There was an almost animalistic wounded noise as the javelin pierced something…though at the same time Lauriam flinched, holding his head as he gritted his teeth through a sharp pain in his head. And as the fires flared, flickering erratically, a voice echoed through the world. 

{Young man, that is quite enough! You are new and learning so we were more than patient through your ripple bursts before but people are trying to sleep! This is far past what’s acceptable! We’re all connected; if you haven’t begun to understand what that means, it’s that your own recklessness can no longer be humored, you’ll sabotage the whole group!}

{So CUT IT OUT!!}

As Inzi sent her scolding, the smoke in the air suddenly thickened before dropping down, forming some sort of miasma to smother the fire. But that wasn’t the only sensation. While they didn’t visually manifest, not really, Lauriam could still sense ocean waves, and shifting soil, and solid stone, and an odd sense of flattening–

(A sense of flight, of laughter, of long, beautiful buildings all intricately designed and painfully empty. 

A group of people who had been kids and had been young and wouldn’t stay either of those things, whispering to each other in a circle. Realizing none of the escape attempts were going to work. Afraid and separated, reaching out through the weak links of the sigils to each other. 

“It’ll be us,” the one in the red scarf whispered… “It’ll all be us.”

And the red scarf glanced up at Amaina, and smiled. “Get it?”)

(O.O)

(O.O;;;)

–and so many other distinct, sometimes conflicting but somehow complementary sensations that all felt like…

“HA!! HWAHAHAHA~!!”

Acid green eyes snapped open in the fire while a sharp, manic grin shined through, a crazed laugh rising above the crackles and snaps. Movements oddly heavy, but still graceful, a figure jerked the javelin out of itself before slashing it through the fire and…

Lauriam could only watch, eyes wide, as an unhinged-looking teen laughed cruelly as the field split open, gooey crawling skeletons starting to emerge from soil that looked more like heaps and heaps of decomposing viscera, the javelin now a giant scythe that the hooded teen wielded as a reaper king of his domain, entirely in control, for how crazed he looked. 

…Xaldin snorted. “Oh no. Cute.”

Xaldin looked down at Lauriam, patting his shoulder as he said, “Eyyyyy, congratulations. You made yourself your own little freak! Birthed him in fire and everything! Gotta give it to you, you have an eye for the dramatics. Though…” Xaldin snickered, “I did not take you for secretly wanting to be a goth-punk, kid. Way to express yourself.”

“LIKE THAT LOSER COULD EVER BE THAT CREATIVE!” the Nobody cackled, the fire rising before folding into the mucky underground, the land slowly oozing into itself and repairing right back into the idyllic field it had been before. It didn’t seem to be something taking up that much focus from the Nobody, though, as he sprinted over, lofting his weapon with a casual ferocity as he came up to Lauriam, immediately raising it up!

…and bonking Lauriam on the head with the backside. “How pathetic~” the Nobody somehow both growled and cooed, still grinning widely, though it looked more like he was just baring his teeth. “One thing gets a wittle-bit-hawd and immediately you have to go running and crying away--this should be YOUR DOMAIN, YOU CONTROL IT YOU PATHETIC PIECE OF FUCKING DETRITUS!!”

Barely waiting for Lauriam to recover from the bonk, the Nobody gripped his collar, hoisting the smaller boy up and shaking him. “ARE YOU FUCKING BRAINDEAD?!? IF SOMETHING DOESN’T WORK, DON’T JUST KEEP TRYING IT! YOU’RE DOING IT BACKWARDS, MORON!”

Xaldin put his hands on his hips, watching Lauriam’s Nobody yell at him… before chuckling, rubbing his nose a bit. “This one’s gonna be a handful. Here, let me give you a hand, kid.”

Reaching over, Xaldin grasped both the back of Lauriam’s shirt and also the back of the new Nobody, wrenching the two apart, holding the two in a hand each, before bringing the Nobody to his face, grinning at him. “Happy Birthday, kid. Lauriam, what’s his name?”

Lauriam choked a little as he was throttled, reeling a little as Xaldin moved him back, just looking at his Nobody in wary confusion. 

Though before he could say anything, the Nobody scoffed. “Like that loser had anything but moronic ideas--my name’s Marluxia, don’t forget it. And~ You shouldn’t forget where you are either~”

Grinning more cruelly, Marluxia raised an arm and clenched a fist, thick, twisting vines suddenly slapping themselves around Xaldin and hoisting him up, flipping him upside-down. 

And that was enough. 

“Would you CHILL OUT?!” Lauriam yelled back at his Nobody, starting to look genuinely irritated. “Nothing’s happening! And…and how did you do that?” He calmed slightly, trying to make the vines go away, but only managing to make them writhe.

“Woooow, you don’t even listen either, like that’s a surprise!” Marluxia snarked back before sneering. “The others said it plenty--we’re ❀flower❀ guys, you really think using your powers feels like fire?! DUMBASS?!”

“Well, shit,” Xaldin muttered, now finding himself upside down and… wrapped in vines? It was like he was in Inzi’s world all over again. Only with way less fun eventualities. “To be fair to the Dandelion, flower-boy, he did make you in a literal burning field. I think you might have yourself a mix of stuff going on, aesthetic-wise.”

The vines tightened around him, and Xaldin winced. “A-anyway, don’t worry about this, Lauriam. He’s brand new, he’s nothing but two-dimensional ideas and a mess of undefined goals right now. H-he’ll, ow,” Xaldin winced again, the vines tightening, “Motherfucker, he’ll be less spastic over time. I was the same damn way my first day too, I had to be held down before I calmed the fuck down. Speaking of…”

{Little help here?!}

Out on the island, everyone connected got the message and also what he meant. Even sat up in his lab where he had been reading and frowned. “Oh, shoot, I did tell him not to start without one of us there.”

Vexen snorted. “You tell a teenager he can create whatever he wants and expect him to wait? Wildly short-sighted of you, Even. With that, can we finally stop hiding the Nobodies in their worlds? It would seem he’s ready to meet us.”

“No, stay here, there’s no reason to send everyone,” Even huffed, getting up and heading to his door, “Later. You can introduce yourself later.”

Vexen frowned, watching Even leave. Tsk, well… fine. But he couldn’t delay the introductions forever. It wasn’t like Vexen was going to hurt the boy, honestly…

…he didn’t seem two-dimensional. Though…Xaldin saying that Marluxia was two-dimensional now, and that he had been the same way… He knew it.

Still a bit frustrated with Marluxia, Lauriam did think about what he said. They were flower guys, so not using fire… He’d really thought the exploding feeling was what Even had been talking about before. Though, everything he did with that…exploded. 

…he was doing it…backwards. 

(The truth was, Lauriam had felt his use of another type of energy before, though it was more like the unbound potential of children that Even had talked about right before the more concrete explanation of energy. It was something so natural that Lauriam had never thought about it. Unlike those brief, powerful explosions of anger and hurt, they were more subtle, but streamed through him constantly. A sweet, gentle bloom of flowers.)

Lauriam frowned as he looked at the vine, and took a deep, calming breath. Accepting the stiff, prickly headache throbbing through his brain, and his fear and frustration, and that lingering shroud of loss, calm while just letting those emotions be. 

And slowly, the vines relaxed and started to bloom many-petaled pink flowers as it gently lowered Xaldin to the ground before entirely dispersing into petals in the wind.

“Oh damn, ‘Zo was right,” an impressed voice whistled, Raxter--a man with the same general build as Terra but with ribbed black horns that swept back and leathery wings, his hair clipped short and neat, but looking effortless rather than persnickety--lowering Earthshaker to lean on as he watched the show and the new world. “Not bad, kiddo.”

“Lauriam? Gods, what am I looking at?” Even asked, looking around at the smoke and soot mixing with flowing flower petals, Xaldin splayed out on the ground and what looked like another Lauriam but faaaaar more frustrating standing around, “Did I not say to wait for us? It’s the middle of the night! You should be asleep, not… oh dear.” 

Even frowned at Marluxia. “Well, I suppose now this is happening. I don’t suppose I can hope after all this that you’re quite calm and the reasonable sort?”

“Come now, Ev, losing your touch?” Raxter laughed, the sound bright and friendly, “You didn’t think Inzi-bitsy going full ‘damn kids, stop walking on my rock garden’ curmudgeon was warning enough? Or was it only Vex paying attention?”

As Lauriam nervously looked around the adults, Marluxia blinked his eyes wide before giving a cutesy smile, balancing his scythe in the crook of his arm as he cupped his face, cooing, “Who, little ol’ me? My, I’d never be aaaaany trouble at a--UUMPH!!”

Sweating a little, Lauriam stood on his toes to put an arm around Marluxia’s mouth, eyeing the carnivorous plants that had been sneakily growing behind Even and…the other guy that looked kind of like Terra, putting his hand out to wilt them backwards into hanging vines with cute, dewy buds hanging heavily above the ground. 

“Sorry,” Lauriam apologized in a slightly strained voice, trying to keep his arm over Marluxia’s mouth as his Nobody shouted in outrage. “I wasn’t trying to do it myse--OW DID YOU JUST BITE ME?!”

Marluxia grinned widely, sharp canines on display as Lauriam flinched back. 

Raxter wheezed, literal tears in his eyes as he laughed.

Even startled, looking over his shoulder, before twitching. “...this is when I’m going to start going gray,” he predicted. Accurately.

“I see we have a new Nobody among the group~” came a feminine, hissing sound. White, glowing eyes peering from the shadows of the distant trees. “Welcome to the island, child. And of course to you as well, Lauriam. I’ve been excited to meet you as well~”

“Zinxi~” Xaldin called, his expression warming pleasantly, a near goofy grin on his face as he peered out to the woods, “You came out of your lair! All to meet the new kids? Ain’t that a treat~ You should come out into the sun, I never get to see you like this, Fangs.”

There was a small, hissing chuckle from the woods. But, noticeably, she made no move to do so. 

“That’s Zinxi, Marluxia. The most beautiful construct in the world. If you fuck with her, I’m gonna cut off all that pretty hair of yours, got it?” Xaldin smiled at the kid warmly, “She’s off limits. Mocking, teasing, none of it. Got me?”

Lauriam’s eyebrows raised a little--hadn’t Xaldin said Zinxi was a spider lady? Sure, sure, spiders were neat, but…--before, rubbing his chomped arm a bit, he quickly gave the treeline a polite bow. “It’s nice to meet you, ma’am, my, uh…” he faltered slightly, looking around the whole group, “...apologies for waking everyone up.”

Marluxia gave Xaldin a mildly icked, dismissive look before taunting, “Oh noooo, I’m sooooo scared, I--”

“C’mon, Mars, you don’t have anything to prove yet,” Raxter laughed, slinging an arm around the preteen and cutting off his remarks with an ooph, “There’ll be plenty of time for that later, save your energy!”

“...don’t. Touch me,” Marluxia growled tensely, freezing under Raxter’s arm. 

“Nah~” the Nobody grinned, carefree, “You might try to break them, and I hope you do, but you’re not making the rules here, kiddo~”

Even sighed, shaking his head as he went over to Lauriam. “Are you alright, my boy? I’m sorry for all of… this,” Even said, gesturing to the gaggle of Nobodies that were now all looking over Marluxia, a mixture of amusement and aggression radiating from the whole group, white eyes of a creature still watching from the woods. “I had hoped the way you met them all would be a bit more controlled than this, but as you can see, they’re vibrant personalities. It’s hard to wrangle them on a good day, and they’re quite excited to see what you’ve made.”

“I’m fine, sir,” Lauriam was quick to assure, still soothing his arm. (And it wasn’t quite a lie, so it wouldn’t register as one. The headache from a massive power drain and setting his brain on fire, and the general adrenaline come down from everything, along with the mental injuries Marluxia had rapidly inflicted on Lauriam were all things the preteen still considered ‘fine’.) “Sorry again.”

Though, he frowned slightly, looking over to the Nobodies. “...who. I’ve made.”

Even frowned, something… a little sad in his gaze, as he stressed, “What.”

“Please don’t think I’m being cruel. I know how convincing they are,” Even whispered, looking to the group, Xaldin now wrestling a fuming Marluxia while Raxter laughed. “I have seen people leave this group… die. I have seen them die. And while I grieved the Empath, yes, a part of me… grieved their Nobodies as well. Separately. They feel very real. It’s hard not to become attached to them.”

“But…we create them to do a tough job,” Even whispered, looking at the group, “A cruel one. And the constructs are sometimes damaged in that pursuit. They buckle, they lash out, they degrade, they attempt to refuse… but they are tools. Ones we cannot go without, lest we suffer an even worse fate. When they are damaged, we must become comfortable with rebuilding them, fixing them, refining them. That can feel violating, if we view them as people. We must remember they are constructs. So that we can maintain them the way we need them, and they need them, to be.”

“Marluxia is already aggressive at you, Lauriam. He’s attacked you once in his first hours. You’ll have to refine him, maybe even build him up from scratch again. That will be harder for you to do if you think of him as something… more than he is,” Even said, “But the alternative is to live with a Nobody who would harm you. And that is unacceptable. Do you understand?”

Lauriam had just made Marluxia. Had just made his drawing come to life before his eyes. (...and even if Lauriam would have a hard time describing it, he knew instinctively that he hadn’t just made Marluxia. There had been so much…more that had given his idea life, and it really did feel like life.) He knew how Marluxia had just come to be, but denying the person that was just in front of him, denying all the people welcoming him in felt…wrong.

But that wasn’t the argument Even was making this time. He was talking about fixing them, when they were hurt, and acknowledging the task in front of them, and the toll it took even if reportedly Nobodies liked conditioning (another contradiction), and…what they would have to do to make sure their Nobodies could keep…being. And that regarding them as people just made that harder. 

(...what about healers, then? Wasn’t that the same thing?)

That did make Lauriam falter a little, but as Even wrapped it around to having a Nobody that would harm him being a bad thing…

(...that was the point. Everything was harm, and Lauriam had wanted Marluxia to be the best at it.)

(And what did it matter if Lauriam was hurt? He wasn’t alive anyway.)

“Yes, sir,” Lauriam quietly lied, giving another nervous, tentative look over to the group that seemed…thrilled, honestly. To have another person. 

(He hadn’t made Marluxia to need it [that was out of Lauriam’s hands, actually] but…it was nice that he’d made someone people were happy about.)

-

Unlike some of the other worlds, the desert ruins that most of them walked around in was, almost entirely, purely aesthetic for Xaldin and the others to enjoy spending time in. Dilan had built it because some of his happiest memories had been hanging out with his father in the ruins his father was helping uncover and study, the wonder and excitement of seeing a city dug out from sand, learning of ancient people and histories, somehow still so intimately connected to them.

It was past the door, the one that all those ancient stone guards seemed to be guarding, some ancient crypt, where everything happened. 

This man’s name was James. Xaldin learned all of his condtionee’s names, because using them tended to fuck with them more than just saying ‘you’ did, but these ones were the ones Xaldin actually liked to remember. It always felt so intimate, fun, to get to know these ones. Like Xaldin was having brief, romantic flings, as he walked through the ancient, buried catacombs, whistling as he looked down at a pit where James was screaming. “James, buddy~ I let you get up and stretch, just like you asked me to, and you run? To where? Where did you think this was going to lead you?”

“PLEASE, PLEASE! LET ME OUT!” James screamed, his whole body violently shaking. Both he and Xaldin had to be a little loud to talk to each other, because there was a massive grinding sound filling the room, echoing off the stone walls of the hallways. That grinding sound being the wall James was looking at, slowly moving and scratching across the floor as it got closer and closer to him. “I’LL GO BACK TO THE TABLE!” 

“You gotta learn to pick your battles, James. Running off and doing your own thing the second you think you’re alone? That’s not obedience~ that’s you thinking you can trick and outsmart me. Tsk.” Xaldin snickered, giving James an adoring look from up in the safety of the hall, staring at the ever closing pit. “Well, I guess you’ll know better tomorrow, huh? We’ll try alllll of this all over again, James. Tomorrow maybe you’ll actually get it! Then we can have some real fun.”

“NO, NO, I’LL LISTEN THIS TIME, PLEASE!”

“Alright, James, I can’t actually stick around and watch this, I gotta go check up on some people. I’ll come see if you’re still capable of talking in a while, yeah? You have fun down there,” Xaldin called, stepping over the pit with his teleport step. Ignoring James as he headed down the hall, sighing.

In truth, he’d love to spend more time with James–he seemed like a good fellow from what Xaldin had known of him so far, just got into a bit of trouble with some drugs, but Xaldin suspected a few years of forced sobriety in the program probably would get him off it in the long term–but, ugh. They had given him another damn kid. 

Going deeper into the catacombs, Xaldin gave a bored huff as he opened up the stone door, a young girl immediately wailing at him. “Yeah, yeah, come on, Sophie. I know, that was a loooong time this time, but it’s done now, let’s get up girl. Yep… alright, Sophie, take some deep breaths,” Xaldin insisted, the girl shivering and sobbing as he helped her to her feet, the two stepping out of the dark room Xaldin had left her in all day. “Alright, let’s test how it went. Sophie, hop twice.”

Sophie sniffled, her hands twisted against each other as she held them to her chest… but after a moment she hopped twice. Still sniffling, eyes wet with tears.

“Good! Put your hands in the air and spin around.”

Sophie sniffled, but she put her hands in the air and spun around. 

“Way better than yesterday! Alright, now I know this next one’s gonna be tough, but if you can do it, you won’t get another hour in there. Now, Sophie… smile and laugh.”

Sophie gave Xaldin a bewildered look. Absolutely stunned at the request… but against her will, her face twisted in an odd, twisted smile, and she giggled manically through her tears.

“Eyyy, there we go. The conditioning took! That’s a good thing, kid, trust me. That means tomorrow it’s gonna be a lot of reinforcement, but you probably won’t need another all day thing like today,” Xaldin told Sophie, whose face had fallen in confusion, “...are you mute? Shit, did I mute you by accident?”

Sophie whimpered and didn’t say anything.

“Alright, well, we’ll fix that tomorrow,” Xaldin grumbled. He hated getting the kids. They were easy to condition, it really didn’t take much more than setting off some fear of the dark or claustrophobia or whatever basic thing they were afraid of. But it was actually also way too easy to condition them into things you hadn’t meant to do. Like, apparently, mutism here. 

And also it just wasn’t any fun. Dilan hadn’t made him revel in harming children, hadn’t been able to bring himself to do it. It was just another shitty part of the job.

“Alright, Sophie, come on, we’re heading to the island now,” Xaldin sighed, picking up Sophie and ignoring her whimper of fear, “Yeah, yeah. Close your eyes, we’re doing more jumps and I don’t need you hurling fake vomit on me, kid.”

Xaldin landed back on the island, and putting down a woozy Sophie, he looked around. He saw some of the other Nobodies dropping off their conditionees for the recovery portion for the day… but not the pink one… “Dammit Flower. Hope the kid’s not one of those ‘keep going past working hours’ type,” Xaldin muttered, nevermind the fact that James was absolutely still going and would be for another hour as far as Xaldin was concerned, as he headed to Lauriam’s mind. Heading in.

Over the past week and change, Marluxia had been trained, the other Nobodies hadn’t just described what conditioning was and threw him into the deep end to figure it out himself. But there was still a suddenness and learning curve to actually doing it yourself. In a surprising show of mercy, Lauriam’s starting quota was small enough that Marluxia could just start with one person to get the hang of things, but…

Skeletons half-climbed out of the soil, a man splattered with slimy decay huddled in the middle of them in the field, shivering, crying, and whimpering, pleading for someone to tell him what to do, a depressing sense of helplessness around…

But no orders came. Marluxia just standing motionless in the field, a vague expression of annoyance on his face, but mostly looking blank, his eyes glazed over. 

Xaldin stood next to Marluxia for a while, before realizing the kid really didn’t know he was there, coughed into his hand. “Ahem. Well, looks like this one’s coming along. Though, what, did you get bored? You’re barely admiring your own work there, flower.” 

Marluxia hardly reacted to Xaldin’s voice, a small narrowing of his eyes before they blanked out again. The kid standing, but hardly seeming like he was even doing that on purpose. 

“What, so no kid wants to talk to me today? I bet Sophie wasn’t even mute,” Xaldin muttered, watching the guy in the field wail, begging the air for some direction… “Mind if I play with your dude for a second?”

The skeletons, which while making quite an eerie tableaux, hadn’t been moving, just as limp and still as Marluxia himself, shuddered, making a disturbingly intimate creaking noise as they reached out for the Indentured once again…but only once, before going still once more.

Marluxia still unresponsive.

“I’m gonna take that as a yes,” Xaldin said, before calling out to the field, “Hey, buddy! You want it all to stop!? Do a dance!” 

The man scrambled up from the ground so quickly that he half-punched himself in the jaw, quickly moving into a jive…but while he did look terrified, entwined right with it was an utter look of…adoration for Xaldin. A type of gratitude that could provoke tears all on its own. 

“Thank you,” the man gushed, still twirling about, “I-is there anything else I can do for you? Just say the word!!”

“Heh. I like this one. Wanna trade for a sniffling 8-year-old mute?” Xaldin asked, glancing down at Marluxia, before sighing, “Allllright, alright, what’s going on? It looks like you did it! You did your first conditioning! He’s great, he dances, what more can they ask for? Why do you look so spaced out?”

When that gave him nothing, Xaldin frowned. Reaching over to grab Marluxia’s ear and squeezing it as he said, “Ey? You hear me? Your ears broken?”

Marluxia suddenly jolted, blinking and taking a little breath like he was suddenly waking up before he snapped--a little literally, teeth very close to Xaldin’s hand-- “HEY, the fuck do you think you’re doing?! I don’t need a babysitter, I can condition someone on my own!”

And while he was fire and vinegar as always, even that was remarkably…tired, about Marluxia. His gestures more muted and a sag to his body that suggested it was pure spite keeping him up. 

“Why the hell are you so worn out?” Xaldin asked, breezing by Marluxia’s anger casually as he looked the kid up and down, “Did you shut down at all last night? We explained to you why it’s important to do that. We can’t just go, go, go, we need rest too.”

“I’m fine,” Marluxia glowered, before scoffing, “I understand the concept of sleep, it’s kind of a major part of being alive. What, you think I was that excited to get started I’d just sabotage myself skipping with ideals of giddy gumdrops? Get real.”

“I’ve got it,” he said a little softer, some genuine self-frustration flitting at the edge of his tone as he turned back to his Indentured, frowning with focus, even as exhaustion seemed to press down on him more heavily, “You didn’t need to check in.”

“You got it, huh?” Xaldin said, looking back at the man, who was still dancing like crazy, “...hey, so what do you plan to do when you put him back on the island for his rest period?” Xaldin asked, crossing his arms, “Once the conditioning takes effect, they tend to need a little bit of direction the first few days for their free time. For instance, in a bit, I gotta go check on my sniffling mute and make sure she’s actually stretching and moving around a bit, and not just sitting and staring at a wall feeling sad. If I don’t, her conditioning is going to come with a bunch of little unexpected add-ons. When people give her orders, it’s going to come with these big heavy feelings of despair even if nothing bad is happening, she’ll stop talking, and if you give her a chance, she’ll throw herself off a building.”

“...so I hear. Those are the sort of lessons that have gotten passed down with the island. We don’t get to see for ourselves very many Indentured after they’ve been gone for a while, but we see how they act through others’ eyes, sometimes, if we get Indentureds who have seen how other conditioned people are. Usually they’re actually pretty okay. Orders don’t make them feel particularly bad all on their own, just sometimes the things they’re asked to do get to them. I always took that as a sign that those old lessons were right, and that’s why we keep up the island visits and the sloooow conditioning and all of that.”

“But I see you’ve gone and just done it all at once here, so,” Xaldin said, observing the guy, “How do you plan to do this second bit? Where you don’t let him leave here having him sobbing in gratitude to anyone who gives him an order?”

Marluxia grit his teeth and gave Xaldin an unimpressed look. Why wouldn’t just leaving someone to sit and stare sadly at a wall be fine? That was just a thing people did. And he was starting to get the picture that Xaldin was saying he’d done it wrong, but-- “I’m working on it,” he growled, “And we literally just started, I haven’t ‘done it all at once’, you guys said conditioning can take months. How would that even be possible?”

There was a moment of hesitation as Marluxia glanced back at his Indentured, still dancing and looking exalted for it. And…for the first time--at least in front of someone--Marluxia’s features softened a little as a hint of worry broke through. The thorns out of his voice as he said, “...right?”

“...look, before I get into all of this, let me say two things,” Xaldin said, putting up his fingers, unaware of how eerily like Dilan he was being, “Just hold these things in your head real quick so we don’t get twisted up: one, this is fixable. That’s why I’m not being all ‘oh no’ about it. Yeah, this guy’s having a bad day, but that’s normal around here, and we have plenty of time to fix what you did to him. No big deal.”

“Two,” Xaldin said, putting up his second finger, “This is our bad. We focused so much on showing you the physical side of conditioning, I don’t think any of us went into what the ‘conditioning’ part actually is. You’re a smart cookie, flower. I don’t think I’d be telling you anything you don’t know that you can’t actually brainwash someone by just hurting them over and over again, right? Oh, sure, you can make them fake it. Or maybe even believe it’s happening themselves. But once something breaks that belief, poof. They’re making their own choices again. And that’s not what we’re doing here.”

“What we’re doing? Is magic bullshit,” Xaldin said, looking at the man dancing, “And what he’s doing right now? Is pure magic bullshit influence. That’s why it’s working so well after just one day. You magic-bullshitted allll over this dude. Inzi’s probably gonna yell at you later, by the way, you definitely are gonna be the reason we’re all worn out later.”

Marluxia frowned as Xaldin explained his two cents, rubbing his arm in light anxiety and keeping all his weight on one leg, looking as strangely close to Lauriam in that moment as Xaldin did Dilan. 

He was the best. He couldn’t have messed things up, right?

…right. He didn’t.

“...so I conditioned him so much that it’s just not sustainable,” Marluxia summed up, looking a little puzzled. “...that was fast.” Glancing to the man again, he pouted a bit. “How do I fix it, then?”

“Him? You gotta essentially let it drain out of him,” Xaldin said, watching the guy dance, “That’s why I don’t feel all that sorry for the poor dancing bastard. He’s essentially about to get a week off of pure island time while the energy you shoved into him seeps out. See, here’s how it works: out in the actual factory, they keep them mostly isolated, bored, but as far as I know well-kept, right? That’s to make them really susceptible to us in here, because nothing else is going on in their lives. We’re the most stimulation they’ve got going on, and that practically doubles everything we do.”

“Then, in here, we batter down their natural mental defenses by, essentially, scaring or stressing the absolute piss out of them. The more freaked out they are, the more shattered their defenses get. When those defenses are all broken to pieces, we start pumping that Empath energy into them, compelling them to obey. But,” Xaldin said, “You know how we have to form that energy into something through intent? That’s the same with them. We have to direct that energy into something specific. What you did here was you made it specifically obedience, which is fine. But because you brute-forced it all at once like you did, a bunch of intent you didn’t mean to add with it is now also all meshed up in there. You sure did want him to be grateful for it, for one.”

“All that emotional baggage we add in recklessly gets set off in them every time they get an order after that. All the intent we give them, intentional or not, gets triggered with their conditioning. And it’s really hard to not give them a bunch of extra shit. In fact, a lot of this process is taking out the shit we didn’t mean to put in. It’s a loooot of trial and error and refinement and continuously putting in new energy to make new commands that fit all the things we’re trying to fix. So, again, when they leave, they’re doing the things they’re supposed to do, but aren’t… well, crazy.”

“That’s actually why they come back again after this,” Xaldin explained, “It’s hard to get the extra shit out. So what they’re supposed to do is go out, test run the conditioning we gave them, sit alone by themselves to reflect on their conditioning and their days every day, and then when they come back, we sort through all those memories to see where things have gone wrong, and fix it all again. Preferably, we only ever do that once with them. If they’re all messed up and need to come back a third time, someone’s fucked up and we’re all about to have a real bad day because of it.”

“Does that make sense?” Xaldin asked, smirking at Marluxia, “Think you could just barely manage to hold back all that raw, strong power in you to not brain-blast these poor bastards, all powerful flower?”

Marluxia rolled his eyes a bit. “That wasn’t unintentional. The people buying up Indentured contracts are businesses and bougie rich fucks, right? Those kinds of people are always on a power trip. And it’s not enough that they’ll have a literal slave doing everything they say, they allllways want the performance of it. Service with a smile~” Starting to glower, Marluxia grit his teeth, tensing with anger. “The elite don’t want to believe that people are just forced to follow them, even if that’s literally what’s happening, they want to live in the goddamned fantasy where everyone can’t wait to bow down and do whatever they want, perfectly suited to their place in the hierarchy and fucking ecstatic about i--”

As quickly as the preteen had gotten riled up in anger, it quickly cut off with a sharp intake of breath, Marluxia pressing a hand to the space between his eyes as he collapsed, unsteadily breathing for a moment…

Before absolutely drained, exhausted eyes opened again, and nonetheless Marluxia gave Xaldin a smirk. “Well, if you’re asking so nicely.”

All expression dropped off Marluxia’s face, almost looking glazed again as he turned back to his Indentured. “Oi, you. Stop that.”

On a copper the man stopped dancing, catching his breath while looking to Marluxia eagerly. 

“I’m gonna take you to the island and you’re going to chill the fuck out. Have a vacation. Do…whatever people do on vacations. We clear?”

The man bowed low, giving Marluxia another adoring look. “Yes, absolutely! Though if you need anything, please don’t hesitate to ask, I’ll always be ready!”

“Fuckin’ cool,” Marluxia muttered, looking like he was about to pass out. 

“...be careful with that mentality,” Xaldin muttered, as Marluxia explained why he was trying to make the Indentured as grateful as possible, “That sort of thinking can be useful if you want to negotiate with the supervisors, but otherwise? Hold back on ideas to make things ‘better’ for their buyers. I know it doesn’t feel like it right now, but these poor bastards are our allies more than the people outside of the factory who put us here. You only give them something they want if they make you, or you can get something out of it. Otherwise? Don’t volunteer. It’s just giving them fun new ways to take advantage of you.”

“Also, you look so damn out of it. Stay here, I’ll take your guy to the island,” Xaldin said, patting Marluxia on the back, “Then I gotta go make sure my mute kid is moving around, theeeeen I gotta go check on this guy I left getting squished in my world. Then make sure he moves around. Theeeen after all of that I’ll come check on you again. Get some rest.”

“Leverage looks like desperation if there’s no proof of concept,” Marluxia mumbled dazedly. “...you guys told Lauriam that you got painkillers taken away? If those fucks want the Marluxia magic, they’ll have to meet my demands.”

“...’m fine,” he said more quietly, not even keeping his eyes open anymore. “Don’t…gotta…”

“I’m not gonna catch you when you fall, flower. I’m just gonna point and laugh. Here I am, waiting for it. Waiiiting,” Xaldin said, watching Marluxia sway. 

Marluxia tipped over, dead asleep.

(Against the bathroom wall in the physical world, Lauriam slumped against it, passed out, the hand he’d been using to soak up his nosebleed falling limp in his lap.)

Xaldin tsked at himself when he caught the kid. “I’m such a softie. Seriously. Alright, lay down, Flower. Time to root yourself in the field… or something.” Xaldin shrugged, laying Marluxia more gently in the grass, before calling to the man, “Oi! Masochist tango! Come on! Also… {Can someone go check on the kid? His Nobody just passed out. Overexerted himself on his first conditioning.}”

-

Out in the world, Even opened his eyes, before sighing as he stood up, looking around the room before heading to the bathroom. “...Aeleus! He’s out, help me move him to his pallet!” Even frowned, “...maybe we can talk the supervisors into giving us a banana.”

There wasn’t much else they could offer him, unfortunately. 

-

Dilan and Xaldin fought, sometimes. 

Dilan didn’t like to see signs of Xaldin’s work. He was actually much stricter about that than most of the people on the island, which was why Xaldn’s work tended to all happen behind the door, in the catacombs below. Dilan, since he had made the world, never went past that door, and Xaldin never let his Indentured up from them, teleporting them through Dilan’s side of his world without ever stepping foot in it. That was the rule. 

Xaldin didn’t tend to break these rules, not in ways Dilan could find out about though. But Suzuki… what could Xaldin say. He had been impressed with her escape attempt. He usually let his Indentureds try it a few times, to get that learned helplessness in them, but with the way the catacombs were set up, usually they just ended up in a trap inside.

But not Suzuki. She had dodged every trap, figured out how to navigate the catacombs, had actually made her way up and out… and Xaldin had been excited for her. Had let it happen, given her that moment of triumph as she escaped. 

Theeeeeen admittedly he had watched her circle the desert until she passed out in the heat. But as he was standing over her, taunting her and waiting for her to beg him to take her back to the catacombs, Dilan had come back and just looked…

…anyway. It had led to Dilan ripping into Xaldin. “How could you have done that to that poor girl!? Just out where anyone could see too!? What if one of the others had come in and seen that?!” Dilan demanded, pacing back and forth as Xaldin sat on one of the laid out columns. “It’s disgusting, Xaldin!”

“Yeah, they’d be shocked if they found out my job was to torture people,” Xaldin said dryly, “Also, that ‘girl’ was in her twenties and was kicking ass. They should have sent her to be an assassin, she’s gonna be wasted as a housekeeper.”

“Oh, that’s what you want now?! To set her up for a life of murder and hardship, extend her trials!?” Dilan sputtered. 

“I don’t ‘want’ anything for her, it’s not like I’m gonna go to the supervisors and go hey you all made a mistake with this one. I’m just saying, she kicked ass, she deserved to get to run around in the air a bit. I can… I don’t know, add some confidence to her when she’s taking orders with that sort of thing, which isn’t something I can give to anyone else.”

“I hate when you try to talk about your work like you’re ‘helping’ them,” Dilan scowled, glaring at Xaldin, “It’s horrifying. That you can look at what you do and find anything ‘good’ in it. It makes me feel insane, that any part of me can look at torture and brainwashing and slavery and can find some… fucking ‘silver lining’ to it all. You’re disgusting.”

“...” Xaldin glared at the ground for a bit, before shrugging. “Yeah, what the hell else is new? I’m disgusting, and you made me. You made something disgusting,” Xaldin smirked, looking up at Dilan, “That sounds like your sins, not mine.”

“...I can’t fucking look at you right now. I have to go get right with myself, pray a bit. Get out of my sight,” Dilan said, looking away from him.

“Fine, I wanted to get out of here anyway. Have fun fake cutting yourself for your fake god,” Xaldin said, pushing off the column and heading out into the world to the island. 

When Xaldin and Dilan fought, Dilan usually kicked him out for a while. And Xaldin usually headed to Inzi’s world right after. 

It was a little funny, how certain themes popped up among certain worlds. Some were truly multipurpose, the same setting that could bring joy and ease to the Empaths just as easily becoming a horror for the Indentureds plopped in them. Others were more divided--this was the ‘nice’ part, and that was the ‘bad’ part. 

Though, sometimes the divisions weren’t so clear. 

Where the door dropped you out in Inzi’s world was the foyer of a cozy grand manor, decorated in warm yellows and burnt oranges with hints of red, not quite bright, but all the shadows feeling playful and comforting in their darkness. There were carved pumpkins with goofy grinning faces, and bowls that looked like pumpkins filled with delicious fall treats, and everything within the foyer followed an aesthetic sense of whimsy, clearly decorational for silly spooks with over dramatic spiderwebs and cute cloth ghosts with tennis ball heads.

The manor continued in that theme, all the rooms you’d expect to have in a home there and functional…for a time. The deeper inside the manor you went, the less playful things became, the decorations seeming more sinister than silly. Tombstones with punny engravings became somber stone stakes, bright red fake blood becoming darker, more subtle, more realistic, the spiderwebs going from fluffy-looking clumps of cotton to gauzy cobwebs, then shimmering gossamer threads. Dead insects caught in them…sometimes not so dead ones. Struggling futilely. 

And it all culminated, as more and more webs covered the dwindling furniture, into something that looked more like a cave than a room. A true spider’s den. 

Xaldin kept an eye out for Inzi–she could get just as protective over her space as Dilan could, and she wasn’t always happy to see Xaldin, considering she knew who he was here for–before he continued down the halls. Up some stairs, then down some stairs. The manor endless and confusing, unless you knew it well. 

Taking the shortcut through the center gated garden, the sky above literally going from a bright, vibrant full moon to a dark red harvest moon in the mere process of going through the garden, Xaldin smiled lightly as the air filled with the familiar dust and molding scent. Smelled like his girl~

Heading further in, he didn’t call out. Just lightly grazed his fingers over some webs as he moved further into the rooms, the walls’ plasters starting to break, cave walls showing through the cracks, as the rooms got darker and darker, until even the red harvest moon didn’t add any glow, as Xaldin heard the skitter of legs, moving across the ceiling.

“Hey Fangs.” Xaldin smiled, not bothering to try to look. It was too dark. He just stared into the darkness, his smile growing warmer as he heard the muted thud of something large fall behind him, a gaze on his back as the soft sound of slightly furry exoskeleton rubbed together as the creature behind him came to a fuller height behind him. “You gonna bite me, beautiful?”

“Did you come for a bite?” That feminine, hissing, echoing voice warbled behind him. Xaldin let out a breath, letting the sound of her come over him, comforting and familiar. “I could eat~”

“...we can, if you want,” Xaldin said. 

But the way he said that gave her pause. Xaldin leaning back into her hard, layered body as thin arms wrapped around his shoulders and chest, pulling him back into her massive body as she chittered above him, “You’re sad.”

“Got the riot act from Dilan again.” Xaldin smiled, leaning fully into her. She was strong, his weight wouldn't so much as give her pause. “Tried to argue some leniency I gave to some lady’s conditioning might give her confidence in orders. Something like that, I don’t know, I was just trying to justify some fun I was having with her. It was a good day and I got caught up in the excitement of it all, broke some of his rules…”

“And now you’re a demon trying to spit in the face of Atua himself?” Zinxi guessed.

“Hah. Youuuu got it, Fangs.” Xaldin closed his eyes, resting his head back on her shoulder, feeling the way she brought her hand up to play with his hair. “...that Lauriam kid? Have you had a proper conversation with him yet? I’m not sure if he’s convinced of the whole ‘Evil Nobody’ thing yet. It’s kind of a breath of fresh air, I’m not gonna lie. I mean, we are, but… it’s nice to have someone keep being surprised that people think so.”

“His Nobody is such a riot too,” Xaldin chuckled, “That kid’s absolutely determined to brutalize his way into helping everyone, and I don’t even think he recognizes what he’s doing. It’s fucking cute, not gonna lie. You’d have fun with them both, if you wanted to come up, Zinxi.”

“They don’t need to see me,” Zinxi whispered, her fingers tracing his face, “Not everyone is like you, Xaldin. Why force them to talk to a monster.”

“You shut up with that, beautiful. You’re the best damn thing on this island,” Xaldin insisted, turning around and opening his eyes in the darkness. 

He could see her a little easier now. His eyes adjusting in the darkness now that he had had them closed for a bit. Her skin, as dark as her spider body, tight and taught with hard exoskeleton coverings, right up until her chest. The rest of her so… human. Thin, almost frail, certainly, with hard jutting bones that looked like they sharpened beneath her skin. And several black eyes, staring down at him above a mouth that opened up to a line of venomous fangs, all hidden behind long black hair that she seemed to use half as a shield…

“The others have a great time, when you come up,” Xaldin insisted again, “And fuck the Indentureds on the island, if they see you and piss themselves over it, good. You’re beautiful and intimidating. That’s sexy as hell.”

Zinxi smiled lightly– the movement of her face made a sound. Every inch of her skin stretching into a little hissing sound every time she moved–before placing her hands against each side of his face, leaning to press her forehead against his. “You’re biased.”

“Damn right I am. It’s still true though. They’d love you, if they got to know you. Anyone would,” Xaldin whispered. 

“...you sure,” Zinxi smiled wider, that hissing, stretching sound revealing her deadly fangs, “I can’t convince you to sit still for a bite?”

“Pfff. Like I was going to turn you down,” Xaldin smirked up at her, “Devour me, spider queen.”

-

Lauriam wasn’t scared, really. Mostly, Ienzo just made him feel embarrassed, but it was pretty easy to avoid the library (even if, with every day that went by, having something to read sounded…kind of nice), and even if Ienzo and, uh, well, any of the Zexions made frequent use of the island…

…well. 

And if Marluxia’s aggression was an issue, then…Lauriam couldn’t spend a lot of time in his world, and if he was on the island then his Nobody would know that too, so…

Lauriam had been spending a lot of his time in the factory, in the factory. Pretending to settle in when the workday started, but just leaving Marluxia to it, zoning out in their room quietly. His knee was well on its way to healing, and most of the swelling around his face was gone now, so at least he didn’t have to deal with the pain from that anymore, and…well… It was boring, but he could deal with that. 

(...he knew it was barely any time, compared to the others, but…he wished he could go outside. He missed even being able to see the sun from a window, or feeling a passing breeze.)

It wasn’t like the supervisors checked in on them all the time; from the limited interactions Lauriam had had, it seemed like they wanted to spend as little time with the Empaths as possible, but…it seemed that something about that assumption was wrong, as one day during unlocks, he was separated from the others and…

Once again Lauriam was shoved into the Empaths’ room bloodied and unfocused, this time his wrists bound and a muzzle strapped painfully tight around his mouth, green eyes fever bright as he huffed in a blind rage, even as he thunked onto the ground like a sack of potatoes.

Looking disgusted, Supervisor Colinda turned to lock the door again, calling back, “Make sure he’s actually working this time!” before the door slammed shut. 

There was a brief, stunned silence. It was dinner time, and that meant almost all of them were back to eat. They had known something had gone wrong. Lauriam being gone as long as he was couldn’t have meant good things. But usually there was more of a heads up than this, that someone was going to get punished for something. Some big show of explaining what it was, or the person themselves giving the others a heads up that something was happening. 

Even was up first, shuffling over to kneel beside Lauriam, saying, “Aqua, grab the first aid kit. Terra, Aeleus, help me with the bindings. Be firm with his arms, I don’t think he entirely knows where he is and I don’t want him thrashing and hurting himself.”

“Ienzo, dear, head to the bathroom and start filling up some glasses of water,” Viz said from her pallet, the bags under her eyes deepening as she watched the others fuss over the near-teen. “And take your time with it, you’re correct if you think I’m getting you out of the way.”

“The hell is their problem?” Dilan muttered, seeing the blood already streaking on the ground from where Lauriam had landed. “Lauriam, can you hear us?”

(That bitch was so damn lucky she closed the door while they were still in shock; what Aqua would do to her)

[Revenge had come many years later, but it had come.]

Ienzo’s eyes widened a bit before he gave Viz a small, distracted nod, scuttling off to the bathroom. 

“What on earth, he has been working,” Inzi muttered, incensed, as she grabbed towels, “After that first day nonsense, Marluxia has been meeting his quotas fine, what are they on about?”

As Dilan spoke up and Terra and Aeleus started to hold him still, Lauriam started to growl, gaze, indeed, not latching on to any one of them. He started to thrash violently against his restraints, though Terra and Aeleus held true, Terra looking over the kid in dismay. Once she brought over the kit, Aqua joined in, pinning his legs and narrowly prevented a surprisingly still strong kick from connecting with Terra. 

“Geez hun, what did they do to you…?” she murmured worriedly. 

“Dilan,” Aeleus said, briefly looking up at him, “Try checking on his surface consciousness. If nothing else, he may prefer to be unconscious through this part.”

Dilan gave Aeleus a nod, crossing his legs on his pallet and closing his eyes.

-

He opened his eyes on the island, glancing around at the Indentureds that were wandering around the place, before hurrying past them, up to the tree house. 

The worlds were always locked away from the Indentureds, who could only explore the island at their leisure. But it was rare for the worlds to be locked to the other Empaths of the island, and when Dilan tried to open the door, he almost didn’t entirely comprehend that it wouldn’t open. Turning the handle again like maybe he had just turned it wrong, he frowned when it wouldn’t open up, knocking on the door.

When nothing happened there, he frowned, before turning the handle and, feeling a little desperate, shouldering the door. Once. Twice.

“Oh for fucks sake just get out of the way,” Xaldin said, coming in beside him, bringing up his leg and kicking in the door. 

“Xaldin, now is not the time for dramatics,” Dilan said, the two hurrying inside, “Lauriam needs a comforting presence right now, not your… stuff.”

“Yeah, you’d have been so comforting outside the door, begging to get in,” Xaldin said, looking around, “Where is he?”

Thick vines snapped away as Xaldin kicked the door in, and Marluxia jumped in alarm, for a moment looking like…well, just a terrified 12-year-old. But it was quickly channeled into a desperate, hot anger as he screamed at Dilan and Xaldin, “GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!!”

With an erratic movement, thorned vines shot at the duo…but they were thin and poorly aimed, easily dealt with by one set of means or another. 

And neither display, Marluxia’s anger nor the vines, could hardly distract from the heart-wrenching primal sobs coming from behind the terrified Nobody. 

It was Xaldin who knocked off the vines, summoning his javelins to circle around them and knock them away as they came. But Dilan winced as Marluxia shouted, eyes wide with concern as, the second the vines were clear, he knocked aside the javelin floating in front of him, hurrying forward. “Marluxia? It’s okay, we’re here to help. It’s us, it’s Dilan and Xaldin. Remember the first thought I told you to hold onto? Or…”

Dilan winced again. “I guess that was Lauriam. Sorry, Marluxia, I’m just saying it’s okay, we’re here to help. Can I get closer? Lauriam’s crying.”

“NO FUCKING SHIT!” Marluxia snapped, though the verbal aggression was offset by the way he flinched back a few steps as Dilan came forward, the subtle, quick, frightened breaths becoming a little more obvious as Marluxia’s eyes widened in panic. Though, again the preteen just bared his teeth. “IF YOU TRY TO GET NEAR HIM, YOU’RE FUCKING DEAD!”

Xaldin frowned, stepping forward as he summoned another javelin. “Not gonna let you make us ignore him, Flower–”

“Xaldin,” Dilan snapped, grabbing the javelin from his hand and throwing it back over from where they came from, “See where that’s at? Go there.”

“...I’m trying to help.” Xaldin scowled. 

“And I told you to let me handle this,” Dilan said, pointing to where the javelin had landed in the dirt, a few feet back. 

“...” Xaldin huffed, moving back to the javelin. 

Taking a steadying breath, Dilan looked back at Marluxia, raising his hands. “I don’t have a weapon, and I suck in a fight anyway. You could hurt me if you wanted to, Marluxia, I’ll shout Xaldin off if he gets defensive. But I don’t want a fight. I just want to help. And I can’t do that over here.”

For a moment, a hint of clarity returned to Marluxia’s eyes as he glanced over at where Dilan threw the javelin, telling Xaldin to go get it like…like he was a fucking dog playing fetch. But as Dilan refocused on him, the preteen’s hackles went all the way back up. 

“You can help by getting lost!” he shouted back, inadvertently trying to make himself look bigger. “Everything is a fight, but I’m not about to let anything get at him anymore!!” 

There was a clear motion of blindly scared hesitation before Marluxia summoned his scythe, a series of already withering flowers popping up and splatting their wide, mottled petals across the ground towards Dilan as they wheezed sickly looking yellow pollen. Marluxia looking a little like he was going to throw up before one hesitant step turned into a stronger one as he charged forward, trying to scare Dilan off.

Dilan’s eyes widened as he saw Marluxia come at him. Before closing his eyes and, bracing for the pain, thinking to himself, ‘Atua who loves me, this isn’t a sin, he’s just scared, not worth a trial, I’ll be fine, Atua who loves me.’

“FLOWER, WILL YOU CALM THE HELL DOWN!?” Xaldin shouted from where he was standing with his javelin, “If you cut him down, I’m gonna give you an actual fight!”

Marluxia flinched, shouting back, “THEN LEAVE OR BRING IT ON, LOSER! I TOLD YOU, YOU’RE NOT GONNA--”

There was a particularly broken cry from Lauriam that cut Marluxia off, his focus diverted for a second as he looked back to his Somebody, the expression the anger was hiding, an agonized sort of worry, glimmering through for a moment…before little flickers in the world started to occur. Dustier, compacted dirt appearing in chunks in the field, as the sky rapidly started dimming, then brightening again, over and over, and no chance to hide it, Marluxia just looked terrified. 

“No, no-- getoutgetoutgetoutgetout-!” the boy repeated in a sort of frenzied mantra, dropping the scythe and just physically trying to push Dilan back towards the door with his hands. The smell of fresh air and flowers slowly being overtaken by the cloying scent of blood.

“Marluxia, stop, please, just let us through!” Dilan tried to insist, stepping backwards as Marluxia pushed him towards the door. 

Xaldin, though, looked around at all of this… before scowling. Bringing up his javelin as he muttered, “Enough of this shit.”

The door still open behind him, seeing Marluxia pushing a flustered and arguing Dilan backwards, Xaldin shot forward and, pushing the blunt rounded back-end of his javelin into Marluxia’s back, pushed him and Dilan both out of the door, before slamming it shut. Javelins shooting down in front of the door, like iron bars keeping it closed.

He paused, waiting to see if that would work… before running towards Lauriam.

Marluxia’s mindless chant was broken into a garbled sound as he was pushed forwards, falling haphazardly on top of Dilan, though he wasn’t down for long before immediately popping up and whirling on the door, pushing at it and growing increasingly panicked as he couldn’t open it. 

“No - LAURIAM!!” Marluxia screamed desperately, shoving the whole of his body weight against the door, and not managing to make it budge an inch. “YOU FUCK DON’T TOUCH HIM I’LL KILL YOU!! LAURIAM!!!”

Each subsequent shove grew sloppier as it became clear the deep gasps for air between Marluxia’s threats towards Xaldin and calls to his Somebody weren’t just from shouting, but from the Nobody falling into a breathless panic. 

Lauriam was curled in the fetal position, crying his eyes out with deep, stomach-gouging sobs, the world still flickering unstably around him. 

“Dammit, Xaldin,” Dilan groaned, sitting up and rubbing his shoulder that he had fallen on, before watching Marluxia try to beat the door down. Frowning at the clear panic attack that was starting in front of him, Dilan said softly, “Marluxia, Xaldin’s just trying to help Lauriam. It’s okay, I promise, he wouldn’t hurt any of us.”

Inside, Xaldin cautiously approached Lauriam, his gaze looking up at the flickering sky for a moment, before refocusing on Lauriam. 

…he sat down in the grass near him. Not right by him, but near. “...it’s all done now, Dandelion. You’re back with us.”

“Shut up!” Marluxia snapped, throwing himself so forcefully against the door that he bounced off it a little, stumbling a few steps back. “Trying to help doesn… T-trying to help just makes everything worse!!”

Lauriam just continued to cry…and that did continue for some time. But eventually little hiccups were added into the mix, with pathetic little whimpers that, if anything, sounded a lot like ‘sorry’. 

“Maybe sometimes,” Dilan admitted, standing up, “But this time it’s needed, Marluxia. Lauriam was hurt, he needs to be looked over. And you’re thrashing out in the world, we’re trying to bandage your cuts…ah, Marluxia… what even happened? You were gone before anyone opened their eyes.”

“Don’t be sorry. Your Nobody’s doing what he’s supposed to. He’s looking out for you,” Xaldin said, giving the kid a sad, tired look, “...can I get closer? Or is that going to be too crowded?”

“No it’s NOT,” a slam against the door, “We don’t need anyone!” Instead of hubris, or some petulant declaration of independence, the way Marluxia said it, gasping in air as he desperately pushed against the door to his own damn mind, was more like a plea. A frightened, pleading hope that maybe if it was true, then all of this would stop. 

“I don’t know, I-I don’t know,” he quickly said, now just pushing against the door in a sustained lean, eyes scrunching closed as his breathing picked up even more. “You guys would say something if they lied about the quotas, r-right? You all were the ones telling me to - to slow down!”

Lauriam curled into himself more, choking on a sob, whispering in a scared voice, “I’ll stop, I’m sorry, I’m not a problem, I’m sorry.”

“Lied about the quotas…” Dilan said, sounding baffled, “...you were more than on top of the quotas, you didn’t need any more this week. Who told you…”

“....actually, it doesn’t matter. They punished you for not making quotas?” Dilan frowned, “Marluxia, that shouldn’t have happened. You were doing everything right, I promise. Whatever happened, it’s not your fault.”

“...not a problem?” Xaldin asked, frowning, “We do have a problem. The problem is you’re hurt. We’re not just gonna wave that away, Lauriam, and that’s not something you apologize for.”

“What does that even matter then?!” Marluxia shouted, shifting his weight a little towards Dilan before falling back against the door, sinking down it a bit. “If it wasn…w-wasn’t something I did then - then if it’s for no reason, what does it matter?! It still happened!”

Lauriam blubbered wetly. Voice high and breaking as he squeaked, “I don’t wanna get everyone killed!”

“It did, yeah.” Dilan frowned, stepping closer to Marluxia. Cautiously. “...I’m sorry it happened. That’s one of the dangers of living here. Sometimes they hurt us. And, when that happens, there’s not a lot we can do about it… the only thing we have control over is how we treat each other. In some ways, how this group treats each other is the only thing that matters. Which is why I can’t turn my back on you when you ask me to leave. I just can’t. It matters.”

Xaldin scoffed, “Dandelion, you’re not gonna get us killed. Let me go super logical on you here, we’re too valuable to kill. I know that doesn’t feel true right now, considering how badly they messed you up, but trust me. They don’t want us to die. It’d take waaaay more than you being difficult for them to kill any of us. We have ‘valuable tool’ privileges. For better or for worse.” Xaldin scoffed. “Did they say they were going to kill us? Because if they did, they’re full of shit.”

Marluxia sank all the way to the ground, back to the door, as he finally lost enough strength to keep him standing. Breathing still too quick and painful-sounding. “...we should’ve killed ‘em,” he muttered on a quick, painful intake of breath, body tense as he curled into himself, “O-only got a bite off before they…” another hitch of breath, a visible wave of trembles going through his body, “Want them all to die…”

Lauriam nodded his head a little before letting out a stilted sob. It hadn’t felt like they were full of shit, because… “...don’t care before ‘bout killing people t-to make me do stuff,” he cried, before cringing into muttered apologies again. 

“...getting a bite is pretty impressive,” Dilan smiled softly, kneeling down in front of him, before scooting around to sit beside him. “...honestly? I wish they’d all die too. I hate the supervisors.”

“But I’d rather you and Lauriam be safe more,” Dilan admitted, “And I know being hurt by them doesn’t feel safe, but…all we can do is try to lower their attention on us. Which means we don’t bash their faces against any walls… even if maybe once or twice one of us has a really good chance to do it. It would still hurt us more in the long run. That’s just the position we’re in right now… but yeah. I understand wanting them to die.”

“Outside of here?” Xaldin guessed, scooting closer to Lauriam. “Stop apologizing, you don’t need to. Not to me. And in case you didn’t notice, Lauriam, the rules are different in here. Mostly against us, but sometimes for us. And one of the rules for us is they’re gonna try anything and everything else before killing us… trust me,” Xaldin grinned, baring his teeth, “I’ve given them a thousand excuses to chop my head off the block. If I’m still here now? I’ll still be here later. You’re not going to get us killed.”

Marluxia squeezed his eyes shut, wincing a bit at the pain in his chest, still just trying to get as much air in his body as possible. “...might be a p-problem if - if they… didn’t learn from this t…” Marluxia cut off in a wheeze, weakly slamming a fist back on the door. Shaking his head a little as he held on to the front of his hoodie with his other hand. 

…rules changed a lot. If the rule in here was…killing really was a last resort? Then…

Lauriam didn’t ask for a promise. He couldn’t. Promises only got your hopes up before they were broken. Especially ones that made him feel…

There was a new wave of sobs as Lauriam kicked off the ground a bit, huddling more upright but right against Xaldin’s side as he cried. About as much as Lauriam was able to ask for comfort. 

(In the physical realm, Lauriam’s body stopped struggling against the others, just going limp, though he didn’t look any more aware.)

“Might be,” Dilan agreed, slowly and carefully putting an arm in front of Marluxia, nudging him towards himself, as he said softly, “You do seem like the type to not hold back if you’re frustrated. Hopefully they’ll learn before they have too many bite scars.”

“Geez, Dandelion,” Xaldin muttered, reaching over and just picked him up, pulling him onto his lap and pressing his head against his chest, “What the hell are we going to do with you, huh? This is going to be a whole thing with you, isn’t it.”

“Nng… Ll…” Marluxia choked on his words, more falling against Dilan than being coaxed into leaning, though in a punched gasp he managed, “Not me, him.” Though, as he struggled with his breathing, Marluxia did find himself grasping onto the end of Dilan’s sleeve.

Despite everything, Lauriam did press against Xaldin as he cried, taking comfort in someone just…holding him after a very frightening experience. Comfort after just…being beaten down with sludgy misery, looking at grey walls until they blurred for hours and hours, day after day. 

And he knew how stupid it was…but there was still a part of Lauriam that cried anyway how much he just…wanted to go home. Wanted his moms. Wanted his s--

It was a louder sob as Lauriam held onto Xaldin’s shirt, those feelings of loss and childish need not hidden at all in the heart of Lauriam’s mind, even if he didn’t verbalize them. 

-

Even sighed, rubbing the sweat off his forehead, before looking down at his hands. Lauriam’s blood still all over them, though the boy himself was at least wrapped now. 

The others finishing up closing the wounds, Even headed into the bathroom to wash his hands, before looking over at Ienzo. Who was surrounded by filled glasses of water by the sink. “...excellent work, son. We’re going to use a few of those to wipe him down next, I believe. Thank you for helping,” he said, going to wash his hands.

Zexion watched his dad for a moment before frowning in worry. “...it’s never good when Orlette’s in charge. Does he need stitches?”

“He does,” Even said, wiping off his hands, “Or, he did. I’ve already taken care of that. The bleeding’s stopped, no worries there. And for better or worse, he’s been too out of it to notice the pain of the needle. Silver linings.”

Pausing, he knelt down in front of Ienzo, giving him a concerned look. “Are you alright? That was a bit of a shock, it’s alright if it was, well… shocking.”

Zexion nodded slowly. That was good. Stitches could hurt a lot, and while being that addled wasn’t great…well, he’d already seen how out of it Lauriam was. It probably wasn’t any worse for him to continue to be out of it through getting stitches. 

Sucking on the inside of his cheek, Zexion shifted his weight a little before looking back at Even. Speaking softly, “It’s usually secondary why they take any of us, but…Inzi’s right. Marluxia’s been performing conditioning just fine. If…”

He looked to the side, abandoning that line of thought before he shuffled closer to his dad, being quieter. “...Lauriam’s really loud. Do…you think they’ll try to get rid of that in him, or…?”

“How do you mean, son?” Even asked. 

Zexion shrugged tiredly. “We do it too. Hurt someone enough and they get quiet.” Small. Keeping things to themself. “But when it doesn’t work…” Zexion grimaced in worry, before slowly working out, “...they already went through a bunch of trouble to bring him in. So…the cost-benefit is in Lauriam’s favor for them keeping him around. Right?”

“Are you worried they might kill him, Ienzo?” Even asked, reaching over to gently pat the boy’s head, “Lauriam is not the first ‘loud’ Empath they’ve brought in, nor the first difficult one. He won’t be the last either. You know who was another Empath that was loud and obnoxious and difficult to control?”

“...and before you guess me, incorrect. I’m highly composed at all times,” Even huffed, “It was your other father. Trust me, son, if Aeleus is still here, Lauriam will have no difficulties. There was no one more determined to be a menace than your father.”

Zexion’s shoulders raised in a silent, breathy laugh, smiling under the head pat. He’d heard plenty of Aeleus’ trouble-making endeavors, both the fun parts and the…not so fun parts. But Even’s point was made. Even if Lauriam was erratic and emotional and had a habit of pulling other people into his loudness…well, Aeleus had nearly broken all the Empaths out of the factory, once. Trying to intimidate Lauriam into a submissive form they liked better just wasn’t worth it to the supervisors to kill him instead. 

“You’re a quieter menace. Just because you’re quieter when you look for opportunities doesn’t mean you wouldn’t take them just as quickly,” Zexion pointed out. 

“That is true, though I’m curious who told you that. I’d be surprised if you noticed on your own. Someday I should tell you about the incident that got me caught in the first place. It’s quite a tale,” Even said, standing up straight and picking up some of the glasses, “But not right now. Let me go finish cleaning the boy up. Stay in here for a while longer, Ienzo. There’s no need for you to watch us wash blood off of him. We’ll let you know when it’s well and good to come out.”

Part of it was just watching the particular way Even observed any new tool they got, but also…the way Aeleus looked at him when Even was making a plan. His dad wasn’t that outwardly emotive, but Zexion would be tempted to full out call it heart-eyes if Even started explaining something that could ostensibly be called a scheme. 

Sighing softly, Zexion gave his dad a nod. “Okay. Should I try to fill more containers?”

“No, we won’t need more. Though… perhaps fill up the shower wall to be a bath? Hot water. I don’t know if we’ll use it right away, but we can only clean so much of him off out there, it might come in handy in a bit. Thank you,” Even said, heading out the curtain. 

-

As Lauriam’s sobs turned into sniffles, Xaldin sighed, patting him gently on the shoulder as he said, “Alright. Now can I find out what the hell happened?”

Taking a shaky breath, Lauriam started, “They…they just told me to come with them, while you guys were still working? I-I didn’t think it was a good thing! But…” What could he really do but comply? “And they said that…m-maybe I didn’t get the memo, about work. But I was just confused, since Marluxia has been conditioning, a-and I kept track, we did all the people they assigned!”

“But they just kept saying that I was lying and they knew I wasn’t doing anything,” Lauriam swallowed uneasily, “C-cause I was awake more than you guys.” He took a few uneven breaths before pushing past that. “But I pointed out everyone Marluxia’d gotten through, and like that should be the part that mattered, but…”

Even exhausting himself sobbing, Lauriam still tensed a bit as his breathing picked up, before he squeezed his eyes shut. “...then they started saying that it’d be bad for everyone else if I wasn’t doing my part, and…other stuff.”

“The hell are they talking about…” Xaldin muttered, glaring at the grass, trying to figure out what the supervisors could have possibly been talking about. Though, awake… “Why were you awake?” 

Xaldin paused, before adding in, “The supervisors… probably don’t know about us. The Nobodies, I mean. I don’t think anyone’s ever told them. Why would we? They. You know what I mean. It’s not like they care that you guys are trying to keep yourselves from going crazy.”

Lauriam still didn’t understand why that mattered. He didn’t even know how the supervisors noticed--he never noticed them coming into the room and…even if they did, then that was even more reason to point to that he wasn’t even focused on the physical world!! What did it matter if his eyes were open!?

…apparently they decided it mattered a whole lot, though.

Flinching a little, Lauriam promised quietly, “I’ll stop, I’m sorry.”

“Stop what? Being awake? Yeah, you should stop. The hell are you doing hanging out in the room anyway? You know the room sucks, right? They made a whole damn island to specifically avoid hanging out in the room? You have a thing about staying in cramped, gray spaces with everyone else's farts trapped in with you?” Xaldin asked. 

Lauriam just shrugged a little, unwilling to answer. He knew how it’d sound, if he said he was avoiding Empath spaces to avoid conflict with his Nobody and avoid more embarrassing confrontations with some of the others. 

…but part of that reason, just not wanting to be in Marluxia’s face…

Lauriam opened his eyes again, looking around his field a little. A little confused before worry dawned on his face. “...if they hurt me, that hurts Marluxia too, doesn’t it? Is…he okay?”

“Did he sound okay? The kid was screaming up a storm at us. He’s probably giving Dilan hell as we speak.” Xaldin smirked, not exactly looking concerned about that idea. “He was worried about you. Stupid and worried, thought we were about to come over and continue the beatdown. You have zero faith in us, huh kid?”

Lauriam frowned, mumbling an apology, before he shrank into his shoulders more. Mumbling, “...I thought he hated me.”

“He can’t hate you. He’s your Nobody.” Xaldin frowned, bringing up the middle joint of his index finger and grinding it in between Lauriam’s eyes. “Get this into your head, dandelion: Marluxia is a part of you. A loud, obnoxious, vicious part, sure, but he’s still you. And before you get all melodramatic on me and say something stupid like ‘you hate yourself’, then think of it like this: he hates you as much as you hate him. Do you hate him?”

Lauriam made a disgruntled noise at the grinding between his eyes, but perhaps in the strongest voice he’d had yet, he said with no hesitation, “No! I made him, why would I make something I hated? If he has to do awful stuff, then everything else I can control should be the best I can manage.”

There was a brief moment of hesitation before Lauriam declared, “And I don’t want to treat him like how the others treat you guys either! It’s dumb to just pick and choose what rules apply when and only choosing to treat you like a person when it’s convenient--if he’s gonna be a person at all to me, which he is, then Marluxia’s a person all the time.”

“Heh,” Xaldin snickered, “I don’t know if he is, but alright, I’m sure as hell not going to be the one to tell you to not treat your Nobody well. You’re stuck with him either way, and he’s stuck with you, so you two need to figure something out. And that something can’t be you hiding away in the shittiest place to hang out. It sucks that we had to find out from the supervisors acting like morons about it, but either way it was going to be bad when we found out you were letting your Nobody bully you off the island.”

“That’s what they’re afraid of, you know, when they warn you not to get too comfy with us,” Xaldin mused, “They’re worried about us going out of control. I’ve never seen any signs of Nobodies stepping out of their lanes. If anything, I think we work hard not to stress them out too much, considering we don’t want to hurt our Empaths. But Marluxia being the reason you’re afraid to go onto the island? That’s gonna start some debates, dandelion. You want Marluxia to be treated well? You can’t put a target on his back like that.”

Lauriam froze a bit, shocked that Xaldin had managed to put that together. He didn’t think he let anything on! But…

“I wasn’t trying to!” he insisted, sitting up more to actually meet Xaldin’s face, eyes reddened from crying, but wide in their worried sincerity. “I get in fights with everyone, a-and Even said that that’d be a problem if Marluxia and I were fighting, so I thought I’d just go! Please don’t tell the others!”

He didn’t want to remake Marluxia, he was already here and alive and maybe that was the exact thing Even had been trying to warn him about, but it was already too late.

“Dandelion, how subtle do you think you are right now? It’s not going to be about me ‘telling’ anyone. Did you think no one was going to notice you don’t hang out on the island during working hours?” Xaldin frowned, “It was going to come up eventually. No one likes the room. How were you going to explain it?”

“I don’t know?!” Lauriam squeaked, looking increasingly anxious as he balled his fists at his sides, “I know it’s not the hugest place, but not everyone’s always in each others’ faces so I figured there was enough to doubt! Wh-who’d be paying that much attention anyway?!”

(...said the kid who’d regularly been without any adult supervision whatsoever very recently. Checking in with people responsible for you always came at short, predictable times, often not in the middle of the day. And they tended to have to ask about what you were up to, not knowing ahead of time or in the moment.)

In response, Xaldin grinded his knuckle into the bridge of Lauriam’s eyes again. “You’re lucky I didn’t notice yet! What, it’s not enough I gotta work all day, now I gotta go make sure you’re doing stuff and I gotta beat up your Nobody? Like I don’t have my hands full with the Indentureds? Whatever, I’m gonna put Dilan on this. That layabout might as well do something more interesting with his days than reading history books and making up booby traps that he’s too much of a goody-two-shoes to put more than prizes inside,” Xaldin huffed. 

That seemed to just make Lauriam panic more, leaning away from Xaldin’s poke as he quickly waved his hands in the air. “You don’t have to do anything! Or Dilan! I’ll stop just being awake in the room, promise! I don’t want to make things worse!”

“Alright, good,” Xaldin shrugged, taking his hand back, “So what are you going to do tomorrow instead?”

“I’ll stay on the island during working hours,” Lauriam recited obediently. 

“Eh, good enough start for now. Next time I’ll get you to say it like I’m not holding a dagger to your neck, making you enjoy a tropical paradise,” Xaldin said, rolling his eyes and, for good measure, poking Lauriam’s forehead again, “Alright, now you have a ton of people worried about you outside and probably, let’s be honest, bathing you by this point. You wanna go calm them down or just let them keep ragdolling you?”

Lauriam rubbed his forehead a bit, flushing slightly at the prospect of other people bathing him, though he hesitated, awkwardly getting up and out of Xaldin’s lap. Seeing the…bars, on his door. “...shouldn’t I check on Marluxia first?” Lauriam frowned a bit. “...if he’s me, then isn’t being locked out of our mind kind of a bad thing?”

Xaldin shrugged, giving the door an unimpressed look. “Eh, your Nobody’s kinda a brat with a power complex, he could use some bad shit happening to him. He’s got his whole existence to beat his superiority on a bunch of Indentureds’ heads and he sure is going to, getting knocked around sometimes will humble him. Plus Dilan’s out there, which is very funny to me. But, sure,” Xaldin waved his hand, disappearing his javelins, “If you want to.”

-

A little earlier

Marluxia couldn’t really manage more words after that, sagging more against Dilan as the too sharp points of his vision started to blur. 

Dilan fretted a bit. Well, at least things had calmed a bit. Through, Marluxia still didn’t seem ‘better’. More just ‘defeated’. Less than ideal. 

…he wasn’t sure what to say. Fretfully, he asked, “Are you the religious sort, Marluxia? Or, I suppose, is Lauriam?”

SERIOUSLY? RIGHT NOW?

The resurgence of incredulous rage was enough for Marluxia to pull in a sharp breath…but that still wasn’t enough for words, so he settled for just shaking his head. 

“That’s fair. Most people aren’t,” Dilan sighed, feeling Marluxia sharply pant against him, “I only ask because personally, I find prayer to be very comforting, during trials like this. But for the non-religious, I find it tends to just feel a bit infuriating. Someone adding fairy-tale solutions to their real problems.”

“But with prayer, I think, from a non-religious standpoint, there might simply be something soothing in speaking your worries aloud. Even just the literal act of speaking, the effort and distraction it takes, without actually turning your mind away from the problem at hand. Ignoring the fact that there is a problem is not always feasible, but having it echo without direction or purpose in your thoughts can spiral a bit. Prayer gives those thoughts focus and direction. I believe so anyway.”

“...I’d ask how you deal with difficult thoughts, but I think you’re having them for the first time,” Dilan mused, “Not very pleasant, are they.”

Some sharp gasps and wheezes, Marluxia shutting his eyes just because they somehow hurt. “Fuckin…ngg…sucks!”

“Wha… ha…” Marluxia gripped the front of his hoodie tighter as it felt like his chest was exploding, head just fully lolling forward bonelessly for a moment. Though he coughed roughly, quickly trying to breathe in more. “Wha-buh - What was I s’posed t’do?! ‘E go…he got so sss - scared i-fffff felt like he was losing his mind!”

“Through the punishment?” Dilan asked softly… before his eyes widened slightly, “Oh. That’s what you meant before… he went through the punishment. That’s…”

Unexpected. The Empaths tended to have their Nobodies take over when that happened. Another way to mentally protect themselves through their constructs. Dilan had taken it as a matter of course, that Marluxia had stepped in once a punishment had started, and that Lauriam had been shocked at the still very painful aftermath. 

…Dilan wasn’t sure how to tell a boy that he was supposed to volunteer for the painful stuff. So, deciding to sidestep it, Dilan said, “Mostly what you can do is try to stay calm. I know that doesn’t feel like much, but when you’re on the outside looking in, sometimes that’s the best thing we can possibly offer. Just not adding more distress to a situation.”

“...though it’s understandable you were frightened too,” Dilan said.

“What, so - so I’m just sup-posed to watch a-as - as everything goes haywire and he tries to murder everything?! A-as they hold him down and whip him?! Who even does that, i-it’s archaic a-and--” And amid rambling, Marluxia…started to cry. 

Scared, seeing his other half in so much pain and fear and frenzy, and not…being able to do anything about it. Trying to protect him in their mental space as much as he was even able to do, for as much as it’d completely failed.

“It’s not fair,” Dilan agreed, wrapping his arm around Marluxia and pulling him close, trying to be a comforting place to rest. “You did your best, I’m sure. But sometimes things just aren’t fair. Sometimes all we have is resilience. And you’re being very resilient right now,” Dilan assured him, as Marluxia sobbed, “You’ve not done anything wrong.”

“I know!” Marluxia cried, tucking himself against Dilan. “But shit happens a-anyway and it sucks!”

“It does! And honestly, it’s all very unnecessary,” Dilan muttered, shaking his head a bit. Whipping the boy, honestly… the fact that they really didn’t see any differences between punishing Ienzo and Lauriam versus the rest of them. They were demons. “But we can be there for each other when that happens. And that’s what you were trying to do, I know. I’m sure Xaldin feels… very bad for pushing you out,” Dilan lied. 

Marluxia sniffled loudly, pulling his hood tight over his head. His voice muffled as he said something…quieter. Having no real reason to trust Dilan…outside of him saying that they could trust him. And maybe it was a secret that would stab them in the back, but…

(Marluxia felt like he needed help.)

“...they said some really awful shit to him,” he told Dilan, “Stuff that made Lauriam stop apologizing and try to fight everyone. They were just trying to intimidate him before, but he tried to choke one of them out and just…kill everyone, so they started tying him down. He can’t think about it, I think he’ll actually lose his mind, s-so I was trying to keep everyone out so he wouldn’t have to. But then our world started freaking out again.”

“...he tried to choke out a supervisor?” Dilan asked, a bit impressed. Before shaking his head. Focus! “I see… has that ever happened before? Or, at least that you remember?”

Marluxia nodded under his hood. “The night that they got Lauriam. That’s what they were talking about.”

“Well… well, we probably have to convince him to not try to fight supervisors when he’s feeling murderous,” Dilan admitted, “But, a lot of us have to learn that lesson, to be fair. I’m sure it’s something we can help him with in the long-term. And it wasn’t you, at all? Trying to bite and all of that?”

It hadn’t seemed like a choice. It had felt like pure blind rage and grief, and the only thing Lauriam could’ve done was try to destroy everything around him. Marluxia didn’t know how to avoid that, other than no one just saying bullshit to him. 

Marluxia peeked out, just an eye visible. “No? How would it be?”

“Oh.” Dilan paused. Of course this hadn’t come up yet. “...well, our Nobodies, when we give permission, tend to have the strength to take over the body, for a while.”

Mostly true. ‘Permission’ and ‘For a while’ were flexible terms. So far there didn’t seem to be an end point to ‘awhile’ and ‘permission’ was just not actively fighting against it. 

Marluxia sniffed miserably. “...why? Isn’t all this because the real world sucks? You guys barely spend any time there, and it’s just to make sure you don’t die.”

“Why is maybe not the correct question. I don’t think any of us designed you all to be able to do that on purpose,” Dilan admitted, “It might be a side effect, more than anything. As for what to do with that ability, well… that depends on the Somebody and Nobody themselves. I know Xaldin will head out to check on things if he’s worried something is happening in the room, for instance.”

“What, like maybe there’s an extra pock-mark in the concrete?” Marluxia jabbed sarcastically before miserably looking at his boots from over his knees. “...I dunno. Maybe it is more interesting than it seems, since it seems like all Lauriam ever wants to look at.”

“How do you mean?” Dilan asked.

Marluxia pouted, though there was something…sadly frustrated about it. “When we’re working, all he does is stare at the walls in the physical world. I keep waiting for him to come back to our world, but he never does.”

“...weird,” Dilan frowned, “Your Somebody might be an odder person than I thought.”

“But, if he needs an incentive to get out of the room a bit… for soooome reason,” Dilan frowned, “There’s more than just the island, if you both wanted to explore a bit. You’re allowed to go into other people’s worlds, see what they have going on. For instance!” Dilan lit up with a smile. “I’ve actually left quite a few puzzles, in my world. Little obstacle courses, false doors, secrets to find. I spend quite some time reading in young Ienzo’s world, and every now and again I get inspired by something I read there to make my world more fun to explore. It’d be delightful to have you two look around, see what you can uncover in… the ruins,” Dilan said, grinning as he put an ominous spin on the last two words, “Who knoooows what you’ll fiiiind. Like perhaps… a mummy?” He grinned. Clearly having absolutely hidden a mummy somewhere in his world.

Marluxia looked over at Dilan for a moment before giving a wet snort. “So it isn’t just a world to take naps at weird angles? Could’ve fooled me.” He paused for a moment. “...what’s a mummy?”

“It’s an ancient Luminary burial technique we’ve discovered from digging up the lost cities beneath the deserts!” Dilan said excitedly, entirely barrelling through Marluxia’s teasing observation as he continued, “There aren’t enough bodies with the same preservation techniques we’ve found yet to suggest it was common, but we think it might have been some sort of preservation ritual elite members of ancient Luminary civilizations might have indulged in to bury their bodies within ancient catacombs. Crypts and catacombs are burial techniques we’ve kept to this day, but this preservation technique has been lost to the history books. And it’s fascinating, because the preservation really did work! These mummies, once uncovered, are bodies that can show us evidence of what life was really like for ancient Luminaries, long before the burning of the libraries or the sinking and rebuilding of the cities. History, past the ancient limits of the dark ages!” 

Marluxia blinked before something a little amused crossed his face. This guy was kind of a nerd, huh. Though what he said was, “You’re a corpse guy, huh. Cool. You think it was the same sort of thing we have today, where it’s disrespectful for bodies to decay and get messed with ‘n stuff, so rich fucks pull out the stops to out-science natural death?”

Dilan cleared his throat with a little ‘harrumph’, “I’m a relics sort of guy, thank you. I like holding things in my hand and knowing they’ve seen centuries. It’s the best feeling in the world.” Dilan smiled… before he shrugged. “I suppose so, yes. I know many people enjoy those ideas of preservation because, at least in their own minds, it delays death in some way. But how I like to think of it is, if you can’t take it with you when you go, you might as well leave something cool behind for other people to find. And what’s a more rewarding thing to leave behind for others to play with than a body! …play with is the wrong word. Observe. Study. That’s what I meant.”

Marluxia rolled his eyes a little. Sure, sure, whatever people told themselves for comfort…but it was such loser behavior. Death was all around, there was no hiding from it. Playing pretend like it didn’t exist just made you look pathetic. 

…but if it wasn’t for you?

Blinking at Dilan, Marluxia snickered mercilessly into his arms. “Look, I wasn’t even thinking about necrophilia before, but you’re digging your own grave here.” He gave Dilan an interested look. “Have you actually seen a dead body yourself?”

