Notice:
From: Author
To: My poor, poor readers
I don't like romance. I never have. I never will. I don't read it. I don't watch it. I don't draw it. And I certainly never thought I would be writing it. This fanfiction started as a joke between me and a friend. 'Zexion and Larxene! Hilarious? Who the crap would try that?'. I wonder. Suddenly, a strange force (named Aerith08) was talking seriously about me writing a romance series (a genre I have no experience with) about Zexion and Larxene (two characters who are completely different from one another). I took her friendly suggestion as a challenge. And here I am. This is my first try at romance; if I'm lucky it'll be my last. Don't get me wrong, I tried my best. I tried to give you goose down fluff, and not that woven plastic crap they make Halloween spider webs out of. Wether I did I good job or not, well, that's for you to decide.
Just don't let Aerith08 challenge you to write out of you're happy little box.
And if you can, keep her from doing it to me ever again!
3 to all of you. Readers are always in that empty cavern in my chest they used to contain a heart.
A groups of six figures, ominous as shadows, hovered before the doors of a large castle which was as gloomy and twisted as the darkness itself. Castle Oblivion did not just loom, it gloated, tossing its dark silhouette across the cloaked coven below. One of the forbidding figures separated and arm from the dark mass of it's figure and began...poking around in it's pocket?
"Where'd I put that key..." thought Larxene aloud. Axel spread his arms theatrically and sighed with heavy drama, "Honestly Laxative! I would think that even a low ranking member like yourself would be able to handle carrying a KEY!" Larxene frowned, poking her fingers questing the confines of some secret pocket, "I know I put it in here...and...here we go!" she said, a grin stretching across her face. "Presenting...house key!" she said in triumph, holding the key above her head.
Angrily, Vexen snatched the key from her hand, "Enough of this! This Castle is a tool, not a summer home! Your attitude is most inappropriate Larxene."
Licking her sore fingers, Larxene turned her grin to Vexen, "Ahh...you're just sore because the Superior gave you one nasty dressing-down for not finishing the Castle on time. And despite all your most valiant efforts, isn't is STILL not done?" she asked sweetly.
Vexen simply growled and slammed the key in the lock. Before he turned the handle, however, Marluxia intervened, "As the master of the Castle, I think I will have the honor of opening it to the public. Thank you Vexen." said Maraluxia, giving the steaming Vexen a cool grin. With an easy click, the door opened, permitting the members of Organization 13 to examine it's halls for the first time.
Stepping into the sterile white hall, Larxene immediately began to voice her complaints. "Vexen! It's freezing in here! Just because you like the cold, that doesn't me you need to inflict it on us! And what's with this decorating hmm? It's like an insane asylum in here. All white and boring." she said, scuffing one black boot against the virgin floor.
Vexen's left eye developed a horrible twitch, "I had more important things to think about than interior decorating, you silly little girl. For example, calibrating the memory loss per floor ration, and harmonizing the system with Namine's powers."
"Which you still haven't done." Said Larxene, examining her gloved fingers.
"Enough!" snapped Lexaeus "Why do you waste your time bickering like children when we have important work to do!" he continued.
In spite of the critique, Larxene continued, "Well, it should be WARMER at least! Don't you think so, Zexion?"
Zexion had been taken completely be surprise by Larxene's request for his opinion. He has been deep in thought, contemplating the role the Castle would play in getting the hearts of the Organization members back. Perhaps this time... he has been thinking perhaps this time, we will succeed. Indeed, this is one of the better plan's we've had. Hopefully, within these walls, there will be little room for argument and power struggles; those things simply get in the way of progress. But Larxene's question's had abruptly derailed Zexion's optimistic train of thought. Frustrated he snapped, "I don't care what the temperature is! Whatever you can get the most work done in!" He half expected Larxene to make some whiney complaint about how she couldn't work if her fingers were freezing in her gloves, but she simply shrugged.
Zexion, sighing with resignation, stepped forward to deliver his judgement of the Castle. Examining the pristine hall, he noted that the chill in the air was not due to temperature alone; the forbidding atmosphere of the exterior had clearly contaminated the inside of the Castle as well. Zexion knew the Castle would not harm him, but even so, it felt like some great sedated beast to him, kept under control by thin reins. It would be a calamity if Castle Oblivion fell into the wrong hands. After all, Nobodies are little more than memories...we would be more easily corrupted by the Castle's powers than ordinary humans. "This Castle will serve our purpose well, I think. Good work Vexen." said Zexion with a slight nod.
However, only Marluxia seemed to be listening. Vexen himself was fuming, spitting quiet insults at Larxene while his fellow founders nodded with lofty sympathy. Meanwhile, Larxene was examining a white vase, turning its delicate form over and over in her hands, her eyes darting across it's perfect shell. She seemed to hate it. Axel was standing in a corner, yawning broadly, seemingly unconcerned about the entire event. Zexion narrowed his eyes, frowning slightly at the man, "Axel, do you have anything to add?" he asked quietly.
Axel stretched, gave another yawn and said, "The cold makes me tired. Turn up the fricking heat already!"
"Told you Vexen. I would think that your old man joints would need to be babied anyway." Said Larxene with triumph, placing the vase down on it's end table with swift roughness.
Zexion gritted his teeth, "For the last time! It doesn't matter what temperature it is! Just so long as you can work!"
Marluxia smiled a little and, looking right at Vexen, said, "True as that is, my plants will not do very well in this temperature. Will someone please turn the heat up?" Seething, Vexen complied, as he was obligated to obey the commands of the master of the Castle.
"Thank you Marluxia." purred Larxene as she slunk up to his side. "I knew you'd see it my way." she added, smiling slightly.
Marluxia, who was normally rather composed, didn't seem to know how to arrange his facial features properly, or what to do with himself. "That's quite unprofessional Larxene." he said stiffly, his usual flamboyance gone.
"Not what you said last night." she said, leaning on his shoulder.
Marluxia turned chery blossom pink and tried to snap backward. Every Organization member present was instantly silent. Gazes, reflected various degrees of surprise and disapproval examined Marluxia's face.
"She's lying!" he said, pushing Larxene away. "I don't know what she's talking about!"
Axel rubbed his angled chin and smirked, "Methinks the woman doth protest too much."
"I'm not a woman!" Marluxia protested hotly.
"Could have fooled me." said Axel, casually, examining his fingertips. Larxene giggled girlishly.
Zexion, losing patience fast, snapped, "Enough of this! Let's get to work on making this Castle fully functional!" Provoked by his words, the members of Organization 13 began to filter into different parts of the castle with all the eagerness of very viscus fluid. Shaking his head, Zexion joined the small crowd's march into the un-welcoming bowls of Castle Oblivion.