A cold damp mist hung all throughout the air outside the mansion. Somewhere deep in the Woods, crickets chirped. An owl hooted as it perched atop a tree branch, its large yellow eyes blinking open and close.
Standing in front of the black iron gates outside the boundaries of the old mansion's premises was a tall man with a muscular frame. He wore a long black militaristic-looking double-breasted overcoat that extended all the way down to his calves. His head and face was hidden deep beneath the hood of his coat. His arms were crossed over his chest as he tried to keep himself warm in the coolness of the outdoors.
The sound of branches crackling and crunching made the man's head perk. He turned his attention towards the direction of the mass of trees and bushes behind him. From the undergrowth emerged two tall figures. They too, were dressed in the same black coat and their faces were hidden underneath the hoods of their coats.
"It's about time you two arrived," said the man standing by the gates to the two arriving figures.
"We were doing reconnaissance," replied another voice accented with Received Pronunciation.
"Yeah, what he said," added the relaxed, casual, and cocky voice of the second figure.
"How did you two lads fare?" asked the burly hooded man.
"Quite well," answered the first figure. "We were met with some resistance again but we overtook them quickly."
The second figure cackled. "How pathetic."
"So, what's going on in here?"
"Marluxia's gone inside the mansion," replied the burly man. "All I am doing is waiting for his return."
"How long has it been since he entered the premises?" inquired the first figure.
"About ten minutes," answered the burly man.
"Did he locate our target?"
"Goodness knows."
"Xaldin!" called out a voice from behind.
The three hooded men turned around. A fourth man, dressed identically as them, appeared in a burst of black swirling dark tendrils and thorns. Slung over his shoulder was the limp and inert body of a slender young woman with long blue hair and a matching blue dress. A blindfold was tied around her face, covering her eyes, and her mouth was gagged. Cords were tied all around her body, and her hands were bound behind her.
"What's that you've got there, Marluxia?" asked the burly man.
"I found our target," the fourth man responded in a deep and calm voice. "Just as the Superior wanted."
The burly man walked over to the fourth figure and looked critically at the young bluenette hanging limply over his shoulder. Beneath his hood, he frowned. "Foolish wench," the burly man said with a growl. "She'll have her comeuppance for poking her nose in spaces where it shouldn't be in."
"How the devil did she find out how to gain access to the basement?" asked the first figure. "Only the Organization knows how to access the basement and its areas."
"Perhaps we have a traitor amongst our ranks," suggested the second figure with a sinister grin beneath his hood.
"Preposterous, Xigbar! We all know that it is a death sentence to commit treason against the Organization," said the fourth figure.
"Whatever the reason may be," said the burly figure, "we must take her back with us as instructed. The Superior will decide what to do with her once we return."
The burly man raised his arm up in front of him. A burst of darkness and thorns materialized before him at his command. "We had better return to the castle. His Lordship is waiting for us."
…
The pitch black sky was void of any stars. Where there should have been a moon, there was simply emptiness, save for a spot in the center of the sky that faintly glowed in a dim shade of dark blue.
In the Altar of Naught, the silver haired man's deep amber eyes stared out into the dark expanse of obscurity. He wore a black double-breasted frock coat that was buttoned closed over a white collared shirt, a silk dark copper brown vest, and a silk cravat around his neck in the darkest shade of brown. He wore black pants and matching black dress shoes. Black leather gloves covered his hands up to his wrists. A pair of bangs made up of his smooth argent hair fell over his brow and partially framed the sides of his face. The man lifted a finger and swept one of those bangs out of his vision. It stubbornly returned to its previous position.
His lips parted. Out of the space, there came an extraordinarily deep, commanding, masculine voice with timbres of authority, formidability, refinement, and vapidity.
"Not today. But soon … very soon, you shall reveal your form to me."
A nearly soundless, faint whoosh rumbled behind him. Catching the subtle noise, he slowly turned around. Tendrils of dark shadows and thorns formed before his eyes. From out of it floated a white husk-like creature.
The man looked at the creature attentively as it doubled over and prostrated itself before him.
"My liege, they have returned. And they have brought back the one whom you have asked for."
Having heard the news he had been waiting for, the man responded with a slow but curt bow of his head. "Excellent." And then: "Have them throw her in the Soundless Prison," he commanded in his deep voice. "I shall deal with her tomorrow."
"Yes, my lord Xemnas."
He nodded. "Dismissed."
