Larxene woke to realize that she had snuggled up quite close to Aqua. Again. Heat rose in her cheeks. She was so certain that she'd keep her distance yet, there they were. Surely the performer couldn't apologize, right? It'd disturb Aqua and she needed her rest. Larxene shifted just barely and resorted to laying still. 'Please don't wake up, please don't wake up…' The phrase repeated in her head. There wasn't a good way to explain this, really. She sighed and closed her eyes. There's no real way that Larxene could be of any help to this girl now. Not without souls. Or something. The thought hung in her mind. Maybe she should go back to the circus. She had made a promise… but If it meant keeping this girl alive, maybe it wouldn't be …too bad if she broke it? Where would she even start? What, go track down Xigbar? 'Yeah buddy, guess I'm no better than you, going awol in the middle of the night. Not a chance.' What else could she possibly do? Not much with a broken trinket. Luxord might know something…
'Please understand, you silly sod! I simply must know where you are going! I'll even make a deal with you. If you tell me where you are going, I miiiiiight help you get there faster. Deal?' All this noise in his head was giving Xigbar a killer headache. Not to mention this whole out-of-body experience he was having. Running through the streets of Radiant Garden felt so strange, almost as if he was a little kid learning how to walk again. Greeds fault no doubt. Everythin' was his fault, er… at least fer the past few days. Speaking was getting a little easier, though, he had to admit. "Look… what the hell makes you think I will tell ya where I'm goin'? Ya know, fine, I'll tell ya… I'm goin' home. Happy? Not like I'd let ya change courses anyways…" Talking did take a lot of focus, especially to not sound all jumbled and garbled. 'You are so difficult. You know that? But truly?! Home?! What are you, a child?' Greed sighed loudly in his head, which had to be one of the strangest sensations, and one that the performer wouldn't wish on anyone. 'Hold on tight. Let's take to the skies so you don't have to run around like a heathen.' "What?! N-no yer not seriously gonna-" Without much warning, Greed unfurled the hybrid wings on the performers back and tried to take off. The whole process only managed to grant the pair a few feet of height before they both crashed back down to the dirt. 'Just great. Perfect. You and your angel taint ruined a perfectly good pair of wings. I hope you are happy.' Now it was Xigbar's turn to sigh. He did so as he stiffly got back to his feet, dusting his clothes off. "-salright… I don't think I would suit the whole flying thing anyway…" And with that, Greed was silenced, probably pouting, so that the escape artist could continue his journey in peace.
Aqua turned over in her sleep with some difficulty. The sheer size and bulk of her newfound wings, proved to be more of a hassle than she would have liked. Especially during sleep. She had become quite comfortable in her bed area of Asha's home. Though she had to admit there were new changes that the gypsy had made that worried her. For instance, the salt around the perimeter of the house was one. The second being the pot of holy water hanging precariously over the front door, just waiting for some unsuspecting victim to knock over and get a face full. Asha had become a defensive mastermind overnight, and much more superstitious than she ever had been, or at least, that Aqua had known her to be. Perhaps it was because of the visitor she had the other evening. Aqua shook the thought. To be honest, that wasn't the only thing worrying her. Recently, she had been having extremely vivid dreams of Asha and her family. Things that seemed too real to just be a mere coincidental dream. But it had to be, right? Just a dream, thats the only way she could explain it. But seeing that family, playing outside with a much smaller Pooka… it was almost strange, to see the stalwart and stern woman she lived with day to day smile and laugh until her sides hurt. The thing that made Aqua's blood run cold was seeing her husband, however. In her dreams he was much more soft, certainly not the evil and backhanded man she had come to know. This was the main reason why she truly wanted these dreams to be just dreams. Her thoughts went to their daughter… Maggie was her name? Yes. Aqua wondered where that little girl was now. Of course, she was no longer so little… Larxene stirred beside her. Part of her wanted to turn to her and say something, but she didn't want the performer to worry as to why she was not really asleep. Pretending was what she would continue to do. Pretend to sleep and try to think of something else. Something besides that family's laughter.
