harukami (![[info]](http://www.insanejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} harukami) wrote,@ 2006-11-29 20:39:00 |
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[fic] Kingdom Hearts 2, "Snow Day"
Strangely, this isenough_space's fault and she doesn't even know it. :D
Snow Day
Kingdom Hearts 2
Organization fic.
...safe for work. 8D
It almost never gets cold enough to snow over the Dark City, for the precipitation to go that step farther than rain. That is to say: Presumably, more than nine years ago, it may once have gotten that cold and thus went unrecorded, but in the time since: Nothing. Even if it's chill enough that your breath clouds in the air, it's still the rain that'll try to soak into you and chill you to the (often metaphorical) bone.
So when the light of Kingdom Hearts is just starting to form in the sky now that they have discovered that boy, now that they've taken advantage of his progress -- well. It's not viewed on as a miracle, of course, that it starts to snow, but there is a sort of awe in the proceedings. Science happens; samples are gathered and tested, the air quality, and so forth. And so on. All while mostly-masked faces tilt up and snow falls on jagged inhuman cheeks and doesn't melt.
***
When Demyx makes propositions in the council meetings, they are generally dismissed. Often with great gusto. It's to the point that when the Superior asks if there are any motions to be processed, if Demyx opens his mouth -- or raises his hand; he's taken to raising his hand these days to get attention and so people won't talk over him -- people start paying attention, even if they zoned out long ago.
Generally, Demyx's smackdowns are doubly entertaining in that he keeps trying to make his point after he's already been scorned.
So in this case, when all the analyses of the snow have been raised and discussed and eventually the entire thing is put down to the World that Never Was beginning to gain actual weather (amazing as that is), and the Superior asks the vital question, and Demyx raises his hand--
"Hey! How about we go and play in the snow? We should totally -- you know, train. In a snowball fight! It would be awesome."
-- the entire room seems to hold its breath and start grinning under its cowls as it waits for the Superior to unleash his dry and painful wit.
Instead, Xemnas considers for a long moment. "Agreed," he says. "I give approval to this idea. I will form teams at my most immediate convenience."
"--What, really?"
"Indeed."
The room bursts into sudden, horrified speech. Perhaps the weather isn't the only sign something's wrong, people hiss at each other.
It almost manages to cover up the sound as Demyx punches the air and shouts, "AWESOME."
***
"Xemnas," Saix says when the gathering has been dismissed and it is the two of them alone. "Are you sure this is a wise idea?"
Xemnas turns and gives him a ponderous, deliberate nod. "Quite sure."
"But don't you think this is a little... frivolous? Playing down in the city. We may give the wrong impression," Saix warns.
"Granted," Xemnas allows. "But we will clear an area for combat training amongst ourselves and forbid the citizenry to come near. Moreover--"
"Yes, Xemnas?"
Slowly, carefully, Xemnas says, "Can you truly say you do not wish to participate in a game that involves throwing Axel in snowdrifts?"
Saix's lips pull off his teeth as he smiles. "As always, your forethought is impressive," he says.
"Indeed."
***
Xemnas spends a day considering the matter of teams before he invites them down to the cleared street -- snow piling in comfortable drifts in alleyways and on steps -- and explains his decisions.
The teams are as follows:
Arbiter: Xemnas.
Team 1: Xigbar, Xaldin, Saix, Lexaeus, Luxord, Roxas.
Team 2: Vexen, Zexion, Axel, Demyx, Marluxia, Larxene.
"...That is SO unfair," Demyx says. There's no protest to that; everyone on his team is thinking the same thing.
***
"Begin," Xemnas says, and floats to the top of Memory's Skyscraper to observe, hands comfortably wrapped around a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
At his word, the following actions occur:
Team one begins to press an attack with Xigbar, Xaldin, and Saix taking point, while Luxord throws up a wall of cards to guard their 'camp' so that Roxas and Lexaeus can focus on building the snow up into walls to entrench their team.
On the other side of things, Marluxia grows a structure of enclosed vines, thickly woven, blocking off one corner where he and Larxene clear themselves an area to sit, and Larxene pulls out some potato chips and sodas from the bag she'd brought with her. Axel grabs at the side of the vine fort, curses loudly when they don't let him in, and ducks behind a deeply-unimpressed Zexion, steaming faintly in the air. Zexion crosses his arms and does nothing. Finally, Vexen wedges his shield into a corner, hops behind it, and pulls out a book, reading with the general air that he is entirely above such childish antics.
