damned_institute | Nightshift 40: M11-M20 Hallway

Entry tags:

Nightshift 40: M11-M20 Hallway

[M12]

There was this 'Avatar' again, the thing that supposedly linked one's consciousness within this video game. Klavier couldn't quite understand how such a thing could help anyone fight, but he was certain that this connection had something to do with how and why Endrance was taken. If this really wasn't something every player experienced, then there was little doubt others might find such a thing interesting, yes? He still wasn't sure how this all worked, but preserving this connection had to be the point of it all. At least in this particular case.

Any further discussion on this or the strange 'Kira' murders was cut short with the intercom announcement. If one could call it that. Herr Doktor's voice and demeanor changed come nightfall, true, but this was stranger than usual. In fact, he couldn't even be sure if it was the doctor. It was far too raspy to identify either way.

This was getting more bizarre with every evening. First taunting then what may or may not have been snoring... and now this strange dilapidated voice?

"Open the box?" he repeated. What could he possibly mean by that? ...Wait. Was this voice even addressing the patient population? It seemed too specific a thing to say to everyone. Could this be a message for Herr Doktor? Or was this a message for a specific party? Maybe someone had managed to do something recently...

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[From here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/603918.html?thread=51261198#t51261198)]

Ah, M16 at last. Luxord removed his hood once through the door, taking note of Tyche curled up and sleeping on his pillow. So cute. He made sure to toss Clark's flashlight onto the opposite bed to keep from disturbing her.

On the subject of disturbing, the feeling of his blood drying to the inside of his glove was beginning to irritate him, as well as feeling of his coat pressing against that lovely new burn on his shoulder. The Nobody paused, thinking a moment, before sliding his arm from Grell's and removing his gloves, the coat followed suit, and both were soon folded neatly inside his dresser drawer. So long as he still had that normal black shirt on, the lady shouldn't be too offended. He turned to the redhead, offering that same charming grin as always.

"That was quite the evening, my lady. I must thank you for inviting me."

Luxord had picked the right answer because Grell had no idea what the Nobody had been thinking, which mean they both arrived to the room in one piece. Of course, Grell wasn't in danger of fainting anytime soon, but he was in danger of having the worst headache he'd had in a long time. The god was grateful that they arrived at the room when they did. It gave him a chance to stop trying push what little power he had left and a chance to possibly sit--

...

Cat.

There was a cat.

What was with him and finding the men who liked cats? At least this one was cute. Moving into the room, Grell stepped over to the closest desk and sat on it, crossing his legs. He couldn't exactly change as Luxord was, but he could at least take his gloves off and check his hands. Peeling off his left one first and then his right, he laid them in his lap and sighed in relief when he saw that his hands weren't tainted. He had to hand it to whoever was in charge of the death gods' uniforms - they were well made. Rubbing the pad of his thumb over his fingernails in place of a buffer, Grell smiled as Luxord finished putting away his things and addressed him. "It was my pleasure, darling. It's always so much more fun with two - especially someone with whom I have so much in common. Perhaps we could do it again sometime?"

X had paused to check on his shoulder, the burn on which was looking decidedly unattractive. He'd act more upset with this turn of events if the brat hadn't been mortally wounded by the end of it. Oh, karma. How it never failed the universe.

Of course, this karma never applied to him. As far as the blond was concerned, he never did anything unjustly. Every single thing had its reasons. Nothing bad could ever come back to him as such.

But ah, the lady was speaking again, wasn't she? Luxord moved to lean against the other side of the desk, reaching up to brush his fingers through that red hair with a smile. "I would most enjoy that. You are quite the lady, after all, and I feel honored to have met you."

His nails were cleaned and while his left pointer finger still ached, he was able to ignore that in favor of the hand in his hair. Cheeky boy. He did like invading Grell's personal space, didn't he? The death god didn't mind all that much since he did like Luxord's company, but the Nobody had to be careful. Those who fell out of Grell's favor once they were in it, usually didn't live long to tell the tale.

