[Riz didn't, for the record, mean to call Allura. It's just that... after finding out Boober was gone, his first instinct was to check up on all his friends (stupid, cause shouldn't he be happy if one of them wasn't here anymore, if they had gone back home?)
Allura's name was still in his contacts list, at least (unlike Boober's) which... probably meant she was fine. But ought he check anyway? How long did it take for someone to disappear and for their gear to go inactive? What if her gear was still active, but she wasn't? What if--
No. This was stupid. And anyway, if he did call, Riz doesn't know how he'd be able to make it sound smooth and normal, and not just... paranoid weird.
So yeah. He definitely hadn't meant to call Allura.
But something must have glitched in his device, because suddenly, it's calling all on its own
(it's actually Emet's Rotom that has snuck into Riz's device to torment him)
and Riz tries to scramble and disconnect the call before it--]
[He drags out the Hey awkwardly, not even sure what to say. How is he going to start and explain this? 'Oh hi, one person I consider a friend left this world, which is totally a great thing, so I went super paranoid and accidentally called you while making sure you are still here'.
He can't say that. Nobody wants to be friends with a basket case like that.]
I. Uh. Totally meant to call you. For a reason. On purpose.
[Riz even mimes throwing an imaginary foot blood rush ball. Which is, coincidentally, about as much as he knows about Bloodrush despite having gone to all of Gorgug and Fabian's games. Listen, he's just not a sports guy, ok.
But right. He can see he is not exactly fooling Allura here. And why did he even think he could pull that off? His deception is shit.]
Ugh. Fine. I didn't call you about that. I-- I didn't mean to call you at all. It was an accident. I was just... looking at your contact.
[Riz had known Rainer too, and yet it hadn't hit him as hard when she had gone home. Maybe it was because while she carried a certain sense of familiarity --being one of the few other people who seemed to come from a world like his-- in the end, she felt mostly like someone he could've gone to school with, someone who could've fitted in so easily at Aeguefort.
Boober though. Boober was weird and anxious and liked odd things that nobody else liked and Riz had felt a kinship with him; the kind of kinship that can only exist between two people at the edges of any friend group, always slightly out of step with everybody else.]
Nothing. I guess. I guess I just wanted to make sure you were still here.
Which is stupid, isn't? We should be happy for anyone who manages to find their way home.
It isn't stupid at all, Riz. Not the least bit stupid. [Especially since... well, going home isn't always a great thing, in the case of war or death, but she won't bring that part up.] Thank you for checking on me as well.
[Riz's world isn't all roses, not with the Nightmare King and Kalina out there, but it is a world in which his mom exists, in which the Bad Kids exist, which makes it infinitively better than any other world out there.]
You don't have to thank me. It's not like I could've done anything if you weren't.
Well, no... [She pauses a minute to try and find the right words.] But it means something, knowing that someone would miss me if I left, besides the people from my own world.
[She won't go on and on about how having someone mourn her absence used to feel like a luxury after she woke up and Altea was destroyed, one she wasn't sure she would be able to obtain outside of Coran and the mice. But she's glad, to make strong enough bonds to be missed, to miss them.]
I'm sure Boober would appreciate it too, if he was here. And... I would miss you very much, if it had been you. I know it's a little selfish of me, but I am glad you're still here too, Riz.
Okay. Okay. I'm not really... used to the idea of anyone missing me.
I mean, my mom, yeah. [Said in a tone that drips with 'obviously' because she is a mom and that is what good moms do, and Sklonda is, frankly, the best.] And the Bad Kids. But... nobody else.
[And even the bad kids was a pretty new (well, year-and-a-half-ish) development.]
I know the feeling. [Okay, maybe she can share this.] After Altea was destroyed, all I had left were the mice and my advisor Coran. The humans were complete strangers from a totally different planet, while they already knew each other and needed a strong friendship to form Voltron.
[Starved for connection as she was, she thought she was the most expendable member of the team, the one that would be missed least strategically or emotionally if something happened to her.]
[This was a good conversation to have, but also, rather emotional. And Riz still isn't very good at any of this. It takes effort for him to open up, and though he allowed Allura a glance at what is inside his feelings safe (this is absolutely a healthy way to think about feelings), leaving it open for too long makes him antsy.]
Uh. Listen. Good talk but I-- I have to go now. I heard Mando calling. He's on fire. Mando is on fire, Allura, I have to go.
[This is a very real situation that is happening, do not question this.]
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Allura's name was still in his contacts list, at least (unlike Boober's) which... probably meant she was fine. But ought he check anyway? How long did it take for someone to disappear and for their gear to go inactive? What if her gear was still active, but she wasn't? What if--
No. This was stupid. And anyway, if he did call, Riz doesn't know how he'd be able to make it sound smooth and normal, and not just... paranoid weird.
So yeah. He definitely hadn't meant to call Allura.
