Rainfall, part one
Life in the Organization was quiet.
As of yet, of their original six, two more had been added, and Zexion viewed them and studied them from afar in a manner that could have almost have been considered shy.
It was far from it, of course.
Ienzo's trust had been won by the smiling four that had been come before him as Ansem's apprentices easily only because of circumstances.
All others had been carefully kept at a distance.
Even young, Ienzo had been like a well-trained spy, watching others and debating over and over and over again inside his mind.
Could he really trust them?
Were they enemies?
What happened if.... something like that happened again?
The world Ienzo had come from had been full of hidden dangers, and he had known with a kind of fear that even though a person seemed alright at first, they could be hiding all sorts of filthy sins inside of them.
Eventually, through his own watching and Ansem the Wise's reassurances, he had deduced that the people who frequented the castle and the labs were not to be feared...
Still, out of his own preferences, he had stuck close to Dilan, Braig, Even, and Elaeus most of all.
However, as a Nobody, although he still watched, Zexion was unable to move on as Ienzo had been able to do.
Staying in the shadows, he observed Saix and Axel, watched as the Lunar Diviner rose in favor to the Superior's eyes with relative ease and as the Flurry of Dancing Flames quickly proved himself to be just as dangerous and unruly as the fire he controlled.
They got things done, of course, and they proved themselves valuable to the Organization.
For Zexion, that was enough.
Whatever furthered their goals... Whatever got them their hearts back.
However, he wasn't aware that a ninth member was around until the sharp smell of salt reached his nose one night (like it always was in their empty little world)...
And some one then barreled into him not a few minutes later.
Faintly, Zexion could hear Vexen yelling something, annoyed as usual (Lexaeus once lightly commented that Axel never helped his blood pressure) but that wasn't what really caught his attention.
Even as he rubbed his nose, a faint scowl on his face, the ocean smell was even stronger now, washing over him.
Before he had time to truly recover, a gloved hand was suddenly shoved into his face.
Blinking, he looked up, his hidden eyebrow quirked.
A pair of bright blue eyes stared down into his own, a wide, genuine grin, unlike the smirks so commonly found in the Castle, right below them.
The new Nobody's hair looked like the love child of a drunk affair between a mohawk and a mullet, a messy compilation of blond strands.
"Hey there!" the other man laughed, his offered hand wiggling its fingers for a moment. "I'm new to this whole thing! The name's-"
"Demyx," Vexen interrupted, an annoyed scowl on his face as he finally trotted up. "Don't run off like that on a superior!" The scientist rolled his eyes, already frustrated at the young Nobody. "Greetings, Zexion. I hope that our newest member hasn't bothered you." Pointedly, he narrowed his eyes at Demyx.
The blond gave a sheepish laugh, and the hand retreated to rub the back of his head.
"Yeah, sorry about that, Vex! I just wanted to introduce myself real quick! It's Zexion, right?" The grin returned, bright as ever. "Nice to meet'cha! Is it alright if I called you 'Zexy'?"
Once more, the hand was offered to him, and Zexion looked at it blankly.
"I'd prefer it if you didn't," he said simply, before silently turning away and briskly walking down the hall.
Behind him, he could hear Demyx's confused question.
"Did I say something wrong?"
"The nickname for one thing," Vexen replied with a tired sigh. It wasn't hard to tire him out, but none the less. "However, Zexion tends to respond to everyone that way."
With a puzzled frown, Demyx looked down the hallway that the blue-haired Nobody had gone, but by that point, Zexion had already disappeared.