[ It doesn't feel right, does it? Asking, getting the answer, though maybe it's premature--maybe he could've said more, given the chance. Explained himself better, though there's only so far Gorgug can go with doing that. How have you been? Do you miss home? Do you miss your mom?

Of course he misses his mom. They all miss their parents (and that includes Adaine, surely, on the adoptive side). Gorgug takes a seat nonetheless while Riz speaks, inviting himself on the edge of Riz's bed just so he isn't looking down as much at him, chipping at some of the distance. But also--even if he isn't very well-prepared for his own reason for coming here, he wants to try. ]

We'll try. [ It's an affirmation to the last of what Riz says, acknowledgement before a pause. ] I'm glad you're okay. It was just... we weren't really having time to catch up with other back at school, and I don't know how good we are talking about stuff that isn't world threatening, or-- or something other than about how we're feeling. And I don't think that coming up to you like this will mean you have something to say, but...

[ But. His knees are higher than his waist from where he's sitting, and his rests his hands on top of them from where they had been on his bed. Eyes on Riz, or following him, wherever they might be. ]

I guess I wanted to think about it better. How you're doing. I never ask it as much I should.

[ He never probes deeper than surface level. It's one of those things about his relationship with Zelda he realised, way too late. Or was the true problem that he knew, but he didn't work to fix it anyway? It's easy for everyone to say that they're okay, and that's the answer you should accept, and if there's anything deeper, a distance growing, then--

You wonder if it was always meant to end up this way, or you just didn't do enough to make it a real and lasting relationship in the first place. ]