Axel sits down on the edge of one of the couches, fidgeting a moment before he found a comfortable position. There was just nothing comfortable about anything, right now, and it had nothing to do with the fact that he'd been sleeping in a hard metal pod for a few days. He can't help but smile a little at Riku's deft bypassing of the ugly truth. Riku's a good kid. For all his stoic severity and penchant for all work and no play, there's a kindness in him Axel appreciates. He hasn't been on the receiving end of much kindness in the past twelve years or so.
"You can say it," he chuckles. "I died. It happened, there's no sense dancing around it." He holds his arms out to his sides. "I mean, we established I've still got legs, so it's okay, I've already worked my way through the denial stages, I guess." He lowers his eyes and stares down at his lap a moment, then rubs the back of his head. "I'm glad you guys were able to get Kairi out safely," he says quietly, contrite. He looks up again, meeting Riku's eye briefly before glancing away again, like he can't bring himself to actually hold eye contact. "I hope they didn't hurt her or anything," he says, and threads his fingers together. "I went back, you know? To try and get her out of there. But Saïx took me out before I could get her free." His hand moves to his right side, where Saïx's Claymore had cleaved straight through him, and he's not sure if the ache that meets the contact is real or just in his head. He'll have to check for a scar later.
He looks at Riku with a watery sort of grin then.
"That's good," he says. "That creep's face didn't suit you at all. I mean, I never actually dealt with his Heartless form, but he still looked like... you know. Him."
He had only met Xehanort the Apprentice briefly before the fall of Radiant Garden, but despite Xemnas being an anagram of Ansem, it hadn't been hard to figure out whose Nobody he'd been. When Riku had introduced himself as Ansem, though, that day on the beach, Axel had just laughed loud and hard at the absurdity of the whole thing, so much that his already bruised ribs had ached all the more for it. It was like double-layer encryption or something--a kid taking the face of a guy who took the name of some other guy. (I'm the dude that's playin' a dude disguised as another dude!)
He shifts a bit where he sits, then folds his arms and harrumphs.
"Well, I hope you guys kicked his ass good," he says sternly. "Wish I'd gotten the chance, myself."
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"You can say it," he chuckles. "I died. It happened, there's no sense dancing around it." He holds his arms out to his sides. "I mean, we established I've still got legs, so it's okay, I've already worked my way through the denial stages, I guess." He lowers his eyes and stares down at his lap a moment, then rubs the back of his head. "I'm glad you guys were able to get Kairi out safely," he says quietly, contrite. He looks up again, meeting Riku's eye briefly before glancing away again, like he can't bring himself to actually hold eye contact. "I hope they didn't hurt her or anything," he says, and threads his fingers together. "I went back, you know? To try and get her out of there. But Saïx took me out before I could get her free." His hand moves to his right side, where Saïx's Claymore had cleaved straight through him, and he's not sure if the ache that meets the contact is real or just in his head. He'll have to check for a scar later.
He looks at Riku with a watery sort of grin then.
"That's good," he says. "That creep's face didn't suit you at all. I mean, I never actually dealt with his Heartless form, but he still looked like... you know. Him."
He had only met Xehanort the Apprentice briefly before the fall of Radiant Garden, but despite Xemnas being an anagram of Ansem, it hadn't been hard to figure out whose Nobody he'd been. When Riku had introduced himself as Ansem, though, that day on the beach, Axel had just laughed loud and hard at the absurdity of the whole thing, so much that his already bruised ribs had ached all the more for it. It was like double-layer encryption or something--a kid taking the face of a guy who took the name of some other guy. (
I'm the dude that's playin' a dude disguised as another dude!)He shifts a bit where he sits, then folds his arms and harrumphs.
"Well, I hope you guys kicked his ass good," he says sternly. "Wish I'd gotten the chance, myself."