Title: Mission Impossible
Author: Ladya C. Maxine
Rating: T
Summary: see chapter one
Warnings: see chapter one
Disclaimer: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or any of its characters. I am not making any money off of this. I write only to entertain.
A/N: please go to my profile page BEFORE reading this chapter.
Port Royal was a breeding ground for all sorts, and not one of them was of a respectable breed.
Those who could afford to live in the large white manors in the green hills above the human ditch of a town were pale, haughty, shallow, and with posh accents much different from the dark-skinned peasants who lived in rundown huts that crowded the inner streets. In this squalor they called a town was where the two kinds were the most likely to mixed in drunken disgrace, and no place drew the reeking crowds more than the taverns.
Still, for now, this world, this reeking pit of humanity, was better than his office, Xemnas found.
Here he was no longer being terrorized by images of Saix, and could speak without interjecting the other's name in his sentences. Whatever was in his office, Xemnas hoped it would be gone by the time they returned. If not he'd might just have to move to another part of the castle, as his office was one of only a few rooms that never rearranged or repositioned itself. And while having Saix with him now wasn't as comfortably familiar as usual (Xemnas was certain he'd never been this aware of every detail of the Diviner's features before), with all that was going on around them he was easily distracted.
Saix certainly seemed unaware of the whole thing, which was another reason why Xemnas doubted himself, for if the Diviner hadn't sensed anything amiss, then surely there was nothing wrong. It could well all just be in Xemnas' head.
Watching the graceless fools striding in and out of buildings through swinging doors, Xemnas raised a brow beneath his hood. Next to him Saix was even less impressed. He hadn't stopped growling since they'd stepped foot out of the portal. While the drunken humiliation so shamelessly embraced by these humans was almost painful to look at, Xemnas knew what was infuriating Saix the most: all these useful hearts, still trapped within these useless idiots.
Be it because he'd really been a werewolf in his former life, or be it that the loss of his heart had severed any link to humanity, Saix hated mankind. Most of the Organization were just indifferent towards the lives of humans; others were fuelled by the misconception of envy. Saix hated humans. Had he not joined the Organization where his rage could be kept in check he would have probably dedicated his life to destroying the entire race.
"Soon, Saix," Xemnas promised as they passed sinful women who called out sly things to them, unafraid of the black robed figures. In this sea of forgettable faces, no one stood out unless they tried their very best. "Once we have rid ourselves of the keybearer all these worlds will be ours for the taking."
"Permission to voice my concerns, sir?"
Xemnas frowned. He thought that he'd at least set things straight between them, but Saix was still being very reserved. This was not common for the Diviner, despite what many would believe. Saix was usually at his most vocal when he could not physically release his rage. A place like Port Royal, filled with so many people Saix was aching to kill but could not, should have had the Diviner ranting by now.
"Go ahead," Xemnas said, maybe too eagerly as he tried to get something, anything, out of his most trusted. Xemnas was a talker (as a few members had grumpily pointed out in the past, especially during meetings), but Saix was the only one who always showed genuine interest in what he had to say, and could always be relied on to keep the conversation going, asking question purely because he knew Xemnas wanted him to.
This lack of conversation between them right now was bothersome.
"About this mission II sent us on … " Saix said, carefully stepping over a pool of vomit. "I cannot help finding it suspect that such a powerful cure as described by X can be found in such an unsanitary environment."
"I thought so too," Xemnas said, stepping around the man who was still coughing up his dinner while his good friends pointed and laughed at his suffering, 'but with our numbers nearly halved we must take all precautions. While this location is questionable, Luxord's description was convincing, and he knows this world better than any of us."
The Superior was right, Saix assumed without question. X was a man of his word, albeit the meaning of his words could be treacherously vague. But he was indeed trustworthy. Then again …
"Do you not think that the others have been acting strange as of late, sir?' Saix asked. "VIII, IX and XIII can hardly be expected to behave normal, but II, III and X are usually more focussed than they have these past few days."
"They are simply restless because of the assignments," Xemnas said confidently, allowing himself a cruel smile. "I purposefully send them out to do the most menial of missions. Those who show disloyalty will be exterminated, but so far they have all done as told, so I will allow them some room to … vent. Once I am certain our organization is free of any inside threats, we will resume our plans without delay."
Saix hadn't told the Superior what IX had been mumbling about in the kitchen because he himself couldn't draw any conclusions just yet. Besides, whatever the rest were up to, they had let IX in on it, meaning it couldn't be anything serious: no one in their right mind would trust the Nocturne to keep anything bigger than a needle a secret (and even then, it was usually best not to introduce the boy to sharp object lest they wanted him to hurt himself).
"This is it," Xemnas announced when they found themselves standing in front of the Crusty Barnacle. "According to Xigbar, Luxord said that we are to ask for Captain Jack Sparrow, a gambling partner of his."
"Captain? As in a sea merchant?"
"As in a pirate."
Saix said nothing but Xemnas could feel the other's discontent triple, and he didn't fault him. Dealing with pirates was never a straight-forward affair. They'd hardly ever did anything if there wasn't something in it for them, usually for twice as much as the favour was worth.
Just as they were about to enter the doors flew open and out tumbled two men, viciously fighting, followed closely by the rotund barman who had thrown them out. The barman's moustache bristled and his sweaty, bald head was red.
"I ain't be 'aving troublemakers in 'ere!" he yelled after the men, who were too drunk to care. "Show yer face again in me pub an' I'll have yer arrested!"
"If you are quite done," Xemnas said, stepping forward to block the barkeeper from going back inside, "I would like a word with you."
"I only give rum an' ale, an' only if yer got the money to pay fer 'em," the barman huffed, not intimidated by the cloaked stranger. He was in such a bad mood that he didn't care if he was scaring off punters. He roughly pushed past the stranger, bumping shoulders. "I got tables ter replace an' a floor fulla broken glass an—!"
The wooden support column cracked, threatening to break entirely, as the 400 pound barman was slammed into it. Now he was intimidated, because unlike the first stranger, who'd spoken in a polite and civil manner, this second one did not sound civil at all. He didn't even sound human. From within the all-concealing hood came growls that the barkeeper only ever heard from the feral dogs that often fought in the backstreets. And no ordinary human could have held him entirely off the ground with just one hand. And no ordinary human had fell yellow eyes that shone like these.
"I can assure you that it won't take up much of your time," the first stranger said as if there was nothing wrong with this scenario as he stood next to his growling companion, voice as patient as always. "We were told by a reliable source that Captain Jack Sparrow often frequents your … business. Is he in tonight?"
