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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 10, 2020 12:15:55 GMT -5
At first, Neku was overconfident. As soon as Henoke spiked the ball back towards him, however, the facade faded, and was forced to throw himself in for the ball. With the help of his forearm extended to reach the ball, Neku bounced it back, forming an arc a bit too easy for either to retaliate with.
“Sheesh, you’re leavin’ nothing to chance, are ya, Henoke?!” he said as he rolled back into action, standing back up after hitting sand with his entire body.
Truthfully, he was enjoying it. If the two beginners were actually going to put effort in their attacks, then the game was promising to be a fun one. Not a fan of boring and static games to begin with, Neku was eager.
“So, Neku, what's your story?” While the ball arced its way back towards Yuto, the man himself began to speak, asking about Neku’s own past. He clicked his tongue back, not really up to conversation at that point.
“Sorry, pal, but right now, my focus’s elsewhere” he warned, “Maybe later!”
As the game kept its back and forth, time passed by. The girls didn’t really move from their own, watching the game as it panned out, chatting every now and then about topics girls would usually find amusing or interesting. From morning it went to midday —and with that, lunchtime.
After the game would end —although mostly with no points scored, given that all three of had been awake and active—, Neku would grab the ball once they’d agree to stop, walking towards where Mei and Tori were waiting. Noting the guys walking their way, they stopped their talk.
“Now’d be a good time for a break?” Neku asked. Tori chuckled a bit, causing Neku to tilt his head with confusion, “What?” “You’re burnt again” she mentioned, much for Neku’s dismay. “What —huh?!” Neku glanced over to his shoulders, noting a faint red over his tanned skin, “Shit…” “Yeah —weren’t you the one worried about that to begin with?” “Oh, knock it off!” “In any case…” Mei tilted her head, rummaging through her bag, “You’re saying we should eat lunch now?” “At the very least, I’m starving!” “Get that burn of yours fixed, first…”
Tori rolled her eyes as she spoke, causing Neku to scowl her way before sitting down in his towel, applying some sunscreen given that Mei had taken the bag with it outside, clicking his tongue a bit not because of the pain, but rather because he’d gotten far too into the game to even notice that he hadn’t applied any beforehand.
In the meantime, Mei grabbed the lunched boxes from out of her bag, Tori holding the ones she couldn’t keep in her hands. Each had a different cover —cheerful ones, full with detail and color— while the box itself was a plain color.
“So…” Mei hummed a bit, pointing with one hand at the various lunched boxes, “Since Neku, Tori and I usually have our own colors… The ones that aren’t ours are yours —Henoke’s and Yuto’s.” “Oh, so that’s the way it’ll be, then?” Tori snickered, “Good to know you kept those all this time.”
While Tori grabbed a light-purple one, Mei handed Neku a dark-blue lunched box, keeping a ciel one for herself. The ones left were Henoke’s and Yuto’s —a bright orange box for the former and a dark purple one for the latter.
A fitting color choice.
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 10, 2020 13:48:06 GMT -5
”Sheesh, you’re leavin’ nothing to chance, are ya, Henoke?!” Neku’s comment brought a laugh out of the teen, who shook his head and gave the mercenary a confident grin. ”I never hold back!” It was clear Henoke was enjoying himself, his face beaming with energy as he worked up a light sweat under the sun. He had no idea how long they had played for—time was irrelevant—everything was other than the bright colorful beachball. It was only once Neku and Yuto signaled the end of the game that the teen would glance up towards the sky, surprised to see how high the sun had risen. The warm beach air felt invigorating as Henoke fanned his white v-neck with his hands to get a breeze going as he followed the two towards where Mei and Tori relaxed.
”Now’d be a good time for a break?” Nodding in agreement, Henoke dug through the groups belongings under the parasol until he found some water, downing a mouthful greedily as he sighed in relief. ”That was fun!” Still beaming and energetic, the teen glanced between Yuto and Neku before giving them both a ‘thumbs up’. ”Hehe—y’all are good at this!” It had been a lot of fun, getting in a good workout while fueling his own competitive side—though no one had won, as they all had done well in keeping the ball afloat. I guess in that way we all won, then? Shrugging the thought off, Henoke found himself chuckling and shaking his head as he took a seat under the shade, finding amusement in Neku’s worry of sunburns.
