[Minato heads out straight off, though Riku probably beats him there; getting to the Porter and then from it in Heropa takes some time, after all. It's a good time for a talk on the beach, which is why he'd thought of it. Early evening has cast gleaming orange light across the expanse of sand, and in late August in Florida the air is warm and pleasant, the salt breeze coming off the ocean a relief. Minato picks his way across the sand, stretched out in an unbroken line as far as he can see in either direction. He hasn't bothered to take off his boots, and looks overdressed for the locale.
His only nod to where they are is the towel tucked under his arm, which he intends to spread out for them to sit on and look out over the waves as they talk.
Minato raises a hand to wave as he crests a dune and sees Riku. The rest of the beach is abandoned with the encroaching darkness, just a few groups packing up to leave. He's spent the time traveling thinking of what Riku had said, trying to piece it together, and isn't sure he's arrived at any answers.
But... maybe that's okay. They'll figure out how to handle this together.]
[Riku does beat him there, naturally. He's dressed totally differently, mostly because he lives in Heropa and it's hot there all the time. When Minato arrives he's sitting quietly on a rock, drawing designs in the sand with a stick. There's a few seagulls floating in the water nearby, and he's doodled one of them, too.
When he sees his boyfriend he smiles quietly, setting down the stick and standing to meet him. He's been thinking too, of course. Most of him has come to terms with what they've already said, the note of jealousy and panic he felt when he saw Minato's post more or less gone.]
[Minato comes right up to him and takes his hand in his without comment on it. He's pretty good at nonverbal displays, since the verbal ones are so hard for him.]
Ah... maybe a little. I didn't think about it; I was distracted.
[He leaves the statement there, unrushed and letting Riku direct things.]
[That much he can understand completely. Minato is reminded of his own fears, the ones that had led him to be reluctant to eliminate the Dark Hour. Without Shadows, would the only friends he'd ever known leave him behind?
But Jaime-kun was right: friendship doesn't go away just because the reason it began does.]
I'm sorry, too, [he apologizes again.] Maybe I should explain... but... [Minato looks for words while his gaze drifts out across the sea. It's easier when he's not looking directly at him to admit something like this.] It's new for me, to have people to care about. Even a few months ago, I wouldn't have understood it.
She's never had... the opportunity, I guess. [Riku considers, trying to weigh what he knows about Xion with what she'd be comfortable with a total stranger knowing.]
It's not my place to share the details with you, but she was a creation. She was alive for maybe a year back home, and in that time she had friends, but it wasn't... a regular setting at all. Here, she's got a better chance.
It reminds me of Aigis. A... very good friend of mine. She's a robot, and was created to fight Shadows.
But over time, she became human. She learned how to empathize with others. [A breath of silence before he confesses softly,] Sometimes I used to think she was better at it than I was.
[Minato is the antithesis of shy, so he meets his eyes readily, unwavering.
He raises his eyebrows a little.] So Riku [barely perceptible hesitation where he remembers to drop the -san] is impatient when he's frustrated? I've never seen that from you.
[The way Minato references him in the third person that way is cute, and he gives him a peck on the cheek just for that, looking pleased. After a moment, though, he sobers.]
Well... I don't think I've ever told you about the me of a year or so ago. Almost two years now, I guess. But I... messed up a lot of stuff because of my own impatience. Jealousy, too. I've been working on stifling those flaws, but... I don't know how well I'm doing.
[He's too lazy to force himself to speak in English all the time, so right now he's letting the translator take care of it. Said translator can be a bit literal with his wording sometimes... and in Japanese, third person is polite.
He blinks at the kiss on his cheek, but it's not like he minds it. He focuses on listening closely.]
I'd guess very well, with how things went today. [He tilts his head.] Do you want to tell me?
It's fine if it's not pleasant, or seems inconsistent. It's where you came from, so it's part of you. People are too complicated to have a smooth path.
[Riku considers, trailing his fingers through the sand quietly.]
So... when I was about five, a guy arrived on the islands where I lived. I was the only person to meet him. His name was Terra, and he was from another world. He left after only a few hours, and for the longest time I thought it was just my imagination, or a dream. But then a few months later, a girl named Kairi fell from the sky, and even though she had no memory of her home, the only place she could have come from was from another world. So I got kinda... obsessed, with the idea of leaving.
[Minato listens with the kind of patient receptiveness that doesn't impose anything upon the speaker. He hasn't formed any opinions, doesn't really feel anything about what he's hearing. He's just listening.
It's this sort of attitude that's gotten everyone from little girls to cranky old monks to open up to him.]
Why did you want to leave? [he prompts.] Curiosity? [He supposes most people would be interested if they knew other worlds existed. Minato probably wouldn't care unless it became relevant to him, but he understands it.]
