's true. Does that bother you?" There was the hint of a chuckle in his voice, but for her sake he kept his intonation clear of any laughter-- at least for now.
"What you have been told is true: the Espers have given over their magic for our Magitek, gifting humans with the ability that they were denied, so many, many years ago. Our world was ruled by a cruel trio of goddesses, dear Thesia-- has anyone ever told you that?" Probably not; she didn't seem the sort that people would be inclined to share mythology with, one way or the other. As they reached the end of the catwalk, the door he'd been headed toward finally came into view; it was the same heavy, more-than-just-iron sort of construction as the door in the front of the factory, and within was a small room that seemed to be mostly empty. He motioned for her to precede him in.
"So I suppose the reason that this is personal, then, is the justified worry that we take what must only be given-- correct? You suspect us of murdering your brethren, and using their blood to bring our magic to life." When she had stepped into the room, he would follow her, closing the door behind himself.
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Her own, cattish eyes remain steady, even as he turns to stare at her with that mad, cold stare of his..She matches it in stride with her own, refusing to lose to this little staring game. Afterall, she is a SOLDIER, not just a soldier, but a leader of many, best of the best, perhaps only short of Sephiroth - and maybe one or two others. There is a reason why she was always so talented with magic and something that's not so easily overlooked.
"Does it bother me?" she echoes the question back at him, smirking a little now as she continues to peer steadily into his eyes, "No. I have no reason to fear you.." afterall, Shinra will always protect her, just like before..At least that's what she's always told herself. She is quiet enough to listen to what he has to say of course, afterall, knowledge is power, and power is something she has always sought for herself as well. The story of the goddesses is indeed news to her, something that not even Riami, nor Tritoch had shared with her, even though they had both told her quite a bit else about her own heritage.
She continues to follow him into the smaller room, much too occupied with the current direction of the conversation to take notice of the door thudding shut behind her. Nor is she concerned with what else may lay in the room, trap or otherwise as she continues to focus upon the general-clown before her. "Hmph. Dont misunderstand, I dont plan on fighting the Empire and...'Freeing my brethren'. I barely even know any of my kin, save for the handful of others like myself that simply turned their backs on me and treated me like dirt merely because I was affiliated with the Empire." furthermore, one in particular, whom she had risked her own life to protect time and again, only to be thrown away like trash by her...How very ironic that she should call Thesia the villain when she was even more the monster for first attacking then turning her back on her own kin when she asked for Riami to return the favor!
The mere thought causes her to sneer slightly, feeling...Betrayed by THEM rather than the other way around. She has nothing to feel ashamed of, afterall..They are the ones who should feel deeply ashamed of themselves as far as she is concerned.
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Convenient thing about the door that they had just passed through: it locked automatically, without any extra clicking to give that fact away. Only a few people had ever been in this room that weren't Kefka and his scientifically minded cohorts; and those few hadn't left feeling particularly sanguine about what they saw inside. But that's another matter. As he reached out to key the lightning up from 'emergency' to 'pleasantly well illuminated', Kefka gestured to the chair in the center of the room. "Naturally." Of cours she had no reason to fear him! There would be little point. "What a shame that they should mistreat you!" he murmured distractedly, heading up a small stairway to an elevated platform, searching in a cabinet for something or other idly as he spoke.
"You are a very honorable person, after all, are you not? I've never met an Esper who would claim any less, and yet they turn away one of their own simply because of a small disagreement...what a shame. You see, Thesia, not all of the Espers approve of sharing magic with humans, and those that have agreed to work with the Empire are frowned upon by those that think it is against the will of the three goddesses that created this world." Finding whatever it was he'd been seeking, he straightened, returning to her side in the single, utilitarian chair that he'd offered to her. It was made, like so many other things within this factory, entirely of metal, though it was molded into smooth curves, to make it comfortable to sit in, despite the nature of the material it was composed of.
"I suppose that'd why the others have received you so poorly. And I /am/ sorry to hear that."
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Thesia hadnt heard the click of the door, but she hadnt felt she was in any danger either. No, instead she was looking somewhat relaxed, even taking the offered chair as she turns to face Kefka now, crossing one leg casuallyover the other as she speaks, "Of course..I would disagree with Espers being mistreated, but I also understand that to survive, one must be strong..." she frowns as she considers that again, clenching and unclenching her fists as they rest on the arms of the chair, thinking that over..Yes, it is true that they are of her kin, and yet, she never even knew or spoke to any espers other than the one in the cave, and Tritoch later on. Still, she has no reason to want to protect those that she barely knew, and having been raised by the Shinra with little or no morals, well, she really has no case to use against the espers..
"I do not know the details, but I do know there was a time that espers and humans could live peacefully.Why can it not be like that again? Is this the only way to survive?" the thought seems to worry her a little at least, and yes, she has always been a very honourable person. Still, when she turned to her kin for help they ostracized her. Is she now turning to Kefka for advice? Who knows..
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Nodding to himself as he came to stand at her side, the General considered her answer, head tipped to the side, the single plume of the feather he wore in his hair fluffing softly with the movement. "In the past, yes, I suppose that's true." Shaking his head, he held out one hand; in the center of his palm, there lay a simple bracelet, crafted out of some form of silver, plain as plain could be. Doubtless, Thesia would feel its properties-- its ability to enhance magic.
"Devices like this were once common among humans. I'm sure you've heard of magicite? The magical remains that Espers leave when they pass from this world into the next?" If she accepted the bracelet, he'd let her keep it-- no harm done there, as it was useful for those with magical abilities. "When Espers and humans lived together in peace, some Espers began to leave their remains to human friends and associates, because those remains could teach them how to use magic. It started a massive argument between the younger Espers, who thought it was dangerous to let humans learn magic, and the older Espers, who believed that it was a choice that any Esper should be allowed to make. Arguments escalated into war, and in the end, the majority of the Espers decided that sharing magic with humans was wrong; they went into hiding in a separate world and sealed the entrance for a thousand years."
He shrugged nonchalantly at this, turning to the wall she was facing. There was just the faintest hint of a screen on it, suggesting that it could be used to view some kind of film, but he seemed disinclined to use the room for such a purpose just now. "I suppose the Espers that you ran into were probably not very talkative? More's the pity, it'd be interesting to hear what they thought about it."
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Not really one for pretty trinkets or idle jewelry, she almost turns away from the piece of jewelry, but sensing its magical properties, she is naturally drawn towards it, reaching out to take it in her hand if he will allow her to. "Hmm...Interesting.." she murmurs as she turns it over in her hand, "may I keep it?" she clenches her fist around it, feeling its cool metal against her equally cool skin, gazing down at it thoughtfully as she listens to his story, "So...These..Espers were so selfish, they refused to share their power with humans. And yet, they act as if you humans are the ones to blame for all their suffering." she narrows her eyes, pulling her gaze away from the bracelet to face Kefka once more.
"Hmph, how very selfish. And yet their descendants continue to blame the Empire for seeking that same power, I should have known.." smirking a bit cooly, she shakes her head at the next question, "No, they had very little to say..I am a traitor as far as they are concerned, just like their half-breed children.." well, it's a partial lie; Tritoch almost convinced her to turn her back on the Empire for good..She almost believed him, enough to seek out Riami and Sephiroth and ask for their help, only to be turned away and treated harshly for all her troubles.
"So..You drain their powers, and then what? Does an esper drained of power immediately die then?" and still there is some confusion there, caught between a stubborn loyalty for her kin, and an understanding of the Empire's way, and of her own true 'family', the ShinRa, the only people who never turned their nose up at her, or ostracized her the way the Esper community did. Who should she believe? Who CAN she believe? She looks down at the bracelet in her hand again, frowning softly, looking terribly lost, confused, unsure of whom she should trust really.
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As he fully intended for her to take the bracelet, he only smiled when she asked if she could keep it. "Of course you may. It will be more useful in your hands than on a shelf in a storage room." And besides, Kefka was feeling in a bit of a giving mood. "I suppose it's not selfishness, entirely-- an Esper must die to truly pass on his or her magical powers to a human interested in learning, it's true. But it's possible to exist in harmony and die naturally, and share that power; many Espers seem to think that we kill them for the sake of gathering their power." He laughed at the notion, shaking his head. "Foolish! Foolish notion. Then where would we be, after all? There would be no more power to share, and no more Espers to learn from."
Or maybe that's exactly the point, but shh, shh, the General is working now. "I'm sorry to hear that, Thesia." Looking back at her, the General sighed softly, seeming to genuinely feel regret. "It might have been very useful, to form an alliance with them if you could only speak with them...well. I suppose that's the way things are, isn't it?"
Dismissing that thought with a wave of his hand, he headed back to the raised platform in the back, this time pressing a few buttons. "As to what happens with those Espers who sympathize with and cooperate with humans..." He keyed a certain button, the brought up a picture of a little girl whom Thesia might well find familiar. "This is Terra. She was once one of our greatest allies, and turned on us recently when she fell in love with an Esper who hated humankind." The girl in the photograph, obviously about five or six years old, was smiling brightly, her green hair swept back into pigtails; she was dressed in bright red and waving to the camera.
