thebastion | Day 195 / Moon Phase

Entry tags:

dropped: saix

Day 195 / Moon Phase

Who: Saix and anyone awake
Open: Open
When: Day 195, at night
Where: Near the Monument
What: The Lunar Diviner lives up to a portion of his title.
Format: Any
Warnings: Nothing planned

Ever since the last Core brought a proper moon to the Bastion, Saix felt himself become actually relieved. Being without a moon's presence had left a constant itch in the back of his mind, something that drove him mad some nights and unable to get a proper rest. It'd almost become constant at this point, aggravating white noise.

With the moon back, it's like all the tension leaking from his very bones. It might be a little bit painful- new moons take some adjusting to begin with and he's been without one for so long. That makes him think, however... If that's the reaction he gets just being in its presence again, what will it be like when he taps into its power proper?

So the last week or so's worth of nights have been spent locked in his apartment and then tearing it apart as he's learned to control his powers all over again. Something his neighbors have probably become well aware of, and received little actual information from the Nobody besides "No one's getting hurt so it's fine."

But tonight... tonight Saix is certain of himself. So, tonight, if anyone isn't sleeping and is instead wandering about the Bastion, they might come apart the small group. There's the Berserker and a golden retriever sitting a good distance away, just in case, and there's Saix sitting crosslegged by the monument with the moon shining overhead and his face turned up towards it. Anyone paying attention might notice a subtle blue aura going along the man's body.

> Bother?

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Over the past week, Roxas has at last let up on his frantic Skyway searches for Axel. He's trying to take better care of himself, but rather than afford him a much-needed opportunity to rest, he's been having trouble sleeping. All the unexplained noises from next door probably haven't helped, but even tonight with Saix out and things quiet, it just leaves him alone in his head.

He knows there isn't much more he can do at this point except wait and hope that Axel shows up again sooner or later. But he still misses him, and he feels guilty thinking there's something he should be doing. Would Axel have ever given up looking?

Roxas is out trying to walk out some of his anxiety, or at least tire himself out a little more. He spots the Berserker first, hulking mass that it is, and at first assumes it's just standing guard like it often does. Then he notices Saix and that faint glow. He glances up, and decides to keep a healthy amount of distance, just in case.

"Don't need that gun anymore?"

"It's still useful to pick up a new skill. Of course, I won't be called a Freeshooter any time soon." Which, to be honest, is perfectly fine with Saix because fuck that guy. But Saix eases up a bit, opening his eyes to glance at Roxas. Axel always seems to be the one thing that's made them interact with one another, and his absence almost doesn't seem to change that. Still, at least they've... managed to have a decent working relationship. Saix isn't sure he would call it anything else.

"Besides," he adds, rolling his shoulders a bit, "this moon can't be seen from the Skyway. It'll take some time to change that. Until then, I'm still on my own." He doesn't sound half as bothered as he could be. 'Sedate' could even be said. At least there's a moon at all, and he's still feeling relaxed from finally getting in sync with it again.

There's a moment as he looks over where Roxas is standing, and finally offers something. "I have it under control again. I won't go Berserk on you." Normally he'd feel awkward at the suggestion, but the moon's influence is helping again in that area. It's not as weird as it could be, at least not for him right now.

"Oh... I guess that's right." He can't recall having seen the moon out there, even in the perpetual daylight.

At Saix's assurance, he finally walks closer and takes a seat still with some distance between the two of them. Not out of wariness but because they aren't really friends, so any closer would be weird.

"You aren't- exactly on your own, though. I mean, there are a lot of fighters here." Let's not make that sound like he's talking about himself.

"There are." Mild agreement. "I'd have to work no myself first before they'd agree to work with me, however." This isn't a sudden realization; Saix is more than aware that he still needs to fix his apathy towards other people and tone down his own... caustic nature.

Something seems to occur to him. "...Who's that girl?"

"You're not... that bad." Then again, Roxas has been making allowances for him both for being Axel's friend and for being, well, a heartless Nobody. He's been there. And he's been plenty used to working with assholes.

He just looks confused at Saix's question though and actually glances around wondering if he's talking about one out right now. "What girl?"

~~And then the next day Saix backhanded a teenage girl.~~

"The girl who knows you and Axel." Then, for clarification- "The Kairi clone." There are probably nicer ways to put it, like mentioning Xion's dark hair, but this gets the point across best. At least he's not saying it with a tone of derision in his voice. Just factually.

~~Saix pls.~~

Roxas frowns at that description even if Saix is saying it with that matter-of-fact tone. "Her name is Xion. I thought she'd talked to you." He's not exactly surprised that she didn't explain the whole replica thing, but didn't she at least introduce herself?

"She did." He adjusts himself and the glow seems to fade a least a little bit as he looks at Roxas properly. "But a girl who looks like Kairi and wears an Organization coat who knows both you and Axel? I never received any reports about her back during the Organization."

"You just- don't remember her." He's still frowning, trying to figure out what exactly to tell Saix. There might be things Xion would rather he didn't know. Frankly, Roxas doesn't want him to know either. He still thinks Saix would look down on her if he learned she was a replica, and not a 'real' person.

"Xion, Axel, and me-- we were all friends. But I didn't remember that either; no one remembered her, because of what happened to her." He looks over at Saix. "I think you were probably a big jerk to her in the Organization. You know, worse than usual. So you better not be now."