Henoke had a fairer peach complexion himself, but the teen had worn his shirt during the game, leading to only a light red across the bridge of his nose so far. ”In any case…you’re saying we should eat lunch now?” He couldn’t help but share in Neku’s sentiment—the game had been pretty active. No doubt they’d earned the food! As Neku finally began to apply some sunscreen (Henoke decided he’d do so after eating), Mei pulled out the different lunch boxes. Henoke was impressed at the color choices—finding them somewhat too perfect as he reached for the bright orange box, giving Mei a smile and nod in thanks before settling into his seat. ”Thanks for the food!” Finding himself saying the phrase out of habit more then authenticity, Henoke opened the lid and relished the sight of the pork he had made the night before draped over rice and smothered in the fiery sauce Yuto had made.
”!!!” For a moment, he simply looked down, his face showing an expression of subtle awe and surprise. It’s beautiful! Though he had made the food with everyone the night before, it was something else entirely to see it all prepared and together so neatly in front of him. He felt his eyes stinging but refused to show his passion in that way, instead funneling a heaping mouthful right away. ”Mmmmmm!!!” His eyes lit up as though stars as the spicy heat and citrus flavors combined on his tongue—both hands raising to his full cheeks as a look of serenity came over him.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Sept 10, 2020 23:26:01 GMT -5
“Sorry, pal, but right now, my focus’s elsewhere” Yuto shrugged as he set the ball, bouncing it off the pads of his fingers. "Fair enough." He did his best to keep up with the other two as the game went on well into midday.
“Now’d be a good time for a break?” Yuto looked up to the sky as Neku caught the ball. The sun was high in the sky, signaling to all that it was time for lunch. He couldn't help but agree, from both skipping breakfast and being active for so long, the man had worked up quite an appetite. He followed the other two over to the girls, stifling a laugh at Neku's reaction to being burnt. Looking down, Yuto noticed a light tan on all the skin that was exposed to the sun.
“You’re saying we should eat lunch now?” The grumble of Yuto's stomach spoke for him. Sitting on the sand, next to the rest of them, Yuto took the dark purple box handed to him. The sentiment was nice, having a color-coded box. a smile played at the corner of his lips. "Thanks Mei, this is really nice."
He opened the box to see a beautifully prepared dish of the food they had all made last night, both his and Henoke's being covered in the spicy sauce that he made. He cautiously took a bite, not knowing what to expect. The spice and citrus were an interesting and unexpectedly good combination. Then the spice really kicked in. "I planned for a bit of afterburn, but I think I went a little overboard." He let out a little cough as his face flushed under his tan. "All together though, this came out great!" As much as he enjoyed cooking, he was a bit self-conscious when it came to things like that.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 11, 2020 2:21:39 GMT -5
Everyone had their boxes. As usual, Mei had neatly packed it, making it look artistic without losing its characteristics at all. Alongside Henoke, Neku took a bite with the help of the plastic fork, grinning a bit after the spice kicked in.
“Damn, now this’s got a good kick” he mentioned, glancing over at Mei, “First time you’ve made it kick in like this, though.” “I didn’t do the sauce this time” Mei smiled broadly, “Yuto did.” “Oh? …Was it after I left?” “Yeah —we all went to Mei’s to cook” Tori mentioned, teasing, “You sorta just missed the fun.” “Geh —I ain’t a cookin’ fan anyways, so what would I know?” Neku smirked back at Tori, before looking at Yuto, “This’s pretty damn good. So, how much do you ask to cook privately?” he asked jokingly.
Almost as if on cue, Neku and Tori both looked over at Henoke, struggling to keep quiet at his reaction. Mei simply smiled, seeing that everyone was enjoying their meals. Even Tori nodded vigorously as she took a bite out of her own lunch, agreeing on the sweet flavor her and Mei’s dish had.
Had they disliked it, surely the mood would’ve gone sour.
“I’m glad we’re enjoying this…” Mei mumbled, cheerful. “…Oh, right!” Neku perked up, looking at Yuto once more, “Since now’s a good time as any… You asked me somethin’, right? When we were playin’ beach volley. Uhh…” he grinned sheepishly, “Remind me what it was?” “You guys were having way too much fun to remember stuff, huh?” Tori sighed, shaking her head, “As usual…” “Hey, at least we got a good workout! And was fun, too! So what gives?!”
Neku puffed his cheeks, his face slightly flushed at the strong spice his dish had, but ignoring it completely, while Tori once more rolled her eyes away, instead chewing her food a bit more. All the while, Mei offered Yuto a glass with sparkling water, noting how he’d coughed before. Even if they enjoyed the food, there wasn’t a need to throw it all at once.
A good pace was necessary when handling spicy. Even if she didn’t eat much spice to begin with, as a chef, Mei understood that better than most.
