exsilium | ☼ 003 [video]

[He lifts his eyebrows and waves a hand casually.]

Your haircut, for one thing. I can definitely say that shaggy dog look you had going on when you were impersonating a member of the Organization was definitely not chic.

First of all, my haircut's not under discussion from back then. I had a reason for it.

Second of all, I was never impersonating you guys. Talk about ego with you guys.

[He's just gonna stare at you, Riku, until you connect the dots.]

[Still staring.]

[Oh for Light's sake.]

You're right, how arrogant of me! I mean, why in the worlds would anyone want to be a member of Organization XIII? Especially when we already have fourteen members.

Oh wait, about that fourteenth member, yeah... there was a little snag, so we might have a spot for you after all. You do remember Xion, don't you? Turns out her membership's been revoked.

[And this is said with no small amount of bitterness and anger, though funnily enough little of it seems to be directed at Riku.]

Edited 2013-04-15 06:50 (UTC)

[ fourteen members? he frowns, the dots not connecting. well, no, they do connect--he gives a quiet grunt and presses a hand against his forehead, wincing deeply when he feels the sudden emptiness in his head. just as suddenly as that pain starts, it ebbs and goes away and he just shakes his head. ]

I've never heard of that person.

[ a little defensively. ]

[He tilts his head at Riku's peculiar reaction, then rolls his eyes.]

Don't play dumb. [He grips his upper arm with his other hand and grimaces.] Surely you remember the little argument we had in Castle Oblivion. I sure remember--you broke my damn arm, you little punk.

[Seriously, Riku, you were so passionate about letting Xion make her own choice, do you really think Axel's gonna buy that you forgot that?]

I've heard of her here, but I've never known her before. Especially not at home, I know that for a fact. I don't forget things.

[ there's heat and impatience behind his words, eyes narrowing. ]

I never even visited Castle Oblivion after I left with DiZ and the King.

[ bite; ] And don't call me a punk, I'm not my replica. You deserved that broken arm.

[Okay, something's really weird here. The irritation on Axel's face sort of twists and settles into suspicious confusion. This is more than just denial for the sake of disavowing all knowledge. This is more than the kid screwing with him. It's like... like he honestly doesn't remember!

[But that can't be right: he just said he doesn't forget things. What the hell is going on? Time for a little test.]

So you remember breaking my arm, then?

[ he opens his mouth to say a prompt yes, but the details strain his memory too much; remembering why or where is hard for him to do without actual recollection of xion herself. it hurts. his voice is thin; ]

I remember. It was... [ no. ow. ow. he snaps, harsh and jagged; ] Fine, I can't remember where or why, but I remember breaking it.

[His brow creases as he sees the obvious pain in Riku's face as the boy tries to answer. This is very strange, and frankly a little worrisome. He really can't remember? Axel grips his arm again, the phantom pain of the old break twinging beneath his sleeve. His voice is quiet then, almost restrained.]

So if you can't remember why, how can you say I deserved it?

I don't break arms just because I want to.

[ that defensive heat is still there. ] I'd only do something like that if I was really in danger, or if I was protecting someone. Wouldn't you know that? You chase me around all the time, but I never actually fight you. Why fight you when it's pointless?

[Riku, here's the point> •

and here's you.

Yeah, you totally missed it.]

Riku, forget about the maiming and mangling a moment and focus on the question, here. [He holds up both hands, palms up, as if holding something in them.] There's you running around like a ninny, and then there's me chasing you as you do so. But isn't there a crucial something missing from this equation? [He claps his hands together.] Why? [And then his hands fall to his sides as he gives the boy an intense look.] We were in Castle Oblivion when we had that altercation. Doesn't it bother you that you don't remember?

I told you, I've never been to Castle Oblivion after I left. [ he grimaces as he tries to recall any detail from that event--it's all fuzzy, like someone's cut out pieces of the picture themselves and erased edges. he groans as he holds his head, sinking in his seat. ]

Quit whatever you're doing.

[Okay, something's really wrong. Either the kid's an excellent actor, or that's real pain there, and Axel doesn't like it. Less because Riku's in pain (really, the kid deserves a good headache for this one, he thinks) and more because the idea that Riku genuinely doesn't remember Xion is alarming. Riku was adamant about Xion's freedom to make her own choice to go back to Sora, and really, he's a smart kid, there's no reason he shouldn't remember this stuff. It was kind of important!

[So what happened?]

Riku, I'm not doing anything. I'm just talking. I don't have creepy voodoo powers that can send people headaches over a walkie. Though admittedly that would be a pretty cool power. [He shakes his head and points at him.] You have been to Castle Oblivion, and you kicked my ass there because I tried to go after Xion and change her mind. And whether I deserved it or not, it happened. You said you remember doing it, why would I lie about where?

Because we aren't allies? [ he gives a ventured guess, and what he says actually visibly pains him. he shakes his head slightly, trying to push those emotions down. this isn't lea. this is axel. ] I don't know. But I don't remember it. If I just trusted you to tell the truth...

[ ... and riku has trouble with that, too. sora wouldn't. but riku most definitely does. ]

Oh, so now we're not allies? Make up your mind, kid, you're the one who seemed so disappointed about that.