With the press of another button, the slide switched to an older, more somber Terra, surveying a battlefield with an expression of mild disdain. "She is a powerful warrior, and well-educated in the use of Magitek Armor--" Another slide, and there she was again (though from a distance), piloting a suit of Armor. Whoever'd taken the photo had caught her mid-attack, as there was the glittering trail of a magical fire beam tracing the path between Terra herself and her target, a large draconic monster. "As well as one of the only people in our ranks capable of using magic, thanks to her birthright. She was a hero among our empire, and very well-liked...but she did turn on us." Another click, and the screen on the wall went dim again, as Kefka leaned against the console he'd been operating, letting out a sigh.
"It still upsets me that she has turned her back on us," he offered in a lower tone of voice, carefully controlled; he did sound /quite/ angry, but inclined to try to control it, for Thesia's sake. "But not all are like her. Or, at the least, I hope they are not. You are loyal to ShinRa and its allies, aren't you Thesia?"
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The bracelet is slipped on her wrist without another thought, instantly feeling the magic coursing through her veins. A nice little 'gift' indeed, though she's still not sure why Kefka is being so generous..Were all those rumours about the mad clown false? Really, he seems like a friendly enough guy to her. At least he treats her with respect, unlike a lot of people. Turning her attentions once more to the General, she settles back in her seat, quiet throughout most of his long speech, only interjecting at the very end when the green-haired girl's face is brought up on the screen.
"I know that girl! I saw her in Spira..And lurking about in Vector several months ago.." she narrows her eyes as she glares at the woman, "Hmph. That little ungrateful wretch. So she betrayed the very people who gave her everything..And repaid them in this way.." she snarls at the picture, turning away, how very...Similar to herself Terra was, only Thesia never turned her back on the ShinRa.
"I once thought it was the 'right thing to do', to protect my own 'kin' once I learned who and what I was but...They're all just a bunch of ungrateful creatures that cannot be reasonned with. In many ways they are even worse than the espers themselves.."
As for her own loyalty? She simply smiles, shaking her head, "Do you still have any doubt where my loyalties lie?! I'm nothing like her.." she shoots another angry glare at the woman on the screen. Tch. Tina. What a lie. Next time they meet, Thesia wont be nearly so forgiving.
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"Of course not," he quipped easily, smiling at the answer. "But then, I am a poor judge of character...I once thought that Terra was loyal to our cause as well." With a sigh, and a shake of his head, he leaned forward, pale hands splayed on the control console he'd been operating, burning-red nails a stark contrast to the stale, sterile silver of the room and the colorless pale of his own skin. There was probably something deliciously ironic about that, but he'd wonder about it later.
For now, there was a slow smile spreading across his face. "Actually, I had hoped you would visit here. There's a piece of equipment that we had been designing, to see if it could help the Espers to share their powers without causing them any lingering sense of fatigue afterwards; but the Espers who used to help in our testing processes have been busy of late. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, General, I was wondering if you could test it out for me; it's a device that one wears like a crown, meant to help stabilize concentration and make spell-casting easier on the body."
He hesitated, looking at her in silence a moment. "...would you be willing to assist us?"
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A pity that Thesia is so trusting of the Empire..Really, when everyone else seemed to hate her, is it any surprise she would turn to the only people who she could count on? Even more the pity that Terra refused bluntly to so much as mention Kefka's name, let alone warn her about what the Empire was really about. In fact, she was starting to think that all the rumours she had heard of the General were total lies..Though one thing he does mention causes her to frown, peering back at him warily..
"Wait a minute..What do you mean, that there are espers who willingly agreed to your..Experiments? But I thought all espers despised humans, that's why they fashionned their own little world to live in, so they wouldnt have to be at war with humans anymore.." at least, that's what Riami had led her to believe, before she had gone totally bitchy and non-cooperative on her.
"So..This..Crown, does it have any negative side effects? Is it safe to use if it's still in the experimental stage?"
"Most, not all." He shook his head, lifting a hand to negate such a claim. "You mustn't make such general statements; most Espers loathe humankind and sharing magic with them, but there have always been a few who were kind and wise, who wished to explore their powers and share magic with us. Without those few...why, the Empire's dreams would never have become possible." Which dreams? More on that later, dear, later. As to the crown...yes, let them talk about the crown. "That's just the problem; we don't know what side effects it has just yet, and it requires further testing. We did manage to test it a little with Terra's help, but all we were able to determine was an exponential increase in the sheer power of her magic; little else."
From the almost morose tone of voice he'd slipped into, this was a most depressing fact-- though he did seem to become less cheerful whenever Terra was mentioned. Hm. Wonder why. "Naturally, I wouldn't want to endanger someone of your unique skills and powers. I assure you that every precaution will be taken to ensure that the experience is positive, if you agree. It is entirely your choice."
"Hmm...Exponential increase in her power, you say? Interesting.." well, unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for Kefka, Thesia has always been just a LITTLE power hungry, and her eyes seem to light up at the very mention of such power, "Only, if this crown can increase one's power potential exponentially, that would be a very useful device indeed.."
Still, just a tad cautious all the same. Not so much because of Riami's warnings, before she went all nasty on Thesia, but because of her own instincts, and the words of the single esper that actually respected her enough to listen to her point of view and give his own words of wisdom. "Only..I'd like to speak to these other espers first. I'd like to hear what they have to say..Where are they, anyway? Are they somewhere in this complex? Funny, I've never seen nor heard of them in Vector anywhere.."
-
Ah, but hadn't he said that already? he was quite sure he had. "Unfortunately, the very reason that I am making this request of you, dear General, instead of one of our previous volunteers is that they are all engaged in business elsewhere. We had three Espers working with us; Pythia, a draconic girl who I worked with closely, Terra-- you already know her story-- and an older man, who preferred to take a human shape; he usually preferred to be called 'sir', but I believe his name was Raramuri. Pythia went to visit her family, last I heard; Raramuri left without leaving notice, though rumor has it he wished to seek out a mystical cave." Blinking, he shook his head, laughing softly. "I beg your pardon, I'm rambling.
"Did you have any further questions?"
-
Thesia blinks slowly as she listens. Of course it makes such logical sense, and, why was she hesitating anyway? Wasnt she always wanting to further explore her esper side? To discover the limits of her powers? Besides, she had nothing to fear from this man who was a trusted ally of the ShinRa. Biting her lips, she looks down at her hands in her lap for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
"Well...I think..It's worth a try, right? There is much I want to learn about my own esper abilities..Being able to morph, I only did so once, but I'm sure I could do it again, I'm just not sure how. Do you think..This device would help me to morph? To become more powerful and gain better control of my powers?"
-
"That, dear Thesia, is what I hope it will do. I can't be sure, because it has only been tested for a short period of time..." He smiled, expression encouraging. "But if it does what it is supposed to do, then yes. The crown will enable you to do these things that you desire."
Standing up straighter-- for he'd been leaning on the console long enough to become uncomfortable-- he turned back to the cabinet he'd rummaged through before. "The test model is actually right here, if you'd be willing to try it..." Hesitation, as he glanced over his shoulder, almost looking worried. Surely she trusted him, yes?
Well, Thesia? Do you trust me? his eyes seemed to say.
"Hmmm......." She ponders aloud, rising from the chair eventually, and begins to pace back and forth as if a little nervous. Surely, it would be a bit risky but..She was used to taking risks. There may even be side effects but maybe it'd be worth it in the end, just to get the power. Besides, what reason did she have not to trust Kefka, after the way he treated her? So very..Understanding, and generous too. She pauses, glancing back towards Kefka and the console. "I think..Maybe.." she peers into his eyes, almost searchingly at that. Is this a man she can truly trust? Were all those rumours simply deflated lies? No doubt his unusual appearance would explain a lot of the rumours, and the Empire really seemed to want to cooperate with the espers afterall.
"Yes..Yes, I'll do it. Why not? It may just give us the edge we need."
Smiling, he lifted the crown-- a simple, slightly ornamented band of metal, to all outward appearances--from the shelf where it had been lying in the cabinet, and stepped down from the raised platform, crossing the room to where the chair was located. "It might be wisest if you sit while I adjust it to try to enhance your powers. I've been told it causes a wave of dizziness when initially activated."
And if she did so, then he would proceed to set the crown gently-- but snugly-- over the SOLDIER's brow, and key the sequence to initialize its program, hooking a wire for input to the small control panel on the left side, and unraveling it slowly as it returned to the console, to hook it up and begin the process. At most, there ought to be the sense of the cool metal on her skin; nothing else, not yet.
