So you don't know where you're going and you wanna talk

[emberized]

Who: Axel and (almost) all of Kingdom Hearts
Status: Closed to Sora's KH allies and occupants of Hero's Rest.
Where: Hero's Rest
What: The cast of KH attempt to explain the Plot to a man who has only experienced half of it
Warnings: N/A. We're Disney

[Heroes Rest. A sprawling island that Plus Ultra has steadily been making into a habitable environment. From stony paths that carve through natural hot springs and flowering trees, to waterfalls and shell-strewn beaches, it has space aplenty-- in spite of the rapidly growing crew beginning to settle there.

Axel has come to know its shores as the closest thing he has had to a home and he could think of nowhere better, safer, to find some clarity and give warning. Moreover it's somewhere secluded enough that certain outside parties weren't about to make any appearances and catch him offguard, a second time.

He might have been content to leave Saix in the dark but the renegade can't do the same for long. He has asked Sora and any of the Hero's allies from their former realm to meet here and discuss it.

Today Axel needs answers, whatever that means for him.]

Comments

[The Discussion -- Closed to the KH Meetup]

[emberized]

"Saix is here."

[Axel is the one who called this little get together into happening and he's already remembering what it means to regret. Even without the chairs.. it's too reminiscent of an Organization meeting in the Round Room and here VIII is, once again, probably about to keep secrets, lie through his teeth if necessary; anything to keep the precarious balance he has found in this 'life' and everything from slipping out of his fingers.

Whatever he reveals hinges largely on what others say first. He can't afford to give up too much too fast but being around so many Keyblade Wielders makes the Nobody feel exposed and.. vulnerable. Even as an emotionless being, Axel can't deny that shadow of discomfort is real. The assassin keeps himself guarded, arms crossed, eyes alert and tongue sharpened for whatever argument is sure to come.

After all, surely no one but himself knows the extent of his relationship to the other Nobody...]

[OOC: It's chat time! Even though we're all meeting in person, consider this as open as if it were at a network post. Bring up your own points and threadjack eachother at will to launch into your own offshoot discussions. No tag order here!]

[seasaltkeys]

Yeah. He is.

[Roxas's voice is noticeably colder when he speaks. He is not happy about this development. Certainly the two have met and agreed to an icy politeness if nothing else, and Roxas is going to hold that as long as a reason isn't given to cross the line. (And maybe he is looking for a reason). It's just that, really more than any enemy they've faced, Saix feels the most personal.]

[emberized]

"Ran into him, huh." [Axel murmurs sidelong. Roxas has always been.. expressive when he had an opinion, as soon as he cottoned on how to, after his early days, but Axel doesn't think he's seen his friend quite take on this level of stony countenance in a long while. Another reminder that the current Roxas is so much more of a person than he is. Normally that's enough for Axel to stand back and trust the Heroes around to guide the decisions.
But he wants.. Axel doesn't know what he wants. You need a heart for that. But he knows what he doesn't want to lose, and one of those things is definitely Roxas.]

[seasaltkeys]

Yeah.

[It kind of says it all. Because he doesn't know what to say, really. It's Saix. Not Isa. And while his feelings about Isa are also Very complicated, there is a chance at moving forward. At trying, at the very least.

With Saix it's different.]

I don't know what to do.

[tabiya]

[ at the invitation of their local angel of a protagonist, xehanort is here. he's kind of... unintentionally set his chair a foot or so back from the rest of the circle, arms crossed and looking. Uncomfortable.

he doesn't know any of this plot either so he's listening intently. if there's any questions for him, though, he'll answer them. ]

I swear he really does like you, Nort

[emberized]

[Xehanort. Sora brought Xehanort here. Where Axel is about to potentially reveal SO many things. He supposes he can't really be mad-- lack of heart reasons notwithstanding-- for all anyone knew, Axel hasn't said more than passing hellos to the foreign enigmatic keyblade wielder at all. How was Sora to ever consider the lengths Axel has taken to keep his past and particular existential situation private?
The assassin regards the silver headed teen and looks. So tired.

It's all on the table now.

If Axel didn't feel on trial for his loyalty before, Xehanort being here has not improved his comfort levels.]

"Let's get this thing over with." [At least Xemnas' meetings had the possibility of ending him after.]

[tabiya]

[ it's impossible to not feel a little smug underneath his discomfort, that axel is eyeing him with such exasperation. there's too many others willing to open up around for the enigmatic assassin to remain enigmatic - or an assassin, for that matter.

and while xehanort was clearly still completely out of place, he was grateful for the patience the other keyblade wielders he had met had afforded him. so yeah, there's maybe a little sparkle in his eye as he matches axel's gaze. ]

[oathkeeper]

[Well. This sure is awkward.

Sora stands there next to Xehanort's chair with an icepop in his mouth. He's a little too antsy to sit down, himself. But Sora figured since everyone was coming to talk to each other and hash out some pretty awkward stuff, Xehanort should tag along for the context. And ... maybe hash out some pretty awkward stuff-]

Uhhh. Yeah! Saix is here. It looks like the rifts don't really have any set rules or anything so we can't really be that surprised about it, right?

[Meaning... Look at Xehanort. Same thing.]

[tabiya]

[ it is incredibly awkward.

aware he's being addressed, xehanort startles a little. he'd been fully prepared to just fade into the background here, maybe answer a couple of invasive questions he'd either answered before or would have no real answer to give - but sora, as usual, was trying to involve him gently. ]

There's been no one else that I know arriving, but I understand that most of you are from... roughly the same point in time, right? Is this guy different, again?

