Honestly, given her demeanor, he's not inclined to think it's overconfidence. She carries herself like a warrior, and has the kind of stoicism under pressure that tells him she's definitely been up to her neck in trouble before. If anything, he's even more curious about where she comes from and the sort of things she's seen, but that's obviously best left for another time.
She hesitates before giving her name, and that sort of clinches his suspicions: she's definitely been up to her neck in trouble before, and that trouble had likely followed her around, in some form or another, while she was back wherever she came from. He wasn't usually so quick to introduce himself, either, but Riku had assured him that no other Organization members were presently up and about. It was mission standard to simply observe and never get involved with the natives of other worlds, but... well, Axel liked to bend rules, either way. Besides, they were all out of their element and away from home in this place, so it didn't really matter.
He gives her a cavalier smile and waves a hand before going back to trying to swipe more of the mud off his coat.
"Ah, don't mention it," he says. "I'm a helpful guy." It's not really a lie. He likes it when people owe him favors, sure, but heart or no heart, it's not like it's easy to just walk away when someone is blatantly in danger. Besides, Roxas would have been angry if he found out he'd just let somebody drown in mud. "You seem like you've been in situations like this once or twice," he says with cavalier cheerfulness, despite their situation. "Maybe not... with the mud and the giant bird exactly, that feels pretty specific, but..." He gestures vaguely, then glances up to see that the flying creature seems to have moved on for the moment. "You seem like someone who can appreciate a good adventure when life throws you one."
"I dunno," he admits, "but the way I see it, if you're always expecting zombies, they can never surprise you."
He's mostly joking. He has yet to run into any zombies on any of his travels (note to self: touch wood), but a little levity can go a long way when making new acquaintances, and Sansa looks like she could use a smile. Like, a real one.
They head into the cemetery, and the lantern gives off enough light that they can see well enough to stay on the path. Axel isn't especially superstitious, really, but walking on someone's grave, even accidentally, just doesn't sound like a good idea any way it's sliced. There's quiet between them for a moment, and then Axel gives her a sidelong look.
"So, ah... I'm bad at this getting to know new people thing," he admits candidly. "Can I ask where you're from?"
Well he wasn't going to twist his arm, so that baleful look seems a bit unnecessary, sheesh, but the raccoon man reluctantly agrees, with a caveat, and Axel snorts.
"Funny, I was gonna say the same thing," he says, his tone snide but not pointed. He's seen a giant talking mouse kick copious amounts of ass, so why not a raccoon? But he can't just let a remark like that slide, his pride would never allow it.
Holding the flame up to try and get a better look at their surroundings, he shakes his head. There are two paths they could take, but he's not sure backtracking the one he just came from is any better than going the way his companion came from.
"I'd ask if we should flip a coin, but I don't have one on me." He glances down. "I'm Axel, by the way," he says, figuring that's better than just shouting 'hey you' if the need arose.
Axel hasn't really had much to celebrate on his birthday these past ten years or so either, if it's any consolation. Why would you want to celebrate one more year with no heart?
"Just meandering, myself," he says, shaking his head. "I haven't been here long enough to have really met any of the natives or anything, I don't know any of the names either." He gives a weary sort of smile. "I guess you've got a point," he says. "Once you're gone, all you can really do is hope you'll be remembered by someone, right?"
Axel would agree that there's something very appealing about flames on fingers, really, but then, he definitely is just interested in fire in general. Even before he had learned how to wield magic, he'd always been the kid who wanted to light the barbecue or set off the fireworks, so it had been very fitting, when he'd discovered what his patron element within the Organization had turned out to be.
When Mai speaks, Axel gives her a curious look.
"A while, huh?" he asks, grinning and then gesturing down one of the hallways to ask if they should get to meandering in any particular direction. "So there are mages where you come from, too?" He's always interested in how magic works on other worlds.
"I know what scripture is," he says benignly, "though I can't say I know anybody named John." He runs a hand through his hair a bit awkwardly. "Where I come from, people mostly worship the Light," he says. "I was never really much into that, but when you're surrounded by it your whole life, it kind of permeates." He still swears to Light when things go wrong, or thanks it when they go right (not that that's happened much in the past decade or so); he guesses you don't really have to be pious for a religion to ingrain itself in your life.
He waves a hand then, realizing belatedly he may have sounded rude, and while Axel is many things, he's rarely rude without explicit intent to piss someone else off.
"Ah, that is..." He shakes his head. "I mean, don't stop on my account or anything. I don't really get it, but I think it's kind of interesting, learning that sort of thing about other places." He scoops up another handful of slimy leaves, something of a peace offering, and spreads them over the face of the next corpse in the scattered lineup. "I don't really have anything to say over these guys, but I think it's... I dunno, kinda nice that other people might."