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 11, 2020 11:13:10 GMT -5
Henoke couldn’t help but sway as he sat cross-legged with starry eyes. The heat was incredible—bringing a flush to his face and a light sweat to his brow that felt cleansing. It wasn’t that Henoke couldn’t feel the heat of spices, but rather he enjoyed the sensation of the ‘burning’. It felt like a soothing flame settling into his belly—one that would burn away any negativity within. ”Ahhhhh~ ” Sighing in contentedness, the teen had a wide grin on his face once he noticed everyone else enjoying their food too. Everyone seemed relaxed and at ease—a sight that made his heart feel light and carefree. ”…Oh, right!” Neku’s sudden surprise brought a raised brow to his face as he finished the mouthful he had piled in once more.
”You asked me somethin’, right? When we were playin’ beach volley.” Glancing over at Yuto, Henoke blinked a few times in confusion before the recollection dawned on him. ”Oh yeah…you did ask somethin'.” He had been so into the game and then the food that he had blanked on the smaller details, feeling a little bad at having not been paying more attention. ”You guys were having way too much fun to remember stuff, huh?” Tori had seen right through them, hitting the nail on the head, causing the teen to slump and stagger a bit before sitting back up. ”Tch—maybe…” Neku defended against her jab well, admitting to having a lot of fun playing with the two of them, which returned Henoke's optimistic grin. Glancing back over at Yuto, he waited with weak patience to hear his friends question.
Until then, he settled on shoving more pork into his mouth.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Sept 11, 2020 11:44:57 GMT -5
"So, how much do you ask to cook privately?” Without looking up from his food, Yuto decided to run with the joke. "Twenty for basic meals, twenty-five for specialties, and forty if I have to learn the recipe first." Part of him wondered if Neku would take his prices seriously. He couldn't help but find the possibility funny.
"You asked me somethin’, right? When we were playin’ beach volley." Neku's comment distracted the man from Henoke's reaction to the food. "Hmm? Oh, right!" Yuto repositioned himself, before going to take another bite of food. "I was wondering if you, well you guys, would tell us about yourselves. I mean, we're essentially strangers." Not that Yuto minded. He was always glad to have a good time, no matter who it was with.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 11, 2020 15:52:02 GMT -5
Neku snickered, seeing how Yuto followed his game without even raising his view from his meal. Even if they were a joke, Neku had to admit that he would indeed pay him the asking price if it came to it, but in the end, he’d said them aloud without thinking —a clear indicator that they were, in fact, a way to follow along.
As it came by, Yuto’s question resonated in Neku’s head as he recalled what it was he’d asked before, while Tori and Mei both looked intrigued by Yuto’s inquiry. Henoke also seemed interested, although most of it was dismissed as he filled his mouth with food once more. The topics were appealing, to say the least…
“I mean… Technically, we are?” Neku pointed out, “Like… Tori knew Henoke from before, and you two” he pointed at Henoke and Yuto, “Are friends from before, too, right? So…” “But… Where do we start?” Mei asked aloud, curious, “As in… Where do we start talking about ourselves? Like… How we met or stuff?” “We could, but ain’t that borin’?” Neku pouted.
While they discussed on where to start talking, Tori smiled a bit, after taking another bite off her lunch box. Even with just conversation, it felt nice being surrounded with friends —people she was close to, and enjoyed the company of. How long had it been, since she last did that?
“Hmm… Well, I know you’re the ones asking, but…” Mei puffed her cheeks a bit, “Neku and I don’t know about you two, either, right? So… How about we start with something more like background? Like… What your worlds are like. You’ve already seen ours, albeit not all of it, so… Maybe that could be a nice step forward, right?” “Oh, yeah!” Neku cheered on eager, “That’d be nice to know!” he grinned towards Henoke and Yuto, “I definitely wanna hear what your worlds are like. Y’know —to have a destination once I graduate!”
Neku was eager, leaning forward as he waited for some answer, and Mei couldn’t help but smile at the sight. Tori, on the other hand, perked up as they suggested that topic, looking at Henoke and Yuto with a slight hint of concern.
Knowing about their pasts, she just hoped it wouldn’t trigger something…
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 12, 2020 2:27:33 GMT -5
Savoring the heat, Henoke gulped down another bite as Neku and Mei debated on where to start. The teen was truthfully not one to find others pasts too interesting—what mattered was how that person was in the present, and what they chose to do. ”Hmm…well, I know you’re the ones asking, but…Neku and I don’t know about you two, either, right?” They had a point. Henoke knew Tori and Yuto from before...but as far as the other two were concerned, he was a stranger. Though it made sense that Mei and Neku would also be curious about the two of them, Henoke couldn’t help but frown a bit at the suggested topic. It was less about the topic itself and more about his own limited memories. Sure, he remembered his home world vaguely, but he only had a handful of coherent memories to go off of. Not like I got much to say, then... Resting his lunchbox on the towel he sat on, Henoke crossed his arms in thought as he tilted his head a bit.
