I'd purposefully left the lights off in the lab for two reasons - firstly, I was tired and figured watching a comatose man was as good a time to get some free sleep as any; second because, frankly, the room -and its lifeless inhabitants -creep the hell out of me. There's no real explanation or anything - I just hate seeing half-dead people in cylinders of glowing green liquid.
I wasn't really asleep when my watch ended; just daydreaming a little. Anyway, Xigbar came at eleven o'clock sharp to relieve me of my duties - something I was happy to do so. There was a small amount of vaguely polite conversation, then I gladly left the damned place to return to my garden.
I think I should explain what's going on here. Two weeks ago, Vexen accidentally altered his DNA in some random experiment to try... well, I don't know, whatever the hell that man does down in his basements.
The idiot managed to turn himself into a freaking cat. He didn't even realise it at first, since the change happened gradually, and neither did we seeing as he hardly ever comes out of his damn lab. It began with all the small things - creepy yellow cat eyes, claws, that sort of thing. I ended up training with him a couple of days after he did it, and damn, his reflexes had got good. Then after about a week, his appearance began to significantly change - have I mentioned how ridiculous the scientist looked with cat ears and a tail?
It wasn't just how he looked that changed, he started to get a lot, well, cattier. Really snappy sometimes, then other times creepily friendly. It was funny at first, watching him make a complete fool out of himself. Larxene once filmed him leaping across the dinner table to try and catch a fly right at the other end, but then falling off onto a really surprised Xemnas.
It didn't really occur to me that he might not have been able to get his old personality back as he became more and more feline.
The superior eventually twigged what was going on and froze him in one of those creepy life support cylinders. Everything's been a bit busy recently so I don't exactly know what's going on, but Lexaeus and Zexion are working with a few of his replicas to restore his personality. But until then, we have to make sure he doesn't wake up because then even more of his former self will get lost. Why the hell Xemnas couldn't set up something on the intercoms to watch over him I don't know either, but Larxene "helpfully" volunteered me to do shifts watching the scientist. Bitch.
Nobody likes Vexen, why the hell keep him? He's useless.
Because apparently he found some way to get our hearts back without using Kingdom Hearts. But he ripped up the journal that he put all his notes in so now nobody knows except him. If he can even remember.
I'm in my garden when Xigbar appears. He needs me to come and give Vexen another injection; this time Zexion managed to extract some memories or something from one of the Replexens and it might help Vexen to remember and Lexaeus thinks he can pause the DNA changes. However to actually give it to him properly we need to wake him up.
Xigbar's a scientist too, even if he doesn't act like it. Hell if I know anything about the damn machines, I'm just here to give Vexen the jab because for some reason I'm the only person he'll really let near him now. Anyway, II drains the cylinder and pulls Vexen out whilst he's still delirious. We wait for him to be fully awake. Xigbar excuses himself to go talk to Lexaeus.
Vexen murmurs my name, barely. It's more like a strange sounding meow. He tries to wriggle closer to me but he's still too weak and I scoot out of the way in good time. I wait for a few more minutes and then give him his injection. He passes out for a few minutes, and it must have worked because some of the fur disappears from his face, arms and legs. His body also becomes slightly more... human, I guess. The jab's also supposed to have paused the whole DNA thing so we can have Vexen up and about whilst we're fixing his personality.
"Marluxia..." Vexen says, actually able to speak at least somewhat properly now. Great. Xigbar's left me with the crazy cat thing. He rolls over onto his hands and knees and tries to get closer to me. I'm running out of space to scoot out of the way. I consider portaling the hell out of here but I can't leave Vexen alone.
He pulls his body weakly onto my lap before I can move. He's freezing. I pull the sheets from the bed over him, merely because the elder members would screw if he gets ill or dies, and he settles down on me even more. I lean against the wall and close my eyes, trying to think of anything except the creature lying on my lap.
My hands wander to his hair; it's the same greasy blonde as ever.
Actually, it's not particularly greasy at all given the time it must have gone without being washed. It feels surprisingly soft and silky underneath my fingertips.
The irony rings clear in my mind watching the once-proud man now lying on my lap, purring.
He'd better be okay.
Because I want my heart back. That's the only reason why.
Why do those words sound so hollow in my head?