verisimilitude
22. lock ( e nomine – das omen )
He can't control his mouth – that's the way he's always been. He says what he thinks, and that's something Larxene likes, who says pretty lies that infuriate the other members.
He blurts, he stutters, he stumbles… he's never been one for keeping a secret. He hints at a secret and says the wrong thing, even if he doesn't tell the whole of his secret – it's sometimes partially revealed.
And really, that's okay. Larxene grins. She can use that, manipulate it and spread rumours.
Since Demyx can't keep his mouth shut, rifts are easily formed, and no one has the heart to take him for a fool, no one has the heart to believe them. Words spread quickly, and chaos is created, Larxene's desired effect gained, and she grins, two poisonous red leaves curling into a feral smile.
Success.
Yet, for all those secrets, and failing to contain everything under lock and keep… he can maintain his silence about what happens in the bedroom, grinning when the time comes.
ix
36. see that girl ( crystal kay – konna ni chikako de )
"Demyx, you are such a pervert."
"Oh, I'm the pervert… so why are you joining me, Axel?"
"You know, bored and stuff – that and wondering why you're here in Castle Oblivion?"
"Shh! We're nearly there. We need to be covertly quiet. This is a top secret mission."
"From her or from all the other big boys who want to see Larxene in the shower, monsieur peeping tom?"
"You have a terrible accent."
"And your voice is too nasal. What are ya gonna do about it?"
"Nothing. Come on, already – she's nearly done with—"
"… Dem, who set you up to this?"
"Luxord and Xigbar. Dare. Lost at cards. Stupid? I know, but I was bored."
"Can't blame you, already done it."
"What was your task?"
"Seeing if the Superior wore any underwear – you don't want to know the story or the outcome – we want to see Larxene naked. Now."
"Right. Let's do this."
—
"Zap! … Axel? Demyx? What the hell are you trying to do!"
"Aw, crap. We're caught."
"When I tell you, oh beautiful vixen, Larxene, just remember: it was Axel's idea, not mine."
ix
93. pages of music ( asian kung fu generation – rewrite )
She would always be unexplored territory. She would be untouched, like crisp pages of music, unwritten within the brilliant mind of the master musician, never left to dust, but there, fresh and new and waiting for drops of ink to be spilled onto the blank canvas.
Nothing could be erased from her palette, and blood could not stain her pretty face, batted in flirtatious manners of thick eyelashes.
So she danced and she threw her dainty weapons with the flick of her wrist, and while he struggled with difficulty, trying to maintain the rhythm – going back, erasing, moving forward, rewriting to try and achieve perfection.
But she was not a masterpiece, and he would never be able to find the beat of her heart within the notes of her echoed footsteps.
ix
106. rubber ducky ( l'arc en ciel – ready steady go )
Bath times were always fun.
Mainly because Larxene had made a compromise with Demyx – if he could have a rubber ducky in the bath, then she could have bubbles and other floral bathroom essentials. Demyx wondered if this was just to satisfy the 'Nymph' part of her, but wisely never said anything.
It was kinda cool, too; since Demyx could control water, and hilariously, he could control bubbles too (having a molecular structure comprised of water) he could make them float and stay on her hair, while not popping. The rubber duck was evil, however. And Larxene did not like it, one bit. Sure, she could ignore it while there were make out sessions, (and further activities), and by that time, the voyeuristic ducky had been thrown out of the bath and the bubbles had long since gone…
Like he said, bath times were always fun.
ix
74. scream (okiayu ryoutaro & orikasa fumiko – listen to one story )
A Barney video. Duct tape. Hand cuffs. Cheese sandwiches.
And a naked Axel to top if off. On her bed. Incidentally, he was making various sexual poses, draped in flowers and garments, trying to encourage a ménage à trois.
"… what the hell?"
Demyx looked smug. "This is how we take over the Organization."
"And Axel?"
"Oh, he tagged along. Now, he's been a good friend, so I say he doesn't get it as bad as the other lot."
"Okay…" Larxene took a deep breath. "Explain it to me: nice and slow."
Demyx rubbed his hands, glee shining in his eyes. Axel took this as an opportunity to make another pose from the Karma Sutra.
"We handcuff—"
"Kinky." Axel purred.
"—each and every member, excluding us to a chair. Put duct tape on their eyes to prevent them from shutting them. And then let them watch Barney over and over again. It might be terribly sad and oh so woefully depressingly happy – but it'll break them since it'll be on automatic rewind and will slowly deteriorate their hope. And we'll convince them to let us rule. And we'll live happily ever after, rulers of Organization XII."
"Dem, there's a lot of unexplained stuff in that brilliant plan of yours. Say – how exactly do we get them on a chair? And, how will handcuffs not prevent them from escaping?"
"Well, I'll admit there's a lot of unresolved matter, but, I'm sure we'll think of something. We always do. That's why we have Axel. We can test him with this plan. And hey, he could join us."
