Organization XIII: The Gloves Are Off

[Fallendire]

The glimmering golden light of the streetlamps lining the Seine river glinted off the dark, rippling water, highlighting every transient hill and valley before disappearing to make way for a new spark of light. In the distance, the Eiffel Tower glittered, rising above the city's skyline, a dazzling reverse silhouette against the dark, velvety sky.

Bexdian Montrésor sat on the edge of her small bed, her pale champagne-hued eyes locked on her own reflection in the darkened window. Byond the translucent, ghostly image of her face, she could see Paris stretching into the distance, a shimmering web of light that seemed to surround her completely. Technically, it did - her small flat was on the floor above her shop on the Ru de Charlemagne, nearly at the center of the thriving city. Her business was thriving, as well. Fine wine shop by day, apothecary and poison catalogue by night. As soon as the sun rose, she had connaiseurs flocking to her doors; at dusk, her clienté transformed to assassins, criminals, even jilted lovers hoping to get even.

By now she had enough money that she certainly could expand the business, but she figured it would be best to stay small and anonymous. Discretion had served her well for the past two years, and she didn't intend to change her strategy now.

The Frenchwoman sighed and pulled her ankle-length hair over her shoulder, letting the majority of the weight rest in her lap, and began combing her long, pale fingers through it. Consumed in thought, she began the arduous, mechanical task of braiding it, her slender hands deftly maneuvering thck, heavy sections of hair.

While living a quiet life of entrepeneurship was all well and good, the fact remained that she was not whole. Bexdian had no heart, and without the combined efforts of the other Nobodies of the former Organization, she had no idea how she would create or find one for herself.

Her hands paused in their automatic work as she glanced over at the armoire, where she knew her old cloak and boots were tucked away in the darkest corner. No. She shook her head almost immediately as the thought entered her mind. That was over and done with - and she was better off, wasn't she?

Her fingers resumed working through her hair, and after about fifteen minutes she had it braided down to her waist. How much longer could she simply live a normal life, she wondered, when she was abnormally crippled by her lack of a heart? How much more potential could she have with one? How much power?

With about three feet of hair left, Bexdian decided she needed help from someone if she wanted to become whole. Not necessarily a member of the Organization, but someone who knew of the plight of the Nobodies - ideally someone who knew more about it than she.

She sat in silence, trying to find a solution. How could she find someone knowledgeable about her problem and convince them to help her without blowing her cover? Her fingers finally reached the end of her hair, and she swiftly fastened the thick braid with a white silk ribbon and pushed it back over her shoulder. She'd start in Paris, she decided. Some of her shadier customers must have connections. If she found nothing in this city, then she'd move through the rest of this world. And even if this failed there were other worlds beyond. Hollow Bastion. Wonderland. Atlantica. The Pride Lands.

Bexdian stood and moved towards the armoire, her heavy braid swaying lightly with the lilt of her walk, and laid her hands lightly on the handles of the doors. Whatever it took.

The doors swung open, and her cloak was there - dustless, but with an air of neglect nonetheless. She ran her fingers over the smooth, thick fabric, listening to the soft chime of the silver as she stroked the chains of the drawstrings, the metal beads clinking gently against one another. Whatever it took, she repeated silently. No longer would she wait passively; no longer would she risk living out her life as a mere shell. From this day forth, des gants c'était bas.

[GnomesAteMyCake]

"And with a simple shuffle of the deck..."

The mans hands moved quickly, the cards jumping from his left hand to his right with ease. The woman sat before him clapping her hands, her eyes shining with delight as her husband stood behind her with a sour look on his face at the man with the platinum-blond hair who was captivating his wife.

Luxord smiled, his eyes not even on the cards in his hands but on the woman before him. He'd been doing well this evening; plenty of tips from hapless suckers who were all too happy to part with the strange paper money that this world used a currency. "So, my lady, is this your last evening with us?" he asked, a charming smile playing about his lips and a lilt to his words that caused the slightly over-weight woman giggle and flush red.
"Y-yes it is," she stammered, her voice high and girly. ""And you've made every night we've been here a pleasure..."
"Nonsense, my dear, the pleasure was all mine," he muttered, stopping his card-tricks and spreading the cards out evenly on the table before him. A quick look up told him he'd attracted quite a crowd.

