You don't want to see this, if you did you'd surely disbelieve it.

[gotitmemorised]

The days that followed Axel, Saix and Aerith's return to Rabanastre had been sombre ones.

The news of what had befallen Midgar had spread throughout the world via news channels, both visual and radio, and by here-say and would-be accounts, like wildfire.

The death toll was being counted in untold thousands and, according to most broadcasts, there were no survivors. It was being readily compared to the tragedy of Nabudis that had taken place nearly a decade ago. Aerial photographs and video showed what Midgar looked like in the wake of the disaster in comparison to the earlier pictures of it finally nearing completion.

The damage to the city was extensive. The iconic Plate had collapsed almost completely and fires raged across great portions of what was left. An entire district was still alight, even days after. The telltale pale green glow of burst Mako pipes was visible in some areas and Mist obscured some of the visuals to such an extent that entire sectors were hard to make out. Teams were struggling to get inside the city in order to fully assess the damage. Bancour's division of the Gotei 13, Squad Seven, had been drafted in as an emergency measure and the surrounding areas were on high alert regarding its potential to turn onto a Necrohol. Reports assured viewers and listeners that such a thing had not yet occurred, and may not, but tensions ran high.

Travellers were being advised to steer clear of the entire Centra area as a precaution.

Officials had not yet managed to ascertain the cause or motive behind the attack, if it even was one. Theories regarding the method used for the wiping out of an entire capital city varied almost widely as the reasons. Some theorised that it was accidental -- a chain reaction of Reactor malfunctions. Others were convinced that it was down to eco-terrorism from anti-Mako power groups. That it could possibly be an enemy nation that was responsible was not an uncommon suggestion, either. This last one had thrown the entire political state of Ivalice into turmoil.

As a result, political debates made up a heavy portion of the current programming.

The ambience of even Rabanastre, Dalmasca's usually bright and bustling capital, had been considerably more subdued than it was prior to their departure. Numbers were down in the East End and in the Muthru Bazaar. People were still shopping, but the carefree spark had been, if only temporarily, doused by numb shock.

Comments

[notjustanyolddude]

"Slow week," Xigbar answered, picking up his beer again. "This whole Midgar debacle has put a real crimp in business." He eyed Axel out of his one functioning eye, "It's all gone politics," he said, his voice a shade quieter than it had been, "but I know and you know that there ain't going to be a repeat in the next couple of weeks, but with everyone acting like they think there could be," he shrugged, "then we've got two of the big powers on the planet facing off against each other to see who blinks first." And you had to wonder just what kind of spanner it would throw into the politics if anyone found out there were survivors.

Xigbar grinned, horribly. "Meanwhile, small businesses like us suffer. Looks like we just can't catch a break, hey flamesilocks? Yo, squirt," he said, addressing Demyx seamlessly and waving his nearly empty bottle, "another one of these, too."

He turned to Axel and flashed him a wide and crooked smile, "It's been that dead in here, I feel bad enough to actually pay for my drinks," and he fished for his wallet.

[goldengolem]

Timcanpy sat where he was. Oh, he'd move when Saix too his eyes off him and he was waiting for him to do just that. As it was, he stayed perfectly still and perfectly innocent.

[princeofawesome]

Demyx put Axel's drinks on the bar in front of him and, without missing a beat, he put a bottle for Xigbar down, too.

"I'd say we should be dead more often, but I'm actually getting less tips than usual this way," he complained, hanging his head miserably. "Eleven gil for you, Axel," he said, "Aaaand three for you, Old Man."

[gotitmemorised]

Axel nodded along to Xigbar's observations of the current political situation. There was something slightly scary about the potential for a cold war between Bancour and The Archadian Empire, that was for sure. He couldn't deny it, he rather hoped that they'd declare it an industrial accident on a massive scale so that the whole situation would settle down a little bit. The restricted travel really was putting a cramp in his work options.

"Looks that way," he sighed, shaking his head at Xigbar's comment. He then nodded at Demyx when he gave him the price of his order and followed it up with Xigbar's. "I'll get it, you can owe me one." He said as he handed over the fifteen gil and waved away the offer of his change before he got it.

He gathered up the three drinks in front of him, more than able to carry them across the bar and up the stairs without the use of a tray. He paused though, and looked at Xigbar out of the corner of his eye.

"Saix been in here all day?" He asked quietly, lowering his voice. "Anything been said about the Aerodromes, yet?"

[notjustanyolddude]

Xigbar tipped his bottle in a salute of thanks, although Axel had better not expect a big one in return for that favour. "Most of it," he answered, "Short, Blue, and Angry's got stuff on his mind; I think there's still no answer at home." He gave a wry smile, "Aerodrome's staying shut until after the weekend at least. They can't reopen at full service immediately, either, on account of the airships being in the wrong places, so it'll be disrupted service for a bit longer."

He took a drink from his new bottle, which was cold enough to have formed condensation, and then pointed at Demyx with the neck. "And you, less of the 'old'."

