Xion awoke still drowsy from the night before. She hadn't gotten much sleep and honestly, she hadn't planned on sleeping at all. It was sleep that had taken her away from the thoroughly engaging reports of a certain blond-haired Nobody. Cursing the lateness of the hour she had stumbled upon his notes, she decided that she would have to ask Axel about some things later…
On the other hand, aforementioned Nobody had probably noticed the absence of his item by now, and Xion assumed he'd be somewhat worried of its disappearance. Xemnas had ordered him to write the reports, and she supposed it was only logical not losing them was part of the whole assignment. Groaning, the girl arose from her bed, yawning and stretching for a moment, and then proceeded to the Grey Area, having already been dressed in her coat from the night before.
Lethargically, she made her way down the hallway, only to find herself colliding with another member of the organization. A spiky blond mop covered her vision.
"Ah! Xion!" A familiar voice said frantically, "Have you seen my reports? I swear I had them yesterday but then, when I sat down to write last night I-" Xion blinked, still in a daze from the abrupt impact. "I couldn't find them."
The light from Kingdom Hearts in the sky shone through the windows of seemingly archaic design, enough to allow the stunned girl to make out her friends worried expression. She felt the slightest hint of guilt from the emotion in his eyes, but she had regained enough sense to form a reply.
"Actually…" She began, rubbing the sore spot on her head, "Are you referring to this?" Roxas's eyes lit up as she took the notebook from her inventory and waved it in front of him.
"Where did you find it? I've been looking the whole morning!" He smiled widely. "Thanks Xion, you're the best."
"Also..." She started, but it seemed Roxas was paying her no mind, as he began to inspect the state of his notes. She began a little louder, causing him to cease his examination and look at her.
"What is it, Xion?"
"…Could you get off me?" Roxas realized he still hadn't allowed her to recover from their earlier collision. He had virtually pinned her down unconsciously in his interrogation, his arms and legs straddling her body in what could be confused with an aggressive advance. Oblivious to the implications that could be brought forward from his actions, he offered an almost cursory apology, and ran off. Pouting, she walked briskly after him. She hadn't wanted to relinquish possession of the book so soon. She hadn't even finished reading it yet!
As she entered the Grey Area, she lowered her head, and advanced towards the center of the room. She felt a hand pat her on the back, and she glanced to her right to see a familiar fiery color. "It looks like I'm paired with you today. We're on an investigation mission in the Beasts castle. Saix says there are reports of what could be more heartless action. Got it memorized?" Xion nodded, and opened up a dark corridor. She was glad that Axel had saved her from having to confront the blue-haired Nobody, but this also opened up the opportunity for some questions to be answered. "Hey, Axel…" She began, her mouth curling into a curious grin.
Roxas lamented missions in Agrabah with great passion. The heat was overwhelming at times, especially in their mandatory uniform of a thick, black coat, which covered every inch of his already burning skin, and sandy dunes made progress delayed and tiresome. Like every other day, the Sun burned with fervor, unobscured by any clouds. The lack of moisture in the desert kept cloud cover to a minimum: a fact that Roxas noted with increasing ire. Having Demyx accompanying him was a mix of boon and bane, as his aquatic abilities and cheerful air lightened the strain, even if it was slight, while on the other hand it meant double the work for the younger Nobody.
Grunting as he landed awkwardly atop one of the buildings in the city, Roxas surveyed the area for more Heartless. Satisfied that none were left in any of the areas visible from his high vantage point, he began to proceed forward to the next realm of the area, only to hear the whining voice of Demyx call after him.
"Are we done yet Roxas? It's hot here!" The youth complained, as he showered himself with more water, strumming his sitar with one hand and running his fingers through his now damp hair.
"We'd be done faster if you actually helped…" Roxas mumbled, shooting an accusatory glare his partner's direction.
"Well, I'm just… Making sure all the hearts are collected! You know they're only added to Kingdom Hearts if they're destroyed by the Keyblade." It was an excuse he had heard many times before, including earlier on the very same mission, but he wasn't in any mood to argue.
