open

[flared]

Who: A visibly bothered momma Axel and YOU
When: Sometime around sundown today, I guess
Where: Park
Style: I'll match
Status: Ongoing and open

This past week has been a train wreck, though Axel would go so far as to call that an understatement. The curse had been fine at the start, and he'd even contacted the entire dome about it all for the sake of some harmless entertainment, but as the days went on he found it more and more difficult to talk, namely with certain people. Of course, the unexpected arrival of a certain someone did nothing to alleviate his stress.

Thankfully that week is done and with it the curse. Still bothered by various thoughts, however, he leaves the apartment right at sundown... with three little ones following behind him: a yellow, red, and a light blue chocobo. He doesn't mind it. It fact, part of the reason why he's out anyway is that he can give them some fresh air. It's better than them camping in his hair all day.

Once at the park, he finds a quiet spot at the edge of the nearby pond to sit and watch the little birds frolic about, pecking at the ground and fluttering their tiny wings. But something's clearly distracting him. At one point he has to stand and just pace, because his body doesn't want to sit still. What's supposed to happen now, he wonders? With Sora and Roxas, Namine and Kairi and even Riku all here--

Now that Saix is here, what's going to happen?

It's the sound of peeping and rustling in the tall grass which snaps Axel out of his thoughts and makes him glance over in time to see that the red chocobo has climbed up on a rock and accidentally fallen into the water. Even as shallow as the water is, for a little guy, the pond might as well be an ocean.

"Hey," he calls out just as he hurries over to wade through the water and scoop up the bird before it hurts itself. If you happen to be wandering by, don't mind him. Or one of the baby chocobos coming over to say hello at your feet.

Comments

[vectorsnow]

It was the peeping that actually drew her to take a gander. That and the voice was familiar. Celes made her way over carefully to see if it might have been her long ago pupil that she heard. She hadn't seen his name on the list, but maybe the list registered him as someone else?

She saw the flash of red hair and almost called out for him, but there was a new peeping at her feet. Crouching down to scoop the little blue guy up and give him a scratch.

"Why am I not surprised to see something feathered close by?" She wasn't the most social and missed the opportunity to know Lea better, but when she did catch him on the network there usually was a chocobo some where.

This wasn't Lea though. She could tell from the way he was going for the bird. He was a lot more graceful and older than what a couple years could do. She also remembered Axel being at Vatheon at the same time as the other.

[flared]

The little chocobo fluttered its feathers as it was scooped up into her hands and when she gave him some scratches he crooned and nuzzled against her fingers. Ahhhh. Yes, good human.

Meanwhile the yellow one would be hanging out at the edge of the water watching Axel tend to the red chick. Honestly. Maybe he should have just left them at home, or at least picked a better place for them to walk where this wouldn't happen. Why he even still had the little troublemakers was beyond him. Axel was preening the chocobo's feathers a bit when suddenly he heard the voice and glanced over to see who it was.

He couldn't say he'd ever met her before. "... What?"

[fundemetal]

Leo had been out searching for Buford for the last few hours. The problem with not paying close attention to what you're doing is that sometimes you grab the wrong aerosol can to polish your temperamental table with.

If he'd made the mistake of using Windex instead of of lemon pledge, this would have probably been easier to make up for. But no, it couldn't have been something that easy. In Leo's defense, the can of marking paint did look and feel an awful lot like a can of lemon pledge. One short spritz of the yellow paint was enough to send Buford running for the hills.

He'd managed to track the table to the park, but trying to catch up with the mahogany topped table wasn't going so well. There was a strong possibility the table had flown off somewhere, since that was something he could do.

Leo was so focused on looking for the table that he didn't notice the baby chocobo under foot until he nearly tripped over it. He lifted his leg to try and step over the blue bird, but it darted in front of him and he lost balance, falling flat on his ass.

"Oof!" he exclaimed. The blue chocobo came over and started pecking at his boot, as if scolding him for not looking where he was going.

[flared]

The blue chocobo pecked insistently at Leo's boot for a good while, peeping and chirping as it fluttered its wings, but when Axel finally started to step out of the pond, the bottom of his coat completely soaked, it abruptly stopped then waddled back over to him. Upon seeing Leo on the ground, Axel tilted his head.

"What're you doing down there?" he asked as he set the red chick on his shoulder. After walking over, he held out a hand for Leo to take if he was so inclined.

[fundemetal]

"Trying to avoid squashing your bird." Leo took Axel's hand and stood up. He let go as soon as he was on his feet and brushed off his pants. "You haven't happened to see a table walking or flying around have you?

[flared]

The chocobo waddled over to Axel as he approached and once he was close enough it started to weave between his legs. With a sigh Axel just let it do its own thing. Honestly, these little guys could be such a handful.

