Re: Echo of Nothingness (EON III) Continuation

[NaroModerator]

Rohan rubbed where Yuu struck him with his drop kick. He wasn’t about to get into another fight. Besides it didn’t hurt much so he’ll let it pass without causing any trouble “oh looks who’s here. When aren’t you eavesdropping conversation? Anyway get out of here i don’t need your inpu-“ he looked back Zach who now wanted to talk to the orange hair girl. Maybe she was the right person to help him out with his depression “nice going Zach, i knew you weren’t gonna wait for tomorrow to pick up a cheek. Though i would’ve thought that you’ll be into someone... more talkative?” Communicating with someone like her must be difficult. Rohan’s mind began to wonder what if he had a disability like that, such as being blind. He just shook his head and turned around once again to see Liss now coming for both of them. “I dropped the wood when i tried talking to Zach, but i can go get it if you want me to.” Liss’ proposal was very tempting. If she was gonna sing then he’ll definitely go get that guitar. Though it’s been a few years since he played one, but without a second thought he quickly went inside the house and search his old room for his guitar. He found it under the bed, a bit dusty, but it was still good. After brushing off the dust Rohan went back to bonfire area and began tuning the instrument.

Iggy has taken the girls around the beach and just chilled with them. It’s had been a long time since they were together like this. Of course Rohan was missing but he’ll come back eventually “Sahara we’ve missed you so much, i got used to living with you that it felt weird not having you there with us. Isn’t that right Cassidy?” The blond kid stopped in his tracks once he spotted the bonfire and people starting to gather around it “hey Sahara do you think you can go back living with us?” He asked but then quickly shook his head “nevemind you can answer later, but for now. Let’s go have some fun with the rest around the campfire!”

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

Her concern for Zach went without saying. However, she had to admit her thoughts drifted for a moment as Yuu referred to her as a ninja. Where had he gotten that idea? She most certainly had never said such things, nor had she heard anyone else tell him that. Though it was rather hard to correct him once he shot them back towards the beach. Clinging to him tightly as they came to a halt, Brynna gently leapt off his back once he paused to let her down. After that the groups nearly constant sense of stress continued once more. As Yuu jumped kicked a boy she hadn’t officially met yet, the young woman gasped softly. How could he be so cruel?
Then again, she recognized the boy from the fight that had started the drama. Maybe he deserved it? Hopefully for more than just his bad advice. Even if he was unbelievably incapable of comforting others, he was still trying his best. He shouldn’t be punished for trying to do a good thing. It admittedly wouldn’t hurt to ask him to leave it to them though.
Before she could suggest her idea, Zach seemed to come to the same conclusion. To her surprise, however, he asked everyone to leave safe herself. Suddenly she felt the weight of trying to comfort someone, especially when you didn’t understand the situation. It seemed clear that the red haired girl was at the center of this mess, and based off the other boys exclamations it was also apparent that Zach had feelings for said girl. Though that still wasn’t enough information to properly comfort him. How long had he liked her? Had they dated? Were they still dating? Was she talking to the other boy too? No, she’d kissed him... Hopefully she wouldn’t go that far when dating someone else. That’d be horrible.
Taking in a deep breath as she braced herself for his next emotional outburst, Brynna watched silently as a girl approached and dragged the other two away. Looks like there would be no one to assist now. She respects Zach’s wishes, but that didn’t make her any less confused. And unqualified. So she started off slowly, carefully signing a simple question to him. ‘Are you okay?’ It was a basic start to this conversation, however she didn’t know what else to say. Until he explained how he was feeling, she wasn’t sure how to comfort him.
She only knew one thing for now.
She wouldn’t ask him not to be sad.
Not only had that shut him down immediately, but it also didn’t make sense to her.
Being sad wasn’t a bad thing, it was just normal. Her dad always made her feel comfortable if she was feeling down, and waited for her to cheer up... So that’s how she liked to think was the best way to handle the situation.

