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herobox2013-11-24 12:24 am
redshifted) wrote in herobox2013-11-24 12:24 am
Entry tags:
code word steamy
[ While Riku and Kairi were off investigating something about aliens, Lea was taking the night off. It had been a long day of chasing a six-year-old girl around without being spotted, and it was the kind of thing that emotionally exhausted you, so Lea begged off to soak in a volcanic hot spring and think about his life.
Or, well, he would have, but apparently despite being lousy with volcanoes, Hawaii doesn't actually have hot springs. So he's in the hot tub, in a garishly patterned pair of swim trunks, out back of some tourist bar with no tourists in it (out of season), sipping on a really watered down fruity cocktail and sulking about some conversation he'd had with Riku. ]
Can't believe it...
[ So the guy had asked him, on one of those long and soul-searchy kind of nights where you actually have Real Conversations with people, about Girls. And Lea'd had no answer for him because, well, that was a whole two weeks of high school back in the Day when he'd removed Girls from the list of things he needed to worry about. And then when that had been made clear, Riku was apparently just as in need of knowing about Guys... and Lea had still had. no answer for him.
Like, so what?! Lea kind of had his heart ripped out of his chest at some point, that sort of put a damper on caring about that kind of thing! It's not like it makes him really inadequate as a twenty-five-year-old man or anything...
He pulls the lime off his drink and chews it, peel and all, in a defiant sort of way. ]
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[ Lea shakes his head, emptying his weak-ass margarita in one long swallow. ]
I was warned off him.
[ This is fricking typical. They run around like idiots, trying to be subtle, and it turns out, literally everyone is already friends WITH THE ALIENS. Who don't sound all that much like evil scientists from this angle, anymore.
Lea sighs, sinking down even further, the water now up to his shoulders. His hair spreads around him in the tub, darkened to a rust-red by the water. He looks like he's sulking. (He is.) ]
Ran into some space delegation in orbit above the world's surface. One of the diplomats, Captain Gantu, said there was some refugee mad scientist running around down here, responsible for manufacturing monsters. Sounded like a Heartless issue to us.
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[Myde folds his hand behind his head, making a face at the way Lea decribed it. A diplomat..... try more like a busybody who jut wouldn't quit! He offers a thoughtful noise instead.]
Mmm..... Wait, but what's this about monsters? I haven't seen anything like that going on, or any Heartless. Maybe that happened before I got back? Either way, the place isn't crawling with nasties, so--oh. Ohhhhh. You must mean Stitch!
[What Lea--or really, Gantu--must be talking about hits him all at once; Myde laughs aloud in mingled exasperation and relief, grin resurfacing as he reaches out to poke Lea with a foot. Geez, and here he'd had him all worried for a minute! Nothing's actually changed at all, there's nothing to be scared of.]
Hahaha..... Yeah, I guess you could call him a little monster, huh? He's kind of a monster-alien-science experiment..... thing, I dunno. Stitch is Lilo's dog, whatever he actually is. Anyway, he's harmless. Mostly, anyway; they get into trouble sometimes, but he's still nice.
Jumba might have a couple other escaped experiments running around, I'm not sure, but I wouldn't worry about it--they're probably not too dangerous, or too numerous, and Gantu's already trying to take care of it.
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So basically... we're on a wild goose chase. For someone's dog.
[ He makes a sort of pushing motion in the water, not really splashing it up much, but just something to express how annoyed he is. He let his emotions get in the way of his judgement - he'd heard "experiments" and thought "Xehanort," pure and simple, even after other evidence popped up that hinted maybe there wasn't some terrible crisis going on.
And worse, he had to get told by Demyx of all people! Absolutely humiliating. It's actually pretty funny. He shakes his head. ]
I should have known...
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[Myde only crows with laughter at the admission, and Lea's obvious frustration, shaking his head and grinning ear to ear. If the guy wasn't sulking before..... Oh, this is priceless. Priceless! The idea of Mr. I Always Follow Orders, one of their star performers, chasing around a little girl and her dog..... Pure comedy gold, he swears. And the idea of him doing it with other people in tow (whoever they are) only makes it even better.