With the sort of things he's done in the Organization, Saix is fairly certain he's gained a talent for sensing bullshit. That sense is going off now- there's something Roxas isn't telling him. He's certain of it. But he doesn't push. He just looks away again, sighing. There's no point in grilling Roxas for information at any rate. If memories are involved, then Namine is as well. That's the conclusion he's come to.

"I'll treat her like I treat anyone else," is the blunt answer. "I won't make any sort of promise that I'm not sure I can keep."

See, it's not bullshit, just the simplest and vaguest version of the explanation possible. He's sort of relieved Saix isn't going to press for a better one.

"Well- if you're around her for any reason, that's the best time to practice being nice. Even if you have a hard time remembering how that goes." Protective pseudo-brother feels are go.

Crap, he's sensing some "friendship" bullshit. You keyblade wielders and your weird attraction to it, what is this. Saix's mouth starts to twist a bit as he breathes out through his nose.

"What exactly do you expect me to do with her? Get her a puppy?"

Saix if you knew anything about the series you were in, you would understand that friendship is where the real power lies. That is why they can all kick your butt.

"Wha-" Okay, he understands Saix's comprehension of friendship is best summed up by 'dogs,' but still. "You don't have to get her anything. Just... think before you talk. Try to figure out how it might make her feel?"

But it doesn't make sense, how does that even work????

The look Saix gives Roxas at that is utterly deadpan. That's certainly a suggestion he's receiving. "Generally, when I have to think how it makes a person feel, it's to make them miserable or to threaten them." That's really all you needed in the Organization.

Friendship is magic.

"If it'll make them feel that, then don't say it," Roxas says, returning the flat look. "You don't need to think like that anymore anyway."

If you turn into a pony, he swears to god...

"I don't," he concedes, although unlearning nearly a decade's worth of behavior is going to be... troublesome, at the very least. "But that doesn't mean I know how to think the opposite. What things set her off, then?" If Roxas even knows, anyway. Still, Saix will make the effort. It's... something to start with, isn't it?

Roxas thinks for a moment. What sets her off? He's never known the full story with her himself, but she said a few times that the Organization treated her like a puppet. And they were bad enough in the way they treated each other for being Nobodies.

"Don't- ever act like she's less of a person. She can do and feel as much as anyone."

There's something on the tip of his tongue, something on how if she proves she can then he'll treat her that way, but Saix swallows it back before it can leave his mouth. He doubts he'll be making a lot of good relations here, but to start with... Well, maybe he can begin by fixing things with the people that are actually from the same set of worlds as him.

"I'll keep that in mind then," he finally answers, leaning back a bit more to focus on the moon overhead. "But again- no promises. She doesn't seem to care for me to begin with, after all."

"That's because she's met you before." It's a bit blunt, but... well, it's true. Anyone who knew Saix in the Organization knew him at his worst.

"...how do you treat the other people who put up with you anyhow?" There are some, right? It's not just Roxas now?

...That's a fair enough point, but he's not going to acknowledge it. Instead, he just focuses on the next question instead. It's... actually a good question. Sometimes, even Saix isn't sure how they put up with him.

"You realize I might end up talking about Barry at some point since he was one of those who put up with me?" He just wants to make sure before he goes on.

Roxas blinks, but... Barry's not here, and that particularly awful encounter was months ago.

"I- guess that's okay." Wait. Saix actually thought to bring that up. "Thanks for asking."

Wow, it still feels really weird to say thank you to Saix, but he feels like he should do something to encourage that kind of thinking. Axel's not here to do it, after all.

Sorry that the "make sure Saix doesn't ruin anymore lives" task is left to you, Roxas.

Saix is well aware that Barry is no longer someone they'll readily interact with- anytime soon, at least, if not ever. Still, he did count as one of the people who tolerated him and they talked. So with that settled, Saix gives a slight nod to himself. "In Vatheon, he and I tended to talk about a variety of things. The people that arrived there, discussing emotions and what counts as them, cooking... Anya have talked about things as well." A pause as he thinks. "We danced once, during the festival."

It is an awkward responsibility.

He probably should have expected this to sound like Saix giving one of those reports he was such a stickler for, until-- "You... danced." This is really difficult to imagine. "Was that the same day we got drunk?"

"...No." He's fairly certain of that. "It was near the end of the Festival."

"Oh." Well, okay. Saix is trying to branch out from his usual lineface activities, right? Roxas just still expects him to need incentive.

"Do you... you know... like her?" Can Saix like people yet. "Or were you just trying it out?"

Wow, rude. He can... sort of like people. Either way, Saix shakes his head at the phrasing simply because it reminds him of really ridiculous highschool days before he answers. "I like her more than I liked most of the Organization. Besides, she seemed a bit annoyed about something the Gods of this world had done, so I offered to take her mind off it. Dancing was her suggestion."

He is conversing with a teenager, after all.

Roxas nods. It's a bit easier to grasp knowing it was this Anya person's idea instead of Saix's. "Well- that's good. That's the kind of stuff friends do for each other."

"I'm going to assume that you mean offering to take their minds off things and not dancing." Saix gives a roll of his shoulders. "I'd rather not deal with people with negative emotions clouding their minds these days, so... I suppose it all works out."

"Yeah, I did. Sometimes dancing, too, though. If you wind up liking it anyway."

He's danced with friends before. Axel included, so his face falls a little. What was that about negative emotions?

"...What did I say." It's hard to miss something like that. Saix hadn't thought he'd said anything, but... He's aware that his view is perhaps a little clouded.

He shakes his head. "Nothing. I was just- reminded of something."

They don't need to talk about missing Axel.

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Day 195 / Moon Phase

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