[BANG BANG BANG.

someone banging on the tiny cabin door, shouting in some alien language. Axel is lounging on the small bunk, a careless grin on his face. after a second or two he shouts]

I already told you, buddy! This space is occupied. Go camp out in the hall if you're that desperate for a nap.

[eventually, still cursing, the owner of the angry voice stomps off.

Axel grins wider, even as he pushes himself up. he stands, stretching in a leisurely manner]

Better take care of something first, before I get too comfortable.

[...it's Axel.

really. he's rubbing the bridge of his nose, looking very put-upon]

So now everything's going all to hell. I'm not surprised.

[but he just ends up grinning, one hand on his hip]

But what do I always say? Better to go out with a bang.

[the first thing anyone hears over the network is the cursing and a screen full of red hair. looks like someone jerked up into a sitting position and banged his head against his Sphere before it could pull back]

...the hell? What's the big id--[oh wait, he died. Axel straightens, hands moving up and down his chest, flattening the fabric of that ugly, ugly jumpsuit.

after a few seconds it kind of sinks in that he's alive again and he drops his hands. of all things, he looks surprised.

he didn't expect to come back]

How many lives is this now...?

[looks like Axel's finally come out of the woodwork. he looks uncharacteristically thoughtful, expression shadowed as he lounges on a couch in one of the bars, surrounded by phantoms. he watches the ghosts go about their business with a flat, critical stare.

he isn't very chatty for once. he probably only vaguely noticed his Sphere come on.

after a while, he gets up, shoving his hands into the pockets of his coat as he stalks out of the bar, muttering to himself in a low voice]

It's not like it's my business what happens to them, anyway.

[unlike a lot of the passengers, Axel appears pretty chill at the moment, perched on the back of a chair in his cabin. his clothes are in a pile on the floor behind him, and a few red, blue, and green feathers are scattered about]

I think I know what we'll turn into next.

Furniture. It has to be furniture. Furniture and house plants.

At least it'll spruce the place up a bit.

[this event was somewhat inevitable.

Axel's in front of a mirror. because of the angle, his her back blocks the mirror's image. probably a good thing.

from the way her arms are moving in the region of her chest, it's obvious that she's doing something unscrupulous...while topless.

in layman's terms it would be called motorboating]

If you require my presence I will be in my cabin until further notice. No one else is to disturb me.

[Axel looks mighty twitchy, pacing in his tiny room, and ends up going to the wall after he finishes that last sentence, banging his forehead against the metal.

at least it seems to have knocked some sense back into him]

If I'd known being stuck here would make me start talking like Xemnas, I would've jumped ship already.

[not quite Xemnas, no. a little bit more like the TARDIS, actually. he knows it, too, and the look on his face is as close to a look of chagrin as he's ever going to get]

This ceased to be amusing approximately four hours and twenty-three minutes ago.

[well, here's Axel, standing in a pool of what used to be his clothes. he's kinda sorta two feet tall.

naked? you bet!]

...alright, who's fault is it this time? If the captain's bitching is anything to go by, somebody obviously went out of their way to get on his nerves.

Thanks a lot, guys. Really. Having this kind of thing happen to me because you can't keep your mouths shut is really awesome.

[just sighs and shrugs] But what can you do? At least we're not microscopic.

[Axel's little surprise when waking up doesn't look like much of one.

the dreams were nice, so he's not as tense as he thought he would be when he wakes up. he's half-expecting another round of disappearing at the hands of this damn ship, but he immediately notices that he's not in his room.

in fact, he's still in the bar he fell asleep in. the difference being it's bustling now; it's full of people, talking, laughing, drinking, choking the dance floor. Axel blinks a couple times, wondering if he's finally gone off the deep end]

Hey, Red, did you want another shot? Not like you to pass out so early.

[Axel looks over his shoulder. surprise surprise, it's the barkeep that's talking to him. talking like he knows him]

...is that right?

This another one of your trick questions? I aint' playin' those anymore. You get enough free drinks on this ship, anyway.

[...very slowly, Axel starts to grin] Alright, if you're going to whine about it. No tricks. Just hit me.

[the barkeep smiles right back at him, filling up the glass in front of Axel] That's more like it.

[Axel waits until the barkeep is gone off to help a few of the other patrons - he notices now that some of them are in uniforms. futuristic-looking, lounging about the place like they're on break.

maybe they are. a few even wave to Axel.

after a moment, he tries to take the glass. unsurprisingly, his hand passes right through]

An illusion, huh? Heh. Oh well.

[he...doesn't look that upset, though. he lounges in his seat, looking...content, almost]

[when Axel jerks awake in his minuscule Economy cabin the interior doesn't look any different. still rotted. he looks surprised and on edge for half a second, expecting something to come leaping out from under the shelves at him, but when nothing does he gradually relaxes.

minutes tick by, and there's no change. he eventually frowns, then looks amused] Guess I was right. Not a damn thing left to be afraid of.