”Hm…” How would he describe his home world? ”It was really green…tucked away in forests and tall hills…” Shrugging a little bit, the teen waved a hand nonchalantly as he reached for his food once more—apparently already reaching his limit. ”It was pretty quiet—I think I was bored most o’ the time.” He had gotten what closure he could—able to talk about his home world without feeling turmoil like he once had. Not that he enjoyed talking about it. Compared to a busy town like this, his town might as well have been a village. The only similarities were the streets—though the ones here had seemed much wider.
”How ‘bout you, Yuto?” Curious himself, Henoke raised an eyebrow at his friend as he took another bite of his food.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Sept 12, 2020 11:25:46 GMT -5
Mei's question gave him pause. It's not the at it was hard to describe his world, but how to say that it was gone without killing the mood. It wasn't the easiest thing to figure out, especially if any of them wanted to visit. Considering Neku's interest, he might. Yuto decided that he would figure it out when it came up.
”It was really green…tucked away in forests and tall hills…” The man listened as his friend described his home, to an extent. Yuto took a deep breath as his turn came quicker than expected. "My home...hmm..." He thought about the best way to describe it. "There were a lot of people, all training. Kinda like here in a way." Yuto set his food down in front of him. "There were large white buildings everywhere, with a tower in the center. There was an overall friendly rivalry among the residents. It was peaceful, for the most part." He shrugged and took another bite of his food. "But it's not much for adventuring. Not now anyway."
He laid down in the sand and stretched. "So, that's my story. What about you guys? I'm genuinely curious. I mean sure Henoke and I know each other, and he knows Tori, but the five of us haven't met as a whole until yesterday."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 12, 2020 12:19:39 GMT -5
Tori sighed faintly, relieved to see that neither had been exactly bothered by the question. And, if they were bothered, they acted it off. Resuming her own meal, she listened along Neku and Mei, as the two described the worlds she had already seen in their memories —one more than the other.
Mei seemed intrigued as Henoke’s world, noting hos he pointed out that he was “bored most of the time”. A peaceful contrast to what she was used to, she couldn’t help but wonder if, maybe, she could visit it in the near future. A forest surrounded by hills, promising a peaceful living… Much different to what she had grown up with. She couldn’t help, however, to laugh a bit at how Henoke had finished his statement.
Neku, on the other hand, was more intrigued by Yuto’s description, only further interested by the way he finished it. Mentioning that his world was, currently, not much when it came for adventuring, his interest was picked further, yet it wasn’t the right time to ask about it anymore.
“What about you guys?” Once more, Yuto asked for the trio’s background. Having heard a bit, each member found it fair. Neku in particular was eager to get started, since his usual way of working was through exchanging information.
If someone wanted something out of him, they had to be willing to exchange something of similar or equal value. And that exchange was no different.
“Well… Us three go a few ways back” he began, glancing over at Tori and Mei, “Not too long, though —we know each other for… A few things?” “Such as you stalking me out?” Tori grinned, causing Neku to flinch back. “That’s ‘cause you’re the Guild’s Recruiter! I didn’t mean to come off that way!” “…” Mei smiled with unease while Tori and Neku bickered, turning towards Henoke and Yuto, “I’ve known Tori longer than Neku, but… Only because of a particular event…” “Oh, should I narrate it?” Tori asked, leaving Neku biting dust. “W-Well, y-you don’t have to!” Mei replied, quickly blushing.
Tori smirked, but didn’t elaborate further as she began to finish her meal —only a few pieces left before she’d leave the box clean. Neku was also about to finish, enjoying the spice all too much, while Mei ate with a slower pace, mostly due to her current embarrassment.
“So…” Tori swallowed her bite, “I’ve known Mei since we were kids, but only by distance. We didn’t properly hang out until… 8th Grade?” she glanced over at Mei, receiving a nod to confirm, “A while later, we met Neku ‘cause he was looking to join the Guild. That’s how we got to know each other —by seeing each other on meetings, hunting together, or even studying every now and then.”
Mei nodded a bit, while Neku smirked while he finally finished his meal. Tori finished not long after, asking Mei for a muffin to fill whatever space was left, while Neku got glasses of water for everyone, setting them as he could in the towel above the sand.