"Well at least you d-- Wait." Blink. "Did you just say a table?"

[fundemetal]

Leo laughed. "That's right, you haven't met Buford yet." Which given that this was their first time meeting in person, was unsurprising. "He's a steam powered table. His top can turn into chopper blades so he can fly. I kind of managed to upset him and he ran off."

[flared]

Well, he'd heard of weirder things, he supposed. Talking doorknobs, running gumball machines, even shrinking tables. A running and flying one would hardly be anything new. Looking around, Axel crossed his arms. "No, can't say I've seen it." A pause before he added, "Where'd you get it from anyway?" Last he checked, Nostalgia Nook didn't have anything like that.

[ninthserenade]

<sub>[Luckily Demyx had no idea about Saix's arrival. Honestly, it was probably for the better due to his prior relationship with Isa, and then his past track record with him. Really, nothing good would come of it at this rate.

He didn't exactly mind the small chocobo running up to greet him--He had his own brown one trailing at his heels. He's not sure where it came from exactly, but it's not stopping him from kneeling down to pick the tiny thing up with a grin.]</sub>

Hey, buddy! Where'd you come from? Did'ja loose your mom?

[flared]

[The one to greet Demyx would be the yellow one, peeping and hopping up as it was carefully taken into Demyx's hands. The blue one was still over by the pond, curiously watching mom Axel help the red one dry off.

As if understanding the question, the yellow chick turned to look over at the pond and tilt its head. See? There's momma!]

[croceamors]

[Think even vaguely of the devil, and he will appear.]

[Not that Saix really is telepathic and-or actively searching to torment Axel. He's simply getting a lay of the land for now, so to speak. After finding a shop in the Nostalgia Nook that sold Potions and carefully reading the pamphlet, he's feeling... better. 'Better' being a completely subjective term, of course.]

[It's really true that Vatheon traps its inhabitants within it, and it seems to apparently bring the dead back to life. Saix isn't sure how to feel about this- being alive, Kingdom Hearts being a clear impossibility now, not having a definite goal to work towards anymore. For now, he just tries to keep himself busy. Exploring Vatheon, treating it as if it were just another recon mission, is a good start.]

[For today, it's the park, and before he can turn around at the distant sight of bright red hair...]

[...What's this thing on his foot.]

[Saix narrows his eyes at the little blue chick on his boot and tries to carefully nudge it off, to no success.]

[flared]

You've gotta be more careful.

[Axel carefully cradles the red chocobo in his hands after its been taken out of the water and thankfully after a few shakes it poofs up and relaxes in his palms. He sighs. It hadn't been his intention to keep them, and he's not so sure he'll even keep them forever, but there's a part of him which feels obligated to do so. His Other took good care of them when he was here. If Lea ever returns, then he'll at least see that someone has still be caring for them.]

Come on. Stay away from that water, ok?

[Once Axel's back on dry land he sets the chocobo down beside the yellow one... but where's the blue one? Axel looks around. Seriously? He turns his back for just a second and it's already gone?]

[croceamors]

[Why won't this stupid little bird get off? Saix ponders, for one moment, of just punting it across the park before deciding that is much too much effort to put into getting rid of a stupid little bird.]

[The more important matter is that Axel seems to have become un-distracted, and Saix finds himself having positively no desire to speak with him. He doesn't want to deal with the traitorous piece of filth anymore- doesn't want to ask why he went out of his way to put him somewhere relatively safe, doesn't want to ask why he didn't finish him off, and he certainly doesn't care.]

[So he promptly turns around without even the slightest twitch in his expression, striding off with the chocobo chick still riding on his boot.]

[flared]

[Axel searches under a few bushes and behind some rocks for the little blue chocobo but when the yellow one starts to flap it's wings and hover off in another direction, he gets up to start following it. That's when he spots a familiar blur of blue and freezes.

The yellow chocobo just keeps going, though, fluttering and peeping until finally it ends up above Saïx's head.

Axel holds his breath. Oh. Great.

And there it goes, landing on top of him and settling in just like it does with Axel.]

[croceamors]

[Damn birds and thinking he is their father.]

[Saix gives a pause as he hears the rustle of little wings and the barely there weight of a small chocobo chick. There's a slight twitch of his mouth before he reaches up to try and grab the chick so he can get a look at it. Then, he looks around until he can make eye contact with Axel.]

[A full couple of seconds filled with staring. Then he looks away, puts the chick in one of his Organization guaranteed large sleeves, and keeps walking.]

[He dares you to come and take them back from him, Axel.]

