ROCKtober catch-all

[icingonthecake]

Who: Axel (icingonthecake) & Various Y'alls // some closed prompts but general OTA!
What: catch-all for October; some planned events with CR and some stuff for anybody to pop into if you want!
When: throughout the month
Where: errywhere
Warning(s): Axel is a huge nerd idk what else to tell you


In general, Axel has mostly enjoyed the time he's spent on El Nysa. Certainly some times have been better than others... That whole thing with the kidnappings kind of sucked, even if he wasn't directly affected, and the fighting an undead zombie dragon god thing he could have done without, but all things considered, he's had a fairly good time here. He's met some interesting people, done some interesting things, encountered some... unusual situations. To say the least.

Hey, it beats carrying out icky orders for the Organization, at least.

He's still kind of reeling from all that ghost nonsense, honestly, so maybe don't sneak up on him unless you want a chakram in the gizzard. He's been seen casually helping out with memorial efforts, offering general assistance and also if anybody needs a welder, he's got some unorthodox methods. Other than that, though, he's spent most of his time appreciating how lucky he is to have his BFF here with him, and occasionally taking trips back up to the station to visit a few friends who have gone back into stasis. Free time is usually spent in the general vicinity of the housing districts of Olympia, where his apartment is, but he can be found just about anywhere if the occasion calls for it.

He will definitely be spending some time in Wyver during the festivities, cuz those guys like fire almost as much as he does, and he has recently become very interested in getting to know some dragons better. I mean, he didn't really enjoy the whole Ysverai thing, but he's still willing to think dragons are cool, so. Someone point him in the direction of a cool dragon he can become friends with and adopt.

[[basically if you wanna do something feel free to start a thread, this whole month's event and outline stuff is basically OTA at any time for anyone, i'm up for just about anything. you can hmu on plurk at cassowary if you wanna discuss anything or have me start instead or whatever!!]]

Comments

Closed to Roxas | 10/4

[icingonthecake]

Axel stopped keeping track of the time long ago. In The Castle That Never Was, time hadn't really had much meaning, and the fact that Luxord could just screw with the flow of time anyway hadn't helped. He never really slept more than a few hours at a time as it was, so keeping track of the time seemed mostly pointless these days, especially now that he didn't have to get up for morning briefings anymore. It's a bit freeing, really, to not have to worry about being groggy or exhausted on missions anymore because of a chronic, paranoid inability to sleep for more than three hours in a go. Even here in Nysa, where he's much less concerned about a neighboring sociopath just teleporting into his room to shank him in the neck, old habits die hard.

It's the middle of the night, he knows that much, but beyond that he's not really paying attention. He's way too caught up in this stupid mystery novel. He figured out who did it by the third chapter, and now he's just waiting for the validation of being right all along. The apartment is quiet, and Roxas went to bed hours ago, like the good kid that he is--(do as I say, not as I do)--and though Axel does still find himself peering up into the rafters once in a while, expecting Ryoko to be there, things feel almost alarmingly... normal these days. He misses Ryoko a lot, but he knows she isn't gone. He's confident she'll be back one of these days, and in the meantime, he gets to tell Roxas about all the crazy stuff she did, with no input from the peanut gallery.

As he turns a page, though, he glances up when a peculiar sound meets his ears. It's soft, sort of muffle, like a whimper but not quite, and he squints in the low light of the apartment.

"Roxas, that you?" he calls, keeping his voice quiet. He doesn't want to wake the kid if he's just hearing things. There's not a lot that frightens Axel, especially with everything he's been through, so strange noises in the apartment don't quite trigger alarm, right off the bat; mostly he's curious. The sound comes again, and he dog-ears the page of the book setting it down on the coffee table and getting to his feet. He's wearing PJ pants and a tee shirt, despite the chilly weather outside, and normally the cold doesn't bother him, but something about the little noises apparently coming from Roxas' room send goosebumps up his arms.

Inching closer, he gently pushes the door open a bit more, the light from the living room casting long shadows across the floor.