Larxene let out a quiet sigh. She was never really 'good' at pretending anything. Maybe if she just… Larxene slowly removed her arms and legs from aqua and shifted further away from her, making extra effort not to disturb her. She probably should just give up sleeping in the proximity of others. It never goes well. Aqua had to be getting either weirded out or annoyed, and she really couldn't blame her. The performer's chest heaved a little. If she were to leave…how could she even go about it? Aqua couldn't come too, there was no way. She was sure that Aqua and Asha both wouldn't treat is so casually if she were to go back. Honestly, she didn't even have a good enough reason to, other than to interrogate Luxord, but who knows. He may not know anything at all! Destroying the Trinket itself could be something, right? But it's not like she really needs to return to the grounds to do that…right? Asha would know. but she wasn't about to ask. Shit, this was bad. Larxene bit her lip for a moment before turning over onto her back to stare at the ceiling in silence, her hands folded neatly across her stomach despite her somewhat shaky fingers.
This was it… Crossing the dirt clearing between the paved streets of the city and onto the outskirts of town, the escape artist was nearly there. In his impulse decision to go back home, he really hadn't thought about what he was actually going to say. Not only had he left Asha a second time, but without so much as a goodbye. There was absolutely no escaping that. Now he had a whole elephant in the room to talk about. Or rather… demon in his head. Cursing under his breath he slowed his pace, getting closer and closer to the cave Asha calls home. He hated how she was really the only person in the world who could manage to make him that nervous. 'Wow. Someone is certainly getting a bit anxious. A bit out of character, wouldn't you say?' "Yeah yeah… hey. Why don't you make yourself useful, and make it so that I don't look like I jus' got outta a body modification shop? Pretty please?" Greed's laughter exploded in his mind as he stopped a few yards away from the cave entrance. 'Oh. Only because you said pretty please. That was priceless.' Now, Xigbar couldn't tell what felt more strange, trying to fly before, or suddenly losing all of the new… features? he had tried so hard to get used to moments before. The end result was comforting though. Back to his old self again… almost. He would have liked to gather his nerve for a few moments more outside, but there really was little time to waste. Who knew where those snakes had gone, and how soon they would end up here. Here goes nothing…
Aqua noticed Larxene move slowly away from her. She couldn't tell if she did this on purpose or not, but she had to admit she was slightly disappointed. Feeling another person she trusted so much so close to her was quite comforting. And comfort was something that Aqua longed for. Especially after recent events. She turned to face Larxene, forfeiting the guise of sleep. Smiling softly, she spoke barely a whisper. "Cant sleep either?" The night was quiet, save for the sound of distant crickets. It was an odd sound to get used to, since Aqua had lived all her life in the city. There weren't many crickets there, or much wildlife of any kind for that matter. Part of Aqua wished this place wasn't so… deserted. It was almost eerie. Aqua sat up and stretched, hoping this would help her get more comfortable when she laid back down. But her wings outstretched along with her arms, which brought a blush to her face. For a moment, she forgot they were there… This was certainly something that she would have to get used to. Aqua opened her mouth to speak once more, but quickly forgot what she was going to say, for a loud sound outside made her forget entirely. She couldn't tell what it was, but the loudness of it made her yelp and jump. It sounded as if a small bomb went off, with a much more crackling sound at the very end. Aqua hoped with all her might it was just a small animal tripping one of Asha's traps… but that wouldn't make sense… right? Normal creatures couldn't trigger those kinds of things, right? "What… What was that?" Aqua whispered nervously.
Larxene flinched a little as Aqua spoke. Shit. She's awake too. "N-No…I'm sorry, I…" her voice trailed off as the other girl stretched. She could feel the hint of a blush rising to her ears. Not once would she have thought that a pair of wings could be 'pretty' but she'd been wrong before… The performer quickly averted her gaze back to the ceiling for a moment in an attempt to calm her nerves before jumping nearly upright at the sound. "The hell…?" That couldn't be good. It was silent now, save for the odd crackling. Larxene listened hard, unable to weed out the source. Animals couldn't really…do that, she wagered. Offering a half shrug to Aqua she whispered back. "Pooka, maybe?" she doubted herself directly after the words left her lips. There's no ungodly screeching, it couldn't be. Larxene reached out to Aqua's forearm in an attempt to reassure her. "If there was a problem, I mean…that thing is out there somewhere, right?" She offered a small smile before turning her attention back to the direction of the doorway. Her weird dog would…do something if it were trouble, wouldn't it…?
