Robin(F) POV
"This was your idea of relaxation?!"
"What?" Shulk defended. "I think it's a great way to relax and stay in shape. I'm sure the Wii fit trainer would agree with me."
"Yeah but…I didn't even know this place had a swimming pool." It was true. I could even feel the scent of chlorine filtering through the gap under the door we were currently standing outside of. The door in question was modern, much more so than the rest of the mansion; most everything I'd seen so far had been spiralling marble columns, lush carpets and ornate oak doors. This door with its frosted glass and metal framework (complete with a sign reading 'Pool entrance: reception area') simply didn't fit in. And yet here it was.
"Really?" He frowned at me, making sure I wasn't joking. "Well then this is the perfect opportunity to go. My treat for being a horrible person."
"Come one, Shulk, that wasn't your fault. You were just worried for me that's all. I might've done the same thing in your place."
"But…" I cut him off with another hug.
"No but's, Shulk. Let's forgive, forget, and move on."
"…Can we still go to the pool?" I cringed inwardly. He really wasn't giving up was he?
"Sure." His face lit up, making me feel even worse. I must've been more obvious than I realised because he picked up on my unease the second we separated.
"Robin…what's wrong?"
"I…I know swimming's good for you but…"
"Can't you swim?"
"N-no, no of course!" I said, waving him off. "It's just…I get self-conscious."
"Oh…"
"Yeah…"
"…I've gone and made things worse again, haven't I? I wanted to make things up to you and I just made it awkward."
"Hey don't say that!" I said, grabbing him lightly by the shoulders. "Don't apologise for my self- consciousness! You weren't to know."
"Yeah…I'm sure it happens to the best of us."
"Except you," I pointed out. "You just waltz into matches wearing your swimming trunks on occasion."
"Hey my stuff was in the washing that day!"
"All 6 pairs of shirts and shorts? Really?"
"…Yes."
"And what about Samus when she wears the two-piece variation of her Zero suit? Is her power suit in the wash on those days?"
"Well maybe she…" He paused for a second, his face becoming pensive. He snapped his fingers, making me jump. "You're just trying to side track me aren't you?"
"…"
"I knew it!" I scowled slightly but couldn't keep it going so I conceded.
"I don't have a costume."
"They've got loads in the changing areas."
"I've…got a cold."
"No you don't." I racked my brains, desperately trying to come up with a plausible excuse.
"Couldn't we just read some books instead? That's my idea of relaxation."
"Robin…" he said seriously, placing his hand on my shoulder. "I like reading too but one thing will lead to another and we'll end up researching things in the library again. Relaxation and work don't go together."
"Says who?"
"Me. If you don't want to go I won't force you. I just think it'll be good for a change of pace."
"…" He did have a point. Even me with all my tacticians' wisdom couldn't argue otherwise without looking like a complete killjoy. In other words: he'd got me. "Alright fine I was but I'm still not comfortable with the idea."
"Seriously, Robin. It's a pool. We swim there. It's not a competition to see who has the best figure."
"Says the guy with the abs."
"That's beside the point. The point is we all go there to relax and have a good time, not to compare our bodies."
"Some people will still judge me."
"People judging other people is a part of life. We can't stop that but in the end who really cares? We get respect for how well we do in the matches and nothing else. Mario isn't exactly beach ready but he still goes for fun. Can you imagine Bowser Junior in swimming trunks?"
"I've…never even seen him out of that creepy clown machine. He might not even have a bottom half for all I know."
"Don't get side tracked. Look, Robin. The bottom line is this'll be a good way to wind down after everything that's happened. For once can we just pretend we're not fighting our own dreams or that you suddenly got bipolar or…"
"Okay I get the point! Fine I'll go." He got all serious again (much to my inner amusement).
"Robin you have to go because you want to go, not because I'm pressuring you…which I hope I'm not."
"Well you kind of failed there." His face fell. "But…I think maybe you're right. It's just a bit of relaxation. Hell I'm the one who suggested we do something to relax and all I've done is get worked up about it. That's about as counterproductive as it gets."
"You can say that again." We stayed in silence for a few seconds. "You ready?"
"As I'll ever be." We pushed open the double doors together, the wall of chlorinated air hitting me in the face immediately. It wasn't overtly unpleasant but there was a lot of it, perhaps a given considering where we were. Speaking of where we were… "Whoa…" We were only in the reception area but I could already tell the place was something special. This was no small pond or half-baked attempt to build a pool in a back garden somewhere…this…this was the real deal.
"See I told you you'd like it," Shulk said, grinning. "You haven't seen anything yet." He was right. After saying hello to the shih-Tzu assist trophy from Villager's world at the reception desk (and taking a locker key each), Shulk grabbed my hand and practically dragged me along to the changing rooms. He really was like a kid in a candy market. His enthusiasm proved to be infectious and I was soon grinning along with him.
