Xigbar stood with me in the center of the Round Room; the design of the platform resembled, almost, a double-sided axe connected to a cross. The other members sat perched in their chairs, towering above us like self-styled gods. Nearly all of them were hooded.
"A new member?" muttered the only one with his hood down, his voice clear despite the distance between us. His hair was the color of cardinals, and from where I stood his eyes were pinpricks of color.
Xigbar shook his head. "Says he doesn't want to be an actual member." This caused his comrades to glance at each other, maybe surprised, maybe disapproving. "He'll work for us just like any of you would, but he doesn't want a rank or title."
The evident leader considered me from his tall throne. "What is your name?"
"Draxci," I answered.
I had the sense that I passed some kind of test when he intoned, "Welcome to the Organization, Draxci." Then, in a more normal voice: "You have the rest of the day to acclimate yourself; report to SaŃ—x first thing tomorrow for your tasks. Dismissed."
Most of the seven seated opened circles of Darkness and departed without another word, but one stepped out onto the dais to join us. It was the redhead. "Huh," he said, peering at me closely, "I don't think we have any cloaks small enough to fit you."
"I take offense to that," I said mildly.
"No, you don't," he disagreed with the calm decisiveness that comes with knowing that you are right, and, also knowing that he was right, I didn't argue with him. "I'm Axel. Got it memorized?"
Xigbar snickered. "As if!"
I felt inclined to agree, if only to be contrary. Axel was relatively likeable, but exactly what kind of person teases someone before bothering to introduce themselves?
"You aren't his spokesperson, so shut your yap," said Axel lightly. "It's an easy enough name to remember."
"I don't know about that," I said seriously. "It isn't very distinctive like Xigbar, or all that common... What was it, again? Apple?"
That, combined with Axel's groan, made Xigbar laugh again. Axel glared at him and then at me. It made me think that no one had ever jokingly mistaken his name as something else before. "Well, at least Apple's better than Draxci." I looked at him blankly until he said, exasperated, "What are you, a zombie?"
"Yes," I replied, thinking it an apt description, "but I prefer the term 'reanimated'."
"Very sophisticated," Xigbar said approvingly. "You're one classy undead." I thanked him. "Hey, Axel, make sure he gets back to his room alright. I've got a mission I've been avoiding for a while, and if I wait any longer, Xemnas is gonna bite my head off."
Axel made a face. "Yeah, okay, as long as I don't have to hold his hand on the way there."
"I can order you to do that," Xigbar pointed out mock-threateningly.
Axel threw his hands up in surrender. "Alright, alright, I get it. Just go do your mission already, old man."
"Still young enough to kick your ass!" reminded Xigbar, summoning a portal, and he left with a final chuckle.
I turned back to Axel. "Can everyone do that?"
He looked startled and a little offended before he realized that I was talking about the portal, not Xigbar's comment. "Oh, yeah. I might as well show you how."