Writer: Hoshiyuki
A soft knock echoed in the living room of the luxurious apartment and Demyx's blond head peeked inside finding Roxas lacing black combat boots, two keyblades propped against the couch.
"I can come later," Demyx squeaked and started to pull his head back, but Roxas waved him inside and he complied slowly.
"I'm just about to leave, but I still have a few minutes to spare," Roxas looked at his friend and frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"No, I just wanted to talk to you about something important." Demyx felt a little sheepish as he balanced on the balls of his feet, hands behind his back.
"Well, I have to leave to meet some people in town so I can't talk for long," Roxas spoke as he pulled off his Organization coat and threw it thoughtlessly onto the couch next to his keyblades.
"Are you expecting trouble?" Demyx asked as he watched Roxas pull a white coat on top of his usual black clothes.
Roxas glanced at his keyblades and shrugged, "The times being what they are I wouldn't walk the streets without either Hollow Crest or Oathbreaker with me. I barely dare to walk the halls of Oblivion without them. Who knows when someone will get it into their heads that they can come and stab me in the back just to get my position."
The easy tone made Demyx smile a little and Roxas returned it with a grin of his own.
"Not that I would let them of course. No one knows all the connections I have in the city and they'll be afraid for the rest of their lives that the next passing shadow will be the last one they'll see," Roxas' tone was light, but it didn't hide the coat of steel beneath.
He pulled the two keyblades and tugged them into their holsters before rearranging the coat so that it hide the blades from sight.
"I really should get going," Roxas said as he glanced at the old grandfather clock which was looking forlorn in the corner of the modern room. It was shaped like a miniature clock tower. It had been his for a while so he was loath to part with, even though many visitors had suggested disposing of the fragile piece of woodwork.
"I'll try to talk to you when I get back, if the Superior isn't in the need of your services," the last word was full of venom. "I truly don't know why you take that shit. He might be brilliant, but he lacks a heart."
Demyx gave him an odd look before opening the door to let Roxas pass. He followed a moment later and watched the shorter blond take out a small key and locking the apartment door before stalking down the corridor without a backward glance. Appearances had to be kept.
Roxas pushed through the crowd of people who barely took any notice of him, except to mutter a curse at him for stepping on someone's toes. The lack of the cloak that deemed him a member of Organization XII kept the peasants from feeling the fear that he would have caused if he had been wearing the garment. He nearly smiled as a small hand tried to slide its way towards his money pouch, but he caught it in time causing a squeak as he glared down at the lowly street-rat.
"Keep your hands to yourself," he glowered and flashed the keyblades tucked neatly under his white coat. The man had the nerve to look ashamed as a small monkey perched on his shoulder, shaking its tiny fist at the blond. Turning around, Roxas quickened his step, wondering if the urchin had been a spy for one of the fractions trying to uproot the Organizations power. No one else had dared touch him, with his fine clothes and confident step. He had worn white, the color of the queen's guards. If he got lucky a spy might mistake him for one of the queen's people instead of the Organization's.
It didn't take him long to forget the whole incident with the would-be-mugger as he rushed towards his goal. Finally he reached the pub with a sign of a small golden crown with the words 'Golden Key' etched around it. Roxas pushed through the filthy door and into the gloom.
The pub was almost empty this time of day. Tea-time was still hours away and most of the local customers were still sleeping off the previous nights indulgements.
Roxas walked to the bar and ordered some 'white tea, hold the lemon', before walking into one of the stained booths located at the back of the pub. This was a perfect place to meet someone without being seen, badly lit and placed in awkward angles that allowed you to follow who came into the pub without being seen.
He didn't have to wait long for a dark cloaked figure to walk into the Golden Keys. The figure paused at the bar before heading towards him. Roxas adjusted the keyblades to be at easy reach as the cloaked figure reached his table.
"You wore black," Roxas said as a way of greeting.
"And you wore white," the stranger replied as he pushed the deep hood down revealing a mess of brown, spiky hair and deep blue eyes.
"One has to be careful during these dangerous times," Roxas quoted with a smirk and gestured for his guest to sit down.
"How are things in the castle?" he asked after a few seconds of tense silence.
"In shambles. The queen is furious with the way things turned out today. She feels like she lost an important battle. I nearly didn't have the chance to get away," the king sighed and shook his head loosing the usual sparkle in his eyes.
"Things aren't going well in Oblivion either. I think there's something wrong with number One, Sora," Roxas admitted in a small whisper over the table.
Sora's blue eyes focused back onto the Assassin Master with a worried look.
"You think he suspects anything? About the Cat?" he asked with a deep frown that deepened the unnatural lines of worry on his brow.
"No, no one knows yet. Nothing important anyways," was the short reply.
"It's quite amusing. The whole situation," Sora said a smile breaking across his features. "A hunter of turncoats turns into a turncoat himself."
"I'm no turncoat," Roxas replied coldly. "I just don't like this informal game of chess between two adversaries that know nothing of what their actions do to others." He paused for a second before continuing. "Tell me something about the queen, enough to please the Superior. Any schemes she's planning?"
"Well, there is this one. Funny you would mention chess…"