Open Interaction Post!

[chakramkeyblade]

[Permanent, open interaction post for Lea (and Axel). Let me know if you'd prefer me to do a starter, or just jump in with whatever!]

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[brokenallthelaws]

[Xigbar isn't sure what to make of Radiant Garden, these days. Even when it had been home, he'd always longed to see what else was out there; too curious by half and not entirely at ease in such a small world, especially after he'd started picked up the magic he still wields. That and he's gotten entirely too used to Never Was, with one thing and another.

But there are interesting whispers coming out of the once-fallen Garden, and Xigbar knows the city better than nearly anyone. Or nearly anyone else who would be sent out on reconnaissance anyway, and that, in turn has him coming out to the city he'd once called home.

He doesn't dare go to the castle. Too much risk and the less he sees of the other apprentices, the better. Instead he lurks elsewhere, a darker spot in the bright colors of the city, both literally and figuratively. And if he should happen to run into someone he knows while he lurks and listens, well. He'll cross that bridge when he gts there.]

[chakramkeyblade]

[Whispers and bangs, more like. The people that once trusted a young Braig to protect them against people like Xehanort are celebrating the restoration of their city. One of the more heavily damaged areas has been converted into a peace garden, still pools filled with lotuses, walkways of crushed stone leading underneath grown willow trees imported from elsewhere, plenty of lanterns gleaming with magical fire. It's far enough away from the fireworks and the crowds to be quiet and boring. Hence why Lea is making his way through it as quickly as possible while he patrols.

He's chopped off a good half of the bottom of his old Organization coat and cut off the sleeves, fashioning it into something that's not only far more practical but more suiting his own tastes. Also a far more vocal statement without saying much. He doesn't intend to use the pathways of darkness again. Ever. He's done with being Axel, done with Xehanort still lurking over their heads like a buzzard, and he knows that if he wants to stand a chance of getting Isa back, he'd better be damn ready.

Speaking of bridges though, it's only after he crosses the small footbridge leading out of the garden that Lea starts to feel like he's not exactly alone tonight. He narrows his eyes, not altering his pace until he has a good view of the street and the fireworks in the main square. It's the flashes of illumination that he's waiting for, using their light to search the rooftops and alleyways with his eyes. He hopes it's his imagination. He really does. Lea doesn't exactly feel like an encounter with something that requires a little more effort than the rather paltry security system can handle.]

Sorry about taking forever to get back to this, orz

[brokenallthelaws]

[Xigbar would have been honestly surprised if the residents of Radiant Garden hadn't been making their repairs. Not, of course, that he has any interest in helping, but he's not going to sabotage their work either. He hasn't got orders to, and it would kind of go against the idea of reconnaissance besides.

(And he's very grateful that Cid's security isn't better than it is. If it were being here would be more of a pain than it already is - fortunately he's not exactly a Heartless and can manage to avoid tripping it if he moves carefully.)

On the other hand, either he's not expecting anyone to look up, or he's well aware that Axel - that Lea - is there and is deliberately letting himself be spotted. It's a brief thing though, either way - a single flash of light catches a gangly figure in a coat that is likely all too familiar up on one of the roofs. And then he's gone again, the next firework to light up the area showing nothing but the average roof. Either he's moved on to another roof, or he's hopped down to somewhere where the fireworks won't show off his silhouette to all and sundry.]

No worries!

[chakramkeyblade]

]He recognized the coat for what it was, even in the brief flash the fireworks provided. Lea's heart sank. His first thought was of Isa, and the light hadn't been enough to see any other distinguishing details, like the build of the Nobody wearing it.

But even if it was Isa, he couldn't leave it alone. Radiant Garden was his responsibility now. There were no other keyblade wielders on this world. Besides, he owed it to everyone here, to Sora. To Roxas.

No way. Not here. Not now, not ever.

Lea made his way to higher ground as quickly as he could, fingers trickling with heat as he called his chakrams to him. Whoever it was out there, he didn't want Xehanort catching wind of him actually having a keyblade. Not only out of a sense of safety but wanting to see the look on that monster's face when Lea brought it down on his big bald wrinkled head.

Lea walked the rooftops quickly, his eyes constantly moving, on the lookout for any kind of movement or a glimpse of black coat in the light of the street lamps.]

I know you're out there, genius. [His voice carries down the empty street, the pops of the fireworks distant enough not to drown him out.] Come out where I can see you!

[brokenallthelaws]

[It's not Saïx, unfortunately. While not even Xehanort himself can deny that he's just as familiar as Xigbar with Radiant Garden there are certain... corrupting elements to it, for a pawn that's so recently been brought into alignment. And the last thing any of them need is to lose a piece at so critical a stage of the game. So Xigbar it is, and really he doesn't mind. Mostly because it lets him satisfy the urge to eavesdrop while still being useful to The Cause.

That said, wherever he's holed himself up, he's not doing anything to call attention to himself - it's only his voice that drifts down to Lea.

(It's coming from somewhere off to Lea's left, but there's no guarantee that this where Xigbar is and no guarantee that he'll still be there when Lea gets to about where it sounds like it's coming from.)]

Now why would I go and do a thing like that?

[chakramkeyblade]

[Xigbar. Of course it's Xigbar. They wouldn't send Isa here, would they. They knew Lea would be too much of an influence on him. Maybe even encourage him to reject the shard of Xehanort's heart that was stuck inside of him. Great, now he has the Freeshooter to deal with.

Lea ducks behind the wall, putting him out of the immediate direction of the voice. The last thing he needed was to be shot at by someone he couldn't even see in the dark.]

Oh, I don't know. Old time's sake? I get it...you're sore because I didn't grow up to fit into the family business like you wanted. What can I say? Haven't I always been the black sheep?

[brokenallthelaws]

[For now, at least, Xigbar has no real desire to take potshots at Lea. Or at least, not the kind of potshots that involve Lea actually getting shot at. The more verbal sort... those have ever been part and parcel of Xigbar's conversational repertoire, and just because they have yet to come up doesn't mean that they won't.

(It does, of course, depend on the way the conversation should turn, but that's nothing really out of the ordinary.)]

As if. It's one of the advantages to having stuck with it, see? Can't be sore without a heart, and the bossman hasn't got any need for anyone that can't keep up.

[Sure, it's a bit of a hassle, but it's not like they haven't managed without Lea.]