The next three days are torturous for everyone. For the men, in hearing Roxas whimper and sob throughout the nights he spends in the Captain's cabin, and for Roxas in experiencing wave after wave of tortuous nightmares brought on by the mermaid's venom. He tries to consult to himself that they're just dreams, but the toxin makes it so real that he soon rules it out, and just settles for having himself at the mercy of his own imagination.
He watches his father die in all tragedies imaginable and unimaginable. His guild is in shambles, the guards all killing them off, leaving their bodies to bleed on the cobblestone. His own body repeatedly getting dissected by strange beings morphed with animals. One man in particular, his head with that of a jackal, likes to lick all of Roxas wounds repeatedly, causing them to sting intensely as if by a million and one wasps. The next dream he has, insects of all kinds, click and hum against one another as they seep from his wounds and force their way into his mouth, ears and eyes. Roxas tries to spit, but all they do is twitch and sit up before charging again.
And yet through it all, a certain pressure on his left hand doesn't seem to leave his grasp. Roxas can recall multiple times in the grace periods of his consciousness, he would clench his hand and his fingers would feel mass. It would occasionally grip back, and Roxas could feel himself coming to the realization that it is all just dreams, until they begin again.
Axel continues to sit next to Roxas, long after Vexen has left and instructed Axel what to do with the medicine and painkillers should Roxas surface to consciousness or be riled up by his hallucinations.
Axel sits, haunched over with his hand still holding Roxas' as the boy drifts in and out of consciousness. A strangled cry would leak from his lips, followed by a heavy sob. The bed would creak, and the pillow would muffle the sobs, but it's not enough. Every time he hears the boy sob, Axel can almost feel the sound grate in his throat.
When Roxas would start to shift, Axel would squeeze his hand and rub his thumb over Roxas' and he would settle down enough. Still, Axel can't get past watching the tears stream down his cheeks, settling into a pool of moisture around the side of his head. He keeps a constant vigilance on the boy, waiting for him to wake up.
He would have to pat Roxas' forehead from the sweat materializing from the stress of the dreams. During what would appear to be a grace period, Axel risked getting up and stretching his stiff limbs. Ventus brings him food, but he doesn't say anything. He would occasionally stay and softly speak with Axel, and they would have small conversation, but Ventus soon realizes that he won't drag more than a few sentences out of Axel.
Finally on the third day, Roxas comes to his senses; but he lies still, waiting for the next onslaught of imagery. But eventually he accepts that the venom must have finally worked its way out of his system, leaving his body wracked and feeble.
Blinking his eyes open, Roxas waits for the room to spin or for the ceiling to wrap and twist into monstrous creatures. But the wood stays, and the curtain billow up from the window from a breeze of the ocean. Over on the back wall, there are no heads of his guild members, his father not mutilated nor dead. Roxas is lying on his side, though he remembers being locked in a fetal position when he first entered the Captain's quarters. Lifting a hand to his eyes, he finds them untouched by bugs and insects that never existed. He feels his neck, though, has a bandage over the bite mark he got from the mermaid.
Simply stretching his limbs requires an enormous effort. So many parts of him ache, it doesn't seem worthwhile taking inventory on them. He can see the end table has a glass of water, and a tray of medical supplies, including a filled syringe and more gauze and bandages.
Very, very slowly Roxas manages to sit up though it still earns him a pang of soreness in his side. What he thought was the cloud is actually the Captain's bed, the multitude of pillows scattered around it from Roxas' thrashing no doubt. He finds himself stripped of his uniform, left with only his undergarments on. White bandages wrapped around his ribcage and overlapped with the gauze on his shoulder.
The day is shining brightly, the sea is all calm, and there are no signs of mermaids trying to kill him. For a while, all he can do is take tiny sips from the glass of water and watch the waves ripple along the surface of the sea. How long was he out? It was nighttime when the mermaids attacked, and it's now day, at least early morning. The stiffness in his joints suggests maybe a day or two.
Holding the glass between his hands in his lap, Roxas tries to rake through his memories before he began hallucinating. But the more he tries, the blanker it seems. Almost like his fight on the pirate ship was the dream and his hallucinations was real.
He gazes out the window until he hears the door open and when he goes for a dagger, they're gone. Panic sparks through him when he rationalizes that the crew must've moved them along with his clothes. Insteps Axel with a small tray of food, looking up his eyes meet Roxas' and Axel nearly drops the tray.