"Yeah, mostly something like that," he says. "I'm not exactly a sunny weather sort of guy." Red hair and fair skin don't usually mix with desert sun too well; admittedly, he's never met someone with red hair and dark skin, and all things considered, he's a little envious of her sweet tan. He gives a nod then. "Yup, next time I'm definitely bringing the SPF ten thousand."
He nods in acknowledgment as she explains, then has to smile.
"Yeah, restorative items never taste too good, in my experience," he says. "Though, that might have been largely 'cause the guy I used to buy them from tended to sell expired merchandise." Damn moogles, anyway. "Stuff like that was usually just for health or stamina replenishment, though, where I come from," he says then. "Resistances and such are usually achieved by way of accessories or specialized weapon components."
He leans forward a little and pulls off his right glove, revealing a thin, plain, steel-colored band around his middle finger with a single red jewel in it.
"Like so," he says, twisting the ring. "I mean there's a bunch of different accessories that do different things, but this one here's a fire-enhancing piece." Not that he really needs it, but he also kind of thinks it looks cool. Not that he removes his gloves often.
Shut up don't judge him.
Vai? Another Gerudo word, surely. He presumes it's the word for her people, or something similar, and gives an appraising whistle as he tugs his glove back on. "Average, wow," he says. "I'm taller than most people I ran into back home. I worked with a couple of guys who were around the same, maybe a little taller, but most people don't make it even quite this high." He waggles his hand back and forth then in something like uncertainty. "Ah, well..." This is a little more complicated. "Where I come from, everybody from there is just a human, like me." Or like he was, before he was a Nobody, but that's another story for another time. "But there are other... places... where there's folks with different attributes, sure. I used to buy ice cream from a talking duck, when I was a kid, actually." He lifts his hand up alongside his head then, to indicate height again. "But all the places I've been do, I haven't met too many people at or above my eye level," he says, "so I'm impressed that your people are so tall, is all I meant."
Well, at least he doesn't seem to have taken offense, so there's still hope for this. He sighs and nods then.
"Yeah, you're the first person I've seen in a while, too," he admits, "but I kind of feel like everything I'm encountering now is... for the second or third time."
He watches a moment as the young man sort of shimmies his way upward, then pulls at the back of his neck.
"You, ah... want a hand there, slick?" he asks, threading his fingers together like to offer him a boost. He's pretty tall, so he could make it a lot easier to get a lot higher in a lot less time.
"Ah, one of those," Axel says, shaking his head. "I know that sort all too well."
Saix might have been good at pushing people around, but he was terrible at communicating, which was why no one had actually respected him. He had outranked half the Organization, but the only reason anyone had ever listened to him was because he was in Xemnas' pocket. Ugh, just thinking about it makes Axel glower. Ya think ya know a guy...
He looks at Isabela again then, surprise tugging at his brows.
"So you actually had your own ship?" he asks, tilting his head a little. "That's... pretty awesome, to be honest. I wouldn't know how to sail a ship even if I had the chance, but it sounds really fun." He shakes his head a little. "What's the Blight?"
Context would serve to explain it's a disease of some sort, but...
He's not sure why the imagery of Castle Oblivion changed back to the woods, because he can still plainly see the lines of the walls of the castle, even if they're faded, as though made of glass. It's like they're suddenly in a fishbowl or something. He takes a step forward and reaches out, pressing a hand against the translucent wall, but it doesn't give under his fingers. Apparently they're stuck. But... one thing at a time, he guesses.
Glancing back at Ryoko, he blows a sigh up toward his hairline and furrows his brow.
"It's complicated," he says, less an excuse and more a preamble. "Xion... wasn't like the rest of us, all of us who wore this coat--the Organization. She was a..." He hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully. There are no kind words for what Xion truly was, after all. "She was made," he finally settles on; "created in a lab, at the behest of someone who only sought to use her as a tool." He gives another sigh and pulls at the back of his neck. "We didn't know, for a long time," he says, "but... when I found out, I wasn't really sure what to think. She wasn't... real, is what my head told me. She was just a doll, filled with memories--someone else's memories, not even memories she'd made herself. Not all of them." He meets Ryoko's eye, looking kind of sheepish. "I guess that was the deciding factor, for me, though," he says, "is that even if she was created using stolen memories, she made memories of her own, with me and Roxas." He pauses, then grits his teeth. "I didn't care that she was just a puppet," he says, shaking his head, "she was--is--still my best friend."
He scratches the crown of his head.