“How about you two?” Mei asked calmly, “What other people do you know? Be it from your worlds or outside of them. I’m curious about that, mostly.Y'know... Like, friends or family...”
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 12, 2020 12:45:55 GMT -5
Henoke listened to Yuto’s telling—realizing for the first time he had never really asked his friend too much about his past at all. Then again, it’s not like we had much time for that… The world the two had met on had been infested with Heartless—an abandoned castle and training grounds teaming with enemies. They had only had time to talk so often at that place. Hearing of a world with towers and tall buildings and a bustling city—Henoke couldn’t help but feel a little sheepish on the inside, like some sort of ‘country bumpkin’. ”Well…us three go a few ways back.” Thankfully, Neku and the others began explaining their own history, pulling the teen out of his lackluster thoughts. Regaining his energy and vigor, Henoke continued to eat while the three began to explain how they all knew each other.
”I’ve known Tori longer than Neku, but…only because of a particular event…” The teen’s eyebrow raised a bit at Mei’s vague mention of an ‘event’, though Tori was quick to swoop in and continue the explanation for her. ”I’ve known Mei since we were kids, but only by distance.” Henoke nodded in silent understanding, remembering what Tori had once told him of her past during their time at The Shore. ”A while later, we met Neku ‘cause he was looking to join the Guild.” It sounded pretty carefree, all-in-all, other than the mysterious ‘event’ that led to Mei and Tori meeting. Henoke didn’t pry though, understanding finally what it felt like to have information one wanted to keep more private.
”How about you two?” Mei’s question caught him off-guard, mouth still full of pork and rice as he grabbed for the water Neku had given him, thankful for the aid. Asking about friends and family brought a faint frown to Henoke’s face, though he was quick to shake his head and return his expression to his usual one. It was hard to think of ‘friends’ and not think of the old ones. ”Heh—I’ve definitely run into a lotta people during my travels.” Leaning back a bit as he sat cross-legged, using his hands to support himself while he leaned, Henoke glanced up towards the sunny sky and tilted his head in thought. ”It’s kinda hard to remember ‘em all, though…” For a moment he looked between Yuto and Tori with a grin. ”’Sides these two, I’ve only met a few other people I’d consider friends—but it’s not like I get to see ‘em often.” A sheepish look came over his face as he scratched at his cheek.
”Er—my method of travel is kinda...finicky.” It was the only way he could admit to not being able to control his own power. It was something that still stung his pride, hurting him in a way that it only kept him further apart from those he met on his journeys. ”Oh! I forgot about Chip and Lumiere!” Suddenly regaining energy, Henoke finished off his lunch with gusto before setting his box down, his face flushed with excitement as he recalled one of his most recent adventures. ”Tori was there for that! It was a whole world full of talkin’ furniture and stuff!” He didn’t want to mention the Beast—who they had only gotten to see once or twice their entire visit. He was kind of rough around the edges, but his heart was in the right place. Not someone who Henoke could consider a ‘friend’, though.
”That’s where we met Belle, too!” She had been a breathe of fresh air in that castle—though her kindness went a little too far at times, annoying Henoke. In that regard, her and Mei were similar. The thought brought an impish grin to his face before he glanced over at Yuto. ”How ‘bout you, Yuto? What kinda people’ve you met since we hung out?” Come to think of it, the two hadn’t seen each other in quite some time. Yuto was one of the first people he met after waking up in Castle Oblivion. The memory was a fond one for him, despite the muddled past he had.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Sept 12, 2020 13:16:50 GMT -5
Henoke's explanation and tale of adventure was interesting. 'Talking furniture? Cool!' He sat up from his position as his friend asked about the kinds of people he met since The Land of Departure. "Well, there was this one guy I met. Called himself Vagabond. Strange guy, but hearts in the right place." He thought about his time at Radiant Garden. Basically everyone he met there he was fast friends with. "There's also my friend Nox. Known her as long as I can remember." A smile played at the corners of his lips. It was nice to have some connection to his life before everything happened. "Actually, you remind me a bit of her Mei."
"As for family, well...we, uh, don't talk much anymore." If he was being honest, he didn't think any of his family were still around. Be them descendants or what. He shrugged it off. "Besides, I've been able to manage so far." He finished his meal and looked over to Mei, holding up the box his lunch had been packaged in. "Can I keep this? It's really nice."
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 12, 2020 13:58:18 GMT -5
Although faintly, Mei perked up noting Henoke’s reaction before he turned to a more cheerful façade. She listened close, just like the others around her, with a faint tilt on her head, yet not wanting to intrude much. Hearing how Tori had been there when Henoke’d met others was amusing, to say the least —something Neku could definitely retaliate with.
