Chapter 4: Fate and Faith, Roll the Dice

((From the Author: I have returned, and here is the chapter I promised for ya))

"I'm telling you Lar, he cheats. I've stopped betting with him. Hell most of the others won't even play with him" Marluxia said, chewing on a handful of crackers. Larxene, with nothing to do, had gone to Marluxia's room to hang out and maybe get some information. She didn't mind Marluxia at all. In fact she kinda liked him. Marluxia had been filling her in on stuff she could do around the castle and brought up the activity of losing a game against Luxord. "He's fun to play against sure but he always wins, I'm telling ya I think he cheats" he had said. "Don't you think he cheats Demmy " Marluxia purred, glancing at the male leaning on the wall.

He had been following Larxene around a lot, probably thinking he could protect her, or at least that's what she figured. It had been a whole day without Axel trying to kill her, which was good. He was already improving.

"I suppose. Just cause he always wins though don't mean he cheats. I always lose to him but I'm no good at games like that" He said then shrugged. Marluxia snatched another handful of Cheese-It's from the box sitting between him and Larxene. Larxene had nearly died when she'd saw the box. Cheese-It's had always been her favorite food. Larxene glared at him then pulled the box closer to her. Marluxia looked a bit shocked and gladly relinquished the box. Larxene hugged the box against her chest and growled softly "…mine"

"fine its yours then love. I value my hands too much to try and take it from you" Marluxia muttered and rolled his eyes. "Hey Demmy-"

"Don't call me that" Demyx snapped and glared at Marluxia. Marluxia gave him a confused look and he sighed " its weird, okay? Would you want me calling you…. ummm… Mary?"

"Fine then, just don't call me Mary, I'll choke you if you do." He herd Marluxia next to him giggling. " And what do you find so funny?"

"Nothing, its just I can't imagine you choking anyone. Your so passive" Larxene said and shoved his shoulder gently.

Marluxia frowned. "What that supposed to mean? I can be aggressive if I want to. I just choose to be mellow that's all. I'd hate to end up being someone like Xaldin or Saïx."

Larxene laughed again and added " Or Axel." She seemed to be staring intently at the closet and then she began laughing again. Demyx and Marluxia both looked at her confused. "He's been hiding in the closet spying on us for about ten minutes. Come on out and join us Axel. Luxord ever beat you at cards?" She stared very triumphantly at the closet for a moment then herd some muttered curses and the door to the closet opened. Axel slunk out, a defeated expression on his face. He glared at her and she laughed.

Marluxia laughed too and said " Hey not bad Lar, you caught him peeping on us. How'd you know?"

Larxene smiled "My secret, trust me I'm sharper than I look. Now come on Axel, come sit with us. You know being around people if the first step to not trying to kill them." She was delighted from his angered yet accepting reaction he sat down next to her and sighed heavily. " Don't be so glum Axel, what are you, Anti-social?"

"YES" He snapped loudly at her, fed up already with her chattering. God he just wanted to knock her out. Women (and Marluxia) always talked too much in his opinion.

She gave him a shocked expression then confused " are you serious?"

"YES" he snapped again angrily. He'd been hiding in the closet spying to try and learn. He was really sincere about learning to be a better person, but it was hard with some of the habits he had ingrained in him. He didn't like to talk, or be around people. He had thought by watching Larxene he might learn but she was convinced he could only learn through example.

A few moments latter she smiled and looked at the three guys. " I gotta idea. You three meet me outside my room in ten minutes" she said and disappeared out the door.

….

The three boys showed up on time. Larxene breezed out of her room passed them, smiling. "Come on, follow me" she said and took off. They followed her up the stairs and down the hall.

"Where are we going Larxene" Demyx asked, jogging up beside her. Just walking she was faster than them; she was probably the fastest member in the Organization truthfully.

"Here" she said and knocked on the door.

"Come in" Luxord called. Larxene opened the door and directed the others in. She smiled pleasantly at Luxord and he smiled back. " What brings this motley crew up to niche then?"

"I thought we'd all play a game. Marluxia was just telling me how good you were. I figured a nice, non-aggressive," she turned to face Axel as she stressed this "game of dice. It would be fun just to see how good you are, and a good opportunity to get anti-social kid over here involved with everyone else." She poked Axel on the shoulder as she said the last part.

Luxord laughed and nodded " okay then, sounds exquisite to me. Alright, name your game Savage Nymph."

"Dice" she purred and strolled over to the table Luxord had set up with four chairs around it. He pulled up another one then sat down himself. Larxene and the other three sat around that table. Luxord snapped his fingers and a Gambler Nobody appeared, only instead of cards like a typical one, this one held five small dry-erase boards and a purple dry-erase marker. It scrawled all their names down and then drew a large 0 under each of the names.

"He'll be keeping score so we wont have to bother with it, now dose everyone know the regulations?" he asked then chuckled as Demyx and Marluxia shook their heads. Axel gave a meaningless grunt Luxord interpreted as a no. "I didn't figure so, do you Larxene?"

