(OPEN) Idle Musings and Ice Creams

It was a beautiful morning.

Varen, with his hands in his pockets and his head tilted down, walked down the cobblestone pathways of North Park. He was in an entirely different world of his own, and he barely paid any attention to where he was walking, much less those around him. His designer clothes - dark jeans, red dress shirt, and then a fedora on his head to top it off - were new and had been given to him by his older brother.

His thoughts weren't at all focused on anything in particular. At one point he thought of his late mother. At another, he had recalled his family, and then lastly, he considered getting a pet - just to have something to take his mind off of things. It was in this simple-minded and somewhat docile mood that he heard the distinct sound that simply reminded him of his childhood.

The Ice Cream parlor by the park had just opened up, and the tune that it always played could be heard faintly from where he stood. He wondered whether or not grabbing a cup of ice cream would be a good idea, seeing as he hadn't had breakfast yet. In fact, now that he thought about it, he hadn't eaten a decent meal in a while. He took small nibbles from time to time, but never an actual meal.

Axel had been sat down on this bench for far too long as far as he was concerned. It wasn't even that comfortable. With a sigh he jumped to his feet and began to stretch out his now stiff muscles. He never was usually one to sit around for long.

A smile slowly spread across his face as the familiar tune played. That brought him back to his childhood. Perhaps an ice cream wouldn't hurt, he thought as he made his way over to the parlor. It had been a long time since he'd been here. On his way his eyes caught sight of a boy around his own age that he slightly recognised.

"McKeith right?" He asked, needing no further words to invite himself over.

At the sound of his family's last name, Varen was quick to look for the source. It was Axel James, one of the kids his age that lived in the North. He didn't know the man on a personal basis, but he did have certain sources that spoke of him. Nodding, Varen replied, "You're James... Axel James."

There was no use framing it as a question when Varen knew for a fact that he was Axel James, son of a widower and older brother of some kid that was good with a guitar or a pen. Varen wasn't one to trust easily - now more so than ever; with his mother's murder and all - but Axel didn't exactly have motive... Unless he wanted everyone's mom's to die because he didn't get to live long with his.

"I don't see you as the 'out for a walk' type of guy." Varen pointed out. He may have no history with the man, but even at first glance, he could tell that this was not the type of man who grew sentimental. And he supposed... this was the kind of man that he might just turn into.

"The one and only." He confirmed shoving his hands into his pockets. He knew the McKeith's were going through a hard time at the minute and he could understand what he was going through, even if he had lost his mother at a young age. So he'd tone down his usual attitude just a little.

"Who said..." He paused, stopping himself from his usual cocky come back and shrugged. "Anything to get out the house. Im sure, you can understand that." He was sure even he must get tired of his family at some point. Especially after his mothers death when everyone wasn't in their best moods.

"Are you getting ice cream or you just going to stand here all day staring?" He asked.

Well that was surprising. From what he's heard of the oldest James child, he was an arrogant bastard that would've given Varen a run for his money on being Jack Ass of the Year. He supposed that Axel was holding back because of his mother's death, and it irked him to no end. He didn't want people treating him differently. He may have lost his mother, but it didn't mean he was any less the man he was before it happened. If anything, he's come out of the trial stronger than ever.

"Yeah," nodded Varen. "That's about the last place I want to be right now." In fact, Tallie was the only part of his family that he could fully tolerate, and even with her there was still some unwanted moments.

And then there it was. A hint of the jerk he had heard of. "Ice cream it is then." He said, an amused smirk on his lips. He began to walk to the ice cream parlor again, not entirely sure if Axel's question meant he was going to stay with him.

"So what you going to do?" He asked. He hated to get straight to the point, well no he didn't. It was who he was he wasn't one to hold back what he was thinking usually. "I don't know about you but i'd hunt the fucker down that killed my mother and tear them to shreds. Killing them seems somehow seems too easy."

"You buying?" He smirked, only half joking. The rich didn't stay rich by buying everything.

