Reverse Eclipse
The Jackalope
Author's notes: Dedicated to Dualism, someone that both of us admire to an extent that, upon receiving her review, we both screamed out heads off and had fangirlish moments. She left us a very wonderful review that was full of inspiring words that made us want to write all the more. Also dedicated to StrawberryQuincy, a friend of Psycho Rooster's who's been supporting her writing, and has been sick recently, is away from home, and somewhat miserable. We hope this cheers you up!
Reno was a tall, thin man with wild red hair that hung around his face and the rest of it slung back into a low ponytail. He also wore a black suit -- though it was torn in some places and void of a tie -- along with a white undershirt that wasn't even buttoned completely. "I don't know if you're both aware of it, but you fell from a black portal in the sky, yo. You both hit the ground harder than a sack of materia, and came out with not even a scratch- save for the runt over there." His voice was an almost nasal drawl and he seemed to exude an air of self-confidence about him- lazy yet sure in himself enough to not bother with the normal polite manner that most people gave themselves when meeting a new person. He bobbed his head in indication towards Sora and continued.
"The back of your head was bleeding pretty badly- I had to wash it out and sterilize it." He paused. As if just noticing it for the first time, Sora lifted a hand to the back of his head, feeling the gauze of a bandage wrap covering the wound. He winced when his fingers made contact, and traced the gauze around to his forehead, where it was hidden beneath his bangs. "That was four days ago, yo. I don't know much about the heartless- or why they do what they do. All I know is that when things usually come flying out of the sky and they're not breathing fire or eating civilians- it's normally a sign of help." Reno's voice grew and fell, hands moving to accentuate his words as he stepped away from the window, leaving the book on the ledge. He slid his hand into his pocket, the other one grasping loosely to the metal rod in his hand and regarded both boys with a silent stare.
Sora turned to face Riku, eyes wide as the information absorbed itself into his brain. "We're... we're not on the island?" His companion wasn't quite looking at him, gaze concentrated into his thoughts.
"A black portal," Riku murmured quietly, mulling over the word for a moment. "Remember, when you joined me in the water? That storm must have brought us here," he quickly recognized the look of indecision on Sora's face, constantly flickering between excitement and dread, "Hey, cheer up. We got off the island!"
As much as he wanted to continue reassuring Sora, they didn't exactly have much privacy (it just felt a bit awkward having a heart-to-heart with Reno there) and he needed to get some answers from the redhead. He turned back to the man standing across the room; in the motion discreetly dropping his hand on top of Sora's to give it a small comforting squeeze.
"I've got some questions."
Reno looked mildly amused by the twin gazes that both demanded answers, but brushed it off with a wave of his metal stick, grabbing his chair and sliding it towards the bed. "Before you ask anything, I've gotta tell you I don't know a whole bunch of this shit either, yo." Reno scratched at the side of his head using the tip of the metal rod- which Sora quickly recognized to be something called an Electromagnetic Rod- he'd once seen one of them in a movie not too long ago. He moved the metal weapon to tap at his chin.
"I never really had time to look into it. I kinda found out from my buddy, Vincent, who found out from some outside sources or some crazy shit like that- so I'll give you the short and skinny so your little brains don't fuck themselves." He pointed to the two boys, flashing them both a grin. "So- what's the first question ya wanna fire at me, yo?"
Riku asked several questions- the obvious stuff like what made Midgar a dying city, what were heartless, what were materia... Reno answered the questions as well as he could, but Riku and Sora were still left in some confusion about the small black creatures.
The silver-haired boy followed up with one final question, "So... just to check- there is definitely no set of islands near here called Destiny Islands? And if this city is dying, is it possible to leave it?" He seemed to be thinking along the same wavelength as Sora- although he was delighted to be off the island, he wasn't too pleased to be dropped off in the middle of Midgar.
Reno paused, rolling the question around in his mind. "There is a way to leave, yo." He began with a lazy drawl, "With a Gummi Ship- the problem is that the only one we have, Vincent salvaged from a wreck. I've been trying to fix that piece of shit for months. Barret took it about two weeks ago, says it's almost done. It'll only hold three people- Which was fine before, since it woulda just been me an' Vinnie. But with you two..." He trailed off, a scowl becoming apparent on his normally carefree features.
"Destiny Islands... I've never heard of them. Or is it just one island? Man," Reno leaned back in his seat, crossing the fingers of his hands together and resting his head against their upturned palms, looking up at the ceiling. "I've never seen the ocean- me and my little brother grew up here. There hasn't been a starry night since I was twelve, yo." He let out a dry laugh that bordered on some twisted form of a giggle and looked back at the two boys.
Sora could feel despair welling in his chest. No way to leave? There weren't even stars in the sky for him to look at like he used to every night before bed. The sense of familiarity Sora had once had constantly surrounding him was now gone, and he might never get it back. Suddenly, Sora wasn't so sure he wanted to see the worlds. Maybe Roxas was right.
"Roxas!" Reno whipped his head to stare at Sora, apparently startled by the boy's outburst. Sora clenched tightly to Riku's hand, the other one reaching for the silver-haired teen's bicep. "Riku! Roxas is gone!" He turned to Reno, panic in his eyes. "Are you sure we were the only ones who fell?"
Reno raised an elegant brow, but nodded. "Yeah, I carried you both back- man," his face fell into a look of mild disdain, "you guys were heavy." Sora's breaths began to come in shallow gasps, his fingers clutching tightly to Riku. His eyes were unfocused, a panicked look swimming in their ocean depths. Reno took this as his silent signal to leave and pushed himself up from his chair, "I've gotta find Vinnie and see if he's found anything about the- err... thing." And with that, the redhead silently left the room, closing the door behind himself.
Sora's shoulders bunched, knuckles splashing white from the ferocity that they gripped onto his companion. He turned to face his silver-haired friend, lips drawn into a thin line and brows furrowed.
Sora's outburst had momentarily taken Riku by surprise, having forgotten momentarily about the younger twin in place of worrying over their own whereabouts. "Shhh, Sora, calm down." Riku's free hand came on top of Sora's on his bicep, gently prying the fingers lose before holding the boy's hand in between them. "Reno said that we were the only ones who arrived here, right? So maybe Roxas is still on Destiny Islands. He's safe at home, Sora, you don't have to worry about him."
Riku knew there was the entire possibility this wasn't true- but there was little point in letting Sora panic about his brother for the entire length of their adventure. Who knew how long it would be? Would they ever even go back to Destiny Islands?
