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

[seasaltkeys]

I know. I'm never listening to him again.

[He sighs.]

It's just...[How does he explain?]

I can't put aside the stuff he did. And said.

And it's not just to me. It was to Xion to.

He really didn't like her.

[emberized]

[A bleak nod of understanding.]

"I may not remember Xion'. But I do remember the things he did."

[Axel assures. A little memory loss didn't erase the crime, just the faces involved. The pain those memories left behind. It was still there. He takes a moment to move closer and put a hand on Roxas' shoulder, to really give his full attention.]

"He's not gonna pull anything like that here, not on my watch."

[The Nobody knows that's not enough to pacify Roxas though. What even could?]

"Besides. What's he gonna do, tell us we're late to RTC?"

[seasaltkeys]

Pretty sure there isn't even a C to RT to anymore.

[And if there is, well, who wants to visit Maleficent and Pete?

But he leans into the hand on his shoulder.]

I know. I'm not gonna let him either.

[His voice is a little quieter now. He's been listening to the other conversations.]

But. I don't think I want him on the crew. I don't even want to extend an invite.

[emberized]

[Ah. So it's like that.]

"Whoa, hey, there's a big difference between not obliterating a guy on sight and inviting him up to our clubhouse."

[Not to mention, even if Saix is impossibly in his right mind by some stretch-- Yeah, Beat's screaming hard enough to make Axel unexpectedly light his room on fire is proof enough this kind of environment would undo any of THAT progress. Axel takes a sweeping bow for the dramatics of it.]

"You're my Captain, Roxas. And I'm not going anywhere."

[seasaltkeys]

[A small smile plays on Roxas's lips at that. And maybe those are the reassurances that he was wanting to hear. That a invitation doesn't have to be extended. And that Axel leaving is off the table. And that he's got back up, if anything even becomes a question.]

Well, I don't want either.

[Saix can just. Exist.]

And good. Because. I'd drag you back if you did go anywhere.

[It goes both ways now.]

[emberized]

"Oh yeah?" [His lip curls in amusement.]

"Heh, well now I almost wanna see that."

[How aggressively protective of you, Roxas. It's touching, really. Though Axel supposes he essentially did get a good glimpse back at the Smugglers hideout. If there had been any doubt before, he now knows Roxas would have lugged his body out of there, even if it were crystallized. He decides to stop his pacing and just kick a leg up, to chill next to his friend.]

"Guess you've known about us then, huh. Saix and me."

[Specifically how well they actually knew eachother. He's spoken of Isa and Saix. He's never mentioned they were the same person. Apparently he didn't have to.]

"I wasn't keeping it from you."

[He wants that on the record. He has deflected about many things but Axel is fairly certain this wasn't one of them.]

"Just. Didn't think it mattered."

[seasaltkeys]

[He's not leaving his friends behind. Never again.]

Yeah, I know. I mean, we've sorta talked about it, but, not a lot. In, your future, I guess.

And it's fine. We had other stuff going on.

[He shrugs.]

He gets to be Isa again, like you get to be Lea. He's, okay I guess. We also haven't talked a lot. And I...

Same deal. Still figuring it out.

[It's a weird position to be in.]

[emberized]

[He doesn't doubt that.]

"Yeah, I never thought.. When you said everything works out, I never expected you'd meant Isa too."

[His hands are back to grabbing his hair. He's still reeling from that one.]

"Guess I should have asked more specifics." [He laughs, in spite of himself. Perhaps because he has no other idea how to navigate any of this.]

"Well there can't possibly be more I don't know, right?-- Don't answer that."

[He cuts himself off grimly. Please. He can only take so much.

Hmm..]

"..Is there a reason you'd wanna ever talk to him? In the future, I mean."

[Maybe they're looking at this wrong. Maybe to understand the past they have to go backwards.]

[seasaltkeys]

Well, there was a lot to remember.

[And he was more happy to see Axel. And would rather talk about Xion.]

I think this covers most of it. I guess the main thing is that after the Keyblade War, we all pretty much settled in Twilight Town.

And I ended up here, so I don't really know how that's going.

[Other than it's weird and he's still figuring things out.]

I dunno. Not really anything I can think of, unless...we end up having to work together again. I guess.

[Maybe if Saix wants to grovel. But, the chances of that happening...Roxas won't hold his breath.]