Don't believe what you hear

[notjustanyolddude]

The heat of Rabanastre's day was still cresting when Xigbar arrived at the Sandsea. It never quite got as hot and dry inside the city as beyond the walls, out in the desert, but it could still get fairly unbearable, which was why the early afternoons were good times to retreat indoors. Especially if indoors was somewhere with air conditioning and fridged beer, like the Sandsea was. Afternoons were good business, and the Thirteenth Order had, for now, taken over the running of the place in light of Tomaj's extended and unannounced absence.

He was probably dead, at least in Xigbar's view. The landlord of the Sandsea got to hear all the gossip from a lot of the clans. All it would take would be for someone to want him to unhear something. It was a good location though, and while the lawyers and family did their bit, Xigbar had given a couple of people a nudge, and for now the pub was staying open and under the temporary management of Tomaj's employees. Or rather, under the temporary management of Saix and himself, and technically Demyx even if Demyx didn't do any of the actual management bit.

Saix was like an old hand at the job. Delegating tasks, acquisitioning supplies, and managing rotas was second nature to the dude that had basically served as Xemnas's secretary anyway - because Xemnas would have been blowed if he was doing it, and Xigbar had more important shit to do like earwig at Xemnas's doors. He even looked happy while he worked. Xigbar came in, dressed as casually as was decent in Rabanastre, a land where tiny bolero vests and not much else on teenage boys was the fashion, and parked his ass at the bar. He gave a polite nod to the Squad Three Captain, who Xigbar liked to keep around with the 'free first drink of the day for Gotei Squad members' rule (nothing gave a pub the air of totally-not-a-hive-of-scum-and-villainy-honest like Thirteen Protection Squad Captains drinking there, even if the Captain in question was Gin Ichimaru, and he was, in Xigbar's humbly professional opinion, as bent as a bottle of chips), and seated himself a bit further down the bar, near Axel.

A glance around told Xigbar that a few of the old Organization were lurking today. Lexaeus, completely lost without Zexion, and now Vexen, was spending more time around Xaldin. Larxene stuck with her Jahsinist buddy from Akatsuki these days, but she might be interested in what Marluxia had been up to, too. He didn't see Demyx, but was he was probably skiving off somewhere, since he didn't, currently, see Saix either, even though he knew Saix was on shift today.

He waited, and was glad to see Saix wasn't long in coming out from the cellars, carrying three stacked crates of beers for the fridge. He looked nothing like he ever had in the Organization; hair tied off his face in a messy ponytail, white shirt that wasn't buttoned all the way up, and an easy smile on his face like he was enjoying his day.

Well, Xigbar was about to ruin that.

He gave a short whistle at Saix to get his attention, tilting his chin up briefly to indicate he should come over. "Mine's a beer," he pointed his thumb towards Axel, "and whatever he's having. You're gonna wanna get yourself one, too."

Comments

[taciturnstalwart]

Lexaeus had listened in on the conversation going on nearby since Xigbar had called Axel and Saix together. He no more trusted that pairing than Ienzo had, and that seeing it reformed had caused Ienzo to leave had bothered him deeply. Now they'd lost Vexen to the continued presence of the pair, and Xigbar's allowing of their continued alliance.

Wrongs had been done to them, and Radiant Garden, long ago, and that was a burden he, and Dilan, and Even, and Ienzo all had to bear. It did not, however, negate the wrongs Saix and Axel committed against them in turn.

He clenched his fist when he heard Zexion being implicated in Marluxia's arrival on Vexen's doorstep. Zexion would not commit such an act of treachery, not against one of them.

Lexaeus had stayed behind when Zexion had left. He wished, now, that he hadn't. Zexion had landed himself in deeper trouble than he could handle alone, and Lexaeus had not been there to protect him. Now Vexen too was at risk?

"I'll go," he said, his deep voice carrying across the space to the bar, "and warn Vexen."

[shoottokill]

Gin, ever smiling, took another mouthful of his drink.

So Marluxia had been enough of an enemy to them to require somebody to go out and warn Vexen. That went much deeper than minor dislike, didn't? That explained precisely why Ienzo insisted on accompanying the retrieval party instead of leaving it to Marluxia and his creepy companion.