"As for what was happening to her," he says, shaking his head, "since she was made with stolen memories, she... couldn't function normally on her own." It's hard to explain, but he's trying to make it as layman as possible. "So she was draining energy from the person whose memories had been used, and it was kind of... destroying both of them." Sort of. He doesn't really want to get into how Roxas is Sora's Nobody and all that nonsense. "I dunno how I could have helped her, to be honest," he says, avoiding Ryoko's eye, "but the fact is, I... didn't do as much as I probably could have, because I was afraid of what the Organization would do to me if I did."
Hey, now, 'weird' he'll accept, but he's rarely creepy, okay. He was just trying to help. He's pleased that she seems to be paying attention now, though, and gives a nod when she verifies the general procedure.
"Yup," he says, and then points to the knife. "Just be careful you don't catch your finger, though; might be the dull side of the blade, but it'll still smash it good."
Axel watches as she holds the rock and the knife for a moment, like she's trying to figure out the right speed or something, and then she gingerly knocks them together. She seems puzzled, but not yet frustrated, and he grins a bit.
"Angle's okay," he says, pointing, "but ya gotta commit to it. Hold the rock still and only move the knife, and don't be afraid to hit it hard, got it memorized?" He shakes his head. "Fire doesn't do anything half-assed, so you can't expect it to make an appearance if you're not sure of yourself."
"I hear ya," he says, shaking his head. "I don't like choosing sides. Never have, never will."
He watches Ren mark another tree, then peers back over his shoulder. He's still really puzzled about how this has been happening; he's sure he's been walking in a mostly straight line, but the forest just never seems to end. "Well, anyway," he says then, "the good news is that not picking a side hasn't been too difficult, so far." He gives a shrug. "Keepin' your nose out of trouble seems fairly simple--just be polite, and whatever faction you happen to be talking to, or whoever's neighborhood you're in, just never say anything nice about the other guys."
He hasn't said anything mean about the other guys, either; it seems keeping neutral is still feasible, for the time being.
"Yeah, I..." Axel narrows his eyes and glances around. "I got stuck in one of my own," he says, shaking his head, "but I don't think the same method will work here."
Not that he wants to admit what that method was. So he'll just move on.
"Maybe... we just have to get off this little island?" he ventures, gesturing toward the bridge that leads back to the larger island. It seems as good a place to start as any.
"I didn't break into nuthin'," he assures the blond man, shaking his head. "I was just walking along, minding my own business, and then suddenly, bam." He punches one fist against his flat palm. "Here I was." He gives a shrug then. "Seems it's going around, this... weird memory thing," he says uncertainly, and pauses a moment. He kind of really wants to pet the dog, memory or otherwise, but he's not sure he could, since it's just a memory. More than that, if he can pet the dog, will it tear his arm off if he tries?
He regards the other man a moment and then ventures a bit of a smile.
"Didn't mean to intrude," he says sincerely, sliding his hands into his pockets. "It's a nice memory, in any case. Ah... I'm Axel," he says then, pulling one hand from his pocket to offer it to him. He figures he at least owes the man a handshake for barging into his memories this way, accidental or otherwise.
Axel can't help but grin at the way this man seems pretty much completely unfazed by the summoned weaponry and the magic fire. As funny as it is when people flip out about magic, somehow it's almost nearly as funny when they just take it with an interested grain of salt.
He thinks it would be just as easy to notch the tree with his chakram, but if stern, stoic stranger wants fire, Axel is always happy to oblige.
He divides the flame and lets it dance on each of his fingertips, dragging them across the trunk of the nearest tree and leaving four neat singe-lines, before he turns to look at the other man.
"Next?" he asks, figuring he's been traveling in whatever direction this long with no luck, he doesn't mind following somebody else's lead for a while.
If there's one thing people learn quickly about Axel, it's that he definitely loves to hear himself talk. He'll chat your ear off, if you're amenable. Or if he wants to annoy you. For now, though, he's just trying to get to know some new people, so chatty seems the way to go.
"Well, I'd say welcome, but... it's not exactly the most welcoming sort of story, I know," he says, shrugging one shoulder. "But I guess it's better than just disappearing along with your world, right?"
He's sweeter than he gives himself credit for. Even Xion said as much, though he's forgotten her for the moment. But with or without Xion's accreditation, he's always been a good listener, and though Luna's striking resemblance to Naminé may only be skin-deep, the lonely sadness in her eyes tells him that she could use a friend. He knows he left a lot to be desired in the friend department before, but he really does want to try harder and be better, especially now that Roxas is here, too. 'Blessed', though? He can feel the tips of his ears heating up with embarrassment, and is a little glad for the chill in the air to perhaps mask that. She's being too kind--they've only just met! He hasn't even really gone out of his way yet!
"Injured?" he echoes, shaking his head. "Nah, I'm all right. Got a little banged up when the dragon was raining hell down on everything, but it's nothing I haven't dealt with in the past. I, ah... had kind of a... knockabout job, back home, you could say."
