Chapter: 005 - Small Talk

Chapter: 005 - Small Talk

Location: Dark Forest

Characters: Larxene, Axel, Zexion, Lexaeus, Marluxia

Rating/Warnings: PG-13 for some swearing.

Summary: Little everyday disasters, political contemplations, amicable harassments and ruffled feathers getting slightly smoothed.

Chapter 005 : Dark Forest - Small Talk.

Larxene tossed another pinecone on the fire, quite pleased with herself.

It had taken less than half an hour of circular arguments, childish taunts and the occasional uncomfortable truth to send Vexen storming off into the forest for another of his fuming sulks.

She grinned.

Without even his precious rank to cling to it was just too easy to goad the stiff scientist into helpless fury. A juicy book or an unfortunate heartless to pick to pieces might have been preferable, but with few other distractions breaking what was already turning into monotonous routine you took what entertainment you could get.

Another pinecone landed neatly on top of the previous; rabbits and birds was one thing, but she'd be damned if her aim wasn't near perfect presented with an unmoving target.

" You should be careful with those," Axel grinned from across the fire. " Too much resin and you'll have them exploding in your pretty face."

She snorted.

" If something fiery should 'accidentally' explode in my face I know just whose balls to roast for it, don't I?"

The lanky man splayed a hand against his chest with a hurt look.

" Oh, harsh. That's what you get for trying to be helpful."

She smirked.

" Touched by your concern, love."

He grinned back.

" I could touch you with more than that."

She laughed, languidly considering accepting the transparent come-on. Why not? Entertainment came in many different shapes and sizes, and their fellow Nobodies seemed to have found themselves conveniently busy in the surrounding forest at the moment.

As though conjured up by the mere thought Zexion and Lexaeus came walking between the trees, and she sighed lightly. Damn their lousy timing. Though judging from Zexion's smug expression and ruffled hair someone had gotten some...

Axel followed her eyes and snorted under his breath.

" There walks two Nobodies who did not walk into the forest to spend a munny."

Emerging from the trees Marluxia walked past the two elders without sparing them a glance to take up residence at the very opposite side of the campsite.

Larxene shrugged nonchalantly.

" Oh, well. I'm not in an exhibitionistic mood today, firefly. I think you'll have to settle for a touching encounter with your hand."

The redhead leaned back with a shrug, placing his hands behind his neck.

" Fine. It's tighter than you anyway."

The last pinecone vehemently hit the fire with enough force to send a shower of sparks all over the skinny man.

In accordance to all narrative laws of nature, it exploded.

***

Marluxia sat down, somewhat gingerly, on the fallen tree-trunk that served as the clearing's northern boundary. Studiously ignoring the two elders present and at least trying to tune out the muffled shrieks from the other neophytes by the fire he sank into almost meditative contemplation.

The power-balance had shifted, that much was clear, but how much, and in whose favor was harder to tell. Certain venues were closed now, he knew, but a true tactician knew how to adapt, to turn a temporary defeat into future victory.

Lexaeus would pay, certainly, pay the full price for the pain and indignity he had caused. Him and his self-righteous little Schemer-snake both.

It would have to wait, however, wait until the opportune moment presented itself; a moment of carelessness, a glimpse of vulnerability... No one was invincible, even the strongest had their weaknesses.

He could wait. The time would come.

He unconsciously rubbed at his chest with a frown. It was… disconcerting how hard it was to keep up even hate, revulsion or resentment. All these things he wished to feel, but had to actively focus on to even remember he ought to be feeling.

Worse, he couldn't even truly be genuinely annoyed at the fact without that same effort.

Wanting to hate with every fiber of his non-being, yet simply not having the energy to sustain the emotion for long, constantly falling back into vague, washed-out discontentment...

Is this how he felt, all this time?

He mentally kicked himself for getting side-tracked and concentrated again at the matters at hand.

There would be no seizure of power by force, at least not soon. How the imbeciles imagined anything productive would ever be accomplished if reckless clowns like Axel or Larxene were let into the chain of command he couldn't fathom. Not to mention that the elders had all the wilderness survival skills of crippled lab-rats.

Ignorant fools!

In time they were bound to come beg for his guidance, provided they survived that long. He could only hope they wouldn't drag everyone down with them once they took the inevitable fall.

Damn them!

Damn them all.

***

Hissing the foulest curses she'd picked up throughout the worlds Larxene furiously jumped around, batting at her smoldering coat with both hands. Red-hot sticky resin clung to the hem and smeared over her gloves and sleeves as she tried to flick at it, leaving the sleek black leather stained, torn and scorched.