"Rox?" he calls again, his voice still low. He's not sure if Roxas is trying to mess with him, or if something is actually wrong, but his posture is guarded. He's pretty sure there's nothing else in the room, but he's not ruling anything out around here anymore.
Light help anyone or anything that tries to hurt Axel's BFF.

[pullsheavendown]

This isn't the first nightmare he's had since awakening in El Nysa, but it might be the worst. Numerous times now, at least once every couple of weeks, he wakes up feeling shaken and a little sick. He recognizes the feeling, kind of—it's not exactly the same as when he'd wake up rattled after a dream about Sora, but it's close enough. The funny thing is that these days, he never remembers what he'd been dreaming about; he only knows that they were bad dreams.

When Axel opens the door, Roxas can't tell him anything but his dreams, because he's still dreaming. It's not overly warm in his bedroom, but he's mostly kicked off the sheet and blanket, leaving only one foot tangled up in the material. Lying on his back, it's easy to see his breathing coming quickly, like he's in the middle of intense physical activity, not fully asleep. A closer look would reveal the flickering of his eyes beneath the lids. His features have slackened, but his brow is slightly furrowed as tiny noises escape his lips. They could be upset, they could be scared. Or maybe there's no difference.

His entire frame is tense, hands twitching, and without warning he throws one arm out to the side, fingers grasping for something that isn't quite there. A shimmer of fine sparkles nearly takes shape in the form of a familiar grip but fading away. The Keyblade will not come without a conscious mind to call it.

[icingonthecake]

It isn't the first time he's heard Roxas having a nightmare, but it's the first time it's seemed this bad. He understands, really he does; he has his share of nightmares, too. The Organization has left its mark on the both of them, and it's not something he's happy about, either.

He opens the door a little more, casting a rectangle of soft light across the room so he can see better. He doesn't want to turn on the actual overhead light and startle Roxas awake or anything, but it sounds like he's having a rough time. The glitter of the hilt of his Keyblade is what really puts Axel on edge; he's never seen him do that before. Well, of course he's seen him summon his Keyblade before, but not in the grips of a nightmare.

"... Rox. Roxas, hey," he calls softly, hoping maybe he can just rouse him enough to pull him from the nightmare without actually waking him. He thinks he heard somewhere that waking someone from a nightmare could do more harm than good, and he's not sure if it's true, but he doesn't really want to take any chances if he can avoid it.

He steps a little closer and frowns at the tight, frightened pull to Roxas' face, at the distressed whimpering noises he's making. Light... here he's been given a second chance to actually be a good friend, and he can't even do anything about this. He had gone about things all wrong before, but he'd only wanted to protect Roxas from the harsh truth of their lot in life as Nobodies. His desire to keep his friend safe and happy hasn't changed, but his methods certainly have.

No more lies. No more omissions. But he's not sure what he can do for him here and now.

He reaches out, then stops himself and fidgets. Ugh, why doesn't life come with an instruction manual?

"Roxas, come on, it's okay, buddy," he says, feeling a little silly, but he's really not sure how else to help. "No one's gonna hurt you, okay? I mean, they'll have to get through me, first, for sure."

[pullsheavendown]

For another minute, it seems as though Roxas hasn't heard him at all. And maybe he hasn't—his expression doesn't change, the noises don't cease. His fingers squeeze together again, like he's grasping for something just out of reach. Whatever battle he's fighting in his dream, he's fighting it alone.

Until, all of a sudden, it ends.

He lets out a strained yelp and sits up abruptly, eyes staying closed for a second longer before they open and his gaze flickers from side to side. It takes another few seconds for them to focus on his best friend; he hadn't realized he has company, apparently, but he seems to relax at the realization, shoulders drooping slightly.

"Axel? What are you doing here?"

Closed to Lance and Allura | 10/6 cuz that's Saturday aww ye

[icingonthecake]

He's not quite sure what to call this. Is it a date? Light, when was the last time he went on a date? Did he ever? He lost his heart at like 16; the closest he ever got to romance was that time he tried holding a girl's hand at school and then had no idea where to go from there. He's not even sure he's capable of actually having feelings, as he is right now! Sora seems to think he is, but Sora is that breed of cockeyed optimist that believes the glass is still half full when it's down to the ice and backwash.

