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shifted_prompts2010-08-17 03:14 am
smolderingdark.livejournal.com) wrote in shifted_prompts2010-08-17 03:14 am
Axel Trolls An Emo
Title: The Things I Do For You, Man
Author:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
presea
Character/Fandom: d4!Axel / Kingdom Hearts
Prompt: 17. saudade;
Word Count: 1,473
Summary: Axel goes to Agrabah and trolls Riku while trying to sniff up the Organization's next plan. Takes place before Roxas' first trip to Agrabah. I meant to post this like a year ago. My bad.
Author Notes/Warnings: None, though it might make you snort soda if you're drinking it.
The Things I Do For You, Man
-------
Axel kicked back and rested his boots on the gummi ship console. It was something he did every time, but this occasion was different. Axel was alone. He had every star winking out to himself. There were no King’s Men to cast him concerned looks when he dodged a subject, no blonds to pester. He missed that, kinda, but it was necessary for him to have some alone time. Especially when it came to messages from the hidden Mognet.
Until the ship arrived at its destination, Axel was determined to put the weight of his sacrifices behind him. He had a job to do, and Roxas had no place in it... yet. But here he was, those sacrifices spurring him on, as the original Chosen of the Keyblade dove once more into the close darkness in his search for answers.
“Man. How did it come to this?”
After a year and a half, he found himself asking that question once more.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Axel awoke to the frantic beeping of the ship’s computer, which obnoxiously alerted him that he had landed. The redhead yawned and looked around. The cockpit showed an expanse of desert spread out below him. Sand, sand, and more sand. At least there weren’t any more storms. He threw on his old black cloak and stepped outside. The air was as dry and unforgiving as he remembered. “I want to leave and I just got here,” he mused to himself as a searing hot breeze picked up.
But he had a lead. The Organization had been here, and he needed to do some recon of his own. He turned and spied the high walls of Agrabah, the spiraled parapets of the palace winking in the distance. A shiver threatened as he thought of what he’d gone through to kidnap the stunning Princess Jasmine once.
Make this quick, he told himself. Axel had a feeling that if Jasmine saw him again, her memory of him would be way stronger than her memories of Roxas. And far less friendly. He slipped past the city guards with minimal effort and set to searching for any sign of the Organization. They were trained to be silent and to go unnoticed, but as much as they professed to being heartless, Axel thought they had some pretty convincing vices. Usually greed. And greedy people were often sloppy, in Axel’s humble opinion.
After what seemed like hours of searching and eavesdropping on random people, Axel had zip. Zero. Nada. He leaned against a wall and crossed his arms, then regretted it; it was hot and he was only making it worse. Had his lead dried up? But Stiltzkin wouldn’t lie. He’d come through for Axel in the past.
Just when Axel turned to leave, he was stopped by a bootstep in the alley, barely audible. But it wasn’t the noise that caught his attention so much as the scent, something faint and dark and yet overpowering if one dwelled on it too long.
“You.”
Axel knew that tone well. His gaze swept from the thick boots to the upside down V of his coat, all the way to pale skin, the striking silver hair, and haunting turquoise eyes. The Nobody was intimidating even to Axel who could occasionally pull off a similar look. Not that it dissuaded him any.
“Heeeeey, Riku! You never were one for hello, were ya?”
Riku’s lip curled in disdain. “Shouldn’t you be with Roxas?”
There was something veiled in that tone that sounded like jealousy, and it made Axel raise an eyebrow. He detached from the wall and slipped his hood back to reveal his mane of red hair. “What can I say? I smelled something rotten. And Mom always told me to follow my nose.”
Riku shook his head and murmured, “That doesn’t make any sense. Anyway, if you’re looking for a favor, I’m fresh out. Unless you decide to leave right now. I might even let you go unharmed.” Ah, threats. He wasn’t sure how much Riku meant it, though. When DiZ ordered Axel to destroy Kairi, Naminé’s Nobody, Axel had hesitated. Instead he’d delivered her to Riku and entrusted him with her safety, sort of like an apology for beating the snot out of his friend Sora. But not really. Riku was a little rogue when people weren’t looking, sort of like Axel. A little angry, a little confused, his true motives hidden save the connection to someone named Roxas.
He was the key.
Neither of them moved.
“How is she?” Axel asked, completely ignoring Riku’s half of the conversation. Riku flinched.
“She’s free.”
“Never did thank you for that.”
The silver-haired Nobody shook his head. A wry smile crossed his face, darker than Axel’s own by a few shades. “You’d just be wasting your time,” he said in a low voice.
“In that case, thanks.” Axel’s grin widened when the Nobody sighed in exasperation. Maybe he could get something out of him after all. “So what brings you to the desert? Fan of sand? Maybe you just don’t have enough sand in your shorts to excuse that attitude. That’s okay. There’s plenty to go around.”
“It’s none of your business,” Riku stated firmly. “Now get out of my way.”