Now was not the time to brood- he held Sora's hands firmly, hoping the other would reply positively to his encouragement.
"Riku..." Sora's brow furrowed and he bit his lip, staring down at their clasped hands. Maybe Riku was right, and Roxas was safe and sound back on the island, reading one of his books and wondering where Sora was. Either way, Roxas was gone, and Sora might never see his brother again, he might never have to listen to a lecture, or be reprimanded for doing something foolish. He'd never have a chance to share leftover cookie batter with Roxas after his mother made a fresh batch. He wouldn't even be able to watch him grow up.
Sora took in a deep breath, shakily looking at Riku. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you," the brunet boy muttered out before his body acted on it's own, shooting forward to wrap his arms about Riku's larger body, teeth clenching in an attempt to quell the feeling of despair that had suddenly struck him.
The force of his lunge knocked them both back against the bed, Sora's body extended along the length of Riku's own. His frame trembled, taking in shaking breaths in order to try and calm himself. Things were spinning too far out of control too quickly. He'd wanted to leave the island to find adventure- but he never wanted this. He didn't want to be thrown into a battle that seemed lost, into a world where there was no hope and he was expected to try and save it. He'd wanted-... he'd wanted...
Abruptly, Sora realized that in some way, he did recieve his wish. To be with Riku, out exploring the mysteries of another world. A part of him was torn- he'd wanted Roxas to be at his side, helping discover new things and to learn more than any of them thought possible. Roxas was gone now, somewhere that Sora didn't know. His brother Roxas, the same boy who had been with him nearly every waking moment of his life to reprimand him for little things and smile at Sora's antics behind a casually placed hand. The very Roxas that Sora had been so eager to have on the journey in hopes of coaxing the introverted blond out of his shell and to love the thrill of life as much as Riku and himself. And now, if Riku were to fall to one of these heartless monsters, it would leave Sora completely alone, without anyone to rely on or to trust. It would leave him empty inside and vunerable to the will of this growing heartless threat.
"I can't lose you, Riku. Not like I did Roxas." He knew deep down, something just told him Roxas hadn't stayed on the island. He was worried about his brother, and that, coupled with this sudden, morbid reality crashing down on him was just the breaking point to how much Sora could take in one sitting.
If Riku disappeared too, Sora didn't think he'd be able to take it. Riku was everything Sora needed. He was the weight that tied Sora's floating aspirations down to earth. He was the rock that kept Sora steady, and the compassion that kept Sora from breaking down completely at times.
Releasing a small sigh as Sora buried his face into his shoulder, the older boy slowly ran his fingers through russet locks of hair to comfort and calm him, "Sora, I swear to you, I'll never leave you," his finger trailed from his hair, down his jaw line and under his chin, lifting his cherubic face painted with despair to look him in the eye, "I couldn't leave you, not you. C'mere."
Removing his hand from the boy's chin, he wrapped his arms around Sora's waist, hugging him close to his body, soft brown hair tucked under his chin, "We'll get off of this world together, I promise. I will find a way, because I'm not leaving you. Do you understand?"
Sora clutched to Riku. "Promise- that means you can't break it. You can't ever leave. If you did- I'd search the worlds for you and never stop until I found you." He muttered, ducking his head down against Riku's collarbone, voice thick with unshed tears. He sniffed, reaching up a curled hand to wipe at his watering eyes before tucking it under his chin, the side of his crooked index finger grazing his lips. His eyelids slid to half mast, cheeks heated with the proximity and warmth of the one male his heart had been yearning to be with for over a year. "When we leave- when, we leave. We have to find Roxas. Do you promise that too?"
He wanted desperately to tell Riku how he felt instead of asking about finding his brother. He wanted the silver-haired teen to know that it wasn't just their friendship that made Sora so desperate for Riku not to leave. His feelings for the taller boy went beyond platonic and just friendly. They were deeper, and carved into a place in Sora's heart that the brunet knew could never be removed. He just hoped that Riku understood at least a fraction of what he felt- even if he didn't return it.
He was too afraid of losing him to even say anything to get him. Sora thought himself pathetic in that manner, and he bit down gently on his index finger, brows furrowed.
"Of course, Sora. You have a connection with him, I'm sure we'll find him. And you should know that if I were to ever lose you, I wouldn't stop searching, either." Bringing his hand up, Riku returned to playing with the back of the boy's hair, his other arm gently encircling his waist and forming a protective barrier around his smaller friend.
Sora's face and heart warmed and he stared up at Riku, gaze locked with aquamarine ones.
"Riku- I..." His body moved of its own accord, head tilting back and his elbow moving just enough to move him forward. His lips parted just barely, and his eyes fluttered shut. Heart pounding in his chest, Riku couldn't believe what was happening. At first, he thought he was hallucinating- wishful thinking, mind over matter, all of that kind of stuff... But then suddenly not only could he feel his own heartbeat, but Sora's too, and he could feel the other's breath on his lips.
He was in disbelief, but regardless he leant forward too, intending on closing the gap... "I-" Sora's mouth had barely grazed against Riku's when the door slammed open, causing the boy to jerk back and stare at the intruder with a wild flush and racing heart.
"The heartless are storming the building." Reno gasped out, his EMR gripped tightly in the hand that wasn't holding the door open. "We have to leave. There's no place for us- we'll have to run." He hurried to the other end of the room, whipping the shades open to reveal a swarm of black creatures slinking along the glass surface of the window.
"There's not any time left to explain. We have to leave- now." It only took seconds for Riku to get out of the bed and help Sora up by the wrist to get him to his feet.
"Lead the way," With his hand slipping from Sora's wrist to his hand, he squeezed tightly before breaking into a sprint after Reno, making sure that Sora was following closely behind .
"Wh-where are we going?" Sora allowed himself to be dragged along, having just enough time to regain his balance before Riku had pulled him out of the room in their hurry.
"Just follow me, stay close." Reno said sharply, leading the two through a series of twisting and winding hallways, occasionally barking at them to speed up when a heartless would emerge from the wall or ground. Reno had his EMR out, hitting any opposing creature and making sure to charge the rod with some form of electricity.
The hallway shook as a deafening roar echoed across the building. Sora stumbled, falling to one knee. Riku was quick to help the teen to his feet as Reno called out to them from down the hall, waving one hand wildly and pulling out a gun, aiming it at the two boys. Sora froze and Riku's fingers tightened around the brunet. The gun fired- a burst of wind whipping past Riku that severed a few locks of silver hair. A loud shriek came from behind them and Sora turned to see a burst of smoke erupt from what had once been a heartless.