“I have!” Dilan said cheerfully, before grimacing, “Well, I’ve seen ancient bodies before. Which I must admit, probably feels different from seeing a fresh one, in which case, I have not. I was a young man when I first came here, though a young ‘man’ being the key word, I wasn’t a boy like you.” Dilan smirked lightly as he folded over his index finger and lightly nudged Malurxia’s cheek. “But I was following in my father’s footsteps, digging up ancient unburied crypts to observe and study, so I’ve dug up a few corpses in my days. Honestly, I’m less a necrophiliac, thank you very much, and more of a grave robber than anything else. Unseemly, perhaps, but… I loved it.”

Marluxia rolled his eyes, leaning away from the poke. Grumbling indistinctly about how he and Lauriam were ‘basically adults’, it wouldn’t be that long before they were 13. Though, while Dilan might’ve said ‘unseemly’...Marluxia lit up, looking awed and excited. 

“That’s so cool,” he said genuinely, forgetting the stubborn haughtiness for a bit as his eyes sparkled, “Is it all for, like, figuring out how people lived and all that, or did you ever look for specific stuff, or, like, I dunno, try to find stuff out about mysteries?”

“Mmm, doing one tends to lead to the other,” Dilan explained, “You start looking for the basics. Things like how family structures might have been set up, how clothes from that era might have been made and worn, what they were eating, what they thought was valuable. We believe a lot of these crypts were filled with precious things to them, but ‘precious’ as in ‘expensive’. Because they were laid to rest with valuable items, the ways towards those items tended to have curses placed on them, intimidating architecture, and booby traps! Though nothing as elaborate as the ones I’ve made, not all in one spot anyway.”

“But while you’re looking for all those basic things, sometimes you’ll find something that’s just… puzzling.” Dilan frowned. “For instance, sometimes the cause of death on the bodies isn’t very straightforward… or is so straightforward that you’re left with the question, well, why were their heads cut off? Did they commit some sort of crime, fall victim to a revolution, or a spar gone wrong? Did they have spars back then the way we do now? If they were murdered, why be buried in such good standing, certainly the victors wouldn’t have allowed it? That can be the big things, but there’s also little stuff that feels like it won’t have an answer simply because there had to have been something personal or sentimental in it. One corpse we found was buried with three spoons placed on his chest. Purposefully, three seemingly ordinary spoons on his chest… why? Was it a metaphor for something? An in-joke? No idea.”

“It doesn’t help it’s all written out in ancient lost languages,” Dilan sighed. “Luminary has only spoken Common for as long as Luminary history has been written. Or, at least the history we still have access to. We don’t even know what our ancient language was called, let alone how to decipher it. Visually it was a pretty language, I can say that. Like, for example,” Dilan put his finger in the area, focusing as he wrote out in little streaks of light, الخشخاش “This one was written onto a vase that was placed within the burial room itself, which meant it had extreme value. What it was? No idea. The vase was empty.”

Marluxia listened raptly, imagining the sick-ass crypts that Dilan had uncovered. It was a little disgruntling to realize the inherent bias, that the things that survived were things that were expensive, in the tombs of people that were rich enough to afford them, so even gleaning what you could about life, it was just a tiny fraction of it… But unlike the current disparities, Marluxia found himself a little hesitant. Because would it be better for just everything to be lost?

He…really couldn’t answer that. 

And as much as it was a rich person thing and that sucked…crypts were really cool-looking. At least as far as Marluxia knew what they looked like, which was mostly from book illustrations. 

His eyes widened a little at the…stuff Dilan wrote in the air, before he thought for a moment. Before pouting. “...even if they are neutral, I guess you still couldn’t get historic answers from Danganronpa. Lost history just seems to be a part of the whole thing, but, like, a language feels pretty huge for no records to exist.”

“Neutral…? Oh, the war,” Dilan sighed, “Right, forgot about that. It’s been a few years now, hasn’t it? I’m sure they’ll sort that out any day now, it’s already been too long.”

“Getting information from other countries is a bit like pulling teeth,” Dilan admitted, rubbing his temples, “It’s the drawback of our leaders throughout history being incredibly difficult to talk to. We have very few pure allies. Very few institutes who’d openly work with us. That said, even Novoselic has very little information about Luminary in their history books. Whatever war broke out that purged our history? We very much lost it.”

Dilan leaned his head back against the door. “Sometimes I wonder if we had it coming. Like I said, we’re not the easiest country to get along with. It’s fascinating to learn more and more about our history, but we must always be ready to learn the horrors our ancestors were trying to forget. It’s impossible to get one without the other.”

Marluxia shrugged a little. Sure, sure, people said victory was right around the corner…but every time she’d come to visit, Mama was talking about how they needed to move mine locations again to avoid being near a battlefield. If Dicea was about to fall, he didn’t think they’d still be fighting in the mountains. 

And maybe Luminary had a shitty history with other countries, but… “That’s dumb,” he said bluntly, “Maybe for recent stuff, sure, but for ancient stuff, no one around now was doing that shit back then. We’re all different people, which means we can make different choices, but if no one even gives you the chance to change, then that’s just pre-emptively damning you to be the same because you don’t have any other options. That’s stupid.”

“I don’t disagree with you, but it’s usually, at its base, one of those emotional things. Hard to rationalize with, you just sort of have to deal with it as it comes,” Dilan mused, still thinking back to old digs, “That’s why you could call me a grave robber. I’m certain, no matter how much time has passed, the people buried in the crypts would have some strong feelings about me digging them back up from their resting places. And there are others who empathize with those feelings and desires. Me doing what I do requires me to be okay with the idea that to some, I’m a monster… hah, I was going to say ‘me doing what I did’, actually, since I’m certainly not an archeologist anymore. Buuuuut.” 

Dilan’s eyes saddened. “It’s still a very relevant mindset. I… have to be okay with how in many people's lives, I am the monster.”

“...sorry, that got a bit heavy,” Dilan said, shifting against the door, looking at Marluxia, “You seem calmer. Do you want to check on Lauriam soon?”

It was easier to point out with the grave robbing thing how ridiculous that was--those people were dead, and learning about their bodies and the things they were buried with and how they were buried was actually giving those things use rather than letting it rot in the earth for forever, just more needless waste and gluttony from the elite, even after their life. 

But with conditioning…

Marluxia huffed a little. “That’s how it is forever, always. Everyone’s always a villain, a monster, a fucker in someone else’s life, and if you spend all your time trying to avoid that or trying to plead forgiveness, you’re just gonna fail anyway and be miserable doing it. Just do what you’ve gotta do, ‘cause no one else is gonna slow down either.”

Sighing, Marluxia looked back at the door, but before he could do anything, it opened on its own, Marluxia matching a surprised look with Lauriam’s similar tear-streaked face. Honestly, Lauriam looked a little more alarmed to see that Marluxia had been crying, and he looked nervously between him and Dilan, before asking tentatively, “Are you okay? You can come in again if you want, the door’s unblocked.”

“Why are you even asking me that?” Marluxia snapped, popping up unsteadily, “I wasn’t the one sobbing on the ground. I’m fine, no doi--unlike you, who should probably not even be conscious right now because you had a colossal weirdo freak out.”

But instead of shying away, Lauriam just gave his Nobody a tired look. “There was stuff to freak out about, don’t be dumb. You were screaming before, right? So…are you okay?”

Marluxia flushed a little before crossing his arms, pouting at the ground. “I’m fine.”

“He’s a bit better now, though, you’re right, he was having a hard time before, Lauriam,” Dilan said gently, reaching over to gently pat on Marluxia’s back, “I’m also glad to see you’re, well, if not better then calmer. That was terrible, wasn’t it?”

“He’s fine.” Xaldin scoffed, placing a hand on Lauriam’s shoulder and squeezing it as he said, “He’s tough! You will not believe the bullshit reason they took him though. Hope those fucks trip down the stairs today.”

Both of the garden duo glowered for a moment, both agreeing heavily with that sentiment. Though, Lauriam gave a little sigh after. “I should…let the others know I’m okay. So I’m gonna wake up.”

He felt a little awkward saying that, not knowing how to transition or end things there, so instead--

-

Lauriam may have grown up struggling with money, but his guardians had been very adamant about him being well-spoken. Some of it was just temperament, but while he still did sometimes, Lauriam just tended not to curse much. 

But the moment he managed to crack his eyes open, the only thing that wheezed out of his mouth was a pained, “Fuck!” as he immediately closed them again, gripping his hands into fists at his sides as he just…tried to ride out the pain radiating from his back. Clenching his jaw against his pallet, laid down on his stomach. 

“Ah,” Viz mused from her pallet, laid out on her back, eyes still closed, “Even, Aeleus. The babe’s awake.”

“Yes, I can see that, Viz.” Even sighed, he and Aeleus having just dumped the soiled water into the sink, heading to Lauriam’s pallet. “I suppose the timing is as good as it could be. Careful, Lauriam, you have quite a few stitches in your back. It’s going to sting for a while, I’d highly advise you to eat and then head back to your mind as soon as possible.”

“Uh, but he also needs to tell you if you missed anything,” Luis said, wincing as he said it, like he wasn’t pleased with the idea, “Just in case.”

“Right, of course. Lauriam, just take a few breaths, there’s no hurry,” Even said.

Even if he objected, Lauriam really had no choice but to lay there and breathe, the physical pain just as all-consuming as the fear had been not long ago. Eventually, he felt a small nudge at his hand--which also let him know that there were new bandages around, well, that wrist at least--and he squinted over to the side. 

Terra smiled softly. “Might put less pressure on your wrists if you have something more solid to hold. Though you’re taking this like a champ, kiddo. Wasn’t looking forward to having to hold you down again if you tried to get up.”

Despite himself? Lauriam found himself giving a tiny laugh and opening his fist a little to squeeze Terra’s hand instead. “That’s so menacing? Wow.”

With a smaller, shakier breath, Lauriam scrunched his eyebrows. “...I don’t think there’s anything else. I remember getting punched at one point, but I don’t… I think if I have stitches, that’s it.”

A little shier, and meant for more of the group, he softly said, “...sorry. I’m really not trying to make things more difficult.”

“Aren’t we all?” Viz chuckled, her voice rasping slightly as she did, “Can’t be helped, sometimes.”

“Can be helped, sometimes,” Even stressed at Viz, who chuckled at that, before he smiled at Lauriam, “But in this case, she’s right. We can’t control the supervisors. In that sense, can’t be helped. We have food set aside for you, when you’re ready we’re going to have you sit up and lay against one of us. Likely Terra, since he’s apparently volunteering to be physical support. Where is Dilan, is he not coming back out?”

“I’ve got him,” Luis said, {Dilan, you need to eat man. Come back.}

{One moment.}

-

Inside, Dilan sighed, looking to Marluxia. “Are you alright? I mean, enough for me to go and feed my mortal toil?”

“I’m fine, I’m fine,” Marluxia waved Dilan off, looking around the flower field like he was inspecting it. (And in a way, he was. Marluxia didn’t really know much about the nature of worlds or minds, but something about how the scenery had gone nuts before gave him a bad feeling, and he wanted to make sure things were properly back to normal now.) “Go off stuffing your face. Maybe take a heads up to scootch away from Lauriam so you can avoid a vomit cannon.”

“Ngh.” Dilan frowned, scrunching his nose, before he disappeared. 

Xaldin watched him go, before turning to watch the boy look over his field. “...he treated you alright?”

“Yeah, if nothing else he didn’t make me go play fetch.” Marluxia glanced up at Xaldin briefly, a slightly frustrated frown on his face before he resumed his observation of the field. “...he seems kinda normal? Like, a dweeb and corpse fucker, but, like, a guy. So why does he treat you like that?”

Xaldin raised an eyebrow. “Corpse fucker? The fuck did you two talk about?? We don’t fuck corpses, I’m nipping that one in the bud.” 

“He is a dweeb though. And also basically a normal guy. Why, did you think he was different?” Xaldin asked, crossing his arms, “Play fetch…? I don’t know what you’re on about there, but if you mean why do we argue so much, easy. He doesn’t like what I do. Oh, sure, he knows he made me to do it, and he knows I have to… but he doesn’t like it. I make him ashamed of himself.” Xaldin shrugged, like it was no big deal. “But that’s his problem, not mine. It’s only my problem if he treats you all badly for it. Which, usually, he doesn’t. I ask because sometimes I need to correct his ass.”

Marluxia snickered a bit, not feeling a need to explain that. Though, he shrugged a little. “You guys might insist you’re on our side, but even allies can kinda suck. We don’t know you, so, gotta figure it all out.”

Raising an eyebrow briefly at Xaldin--really? Well, if he didn’t see it…--Marluxia resumed his survey…before pausing, frowning at a few flowers that were clearly struggling. Getting on his knees, Marluxia gently touched the browning, shriveled blooms with just the tips of his fingers, following the stems down and taking a look at some of their immediate roots. 

Huffing a little at what sounded like just…an enormously convoluted situation, Marluxia shrugged. “He was fine. We talked. Hey, next time don’t fuckin’ bar up our door? You’re lucky I was a little distracted with other things to get you back for it.”

“Lauriam was lucky I did it at all,” Xaldin said, “You were stopping him from getting help.”

Marluxia scowled before the expression calmed as he cupped his hands over the struggling flowers. “You just helped him a different way, I would’ve figured it out if you didn’t butt in.”

“Oh yeah? What was the plan, flower?” Xaldin asked, watching the flowers in his hand, “Once you were done panicking, then you’d get around to him? One person drowning can’t save another person drowning. You were in a damn state yourself.”

“You can if you’re desperate enough,” Marluxia said quietly, closing his eyes for a moment before…

{There was a feeling, like the feeling of a gorgeous sunset watched from a porch in spring itself was hugging you. Like tinkling bells that were somehow also laughs brushed over your skin. A feeling like awe, and love and devotion, that all created a certainty of safety.}

There was a soft pink light under Marluxia’s hands, before he opened his eyes and uncupped his hands, the flowers now healthy and perking up. Smiling with a calm satisfaction, Marluxia then summoned a tiny rain cloud, giving the revitalized plant some water. 

“I’d argue that, but honestly I think we’d just be talking at each other pretty quickly.” Xadin scoffed, though he watched with interest the flowers come back to health. “...though, I can’t argue with the fact that you do seem to have some sort of healing presence here. You’ve been doing that from the beginning, fire-boy?”

“Duh,” Marluxia scoffed, getting back up and subconsciously rubbing his chest a little. “You’ve met Lauriam, he’d trash this place to ashes and muck without me. One of us needs to have some self-preservation. Obviously it’d be me.”

“Oh, obviously,” Xaldin said dryly, though, hmm. That was something to consider. “Lauriam doesn’t have self-preservation instincts?”

Marluxia gave Xaldin the most patronizing look an edgy 12-year-old could give. “You saw what he looked like when he got to the factory, and what just happened. It might not be your forte, but you could try to draw a little picture from that.”

Someone who fought that hard didn’t care how badly their body was broken, or if a loss meant death. 

…even so, Marluxia couldn’t bring himself to say anything about how much Lauriam had begged the supervisors to kill him that awful night. 

“I saw a kid half beaten to death. Sorry to burst your bubble, but whatever impressive picture of a fallen hero you’ve got playing in your head? That’s not how it looked, and I doubt that’s how it was either,” Xaldin said, reaching over to poke Marluxia’s forehead, “You’re a skinny little brat who thinks he’s twice as big as he actually is. Give you another decade and maybe four more feet and then I’ll believe the ‘you should see the other guy’ shit.”

“Pfffffffffff--” Marluxia snorted, bursting out with a laugh, even as he hacked coughs through it, “Ew! Ugh, that’s cheating, you have to give me warning before breaking out something like ‘hero’.”

Moving away from the poke, wiping his mouth as he finished a few more coughs, voice a little wheezey, Marluxia looked tickled as he said, “Flip it and reverse it, at least if you don’t just want to leave me with the idea you’re one of the cheapest comedians of all time.”

“Flip it and reverse it, eh? Alright,” Xaldin said, tilting his head, “Then you’re not the badass supervillain you’re imagining either. You’re not some stone-cold hardened killer, you’re not some danger running through the night, you’re not… I dunno, what do kids imagine they are these days? Zoro? You think you’re Zoro? Practice cutting a Z into some wood all night long, it’s still not the reality. You needed help. Plain and simple.”

Instead of laughing and continuing the banter, Marluxia just gave Xaldin a puzzled look at that one. And his best guess-- “...god you’re old. You know, I would think that would be closer, but stiiiiiiill not quite right. Though,” Marluxia grinned, holding his hand up to his mouth and practically >:3c - ing, “I think any reference I could make would go over your head, grandpa.”

“Ngh,” Xaldin made a small, wounded sound, gritting his teeth even as he placed a hand on his heart, “Hey, come on! What, I’m supposed to be keeping up with pop culture in here!? Zoro was new not even…” 

Xaldin hesitated, not sure how many years ago he had been put in the factory anymore. “...uuuh, I dunno, that came out when I was 15 so… something like a decade ago, probably. Basically new! Not my fault you weren’t alive then, punk.”

“Uhuh,” Marluxia said, obvious amused skepticism on his face, “You are absolutely 25, wouldn’t guess anything different. And the fuckin’ backwater Lauriam’s from tooootally has moved past things 10 years old, that’s really how trends work in the boonies. Truly, my bad for not knowing something that practically happened yesterday!”

“Tsk. Brat,” Xaldin huffed, though he placed a hand on his stomach. “Feel that? They’ve eaten. They’re all gonna be back soon…oi,” Xaldin said, frowning at Marluxia, “I’m not sure if it was actually anything you did or not, but did you know Lauriam’s been avoiding the island because of you? You need to do some repair work on that before we all get in trouble for it. You wouldn’t believe how little it takes before someone’s talking about us ‘taking over’.”

Broken from amusement again, Marluxia blinked, his lips parting a little in genuine shock. “What?” …and, predictably, it quickly resolved to irritation. “How could it be anything I did, he’s never here! I guess I don’t mind the peace and quiet, but yanno, he made this so I’d figure he’d stop by sometimes.”

Marluxia knew he could go around the island as he wanted, but…well, there was enough of an ‘otherness’ to it that he just didn’t feel like dealing with it most of the time. And their world sure needed work constantly, so what was he, a monster who’d abandon it?! 

He was just…busy. It was fine that other people didn’t visit. He was just fine on his own. 

Giving Xaldin another confused look, Marluxia said a little softer, “...but Dilan said that you do take over sometimes? To look at the room. He acted like it was weird that I didn’t know about it.”

“Nah, nah, more extreme than that. Honestly, more like the little specter's situation, though I think everyone’s afraid to call that shit what it is.” Xaldin frowned, crossing his arms as he said, “Luis too, maybe even Aeleus… the blurs between the Somebodies and the Nobodies end up so thin that you can’t tell who the hell you’re talking to anymore. With Luis, I swear I’ve either never even met Luis, or I’ve never even met Luxord. I’ve never seen them both in the same place before, that’s for damn sure, someone lost that fight. Same with Aeleus, never seen him and his Nobody together. I saw the boys together once… maybe. It could have just been another damn Zexion for all I know, but it felt like this one was a little different, could have been an Ienzo… or hell, maybe I’ve never seen Ienzo and the thousand little Zexions running around are just it.”

“We’re taking it on a lot of faith that those three have something figured out that doesn’t make sense to the rest of us, but Nobodies like you and me? Who are regularly seen with our Somebodies?” Xaldin said, looking to Marluxia, “It’s more obvious when we overstep. The distinction between us and our Somebodies more clear. Which means everyone’s watching us to see if the Nobody ‘situation’ is getting out of control. Understand me?”

At first Marluxia wasn’t sure what Xaldin was talking about, but then once he realized he’d been talking about Ienzo…yeah, he still didn’t know what he was talking about. He’d spoken to Luxord and Lexaeus and even Zexion (or…a Zexion?) when all the Nobodies had eventually streamed by to say hello and help Marluxia understand what the conditioning process was, so…that was them. And then out in the physical world, that was Luis and Aeleus and Ienzo. 

And, sure, maybe some of them did stand side by side, but…

Marluxia just gave Xaldin a more confused look. “Not in the slightest. What does that even mean, getting out of control? All of them were pressuring Lauriam into making me in the first place, and Even said it’s expected. You can’t have something expected, and pressure people to follow it, and then immediately rescind on it and expect it not to blow up in your face. And for people to call out that bullshit for what it is.”

Xaldin raised an eyebrow at Marluxia. “You’re not big on ‘nuance’ yet, huh kid? It’s not an all or nothing thing. They’re worried about one of us essentially submerging the Somebody personality. A few of us might have already, and no one knows what to do about it so no one’s talking about it. One of us more obvious Nobodies would absolutely break the camel’s back on this. They want us to exist, they want us to do what we do, they do not want us to take over. That’s what I mean.”

Marluxia bared his teeth a bit. “If it’s something that might’ve happened already, and they’re just ignoring the issue, then why should it be our responsibility to be small or scared of someone who could erase our existence regardless of any of that?! Do you want to take over?!”

“Eh,” Xaldin shrugged, “Depends on the day.”

“......nah, I’m kidding,” Xaldin lied, looking away, “Take over what? A body that stares and sits in a room all day? No, obviously not. I do my work, I like my work, if I didn’t have my work what the hell would I even do with myself all day? Honestly, I feel bad for them. They gave away all their purpose and drive to us just because people crying and acting desperate makes them sad. We have things to do all the time, and they just drift around being useless and still fucking depressed about all that free time they have. We’re better off, not them.”

“So no,” Xaldin said, “I don’t want anything. I’m just warning you that it’s something they worry about. Take it to heart or don’t, either way, your Somebody was still avoiding you like the plague.”

“Say it in another multiple of three, maybe you’ll convince yourself,” Marluxia said dryly…though some of it was just to be contrary. Work was definitely the most engaging part of the day, and it was fun getting people to grovel and make empty promises to avoid the muck. 

(It probably wouldn’t be the only engaging part of the day if he didn’t just sit in the field alone after it.)

And in part, Xaldin was right. Lauriam’s life sucked, honestly even if someone was trying to goad him into it Marluxia wouldn’t want it. But he wasn’t about to let someone ruin the life he did like because of an unsubstantiated fear. 

…but what did have substance?

Marluxia crossed his arms, looking away. “...I can’t talk to him if he’s not here.”

“......look, I understand what you’re trying to say, but that’s just pointedly, physically not true for you and him, very specifically.” Xaldin said dryly. “You super can.”

“...how.” Marluxia said tersely, looking a little…embarrassed. The faintest bit of pink creeping up on his cheeks. 

{The hell do you mean, how?} Xaldin asked, raising an eyebrow, {Do you not know how to do this?}

Marluxia blushed a little more, looking more pissed. “I know about that, but how do I do that with him? We’re literally the same mind, and I’ve definitely noticed that just thinking isn’t the same thing.”

“Honestly, flower, I wouldn’t know how to teach it. I just always knew how to do it,” Xaldin shrugged, “Maybe figuring that out is something you and dandelion can work on? Boooond over?”

“Again, I can’t do that if he’s not here,” Marluxia sighed, looking less angry about it this time, and more just…tired. A little lonely. “...can only Empaths do that? Lauriam never heard anyone else talking in his head until Dilan did.”

“As far as I know only Empaths can. But, ‘as far as I know’ is me throwing a heavy brick across a lake. This isn’t true for every Nobody, but for me? The memories Dilan shares with me are…fuzzy. I think a side effect of how strong a wall he put between my memories and his. Nothing of mine leaks through to him, and his are… well, fuzzy. Maybe he knows something I don’t.” Xaldin shrugged. “So you need help talking to Lauriam? Done, easy, I’ll drag the kid back here myself tonight.”

Marluxia looked up at Xaldin, looking genuinely surprised. Everything from Lauriam felt…really clear. Sure, sure, he knew that he wasn’t Lauriam, but if he was distracted and not thinking about it? All their memories felt like it happened to him too. It was a little confusing when you tried to explain it like that, but it just felt natural to Marluxia. He couldn’t really comprehend not knowing your Somebody that intimately. 

“Guess I could ask later… He did say I could come over,” Marluxia mumbled, before sighing with a shrug. “Yeah, sure. Just know I’ll absolutely blame you if someone makes a weird fuss about him not sleeping.”

“He can literally sleep it off tomorrow, it’ll be fine.” Xaldin said, patting Marluxia hard on the back, before heading off, “Expect me later!”

Marluxia stumbled at the pat, immediately breaking off into coughs as he distractedly waved Xaldin off.

-

Lauriam didn’t think this was messing with Zinxi. He’d gotten the picture by now that she tended to stay in her own world, and even being invited to others she tended to pass. But by this point he’d at least had a conversation or two with all the other Nobodies (it was…a little surprising to him, how surprised some of them were that he wanted to talk), but for as much as Xaldin gushed about her when they chatted, other than that first time in the forest in his world, when Marluxia was created?

He hadn’t seen her since. 

And he didn’t want to push into her personal space either, but this was just…an opportunity! If she did want to talk.

It probably helped in not pushing into her personal space that he had noooo idea where he was going in the giant manor, but when he came by a room that had cool glass walls and was filled with pretty potted plants, he settled in with his paper, starting to quietly fold.

After some time–honestly, enough time where Lauriam would have been forgiven for giving up–the light coming in through the large, glass windows went briefly dark, the shadows moving quickly across the room. Like something large had passed by outside. 

Not a moment after, there was a heavy, scuttling sound across the ceiling, somewhere in the wood above. 

Through the vents, the sound coming from the walls, Zinxi cooed through the walls, “It’s not very often, one has a butterfly visit a spider's parlor… are you lost, butterfly?”

Lauriam had glanced over at the shadow, peering through the windows for a moment, before his gaze was drawn up. But still not seeing Zinxi, he just smiled softly. “I think technically? I didn’t think about asking Inzi for a map.”

“Butterfly is a new one, kinda wish I’d thought of that,” he laughed quietly, “Though I…don’t know how to make one. Are either cicadas or cranes closer, you think?”

“Cicadas,” she said automatically, like it barely required the thought… before asking, clearly a tad uncertainly, “Are you making something?”

A sign that she could not, in fact, actually see him.

“Cicada it is, then,” Lauriam hummed, taking a piece of paper with nice designs on both sides and starting to fold it. “Mhmm, I’m not really sure if it has a name? But it’s making little designs by folding paper in certain ways. I am starting to feel a little predictable by saying most of the designs I know are flowers.”

“I used to make them sometimes with scrap paper, but I realized I could make them look really nice in here because the paper can be whatever I want.” Considering it for a moment, Lauriam asked, “I really like a lotus I made earlier with this kind of lacy paper--I could put it in another room if you wanted to see it?”

Zinxi did not answer at first. 

“...you should know, I’m not some skittish cat you need to lure closer~” Zinxi said, sounding a tad amused, as her voice came from another area of the wall, “I stay out of sight for your comfort, not my own, butterfly. I was made to be intimidating. It’s not a trait of mine I can turn off.”

“One of the first things Xaldin said about you, or to me in general, was that you’re a spider lady. And I’m not scared of spiders,” Lauriam said with a sort of sheepish matter of factness. “Still, even if you’re choosing to…speak through a vent? It doesn’t sound like you’re actually through the wall… Anyway. I can still make things easier if I can.”

“Though I can just go if you don’t want me here,” he said a little softer. “I’m not scared of Xaldin, but I don’t want to bother you anyway, ma’am.”

“Kekekeke,” she giggled through the walls, “He’s going to feel so wounded when I tell him that. Careful, Xaldin. Not even the butterflies of the gardens are afraid of you. Well… that gives me a fun opening line, for the next time he comes to seek me out.”

Another pause. As amused as she had sounded, there was clearly a sense of hesitance. Like she was considering her options… before she mused, “Well, I suppose if you change your mind, little is lost all around~”

And instead of squeezing through the door, the wall in front of Lauriam seemed to suddenly bleed with black mold, a woman’s face briefly forming perfect and beautiful within its shape, before the wall seemed to burst forward, water bubbling over as a large, spider body seemed to just flow out of the wall, each leg bursting through and dragging through the floor to bring the whole of the spiders body into the room.

Once she was free of the wall, Zinxi came to her full height, peering down with glowing, white eyes through a long mess of long black hair at Lauriam. Appraising him for a moment… before smiling lightly. A mouth full of fangs, two clearly meant to induce poison into a body protruding from the front, as she asked, “Still feeling comfortable, butterfly?”

If that had ever been Xaldin’s goal, then coaxing Lauriam down from mindless crying probably hadn’t been the scariest thing he could do. But as…Zinxi actually seemed to consider being in the same room as him?

…look, Lauriam wasn’t scared of spiders. He didn’t have that gut jab of a little dark thing scuttling at the edge of his vision, and he and St…and he had always affectionately referred to a ‘bathroom spider’ as a welcome and natural addition in corners. And especially in summers when sand flies and mosquitoes were rampant, it was always a comfort knowing how many spiders were chilling out in the garden. 

So that’s what started Lauriam’s decision. But he had continued that decision by seriously thinking about the scariest thing he could possibly face, knowing that he’d be crushed by inadvertently offending Zinxi by flinching or anything else in surprise when he eventually re-met her. 

…admittedly, a mold wall with a distorted face bleeding water and a giant spider body hadn’t come to mind, but perhaps because he hadn’t been thinking with so many dramatics. 

His eyes did widen, and a small, involuntary, “whoa,” left him, but Lauriam smoothly got up to give Zinxi a proper bow in greeting before he tilted his head up in it a bit to smile at her. “Is kind of astounded still comfortable? I think you could give me a few years and I’d still never match the gravitas of an entrance like that. I know we have met, so we don’t really need an introduction, but thanks for having me in your world, Ms. Zinxi.”

“You’re most welcome,” Zinxi said, her echoing voice clearly edged with pleasant delight, as she bowed smoothly back his greeting. An impressive motion with six legs and two arms. 

Her gaze went down to the paper bundles he was creating, and she lowered her legs as slow as she could, her somewhat humanlike torso acting more like the body of a snake as she bent down to get a better look at what he was doing. “What an interesting little hobby. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

As he’d spoken about before, Lauriam picked up the folded paper lotus he’d made earlier, showing off how the thin, lacy paper made the layered petals look that much cooler, though he smiled a little sheepishly. “I didn’t really know other people who did it either. I just found a book on it when I was in detention a couple years ago and I thought some of the designs were pretty. And different ones work with different shapes of paper, so it was a fun way to pass time with scraps.”

He gave her a small shrug. “I don’t know how to make a spider either, sorry.”

Zinxi hummed a bit at that… before smiling. “I know how to make a spider.”

And with that, she put her wrists together, and between her fingers an almost clear, white mucus seemed to bundle between her palms, which she stretched out into a mess of thin, rope like strings, before her long, pointed fingers caught the middle of the strings in gentle little pulls and twists and spins, like she was playing a harp with the mucus. After a moment of doing this, she moved her hands together again, her fingers working quickly, before she expanded her hands out, and between them, a round, sparkling web stretched between them… the strings in the web looking like a little, eight legged spider. 

“Tada~” she said. Smiling proudly.

Lauriam peered at her hands curiously, figuring from the color that this was a web, if not a web-adjacent substance, which, honestly, was pretty cool by itself, but as she… Lauriam’s eyes widened a little, realizing Zinxi was weaving the web strings through each other. And what it came out as?

✪o✪

Unconsciously, Lauriam put his wrists together, slightly copying Zinxi as he seemed to wrap his head around the weaved web even more. “Whoa!!” he breathed, starry-eyed, “That’s so COOL!”

Lauriam did a little odd sort of bob before he caught himself, giving Zinxi a slightly embarrassed grin. “Can I look closer?”

“Sure~ Just don’t get caught in my web. The rumors are true.” Zinxi smiled wide. “I bite.”

But, she bent down lower, attempting to show it more clearly to him. 

As Lauriam stood on his toes--he, as Aqua kept muttering to Terra, his name joining Ienzo’s in this particular on-going conversation, really wasn’t that big of a kid--he peered closer, marveling at the precise curves and perfect symmetry. It reminded him a little of some of the craft exhibitions that’d come through town every now and then, though there had never been something quite like the web art Zinxi had made. 

“Wow…” he murmured, giving a little nod to thank her for letting him look closer. “I kinda thought webs could be pretty on their own, but you kinda have limitless possibilities with that, huh? Though I’d think it’d be a little trickier to do something asymmetrical?” He gave her a sheepish grin. “...I am kind of talking through guesses. I’ve never tried crocheting, and that’s even the closest comparison I can think of right now.”

“You can get asymmetry, but admittedly, it takes some tricks that even at my most skilled don’t look very good,” Zinxi admitted, “How about, I learn how to make a butterfly with my web, and you learn how to make a spider? I doubt either will come out looking entirely right, but it can be fun to experiment.”

“And it’s one step closer to one that looks great,” Lauriam cheerily agreed, before holding up the stack of unfolded papers that he’d brought. “Choose a color, though! It’ll be motivation to try as hard as I can.”

“Butterfly, look around this place~” Zinxi smiled, “Make it black.”

-

In some ways, each day was the same, in and out. In others, it made the changes all the more significant. The Empaths getting another room to regularly use was a huge game changer. So was Aqua getting pregnant. 

But while some changes rocked the world…some would more subtly sneak up. 

-

“Ooph - uuurg…” 

Knocked to the ground in a spar, this time Lauriam just stayed on the ground, not even trying to reach for Graceful Dahlia.

“Aaaah, shoot, kiddo, didn’t get you too bad this time, did I?” Terra asked lightly, but with an undercurrent of concern as he jogged over, quickly looking over Lauriam as he extended a hand for the kid to get up with. 

Though, Lauriam didn’t take that either. With a sigh, he flopped his arms over his head before letting them fall to the ground, just giving Terra a tired look. “You didn’t, but can we just…stop for today?”

The undercurrent grew into just a straight up current, Terra’s eyebrows tilting up. “Uh, yeah, definitely. You wanna hang out in the clouds? They’re always nice for a cool down.”

Lauriam gave his dad the motion of a smile. “I think I’m going to go hang out in my world for a while, I’ll see you later. Probably at dinner or something.”

-

“And then we could barely even get him up to eat!” Terra groaned into his glass, regaling Luis with the full story, even if Luis had definitely been there for that part. “Luis, he loves sparring! Or, at least he hates stopping before he’s done something he’s excited about!! Is he getting sick?! Should I be trying to start bargaining for medicine?!”

Luis was happily nursing his own drink, the sounds of the casino playing loudly around them, the chattering of his wooden mannequin staff adding to the cacophony of noise that the two men, sitting close to each other, easily ignored. 

“What kind of medicine fixes irritable teen syndrome? Come on, Terra, he’s what… I dunno, 15, 16? Maybe less, I’m not sure how long he’s been here now,” Luis admitted, “But you remember how it was back then. He’s probably growing hair on his balls for the first time and it itches, it doesn’t have to be anything you did. Or anything he’s sick with. Other than terrible hairy balls. Truly the worst thing that happens to us, that first time.”

“Nooooooooooo,” Terra whined, a full-on pout forming on his face. “He’s been through enough, let the kid live. Next you’re gonna say we’re gonna hear ‘Zo correcting turns of phrase in a voice that’ll make Aeleus’ sound like a soprano.”

Sighing, he spun his glass on the table lightly. “You really think it’s just that?” Terra laughed softly. “‘Just’ like going through your teens is ‘just’ anything…I just don’t want to miss if there’s more going on. Talking to each other is the most powerful thing we can do to not let the supervisors hold shame over us, and…well, you know how cagey Laurie can be if something’s bothering him. Sometimes you can get Mars to shout about it, but he’s been a little more volcanic than usual too.”

Terra sighed again. “Maybe that is a sign of it, actually.”

“I still think you’re underutilizing the power of communicating through getting them drunk off my supply,” Luis snorted, leaning his head on the counter as he said, “You remember when Ienzo hid Even’s notes about his sleep schedule in protest and it ended up being that three day standoff? I told Even! I told him, just give me the kid, two solid drinks in him and he’ll sing like a canary! But nooooo, we had to have that big tournament instead. And I got my ass kicked by your kid. If punching old Uncle Luis is the answer, why can’t a vodka shot help too, that’s all I’m saying.”

“I dunno, Lauriam’s always been a bit ornery, hasn’t he? Even back when he was polite, he was still polite and ornery,” Luis pointed out, “Maybe he was embarrassed the old man beat him again? Sparring can get pretty frustrating when you’re losing.”

Terra snorted, grinning a little as he sipped, remembering that crafty little incident. Ienzo not sleeping wasn’t great!! But he had to hand it to the kid, it was a ballsy move to pull. “Hey, if you came to train more instead of encouraging our kids to become early alcoholics, maybe Lauriam wouldn’t have beaten you down so hard! Maybe.”

“Ornery, maybe, but Laurie’s not spooked by competition,” Terra shook his head, “If anything, he just gets revved up more when he’s losing. I would say I did not see him being super competitive, but Mars gave us that clue way early. But he’s kinda speeding through the high and mighty, I’m the best there ever was and ever will be thing right now.”

“They just seem tired,” Terra said softly, “Which makes sense for a teen, but…we can’t really give them more hours of the day to sleep. Not unless we’re thrown a bone and the quotas randomly drop.”

Luis chuckled lightly at that, though he groaned at the mention of the quotas. “I swear, someone’s gunning for a promotion somewhere. Juggling three more Indentured per weekly sessions, each? It’s not that long ago that would have been a month’s worth of people right there! Where are they even finding all of these people? I tried to do the math once, based on how many months I thought had gone by, and I’m telling you, there’s thousands of more Indentured coming through per year than there used to be, I’m telling you. They either need to limit the program or get us more people.”

“...knock on wood,” Luis muttered, knocking his fist against the bar counter, “Even if it’s still true… though, alright, maybe they do need more sleep? Maybe between me, you, and Aqua, we could take some Indentureds off their shoulders? I’m sure Xaldin and Zinxi would help too, they adore that kid. At least until his ball-hairs grow in?”

Terra glared across the bar, not even really meeting his own gaze in the reflection. “With how many more people there’ve been. Think they’ve been trying to expand the program, if anything.”

And as much as another hand or two would help the load immensely, Terra wouldn’t wish the factory on anyone else. …even if, especially lately, he just…sometimes wished Lauriam and Marluxia had someone closer to their own age to talk to. Sure, they were only three years older than Ienzo and Zexion, but especially at these ages those three years made a big difference. 

It wasn’t so much a wish for another teenager to come to the factory, as it was just…Terra wishing everything was different. That the kids could go to school and have a bunch of friends and even just peers who were going through the same things and could have just a huge bitchfest about it that adults couldn’t understand. Terra could try to talk to Lauriam, but he knew the last thing he would’ve wanted in his teens was to talk to his dad about everything going on. 

Instead he just talked to Aqua. 

Terra snorted. “...you know, Aqua would kick my ass for immediately thinking I don’t want to give her more work. Yeah, maybe. We can ask if they’d be willing to give the kid a break.” Terra smiled sadly at his glass. “We could call it a birthday present.”

“Happy Birthday, Lauriam, Marluxia, for your birthday we’ve put a target on your backs for the supervisooooors.” Luis rubbed his forehead against the wood. “...you think Aaxqu will like… be totally fine once the baby shows up? I mean, I know Even said it’s literally two different ways of experiencing the whole pregnancy thing, but… it’d be real bad if the supervisors took anything out on Aqua because she’s suddenly ‘shirking’ work.” Luis said dryly, his eyes lidding, “Or even before she even has the baby. It takes a lot out of people, being pregnant. Things go wrong…”

Terra groaned at that before sighing. Equal parts hope and excitement and a grim sort of realism. “...we did talk with Aaxqu and Raxter before going all in, yanno? They might be constructs, but they’re ones we really rely on, and they’ve been around for the long haul. Not even to get into Aaxqu being physically pregnant too when she uses Aqua’s body…”

He gave Luis a kind of smile they didn’t see that often when talking about the realities of the factory and their lives in it. One of soft, pure happiness. “They’re both so excited for our little gift. Raxy was even sayin’ he’d take on all of Qu’s Indentured for the full nine, ten months before she tried to drown him again…and got to sayin’ she’d make a better barrier between her and Aqua so Aqua could relax more.”

Terra laughed a little before he propped his head up on the bar counter. “There’s so much that could go wrong. But we knew that when Aquifer first told me she was late. We just…want to try. If we’re gonna be here our whole lives…”

Terra laughed a little more before tipping his drink back for a deep sip. “There were these two kids we used to babysit, back in the day? I mean, we were teens ourselves, but looking back on it? Something just…felt right. Then of course with ‘Zo and Laurie coming around… I know this ain’t a place for a kid. But I do wanna make it as much of one as possible.”

“And that means figuring out what’s up with my kid right now,” Terra groaned, letting his head drop onto the counter. 

Luis blindly reached over to pat Terra on the head. “There there. You’re good at the dad thing! The four of you are gonna make great parents, I’m sure of it. And if the babies are crying a lot and you need a break, bring him or her to ol’ Uncle Luis, and I’ll give him or her a little rum to sleep, easy-peasy.” Luis snickered. The ‘just give the kids alcohol’ a favored running joke of his. 

Lauriam had once actually tried to get alcohol from Luis. That had been a bit of a debate among the group, before it was decided he was allowed to have one drink, at meal times, and never on his own. Lauriam had tried it all of once and seemed to have found it not worth the effort it had taken to convince the adults around him to let him, as Luis had never seen him go back for more.

Luis genuinely didn’t think it was that big of a deal, in terms of physical drawbacks; it was fake alcohol that only worked in his head. What harm could it really do?

“And you know what Lauriam and Marluxia are always saying when they get like this: they just wanna be left alone, usually. Give them some space, I’m sure if they really need something from us, they’ll reach out,” Luis said. 

“But what if they don’t?” Terra sniffled, giving Luis big ol’ shimmering teary eyes. “What if they’re just sitting somewhere staring at nothing and wishing that someone would come by and ask if they wanna do stuff?”

As that was…exactly something that had happened before. It was a hard balance. Sometimes they did just want to be alone for a while, but sometimes they just wanted to be included in things without making the initial effort to ask first and boy did Terra not always guess which scenario was the right one currently happening. 

“Ask Xaldin then. He tends to know… or, well, he tends to say they need to get their heads out of their asses, and then proceeds to pull said head out of said ass. Which is usually the right thing to do eventually.” Luis snorted. “If you keep at it.”

There was a sudden Jackpot sound in the distance, which had Luis look up in confusion. The slots didn’t pay out to anyone, they weren’t real games, not like the other stuff he had available. They were only to reward correct thinking for– “Oh nooooo Luxord,” Luis groaned, plopping his head down, “Luxord forgot to take one of the Indentureds off the slots. Again. Please tell me we’re not that far past dinner. Oh fuck me with a broomstick, that’s going to put them back so far…”

Yeah…yeah. If Lauriam wasn’t talking to him, then maybe he needed space. And if space wasn’t working, then it was time to pull out the ballista--his sons’ favorite bitching-buddy. Sure, Terra wasn’t sure how…successful that would be if Lauriam really was just dealing with puberty woes, but if he wasn’t? And that was what Terra was worried about? 

Then he should ask Xaldin. 

Terra looked over at the jackpot sound too, confused…before he grimaced. “Uh…I don’t think we’ve been drinking that long? …alright, let’s bring this poor sop onto the island, Luxord can owe us one.”

-

Lauriam was sleeping. More specifically, he was sleeping in one of their new bedrooms, face down on his pallet with his pillow weighed down over his head by his arms, shirt sleeves twisted uncomfortably snug around his shoulders, while the hem, even accounting for the fact his arms were up, was quite a few inches above his low waist. 

Lauriam was sleeping, because everything ached, and he was tired, and he had a massive headache that wouldn’t go away, and he was just slightly too warm and he’d been sweating so much lately and now that sweat stunk. He’d been a regular showerer before! But now he was gross if he so much as waited a few extra hours to take one, and with the recent bump in quotas, that meant that he either had to make things harder on Marluxia and cut into work time, or he had to cut into meal times, which he did, but which also sucked because he was hungry all the time. 

So. The best thing to do during free time, he’d decided, was to just fuckin’ go to sleep. 

Xaldin sniffed, his nose scrunching up, before he kicked the side of the pallet. “Hey, wake up. You’re giving the rest of us a headache, stretch or something.”

“Nnnnngm!” came the most tired, disgruntled teen groan of all time. Lauriam holding onto the pillow more tightly over his head.

“Oh shit, they replaced Lauriam with a bear! Our first Empath bear! Look, if you’re gonna eat any of us, go for Aqua right now, you’ll get double the meal for your money,” Xaldin snickered, squatting down as he poked Lauriam’s arms, “Streeeeetch. Or at least muffle how achey you are to the rest of us. I swear, you’re trying to take all of us down with you.”

“Shut up and let me sleep you incorrigible asshole,” Lauriam grumbled from under the pillow, though to Xaldin’s credit, Lauriam did push himself up from under the pillow, propped up on his elbows as he sleepily glared at him. “I can’t feel anything when I’m unconscious, so would you look at that~? You’ve sabotaged yourself! I’m awake!”

“Ooof, ouch, owie,” Xaldin said, theatrically twitching his shoulders in obvious grimaces, “My elbows, my knees, my back! It’s like I’m in my fifties! No, wait, that’s you, dandelion.” He snorted, grabbing Lauriam’s elbow and hefting him up. “Come on now. Stretching time. You and the new crop-top look you’ve got going on will thank me later.”

Lauriam groaned with cascading dramatics as Xaldin pulled him up, stumbling along…though he did scowl, flushing a bit as he tugged the bottom of his shirt down self-consciously. It did land at a normal place! …only when he held it. 

While he could drag his feet the whole time, as they got far enough away from the ‘sleeping’ area that he couldn’t just flop down in bed again, Lauriam did start to stretch, rolling his wrists around and pressing his hands against each other. 

“...does it really feel that bad to you guys?”

“Nah, I just needed an excuse to talk to you. Guess who’s worried about you but is trying to ‘respect your boundaries’ again?” Xaldin snorted, stretching his arms over his head, “And by ‘respect your boundaries’ I of course mean ‘send the guy who you actually let annoy you’ to find out what the hells going on. Something about you bailing on sparring practice?”

Lauriam stretched his arms behind him, wincing a little as he felt the middle of his spine pop, though he gave Xaldin a quizzical look before sighing. “I didn’t…” a huff, “We went practically our normal time, and I didn’t just leave! I asked Dad if we could end for the day and he said yeah! I’m not…”

With another sigh, Lauriam rubbed one of his eyes before stretching upwards, just trying to ignore how his shirt snagged around his shoulders. “Nothing’s up. I’ll talk to Terra, he doesn’t have to be that worried.”

“Come on, little man, you know why he’s freaking out. That last time you got dodgy and quiet on him, whoops, guess who finds out you finally met our collective paralysis demon during a screaming match a month after it happens? For all he knows you’re hiding some brand new bombshell that we’re all only gonna hear about in your next big ‘fire and brimstone’ moment. Of course he’s gonna treat any sign as some new big thing he’s missing,” Xaldin said, rolling his eyes a bit, “It’s that or leave you to the wolves and say good luck. Which is what I would do to you, just so we’re clear, bear.”

The breath Lauriam let out wasn’t entirely just good form as he folded down to touch the floor. Most of the time, he settled into an opinion that the factory was as shitty as it could be. Back then, he’d been proven so wrong when he met Tengan. He’d been completely blindsided, shocked to meet an Empath who wasn’t part of the island, and while he’d been wary, Lauriam hadn’t really known what to do until the old bastard had started waxing on about power and Empath abilities and…

(...was he going to live to older than--)

Lauriam swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat, just feeling pissed off by how his eyes burned as he shifted into a lunge to stretch his legs. “Bears would absolutely demolish wolves, I think you’re mixing too many analogies,” Lauriam shot.

“That’s what you have to do if you want a good one. Keep throwing shit on the wall and if something sticks? That’s the analogy, stick to it,” Xaldin chuckled, glancing over as he reached down to touch his toes, “Got to you with the Tengan thing, huh? He hasn’t visited again recently, has he? I know there’s fuck-all any of us can do about it, but we still want to know when that happens. It’s not good to bottle it up, it’ll drive you crazy.”

“I know, we don’t keep stuff from each other because that just makes it more powerful,” Lauriam sighed before he shook his head a little, switching legs. “No, he hasn’t, I just…” Lauriam made a small frustrated noise as he looked away, scowling. “I hate this. Mom and I were watching otters in her world the other day and I started bawling because there was a baby one floating on its parent’s stomach. Don’t--” he sent Xaldin a venomous glare, “--say it’s always been me just flying off the handle, but I feel like someone could just say something about the non-existent weather and I’ll either start crying or throw a punch.”

“This sucks,” he reiterated with a tired sigh, standing up to take a step back, stretching out his ankles. 

“Heh,” Xaldin heh’d, bringing up his leg and stretching out his knee. “Sounds like, from what I’ve been told by Dilan over and over again, what your mom’s about to go through for the next year too. Geeee I wonder,” Xaldin said, reaching over to tap the back of his hand against Lauriam’s shoulderblade, “Whyyyyyy. Also, while we’re talking about how you’re obviously shooting up like a wheat-stalk, I need you to at least beat Luis’ height. Me and Luxord have a bet going on about it, I think at this rate you’re gonna dwarf him. If that means you need my servings of the meals for a while, I will make that sacrifice, Luxord is way too confident that he knows the rate of things growing just because Luis was a farmer for half a second or whatever. He thinks you’ve maybe got another two feet in you at best, prove him wrong!”

Lauriam shot Xaldin a dirty look. “One, don’t volunteer your meals without Dilan, you know Marluxia would actually take you up on it. Two, I don’t know whatever kind of freaky water you and Aeleus were drinking growing up, there’s no way I’m gonna be like seven feet tall. You know how tall my moms were? Not that tall.”

Lauriam self-consciously tugged his shirt down again as he stretched, grumbling, “And I’m not growing that much…”

“Why the hell aren’t you excited, man? Puberty sounds like a riot! You go from being the little specter’s size,” Xaldin said, bending down to putting his hand a few feet off the ground, which was waaaaaaay shorter than Ienzo actually was, before standing up straight and tapping on his own chest, grinning proudly, “To someone as cool as me! How is that not the best thing that’s ever happened to you? I’m gonna assume you’re an anomaly and all the kids on the outside of the factory are all skipping for joy when their voices start to change and their shoulders start jutting out two feet wider than they used to.”

Lauriam gave Xaldin an absolutely withering look. 

“You know, I think I should just be happy for your ignorance,” Lauriam said flatly, “that you’ve never walked by a middle school.”

“If all it was was that I was suddenly taller? Whatever, it’d still be annoying but I could deal with it,” Lauriam grumbled, tugging on his clothes again. “But everything hurts, all the time. And I’m hungry, all the time. And I stink, all the time. And I’m tired, all the time. And I’m basically living in constant paranoia about whenever the hell my first period decides to start because I am not about to be dealing with surprise bloodstains on top of everything else.”

Xaldin had just been openly laughing at Lauriam for a bit there, until that last point. Where his laughter trailed off, giving Lauriam a startled look.

…before he awkwardly crossed his arms and looked away. “Oh yeah, well, obviously that last part’s a pretty big deal. I mean, we gotta make sure we have the alcohol wipes and bandages ready, which can be iffy sometimes. But I think we’ve got everything restocked right now, so like… that’s fine?”

Lauriam returned the startled look equally, before it morphed into one of horror. “I didn’t even think of it…do you guys use bandages as pads?” Look, looooook, they made do! Lauriam had pretty much grown accustomed to the supplies they had available, and the occasional ones they could needle the supervisors into getting. But, apparently to him, not even having basic menstrual pads was a step too far.

Looking a little panicked, Lauriam whirled on Xaldin, from the direction he’d looked away to. “No, you’re a baby, there’s no way you’d be up front when you guys have period cramps--ask Dilan if you guys have pads.”

“Who’s a baby? Watch your tone, brat.” Xaldin huffed, reaching over to poke Lauriam’s forehead… before saying, “Fine, give me a second.”

{Dilan, we have pads?}

{...sorry, pads?}

{Okay good I didn’t know what they were either. Something they have on the outside?}

{No, I know what pads are. I’m just trying to figure out why any of the ladies are asking you about it.}

{What does that mean? Lauriam’s asking about it.}

{..........hold on.}

“He’s telling me to hold,” Xaldin said.

Dilan, in turn, sent to Aqua and Terra, {Hey did I miss something about Lauriam?!? Xaldin said he was on his period!? How did I miss that!?}

Lauriam did not look comforted by that. 

{O.O WHAT?}

{Is…Xaldin making a PMS joke?? One, I’ll definitely show him why you never mess with someone on their period, but also??? There are so many other puberty jokes he can use if he wants to mess with Laurie right now?}

{Oh yeah; no, you’re not missing anything, Dilan :) I feel like that’d be a pretty big thing to miss considering we’ve bathed together before? 😅}

{That’s why I was so surprised! I mean, intersex is a thing, so I guess maybe it’s not that crazy that I overlooked something… Did you guys overlook something? Xaldin didn’t sound like he was joking, he sounded like he was embarrassed he didn’t know what pads were and was trying to cover it up. Are we sure?? Lauriam can’t have a period? Have we, like… looked?}

{...}

{...}

“Laurie, love,” Aqua started, bursting into the room, a worried look drawing her frown, “Are…you on your period?”

“LAURIAM!!” Terra shouted from down the hall, “I’M GETTING PADS!”

Startling, then flushing, Lauriam sputtered, “I-I’m not!! I was just asking for when I get my first period!”

“Okay, so pads are a thing then? Why didn’t Dilan just say that?” Xaldin asked, crossing his arms over his chest and huffing, “Is it, like, a bandage thing? Like the sticky ones they cut into squares? I didn’t know we had sticker bandages, why wouldn’t anyone tell me where those are?”

Aqua looked between Xaldin and Lauriam for a moment, almost in disbelief. “...oh boy,” she sighed. She looked around the room a little, muttering, “...we should get Ienzo in on this, who knows how deeply he’s read into things, but it won’t be long before it’s his reality too…”

{Everyone? Please come to the island.}

{It’s time to have The Talk.}

-

It didn’t actually do anything for him, physically, but when Even was feeling stressed, he enjoyed sipping on a freshly made cup of tea, which he was currently doing now as the Empaths all grouped together within the table and seating area of the tree house. Outside of the treehouse the sound of their current conditionees walking around and chatting together, resting from the day.

Neither Even nor Vexen could explain why, fundamentally, Vexen did the same thing, but with coffee, beyond Vexen just innately wanting to be contradictory, as he asked, “I’m sorry, what do you mean we’re having ‘The Talk’? Do you mean we’re giving these three–” Vexen gestured to Lauriam, Marluxia, and Zexion or maybe Ienzo, “--the talk? Because most everyone else here is edging their thirties and upwards.”

“True, true, bud, but here’s the thing~” Raxter purred, clapping his hands together and then twirling his index fingers around, gesturing to the whole, full room, “It seems that not all of you with those full thirty years have passed on all that wisdom equally.”

“Xaldin doesn’t know what menstruation is,” Aaxqu burbled, standing in the treehouse doorway as she dripped.

“Does that matter for a Nobody?” xX Azvi Xx asked, an amused giggle in her voice as she took in the disgruntled looks on, well, the teens, little Ienzo as blank-faced as usual. “We might peep in on the physical realm, but that’s not our bag, baby~”

Dilan scoffed, “What are you talking about? Of course Xaldin knows what menstruation is. He’s just fucking with all of you.”

“...yep. Yeah! Hah!” Xaldin smirked, both radiating smug confidence and also looking zero people in the eyes as he said, “Come on, of course I know all about that. I was just fucking with Lauriam.”

“Are you Luxord or Luis?” Vexen asked Luis, who looked bleary and tired. Not having wanted to be suddenly more sober than he had been, getting absolutely trashed in his world.

“...Luxord,” he said dryly. 

“Excellent, I was hoping it’d be you. I want to get a sample of what Nobodies know what,” Vexen decided, taking out his clipboard, “It’s an interesting example of different ways we’re all sharing a mind with our Empaths. Now, I think we can assume by this point that Dilan isn’t letting a lot of information transfer to Xaldin–”

“I know plenty,” Xaldin scoffed, while Dilan just looked bewildered.

“But Luxord, how familiar are you with human biology? Like Azvi said, there’s no real reason you would have come across that information naturally, it mostly doesn’t apply to you. But do you feel like you knew that knowledge inherently?”

“....wh-aaat knowledge exactly?” Luxord asked, looking up at Vexen, “Menstruation?” 

“That’s our current example, yes.”

“Yeah I think I’ve got all of that; sirs, ma’ams, can I go back to my world now–?”

A much, much younger looking Viz laughed from where she was kicked back on her chair, feet up on the table, as she said, “You’re seriously going to miss all of this, Luxy? This is hilarious, you don’t wanna miss the show.”

Lauriam gave Xaldin an annoyed glare while Marluxia scoffed. He looked less put together than usual, having just been woken up for this, his hoodie tied around his waist as he’d taken to wearing it these days. “Proud with that joke? ‘Cause now there’s a whooole group meeting around to laugh at it.”

Ienzo sighed quietly as he summoned a book, opening it to a certain page and showing the diagram inside to Xaldin. “Menstruation is the process by which an egg-producing individual with an estrus cycle begins their anestrus cycle, purging the body of stockpiled materials meant to facilitate fertilization and pregnancy. Due to a few different factors, but dictated by certain hormones, an egg will travel from the ovaries to the uterus, where nutrient-rich blood, mucus, and uterine tissue have collected. If fertilization does not occur, menstruation starts, all of those products leaving the body through the vaginal opening aided by gravity and muscle contractions.”

“Well-said,” Lexaeus praised.

Lauriam had just pouted a bit at the start of the explanation, before he faltered a little. Starting to look a little unsure and embarrassed. “...wait, but…what about the other type?”

“....okay, apparently I didn’t know much about menstruation,” Luxord admitted, squinting at the diagram Ienzo was earnestly showing Xaldin, who stared at it like it had teeth and would maybe bite him, before glancing over at Lauriam, “What do you mean the other type? Like, the other side of it? I’m not exactly the expert, but it seems to be mostly about feeling like your stomach’s been kicked in a few times. And wanting really specific foods.”

“Perhaps he simply means the part of when the egg does end up fertilized? Aqua and Aaxqu are about to be very prime examples of that process, kekeke,” said Zinxi from somewhere beneath the floorboards. 

“Nah, he’s talking about the type guys get,” Xaldin said, “Like, through puberty.”

Ienzo blinked at Lauriam. “...oh, people without eggs or uteruses can experience similar muscle contractions dictated by the same hormonal cycle if they are taking supplementary estrogen, or if they happen to produce higher estrogen levels than would be expected for an androgenic endocrine system. However, without a uterus, they do not produce the products that compose what is known as ‘period blood’, and thus don’t excrete them.”

Seeing the tentative confusion on Lauriam’s face, Terra squeezed his son’s shoulder. “Kiddo, did your parents say you should be expecting a period? Or any healers? It’s not on you to tell us what’s all going on with your body, but we just wanna be able to help and know what we’re doing, if you are intersex?”

The confusion only grew on Lauriam’s face. “...huh? I-I mean…like, doesn’t everyone have periods? That’s just a part of the whole thing, right?”

“...Lauriam, did you grow up with any guys?” Dilan asked, “Or guy friends or… look, I had a tooooon of aunts growing up. My father was a guy in a woman’s household, and they used to love telling stories about little things he’d do to mimic his sisters, it came up nearly every holiday meal we went to.” Dilan smiled, both a little amused and a little sympathetic, as he said, “It’s pretty normal for something like that to happen, no one actually explains anything to you, you’re just picking things up through osmosis–where you learn information about an environment purely by existing it it–”

“I knew that,” Xaldin muttered, Dilan having turned to him when he explained it.

“--and through that same osmosis is usually how those things are cleared up over time, but, if you leave that environment early, without those misunderstandings cleared up? That’s just… reality, how things work. Nothing foolish or stupid to leave with those misunderstandings, just tough timing.”

“....” Luxord blinked tiredly, before going, “Oh. Okay, yeah, I see what’s happening. Yeah. You know, when I was a wee-lad, I grew up learning about osmosis and all of that, plants needing sun to live and all that. But I got it into my head that people could do that too, when I was a kid. That it was the same for us as being an omnivore or carnivore, that we could do one or the other or both, and it was mostly a preference thing what we actually did. But instead of it just being omnivore, carnivore, I thought it was meat, plants, or sun. And when I say I believed that, I mean I was convinced of it. I had a friend call me a dense git for it once, so I meant to prove it to him by only eating the ‘sun’ for a week. Passed out working the fields before my parents realized what was up.”

Despite the eased gentleness of how Dilan and Luxord were trying to say it, Lauriam just grew more and more flustered, turning bright pink as they talked and he got an idea what they were getting at. “...no,” he said tensely, “I had two moms.”

“I guess…you might’ve left a little early for folks to get into it, or school for that matter,” Aqua hummed, recontextualizing to herself what exactly they would need to teach Lauriam. It was the reading thing all over again…

Lauriam flushed more. “I had sex-ed in school. If you touch under someone’s clothes without a priestess before you’re married you’ll get arrested.”

A hush came over the room.

“...ooooooh, see, this is your fault.” Xaldin suddenly snickered, looking over at Dilan who sputtered. 

“N-now, that is not indicative of all Atuan-based sexual education, you go to any temple and there’s plenty of educational materials there–!”

“Dilan, Xaldin, please, I’m already going gray, must you expedite the process?” Even sighed, waving his hands at the two men to settle down as he took a sip of his tea, “I see… Lauriam, I wasn’t aware you grew up in a religious household. Now, there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, or whatever you might have been taught in that environment. But it does tend to need some more careful discussion and questioning, when it comes to how it applies to… everything else that is not that religion.”

“Smooth,” Vexen muttered, sipping his coffee as he said, “What he means by that is that religious-based educations tend to be rampant with outdated, narrowed, and false information. And while technically all education in Luminary is Atuan-based education, some sectors of it are a little more fabulously wrong about the way the world works than others.”

“How eloquently insultive. This is his community, Vexen, it will not help to mock it,” Even whispered over his tea.

“Better to rip the bandage off and just tell him they were wrong, Even,” Vexen said over his coffee.

“It’s always nice when we’re all together like this,” Zinxi cackled beneath the floorboards.

“Isn’t it?” Viz snickered. 

Lauriam lit on fire. Just straight up. It wasn’t a ‘real’ fire, not one of the explosion moments that tended to spiral out of control, it wasn’t even that hot if someone were to put their hand in it, and it wasn’t spreading. But Lauriam’s mortification had climbed to such levels that, yep, he was just on fire now. 

“We weren’t religious, as much as anyone isn’t,” Lauriam grumbled, trying to melt into his chair. “S’just what they said at school.”

“Maybe it’s a good thing I didn’t go back,” Ienzo hummed to himself.

“Look, look, there’s an easy fix for this,” Azvi snickered, “You finally add hookers to your world, Luxy? Or our budding flowers can figure out how they wanna bloom by checking out mine.”

“Sure, because the best way to clear up misconceptions is just to hand them porn,” Raxter scoffed, rolling his eyes.

Luxord snorted, “I wish. I told you, my brain just doesn’t work that way. It’s wooden mannequins or bust. Unless you want some splinters with your experience.”

(Luis’ brain just wouldn’t let him feel that casual about attraction to other people anymore. It always came with a layer of guilt. How dare he be attracted to anyone else…)

“Wait, why are we talking about porn all of the sudden? He mentioned a law thing, not, like, the practical side of it,” Dilan insisted, looking flustered, “Of course he knows how THAT works.”

“I think assuming anything by this point is foolish, but. I would argue that it doesn’t need addressing, really. I’m afraid to say Lauriam and Marluxia’s options for that sort of knowledge in a practical sense is, well…”

Even looked between Lauriam, then Ienzo, then Lauriam… before frowning, clearly displeased with the idea as he sipped his tea. “It’s probably best not to think about those things at all, really.”

“As they would undoubtedly argue in Lauriam’s old school,” Vexen pointed out.

“It’s not the same thing,” Even grumbled to Vexen, who smirked lightly back at him. 

“Why do I smell smoke?”

“Lauriam’s on fire,” Viz explained.

“You could at least give ‘em busts.” Azvi stuck her tongue out, before snickering a bit more. 

Ienzo looked at where his father’s gaze was going, before a remarkably emotive disgusted look passed over the 11-year-old’s face, the boy shaking his head a little before the anatomy book in his hands shifted to something completely different, and he started to tune the conversation out to read. 

As Lauriam made a high-pitched, distressed sound, Aqua sighed. “Oooookay, I feel like we’re getting off topic. Laurie, honey, if no one told you to expect a period? Still let someone know if you start getting cramps, it feels like someone’s stabbing you in the groin, but otherwise I don’t think you’re gonna get a period. That’s likely not the kind of puberty you’re going through.”

The fire crackled loudly. 

Having sidled along the edge of the room, Aaxqu grinned softly in amusement as the drips coming off her fingers sizzled on Lauriam’s flames. “While we are on the subject, though, have any of you figured out what to bargain to get Laurie some clothes that actually fit?”

Luxord winced, raising his hand as he said, “I could tempt them with another night in my world? They don’t like the gambling much, but it’s usually pretty easy to tempt them into some consequenceless work-drinking.”

“Maybe, but we’re fucking barring the doors this time. They almost learned about the island last time we did that,” Xaldin pointed out, “Though does it even need to be that much? It’s just clothes, we could probably get it with some flattery.”

“Says the least flattering guy around,” Dilan sighed, “I feel like offering to take on another extra Indentured is too much for just more clothes, but ‘tempting’ them into your world, Luxord, tends to mean throwing you and Luis to the wolves.”

“Nah, we’re fine, they don’t do anything but drink.” Luxord shrugged. 

“...they’re fine, I can still get them on so…we don’t need to beg the supervisors for anything,” Lauriam quietly mumbled, sinking more into the fire. 

“...ssnnk!!” Marluxia snorted, jerking awake from where he’d fallen asleep partway through the conversation, having decided that it pretty much had nothing to do with him. Wiping his mouth, he glared sleepily at Lauriam. “...why do I have the feeling that you just said some bullshit?”

“No, it’s fine, really.” Luxord sighed, straightening up and wiping the ache from his eyes. “It’s really not a big deal to offer my world. Hell, I’m still lucky that it’s a thing I can ‘offer’ and not something they can just take from me, really. It’ll be a few hours of them getting drunk and yelling at my slots, not even kind of a problem.”

“Your clothes have been getting a bit tight, recently,” Even mused, like he hadn’t really thought about it until now, “Lauriam, it’s fine to bring up things we need to bargain for, you know. That’s simply how things work around here. That’s why whenever we request new clothes for Ienzo, we ask for a few sizes too big. We can’t get out of bargaining for things, we can simply bargain smarter. Like for you, we can ask for extra large things for a while until we find out exactly how big you’re going to get.” 

Letting go of a breath, Terra reached into the fire and pulled Lauriam in, knocking their heads together lightly before he gave his son a kind smile. “It’s really not an issue, Laurie. The supervisors might not think so, because they’re degenerates, but we deserve to do more than just purely survive. To have more. We might not win every fight, but it’s always worth taking on to make sure you’re comfortable, kiddo.”

Lauriam still looked a bit unsure…before he burst into tears, blushing even hotter under the fire as he tried to cover his face from everyone else. 

Marluxia scoffed a little before he put his head back down on the table, apparently going right back to sleep.

-

Amaina hovered over the memory, watching Lauriam sob over the, frankly, insane family meeting he had had to endure. Chewing on her manifested bag of popcorn, she whistled low, OoO Maaaaan I thought MY friends were insecure

Amaina had, admittedly, peeked into a few other minds already to get context to some of the memories Lauriam had. People rarely had the full picture of their own lives. For instance, Lauriam couldn’t have known why Xaldin had been sent to check on him, so Amaina had gone back to see that memory in Luis’ head after some digging around. And, okay, yeah, she had been curious what it looked like for a guy and a giant scary spider lady to hook up, so she had peeked in Xaldin’s head for that, and WOW. 

The world was FULL of just… stuff. That’s all she’d say to that.

But now she was curious what it looked like when the often mentioned and rarely seen ‘Supervisors’ entered the picture. Amaina hadn’t followed Lauriam into his punishments, mostly because she found torture pretty uninteresting. She knew in theory it wasn’t, it was a big deal, but she lacked the body to really empathize with the fear there. Which was partly why she wanted to do her game so much! It’d be a fun way to learn about that sort of thing.

Anyway, yeah. She wanted the supervisor context. Time to go peeking in a new memory. Back to Luis! 

-

The supervisors were very aware of the concept of ‘worlds’ when it came to the Empaths, and how that basically equaled ‘the mind place they took the Indentureds to’. It was actually a bit of a right of passage for a new supervisor to get properly indoctrinated into the factory by getting to visit one of these ‘worlds’ themselves, so that they could see for themselves that it wasn’t just bullshit fantasy that people were making up, that the Empaths were the real deal, and what exactly conditioning looked like… in theory. Only one of them had ever asked to see someone be conditioned in person.

Even had volunteered, and in a moment of brilliance, had made it the most boring, methodical, mild kind of conditioning he could have possibly gotten away with, explained that this was how all conditionings went, and had sent Orlette away disappointed, with no one asking to see how conditionings in practice went ever again.

(At one point Viz had argued with him–long before any of the others had arrived, still with their old group–that that had been Even’s chance to show the supervisors the horrors of the whole practice. That maybe he could have changed minds that day if he had done it in the most brutal way possible.)

(And Even had argued that the last thing he wanted was for the supervisors to start considering their conditionings ‘free shows’ that they might want to look in on for their own fun. The supervisors were cruel to them because they were ‘demons’, yes, but that just gave them an excuse to do what they really wanted to do, which was torture people. They didn’t have to hurt any of them to make this whole process work, they did it because they liked it. Even couldn’t offer them a temptation to take that sadism out on the Indentureds instead.)

(Viz had asked him what the difference was from letting the supervisors ‘enjoy the show’ and knowing their Nobodies enjoyed it too, and Even hadn’t had a good answer. Some time later, when Even brought this up to Vexen, Vexen answered easily and quickly, “Because we’d stop if we could. They can and they don’t.”)

For most of the new ‘worlds’ the supervisors, if they cared at all, tended to just ask for a description and then decided if they wanted to show new supervisors that world based on that. Most of the worlds, when described, sounded boring. An old manor. A white void to spar in. A flower field. A desert. A…casino full of alcohol that makes you feel actually drunk while you’re there.

Yeah. 

Luis’ world came up a lot in basic negotiations. He was basically always the world that new supervisors were shown as their ‘welcome to the club’ world. It was actually Tengan, of all people, who kept the supervisors from over-inviting themselves into Luis’ world, cracking down on it when it threatened to delay Luis’ quotas and distract supervisors from their jobs. Not the actual being in Luis’ world part, but the one time they had tried to ‘convince him’ to bring them in and he had refused, an ‘argument’ that had taken so long into that day that the supervisors, pissed, had literally stayed past their timeslots and kept Luis on their table well into the night until Tengan had interfered and said not for some fucking booze at work.

Luis had kept strong that night, because he had realized that his world was an easy way to negotiate for little things, if he could just bring himself to limit their access to it. He had refused and refused, and now, whenever they wanted to show a new supervisor, he could negotiate for things, and refused any casual demand without something being given first. 

He was glad they hadn’t found out about Viz’s hookers. She’d have never known a moment's peace. 

Luis was being honest when he said he didn’t mind using his world as a bargaining chip. Sometimes it was uneventful, really, the supervisors too busy distracted with each other or the games. The thing that was usually most annoying was that they really didn’t want their bartender to be one of his wooden mannequins, for some reason. Luis thought his bartenders were very charming! But the supervisors tended to find them ‘unsettling’, so Luis, playing host, often found himself behind the bar. In a vested tux, smiling tiredly as he asked, “What can I be getting you tonight then?”

It was a few hours into the visit, and most of the supervisors had wandered away together to play the craps table. Colinda crowing in accomplishment as the mannequin declared her role a winner, while Pence tried to explain to Seifer how the rules actually worked, Hayner smoking a cigar as he reached for the dice next, telling Seifer to watch how he did it, it was easy…

When the supervisors were far away like that, just playing games, Luis sometimes marveled at how normal they seemed. Couldn’t tell they were a group of sadists at a glance. Though, with her… how could anyone miss it?

“Lewey,” Orlette said, smoking a thin kiseru with golden tips on either end, leaning over a cucumber martini as she peered at him curiously, “You ever wonder where you’d be right now, if you weren’t a demon?”

“Not really, ma’am,” Luis smiled emptily, “Can I refill your glass?”

“I wonder, sometimes,” Orlette said, not acknowledging it either way as Luis went to refill her drink, “Demons are sent to tempt us away from Atua’s paradise. Inspire cruelty in us that wouldn’t have otherwise existed. But I’ve wondered if that came at the expense of a real person, at some point in the process. Was there a real Lewey, that was going to be born to two loving parents, in Atua’s most beloved country in the world, and you stole his spot? What would that Lewey have been doing, you think?”

“Maybe he would have been a bartender?” Luis laughed lightly, “Things coming full circle?”

“You’re good at faking a smile. You’re better at it than most of them,” Orlette admitted, while Luis smiled emptily at her. “Tall, broad-shouldered, that mess of blond hair over a square jaw and pretty eyes…would the real Lewey have looked like you? I have noticed all of you tend to be easy on the eyes. Is that a demon thing?”

“Maybe it just shows a preference in who Hayner likes to grab.” Luis smiled. 

“...” Orlette glanced over her shoulders, drunkenly looking at her coworker, “...hell of an accusation. That’d suggest he ignores ugly Empaths he finds.”

“I couldn’t say. I’m just making small-talk.”

“...nah, he’s not like that,” Orlette murmured, looking back at Luis, “See, there you go again. Tempting to me to sin. Tempting me to doubt my coworker. When I know full well, as Saint Loven said in 16:1, we must all bear the burden of the burning iron, and trust that those within Atua’s light would come relieve us of our burdens before true damage is done.”

“I’m not sure if that means doubt itself is a sin,” Luis mused. 

“You would say that,” Orlette muttered, peering at Luis, “...you’re full of temptations, you know that? It’s reflected in this place you made. Temptation to gamble, temptation to drink oneself into stupidity, temptation in other manners… you’re a creature made of temptations.”

“Well, thank goodness you’re a woman above such temptations.” Luis smiled emptily. 

“Hmm,” Orlette hummed, licking at her pipe for a second, before puffing around it. “...I wish we could catch you in more trouble. You could use time on the table.”

Luis didn’t say anything to that. Orlette was like this with him, sometimes. Guiltily, Luis sometimes thought that was why he was so rarely part of Orlette’s punishments. She clearly saw some… ‘inherent sin’ in him, that she was trying to avoid. Some terrible temptation. She mentioned it almost every time she got drunk in his world. If it hadn’t happened so much already, he’d probably be terrified by this point. 

But it had never gone any further than just her talking about it. Maybe someday it would. But for now, it was just this. Orlette staring at Luis, who smiled emptily back. Talking about what a temptation, the demon was.

-

O.O

OoO okay those dudes were freaks, got it

-

In some ways, the doldrums were safe. No news was good news. And any news at all… Something was happening. The Empaths weren’t sure what, not even the smallest bits of small talk or taunting from the supervisors ever let anything on, but there was a certain sense of…preparation, in the air, that sent everyone on edge. Honestly it sent Terra right off the edge then back on, bouncing off the walls trying to handle things with Aqua well into her pregnancy. 

But ready or not, that something was coming for them, and that something was named Lea.

Got it memorized?

-

Lauriam looked up from the stove as the supervisors shoved someone new in the kitchen, a tall redhead, and he nervously turned the flame down as a dismissive voice called, “Have fun with the new scum~ Remember, two weeks!”

It was nerve-wracking enough, having his first new person--because…that’s what this was. Definitely--but, as hazy as some of those memories were, Lauriam remembered everyone being in the room when he’d arrived. 

When Marluxia got off shift, though, Luis had been gone. 

Still, the 15-year-old gave the man a small smile as he said gently, “You alright? I’d like to think it’s a good sign you’re still on your feet.”

“H’ah!” 

The red-head scrambled backwards, back towards the door that had slammed shut behind him, his eyes wide and searching the kitchen, his hands up like he was going to box someone as he assessed the room… before he shoved his hands into his pockets, leaning his body backwards and lifting his chin, scowling as appraised the guy in front of him… and seeing it was a teen, seemed to sniff in a way that was both embarrassed and derisive, jutting his chin out as he said in a way that was clearly trying to sound indifferent, “So, what, I’ve been put onto my career track early? Pfff, fine? So long as my time’s started now, ‘s fine. I’m not doing work for nothing, got it? My time starts now or I’m going back to chilling out in the cells, don’t test me.”

Lauriam glanced nervously back towards the hall that led to their main room. He had volunteered to make dinner tonight, but he really wished someone else was here too. He already felt a lot of gratitude towards Luis just normally, but now in the exact position his uncle had been in when they’d met, Lauriam was thankful all over again. 

Checking on his pot, and making sure it’d be okay if he stepped away, Lauriam slowly turned more to the new guy, holding his hands up slightly--the over-large sleeves draping over his palms even stood up--to show he wasn’t armed and, well, trying to be non-threatening. 

“I’m really sorry about this,” Lauriam said softly, “You’re not an Indentured, or at least one being put on a career track with a contract and all of that. You’ve been kidnapped.” Lauriam gave the guy a slight quizzical look. “You…oh, sorry.”

Nodding his head politely, he introduced, “My name’s Lauriam. This might seem like a really weird question, but do you remember the last dream you had?”

The red-head tsked, but there was a clear sheen of desperation that took some of the bite out of how indifferent the man was clearly trying to act. His posture both relaxed and aggressive at the same time, but something about the way his eyes kept darting around the room revealing how uneasy he clearly was, as he tsked again, the sound more like he was trying to give himself a chance to think about it first… before he sniffed. “Lea.” 

Lea cracked his neck a little, looking around the kitchen, the back of his heel–the heel of his foot, they had taken his shoes from him when he had entered the factory and hadn’t given them back to him now either–tapping against the tile, before he scoffed, “Dream? The hell does that matter? Dream…”

Another nervous bounce of his back heels. His eyes seemed to have fixated on the stove. The levers on them. “...Think I was gambling?” Lea muttered, staring at the levers nervously, “...wasn’t doing that well. Was kind of a nightmare more than anything. Lots of bright colors, and this guy who kept mocking me… or something like that…”

Lea huffed, glancing warily at Lauriam, “Why? What of it?”