Unable to take his eyes off the yellow pair glaring up at him, the barman squeaked out an affirmative. Were those claws he felt digging into his skin through the black glove?! He had spent his life laughing at the dedicated crowd who attended church every week, calling them superstitious sheep behind their backs. Now he tearfully prayed for divine intervention to save him from these demons.
"Could you specify where?" the first stranger asked and the barman thought he saw the gleam of orange eyes.
Who … What were these things? And did he want them in his pub? Certainly not, but he was too terrified to deny them anything.
"P-P-Please d-d-d-don't be c-causing a-a-any tr-trou-trouble, f-f-fine s-sirs," he begged. "I-I-I don-don't w-want a-a-any t-trouble."
"Trouble?" asked the stranger, sounding surprised, then chuckled. "All we want is to ask a few questions, then we'll be on our way."
"B-Back room," the barman pointed with a shaking hand. His weight was putting a lot of strain on his captured neck, but his captor wasn't even straining to keep him off the ground. "'E's w-w-w-with the g-girls. C-C-Can't miss'em."
"You have been most helpful," said the first stranger, satisfaction dripping from his deep voice. "We'll make sure not to step on the glass."
The stranger snapped his fingers and the barman was unkindly dropped like a sack of potatoes. Sweating and shaking, he remained on the floor, watching the backs of the tall figures entering his pub. He thought it over, then scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as his bent legs could carry him, abandoning his punters, their safety be damned. All he cared for was getting himself to the safest sanctuary. Hopefully, there was a church nearby …
"Barney!" called a familiar voice as he bumbled past someone in the street. A hand grabbed the back of his apron strings. "My lad, you are in quite a hurry, and going in the wrong direction. Don't tell me you decided to close up early this fine evening!"
"Hugh?" the barman asked, looking back at the hooded figure, suddenly realizing that it looked not unlike the other two that had just prowled into his pub. Finally, the earlier warnings caught up with him—in his fright he'd forgotten that he should have been expecting those two.
"You look like you have seen a ghost!" the man known to those in town only by his name, Hugh Jameson, laughed, his face hidden by the shadows of his hood, only his sparkling blue eyes shining out at Barney the bartender.
"Worse!" Barney huffed, clutching his knees as he tried to catch his breath. "The devil 'imself had me by the throat! You didn't tell me yer friends were dangerous! Mixin' with pirates is one thing, but ter keep 'friends' like those … " He shook his round head. "Yer mad!"
"I never claimed otherwise!" Hugh said, chuckling sheepishly. There was something odd about his voice, Barney found. He sounded hoarse. "But my apologies, good Barney. I forgot to warn you that one of them can be a bit forceful at times. But this is good news. I had worried that they wouldn't find the pub in the first place. They have gone in, then?"
"Yeah, and I ain't goin' back there until they're gone!" He looked up at the hooded Hugh, who was staring off towards the pub. "What do they want wit Jack Sparrow? 'E stole from them?"
"No. Jack is only a detour; a distraction, if you like," Hugh said, his mirth returning.
"And 'e knows that yer sendin' in those two?"
"Of course. And I did remember to warn him about the dangers of prodding one of them."
"And 'e still agreed? Sparrow is cunnin', but 'e's also a coward. Why did 'e say yes?"
At this Hugh barked a laugh, his most jovial yet.
"He owes me."
"Sparrow owes yah a debt, and this is what you ask for payment?" Barney barely managed to summon enough air left in his lungs to wheeze out a weak laugh. "Any man who be lucky enough to have that scoundrel ow'em anythin' wouldn't waste it on just anythin'. You 'aven't, have you?"
"No," Hugh said, already walking away. He turned to walk backwards, spreading out his arms and bowing, "but I thank you for your concerns, my good man. What I am doing means everything to myself and my fellows. If you don't want to see more, keep running."
And Barney did just that, now twice as fast as before, huffing as he looked around for anything remotely church-like.
Watching the fat man go, 'Hugh' shook his head. Things were never dull in Port Royal, and now that the unknowing duo of the Superior and Saix had already begun to stir things up, the night could only get better.
"Lady Luck will smile on me tonight," Luxord said to himself smugly and walked towards the tavern, whistling as he passed two men trying to dunk a third man's head into the open sewer.
"Disgusting," Saix hissed, ripping off his glove and producing a new one out of plain air, faster than anyone could notice. "I could feel the fat oozing out of him."
Xemnas smirked but was more interested in the sight before them than placating the Diviner.
He'd never admit it, but being the naturally curious being that he was, he was rather taken up with this place. He'd never been in a tavern (or "pub", as the barman called it). Everything he knew of these places he learned from the reports of those who'd frequented them—Luxord, mostly, though Xigbar wasn't above dropping in for a drink when he should be out finding new Nobodies.
For the most part, the reports had been accurate enough. It did stink of smoke and alcohol and unwashed armpits, and there wasn't a single piece of furniture that was undamaged, and if any of the men in here could still walk in a straight line Xemnas would give Demyx that pet dragon the boy was always pining for.
"Intriguing, isn't it, VII?" he asked Saix as they weaved between the crooked tables, reverting to using their numbers in case anyone was listening, though Xemnas would bet a pet dragon and a pet basilisk that no one would be able to remember anything they'd seen, heard or done come the next morning. "To think that humans consider this as a form of entertainment."
"Disgusting," Saix repeated with even more venom, snatching his hand away from a woman wearing heavy rouge as she and her pinched bosom tried to catch his attention.
"Ey!" a man stepped out and shouted in Xemnas' face, grinning stupidly. "Yer busy?"
"As a matter of fact—" Xemnas stepped aside, not appreciating the invasion of personal space. A hairy arm was slung over his neck and at once he understood Saix's revulsion at having to touch any of these humans: he too felt as if all the man's stench was seeping through his cloak and into his pores.
"We need another," the man said, pointing to where four men were hunched over a beaten table, cards set and ready. "Make things more fun. Come on!"
"No," Xemnas said, smoothly slipping out of the hold, leaving the confused man to stare at the spot he'd been in a second ago. The only reason the man's head was still attached to his neck was because Xemnas was holding out an arm to restrain Saix. "I'm sure there are many others who'd love to join your game."
"Them coats look real nice. Could fetch quite a bit," the man said, tugging on Xemnas' sleeve, letting know his true intent. "We'll play yer for them."
"We do not wish to part with them."
Now the man was becoming angry. His brow wrinkled and his friends quickly formed a tight circle around the two.
