Your part of town against mine

[fireintwilight]

Who: Axel and YOU! Very very open
When: BACKDATED to yesterday, Feb 14th, afternoon into evening
Where: Various
Summary: After a stint near the mall, Axel's enjoying a night out on the town. Feel free to run into him
Warnings: None so far!

((ooc: It's a choose-your-scenario post! He'll be at the mall, at home, and drinking at a bar, in that

Comments

Riku's Apartment, obvs

[walkthedawn]

It's actually pretty early when he comes home from work, suddenly stumbling out of a portal on his own, backwards, onto the floor of his bedroom. He's breathing hard, eyes wide, shaking off whatever's run into him. He had smelled the pheromones when they hit the mall, quickly warning his employer and Jinx before making a break for it himself. His senses are sensitive - ha ha - and he can't afford to be caught in something like that.

Of course, it doesn't help that he's gotten out. He's just removed himself from Cohen's claws, that's all. He stands, brushing his bangs out of his eyes, hearing the TV on. He goes into the other room. "Axel?"

[fireintwilight]

He was on his way home when they hit, and he doesn't have the same senses Riku does; if anything's affecting him he doesn't know it. The TV goes back on with a click of the remote, tuned to commercials, and he's studying the screen distractedly when Riku comes in, already on his feet.

"Yeah. Hey." Axel glances at him, once briefly and then again for a longer stare, eyebrows raising. Riku looks...startled is the word, maybe. Wide-eyed. He doesn't say anything more, but his silence is expectant.

[walkthedawn]

"I didn't expect you home now," he says simply, at first. It's been an odd past few weeks with him here, but at least he's growing used to the Nobody that stays with him. Still, he's not sure that now is a good time.

Riku makes a quiet sound in his throat. "Something's weird outside, in the mall. I smelled something weird." It's making my head spin a little. He tries to just relax. "It's really strong, whatever it is...but no one else could smell it."

[fireintwilight]

"Why not?"

Though it's not an unreasonable statement. He's there unpredictably, even more so now that Xion's come, and he's splitting half his time at the newcomer apartment with her. And it's nice in some way that Riku says home instead of just here, but he can't get behind it. It's just a place to stay, and he won't even be staying there much longer.

"Oh? I just came from there." He's not watching the TV anymore, but rather Riku; and Riku is more interesting, anyway. "So what's weird at the mall, exactly? Don't tell me it was some kind of attack."

[walkthedawn]

"It's odorless, that's why. It's not poisonous, but..."

How does he even begin explaining to Axel how he's feeling? It doesn't really matter. He glances at the TV briefly and then turns to Axel. "...And you don't feel anything?" The Keybearer felt flushed and warm, but that could always be attributed to his mad dash into a Corridor. Still, it's worse here in the apartment, closed in.

"I'm not sure. I could just smell it and then people started acting strangely. I warned Cohen and Jinx and left before it started to get to me."

[fireintwilight]

Ordinarily it would seem like an opportunity to make a quip about Nobodies and feelings, but Axel pauses now, letting it pass, and answers the question seriously for once.

"I feel restless."

Not just restless, though. Charged, heated, the way he does when he's about to fight, fire brimming from the void inside, the emptiness that makes up his being.

"You look sick." He's studying Riku again. "Something got to you. Are you sure it wasn't some kind of attack?"

[walkthedawn]

Restless isn't so bad, really. At least that's all it is. He looks at Axel for a moment, roaming his figure. Nothing out of the ordinary. So why is he affected? Maybe he came in contact with more than he knew.

Riku shakes his head briefly, leaning back against the wall and shoving a hand through his bangs. "I don't feel like myself, but..." But it doesn't seem dangerous.

"It's not poison. I just feel strange," he mutters, closing his eyes.

[fireintwilight]

If that is all it is. He isn't so sure. When before he thought that getting out to the streets as darkness fell was what he wanted--the monsters, the Heartless and anything else lurking out in the shadows--he could have chalked that up to ordinary restlessness. Right now, though, he thinks that if he wants to attack anything, he'd rather it was Riku.

"Strange how?"

[walkthedawn]

Why is he even admitting this to Axel? It's strange. He sighs, trying to just focus on the smell of the apartment, of Ebony, of-

Axel. Axel's scent is strong enough as it is with the familiar Nothingness that calls itself his own. But there's the scent of firewood, cinnamon, and something else that's most definitely Axel. He says nothing about that, though, shaking his head.

"It's nothing. I'm probably just feeling dizzy from running through the Corridors."

[fireintwilight]

He scoffs. "No you aren't. Don't pretend. You know that isn't what it is." He can see that in Riku's face--could see it from the moment he walked in looking like he'd just been gutpunched.

And something about it makes him want to call Riku out, to really get under his skin, the way he normally just dances around. He paces back and forth for a few moments, not particularly caring how it looks, and then stops and faces him again with a smile. "Want to fight me?"

[walkthedawn]

He makes a sound in his throat, something almost haughty. It's dismissive, a simple "Tch." He doesn't want to talk about this.

The Keybearer opens his eyes and looks at him, watching him pace. It's like something an animal would do, something predatory and restless. Riku's almost entranced by it, staring. And finally, he raises his eyes to look at Axel. He nods. "Sure." He's itching for something. Maybe that's what he needs.

[fireintwilight]

Itching, that's a good word. His fingers twitch like they're remembering being wrapped around the spokes of his chakrams, and even when he wasn't looking in Riku's direction--though he is now--he could feel his gaze on him, and the urge to spring into action is stronger than ever.

He gestures with ahand and summons up a dark corridor. "Up on the roof?" Axel asks, but he doesn't wait for a reply, only beckons Riku to follow and goes through the portal first.

[walkthedawn]

The Keybearer hesitates as he watches Axel's eyes gleam just a little too mischievously in the apartment, finally following him through the portal and up to the roof.

He's not sure what he's expecting, but he's immediately ready to summon his Keyblade the moment he exits the portal. He doesn't do so right away, but if Axel is ready for a fight, then he's not sure if it'll be entirely fair. Still, there's excitement brewing in his stomach, urging him on. This will be good.

[fireintwilight]

Axel summons the moment he sees Riku emerge from the portal after him, a bright orange flare throwing the rooftop into sharp relief. It shortly fades and concentrates at his hands, firewheels forming into the more solid shapes of his chakrams.

He's more than ready for this. And Keyblade or not, Riku had better be too. "Don't hold back," he tells him with a brief flash of a grin, and he lunges forward with a chakram swinging out in a bright arc.

[walkthedawn]

He's more than glad to summon his Keyblade, bringing it over his head and sliding into stance. He gives him a brief smile and then he feigns to the side, striking out as well. It's more to defend himself from Axel's strike than to hit his opponent, using the momentum to jump back.

Riku summons a ball of black fire, throwing it at him as he puts just enough distance between them for him to lunge back at the Nobody, blade out.

[fireintwilight]

Throwing fire at him, Riku? Seems counterproductive, but that's all right--he's coming at him now with the Keyblade, and Axel deflects the strike off the spokes of a chakram, jabbing back with the other in his hand, feinting. They might be well-matched for this, both of them agile; it's been a while since he's fought a Keybearer, and all of them have different styles. For now, he stays close, testing with quick swipes and stabs from the sharp edges of his weapons, as though getting a feel for how Riku fights.