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31_days2007-03-09 09:09 pm
flowerpot.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2007-03-09 09:09 pm
[March 9th] [Kingdom Hearts] Theme 9.
Title; the challenge: bring order to the whole
Day; March 9th
Series; Kingdom Hearts
Characters; Xemnas, Xaldin
Rating; G
There was something about the set of their Superior's features this day; a queer sort of cramp set firmly between the man's eyes. A twitch that caused number Three to frown. He gave the man a sombre nod over the rim of his mug of tea. Definitely something going on; man didn't even bring something to the table. Xaldin wasn't going to point out that there was freshly baked bread and scones in the kitchen - the smell of them was being taken through every little nook and cranny of the Castle That Never Was on secret winds in order to rouse the more somnolently inclined members of the Organisation. If Xemnas required something he would get it himself. But he didn't. Merely sank into a seat - fairly close to him this once - and dug his fingers deep into his hair, all but vanishing under it bending his head forward. Was that a tangle?
'Rough night?' he ventured eventually, feeling that the heavy silence and Xemnas' melodramatic position demanded something of him. The lack of a newspaper to hide behind made itself felt when Xemnas slapped his hands down against the surface of the table to stare back with eyes screwed up almost maniacally. To his credit, Xaldin kept from flinching.
'How,' the dark-skinned man demanded, his voice as gravelly as Xaldin's usually was, 'do you get any sleep? His rooms are right between yours and mine, and you certainly don't seem any worse for wear.'
Ah. That. He leaned back in his seat, coddling the mug thoughtfully against his chest with both hands, soaking up its warmth as best he could. Feeling as sorry for the man as he could with his non-existent heart, which wasn't very much.
'Well, after approximately twenty years of that kind of noise, sir, you sort of get used to it.'
'But the volume.'
'That too, sir.'
Xemnas gently crumbled in on himself until his forehead met with the wood table with a dull thud, forcing the lancer's lips to quirk upward at least for a heartbeat. There wasn't really anything he could do about this particular matter but wonder why their Superior even let something like simple racket get to him, but it certainly wasn't as if he could ask, was it? Instead he wordlessly stood and went back to the kitchen. Normally he wouldn't service someone without a very good reason - such as needing to ask a favour of his own - but the last couple of weeks had been.. trying. There had been small but upsetting changes to an otherwise impeccably functioning schedule; complaints had been made; another Nobody had appeared in the realm of Nothingness and brought into the fold, which was a monumental thing in itself - having to get to know a whole new person who wasn't even certain they were still alive themselves. There were ten of them now. Ranks growing. It worried him. Just as quietly as he'd left he put a large cup of coffee - two sugars, no milk - and a saucer with a couple of cut and battered scones by the side of Xemnas' head, avoiding the ringlets of tousled hair. Man hadn't moved an inch.
'You're welcome.'
A muffled sound much like a snort came from under the mane. 'I'm not hungry.'
'Suit yourself.' He reached for one of the scones himself when Xemnas' hand suddenly shot out and grasped him by the wrist even as his fingers closed on the bread. He didn't drop it, but froze, having been this close to throwing himself back to avoid the grab before he'd even espied the movement. Xemnas could strike like a snake. Turning to look from the plate he'd made ready, he watched his Superior peek out from under a veritable curtain of silver. Startlingly, his eyes were pleading, and so Xaldin didn't move. Nor did he slip away when the man vanished again, as if using his head of hair like a blanket under which to hide.
'You're still with me.' Xemnas' voice was very quiet. 'Aren't you? Dilan?'
So he stood there for a while longer, listening to the thumps and the shouting from the corridor on top of the dining-room, the yells when someone found themselves the victim of some ingenious morning prank, and the loud bang that was unmistakably a door slamming on its hinges. The Castle coming as much to life as it could. The hand holding his ungloved wrist was treacherously warm, and he found himself almost missing the feeling - iron in a glove of silk - of it on finally letting go of him to slip over to pry the cooling scone from his fingers.
'Thank you.'