Axel acquiesced and let the man move past, then fell into step right behind him. “No, really. There’s not even any ice cream here. Can you believe that? All the magic a genie can offer and they don’t have a place to sell ice cream. It’s a shame.”
Riku stopped in the shadow of the wall, well aware of Axel’s inquisitive look though he couldn’t see it. His shoulders were hunched, and he was on the verge of shouting something ridiculous, even though he wasn’t the type to shout. Especially something ridiculous. But Axel had a way of bringing out the best (and the worst) in people. “Are you stupid? Do you even understand that we’re on different sides?” He craned his neck to look behind him, only to be greeted with one of Axel’s fake-innocent grins.
Axel’s smile disappeared in an instant, replaced by something bored as he picked at his teeth. “Different sides? You don’t believe it’s that simple, do you?”
“Sometimes it can be,” Riku shot back. Axel‘s blasé only agitated him further. “The next time we meet, it won’t be on equal terms. There’s something I want out of this and I am going to get it.”
Oh. Now that was a threat. Axel’s eyebrows rose, both of them, and then he did a funny trick that involved doing the wave with his look of suspicion. “Something you… want? What could that be? Besides a heart, I mean. That’s so obvious you’d never bother saying it unless you were feeling really cheesy.”
Maybe Axel imagined it, but Riku almost looked defensive as he turned back around. “I’m leaving.” And with that, he disappeared. Axel knew he was only little ways away; Nobodies couldn’t teleport long distances without the aid of portals. Yet pursuing him would be fruitless. He’d made his point, and Axel’s suspicions were correct after all.
Someone close to him was in danger.
“Good luck with that, man. Sand gets everywhere.” There was no response. Axel shrugged and melted into the shadows he’d always been a part of.
What did Riku want? Revenge, maybe? Naminé was safe in Twilight Town since the barrier that separated her world from the others was still active, and had been since the door to Kingdom Hearts was sealed. Would Riku really have the guts to attack Roxas instead, when he was surrounded by the King’s men and Axel himself?
Axel reminded himself that yes, even Riku could do something stupid like that. Time to keep a closer eye on the blond. Even if that meant stalking around out of sight for a while, Axel would always be close. It was better to find out beforehand than to be caught unprepared, words that he lived by now that he was on the hero side.
Hiding things from his best friend wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, of course, but desperate times called for desperate measures— and Axel had promised that he would explain everything when Roxas was ready.
“Geez. How did it come to this...?”
Yet Axel knew exactly how, and it did nothing to reassure him as he lit up the ship’s controls with a fingertip and set the destination for Hollow Bastion.
Author:
preseaCharacter/Fandom: d4!Axel / Kingdom Hearts
Prompt: 17. saudade;
Word Count: 1,473
Summary: Axel goes to Agrabah and trolls Riku while trying to sniff up the Organization's next plan. Takes place before Roxas' first trip to Agrabah. I meant to post this like a year ago. My bad.
Author Notes/Warnings: None, though it might make you snort soda if you're drinking it.
-------
Axel kicked back and rested his boots on the gummi ship console. It was something he did every time, but this occasion was different. Axel was alone. He had every star winking out to himself. There were no King’s Men to cast him concerned looks when he dodged a subject, no blonds to pester. He missed that, kinda, but it was necessary for him to have some alone time. Especially when it came to messages from the hidden Mognet.
Until the ship arrived at its destination, Axel was determined to put the weight of his sacrifices behind him. He had a job to do, and Roxas had no place in it... yet. But here he was, those sacrifices spurring him on, as the original Chosen of the Keyblade dove once more into the close darkness in his search for answers.
“Man. How did it come to this?”
After a year and a half, he found himself asking that question once more.
He closed his eyes and tried to sleep.
Axel awoke to the frantic beeping of the ship’s computer, which obnoxiously alerted him that he had landed. The redhead yawned and looked around. The cockpit showed an expanse of desert spread out below him. Sand, sand, and more sand. At least there weren’t any more storms. He threw on his old black cloak and stepped outside. The air was as dry and unforgiving as he remembered. “I want to leave and I just got here,” he mused to himself as a searing hot breeze picked up.
But he had a lead. The Organization had been here, and he needed to do some recon of his own. He turned and spied the high walls of Agrabah, the spiraled parapets of the palace winking in the distance. A shiver threatened as he thought of what he’d gone through to kidnap the stunning Princess Jasmine once.
Make this quick, he told himself. Axel had a feeling that if Jasmine saw him again, her memory of him would be way stronger than her memories of Roxas. And far less friendly. He slipped past the city guards with minimal effort and set to searching for any sign of the Organization. They were trained to be silent and to go unnoticed, but as much as they professed to being heartless, Axel thought they had some pretty convincing vices. Usually greed. And greedy people were often sloppy, in Axel’s humble opinion.
