snowtop | 003. (v2) [video]

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003. (v2) [video]

[At first, there is no sound; there is only the image of Xanth's forearm. Lines of letters curl around his fingers, twist around his hand, and spiral onto his arm. The ink, jet black, is stark against his pale skin.]

Th-this-- it means I-I've been-- t-too quiet, right? I-It... it wants me to-- t-to say... s-something.

[It's been a while since he's checked in, made sure people knew he hadn't vanished, but there is nothing to say.

The feed remains set on Xanth's arm.]

I'm... o-okay. I'm s--still here.

A-Are... are you guys... o-okay, too?

[He heard that crack some days ago. No one has called for help on the journals, so no one was hurt in the expedition that came after, and no one had been hurt during the initial bang.

Or so he hopes.]

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I'm okay.

[She hasn't spoken to Xanth since they both returned to the barracks. It isn't that she'd meant to avoid him. She's just... Been preoccupied.

Xanth, on the other hand, doesn't sound okay.]

I have some oranges...

[The offer is there before she's finished, but she'd hoped making smoothies could be something fun. Xanth doesn't sound like he's really up for fun.]

Do you want some?

[She's okay and she's talking to him. That's good.

Xanth almost turns her away, if only because he's not exactly presentable, but... he really would like the company. And she's offering oranges - he can't say no.]

S--Sure.

You... y-you know-- m-my room, right?

Sure.

[Even if she can't remember the number, she remembers the way.

And a few moments later, she's outside the door with half a dozen oranges - more than they could eat - and trying to knocking gently with her elbow.]

[Xanth doesn't bother to clean up for Kairi's visit. She's seen his rooms in varying states of disrepair before, and she probably won't mind.

Besides, he doesn't feel like cleaning.

At her weak knocking, he opens the door with a smile. Xanth, like his room, is not in the best state. His hair hasn't been washed in a week, and it's about down to his shoulders now; his clothes, while clean enough, are rumpled; he's got dark circles under his eyes; and he looks a little thinner than before, his cheekbones and knuckles more pronounced.

And there is the matter of the ink on his arm that he still hasn't washed away.]

H-Hey--

[And without another word, he moves to take some of the oranges from Kairi's arms.]

[Xanth looks... Well he looks gross and a bit unwell. But Kairi doesn't have long to scrutinize him because he's already taking some of the oranges from her. She catches sight of the ink on his arm.]

Don't worry about it.

[She tries to salvage the oranges.]

Aren't you going to wash that off?

[Xanth's only taken two oranges from her at this point, but he stops. Instead, he just steps back and holds the door for her to come in.

One would hope that Kairi likes book piles, clothes piles, and blanket nests, because those are what's scattered around Xanth's room.]

Y-Yeah but, um-- I-I didn't have t-time, before you... c-came over.

[You are like right down the hall, man.]

[Kairi doesn't mind mess. Sora is messier. His things don't make it to piles. But she's not sure where she can sit or set the oranges, so she's left standing, looking back at Xanth.]

Well, come on. You can wash it off now.

[There is a faint playful lilt to her voice, as though the words 'lazy' and 'bum' are only just lurking unsaid. It's not a false tone either, but it's checked by real worry.

He's sounded so apathetic before, like he didn't even care if the journal was inking his arm or not.]

Y--Yeah.

[It's now that Xanth feels a little bad for not having cleared a space, and for not having anything resembling a table, but he can't help these things.

Well. Not the table part, at least.

He does make the effort of clearing some space on his bed, though, and shoves all the blankets against the wall. There! Sitting space.]

I-I guess you can just-- p-put those, um, o-on the bed?

[There's really nowhere else but the floor.]

Thanks.

[With a smile, Kairi perches on the edge of the bed and tugs her skirt out so that the oranges can rest in her lap. She wastes no time in beginning to peel one, but looks up at Xanth a moment later before glancing pretty pointedly at the basin.]

[That is a very clear go wash up look, so, sheepishly, he does. He pushes back his sleeves, the turns the water on to slightly more than a trickle.