The white husk disappeared just as it arrived, in an almost soundless rumble and cloud of dark shadows and thorns.
As for the man, he turned back around, facing the sky. A subtle smile grew from the corners of his lips as he returned to gaze back in the obscurity above.
…
Night gradually gave way into morning. Only, it did not look like the morning, for the sky was still dark as night and darkness blanketed every nook and cranny.
In a dimly lit, cluttered laboratory, a bespectacled young man sat behind a small table stacked with thick books. A huge book with golden-tinted paper and written in tiny black ink lay before him. His fingers ghosted over the page he was on, allowing him to identify what he was reading. On another hand was a magnifying glass, which followed along with the finger that traced over the tiny print. His head was doubled over, and his nose hovered over the page he was on. His cerulean eyes narrowed, squinting as he read.
"Zexion!"
The young man turned around. A tall man with long pale hay-colored hair, bright green eyes, a long face, and garbed in a long white lab coat was approaching him. In his hand was a teacup filled with a dark liquid that the young man guessed was almost certainly tea. A pair of silver rimmed spectacles were pushed up on the man's head.
"Vexen."
The lab coated man spoke. "Where is the report from the last round of experiments I asked you to write up for me?"
One of the young man's eyebrows rose in curious puzzlement behind the glass of his spectacles. "Isn't it on your desk? I left it there last night."
"It's not there," Vexen answered firmly.
"Are you sure?"
Vexen frowned. "Of course I am! You doubt my certainty?"
Zexion shook his head. The tufts of messy steel blue hair that grew on his scalp shook along with his head. "No," he began. Then, a smug grin grew from his lips. "But I would suggest you peruse through your desk and sort through the mountains of documents you have on it carefully. It may be no wonder that you cannot find my report."
Vexen turned around and stared at the piles of paper, books, and clutter that had collected on top of his desk. The frown on his face faded and gradually gave way to disgruntlement.
"Ohhh …" he groaned. "This will take all day."
"I'd get started if I were you," Zexion's voice hummed from behind.
Snapping his head around, Vexen pointed a finger at the younger man while clutching onto his teacup with his index finger and thumb. "Shut it, will you?" he shot back in displeasure. "Else you want me to brand that cheeky tongue of yours with hot iron."
Zexion shrugged, unaffected by the threat, and returned to his reading.
Suddenly, a white husk appeared in the lab and caught the two men's attention. Vexen sighed and took a sip of his tea as he eyed the creature. "Well, this had better be good."
…
A petite teenage girl pushed open a door that opened into a bedchamber. Inside the bedchamber, she found an irritated young woman with long bleached blond hair and teal colored eyes waiting for her with crossed arms. Their eyes met, and the girl's ocean eyes shirked as she approached the woman.
"You're late," said the young woman, her teal eyes a pair of narrowed slits.
"S-s-sorry!" the young maid apologized. "Please forgive me, I just woke up!"
"I don't want to hear any excuses from you, Naminé!" the woman barked. "Just help me get ready for the day."
The girl nodded. "Yes, Larxene."
Clad in a chemise, petticoat, corset, and a bustle cage, Larxene, sitting behind a vanity table, rose from her chair and moved to the foot of her four poster bed. Bending over slightly, she reached for the bed frame's footboard and clutched it tightly. "I'm waiting."
Naminé pulled out a dark black gown from a nearby wardrobe. "Yes, I'm coming!"
Quickly shuffling over to where Larxene stood and positioning herself behind her, the girl reached for the laces of Larxene's corset and began to pull.
"Tighter, Naminé."
"Yes, Larxene."
She pulled. Larxene drew in her breath sharply. "Not tight enough. Tighter!"
"Yes, yes, will do."
Though Larxene could not see from behind, young Naminé's pale pink lips parted and a silent yawn escaped through them. Her bright ocean blue eyes, normally soft and gentle, frowned with fatigued annoyance at the older woman. With a fierce and mighty tug, she pulled the corset laces taut.
Larxene cringed and she let out a loud shriek. "Ow! Not so tight you little …!"
Embarrassment immediately arose and grew in the young maid's eyes. "My apologies Larxene, it was an accident." She pulled again, but with slightly less force.
Larxene winced in pain. "Ow! You idiot! Are you trying to cut off my circulation?" yelled the young woman.