Xigbar's vision was completely white. Christ, what had happened? One minute he was walking to the entrance of his own home, and the next he was launched in a mass of sparks and blinding fire a few yards back. Damn did it burn. Nothing like that weak fire Fire-Crotch threw around. Gasping for breath on all fours, he tried to regain focus, but to little avail. His vision was slowly but surely coming back, though now everything was purple. A protective barrier, maybe? But rigged against himself? What the hell was this? 'You really messed that one up, dumbass… walking right into a salt circle. Hell… I really chose a dud this time.'
As if on Larxene's cue, Pooka began shrieking outside the cave. Aqua's muscles tensed. This really wasn't good. Should she wake Asha? Aqua really didn't want to. The shrieking quickly changed to growling, and a vicious growl at that. Aqua's fists clenched as she stared intently at the door, just waiting for something to come barreling through. Straining her ears, she could almost hear a voice through all the growling, but she couldn't tell if she was imagining it or not. "What should we do? We can't go out and check, right? Asha would be furious…"
Larxene's eyes narrowed. Well, at least it's awake now. Maybe it'll take care of whatever is out there…? She looked around quickly before returning her attention to the doorway. Voices? Shit. She certainly didn't want to wake Asha. How can she sleep through this? She needed to do….something. There's no way she could use any of her element abilities… What if the ringmaster had found them? No…that thing out there would be dead already. "We'd have to…wake her up, then." She tossed her hands upward slightly while moving to stand. She quickly closed the space between herself and the door and knocked urgently. "how can you sleep with all of this…?" She whispered, her tone persistent. "We kinda need you to come out here, y'know." She knocked again, harder this time, hoping that she'd comply. This woman slept like the dead. The world could end and she wouldn't even know! Larxene called her name, her voice barely above a whisper. Not that she was trying to be quiet but the performer didn't want to attract any more attention…
Aqua turned to Larxene at Asha's door. She was thankful that the other girl had the courage to do that, because to be honest, Aqua would rather not. Asha quickly replied, with a sassy tone to her voice, though not from behind the door. "You had better watch yer tone with Asha, girl. Asha is well aware of what is happening, and Asha will take care of it." Aqua jumped to see Asha standing by the door, slathering some sort of oil all over the staff she carried. Aqua had no idea how she managed to appear there, because neither she nor Larxene had seen her emerge from her room. The likely answer was magic. "Asha will be confronting this… whatever awaits outside, you two be careful and assist if needed. Though Asha should be fine." Aqua stood slowly, and moved to join Larxene, afraid to walk outside. Asha walked out the front door without another word.
'How in the world is there a hellhound here, and why won't it listen to us?!' Pooka wouldn't stop growling, no doubt he sensed what was wrong with Xigbar, and though Greed had made it so that he looked normal earlier, the fire from the barrier soon changed that. The large beast had Xigbar pinned to the dirt, both paws on his arms, and both hooves on his legs and tail. "Pepper-er- Pooker please, itsh me you shtupid dog! Get off, an' stop makin' thish whole situation worse!" Pooka wouldn't listen. Of course not. Of course. Perhaps it was because he couldn't talk with all those goddamned teeth…
Larxene visibly flinched. What the hell? She spun on heel, and whatever smart remark she had, left her. Her eyes widened a little as she shot a glance to Aqua. 'Wonderful. She teleports too! Of course. Birds of a feather, I guess…' her chest felt hollow, Asha's words echoing in her ears. There wasn't much she could do right now, when it came down to it. The performer swore under her breath. She didn't want to think of what Xemnas would to do Aqua if given the chance… She'd have to go through that all over again! Larxene blinked slowly and placed a steady hand on Aqua's. 'no. no no no. There's no way. I won't…allow…' It was decided. Somehow she'd find a way to get stronger. She had to go back to the Circus. She had to… Not that souls are a good thing, but hey, whatever helps, right? After offering the other girl a reassuring smile, she focused instead on the noises outside, almost certain there were voices other than Asha's. This couldn't be good…
Part of Aqua wanted to go see what awaited the three of them outside, but the other part of her did not. She stood completely still next to Larxene, wondering if she wanted to ask what the two of them should do now. Instead, she held tightly to Larxenes hand and nodded to her, trying to reassure them both.