Eventually, Xaldin settled back down in his own seat, and pushed cherry jam and some paper napkins across the few feet of table that separated them. 'Sit up straight, won't you. You've already got breadcrumbs in your hair.'
Day; March 9th
Series; Kingdom Hearts
Characters; Xemnas, Xaldin
Rating; G
There was something about the set of their Superior's features this day; a queer sort of cramp set firmly between the man's eyes. A twitch that caused number Three to frown. He gave the man a sombre nod over the rim of his mug of tea. Definitely something going on; man didn't even bring something to the table. Xaldin wasn't going to point out that there was freshly baked bread and scones in the kitchen - the smell of them was being taken through every little nook and cranny of the Castle That Never Was on secret winds in order to rouse the more somnolently inclined members of the Organisation. If Xemnas required something he would get it himself. But he didn't. Merely sank into a seat - fairly close to him this once - and dug his fingers deep into his hair, all but vanishing under it bending his head forward. Was that a tangle?
'Rough night?' he ventured eventually, feeling that the heavy silence and Xemnas' melodramatic position demanded something of him. The lack of a newspaper to hide behind made itself felt when Xemnas slapped his hands down against the surface of the table to stare back with eyes screwed up almost maniacally. To his credit, Xaldin kept from flinching.
'How,' the dark-skinned man demanded, his voice as gravelly as Xaldin's usually was, 'do you get any sleep? His rooms are right between yours and mine, and you certainly don't seem any worse for wear.'
Ah. That. He leaned back in his seat, coddling the mug thoughtfully against his chest with both hands, soaking up its warmth as best he could. Feeling as sorry for the man as he could with his non-existent heart, which wasn't very much.
'Well, after approximately twenty years of that kind of noise, sir, you sort of get used to it.'
'But the volume.'
'That too, sir.'
Xemnas gently crumbled in on himself until his forehead met with the wood table with a dull thud, forcing the lancer's lips to quirk upward at least for a heartbeat. There wasn't really anything he could do about this particular matter but wonder why their Superior even let something like simple racket get to him, but it certainly wasn't as if he could ask, was it? Instead he wordlessly stood and went back to the kitchen. Normally he wouldn't service someone without a very good reason - such as needing to ask a favour of his own - but the last couple of weeks had been.. trying. There had been small but upsetting changes to an otherwise impeccably functioning schedule; complaints had been made; another Nobody had appeared in the realm of Nothingness and brought into the fold, which was a monumental thing in itself - having to get to know a whole new person who wasn't even certain they were still alive themselves. There were ten of them now. Ranks growing. It worried him. Just as quietly as he'd left he put a large cup of coffee - two sugars, no milk - and a saucer with a couple of cut and battered scones by the side of Xemnas' head, avoiding the ringlets of tousled hair. Man hadn't moved an inch.
'You're welcome.'
A muffled sound much like a snort came from under the mane. 'I'm not hungry.'
'Suit yourself.' He reached for one of the scones himself when Xemnas' hand suddenly shot out and grasped him by the wrist even as his fingers closed on the bread. He didn't drop it, but froze, having been this close to throwing himself back to avoid the grab before he'd even espied the movement. Xemnas could strike like a snake. Turning to look from the plate he'd made ready, he watched his Superior peek out from under a veritable curtain of silver. Startlingly, his eyes were pleading, and so Xaldin didn't move. Nor did he slip away when the man vanished again, as if using his head of hair like a blanket under which to hide.
'You're still with me.' Xemnas' voice was very quiet. 'Aren't you? Dilan?'
So he stood there for a while longer, listening to the thumps and the shouting from the corridor on top of the dining-room, the yells when someone found themselves the victim of some ingenious morning prank, and the loud bang that was unmistakably a door slamming on its hinges. The Castle coming as much to life as it could. The hand holding his ungloved wrist was treacherously warm, and he found himself almost missing the feeling - iron in a glove of silk - of it on finally letting go of him to slip over to pry the cooling scone from his fingers.
'Thank you.'
Eventually, Xaldin settled back down in his own seat, and pushed cherry jam and some paper napkins across the few feet of table that separated them. 'Sit up straight, won't you. You've already got breadcrumbs in your hair.'