audience - axelea

[cyclists]

Comments

[leaberator]

[ he stays quiet through the saix rant, because he has Many feelings on saix, and all of them are, right now, Not Something He Wants To Talk About (are they ever! haha no), but. once roxas asks the question, axel hums in thought. ]

So far, I've been further ahead of everybody. Saïx is... still Saïx, but he's the one furthest ahead after me. Not that he knows that.

[ what an absolute non-answer. ]

[cyclists]

[That tracks, a little.]

He seemed surprised to see me. [So it's a little easier to pin down Saix versus Xion. Naminé...he got an answer from her a while ago and it sucks. But also, he's been alive-ish for a while. He can kind of realize when Axel isn't answering things.

Kind of.]

And how far is that, exactly?

[leaberator]

... Do you remember the Keyblade War, Roxas?

[ a beat ]

Well, it felt more like a Keyblade skirmish, but I don't think I'm allowed to comment on that stuff until I've used it longer.

[cyclists]

[Silence. That's a fairly specific event, yeah, but they're past that. They...a lot happened in that war. A lot of people died, a lot of people came back, and...]

...do you remember the island? [It's a tentative test.]

[leaberator]

[ ... ]

We said we'd all go, when everyone was--back.

[ so. no. ]

[cyclists]

[...

...

...]

Oh. [Okay. He just...shuts up and eats ice cream? GOD, WHY IS THIS MORE TIMELINE BULLSHIT. Sol will go scream at the universe later.]

[leaberator]

[ axel isn't DUMB, ROXAS ]

So what happened? You said you came here because you were looking for someone. If you've been to their Island...

[cyclists]

You've been there, too. [He cuts him off because no, no, no, let's maybe not talk about that?] You, Xion, Naminé, Isa...all of you.

[And that's maybe just part of why this has been even harder.]

[leaberator]

[ he is so so lucky lea's easily distracted because of isa this week, and he looks away. ]

... Guess that makes you the furthest ahead, now.

[cyclists]

[Thank god. Time to never talk about this ever again. And attempt was made and that's good enough.]

Guess so. [...] I don't get why you're all here. Why the universe brought you. But I'll make sure things are okay. [For then, he means. ]

[leaberator]

... I dunno, either. [ but he turns back to roxas with a half-smile, nudging him ] Probably to make sure you didn't get in completely over your head.

[cyclists]

[He shakes his head.] I dunno, Lune was doing a pretty okay job on his own.

[He's teasing please don't leave. ]

[leaberator]

Well, I guess Lune can bring you ice cream, 'cause I'll take mine and go, man.

[ he grabs the bowl and holds it up and over his head because he? is tall. ]

[cyclists]

You will not. [He sounds confident about that but also. He's grabbing Axel's shirt to make sure he doesn't get up?

No, he's grabbing him to try and pull his arm down for ice cream.]

...he's probably gonna be happy to hear that you know now. He seems to like you.

[leaberator]

[ because it's for the arm, axel absolutely just tries to play keep away now. he's gonna get melted ice cream all over both of them. ]

Does he? He kinda likes everyone, though.

[ closes my eyes yeah this is a genuine comment ]

[cyclists]

[Glad these morons are half-arm-wrestling for ice cream instead. Please be nice to your son???]

Well yeah, but that doesn't change what I just said. [Axel you dumb bitch.] There are some people I think he likes more than others.

[leaberator]

[ no one has ever told him roxas is his son so no, he will not be nice ]

And you think I'm one of 'em? Aw, thanks, I didn't think you thought I was that likable. [ he can't say that AND hold ice cream hostage, he knows what the answer will be ]

[cyclists]

I take it back! You're not being really likable right now. [Why!!!]

[leaberator]

[ he laughs and brings the ice cream bowl back down because he knows he's seconds away from dropping it on their heads ]

Hey, you started it.

[ did he. ]

[cyclists]

No, you just got weird. [But at least he seems a little more cheerful and less ready to burst into tears because of today so A+ parenting for once. The ice cream comes back and he immediately grabs for his spoon.]

[leaberator]

I don't wanna be called weird by an ex-zombie.

[ he nudges sol with a knee, but makes no move to eat more ice cream, just keeping the spoon in his mouth like he'd keep ice cream sticks. ]

... You know, for a little bit, I wasn't sure it really was you, or if I was just seeing what I wanted to see.

[ it lasted like, a day, roxas is unsubtle, but it did happen. ]

[cyclists]

[That's fine, Axel can do that and Sol will eat enough ice cream for both of them. There's no comment on the ex-zombie period of his life because, yeah, there was that. That doesn't mean Axel's not weird sometimes.

But...about that.]

...when I saw all four of you, I guess I kinda panicked a little. [And threw subtlety out the window.] The universe never told us who would be coming, or what to expect. But they did make it a little clear that we were supposed to be different people than who we were when we got here.

[...] Are you mad? [That he's here. That he didn't say anything. That they're stuck in this situation. Any of those, actually.]

[leaberator]

[ of all things he expected roxas to ask ... that last one wasn't it, and he has to laugh at that, a little. it's low, because he's not trying to make fun of him, but...

like axel has any right to be mad at roxas for keeping secrets. ]

Nah. To be honest, I was glad when I realized it was you. Xion wasn't the only one missing you. [ first of all. the full sap. ]

[cyclists]

[He's well within his right to keep secrets from his friends because this happened to him, but at the same time he can recognize it'd be hypocritical. It's another thing that had been bothering him.

But...]

...sap. [Teasing, but there's an immense amount of relief in his tone as he relaxes again.] I missed you guys, too. But as soon as we fix everything here, we can go home.

You see why I picked you for the Corona now?

[leaberator]

'Cause you're biased?

[ only half serious ]