All he can really say for sure is that, feelings or no feelings, he cares about Allura, and he enjoys spending time with her, and the idea of getting to know her better, like on a more personal level, is attractive to him. That has to count for something, right? And after their meeting in Nadril, after she woke up after getting such awful memories returned to her, he knows that despite any emotional shortcomings he may have, he does want to be there for her if she needs him to be.

So... yeah, that counts. It has to.

Whether or not this is a date, he still can't really say, but by the time he gets to the address he was given, he's at least confident that this is an honest undertaking. Feelings still don't make a lot of sense to him (do they really make sense to anyone? Really?), but spending more time with Allura always feels like a good idea. So he'll go from there.

As he approaches the location, he realizes that when Allura told him she lives in a treehouse, she was... being literal. He's not entirely sure what he was expecting, but a real actual treehouse with a rope ladder is... not it.

He pauses at the base of the ladder and looks up. Way up. Then he shrugs and starts climbing. He's athletic, but man, he sure wouldn't want to try and haul groceries up a rope ladder. When he makes it to the top, he dusts his hands off and then smooths his hair back a little. All right, showtime. Or at least time to figure this stuff out on the go.

He knocks on the door.

[particlebarrier]

The knock on the door comes as a small surprise, though not an unpleasant one. Nobody had said anything about having a guest over which, obviously, means the mystery guest is there to hang out with him. Allura would have probably said something about having a friend over because she doesn't hide things like that, and Keith is well... Keith -- him having a friend come hang out would probably be a harbinger of the apocalypse.

So all that nicely reasoned out (he didn't need any reasons really), Lance shouts, "I'll get it!" and saunters over to their front door. Any idle daydreams about this maybe being a cute visitor for him are rudely shattered by Axel's unfamiliar face. Minor disappointment aside, he's still fairly upbeat about it.

"Welcome to the lair of the beast. Can I help you?"

[icingonthecake]

When the door opens and Axel is faced with... a young man with dark hair... he just stares for a moment. He looks down at his phone to check the address that Allura gave him, then looks up at the house, then at the young man, then down at his device again. Then he scratches his head.

"Uh... okay, Allura never said anything about a beast, so I might have the wrong address," he says awkwardly. He'd never asked if she had roommates, which he guesses is his own fault.

Closed to Lie Ren | 10/7

[icingonthecake]

Axel hasn't been able to find a place that sells actual pizza anywhere he's looked, which is a travesty. However, he has acquired some dough, some tomato puree, some cheese, and a good amount of spices, and he is so ready to make his own. There's just one more ingredient he needs for this pizza party to get kicked off properly.

Hey, Ren, where are you right now?
'Cuz you should definitely be at [my address] ASAP.

[nevernoaction]

That's an unusual request from Axel...unless this had to do with wanting to make pizzas? That could be fun. So some time later, Ren does just that.

"I'm right here, Axel." He opened up the door, holding a bag full of things.

[icingonthecake]

Axel answers the door, and his face lights up at the sight of his friend in the ingress.

"Hey, you!" he says with a laugh. "I didn't expect you to come bearing gifts... How are ya?" He steps back to let him inside and offers to take the bag.

Closed to The Other Ren | 10/12 | un: Nobody

[icingonthecake]

He'd realized belatedly that with the network malfunctioning, he didn't actually know the username of that amusing "Ren" fellow he'd spoken with. Well, that just wouldn't do. He'd actually been looking forward to finding an opportunity to meet him in person, and so he takes a moment to scroll through the directory of refugees in his phone to see if anyone fits the bill. As he scrolls, he happens across a 'Suzugamori, Ren' among the names and, finding no other Rens anywhere in the list, he figures this one is his best bet. Tapping on the name, he types up a quick message, hoping he's not about to make a total idiot of himself.

Yes, hello, this message is for the Ren who spoke with the void.
Would that be you?

[thedarkbond]

Ren's already run into a few of the people he talked to during the network malfunction, so he's not altogether surprised another one of them managed to track him down...though it does ruin his fun a bit. Nonetheless, he responds promptly enough.

who knows (✿´ ꒳ ` )
but i guess if this is the void then i could just be nice and tell you
maybe

[icingonthecake]

Yeah, that definitely sounds like the right person.