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

Flinching as Cassidy finally started the inevitable and long dreaded interrogation, Sahara couldn’t bring herself to meet her friends gaze. The raw emotion in her tone was too much to bare. Anyone could tell she was crying, and the blacksmith feared that acknowledging that might bring her to tears once more as well. So she did her best to remain strong, now for Cassidy’s sake as well. “I-I s-sincerely apologize, I-I never m-meant t-to hurt y-you.” She whispered softly, pausing for a moment before loosely wrapping her arms around the light senshitsu user. There relationship had been an interesting one, but she had to agree with Cassidy. They really had become best friends. With Lottie awakened from her coma that was saying a lot, though she felt more like her brother’s girlfriend than anything else now. She was happy they had become all the more serious in their relationship, however she missed spending time with Lottie. Her childhood friend had more of an obligation so spend time with her lover than her old friend, and she understood that. Though still, she missed the way things used to be.
Cassidy had really helped fill that gap, so she regretted keeping her in the dark up until that point. She deserved to know the truth. Sahara just wasn’t sure where to start. Her courtship with Rohan had lasted for nine months... Off and on. They’d been complicated from the beginning. New complications seemed to arise every time they became too comfortable. Or he’d simply push her limitations if he grew bored in the relationship. At least that’s how it came off to her. A courtship had never been enough for Rohan, and she’d always known that. He wanted a real commitment, a steady relationship. However the idea of moving too quickly terrified her. She didn’t want to make the same mistake twice, or Ky would get involved. There was no way too properly express herself on the matter though, it only bought her a few weeks time. After that he’d ask her out all over again. It was always the same cycle, mixed with outside issues. The gang for example.
Still, she hated turning him down.
How many times had she rejected him?
Too many to count.
She hated to admit it, but their courtship had been on the rocks long before the gang attacked her.
There was the time Ray had joked about getting back together with her, so Rohan had pretended to date Liss to make her jealous. A plan that probably would have worked, had the situation been serious. However he’d never taken the time to sort out that it was indeed just a joke. That situation had been inconvenient to say the least. Unfortunately it hadn’t ended as perfectly as she’d tried to convince herself it had. There was always something between the two after that. An unspoken attraction. He’d even begun training with Liss one on one after they’d fixed their relationship. Something she’d never felt comfortable addressing, but now wished she would have.
If the gang hadn’t of gotten involved, would things be any different than they were right now?
Eventually one of them would’ve tried something right?
Where would that leave her?
She always seemed to be arguing with Rohan about something or other. It was disheartening... Though admittedly quite easy to overlook through rose colored goggles. Were they truly compatible? Was their relationship healthy? She didn’t know. Lissandra could very well be a better fit for him... But that didn’t make the situation any easier to stomach.
“I-I thought t-things would go b-back to how they w-were... I-I was only gone two m-months... B-But when I came back...” At that point she was hardly holding in her tears, so she fell silent. She didn’t want to talk about the relationship she’d found upon returning.
It had never occurred to her that he wouldn’t wait for her.
Now three months in total had passed, and he seemed more comfortable than ever. She wasn’t sure if his relationship was official yet, but it seemed as if they’d passed that point. It was rather eye opening.
Just because someone says that they love you, doesn’t mean that they mean it.
Turning back towards the beach house as Iggy spoke up, Sahara slowly nodded. Going back to the group was probably best. She didn’t want anyone coming to look for them. Especially Rohan. It also helped her escape Cassidy’s interrogation... Something she was quite ready for. Seeing Rohan with Liss felt like he was personally stabbing her with a knife, but she couldn’t let him see that. She had to remain strong until she was ready to cut him out of her life as well. “Y-Yeah... Let’s go. It’s got to be dinner time, right? We better get some before it’s gone.” She encouraged softly before following the blonde back to the massive beach house.

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

“Oh, welcome back L-!” Turning her gaze to her brother with a large grin, Lissandra grew stiff upon spotting him. Despite the distance between them, it wasn’t hard to make out who he was with. How had they’d cleared everything up that evening? Clearing her throat as she scanned over their close proximity to each other, the young woman tried to remain emotionless as the two held hands. This was weird. She didn’t like it. Then again, she always been adamantly against girls who chased after her brother. Perhaps it came from her worrisome mother, but Liss had a tendency to be extremely overprotective. Especially when she caught Natsumi staring at him, do to her extensive history of leading boys on. However this time there was nothing she could say. He’d run after her. On top of that, she hadn’t seen him smile so genuinely she they’d made up a year ago. It was clear to see the he was more than pleased with his decision.
The feeling also appeared to be mutual, as Natsumi’s smile appeared light and... Natural. Lissandra couldn’t remember her ever smiling in such a way, in all her years of knowing her. She didn’t appear overly excited, or hidden under her mask. Part of her seemed troubled in a sense, but for once she looked like a completely normal girl. She only hoped that the redhead would remain out of that shell, and build an honest relationship with her brother. While she wouldn’t but in this time, she expected Umi to be open with Leios. She had a past. Liss expected her to clear it with him. For now, they seemed to be floating in a sense... So as weird as it was for her to see them this way, she’d let them enjoy their moment. Her relationship with Rohan was going to feel a lot more bizarre now, but she tried not to dwell on that. “L-Leios.” She finally finished, now rather flatly.
However her discomfort was soon set at ease, thanks to Rohan returning. Smiling as she glanced over the guitar in his hands, Liss gently ran her hand along the strings after he finished tuning it. “Sounds good to me.” She whispered softly, chuckling as she slowly pulled back. Music had always been something she enjoyed, but between training and studying she’d never had time to pick up another instrument. She only knew how to play the violin thanks to the time she spent volunteering at the orphanage. That was also where she’d practice singing. Once she started training to enter the arena, she dropped her voice lessons permanently. However she hardly felt a need for them anymore, thanks to all the years she’d had them. Her mom had signed her up when she was really little, around the time her father began taking Leios to work.
After all the time, what was there left to teach her? It wasn’t as if she was trying to pursue it as a career, so she really didn’t care. For now it was something the children at the orphanage enjoyed. Not to say she didn’t love it as well, it just wasn’t her top priority. She still usually wound down each day by quietly singing a song or two. It was soothing.
“Teach me to play sometime.” Liss added with a nod before slowly leaning back to stretch out. After hearing a satisfying crack from her back, her posture straightened once more. “Ready when you are.” Waiting patiently as he found his rhythm and warmed up, she leaned back over to whisper her choice to him before beginning. She chose an old Kagutsuchian song, one that was slow. Telling of an old folktale surrounding to lovers separated by a great distance. Her mother had always loved it, so she knew it rather well. Most importantly it was a calming piece, which their group could definitely benefit from right now. Hopefully it’d help readjust the mood for the evening.
Though it also didn’t hurt that the song had a soft and beautiful melody, meaning she could show off a little. Normally she wouldn’t bother, however she was feeling a little extra confident today thanks to her and Rohan’s progress. Part of her was beginning to feel like there might even be a chance.
Admittedly, Leios and Natsumi newfound relationship made her’s feel stranger... But she wasn’t going to throw in the towel just yet. For now she just wanted to enjoy the night with everyone.
Hopefully tomorrow their vacation would be a great deal more peaceful.