He turned slightly to the sound of Lexaeus's voice. He didn't have to do it, but to not react to such a sudden noise to the side of him would have looked rather more suspicious than sitting still and oblivious.

[gotitmemorised]

Lea looked over to Lexaeus.

He hadn't expected him to volunteer. He was one of the Order's quieter members, one who largely stayed put instead of walking the world or going to see the sights. He seemed at a loose end without Zexion there, so he supposed it wasn't that weird that he'd stick his hand up for the job.

He was probably bored.

[notjustanyolddude]

Xigbar looked to the unexpected movement from Lexaeus' direction. He'd always been a quiet mountain of a man anyway, not prone to speaking unless he had something to say. It was why he got on well with Vexen and Zexion. Neither of them were fond of letting other people get a word in edgeways, so someone who didn't often have need to was their favourite type of person.

The problem was, Xigbar knew, that with them gone, Lexaeus was at a loose end. There was always the risk that Lexaeus would find Vexen, and disappear with him. Or worse, find Zexion and disappear with him.

He curled his lip as he made an awkward, hesitant noise. "Problem with that is," he said, rubbing the back of his neck with one hand, "Vexen's done one."

He glanced at Saix, adding, "I don't mean done one as in gone off in a huff, either, he'd already done that. I mean done one and gone off radar." He glanced back at Lexaeus. "You'll be in for a long search."

[innatelunacy]

That news caught Saix's attention like little else had. He straightened up, his attention firmly on Xigbar now.

"How did you lose Vexen?" He asked, his expression stony and tone cold. Xigbar kept a close eye on them, Saix certainly felt Xigbar's eye constantly watching over his shoulder, and it wasn't a comforting presence. Various members of the Order were allowed freedoms, to a certain extent, but after losing Zexion to Khamja, Saix had been reasonably sure that Xigbar would shoot anyone else who tried to leave.

Whether he shot them in the knee or the back of the head would depend on who it was. Xigbar, more than any of them, was very much in favour of the Nobodies sticking together. He was enough in favour of it that he, and by extension Axel, were being kept around, despite the disapproval of every other member of the Order barring possibly Demyx and Larxene. They stayed, or at least Saix did, because he was reasonably sure the bullet used to pin him down if he tried to leave would be one of the back of the head variety.

[taciturnstalwart]

Lexaeus didn't twitch at this news. It wasn't that much of a surprise to him that Vexen would at least attempt to slip Xigbar's inexpert leash. Xigbar wasn't Xemnas, and didn't have the same hold over the rest of them that Xemnas had, try as he might.

He folded his arms, waiting for Xigbar to answer Saix's question. He disliked Saix intensely. Part of it was because Saix had been the driving force in Zexion's death in Castle Oblivion. He'd died by Axel's hand, after Lexaeus's own failure, but it had been at Saix's behest, in accordance with some scheme of both Saix and Axel's devising.

But whatever Lexaeus's opinion of Saix may be, he had a good question.

[gotitmemorised]

Lea had a good idea of how he'd lost him.

Vexen wasn't somebody that Xigbar had thought he'd need to keep much of an eye on. Vexen wasn't particularly independent. He'd spent his life with a group, both before and after his stint as a Nobody, and he was used to having people around him and used to them making the decisions. He might be the sort of person who put more than a little too much stock in rank, but he needed people around him, especially powerful people, because he was nothing if not a coward.

Xigbar hadn't expected Vexen to wander off. He'd figured he'd go to somewhere he was used to, far away from the others, and stay holed up there until his temper receded because he was a creature of habit. Vexen had been lost because he'd defied Xigbar's expectations of behaviour.

Pretty low expectations, Lea thought.

[notjustanyolddude]

Xigbar held up both of his hands to Saix, like a man about to be shot trying to forestall the inevitable. It was a gesture that didn't match the bright, sharkish grin he flashed him, that held no humour. "You know as well as I do that the one thing guaranteed to piss Frosty off and make him a stubborn old mule that won't come back is if he finds out you're breathing down his neck."

He shrugged, and put his hands down again. "He went to Daguerreo after your little road trip," he said, still looking at Saix, "but he ain't there now."

He turned to throw a glance at Lexaeus. "If you still wanna look for him, that'd be a good place to start."