Well, if this is the correct Ren, I wondered if you wanted to go have that drink I promised you for being such an entertaining conversationmate. A good void always keeps their word, after all.

If this is not the correct Ren then I guess I'll never know and I might end up buying a drink for a total stranger, but there are worse ways to spend an evening.

behold, CORN

[personalwar]

A corn maze. When 76 firsts hears of it, he has to question once more how it is that certain traditions, even one as specific as this, could span entire planets across a large, full universe. Maybe it's not that surprising that harvest festivals are universal, and that more than one group of people would come up with the idea of using stalks of corn to make a maze, but it's still unexpected.

And a bit nostalgic, for someone like him who grew up surrounded by this kind of thing.

Not that he wants to admit that's the reason he's here. It's easier to claim that he just wanted some time away from all of the over-the-top festivities going on in Wyver. Sharing meals with dragons and cutting blood bonds into each other doesn't really sound like his idea of a great time.

Neither does a corn maze, really, but it's something familiar. He doesn't have any intention of actually going in for now, but is more here to observe. There are plenty of families running around, but he sees a few older kids in costumes as well. All of it makes him feel a little like he's been transported to another time and place.

GENTLEMEN!!!

[icingonthecake]

While Radiant Garden did have a penchant for agriculture, as the name suggests, the world wasn't very large--smaller even than Nysa's island. Axel is familiar with corn, of course, but wasting so much space turning it into a maze, of all things. As entertaining a prospect as it is, it's just a completely inefficient use of corn. He guesses he can appreciate the spirit of the whole thing, though; this Halloween gig seems like a good time. They'd had a similar fall festival back home, when the people of their world had lived solely off the land and celebrated a good harvest in the hopes of encouraging another the following year, and when the spirits of those who had been lost were said to be that much closer to the world of the living. Funny the things that were truly universal.

He's trying to get into the spirit of things, though, He's wearing his Black Coat, because apparently it's intimidating, and he dons a pointy hat he purchased at a stall nearby. He's been informed that this sort of hat is usually worn by women, but who cares? He is rocking the look okay.

Standing near the mouth of the maze, he considers entering to see what all the fuss is about, but he's not sure he wants to go in alone. He's got a good sense of direction--he'd had to, working for the Organization, after all--and he's still able to use his Corridors... but he's starting to think he really does spend too much time alone, and whether it's just Sora's promises that he does get his heart back, or something equally as psychosomatic, the thought of getting turned around in a field of corn all by himself makes him apprehensive. He spots a man standing nearby, apparently having a similar experience, of some sort. He looks as if he sort of wants to go have a look, but also like he doesn't, and Axel chuckles softly.

"Probably not the most economical way to grow corn, huh?" he says conversationally, hands in his pockets as he approaches.

[personalwar]

When someone walks up next to him to strike up conversation, 76 turns a little sharply to face the stranger. Between the strange outfit and the bright red hair, the guy certainly stands out, and 76 has the sense that he's seen him around before. Probably up on Thesa Station, if he had to guess, or maybe around Nadril. Either way, there's no way he's not a refugee.

The black coat and the witch's hat don't really go together, but there's something else about that coat. It's got a specific look to it, and it's one that 76 has seen before. It takes him a few seconds to place it, but that kid he'd met on a rooftop in Nadril had worn the same one. Roxas, right?

That's something that he can ask about a little later, because while 76 can't quite believe it, he's about to "well, actually" someone about corn mazes.

"It actually is. A lot of farmers specifically make corn mazes to draw in tourists and earn some extra income by charging them to walk through it." That's no doubt exactly what's going on here too, though he doesn't know who actually owns the land this maze has been constructed on. "I guess we can go in for free, though." Apparently they'll even be given silver if they can make it through successfully, though it's not a sizable amount of money.

slams in!!! IM HERE im here ...

[spideys]

Olympia isn't exactly the kind of cityscape that Spider-Man is used to, but as far as tall things to swing off of, it's not the worst either. Better than Wyver with its endless jungle and low-level huts, that's for sure.