-
Thesia bites her lip, still looking a little nervous about the whole idea, though she does as she is told, settling down into the seat once more. And as the crown is brought out, she peers at it curiously, even for a split second considering backing out of the whole experiment. But then again, that would be a cowardly thing to do and she is no coward. As the crown is placed on her head, she doesnt seem to notice the chill of the metal against her skin, afterall she is a snow elemental and she is more than used to the cold. "dizziness huh? I can handle a little faint spell..Nothing too much for a SOLDIER to handle of course." she murmurs as if trying to console herself. Really, what does she have to be afraid of? And why does she still have the faintest tingling of butterflies in her stomach?
-
Perhaps because the unknown can be a scary thing; and, after all, it really can be scary, to entrust your life to someone who, for all the nice things they might say, is still a bit...strange, and unfamiliar. "Oh, I'm certain you're right, but it's a sensible precaution," the General murmured idly, as he connected the wire and set about adjusting the controls. "You may feel a slight stinging sensation, also, but that seems to be an uncommon occurence."
Click.
As the slave crown flared to life, the first thing that Thesia might feel was a shock of electric current-- light, stinging as Kefka had said-- that probably hurt, though only for as long as it took to start. Soon after, the current would likely become ordinary, accepted as just an extra charge to her mental activity.
Now for the tricky part; as the General keyed in different controls with the absolute calm of someone who knows what he is doing, his lips curled into what would probably have been a terrifying smile, he remained curiously silent, lifting his free hand to his mouth to cover something that might or might not have been a laugh.
The current's frequency, low at first, began to intensify. More likely than not, Thesia would probably begin to feel a disconcerting sort of confusion and numbness settling over her entire body, encouraging acceptance, obedience-- not just encouraging, even. Forcing.
-
Well, she was expecting the mild dizziness. The shock to her system was a bit of a surprise though, and she winces a little, even jumps slightly in her seat at the sudden surge of electricity that rushes through her body, and the pain that comes with it. She wasnt really expecting that, and instant relief washes over her once it's gone. For the moment.
What comes next is..Less than comforting, and even a little frightening for the half-esper. Her eyes widen, clutching the handles of the seat rather tightly as the currents continue to rush through her mind causing all sorts of sensations to rush through her head, most of which are quite unpleasant, and she clenches her eyes shut as she fights to stay conscious, to keep her mind clear even as the room begins to spin out of control, slowly at first then faster and faster...
"Ugh..What's...Happening..?" she manages to gasp out. Was this what was supposed to happen?!
"Well," Kefka answered conversationally, continuing his job with only the slightest noise-- was he coughing? Hmm... "The currents that run through that crown are designed in such a way that they must be matched to the person wearing it in order to function properly. It's a highly individualized process; each different subject requires different settings, making it both user-specific, and user-sensitive. I could have just put in the settings that worked best for Terra..." He gestured dismissively with one hand, sneering. "But that may well have killed you, because you are a completely different person."
Another click, and a whir as he continued adjusting levels. Though the level of confusion probably wasn't getting any better, the pain might well ease, if only a little bit. (But anything is better than pain, isn't it?) Despite that, Thesia would find that, as things began to settle in her mind once more, simple commands no longer reached the rest of her body. The ability to speak was beginning to fade, as the connection between mind and mouth became filled with the equivalent of mental 'static'; the ability to move her body, and even to think clearly, was being wrenched away from her.
...Kefka giggled softly. "It's a highly involved process. Much less traumatic when the subject is agreeable, I admit, so you've saved yourself a lot of pain in going willingly, my dear Thesia."
-
Over the years, he'd admittedly refined the process of stabilizing Slave Crowns, so that the process no longer took several hours to complete. It'd still be an hour, possibly two before her body was fully acclimatized to this new control, but the subversion of her will...well, it'd beless draining on her to have the battle over so quickly, in the end.
However, as Thesia's voice faded, the General's rose in a mad laugh, as he was all too aware of his victory. "Hee hee /heeeee/ hee heee! Uweeee...dear, dear Thesia. Of course they were right. They're your kin, you silly girl. If you had half a brain you'd have checked the libraries before coming to meeee." Snickering, he continued his work at the control panel, sealing her fate with a few simple pushes of the right buttons. "But let's talk seriously, now that I needn't put up any charade for our dear, gullible half-Esper. /Heee/. If you should ever think of attempting to remove this crown-- as I'm sure you will, and I know you can understand me at this point, so listen well, little Thesia. You don't have to believe me, but you'll live longer if you listen."
Another click of a button, and from here the process could easily be run on an automated sequence; he left the computer to its task for the moment, only keeping half an eye to the controls, grinning madly and stepping down from the platform once more, stalking step by step towards his...call her specimen, shall we? "If you try to remove this crown from your head, the process will abruptly short out. That pain you felt before? You'll feel it twice as strong, and then you'll die-- you'd be delivering the equivalent of a thunderbolt straight to your brain. And if you don't believe me...we still have case photos of the first rodent we tested the Slave Crowns on. I think his name was Jeremy something or other. Sent his family a lovely postcard to inform them he'd gone missing, afterwards." He chuckled. "But I digress..."
Circling her slowly, his dark green, velvet cape trailing like a sinister shadow, blue eyes flashing, the red paint on his face like the stark markings of a deadly snake. "You will come to obey me. You will obey those superiors that you have in ShinRa, but you will first and foremost obey me. If you try to disobey my orders, you'll find that it causes you an exquisite amount of pain-- so I recommend you get used to following them. However." Here he closed the distance between them, extending a single, red-clawed hand to take hold of her chin, tipping it until her vacant golden eyes met his. "I understand that SOLDIERs have duties that they must take care of, so I'm adjusting the crown's settings to allow you to speak. A few rules. If you attempt to tell anyone of the nature of the crown you wear, it will cause you to experience a seizure. If you attempt to tell anyone that I have coerced you in any way, the crown will lock down your ability to speak. And do keep in mind, Thesia...I can order you to do anything. I trust you will not require me to demonstrate these abilities?" For a long moment, he waited for an answer, and then laughed softly at himself. "Pardon. I'll give you back your ability to speak." He slid his hand up the side of her face, and depressed a very small, slender button on one side of the crown that would have seemed invisible to anyone looking at it; consequently, the overwhelming pressure crushing away Thesia's will shifted and changed, enough to allow some speech, though it might be hard to manage.
-
..So much for that idea.
No longer trying to rip the thing off with her hands, she's still struggling to fight its mental control over her, trying with all her fight to control her body even as it lays slump on the chair, and she is quite shocked and frightenned to find that she cannot even speak. Even thinking seems to give her a massive headache, and her eyes remain clenched shut in intense concentration as her body tries to adjust to the changes. Swirling images constantly begin to bombard her mind, finding it difficult to even think, or to concentrate on anything, accentuated by electric shocks as the crown's impulses continue to bombard her brain, making it almost painful to think let alone resist its control. It's only when Kefka speaks again that she is able to hear, to understand.
Slowly, her eyelids open a little, seeming terribly exhausted, faint, as if she had just awoken from a bad night's sleep. Her gaze is empty, blank, no longer full of the usual flair and fiestyness of her former self. And suddenly she finds herself able to speak, though the words are forced, coming unnatural and distant as if from someone else's mouth.
"Y..Yes..Sir..Your wish is...My command.." no longer willing or even able to fight the crown's control she replies almost robotically and involuntarily, her voice coming out in a dull, flat monotone.
-
"Uweee...good girl." Very good, indeed. Smiling, pleased that the entire plan had gone so smoothly, the General stepped back, watching her as she attempted to adjust. "Yes, that will do. So here are your orders, Thesia. Rest, now. Relax; when I release you from this chamber, you will go back to your quarters and sleep. And when you wake, you will report back to this factory, in the maintenance room that you passed on your way in. There, I'll give you further orders. But let's not burden you too much just now, hmm, my dear?" Chuckling, he stroked a stray wisp of pale hair from her eyes, eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I have very big plans for you, my darling doll."
-
Every so often her mind tries to wander, still finding it difficult to adjust to this...Thing..She blinks slowly a couple of times, finding it difficult to focus still. And why does she feel so terribly tired? Still, it takes a while for her limbs to obey her, several hours in fact, enough time perhaps for Kefka to leave the room for a while and come back later. By which time she seems to have calmed down some and grown used to the strange contraption well hidden in her snowy locks. For the half-esper however, only a few seconds seem to have passed by as her body slowly goes back to normal - as normal as can be, considering she is now a walking, living zombie that is.
By the time Kefka returns to the lab, she is yawning and stretching her suddenly stiff limbs as if she just woke up again, only this time she's no longer fighting or struggling and seems quite calm now. As she notices him, she rises slowly, stiffly to her feet, bowing respectfully to the general, "Sir Kefka..awaiting your..orders, sir..." she murmurs robotically.