[He gives him a stern look, something fierce and determined in his eyes even through the haggard tiredness that's there.]

If you know me half as well as you seem to think you do, then you'd know the one thing I never lie about is the people who matter to me. [Lying to them... well, that's another story (he's working on it), but even when he kept the truth about Xion from Roxas, he never really said anything untrue about her.] Xion matters. And I-- [He grimaces, gritting his teeth.] And I screwed up. [And he wants you to tell him that everything works itself out in this future you keep claiming to be from, but if you don't even remember her then he fears things went even worse than he can imagine.]

An alliance is a two-way street, Axel. Didn't exactly seem like you wanted to be allies, so I didn't try to be.

[ riku frowns, countering that stern look with honest confusion and disappointment. he was disappointed. he still is. but there was little to glean about axel actually wanting to be allies. sure, he hadn't outright attacked him, but if he thought everyone who didn't outright attack him was an ally, almost everyone in exsilium was an ally.

at axel's last few words, however, his eyes lower. because he does know that--does understand that, even if axel hasn't exactly told him that outright. it's a bitter pill to swallow. ]

I know what you want me to say. [ because there's only one thing he'd want to hear if he was talking about sora or kairi this way. ] But if I said that to you now, all I'd be doing is giving you false hope. I don't know or remember Xion, outside of this place, and I don't remember you talking about Xion in the way you talked about Roxas.

I can tell you, though, that me not remembering her doesn't mean anything. Sora doesn't remember Naminé, but he fought for her with his life. Maybe there's something going on in my memory that's made me forget Xion.

[ stern; ] Whatever you 'screwed up', you more than make up for it in the future.

'The enemy of my enemy is my friend', so they say, right? [His eyes flash with determination.] Look, if I learned anything from this little trip down Memory Lane, it's that I definitely don't want to be on the receiving end of your Keyblade, okay? I dunno why you don't remember Xion or what you did for her... [For her, not to her. He was angry at the time, didn't understand at the time, but after seeing her determination in front of the mansion, he knows it was never his choice to begin with. Taking her back to the castle had been a mistake, and he knows that now. Maybe he knew it all along. And maybe it was foolish to believe there was anything he could have done to save her, but it had seemed the better option.

[And now he regrets it. Maybe it would have been better for her to just return to Sora of her own volition. Instead, now she's in Xemnas' hands, and it's all his fault.

[What Riku says next strikes like a blast of cold air, though.]

I didn't...? [And slowly the pieces begin to come together. Xion was created from Sora's memories. If she was returned to Sora--or worse, destroyed by Xemnas' hand--those memories would have dispersed and logically been returned to Sora, if they weren't lost to the wind. His chats with Naminé in Castle Oblivion were few and far between, but he gleaned enough about her power and the fickleness of memory as a whole to know that if those memories were lost, could it not be that memories of her were lost as well?

[Had he forgotten her too? When the future plays out and he becomes whatever it is Riku seems to think he is, are his memories of Xion lost? Is she truly gone?

[A look of utter defeat crosses his face, but he quickly schools it away, shaking his head.]

While I appreciate the vote of confidence, I think there are some things you can never really atone for. [Like selling out your best friend and erasing all memories of her in the process? Yeah, way to go, asshole. No wonder Roxas walked away. No wonder all your friends leave you behind.]

[ riku stays quiet as axel talks, watching his expression change as he speaks, as he considers riku's words. it's axel's last sentence that really hits him in the chest; he even winces, looking down, hand on his chest. his mouth moves on its own. ]

I know the feeling.

[ good god, does he. ]

Look-- [ his voice takes on an almost softer approach. ] Whatever happened to our memories of her, unless she shows up here again, we'll be stuck running in circles, trying to guess.

[ a moment, and then, with a nod; ] I'll stick by you. I'd rather be allies than anything else.

Edited (damn html) 2013-04-21 01:55 (UTC)

[He looks up, frowning a bit as Riku sympathizes, but at the closing remark he sort of makes a squawking noise in the back of his throat.]

I--! Look, I was just saying-- [Harrumph.] I mean, you were the one who was so sure we were pals in the first place, it's not like I'm looking to pick out china patterns or anything. ~~Baaaaka.~~

[Tsun harder, bro.]

Edited 2013-04-21 03:15 (UTC)

Wow.

[ ~~it's like looking in a mirror.~~ ]

I was sure because you and Lea don't look that much different. I'm talking allies, not friends. [ smirking now. ] What, you want to be friends? That's a pretty big leap from, you know, having your arm broken.

I never said that; I just said that since we both think Xemnas is a hack we might as well be on the same side. Besides, I was talking about Xion, anyway. Not everything's about you.

[A brief stare and then he arches one eyebrow fiercely.]

All I'm asking is that if you decide you have to break my arm again in the future in a location you can't remember and for reasons you can't discern, at least break the other one so I heal symmetrically.

I promise.

If I want to break your arm again, I'll break the other one too. [ still a little bit of chuckling, though it's a little quieter.

... he really doesn't know what to tell axel and what not to tell him. his smile fades and he looks away from the feed with a frown. ]

... anyway. I meant what I said. I don't leave my allies hanging.

Don't get into trouble. [ tsun. ]

video; private

video; private

video; private 1/3

2/3

3/4 jk

done now

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject