#conversations. ⸻ robby swayze keene.

[karatelives-a]

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓:               ＂         i   should   be   apologizing   to   you.         ＂            (      @senseibalance      )

𝐡𝐞   𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬𝐧’𝐭   𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲   𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐧𝐝,      preferring   to   sit   there   in   brooding   silence   as   lips   rub   together   thoughtfully.               ―               robby   isn’t   used   to   people   saying   sorry.         far   more   accustomed   to   them   making   excuses   over   apologies         :         attempting   to   justify   their   actions,      rather   than   account   for   them.         even   he   himself   is   GUILTY   of   such   behaviour,      following   in   the   footsteps   of   his   elders.         things   are   different   these   days.         recent   changes   have   seen   certain   developments   he   previously   didn’t   think   was   possible         &         though   a   part   of   him   still   doubted   how   permanent   it   would   all   eventually   prove   to   be,      the   boy   still   finds   himself   wanting   to   lean   towards   it   as   opposed   to   run.         fight   or   flight   mode   is   exhausted   on   both   ends.         maybe         (      finally      )         it   was   time   to   consider   a   third   option.

＂         i’m,   uh         .   .   .         i’m   starting   to   realise   we   should   both   be   apologising   to   each   other.         ＂                     so   much   had   happened.         they’d   have   a   hard   time   finding   someone   who   didn’t   owe   at   least   one   sorry   to   another.         bad   decisions   have   been   made   on   all   sides         &         robby   struggles   to   piece   together   why.                     ＂         you   took   me   in.         you   taught   me         .   .   .         everything.               ―               and   i   took   those   lessons   to   the   wrong   people.         ＂                     his   eyes   stay   cast   down.         they   find   a   faint   crack   in   the   path   that’s   easy   to   focus   on.         far   easier   than   meeting   the   other’s   gaze.                     ＂         i   was   just   so   ANGRY.      about   everything.         mom,   dad.      you.      all   of   it.         ＂                     robby   feels   like   he’s   had   a   lifetime   of   anger,      the   frustration   building         &         building,      left   to   fester   and   making   it   an   easy   target   to   somebody   who   fed   off   such   things.      somebody   like   kreese.

deep   breath   is   taken   in   before   head   finally   raises,      daring   to   look   at   daniel   as   he   repeated   words   similar   to   the   ones   uttered   to   johnny.                     ＂         i   don’t   wanna   be   angry   anymore.               ―               i   just   want   it   all   to   get   better.         i’m   sorry   i   let   it   get   this   bad.         ＂                     the   responsibility   weighs   heavy   on   his   shoulders,      taking   on   blame   that   isn’t   entirely   his,      always   wondering   if   things   would’ve   gotten   as   bad   as   they   did   if   he   hadn’t   encouraged   the   others.         if   he   hadn’t   helped   train   them.                     ＂         i   know   you   thought   you   were   doing   the   right   thing.         i   just   didn’t   see   it   back   then.         ＂

[karatelives-a]

FOR   AS   TOUGH   AS   ROBBY   IS,      THERE’S   A   LESSER   KNOWN   SOFTNESS   TO   HIS   CHARACTER   TOO.            —            the   young   boy   within   that’s   grown   up   quicker   than   he   𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍’𝚟𝚎,      and   still   craves   for   somebody   to   notice   he’s   there.         somebody   to   tell   him   he’s   doing   good.         he   thought   he’d   found   that   in   kreese,      the   allure   of   cobra   kai   staying   true   to   reputation   by   feeding   off   yet   another’s   vulnerabilities   and   making   him   feel   as   if,      finally,      he   might’ve   found   somewhere   𝐡𝐞   𝐟𝐢𝐭.         it’s   only   recently   he’s   starting   to   realize   he   already   had   that   here   at   miyagi   -   do,      his   resentment   over   everything   that   went   wrong   blinding   him.

