Stuck in the Shallows / KH

VI. Organization XIII

Too much time had passed since the last time Demyx had seen her face. Her features were fading in his mind, but he could still feel her presence in the subtle notes of his sitar. 

How many days had it been now, he wondered as he sat, staring out the window encompassing the grey area. His fingers picked absently at the strings of his instrument. It was night there. It was always night. He seldom saw the sun anymore, but he much preferred the dark anyway. At least when it was dark, he couldn't see the reflection of the heartless husk he had become. 

"Demyx! I can only assume by your... lazing about that you're ready for your mission today?" An irritatingly familiar voice sounded at his back and sent a wave of frustration through his body. But he wasn't one for talking back; if he was being honest, most of the people there could kick his ass. 

Stopping his music abruptly, he pushed himself up from the uncomfortable depths of the couch and turned, sighing noisily, to face the biggest thorn in his side this wretched castle had offered him so far: Saïx.

The blue haired man stood with his arms crossed and an ever-present scowl glued to his face. "Well?" 

"Yeah, yeah. Hit me with it, Ol' Blue. Where'm I off to today and why?"

Ignoring the nickname Demyx had given him- one upon a extensive list of many- Saïx jerked his head in the direction of the castle's only female resident: the sharp-tongued psychopath Demyx had regretfully come to know as Larxene. 

"You'll be accompanying Larxene to Agrabah today."

"Awe, Dude. Come on! Larxene and  Agrabah? Please, can you just turn me into a dusk instead?" 

Saïx's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I'm sure I can have it arranged." 

Demyx took a quick step back, raising his hands in surrender. No way did he want to mess around with becoming a dusk. Dusks were creatures as hollow as he was, only as well as not having a heart, they didn't seem to have much of a brain either. They had no will, no heart, and once they were eradicated (which could be done quite easily), they were cast into an eternal plain of nonexistence. 

Larxene approached, directing a glare as sharp as her daggers at him. "Please! Like I'm thrilled to be stuck with a sniveling crybaby like you all day," she sniffed with a dramatic toss of her mustard yellow hair. 

Ignoring the obvious tension between the duo, Organization XIII's mission director continued with his instructions. "There's an area back behind the city where we think we may have detected Heartless activity. Go there, and if you find it, do not take action. Only report back with your findings." 

Larxene raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "That's it?" she demanded, her face pinching up into a disdainful frown. "I could do that with my eyes closed and my hands tied behind my back. Why are you sending this nobody among nobodies with me?" 

Demyx cast a glare at her. He could already tell that this was not going to be a pleasant mission. "That was uncalled for. I'll have you know I specialize in recon!" 

"Oh, yeah?" She folded her arms. "Since when?"

It was then that Saïx took the opportunity to step in, literally. He placed himself between the two nobodies and all but growled out his next words. "If the two of you weren't busy acting like such insolent children, you could already be halfway through with this 'easy' mission of yours. Now go. Before I really do have you turned into dusks."

Larxene scoffed and summoned a dark portal. "Whatever," was her final quip as she threw up her chin and strode through. With a final, desperate glance at Saïx, who offered him no help, Demyx followed suit.