-
As a matter of fact, Kefka hadn't left the room, instead drifting over to the console where control was being monitored and reinforced. As the sequence finally stabilized, he returned to Thesia's side, disconnecting the cable that had been necessary to transmit the specific settings required to keep her in control, but alive and well. The bow was perhaps more than some might perform, but he was pleased by it. "Rise."
He circled the SOLDIER once, as if to make certain she had not been damaged in any way, before smiling to himself, teeth flashing like little knives between bloodred lips. "General Thesia. Your orders are to continue to go about your duties as a SOLDIER. Let no one guess that you are now under my control. And, when next you report to Rufus ShinRa, or have the opportunity to go inside his office...I want you to bring me one of his pens. Preferably with his initials on it, if he had one matching that description."
Lifting his chin and smirking softly, he reached out to stroke her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. "And do be a good girl, Thesia. Dismissed."
At the command she rises stiffly from the ground, though a bit wobbly as if she were still dizzy, and she has to reach out to clutch the nearby chair for support, as she listens for further instructions. Act normal, visit Rufus and steal his pen. Report back to Kefka. Got it. No matter how hard her mind tries to wander, she finds it difficult to think of anything other than her direct orders. And when he's finished, she nods slowly, still moving a little slowly, a little akwardly as she moves towards the door.
"Yes..Sir..Understood.."
-
Stepping back to allow her to pass, Kefka watched calmly as his toy SOLDIER left, lips pulled back in a garish smile, unable to quite help himself as he waved cheerily to her unresponsive back. Have a good time, dear! Take care~ <3 When she'd gone, and he'd cleaned the room and closed it down once more, he couldn't help but laugh.
And laugh, and laugh and laugh.
"...hee hee hee hee heee heee hee hee hee hee hee-- UWWEEEEEEEEE HEE HEE HEE HEEEEE!!!"
The Magitek Research Facility was a place that constantly intrigued the young half-esper, even more so with all of the secrecy surrounding it. Only Nahrini had mentionned to her briefly what exactly a Magi-Tek knight was, but even she had been vague about what went on in the research facility. Even Alexander, a scientist who regularly frequented the facility denied that any espers that were captured were mistreated there. Still..After the rather..Unpleasant meetings with both Terra and Riami, she was left with only more questions - about the Facility, and about Kefka himself..Which was what brought her here, to this place. Most likely many areas in here were off-limits to all but the scientists and perhaps Kefka and Rufus themselves, and so she had to be careful where she poked her nose - and god forbid should she run into Kefka again, here of all places..
-
The Magitek Research Facility had what one might call a guest-list. It contained a list of approved personnel, and their pictures, and their ranks and it listed just how far they were to be allowed to go inside of this facility. For the record, Rufus ShinRa was actually only allowed so far inside of it-- beyond a certain point, only those who had been part of Gestahl's Empire were permitted to go any further. Kefka was on the list, and he had clearance all the way to the deepest facility.
Thesia might be surprised to discover that she was on the list too, as she came to the front doors of the Facility. Two posted guards stood at attention, straightening when they saw her approaching and reaching for their weapons. However, once she'd come into view, they relaxed, and the taller of the two nodded a greeting. "Did you wish to enter the factory, General Thesia?" He asked, with all the evident politeness of someone who worked for ShinRa.
-
Thesia blinks slowly, as she reaches the front doors. Granted, she'd only been here once or twice, and had never really checked the guest list, nor really had much official reason to be here. Still, she is rather surprised at the greeting, simply nodding to the two guards as she steps up to the double doors, waiting for them to open. "Yes, of course.." she replies rather shortly. Wasnt it obvious that this was why she was here? Still, they are just doing their job perhaps, and so she nods and steps back a little, waiting for the doors to open. "By the way, have any of you seen Kefka come through these doors?" she queries, pausing a moment outside before going through. Really, she didnt know the guy that well to actually fear him, but she had seen how countless others had practically quivered at the mere sight of him; And it only piqued her curiosity all the more. Still, why did that stupid green haired girl deny even knowing him? Was she not a resident of Vector, AND a half-esper? Surely..But anyway, perhaps she could save these questions for Kefka, should she find him inside..
-
With a nervous laugh and an incredulous look between the two of them, the guards turned to Thesia, looking nothing short of....well, disbelieving. "Of course, Ma'am. He and the Emperor built this facility. Would you like to see him? He might be in, I haven't checked."
The doors slowly opened, groaning with protest as the wheels and cogs that allowed them to pull apart without human assistance strained against the heavy weight they were pulling. Like the rest of the factory, the doors were nothing short of solid, thick and padded with alloys stronger than mere steel. If no Espers were kept in here, it begged the question just what /was/ kept in here.
Thesia hmmms, arching a slender brow at the pair of them as they give her funny looks..What, so Kefka spends the majority of his life locked up in here? She frowns a little at the thought. Was he not a war general, rather than a scientist? Or was he both? Who knew? Perhaps she's about to find out..She frowns a little at the two of them, nodding again, "Of course, I am here to see Kefka." without another moment to lose, she simply nods to the two of them as they open the door, striding into the next room, and whatever she might find there. Indeed, what else is kept inside the factory, other than the rumoured espers that she had yet to see?
-
Well, as the doors finally clanked open, the first thing the young General was likely to see was a hallway, and stairs leading up. Once she'd passed them by, the guards traded puzzled looks, and shrugged as the doors slowly cranked closed again behind her, barring the way that she'd come.
Inside, it was warmer than out, the whole factory seeming to be veiled in an ambient layer of steam. Sounds of machinery clicking into place and squeaking and squealing as it ran like clockwork hammered through the echoing, metal halls like a bizarre chorus. Up the stairs and further down the hall she was traveling, Thesia would find a fork in her path; straight ahead, there was a door with the word 'Maintenance' scrawled on its window, that looked as though it had to be pushed open; to the right, the hall continued, leading back down and out into a gigantic assembly hall, where it appeared that Magi-Tek Armor was being built, serviced, and fueled. What else would be in the Magi-Tek factory aside from Espers? Why...Magi-Tek, of course, and Magi-Tek Knights.
-
Hmm...So this is where the famed Magi-tek weapons were built and serviced but..How exactly DID they power these things anyway? Her curiosity is once again piqued as she nears the machinery, wandering through the assembly hall as she examines the machinery, paying special attention to the people working on them..Did not Nahrini mention something about Magi-Tek weaponry too? Were they made the same way as the nights too? She frowns as she pauses somewhere in the middle of the steam and machinery, overwhelmed by it all..
"Interesting, isn't it?" Asked a familiar voice at her shoulder.
Regardless of Thesia's reaction, Kefka only looked up at a particular suit as it was wheeled into the factory and tech workers began attaching fueling pipes to the coupling in the back, which had been designed for efficiency more than aesthetic qualities. If he was smiling under the make-up, he seemed a bit distracted, blue eyes wandering the facility with an almost obsessive quality, making certain that everything was in its place. "How simple they seem in a battle, and how complex here. I trust you're well, General?" He looked back at her once more, a subtle emphasis on the word 'General'-- was he teasing? Who could tell? "You've been away a while, or so I hear."
And he'd heard that she was looking for him, too, but that led to the question of where he'd been and what he'd been doing and such details really were not important just now.
-
Thesia bites her lip as she hears that familiar, creepy voice. Though she knows better than to cower in fear like others she has seen. Why should she, anyway? She is totally ignorant of the evils that Gestahls' General has commited. Which may just be a dangerous thing at that.
"General Kefka.." she turns to face him, bowing respectfully. She may be a bit too proud, a little too cold at times, but she at least knows her place in the heirarchy. And this is definitely NOT a person to mess with or to be smart Alecy with.
"Yes, I just returned from my trip from Spira. It seems things are settling down there now.." Well...A lot of..Other stuff happened there too..A meeting with two half-espers that seemed inexplicably angry towards her because of her mere affiliation with the Empire, despite her repeated attempts to protect one of them..A meeting with a certain Sephiroth too..And a brief run-in with many others that might be interesting to the Empire.
She frowns a little at the thought, obviously troubled by something, trying to hide her thoughts from the crazed clown, but despite being a somewhat good actress herself, these are things that have plagued her ever since the trip back to Terra. Still, she's oddly quiet now as she simply gazes back in quiet curiosity at the numerous techonological contraptions being built around her.
-
"Spira?" he murmured idly, letting his eyes follow her as she bowed, and looked away-- did he make her uncomfortable? well, he should-- before turning back to the machines as well. "Spira is very far away." Though perhaps not quite far enough. For comfort? Or for its own safety? Hmm...oh, so many questions. "Tell me about your trip. And if you've time, I've been curious about Narshe. I understand you were there during the latest conflict with the Returners?" That is to say, do elaborate on your travels, Thesia. Where in their previous meeting he'd been very clearly unwell, and probably a little less friendly than usual, he seemed almost polite, reserved, carefully controlled now. What could bring about such a change?
