[Completed] Marluxia and Larxene - Reuniting

[xi-dead-roses.livejournal.com]

When; After Marluxia tells Larxene to meet him at the carousel.
Rating; G
Characters; Marluxia, Larxene
Summary; After ending up in this dreary world, Marluxia decides to meet up with his old accomplice to find some answers and plots the possible meet of doom for a certain traitor.

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The ticking really seemed louder around the carousel. Maybe there was truth to the rumors that it was part of some kind of countdown...

Larxene hadn't had much time to inspect the carousel before the ticking faded away to nothing. Ah~ That must be Marluxia. She disappeared into a convenient dark portal to wait for the best moment to make her presence known.

His own appearance was marked by the formation of the dark portal that was fortunately, still in his command. He supposed he had to be thankful for small things like this, he could still summon and he could still teleport himself. Of course, when he'd tried to get back to Oblivion, he couldn't transport himself at all and that was what confused him. He didn't like the fact that something was limiting him one bit and was going to make sure he rectified it.

Finally stepping out of the portal, he glanced about him and when the ticking stopped, he paused and looked at the carousel. Scowling slightly to himself, he narrowed his eyes when he saw no one there. Of course someone was there, it was obvious from the way the silence had suddenly manifested itself around him, and he folded his arms across his chest, speaking quite clearly enough to be heard by anyone nearby.

"Don't be childish now, Larxene. I know you're here."

Larxene stepped out of a portal behind him.

"Told you I'd get here first~" she sang.

Just to see if she could get away with it, she leaned close and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I'd ask if you missed me, but we already know the answer~" she whispered.

That would only be so far as she would be able to get away with it. Marluxia tilted his head to a side, watching his old comrade with what could appear to be a mixture of disdain and amusement, feeling bored enough to humor her. A hand raised to go to the side of her face, cupping her cheek in it. Had he been someone who had even cared or bothered about such a thing at all, it may have been a sincere gesture of admiration. Except it was obvious from the empty look he was giving her that not only did he not mean what he was doing, he was also very annoyed by it.

"So you did. Of course.." his gloved fingers trailed down the side of her face to cup her chin and make her face him. ".. try touching me like this a second time and I assure you there wont be a chance to have a third, dear Larxene." the hold on her chin now gone, he moved his hands to the sides of his waist and plucked her hands off from around him and though his motions made it look like he was treating her carefully, there was a firmness in his grip that was just short of being painful as he pushed her arms off, as well as giving her a little shove while he was at it to prove his point. A dark smirk rest on his lips and he watched her carefully, before turning his gaze back to the carousel.

"Most of us are here. The Traitor, the Deserter, the Bard, the Superior.. the Sadistic Princess.." here, he turned to grin slightly at her. ".. and The Graceful Assassin. I have sensed the Luna Diviner as well, but he has not made himself known quite yet." his eyes were cold as he watched her.

"Why are we here, is the question."

Heh... a better reaction than she'd expected, really. She thought maybe she should be disappointed, but of course couldn't work up more than a shadow of it, so she let it go. Larxene pouted, but stayed out of his personal space... for now; she could make an game of it later, maybe.

"Wish I knew. It's not just us- no one that shows up here seems to have the first clue why. Some of them are dead, too... It's like the city is gathering people, or something." She paused thoughtfully. "A collection of hearts- kind of like the plan back there, hmm?"

She leaned against one of the gaudily colored carousel horses. "That Kaen guy- he said something, on another person's journal. 'I can't wait for you all to dissolve away', something like that. He seems to run things here- could be a clue."

He knew he hadn't seen the end of it, which was why he wasn't protesting at all. Raising an eyebrow, he glanced to the carousel again, trying to figure out just what it was about it that he couldn't place his finger on. Earlier he'd passed it and something had not only seemed off about it, but there had been something similar to darkness coming from it. It was disturbing and the fact that he didn't know why it was here, or why HE was here for that matter, annoyed him.

Watching Larxene out of the corner of his eye, he then smirked and closed his eyes, nodding. "Kaen, hm? I think I'll need to have a little chat with him. Personally." Anyone who knew Marluxia knew just how bad that would be. He wasn't going to let a powerful smartass who controlled a city get the better of him.

Hmm~ yes, she'd figure out a way to get to Marluxia later- for the challenge, if nothing else. But that was for later, as she didn't feel like getting any digits chopped off. Larxene looked at the plastic animal she was leaning on, and thought she remembered something from her human life... barely, though. The image was fuzzy, and the strange aura of the carousel interested her much more than moldy old memories anyway. The nature of whatever radiated from it eluded her; it seemed a little like darkness, but... deeper. More purposeful...?

This merited further investigation, for sure.

"Let me know if you actually find him. I wouldn't mind a crack at him myself," she said, with a devious smile. Oh, yes. There would be pain if she ever got her hands on Kaen. No one was allowed to pull any of the stunts that had happened thus far on her.

He gave her another look; Larxene was getting far too comfortable with him for her own good. Perhaps he'd have to talk to her about this privately sometime. "Which obviously mean you will do nothing?" he turned around fully, now facing her again and ignoring the carousel that held every meaning but the meaning he wanted out of it. A part-glare shot in her direction, Marluxia then smirked and moved his arms in front of his chest, tilting his head back with an arrogant air.