"Come on!" Riku tugged Sora forward and soon they were running down a set of stairs and through yet another series of hallways. "We have to get out of here." Reno called out over his shoulder, taking a right turn and hitting a switch that opened an electronic door with a hiss.
"Vincent is going to try and find us transport for Wutai- but I don't see why the hell he should bother. They're no better off than we are and it will take days to get there." The last half was mostly under his breath as he gutted a heartless that had dropped from the ceiling. With a crackle of voltage, the creature shrieked and dissapeared in a burst of smoke.
The red-haired male all but punched his hand into a switch beside an industrial black door. With a hiss, it opened to reveal a large room- barren except for a few cars that lined the back. With a rushed command, Reno ushered them into the back of a jeep, where a stoic man with long raven hair sat in the driver's compartment. The vehicle started as Reno jumped over the door and into the passenger's side.
Sora clambered up into the back, Riku's hands on his stomach to help him in before the silver-haired teen hoisted himself into the vehicle. The jeep nearly ripped out of the garage as Reno turned to face the two in back. "You can buckle up, but it'll just be a bigger bitch getting out of the car if the heartless attack us while we're driving- so I suggest just holding onto something." Reno's hand was wrapped around the thick bar that stood over the door.
Upon hearing this, Sora's arms wound themselves around Riku's left one, it being the closest. "I can't believe I'm saying this... but... I'm scared." The brunet confessed to his companion as scenery whipped past, buildings collapsing and the sky darkening with each foot. He was honestly terrified. The air reeked of gasoline and fire burn, along with decay and something toxic that was even more underlying. It was thick, and Sora, who was used to the clean air of Destiny Islands, found himself having a difficult time breathing.
Riku's hand held one of Sora's and he gave it a small squeeze, turning and making eye contact.
"Anyone would be scared in this situation, Sora," he said softly, giving the brunet a small smile, "But don't worry- as long as we stick together, we'll be fine." His own breathing seemed labored, taking in deeper lungfuls of air than normal, but Sora didn't say anything.
Finally as the car escaped from the ruins of Midgar out into the country, the air was clean enough that they were able to breathe freely and the two teens relaxed a little, exchanging small talk. Riku tried to change the conversation to mundane or happy things to try to keep the boy's spirits up. Vincent and Reno spoke quiet words to each other in the front, and at one point, a small two-way radio siting on the dashboard crackled to life. Reno snatched it up, speaking to someone -- obviously male, by the gruff voice on the other end -- before he turned around and informed the boys there was going to be a change of plans, their destination now residing at Icicle Inn instead of Wutai.
The jeep ride was relatively quiet, trees whipping past and the wheels crunching over rocks and gravel that was scattered over the dirt path. The serenity was interrupted the second there was a thundering slam in the side of the vehicle that seemed to come out of nowhere. The jeep jolted, and Sora couldn't help the scream that had escaped him when it gave a frightening lurch before flipping wildly through the air. The roll cage just barely stopped the passengers from being mangled as the jeep hit the ground again and tumbled across the grass.
Sora clutched onto Riku, mind spinning in confusion and breathing panicked. At impact, Riku had instinctively grabbed Sora into both arms, bringing him close to his torso as he stuck a foot out against the other side of the jeep to keep them from moving too much. He had done it without even thinking.
Once the jeep skidded to a stop on its left side, Vincent and Reno didn't hesitate to jump out of the car, weapons drawn as they hurtled towards the heartless, which was what had flipped the car. Shaking off the shock with a firm jerk of his head, Riku clambered out of the jeep, reaching back in to help Sora out after him. They had to get the jeep back up so they could get away as soon as the fight was over, and staying inside the near-wreckage was just asking for problems.
Reno and Vincent's quick departure had urged the brunet to get out of the car as quickly as possible and to help fight the heartless. Riku's hands were tightly grasping his arms, tugging him forward- but a sharp pain to his ankle caused Sora to jerk back. His foot had become lodged between the bottom of the seat and the floor, twisted at an odd angle that prevented an easy escape.
A noise of despair made its way out of Sora's throat, "I'm stuck!" He yelled out, looking up at Riku for a moment before squirming and twisting his body until his foot had been pried loose. Sora grabbed tightly to his silver-haired companion as he struggled out of the jeep, clinging to Riku when he almost fell.
Catching Sora from his stumble, the silver-haired boy was about to check the brunet's ankle, and was caught completely off guard by what happened next. Sora's gaze snapped up when an inhuman snarl reached his ears. Behind Riku stood a behemoth of a heartless- it's large mouth parted to reveal a set of jagged fangs protruding from the uppar and lower jaw, horns giving it an almost satanic appearance as a set of large wings hovered in the air behind the beast. It snarled and lunged at Riku's bare back, teeth open in preparation for deadly blow.
Riku had no time to protest as Sora shoved him violently to the left, hands thrown in front of him in a defensive stance as the heartless dived forward. Riku whipped around, staring in shock as all he could see was what he thought was Sora's death, about to happen in front of him in slow motion.
He yelled the boy's name but he was frozen to the spot- suddenly, a burst of light blinded him. Sora gasped as he had an overwhelming feeling of power and then a sudden weight in his hands. His eyes snapped open from where they'd been clenched shut in fear. A large key was grasped tightly in his hands. He had no time to stare at it in shock, however, because it was the only thing preventing the beast of a heartless from swallowing him whole. An invisible field was forcing the monster's mouth open, preventing it from snapping shut on the small teen. Sora wrenched back with a shout of surprise, stumbling backwards, the large key held tightly in his hand. Reno and Vincent's voices were both shouting at him to run, but Sora couldn't- his body was frozen.
The key- His head snapped towards it. His hand was nearly vibrating with the energy that pulsed from the magical weapon. A roar came from the heartless and Sora had just enough time to cover his face with the enchanted key and deflect the heartless's claw.
He started, eyes going wide with realization.
"Kid! You're holdin' the fuckin' keyblade!" Reno shrieked from where he clung to the monster's shoulder, legs dangling wildly. Sora stared at the key, unable to form a coherent thought or reaction to what was happening.
"Stab it in the eye or something!" Reno's voice had knocked an entire octave higher in his desperation to get Sora's attention. It worked, and the brunet jerked back for a half second and then scrambled forward, swinging the key awkwardly and connecting it with the monster's nose as it hovered above him. The beast screamed, wrenching away and covering the gaping hole in its muzzle with large claw-like hands.