"You're awake!" Axel breathes in relief. He hurries over to the table and sets down the tray, wiping his hands on a rag before coming over to Roxas.
Roxas carefully sends the sheets aside, his bare legs instantly shivering and crawling with goose skin. His ribs sting and he hisses in pain.
"Easy, easy don't get up so quickly." Axel instructs. "How're you feeling?"
"Confused." Roxas says.
"Let me help." Axel says. He goes and fetches Roxas another glass of water and a plate with a small sandwich. The thought of eating anything makes Roxas nauseas.
Axel sits down next to him, offering him the water in which Roxas accepts gratefully. A foul rotten taste pervades Roxas' mouth, and the water does little effect. Axel goes over the tray again and pulls up a honeysuckle flower. Roxas watches as he pulls the stamen through the blossom and sets the drop of nectar into the water. Roxas mixes the water with his finger before taking an anticipated sip. Warmth runs through his veins with memories of summer.
"What do you last remember?" Axel softly asks.
Roxas closes his eyes and sighs. "I . . . I remember, I remember the mermaids attacking the ship. One tried to seduce me. I killed her. And then they attacked the boat." Roxas starts with simpler things he knows is true and works towards leading up the dreams. "I plunged into the water, they bit me. I can't remember much after that."
"Well, to kind of fill in the blanks, for you, there is more to it. After you got bit, you started hallucinating, as is the effects of mermaid venom. We had to get you sedated so that our doctor Vexen could work on you. You've been sleeping here for at least three days."
"Three days?!" Roxas exclaims, when Axel nods, Roxas stares vacantly in shock. "It felt like hours. Or maybe even longer, I don't know."
"Yeah you were hit pretty badly. You kept whimpering and sobbing from the visions; tossing and turning nonstop. I can't even imagine what you must've seen."
Roxas barely shakes his head as he continues to stare.
Three days, he thinks. Three days he's been abused by the poison. Three days of the men having to hear him cry and whimper and beg. Three days of embarrassment and pity.
Roxas fists his hands and mentally preps himself for the snarky comments bound to be tossed at him by the crew. And then Roxas will have to kill them all. He knows he couldn't help it, what he saw is unspeakable, but when he imagines himself curled into a fetal position, begging an unseen beings to stop picking at his skin, he can't help but make fun at how pathetic he looks. Of course that's just how Roxas is, but he barely knows these men, and has still yet to figure them out. And even if the men feel pity for him, Roxas will slice their throats if they dare treat him like he is weak.
"They were worried about you, you know." Axel say, Roxas jerks his head to see the Captain still sitting on the bed next to him.
"What?"
"The men. They were worried about you." Axel says.
Roxas coldly snickers. "The only reason they were worried is because if I had died, they would have lost their gold and their heads."
"I won't deny, some men probably thought that." Axel admits. "But Ventus and Demyx, heck, they were worried . . . as was I."
Roxas looks to Axel, his green eyes filled with genuine concern. This truth makes Roxas' heart ache in ways he's never felt before. Did he feel, sorry, for making Axel worry? But why? Roxas barely sees him as a father figure, and yet, when compared and his father was in the same place, would he feel the same? Without a doubt Roxas knew that his father cared for him, even if he has a, rigid way of showing it. Roxas can't blame him for it, it's the life they chose to life.
He thinks to apologize, for making the men worry, but really he has no fault. The mermaid's venom act, what he considers abnormal. The men know better than to treat him weak and with pity, he's proven his strength before, and if he has to again – whether on the men or not – he will gladly so.
Still, Roxas feels that he should say something to the Captain, since Roxas did make him worry, and that he saved Roxas' life. He didn't mention that when retelling Roxas the story, but Roxas does remember Axel pulling him up over into the boat. Why would he leave that detail out? It held significance importance for when they be reunited with Roxas' father. But not knowing what to say, Roxas just nods his head and folds his lips in.
"You may have your bed back by tonight."
Axel looks at Roxas and exhales through his nose. "No rush. Sleeping with the men is actually a joy. I always had feelings they were gossiping behind my back." Axel shifts and says, "Now, I'm afraid your clothes are beyond our skill of repair. We'll have to take them to a seamstress for it to be restored to its proper reputation."
"What shall I wear until then?" Roxas asks, and Axel can't help but laugh at the boy's bitter tone.
