[Fic] Tagalong
Jan. 17th, 2021 06:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
chirurgiqueTitle: Tagalong
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Relationship: Elrena & Lauriam
Rating: G
Words: 913
Summary: After the prophesied clash between light and darkness, Marluxia’s memories returned. Larxene’s never left. How nice of him to finally join her.
“Do you remember why we’re here?”
It was kind of a shock to hear him speak. Marluxia — no, Lauriam, now — had been standing by the safehouse window for ages, tying his hair into a ponytail and untying it again, looking for the answers to the universe in the dust motes drifting in the sunbeams. There had been no sounds for a while but the dull roar of distant celebration, for the coronation of that princess, Rumpelstiltskin or whoever.
“Of course I do,” snorted Elrena, rolling her eyes.
“Really...” Lauriam still seemed lost in thought. He gave the twine in his hair one final pull.
“What, did you think I was that ditzy? I should be asking you if you remember.”
She really should have. For ten long years, it had been the question of the hour.
Contemplatively, he adjusted his vest, taking his sweet time to do up the buttons.
“I do,” he said plainly.
“Of course you do.” Elrena drummed her fingertips impatiently on the safehouse’s old wooden table. The light from the window spilled across it, pooling over the spread of tacky cards that Luxord had left strewn across its surface. Elrena’s eye was drawn to the one nearest her hand. The Fool. Yeah, yeah.
It seemed like Lauriam was finally done with his preparations. He turned to Elrena. “Aren’t you going to change?”
The remark kind of startled her. She looked down at her outfit — the dull, sleek pleather of the Organization uniform glaring back unflatteringly as always — and just shrugged.
“Not like I have anything to get dolled up for.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Lauriam stepped forward and picked up one of Luxord’s cards off the table. “But we do have someone to meet.”
Elrena felt her throat go dry. But she had gotten so far without ever taking it out on him. She forced herself to swallow.
“Do we?” she said in what she hoped was an even voice. “Lauriam, we’ve gone such a long way.”
“We have.”
“We’re so far out from where we were. We’re...” For goodness’ sakes. Was she going to cry? Having a heart was the worst.
“We’re back on track again.”
How could he be so calm? Elrena watched as he gently replaced the card and picked up another one. Was it because he had gone the long ten years in blissful ignorance? How nice for him, to get to remember the quest suddenly like some sort of new warm life to pick up and hold. Meanwhile Elrena had been holding it forever, sagging under the weight of it until her fingers went numb.
“Lauriam,” she said, and that was numb too. “We’re too late.”
He paused for a moment. Then he reached for the table and retrieved the first card he had examined. He picked up another card, and another, assembling some sort of hand. “I don’t think that can be.”
That startled a laugh out of Elrena, though it came out more like a cough. “How do you figure?”
“Think about it.” Still adding cards, he held one potential candidate up to the streaming sunlight as if to appraise it. “After everything that’s happened, Xehanort is gone. Xemnas, the Organization, all of it is over. Our hearts have returned once more—” seemingly satisfied, he slotted the candidate in with the others “—and this time, my memories have returned as well.” Apparently finished with his card hand, he looked up across the top of it at Elrena. “The time is just right.”
Elrena spluttered. “What, so you’re saying... it’s destiny?”
“It feels like it.”
This was absurd coming from Lauriam, and even more absurd that he was presenting such a wildly hopeful idea in his usual prim and haughty manner. As if it was just self-evident fact and Elrena was plainly wrong to despair.
“I thought pre-written destiny was the bad guys’ racket.” She grit her teeth. “Or at least that’s what that nerd boy of yours used to say.”
It was a low blow to bring up loved ones who were long dead and dusted. But isn’t that what he had done to her when he had asked her why they were here?
Lauriam seemed unfazed. The poised jerk.
Elrena couldn’t take this anymore. She spun around and pushed on the safehouse door.
It was a little colder outside than she had expected, or maybe her face had just been hotter than she thought. The air on the grassy hill was thick with pollen and other plant-based detritus, clouds of tiny white-winged gnats coalescing in the sunniest patches. It was obnoxiously peaceful and cheerful. She waved away a bee with impotent aggression.
“Elrena...” Of course Lauriam had followed her out. His tone was even and sympathetic. Was he some kind of saint now? Was he determined to prove he was a fancy prodigy at starting a new lease on life, too? ... Should she apologize to him?
She took a deep, shaky breath, and turned back to the house to face him.
Whatever she was going to say left her mind upon seeing what he held. The fan of faded cards had turned into flowers, hand-sized blooms of orange, pink and gold. They still blossomed and unfolded, shedding glittery remnants of magic from whatever spell.
Lauriam smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. I haven’t seen him smile like that since we were kids, Elrena realized. But the smile was rueful, too.