“Oh, so you did travel to other worlds!” Neku teased, poking her back with his hand, “Then why the hell were you so coy about keepin’ quiet, eh?” “Don’t act like you didn’t go off elsewhere” Tori swatted back, a faint annoyance to her tone. “I bet the places you went to were far cooler than the ones I visited, though.” “Yeah, right —like that could happen… You’re the lucky one, not me.”
While they openly teased one another, like the many times before, Mei listened back to Yuto’s part of the story. Much like with Henoke, Yuto seemed to go quiet at parts, most likely hurt by what he was asked to tell. Mei pouted, looking down at her half-eaten meal, thoughtful.
“Sorry about asking…” she apologized in thought, sullen.
Tori seemed to notice that, and smiled before patting Mei softly on the shoulder, much for her surprise. Neku also perked up, both from Tori’s action and Yuto’s follow-up question.
"Can I keep this? It's really nice." Mei looked at Yuto, blinking a bit as she’d been caught off-guard by Tori’s action firstly. After a moment of silence, her gaze softened to a smile, nodding.
“Sure. If you want to keep it as a souvenir, I don’t see why not” she replied. “Won’t someone at the Guild be missin’ a box, though?” Neku asked, amused. “There’s plenty more where that one came from —one less won’t make a difference!”
Amongst laughter, Mei seemed to overcome the darker thoughts in her mind, much for Tori’s relief. She had a feeling something like that would happen, knowing Mei’s overall demeanor and having seen Henoke and Yuto’s pasts individually. Yet it wasn’t enough to deter them from the fact that, no matter what, they were there to enjoy themselves.
Once finished with his meal, Neku left the box down to then stand up and stretch a bit, taking his tank top off in the meantime. Glancing over to the quarter sitting down by the shade, he smirked.
“Welp —Imma go ahead and go for a swim. Anyone wanna join?” “I… I’ll pass for now” Tori said calmly, “I do wanna go swimming later, though, so don’t think I’m chickening out.” “Never would’ve, Tori —you owe me a race, don’t’cha?” “I’ll also stay back for a bit” Mei said, “Still not feeling up to it… Once it gets a bit warmer, maybe?”
Neku nodded, glancing over at Yuto and Henoke, just in case they wanted to join in. Who knew? Maybe they’d be willing to do something as they entered the sea waters, just for fun.
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 12, 2020 14:30:34 GMT -5
Listening to Yuto’s stories with interest, Henoke wondered about what kind of worlds his friend had been to. Having mostly just been thrown around to different kinds of castles, he couldn’t help but have a tinge of jealousy present while thinking about everyone else’s adventures. ”There’s also my friend Nox. Known her as long as I can remember.” The comment brought a faint smile to Henoke’s face, as it seemed Yuto had a ‘Shiki’ of his own. ”Can I keep this? It’s really nice.” Finding some humor in the sudden request, the teen shook his head and chuckled before drinking some water, happy to see everyone carefree. Laughing at Neku and Tori’s back-and-forth, Henoke stretched a bit, feeling the pork and spice settle into his stomach as the sun beamed down over the beach.
It was enough to make him want to nap. ”Welp—Imma go ahead and go for a swim. Anyone wanna join?” Jolting to alertness at Neku’s comment, Henoke sat up a little straighter and glanced toward the ocean as others began to answer the request. Part of him felt a little bad, seeing as how not too many others seemed to be in the mood—but swimming was literally his last choice for an activity. ”Er—I’m holdin’ off, too…” Crossing his arms a bit, Henoke fixed a grimace on his face as he looked down towards the sand. ”My Master always yelled 'bout waitin’ to swim after you eat.” His reasons were partial truths, though also blatant lies. The teen waved a nonchalant hand to signify being set in his ways.
”Hm…I should do somethin’, though.” If he just laid around on the beach he’d end up taking a nap for sure! He didn’t want to sleep the beach day away! ”I'm gonna explore the beach!” Standing up and finishing his water, the teen placed his empty cup next to his empty box on the towel, immediately thinking of all the small oceanic critters who lived in the sand. Crabs, hermits, starfish! He was getting excited all over again. Stopping mid-step, the teen remembered the sunscreen, staring at it with mild reproach before grabbing it. ”Tch—guess I don’t wanna end up like Neku…” A faint grin on his face as he glanced over at the young mercenary, Henoke pulled off his t-shirt and began to rub the sunscreen on in a clearly impatient hurry.