When it lunged at Sora again, the brunet's mind shut down.
"Get the hell out of the way! Sora!" Reno's voice broke through the overwhelmed and confused haze of his mind as the Sora felt himself pulled against a strong chest, wind whipping around him. He was placed back down not long after, and Sora recognized his savior as Vincent- who jumped back into the fray just in time to catch Reno when the redhead was flung off of the heartless's back.
It was then that reality came crashing down on him. He had something that could save everyone. This key- just one swing had injured the heartless and blocked its attack far more efficiently than Reno's EMR or Vincent's bullets. His mind flashed memories of Riku, and the feeling he'd experienced when the heartless had nearly gotten hold of his silver-haired companion.
Sora's eyes narrowed, both hands moving to clutch the handle of the large key. He'd do his best- to save Riku.
A battle cry escaped his mouth and he ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards the heartless, enchanted weapon held high behind his head. He swung ferociously when a claw reached towards him.
From the sidelines, as he dropped to his knees next to the wreckage of the jeep, Riku felt weak. Weak in the sense that his best friend, whom he vowed to protect, was fighting, and here he was helpless at the sidelines. All he could do was watch. Watch, and pray that his friend survived the battle.
When the key sliced cleanly through the monster's skin, severing its hand off, Sora was bombarded with a sense of déjà vu, followed by memories of his dream. He froze in place again, and Vincent dropped down next to him, grabbing him roughly and leaping, carrying both of them high into the air. The pale man dropped Sora onto the monster's back, where Reno clutched onto the base of its wing.
The redhead shot him a grin. "About fuckin' time! Stab it in the head!" Reno's arm shot forward to point at the base of the heartless's skull. Sora stared at Reno for a moment, and the redhead's frustration became evident, "Go! Dammit!"
He jumped in shock, nearly slipping in his surprise before rushing towards his target, rearing the key back and stabbing it forward into the creature's head. In the span of a half second, chaos broke out in the form of a madly bucking heartless, flipping both Sora and Reno off of it as it began to thrash in its final throes of life. Vincent shot past, catching Reno before the redhead was impaled by one of the many vicious horns adorning the monster's tail.
Sora was not so fortunate- the brunet barely registered a flash of silver and black before the side of the tail caught him in the torso. A scream tore itself from the brunet's mouth as he was shot through the air. Sora's cry cut itself off when he collided with a tree, stars bursting into his vision and a gasp escaping. He let out a small groan, body falling through the air before he hit the ground with a deafening thud, vision going black.
Riku was on his feet and darting towards Sora after a moment of hesitation as the heartless staggered and fell to the ground, disintegrating into black smoke. Almost skidding as he dropped to his knees, Riku quickly reached out, touching Sora's cheek gently and with precaution, "Hey, hey, Sora, are you alright? Wake up."
A small noise, like a cross between a moan and a sob of pain escaped the brunet's mouth.
Reno and Vincent dropped down nearby, the redhead's arms removing themselves from around Vincent's neck as they approached the scene. The keyblade had disappeared from Sora's hand sometime during his descent, and Reno looked like a cross between worried and disgruntled. Vincent's clawed hand grasped his shoulder and they shared a silent look before turning back to the scene before them.
"He'll be alright," Reno whispered -- though it seemed to be more to himself than anyone -- using the palm of his left hand to press the rod of his EMR back into its handle, hitting the switch to lock it.
Hearing Reno's quiet words behind him, Riku sighed in relief, relaxing, letting his hand slip down from Sora's cheek to his neck, fingers slipping into chestnut locks as he pulled the boy upwards, gently cradling Sora into his chest and exhaling with a slow, wavering breath as he did so.
Riku murmured against Sora's ear that the heartless was gone, and they were safe. But, this was the first time he'd seriously feared for Sora's life. He felt that this feeling would never change, and he knew this was only the first of a long string of many battles. Against whom or what, he didn't know.
Shifting, Riku picked Sora up, moving the immobile teen to slump against his shoulder. He turned around to find that Reno and Vincent had gotten the Jeep back up, assessing the damage done to the vehicle. Riku slowly approached them as Vincent came his way. The dark-haired man helped Riku to place Sora into the back seat. Climbing back in beside him, Riku pulled the brunet up close to his body to prevent the boy from flopping around too much in the ride ahead.
The remainder of their short journey was smooth. Soon enough, they had stopped at the harbor and transferred onto a speedboat- according to Reno, they'd usually take the ferry, but there weren't any people left to drive it for them.
Riku kept silent for the a good majority of the boat ride, allowing the two men in front to converse in relative silence. His arms held tightly to Sora's unconscious body, making sure the brunet wasn't jarred too much each time the speedboat hit a particurlarly violent wave that caused the passengers to jerk about. It was after nearly two hours of speeding through choppy waters that Riku began to feel the temperature of the air dropping rapidly. When he felt the prone form in his arms give a shudder, Riku spoke up.
"Why is it getting colder? Where are we going, anyway?"
Reno's hand slipped from where his fingers had become intertwined with Vincent's. Riku had been silent the entire ride, allowing the two men to discuss matters on the keyblade, the two boys, and their own relationship- one that had barely formed before Riku and Sora had arrived.
Vincent was one of the only people who Reno had ever been able to connect to on a level where he could discard his careless behavior for a few moments. Before the younger boy had interrupted, he'd been previously attempting to pry information out of Vincent on how to get both boys and themselves off their world in a ship that barely held three, let alone four.
"Icicle Inn ain't called Icicle for nothin', kid. You better hold tight to the keyblade master before he gets the shivers. It's about to get a lot colder." He reached into the underside of his seat and then stretched his arm back to hand Riku a thick blanket that was often used for situations during the winter when boaters would fall into the water. He was too preoccupied to answer any of Riku's questions.
Vincent wasn't looking him in the eyes anymore.
----
Shivering, as it was known to be, was a physical embodiment of how cold a person could be. Axel knew this, and let out a sigh when the shakes began to wrack Roxas's body. He retracted a hand from his pocket, reaching back to pull Roxas in stride with him and clasping his shoulder gently, allowing a bit of heat to filter from his fingertips and warm the blond.