"Oh, come on," Demyx protests, and flings balls of water at the enemy while scooping snow up in his fuzzy black mitts. It isn't cold enough out for his water to freeze so quickly, but he figures that if they're wet and miserable they'll probably surrender.
Eventually.
Maybe.
***
Xemnas sips his hot chocolate. The marshmallows have melted to goo.
It is delicious, he decides.
***
When Saix comes swinging towards Zexion, glowing, Zexion considers his options with both speed and care.
There's only one choice.
He steps aside.
"Oh hell no," Axel says, as Saix catches him in the middle. "SHIT--" and then he's flung into the snowdrift next to the stairs of Memory's Skyscraper. He leaves a melted tunnel behind himself as he goes.
Zexion gives Saix a solemn nod and vanishes into darkness before Saix can switch targets to him instead.
***
"You know," Larxene says regretfully, "maybe we should have let Axel in after all."
"Do you think so?"
"Well," she says, and shakes the can of vending machine coffee regretfully. "It's a bit cold to drink it like this, right?"
***
Vexen turns a page, and purses his lips. If what is made to exist can, due to its previous non-existant state, be thought not to exist, then what's the point of trying?
He snorts and turns the next page more violently. Clearly he's reading the works of a madman!
***
"Head's up!" Xigbar cackles and sticks his arms in a dark portal to fling snowballs at Demyx from all directions.
"OW! HEY! OW -- Why is there ICE in this?!"
***
Axel picks himself out of the drift and looks up.
Way up.
"Behold the face of despair," Xaldin intones from the back of the spear-constructed dragon.
***
"Pass the chips, my dear."
"We're out of chips."
"What do you mean, out of chips?"
"I mean you stuffed them all in your cheeks already like some kind of demented chipmunk, so what do you expect?"
She doesn't expect to be summarily ejected from the vine fort, the bag of snacks remaining on the other side.
But really, she probably should have.
***
Sleek and deadly, Axel thinks as he watches Roxas smash slushy snowballs back towards Demyx with minimal movements of his Keyblades. Sleek and deadly.
Roxas seems almost to hear the thought, turning towards Axel. Axel grins hopefully. "Hey, baby," he croaks through his itching throat. Roxas approaches. "I--"
Gaze cool, Roxas shoves him into a snowdrift.
Axel flails for a long moment, and finally manages to get up again.
Saix, behind him, shoves him into a snowdrift.
***
Larxene has him in her sights. She swoops around, flings snowballs like they're knives, cackling, only to find them sliding easily off a card the size of the man himself.
"Let's play a game," Luxord says smoothly. "Pick the card which my snowball supply is behind, and get your reward. But choose wisely."
"YOU LITTLE--"
"You picked the wrong one," Luxord says, almost sadly, and the Larxene-headed die slides, screaming, on a patch of ice.
***
Safe and protected. Certainly, his plants are starting to wilt from the cold weather, but Marluxia has never particularly cared about their health, as long as his own stays protected. He opens the bag of cheezy puffs.
"Head's up!"
He turns.
Apparently, Blossom Shower is not a good defense against a barrage of snowballs.
Who knew?
***
Zexion frowns minimally. Their team is losing. This, he thinks, is probably not good. He sighs, the breath puffing visibly in the air. Surprisingly, he thinks, Demyx's actions are the most commendable so far. The rest of their team...
Well. Neophyte or not, it is best for the Organization to stick together, Zexion thinks, not fall apart as they are doing so far.
He lets the wind blow his hair back from his right eye. Slowly, with the utmost of care and subtlety, he begins to craft an illusion. Carefully hiding it beneath what is already there, so that by the time anyone notices, it will be too late. An illusion of ice and snow, creeping chill, freezing everything before anyone can be aware what--
Lexaeus dumps an armful of snow down the back of Zexion's coat.
***
"Nice one," Axel says. At this point, he figures, he might as well applaud the other team.
"Head's up!" Xigbar cackles from behind him.
He whirls to face where Xigbar -- isn't, any more.
Xigbar shoves him into a snowdrift.
***
"Lexaeus," Zexion says sharply, moments after his admittedly high-pitched shriek finishes echoing through the area.
Lexaeus has the decency to look shamefaced, at least. He knows that voice. He knows he's going to be on cleanup duty tonight. And hot chocolate duty. And laundry duty. And probably garbage.
Stomping, half out of pure outrage and half to try to shake the snow out of his coat, Zexion heads towards the shield tucked into the corner.
It's time to end this.