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

His reassurance that things would work out set her at ease. It was a simple promise, but it carried with it a lot of weight. If he was committed to the relationship as well, then she felt more comfortable with opening up to him. As well as returning that commitment. No more doubting her feelings, or dating around. Natsumi finally felt ready to settle down and build something meaningful. A relationship she could be proud of, with a boy she could actually bring home to meet her family. Not that it was necessary in Leios’ case, but she was admittedly excited to present their new relationship to her family. Her father would definitely want a few words with him as well. He really hated her dating. Even now that she’d graduated.
Having that conversation over family dinner would mean her mother would be there to help even things out.
If anything her excitement would drown out the conversation as a whole.
With new found hope in a better future together, they found themselves back by the campfire. As they passed Zach her grip on his hand tighten momentarily, though as he nodded to his cousin she seemed to relax. Everything would be okay. They’d figure it out. Leios obviously wasn’t running away from the issue at hand this time, meaning she shouldn’t either. She could repair her relationship with Zach if she tried.
She had too.
He needed their friendship.
And she did too.
Part of her guilt refused to leave her, knowing all that Zach had done for her. From the very beginning he’d put her wellbeing before his own. First rushing into to collapsed mansion to save her, then again when Cassidy had attacked her. Not to mention the loneliness he’d rescued her from every day since they’d met. Now it felt like she’d betrayed his kindness... Because she was also happy. There hadn’t been a day she hadn’t longed to be with Leios again, and now she was. In the exact type of relationship she’d always desired.
Of course she was happy.
Her world had almost always been based around Leios.
She just hoped Zach could forgive her feelings, and agree to be her friend. Then again, didn’t asking that of him make her a hypocrite? That was the same thing Leios had originally asked of her, and she couldn’t do it. Being with him in any other way was too painful for her. So if Zach felt the same way towards her she had to be understanding. Even if it meant losing her closest friend of the past year.
Shaking the thought aside for the moment, Natsumi carried her gaze up to Leios as he called out to Liss. A smile laced her gentle features. The two couldn’t have been more different, yet their love for each other was genuine. They shared a meaningful relationship she longed to eventually have with Rohan...
Right, Rohan.
As Leios called out to his friends he brother ran passed with a guitar, and she offered him a slight wave. Later she’d have to thank him. His overreaction had given both of them the push they’d needed to finally talk things out. The next time they had a moment to talk in private she’d have to thank him. Not that she was happy with how he’d handled the situation, but it had worked. She couldn’t scold him too much with such results. More importantly however, he’d proven to her that he meant what he said. He was bad at showing it, but Rohan truly did care about her. Their relationship could only get better from here.
“You going to introduce me to them later?” She whispered softly in a teasing tone, before shooting Leios a grin. Honestly she wasn’t too keen on meeting strangers who’d seen her break down. So much for first impressions. However, if they were his friends she’d make an exception. She wanted to be close with those he cared for. Hopefully they’d give her the benefit of the doubt, and give her a second chance.
What he said next really surprised her.
It was something she was used to hearing. So much so that she’d doubted it was possible for the word to excite her at this point. But that assumption couldn’t have been more wrong. His excitement reminded her of the energy that surrounded him upon thinking of a new invention, which was actually super cute. She never imagined he’d talk about a date with her with the same enthusiasm. It almost felt like a compliment. “Well that depends...” Deciding to play along to encourage the effort, Natsumi slide in front of him to hold him tightly. “Does it mean that I get your undivided attention tonight?” She whispered seriously, before cracking a smile and slowly pulling away.
“I’ll go grab our plates... Consider it a date.” Giggling softly as she quickly slipped inside, Umi returned to find Liss singing while Rohan played guitar of all things. It was as beautiful as it was shocking. “I had no idea she liked to sing.” She hummed upon setting the plates down on the log beside Leios, before pausing for a moment. They could eat, and simply enjoy the moment. That would be romantic enough for a date, however if this was to be their first date she wanted it to be special. What was something they could enjoy together even more than just listening. “...Do you want to slow dance?” At first she was hesitant to ask, especially with everyone else around. However it sounded fun.
Maybe the others would even join them.
If not, at least they had each other.
That was enough for her.