"I said," the man sneered, "we'll be playing ya for yer coats. Either that or we'll take'em right off yer backs. And be a man and show yer face when talking to someone!"
He yanked off Xemnas' hood.
It couldn't be said with certainty whether the wide eyed look on the man's face was because of the steely orange eyes glaring at him, or because of the fist that buried itself deep in his stomach. What was certain was that in less time than it took for his friends to realize what had happened the man lay at Xemnas' feet, unmoving.
Xemnas' rubbed his knuckles. He rarely resorted to violence to solve such trivial matters, but it was either do it himself or let Saix have the honours, and Xemnas' way was the least bloody of the two. They still had business to do here and had already drawn much attention to themselves. At least punching wasn't that out of place in a pub; a man being ripped to shreds would stand out a bit.
Leaving the crowd to wonder whether the man was dead or not, Xemnas continued towards the backroom but when he felt someone touch the back of his neck he spun around and shoved the other against the wall, expecting one of the man's friends.
"Your hood, sir," Saix said, not trying to free his hand despite the painful twist Xemnas was giving it. "Your identity … "
"Ah," Xemnas said, and pulled back on his hood. He began walking again only to feel a tug on his arm a few seconds later. Without turning, he asked, "What is it, VII?"
" … May I have my hand back, sir?"
Xemnas looked down to find that he still had a tight grip on Saix's wrist. He quickly let go, almost as if he were throwing the hand away from him. He was very grateful that his hood was up to hide the nervous shifting of his eyes. Without a word of explanation he moved on.
Saix, rubbing his wrist, followed wordlessly. The Superior didn't have to explain himself. Out of respect, Saix did not push the subject, though he couldn't help puzzling over what to make of the fact that the Superior's thumb had stroked the top of his hand, apparently without the Superior's active knowledge.
'Not my place to question,' Saix told himself, roughly pushing away another wench as she slinked up next to him.
He didn't care that she was a woman: he'd always thought the 'Don't hit girls' rule was overrated, ridiculous and impractical to boot. Women could be just as bothersome as men, if not more because they were under the impression that as the weaker sex they were entitled to do as they please without retaliation. Saix held no reservations. Men, women, children, elderly, disabled: anyone who made a pest of themselves would be dealt with swiftly and painfully.
Except IX … the simpering idiot.
Aware that Saix had just shoved a woman into the lap of a surprised but now happy man, Xemnas didn't pretend to be affronted, though he didn't condone it either. But it was good to see that his slip-up had already been forgotten by Saix. More than anything, he tried very hard to remember whether stroking the Diviner's hand had really happened, or whether it was just a figment of his imagination.
'Why hadn't I noticed it?' he wonder, glancing to the side where Saix walked next to him. 'I should have noticed that I was holding him, but I didn't. I didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. It had felt … natural? Normal? Like it was perfectly normal … '
But it wasn't normal, especially for him. What could his subconscious mind, which he wholly blamed for the awkwardness, have been thinking? Had he done it to hurry Saix along; to just get this all over with? No, Saix wasn't exactly loitering around either. So, that excuse was void. Perhaps he'd held onto Saix to restrain him from attacking the men. But, then again, Saix hadn't shown any signs of finishing what Xemnas already had. Ah, maybe he had …
Xemnas was out of excuses. The only theory he could come up with (and outright refuse to accept) was that he'd just … wanted to hold Saix's hand.
Incorrect. Ridiculous. Improbable. Absurd. Downright wrong.
" … so strapping the horse to the whale, I rode off the island on the surf to safety, using my bandana as a sail to catch the hurricane's wind!"
And speaking of wrong …
"Jack Sparrow, I presume," Xemnas said to the bearded man lounging in a corner of the dingy backroom, five wenches draped around him, entranced by what sounded to be the dumbest escape story Xemnas had ever heard—and that included Axel's claim of having once escaped a prison cell by using mind control to get a mouse to steal the keys for him.
"Captain. Captain Jack Sparrow," the man said with a slur, half-lidded eyes looking between Xemnas and Saix. A flailing hand was raised as Sparrow gestured from one to the other. "Which … Which one am I looking at?"
"There is an important matter we need to speak to you about," Xemnas said, purposefully saying 'we' so that the man knew that he wasn't seeing double. "We'd prefer to speak to you alone."
The girls pouted and protested, clinging to Sparrow and glaring at Xemnas, who had to place a hand on Saix's shoulder to silently stop the Diviner from silencing the women with his claws. He could feel the tense muscles of Saix shoulders through the material, ready to pounce. He could feel every little shiver of Saix's body.
"We are friends of a gambling partner of yours called Hugh Jameson," Xemnas said, letting the other go so suddenly it was as though he'd been burned.
"Hugh? Hugh. Hugh … Huuuugh," Sparrow drawled, counting off his fingers with each repetition of the name. His kohl-smeared eyes went wide. "Ah, Hugh! Where is the old scallywag? Haven't had a decent game in weeks."
Xemnas gestured to the women and Sparrow got the message.
"Right, girls, off you go," he said, pushing them to their feet, unnecessarily keeping his hand on their rears to send them on their way, which made the shameless charlatans squeal and giggle. "The captain has to be a good host to his new friends."
Resigned, the women filed out and quickly found other men who were grateful for their company.
"Welcome!" Sparrow grinned, revealing a mouth of gold and silver and yellow teeth. He used his feet to push out two chairs. "What is your pleasure? Rum? Women? More rum? A game? The head of Barbossa? Did I mention rum? Or information on the whereabouts of the Black Pearl?"
"Actually," Xemnas said, taking a seat while Saix remained standing next to him, "we came seeking your knowledge of the whereabouts of another item."
"Then before I can tell you where to find that which has to be found and which you sought me out to seek, it would be fair for me to see who you are," Sparrow said, using garbled words to get straight to the point. He looked between Xemnas and Saix, trying to penetrate the darkness beneath the hoods, and failed. "You share the same fashion sense as Hugh, but how do I know you're not his enemies looking to make enemies with his friends?"
Saix didn't like this confident man one bit, partly because that smarmy confidence reminded him too much of that traitorous XI. That aside, from his garish appearance to his body odour to his slurred speech, Jack Sparrow looked every bit the part of a swindler, a coward and a bona fide liar. That he could look so at home in the dank, smoky tavern told Saix all he needed to know.
And now the man was demanding they reveal themselves! Luxord, even with his hood down, could easily mingle with this crowd and no one would look twice. But Saix and the Superior's faces and colouring weren't as forgettable. They wore the hoods for the very reason to leave no lasting memories in the minds of others, to avoid detection and questioning.