"Now..." Tracing his fingers along the backs of the cards, he expertly flicked one over, and caught it. He turned the card to the woman, who squealed as he said, "Is this your card?"
"Yes! Yes it was!" she shouted, jiggling in her seat as whispering broke out among the onlookers. Luxord flicked his hand, and a small red rose-bud appeared. "For you, Ma'dam. We have enjoyed your company. Will you be returning to us?"

"Yes, of course, this has been the best vacation we've ever had, right Harold?" She squeaked, her cheeks pink. "You are an absolute marvel, Luxord, that's such a unique name, you must be from Europe-"
"You flatter me," Luxord cut in smoothly, standing. "If you wish to perhaps book your next stay, you will have to speak with Jenny at the main entrance. And now, I'm afraid, I must leave you-"
"Of course, you work so hard!" she fluttered, digging her hand in her purse and pulling out some of those perculiar paper notes and pushing them into Luxord's hand. "Please, take a little something extra for your troubles...."

"You are as kind as you are beautiful, my lady," Luxord said softly, the smile on his face becoming slightly strained. "Until next time, my dear." With a slight bow, Luxord turned from the fluttering woman, the smile sliding emmediately from his face as he rolled his eyes. These foolish women, with all their distracting emotions, he thought as he weeved his way through groups of people and other casino workers. This is so degrading. I dispise working with these flimsy cards...they have nothing on my own cards...if only I could dust them off and use them again...

Stepping through a side-door, Luxord entered a small lift that went to the floor specially for the employees of the Luxor Hotel. His own room was very plain; White walls with lush black carpeting throughout with white funishings. The only other black thing in his quarters was his Organization coat. The Jacket was on a manniquin on a small raised platform, and his trusty deck was on a small pedestall beside it. Luxord wandered over and took the deck, shuffling the cards absent-mindedly through his hands, making one the same size as he before he entered the card. The card toppled to the floor, and he rose from it, a smirk on his face.

"A shame..." he muttered to himself, placing the cards back before wandering over to his small kitchenette. "A shame indeed..."

[Vale]

"It might always be for naught, living in such a place like this." A portal of Grey Dark Light opened up, and out stepped a man garbed in something similar to an Organization jacket, but vastly different. He too was accompanied by a scarf which reached down to the back of his knees.
"Your talents, Luxord are wasted on the rabble of these people---if one might even call them that." the man spoke, sitting down on the Cardswinder's couch. "Not very comfortable if you ask me. Is this how you treat your guests? Or perhaps all of the Organization's remaining members act in such a manner...." The man spoke, tossing his gaze back to the man still in the kitchen.

"Please you don't really hunger for anything physical, so you might as well leave that kitchen...place...thing. Another excuse for a convention." The man spoke, still awaiting for Luxord to properly address him.
"You seem so morose Sir, why not turn that solemn frown into a grin? Just like back in the days of your World...when you held all the cards?" The man spoke, a smirk appearing on his face---pointed in the opposite direction of Luxord. "Well?"

[GnomesAteMyCake]

The unknown voice behind him startled Luxord, but he managed to keep himself under control and show no signs of surprise. Sighing, he turned to face the voice. It was a stranger....strange.
Not who I was expecting. Perhaps an old collegue? No...the voice is not like any of them.

Luxord smirked as the stranger sat himself on his sofa, and complained about how uncomfortable it was. Luxord, on the other hand, found it most comfortable; he was used to white stone seats and lab worktops for most of his life as a Nobody; this padded seat was a vast improvement.

"Please you don't really hunger for anything physical, so you might as well leave that kitchen...place...thing. Another excuse for a convention," the stranger drawled. Crossing his arms but making no movement, Luxord chuckled coldly.
"You seem to be mistaken about us, stranger," he said smoothly, watching the man intently. "I am still alive, and require nourishment. Even if that were the case, why should I deny myself such a luxury? I lack a heart, not tastebuds." Not taking his eyes from the man, Luxord slowly inched his way over to his coat. Towards his deck.