Axel motioned to the guard of the second district. The burly man nodded, stepping forward to push the doors open and allow the two entry. "Stay behind me." Axel said softly, eyes searching for any heartless approach. Roxas reluctantly left Axel's warm hand and moved to follow behind him. They continued walking in silence for a few prolonged moments before Axel spoke up.
"We should be there-" He cut himself off as a series of black shadows began to twist and rise from the ground ahead of them. Axel released a sigh of frustration, extending his arm out and rocketing a fireball at the shadows, causing them to scatter before reforming in a group.
He cursed, beckoning another plume of flames to shoot forth, this time hitting their mark and destroying the shadow creature in a burst of smoke. He tilted his head to the side, regarding Roxas with a quick look. "You alright, Roxas?"
"Y-yeah... I'm fine," Roxas's trembling fingers clenched into fists, moving to hide them from Axel's view. He drew in a wavering breath, eyes scanning the empty streets. "Those... those things- Heartless? They showed up on my island. Are they the reason I'm here?" Roxas's gaze flicked to Axel's hands, which showed no evidence such as steam or scorch marks to suggest they had just produced flame. "Are they only destroyed by fire?"
"No- not only by fire. Those were just the small fry heartless." Axel paused to shift his gaze to and fro before continuing, motioning to Roxas to start walking again. "Heartless come in all shapes and sizes. Some are bigger and uglier than others, while some -- like those ants -- can be easily finished off by a quick fireball." He scratched his head, thinking.
"I guess, since fire's an element of light -- in some form -- that it'd be a more formidable attack than say, blizzard or something." The redhead closed his eyes and gave Roxas a small shrug.
"But then again, I only use fire-based magic." He stopped in front of a wooden door with a worn and undecipherable label above its frame. Axel turned to Roxas. "Did you get all of that?"
Roxas had remained silent as Axel spoke, taking in the new information. There were different types of Heartless, and different types of magic. It seemed pretty basic- however he had a feeling someone like his brother would be eternally confused.
"I think so," he slowed to a stop next to Axel outside the apartment building, "But I'm still confused as to what exactly a Heartless is. It's not like any animal I've seen before -- they're almost like small humans -- but their body shapes are still too different."
Axel placed a fingertip to his chin as he pushed open the door to the apartment building. "I guess you could call them that- considering they were once human," stepping in, he held it open for the blond boy.
"It's pretty complicated- but the short end of it is that those creatures are able to take your very heart out and devour it without a second thought. The more hearts they get, the stronger they are."
Biting his lip, Roxas followed Axel through the door- the finer definition of the Heartless made him suddenly fear the odd looking creatures, who had before mostly only served to intrigue him.
They headed down the hallway past several doorways, and with every doorway they passed another question popped into Roxas's head. There was so much he wanted -- no -- needed to know.
Finally they stopped outside a door- apartment number 813. The keys clinked together gently when Axel procured them from his side pocket, stuffing it into the lock and twisting before giving the door a good push to open it. "I don't stay home much to do any kind of cleaning, so if you're any kind of a tidy person, you might want to turn away now."
He entered the apartment, tossing his keys onto the counter of the kitchen that resided right next to the entry, "I'll get you a change of clothes, so sit tight," he pointed to the couch and then retreated into his bedroom to find something suitable for the blond.
Stepping into the apartment, Roxas was blown away. Having Sora as a brother, Roxas was used to some semblance of clutter or mess. This- this wasn't mess. This was planting a hydrogen bomb in the middle of a junk yard and letting it go off. This was a catastrophe, a health hazard, a disaster -- in actuality, it wasn't too awful -- Roxas considered himself a bit of a neat freak (compared to Sora, at least). He wasn't obsessive; he liked to have all of his things on his shelves and not on the floor.
Axel's departure into the unknown to fetch him some clothes reminded Roxas the state he was in- he completely forgot how wet and cold he was (after all, he hadn't been that cold until just now, when Axel left his side).
Roxas stood awkwardly just a few steps away from the front door. He had hesitated for a moment there -- wondering if it would be safer to leave his shoes on in the apartment -- but then decided to do as the Romans and he removed his shoes like Axel. The taller boy came back with a set of clothes for him, they looked a million sizes too large, but as it was, Roxas couldn't care less.
Taking the clothing carefully, he thanked Axel before asking, "Would it be alright if I took a shower first?"
"Shower? Uh- sure," Axel lifted his arm to point down into a small hallway, "it's in there- you can use all the hot water you want... I'm gonna go and call a friend of mine real quick..." He pulled his hand back and scratched gently at his cheek, a light flush spreading across the bridge of his nose.
"Sorry about the mess. I don't have a lot of free time on my hands for cleaning."
"It's fine, don't worry about it," Padding down the hallway, Roxas found the bathroom easily and slipped into it, closing the door behind him gently. Stripping down, he hissed when the cold air bit at his bare, still slightly damp skin, and he hopped from foot to foot, trying to stay warm. He leant over the bath, and after fiddling around with the knobs a few times experimentally, he turned the water on and got in as soon as the shower had heated up.
Sighing, he relaxed underneath the hot stream of water, letting his eyes shut as he went over the events of the day in his head for what felt like the hundredth time. It was all so surreal. He was still expecting to just wake up any minute and be using his book as a pillow, hunched over his desk in his room, back home. Back where he was safe, warm, life was boring and predictable...
His main priority was to find Sora, but it'd be foolish to go out until daylight- and he had questions to ask, anyway. After washing himself (he used a small amount of Axel's shampoo, and was amused to find it was cheap women's strawberry scented shampoo), he stepped out of the shower, towel-dried his hair and then pulled on the change of clothes the other boy provided him with.
Hanging his wet clothes over the rail in the shower to dry, he turned around when Axel's night pants fell down around his ankles. Nearly tripping, Roxas turned bright red, tugged them up again and pulled the draw string as tight as he could, tying it in a knot at the side.
It'd be just a little bit embarrassing if that happened in front of somebody.
Finally returning to the living room, Roxas found that Axel was still on the phone to someone, so he sat down quietly at the other end of the couch and waited.
-
"You say he's never even heard of magic?"
"Yeah- I think we already established that, Leon," Axel sighed into the phone, running his free hand through wild locks of red hair- a nervous habit he'd picked up from his brother. There was a grunt on the other line as the older man thought.
"Was he injured?" Axel shook his head, and then realized Leon couldn't see him over the phone, "No- Just dazed and wet. He-" Axel stopped at the sound of the bathroom door opening, glancing to see Roxas, entering the room with Axel's clothes barely hanging onto his body.