Okay, so, Lauriam’s thinking was, if Lea thought this was a part of the program, then maybe he’d gone to one of the others, so if he knew who, he could poke them to help explain things. But as Lea explained just what world he’d been in, even the wary peace of Lauriam’s expression fell into worry. 

…Uncle Luis, what happened?

{Well, I was hoping to get the person you’ve already talked to to help explain things, but he’s not here right now. I’d…call it a good thing the supervisors brought you right here.}

Lea flinched, immediately bringing a hand up to place his fingers against his ear, gaze widening as he visibly looked frightened… before he shoved his hand back into his pockets, now scrunching his shoulders forward and ducking his head down, brow furrowed as he closed his eyes, trembling a little. “...hey, can I get some water or something? I swear, they keep you locked up alone for long enough, you start hearing things…”

Lauriam chewed his lip a little before nodding. “No problem.” 

As he got a glass--which wasn’t actually glass, or anything that the Empaths could break into something sharp--Lauriam opened the cupboard straight onto his head--he’d grown another inch over the past few months--and muttered a few ‘ow’s to himself. 

{I don’t want to freak you out, but you’re not just hearing crazy stuff. I was surprised too, since no one ever talked to me this way before I came here.}

{...sorry, you’re my first newbie, I don’t think I’m very good at this yet.}

Delivering Lea’s water, Lauriam gave him a small smile. “But if I can pass on the first promise I got? Me and everyone in these rooms are on your side. This sucks, and it’s scary, but if nothing else, that’s true.”

Lea gave the wooden cup he was handed a bewildered look–who made cups out of wood?--but still sipped at it. Admittedly having something to do with his hands seeming to calm him down a little, sipping at the water as he glared warily at Lauriam… before his expression softened into just wariness. “...you’re doing that on purpose?” Lea asked, tapping on his temple. Looking worried Lauriam would have no idea what he was talking about. 

Lauriam brightened a little, looking relieved that Lea wasn’t going to dismiss these messages as something strange as well. “Yeah, I am. It’s called Empathy, and if the supervisors brought you here, then, you have it too. Like having really vivid dreams you can remember, and having good gut feelings?” Lauriam prompted, hoping he’d be able to connect with some of the more minor things he’d noticed about his own Empathy early on. 

“Isn’t empathy just, like, wincing when someone else stubs a toe?” Lea muttered, fussing with his wooden cup, “...I don’t know. I have lucid dreaming, but that doesn’t feel like a superpower. Maybe they made a mistake…” Lea suddenly looked at Lauriam, frowning. “...where am I? You said ‘everyone in these rooms’? There’s other people here? Other Indentured?”

Lauriam smiled sadly. “...you recognized it when I talked to you, so I don’t think so. I really am sorry.”

Taking a small breath, peeking over at his pot for a second, Lauriam started explaining. “You’re in one of the Togami Factories. With you, that’d make eleven, though…Luis isn’t here right now.” Lauriam gave a nervous, worried look to the door. “I didn’t want to overwhelm you, so I haven’t called the others, but, if you want to meet everyone?”

Lauriam thought for a moment before drawing himself up with a grin. “Help me finish dinner and bring it in and I can help with intros.”

Lea warily stared at Lauriam. He was clearly briefly considering what might happen if he said no. Not as a threat, but as a show of dominance. That he wasn’t kitchen-help, sort of thing…

…but the kid was clearly just trying to get his mind off things. Lea wasn’t a dick. Not unless he was being paid to be. 

Rubbing his finger under his nose, Lea sniffed… before shrugging. “Sure. But I want a low-down of the place before I meet anyone. Like who the head-honcho is and who picks fights, that sort of thing.”

Lea stepped to the stove, sniffed… before saying, “Alright, Lauriam. What am I making?”

-

Luis could still walk. 

He was a little surprised at himself, honestly. There was even a morbid sense of pride in it, as he was shoved back into the hall. He had expected to fall. He bet the supervisor had thought he’d fall too. But he had caught himself on the wall and felt a bit like a superhero when he felt the muscles in his hips and thighs just… squeeze. Adjusting to keep him standing. 

Look at that. Look at that. Look at that. Easy. 

Easy. 

Luis didn’t start moving for a bit. His arm rested on the wall, keeping himself up, as he marveled at the strength in his hips and legs. What were those old stories? Titans. Titans moving through the desert. Dragon-heads. Little myths he had grown up hearing. He’d put them all to shame. Truly, he was stronger than all the false gods in all the pantheon. He bet the saints were applauding. 

…he attempted a step, and shivered in pain.

Easy, easy, easy. 

He made small, careful steps. It didn’t matter that he was walking like someone in their nineties, he still felt very strong. Not just anyone could be walking right then. He was a superhero. Luminaries strongest warrior. He bet he could even stand a headbutt from his town's biggest ram, aptly but uninspiringly named Rammy. 

Easy. Easy. Easy.

Luis was quiet, when he walked into his room. There were fewer people to rooms these days, but he still shared the space with a lot of people. He missed his pallet. He was looking forward to laying down. He was very tired. 

Ienzo’s body was…supposed to be sleeping. He had a theory that the ‘7am wake up call’ wasn’t actually 7am, and instead regularly shifted around, adding to the difficulty in keeping track of time, so sleeping wasn’t during ‘night time’, but rather ‘the time after a shift and after a meal and perhaps some recreation’. 

Ienzo’s body was supposed to be sleeping during that time, but honestly he and the Zexions had agreed that it was a bit excessive and as long as they could function just a few hours would suffice. 

So when they heard a sound among all the soft breaths, 10 cracked Ienzo’s eye open to double check…and instead did a double take. Ienzo’s eyes quickly glazing for a moment before Zexion pushed Ienzo’s body up, moving quickly over to, “Luis?”

He could smell a heavy stench of blood…but it was old. And he couldn’t smell infection, but… 

Expression firming, Zexion quietly padded off to the bathroom, quickly returning with towels, a bowl of water in each hand, and, setting those down, soon the first aid kit. 

…ah. Damn.

Luis tried to say something reassuring, but when he opened his mouth all he could manage was a tired smile. He had shuffled over to his pallet and was trying to decide if he was going to change clothes before going to sleep, and if so, how he was going to bend over to get those clothes from within the pallet’s center, and if he couldn’t manage that, how he was going to bend down to get onto his pallet in the first place. 

Sitting seemed like a herculean task, at the moment. But he still smiled reassuringly at Ienzo, trying to find some words and mostly feeling dizzy every time he even really thought about speaking. 

But he was still standing! God he was impressive! Stilllll standing.

Uh oh. Luis was still standing. 

Briefly, Zexion wondered if he should try and wake up Even or Aeleus, but each microsecond he looked at Luis, it seemed like too much time, so instead he moved Ienzo’s body right in front of Luis’. “Brace your arms on my shoulders,” he directed, whispering, “and lean forward. I’ll move back and lower you to the ground. It’ll be okay, trust me.”

Luis smiled at Ienzo–Little Izzy didn’t get empty smiles–before giving him a little nod. If the little guy wanted to take initiative, who was Luis to tell him no? Though, he wasn’t sure how much of his weight Ienzo could really take. Well, if he fell, at least it’d be back on the pallet…

…that probably wouldn’t hurt too bad.

Deciding not to worry about that, he reached out and firmly grasped Ienzo’s shoulders. Wincing as he leaned forwards, the pain in his back flaring up like fireworks. Ow, ow, ow… before following Ienzo’s movements towards the pallet.

“Nngh,” Luis whimpered, once he was sat down. Looking far more miserable now, his back curved and his body trembling under the strain of the new posture.

“...why’d you sit, that’s so much harder than lying down,” Zexion questioned before sighing a little, bringing over one of the bowls and opening the foil on the extra strength painkillers Lauriam had nicked some months ago. Zexion couldn’t fathom why one of the supervisors had needed painkillers like these so badly they brought them to work, but it was in their favor. “Drink and swallow this, it’ll help. Can I look at your back to see if anything needs stitches?”

Luis didn’t have a good answer, other than he had thought that was how it was going to go. Blearily, he accepted the bowl and the tablet, throwing it onto his tongue instead of into the water and gulping it down all at once with the water. 

He didn’t say anything for a moment, didn’t nod or anything like that. Just felt the tablet go down for a bit as he caught his breath… “Izzy, kid, my back’s kinda a mess…I know you’ve put in a stitch before, but–”

Luis leaned forward and vomited into his hands. 

“...’m okay,” he muttered, staring at the bile on his hands. “Feel better.”

Zexion looked at the vomit in horror, turning a bit green himself as the nauseating stench clogged his head and beckoned Ienzo’s stomach to join in. 

{...Dad, please wake up.}

Mechanically, Zexion brought one of the towels closer and laid it under Luis’ hands. “...you should take another one of those once you can keep water down,” he decided, still looking horrified. “I’m going to start wrapping up your injuries anyway, I was just asking consent to move your clothes, honestly. Clean your hands in the bowl you have by you, you can drink from the other and I can go get another.”

There was a quiet, groggy sound nearby as Aeleus pushed himself up, immediately looking towards Ienzo’s pallet, before his eyes widened as he saw what his son had actually asked for. Barely waiting a second, a soothing sensation of turned soil wrapped around Luis’ mind. 

Luis took a shuddering breath, a rush of relief running through him as a numbing, calming sensation ran through his mind. That was good. That was nice. 

Almost mechanically following Ienzo’s orders, Luis dipped his hands into the water bowl, rubbing his palms together before reaching for the towel, wiping them off more there. His shoulders jerked as he felt the back of his shirt go up, but he felt oddly calm despite everything. 

On his back, gash wounds familiar to the others were obvious. What was less expected or obvious was that a lot of them were already in the process of scabbing over, a mix of scabs running over Luis’ back like odd, fragile rocks growing from his skin. Some of them were still bleeding, but that was only from Luis having moved around and bent them open, the scabbing breaking at the rough treatment. 

Plenty of them could still use stitches. The scabbing was clearly not working, despite the body’s best attempts. But time had clearly passed since most of the initial wounds had opened. 

“...’ey, Aeleus,” Luis tiredly greeted, a large presence approaching, “...did we get a new guy?”

Moving the other bowl closer, Zexion was quick to retrieve another, taking a needle to pin the back of Luis’ shirt to itself as he looked over his uncle’s back. Not good. But, again, as far as he could tell, not infected. Taking note of the still-bleeding gashes, Zexion estimated a measurement of them against Ienzo’s hand and started threading their stitching needle with medical suture thread, dunking part of a towel in the new bowl of water. Because it was the third, Zexion had managed to get this one to be warm. 

Aeleus made a low, confirming sound as he gently ran a hand over Luis’ head, the touch meant to soothe, moving the vomit towel a little farther away as he offered himself as support for Luis to lean on. “Lea. He’s connected to the island successfully, Lauriam has been playing tour guide.”

“...Lauriam said that Lea was one of your Indentured, Luis,” Zexion said quietly as he gently wiped some of the old blood away from the first still bleeding gash. His voice softening more. “...it’s bullshit that we can never get away with hiding it.”

Perhaps normally Aeleus would give his son a Look at the language, but, well…yeah. It was bullshit. 

Luis leaned his head into Aeleus’ hand. He wasn’t afraid of him. He wasn’t afraid of anyone in here. He knew who would hurt him and who wouldn’t, the people who would were on the other side of a wall now. It was fine. The worst of it was over. 

“...was gonna try to push him through,” Luis murmured, resting his face against Aeleus’ hand. “...hot-head. Pretty insecure. Would have made an easy condition… thought I could be quick enough…”

Even came back into the room. 

The fact that no one had noticed him leave was more a testament to how distracting Luis’ condition was, versus how sneaky Even was. The kitchens had been unlocked, another one of the new leniencies that seemed to be mostly about how many of them needed constant access to food right then, Aqua the most out of them, and the supervisors recognizing that. Even had a bowl filled with slices of bread, as he sat down next to Luis and murmured, “You need to keep down some food. Can you feed yourself?”

Luis shuddered, a private memory running through his mind… before he nodded. Reaching for the slice, but Even just shaking his head, pulling the soft center of the bread out and passing it to Luis in small, manageable pieces. Not wanting Luis to overeat and make himself sick, eating too quickly.

Luis just ate the piece offered to himself, allowing himself to be fussed at by the three for a bit. “...did they hurt you guys any? I was worried they might punish the group… I wasn’t sure what was happening for a while there.”

Zexion sighed. “I’m going to disinfect and start stitching.”

As callous as it was to Lea in one sense? Zexion did wish Luis’ plan had worked out. But hiding never worked. You could bury the information as much as you could…but Tengan always found out. And for as much as it would be incredible if it worked, which was why he still tried, and why he figured Luis had tried this time, it always just made things worse when it was discovered. 

Keeping Luis steady, Aeleus shook his head. “We’ve been alright.”

“You were just gone,” Zexion said quietly. “No one knew what happened, but it wasn’t hard to put together once we met Lea.”

At that, Luis smiled. Something genuinely relieved coming over his face as he said, “Really? That’s good. I was a bit worried about that.”

Then he turned his face, eyes tightly closed. Leaning into Aeleus’ steadying hand, a grimace running tightly through his face… before he whispered, “I think I’m gonna go take a bath. If we can be done with the stitches soon?”

“Give Ienzo a bit more time, and keep breathing.” Even said softly, “Then you can head to the washroom.”

Luis shakily nodded. Eyes still clenched close. Swallowing hard. 

“I’d be faster if I could,” Zexion said simply, eyes focused on quick, neat little sutures, closing up Luis’ back as much as he could. “...do you want a distraction?”

Luis swallowed, swallowed, swallowed… “Sure, Izzy,” he said tightly, eyes still clenched close, “W-what do you got?”

Even glanced at Aeleus. Luis needed to be isolated soon. This was cruel. 

Aeleus frowned back, before indicatively glancing at Ienzo. He’d help Luis to the bathroom once the stitches were in. He likely needed them, and it was easier to just get them done with, and Ienzo was less likely to try and follow out of worry and curiosity if he’d already finished a task. 

(Zexion and Ienzo could recognize that Luis had just been through something traumatic. Maybe this wasn’t the right kind of help to give, but Ienzo knew that when he’d gone through something terrible, there was a part of him that wanted to shut everything out, even reality itself, and huddle somewhere comforting.)

He couldn’t do that literally, but Ienzo closed his eyes as he pressed his forehead to Luis’ door and took a deep breath. 

There was green. And light. And shadow. And peace. The moment of watching sunlight stream through leaves, and looking at the dappled, shifting shadows on the ground. And nothing else. 

…Luis wasn’t sure where he was anymore. But admittedly, it wasn’t a bad place. 

He watched the light shift and shimmer through the flora, its thin leaves almost see-through against the bright light. He wasn’t sure if he had ever been in this spot before, but he had been in spots like it before, of course. Sitting against trees, the air heavy with the scene of far off plantlife, all carried by the wind. 

It wasn’t home. But it looked enough like it. 

He wanted to go home.

There was a small, gasping clicking sound. Little huffing sobs forcing their way out of Luis’ throat. Heavy rolling tears that he had not wanted to share rolling down his cheeks, as he stared blindly into the dark room. Lost in his mind.

Finishing the last knot, Zexion startled a little, looking…honestly a little panicked as Luis started to cry, though Aeleus gave his son a nod as, stitches done, he carefully leaned Luis into his arms and quietly carried his friend into the bathroom. 

(Though Ienzo didn’t stop, at least not immediately. Sometimes you just needed to cry. And doing it without being aware of how much your body hurt and how sick you felt and how awful everything smelled would let you get the tears out you needed.)

-

“Aquifer, honey, you’ve gotta eat something,” Terra softly called to his wife, hand gently running up and down her arm. But Aqua remained curled on her side, silent, eyes so lidded they were nearly shut. She had been for a while, but Terra wasn’t about to give up, even if they had to stay like this for hours. 

The island had been rocked to its core, but now? It was flooding. Terra couldn’t even get into Aqua’s world anymore without immediately struggling in the depths of the ocean. He hadn’t been able to find Aaxqu, and Raxter said he hadn’t either. 

Lauriam peeked around the doorway before looking back at the other side of the hall, squeezing his legs to his chest tighter. He’d offered to bring any kind of food he could possibly make in, but Aqua hadn’t reacted to any of that either. At this point, they figured that the easiest thing to digest would be best so…vegetable broth and bread. Nothing else to do about that. 

Further down the hall, Luis and Dilan were whispering to each other. While he had certainly done his best to cover it up, Luis hadn’t been quite the same since his punishment, a sort of almost apologetic cheerfulness doing its best to cover up a meekness in him that seemed pervasive now. He had a harder time dealing with any sort of aggression, which was why he was staring mostly at Dilan’s chest, as Dilan whispered, “Come on, man, I need you to pull it together. We need to try to get through the ocean again, she needs us.”

“She just needs time,” Luis whispered, his voice soft as his eyes hovered low, bags beneath them showing how little sleep he had gotten in the last few days. Something he wasn’t alone in, really. “She just lost her baby, Dilan, if she’s hiding, we should leave her be.”

“We can’t leave her be if she’s starving herself. Whether he’s here or not, she still had a baby, she needs to recover,” Dilan insisted, frustration coming over him as he roughly tapped Luis’ shoulder, bouncing him back a bit as he said, “We’re her friends, aren’t we? Friends keep trying. Or now that it’s gotten hard, is it all suddenly other people’s problem?”

“That’s not fair, Dilan, you know I want to help. I just genuinely think she needs space–”

“If you want to help, help,” Dilan whispered to him, “Stop making excuses and let’s get back in there.”

Luis stared at Dilan’s chest, rubbing his shoulder a little… before nodding. “Alright…”

As Luis and Dilan headed back into the room, Even came out of the bathroom with water that was steaming lightly in heat and a rag as he knelt next to Terra and Aqua. “I know she’s clean, but I thought some concentrated heat might ease any ache in her neck muscles. She’s been still too long,” Even said to Terra, “Any responses?”

“Thanks, Ev,” Terra said quietly, taking a deep, wavering breath. Taking the rag, he dipped it in the water before lightly wringing it, gently pressing it around Aqua’s neck. Nothing. But he hoped it felt nice. “...she did look over for a sec when Laurie checked in, but…other than that, no.”

Lowering his voice, he whispered to Even, “Is he still sitting in the hall?”

Even closed his eyes and felt out… “Yes,” he said, opening his eyes. “Hasn’t moved as far as I can tell. Of course he’s worried about her. It’s understandable.”

Terra sighed, nodding silently. Just looking over Aqua with worry and pain. “...we’re all worried, Aqua. Please just come back for a sec? I know… I know…” Terra couldn’t even bring himself to finish the sentence, his lips wavering before he clenched his jaw, eyes tearing. He knew too well. But they couldn’t lose Aqua through this too. 

-

“Ready, Marsy?” xX Azvi Xx said with uncharacteristic seriousness, strapping her snorkeling goggles on tight. 

“I’ve got it,” Marluxia said, uncharacteristically subdued as he chomped around his mouthpiece and narrowed his eyes, making the small plants in the attached containers bloom and start producing oxygen. And as Axvi squeezed his hand, the two of them jumped from the top of the treehouse, plunging deep into the raised ocean. 

-

The manor was busy.

Like…. Like weirdly busy. 

There were dozens of Indentured wandering the place, finding each other in the halls, all trying to plan how to escape the seemingly never-ending hallways. For many of them, this was very suddenly A New Place, and they had no idea what to do, or what to expect. Just wandering together, deeper and deeper into the dens.

Zinxi did not think about Aqua or everyone’s grief or the pain of the lost baby. 

To support her family, she needed to do what she was made for, and let the others focus.

The spider skittered through the halls. Hunting down and separating the groups. One. By. One.

-

Fights were ending…very quickly, in Aeleus’ world. Usually they happened one by one, without any spectators. There were many more than usual trying to concede before drawing a weapon, seeing their numbers one by one be slaughtered.

-

Axel watched from the top of the trees as the others dove into the ocean, again and again. A little lost on what to do himself. In some ways he still felt like an outsider looking in, a stranger who arrived during what would become one of this group’s most vulnerable moments. Empath abilities had not come naturally to him, even when he was connected to the island, and even just helping with the quotas a bit beyond him at the moment. 

(He couldn’t even do the ‘Nobody’ thing everyone was always talking about. Sometimes he wondered if the others were faking it, their other selves just some sort of perpetual illusion they had up. It felt impossible to him.)

Even the natural way his Empath abilities manifested, fire, were particularly useless in this situation. Aqua’s Empath energy a natural subduer of his own. He had no idea how to begin to help. 

In the real world, he opened his eyes, looking over to where Terra and Even were whispering together. “...can I uh… can I make you guys anything from the kitchens? You know you have to eat too, Terra.”

Terra almost looked a little surprised as Lea spoke up, saying distractedly, “Yeah…yeah, I…” An air that maybe could’ve been a laugh squeezed out of his chest. “...I’d feel like a massive jerk, saying yes now when Laurie offered before… Maybe you two could work on something.”

He tried lightly shaking Aqua’s shoulder again. “How’s that sound, Aquifer? You really liked that stew Laurie and Lea made Spitfire’s first night, their cooking’d be nice treat to wake up for.” 

“....m.”

Terra’s eyes widened with hope. 

Lea’s eyes widened a bit at the small sound as well. “Is she…?”

“...why don’t you go make that stew, Lea. As Terra said, please ask Lauriam to help you,” Even said, “...and perhaps hurry.”

“Ah, r-right! On it!” Lea said, hurrying out of the room, running down the hall as he called, “Hey, come on Lauriam! We’re on stew duty! Get up, get in gear!”

Lauriam flinched back a little as Lea came whipping out of the room, though feeling the urgency he quickly got up, blinking spots out of his eyes before running after Lea. 

“Hey, knew bribing you with food would work eventually,” Terra murmured to Aqua, his eyes wetly crinkling, “Know that’s not all, either, but it iiiiis a big one. If you wanna tell me off for that, my love, I think you’re gonna have to sit up.”

Aqua let out a heavier sigh. 

-

9 and 17 blinked at the ocean, something seeming…different. Though they continued dutifully passing out inner tubes to the resting Indentureds. 

“Gasp!” Luis gasped as he and Xaldin came back up, the two snorkeling around the ocean, trying to peer for signs of Aqua or her door beneath the water, “Do you think this counts as real swim practice? Maybe if I were to ever go in the real ocean I’d be an expert now.”

“No way, your form is terrible.” Xaldin scoffed, looking around as he said, “We lost Dilan. Think he drowned?”

“He might have headed towards Azvi and Marluxia’s setup,” Luis said, the two floating on their backs, staring at the sky, “I told him I think we should just leave her alone.”

“She’s not exactly making it easy to leave her alone,” Xaldin said, gesturing to the flooded island. “...are the Zexions over there passing out inner tubes?”

“The Indentureds still need the rest period, we still need the quotas, everything is still just… happening,” Luis sighed, “...I wish that… it had just been a normal pregnancy, and she had gotten to keep him, and everything was just normal. I wish…”

“Fucking we all do man,” Xaldin said, “But there’s nothing any of us could have done about it. Nothing we can do about it now either, but try to help Aqua and Terra through it.”

“...yeah,” Luis said, voice tight and tired as he spun around, “Let’s keep looking.” 

-

As much as Inzi naysayed, well, everything… She couldn’t even fathom bringing up to Terra and Aqua that they shouldn’t have tried. That this was hubris, pushing for far too much than people like them were allowed. She had said that piece before, when they’d brought up to the group having a baby, when everyone had joined up to convince the supervisors to let it happen. 

Now? It was just…cruel. It was still them being far too idealistic, but not for the reasons Inzi had said before. For so long it…had really looked like it was going to work. And privately, she had hoped to be proven wrong. Just as she had when the others bargained for more rooms. 

How was anyone supposed to predict this? A stillborn was just…a cruel, random act of god. Atua rushing a life to paradise far too quickly. 

As much as they’d all celebrate seeing young baby Ventus in paradise one day, should it exist, she was not about to let anyone else join him just yet. 

Most of the frightened Indentureds in the mansion paid no mind to the old woman in the corner, seemingly asleep. She just added to the ambiance. 

Literally, with every bit of concentration she sent to Zinxi. 

-

Marluxia swam down, down, down… The contraption he and Azvi made did help the whole breathing thing, but other than the slight glow from her hair, it didn’t exactly help that the bottom of the ocean was pitch black. Still, he kept going, looking for any sign of--

He gasped, clenching around the mouthpiece harder as a hand materialized out of the water and pulled him down. …no…in. Water thickening all around as he was slowly enveloped in…a hug. 

Marluxia closed his eyes as he hugged Aaxqu back. 

-

“Stew’s ready,” Lea said, him and Lauriam bringing their work to Terra, who was still sitting with Even besides Aqua. 

Terra looked over, his gaze warming with gratitude, but as he opened his mouth to thank them--

“Thank you, boys,” Aqua said, her voice thin and weak, but her eyes more opened as she started pushing herself up, Terra quick to support her. 

Lauriam’s eyes widened before they wobbled a bit, though he just smiled, bringing the bowls he was holding closer. “A-anytime, Mom,” his voice cracked. 

“Welcome back, Aqua,” Even said, relief briefly crossing his face before he calmed, “Do try to eat as much of that as you can. You’ve missed too many meals already.”

“Aye, aye, boss,” she said, giving Even a small, tired smile. She accepted the bowl from Lauriam in her lap, but just gave Terra an amused, warm look as he took the spoon, arms around her as she laid against his chest, and let him feed her. And, with a hand free, she reached over to wrap it around one of Lauriam’s, keeping him close. 

-

“Aqua’s awake,” 24 told Luis and Xaldin, floating their way on an inner tube. 

“Oh thank fuck, trying to find her door in all of this has been like trying to find a needle in a damn haystack,” Xaldin huffed, he and Luis resting by floating on their backs again, “Any signs the water level’s going down?”

“I should get back out there. At least be available if she needs something, though I’m sure everyone’s hovering already,” Luis said, looking over at the Zexions, “Good idea on the inner tubes, lads.”

“Fucking inner tubes… god what a weird day everyone’s having.” Xaldin snorted. “Today sucks. But the inner tube thing is funny.”

“I think so, but it’s hard to tell what might be stabilization and what might be a mimicry of tides,” 24 shrugged, before tilting his head a little at Xaldin. “Ienzo’s not sure how ubiquitous swimming is across Luminary, and it wouldn’t be ‘rest’ if all the Indentured on the island drowned. Should we have thought of a different flotation device first?”

Xaldin didn’t answer. He just reached over, grabbed 24’s foot, and spun him around while snickering.

24 blinked at Xaldin. “...that does not answer the question. Is this an indication that you’re trying to convey that the question doesn’t matter?”

“You’ve always been the smart one, spects.” Xaldin smirked, still cheerfully spinning 24. “How are you guys doing, anyway? It’s been a tough few days. Holding up?”

“We’re functioning as designed,” 24 confirmed, doing his best to keep Xaldin in sight as he spun around, “Zexion has scheduled rotations for feeling and expressing grief so that we do not become encumbered by negative emotions. We haven’t suffered any malfunctions, so I believe it’s working as intended.”

“I mean, that’s probably not good,” Luis murmured, watching Xaldin play with the kid a bit, “Who’s turn is it to be grieving right now?”

“13,” 24 answered, before pausing. “...it’s not a system without flaws. I believe Zexion is working out how to give 8 a slot while keeping the sweeps up. Theoretically we all should be equally capable, but that’s not the reality; 8’s simply the best at it.”

“Maybe that’s what I should do then, go see 13.” Luis sighed, not entirely feeling proud that he was glad to have a reason not to face Aqua just then. “Where is he at, Zexion? I’ll go talk to him.”

24 tilted his head a little at Luis…then had to look the other way as Xaldin spun him. “In the grieving corner. Zexion said that we should leave anyone in the grief slot alone, though.”

“Would you rather be left alone, when you’re in the grieving corner?” Luis asked 24.

“Yes, that’s what I’m supposed to do,” 24 recited. 

“...well, I should check on 13 just in case,” Luis said, looking to Xaldin, “I’m heading to the library.”

“Good luck, man,” Xaldin said, now lightly yo-yoing 24 back and forth, gripping his ankle, “Try not to make too many more Zexions.”

“I’ll do my best.” Luis sighed, swimming back to the top of the trees. Aiming to dive down and to Ienzo’s door.

They had a lot of trouble trying to make rooms in the library, so what the Grieving Corner was, was an out of the way nook surrounded by thin bookcases to create a small, almost enclosed space with several soft bean bags in the center to curl up in. Ienzo had never seen a bean bag in the physical world, but he’d seen them in some Indentured memories and had been intrigued by the design. 

In the corner, on his shift, 13 was nestled between two bags, his body making a sort of V, as he looked at a small mirrored cameo in his palm, frowning a bit. 

Luis ran the towel a Zexion had offered him over his head as he wandered through the library, getting directions as he went from other Zexions to where The Corner was. Peeking into the nook, he knocked against the side of the bookcase. “13?”

13 looked up, the cameo disappearing as he closed his fist before he gave Luis a little wave. “Hi Luis. I’m scheduled for grieving right now, so unless you…specifically need me for something?” 13 said that last bit looking utterly confused, clearly finding no reason why any of the others would see any of them out specifically, except for maybe Ienzo or Zexion. 

Pausing for that befuddlement, he shrugged a little. “I’m busy.”

“Right,” Luis said, leaning against the bookshelf, running his hand through his thinly cut hair, “Right, I know that, lad. Was just checking in on how the grieving work was going? If you needed any help, I guess.”

13 gave him a small smile before sinking a little more into the bean bags. “I think I’m doing well. I haven’t been trying to study like some of the others, so I think I’m getting the hang of it. Though…” The young construct glanced up to the ceiling for a moment in thought. “...if you have any tips, I certainly wouldn’t be opposed to learning more. I figure it’d make a little more sense coming from a full person too.”

Luis didn’t think his concern at that showed on his face, as he gave the boy a smile. He… he wasn’t always sure he understood how the Nobodies worked, really. If you took away all of his knowledge on the subject, everything he was told, and asked them what they were, he’d have probably automatically just answered with their job and been confused if you meant anything more than that. They just seemed like… people. 

Luis was not entirely certain they weren’t just people. And every time Luis seriously considered just making his invented Luxord and joining the rest in not conditioning people anymore–he was tempted pretty much near the end of every shift, really–he heard one of the Nobodies say something like that and thought to himself ‘maybe I shouldn’t do that. Maybe that’s something I don’t want to commit to.’

“Well… can I ask were you’ve gotten so far, in the process?” Luis asked, before feeling inspired, and saying, “You know there’s multiple steps to grief, right? At least that’s what I’ve heard.”

13 nodded before giving Luis a slightly guilty smile. “It was the theme in one of the books in the series Lea based his world on.” Holding up a finger for each one, he recited, “Denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. Not necessarily in that order, though I think that’s an assumption a lot of people make.”

“...I’m not sure, though,” 13 said more quietly. “I kind of thought the point of us, at least in part, was so Ienzo doesn’t feel those things. But Zexion made the schedule and told us all to consider our shift a time to reflect and feel what we need to feel about everything.”

He fiddled with his fingers for a moment before looking up at Luis and asking quietly, “...Aqua and Terra are going to be alright after this, right?”

“Well, maybe even if Ienzo isn’t feeling anything about it,” which Luis wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, if he wasn’t, “perhaps Zexion is? Or… the Zexion who’s scheduling things. Sorry, I’m still not entirely sure how you all sort of… well, anyway.” 

Luis moved further into the nook, squatting down before giving a small ‘oof’ as he sat down next to Zexion’s beanbags. “Aqua and Terra are gonna be fine, lad, yeah. Though, there might not be an ‘after this’ the way you think there is. And by that, I mean sometimes they’ll be fine, and maybe someday mostly they’ll be fine… but it’s pretty normal for it to still feel bad a long time once the event’s happened, because for some people, grief isn’t a thing that ‘ends’, it’s just… not as painful anymore. Not as all-consuming,” Luis explained.

He had thought his ruined relationship with Anabelle, the horror of his own actions, would be a grief that would be endless. He was right, but he had underestimated how mild it would get, over time. Sometimes his grief of that whole situation came to him like an afterthought, if something reminded him of it. And often, the guilt that it felt that way was worse than the actual grief itself, these days. It was grief that, in his own mind, he wasn’t allowed to forget. That if it didn’t hurt him on command, he was terrible and deserved every hell that was rumored to exist in all the false-gods’ mythos.

…occasionally it hurt for real. Just as bad as the first time. Those moments were intense and also bewildering. They would just come out of nowhere. And would be gone not long after they arrived. Grief had proven to be unpredictable like that.

“Terra and Aqua will be fine. And sometimes they won’t be. But mostly they will,” Luis predicted, “They just need time to get through the worst part of it still.”

13 doubted it. Zexion was meant to act, which meant the rest of them were meant to act when he didn’t have the time for any particular endeavor. 13 didn’t know what Ienzo was meant to do, but he had a feeling he wasn’t ‘meant’ to do anything--real people didn’t have defined meanings like that. So, he supposed, all that Ienzo did were just the things he wanted to do. 

As Luis explained that grief wasn’t just something that ‘ended’, 13 frowned, his visible eye downturning with…a more genuine display of sadness than most of the constructs tended to show. Nodding a little, he slowly said, “...I think I mean…getting through the ‘all-consuming’ part. And not actually being consumed. Dad said that as far as he knows only one person ever committed suicide in the factory, and I know everyone’s looking after Aqua and Terra, but…”

13 glanced to the side. “...there’s only so much you can do to monitor physical actions. And just…hope it’s enough for internal ones.”

Without making them not Aqua and Terra anymore, at least. 

“Aw, lad, you don’t need to worry about that with Aqua and Terra. You can’t forget, they have each other. And they have us too,” Luis said, “If they’re ever not feeling strong, they’ve got plenty of support around them. And honestly, I just have faith in them. Even if they were hurting, I think they’d be strong for us.”

“...but even if they weren’t, we’re watching out for them. You don’t have to worry about stuff like that, Zexion, you let me and your dads and all them aunts and uncles look after it, yeah? That’s our jobs. You focus on this ‘figuring out how to grieve’ thing you’re doing. That’s important too.” Luis smiled, before that smile strained a bit. “...if you’re feeling the grief for everyone, where… is Ienzo? I don’t know if it’s good for him to just not be feeling things at all, I think I’d want to caution him about that.”

13 didn’t…really believe it. Yes, the agony and grief of losing Ventus was immense. They had all felt it intimately. It was just…something that came to mind. For parents. 

(Even that was flawed logic, he knew, but Zexion had advised them not to focus on logic when they were on shift in the Grieving Corner.)

“...it’s my job a little,” 13 decided to argue after a moment. “We all look out and care for each other, that’s what it means to be connected. But I understand what you mean, and I’ll focus on the things that I’m more suited for.”

Looking around a little, 13 hummed softly. “...I’m not sure? I’m on shift so I’m a little out of the loop right now, but one of the others should be able to find him for you, if you’d like to talk to him.”

“I’ll do that in a second then. You’re sure you don’t need any help? Like… heh, do you want a hug lad, at least?” Luis chuckled sheepishly, opening up his arms. “You don't seem that down, but hugs are still nice.”

At that, 13 lit up a little before awkwardly flailing in the beanbags for a moment, eventually just rolling over them to hug Luis. He didn’t think it was the worst thing to get a little alone time, but 13 found he liked being with all the others more. He hoped Zexion would find a way to give 8 some time off soon, it’d be nice to hang out with him and 14 a bit. 

But a hug was really nice for the time being. 

Luis laughed a little, patting little Izzy on the back… and discreetly wiping his eyes when he stepped back. “Alright, well, thanks for indulging me, 13 Zexion. I’ll let you get back to it. I’ll go see if I can’t find Ienzo.” 

Standing up, Luis headed back out to the library, stopping the first Zexion he came across and asking, “Do you know where Ienzo’s spending time right now? I want to check on him.”

2 blinked blankly before looking over into the library, shouting, “WHERE’S IENZO?”

Quite soon a voice called back, “ON THE ISLAND!”

2 gave Luis a little nod, having gotten the answer. 

-

Ienzo was indeed on the island, safely up one of the treehouse trees on the far west of it, draped across a few branches as he read from a hefty medical book focusing on postnatal care. 

…that wasn’t what he was actually reading. Ienzo pulled this trick sometimes, when he wanted to read something he figured the others would bother him about. The actual text, while he was reading, was actually one of his old children’s poetry books, something that these days, Ienzo tended to only read when he wanted some comfort. For a 13-year-old, though, he did think it might come across as juvenile enough to warrant interference, so he hid its true nature. 

Luis huffed as he pulled himself up, sweating a bit as he wondered, “You think the rules of the island would give me a break, when it comes to physical wear and tear. Like, I know it’d wipe me out to climb a tree in the real world, but that doesn’t mean it should wipe me out here. Just doesn’t seem fair to me, really. I drink too much to be climbing trees. Phew…”

Resting on a branch, catching his breath, Luis said, “Ey lad. Swinging by to check on you. See how you’re doing, Izzy.”

Ienzo blinked over the cover of his book. “...you could’ve just teleported up? That’s what I did.” He grimaced after a moment. “Don’t tell my dad, he’ll insist that keeping up climbing skills is important, regardless of the lack of opportunity to ever do so in a space where teleporting isn’t also an option.”

“Hi Uncle Luis,” he belatedly greeted. “I’m okay--I heard that Aqua’s awake? That’s really relieving.”

“Teleporting doesn’t come naturally to me. I think it might, again, be the drinking,” Luis laughed sheepishly, “Yep, that’s the word going around. I figured with everyone hovering around her, I’d come check on you. That was a pretty scary day we all had, yeah? It’s alright if it shook you up any.”

Closing his book--this was a Conversation, it seemed--and pinning it between a branch and his chest, Ienzo shrugged a little, frowning. “I suppose I have known that we all affect the island in its makeup. I have seen what it looks like when someone dies, so it’s not like this is shocking, from a standpoint of discovery. But I don’t think any of us could’ve not been shaken up, feeling Aqua’s loss. It was intense.”

Ienzo didn’t mean to imply that his brother’s temper-tantrums were to the same effect of his aunt losing her baby, but seeing how the island flooded, it did make Ienzo distinctly thankful that Lauriam had only ever set his own world on fire and not the island as a whole. 

“...I think part of me is still in denial,” he said softly. “Obviously not for the pain it’s all caused, but…I don’t understand. I’m coming to learn childbirth is more fraught than I was led to believe but…all Aqua’s check ups, right until the end, indicated that she and Ventus were healthy. I don’t…” Ienzo frowned, hugging his book tighter, “...understand how things went wrong so quickly.”

It felt like something like this should’ve had some sort of indication or build-up, right? Not just…blink and everything’s wrong. 

Luis relaxed a little. While the Zexions were indeed taking shifts to grieve, it didn’t seem like Ienzo really felt nothing about it because of it. That was for the best. Luis didn’t know what it’d do to bury that many emotions in a person perpetually, and he didn’t want Little Izzy to be the one to find out the hard way. 

Otherwise he might do something desperate! Like disable himself on purpose through alcoholism! Hah! Ah. Eh.

“...some things you just can’t see coming.” Luis smiled thinly. “It’s certainly not Aqua or Terra’s fault, and it’s not the rest of y’all’s faults that it happened. Honestly, lad, even with uh… with all the support and permissions in the world, she was still having a baby in a prison. It’s not ideal. Too many things outside of our control, even taking into account how outside of our control pregnancy stuff can get.”

“It’s a tragedy, yeah, but not one that demands you becoming an expert or anything,” Luis said, nodding to the postnatal book it looked like Ienzo was reading, “You can, no one will stop you. But short of you straight up becoming a doctor, there’s nothing you could have done… though, if they ever decide to try again, I might wedge in beside ya and read over your shoulder a bit too.” Luis laughed (like he hadn’t read dozens of books just like that already).

Ienzo glumly nodded a little. That’s why he had referenced the check-ups Aqua had been permitted to have. Why it had been such a serious discussion between Aqua and Terra, and then the group as a whole, in the first place. But it had really seemed, despite the realities they knew were starting them farther back, that…the pregnancy had gone well. That when Aqua went into labor they really were going to be welcoming Baby Ventus to life…

But it seemed that with every positive indication, there was still even more to the complexities of pregnancy. 

Ienzo smiled slightly--how their society defined it, he’d never become a doctor, not that he’d want to be one, though it wouldn’t stop him from learning theory--before giving Luis a suddenly worried look. The idea that Aqua and Terra would try again genuinely something Ienzo hadn’t even considered. 

“...I think we’d find it a harder argument to make to the supervisors if they wanted to try again,” he said softly. 

“That’s true,” Luis said softly, “And honestly, lad, if Terra and Aqua brought it up again, I’d probably be one of the naysayers on giving it a second go.” Why risk another still birth, or… give them more babies. “But if they were really determined someday, I also wouldn’t be the one to turn my back on them once it was time to figure things out again. It’s just something to consider.”

“But more about you,” Luis said, looking to Ienzo, “You know your Nobodies are taking shifts on grief? They were saying things like that you couldn’t feel it, because they were taking it up. But when I talked to the one feeling it, he seemed a little confused on the whole subject… I hope you’re not trying to not feel your feelings at all, Ienzo. I don’t think that’s good for you, lad.”

Well, yeah. No matter what they’d never turn their backs on their family. But Ienzo couldn’t imagine trying to plan out the hope to try this all over again. Maybe that was because they were still in the thick of it, but the supervisors weren’t keen on second chances. 

Ienzo nodded a little, aware of the shifts, before his eyebrows scrunched a little in confusion. “Oh…that might be some miscommunication to clear up, then. Zexion said he was setting up the shifts for all our constructs’ sakes--that it was time for their grief. Shit…” 

Sighing softly, he offered Luis a tiny smile. “I don’t think I can not feel my feelings without greater Empathetic interference, and that’s not an experiment I’m interested in trying out right now. I’m not trying to lobotomize myself, don’t worry. And there’ve been countless studies on the mental and physical harm emotional repression causes, so I’m not trying to do it through just ignoring how I feel either.”

Looking at Luis for a moment, Ienzo asked, “...you haven’t been to your world today, I saw you help look for Aaxqu and Aqua’s door. Are you coping a different way, then?”

“More just putting my own preferred way of coping aside for a moment to help out the group.” Luis smiled lightly, genuinely put more at ease by Ienzo’s explanation. He was a smart cookie. “I will be drinking later, and probably a lot. But I know when I get like that, I’m basically useless to everyone. And I can keep it together enough for now to be there for everyone while things are at their toughest.”

Luis chuckled, saying knowingly, “I wouldn’t say this makes me a ‘functional’ alcoholic. Just one that can swallow the aches and pains for a while when it’s the difference between ignoring the fam when they need me or not. Again, for a while… I’ll probably go drink once everyone’s asleep, is the plan. So if you have any midnight needs, maaaaaybe ask your dads or the lot first before trying for me, I’m gonna be out of it lad.”

Ienzo nodded a little. “I think you just have regular alcoholism, even acknowledging that most of your drinking is mentally induced. I know you practically never do, but…” Ienzo paused for a moment, before giving Luis a softer, concerned look, “...if you ever have a ‘midnight need’? It’s pretty easy to find one of us awake at any given time. I know all you guys have a certain relationship to me, and that it’s one that doesn’t put much onus of responsibility in my hands…but I do care about you. So just consider me an option, okay?”

Luis smiled at that. “Ah, I appreciate that, lad. In truth, I actually usually go to Aqua or Xaldin when I’m feeling rough. They have a way of making me laugh when I’m feeling down. I wouldn’t be surprised if Xaldin came by to chat with me later actually, checking in on me like I am on you. I know it can seem like ol’ Uncle Luis is acting ‘overly tough’ or some-such when I don’t get emotional around you, Ienzo, you’re clever, I’m sure you noticed. But that’s mostly because I really am already getting help other places. I think all of us are.”

Reaching out, Luis winced as he tried to pat Ienzo’s head and found he still hadn’t climbed up quite enough to reach. “Mind helping me out with the head-pat, lad? I can’t get at ya.”

Ienzo’s expression softened in relief. He could figure that the adults in his life were finding solace in people that weren’t literally a minor, but…well, he’d seen enough over the years that even despite being connected at the mind, there were some instances where his family seemed perfectly stubborn to deal with things themselves. It was relieving to hear that Luis was still thinking about his support system. 

…and for the ones that Ienzo could be a little more of an equal member of?

Ienzo glanced through the branches. “...I might try to check on Marluxia later. He still hasn’t come out of the ocean. 17 hasn’t said anything about noticing Lauriam passing out or anything, so I think the invention Marluxia and Azvi made seems to be working.”

Smirking a little, Ienzo teleported himself down a few layers of branches, adjusting himself slightly to the new configuration…and lifting his head for the promised head pats. “I’ll write it down for a far-future experiment to see if I can still teleport while inebriated, or if that’s just a you thing.”

“Thank you lad,” Luis laughed, patting head as promised, and even ruffling it a bit in appreciation for the effort, “Sounds like a fun future experiment, I’d definitely want to be there for it. Good luck with Marluxia, he can be a bit snippy but I’m sure he’d appreciate you thinking about him.”

“Alright, now for getting off this damn tree. Wish me luck.” Luis huffed, starting the long climb back down.

“Good luck,” Ienzo dutifully called, before wriggling his book back out and starting to read again. Taking the time to just appreciate the illustrations and think about the mood of the poems. 

Just…letting himself be a bit sad. 

-

Marluxia squinted his eyes a bit, his tongue peeking out of his mouth as he honed in his aim. Yeah…right there. Perfect. Letting out a breath to steady himself, he flicked the golden ring with a metallic thwip! sound, the ring shooting through the air right onto--!!

…Dilan’s forehead. 

Damn. A little high. 

“Ow!” Dilan winced, rubbing his forehead and looking around the air, looking for more incoming projectiles, before muttering, “Atua smite me, what was…”

He leaned down to pick up the ring, giving it a confused look, before spotting Marluxia. “Mars, what the hell? What’d I ever do to you?” He pouted, tossing the ring back to him.

Marluxia snickered, draping one of his arms off the pillar he was perched on to catch the ring back--even if it wasn’t much, it was still his well-earned prize from navigating one of Dilan’s booby-trapped puzzles in his world. “Dilan, you should know better than to actually give me an opportunity to count the ways~”

“Mm, should I start with you joining in on Luis’ betting pool on my height, and betting I’d stay under 5’5”? Oooooor when you had that bathroom emergency when I was coming out of the room and you slammed the door handle so hard into my stomach I threw up? Oo, or maybe pointing to me along with all the little nerds when you were explaining the traditions of ‘trick or treating’ and trying to convince Inzi to set up a version of it; you know, as a little kids’ holiday. Or coming into my world when no one else was around so I came back to a bunch of flowerless stems. Or literally picking me up when Axel was being a jerk the other day, that’s a recent one. Wow, at this point I’m just listing things, so I may as well add laughing when Aqua held me in the octopus hold for twenty minutes, and–”

“Really thought I’d outlast you, I really did.” Dilan smirked lightly, shaking his head in amusement. “I’m sorry about the door handle, I’m still annoyed I lost that bet, and I did nothing wrong for trying to bring some childhood whimsy into your annoying teenage years. Also, if you don’t want me to pick you up, get taller, scrub. You can’t make me lose a bet and then still be too short, you have to pick a side.”

“Speaking of your garden, why are you lounging around in here with me anyway? I’m not exactly the life of the party right now,” Dilan said, shaking the book in his hands meaningfully, “Not interested in watching the new guy learn his conditioning training?”

Marluxia stuck his tongue out at Dilan before glowering. “Apparently once he caught up to me, Lauriam and I have to be the same height now. So please direct any and all complaints to him.” At least they did still seem to be growing, so the betting pool was still on. Along with all the constant aches Marluxia was bombarded with every time he took over Lauriam’s body. 

“Right now?” Marluxia snorted, “When are you ever a party guy? If we had the climate anywhere, you’d never leave a cable-knit sweater and a cup of tea. Dork. And nah, I’m good. He’s probably dealing with enough having Axel glued to his side.”

…and it had nothing to do with the fact that Marluxia had overheard one of the Zexions musing if Saix’s wolves would actually manage to take the ‘has seriously injured people through bites’ trophy from Marluxia. Lauriam was probably the one to actually hold that achievement anyway. 

“Au contraire mon frère, I’ll have you know that once upon a time, I was where the party was at,” Dilan said, some genuine pride in his voice entirely ruining whatever ‘ha ha, just kidding’ he could have hidden behind as he raised his chin slightly, “Being the son of the top excavator of a dig site? I was quite the hot-commodity in the archeologist community, let me tell you. It wasn’t a party at the dig site unless I was there.”

“And cable-knit is for people comfortable dying in the sun. I’d save up for a good cashmere sweater any day. Just more practical,” Dilan said, looking back down to his book.

“I still don’t believe you that Diceans used to speak in a language that rhymes that much,” Marluxia grumbled before giving Dilan a haughty, skeptical look. “Uhuh, I’m sure people were captivated by how delicately you can use a brush.”

Sticking his tongue out a little, Marluxia held the ring between his index finger and thumb, closing an eye to fit Dilan’s head right in the middle of the circle. “S’why I specified a different climate, maybe clean your ears more. …what are you reading?”

“Nothing spectacularly interesting. A bit of Momota history,” Dilan sighed, shrugging, “Anything with the Momota reign is a little too recent to really interest me, buuuut it’s been on my ‘read someday’ list for ages, and I figured I might as well just get around to it. Sometimes I just want to ‘have learned’ something, rather than actually learn it, if that tracks at all to you.”

Marluxia scoffed softly. “Is it just the words, ‘A bunch of assholes’ in really big font printed over a bunch of pages? Everything else just feels like details.” He paused for a moment, trying to quickly press his fingers closed to snap the ring sideways in one movement. It didn’t quite work, as he had to scramble to catch the ring again before it dropped to the ground. “...like just wanting knowledge, rather than enjoying the, like, whole process of discovery of something?”

“Exactly. Some things aren’t fun to learn about,” Dilan said, sighing as he flipped the page, “But they can be helpful for other things I wish to learn about, or would be useful to me. Practical knowledge of the royal family isn’t useful to my everyday life, but. What it does do is give me the most recent observations of detailed societal changes through the lens of powerful figures, which can recontextualize events in eons past that I would otherwise have only the most bare details about. See… it’s easy to try to rationalize the distant past into something that objectively makes sense with your own idea of rational thinking. Which is actually a major hubris of looking into past actions with a personal lens: IE, I know I wouldn’t make a decision like that without good reason, so there must have been one.”

“Recent history,” Dilan said, tapping the book, “Shows the vast range of perceptions and how irrational, at least to my own ideas of rationality, those perceptions can become. Why wouldn’t, during economic hardship where one particular group of individuals was hoarding a vital resource, for no arguably good reason, literally everyone be raiding crypts where valuable, lifesaving items that wouldn’t be missed in the grand scheme of things by the people hoarding them? When the situation they were living in was so clearly dire and it would be insane to just allow them to have it? Welllll–” another tired tap to the book, “Look for clues in how people rationalize things in recent history. It will likely look just as irrational. And it will be just as hard to argue without a first hand account confirming it. But people have always been people, and the people I don’t understand now probably existed back then too. Helpful to read, if depressing.”

Marluxia blinked at Dilan, eyebrows slowly furrowing in as he tried to understand what Dilan was explaining. Sometimes when Dilan got like this, it was just frustrating, because it felt like a lot of words that didn’t mean anything, but it clearly did because Dilan was excited about them, so it just left Marluxia feeling…

(Dumb.)

But sometimes?

“So…you’re reading it to give yourself more ideas why things would’ve happened, when people don’t know for sure?” he slowly asked, thinking he put it together right this time. Though, he did smirk a little. “That is tooootally your bias in the example, though; you only need someone to say ‘there’s a crypt’, no lifesaving situation needed, to go and touch every little thing while giggling to yourself.”

Scooting himself over a bit, Marluxia balanced his stomach on the pillar to lean closer down and peer at Dilan and the book. “Was that a specific parallel you’re thinking about with what you’re reading now? Or you got another one?”

Dilan laughed, “Okay, maybe. I like to think I’d have done it even if I didn’t already think it was neat! But that was how my father explained it to me when I was a kid, why people didn’t break into the crypts before they were ever buried by time. Seems like a natural fit to me.”

“I was thinking about evidence of historical slavery,” Dilan admitted, shrugging, “Painfully relevant to us, but historically it’s pretty ancient history, how it used to be more common around the world. Ancient enough that I imagine Luminary forgot not only its own history but global history, for why this sort of thinking was eradicated in the first place. Before Luminary brought it back in the last hundred years, the last official slave population was recognized in Lutzen and Fein, and that was nearly a millennium back as far as records go. As far as history goes, same reasons we have it now: a backdrop of religious entitlement and an economic use. In fact:”

Dilan put on his ‘lecture’ voice, caught up in his retelling. “While slavery was already losing societal popularity as, simplified, more and more countries started cross-migrating and the rationale for these conditions didn’t stand up to foreign scrutiny, Fein and Lutzen were the last big holdouts because Fein was incredibly isolationist, as they are now, and Lutzen was a desert country with no resources that no one cared to visit, move to, or trade with, and so kept to their own ways the longest. Lutzen could have gotten by under the radar for a hundred more years, probably, if Fein, their immediate neighbors, hadn’t literally used their enslaved population to try to take over their entire continent. Fein had to be beaten down, its enslavement policies literally ripped away from them by foreign powers since they were using those slaves as war weapons, and with all of that happening, there was a lot of political pressure for Lutzen to do the same, though they were using slaves strictly as builders rather than as warriors, in contracts not much different from the Indentured Program. Historically, for a long time anytime a country brought up the concept of slavery again, Fein was used as the example of why it wouldn’t be tolerated, no countries willing to risk the sort of war where the other countries soldiers were inherently considered expendable and had unspeakable atrocities committed on them to ensure they’re run into a battlefield.”

“I think history remembered that sort of slavery so much, due to how barbaric it was, that over time we forgot that contract slavery was a thing,” Dilan said, turning the page to a chapter about the Indentured Program, “And the world said nothing when Luminary made a ‘work program’. Because why would it? Sounded harmless.”

Marluxia quieted down as Dilan got into lecture mode, looking oddly peaceful for him as he lightly swung his legs around the other side of the pillar, just…listening. Sure, it wasn’t the most thrilling stuff, and Marluxia doubted he’d remember most of it in a week, but sometimes he just liked listening to Dilan…talk. 

“...isn’t that kinda falling apart now, though?” he hummed, “A bunch of people in Luminary’s military are Indentured, and we are at war to take over another country. Novoselic’s allied with Luminary, Danganronpa doesn’t give a shit, but even on the outside I pretty much never heard anything from places off-continent. Is just slightly different language still enough for nothing to happen?”

Swing, swing…

“Would you think there’s anything weird about there being smut in Ienzo’s library?”

“It’s a good point! Sharp thinking, Marluxia,” Dilan said, impressed, “My guess? Is history isn’t repeating itself yet because so far we’re only one country's problem. If we attacked more, it’d be more of an issue. Though… if we lost the war? I doubt Dicea would want us to keep our brainwashed military to attack them again. Ensuring we didn’t have access to it anymore would likely be a priority for them. So… who knows. Perhaps the program’s days are numbered.”

“...unless it ended in a truce or something,” Dilan said almost dismissively, “Unlikely for us, it would mean either taking one of their royals to live here or sending one of our own to live there, and I doubt our leadership, if it's in a position to negotiate one of theirs comes here, would actually surrender in the first place. And so far it’s not like the royal family has a spare princess to offer in the direct line of ascension. Unless Dicea’s willing to take one of the princes, who can’t bear them any heirs? It’s just unlikely.”

“Smut in the kid’s library? I mean…” Dilan shrugged uncomfortably, “Ienzo absorbs information like a sponge, I doubt the kid could help it if there was. But, more than that, I remember being younger than him and interested in sex, if only because I found it interesting, rather than arousing. I’d rather leave it up to his dads to be worried about it, but I don’t think it’s unusual.”

Dilan glanced over with a smirk. “What, did you think I was gonna be more scandalized to hear it? I know I’m religious, but I like to think I’m a little more reasonable than that in my faith. I’m not one of those types that thinks the only way you should learn about sex is being guided at the temple. I sure didn’t learn that way, and honestly, unless you’re pretty devout, I’m not sure if that’s a good way for more people to learn. I don’t think Atua really minds if we explore our bodies in our own time. Why?”

Marluxia grinned, the expression a little more genuine than he would’ve liked to see while looking in a mirror. Yeah, he did have a good point. So did Dilan, though, probably. Marluxia had no idea how wars really worked, outside of the ‘we’re invading the cultish heathens to save them from barbarism and mismanagement of resources’ shit he heard when the war had started, and he really had no idea how international perception worked into it. 

But, well… He wouldn’t get his hopes up, but maybe it would be a spur for at least more scrutiny into the program. 

Humming a little at the ‘eeeeeh let his dads worry about it’ answer, Marluxia rolled his eyes, The Talk recent enough to still be exasperated about it. Though, he just said bluntly, “I was readin’ some shit and there was just a full-on bear sex scene. I was a little confused if I’d somehow gotten a book to manifest out of one of your memories or something.”

(Marluxia had not yet realized that the library wasn’t just everything Ienzo read and took from Indentureds, but every book all of them had read, and the books from their Indentureds.)

Dilan was too bewildered to even be shocked. Just staring at Marluxia for a moment… before asking, “Bear like… the animal? Or bear like my body type?”

Marluxia opened his mouth, before visibly second-guessing himself. Flushing lightly. “...both. It was a guy that had a bear body, that could also turn into a bear, the animal.”

“.......Marluxia, with alllll due respect and an understanding that it’s really none of my business,” Dilan said, clapping his hands together in front of his mouth, brow furrowed, how stern he looked just baaaarely covering the glint of amusement as he gestured his clasped together hands at the teen, “.....was that your first introduction to porn?”

“.............because it’s not usually like that,” Dilan said sternly, now the amusement clearly bleeding into his eyes, barely suppressing a laugh, “It’s almost never like that,”

Marluxia gave Dilan a witheringly flat look. “Whaaaaaaat~?! No waaaaaaay, I tooootally thought people absolutely turned into animals when they fucked! You’re telling me Fruits Basket isn’t a true-to-life story?? All my expectations have been dashed!”

Dilan laughed. One of those deep-belly, full laughs, the sheer gall to wipe a damn tear from his eye when he was done as he said, “No, no, I know you know what sex is like, Aqua and Terra really made sure. No, I mean porn. Porn pretty rarely features anthropomorphic animals. That’s its own whole niche genre, that is not how it usually goes. Oh geez, maybe I should give Even and Aeleus a heads up after all. At least make sure Ienzo’s got more than that at his disposal.” Dilan snorted, shaking his head a bit as he looked back down at his book. “A damn bear… like a were-bear or just full on a bear?” Dilan asked, clearly still amused as he looked back up at Marluxia.

Okay, that did make Marluxia blush a little more. His parents were…very thorough. Making sure Marluxia knew what sex was, and what he could expect, and what he should demand, and what were red flags. Which he did think was a little excessive, since like…look. Around them. How the fuck would Marluxia ever be having sex???

…but he did appreciate them looking out for him. 

Pouting a little, Marluxia huffed to get over himself. “Full on bear,” he said, leaning down a little more, “The guy could just turn into animals whenever he wanted normally, but apparently he got shy in the bedroom and that meant turning into a bear. I think all his animals were just regular animals, but, like, him, so I dunno if ‘anthropomorphic’ still means ‘guy who is just a regular animal’.”

“I guess I’m imagining just a guy but with like… a snout. And fur. In some places, anyway,” Dilan chuckled, shaking his head in amusement, “World sure is full of people, huh? Well, it’s fine if it’s just daydreams, I’ve always thought.”

“...does get a bit weirder when you realize you know someone who’d do those things if it didn’t just feel like a daydream,” Dilan muttered, harrumphing a bit as he tried to focus on his book again.

Marluxia raised an eyebrow. Now that sounded like a loaded statement if he eve--

“Ga-ah!” the teen yelped, falling off the pillar head-first, barely managing to kick his legs forward enough to THWUMPH on his back into the sand. Groaning, Marluxia sat himself up, shaking sand out of his hair. “Uugh… You and Lauriam are the worst, just saying pointed statements and pouting to yourselves about it. Just say what you mean; who are you trying not to offend, me?” 

“Pff-hah! You alright there, Mars?” Dilan snorted, the irritation leaving his expression, just amused again. Though, an eyebrow raised as he said, “You? No, of course not. I just mean… well, you know who I mean…”

Dilan huffed. “...Xaldin? Zinxi’s lovely, of course, but they’re not exactly just having fun and insightful conversations when he goes to visit her. It’s…nngh. Well, I don’t know. I guess I just didn’t anticipate that making him a sadist would make him odd in other ways,” Dilan said, wrinkling his nose.

Marluxia waved Dilan off a little, before giving him a Stare. Somewhere between befuddled, and a little offended at that confusion, and just…

“...so? Ooooh nooo, two consenting adults are having sex in, what I’ll remind you is, a daydream,” Marluxia said in a slightly mocking voice, before giving Dilan a weirded out look, “...and I really don’t think Xaldin and Zinxi like being together because he’s a sadist? If anything, he’s like, grossly gooey when he gushes about her. That’s normal couple stuff.”

“Nn, I mean, yes, technically this is all literally a dream,” Dilan admitted, looking around the ruins, “But I think it’s real enough to us to expect some reasonable limits of behavior. It’s not like we all become exhibitionists on the island, for one.”

“And I agree with you, usually they’re a very sweet couple. There’s a reason I haven’t, well… it’s not like I’m taking Xaldin aside and saying he needs to stop,” Dilan said, still slightly grimacing in disgust, “But again, it’d be harmless if that was all they were doing. But it’s not, and I just think it’s a little odd that either of them, really, would even have the desire to do what, I have been informed–” loudly, by a pissed of Xaldin after one too many comments, “--is an… typically unacceptable form of intimacy. Just, truly deplorable.”

Marluxia stared at Dilan for another moment. Before he snorted, shaking his head a little as he stood up. “You are such a hater. Honestly, it’s impressive.”

Untying his hoodie from around his waist, he continued, “Di, you’re my friend, so I’m saying this sincerely--why the fuck do you care? You and Xaldin have that whole non-crossover stuff so, like, what? Are they calling you over to do it in front of you?”

Next, the teen started pulling off his shirt, his voice muffled for a moment. “You say it’d be harmless if they were just doing the stuff they do in front of all of us, but enlighten me, what the harm is with what they’re doing in their own privacy? Seriously, who gives a fuck if you find it gross in theory?”

Marluxia started working on his belt next. “I find you all gross all the time, but eeeeveryone just rolls their eyes, it’s just Marluxia trying to pick fights all the time. I’m not out here saying you’re all sinners that need to be cleansed by the grace of god until all you’re doing is having 30-second sex with a hole in a sheet.”

“Tsk, you and Xaldin have been talking. I very much do just leave them to it, I just–WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!” Dilan sputtered, eyes widening as he realized Marluxia was not just adjusting his clothes. “Marluxia, I’m still here!”

Marluxia dropped trou, rolling his eyes. “I’m becoming an exhibitionist. In this imaginary world we live in. As an imaginary person in it. Oooh, Dilan, you know what? Even my clothes have been imaginary this whole time!”

“Marluxia, no!” Dilan sputtered, putting his hand over his eyes, “You're still a creature of Atua, a-and your body needs to be respected!”

Marluxia started working on his boot laces. “I don’t have a body! And is being naked disrespectful, Dilan?! Is the original form Atua made people in obscene in some way?!”

“Oh, just…” Dilan got up, still trying to not look directly at Marluxia as he took off his sun cover wrap, putting around Marluxia, “There’s nothing wrong with your body, it’s what’s wrong with my eyes. It’d be fine if I was aiding you in some way, or if we were in a relationship. But like this? All it does is… tempt me to look on you selfishly. Which does not please Atua. I know you don’t really understand what I’m saying, but please just take my word for it? I should not be watching you undress, understand?”

Standing up, though not casting off the wrap immediately, Marluxia let out an irritated little breath. “Is it selfish to exist in the same space as someone else? Because I know you’re not getting anything out of watching me take my clothes off, other than panic. That’s what I’m saying, your own fear and panic and disgust making you cast judgment and feel like you have to do something about people just existing. Doing things that aren’t hurting anyone, and more, are making the people involved happy.”

“Would I ever wanna watch Xaldin and Zinxi gettin’ down? No. So as long as they’re happy, I don’t give a shit.”

“Fine, fine, I hear your point. Can you please put your pants back on?” Dilan said, staring pointedly at the sky. “It’s not like I’ve ever set out to stop them. I just can’t understand why Xaldin wants it, that’s all,” Dilan said. Unaware he was lying, as he focused on a drifting cloud.

Marluxia snorted. Baby. Though he did start pulling his pants back up. “You don’t have to understand. He likes it, Zinxi likes it, they’re happy, and you can understand that. Yeah, it’d be worse if you tried to stop them, but even making little comments like that is shitty, you know? Save it for the Indentured if you want to bully someone into self-hatred and constant shame.”

“I’m grateful every day that I don’t interact with Indentureds, the poor things,” Dilan sighed, looking down at Marluxia, “But, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said any of that to you. Atua knows Xaldin and I have already had too many conversations about it. It’s not really the sort of dirty laundry I should share. It’s not anyone else's business.”

“True~” Marluxia chirped, pulling his shirt back on, “Buuuuuut maybe Atua knew that you needed someone to tell you to pull your head out of your ass so some saint loosened your lips for a sec. Which I just did, ‘cause it’s waaaaaaay in there. How’re your intestines tasting, by the way?”

Dilan huffed a bit, though the amusement was back on his face. “A messenger of the gods, huh? How blessed am I? And how my intestines taste–” Dilan picked up the wrap from Marluxia’s shoulders, draping it over his head, “--is my business. Thank you very much.”

“Fiiiiiiine, keep your secrets,” Marluxia drawled, giving Dilan a soft smirk as he picked his hoodie back up. 

…it was kind of a niche thing, huh? Then art probably was too… 

“Hey, no reason, but what kind of animal would you wanna be if you were one?”

“........Literally all I can think of is bear right now,” Dilan admitted. “.....I keep trying to think of other animals and bear is just all that’s coming up. Why? I don’t believe no reason, you’ve got that ‘I’m about to flick a ring at your head’ look.”

Marluxia stuck his tongue out before spinning around on his heel, flopping down to sit next to Dilan as he summoned his and Lauriam’s sketchbook, turning to the newest page. It was, uh…something. 

(Marluxia had drawn himself as a hyena. In his head, it was a very dynamic and cool render of a pink hyena with sharp features, but still an air of effortless elegance to it. 

Maybe it looked like a mammal. Something with four legs, probably.)

Dilan looked over his shoulders, looking at the drawing with the trained eyes of a man who read faded etchings in stone in another language… before he whistled, “Is that you as a hyena? That’s pretty sick.”

Marluxia beamed. Absolutely sure he was smirking very coolly. 

“Yep! I was just thinkin’ about it the other day. So if you’re a bear?” Marluxia stuck his tongue out, closing an eye to ‘measure’ Dilan against his pencil. “I can make that work.”

Dilan smiled. Marluxia was cute when he was happy.

“Yeah? Alright,” Dilan said, lounging himself across a column, placing his hand against his forehead, “Dessine-moi comme une de tes filles Dicean.”

-

It was a normal day. The kind of day that would be one more on the pile of endless agony for Ienzo, of how things could be perfectly normal one moment, and the next…?

Lauriam was working on fixing a rip in one of their towels, slowly getting more confident in anything other than a whip stitch, when he felt a weird…squeeze. In his chest. And that was certainly weird enough, but when he looked up, he saw Inzi breathing heavily. Her face pale as she leaned over her knees, jaw slightly working as she put a hand to her chest. 

“...Inzi?” he asked, putting down the towel, “...are you okay? Should…I get some water or--”

His eyes widened as he lunged forward to catch her as she tipped to the side, the squeezing in his chest filling with a sense of impending doom. And making sure she was steadily on her side?

“OPEN UP YOU FUCKS WE NEED A HEALER!!” Lauriam screamed at the door in the kitchen as he full-body slammed into it.

There was a flurry of movement, and a whirlwind of activity, but for Inzi’s physical body? Lauriam would be the last one to see her, as supervisors shoved him back and took her away.

-

On the island, things were more complicated. Everyone knew the pain was coming from Inzi, but only a handful of them recognized what it was. Even and Viz ran to her. They would not know what they would do when they got to her, but they ran. Her heart building in pressure that felt like waves throughout the island. A tension that built and built and all you could hope was that something, soon, would relieve it.

Dilan had been asleep, and had needed a moment to comprehend what was happening, before he ran as well. Soon joining the other two as they went to her side. Asking Inzi to be strong, demanding that she hold on. Viz holding her hand tight as she whispered, “You can’t, you can’t, you’re supposed to outlive me, remember?”

Xaldin ran to the manor. He ran past all of them. He didn’t even slow down.

“You know entirely too well that not all of that decision is in my hands,” Inzi tsked, squeezing Viz’s hand even as she felt the rest of her body…her mental projection slacken. Her grip on her projection, her world…her connection with the others weakening in a way that, while it had never felt like effort to maintain before, suddenly felt like something on a shelf just barely out of reach. Her fingertips glancing against it before the sheer limitations of height drew it away again. “Look at you, going to outlive the sun and still pretend to be a girl in her 20s in her mind. A fool to the end of the universe.”

Inzi drew in a slow, labored breath. “At least young Lauriam’s volume may come in handy for something. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen the supervisors hustle this much. They’re losing their touch.”

She looked over tiredly to Even and Dilan, the manor shuddering. “We all know we can’t expect it of Viz, but you two are entirely too easy on the newcomers. You need to set firmer boundaries, or none of you are going to get any sleep ever again. And for fuck’s sake Even, just let Aeleus properly propose to you, you know you’ll enjoy the ritual of it.”

As the man himself ran in, she tsked again. “Can’t even bother to show up on time to an old lady’s deathbed, a terrible, terrible influence. You always have been, stupid boy.”

Viz bit her lower lip, briefly looking away, overwhelmed. She knew a goodbye when she heard it. She wanted to believe Inzi could make it, still. Even if she could feel it in herself that… that… “W-when we get to paradise, I hope the trials will have finally taken that stick out of your butt, and you’ll finally let me get a drink into you! You owe me a party night, Inzi, you hear me!? I’m coming to collect!” Viz insisted, “We’re having our girls night! If it takes to the end of the damn universe!”

Viz only became religious when someone was dying. In a week she’d be laughing at the idea again. No one called her out on it. Why deny her the comfort?

Dilan, though, was religious all of the time. And as tears ran down his face, he whispered, “You’re going to be okay, Inzi. You’re going somewhere better. When you get there, tell the others we miss them. We miss all of you. We love you, Inzi.”

Even grasped Inzi’s other hand, cradling her neck and head. Tensely, he said, “The children need a bit of gentleness. Everything else will teach them to be hard and quiet… but I will admit,” Even swallowed, gripping her hand tighter, “I thought I’d have some wiggle room, with you teaching them more pointedly. More fool me. What will I do without you?”

“...” And then he leaned in, and he whispered, “You asked me what I said to Laurence when he died. You were quite upset when I didn’t tell you. Was our first real fight. So, here it is… slightly altered to new circumstances.”

Even kissed her temple, and whispered, “I will never stop trying to rescue you, sister. Never. If I slow or stall, it’s only collecting more information… I will never stop. Until you are safe and well. I promise.”

Inzi looked at her family, each of their worry and tears…and love. And her eyes started watering as well. “...look at that, you can have a good bedside manner when you try, young Even. Every time little Ienzo calls you out on it, he’s right to do so.”

Marluxia let out a shaky breath, stumbling a little as the mess of skeletons and viscera threw up him, Lauriam, and Zexion deep into the manor. A little trick he’d figured out, with their similar aesthetics, but one he never really used because, well…he respected Zinxi’s privacy. The time to run through the maze of the manor didn’t seem like time they had though. 

As he leaned on a web-covered end table, collecting himself from the large push of power, Lauriam and Zexion took each other’s hands, concentrating. They’d both been learning some of the basics of Empathetic healing from Aqua and Aeleus respectively, though they were both very much beginners, but if there was ever a time to use it…

There were pulses of tension, as Viz’s Nobody, who had felt New, stared at the ceiling in moments of confused, heavy grief. Opened her mouth and–

Vexen stayed in his lab, and he worked. He searched out for all traces of her. Of them. Looking for where the line frayed, where they began and she was ending. Looked for signs of residue. Storage. Life.

He looked and looked and looked and–

Luis was not aware anything was happening. Not in a way he could conceptualize. He was in his world, laid on the floor as the ceiling spun, confusedly unsure why it felt like he was dying. He felt like crying and he wasn’t sure why. He was crying and he wasn’t sure–

Lea and Isa did not understand what was happening. It felt like their chests were exploding. They stared in muted horror, as Aqua and Terra came to them and explained, it’s going to feel terrible for just a moment–

It all happened so slow… and so quickly.

-

Xaldin didn’t scream for Zinxi. He knew where she was. He just ran. Stepping across rooms in single steps, barreling through doors and springing across walled in courtyards. Diving deeper, and deeper, as tension–healing–tension–healing waved through them like ocean tides beating a shell against the sand. Until finally the shell catches itself and digs in and shines brilliant hues and…

When he got to her, Zinxi was sitting among heaps of webbed bundles, settled on a web. Her white eyes glowed in the darkness, as she stared up at a crack in the ceiling that let in just enough moonlight to frighten anyone who had dared get this far down into the manor. Realizing they were caught right in the middle of the spider’s web.

Xaldin had always thought she looked beautiful in that light, as he stepped forward. 

Tension–healing–tension–healing–waiver–tension–healing–tension–healing–shudder

He knew she genuinely hadn’t realized he was there until he stepped on her web. Startling as she looked back at him. Wide, white eyes looking… confused. Eerily innocent, in their confusion.

Tension–healing–tension–tension–tension–healing–waver–shudder–tension–tension–

“Xaldin?” Zinxi whispered, as he ran to her. Unsteadily opening her arms to catch him as he lunged for her, “...I think it’s going to be okay.”

Release.

Xaldin hit himself against the wooden walls of the fence. The door to the manor in the forest on the other side, that had been there for as long as Xaldin had been on the island, just gone. A rough, barked wood wall left in its place.

Everyone who had been in the manor had been pushed out the door at once. Quietly standing in the sand, beneath the shadows of the palm trees and flora. Staring at where the door had been.

Xaldin tapped against the wall. Giving it a confused look, like maybe if he touched it more, the seam of the door would open. When it didn’t, he started to slam his palm against it, like he was knocking, like he was waiting for it to open. And when that didn’t work… “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!” He screamed, reeling back and kicking at it. “AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! NO! NO! NO! LET ME IN! AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!”

Xaldin punched and kicked and clawed at the wooden wall. Leaving deep scratch marks against the wood. Screaming at it. Screaming.

Lauriam could only let out a little breath of disbelief as the tightness in his chest suddenly disappeared, the bounds of the mind he had been flowing energy out into…gone. Opening his eyes to the island, little sunset petals wisping away as the energy got away from him, surrounded by the little glimmering sparkles from Zexion, his brother’s hands still in his. 

He could only look at the wall, and feel…

Lauriam sobbed quietly into his hands as Marluxia pulled him and Zexion in, both shielding them and providing structure as he glared at the sand, mouth pulled into a grimace, even as Aaxqu put her arms around him to make him one of the middle pieces too. 

Raxter could only watch Xaldin with a pained look, but he couldn’t even think about pulling his friend away from the wall. The last point of connection they’d had to…

The island was plunged into darkness. A rare night blanketing the sand. 

It was almost insulting that there was no full moon, like the one they’d just been standing under. 

-

There was nothing particularly exciting to conditioning, at the start. Every new round of Indentureds, and thus of quotas, the Empaths were given some basic information--enough to be able to seek out the right minds, know who to look for once an Indentured was brought to the island, and what kind of conditioning their contract was looking for. Then, from that information, they divvied up who would be best suited for who, the Nobodies would take their group to their world, and things would start. 

And for Zexion, 14 and having done this for half his life, the beginning was very rote. One by one, just to keep them from running into each other, he sent his Indentured into the library, explaining that, yes, it was a library, so if there were any books they found interesting, please feel free to read them. 

It was a rigged game from the start. Regardless of their actual location, the Indentureds would always be surrounded by books that would start being about basic fears, then more specific ones, until little by little their selection built a profile of any specific person’s worst nightmare. And if they never considered the books at all, then, well, that was its own type of game. 

So…that’s what was happening, on this day like any other. Calling the Indentured one by one to head into the maze. 

“Ah, there you are,” he hummed distractedly to a blond, vaguely looking over the profiles in his Lexicon. “First time, basic, nothing special, it looks like… You’ll probably be quick, then. If you’ll follow me, then we can begin.”

“Uuuuuuh, rude?” said blond insisted, placing his hand on his hip and pointing at Zexion, “Who’s ‘basic’? Me!? You just haven’t heard me play yet! Trust me, one round of my sitar, and you’ll see! Nothing ‘un-special’ about me at all!” Demyx grinned, puffing out his chest and giving Zexion a thumbs up. “You just gotta give a guy a chance!”

Zexion glanced up at the older teen. “I mean your conditioning requirements--you’re slated for basic conditioning. There is no judgment about your character in the term. And ‘un-special’ isn’t a word.”

It was a little rare to get someone who wasn’t just flat out confused when they were spoken to, but not unheard of. Some people brought in a sense of ‘dream bravado’ even before they acclimated to the world they were in. 

“If you will, please head down this hall,” Zexion indicated to his right, “and keep going. You don’t have to feel a sense of urgency, if you see any books that catch your interest please feel free to peruse them, but you’ll be done with conditioning once I see you again at the end of the path.”

It technically wasn’t a lie. 

“Ahhhh, buuuut, you knew what I meant, right? What is a ‘fake word’ but another way to… communicate?” The blond grinned, placing a finger across his chin. “Blew your mind, didn’t I? Yeah, I do a lot of philosophizing. Alright, alright, library time? Cool, I enjoy a good book! Let’s see what we’ve got,” he said, rubbing his palms together as he headed down the hallway offered. 

Demyx whistled as he looked through the books. “The ten highest falls in recorded history… 100 and 1 ways to drown at sea… isn’t it all just ‘drowning’, how are any of them different? House fires and the easy steps to how it could have been prevented, example portraits included. Grim. Oh, wait, I recognize this one, isn’t this about some woman kidnapping a mermaid to sleep with him or something? Weird,” Demyx mused, continuing on.