In any case, just because New York City no longer exists doesn't mean that Spider-Man's out of a job or anything. A superhero's work is never done, no matter where he (or she!) ends up - and that's why Spidey's out tonight, patrolling the city for crimes to stop, old ladies to help, and any other array of superheroic business he should tend to.

He's hanging out over by the marketplace, just keeping an eye on things, perched at the edge of the rooftop of a particularly tall-ish building. It helps him to keep a pretty decent vantage point, and gives him a little more momentum in his first swing.

So far things have been pretty quiet, which is both a good thing and a ... boring one. You know, on account of him just chilling up here without too much of a purpose.

His spider sense doesn't detect anything around him, anyway, certainly no hooded figures who may also be finding the rooftop a particularly desirable hangout spot tonight ...

WHOOOO!!

[icingonthecake]

Axel would definitely agree that El Nysa leaves a lot to be desired on the Altitudinal Structures front. No gargantuan castles, no neon skyscrapers, no fancy clock towers, it's ridiculous, really. Where the hell is a guy supposed to go and watch the sunset like a total sap?

He had decided to try the view from the marketplace this evening, and he found it's actually a pretty good place to people-watch, at that. He's been up here for about half an hour when movement catches his eye, and he turns in time to see... what appears to be a young man in a spandex suit... swinging up onto the roof using some kind of grappling hook? No, there's no hook, what the hell is that? He just flicks it away like string or something, seriously, what is that?

Interested cat is interested. Axel just watches for a few minutes as the kid situates himself near the edge of the roof, apparently also just here to people-watch, but something about that weird spandex suit of his is a bit nostalgic. It reminds him a little of the comic books he read as a kid, or the computer games he always tried to get Isa to play with him, filled with superheroes and wicked villains and crazy genetic experiments. Of course, Radiant Garden's compute capabilities had also left a lot to be desired when he was a kid, so he'd mostly had to use his imagination as far as costumes went, but why else would someone wear a spandex suit on purpose?

After a few more minutes of silence, Axel just has to know. He has to ask. So he shifts a bit where he's seated in the shadow of the roof gable, just enough that his boots scrape the shingles beneath them a little. He doesn't want to scare the kid, so better to make his presence known a little more organically. He wasn't hiding on purpose so much as he just hadn't been noticed, so it's not like he's sneaking up on him.

"Don't usually have any company up on the rooftops," he says mildly then, his tone light. "I take it you prefer a bird's eye view of the city, too, then?"

[spideys]

The sound of footsteps against clay rooftop shingles has Spider-Man a little more alert to the surroundings on his immediate level. But as of yet, there's been nothing to send him on the defence, so he waits. Waits and watches and observes.

He doesn't even turn his head when the cloaked figure approaches, but he offers a nod and a half-shoulder shrug at the question. Casual, polite, totally open to a little conversation to pass the time.

"It's the best view as far as I'm concerned," he says easily. "A good place to think too."

Where? Wolves?

[quintessent]

It’s been a few weeks since the unfortunate mishap involving a supposed kidnapping and a certain disc jockey playing jokes on unsuspecting people in Allura’s inbox. Really, the only fault of hers is that she let her phone slip into mischievous hands, but she can’t help but feel a little bit like she owes Axel one for getting caught up in Richie’s teasing. And it’s touching that he ran to her aid, even if the dilemma was entirely fabricated.

Axel seems like he’s a fan of sweets, so a tin of cookies should make for a good apology. Said tin is tucked politely under her arm when she approaches his door, and there’s a moment of hesitation while she considers if cookies are a suitable apology (her sources (who are Lance) says yes), or if she’s making too big of a deal out of nothing, or is she making it a big deal by addressing it? Maybe she should have sent him a message instead of showing up unannounced, but then that kind of ruins the surprise and-

She’s just about to chastise herself for overthinking this, when a sound from inside the apartment catches her attention. A crash, followed by the sounds of scuffling. A struggle?