Blunt as a kid with Asperger's and sharp as newly-sharpened knife. Varen had no idea whether or not he liked this guy. He studied him before turning his eyes back on the path to the parlor. He honestly had no clue, but he wasn't going to let him know that. His face and voice remained impassive as he replied.

"Who's to say I don't already have people out there looking for the culprit?" He shrugged carelessly. "And I think I'll do more than tear him to shreds. An eye for an eye, right? I think getting rid of some person that asshole cares about would be good payback." But he hadn't really thought things through. Could he really kill someone out of revenge? Wouldn't that make him no different from the murderer?

"Hn." Varen smirked. "I'm sure you can buy yourself ice cream, James." He said, heading straight for the counter. The shop was empty save for them and the owner, so it was still rather peaceful.

He shrugged. "Im not judging, just curious." Sometimes he was just too nosey for his own good, but if you didn't ask then you never found out. He raised an eyebrow. "Really Varen, i didn't have you down as the killing innocent kind." If he did decide to go for the eye for an eye plan then the person he chose really could be innocent.

Axel smirked. "Here i was thinking the McKeith's were generous." He joked as he approached the counter. "Wow, im definitely out of my comfort zone. Which ice creams taste good? Im trusting you McKeith to pick a good one. My fathers money depends on it." He smiled placing some money on the counter.

Well, it was always nice to catch people off guard. A small satisfied smile appeared before quickly being wiped off. "People are full of surprises, James." The way he settled on calling Axel "James" was subconscious. It was simply easier for him, with it being one syllable and all. He wasn't doing it to be formal or rude.

"You have me confused with either my brother or my father," replied Varen with a grin. Really, he wasn't the type to spend his money on someone he doesn't really know or care about. That was more the forte of his family. "Not a big fan of ice creams? Are you even human, James?" He joked, before turning to the owner and placing enough money on the counter. "Two Chocolate Marshmallows please, Mr. Reiner." He said politely smiling at the owner, who's known him and his siblings for as long as he could remember. They used to frequent this place, after all.

"So how're things at your end?" He asked conversationally. Might as well talk while he had the company.

He snorted. "Remind me never to intentionally get on your bad side without my guard up." He wasn't afraid of Varen, far from it. It took a lot to scare him now a days, he just liked to be prepared. If his past had taught him anything it was that much.

"Oh maybe i should just force my presence on them instead then." He smirked. "I didn't say i wasn't a fan. I've just not had it in a while." He shrugged. Ice cream wasn't something he could attach to his childhood seeing as their father insisted the staff stay at the house and they were their only chance of getting some. "Well i have been called a god once or twice but yeah pretty sure my loser of a father is human." He joked.

Chocolate marshmellows? He could live with that, he just hoped it tasted as nice as it sounded. He needed something different for a change. That was until the usual question popped up. "Oh yeah just great!" He lied, it wasn't a secret that his father was a drunk. The whole town practically knew about it but what happened under the James' roof stayed there. Axel definitely wasn't going to be the one to share it.

"How about you? Hows the family holding up?" Family was one thing he did understand. He'd kill if anyone so much as thought about hurting his brother. That was as close to emotions as Axel got.

But, unless he were the murderer or was plotting any harm on his family and real friends, Axel really didn't have anything that would really set Varen off. Growing up around the people that he had, he understood when there was mockery behind a perfectly alright remark. It might have failed him at times, but he was pretty sure that Axel was only saying what he did to keep the polite - if not friendly - air between them. He wanted to return the jibe, but the only thing on the tip of his tongue was one to his family, so he refrained from doing so. He might be able to make an ally out of Axel yet, so it wouldn't necessarily do to get off on the wrong foot. They were doing alright so far, after all. He shrugged, so as to ensure that he wasn't ignoring his companion.

"Maybe you should," said Varen dryly, shrugging with a small smile on his face, knowing full well that Axel would've probably gotten a different result had he been talking to his father or his brother. He chuckled at his joke, saying, "Well, at least I won't have to watch my back wondering if you've got a thunderbolt or something up your sleeve."

