driftfleet | mingle a little Mor tonight

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mingle a little Mor tonight

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!]

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[ riku turns dutifully, totally not realizing that they've switched their roles. he's too used to being too short and having to follow rather than lead. ]

Too late, I already blame you.

[Eyeroll.]

Yeah, yeah, take a number, slick.

[He has to grin a bit as Riku seems not to realize that he took over the lead. This dance is pretty easy, it's basically the same as last time, and when Riku bumped into the other people dancing, Axel just picked up where he'd left off. He doesn't even seem to notice, though, which is funny to him. He'll just keep it up until he realizes, or the song ends, whichever comes first.]

I won't tell anybody, okay? Sheesh, I'm not a snitch, I can keep a secret. I was just curious.

How come you can get on my bad side in a second?

[ riku frowns, finally just looking at axel in the eye, studying him. ]

No one else can do that. I don't talk to anyone else like this.

Whoa, hold the phone. [He shakes his head.] I was not aiming to get on your bad side; you've already kicked my ass a few times, remember? Getting Keybladed in the face is never on my to-do list; got it memorized?

[He takes a step to the left and turns, then waits for Riku to follow before he frowns a little.]

I-I dunno. Maybe I'm just charming. [He scrunches his nose.] I wasn't even using like my hardcore interrogation methods on you or anything.

[Like he has any.]

Huh--

No, no, that's not... [ riku sighs, and flickers his gaze down. ] That's not what I meant. I mean that you get me to talk back. I guess... bicker, kind of? It's not like I'm actually angry [ he sounds a little exasperated at that ] so don't worry. I don't attack allies, anyway.

... if you use any interrogation methods, use them on Xehanort. [ huff. ]

Ah. I think maybe the word you're looking for is 'engage'. [He holds up one hand and wags his finger at him.] I know you aren't a big talker--it doesn't take much observation to see that--but somehow, perhaps through my keen sense of wit, I manage to engage you anyway. [He grins a bit then.] I think you want to talk, honestly, but you don't wanna bother the people around you with what you have to say. So you wait for somebody to press before you say much.

[ keen sense of wit?

riku looked at him with an incredulous expression, and opened his mouth to retort--

but when he said that, his eyes widened. he felt his throat get drier, and shook his head slightly before he shoved him. ]

You're wrong. [ he was right. impossibly, irrevocably right. ]

[Axel knows he's hit the nail on the head when Riku gives him a shove, and he turns away sharply to avoid colliding with someone as he backpedals. He's always been observant, it's something he can't really help. He just notices things when he's talking to people: the way their eyes skirt to the side when they're being dishonest, the way their hands clench into fists when they're trying to hide their anger, the way their shoulders hunch when they're uncomfortable. He's learned to read people like books, and though he's only seen a handful of excerpts from Riku's pages, they're enough to get a good idea of the story they tell. He's pretty sure he's not wrong at all.

[That doesn't mean he's going to be a jerk about it, though. Sure, Axel is a jerk, but he knows when to keep his more caustic tendencies in check. He really does want to try and get to know Riku--he likes him better as an ally than an enemy. Maybe they could even be friends one day. Stranger things have happened, right?

[They've both fallen out of step with the dance, now, and as the couple behind Riku makes a turn, Axel reaches out and grabs the front of Riku's vest, tugging him forward so the woman doesn't clock him in the head with her arm as she moves. She gasps as she realizes she almost hit him, and covers her mouth in embarrassment, making a rushed apology before turning back to her partner. Axel gives him a thin frown and makes a gesture to one side.]

We should really get out of the way if we're done dancing.

[ at the near-collision and being pulled forward, riku's face is beet red.

dear light, he seriously needs to keep his emotions in check. at least he doesn't have to worry about his darkness going haywire here... ]

Y-yeah, you're right. [ he mumbles; when there's an opening, he starts walking off the dance floor.

this is so embarrassing. ]

[Oh for crying out loud. Riku, you're so dramatic. He just looks kind of sad, though, and Axel doesn't like it. As Riku turns to leave, he scoffs and grabs him by the elbow, pulling him back and stepping to the left.]

Finish the dance, you lunkhead, I know you want to.

[He shakes his head then.]

Look, I know I'm bad at this, okay? I just... thought if we're gonna be allies, we should probably get to know a little about one another. I wasn't trying to piss you off.

[A pause, and then he straightens his shoulders and makes a gesture like he's writing on his palm with one fingertip.]

Today I learned that Riku likes dancing. [He glances at him and then looks away.] I'll commit it to memory.

[ he frowns when axel drags him back, almost looking like he's about to say 'what now?' he steps with axel to try and keep up the dance, exasperation and embarrassment turning to surprise. wasn't he the one whining because riku wanted to dance?

ugh... ]

You weren't... [ he starts, a little weakly, but then axel mimics writing on his hand and riku actually laughs.

what a nerd... after his laughter peters out and he comes back into the dance, he looks thoughtful. ]

I dance when I'm stressed, if there's music. Sora's asleep again, figures... so when I saw this...