A quick push with his hands against his seat, and Myde was gliding effortlessly through the water, hardly seeming to move a muscle as he drifts closer. There's a small splash of his own as he reaches up to clap Lea's shoulder in sympathy. Lea always had been assigned to more combat missions than he ever was..... it only stood to reason that he could use a little refresher.]
Recon rule number one: Jumping to conclusions cuts off opportunities for investigation. Explore all possible options before coming to a conclusion.
[Okay, okay, so maybe it's not rule one--maybe it's not even rule twenty-one. It hardly matters. A rule that had demanded thoroughness, conscientiousness, and hard work in Zexion or Vexen's eyes simply became a way to postpone returning to the castle as long as he could manage, in Demyx's hands. Still, it did do an awfully good job at keeping him from looking like even more of an idiot about things, didn't it?]
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Myde moves in the water as if it's part of him - which stands to reason, but all the same, it's really something to watch. Lea finds himself startled when Myde's hand comes down on his shoulder; he'd been watching his body through the water, trying to see how he moved differently in it, what his secret was. He didn't find out anything useful other than that the guy kind of has nice legs. (Is that the margarita talking?? Maybe it is.)
Uncertainly: ] You made that rule up...
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(Either way, though, he's proud of his legs, thanks. Long, toned, and baby-smooth, just the way a swimmer's ought to be. It may be girly to shave, but damn, does it make a difference in the water.)
He smirks knowingly at the uncertainty in Lea's tone, leaning in; his talents have always lain in recon, whether he called it that or not. Reading people and situations, spinning something meaningful and even informative out of time-wasting garbage..... Even Vexen hadn't criticized too hard, when he'd gotten his initial recon training. That only comes in even more handy now, when combat isn't a part of his life anymore, but going right back to being a people pleaser very much is.
It's fun for being able to play with Lea now, too. After all, Axel was mostly a fighter; how should he know if he's making anything up about this stuff?]
Just made it up on the spot, huh? Really?
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[ Lea has to bluster now a little bit, for show. He gives one of his patented razor-sharp grins, putting his elbows back against the lip of the hot tub in a knowing posture. (They're awfully close...) ]
'Cause if that was one of Xemnas's rules? There would be at least eight more unpronounceable words.
[ And Demyx himself usually had to carry around cue cards for specific mission prompts. Not that Lea could even blame the guy. Fighting missions were so much easier. And then he was in charge of Roxas for so long... ]
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[Myde grins back, and the look is anything but sharp--he just looks goofy, honestly, bright and playful and bedraggled with his clothing so waterlogged and wet hair clinging to his face. They're practically sitting right next to each other now, and with Myde turned to look up at him like this, he could probably lean on Lea if he had a mind to.]
Okay, okay, you got me..... It's actually Mr. Snow Miser's. Mostly, anyway. I just trimmed off most of the complicated words and extra stuff he was rambling about with it.
radiant garden didn't have rankin-bass christmas specials
So - ok. So we're here chasing down somebody's dog because we jumped to conclusions, which is not good in recon.
[ Lea makes a mock-deferral gesture with his free hand, the one not attached to the shoulder closest to Myde. He's still a little giddy from the laughing fit. ]
I - I submit the question to a veteran of recon. What would you do, if you were me, in this situation?
That's just a travesty bro
Well, no sense in not taking advantage of him while he's compromised, right? Or at least, taking advantage of him not being a fraidy cat about people touching him. Drunk cuddles are pretty awesome; Myde wastes no time in cozying up against Lea.]
You're an adorable lightweight, you know that?
But let's see, here, if I was you, and I was sent on a recon mission like that..... Well, for one thing, I'd go relax in a hot tub with some drinks, so good job. For another, I'd declare it mission accomplished! I found out what I was looking for, right? Then, I'd write a report about how much I searched and how sneaky those crazy aliens were, hiding with the natives like this. And I'd end by saying that I'd found them, but they were undercover, so all suspicious activity was suspended for now.
But of course I'd need to come back regularly to keep them under surveillance, just in case! That goes in the report, too. So I'd come back sometimes to at least keep an eye on them, if I didn't get to know them, because they're actually pretty cool. And then I could spend the day with them, or just spend the day with more drinks in a hot tub. Either way, it's win-win.
[You asked for a glimpse into his mind, Lea? You got it. Kinda scary, isn't it? Shame that probably doesn't actually answer the question you most likely meant to ask.....]