He gulped, stamped down the flush that rose to his cheeks and turned away. "Look, I called to ask if I could bring him over so he could get the full story from you- because you know I'm no good at explaining all of that heartless shit."
Leon let out a small sigh, and there was the muffled sounds of talking before the older man spoke, "Bring him over mid-morning tomorrow. It's late, and you've been patrolling since noon. Get some rest," It was Leon's own personal way of showing concern, and Axel was flattered, holding back a smile.
"Sure thing boss," Leon grunted again and cut the line.
Axel placed the phone back into the receiver, turning around to face Roxas. The blond was seated on the couch, and so he approached, sitting down next to him. "So- the clothes fit?" He paused, giving Roxas a once- over, "apparently not that much," this he muttered more to himself than anyone.
A loud yawn forced itself out of Axel's mouth. "I'd let you take the bed, but my room's actually messier than out here. I've got an extra quilt that Aerith gave me for winter- so you can use that." Axel rubbed his chin with long fingers, thinking hard for a moment.
"Are you alright? I mean-" He broke off uncomfortably, looking anywhere but at the blond teen. "You seemed pretty freaked out. Uh... I know- when my world... you know.. That I used to have nightmares the first few weeks afterwards, so..." He stood, back facing Roxas, hands on his hips.
"If you have a nightmare, just come and, uh. Wake me up. It's always good to talk about a nightmare after you have one... I guess..." Axel's cheeks flushed only slightly at this and he looked away.
Running his fingers through the slightly damp hair at the back of his head, the blond had to fight down a small embarrassed smile. It was unusual for him to get so much attention (Sora was the attention whore back home) and he felt a bit weird having Axel fussing over him so much. It felt nice, yet unfamiliar, because he was sure that even as children, Sora was always the one getting hurt, or crying in glee "Look at me!", and thus always receiving everyone's affections. He also suddenly realized that this was his first time away from his brother (with the exception of when Sora ran away with Riku for three days and hid in a cave on the play island). He thought he'd miss him more than this- yet he didn't. Maybe the feeling would come with time.
"I... um- thanks. Thanks a lot, the couch will be fine. It beats the alley any day," he gave a small smile to Axel, but the fire mage was looking everywhere but Roxas and he missed it.
"And... I'm fine. I'm starting to get used to the idea of what's happened," it felt like a lie- it probably was- but it was what Roxas wanted to believe. He spread his fingers out over his knees, looking up at Axel, "I can wait until tomorrow for explanations about all this Heartless stuff- you look really tired."
Hearing Roxas merely mention the word 'tired' had Axel's shoulders slumping in fatigue. He turned to face the blond boy, his blush having diminished quite nicely, and gave the boy a bright smile.
"I'll get the quilt for you. Just lay down and don't worry your pretty little head about me. I can take a little sleep deprivation," Axel left the room momentarily, returning with a plain burgundy comforter not long after.
He draped the quilt over Roxas's legs. "You can fix it however you like. I had a friend who'd sleep with one leg over the quilt and the other underneath." Or he could have just told Roxas to make himself comfortable- but Axel was one for subtleties.
He stepped back. "Goodnight kid. I'll wake you in the morning after I go on patrol." He flicked the living room light out, shrouding them in darkness before there was a snap of fingers and a kerosene lamp that rested on top of the coffee table lit up, giving the room a dull, but warm glow.
Peering over the back of the couch as Axel left the room, Roxas issued him a quiet "G'night," before slinking down in the large quilt and pulling it up to his chin, curling up into a ball underneath. Axel stepped into his bedroom, hoping the lamp would help chase any nightmares of shadows away from Roxas for the night. He barely tugged his jeans off before he tumbled into bed, nearly unconscious upon hitting the mattress.
A small smile had hijacked Roxas's mouth for a minute or two after Axel left- it felt so weird getting so much attention from a single person. Sure, Sora fussed over him occasionally, but he usually felt it was out of something akin to guilt, and the brunet was trying to make up for a cock-up of his from earlier.
Roxas's smile faded quickly though. Sora. Sure, they had their arguments and their differences, but Sora was Roxas's twin brother. They were inseparable as children, at least until their Dad moved out and Sora met Riku. But he didn't mind so much if Sora went out without him then, because he knew that he'd see his brother by the end of the night, at the dinner table, or he'd pop his head in to say goodnight--
But now. Now, he didn't know where his brother was. He didn't know if he was safe, or if he was even alive... Hell, Roxas didn't even know where he himself was. He curled himself up into a tighter ball, hugging his waist, eyes stinging. He hated this feeling of being alone. He'd never really felt it before, because he always knew his brother was there for him if he needed him. Now, he was in this weird town, sleeping on some stranger's couch that he barely even knew.
Roxas pushed the palms of his hands against his eyes, taking a deep, shaky breath. Calm down, he told himself, crying doesn't solve anything.
Eventually he sat up. He couldn't sleep- he didn't want to sleep. He needed to keep himself busy somehow. He looked around the apartment for something like a book to read- however with all the mess, he couldn't tell if there even was one somewhere.
So, standing, he rolled up his sleeves. If he couldn't sleep, he'd do something useful. He knew he wasn't really in any position to be cleaning this stranger's house, but at that moment in time he couldn't care less. The mess was reminding him of Sora too much, anyway.
-
When his alarm went off promptly at 7:30 the next morning, Axel could barely open his eyes and his body felt like it was being weighed down with a dozen bags of sand. He groaned, prying his dry eyes open and rubbing at them before reaching a lanky arm out and shutting off his alarm clock.
A tired yawn escaped his mouth and the redhead painstakingly pulled himself into a sitting position, staring blankly at the wall as the day before began to play in his head, reminding him of the tasks to come. His muscles ached, and his body cracked painfully when he stood, the knots in his back twisting and stabbing his nerves. He'd been working on overdrive for the past two months to earn his keep. Leon had been kind enough to offer him pay for his help, and Axel hadn't taken the man seriously when he'd first suggested a schedule for the redhead.
Now Axel woke every morning at seven thirty, got dressed, ate, left the house by eight fifteen to check in with Leon before going off to slay heartless for the next two hours. He'd break for lunch, and by one, he was out killing heartless once more or patrolling the city. On weekends, Leon had suggested giving Axel time off to learn more about fire magic from Merlin, and so Axel's free schedule had quickly filled up-- leaving almost no time for relaxation on the redhead's part.
