{WELCOME TO THE SUMMER BALL}{Open to all}

[Roxas]

Roxas shook his head firmly, fingers tightening around Axel's hand. "I'm not going anywhere. Definitely not back to Sora, and not without you. Don't even think that." Even if Axel had come onto him, startling as that might have been, Roxas wouldn't abandon his best friend--and he understood better than ever Axel's inclination not to abandon Roxas. Sure, there was Sora. But he and Roxas were only connected on a very basic level. As far as he was concerned, he and Axel only had one another. Preserving that bond came first in any case.

"I don't..." he hesitated, shooting Axel a slightly apologetic look for nearly cutting him off. "...I don't know what I feel. If I feel. But I don't...really care anymore, if this isn't real. If I'm just working off memories...that's all I am anyway, isn't it? That's the only thing that's me. And that's...okay." He hesitated, fingers shifting uncertainly against Axel's. "...Whatever this is, it makes being with you the answer. That's all I want. No matter what else happens."

[axeldangerflynn]

"Roxas..." Axel said gently, putting a hand on his shoulder, "...do you see all of this? You saw Sora and Riku right before your eyes, and all of these other people as well. You see this forest, and that crazy ass dude who knocked over the refreshment table. And here I am next to you, and we were just dancing. This is all real, Roxas," He said as his hand moved up and fingers grazed a soft cheek gently, pushing away a strand of gold hair, "And I doubt just memories can make you feel completely confused about a person."

He leaned down a little bit, locking his eyes with Roxas' full-on, "So is it okay..." He started as he cupped his cheek, gently titling the other's face upwards a little, "...if this..." gently he pressed his lips to the others, "...is the answer?" He pulled away, slowly and softly, his hand leaving Roxas' face even while his other still held tightly to that hand holding his.

[Mr. H]

Sanae seemed intent on getting out of earshot, but once Minamimoto gave in to gravity he stopped and doubled back for the boy. A casual flex of his fingers as his hand moved to the nape of his neck was enough to ensure that no one within a certain radius would be able to hear them, and chocolate brown eyes fixed on Sho.

"Didn't figure you had. You're not the type to surrender easily." He shifted, resting his other hand on his hip, but the look he gave Minamimoto was anything but relaxed. "I dunno what Joshua's taken into his head to split from Shibuya at this point. It's a critical time to be off gallivantin', but it's possible the stress of the whole situation makes him feel like he's got no choice. It's not all kittens and lollipops back home, that's for sure." He dropped his other hand, considering Minamimoto briefly like a thought had just occurred to him. "You...keep doin' what you're doin', alright? But take it easy, boss. The last thing I need is you givin' out on me here, and Josh isn't the type to spring a trap unless the situation calls for it. You know what that means." No unnecessary risks, as he'd told Minamimoto back in Shibuya. Not that he'd paid much attention then, either... "Take the bait too early and it'll constitute a problem." A Problem the way Joshua had been A Problem, and Sanae didn't have to remind Minamimoto how he'd dealt with that one. No, threatening Minamimoto wasn't the way to go about it--unless one was subtle.

[Sho Minamimoto]

Sho took in every word, staring at the grass below him as if it could reveal the answer to everything. He was trying to calculate -- calculate the chances of succeeding at various approaches, with Joshua being at various levels of what Sanae called "stressed" (did that mean he was also weakened, to a degree? And just how would one go about testing that without getting themselves killed..?), all of the angles he could take...

It wasn't coming to him. He sighed, curling up a little and picking at a yellow dandelion he'd inadvertently stepped on.

"Just take it easy..." One petal at a time, the dandelion lost its mane. "You seriously think I can afford to do that? He's wide open. What if he decides to go back to Shibuya tomorrow? This is a golden opportunity, Hanekoma. I'm not going to zetta waste it."

Even so...

Even so, going against what Sanae said was always the worst idea possible, and being as he was his only ally in this whole thing...

"...Then again, you know this formula better than I do. You haven't let me down before, so..." He trailed off, blinking hard, and lifted a blackened hand to rub his tired eyes. "Tangent: I need sleep or coffee. Your choice."

Because he couldn't sleep if Joshua wasn't asleep. Because he had to wake up before Joshua woke up. Because Joshua knew that, and Joshua was an ass about it.

