mingle a little Mor tonight

[catamite]

Who: Everyone!
Broadcast: Sure!
Action: The wonderful world of Mor, nearby way-stations, and ships!
When: The first week or so of arrival

[this is it-- Atroma's surprise vacation stay for you all! it's time to explore, speculate, relax, and totally behave yourselves. right?

how are you all dealing with the ever-so-educational volcano? have you played around with the visual toggle on those collars yet? aren't they cool? aren't these peasant clothes rad? if you haven't had a decent meal since Abeo, maybe you could afford some of that authentic farm-raised meat they have here. historical!

I bet you're all excited and completely thrilled to be here! who wouldn't be? ...so, make some discoveries, make some friends, and have fun!]

Comments

[got_it_memorized]

Just because I can dance doesn't mean I'm gonna.

[And then he looks indignant.]

I am not scared to dance--who do you think you're talking to?

[limitstorm]

Axel, the Flurry of the Scaredycat Flames.

[got_it_memorized]

[Oh my god Riku are you like eight years old. Are you. Seriously. Axel bristles, then glares at him and reaches out to grab his hand.]

Fine, teach me your stupid dance, and I'm so not sorry if I step on your feet.

[limitstorm]

[ riku flinches, eyes a little wide and breath a little short when he grabs him. he plays it off and starts to pull backward, grabbing onto axel's forearm. ]

Yeah, I figured. Take a step to the left.

--and I'm leading.

[got_it_memorized]

[There's that flinch again, don't think he didn't see that. He doesn't bring it up, though, and just puts on a long-suffering expression as Riku takes his arm. This is the dumbest thing he's done all week, he's sure of that. Oh well, hopefully the audience will like it, at least; more credits means he can buy more stuff to bring back up to the ship, and then there's the matter of upgrades. People like dancing, right? This is sure to get him a few points.

[He snorts a laugh.]

Oh, fine, if you insist. [He glances up at the people around them and sort of follows their movements.] Even though I'm significantly taller than you are, I guess I can let you lead.

[limitstorm]

Who knows the dance? I do. You can't lead if you don't know how to do it, I don't care how tall you are.

[ it's petulant. ]

It's four steps to your right, and then you switch arms.

[got_it_memorized]

[Ooh, did he hit a nerve?]

This seems like a really big deal to you. Leading, I mean. [Yeah, yeah, four steps, switch arms, whatever.] Is this a compensatory thing? Because really, there's nothing wrong with being short. I still respect you.

[limitstorm]

[ you sure don't act like it.

riku stares at the ground instead of his partner for a good moment before he tries to brush it off. ]

It's not a big deal, I just don't wanna draw attention.

[got_it_memorized]

[Oh, please, now he's gonna sulk?]

Riku. I'm just messing with you. [He glances over his shoulder and turns to his left as the rest of the people around them do. See, he can pick this sort of thing up, too!] Relax a little, you're so uptight.

[limitstorm]

[ riku, grand master of the dancing arts, was actually a little slow to switch! he flusters. ]

I'm not uptight.

[got_it_memorized]

Uh huh, and you didn't flinch when I grabbed your wrist either. And you're certainly not defensive, nope. [One step--no, two--turn to the right.] If we're gonna be allies, you'd better get used to me giving you a hard time; it's what I do.

[limitstorm]

Ugh, I take back what I said before--you're obnoxious in an annoying way. A really annoying way.

[ DEFLECT ]

[got_it_memorized]

[Axel just laughs.]

No, no takebacks, that's cheating. [He shakes his head, then quickly turns back to the left and switches arms again. This dance isn't so hard; he's barely even paying attention anymore. Heckling Riku is much more fun.] You hero types, you always have the best reactions.

[limitstorm]

[ riku's face turns flat. ]

You're a hero type in the future, you know.

[got_it_memorized]

[He arches one eyebrow.]

So you say, but I'm not convinced. Maybe I'm not a bad guy, but that doesn't make me a Good Guy.

[He's pretty sure he's screwed up at least once too many for that.]

[limitstorm]

You're gonna be on the side of the Light; that's textbook Good Guy.

[ he raises his eyebrows. ]

Even little kids know that.

[got_it_memorized]

[He makes a frustrated noise and misses a step, kind of hopping to catch back up before turning to his left and giving Riku a glower.]

Why's everything gotta be so black and white with you? Light, Dark, Good, Bad--it's not that simple, okay? [Step, step, switch arms.] Little kids know right from wrong, but adults know there's a lot of grey area in between good and bad. I figured you of all people understood that.