[NaroModerator]

Iggy simply nodded and rushed over to the cabin for their plates “I’ll bring you guys your plates, just go find a spot by the bonfire” he quickly added before rushing inside and coming out with three plates of food that Liss had cooked for everyone. Last time they were all together like this was to fight, they never really hangout too much “here, sorry for the wait.”

Tuning a guitar was a pretty easy task. However the guitar Rohan has is not like any other guitar. This one has 12 strings, which meant more work. “If you say so” he replied back to Liss before listening to her song request “I’m more a bass kinda guy, but guitar is cool... though i haven’t played in years.” That was a lie. He played guitar a few months ago, when he went over to Sahara place and serenaded to her in front of the whole neighborhood. That memory brought a small smile to his face then quickly glanced over to when Sahara was sitting. “Alright let’s get this going then.” He sat down and began playing the guitar for Liss. She was actually really good at singing, why has she not done this before? Maybe she just sang for herself, but her vocals were amazing. Rohan and Natsumi both had singing lessons when they were young as well, but Rohan wasn’t too interested in that.

[keya]

The caged bird sings   
with a fearful trill   
of things unknown   
but longed for still   
and his tune is heard   
on the distant hill   
for the caged bird   
sings of freedom (3/6)
—

Prequel
 Is it uncommon to feel a gaping hole within the pits of your stomach, when you are so unsure of what resides both outside, and within your mind?
Is it strange, to have a million clashing thoughts paired with a million solutions—yet have no will to piece them whole?

 You can tell yourself over and over every metaphor that describes life, but it all comes down to the way it really is—before the eyes close, signaling the end of a day, and after they open to begin a new one.
-
 She had hurricanes that coursed through her veins,
she walked on the crumbles of the life she left behind; each step shrouded in mystery,
of what destination she was inching closer to.

Scene
 The commotion seemed to very nicely come to a halt as the majority began to put aside their issues, and slowly gather around the bonfire. Which in fact Mina had been sitting at for a while.
She had a lot of time to think, previous to the current bustle.

 Maybe it was just something about the beach, that forced her to dive deep into the worries she had been pushing to the side since she left home.
It weighed deeply, mostly because what she did made no sense—and she knew she had to take responsibility for it. However, she couldn’t help but deeply resent what she had to sacrifice for something as god-given as a right to love.

 The only thing that kept her on her toes had already been uncovered, so what was her next step? Mina needed some sort of purpose, and her problem was that she didn’t know where to begin.

 She knew she wanted to meet Cherokee, but she already had lived her life around Cherry for so long, that she seemed uncertain of chasing a tale already uncovered. Of course, Mina knew Cherry would have some advice that would help, but she didn’t want to meet her until a stable goal was established—she wanted her role model to see her in a stable state.
-
With a sigh guiding her back to reality, she watched the buzz eminating around her. The rest of the people she had played volleyball with earlier trickled in, eventually turning the once quiet night, lively and music ridden. Watching everyone express themselves so happily, was extremely contagious and it was soon apparent through the elated glaze in Mina’s eyes.

There was quite a few faces she recognized, one of which being Umi who was dancing, and Rohan who was playing the guitar.
In that very moment, watching the scene in front of her unfold, Mina felt an intense urge to cease the victimizing nature of her mentality.
Why shouldn’t she dance as well?
There was absolutely nothing stopping her.

She got up from her seat and did a quick little stretch, to buy time looking for her dance partner. She quickly recognized one of the guys from before, who actually came up to her—Yuu.
He was rather friendly, so with a smile, she approached him and extended her hand.
“Wanna dance?”