Asha stepped out into the cool night air and swung her staff in small circles. She knew why Larxene was so nervous about being defenseless. But the poor girl should learn that someone could easily fight these creatures with little to no power. After all, her family had managed for generations with absolutely no magic… That is until she changed that, and was shunned for it. Nevertheless, Asha continued moving forward. Pooka's large body was obstructing his prey, so Asha couldn't tell what he had caught from this far away. She was fairly certain that it was not Xemnas himself. This was a slight reassurance. "State yer business. Before Asha gives the word for her dog to snap yer neck!"
'Snap my neck?! Thats MY neck! Weird lady doesn't know what she's talking about…. thats a nice staff though…' Perfect. These past few weeks Xigbar had been batting zero. It almost felt like ever since Sparky met Little Blue, shit really hit the fan. Maybe she was a jinx? A black cat? Cept blue… Xigbar struggled to get out from under Pooka, but to no avail. Calling out to Asha, he struggled to speak through his mouthful of teeth. "Thatsh not very polite! Shee? I came back, didn't I? Asha pleash get thish dog thing offa me…" Subtle. So very subtle. Ugh...
Larxene returned the smile, despite how her heart was racing. "Listen, I…" She paused for a moment. "I'm sorry for the mess I got you into." Part of her hoped Aqua wouldn't respond. Her eyes narrowed a little, still unable to exactly pinpoint the other voice she was hearing. She took a step forward and stopped. Aqua was still shirtless! She couldn't force her to go out there like that too.. Instead of moving any closer than she was, she took a seat on the ground. Might as well wait it out, right? She'd leave now, if she could. The longer she sat, the more she wanted to run. Somehow she'd fix this. Maybe not alone, but…still…
Aqua sat next to Larxene, still holding the girl's hand. "I'm sorry too then. You're not the one to blame here…" Her voice trailed off, she really didn't want to pass the blame. There was no point in it. What did it matter? Even if she wasn't a part of this… she would surely be a soulless husk if not for where she was now. She would much rather fight this evil than be a victim of it. "It… doesn't sound like a struggle outside, so I suppose that's a good thing."
Asha let out a low growl, gripping tighter to her staff. Damn him. Leaving only to come back like this …. This could be a trick. A foul trap laid by Xemnas himself. It would be just like him to do such a thing. Asha did not underestimate his cunning. She stood next to Pooka, looking down at what looked like her husband. Though she couldn't be sure. The soul that lay before her seemed to double. There was something else there no doubt. Her eyes narrowed as she turned the thoughts over in her mind. The oils she had spread on her staff would render any demon disabled if given the proper force to the head…thus interrogating him inside her own home would be her best bet. It was decided. With a click of her tongue she turned away and gave Pooka a short command in her native tongue, "Pooka... sprowadzać."
'Excuse me? What the hell did that she-witch just call me?!' Greed would not be quiet, but at least he wasn't speaking out loud through Xigbar. That he was thankful for. He could tell Asha didn't trust him, not in this present state. Not that he could blame her… but come on! Seriously? How could she not believe him? Xigbar was not familiar with this word, though he had heard many words spoken in the language of the Gypsies. Pooka understood, however, and picked him up roughly off the ground and carried him away, gripping the performer tightly in two clawed hands. Following his master, the devil dog marched along after Asha and dropped him at the door. Before Xigbar could mutter another word, Asha held her staff under his chin threateningly. "Do not try anyting… Asha will not hesitate to send you back from whence you came, demon…" She spoke through her teeth, damn she was angry. Waving her hand briskly across his neck, Asha cast another spell in her language, "Wiązać…" A bright light flashed as a chain materialized around the performers neck and hands, binding them tightly. Pulling the magical chain roughly, she practically dragged him inside, and threw him into the nearest chair, keeping a tight grip on her staff. Xigbar made it a point not to say anything. Asha was certainly not someone he enjoyed pissing off.