Because he hadn't had a good cup of coffee since he left Shibuya.

[Roxas]

But it's not real, it just seems like it... Roxas hesitated. After being indoctrinated in that kind of thinking for an entire year, the only year during which he'd existed--or not--it was hard to think of it in any other way. But then, he'd split from Sora again...he wasn't completely sure how that had happened, but he knew it was because Sora wasn't enough. Living through someone instead of taking on his own life had been too hard.

Did that mean...it was possible for him to be his own person? And if that was the case, was there something real about him? What if the Organization had it wrong the whole time?

"But--!" He didn't even get to finish his thought before he found Axel's lips pressed to his, which was so startling and strange and right that he didn't get to reciprocate until Axel had already moved back.

He blinked insensibly for a moment, trying to make sense of both Axel's words and that action and how the two intertwined. "That..." He hesitated, looking down in what might have been shame or embarrassment. "...Wh. What I feel, makes that. Seem. Exactly...right."

[Mr. H]

Sanae made a face. He hadn't really wanted to leave the ball this early, but...

"Joshua's here for a reason. He's not gonna go poofing back to Shibuya unless something goes down over there." Sanae's gaze became very direct. " 'Sides. Right now, the last thing Shibuya needs is a dead Composer. Find out his weaknesses. File that away for later. Don't act on it until I give the word. You know the drill."

It had been a dangerous move, recruiting Minamimoto. He was a threat that Sanae knew Joshua could handle, but who could overthrow him with Sanae's help if it came to that. By the time he'd actually trashed WildKat and run off to deal with Joshua against Sanae's advice, Joshua had been mostly convinced, so the barista sat back and let things proceed as they would until the final confrontation. Despite Sanae's disinclination to waste this individual world--this artist, if Minamimoto wasn't able to at least live through an encounter with the Composer at that level, relying on his potential was meaningless. The Grim Heaper may have even known that.

If he couldn't keep climbing the heap, he'd fall. Sanae wouldn't have it any other way.

The unmistakable feel of a shift in reality caught his attention, and Sanae noticed that Joshua's vibe was gone from this dimension. Given that it was highly unlikely that the boy had managed to kill himself, it was easy to assume that he was escaping--especially after something in his vibe had dipped dangerously into negativity. Sanae frowned at a protruding root, distracted from Minamimoto by the disturbance, and let out an annoyed sigh. Josh...what're you doin', boss.

"Alright." He held out a hand to Minamimoto to help him up. "My place. C'mon."

Mr. H out.

[axeldangerflynn]

Axel listened hesitantly, making sure everything hadn't been one huge mistake. After all, there was nothing to be gained without taking some chances. Something coiled in his gut, wrapping around every inside with feeling and burning them painfully.

Until he'd heard it out, and then the flames were pleasantly warm and he untied his hand from Roxas's, wrapping his arms around the shorter's shoulders with a happily nervous laugh.

"Sometimes do you think...that the Organization was just...just lying...?" Axel said into his hair, "How is it possible to do things without feelings...how is it possible to judge without them? How do we interact at all without them? It's impossible to have friends or enemies without a scrap of emotion or feeling...I don't get it. All I know is that right now I know how I feel and even if they told me I don't exist and neither do my feelings, I wouldn't believe them."

[tamakisuoh]

Aug 9, 2009 16:23:12 GMT -5 @cheza said:

~*Directed to Tamaki Suoh*~

Cheza smiled softly towards him, her arm lacing with his offered one. "This one's name is Cheza." she introduced herself. She giggled as she heard him sneeze. "It's quite all right." she replied. She followed his lead to stroll around the area. It was quite lovely, Cheza had to admit. Being a flower herself, she had grown to admire them.

"Cheza, you say? What a equally beautiful name, it suits you well," he swooned in his usual charming and soothing voice, his pearly white teeth flashing a dazzling smile at the young lady. Eventually their laid back stroll led them from the beautiful blooms to the main event, his violet blue orbs scanning across the crowd before he turned his attentions back to the pale haired maiden, "So my flower princess, is there anyone you know that is attending this evening that you'd like to catch up with? A friend? Or would you prefer a dance? It's only good manners for the lady to choose what she would like to do - anything you fancy I will do my best to make it come true Miss Cheza." Carefully he still guided her gently by the hand through the ever increasing crowd of the party.