...well, for one thing, he was no longer ill. Motioning with one bejeweled hand to a nearby staircase, he started towards it, the gesture meant to be interpreted as a sort of 'follow me'. "I can show you the production process of Magitek Armor, if it so interests you."
-
"Spira?" he murmured idly, letting his eyes follow her as she bowed, and looked away-- did he make her uncomfortable? well, he should-- before turning back to the machines as well. "Spira is very far away." Though perhaps not quite far enough. For comfort? Or for its own safety? Hmm...oh, so many questions. "Tell me about your trip. And if you've time, I've been curious about Narshe. I understand you were there during the latest conflict with the Returners?" That is to say, do elaborate on your travels, Thesia. Where in their previous meeting he'd been very clearly unwell, and probably a little less friendly than usual, he seemed almost polite, reserved, carefully controlled now. What could bring about such a change?
...well, for one thing, he was no longer ill. Motioning with one bejeweled hand to a nearby staircase, he started towards it, the gesture meant to be interpreted as a sort of 'follow me'. "I can show you the production process of Magitek Armor, if it so interests you."
-
Thesia blinks a little, glancing sidelong at the general. Of course, she cant read his mind, but if she knew what he was thinking, she might even be insulted. Her? Uncomfortable, fearful of him? Bah! She's not afraid of anything! Or at least..That's what she'd like to think. The question about Spira however, causes her to frown some more even as she follows him, growing oddly silent once more as if trying to figure out how to answer that. "As I said, it was rather uneventful, we went in, helped the people of Bevelle to clear their city of monsters, and we went out again..Although I must admit, Hyro, although he is quite a strong fighter, is not really suited to such matters of...Tact.."
She glances back towards the general again, pausing briefly in her walk, "We also encountered someone else, someone who seemed to resemble a certain Turk, but who did not seem to recognize us..Although it could have been a coincidence." Though she doesnt really believe in coincidences. What exactly was Kaelin - if that's who she was - up to in Spira? Or were her eyes merely playing tricks on her? She shakes her head. "All the same, it's over now, I believe that the New Fayth owes us a favor in the future." At least they wont pose a direct threat to them at any rate.
As for that other matter...Well, she falls silent again, anxious to change the subject as she glances towards the Magi-Tek armour, adding almost hastily, "But, do tell me about the armour here..How exactly is it made? Is it anything similar to the process of imbuing a Magi-tek knight with 'magic?' I am not entirely sure I followed that procedure either.."
Narshe? Well, hopefully with her skirting the issue, he has forgotten about it entirely. One can always hope in any case, right?
-
There are all sorts of levels of discomfort, madam; always remember that. As he kept one ear to her story, listening with superficial interest, he lead the way up the staircase, until they were on the walkway far above, able to turn a critical eye to the entire room without being bogged up in matters of size. Certainly, the armor was of a far greater scale than most humans could really judge-- just about the size of those big, terrifying dragons that seem to plague every world-- but it wasn't beyond understanding. Well, for people like Kefka, anyway, though he was admittedly madder than a hatter.
"Unfortunate, then, though his purpose was to make certain you were kept safe, dear General. First Class SOLDIERs are a rarity these days." Actually, SOLDIERs of any kind, but let's not digress on matters that they both already understand. Instead, he latched on to the mention of a Turk. "Which Turk? I can't recall if any were supposed to be in Spira recently or not."
If it was Atziluth, then there would be problems. But he could probably take care of those himself, so he didn't press the issue very far, only nodding and smiling idly at the mention of New Fayth owing them a favor. ShinRa would be pleased to hear that, he didn't doubt it.
He /did/ notice her unwillingness to speak overmuch on Narshe-- or at all, really-- and made a mental note, allowing her to focus instead on the Magitek armor and offering an answer with evident cheer. "Like any other machine, it's refined from varios types of metal and alloys and assembled before any sort of power is imbued with it. Some metals and minerals, we have discovered, are better suited to channeling magical energy than others, and for the sake of enhancing the armors' performance, we use those in the construction of the engines that power them, and the weapons that they contain." He gestured broadly at the machinery beneath them, grinning at the people scurrying below. Lucky for them that they were used to him wandering about in their midst. "As for the magic...well, that's a bit of a top-secret process, I'm not sure you're cleared to hear about it. Most ShinRa employees are not."
-
Thesia arches another curious brow as she tilts her head towards the 'Mad Hatter'. "Hmm? Why is that, may I ask? Do you not trust your allies, after all that we have been through so far?" she shrugs, "If we must learn to control these things ourselves, then it is best that we know how they work so that we can be prepared if they malfunction on us." well, true, usually only the Imperial army used these Magi-Tek armours, but there were instances when ShinRa soldiers were required to use them as well. Afterall, it was difficult to keep up to M-tek armour on foot, and highly inconvenient in battle if half your soldiers couldnt use the armour.
She clears her throat, shrugging a little, "Actually, Nahrini told me a little about the process of making a Magi-tek knight. Is it something similar to that then?" meaning..Are the powers of espers drained for their sake too? Or..Is it something more heinious than that even? Even now she doesnt know the full story..
-
Matching the arched brow with a laugh, he shook his head. "Does ShinRa share the secrets of Mako infusion with the Empire? Your weaponry or electronics with our soldiers? No, things are very separate, dear Thesia. I would say the issue of trust begins with /your/ leaders. When we first met with your President, we made offers of information that he declined." That said? he turned, leading her further down the catwalk towards a more stable walkway on the second floor of the building. Far ahead of them, almost invisible through the steam and the dim lighting, was another door.
"Magitek Knights...similar, I suppose you could say, yes. What did she tell you?" Nahrini, yes. He knew that name.
-
"No..." she narrows her eyes, clenching her fists and comes to a stop on the walkway. "This is different, General, it's...It's personal." she peers back at the General with those gleaming, golden eyes of hers, "I am no normal soldier as you must have guessed by now, not even by SOLDIER standards. You know very well what I am, what I am capable of. And it seems that my very affiliation with the Empire caused much hatred and loathing in my...Kin..Back in Spira..What is this big secret, with the Empire and the Espers? " whoops, did she just let that last bit slip? Oops, silly her!!
She blinks a little, biting her lip as if to keep her mouth shut on the matter any further. Hopefully she hasnt spoken too much already. Still, the only way she'll learn more about the Empire's secrets is if she reveals a few of her own. "Hmph. Nahrini told me quite a bit about the Magi-Tek Knight process..Seems they drain the magical properties of Espers and imbue it on their soldiers." as for the Espers? What happens to them after that? Are they simply tossed away like trash? She glances expectantly at Kefka then, as if hoping he may answer at least some of her questions and not manage to skewer her in the process for being so direct.
-
Well, well, well.
For the first time since appearing by her shoulder, the General seemed to really look at Thesia, meeting her flashing eyes with his own, unflinching and cold and perhaps a bit unnerving in their piercing, empty amusement. Personal. That changes everything, doesn't it? But he didn't say that part aloud, instead listening to her angry shout and blinking once, almost unperturbed, when she finished, his lips curled in a smile. "What is the secret? What is the secret..." He turned away again, continuing along the catwalk and motioning distractedly for her to follow him. "I do know what you are, it's true. Does that bother you?" There was the hint of a chuckle in his voice, but for her sake he kept his intonation clear of any laughter-- at least for now.
"What you have been told is true: the Espers have given over their magic for our Magitek, gifting humans with the ability that they were denied, so many, many years ago. Our world was ruled by a cruel trio of goddesses, dear Thesia-- has anyone ever told you that?" Probably not; she didn't seem the sort that people would be inclined to share mythology with, one way or the other. As they reached the end of the catwalk, the door he'd been headed toward finally came into view; it was the same heavy, more-than-just-iron sort of construction as the door in the front of the factory, and within was a small room that seemed to be mostly empty. He motioned for her to precede him in.
"So I suppose the reason that this is personal, then, is the justified worry that we take what must only be given-- correct? You suspect us of murdering your brethren, and using their blood to bring our magic to life." When she had stepped into the room, he would follow her, closing the door behind himself.
-
Her own, cattish eyes remain steady, even as he turns to stare at her with that mad, cold stare of his..She matches it in stride with her own, refusing to lose to this little staring game. Afterall, she is a SOLDIER, not just a soldier, but a leader of many, best of the best, perhaps only short of Sephiroth - and maybe one or two others. There is a reason why she was always so talented with magic and something that's not so easily overlooked.
"Does it bother me?" she echoes the question back at him, smirking a little now as she continues to peer steadily into his eyes, "No. I have no reason to fear you.." afterall, Shinra will always protect her, just like before..At least that's what she's always told herself. She is quiet enough to listen to what he has to say of course, afterall, knowledge is power, and power is something she has always sought for herself as well. The story of the goddesses is indeed news to her, something that not even Riami, nor Tritoch had shared with her, even though they had both told her quite a bit else about her own heritage.