[Derekjay2000]

[Yuu]
Yuu gave Zach a confused look, though happy that his friend seemed to be feeling better, Zach seemed to move from one problem to another. 'He sure is dealing with a lot of stuff, it takes a lot to be able to bear it all' Humming thoughtfully, Yuu didn't question Zach's sudden decision to do this alone, whatever it was he was doing. "Well, okay?" Yuu shrugged, "But, listen...if you ever need help just ask-" he was quickly cut off by a sharp tug from Lissandra, "Oi! Liss- stop pulling on me!" He ket out an annoyed huff before turning to look back on the other two as he was dragged off "See ya later, Sunflower and Ninja Girl!!!"

Back at the fire, Yuu fell forward as he was finally released from Liss' grip. Springing up excitedly as he brushed the sand off himself. After all of that emotional drama, Yuu was starting to really appreciate the idea of just hanging out by the fire, and eating. As everyone began to settle Yuu watched as the flames flickered to the tune of Rohan's guitar, "I'm surprised that you can play a guitar" Yuu commented with a shocked expression. He was also surprised, and a little distressed at seeing Leios and Umi's sudden shift. The transition from how they acted before and how they were now was really impressive. "Love is some kind of crazy thing, ain't it?" Yuu muttered to himself as he watched the pair start to dance with one another. Though, this change didn't cone without a sacrifice. '...But', Yuu smiled warmly as he continued to eat, 'So long as they're happy! That's all that matters~ I'll need to work on making Zach cheer up though.'

After he was done eating, Yuu sat by the fire as he watched the others. All the lovey dovey stuff happening around him was making him uncomfortable as he sat alone. His ears perked up as he heard someone approach him, turning to look behind himself, Yuu gave a big smile as he stood up "Yo! Mina, right?" He wasn't use to strangers approaching him, it was normally Yuu who was making the first move to meet and talk with others. Watching curiously as she extended a hand, he froze up in slight disbelief. "...Dance?" Yuu asked in awe, for whatever reason, a lot of the girls he knew seemed to dislike him a lot, outside of Mrs. Danyell, so being asked by a girl to dance was certainly new. "Uhhh...I mean, sure!! I'd love to dance with you!" Yuu smiled excitedly, his eyes sparkling as he took her hand "But, uh...just so you know. I haven't danced in, around, 12 years or so!" He noted, a faint blush of embarrassment, carefully placing his other hand on her side "And my last dance partner was my mom, so there was a big height difference."

[Sammich]

Zach's gaze found relief as he saw Liss approach. He'd missed her aura of composure, her destinct decisiveness, something he'd been trying to mimic since their meeting.

"Thank you." He said to her, offering his cousin a smile. Surely she didn't know what was happening, she couldn't. Or could she? Zach was in no place to question what she knew.

"And I really do appreciate the effort guys..." He tried to thank Rohan and Yuu as they were dragged off. Without them now it was quiet, his voice was the only one present. That added to the evermounting pressure of the truth he was burdened with.

It's getting dark. His mind seemed to find anything to distract himself from his responsibility.

No Zach you have to do this. It will only hurt more the longer you wait.

"Uh- Brynna," He began, "You need to know-" Zach finally brought himself to meet her gaze. A thought flashed in his mind as she looked at him expectantly. He failed to find a word to explain it. Was it ignorance? Innocence? Whatever state he had been living in before Rohan had shattered his world.

And then she asked him if he was okay.

"Huh? Me? Am I-" He faltered, "No." Zach said honestly his eyes downcast. "And it's not just this..." He tilted his chin towards the group of people settling around the fire.

"It's Nil... it's falling apart." He ran his hand through his hair. "We've lost a lot of people..." His voice trailed off, the tears welling as his thoughts strayed to his mom.

"Brynna-" He began again, meeting his gaze, "I'm sorry... your father's dead..."

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

As a moment of silence fell between them, you could have heard a pin drop. The only evidence of inhabitants on the beach that night came from the bonfire, and the crowd surrounding it. Just far enough away from them to keep an air of privacy. The darkening sky seemed to slowly stretch out to them, encircling all it touched. In a sense it felt foreboding. As if something was coming for them specifically. Zach’s somber mood seemed to play into the illusion, tears beginning to lace his gaze.
In that moment, she couldn’t have guessed that her world was about to collapse.
Who truly expected tragedy to fall upon them?
Her life had been a simple, and happy one. Free from the cares of the world outside of her condition, leaving her to spend her time as she saw fit within the safety of her home. She always had company. From attendances, and instructors... To guests, and her father. There was never a time she’d felt unnecessarily lonely, or forgotten. While that did come with the price of a strict upbringing, that had never truly bothered her. Sure, on occasion it lead to inconveniences, but it was never enough to feel alienated.
If only she’d known that was exactly what she’d become.
Zach started simply, ‘No’. It wasn’t an inviting response for further exploration, but Brynna knew that she had to try. Since he’d sent everyone else away she was his only support now. A sentiment that still terrified her, though she’d resolved to do do all she could on his behalf. That was, until he continued on.
At first a swift breeze of bafflement over came her. It wasn’t just the group? So far that was all she’d witnessed, leaving her slightly worried. How could she comfort him if she didn’t understand what he meant? She’d only been with him a few hours, therefore she couldn’t possibly comprehend anything else he was troubled with.
At least, she wished that initial thought had been true.
How did one process such an outrageous claim? Since leaving Nil she’d witnessed signs of hardship, but they had all been minor issues. Things she assumed would be taken care of quickly. Nothing on the scale of threatening their entire nation. Of course, no one had seemed particularly happy in her brief trip through the capital... Admittedly it had been quite strange. Though it had been working hours, so wouldn’t it be normal to be a bit stressed? Father had told her that at least. After work had finished for the day he was much happier, surely everyone else would be as well. ‘But we’re in a time of peace-‘ She tried to quickly interject, though halted her hands as he continued.
‘We’ve lost a lot of people.’
Surely that couldn’t be true.
She would’ve heard of it, her father was a Nilian chairman after all. There would have undoubtedly been a stir in the estate, and yet everyday had been the same. With her lessons continuing on as normal. Those who kept her company always seemed chipper, donning bright smiles as they spoke. The only difference had been her father’s leave of absence... But that was because things were going so well for the country. The nations industries and economy were booming at an overwhelming rate. There was so much work to do to keep up with the sudden good fortune, that’s why father-.
‘Your father’s dead.’
Then everything seemed to fade, finally wrapped in the blanket of dusk. She couldn’t hear a word he spoke after that, if any at all. Despite meeting his gaze, she could never see his eyes. In fact she couldn’t see anything. Her heart began to pound rapidly against her chest, making it hard to breath.
It was a lie.
He couldn’t be... How would Zach have known before her? The estate would be the first to know! Then the staff would have told-!
The staff.
No, they wouldn’t. They couldn’t. She trusted them. They wouldn’t have lied to her like that! How could they look her in the eyes, and say it was just a meeting-!
Then a sense of dread overcame her, as a new realization dawned.
They hadn’t.
Never once had they looked her in the eyes while talking about her father.
Falling to her knees as her breath grew swallow, Brynna clutched her heart with both hands as something cold drenched her. Water. Where was it coming from? She’d never gone in the water... Then another revelation dawned. She was crying? No, sobbing. She could feel the salt sliding through the cracks of her lips, as her tears flooded down her face. It was hard to think, and any sense of calm left her was she grew stiff.
Opening her mouth to scream, Brynna’s shoulders began to shake as only soft cracks sounded. It felt like a nightmare. If only she could be so lucky. Raising a shaking hand to her face, her wide eyes seemed to immediately see through it. So she slowly pressed it over her gentle features, attempting to confirm that this wasn’t real.
But it was.
She could feel the tears that flooded her vision against her palm, and finally realized why her sight had seemed to vanished. ‘Dad!’ Though a valiant effort, only more cracks of her ‘voice’ seemed to escape her. ‘Please don’t leave me! Please! I need you! We all do! What- What am I supposed to do!’

[Sammich]