The walls down here were just as modern as I'd anticipated; hyper modern glass panelling and plastic signs adorned the walls and the floor was made up of countless mosaic tiles, all covered in a slight sheen of water. I'd have to be sensible to avoid falling over but that was a given. I liked to think I was a sensible person.
"I'll see you in a bit, Robin," Shulk called as he walked off into the male changing areas. I didn't bother replying, knowing he'd likely be too excited to hear me. Shulk was right when he said there was lots to choose from. It was basically like walking into another room, not a wardrobe.
"Holy…" I couldn't finish. Costumes of all shapes and sizes. As many colours as the brain could differentiate between. It really shouldn't've been a surprise considering Master Hand's powers but it still floored me. One pieces, bikinis, jumpsuits, skirt variations, and…I quickly averted my eyes out of modesty, feeling a blush touch my cheeks. There was no way anyone with any self-respect would wear things with so little fabric.
I hastily grabbed a t-shirt style top and modesty skirt bottoms, both black, and bundled myself into a changing cubicle. There was no way I was going to show any more skin than absolutely necessary. When I was done I took a moment to look at myself in the mirror, not out narcissism but out of plain curiosity.
The skirt was frillier than I'd have liked but it did at least come down past my mid-thigh. The top was also shorter than I'd anticipated and exposed the tiniest sliver of my lower midriff but it was close enough to the coverage I was after so I let it slide. Sighing, and knowing I was probably keeping Shulk waiting, I dumped my clothes in the nearest locker and went to find him.
Walking out into the main pool area was slightly deafening. Although there weren't many people here they sure did make a lot of noise. There was actually three different pool areas, two of them bigger than the ones I'd seen in the Olympic picture books.
Toon Link was splashing around with Ness and Lucas in the smaller one. Luigi was standing on the highest diving board, likely too scared to actually jump, much to the annoyance of Captain Falcon yelling up to him to get on with it. A couple of others were just milling around, having a good time. I noted that Meta Knight still didn't remove his mask, even when swimming. Shulk wasn't hard to spot, standing at the poolside sporting his usual blue swim shorts.
"Whoa, Robin…geez."
"What?" I said, folding my arms across my chest.
"Is that swimwear or pajamas?"
"I can leave right now!" I threatened, pointing a finger at him.
"Relax!" He said, laughing. "I kidding. I don't know what you were complaining about earlier. You hide a lot under that coat of yours."
"Hey…" I scolded, feeling my blush returning. "Knock it off."
"I'm serious," he continued. "If your Lucina's got half a brain she'd fall for you seeing you like this." I winced but didn't let it show. That dull ache had returned once more, reminding me of the injustice of it all. I still hadn't told Shulk the truth about why I couldn't be with Lucina and I'd only let Rosalina in on it because she was smart enough to figure most of it out on her own. Maybe one day I'd tell him…
"Hey, yeah I guess," I said, forcing the warmth back into my voice. That was a problem for another time and I was supposed to be relaxing. Taking a deep breath, I pushed away the feelings of longing and instead replaced it with a calming aura. Much better.
"Come on, Robin," Shulk ordered, grabbing my hand. "We didn't come here to stand and look at the water, we came to swim in it. He dragged me around the poolside faster than I'd have liked and I could sense slipping was inevitable but luckily someone else called him out on it before we did.
"HEY! Youse two stop running in the pool area, yeah?" I turned around to see the most unpleasant sight of Wario in swimming trunks yelling at us from across the pool.
"Sorry!" Shulk called back over. I gave him a confused look. "He's the lifeguard," he explained. "He doesn't do it because he cares about safety or anything but Master Hand apparently pays him enough. He'll do anything if he gets paid."
"That's a sad way to live," I muttered.
"Robin, think happy thoughts!" Shulk exclaimed, apparently hearing me. "Enjoy yourself."
Sure. I can enjoy myself, right? Sure I can. I let Shulk's infectious energy consume me and the fake warmth I'd filled myself with before was soon replaced by the genuine article. I could get used to this, I thought. He led me over to the shallow end of the unoccupied pool and the two of use slipped into the water. The temperature was perfect, like heaven on my skin. I could definitely get used to this. I let out a small moan of pleasure. Maybe this was better than reading after all? Maybe.
"See I told you you'd like it." I resettled myself, letting the water come up to my chin.
"You can say that again. This is honestly one of the nicest feelings I've ever experienced." It really was. The water was like some sappy metaphor for pleasure itself, sending wave after wave of relaxation flowing through not just my body but my mind as well. Even the lingering scent of chlorine did nothing to quell the gentle tug of calm the water brought.