"Very well," the Superior said, despite Saix's extreme reservations. He pulled off his hood. "We have nothing to hide, and we won't be staying here for long."
When both turned to him Saix had no choice but to reveal his face. Sparrow looked mildly intimidated, but he then grinned.
"You've been branded too, I see," he said pointing at Saix's scar. He pulled up his sleeve to reveal a P that had been burned into his forearm. "Pity, really, being categorized like cattle. This here's marks me as an independent goods handler."
"A pirate," Saix said plainly.
"Same thing," Sparrow waved off. "What did you get marked for? A great big X like that … Is it some seal of rejection?"
"That is of no importance," Xemnas said, holding up his hand when Saix hissed. "As you have noticed, Hugh hasn't been here in a while. He and a few others of our group have been struck down by a disease, and according to him the cure can be found in this town."
Saix was highly suspicious of the gleam in those beetle-black eyes as Sparrow grinned even wider.
"Did he now? Not sure I know what that could be, though." He stroked one of the two braided strands on his chin, the gaudy rings of his finger glimmering in the candlelight. "What exactly is this disease? I've seen Hugh empty an entire barrel of rum in one sitting; it ain't like him to go down because of a little cold."
"He gave no name, but he did say that this disease stems from Port Royal—"
"Unsurprisingly," Saix couldn't stop himself from interjecting, noticing for the first time the mould growing on the wooden beams, and the cockroaches that were feasting on it.
"—and that the indigenous cure for it are these so-called rum apples," Xemnas finished.
"Rum? Aye, now that's one of my specialities."
"I can tell," Xemnas said, sitting back, unable to take the stench coming from the pirate's mouth any longer. "So, where can these rum apples be acquired?"
"As it just so happens, I have some on my personals."
"How convenient," Saix snarled. "Why would you be carrying any?"
"Beat me in a game of Liar's Dice and I'll give you the apples and an answer," Sparrow said, producing two cups and ten dice and grinning widely at the two Nobodies. "That is, if you know how to play it."
Xemnas frowned. He'd read about the game in Luxord's reports, but had never heard any of the rules, and he wouldn't trust the pirate to explain them to him fairly.
"And what if we lose?" he asked, stalling for time. "What would we have to give you in return?"
"What do you have?" Sparrow countered.
A Nobody's only true possession was his weapons, which were bound to them by an unbreakable force. Saix would scatter replicas of his claymore in battle—to confuse his opponents—but those would quickly fade away and the original was always within reach of its owner. And even if it were physically possible to part with their weapons, no self-respecting Nobody ever would. Xemnas himself would never dream of parting with his aerial blades, and giving the precious weapons to someone like Sparrow was an even more repugnant thought.
"We carry nothing of interest," Xemnas said.
"Then you wouldn't mind parting with any of it," Sparrow grinned his horrific grin.
"We would mind, especially to the likes of you," Saix snarled with enough finality to make it clear that the pirate would not be getting any goods off of them.
"I'm a captain," Sparrow began randomly, shifting the covered dice in the cups around. "The Black Pearl is my ship, which I intend to regain soon. But as you can see, there's something else missing."
Xemnas studied the man. Sparrow himself looked 'complete': he had his pirate regalia, and his sword and a gun. As a person, he needed nothing. As a captain, however …
"You have no men."
"Precisely, mate," Sparrow grinned. "I'm a captain without a ship and without a crew to help me reclaim the ship, which has been commandeered by my former first mate who has turned himself and my former crew into an unsavoury band of the not-living-but-not-that-much-dead."
"Not living … but not that much dead?" Xemnas repeated, in his mind calculating the possibilities of the men having been turned into Nobodies. Such a large amount at one time sounded very unlikely. Plus, only the strongest hearts could leave behind an empty shell, a Nobody, and it was a laughable concept that a bunch of lowly pirates would possess such powerful hearts in the first place. "Do you mean something akin to zombies?"
"Almost, but not really. Depends on the moon. Savvy?"
Now this was something Saix understood completely. No matter what sort of world, the moon had its influence in each. He was familiar with the description the pirate had provided: the unfortunate idiots had somehow gotten their hands on a cursed item that granted them immortality, but in return left them unable to feel or even eat, with the true extent of their decayed condition revealed only when caught in the moonlight. While he had great respect for every moon and its powers, Saix did not envy the captain's former underlings.
"You may have lost your crew and your vessel," Xemnas said, "but I am a more responsible leader who will not abandon his duties to go off chasing ghost ships."
"Then your scarred friend," Sparrow said after a moment's thought. "I need a good, strong fighter on my side. It will only be a temporary service: once I get back the Pearl he will be free to return to your little group. Do we have a deal?"
Saix was already confident that the Superior would never agree to such an arrangement, but even he blinked when the Superior lunged forward and grabbed the pirate by his stringy goatee, forcing Sparrow's chin down to the table with a slam of his gloved fist. Both the pirate and the Diviner stared at the Superior with surprised eyes (and, in Sparrow's case, pained ones as well).
"I will not bargain off my subordinates," Xemnas growled at the captured man, threatening to rip those ridiculous strands of facial hair right out as he tightened his fist. "Our numbers have already been counted and I will not lose a single member more. Especially not Saix!"
It was turning out to be one of the most surprising nights in Saix's recent memory. First, the Superior grabbing his hand and calling his name back in his office, then the Superior holding his hand some minutes ago, and now this vicious refusal. Saix had thought that, of all the members, he was the one who knew and understood the Superior the best, but the Superior's behaviour was getting more and more erratic, unpredictable.
Xemnas, in turn, was beginning to think that he didn't understand himself anymore either. Such moments of lost control were not common for him. And what was this odd sensation that had spiked his actions just now? He …It was impossible, he was sure, but theoretically his reaction could have only been spurned by intense emotions, perhaps rage.
But they were Nobodies! They had no hearts, and without hearts they couldn't feel emotions!
Then what the hell was he doing? He had reacted, and for a split moment he'd been overwhelmed with the need to protect what was his and his alone and—
Xemnas' hand went slack and Sparrow sat back, testing his jaw to make sure it hadn't been dislocated. Though he stared the pirate right in the eyes, Xemnas' mind was focussed on itself; on what had gone through it five seconds ago. He hadn't been thinking of Saix at the time … right? Surely not. He didn't think of himself as owning any of his followers. Controlling them, yes, but not owning them.
