paixaorpg | Let us plant seeds of chaos, shall we? [completed]

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Let us plant seeds of chaos, shall we? [completed]

Character(s): Marluxia, Larxene
Content: Larxene comes to Marluxia with a proposition
Setting: Who knows?
Time: Who knows?
Warnings: Evil, what else?

He considered it a break before going back to business as usual. Granted, the work wasn't exactly difficult--and might be considered "pleasurable" had the word carried meaning to him anymore--but a return to his garden was more than welcome.

Its white, stone path weaved through in a winding maze--dead ends with unknown meaning, spiraling branches leading nowhere, paths connecting only to diverge moments later. The plants acted as walls, patches of the path visible through breaks in the foliage. Flowers, trees, bushes, poisonous, beneficial, colorful, monotone, varieties upon varieties, from different worlds and environs, it was a veritable patchwork of nature arranged with a meaning only the Graceful Assassin knew.

Marluxia busied himself near the center of his green labyrinth, watering a circle of flowers near a large tree, the largest in the garden.... and the only one left dead.

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Larxene did not often go calling on anyone, especially one of her fellow Nobodies. But Marluxia was an exception, and as she was able to, instead of working her way through the maze that was the garden, form a portal directly in the center and step easily through, it was obvious she spent more time calling on Marluxia than most.

And that, of course, was why she was here. She spotted him almost immediately, and strode over to him without caring what he happened to be up to at the moment. She had something to talk to him about, and it was either here or the library--and he would probably be easier to convince in his garden.

"Marluxia," she trilled, waiting for him to acknowledge her presence for once.

For a moment it seemed as though Marluxia hadn't even noticed the other Nobody's entrance, but after a moment he glanced over at her. "And what have I done to be graced with your presence this time?" he asked with a faint smirk as he continued his gardening.

Really, he'd been able to tell who it was before she had even spoken. He would have heard the footsteps a little further back had it been anyone else but Larxene--one of the few who could get to the center so easily. Not that he couldn't simply change things up if he desired. Even if the path would be a pain to reset.

"Why, I could simply be making a social call," Larxene said with a dismissive sweep of her hand. "Simply checking up on you to see how you're doing."

She giggled in her usual sweet way, leaning in as if to see what he was doing. Not that she cared, or could care, or would care even if she was able to. But it was part of the game she played, and she liked to think she played it well.

"But in this case, I do have an... Idea," Larxene said, and her tone dropped from sugary sweet to the scheming, conspiring tone she rarely let anyone hear. "I've been working on it a bit, but it would go so much faster if I had a bit of help."

"Or...?"

However good Larxene believed herself to be at the game she played, Marluxia already knew the rules, and as such barely reacted to her actions. He glanced at her once, but waited for her to continue.

"An idea?" Marluxia echoed. "You really have been busy lately. And what might your idea be this time?" She really had been busy, hadn't she? Just how many ideas were buzzing in that head of hers?

"There are so many gullible little idiotic toys in this city of ours," Larxene said, "that someone should take advantage of the strongest fools."

She tilted her head, leaned in closer. "And why not us?"

She giggled as if she was nothing more than an innocent child suggesting a particularly interesting game.

He looked over his shoulder at her. "Isn't that what you've already been doing? You don't mean to tell me that all you've been thinking about was having fun all this time."

Finally, he set his watering can to the side and fully turned toward her. "It's not polite to make one person do all the work."

"Unless you mean something more specific, that is."

"Now, now, my play is always my work," Larxene purred, "and you're absolutely right, you've been oh-so-rude, making me do all the work."

She circled around Marluxia idly, as if she were too excited to sit still. Really, she just didn't like being in one place for too long no matter the circumstances.

"I'm talking about an army, Marluxia."

"Is it my fault you've gotten such a head start? You can hardly expect me to compete in such cases..."

He watched her circle, and a brow quirked at her suggestion. "An army, you say? Just what do you have in mind?"