"You seem so morose Sir, why not turn that solemn frown into a grin? Just like back in the days of your World...when you held all the cards?" the stranger continued, sounding slightly bored and not at all worried. Which worried Luxord. How did this man know so much about him? Holding the cards.... it was too much of a coincidence for it to be mere wordplay.

"Morose? I? Sir, you are mistaken; although my life may not have the same excitement as my previous life... I am comfortable. I have seen how these...mortals cope with the burden of emotions. I have not forgotten what emotions are like, but I do not desire them. It is refreshing to be free of them. Something I am sure that you are unable to comprehend," he finished, waiting for a response. His deck was less than two paces away...a gamble perhaps, to fight this stranger when Luxord had no idea what his fighting abilities were, but he'd always been one to take a chance on the impossible odds.

"How did you know I was here? And moreso, how did you know what I am, and about the Organization?" Luxord demanded, his eyes narrowing slightly.

[Vale]

Alune sighed, turning his head to reveal his face directly to the man inching his way toward the corner.
"Heartless, Nobodies, you all really aren't that different. Aimless collecting that which you don't have, to gain what you cannot. I pity you, to be honest. That is an emotion I know you cannot comprehend." He spoke, still sitting on the couch--despite his earnest disdain for it. "But unless my Kingdom's files on you were incorrect, I don't know why you keep getting closer to my Elemental. Surely you've noticed him by now?" Alune smirked, as time seemed to tick slower and slower, revealing the manifestation of a strange floating creature, flaming red in it's appearance while hovering without any legs----as if it was just a torso, arms, and what would be considered a head.

"It was listed you manipulated Time, and your nobodies were similar in function, yet it appears the skills of the Organization is lacking in comparison to the Magic Kingdom." Alune spoke, rising to his feet.
"Allow an friendly ultimatum. Come with me through this portal." He spoke, as another Silver-light Portal opened up in the same place as it had before. "and you will be one step closer to obtaining that which you once desired. Or, you may take that gamble try to summon those cards and attack me, in which my Elemental right next to you will slow you down even more, explode, destroying much of this room, and a good deal of damage to yourself, drawing enough attention to you so that you will no longer be welcome in this City-World. Of course, if you did beat me, you'd still have all that damage, and you'd be further away from getting a heart." Alune spoke, as he stood up and moved toward the portal.

"Oh, I didn't answer your question did I? My apologies. I am Alune, from the Magic Kingdom. I am currently collecting those with power, so I may destroy Lutan and obtain his power." He spoke, turning his head slightly to still see Luxord. "The collective power between Lutan and I, is enough to make worlds, and surely....remake hearts, if so Inclined." He spoke, the last words just escaping his mouth as he stepped through the portal, the elemental disappearing in whispy red tails around Luxord as well.


Two Halves of the Same Coin...

[Bryden]

Someplace far away from that Earth world... worlds and worlds away...

BOOM

The glass panes of windows in the small, modern-looking ranch house trembled in their white metal cross-bars. The entire house seemed to shake. A flock of birds- chickadees or whatever they were called around here- in a pine tree outside startled and took wing, flying into the green-tinted sky. The tree waved back and forth slightly, disturbed by the explosion and the movement of the flock.

Perhaps the ground would have tremebled as well, wer eit not all rock. The house was built on a pure rock plateau. A cliff fell down, down, down, just off the edge of the house. No yard to speak of. Beyond the cliff was a forest of pine and berch. Beyond that was a pebbly, rocky beach. It was difficult to say if the water was sea or lake, but it was very vividly green. The location looked as if it might be the perfect richie-rich muntian vacation home. Perfectly remote. Actually, almost too remote. There was no road to speak of, and there were no cars or vehicles of any sort parked around the structure. It felt lonesome, in a way.

Inside the house (a long, ultra-modern number, all white metal and tall glass windows, a single floor that still somehow managed a balcony) thing stirred. Everything inside was white or off-white. White-framed pictures titled off-level on the white walls. Some modern art decoration rattled in a white vase on top of a (never used) white electric fireplace. There were no real logs in the place- much too messy- but a white ceramic log-shaped heating element.