I felt... trapped. You're from a bigger place than I am, so it might be hard to understand, but... Destiny Islands is tiny. It might be... maybe the size of Heropa? And that's just if you drew a circle around all the islands, so that includes a lot of water. Most people were fine with it, but as soon as I figured out that there really was somewhere out there, I was determined to go.
Reaching for something bigger... [The Star. Minato's suddenly certain where this story is going, simply through his experience with tarot and Social Links. It gives him insight he's relied upon heavily in the past, if not so much since coming here.]
Okay. You wanted to find something more, but you got lost.
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I'll... try to explain things from my perspective a little better. ... See you in a bit?
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[Minato heads out straight off, though Riku probably beats him there; getting to the Porter and then from it in Heropa takes some time, after all. It's a good time for a talk on the beach, which is why he'd thought of it. Early evening has cast gleaming orange light across the expanse of sand, and in late August in Florida the air is warm and pleasant, the salt breeze coming off the ocean a relief. Minato picks his way across the sand, stretched out in an unbroken line as far as he can see in either direction. He hasn't bothered to take off his boots, and looks overdressed for the locale.
His only nod to where they are is the towel tucked under his arm, which he intends to spread out for them to sit on and look out over the waves as they talk.
Minato raises a hand to wave as he crests a dune and sees Riku. The rest of the beach is abandoned with the encroaching darkness, just a few groups packing up to leave. He's spent the time traveling thinking of what Riku had said, trying to piece it together, and isn't sure he's arrived at any answers.
But... maybe that's okay. They'll figure out how to handle this together.]
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When he sees his boyfriend he smiles quietly, setting down the stick and standing to meet him. He's been thinking too, of course. Most of him has come to terms with what they've already said, the note of jealousy and panic he felt when he saw Minato's post more or less gone.]
Hey. Aren't you warm?
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Ah... maybe a little. I didn't think about it; I was distracted.
[He leaves the statement there, unrushed and letting Riku direct things.]
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I guess you were. I'm sorry I confused you. [He frowns. How to put this?] It just... I felt like I was... being left behind.
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But Jaime-kun was right: friendship doesn't go away just because the reason it began does.]
I'm sorry, too, [he apologizes again.] Maybe I should explain... but... [Minato looks for words while his gaze drifts out across the sea. It's easier when he's not looking directly at him to admit something like this.] It's new for me, to have people to care about. Even a few months ago, I wouldn't have understood it.
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Okay. I can understand that. There's a girl I know from my world who... doesn't always get it, either.
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It's not my place to share the details with you, but she was a creation. She was alive for maybe a year back home, and in that time she had friends, but it wasn't... a regular setting at all. Here, she's got a better chance.
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But over time, she became human. She learned how to empathize with others. [A breath of silence before he confesses softly,] Sometimes I used to think she was better at it than I was.
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[Riku shakes his head, then leans it quietly on Minato's shoulder.]
You do fine. At least, I think so.
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... Or you're just patient.
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I'm the opposite of patient, generally.
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Really? So I'm the exception?
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[He shrugs, sitting back up to make proper eye contact.]
You aren't... frustrating or anything.
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He raises his eyebrows a little.] So Riku [barely perceptible hesitation where he remembers to drop the -san] is impatient when he's frustrated? I've never seen that from you.
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Well... I don't think I've ever told you about the me of a year or so ago. Almost two years now, I guess. But I... messed up a lot of stuff because of my own impatience. Jealousy, too. I've been working on stifling those flaws, but... I don't know how well I'm doing.
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He blinks at the kiss on his cheek, but it's not like he minds it. He focuses on listening closely.]
I'd guess very well, with how things went today. [He tilts his head.] Do you want to tell me?
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[He considers, looking thoughtful.]
If you'll hear it. It's not all that pleasant. And some of the things I'll tell you might seem out of character for the me of the present.
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It's fine if it's not pleasant, or seems inconsistent. It's where you came from, so it's part of you. People are too complicated to have a smooth path.
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[Riku considers, trailing his fingers through the sand quietly.]
So... when I was about five, a guy arrived on the islands where I lived. I was the only person to meet him. His name was Terra, and he was from another world. He left after only a few hours, and for the longest time I thought it was just my imagination, or a dream. But then a few months later, a girl named Kairi fell from the sky, and even though she had no memory of her home, the only place she could have come from was from another world. So I got kinda... obsessed, with the idea of leaving.
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It's this sort of attitude that's gotten everyone from little girls to cranky old monks to open up to him.]
Why did you want to leave? [he prompts.] Curiosity? [He supposes most people would be interested if they knew other worlds existed. Minato probably wouldn't care unless it became relevant to him, but he understands it.]
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Okay. You wanted to find something more, but you got lost.
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