As the last of the creatures were disposed of -no thanks to a certain musician-. Roxas breathed a heavy sigh of relief. He had resulted to drinking potions for hydration when Demyx had disappeared, and as he sat in the shade of a makeshift shelter he had made, he checked the missions status bar, which confirmed that they -or rather, he- had eradicated each and every one of the Heartless in the area; at least for the moment.
In the short period of respite in the otherwise eventful morning, Roxas thoughts were brought to what he would write in his report for this day. Today… I learnt yet again why Demyx is the least favorable mission partner. Of course, he wouldn't actually transcribe such slander, for he knew that the Superior of the In-Between did occasionally check his reports, and despite his distaste for his accompanying member's languor, he didn't need to condemn him to any real punishment, and ultimately himself to a crying Demyx, banging on his door, singing songs begging for forgiveness through the whimpering. He shuddered from the thought alone. He wasn't going to make that mistake again…
I guess I should RTC. Roxas's thoughts then moved on to the much more appealing image of Sea-salt ice-cream: the icing on the cake, as Axel had said. Chuckling inwardly, he thought of the Nobody that had formed his addiction with the sweet, yet salty treat. He searched his pockets for the required three-hundred Munny, and stepped through the Dark Corridor leading to Twilight Town.
"So what was it you wanted to talk about?" The pyro asked, catching his Chakrams lazily as they sliced through the Heartless in front of him.
"Well, I was-" She stopped, realizing she had almost revealed something she shouldn't, "I was… Listening to Demyx singing, and I was wondering about something." She lied. Axel turned to look at her as the last of the beasts vanished in a black cloud of mist. He was unconvinced by such a poorly told lie, but decided it was better to go with it for the time being.
"Only Roxas can stand listening to Demyx singing…" Axel grumbled, inaudibly. He would make sure to mention it later, if it became more relevant. In lieu of pointing out that her deception was, in a word, terrible, he prompted her to continue speaking as he resumed with the mission.
"What is love, Axel?" The older Nobody, although taken aback, thought for a moment before, giving his reply. A strange question… He usually disliked answering such questions, but he had a duty as resident know-at-all.
"That's a pretty difficult question, you know." After a moment in thought, he decided an example was the simplest form of explanation.
"Have you seen the Beast of this castle?" He asked, eyes still focused forward, surveying the area for not only potential heartless spawning area, but also inhabitants of the world. She hadn't, but Xion recalled Roxas's reports:
Xaldin explained the concept of love today. He brought the example of the Beast and the maiden, 'love is a foolish drive to do things for someone whom you feel is significant' or something of that likeness, as the beast protects his damsel without care for his own health. I don't really comprehend as of yet, but maybe understanding will come in the form of a heart.
She stifled a giggle, recalling his overly-formal tone in his writing. She wasn't used to the side of him that wasn't jumping from sugar-highs, and grinning at every sarcastic, offhand comment he could make. She had decided both personas were equally as adorable.
"Yeah."
"Well, have you seen how he treats the human girl specially, compared to his servants?"
"Is that love?" She responded, pupils widening a fraction, and head tilting to the side.
"Kind of. Love is when you care about someone else more than anything. It's kind of hard to explain, since we can't feel it without a heart…" Axel trailed off, concentrating to make sure he wasn't missing observing anything in the dimly lit halls. Xion on the other hand was already completely engaged in his explanation.
"Then, don't I love you and Roxas?" The fiery male allowed his alarm to show on his features.
"Well, love is a bit stronger than that."
He laughed to himself.
"So then, what are the symptoms of love?" She asked, confused as to why that had earned another chuckle from her senior.
"Well, people who are in love do things with each other that friends like us don't."