The white was good. It was clean, it was pure. It showed a meticulous medical percision. And the house's occupent was nothing if not meticulous.

The house, once it settled, was quiet. Painfully, noticeably quiet. A quiet so complete that it hurt the ears. In order to find the source of the noise- the explosion- one would have to look down. Very, very far down. Below the house. Below the foundations. Down into the bedrock on which the house was built.

Deep down there was The Basement. And yes, the capitals are nessicary. In The Basement was a warkshop. Actually, a system of workshops. Rooms for gears. rooms for storage. rooms for tools. Rooms for chemicals. Rooms for electricty. Rooms for splitting atoms. Rooms for mixing potions. Even a long, tubular room that was just for slamming two atoms into one another (a boring experiment, actually, that hadn't been half so interesting as he'd hoped, and was therefore deemed a flop).

And in The Basement was the explosion. And the explosion was because of the scientist.

The Chilly Academic stood in his workshop. He was wearing a lab coat- perfectly white, like everything else. Alright, well, formerly perfectly white. It was now stained with something green and an awful black stain. The black stain also covered the man's entire face. His long blonde hair had been spiked back by the force of the explosion, and it was also stained with smoke particles. His eyes were invisable, covered by smoke-stained saftey goggles.

He reached up and lifted the eyeware slowly. There was a ring around where the goggles had been, protecting his face. He coughed once, and a cloud of black smoke rose like a pipe circle. He blinked twice.

The supplies onhis desk lay mangled. pipes twisted, beakers shattered. Potions spilled everywhere. A split tube slowly dripped something red onto his desk. It was apparently a corrosive substance, as it was eating a hole through the white wood of the table

Another failure.

Experiments never went right in this world. The elements never combined properly. And worse still, there were no good subjects. No replicas. No shadows. No minor nobodies who no one was going to miss.

Vexen groaned. So many failures here. So many, many failures.

[Eva]

The second that vile man disappeared, the butterfly that had been lazing around on Luxord's counter pattered its wings and took flight. It flew directly towards the gambler, stopping only once it was directly in front of him. It flapped its wings for a moment before stopping. It disappeared in a poof, and in its place, a young woman was left. "Jeez. That one sure loved to listen to himself talk." she snapped. The girl shook her long mane of dirty blonde hair and scowled. She always felt positively ill when she had to be non-human for anything more than a minute. It just felt...wrong. The girl walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out a pink bottle, from which she took a swig. "Oh, right." she said, suddenly remembering that she had something to tell. "He's been watching this place for a while. He's that feeling we kept getting." she said, pointing her finger at the gambler. "I don't know why he chose now to talk to you. But that doesn't matter." the girl gave a flippant wave of her hand and took another drink from her bottle. "Even if he does know how to get us our hearts back, I would loathe working with someone as pretentious and vague. I don't actually think he TOLD us anything." She sighed and looked down at her fingers. "I absolutely despise you for making me stay in that form for so long. Ever since we knew we were being watched, you said 'Xanya, be a fly on the wall.' I honestly hate you, you terrible man. I don't think I've ever loathed a person more than I loathe you."

[GnomesAteMyCake]

Luxord sighed, running a hand through his white-blond hair before he turned to the young women, a small smile on his face as she ranted.

"Come now Xanya," he said, walking towards her. He reached past her and opened his fridge before pulling out a different bottle. He clinked it lightly against hers before leaning against the counter across from her, watching her thoughtfully. "You know you mean none of that. We work well together, as we did then. Your power is useful, why not make the most of it?"

They drank in silence, Luxord's mind racing with what Alune had told him. Even though he said that he had no interest in regaining a heart, it wasn't 100% true. He wasn't desperate, as some of the other Organization had been, but it was something that he would go for if the possibility presented itself, like now. But Xanya would never allow it; she was too self-assured and proud to accept help from someone else, especially someone so 'vague,' as she'd put it. "If Alune has been watching us for as long as you claim, my dear, then we have to move, now. To another world if neccessary. We have no ties to this place; dissapearing would be simple." Luxord drained his bottle, pitched it into the crome bin in the corner and headed into the main part of the appartment. He swiped his deck from the small podium, slotting it into a leather holder on his waist before dissapearing into his room.