Leaning back on his good hand, Grell looked over at Luxord and smiled at him as he moved just a little bit closer. The burn on his shoulder and the pain he must have been in was just all that more alluring. The man was trying, despite not really caring, to grab Grell's attention and that was commendable if not worthy of reward in and of itself. "The honor is mine, darling. I was afraid I was going to be stuck playing the good shepherd my entire time here. Having such a delightful companion for the night, however, makes all the daytime suffering worth it."

If it made Grell feel any better, those who fell out of Luxord's favor usually became food for the Heartless, if not forced to endure the same, empty existence he himself had to suffer through. He was a busy Nobody and could not have old playthings squandering his precious time in some sad attempt to garner his attention once more. It wasn't as if he could miss them.

He was half tempted to brush Grell's hair out of the way and lay kisses on his pale throat already, to feel that pulse under his tongue, how it stopped as tendrils of pure black ripped his chest open. Not that he could call upon the Darkness here. He'd just as likely try to rip the god's heart out with his bare hands in substitution, though. Such an intriguing little thing. It just wasn't fair how he was forced to lack one.

...Luxord was vaguely aware of how he had been staring at the other man's neck with an increasingly glazed look in his eyes before shaking his head to snap out of it. Had Grell been saying something? Oh. Oh, yes.

He moved back when the god moved closer, turning his head to focus on something else with a blank look in his eyes. "It would be unfortunate for you to do that. Such a passionate heart should never go to waste under the facade of innocence."

Was Luxord staring at his neck? Dear Lord, he wasn't going to turn out to be one of those vampire blokes, was he? Vampires were such a messy business, what with being dead but not being dead and having no soul to reap, but still having a Record because they were a part of the living world. When one of their near immortal lives were over, they were such a bother to deal with. There really was only a split second to slide in to steal the Record after they were killed before they turned to dust, after all. And dust? It was a terrible pain to get out of one's hair and clothes.

Something about that look in Luxord's eyes, however, didn't strike Grell as the hungry sort. It was more of a daydreaming sort? Ahn, but now Luxord was moving back and that terrible nothingness was back in his expression. It didn't match the emotion that should have been in his voice. That emptiness was appealing though and, in a terrible way, it reminded him of Will's business-like monotone. Grell climbed up onto the desk, sliding his arms around Luxord's shoulders from behind to rest his cheek on the top of the man's head. "Oh, now don't be like that, love. It's so much fun to pretend for a little while. I had so many people convinced that my stuttering counterpart was the real me, that it should be fun, to see if that boy can prove it was me who murdered his little boyfriend. The backlash will be so amusing, don't you think? And new targets might even present themselves. I'll keep you entertained, darling, don't you worry."

Thank goodness Grell didn't share that suspicious thought, because vampires? Luxord disliked vampires. It was a rule that all vampires were incredibly lame, yet thought themselves otherwise, and X would have no part in such silliness (he was already part of the Organization, after all, and had to deal with enough serious business from them).

He could feel those arms wrap around him and gave a brief hiss of pain at the weight against his shoulder. More to stop the hurting than anything else (though Grell seemed to enjoy being rebuffed, so that was an added bonus, he supposed), X ducked and slid himself under the god's arms to get away from them. He was, however, thoughtful enough to turn around to face the other and make sure the lack of a Nobody to balance himself on didn't cause him to fall.

"Is that a promise?"

Oh, that was right - technically, Luxord was still hurt. Grell tried to ignore his injuries as much as possible and so he often forgot that others were hurt as well. Until coming here, he'd never had to worry too much about injuries sticking around. Having a twisted ankle and a hurt finger was a new sensation, and while pain was something of a turn-on for him, when the pain didn't go away? Not so much.

