[Graded][Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Akari Vale and Akari Ume[Open(?)]

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[Graded][Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Post by The Legend Excalibur » Mon Dec 10, 2018 4:50 pm

So this was the beach. Temperatures that didn't require some form of protection against the elements, the sun bearing down overhead with barely a cloud in the sky. The winds didn't bring air that make you colder, rather, the breezes actually felt kind of nice. The sand beneath his feet wasn't rough or course, rather, it was soft. Easy to mold. Some people actually were making castles out of it. It was a weird feeling, but not necessarily a bad one.

Vale wasn't sure if he was enjoying himself or not. He'd jumped at the chance to get out of the village, and was excited to experience what a beach was like but.... it was kind of boring? There were activities and games and events to participate in; after all, it was a celebration of Kirigakure's inauguration of a new Kage; but he couldn't help but feel disappointed. What had he expected? He honestly couldn't say. Actual warm weather, rather than it simply being cool enough to be able to get away with a thin jacket, had caught him off guard, resulting in him buying some black shorts to wear around.

As a small wave lapped at his ankles, Vale found himself flinching unintentionally. It was cold, despite everything in the environment pointing to the contrary. He looked out at the endless expanse, at the ocean, and found himself a little less than awestruck. The largest bodies of water he'd experienced back in Rock Country had been lakes, but despite this, the ocean held as much interest for him as the beach itself.

Taking a seat, he sighed quietly to himself, losing himself in idle thoughts.
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IwagakureAkari Vale • Genin
IwagakureWu Sun • Chuunin
KonohagakureNara Shikado • Chuunin

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[Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Post by Willoria » Mon Dec 10, 2018 5:24 pm

"It's beautiful isn't it?"

Ume had seen Vale standing in the water and go to take a seat, she had walked up behind him curious to see why he was alone. She thought she had seen him around once or twice though she couldn't place him, though she wasn't entirely surprised by that. After all, she hadn't actually been home long. She hadn't even had time to really see anyone yet. "I wish we had something like this at home..." She stepped around Vale and into the water, going in slowly until it was up to her knees and turned to look at the boy, her blue hair carried slightly by the breeze around them.

"You just gonna stare at it or go for a swim?" she asked curiously. "Just don't drink it, its gross." she added with a bit of a laugh.
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[Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Post by The Legend Excalibur » Mon Dec 10, 2018 5:47 pm

"Beautiful? I would.... His voice drifted off as he turned to look at the speaker. For a brief second his mind with blank, his jaw not so much falling as it was frozen. Vale wasn't all that used to talking to the opposite sex, being that he spent much of his time within the Akari Compound, and even less of the at time socializing with his clan. His few encounters with girls his age were curt and short, not much time and thought given to the interaction. But whether it was because his mind up till this point was filled with nothing but boredom, or whether there was a sudden... trigger, for him to acknowledge that she was indeed a girl, he was mesmerized for that split second, nothing but gibberish coming to mind, before he recovered some form of speech.

"Yeah, it is... he blinked hard, as if snapping out of a trance, and looking from her, to the water, her again. "I mean- It's just a lot of water. Lot's and lots of water. And some tiny pebbles. He grabbed a handful of sand, before letting it trickle through his fingers.

"You're from the Stone? Thinking more clearly, Vale in all honesty didn't recognize her. But was the same for her to him? He hadn't been to the Mist, only read about, but they sure enough had plenty of beaches, being in a country that was a massive bunch of islands. "I.. uh." He hesitated a bit, his eyes avoiding her even as she looked at him from he water. "I can't swim. Not much use for it when most of our country is just rocks and more rocks.

He tossed another hand full of sand to the side, attempting to hide his embarrassment. Was his face red? Try as he may, it was hard for him to cover his emotions as he usually did, for some odd reason. "Walking on it seems to be more practical.
KirigakureOho TetsuJounin A-Rank Missing Ninja
IwagakureAkari Vale • Genin
IwagakureWu Sun • Chuunin
KonohagakureNara Shikado • Chuunin

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[Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Post by Willoria » Mon Dec 10, 2018 5:55 pm

Ume honestly didn't miss Vale's reaction to seeing her, but she seemed to choose to ignore it as she had stepped into the water before turning to look back at him and grinning. "I'm from Iwa, yes." she replied. "My name is Ume." she added, turning and taking steps back towards him as he spoke, and admitted that he couldn't swim. "Well, I'm not an expert, but I've learned a couple of things. On missions, and a little bit more here."