"I have some spare clothes you can wear, unless you prefer some of the clothes the men have left behind -"
"No." Roxas states. "Seeing as how you're the Captain, I would hope that your clothes are of better condition."
Axel nods. "Of course."
Axel gets up from the bed, and Roxas is about to follow, but as he stands, he instantly collapses. If it weren't for Axel, he would've crashed into the wood floor, probably earning him another day in bed. But Axel manages to catch Roxas in his arms, Roxas' feet nearly slipping on the wood floor.
"Whoa, careful! Careful, easy." Axel says as he holds the boy, his one hand on the small of the boy's back, the other under holding the boy's shoulder.
"My . . . my legs feel weak. I feel like a baby deer." Roxas says.
"The poison isn't quite out yet. Maybe you just need to stretch."
"But even that takes an effort." Roxas says. "How long must I suffer this?"
"Don't worry. We just need to get you walking again. You were in bed for three days." Axel reminds.
Roxas can't help but blush as Axel leads him back towards the bed. How stupid this must look, the captain of a pirate ship, holding a young, half-naked assassin in his arms. Axel doesn't seem bothered by it as he sets the boy down back on the bed and goes over to the wardrobe. He opens the door and pulls out a simple white tunic.
"This should suit you fine. I'll have to find a pair of trousers. Or . . . let me see if yours is clean." Axle says as he shuts the door and tosses Roxas the shirt. "I'll be back. Feel free to look around some more. Your weapons are back in the white trunk."
"Okay." Roxas answers.
As Axel heads out the door, Roxas suddenly hops a little forward.
"Axel!" he suddenly calls.
Axel whirls around, stopping just as he's about to cross the threshold. He stares at the boy as he's sitting with his hands tucked in his lap, his legs bent beside him. He looks like an innocent child asking for their parents to leave a lantern on in the hall to keep monsters away.
"Thank you . . . for saving my life." Roxas says.
Axel's eyes soften and a small smile crawls across his face. "You're welcome."
He then leaves shutting the door quietly behind him.
Roxas stays in the bed, stretching out his limbs and moaning as he feels his muscles pop. He wriggles his toes and bends his knees, stretching his quads and hamstrings. Then, as he stands again, his legs wiggle, but he manages to regains balance. Still, it takes several minutes of pacing before Roxas' legs stop quaking. They still feel sore, but the pain shall soon go away when he takes some medicine. Roxas notices the tray on the end table, a small vial filled with a lightly tinted liquid and a small cup.
Almost instantly Roxas scrambles over to the trunk where Axel kept his clothes. He excessively digs through them and pulls out the note left by Charlie. Roxas clutches it to his chest and exhales in relief.
Still waiting for Axel to return, Roxas goes over to the wardrobe. Pulling open the double doors, Roxas finds a mirror on the inside of one of the doors. The boy in the reflection doesn't look like him, but it is. White bandages wrapping around his one shoulder and his ribs, Roxas can see the square bandage on his neck, strapped to his neck by medical tape; it's just entering the stages of needing changing, as its pale red and turning a wheat brown around the wound.
Roxas dares lift his hands and carefully peels the tape away. Wincing at the tug of his skin, he peels it back to find the two little holes in the side of his neck. A small stain of blood is on the bandage, but it look as if it stopped bleeding a day ago. Roxas wants to peel it off, seeing as how it's not bleeding anymore, but at the same time he doesn't want to risk getting an infection.
Placing it back on his neck, Roxas looks through the hanging shirts in the wardrobe, finding nothing more that would suit him. The closest thing Axel has to Roxas' old uniform is a dark grey tunic. Deciding it's better to wear, Roxas peels off the white tunic, wincing at the spasm in his ribs and pulls on the grey tunic instead. It's softer and stops at mid-thigh. The sleeves have to be rolled up three times the shirt is so long.
Roxas kneels down and digs around in the drawers of the wardrobe for a pair of trousers instead manages to find his cloak. Though tattered and ripped around the hood and hemline, Roxas thinks it looks, better. More experienced. Then the door opens again, and in walks Axel with a pair of pants on his arm. Roxas stands and brushes his knees. For a moment all Axel can do is stare at the boy and how much younger he looks. Dressed in just Axel's shirt, he looks more, feminine. Axel knows Roxas will stab him to death if Axel said that, but it makes Axel happier to keep the thought to himself.