***
"Dance, slush, dance!"
Strangely enough, it works. Demyx does a small exultant dance as Xaldin gets a faceful of wet icy goo. "HAH! Showed you--"
Xaldin turns to look at him.
"Oh shit, oh shit," Demyx moans. "I'm so--"
A wall of ice springs up between them before Xaldin can approach and shove Demyx's leather underpants so far up his ass that they'll never come out. Demyx stares, then turns to look at his unexpected savior.
Vexen fixes him with a sour gaze. "I'm here to help," he says shortly, cringingly. "You'd better pull your share of the weight!" Behind him, Zexion nods contentedly.
"Yeah! Yeah, totally. Oh man, Vexie, you're awesome. I never expected--"
Vexen pushes Demyx away with a mittened hand. "Don't touch me."
***
The resulting ice-strewn bloodbath is very satisfying, Xemnas decides. He finishes his hot chocolate with a regretful slurp, tosses the styrofoam cup into a nearby bin, and floats off the top of the skyscraper, landing in their midst.
Everyone freezes. Including Lexaeus, who takes a moment to break free from Vexen's man-sized iceberg.
"Well," Xemnas says. "I hereby declare this match--" He waits.
A moment later, Saix realizes what he's waiting for, and shoves Axel into a snowdrift.
Xemnas nods, satisfied. "Over," he concludes.
***
"Aww, cheer up," Demyx tells Axel, two days later. "Cheer up! It was fun, right? Right?"
Axel glares at him sourly from two swollen eyes. "Shut up," he says through his stuffed-up nose. He sneezes into his scarf, then moans feelingly.
Demyx pats the top of Axel's head and only almost loses his arm. "It's not that bad!"
"Says you. I've got a cold and Vexen wants to experiment on me," Axel rasps. "For having a cold."
"Shut up, man, Vexen is. Like. So much awesomer than you," Demyx declares. He beams. "Actually, he's just coming by now, we were going to go get coffee."
Axel stares at him in horrified fascination. "That's disgusting."
"So's your face." In his defence... right now, Axel's face really is.
Vexen enters without warning. "Demyx. Are you prepare-- ... Axel. About those tests." He smiles. It isn't a pretty sight.
Axel sighs, and ponders escaping through the window. At least, he decides, when you consider how high up they are, there's probably not a snowdrift out there.
Probably.
Strangely, this is
enough_space's fault and she doesn't even know it. :DSnow Day
Kingdom Hearts 2
Organization fic.
...safe for work. 8D
It almost never gets cold enough to snow over the Dark City, for the precipitation to go that step farther than rain. That is to say: Presumably, more than nine years ago, it may once have gotten that cold and thus went unrecorded, but in the time since: Nothing. Even if it's chill enough that your breath clouds in the air, it's still the rain that'll try to soak into you and chill you to the (often metaphorical) bone.
So when the light of Kingdom Hearts is just starting to form in the sky now that they have discovered that boy, now that they've taken advantage of his progress -- well. It's not viewed on as a miracle, of course, that it starts to snow, but there is a sort of awe in the proceedings. Science happens; samples are gathered and tested, the air quality, and so forth. And so on. All while mostly-masked faces tilt up and snow falls on jagged inhuman cheeks and doesn't melt.
***
When Demyx makes propositions in the council meetings, they are generally dismissed. Often with great gusto. It's to the point that when the Superior asks if there are any motions to be processed, if Demyx opens his mouth -- or raises his hand; he's taken to raising his hand these days to get attention and so people won't talk over him -- people start paying attention, even if they zoned out long ago.
Generally, Demyx's smackdowns are doubly entertaining in that he keeps trying to make his point after he's already been scorned.
So in this case, when all the analyses of the snow have been raised and discussed and eventually the entire thing is put down to the World that Never Was beginning to gain actual weather (amazing as that is), and the Superior asks the vital question, and Demyx raises his hand--
"Hey! How about we go and play in the snow? We should totally -- you know, train. In a snowball fight! It would be awesome."
-- the entire room seems to hold its breath and start grinning under its cowls as it waits for the Superior to unleash his dry and painful wit.
Instead, Xemnas considers for a long moment. "Agreed," he says. "I give approval to this idea. I will form teams at my most immediate convenience."
"--What, really?"
"Indeed."
The room bursts into sudden, horrified speech. Perhaps the weather isn't the only sign something's wrong, people hiss at each other.
It almost manages to cover up the sound as Demyx punches the air and shouts, "AWESOME."