She grinned suddenly, an almost wicked glint in her eyes as an idea came to mind as she noticed his embarrassment. "It's not even that deep, not immediately anyway, it kinda slopes. Come on!" she suddenly said excitedly, moving for Vale and, if he didn't react fast enough, to take him by the hands to try and pull him to his feet and deeper into the water.
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[Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Post by The Legend Excalibur » Mon Dec 10, 2018 6:19 pm

Ume? Vale briefly scanned through his mind, going over the names he'd heard, whether it be in passing, or be it the subject, and found nothing, not a mention, not a written note... he was at a loss. When his eyes returned to her, he, and not totally on purpose, found himself going over her body and features. He did a brisk, or at least an attempted brisk, look over of her body, noting her tattoos. Before his mind had a chance to dive further, he came to her face. Her hair was a dark blue, not to different from his own, that faded into a lighter shade. Her eyes were a kind of purple that reminded him of jewelry that'd you'd see in a ring, or a pendant.

She'd stand out in a crowd, there was no question about that. But was it all natural? Was it simply dye in her hair, or contacts in her eyes? And even if that wasn't the case, could she really be...

Before his mind finished the thought, his hand would be snatched up by her's, and before he knew it, he'd be dragged into the waters. "Woah! The shock from the coldness of the sea in contrast with the warm ground caused him to yelp by reflex, his body tensing up briefly before he calmed down. "This is ah- I wasn't ready for that. Water is really cold. he attempted to explain, wading in place to attempt to rush his body to read adjust.

"People really enjoy swimming that much, hu-Ahh!?" At his first try at walking, Vale has managed to find one of the slopes Ume had mentioned, and tripped, falling completely in the water, creating a splash in his throes and subsequent drenching.

Coming back up just as quickly, he looked around quickly, wondering just who'd seen his blunder, making a note of avoiding looking at Ume. His face was red for certain now.
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IwagakureAkari Vale • Genin
IwagakureWu Sun • Chuunin
KonohagakureNara Shikado • Chuunin

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[Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Post by Willoria » Mon Dec 10, 2018 6:24 pm

She could practically see his mind working, something that allowed her the chance to surprise him and pull him into the water, laughing almost musically at his reaction to the cold. "Sure its cold, but its refreshing in this heat isn't it?" she asked, snorting and covering her mouth in a failed attempt to stifle further laughter as he slipped and fell deeper into the water. As he came up splashing moved closer, grinning. "You alright, Vale?" she asked, grinning and obviously still trying not to laugh.

"The easiest and hardest thing for me both was floating." she told him, remembering how she eventually learned to spend nearly hours in her hotspring at home floating on her back and relaxing. To demonstrate she moved a few steps back from him and pushed up with her legs, her body leveling out on the water and her hands underneath making small movements to keep herself afloat or turn herself if she so desired. "Try it, I'm right here if anything goes wrong too, so don't worry."
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[Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Post by The Legend Excalibur » Mon Dec 10, 2018 6:38 pm

By now he surely was as red as a beet. "I-I'm fine, just lost my balance. Heh. He stammered in his speech, mostly, he told himself, from the chill of the water. An idle thought floated through his mind, as if it were there to provide something, anything as a distraction from his current situation. He was used to the cold air of Rock Country, so much so that he usually wore a short sleeved shirt in his day to day life. But here, the water seemed to be beyond freezing. Maybe it was the warmer air, or maybe it was actually freezing.

"I think I preferred my spot on the beach better. Tiny pebbles and all.

He watched as she demonstrated floating, honestly wondering if there were a some kind of ninjutsu that covered this. Sighing, and figuring he hadn't much more dignity to lose at this point, Vale tried to mimic Ume, laying back in the water, and attempting to float. Maybe, he briefly thought, he'd drown ad it'd end this endless tide of embarassment.

And then the water got in his nose, and the coughing fit began.
KirigakureOho TetsuJounin A-Rank Missing Ninja
IwagakureAkari Vale • Genin
IwagakureWu Sun • Chuunin
KonohagakureNara Shikado • Chuunin

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[Beach Party]Water. Lots And Lots Of Water.