Axel clears his throat. "You're pants aren't in the best condition either so I brought you a pair of Ventus'. I figured you boys were the same size. And I can promise you he is very sanitary."
Roxas walks up to Axel, and it's then does Axel see his true height. He could never get a point of reference for the boy's stature, but now that he's a foot in front of him, even with the tips of his hair, Roxas' tallness stops at Axel's chest. Axel feels his cheeks warm at the wonder if he were to give the boy an embrace, how his head would feel in the crook of Axel's neck. Axel quickly shakes the thought from his head as Roxas takes the pair of pants.
"Thank you." Roxas says as he walks back over to the table. He drape his cloak onto the back of the chair. Axel enters the room and makes his way over to the trunks, noticing the boy changed shirts. He watches Roxas step in one leg first and then the other. Pulling the pants on, they seem like a perfect fit; still Axel has to ask.
"How do they fit?" he asks.
"They fit, nicely." Roxas answers as he stretches and examines his waistline. "But how soon can we fix my clothes?"
"As soon as we reach the next town. Which, according the Demyx will be within a day."
"The man has some kind of sense?" Roxas asks as he and Axel switch places. Axel going over and sitting at the table and Roxas fishing through the trunks for his weapons once more.
"Uh, he has been a fisherman all his life. From the time he could crawl he's always been on the beach. Loves the water, hence why he became a sailor. Predicts weather pretty accurately."
"Understandable." Roxas says as he pulls on his leather boots. The fishes out his belt of throwing daggers, strapping to his waist along with the holsters for the guns. He remembers his bow got destroyed when facing off against the mermaids, so there's no point in searching for those.
"In a way, I admire the man." Axel sighs.
"Huh?"'
"Others might not approve of his choice, but he was confident in it. He spends his life doing what he loves." Axel says.
"You saying you don't like your job?" Roxas asks.
"I never said that. I love what I do, it's just . . . I can truly see the passion in his eyes. It's inspiring."
Roxas doesn't say anything as he slides his daggers into place along with his sword. He takes a quick inventory, sliding the note down into one of the pockets of the pants. Of his fifteen throwing daggers, only seven remain, then there's still his two ebony daggers, his short sword he's had since they left town, and the guns he obtained from killing the captain of the rival ship. Nothing back, but checking the ammunition, he needs to get more, doubting Axel is willing to share since Roxas wasted nearly more than a half of his ammo when training to use it.
When his stomach growls, Roxas goes back and sits on the bed, more than ready to devour the sandwich. Still he takes his time, inserting a few sips of water in between bites. Once the entire sandwich is gone, Axel pours Roxas the required amount of medicine as said in the prescription by Vexen. Roxas takes the medicine without fit and gulps down the rest of the water and a piece of crust to wash down its foul taste.
"It'll help, and the more you walk the better you'll get." Axel says. Roxas nods. Then Axel sighs and runs his finger through his hair. "Are you all right? I mean, honestly?" Axel asks.
Roxas looks to him, his blue sapphire eyes still as mysterious as they were when they met. He stares blankly at Axel, and then when his eyes blink, he looks away.
"Honestly, not really. But I'll get over it. They were just dreams."
"But you've never experienced anything like that before." Axel says.
"And now I have. I don't need help adjusting or anything. I have no trauma."
"You're too tough to need help." Axel states.
"Exactly."
"Or maybe too tough to admit that you need help." Axel says as he leans forward, his elbows to his knees. He can see Roxas freeze and tense up. "Roxas, it's not a sign of weakness to express how you feel. Let alone to your friends."
"Friends are dangerous." He says. "A reason why I don't have any, and don't care to have any." He says this looking over his shoulder and directly at Axel. "So, where the rest of the crew?" Roxas asks.
Axel leans back into his seat. "Some are down in the pub, the other are maintaining the ship. You're free to help if you please. I'm sure they'll all be happy to see you're alive." Axel insists.
"Very funny." Axel only shakes his head as they boy leaves, leaving his cloak on the chair.
Out on the deck, Roxas spots what he assumed. Men at work, heaving balls into cannons of which still haven't been used, hoisting sails to level with the wind, and mopping up the deck and tidying ropes.
For a moment, Roxas tilts his head back and lets the sun warm his skin. The smell of salty sea air and the shrieking of gulls overtake his senses. Then a shrill cry of joy breaks it, calling his name. Roxas turns and instantly finds Demyx near inches from his face, ready to embrace Roxas in a hug. But Roxas instinctively ducks low and Demyx ends up rolling over him, Roxas rotating and pinning him to the deck.
