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Who: The crew of the SS "You Tried" Bloodsport (and anyone who happens to be visiting).
Broadcast: Probably not? Maybe?
Action: Aboard and around the ship.
When: Right after the latest Shuffle!

---

[that's right boys and girls it's another mingle. they navigated smoothly out of the initial danger (despite some people not helping), and they've gotten to hang out on the beach (or the storms, or with the sick Nunnilis) for about a week.

so... what are our intrepid travelers up to now? oh and also there's one of those glowing fish in a fishbowl on the kitchen table. it's green. you are welcome. don't kill it. you know who you are.]

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[ robin, what the hell.

he catches the towels when he drops them, giving a little huff. well, at least he actually came back... he wouldn't have been surprised if his pathetic-ness ran him off.

the question just makes him flinch. ]

I... [ riku's not oblivious, though, and he tenses up before he just gives a shallow sigh and pushes his soaked bangs back. ] Like I know. It's like my body's got a mind of its own.

Oh...

[he continues what he's doing as if none of this is strange. if he finds it pathetic at all, he either doesn't let it show, or doesn't mind in the slightest.]

I've got another friend like that. I mean, he was attacked by lightning creatures years and years ago, so it kind of makes sense... But he still gets really frustrated with himself when he gets all jittery during storms. He knows there's nothing up there, but that doesn't stop him from flinching every time...

Well, being scared of storms is stupid! [ riku bristles when he says it, shooting back his reply tersely, before remembering himself. ]

Ugh... sorry, captain.

[he considers this for a moment, keeping quiet. it doesn't look like much has changed, by his expression, but he ends up standing again, and soon he's sliding down the ladder to land deftly in the little space of floor.

since it's a small area, he doesn't have to reach far to grab one of those towels and... drape it over Riku's head.]

My friend isn't stupid. And neither are you.

[ he flinches sharply, shoulders hunching and only relaxing when the towel obscures his vision. he sniffles before rubbing the towel over his hair and scrunching it, then moving it so he can look to robin. ]

You're too nice for your own good.

No, no, no.

[he tilts his head, a little like a bird, so he can see Riku's face under that dumb towel.]

I'm a lot of things. I don't really think "nice" is one of them.

You don't get to choose what you are.

[ riku says it almost defiantly. ]

You're nice, to me at least. If you wanna make me think you're not, then don't be.

[ sigh. he deflates. ]

Pretty sure Kaneis didn't think he was nice, either, but he had his good points. The bad doesn't cancel out the good, even if you've got other motives.

Well, you're smart to me. That works the same way, doesn't it?

[Kaneis... that's a name he hasn't heard in a while. that reminds him of a whole lot of things he'd been meaning to talk about.]

How are you doing? Not right now, in general.

[ riku gives him an odd look, but he doesn't argue. he can't argue against his own point, so he'll let robin have that one.

it's only a short moment that he concedes, though--he looks at robin with a startled expression and quickly looks away to the floor. pulling on his towel as if to hide his expression, he just mumbles: ]

I'm fine.

[Robin doesn't follow him, keeps his hands to himself... but he doesn't let the thought of it go. he just glances up at the door above them, to make sure it's shut, with the same casual demeanor he'd used to lock the door to the outside.

the bad things are all out there. that's the point. he looks back down at his towel-covered friend.]

He was your friend, wasn't he?

[ there are so many things he could say. riku is not new to and still is haunted by abandonment, and although he logically knows that kaneis had no control over his own leaving, it stings. he doesn't blame him. who wouldn't want to get out of here? he's sure the other him that kaneis knows is much better of a person...

he breathes in slowly, and his voice is shaky, but he pulls on his towel enough so that it doesn't cover his face or his hair anymore, and he peers up at robin with startling clarity and heartache as he swallows hard. ]

I trusted him, and he trusted me. That's more than just a friend.

[ he sighs then, audibly, and looks away. ]

It's not important, though.

What about Sora?

[he barely skips a beat, even with all that sighing. "it's not important" has never meant anything to Robin. he decided, in the midst of his own heartache, that he'd rather be a god than a bleeding human, and this tenacity is a part of it.

he's stopped smiling, though. not a frown or anything, just a quiet absence of joy.]