[ his voice trails off, and his shoulders sag as he sighs. ]

He's too bright, you know? His Light. I know if he was awake, he'd pull me into this, and if he heard I ignored it, he'd just frown at me for ages. Even when he's asleep he's got this way of making you not wanna disappoint him.

Do you get that? [ he peers up at axel now. ] With Roxas.

Oh, so you can laugh after all. I was starting to wonder.

[The story makes him grin a little, but the question surprises him. He frowns a moment, sort of lost for words, then moves to the right as the dance continues.]

Roxas was... like paper, in a way. Every new thing he learned was like a crease that he wore every day, you could see every one of them, even after the paper was unfolded again. Sometimes...I worried he'd tear if there were too many creases. I didn't want to be the one to make that last fold.

[Unfortunately, it was not telling him that made him tear, and Axel knows it.

[It doesn't exactly answer the question, but it's about as close as he's willing to get.]

Of course I can laugh, you're just not funny.

[ riku bounces back quickly with a little smirk, but it fades.

in the end, he gives a frustrated groan. ]

I think I get it? I'm not good with metaphors.

Oh come on, I'm hilarious, you just need to learn about sarcasm.

[Axel sighs softly at Riku's confusion. He knows he does this: he draws obscure metaphor and sideways analogies when he's trying to avoid something, but somehow it feels like cheating this time. Avoiding the issue was what got him in trouble in the first place, and here he's doing it again.

[He turns to the right and brings his feet together as the dance ends and the music stops, and the group around them claps for the musicians. He presses his lips together and frowns a bit, then sort of wrings his hands.]

I think I'm the one who taught Roxas what disappointment is. [There's a finality to his voice, and he shakes his head then.] So yeah, even though he's not here anymore, I don't wanna be a disappointment again.

[ riku's confusion washes away, and there he is again, looking sad. he claps with the crowd, because it's polite, but his attention is on axel.

it's just not for him, this time. there's injury and sadness in his eyes, and it's all for axel. he can empathize with this all too well.

after a moment or two, following the others as some couples get off the dance floor: ]

Even if you did... that's something he probably needed to learn. You can't teach him just the good stuff. The three of--

[ wait, three? riku winces, and shakes his head as if to dislodge something in his head. ... as soon as the pain blossoms, it's gone. ] B--both of you, you're best friends. If he learned disappointment from anyone else, maybe he wouldn't be who he is now. It's better to have something bad happen with a friend than anyone else. You understand more.

[He's looking sad again, and this time he's looking right at him. Axel bristles a little, then hunches his shoulders and looks away.

[Why can't he just teach him the good stuff?

[He grimaces sharply then as Riku stumbles over his own words, a sharp headachey sensation blooming behind his eyes and then vanishing as quickly as it came up. (Three? Why three?) He frowns at him, then sighs. This is getting a little too sentimental.]

Maybe. All I know is, I don't want a repeat lesson. So... yeah, it's kind of the same thing with Roxas. [He pulls at his neck.] Next time I talk to him, I wanna be able to say something he'll be proud of.

[Definitely too sentimental.]

Anyway. [He jerks a thumb over his shoulder.] Wanna get something to eat? I was headed for the other side of the market to check out the foodstuffs before you decided we were dancing.

[ ah... ]

Did I eat today? [ that's mumbled to himself. he can't remember. ]

Uh, sure. I guess. I thought I saw some kebabs.

[Axel makes a face.]

'Did I eat today'? Are you kidding me? [He sighs gustily and shakes his head.] For Light's sake, it's like Roxas' first week all over again, I swear that kid would'a forgotten his head if it hadn't been attached. [Grumbling.] 'Did I eat today', bah. How do you forget to eat?

[Of course he's done it himself, but that doesn't mean he can't give Riku a hard time about it.]

Come on, I know I saw a fruit stand, too; I wanna see what they've got and hoard some of it up to the ship. [He makes a whiny noise.] I can't survive on tofu and toothpaste.

[ eyeroll... ]

I didn't remember if I ate or not! I don't have everything memorized like you.

[ thaaat's a lie but he'll roll with it ]

You've gotta cook it right.

Eating is almost as important as napping, Riku, get with the program.

[He shoves his hands into his pockets.]

I'm not much of a cook, I'm afraid. Besides, all we've got's a microwave, I dunno how much you can even do with that. [A sigh.] I'm just glad we've got a coffee machine.

Who naps beyond kindergarten?

Uh, people who appreciate the value of sleeping?

You know after approximately twelve days without sleep your organs actually start shutting down? Like, you have to sleep, it's not just a cushy luxury. I'm just trying to keep up.

... what, seriously?

--wait, how did you figure that out? [ INTENSELY FOLLOWING. ]

Well, Zexion was really hardcore into science, you know? Like he'd do just about anything for the sake of discovery. So Vexen hooked him up to a machine and then we all took shifts keeping him awake for days at a time.

[He managed to keep a straight face up until this point.]

So Zexion not only had no heart, he also had no liver or spleen, as a result of his lust for knowledge.

[ serious face... ]

I could see that.

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