When Mr. Reiner handed their orders, he handed Axel one and motioned over to the exit. They could talk while walking, right? He felt undeniably restless and found himself unable to sit still wherever he went. Even when in the car, he bobbed his head to whatever music was on - something he never did before.

Well that was totally inconsiderate and daft of me, thought Varen to himself. He hadn't meant to ask about family - though he could see how it could've translated to that. He meant more along the lines of Axel's block and group of friends. They lived a good distance away from each other, after all. His answer though, told Varen enough. He didn't want to talk about it or bring it up. Saying that everything was good was basically code for leave it alone.

"As well as one would expect, I guess you can say." Varen replied after some thought, taking a bite of his ice cream, unfazed by the biting cold that went through him. It took a moment for it to register that Axel had actually lost his mom too, and he wanted to ask how it felt. Were they feeling the same? But then he decided that no, they probably didn't, considering the circumstances under which they lost their mothers and the time in which they did.

Axel smirked. "Oh I'm sure they would just love me!" He joked. "How long do you think it would take before they got enough of my sense of humor and threw me out? I'd give it like 5/ 10 minutes?" He guessed, he'd probably be more polite around Mr McKeith on first meeting but after that who knows what could happen.

"Don't rule anything out just yet, im a James violence is my middle name. I just wont do anything you expect me to so the thunderbolts out of the question." He smirked. "And the element of surprise never hurt." He shrugged and took his ice cream, thankful Varen didn't want to sit down. He been sat down enough recently and now the whole action bored him.

Axel nodded, it wasn't easy losing someone. He still remembered his mothers death and he'd only been 3 at the time. He took a bite of his ice cream and instantly felt the cold. "Ow! That's cold!" He moaned and turned to look back at Mr Reiner like it was his fault he'd just frozen his mouth.

"You'll last longer with my brother than my father, that's for sure." Varen replied with a shrug and a laugh. It was true, his brother definitely had more patience and tolerance as opposed to his uptight father.

He just contradicted himself, thought Varen to himself. Axel had mentioned not ruling anything out before proceeding to say that thunderbolts were out of the question. He stopped himself from commenting on it. He wasn't in the mood for an argument or whatever, especially sine he was in the company of a self-proclaimed violent man. "Surprises will get people far if used properly." He commented dryly.

Varen rolled his eyes, amused. "What did you think, ice cream would be warm?" He asked with a raise brow before smiling at Mr. Reiner. Varen loved ice cream when they were really cold and you could bite into them - mostly because he rarely felt tooth pain for some reason. He continued on out of the shop, wanting to walk around the park.

"Your brothers a doctor right? There's some fun." He smirked, he could go see him and he'd have to remain professional for his jobs sake. "I wonder if he'd crack under pressure?" He said looking at Varen for answers he wasn't going to waste his time on someone who wouldn't. Where's the fun in that?

"No that kinda defeats the point of calling it Ice cream, but still a little 'careful it might freeze your teeth might help.'" He said before taking another more careful bite. "Right let's just leave before you give the man heart attack with your cute little smiles." He said rolling his eyes as he took the path of the park. "He give you free ice cream as a kid or something?"

"Yes he is," nodded Varen. It was actually somehwat disconcerting that Morathi was a Psychiatrist. After all, did Psychiatrists/Psychologists have their own Psychiatrist/Psychologist? He honestly didn't know, and he resolved to ask his brother about it later. "He won't." Varen said. He was pretty sure of that. If anything, Morathi was the perfect child and would be able to put up with a lot of things.

"Me and the rest of my family - apparently, The McKeiths helped fund their business when they were starting out." He shrugged. Varen was a little iffy on the family history, but knew that he'll probably have to learn it one day, especially when it came around the time when Father declared who would takeover the company. "Anyways, what's the latest new going around? Anything interesting? I'm afraid I haven't been properly caught up with everything and everyone yet."