001 || Open

[flared]

Characters: Axel and YOU
Setting: Room 1-18, Dormitories
Format: I'm doing prose, but whatever you do, I'll match~
Summary: After waking up with a ridiculous outfit on, a tee'd off Axel teleports around for some exploring. Not with a ridiculous outfit on, though. That would be silly.
Warnings: Nada for now


Please don't hold back on me, Axel. Promise.

He awoke with a start and for what felt like forever stared at the ceiling, unable to move or say a word. Last he remembered, he was at Twilight Town and last he remembered Xion had been with him. Not one of their usual meetings, mind, and not one he would have chosen out of his own volition. So where had that gone? Their voices, the fire burning at his fingertips-- All of that hadn't been a dream, had it? Thinking it, Axel finally shifted on his bed and swung his legs over the edge to sit up. This wasn't Twilight Town, this wasn't Never Was or any other World he could think of, that was for sure.

Deciding it would be best to investigate, Axel stood and approached the chest at the foot of his bed. His Organization coat, some regenerative potions... and some letters out of all things. Head tilted, he picked up the first one then ripped it open to read. Well. That certainly hadn't been the most pleasant letter he'd ever received and he didn't even believe it. Still. The smallest bit of unease started to settle in his gut upon thinking about the possibility of his World being truly destroyed. If that was the case, which one would it be? And why?

But more importantly... what about his friends?

With a sharp scoff, Axel pocketed the letter along with a couple of potions before he stood to head for the door and out into the hallway, footsteps quick and body tense. Regardless of some crummy letter or what had really happened to their World, regardless of how things had turned out between the three of them in the end... he wanted to find Roxas and Xion.

He wanted to be at ease.

((OOC: Feel free to notice/bump into one hotheaded redhead tromping through the tower!))

Comments

[tohko_amano]

Tohko wandered down the halls, with a notebook and pen in hand. Instead of reading or eating something, she was writing something. It was the first time she had written something outside of school, and while it was a rather personal paper, she was enjoying it. It brought back a lot of good memories.

She was enjoying it so much, that she failed to notice a guy with spiky red hair walking by, and accidentally bumped into him. "Oh, I'm sorry! Are you alright?" She asked, closing the book and looking up at the guy.

[flared]

Axel noticed the girl up ahead of him, but a little too late, so, yup, they would be bumping into each other. Appearing thoroughly distracted for a moment, he stared down at her, not saying a word, but eventually he took a bit of a step back to put some distance between them. She was a girl with dark hair, but certainly not Xion.

"Uh... yeah." Bringing a hand up to rub the back of his neck, he glanced around them, once again distracted. "Are... you?"

[tohko_amano]

Tohko closed her notebook and nodded. "Yeah, I'm alright. I should really stop doing that. It's an overused trope.." She sighed. "By the way, I'm Tohko Amano, the book girl. Who are you?"

[flared]

Axel lowered his hand and turned back to look at her again. No one he knew from his World, so maybe he really was in a different place. Maybe she would at least have some answers.

"Axel," he replied. No, he wouldn't be giving her his catchphrase right now. He just had to assume she'd remember it. "Any idea where this place is?"

[justabignobody]

Well, Riku for his part is lunching in the Cafeteria (there is a decent, eatable selection for once; after ten months in this place he knows better than to disregard that), head lifting in alert when he senses someone quite familiar approaching. It takes him a moment to recognize it - its been a while since Axel had left the tower. ...Xion would happy about this, at least.

Riku himself isn't entirely sure how to feel, given... circumstances.

He keeps his eyes on the door as he finishes his plate; there is really no need to rush himself after all. It's not like either of them would be going anywhere anytime soon.

[flared]

And who should happen upon the cafeteria but Axel, stepping out of a Corridor of Darkness then promptly shutting it behind him with a casual wave of his hand. He's looking about, both eying his surroundings and trying to find something or someone familiar, and when he happens upon a familiar face he pauses in his search.

Standing a few feet away, he doesn't say anything and simply watches Riku out of the corner of his eyes, but then after a sigh he decides to speak up.