[innatelunacy]

"There's little point getting angry at something that would lose a battle of wits against Demyx," Saix answered, drily. He eyed Tim for a moment before addressing the golem directly; "Don't think I'm taken in by that act." In his peripheral vision, he could see Axel making his way towards the mezzanine. His hair tended to stand out and was easily noticed.

[hearstheplanet]

Aerith giggled quietly to herself again. "Don't think we're being taken in by yours, either," she told Saix. "Besides," she said, "I know Tim's naughty," and she poked the little golden ball on the top of what was best described as his head as she said it, "but he's got a good heart." She thought about that for a moment before adding, "Sort of," with a grin.

[gotitmemorised]

Axel nodded at Xigbar's answer. Well, that seemed sensible ... even if it wasn't exactly what he wanted to hear. He didn't want to get rid of Saix; he didn't even mind him sleeping on his floor. It would just be better for him when they re-opened the Aerodrome. Piece of mind and all that.

Axel would never deny that he didn't like Vexen. It was a fact. The man was irritable, bitchy, cold as hell and he had the kind of nasal voice that got on his last nerve. Even so, Saix cared about the miserable old man for some reason. As such, Saix not being able to get a hold of him made him grouchy and, it had to be said, worried. The sooner he managed to make contact with him, either by phone or by flying back to his home city of Lindblum, the better.

"Makes sense," he replied with a shrug.

He gave Xigbar a nod and headed up to their usual table, drinks in hand. He put Saix and Aerith's down in front of each other and his in the place he'd decided to sit. A quick glance told him that there was no blood, so Timcanpy and Saix hadn't kicked off just yet.

"I hear it's been quiet in here," Axel said conversationally.

[princeofawesome]

Demyx shrugged, sitting back down on the chair he'd put behind the bar for those slow moments. Well, they were all too frequent lately and standing all day, especially when you were bored, was just lame.

"Just saying it like it is," he grinned brightly.

He gave the radio a sad look as the interviews and news reports continued. Ahhh, what he wouldn't give for some music.

[innatelunacy]

Saix nodded, faintly, and took his drink from Axel with murmured thanks, before draining all but the last mouthful from his current glass. "Just the usual regulars," Saix answered. A couple of Akatsuki who were local were in and out, but for the most part it was quieter than usual. "Xigbar has been here longer than I have." He was starting to think that Xigbar lived under the bar.

"I have not," he added, slightly pointedly though with a tiny flicker of a smirk, "been drinking all day, regardless of what Xigbar may have told you. I'm not about to turn into him."

[hearstheplanet]

"I've been telling him he's not as grumpy as he likes to act, but he doesn't believe me," Aerith chimed in, cheerfully. "He can hide out and be antisocial in this bar all he likes, we know better." She grinned, brightly, as Saix rolled his eyes and didn't make eye contact.

"Which is why I want your help with something, Saix," she said, smiling at him sweetly. "Just a teensy little favour?"

[gotitmemorised]

Axel disagreed slightly. Saix was, as far as he was concerned, every bit as grumpy as he liked to act. It was barely even an act. Even so, he knew full well that he had a lighter side that showed itself every so often, albeit dimly.

He grinned when Aerith brought up the favour. He knew that it wouldn't be well received, but it would serve to get him out of the pub for a while. He had a feeling he'd get roped into it for moral support or Saix wouldn't do it, but it did promise to have some comedy value ...

[goldengolem]

Timcanpy crept slightly closer to Saix.

It was only by two steps, but the movement was slow and calculated.

[hearstheplanet]

Aerith smiled brighter as Saix only looked at her, expectantly. "See," she said, "I want to sell the flowers I've been growing, and you're at a loose end around this city, so it might help both of us if you help me sell some." She flashed her brightest smile at him. "It's got to be better than sitting in this pub listening to that radio."

[innatelunacy]

Saix raised an eyebrow, very slightly, and lifted his glass to drain the last of his beer.

Very suddenly, he slammed it upside down over Timcanpy, trapping him inside the glass, and keeping his hand pressed down over it to hold it down.

Then he turned to Axel. "Was this your idea?"

[gotitmemorised]

Axel didn't jump as the glass was slammed over Timcanpy's entire body, but his eyes widened at the noise and the speed of the movement. It surprised him just enough that he stopped with his glass an inch from his lips.

He raised his eyebrows at Saix.

"Slightly excessive, don't you think?" He asked, a bemused expression on his face. "My idea? No, no, no... Timcanpy did it him-- oh, you mean the flower selling?"

He shrugged and took a lazy sip of his drink, waving a hand as though that absolved him of his involvement.

"I may have had a bit of input," he said, taking another casual mouthful. "It's not like I expected to get out of it either, you know."

[goldengolem]

Timcanpy made a vain attempt to scuttle away as the glass came towards him, but ultimately failed.

He peered out of his little glass prison. Slowly, and confusedly, he put his tiny hands up against the barrier between him and the outside world and turned to Saix, managing to look somehow surly.