Noticing her dissatisfied look, he continued: "For example, they have a lot more physical contact, and contact can cause the symptoms to intensify." Xion began to make notes mentally while he spoke. "They also do this thing called kissing and-" He paused. "And they show their affection more openly." He substituted, glad that the weakly-illumined hallway obscured his expression enough to be unreadable. Although omnipresent, the candles across the walls didn't exactly provide optimum lighting, especially at such times of the night. He wasn't exactly prepared to give his female junior the talk. He'd already avoided the same situation with Roxas not long ago…
It was the dark-haired girl's turn to provide much desired clemency, as she chose to overlook his obvious omission of something which could potentially be rather important. She wanted her understanding to be as full as possible, or at the very least, better than Roxas's. Tilting her head slightly, she urged him to carry on.
"So what's kissing?" Sighing inwardly, Axel continued.
"It's a little hard to explain. It's when one of the two lovers presses their lips against another part of their partner's body, generally areas closer to the face, and even their significant other's lips." The girl flinched, raising an eyebrow quizzically.
"Sounds gross. Not to mention unhygienic…"
"Well, Somebodies do strange things for strange reasons."
Xion nodded slowly, trying to take everything in. Her thoughts were disrupted however, by the sudden appearance of a mob of emblem heartless. They appeared to be canine-like creatures, varying in size and color. Honestly, she found them oddly cute, but she wouldn't let her occasional girlish tendencies to obstruct her work. Thus, casting a quick spell, she began her assault on the mass -Axel already having entered the fray, Chakrams blazing with sudden fervor-.
The beasts were bulky and dealt tough blows, but with the combined efforts of both Nobodies, short work was made of their adversaries. Having fully completed the mission, both summoned Dark Corridors, waving a hand in front of them, and found that they had arrived before their expected companion. It was usually he and Axel that initiated conversations, and thus the two sat in silence for a moment, enjoying their sweet and salty bars and the view that was displayed before them. Hoping to draw away from the previous line of conversation, Axel shuffled through his set of random conversational starters.
"I bet you don't know why the sun sets red." He stated, smugly. It was a perfect start: immediately relevant, from the sunset before them, and it allowed him to solidify his position of having superior in knowledge of all things, as well as his personal charisma to reveal itself, yet avoiding an oppressive stance. He was also particularly partial to the color, and gladly accepted association to such an… epic hue. Dominant shades for a dominant man. He smiled in his pride, and at his own narcissism.
"Isn't it because red travels the farthest?" Xion replied nonchalantly, missing the frown which subsequently decorated her clown-like comrade's features. Obviously she wasn't as easily impressed as her male -with want for a better word- counterpart. Catching his ulterior motive, Xion continued; "You know, if you wanted to seem more intelligent-" Axel raised an eyebrow, glancing in her direction. "You could have explained love a little more thoroughly, or does Axel-sensei only act like he knows everything." She allowed her false cynicism to seep through in her tone, in a somewhat rare lapse in her usual, politely naïve character.
"I don't think I've forgotten anything" he lied. She stared at him expectantly.
"W-well…" he stuttered. Guess the jig is up. I suppose it'll be a little longer till Roxas arrives… Hopefully. "Somebodies don't manifest from emptiness, like us. Instead…"
It was an odd transition, moving through Corridors of darkness. The world was suddenly blackened, and a strange texture of thick smog surrounding the body enveloped the traveler, only to be wrest from the matrix at once. It seemed to the traveler as if the world approached them, in spite of the true nature of events. Roxas had thought he would never get used to the sensation; such a disturbing phenomenon that the others seemed to brush off far more easily than he could fathom. Regardless, such petty complaints were soon overcome by the thoughts of lazy afternoons, hunger, and -more importantly- ice-cream.
He hoped he hadn't kept the eighth and fourteenth waiting for too long, for he had been a little slow in mission progress, thanks to the tardiness of the Organizations resident musician. His hopes were dashed as he appeared from around the corner of the clock tower. He found his friends already awaiting his arrival, the elder of the two sitting with a respectable pile of ice-cream sticks behind him (although not a single winner was in sight). Going for a new record perhaps? The reality of the situation was that Axel ate to distract himself.
He rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, contrite, only to notice both held tinges of crimson in their cheeks as they responded to his greeting. Oh no… Had he angered them? Was this day some significant date he, in his absentmindedness, had forgotten? He recalled the number of days that he had been at the organization thus far, he had -as a certain pyro would say- 'got it memorized'. The figure didn't appear significant in the slightest. So what could it be to have both of his close friends so agitated? He searched his mind for possible answers.
Finally, it came to him. Of course! They had eaten too much ice-cream, and were suffering from severe cases of upset stomachs, and most probably afflicted by the dreaded phenomenon known as 'brain-freeze'. He burst into hearty laughter in his relief and newfound mirth, failing to catch a glimpse of the confused expressions of the other two. Eager to move on to a more comfortable topic than she last held, Xion interrupted him first.
"S-so… How was your mission today Roxas?" Immediately his expression turned dark, and the girl wondered whether she had made a mistake in asking such a thing. Had he truly realized what he had narrowly missed hearing? But how? And why laugh..?
"Demyx" the boy seethed, a black aura swirling around him. Axel breathed a sigh of relief, but choked it back out of fear for his life, but the blond-haired Nobody was once again oblivious, too focused on spouting threats and curses on the hypothetical pet belonging to the subject of his ire. The conversation took a lighter tone thereafter, and the group enjoyed each other's company for a while longer, before returning to their respective quarters.
Xion wandered aimlessly around the hallways of the Castle that Never Was. She enjoyed seeing the different shadows cast by the richly designed windows, illuminated by the luster of the heart-shaped moon. Axel's extension in detail on the ever-bewildering subject of human affection had only left her with more questions, not to mention significantly flustered. Who knew an icon of goodness and unity to the Somebodies -plentiful in their literature, she might add- would meet such an… unsettling conclusion.
Still seeking more answers, Xion wondered what the most appropriate next course of action should be. She decided that confronting her seniors was still an option, despite Axel's poor attempts. Perhaps someone more knowledgeable would be called for. She began running through the other members of the organization in her head.
Well, Roxas is a definite no. Larxene? Unapproachable. Marluxia… She shuddered at the thought of asking the flowery character about the details of the equally flowery subject, immediately crossing him out of her list as well. Luxord… Uncertain, the girl made her way towards the gambler's chamber. She knocked, but received no reply. After a short period of patience, she pressed her ear against the wooden door, and heard the elder man speaking to an indeterminable number of others.
"Ha, HA! Fools! This is what you get when you play with fate himself! Hand over the winnings, and I'll expect no substitute elixers from your grubby little hands this time, gentlemen!"
"Not fair-kupo!"
"Monster-kupo!" The familiar clink of munny falling into a jar reached her eardrums.
"Say… How about a double or nothing round-kupo?" Loud laughter caused Xion to wince slightly, and recoil from her position. Deciding it was too risky to enter at this point, she resumed wandering around aimlessly, and continued through her mental list.
Demyx? Wouldn't know better… She paused, skipping the eighth and seventh members. Next comes… Zexion. A safer choice, and although difficult to engage in conversation with, she wanted to say that he had a pleasant personality, but she had never really talked with the man. Nevertheless, he was one she could probably trust to give an adequate answer.
She found the sixth sitting in one of the couches of the grey area, next to the equally silent Lexaeus. As if he could read her intention, the schemer appeared from behind, startling the girl. She looked back to where he had been to find the space empty. "What is it?" he asked, pallid tone matching his placid countenance.
"I-I was wondering," she stuttered, still recovering from the initial shock, "If you could explain what love is?" The man's dark eyes shifted, but his expression remained unreadable.
"How old are you?" Puzzled at the irrelevant appearance of his inquiry, she raised an eyebrow. Still, if she would answer his questions, maybe then he would answer hers. A trade of information seemed fitting for the intellectually inclined bookworm.
"It hasn't been a year since I was introduced to the organization, I think." He shook his head. Sighing, he rephrased:
"How old do you think you are?" She thought for a moment.
