See, Roland's been to the hot springs more than once since they landed on Jema'grethy. Apart from his daily mountain hikes and working by the beach, he considers the hot springs his actual go-to holiday. He can't even remember the last time he went in for a soak, back home. So when he walks in casually, hair down and dressed in nothing but dark colored trunks with white swirls printed on them, his path is pretty much clear. He knows where to go, where to walk. He's got routine. He's even humming to himself.
But from the indoor changing area, he could already hear them like a radar attuned to a particular frequency. He smiles, folding in his clothes and setting them into a locker. Tidus and Inigo. Of course. He was actually excited to join them for a nice dip. He briefly wonders what's gotten them splashing about, talking animatedly. However, the closer he gets to the tiered pools, the clearer and stranger the conversation becomes.
'-'re really good-looking for a guy, and I'm trying really hard to not think about that too much right now, since we're friends!
It's muffled, but Roland can tell it was Inigo, and he can make out just enough. He's honestly confused enough to double-take, trying to decide on the spot if he should just run out and pick another time for a soak or if he should at least choose a pool farther away from them. This was not what he thought they would be discussing. At all. Flustered as he is, unexpectedly so, rare for someone who comes off so calm all the time, he does the exact opposite and manages to walks along the cobbled path that directly leads him to Tidus and Inigo.
'Are you happy now, huh?! Is that what you wanted to hear?! That the oddball attracted to guys thinks you look hot?!'
He stops in his tracks, with an expression even he doesn't know he's throwing. Is it too late to back out? No, not at all. He can't now. Tidus sees him, and he sees Inigo, stood in the water - scars, plenty of scars, which he files away for later, he won't forget that -
He clears his throat to signal their attention. Better this than to pretend he heard nothing just to save face.
"...I see the Teen Twins are back at it again." Roland crosses his arms against his bare chest. He still doesn't know what expression he's making as he studies them both. He's never sounded so dry or confused in his whole life. "I, uh. I'm sorry to disturb. Just a fair warning that if this is about playing games on flirting again, I really don't want to have to referee when I warned you two not to be sore losers." He pats the dry towel against his shoulder now and slowly, painfully, shuffles to try and leave.
He clears his throat a second time. He never clears his throat a second time. Wasn't Tidus with Yuna? Was Inigo...really...with...? Does he feel...? Oh boy. He just wanted a soak. He really just wanted a soak.
Roland's rubbing the back of his neck, now. "Okay, guess that's my cue to go to the sauna first. I'll - I'll see you two around. Ah, Inigo," He doesn't know what possesses him to add one last thing, but he does anyway. He wasn't trained for this. "You...You're not an oddball. Tidus, you should be honored someone as nice as him thinks you're attractive."
...Right. Unless someone stops him, he's gonna try and slink away here. Just. Very carefully, until he can find an empty hot spring a little farther away...
roland - tidus - inigo, baYBEE
But from the indoor changing area, he could already hear them like a radar attuned to a particular frequency. He smiles, folding in his clothes and setting them into a locker. Tidus and Inigo. Of course. He was actually excited to join them for a nice dip. He briefly wonders what's gotten them splashing about, talking animatedly. However, the closer he gets to the tiered pools, the clearer and stranger the conversation becomes.
'-'re really good-looking for a guy, and I'm trying really hard to not think about that too much right now, since we're friends!
It's muffled, but Roland can tell it was Inigo, and he can make out just enough. He's honestly confused enough to double-take, trying to decide on the spot if he should just run out and pick another time for a soak or if he should at least choose a pool farther away from them. This was not what he thought they would be discussing. At all. Flustered as he is, unexpectedly so, rare for someone who comes off so calm all the time, he does the exact opposite and manages to walks along the cobbled path that directly leads him to Tidus and Inigo.
'Are you happy now, huh?! Is that what you wanted to hear?! That the oddball attracted to guys thinks you look hot?!'
He stops in his tracks, with an expression even he doesn't know he's throwing. Is it too late to back out? No, not at all. He can't now. Tidus sees him, and he sees Inigo, stood in the water - scars, plenty of scars, which he files away for later, he won't forget that -
He clears his throat to signal their attention. Better this than to pretend he heard nothing just to save face.
"...I see the Teen Twins are back at it again." Roland crosses his arms against his bare chest. He still doesn't know what expression he's making as he studies them both. He's never sounded so dry or confused in his whole life. "I, uh. I'm sorry to disturb. Just a fair warning that if this is about playing games on flirting again, I really don't want to have to referee when I warned you two not to be sore losers." He pats the dry towel against his shoulder now and slowly, painfully, shuffles to try and leave.
He clears his throat a second time. He never clears his throat a second time. Wasn't Tidus with Yuna? Was Inigo...really...with...? Does he feel...? Oh boy. He just wanted a soak. He really just wanted a soak.
Roland's rubbing the back of his neck, now. "Okay, guess that's my cue to go to the sauna first. I'll - I'll see you two around. Ah, Inigo," He doesn't know what possesses him to add one last thing, but he does anyway. He wasn't trained for this. "You...You're not an oddball. Tidus, you should be honored someone as nice as him thinks you're attractive."
...Right. Unless someone stops him, he's gonna try and slink away here. Just. Very carefully, until he can find an empty hot spring a little farther away...