＂         i   should’ve   listened   to   you      &      dad   when   you   tried   to   tell   me   what   they   were   like.         i   just   thought   you   were         .   .   .         i   don’t   know   what   i   thought.         don’t   think   i   was   doing   much   thinking   at   all.         i   didn’t   see   what   was   happening   there   until   it   started   happening   to   𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎𝚋𝚘𝚍𝚢   𝚎𝚕𝚜𝚎.         kenny.         ＂               daniel   can   tell   robby   he   ISN'T   responsible,      but   it   doesn’t   do   anything   to   shift   the   weight   of   𝘨𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵   sitting   on   his   shoulders   whenever   he   thinks   of   the   younger   karate   student.         shawn   sent   his   brother   to   him   for   help   and   somehow,      he   made   it   𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞,      pulling   another   kid   into   what   was   starting   to   feel   like   a   never   -   ending   cycle.         robby   is   tired,      which   means   he   can   only   imagine   how   mr   larusso   feels.         he’s   been   fighting   this   a   lot   longer.

head   slowly   nods   when   sensei   suggests   doing   it   right   this   time   because   that’s   all   he   wants.         another   shot,      𝘢𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳   𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦.         to   let   the   bad   shit   go   and   finish   what   he   possibly   helped   start   by   fanning   the   flames   of   a   fire.               ＂         yeah,      we   can.         ＂               if   anyone   can   push   past   his   skepticism   enough   to   convince   him   that’s   true,      it’s   @senseibalance.         despite   recent   behaviour   suggesting   otherwise,      he   still   held   the   elder   in   the   𝚑𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝   𝚛𝚎𝚐𝚊𝚛𝚍.         the   time   they   spent   training   together   taught   him   a   lot.         deep   breath   is   taken   in   and   robby   turns,      managing   a   faint   smile.               ＂         where   do   we   start,      𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐢?         ＂

he   isn't   sure   when   things   got   so   out   of   hand   .   there   is   no   real   doubt   in   his   mind   that   it   had   been   his   fault   though,   because   if   there   was   something   he   learned   from   miyagi,   is   that   there   is   no   such   thing   as   a   bad   student,   only   bad   teachers   (   and   how   cruel   would   he   be   to   blame   robby?   he   was   a   kid.   like   he   was   and   yet   he   blamed   himself   there   too   ).   the   only   solution   then,   was   to   apologize   and   like   with   johnny,   he   has   a   feeling   that   robby   is   more   of   an   action   type   of   kid,   who   prefers   to   see   evidence   rather   than   words,   even   if   words   are   good   too,   they   settle   the   path   for   forgiveness.  

"you   were   hurt.   rightfully   though,   I   lashed   out   at   you   for   no   reason."   in   the   moment,   he   was   just   in   a   panic,   sam   missing,   in   the   home   of   johnny   lawrence,   a   stranger   and   he   shifted   the   blame   to   robby   and   he   is   living   with   those   consequences   now.   daniel   understands,   the   weight   on   the   younger   man's   shoulders.   the   pain   of   it   all,   being   a   kid   and   feeling   like   you   have   to   make   everything   right.   "none   of   this   was   your   fault,   alright?   let   me   take   that   responsability,   it   was   never   yours   to   bare."   he   can   take   it   all.   kreese   and   now   silver,   they   are   all   shadows   of   his   past,   people   who   he   thought   were   gonna   be   gone   for   good   and   now   they   crawl   from   the   shadows   under   the   bed   and   into   his   kids'   lives.  

"I   should've   been   more   insistant   after   you   told   me   to   leave   you   alone."   there   is   a   short   pause,   as   brown   eyes   set   on   robby,   in   the   light   and   with   those   heavy   shoulders,   somehow   he   reminds   him   of   johnny.   "we   can   do   it   right   this   time."

[karatelives-a]

𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐏𝐓:                  ＂         you're   still   coming   over   for   dinner   tonight,   right?         ＂            (      @kingkbra      )  

𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬   𝐚   𝐛𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟   𝐩𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞   𝐨𝐟   𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞   𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭   𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐬   𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧   𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦.            ―            it   isn’t   hesitation,      so   much   as         .   .   .         unfamiliarity.         robby   is   still   getting   used   to   this   improved   bond   between   them         :         the   one   that   is   starting   to   feel   so   achingly   close   to   father         &         son,         and   sometimes?         he   needs   that   brief   moment   to   process.         to   block   those   defensive   walls   that   used   to   come   up,      but   have   slowly   started   to   fade   since   they   began   to   rebuild.         he   finally   breaks   it   a   beat   later,      head   slowly   nodding   the   yes   that’s   on   the   tip   of   his   tongue.                     ＂         i’m         .   .   .         coming   as   long   as   carmen   is   cooking.         ＂                     mouth   twitches,      a   smirk         (      one   he’s   been   told   is   just   like   his   father’s      )         brewing   on   left   hand   side.                     ＂         if   you’re   cooking,      then   i   MIGHT   have   to   consider   making   other   plans.     health   and   safety   reasons.         ＂