"Could you call Ayroxe and tell her we're moving?" he said as he re-entered the main room, a small bag in his hand as he tore his cloak from the mannequin and stuffing it into the bag. "What? I do not wish to leave it behind," he said defensively. Sighing, he looked at the portal, then back at Xanya. "Are you not...tempted? There's no telling what's on the other side..." he trailed off, growing silent for a few moments before turning a charming smile to Xanya. "It is up to you, my dear."

[Eva]

Xanya chewed on one of her nails. Well...yes, she was tempted. Very tempted. It had taken quite a bit of patience to simply not become human during that man and Luxord's conversation and say 'Well, let's get on with it!', but she had restrained herself and she was all the happier for it. Still.

It was a chance.

But a slim one. A risk. She didn't get a good feeling from this man at all, and she thought that her judgement of character was usually fairly good. She packed away her sparse belongings while she thought, and decided that...well...

"We can go, if you think it's just SO fascinating." Xanya said with an irritated sigh. "BUT, of course, we must ask Ayroxe how she feels. If she says no, then we aren't going." Xanya pressed her palms together, and in seconds, another glowing pink butterfly appeared. "Tell Ayroxe to come." Xanya told it. The butterfly disappeared to seek out its target.

[Fallendire]

Bexdian sighed and trotted downstairs - the first floor was where her shop was, and no doubt her usual vespertine crowd would arrive any minute, clamoring for her venom. She lit three candles in the window, the spent match burning evanescent orange streaks into the darkness of the room as she carelessly shook it out. The smell of sulfur and smoke still displeased her - she was reminded of Axel. Still, that was over and done with. No more crazy tattooed redheads for the rest of her life - just quiet nights, brokering death out of the back room of her inventory.

Before she could even finish this comforting sentiment, screams rang out in the street outside. Bexdian didn't even stir, not bothering to take even the slightest glance out of her window. It was none of her concern.

As she turned to visit the infamous inventory, however, someone began pounding frantically on the door. A woman's voice pleaded desperately through the thick wood, ragged with sobs. "Ouvre la porte! O-Ouvre! S'il tu plaît, s'il t- mon dieu, ouvre la porte!"

Bexdian continued counting the bottles on the shelves, unmoved by the woman's hysterical screams. It vaguely occurred to her that if the woman was murdered on her front step, her shop may suffer bad publicity, but she dismissed the concern. She could move the body before anyone saw.

"Mon dieu, ouvre, ouvre - s'il tu plaît . . . s-s'il tu plaît . . . ma sœure est déja morte . . . d-des bêtes . . ."

Bexdian rolled her eyes, dabbing at a label that was peeling off one of the vintage glasses. Des bêtes? Monsters? Honestly. This girl expected her to believe her sister had been killed by monsters?

"Des bêtes noires," the woman sobbed, "Avec des yeux jaunes et lumiére . . ."

Bexdian froze. Black beasts with glowing yellow eyes . . . Impossible, she told herself. There are no Heartless on Earth . . .

But still.

Against her better judgement, Bexdian wrenched the door open. The girl all but fell in, stumbling against Bexdian's chest. Disgusted, Bexdian backed away as the girl slammed the door and sank to her knees. "M-Mon dieu . . . merci . . . merci, madame . . ."

Bexdian ignored her, glancing out
the window instead. There, at the end of the Rue de Charlemagne, several pairs of glowing yellow eyes.

"N'importe quoi," she breated, furious. "This cannot be happening . . . Heartless have never come to Earth before . . ."

She turned back to the girl, motioning upstairs. "Monté-vous. Dêpèche," she barked. The girl dragged herself to her feet, still sobbing, and climbed the stairs. As soon as the girl was gone, Bexdian drew her weapon - Bise du Morte, a double-ended scimitar dripping her most effective, deadliest venom. Frowning, Bexdian leaned against the windowsill watch. The glowing eyes were growing in number . . . If they were truly Heartless, then something was seriously wrong.

