Twenty-seventh Link

[colorbymemory]

Characters: Namine, Iron Liz
Content: Namine has some questions for Liz
Location: Liz's room
Time of Day: Not long after Ammy pulled the lever to end the "raised by wolves" effect.
Warnings: Could possibly end up as a version of The Talk.


Normally, Namine didn't like to bother people with her troubles. Explaining herself wasn't always easy--she had trouble with words--and she didn't like to be a burden. Helping was so much nicer.

This was the second time Riku had acted oddly about being alone in one of their rooms, though, and if she was going to understand she needed to know why. The books on the media deck didn't seem to be much help, and he'd told her to ask one of the other girls, anyway.

So here she was, knocking at Liz's door, hoping her friend was home.

Comments

[colorbymemory]

Well, Riku definitely seemed embarrassed by the particular subject Namine was thinking about.

"No, it's something fairly specific. When we exchanged presents at Christmas, we opened them in his room, but he kept the door open, and when I asked why, he said something about people thinking he was taking advantage...but then he wouldn't say say why they'd think that." To her it was strange to think Riku would try to take advantage of her. "Then, there was the time we thought we were wolves? When we woke up from that, we were laying on my bed. He said we shouldn't have been doing that, but we'd just been sleeping...He looked really embarrassed, too."

Had she been given a little more social education, Namine would probably be embarrassed. As it was, her confusion was probably fairly obvious. Well, also maybe a little relieved to have gotten through the explanation. That was almost the most she had ever spoken at one time.

[punsofiron]

...Oh. Oh dear.

Welp. Liz guessed she was now starting to play more of a parental role than she thought she would coming onto this Satellite.

She fiddles with her fingers idly a moment before answering, sounding a little embarrassed.

"I think he might be worried the others will think you're having sex."

[colorbymemory]

Well, at least she wasn't being asked to play the role of health teacher. Because, Liz mentioning a certain word brought up memories of what had happened when Ven mentioned it on Cambot. Which meant Namine was not inclined to ask for any further details, blushing and suddenly sounding embarrassed herself.

"Oh! I didn't think...Sorry!...But why would they..."

[punsofiron]

"I know, it's a ridiculous assumption." Most private time she spent with Linkara only really consisted of reading comic books on the futon, and they were both old enough to consider sex without society's weird looks.

"But that's just how some people think. Any time two people get into a relationship, everybody assumes that sex is involved."

She offers a smile, though, "At least it sounds like Riku's being a gentleman. I've known too many boys in my time who would spread rumors about girls they're with, whether anything happened or not."

Those two icons together...XD

[colorbymemory]

Namine nodded in agreement. Even with the change in their relationship, she and Riku still spent a lot of time working on art projects, though now they also did things like go swimming. 'Age of consent' was something she hadn't heard mentioned yet, but she didn't know enough to ask about it either.

"Strange." Namine sighed. "He wouldn't do anything like that...Other boys would?"

[punsofiron]

"Some of them. It's sad, really. They're so caught up in their pride that they'll say anything to look like the bigger man, even if it hurts someone who likes them. You're lucky you found such a sweetheart."

[colorbymemory]

Riku certainly had his pride, but thank goodness he used different methods to boost it. At least that's a good point to his character, and Namine brightens at Liz's compliment. "Thank you. Those other boys sound really silly, if they do that."

She really was lucky.

[punsofiron]

"Silly is a good word for it." she could think of some strong words she could use, but she wouldn't go there now; Namine had enough questions as it was.

"At least some of them grow out of it after a while."

[colorbymemory]

While Namine had heard some stronger words courtesy of Axel, she'd taken the warnings that they weren't good words seriously, and so didn't use them. She wouldn't have been totally shocked if Liz did, but yes, she might have asked more questions.

"At least some of them improve."