"In getting laid?" Axel waggled his eyebrows, suggestive.
Larxene could have screamed. Maybe she should have gone to Marluxia instead. These two were insufferable!
"No Axel." Larxene gave him a tight smile, approaching his naked body. "You're going to be our dummy. To see if all this… stuff can break you."
"Oh, crap." It was extraordinarily hilarious to see how fast Axel could in fact become pale than his usual skin colour. But! It was too late. The naked Axel had been handcuffed to the bed.
But something was missing…
"What about the sandwiches?" Larxene asked, wondering how they could be part of the thoroughly explained plan.
Demyx shrugged, offhandedly saying. "Oh, them… yeah. I'm hungry. Wouldn't you be after developing this ingenious plan?"
ix
43. killjoy ( kaneda tomoko – every fight )
… it's a habit. She's sadistic. It comes to reason that she'll do it.
She'll wipe the floor with his back, stain the windows with his blood, and break his sitar when he's in a particular happy mood. She'll crush every little thing that seems to be giving him optimism and wear that stupid grin on his face.
She will kill every human, every existence, every thing that gives him a small semblance of joy.
She'll punch, smash, kill, bite, tear, rip and electrocute him – just for the cheerful sparkle in his pretty, pretty eyes.
He annoys her, and she seethes in his presence.
(Axel mutters that she's a schoolboy, pulling Demyx's pigtails.)
Oh. It's not personal. She assures the crestfallen look on his face.
It's just jealousy.
ix
30. experiment ( kosuke toriumi – science show )
Everybody knows that they shouldn't go down into the science labs. Especially if that person is Demyx, number nine of the elite Organization.
But then, he has been known for breaking rules and expectations… to fulfil his… curiosity.
However, as he surveys the white labs, clean and tidy with test-tubes and various equations, there isn't a lot of interest in the air. No mysterious do not touch, or any other form of variant, such as eat, use in special occasions, spill in Saïx cup of tea—nothing!
… although there was a motto for the day, and task arrangements for the geeky scientists.
"Gee, Zexion always says that this place is wonderful…" Pouting, he looks at unethical stuff – corpses, bodies, rats, floating hearts and the labels that show intricately made instructions. "I don't see what's so great about it."
His hand lingers on the objects he passes – wiping dust away and leaving a trail.
"Hey, lullaby." A sharp voice shocks him, unconsciously making him grab the nearest test tube – and, as he twirls to the direction of the voice behind him, his grip loosens…
… letting the unnamed test-tube break and the contents spill on her flat yellow hair.
"Wow." He notes. "You have a really hard head."
"Never mind about that." Larxene growls, her gloved hand trying to pull at the liquid on her hair and the shards of glass. "What did you just throw at me?"
"Um…" He looks, and finds no label, of any sort. Just a word – experimental.
Damn. Not even the scientist knew!
"… something not fatal?" He offers her a weak smile.
"All I was meant to do was tell you that we're having a meeting. Not get something not fatal in my hair! What if I go bald, idiot? I'm not a frickin' skinhead!"
"… I'm really sorry."
"Yeah, well, you don't sound like it." She gruffly says, smoothing her hair, attempting to make the best of a spoiled hair style. She scowls. "I'll ask the elders to help me – see if they can concoct a solution or something."
"Er." He makes a mental note to stay away from her for a few days. "Let's just go to the meeting."
And unbeknownst to Larxene, her hair begins to lighten, and mutate and rise to form antennas.
After all, crazy people have hairstyles born from experiments that have gone wrong. Larxene is no exception.
ix
4. notion ( sakamoto chika – kaze no uta )
She feels light-headed at the concept, ridiculously silly and giggly. It must be Demyx's influence. He's made her… loose and relaxed. Not that's a bad thing, she thinks as she watches him move energetically about, exercising the mouth that she would so desperately like to kiss at the moment.
"… I totally would!" She tries to tune in and blinks.
"Wait. Say that again."
"If the moon really was made out of cheese, I would eat it."
… and maybe the notion of punching his face for his stupidity sounds more reasonable than kissing him.
Of course, she giggles as she takes him by surprise. His fault, obviously.
ix
28. bluebells ( hikari sasuhou – back on )
He puts bluebells on her grave. They're nice flowers, he thinks, as he sprinkles just enough to see them grow and bloom before him, the petals outstretched. They remind him of the colour of her eyes.
And their shape is reminiscent of her voice, pealing out taunts as easily as opening an orange, shredded into pieces.
The way the flowers hang their head – low and ashamed, downcast while swaying in the wind and rain – is just another reminder of how Larxene victimized people, making them so sick and disgusted and horrified with each other that they are unable to look at anyone in the eye.
She looks fragile, just like that flower, but within lay a strength that no one could fathom.
He scratches the back of his head, wondering if he really should have made a memorial, with a single flower to say goodbye.
Because Larxene won't remember him, and that flower will not remember who had planted it there.
