Axel is having a lot of similar thoughts in the moment. It's like the Natha had somehow known that Roxas would be here soon, and so they'd given him more of the background he needed in order to prepare for that. Certainly he'd have been elated to find Roxas before his little update-nap, but now he feels--yeah, feels. Wanna fight about it?--like he can properly understand things, and Roxas himself, a lot better. Between the soul-searching he'd done here, sitting in front of Roxas' pod and wondering if he'd ever get the chance to say the things he should have said the first time around, and living vividly through the last moments of his life only a few days ago, Axel thinks maybe he's more prepared now to be the friend Roxas deserves.

Only one way to find out.

"Hey," he says in a deliberately mimicked tone, casually swiping wetness off his own cheek, "Roxas. Long time no see." He hesitates. "I think. Time shenanigans are apparently a thing," he adds with a slightly puzzled look.