Larxene stared down at the ground for a moment, lost in thought. Maybe it wasn't entirely her fault, but she did have a pretty sizable hand in it. Though if she would have just kept her head down and finished her job correctly… She shook her head. "I couldn't do that to you. But I didn't think that…it'd come to *this* you know?" She shrugged in resignation. What else could she say? Larxene's thumb ran over the back of Aqua's hand absentmindedly until the other girl spoke, causing her to freeze. Her eyes widened. 'n-no….no no no… she's apologizing? Why? There' s no reason!' She opened her mouth to protest Aqua's previous statement, but instead, held her tongue, thankful that the other girl changed the subject. Shit. She was right. Larxene sighed in slight relief and nodded in agreement. Her breath however, caught in her throat at the sight of the creature that Asha had forced inside. Her grip on Aqua's hand tightened just barely. "Wh…" her voice trailed off. what IS that? The performer's eyes narrowed. It…kinda looks like… Her eyebrows raised in shock. That hair was practically unmistakable. "N-no…no way. What? Is this a…like a joke or something?" Whatever the hell happened, it couldn't be good. Refusing to move from Aqua's side, she waited in silence for some sort of explanation.
"My god.." Aqua muttered under her breath. Though she remained perfectly still, she had never seen Asha give such an intense stare like the one she wore now. Asha spun her staff and pointed it directly into Xigbar's face, prodding his cheek with the end of it. The oils on the staff made his skin singe a bit. "Who are you really ….?!" To which he replied, "You know who I am.. really…" Asha stood her ground her tone becoming more hostile, "Asha's patience is not endless, demon. Now tell me!"
"Demon…?" Larxene murmured, giving a sideways glace at Aqua. When did this happen?! This couldn't have been an….'all-the-time' kind of thing… Then again, neither was Aqua's situation…right? She shook the thought. That was different …duh. "Well this is….colorful, huh?" She turned her attention back to the scene before her. Larxene was thankful it was him on the other end of that stick of Asha's, and not her. "Can….can this kind of thing…happen? Like wh…" Larxene was at a loss for words. That was certainly Xigbar…but… The concept of 'angels and demons' was harder to grasp for her than it sounded. This seemed surreal. Like a bad dream that she'd eventually wake from. Her eyes flicked back to Aqua, and squeezed the girls hand slightly. This was real , right…?
"Asha… theresh no way I can prove thish to ya… but you know who I am." This was bad. It was almost like a movie, when the hero had to find out which one was the real one. Except in real life it was way more difficult. What could he possibly say that would prove himself? Unfortunately, Greed took the reins, "Look, my good…. witch woman? You certainly have the right man, so why don't you stop waving that stick around so we can have a nice civilized conversation. I know this may be a little hard for you, though." Xigbar's expression changed to that of a pained one as he sighed. This was not going well. Shit… Aqua stared at the two of them from a distance, unsure of exactly what was going on and where on earth Xigbar had managed to create that voice. Asha had to take a deep breath to stop herself from knocking him out.
Larxene arched an eyebrow, following the conversation the best she could. That was him alright. Though the vocal gimmick didn't make much sense… a smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth at the 'witch woman' comment, but with the way Asha *looked* there was no way she'd start laughing now. "W-well at least this…was all that was out there, right?" She murmured, somewhat thankful that it was…mostly Xigbar. Larxene was curious to know how he ended up the way he was, but she wasn't about to ask. Aqua seemed to have just…sprouted wings, but something in the pit of her stomach told her that wasn't the same case for Xigbar. She waited in silence, eager to know more about the situation they were now in.
Asha gripped the staff she held tightly, turning over a few thoughts in her mind. She swung the magical chain around her prisoner and tightened them with a glow of her hands. Taking the glowing purple stone from off of the end of it, she roughly gave it to Larxene. "Asha will return shortly. Asha must brew something to see if this creature before us truly is who we know. If it tries to escape, using the trickery we know he can use, point that stone at him. Shall stop him right where he is." And with that, Asha hurried into her room, grabbing bottles and ingredients along the way. That stone… Xigbar eyed it with slight disgust. "She really doesn't trust me.. To give ya that thing. Careful with that now, Sparky, one of a kind, that thing is." He squirmed a bit in the chair he was stuck in. Those goddamn wings were more trouble than any help. Most uncomfortable feeling, not to mention that awful tail.