[limitstorm]

[ with some exasperation; ]

I do, but there's no grey when it comes to this. 13 darknesses and 7 lights--there's no '1 twilight'.

[ ... ahem. ]

Besides, you're the one who called himself Dark Rescue.

[got_it_memorized]

[With equal exasperation:]

I don't even know what those are. Thirteen dark whats? Seven light whats? Like, fine, maybe I'm not playing for Team Darkness anymore, but that doesn't change the fact that I was on that team for over a decade. You can't just wipe that away.

[And then he just looks affronted.]

What? I did not. Tell me I did not. [Turn, turn, switch arms, step.] Oh, Light, did I? [That does rather sound like his level of cheesiness.] What was I even talking about?

[limitstorm]

[ surprisingly enough, that's what makes riku fluster. why does he have to tell him about this?! ]

U-uh, it's... nothing important. But you did, that's what's important.

[got_it_memorized]

[Well what's he blustering for?]

You're the one who seems to think this is so important in the first place. Look, I'm just not sure I'm cut out to be a full-fledged Good Guy.

[He shakes his head and gives him a curious look.]

So why are you? I betrayed my own Organization and took out two of my colleagues, and yet you're ready to just induct me into your little band of heroes. That doesn't seem strange to you at all?

[limitstorm]

[ riku's expression goes from flushed to determined, intense all in the span of a few seconds. ]

Maybe you don't see it now, but I believe in who you can be, and who you are. I destroyed my world, I almost killed Sora, but I'm on the side of the Light anyway. [ there, a little smile comes--guilty and awkward, like a lonely voice in the middle of a silent crowd.

riku has been here before, alone, finding himself desperately drawn between darkness and light and feeling like maybe darkness would be safer. maybe he wasn't really good. but he knows better now. being good is about your willingness to do it. he knows lea's trying to be, so axel will one day do the same. he doesn't have to make that transition now, but he has to know that riku will accept and believe in him.

axel will do some great things. he knows that, so he's more than ready to give him a helping hand. ]

[got_it_memorized]

[Axel kind of stumbles, pinwheeling one arm to catch himself and then just giving Riku a strange look. His expression teeters between distrust and something like yearning, and for a moment the dance is forgotten. He hadn't forgotten that Riku was guilty of a lot of the same things he is, he just... isn't quite able to see himself in the same league as Riku. Riku was manipulated and led astray by people who knew exactly what strings to pull to get him to cooperate, but Riku was good, inescapably so. Anybody could see that.

[Axel had been manipulated, too, but how much of that had been because he'd let himself be manipulated? He'd accepted Xemnas' preaching about their lack of hearts and feelings, and now Riku was saying that they'd been regrowing hearts the whole time. He'd turned his back on Isa a long time ago, when Saïx had proven to be too different from his old friend to be worth fighting for. Axel's sins were his own to bear, and he wasn't sure throwing his lot in with the Keyblade Brigade was enough to atone for them.

[Does that mean it's not worth it to even try, though?]

Look, I'm not... [He looks down and away and then realizes the dance is over and he's still standing there holding Riku's hand, and he gives a vicious start and pulls his hand back, fidgeting.] All I'm saying is, I dunno if wanting to change is enough, okay? I'm through with Xemnas, but that doesn't make me a hero. Aren't you worried I'd betray you, too, if somebody made me a better offer?

[limitstorm]

You didn't just want to change, you did change.

[ he says it with a frown, letting his hand fall back to his side and crossing his arms. and then; ]

I'm not worried you'll betray us.

[got_it_memorized]

[He stares at him a moment, like he's searching for something out of place, something misaligned, a mistake. Riku just says it so plainly, it's like he really believes it. ... He does believe it, so far as Axel can tell (hey, a good liar can always sniff out another one), and that's just flabbergasting. After everything he's done and all the crap he gave Sora, Riku actually does trust him not to betray him.

[Why does that give him a weird feeling in his chest, like his ribcage is too small? Ugh.

[The music queues up for another song, and Axel scratches the back of his head awkwardly.]

I won't, okay? [His voice is kind of small, but sincere.] Even if I learned it too late, Roxas taught me a lot, and... I wanna do right by him. I wanna see him again, and I want to have something good to tell him when I do. [He holds his hand out--no, not for a dance, silly, to shake.] So I'll help you. I'm still surprised you're so willing to accept that, but I'll take what I can get.