Demyx laughs. "Yeah, you're better all right!" Demyx laughs.
Roxas sighs and gets up, extending out a hand to help Demyx up. This makes Demyx look to him in surprise, but he instantly smiles and takes Roxas' hand. Roxas can't see what the big deal his, he does the same gesture to his fellow guild members.
Ventus comes up behind him and smiles, patting Roxas' shoulder in a more comfortable way. "Good to see you okay."
"Thank you."
"I'm so glad you're okay." Demyx smiles, instantly glopping Roxas and wrapping his arms around him. Roxas has to fight the urge to push Demyx off as the restraint of having his arms pinned to his sides makes him feel uneasy. Still, Demyx's hug only lasts a few seconds. "You had us so worried."
"I understand."
"Seriously. I mean, after Vexen our doctor fixed you up, Axel never left your side."
Roxas looks to Demyx in bewilderment. "What?"
"He stayed by your side, holding your hand as you fought off the poison."
Roxas is about to deny it, when he remembers. During his hallucinations, he always felt a pressure on his hand. It never left him, and when he clenched it, it would reply with a squeeze back. It was really the only thing that Roxas had as a sort of physical, tangible thing to reality.
"Oh, that reminds me, I need to speak to the Captain." Ventus says as he turns and heads for the cabin.
"Come on." Demyx nudges. "You can help me with the ropes." Demyx then scurries off down the deck and towards the mizzenmast.
"Rope?" Roxas says, his voice barely above a whisper. Almost immediately a flash of the scene from before emerges from Roxas' head. The ropes had become snakes, writhing and wriggling towards him. Roxas carefully follows after Demyx, carefully stepping towards the ropes. Demyx gathers a few of them on one arm and sees Roxas' hesitation.
"It's okay. They're not real." He coos. Roxas looks to him, staring directly into his eyes. Roxas almost wants to angrily shout at him, yell saying he doesn't know what Roxas saw or what he went through. But his message is very vague, and Roxas wonders if that was intentions. Demyx doesn't really know what Roxas went through, but he knows it must've been horrible, unspeakable. And his message is just a gently reminder that it was all fake.
Roxas nods and bends down, hesitantly running his fingers over the rough material before gripping it in his hand. As Roxas wraps it in circles, the more he feels the roughness, the more he relaxes. Demyx does the same thing, adding to his three.
"That's it. Now all we have to do is bring them below deck." Demyx says.
"Alright." Roxas says.
Ventus opens the door and finds the Captain sitting at the desk, hunched over a map on his desk.
"You almost look as if nothing's changed." Ventus says, capturing the Captain's attention. Seeing the boy dressed in a white tunic and brown trousers, he almost mimics the assistant at a baker's store.
Axel chuckles. "Oh you and I both know that change has happened one too many times for this ship."
Ventus walks over and stands opposite of Axel's seat. "The boy seems to be recovering well."
"I doubt it. He needs help. He's in denial." Axel says, he leans back in his chair and runs his fingers through the front spikes of his hair.
"What's bad about that? You can't force him to talk about it. He may even be dealing with it in his own way." Ventus says.
"But his way isn't the right way."
"And who are you to question how the boy deals with things?" Ventus asks. The question normally would've seemed like a challenge, but knowing Ventus, it's a reminder that Axel doesn't know the boy very well. "He was raised under the tutelage of a cold-hearted assassin. He deals with things, if he does at all, in different ways. The ways he was taught. You can't change him."
"But I can try to help him. I know from experience, if you keep things bottle dup inside, you might end up doing something you might regret."
Ventus feels his blood run cold and his body numb. Axel rarely ever talks about this. "Axel, that was years ago. A decade even."
"Well those ten years carry the weight of a century on me."
"Why? It was an accident."
"I was stupid. Irrational. Foolish."
"Drunk." Ventus finishes. "You took responsibility, you served your time in jail."
Axel only lowers his head. "My point is," He harshly states. "That I'm worried about him. I know what he is, but I still want to help him."
"You can't help him unless he wants it, Axel." Ventus now stands next to Axel in the chair. His one hands placed on the back. "There's a difference."
Axel sighs. "I know. So . . ." he looks up to the boy. "how are you? You're first kill. Let alone a mermaid. How did it feel?"