[rolls his shoulders in a nonchalant shrug, pushing off the bunk and dusting himself off for ambling towards the door] Can't feel fear, anyway.

[he reaches for the door to shove it open...but his hand doesn't make it that far. a couple inches away from the metal the tips of his fingers start to just...disappear, fading away in curls of darkness.

Axel goes still] ...the hell...is this-?

[he tries the door with his other hand, only to have the same thing happen. he stumbles back, panicked, as it spreads up his arms, getting faster and faster]

S-Shit, no-!!

[it's too fast for him; it creeps up his chest, his neck, his face.

it only takes a few minutes for Axel to disappear completely. and it only takes a few minutes for him to reappear, on the bed once more, eyes snapping open, filled with a horror he shouldn't be able to feel. he jerks up, looking at his hands.

they immediately start to dissolve once more, slower now that he isn't struggling]

H...h-heh.

Go figure.

[unlike most of the ship, Axel's off on his own, leaning against the wall in one of the observation areas, watching the stars slowly pass by.

he seems to be thinking something over, glancing up at his Sphere after a moment or two]

I can't help but think most of you got exactly what was coming to you.

[a small shrug, looking back out at the stars again]

So a hole in space is the big bad that nobody could remember. At least it'll be quick.

I just had to come commune with nature. Just had to leave the ship and see what all the damn fuss was about. Just had to bother sticking around...

[somebody is muttering to himself, look quite sour and unhappy indeed.

he's also wearing this, and while it isn't a dress, he could do without the whole ensemble plus wand.

and just like the other Axel, he can't use his fire or portal, either. at the moment, he's hunkered under a rock outcropping in the forest, waiting until his powers come back]

This is a load of crap.

I'm not a big fan of nature, but I like the color.

[curiosity got the better of him. Axel happens to be lounging wide tree branch, tossing what looks like a stick up and down. he wandered around for a bit, realized that there was nothing much of interest, and is currently taking some time to relax.

funfact: the branch is, in fact, a wand. he catches it, giving it a funny look, as if trying to figure out why he's still holding on to it.]

Chances are if I wait around long enough something interesting is bound to come leaping out of the bushes. Or we'll all get trapped in here and have to live out the rest of our lives like cannibals.

Or get eaten by cannibals.

[well, it was inevitable. Axel's curiosity - and Neko's predicament - has gotten him to pay Chicago a little visit.

wearing this. he looks quite snappy in it. the red hair and the face marks stand out quite a bit, but all he has to do is glance at anyone who gives him a funny eye and they're scurrying in the other direction.

he doesn't have a clue why, but hey! who cares?]

If I'd known I'd get this kind of treatment, I would've dropped by sooner.

[if he notices the people whispering around him, he either doesn't care or thinks it's awesome.

"Hey, isn't that that smart alec lip who's got all the bulls in his pocket?

"That's a lotta bunk. He's just a grifter in fancy rags.]

This could be a lot of fun.

Guess I'll be the poor soul that points out the obvious.

It's the music. Don't go to that level.

[drops down into a chair at one of the bars and puts his hands behind his head]

Now nobody has an excuse to be stupid enough to go down there.

You know, those suits were kinda fun. I almost miss 'em.

[what's he up to? checking out the Enviro-dome. the beach, specifically. sticking out like a sore thumb in his big coat, but like he cares]

I don't get the hype over places like this. Sure, it's nice for vacation, but it's overrated if you ask me.

[his tone's a little off from his usual careless indifference. if you listen really, really hard you might notice]

[Axel doesn't look happy. he doesn't look happy at all. he does look pretty good in a sentai suit, though.

of course it's the red one.

he's currently out on Level 15, VERY CONFUSED by what just happened. he ran into some freaky creature, did a really gay transformation sequence, and now he's leaning against a wall, tugging at the helmet on his head while cursing vehemently.

he finally yanks it off, his hair squished and mussed from being stuffed inside such close confines]

What the hell is this?!

[just to note: only Team Gamma - Economy - people can see him! he's just another monster to everyone who hasn't figure out the secret~]

Hey, how about another drink? And try not to put it in a glass that's flammable this time, alright?

[contrary to...pretty much everyone else, Axel is taking it easy. he's hanging out in a extravagantly decorated gathering place in one of the buildings, where what appear to be busty, smiling women serving the patrons. he might not know the Egyptian word for "boobie bar", but he definitely knows how to enjoy it.

he takes his requested beverage from a lovely creature with dark hair and tanned skin, giving her his best charming smile]

Thanks. [pause] Is it just me or have I seen you be--[up walks her sister.

twins?

score.

he pats the seats beside him, grinning up at the Sphere as they both sit down]

I still don't have a clue why you people keep trying to get off this ship.