Larxene blinked, and carefully closed her fingers around the stone. "you want…me to…point it at him?" She repeated somewhat flatly before continuing. "sure, sure." She nodded as Asha turned away. Shit, she looks mad… The performer opened her palm to examine it further. It…it's a rock. What's pointing a rock at him going to do? She looked up as Xigbar spoke, eyebrows raised. "Really?" she countered. "What's it do that's so special? I mean it's just a rock, right?" Larxene fought the urge to point it at him as instructed, just to see what'd happen. At this point she knew that it must have some sort of trick to it, since it belonged to someone like Asha… She watched Xigbar closely, still keeping close to Aqua. He seemed to be more uncomfortable with Asha out of the room rather than in it. Hopefully he won't try to pull something… Larxene didn't like the idea of having to rely on a rock for safety.
'Ooh. Now thats a beautiful bauble if i ever saw one. Maybe she'll let me have it if I ask her nicely.' Greed was no help right now, nor did Xigbar ever think the demon would be. "Nah kiddo… watcha got there is a shoul-shtone. Grr.. SOUL STONE" He sighed, hating how he had to clearly enunciate each word he spoke to get around this mouth full of teeth. He was slowly getting better at it though. "Jus' be careful with that aight, Sparky?" Fidgeting a little back and forth in his seat he managed to squeeze his wings free and let them fall to his sides. At least now they wouldn't pinch on the back of the chair. His gaze turned to the door, listening for any sign of something outside. A sudden paranoia washed over him. What if someone had followed him here? Like Marluxia? Or those goddamned snakes? Shit…
Soulstone? What? Since when can souls be stored in rocks…? Well… Larxene shrugged just barely at the thought. If they can be confined in those trinkets, why not rocks too, right? "Careful…sure…" She nodded absentmindedly. Eyeing his new wings carefully, she turned the stone over in her palm. Those looked…interesting… She was more taken to Aqua's, though she wouldn't admit it. Larxene stared at his face suspiciously. Something was off. The performer shot a glance to aqua before turning her attention back to Xigbar. "Are you okay? You seem a little….tense." her eyes flicked to the door for a moment. She turned the stone over in her palm again. She was awfully curious… "Are you expecting company? You've been staring for…quite a while, you know?" She spoke, pointing the stone as Asha instructed. Someone was plotting something …or he's hiding information. Was this new look of his a trap? she really didn't want this night to escalate any more than it had…
Fidgeting in the chair once more, Larxene's question snapped him out of watching the door so closely. "Tense? ….Well yeah. If you saw what I saw a few hours ago you'd be pretty tense yerself. Not spending time here on holiday with bluebird who, apparently sprouted wings. Nice touch." Smirking, he chuckled to himself. "I'm not expecting company. More like praying' nothin' followed me her- HEY!" A bright purple flash interrupted his speech as Larxene did as Asha told her. It zipped from the escape artist's chest to the stone she held. A small deep purple glow orbited around the stone in her hand as she held it. Shivering uncomfortably, he glared at her. "I wasn't doing' anythin' ya know! God… worst feeling ever…" He hadn't thought about trying to escape these magical bonds before, but now he really wanted to. Being at the mercy of Sparky was not ideal. But now that she had done that he couldn't teleport from the chair even if he wanted to. Soul stones steal powers temporarily… though that's only one of their uses. Which, lucky for him, was Asha's favorite use.
Larxene's eyes narrowed slightly in concern. He definitely had her attention now. "A few hours ago? What do you mean follo—" She gasped at the stone's reaction, and held it a little closer to her face to inspect it further. "That was…cool." She murmured, Her former coworker brought her back to reality. "If anyone was on 'holiday' I'd wager it was you . Ten years is a long time, isn't it?" Hearing him speak that way about Aqua put an odd taste in her mouth. "And I mean, there's no contest here, hers are better." She added quickly.''Bluebird' yeah laugh it up…' Larxene cleared her throat, now highly interested in what Xigbar had begun to say. "Alright, alright, anyway, what'd you mean, 'what you saw a few hours ago?' A-and what now? Are you…seriously expecting company? God, you weren't actually followed were you?" Please be joking. …please. "I-I mean you don't really look too…subtle anymore, Xig."
Aqua held her shirt closer to her chest at the sight of the purple light. She didn't really want to speak much at present, for admittedly, this whole situation was making her very uneasy. Seeing the man before her with wings as well was a little bit frightening. There were a thousand thoughts running through her head, but none of them were making any sense. She hoped that Asha would have some answers soon… The purple glow continued to circle around the stone in Larxene's hand, though it traveled down her wrist after a few moments and slowly dissipated. Aqua continued to be lost in her thoughts as Larxene and her co-worker bantered. Though the comment about her wings brought her back to reality. She felt her ears and cheeks turn red as she looked away, her wings folded around her shyly.