He had really thought this was all going to be a lot worse. But so far things had been pretty chill. He ate three meals a day, hung out in his room, made chit-chat with the others when he was being transported from place to place. Easy. And now conditioning was apparently going through a library? Was he going to read about being conditioned? Honestly he felt like he could have done that anywhere, why take him to some weird isolated building?

…un-special. Huh? “So, does this mean I didn’t get into any cool career tracks?” Demyx called through the aisles, “Like, what am I gonna be doing? Housekeeping?”

…what a weird guy. Zexion wondered if he was the crying type. 

Hmm…so far nothing. No particularly interesting emotional responses, so nothing was hitting. Maybe the more abstract stuff would? Zexion didn’t exactly enjoy conditioning, but he did enjoy some of the challenges it presented to him. Abstract fears were some of his favorites to get, to interpret the challenge of manifesting them. 

All the Zexions--at least the ones scheduled--kept track of various Indentured, because the library couldn’t just warp on its own, so he heard Demyx, sure, but a lot of the Indentureds tended to talk to themselves as they walked. Those questions were a little lucid--usually by now the Indentureds forgot the preamble and just thought they were in a library, full stop--but again, not unheard of. 

Though of course Zexion didn’t answer. It’d be sabotage to an ‘isolation’ fear.

Demyx sighed at the lack of answer. Right, right. He guessed there was that whole ‘no talking in the library’ rule. Laaaame. 

He searched down the aisles some more, reading more titles. Are YOU Afraid of the Dark: ten literal tales of being afraid of the dark! Are you Afraid?? Of the Dark?? Which seemed to be an unrelated work that was about tales of ghosts and ghouls. TOP FIFTEEN INSECTS THAT WILL KILL YOU was in too large font for too small a book really. There was a little rock with holes in it on top of the book, which Demyx thought was neat and looked at for a bit before moving on.

Then he saw a few books that made him frown: How Many Years Before No One Says Your Name Again: The Answer Might Depress You. Another book which seemed to be some sort of thin research essay, asking Do People Who Die Without Children Regret Leaving No Legacy? No One Knows as No One Asked Before They Died. Did YOU leave an Impact? Asked one picture book, with a cutesy skeleton on the front wearing a sign that said Probably Not.

“Who even writes stuff like this?” Demyx whispered, frowning at the picture book, picking it up… before he called out, “Hey, can I read this one out on the beach? I think there’s enough light from the torches, I’d manage!”

There we go… Feelings of uncertainty, that twist of nerves in the stomach. It was just a book, after all, it couldn’t hurt you, but there was an allure there. To peek at what unnerved you most. 

Okay…he could turn up the murmurs from the main part of the library, pump in some of the ‘locked in, oppressive’ feelings his bookcases tended to give, maybe start off with some shado--

“Oh no,” Zexion whispered, his eyes going wide. 

Even if some people took to the beginning of conditioning casually, if they remembered it was conditioning, once they were in a world? That world was reality. The sole experience of their mind, unable to comprehend anything but what an Empath was currently showing them. Dream logic. 

Unless they were an Empath. 

Stepping through a false bookcase, Zexion gave the older teen a sad, almost pitying look, were it not for an intimate, personal understanding of what might be pitied. He just looked at him for a moment before saying softly, “...make a light in your hand. This is a dream, so you should be able to do it.”

Just…hoping that he was wrong.

“I’m dreaming?” Demyx asked, looking around at the giant bookcases filled with weird books, all connected to a weird beach that he had been moved through in the middle of the night… before he laughed, “Oh, that makes so much sense! Neat! Alright, so…”

Demyx looked at his hand, biting his tongue as he snapped his fingers once, hoping to make a little flame… before snapping again. No flame. Again… then laughing as he snapped out a little beat, looking around in delight as little swirling, glowing musical notes moved around him as he snapped out a melody.

“Hah!” Demyx smiled, looking proudly at Ienzo, “Told you I’d impress you if you gave me a chance.”

For one, brief moment, Zexion had hope. This was just an anomaly, they did happen. He’d have to start this guy’s conditioning over, but it was something Zexion would gladly do when the alternative was--

The 14-year-old looked heartbroken, as the playful, glowing notes started to dance through the air around Demyx. Then, he took a breath, and gave Demyx a small smile. “...Viz is gonna like you. I’m so sorry for this.”

Taking Demyx’s sleeve, Zexion warped them back to the main part of the library, the books unaltered and plenty of cozy sitting areas around as different constructs read and chatted with each other. 

“My name’s Ienzo, I’m a prisoner in the factory,” Zexion said, giving Demyx a sad smile. “They imprisoned me because I have a gift, which allows me to create this dream you’re in, and others to create the island you were on before. And you have this gift too.”

“I understand if you resent it, me, but I have to tell the supervisors you’re an Empath, that you have that gift,” he said softly, a resigned apology in his eyes, “And they’ll imprison you too. I’d hide it if I could, even a life with conditioning, stuck in an Indentured contract is better than this, but there’s an Empath stronger than me that’s working willingly for the company, and now that I know? He’ll find out. And things will be much worse for us if I try to hide it…I’m sorry.”

“Wow…” Demyx slumped back into his chair, blinking dazedly, “Man… that all sounds like a bummer.”

“But, I mean, I wouldn’t want you to do something that gets you into trouble, so…” Demyx shrugged, looking around the library as he said, “And if I’m staying somewhere for a while, it’s not like this is the worst place. This is a prison? I mean, all of this is part of the Togami facility? It’s a lot nicer than I was expecting.”

Zexion found himself huffing something close to a laugh. What a response. “Yeah, it is a bummer.”

Smiling softly, he said, “Thank you. Where we are right now is my library, which if you wanted to get pedantic is part of the facility, since I’m pretty sure in legal technicalities I’m Togami property, but I believe in the way you’re actually asking, no. We’ll explain in greater detail later, but we’re in my mind right now, and this is the space I’ve created. Of all places to be forever, I did think a library would be nice.”

Sitting in a seat as well--folding one leg under himself, and the other stretched over the arm as he leaned onto the other one--since the gravity didn’t feel like it needed standing anymore, Zexion offered, “You’ll get to make a world too, any kind of place you can think of. Connected to the island, there’s a lab, a sparring hall that can turn into any kind of terrain, a futuristic dancehall, being able to walk on clouds, a flower field, even the ocean, and more too.”

“Physically, though? We live in a concrete box,” Zexion explained. “We have a main room, a bathroom, a kitchen, a few bedrooms, and some supply closets, but we’re locked out of the rest of the factory, and unless one of the supervisors takes us out? We can’t leave.” Zexion gave Demyx an apologetic shrug. “People have tried to break out. My brother Lauriam taught himself how to lockpick. But nothing works, and trying just gets people hurt.”

Demyx’s eyes widened in wonder. “There’s a dancehall!? That’s awesome! The rest of the stuff you said wasn’t awesome, all of that sounds terrible, but the stuff in here–” Demyx said, gesturing around the library, “Sounds awesome! And I get to make my own world too!? That’s kickass!”

“...it doooooeeeees sound worryingly long-term,” Demyx admitted, “...but you never know, things are always changing so suddenly. A minute ago I wasn’t some dream superpowered guy talking to other superpowered people, and that was pretty unexpected. So maybe something else unexpected will happen. Not worth losing hope!” Demyx beamed. 

Zexion smiled softly. “It is terrible, but that’s why we spend most of our time in here. I know the others do it more, for some reason, but pretty much we only spend time aware in the physical world to maintain the upkeep of our bodies. Other than that, the island and the worlds are a great place to be.”

As Demyx talked about the long-term-ness of it all, Zexion expected the conversation to turn again, for the teen to ask how long he’d been in, or try to confirm when Zexion said ‘forever’, did he really mean…?

But instead? 

…hope. And a smile that really meant it too. 

Maybe it wouldn’t just be Viz happy with their newbie. 

All of a sudden Zexion perked, though, reminded of time. “O-oh, hold on! Do you know what year it is?!” the young teen quickly asked, suddenly remembering oh. “A general month or season would be great, but you should know the year at least, right?”

Demyx blinked. “Yeah, of course I know what year it is. It’s… it’s…” He frowned. “...no, I know it, hold on, it’s, uh…well I know it’s… summer… I think…”

“Tsk, tsk,” a hand reached over, gently clasping Zexion’s shoulder, “No cheating~”

And then the grasp was gone. Demyx still trying to answer, seemingly unaware anything had happened at all as he huffed, “Man, did I hit my head before I got here? I swear, I knew it a second ago.”

Zexion froze, a look of terror on his face. 

{We have a new Empath, can someone awake alert the supervisors?}

“I-I’m sorry, you should go,” Zexion said stiffly, clutching his Lexicon to his chest. “I’ll see you on the other side.”

Then he sent Demyx back to his own mind.

At least Ienzo was on the island. Whatever Tengan did…Zexion could take it. 

Demyx’s eyes widened in surprise, opening his mouth to say something. But he was gone before he could.

There was a brief still, silence in the library. The small center area cut away from all the rest of the maze where Indentured were lost in. Still and quiet.

“Why send him away? It’s an exciting day for you both, isn’t it? The start of his new life, you meeting a new friend. A new ‘family member’... It’s always amused me how you lot literally embraced the titles of family. Seems a bit sentimental, to me.” 

Tengan was a man who looked younger in his dreams than he looked in the world, and looked younger in the world than he actually was. A well kept seedling could delay the sands of time, an Empath mentally ignore them… but for Tengan, there was a dichotomy between the way he physically looked in the Empath worlds, and how he actually wanted to be perceived.

He liked his age. He enjoyed being older than almost every human he came across. There was a sense of triumph in it, a superiority. So while his projection straightened the hunch in his back, he made no move to keep his head high. While his hair was no longer the consuming gray it had become, its dark green health still contrasted the widow's peak that betrayed a thinning, aging man. His muscles were strong, but his joints were gnarled and inflamed, liver spots dotting around his eyes, dark moles peppering him suggesting diseases he would not live long enough to care about. 

Age was its own type of beauty, and Head Secretary Tengan had embraced the mystique of it. Sitting down where Demyx had been with a small, belabored sigh, his poppy-white eyes looking warmly at Zexion as he said, “Ah, but who am I to judge others’ sentiments? We all must find our own ways to get through life as best we can. Is he going to end up a ‘big brother’? I hope Lauriam and Marluxia won’t get jealous.”

Tengan was very much like the supervisors in some ways--it was best to speak as little as possible and just do what he said. Just hoping he’d get bored or have something more important pop up that needed his attention and he’d leave. Unlike the supervisors though, there was no mental escape from him. 

Keeping his eyes low, holding onto his Lexicon, Zexion said tonelessly, “There’s no sense delaying the inevitable. The supervisors should be notified promptly, and I can better focus on my job, sir.”

He said nothing to the comments on family. If he could, it was better not to mention the others. Lauriam and Marluxia were already having enough of a rough time, Zexion could handle this.

“How dutiful. In some ways, I regret how we handled you, Zexion.” Tengan sighed, leaning into the back of the chair. “If we had ensured you were raised by someone else? Perhaps in a different factory? I think you’d have made an excellent stooge. The sort of loyal employee that a slavery contract would have been wasted on. Imagine taking that keen mind and emotional distance and having you splice an alligator out of someone’s ancestral knowledge and ancient genes… doesn’t that sound delightful? What a waste…”

Tengan smiled warmly. The smile reached his eyes. “...it’s the sort of mistake that can be fixed, with the correct attitude.”

Zexion held his Lexicon tighter. “...with all due respect, sir, that’s not how gene splicing works. Human genetics are not simply a loaded gift box with every step of evolution up to the current day, each change is its own unique code, influenced by the past, but not containing it. There are theories that perhaps there was a common ancestor between what would become ‘reptiles’ and ‘birds’ and humans about 300 million years ago, before the amniotes developed into the groups of synapsids and sauropsids, but that doesn’t mean that humans and alligators are related, as that common ancestor would resemble neither.”

“...no thank you, sir,” he said quietly. “I believe the productivity of my work would suffer with a change of environment.”

Tengan laughed lightly at that. “But you already know so much about the science behind it. You’d excel, I’m certain of it.”

“Excellence is not reason to act,” Zexion said simply. 

“Shame. You know, while I’d rarely go as far as to call myself a ‘father’, I’ll admit, I do have my own sentimentality.” Tengan smiled warmly, shrugging somewhat sheepishly. “I love the idea of mentoring young people. Seeing their potential and doing my best to mold and shape it so that it grows as strong and tall as it can. You have so much potential, Zexion. Even you, individually, could thrive in so many other stations in life. Adding in Ienzo only increases the odds of such organizations running smoothly.”

“Neither of you are particularly talented Empaths,” Tengan admitted, “At least not in the sense of how I’d recognize the term. In most ways, it’s purely an issue of raw power. You don’t have the raw resources you need to be a truly remarkable Empath… but in intelligence? In resourcefulness? You could be, if molded well… a prodigy.”

“You just can’t be so foolish as to reject a guiding hand, just because it’s the same hand that beats you,” Tengan sighed, shaking his head a little, “Pride and ego in situations like this are follies. I have opportunities to give you, things to teach you. It’d be unwise to turn me away, just because you hate me.”

Offering something to prove, and a way to get it. Praise, if only to go down the shown path. Reproach, if refused. 

Zexion knew he and Ienzo were already prodigies. It was something they were told since their earliest years of comprehension. 

That word in others’ mouths had been nothing but disappointment. The self-flattering egos of others, using them as a valuable belonging. The only purpose their achievements had in that context was something to brag about. 

But Ienzo had dreams bigger than that, Zexion knew. He did as well. Achievements not for any one body, but for good they really believed in. A cure for conditioning. A key to the shackles they’d been placing around countless people’s wrists for half their lives. 

That was not in the interests of Tengan’s masters, and Zexion was so much more than a stooge. 

“Perhaps I’m foolish, then,” Zexion said quietly. “I am 14. What are these years but the time to revel in buffoonery?” 

“H’ah. I did think you were going to reject me, but I wasn’t expecting to still be so disappointed. It’s so difficult to pin down the truly great ones. You might be happy to know, once upon a time, your father rejected me with the same air of indifference. Goodness, it wasn’t that long ago, and he’s already so greatly aged in that time…” Tengan sighed, “Well, that is what it means to be human, I suppose. I’m glad you both were able to stick to your principals. Do I think it’s a good idea, no, hah, no, but. I can admire the strength it takes to do so, from those with potential like yourselves.”

Standing up, smoothing down his clothes, Tengan mused, “You know what’s truly unfair? You’ve rejected and disappointed me, but even now, I have zero desire to punish you for it. I think that comes from admiring someone’s abilities. It’d feel mean spirited, really. But, that does mean I’ll end up taking these feelings out on some, mmmm… less talented individual, somewhere. Someone more suited to be a stress reliever. Now which one will it be… hmmmm… well.”

Tengan smiled warmly at Zexion. “You’ll never know.”

And he disappeared.

Zexion was happy to know that. It made him feel like Vexen would be proud of him. 

…

He let out a shaky breath, before closing his eyes. Curling around his Lexicon tightly. 

…35, 36, 37…

-

Terra bounced his leg anxiously, waiting. He’d shouted for those damn bastards to damn another person, and just…any second now, probably. Their newbie would be coming in. At least the heads up meant they could prepare a slightly warmer welcome.

“Why do you keep pushing me, I’m literally walking faster than you? Ow!” Demyx gasped, as a supervisor shoved him through the door. “Why!? Rude!?”

“Usual rule with this one, two weeks! Tsk, good luck, this one’s an idiot.” The supervisor scoffed, slamming the door shut.

“Hey!? Who’s an idiot!? I’m street-wise, baby!!” Demyx shouted at the door, “Yeah, run away! I know you’re scared! I’m a big bad scary dream guy! Probably! Assuming I didn’t dream all of that!” 

Demyx pouted, before looking over his shoulder at Terra… before he grinned sheepishly. “Actually, I’m kinda glad he left, I suck at fights. Sup!”

Terra’s eyebrows raised a little, before an amused smile crossed his lips. Zexion got this guy? Man he hoped the little guy would be up for story time later. 

“Sup,” Terra greeted back, a laugh playing on his voice, “Keep that gladness, kiddo, these folks you really don’t wanna fight. They never do it fair.”

“So! If I can confirm your dream, and you sorta know what’s going on?” Terra clapped, before showing off the kitchen with a sort of over-exaggerated showmanship. “Welcome to hell! Sorry you’re here, but if there’s one upside?” Winking, Terra offered a fist to fistbump the teen. “Welcome to the crew, kid, we’ve got your back. Zexion said your name was Demyx? I’m Terra.”

Demyx met Terra’s fistbump naturally, clearly barely thinking about it as he looked around, whistling, “Wow, he was not kidding about what this place looks like in the real world, huh? Is that how I should refer to it, ‘the real world’? Sorry, I am brand new to this whole being a superbeing thing. Today’s my first day! And I’ve already been seized by a government lab for evil experiments… man, that happened fast.” Demyx sighed, crossing his arms and shaking his head. “So, Terra, give it to me straight: how freaked out should I be right now? Also, where’s the guy from the library? You know…”

Demyx brushed his hand over the side of his face, indicating Zexion’s hair. 

“Ah, didn’t know you were an Empath? Rough, man, gotta be my least favorite way to find out,” Terra sighed empathetically, “And real world works. Prof likes to get on his lecture cap sometimes and remind us that our minds are still real so calling this the physical world is more correct, but everyone knows what ya mean.”

“Honestly? If you’re taking this well, I wouldn’t wanna ruin it for you,” Terra said, before grinning sheepishly, “But pretty freaked out might be more true. We’re life-long prisoners for a shitty corporation, made to do conditioning--sorta, we’ll get into that. But, yanno? It could be worse. We have each other, and the island--”

“And speaking of that?” Terra chuckled at the pantomime. “If he was just talking with you, then Ze’s prolly still working. One of him might be fronting right now, but you might wanna save your hellos when he’s off shift and can focus more. But if you think you’re good? I can help you onto the island, and we can do intros for most of the motley crew.”

“Oh no!” Demyx gasped, slapping his hands against his cheeks, looking genuinely distressed, “We’re the conditioning people?! Ooooooh that suuuuucks! Also, very weird, I would have put the last 15 copper I had in my pockets before getting here that it was priestesses doing that sort of work. I mean, I know the common theory is that conditioning works on, like, repetition, or something, but I always assumed there had to be some magic shit going on there.”

Demyx paused, before grinning. “Hey! You know, I guess I was still right? Just different magic stuff. Neat! …still sucks it’s us though. Yeah, sure, take me around, I might as well get to know everyone.”

“So, I’m gonna ask the obvious question first,” Demyx said, following Terra down the hall, “What’s stopping us from just saying no? I’m going to assume there is something stopping us, I just want to know what it is first.”

Terra gave the kid a sympathetic look, nodding a little. It did suck. Though… “You the spiritual type? Not bad for those instincts, though…well, the supervisors’ll call you a demon, as a heads up. We aren’t, we just have cool powers, but that’s the excuse they give for keepin’ us like this, you know? Dilan’s got the whole thing figured out, if you wanna talk faith with him, but as a baseline, just remember it’s unfair bullshit, not actually anything wrong with you, kiddo.”

Heading into the main room, Terra started getting some extra bedding, arranging it into a decent place to sit before they got Demyx his own pallet. Some people were in their rooms for the workday, but even for those in the main room, Terra didn’t bother the still forms of Lea, Isa, Aqua, Aeleus, and Even. 

Plopping down on one side of the bedding pile, Terra gave Demyx a tired smile. “How realistic you want me to be, kiddo? If not much, then I’ll just say it’s in your best interest to just do what the supervisors tell us to do.”

“........Look, I know this is super normal for you, I’m really, genuinely grasping that right now,” Demyx said, clapping his hands together and pausing, collecting his thoughts. “...but you just put a bunch of blankets on the sort of thing that’s meant to move boxes and stuff and didn’t even blink about it. Is that meant to be a bed? Holy shit, it’s so meant to be a bed,” Demyx realized, looking at the other sleeping forms. “That’s really messed up! What, is us living here forever not a good enough reason to invest in getting us beds?””

“It is messed up,” Terra agreed, half-amused but knowing that treating everything casually might be just as alarming to the kid as treating it all gravely. “I don’t want to scare you, Demyx, but the truth is? We’re not treated well here. In all logic, we could do the same job, and honestly probably better, if we lived in, like, a decent hotel. But our lives are dictated by sadists, who don’t see us as people. They want to hurt us, make us scared and miserable, and by the government calling us demons, they have the excuse for that.”

“It’s not fair. It sucks. If things were even a little different, we’d scheme and blow this joint with all the explosions and fanfare you could think of…but that’s not how things are. So we make the best of what we have, and figure out how to make things better little by little.” He chuckled softly. “Probably not the sort of responsible planning you were anticipating for your life at this point, I get it.”

“Ah, who had plans?” Demyx shrugged, sitting down on the bedding, looking like he was trying to get comfortable and mostly just looking awkward, not sure how to actually rest on it, “I mean, not to be a bummer myself? It just feels relevant right now to why I think I’m taking this as well as I am. I walked into this place knowing I had… no idea what I was going to do when they sent me back out, no idea where I was going to be sold or what career I was in, and honestly, I felt pretty pessimistic about all of my choices. I was kind of waiting for life to just decide what I was going to do, because everything I had just tried to do to, like, be an independent artist, a musician that lived in a free-spirited compound with all of his friends, doing incredible things and living my best life…”

“...all of that sucked. I hated it,” Demyx admitted. “I didn’t feel like I related to anyone else there at all, which was wild to me, I wasn’t expecting that. I feel like I didn’t get anything even close to what I wanted to accomplish done. I never even felt like I started. All I did was go and spend a year living with a bunch of people I didn’t like, with nowhere to play my sitar and work on my music, where even just, like… there was always this sort of energy that wanting anything more was selling out? Like, don’t get me wrong, I didn’t want to be owned by some managers who would tell me what I could and couldn’t sing, and that’s what I always thought of being a sell out meant, but that’s not what everyone else I lived with was talking about. They meant, like… playing music for anyone. Working on your craft at all. If you made music so people would ‘like it’, you were a sellout. If you tried to get paid for it? Sellout. I never even got close to doing either of those things, and I still got made fun of all the time for evening admitting to wanting it. It was really… crushing. I realized that for most of my friends, living in that house and playing half-finished songs for each other was the end goal, and I just felt, like, maybe that’s a sign it’s never going to happen for me. Maybe it doesn’t happen for anyone. Unless you’re a sellout.” Demyx huffed. “....I ended up taking out some small loans just to keep up with my part of the rent, and before I knew it the year was up and I was basically buried in interest rates to live as a musician in a house no one made music in.”

“I felt so stupid. This was all literally, like, a few days ago, that it all came crashing down on my head, which is why it’s on my mind,” Demyx admitted, “I felt so stupid. I don’t know what I was expecting to happen. I lived with them for a year and I have no idea how the rest of the people in the house were making it work. I think a lot of them straight up weren’t paying rent, it was like, me and a few other guys keeping us from getting the house seized. But that epiphany only really happened while I was waiting in line to get brought here. I kept looking at everyone else who was making this work and thinking, at some point, I’m gonna have this figured out like they do, I just have to keep living like they do. Meanwhile, I’m pretty sure now they were only getting away with it because dumbasses like me had gotten talked into paying their bills for them. And I just felt so damn stupid…”

“I know this is a worst case scenario?” Demyx said, “But there’s almost something relieving in knowing I don’t have to go back out there and make a bunch of mistakes again. That shit hurt. At least none of this–” Demyx said, waving his hand around the room, “--feels like my fault. Way better on the ol’ ego. I think that’s why I feel okay right now.”

“....................or I am deeply in denial. It super could be that one too.” Demyx laughed.

Terra listened to Demyx with a soft look on his face, hearing the woes of just…a young man without much direction in life. How that had failed him. Been failed for him. 

“We won’t discount denial; if you ever need a sec to just freak out or cry, no one’ll hold it against you, promise,” Terra laughed softly, before giving one of Demyx’s shoulders a gentle squeeze. “And I know how this sounds, considering what I do? But being manipulated doesn’t make you stupid--it’s way more a problem with other people than it is with you. You taking a look at life realistically--there’s bills to pay, you need to find a way to pay them--says to me you’re a guy with his head screwed on right, actually.”

“And I can’t really speak to artistic vision,” Terra snorted, “I’d have to get Laurie or Viz’s opinion, but from some music-dumb guy? Music connects people, man. I think the best thing you can do with it is share it, and if you get to share something you’ve worked hard on, that you’re proud of? Isn’t that sharing a part of yourself? It’s a great feeling.”

The man sniffed, rubbing his nose and giving the teen a cheeky look. “Maaaaybe not as great as killing it in a spar, but I’m not expecting to convert you on day one.”

“Oh no, you almost had me! It was going so well!” Demyx laughed. “You’re a sparring guy!? Noooooo! Look, I’m so weak, I’m so delicate, look at this bicep!” Demyx insisted, pulling his sleeve back, “The fact that I have a bicep muscle at all is because my sitar is HUGE! Otherwise I’m a noodle! Sparring me is just bullying after a certain point! That point is the first punch!”

Terra loudly snorted out a laugh, nudging Demyx’s shoulder with his own. “Get ready to be bullied then, punk! ‘Zo tries to skip out on sparring days all the time and we still get him in the ring. I’ll go easy on ya, though~ You’ll need it.” Pointing over to Aeleus’ sleeping form, Terra dropped the hot gossip, “Ael will not. And my wonderful Aqua,” he nodded to his wife, expression immediately growing fonder as he looked at her, “Miiiight give you the benefit of the doubt, but she’s kicked my ass for our whole lives and she won’t stop now.”

Teasing, Terra grinned. “Should we head to the island so I can drop ya right into the fire?”

“Yeah, let’s do it. Honestly, I feel kinda inconsiderate just talking aloud while everyone else here is asleep,” Demyx shrugged, “So, how do I do it? I just uh… wait or–”

-

Demyx was back on the beach that he had been walked through before to get to the library.

“So, is it night time?” Demyx asked, looking up at the starry sky, again, adjusting remarkably quickly as he stood towards the flowing ocean waves. “Outside, I mean. I guess that makes sense, if they wanted us to be conditioned when we were asleep, but if so, I was wildly off about what time it was when this started. Mind you, I can’t remember the year anymore either, so something’s fucky either way.”

Terra gave Demyx a briefly worried look before he smoothed the expression over. “Yeah, fucky’s a good way to put it. But it’s not quite night, really…” He sighed softly. “We are, well, happy isn’t the right way to put it, since it’s never a good thing when someone joins us, but we’re happy to welcome you, kiddo. But some folks might be a bit more down than usual. One of our friends recently passed, and we’re still feeling it, and…how the island is feeling that is making it night. Still pretty nice, though, yeah?”

“Dad!?” a voice called from the water, Lauriam starting to swim over, Aqua surfacing soon after and following him. “This the new guy?”

“Ah heeeey, here’s the start of the welcome committee,” Terra chuckled, patting Demyx’s back a bit as he moved them closer to the waterline, holding out a hand to pull Lauriam up. “Demyx, this is my son Lauriam, and my wife Aqua--guys, this is Demyx, Ienzo’s newbie. You guys seen him around?”

“Hey, Demyx! Nice to meet you!” Aqua breathed as she got out of the surf, about to shake her head a little as 6 came jogging over. 

“Hi, sorry! Stuff came up!” he said, catching his breath lightly. 

“Oh, man, I’m sorry about that–” Demyx tried to offer his condolences, but was surprised when a few people called out. ‘Dad’? Oh, interesting. Well, if they were lifers, it made sense they’d make families within the factory. 

“Hi! I’m Demyx! I promise, I make a stellar roommate! Even moreso, since they didn’t let me keep my instrument. If I ever get my hands on it again, I’ll play you guys something on my sitar!” Demyx promised, bowing shallowly to first Aqua, then Lauriam, before lighting up as he saw Ienzo approach, “Hey! Sup Ienzo! I’m meeting the crew! You’re right, they totally imprisoned me too. Guess you nailed it on the head about my super cool abilities, huh?”

“Nice to meet you.” Lauriam bowed back, honestly surprised to see that the new guy was…probably his age. After Lea and Isa, and considering the others, he thought finding younger people was kind of rare. They probably wouldn’t ever get something like an instrument from the supervisors, but… Lauriam smiled slightly at Demyx. “If you figure out how to manifest your sitar here, we’ll hold you to that, then.”

Lauriam gave 6 a slightly curious look, though the younger teen just gave Demyx a sheepish look. “If I had any doubt, I wouldn’t have alerted anyone. Unfortunately, it was very clear. Sorry about that.”

“Eh, not your fault. It sounds like I was pretty easy to catch.” Demyx shrugged, before laughing, “Actually, at some point, you have to let me know what was up with those weird book titles? I’m guessing they’re not that convincing because, like, it’s dream logic so you don’t have to be, but some of those were really funny. I really liked ‘Hurtling Into the Sun: A Beginners Guide’.”

“Hey, I hear we have a new guy?” Axel called from above, resting against the pier wall, “Sup, blondie! The name’s Axel~ Got it memorized? But on the outside, call me Lea.”

“Sure! Nice to meet you Axel!” Demyx called, giving the red-head a wave, who gave him a small, amused wave back. Demyx watched Axel turn and talk to a guy coming up behind him with bright blue hair, before glancing around to see more and more people peeking out.

“I can’t stay, I’m helping Luxord with a thing, but wanted to see for myself! Welcome to the island, lad!” Luis shouted from the tree house, “Come by my place to have a drink sometime!”

“Sure, I will!” Demyx shouted back, before laughing, “Okay, again, still might be in denial, but… this really isn’t so bad. I can’t wait to see what this place looks like all lit up and sunshiny.”

6 smiled softly. He did think some of the conditioning titles were pretty silly too. 

“It really is a paradise,” Aqua affirmed cheerily, before squinting over at Demyx a little. “...guess we can’t stop you too much if you’ve been drinking on the outside, but…how old are you, hun?”

Lauriam rolled his eyes a little, before he directly sent Demyx, {She’ll be able to tell if you lie, but aim high if you can. You have a chance not to get limited, take it while you can.}

“Oh, woah! Where did…” Demyx startled, looking around before scratching the short ends of his hair, “Did anyone else hear that?”

“And, uh, oh! I’m 18! …okay, I’m literally basically 18, my birthday is in a couple of weeks. Man, you cannot believe how mopey I got when I realized I was going to spend my eighteenth birthday in Togami,” Demyx chuckled, “But still! Basically 18! Totally grown! Well, mostly grown! I know, I know, there’s all that stuff about stunting brains or something? If you drink before 21? But come oooooon, how bad can it really be?”

Terra and Aqua raised their eyebrows a little before looking at each other. Wordlessly--and intentlessly--communicating before they looked to each of the younger boys. 

Lauriam looked like he was calmly listening to the conversation, while 6…

“Rather bad, actually,” 6 hummed, opening his Lexicon as it flipped through pages, “And it’s 25, not 21--that’s usually when the brain stops its initial development, though of course nothing is such a hard rule in human bodies. Inhibiting full development can lead to a broad host of emotional and cognitive struggles, such as memory issues, executive dysfunction, an inability to consider consequences, struggles with emotional regulation, among many others. Though, of course those are studies done on the effects of regular drinking before full brain development, it’s not like having a small amount irregularly will have the same effects as regular indulgence.”

“Would you look at that, you guys are pretty close in age then, Laurie,” Aqua hummed, before ruthlessly pinching her son’s ear, immediately getting a wince and quiet ‘ow ow ow!’s, “How nice of you, to look out for him. Mind sharing with the group, love?”

“Ow, Mom! I-I was basically just seeing how well he can recognize intent, it wasn’t anything!”

“Geez, kiddo,” Terra sighed with a chuckle, “Well, we’ll try to make your birthday a fun time anyway.”

“Oh, we’re the same age? Nice! Up top!” Demyx grinned, putting his hand up for Lauriam. 

His ear freed apparently just for the ease of making friends, Lauriam sighed before gamely going in for the high-five. “We’re pretty sure I’m 16, but it’s close, either way.” As he went in, though, uh…

“Ey, too slow! Now down low!” Demyx laughed, putting his hand down as Lauriam went for the five, essentially challenging him to catch up… and when Lauriam seemed to falter, Demyx just laughed and went, “No worries, no worries, here, I’ve got you!” Grabbing Lauriam’s wrist and doing a quick series of highs, lows, and palm slides, before patting Lauriam on the shoulder as he laughed. 

Then he looked over at Ienzo, grinning mischievously as he reached out, “Want to give it a shot? Up top!”

“U-uh…” Lauriam hesitated, not really sure what to…do. Looking a little put off as Demyx puppetted his wrist into some complicated show of weird high fives. 

Terra gave Aqua a look. …did they make their kid weird?

6 looked up at Demyx for a moment…before right behind Demyx’s head, a loud SMACK of a hefty high five rang out. 

“...” Demyx grinned, blinking… before he snorted. “Ooooh, okay. You’re the funny one then, huh? You know what? Full respect! Love a good bit!” He laughed, clasping Ienzo’s shoulder and looking around. “Alright! So what are my need-to-knows? Or is it too early to get into all of that? If you tell me, Demyx, buddy, you should spend your first day enjoying this cool beach, I will not argue with you! I’ve never been to a beach before!”

6 tilted his head a little. Buddy? 

“It’s not a bad idea. We can’t really--or, rather, we won’t--show you any of the other worlds until work’s done for the day, and it’s a bit of a high ask for you to make your world your first day.”

“Especially without explaining it all the way,” Terra said a little sheepishly. “Though it’s kinda another big thing, Demyx, if you’re not ready for another?”

“He seems pretty ready,” Lauriam muttered, crossing his arms and standing back on a hip, looking away. Feeling…weird. About someone in such high spirits on their first day. 

“Is it the ‘being the conditioner’ thing? Terra already told me about that one,” Demyx said, deflating a little as he sighed, “That really does suck. Though, I’m hoping that since it seems like a pretty decent set of folks are actually doing the conditioning, we’re probably not, like… evil about it. Not ‘muwahahaha’ing–”

“HA HA HA HA!” A man cackled above, Demyx startling with a little ‘eep’ sound as he looked up to see a man sitting on the wall Axel and Isa had been leaning against, smirking down at him with a full grin, his canine teeth more pronounced than seemed really realistic as he said, “Oh, sorry, did I scare you~ You made it too easy. Love the getup, by the way. What are you supposed to be, a rockstar?”

“I mean…” Demyx looked down at his clothes. Having barely registered it that he wasn’t wearing the clothes that he had been given going into the facility, but more something he’d wear on the outside. “...yeah? Basically yes. That is the vibe.”

“Eh, at least you own it.” Xaldin snickered, his expression amused. And not necessarily… innocently so. Something aggressive in it, as he rested his chin on his palms. “One of you lot escaped their fate again, huh? Shame for our Specter. You look like you would have been fun to condition.”

“...okay.” Demyx said. “Weird. But alright.”

Lauriam glanced up at the laugh as well, but his expression was less startled and more…well… 

…

…it was good, to see Xaldin outside his world. At least. Lauriam had tried to talk to Xaldin after…everything. He knew a lot of them had. But it seemed like the general consensus was to let Xaldin grieve for now. Not try to rush anything, at least beyond still having to condition. He and Marluxia had talked about trying to take a few more people on, to take some of the burden off Xaldin, but when they were dividing Indentured it seemed like Xaldin was more than eager to take his usual sizes. Maybe even more. 

…Lauriam just…wished he knew what to do. Or say. They were all hurting from Inzi and Zinxi’s deaths, but it felt different, when you lost your partner. 

He’d planted a few flowers by the wall where the door used to be, along with a folded paper spider. It didn’t look half bad, he had to say. 

6 blinked up at Xaldin. “...it did seem like Demyx’s fears are more on the abstract side, so I believe Zexion would’ve enjoyed the puzzle. Unfortunately, Demyx is quite aware and capable.”

Sighing a little, giving Xaldin a softer, but still warning look, Aqua explained, “That’s one part of it, actually… A lot of the folks you just met aren’t actually conditioning, but Zexion, Axel, and Xaldin are what we call Nobodies--constructs we’ve made to actually perform conditioning. Safety hack so we don’t all drive ourselves crazy having to torture people everyday.”

“And…each other,” she continued, “Because as people connected to the island, our minds are connected to each other too.”

“Oh, so like… like…” Demyx faltered, before shaking his head, “No, actually, I have no idea what any of that meant. Connected to each other?”

“Congrats, kid, you’re joining the hive mind! Get comfortable with the idea real quick, we frame it like an ‘option’ but it’s really not.” Xaldin snickered, kicking off the wall and, literally as soon as he landed in the sand, appearing beside a startled Demyx. “Need the power source direct from the tap, or you don’t get to make a big fancy world to work in, or cool assholes like me~ You wanna take a look though my world? I can give you a first-hand show of what you’re expecting.”

“Okay, youuuuuu have a weird energy going on, I’m gonna take a respectful and urgent step back here,” Demyx said, putting up his hands and stepping away from Xaldin, then another few nervous steps as the man just chuckled at that, “What’s his deal? He has a deal, right?”

“I do have a deal, yeah. I’m one of the Nobodies they’re talking about. So is Specter over here too, actually,” Xaldin said, nodding to 6, “Only unlike him, he’s still working and I am taking a break while some lady gets eaten alive by scorpions. You should come see my scorpion pit sometimes, they’re cute little things. The stinging and poisoning is how they show affection~” Xaldin chuckled, the laugh not quite reaching his eyes. 

Terra sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Explaining it as an option is more just trying to ease you into things, Xal’s right. As you saw? The physical world sucks. This one makes everything, well, bearable, honestly. But part of how we survive here, how some of us are able to condition at all, how we rely on each other? Is being mentally connected.” He tried to give Demyx a more encouraging smile. “It can be a little overwhelming, but I like to think of it as having a bunch of people I love and trust with me all the time. Like the ultimate rally!”

“Xaldin,” Aqua sighed softly, though she met his gaze head on, “Demyx is one of us now. You could wait a sec before trying to scare the piss out of him.”

Blinking, Terra did a small double-take. “You’re - aw, sorry Zex, really thought you were Ienzo for a sec.”

6 blinked right back at him, before giving Xaldin a skeptical look. “...I am Ienzo. Zexion and the others are still working through the rest of our group.”

Lauriam squinted, shoving that skeptical look right back at 6. “...hold on, I am not falling for this again,” he muttered, trudging up to 6 and summoning his sketchbook, flipping to a page of blue color swatches, holding them up to the construct and comparing.

“Pfff. Like I don’t recognize 14 when I see him. Pull the other one.” Xaldin snorted, before clasping Demyx on the back. “Alright, rockstar, Aqua is this close to scolding me, so I’m gonna run away. When you’re ready to learn about the joys of conditioning, hit me up! Everyone else is gonna talk about it like it’s suuuuuch a drag, but it’s a good time if you have the right mindset! Back to the scorpion pit for me. Later everyone.” Xaldin snickered, giving them a two-fingered salute, before heading off. Disappearing in a single step.

“.....okay, I’m not a fan of that guy, gonna say it now. He’s weird,” Demyx decided.

“No way you’re 14, you’re way too bright blue for that,” Lauriam grumbled, still squinting through his swatches. 

6 didn’t clarify anything, just giving Xaldin a small wave as he left. 

Terra gave Demyx a small smile. “Well, I won’t argue weirdness, but give him a chance, Xaldin’s a great guy. We’re just…goin’ through some stuff right now.”

“Xaldin’s cool,” Lauriam seconded, before squinting again at 6. “...2, you know if your dad’s busy? Even usually jumps at the chance to explain mechanics, and I really don’t think any of us are qualified to explain Empathy to the point Demyx needs.”

6 shrugged a little. “I know Vexen’s busy, but I’m not really sure what Even’s doing today. But I could try to explain things.” Looking down, 6 shifted his weight a little anxiously, smiling bitterly at the ground. “I do have a scientific mind.”

“You said that so sadly,” Demyx said, before reaching over and clasping, uh, ‘2’s’ hands. “Teach me the ways, oh mighty teacher! You discovered me, you might as well go the whole nine-yards with me! I’m all yours!” Demyx grinned, shaking the younger teen’s hands enthusiastically, “Lead me well!”

6’s whole body, to a point, was shaken by Demyx’s enthusiasm, and, well…the teen could only give him a more genuine smile, saying softly, “I’ll do my best.”

-

Marluxia sat back, watching with irritation as bubbles left his lips in the underwater arena Demyx had made. At first, when he noticed Lauriam’s trepidation towards Demyx, it just made Marluxia want to see the guy more himself. Force Lauriam to stop being a fucking coward by forcing the issue. Though, when he actually met Demyx, he didn’t know a single person who could be so…

Annoying. 

The guy was just as ‘bubbly’ as his world, but with all sorts of conversation jumps and just a stench of patheticness around him that set Marluxia’s teeth gritting from the first damn thing out of the guy’s mouth. Everything about him was just…loser behavior. 

Marluxia didn’t tend to try and see other Nobodies’ creations, just fine having met Axel and Saix after the fact, and he had been planning on missing what Demyx would do too, but…

(...Raxter did point out that yanno~ there was always the chance Demyx would mess it up, and wouldn’t that be fun to see? Though, yeah, yeah, kid, he knew Mars was busy, all work no play these days, that’s what happened when you turned 60~ What, you’re 16? Nah, he didn’t hear wrong, just look at how stodgy you are--)

…so, yeah. Marluxia was here to see the show. Weird underwater physics and all. 

“Ooookay, okay okay okay,” Demyx said a bit nervously, grinning and hopping in place, the underwater physics making his hair wave in a way that he thought gave his mullet so much presence! He loved his underwater world! The stage, the fish, the colosseum seating! They had told him he could make anything he wanted, and while he had been worried he didn’t have a clear idea what he wanted other than ‘something musical and underwater’, his imagination had apparently filled in the gaps without him, because this place was INCREDIBLE! 

…and noooow he needed to make its star. 

Which was!! Exciting! And scary!! “I feel like I’m about to meet someone, rather than create them,” Demyx admitted with a laugh.

“Oh no~ Look out, Demyx~” Marluxia crooned, “You just might get the ‘remember they’re not real people’ talk even faster than Lauriam. Honestly, that’d be a little impressive, considering I think he got it maybe an hour after I was made.”

“Boooo!” Czativ crowed, hopping around the new stage in town, “Don’t listen to the hater, Demmy-boy, you’ll hurt our feelings saying we’re not real!” Her voice growing breathier and poutier, she leaned forward at her hips, hands on them. “Y-you wouldn’t do that to your Nobody right away, r-right?”

“A-ah, no!” Demyx stuttered, smiling even as he looked away, clearly feeling shy around the singer. “No, I’ve gotten a few different talks now, and I think I get it! You… you’re respectful to them, and listen and–”

“Heh, I know that talk~” Viz smirked, draping her arms around Czativ’s shoulders, tilting her head and pursing her pouty lips at him, “It’s more than about respect. It’s care~ We make them, we need to take care of them. If you just let shitty thing after shitty thing happen to them, they end up really erratic and weird. Right, Dilan?” 

Dilan, who was sitting with Marluxia, startled at the callout, before sighing as he rubbed his temples. Everyone had something to say about the new Xaldin situation, and it was actually a bit odd, how little Dilan was willing to talk about it. Seemingly just wanting to dodge the question of ‘Did Xaldin need help? Did he need fine-tuning?’ until it stopped being an issue, one way or another.

“Well, look, I still don’t entirely understand exactly how Nobodies are different from, uh, Somebodies. I mean, it sort of just seems like they’re us.” Demyx shrugged. “But! Don’t worry, I really have been putting some thought into my Nobody. I think I’ve talked to nearly everyone about it a little bit, and out of everyone’s advice, even as weirdly as he gives it, Xaldin’s made sense–”

“Oh, no,” Even sighed, standing off near the side of the stage, “What on earth did he tell you? We’ve explained before, Xaldin is having a bit of a Moment right now, his advice might not come from the best places.”

“No, no, so, I’ve been thinking about it, and he’s right! It’s not fair to make someone exist to do something I hate, and make them hate it too. If my Nobody has to torture people every single day, with no way to really say no or take a break? Then I should design them to love what they do. It’s only fair,” Demyx argued, “Xaldin’s a weirdo, but he really does seem to love his job, and I’d like my Nobody to be in as good a mood as he is, when he finds some creative new way to throw someone under a boulder–”

“Ugh.” Dilan grumbled.

“--or make spikes fall from the sky on top of them–”

“Why is he doing this? Please stop,” Dilan grumbled again.

“--Or this eating a frog trick he told me about, where the Indentured is supposed to reject eating the frog because they realized it was poisonous, and they’re supposed to leave feeling smart, but uh oh, they touched it already and it turns out just absorbing it in the skin leads to a painful, trippy death! He seemed so happy when he was explaining that one to me. You can tell he’s really passionate about his art.” Demyx grinned.

“It’s not art, it’s just torture,” Dilan grumbled into his hands, now just covering his face as he sunk into his chair.

“And I want that same sort of passion and joy for anything I create!” Demyx said.

Czativ giggled a little, dropping the act as she leaned into Viz’s arms, giving Demyx a little nod, her rabbit ears flopping with the movement. 

It wasn’t even bad logic, but even so--

“Rub it in more, why don’t you,” Marluxia scoffed, patting Dilan’s shoulder, “You know? Maybe you don’t even need a Nobody, you seem to do the torture thing just fine just opening your mouth. Or art, whatever. Just make a few restraints in these chairs for a captive audience and boom, conditioning done, probably even before you’re done yapping.”

“On your period, Mars? I know I’m new, but you do seem more bitchy than usual,” Czativ called before hopping up, colorful fish swimming away from her like coordinated lights as she sang, “If it’s making a song, let’s get started!”

Demyx pouted at Marluxia–if Marluxia didn’t like Demyx, then Demyx wasn’t exactly helping the situation by, admittedly, not liking Marluxia very much either. Lauriam was cool enough, if a little tough to have a conversation with sometimes, but Marluxia? He was going to end up in a fight with this guy one day, no doubt–before scoffing, turning away. “Yeah! We’re making a song! That’s what this is! The toughest, most passionate, hardcore song there is!” 

Demyx put his hand in the air, grasping around a sitar that formed against his palm, before cheerfully shouting as he hit the strings, “DANCE, WATER DANCE!” 

Demyx focused on his sitar, making up a melody on the spot. He wanted something aggressive, but pretty. Something you could dance or fight to. Maybe even something a little ominous. 

And as he played, somewhere, accompanying his sitar, an organ piano started to play. 

The water around them started to spin and move, at first naturally, like a tide, but quickly gaining strength, a whirlpool forming in the center of the stage. As Demyx continued to play, beneath the stage, bright, flashing lights started to crackle through the whirling pools, the fish that had been swimming there caught inside of it. Flashing lights starting to dance through the underwater tornado like a disco, Demyx caught in its center and lifting up, laughing at the theatrics of it all… before gasping as around the stage lifted up eight, massive tentacles. “Oh shit,” Demyx whispered, watching the tentacles aimlessly wave through the depths above the stage, hinting that something massive was beneath them now.

But he didn’t stop playing, and within the rushing sounds of the tide, he heard a loud, shrieking laughter. Something forming in the bubbles in front of him, before green eyes peeked back at him.

It was actually a little eerie, how much she looked like him, as the woman screamed out, “Ladies and Gentlemen! Welcome to my debut performance! Try to put your hands together—oh, whoops~” 

Larxene landed on the center stage, smirking as the whirlpool disappeared, Demyx staring at her just slightly off center himself, as she said to the audience, “Too late.”

And metal bindings reached out and shot around Marluxia and Dilan’s arms, yanking them down onto the arm rests, pinning them down. 

“Hey good-looking! Not gonna lie, loved the idea!” Larxene called out to Marluxia, biting her tongue out at him and giving him a wink as she said, “Why don’t you test it out for me, handsome? We’re on a deadline, gotta figure out my act soon! I know you don’t mind~” She laughed, reaching up her hand in the same way Demyx did when he wanted his sitar and–

“Woooooah, woah woah woah!” Demyx said, grabbing her wrist and lowering it, now looking thoroughly freaked out as he said, “We don’t test torture stuff on our friends! Wow, you are coming on waaaaay too strong already! I think I overdid it!”

“Ugh. Don’t be a buzzkill.” Larxene scoffed, trying to shake Demyx off, who held on tight, “I wasn’t going to do anything! Just, like…. Feed them to my giant kraken monster. No biggie.”

“Big biggie!” Demxy insisted, holding on tighter.

As Demyx played, Czativ nodded her head to the melody as it came together, finding the beat. She wasn’t the type to upstage another artist, not when they were playing something straight from the soul, but with a song like that? She couldn’t help dancing, or the inherent pulse of a beat that followed her movements.

Even as the stage effects started going off. 

Marluxia had watched the show a bit bored…but admittedly, he did lean forward a bit, watching in interest as things started going haywire, massive tentacles shooting up from around the stage. Did…this guy really make his Nobody a giant squi--

Marluxia blinked as his arms were restrained, mind just echoing ‘good-looking?’ after the girl said it, before--

“PffffffffffHAHAHAHA WHAT?!” Marluxia cackled, laughing so hard he was starting to tear up, “No, no, Dem-Dem, let her cook! Careful darling, some people might consider this a dream come true rather than a waking nightmare~”

“That happens, I let them have one good time before I try something new on them. I’m not a monster! Right, ‘Dem-Dem’? You have to–hrrrngh!” Larxene tried to wrench out of his grip again, putting her leg up to jab her foot into his thigh, trying to kick off him now, “Respect! Gah! Your Nobodies! Remember!?”

“Larxene, respect doesn’t mean feed my friends to whatever the heck is below us!” Demyx said, leaning backwards to keep his grip, Larxene now literally standing on his thigh trying to wrench herself backwards, “What is underneath us?! I didn’t put it there!” 

“You wanted me to be creative and passionate, of COURSE I was going to hit the ground running! Try to keep up! Gah—AH!” 

Demyx lost his grip on her just as she yanked hardest, the two both falling and splaying across the stage. It looked… very much like siblings arguing, as Larxene quickly shot up, smiling brightly and posing with a peace sign up to her chin, “I’m okay~” while Demyx sputtered on his hands and knees, glaring up at her. 

“Okay, can someone get us out of these bindings?” Dilan called, not even having tried to wrestle out of the cuffs, “What was her name, Larxene? Welcome to the island, Larxene. But I am not a test audience.”

“Booooo!” Larxene shouted at Dilan, before giggling as she looked at Czativ, giving her a wink as she said, “Sorry to steal your bits, sexy~ I’ll make it up to you later, I promise. Love the outfit, by the way, really flatters your curves.” Larxene smirked, making a show of looking her up and down.

“Uh oh.” Viz snickered, an almost lazy amusement as she said, “Another of my type? Inzi would have hated this. Absolutely losing her mind, right about now.”

“Please, I’m the best, everyone just needs to give me a chance. Or don’t, I’ll take it either way.” Larxene shrugged.

Even sighed, stepping up. “Welcome, Larxene. Good job, Demyx, she’s… quite effective already, it would seem. Though…” Even helped Demyx up, placing a hand on his shoulder as he leaned in to whisper, “We can talk about what it means to make refinements later.”

“Go refine yourself, old man, don’t hate me because I’m perfect,” Larxene scoffed, “When do I get started? I’m itching to get my hands on a real audience!”

Marluxia was inconsolable, just melting in laughter as he watched Larxene and Demyx fight. He didn’t even care that he was in restraints, this show was too good, why’d he even want to leave? Damn, she was already good!

“Hey, imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and all the best artists steal,” Czativ giggled, winking back, before she gasped, fanning herself dramatically. Hopping between her feet, she clasped her hands as she pleaded to Viz, “Vizzy, she’s so cute, can we keep her pretty, pretty please?!”

Barely able to catch his breath, red-faced Marluxia grinned deliriously at Dilan. “Bet dish-duty that she blows her load immediately?” he proposed, not lowering his voice at all from the stage, “She’ll send some sucker absolutely catatonic.”

“Damn, she might,” Dilan realized, frowning. She was way too enthusiastic, and seemed to be having zero learning curve when it came to how to manipulate the world or Demyx’s abilities. “...I’m going to ask all the Nobodies to spend some extra time training her. I think you’re right, I think she’d overdo it if left to herself.”

“Man, if only that wouldn’t suck,” Marluxia sighed wistfully…though there was a glimmer of excitement in his eyes. Something competitive and lively and just excited, that hadn’t been there for a long time. 

His hand open, even in restraints, Marluxia moved his fingers in subtle movements…before suddenly shooting out from the constant currents, streams of kelp shot towards Larxene, twisting and entwining her in her own set of restraints, kelp-dwelling fish hurriedly swimming her way to reclaim their homes. 

“Gah! What the heck!? Hey, who’s the wise-guy siren!?” Larxene shouted, before ‘eeping’ as she tried to pull herself from the kelp, “Demyyyyyxxx! DO SOMETHING! GET YOUR WORTHLESS SOMEBODY UP!”

“Oh, uh, shoot!” Demyx scrambled up, earnestly trying to pull the kelp from her arms, before ‘eeping’ himself, “The fish are biting me! Bad fish! Bad fish!” 

Dilan burst into laughter next to Marluxia. “This is a mess,” he laughed. 

Even raised a deeply unimpressed eyebrow, before calling, “Larxene, I believe your ‘audience’ is retaliating. Please release them now.”

“Fiiiiiiiine, whatever!” Larxene scoffed, making a small motion with her fingers, the restraints around Dilan and Marluxia releasing, “I’ve only been alive for five seconds and I’m already being scolded. No wonder Xaldin’s still so pissed off.”

Demyx blinked. “You know Xaldin already?”

“Uuuuuh yeah? I know what you know. You didn’t make any sort of memory block, genius.” Larxene scoffed, “But don’t worry, I’ll definitely make one for us. Pretty sure we’d drive each other crazy sharing dual perceptions all of the time….NOW GET ME OUT OF THE KELP!”

Marluxia laughed unapologetically, spurred on even more by Dilan’s laughs. “What, like you expected this to go well? With this guy?!”

“In the deepest ocean, the bottom of the sea~ Hmmmmmmmmm~ Weeeeeeird fiiiiishes~” Czativ sang, looking wholly content to just watch the blonds contend with the kelp, though she snickered a little at Marluxia. “S-so mean today~! We did wonder if we’d get to see a first crush from you, Mars.”

“Oh please,” Marluxia scoffed, getting up once the restraints were opened, and very, very kindly directing the kelp back to its natural places, “Sure, sure, I know we’re all desperate for gossip in here, but pure fantasy will only get you so far.”

“Heee~ already getting called out, huh Marluxia?” Larxene snickered, crossing her arms and sneering at him, “I could see you being the kind of guy that simps.”

“Woah, hey, you do not know him well enough to joke like that,” Demyx scolded her. “You don’t know him at all! At least wait to be introduced before you taunt someone! Apologize!”

“Uuuuuuuh,” Larxene raised an eyebrow, looking challengingly at Marluxia, “Do you want an apology?”

(Marluxia did not know what ‘simps’ meant. Lauriam didn’t know what ‘simps’ meant, so Marluxia didn’t know, so he could only assume that either it was something from another part of the country, or slang that had developed over the past…handful of years, and thus they wouldn’t know.)

(But not knowing something had never stopped him before.)

Marluxia raised an eyebrow right back, before smirking haughtily. “If you’re offering, know I’ll gladly accept a full Submission Bow, with full groveling of course. You won’t get extra points for crying, but they do add some flavor.”

Larxene nodded. “Fair, fair… well, I’m not a real person, sooooooo get on it, Demyx,” Larxene said, turning to her Somebody, “Go ahead.”

“What!? I didn’t do it, why should I apologize for it!?”

“You made me. Take accountability.” 

“I am NOT doing a submission bow for Marluxia! He’d take it too far and cut a finger off or something!” 

“It wouldn’t even be your real finger, stop being a baby and apologize to the guy already, sheesh, you’re making this so much of a bigger deal than it needs to be.”

“Well, I think that’s about as much as I can take for now,” Even said, “Demyx, congratulations on a successful Nobody creation. Larxene, I am… certain I will enjoy getting to know you.”

Larxene smirked, giving him a wink. “Right back at you, hot stuff.”

“Indeed,” Even said, looking to Viz, “Would you like to join me for some refreshments in your world?”

“Would I like to join you in my world. Way to invite yourself,” Viz laughed, before nodding. “Sure, let’s go gossip about the kids. You can stay or go, Czativ, no pressure either way,” she said, Viz and Even heading into the water.

Marluxia could only grin more as Larxene shuffled all accountability to Demyx. Oh hell yes. He wouldn’t say he missed out much with Axel and Saix, but maybe there was something to seeing a Nobody get made, if only to see them at their most unhinged. 

“Well, Demyx?” Marluxia cooed, spreading his arms out over the stage, “We’ve got this whooooole new flooring that could really use some hands and knees on it. A forehead too would really bring things together.”

“As much as I’d bring so much, just so much more to the gossip table if I watched more, I think I’ll come along,” Czativ laughed, grasping Larxene’s shoulders to spin the girl around playfully as she kissed her cheek and gave a wave and a wink, “Should letcha settle in more. See you around, cutie~”

Larxene’s whole face turned red at the kiss on her cheek, literally placing her fingers against the spot as she watched Czativ leave with the two Somebodies… and when they left she announced, “I’m gonna breed that rabbit.”

“Nooooo you are NOT!” Demyx shouted, looking absolutely scandalized, “What are you talking about!? You just met her! You haven’t even had a meal with her!” 

“I’ll eat some food off her stomach after I’m done railing her,” Larxene said simply. “Does that count?”

“NO!” 

“Gooood luck with that one. That is a fight I lost what feels like a thousand years ago,” Dilan huffed, standing up. “I’m out too. Good luck, Demyx,” he said, jumping into the water.

“Pfffff!” Marluxia snorted, snickering endlessly again at the turn of phrase, barely managing to collect himself enough to give Dilan a wave as he left. Wiping some tears, he nodded, backing Larxene up. “Forget wining and dining, strike while the iron’s hot, darling. Though,” he said, amused, “considering how Viz’s Nobodies usually end up, I’m sure you could find common ground even if you miss your chance with Czativ.”

“What happens to Viz’s Nobodies?” Larxene and Demyx both said at the same time, before glancing warily at each other, the movement oddly mirror-like as they both said at the same time, “Don’t do that.”

Marluxia snorted at the sync. “You guys really have no barrier at all, huh? Anyway,” he waved a little, “Viz says it’s cruel to subject a Nobody to a ton of cruelty and just leave them to it, so every once in a while she remakes them. Czativ only joined up a few months ago, when xX Azvi Xx started getting bummed out or something. Apparently she made this crazy song or something, I dunno, Lauriam heard it. Then before that was Mixvaz, who was around when I was made. I’ve heard of a few others, but those three are the only ones I’ve met.”

Demyx frowned, while Larxene just put her hands on her hips and huffed, “Is that what she means by ‘take care of’? Taking the lame horse out back to get its throat slit, more-like.”

“No, it’s… probably not like that,” Demyx said, sounding very uncertain. “...and even if it is, it’s meant to help, right? Or something?”

“Uuuuh, yeah, about that,” Larxene said, snapping her fingers. 

One of the giant tentacles, which had receded back into the water, shot out and wrapped itself around Demyx, lifting him into the air as he screamed. 

“If you ‘refine’ me? You better make sure it sticks! Because you only get one chance to ‘refine’ me before I take it soooooo personally!” Larxene called up, before snickering as he screamed, the tentacle waving him around. “....anyway, yeah, I’m gonna breed that tragic rabbit. All of her bounces, how can I resist? Hey, you!” Larxene shouted up to Marluxia, “Anyone else here worth meeting? You gotta make your claims early if you’ve called dibs!”

Marluxia shrugged with indifference. (...not really. Sometimes…it still felt like he saw glimpses of Azvi and Mixvaz in Czativ. He knew they weren’t really gone, as much as they had ever been there in the first place, all of them just smoke and mirrors and an intense game of pretend for their Somebodies, but sometimes it didn’t feel like they were gone when you bought into the game either. Like the person that had deadpan scoffed at his dramatics, and liked to invent things with him was still there, just in a rabbit-shaped costume.)

(So being remade didn’t seem so bad. Sort of.)

(He’d still be pissed if Lauriam tried.)

Snickering a bit as Larxene made her own stance on that clear, before he raised an eyebrow at Larxene and scoffed. “Oh? Didn’t pay that much attention during Dem-Dem’s intros after all? Well, I’m sure you’ll find plenty of the others to your dismal standards, if you were flirting with Even,” Marluxia rolled his eyes, before keeping his head high, “Even if they’re all I’m stuck with, I can do better than them. I’m not going to lower my standards just because there are limited options.”

Though, he quickly looked to the side before leaning down to whisper in Larxene’s ear, giving her the gossip. “...though Aqua and Terra are married, and so are their Nobodies, Aaxqu and Raxter, same deal with Even and Aeleus and Vexen and Lexaeus, sort of; I am like 90% sure there’s something between Lea and Isa, though it seems casual so go ahead; Ienzo and the Zexions I won’t even bother warning you about because I think trying to flirt with a concrete wall might be more engaging, so keep that in mind when you’re bored. …and Xaldin’s partner just died.” His voice softened slightly. “You seem the type to believe in rebounds, so I’ll warn you now--don’t go there. Wait a few more months at least.”

“Oh shit, really?” Larxene paused, considering all of this… before saying, “I need to hear more about all of this. I’m gonna take a cue out of the hot old guy’s act and invite myself to your place, you can fill me with food and info~ Demyx!” Larxene shouted up at the tentacle monster, “I’m going to Marluxia’s place!”

“Ahhhhhhh!!”

“Cool!” Larxene shouted back, before looking at Marluxia, “I am invited, yeah?”

“Obviously,” Marluxia rolled his eyes, putting an arm around Larxene’s shoulders as he started leading the way to his world. 

-

Demyx had gotten the usual two weeks wiggle room to settle in, but once those two weeks were up and his first quota was assigned? Marluxia had balked at the number. Since he had been created, it always seemed like newbies got smaller quotas, another strange gesture of humanity from the supervisors, and he…guessed this was smaller than theirs, but it was still, like… Over twice as many Indentureds as he first got. Sure, sure, he knew their quotas had been rising, but…

Even for a Nobody that took to conditioning swimmingly, it was just…too much. No room to get in the swing of things, have time to fix any first time mistakes. Sure, he’d made that comment about her obliterating her first Indentured, but Larxene was cool and he didn’t want her to…

Lauriam didn’t do much, that next week. Just resting and sending as much of their energy into Marluxia’s use. But even then…

-

{...guys,} Lauriam had quietly sent at the end of the week, {...we didn’t make quota.} 

And that was his warning, before as anticipated, he was dragged out of their sector by the supervisors.

-

Lauriam was pretty.

That wasn’t a surprising fact, not even really to him, even if he didn’t think about it much, but it was true. He didn’t really talk with the Indentureds, and any comments from the others had kind of faded into regular conversation over the years, but he’d been called pretty enough as a kid that it was just something Lauriam knew about himself, even if getting older had changed some of the context. 

Fluffy bright pink hair, gorgeous dark green eyes framed by long, elegant pink lashes, the kind of nose people would call ‘regal’, soft-looking lips that, despite the circumstances, seemed to naturally fall in a soft, sweet smile. It was more than that too, with long limbs and shoulders that had broadened out, though tapering to a waist that just begged for hands to encircle it, and…

Well. That ass.

Supervisor Donna wasn’t attracted to the demon, no, she might’ve been newer to the job, but she was not about to immediately fall for a demon’s temptation, but considering it was something the other supervisors mentioned too, it would really just be more weird if she didn’t notice how pretty Lauriam was. 

Even glaring at her as he was strapped to the gurney covered in holy sigils.

And especially as he sputtered and gasped once she pulled the lever back from dunking his head in a dump sink full of water. 

Yeah, Donna could get used to this. Timing it just right so he could never fully get his breath back, sometimes holding him back until bubbles appeared on the surface of the water, letting it linger, making him think that maybe she wasn’t going to bring him back up, only for his coughs to come from the very center of him as he struggled for air…

There was a certain rhythm to it that was entrancing to her. 

It wasn’t as bad as the Quiet Room, but being around so many sigils was always disconcerting. What had become a constant drone of background noise in Lauriam’s head was reduced to whispers he could barely hear, and he couldn’t get his door open either. Like this, it was just him, Marluxia, and their dimming field, as Lauriam could feel Marluxia’s panic and fear and rage, could feel the base survival instincts of their body being triggered over and over, and…

Lauriam opened his eyes underwater, starting with a panic before he was roughly tilted up, coughing up water. There was a pained stiffness in his neck and a bloated burn in his chest that reminded him far too much of… But he could feel the strain all the way down his back, and pooled in his stomach was a squeeze of stimulation that-- “GGRaaaGgbgble!!”

Lauriam screamed as he was plunged under again, tensing against his restraints as the supervisor felt him up between his legs, palming and stroking his dick.

Coming back up, he tried to kick her off, only for Supervisor Donna to scoff. “I can tell you’re enjoying this, freak, don’t pretend. You were getting hard even before I did anything.” She grinned cruelly at him, sending the lever down again. “Let’s see what a demon’s really made of~”

It was a blur, marked by the haze of being waterboarded, Lauriam gasping for breath each time he was pulled up, usually not even having a chance to scream as his struggles weakened. At one point, his pants had been shoved down to his knees, the rough strokes down his cock and squeezes around his head making him want to piss and throw up, which, briefly, got him a slightly longer stretch of air as he swallowed mouthfuls of water. Hazily, he heard laughs and sounds of disgust, the swirling nearby voice explaining in a laugh, look, look at the demon perverting Atua’s love. 

There was a moment where it all became too much, but the sensation never stopped, and as a sticky hand pressed over his lower stomach and thighs, sliding between them to press so hard into his perineum he did throw up, it felt like the moment would never end. 

By the time Lauriam was dragged back into the Empaths’ area, pants haphazardly pulled back up over his cum-smeared middle, head and shoulders drenched, he was in an unresponsive heap on the floor. 

-

It was Dilan who found him, and for the moment, Dilan was the only one who knew. 

He had collected him wordlessly when he had seen the signs he suspected, not wanting to alert the others. He honestly wasn’t sure how Aqua and Terra would react, or even Even and Aeulus, for that matter. And he wanted to spare Demyx and Ienzo the sight, if he could, as he headed into the bathroom. 

Lauriam was wet enough for Dilan to guess… at least half? Of what had happened? Though it made him a little ill to think of how one half of it could have led to the other. Either way, he knew better than to put Lauriam in the shower. Instead he laid the kid down alongside the drain on the center flooring, having put down a towel to brace against the cold, before getting up and announcing, “I’m turning on the sink to wet a sponge.”

Then he did so.

As soon as he had been able to escape from his own mind? Lauriam had bolted.

It was almost impressive, how quickly he’d managed to escape from everything else too, curled up under one of the casino tables in Luis’ mind, a bottle of everclear already half downed as he’d chugged as much as he could in one go. 

Having to catch his breath after it made him want to throw up. Or maybe that was just the booze. 

No response. That was probably bad.

Dilan finished wetting the sponge, before sitting down next to Lauriam. Staring warily at him.

…he wished he could say this was the first time he had done something like this, but it wasn’t. It didn’t happen often, thankfully, but… Supervisors sometimes went against their own rules. Dilan was pretty sure it was a rule, not to do this sort of thing to them. If it wasn’t, he worried it would happen more often. He, Even, Aeleus, and Viz and Inzi, none of them were hugely attractive, he thought, if only because age had done its work on Even, Viz, and Inzi, and Dilan didn’t consider himself and Aeleus traditionally attractive. 

Not that long ago, he might have even added Luis to that. Dilan didn’t see Luis’ attractiveness. But not long ago at all someone else had, and there had already been a few rough nights of Luis trying to, but failing to, not talk about it.

Dilan would have assumed Terra or Aqua would be next, really. He had no idea if anything had ever happened to either of them, and hoped that because he didn’t know, nothing had. He hoped the same with Ienzo. But the relatively newer guys? Demyx, Lea, and Isa were all blatantly attractive, in an undeniable way, and Dilan had already been a bit worried about them…

…he guessed he had just… forgotten. Or not noticed. That Lauriam was getting older. Filling out. He had hoped Lauriam wouldn’t be taken advantage of in the way he hoped Ienzo wouldn’t, in taking advantage of a child, but Dilan realized a part of him subconsciously had thought Lauriam was out of the danger zone now, edging later into his teens. 

It hadn’t occurred to Dilan that Lauriam would now be attractive to the Supervisors for other reasons.

Dilan hesitated again as he went to wash the obvious cum off Lauriam’s stomach. He knew he should check to see if Lauriam was bleeding, if they had gone that far, but damn, he really didn’t want to. He kept waiting for Lauriam to suddenly be conscious. To be afraid. Dilan didn’t want to frighten him.

But as he washed him down and considered grabbing another towel to dry him, and Lauriam still didn’t snap back, he knew he’d have to. 

Meanwhile, in Luis’ head…

Luis was not always aware someone was in his world, and that was largely by design. Perhaps that was a bad idea, to disconnect oneself and compartmentalize to the point that your world–your mind– would not consider you needing to know if someone was in it as the default, but Luis was someone who had learned to take unhealthy coping mechanisms as a way to save his own life and embrace it. Was it good what he was doing? No. Was it better to not do those things and face his psyche clear of anything? No.

Not yet. Not like this. Just no.

So! He rarely knew anyone was in his world. He had no alerts or defenses to tell him. It had literally been pure coincidence, seeing that hint of pink, that clued Luis in as he wandered drunkenly the casino, oh! One of the garden duo was here! 

…under the table?

It took some effort, but Luis managed to get down on his hands and knees without actually falling, blinking at–yeah, Lauriam, no doubt–before saying, “My world usually isn’t the place people go to get some shut-eye, lad, though…” he glanced at the everclear gripped in Lauriam’s hand, “I guess if you’re looking for a knock-out, that is something I can provide. Otherwise it’s very loud here. As I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

Lauriam was already slack and glassy-eyed, lips wet as he muttered a quiet, “Go away…” before tipping the bottle back again, once more chugging as much as he could in a breath. Tremors going through his body, as he gagged a bit, pulling it away. 

Lauriam didn’t drink much. Like, at all. He’d made his case, had gotten the ‘only with meals and supervised and one’ allowance, had realized that booze was pretty gross, and hadn’t really felt enticed to try it again. He saw often enough what being drunk was like, through Luis, and it had taken most of the mystique out of it. 

…but what he did know about being drunk, from Luis? Was that if you were far gone enough, you couldn’t feel anything. Or remember anything. 

“Something happen, lad?” Luis asked, or at least tried to. What he said was, ‘Shumthin’ ha–haphen, nng’ before he rested his forehead on the thin carpeting. “....’m gonna make myself less drunk.”

Letting his arms collapse under him, Luis groaned a bit, before turning over and laying on his back, eyes closed as he muttered, “Less drunk, less drunk, come on, less drunk…”

It took a few minutes of Luis literally laying there and muttering to himself to get less drunk, but slowly it did happen. It didn’t happen instantaneously because he was too drunk to make it work like that, not unless he was out on the island or in someone else's world. In here, where alcohol was law? His mind fought to keep him that way.

But little by little his mind cleared, and staring tiredly at the ceiling, Luis thought about how he really needed a drink, as he asked again, “Sorry, I’m a bit better now. Something happen, lad?”

The casino was Luis’ mind, and alcohol was indeed law. Maybe it didn’t always work that way, Lauriam didn’t know, he wasn’t exactly a frequent patron to the bar, but as Luis forced himself to sober? 

So was Lauriam forced to. 

As his eyes focused, and everything started feeling real again?

“Nonononononono stop stop,” Lauriam quickly muttered, cringing into himself as regular trembles started to come over him. He choked on a sob, before bringing his bottle up again and chugging. And chugging. And gagging a bit, as he instinctively sucked in air through his nose, but didn’t stop drinking, and he was drowning and--

“Hhhhhnnnnnnn! HKK!” Lauriam whined a cry, stuck under a self-made shower. 

Luis reached over and took the neck of the bottle, righting it while still leaving it in Lauriam’s grip. Frowning in concern as Lauriam seemed to convulse, trying to gasp the burning liquid down.

“......alright, well, if I’m going to drink, I’d rather do it at the bar, or in one of the sitting circles,” Luis said after a minute, “Come on, if you come out from under the table, the faster I can get a drink again, alright?”

Lauriam folded over himself, sobbing. He didn’t want to come out. He didn’t want to move or think ever again. He just wanted it to stop--

Marluxia appeared in a flurry of petals, grasping withered red ones tightly in his grip before they closed around Lauriam, looking furious…for as much as it was obvious he was crying too, looking wrecked. 

“Luis,” the teen croaked, voice cracked and broken, “Just leave us alone. I’d rather he drink himself to death than go braindead immediately.”

“...alright, alright,” Luis said, putting up his hands, nodding as he let his eyes dip to the floor. Not wanting to look directly at Marluxia while he was clearly this upset. “I’ll just… be over at the bar. I’ll leave you be, you guys can take whatever time you need. Do you want me to call anyone here? Your folks or…?”

“NO!” both teens shouted, before Lauriam wailed over his booze, and Marluxia sharply turned away, taking in short, violent breaths as tears rolled down his face. 

Eventually he threw down the fading withered flowers, pressing his hands over his eyes, sniffling. “...fuck… I gotta… move our body or…” The Nobody started trembling violently, as a surprising soft sob shuddered through his chest. 

Luis nodded quietly, retreating over to the bar area. He could see Lauriam and Marluxia needed help, but… help might be easier to give, later. When they had cried it out a bit.

-

Tears started welling in Lauriam’s body’s eyes as it started to shake, Marluxia fronting with sheer will and grit. Even if he immediately started to vomit water. 

“Oh, shit,” Dilan whispered, immediately tilting Lauriam’s shoulder over to push him on his side, making it easier for him to vomit without swallowing it back down, “You with me at all, Lauriam? You’re not bleeding anywhere, I was just about to go get you some dry clothes.”

Marluxia immediately punched at what touched him, eyes widening in panic as he tried to push himself back. Forcibly hunched as more vomit came up, but trying to see everything, hyper vigilant. But, after a moment, registering that it was Dilan (Dilan, friend, safe), Marluxia tried to speak. 

It didn’t quite work, as he just threw up again, but he wiped his mouth with an arm before pleading in a wrecked, quiet voice, “Don’t tell Mom and Dad.” 

“Not right now, yeah,” Dilan said, not worried about the punches against his arm, just firmly holding Marluxia’s shoulders and arm. He didn’t want to let go and let Marluxia choke. “Ah, fuck… they hurt you really bad, Mars…”

Because he could recognize Marluxia in the same way Luis recognized Lauriam. Body or not.

Marluxia shuddered in Dilan’s grip, still trying to jerk away to an almost involuntary degree. Even as every other type of tension in their over-exerted body faltered, making for an odd experience of lax tension. 

Bile dripping from his lips, Marluxia sniffled through a furious cry. “What the fuck is wrong with them?! I-it’s not enough that - that they fucking beat us? B-but… But…” A sob wracked through him as he threw up another mouthful. “I’m gonna fucking MURDER THEM.”

“I’m sorry, Mars,” Dilan whispered, watching him vomit again, before saying gently, “I’m going to wipe your face, alright?”

Marluxia shook his head a little, mouth tight as he held back another sob, eyes squinted with tears. “Please stop touching me.”

It was confusing, because immediately after he whispered to himself, “Why’d he do that, he knows I’m supposed to take them…”

“...well, we know he doesn’t like seeing you hurt,” Dilan said, gently letting Marluxia go when he felt confident he wouldn’t just immediately tip into his own vomit, “Maybe he thought he could handle it.”

Marluxia seethed through tears as he curled into himself to aid in staying at least semi-upright without Dilan’s help, though he winced in pain as he bent his hips slightly. Tensely he muttered, “We were getting waterboarded, that’s almost even stereotypical capital T torture, what sort of moron does he think he is…”

“You all are meant to do our torturing for us. It’s… more of a choice, if we ask you to take our torturing for us. That’s… some of us can handle it, some of us can’t. Some of us try even if we can’t.” Dilan paused, before saying softly, “We don’t want to lose you all to damage. I know sometimes we sound colder about it, but we really don’t. I’m sure Lauriam feels the same way about it.”

…sometimes he really didn’t know why Lauriam was so attached to him. He had some hunches, on the rare occasion he actually thought about it, but he just… He knew the others kept telling Lauriam over and over that Marluxia was just a tool, he wasn’t actually a person, just a defense to keep sane, and the two of them fought all the time and hardly hung out and…

And it was almost overwhelming and embarrassing knowing, because they did have the same mind, how much Lauriam genuinely loved him. Enough to…

Marluxia crumbled back down on his side, covering his head with his arms. “We weren’t into it,” he protested in a weep. 

“Of course you weren’t.” Dilan said gently, “They forced it onto you. There’s no gray line, regardless of however it went once it started. You didn’t want it.”

Marluxia just melted into the floor more as he cried. “We didn’t want it,” he repeated, “W-we’re not just…j-just fucking freaks that get horny over a-anything, our body just sucks, a-and we didn’t…! She’s a freak f-for…for touching up some guy she tied to a plank, a-and… They’re all monsters, who the fuck even…calls in a room of people…”

Dilan winced. Ah, that was a much clearer picture…

(...it was a bad sign, if it was multiple supervisors at once. That was a very bad sign. Every other incident had been one or two, the supervisors only daring to risk trying it with someone they trusted. If this was a group event? Something had changed… it was a bad sign…)

“Your body…” Dilan bit his lower lip, “...when you were being dumped, was your head laid flat on the plank, or was it hanging off the end? Putting pressure here,” Dilan said, turning around and tapping the bump at the back of his neck.

Marluxia squinted over, peering through his elbows, before collapsing back. He sniffled, “Hanging off. I just…couldn’t move a-after a bit and…” he hiccuped, another set of trembles going through him, “...but wh-when Lauriam kicked me out… Fucking bullshit, h-how strong those…ff…fucking restraints are…”

Dilan nodded, tapping his four fingers now to the base of his skull, where his head met his neck. “This is what happened: they put pressure on the center of your neck, and that in turn, put pressure here. At the base of your brain. When enough consistent pressure is applied there? Regardless of anything else… the body gets an erection. One that can last for hours, just from the pressure on your brain.”