”Alright!” Tossing the bottle haphazardly back where he found it, the teen had clearly missed some spots here and there—but again, he’d rely on magic if he got any bad burns. ”I wonder if I’ll find any treasure…” A devious glint in his eye appeared as he thought of stories of the high sea and buried gold. It seemed Henoke was the type to easily get wrapped up in his own fantasies.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Sept 12, 2020 15:26:33 GMT -5
Yuto laughed at the trio's interaction, finding humor in their camaraderie, before dropping the box into a small Corridor that led to his sink back home. ”Welp—Imma go ahead and go for a swim. Anyone wanna join?” Yuto shrugged as the rest of the group denied. "Screw it. You almost drow once, right." He took off his flannel and nodded towards Neku. "I'll join ya."
He looked around for a moment, thinking. "Say, there isn't I big rock or a cliff I can jump off of, is there?" The man had been dying to try to make as big of a splash as possible with a cannonball since he got his powers, and this was the best excuse he could wish for.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 12, 2020 15:45:17 GMT -5
Henoke’s reply caused Neku to frown, seeing that no one else wanted to join. Yuto’s suggestion, however, cheered him back up, as he stretched a bit by swinging his throw arm. With him, he went along the shoreline, shaking his head as he asked about there being a cliff or something to jump from.
“Well… Not really” Neku replied, “Not to mention that the water’s pretty shallow, so… Yeah.”
In the meantime, Henoke had tossed the sunscreen bottle and was heading to explore the beach. Having finally finished her meal, Mei looked his way as he headed off, noting a few spots missing. With a sigh, she stood up and followed, the bottle of sunscreen clutched in her hand. Noticing that detail, Tori chuckled.
“You worry about people too much” she mentioned, causing Mei to giggle. “Maybe I do” Mei replied, “But… It feels nice, y’know? Helping people out, even if for small things like helping put sunscreen properly.” “Again, though —don’t pamper him too much.” “I won’t —promise” Mei grinned, “I save that for Neku, remember?”
Tori laughed at that last comment, letting Mei go after Henoke to both help him out and keep him company. Their previous interactions had piqued her interest, and she wanted to know more about him and Yuto. For the time being, only the orange-haired boy was an option, given that Mei didn’t want to head into water just yet.
“Henoke, wait up!” she called.
Tori watched her go after Henoke, to then turn back to see Neku and Yuto by the shoreline. Neku had already gotten in quite deep, although he could still stand up given that it was rather shallow. The water was almost covering half of his chest, but he waved at Yuto to join in.
“C’mon —let’s see how many oysters we can find!”
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 12, 2020 16:21:13 GMT -5
As touch-and-go as always, Henoke had a broad grin as he gazed at the open beach before him. ”Henoke, wait up!” Hearing Mei’s voice, the teen halted mid-step as he turned her way, waiting for her to catch up as he rested his hands on his hips with a broad grin. ”That’s the spirit, Mei! No one can resist the call of a good treasure hunt!” He almost felt bad, making her catch up to him—but he had gotten so excited he hadn’t paused to invite anyone. He was glad she came along, though. Beach adventures were always fun with company—the teen had just been too used to acting alone. ”Between the two of us, I bet we’ll find tons of stuff!” With a somewhat childlike laugh and sense of energy, it seemed he was pleased with his own conclusions and fantasies.
”You can be my guide! Show me the best spots, y'know?!” Giving Mei a friendly smile, Henoke was eager to have a local show him around the beach. With Mei accompanying him, he was sure to find tons of critters and hidden treasures! At least—that was the carefree and lighthearted hope in the teen’s heart at the moment. It seemed he didn't even notice the bottle of sunscreen in the girls hands, completely oblivious to most things outside of his eager wishes and beach dreams. It was too much like him, really, to have tunnel vision and ignore the smaller details.
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ravenheart95
Human
Yo, Socrates, it's a cookie.
Posts: 328
Gender: Male
Age: 22
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Post by ravenheart95 on Sept 12, 2020 21:22:15 GMT -5
"Ahh, that sucks. Maybe next time." Yuto shrugged and followed Neku into the ocean, a little disappointed that his epic cannonball would have to wait. He waded into the ocean, the coolness of the water taking him a bit by surprise. It was a lot different than the last time he was in a body of water, and a lot more pleasurable.
“C’mon —let’s see how many oysters we can find!” Neku seemed to have what he wanted to do all planned out. "Yeah, sounds good. Where do we start?" Having no idea how to hunt for oysters, the man decided to have the more experienced of the two lead. "Are they usually in the more shallow parts of the water or are we gonna have to swim for them?" Part of him wanted to swim, having not been able to do much of it since Nox used to take him world-hopping.
