( open ) for three weeks, she sleeps through the rain

[chainbroke]

Who: Naminé and you! (+Add (subtract) in the second prompt)
Where: A bunch of places
When: Throughout April
What: An open log!
Warnings: None for now; will updated if necessary.

[ A: Throughout April ]

[ Well, it's time for Naminé to do some exploring, so she's traveling around to different shrines. She doesn't really enter unless she has explicit permission; instead, Naminé has a sketchbook and pencil in hand. She's... drawing what she sees? It's mostly for practice, and Naminé doesn't think she's that great, but that's what practice is for!

She's pretty into it, but she'll talk to anyone who approaches her. ]

[ B: April 12, guest starring Add ]

[ Her good day couldn't last very long, could it? Definitely not. She's absolutely just minding her business, and her attention's a little off right now, since she's reading a book... but she does look up just several moments before she bumps right into--

Add?

This can only go well. ]

O-oh! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-- are you okay?

[ C: Last half of April ]

[ April hasn't been a terrible month! Naminé has decided to go out and explore the different businesses--specifically, an ice cream shop, a book store, an art store--she's just browsing, mostly, except in the ice cream shop. Maybe someone sees a book in her hand that they recognize; maybe they're curious about the way she's scrutinizing the art supplies; or maybe they find her looking at the different ice cream flavors and deciding what to get....

Or maybe she's somewhere else? There are a lot of places here, after all! ]

Comments

[chainbroke]

[ ....

Okay, she should definitely be nervous. Suddenly, she looks even more unsure, and she frowns. ]

I... I don't know if I should do that.

[subtract]

So you're not really sorry at all, is that it?

You'd ram into a person in the street and give them an empty apology to make them move on, but you won't even do one easy, tiny little thing to make it up to me? I didn't think you'd be such a heartless person.

[He ~sighs~ and turns away from her, shielding his face from her with one hand. He could be tearing up, maybe, possibly.] And here I thought you were such a kind, generous and good-hearted person... well, even I can't be right about everything.

[chainbroke]

I-I am sorry! But... it's just-- I don't think it's right to steal...

[ ... Oh. Her face sort of falls at the "heartless" comment, and she's so stunned that she... can't figure out what the heck to say. ]

[subtract]

[He isn't even looking at her anymore, so he just keeps going. Surely her resistance will crack soon...]

If something is absolutely necessary and there's no other means to obtain it, then stealing is the responsible thing to do. In the grand scheme of things, what difference will one missing tool make for them? But without this I'm in a lot of trouble.

Anyway, you're a god, aren't you? So morals don't mean anything to you. You're just making up excuses because you don't want to help a person in need. Despicable. Just admit that you're not sorry at all and stop lying about yourself.

[cloak]

[Add has been out for a while, and even with the assurance that certain thugs won't try to beat up his shinki anymore, Roxas still checks up on them from time to time. Usually, they don't even notice he's there. He disappears just as quickly as he pops up in their vicinity, verifying that everything is well and they're not in any trouble — or skirting close to finding some.

But in this case he pops up a short distance away, just in time to catch a comment about someone being heartless, and when he rounds a corner- well.

There's Add. There's Add and Naminé, and the tenor of their conversation isn't very good... his shoulders hunch forward as though he's going to spring at them, although he doesn't do that. His gloved hands grasping at empty at his sides sure suggests he'd rather have crossed paths with something to fight than one of his favorite people berating the other one]

Add.

[WHAT ARE YOU DOING TO HIS MAMA?]

[chainbroke]

[ -- Well. That's a voice she hadn't expected. It's enough to snap Naminé out of her shock. Roxas... They know each other? Apparently.

And Roxas does not sound happy at all. ]

R-Roxas-- um, it's fine! [ It is definitely not fine. ]

[subtract]

[The surprise is the same for both of them—that's a voice and tone he's only heard once before, when Hibari nearly killed him. But instead of being directed at an assailant...