"Yo." His voice is clipped as he addresses the other. Circumstances back home have made him a little bitter towards this one. "Look who it is."

[justabignobody]

Just like he had expected, huh?

Riku sets down his cutlery, leaning back in his seat as he regards he other. They might have reached a truce the last time Axel had been here (that Riku knew of), but... he is not as foolish as to believe that it still is in effect. Especially given the tone of the other's voice.

"So they dragged you back here, huh?"

[flared]

Axel narrows his eyes a bit at Riku towards that response. He knows Riku has close ties to Sora and understands his motive for leading Xion astray... but that doesn't make things between them any better.

At first he doesn't say anything, only continues to stare, but then he sharply turns his head to the side as if distracted by something else. He's heard from someone else that he's been here before, sure, and on top of the other issues he's got now he has to deal with his memories being messed with.

"Lucky me, right?" he says with a huff. Turning back to Riku, he gets straight to the point. "Where is she?" He knows she's here.

[attheclocktower]

[Things... still were stressful, still hadn't quite calmed down... They never really seemed to in the Tower. It was always degrees of calm, really. And while this period should have been one of its calmest moments, with Roxas gone How could he really be gone... and Shion's friend arriving and everything else it didn't really feel so.

She's making her way up to her room to grab something when she spots the red out of the corner of her eye. Red hair tends to make her double-take anymore. It was unusual to see Reno up h-

Oh... he was back again. Xion's... not sure how to feel. He was here so briefly last time. Still, there's a curl of hope as she stares at him, waiting to see if he'll notice her, If he'll remember, a hand curling into a fist over where her heart would be.]

[flared]

[He's not walking fast, but he's certainly not going at a pace which seems relaxed. That's what happens when you're in major sympathetic mode and suddenly get pulled through time and space to whatever this World is. He hadn't been dreaming, had he? This wasn't some sort of trick DiZ set up, was it?

The more he thinks about it, the more of a headache he gets. Regardless, Axel walks on, turns corners and even opens up Corridors when he's hit a dead end, but-

Suddenly he senses someone and his eyes go wide when he comes to a halt in the middle of the hallway. Because out of the corner of his eyes he sees her and immediately he knows what he has to do. He has to go back to what they were doing before, fight her, beat her, and drag her back to the Organization just as he did once before, come hell or high water. Sure, that's what he knows he has to do, but that doesn't mean he wants to.

Conflicted, he briefly tightens his fingers into fists then glances around them to make sure no one else is around. If they end up fighting, if they end up yelling and arguing-

His voice comes out tense, guarded, though there's that undeniable layer of uncertainty behind it. Because... it's her. He shouldn't have to do this.]

... Xion.

[attheclocktower]

[She sucks her breath in. He said her name. He knows who she is. There's a tight feeling in her chest... she doesn't know what to feel. But he's here and he remembers her this time and there's so much contained in that idea. Was he the one who was here a few months ago? Or was he a new one, who did remember somehow? Neither of the previous two had when they'd first come...]

Axel? You... you remember me?

[Part of her wants to laugh or cry or maybe hug him but at the same time a part of her is finally registering that something's wrong. Something in his voice or expression or something.]

[flared]

[She looks surprised by this and not in the way he might have expected. Her question catches him off guard and he faces her fully, a confused look on his face.]

What are you talking about? Of course I-

[But that doesn't matter. Axel shakes his head.]

I need to take you back.

[How, he doesn't know. But maybe he can teleport out of here with her, even if that means a little roughness. Axel just has to keep telling himself he has a reputation to keep here. Just needs to remember he has a job to do...]

[midgarhorizon]

Nope, Reno never really came up to the First Dorm unless it was for the explicit purpose of using the elevator down to the Cafeteria, which he only took with reluctance for the speed of getting down there. Elevators. They were his bane in life.

While waiting for it to open, he took a look around at the first floor, mostly out of boredom.

Ah, that guy. That can't be...

"Axel?"

[flared]

Any form of transportation other than Portals were the bane of his existence, really. At least since he became a Nobody, because, really, who wouldn't have wanted to teleport places? It sure cut time in half. Not to mention it kept baddies out of the way, at least for a while.