She continues to follow him into the smaller room, much too occupied with the current direction of the conversation to take notice of the door thudding shut behind her. Nor is she concerned with what else may lay in the room, trap or otherwise as she continues to focus upon the general-clown before her. "Hmph. Dont misunderstand, I dont plan on fighting the Empire and...'Freeing my brethren'. I barely even know any of my kin, save for the handful of others like myself that simply turned their backs on me and treated me like dirt merely because I was affiliated with the Empire." furthermore, one in particular, whom she had risked her own life to protect time and again, only to be thrown away like trash by her...How very ironic that she should call Thesia the villain when she was even more the monster for first attacking then turning her back on her own kin when she asked for Riami to return the favor!
The mere thought causes her to sneer slightly, feeling...Betrayed by THEM rather than the other way around. She has nothing to feel ashamed of, afterall..They are the ones who should feel deeply ashamed of themselves as far as she is concerned.
-
Convenient thing about the door that they had just passed through: it locked automatically, without any extra clicking to give that fact away. Only a few people had ever been in this room that weren't Kefka and his scientifically minded cohorts; and those few hadn't left feeling particularly sanguine about what they saw inside. But that's another matter. As he reached out to key the lightning up from 'emergency' to 'pleasantly well illuminated', Kefka gestured to the chair in the center of the room. "Naturally." Of cours she had no reason to fear him! There would be little point. "What a shame that they should mistreat you!" he murmured distractedly, heading up a small stairway to an elevated platform, searching in a cabinet for something or other idly as he spoke.
"You are a very honorable person, after all, are you not? I've never met an Esper who would claim any less, and yet they turn away one of their own simply because of a small disagreement...what a shame. You see, Thesia, not all of the Espers approve of sharing magic with humans, and those that have agreed to work with the Empire are frowned upon by those that think it is against the will of the three goddesses that created this world." Finding whatever it was he'd been seeking, he straightened, returning to her side in the single, utilitarian chair that he'd offered to her. It was made, like so many other things within this factory, entirely of metal, though it was molded into smooth curves, to make it comfortable to sit in, despite the nature of the material it was composed of.
"I suppose that'd why the others have received you so poorly. And I /am/ sorry to hear that."
-
Thesia hadnt heard the click of the door, but she hadnt felt she was in any danger either. No, instead she was looking somewhat relaxed, even taking the offered chair as she turns to face Kefka now, crossing one leg casuallyover the other as she speaks, "Of course..I would disagree with Espers being mistreated, but I also understand that to survive, one must be strong..." she frowns as she considers that again, clenching and unclenching her fists as they rest on the arms of the chair, thinking that over..Yes, it is true that they are of her kin, and yet, she never even knew or spoke to any espers other than the one in the cave, and Tritoch later on. Still, she has no reason to want to protect those that she barely knew, and having been raised by the Shinra with little or no morals, well, she really has no case to use against the espers..
"I do not know the details, but I do know there was a time that espers and humans could live peacefully.Why can it not be like that again? Is this the only way to survive?" the thought seems to worry her a little at least, and yes, she has always been a very honourable person. Still, when she turned to her kin for help they ostracized her. Is she now turning to Kefka for advice? Who knows..
-
Nodding to himself as he came to stand at her side, the General considered her answer, head tipped to the side, the single plume of the feather he wore in his hair fluffing softly with the movement. "In the past, yes, I suppose that's true." Shaking his head, he held out one hand; in the center of his palm, there lay a simple bracelet, crafted out of some form of silver, plain as plain could be. Doubtless, Thesia would feel its properties-- its ability to enhance magic.
"Devices like this were once common among humans. I'm sure you've heard of magicite? The magical remains that Espers leave when they pass from this world into the next?" If she accepted the bracelet, he'd let her keep it-- no harm done there, as it was useful for those with magical abilities. "When Espers and humans lived together in peace, some Espers began to leave their remains to human friends and associates, because those remains could teach them how to use magic. It started a massive argument between the younger Espers, who thought it was dangerous to let humans learn magic, and the older Espers, who believed that it was a choice that any Esper should be allowed to make. Arguments escalated into war, and in the end, the majority of the Espers decided that sharing magic with humans was wrong; they went into hiding in a separate world and sealed the entrance for a thousand years."
He shrugged nonchalantly at this, turning to the wall she was facing. There was just the faintest hint of a screen on it, suggesting that it could be used to view some kind of film, but he seemed disinclined to use the room for such a purpose just now. "I suppose the Espers that you ran into were probably not very talkative? More's the pity, it'd be interesting to hear what they thought about it."
-
Not really one for pretty trinkets or idle jewelry, she almost turns away from the piece of jewelry, but sensing its magical properties, she is naturally drawn towards it, reaching out to take it in her hand if he will allow her to. "Hmm...Interesting.." she murmurs as she turns it over in her hand, "may I keep it?" she clenches her fist around it, feeling its cool metal against her equally cool skin, gazing down at it thoughtfully as she listens to his story, "So...These..Espers were so selfish, they refused to share their power with humans. And yet, they act as if you humans are the ones to blame for all their suffering." she narrows her eyes, pulling her gaze away from the bracelet to face Kefka once more.
"Hmph, how very selfish. And yet their descendants continue to blame the Empire for seeking that same power, I should have known.." smirking a bit cooly, she shakes her head at the next question, "No, they had very little to say..I am a traitor as far as they are concerned, just like their half-breed children.." well, it's a partial lie; Tritoch almost convinced her to turn her back on the Empire for good..She almost believed him, enough to seek out Riami and Sephiroth and ask for their help, only to be turned away and treated harshly for all her troubles.
"So..You drain their powers, and then what? Does an esper drained of power immediately die then?" and still there is some confusion there, caught between a stubborn loyalty for her kin, and an understanding of the Empire's way, and of her own true 'family', the ShinRa, the only people who never turned their nose up at her, or ostracized her the way the Esper community did. Who should she believe? Who CAN she believe? She looks down at the bracelet in her hand again, frowning softly, looking terribly lost, confused, unsure of whom she should trust really.
-
As he fully intended for her to take the bracelet, he only smiled when she asked if she could keep it. "Of course you may. It will be more useful in your hands than on a shelf in a storage room." And besides, Kefka was feeling in a bit of a giving mood. "I suppose it's not selfishness, entirely-- an Esper must die to truly pass on his or her magical powers to a human interested in learning, it's true. But it's possible to exist in harmony and die naturally, and share that power; many Espers seem to think that we kill them for the sake of gathering their power." He laughed at the notion, shaking his head. "Foolish! Foolish notion. Then where would we be, after all? There would be no more power to share, and no more Espers to learn from."
Or maybe that's exactly the point, but shh, shh, the General is working now. "I'm sorry to hear that, Thesia." Looking back at her, the General sighed softly, seeming to genuinely feel regret. "It might have been very useful, to form an alliance with them if you could only speak with them...well. I suppose that's the way things are, isn't it?"
Dismissing that thought with a wave of his hand, he headed back to the raised platform in the back, this time pressing a few buttons. "As to what happens with those Espers who sympathize with and cooperate with humans..." He keyed a certain button, the brought up a picture of a little girl whom Thesia might well find familiar. "This is Terra. She was once one of our greatest allies, and turned on us recently when she fell in love with an Esper who hated humankind." The girl in the photograph, obviously about five or six years old, was smiling brightly, her green hair swept back into pigtails; she was dressed in bright red and waving to the camera.
With the press of another button, the slide switched to an older, more somber Terra, surveying a battlefield with an expression of mild disdain. "She is a powerful warrior, and well-educated in the use of Magitek Armor--" Another slide, and there she was again (though from a distance), piloting a suit of Armor. Whoever'd taken the photo had caught her mid-attack, as there was the glittering trail of a magical fire beam tracing the path between Terra herself and her target, a large draconic monster. "As well as one of the only people in our ranks capable of using magic, thanks to her birthright. She was a hero among our empire, and very well-liked...but she did turn on us." Another click, and the screen on the wall went dim again, as Kefka leaned against the console he'd been operating, letting out a sigh.
"It still upsets me that she has turned her back on us," he offered in a lower tone of voice, carefully controlled; he did sound /quite/ angry, but inclined to try to control it, for Thesia's sake. "But not all are like her. Or, at the least, I hope they are not. You are loyal to ShinRa and its allies, aren't you Thesia?"
-
The bracelet is slipped on her wrist without another thought, instantly feeling the magic coursing through her veins. A nice little 'gift' indeed, though she's still not sure why Kefka is being so generous..Were all those rumours about the mad clown false? Really, he seems like a friendly enough guy to her. At least he treats her with respect, unlike a lot of people. Turning her attentions once more to the General, she settles back in her seat, quiet throughout most of his long speech, only interjecting at the very end when the green-haired girl's face is brought up on the screen.