He smiles a bit when she says that she has friends here, as well. That's good, it might help that sad look in her eyes, at least. He gives a low whistle.
"Wow, twelve years," he says, and takes another sip of his cider. "That's about how long it's been since I've seen anyone from my hometown, or my family, so I know how long that can feel like. My friend who just woke up here, we've only known each other a little over a year, and he's like a brother to me, but..." He pauses a moment, shaking his head. "Well, twelve years is a really long time. I think if Roxas and I were separated that long, I dunno what I'd do with myself." His voice isn't sad, really: he's just stating fact. "I'm glad you've got that chance, too," he says. "What is it they say, about absence making the heart grow fonder, right?" He gives her a bit of a smile then, and reaches over to gently bonk his cup against hers. "So how about... here's to old friends from home stars, and new ones from this star, yah?"
This guy is a trip, and Axel genuinely appreciates his cheerful straightforwardness. After spending so long working with people like Xemnas and Xigbar and Saïx, it's really refreshing to talk with someone who just says it like it is.
He listens to the explanation, intrigued, and then can't help but grin a little. Used to be human, huh? That's something they have in common, though Axel isn't quite ready to own up to that just yet. As much as he appreciates Iskandar's candor, it takes him a little longer to feel like he can share that sort of thing. Though, in all fairness, it sounds like Iskandar's departure from humanity was much less traumatizing and horrific than his own.
"Why wouldn't I believe that?" he asks, laughing softly. "I mean, you're definitely above average in the big and tall department, but I mean... I used to work with a guy who was about your size, to be honest." He gives a shrug. "And I've seen humans do some pretty amazing stuff." He looks at him curiously, folding up the cloak and sliding the bundle into his bag, careful to make sure the data rods aren't damaged. "Was there a war or something going on?" he asks then.
He can relate. Try visiting worlds where the entire calendar is different. He still has no idea what day or month or year or even what season it had been several of the times he'd visited the Land of Dragons. And the Coliseum? Yeah, forget it, he had simply stopped trying.
"Oh!" He nods with a grin. "I met her once," he says, making a gesture with one hand at his jawline. "Kinda short light brownish hair, yah? She put together a big thing for Valentine's Day, it was a pretty impressive production." It's true he's not sure what an 'idol group' is, but he can kind of guess, given a little context. "So you sing, too, then?"
"Huh." Axel looks thoughtful for a moment. "I didn't even consider what that sort of weather might do to the crops. The weather never got super dicey for us, but I know it can get pretty intense in tropical climates."
When Riku flinches at his touch, Axel withdraws his hand, but maintains his casual, playful tone in an attempt to avoid awkwardness. He's not terribly tactile as a general rule, but touching on the shoulder and arm, or ruffling someone's hair, that's how he's come to express affinity in recent years. He and Riku might not quite be friends yet, but he likes him well enough, and... well, if he wants that to evolve into friendship, he's going to have to pay attention, and he knows that. All right, no more shoulder clapping until Riku seems a bit more comfortable with him.
He snorts a laugh at Riku's summation, but can't really refute.
"Hey, I gotta keep you kids on your toes somehow, right?" he says. Riku's not wrong in his thoughts, though: Axel knows he's unpredictable, and he's liked it that way just fine, really. It's easier to get by when no one quite knows what to expect from you; there's no expectation except to expect the unexpected, and that's a lot easier than someone being able to see through you via a departure from the norm. He knows he's less opaque now than he used to be, and ultimately knows it's a good thing that he's come to let people get closer to him--he's happier now, if he lets himself believe he's capable of happiness, so he can't complain, really, but there's something a bit frightening about people knowing him.
Even thus, some things are worth making certain people know.
"Hey, so..." He hesitates, then looks at Riku sidelong. "Look, I know you know where I wind up, and even if I'm still a bit behind all that, you know I'm... on your side, right?" Unpredictable is one thing, and he doesn't expect Riku to trust him implicitly, certainly not he way Sora seems to, in any case, but he hopes he knows that he doesn't have to worry about some dramatic top ten anime betrayal.
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❪ introlog #4 ❫ HISTORY LESSON - Diana Prince
Honestly, given her demeanor, he's not inclined to think it's overconfidence. She carries herself like a warrior, and has the kind of stoicism under pressure that tells him she's definitely been up to her neck in trouble before. If anything, he's even more curious about where she comes from and the sort of things she's seen, but that's obviously best left for another time.
She hesitates before giving her name, and that sort of clinches his suspicions: she's definitely been up to her neck in trouble before, and that trouble had likely followed her around, in some form or another, while she was back wherever she came from. He wasn't usually so quick to introduce himself, either, but Riku had assured him that no other Organization members were presently up and about. It was mission standard to simply observe and never get involved with the natives of other worlds, but... well, Axel liked to bend rules, either way. Besides, they were all out of their element and away from home in this place, so it didn't really matter.
