#axelxatticus

[duckandash]

[ puzzle ]

He was close.  He was so close.

He'd been working on this puzzle box for so damn long and he was so fucking close to finally finishing it. There was just something he wasn't getting. All this intelligence, all this knowledge, and he can't figure out this? It's frustrating as all hell but he's come too far to not follow through all the way to the end. He just... he just needed to...

Then here's a hand. Atticus was pressing the button that was right under Axel's nose. He'd been so busy looking through every nook and cranny for the trick of it all that he'd missed what someone could only see if they were seeing the big picture.

Axel was all investigation while Atticus was all perception.

"...huh." It's all he could say at first. Eventually, he smiled over and gave his thanks. Because he appreciated Atticus and everything he stood for, especially in contrast to Axel.

[duckandash]

@athenianwit

the california boy wasn't used to the weather over here. june to axel meant it should be almost twice as hot as it currently was during the day. and at night? if he didn't keep moving, he'd probably be shivering hard enough to make someone worry about him. that's why he usually had three blankets wrapped around him while he was in the library, doing his undercommon language studying.

but it was also why he'd designated himself the unofficial blanket distribution system of the building and had very quietly come by and draped one of his spares across atticus' shoulders.

"-know you're probably used to it," axel kept his voice low as he gave a little pat on the son of athena's back, "but figured a little extra warmth never hurt anybody."