Roll looks incredibly… not present.
X frowns as he watches Layer and Roll in their regular bi weekly practice sessions. By this point, he might even say they're more sparring sessions, with Roll catching up in proficiency, but today their clashes seem awfully lopsided.
In a moment of distraction, Roll misses guarding against Layer's rapier. X is moving towards the two before the child hits the floor.
"Roll!" He cries, sliding down on his knees to cradle the reploid's upper body. There's a slight burn on the armor, right down the shoulder, but thankfully little else. X sighs in relief. Right. Training-use sabers. It'll sting, but severe injury was rare. Relaxing, X asks, "Are you alright?"
Roll blinks. "Yes. Sorry. I was… surprised." The child sits up, staring at the blackened paint of her armor. She turns to Layer. "I apologize. It was careless of me. Shall we start again?"
Layer frowns. "No. I think we're done for today, Roll." The navigator turned instructor sheathes her rapier, bending down to help the smaller reploid up. "You're not concentrating. Care to share what's on your mind?"
Roll flushes. "Sorry," She mutters, accepting the help up.
X stays kneeling, keeping closer to eye level with the child. "Is there something wrong, Roll?" There was a commotion a couple days ago with Zero and Rock, or so X heard. His partner hadn't been very open with the details of it, simply stating that he overreacted to something. But Zero? Overreacting? It couldn't have been a small matter.
X trusts Zero, but he hopes the reploid won't overburden himself with secrets. The reploid has no sense of self-care.
Speaking of overburdened however, Roll seems bothered as well. While not technically in charge of the children any more, X finds himself well updated on their happenings throughout HQ. He can't say he minds it. It's how he's heard from Lifesaver that Roll has been listless lately. Always preoccupied.
When the child fails to speak after a period of time, X tries, "Did something happen?"
This gets a reaction out of Roll, the child turning to look at X, surprised. "I – yes." Roll looks away again. She bites her lip. "Do you think… Commander Zero doesn't like me?"
That's not what X is expecting.
Layer's mouth flaps open in surprise before closing with an audible clack. "W-what makes you think that, Roll?" She manages out, color rising to her cheeks as ever when Zero is mentioned.
"When he was injured…" Roll starts, "Commander Zero moved away from me."
X and Layer exchange glances over the child's head. Who is going to explain Zero's social skills or lack thereof?
X awkwardly pats Roll's back. "Roll, Zero is – I'm sure that wasn't his intention. To uh, imply that he doesn't like you." He looks desperately to Layer, having run out of words.
"X is right," Layer picks up, "Zero is a mysterious person. You can't expect him to be easily understood."
Roll and X blink at the navigator, lost.
X coughs. "What Layer means, Roll, is that if Zero disliked you, he would be more obvious about it. He's not that difficult a person. Really." Social complexity was definitely not Zero's strong point.
Roll nods, facing the ground, refusing to make eye contact with X.
X sighs. What brought this on? He wasn't aware of Roll being particularly interested in keeping good rapport with Zero – they'd hardly interacted since Roll was taken off an active combat role. This can't be the entirety of the issue. "Roll, would you like me to talk with Zero? Or to talk with him directly?" X offers, watching the child carefully for a reaction.
Nip this problem in the bud. A hunter incapacitated from emotion was a dangerous variable.
Roll raises her head, startled. A direct confrontation probably hadn't crossed her mind at all. She bites her lip. "No, I – "
"What about you think about X's offer, Roll?" Layer suggests softly.
The child nods. "O-okay. I will." She steps away, turning to bow deeply at the older (looking) reploids. "Thank you, Layer, X. If I may be excused?"
Layer nods. "Come speak to me when you feel ready."
Roll nods. She bites her lip and then opens her mouth as if to add something, but shakes her head. "Have a good day." She bids, and beats a hasty escape.
X watches the reploid plod off as he straightens up. "Do you think we should be more worried?" He asks, uncertain. "From what I've heard from Zero, Roll seemed almost afraid of him in the beginning." He pauses. "Though, I don't know the nature of their relationship nowadays." Zero certainly hasn't said anything.
Layer nods sagely. "Zero occasionally misunderstands people's reactions, X." She reasons. "It may not have been fear."
X looks to the navigator. "Do you think so?" Then what could it be?
"Hm. Developmentally, Roll is at that critical stage, don't you think?" Layer muses.
X stares, lost at the non sequitur. "What?"
"She's growing up, X." Layer clarifies. "I think she'll be alright. Please let Zero know to be more sensitive to Roll in the coming days? I'm sure things will come to pass soon enough."
X blinks, still very lost. "Uhm. Right."
A talk with Zero is definitely in order. If only to try and figure out Layer's behavior as well.
-oo-
"Roll?" Rock asks, blinking. "Oh, her mood…."
X examines Rock closely, thinking of the incident involving Zero. The child may be affected as his sister. "She seems down lately. Is something going on?"
Layer may have advised X to leave well alone, but X is a habitual worrier. He flags Rock down on auto when he comes across the child in the halls and invites him for a conversation in X's office.
X vaguely feels like a counselor or overly concerned parent. He considers the idea that perhaps he is a bit too attached to the children units.
He is.
"Roll is… a little more strict on her judgment of a person." Rock says, obviously taking care to choose his words carefully. "So she's working on modifying her… relation to Zero, but she has a lot of preconceived notions to work through." The child explains. "Despite how it looks, Roll was in charge of security at home." Rock smiles wanly. "Zero looks scary so he sets her on edge, but I think Roll really does want to make friends with him." The child pauses. "But…."
"But she thinks he's rejected her already." X surmises. This makes more sense than Layer's explanation, he thinks faintly. But no, this is actually better than he's expected. Something like this – a miscommunication – can be fixed.
"X," Rock starts, "What do you think of Zero?"
X blinks. "Zero? Well," This is a question he's answered readily more times than he can count. It's been a while since the last incidence, however. "He's my trusted and oldest friend and partner." X replies. "A kind person, with more compassion than he likes to let on and a righteous heart. Though," X adds wryly, "he does have a tendency to jump before he considers the consequences. And I wish he'd try and make a few more friends." X just wanted his friend to be happy. Pick up a hobby. Something.
"I see…." Rock says, an undecipherable look on his face. "I'm glad you have someone so dear." The reploid says, voice exceedingly gentle. "I suppose we needn't have worried after all."
"What?" X starts, caught off-guard.
Rock shakes his head, laughing sheepishly and rubbing his neck. "Ah, it's nothing!" The child declares, cheer brought back full force. "I think Zero is a good person too. He's very kind." Rock nods, satisfied with his assessment. He stands up, brushing his lap off of imaginary dust. "I need to get back now," The child says, expression apologetic. "I've left some things half-done – it'll be no good if I don't finish them by today."
"That's fine," X smiles. "I'll see you around, Rock."
The child bows politely and leaves the room, closing the door neatly behind him.
X sighs. For a moment, he thought Rock sounded terribly familiar. For just a moment, X half expected to hear a deeper, older, more tired voice.
Turning to look at one of the framed photographs on his desk, X rubs at the bridge of his nose. "I must be going nuts, thinking Rock sounded like Dr. Light."
Dr, Light smiles awkwardly back at him from the confines of a framed, grainy newspaper clipping, no reassurance forthcoming.
"Definitely." X agrees.