He gives her a cavalier smile and waves a hand before going back to trying to swipe more of the mud off his coat.
"Ah, don't mention it," he says. "I'm a helpful guy." It's not really a lie. He likes it when people owe him favors, sure, but heart or no heart, it's not like it's easy to just walk away when someone is blatantly in danger. Besides, Roxas would have been angry if he found out he'd just let somebody drown in mud. "You seem like you've been in situations like this once or twice," he says with cavalier cheerfulness, despite their situation. "Maybe not... with the mud and the giant bird exactly, that feels pretty specific, but..." He gestures vaguely, then glances up to see that the flying creature seems to have moved on for the moment. "You seem like someone who can appreciate a good adventure when life throws you one."
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Wrap on yours?
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❪ introlog #4 ❫ HISTORY LESSON - Sansa Stark
Axel gives a snort of amusement.
"I dunno," he admits, "but the way I see it, if you're always expecting zombies, they can never surprise you."
He's mostly joking. He has yet to run into any zombies on any of his travels (note to self: touch wood), but a little levity can go a long way when making new acquaintances, and Sansa looks like she could use a smile. Like, a real one.
They head into the cemetery, and the lantern gives off enough light that they can see well enough to stay on the path. Axel isn't especially superstitious, really, but walking on someone's grave, even accidentally, just doesn't sound like a good idea any way it's sliced. There's quiet between them for a moment, and then Axel gives her a sidelong look.
"So, ah... I'm bad at this getting to know new people thing," he admits candidly. "Can I ask where you're from?"
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❪ introlog #4 ❫ HISTORY LESSON - Rocket
Well he wasn't going to twist his arm, so that baleful look seems a bit unnecessary, sheesh, but the raccoon man reluctantly agrees, with a caveat, and Axel snorts.
"Funny, I was gonna say the same thing," he says, his tone snide but not pointed. He's seen a giant talking mouse kick copious amounts of ass, so why not a raccoon? But he can't just let a remark like that slide, his pride would never allow it.
Holding the flame up to try and get a better look at their surroundings, he shakes his head. There are two paths they could take, but he's not sure backtracking the one he just came from is any better than going the way his companion came from.
"I'd ask if we should flip a coin, but I don't have one on me." He glances down. "I'm Axel, by the way," he says, figuring that's better than just shouting 'hey you' if the need arose.
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❪ introlog #4 ❫ HISTORY LESSON - Reign
Axel hasn't really had much to celebrate on his birthday these past ten years or so either, if it's any consolation. Why would you want to celebrate one more year with no heart?
"Just meandering, myself," he says, shaking his head. "I haven't been here long enough to have really met any of the natives or anything, I don't know any of the names either." He gives a weary sort of smile. "I guess you've got a point," he says. "Once you're gone, all you can really do is hope you'll be remembered by someone, right?"
/slowly panders off
❪ introlog #4 ❫ HISTORY LESSON - Mai
Axel would agree that there's something very appealing about flames on fingers, really, but then, he definitely is just interested in fire in general. Even before he had learned how to wield magic, he'd always been the kid who wanted to light the barbecue or set off the fireworks, so it had been very fitting, when he'd discovered what his patron element within the Organization had turned out to be.
When Mai speaks, Axel gives her a curious look.
"A while, huh?" he asks, grinning and then gesturing down one of the hallways to ask if they should get to meandering in any particular direction. "So there are mages where you come from, too?" He's always interested in how magic works on other worlds.
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i am a miserable failure. things have calmed down now tho so i promise i'll be less fail
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❪ introlog #4 ❫ HISTORY LESSON - Jean Valjean
Axel nods slowly.
"I know what scripture is," he says benignly, "though I can't say I know anybody named John." He runs a hand through his hair a bit awkwardly. "Where I come from, people mostly worship the Light," he says. "I was never really much into that, but when you're surrounded by it your whole life, it kind of permeates." He still swears to Light when things go wrong, or thanks it when they go right (not that that's happened much in the past decade or so); he guesses you don't really have to be pious for a religion to ingrain itself in your life.
He waves a hand then, realizing belatedly he may have sounded rude, and while Axel is many things, he's rarely rude without explicit intent to piss someone else off.
"Ah, that is..." He shakes his head. "I mean, don't stop on my account or anything. I don't really get it, but I think it's kind of interesting, learning that sort of thing about other places." He scoops up another handful of slimy leaves, something of a peace offering, and spreads them over the face of the next corpse in the scattered lineup. "I don't really have anything to say over these guys, but I think it's... I dunno, kinda nice that other people might."