I let my eyes close after seeing Shulk do the same. I might even let myself doze off, I thought. Minutes passed and I gradually drifted towards the embrace of sleep. The benefits of naps was something well known to me and who was I to disagree? The gentle lap of the water was ever so nice…I sat bolt upright, the calm shattered by a slight pressure on my lower leg.
"Shulk!" I hissed.
"Robin, go back to relaxing," he mumbled, not opening his eyes. "What did I tell you?"
"Something just brushed past my leg. I could've sworn…"
"It's all in your head, Robin. Relax."
"But…"
"No buts." I frowned. Maybe it had been my imagination? Normally I'd have pursued my gut feelings and investigate but right now the only gut feelings I was getting was to relax.
Damn you, Shulk. Making me want to…relax. I closed my eyes again. It was probably just Ness or Lucas trying to prank me or something. Yeah…I let a minute smile cross my lips. Investigating could wait. The water was still ever so nice. Yeah…no distractions, no non-existent pokes, no…nothing. I lay back, resting my head gently back on the ridge of the pool. I could get used to this. I let out a sigh of contentment.
"F**k!" I yelled, my relaxation well and truly disturbed this time by a sharp, stabbing pain. I threw myself underwater, not caring how ungraceful I may have looked. It didn't matter, only catching whoever was trying to…stab my leg did. Though I wasn't wearing goggles I could just make out who'd poked me for a second time now floating nearby. Their face was contorted into some sort of cartoonish grin, as if taunting me.
Not thinking, I lashed out at my aggressor, and tried to push them away but to my surprise (and painful anguish) I struck solid metal. It was like my hand was on fire, quite ironic given where I was. I swore for a second time but this time water entered my mouth. Coughing and sputtering, I swam to the surface, my tormentor following suit. Once my eyes cleared I got a proper look at my assailant. Seriously?
"Bowser junior! What's wrong with you? I'm trying to relax here!"
"Haha I got you!" The Koopa prince jeered, pointing at me from inside his cockpit. It appeared the Clown car he so often used doubled as a submarine, complete with a glass dome over the control panel and small fins jutting out at the sides. It also turned out that the grinning face I'd seen had been the main body of the Clown Car, and with my blurry underwater vision I'd struck it, thinking it to be a real face. I was now paying the price for the mistake.
"Wh…" I didn't get to finish, the brat cutting me off mid-sentence.
"Betcha I scared you good, didn't I?"
"Not really," I said, trying to keep voice as level as possible. "It was just really annoying and painful." I eyed the mechanical fork that was slowly retracting back into the contraptions body. Ouch. "Why do you keep poking me?"
"No reason," he said, leaning back like it was nothing. "But Iggy bet me if I could get you to say naughty bad words that he'd get me an ice cream."
"But you can have ice cream any time you want!" I hissed, trying not to wake Shulk (who, remarkably, hadn't been woken by our commotion). "Master Hand doesn't lock it away or anything. It's there in the freezers for anyone!"
"But dad keeps putting it on the highest shelf so I can't reach it," he explained, pouting. "He says I'll get fat if I keep eating it and not getting any exercise." He did have a point. Not once had I seen Bowser junior out of his comical vehicle (or its aquatic counterpart it seemed); he really was that lazy. But I was getting side tracked.
"You're a real pest, you know? The one time I try to relax and enjoy myself and of course you come over and harass me. Go play with Ness and Lucas or something," I said, gesturing over to the other pool where the two were still splashing each other. He shook his head, if I wasn't mistaken, a look of resentment plastered onto his features.
"Those meanies won't let me join in. They say I'm 'cheating' by using my Clown Car." As if to prove a point I flicked a load of water over the top of the vehicle, watching the droplets streak down the sides in streams.
"They've got a point. Splashing's only fun if they can get you back."
"No it's only fun when I win! I only entered this competition to impress dad and get him to think I'm tough."
"Well you're doing a swimming job of that, aren't you?" I remarked. "Poking a helpless young woman in the leg a few times for some ice cream. Not being allowed to play with the other kids because of your selfishness. I'm quaking in my boots."
"H-hey that isn't true!" He snarled, looking anything but intimidating from behind his glass shield. "But hey joke's on you 'cos I'm still getting ice cream. Have being wet and cold, loser!" Before I could think up anything else to retort, the Koopa prince threw the Clown Car into reverse and sprayed me with a small shower of water in doing so. The Car hopped out of the pool and extended its wheels, ready to drive away. Of course with the floor being soaked, Bowser junior quickly lost control and crashed straight into Wario's life guard chair. If I believed in Karma now would be an excellent example. I watched the whole scene with mild amusement as the brat was chewed out for Wario for 'running' by the poolside.