***
"Xemnas," Saix says when the gathering has been dismissed and it is the two of them alone. "Are you sure this is a wise idea?"
Xemnas turns and gives him a ponderous, deliberate nod. "Quite sure."
"But don't you think this is a little... frivolous? Playing down in the city. We may give the wrong impression," Saix warns.
"Granted," Xemnas allows. "But we will clear an area for combat training amongst ourselves and forbid the citizenry to come near. Moreover--"
"Yes, Xemnas?"
Slowly, carefully, Xemnas says, "Can you truly say you do not wish to participate in a game that involves throwing Axel in snowdrifts?"
Saix's lips pull off his teeth as he smiles. "As always, your forethought is impressive," he says.
"Indeed."
***
Xemnas spends a day considering the matter of teams before he invites them down to the cleared street -- snow piling in comfortable drifts in alleyways and on steps -- and explains his decisions.
The teams are as follows:
Arbiter: Xemnas.
Team 1: Xigbar, Xaldin, Saix, Lexaeus, Luxord, Roxas.
Team 2: Vexen, Zexion, Axel, Demyx, Marluxia, Larxene.
"...That is SO unfair," Demyx says. There's no protest to that; everyone on his team is thinking the same thing.
***
"Begin," Xemnas says, and floats to the top of Memory's Skyscraper to observe, hands comfortably wrapped around a steaming cup of hot chocolate.
At his word, the following actions occur:
Team one begins to press an attack with Xigbar, Xaldin, and Saix taking point, while Luxord throws up a wall of cards to guard their 'camp' so that Roxas and Lexaeus can focus on building the snow up into walls to entrench their team.
On the other side of things, Marluxia grows a structure of enclosed vines, thickly woven, blocking off one corner where he and Larxene clear themselves an area to sit, and Larxene pulls out some potato chips and sodas from the bag she'd brought with her. Axel grabs at the side of the vine fort, curses loudly when they don't let him in, and ducks behind a deeply-unimpressed Zexion, steaming faintly in the air. Zexion crosses his arms and does nothing. Finally, Vexen wedges his shield into a corner, hops behind it, and pulls out a book, reading with the general air that he is entirely above such childish antics.
"Oh, come on," Demyx protests, and flings balls of water at the enemy while scooping snow up in his fuzzy black mitts. It isn't cold enough out for his water to freeze so quickly, but he figures that if they're wet and miserable they'll probably surrender.
Eventually.
Maybe.
***
Xemnas sips his hot chocolate. The marshmallows have melted to goo.
It is delicious, he decides.
***
When Saix comes swinging towards Zexion, glowing, Zexion considers his options with both speed and care.
There's only one choice.
He steps aside.
"Oh hell no," Axel says, as Saix catches him in the middle. "SHIT--" and then he's flung into the snowdrift next to the stairs of Memory's Skyscraper. He leaves a melted tunnel behind himself as he goes.
Zexion gives Saix a solemn nod and vanishes into darkness before Saix can switch targets to him instead.
***
"You know," Larxene says regretfully, "maybe we should have let Axel in after all."
"Do you think so?"
"Well," she says, and shakes the can of vending machine coffee regretfully. "It's a bit cold to drink it like this, right?"
***
Vexen turns a page, and purses his lips. If what is made to exist can, due to its previous non-existant state, be thought not to exist, then what's the point of trying?
He snorts and turns the next page more violently. Clearly he's reading the works of a madman!
***
"Head's up!" Xigbar cackles and sticks his arms in a dark portal to fling snowballs at Demyx from all directions.
"OW! HEY! OW -- Why is there ICE in this?!"
***
Axel picks himself out of the drift and looks up.
Way up.
"Behold the face of despair," Xaldin intones from the back of the spear-constructed dragon.
***
"Pass the chips, my dear."
"We're out of chips."
"What do you mean, out of chips?"
"I mean you stuffed them all in your cheeks already like some kind of demented chipmunk, so what do you expect?"
She doesn't expect to be summarily ejected from the vine fort, the bag of snacks remaining on the other side.
But really, she probably should have.
***
Sleek and deadly, Axel thinks as he watches Roxas smash slushy snowballs back towards Demyx with minimal movements of his Keyblades. Sleek and deadly.
Roxas seems almost to hear the thought, turning towards Axel. Axel grins hopefully. "Hey, baby," he croaks through his itching throat. Roxas approaches. "I--"
Gaze cool, Roxas shoves him into a snowdrift.
Axel flails for a long moment, and finally manages to get up again.