But something must have glitched in his device, because suddenly, it's calling all on its own
(it's actually Emet's Rotom that has snuck into Riz's device to torment him)
and Riz tries to scramble and disconnect the call before it--]
Crap.
[-- connects!]
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[Allura, meanwhile, is on the way to Olivine City with Keith, only a day away, when her gear starts ringing. And it's Riz. Swearing.]
Riz?
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[He drags out the Hey awkwardly, not even sure what to say. How is he going to start and explain this? 'Oh hi, one person I consider a friend left this world, which is totally a great thing, so I went super paranoid and accidentally called you while making sure you are still here'.
He can't say that. Nobody wants to be friends with a basket case like that.]
I. Uh. Totally meant to call you. For a reason. On purpose.
[Finger. Guns. Awkwardly.]
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[. . .]
I'm listening...
[Natural 1 on that Deception check, Riz.]
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(not crimes. It's not crimes.)
((Judging by all his friends, it's kissing but Riz super does not want to talk about that.))]
Yes. Right. Uh.
Doooo... do you like Bloodrush?
[He's sure people talk about sports. Not people who are Riz, but like. In general.]
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You mean adrenaline rushes? A bit, but no more than average. I take it that's not why you chose to call, is it?
[And this is how Riz came up with the idea to bring Bloodrush to the world of Pokémon?]
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[Riz even mimes throwing an imaginary
footblood rush ball. Which is, coincidentally, about as much as he knows about Bloodrush despite having gone to all of Gorgug and Fabian's games. Listen, he's just not a sports guy, ok.But right. He can see he is not exactly fooling Allura here. And why did he even think he could pull that off? His deception is shit.]
Ugh. Fine. I didn't call you about that. I-- I didn't mean to call you at all. It was an accident. I was just... looking at your contact.
[That sure doesn't sound weird.]
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Somehow I figured. [Said with a tone dry as the desert, but then it softens.] Is everything all right?
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[A lie. Riz has not been good a single day in his life.]
It's just-- ... do you know Boober?
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I can't say that I do.
[Oh. Oh...]
Were they another visitor here?
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[Anxieties like Riz.]
He's... he's not here anymore. He went home. Pretty cool, right? That he managed to find a way home.
[His voice is a little raspy maybe.]
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I'm so sorry, Riz...
[Jaskier and his family, Rainer... she's no stranger to the pain, especially since she and Riz were both friends of Rainer.]
I really appreciate you calling me for this, even if it was on accident. What do you need from me now?
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Boober though. Boober was weird and anxious and liked odd things that nobody else liked and Riz had felt a kinship with him; the kind of kinship that can only exist between two people at the edges of any friend group, always slightly out of step with everybody else.]
Nothing. I guess. I guess I just wanted to make sure you were still here.
Which is stupid, isn't? We should be happy for anyone who manages to find their way home.
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[Oh... her heart aches a little as she smiles.]
It isn't stupid at all, Riz. Not the least bit stupid. [Especially since... well, going home isn't always a great thing, in the case of war or death, but she won't bring that part up.] Thank you for checking on me as well.
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You don't have to thank me. It's not like I could've done anything if you weren't.
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Well, no... [She pauses a minute to try and find the right words.] But it means something, knowing that someone would miss me if I left, besides the people from my own world.
[She won't go on and on about how having someone mourn her absence used to feel like a luxury after she woke up and Altea was destroyed, one she wasn't sure she would be able to obtain outside of Coran and the mice. But she's glad, to make strong enough bonds to be missed, to miss them.]
I'm sure Boober would appreciate it too, if he was here. And... I would miss you very much, if it had been you. I know it's a little selfish of me, but I am glad you're still here too, Riz.
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[He says this like it's a very novel concept, the idea of being missed.]
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[A quiet little nod.]
I don't say that lightly, Riz. You've become a very good friend in our time here.
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I mean, my mom, yeah. [Said in a tone that drips with 'obviously' because she is a mom and that is what good moms do, and Sklonda is, frankly, the best.] And the Bad Kids. But... nobody else.
[And even the bad kids was a pretty new (well, year-and-a-half-ish) development.]
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I know the feeling. [Okay, maybe she can share this.] After Altea was destroyed, all I had left were the mice and my advisor Coran. The humans were complete strangers from a totally different planet, while they already knew each other and needed a strong friendship to form Voltron.
[Starved for connection as she was, she thought she was the most expendable member of the team, the one that would be missed least strategically or emotionally if something happened to her.]
It's different, now, but... I know the feeling.
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Uh. Listen. Good talk but I-- I have to go now. I heard Mando calling. He's on fire. Mando is on fire, Allura, I have to go.
[This is a very real situation that is happening, do not question this.]
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[.... Okay, not QUITE a Natural 1 this time, but enough that Allura shakes her head with a totally serious and convinced smile and raised eyebrow.]
Of course, Riz. Please take care and let me know if you need anything.
[Like putting out space-dad fires... or more talking about feelings.]