Some people work to cross-purpose

[harmitwithspark]

Who: Larxene, Marluxia
When: About the same time the new team hits Tarzan world.
What: A mission, as it were.

"I've learned all I can with our current...research," Marluxia sighed, twirling the stem of a jeweled goblet in his hand. Of them all, well, the life tied Nobody maintained the facade best. Eating, drinking, normal meal times and rising with the sun. Granted, it could just be he was a plant instead of a Nobody. She thought he was pure chlorophyll some days. Never mind the current 'research' was her. A low grade Nobody who couldn't even manifest a proper weapon, relegated to test subject and study since the Great Work wouldn't be losing anything if she faded.

She knew her place.

It had been well impressed on her in the time she'd been under Marluxia's care.

And to be fair, she'd witnessed the truth of that. Even the 'quieter' researchers that inhabited Castle Oblivion, the side project location, were terrifying. Vexen could freeze worlds, his collection of heartles sin ice was beyond count really as teh man kept folding unused portions into side pockets of reality. Marluxia, the Living Nobody whose touch felt like acid and used it to great advantage could have a world tear itself apart in writhing roots...

...and Lexaeus. The juggernaut was quiet but intense and she was rather certain he was here at Castle Oblivion, initially, to ground her out of existence had she proven to be actually powerful. The fact he focused now on piecing together why certain aspects of lost worlds survived despite having no cohesion or hearts of their own was a minor triumph in her mind. Her Nobodies were the ninja. Don't let them see, don't let them know...

She served now as a secretary and gofer as it were. That was fine, it worked for her, and the ninja...only three were ever allowed in the Castle. She didn't care for how Marluxia looked at them, so she could 'barely hold' a handful. Yet somehow he accepted how easily she had information across a dozen worlds and more. She reported and collated every new connection within minutes, filing them away so it was available as soon as any higher Nobody decided to look.

To say she was the memory of unimpressed with her 'mentor' was an understatement. Being underestimated was useful though, and so she maintained the appearance. She questioned the wisdom of 'whoever finds the newest Nobody is responsible for them' admittedly. There were simply so many Nobody's that no one should learn from. She didn't remember why, honestly, and in that she excelled at least. The Org maintained that Nobody's were primarily memory. And yet she existed, a Nobody with no clue about her previous life now but going strong. An anomaly that Marluxia had reported with a certain flare. Considering he was in charge of researching the composition of Nobodies, and how to strengthen or increase them, well, that was something.

She was what she needed to be a vicious little doll. The Savage Nymph Marluxia had decided. He called it compensating for shortcomings with violence A valid strategy honestly. Now though, now...

"What do you require?" she asked, sipping the wine without a single trace of a wince. He demanded company during his meals, she'd learned to deal with that fact, much as she'd learned to deal with his tendency to touch by playing tag with her Nobodies, coatless.

"Hmmm," he sighed, considering. "A higher level Heartless, I need to research memory imprinting," he mused. "And a new Number. Look for it pet?"

"A number above my own?"

"Yes. Find me another new arrival. We're reaching the end of known elements, and more I've been tasked with something urgent from One." She winced, Marluxia jumped at every order from One, redirecting research as needed. Why they decided to circumvent the lower numbers she didn't know, Marluxia's scientific qualifications were suspect at best, but she knew not to prod those of VII and lower.

"Of course," she bowed easily over the table and stepped away. At least it meant she didn't have to eat the full course? If she located a new Number did that mean she was responsible for training or since she hadn't been released from Marluxia did he take that role? Hmmm, something to consider.

More, when she was replaced would she be discarded? An oddity destined to fade away?

Should she work to make herself useful elsewhere?

Dangerous thoughts those, especially in this castle were the upper levels could pull memory and the lower were controlled by low numbers. Was it any wonder she left? That she found Demyx in his fountain and went to scream a storm into existence in the greater worlds?

Demyx was like her. A mask upon a mask upon a mask, playing quietly to what was expected. More he would never spill her own secrets, the number of ninja he'd witnessed or the sheer force of the lightning that he laughed to behold. In this world of brutal commands and worlds at stake, well, there had to be a grounding point. A safe grounding point as opposed to the threat of Earth, he was hers. Perhaps he'd been a fool in his previous life. Perhaps a foolish hero, but he was a quiet knight in this regard and she didn't question it for now.

She couldn't and...maintain existence. Precarious as hers was, well, she was always waiting for that one little thing that would push her, a memoryless Nobody, into oblivion. Also, perhaps, it made Demyx feel...useful. Water was a healing element, which had little use among those with no biology.

It was a weakness she'd observed, those 'outside' the initial Org memembers had little use or purpose it seemed. They served at need, but they weren't given...authority. Or purpose. Barring Marluxia, but then some days she supposed that explained his fanatical addiction to One's missives. Purpose.

Perhaps that was the true drive of Nobody's. "He wishes another," she finally noted when an unsuspecting shoreline had been twisted by pounding waves and streaked, glassy sand.

"Huh, why?"

"Study," she admitted. "He is to build an army for One. An army of us." For what she hadn't deduced yet but memory imprinting Heartless? That was manufacturing soldiers, in theory.

"We're not already?" Demyx laughed, waving grandly to the seaside.

Were they? Hmmm. She stared up at the sky for a long moment, rolling that through her mind, "controllable. If you control the imprinting memory you control the soldier. No questions, no people more powerful than you dismissing your orders. An army that obeys."

"Well...that doesn't sound good," the water user admitted. "What memory?"

What memory indeed? "I don't know. Castle Oblivion is designed to harvest memory, but we've had no soldiers through." None she knew of anyway, and she knew...most things these days. Barring whatever was in Marluxia's private study.

"What if it was before you?" Demyx asked easily, following her thoughts.

What if? "If there were soldiers before me to pull memory from I imagine he would have attempted integrating them to me." Logically.

"...are you sure he didn't?" Demyx asked quietly.

She lifted a lip at that, considering knives, but what use was a sounding board if you didn't listen to the return tones? "Do you consider me obedient?" she asked dangerously.

Demyx smiled guilelessly then laughed, "no, I consider you fun," he admitted. "And the Dancers like you!"

Like.

Fun.

She sighed, "useless terms, Demyx."

"But maybe one day you'll remember them!" he grinned.

"Such optimism," she noted, ruffling his hair, Muscle memory, not true memory, her hands were prone to such at times.

"Says the touchy Nobody," he grinned, putting up with it a moment before diving back into the waves.

"Watch for another, Demyx. Watch where you see no Ninja. Bets, perhaps, if it does not fall under Marluxia's purview." For her sake. For this nebulous theirs. Who even knew?

"Maybe!" the waves laughed.

Maybe.

Hopefully it was enough as she nodded to the shadows behind her, sending them off on her 'proper' mission.