I quickly lost interest as the smaller of the two became close to tears, feeling only slightly sympathetic for him. I hadn't wanted to say those things to him but sometimes to be kind you have to be cruel, so goes the saying. The only way a kid as spoiled as him would learn anything was by harsh means. Sad but true. Plus…he'd ruined my relaxation. I was getting so good at it too.
I tried to get comfortable again but it just wasn't working. Sighing, I looked over to Shulk who was still blissfully unaware of the events that had just transpired. How he managed to stay relaxed despite the now furious Wario's tirade against the poor Koopa kid was beyond me.
Deep breaths. I can do this. I sucked ever more of that chlorine tinted air into my lungs, dispelling slowly it after holding it for a few moments. I let my breaths match up to Shulk's and the gentle lapping of the ripples on the side of the pool. Slowly but surely I was becoming one with the water again, one breath at a time.
After one more cursory glance around the space, seeing the Italian lifeguard now done with Bowser junior (the latter threatening to tell his dad on him) and Luigi finally plucking up the courage to take the high dive, I decided now was a good time to close my eyes. I let them flutter shut, a wave of relaxation flowing outwards into the small muscles surrounding them before rippling gently through my body, mirroring the ripples on the poolside. Yeah…relaxation never felt so good. A smile crossed my face once more. There were no distractions this time when I fell asleep this time.
A/N: You see how clever and awesome I am?! The chapter title is 'a change of pace' but the content itself is also a change of pace. I'm so original. I wanted one where things are a bit more layed back and relaxing because the last few (and story in general) has been plot heavy and action oriented so far. Plus with all that's going on it makes sense Robin and Shulk would want to wind down.
So this is basically 'fluff: the chapter' at least in the early part. We don't have enough fluff, do we?I guess this can also be my obligatory fanservice chapter because swimming costume Robin and Shulk are sure to make some people happy. For the record I know there's DLC for Awakening where Robin goes to the beach but because I'm cheap I never got it, thus I don't know what her in game swimwear is. However I can picture Robin being really confident on the battlefield but kinda shy when it comes to showing her other sides so her costume reflected that. I can't imagine her showing more skin than necessary.
I got an image of Wario in swim shorts in my mind so that's why he features here. The image was terrifying. Bowser Junior also here because he's one of my most used Smashers online but I've hardly used him in this fic (apart from a small cameo) so I thought it was about time I changed that. His clown car can turn into a submarine in New Super Mario Bros U so just it's justified.
He can swim in Mario and Sonic at the Olympic games so there you go but I feel he'd like to use the vehicle over actually swimming out of...brattiness. That's definitely a word. I've seen before in Mario party trophies that Bowser junior is said to be lonelier than he lets on so I included a little bit of that to develop him a bit. How does Robin know what an Olmpic pool is? She reads a lot and Mario and Sonic have held many olympic games together. Go figure. So yeah lighthearted stuff before...other stuff.
MahNati: Ah who knows what Lucina's true feelings are? I'd like to think it's a bit of both but she'd never admit to it. I can understand your dislike of Reflet, I really can. Sometimes we just can't bring ourselves to like people no matter what they do. Maybe I should write an alt ending where it was Cloud all along? I'd get a kick out of that.
Heman2000: I nearly called you 'Henman2000' when writing this. That's a thing. I too would enjoy black mage but I'll make do. Reyn would also be super cool. Phoenix...maybe for jokes? Snake? Could well be. I guess your philosophy is 'as long as you don't bother me with it I'm cool with it'. I understand. People can accept things as long as it doesn't bother them. Sweeping generalisation but...eh.
Wiltarrow: Alas, Reflet still influences the situation from beyond her passing. It can't be helped. As time moves on we'll see what motivations our mystery culprits abide by. There've been several veiled hints throughout the story so far as to the endgame but I won't spoil by saying where they are. I'm not one to sponge the fun out searching. Yeah on rewatching you're right about the symbol but the precense of Kanji at all is still similar in some respects to Shulks. And a boosting move in limit breaker like the Monado arts? Come on. I'm aware it only powers the next move but still.
Guest: I don't not like Shovel Knight. In fact I think he'd be an interesting addition but the way everyone's hyped him up and said he's like the next coming or something has made me hate him. There are so many more deserving candidates for DLC than him. Still better than Dixie Kong or Isaac.
Seriously how many people have actually played Golden Sun? Not many. How many placed Fire emblem: Binding blade but still wanted Roy? This is the issue I have with the fanbase. Roy basically exists to be in Yaoi fanfictions with Marth. That's his whole character right there. I think I got carried away there. My chapter, my rules. I'll see you in the next one. Review and stuff.