Add turns slowly to face Roxas. He's never had his god direct this kind of anger at him before. What did he do? He hasn't done anything differently... is this about how he's been keeping his eye problem a secret?? He keeps his hand over the eyepatch, trying to hide his anxiousness. Would he really be this mad about it...? Did Add do something else wrong? Or... or is it about how Add might not be human, or defective, or something else he hasn't told his god about?

Drowning in his thoughts, Add continues to give his very best "deer in headlights" look before finally remembering he should probably respond to his god somehow.]

... Is there a problem?

[cloak]

[Roxas spares Naminé an assessing glance, verifying that she isn't harmed — not that he'd expect Add to accost her. But he did come into the middle of this exchange, and he's compelled to confirm all the same. There follows a quick, easily seen up-down motion of his hooded head before he turns his focus to Add.

He looks...alarmed. The fact that he's pressed a hand over the thing on his eye only lends itself to the developing theory that his friend-turned-shinki is in trouble and isn't asking him for help...

But for the moment, he gestures toward Naminé with an open, gloved hand]

Don't pick on Naminé.

[Flat as his tone is, there's a faint note of warning there. He could never seriously harm Add, unless he'd reached a point where there was no other way to save him (and he hopes never to repeat that experience), nor does he plan on doing anything that'd harm him, but he's not condoning this behavior by any stretch. And there's a clear, bottled frustration there.

Why can't his favorite people get along?]

[chainbroke]

[ She's not sure what's exactly going on; again, they know each other, there's a history here, she's sure, but she's not sure what. Still... that Roxas is defending her surprises her--mostly because she's still got that poor sense of self-worth. Naminé raises her hands, glancing nervously between Add and Roxas. ]

I ran into him, it's-- it's okay. Really.

[subtract]

[He almost expects Roxas to summon one of his weapons when he extends his arm, but instead he gestures at the girl. Add glances at her, confused, before staring blankly at his god again.

... That's it? "Don't pick on Naminé"? ... Do these two know each other?

He manages to regain his nerve now that the confrontation has turned into something utterly baffling. He frowns, slightly annoyed. That's seriously all he came over here to say??]

I wasn't picking on her, I was just speaking my mind. If she doesn't like it she can say so herself.

[cloak]

It's not okay...

[Roxas shakes his hooded head, huffing out a harsh breath, needless as present company would know breathing to be for something like him]

Naminé's too kind to do something like that.

[He's well aware that some could mistake her quiet nature for weakness. They'd note the way she'd shrink from smaller conflicts and attempt to placate worse tempers, but it's a considerable mistake to take such things as a lack of strength. As far as Roxas is concerned, she has more fortitude than most anyone.

Unfortunately, she just happens to have a great deal of tolerance to go with it]

If you want a god to help you out, you don't need to call her names — or take items without paying. Don't call her heartless for thinking about who that hurts.

[chainbroke]

[ That's a strong reaction--and Naminé probably shouldn't be taken aback, but she is. She has friends here; friends who care about her and want to see her happy, and yet...

... But if it means making two people's relationship worse because she has to be defended, she certainly can't feel good about that. ]

Roxas...

[ ... She's not really sure what else to say. ]

[subtract]

[Definitely familiar with each other, then. He flinches a little when Roxas calls him out on his thievery—so what if it might hurt someone else? He has his own problems to worry about, so who cares if a few things go missing! It's just the Near Shore.

He huffs out a flustered sigh, looking away from both of them to stare at a crack in the pavement. Well, now he's definitely not going to get any help from either of them. What a waste of time this ended up being.]

Saying she's too kind to defend herself is just a polite way of admitting she's a doormat. That's not my problem.

Whatever. I'm not interested anymore, so I'll leave your little girl friend alone. Satisfied?

[cloak]

It's not good to discount someone when you don't know much about them.

[Roxas thinks that's something important for Add to bear in mind, and not just pertaining to this situation. He's got a way of finding trouble where it might've been entirely avoidable, and it's a pattern that ideally would end. That isn't likely because it's Add, but he really is fortunate that Naminé is as kind as she is]

And she said no, didn't she?

