kingdomdressing | (no subject)

[hears his name being called but doesn't particularly let himself hope until he walks in and sees the specific Roxas. His Roxas.]

What's up, Rox?

[hesitates for a moment, not wanting to end up spouting things to the wrong Axel... but this one feels like his. whatever that means. Roxas drops his hand and shifts his weight on his feet, glancing away]

...I think I remember everything now. Almost everything, anyway. There are still some gaps here and there and...I just wanted see if you could fill them in. Answer a couple questions...you know?

[looks up at Axel]

[there are a few questions he'd rather not answer if Roxas does ask them, but...]

Sure. Go 'head.

[takes in a breath, about to speak when he pauses]

..Can we go somewhere? I mean-- somewhere that's not the middle of the hallway?

[nods, even though in this place they'd have an equal chance of being overheard anywhere they went.]

Library sound okay?

[nods]

Yeah.

[and he turns, heading for the library]

[walks alongside him]

Staying out of trouble here so far?

[he pushes his hands into his pockets, thinking quietly to himself and only half listening to Axel.]

Huh? ..Oh. Yeah.

[smiles a little as he glances over his shoulder, and then stops outside the library. he opens the door, checks to see if it's empty, and when he sees that it is, he steps in, holding the door open for Axel]

[brief smile before walking in.] Good. Nice to know I won't have to play the knight in shining armor anytime soon.

[finds a table not piled with books and sits on it, ignoring the chairs. He pats the empty space beside him.]

[closes the door quietly to find Axel sitting on the table. he blinks, eyeing the chairs, and then just shakes his head with a bit of his smile, approaching quietly. hopping up next to his friend, he braces his hands on either side of his thighs and lets his legs swing a little.]

So...

[how to begin. Roxas bites his lower lip, staring down at his swinging feet as he tries to find a way to go about this. ...might as well just...go for it.]

I'm sorry.

[he pauses. ...not exactly what he'd planned to start with...but it's not exactly a bad way to start either.]

For leaving the way I did.

[...well, it's a better way to start than with pointed questions. This could almost be nostalgic.]

Already happened. Don't worry about it.

[nods silently, eyes back to his feet again. he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly]

...Axel, if--...if we're best friends...

[he glances up, but decides that there's a spot on the floor more interesting than Axel's face]

How come you didn't really try to stop me from leaving? Why didn't you try to find me? Why have my other friends never said anything about you?

[...seems those gaps he mentioned are rather large]

[...and here they come. He thinks for a few moments, gaze lowered as well before looking at Roxas.]

I did try to find you after you left, but I ended up here instead. Anyways, you didn't belong in the Organization, Rox. Never did.

[shrugs] Anywhere's better than that place. What kinda best friend would I be if I tried to keep you there? [a selfish one? Guilty.]

And I've probably never met those friends of yours, so they wouldn't know about me. And you couldn't have told them without those memories of...everything.

[purses his lips. Axel's got a point...kind of. what he doesn't really understand is why he wanted to leave so badly...only to end up in Twilight Town, completely forgetting about what he'd set out for in the first place. Roxas shakes his head and sighs. he goes silent for a minute or two, and then looks up, leaning his weight back on his hands]

...Tell me something you remember? Something you and I did.

[looks over at Axel, trying for a bit of a reassuring smile, but if anything, it just looks pleading]

I remember the clock tower and sparring and some other things ...but not everything. Not yet.

[and he probably couldn't help with that, given his limited and second-hand knowledge of what happened for Roxas to lose all his memories. But he'll take the shift to a slightly lighter topic now and leave that for later.]

Lessee...that week after you joined, I had to chase ya all over the Dark City since you kept trying to leave.

[quiet smile.]

I was kinda pissed at you for doing that, but least it gave me an excuse not to stay in that Castle all the time.

[tilts his head as he listens, and he laughs. it's quiet, but it's still a laugh. probably the first laugh he's had since he got here.]

...Well you know, those black coats are kind of intimidating at first.

[he reaches out and sloppily yanks Axel's hood up over his head, smiling]

[ope, hooded. He himself tugs on the hood, straightening it.]

Course they are. How could we scare small children otherwise.

[he snorts quietly]

...certainly scared me the very first time I met you.

When was that - oh, so you were that little blond wreck in the corner of the room.

[gives his arm a shove]

Hey, c'mon, I wasn't that scared.

[laughs.]

That's what they all say.

[he shakes his head, but he's still smiling a little]

Whatever.

[he's content to just sit quietly, until he remembers something]

Hey...did you ever fix that thing with your friend?

[moves a hand to rub at the back of his neck, the movement tipping his hood back.]

Yeah. Turns out we both overreacted.

Well that's good. ...right?

[looks up at him]

[drops his hand to his side with a slight smile at Roxas.]

Right.

[sounds more like he's trying to convince himself of that than anyone else.]

..You don't sound too sure.

[goes for the not-telling-Roxas-the-real-reason-why option.]

Oh really.

[gives him a weird look]

...Yes, really.

Then you must've misheard, Rox.

[he lets it go. Roxas knows he didn't mishear anything, but if Axel wants to be like that...who is he to say otherwise?]

...Okay.

So what have you been doing with yourself around here, if not getting into trouble?

[swinging his feet again]

...Up until now? Thinking. Trying to figure myself out.

Heh. Got any more questions for me to answer then?

No. Got anything you want to tell me?

[the question is innocent, and he smiles a little]

[...well gee, let him think about that.]

Heard there's gonna be a dance or something in a few days. Y'know, if you want to take a break from the whole journey of self-discovery thing.

[he laughs a little]

Iiii don't think so.

You never could dance.

And I never claimed I could, either.

[laugh.]

Have it your way, then.

[raises his brows a little]

I already looked like enough of a fool when someone asks me who I was and all I could say for sure was my name. I don't need to make it worse by trying to dance when I obviously can't.

[smile]

It's fine. I'll just drag someone else with me to it.

[shrugs]

..I figured you would anyway.