[innatelunacy]

Saix scowled. Vexen was out there, somewhere, and Marluxia was prowling. Had he got wind that Marluxia was looking for him? How could he? Unless the house wasn't the first place Marluxia had been.

For all their differences, Saix still held some affection for Even. Spira was a sanctuary, yes, but it was also a dangerous world, with strange and terrifying abilities, and now Vexen, Even, was alone out there in it.

His voice dropped low and dangerous as he spoke. "You of all people know how to keep tabs on us without us finding out, or have you simply been bluffing up to now?"

[gotitmemorised]

"It's that or he underestimated Vexen," Lea said blithely, looking from Saix to Xigbar, eyes narrowed. "Either way it's pretty embarrassing."

Saix was going to be angry that Vexen had been lost, though Lea didn't care over much. He didn't like Vexen and, it had to be said, he didn't like Even, either. Despite this, if he was honest, he was half impressed that he'd managed to give Xigbar the slip. All of Xigbar's claims and threats had kept them mostly present, barring Hunts, and well behaved. If it turned out that Vexen's disappearance had broken that spell, he might have to respect him a little.

It wasn't only Xigbar's low expectations he had squashed with his vanishing act.

More importantly, if it turned out that Xigbar was lying about how many tentacles he had out there that meant that he'd just lost grip of the leashes, or nooses, that he had wrapped around their necks.

[shoottokill]

Gin brought his glass to his lips.

Uh-oh.

Could it be that he was witnessing the beginning of the end for the half-cohesion of the famous XIII Order? The two loose cannons were questioning their leader's competence and the big quiet one was looking for an out, possibly on Vexen's heels.

This was a development he'd have to keep an eye on.

[notjustanyolddude]

Xigbar actually looked amused. He laughed at Saix's challenge. "You ever hear of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer, Saix?" He laughed again, flashing a glance over at Axel before he turned back to Saix. "Who'm I kidding? Of course you have." Close enough, even, that Axel had ditched him while Saix got drawn into Xemnas's scheme ever deeper. Those two had been inseparable, up to that.

He shrugged, dangling his beer from his fingers as he turned to Axel. "I gave Vexen space, can't argue with that. And maybe it was too much." He smirked, holding Axel's gaze as he continued, "I wouldn't call it embarrassing, though. Just inconvenient."

[taciturnstalwart]

Lexaeus watched Xigbar face off against Axel and Saix. It irked him to think that Xigbar had allowed Vexen, too, to depart their company in the interests of keeping those two around. They were traitors, but more importantly, they'd hurt Ienzo, and Even, in the interests of their own little plan. Now, they weren't just permitted to associate, Xigbar practically encouraged it, and here he was implying that he'd delibaretly kept a closer eye on them because he didn't trust them than he had on Vexen, who being alone in this strange world may need some support.

He stood from his table and walked over to the bar, towing over the tense little conversation.

"First Ienzo," he said, voice thrumming quietly, "now Even. We cannot afford these losses, Braig."

[innatelunacy]

Saix scowled at Xigbar.

Something about him got under Saix's skin. His laid back attitude covered too much slyness for Saix's liking. He and Axel had made plans, yes, and they'd been traitor to the Organization in the name of them, yes, but whenever Saix spent too long around Xigbar he got the unsettling impression that their treachery simply amused him. As if he knew more than either Saix or Axel ever could.

He spoke in circles, too. Like Xemnas frequently did.

Lexaeus dragged Saix from his boiling irritation, and his fist clenched in response. They'd lost both their scientists, and it wasn't hard to guess who the others would blame for it.

He shot a glance at Lea, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

[gotitmemorised]

"Well I'm glad you're so cheerful about it," Lea said, voicing the annoyance that Saix had kept back. "Because you losing both Zexion and Vexen to what can only be incompetence just means that people like him," he threw a look at Lexaeus, "blame people like us," he indicated himself and Saix, "for being here and 'driving them away'. I don't particularly want the last thing I see to be a big axe thing coming at me, especially when you made me join this little outfit you have goin' on in the first place."

He looked at Xigbar, eyes hard, not quite glaring, although the intent was there. He spoke low, not low enough to be unheard, but so that other, unrelated people around them wouldn't take his part in the conversation for an escalation.