[Because he can't just let the doormat comment slide. Still, some of the tension seeps out of him, since Add doesn't seem interested in arguing about it... Though a perplexed silence follows when he mentally reviews what Add called Naminé just now]

...She's the one who made me.

[It'd be presumptuous to say that he's a friend]

[chainbroke]

[ Girl friend... Naminé isn't sure how to react to that. There's a lot going on here; she's alert enough, probably even more than usual, to notice the way Add reacts. Are they close, then--?

That just makes it worse.

... Ah. Maybe it's a good time to ask... ]

... Roxas? Is he a very good friend of yours?

[subtract]

[She said no, but she still tried to defend his actions just a minute ago anyway. That's what he wants to say, but this time he resists the urge to mouth off. Trying to piss off the guy with complete control over him wouldn't be a very bright idea.

And his silence turns out to be worthwhile, when Roxas goes on to say that Naminé is the one who "made" him. Add perks up a little at that, curious. So if Roxas is an AI... this mousy little girl programmed him? That would at least explain what makes this girl different. The situation is less frustrating now that some logical explanation has been brought to light.

... Although, it doesn't make it any less awkward. Especially now that Naminé is asking about their relationship.]

He's my god, that's it. [shoving in an answer before Roxas can. He might've been a little too hasty...]

[cloak]

[Roxas has an answer to that question — an honest answer — but it catches in his throat, lodges itself there, and rejects his voice. He can't answer that question no matter how much he might want to with Add here. His hands close into fists at his sides, shoulders bunching up all over again because he doesn't want to lie to one of the most important people in his existence about the other.

But then, Add quickly throws a reply out there. And much as it stings, he's somewhat relieved that he doesn't have to struggle with words that refuse him...

The tension doesn't leave his posture however, nor do his fists relax. That's a frustration that Naminé might recognize, even if he has no way of voicing it with Add present]

Right. Add's...one of my shinki.

[There's something almost forlorn about that last word]

[chainbroke]

[ Naminé made him--so she knows him, probably better than anyone else. Or almost anyone else. She notes that tone of voice, and she reminds herself to talk about it with him later. She can't say if he'd actually tell her, but it's worth a try. Isn't it? ]

Oh. [ ... That falls a little flat. Whoops. ] Um. [ She turns to Add this time, clasping her hands in front of her. ] I really am sorry... about running into you. But I won't-- I won't do what you've asked me. I'm sorry.

[subtract]

[He's the one who said it first, but hearing Roxas confirm it in that weird, gloomy tone... what the hell is that supposed to mean? It feels a little insulting, to be honest. Is he starting to regret having Add as his shinki now? He hunches up his shoulders, glaring at the pavement with growing intensity.]

I already said I don't care anymore. You can keep your empty apology. [Why is he getting so defensive over this? It's not like he really cares what Roxas thinks of him as long as he's still being useful. Isn't that all that matters? So maybe Roxas doesn't really like him...

He should just stop thinking about it, but his thoughts keep circling back around. He really want to disappear from this conversation right now...]

[cloak]

[There comes that unpleasant jab that Roxas gets with varying frequency from his shinki, a nagging sensation he's come to associate with his shinki being displeased in some way. But in this he's not sure what else could have been done; there was nothing for it but to agree with Add's statement, and he doesn't know what may have bothered him about that.

As with past instances, Roxas simply tolerates it and makes no indication that he'd felt anything at all. With the situation resolved as it is, he stiffly lifts a gloved hand to pinch the end of Add's sleeve]

Next time...you should just tell me you need something.

[The words are quiet and carefully devoid of expression. Silence hangs heavily after he's finished speaking and he draws his hand away, disappearing in the next instant. He should check up on the others after all, now that he's settled the matter here.

It's far easier to put things he cannot say out of mind if he keeps busy]