There was a mixture of fright and mortification in the Naminé's blue eyes as she loosened her hold of Larxene's laces. "I'm sorry!" she cried. "But you said—"
"I know what I said!" Larxene snapped, cutting the girl off. "But I never asked you to make me suffocate! Get it right this time!"
"Sorry, sorry…" said the girl.
Larxene sighed harshly. Her eyes narrowed into thin angry slits once more. "Serving-girls these days. How unreliable they are," she muttered under her breath.
When the corset had been pulled tightly to Larxene's satisfaction, Naminé helped her get into the dark gown she had selected from her wardrobe.
"Today we shall be doing mending and laundry," Naminé said timidly as she fastened the buttons that lined down the back of Larxene's gown. "Is there anything you wish to have mended or washed, Larxene?"
Larxene weaved a comb through her golden locks. "Yes, plenty," she replied. "They're all in the basket by my bed."
Naminé looked over and saw a large straw-woven basket sitting on the floor by Larxene's bed. True to the blonde's words, there were piles of clothing in it.
"I want all of those clothes mended and cleaned in three days' time," ordered Larxene. "If they aren't done by then I shall see to it that Saïx deals with you. Understood?"
"I understand," said Naminé with a slight frown. "There. I've finished with your buttons. Shall I do your hair now?"
"Yes, and quickly!"
"As you wish, Larxene."
…
In the dimly lit hallways walked a teenage boy with sky blue eyes and lightly spiked, golden blond hair.
"Hey!"
The boy halted and turned around. A tall, handsome young man with a mane of flaming red hair and sea green eyes came walking towards him.
"Oh. It's you, Axel," said the boy.
The young man cracked up a smug grin. "Who else did you think I was?"
"Um…" the boy's face scrunched into a frown, as if he was trying to think too hard.
Axel chuckled. "Hey, I'm just joking around. There's no need for that."
The two of them laughed together. He caught up with the teenager and began to walk alongside him.
"So, Roxas, looking forward to today's last-minute meeting?"
"No," Roxas answered, "Not after the last meeting."
"Well, it's got to be on something really important, seeing as it was scheduled without any advanced notice," said Axel. "But who knows? Maybe it might not be as bad as the last meeting."
"I hope so too," said Roxas. And then: "I hope we get another mission together today."
"Same here, man. But if we don't, I'll see you at the Clock Tower this afternoon after the meeting. Ice cream's on me this time."
"Ok!"
As the two of them turned around a corner, a young man dressed in the same identical outfit that they were wearing came into their view. He had light golden brown hair styled in an odd looking mullet and several long bangs falling over his forehead and in front of his face. He had blue-green eyes and held a blue colored instrument in his hand that looked like a guitar.
"Morning," called out the young man.
"Good morning Demyx," said Axel. "You're up unusually early."
The blue-green eyed young man yawned loudly and then grimaced. "Yes, unfortunately," he muttered. With a flash of magic, his instrument disappeared from his hand. "I am so not a morning person. I could be sleeping right now."
Axel smirked and let out a laugh. "Well how'd you do it? Did the Dusks wiggle a feather under your nose?"
"No …" Dexyx doubled over and hung his and head arms over his knees. "They pounced on me like a cat and dragged me out of my bed until I was awake."
Axel snickered. Demyx scowled at the redhead.
"It wasn't funny!"
"Relax, Demyx," said Axel. "I'm just trying to imagine what getting pounced on by the Dusks must look like." Then he laughed again.
"Shut up …" Demyx muttered in a low voice.
As the three young men were about to turn another corner, from the opposite direction emerged a petite teenage girl with soft, tired ocean blue eyes, pale pink lips, and long hair the color of the golden yellow moon. She wore a white pinafore over a long navy blue colored linen dress. A white maid's hairpiece made of silk ribbon and edged with lace adorned her head. And in her arms was a huge straw-woven basket filled with clothing.
"Naminé?" asked Roxas.
Naminé's eyes met the young teenager's. "Oh. Good morning, Roxas," she said with a small tired smile. "Good morning Axel, Demyx."
"What's that you've got over there, Naminé?" asked Axel.
Naminé repositioned the basket she was struggling to carry in her arms. "Larxene gave me some of her clothes to mend and wash up. I'm just on my way to the Servants' Hall now to get started."
"Oh Naminé!"
The sound of Larxene calling her name elicited a rueful look to emerge on Naminé's face.