“Axel?” Allura goes for the handle, but to no avail. The sounds continue, and worry crosses her features as she takes the handle in both hands, whispering a small apology as she rams her shoulder into the door, splintering the wood as it cracks open. Axel isn’t the only person who isn’t about to risk someone being in danger.

[icingonthecake]

Honestly, the little text prank with Richie has been long forgiven. Really, there wasn't anything to forgive, at least from Allura's side of things--all she'd done was lose her phone, which could have happened to anybody. And all things considered, Richie's prank was well played. There are genuinely no hard feelings on this, and while he's definitely certain he's told Allura as much, she seems quite apologetic still. Which he understands. He knows Roxas has forgiven him all the crap that he caused back home, but that doesn't mean he doesn't spend a good portion of his time trying to think of ways to make it up to him anyway.

At the moment, though, Axel's a bit more preoccupied with the very strange feelings he's been having since he came back from that little excursion in Nadril. Well, maybe they're not Feelings, since he's still not sure he has those, but they're definitely some strange goings-on of a physiological nature. He can't seem to sit still, and while he's never been very good at sitting still, this is different, an almost painfully acute sort of restlessness that has left him jittery and agitated for over a day. Stranger still, he has this bizarre craving for meat. He's no vegetarian, but he honestly doesn't think he's ever just straight up craved a raw steak before, but he's been thinking about the cuts of beef in the window ever since he passed the butcher shop on the way home yesterday.

Worst of all, he finds he's inexplicably frustrated, to the point of being angry, for no reason at all. He's really glad Sora and Roxas have gone out for the evening, because he's been pacing back and forth in the living room for the past hour, wringing his hands and trying to get rid of some of this restless energy, this unwarranted anger, and he really doesn't want either of them to see him this way. Despite the stereotypes associated with both his elemental power and the color of his hair, Axel is an extremely laid back person, and it takes a lot to really piss him off, so being angry over nothing at all only... well, makes him angrier!

As he turns to pace back across the room again, he knocks his shin against the coffee table, and well that just does it. With a snarl of rage, he stomps into the kitchen, throws open one of the cabinets, grabs a plate, and just smashes it against the tile floor. The crash is... actually kind of satisfying in the moment, so he grabs another, and another, hurling them to the floor. He grabs a mug and smashes it against the counter, cutting his palm open in the process, but the pain barely registers. He isn't sure if this is helping anything, but maybe it's better to get some of this frustration out before Roxas and Sora get home. He definitely doesn't want to wind up doing something that might hurt them.

Amid the crash and shatter of dishes, another sound meets his ears, and he snaps his head up, teeth bared as he sees movement in the other room. Before he can extricate himself from the flatware carnage, though, Allura appears in the ingress to the kitchen, and Axel just freezes.

Oh. Oh no. Oh, of all people to see him like this, why did it have to be her?

The anger and jittery restlessness is forgotten in the moment, as he stands there stock-still, his eyes on Allura for a moment before he looks down at the shattered disaster of... Oh, damn, he literally smashed like all of their dishes. Shit. There's blood on the counter and running down onto his arm from the gash in his palm, and he stares at the injury like he has no idea how it got there, before looking back up at Allura with something like panic in his features.

"I... Allura, this isn't..." He stops. "Okay, I guess it's exactly what it looks like, but I can..." No, no he can't explain. He can't explain at all, and that's half the problem. He stares at the wound on his hand again, then at the shattered dishes again, and then stumbles backward and sags against the wall. "I dunno what the hell's wrong with me," he admits quietly, still staring at the blood on his hand for a moment before he looks up and shakes his head. "You should... Maybe you should go. I don't wanna hurt you, okay?"

[quintessent]

There's a moment where she's frozen, standing in the doorway to the kitchen. At the first sight of blood and broken — everything — her pulse is already spiked, adrenaline ready for a fight with whatever was attacking, even if she didn't have her Bayard with her, she couldn't very well just flee, but as the moments tick by, Axel slumps against the wall, and it becomes clearer that there's no secondary threat, no monster in the shadows.

