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!]

Comments

[abidingstoic]

"No, I suppose not..... But then, human bodies have more needs than those of Nobodies. It's a lesson we'll all do well to remember." Aeleus arches an eyebrow at Lea, tone pointed; don't you go off and overextend yourself on his watch, Lea. He had enough to do preventing that with the others, he didn't want to see Lea collapse from forgetting his own needs and limits. As hard as Aeleus pushed himself, he still remembered that he was human, now--he ate and drank, he took breathers, (even if they weren't always as often as they should be) he slept. It was probably significantly less likely for the others to sleep if he didn't, to be honest--his bed hadn't been empty of someone seeking the protection and reassurance of his company since they'd awoken here at the Castle.

If he forgot to take care of himself--if even Lea found it difficult to remember they needed to stay rested and hydrated--then who would remember themselves, let alone the others? If he wasn't grounded and secure enough to sleep, how would the others feel safe? He was the strong one, the rock-solid unshakable one, the one who could endure and outlast anything. They needed him.

He was just heading for the door to go fetch them some water when Lea started musing about clothes; Aeleus half-turned to glance back at him, one hand still resting on the doorframe. He gave the younger man a quick once-over, trying to estimate his height and build, and search his memory to try and recall anyone at the castle who might have roughly shared it. "Chances are good the castle treasury has been ransacked, of course. The purser and quartermaster's offices in the barracks may have been as well, but there are better odds that they might have survived. Failing that....."

Aeleus spread his hand in an expansive gesture; it would take time and effort, scrounging around like this, but it might well pay off in the end. "it's far more likely that we would be able to find some tucked away cache of Munny a former guardsman or servant hid in their quarters, given that the bedrooms have sustained some of the least damage in the Castle. We can surely find some clothes that fit you here, too, even if they're a uniform."

[chakramkeyblade]

"Uniform?" Lea laughed as he fell into step behind Aeleus. "You clearly don't know me very well at all. I don't need much, just a pair of scissors and a thread and needle. The rest I can pick up for next to nothing."

He glanced down at his knees, at the sleeves of his coat. "After all, it would be a waste just to throw it out." He could change it. Just like he could change himself. He could do this. "It's time for a change. In more ways than one. Heck, they're already changing."

Lea grinned up at Aeleus. "After our break...I want to show you something useful I picked up ruining Xehanort's week."

[abidingstoic]

"We never had much opportunity to get to know each other, I'm afraid." Even though it was an agreement, his tone was still mildly apologetic. He never had taken enough time to talk to Lea as a child, and as Axel? Well, there was little enough time after missions to socialize, between sleeping, training, and taking care of personal affair. That Xemnas and Saïx had discouraged it hadn't helped at all, either; they were supposed to focus on their work, on pursuing the great and glorious goal they had set for themselves--Kingdom Hearts. Humanity. Like any good guard and loyal soldier, he had worked hard and done his duty.

Even their missions hadn't provided much time together, though--they were simply too different, and their skill sets too divergent, to often be placed as partners. Axel had been quick and agile, more suited to long-distance and mid-ranged combat than toe-to-toe melee, and his skill in magic wasn't inconsiderable. Lexaeus, on the other hand, hadn't often relied on magic; he was far more suited to getting in close and overwhelming his foes with sheer power. Putting a specialist with a generalist, quite frankly, was a waste--his skills could be better put to use with another specialist who covered his weaknesses, and Axel was well-rounded enough that he could be paired with almost anyone to fair effect. Besides.....

He hadn't trusted Axel. (For good reason, as it had turned out; he believed Ienzo and Even's accounts of how actively he had participated in their downfalls.) Axel had truly been a wildcard, an unpredictable variable, a man who couldn't be read and therefore could never be trustworthy or dependable, not when it was so hard to suss out his motives. Lexaeus had understandably been wary of just how dangerous Axel could be--he had spent far more time watching him than actually talking to him. He still wasn't sure if he trusted him now, now that he was Lea once more; old habits were hard to break, and both Ienzo and Even were incredibly wary and uncomfortable still. Even's words were nothing but venomous, even now, when talking about the man in private.

There's no choice but to try and force it these days, though. They needed all the help they can get, so everyone needed to pull together and do what they could--which meant he needed to consciously extend his trust to someone he knew fully well could just as easily turn on him as he had his friends. At least his intentions were far more clearly spelled out now, as well--help Radiant Garden, and Sora and his friends. Stop Xehanort. Save Isa. All logical, worthy goals..... just as worthy to be true as they were to be a cover, in whole or in part, for other things. Who would claim anything different, if they had malicious intentions and wanted to get close to people while lowering their guard? But no--no, he had to give Lea the benefit of the doubt. He had to. If they didn't rely on each other with war looming on the horizon, then there would be no hope at all, and no betrayal would matter, real or imagined.

So Aeleus simply chuckled quietly, leading the way to the kitchen and glancing back to see Lea's grin. (It really does make him seem more like the child he used to be, grinning that impishly; half the time he'd seen Axel wearing the expression, it had set him on edge. It usually meant trouble--the question was always for who.) "In that case, you can borrow my sewing kit, and see what we can find for the rest. They're too valuable as protection to not keep on hand, altered or intact." Aeleus still had his own coat hanging in his closet, untouched and waiting to be donned as the magical armor it truly was. No matter how many bad memories were attached, the way they shielded the wearer from Darkness was something he suspected they would direly need in times to come--and kept unaltered, they provided almost full body protection, save face and hands. He wasn't going to waste time reducing its effectiveness by changing it, not when he had so many other important jobs to do. He could deal with feeling a little unsettled, when the time came.

Not the time to think about that, though; he could easily fetch his sewing kit later, and once he heard what else Lea needed, they could scrounge something up to make it work. "Who exactly do you mean? And what is it you picked up?"