Ventus exhales and drifts his gaze to the map on the table. "Honestly, I couldn't think much about it due to the adrenaline, but I guess that made it feel . . . good. B-But not like the way Roxas perceives it. More like I felt, proud. I was in battle and I survived. I'm proud."
"As you should be." Axel pats the boy's back, though since he's standing Axel's arm rests on Ventus' waistline.
"But about Roxas," Ventus suddenly brings back up. "Why is it that you care about him? I mean, not to be rude, but he's only on this ship for a while longer. And when he gets back to town, I doubt he'll want to remember this."
Axel shrugs. "I don't know. He kind of reminds me of me when I was younger."
"You were nothing like him when you were that age." Ventus nearly laughs.
"Yeah, but he's what I wish I was." Axel laughs.
Ventus leans a little against the chair. "Honestly, I'm a little jealous of him."
Axel looks to Ventus perplexed. "How so?"
"He seems to claim all your attention." Ventus says, his cheeks pink.
"What-?"
Ventus then leans down and places his lips on Axel's. Axel's eyes are wide as Ventus tilts his head to the side. Ventus caresses Axel's cheeks, and Axel finds himself kissing back. He sighs into Ventus' mouth and grabs the boy by his middle. Ventus leans more into Axel, placing a knee in between Axel's leg, causing the red head to moan. Ventus entangles his fingers in Axel's hair around his ears. Ventus raises his other leg as if ready to straddle Axel's lap, his lips claiming Axel's his tongue flicking Axel's, plucking it like a fine stringed instrument. Ventus moans into Axel's mouth, then he finally pulls away.
Axel eyes the blond wearily, wide and with surprise. "I miss your attention." Ventus whispers. Then he pushes off of Axel's lap and circles around the table. He leaves the cabin without looking behind him, leaving Axel in shock in his chair. His heart beats rapidly, and he breathes with uneven rhythm.
All the time he thinks, What just happened?
Roxas follows Demyx around the deck, aiding him in his assignments. He learns how to hoist the sails, haul the inventory of the ship down to the cargo holes, and even how to link the chainplates connecting the shrouds to the masts.
By the late afternoon, nearly half the deck is clean and at best ten times more presentable with most of the cargo below deck. Roxas sits on a small crate and heaves a sigh. He wipes his forehead and accepts a drink of water from Demyx.
"Thank Roxas. That was quick."
"Because I did most of the work." Roxas says after two gulps of water. "I feel like you tricked me into doing your work."
"Hey, I helped." Demyx corrects.
"Yeah, you only helped by correcting me." Roxas counters.
Despite the placidity of his tone, Demyx chuckles and nudges Roxas.
"A vast gentlemen!" they hear Zack call.
"Gentlemen?" Luxord laughs. "Think you've got the wrong men."
"Land ho!" Zack calls from the crow's nest.
Roxas walks up to the steering wheel piloted by Marluxia. He leans on the banister of the ship, gazing out at the skyline of the city in the distance. Ventus walks up next to him, placing his hands on the wood banister.
"Where did you go?" Roxas asks.
Ventus swallows before answering. "I needed to talk to the captain, and then I tidied up downstairs."
"Oh." Roxas shrugs.
"So you're for sure not at all interested in why we look alike?" Ventus asks.
Roxas groans in annoyance and lowers to dangle his head. "I've already told you no. And why are you? It's not going to change anything."
"I'm cautious. I mean, something about is just, fascinating. I mean, given you're more rugged I still think it's interesting."
"Haven't you heard curiosity castrated the cat?" Roxas quotes.
"Don't you mean 'killed'?"
"No." Roxas replies.
Ventus nervously twiddles his fingers and looks down at his hands as Roxas looks ahead to the town. "You look nice by the way." Ventus says.
"Oh, thank you."
"You look less, intimidating, without the black and cloak." Ventus adds.
"All the more reason to get my clothes fixed." Roxas says.
Ventus quietly laughs and sighs. "Listen, when we get into town, you want to go with the Captain and just, explore?"
"What town is it?" Roxas asks.
"I think it's, Atlantica?"
Roxas goes rigid and his hand discreetly touches the note in his pocket.
"So, do you want to walk around together? Unless you have more 'friends' to meet." Ventus puts in air quotes.
Roxas is silent for a moment, and when he answers he keeps his gaze ahead. "No. We can go."