[coolerthansora]

Roxas is swinging through the park on his way back from picking up more ice cream to replace the boxes Axel managed to go through practically on his own. Having run into Saix himself, it's not hard to guess what's stressing his friend out, even though neither of them has really said anything about it.

He doesn't realize Axel left the apartment in his absence until he hears the peeping and splashing, and follows the path to the pond. At first he just stands there, smiling as he watches his friend with the birds, but then the little yellow chocobo comes nipping at his pants leg as though trying to tug him over.

"Hey, little guy," he says fondly, bending down to give the bird a nice scratch.

[flared]

Kweh! The little chocobo flaps it's wings and nuzzles Roxas' hand when it receives some petting, and it's the noises which eventually attract Axel and make him look up and over to see what the fuss is about. The red chocobo he's got puffs up its feathers then shakes to clean itself off of all the water, getting droplets all over Axel's face. Man, the things he puts up with...

"Oh. Hey, Roxas," he calls out, prompting the blue chick to hover over and land on Roxas' shoulder. Sure, these birds can be a handful, but at least they're cute. And they actually provide a nice laugh here and there. Goodness knows Axel needs that right now more than ever. "What're you doing out here?"

[coolerthansora]

Roxas looks up, and-- oh, hey it's another bird landing on his shoulder. Careful not to dislodge it, he lifts the bag he's carrying a little in response to Axel's question. "We were out of ice cream."

The blue chocobo starts nibbling at his hair, so he sets the bag of ice cream down on the grass so he has a hand free for petting each bird. Wouldn't want the blue one getting jealous.

"Can they learn to swim?"

[flared]

Out of ice cream? Already? Huh. He can't even remember eating that much already.

Letting out a little laugh as the chocobo nibbles at Roxas' hair, Axel approaches then sets the red chick on the ground so it can wobble over and peck at Roxas' shoes. HI, DAD.

"I guess. But if they wanna do that, it might be better to start in the kitchen sink or something."

[coolerthansora]

Ahh, no, how is he supposed to pet all three of them at once? He settles himself more comfortably on the grass and attempts to herd the yellow baby closer to the red one so maybe he can reach them both.

"Or the bathtub, since it's lower." They can manage short flights now, but he still doesn't want one falling by accident. He glances up at Axel. "How long are we keeping these guys anyway? Are we gonna name them?"

about time I tagged you :p hello!

[replicatedcourage]

[Sola likes the park. Especially at night when it seems more like the outside. He especially likes to sit with his feet in the water and watch the fish swim by overhead. Which, admittedly, isn't like outside at all but it's still really neat.

The past month was incredibly eventful and Sola's glad to have some time to just breathe and be himself without having to worry about anything like the bubble getting fixed or Johnny coming home safely. After the truth curse - which was really more of a blessing if you ask him - he's had a lot to think about. He feels closer than ever to Johnny, but there are some things that still bother him. Is it really okay to flirt with other people if you're in a relationship? He doesn't doubt Johnny's feelings for him, he just worries about any feelings he might have otherwise. And frankly he just feels... weird if Johnny's flirting with other people.

He's startled out of his reverie by the startled squeak and splash of the little red chocobo taking a tumble into the pond and immediately bends over to reach the little bird and rescue him from a potential watery demise.]

Where did you come from?

Hey

[Sola looks up at the sound of Axel's voice and holds out the chick carefully.]

Don't worry, he's okay.

[Speaking of people Johnny had been flirting with...]

o/ Yo. ... Hopefully this won't be awkward.

[flared]

[The chocobo ruffles its feathers when Sola picks it up, sending droplets of water all over the place, but after a moment it settles down then as a display of thanks it nudges his hand with its beak.

Axel's just barely in the water when he sees the other and the baby chocobo starts to bounce excitedly.]

Ah. ... Thanks.

I'm sure it will be but that's half the fun!

[replicatedcourage]

[The chocobo gets a smile and a gentle stroke of head feathers before it starts bouncing.]

It's no problem. I didn't want him to drown.

[He pauses, awkwardly wondering what to say. Well... introductions wouldn't be weird, right?]

You're Axel, right? I'm Sola.

It probably might not help that Axel and Johnny share the same Japanese VA. Lol

[flared]

[Axel tilted his head a bit at that.]

You know my name?

[Well, he knew he kind of broadcasted to the network a lot, but he couldn't recall meeting this guy ever.]

lmao I know! ahaha

[replicatedcourage]

You were talking to my boyfriend on the SFC awhile ago.

[It's not very subtle the way he emphasizes the word "boyfriend." Clearly the flirting wasn't lost on him. He'd already made his displeasure known to Johnny, who'd temporarily snuffed it out by showering Sola with words twice as pretty and overloading his brain by making him blush bad enough to leave the room.

He suspects it's easier to be mad at Axel.]