“Let’s not give up yet.”
Fandom: Kingdom Hearts
Relationship: Elrena & Lauriam
Rating: G
Words: 913
Summary: After the prophesied clash between light and darkness, Marluxia’s memories returned. Larxene’s never left. How nice of him to finally join her.
“Do you remember why we’re here?”
It was kind of a shock to hear him speak. Marluxia — no, Lauriam, now — had been standing by the safehouse window for ages, tying his hair into a ponytail and untying it again, looking for the answers to the universe in the dust motes drifting in the sunbeams. There had been no sounds for a while but the dull roar of distant celebration, for the coronation of that princess, Rumpelstiltskin or whoever.
“Of course I do,” snorted Elrena, rolling her eyes.
“Really...” Lauriam still seemed lost in thought. He gave the twine in his hair one final pull.
“What, did you think I was that ditzy? I should be asking you if you remember.”
She really should have. For ten long years, it had been the question of the hour.
Contemplatively, he adjusted his vest, taking his sweet time to do up the buttons.
“I do,” he said plainly.
“Of course you do.” Elrena drummed her fingertips impatiently on the safehouse’s old wooden table. The light from the window spilled across it, pooling over the spread of tacky cards that Luxord had left strewn across its surface. Elrena’s eye was drawn to the one nearest her hand. The Fool. Yeah, yeah.
It seemed like Lauriam was finally done with his preparations. He turned to Elrena. “Aren’t you going to change?”
The remark kind of startled her. She looked down at her outfit — the dull, sleek pleather of the Organization uniform glaring back unflatteringly as always — and just shrugged.
“Not like I have anything to get dolled up for.”
“Well, if you’re sure.” Lauriam stepped forward and picked up one of Luxord’s cards off the table. “But we do have someone to meet.”
Elrena felt her throat go dry. But she had gotten so far without ever taking it out on him. She forced herself to swallow.
“Do we?” she said in what she hoped was an even voice. “Lauriam, we’ve gone such a long way.”
“We have.”
“We’re so far out from where we were. We’re...” For goodness’ sakes. Was she going to cry? Having a heart was the worst.
“We’re back on track again.”
How could he be so calm? Elrena watched as he gently replaced the card and picked up another one. Was it because he had gone the long ten years in blissful ignorance? How nice for him, to get to remember the quest suddenly like some sort of new warm life to pick up and hold. Meanwhile Elrena had been holding it forever, sagging under the weight of it until her fingers went numb.
“Lauriam,” she said, and that was numb too. “We’re too late.”
He paused for a moment. Then he reached for the table and retrieved the first card he had examined. He picked up another card, and another, assembling some sort of hand. “I don’t think that can be.”
That startled a laugh out of Elrena, though it came out more like a cough. “How do you figure?”
“Think about it.” Still adding cards, he held one potential candidate up to the streaming sunlight as if to appraise it. “After everything that’s happened, Xehanort is gone. Xemnas, the Organization, all of it is over. Our hearts have returned once more—” seemingly satisfied, he slotted the candidate in with the others “—and this time, my memories have returned as well.” Apparently finished with his card hand, he looked up across the top of it at Elrena. “The time is just right.”
Elrena spluttered. “What, so you’re saying... it’s destiny?”
“It feels like it.”
This was absurd coming from Lauriam, and even more absurd that he was presenting such a wildly hopeful idea in his usual prim and haughty manner. As if it was just self-evident fact and Elrena was plainly wrong to despair.
“I thought pre-written destiny was the bad guys’ racket.” She grit her teeth. “Or at least that’s what that nerd boy of yours used to say.”
It was a low blow to bring up loved ones who were long dead and dusted. But isn’t that what he had done to her when he had asked her why they were here?
Lauriam seemed unfazed. The poised jerk.
Elrena couldn’t take this anymore. She spun around and pushed on the safehouse door.
It was a little colder outside than she had expected, or maybe her face had just been hotter than she thought. The air on the grassy hill was thick with pollen and other plant-based detritus, clouds of tiny white-winged gnats coalescing in the sunniest patches. It was obnoxiously peaceful and cheerful. She waved away a bee with impotent aggression.
“Elrena...” Of course Lauriam had followed her out. His tone was even and sympathetic. Was he some kind of saint now? Was he determined to prove he was a fancy prodigy at starting a new lease on life, too? ... Should she apologize to him?
She took a deep, shaky breath, and turned back to the house to face him.
Whatever she was going to say left her mind upon seeing what he held. The fan of faded cards had turned into flowers, hand-sized blooms of orange, pink and gold. They still blossomed and unfolded, shedding glittery remnants of magic from whatever spell.
Lauriam smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. I haven’t seen him smile like that since we were kids, Elrena realized. But the smile was rueful, too.
“Let’s not give up yet.”