A conversation with Lance jumps to mind — “Just be careful, things are not always what they seem,” she's been around long enough to know that this planet can have unexplained, sometimes frightening effects on people, but at the sight of his panicked expression, and the blood running down his arm, she's already striding forward, tin of cookies already abandoned near the door at the first sounds of conflict. The sound of broken ceramic skitters across the floor as she crosses the kitchen in a few steps, and when she reaches him, without hesitation, she reaches out to grip the forearm of his injured hand, his blood already staining the edge of her sleeves.

“Let me help,” She turns his hand over in his, watching his face carefully, “Are you hurt anywhere else?” The question why seems prudent about now, but it's worth a guess that it's something they'll have to figure out later.

[happylocksmith]

It's early in the morning and Sora's just finishing up in bathroom. He's showered, dressed and brushing his teeth and wondering whether or not to leave a message in the steamed up bathroom mirror for his housemates. It's still a weird novelty to be living somewhere with an actual roof and running water; as much as he misses Riku, he can't really say he misses the shack very much. Maybe when he wakes up (Sora still can't bring himself to think of it as 'if' and won't), he might be persuaded to come and move somewhere with a few more creature comforts. Maybe he should start getting better at putting away some savings...

There's a knock on the door and Sora's idea about leaving drawings in the mirror will have to wait. He can't hog the bathroom all day! So he heads to the door, towel draped over his head still as he works on towelling the wet out of his hair, and opens it up with a sheepish grin.

[icingonthecake]

One of Axel's favorite things about living on El Nysa is he doesn't have to get up early for Xemnas' stupid briefings. Nothing like having to wake up at 7am to watch a weirdo pontificate at the moon, before spending the rest of the day killing monsters, right? No, thank you; he is just fine doing odd jobs around Olympia to make ends meet, and the best news is, he knows Roxas and Sora are Helpful Good Boy types, so he's sure if he asks, they'll be more than happy to pick up some work here and there to supplement the household income. He hasn't really wanted to ask, since they're just kids, and goshdarnit, they deserve to have some fun after the nonsense they've been through! But now that there's gonna be three of them living under one roof, the utility and food bills are gonna go up. So rather that wait until he's behind the 8-ball, maybe he should find an opportunity to ask.

That being said, not having to wake up early for briefings doesn't mean Axel's any more successful at sleeping more than a few hours at a time. He's gotten better, since he doesn't live with a bunch of murderous sociopaths these days, but it's still hard for him to really sleep for more than three or four hours at a time, so he's usually up and about before Roxas and Sora are, anyway. Today, though, it seems someone beat him to the bathroom. It's not a big deal, but he kind of wants to brush his teeth, so he knocks on the door gently. Hey, they're all dudes here, right? It's not like it'd be creepy for him to duck in and grab his toothbrush while someone's showering behind a curtain. He can feel the humidity under the door, though the water isn't running, maybe whoever is in there is already done?

"I just wanna grab my--" He stops short when the door opens and a toweled head pokes out, smiling sheepishly. "Jeez, you're up early today, Rox," he says through a yawn, sidling into the bathroom to brush his teeth.

And then he snaps wide awake. Wait.

He grips the door jamb and whips back out into the hallway.

"You're Sora." He says it almost like an accusation, and then rubs the crown of his head. "Aah, sheesh, you guys look way too much alike when I can't see your hair. No fair, first thing in the morning."

[happylocksmith]

Whoops. Although Sora can't help the way he looks - and hey, it was his face first after all- he feels kind of bad for giving Axel a shock this early on in the morning. The damp towel hangs limply over his shoulders as he rubs the back of his neck and laughs. Maybe this is an occupational hazard the three of them are going to have to learn to get used to, but who knows what's going to happen when winter arrives properly and they start wearing hats outside.

"Sorry about that," he chuckles. "Maybe I should start wearing shirts with an S on?"

He scoots out the way to let Axel have a free path into the bathroom, and then (because yawns are infectious and all that) he cracks a yawn of his own.

"Roxas is still asleep if you want him, I figured I'd get in the shower before anyone else was awake. Hey, do you want me to start making breakfast while you're in there?"

He figures he ought to contribute to the day-to-day running of the apartment while he's staying and while he might not be the best cook in the world, he knows how to scramble eggs and make toast at least.