4th ♌ [Video//Commentlog] Updating the Shipping Wall

[purrtndyfuntms]

[On the northern wall of the barracks, someone has been scrawling. From time to time - in between fetching fresh supplies - she can still be found there, painting away. Pair after pair of small stick figures has been matched up, each with a symbol between them: hearts, diamonds, spades or clubs

Comments

[Audio]

[lightyourway]

[She sort of wishes she could ask this without anyone over-hearing.]

Are you okay?

[It's just a drawing. If she had drawn it, or Xanth himself had drawn it, that would be different. But it was a drawing someone else had done. Kairi was no stranger to being teased because she was friends with boys.]

[Audio]

[stillseecracks]

Y-Yes!

[And crack goes his voice.]

I, I mean, um.

[He clears his throat and tries again, but he is just so flustered.]

Y--Yes. I-- I'm-- I-I'm f-fine, just, d-doing-- doing g-great o-over here.

[Audio]

[lightyourway]

Are you in your room?

[She's sure she doesn't want to talk about this on the record any more.]

[Audio]

[stillseecracks]

I-- I-I'm, it's, i-it's fine, you, y-you don't--

[Xanth cuts himself off with a sharp intake of breath, then sighs.]

Y-Yeah. I-- I am.

[Commentlog]

[lightyourway]

[Too late Xanth, she's knocking.]

[Commentlog]

[stillseecracks]

[And when he hears that, Xanth's heart drops into his stomach.

He doesn't want to answer the door or submit himself to whatever questions Kairi has for him. He likes things as they are: the friendship he and Kairi have; the lack of tension; the lack of awkwardness despite his feelings for her. If he tells Kairi much more about their previous relationship, that could all come crashing down. But if he refuses to answer Kairi this time, that would be another wedge driven between them.

Such is his life.

Xanth buries his head in his hands, sighing. Then he drags himself to his feet, walks over to the door, and pulls it open.]

[Commentlog]

[lightyourway]

[She gave him a searching look and stands on the threshold, unwilling to just invite herself in.]

You didn't sound okay.

[Commentlog]

[stillseecracks]

[Xanth smiles in return, but it's awkward. As much as he would like to act comfortable, to feign complete normality, he simply cannot.

But he does step to the side to let Kairi in.]

I-- I-I am. S--Seriously. It-- it was-- i-it was just, y-you know, w-- weird.

[Which is all true. It's just not all of the truth.]

[Commentlog]

[lightyourway]

[She wanders into the room and casts a curious look around; exactly the same as hers.]

It's just a drawing. She was probably just teasing.

[Commentlog]

[stillseecracks]

[Exactly the same except that Xanth has, once again, turned his bed into a nest. Only, instead of pillows, which he couldn't find, he has pilfered extra cloths from the clothier's tower and turned them into extra blankets.

He closes the door behind himself and leans against it. He would try for a smile, but all he can make at this moment is an embarrassed look.]

Y-Yeah, I just-- I-- I-I kind of... f-freaked out, you-- y-you know? I-I, um, I w-wasn't... e-expecting s-something like-- l-like... th-that...

[Commentlog]

[lightyourway]

[Her curious look gets turned on him instead of the nest on the bed.]

You've never been teased like that before?

[Commentlog]

[stillseecracks]

[Xanth laughs. It's one part amused, one part awkward, and one part nervous. The only person who had ever teased him for liking Kairi was Jinx. And that? Well, that had ended in whorehouses.

Ducking his head, Xanth shakes it 'no'.]

N-Not-- not really. I-I, um. Just-- no, I, n-no.

[Commentlog]

[lightyourway]

[Kairi smiles, a little wistfully. Sora and Riku had always stood up for her, always. That had quickly put a stop to anyone teasing her, to her face. Selphie had had it worse. Children could be mean and the children of Destiny Islands were no exception.]

Heh, you're lucky.

It isn't even that bad. You never know, it might not even be a picture of you. You're not the only silver-haired boy here-,

[She cuts herself short upon realizing that she just suggested that it was her and Riku on the wall. She could feel her face warming and she looked away.]

And I'm not the only red-haired girl.

[It could be two completely different people, for all that they knew.]

[Commentlog]

[stillseecracks]

[The smile, hesitant as it was, fades entirely as Kairi speaks. He might well not be the silver-haired boy Nepeta drew. It could have been Riku instead.

With the rise of that idea comes the rise of jealousy. Xanth shakes his head again, trying to rid himself of that feeling. This is not the Kairi he knew. He has no reason to be jealous over her. She doesn't love him, she doesn't even like him in that way.

Crush it down, he tells himself.

And so he tries.]

Y-Yeah, you, y-you're-- you're r-right. I-I just, I, I f-freak out a-about... nothing, s-- sometimes.

[Commentlog]

[lightyourway]

Well, okay...

[She still doesn't really believe that he's alright. It seems like he's stuttering more than he usually does.

But she can't just stand around in his room like this. She casts round for something to say and her gaze settles on a splash of blue amongst the clothes piled on his bed. Hadn't she seen that in the clothier's tower the other week?]

Hey.

[Reaching out, without being invited, she tugged the skirt free.]

What's this doing here?

[Commentlog]

[stillseecracks]

[At Kairi's call, Xanth looks up. For a moment, he's confused, but then he sees her pull a skirt out from the mess that is his bed.

His cheeks flush absolutely red.]

O-Oh, god, no, I-- it-- th-that's, I, I-I can e-explain!