He stepped into the living room with quiet feet and had to double take, walking into his bedroom, closing the door, opening it, and then re-entering the living room.
It. Was. Clean.
Not only was it clean. It was organized. Clothes were folded in strategic piles, all of his books on gummi ships and magic- oh hey, there was Advanced Theory, he thought he had lost it- and other gifts from Merlin were neatly stacked on the coffee table. His dishes were in the sink, his trash was thrown out, and in the midst of it all, Roxas was peacefully sleeping on the couch, curled beneath the quilt and looking all the more angelic.
If Axel wasn't in such shock and adoration for the boy, he's most likely have gotten morning wood right then and there.
He slapped himself in the face lightly, giving his head a rough shake before silently making his way to the kitchen to pull open the fridge and examine its contents. Aerith had stopped by a few days ago with groceries, knowing full well Axel had almost no time on his hands to bother remembering to keep his food supply up.
There were eggs and bacon, and even a carton of orange juice among the random foods. He pulled the items out and set about making breakfast for Roxas and himself, feeling that the boy fully deserved the meal even more than he had before.
The pan sizzled when bacon was dropped onto it, and Axel stirred the eggs about in their separate pan, humming gently to himself and swaying his hips to a silent beat- suddenly feeling more alive than he had in weeks.
Awoken by the sounds of cooking, Roxas slowly sat up on the couch, arm resting over the back of it as he watched Axel make breakfast and dance (which he found rather amusing, and he had to suppress a smile). He dragged a hand through his hair, attempting to flatten his bed head a little, before finally calling out a simple, "'Morning."
Axel nearly burned himself in surprise when Roxas had greeted him- but since he was a fire mage, and had mad fire skills, he was able to dodge the injury by not dropping the pan full of sizzling bacon. Roxas hid a stifled laugh-turned smile behind a casually placed hand at Axel's sudden dyspraxia. The redhead shuffled the bacon around with a spatula before turning to greet Roxas.
Upon catching sight of the adorable bed-hair that the blond sported, Axel had to resist the urge to go up to the kid and hug the living hell out of him. He was cuter than a stuffed moogle on Christmas. And those things were made to be cute.
"Morning Sunshine- did your head get in a fight with the blender while you were asleep?" Great diversionary tactic, Axel. You get a mental slap in the face for that. Roxas made an odd, almost pouting face as Axel turned back to the food, sliding the scrambled eggs onto two separate plates and then placing the empty pan in the sink before returning to finish cooking the bacon.
"Breakfast tasties are almost ready- so you just sit tight while I finish this and get drinks. I'm too poor to afford any other table than that little piece of shit one in front of the couch, sorry," and he was sorry- sorry that he bought that damn thing in the first place. Axel had received many a bruised shins from that bastard piece of furniture in his months in Traverse Town.
"Smells good," as an afterthought, Roxas shrunk down, hiding his lower face behind the back of the couch and issued a slightly quiet, " Thanks", almost as if ashamed that he hadn't said it sooner.
Smiling at Axel's evident dislike for his murderous coffee table, he turned around carefully, informing the redhead that he'd be careful. Sinking back into the couch, he waited for Axel to come join him on the couch.
Axel sauntered in soon enough with two plates balanced on one arm and two cups held tightly by the rims in his long fingers. He set the glasses down first by tilting his body, and then grasped one of the plates and put it in front of Roxas.
"I'm not a prime master genius cook by any means. Actually- I think the only reason that these aren't burnt is because I can kinda tell when things are burning because they start to turn black- which normally isn't a good thing when the food started out white..." Axel sat next to the blond boy, placing a fork on the teen's plate and then watching to see his reaction to the taste.
Roxas didn't hesitate to pick up the fork, having not eaten the night before as he had been too overwhelmed by all the new information thrown at him. The food looked good, and he dug in happily, eating at an almost surprising speed. Pausing part way through, he flushed, realizing his bad manners and he turned to Axel, informing him that it was good and he liked it, although that would have been obvious from the way he was practically inhaling his food.
Finally, upon finishing, he spoke up, slightly embarrassed of himself, "I'm hopeless in the kitchen. I've never managed to cook something that didn't come out partially or completely black."
Fidgeting with his hands in his lap, the true question he wanted to ask eventually wormed its way up to the surface, "So we're seeing your boss today? Sorry, I overheard your phone call last night."
Axel leaned back, having finished a few seconds before Roxas (he didn't eat often, and therefore when he did, it was in small amounts) "Yeah- the boss man. I think my farts have more emotion than that guy, if you'll pardon my crude metaphor," Axel shot Roxas a sly grin before he stood.
"Which means that we should get going soon. I'm afraid you'll have to wear those clothes out to the marketplace when we go to get you new ones because I don't have a washer or dryer in this piece of shit apartment," Axel lifted a set of keys from the counter, motioning to the blond as he slipped his feet into a pair of red flip-flops.
"Don't worry, we're coming back, so just put on my extra sandals," Axel nodded his head towards a second pair of shoes resting by the door; this pair were black slip-ons that wrapped around the front of the foot. "It's a good time to be lazy," was always Axel's excuse.
Glancing down at his oversized clothing, Roxas suddenly remembered that not only was he not wearing underwear, but his sweat pants were ten times too big and prone to falling around his ankles at any given time. Reaching under the baggy red turtleneck (Okay, really, Axel's clothes weren't that huge. Roxas just liked his stuff close-fitting and he withheld the right to complain internally. Capice?), he checked the knot around his waist- still strong- and relaxed a bit.
Okay, he looked like a tube, but they'd get new clothes quick enough- err, with what money? He looked to Axel, then to the floor. Either he was assuming he had some sort of cash on him, or he was going to buy him stuff. Roxas felt embarrassed accepting such charity from a stranger, but he figured he'd have to get used to the idea, because he had a strong feeling that this stranger would end up becoming someone close to him. He wasn't sure why- maybe he was just latching onto the only person he knew (besides the guy with anger management problems in the shop from last night) in this new world.
"Alright," following Axel out the door, he slipped on the sandals on his way. The walk was one that was made in silence, sleep still lurking in the corner of Axel's senses as he led Roxas through the streets. Heartless stayed away during the morning and early noon hours, mostly coming out late afternoon, evening, and night time.
Axel pushed open the door to Cid's shop, ushering Roxas in along with him. A tall brown haired man, most likely Leon, stood near the fireplace with his arms crossed, looking stoic as ever- Axel personally thought that he just needed to get laid every now and then.
