2 --> Switch

[croceamors]

Who: A very confused Not-Axel and Roxas
When: The early morning
Where: Axel and Roxas' apartments
Style: Whatever
Status: Closed

On normal days, Saix woke up early anyway. It was habit no matter how dark it was in the bubble. When you had spent ten years in a world that didn't change from eternal night, you learned to wake up on time instead of hoping the sun's rays would wake you.

But it's not habit that wakes him up this morning. It's the feeling of something missing, for one thing, a familiar warmth wiggling against his side and wagging its tail. There's something else, a twist in his chest, something that makes his lungs feel tight. It's all enough to make him rouse himself from sleep, pushing himself up in bed and pressing a hand to his chest. Still sleepy, it takes him a moment to realize that this is not his room.

Saix jerks back in alarm- more alarm than he thought himself capable of- and a burst of flame suddenly manifests on the end of his bed, eating up the sheets. Cursing under his breath, Saix stumbles out from the sheets. Why he's not in his house, why this room is so painfully familiar, why his chest feels weird, and why he feels so gangly- those are all questions for later. Right now, he has to concentrate on putting out this fire.

Roxas might notice a commotion in the next room, and he'll likely find "Axel" trying to smother the flames with wet towels.

Comments

[linefais]

He wants to know more too, but Axel doubts that the three of them will be able to figure out or prove anything at all on their own. It would be pointless to just sit around and talk about this... especially when his body feels so sick. Maybe later, when he's more in control. Maybe later when he's level-headed.

... But that last comment from Saix sparks something in him again which he can't get a grip on or extinguish. In a split second he turns right back around, eyes glowing and fist pulling back to aim straight for the other's jaw. He doesn't even register that it's his own body he's about to hit, but that doesn't matter. He just needs him to shut up.

"You listen to me," he snarls, his tone surprisingly dark. Normally he would yell out, speak like Saix is speaking right now because his body can do that. But that's not the case now. Right now he juts sounds like he's about to bite someone's head off. Reaching out, he aims to take hold of the front of Saix's coat. "If it's true that I can feel, if it's true that I could feel this entire time, then good. Because I want you to pay attention."

His eyes keep glowing, flickering from that dull amber to bright gold in a matter of seconds. "Now that you're in my body, can you feel it? Everything I had to be put through, all my memories, all the reasons why I had to run away and turn my back even on my own best friend?" Another snarl as he slowly feels the Darkness inside of him well up, ready to burst. "Do you think I asked for that? Do you think I asked for anything to happen this way!?"

[coolerthansora]

Great. Axel just punched himself. This is going really well. Is there something about Saix's body that just makes whoever in it want to punch people? Roxas ducks under the arm he's using to grab Saix so he can put himself between them and hopefully prevent this from going any further.

He's inclined to side with his best friend. Because they're friends, he feels sure that Saix did more wrong than Axel to get them to this point, but he really doesn't know. Saix is the one who was backing down, and does it even matter who's right if they'll only focus on the other one being wrong? He was never this bad with Riku, was he? As a third party, it's kind of annoying.

"You're both being really stupid. You've both got reasons to be pissed off, but yelling them at each other over and over doesn't change anything. If you don't want things to be this way, they don't have to be this way."

He looks from one to the other, silently wishing he were taller because he's pretty sure they can just glare at each other over his head.

"And if you start fighting now, no one's going to win 'cause I'll beat the crap out of both of you."

[goddammitaxel]

He's not expecting to be slugged in the face and when it happens, it's a surprise at how much more it seems to hurt. The shock is the one thing that keeps him from torching the entire house. He's just a bit wide eyed as Axel grabs at him and causes his hood to fall back, staring into those bright gold eyes that should be on his face. Something about seeing them flicker makes Saix's nerves go on edge, and he's immediately upset with himself. No, no, he's not going to be nervous around Axel, that's never happened before and he refuses to let it happen now.

Good thing Axel keeps talking, making the nervousness be replaced with anger that just keeps steadily rising with every word. He snarls right back the second he finds an opening. "That just makes it worse! The fact that if you could feel, if you could care, and you still betrayed me! You knew of everything I did for you, of everything that I was risking by trying to get so close to Xemnas, and you still-" Oh, Saix could keep on yelling. It feels good to really yell and feel so much rage flowing through his veins, different than how he's normally experienced for the last ten years. It feels pure, and hot, even with how much it seems to hurt from his throat tightening up and something pulling near his eyes that makes it a bit hard to see.

But then Roxas is between them, making it harder to focus on Axel or even just try to get a punch in himself- the fact that it's his body is irrelevant. Saix tries to take in a deep breath, but it's hard. His throat feels tight. As much as he's sure he'd like to fight over Roxas' decision, he knows he's going to be pathetically useless with fire powers or the chakrams Axel has. Saix tries to swallow again and jerk his way out of Axel's grasp.

"Just leave already."

[linefais]

Axel still has a firm grip when Roxas suddenly wiggles between them and he starts to calm down. Thankfully Roxas has that effect on him, even when he's like this. So as Saix's words just barely reach him, he loosens his grip and pushes him off and away so he can turn around again to face the Portal. He doesn't wan to see those reactions, doesn't want to believe that any of it is remotely real.

He should say more, but at the moment he fears that if he does, he'll just fly off the handle again. So without another word or so much as a glance at either of them Axel steps forward and disappears into the Darkness. It feels safe here, at least.

[coolerthansora]

Roxas hesitates to follow Axel. He doesn't know Saix very well, and he doesn't like him, but this is maybe the first time he's been able to see him not just as some jerk but as a person. It's not just that he's in Axel's body, either. They're still Saix's thoughts, and the feelings he'd have if he could feel.

"The Organization wasn't doing anything good to us. And I know when I chose to leave- I did it wrong." He left Axel behind. He glances towards the portal. He can't really speak for what Axel feels, so he isn't sure what else to say. With one last uncomfortable glance at Saix, he follows his friend into the portal.

[goddammitaxel]

"Everyone keeps saying that as if I didn't know," is probably the last thing Roxas will hear from him, the phrase full of bitterness and misery, more than he's used to. Needless to say, he won't be following. For one thing, it would just start another fight which is what they're trying to avoid. For another... He just needs a little while.

Just let him sit down and hug his dog for a bit. At least the dog understands him.