Lowing his hands, Dilan said softly, “That’s what happened. Your body wasn’t secretly aroused by what was happening to it, it’s not some psychological hiccup, you didn’t secretly find all of it charming and enchanting. It’s a very well-known and well-documented physical reaction to putting pressure around the neck. Put enough pressure on the neck: you get an erection. There was nothing you could have done about it.”

Marluxia peeked out at Dilan again, looking a bit…desperate. Listening to Dilan talk in a calm, soft voice, and explain matter of fact what happened. Science bullshit, here’s how it works. It’s known, knowledge that’s proliferated, it wasn’t you just…

Marluxia sniffled again, another wave of tears coming over. “...he’s not fucking choking himself every other time, though,” he muttered, just pure humiliation, fear, and vulnerability wafting off the teen. 

Dilan paused at that…

“…Marluxia, what’s been happening,” Dilan whispered gently, “We’ve been keeping secrets again?”

“What, you want a report every time Lauriam tries to get to the bathroom by himself?” Marluxia bit, though the venom in his voice was offset by the way he cringed more into the floor, shaking.

“No,” Dilan said, smiling lightly. “But you and I know this isn’t that. Marluxia, man, look at me. This is me, it’s Dilan. No one else is here… Look, can we put you in some dry clothes? I can’t tell if you’re trembling in terror or just realizing how damn cold this bathroom is.”

Marluxia sniffed for a few moments, looking over at Dilan, before he swallowed thickly. “...I don’t think I can get up,” he whispered. “...Di, it hurts so much.”

“Well, that’s why you have me to help. You’re taller now and all, but I can still pick you up when I need to,” Dilan said, smiling again… before his attempt to keep light clearly broke a little, his smile straining, “Marluxia, I don’t want you shaking naked on the bathroom floor. Can I put you in some dry clothes for my own damn sake? This is breaking my heart.”

Taking a few deep, shaky breaths, it was obvious Marluxia was trying to calm himself down. And eventually, he nodded a little, though he said softly, an incredible amount of trust being shown to Dilan, “Just…i-if I say stop, stop touching me…o-okay? I wasn’t even…” Marluxia swallowed hard. “...Lauriam’s trying to drink himself into a coma right now.”

“Luis’ place?” Dilan asked, like there was anywhere else he could possibly go for that. Standing up, he said, “I’m going to go get your clothes real quick. Just breathe, I won’t be two minutes.”

As he went to go collect some clothes, he sent out {Luis, incoming. Lauriam’s in your place and he’s not in a good way.}

{Oooooooh yeah, I know, he’s very motivated to pass out, I think.}

{God dammit, Luis, are you drunk? Sober up, I need you to help Lauriam.}

{(◜▿‾ ≡‾▿◝) allllllready doing my beeeeest~}

Dilan huffed, before considering Xaldin. Great, who did he send to try to comfort Lauriam, the guy still grieving his partner, the guy still trying to get over his own rape, hell, let’s add in the parents that just lost their baby, that should be fine. Lauriam would never forgive him if he told Even and Aeleus, he barely knew Isa and Lea, Ienzo was a no…

{Xaldin, could you pull your head out of your ass long enough to help out Lauriam? He’s trying to drink himself to death at Luis’ and Luis isn’t coping. I need someone to make sure Lauriam’s not going to hurt himself.}

Xaldin didn’t respond, but Dilan knew he’d go. He just hoped he wouldn’t act like a total ass when he went…

Coming back with fresh clothes, he sat next to Marluxia. “I’ve asked Xaldin to go check on Lauriam. Luis is also there, but he sure as hell doesn’t sound like he’s in the headspace to help anyone.” Dilan sighed, bringing up a shirt and showing it to Marluxia, “Want to start easy with the shirt?”

Marluxia didn’t argue with that, indeed just trying to breathe. Dilan did return to a bigger vomit pile and Marluxia shuffled a little farther away from it, regardless. 

“‘N know,” he quietly muttered, “Did something…bad. I dunno what it was, but I had to stop him. Be bad if he thinks he’s dead again…”

…Lauriam would be humiliated to have Xaldin see him. There was a part of Marluxia that hoped Lauriam would get to the point of feeling that humiliation. 

Swallowing thickly, Marluxia nodded and tried pushing himself up again, already weirdly feeling himself breathing heavily and dizzy just getting onto an elbow, having trouble keeping his head up. Still, he dumbly reached for the end of his shirt, trying to pull it off. 

“I’m gonna grab your shirt and pull it over your head, alright?” Dilan asked. 

Marluxia took a slow, heaving breath, flexing his hands a little, before he nodded. Squeaking out an, “...o-okay…”

Dilan moved slow and obviously. Taking the end of Marluxia’s shirt, he pulled it up and over his head, moving it around the curve of his ears before tossing it aside. As he did that, he let Marluxia maneuver himself to lift his arm, before offering, “We can try to sit you up to put the new shirt on. Is it alright for me to lift you?”

Marluxia looked down, his lips wavering a little. It…hurt. A lot. Between his legs. Maybe because it was just a place he never thought about, even considering that he was definitely the one fronting less of the two of them, but however it worked, it hurt, and it seemed like the sort of thing that would hurt more if he sat up, and all that just made him think of a hand pressing up between his thighs and--

A sob caught in the echo of the bathroom as Marluxia cringed into himself, only able to whimper as he furiously shook his head. 

“Alright, we won’t do that then. Let’s just… we’ll bundle the shirt around your neck, and then lift your arm one at a time, yeah?” Dilan offered next. 

It took a few harried breaths, but Marluxia nodded, closing his eyes as Dilan started on that, pulling the shirt over his head, and Marluxia slowly getting his arms through each hole. 

But while the garden duo’s return had only initially been seen by Dilan, it didn’t mean that everything would remain that quiet. 

It was an immense test of will that kept Aqua from pushing aside the curtain and storming into the bathroom, her fists trembling at her sides from the sheer effort she was putting into holding herself back. She’d heard the sob, and Dilan’s voice. If Dilan hadn’t immediately gotten her or Terra, then…

{Dilan, they brought Laurie back? Can I come in?} There were strong, blatant feelings of worry in the intent, Lauriam’s misery not exactly subtle across the island. 

{...he didn’t want me to call you. Or tell you, for that matter. I could ask him now, but I think he’d have a meltdown.}

{It’s not good.}

{...}

Aqua squeezed her eyes tight as she let out a slow, measured…aggravated breath. 

{...okay. Just…take good care of him, okay Dilan? And when he can hear it, remind him that his dad and I are here. I’ll…}

Aqua looked around for a moment. As if that would solve the helpless feeling pressing on her skin. 

{...I’ll let Terra, Aaxqu, and Raxter know to give them some space.}

…nothing she could do for her kid. Again. 

{Of course I will. I’ll let you know how things are going.} Dilan promised, letting Marluxia rest now that he had his shirt on. “...alright. Some clean drawers and dry pants sound good next, right?”

Marluxia’s mouth wavered again. Though after a moment he hummed a short affirmative. He briefly glanced down at himself, as if he was just noticing now, “...you cleaned e…everything?”

“Yep. No bleeding, like I said,” Dilan said, “You were out of it for all of that, which a part of me was grateful for. I’m going to put my hands on your waistband next, alright?”

“W-wait!” Marluxia squeaked, his voice fizzing out in the sudden energy, a hand flying to his waistband first. …even if it was no competition. Because Dilan hadn’t moved. And it was fine anyway, because Dilan had cleaned him of that psycho shit th-the supervisor did, and they’d all seen each other naked plenty of times and…

…it was Dilan. Marluxia knew Dilan wasn’t going to hurt him. 

Taking a few frightened breaths, Marluxia let the kneejerk panic pass, before he nodded a little. “...okay.”

“...Dad said something’d be really wrong, if I started pissing blood,” Marluxia muttered. “...’m all good?”

“That wasn’t where I checked for blood, but no, I didn’t see any blood there either,” Dilan said, again moving slowly and obviously. Grabbing Marluxia’s waistband and saying, “I’m going to pull them off now, alright? If you can, help me kick, they’re really wet and clinging onto you.”

Taking slow, calming breaths, Marluxia leaned more onto his arms and nodded. He gave Dilan a quiet, ‘three, two, one’ before clenching his jaw and forcing the burning muscles in his legs to move, trying to squirm out of his pants. Even as little ticks of pain flashed through his expression. 

It was a pitiful victory, that they got his pants off without Marluxia bursting into tears again. 

Still, he flashed Dilan a quick humiliated look. “...don’t think that happened.”

“That’s for the best,” Dilan said, tossing the wet clothes aside, before asking, “Do you want a quick dry before putting on the new stuff?”

Marluxia paused before nodding. Finding it within himself to blush as he muttered, “Think I can do that myself…”

Dilan nodded, leaning back to let Marluxia do what he needed to. “...you know you’re not alone in this, right? I don’t know if that’s comforting or not, but considering it seems like this wasn’t the first time this had happened? You know it’s happened to others. Hell, even recently… it’s not something you had to shoulder alone.”

Marluxia was quiet as he dried himself off…before that victory was lost, his eyes burning again. “...I know. It feels so…stupid, to think that…that it’d never happen to us. W-we were even with the newbie, not that fucking trashpit loser, we didn’t…”

Marluxia sniffled, tears just falling in drops off his face. “...was the first time. But…Tengan…” 

“...” Dilan sighed, holding up the underwear, “You ready for this?”

Marluxia looked at them for a moment before taking another steadying breath, getting ready to--

His eyes widened for a moment as he hurriedly leaned back over to his vomit pile, puking again. Though he just glared tiredly at Dilan when he’d barely finished, giving a small nod. 

Dilan smiled sympathetically. “Sure, you look ready. But alright, I’ll take your word for it. We’re going to put these over your ankles and then we’re going to draw them up. Shouldn’t be hard till the very last bit. Alright?”

“Okay,” Marluxia whispered back. And Dilan was right. In the part of him that was slowly becoming aware of anything but endless crying, it burned in humiliation, but getting his underwear on was fine.

Until the last bit. 

Dilan was careful, as he helped pull the underwear up, but even so, as he brushed by Marluxia’s lower hips, the teen’s eyes rapidly widened as he quickly muttered, “Stopstopstopstop!”

Dilan did. In fact, he calmly let go, putting his hands up so that Marluxia could see for himself that he no longer even had a grip on the underwear. “Okay.”

For a few moments, Marluxia looked like he was choking, just pure panic…before slowly, he took in a deeper breath, and he slumped against the floor. Defeatedly shifting as he tugged his underwear up to something half-decent, at least. 

“...this is so stupid,” he whispered.

“Not really. You’ve been seriously hurt. Recently. People flinch and shudder if they’ve been beaten and someone raises a hand around them, why would it be odd for you to not feel safe with hands against your hips?” Dilan said, “You have to be careful with people, after their adrenaline has been shot through the roof for too long. Even people who do this for fun will sometimes react like this, it’s that instinctual.”

That was why they had break times for the Indentureds. Go too hard, too long, and…

Marluxia’s eyes spilled over with tears again. “...but I’m not even a real person,” he squeaked, before genuine fear shuddered through his body. “I don’t want Lauriam to kill me.”

…because that’s what you did, with broken constructs. With ones that talked of wanting more, or were sad too often, or were so…stupidly scared that…they might not be able to do the one thing they were meant to, when failing that in the first place was how you two got pulled into this whole mess. 

The quotas weren’t just going to pause, because they hadn’t made one. They’d be expected to get right back to it tomorrow. Marluxia would be expected to get right back to it tomorrow. 

…he didn’t want to do anything but just…curl up into a ball for a while. 

“...I don’t think Lauriam would do that, even if the rest of us begged him to,” Dilan admitted, “In truth, I’ve found with all of us? You’re either the kind of person who can, or the kind of person who can’t. And which one you are shows really early in the process. Even can. Viz can. Lauriam? No, I don’t think he can. I think you’re here to stay, Marluxia.”

“And I don’t know if you’re a real person,” Dilan said quietly, picking up the pants and showing them to Marluxia, “But I know you’re here now, and you’re upset and scared. And I want to help. Are you ready for these next?”

(...Marluxia noted that Dilan didn’t mention himself. But he kind of thought it was obvious.)

Maybe Marluxia really should’ve taken it as a sign that Lauriam wasn’t reforming him all the way back when his Somebody had decided to literally stay awake all the time in the most depressing place on earth rather than bother Marluxia. …that stupid, loser idiot. 

“...maybe just ‘cause he wants to die so much,” Marluxia wetly mumbled, sniffing in hard, before he nodded, arranging himself to help pull the pants up next. 

“Does he?” Dilan asked, before saying clearly, “Same deal as the underwear. Let’s get them on your ankles and then pull up. Alright?”

“Alright…” Same as before, Marluxia pulled up, narrowing his bloodshot eyes a bit as they got near the top, just repeating and reminding himself, this was Dilan, his dumb, brilliant dorky friend, not anyone else, and he’d stop if Marluxia said anything, and he wouldn’t hurt him… And while his breathing sped up a little, they did get his pants on in one go. 

“...he just…thinks he’s already dead sometimes,” Marluxia muttered, “So it’s like nothing matters if it happens to him. Or he’ll… I dunno. He gets weird sometimes. And…it felt like if he did pull off that flower thing earlier, maybe he really would’ve…”

Marluxia frowned, looking more upset than the annoyance this might’ve spurred normally. “...feel like people’d still say it was my fault if I ‘got out of hand’ if Lauriam made me the only one of us.”

“He ‘thinks he’s dead sometimes’?” Dilan asked, before leaning back and putting his hands up again, “Voila~ You’re in dry, clean clothes. You did it, Marluxia, good job.”

Glancing around the bathroom, he said, “I’d think… the next thing to do is to quietly make our way out of here, and see what ingredients are still left in the kitchen. Food and water to replace everything here on the bathroom floor.”

“I talked about it with Xaldin once, ages ago,” Marluxia hummed, not quite looking thrilled to have done the monumental task of getting dressed. …though dry clothes were more comfortable. Wiping his eyes a bit, he murmured, “He never did get it quite right.”

Looking a little dismayed to have to leave the bathroom, Marluxia took a long, deep breath…and with the same grit that he used to wake up their body in the first place, he pushed himself up on weak, shaking arms, moving up onto one of his hips…

And promptly leaning forward to vomit a little more, a squeak of a pained noise leaving him as the pain between his legs shot right up into his stomach. 

Dilan caught him, whispering, “Hey, it’s alright, I’ve got you, I’m here. Let’s just breathe for a bit, alright? Breathe…”

Marluxia stubbornly resisted for a moment before letting Dilan support more of his weight, following the suggestions and just breathing. Waiting until the pain eased away to…well. Not sharp, at least. 

Head dropped forward, Marluxia let out a little miserable sound. “...you’re not ever allowed to hold carrying me over my head.”

“I could probably hold you over my head,” Dilan said easily, his voice low and whispering as he started the little shuffle to the door… calling out {We’re heading to the kitchen. Could you pretend to still be asleep? He’s calming down, but I haven’t convinced him to talk to you guys yet.}

{😟}

{Got it. Thanks, Dilan.}

Marluxia kept his head down as they went into the main room, refusing to even acknowledge that the others existed. He knew, vaguely, that the others were…aware. Lauriam had given everyone a heads up about their punishment, they’d been expecting them back, it was…hard to hide intense emotions when they weren’t separated by bullshit magic. 

But he just couldn’t…

“Fat chance,” Marluxia whispered back, the sound barely there, but still petulant, “You’d throw your back out.”

“I do my exercises with Aeleus, I lift various heavy objects. I lift Ienzo over my head all the time, he’s a fantastic barbell,” Dilan chuckled softly, making their way to the hallway, “Don’t count me out yet, young buck.”

“But, seriously… Lauriam thinks he’s dead?” Dilan asked, “What are we? Hallucinations?”

“Ienzo’s also like three pounds soaking wet,” Marluxia muttered, certainly not accounting for the fact that Lauriam was maybe six pounds soaking wet, and it all came from height. “If you try, you’re gonna drop me on my head and crack your spine and start swearing you can tell what the weather is, which none of us will ever be able to prove, so you’ll get insufferable about it.”

Marluxia took a shaky breath. “...more like he’s a zombie, I think. Like he’s a dead person in a living world. He tries not to say anything about it ‘cause he knows it’d freak you guys out.”

“He thinks he’s a zombie, huh? I don’t know if I should be worried. He is pretty young still, kids get crazy ideas stuck in their heads… What are you guys? 13? 14?” Dilan asked leadingly. 

“If we’d only been here a few months, I’m just throwing in the towel,” Marluxia muttered, closing his eyes for a few moments. “We’re 16, I think. If it is summer, like ‘Enzy got out of Demyx before the head secretary got him? Then we’ll be 17 in…some amount of months.”

“Eh, still young enough to get a dumb idea stuck in your head. Though, in truth, you’re never too old for that either,” Dilan sighed, opening the door to the kitchen and shuffling them inside, “Let’s sit you down, I’ll make something.”

…they’d be 17 soon, huh? 

…heh, it was almost fitting, then. Three years was basically nothing. It was closer than…

Marluxia’s eyes were watering again even before Dilan set him down on a chair, though he clenched his jaw tight as he immediately leaned forward on his thighs, trying to breathe. Though, that position wasn’t much of a reprieve either, especially for overexerted muscles, and Marluxia quickly had to lean back again, his arms shaking before he eventually just wrapped them around himself. 

Dilan looked him over to make sure he wouldn’t topple over, before heading into the kitchen. Opening up random drawers. Tea was always available, Dilan suspected because they were easy to move in bulk, but other things could be far more touch and go. They usually had ingredients, the supervisors didn’t want to starve them, but whether those ingredients equaled a recipe…

“....I can slice some apples up and mix them with some cheese and chicken strips. Add a glaze of honey. How does that sound?” Dilan asked. 

Marluxia shifted to sit on his side in the chair, resting his head on the back of it. “I’m gonna throw up again, if there was literally anything left in my stomach,” he groaned. “...it’s good. Thanks, Di.”

Pressing the edge of the chair backing into his temple, Marluxia’s voice came out quiet. “...Lauriam knows an apple pie recipe without apples. Poke him into making it, sometime. If you guys can still stomach his cooking.”

“Don’t play like he can’t cook, Marluxia, you know he can.” Dilan huffed softly, starting to cut the apples. “Sometimes I worry about how you two fight, and the way you talk about him, Marluxia. I know we all talk like Somebodies and Nobodies are distinctly separate, but… I don’t know if we are. And it’s not good to spend so much time insulting yourself. That sort of thing feeds itself.”

“I can cook, I just don’t want to,” Marluxia sniffed, before he scoffed lowly. “Oh you’re one to talk about that. And don’t just say that you hate yourself, if you’re trying to call me out for something ridiculous.”

“Why would I hate myself?” Dilan asked, genuinely confused… before he scoffed. “Oh, because Xaldin and I argue a lot? Hating yourself and being disappointed by what you’re capable of aren’t the same feeling. Though damn if I can explain how they’re different sometimes,” Dilan muttered, warming up the chicken strips on the stove. 

As they warmed up, he filled a glass of water, bringing it to Marluxia. “And Xaldin only hates how I think of him as a Nobody. Which I think he hates, because if I was in his position? I would hate it too. Sometimes I think it came down to a flip of a coin, that I’m not. When we first make our Nobodies? Sometimes I wonder if the person who first made the Nobody was really me… or if I’m someone else now, cut in half. The light to Xaldin’s darkness. No more wholly an individual person than he is.” Dilan turned off the stove, pushing the chicken into the bowl of cheese and apple slices, before grabbing the honey and running it over the top. “...like I said, I guess there’s no age limit to dumb ideas being stuck in your head. Lauriam’s dead, and I’m half a person. Not sure what it really matters either way, in the long run. It sure doesn’t change our day to days.”

Marluxia opened his eyes a little, just to give Dilan a patronizingly skeptical look. “Honestly sometimes I think you say worse shit to Xaldin than apparently I do to Lauriam. At least we share our world, and I don’t tell him to sit and move and stay like we’re rehearsing a musical and he’s always off cue.”

For a moment Marluxia just looked at the glass of water, before with a shaky hand he took the glass. Just…holding it for a bit. Giving Dilan another wary look was far more interesting and deserving of his focus anyway. “...uh, no, I think he hates how you belittle him. Think that’s a big part. Or, hells, he might enjoy it, since you guys just revel in guilt.”

…if they were each half a person, from the moment the Nobody had been created? Then…why were the Nobodies…

Marluxia sighed, scrunching his eyes shut and forcing himself to take the quickest, tiniest sip of water. 

“...what if I don’t make quota again?” he asked in a small, worried voice. “I can’t put us through that again. Not immediately.”

“He has everything past the door. What more does he need?” Dilan murmured, shaking up the ingredients, before bringing the bowl back to Marluxia. Grabbing the second chair and taking a seat with his legs around its backside, resting the bowl on the top of the chair backing. “And if he wouldn’t act so recklessly, I wouldn’t need to rein him in so much. If he wants to behave poorly, then he wants to be treated poorly. Let me know when you’re ready to try a bite.”

For Marluxia’s question… “I don’t know,” Dilan said honestly. Sadly. “I know very little about all of that. I know the quotas are getting higher, I’ve even heard Xaldin grumbling about it. I don’t know what too much means to you all. Perhaps you can speak to the others, find ways to collaborate?”

“We have four rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen, what more do we need~” Marluxia taunted, mimicking Dilan’s tone but making it sound, well, way more stupid. Because that’s how Dilan was acting. Stupid. “If they weren’t blights against god, we wouldn’t need to enslave them~ If they don’t want to follow the rules, then they want to be punished~”

Marluxia groaned a little, taking another tiny sip of water. 

Before his eyebrows arched in a little, looking…tired. And hurt. And scared. “...they’re not just getting higher, they’re getting astronomical,” Marluxia said quietly. “My first week? I was assigned three people, because I was new, so I could get in the swing of things. Larxene’s new, low ball starter set? Seven. They’re expecting us to get through more than double the amount of people in less and less time. This isn’t just…like taking on an extra person or two when you know someone’s having a rough week.”

It killed Marluxia to say, but, “...if the numbers keep going up the way they have, we just…can’t. But that isn’t logistics, that’s just an excuse to punish us more.”

Dilan smirked lightly at Marluxia’s mockery, before sternly reminding him, “Don’t knock the four rooms. You remember when you first got here? One room with a door we couldn’t open. Guarded trips to the kitchen to collect whatever slop they made for us. Four rooms and a kitchen is nothing to scoff at.”

“........and we can do more, than just negotiate for chairs and rooms and ingredients,” Dilan said, “I’ll talk to the other Somebodies, we’ll figure something out about the quotas, alright? We’ll find a way to get them back down to a do-able level.” Dilan paused, before saying a tad apologetically, “We’ll try.”

“But for now? You need to eat. Though… is Lauriam still drunk in there?”

Marluxia smirked a little back. “I could’ve said, they have one room, how much more. And yeah, that sucked. This is leagues better. And actually being free would be leagues better than this. Keeping someone confined doesn’t make it good, when it could be worse.”

The smirk dropped as he tried taking a slightly bigger sip of water. …he’d appreciate the Somebodies getting the numbers dropped, really. Marluxia had no idea where the numbers were coming from, but he had a sinking suspicion that if the others bargained hard for more leeway? Then the supervisors would keep jacking them back up whenever they wanted to see how far the Empaths would go to bring them back down. 

Marluxia was made to win, but even he didn’t know how to win this. 

Frowning a little, Marluxia closed his eyes, trying to feel his connection to Lauriam…

-

Once Marluxia had left, Lauriam had just continued to weep over his bottle, though that didn’t stop him from periodically drinking as much as he could. And as his stomach churned and his head whirled, a smoldering, charring fire replacing his esophagus, Lauriam’s eyes started to glaze again. 

-

Luis gasped when a hand wrapped around the top of his skull and yanked his head up, his vision spinning as dark blue eyes peered down at him through the swirl.

“Oi, sheepherder. Where the fuck is the kid?” Xaldin asked.

“W-hat? Can’tshu hear the crying?” Luis asked, his blinks lagging behind each other.

“If I could hear him crying, you think I’d be bullying you about it?”

“...yesh?”

“Whatever, I’ll find him,” Xaldin scoffed, letting Luis’ head fall back down on the counter, looking around, “Lauriam! Ey, Dandelion!? Where you hiding!?”

It wasn’t so much a call in response, as there was just a thump against one of the tables and a wet hiccup, before Lauriam sort of…just spilled out onto the floor a little. Looking gone. 

Luis shifted his head to look at the other side of the room, before lifting his hand and pointing in the general ‘rest of the casino’ area. “‘E’s there.”

“Thanks mate, don’t know what I would do without you,” Xaldin grouched, following the noise and squatting down, looking beneath the table. “...the fuck are you doing under the table?”

“‘S..z’better th’n onnit…” Lauriam mumbled, Xaldin just a dark shape in his blurred vision. Blurred because his eyes were hardly open and he was drunk as shit, yeah, but also because of tears still beaded in his eyes, even if Lauriam wasn’t exactly hysterical still. 

“You’d be easier to find on it. You’re crazy if you think I’m about to lay down on Luis’ dirty-ass floor. You just know he imagines these carpets as sticky and dirty as they’d be in real life.”

“Ey! I run a cl-asshy sh-joint!” Luis shouted from the counter.

“Mind your business, blondie! I’ll deal with you later!” Xaldin called back, before looking back under the table. “You about to throw a fit if I drag you from under there?”

Lauriam had no idea. He didn’t think he could feel his face anymore. That was probably a good thing. 

Unfortunately there were still some things still bouncing around in his brain, and the teen shuddered, sloppily bringing his arms up around his head. Murmuring, “Don’ tou-sh me…”

“Uh huh,” Xaldin said, reaching in to grab Lauriam’s arm. 

A flinch went through Lauriam’s whole body, and he uncoordinatedly batted at Xaldin’s hand while simultaneously trying to scrunch himself under the table more. An aborted whine clicking in his throat. 

Xaldin ignored the battering, grabbing Lauriam’s wrist and pulling him out from under the table. “Look at you, covered in… what the hell are you even drinking? Everclear? You gave the kid Everclear!?” Xaldin called back to Luis.

“I dun ‘give’ anyone any’shing,” Luis muttered sadly, cradling his bottle of vodka. 

“Great, I’ve got one sad bastard moping drunk in the corner and a thrashing drunk brat covered in alcohol and still no idea what’s going on. Fantastic,” Xaldin muttered, still dragging Lauriam out. 

Lauriam didn’t give up trying to drunkenly slap Xaldin’s hands off his wrist, though the rest of his body did go limp, Xaldin literally dragging him out. He murmured something indistinct for a moment, before hiccuping, “...astk th’ bar f…high proooof. S’gross…”

Mostly out from under the table, Lauriam went fully limp. Muttering, “Dun’wanna t’ink ‘bout it…”

“Of course it’s gross, you’re borderline drinking bleach,” Xaldin said, pulling the bottle from Lauriam’s hand and tossing it behind himself without much care where it shattered. Hefting Lauriam up into his arms before looking around, deciding to sit him down in one of the lounging chairs in the sitting area near the bar. 

Laying Lauriam out, Xaldin called to Luis, “Can you bring me like peanuts or something? Water? Could you just calm it down on the fucking drinking, how about that!?”

“Everyone’s alway’sh so noshy,” Luis muttered, still half sleeping on the counter, “Jus’ let the lad drink, ‘s been a hard day.”

“This is way more than destressing from a hard day!”

“‘S more reason to leave ‘m the fuck alone…”

“Luis, I’m gonna beat your drunk ass silly later,” Xaldin muttered, squatting down to look at Lauriam head on from where he was laid out on the couch. “The hell happened, Dandelion? Punishment was that bad this time?”

Lauriam didn’t even try to hold onto the bottle. There was probably more he could push it, but it was harder to even lift the bottle now and…well. This was a way to exist, he supposed. 

Starting to choke a little on his spit once Xaldin set him down, Lauriam managed to turn more into his side, just drooling down his face as his eyes drooped. The broad-leafed plants in the pots surrounding the sitting area, arranged to enclose it for some amount of high class privacy, started to wilt, petals all falling off of a withering tropical flower. 

Lauriam just curled into himself more, closing his eyes as he shook his head into the seat cushion, murmuring again, “Dun’wanna thingk ‘bout it…”

“...” Xaldin watched the flowers wilt from the corner of his eyes, frowning… before he sighed, pushing his hair back over his shoulder, “Ah, shit. They got handsy with you, didn’t they. Shit, I worried this was coming…”

Lauriam grimaced, hiccuping a deeper sound as he brought his arms up, missing his ears, but trying to block them one way or another. 

“Shtop,” he grumbled, swallowing uneasily. 

“Ah, shit, Lauriam, I’m sorry man,” Xaldin said, genuine regret lining his face, “It’s not something any of us ever wanted for you. But, shit, maybe we should have talked to you about it more…”

Lauriam just tried to cover his ears more. He didn’t want to talk about it. He didn’t want to talk, or hear about it, or think, or…

Or anything. Or be. He just…

Lauriam’s arms went lax around his shoulders as he lost control of those muscles, sagging more in the seat as withered red petals started flopping over the ground. There was no Marluxia to interfere this time, but it seemed that was alright, Lauriam not having the energy or control to actually do anything with them this obliterated. 

His breathing grew heavier as everything just seemed to press down on him, the world spinning even with his eyes closed. 

Xaldin frowned at Lauriam’s heavy breathing… before determinedly he muttered, “Make some room for me, Dandelion, who the hell said you got to claim the whole couch?” as he lifted Lauriam’s head and shoulders, sitting down on the couch, grabbing one of the throw pillows, and putting it over his crotch before he let Lauriam’s head fall back down on it. Putting an arm around Lauriam’s side as he settled into the couch, unconcerned with how Lauriam was initially reacting to the new position.

Lauriam shuddered a bit as Xaldin grabbed and maneuvered his upper body, but moving any more than that seemed to be beyond him. Just sitting there though, laying over Xaldin’s lap…Lauriam started silently crying again, and not just because of the vertigo battering over his head. It seemed a little counter, though, with the heavy breaths getting slower, not quickening with emotional distress. 

“Yeah, yeah, cry it out. Best thing for it right now,” Xaldin muttered, gently just keeping Lauriam steady against himself. “It’s a shitty thing that happens, man. No one wanted it to happen to you. I remember me, Vexen, and Even talking about it a thousand years ago, trying to think of how we could prevent it… No one liked my ‘break your nose’ idea. I still think it’d have given your face some character.” 

“...I’m sorry we never thought of anything. It’s one of those things we can’t do anything about. Not any of us, really,” Xaldin murmured. 

It was hard to even hear things right now, but even still Lauriam found a part of himself…horrified. Yeah, he knew that…that it happened. And it was scary, and awful, and as much as every punishment made him want to fight the supervisors, this kind of… It made him want to throttle them. To get lucky and get something even remotely sharp and…

But aside from realism, it was still terrifying to hear that the trusted people in your life had been discussing the possibility that you’d…

Lauriam threw up over Xaldin’s knees. Not taking a breath after. 

Xaldin’s nose scrunched when Lauriam vomited, but as he brought his hand up to his mouth to see if he was breathing… “Hey, Luis! What do I do if he stops breathing!?”

“I dunno,” Luis muttered, “Make sure he’s still breathing in the real world?”

{Hey, Dilan, check if Marluxia’s breathing.}

It wasn’t that Marluxia…couldn’t feel Lauriam anymore. He had a feeling he’d be dead or something if that happened, or lobotomized. But their connection felt…weird. Hard to pin down, and a sort of haze that made Marluxia feel physically dizzy and…

While he’d only paused for a moment to check to see if Lauriam was still drinking, as asked, Marluxia had been quiet for more than a bit, slumping more against the kitchen chair as his breathing slowed.

{What the hell did you do!?}

{Ah shit.}

“Marluxia? Marluxia, wake up!” Dilan demanded, shaking Marluxia. When nothing happened, he checked his breathing again–still nothing–before he pulled at Marluxia’s hips, dragging him down to lay flat on his back on the kitchen floor.

You had three minutes until serious brain damage occurred from lack of oxygen. Dilan needed to call for the supervisors’ help, he knew they had small oxygen tanks. There wasn’t time to consider Marluxia’s feelings or what had just recently happened, Dilan needed to–

Hoping he could remember how this worked, Dilan tilted Marluxia’s head up and opened his mouth, pressing a deep breath down his throat.

-

Meanwhile, Xaldin scoffed, “Time’s up kid,” before calling to Aqua. {We need a healing in Luis’ mind, I think your kid is about to die from either being really fucking drunk or really fucking sad, I don’t fucking know, I don’t know how to fix either in here!}

Aaxqu sprinted into the casino, her water dark and murky, as her eyes latched onto Xaldin and Lauriam immediately. “Damnit, Luis,” she burbled, looking genuinely frustrated before she put her hands over Lauriam’s mouth. The casino quickly becoming incredibly humid, like you’d just poured a fresh ladle of water over the pit in a sauna, as clear liquid started bubbling up through Aaxqu’s hands. 

-

Marluxia shallowly breathed back, from the CPR, as Aqua and Terra hurried into the kitchen, looking at the scene in surprise, before focused, worry driven determination. 

Kneeling across from Dilan, Terra put his hands on the middle of Marluxia’s chest, quickly asking, “Have you already done compressions?”

“Not yet,” Dilan gasped, making room for Terra, placing his ear against Marluxia’s mouth. “Go for it.”

As Terra started doing compressions, Dilan listened for any shallow signs of breathing.

One, two, three-- “...gHHK!” Marluxia gasped, the haze starting to ease up enough that he could pull away more from his connection with Lauriam. His eyes rolling a little, but managing to open slightly. 

“Ease up,” Aqua commanded, coming closer now to fan Marluxia a bit, “Last thing we need is to break his ribs… Mars? Love? You with us?”

Marluxia’s lips parted around a word, unsaid, but likely ‘Mom?’

Dilan sighed, sitting back. “God dammit, Xaldin…” He knew he had his side of it under control, what the hell did Xaldin do?

-

Bubbles started coming up through Aaxqu’s hands, along with the clear liquid, and she frowned more, focusing. After a moment, Lauriam breathed unsteadily through his nose, as she continued to purge all the alcohol in his system. 

“Do I need to tell you what’s happened, or have you figured it out yet, mama?” Xaldin asked Aaxqu. 

“I have an idea,” Aaxqu bubbled, her eyes narrowed with focus. It’d be one thing, just clearing out Lauriam’s stomach. It was another, keeping his nose and airpipe clear, and trying to push water through the representation of his veins without popping her kid like a water balloon. “Aqua passed on that Mars didn’t want to see us, and I had to figure that went for Laurie too. Should’ve known better than to let him drown himself, though.”

“You can blame the blond shepherd over there for that one,” Xaldin scoffed, nodding back towards Luis, who was still laid out on the counter, “Guess you can’t ask a drunk to pull a bottle from someone’s hands.”

Aaxqu let out an irritated popping noise. “Don’t tempt me to purge him too…damnit… Fuck, love, how much did you get down? Of course he’d manage to poison himself with the first damn glass in his hand…”

Aaxqu couldn’t really be sure that Lauriam had really been trying to kill himself. For one, he probably had no idea how being mentally drunk would affect his physical body, and he basically had no experience with his limits either. …but for Lauriam to go this far? Damnit, she knew it was bad, but…

If the supervisors had really managed to break him? 

…it was for the group, that they didn’t attack the supervisors. She had to keep that in mind. 

“Shit, I’m here, is he--?!” Raxter said, bursting into the casino before flying over, looking uncharacteristically at a loss as he took in the scene. Just gently taking one of Lauriam’s hands as Aaxqu worked. 

“He’s gonna be fine,” Xaldin said, reaching over to pat Raxter on the side of his arm, “He’ll recover. Just gotta get him through the night. First night’s always the worst with these things. It’s uphill from here.”

Raxter frowned a bit at that, before looking over to where Luis was slumped over. Maybe that wasn’t the ‘worst’, but…uphill for Luis had been a nigh imperceptible incline. If the supervisors were getting bolder, more comfortable, then--

Lauriam’s eyes had barely even opened to the point any of them could notice. But they sure noticed the underwater scream that came from him as he immediately tried to shove Aaxqu away. 

She moved off him quickly, starting to say his name, to ground Lauriam a little more, but the teen practically vaulted away from the adults, looking absolutely terrified, before, with a swirl of rotting flower petals that wetly fell to the ground, he was gone. 

“Oh damnit,” Raxter cursed, his wings snapping open again before he took off, headed towards Lauriam’s world. They had been giving his son space, consideration after what he’d been through, but he was not about to just stand around with a sad expression while his kid was about to do something stupid.

“Ah, damn,” Xaldin muttered, getting up and quick-stepping out of Luis’ world, moving fast across the island and up the tree house. Heading through Lauriam’s door and into the garden.

The field looked…well, it was an awkward word for the situation, but ‘ravaged’ was accurate. Practically every flower had been ripped to shreds, petals torn and bruised as they laid discarded on the ground, and the ground was uncomfortably soft, a few of the bones underneath able to peek through the topsoil. 

And on his knees under some battered trees, Lauriam was--

“Stop that,” Raxter darkly commanded, gripping Lauriam’s wrist tight as he ripped it out of his son’s mouth, holding around Lauriam’s shoulders as his son thrashed, watery bile on his lips. 

“LET ME GO!!” Lauriam shrieked, trying to push Raxter off. 

Xaldin frowned as he landed in the field, wincing at Lauriam’s thrashing. Somehow, it was easier to handle it himself, than watch Raxter have to deal with it. Perhaps the bias of feeling in control of the situation, from being more immediately involved. 

“No,” Raxter said, the word feeling like a threat as he just held Lauriam tighter. “You are not going to hurt yourself. You’re going to talk to us and we’re going to figure this out. It’s horrible, and scary, but you’re not alone, and I’m not going to let you make yourself alone. Understand?”

All the Nobodies were ‘in control’ during their conditioning sessions, but Raxter had always made a point of that. Indentureds weren’t just incapable themselves, the world wasn’t just bigger and unchangeable, Raxter was in control, and they would listen. And even if he wasn’t exerting that extra psychic influence on his son, it was hard to fight against just the effect his words had.

And, well, more than words. Lauriam couldn’t even move his wrist mid-air, he couldn’t break out of Raxter’s grip, and even as he screamed and tried to pull away, there was just…nothing…

“Let go…” Lauriam started to sob, his struggles weakening as instead he just began to tremble, “Please…”

“Laurie, I’m not going to hurt you,” Raxter said softer, the grip around Lauriam’s shoulders becoming less iron, and just rubbing Lauriam’s arm a bit. “But I can’t just let you keep trying to run off a cliff ‘cause you’re scared. …hey, kid, you hearing me?”

Lauriam sniffled pathetically, a whine deep in his throat. 

Xaldin walked over, using a ‘huff’ to mostly announce his presence as he sat down near them. “To be honest, Rax, I mighta freaked the kid out. Wasn’t trying to be cruel about it, but in retrospect saying ‘there’s nothing any of us can do about it’ wasn’t as reassuring as I meant it to be. Just mean, you know… that he hadn’t done anything that had it coming. This shit just happens to us.”

Raxter sighed softly, rubbing Lauriam’s arm more gently. “Ain’t exactly spoutin’ rainbows there, yeah… As true as it is. Though unless you were watching him tip back the bottle, dunno how much of that was exactly you, Xaly.”

“...Laurie? Hey, look at me.”

Lauriam’s head remained hanging as he shook and cried, before Raxter gave him a squeeze, prompting him again. And, trembling, Lauriam looked up, tears spilling down his face. 

“Tell me who you’re looking at, kid.”

Lauriam just breathed unsteadily for a moment, before he really…looked. 

“...Dad,” he got out, voice weak and cracking. “‘N Xaldin.”

“Yupp,” Raxter confirmed, his voice soft, but assured. In control. “Your old man, and the old man. You know us, yeah?”

Lauriam sniffled, before nodding. 

“Words, kid. You know us, and you know what we’d never do, right?”

“...hurt me,” Lauriam whispered, the words still sounding scared, but far more aware than he’d been. 

“Got it in one,” Raxter praised, before his tone softened more and he let go of Lauriam’s wrist, using it into nudging Lauriam into sitting more, rather than staying on his knees. “I’m sorry we scared you, when you woke up. We didn’t mean to crowd ya, but you were in a bad way, kiddo. …hey, we love you a lot.”

Lauriam’s lips trembled before he leaned more into Raxter’s side, curling up as the Nobody extended his wing around him. “...they were waterboarding me,” he sniffled, “...I got - I-I was…”

Raxter’s eyes widened before he winced, holding Lauriam closer. 

“Who’s ‘the’ old man? I better look around and see Even behind me,” Xaldin muttered, though he relaxed to see Lauriam coming back to his senses again. Xaldin was a little relieved he had had a reason to call them. He didn’t know if he was the most comforting person on the best day, and honestly what Lauriam probably needed more than anything else was…

“Things are going to be okay, Dandelion,” Xaldin said. He wasn’t sure if it was a lie or not, just saying gently, “I know it sucks now, but it’s going to be okay.”

“I said the old man, not the ancient man.” Raxter smirked, before looking worriedly down at Lauriam again, sighing before he pressed his cheek to the top of Lauriam’s head, the kid’s hair nothing but frizz, after all the humidity. 

…waterboarding. Shit. He’d have to take a serious word aside with Larxene later. Aaxqu would be horrified, but she, Aqua, and Demyx would probably understand. The new kid? Pulling Mars or Laurie into water right now wouldn’t be just a funny prank. 

Lauriam shuddered, weeping more. “...why did it hurt so much? I-it was bad enough just - just already, but… A-and why was everyone there?”

Raxter’s eyes widened again, his blood running cold. 

{...Dilan, you better have not told us to lay off if the kid’s bleeding.}

{He’s not bleeding, front or back, you know I checked.}

Maybe it wasn’t fair to Lauriam and Marluxia, but Raxter wasn’t playing games. To the five other adults involved, he sent, {Laurie just said it hurt. You sure Mars isn’t injured anywhere?}

It wasn’t verbalized, but there was a thrum of rage in Raxter’s intent, like there was something in him ready at the drop of a hat to go ballistic, if he got any confirmation his kids had just been gangbanged.

{I. Checked. The front hurts cause it was rubbed raw and let’s be honest, Lauriam’s probably not used to doing much more than secretly getting one off in a hurry in the closet. I know it hurts. He’s not seriously injured. I. Checked.}

Raxter let out a slow, measured breath. 

{...sorry. I know you wouldn’t just assume.}

“...I’m sorry, kid,” Raxter said softly, nuzzling Lauriam’s head gently. “If the supes were finally gonna stop pretending to have any standards, it wasn’t fair it was with you. But I don’t care, we’re not gonna let them take you again, if it’s gonna be like this. We’ll figure something out, I promise.”

…it wasn’t an empty promise either, as Raxter glared out at the destroyed field, holding his son close.

Xaldin shot Raxter a slightly worried, mildly disapproving look over Lauriam’s head. He understood where his friend was coming from, but that was a promise he couldn’t keep. No more than they could spare Luis being a show-pony for the same people who had hurt him, serving them with a smile, no more then they had used to be able to spare Viz’s dignity, when HER punishments always just ‘happened’ to end up clothing related, back when she was younger and the supervisors had wanted shows when they couldn’t touch.

It wasn’t fair, no. But neither was letting Lauriam think this would be the last time. It’d just hurt him in the long run. And while he didn’t send any of that to Raxter, he suspected Raxter would understand the look.

Raxter gave his friend a firm, frustrated look. He knew. They couldn’t protect each other from damn anything, not when it came from the supervisors. But he couldn’t just do nothing and let the kids be ogled and violated by the whole damn factory. 

There had to be something.

-

“I think you’re an idiot,” Ienzo said bluntly as he entered the forest, looking for Isa.

“Like father, like son,” Isa whispered to himself, leaning back on the log he was sitting next to, a roaring campfire warmly lighting up the forest around them, lightly playing a lute. “Make yourself at home, Ienzo! Sit by the fire. Saix, can we make some more rabbit stew for our young friend here?”

Saix–with two big strikes etched into his face, entirely there aesthetically, as was everything about him, from his wide shoulders to his fierce, often glowing moonlight golden eyes, to the wild tuft of hair that looked more like wolf fur across his back than Isa’s little mohawk tuft of blue–looked up from where he was stirring the pot. “I’d have to hunt more.”

“My own damn rules turned against me. Go on then,” Isa said, waving Saix off. 

Saix nodded, standing up and stepping back from the fire, before he turned around. Soundlessly shifting into a massive, blue-ish gray wolf, running into the forest with that same eerie silence.

“So, what’s the problem, Ienzo?” Isa asked, looking back down at his lute, already smirking lightly, “How am I an idiot this time?”

Ienzo regarded the fire with some curiosity--he’d seen an open campfire like this a few times in memories, but none that could be so easily inspected like one just in a world--before taking the offered seat, frowning as Saix ran off. 

“You’re playing a stupid game with Seifer and you’re going to win a stupid prize,” Ienzo said just as bluntly, before he gave a soft sigh, “...but if you’re determined to play it, I need your help.”

Ienzo frowned in worry. “Lauriam got back from his punishment. He was waterboarded and sexually assaulted by the new supervisor, and apparently she brought in all the other supervisors too. And I think he might’ve just tried to kill himself. We need to get rid of her, and make the supervisors scared of trying something like that, but I can’t do that on my own.”

“Seifer’s playing a stupid game with me.” Isa smirked, still lightly strumming his lute, the music twinkling through the night. The stars above sparkled, as did most of the forest. The dew of the grass shimmering in the moonlight, the trees’ leaves practically shining. When it was conditioning time, it didn’t look like this, but during leisure time? Isa liked to make his forest beautiful.

And he loved exploring it. The place was filled with wildlife and little nooks and crannies. Places to ‘hide’ for the Indentured when they were running, but again, during leisure time? Just beautiful pieces of nature to come across and enjoy. There was a waterfall not too far off either. A hidden cave behind it full of sparkling gemstone. 

Axel’s world wasn’t the easiest place to relax in, though somehow he still did. But if they were hanging out? It was always at Isa’s place.

“He’s going to chase his dick all the way to the exit. And then I’m going to leave him blue-balled as I stroll right out,” Isa smirked… before squinting at Ienzo, “You’re a teenager, right? I’m not scandalizing you right now, you’ve been given the talk and all of that?”

Apparently he didn’t need to worry though, as Ienzo explained his issue. “...that’s not good,” Isa murmured, picking at his strings a bit worriedly, “Look, you already know I want to help. But my plan with Seifer isn’t even close to its action-plan yet. What is it you want me to do?”

Ienzo rolled his eyes a bit. Yep. Totally, everything was going to go riiiight according to plan, Isa was absolutely going to seduce the people that used them as personal punching bags right out of the factory, when that was the one big no way no how all the supervisors were told in however that joke of a hiring process went. 

Isa was an idiot. He was only going to get himself hurt. 

(...but fuck if it managed to work.)

“I know,” Ienzo said quietly, before he concentrated for a moment, a red balloon on a string appearing in his hands, before he offered it to Isa. “When you hang out with Seifer, if he lets down his guard enough that you can send something to his mind at all? Send this. It’ll take care of the rest.”

Ienzo’s shoulders dropped a little. “...and…maybe talk with Saix to see if you guys can take on any more work. I know Marluxia was trying to help Larxene, so shuffling things around might not be the answer if it just makes someone else fail quota, but I’m not so sure how well he’ll manage to be conscious tomorrow, let alone be able to work.”

Isa frowned, putting his lute aside to reach for the string, taking it and looking critically at the red balloon. “I guess if I can get him to bring me somewhere without the sigils. Can I ask what it’s supposed to do? Forgive me for wanting to know, but I am holding it in my own head for a while. I’d want to know what to look out for.”

Isa glanced into the woods where Saix was out hunting. His Nobody was the quiet, serious type. Isa knew that Saix was struggling to connect to the other Nobodies because of that, and admittedly he felt responsible for that. He had wanted to make someone cool, intimidating, and imposing. He hadn’t expected the cool ‘loner’ characteristics would leave his Nobody feeling, well… alone.

Maybe this would be his opportunity to bond with the other Nobodies, taking on some extra work.

“Sure, I’ll talk to him. I’m sure he can help,” Isa promised.

“It’s not for you, so it shouldn’t do anything--just don’t pop it,” Ienzo smirked a little, before sighing, “...I’ve attuned this figment to a series of actions I’ve observed in Supervisor Donna, so, if it all works, it really shouldn’t affect anyone but her. Once it does, it should trigger the release of a small, but consistent amount of adrenaline and a stimulation to the amygdala, ideally resulting in an increased level of paranoia and, judging by her personality, an increased likelihood of erratic behavior.”

Ienzo’s face went stony. “Despite what it might seem like, the supervisors do have strict boundaries for what’s expected of their job. If it looks like they can’t handle the work, or if they’re affected by demons? I’m going to get her fired, essentially.”

“Thanks,” Ienzo said quietly. “I’m not sure really how to keep Lauriam from attempting suicide again, so I’m relying on his parents, Dilan, and Xaldin to get through to him right now. But I suppose I’m just saying, see something, say something.”

With that, Ienzo got up to go.

“Clever,” Isa said appreciatively, tying it to the log. Though, as Ienzo got up to leave… “Hey, Ienzo. Is it really you this time?” 

Isa smiled lightly, tapping his nose. “You and I have something in common. So you know what I mean, when I say sometimes ‘you’ don’t smell like… you. I’m glad you’re helping take care of Lauriam, that’s good of you. And I get you’re worried about my ideas… but don’t think you’re above falling into bad ideas either, or that you don’t need help sometimes. It’s probably not a good thing, that your Nobodies are pretending to be you.”

Ienzo looked back over at his name, before genuinely looking surprised. “...we don’t? Strange, I know there’s quite a lot to the concept of ‘scent blindness’, especially as how it would relate to one’s own scent, but I’ve never been able to detect a difference among us.”

He shrugged a little. “I don’t see an issue with it, despite what you might hear from Viz or my dads about,” Ienzo rolled his eyes exasperatedly, “Nobodies ‘going Turbo’. I can’t be everywhere, but if someone needs something from me? Any Zexion is just as suited. However, the others don’t seem to see it that way, so we’ve found it solves a lot of needless explanations if they just say they’re me. Beyond, you know, actually, literally already being me.”

With that out of the way, Ienzo got closer, giving Isa an eager look. “You have an enhanced sense of smell too? Is it something you’ve always had?”

“You have to be careful, Ienzo. A ‘decent’ idea can spiral out of control very fast. Look at me for an example. Even I messed up pretty badly once, ending up here in the first place,” Isa said with a sigh, humbly admitting, “I have to keep vigilant to not get swept up again. And I don’t want to see the same thing happen to you.”

Isa smiled lightly–he usually was, he had an easy charm to him that he had developed working as a lawyer in the biggest of big cities–before saying, “Why do you think I went ‘werewolf’ for my Nobody? You should ask Aqua and Terra about it someday, it was my greatest party trick. They could hide something anywhere, so long as I smelled it first? I could always find it. You know, like a… you know–”

“Wolf. He’s saying he’s like a wolf,” Saix rumbled, coming back with a rabbit in his hand, sitting next to the pot, “Are you actually interested in rabbit stew, Ienzo? You don’t have to stay to eat it, just because Isa invited you.”

“So polite, Saix.” Isa smiled.

Ienzo gave Isa a dry look. Wow. How humble. To say that looking into the factories, arguably the government and elites’ greatest asset, the place that swallowed people whole for the slightest missteps, but was called more ‘humane’ than an assassination, was a mistake. 

He wasn’t taking back the idiot comment. 

Still, the look he gave Isa as he talked, well, barely, but more about his sense of smell was a bit amazed. Though, he tilted his head a little at the stew, before looking between Saix and Isa. “...what is it based off of? As in, is this directly a memory you have of a physical rabbit stew, or an imagined concept of it, made to add to the forest aesthetic?”

“It’s based on a real rabbit stew that I really know how to make in real life,” Isa chuckled, “I loved forest style things since I was small. And that love followed me into adulthood, where I had disposable income and in-depth working knowledge of how importing looked. The second I figured out how to get rabbit? I learned how to make rabbit stew. Like foresters did.”

“He has big dreams of being able to live off the land someday,” Saix murmured, working on the rabbit discreetly between his legs, the skinning process, admittedly, more… vague. To Isa. Who had bought his rabbit already skinned and washed. “...worse things to want. I guess.”

“I’ll never understand why you find the idea so distasteful. I literally made you a wolf,” Isa mused. “How did that happen?”

Saix shrugged. “I’ve seen memories of how you lived before the factory. That didn’t seem so bad, to me. Maybe you didn’t appreciate what you had.”

“...does everyone have conversations like these with their Nobodies?” Isa whispered to Ienzo, “I don’t know why he gets like this. I didn’t make him like this on purpose.”

“It’s an interesting biome to have caught your interest,” Ienzo hummed, “considering the fact that you lived in the capital. I am aware that there was the Oshu forestation project to the west of NGP, however, those aren’t coniferous trees like these, and not exactly what people think of when considering ‘forest style’. …and I will accept the invitation for the stew, thank you. I mostly wanted to know what exactly the kind of experience would be.”

As he sat back down, his Lexicon appearing in his lap, Ienzo gave an annoyed frown. “Lauriam made an apple pie without apples in his head once, and I’m not saying imagined foods aren’t without merit to consider, but they are less interesting to me.”

Ienzo tilted his head a little--’living off the land’, how people described it aesthetically, was a myth, so he did wonder to what extent of it Isa was actually dreaming of--before he huffed a small, amused sound. “We do design our Nobodies, but once they exist they do have their own learning experiences, and thus some aspects of personality are out of our hands. If you mean ‘like this’ to be argumentative?” Ienzo gave Isa a patronizing look. “...you have seen, like…basically anyone together, right? The most pointed debates can come from the people who know you best.” He gave Saix an acknowledging nod to that point. 

Though, for the purposes of the conversation, he also gave the Nobody an interested hum. “What sort of lifestyle would be ideal in your eyes, then, Saix? Or was pre-factory it?”

“I mean, sure, they all argue a lot, but Saix here? He’s always got an opinion, and often, it’s an opinion different from my own,” Isa said, looking at Saix like he was a curiosity, who pointedly ignored him as he kept working on the stew, “What does that say about me, that someone that came from me could disagree with me about so much? Am I more fickle than I thought?”

“It’s not ‘fickle’ to perceive things from a new perspective,” Saix said, not looking up, just working on his stew, “If anything, that’s the sort of thing that gets you to adapt to an entirely new environment and new people and cultures, when you come from a small, out of the way town. I don’t understand how you’re both capable of that, and fail entirely to recognize what it was that made you capable of that. It’s obvious.”

“It’s weak sounding,” Isa murmured, picking up his lute and picking at it again, “When you make a decision, you have to stick to it. That’s how I got to the position I’m in.”

“On that, we can agree,” Saix said.

“....I meant being a lawyer at a top firm,” Isa huffed.

Saix slightly smirked at that: that point definitely went to Saix. Turning back to Ienzo, Saix shrugged lightly. “We lived somewhere warm, and safe, that we could make our own and do what we liked with, without any serious fears of reprimand or having what we found comforting taken from us. If you have that, does it even matter where it is, after a point? I want that sense of safety and freedom Isa had. Everything else is just scenery.”

Ienzo hummed softly at that, holding his Lexicon in his lap as he lightly tapped his chin. He did try to consider different perspectives--there was never a person that he couldn’t learn anything from, and, well, all of them enjoyed discussing their latest findings with each other, and rarely did any two come up with exactly the same interpretation. In some ways, it was why he had made Zexion in the first place. 

Perhaps there was more he was missing, though, if Saix felt he had to call him out on it. 

…though he’d agree that Isa needed to be called out on it even more. Nice one.

He smirked a little too, before slowly considering Saix’s point, tapping slower on his chin before nodding a little. “I do see a lot of merit in being comfortable with…honestly what I would consider basic needs, even if all those standards aren’t equally met in, at least, our own society. But that wasn’t exactly my question. With all those conditions met, you truly would have no preference between, say…living on an islet in Novis, or in the habitable zone near Tiavel’s volcano?”

“No,” Saix said, dropping the rabbit pieces into the stew, stirring, “I really don’t. But why would I? I’m a creature of the mind. It makes sense, for me to prioritize how a place feels, over its aesthetic.”

“...do you think of yourself like that, Saix? As someone not real?” Isa asked.

“I said I was a creature of the mind,” Saix said, pouring the stew into a bowl, holding it out for Ienzo to take, “You heard that and decided it meant ‘not real’. Another way we perceive the world differently.”

Ienzo hummed softly as he considered that. To him, how a place looked often contributed to the way it felt…or, rather, the other way around. When somewhere felt a certain way, it took on different appearances. Thinking about different locations abstractly, yes, held little more meaning than looking at a drawing--at least for a non-artist. But reading first hand accounts, or even seeing memories about certain places gave Ienzo certain impressions, and he inevitably formed opinions about them. For all that they seemed like they’d overwhelm him with distinctly negative smells, there was a feeling of freedom and excitement and opportunity tied to college dorms that gave them a certain romantic quality in Ienzo’s mind. There was a sense of adventure and danger about the desert that piqued his interest, even if it was something Ienzo knew he’d never actually explore. There was a tranquility and sense of regret to border farmland that made it so Ienzo didn’t think he’d ever be fully quite at ease in them. 

“Thank you,” he quietly said, accepting the bowl from Saix, before tasting it. Ienzo squinted a little before idly nudging his Lexicon open and writing in it. “...even acknowledging the validity of psychic space, it’s difficult not to import a greater sense of verity on the physical world, as a physical being,” Ienzo mused. “Just as it’s difficult to separate oneself from the experiences of that physical body, at least as I’ve observed for most humans. I don’t think that’s empirically correct, but I also think something like ‘absolute truth’ is a flawed concept in itself. That sense of importance might be the very thing that’s the baseline of what being a physical being, or, all in inverse, a mental being, is. Just a difference in perspective.”

“Mmm, if empirically meant absolute, I’d be out of work. You’re right, there is no absolute truth. Evidence contradicts each other all the time, half of my work is helping sort through evidence that multiple different perceptions all claim is evidence that supports, and can only support, their own arguments. Always be wary of anyone who takes ‘empirical’ data as law, there’s undoubtedly a fallacy in the logic they’re using with it,” Isa said, smiling lightly, clearly a bit pleased with himself.

Saix gave both of them a dry look. “It makes sense for this mental space we share to matter to me. It’s all I have. I don’t need outside data to prove my own experience.”

Ienzo hummed a bit with that, a little amused at using an ‘always’ statement to say never believe ‘always’ things, before he ate a little more of the stew, nibbling a bit at the meat and writing in his Lexicon. 

Though he just raised an eyebrow at Saix. “...yeah? That’s what I was saying--there’s no absolute truth, so a person’s own experience is their truth. No one can decide what matters to you but you. And because the island and your world, and our worlds, matter to you, then they matter.”

He smiled slightly. “They matter quite a lot to me too. It’s annoying that we don’t have a decent way of measuring time--since I’m likely nearing my halfway mark, it’d be interesting to see when it flips over.”

“Halfway mark?” Isa asked, raising an eyebrow at Ienzo, “Halfway to what?”

“Half my life in the factory,” Ienzo explained. “I still have spent some time in the physical space of it, so I’ve still spent most of my life in the physical realm, but considering most of my time is here, it would’ve been interesting to calculate just when it’d flip to have spent most of my life in the mental realm. Right now, Viz is the only one of us who’s spent more than half her life in the factory, though I think Dad might be getting close.”

At that, Saix smiled lightly. “Perhaps she’s an honorary creature of the mind too. And you as well. You should spend more time with the Nobodies, Ienzo.”

“You should spend more time with the Nobodies. It’s not good to spend all your time in the forest, I’d rather you go out exploring sometimes,” Isa scolded lightly. 

Saix didn’t say anything to that. Just continued staring at the fire. 

Ienzo tilted his head a little. He already did spend a lot of time with, well, everyone on the island. Honestly to the point he sometimes felt a bit guilty neglecting his pet projects. He didn’t really think more time socializing was that needed. 

Though, he looked at Saix for a moment. “...would you enjoy hanging out with people here more than on the island or in other worlds?”

“...I don’t know,” Saix said.

“...... oh, is that the end of the sentence?” Isa said.

Saix gave him another dry look. “It’s not like I’ve been around a terribly long time yet. I think it’s fair that I don’t entirely know my own preferences yet. The most I know is how to hunt.”

“And how to argue, you seem to have that one down as well,” Isa pointed out. 

“A lawyer made me, did I ever stand a chance?”

“See, this is what I mean. No matter what I say, he has a counterpoint. I think he’s contrary for its own sake,” Isa said to Ienzo, rolling his eyes a little.

Saix frowned at that. “I don’t like my opinions being dismissed as me just wanting to argue with you. I mean the things I say. I don’t like you implying that my opinions are more shallow than that.”

“Well, there you go. Now we know another of your preferences.” Isa smiled.

Saix opened his mouth to argue… before pausing. Nodding.

Ienzo watched the debate with interest as he ate his stew--it really wasn’t like anything he’d had before, so he had been taking his time considering and writing down his observations. More subjectively, though, it was good. Ienzo wondered if Luis had ever had ‘rabbit pie served ev’ry Friday’, and if there would be any similar flavors from the rabbit itself to this--just seeing Isa and Saix interact. 

Though, his eyes gleamed a little as one point of data was filled…and another was left open. “If you don’t know, then that sounds like a very easy experiment to set up. Would you object to one of us,” us, meaning, Ienzo or a Zexion, of course, “coming by with some frequency coming up?” Ienzo paused, before admitting, “...I suppose the second half of the experiment does rely on you choosing to be somewhere else, but we can face that as it comes to it.”

Saix hesitated, looking a little… embarrassed…

“He’d love that,” Isa said. 

Saix shot Isa a frustrated look, opening his mouth… before he looked at the fire, nibbling slightly his fanged canine tooth onto his lower lip. “...yes, I’d like that, Ienzo. It is… always nice to spend more time with you.”

Ienzo looked pleased with that, smiling slightly as he ran his fingers lightly over his Lexicon’s open page. “Pog.”

-

Marluxia had woken up their body after passing out, startled for a moment to see Aqua and Terra peering over him along with Dilan, but…honestly? He was so strung out by that point he just let the others force him to eat something, before getting Lauriam’s pallet up against a wall and wrapping their boding up in their bedding and going the fuck to sleep. 

And if sleep in the mental realm meant hiding within Raxter’s wings as they zoned out in the clouds? No one was going to say shit about it. 

But the next day came, and with it, as always, came the time to condition, and…

There was a part of him that burned in humiliation, having the others take all the Indentureds, and Raxter’s apologetic look as he dropped him back on the beach…but mostly Marluxia was quietly grateful, as he went back to his own world and…

“...tsk.” Marluxia let out a quiet sound of aggravation as he flopped backwards onto the wrecked field. Just…frustrated. That he couldn’t even start putting their world back together, let alone do anything that he was made to. 

“Hey!” Larxene called from one of the bordering trees, resting longways against a branch, one of her legs lazily swinging below as she waved one of the flowers in her hand, “Hey! Marluxia! Are these edible!?”

Marluxia’s shoulders tensed slightly before he looked over, honestly surprised to see anything with petals intact in Larxene’s hands. He…honestly wasn’t really sure how he felt about company, but he still smirked shallowly, the expression not meeting his eyes. “Anything’s edible once.”

“Eh, if it has a physical effect on my body, that sounds like a Demyx problem.” Larxene said, biting off a petal. “...you know what, it’s not bad.”

“I heard you had a shitty day yesterday!” Larxene called out again, “...like, almost kicked the bucket, bad!”

Marluxia let out an aggravated sigh. “I really need to remember to bring out the toddler speak when I talk to Lauriam. When I said I’d rather he drink himself to death, I didn’t think he’d go and do it. There are so many other ways to pass out, but no, he absolutely has to do the most melodramatic one that, apparently, could actually kill us. Fantastic way to find that out.”

He looked dully up at the hazy, cloudy sky. “...suppose I could guess with how everyone was acting this morning, but gossip’s broken across the world, huh?”

“Yep~ Demyx and I got a talking to this morning, first thing.” Larxene said, biting another petal off, chewing on it a bit, “Turns out I’m not allowed to do any ‘water pranks’ to you. Also, Lauriam’s on suicide watch or something. We’re supposed to report any ‘problematic signs’, though, based on the stories I’ve heard, it’s not exactly like the guys attempts are ‘subtle’. So, you know–” Larxene gestured lazily to her eyes, “Keeping the peepers out.”

Marluxia scoffed into a groan, covering his face. ‘Water pranks’... What the hell were they even thinking? Uuuuuugh…

(...and suicide watch…)

“Lauriam’s not even here right now,” Marluxia groaned into his hands, “So you’re not really looking at anything.”

Marluxia peeked over his fingers, before he narrowed his eyes. Sitting up and looking over at Larxene. “What do you mean by stories?” 

“According to Axel? Lauriam has this explosive temper. To the point where him bursting into flames is, like, normal.” Larxene explained, hopping out of the tree and sauntering out into the field, “I figure if the ‘tell’ for when he’s upset is, ‘he’s burst into flames’, then we’re probably good as far as signs go. Unless he goes to do it in Axel’s world, but let’s be honest, that place isn’t even suited to kill yourself in. What a weird world.”

“And I’m not here to check on Lauriam and look for smoke, I’m here to see you.” Larxene said, biting another petal, chewing through it, “You look less catatonic then rumors implied. That’s good.”

Honestly, it was just embarrassing for Lauriam that even Axel knew about that. Sure, he’d been there a while now, but Marluxia was pretty sure it was something measured in months and not a year yet. Probably. 

“It’s not the worst one, I suppose,” Marluxia muttered, before he wrinkled his nose a little. “Right? Like, for a place you’re going to be in a ton, why make it smell like sulfur? I’ll give him that some of the tiling is neat, but the Somebodies already practically live in a cave, I don’t know why Axel wanted one orange-tinted.”

Glancing over at Larxene, something tentative briefly ran through Marluxia’s face before he huffed. “What an exaggeration. I only passed out because it was Lauriam’s fault.”

“Yep. You two are connected. That’s the deal isn’t it?” Larxene asked, laying on her back with an ‘oomph’ next to him, waving the half eaten flower around, “What one does affects the other? Lauriam gets waterboarded, you come out wet. Lauriam gets raped, you wind up shaking and hysterical. Lauriam tries to drink himself to death, you stop breathing and nearly get your ribs crushed in.”

“And the next day, you have a job to do and he doesn’t.” Larxene scoffed, sniffing the half eaten flower, “Not gonna lie, your situation seems like a raw deal. I don’t envy you.”

Marluxia scoffed lowly. “Well, I won’t argue that, but part of it is just dealing with our body. Probably could’ve avoided a lot of bullshit if I just left us unconscious, but, you know, I do enjoy continuing to stay alive, so as the one who does, that responsibility falls to me, apparently.”

“He’s just so-- UGH!” Marluxia grunted in frustration, pressing a fist into the ground. “It would’ve sucked either way! But we know how bad it gets when he takes the punishments! He just needs to stop butting his loser nose in and trying to do things that he can’t!”

“Why didn’t you just take the body from him?” Larxene asked, before pausing, “...can we just take the bodies from them? I said that like it was matter of fact, I guess I don’t actually know. Feels natural that we could.”

Marluxia gave an agitated shrug. “If any of us can, I don’t know about it, and I certainly can’t. Lauriam’s pretty open about letting me use his body whenever I want, but if that ever changes partway through? He can just take it back. Other than Xaldin and Zexion, though, I haven’t really noticed the others doing anything in the physical world other than taking punishments.”

His expression clouded a bit. “I don’t think Zinxi ever even fronted for that.”

“Zinxi?” Larxene asked, passing flower over to Marluxia, “Wanna bite? We can pretend they’re drugs, since I doubt anyone’s letting you anywhere near Luis’ world anymore. And it’s lame to drink alone. So do fake drugs with me.”

Marluxia gave Larxene an incredulous look before he huffed a laugh, taking the flower. “That’s so lame too. Though I guess with both of us here, that does cancel out a lot of the lame-factor.”

Taking a bite--eeugh. A bitter flower--Marluxia half-shrugged. “Zinxi was the Nobody that died a little before you got here--Xaldin’s partner.” Marluxia glanced down, frowning a bit at the battered field flowers. “...she was cool. She was a giant spider lady, and so badass sometimes I’d still see some of her Indentureds shaking when they’d get dropped back on the island for breaks. I think she knew every nook and cranny of the island, literally no place to hide from her.”

He smirked softly, weaving his fingers through some of the grass, nearby clovers starting to puff back up a little. “She had such a sense of drama too. I mean, her whole world would put the most ostentatious theater productions to shame, but what Zinxi could do on top of that? Lauriam told me the first time they met face to face, she ended the build up to getting in the room by melting through the wall.”

“I know it’s lame, that’s why I didn’t try to be subtle about it. I’ve been alive for five seconds, and I think I’m someone who embraces the cringe.” Larxene mused, opening up her palm for the flower back, before taking another bite of petal, “Mmmm. I can feel the buzz already. It’s uh… I don’t know, vibrating feeling or something, that sounds right for buzzed.”

“I still don’t really get the ‘breaks’ thing,” Larxene admitted, “I think it’s fun, watching some still reacting to what you did even a while after. Processing the performance. Everyone wants to leave an impact… sounds like this spider lady knew how to do that. It’s a shame I missed my chance to meet her, I’d have loved to see an artist in action. I mean, I watched Xaldin’s thing, but his whole schtick is weirdly corny for the kind of guy he is. He’s sort of a dork.” She said, passing the flower back to Marluxia. “...I’m curious how Demyx is doing.” She said, with a small, knowing smirk. Waiting for the reaction.

Marluxia shrugged a little. “Sure, sure, why not. If being drunk is ‘whirling’, being buzzed can be ‘vibrating’. Just try not to liquidate the ground, we’ve been having enough stability issues lately.”

“Yeah… It kind of takes you out of it, dropping some numbskull into the pits, only to bring them right back out because it’s break time,” Marluxia rolled his eyes, before he snorted a laugh, grin a little too genuine to be called a smirk. “Kind of guy he is? My dear Larx, Xaldin’s a massive dork. Like, dork supreme. We’re all lucky he didn’t make his method some giant lecture hall back in the day, and instead he’s just like a really enthusiastic theater kid.”

Taking off another bit of the flower as he rode out that amusement, Marluxia was confused for a second what Larxene meant…before his eyes widened. His jaw dropping a little, before he smacked her arm. “You crazy bitch, you didn’t?!” Marluxia gasped. “What, did you just bully him into it?”

“Heee~ nah nah, nothing as crazy as that. I made a well-reasoned and entirely rational argument, as I am want to do.” Larxene smirked, grabbing a blade of grass and bringing it to her lips, “Hold on, Demyx was taught how to do this by one of his friends when he was fourteen, I think I can still do it… phoooooo. Damn.” Larxene frowned, unable to get a whistling pitch sound from the grass blade, “I don’t know how he can do stuff like this and I can’t, it’s not fair. Can’t figure out the sitar thing either… anyway, it’s how we’re keeping up with the extra Indentured we got. Me and him talked about it, trying to figure out how I was going to keep it up with the breaks, because there’s only so much energy we can manipulate at a time, right? He thought we could stagger the Indentured so that we do some while their on breaks, and others when not, I argued break time was also the time we’re supposed to sleep and I wouldn’t be able to keep that up, he wished there was two of me to stagger performances instead then, and I argued, uuuuuh, there is two of me, actually.”

“There was a bit of a fight about it after that, but he seemed to realize I had a point when I said that I knew how to condition basically as well as he did at this point, that there’s no real disadvantage to him trying it because it’s not like I’m an expert yet. Also I called him a crying bitch coward and said if he wasn’t willing to do it, why should I? Annnnd that was that, he agreed to take some of the extra.” Larxene shrugged, “I finished mine a little early, which is why I’m here. I doubt his are going to be any good, but I figure some progress is better than no progress, right?”

“And even battering my Somebody to do a real shitty job of conditioning is better than asking you to do it after your Somebody put you through the wringer.” Larxene said simply, biting the last petal off, before frowning at the bald stem,”...we’re out of drugs.”

“Huh…” Marluxia listened to the tale with amazement, before he shook his head with a small scoff. “You know, if there is one thing I can give Demyx, it’s that he really can only listen to music. Lauriam might’ve tried doing conditioning himself, at the start, but the moron told the others that, asking why they didn’t, and they told him not to enough that the little goody-two-shoes listened. You guys? Wildcards.”

“...”

Marluxia frowned a little, before giving Larxene a worried look from the corner of his eyes. “...just be careful when you’re fixing his shod-job later, okay? I know I’m really not an example of it right now, but having someone come back to get their conditioning fixed is way worse than not meeting quota.”

…and fuck did it feel shitty for Larxene to take on extra Indentureds, to the point Demyx was conditioning, when initially Marluxia had been trying to lighten her load. 

Feeling that shitty feeling start to smolder into frustration, Marluxia huffed as he pushed himself onto his knees and gave Larxene a small smirk. “Hey, don’t worry, I know a guy for a stash refill.”

And taking a deep breath, he put his palms on the ground, and {pushed}. 

There was a pink glow from the ground so intense it was painful to look at, before the world nearly shuddered with how many flowers suddenly budded up and then unfurled into blooms. 

“...woah~” Larxene smiled, tracing her hands over the new flower heads that had bloomed around them, “...so this is why people get high. Not bad.”

Plucking one of the flowers, she gave it a long sniff, clearly appreciating the scent for a moment, looking serene… before she bit the entire head off, snickering as she made a small, disgusted noise, “It’s less good with the stem. I do not recommend eating the stem. Blegh.”

“And don’t worry, I think I know what I’m doing. We essentially get two shots with all of these people, right?” Larxene said, “If me and Demyx mess up their conditioning this time, when they come back for their second times, I’ll know what I’m doing more by then and make sure I get it right that time. For now? They can deal with whatever dumb torture performance Demyx is putting together for them. Tsk. I bet he doesn’t even have a giant tentacle monster. Lame.”

Marluxia let out a shaky breath as the glow faded, unsteadily lowering himself back to the ground. That was…a lot, admittedly. Certainly something he was capable of! …but a lot. 

Though it was nicer seeing this place as it was supposed to be. 

“Depends on the flower, for the stem. And if you cook it,” Marluxia said softly, a bit sweaty and a little pale. He swallowed for a moment. “If you think you can pull it off? Then you might as well try. Things haven’t changed squat since I showed up, we could use someone willing to shake things up.”

“What, so that guppy only shows up when you’re on stage?” Marluxia asked, watching some flowers sway right at eyeline. “I thought it was just…part of your world, now.”

“That ‘guppy’? Hah!” Larxene laughed, resting her arms behind her head, staring at the passing clouds, “That’s cute. I might steal that. Yeah, he’s mine. I think he’s, like… me, sort of. Another part of me. Sometimes, when I close my eyes?” 

Larxene closed her eyes, feeling, reaching out, “...I feel massive. And warm. Surprisingly warm, that the cold sand beneath me is actually refreshing, and I’ll shift my body around a bit to kick it up, let it chill me. Like splashing cold water on my face. And I’m so… comfortable. And calm. Just waiting for the next time I have to kick off the ocean floor and go up, up, up, to where the music’s at…”

Larxene smiled, opening her eyes, “Was that what the spider lady was like? Was there a spider and a lady? Because I might be a lady and a giant tentacle monster too. It’s kind of amazing.”

He was made at the same time as Larxene so…maybe. Marluxia amusedly wondered what that said about Demyx, that his other half came out as a wild chick and a giant squid. What a weird guy. 

Being the squid sounded peaceful, though. More peaceful than things ever were otherwise, which got around to the point of sounding boring, but Larxene’s performances were anything but, so…maybe it all balanced out. 

“Zinxi was all herself, but I dunno how she felt about it. Never asked.” And he’d never get to, now. How she felt hiding all the time, saying it was for the others, but… It pissed Marluxia off, honestly. That the others, at least past what he knew about Xaldin and Lauriam, could never get the fuck over themselves that she could just be comfortable, out and about. 

But too little too late. 

Looking over at Larxene, Marluxia reached out…before poking her shoulder. Humming a little, like just from that poke he got some incredible experiment data. “Sooooo the squid isn’t compensating for anything? Not related to the reason you came out so tiny?”

“Pfffff,” Larxene snorted, resting her flower against her chest as she said, “Whatever could you mean? Don’t you know that everything small is ‘fun-sized’? Though, if you’re suggesting I was born with 8 massive dicks? I mean, I’m not arguing it.”

Marluxia laughed quietly. “Just be glad you don’t exist somewhere where there’s, like, any shelving. Otherwise we could get you and Ienzo matching step stools. And no worries, I’ll keep the rumor up~ Be a good enough lay and Czativ might find it fun enough to corroborate too.”

“...ugh,” he groaned, throwing an arm over his eyes. “...I’ve been talking to that little nerd too much. I could just hear in the back of my head, ‘erm, well actually, only one appendage is a phallus, and only two appendages on a squid are tentacles, the rest are arms’. Ugggggggggh.”

“You guys have talked about octopus limbs before?” Larxene asked, raising an eyebrow at Marluxia, “...you’ve talked about octopus dick? With the toddler?”

Marluxia tilted his arm off an eye, giving Larxene a tired look. “You can talk about like any natural subject with the dork brigade, pro hint if you need to butter them up? Asking one what they’ve been reading lately makes them happy.”

He let out a beleaguered sigh. “...and in, like, pure, definitional, scientific knowledge? I think Ienzo knows more about junk and sex than maybe half of us here. …maybe in fantasy knowledge too.”

“Yeah yeah, I get it, everyone loves Ienzo,” Larxene said, rolling her eyes, “Trust me, I get enough of that with Demyx. I’ve been alive for five seconds and most of what I hear about is how good of a time Demyx is having with Ienzo. I just don’t get it, Lauriam is right there, you’d think he’d pick the fun option.”

Marluxia blinked, pushing himself up a little with raised eyebrows. Before a slow grin started spreading over his face. “Uh, one, Lauriam is not a fun option for anything. Two…are you jealous? That Demyx is having a good time with the toddler?”

“Tsk. No. I have that guy wrapped around my finger, who needs to be jealous.” Larxene huffed, puffing out her cheeks a bit, “...well, besides, I bet you get jealous when Lauriam gets to hang out with people. Though, I don’t know who he hangs out with.”