"And this place has been affecting you, I can see. Have you grown so weak or do you just enjoy feeling the pain? I never thought you'd be a masochist, Larxene." he had seen how the city had indeed worked it's way onto her. While he knew it was dangerous to think it wouldn't affect him, the fact that he was still not suffering the city's torments as the others gave him a small sense of hope. He wondered idly if that would give him an edge over the Superior as well..

His smirk grew. "But I suppose you could be of some use. Have you found out where the traitor is?" his eyes glinted with malice at the mere mention of Axel, the need for vengeance coursing through him. Ah, yes. He may have been a Nobody- but this was something ephemeral. He would never forget that feeing, and he was glad he had the composure to maintain it.

"Hey, I've been trying to find Kaen too," Larxene protested. Well, not really, she'd had other things on her mind: the city's curses, getting into Envy's pants, arguing with Naminé, important things like that. Hmph.

"And as for the curses..." She paused. What explanation was there? "... They aren't picky. I've seen plenty of people complaining that they shouldn't have been affected."

Now wipe that smirk off your face or I'll put in a personal request for you to be next.

She straightened up, giving him a look that clearly demanded he back off. "Haven't seen him around lately- I would have thought him above running away~ Word is, something happened between him and Roxas. It could have something to do with that?"

He could have laughed at her but he didn't really bother with the false cheer unless he meant to mock her. Which he didn't. While he respected Larxene to a level, he didn't like the fact that she was so easily swayed by her own lack of control over matters that could well be under her control, but he supposed if she was enjoying herself, he wasn't one to really say anything nor did he really care. She was well enough know what she was doing and if she wasn't, that was hardly his fault. Until and unless, of course, she was working under him.

Remaining where he was, his eyebrows raised in mild amusement when she mentioned Axel running off without Roxas. However, that was quickly replaced by a colder smirk and he let out a dry chuckle.

"If it is, he is even more pathetic than I would have thought. Whatever happened to that backstabbing, arrogant little mongrel back from the good old days.." he gave a dramatic disappointed sigh and shook his head, before rolling his eyes and smirking at her.

"He owes me, and I have a little request of you, Larxene." he spoke silkily, moving his hands down and calmly striding over so that he was in front of her and looking down. Request, in this case, obviously meant a job, whether she liked it or not.

"Oh, really?" Larxene drawled. "What kind of request?"

Sure, she respected Marluxia, almost liked him, but that didn't mean she trusted him. Nobody earned that particular honor.

Marluxia looked calmly at her, before he moved a hand to under her chin and held it, moving a thumb under her lower lip and the other fingers cupping her jaw enough to tilt her face up to look at him directly. She may not be allowed to hold hm for too long, but in his eyes, he did no wrong and he could do as he pleased. Besides, it gave him a short power trip that he didn't really mean in malice towards her. It was just something she would need to be used to again.

"You have been friendly with the traitor. When he arrives back, I want you to inform me. And make sure he is unhidden from my sight." he smirked, meeting her gaze as if silently communicating with her through it. "I need to give him a proper housewarming after all. For the sweet betrayals he offered me back at Oblivion. And I'm certain I wont have a better chance than this." he trailed the thumb under her lower lip, as if contemplating kissing her, before bringing on a faux-pleading expression. "Wont you do this for an old friend,  dear Larxene?" the sincerity could have almost been convincing by his voice, had his face not been visible to her and had she not been able to see his desire to kill in his darkened blue eyes.

Larxene swatted his hand away. If she wasn't allowed to touch him, it should certainly be the other way around.

"Friend?" She smirked, a malicious gleam in her own green eyes. "We don't have friends, Marluxia dear~ you should know that. I'll do it, though- because I'd like to see him suffer for what he did too."

"Ah, but our pretenses to be friends needn't be those that we believe. After all, my dear Larxene.." his hand gracefully slid back even when she swatted it away. ".. we know how to separate what we remember from what we think we should feel." And that was a truth. Marluxia didn't bother putting up a facade where he didn't need to and when he did 'show emotions'- it was mocking what the other had. He had no need for such a weakness. As for Larxene, what a darling manner she behaved in, and it was apparent there were certain rules he would need to eventually set to remind her just who he was to her. All in due time, he supposed. Eyes glinting with determination, he took step back, a portal forming behind him and his hand outstretched.

Within his gloved palm, the darkness began to summon into a circle until it took upon a shape- a black stem, a body-- swimming into forming petals, a glistening crimson rose with the stem and leaves of the deepest shimmering black. Grinning wryly, he gave it a nonchalant glance, before bringing it back to his lips and kissing the newly-formed petals, watching Larxene over it.

"I shall await your report. Farewell, my dear. I have.. an important guest to look to." with a flick of his hand, he sent the rose flying in Larxene's direction, chuckling as he stepped into the portal with a mock-bow. "Don't miss me too much and do your best to inform me of what you learn~" a smirk in her direction, he allowed the darkness to take him away.

The beast would soon be unleashed. They would rue the day he was allowed to return.