When Luxord shifted away, Grell flailed for a moment and then grabbed the edge of the desk, accidentally biting his lower lip when a jolt of said pain went up his arm. Stupid Brainiac 5. Stupid mortality. And ow, his lip. Reaching up with one hand, he touched it and then smiled when he saw the blood on his fingertip. Reaching out he wagged his finger at Luxord and grinned, winking at him. "Do you think I would lie to you, Luxord? There are always people here to pester, maim or otherwise destroy, so I would think the entertainment will never die out."

"Of course not, my lady." Luxord lied and shook his head, his expression never growing any less emotionless despite his voice trying to carry on the task of faking amusement. Ugh, his shoulder hurt to the point of distraction. It would most likely need looking at sooner or later, though it was not the correct time to do as such. This was a date, after all. "I was simply implying that we may grow weary of this game. Amusing as it is, well... You can only play so long before it becomes repetitive and loses all meaning. Whatever shall we do then?"

What should they do once the amusement of death wore off? Unfortunately for Luxord, death never lost its pallor with a death god. Even if it did, they couldn't exactly change jobs anyway. They were stuck, for eternity, reaping souls and sending them on to the afterlife. Except for the few who retired, but even they were usually chained to death in some capacity. Death was their life after all.

Sitting back on the desk and moving so his legs hung off the edge, Grell shrugged slightly. Luxord's expressionless face was amusing, especially paired with a voice that tried so hard to emulate what he could not feel. Grell rubbed the blood off the tip of his finger and gave Luxord a cruel smile. "If you grow weary of the game, I'll simply have to make you a player in it. I'm sure you'll find a great deal of amusement on the opposite team."

Was that how it was? X showed no amount of surprise, as really? He wasn't. If there was one thing about the god that was predictable, it was that. It should always be expected and understood that you would be a target, no matter how close you thought you were, to a sociopath. He was more intelligent than to assume otherwise.

As it were, the Nobody only shrugged back at that admission and the eerie smile that went with it, making his way to his bed and picking up Tyche to hold her to his chest before sitting calmly on the mattress. Grell could sit on the desk if he wished, but Luxord was in no condition to join him up there (and even if he could, the thought of exerting effort just to surely be either pushed off or stabbed in the thigh for getting too close was unappealing. He'd tried getting close multiple times with limited results and, as fun as the threat of death could be, he didn't feel the need to keep cheerfully running that into the ground. If the death god really wanted some form of intimacy, he'd have to show it first himself. This was not going to be the same as it was with II). "I'm sure I will," he said, not even bothering with emotion this time. "You are a particularly charming person, however. I'd hate to die."

Now that hadn't been the reaction he'd been hoping for. He should have known he'd receive nothing more than an emotionless farce, but even so, he had been hoping Luxord would at least play along for at least a little bit. It was so terribly boring when people didn't show the correct sort of fear. Then again, that was sort of why he liked the Nobody. He really should have expected it when the man turned and walked off, leaving him alone.

Stupid cats. He was always losing to the flea-bitten furballs. What was so great about them anyway? Maybe if he grew a tail and ears, someone would fawn all over him, too.

Pouting when the man moved away, Grell turned on the desk, sliding off and over to the bed. He wasn't particularly fond of felines, but he'd put up with them if he had to. Scooting a little closer, he peeked over at the cat and then risked reaching out to it in order to ever so casually get closer to Luxord. "It'd be a shame for you to die. You're just my type after all."

Tyche was not a flea-bitten furball! She was tiny, adorable, unconditionally loving, and killed people when let loose at night! ~~And if Grell did grow ears and a tail, X would kindly point him in the direction of Soubi. His own tastes simply didn't run that way.~~

X watched as Grell reached over to touch the kitten and kindly obliged, pulling her away from himself in the slightest for the other man to reach her (she gave a short growl of displeasure and proceeded to dig her little claws into Luxord's fingers, evidently enjoying the god's company just as much as the god enjoyed cats). "Perhaps a gentle maiming, then? A light torturing? It would be much easier to find some middle ground if you do, indeed, turn this game of ours around and," he paused, trying to both work some more false emotion back into his mien and maneuver those kitten claws out of his skin, "to be perfectly honest, I would hate to rip that precious heart of yours out of your chest in order to keep myself from being destroyed once again. Nobodies can be particularly nasty creatures when forced into a corner." Not that Luxord would mind seeing the god as a Nobody as well. He'd make an adorable Gambler.