She laughed, " I basically invented the game. Its simple boys, you roll six dice. A 1 is worth 100 points. A 5 is worth 50 points, with me so far?" A few slightly confused nods. "Okay. Now you have to roll a 1 or a 5 to keep rolling. The goal is to get 10,000 points. If you roll 3 of a kind, that's how many hundred point is is. Like if you roll three 3's its 300 points, three 4's is 400, three 5's 500 points and so on. If you roll three 1's though that 1000 points. Or if you roll 1,2,3,4,5 or 2,3,4,5,6 that's also 1000 points. If you roll 1,2,3,4,5,6 that's 1,500 points. You have to roll 1000 points to start the game." She smiled then looked at Luxord " S'that all the rules?"

He grinned back and laughed " Yes, well spoken. Now all we have to decide is what to bet." This earned a groan from Marluxia and a stifled sigh from Demyx. Both had lost to him too many times to have any urge to bet against him.

"How bout we play strip dice?" Larxene proposed. This caused everyone, including Axel, to look over at her startled. " What? If you don't wanna bet Munny because you think you'll lose then bet your dignity. First one naked looses. How's that sound" she asked, raising an eyebrow, as if daring anyone to say anything else. She was rewarded with a few confused and startled nods. " Good, now lets star, Luxord you wanna go first?"

"Ummm… sure" He said. He snapped his fingers and six dice appeared.

Immediately Marluxia snatched them and inspected each of them. He didn't trust Luxord at all, especially with what was at stake. Luxord (as well as Axel and probably Demyx too) would love Larxene to lose this game and get the opportunity to see her naked. Marluxia didn't care so much though; truthfully he'd rather see Zexion naked. He could imagine his roommate loosing the game of dice, tossing his boxers off…

His fantasy was interrupted by Luxord snatching up the dice and rolling them. Six 6's, they couldn't believe it. " I must just be lucky" Luxord said and laughed. He picked up the dice and rolled again and rolled three 1's. "That's 2200 points for me, your roll Larxene."

…

They went through and played nearly five rounds before everyone got on the board.

"Now that were all on the board the shedding of clothing will commence. The one with the least points will be the one that has to strip" Luxord said.

They went around that table and all rolled the dice. Not surprisingly Larxene had the least points, only 1200. She giggled and unzipped her coat and slid it off. She noticed Axel's eyes glaze over a bit as she stripped it off and she giggled some more. Axel noticed she noticed and looked away, blushing.

"Your turn Axel" she said, handing him the dice.

"Thanks" he said and rolled three 3's and a 1. He knew he could quite possible get a lot more but he stayed at 400 and handed the dice to Demyx. Demyx rolled three 1's and a five. He decided to stay at 1050. Demyx then handed the dice to Marluxia. Marluxia tossed them and got 500. Luxord once again managed to get an 'amazing turn of luck' and he rolled a straight. The he rolled three more 1's after that.

"So that brings me up to 7250, Larxene has only 1200, Axel just a little higher than her with 1700. Demyx has 3250 and Marluxia is in second with 5650. Larxene if you don't roll higher than 1700-"

"I know Luxord just give me the die " she snapped. Lurk turned in her favor and she got three 6's. " And that's 1800, and I'll stay with that. That means Axel's in last" she said and looked at him expectantly. He looked uncomfortable and swallowed uneasily. He slid his coat off then threw it away on the ground. He had apparently hadn't planned on playing strip dice. The only thing he was wearing under his coat was his boxers. Larxene bust out laughing and he looked down, embarrassed. "Are those little hearts on your boxers" she managed to get out through gales of laughter.

"yes" he muttered under his breath, face bright red.

…

Half an hour came and went and no one had won yet. Larxene glanced at the scoreboards again. All of them only needed a few points left. Luckily Axel hadn't fallen in last place since all he was wearing were his boxers. Larxene had to strip three times, but she had been prepared. She had shed her shirt (still having a tank top on beneath it) and her shoes, insisting they were clothing. No one argued with her. Marluxia and Demyx had both lost their coats and Marluxia had to forfeit his t-shirt and Demyx a shoe (he fought for a long time, saying if Larxene could do it so could he). Luxord was still wearing all his clothes. Larxene rolled a single five and kept the 50 points. Now she only 200 points to win.

"And that puts me just beyond harm's range" she muttered, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Marluxia sighed frustrated, hating the fact he was barefooted about now. He unbuttoned his jeans and tossed them in the pile of other clothing. Another round in last place and he'd be naked. Luckily after all of them had rolled it had been Demyx that had come in last and kicked his other boot off. Luxord rolled two 5's and got the hundred points he needed to win.

"And that makes me the champion, do you wish to continue playing for second place?" Luxord asked.

"No" Marluxia and Axel both agreed, sitting in there underwear. Luxord chuckled and waved his hands, causing the dice to disappear, along with the nobody score keeper and the scoreboards. Axel quickly jumped up and snatched his coat up and threw it on. " Well this was complete and utter waist of time" he growled. Then he smiled " Maybe we should do it again sometime." And then he disappeared.

Larxene quickly gathered up her things. She laughed as he disappeared and muttered " he's an odd one alright, but I think he's getting more accustomed to people, and that's good, even if I have to embarrass him a bit along the way"

((Note from the author: well here ya go, not as big of a chapter as I thought it would end up being but not a bad one. Not quite long enough for you? Don't worry I'm already working on the next chapter. I'm going to try and include every Organization member so no one feels left out. This chapter was my little ode to Luxord. He may come up in other chapters but this was his main one. Characters you'll be seeing the most of are Larxene (duh) Axel (duh) and Maluxia.))