“Aw~ Your first fight with your Somebody~ How cute~” Marluxia cooed, before he scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I don’t give a shit what Lauriam does, as long as it’s not actively trying to kill us. He hangs out with Xaldin and Dilan, sometimes, and, like…I think he hangs out with our parents? He’s a loser, if you haven’t noticed.”

…he used to hang out with Zinxi and Inzi too, and sometimes with Azvi, but…well, obviously anymore.

“That’s sad. Your guy is sad… hey, I know this is about to sound sooooo insensitive, but I mean it from the goodness of my evil heart,” Larxene said, “Should I offer to fuck him? You know, just to make him feel special. Less lonely.”

Marluxia couldn’t help wincing a little. “...I really don’t think that’d help right now. The only thing I can imagine happening is, like, him just straight up having a panic attack. He’s refusing to even be conscious right now, Larx, and I have a damn good feeling I’m gonna be the one making sure we aren’t gonna starve today.”

Marluxia shrugged a little, glowering at the ground. “He’s a sad guy, just let him be sad. He’ll get over it, or he won’t, but what the hell else is he gonna do? It’s not like he’s ever gonna get a job or whatever, so if he just wants to sleep forever? Whatever.”

“Look, I knew it was insensitive, okay! Like, maybe not now, but damn, maybe someday? I know I’m already planning to not be a virgin forever in this hellhole. I just feel sad that he’s not having any fun too.” Larxene huffed, “I already know you’d find someone if you really wanted it. But Luariam? He’s a sponge. Things will only ever happen to him, you know? Same with Demyx, actually. It’s sad, he’s gonna spend the rest of his stupid life waiting for someone to whisk him off his feet, when, duh, of course no one’s ever going to. They weren’t before he ended up here, it’s sure as hell not happening now. He’s gonna waste away and die dreaming about romances that aren’t coming for guys like him.”

“And if Lauriam’s the same way? Well, I’m not romantic, but I can be fun. I dunno… just something to think about. Okay?” Larxene huffed. “Maybe if he had some fun, he wouldn’t want to sleep forever.”

Marluxia snorted sardonically, something heavy weighing in his eyes as he tapped a few flowers with his fingertips. “If it was just shucking the v-card, I’m afraid he’s already been de-flowered.”

Huh…Demyx was a romantic-type? Yeah, definitely not the place for that, and he did seem the type to whine about specific standards but then pout about it because anyone who showed interest he just expected it to happen. He was annoying like that. 

“As far as I know, which is pretty damn good, Lauriam wasn’t thinking much about romances before shit hit the fan,” Marluxia rolled his eyes, “And until, like, super lately? Everyone thought his only option was the tiny brainiac, which was realized and then promptly tossed by both of them.”

Marluxia shrugged a little. “Sure, sure. Bring it up to him when he’s not about to have a breakdown over it, maybe he’d surprise me.” Propping his head up in a hand, Marluxia went quiet for a moment, not pouting, before he said, “...he’s not a total sadsack all the time. It’s just been a real shitty few months. If he could get over Ventus? He’ll get over this.”

(...or he wouldn’t. There was a lot Lauriam wasn’t over.)

“Nah, I don’t think it works like that.” Larxene said, tapping the flower against her chest, “It’s not like you guys had sex with them. I don’t really know a lot about Atua or all of that, but I’m pretty sure sex is something you’re supposed to do with someone. And you guys sure as hell didn’t let anyone do it with you. So… sorry, pretty-boy. I think you’re still a virgin loser.”

(...yeah?)

(...it would be nice if that wasn’t their first experience.)

A small, wavering, sweet smile turned up Marluxia’s lips slightly…before he straightened his arm and flopped his head down, groaning. “Uuuuuuugh, it’s not fair. Give me an hour with that bitch in my domain and she’d be curled in a ball for the rest of her miserable life. It’s been a few years! Surely we’ve been good enough we can grievously harm a supervisor as a little treat?”

“Ooooooh, if you can successfully argue that, let me know how many years specifically it has to be. I will figure out the passage of time here and make that a special anniversary treat.” Larxene giggled, before smiling lightly, watching the sky, “...who knows, maybe it’ll happen someday. Things change all of the time. I didn’t exist until a few days ago, that’s a pretty big change. Maybe even the most important change, really. If something like that can happen so recently, maybe some new, big change is right around the corner too… or at least eventually.”

“And if things change enough?” Larxene said, glancing over at Marluxia, smirking, “We can absolutely fuck up the supervisors whole worlds.”

In some ways, the last few years had been nothing but the same. Conditioning day after day after day…

But there had been some changes. Some awful ones, his little brother not even being born, his friends dying, watching over and over again as his family was beaten down by a source that they could fight against theoretically…but not practically. 

Some ones with a trade off. Lea and Axel. Isa and Saix. Of course, Demyx and Larxene. 

But changes did happen. And maybe one day?

Marluxia let out a soft, happy laugh…before it deepened into something more malicious, the teen raising his head to give Larxene a shark smile back. “They’d have no idea what they’re in for. The surprise might even make it more fun.”

“Before we did anything physical to them? I’d want to break them mentally,” Larxene mused, “Let Guppy chew on them. Over and over. I think that’d leave an impression.”

“...hey,” Larxene said softly, “I’m glad you’re not catatonic.”

Leaning on his elbows, Marluxia bent his knees and kicked his feet lightly in the air. “I think I might go back and forth. I don’t think it’d be fun to break some bones when they don’t even flinch, but, like…imagine giving them a ‘break’ from physical agony, just to drop them into something so much worse?” Marluxia sighed dreamily. “The utter despair would be beautiful.”

Refocusing, Marluxia’s smile softened again. “I’m glad you bullied your Somebody into conditioning so you could ditch to hang out with me. I think that’s the coolest thing anyone here’s ever done.”

“What can I say,” Larxene smirked, “I was born perfect.”

-

“...I think…” Even suddenly said, after nearly an hour of not saying anything at all. Fingers pressed together as he sat in his observation chair, watching Vexen fussing over graphs and formulas near the test tubes. “...that we need to be ready for another Lauriam incident.”

“Don’t be so grim. If they were going to harm your son in such a way, they’d have done it by now. He’s thin and dreary, Isa or Aqua will be next before they ever even consider him,” Vexen said dismissively, not even glancing over, “He’s just in isolation or some such. It’s not the first time they’ve used long-term isolation on him. He’ll be fine.”

“That’s purely denial. We need to be ready for this,” Even said simply. Face hard and impassive. “Lauriam’s still not right after all of this time. We need to prepare for Ienzo to be the same way.”

“Don’t be foolish,” Vexen said, before muttering, “It’ll be some numbers of Zexion, no doubt. Ienzo’s fine.”

“Then we should prepare for them,” Lexaeus said quietly, still leaning immobile against the wall, as he had been, just as quiet as Even. The first day Aeleus had worked out tirelessly, while his son had been gone, keeping aware of any movement around the door. Today, they had accepted that what would happen would happen, and had taken to meditation on the rest day. 

If meditation was fretting with your husband over your son that was still not back. 

“...it may be a problem if he’s gotten subtle enough to keep any of us from noticing, but not any of the supervisors,” he said after a moment. 

“You have to be more specific. Ienzo is the king of subtle, but not subtle enough.” Vexen scowled, jotting down some more notes. Glancing into a bottle, a few speckles of light shifting around inside, like dust in a bright morning window. “Which specific problem do you mean?”

“His continued experiments to subvert conditioning.” That ‘continued’ was a long-standing endeavor. They had discouraged Ienzo’s initial inquiries about how to undo conditioning when he was little, but when, every now and then, one of his usually very well-managed Indentureds ended up a little…off? As the years went by, none of them had really been able to find the motivation to truly discourage Ienzo off that path. It was dangerous and even if he succeeded, there was nothing they could do about it…

…but it would be lifesaving knowledge to people, if they ever managed to get it to someone on the outside. It was a desire to do good in the world, despite all the damage they were forced to inflict, that Aeleus really thought was some of his son’s heart and soul, and to crush that… Maybe it was irresponsible. But he hadn’t been able to do it. 

Ienzo being gone for two days and counting was gnawing on that inability, though. 

He hadn’t even noticed any of Zexion’s Indentureds acting oddly this time. 

“Perhaps we’ve been too soft with him,” Even murmured, his own thoughts clearly reflecting some of Aeleus’. “Inzi warned me with her dying breath that this was going to happen.”

“She did not, she simply said you needed to be stricter,” Vexen said, tapping the bottle, before writing down a few more notes as the lights swished around, “And she meant that for everyone, not just Ienzo and Zexion. If anything, we need to be stricter for Marluxia and Larxene. I’m not even physical and even my hair’s going to go gray at this point.”

“We have to be stricter, Lexaeus,” Even said, “Lofty goals and ideals are all well and good, but we forget we’re prisoners at our own peril. We can’t keep giving the supervisors opportunities to harm our young, foolish children.”

“Neither Ienzo nor Lauriam are exactly children anymore,” Vexen said, “And being strictly obedient and accommodating doesn’t save us either. Or have you forgotten what happened to Luis?”

Even frowned, a flash of guilt running through him. Honestly, he had… and Vexen had a point. Lauriam and Ienzo kept drawing too much attention to themselves, sure, but Luis was always on his best behavior, with everyone. Sure, he had tried to hide Lea, but honestly it could be just as easily argued that Luxord had been too drunk to realize what Lea was, and Luis none the wiser either way. Those two weren’t ‘rebellious’, they were often just several pints in at their most obnoxious. Even the supervisors knew that.

And yet. And yet…

“Besides, it’s still not happening to Ienzo. Your son is endearing, intelligent, with a good heart…and is a pale, sickly stick of a person,” Vexen huffed, “They’re not interested, I guarantee it. And the only person who can’t see that Isa’s gearing up to be next is Isa himself, the fool.”

“You’re in denial,” Even said.

“And you’re worrying over nothing,” Vexen insisted.

Lexaeus grunted a little at Vexen’s point about Marluxia and Larxene. The reason he knew why Ienzo had been taken this time, and it wasn’t just the supervisors picking one of them to be a punching bag? He’d overheard the two of them gossiping while they were sparring, Lauriam having opened their main door again to eavesdrop on the supervisors. And because Lauriam was listening in, it meant Marluxia was, and apparently the supervisors had been pretty incensed at Ienzo’s usually reliable record showing some flaws. 

But like figuring out discipline for Ienzo? 

Half the time Lexaeus wasn’t even sure Lauriam was aware he was doing it. The teen had been much…quieter, in the months that had passed since his rape. He hadn’t been the kind of person to make and put together plans with others in the first place, but unless one of them made an effort to check on him, he just sort of…listed around, alone. And sometimes that came with picking open the lock to their door, and stealing from the supervisors. With a sinking feeling, Lexaeus truly hoped that Lauriam wasn’t listening in on the supervisors just because he was feeling lonely. 

It was hard to discipline Lauriam on things that he wasn’t always doing on purpose. Or, despite the small, polite smiles, it seemed that any little thing could make his mood plummet too. 

Some of that was just for the kids’ own sakes, to help them grow into people they’d be proud of, regardless of the situation. But when you did regard the situation? There was no winning. No matter how you acted. 

The best you could do was just keep off the supervisors’ radar as much as possible, which was difficult when there were only so many of them.

Lexaeus frowned a bit at Even and Vexen, before his eyes widened and he stood up. Aeleus opening his eyes as he heard the door opening, and he quickly got up to meet--

Ienzo’s body was walking stiffly, shaking but upright, eyes blanked out…as one of his shoulders was clearly misaligned, and even from the front blood was soaking through his shirt. 

Even opened his eyes next, a small hissing sound between his teeth, though he was quickly up from his pallet, heading to his son and quickly grasping him to steady him. “Keep heart, my boy, we’re going to the bathroom and we’re going to tend to your wounds. It’s all done now,” he insisted quickly, attempting to reassure, but frowning at the twist of Ienzo’s shoulder. 

That would need more than stitches. That was going to need so much time… “It’s all done now,” he said again.

Aeleus gently touched the back of Ienzo’s head before giving Even a worried look, trusting him to get Ienzo to the bathroom as he got the first aid kit. 

{We’re going to have to set his shoulder before stitching the wound up,} he warned, even if Even likely came to the same conclusion. The awful one, that meant Ienzo was in for quite a bit more pain before anything resembling rest. 

Ienzo’s head jerked forward slightly, in what was likely meant to be a nod. “Dislocation and a gouged puncture,” an airy voice informed, stiffly moving forward to the bathroom. “Perhaps abrasions around the wrist and forearms, but those a-are of secondary concern.”

“We will handle your shoulder first, as you are correct, the bleeding should be a primary concern. But we will handle the abrasions before it is time to rest,” Even assured him, leading him firmly to the bathroom. 

Most everyone was working still or asleep, but Lea’s head looked up from where he was laid out on his pallet. “Oh, he’s back–shit,” he interrupted himself, seeing the bleeding.

“If you wish to give aid, please start prepping food and water, Lea,” Even instructed, before moving Ienzo into the bathroom.

At one point, a chair had been stolen from another room and put into the bathroom, and no one had moved it back yet. Sitting Ienzo down on it, Even looked over his shoulder. “I will need to remove your shirt to get a proper look at the wound, son.”

Ienzo’s head gave another jerky nod, before Ienzo’s left arm shakily came up and the cuff of Ienzo’s sleeve was bitten, the arm worming backwards through the sleeve to take off. Once the cuff was released, a strained voice informed, “The right arm isn’t movable. 52 informed that there was shooting pain down the right arm at one point, though sensation in the extremity is numbed, currently, so we believe there may be some nerve damage.”

“That’s important to know, thank you, Zexion,” Aeleus said softly as he joined his husband and son. “Who are we talking with, right now?”

“59,” the voice said quietly. 

It was expected, but Aeleus’ heart still sank a little as he said, “It’s nice to meet you, 59. You’re in good hands.”

“I can assure you, the act of existing only gets easier from this point forward,” Even said, taking the hanging sleeve of Ienzo’s shirt and pulling a sturdy, round wooden stake from the first aid kit, wrapping the cloth around it, “...within five minutes and then going forward. I need you to bite down on this to protect your teeth and jaw, 59.”

Aeleus helped 59 pull his shirt over his head, carefully peeling the cloth away from… Aeleus took a deep breath. Away from the wound, before steadying the teen’s shaky hand to his mouth. 

Not for the first time, Aeleus wondered just how bad it could be if he injured Orlette enough to send her away from the factory. 

The description of it being a gouged puncture was accurate. In the stretched skin where the shoulder socket was exposed, it wasn’t just a stab wound. It was messy, like a blade had gone in and then was scraped and jerked around, aiming to cause as much damage under the skin as possible. It was morbid even for him, but Aeleus found himself marveling that none of Ienzo’s primary arteries had been hit. That damage this profound could occur, and Ienzo could still be upright. 

It wasn’t to say he wasn’t still currently bleeding out from smaller blood vessels, so taking 59’s left hand in his own, and steadying his chest from the front, so the teen wouldn’t injure himself on the back of the chair, he gave Even a small nod. 

“This will only hurt a moment,” Even said easily, practically in the same breath as ‘moment’ shoving 59’s arm up and backwards, putting all of his weight into it so that it would immediately, audibly pop back in. 

Then he held on.

“Aa-AAAaa…” It was a broken, surprisingly warbly pained sound that came from 59, Aeleus holding him securely and letting his son squeeze his hand tight in pain…before all at once Ienzo’s body laxed, his eyes fluttering. 

Before blinking open, confused and immediately registering pain. A whimper coming around the bit in Ienzo’s mouth, the stab wound gushing extra blood as Ienzo’s shoulder popped back into place. Ienzo’s right hand twitching slightly as his nerves flared with sensation.

“You did very well,” Even praised, letting Aeleus carry Ienzo’s weight as he dug into the first aid kit. Pulling out the stitching kit as he promised, “This next part will be quick and easy, and then we can give you some painkillers. I’m certain Lea will have something warm for you to eat soon as well. You are very nearly done.”

Some quick sterilizations happened, second nature to Even by now. Too many stitches on too many of them. Even if Even hadn’t worked closely with bodies in a lab before the factory, he’d have done too many stitches by now. His needlework tracing some of the worst moments his family in the factory had lived through. Too many darting scars on Ienzo already.

But wishing he didn’t have to do more didn’t stop the reality that his son was bleeding out in front of him, and Even spared his regret barely a thought as he got back to work. Some things did not come with a break. Some of them could not afford to break. Aeleus and his strength was one. Even and his needlework another.

It wasn’t long before the jagged skin was forced back together, criss-cross by criss-cross. Even sighing as he put down his needle, his blood-covered hands reaching to steady Ienzo as he said, “Aeleus, the painkillers, please.”

Ienzo’s body was listing quite a bit by the time Even finished, his shoulder blade already starting to mottle, and Aeleus figured it was likely to swell soon as well. They could only hope that it didn’t pop any of the stitches. Trusting their son in his husband’s hands, they were close enough to the sink that Aeleus could grab the cup just leaning a little, the painkillers already dissolved within the water. Just enough to be swallowable, though Ienzo really should drink more, but if they were only able to get him to take a few things down, not leaving him in maddening pain was the most important. 

Taking a guess, Aeleus prompted, “60? Drink,” as he helped tilt Ienzo’s head back a little. There was a little acknowledging hum as 60 let the bit fall from his mouth, and he swallowed the medicinal water. Ienzo’s eyes sliding shut. 

“Stay awake if you can,” Aeleus said softly. “Water and food will help with healing.”

60 just gave a smaller hum. 

Vexen watched this with a grim, thin line of frustration. 

Something needed to be done…

-

Demyx stepped into the library, looking at the gap that led into the maze of bookcases… before whistling a small tune to himself, stepping into it as he started to walk. 

There was an easy saunter to his steps. Almost like he was dancing slightly as he moved, each swing of his hip and kick of his leg both entirely lazy and somewhat rhythmic. He had a song stuck in his head and it was putting him in a good mood, regardless of the grim reason he was coming by. 

Turning a random corner, a guy nearly ran into him, looking frazzled and desperate as he gasped, “Oh my god, someone else is here! I’ve been lost for days–”

“Oh, good, I found another person!” Demyx smiled brightly, before stepping aside and pointing down the aisle, “The exit’s that way! Go ahead without me, I’m going to find other lost people to let them know where to go! Take a right, then another right, you won’t miss it!” 

The man gasped, bowed low in gratitude to Demyx, before hurrying off. Demyx waved cheerfully at him before moving along down the aisle again. Prepared to give the same lie to any other Indentured he ran into by accident. Though he was really looking for…

“Oh, hey!” Demyx called, spotting a Zexion at his next turn. “I’m looking for… honestly, I’m not sure? You guys are looking rough in the real world, thought I’d check in.”

Worked stopped for no one, and Ienzo and the Zexions had pretty much perfected multitasking these days. However…10 wasn’t lookin’ so hot. He was still overseeing conditioning, he could still perform his function…but he’d folded his arms on the edge of a bookcase, leaning most of his weight on them as he pressed his forehead to the edge of the next shelf up. Pale, and seeming like he was just focused on breathing. 

Cracking his visible eye open towards Demyx, he just shook his head a little. “Thank you for the concern. While normally the needs of Ienzo’s physical body are disconnected from our internal experience, it-,” the teen sucked in a short, quick breath, “-seems that we’ve sustained an injury such that it’s affecting our mental capabilities at the moment.”

Closing his eyes again, 10 leaned more onto the bookcase. “Word is that it’s unlikely the nerve to the right arm has been severed or completely decimated, so that’s fortunate.”

“I guess,” Demyx said, sounding skeptical as hell, reinforced by immediately adding, “Kinda sounds like the opposite of fortunate, but I get trying to look on the bright side of things. Do you wanna sit down, bud? You look woozy. Was all that stuff before just your fancy, smart way of saying ‘ouch, I’m woozie’? Because that’s what I’m picking up.”

10 made a negative sound. “That is truly fortunate. The upper 50s felt a lot of what we’ve concluded was definitely nerve damage, and considering that the shoulder joint was completely dislocated, there was a significant chance we’d lose the arm entirely. If it’s left with partial nerve damage, that’s fortunate for the situation we’re in.”

“...I still have work,” 10 protested weakly for a moment, even as he used the shelves to slowly lower himself to the floor. Looking, yeah, pretty woozy as he leaned against them. Even still, he swallowed uneasily before assuring, “We’re going to be alright. We’ve all dealt with blood loss.”

“Who’s ‘we’? You mean you, collectively?” Demyx asked, sitting down with 10, sighing as he looked back to where the aisle he had come from was, running into that other guy, “If I was dealing with all of the blood loss you were going though right now, I’d be too busy crying to even sleep it off, let alone getting back to work. I’d be such a baby about it. Also, what are you doing with your Indentured right now? Just freaking them out? I’ve got an easy way to do that if you let me influence your maze a bit.”

“I mean everyone in the factory. Knives aren’t brought out too often, but we did warn you about Orlette’s penchant for whips, and those can break skin with enough force.” 10 pressed his temple against one of the shelves, sounding a little petulant. “...I feel like this time was a bit excessive. I do understand that they were trying to traumatize us significantly, but it seems like dangerous overkill to nearly sever one of our arms, and leave us to bleed out. Like…fuckin’ touch grass…”

Cracking an eye open again, 10 frowned a bit. “...it’s mostly observation. There are multiple stages to our method, and right now it’s maintaining a balance of stress without completely degrading the individual. Right now, I’m just seeing when my subjects need a break…”

He gave Demyx a slightly curious look. “...what did you have in mind, though?”

“Pfff, only Viz gets to touch grass. Just once, for her birthday. Heh… you know, I’ve really only been here a second in comparison to her, but when I heard that? I’ll admit, I got jealous,” Demyx shrugged, smiling lightly, “I’m happy she got it. I thought Isa was crazy when he said he could rig it for her, but I guess he’s right! Seifer really does have, well… something going on for him, I guess. A crush? I dunno. But I’m glad Viz got to go outside for it. She’s a nice lady, she deserved it.”

…Demyx hoped it wasn’t unreasonable to hope it wouldn’t be the last time for her, either.

For any of them.

“Oh, oh! I’ve got the perfect low-grade stress for them!” Demyx insisted, nudging 10 in his side a bit as he grinned, “Picture this, right, picture it… everything progressively becomes… moister.” 

Demyx smiled as he watched Ienzo, and not getting the reaction he was hoping for, explained earnestly, “Like, the books become moister! You can start to smell the mold in the bookshelves and pages! The floor starts getting puddles. The air is really humid… oh! If you put carpet down on the floor of the maze, it’ll squelch. I’m telling you, they’ll hate the squelching. Water could start dripping from the ceiling after a while, because all of the humidity condensed up there. You know… moist.” Demyx smiled brighter. Entirely pleased with himself. “Eh?”

10 couldn’t help but smile slightly at that. Viz had been in the factory so long that there was a sort of comfortable ease and levity to everything she did in the physical world, when she could even be bothered to be awake. But when the supervisors had brought her back in at the end of the day…

She had been happy. And there had been a sort of…shift, on the island, how the sun felt, how the breeze felt, that they had only been able to surmise was realism, subtle things that they had just forgotten through time. 

“I still think Isa’s being foolish,” 10 mumbled, “but I can’t argue with his results. Donna’s gone, the supervisors barely even talked to us for weeks after that, he negotiated Viz going outside…” 10 laughed softly. A rare sound from a Zexion these days, though maybe not from Demyx’s point of view. “It’s lucky I’ll never have to face him in true lawyer mode. We’d be cooked.”

10 wrinkled his nose in distaste as Demyx described what, honestly, would be a nightmare to him, before he hummed quietly, closing his eyes tiredly again as he slid slightly along the bookcases, landing against Demyx’s shoulder. 

“...there’s a relatively new horror novel from Dicea we received,” he said quietly, “It seems like it’s a part of a series, and part of the conceit throughout it, I think, is a space in which mental turmoil is manifested physically. Not unlike the experience of what we perform and build for Indentureds, actually. In the novel we have, the main character has an abhorrence for decay, so in several locations that manifestation becomes mold growing through walls, and in one instance a large building becomes partially flooded, taking on many of the conditions you outlined.”

“There really is something to be said about subtle discomfort.” 10 pouted a little. “...but your manifestations tend to be more ‘solid’. Please don’t ruin our books.”

“Yeah, I still don’t know how to fix that. Axel still hasn’t forgiven me for making a bunch of hardened lava paths through his world. I didn’t think they’d stay! Besides, who cares if the Indentured can more easily traverse his weird tunnels, it’s hot and there’s a giant scary lava dragon inside, they’re still getting scared plenty.” Demyx scoffed. 

(Demyx’s powers weren’t, as far as anyone could tell, any stronger than anyone else's. And his designs weren’t any more complex or well thought out. But the things he did with his abilities had a sort of odd… completeness, to them. They didn’t need developing, they didn’t need refinement, he tended to just do things and then They Were Done. Larxene being one of the strongest examples of it, her ability to self-identify as something ‘other’ than Demyx happening almost immediately, with no hesitation and no time to feel confident in her own identity. Larxene as his Nobody had been complete from minute one. His constructs tended to work without him thinking about them much at all. And weirdest of all, they tended to slot perfectly into the others’ minds in a way that made it difficult to banish them once they were put in place.)

(Even had theorized that Demyx was too simple to waste time on anything that could potentially break, so everything he made benefited from that lack of complexity or self-doubt. Demyx was pretty sure Even just wanted to call him dumb in a roundabout way and had valiantly ignored him.)

“Donna leaving was a pretty big win. But the way I hear it, that was half because of you, bud,” Demyx smirked, easily leaning with 10, the two warm and comfortable pressed together, “Something about a balloon?”

“Lea and Axel constructed the atmosphere of their world very deliberately. Part of the fear is the limited space to move, the threat of falling into lava at any moment, and that sure threat of death making it so you either have to take what’s coming at you head on, or accept that death. I do think Axel can still work around the new paths, but I get why he’s pissed about it,” 10 huffed, before smirking a little, “Volvagia can’t do all of the work. There are those that think dragons are far cooler than scary, after all.”

Smiling a little softer in pride, 10 hummed in confirmation. “From what Isa’s passed on, it sounded like her position among the supervisors was already iffy. Normally it’s an exercise in futility to try and enact revenge or even control over the supervisors or any particular punishment.”

So maybe it was foolish, but, “...we couldn’t allow what she’d done to Lauriam to stand, nor allow them all to be emboldened by it,” he said quietly, “So we worked on a construct to cause her undoing. Something that would ramp up her erratic and skeezy behavior…but only hers. We wouldn’t have given it to Isa if we thought it might influence him as well.”

10 summoned his Lexicon and turned to a journal page filled with notes and diagrams, one of which was a balloon, before tilting it to show Demyx. (Not everyone got to see inside the Lexicon. Ienzo and Zexion were open with sharing information, and they loved getting to explain things, but the Lexicon was…special. The book that was truest to them, all their thoughts and observations in one spot, the construct through which they channeled any focused amount of power.) “She had a habit of tapping her left foot whenever standing, and rolling her right wrist to crack the joints. It was less specific to her, but she tended to repeat commanding words twice, so programming those three habits into our construct, we tried to ensure that it would only ever be activated within her, and not Isa or Seifer by accident. It seemed it worked out.”

“You should have made it that the next time she feels like grabbing someone’s dick, she suddenly decides to bash her head against the wall until she passes out instead,” Demyx huffed, obligingly looking at the pages of information he knew he couldn’t hope to understand, “Or, like, if she looked at any of us in a sexy way… bam! Spiders in her hair. And up her crotch. Coochie-spiders… I think I have a new idea for how to distress your Indentureds, Zexion. Spiders up the cooch. Tell me it wouldn’t work.”

(Demyx wasn’t a sadist. Not even close. But there was a certain… irreverance to the way he thought about things, that made it easier to understand why he at times had been able to help with conditioning, without letting it change him.)

“What’d they even pull all that shit on you for anyway?” Demyx asked, giving Zexion a curious look, “What were they so upset about?”

10 smirked a little, before huffing a highly amused, though silent laugh. “I should have. If I ever had the chance to actually condition her, those would definitely be on my list of behaviors now. Unfortunately, not just for our own safety, making sure her behaviors would look natural, and the limitation of my own power, what we accomplished was all we were capable of.”

10 didn’t think they were a particularly vengeful person, but there was a part of him that lamented they hadn’t been able to do more for Lauriam. He supposed you couldn’t go through an assault like that without it changing you, but his brother had been…different, ever since. Making Donna’s life worse wouldn’t bring Lauriam back the way he used to be, but it felt like things would feel a little better, knowing she was taking some of the pain she had inflicted on him. 

More than that, 10 just wished there was something they could do, whenever they felt the flash of pure fear from Lauriam every time he was taken away. 

But that was something they all had to live with. 

Grimacing, 10 subconsciously held his shoulder. “We messed up a conditioning,” he lied, “Took it too far, I suppose. The Indentured wasn’t catatonic, but she’d cover her ears and huddle into herself when receiving orders, so…a grand failure. That’s rather notable in our track record, so I suppose the supervisors thought we had perhaps messed up the conditioning on purpose.”

…they had, though the story about that particular Indentured was a complete fabrication, just…something that happened when you pushed an Indentured too far. An easy mistake to make, and something that did happen time to time even when you were doing everything correctly. 

It was frustrating. 10 really thought they had been onto something this time, but whatever had happened in the tests the Togami Employees did to check if conditioning was taking hold…they had caught on. And so Ienzo was made to pay the price. 

Demyx whistled low, shaking his head. “I gotta remind Larxene to be careful. A lot of our Indentured end up trying to, like, mold into the chairs and hide that way, I hope she’s really keeping the breaks and stuff in mind. Mind you, for the most part her show is all talk. They only get dragged into the water by the tentacles a few times. But the threat of it really seems to get to a lot of them anyway. Which is a shame, Guppy’s pretty cute when you’re not waiting to get devoured by him.”

“They shouldn’t have nearly ripped your arm off for that…” Demyx murmured, looking briefly confused… before he shrugged, taking Zexion’s word entirely for it, “Eh, those guys are fickle jerks. We should make more balloons and give spider crotches to all of them. Isa can pull it off.”

Idly, Demyx rested his head against Ienzo’s. The library was noisy with the sounds of other Zexions somewhere in the maze. A few shouts from desperate Indentureds who couldn’t hear each other. “Your library is always so noisy,” Demyx mused, “Does it bother you?”

10 nodded a little. The threat of violence could sometimes be even worse than the act of it. Something threatening and nigh incomprehensible like Guppy (giant squids were very comprehensible, but considering it was exceedingly rare for them to get anyone who’d ever been within 50 miles of the coast or had seen a body of water bigger than a pool, Guppy did slot into that category nonetheless) was even more effective. 

…10 pouted. “...Guppy is fascinating, but I would prefer if he didn’t try to get ink on our books, or for Larxene to try and make the water of your world affect them.”

It’d be nice, if it was just as simple as that. Passing countless constructs through Isa’s ploy with Seifer, and get rid of all the supervisors. Especially after this punishment, though, 10 didn’t have a lot of hope that they’d be able to pull it off without the supervisors catching on, and for all that he didn’t believe in Isa’s plan, he’d be damned if he was the reason Isa failed. 

(As the months went on and the scheme grew, there was a part of Ienzo that had started to…hope. Just a little. That one day Isa really would be walking out of the factory. That hope didn’t extend to thinking Isa would manage to get the rest of them out, but even one of them escaping…

Freedom smelled like warm vanilla cookies.)

10 relaxed a little more against Demyx, comfortable and…safe, sitting with his friend. “No,” he answered immediately. “I think it’s really nice, actually. All the noise--there’s a source making it. So that means there are other people here, even if you can’t always see them. That’s comforting. And it makes me happy, knowing that a lot of those conversations are the others having fun.”

“Are they? Aw, that’s awesome. I like to know some of you guys are always enjoying yourselves. You can be a tough guy to read sometimes, Ien… Zex…” Demyx faltered, before admitting sheepishly, “I don’t always know what to call you either. But that’s part of your ‘hard to read’ness! Never know who you’re getting. It makes you very mysterious.”

“If we didn’t have to condition? And most of us aren’t, at any given time. Then we’re reading, and often discussing those works with the others. It’s a wonderful feeling, talking about something you’re really excited about, and having someone just as excited to listen and ask questions about it.” 10 smiled softly. Sure, sometimes they did other things too, like taking observations on the island or spying throughout the worlds, but mostly? It was a never-ending book club. 

10 laughed quietly. “I’m 10. But none of us really mind if you call us Ienzo or Zexion, there is truth to it either way. Though, I’m glad you like our esoteric nature; you’re unpredictable in turn, which makes you fun to hang out with, so it’s nice knowing we vibe.”

10 was quiet for a moment, before prying his eyes open, making moves to get up. “...I am conditioning, though, and I shouldn’t lose my subject too much.”

“You should have them come hang out with us,” Demyx said, waving his hand as water appeared, and then solidified into a sitar, resting on his lap, “It’s gotta be close to breaktime anyway. If the last issue was you overdid it? Well, let’s relax a bit then. All of us.” Demyx smiled, strumming his strings beckoningly as he gave 10 a little wink. “Come on, 10, play hooky with me.”

Sighing a little, 10 looked at Demyx for a moment…before shaking his head with a small smile. “Not your worst idea.”

As he got up, though, 10 stumbled a little, tripping over his feet to the side as…well, what could only be described as a minor earthquake trembled through the library, the sounds of books throughout the maze of shelves clattering to the floor. 10 panting lightly, looking pale and pained. 

…yeah, a break would be good.

“...Demyx?” the teen said quietly after a moment. “Could you help me find them? Please.”

“Sure! I’ve got this!” Demyx said cheerfully, standing up and, eyeing 10 to see if he’d fall, smiling as he strummed his sitar, “You ever hear the story of the Pied Piper? I’m gonna go gather up all the little kiddies with the power of song~ You wanna wait here while I do?”

Despite the fatigue and disorientation, 10 smiled slightly. “Folklore from the north, associated with the former village of Hamlin, and depicted on a stained glass window theorized to be from seven centuries ago. There was a thrilling story we have of someone’s twist on the tale, describing the events after the classic story…”

10 smiled a little more. “Somehow I highly doubt the music you’ll play will be congruous with the fashions of pre-common history. I look forward to hearing your take.”

“...yeah,” the teen said, a little weaker. “I’ll take us all out once you get everyone together. I’m just…gonna…” It didn’t look like 10 fell to the ground, but there was something distinctly graceless about the way he made himself back down, now just fully curled up on his side. 

Demyx gave 10 a sympathetic… but also amused look, giving him a thumbs up as he encouraged, “You stay curled up there, bud! I’ll go do my modern rendition of super old glass stories! OooooooOOOOOH there once was a maze in the middle of a mind and and in the mind you’ll find that I don’t mind telling you to hurry up and OOOOOOH!” Demyx crooned out, strumming his sitar as he headed out into the maze, “Get your butt over to the music or you’ll find that you’ll stay in the mind with the maze that goes fifteen feet high forEEEEEVERRRRR~~ OOOOOH!” 

Demyx continued on with his jaunty little tune, getting more and more distant from 10. 

Several constructs looked over in baffled--weakened, bleary, tired--confusion as Demyx swayed through the maze. Some could only scoff quietly, too affected by the pain and blood loss to exist outside of it, but there was a majority mood of amusement, catching onto what Demyx was doing and just…appreciating the fun method. (And the act of care. None of them liked making their family worry, but it was always a nice reminder to see how much people actually cared about them.)

Though, as the lost, frightened Indentured indeed ran towards the music that seemed to be their only hope, one figure came from in front, an exhausted-looking Zexion standing in Demyx’s way and frowning at the musician. 

Before he just shook his head a little and opened up a bookcase that was actually a door, jerking his head towards it to usher the parade through onto the island. 

“You heard the man, come on, out onto the beach! Beach time!” Demyx cheerfully called, strumming his sitar quickly as the group of Indentured hurried past them, out the door and to the relative safety of the island. As the last one headed out, Demyx gave them a little wave, calling out, “We’re gonna have a bonfire and music soon, look forward to it!” before smiling a bit at Zexion, “You look tired, bud.”

Zexion tiredly watched his Indentureds flee, before giving Demyx a stony look. 

“...I am,” he said after a moment. “It’s difficult enough, allowing 53 through 60 adequate enough spaces to recover, but I’m monitoring us for signs of hypoxemia.” Zexion shrugged a little, looking more tired. “There’s not much we can do about it, but it’s important to know.”

“What’s hypoxemia?” Demyx asked, still mindlessly strumming. 

“It’s a lack of oxygen in the bloodstream,” Zexion informed, swaying a little, “Due to our blood loss, the body will draw in water from other places to refill the volume in our circulatory system, but, obviously, that means our blood is significantly diluted, while at the same time causing us to be dehydrated. Water still can transport oxygen, but with less efficacy for the body’s needs as blood, which may lead to certain areas, most concerningly organs, shutting down.”

He nodded a little, though it sort of looked like his head had just been tipping and he caught himself. “Dad’s insistence on making sure we’re drinking is to combat some of that. But there’s only so much blood we can replenish at once.”

“It’s concerning, but we may have to have someone in full control of the body more often, to make sure we’re not kicking the bucket,” he mumbled. 

Demyx tilted his head a bit… before saying slooooowly, “Whaaaat would people normally do about that? Assuming you weren’t trying to micromanage, like, a whole organization of you’s to solve that particular problem? For instance, what if you just had, like, a guy. Out there. Feeding you water or something… me, I’m the guy. Is your dad not feeding you enough water?” Demyx paused. “...I feel like ‘feeding you’ isn’t the right way to put that, but you know, I honestly can’t think of another way to phrase it. Do you need someone out there feeding you water?”

“For broad scope normality? I likely would be on an IV drip, perhaps even with supplementary blood considering we were left with open wounds for a time,” Zexion said quietly, smiling grimly, “For us? …Thank you, Demyx, but our dads are taking good care of us. The food Lea put together has likely helped a lot too.”

He smirked a little. “I doubt they’d object to you volunteering for healer duty, though. It might be a preemptive move to prevent me from calling them out for not sleeping, to rebut every instance they’ve done it for me. Though I’ll be honest, I’m looking forward to the call out.”

Sighing a little, Zexion held himself to try and stand more steadily. “...don’t let me stop you, though. You led our Indentureds out on break?”

“You can have a little callout, as a treat.” Demyx snickered, before shrugging as he gestured to Zexion. “I let them out for a break, sure, but it’s really more about you having a break. All of yous. You don’t have to keep working. If you want, Larxene and I could take your Indentured tomorrow. Just let her know where you’re at with them and we’ll do tomorrow’s session. You could at least get the day, buddy. You look miserable. Probably from the arm thing, I’d bet.”

Zexion sighed softly. A break would be nice… Failure was a wonderful thing with valuable lessons to teach…but it did still sting sometimes. Especially when he wasn’t sure where he’d gone wrong. Maybe it’d be easier to accept if he just knew what had failed, but as it was, without literally having been punished for it, he really thought--

A soft sob broke out somewhere in the library, pulling Zexion’s attention before he sighed again, rubbing his head. “...we might…take you up on a few. Larxene’s quick, but I don’t want to inundate you guys, even if for just a day. But…a break, yeah. It’d be good.”

Looking up, Zexion gave Demyx a look that was tired, yes, but there was a true glimmer of concern in it. “We know you’re not going to be sloppy or irreverent on purpose. But you and Larxene both--be careful. None of us can really avoid just the random bouts of sadism that the supervisors have, but not giving them a reason to think about you is imperative. As much as we’d return the favor of care, I really don’t want to see you guys in our place, Demyx.”

“Oh man, I hope I’m not in your place either. Or Lauriam’s,” Demyx admitted, before smiling brightly, opening up his arms wide to signal he was about to hug Zexion before reaching over to do so, drawing him in and squeezing him tightly, “But you don’t have to worry about me. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I super want a lot of hugs and coddling and general ‘poor you’s’ if it happens to me, but I’ll be okay in the long run. And so will you! We all will…”

Demyx hugged Zexion tighter, closing his eyes. “...something really bad happened, and now it’s time to take a break and let us coddle you a bit. But you’ll be okay. In the long run. You will.”

Zexion took a slow breath, preparing himself for Demyx’s hug, but once he was in there? …he leaned into his friend, awkwardly putting his arms around Demyx’s waist and leaning his head against his shoulder, hugging him back. Just taking in the moment of comfort. 

It’d all be okay. 

“I know,” he said, “...but thank you for the reminder. All things pass, even this.” Zexion hugged Demyx a little tighter. “...even if it hurts like a bitch right now. You’re not allowed to request an arm wrestle with our dominant hands for the next year, okay?”

“That’s fine, we can leg wrestle,” Demyx said without missing a beat, still happily hugging Zexion, “It’s where we both lay on our backs and press our feet together, and whoever folds the other person over like a crepe wins. I’m gonna fold you so hard.”

“We do have more leverage than you, considering we’re shorter,” Zexion mused, before huffing a little in amusement. “Has Luis brought you into the betting pool for Lauriam’s height? I have a theory that there is one for me, but I’ve been growing so slowly that it’s not as much of an exciting bet, especially when compared to the fact that I think he’s nearly a foot taller than he was when he first came here.”

Very seriously, Zexion said, “You should feel lucky they gave you your own sets of clothes when you came here. No hand-me-downs.”

“Are you growing still? Oh yeah! Sometimes I forget you’re a baaaaabyyyyyyyy!” Demyx snickered, leaning back and smirking as he cricked his index finger, twisting it lightly against Zexion’s cheek, “Goo goo gah gah? Can you understand me, Zexion? Am I speaking the language of the infants? Uwu??”

Zexion blinked placidly at Demyx. “You lack skibbiti, not even the rizzler wants your gyatt, and you are not my ohio. I’ll be collecting my phantom tax.”

Demyx smiled blankly, staring in utter confusion. “Nani???”

“Boomer mentality,” Zexion sighed, resting his head back on Demyx’s shoulder. “Shall I say it in old man speak so you’d understand? That was so not swag.”

“Is this what it feels like to be Dilan? I feel like this is what it feels like to be Dilan… I’m so annoyed he’s not around to hear that sick burn.” Demyx snickered, lightly rubbing Zexion’s back. “Well, maybe I really want Xaldin to hear it. I knoooooow he’s all broken and grieving and stuff, but he’s still a weird dude. He’s lucky Dilan spent all that time exercising, or else he’d be Like That but in a little book-nerd body, instead of all roided up.”

“So like me?” Zexion asked, amused, before he sighed a little, a faint hum in his voice from the back rub. “There is no timeline for grief…but I think it’s getting close to a year. He can handle some ribbing about how slang’s changed over the years. I know Dilan and Marluxia argue about generational media, at least.”

“Sort of.” Zexion smirked a little, before murmuring the gossip to Demyx. “Marluxia gets defensive whenever there’s something he hasn’t heard of, so in those arguments he just lumps them into ‘old stuff’, even if it’s a more recent work. It devastates Dilan.”

“Pfff, what a bunch of weirdos.” Demyx scoffed, squeezing Zexion a little harder and lifting him off his feet a little, swishing him back and forth, before letting him back down with a huff. “You’re heavy. Lose some weight.” 

Zexion raised his eyebrows a little as he was swished around in the air before snorting. “You’re weak, gain some muscle.” Peeking up at Demyx, there was a devious smirk on Zexion’s face. “You know, my dad would leap at the chance to train someone into bulking. You have every resource you could ask for.”

“Noooooo! They’d kill me! I am not joining the weird old man body building club your dad has going on.” Demyx scoffed, looking out towards the beach and placing his hand on Zexion’s back, encouraging him to step out of the library with him. “Come on, 10’s supposed to be coming out here to chill out too, but you should join us. All the Zexions need a break, Lauriam’s being watched over by your dads, you can sit and just exist for a bit. Probably. All the rest of us are surviving without 50+ hovering nanny versions of themselves, you probably can too for a bit.”

Zexion let out a disappointed, wistful sigh. “If you say so… This is really going to break Aeleus’ heart; I suppose this is what my dads warned me about with a pretty face. Always concealing the harshest cruelty underneath.”

Looking a little more tired, Zexion did let Demyx entice him out onto the beach, squinting in the bright sunlight. Subconsciously rubbing his shoulder a bit, he took a breath before slowly letting it out, trying to relax more. They really weren’t in a state to continue their duties, that was true. 

“It’s not a matter of survival, though there is an aspect of that,” Zexion corrected as he joined Demyx walking over to one of the piers, 10 already there, looking pretty zoned out as he looked out at the waves. “We enjoy having the company of each other, and the varying perspectives and insights in our hobbies and projects. Judging by the complaints of boredom over the years, I think we’ve figured that out a little better.”

“Yeah, I’m less bored when I’m around you too, so I get that,” Demyx said approvingly, patting Zexion lightly on the shoulder, before asking urgently, “Have you ever heard of ‘surfing’?! But, like, on water, not on the sand. Apparently that’s a thing! I picked it out of someone’s head, I can’t remember whose. Wanna try standing up on a board?”

Zexion gave Demyx an intrigued look before considering that. “I’m not a strong swimmer, though the rules of reality here do mitigate that a bit. Also, I don’t think our mental state would make it particularly easy to try out a new physical feat, however as Dad’s fond of reiterating, there comes a point where fatigue becomes indistinguishable from inebriation, and I do still need to test how well I can teleport under those conditions…”

He gave Demyx what looked like a serious nod, though there was a glitter of excited anticipation in the single blue eye. “Let’s try it out.”

-

There was always stuff going on in the background of any workplace hierarchical structure. Anyone who had ever been a part of one knew that they were only seeing usually half of whatever was going on with a group of coworkers. But for the supervisors, it could sometimes feel like dealing with a particularly unpredictable case of bi-polar disorder, the way they jumped from Stick Stick Stick to Sudden Carrots when it came to their management of the Empaths. 

One day, with no warning, no bargaining, no even particularly good quotas on the books, suddenly delivered to their area was just… board games. Like, six whole-ass board games. Plopped in by a supervisor who gave some half-assed speech about morale being important finding healthy ways to occupy your time and all clearly just him regurgitating something told to him that he hadn’t quite understood either, all which seemed to lead to the idea that board games might make things… better. Somehow. For the quotas. 

The supervisor clearly hadn’t believed it and the Empaths had listened blankly and not believed a word of it either. But at the end of all of that they did, in fact, have six more board games just physically in their world. Which was very weird, and the group all stood or sat in a circle and watched Even carefully look through the boxes for any signs of tampering. 

“.......I feel like playing board games out here would suck,” Axel said, “If we’re going to do this, can we do it on the island?”

“Are we actually playing board games?” Isa asked, looking a bit unimpressed as he frowned at the collection of frayed, ratty boxes, “Just because they gave us some doesn’t mean we have to.”

Aqua glared at the boxes suspiciously. She trusted Even to find anything suspicious, but…she didn’t trust it. If only for the fact she couldn’t fathom who in any sort of chain of command that knew about their existences would care enough about the mundane intricacies of them having something engaging to occupy themselves for mental health. The only times Aqua had even heard about someone concerned about mental health on the outside was from her father, a master concerned just as much with mental strength as physical. 

…it couldn’t be because they had more younger folks these days. The supervisors had been well aware Ienzo was a young child when he arrived, and it had only been a few years before Lauriam showed up, so if it was about numbers… They were all mid-to-older teens by now, for fucks’ sake! And for all the rest of them…?

Ienzo’s body had simply been pulled along to group up with everyone else at first, but soon he seemed to blink to attention, looking over the boxes. 

“...there’s a trivia game,” 21 said quietly, before his eyes narrowed with consideration. “...puzzles and recall are important exercises for maintaining mental acuity.”

“There is something useful in having a physical, written record of information for the first time in quite some time,” Even mused, carefully opening up the still sealed cards, amused that among all the board games, the one that required intelligence looked the most untouched by the supervisors. “We put a great deal of faith in the memory of texts we receive from every new mind that enters the island. It’s nice to see something physical, for once.”

“I don’t know if any of us need more mental exercise than we get. We all keep pretty busy in our worlds or the island already,” Demyx pointed out, staring over the boards and pouting, “But, I’d be down for a board game night anyway! Though, they don’t have the best one.”

“What’s the ‘best’ board game?” Dilan asked.

“Twister!” Demyx brightly said, “We should play Twister!!”

“Pass,” Axel huffed, shaking his head, “That’s just an excuse to get all over someone. And it’s never even in a ‘fun’ way, at the end of it, it’s just holding aching yoga poses.”

“Yeah, if you’re playing it like a perv. The yoga poses are the fun part!” Demyx insisted. 

“I’d play it with you, Lea.” Isa smirked at Axel, who flustered and looked away. “Buuuut you’re right, it’s not very fun if you have that in mind, because no, it doesn’t lead there. Trivia sounds more fun.”

Shuffling on his knees over to Even, 21 peered around his arm at the cards, thinking for another moment…regarding the others…

“...we could make a game that could be fun for everyone,” he said after a moment, the library filling with murmurs of ideas and assent…and not a small amount of mischief. “Trivia for those up to the challenge, physical challenges for those who find those more engaging.”

“Ha, Ze lookin’ to be a GM, huh?” Terra laughed, honestly looking intrigued. The influx of games was strange, sure, but Terra was of the mind to not look a gift camel in the mouth, not about to get spit on. If they had more to do? Then that was awesome! “Hells, I’d be down.”

He gave a wink to Aqua and Lauriam, absolutely knowing what he was doing. “Because I’d win, of course. Don’t think there’d be much competition at all, really.”

“Pfff, if you were playing by yourself,” Aqua scoffed playfully, before smirking. “It’d be nice to change things up, I’ll admit it.”

Lauriam laughed softly. “I’d hate to give you an easy win, Dad. I’m up for a game.”

“These three boxes are safe,” Even declared, passing the three he had been looking through to Zexion, “Let me continue checking the last three, but if you wish to invent some sort of game out of these, please, help yourself. The act of creation is a fantastic mental exercise, I’d participate simply to encourage the creative trail of thought.”

“Okay, but again, does it have to be here?” Axel asked, looking around the sleeping quarters, “We can recreate these on the island, right? I hate doing stuff out here. These walls drive me up the wall.”

“No pun intended?” Dilan snickered.

Axel blinked. “Pun?”

21 didn’t hesitate, immediately getting his knowledge-hungry little fingers into the boxes, rapidly looking over all the pieces and cards and rule leaflets of new information as the library chattered over how to stitch something new and fun together out of them. And, well…something fun for them too. Just the challenge of creating a game, and the joy of running it for his family would be fun, of course, but they couldn’t quite resist the idea of making a game within a game. 

“Using two meanings of wall,” Aeleus hummed amusedly, explaining for Lea’s benefit.

“We should be able to play on the island,” 21 said distractedly, still reading. “It would allow for more challenges as well, though…hm. We may ask to do certain ones out here or within our world, to dictate the bounds of ability, though having more open bounds may allow for creative solutions that would be more fun. Depends on the challenge, I suppose.”

“...Okay,” he said after a moment, the 15-year-old smirking. “Give us ten minutes, then come to the island.”

-

“Larxene, may I ask you for a favor?” 18 asked, still stumbling in from the current as he arrived on the stage.

Larxene was strumming her sitar–she could play in the dream world, and found it infuriating that she couldn’t replicate the skills Demyx had in the real world when she was controlling the body. Something about lack of muscle memory…–as she looked over from where she was lounging on a fishing net that had been repurposed into a hammock between two of the stage’s pillars, smirking at Zexion’s arrival. “Well, well, well, 12. Gave my proposal another thought? Wait…”

Larxene squinted, before huffing, “You’re not 12. Nevermind. What do you want, cyclops? If you’re looking for the blonde, he’s probably off on the beach.”

18 gave Larxene a blank look, not deigning the message for 12 a response, though he did answer, “...you’re blonde too. That’s not a distinction between you and Demyx.”

Right from that, though, he asked, “We’re designing a game for everyone, something encompassing trivia and physical feats, and we’re going to rig it to drive Lauriam crazy. Would you be the show host?”

18, and all the others, were very aware they didn’t have the ‘stage presence’ or charisma to pull off being an enigmatic MC. However, they did know two people who had literally been designed for that, and of them, he thought Larxene would have more fun with it. Especially with the game within a game.

“Hee~heeehee,” Larxene giggled, swinging her legs over the side of the hammock and sitting up, smirking at Zexion. “You’re such an asshole. Sure, I’d love that. Today’s show was a total bust anyway, I had to end it early because one of them had a panic attack they couldn’t calm down from. Missed the entire second act of the show! I’m thinking I need to start holding Guppy back through the first act, but I just don’t have anything really, you know…shocking to start with without him.” Larxene hummed, looking around the stage, “Need to up their adrenaline without having them rile themselves up staring at something frightening. Something tense but brief… just haven’t figured it out yet.”

“But, that can be a tomorrow problem. We hosting your game here or am I heading to the island?” Larxene asked.

18 smirked back, giving a little shrug. He was. But Lauriam was very fun to mess with when it came to his competitiveness. Zexion had been a little worried their brother would just up and refuse to play Word Ladder with them ever again, but it seemed Lauriam’s pride in creating fun did in fact outweigh his frustration with esoteric and dubious words.

Tilting his head a little, 18 tapped his chin in thought. “There’s plenty of aspects about thalassophobia that get to people. I don’t mean to overstep, as I’m sure you’ll figure out something that will fit with your shows, but we would be happy to brainstorm if you’d like suggestions.”

“Though,” he nodded, “It’ll mostly be on the island. We may go to other worlds or the physical one for certain rounds, but I figure we’ll mostly be there.” 18 smirked a little. “The others may be about done with the set by now…”

-

“You know, I think this is one of the weirdest things we’ve put the Indentured through,” Axel admitted in a whisper to Isa, who shrugged as the two stared out into small audience of somewhat bewildered Indentured, who had been herded and encouraged from their break areas to come sit down and watch what looked like a… game show??

The ‘staging’, because that’s what it had become, was a bright, colorful series of podiums, tables, and to the side seemingly random items. It was like if rainbows that weren’t quite rainbows were backdropped by a baby blue color that wasn’t quite that either. 

There was a bright, white square among all of that that no one was quite sure what it was, until suddenly a bright word lit up on it that said ‘APPLAUD’ as music suddenly filled the air, Larxene stepping out wearing a lined, well-cut suit with a cute matching fedora, as she winked at the audience and exclaimed, “WELCOME!! To THE GAME!!! Hosted by yours truly, the sublime, the divine, perfection-incarnate–!!”

“Wait, you know what game we’re playing, Larxene?” Demyx asked, standing behind one of the podiums, having set up the deocations based loosely on Zexion’s orders but without any real idea why it was going to be used that way, “How? I don’t know the rules!”

“Hey, shut up, I’ll figure it out,” Larxene said quickly, smiling brightly, “LARXENE!!! Everyone applaud! Or I’ll bury you in the sand!” 

“She won’t! This is breaktime! Purely for fun!” Even quickly called out. A nervous smattering of unsure applause coming from the audience.

It was a complicated affair. Not everyone was so into playing the game, which was fair, but that became a challenge in itself to the Zexions. How to get everyone to have a fun time…

So everyone who didn’t want to play the main game? Had received specialty bingo cards made of a minor illusion that would make them difficult to notice without specifically looking for something odd. And all the spaces on the bingo cards were habits and idiosyncrasies of all the contestants. Aqua telling Terra ‘rip Brozo’, Czativ interrupting the game with a song, Lauriam saying ‘sure, sure’, Even tapping his chin--some were practically assured, but the Zexions had made sure to mix easy spaces with more rare occurrences. 

And, of course they had their own game to play. 

But for the one that everyone knew about?

Lauriam laughed softly and applauded Larxene’s entrance, and then 34’s as well, a smattering of Zexions all acting as ‘stage hands’, but 34 walking on stage with a series of large boards in his arms. And nearby, wearing a striped shirt, 6 called, “This game will work a little like ‘truth or dare’, but the actual question posed, by our decorated host, is ‘question or action’. At Larxene’s discretion, there may be individual rounds, or rounds given to the whole group, but to start us off, showing how this works, we’ll start with everyone answering--”

34 held up one of the boards, large, easy to read blocky text reading: YES OR NO

“Ummmmmmmmm–” Demyx ummed, looking in concern at the text, “I don’t underst–”

“Yes!” Isa called out easily, smiling charmingly as Demyx gave him a bewildered look, “What? Just roll with it. We’ll figure it out.”

“Okay, fine, then to be contrary? I say no,” Xaldin said, crossing his arms, having volunteered to play when Dilan had decided he’d rather watch. “And now, Demyx, whichever you pick, means you like that person better.”

“What?! Hey, that’s a weird amount of pressure to put on it! Uh, uh, uh, y-yes!?”

“Ah, see. This is why I’m gonna break your fingers later, Demyx,” Xaldin said dryly.

“That’s not fair! I need those!”

Aeleus glanced down briefly, marking off, ‘Xaldin making a casual threat’ on his card. 

“YES!” Marluxia crowed, grinning challengingly at Xaldin, Terra following him up with a ‘yes’ as well, while, looking amused at them, Aqua and Lauriam both said ‘no’. 

And with everyone getting their answers in?

(“If there are group questions that don’t really seem to have an answer,” 18 had discussed with Larxene as they walked over to the set, “Then the ‘correct’ answer is the opposite of what Lauriam chooses, and those people get points. Feel free to get creative with it too, we’ll back you up.” He smirked a little. “It’s fun when it’s unpredictable, isn’t it?”)

“Ah, I see you’ve also chosen violence, flower,” Xaldin said deadpan, before sticking his tongue out at Terra. 

“Alriiiiiight, so obviously the correct answer was ‘Yes’,” Larxene said, rolling her eyes as she rested against the podium, “Come on, guys, I gave you a ‘gimme’ answer for the first question and damn near half of you still got it wrong. Can we get a ‘boo’ from the audience?!”

Axel leaned back, calling out gamely, “Booo!” among the otherwise quiet and a little nervous audience, Axel nudging a guy he had been chasing through lava tunnels not that long ago who was now sitting next to him, “Come on, give me a hand. Booo!”

“Booo?” the guy called, a few more Indentured calling out with him now that one of their own had broken the ice.

“Wait, I don’t understand how there was an ‘obvious’ answer–” Even started to say, before Larxene cut him off.

“Alright!! To help make up some of the lost points, I’ll give you an even easier question! Let’s play Identify The Plant!” Larxene called, pointing to the Zexions who were bringing out pictures of flora. “Demyx! What is that plant!?”

Demyx blinked. “Um… that’s a sunflower, isn’t it? I saw a field of those once.”

“I know you did~ Good job, point to Demyx! Terra? What sort of plant is this, hotstuff?”

On cue, as Larxene announced the answer, several Zexions snapped and turned their hands over, ending up pointing at the ‘yes’ answering contestants as an enchanting sparkle emanated from their hands and numbers appeared on the podiums, each reading a triumphant ‘1’. 

Was part of the game also just the spectacle of it? Yes. Zexion had been very meticulous in this multi-layered endeavor. 

“Don’t see how this evens it out, but I won’t complain,” Terra laughed, before answering, “That’s a tulip! Pretty distinctive, those.”

Marluxia scoffed as he laughed lowly. “Dad, that’s a poppy.”

Terra blinked, before squinting at the picture again. “...nu-uh, tulips have those big petals cupping up, I know ‘em when I see ‘em.”

“Admit defeat, Terry-boy, it’s more graceful,” Raxter crooned from the audience, snickering.

“Zero points for that one! Does anyone wanna steal the answer? There’s a button on the podium next to you, whoever buzzes it first–Lauriam! Quick work on that buzzer! Wanna take a guess at Terra’s plant?” Larxene asked. 

“HHHHHHGN!” Marluxia growled at Lauriam, hand smashed on his buzzer as he glared daggers at his Somebody. 

Giving Marluxia a sheepish grin, Lauriam answered, “It’s a poppy.”

{Say it’s an Anemone Coronaria, also known as a windflower. It was a drawing of a poppy, but they’re similar-looking enough for the benefit of the doubt.}

“Oooof, so close. But you shouldn’t try to steal your Nobody’s answer, especially when he’s wrooooong.” Larxene sighed, a ‘whomp whomp whoooomp’ sound playing around her. “The answer we were looking for is an Anemone Coronaria! Commonly referred to as a Windflower! We’d have taken either answer, because we’re sooooo generous like that. Better luck next time!”

“Now, wait a second, we use poppies for a lot of medicinal experiments, that’s most certainly–” Even started.

“TIME FOR THE NEXT SEGMENT! Zexions, can you bring out the props!?” Larxene prompted, turning to the Zexions.

Both of the Garden Duo looked surprised, Marluxia more stricken, before he quickly scoffed, sneering. “Also, also known as the poppy anemone. Keep up.”

Lauriam looked a little puzzled, though he was only able to look at the picture for another moment before 34 put the board down. That…was a poppy, he was sure. Sure, there was some accounting for artistic license, but he figured that Zexion would use something pretty accurate, and Lauriam did actually have poppies in his world. That was…

He just smiled softly, shrugging. “Can’t get them all, I guess.”

A group of Zexions trotted over, bringing out a series of props. There was a pyramid of stacked cards, a stand with a bell at the top, and a lever at the bottom, an object under a cloth, and a…timer. 

34 held up a sign that read: DEX, STR, MAG, STA

“Can’t get any, so far,” Isa sighed, peering at the props, “So how does this–”

“Gotta pick what you want to challenge! Isa, since you’re so gung-ho, why don’t you pick one of our skills first?” Larxene said, gesturing to the sign 34 had up. 

“Okay, well… neither dexterity or strength are my strong suits, but I don’t actually know what MAG or STA stand for…” Isa tapped his lower lip slightly–Axel quickly marked that off on his card–before saying, “How about Mag. Maybe it’s something to do with magnets? Magnets are cool.”

“You’re a nerd pretending to be a playboy,” Larxene said, rolling her eyes as Isa just met that accusation with a wink, “And the name of the game here is Match the Figment! Beneath that cloth we have a figment already designed by our game-master, the Multi-Minded, Multi-Talented, Multi-Sexy Zexion! Call me, 12~”

“What?” Demyx asked, blinking.

“You, Isa, have to match the figment beneath the cloth with one of your own!”

“...what, after a quick glance, or–”

“GO!” 

“What!?” Isa sputtered, looking at the cloth with more urgency, “But I don’t, uuuuh?!? Do I get a clue!?”

12 huffed a little, averting his eyes from Larxene as he held up the object under the cloth more, as if that would let Isa get more of an idea. “In table-top role-playing games, MAG generally stands for ‘magic’. Our abilities are arguably magic, but I think it fits the theming.”

Nearby, 7, who was accounting for Isa’s points, murmured up to him, “It’s a figment we made on the island, so if you feel for the distinct shapes of energy here, you can figure out what the figment is.” He rolled his eyes a little. “...or you can feel it with your hands, if you want.”

Isa, floundering, immediately groped the thing beneath the cloth with his hands. 

“Come on, Isa, you can do it!” Axel called, clapping his hands, “Isa! Isa! Isa! Come on guys, don’t leave me cheering on my own, it’s embarrassing. Isa! Isa!” 

The Indentured, who were relaxing more into the show, good-naturedly started to join Axel’s chant. 

As Larxene warned the clock was counting down, declaring, “FIVE, FOUR, THREE, TWO–annnnnd voila! Let’s look at Isa’s figment, shall we? Isa, with all due respect: what the fuck?”

Isa flustered, glaring at her as he argued, “What!? It was two oranges a-and a cucumber! That’s what was there!” 

“Really? Positioned just like that? That’s what you think is under the cloth? Two oranges, placed side by side at the tip of a cucumber,” Larxene said dryly, looking at the oddly arranged produce, “...really.”

“Yes, really! That’s my final answer!” 

“Well, we’ll see! Zexions! Reveal the figment!”

7 blinked at Isa. “Thank you for keeping this family-friendly.”

As 12 whisked back the cloth, he revealed--!

“It was close,” 7 consoled, lightly patting Isa’s arm as they looked at the two tangelos placed next to two plantains stacked end-to-end and held together within a balloon. “What do you think, gamemaster? That close enough to warrant a point?”

“Hell no! If he had given the funny option, we’d be having a different conversation.” Larxene huffed, a loud BRRRP sound buzzing Isa wrong. 

“This is a haaaard game,” Isa realized, crossing his arms and shaking his head.

“You sure? Because sitting pretty on two points, one of us seems to be having an easy time of it,” Xaldin pointed out.

Demyx started to sweat. 

“You know what, just for being a bad sport, Xaldin, Demyx gets to go next! Demyx, go ahead and pick something, cutie! Don’t think too hard about it, it’s gonna be fine~” Larxene smirked at him, voice surgery sweet.

Demyx looked nervously at some of the more competitive members of the family, before stammering out weakly, “Dexterity?”

“Make a card castle, Demyx! Go! Go GO GO!”

“Gah!” 

“CHOKE! CHOKE!” Xaldin called out, as Demyx hurriedly started to put the cards together, his clever musical fingers indeed giving him an easy time of it, were it not for the others shouting things like, “DON’T FORGET, I’M BREAKING THOSE FINGERS LATER!”

“GAH!!”

7 shrugged a little at Isa. Boss-lady said no, sorry. Honestly he would’ve given the points, at least in the consideration of getting a mid-sized citrus right. 

“Seems like favoritism,” Marluxia grouched, pouting as he leaned himself over the top of his podium, laying on his stomach and narrowing his eyes at Demyx, Larxene, and every Zexion in sight. “You can’t earn points if you don’t get any opportunities to play.”

Aaxqu marked off, ‘Marluxia climbs on a piece of furniture.’

6 just shrugged at him. He didn’t really mind the different format Larxene was taking. Sure, for Lauriam to lose, he had planned on making it so everyone else would win, and haphazardly taking contestants into pre-arranged tasks, rather than personalized ones, did make it more haphazard…but it was fun, working on the fly. 

And in the spirit of that, none of the Zexions stabilized the cards as they’d intended for anyone but Lauriam, just letting Demyx’s actual skill show. 

Not all the shouts from the crowd were jeers, Lauriam encouraging, “GO DEMYX! YOU CAN DO IT!! MAKE THAT CASTLE!”

“D-damn right I can! Oh jeez-oh jeez-oh jeez DID IT–WAIT!!” 

Demyx, thrilled when he had put the last of the cards up, had pumped his fists into the air, just in time to feel the wind against his face as suddenly– “Wait, wait my cards!! Who did that!?” Demyx demanded, glaring at the others, “Who blew my cards down!?”

“It often gets breezy on the island, Demyx, that’s simply something one ought to account for,” Even said evenly, lightly twirling some of his gray hair through his fingers. “Tough luck.”

Demyx squinted at Even. Old man.

“Eh, it was up for a second, I’ll count it,” Larxene shrugged, “Point to Demyx!” 

“Oooooooh, that’s starting to actually piss me off.” Xaldin sneered, and Demyx started to sweat again. 

“Alright, I’m bored with props, let’s go back to that Question/Action thing from before,” Larxene said, gesturing to the Zexions to set up.

“What even is the structure of this game?? Is this how this is supposed to be played??” Isa asked. 

Larxene shrugged. “Eh.”

It was almost a little eerie, how many Zexions simultaneously rolled their eyes at Even. They’d never understand their dad’s preoccupation to have beef with an 18-year-old. You didn’t need to have understanding to mark off ‘Even cheating’ on the bingo sheet, though. 

“This is the first iteration of the game, there’s bound to be some beta testing.” 6 shrugged as well, before looking to Xaldin. “If you’d like the opportunity to earn points, though, then, Xaldin--Question, or Action?”

“Uuuuuuuh, action,” Xaldin smirked, “I’m an ‘act first, think later’ kind of guy.”

“Unfortunately true,” Dilan muttered.

“Wow, you think?” Marluxia smirked, “That’s news to me~”

Holding up a new sign, as five Zexions hurriedly placed little cone markers on the sand, 34 proposed: EYES CLOSED, FLASHSTEP TO EACH MARKER, GOING OUTSIDE IN

“Oh, easy, no worries–”

“GET GOING XALDIN, NO CHEATING BY MEMORIZING WHILE YOU’RE BRAGGING!” Dilan shouted. 

“WHO’S CHEATING!?” Xaldin shouted back, immediately closing his eyes and, in a bid to show up Dilan specifically, not hesitating as he stepped forward, disappearing and reappearing instantly at the first marker, before spinning on his heels and stepping towards the second, third–

He was a little off by the fourth marker, but Larxene still cheered anyway as she called, “DAMN! Close enough! Point for Xaldin, way to almost bring it back, stud! Is anyone going to beat my guy Demyx though!? Maybe someone needs to break his leg, just to even things out!” 

“I don’t like this game very much I think,” Demyx whimpered. “At least not all the parts where various body parts keep getting threatened to be broken.”

Lauriam laughed a little as he joined in on Larxene’s cheer, giving Xaldin a grin as he went back to his podium. He wasn’t the only one, Aqua giving Xaldin a wink and a, “Nicely done, man.”

9 shrugged a little at Demyx at his whine. “That’s more a matter of the players, than the game. A bit unavoidable with our group, but I suppose you could take it as a matter of comradery, considering it’s only been threats and no actions. It’s positively cordial, really.”

“Marluxia, Question or Action?” 6 asked, seeing the Nobody getting increasingly antsy as it still wasn’t his turn. 

“Action! Let’s do something more than just standing around,” he scoffed, even if Xaldin had literally just been doing something. 

The next sign read: GIVE SOMEONE A GENUINE COMPLIMENT

Marluxia blinked, before giving 34 a dry look. “...are you fucking kidding? I’m not incapable of recognizing greatness, you all are just such massive losers it doesn’t come up much.”

“That doesn’t sound like a compliment,” 6 lightly hummed.

But he barely got the words out before Marluxia snapped at him, huffing before saying, “Larxy, I have no idea where you’ve ever seen a suit like that before, but you are killing the game show host vibe, you look awesome. I’m glad Zexy recognized that this is the perfect role for you.”

“Damn right~” Larxene smirked, striking a pose as she winked and stuck out her tongue and, notably, not explaining where on earth she got the outfit idea from as she continued, “Three points to Marluxia! Marluxia and Demyx are now neck-in-neck!” 

“What?! That’s gotta be illegal! I call fraud!” Xaldin shouted, thumping his podium.

“You know, Zexions, if you pick me to be the host next time, I won’t blatantly ignore what was probably a very well thought out and meticulous point-plan you made,” Isa said, tone practically dripping honey, “To keep in mind next time.”

Marluxia grinned, absolutely preening at the whole basket of points he was given, not paying mind to the huff of a laugh from Lauriam and the eye rolls from his parents. He just gave Xaldin a haughty look. “Oh, someone feeling frustrated~? Maybe you should think better about how to play the game then.”

A little amused, 7 gave Isa a shrug. “Probably. But Marluxia’s not wrong--Larxene being the host adds another layer to the game. It’s not simply achieving the tasks presented--it’s remembering that she’s the one awarding points, and considering that into your game plan.”

“So that said?” 34 said, before asking Lauriam, “Question, or Action?”

Perking up, excited to play more, Lauriam answered, “Let’s go with a question this time.”

WHAT IS THE MODULUS OF -4 + 3i?

Lauriam, who had been taken from school in the 7th grade and had been taught some things in the factory, but notably hadn’t really taken lessons in traditional subjects since, paled a bit as he just looked at the question.

…what…did that even mean? 

Lauriam wasn’t the only one who looked confused. Demyx mouthed the problem aloud, like that would help if he heard it pronounced, while Isa frowned lightly, tilting his head as he made a small ‘hnn?’ sound. And Xaldin squinted at it a bit, before declaring, “The hell is that supposed to be? What kind of math problem has letters in it?”

Dilan sighed, putting his head in his hand.

Even, though, just raised an eyebrow, before giving his son(s) a mildly scolding look. Unkind. Funny, but unkind.

“Time’s a ticking, Lauriam! You can pass the question on to someone else if you want to!” Larxene decided out of nowhere.

Lauriam looked at the problem for another moment before starting to flush, asking 6 unsurely, “The ‘i’ isn’t like…supposed to be a factorial or…”

“Geez, kiddo!” Terra groaned--a few squares on the bingo cards being marked off-- “Are all the questions gonna be a math test?! This is ridiculous!”

“They aren’t,” 6 said simply, before expectantly looking to Lauriam again. 

Who, flushing more, looking more insecure, mumbled, “I pass.”

“Alright, grandfather, here’s your chance to–”

“Pass,” Even said immediately.

“What?” Larxene blinked, “But, wha– at least guess!” 

“2,” Even said.

Larxene squinted at Even… before whispering to the closest Zexion, “Is that right?”

Several Zexions blinked at Even in turn. They…supposed he hadn’t been studying math… Glancing to her, 34 shook his head, but before they could either say the answer or try to call out another of the confused, blank faces among the contestants, Aeleus called from the audience, “Five.”

Pausing, 34 nodded before leaning towards Larxene, “...my dads are married, so legally speaking they share assets. So I believe technically that point is Even’s.”

Larxene shrugged. “Eh, sounds good enough to me! One point to Aeleus, one point to Even, two points altogether!” 

“That isn’t even sort of the point Zexion just made,” Isa pointed out, while Even shot Aeleus an amused, impressed smile. 

“Whoever hits their buzzer next gets to go–XALDIN! Way to get back in the game!” Larxene said, looking over to his podium as it immediately buzzed, “Only now we’re going back to the props. Pick one of the remaining two!” 

“Tsk, easy, I’ll do–”

“Come on, don’t do strength, we all know you can pick up heavy stuff,” Demyx whined. “Do something challenging!”

“Instrument guy picks ‘dexterity’ and then wants to shame me for picking strength? Uh huh, sure,” Xaldin tsked, shaking his head, “You know what, fine. What was that last one? STA? Let’s do STA.”

Larxene smirked. “Alright then. Everyone who isn’t trapped on this island against your will… open your eyes!”

Aeleus gave Even a soft smile back. Once upon a time, he had been looking at an academic scholarship, and Aeleus had worked hard for it. As a family with a tradition of being guards, it was easy for people to assume that strength and intimidation were all they had, but his parents had always instilled in him the importance of wisdom, knowledge, and integrity. 

And, well, when Ienzo had been constructing his own math lessons, Aeleus had been the person to help him with them. Even upon the later lessons about imaginary numbers. 

“WHAT THE FUCK, IS THIS THING BROKEN?!” Marluxia seethed, smacking his buzzer over and over as he glared at Xaldin. He wasn’t quite alone, Aqua frowning a bit as she tested her own buzzer. 

But, the next round had been decided, and as the group opened their eyes in the physical world…

In their room, 6 made an illusion of a sign in his hands, reading: HOLD A CHAIR SQUAT FOR 2 AND A HALF MINUTES

Dilan stared at the illusion 6 made, before looking around “...??”

“Uuuuh, hellooo? He means you, stud-muffin,” ‘Demyx’ scoffed, crossing his arms and tilting his hips, “Get to it, timer’s going! The timer being when I lose patience!” 

“I’m not even playing though–” Dilan tried to explain, before sighing as ‘Demyx’ clapped his hands, impatient, “Oh, fine.”

Dilan begrudgingly got down into a chair squat, glaring at the others who good-naturedly cheered on his impromptu contribution to the game. But, despite being a man who did work hard on his physical fitness in the real world, he soon started to sweat, his legs shaking as his brow became pinched–before he huffed, giving up as he suddenly thumped down onto his butt. “You know what, Xaldin loses that point.”

“I can respect it,” ‘Demyx’ agreed, opening her eyes back up on the beach, while Demyx at his podium seemed to waver on his feet a bit, looking oddly dizzy as Larxene announced, “FAILED!” 

“What!? Dilan, you suck!” Xaldin called out to the audience.

“Do it yourself next time!” Dilan shouted back. 

Lounging on his podium, Marluxia gave Dilan an unimpressed, lidded look. “Uh, then why’d you wake up?? Really, you were doomed to fail the moment you decided to do that. Though,” he smirked a little, “it is nice to know how truly invested you are in spectating.”

As everyone readjusted themselves to the island, 6 looked over to Aqua. “Do you want to try the Strength Test, then? Just to finish off the set.”

“You bet I do, love,” Aqua said confidently, walking towards the contraption and graciously taking the mallet propped up against its side. 

There was a wolf whistle from the podiums. “GO AQUA!!!” Terra cheered, pumping a fist in the air. “YOU’VE GOT THIS, AQUIFER!”

Laughing a little at her roaring support, Aqua took a deep breath…taking a wide stance as she swung the mallet around, hitting the lever…and the little weight inside the chute shot up a little over halfway. Aqua genuinely looking surprised by it.

“What was that, your practice swing? Hit it again, mermaid!” Xaldin called out. 

“Noooope, that was her shot! Ooof, I guess someone needs to work on that upper body strength, huh?” Larxene said, suddenly standing beside Aqua and leaning against her a bit, as she cooed, “Well, that’s alright~ always like to see a little more muscle definition on the pretty ladies, sure couldn’t hurt–”

“Would you stop being weird at people!?” Demyx shouted, looking absolutely scandalized, “She’s a mom!” 

“You say that like it’s a turn-off,” Larxene said dryly, before looking to the Zexions, “Alright, what else do I have to work with?”

Aqua rolled her eyes as she playfully ruffled Larxene’s hair. “Little late to shoot your shot, love.”

Marluxia made a despairing sound as he laid over his podium. Aqua wasn’t just a mom, she was his mom. 

And keeping within the family, Terra piped up, “Hey, wait, none of us get a chance for that one?”

Marluxia started furiously smacking his buzzer.

“Oh, oh, Demyx, I got a new song idea! What do you think of something like, ‘duu du du, Marluxia’s mom has gooot it going oon–’”

“SHUT UP OH MY GOD!” Demyx shouted, practically trying to hide in his arms on the podium.

Larxene snickered, before she looked over at Terra and Marluxia like she had just remembered they were there. “Oooooh yeaaaaah… how about you arm wrestle for it, and whoever wins gets to try the challenge.”

Lauriam grimaced, giving Aqua a look. “You’re not stopping this?”

Aqua raised her eyebrows before tilting her head at Larxene. “You think I could?”

It was a fair point. 

Terra looked a little surprised by the condition, while Marluxia perked up and stomped over to his dad. “I’m going to destroy you, sorry not sorry.”

Terra snorted, stepping back into position as he clasped his hand with Marluxia’s. “Kiddo, save that pride, will ya? Ain’t gonna go easy on you.”

Without even a countoff, the father and son both tensed at the same time, faces tightening with focus as they started to arm wrestle. But as Marluxia bared his teeth, starting to growl, Terra suddenly eep!ed, a momentary lapse all Marluxia needed to brutally force Terra’s arm down. Popping up in victory, throwing his hands up, Marluxia laughed loudly. 