As a moment of silence fell between them, you could have heard a pin drop. The only evidence of inhabitants on the beach that night came from the bonfire, and the crowd surrounding it. Just far enough away from them to keep an air of privacy. The darkening sky seemed to slowly stretch out to them, encircling all it touched. In a sense it felt foreboding. As if something was coming for them specifically. Zach’s somber mood seemed to play into the illusion, tears beginning to lace his gaze.
In that moment, she couldn’t have guessed that her world was about to collapse.
Who truly expected tragedy to fall upon them?
Her life had been a simple, and happy one. Free from the cares of the world outside of her condition, leaving her to spend her time as she saw fit within the safety of her home. She always had company. From attendances, and instructors... To guests, and her father. There was never a time she’d felt unnecessarily lonely, or forgotten. While that did come with the price of a strict upbringing, that had never truly bothered her. Sure, on occasion it lead to inconveniences, but it was never enough to feel alienated.
If only she’d known that was exactly what she’d become.
Zach started simply, ‘No’. It wasn’t an inviting response for further exploration, but Brynna knew that she had to try. Since he’d sent everyone else away she was his only support now. A sentiment that still terrified her, though she’d resolved to do do all she could on his behalf. That was, until he continued on.
At first a swift breeze of bafflement over came her. It wasn’t just the group? So far that was all she’d witnessed, leaving her slightly worried. How could she comfort him if she didn’t understand what he meant? She’d only been with him a few hours, therefore she couldn’t possibly comprehend anything else he was troubled with.
At least, she wished that initial thought had been true.
How did one process such an outrageous claim? Since leaving Nil she’d witnessed signs of hardship, but they had all been minor issues. Things she assumed would be taken care of quickly. Nothing on the scale of threatening their entire nation. Of course, no one had seemed particularly happy in her brief trip through the capital... Admittedly it had been quite strange. Though it had been working hours, so wouldn’t it be normal to be a bit stressed? Father had told her that at least. After work had finished for the day he was much happier, surely everyone else would be as well. ‘But we’re in a time of peace-‘ She tried to quickly interject, though halted her hands as he continued.
‘We’ve lost a lot of people.’
Surely that couldn’t be true.
She would’ve heard of it, her father was a Nilian chairman after all. There would have undoubtedly been a stir in the estate, and yet everyday had been the same. With her lessons continuing on as normal. Those who kept her company always seemed chipper, donning bright smiles as they spoke. The only difference had been her father’s leave of absence... But that was because things were going so well for the country. The nations industries and economy were booming at an overwhelming rate. There was so much work to do to keep up with the sudden good fortune, that’s why father-.
‘Your father’s dead.’
Then everything seemed to fade, finally wrapped in the blanket of dusk. She couldn’t hear a word he spoke after that, if any at all. Despite meeting his gaze, she could never see his eyes. In fact she couldn’t see anything. Her heart began to pound rapidly against her chest, making it hard to breath.
It was a lie.
He couldn’t be... How would Zach have known before her? The estate would be the first to know! Then the staff would have told-!
The staff.
No, they wouldn’t. They couldn’t. She trusted them. They wouldn’t have lied to her like that! How could they look her in the eyes, and say it was just a meeting-!
Then a sense of dread overcame her, as a new realization dawned.
They hadn’t.
Never once had they looked her in the eyes while talking about her father.
Falling to her knees as her breath grew swallow, Brynna clutched her heart with both hands as something cold drenched her. Water. Where was it coming from? She’d never gone in the water... Then another revelation dawned. She was crying? No, sobbing. She could feel the salt sliding through the cracks of her lips, as her tears flooded down her face. It was hard to think, and any sense of calm left her was she grew stiff.
Opening her mouth to scream, Brynna’s shoulders began to shake as only soft cracks sounded. It felt like a nightmare. If only she could be so lucky. Raising a shaking hand to her face, her wide eyes seemed to immediately see through it. So she slowly pressed it over her gentle features, attempting to confirm that this wasn’t real.
But it was.
She could feel the tears that flooded her vision against her palm, and finally realized why her sight had seemed to vanished. ‘Dad!’ Though a valiant effort, only more cracks of her ‘voice’ seemed to escape her. ‘Please don’t leave me! Please! I need you! We all do! What- What am I supposed to do!’

As the words left his mouth Zach saw the disbelief rise into her face and for a flash he saw his own face. In Aunt Danyell's house his hair encrusted with salt and ocean water, his face gaunt, his complexion pale and horror in his eyes. He blinked away the tears now forming in his own eyes and she was Brynna once again, fighting her own grief as it welled inside her. He bit his lip a his own emotion welled, he didn't want his own feelings muddling with hers.

"Brynna I-, I'm so sorry Brynna-" His emotion hitched his breath. What had he wanted Rohan to say? He searched his mind for what he'd wanted. Had he wanted to kill the man himself? Only to find it was already done? But Brynna collapsed onto the sands and his train of thought was lost.

"Brynna?!" He panicked when she grasped at her own chest, "Your heart-" He muttered in a panic. Had he done more damage then he could have realized? His mouth went dry and he fell to his knees in front of her. She racked with sobs pierced his heart and he ignored his own tears.

"Brynna?" He said, his voice wavering but gentler this time, he reached a tentative hand onto her shoulder. He recalled how Leios and Umi's touches had helped anchor him.

He felt his heart break as she fought to speak, her tears falling freely and her face contorted in grief. Zach was left with no words.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry."

[Sammich]

He let the three eavesdroppers run off without another word at the request of Natsumi. Leios didn't really like the idea of not attempting to help Zach but he knew she was right, his cousin needed time to let out his feelings in his own way. In the end he was alright with that decision because at least he felt that what Zach was doing right now was better than keeping it in and isolating himself like what he'd been doing for the past year. "You're right, maybe Zach needed something like this to force him to start progressing again. Ok, I'm fine with letting things be-" he was subtly interrupted by Natsumi pulling him in to finish their kiss. That was the other reason he was fine with waiting till later, he wanted to cherish the moment with Natsumi. "We'll figure this relationship out," he said with a smile. "Food does sound good though."