[emberized]

"That all depends. If the rifts are how he got here."

[Axel's gaze darkens. That's the crux of the matter. Something Axel knows the others probably haven't thought of. He's never brought it up, after all, that he has never truly tried to see if the corridors might lead him back to their former realm.]

"Organization XIII had ways of getting around. Just like you did. If they were to find a way here, would they come from my time," [He gestures.] "Or most of yours?"

[And if Saix found them willingly. So did the Superior.]

[seasaltkeys]

Saix is a jerk.

[And that's the long and short of it. When Roxas has a grudge.]

[oathkeeper]

[Sora pats Roxas on the shoulder...]

[obliviscere]

[ Well, this is really awkward. Super awkward. But she's trying real hard to not make her very obvious staring to be noticeable. Trying and probably failing. It probably really doesn't help that she's just been standing in the back herself. Or that she's been scooting ever so slightly closer to his chair while people talk around them. Finally she leans down a little bit to whisper to him: ]

Do...you have any opinion about any of this? [ Mostly she's just curious here. If he's really from so far back that doesn't even have any knowledge of who Saix is. Or if he'll really not recognize her at all. ]

[dawnshore]

[ Their first get together and it's a meeting. They should have had a beach party instead, but it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Before a member of the Organization showed up that they should be slightly worried about.

Axel's words don't give away too much and also a lot all within three words. Yet he needs more information to determine if they should be wary of Saix, especially when there are so many points in time the other Nobody could have come from. If people want to be unhappy that Saix is here due to personal reasons, that's their business. ]

How much information about his last memories did you get out of him?

[emberized]

[Axel raises a brow. He never thought he'd be thankful Riku was here but at least this is one person whose perception of him he isn't worried about shattering.]

"What does it matter? He's Saix." [You want the part when they first started to drift apart in their early years as Nobodies, when Axel was as bad as him, or after the Berserker assuredly condemned his former friend as a traitor? No answer would be satisfying to someone like Riku.]

"He's never been particularly friendly."

[obliviscere]

[ It's probably at least mildly obvious that Naminé isn't one-hundred percent sure what to say here. Or if she should really say anything at all. Is it really her meeting to voice much of an opinion at? It doesn't entirely help that she's got some rather complex and conflicting feelings about the situation herself.

Finally she does decided to do more than just linger in the background and speaks up. ]

He ran into me and we spoke about a few things.

[oathkeeper]

[Poor Naminé just walking into this entire mess.

He'll just lean over and whisper to her,]

What do you think, Naminé? Do you think it'll be safe to keep Saix around?

[emberized]

"He did?" [Huh. She looks unbothered and unharmed by the encounter but this is Naminé he's talking to. Axel knows that doesn't necessarily account for much.] "..What did you talk about?"

[brokenlight]

Is it really a problem?

[Ventus may have been invited, but he also doesn't quite get it. Not in the same way that the others seem to. Except for maybe Xehanort. He sits off to the side, not really partaking, but mostly there for support...of some kind.

Chirithy even sits on his lap, quiet as they listen to everyone else.]

[emberized]

"It might not be, but.."

[Axel averts his eyes, uncomfortably. Truth be told, this was one of the interactions he had wanted to run from the most.

It had been so... nice that there was one person he knew before Escordvi who knew him only as the best parts of himself. A Lea who was not yet corrupted by the hardships to come. One who could smile with his whole being and actually mean it. That Lea lived in Ventus and Ventus alone through his untainted memories.

Axel hadn't wanted to shatter that. Who is to say how Ven will view him now that he might grasp more of what Axel is.]

"I don't know.. if you remember Isa?"

[The 'Rest' -- Open]

[emberized]

[Here for something different? Make your own top levels while you visit the island! After all, no one says the meeting had to be the only reason you are here. Perhaps it's pure coincidence one was happening while you were here at all! Feel free to use past logs and any island information to make your own prompts. Non-KH Plus Ultra Crew are welcome to use this too!

the Rest- exploration

[obliviscere]

[ There's a lot of Island for her to take in and taking it all in is exactly what she can be found doing on the small beach. Eyes wide with wonder at the rising mountains that build higher up. Where does one even start here? It's nearly impossible to decide when she's already certain she wants to see everything there is. And hey, she's got the chance! Nothing can really hold her back from making her own choices now and that's amazing all on it's own.

And maybe a tiny bit overwhelming.

But she's never let overwhelming stop her before! So it's up the stone pathway she goes. If anyone happens to come by and stop she'll smile, wave, and then ask: ]

Would you mind telling me your favorite place here?

[ Because that's clearly the quickest way to narrow down where to go, right?

Although she'll eventually end up at one of the waterfalls where she can be found just sitting on some rocks looking up at i. Letting the water spray onto her with a gentle smile on her face. ]

It's really beautiful here.

Waterfalls

[dawnshore]

[ He was aware she was here and exploring the island, and there is a lot to see. Some of it is still a work-in-progress, but there's something exciting about building and adding things they want to it. It reminds him a bit of the play island back home, just more of it.

Riku approaches her with his hands in his pockets, looking up at the waterfalls. ]

Yeah, it is. You should see the view from the top of the waterfall, too. That's a good one, too.

[seasaltkeys]

You seen the skate park yet?

[Or at least, the start of it.]

[seasaltkeys]

[Sometime after the conversation winds down, Roxas can be found by the water. He's not really doing much beyond watching the surf, and maybe tossing the odd rock in.

There's a bit of a restless energy about him that he's trying to come down from.]