"I must admit... this is turning out better than I expected." Vexen looked over and up at Lexaeus with a sly smile, the Silent Hero regarding Zexion with doubt etched in his stony features. The smaller Nobody returned his gaze calmly, and he shook his head with a sigh.
"If this goes poorly, Zexion is going to be the one to take the brunt of it, you do realize this?" He said, and Vexen waved a hand dismissively, shrugging.
"I'll take the fall for it, it was, after all, my idea. I don't see how we can go wrong, though... it's working exactly as I intended it to." Vexen ran his fingers through his pale hair, leaning back against the wall and gazing at Saix' closed door with a smirk.
Lexaeus looked again at Zexion, who simply returned his gaze calmly once more, then looked towards the door himself.
"Your plans never go exactly right, though." He rumbled, Vexen making an indignant noise.
"Don't rain on our parade, Lexaeus... you have just as much to lose or gain as the rest of us depending on the outcome of this." Number IV hissed, and Lexaeus nodded reluctantly in agreement.
"Congregatin' in the hallway?" A voice from above said, Xigbar's torso sliding half out of the ceiling above them. Vexen looked up, having the grace to let a touch of nervousness dance across his features before smoothing them over once more. Lexaeus and Zexion exchanged a glance, Zexion keeping silent as he concentrated on the illusion he was weaving within the room, with Saix and Demyx. "Am I missing out on something fun?"
Dropping out of the ceiling to land beside Vexen, Xigbar looped his arm around the other man's slender shoulders, grinning around at all of them. Lexaeus looked at Vexen expectantly, the Chilly Academic letting out a laugh that was just a bit too high pitched.
"Well... you see, Xigbar..." He began.
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Demyx watched Saix for a moment longer, then turned back to the wall, shimmying around it while attempting to find the missing door, muttering to himself the entire time. He glanced over his shoulder a few times, seeing Saix still standing in the middle of the room and staring upwards, hoping that he had enough time to find the edge of the illusion and unravel it. It wasn't much of an illusion, either...
Perhaps that's why he wasn't able to find the edge. Not much of an illusion meant that it wouldn't take too much concentration to make it flawless... Zexion was really good at this sort of thing.
A soft hissing noise came from about two feet behind his right shoulder, and Demyx stiffened, not daring to look. He closed his eyes slowly, hands clenching into fists, then he just as slowly turned, raising his head up to face Saix, who was now looming over him.
The other man's face was fierce... his nose had curled up and his teeth had elongated, bared by the snarl that twisted his features. His eyes were blazing, all one solid shade of brilliant gold. His claws seemed longer, sharper, and Demyx let out a soft noise as he reached forward to gather the front of the boy's coat in one hand.
"Saix... Saix! Saix! Snap out of it, Saix! C'mon! It's not real, it's an illusion!" He cried, Saix lifting him easily from the floor and slamming his back against the wall behind him. Demyx gasped, squinting one eye closed. "You're stronger than this, Saix! Don't give in to it! C-c'mon!"
A growl rippled forth from Saix' throat, and he leaned forward towards the other boy, who squeezed his eyes shut and waited for the anticipated strike.
........................................................................................................................................................................
"So, you're trying to play another one of your pranks on Number VII?" Xigbar squinted his good eye at Vexen, both hands laced behind his head. Vexen shrugged a little in answer, and Xigbar snorted. "You're pretty brave dude."
"Yes, well... it's all in the name of science, and if all goes well, all our troubles with Saix will be over, don't you agree?" Vexen offered him a grin, and Xigbar nodded, grunting in affirmation.
"Still... can't believe you managed to sucker someone into going in there with him... who would be stupid enough to fall for a trick like that?" The scarred Nobody grinned impishly, Lexaeus raising a hand to rub at his face. Xigbar missed the gesture, seeing as the Silent Hero was standing behind him, but Zexion didn't, his eyes flickering from Lexaeus to Xigbar to Vexen and finally to the door, his slender shoulders slumping slightly.
Vexen let out a soft laugh, looking towards the door himself.
"Yes... well, about that..." He said in a low voice, Xigbar making a sound of confusion over his actions. They stood in silence for a long moment, the look on Xigbar's face slowly becoming dangerous as realization dawned on him. He looked towards Zexion, pointing a finger at him, then one of his guns appeared in his hand.
"... you..." He growled, Vexen making a noise of distress. Zexion met Xigbar's gaze, then looked towards Vexen, who's head snapped back and forth between the two of them rapidly. "You had better stop... you had better stop now, little dude." Xigbar continued, taking a step towards Zexion. "Or there won't be enough of you LEFT for Xemnas to punish..."
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Instead of feeling Saix' teeth tear into his neck, Demyx felt him nuzzle his face close to his warm skin and inhale his scent deeply, a groan escaping him, as deep as the growl had been. He blinked a few times in confusion, then Saix' ran his tongue up the side of Demyx' neck, making the boy squeak in protest.
"W-w-what are you doing? S-saix!" Demyx' voice was shrill, and he squirmed slightly to try and get away from the other Nobody, the action not helping in the slightest. In fact, he got the distinct feeling it had the opposite effect.
Groaning again, Saix bit his ear, then lowered him so his feet were touching the ground. The Luna Diviner's eyes were half closed still, and Demyx let out a cry of alarm when his coat was twisted and torn away from him a little too easily. Discarding the cumbersome fabric, Saix ran his fingers and claws down Demyx' bare chest, hissing out a breath as he pressed himself close. He buried one hand in Demyx' hair, jerking his head back, then any further protests were buried as his mouth closed over the other boy's.