Axel had had the foresight, or possibly more fire-resistant clothes, to keep the sparks at bay and had escaped the small outburst unharmed aside from a slightly soot-stained face. He grinned widely at her, a crescent of stark white teeth against soot-black skin.

" Told you."

He stood and stretched theatrically, then killed the remaining tongues of flame licking at her robes with a snap of his fingers, still smirking.

She gave him a hard slap across the face for good measure.

" Thanks."

" Bitch!"

As he sulkily rubbed his cheek she examined her clothes for damage control. The edges of hem and sleeves hung in tattered rags, stinking of smoke and burnt leather.

" Well, damn."

Muttering Axel strode past her, still massaging his cheek pitifully. Men.

" I'll go wash off. And if you shock the water I'll set your hair on fire in your sleep."

She stuck her tongue out at his back, then returned her attention to her ruined coat. Out here it'd be impossible to get a replacement.

Well, fuck.

Maybe she could carve a few inches off of Vexen's coat when he slept to repair it with; it wasn't as though he really needed those ungainly swooshy robes reaching all the way down to the ground anyway.

She sighed and let her tattered sleeve fall back by her side since there was nothing to do about it at the moment anyway.

Kicking some wet leaves at the ill-mannered fire she looked around the clearing for less flammable entertainment.

Her eyes fell on Marluxia who sat perched with princely grace on his log, apparently lost in deep thought.

It would seem he had sunk into one of his Moods; she couldn't remember seeing one this bad since she first met him, restless and spiteful, before Oblivion. No-one could suffer such refined melancholy as the Graceful Assassin; you could practically hear the weeping violins just looking at him.

Obviously the man was in need of some cheering up, and being the sympathetic and kind-hearted woman she was, she naturally had to help out.

With a wicked grin she made her way around the muddy campsite to lean against the trunk beside him, teasingly blowing hot air in his ear.

Abruptly torn from his reverie he gave her a sidelong glance, slowly arching an elegant eyebrow.

" Interesting fashion statement. Have you been playing with fire again?"

She snorted and leaned back on her elbows against the tree-trunk beside him.

" Exploding pinecone. I was aiming for Axel."

A wan smile touched his lips.

" An intriguing tale, I'm sure. Although one could argue perhaps fire would not be the very cleverest way of harassing a fire-elemental."

She shrugged slightly.

" It seemed like a good idea at the time. Maybe next time I'll just use a kunai."

" Hm."

There was a slightly distant look in his blue eyes, a troubled angle to his eyebrows. She studied him thoughtfully, then poked him irreverently in the side.

" A munny for your thoughts."

He focused on her again, as though slightly surprised to see her still standing there, then shook his head.

" It's... nothing. Just many things to contemplate. Our grand plans didn't quite work out as intended."

There was a slight wry self-irony to his smile now, and she liked it. Gloomy, brooding Marluxia was no fun. Charismatic Marluxia painting visions of carnage, conquest and power was much more to her liking. She discarded her ruined gloves and slid her fingers through his slightly damp hair, clawing affectionately at his scalp.

" You could say that. I seem to recall you promising I'd have half the elders on a leash by now. Yet here I am, rained-on, burnt and hungry - and in utter lack of enslaved enemies at that. You've got some making-up to do."

She smiled sweetly, scratching slightly at the back of his neck. He closed his eyes, leaning into the touch.

" I suppose a 'sorry' won't cut it..?"

" Mm-mm," she agreed. " Not at all."

He sighed slightly, but the frown was gone and his tense posture had changed to the more relaxed but careful attitude he usually sported when near her.

" You look quite awful," she pointed out. He made a face.

" It's been a trying day."

She grinned and nipped at his ear, massaging his shoulders.

" Luckily I know just the thing to make you feel all better. And quite conveniently, it's just the thing to make me feel better, too."

He finally looked straight at her, a quite genuine smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

" What an extraordinary coincidence indeed."

She caught that quirky little smile in a deceivingly chaste kiss.

" I know, isn't it?"

She straightened and put a hand on her hip, tossing her head in the direction of the deserted forest downstream.

" You coming?"

Casting a thoughtful glance over his shoulder at the other occupants of the glade he hesitated, an inscrutable expression flickering across his face. Then he stood, elegant as always, flicking rosy hair out of his face.

" Well. Why not?"

From the forest, unreadable green eyes watched them leave.