Xigbar stared directly into Larxene's eyes. His patience was running extremely thin tonight, and he really wasn't in the mood to counter her insults when his speech was all messed up. Not to mention the comments that Greed had to shout in his head after each one. 'Yeah. That girl is right that stone is marvelously cool. I would love to have it. Take it from her.' Listening to her further, his brow furrowed. "You think I'm the one on holiday?! As if. If the ten years I spent away from my family was a fucking vacation, then I really don't wanna know what yer idea of work is." Biting his lip, he tried to rein in his anger, tiredness can do a lot to change a man's personality. "Don't try to be buddy-buddy with me after that one, kid… Of course no one followed me. Do ya think I'm that stupid? And yeah… I noticed. Not really likin' this makeover too much…"
Larxene couldn't help the smirk that tugged at the corners of her mouth. "Struck a nerve there, huh?" She murmured, glancing for a moment at aqua. Her attention turned back to Xigbar, letting out a small sigh as he finished his little outburst. If it weren't for their situation, maybe she'd be a little more 'engaged' in this exchange of theirs. She finally nodded after he finished speaking. After a few moments of silence she shrugged. "Well, maybe you're not that stupid, but…" She made sure to keep her tone and expression as calm as she could. "But…well, your kid's soul is still sittin' in the bottom of a jar now isn't it? You like…know that, right?" She was going to get an earful for that and she knew it. Larxene put her hands up lazily. "I mean, just in case you still want to talk about 'holidays'" She added with a small smile. Honestly, what could he do at this point? She had already used that rock of Asha's, its not like Xigbar could really get up and do much, right? Sure that was low, but might as well say it now. She couldn't have been the only one thinking it.
Asha had finally finished her potion. She could hear talking outside of her room. Of course given the two people she guessed were talking, it didn't sound too pleasant. Two strong personalities clashing was never a good thing. Though Asha could see how Larxene and her street rat wouldn't get along too much. Swirling the potion around in the vial she held she stepped out of her room and rejoined the others. Larxene continued speaking, "But…well, your kid's soul is still sittin' in the bottom of a jar now isn't it? You like…know that, right?" She continued after that, but Asha tuned it out. Her heart sank as she heard those words leave the performers lips. This had been a thought she had been working hard to shut out of her mind. She… she wouldn't lose her child. Her only child…
Hearing Larxene say something so harsh to Xigbar made Aqua frown. She called out louder than she wanted to, "Larxene…!" But she couldn't finish her sentence. She didn't know what to say. Aqua was afraid that if she did say something, bits and pieces of the dreams she was having would come out in her explanation as well. She wasn't quite ready to reveal whatever she was dreaming about at night. And certainly not in this way. Squeezing Larxene's shoulder tightly she opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly interrupted.
What… did she jus' say? 'Hey… Calm down there, human, there's nothing you can do right now, just don't reveal too much, right? Think clearly now.' In a small fit of rage Xigbar's tail whipped around the chair in one violent swing, taking out the wooden legs of the chair as if they were made of cardboard. With ease he broke the rest of the chair as he stood, taking no notice to this fact until he was done seething with anger. Though the chair was gone, his arms were still chained by magic. Stepping closer to her he spat keeping his tone as even as he could, just barely above a normal speaking level, "I don't ever wanna hear you speak of Maggie's soul again. You hear me?! Never. Again. And if I do… Boy if I do, kiddo, you won't live long enough to see little Bluebird here be free from Xemnas' clutches! Mark my fuckin wor-"
"The both of you just STOP!" Out of the blue, Aqua broke the silence. Though Xigbar's last comment made a shiver run down her spine, she couldn't watch the two of them argue over Maggie like this. She could feel the pain in Asha as she looked at her. She felt Larxene's words just as much as Xigbar had… if not more. "We will get nowhere if we all blame one another for the things that Xemnas has ultimately done. ….Can we please… just… not do this? The both of you?" Her blue eyes went from Xigbar who took a step back and looked away, to Larxene. The room fell silent.