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Post by therunawaygirl on Sept 13, 2020 4:28:41 GMT -5
Mei slowed her pace as Henoke waited for her, noticing his cheerful grin and overall demeanor. Recovering her stance, she smiled, giggling a bit after listening to his fantasies.
”Between the two of us, I bet we’ll find tons of stuff!” The thought alone was enough to amuse her, but Henoke wasn’t wrong in any sense. Even if there were no actual treasure —things like chests filled with gold or jewels, or something perhaps more interesting—, the opportunity to explore and see if they could find anything that washed by the shoreline was a calling one.
“Before I do that, though…” Mei shrugged a bit, a faint blush in her cheeks as she showed the sunscreen bottle, “You didn’t put it properly —you rushed it pretty badly, Henoke. Here, let me help you.”
So long as he didn’t refuse, Mei would help him patch the spots he’d missed, the easiest ones being on the back. She made sure to leave nothing uncovered, ensuring that Henoke wouldn’t get a bad burn due to negligence from his part. After all, being a native to an island where the sun scorched those unaware, Mei knew better than most when it came to burns.
“There” she nodded after finishing, “Now we can go.”
They were already by the eastern-most side of the island, the horizon visibly clear with the sun high up in the sky. The waves rocked softly against the sand, creating a soothing atmosphere —one Mei knew almost by instinct. If Henoke wanted to see around…
Why not show him?
“I know of a place not too far from here —we can go there, if you’d like” she offered.
Neku grinned as Yuto followed into the water, stepping ever deeper as he began to swim backwards. Even though he could still touch the floor underwater, the feeling of floating by was better than standing in Neku’s earnest opinion.
“We do need to dive” Neku pointed out, “The water here’s overall shallow, but there are a few small ravines here and there, so do be careful. It’s better to just float, y’know? Helps avoid ‘em.”
With a devious grin, Neku allowed himself to float, never really looking elsewhere other than Yuto’s direction. After a bit, he took a deep breath, before diving into the clear sea water in search for oysters and underwater treasure.
The sand underwater was just as golden as the one at the shoreline. A few smooth stones of various tones of grey and blue were visible, as well as seashells and small underwater creatures. Further into the sea they could see plenty of algae and sea-plants, as well as the occasional small fish swimming by.
The oysters they would be searching weren’t too far off, their blue-ish grey shells visible at a blurry distance. Still holding on his breath, Neku swam their way, grabbing as many as he could before he would inevitably go back up to recover his breath.
Even though there were plenty, only a few would have a pearl. It was now time for trial and error. And if they didn’t have pearls… Well, Neku had an idea on what they could have for supper with the help of a fire.
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Post by hoodwink on Sept 13, 2020 10:51:26 GMT -5
”Before I do that, though…” Henoke blinked in mild surprise as Mei pointed out his half-assed sunscreen application, causing him to stagger a bit before scratching at the back of his head sheepishly. ”Here, let me help you.” Sighing in defeat, he nodded and resigned himself to her assistance. Truthfully, growing up in the shaded forests and sheltered by grassy hills and tall mountains, the sun would never hit long enough to burn. He wasn’t the careful type either, which certainly hadn’t helped with his poor execution. "Er—thanks, Mei." It was a little embarrassing to him, having her help him like this—but thankfully Mei was a good sport and didn’t make him feel badly about it. ”There. Now we can go!” Relieved that he no longer had to stand still, as he had been hyped to explore, Henoke pumped a fist and wore a broad grin as he took in the shoreline around them.
Splashing against the sand, the waves here sounded different than the last beach he had been to. More alive. ”I know of a place not too far from here—we can go there, if you’d like.” Ha! He knew having a local with him was the right move! (Not that it was his idea for her to come along…) ”Yeah, lead the way!” Excited to get their beach excursion started, Henoke cheered as Mei would lead on, searching for any signs of hermit crabs, sea glass, or any other small beach commodities as they walked. He didn't ask about the place she would show him, wanting to enjoy the surprise while he could. While the two would seek out their destination, the teen decided to make some headway in getting to know Mei a little better. "So, Mei, you grew up here, yeah?" Glancing over at her with a curious expression, Henoke tilted his head a bit in thought as they walked. "D'you explore a lot? This island's gotta have loads of hidden places..." Always bored on his own home world, he himself had resorted to exploring and wandering around through the forests and mountains just for the sake of something to do. He was curious about those who had other reasons to why they got out and explored.
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