"The last place I want to be is here, with members of the Organization, reminding me of all that, yet you're there, with a close on me and Saix, to keep us here, under duress, at the expense of people who are or may have been loyal before I turned up. Are you so busy eyeballing us that you can't see that the rest of them probably want to be here as much as we do? Looks like Vexen took advantage of your single-mindedness."

[notjustanyolddude]

Xigbar wore a grin like a crocodile in wildebeest migrating season. Axel had no idea, and Saix probably had a little less of one, and Xigbar loved it. This must have been how Xemnas felt all the time.

"Now doesn't this just feel like old times?" He asked, his grin staying on his face. "You two together, against the rest of us." He chuckled again, looking at Saix for a moment before he turned back to Axel, "You never were much good at playing Happy Families."

There were a lot of things he wasn't about to say in front of Lexaeus. There were even more things it was much more fun not to say at all, and to let Axel and Saix flounder around in the dark about, their importance to Xigbar being among those things.

"Vexen's no traitor," he said, his grin dropping sharply, "nor's Zexion, not really. A pair of highly strung egos, sure, but not traitors. They'll come back eventually. Maybe I've gotta shoot you to convince them to do it sooner rather than later, but that's an acceptable risk, in my book." He flashed an unpleasant grin at Axel again, "Of course, if it comes to that, it's easier if I know where to find you. I like to hedge my bets, kiddo; I don't get rid of anything I might have use for. Including you two."

[taciturnstalwart]

Lexaeus grunted, and folded his arms. It was, at least, good to hear that Xigbar didn't consider Ienzo and Even to be traitors. On the other hand, he doubted Ienzo would be quick to return. Leaving had not been a spur of the moment decision for him, he had considered it carefully and then been intercepted.

Even, true, had departed based on a flush of emotion, but Ienzo had left because he could not in good faith stay with a group that continued to accept Saix's presence despite all he had done.

Despite all that, he didn't particularly want Saix and Axel set loose into the world either. He didn't trust them to simply go. Sometimes you had to destroy something completely for the peace of mind it provided to know it was gone, and could not return.

[innatelunacy]

"You talk too much," Saix said, tiring of Xigbar and his nonsense. He tried very, very hard to be Xemnas in the man's absence, and for all his attempts, Xigbar never had matched up to the menace and subtlety of the original. Xemnas had talked too much, too, using a great number of words to say as little as he possibly could, and he was still better at it than Xigbar.

Still, Xigbar had made it patently clear that he and Lea would never be allowed to leave the Order, or the old Organization, without a fight, or without having to watch their backs at every step for the rest of their lives.

"You still should not have lost Vexen, whatever other nonsense you may claim."

The thought worried him more than he was prepared to let on. Even, alone, somewhere in the world, deliberately trying to evade them, or Xigbar, and unaware of a coming threat.

Or perhaps aware of a coming threat, but trusting Xigbar and the Order so little that he didn't pass on the warning.

[gotitmemorised]

Lea rolled his eyes.

Happy families? Yeah, right. Why should they want to play that? They'd ended up on a new world, for a fresh start, and here they were again, unwillingly part of the Organization, right when they had a chance to start anew. That had worked out for them so well the first time, right?

He didn't believe that Xigbar had everything in hand. He couldn't quite work out why he wanted to keep them close instead of letting them disappear and get out of his hair, especially since they had relatively innocent lives aside from the Order, but whatever reason it was, he figured it more important than keeping an eye on the members that he didn't think wanted to leave.

Luxord had gone. He didn't have any enmity with them, but he'd gone. He lived well away, with new people and enjoyed his new life, from what he'd heard. He barely bothered to report back, having found a life where gambling and potentially a bit of sneaky piracy was par for the course. Zexion had walked out, apparently kidnapped by the opposition, though he could just as easily have joined them willingly, in Lea's opinion. He hated Saix enough for that. It was possible that Vexen had done the same, too.

Lexaeus, to Lea's eyes, was looking for a way out. He didn't want to be there without Zexion. He was willing to go out and look for Vexen, by himself, with no notion of where to start and if that didn't scream 'get me out of here' he didn't know what did. Xaldin didn't have anything else to do, but he was half sure it would be a matter of time before he joined up with another group and Demyx... well. He liked an easy life.