"You make a good point, mate," Sparrow said, still rubbing his chin, "but I wouldn't be an honourable pirate if I did things out of the kindness of my heart. It has to be an eye for an eye."
Seeing the still confused look in his leader's eyes, Saix went against his principals and stepped in to intervene on the Superior's behalf.
"I accept your proposal. If you win, I will join you in your quest to find your ship," he said, taking the seat next to the Superior. "But, I will be your opponent in this game."
Xemnas turned with a disapproving frown, ready to overrule Saix's decision. The yellow eyes met his, gleaming apologetically for having taken command of the situation in presence of his leader, but also steadfast that he knew what he was doing. Xemnas trusted that the Diviner wasn't about to make a dire mistake: if he lost then not only would they have failed in retrieving the rum apples needed to cure the others, but Xemnas would be losing his most faithful follower.
"Wonderful!" Sparrow clapped his hand, the attack on his being already forgotten. "To be fair, I'll tell you the rules!"
The three were too absorbed in the game to notice Luxord hovering just out of sight near the doorway, carefully peeking in on what was happening. Running his finger over the flaky, patchy stubble on his chin, he thought to himself that not even he, the Gambler of Fate, would have betted on Saix knowing the first thing about Liar's Dice. Port Royal was one of the Diviner's least favourite places, and he'd only come here if the mission promised that a few "mysterious" local deaths would be acceptable.
Even the Superior wouldn't force Saix to come here unless there was really no other option.
So then, Luxord wondered, what gave Saix this confidence that he could beat, of all people, Jack Sparrow in a game of dice? Luxord had done so plenty of times, but only because gambling was one of his gifts, and because he knew Sparrow well enough to keep a keen eye out for any trickery. Saix didn't gamble. He never participated in any card games back at the castle, nor did he approve of the others playing any.
'What are you thinking, Saix?' Luxord asked silently. 'Why are you getting yourself involved with something you know nothing of … ?'
Saix knew absolutely nothing about this game. He'd skimmed over vague mentions of it in a few reports, but had quickly moved on without memorizing anything.
But, they'd come here for a reason, and the only way they were going to succeed in getting those apples was to beat Sparrow at his own game. Of course, they could also drag Sparrow off somewhere remote and torture him until he surrenders his knowledge, but the Superior had made it clear he wanted this to go as blood-free as possible.
Having stepped up and challenged Sparrow to face him, Saix had put both his services and his pride on the line, but … it had to be done. It was either this or watch the Superior be cheated out of a victory by this mongrel.
Normally, Saix would never be so bold as to take control of a situation so long as the Superior was there to do it himself, but something wasn't quite right with the Superior tonight. He looked both distracted and very thoughtful, and clearly had a lot of things on his mind that would impede his decision making. Sparrow was a con artist by trade and nature, and would use that to his advantage.
The thought of the Superior losing to someone like Sparrow was unbearable for Saix.
At least, if Saix himself lost, he'd be sparing the Superior's pride.
As Sparrow went through the rules at breakneck pace, Saix took notice of a few key points. But he knew this wasn't something he could win with wits alone. He didn't have the great mind of the Superior, or those of former team mates IV and VI.
"Savvy, mate?" Sparrow asked once he'd finished listing the rules. Scooping the dice in the his cup, he shook it once and slammed it back down on the table. "Since you're pressed for time, let's make this a one-off, aye?"
Saix copied the man's technique and they both tipped back their respective cup to glance at their dice.
"And?" a voice whispered in Luxord's ear, almost making him drop his glass.
"Xigbar!" he hissed softly, pushing the other away from the doorway; two of them hovering around the door were more likely to draw attention to themselves. "What are you doing here?"
"Looking for you, 'Hugh'," the other answered, very amused by the alias. "Besides, things were getting boring back at headquarters. Xaldin's no longer sensitive to light and Axel's hair is already growing back. Plus, flirting with him is starting to get old. I left Demyx in charge, should anyone still need un-diseased assistance."
"Demyx?" Luxord asked with a doubtful arching of his brow, though Xigbar couldn't see this under the hood.
"He's a good kid," Xigbar shrugged, inching back into the doorway. "He'll try his best."
"Which always ends with him injuring himself," Luxord said, but he dropped the subject with the assurance that, whatever horrible things went wrong under Demyx's supervision, all of the blame would be placed squarely on II's shoulders. "You only came here to spy on them, haven't you?"
"There's also a very valid reason for my presence, old chap," Xigbar said, mimicking Luxord's accent with scary accuracy before slipping back into his common drawl. "Like I said, the rash is starting to clear up. If the Superior comes back and finds everyone healthy he'll be onto us. It's taking too long. We've got to hurry them up somehow if we want them to return with the rum apples with the impression that they're just in time to save the 'diseased'."
"It shouldn't be long now," Luxord said, watching the scene before him with disbelieving eyes. "They're playing Liar's Dice."
Xigbar used his one eye to peer around his comrade.
Both Saix and Sparrow sat motionless; one of them had just raised the bar and the other was now struggling between calling the bluff or raising the bid even more. What was so surprising about it was that it was Saix who had the more experienced gambler fidgeting. Xigbar had never met Sparrow in person, but he'd heard enough of the man to know that the pirate captain was so slick he had slipped out of the law's grasp on many occasions. Yet there he was, glancing under his cup every few seconds as if hoping the dice would magically flip themselves over, while Saix did what he did best: glare.
"Our Diviner has a poker face that makes me envious," Luxord whispered to Xigbar. "If he were more agreeable I'd have snatched him up as my permanent gambling partner. But how could he have figured out the rules of Liar's Dice so quickly?"
"He hasn't," Xigbar said, swiping Luxord's glass to drain it of its content with one swig. "If you were to ask him he would probably be able to repeat three or four rules, at most. But this ain't a game that needs a strong mind to win it. All you need to know is when someone's bluffing."
"Indeed. It's a game that boils down to reading your opponent and deciding whether he's lying or not," Luxord said, unimpressed when he was handed back the empty glass, but impressed by Xigbar's rare show of thoughtful observation. The Freeshooter may have been one of Ansem's apprentices in the past, but it was all too easy to forget how intelligent II could be when you had to put up with his daily obnoxiousness most of the time. "And when it comes to instincts, Saix's is the keenest of us all. Which means … "
"Liar," Saix said bluntly and revealed his high and even numbers while the pirate sighed and lifted his own cup in defeat.
"Sharp, mate," Sparrow conceded, surrendering gracefully despite having been beaten by a newcomer. "I think you read my mind."