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( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Urbosa
He snickers, giving a nod.
"Yeah, mostly something like that," he says. "I'm not exactly a sunny weather sort of guy." Red hair and fair skin don't usually mix with desert sun too well; admittedly, he's never met someone with red hair and dark skin, and all things considered, he's a little envious of her sweet tan. He gives a nod then. "Yup, next time I'm definitely bringing the SPF ten thousand."
He nods in acknowledgment as she explains, then has to smile.
"Yeah, restorative items never taste too good, in my experience," he says. "Though, that might have been largely 'cause the guy I used to buy them from tended to sell expired merchandise." Damn moogles, anyway. "Stuff like that was usually just for health or stamina replenishment, though, where I come from," he says then. "Resistances and such are usually achieved by way of accessories or specialized weapon components."
He leans forward a little and pulls off his right glove, revealing a thin, plain, steel-colored band around his middle finger with a single red jewel in it.
"Like so," he says, twisting the ring. "I mean there's a bunch of different accessories that do different things, but this one here's a fire-enhancing piece." Not that he really needs it, but he also kind of thinks it looks cool. Not that he removes his gloves often.
Shut up don't judge him.Vai? Another Gerudo word, surely. He presumes it's the word for her people, or something similar, and gives an appraising whistle as he tugs his glove back on. "Average, wow," he says. "I'm taller than most people I ran into back home. I worked with a couple of guys who were around the same, maybe a little taller, but most people don't make it even quite this high." He waggles his hand back and forth then in something like uncertainty. "Ah, well..." This is a little more complicated. "Where I come from, everybody from there is just a human, like me." Or like he was, before he was a Nobody, but that's another story for another time. "But there are other... places... where there's folks with different attributes, sure. I used to buy ice cream from a talking duck, when I was a kid, actually." He lifts his hand up alongside his head then, to indicate height again. "But all the places I've been do, I haven't met too many people at or above my eye level," he says, "so I'm impressed that your people are so tall, is all I meant."
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( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Keith
Well, at least he doesn't seem to have taken offense, so there's still hope for this. He sighs and nods then.
"Yeah, you're the first person I've seen in a while, too," he admits, "but I kind of feel like everything I'm encountering now is... for the second or third time."
He watches a moment as the young man sort of shimmies his way upward, then pulls at the back of his neck.
"You, ah... want a hand there, slick?" he asks, threading his fingers together like to offer him a boost. He's pretty tall, so he could make it a lot easier to get a lot higher in a lot less time.
( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Isabela
"Ah, one of those," Axel says, shaking his head. "I know that sort all too well."
Saix might have been good at pushing people around, but he was terrible at communicating, which was why no one had actually respected him. He had outranked half the Organization, but the only reason anyone had ever listened to him was because he was in Xemnas' pocket. Ugh, just thinking about it makes Axel glower. Ya think ya know a guy...
He looks at Isabela again then, surprise tugging at his brows.
"So you actually had your own ship?" he asks, tilting his head a little. "That's... pretty awesome, to be honest. I wouldn't know how to sail a ship even if I had the chance, but it sounds really fun." He shakes his head a little. "What's the Blight?"
Context would serve to explain it's a disease of some sort, but...
( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Ryoko
He's not sure why the imagery of Castle Oblivion changed back to the woods, because he can still plainly see the lines of the walls of the castle, even if they're faded, as though made of glass. It's like they're suddenly in a fishbowl or something. He takes a step forward and reaches out, pressing a hand against the translucent wall, but it doesn't give under his fingers. Apparently they're stuck. But... one thing at a time, he guesses.
Glancing back at Ryoko, he blows a sigh up toward his hairline and furrows his brow.
"It's complicated," he says, less an excuse and more a preamble. "Xion... wasn't like the rest of us, all of us who wore this coat--the Organization. She was a..." He hesitated, trying to choose his words carefully. There are no kind words for what Xion truly was, after all. "She was made," he finally settles on; "created in a lab, at the behest of someone who only sought to use her as a tool." He gives another sigh and pulls at the back of his neck. "We didn't know, for a long time," he says, "but... when I found out, I wasn't really sure what to think. She wasn't... real, is what my head told me. She was just a doll, filled with memories--someone else's memories, not even memories she'd made herself. Not all of them." He meets Ryoko's eye, looking kind of sheepish. "I guess that was the deciding factor, for me, though," he says, "is that even if she was created using stolen memories, she made memories of her own, with me and Roxas." He pauses, then grits his teeth. "I didn't care that she was just a puppet," he says, shaking his head, "she was--is--still my best friend."
He scratches the crown of his head.