"There are too many factions competing for control for us to defeat them all on our own," Larxene said, an admission that was rare coming from her--but even she knew that with the likes of Sephiroth and Laharl in the city, there were powerful forces working against them. And that wasn't even taking the rest of the Organization into account.

"But surely with a few pawns we'd be able to overcome them, provided they were loyal."

And by that she meant suitably controlled in some way, but she didn't need to tell Marluxia that.

Not that Marluxia needed to be told in the first place. He knew well that at least a little control over a group of pawns was needed at all times, lest they get out of control and break their chains. After all, attack dogs are only useful when the throat they attempt to tear out isn't your own.

He "hmm"ed to himself quietly. "I take it you've already managed to gather a few prospective draftees?" he asked.

He would have to do a little scouting himself. It would hardly be advisable for her to have the entire thing to herself.

"A few," Larxene agreed enigmatically. "Enough to make the venture seem useful."

But still she named no names. There were some cards it was best to keep to herself, even to Marluxia. Especially to Marluxia. She worked with him because he had similar ambitions, and she knew very well the sort of things he might do with the information, because they were what she would do if the situation was reversed.

Theirs was an interesting alliance.

He neither needed nor wanted names. Able bodies would suffice, and if they were under Larxene's wing, it was safe to say she would be doing her part to make them as loyal to her as possible. He would worry about his pawns and she would worry about her own.

And that was exactly what their alliance was, a series of agreements and mistrusts changing with every new development.

"Good," he nodded. "Any potentials you're willing to divulge?"

She would divulge one. As a display of trust. Or something close enough to serve her purposes.

"There is a girl named Yorda," Larxene said. "She is easily controlled and has some sort of power that could be useful, if focused properly."

By which she meant aimed at their enemies, and not at them. There was the small matter of training the girl, but this was a problem for later.

"She reminds me a bit of the witch when we first found her."

He didn't expect much more than that.

"Yorda..." He repeated the name to himself to better memorize it. From what Larxene was saying, it sounded like a worthy lead to follow. Doubtless she was the one least useful to Larxene at the moment, but it could be that the girl could have more use than the Nymph believed. "I will look into her."

"Just remember I'm Co~ra to her," Larxene added. No need to blow her own cover over any slips of the tongue Marluxia might make. He was not known for them, but she could never be too careful.

"We'll need more than just her, though," she continued. "Surely you must have seen one or two potentially useful mice?"

Share and share alike, right?

Marluxia made note of it; he thought he'd seen her using that pseudonym on the journals, but seeing and knowing were two entirely separate things.

"One or two," he nodded. "Though one seems to have all but disappeared. The other would make an excellent little spy."

"Does this spy of yours have a name?" Larxene asked, leaning against a nearby tree. "Or is he so secretive you haven't gotten it out of him?"

A subtle play on his sense of pride. She knew Marluxia hated to be thought of as incapable of anything. And getting a name was such a simple task.

Marluxia frowned disapprovingly. "I've gotten enough from her," he replied quickly, starting even before she'd finished her sentence.

As she'd given him her sign of trust, he would give her his--though it couldn't be said he cared to. "Nina."

"I'll look into her," Larxene chirped, intentionally mimicking her associate's response to Yorda.

Though as far as Larxene knew, Nina was a little girl, and little girls were not known for holding their tongues. But Marluxia did have a way with children.

"I suppose I'll leave you to your gardening, then," she said with a wave of her hand as she summoned a portal. "Ta ta."

Marluxia's frown persisted with her mockery and as she left. She could get to know Nina if she wished. The girl was just a little girl, and while she would be good for discovering more about whoever she came into contact with, the chance of her running into someone of great importance was of no certainty.

The Nobody stared at the spot Larxene had left before he scoffed and picked up his watering can, beginning to head to a different spot of the garden.

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Let us plant seeds of chaos, shall we? [completed]

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