"I've seen writhing rodents less twitchy than you," Saix said with little flourish or triumph as he vacated his seat, handing the situation back to the Superior, where he believed it rightfully belonged.
The only thing that belonged on Xemnas' side, according to his own mind, was Saix, and having gotten what he wanted definitely improved his mood. Forgetting all the previous slip-ups, Xemnas gave the sulking pirate a hard look. Even though they'd won he was still expecting the man to try and weasel them into another bet. Xemnas couldn't imagine a common ship to be worth the effort, but with his patience already thinned he wasn't willing to play anymore games, and if Sparrow didn't produce those damn rum apples Xemnas would resort to using force.
"I see you aren't interested in another game," Sparrow guessed rightly. He sighed and flicked a matted lock of hair out of his face as he gathered the dice and cups. "But I'm a pirate of my word. Here."
The burning stench of alcohol coming from the jar the pirate took out from under his chair smelled like the contents would sooner kill a man rather than heal him. Xemnas stared at the pieces of fruit floating in the toxic concoction of rum and wondered which would be worse: dead underlings or drunk underlings. Still, he took the jar of rum, with some reservation.
"Always handy to have one of those on you," Sparrow said, kicking up his feet to rest his dirty boots on the table. "Never know what you might encounter on the open seas."
Which would make sense if the man had a ship to begin with, but he didn't, so the explanation left Saix more suspicious than ever. Also irritating was the strong feeling that they were being watched, but every time he looked over his shoulder he only saw inebriated patrons stumbling about beyond the doorway. He was just about to use his powers of scanning when the Superior stood.
"It was an enlightening evening," Xemnas said, refusing to shake the pirate's bandaged hand. "I wish you luck in acquiring a crew and reclaiming your lost vessel."
"And you will always remember this as the day you managed to defeat Jack Sparrow," the pirate captain said, giving a flailing salute.
Saix felt that the act of stepping on a cockroach would deserve more recognition than defeating Sparrow in anything, but he said nothing. He didn't want to draw out this experience any longer. Already banishing the memory of the smelly pirate, he docilely followed the Superior out of the backroom, assuring himself that all that was left was a quick walk through the tavern and then they'd be outside, where they'd only need to find a dark alley in which to open a portal and return to their sterile, idiot-free world. Yes, he was so fed up with these drunkards that, compared to them, he found VII and IX to be relatively tolerable.
As they stepped out of the backroom Saix caught the flutter of what looked like black cloaks out of the corner of his eye, but when he turned all he saw were the colourful fabric of women's dresses as they lay sprawled in a heap on some benches against the far wall. Glaring at them for a moment, convinced of what he'd seen, Saix had no choice but to abandon his scrutiny when the Superior crisply called him, reminding him that neither of them wanted to be here for much longer.
"Is he still looking?" Luxord ask, blowing a ringlet of blond hair from his face, making the woman in his lap giggle.
Not all that focussed as flirtatious hands caressed his chest and legs, Xigbar needed a moment to process the other's words.
"Huh? … Oh, er …" Pushing a winking woman's head to one side, he searched the room. "No. They've gone outside."
"We should follow them."
"What? Right now?" Xigbar pouted, which was revealed when the girl next to him pulled off his hood. Luckily, the rash on his face had already cleared up, and rather than be intimidated by his battle scars, the women only swooned and draped themselves over him even more. Grinning roguishly at Luxord, who had already extracted himself from the pile they'd all but thrown themselves into when the Superior and Saix had suddenly exited the backroom, Xigbar nodded towards the eager women. "What could possibly go wrong? Damn, Hugh, you never told me how much fun this place is! I always go to the one near the docks."
Luxord rolled his eyes and grabbed the Freeshooter by the arm, which was heavily protested by both Xigbar and the women as he was dragged off.
"To think that you are my superior," Luxord sighed, letting go of the other only once they were outside.
"Which means I should punish you for such disrespect and disregard for my authority," Xigbar sneered with little malice, not half as annoyed as he pretended to be.
They both looked up and down the street for the hooded figures and when they saw none they carefully crept along, checking the alleys, which were always a favourite spot of Organization members to portal their way in and out of worlds.
With the exception of the loud but muffled voices indoors, and a dog barking somewhere behind a house, the street was for the most part silent, with only a few people slinking about, none of them paying the two Nobodies any mind. The light drizzle slid harmlessly off their cloaks but the falling water intensified the stench of garbage in the air. The combined elements of wet and stink had Xemnas looking forward to the dry, scentless halls of the Castle That Never Was.
"His sense of personal hygiene is deplorable, but his heart is strong," he said as they walked down the sloping road. "If separated from such a heart he would make a powerful Nobody."
He waited for Saix's objection to having someone like Sparrow join their ranks, but there came none. The Diviner's mind was elsewhere.
"What is it, Saix?" Xemnas asked when the Diviner looked behind them for what had to be the twentieth time since leaving the tavern. Xemnas had been walking with his hands behind his back (Saix was in possession of the jar), but now he folded them.
Rather than detaching himself from their location like he normally did when speaking, the Diviner was still busy studying it, looking back almost constantly.
"Nothing, sir."
"I wouldn't have thought you to waste your time on nothing."
Saix looked over his shoulder again, yellow eyes narrowed.
"I have the unshakable feeling that we are being followed, sir."
"In a town like this, hardly surprising. Common thieves looking to rob us, or friends of the man I incapacitated back in the tavern. Let them follow if they want: if they attack before we find a suitable location to open a portal you may dispose of them as you see fit." Xemnas smiled, earnestly impressed with how controlled Saix had been all evening. "After that presentation in the backroom you deserve a reward."
Saix almost missed a step. Had that been … sarcasm? Was the Superior displeased with him, again? Had he overstepped his boundaries too much when he challenged Sparrow in the Superior's place?
"My apologies, sir," he said quickly just as the Superior picked out a narrow alley for their purpose. "It was not done with the intent to offend you. I assumed, seeing how important it was we get this cure, and that it was my service that was being asked, I had to accept the pirate's proposal."
Xemnas hadn't meant anything bad by his words, but Saix's reaction made him turn.
"Are you implying that you did not trust me to win that game? That you thought I would lose to the likes of a stranded pirate?"
Saix shifted the jar in his arms, thinking hard to diffuse the tension.
"You looked … shaken, sir," he said with the greatest of care, respectfully averting his eyes. "Your behaviour has been unusual this evening. I did fear that you were not up for the challenge and that that man would use that to his advantage to best you through some foul loophole. It would have been a stolen victory over you, sir, and I could not allow myself to let that happen. I would have been ashamed if I'd let your honour be soiled at the hands of a pirate."