"As for what was happening to her," he says, shaking his head, "since she was made with stolen memories, she... couldn't function normally on her own." It's hard to explain, but he's trying to make it as layman as possible. "So she was draining energy from the person whose memories had been used, and it was kind of... destroying both of them." Sort of. He doesn't really want to get into how Roxas is Sora's Nobody and all that nonsense. "I dunno how I could have helped her, to be honest," he says, avoiding Ryoko's eye, "but the fact is, I... didn't do as much as I probably could have, because I was afraid of what the Organization would do to me if I did."
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( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Diana
Hey, now, 'weird' he'll accept, but he's rarely creepy, okay. He was just trying to help. He's pleased that she seems to be paying attention now, though, and gives a nod when she verifies the general procedure.
"Yup," he says, and then points to the knife. "Just be careful you don't catch your finger, though; might be the dull side of the blade, but it'll still smash it good."
Axel watches as she holds the rock and the knife for a moment, like she's trying to figure out the right speed or something, and then she gingerly knocks them together. She seems puzzled, but not yet frustrated, and he grins a bit.
"Angle's okay," he says, pointing, "but ya gotta commit to it. Hold the rock still and only move the knife, and don't be afraid to hit it hard, got it memorized?" He shakes his head. "Fire doesn't do anything half-assed, so you can't expect it to make an appearance if you're not sure of yourself."
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( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Ren
"I hear ya," he says, shaking his head. "I don't like choosing sides. Never have, never will."
He watches Ren mark another tree, then peers back over his shoulder. He's still really puzzled about how this has been happening; he's sure he's been walking in a mostly straight line, but the forest just never seems to end. "Well, anyway," he says then, "the good news is that not picking a side hasn't been too difficult, so far." He gives a shrug. "Keepin' your nose out of trouble seems fairly simple--just be polite, and whatever faction you happen to be talking to, or whoever's neighborhood you're in, just never say anything nice about the other guys."
He hasn't said anything mean about the other guys, either; it seems keeping neutral is still feasible, for the time being.
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( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Riku
"Yeah, I..." Axel narrows his eyes and glances around. "I got stuck in one of my own," he says, shaking his head, "but I don't think the same method will work here."
Not that he wants to admit what that method was. So he'll just move on.
"Maybe... we just have to get off this little island?" he ventures, gesturing toward the bridge that leads back to the larger island. It seems as good a place to start as any.
( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Cullen
Axel holds his hands up like he surrenders.
"I didn't break into nuthin'," he assures the blond man, shaking his head. "I was just walking along, minding my own business, and then suddenly, bam." He punches one fist against his flat palm. "Here I was." He gives a shrug then. "Seems it's going around, this... weird memory thing," he says uncertainly, and pauses a moment. He kind of really wants to pet the dog, memory or otherwise, but he's not sure he could, since it's just a memory. More than that, if he can pet the dog, will it tear his arm off if he tries?
He regards the other man a moment and then ventures a bit of a smile.
"Didn't mean to intrude," he says sincerely, sliding his hands into his pockets. "It's a nice memory, in any case. Ah... I'm Axel," he says then, pulling one hand from his pocket to offer it to him. He figures he at least owes the man a handshake for barging into his memories this way, accidental or otherwise.
( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Bruce Wayne
Axel can't help but grin at the way this man seems pretty much completely unfazed by the summoned weaponry and the magic fire. As funny as it is when people flip out about magic, somehow it's almost nearly as funny when they just take it with an interested grain of salt.
He thinks it would be just as easy to notch the tree with his chakram, but if stern, stoic stranger wants fire, Axel is always happy to oblige.
He divides the flame and lets it dance on each of his fingertips, dragging them across the trunk of the nearest tree and leaving four neat singe-lines, before he turns to look at the other man.
"Next?" he asks, figuring he's been traveling in whatever direction this long with no luck, he doesn't mind following somebody else's lead for a while.
np! take your time, I backtag forever
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( introlog #5 ) strangerer things - Davos
If there's one thing people learn quickly about Axel, it's that he definitely loves to hear himself talk. He'll chat your ear off, if you're amenable. Or if he wants to annoy you. For now, though, he's just trying to get to know some new people, so chatty seems the way to go.
"Well, I'd say welcome, but... it's not exactly the most welcoming sort of story, I know," he says, shrugging one shoulder. "But I guess it's better than just disappearing along with your world, right?"
sorry for the major lateness!
you're good! it's been a rough month for me, too.
❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets - Lunafreya
He's sweeter than he gives himself credit for. Even Xion said as much, though he's forgotten her for the moment. But with or without Xion's accreditation, he's always been a good listener, and though Luna's striking resemblance to Naminé may only be skin-deep, the lonely sadness in her eyes tells him that she could use a friend. He knows he left a lot to be desired in the friend department before, but he really does want to try harder and be better, especially now that Roxas is here, too. 'Blessed', though? He can feel the tips of his ears heating up with embarrassment, and is a little glad for the chill in the air to perhaps mask that. She's being too kind--they've only just met! He hasn't even really gone out of his way yet!
