audience - axelea

[cyclists]

Comments

[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 ]

[cyclists]

Thanks. [A lingering pause on their end.] You seem like people I can trust, so don't let me down.

[Its a joke. ] ...but there's nothing wrong with taking the day off today. You get it, right?

[leaberator]

[ no he's going to get touched by a bad clown ]

Gee, thanks. [ but he smirks ] Believe me, I'm going straight to bed after this.

[cyclists]

[RIP Lea.]

Don't nap for too long. [A slight laugh.] People still need you. [...]

Axel...did you know? [About Mary, they mean.]

[leaberator]

"Need" me, huh?

[ it's mild and contemplative, but it's unclear whether he's seriously thinking over it or stalling the Mary answer. In the end, he sighs, low and long. Maybe if it wasn't Sol, he'd answer differently, but as it is, he's blunt: ]

Yeah. I knew since Friday.

[cyclists]

[They don't repeat the words, assuming that it's enough. The answer also doesn't seem to surprise them at all.]

...you wanted to protect her. [Not even a question, just confirmation.] What were you going to do if the votes went to someone else?

[It should be an offensive question, but it's just as equally contemplative.]

[leaberator]

[ he stays quiet for a long time. ]

Can't say I thought about it that far. I just... wanted to find out what'd happen to her first, and then ...

[ AND THEN EVERYONE WENT STRAIGHT TO STABBING so he kind of, wasn't thinking that much anymore. ]

I've never been any good at picking "the greater good" over one life, I guess.

[cyclists]

That's because you're the kind of person that gets to know people and attaches easily. [Bluntly. It's obvious just from watching them and especially after watching yesterday.] Even if you don't always understand why...but even so, "good" is sort of one of those things that can change. What one person thinks is good might not be so good for someone else.

It's confusing sometimes. [...] She seemed to like you a lot though.

[leaberator]

[ he looks a little... offended? there's a definite sulk to his features ]

"Attaches easily"...? That's kinda rude-- [ he pauses, awkward and unnatural for a second ] Sol.

[ he waves it off himself, though, as if eager to go on ]

... She reminded me of a friend, so yeah, of course I liked her from the get go. But I didn't do anything special. I think she was just... lonely.

[cyclists]

[Dork.]

Is it? [They clearly don't agree.] I never thought loyalty was a bad trait.

[...] That girl who's here, right? Xion. [They heard some of the things Xion said during the trial, so they're guessing a little.] Even if it was just that she was lonely it still probably meant a lot to her.

[leaberator]

[ you ever get accused of loyalty and kinda squint math lady gif at yourself before going "i GUESS?"

that's what Lea is doing ]

... Well, sure, but you made it sound like I was...

[ easy? He's flustered now and that's Bad, but luckily for him Sol talks about Xion so he can immediately turn a look at him. It's unimpressed, for a second, before he shrugs. ]

... Xion, yeah. Not just her, though. [ he doesn't extrapolate on that, quiet. bringing up Mary hurts, because axel isn't convinced he helped more than messed up, still. ]

[cyclists]

[There's no correction. They didn't stutter, thanks. But the look only gets a lull of silence because, like, stop that? They also...immediately interpret that the wrong way.]

I already said I was sorry to her. I didn't mean to make her mad. [Moving from talks about one small child to another, then, because even Sol isn't so callous to keep pressing on a subject that's still fresh hurt.]

[leaberator]

[ he blinks, at sol, slow, then goes back to looking at the flowers. ]

Don't worry about that. She'll get over it. You just... pushed the wrong button.

[ he can't help sounding amused as he says it ]

[cyclists]

[They settle for a discontent sort of noise, tilting their head back to look at the sky. The hood somehow stays on.]

I'll try to talk to her later, I guess. [...they pause again, thinking of what to say. Why is it so hard to think of conversation sometimes? There's a bit of silence as they look down again, staring at the paper airplane.]

Why an airplane this time? [There was reasoning (sort of) behind the stick, so they're curious.]

[leaberator]

[ axel looks at the airplane with a thoughtful hum ]

I couldn't figure out if the ice cream would melt before getting to you.

[ there is no logic there ]

[cyclists]

[Seems legit. Another lazy toss of the plane as it circles around as paper airplanes do.]

There's not a lot of time that passes between when the boats reach us and when we get here. It might've been okay.