A minute or two of scrubbing and the ink is washed away. Xanth's arm is good as new and, as far as he can tell, no worse for wear because of the ink. But he wonders if it's truly as benign a warning mechanism as a spit of water to the face.

Xanth shakes his arm off, then goes to the closet and grabs a towel to dry off. He's kept those hung up, at least - if only because he hasn't been using them. When finished, he hangs it up again and then looks to Kairi, a crooked smile on his face.]

B--Better?

Hmmm...

[She only pretends to consider as she continues to peel the orange with a thumb, but quickly finds herself actually thinking the question over.

She grins.]

Well, you'll need a haircut soon, but for now I think you're okay.

[Xanth reaches up and pinches a strand of hair. Or, well, it's actually more like several strands, as greasy hair tends to stick together.

Then he drops his hand, brushes it against his pant leg.]

Y-Yeah, it's, um, this is-- l-longer than I've h-had it in... y-years.

[He goes to sit next to Kairi, careful not to jostle her or her lapful of oranges.]

Well,

[She's still grinning, and hands Xanth the half-peeled orange.]

If you like it, you could do something with it.

[Trying very hard not to giggle.]

Like braids.

[Xanth takes the orange from her and continues the peeling process.]

W-Well, I, I-I don't-- know if it's th-that long, yet...

[He gives his head a brisk shake and his bangs fall over his eyes. His smile goes sheepish and slightly unsure.]

Um. O-Or, maybe, y-yeah.

Heh,

[Leaning sideways, she bumps him gently with her shoulder.]

Just kidding.

Are... You okay?

[His smile grows wider at the shoulder-bump, but then disappears entirely at her question. For a few seconds, Xanth doesn't reply; he just peels his orange.

Then, honestly:]

I... I-I don't know. I, I-I should be, i-it was-- w-weeks ago, b-but...

[He trails off, biting his lip.]

Oh...

[She had thought maybe he'd lost a friend. Well, he had lost a friend, hadn't he? She was the one who had insisted that he and Riku were friends. Still, she hadn't guess that it was this that was upsetting him.

And part of her wasn't really willing to talk about it. It had been awful. But Riku was back. That was all that mattered.]

I didn't know. I should have talked to you about it.

I'm sorry.

[Xanth shrugs one shoulder.]

N-No, it's, i-it's not... your f--fault. D-Don't... don't worry.

[His issues were not Kairi's problems. In fact, he would rather not speak of them at all, but she is so hard to lie to. And weeks of solitude hadn't helped, so maybe talking would?

But not to Kairi. No. She couldn't know that Xanth, not the sickness, had taken Riku's life.]

[But she does worry.

Because Riku had said that Varric had changed.

And Riku had been infected too.]

Xanth? What happened?

[She should never have left.]

Did he hurt you?

[Xanth drops his head with a small, mirthless laugh.]

N-No, no, he... h-he didn't. H-He was... w-way too... sick t--to do anything.

[Xanth has stopped peeling his orange. Instead, he absentmindedly tears at what rind he has peeled.]

[He laughed. That isn't funny. She can't understand.]

I should have stayed with him.

[When he was so sick and hurting.]

I should have been there...

[When he died.]

[Xanth cringes.]

N-No, it's...

[Death is ugly. There's blood, seizing, choking breaths, and their eyes... Xanth will not forget the sight of Riku's dead eyes. No matter Riku's cause of death, Xanth is glad that Kairi didn't see it.

Now, he swallows hard.]

H-He wasn't... he... w-wasn't a-- alone. I-I was-- I... I-I s--stayed with him.

Maybe, I could have helped.

[She doesn't really believe it. And she doesn't know which she likes less, that she could and did nothing, or that she was helpless yet again.]

Did it hurt him?

[She would regret asking. She needs to know.]

[Xanth's throat tightens.]

Y...Yeah.

I-I don't... I don't know if-- i-if he... r-remembers. He was... h-he... he was r-really, really s--sick...

[Her hands clench into fists in her knees and she stares down at them.]

I know.

[He was dying.]

Xanth? Thanks.

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