Larxene appeared from around the corner, waving a dark article of clothing in her hand as she flagged the young serving-girl down. "I forgot to give you my shawl to wash! I want it cleaned up by dinner tomorrow night." She then effortlessly dropped the black cloth into the already heavy basket of clothing in the blonde girl's arms. It was only afterwards that she noticed Roxas, Axel, and Demyx giving her questioning looks. Turning her attention to Demyx, Larxene's eyes narrowed. "What are you looking at?"
Startled by the blonde woman's singling of him out, Demyx flinched. "What? I'm not even doing anything!"
Larxene rolled her eyes and sighed loudly, exasperated. Her teal eyes then flickered towards Axel. They lit up as soon as they settled upon his face. The disgusted frown on her lips faded and morphed into an impish, coy smile. "Hi Axel …" she said, smiling playfully at him.
Axel's eyebrows rose curiously. "Hi?" he replied, with less certainty in his voice than he had intended. From the side, Roxas shot him a confused look.
Giggling licentiously, Larxene wagged her fingers at the redhead. "Well, I'll see you in the Dining Room. Ciao!" With a wave of her hand, she disappeared in swirl of black darkness and thorns.
"She scares me," Demyx deadpanned after Larxene had disappeared.
Ignoring Demyx's comment, Axel turned his attentions back to Naminé, noticing the discomfort in the young girl's eyes as she held the basket of clothing in her arms. "That looks heavy," Axel noted. "Here, Naminé, why don't I help you with that?" he offered, smiling kindly at her as he did.
Naminé's eyes grew large with shock and embarrassment, and her cheeks turned pink. "Oh thank you, Axel, but I couldn't let you!"
Axel reached out and grabbed one of the basket's handles. "Then at least let me carry it with you," he insisted.
Naminé opened her mouth to protest, but she paused, then sighed. "Ok, Axel." A grateful smile stretched from the corners of her pink lips.
"But Axel, won't you be coming for breakfast?" asked Roxas.
"I will! This won't take long. You and Demyx go on ahead! I'll meet up with you once I'm done."
Nodding, Roxas and Demyx walked away.
"Thank you, Axel," Naminé said meekly.
Axel smiled at her kindly. "It's nothing," he replied, tightening his grip on the basket. Then with a snap of his fingers, he and the young maid were engulfed by darkness. Moments later, the darkness faded and they remerged in a room with a long table at the center, flanked by a pair of long benches. A set of cabinets as well lay to the side, as well as a tall cupboard that had china, glasses, cups, and mugs on display on its shelves, and a door that led into the kitchen. "Well, here we are!" said Axel. Together, he and Naminé hauled the heavy clothes basket and deposited it on one of the benches at the table. "Now that that's done and over with, you go and make yourself some breakfast, Naminé."
"But I can't, Axel," said Naminé. "Larxene told me to get started on her clothes. If I don't, she'll be really mad at me."
Axel laughed. "Aw, don't you worry about Larxene! I'll have a word with her about giving you some leeway. She'd never say no to me! And besides, we all need some breakfast to start off the day. So you go and make yourself a nice bowl of porridge for me, ok?"
Naminé sighed. She couldn't argue with the redhead. He had a point. "Ok, Axel," she said, relenting.
"That's my girl," Axel said with a grin. "Well, I gotta go now, but enjoy your breakfast, Naminé!"
Axel was about to summon a portal of darkness when Naminé's soft and gentle voice called out to him from behind.
"Axel."
Axel looked over his shoulder and found himself face to face with Naminé once more. A shy smile had formed from the corners of Naminé's lips. She blushed as his eyes met hers.
"Thank you," said Naminé.
Axel chuckled and grinned back at her. "See you later, Naminé," he said warmly at her.
Naminé nodded as she blushed even redder than before upon his reply. "See you, Axel."
In a swirl of darkness and thorns, Axel disappeared with a smile on his face.
"Sometimes I forget what a really cute girl she is," he said to himself as he teleported away.
A/N: Yay! The Organization's here! And it's also so nice to shift the story towards the Organization for a change! Anyway, for this story, the Organization wears black coats more suited for a Victorian setting and they only wear the coats when they're out on a mission or whenever they're outside. Inside though, they just wear uniform black attire. Larxene, like Aqua, has longer hair in this story so I can Victorianize her. And yes, one does not simply set a KH fanfic with Larxene in the Victorian Era and not make Larxene endure the woes of wearing a corset.
#YouLikePain? #TryWearingACorset! #LizSwann
-gt²