"I know that girl! I saw her in Spira..And lurking about in Vector several months ago.." she narrows her eyes as she glares at the woman, "Hmph. That little ungrateful wretch. So she betrayed the very people who gave her everything..And repaid them in this way.." she snarls at the picture, turning away, how very...Similar to herself Terra was, only Thesia never turned her back on the ShinRa.
"I once thought it was the 'right thing to do', to protect my own 'kin' once I learned who and what I was but...They're all just a bunch of ungrateful creatures that cannot be reasonned with. In many ways they are even worse than the espers themselves.."
As for her own loyalty? She simply smiles, shaking her head, "Do you still have any doubt where my loyalties lie?! I'm nothing like her.." she shoots another angry glare at the woman on the screen. Tch. Tina. What a lie. Next time they meet, Thesia wont be nearly so forgiving.
-
"Of course not," he quipped easily, smiling at the answer. "But then, I am a poor judge of character...I once thought that Terra was loyal to our cause as well." With a sigh, and a shake of his head, he leaned forward, pale hands splayed on the control console he'd been operating, burning-red nails a stark contrast to the stale, sterile silver of the room and the colorless pale of his own skin. There was probably something deliciously ironic about that, but he'd wonder about it later.
For now, there was a slow smile spreading across his face. "Actually, I had hoped you would visit here. There's a piece of equipment that we had been designing, to see if it could help the Espers to share their powers without causing them any lingering sense of fatigue afterwards; but the Espers who used to help in our testing processes have been busy of late. If it wouldn't be too much trouble, General, I was wondering if you could test it out for me; it's a device that one wears like a crown, meant to help stabilize concentration and make spell-casting easier on the body."
He hesitated, looking at her in silence a moment. "...would you be willing to assist us?"
-
A pity that Thesia is so trusting of the Empire..Really, when everyone else seemed to hate her, is it any surprise she would turn to the only people who she could count on? Even more the pity that Terra refused bluntly to so much as mention Kefka's name, let alone warn her about what the Empire was really about. In fact, she was starting to think that all the rumours she had heard of the General were total lies..Though one thing he does mention causes her to frown, peering back at him warily..
"Wait a minute..What do you mean, that there are espers who willingly agreed to your..Experiments? But I thought all espers despised humans, that's why they fashionned their own little world to live in, so they wouldnt have to be at war with humans anymore.." at least, that's what Riami had led her to believe, before she had gone totally bitchy and non-cooperative on her.
"So..This..Crown, does it have any negative side effects? Is it safe to use if it's still in the experimental stage?"
"Most, not all." He shook his head, lifting a hand to negate such a claim. "You mustn't make such general statements; most Espers loathe humankind and sharing magic with them, but there have always been a few who were kind and wise, who wished to explore their powers and share magic with us. Without those few...why, the Empire's dreams would never have become possible." Which dreams? More on that later, dear, later. As to the crown...yes, let them talk about the crown. "That's just the problem; we don't know what side effects it has just yet, and it requires further testing. We did manage to test it a little with Terra's help, but all we were able to determine was an exponential increase in the sheer power of her magic; little else."
From the almost morose tone of voice he'd slipped into, this was a most depressing fact-- though he did seem to become less cheerful whenever Terra was mentioned. Hm. Wonder why. "Naturally, I wouldn't want to endanger someone of your unique skills and powers. I assure you that every precaution will be taken to ensure that the experience is positive, if you agree. It is entirely your choice."
"Hmm...Exponential increase in her power, you say? Interesting.." well, unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for Kefka, Thesia has always been just a LITTLE power hungry, and her eyes seem to light up at the very mention of such power, "Only, if this crown can increase one's power potential exponentially, that would be a very useful device indeed.."
Still, just a tad cautious all the same. Not so much because of Riami's warnings, before she went all nasty on Thesia, but because of her own instincts, and the words of the single esper that actually respected her enough to listen to her point of view and give his own words of wisdom. "Only..I'd like to speak to these other espers first. I'd like to hear what they have to say..Where are they, anyway? Are they somewhere in this complex? Funny, I've never seen nor heard of them in Vector anywhere.."
-
Ah, but hadn't he said that already? he was quite sure he had. "Unfortunately, the very reason that I am making this request of you, dear General, instead of one of our previous volunteers is that they are all engaged in business elsewhere. We had three Espers working with us; Pythia, a draconic girl who I worked with closely, Terra-- you already know her story-- and an older man, who preferred to take a human shape; he usually preferred to be called 'sir', but I believe his name was Raramuri. Pythia went to visit her family, last I heard; Raramuri left without leaving notice, though rumor has it he wished to seek out a mystical cave." Blinking, he shook his head, laughing softly. "I beg your pardon, I'm rambling.
"Did you have any further questions?"
-
Thesia blinks slowly as she listens. Of course it makes such logical sense, and, why was she hesitating anyway? Wasnt she always wanting to further explore her esper side? To discover the limits of her powers? Besides, she had nothing to fear from this man who was a trusted ally of the ShinRa. Biting her lips, she looks down at her hands in her lap for a moment, seemingly deep in thought.
"Well...I think..It's worth a try, right? There is much I want to learn about my own esper abilities..Being able to morph, I only did so once, but I'm sure I could do it again, I'm just not sure how. Do you think..This device would help me to morph? To become more powerful and gain better control of my powers?"
-
"That, dear Thesia, is what I hope it will do. I can't be sure, because it has only been tested for a short period of time..." He smiled, expression encouraging. "But if it does what it is supposed to do, then yes. The crown will enable you to do these things that you desire."
Standing up straighter-- for he'd been leaning on the console long enough to become uncomfortable-- he turned back to the cabinet he'd rummaged through before. "The test model is actually right here, if you'd be willing to try it..." Hesitation, as he glanced over his shoulder, almost looking worried. Surely she trusted him, yes?
Well, Thesia? Do you trust me? his eyes seemed to say.
"Hmmm......." She ponders aloud, rising from the chair eventually, and begins to pace back and forth as if a little nervous. Surely, it would be a bit risky but..She was used to taking risks. There may even be side effects but maybe it'd be worth it in the end, just to get the power. Besides, what reason did she have not to trust Kefka, after the way he treated her? So very..Understanding, and generous too. She pauses, glancing back towards Kefka and the console. "I think..Maybe.." she peers into his eyes, almost searchingly at that. Is this a man she can truly trust? Were all those rumours simply deflated lies? No doubt his unusual appearance would explain a lot of the rumours, and the Empire really seemed to want to cooperate with the espers afterall.
"Yes..Yes, I'll do it. Why not? It may just give us the edge we need."
Smiling, he lifted the crown-- a simple, slightly ornamented band of metal, to all outward appearances--from the shelf where it had been lying in the cabinet, and stepped down from the raised platform, crossing the room to where the chair was located. "It might be wisest if you sit while I adjust it to try to enhance your powers. I've been told it causes a wave of dizziness when initially activated."
And if she did so, then he would proceed to set the crown gently-- but snugly-- over the SOLDIER's brow, and key the sequence to initialize its program, hooking a wire for input to the small control panel on the left side, and unraveling it slowly as it returned to the console, to hook it up and begin the process. At most, there ought to be the sense of the cool metal on her skin; nothing else, not yet.
-
Thesia bites her lip, still looking a little nervous about the whole idea, though she does as she is told, settling down into the seat once more. And as the crown is brought out, she peers at it curiously, even for a split second considering backing out of the whole experiment. But then again, that would be a cowardly thing to do and she is no coward. As the crown is placed on her head, she doesnt seem to notice the chill of the metal against her skin, afterall she is a snow elemental and she is more than used to the cold. "dizziness huh? I can handle a little faint spell..Nothing too much for a SOLDIER to handle of course." she murmurs as if trying to console herself. Really, what does she have to be afraid of? And why does she still have the faintest tingling of butterflies in her stomach?
-
Perhaps because the unknown can be a scary thing; and, after all, it really can be scary, to entrust your life to someone who, for all the nice things they might say, is still a bit...strange, and unfamiliar. "Oh, I'm certain you're right, but it's a sensible precaution," the General murmured idly, as he connected the wire and set about adjusting the controls. "You may feel a slight stinging sensation, also, but that seems to be an uncommon occurence."
Click.
As the slave crown flared to life, the first thing that Thesia might feel was a shock of electric current-- light, stinging as Kefka had said-- that probably hurt, though only for as long as it took to start. Soon after, the current would likely become ordinary, accepted as just an extra charge to her mental activity.
Now for the tricky part; as the General keyed in different controls with the absolute calm of someone who knows what he is doing, his lips curled into what would probably have been a terrifying smile, he remained curiously silent, lifting his free hand to his mouth to cover something that might or might not have been a laugh.
The current's frequency, low at first, began to intensify. More likely than not, Thesia would probably begin to feel a disconcerting sort of confusion and numbness settling over her entire body, encouraging acceptance, obedience-- not just encouraging, even. Forcing.