[hearstheplanet]

Aerith jumped when the glass slammed down, and then bit her lip as she bent down and peered in to see Timcanpy.

She sat up again when Axel said that he hadn't expected to get out of the flower selling either and grinned brightly. "Nope," she said, brightly, "you have to come along, and so does someone else," she said, standing up from the table. "I'll be back in a moment, and you'd better say yes," she said, pointing a finger at Saix.

She then poked Axel in the side of the head with that same finger. "And don't make it sound like selling flowers with me is such a chore."

She didn't wait for a reply and headed off down towards the bar, and Demyx.

[innatelunacy]

Saix ignored Timcanpy now he was safely imprisoned, and he ignored Axel's suggestion that it was excessive. It was, as far as Saix was concerned, exactly what was required, and fell short of what he'd like to do, which was to slam Timcanpy into a thick metal box and drop it into the Ridorana Cataract.

"She's tenacious, isn't she?" He observed, when Aerith moved away from the table. He kept his hand over Timcanpy's glass, and relaxed back, picking up his fresh drink and pulling it closer, but not drinking from it yet.

"She certainly got you under thumb quickly," he added, with a faint smirk.

[gotitmemorised]

"Whatever, Saix," Axel said, looking at him with an expression stuck halfway between offence and amusement. "I'm only helping out to see what you," he jabbed a finger at him, "look like selling flowers."

Well, partly. He did think it would be a good idea to get Saix out of the pub for a while and doing something productive, and it didn't hurt that the gil made by the flower sales would be going to help him and his apartment in this time of scant Hunts, but the comedy factor was definitely part of the appeal.

"I don't have to do it."

He would, though. He would to ensure that Saix did, and for Aerith herself. Not because he was thrilled at the prospect of selling flowers on the hot streets of Rabanastre, but because it gave her something to do, something to take her mind off what had happened at Midgar, and he was all for helping with that.

[innatelunacy]

Saix flashed Axel a sceptical smirk, saying, "No, of course you don't," in a matching tone of voice.

He slid Timcanpy's containment glass along the table to one side, and weighted the heavy ashtray on top so that Tim didn't simply escape. Then he relaxed back in his seat.

"You've come down with a severe case of the noble recently, Lea," he commented, with some amusement. "Rescuing her, putting a roof over her head, selling her flowers... Anyone might think you had a crush." Saix liked her, too; she had a spine, and a sweet way of twisting arms until people did what she asked. Axel, or Lea, whichever one he was feeling more like today, very definitely had his arm twisted.

[hearstheplanet]

Aerith got to the bar, and folded her arms on the bartop, leaning on it heavily as she stood on tiptoes.

Xigbar was there too, she noted, hovering in his way. She'd never seen him outside of the Sandsea, and something about him just made Aerith... wary. He was chatty, and not polite, exactly, but he didn't seem as if he was any harm, but then there were moments, things he said, or the way he looked at something or someone, which just didn't sit quite right with the harmless old timer routine he played.

Demyx, conversely, was fun, and funny, and sweet, and Aerith liked him. "Demyx?" She asked, smiling sweetly. "Can I have a little moment of your time?" She held one hand up, with her thumb and forefinger held very close together, to indicate how littl a moment.

[gotitmemorised]

"Hey, I wasn't even going to help sell her flowers," he said, leaning forward to jab a finger at Saix before he settled back in his seat once again. "I volunteered you and Demyx."

He grinned at him. He didn't really want to go out there, onto the swelteringly hot streets of Rabanastre, and sell flowers, but it was going to have to happen if he wanted Saix to do the same. While he was sure that Aerith would have bullied Saix into it regardless of Axel's participation, him being there would help. Probably.

He deliberately did not address the crush comment.

[princeofawesome]

Demyx who up until now had been amusing himself and killing time by putting freshly cleaned glasses under the counter for the next lot of customers, turned around when Aerith addressed him.

"Mmm?" He wiped his hands on his trousers and tilted his head at her smile.

He made his way over to her properly when she asked for a moment. Well, he wasn't doing anything else, was he? He was pretty bored. He'd even arranged the crisps and peanuts behind the bar into colour order.

"Of course you can, Aerith. What's up?" He asked, smiling back at her.

He, much like Aerith herself, looked rather innocent for someone so bizarrely devious.

[innatelunacy]

"So it was your idea," Saix said, flatly. Axel played fast and loose with the definition of 'a little bit of input'.

"Fortunately for you, I'm at a loose end." He picked up his drink and muttered, slightly grumpily, "Between sitting here and annihilating the indigenous species, I have more free time than I'd like, and even the local wildlife is starting to steer clear."

He eyed Axel. "So I'll sell her flowers, but you have to come too." A smirk twitched the corner of his mouth, "And if I sell more than you, I get to put that thing in a lead box and drop it into the Ridorana Cataract," he said, indicating Timcanpy with a point of his finger.