[Vale]

Alune was walking the halls of the Magic Kingdom. Being as he was the older of the Twins, he was still allowed to walk it's Hallowed Halls.

"Lord Alune, we have reports....your keeping of the portal open on that Earth Plane is drawing countless heartless unto Earth. It's quite a large world, and it would not be best to maintain it open." Some peabody peon tried lecturing Alune.
With a flick of his wrist, he dismissed the Magi.
"Listen here wretched Cur. I know what it is I'm doing. " He spoke, as he left the chambers in which the Portal existed.
"Fuse, Aselleus. Ensure that if Luxord comes through this portal that he is treated with the utmost care." Alune spoke as he opened another portal, stepping through it. "I have to continue with the preparations. Fuse, if need be travel through another World, re-opening it's Heart to the world. The Keyblade may have sealed off the hearts, but any lock which was once opened, can be opened again." Alune spoke, vanishing into another silvery portal which closed behind him, leaving the Male Fuse to stare at his Half-Mystic female counterpart Aselleus.


Stepping out once more, he seemingly entered in where one of the other Rogue Organization members existed, somewhere still on the same world as Luxord...but perhaps a different side of the country, or continent even. This one was a bit more...brash, and yet fall more sneaky with her....
Alune quickly generated a small light from his hand, performing a straight punch into a collective of heartless, destroying a few and gaining the attention of others.
"Pathetic vermin." He spoke, as the light in his hand extended into a full-one handed sword. "Taste the Wrath of the Magic Kingdom!" He laughed a bit-----3 Elementals appearing behind him and commencing combat with some of the Heartless as well.


===Bexdian....the next name on his list===

[Shorik]

"Hmph. Still too predictable."
Two figures were in Twilight Town's Sandlot. One was crouched on the ground, while the other stood before them. The one standing was Shadow. He had just beaten this kid Hayner in their 10th training round of Struggle. Under normal circumstances, Shadow wouldn't be out here right now. It was getting late, and he preferred to spend his evenings alone, and away from public places. However, this Hayner kid had asked Shadow numerous times throughout the day to give him some training, to the point where he was practically begging. While Shadow didn't claim to be an expert on the behaviors of these complete beings, he did know that it took a lot for the Hayner kid to beg. So, Shadow obliged.

Hayner let out a shout of frustration, and stood up, saying, "What do ya mean I'm too predictable?!"
Shadow remained calm as he explained to Hayner, "You often wind up your attacks, which half the time are the easy-to-see jump attack. Sure, gravity is on your side in such an attack, but the jump easily gives it away. All I have to do is step to the side, and I can strike at you any way I wish, while your guard is down."
Hayner growled in frustration still, and Shadow could tell any more attempts to teach the kid were useless.
"Go home and get some sleep, kid." he said, walking away, "We can continue this again tommorow or some other time."

As he walked off, Shadow heard footsteps rushing closer before stopping entirely. He then heard a battle cry as he saw a faint shadow of a figure overtop his own. Without hesitation, Shadow turned around quickly and struck at Hayner's body in mid-air with his Struggle bat, sending the kid to the ground.
"See?" Shadow told him, "Too predictable."

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ten minutes later, Shadow was sitting on top of a roof, overlooking Tram Common as the stars began to reveal themselves in the night sky. The Nobody found himself contemplating his life here.
Munny. Power. Respect. Fame. Not much else a person needs...

But what do you want?

Answers. Who was I? What was I? How did I become what I am now? Can I ever become who I was again? Do I even want to?

As these thoughts crossed Shadow's mind, he spied a few dark creatures creeping out from the passage to the Old Mansion. They were semi-average humanoids completely black, minus the glowing yellow eyes. Shadow remembered these beings. They were Heartless.. The Neoshadow breed. Like all Heartless, they were only here for one thing. Hearts.

Shadow jumped down to the ground, calling forth his two swords while doing so. The Neoshadows noticed his presence as he darted at them, slaying them with relative ease. He then looked through the passage to see more coming.
"Well, it beats simple Struggle competitors." the young man said, running through the passage to meet his oncoming opponents.

