leaberator | catchall for kaoru

[ wherever kaoru is, axel finds him!! ]

Hey, kid.

[He's, surprisingly, at the circus and sitting behind the cannon. Axel finds him and he looks up, expression blank and uncertain.]

Axel. Hey. [And that's all he says.] ...did you need something?

... [ he takes out a friendship bracelet ]

I know you know about the whole... corruption solution deal. But there's still some time left to make sure that's our only option. Until then, I'd rather keep casualties lower. I got this thing from the gateway trip I went on with Miki.

[ he sighs ]

Xion's got the other one. If you both wear them, you'll be made partners.

[Eyeing that suspiciously, and also trying not to flinch at the use of Miki's name, he doesn't immediately reach for it.]

...why me? What about...?

Well, for one thing, Lili would kill me.

[ that's not funny and he knows it ]

I made sure to give Saïx the option, but I already knew he wouldn't have wanted it. He's got a whole... complex. You saw it the last time, right?

[There's a slow nod. He understands, but...] I've never figured out why but that's not really my business. [Hm.] Who told you I knew?

[A beat.] Lili would be furious, but that's hardly her choice.

The gossip circle in this place is so real.

[ that's all he says about that ]

I wouldn't exactly be thrilled seeing you dead either, Lili or not.

I can make guesses. [He goes quiet again.] ...if it was only one of them I could...but...

[He stops talking because he's not in the mood to fall apart. It takes a second, but he eventually finds words.]

I'll take care of her. If that's the choice you're making, my choice is obvious.
[Even if he'd love to follow his partner and girlfriend to death.]

... I'm sorry.

[ somehow, he's not sure what else to say. ]

Don't be. [He should be grateful for the chance to live, frankly.] I understand completely...and it means she'll live and I believe she deserves that.

[...] You kept Miki safe, didn't you? And Lili liked you. [So. That's even more reason to listen.]

... Is that what she said? I'd say she did a lot more to keep me safe than the other way around.

[ ... ]

But yeah. I liked both of them, too.

Something to that effect. She mentioned who she was with and given the other two choices I would trust you with her life more than I would the others.

[...] So thank you for being kind to both of them. That's really all I can say.

... Yeah. Least I could do.

[ he doesn't feel like he can accept that thanks, not really, but he's not about to start a disagreement with kaoru over that. ]

[There's a nod. He's more than aware what this actually means, so he feels awkward saying it, but:]

...it's not much, but if there's anything I can do to repay you, just say the word.

[Or anything to help, given he's getting the chance to live and Saix is not.]

... Try not to get yourself killed? I did mean it when I said I wouldn't be thrilled to see you die.

[ it's not a funny joke, so he breezes past it. ]

Don't give up hope, alright?

I have a personal responsibility now to keep myself alive. [It's not a funny joke at all, but Kaoru answers in kind regardless.]

...I'll keep that in mind only if you do the same.

Don't worry about me. It takes way more than this to get me to give up on something. Got it memorized?

We'll see. [He's not moving behind the cannon, but he'll take the bracelet and slip it on anyway.]

...but good to know. We thought we could rely on you to keep going.

[ he has a lot of questions about that, but. let's start with the first. ]

"We"?

Miki and myself. We've talked about this a bit once we started to realize how things must go.

Might go. [ that's. pedantic, but anyway ] So how'd I wind up part of the discussion?

[HILARIOUSLY I MEANT MIGHT but no let Kaoru be like this, that also works.]

We were talking about people who have been helpful in the long run and people who are learning new skills, if you really must know.

[ axel, inwardly, who refuses to believe he's been helpful: haha, what ]

To ... what, figure out who'd be good to keep around? That's dark.

And now you're making assumptions. It was to figure out who might be able to help come up with a new plan to stop all of this.

See, if I go dark first, then I can't ever be disappointed.

[ calling himself out. anyway: ]

So who did you guys come up with? 'Sides yours truly.

WEEK 5, SATURDAY

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