audience - axelea

[cyclists]

Comments

[leaberator]

[ Axel doesn't go too close, choosing to stand a few feet in front of the stone bench. He looks tired, but considering everything that's happened, otherwise fine. ]

Hiya, Sol. [ there's a smile that doesn't reach his eyes on his face ] I got a message for you.

[cyclists]

[There obviously isn't a smile back because there's a hood, but they look up. ]

A message? [Confusion and surprise is in their tone, but also some wariness.]

[leaberator]

Yeah. [ it's a little more confident, a little more... serious? ] Mary wanted me to tell you... Well, she wanted to make sure you knew you're not a monster.

[cyclists]

[The result is a choked sort of noise, the sort of sound one makes when they're caught off-guard and unsure. It wasn't the message they were thinking about, and it wasn't at all what they assumed would come from Axel. Then again, Mary was his partner. It would make some sense.

Still...they wonder why, exactly, it's coming up.

Are those questions they can ask?]

Oh...[...] ...she liked trying to make people happy. [An excuse? Maybe. They don't exactly believe her message but it's also really rude to say so, especially now that she's gone. So there's a bow of the head instead.] Thanks for telling me.

[leaberator]

[ something about that... Axel huffs, looking away. ]

Hey, don't thank me yet. I still gotta apologize.

[cyclists]

[Well that's strange.]

For what?

[leaberator]

[ seriously? ]

Seriously? I know a lot of people were doin' it, but I kinda took things out on you a little, yesterday.

[cyclists]

Yeah, you kinda did. [So it's not out of ignorance, but rather turning a blind eye.] It's alright. Yesterday wasn't really fair to you guys in the first place.

[leaberator]

Nah, it wasn't. [ he's very matter of fact about it. ] But are you saying it was any fairer on either of you?

[ it's more rhetorical than anything ]

[cyclists]

[...ah.]

It doesn't matter. [Doesn't it?] This is what Lune and I have to do now. We agreed to help guide you to figuring out an answer, so even if it's not fair...it's our job.

[But they still don't like it and that's pretty evident with the way the words are said.]

[leaberator]

Your jobs, sure, but ... it seems to me like this part wasn't in the initial job description.

[ he shrugs and settles on the bench next to sol, looking out at the flowers ]

[cyclists]

[Hi Axel. They don't discourage it, holding the paper airplane in their hands. ]

It wasn't. [That's easy to say.] When Lune and I were called here, the instability was just starting. We were sent to do reconnaissance and we weren't finding a source. Then you came and things made more sense why we were here.

[leaberator]

[ hm. ]

As guides for the rest of us. [ it's more to himself, really, a bit pensive. ] That why you think it doesn't matter?

[cyclists]

[Still looking at their hands, they rotate the plane a bit. ]

Something like that. There are things I have to do no matter what.

[leaberator]

Yeah? Like what?

[ he doesn't know if he expects an answer, but he's stalling, a bit. ]

[cyclists]

I have to find someone. So if this is what I have to do to find them, I will.

[leaberator]

[ ...the laugh he gives is low ]

Yeah? Why does that sound familiar?

[ but he moves on: ]

You haven't exactly given me a good reason not to apologize to you, y'know. It might not matter to you, but it does to me. I try not to take things out on my friends.

[cyclists]

...[That gets them to look up, staring at him for a long time.]

Are we friends? [Interesting.] Even knowing this is happening?

[leaberator]

Yeah.

[ he sounds pretty casual about it. ]

Pretty sure I just said I didn't blame you for any of this. Besides-- [ he stretches out a bit ] I've already decided, I'm gonna figure this whole thing out. It'd be a bit hard to do if I was too busy holding a grudge over stuff you guys aren't even in control of.

[cyclists]

[......

.....

....there's a very soft laugh.]

Yeah, it would be, wouldn't it. We still have to work together. Are you going to be the one to save us?

[leaberator]

Well, not all by myself, that's for sure. Kinda established that. [ like? just now. he looks out at the flowers again ] But I got promises to keep. So it doesn't matter what I have to do, I'll figure this thing out.

[cyclists]

Yeah. I know. [A note or confidence, and they throw the paper airplane again as it soars in a circle and returns.]

...so what do we do now?

[leaberator]

[ huh. he watches that airplane go and doesn't comment on sol's confidence. ]

Well... The universe tell you anything else useful on the darkness recently? 'Cause I'm not a big fan of our current method of fighting against it. [ shockingly. ]

[cyclists]

We're going back to ask more questions tonight. Lune will know what to say to them. [A firm nod.] I have some things I want to ask, too. Especially after today.

[leaberator]

Well, that's a good start. I'll try to look into things on my side. ...Along with the others.

[ a bit of an afterthought comment, but the sentiment was there ]