[Fallendire]

Just as Bexdian was considering going outside to fend off the Heartless - after all, if she waited until they reached the shop there was a chance they'd break a priceless wine bottle or two - a flash of light outside in the Rue de Charlemagne highlighted a male silhouette. Bexdian narrowed her eyes, trying to distinguish who it was, but no luck - the light faded as quickly as it had appeared. Rolling her eyes, she hefted Bise du Morte and dashed outside, pulling off her gloves with her teeth as she ran.

She reached the man's side within a few seconds and silently cut down a Heartless that leapt at him from behind. Glaring at him, Bexdian immediately hissed out a nearly incoherent stream of French. "Insipide! Vous voulez mourir? C'est pas de intelligence, ça -"

She broke off suddenly, regarding the man with cold, impassive eyes. No, he was not Parisian - not French - not even of Earth. Otherness was infused in everything about him - the way he carried himself, his attitude toward the Heartless, even the lilt in his voice.

Bexdian turned her back on him and dragged her tongue along the heel of her hand, then flicked her wrist at a cluster of Heartless preparing to charge them. They were instantly doused with a splash of dark green, acidic venom. The acrid smell of burning metaflesh invaded the air. Bexdian abandoned French as she addressed the man carelessly over her shoulder, her accent much stronger than it had been two years ago - her time speaking nothing but French had degraded her ability in the other languages she spoke. "Do you want to die? Fool. Go back to where it is you came from." She cut down another Heartless with a satisfied hmph. "You don't belong here. Here there are rules."

She muscled past him, being careful to give him a wide berth with the hand that was still dripping poison, and grabbed one of the Heartless by the throat. It immediately began to writhe as the venom tore through its body, and she dropped it, kicking it aside disdainfully. "Rule one is to make no scenes. You are making a scene." She paused to thump him halfheartedly on the chest with the back of her hand, scoffing. "Redheads. Why is it always the redheads?"

[Fallendire]

Milky light filtered through the gauzy curtains hung over the small, smudgy window over Axel XIII's bed, falling in a soft, pale wash over his angular features. He murmured softly and turned over, his thin, alabaster form almost lost within his sea of rustling sheets. His hair, though unspiked, was still shockingly sharp and bright against the washed-out softness of his pillow.

Suddenly, he sat bolt upright, his green eyes snapping open. "Shiiiiit!" He turned to the boy next to him - a slim, short blonde, with his face buried in the pillows. "Roxas! Rox!" He shook the boy's slender shoulder. "Rox, we're gonna miss our Gummi Ship!"

He jumped out of bed, grabbing a pair of jeans and shoving his long legs in, hopping about in search of a shirt that didn't smell like a rotting animal corpse. "Up! Up! Remember? Our trip to Earth is today! I chartered that Gummi Ship, y'know, the passenger one - for that vacation spot -" His foot became caught in his jeans, and he faceplanted on the pale wood floor of their bedroom. "DAMMIT!"

[Vale]

Alune merely cracked a grin as the Heartless around him were being tortured. He liked this Nobody, she had style...something Luxord was lacking for the time being.
"A scene? Look around you Nobody. You're moving far faster than anyone else, in fact it seems that all of these human mortals are standing still....lifeless even. By the time they synchronize their speed with the real world, we'll be long gone." He spoke, his body lighting up a bit as a torrent of white flames flashed around him burning most of the Heartless in waves, as they kept getting larger, stopping before they did any serious damage to the buildings around them.

Seemingly just when the flashfire had started, it ended, and most of the heartless were gone.

"You seem to miss the fighting, you miss the allure of combat. I suggest following me Bexdian. Your old comrade has already been offered this position, and am awaiting his return as well, perhaps then you can regain that which you've lost." Alune spoke, as he waved his hand, recalling his elementals which were patrolling around the area for any lingering heartless. "I am Alune of the Magic Kingdom. I believe we can help each other." He spoke, opening a silver Gate once more and vanishing back into the World he was currently using.


"Fuse! Aselleus!"