So a Corridor it was. Axel simply opened one up as he headed out his door and shortly after appeared not too far from the elevators where Reno stood. Banishing the Portal with a dismissive wave, he turned to start making his way along the opposite hallway before suddenly he heard his name and paused to glance over his shoulder.

... Ok. This was weird.

Brow raised, Axel turned halfway back around to stare at Reno, completely and utterly perplexed. He might have been ok with just the outfit and the hair color, but this guy happened to sound like him, too. So, yeah. What?

"Do I know you?"

[midgarhorizon]

Aah, dammit. His hopes died before they even began, really. Not that he wasn't really surprised. People had a habit of disappearing and then coming back with no memory.

Just meant another universe had died.

Axel had good reason to be perplexed though. After months of living in the Tower and not having the proper styling products, Reno's hair was overgrown and hanging loose. He looked like less-spiky twin.

"Yes and no. Another you was here before. I got to know him and Xion kinda well. Nice to meet ya again."

[flared]

The whole messy look was just fine and dandy by Axel's standards. Weird, but, hey, it wasn't his hair, right? So he didn't have to worry about it. ... Unless someone happened to mistake them for the same person. Then it might pose a slight problem.

Considering his words, Axel tilted his head a bit. Another... him? What did that even mean?

He would have asked about it had Xion not been mentioned. Immediately his attitude became more serious. "Xion is here?"

Did someone say 'bump into Axel'?

[earthshards]

[There's a guy in an Organization coat walking down the hall with a book on metalworking in his hands. He's barely paying attention to where he is going, more interested in the subject matter at hand.

Collision imminent in three, two, one--]

Watch where you're going, you dunce. B|

[flared]

[Thankfully Axel isn't too distracted to notice the guy walking towards him... but he does notice a little too late. So, yup, there's a collision up in here, ladies and gentlemen.]

You watch where you're going, he's reading here!

[earthshards]

[Oh, ow-- damn it, this keeps happening to him. The book doesn't fall to the ground this time, thankfully, but the impact does force him to take a few steps backwards and steady himself.] Sorry about that--

[It's only after he actually looks up does he see who he's just run into, and he pauses mid-sentence. ... This is potentially awkward.] I should watch where I'm going.

[Or start using Corridors more often to get to places.]

[savedbyasong]

Shion blinked when he saw the familiar person. Another Reno? He hurried after him not really spying just... trying to work out who he was before he approached.

He didn't really look like Reno after the initial glance... but he had seen him before...

"Axel?" Xion's friend... He was back?

[flared]

Halfway through his walk, Axel could sense someone else nearby, but he hadn't thought much of it until their presence didn't fade away. No, he was definitely being followed. Cautious, he slowed down his pace, then when he heard his name he stopped completely, back turned towards the voice.

Another one who knows him. This is getting ridiculous.

The other will get no further address other than a brief glance over his shoulder. If they had nothing of importance to say, then he needed to keep walking.

[savedbyasong]

Shion smiled at him when he was looked at and quickened his footsteps to get closer. "Have you seen Xion yet?"

[keybearer]

[Axel isn't the only one passing through the hall at the moment. Having just completed his usual bout of monster-bashing, Riku was currently tearing down the hall in the opposite direction.

However, that coat and familiar head of red hair catch his eye, and he promptly stops and turns to Axel with a hand on his hip.]

What's the big rush about?

[He doesn't know Axel well. To Riku, he might as well be an enigma, but he does look a lot tenser than he remembered.]

[flared]

[Axel's walking quickly on by when he suddenly hears a familiar voice and pauses mid-step to look over his shoulder. Wait... hadn't he just seen Riku not too long ago? Eyebrow raised, he glances left to right before responding.]

I just saw you.

[keybearer]

Not exactly.

[Riku rubs at his forehead. What's the easiest possible way to explain this without coming across as crazy?

Well, there's one trick that always works.

Reaching forward, he holds out his palm. A bright light flashes into his grip, stiffening into the form of a Keyblade-- the Kingdom Key, to be precise.]

We may look the same, but our circumstances couldn't be further apart.