[ there's a gentle kindness in riku's eyes, and he smiles, but it doesn't quite reach all of him. ]

He's a good friend, but there's some stuff he just wouldn't understand.

But he's gone too, now.

[that's the thing. he should have checked in about this a couple of months ago, really, but between Tek's resurrection, Mattias leaving, his own antisocial stints...

he shakes his head a little. he doesn't mean to dig in so fast.]

I've been distant for months. I know I have. That's why I'm asking, since we're... finally alone, and no one's going out until that storm stops.

[thunder rumbles distantly from outside, almost as if on cue... but it's just a coincidence, and he looks up in mild surprise at the noise regardless.]

What're you asking about?

[ riku looks at him oddly. ]

Sora's gone, Kaneis is gone, I haven't heard from Kairi in weeks...

[ he shakes his head. ]

Of course you've been absent. You've got more important things to deal with.

[as his answer, he reaches out with a hand... and lightly presses two of his fingers into Riku's chest. anyone else might have thought it was just to be obnoxious, but Riku can see the move is made with precision. those fingers are pressing right over his heart.]

Like what?

I don't know. Something with Tek, probably?

[ he frowns, looking down at robin's two fingers. ]

You've got a few people who talk to you, something with some of them. Who knows?

[ riku's perceptive, but not nosy--he knows robin has, over the past few months, had his ups and downs with others leaving and coming and leaving. although riku has been lonely, he knew better than to ask or probe robin about it--why make the wound worse?

besides. they both have the same problem. riku is good at being alone, but he's never liked being on his own. either way, he pushes robin's hand away. ]

It's your life, I've got no right to worm my way into it.

[he lets his hand be pushed away. he doesn't like the way those words sound, and his instinct is to gush about it--but his mind has learned better, and he's trying to instruct his heart to follow. no more cutting himself open in the hopes that someone else will bleed back.

so he pauses, holding the rejected hand absently in his other set of fingers... but his expression finally eases up, and he offers another small smile.]

I've missed you, is all. I'm sorry.

[ what?

riku jerks visibly, surprised by his words and showing it so obviously with big round eyes and a slightly parted mouth. he missed him? what was that about? he balls his hands into fists at his sides, struggling for words, struggling to comprehend what he just said.

why would he miss him?! why is he even smiling like that--?

he meets robin's eyes, shoulders hunched. ]

Don't lie to me, [ his voice shakes, tight and almost bitter if it weren't for how resigned he is. ] there's nothing to miss about me.

[it really is like listening to himself, isn't it? who'd just tried to say he wasn't "nice"? he doesn't want to make him angry, but he meets his eyes and his smile never waivers.]

I'm not lying. I could show you. [he taps his finger against his own forehead--remember that trick of his?] You don't have to agree with me, but that's what I feel.

[he stays so calm in the midst of all Riku's distress, nodding towards the bed.]

So, come on. Let's sit for a while. I want to catch up.

[ ... and riku can't make him feel any different, he knows it. riku knows--he just said this to him.

riku glowers at the floor, and cringes when he hears another clap of thunder, rattled and raw at the edges. ]

... fine.

[ his voice is low, soft, and he frowns at robin, looking more than a little cautious. still, he takes a few steps towards the bed, though with his towel in hand to sit on it. doesn't wanna get everything wet, after all. ]

[he'll let him sit. and he'll have a seat next to him. he doesn't sit close enough to touch him, but he could tip into his shoulder very easily...

he knows he's already pushing things. he knows he's already gotten Riku all riled up, and that he's not going to want to talk if he's mad.]

I want to talk about me, anyway. I'm a lot better at that. [accompanied by a small, self-deprecating smirk.]

[ that gets a small snort out of him, at least! ]

Sure. If that's what you wanna talk about.

It is. [a small victory, but he'll take it.]

I actually feel a little bad. If you're any indication, everyone thinks I've been off dealing with important things, but most of it's just been... pointless. [he runs his hand through his hair, only glancing over for a moment before continuing.] Or stupid, maybe, is a better word. There was technically a point.

[he's so good at filling discomfort with words. they're true, but they're also here to run the both of them along in a new direction.]

Did you ever get to meet Mattias, before he disappeared?

[ he frowns lightly before he shakes his head. ]

I knew his name and knew you guys were close--kind of hard not to see you around and smell his scent.

this is true

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