Ugh. The kitten didn't seem to like him anymore than he liked her and Grell withdrew his hand, frowning. Perhaps it could smell the death on him like most creatures could. That could explain her distaste for him - that or the fact that they were now rivals for Luxord's attention. Somehow, Grell thought he was at the losing end of this battle. Smiling at the kitten, Grell tried to read her lifetime, but couldn't. Annoying.

"Is there such a thing as a gentle maiming? Light torture, I can do. But a gentle maiming is no fun at all." Pulling his legs up onto the bed, Grell scooted a little closer to Luxord again and smiled at him. He'd love to see the man try to rip his heart out of his chest. Death gods couldn't die, save for by another holy weapon. Of course, here, he was a little more vulnerable, but it'd be interesting to see if it could happen. It might even draw William out of hiding. The supervisor did have a knack of showing up at just the right moment. Reaching out, he lightly brushed his fingers across Luxord's lower back and said, "Nobodies and death gods are well matched then. Each of us show our true colors when the tables are turned, hm?"

The kitten evidently had enough of Grell looking at her like that, as the second the Gambler's grip was loose enough, she wiggled her way out of his hands and hopped off the bed with a hiss. Luxord frowned as she hid herself under the dresser, and he almost got up to see if she was alright. Really now, the death god was not that horrid! There was no need for such an outburst...

Perhaps it was the same with Grell as it was Count Overbite? She did not seem fond of non-humans, though that made no sense when in relation to Luxord. He was, after all, a Nobody and therefore not human either, so...

Grell's next gesture distracted him enough from chasing after Tyche, however, and he turned to the redhead with a smile. Though his words sounded decidedly untrue (Grell seemed to show his true colors at the slightest provocation, though that could just be from what X himself had seen), Luxord said nothing to question that, only leaning in to brush that red hair over the god's shoulder. "We will have to stick to the latter if it ever comes to such violence, then. I've yet to lose interest at the moment, however, so worry not, my lady."

Ha, he won. The little furball sped off beneath the dresser, hissing and slinking off in defeat and Grell resisted the urge to stick his tongue out at her. The feline knew her place at least. She could have Luxord again when it was daylight. For now, the Nobody was his and his alone.

And when Luxord brushed his hair over his shoulder, Grell triumphed yet again. He liked it better when the attention was on him and if he could keep it that way tonight, he'd do whatever was necessary. Moving closer, Grell ran a finger down Luxord's cheek, smiling at him. If the man hadn't lost his interest yet, then there really was nothing to worry about. Then again, could a man without a heart ever truly be caught? That was something Grell would have to test.

"Should we come to such violence, I'll be sure to treat you as a special customer, love. Only the best for you." He winked at the other man and then hooked the neck of his shirt, pulling him a little closer. "But for now? You're safe. Isn't that a reassuring thought?"

"How comforting." It was said with a laugh and the slightest touch of sarcasm, his regular false amusement finally returning after that interval of nothingness. He had to wonder just how 'special' he was to the other or just what torture would entail if things ever did get messy between them (which they were bound to). It did not seem as though the god were focused on that at the moment, which truly was comforting.

Ah well. Now or never, it seemed. Time to be brave once again and all one said to themselves when they were about to tempt fate.

"Though," he paused a moment, brushing the hair away from Grell's face as he leaned in a bit more, "if I am safe, I don't suppose you would mind if I did this, would you?" Perhaps the god wouldn't mind having a kiss stolen. And, well, if he did take offense, at least the Nobody managed to get one in before being disemboweled. That was something.