-
Well, she was expecting the mild dizziness. The shock to her system was a bit of a surprise though, and she winces a little, even jumps slightly in her seat at the sudden surge of electricity that rushes through her body, and the pain that comes with it. She wasnt really expecting that, and instant relief washes over her once it's gone. For the moment.
What comes next is..Less than comforting, and even a little frightening for the half-esper. Her eyes widen, clutching the handles of the seat rather tightly as the currents continue to rush through her mind causing all sorts of sensations to rush through her head, most of which are quite unpleasant, and she clenches her eyes shut as she fights to stay conscious, to keep her mind clear even as the room begins to spin out of control, slowly at first then faster and faster...
"Ugh..What's...Happening..?" she manages to gasp out. Was this what was supposed to happen?!
"Well," Kefka answered conversationally, continuing his job with only the slightest noise-- was he coughing? Hmm... "The currents that run through that crown are designed in such a way that they must be matched to the person wearing it in order to function properly. It's a highly individualized process; each different subject requires different settings, making it both user-specific, and user-sensitive. I could have just put in the settings that worked best for Terra..." He gestured dismissively with one hand, sneering. "But that may well have killed you, because you are a completely different person."
Another click, and a whir as he continued adjusting levels. Though the level of confusion probably wasn't getting any better, the pain might well ease, if only a little bit. (But anything is better than pain, isn't it?) Despite that, Thesia would find that, as things began to settle in her mind once more, simple commands no longer reached the rest of her body. The ability to speak was beginning to fade, as the connection between mind and mouth became filled with the equivalent of mental 'static'; the ability to move her body, and even to think clearly, was being wrenched away from her.
...Kefka giggled softly. "It's a highly involved process. Much less traumatic when the subject is agreeable, I admit, so you've saved yourself a lot of pain in going willingly, my dear Thesia."
-
Over the years, he'd admittedly refined the process of stabilizing Slave Crowns, so that the process no longer took several hours to complete. It'd still be an hour, possibly two before her body was fully acclimatized to this new control, but the subversion of her will...well, it'd beless draining on her to have the battle over so quickly, in the end.
However, as Thesia's voice faded, the General's rose in a mad laugh, as he was all too aware of his victory. "Hee hee /heeeee/ hee heee! Uweeee...dear, dear Thesia. Of course they were right. They're your kin, you silly girl. If you had half a brain you'd have checked the libraries before coming to meeee." Snickering, he continued his work at the control panel, sealing her fate with a few simple pushes of the right buttons. "But let's talk seriously, now that I needn't put up any charade for our dear, gullible half-Esper. /Heee/. If you should ever think of attempting to remove this crown-- as I'm sure you will, and I know you can understand me at this point, so listen well, little Thesia. You don't have to believe me, but you'll live longer if you listen."
Another click of a button, and from here the process could easily be run on an automated sequence; he left the computer to its task for the moment, only keeping half an eye to the controls, grinning madly and stepping down from the platform once more, stalking step by step towards his...call her specimen, shall we? "If you try to remove this crown from your head, the process will abruptly short out. That pain you felt before? You'll feel it twice as strong, and then you'll die-- you'd be delivering the equivalent of a thunderbolt straight to your brain. And if you don't believe me...we still have case photos of the first rodent we tested the Slave Crowns on. I think his name was Jeremy something or other. Sent his family a lovely postcard to inform them he'd gone missing, afterwards." He chuckled. "But I digress..."
Circling her slowly, his dark green, velvet cape trailing like a sinister shadow, blue eyes flashing, the red paint on his face like the stark markings of a deadly snake. "You will come to obey me. You will obey those superiors that you have in ShinRa, but you will first and foremost obey me. If you try to disobey my orders, you'll find that it causes you an exquisite amount of pain-- so I recommend you get used to following them. However." Here he closed the distance between them, extending a single, red-clawed hand to take hold of her chin, tipping it until her vacant golden eyes met his. "I understand that SOLDIERs have duties that they must take care of, so I'm adjusting the crown's settings to allow you to speak. A few rules. If you attempt to tell anyone of the nature of the crown you wear, it will cause you to experience a seizure. If you attempt to tell anyone that I have coerced you in any way, the crown will lock down your ability to speak. And do keep in mind, Thesia...I can order you to do anything. I trust you will not require me to demonstrate these abilities?" For a long moment, he waited for an answer, and then laughed softly at himself. "Pardon. I'll give you back your ability to speak." He slid his hand up the side of her face, and depressed a very small, slender button on one side of the crown that would have seemed invisible to anyone looking at it; consequently, the overwhelming pressure crushing away Thesia's will shifted and changed, enough to allow some speech, though it might be hard to manage.
-
..So much for that idea.
No longer trying to rip the thing off with her hands, she's still struggling to fight its mental control over her, trying with all her fight to control her body even as it lays slump on the chair, and she is quite shocked and frightenned to find that she cannot even speak. Even thinking seems to give her a massive headache, and her eyes remain clenched shut in intense concentration as her body tries to adjust to the changes. Swirling images constantly begin to bombard her mind, finding it difficult to even think, or to concentrate on anything, accentuated by electric shocks as the crown's impulses continue to bombard her brain, making it almost painful to think let alone resist its control. It's only when Kefka speaks again that she is able to hear, to understand.
Slowly, her eyelids open a little, seeming terribly exhausted, faint, as if she had just awoken from a bad night's sleep. Her gaze is empty, blank, no longer full of the usual flair and fiestyness of her former self. And suddenly she finds herself able to speak, though the words are forced, coming unnatural and distant as if from someone else's mouth.
"Y..Yes..Sir..Your wish is...My command.." no longer willing or even able to fight the crown's control she replies almost robotically and involuntarily, her voice coming out in a dull, flat monotone.
-
"Uweee...good girl." Very good, indeed. Smiling, pleased that the entire plan had gone so smoothly, the General stepped back, watching her as she attempted to adjust. "Yes, that will do. So here are your orders, Thesia. Rest, now. Relax; when I release you from this chamber, you will go back to your quarters and sleep. And when you wake, you will report back to this factory, in the maintenance room that you passed on your way in. There, I'll give you further orders. But let's not burden you too much just now, hmm, my dear?" Chuckling, he stroked a stray wisp of pale hair from her eyes, eyes sparkling with amusement.
"I have very big plans for you, my darling doll."
-
Every so often her mind tries to wander, still finding it difficult to adjust to this...Thing..She blinks slowly a couple of times, finding it difficult to focus still. And why does she feel so terribly tired? Still, it takes a while for her limbs to obey her, several hours in fact, enough time perhaps for Kefka to leave the room for a while and come back later. By which time she seems to have calmed down some and grown used to the strange contraption well hidden in her snowy locks. For the half-esper however, only a few seconds seem to have passed by as her body slowly goes back to normal - as normal as can be, considering she is now a walking, living zombie that is.
By the time Kefka returns to the lab, she is yawning and stretching her suddenly stiff limbs as if she just woke up again, only this time she's no longer fighting or struggling and seems quite calm now. As she notices him, she rises slowly, stiffly to her feet, bowing respectfully to the general, "Sir Kefka..awaiting your..orders, sir..." she murmurs robotically.
-
As a matter of fact, Kefka hadn't left the room, instead drifting over to the console where control was being monitored and reinforced. As the sequence finally stabilized, he returned to Thesia's side, disconnecting the cable that had been necessary to transmit the specific settings required to keep her in control, but alive and well. The bow was perhaps more than some might perform, but he was pleased by it. "Rise."
He circled the SOLDIER once, as if to make certain she had not been damaged in any way, before smiling to himself, teeth flashing like little knives between bloodred lips. "General Thesia. Your orders are to continue to go about your duties as a SOLDIER. Let no one guess that you are now under my control. And, when next you report to Rufus ShinRa, or have the opportunity to go inside his office...I want you to bring me one of his pens. Preferably with his initials on it, if he had one matching that description."
Lifting his chin and smirking softly, he reached out to stroke her cheek with the backs of his knuckles. "And do be a good girl, Thesia. Dismissed."
At the command she rises stiffly from the ground, though a bit wobbly as if she were still dizzy, and she has to reach out to clutch the nearby chair for support, as she listens for further instructions. Act normal, visit Rufus and steal his pen. Report back to Kefka. Got it. No matter how hard her mind tries to wander, she finds it difficult to think of anything other than her direct orders. And when he's finished, she nods slowly, still moving a little slowly, a little akwardly as she moves towards the door.
"Yes..Sir..Understood.."
-
Stepping back to allow her to pass, Kefka watched calmly as his toy SOLDIER left, lips pulled back in a garish smile, unable to quite help himself as he waved cheerily to her unresponsive back. Have a good time, dear! Take care~ <3 When she'd gone, and he'd cleaned the room and closed it down once more, he couldn't help but laugh.
And laugh, and laugh and laugh.
"...hee hee hee hee heee heee hee hee hee hee hee-- UWWEEEEEEEEE HEE HEE HEE HEEEEE!!!"