After what seemed like hours of searching and eavesdropping on random people, Axel had zip. Zero. Nada. He leaned against a wall and crossed his arms, then regretted it; it was hot and he was only making it worse. Had his lead dried up? But Stiltzkin wouldn’t lie. He’d come through for Axel in the past.
Just when Axel turned to leave, he was stopped by a bootstep in the alley, barely audible. But it wasn’t the noise that caught his attention so much as the scent, something faint and dark and yet overpowering if one dwelled on it too long.
“You.”
Axel knew that tone well. His gaze swept from the thick boots to the upside down V of his coat, all the way to pale skin, the striking silver hair, and haunting turquoise eyes. The Nobody was intimidating even to Axel who could occasionally pull off a similar look. Not that it dissuaded him any.
“Heeeeey, Riku! You never were one for hello, were ya?”
Riku’s lip curled in disdain. “Shouldn’t you be with Roxas?”
There was something veiled in that tone that sounded like jealousy, and it made Axel raise an eyebrow. He detached from the wall and slipped his hood back to reveal his mane of red hair. “What can I say? I smelled something rotten. And Mom always told me to follow my nose.”
Riku shook his head and murmured, “That doesn’t make any sense. Anyway, if you’re looking for a favor, I’m fresh out. Unless you decide to leave right now. I might even let you go unharmed.” Ah, threats. He wasn’t sure how much Riku meant it, though. When DiZ ordered Axel to destroy Kairi, Naminé’s Nobody, Axel had hesitated. Instead he’d delivered her to Riku and entrusted him with her safety, sort of like an apology for beating the snot out of his friend Sora. But not really. Riku was a little rogue when people weren’t looking, sort of like Axel. A little angry, a little confused, his true motives hidden save the connection to someone named Roxas.
He was the key.
Neither of them moved.
“How is she?” Axel asked, completely ignoring Riku’s half of the conversation. Riku flinched.
“She’s free.”
“Never did thank you for that.”
The silver-haired Nobody shook his head. A wry smile crossed his face, darker than Axel’s own by a few shades. “You’d just be wasting your time,” he said in a low voice.
“In that case, thanks.” Axel’s grin widened when the Nobody sighed in exasperation. Maybe he could get something out of him after all. “So what brings you to the desert? Fan of sand? Maybe you just don’t have enough sand in your shorts to excuse that attitude. That’s okay. There’s plenty to go around.”
“It’s none of your business,” Riku stated firmly. “Now get out of my way.”
Axel acquiesced and let the man move past, then fell into step right behind him. “No, really. There’s not even any ice cream here. Can you believe that? All the magic a genie can offer and they don’t have a place to sell ice cream. It’s a shame.”
Riku stopped in the shadow of the wall, well aware of Axel’s inquisitive look though he couldn’t see it. His shoulders were hunched, and he was on the verge of shouting something ridiculous, even though he wasn’t the type to shout. Especially something ridiculous. But Axel had a way of bringing out the best (and the worst) in people. “Are you stupid? Do you even understand that we’re on different sides?” He craned his neck to look behind him, only to be greeted with one of Axel’s fake-innocent grins.
Axel’s smile disappeared in an instant, replaced by something bored as he picked at his teeth. “Different sides? You don’t believe it’s that simple, do you?”
“Sometimes it can be,” Riku shot back. Axel‘s blasé only agitated him further. “The next time we meet, it won’t be on equal terms. There’s something I want out of this and I am going to get it.”
Oh. Now that was a threat. Axel’s eyebrows rose, both of them, and then he did a funny trick that involved doing the wave with his look of suspicion. “Something you… want? What could that be? Besides a heart, I mean. That’s so obvious you’d never bother saying it unless you were feeling really cheesy.”
Maybe Axel imagined it, but Riku almost looked defensive as he turned back around. “I’m leaving.” And with that, he disappeared. Axel knew he was only little ways away; Nobodies couldn’t teleport long distances without the aid of portals. Yet pursuing him would be fruitless. He’d made his point, and Axel’s suspicions were correct after all.
Someone close to him was in danger.
“Good luck with that, man. Sand gets everywhere.” There was no response. Axel shrugged and melted into the shadows he’d always been a part of.
What did Riku want? Revenge, maybe? Naminé was safe in Twilight Town since the barrier that separated her world from the others was still active, and had been since the door to Kingdom Hearts was sealed. Would Riku really have the guts to attack Roxas instead, when he was surrounded by the King’s men and Axel himself?
Axel reminded himself that yes, even Riku could do something stupid like that. Time to keep a closer eye on the blond. Even if that meant stalking around out of sight for a while, Axel would always be close. It was better to find out beforehand than to be caught unprepared, words that he lived by now that he was on the hero side.
Hiding things from his best friend wasn’t exactly what he had in mind, of course, but desperate times called for desperate measures— and Axel had promised that he would explain everything when Roxas was ready.
“Geez. How did it come to this...?”
Yet Axel knew exactly how, and it did nothing to reassure him as he lit up the ship’s controls with a fingertip and set the destination for Hollow Bastion.