"Mind if you do--"

The distance closed between them faster than he would have thought, meaning he had no time to pull back. Not that he was thinking of doing that, but in the interest of continuing the 'proper lady' play, he would have had to. Thank God for small miracles like being taken by surprise. Not pulling back was the right choice because despite not having a heart, Luxord was still a good kisser.

Oh, but how many had fallen for his false charms before? Like so many lambs running straight into the jaws of a waiting lion? He wondered how many of Luxord's former love interests had ended up with their beating hearts bleeding out in his hands. Ahn~ but the terror of that happening to him was enough to keep Grell's interest, too. He liked the danger and he liked that he had finally found someone who had just the right mix of disinterest and playfulness to give him what he needed.

Breaking the kiss, Grell pulled back and tried not to let the blush that he knew was spreading up his cheeks overcome him completely. For the first time, he actually felt his heart racing instead of just making jokes about it. He remembered the last time he'd thought such a thing had happened, and he rememered all too well what had come of it. His beautiful Angelina lying six feet under because she chose a brat over him. "Be careful, Luxord. You don't want Death to love you - nothing good ever comes of it."

How many had fallen for him? Quite a few, to be honest. He could say they regretted doing so when it became clear what his presence on their world meant, but he knew it would have been difficult to concentrate on such when the Darkness was eating them alive. It was, after all, for the betterment of the Organization, no matter how much it entertained him. This, however... well, this was merely for himself.

And that blush on the other's face, oh that blush. Luxord smiled, sliding his hand across Grell's arm to intertwine his fingers with the god's. "Perhaps that is why Death intrigues me so. I've never been one to gamble safely, after all. I see no reason why this should be different." He chuckled lowly to himself, enjoying that colorful blush contrasting with the redhead's pale face. All that red just made his eyes all the more green... "Perhaps I do wish for Death to love me."

Gambling and death, something about it didn't seem right. To everyone else in the world, when a person died was random. The time of death was a gamble, something that they could decide or evade in the best of cases, and something that fell upon them like an axe when luck didn't go their way. To a death god, however, everything was written in stone. Every life in the world had a definite beginning and a set end. Every life had a time to be judged and a time to be taken, and in between there were uncertain points where the death gods came to check in on people. If they weren't yet ready, they were let to live to their final days. If they were more than finished, then God gave the word and the harvest came a little earlier. Still, it was all determined, nothing left to chance. Even a man who tried to take his own life wasn't allowed unless it was his time.

That didn't stop Grell from letting himself get in a little over his head. Luxord intertwined their fingers and Grell let him, the blush deepening a little. Ahn~ How long had it been since he'd been able to really enjoy himself like a girl was supposed to? He was always working, always covered in blood, and that left little time for the pleasantries of life such as shopping or love. He could afford to relax a little here, couldn't he?

"Oh, but that's just asking for trouble, darling," Grell sighed, moving in to kiss the other man on the cheek. He slipped past and then whispered into his ear, "All the ones I've ever loved have died rather violently. I thought you wished to stay alive."

The Nobody closed his eyes for a moment, giving a short 'hm' of contentment at the feeling of warm breath against his ear. It really was turning into a lovely night, despite the minor setbacks. Was II fairing the same? He would have to speak with him come dayshift.

...why was it that, even when with another, more interesting and engaging person, his attention always seemed to wander back to Xigbar? It just did not make sense! Sigh.

His smile grew wider and he turned to face the god, wrapping his free arm around her shoulders. "I do. That is what makes the threats more enthralling." After all, the whole point of gambling was the threat of losing something you wanted to keep more than anything. That with one false move, what was yours now belonged to someone else. That with the right ploy, you were victorious and your opponent was left in shambles. Luxord wanted nothing more than to stay alive and regain his heart, which made saying in contact with Grell all the more dangerous and exciting. "I enjoy the trouble you bring. Can you not see that?"

He moved to steal another kiss, this time softer and slower than the last.