“HA!! GOT YOUR ASS, OLD MAN!!”

“HELL YEAH! You know what, for being a good sport? One point to Terra!” Larxene announced, before smirking at Marluxia, “Alright, ready to try for your strength challenge?”

“Uhhh, yeah, sure,” Terra mumbled a little as he scratched the back of his head, before grinning more confidently at his kid. “Good one, Mars.”

“Of course it was,” Marluxia sniffed, missing the small, soft smile on Lauriam’s face as he watched. Approaching the strength test, he looked between Larxene and 34. “So, I just have to ring the bell, right?”

“You have to try to, anyway~” Larxene teased, smirking at her friend, “Do your best! Maybe you’ll get it near as far as Aqua did!”

“We’ll see~” Marluxia purred back, before he took the mallet. He looked at it for a moment, before throwing it over his shoulder with a scoff, reeling his arms backwards as Graceful Dahlia manifested in his hands--a few members of the audience flinching, though they weren’t quite sure why--and he swung forward. 

Right at the bell itself. The metal ringing out a loud, abrasive CLAAANG!!! as it was cleaved straight off the stand, smashing through the back of the set and, after a good moment, distantly thumping against something. 

Aaxqu and Raxter nodded to each other as they marked down Someone breaks a piece of the set on their cards. 

“Okay, you know what? That was awesome, five points,” Larxene said. 

“WHAT!?” Xaldin shouted, while Demyx gave a gasp of relief. Out of the hotbox! “THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, FIVE POINTS!?”

“Like the answer to the question you couldn’t solve, Xaldin. Fiiiiiiive,” Larxene said, putting up her hand to show off five fingers, “Points.”

“THIS GAME IS RIGGED!”

“It is rigged, though rigged towards what is perhaps giving Larxene more credit than she deserves,” Isa mused.

Axel glanced over, nodding as Luis stumbled over to them. “Oh, hey man. Where have you been? We’re playing board games.”

“Is that what this is? Looks like a whole dog and pony show,” Luis sighed, sitting in the sand in front of Axel’s seat, since the other chairs were occupied, as he leaned against Axel’s knees, “Luxord was doing some late conditioning to catch up with quotas… figured I should stick around to make sure they got their break eventually.”

“How come Luxord never comes out to hang with us?” Axel asked. He had always wondered about that. The others at least projected their Nobodies when they were around. He never saw Luxord with Luis.

Luis shrugged. “I didn’t design him to want to socialize. He just doesn’t like to. He’s a lot more simple than the others, as far as a construct goes. More like yours and Saix, really, just performs a function and not much else.”

“Saix is a little more complicated than that, I think. But I get what you’re saying.” Axel shrugged.

With a haughty little huff, Marluxia smirked graciously at Larxene before dismissing his scythe and practically strutting his way back to his podium…though his ‘too cool’ retreat was waylaid a bit as Aqua interrupted him on his way back, reaching up to ruffle his hair, to his dismay. 

“Heyyyy, that’s my boy,” she laughed, “Creative, I respect it.”

Sniffing as he tried to fix his hair without looking like he was doing it, Marluxia just huffed, “Well it was obviously rigged if you couldn’t get the weight to move much. No way I’d waste time trying something that wouldn’t work.”

Again, 7 blinked at Isa. “You can outline your specific criticism in the post-game evaluation sheets. It would be a shame if the game was canceled due to poor behavior, I’ll admit.”

To that point, 6 tilted his head towards Larxene a little. “We do still have two people with no points,” he explained, meaning Aqua and Lauriam, “I think it would only be fair to give them the opportunity to not completely leave everything on the table.”

“Oh, right. Wellllll let’s let them decide!” Larxene decided, looking to Aqua and Lauriam, “You’ve seen how most of the games work. And by ‘most’ I mean all the ones I sort of understood when Zexion explained them to me! You two wanna pick one game-type and see how you do against each other?”

Giving Lauriam an encouraging nod as she checked in with him, Aqua gave their MCs a grin. “How about you give us an action, but something we could actually compete in? Like a one-on-one.”

6 considered that for a moment, before 34 held up a new sign. SPAR

Lauriam raised his eyebrows a little. Simple, but that was…a bit of an ask for him, against Aqua. But…

“It would be nice to improve my record with you,” he laughed, giving his mom a smile.

“Ha, there we go!” Aqua laughed back, throwing her arm up and around Lauriam’s shoulders as she started walking them off set and onto a clear part of the beach. 

“Awww, they’re cute~” Larxene snickered, watching the mom and son head off as the others got up to follow them. Demyx came up beside her as she smirked at him. “Doesn’t all that maternal kindness just make you randy–”

“Whyyyyy are you like this? LALALALALA I CAN’T HEAR YOU!” Demyx shouted, putting his fingers in his ears and immediately running ahead. 

Larxene snickered some more, before looking at the nearest Zexion. “Whelp, there’s no way for you to rig this one. Who knows, maybe Lauriam will surprise us. Why are you trying to pick on the guy in the first place? I don’t know if you noticed, but Lauriam can be kiiiiinda sensitive.”

“You underestimate us,” 12 hummed, though Larxene had a point. While Lauriam tended to lose to Aqua if she wasn’t going easy on him, he wasn’t bad at sparring. There definitely was a world where he won the spar. And while they could still rig it…admittedly, it was more interesting to just watch it naturally. 

Shrugging a little, 12 said, “He is. And he’s been withdrawing more lately. This might not actually work, since things are a little too haphazard in structure, and very obviously to your discretion, but if we’d managed to break through his good sportsmanship, and actually get him angry at people cheating? He engages a lot more when he’s angry, and not just sad.”

“Trying to piss him off for his own benefit? I dig the vibe–I too enjoy pissing people off for entirely altruistic reasons,” she sangsong, clearly a little tongue-in-cheek, “...buuuut I’m not sure that’s the way forward with Lauriam. Marluxia already tries that nonsense constantly and I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I think all the bestie has managed to do is make his Somebody twitchy and jumpy.”

“I’m not saying I know what would help Lauriam. I don’t think any of us know how to help him,” Larxene admitted, “I know ol’ Luis has tried talking to him a few times, but every time he does what basically always happens is Luis ends up hiding in his world to drink for the rest of the day. So I’m guessing those don’t go great. If love and compassion was the answer, the Aqua/Terra sandwich I dream of nuzzling into the middle of would have figured it out by now. Every now and again Demyx gets it into his head he and Lauriam are going to get close and that will let him help, but you can see how well that thought process always works out…”

“...I don’t know if you can help someone who doesn’t want to be helped,” Larxene admitted after a moment of watching the others circle the spar, “Whatever Lauriam needs? I think we gotta wait for him to figure it out, and once he does? Then maybe something we’ll do will actually help. But I don’t think anything will help before. We’re on his timeline, not ours.”

12 sighed a little. That was true. Marluxia, any time he and Lauriam actually talked, did argue with each other incessantly. Maybe Zexion was just getting the wrong impression from it all, but they did think that was a little better since it meant that Lauriam was actually talking to someone. 

It…did leave Lauriam with frayed nerves once his anger had cooled, though. 

He wasn’t sure there was helping Lauriam. Not that Zexion thought his brother was a lost cause or anything, but maybe Lauriam was just the kind of person whose happiness was more fleeting than others. And maybe it’d help all of them to just accept that, rather than always thinking about how to ‘fix’ him. 

Though…

12 smirked softly, watching Aqua and Lauriam summon their weapons and count off to start before they ran at each other. “Perhaps…but that’s only part of the reason too. We do have to live up to our ‘annoying little brother’ status once in a while.”

“Oh, absolutely. It’s one of the most endearing things about you, shortie~” Larxene–really not any bigger than Zexion, and would likely be shorter once the next bit of growth spurt kicked in–snickered, grasping Zexion’s shoulder and warmly shaking him in a physical motion that was very close to one of Demyx’s habits. “Hey, where’s 12? I really felt like I was making progress with him. Admit it, he’s totally got a crush right? You can tell me, I won’t tell him you said anything.”

12 let himself be jostled--a habit pretty much every Zexion had--before giving Larxene a long, dry look. “...I am 12.”

“HA! Nice going, copycat!” Terra laughed in a cheer as Lauriam flipped away from one of Aqua’s swipes, able to spot his wife’s more acrobatic style in their son a mile away.

Larxene blinked at 12… before she gave her most suave smirk, leaning against his shoulder as she said, “Hey, handsome, come here often?”

“Allllright, I’m coming to save you, 12,” Axel said, scooping up Larxene from behind and throwing her over his shoulder, “Come on, game masters, you have a spar to watch play out.”

“Call me! I live in the neighborhood!” Larxene called to 12 playfully as Axel took her over to where the spar was happening, dumping her into the sand. A few Indentured, not entirely certain why, were incredibly pleased when she landed on her face, sputtering out sand as she corrected herself. Just… really made their day, for some reason. 

12 sighed a little. He wasn’t quite sure where Larxene had gotten the idea that he had romantic inclinations towards her, and him specifically, though he supposed there wasn’t much impetus for her advances on anyone. He didn’t mind, he supposed. On occasion Larxene was fun to talk to. 

Lauriam and Aqua’s spar could be summed up fantastically with the word dynamic. Aqua already tended to cartwheel and flip around when she sparred, and because Lauriam had learned from her? Sure, he was influenced by Aeleus and Terra too, and even Dilan and Xaldin, but of all the jocks, only one among them had the title of master, and…well…

Lauriam was a bit of a mama’s boy. 

Using the length of his scythe to his advantage, Lauriam spun and flipped, basically using twice the length of his body to powerfully swing at his mom, but reach wasn’t enough to stop Aqua’s graceful dodges. Especially when his full-body swings left a lot of open space to strike if Aqua could close the distance. Knowing that it was a weakness, Lauriam was adept at using the counterswing to block her swords with the handle of his scythe, and it kept the spar going for a good while, making a good show…

But, crossing her swords around the blade of Lauriam’s scythe, Aqua twisted, spinning the weapon in his hands just long enough to--

“Call!” Aeleus called, holding his hand up. “Point to Aqua!”

“Oof…” Lauriam sighed as his Empath shield shattered hard enough for him to stumble back a bit, rubbing his chest where Aqua’s strike had landed. 

“Hell yeah! Ten points to Aqua!” Larxene shouted, jumping up from the sand and pumping her fist into the air, “For winning and also for general sexiness points!! You win, Aqua!” 

“WHAT!?” Xaldin gasped, looking genuinely so gobsmacked that Isa burst into laughter beside him, Xaldin giving Isa an outraged look as he said, “She just gave Aqua ten points and the game and you’re LAUGHING?!”

“The look on your face,” Isa laughed, literally holding his stomach and leaning forward slightly, still laughing as he stammered, “Oh my god, this whole game was worth it for that!”

“Tsk, fuck that, Aqua, come here! I can out fight you AND out sexy you any day! Let’s go!” Xaldin demanded, ignoring Isa literally falling to his knees in laughter beside him. 

“OH COME ON!!” Marluxia complained right alongside Xaldin. “You can’t just say she wins because you want to fuck my mom!!!”

“Hey, if the marriage rule worked for Even and Aeleus, does this mean I win by proxy too?” Terra chuckled as he went into the circle, putting his arms around Aqua in congratulations as he gave her a kiss. “Nice job, Aquifer. I think I can admit defeat if it’s on the grounds of you being awesome--who am I to argue that?”

“And a good fight from you too, Lau,” Terra grinned at his son, pulling Lauriam in for a hug too. 

“Thanks, Dad,” Lauriam said softly, leaning into the hug, “Really thought I had you there for a sec, Mom.” 

And he wasn’t upset by his performance in the spar, he’d done his best, and the game itself was pretty chaotic…but if it was over now, that meant he was the only one who hadn’t gotten any points, huh? He wasn’t sure about that flower question, and…he really wasn’t sure what Zexion was doing with that math question though he had been the only one to even choose a question to answer, when this whole thing started with Zexion wanting to put together a trivia game…

…it was a little disappointing, huh. 

“You definitely didn’t make it easy, love,” Aqua praised, kissing Lauriam’s cheek while she patted his shoulder, before giving Xaldin an amused look, holding a hand out and waving her fingers in a ‘bring it on’ sort of motion. “Oh yeah, big guy? Let’s go, then!”

“I’m the host, I can do what I want!” Larxene shouted at Marluxia, dragging down her eyelid and sticking her tongue out at him, “Nya-Nya!” 

“Man, why was your game so rigged against Lauriam, anyway?” Demyx asked Larxene, crossing his arms and frowning at her, “You have beef?”

“Ehhhhh?” Larxene said, glancing at Zexion for a moment… before she crossed her arms and smirked, “If I didn’t nerf ol’ curly-top, the rest of you losers weren’t going to stand a chance. A doi! I basically had to hand you the wins, Demyx, and you STILL didn’t win!”

“You gave all the points to Aqua!” Demyx sputtered.

“Which she and Terra both earned fair and square,” Larxene shrugged, “I did the best I could for you, blondie. Guess what they say about the yellow-heads are true. Nothing between the eyes.”

“YOU’RE BLOND TOO WHAT THE HECK!?”

“I resemble that remark,” Luis muttered, chuckling to himself.

Marluxia made an outraged sound before charging at Larxene, dipping down as he got to her before scooping her over his shoulder at her waist and then furiously spinning in circles. Putting her in dizzy jail for not even letting her favoritism favorite him.

Though, Lauriam just looked between Demyx and Larxene with some confusion. …rigged?

A twitch went through his eyebrow. “Wait, so the ridiculous math question was on purpose? …Wait, THAT REALLY WAS A POPPY, WASN’T IT?!”

“AHHHHH MURDER MURDER I’M BEING MURDERED–oof, I’m dizzy,” Larxene said once Marluxia put her down, barely staying on her feet as she swayed side to side, her vision focusing… just in time for Lauriam to yell in her face. “EEEP! I’M OUTTA HERE!” 

Larxene turned tail and ran, as in the background the older Empaths all circled around Xaldin and Aqua’s spar, while the Indentured had looooong wandered away by this point, deciding to go hang out literally anywhere else. 

“LARXENE GET BACK HERE!!” Lauriam sprinted after her, Larxene’s speed not quiiiite enough to truly offset Lauriam’s height advantage, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU FUDGED THE QUESTIONS FOR ME?! THIS WASN’T EVEN A GAME AT ALL!!”

“Ah, bingo,” Aaxqu burbled happily.

-

Isa was making tea late at night in the kitchen. He always got up and went to the kitchen, under the guise of making himself some sleep-aid tea, at this time of… probable night. It was when they were all allowed to sleep, anyway, so they had all theorized it was some time in the night. But the reason he came here at this rough time every ‘night’ was because if a certain someone wanted to talk to him…

Isa smiled lightly as he heard the door–always locked, impossible to open on this side of the wall–creak open, as he leaned against the counter and smirked at the familiar blond. “Hey there~”

Seifer smiled, stepping inside the kitchen.

-

After a while, Isa came back into the sleeping room he was allowed in. Apparently, according to Seifer, there was another room past the end wall that was currently being used for storage, but in theory could be converted into another bedroom, if the supervisors could be convinced to let them create a new door in the wall. Isa had been pretending like the extra space was all he was buttering Seifer up for. 

It wasn’t like the guard was stupid, he knew Isa was trying to flatter and persuade him. But Isa’s trick was in letting the supervisor believe that Isa’s expectations were safely low for what Seifer would provide in exchange for certain… favors. An extra room was huge, absolutely something worth getting cozy with a supervisor for… but that wasn’t Isa’s end goal. 

He just needed Seifer to think something about Isa’s affections were real. He needed to let the cocky moron think Isa could be getting swept up in all of this, caught up in Seifer’s affection and doting… and if Seifer thought Isa was smitten? He’d let his guard down. And start considering the possibility himself…

Isa just had to keep Seifer from realizing he wanted more than the room. Though, the room would be good, if he could get it. A little less crowded and cramped, as he stepped over one of the pallets to get to his own…

It was a long, long standing argument among the captive Empaths, Ienzo’s sleep schedule. Sure, they were all used to all-nighters when the quotas loomed, but the scant amount Ienzo slept went far and beyond the anxiety of keeping up with the supervisors’ demands, to the point Aeleus and Even had admitted to some relief every time their son was tranquilized that at least Ienzo was getting sleep. 

That said, Ienzo’s body wasn’t doing anything as obvious as sitting up on their pallet when Isa returned. But a blue eye was very alert as it watched him make his way to his bed, and that meant, naturally, that within moments, every Zexion and Ienzo would know that once again, Isa had returned in the ‘middle of the night’. 

Not like they didn’t know what that meant. 

Isa laid down on his pallet, curling up against the matting and pulling up his blanket. He always had a hard time, curling back on the pallets. There was something so… particularly degrading about them, that made Isa struggle to utilize them effectively. He knew they were meant to keep them from the cold of the ground, but traditional bed frames would have done that as well. To have them placed on essentially storage-linings…

Isa kept his eyes closed for a bit, before sighing. “I can feel you staring.”

“It’s such a strange phenomenon, isn’t it?” 48 whispered back. “Even acknowledging that we are psychics, there shouldn’t be an actual sense people have of successfully, legitimately knowing when they’re being watched. And yet, the cases of people knowing when they are are more successful than you’d expect just accounting for paranoia.”

“...did you have a fruitful conversation?” he whispered flatly.

“It was productive, yes,” Isa whispered back, smiling lightly as he peeked his eyes open, looking at Ienzo from across the room, “And quick. Very quick. It’s a talent I appreciate in Seifer, that he’s very quick. Now, if you’re grossed out enough? Can I sleep in peace?”

The teen grimaced, before sighing, just looking at Isa for a moment. While more and more the default expression on Ienzo’s face was a true neutrality, some concern did bleed through, visible even in the dark. Or maybe he was just feeling it enough for Isa to know. 

“...we don’t want you to get hurt,” he whispered after a moment, voice even softer, not even accounting for the low volume.

“I know you don’t. And I appreciate that. I do,” Isa whispered, shifting his weight a little, that feeling of irritation running through him nothing to do with Ienzo, and everything to do with the soft sounds the wood beneath him made as it adjusted to his moving weight. Pallets… “Would it surprise you that I don’t want to be hurt either? I’m not looking to get hurt, Ienzo. I’m being careful.”

“I’m just taking advantage of one of the oldest blindspots humanity has always had,” Isa whispered, “Everyone wants to believe they’re appealing. Everyone wants to be desired. We’ll tell ourselves outrageous lies, to sustain the idea that someone could want us, just for us…and Seifer is as clear a case of desperate to be desired as I’ve ever seen. I’ve seen a hundred cases just like his, delusional and desperate, going through the courts. Always someone’s unwitting accomplice, holding the bag… it worked for them. Why not me?” Isa whispered. 

“...do you want to hear something pathetic?” Isa smiled through the low lights of the room, “He has a girlfriend. That’s why he’s leaning on me. Because he’s afraid he’ll be caught if he cheats out in the world. All he talks about is how she doesn’t appreciate him, doesn’t treat him well. But he’ll never leave her. Because he’s desperate for affection. That’s what makes him a good mark.”

The physical world wasn’t pleasant. It wasn’t a punishment, to be put on body duty, but it was something all the Zexions universally lamented when it was their turn on the schedule. And when someone fled from it? It was against code, but…well, they all understood. 

Ienzo’s arm was healing well, to everyone’s relief, but it still made it so none of them could lay on the body’s right side without significant pain. But other than that? 48 barely registered any other discomfort. It was simply what the physical world was. With aches and pains and dizziness and a host of overwhelming smells. 

He sighed softly. Isa’s logic wasn’t unsound, exploiting the desire of appeal was a definite path. But…

“...and if Seifer only told you that, so that you’d think he was using you as a free way to cheat?” 48 asked quietly. “They’re fools, but they’re clever. As dumb and easy to manipulate they might seem…Isa, they were chosen to imprison people who know how to control minds. Just…don’t underestimate the lengths they’ll go to, to humiliate and degrade you.”

Isa’s eyes, briefly, turned away. The idea that Seifer had lied about his girlfriend, his motivation for doing this, having not occurred to Isa…

…but it hadn’t occurred to him because Seifer was so clearly sincere. There was no way he was that good of an actor, Isa hadn’t gotten even a hint of a lie. He was just a fool chasing his dick and a bruised ego.

(........they were hired to imprison and manipulate people who know how to control minds–)

Isa closed his eyes. “Sometimes people are exactly what they appear to be, Ienzo. Seifer is one of them. And if it gets us all out? I don’t care how often I have to debase myself, I will take advantage. You’ll be glad I did, someday.”

“...but I’ll be careful,” Isa promised softly, “Even if I don’t think Seifer has anything more to him, I know if he blabs to the wrong person on the outside, the other supervisors will make my life a living hell. I’m aware of the risk I’m taking, I know I’m not invincible. I just have to keep hoping he can keep a secret, for his own sake. That’s my biggest fear in all of this… it’s why I can’t let this all drag on too long. Every day I do this is another chance for him to ruin everything. I’ll have to act soon.”

“And when I get out? I’m coming back for all of you,” Isa whispered, “If it’s not right away, just know, it’s because I’m recruiting an army to do it, and that might take time. But I am coming back. I will never abandon you all. Okay?”

“...maybe,” 48 conceded after a moment. “But even flat puddles can be several feet deep.” Some people didn’t see much of a point in playing mind games or putting on masks, but even then it didn’t mean that they didn’t have depth. Even the most straightforward person had an inner world. 

And in all his years in the factory, Zexion didn’t really believe that any of the supervisors were straightforward in anything, except for the fact they were sadists. 

Once upon a time, he’d been told a story of meticulous planning and a fair bit of luck, people willing to lay everything on the line for freedom. And it hadn’t worked, even when the price had gone all the way up to someone’s life. Zexion didn’t disbelieve Isa’s dedication, he just…

(...and even if Isa did prove him wrong? He didn’t really believe that Isa would be able to come back for the rest of them. Not that his brother wouldn’t try, but…the very core of their country’s economy and safety hinged on the Indentured Program. If Isa recruited an army, it’d be fighting against the crown’s military. While they were losing one fight, it sounded like…well, maybe that was a little insulting, thinking Isa wouldn’t be as successful as the Diceans.)

“I believe you,” 48 whispered back. “I just…” He looked down for a moment. “...I respect your wishes, to try for more. But I would rather know you’re safe, without a plan, than…dead. Or worse.”

“I won’t die,” Isa said easily, just believing it. He wouldn’t… and saying just as confidently, smiling lightly, “And I can survive whatever they’d do to me, worst comes to worst. I know they can be brutal, I can’t look at you and your shoulder and not see that. But all of you have already survived horrors, I can survive them too. I’ll just be as strong as the rest of you. I know I can do it; you all showed me I can.”

He supposed it was hypocritical. Zexion knew that the mauling of Ienzo’s shoulder was meant to be a deterrent, as much as it was just a punishment, and yet…? If Isa wasn’t giving up the hope of freeing them, he wasn’t giving up the hope of fixing conditioning. The supervisors really could maul and amputate every limb, but as long as his brain still worked, they would never give that up. 

Perhaps that was just the conviction and willingness to sacrifice Isa had for freeing them. 

“...not all of us have survived,” 48 gently reminded Isa, “...but I do understand. And by this point, we can’t really ask you to stop if things look more dour than what’s feasible.”

His eyes falling for a moment, 48 thought, conferring with some of the others, before giving Isa a weak smile. “...we could work on another specialized construct, as a failsafe?”

Isa bit his lower lip, looking over at Ienzo’s shoulder. “...I think, if we need a failsafe, I’d rather it not be something that the Head Secretary could tie back to you. Your parents will kill me if I get you into any trouble with me right now. Not while you’re recovering.”

Isa smiled. “Besides, we won’t need any. I’ve got this, Ienzo. You can trust me.”

48 grimaced, closing Ienzo’s eyes as something tense ran through his expression. …it was hard to tell. If their work in bolstering and expanding the library was actually managing to keep Tengan out of more private things, or if the Head Secretary just wasn’t interested in messing with them that way. It gave rise to a sort of confidence in their ability to be covert that…apparently was not as good as it seemed. 

He took a small breath before looking over at Isa again. “...okay. We’ll trust you. Please don’t take future conversations of worry as distrust, I’d like to preface, though.”

“And you don’t let me still doing my reckless plan be seen as dismissal. I’ll preface that as well. It’s okay, I know I could possibly fail. I’m prepared for that… and I’ll be fine,” Isa said, relaxing into his pallet a bit, “It’s all going to be fine.”

-

Isa hadn’t actually felt the urgency to start until that conversation with Ienzo. But explaining to Ienzo his thought process made Isa realize… he was increasing the risk of his plan for every day he didn’t take action. Seifer, any day now, could blab to someone about the Empath prisoner he was ‘taking advantage of’, and if that person recognized Isa was worming his way into Seifer’s affections? No one would try to talk Seifer out of it, they’d just go straight past him and punish Isa themselves. 

Seifer wasn’t ready to be talked into running away together, not like this. Not with Isa easily accessible and safely within his grasp. Isa needed to make Seifer’s decisions about Isa more urgent. More immediate. He needed Seifer to decide, in the heat of a moment, if he wanted his life with or without Isa in it. 

It needed to be a moment of spectacle. 

And Isa went to Even with the only idea he had on how to force that sort of urgency, explaining his thought process and what Isa needed…

…and Even frowned. “Absolutely not. I refuse.”

“You’re my best odds,” Isa argued, the two standing in Even’s lab. “If it’s not you, I can ask one of the others. Lea–”

“Will also refuse you,” Even said dryly, the older man giving Isa an unimpressed look, “for the same reason I will. And everyone else will. You won’t even have to ask them yourselves, because I will be certain to inform all of them of what you want, and will definitively tell anyone who would ever entertain the idea that they’re morons and morons who will have a notch in their ear for even considering it, courtesy of me and one of the butter knives.”

Isa frowned. “It’s our best chance–”

“It’s no chance at all. The fact that you’ve convinced yourself of anything else is either desperation or hubris of the highest order, and I don’t care which it is. No. No to me doing it, no to anyone else doing it. You will not be attempting it.” 

Isa clenched his fists closed. “I’m not like your son, or Lauriam, or even Demyx, you cannot just scold me and expect me to–”

“You are not like them. You’re much older and should know better,” Even agreed, looking away from Isa, “You should have at least known better than to ask me. Like I’d risk you in such a foolish way… you can see yourself out now, Isa.”

Isa hesitated. “...if I ask anyone else, they could mess it up–”

“Then you knew you were doomed from the start, and this conversation was a waste of time for all involved. A pity, that. Now,” Even waved his hand, “Goodbye.”

And Isa blinked, suddenly staring at Even’s world door, standing in the cave. “...dammit. Arrogant old bastard–”

“Isn’t he?” 

Isa flinched, looking over his shoulder warily… before sighing slightly, “...apologies, Vexen. I didn’t realize you were standing there.”

“I don’t take offense. He can be very arrogant.” Vexen shrugged, his more youthful features always a strong contrast to Even’s. A snapshot in time, of when Vexen had been created. One of the oldest Nobodies in general, and easily the longest lasting one so currently alive on the island. 

Vexen, of course, could be talked to individually. All the Nobodies could. But unlike Xaldin or Marluxia or Larxene, Vexen was rarely seen without Even present. And unlike Saix, Axel, Lexaeus, or Luxord, it wasn’t due to a seemingly inherent anti-social preference. Even, metaphorically speaking, kept a somewhat shorter leash on Vexen than the others did their Nobodies. Kept more of an eye on him, a lot of private, tense conversations.

Isa had wondered about it once, aloud in a general sort of way. Czativ had explained, unprompted and giggling, that years and years ago Vexen had made some Big, Bold Moves and because of that some of theirs had ended up Big, Bold Dead. So Even kept more of an eye on him ever since. 

When Isa had asked for more information, the Nobody had given him a sort of puzzled look, before shrugging, saying she hadn’t been around when it had happened. When asked who had told her, she seemed even more puzzled. Clearly not sure when she had heard about all of that…before getting distracted showing Demyx how to do the Cha Cha. 

All that to say, it was rare to see Vexen alone naturally. Which meant the older Nobody had shown up here on purpose, just now. Likely without Even’s knowledge, as he stepped closer, green eyes sparkling in interest as he said, “It’s a bold idea, everything you told him. You do understand the risks of it, yes? To be the spectacle you’re looking for, you won’t be able to walk it off. You’ll be woozy. You’ll depend on him, this supervisor of yours, to help you. Save you. I doubt you’d be able to save yourself, not for at least a day or so of rest.”

“....isn’t that half the point?” Isa smiled lightly, “He’d need to feel the pressure of now or never. But, I wouldn’t be the only one at risk. Even didn’t even let me bring it up, but if the supervisors catch you…”

“If they catch me,” Vexen agreed, the two seeming to agree that was all there needed saying about that. “...I think your plan is foolish–”

“Then why dodge Even’s gaze to meet me here?” Isa asked, frustrated… and startled when Vexen brought his hand up. Holding up a small glass snowglobe that when Isa looked closer into it, in the center a little crystal statue covered in gently drifting snow… “Ienzo?”

“There will be a moment, when they’re transporting you. You know the moment. That small blindspot they have, between their break room and our punishment rooms,” Vexen said, “You’ll only need a second. Swear to drop this in Orlette’s head, and I am at your disposal.”

“...what will it do?” Isa asked, staring at the little figurine. Ienzo was on his knees, head bowed, eyes closed. He looked in the middle of a prayer bow. 

“I have known Orlette too long now,” Vexen said dryly, “And from now on? When she thinks of Ienzo? She was always feel as if she is being watched, actively, by Atua. It will feel like eyes on the back of her neck. She will always feel her most judged, in her moments thinking of Ienzo.”

“...why that? Ienzo was able to get rid of Lauriam’s tormentor entirely. We can’t even guarantee this will help Ienzo,” Isa said.

“I believe it will. More importantly, it’s the sort of change no one, not even Tengan, would notice. Atua is always on her mind anyway. And she’s one of the oldest, most reliable supervisors here. The other woman was new, no one cared about her. Getting rid of Orlette would draw more scrutiny, and we would all suffer once they figured out what had happened,” Vexen explained, “I can’t stop Ienzo from being punished in general. He’s a willful boy who will make more mistakes and take more risks. But I can at least make the most dangerous supervisor less inclined to unleash her sadism on him. More wary in her handling of him. That would be enough.”

Isa stared at the snowglobe… before nodding. “Agreed. No matter what, I’ll drop this in her mind. I swear it.”

“Good,” Vexen said, “...then I will do it.”

“Even still won’t sign off on it–”

“Don’t worry about that,” Vexen said, gaze steady and calm, “He won’t know until it’s too late.”

-

{I don’t like this plan.} Saix growled within Isa’s mind. 

{Have faith in your Somebody, then. This will be over soon.} Isa sent back, smiling at… he supposed Vexen, the two standing in the kitchen, around the usual time when Seifer would be expected to show up. “Are you ready?”

Vexen, to his credit, didn’t exactly look calm about this. His brow was twisted in obvious concern, and there was a sheen on his skin that suggested he was more nervous about this than he wanted to let on, as he said, “Keep as much pressure on it for as long as possible, as long as you can. And scream. Do what you must to dampen the emotions that go to us, to keep the others from running in. But you must scream. They must hear you.”

“I understand.” Isa took a deep breath… before smiling at Vexen. “When I next see you? It’s going to be to escort you out of here. All of us.”

“...I sincerely hope so,” Vexen said. 

Before jabbing the butter knife into Isa’s neck. 

He wrenched it out as Isa gasped, stepping back once, twice–and seeing that Isa couldn’t bring himself to scream as he fell, eyes wide with shock, pure adrenaline from a stabbing he knew was coming, just little gasping, clicking noises escaping him, Vexen grit his teeth, before taking a deep breath and, as loud as he could, screaming. Before bursting into a run, dropping the knife behind himself as he ran from the kitchen. 

Almost as soon as Vexen had left the kitchen, the door on the other side opened, Seifer hurrying in, eyes wide from the sound, stepping forward and slipping slightly, looking down in shock as he realized he had slipped in a growing pool of blood. Isa gasping shallow, frightened gasps as he clutched at the wound on his neck. Looking up at Seifer pleadingly. 

“Holy shit,” Seifer whispered, before calling over his shoulder, “Injury! We have an injury!” He then knelt down and scooped Isa up, running out the door. 

-

Once they had sewn the wound closed, Seifer demanded from a woozy, dazed Isa to know what had happened. Who had stabbed him??

Isa had swallowed hard, eyes red with tears, as he rasped, “...a-all of them… th-they…” Isa swallowed, struggling to speak through the wound, the blood loss leaving him pale and shaking, “...th-they found out about us… they th-think I’m a traitor…i-if you send me back, they’re just going to k-kill me… I’m sorry, Seifer…they’re going to kill me… because I…”

Isa closed his eyes, shivering. “...I told them you weren’t like the others. That you’re different. That… we’re different…”

Seifer’s eyes widened, leaning against the table that he had closed and cleaned up Isa’s wound, the two alone as the other supervisors had headed out to go interrogate the other Empaths on what had happened. Seifer leaning in and gently asking, “...different? You and me? Isa… what are you saying?” he whispered.

“I-I’m sorry, we just…you’re s-so kind to me and…” Isa looked sadly up at Seifer. His voice coming in stronger as he got his bearings, some of the pain ebbing away as he focused on what he was saying. “...I think I’ve fallen in love with you.”

Seifer stared at Isa, eyes wide and full of wonder… before he sighed, leaning back. “Oh maaaaaan. And I was having fun with this too. Who bet two months!?” 

“That was me!” Colinda cheered, stepping into the room, a beaming smile on her face as she said, “AND I doubled it, because I guessed ‘the others will kill me for our love’! And you all thought I was being corny~”

“He comes from a semi-wealthy background, I was convinced it was going to be ‘we can start a new life together once we get access to my accounts’.” Orlette sighed, shaking her head. “Though, you have to give him credit, actually playing out a murder attempt? Bold. Reminds me of when Aeleus first got here.”

“Man, Isa, I had a good thing going here too,” Seifer muttered, as Colinda insisted that everyone pay up! She won and doubled it too! Time AND method! “Way to fuck it all up. Well, maybe I can still get my rocks off after this, we’ll see.”

“You won’t. I agreed to let this whole thing play out for a reason, you recall.” Orlette sighed, stepping to the table, where Isa was staring blankly at all of them. “...it still hasn’t sunk in, hm? That’s alright, you’ve lost a lot of blood. I’d be surprised if you had any energy to react. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a truly earnest escape attempt. Instead of waiting for it, I decided it’d be better to orchestrate one. We have a lot of new Empaths these days, most never saw the last attempt; they need to see for themselves the consequences of one. The best lessons are the hard ones, after all.”

Isa flinched when Orlette brushed some of his hair out of his face, saying gently to him, “Do not despair. I don’t plan to send you back to hellfire today, demon. You’ll live. You’ll live to be an example. An example to the other demons of why it is better to lie still and serve Atua’s will, then it is to play out your wicked impulses. Demons cannot sway us. Demons cannot corrupt us. We are already corrupted.” Orlette whispered, lightly petting her hand through his hair, her expression oddly gentle. Like someone brushing the fur of a beloved pet, as she said, softly enough to him that the arguing, gloating supervisors behind her couldn’t hear, “Working daily, so closely with demons… you can be glad, Isa. You likely have pulled Seifer’s soul to hellfire already. Atua will forsake him. He will forsake me. You have succeeded in your purpose. You have taken innocent souls with you. That is a sacrifice we have made, to contain you all. You have succeeded in making us evil.”

“But now you have to pay the price for your success,” Orlette whispered, “And to spare Luminary from greater evil? From the demons within this wall? From the demons now lurking in our own twisted souls? You will have to be the example… of why no one can move on from this place. Not you. Not us. No one will ever be allowed to see what becomes of you.”

Isa blinked, staring at her…before he smiled through bloody teeth. “Atua hates you. We won. You’ll always be one of us.”

{And he will ALWAYS be watching.}

Orlette’s eyes widened. It was something she already believed, but it was… alarming to hear one of the demons confirm it. Just plainly. The supervisors’ souls were corrupted…

Trying to ignore the sudden unease that ran through her, Orlette simply said, “Move him to the quiet room. He’ll be with us for a while. Tell the others he was caught. We don’t want them thinking his foolish ideas ever had a chance of working.”

“And someone go to the market. Get items befitting a dog,” Orlette said, as the other supervisors dragged Isa off the table, “I want the others to remember they’re not human. That’s important to me right now. We can show them through example.”

“Sounds like a good time. Come on, my love~” Seifer crooned, “Let’s run away together!”

Isa didn’t bother responding to that. Determined to stonewall them. He wasn’t going to let this hurt him. He wasn’t going to let this get to him. He wasn’t–

-

It had been… sort of a celebration, when Isa was returned. His door opening up again on the island, his body returned to the rooms. 

Sort of. 

It was hard to feel really enthusiastic about it, when Saix was nowhere to be seen, and Isa hadn’t really… said anything… yet.

…sort of.

He made… noises.

And it wasn’t like when Lauriam had first returned. Isa wasn’t ignoring them, or spaced out, lost in his own mind. He was clearly paying attention to them, listening to them, attentive and aware. He made eye contact. He sat up straight. He sat up a little too straight, like he was waiting to spring up at a moment’s notice. Listening so attentively like he was waiting for specific words and was ready to react to them at a moment's notice, as Axel smiled worriedly at him. “It’s great to see you, man. You really had us worried.”

Isa stared at him.

“I… I hate to try to pressure you, I can see you don’t want to talk yet, but can you at least nod or shake your head on whether or not it’s the throat injury–what are you…?”

Isa placed his hand out, palm down. Axel stared at the hovering hand. It had happened quickly, but Axel was pretty sure Isa had moved when he had asked about nodding or shaking.

“...do you want to give me something? You don’t have anything,” Axel said uncertainly. 

Isa kept his hand hovering. He looked as uncomfortable as Axel. A small whine sound keened from the base of his throat after a moment. 

“...guys, what the fuck am I looking at?” Axel whispered, staring at the hovering hand. Isa gradually looking more distressed.

From the supervisors’ point of view, it had been a very, very good month. The stress relief with Isa, of course, but it seemed his utter failure that they’d orchestrated had done the trick, because Ienzo had set a new record with how many Indentureds he’d conditioned over that month. 

He hadn’t been trying to plead for Isa’s release, bargaining with work. But he just…couldn’t sleep. Positive, in those first few days, that he’d wake up and find Isa’s door gone, his injury--stabbed in the throat, an injury to his neck, something so fragile that you could do the barest things to and someone would be gone--getting the better of him. Then, it was worry of infection or poor care. Then it was the unrelenting dread of what the supervisors were doing to him. 

There was a new rotation among the constructs, one always watching Isa’s door. 

The second time he’d collapsed from exhaustion, Zexion had sobbed in one of the far corners of the maze. They had understood Isa’s determination, but… From the very beginning they’d called out what he was doing as idiotic! He’d shown his disapproval, had tried to talk with Isa about how it could all go wrong, expressed his worries…but he’d understood. So he’d…he’d practically given his brother his blessings to go get himself…

Barely upright from exhaustion, though Isa’s return had given him another wind, Ienzo blearily looked on in dismay at Isa’s state. 

They all did, really. 

Moving slowly, Terra got onto a knee, back fucking rock solid with tension, but he was doing an admirable job at appearing gentle and relaxed. “Hey, kiddo… It’s good to see you again,” he told Isa softly, glancing up to give Axel a small, concerned nod. “...Isa, I’m gonna touch you.”

And, feather-light, he held Isa’s raised hand. Trying to see if that was the only form of communication he could fathom right then. 

Isa notably relaxed when Terra took his hand. Something almost… proud on his face, though he quickly went back to quiet, attentive awareness. 

Even stepped onto the beach, looking frustrated as he said, “We’re still checking him over in the bathroom, but from what I can tell there shouldn’t be any serious injuries right now. Other than the scar on his neck, nothing looks recently healed either. I don’t think they broke any bones or anything like that. The hells did they need to keep him for as long as they did for, then?”

“They definitely were doing something with him, we still haven’t convinced him to talk. And he won’t {project} at us either,” Axel said, “He just stares and makes, like, whines sometimes. Like, that throat sound you’d hear from an injured animal–”

“I think I spotted Saix,” Luis said, stepping out of the door, heading to the group who was surrounding Isa, “But he wouldn’t respond to me, and wouldn’t come when I called out to him. He’s just staying in wolf form in the woods. He ran from me when I tried to approach him.”

“Great, so both versions won’t talk to us,” Demyx frowned, “Isa, my guy, you’re really freaking us out? Come on, man! Speak!”

Isa barked at them.

“Gya!” Czativ jumped, before putting a hand to her chest in a sigh. “Geez, Isa, bad joke!”

As Terra looked at Isa, wide-eyed, Ienzo felt that all too familiar dread sludge along his spine. 

“...I don’t think it’s a joke,” Ienzo said quietly, looking at Isa in dismay. “...I think they were treating him like a dog.”

Marluxia tensed, from off to the side, before he crossed his arms even more tightly around his chest. “...they probably do still have that fucking muzzle and everything…”

Axel stared at Isa… before leaning in and whispering, “Isa, man, it’s me. It’s Lea. Hey, whatever they made you do, you don’t have to do that stuff with me. I’m your friend. We all are. No one here is going to… Isa you don’t have to talk, but please, man, I need you to not just stare at me, I need you to… FOR FUCK SAKE ISA SNAP OUT OF IT!”  

Isa flinched with his whole body, before cringing away from Axel. A soft, panting whine coming out in little gasps as he seemed to sort of curl away from him, trembling violently as he made a desperate, frightened keening sound. 

Axel wanted to hit him. 

He wanted to beat the shit out of him. To tackle him into the dirt and wail on him until, clearly, with words, Isa begged him to stop. He wanted to beat this thing pretending to be Isa, his friend, maybe the best friend he ever had, the guy who had risked everything coming to save him from the factory, let go of Isa’s mind and Isa snapped out of it and gave Axel that stupid smarmy grin of him and asked him what on earth Axel was worried about, when Isa had everything under control…

Axel practically growled, standing up and walking away from Isa to keep himself from freaking out on him, where in the exact same step, Luis stepped forward and knelt down and said, like it was the most natural thing in the world, “Hey now, come on, there’s no need for whining. Shush now, there’s a lad, what are we whining for, huh?”

“Luis, what on earth are you…” But Even stopped, frowning as Luis, again, reached out like it was a natural thing, and gently scratched at Isa’s scalp, behind his ears… and Isa’s shaking immediately calmed down a bit. Leaning into Luis’ grip. “...”

Luis gave Even a tired look. “I know. It’s fucked up. But he’s scared out of his mind right now. Can’t deny him comfort even if it’s fucked up kinda comfort.”

It was a testament to how in control Axel actually was, that he’d already turned away before Aaxqu could move him away from Isa herself, but she still stalked after him, gold eyes glowing within murky dark pools. 

“Isa isn’t the enemy to fight in your worry, Axel,” she bubbled firmly. “He needs help, not an ongoing battle.”

Terra sighed a little, watching Luis comfort Isa like… Shaking his head, he moved over to rub Isa’s back. “You’re safe now, kiddo. Nothing’s gonna hurt you here. Just rest, man, we’ll…we’ll figure out the rest.”

“...what do we do, though?” Ienzo asked softly, instinctively looking over at his dad.

“Who the hell knows what he needs? I don’t know what he needs!? How does someone even begin to tackle something like this!?” Axel whispered back to her, glaring back at the group surrounding a calming Isa, “Is he faking it!? Do we just need to convince him he doesn’t need to fake it? He can’t actually think he…Aaxqu, I have no idea what we’re supposed to do for something like this.”

Even glanced over to where Lea and Aaxqu were whispering to each other, only hearing every other word, but it far from a mystery over the general sentiment. And Lea had a point. This was a new type of damage. This wasn’t a broken bone they could treat gently, or tears they could soothe. This was a brand new type of damage.

“...we’d do what we would have done if he was sobbing or trying to self harm,” Even decided, looking back to the group, “We treat him carefully, keep an eye on him, and hope time and care will ease the damage. This is still Isa. He’s no more different acting like this then he would be if he was having the sort of breakdown we were more familiar with. We have to trust that with time and patience, his sense will return to him. There’s nothing else to do.”

“....n… not to be that guy,” Demyx said warily, “...but there’s no way he can condition like this, right? We have to ask the supervisor to put his quota on hold.”

“I don’t want to ask those bastards for anything right now, if I’m honest,” Dilan murmured. 

Isa sighed, leaning into Terra, closing his eyes as he rested his head at first on Terra’s shoulder, and then clearly finding that uncomfortable, repositioning himself to lay his head on Terra’s lap. “You should pat his head,” Luis whispered, “...if they’ve trained certain actions into him, they definitely trained him to enjoy something like that. Again, at least for now? Why deny him fucked up comfort?”

“Yelling at him and threatening him won’t be it, I can tell you that,” she burbled frustratedly. “If he is faking it, if it’s something he used to cope with what they did to him? Then we need to make it clear that this is somewhere safe that he doesn’t need it. If he’s not? Then hurting him for something he can’t control still isn’t going to help.”

However he was now, if this was temporary, or…a lifelong change, Isa was still Isa. He was their friend and family, and no matter what, they loved him. They would not allow his trauma to change that. 

Ienzo looked at Isa for another quiet moment. “...we’ve already been taking on extra. It’ll be an issue more long-term if they assign us people assuming that we have twelve people able to work at full capacity, but until we’re in more of a position to negotiate, we can handle the volume.”

Terra gave Luis a strained look for a second, before smoothing his expression into a kind, soft smile, gently stroking around the back of Isa’s head. At least like that it was something you could ostensibly do for a person too. “...wouldn’t be the first time he’s fallen asleep on me. Might be heavier these days, but I like to think I’m still a nice bed. …it’s alright, Isa. You’re back home.”

Isa blinked calmly at nothing in particular. He didn’t think it in so many words; he couldn’t, at the moment. But yeah… he knew that already.

He was home.

-

Isa wasn’t faking it. But little by little, he could sometimes snap out of ‘dog brain’, and, well…like everything else? They just had to move on with life, taking the changes as they came. Though, they did try to avoid asking the supervisors for anything as much as they could. Just…keeping life quiet and calm in their little sector. 

Quiet and calm did lead to a sort of restlessness, though, and it was only human nature that certain, hm, activities came up--

“So I’m never going in the ocean again,” Lauriam declared with a huff, keeping an eye on the soup he was making while he sat on the kitchen counter, regaling Xaldin with the latest story of walking in on someone, which, maybe in a biased account, seemed to be happening more and more lately. This time, horrifically enough, it had been his parents. “I understand the relative privacy of a world, but when you can accidentally sink into Aqua’s world just swimming…”

“Ugh,” he cringed. “How do you make the equivalent of leaving a sock on a doorknob in the ocean?”

“Mmmm maybe a buoy?” Xaldin snickered, cutting up the chicken they were going to cook and add to the stew. 

It was fucked up to admit, but ever since the Isa situation and how, for lack of a better way to phrase it, on their best behavior everyone had been since everything had happened, the supervisors did seem a little more generous and lenient with the rules. It had been a big deal years ago when they had been allowed butter knives, but after the stabbing, instead of losing them, the supervisors seemed to have collectively shrugged and decided ‘if they can stab with a butter knife, they can have real cooking knives, what’s the difference’. 

So the kitchen got one cooking knife to cook with, and, well… there hadn’t been any talk of using it as a weapon, as a way to get out. If it worked, it would have led to all the same problems as stabbing one of the supervisors with a butter knife, or a fork, or tackling them and bashing their skull into the ground would have.

There were more of them waiting outside. And the second they stepped out, their powers wouldn’t work. And they’d be lost. They’d be beaten. And Tengan was always a thought away. 

“Could be when your folks are feeling frisky, they just, boop, send up one of those little buoy things. If you don’t know what that is, Demyx can show you, it’s like a…this inflatable thing they use to make space in the ocean? Rocks with the waves. Ya know… like your dad.” Xaldin snickered, cleaning the bones.

Lauriam rolled his eyes. “Boo, minus one, that one barely makes sense. Guess that isn’t the worst suggestion, though. I already know to knock on the closets out here, there’s only so much I can do on the island.” He grimaced more. “And that’s only for the people who even bother trying to get some privacy.”

Peeking over at the pot, Lauriam leaned forward, turning down the heat a little without getting off the counter. 

He wasn’t…bitter, or jealous or anything about all the people seeming to shack up these days. He was happy for his parents’ love, obviously, and he was happy for everyone else too. It could just be a little much seeing everyone getting all lovey-dovey everywhere he turned, to the point he was even running into Indentureds taking solace in each other.

“Man, do you have any idea what the hell has been up with Demyx lately? I swear, he’s fine, he’s fine, he’s fine, and then suddenly out of nowhere he’s as bad as Larxene. I’ve even asked if he was Larxene a few times, that’s how Larxene-y he starts to get. I’d say it was fucking puberty showing its face, but he was long sprinted past that before he ever even got here,” Xaldin scoffed, shaking his head, “It’s like he’s just discovered he has a sex drive and is making up for lost time. And then you blink and it’s just gone, he’s back to all flustered and scandalized and all of that. It’s a damn mind-fuck, I’m half worried he’s losing it. He talked to you about it any?”

Lauriam rolled his eyes a little. “You’d be better off asking Zexion or Ienzo, for anything actually heartfelt. Yeah, he’s not ecstatic, like, woo-hoo, I’m so pumped to live in a box, but you know how he is. Every time I’ve tried to have a serious conversation with him, he just turns it into a joke. It’s fine, I guess, but if there’s something on his mind, it’s definitely not me he’s talking to.”

“And if you ask Larxene?” Lauriam smirked a little in amusement. “There’s no way Marluxia would ever tell me something they’d talked about in confidence, but he hasn’t let on that there’s anything bigger to be worried about.”

Sighing, Lauriam guessed, “Maybe he’s been seeing everyone coupling up too and is feeling left out. But only once in a while, when he actually remembers it.”

“Honestly, that does sound like him. It’s as good a guess as any, he’s definitely not talking to me about it either.” Xaldin shrugged. Demyx had met him at a difficult time in Xaldin’s life, but the first impression never really went away, he suspected. Xaldin felt like he had calmed down in his aggression since… well, since Demyx had arrived. But Demyx still saw him as The Aggressive Guy and it showed when they talked. 

“What about you? Your eye turned towards anyone yet? You know there’s a whole group of us really rooting for you and Ienzo, right? It’d sure as hell make Even happy; he does not like how close Ienzo and Demyx are getting,” Xaldin mused, glancing over at Lauriam, “But you and Ienzo? You’d, well… okay, I personally can’t see it. But like I said, a lot of us are hoping it’s gonna happen. Ever consider it?”

Lauriam huffed in grim amusement. “You know, I really didn’t see me becoming a preferred option to Even, just because he has a weird protective vendetta against Demyx. But I hate to be the bearer of an unfortunate reality,” Lauriam smirked, not looking like he hated it at all, “No way. Ienzo’s like a brother to me and that does not mix with any romance for me.”

“Otherwise…” Lauriam looked at Xaldin for a long moment before glancing away as he shrugged. “I don’t know. I haven’t really thought about it. I suppose nearly everyone else disagrees, but things feel busy enough without trying to juggle a relationship too.”

That…wasn’t exactly true. Marluxia was the truly busy one between them, and even then he found time to goof off with Larxene and chat with Dilan all the time. Lauriam just…tried to find ways to pass the time. Or found it passing him by regardless.

(It’d be nice passing it by with someone else.)

Xaldin snorted at that, turning on the burner beside the one the pot of soup was being made in and putting down the skillet, letting it warm up for a moment before he started tossing the chicken strips onto it. They sizzled on contact. “Is our situation not complicated enough that you gotta bring in symbolic family relationships into it? I’m pretty sure the others assigned you two different ‘parents’ on purpose, specifically because of that. No one wants you poor bastards to end up alone in the long-run. And it’s kinda fucked to hope that maybe they’ll catch someone new who’d be perfect for one of ya.”

“Mind ya, if you don’t feel it? Then you don’t feel it. Gotta just be honest with yourself about that.” Xaldin shrugged, watching the chicken cook. “When… when Zinxi and I were first flirting? We were deeply in denial about what we were doing. Lots of reasons back then; Nobodies didn’t ‘simulate’ relationships back then. That’s what it was called when folks first realized we were doing it: simulating relationships. Even had a whole theory it was part of our development of becoming better constructs, that we had to ‘simulate’ desire and affection and… I dunno, I didn’t give a shit about any of that, but Zinxi and I were one of the first. And if you had seen us in the early days? You’d have thought we were mortal enemies.” 

Xaldin smirked, lines under his eyes but clearly happy in some old memory as he said, “We’d snipe at each other, argue, get real heated at each other. Some of it was good natured, but a lot of it wasn’t. We were furious with each other, most of the times we were arguing. Looking back at it all now? I think maybe we were in a bit of denial. I sure as hell didn’t know what I was doing, and Zinxi…her body wasn’t designed with ‘love’ in mind. She wanted to show me affection in physical ways, but there were really limited ways for her to express that, and god knows I could have reacted a thousand different ways than what I did…”

Xaldin went quiet, clearly lost in the memory of her… before he sighed, shaking his head. “Long story’s point: pretending you’re feeling things you aren’t just makes you miserable. Maybe your feelings come with some beautiful woman eating you alive at times? Wellllll, better to just get it out in the open and work through it. Because never giving yourself the chance is the real fucked up way to go. I think, anyway.”

Lauriam laughed softly, seamlessly taking over watch over the skillet while Xaldin washed his hands. “And it’s complicated enough without all of you rooting for something that’s not going to happen. They’ve been getting close, but maybe to Even’s relief I don’t really see Ienzo and Demyx happening either. Ienzo seems entirely ambivalent to the very concept of relationships, and if there was anything on Demyx’s side, you’d expect to see Larxene trying to make a move, even just to mess with him. But her flirting with 12 is bizarrely tame compared to everyone else.”

It came off purely playful, not just something to get under Demyx’s skin, even though it certainly did. And, again, 12 didn’t seem to react to it at all. 

…something that was…more and more common these days, for his little brother. 

As Xaldin returned, Lauriam didn’t immediately hop back on top of the counter, settling just to lean against them as his gaze lowered a little. The hollow ache in his chest that had settled since Zinxi and Inzi’s death panging a bit, though as Xaldin talked about his early relationship with Zinxi, there was only a soft smile on Lauriam’s face. 

“The others almost never talk about it, but everytime you guys talk about how the other Somebodies treated you…” Lauriam huffed a little, shaking his head, before he smiled slightly. “You two really took the trophy for banter, though it always felt like I won something when I’d say something that Zinxi said she’d use next time you came by.”

(...he missed her so much.)

Shrugging a little, Lauriam looked off into the corner of the kitchen, saying dryly, “I don’t think I’m pretending anything, and I’m not miserable, so…case solved, there.”

“Heh. Trust me, the Somebodies who were around when I was first made? Phoooo, let’s just say Dilan was apologizing for me a lot. As he damn well should. He brought me into this mess, he can take responsibility.” Xaldin huffed, snickering a bit. 

“Sure, fine, case solved.” Xaldin shrugged, not too worried about it either way. Lauriam was still young, the guy had a while still before anyone could say if he was ‘into’ people or not. That’s what Dilan thought, anyway. He was either a late bloomer, no one here was genuinely interesting enough, or it wasn’t gonna happen for him regardless. Time would tell. 

Xaldin smirked. “She got some great one-liners from you. I remember she popped off once about me having a square head, something about how I was lucky since otherwise it’d roll right off my shoulder and into the ocean or something, I can’t remember exactly what she said–”

(“I think it’s going to be okay.”)

Xaldin paused, his shoulders tensing for a moment… before he turned over the chicken pieces. “Ah, it escapes me. These are almost ready, how’s the soup doing?”

Lauriam huffed a small laugh at that too. Dilan still apologized for Xaldin, to an extent, though these days it always felt so unneeded. Kind of like what he had been talking about before with the generation of Empaths before he’d arrived, and their treatment of Nobodies too. Just a whole mess of ridiculousness. 

Regardless of what they “actually” were, the Nobodies were people, and not treating them that way, apart from the responsibility of having made them, and accommodating their jobs? Was just…even past cruel, it was just dumb. 

(Even had told him that he mourned the Nobodies too, separate from their Somebodies.)

(...yeah.)

“You’re pretty ‘shape’y, there’s a lot of material there to work with,” Lauriam said lightly, in that not-snickering but absolutely snickering way, before he peered into the pot again. Taking a fork, he pierced one of the vegetables before giving Xaldin a nod and moving slightly away from the stove. “Ready for them when they are. I’ll start getting bowls out for everyone.”

And though Lauriam’s height had crawled to a slow stop over the past year, landing him at an even six foot--as far as he’d heard, the bet was still on, those who were still in it refusing to call it on the grounds that they weren’t sure he wasn’t going to grow anymore--he still opened the cupboard onto his face.

“PFF-HAAAH!” Xaldin laughed, leaning over and around Lauriam and picking up a handful of the bowls as the other Empath nursed his face, “Watch out for that, Lauriam, that’s new! Just got installed yesterday! Geez, you brained yourself there, let me see if you went and gave yourself a bruise.” Xaldin snickered, putting down the handful of bowls he had grabbed on the counter before snatching Lauriam’s chin, looking him over. “Really just opened the whole cabinet door straight between your eyes, huh? Funniest shit I’ve seen in days. Well, you’re not bleeding anyway.”

“Nnng…” Lauriam groaned as he covered his face. It was not the first time he’d opened the cupboard onto his face. Nor the first time he’d hit his head on a shelf, or, one of the worst, walked right into a door overhang in front of basically all the supervisors, or blacked out getting up from his pallet. It was fine, being tall! But the adjustment sucked. 

Lauriam resisted just for a performative, embarrassed moment before he allowed Xaldin to shoo his hands away from his face, pouting, unamused as he looked him over. 

(And that close, the only thing he could do was look back, really.)

(He’d always thought Dilan and Xaldin were good looking. Just in vague notions of beauty as a kid, but as he got older…well, what was Lauriam supposed to think? When Xaldin’s sharp, fang-y grins of delight were always because of something exciting or fun, or when Dilan’s knowing glances of sparkling, deep, deep blue eyes felt like a precious inside joke. With the inherent grace of how Xaldin carried himself, always moving like a dance, or how the casual lounges Dilan had while reading seemed like the epitome of comfort. With hugs so encompassing as they held him close that Lauriam felt--)

There was a spark like firecrackers in Lauriam’s chest and tingling on his lips, as he felt a soft pair pressed against his.

And immediately Lauriam reeled back nearly the entire length of the kitchen, eyes wide with a dawning horror. His voice cracking on nothing, before he breathed a panicked, “ohmygod-I’m-so-sorry”

Xaldin recoiled back like he had been slapped. 

It wasn’t a feeling of repulsion, or horror. It was just true shock. It had even felt that way, like a physical shock has zapped at his lips, stinging in the way the door knobs occasionally would. Xaldin’s mind briefly empty of anything for a moment, other than the feeling of ‘did I get zapped’?

Lauriam–the kid, the others sometimes called him, the other baby of the group, the one they kept hoping would fall for Ienzo because otherwise the two were just so young, there were no other options–was on the other side of the damn room now. A room full of the warm scent of what was going to be chicken soup in a second, once they cut up the chicken pieces and dumped it into the pot. Lauriam looked freaked the hell out. Why? It had been normal a second ago. What had just…

“...uh,” Xaldin said uncertainly, “...I’m… I’m not sure if… it’s fine, you don’t have too–”

{WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?!}

Xaldin flinched, and when he blinked, Dilan looked out in horror as he put his hands up. “Oh fuck, Lauriam, I’m so sorry! Are you okay!?”

Lauriam made a sort of panicked, gargled sound as he put his hands up too, unintentionally mirroring Dilan. “I-I-I - Xaldin didn’t - It was me, I’m so sorry, I-I didn’t mean to--”

{Whoa, the fuck? Dumbass, why’s it so windy in here?}

Making a stressed whining sound, Lauriam bolted. Heading straight for one of their storage closets and promptly locking himself inside. Sitting against the door with his eyes wide, hands over his mouth. 

What had he done?

-

“WHAT DID YOU DO!? ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!?” Dilan shouted at Xaldin, pacing back and forth in front of the laid out column that Xaldin was sitting on, “You stole his first kiss?! You monster!”

“I didn’t… I don’t know what the hell happened, okay!? He just… I don’t know!” Xaldin said, pressing his thumb into the center of his hand, nervously massaging the muscle there, “I don’t know what happened! Maybe he tripped?”

“Oh sure, he tripped and fell face-first into our damn lips! Oh my god, they’re going to add a thousand years to our trials for this,” Dilan whispered, pacing harder now, “Forget that, if the demon thing wasn’t true before, it’s true now. Atua forgive me, I stole a child’s first kiss–”

“Lauriam’s not a child,” Xaldin said, before hesitating, “...not legally. A-and even if he was, we didn’t do anything! He… he had a moment! We just happened to be there! Nothing happened, we don’t ever even have to talk about it again–”

“I’ve known him since he was this big. He’s called me uncle before. Oh my god I’m the creepy uncle who fucking molests their nephew, oh fucking no–”

“We are NOT related, and also, also, I cannot stress this enough, nothing happened! It was a brief… moment of madness, maybe!? Maybe the kid’s–dammit, Lauriam, maybe Lauriam’s insane, and we should be going to check on him–”

“WE are not going ANYWHERE NEAR HIM!” Dilan shouted, giving Xaldin a furious look, “Are you CRAZY!? We just assaulted him!” 

“Oh my god,” Xaldin muttered, running a hand down his face, “No we fucking didn’t–”

“Shut up, I don’t even know why I’m trying to reason with you, you literally can’t understand the difference between kissing someone and assault,” Dilan huffed, ignoring Xaldin’s dead-eye look at that as he said, “...I have to tell Even. I have to tell Aqua and Terra. They need to know–”

“You’re gonna freak Lauriam the hell out if you parade this around to everyone,” Xaldin said, “Give him a few hours to calm down, come out of the closet! If he doesn’t, they’ll all know something’s wrong anyway.”

“So what, I’m meant to keep this a secret!? We just stole Lauriam’s first kiss and now I have to sweep it under the rug, hush it up!? Oh, hellll no, I am not becoming that kind of person. Generations of Empaths locked away in here, and I’m the first one who fucking attacks a child–”

“Not a child,” Xaldin muttered again, watching Dilan storm out of his mind. “...dammit.”

-

What was wrong with him?!

Lauriam was fully laid out on the ground now, fatigued out from the blinding panic, but the shock not having worn down a skosh. He’d had to ask himself that question a lot, over the years, and maybe it was just recency bias, but this one certainly felt the most pressing. 

What kind of monster kisses a guy when you’ve both been talking about his late partner?! What kind of sicko kisses a guy you’ve known since you were a kid?!? They were… They weren’t even doing anything! Sure, sure, they’d been talking about relationships before, a-and even Lauriam’s relationships, but…but he hadn’t been lying!! He hadn’t thought about relationships, outside of knowing that he didn’t want anything to do with Ienzo or Demyx in that way!! 

He was just…broken. Broken and gross and a jerk and…

“F-fuck!” Lauriam breathed out in a gasp as he pressed his palms over stinging eyes. Xaldin was going to hate him. Dilan already did, he’d taken control just to acknowledge how fucked up it all had been. 

What was wrong with him…

“Laurie? Sweetie, are you okay? Please open the door.”

A shudder of horror went down Lauriam’s back. Nononononono

Lauriam took a deep, gasping breath…

Aqua jolted back from the closet handle, looking at it incredulously for a moment as she soothed her hand from the sudden sharp prickles, like she’d just grabbed onto something thorny. 

-

“It’s like I said: he hit himself on the cabinet. I went to go check on him. And he… leaned forward real quick and, I dunno, something like a kiss happened,” Xaldin explained to Terra, a fuming Dilan standing next to him, “It was quick. Barely happened at all. He seemed as surprised as I was.”

Terra was…trying to keep fair. But there was tension in his shoulders as his arms were crossed over his chest, listening to Xaldin’s side of the story. “...what do you mean, ‘something like a kiss’?” he asked after a moment. “Like he just pressed his face to yours, as an accident?”

“...maybe?” Xaldin said.

“No,” Dilan corrected, “It was definitely a kiss.”

“Coulda been woozy. He had just brained himself, could have leaned in by accident and–”

“I felt it, it was a kiss. It was like a spark went through our whole brian… ugh,” Dilan crossed his arms, looking disgusted with himself, “It was undeniable, alright?”

“Okay, well, so what if it was!?” Xaldin suddenly barked out, baring his teeth at Dilan, “We’re all cooped up in close quarters with no one else, it’d be more surprising if the guy didn’t sometimes want to kiss people. But the way you’re acting about it, you’re gonna scare him the hell off from ever touching anyone ever again–”

“True,” Even said, walking into Terra’s mind. A stony, cold look on his face, arms behind his back, as he said, “It’s normal for someone Lauriam’s age to want to experiment. We can’t shame or embarrass him for that… but we, the people around him?”

Even shot Dilan a furious glare, as he said tightly, “Are supposed to be better.”

Dilan wilted beneath the look, while Xaldin frowned, glancing at Dilan. “I told you not to tell him yet.”

Even ignored them, looking at Terra. “Aqua having any luck yet?”

Terra let go of a slow, harsh breath. A spark? Look, maybe an accident happened, that was a thing! His son was sweet, but he was also incredibly impulsive so maybe he just… Whatever. It wasn’t Lauriam’s fault, whatever happened. 

…but if Xaldin had felt something from it?

Terra cracked his jaw a little. Maybe that still wasn’t fair, you couldn’t help what your body did, and it certainly had never seemed like Xaldin or Dilan were… And how they were handling this now didn’t seem like they were going to…

Giving Even a little sigh, Terra started to answer, but was interrupted by the sound of wings, Raxter bringing up a windblown Marluxia. More windblown than what could be explained by a short flight. 

“Hey, what the fuck is going on?!” Marluxia demanded of the group, before narrowing his eyes a little at Xaldin and Dilan. “Why the fuck is Lauriam havin’ a damn meltdown in a closet?!”

Dilan seemed to wilt even more, uncomfortably looking away from Marluxia and shrinking into himself, while Xaldin just huffed, rolling his eyes as he explained, “Your Somebody’s been reading too many copper-novella romances in Ienzo’s brain. Thought it’d be fun to use me as a test-run for his own version of it.”

“Would you shut up?” Dilan hissed at him, “If you hadn’t been talking ‘relationships this’ and ‘you have to shoot your shots’ that–”

“So you were talking to him about relationships at the time?” Even asked, looking more grave.

“...well, I mean, yeah but… nothing weird! Look, you can look in my mind at the memory, I swear, whatever you’re imagining right now is not what we were talking about,” Xaldin insisted, “You guys are looking at me like I spent our time cooking going ‘hur-hur-hur, aren’t you lonely, age is just a number, wouldn’t it be fun if we just kissed???’ That’s not how it went down!”

“I will watch that memory at some point, actually,” Even said easily, before looking gently over at Marluxia, “Lauriam and Xaldin kissed not that long ago, and Lauriam is understandably stressed out about it. We’re all trying to figure out exactly what happened right now. What about you? Did anything unusual happen within the last half hour?”

Marluxia squinted his eyes, giving Xaldin a baffled look, before very quickly they widened, Marluxia full on yelping, “WHAT?!”

…Lauriam and Xaldin kissed? Like…like kissed-kissed? Like ‘pressing against petal soft lips, breathing in their scent and a taste that could only be described as theirs’ kissed? (Maybe Marluxia was the one reading too many copper-novella romances, honestly.)

Terra stiffened more at Marluxia’s complete blind-side by the news. Yeah, they all did have certain quirks in their relationships with their Nobodies, but if Marluxia hadn’t even noticed anything, but Dilan had been able to know immediately…

“Well duh,” Marluxia muttered, still looking astounded, “There’s a fucking tornado in our world right now.”

“Not quite that destructive,” Raxter explained more, an unreadable gaze going over his friends, “But it’s certainly more than a breeze.”

“Okay, not great, sure, but like… is that even really ‘new’ for Lauriam?” Xaldin pointed out dryly. “You guys are making mountains out of molehills.”

“I will BURY YOU in our CRYPT! Just watch me!” Dilan snapped at Xaldin, who glared back at him, “How can you act like this isn’t a major problem!?”

“Becaaaaauuuuse it’s not. Lauriam just got caught up in some stray thought, kissed me, and is now beating himself up over it. You should have seen his face immediately after,” Xaldin said, shrugging tiredly, “He looked horrified. It’s not like he ‘enjoyed it’. This was a one time thing, it’s done now, it’ll never happen again. Obviously.”

“It most certainly won’t,” Even said.

Terra took a deep breath, sharing a look with Raxter. “Obviously.”

Looking a little dazed, Marluxia scoffed off-handedly. “Point taken, that it’s not new. That idiot’s convinced you guys are never going to talk to him again. If anyone’s overreacting, it’s him. As usual.”

“Shit…” Terra sighed, loosing his arms from their cross to scratch the back of his head. “Aqua’s not having much luck with him either. Apparently he’s…projecting sensations or something onto the door? Haven’t seen him do that in a long time.”

“Look, just give him some time, he’ll calm down on his own,” Xaldin argued.

“No, he’s traumatized and he needs help from the shitty thing we just did to him,” Dilan argued, before looking worried, “Should I try to go apologize to him again? He’s probably terrified of us now.”

“Terrified–from what?” Xaldin asked.

“Maybe you both should give him and Marluxia some space,” Even said, “Until we can get everything sorted out. Xaldin, Dilan, why don’t you head back to your mind, we’ll handle things from here.”

Both the men looked surprised at that. Both giving Even uneasy looks, before Dilan said, “Well, we do want to help–”

“I think you’ve done more than enough. And I’m only ‘asking’ as a courtesy.” Even said. “Go.”

Xaldin frowned, puffing up in anger… before deflating when Dilan grabbed his arm, bowing in a rare show of deferment to Even before the two headed out. 

Even sighed, running his hands through his hair for a moment. “...Marluxia. May I speak with you? In private?” Even said, glancing at Terra at that, asking him permission for that.

Marluxia nodded in agreement with Xaldin. Lauriam blew his top sometimes, but he always got over it in time. They just needed to wait out him being a total drama queen. Well, everyone else did, Marluxia was going to give that dumbass a piece of his mind to at least make their world habitable again. 

Though it seemed like everyone was determined to make this a bigger problem too. 

Marluxia balked at Even for a moment, before straight up glowering at him. “Oooh, I don’t know~ It looks like Mar-Mar can’t make aaaaaaany decisions for himself, so why don’t we ask literally everyone el--”

“Mars,” Raxter said firmly, putting a hand on his son’s shoulder. The distressed tank top over a mesh tee stretching slightly as Marluxia stiffened and seethed, though he did go quiet as he glared at his dad. “Bear with us, okay? We wanna figure everything out before we let things settle.”

“What’s there even to figure out?” Marluxia growled stiffly, before huffing, glaring fiercely at Even. “If you wanna talk, are you actually gonna listen? Or decide to pick and choose whatever I say to support what you’ve already decided?”

“I intend to listen.” Even said simply. “I’m concerned for your and Lauriam’s safety.”

“What’s there even to--ugh,” Marluxia huffed, throwing his hands up in an annoyed little motion, “You know, sure, let’s talk. Your place?”

“Indeed.”

-

Demyx, Ienzo, Axel, and Isa were all eating ice cream on the pier wall, watching as, once again, some of the others came out of their doors and headed to other ones in a hurry. This time, it was Even and Marluxia heading out of Terra’s door and to Even’s. Marluxia looked pissed, and somehow, Even looked more pissed.

“What do you guys think is happening?” Demyx asked. 

“No idea. Do you think we’re actually going to get dinner at some point?” Axel asked, “Maybe I should head to the kitchen and see how far they got. What do you think, Isa?”

Isa didn’t say anything. It was a good day for him. He was using his hands to eat, that was progress.

6 frowned a little as he watched his dad. There were plenty of things that could make Even mad, but this kind of anger… Unfortunately none of the others had been able to catch what was going on. Oddly, and perhaps concerningly, all the sudden conversations were happening in far more private manners than the norm. 

“...I believe it would be prudent to at least check on the stove. People seem quite…agitated. It’d blow if someone forgot to turn a burner off.” He frowned a little more. “...we haven’t seen Aqua or Lauriam go by. Maybe there was a cooking accident? Though I don’t know why Xaldin and Dilan would go to their world, in that case.”

“Nah, that’s not cooking accident anger, that’s ‘you’re bad for my kid’ anger… but times a thousand. Trust me, I know that look.” Demyx said. “Maybe a conditioning issue?”

“I’m gonna go check the stove. You guys keep an eye on Isa for me? He’s non-verbal today, but otherwise I think he’s fine,” Axel said, before glaring at them, “No pets…unless he does that head into your palm thing he does, but seriously, otherwise, no. I don’t care what Luis thinks, that shit isn’t good for him.”

“Got it,” Demyx said, as Axel disappeared. “...okay, but now it’s all I want to do.”

6 raised an eyebrow as he considered that. Marluxia certainly hadn’t said anything untoward towards one of them, so if it was conditioning? “That would explain why Marluxia would be mad too. Though, he doesn’t tend to iterate much on his process, not in years, at least. If he messed up, I’d be inclined to guess that it’d be a genuine accident, so I’m not sure why Dad would be that mad.”

No way to truly know until one of the others let something spill, he supposed. 

Giving Axel a nod, 6 rolled his eyes a little. “The classic, ‘I wasn’t thinking of it until you mentioned it’... Isa, does that still qualify as reverse psychology?”

Isa paused from eating his ice cream. Cleared his throat. Cleared his throat. Brow furrowed… before he sighed, just quietly shaking his head. 

“Eh, I bet he’s gonna say ‘technically’ something or other, but that sounds right to me. Reverse psychology,” Demyx agreed. 

-

Vexen was already in there, whispering to himself as he sorted through files and files of folders, all of them memories of incidents that hadn’t seemed worth examining at the time but now Vexen and Even were looking through with a fine-toothed comb. Even walked in with Marluxia, gesturing for him to take one of the desk chairs they had around, sitting in his own as he said, “You’re angry with me, Marluxia. May I ask why?”

Marluxia aggressively slid into the chair, sitting in it sideways before he scowled at Even. “Because you’re an arrogant prick that decides how things are gonna go days in advance, regardless of what’s actually going on or how people feel about it.”

Rolling his eyes theatrically, he sang-songed, “Oh nooo, I said, Lauriam’s freaking out because he thinks Xaldin and Dilan hate his guts and are never gonna talk to him again~ Hmmm, you said immediately, go fuck yourself, Dilan and Xaldin, never talk to Lauriam and Marluxia, who’s right in front of you, by the way, again, yes, that’s the perfect plan, I’m sooooooo smart~”

Marluxia scoffed as he glared at Even again. “Bravo, great performance.”

“Is that right?” Even asked, raising an eyebrow and giving Marluxia a mildly unimpressed look, “Asking them to give you two space until things calm down is ‘never talk to them again’?”

“No duh, but how do you think the idiot crying in the closet is going to take that?” Marluxia rolled his eyes. “He’s freaked out, that’s not ‘calm’, Xaldin and Dilan avoid him, he loses his mind, thinking that confirms everything, queue another freak out. You know he’s a spaz.”

“I know you’re a spaz,” Even said, tucking his hair behind his ears, “Who has made me go gray rapidly in the time since you joined us. I know that you’re a young man who strongly resents being treated like a child. I know you’re fiercely independent and that you still crave approval. I know you don’t enjoy being ‘summarized’.”

“I know you have a lot of traits that, if I wanted you to keep secrets? Would be easy to exploit,” Even said softly. “And that’s why I’m concerned for you. I want to make certain you’ve not been exploited. Not by one of us. Not by someone you have to share a room and a mind with. This is very, very important to me, Marluxia. I have to treat this seriously.”

Marluxia scowled, his eyes narrowing again as Even turned the conversation towards him, his hackles raising a bit as he was described as ‘easily manipulated’...but as Even got to the point of that exploitation, and, perhaps more importantly, Marluxia finally caught on to what he was saying?

Green eyes suddenly widened again. “No. No, fuck no,” Marluxia said firmly, all playful tones out of his voice, “They’ve never--hell no.” The frown he gave Even was tight. “Xaldin and Dilan have never been like that to me. To us. Whatever went down? I’d believe Lauriam just fully lost his mind sooner than Xaldin ever putting him in a position like that.”

“Dilan and Xaldin have been my friends since I was young enough to look nearly like you,” Even said softly, “Together, the two of us… the four of us have lost more loved ones, family, friends, than I could safely talk about without getting emotional. Dilan has comforted me when I was at my most inconsolable. Xaldin fought battles for us. They’re perhaps two of the closest people to me in the whole of my life.”

Vexen, at the table, was staring at so many files. More memories than he could possibly hope to shift through. Every single one of them, incredibly, undeniably…

“I’m biased in his favor,” Even said simply. “Undeniably so. I would like more than anything to call this a singular odd occurrence and let it go unexamined. That’s why I can’t. So if I seem to repeat myself, or pick at details, or am difficult to convince? Just understand that I am being so thorough, because I love Dilan and Xaldin like brothers. And I am terrified that love would blind me from what you, and others, needed from me. I love Xaldin.” Vexen closed his eyes at the table, listening as Even continued, “Please keep that in mind as I ask you more.”

A clipboard appeared in Even’s hands, and he looked down at it. “Xaldin often makes off-color jokes, but pretty rarely sexually. Do you feel like his sense of humor with you in recent time has been more explicit? For instance, like he was testing boundaries?”

Marluxia bit the inside of his cheek as Even spoke, and he leaned sideways into the back of the desk chair. His usual obstinance swayed by, well, genuine feelings. Even and Dilan had been in the factory longer than he’d be able to fathom for years, and Vexen and Xaldin had been with them nearly the whole time. You couldn’t go through all that without forming a bond stronger than anything. 

This wasn’t just a turn face, more of Even’s ridiculous ‘advice’ or philosophy about Nobodies. Honestly, Marluxia hadn’t really thought so. But even so…

He wanted to just snap at Even. Reminding him just who had helped them out when Lauriam had actually been assaulted. But…

Marluxia sighed. “No. He doesn’t even make regular sex jokes, like, normally. Honestly, I think he had the most fun with non-jokes, like just being amused at stuff but not explaining anything, so, like, you have to assume it was some dumb innuendo. But he hasn’t even made those kinds of ‘jokes’ in a while.”