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Man, you've got it all figured out... [ Lea laughs. ]
[ Myde sure knows the system, doesn't he? Like, that is a flawless alibi right there. Completely bulletproof.
But of course, he'd have to. He's a recon expert. He has to know about his surroundings. He's observant, after all. He watches things.
Come to think of it. Demyx always was the one who acted the most like a person with a heart. Most committed to the act. And he was quieter in meetings, when Xemnas was running his mouth all the time about how terribly empty they all were, always, sometimes completely unprompted.
Demyx -
Myde -
He probably knew, in the end. ]
[ Softly: ] You know...
[ Lea's stopped moving enough that he's barely even creating ripples in the water now. He hadn't meant to start talking. He hadn't really meant to go back to anything heavy at all. Nobody likes heavy. But it's something that needs to be said, and it's pushing for him to say it. His heart, maybe, demanding to be heard.
He doesn't know how to say, "You were right, all along, and for what it's worth, I'm sorry that it came to this."
Well. He knows how to say that. He just doesn't know how to get there from a jovial conversation about alien dogs. Which he has just derailed by starting to talk before he knows what to say. ]
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[Myde smirks to himself, nuzzling against Lea's chest; it's supposed to feel good, duh. He's gotten that figured out, too, the pleasures of reaching out and touching people--even if nobody is willing to touch the other's heart and form a bond, there's still touching each other's bodies, the electric connection of skin on skin, exciting their senses and seducing their wits. Feelings could refer every bit as much to pure sensations as they could to emotions, couldn't it?
He's gotten it all figured out to the point where the challenge and entertainment of figuring out how to get away with what he did--does?--is rewarding in and of itself. He knows the system, and he games it mercilessly, because..... well, because he can. Because it's fun. Because it feels good, vindicating, like he's reclaiming some little bit of everything the Bossman and the others have stolen from him for all these years. It's interesting and engaging in its own way, the way missions and those endless speeches never have been on their own merits, just..... being there, immersing himself in a place and doing holistic recon, including the Castle. Darkness, maybe especially the Castle; he had to know who and what he was dealing with, to understand what he could slip under the radar.
Thought of that way, it all made a little more dense, didn't it? How quiet Demyx usually was during the meetings, aside from the periodic murmured commentary (mostly questions or complaints, or a bit of poking fun at Xemnas' philosophical pontificating) to his neighbors, or the occasional question or dumb joke. How loud and obnoxious he could be in the Grey Room, playing music or napping on the couch, or gossiping or complaining to anyone who'd listen, almost as though he were publicly flaunting his own worthlessness as a coworker. How much he'd cut up during the League's poker games, laughing too loud and chattering too much, bright and friendly and alive, acting practically human as though the drinks were going straight to his head. How jumpy and cowardly he was on paired missions in places like Halloweentown.....
He'd clung to Axel's arm and nearly shrieked when a spider the size of a small dog had skittered past, and practically hidden behind him the first time they'd met ghosts in person. He'd been shaking half the time while they were on that mission, and blushed at the weeks of teasing that had followed. He'd spluttered and protested how scary monsters were, how creepy spiders were, when Xigbar had gleefully told everyone about their midnight horror move marathon ("world research" was what they had decided on for the excuse) the night before that mission. He'd jumped at the scary parts, even screamed once or twice, and hidden his face against Xigbar's shoulder during particularly gory bits.....
He'd been a recon expert acting differently in different environments, to get different outcomes, always watching and learning. It had served him well, right up until the situation he'd been forced into had left no room for anything but fighting and dying like a cornered rat. It's human for terrible things to frighten you, for reminders of personal failings to embarrass you, to be horrified at reminders of mortality and the sight of other people getting hurt..... It took a heart to feel empathy, to resonate with someone's agony enough to truly understand their plight, whether or not you actually held any sympathy for them.
He'd been the weakest and dumbest member, the most secondhand-embarrassing and irrational of them all. He'd been the most fallible of their number by far, and--barring Roxas and Xion--possibly the most human. To err is human, right?
Even when it's an awkward, dumb error like butting into a playful conversation with something serious before he even knows what the hell he's doing--that's human, too. Lea's heart may still be clumsy and young, but it's doing its job. Myde makes a little questioning noise, tilting his head up to peer at Lea.]
Huh?