Luxord might enjoy the trouble, but he would not enjoy it so much when it was his turn to be reaped. Or maybe he would. The Nobody seemed like he'd roll with the punches, even if it meant his luck ran out and he lost the gamble. What a strange man. Most people wouldn't be willing to risk their lives just for a little fun, especially when the odds were so heavily against them. Even if Luxord didn't last long, he'd at least be interesting. Perhaps he'd even do something foolish in order to regain his heart, like betray the death god, thereby tipping the scales entirely against him. With all that blond hair and pale skin, Luxord would be beautiful dressed in red.

"I can see that. I just want to be sure you're ready for the trouble you're getting into." He leaned into the kiss, smiling as he used his free hand to pull Luxord a little closer. Which was probably a mistake as grabbing things with his left hand was still painful, but he could put up with that little pain for the pleasure of being kissed. "Let's make a deal, hm? If you can keep my interest long enough, I'll help you get back what you most desire in the world. How about it?"

...what? What?

Those words obviously struck a cord in the Nobody, and he immediately ceased his actions and his eyes turned hollow, for all the world appearing as if he'd just been slapped across the face. How could Grell even begin to promise as such, especially in this asylum? After the Superior's plan failed, X had no idea how to go about reclaiming his heart and, desperate (and, really, words could not do justice to just how insanely desperate) for his heart as he was... How could-?

Oh yes, god. But a death god could not create, could they? They could not fix him. It would not make sense if they could... Unless there happened to be other gods who could and Grell could just happen to pull some stri- oh, this was ridiculous.

...look at him still thinking away while there ~~was science to do~~ was a beautiful lady in front of him. This was hardly the time to have an existential crisis or lapse into a fit of faux-angst. He forced himself to smile before leaving a kiss on the side of the god's throat. "The answer to that should be obvious."

Luxord looked like he'd just been hit in the face with a fish and Grell had to fight to keep down his laughter. He loved it when he was able to take people by surprise like that - even better when they reacted so perfectly. Grell was certain he could pull strings here or there to get the man before him back his heart. It would, most likely, involve things that might get him fired, or worse - punished - but that was a gamble Grell was willing to make.

Just so long as Luxord didn't mind possibly losing his soul in the deal. Somehow, he doubted he would though. He'd died once so, logically, his Record should have been reaped. Being alive at all was something of a feat in and of itself, so why should the absence of soul bother him ~~other than being intensely creepy~~?

And it wasn't like Grell promised to return his heart - he merely promised to help him regain it. Help wasn't the same as taking the lead and, when Luxord forced a smile onto his face, Grell smiled as well. While he wasn't one for bureacracy, sometimes the fine print really was helpful. As long as he tried to help Luxord uncover the means by which to regain a heart (and Lord knew he could take Grell's once he was fully divine again), then Grell got to keep him a little longer. Underhanded methods perhaps, but no one said women played fair when it came to love.

"Obvious indeed. Then it's a deal," Grell said, pulling his hands free to push gently against Luxord's chest. Moving forward to close the distance, Grell pressed a finger against the Gambler's lips and smiled at him. "So now that it's decided, shall I show you what a few centuries of experience can do?"

One should, however, be wary before saying as such to a Nobody. False promises, sweet talking--it did not matter so long as it was in relation to their hearts. Any suggestion to help was always taken at face value, and they did not take failure lightly. God forbid what they would have done to Xemnas had they known where his true intentions lied (and, well. If they had survived). The odds were that they would have ripped him to pieces for his selfishness and lies.

"Of course." He best not fall short.

Grell was making a fine distraction, in any case, which X appreciated more than he was about to admit. His smile turned into a grin at the god's actions and he lowered his arms to wrap them around Ms. Sutcliff's waist, practically pulling her into his lap (they were so close by now that she almost was anyhow, so why not make it official). "I thought you'd never ask, love."

Re: M16

deadlyjuliet.livejournal.com - 2009-05-08 00:53 (UTC) - Expand

Re: M16

clockmongler.livejournal.com - 2009-05-08 01:18 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only