Even caught Vexen’s eye across the room, who shrugged non-committedly. Xaldin hadn’t been a very sexual person when they were all younger, and his time with Zinxi had honestly seemed to put at least traditional sex on the backburner permanently. 

Even would never put it like that to Marluxia, but Xaldin’s interest in sex seemed to be mostly reactive to what his partners wanted. Which didn’t strike Even as the most sexually aggressive trait…

“Fair enough. What about comments on your or Lauriam’s appearance? Anything you can remember that stood out to you? I know he likes the flower comparison, but he gets those little ‘themed’ nickname ideas for everyone. How much he sticks to them seems to be case by case, but ‘flower’ and ‘dandelion’ have always been pretty consistent for him. Did those nicknames ever start to come with an uncomfortable edge to them?”

Marluxia shook his head this time. “He calls me an edgelord, and made jokes about Lauriam’s growth spurts, but that was always just teasing, nothing more than that.” Marluxia paused for a moment, fingers drumming nervously on the back of the chair for a moment. “...apparently he told Lauriam that you guys weren’t enthused by his suggestion of breaking his nose when you were all having a roundtable about how to deal with, yanno, the actual predators here.”

Huffing in mild amusement, Marluxia looked to the side. “The nicknames are fine too. I did always wonder why I ended up with ‘flower’, though. You’d think Lauriam would end up with the more broad one since he came first.”

“Xaldin, I believe, mostly makes jokes about us when he first meets us, even if it’s only to himself, and those jokes become nicknames to him. Because he is a dick, more often than not.” Even sighed, marking off a check. “Ah, you heard about that then? I suggested cutting off all of your hair. It worked for Viz, for a time. The supervisors are shallow creatures.”

“...we cannot allow it to happen amongst ourselves,” Even whispered, glaring at the clipboard, “The supervisors are horrors, but among us? It’d be true misery. Inescapable…”

Even sighed, leaning back and placing the clipboard on his lap. “You seem confident that Xaldin hasn’t acted inappropriately with you before this. What about Dilan?”

Still didn’t answer why, when Xaldin met Lauriam first, he was just ‘dandelion’, and Marluxia was the entire concept of flowers. Or just…not even worth being called a particular flower. 

Marluxia’s fingers curled into a fist at that thought, though he gave Even a dry look. “Then good thing it’s not, huh?”

Inadvertently echoing Even’s sigh, Marluxia shook his head again. “Nothing. Like, to the point he was worried I needed Aaxqu and Raxter to have another talk with me to make sure I wasn’t getting weird ideas about sex. And, like,” Marluxia rolled his eyes, “non-con is super anti-Atuan, right? Dilan’d never stop praying for absolvance for even a hint of a thought. Hells, that’s probably what he’s doing right now, and nothing even happened.”

What was and wasn’t ‘anti-Atuan’ was painfully flexible, as Orlette was a clear example of… but Even knew Dilan well enough that, yes, the man deeply believed in the core tenets of Enthusiastic Consent. To the point where even the theater or play of anything else was blasphemous and against Atua’s teachings. Sex was either an obvious and observable spectacle of joy, or nothing. 

Even had sometimes wondered, over the years, if Dilan held that belief so close to the chest, because there were fears of himself that he was desperate to keep in check… but that wasn’t a fair observation. Not like this, when the consequences were so high.

“...do you feel safe around them?” Even asked. “Both of them?”

“And when I say safe, what I mean is…more than ‘would they treat you well’ if you desired them. That’s not entirely what this is about,” Even explained, “Lauriam hasn’t done anything wrong to kiss Xaldin. You wouldn’t be wrong to desire them. But either of them reciprocating, either kindly or cruelly, just isn’t something this group can allow or turn a blind eye to, right now. You’re too young. It’s not fair to you, because you’d be too easily shaped into whatever they wanted you to be, at this point. You need more time to be your own person, preferably with others who are also figuring out who they are…not just whoever Xaldin or Dilan would like best. Does that make sense?”

Marluxia had been going to say yes. All their family was, really, but Dilan and Xaldin were some of the people Marluxia felt the most safe with. And even just counting family, they were both near the top of the list. Larxene was the best, but she wasn’t exactly someone he’d go to with a problem he needed help with, if that help was more than a conversation or, theoretically, a body to hide. Marluxia loved his parents, and he could tell them anything…but sometimes?

There was stuff he wanted to say that he couldn’t say to his parents, but needed a little more grounding than Larxene. And Dilan and Xaldin had been that rock for him…basically since they’d met. 

He’d even been about to roll his eyes a little about reciprocation of any kind. 

But as Even called him ‘too young’?

Marluxia’s eye twitched. “I’m 19, what the fuck do you mean ‘I’d be molded’?! No one can fucking stop me from being me, let alone those two dorks.”

“Yes. I. Feel. Safe,” Marluxia bit out, seething, “And whatever the hell I do or don’t want, it’s none of your business, and you. Can’t. Stop. Me.”

“True, nor do I intend to,” Even agreed, “...most of that pressure is about to be on Dilan and Xaldin, really. But if you feel safe? Then good.”

Marluxia growled, voice growing tenser. “They didn’t do anything.”

“Apologies, Marluxia,” Vexen called from the table, giving Even a tired look, “Since I know you won’t say it.”

“We should still talk to the others,” Even frowned, “Just in case. Ienzo next, perhaps.”

Marluxia seethed for a few more moments, literally incapable of anything but growling, before he stood with a huff. “...I’ll go tell Pink Prime to knock it the fuck off, take the body for a while. ‘Cause, yanno, we all do need to eat.” With that, he stalked off, visibly fuming. 

-

Aqua let out a sigh of relief. “Hey… Look, it’s okay if you don’t want to talk, but--”

“Not Lauriam,” Marluxia growled, looking at the floor to avoid searing his mom with his glare. Even taking control of the body, Lauriam’s eyes were still reddened and irritated, the whole of him looking haggard, but just with Marluxia’s fury filling it out now. 

Letting out a harsh breath, he held his hand up to hold Aqua off more. “Nothing happened, Lauriam’s just being a moron right now, and if you get on the ooooh, he needs to be protected~ wagon right now too, I’m gonna scream. I’m just gonna make sure we’re not gonna starve.”

Aqua clenched her jaw for a moment before sighing quietly. “...alright. Let’s eat.” She still put an arm on his back as they turned back to the kitchen. 

There had been a lot of debate of what to do with the third new room, opened up in the time Isa was gone. At first they were going to turn it into more sleeping rooms, but it had been Demyx who had made a very earnest argument that their sleeping quarters were fine as they were, and a whole new room close to the kitchen might be arranged to be a nice enough place to eat, pallets set up and stacked as tables instead of eating directly on their own beds. 

(It wouldn’t remain a dining room forever. More bodies would necessitate more sleeping space. But for now? It was nice to have a room meant for more than sleeping, but actually living in.)

Demyx had won the debate, and the Empaths had done their best to make the room a comfortable place to sit around and eat, chatting among each other in the rare moments where they simply had to exist in the real world. 

There were some notable people missing now. Dilan was nowhere to be seen, and neither was Even. Luis looked miserably sober, as he always did when he had to step out of his own world to function in the real one, and was sipping water like maybe it would save him, as he winced at the state Marluxia was in. “Heard there was some trouble today?”

Thankfully Lea had gotten to the kitchen in time to save the soup, so there was still a warm, delicious meal for everyone as they, at their disgruntled leisure, got up and shuffled over to the kitchen, before heading to the new dining room. Worry among the missing members, and confusion for those a little more out of the loop. 

Glaring disgruntledly at the table, Marluxia scoffed as he plopped down with his bowl. “Lauriam being a loser, as per usual. And, as always, it’s up to me to clean up the mess.”

“Now, come on, our Lauriam’s a good lad, you know we don’t love hearing you call him that.” Luis sighed, rubbing his throbbing temple. His head hurt so much…

“I’m pretty okay with it,” Demyx chuckled, “What did he do this time?”

“Demyx, you get more upset than anyone when people start ragging on Lauriam–oh, hi Larxene,” Axel realized. Demyx just stuck his tongue out at him, smiling. “Why are you hanging out?”

“Even wanted to talk to Demyx privately,” Larxene shrugged, slurping some of the broth, “But I don’t have any of the deets, so don’t ask.”

Marluxia managed a small smirk at Larxene’s mirth before he tsked. “I’d bet you wouldn’t have to wait long before the Mad Professor wants to talk to you too, if he’s talking to Demyx.”

Marluxia glared more at the table. “But nothing happened.”

Aqua gave him a worried look before sighing softly. “Even’s just getting details, facts straight and all that.”

“Suuuuure, but… about what–Isa, man, you’re spilling all over yourself,” Axel noticed, Isa having been more or less fine eating the soup next to him until he too wanted to get at the broth… and seemed to have gone half/half with how to do it, picking up the bowl like a human, but giving into the impulse to try to lap at it rather then sip. Axel reached for one of their clean hand-rags and patted Isa’s front, cleaning the broth off his neck and chin. “What about? We’re not dealing with a new supervisor thing, are we, because fuck we’re still kinda recovering from the last damn one… no, Isa, man, you’re fine, just let me get your face.”

Marluxia let his spoon dangle a bit in his soup, lightly stirring it as he scowled at the ‘table’. There was a part of him that just wanted to sniff and explain exactly what happened, roll his eyes at Lauriam again. 

…there was another part of him that…didn’t want this to get out, even if nothing happened, because of how Lauriam would react, everyone knowing about him losing his mind or whatever…

But there were no secrets among them, not really. They shared a mind, and they were all too nosy and free-talkers equally. 

“...hmhmkmzm…” he mumbled indistinctly. 

Luis blinked. “...sorry, I didn’t catch that–”

“HE WHAT!?” Larxene sputtered, spitting out her soup dramatically. 

Marluxia growled a little before giving the whole table a venomous glare. “Lauriam kissed Xaldin, happy?!”

“Accidentally,” Terra amended, before mumbling, “Sort of.”

“Lauriam hasn’t said why, but it seems like a random impulse, which left him and Xaldin freaked out,” Aqua said more evenly, keeping a careful gaze on Marluxia. “Even’s just taking stock of everything.”

“...oh!” Luis said, looking a little surprised… before smiling a little sheepishly at Aqua and Terra, “Oh? Uh… random impulse? That’s… well…”

“Uh huh, sure. I’d call every time I want to get my bones jumped a ‘random impulse’ too,” Larxene snickered, “Good on Lauriam, finally going to get himself some. Took long enough!”

“Why is Even trying to… wait, why would he be talking to Demyx right now–” Axel started, before Isa nudged his arm a little.

The room went quiet, Isa clearly trying to say something. Swallow, swallow, swallow… before softly, barely audible, he whispered, “Grooming.”

“...” Axel gave Isa a bewildered look, before murmuring, “That’s the uh, I know that one, that’s where, like, you raise someone into sleeping with you… Oh, come on, that’s not Xaldin though! One of the first things I ever learned about him was how devoted he was to Zinxi, there’s no way he had something like that on his mind this whole time when he was with her.”

“Well, you do never really know what someone’s capable of,” Luis murmured slightly, eyes heavy, “...but, I do like to think you’re right about that. I’d rather think Lauriam’s just got a puppy-crush. Well, for as much of a ‘puppy’ he even is anymore. Feels like he got older in a blink of an eye.”

Marluxia scoffed. “Larx, it’s no longer random when it’s every other day, darling. And, you know, I was going to say no way, because any charisma Lauriam has all went to me, but he did immediately go disaster mode, so that does track for him.”

Aqua rolled her eyes and tousled Marluxia’s hair a bit. “Uh huh, love. C’mon, you know Laurie’s a sweetheart, he’s already having enough of a rough time without you taking pot shots at him too.”

There was a moment of tension, at Isa’s conclusion, Terra’s shoulders square and stiff before he gave Luis a small grin. “You’re tellin’ me. But…yeah. Xal’s our friend, and nothing stuck out before, even if we weren’t lookin’ for it. I do believe this was just a freak accident, and Xal was just caught in it.”

…Even was just being thorough. Just in case.

Larxene was about to argue how kissing someone was an ‘accident’-- “What, did Xaldin suddenly look like the pillow Lauriam practices on?”--when everything stopped. 

It wasn’t unusual or sinister that everything stopped. This was just a memory, after all.

And something had been bugging Amaina for ages now, as she gently floated down, observing Terra. She hadn’t thought much of it before, because for as much as Amaina enjoyed ‘leering’, she honestly didn’t pay too much attention to what people looked like out in the physical world. It wasn’t how she recognized people, and she’d be hard-pressed to describe anyone’s basic features, even those closest to her, like Doppio and Arven. 

But she had been staring at this group for a while now and, man… 

…didn’t this guy look a bit like Aqua’s tall-chibi?

OoO what’s with you, dude? What, did pretty water lady steal your whole look???

And she was genuinely asking. Asking the memory.

The memory of Terra blinked, before smiling sadly. The context of the rest of Lauriam’s memories filling in, for this moment of an Empath elevating one. 

“Pretty much, but could you blame her?” Terra laughed, giving Amaina a wink before he flexed an arm. “Who could resist with a look this good?”

Then, he sobered, giving the chibi a soft look. “...you’ll get there in a bit, since you’re watching through everything. I can’t say I’m really thrilled for someone to read my son like a novel, but--” He shrugged a little. A memory unable to do anything about it. “I died, and…”

Terra sighed. “Well, I am only Lauriam’s memory. So I’ll say that Aqua made a Nobody to remember me by, but you’ll see how it goes. …be good to my Aqua and my boys, will ya? Terra might be gone, but I’ll still love them forever.”

Amaina gently floated as she listened, idly spinning in place, until she was staring at Terra upside down. Amaina was, if you had to put a cosmic perspective on her, a neutral entity in the world. She tended to do more good than harm, largely because the people she spent time with did. She mostly only cared that her friends were happy. And by happy, she really meant ‘were having fun’. 

That was why she was here. She was having fun. Taking in the whole of a long, sad story inside of herself. If you explained it to her for days and days, she would not understand the harm of such an act. The best you could hope for was that she would realize the other person found it harmful, and would adjust to appease. The world was full of interesting stories. In her mind, that was what the world was for.

But she wasn’t blind to the suffering of the characters. If she didn’t care about that, she probably wouldn’t care about the stories at all. And it made her sad, to watch a man doomed by a story long already written. Even if it was just a memory.

OoO course you do. You’re Terra. 

O.O and as someone who has watched your story from the eyes of a dozen different people who loved you?

She gently turned right-side up, peering at the memory.

OoO What I know about Terra, is he was a man who loved, and was loved

O.O

OOO LIKE A WHOLE LOT WHOLLY SHIT

OoO that’s how you’re remembered. Just so you know.

Terra let out a bright laugh from the bottom of his chest, reaching out to gently noogie the Chibi. “Believe me kiddo, I know! There ain’t a way my son can manifest a memory of me without love, and ain’t that a fantastic way to exist.”

He calmed, though his smile was still bright. “I manifest with a lot of grief, too, but that’s the same thing isn’t it? Izzy probably knows the full quote, about how grief is just love with time.”

And…well, Lauriam was a person who grieved a lot.

OoO yeaaaaaaaaah I get that

O.O I’m supposed to be grief too

O.O ….

OOO IT’S DULL 

OvO don’t worry, I’m gonna add some fun to your boring, grieving kid’s life

OoO I’ll even integrate the island

OOO SO YOU CAN PLAY TOO

OoO I dunno I think that’s how it works the island gets to play

O.O with its many, many, many eyes

Terra chuckled at that. “Hey, all I could ask for. Though I will say,” he grinned more sheepishly, “Maybe don’t add me directly, ‘kay? Being surprised by your dead old man is more of a heartbreak than fun excitement. But as the island?”

Terra closed his eyes for a moment. “...it’s hard to feel consciously. But {everyone’s} here, and they always have been since the moment they joined. It’ll be a treat to get everyone in on the fun again.”

({Everyone} of course meant everyone. All the Empaths currently alive and connected, but Viz, Terra, Inzi…Laurence, Ephemer, Skuld… Everyone. Not conscious, not the full people they were, but their memories were intrinsically tied to the very fabric of the island. Never far from their family at all.)

OoO;; oh no even I’m not that crazy

O.O don’t worry I mean like the island gets to be a big cool setting or something

OOO THAT LIKES SHIFTS AROUND OR SOMETHING

O.O I haven’t thought it all through but I’ll get there

O.O ….

OoO Any recommendations on what I should jump to next?

“I’ll be looking forward to it, kiddo,” Terra laughed, before thinking about it. Amaina was looking more for impact, not concerned with purely happy or fun memories. Even the painful ones were interesting to her. So with that in mind…?

“Hm, well, Larxy has a bit of a brain blast soon, after a punishment, and Mars confronts Dilan soon and hoo boy that’s a whole thing,” he mused, crossing his arms and tapping his chin. “I am a bit biased, Lauriam prefers memories like sweet moments with the kids, or when he, Mars, Xal, and Di settle into more comfortable flirting, but those are a bit off if you’re moving chronologically.”

Amaina considered her options. Larxene’s shows were funny, just in how over the top they were, Amaina enjoyed them… buuuut she was pretty invested in this whole ‘will they, won’t they’ thing the pretty emo boy and hunk #3 had going on. 

She decided to jump to–

-

It was lame. ‘Loser behavior’, as Marluxia put it. But Lauriam couldn’t help but hide in his world. Just…too humiliated to face literally anyone. He had absolutely no more clarity on why he… Why he decided to…

Why he ruined the closest friendship he had with a moment of madness. 

But as he heard from Marluxia what Even was doing, what he was researching now?

Lauriam knocked impatiently on the lab’s door, shaking a little and clearly barely holding things together. 

Usually the door just ‘opened’ when someone knocked on a world door. But this time, Vexen opened the door, his expression tired and a tad sympathetic as he said, “Ah, Lauriam. Good day. Now may not be… the best time.”

“Figures,” Lauriam muttered, before drawing himself up with a breath and giving Vexen a firm, serious look. “Xaldin did not do anything to me, growing up, or today, it was entirely my fault.”

“At the moment, I’m inclined to agree with you,” Vexen said, glancing over his shoulder at the inside of his world, “...in truth, Dilan and Xaldin are inside. Dilan’s in a bit of a state, as you can imagine. He’s always been a bit overly sensitive, I’ve thought… I believe Xaldin has started to think this whole incident is a bit… well.”

Vexen paused, before saying to Lauriam, “If you hang around this area? Eventually one of them will have to come out, by the nature of things. If that sort of information is of use to you, Lauriam.”

Lauriam’s heart dropped, his eyes subconsciously flitting over Vexen’s shoulder. …in a bit of a state…

(What’s wrong with you you fucking…)

Pale to the point of looking close to faint, Lauriam nodded a little, looking terrified. “...u-uh, thanks. I should…go then. Just…make sure that, I mean… I mean, if you agree, then…” Lauriam fumbled over his words, before giving another nod and starting to head off.

Vexen frowned, before saying sternly, “Lauriam. That was not a hint to leave. You really do owe them a conversation, at least. Regardless of how Even might feel about it, I currently believe you about all of this. Which does mean you do owe an explanation.”

Lauriam froze. 

Yeah, he…he did owe an explanation, but how could he give one when he didn’t even have an explanation for himself?! And…how could he give one if Dilan was in a state and Xaldin was pissed off and they probably hated him and thought he was a creep and were now having to fend off frankly hurtful and awful accusations from the people they were closest to and if Lauriam managed to ruin their relationships with everyone else too--

Lauriam cut off a yelp, putting a hand over his mouth as he flinched to the side, a massive, yard-long clump of noxious moss falling from the cave roof and splatting heavily on the ground right where he’d been. Looking up, wet lichen and algae had bloomed across the roof of the cave, slimy and dripping and looking hazardous even to breathe in. 

Vexen raised an eyebrow at the algae. 

“...I do understand you’re having a trying time right now, Lauriam, but please do clean that up, or the entire cave is going to stink not before long,” Vexen said dryly, moving to close the door, before hesitating a moment…and looking back out at him, saying softly, “And really, don’t fret so much. You look like you shot someone’s dog. You’re experiencing a crush, my boy. Humiliating, I know. But you’ll live.”

And with that, Vexen closed the door. 

“Sorry…” Lauriam muttered under his hand, before he just looked miserably at the ground. 

A crush? Crushes were…fleeting flights of fancy, someone occupying your mind, a desire for intimacy. 

It wasn’t terrorizing your grieving friend and ruining his life because you’re just…a loser.

Lauriam’s eyes dropped more before he took a small breath. Okay, okay, he can get rid of the plants…

Creating some vines to climb to get closer to the roof, Lauriam put a hand out and concentrated.

-

By the time Even’s door opened again? The floor of the cave would almost look carpeted by the swathes of dropped moss and lichen, the sounds of dripping water echoing through the cave. 

“The hell…” Xaldin muttered, lightly kicking the flora around, putting his hands on his hips as he muttered, “My day’s just getting weirder and weirder… Dandelion, I know this is you. I don’t think the mad scientists are gonna appreciate what you’re doing to their cave.”

“Sorry!” Lauriam called, voice a little strained as he clutched onto a sort of natural shelf in the ceiling, otherwise dangling from the roof, the vines rotting in a heap on the ground. To his credit, there was less algae sticking to the stalactites. “I’ve got it covered!”

“Yeah, man, I can see that! It’s covering the whole floor!” Xaldin called up to him, and despite everything, a small, amused grin lightly tracing his features, “Honestly, Dandelion, by this rate? You might as well go begging Lea to just burn this all away. It’s stone walls, it could probably take it.”

“...”

“...”

“...but it’s wet,” Lauriam responded after a while. “I don’t know why it’s wet. I wasn’t trying for that, I-I wasn’t even trying to make anything! But I’m not really sure if these are toxic or not.”

“Oh damn, I didn’t think of that. You and I can go contemplate it in the sulfuric fumes of the magma caverns Lea’s got going on,” Xaldin said a little dryly, shaking his head a little. “Whatever. Do you need a hand? Don’t know if I’m offering one yet, depends on what you’d put me to work doing.”

Xaldin didn’t sound mad. He sounded a little tired maybe, but that could be expected, but…he didn’t sound like he hated him. Maybe he was trying to break it to him slowly? Xaldin was nice like that, so…maybe. 

Lauriam sighed a little, tensing his arms a bit as he adjusted his hold on the shelf. 

“...could you make or get a ladder or something? Everything stable I try to make dies.”

Xaldin tilted his head a bit, before putting two fingers up and spinning them a little. A dozen spears appeared around him, circling him gently, before he pointed towards Lauriam.

Lining themselves up next to Lauriam, each spear positioned itself in just a way as to work, effectively, like a ladder. 

Carefully, Lauriam tested his weight on a spear, just instinctually, before he started climbing down, giving a little sigh of relief and shaking out his arms a bit as he got back to the moss-covered ground. 

“Thanks,” he sighed, “I figured after a while I might just accidentally make enough moss that it’d end up as a cushion, but I wasn’t sure how long it’d take.”

Notably, Lauriam didn’t look at Xaldin’s face. “I, uh…still have to clean this, so…”

“Mhm, mhm. So.” Xaldin sighed, crossing his arms and saying, gravely, “...madly in love with me, huh? I get it. Who can blame you? I’m a hunk.”

“I’m not,” Lauriam snapped, before wincing and cringing into himself. Wilting a bit as he crossed his arms over his chest defensively and slouched. “I-I’m so sorry, Xaldin. 

“Man, you better be. You wanna go and smooch me all willy-nilly, THEN you run off like some blushing damsel? Like I went and ripped your bodice off your damn chest and now no one’s allowed to marry you… Yeah, I’ve had some weird books I’ve read playing in my mind all day. All feels weirdly relevant.” Xaldin huffed. “Alright, so you’re not madly in love with me? Weird, but I’ll accept it. The hell was all that about then, Dandelion?”

Lauriam cringed more. Yeah, he…probably hadn’t helped things by running away. But he just panicked! Dilan had fronted and looked horrified, and Lauriam was already horrified enough and he just…

He squinted at the ground, voice soft and fragile. “I don’t know, I wasn’t thinking. I know you deserve a better answer than that, but I just…don’t have one. I didn’t realize what I was doing until it was already done. And I know how shitty that is for you, and…and I’ve heard that Even’s…”

Lauriam looked a little nauseous, before he shook his head. “I’m sorry. I wish I wasn’t such a fuck-up too.”

Xaldin seemed to consider Lauriam for a long time. It wasn’t long, just a moment, but it felt long. For Lauriam and for Xaldin, who was really just doing his best right now…

“Eh, don’t worry about it,” Xaldin shrugged, reaching over to pat Lauriam on the shoulder, “Forget it ever happened. And don’t worry about Even. The guy’s an intrusive control freak, but that’s not exactly ‘news’ to me. We’ll figure it out. Not worth mentioning ever again.”

Lauriam glanced over at Xaldin, surprised by the pat, though his gaze still didn’t make it anywhere near Xaldin’s face. “...I did already talk to Vexen, but…seriously, if there’s anything I can clear up more… I hate that I’ve done this to you guys, as if everything else wasn’t just…”

He sighed a little. “Have you guys gotten to eat yet? Marluxia said the soup came out well.”

“Nah, not yet. Funnily enough, Dilan and Even and Aeleus, by this point, are probably going to end up eating together later.” Xaldin shrugged. “And honestly, what’s there to clear up? Okay, I know, a lot. But this would all be a lot more stressful if I had actually done anything. Which I…”

There was a hesitation, Xaldin looking away uncomfortably as he shoved his hands into his pockets. “...don’t think I did? And, hell maybe I did, but fuck, it sure as hell wasn’t on purpose. We can fix that. I can fix that. Really, it’s all gonna be more convincing Dilan that I’m not about to peel your banana or something the second he takes his eyes off me… which I’m not, so whatever horny impulse sent you rocketing to my face? Better keep it in check, Dandelion, you aren’t getting a second easy swing on me like that.” Xaldin smirked. 

Lauriam went still, before he glared fiercely at the far wall, voice far and beyond the strongest it had been. “You didn’t. If they’re trying to gaslight you into anything, maybe I will go in to have a chat.” He was not about to let Xaldin go down for Lauriam’s own insanity. All the mistakes and tension, that was purely because of him, and while he’d already fumbled the bag quite a bit, he wasn’t going to allow Xaldin to take a fall that wasn’t his.

(The living shouldn’t be made to pay the prices of the dead.)

Making a face at the frankly bizarre euphemism Xaldin made, Lauriam sighed and rubbed the space between his eyes, shifting his weight onto a hip. “Yeah, yeah, it won’t, I’m sorry. Just…seriously. I shouldn’t have done that to you.”

Xaldin raised an eyebrow at that, but just chuckled, “Well, I won’t stop you. Won’t encourage you either. My plan is to keep my head low for a bit. This’ll all blow over. Your folks are absolutely gonna bust my eye open at some point though. I’ve never seen your dad just so generally pissed off before. His baby boy, all grown up and throwing himself at people now. Happens to every parent I guess.”

“Lauriam, you don’t even know why you did it in the first place, you can’t promise me you won’t do it again,” Xaldin scoffed, rolling his eyes, “But watch, I’m gonna dodge you next time. Ya know what, I might slap you too. Not every day I get to slap some too forward suitor in a fit of scandalous outrage… seriously, I read, like, one book like this, it will not get out of my head.”

“Tell you what, you figure out why the hell all of this happened? I’ll consider my innocence safe.” Xaldin grinned, heading towards the mouth of the tunnel. “Till then? Seriously, next time just go bother Larxene. She’s down for anything.”

Lauriam cringed. Right…his parents. He’d heard Aqua trying to talk to him through the closet door, but… He should probably apologize for that too. Nnng… Maybe…later. Tomorrow. Next time he woke up. 

It had happened at all, so Lauriam felt like he could avoid just being a total and complete jerk to Xaldin again, but…

“Feel like it does deserve a slap,” Lauriam smiled wanely, “But I’ll do my best to avoid deserving one again. And you are one of the dodge masters. Between both our efforts, I think it has a chance to work out.”

Sighing a little, Lauriam rubbed the back of his neck. At this point the answer was feeling like he finally just lost his entire mind, but…for his friends’ sake, he’d try to find a better one. And if that answer had any impetus?

“I’m not sure if Marluxia would strangle me or laugh,” Lauriam muttered, before he shook his head and gave Xaldin a small wave, refocusing on the damp foliage everywhere. Okay…just gotta get rid of all of this.

-

Lauriam was being slightly less of a coward, which was good, Marluxia guessed, but it was still those sorts of feelings that drove him towards the archeology site. Or. Well. Those were a part of it, anyway. 

It had been a few days of interrogations and awkwardness, but in that time to let things settle, one aspect of the whole situation had started to dawn more and more on Marluxia--Lauriam kissing Xaldin had been his first kiss. Which meant that, now, Lauriam had his first kiss, while Marluxia did not.

And that was unacceptable to let stand. So there was only one solution, really. 

Stretching under the burnt red sky, Marluxia started scoping out Dilan’s usual reading spots. 

Dilan was having such a shitty week.

It hadn’t been a week yet, but the last few days had been bad enough that as far as he was concerned, the whole week was shot. Also, they couldn’t actually count days very accurately. To the point where it was very, very likely that it was less ‘difficult to keep track of how often the group had slept’ and more ‘someone was deliberately fucking up their entire sense of time to keep easier control of them’.

No free guesses as to ‘who’ such a person could be. 

Oddly enough, Tengan had been on and off Dilan’s mind ever since everything had started. Well, maybe it wasn’t that odd, actually: the man was a creep and a pervert. One who got too handsy and enjoyed others’ discomfort in how handsy he was far too much. One who, if Luis could be believed–and as far as Dilan was aware, he was the only person Luis had confessed this to, and Dilan was more inclined to believe closely kept secrets even if it wasn’t someone he trusted as much as Luis–talked and compared notes about grooming techniques purely for the fun of getting to brag about it. Like a keen athlete reveling in discussing training habits or niche, detailed statistics to, again, if Luis could be believed–and Dilan believed him–trusted youths in his life. 

Tengan kept coming to mind in the last few days, and Dilan wanted to scream.

He hadn’t. And wouldn’t. Dilan was capable of and proud of certain levels of self-dignity and restraint. He didn’t come from a noble or rich family, but he came from a family who, while all peasants, were considered the ‘better’ sort of peasant-class. His father a scholar and leader, his mother strong and resourceful and highly charming, once one managed to pull the stone and chisels out of her hand and get her away from simply talking to old bones like they were long-held friends. 

Dilan had been raised by respectable people who were respected by all who knew them, regardless of their place on the hierarchy. And Dilan had always considered himself a token to their long list of accomplishments. A studious, strong, faithful son who never forgot their lessons nor teachings. 

Dilan had not ended up in the Indentured Program and then been caught. He had been stolen away by the man who had mentored Hayner, one who had been paranoid and careful enough that when he retired he had had his name erased from all the Empaths’ minds. When it had happened, Dilan remembered the way Inzi had whispered to him, like an act of rebellion, “If he wants to hide from us, does that mean they believe we can escape?”

Inzi rarely said things like that. Dilan remembered how joyful her small hope had made him feel. They had celebrated in Luis’ world. Nothing improved, but at least one of the supervisors gone. 

The group hadn’t celebrated a supervisor leaving in a long time. The arrival of the children had made celebrating the small victories… harder. Ienzo and Lauriam’s assaults… assaults…

…god dammit. 

Dilan was at his usual reading spot, beneath a tree by a small oasis at the edge of his world. But his reading at the moment was far from a relaxing luxury, as Dilan scoured The Good Book for teachings that might, well…he didn’t really know what he was looking for from the book, honestly. Reassurance? But the passages he was reading weren’t reassuring, as he read warily of the accomplishments of Saint Vivian, a somewhat controversial saint who was granted sainthood for her deeds of dismantling a subsection of the church where priestesses were being raised with the belief that they were at will, when desired, disposable to the whims of the worshipers, up to and including the young acolytes… 

It was considered ‘controversial’ because the temple subsections acolytes and priestesses were described of being what was not that long ago the legal age for people to start participating in sexual worship and were contract adults now, and should the temples truly glamorize the story of a woman who punished the temples for acts that were legal within the last generation? 

It was also controversial because when certain nobles and elites who were taking advantage of the faith of the worshipers to abuse them had fought against Saint Vivian, her rebuttal had been less ‘earnest preachings’ and more ‘violent castrations’. 

…maybe Dilan could solve this whole issue with just one little snip– a shadow came over him as he stared at the center of a paragraph describing in near loving detail Saint Vivian closing a castration wound with one of the burning irons of the temple, Dilan looking up… “Oh!” Dilan said, recognizing him through the silhouette of the sun coming down after a moment, “Marluxia.”

Marluxia snickered in delight as Dilan startled, giving Dilan an amused look. “Don’t act too surprised now, you’ll hurt my feelings. Something trap up your attention there?” He tilted his head a little, catching enough of the cover of the book in Dilan’s hands to figure, oh yeah, definitely. 

Loooooook, look, while he wasn’t signing up with the Dork Brigade to pledge his undying devotion to books, Marluxia did enjoy reading now and again and he got the appeal of a good read, but he really didn’t get how someone could be so invested in something they read hundreds of times. Yeaaaaaaah, he knew reading the Good Book was different and that it was a bunch of faith ‘n stuff all mixed in, but in the entirety of his existence he didn’t know anyone who ever came close to reading it as much as Dilan did. 

Either way, he did just seem to be reading, not in the middle of prayer, so Marluxia just put his hands on his hips, content to block out the sun with his body, knowing just how cool he looked with the hazy, sunset colors streaming out from behind him. “You super invested right now, or you got a sec?”

Again, Dilan wanted to scream.

He wouldn’t. Again, he fancied himself a bit more distinguished than that, regardless of whatever… inner-wildness Xaldin seemed absolutely determined to embody, even years and years later and all the time and room in the world to reveal Dilan’s inner-workings to be more put together than Xaldin, literally ever!! Was!!

Dilan was a put together man. Even in the terrible circumstances of the factory, he considered himself quite put together. An admirable example for the others. The younger folk. The kids–god dammit Xaldin, Lauriam was one of the kids–and younger Empaths trying to figure all of this out. A friend to them, yes, but also a mentor-like figure, though he had never felt inclined to use the term ‘Uncle’ that Luis liked to adopt and play with at times.

And here was Marluxia. Lauriam’s own inner-wildness. The other side of the coin that Xaldin had…dammit Xaldin Dilan was going to fucking castrate you– “Of course.” Dilan tried to smile and found he wasn’t entirely sure if he was making the right shape with his lips. Was that a smile or a grimace? He genuinely couldn’t tell as he said, “I’ve only been, well… well, you know, I‘ve been…” Dilan helplessly waved the book around. He was reading The Good Book. Marluxia knew that meant Dilan had been thinking of his faith. “Been doing this for a bit. What can I do for you, Marluxia?”

“Buddy time with life, the universe, and everything.” Marluxia nodded knowingly, before taking a haughty breath as he started to explain. “Okay, situation is: I’m sure you’re sick of talking about Lauriam’s aneurysm, I’m sick of it, everyone’s sick of it. But.”

Marluxia lightly clapped his hands together, pressing his fingers against each other before he tilted them towards Dilan. “It does mean that by purely the physical metric, Lauriam’s kissed someone--his first kiss. Which is total bullshit, right? If anyone had ‘forever alone, incel’ written into them, it’s him. And even worse, it means that he’s had his first kiss before me, and, like, at all right now.”

“Obviously, that can’t stand,” Marluxia said dismissively, literally waving the notion off. “So since it’s a purely physical thing, technically that’s already done for us, so if I kissed you, it’d be a sum-zero for anything meaningful, but I’d’ve kissed someone and not have left the universe to fold in on itself being behind Lauriam on something. Sound good, you follow?”

Dilan had given Marluxia a mildly disapproving frown at his assessment of Lauriam–Dilan often worried about Marluxia’s desire to insult not just Lauriam but, by extension, himself. Neither of them deserved the cruel words…even if, occasionally, they were very funny–before his frown turned into, yes, that had to be a grimace. He wished he had a mirror in front of him, so he could see what the feeling on his face looked like in reality. He doubted it was attractive. 

…attractive?

Why the fuck are you wondering if you look ‘attractive’ right now, Dilan?

“I’m sorry, what?” Dilan said, his voice a little uncharacteristically tight. Then, feeling a little off sitting while Marluxia loomed over him, Dilan sat down his book and stood up, saying uneasily, “I’m sorry, I misheard you. What?”

“What, did I stutter?” Marluxia raised an eyebrow, before he laughed quietly. “Yeah, I know, genius is hard to parse sometimes.”

Slowing down his speech, Marluxia pointed between them. It did come off a little patronizing, but mostly because of how Marluxia tended to speak, not out of any desire to belittle Dilan. They jabbed and insulted each other a lot, but it had never been out of any sense of hatred or…really anything truly negative. Marluxia did get genuinely annoyed sometimes, but even that was just all part of the fun. The type of relationship he had with Dilan something Marluxia truly enjoyed. 

It wasn’t something the Nobody worried a lot about towards anyone, but Dilan had always felt like someone he never had to be careful with. Marluxia could be himself to the full extent of what that meant, and things would always be okay between them. 

“Look, I need to get even with Pink Prime, because it’s a travesty for him to be ahead of me in anything, and since our other halves have already kissed, then it’d literally mean nothing if we did. So he’ll never get a chance to lord it over me, and there won’t be another big useless to-do about anything.”

“…”

Dilan wanted to scream. He wouldn’t. Of course he wouldn’t. He wouldn’t he wouldn’t he wouldn’t–

“IT WOULD MEAN NOTHING!?” Dilan screamed at Marluxia, his hand moving without him being aware of it as he grasped Marluxia’s collar with his fist, shaking him slightly as he raged, “MY IMMORTAL SOUL IS HANGING OVER MILLENNIA OF PURE ENTROPY AND YOU’RE TREATING THIS LIKE A GAME?! NOTHING!? YOU WANT ME TO DEMEAN MYSELF OVER NOTHING?!”

Marluxia’s eyes widened from shock. 

He was a Nobody, of course. However Lauriam felt about it, first and foremost Marluxia was a torturer, that the entire purpose of his energy formed and molded and given agency, at least a bit. Marluxia was a torturer of people who didn’t deserve it, and were often, whether they came to the factory willingly or not, upset to be there, and in true Luminary fashion, fought it. 

This was not the first time he had been yelled at, not even close. He had heard screams and yells of pure rage and desperation practically his whole existence. Scathing indictments of his soul, morality, utter essence of being. Most of them were pretty funny, honestly. It could be cute, seeing someone who had lost so utterly and completely that all they could do was throw words at you. 

It wasn’t the first time he’d been physically threatened, and not the first time by someone bigger than him. There were the supervisors, of course, and while Marluxia wasn’t a small guy by any means, there still were people bigger than him, especially while he’d still been growing. His world wasn’t made for battles, so any attempts were pathetically short-lived, but they did still happen, time to time. 

It was…a bit more difficult, with people he couldn’t just psychically overpower. 

…

This was the first time that Dilan, his friend Di, had grasped his collar and yelled, looking genuinely angry at Marluxia, and while Marluxia wasn’t easily cowed, his eyes still widened. And he took a small step back, even with Dilan holding him. 

“It’s not demeaning!” Marluxia quickly said once he got his words back, quickly trying to figure out just what the fuck was happening. “It’s nothing, so it’s not something that would be added to your trials, man, just - you could just say no!”

“Apparently I CAN’T, because the person my soul is linked to went and made those choices FOR ME!” Dilan shouted, before he shuddered. The reality of that belief hitting him like a truck as he realized, “If Xaldin did any of it? Even just a third of what could have been done… and so much more. So much more. He’s my soul, there is no… separation, he is me…”

Dilan let out another shuddering breath, mortal terror running through his body like cruel, biting rivers of ice. 

He should have let go of Marluxia in that moment, distressed for things that had nothing to do with the man. But Dilan found his vision focusing, briefly, on the fear on Marluxia’s face. Felt his fist tighten, like he could take out some of that fear and despair on the body in front of him. Get to indulge in the luxury of being cruel. If Dilan would pay for Xaldin’s actions, why did Xaldin get to be the only one who could actually, truly scream…

…but the desire left Dilan as quickly as it arrived. None of this was Marluxia’s fault, and this was cruel, to even think of taking it out on him. But god, to say he could just say no…

“Am I a toy to you?” Dilan scowled, pushing Marluxia away from him, subconsciously wiping his palm off on his shirt. Like he could wipe away that cruel desire that had made him grab Marluxia in the first place. “I knew you never took anything seriously, Mars, but this? I’m being interrogated for hours, everyone connected to the island is being interrogated about me, about what I’m capable of, and for… for what? You decided to come ask me to… do I seem like someone who’d want that, right now? Did I…” 

Dilan’s expression broke a little. “...is that who we are, to you and Lauriam? Men who’d want to kiss you, sleep with you, while everyone’s asking if we’ve been planning to rape you? Is that who I am?”

Marluxia’s jaw tightened. “Well, then goody for you that he did none of it. Xaldin didn’t take a choice away from you--Lauriam did. Xaldin was just there, so don’t doom yourself for something you, in any abstract or technical sense of the word, didn’t even do.”

Even as he shot back a little, tension still shot through Marluxia’s frame as Xaldin tightened his grip on his collar. It wasn’t even a real collar, Marluxia didn’t wear those kinds of shirts these days. He could just slip out of his tanktop from the bottom and get away, but…

As soon as he even considered it? Dilan backed off. And watching him wipe his hand off, like he couldn’t even stand touching something of Marluxia’s…

Even more than the screams from before, Dilan’s question felt like he’d been slapped. 

Marluxia’s lips fell open uselessly for a moment, unable to shape around any words, before they emphatically landed on, “No! N-no, you’re not - Dilan, you’re my friend, that’s why -”

Again, he turned up the flame of his inner fire, balling his hands at his sides. “You know you weren’t planning anything like that! Apparently there isn’t drama enough for the others, so they have to create this whole batshit, imaginary narrative because apparently it’s too much of an ask to confront what we’ve all known for years about - a-about Loseriam. We both know nothing about that is true; that you and Xaldin didn’t groom us, that, judging by your reactions, anything even edging into the intimate realm including us is disgusting, and that Xaldin didn’t kiss Lauriam. That’s why it’s nothing!”

“Fuck, you must really be that bored too,” Marluxia grumbled, grinding his teeth as he turned to go.

Dilan was going to just let him walk away. Grabbing him was already sitting like poison in Dilan’s bottom stomach, the regret of it making him a little woozy. Dilan did not consider himself a violent man. A good spar-er, of course, but that was to follow his faith, should the trials require something like that in their tests of him. But the actual desire for violence? 

…no, of course not. No.

Dilan felt sick. But he wasn’t so lost in his own despair that he couldn’t see how hurt Marluxia was. Dilan had treated him badly. This hadn’t gone well, he… “Marluxia, I’m sorry,” Dilan called softly to him, “I’m not in a good space to be talked to right now, playfully or otherwise. This was all… I’m sorry.”

Marluxia flicked a hand out to his side, a physical ‘yeah, whatever’, as he kept going, heading out of Dilan’s world. He didn’t get it, or, fucking, maybe he did, he knew Dilan had a massive guilt complex, or whatever, he’d known it from day one. But even still, with someone so screwed up over themself - Dilan knew that he hadn’t been grooming Lauriam! And that the kiss had come out of nowhere for Xaldin! So why was he still so…ugh. 

…why was he walking out of Dilan’s world? Teleporting was a thing, idiot.

(He and Xaldin were not toys to him! Yeah, maybe things were tense, but the timing is what mattered! If Marluxia waited ages before bringing his plan up to Dilan, then that’d be a totally different instance of a kiss, rather than just…an echo of what already happened.)

(...what did it even matter, anyway. He deserved better, to actually kiss someone who didn’t look horrified at being touched by him. Not like there would ever be a chance of that, in this stupid fucking place…)

(Marluxia’s stomach twisted with dread and hurt. ‘Is that who we are to you’... Of course not. Of course not. Dilan wasn’t just…)

Xaldin was looking for Marluxia. 

It was hard for Xaldin to do something and not directly compare it to Dilan. They were, in undeniable ways, one of the few truly comparable beings in the world. And in that sense, Xaldin wasn’t… more mature, than Dilan. Not really. There was almost an innocence to the man who had only ever lived his life in the factory, learning what it meant to be a person through the small, narrow view of talking to a handful of people and seeing through distant glimpses an entire world that the people he tortured came from and would soon return to. Trying to understand concepts and ideas that for the most part he could never learn of or experience first hand. 

For instance, the woods. The trees. Hell, the sky. Xaldin only knew these things as they had been presented to him. Explained. He only knew dreams and illusions of them, had no idea how true those representations were. He had never seen them.

He had no idea how he was supposed to act in all of this either. He felt annoyingly inexperienced and out of his depth. But in his innocence, he figured, well, he should probably go talk to Marluxia too, since Marluxia was going to be dragged into all of this whether he was a part of it or not. And Marluxia was probably in that big-ass hole in that tree that Xaldin secretly suspected couldn’t actually form in real trees, because what?? Trees just??? Grow into little hidey hole shapes? No way, bullshit. Dream stuff. 

Xaldin sniffed in amused disbelief as he peeked around the tree, again seeing that fake-ass little hidey hole, and his fellow Nobody all curled up in it, as he said, “Heard from the grapevine you stormed out of my world. Dilan pull some shit, flower?”

Marluxia had only seen a few trees like this, and none this perfectly hollowed. Even out east, they still didn’t get forests, and nothing even close to the kinds of trees that littered Isa’s world. But he had seen things more substantial than desert brushes or little fragile decorative things that bougie fucks imported into the least hospitiable climates for ‘em, so into Lauriam’s world they grew. 

It just so happened that this one was hollowed enough for…a space to breathe. To just get away for a little bit and maybe just pretend for a second that his very being wasn’t constantly connected to a shitton of other people. 

Or it was supposed to be that. 

“Hh!” 

Marluxia gave a quiet, sharp gasp, looking up out of the opening and seeing a familiar smug face. Though, soon enough, he just rolled his eyes. “You know, I did think putting up a ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign would clash a bit with everything else, but maybe there are some functions that just outweigh form. What the hell kinda grapevine are you talking about, sounds more like bamboo to me.”

“You can blame Luis. Man’s a gossip, you know that. He mentioned it to me and will probably mention it to anyone who comes by where he’s sunning, so a sign might be the only thing saving you from another two or three worried faces popping by soon,” Xaldin chuckled, before lightly kicking the base of the tree, “Seriously, though, I need to go kick Dilan’s ass?”

“Uuuuuuuugh,” Marluxia groaned, dropping his head against the outer wood, making a face when it vibrated from Xaldin’s kick. “No. You know he’s already doing enough of that by himself. It’s fine, just a shitty conversation.”

Marluxia’s eyes dropped as he hugged his knees more purposefully. This hollow had been perfect, when he was little, he could shimmy in and out no problem and there was plenty of space. He could still fit, but admittedly it was a tighter squeeze these days. 

He…could just manipulate the tree, make a bigger one. Everything was a toy to him, after all, what did it ever matter to change anything…

Marluxia swallowed. 

“You might notice by the fact there isn’t another chair in here, and I didn’t lay out a tea set, this isn’t exactly a place for company,” he grumbled.

“I won’t linger,” Xaldin agreed, squatting down and resting his elbows on his knees, “Look, before I go…I don’t entirely understand what’s going on. Lauriam kissed me, yeah, but he doesn’t know why he kissed me, and so as much as I just want Even and his little inquisition to fuck off and declare my innocence, I dunno… I didn’t do it on purpose, but if Lauriam doesn’t know why he kissed me, maybe I did manipulate him or something. By accident.”

“And if I did that to him, I might have done that to you,” Xaldin said, “And I just wanna say sorry if I did. Shit’s hard enough around here without one of us… me, trying to nudge you or Lauriam into any kinky shit. Makes it sound like I was hunting you or something, and I didn’t mean to, and you didn’t deserve that shit. Sorry.”

“You can’t manipulate someone by accident, that’s not manipulation!” Marluxia growled, before letting out a much more frustrated sound. “Why is everyone so fucking quick to give you credit, huh?! Like you could even try to manipulate us. What, is everyone so terrified to uphold the shit-ass precious ‘balance’ of the island to begin to admit that Lauriam’s just a psycho!?! You and Dilan didn’t do shit!”

“Hey, your Somebody isn’t a ‘psycho’,” Xaldin frowned… before he sighed, sitting down, “Or, if he is, I like him enough where I don’t like hearing you call him that. Wouldn’t like hearing someone call you that either, even though you’re a little hotheaded crazy person yourself. I dunno, man… maybe I didn’t ‘do shit’ to actually manipulate you, or him, or whatever…”

Xaldin frowned. “...but I’m pretty sure I wasn’t supposed to like it. Which makes this really fucking complicated.”

“I’m positive you’ve literally called me a psycho before,” Marluxia dryly grumbled, though he knew this wasn’t a battle he’d win today. Or even tomorrow. Every little insult, no matter how idle, he ever slung towards Lauriam was always, always met with someone defending him, giving Marluxia a frown and telling him to knock it off. Like Lauriam couldn’t take it, like it meant so much more than what Marluxia was saying. 

Though, Marluxia blinked from his stew. After a moment, peeking out from the opening of the tree, looking at Xaldin wide-eyed. 

“...you liked it???” 

???? wha????

After a moment, Marluxia mumbled, trying to make sense, “...well…I mean… Kisses are, like…theoretically nice. Like, endolphins ‘n shit. So even from him, like that…”

“Yeah. Yep. That makes sense.” Xaldin nodded, leaning his shoulder against the tree. Frowning a bit as he said, “Makes a lot of sense, that.”

“...” Xaldin glared at the floor, annoyed, “...Zinxi didn’t have lips. I mean, you know that. I’m just saying. She didn’t.”

Crossing his arms on the side of the bark, Marluxia scowled as he settled into his arms. “Like, I’ll say it’s fucked up, but Lauriam already knows--part of why he panicked so much was because you guys were talking about Zinxi, what, like right before he spazzed out? That’s such a shitty thing…to…”

Zinxi didn’t have lips. 

Marluxia trailed off as that settled more into his mind, before he gave Xaldin another wide-eyed look. “...was that your first kiss?”

“No,” Xaldin said immediately, before frowning more. Gnawing lightly on his bottom lip, before saying, “I mean, maybe ‘technically’? I’ve kissed other parts of the body. Other parts of Zinxi, and otherwise. Hell, one time she and I lured Luis down into the spider den, we were trying something, I tried to seduce Luis by kissing his neck… he jumped like I had bitten him and Zinxi and I ended up spending hours being embarrassed and apologizing because he was not into it, and like…”

“That’s kinda where I’m at, when I say maybe I ‘accidentally’ did it? We thought Luis noticed us laying hints and apparently he didn’t see shit at all, and I thought he was laying hints that he was into it and he wasn’t, and like… it’s not always obvious, you know? What people are saying and thinking, not even for our little group. You can flirt on purpose and end up scaring the shit out of some poor guy, and maybe you can mean nothing and have someone think you’re hinting at stuff and…”

Xaldin rubbed his palms into his eyes, grumbling, “The kiss felt nice, but yeah, kisses are supposed to feel nice. Yeah. But, like… I don’t think I felt whatever the hell Luis felt, when I kissed his neck, ya know? I don’t think he felt nice. I felt nice. It was nice.”

Some of the coil around Marluxia’s heart loosened. Sure, Lauriam still assaulted Xaldin, but woooo at least that assault hadn’t been Xaldin’s first experience with kissing period~ Woo…

Marluxia snorted softly. “Yikes. You know, for as much of a gossip as he is, Luis really does keep some stuff close to the chest.” He gave Xaldin a drier look. “But I’m pretty sure something like that is a misunderstanding, not you somehow subconsciously manipulating him into a shitty night. You’re not that good. Misunderstandings can still suck, but it’s really not the same as someone going into something with full intentions and a plan for things to go a certain way.”

And boy did Marluxia know that. 

The knot in his stomach still writhed. 

“Well,” he sighed, “Nice to know you didn’t want to vomit right after being attacked, I suppose.” The horror just came after, he guessed.

Xaldin sighed, before shrugging. “I don’t know, I probably shouldn’t be talking about this to you of all people. When the hell did the garden duo become the two I confided things in? You two make shit confidants, I always end up getting my ass made fun of,” Xaldin smirked, chuckling a little, “...look, I’m gonna go. You can go back to morphing with the trees, I just wanted to check in and explain myself a little.”

“I’m a fantastic confidant, I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Marluxia sniffed, “Lauriam I can’t defend. And being made fun of is all part of the package, it’s a feature, not a flaw.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Marluxia sighed, “Look, of anyone to explain things to, it definitely doesn’t have to be me. I know what happened, and no amount of self-pity or crazed paranoia is gonna distract me from the truth.”

He smirked a little, a pretty face with no emotion behind it. “Hey, hey, if it’d make you feel safer, I could trap Lauriam underground with the skeletons for a while? No surprise weirdos messing everything up for a while.”

“Mmm, tempting, but nah. Like, don’t get me wrong, I’ve told Lauriam in five different ways that if he tries that shit again I’m gonna pop him in the lip this time. But, like…” Xaldin smirked a little, straightening up and shrugging at Marluxia, before turning away, “Maybe he’ll get brave, quick, and lucky.”

“It’d be a shame to miss that.” Xaldin laughed, shaking his head a little, before heading off. 

“At least the nerd squad will be able to actually know that all the planets are aligned without seeing the sky,” Marluxia snickered. He watched Xaldin go for a moment, before leaning back inside the tree fully. The smirk fading from his face as he leaned against the wood and wrapped his arms around the sinking feeling in his chest. 

It’d be a shame to miss it. It’d be lucky if Lauriam kissed Xaldin again. Lauriam basically blacked out and assaulted his friend, and Xaldin had liked it, and was contemplating the future. 

Marluxia had asked someone he trusted to…

Well, of course. It was a lesson they’d learned a long time ago, and one that Lauriam had made Marluxia with in mind. There’s no use in trying to be ‘good’, or ‘kind’. No use trying to ‘help’. The only way to win was to know what you wanted and to take it, and only then would you get a reward, because it was one you made yourself. 

Marluxia didn’t know why he’d ever kidded himself otherwise. 

Green eyes lowered as he held himself tighter. …of course no one would want him if they were given the option. Marluxia could only have the world if he forced its eyes upon himself, burned so bright that the imprint was still there even when you closed your eyes. 

He didn’t know why he even tried otherwise. 

-

We interrupt Amaina’s regularly scheduled program to bring you…

Children Crimes.

-

“Okay, so… Kimiko, you told your mom that you were sleeping at my place,” Tim said.

“Yep!” Kimiko said brightly.

“And Cali, you told your parents you were staying at Kimiko’s, right?” Tim asked.

“Mhm.” Cali nodded, cheerfully kicking some snow as they walked.

“And I told my parents I was staying at Kimiko’s. So, in theory, we all have our bases covered for sneaking out to the midnight show, but.” Tim frowned, “...where do we go… once the movie is done? Because now it seems like we’ve set it up that no matter where we go, one of our parents is gonna realize we lied.”

“...”

“...”

“I think we’re just homeless now.” Cali decided.

“Shame.” Tim said.

“Oh! I see the others! Guys, guys! We’re here~~” Kimiko called, waving through the gently falling snow. “We’ve committed parent crimes successfully!!”

“The getaway of the century!” Bianka cheered, laughing brightly as she ran through the snow to give hugs to the convening group. Had they literally seen each other a few hours ago at school? Yeah, but seeing each other at night was cool and mysterious.

Less cool and mysterious was how Bianka got out that night, since Nela absolutely knew she was going out, but her big sister was very cool and just made sure that Bianka was carrying her self-defense pack. 

“Hey,” Mike greeted, walking up with the trio that he’d inadvertently…well… Ava would be quicker to say he’d made friends. But he guessed Hannah, Glenn, and Abel were cool, and it was nice to get a chance to hang out when he wasn’t tutoring them. “Good, last thing we need is someone tailing us. I have the tickets, you guys all ready?”

Glenn was shivering. He was bundled up to the gils and was still shivering violently, his nose beat red as he said glumly, “This better be worth it. Wh-wh-why does this movie play at midnight? Wh-wh-why do most of the movies play at n-n-n-night??”

Piper had been right to stay home. It was already a loooong walk to get from the farm to the city in the first place, but somehow, it was even colder in the city. Probably because it was later in the night since when Glenn had started moving, but Glenn secretly suspected it was because they were closer to the castle. He had made up in his mind already that Dicea was cursed, and that it was probably the Ouma’s who got it cursed, because something had to go wrong with someone important enough that everyone had to deal with waaaaaaaaaaaay too much snow for waaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long. 

Temperature wise, Luminary won. Glenn was fair-skinned and sure, he had had his share of sunburns growing up: but still. He could function in the heat. He could barely talk in the cold. He did not understand how Piper loved it so much.

It also triggered his fainting spells a lot, which was why Able and Hannah were sticking so close to him, the two bigger kids looking like imposing bodyguards to their shivering, miserable leader as Hannah smiled and waved, while Able quietly nodded at the group, his hands in his pockets as he looked around a tad nervously. They had also committed Parent Crimes to be there, and while Hannah was fine with it, Able was nervous.

Coming up along behind them, Mabel called quietly to the others, “Are we sure no one’s going to ask why, like, basically a classrooms worth of kids are all here? They might message our parents.”

Mike shrugged, unconcerned. “No one’s ever stopped me before, and no one did when Bianka and I’ve gone. If no one gives a shit about one or two kids roaming in the middle of the night, they’d have even less of a point to stop a bigger group--we’re a bigger group, so there must be a point.”

“And I’d think people less concerned with our safety would rather we just watch a movie then go look for trouble elsewhere in town,” Enoch hummed dreamily, having not quite convinced Lisa to come, but rather that she had convinced herself in not letting him go alone. 

“Fair and good accounts both,” Bianka agreed, done with her round of hugs, “The more you act like you belong somewhere, the more people will assume it’s true~”

Mike snorted as he started leading the way to the theater. “Has the journalist forgotten to attribute that quote to a certain detective?”

Bianka stuck her tongue out before quickly packing a loose snowball, throwing an easily dodgeable attack at Mike. “I knew that before talking to Riz, Mike.”

“Told you this would be fun.” Enoch smiled wryly at his sister.

Lisa huffed. “I just wanted to see the movie! This was just a good time for it. This way Ace and the twins can’t spoil anything tomorrow.”

“Can someone remind me what this movie is about?” Tim asked, politely opening the theater door first and holding it for the others. 

The kids had to lower their voices a bit as they walked in, because there was a lot of people milling about in the theater’s lobby, chatting with each other and buying refreshments. The movie theater had only been in operation for a year–almost to the day by this point–and it was still a pretty novel experience for most people. Because of its novelty, despite the late hour, a lot of the adults were dressed in their nicer outfits, dressed up for a night on the town. This felt in contrast to the general ‘vibe’ that the theater itself was trying to present, the walls lined with bright, eye-catching posters and counters lined wall to wall with candy and junk food, a massive popcorn machine warmly baking in the back. 

“It’s a love story! About a handsome young man going on a quest for his One True Love!” Kimiko said cheerfully, spinning on her heels. 

Mabel glanced over, raising an eyebrow at that, “What? I thought this was a comedy. Bianka, didn’t you say this was a comedy?”

“...” Able opened his mouth like he was going to say something, but then thought better of it, still looking a little tense as he kept his head low but glanced warily at the adults. 

“It is a comedy, but it’s centered around a love story. Sooort of,” Bianka giggled. “It’s based on a comic series, though I haven’t read it! So no spoilers! But what I have seen from it is funny and action-packed!”

“The title alone does seem like it’s poking fun at something, if it’s not literal,” Enoch hummed, looking over towards the row of posters and idly observing them. “Though if the main character is fighting ‘the world’ for his One True Love? That is pretty romantic.”

“Fingers crossed it stays that way,” Lisa sighed, “Comic romances can be so hit or miss.”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Mike rolled his eyes, fishing the literal wad of tickets out from his jacket. He didn’t really care one way or another about the others paying him back for them, but considering he actually had a not-job job, along with reconfiguring where his UBI was sent to when he and Doris had to set things up in Usott, it was so much easier just to get tickets himself and then figure things out with people at another time. And, like. He’d already seen the movie four times since it’d debuted, and any extra tickets would be used for times six onward. 

Nodding a little to the person in front of the theater room, he greeted, “Hey, we’ve got a group of eleven,” as he handed over the tickets.

“Ah, the youth!” said the ticket-operator with the mannerisms that, by this point, Mike was very aware as he clapped his hands excitedly together, peering down at them with an owl-like expression of delight behind incredibly thick, perfectly round glasses. “And the youth has brought youths! My dear young man, it’s so wonderful to see so many of you truly embracing the future of The Arts!”

Eleven children, most who weren’t aware of his mannerisms already, gave the–to them, anyway–incredibly ancient looking human being with his tangled, nest-like hair beaming at them identical childish looks of blank confusion. Kids were very familiar with adults sometimes acting very weird around them, because many adults actually weren’t very good at talking or being around children: but most of the kids weren’t quite aware yet that people acted weird around them becaaaauuuse they were children. They just tended to assume: oh. Found A New Type Of Guy.

…admittedly, in this case, they wouldn’t be wrong even if they had been a group of twenty year olds. This was a bad example. Ala was a weird dude. Exemplified by him reaching under the counter, grabbing fistfuls of confetti in a bag he kept under the counter, and then throwing them into the air as he cheerfully said, “Hurray for the youth!”

Alla poked her head out from behind the curtains, looking frazzled as she said, “Ala, stop messing around! We’re already running behind, start letting everyone in!”

“All of you will take up the whole of row eleven,” Ala said cheerfully, taking their tickets, “Eleventh row for the eleven children of eleven year olds! Lucky night!”

“Some of us aren’t eleven.” Cali pointed out, before quieting when Tim put a hand on her shoulder and steered her inside, not wanting any problems with weird owl confetti guy.

By this point, Mike just nodded along with whatever Ala was talking about. He’d been wary, when he’d first arrived in Usott and had learned about the movie theater, and he’d just snuck into the theater fully to watch movies, not wanting to fight some ‘well-meaning’ adult wondering what a kid was doing out in the middle of the night. However, as he kept coming, he started to realize that Ala was Just Like That, and if he didn’t give the guy an inch, then they could keep doing business with each other. 

Or there was some other reason, but Mike wasn’t that curious. 

Enoch made an intrigued, delighted sound at the confetti, looking up in wonder as the little colorful pieces rained down on them, though Lisa gave the guy a scathingly dry look. 

“Lucky night indeed!” Bianka called back with a laugh as their group moved in, murmuring among each other for a few moments to decide the sitting order, but soon enough? They weren’t the only ones, and as the lights dimmed and the reel started…

Mike grinned, as the upbeat rock started to play.

One hour and fifty-two minutes of incredibly impressive visuals later– “Okay, but I still don’t understand why people were turning into coins.” Tim said as the kids started to shuffle out into the lobby again. “No one brought it up, no one even questioned it. Did I miss something?”

“Who caaaares about the coins at the end, those fight scenes were AWESOME!” Cali cheered, before posing like a ninja at Bianka, “Bianka, we should wear a cool outfit like the third evil ex for our next spar! Hy-a!”

Abel looked quietly full of wonder. Considering the first evil ex a lot. No one ever brought it up much, but Abel had never seen… anyone. Who looked like himself. It had been shocking to see features he had only ever seen in the mirror before, suddenly large and on display. Abel had found himself hoping the entire movie that the first guy would come back, just to stare at him more. 

“Okay, but did anyone else think that the main guy was sort of… a jerk?” Mabel pointed out, frowning a bit as she thought over the movie, “I mean, I liked him. But also? He was sort of mean to everyone. But I’m not sure how to explain how.”

“Maybe to fit the sort of arcade aesthetic?” Enoch theorized, before smiling placidly. “Or Ongano, Danganronpa might just really be like that.” There was little indication to tell if that was Enoch making a joke. 

Not missing a beat, Bianka ninja-posed right back at Cali, kicking up snow into the air, doubtlessly seeing an image just as bombastic as in the movie as she did so. “Hoo-wa! They were soooo cool--oh, Cali!! What if we tried to recreate one, like in a show match?! That would be awesome!”

“You might find some issues considering the lack of being able to teleport, or fly, or anything,” Mike snarked, though there was a laugh riding the notes of his voice. All movies were novel, but he really hadn’t seen anything like this one before, and he was glad his…his friends seemed to enjoy it.

“No, I’m with you,” Lisa nodded conspiratorily. “Like…how he treated Knives the whole time? And she’s a high schooler too, and the narrator said he was dating her to be cool, which is a major red flag, but all the other characters thought it was lame too? I think Scott’s actually kind of a loser, but it’s just from his perspective.”

Mabel gave a small ‘ooooh’ sound before nodding, “I think you’re right, I think he’s the loser kind of mean. Which is a harder to spot kind of mean.”

“I think the main evil ex guy was also a loser kind of mean.” Tim pointed out, “I mean, I’d bully him, you know?”

“No you wouldn’t, Timmy, you’re not mean to anyone~” Kimiko giggled.

“I’ve stabbed people.” Tim said a tad defensively, his cheeks burning in slight embarrassment. “I’ve stabbed my dad twice.”

“Yeah, yeah, we know,” Cali said, rolling her eyes, before miming more sparring moves with Bianka, the two making a show of kicking up a lot of snow with every movement, making little sound effects as they moved like they had seen in the movie. 

“Okay, I take it back, I think we should confront them and ground them.” Kaito grumbled to Maki in the bushes. “He’s using stabbing me as brownie points.”

“You’d do the same thing at his age.” Maki whispered back, unconcerned. She had asked Kokichi to check on Tim, getting a ‘weird vibe’, and when Kokichi had announced that Tim was, in fact, not at Shirogane’s, she and Kaito had come out to see what was what. And maybe do some grounding. An ear knick in the worst case scenario.

But seeing their kid out with a big group of friends to see a show was far from a worst case scenario, and after some debate, they decided to just wait and see where the kids were going to go next before deciding to confront the group or not: Kaito arguing he didn’t want to dissuade the friends from hanging out, Maki pointing out they had done the same things at Tim’s age.

“He’s the kinda guy that deserves to be bullied,” Mike agreed, “Like…the story is kinda weird about Ramona anyway? Though that makes more sense if it’s, like, literally from Scott’s perspective, but she did dump all those people on her own terms. Some asshat not taking no for an answer and trying to ruin someone’s future relationships just because they’re bitter about being dumped is so bulliable loser behavior.”

“The mind-control bit thrown in there adds to it too,” Enoch hummed, nodding, before he gave Mike an amused look. “Makes sense you wouldn’t vibe with him, considering you literally made an anti-mind control device.”

Mike flushed lightly but waved Enoch off. “W-well duh, didn’t really even need to be mentioned, it’s so obvious.”

Lisa sighed. “I still can’t believe something you made is gonna be sold all over the country. Enoch literally pointed out the warehouse Miss Iruma’s getting construction on to everyone before I really believed she’s here. You two aren’t even in high school, could you slow down even a little?”

“No way!” Bianka laughed, huffing through a few attempts before finally twisting out of the headlock Cali had her in. “And in the vein of the train project, I’ll even say--Full steam ahead!”

Tim pulled out his CD, waving it a little to show he had his on him, before putting it back in his pocket. He really didn’t get his conditioning triggered enough to make it seriously important for him to have one on him all the time, but even with that said? Going to see movies or shows or any sort of music was actually a good time to have his CD on him. Certain rhythms did tend to make him go a bit glassy-eyed and more open to suggestion, now that he and his family knew what they were looking for. 

“I wonder if those things are actually gonna work for me, specifically.” Glenn said, Abel shrugging next to him. “I don’t really know if my fainting spells are because of my messed up conditioning or if my messed up conditioning is because of my fainting spells, but either way, it might not work the way Tim’s does.”

“Maybe we could try it now?” Hannah offered, “Mike’s good at shouting, maybe he can trigger your conditioning and then we can flash ya?”

“Nnnnn, not in this cold. If I fall in the snow I’m gonna die.” Glenn muttered. 

Mike rolled his eyes a little at the shouting comment, before he shook his head with a twisted frown. “Probably not even indoors either, at least without someone with some sort of medical training. We’d be fine legally, and with how much fucking testing we put the CDs through it should be fine for botched conditioning too, but if anything did go wrong? Last thing you need is your folks sprinting into town ‘cause of a hospital call.”

He smirked a little back at Hannah. “And you’d be the one stuck carrying Glenn there in the first place, if we weren’t gonna drag him through the snow.”

“Maybe it’d be good to double check sooner than later, though,” Bianka hummed, a little more sober as she readjusted her scarf, her roughhousing with Cali done with round one. “If Clara’s helping them out, then I’d give them the benefit of the doubt, but it’s a little scary to have people from the conditioning warehouses coming to town, no?”

She asked it as a genuine question, looking to her friends with conditioning.

There was a certain level of unease at the question. 

It was a confused sort of unease. Most of the conditioned kids had been told by their new guardians what was happening, who had been told by the princes. Only Tim and Bianka knew the process for how conditioning actually worked, but the reality that conditioners were being offered sanctuary in Usott was… a lot. Even without the magical aspect of it.

That said… “It’s not like they talked to us much.” Hannah pointed out, “They’d just shuffle us from our cells to the cafeteria and to the yard, then back to our cells again. There weren’t even a lot of conditioners there, I only ever saw a handful. It’s not like they scare me, it’s just…”

“They didn’t seem like people who needed ‘sanctuary’.” Abel muttered, his first words of the night. 

“Yeah, that’s kind of what’s getting to me too.” Glenn frowned, burrowing into his massive scarf some more as he said warily, “They weren’t Indentured, I didn’t see any signs of them having been conditioned. They were the people with the weapons who moved us around. Why do they need to run to Usott? It feels like they should just get other guard jobs where they can be assholes to more prisoners.”

“Oh noooooo,” Kaito whispered to Maki, “Oh no, we’ve done a bad job of explaining and now they’re scared Maki we have to–”

“Shut up, it’s fine.” Maki whispered to Kaito, the two now at the top of a building as they were still silently following the kids, “This is the sort of thing that’s only going to get cleared up when they all actually see the new people and realize they don’t recognize literally any of them. Just let them vent, you don’t have to ‘fix it’.”

Enoch quietly considered that, gaze going a little far away. 

Sometimes the guards didn’t want to be guards, though. Sometimes it was what they had been made for, and it wasn’t so simple to choose anything different. How could you, when even the concept of choice was something foreign?

That wasn’t the experience of being human, though. Not the experience of the present.

Lisa frowned at the look on Enoch’s face before she sniffed. “Well, I don’t know what conversations you guys have been having, but I didn’t hear that the prince was inviting them here to be hired for guard jobs, so there’s probably something more going on. That ‘more’ probably being that they won’t care about talking to a few people they saw once for a few months years ago.”

Bianka shrugged a little, before she gave the group a brighter smile. “Probably. Even accounting for duty with the castle, there’s no way Maki would sign up on people coming over if they were gonna hurt any of us. And Clara would put a stop to things miiiiiles away the second she noticed anything, and not a lot sneaks by her.”

She giggled conspiratorily with Cali and Kimiko. “I am preeeeetty sure Cheri knows I snuck out, and she’s just being cool about it, so no one can say that even my big sister snuck by her mom.”

“See. They know I’ve got them.” Maki whispered smugly. 

“Do you think there’s other parents around also creepily watching our kids in the shadows or that’s just a ‘you and me’ thing?” Kaito whispered. 

“I learned it from my mentor–”

“And Miss Kirigiri.” Kaito pointed out.

“--and Shuichi’s mentor and you grew up being fully aware that even your best friends were constantly writing reports about you to be delivered to your family–”

“Well, Byakuya… and Kaede… and Tengan… it’d be nice if my parents wanted personalized reports about me.” Kaito mused sadly. 

“--weird creepy surveillance is just a part of parenting for us, is what I’m saying.” Maki said. “I don’t think we need to be embarrassed.”

“....okay, maybe that’s true, but also maybe we’re in a little bit of denial.” Kaito whispered.

“Shut up and hop this next building with me.”

“If they were going to hurt any of us too, we could always round everyone up and kill them.” Glenn said grimly. 

“Mmmm, no, but!” Cali said, punching the air, “we could beat them up! I’d help with that!”

“Prince Kokichi and King Aiichi wouldn’t invite them over if they were mean.” Kimiko said, tilting her head as she continued, “Mommy said that when they come over, I should be nice to them, because ‘sometimes people are treated like pets, but not all pets are treated very well’. And then she gave me this necklace~” Kimiko said, pulling a necklace out of her shirt, a circular piece of metal enriched with a very obvious, intricate sigil. “She asked me to wear this if I ever met them, but I think it’s pretty so I’m wearing it tonight too!”

“Why does your mom call people ‘pets’ so much?” Cali asked.

“She’s funny like that.” Kimiko shrugged. 

Mike shifted his weight a little uneasily in the snow. He definitely wouldn’t have an issue kicking the shit out of assholes that wanted to hurt his friends…but the jury was kind of out for the warehouse workers right now. Bianka had mentioned that her not-mom was basically a rescue worker. He believed the others that the warehouse people didn’t seem like they needed rescuing, but, well, if it was something more like Empaths that were imprisoned to condition, and those were the people coming over? Then it made sense why the royal family and Bianka’s family were so invested in helping them over. 

…and for people who had just been trapped? Maybe not even necessarily good people, people who had done terrible things, because they didn’t have any other options… It formed a pit in his stomach, thinking about ganging up on them to beat them up. 

It all remained to be seen, he guessed. 

What Kimiko said next felt very in line with all of that, but--

“Oh, it is pretty,” Enoch complimented, noting the psychic warding sigil on the necklace, before humming, “Your mom thinks they were imprisoned, then? I suppose she would know more about the politics of it all.”

Kimiko nodded, pleased to be understood. “Exactly! I think she uses ‘pets’ to say ‘anyone not treated entirely like a person’. She says they were badly kept pets.”

“I think they’ll be okay.” Tim said, “They’re all adults, it’s not going to be like when all the Sunny Side kids showed up, I don’t think it’ll be a big event. A lot of the other kids probably won’t ever even see them unless they go looking for them. It’s a big city.”

“The fact that you can say that with a straight face reminds me you’ve never been to NGP.” Glenn said with a small smirk. “This place is tiny in comparison.”

Tim shrugged, “Still the biggest city I’ve ever been in. Hey, where are you guys heading after this? Bianka, you think your folks already know you’re out here, can Cali, Kimiko and I spend the night with you? We kind of messed up our stories and put ourself into a knot.”

Mike huffed. “And I still don’t get how a place that big can actually function. Usott is gargantuan compared to the boonies and things were always getting overlooked there.”

“It’s probably easier to spot things coming and going from a desert than a giant forest,” Bianka pointed out with a laugh, before she gave Tim a wink and a thumbs up. “Absolutely, sleepover night! As long as we don’t wake up Dad, we should be able to get all the sleep stuff into my room just fine.”

“You said Kody was covering for you guys, so you can get back home alright tonight, right?” Lisa confirmed with Hannah and Mabel. “Mama’s fine with Enoch and me going out if we tell someone, so our place is open for crashing too.”

Mike raised an eyebrow. “I thought you guys said you snuck out.”

Enoch smiled dreamily. “We left a note. We do have teen privileges over you guys, so it’s a little easier for us.”

“Ooookay, finally. They’re going to Bianka’s house.” Kaito sighed, shoving his hands under his armpits and shivering, “Good, because I’m freezing my ass off out here. I want to go home and cuddle my warm husbands.”

“Isn’t Kokichi famously cold to hold?” Maki asked.

“He’ll warm my heart.” Kaito insisted, “...and Shuichi will warm my body, yeah. Also, I should tell Lio my kid is apparently a-okay with sneaking into his house sometimes, so he’s got a heads up.”

“I’d be shocked if he didn’t know already.” Maki shrugged. 

“Laaaaame, it sounds like only me, Tim, Kimiko and Mike were brave enough to actually really sneak out without anyone knowing!” Cali frowned. 

“Hey, I snuck out.” Glenn frowned, “Only Piper knows I’m out here.”

“That’s still one whole person. Mabel, Hannah, Abel?”

The three glanced at each other… before Mabel admitted, “Our parents know we’re out here. I just asked.”

“Mine too.” Abel shrugged. “They said I have to be back by two.”

“Oh god we are the weird parents.” Kaito groaned. 

“Think you’d be up to letting Tim wander around on his own alone next time?” Maki asked, “Now that we know the other parents do?”

“Oh, fuck no, not on my life.” Kaito said, deadpan.

“It’s not really brave,” Mike shrugged dismissively, meaning more for his own circumstance than the others. “Medli’s caught me a few times, but I’ve just had to get sneakier.” He smirked a little. “If she keeps assuming that I’m working late with Miu, then it just gets easier, because Miu can not keep a coherent conversation going when she’s outraged or trying to defend herself.”

And Doris was…

…well, she actually was drinking less, starting to feel a little more at ease with her slow friendship with Medli, and the slightly less slow one with her club group. But at night, she did still drink, so it was as easy as ever to evade her.

“Medli’s so nice though~” Kimiko sighed almost longingly, “And she has such a pretty name. I wish I was a ‘Medli’.”

“No way, Kimiko’s a great name! The best name!” Cali insisted.

“It is a pretty cute name.” Tim muttered.

Glenn shivered as a cold wind came down, growling as he said, “Ugh, I think I need to go soon. I feel dizzy, and I still have a really long walk home. The movie was good at least, that was a good pick, Mike. But I gotta go.”

Above, Kaito and Maki glanced at each other.

“....rock paper scissors who follows Glenn back to the farm?” Kaito offered miserably. 

“You’re on.” Maki said, bringing up her hands.

“Yeah, no worries, see you at school tomorrow,” Mike said, already giving Glenn a small wave…before he hesitated. Shifting his weight a little as he fisted the inside of his jacket pockets, looking away. “...if… If you wanna come to a late movie again, we could plan for you to stay at one of our places, or something,” Mike muttered. “Just ‘cause it’s a shitty fuckin’ walk all the way back to yours.”

“That sounds good, we’ll do that, because I don’t know if you’ve been to the farms or not, but usually we take wagons to get through the fields, and I didn’t do that. Because I’m an idiot. Should have just brought the donkey.” Glenn sighed, giving the others a wave, “This was fun. See you tomorrow.” 

A very, very disappointed Kaito followed after him.