Xemnas didn't respond immediately. He was admittedly surprised at the confession. He'd expected Saix has only stepped in to get the meeting over and done with; to get the cure and leave. He'd even anticipated the Diviner admitting that he did not trust his fate in the hands of another, even if the hands belonged to his leader. But no, Saix had done it purely to protect Xemnas' honour; to prevent him from suffering defeat.
" … Then I owe you my gratitude," Xemnas said.
Saix looked even less comfortable with that.
"You owe me nothing, sir. It is my duty to serve you as best as I can. That pirate calls himself a captain, a leader, but he is a fool. I am not surprised that his followers shunned him in favour of another. Even if I had lost, I would have killed him sooner than serve him."
When the Superior didn't open a portal Saix assumed that he was waiting on him to do so. He transferred the jar to one arm and held out the other hand. The filth in the alley blew around them as a swirling vortex began to form.
"That wouldn't have been necessary."
"Sir?"
Xemnas was staring at the forming portal, feeling himself frowning at the thought of Saix serving anyone but him. Somewhere deep in his chest, he felt the memory of jealousy. Real or not, the idea of seeing the Diviner following someone else made him want to summon his aerial blades and do serious damage.
Saix was his servant. His confidant. He had taken the wild, uncultured Nobody and studied him, taught him, refined him. Saix had been the first Nobody they had encountered after losing their hearts, and, to Xemnas, he had been a glimmer of hope in the dark world of skyscrapers and neon signs. Xemnas had been lost, uncertain what to do next after having led his fellow apprentices to what at the time had seemed like certain doom, but the discovery of Saix had been the first step to them finding a purpose: to strengthen their numbers, and expand their knowledge. Xemnas' confidence had returned as he'd watched Saix's growth as a Nobody.
But now … his control was slipping.
He told himself that there was nothing to fear, but something else, something louder, was mocking him. Kingdom Hearts wasn't his, the Voice said, and neither was Saix. He didn't have the power yet to manipulate Kingdom Hearts, and he'd never have the power to completely control Saix, or any of the others.
But that Voice was lying. It had to be. Saix was his. His most successful experiment. His most stable achievement. His closest ally.
"Sparrow would have been dead before he could even lay a victorious eye on you," he growled.
Abandoning the portal, Saix was about to scan his superior for any ailment when the Superior roughly grabbed him. Saix dropped the jar, but luckily there was so much dirt in the alley that it cushioned the fall. In the orange eyes, Saix saw the light of lunacy, as III called it; the spark of emotions their leader strongly denied. He couldn't tell if the Superior was even looking at him. But then the Superior said:
"You will serve no one other than me, Saix. Swear it, on Kingdom Hearts, that you will never betray me!"
It was almost an exact repeat of what had happened in the Bastion.
"Sir, on Kingdom Hearts, on my own heart, wherever it may be, I will never betray you," Saix said. Had the fumes of the tavern gotten to the Superior? Had Sparrow's noxious breath somehow poisoned him? "You are my leader, and I am your follower."
"Yes … yes, you are mine," the Superior muttered, staring at him directly.
The statement sounded odd to Saix. He didn't think it possible that someone could own another, but seeing the state the Superior was in, he went along with it, hoping to calm his leader down. Already the other's dark skin looked flushed, especially across the cheeks.
"He's not yours … and neither is Kingdom Hearts," said the Voice in Xemnas' head, chuckling at his defiance. "You will lose them, Xehanort. They are both too powerful for you to control. How does it feel, knowing that one day in the future, you'll find yourself alone? Lost? Kingdom Hearts will crumble, and the Diviner will fall along with it. In the end, you will lose them both, because they aren't yours to have. You don't deserve either of them."
"Silence!" Xemnas cried, grabbing his head.
What was happening? How could he be losing this much control so quickly?
He pushed Saix away and slouched back against the nearest wall, tugging as his hair as the voice went on.
"You have no control over your followers. You could not control Marluxia, and because of that your lost others. Your followers, your friends … Even, Aeleus, Ienzo; they died because you weren't powerful enough. You doomed them all, because you could not control the experiments in the Bastion."
"Sir!" Saix said loudly when the Superior sank to the ground. He tried to pull the Superior to his feet but was instead pulled down to his knees, his forearms gripped with bruising force.
"Did I lose …? Did I lose it all?" the Superior was muttering. "Am I … not strong enough?"
"You are," Said said fiercely. "You're the Superior."
Xemnas shook his head, staring at the toes of Saix's boots.
"Is that enough? What if it isn't?"
"Kingdom Hearts will give us power, sir. You said so yourself."
"Give me power? You believe I need it? Then you do not believe that I am already powerful enough," Xemnas said, raising his eyes. "You do not think I'm worthy of being your leader."
"I do not follow you for your power," Saix hissed at the accusation. "I follow you because, without you, I would have remained an animal. You gave me back my mind and my dignity."
"But what about your heart?" Xemnas said, parroting the Voice in his head that cruelly asked the same question. "What if I cannot give that back to you? What if, in the end, I fail you all, just as I failed Even and Aeleus and Ienzo? What would you think of me then?"
Never. Saix had never heard the Superior speak of failure. Was this genuine concern, or was the fever eating away at his mind?
When Saix didn't answer the Voice laughed. To have defeated a pirate at his own game, only to lose to a voice in his own head …
"If we recover our hearts, we will forever be indebted to you, sir," Saix voice broke through the mocking laughter. "But even if I never regain my heart, I would still follow you. As long as I am by your side, I have a purpose. I would truly be a nobody without you, Superior. That is why I cannot, and will not, abandon you."
The Diviner was looking at him, concerned but steadfast. Xemnas saw someone admirable before him, and remembered that it was he who Saix admired the most. And here he was, sitting in a filthy alley, needing motivation from his follower when it was he who should be the motivator.
He allowed Saix to help him to his feet, but then pulled himself together, showing no traces of doubt. He was the Superior. He was their leader, a good one, and he would prove the Voice wrong and lead his followers to victory. They would get their hearts back, and maybe, just maybe, he will be able to earnestly feel grateful and proud of those who continued to follow him, no matter what.
"Are you alright now, Superior?"
Saix stood before him, jar in one hand, the other prepared to open a new portal.
"You don't own him."
'I won't lose him,' Xemnas snapped back at the Voice.
"Then claim him," it suddenly encouraged.
' … What?'
"If he's truly yours, prove it."