Post by Willoria » Tue Dec 11, 2018 3:23 pm

Ume was smiling, watching Vale make his first attempt at floating, at least until he started coughing. She knew it probably wasn't long from coughing to accidentally slipping under and so moved to his side immediately. She put her hands under his arms and pulled him back against her as she took a few steps back to get him where she was sure he'd be able to get a better footing. "Stand up.... here... just cough it out..." she told him, putting a hand on his shoulder while rubbing his back with her other as he coughed up whatever water got in his nose.

"Honestly I learned to float in a small hot spring at home... it doesn't suck quite as bad to get the water up your nose. You alright?" she asked, genuinely concerned about Vale. "Maybe we should take a break on the sand so you can get your breath back, and get that salt out of your nose..."
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Post by The Legend Excalibur » Thu Dec 13, 2018 8:43 pm

So he was as bad at drowning as he was at swimming. This was a skill that Vale could've gone his whole life without learning about. As Ume patted his back in an appreciated attempt to help him clear the water from his lungs, he considered ending the interaction right there and then, using some excuse, maybe having to go to the bathroom, or meet someone.

But he immediately dismissed it. Usually he'd have no trouble telling lie, or excusing himself from a situation. The problem now though was he wasn't completely in control of his reactions. He was nervous, clumsy, timid... it was like he was a completely different person.

"No- He managed to speak despite his coughing. "No, I'm fine. I'm fine. Just got- got a bit too relaxed. But if you want to take a break we can He tried to offer a small smile, thankful for her concern but at the same time not trying to appear like a total weakling.

Once they were back on the sand, they'd sit for a few minutes in silence, Vale watching the waves lap up on the shoreline before receding. It was official. He hated the ocean. He glanced at Ume, absently wondering why she had initially talked to him, and even offered him to teach him to swim. Maybe she was just a nice person. He had admitted to himself he wasn't a good judge on that kind of thing. He could see ill-intent, lies, deceit, that kind of thing. But it was... different, in some unexplained way, telling a person's character.

"Hey Ume.. He said suddenly. "Are you from the Akari?
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Post by Willoria » Thu Dec 13, 2018 8:51 pm

Ume could see he was trying to show a kind of strength, but silently she was glad when he decided on the break. She nodded and following him back to the sand, sitting beside him with her legs stretched out and leaning back with her hands in the sand. Her face she tilted upwards and closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of the sun on her skin. The water was cold, which she too had hated, but the warmth of the sun made it feel amazing to let herself dry off in such a way. As she sat there quietly however she heard Vale's sudden question and had to resist a bit of a smile.

"Yes, I am." she answered honestly, though she of course didn't go on to explain her shiin or anything of the sort. She figured Vale was as well by his unique colorings in his hair and such and knew better than to admit her shiin to a fellow Akari she didn't know. Even if she did think so far that he seemed to have a kind streak. "You probably haven't seen me around, I've been gone a few months, like... seven or so. I'm not sure on the exact amount honestly. I lost track." She didn't look over as she spoke however, remaining in the position she was already in. She wasn't looking to explain what had happened in the time she was gone or to risk him seeing that mentioning it brought her mood down a fair amount.

"Does that bother you?"
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Post by The Legend Excalibur » Thu Dec 13, 2018 9:27 pm

He was quiet for a few moments, processing her answer. It was fairly easy for an Akari to spot another Akari. For whatever reason, they were made to stand out, whether it be through size, skin color, eye color, hair color, or some other trait that made it impossible to blend in. They were predatory, sometime he thought by their very nature, always looking for ways to get stronger, to get more power. And the quickest way to that was well... they all knew the method.

"I suppose... Is that why she approached him? She'd guessed who he was, and figured he'd be a nice target. Looking at her, particularly her eyes, he noticed something. Or rather, the lack of.

"...maybe it should? I'm honestly not sure. He returned to his new habit of letting sand trickle between his fingers. "We both know how the clan is. Predator and prey, the strong eat the weak. At least, that's how it's supposed to be. I usually made a point of keeping to myself in the compound, the "Akari glare" that seemed to hide behind everyone's eyes made it difficult have something as simple as a conversation, without it turning into an unspoken challenge of strength."

He sighed. "But you... you don't have the glare Ume, for whatever reason. I don't feel any underlying intent from you, no ulterior motive. A year ago I wouldn't have thought people like you existed in our clan... but the I've met a couple of others, not bad, at least, not honestly, that have changed my perspective a bit.