"Probably about sixteen." He nodded, pulled a book from what seemed like out of nowhere, and handed it over to her gently. She thanked him for the book, and studied its cover. It was blank, but it appeared to be some sort of textbook. The text felt heavy in her hands, but it seemed to contain a formidable amount of information. Xion gazed blankly at the object in her hands. She felt as if she had acquired some lost tome of incredible significance. As she opened to the first page, she was greeted by a multitude of unfamiliar words. Frowning, she rifled through the pages, stopping at random intervals, only to find she couldn't comprehend most of the text. After a few moments, she found what seemed to be a diagram page. Reading the title, she found that the words were still as foreign to her as the others she had read. What the hell is… The innocent youth glanced over to the images…
Xion snapped the book shut, her cheeks burning a red rivalling the intensity of the twilight she had viewed hours earlier. I-I don't think… I'm ready for this yet… With pictures she'd rather not have seen burned freshly into her memory, she ran off, depositing the book deep into one of her drawers, before venturing forth on her quest once again, slightly deterred by her more recent findings.
Lexaeus isn't called the Silent Hero for nothing… Vexen…
No.
I've already seen Xaldin's response to Roxas, so that leaves…
It dawned on her that she had been missing the most obvious answer for the longest time. A slimy topic would be grasped most clearly by an equally slimy individual, and there was no other member more Licentious than he.
Xion stopped outside the door with the silver 'II' mounted upon its frame and knocked hesitantly. A few seconds later, the familiar scar-faced senior appeared in the doorway, his eye-patch secure in covering his wounded eye, and his unique, disturbing swagger filled the air, leaving one feeling somewhat violated.
"Poppet!" He called, grinning. "To what do I owe this pleasure?" Sarcasm dripped from his words. I held my final hopes in this? She thought, forcing herself not to cringe. She explained for the umpteenth time, as the crafty nihilist's grin grew greater, mirroring the mannerisms of a certain Cheshire Cat. Finally, he spoke, his tone like that of a swindler sweet-talking his next victim: sickeningly casual.
"You know, I always wondered if younger Nobodies still went through puberty, and I guess now I know." He laughed to himself, and continued, gears spinning rapidly in his mind as he set his next prank into action. "Well, the best way to understand these things…" He paused, probably for dramatic affect. "Is experience."
"I thought we don't have hearts though?"
"That's right, we don't. But you can emulate the sensation. Probably." She wasn't sure if he blinked or winked, as he turned and shut the door behind him, cackling…
Biting on the end of pens was a habit that Roxas had discovered only recently. It wasn't that such an action had manifested only recently, but in fact that it seemed he had done it so much it had become second nature.
Ignoring the perplexing tendency, he focused on his current task of making a comparatively uneventful day seem highly productive, through the use of florid diction. He felt confident in his ability to weave words so that they sounded as if they were of professional opinion, and as a result, found himself enjoying the writing process. While he agonized over whether proper grammar called for 'who' or 'whom' in this certain case, it vaguely registered that someone had knocked on the door. Sitting up from his lying position on his bed, he bid them to enter. A familiar figure slowly made her way into his room.
"Xion! What is it?" He said, gesturing for her to sit next to him. She obliged, but remained silent.
"Xion?" She studied his expression, and tried to recall what Axel had said in his initial explanation.
"They have a lot more physical contact…"
Still in muteness, she moved over closer, and embraced him. Startled, the boy almost pushed her away.
"What's wrong, Xion?" Pulling back slightly, she looked him in the eye.
"They also do this thing called kissing…"
Suddenly, she felt a burning sensation in her chest and -unsure of what to do- she rested her hands lightly on his waist. Where did this feeling come from. Xion decided it didn't really matter at this point. It was such a strange thought, gnawing at the back of her mind that told her to throw herself upon him that moment.
"Are you ill?" The youth asked innocently. "Do you have a fever?" He pressed his forehead against hers, to check for a temperature. He was close, far too close. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn that he was trying to tempt her. The idea of closing the distance between them was as tantalizing as it was insidious; a dangerous combination. He was about to move away, and the girl figured that she wouldn't find the courage she had mustered up to this point again. So lost in indecision, she didn't hear the footsteps in the corridor stop outside the thirteenth's room…