'I need not prove anything to the likes of you.'
"Me?" The voice laughed. "Who do you think I am? A spell cast by a faraway enemy? You still don't recognize me?" The voice grew serious. "I am you, Xehanort. You forgot me; you forgot yourself. When you became a Nobody, you shunned who you were. Trying to convince yourself that you feel nothing without your heart, because it's easier to blame that which is missing, rather than that which is still with you. Because you've made it your purpose in life to complete Kingdom Hearts, you made yourself out to be a victim, and convinced your underlings likewise."
'I know myself better than anyone!'
"Then you know what you want."
'Which is?'
"This."
'What "this"?'
Suddenly, he became aware that, at some point, his lips had pressed hard against something soft. As he became aware of the world around him once more, he felt his tongue running over something sharp as his fingers dug into tense shoulders as he pinned them against a wall. He pulled back, tasting the blood in his mouth where he'd cut his tongue on a fang. Saix was staring at him with the widest eyes ever, blue hair tousled as he'd briefly struggled against the kiss before being overwhelmed with shock.
"Superior?"
"Yours … "
' … Mine.'
Shoving Saix back when the Diviner tried to loosen the hold, Xemnas kissed him even harder, spurred by the delicious taste of satisfaction as he felt the lips against his. Wrapping the wet hair around his fist, he forced the other closer. He needed more of it. He couldn't get enough of the feeling. It was like desperately trying to quench a thirst, drinking cup after cup. More and more … just a bit more … not enough … he couldn't stop …
The alley exploded with light and Xemnas' back hit the opposite wall with enough force to leave cracks in the stone. He'd never seen Saix use his magic to its full extent (the Diviner preferred his claymore over spells), but he knew the other had held back; that Saix had used magic at all made it clear that the kiss had rattled him enough to forcefully separate them.
"Saix," Xemnas winced, touching the still burning spot on his front where Saix's hand had connected with his chest. "What … "
Saix noticed his hand trembling and quickly lowered it, stunned, disgusted.
He'd struck his Superior.
He'd behaved aggressively towards the one he'd just vehemently sworn his fealty to. Whatever the reason, his reaction had been completely out of order.
"Saix," the Superior said again, taking a step forward.
Saix threw out his hand and opened a portal. Feeling that an apology would be too feeble an excuse right now, he bowed deeply and fled into the portal, closing it behind him.
"Saix!"
Xemnas stared at the jar of rum apples, which Saix had dropped a second time. Picking it up, Xemnas wasn't sure what he was thinking. One part of him was insulted by the rejection; another part told him said that it was he who had acted irrationally; and then there was the part that wanted to chase after Saix, though what he'd do once he caught up with him, Xemnas didn't know.
"This is your fault," he growled.
"Yes, it is entirely your fault," the Voice answered. "As you well know, you do not own him. You do not own Kingdom Hearts. You may have already lost Saix; how long will it be before you lose Kingdom Hearts, and then everything?"
Xemnas said nothing. He'd never lost an argument to anyone. Thus, it made sense that he'd never win one against himself.
Standing alone in the reeking, wet alley, with a jar of rum apples in his hands, and without his most faithful follower, Xemnas could not deny the wave of frustration that crashed over him. Though it was impossible to run away from himself, he still opened a portal and marched through, trying to give himself the impression that he could put everything behind him.
"…What the bloody hell was that all about?" Luxord asked the equally befuddled Freeshooter from where they stood at the mouth of the now empty alley.
They had watched the Superior's unexpected breakdown in secret, and had Saix not succeeded in talking the Superior to his senses, both Luxord and Xigbar would have rushed to help, their cover be damned. Xigbar, especially, had been stunned to see the Superior in such a state. Even back when they'd been apprentices, Xehanort had been the cockiest, most self-assured of them all. His ego had only grown when he became the Superior.
So worried had they been about his deteriorating control, and then so relieved when Saix had managed to bring back the old Superior, that the kiss hadn't registered at first. It wasn't until the Superior had moved in for a second, more intense kiss that Xigbar had elbowed Luxord and the two had looked at each other with the greatest surprise. Together they had to stifle their disbelieving laughs of triumphs.
There, in an alley, in the rain, had been the Superior and Saix, locking lips with the fervent need of drowning men gasping for air. At least, the Superior had been, whereas poor Saix had been stupefied. Still, it had been a moment of victory, and both Luxord and Xigbar knew that Axel would be beside himself with envy that he hadn't been there to personally witness the success of his Master plan.
Seconds later, both Luxord and Xigbar decided that it was a good thing Axel hadn't been there, as he would have been pulled out his newly grown hair at the sight of Saix blasting the Superior away like that. After many uncomfortable moments watching the Superior's confusing behaviour, they released their breaths when he finally left through another portal.
"Saix … attacked the Superior," Luxord said when Xigbar hadn't yet found his tongue. "I never thought I'd say those four words. What now, sir?"
It wasn't often someone spoke to him as a superior, but it worked to bring Xigbar round.
"We get back to the castle before the Superior notices us missing," he said, choosing to open a portal in another alley to avoid accidentally coming across either the Superior or Saix in the Corridors. "First, we 'heal' the others, and yourself. Then, if he hasn't returned by then, we find Saix. Can't believe he attacked the Superior. I was sure he'd go along with whatever Xemnas did. Damn the independent mind!"
They hurried down the street, in search of a usable alley. They said nothing until Luxord, unable to resist, said, "You have to admit, that was quite a snog, though."
Xigbar's loud laugh made the whores on the corner turn away from talking to potential patrons.
"You're a sick man, Luxord!" he said, slapping the other's wet shoulder, unintentionally aggravating the sensitive skin there.
"And so are you," Luxord winced.
"Definitely," Xigbar said, indirectly admitting that the sight of the two Nobodies kissing had not left him unfazed, "but I just thought that, as an Englishman, you had more self-control than to say it out loud."
"Hah!" Luxord scoffed. "I thought the Superior had self-control, and look what he did!"
"You know what they say: what happens in Port Royal, stays in Port Royal."
" … You think the ones who say that are idiots, don't you?" Luxord smirked.
"Fuck yeah! Can't wait to see Axel's face when we tell him!" Xigbar held out his hands and laughed up at the rainy skies. "Man, I love this town!"
Tbc ...
A/N: I totally cheated with the Liar's Dice part. Despite my best efforts I still have NO clue as to how the game is played, so instead of falsifying the rules to suit my (lacking) understanding, I just left out pretty much all of it. That's the joys of being the writer XD
Read & Review, please.