"Injured?" he echoes, shaking his head. "Nah, I'm all right. Got a little banged up when the dragon was raining hell down on everything, but it's nothing I haven't dealt with in the past. I, ah... had kind of a... knockabout job, back home, you could say."
He smiles a bit when she says that she has friends here, as well. That's good, it might help that sad look in her eyes, at least. He gives a low whistle.
"Wow, twelve years," he says, and takes another sip of his cider. "That's about how long it's been since I've seen anyone from my hometown, or my family, so I know how long that can feel like. My friend who just woke up here, we've only known each other a little over a year, and he's like a brother to me, but..." He pauses a moment, shaking his head. "Well, twelve years is a really long time. I think if Roxas and I were separated that long, I dunno what I'd do with myself." His voice isn't sad, really: he's just stating fact. "I'm glad you've got that chance, too," he says. "What is it they say, about absence making the heart grow fonder, right?" He gives her a bit of a smile then, and reaches over to gently bonk his cup against hers. "So how about... here's to old friends from home stars, and new ones from this star, yah?"
❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets - Iskandar
This guy is a trip, and Axel genuinely appreciates his cheerful straightforwardness. After spending so long working with people like Xemnas and Xigbar and Saïx, it's really refreshing to talk with someone who just says it like it is.
He listens to the explanation, intrigued, and then can't help but grin a little. Used to be human, huh? That's something they have in common, though Axel isn't quite ready to own up to that just yet. As much as he appreciates Iskandar's candor, it takes him a little longer to feel like he can share that sort of thing. Though, in all fairness, it sounds like Iskandar's departure from humanity was much less traumatizing and horrific than his own.
"Why wouldn't I believe that?" he asks, laughing softly. "I mean, you're definitely above average in the big and tall department, but I mean... I used to work with a guy who was about your size, to be honest." He gives a shrug. "And I've seen humans do some pretty amazing stuff." He looks at him curiously, folding up the cloak and sliding the bundle into his bag, careful to make sure the data rods aren't damaged. "Was there a war or something going on?" he asks then.
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omfg sorry i thought i posted this like a week and a half ago agkshfad but we can call it done here
❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets - Yoshiko
He can relate. Try visiting worlds where the entire calendar is different. He still has no idea what day or month or year or even what season it had been several of the times he'd visited the Land of Dragons. And the Coliseum? Yeah, forget it, he had simply stopped trying.
"Oh!" He nods with a grin. "I met her once," he says, making a gesture with one hand at his jawline. "Kinda short light brownish hair, yah? She put together a big thing for Valentine's Day, it was a pretty impressive production." It's true he's not sure what an 'idol group' is, but he can kind of guess, given a little context. "So you sing, too, then?"
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❪ introlog: #6 ❫ city of secrets - Riku
"Huh." Axel looks thoughtful for a moment. "I didn't even consider what that sort of weather might do to the crops. The weather never got super dicey for us, but I know it can get pretty intense in tropical climates."
When Riku flinches at his touch, Axel withdraws his hand, but maintains his casual, playful tone in an attempt to avoid awkwardness. He's not terribly tactile as a general rule, but touching on the shoulder and arm, or ruffling someone's hair, that's how he's come to express affinity in recent years. He and Riku might not quite be friends yet, but he likes him well enough, and... well, if he wants that to evolve into friendship, he's going to have to pay attention, and he knows that. All right, no more shoulder clapping until Riku seems a bit more comfortable with him.
He snorts a laugh at Riku's summation, but can't really refute.
"Hey, I gotta keep you kids on your toes somehow, right?" he says. Riku's not wrong in his thoughts, though: Axel knows he's unpredictable, and he's liked it that way just fine, really. It's easier to get by when no one quite knows what to expect from you; there's no expectation except to expect the unexpected, and that's a lot easier than someone being able to see through you via a departure from the norm. He knows he's less opaque now than he used to be, and ultimately knows it's a good thing that he's come to let people get closer to him--he's happier now, if he lets himself believe he's capable of happiness, so he can't complain, really, but there's something a bit frightening about people knowing him.
Even thus, some things are worth making certain people know.
"Hey, so..." He hesitates, then looks at Riku sidelong. "Look, I know you know where I wind up, and even if I'm still a bit behind all that, you know I'm... on your side, right?" Unpredictable is one thing, and he doesn't expect Riku to trust him implicitly, certainly not he way Sora seems to, in any case, but he hopes he knows that he doesn't have to worry about some dramatic
top ten animebetrayal.(no subject)
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