Saix, behind him, shoves him into a snowdrift.
***
Larxene has him in her sights. She swoops around, flings snowballs like they're knives, cackling, only to find them sliding easily off a card the size of the man himself.
"Let's play a game," Luxord says smoothly. "Pick the card which my snowball supply is behind, and get your reward. But choose wisely."
"YOU LITTLE--"
"You picked the wrong one," Luxord says, almost sadly, and the Larxene-headed die slides, screaming, on a patch of ice.
***
Safe and protected. Certainly, his plants are starting to wilt from the cold weather, but Marluxia has never particularly cared about their health, as long as his own stays protected. He opens the bag of cheezy puffs.
"Head's up!"
He turns.
Apparently, Blossom Shower is not a good defense against a barrage of snowballs.
Who knew?
***
Zexion frowns minimally. Their team is losing. This, he thinks, is probably not good. He sighs, the breath puffing visibly in the air. Surprisingly, he thinks, Demyx's actions are the most commendable so far. The rest of their team...
Well. Neophyte or not, it is best for the Organization to stick together, Zexion thinks, not fall apart as they are doing so far.
He lets the wind blow his hair back from his right eye. Slowly, with the utmost of care and subtlety, he begins to craft an illusion. Carefully hiding it beneath what is already there, so that by the time anyone notices, it will be too late. An illusion of ice and snow, creeping chill, freezing everything before anyone can be aware what--
Lexaeus dumps an armful of snow down the back of Zexion's coat.
***
"Nice one," Axel says. At this point, he figures, he might as well applaud the other team.
"Head's up!" Xigbar cackles from behind him.
He whirls to face where Xigbar -- isn't, any more.
Xigbar shoves him into a snowdrift.
***
"Lexaeus," Zexion says sharply, moments after his admittedly high-pitched shriek finishes echoing through the area.
Lexaeus has the decency to look shamefaced, at least. He knows that voice. He knows he's going to be on cleanup duty tonight. And hot chocolate duty. And laundry duty. And probably garbage.
Stomping, half out of pure outrage and half to try to shake the snow out of his coat, Zexion heads towards the shield tucked into the corner.
It's time to end this.
***
"Dance, slush, dance!"
Strangely enough, it works. Demyx does a small exultant dance as Xaldin gets a faceful of wet icy goo. "HAH! Showed you--"
Xaldin turns to look at him.
"Oh shit, oh shit," Demyx moans. "I'm so--"
A wall of ice springs up between them before Xaldin can approach and shove Demyx's leather underpants so far up his ass that they'll never come out. Demyx stares, then turns to look at his unexpected savior.
Vexen fixes him with a sour gaze. "I'm here to help," he says shortly, cringingly. "You'd better pull your share of the weight!" Behind him, Zexion nods contentedly.
"Yeah! Yeah, totally. Oh man, Vexie, you're awesome. I never expected--"
Vexen pushes Demyx away with a mittened hand. "Don't touch me."
***
The resulting ice-strewn bloodbath is very satisfying, Xemnas decides. He finishes his hot chocolate with a regretful slurp, tosses the styrofoam cup into a nearby bin, and floats off the top of the skyscraper, landing in their midst.
Everyone freezes. Including Lexaeus, who takes a moment to break free from Vexen's man-sized iceberg.
"Well," Xemnas says. "I hereby declare this match--" He waits.
A moment later, Saix realizes what he's waiting for, and shoves Axel into a snowdrift.
Xemnas nods, satisfied. "Over," he concludes.
***
"Aww, cheer up," Demyx tells Axel, two days later. "Cheer up! It was fun, right? Right?"
Axel glares at him sourly from two swollen eyes. "Shut up," he says through his stuffed-up nose. He sneezes into his scarf, then moans feelingly.
Demyx pats the top of Axel's head and only almost loses his arm. "It's not that bad!"
"Says you. I've got a cold and Vexen wants to experiment on me," Axel rasps. "For having a cold."
"Shut up, man, Vexen is. Like. So much awesomer than you," Demyx declares. He beams. "Actually, he's just coming by now, we were going to go get coffee."
Axel stares at him in horrified fascination. "That's disgusting."
"So's your face." In his defence... right now, Axel's face really is.
Vexen enters without warning. "Demyx. Are you prepare-- ... Axel. About those tests." He smiles. It isn't a pretty sight.
Axel sighs, and ponders escaping through the window. At least, he decides, when you consider how high up they are, there's probably not a snowdrift out there.
Probably.