But here was Xigbar, proclaiming that keeping an eye on them was more important. Vexen and Zexion had more than enough reason to leave, for good, and most of that reason was Xigbar insisting on keeping traitors around at the expense of the opinions and feelings of those he thought were loyal.

Lea thought that he vastly overestimated the loyalty of numbers three through six. He didn't think they'd be back. If Vexen was as smart as he thought he was, he'd sought out Zexion. If he was half as smart, he'd disappeared in some alternative fashion, quietly and away from the places that Xigbar would check first. It was possible he'd just forgotten to check in, but he doubted it.

He doubted it very much.

It was just unfortunate, at least for Saix, that Vexen had chosen to do this when Marluxia was on the prowl, potentially looking for him. Maybe he'd disappeared because of that, who knew? They sure didn't, because Xigbar was so busy making sure his hands were in the right place that he'd not noticed his ass falling off.

[notjustanyolddude]

Xigbar gave a humourless chuckle. "I wouldn't need to track him at all if someone hadn't gone around complicating everyone's lives," he said.

Then he turned to Lexaeus, glancing up at him. "If you still wanna go looking for Vexen, I'll talk to you later." He'd need Lexaeus to stay in closer contact than Vexen had, that was for sure. Especially since the dude was their link to Zexion. Unfortunately, it'd be tough to convince Lexaeus not to go searching for Vexen at all. He always did have a soft spot for the scientists, even Even, who hadn't exactly been a peach to know even when he had a heart.

[taciturnstalwart]

Lexaeus grunted and nodded his head. Even needed to be warned if Marluxia was on the prowl, that was unquestionable.

Lexaeus wondered, privately, if Even may have gone to contact Ienzo, however. Or, possibly, that Ienzo was trying to seek out Even. They knew Ienzo had ended up with Khamja, and by extension with Marluxia. Perhaps they had already contacted Even, perhaps the house in Lindblum was simply a way to communicate safely. Or had been, until Braig's intrusion.

Vexen, he knew, didn't trust Xigbar. He'd been foolish to trust Saix, but then, they all had, but none of them had ever really trusted Xigbar.

Lexaeus didn't trust him now, but he did trust Even and Ienzo. He'd prefer to ensure Even, at least, was safe.

He gave Axel and Saix one last, stony glance, before he turned and left the conversation.

[innatelunacy]

Saix looked like, well... Saix. The easy, relaxed attitude of Isa that he'd had before was long gone. He'd been having a good day, and then Xigbar had happened to it.

"Is there anything else of vital importance for you to tell us?" He asked, shoulders straight and severe expression on his face.

He didn't look at Lea. Not yet. There would be a short conversation with him about this once Xigbar was gone, and that conversation would probably consist of six different ways to express that they didn't trust Xigbar.

Saix wondered if he and Lea would be able to get away, as Vexen had, as Zexion had, but the fact that Xigbar had prioritised keeping them nearby over Zexion and now Vexen's continued loyalty worried him on levels so deep he couldn't express it in words. All he could think was that Xigbar was up to something.

This world's gods, and the Darkness, and Kingdom Hearts only knew what, however.

[gotitmemorised]

"If there is, I don't wanna hear it," he said, finishing his drink and getting up from the chair he had been occupying. "Wouldn't wanna sit around complicating anyone's lives."

[shoottokill]

Gin kept his smile fixed in place until they started leaving. Then he raised his head, as any other patron might, at regulars leaving. He looked up, but not far enough for anybody to see the colour of his eyes.

Well, now. This was very prickly. He'd known that, but the informal meeting had shown rather a lot more spines than he'd expected.

The big one, Lexaeus, was set to look for Vexen, was he? He could tell him, but he wouldn't. Instead, he made a wager with himself, a wager about how long it would be before Clan Khamja had the pleasure of inducting yet another Ryoka into their ranks.

[notjustanyolddude]

Xigbar watched Axel take his leave with a lopsided grin. It was just heartwarming to know he'd got the kid's back up.

He'd got Saix's back up, too, from the look of it. No doubt they'd stick their heads together later and band ideas between themselves. That was what they were good at, unless you planted seeds of distrust; working together. They were push and pull. If you wanted to keep them both in line, you only really needed to keep a leash on one of them.

"I'll let you know," he said, flashing that grin at Saix before he retrieved his beer and headed off to his usual spot in the bar.