Placing his hand against the small of Roxas's back, the redhead gave him a gentle push in Leon's direction, making sure to whisper in the boy's ear not to be afraid of Leon's dick-headed appearance.
"Make it quick, Leon. We need to get this kid a few sets of clothes. I'll let you explain shit to him- I'm going to go mooch a few munny from Aerith." He gave Roxas a pat on the shoulders and left the shop quietly. Turning as Axel left the shop, Roxas suddenly felt somewhat vulnerable, especially under Leon's scrutinizing glare.
Leon coughed into his fist, looking at Roxas. "What's your name, where are you from, and have you ever seen a heartless before-- and how much did Axel tell you?" Blunt. To the point. Demanding of answers.
"I'm Roxas and I live... well, used to live on Destiny Islands. I saw some heartless the night before I arrived here. Back home, there was a storm- Sora and Riku went out in it for some reason- and when I chased after them, those heartless were coming out of the ground," he was starting to feel a chill and he rubbed an arm casually, stepping closer to the crackling fire as he spoke.
"Axel didn't tell me much. He half-explained magic and the heartless to me, but I still don't really get it. He said something about a world without magic, and that no islands are around here, and my main concern is how exactly I got here..."
Looking back up at Leon, he continued, "But from the sounds of things, people tend to show up here quite often, right?" A part of him was hoping that Sora and Riku would show up here one day, too.
Leon allowed a scowl to breach his features, and placed a hand on his multi-belted hip. "Refugees from other worlds come here to find solace after their homes were destroyed, or bordering on the brink of destruction. It's highly doubtful that there aren't other places like this Town."
Filtering through the responses he'd received, Leon began to launch into a rather detailed explanation of what he knew of heartless and the worlds, and even a bit of magic- though Axel knew far more than he did. The redhead just got impatient too easily to explain things to people who didn't understand.
Axel had returned at some point during his recap, and had stationed himself rather close to the blond boy, his right hand clutching a brown leather pouch most likely stuffed with munny. Leon finished soon enough, looking at Roxas with a blank expression, as if waiting to gauge his reaction.
"One last question... Has anyone ever managed to get back home?"
Upon hearing Roxas's question, both Leon and Axel fell silent. Both men had lost their homes- Axel, only a few months ago; Leon had been in Traverse Town for well over a year. Axel's mind flashed with memories of his brother and his chest tightened.
"No," he choked out, voice sounding far more bitter than he had originally intended. Leon scowled, crossing his arms and turning away from Roxas, lost in his own thoughts of the people he'd left in order to find help, and how he hadn't been able to return home. Flashes of an exuberant young man with a wide grin and light blond hair came to mind
.'Zell...' Leon closed his eyes, fully turning away from the younger males and stepping back to sit heavily on the couch, placing his head into a palm, weight supported by an elbow propped on his knee. He'd been so prepared to confess when the heartless had attacked during one of their few times spent alone together- talking about their futures and dreams. The blond had fallen, injured, during the attack, and Leon had vainly tried to fight off the onslaught of shadows.
Zell had forced him away by using the final reserves of his strength- lifting the older man and throwing him into the only gummi ship the Garden had owned. Leon recalled hitting the window as the short male locked it from the outside, yelling through the thick glass to get help. Zell's face had been bloodied and slicked with sweat, exhaustion in those expressive azure eyes.
Leon swallowed the dry lump in his throat and clenched his eyes shut. "No- nobody has ever gotten back home." It was barely audible, a whisper at most, one filled with turmoil.
Axel understood what his employer was going through, and so remained silent as he was driven to experience a series of his own painful memories.
Roxas felt the mood in the room change suddenly and was regretting his words. All he managed to utter out was a small "Oh," in... was it apology? Understanding? Disappointment? He couldn't tell
Axel grasped onto Roxas's shoulders. "Come on.. We've got to buy you some clothes before noon hits." Having said that, Axel applied a mild force into guiding Roxas out of the store and away from Leon, whose depression was beginning to intermingle with Axel's.
Roxas's head turned, watching Leon as he was dragged out, trying to work his tongue to say something, but he couldn't- he was outside already, the door shutting behind them.
The younger boy also quickly noticed Axel's mood and bit his lip, trying to wrack his brain for something to say. He thought that maybe saying something would just dig it in further. Maybe he just needed to remain silent, and let the moment pass.
Blue eyes directed at the floor, the boy followed after Axel as they headed to the market.
Character Biography of the Week!
Roxas; Dual Wielder
Home World: Destiny Islands
Currently Residing in Traverse Town
Roxas grew up with his parents and twin brother until the age of seven, when his mother and father divorced and his father left them. He blamed himself for it because his quiet demeanor always resulted in their father vainly attempting to encourage him to go out more. Roxas became even more introverted as a result, and often doesn't seek the company of others in fear of earning their rejection and having them leave him in a similar fashion to his father.
When he was ten, he met a trio of children by the names of Hayner, Pence, and Olette, who, soon after- would often seek him out to have fun with. They became fast friends, but drifted apart after the summer of Roxas's freshman year. It was that same summer that he discovered his attraction towards Hayner, and began to avoid them. During the school year, the group would still talk to him, but Roxas became more and more distant with Hayner, afraid of his own affections.
At age 15, during his sophomore year, Roxas's brother Sora, along with Riku, began to hatch a hair-brained scheme of leaving the island to explore the 'worlds'. Dragged along for the ride, Roxas began to spend his time researching travel and building to assist with the making of the raft.
That summer, a terrible storm hit the island the same day he'd gotten into a fight with his brother. Seeing Sora and Riku run out of the house and towards their small island that held the raft, Roxas followed. He reached the island in time to see Sora and Riku disappear into a swirl of black haze before falling unconscious.
His journey began when a redhead by the name of Axel found him in the alleyway of a town named Traverse- in a world Roxas had never heard of.
--------------
"Vincent! Don't do this to me!" Reno's voice had become harsh, but desperate as he stalked towards the raven-haired man once more. Vincet's gun whirled around and pressed into Reno's forehead.
---
Tifa turned around and disappeared back into the bar, and Roxas stood there, mouth hanging open. That woman was like a female version of his brother or something- always on the go, so loud and-- did Axel even see her chest?!
We had such wonderful feedback on our last chapter. It made us esctatic. We'd like to thank every single one of you who reviewed, it helped to motivate us into writing even more. As you can see, the plot has ever-so-slowly begun to unravel. Are you excited? We sure are.