Fully turning to look at her, he let himself laugh a bit, letting the last of the sand fall from his hand. "Sorry, didn't mean to give you an entire story. The short answer is... it doesn't.
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Post by Willoria » Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:01 pm

Ume didn't interrupt him, rather she fell quiet and listened. Eventually she opened her eyes and tilted her head back down to turn and look at him as he tried to apologize and she shook her head. "I don't mind long answers." she admitted. "And what you said made sense. Most of my life I've had family or someone keeping me safe in one way or another, afraid I'd get eaten by someone I let too close. I lost one of those friends recently actually... Koyama died protecting me from an Akari Missing Ninja we were supposed to be hunting. Turned out he was expecting us somehow... something I still need to get to the bottom of." she sighed and shook her head.

"Our clan is probably the most brutal of our village, I'd guess more brutal than most villages honestly. Its weird, in a way we're some kinda family that can't trust one another, our job is to use one another, destroy one another, all for the sake of power." she turned her head and looked out towards the water a moment with a quiet sigh. "You're right though, I'm different. Some say naive.... I just... I guess I can't live with myself being violent towards every person I meet. But I get the feeling as I climb the ranks that's going to have to change...."
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Post by The Legend Excalibur » Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:37 pm

"My.... friends.. This was the only way he could think to describe his relationship with Tatsuo and Kotaru, since the more in-depth versions would be longer, and more confusing. "They've told me that the Arena... it changes you. When your in it, fighting for your life... A tired, short laugh escaped his mouth. "I've yet to go through it, being a Genin, but with what I've been through in the last year, I can tell my times coming.

"I don't want to become like them, Ume. His voice low, and his words quick. He worried about himself, often. How his personality was changing. He wasn't as introverted as he once was. He wasn't as passive. And he couldn't yet tell if these changes were positive or negative for himself and those around him.

"Are you a Genin? You sound like you may be a little further along than I am. He managed to pick up a smile as he spoke.
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Post by Willoria » Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:44 pm

Ume had to force herself to hide a snort as he spoke of the arena. "I'm a Chunin, and I haven't been in the arena yet either, through pure fluke though. I was supposed to go through after my exam but then Koyama and I got that mission to go after a missing ninja and shit just went sideways..." she shook her head but turned and looked at Vale a moment. "Sometimes we can't help we become." she admitted, mentally trying to convince herself that she wasn't going to change for the worst, despite everything that had happened lately.

"But sometimes we have to change to survive." she admitted, turning away and looking down at the sand beside her as she chewed on her lower lip, debating just how much to tell him about what she really meant by that. "My mother tried to kill me when I was a child... my father while I was a genin..." she took a breath and sighed. "Koyama became my legal guardian after that, he died trying to protect me. But then there were moments where I screwed up too... I was seeing someone and let myself feel for someone else, I let my own fear pull me towards someone I had no business being around and I betrayed my boyfriend. We patched things up but..." she couldn't help a wry chuckle as she thought about what had happened when Tatsuo found out she was still alive.

"Suddenly I get back from the mission and he can't even look at me, the other one doesn't want me around... I have nothing left." She sighed again and shrugged. "I'm still here though, still smiling, and I'll push through. Maybe I'll get my friends back later, maybe not. We'll see." She wasn't ready to say Tatsuo's name yet, or Kotaru's for that matter. She was still feeling the hurt, and trying to convince herself it would pass in time.

"Sometimes we have to decide who we will be."
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Post by The Legend Excalibur » Thu Dec 13, 2018 10:58 pm

"Hmph. Vale let a few moments pass between them. She'd had it worst than most, worse than Kotaru, if what the Elder had said about him was to be believed. And through it all, she was still among the kindest people he'd encountered, Akari or otherwise. By comparison, his worries and problems were tiny, nothing to mope over. Something seemed to solidify in his mind. He wasn't quiet sure how to define it. It was just, a feeling he had towards her. This girl he'd just met, one who hand nothing...

No. Not nothing. At least, not now.

"Hey, Ume. You don't have nothing left. As long as I'm around you'll always have one friend at the very least." He could tell his face began reddening. That all sounded much better in his head. But saying it, out loud, was all a bit corny.

"For however much that counts for. He quickly added.
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IwagakureAkari Vale • Genin
IwagakureWu Sun • Chuunin
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