Riku shrugs faintly – he probably wouldn't consider it either, if the islands were larger and his family didn't own the majority of the farming land.
"On the Islands the weather can come in extremes – the sun can shine on day after day and make the air reach temperatures that almost puts the deserts of Agrabah to shame, and it can storm so strongly that it threatens to tear apart any house with even the slightest of flaws."
Though the Destiny Islands may seem like a paradise, though they are a peaceful place with little Darkness… life there sometimes has it's own trials, even if Riku used to consider them not all that noteworthy, back when he had yearned to escape to see the Outside World, even if it meant never being able to return.
He knows better now.
He also wishes he hadn't flinched, but well… he can't take it back, and if Axel can ignore his reaction for the sake of as little awkwardness as possible, then so can Riku.
"'Keep us on our toes', eh? I think we've got plenty things doing that without adding you to the list." Between Xehanort's plans and the general threat of the Heartless… But for all that he means this in jest, he can't help but turn a little more serious now… because worrying about unannounced snowball battles is one thing; he certainly won't leave Axel-Lea the misconception that Riku is worrying about getting stabbed in the back.
"I know."
He knows that things aren't the same way they were way back in Radiant Garden, when they had worked together to try and figure out where Ansem the Wise had gone and Axel hadn't quite known which side he was on really, not then. This is after. And even though Axel doesn't remember it yet, Riku knows…
"We don't know when you'll remember it, but I know what you did. You rescued Sora… you came to help first Mickey and Queen Minnie and later us, even though nobody asked it of you."
And well… the fact that nobody had expected Axel-Lea at the time – certainly not Xehanort – had turned out to be the greatest advantage they could have had. As always, Xehanort had underestimated the power of the bonds between them – the bonds of friendship that had led Donald and Goofy into the World That Never Was at the right moment, the bond of… well whatever had been driving Axel.
"So, stop worrying about that. I trust you."
Maybe not quite as much as he trusts Sora or Kairi… but Axel-Lea is an ally now. Riku knows it.
For what it's worth, Axel doesn't begrudge the flinching--he knows they spent a good long while on opposite sides of the fence, and it's hard to unlearn these sorts of things. Even if Riku knows he's not going to hurt him on purpose, the kneejerk reactions are the strongest, and the most difficult to correct. Riku's reflexive guard is Axel's own fault, and he knows that.
He looks a little surprised by Riku's words then, and squints at him.
"I did all that?" he asks. "Er... do, all that, I guess?" It hasn't happened yet, from where he's standing. He rubs the back of his neck, looking a little awkward. "I'd like to say that sounds like me--I prefer to do the things I'm not directly asked to do, really. Who likes to be told what to do, right?--but... man, I'm really not sure what sounds like me, anymore." He shakes his head and frowns. "I think... I know who I want to be, at this point, but I'm not quite sure how to get there."
This sort of honesty doesn't come easily to him, at least not yet, but in the interests of furthering this tenuous alliance and--dare he say it?--friendship, he genuinely wants to prove himself. He knows he'll never reach Sora's level of trustworthiness, that's just an unattainable goal, but he's working on it.
Riku smiles faintly into his scarf: "Yea… you'll do that."
That much, Riku is certain. He knows that Sora has already spoiled Lea about the Keyblade wielding too, so there is no point in bringing that up as the next outrageous fact of Axel-Lea's future. He nods then, understanding.
"It's hard… not quite knowing how to be the person you know you can be… that you want to be, especially for the sake of other people."
That had been Riku before the exam too, when he had known about the residual Darkness in his Heart, when he hadn't known whether he'd be truly worthy… when Sora had been so certain and confident in them, while Riku had doubted.
"But I know, you'll get there… with or without your memories."
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"On the Islands the weather can come in extremes – the sun can shine on day after day and make the air reach temperatures that almost puts the deserts of Agrabah to shame, and it can storm so strongly that it threatens to tear apart any house with even the slightest of flaws."
Though the Destiny Islands may seem like a paradise, though they are a peaceful place with little Darkness… life there sometimes has it's own trials, even if Riku used to consider them not all that noteworthy, back when he had yearned to escape to see the Outside World, even if it meant never being able to return.
He knows better now.
He also wishes he hadn't flinched, but well… he can't take it back, and if Axel can ignore his reaction for the sake of as little awkwardness as possible, then so can Riku.
"'Keep us on our toes', eh? I think we've got plenty things doing that without adding you to the list." Between Xehanort's plans and the general threat of the Heartless… But for all that he means this in jest, he can't help but turn a little more serious now… because worrying about unannounced snowball battles is one thing; he certainly won't leave Axel-Lea the misconception that Riku is worrying about getting stabbed in the back.
"I know."
He knows that things aren't the same way they were way back in Radiant Garden, when they had worked together to try and figure out where Ansem the Wise had gone and Axel hadn't quite known which side he was on really, not then. This is after. And even though Axel doesn't remember it yet, Riku knows…
"We don't know when you'll remember it, but I know what you did. You rescued Sora… you came to help first Mickey and Queen Minnie and later us, even though nobody asked it of you."
And well… the fact that nobody had expected Axel-Lea at the time – certainly not Xehanort – had turned out to be the greatest advantage they could have had. As always, Xehanort had underestimated the power of the bonds between them – the bonds of friendship that had led Donald and Goofy into the World That Never Was at the right moment, the bond of… well whatever had been driving Axel.
"So, stop worrying about that. I trust you."
Maybe not quite as much as he trusts Sora or Kairi… but Axel-Lea is an ally now. Riku knows it.
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He looks a little surprised by Riku's words then, and squints at him.
"I did all that?" he asks. "Er... do, all that, I guess?" It hasn't happened yet, from where he's standing. He rubs the back of his neck, looking a little awkward. "I'd like to say that sounds like me--I prefer to do the things I'm not directly asked to do, really. Who likes to be told what to do, right?--but... man, I'm really not sure what sounds like me, anymore." He shakes his head and frowns. "I think... I know who I want to be, at this point, but I'm not quite sure how to get there."
This sort of honesty doesn't come easily to him, at least not yet, but in the interests of furthering this tenuous alliance and--dare he say it?--friendship, he genuinely wants to prove himself. He knows he'll never reach Sora's level of trustworthiness, that's just an unattainable goal, but he's working on it.
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That much, Riku is certain. He knows that Sora has already spoiled Lea about the Keyblade wielding too, so there is no point in bringing that up as the next outrageous fact of Axel-Lea's future. He nods then, understanding.
"It's hard… not quite knowing how to be the person you know you can be… that you want to be, especially for the sake of other people."
That had been Riku before the exam too, when he had known about the residual Darkness in his Heart, when he hadn't known whether he'd be truly worthy… when Sora had been so certain and confident in them, while Riku had doubted.
"But I know, you'll get there… with or without your memories."
If nothing else, probably for Roxas' sake.