Twins, assemble!

[catamite]

Who: The crew of the Three Twins, and visitors
Broadcast: nope
Action: Aboard the SS Three Twins
When: Late May, early June

[between partying on the station, working abroad, and rounds of magical madness on the planet's surface, the crew of the Three Twins must cross paths sometime. how is our intrepid, eclectic little crew doing? the audience would love to know.]

Comments

[catamite]

[and she will later get to inspect his perfectly comfortable, nearly-unused bed.]

Yeah, sorry. The couch is a good idea.

I guess I didn't... think about that.

[because couches are much more lonely than beds.]

[ino]

[ She puts a hand on his back, trying to be reassuring here ... she doesn't want Nel to feel like he's in trouble :( ]

Don't worry about it! I'm not mad. Like I said, I just wouldn't want to wake you up.

[catamite]

[he's like a needy puppy--now that he's actually awake, the hand on his back gets him to immediately perk up a bit. just greedily absorbing that little bit of attention.]

Oh, it takes me a while to fall asleep... but once I do, I'm like... dead.

[ino]

[ She can't help but laugh a little, because ... she's noticed. How do you think she took a pic or two to send to Robin.

But that's kinda creepy, and she doesn't want to discuss Robin with him, so -- ]

Is that right?

[catamite]

Oh, yeah.

So, don't ever be worried about waking me up.

[ino]

Hmm.

[ She has a bit of a knowing smile on her face, now. Something tells her that there's a whole different reason for this that he's not telling her.

She scoots a little closer, pulling him to her with an arm around his shoulders ]

Are you sure there's nothing else bothering you? Besides, you know, the bar in your bed.

[catamite]

[oh... oh.

he hadn't really expected to be scooped over like that, and it catches him off-guard. glancing over at the arm on his shoulder, he kind of... hesitates for a moment.]

Oh, um. Yeah... I'm fine...

[but yeah it's a feeble attempt. his lying armor is actually very thin, and she's already kind of elbowing right past it.]

[ino]

[ Yeah, and the longer this continues, the more obvious it is to her ... ]

Nel.

[ Said in that "I-know-you're-hiding-something" big sister kind of way ]

[catamite]

[no, not the big sister tone...! anything but that.

he's powerless. she can feel the strength leave him. he kind of melts--slumping in place like someone loosened his whole spine.]

What.

[he's not whining yet, but it looks like it might go there really fast.]

[ino]

You know if there's something bothering you, you can talk to me about it, right?

[ She's not going to push him into talking about it, but -- she wants to be sure he knows she will listen, if he does want to ]

[catamite]

Yeah...

[but boy does he not sound confident in it. it's that childish, reluctant tone that means yes he knows she says that, but no, he doesn't think he actually believes it.]

[ino]

[ Yeah,k she notices that tone, and it prompts her to push a little ]

But?

[catamite]

[he fidgets with his fingers.]

But, nothing. It's just... dumb.

[ino]

Why is it dumb?

[ She squeezes his shoulder gently ]

[catamite]

Because it just is.

[he's so caught between loving the attention, and feeling a little trapped by it, now. it maybe shows in the way his shoulders hunch up a tiny bit. he's balking as he's being nudged toward the edge of actually talking about something.]

...I don't know how to explain it.

[ino]

[ She watches him for a moment, and sees that he's maybe a little more closed off than when this conversation started. She moves her hand back to his back ... ]

Well -- you don't have to say it if you don't want to. But if there's anything I can do to help, I want to know.

[catamite]

It's nothing bad or anything... I just. I don't know. [more fidgeting.] ...Maybe it's a problem with my whole room.

[but his discomfort grows as soon as the words leave his mouth. because it sounds like he's complaining. it sounds stupid, and it feels wrong.]

--I mean, it's just. Not what I expected, maybe.

[ino]

[ Meanwhile, Ino just seems curious. She has no problem with anyone complaining about the ships, since they aren't exactly the nicest accommodations even when fully upgraded. But she wants to do what she can to help, if she can! ]

What do you mean?

[catamite]

[and it's just so not in his nature to be able to complain about things like this easily. sharing opinions and troubles. it's one more thing that has been conditioned out of him.

but he's caught here, in a way. her persisting after him when most people give up by now, finding him when there are a few holes in his cheery little armor, is keeping him from easily being able to retreat and hide.

he does continue to melt under the scrutiny, though. he sinks down where he's sitting. if he'd been sitting in a proper chair, without someone there to keep him herded in one spot, he might have just continued to slide all the way to the floor.]

I don't knooow... [ah, and there is the whining.]

It's just. The bunk before was a lot different than these... you know?

[ino]

[ She has to resist the urge to laugh a little bit at how he's acting. It seems like this is something that's bothering him a lot, so she doesn't want to make fun of him and ruin it, but Nel ... you're such a baby ... ]

You mean when you guys were all in one room?

[catamite]

[such a baby. the defensive, whining tone is just... going to keep going. it's either that, or get really upset, and he'd like to avoid that at all costs. so, this is the only way he can vent his feelings.]

Yeah, I guess...

[ino]

[ She thinks about this for a moment. ]

Did you like it better that way?

[catamite]

I don't know...

[but, from tone alone, that is definitely a yes.]

It's just harder to sleep, now. I guess.

[ino]

[ ... So he just doesn't want to be alone, huh. Well, she can definitely sympathize with that. She pauses, thinking ... ]

But it was easier to sleep in here, huh?

[ Not accusatory, just genuine curiosity ]

[catamite]

[just the tiniest little nod, and how awkward and shamed he's feeling about the whole thing is obvious in his face.]