Accepting her hand, they walked together back to the beach house. Despite what happened with Zach and the other two eavesdroppers he walked on light feet, feeling like a large burden had been lifted off of him. He couldn't help being overwhelmingly happy at that moment. They passed by Zach when they finally reached the house who was with the orange haired Nilian girl. Leios wasn't sure if he should say anything but when he saw the somber mood between Zach and the girl he decided to keep quiet. He almost averted his gaze but when he noticed that his cousin was managing to keep it together, he gave an ever so slight nod. He wasn't sure if Zach saw it but Leios felt like he had to at least acknowledge what had happened in at least some way. The last thing he wanted was for the awkward air between Natsumi and him to be lifted only to create an awkward air, of a slightly different type admittedly, between him and his cousin.

They kept walking until the fire pit came into sight. It seemed mostly everybody else was here. He could hear Lissandra from afar say something about dinner on the counter to the others. He glanced around for Takumi and Kamila and after catching sight of them he called out to Lissandra with a quick greeting as he headed in their direction. "Hey Liss! And hey Takumi, Kamila, sorry for making you guys wait for so long," he called out, still a decent distance away from them. The smell of food wafted over to his nose and the camp fire suddenly seemed even more inviting than before. He could almost feel its warmth from where he was, though the illusion was helped by the warm hand he held. Leios adopted a mischievous grin and whispered to Natsumi beside him, "So does this count as our first date?"

Kamila settled into to simply enjoy the afternoon, she paced across the beach as the people dispersed at talked among themselves. At one point she took a stride, a sharp pain jolted through the bottom of her foot. She jolted her foot away and peered into inspect the sharp stone. It had a pinkish hue to it, partially submerged in the sand. In a moment of whimsy she reached down to pick it up but it resisted her grasp and she pulled harder. A shell emerged from the sand, pink and smooth in the low afternoon sunlight.

"Takumi look." She said, brushing the sand away. "Look what I found." She held the shell out to him and then up, "It's almost the same color as your hair..." She mused. It was another attempt at a joke, to get him to ease into the vacation mood.

Then Leios invited them over the the campfire, Kamila took her shell in hand and settled in with the people. In this light she could better see their relationships, taking note and observing them in kind.

Her head perked up at the mention of foods. "About time, I'm famished." She said but waited patiently until her portion was passed.

For now she just watched the conversations.

[NaroModerator]

Iggy was able to finish his plate rather quickly in order to go back inside and go look inside for a very special thing he brought with him. The camera Rohan brought for him a year ago , he kept it with him and took pictures of whoever they traveled. He took a quick snap of Cassidy and Sahara chatting then one of Liss singing and one of Rohan playing his guitar. Then the perfect opportunity for a picture showed up. Natsumi invited leios to dance “let me take a quick picture of you two” he said aiming the camera at them and taking the picture as they began. That would be enough picture for a while, but for now he had something else to do. Putting the camera away next to Sahara he took a deep breath and mustered all of his courage “Cassidy let’s go dance as well!” He said nervously while blushing and extending his hand over to her.

[keya]

[Yuu]
Yuu gave Zach a confused look, though happy that his friend seemed to be feeling better, Zach seemed to move from one problem to another. 'He sure is dealing with a lot of stuff, it takes a lot to be able to bear it all' Humming thoughtfully, Yuu didn't question Zach's sudden decision to do this alone, whatever it was he was doing. "Well, okay?" Yuu shrugged, "But, listen...if you ever need help just ask-" he was quickly cut off by a sharp tug from Lissandra, "Oi! Liss- stop pulling on me!" He ket out an annoyed huff before turning to look back on the other two as he was dragged off "See ya later, Sunflower and Ninja Girl!!!"

Back at the fire, Yuu fell forward as he was finally released from Liss' grip. Springing up excitedly as he brushed the sand off himself. After all of that emotional drama, Yuu was starting to really appreciate the idea of just hanging out by the fire, and eating. As everyone began to settle Yuu watched as the flames flickered to the tune of Rohan's guitar, "I'm surprised that you can play a guitar" Yuu commented with a shocked expression. He was also surprised, and a little distressed at seeing Leios and Umi's sudden shift. The transition from how they acted before and how they were now was really impressive. "Love is some kind of crazy thing, ain't it?" Yuu muttered to himself as he watched the pair start to dance with one another. Though, this change didn't cone without a sacrifice. '...But', Yuu smiled warmly as he continued to eat, 'So long as they're happy! That's all that matters~ I'll need to work on making Zach cheer up though.'

After he was done eating, Yuu sat by the fire as he watched the others. All the lovey dovey stuff happening around him was making him uncomfortable as he sat alone. His ears perked up as he heard someone approach him, turning to look behind himself, Yuu gave a big smile as he stood up "Yo! Mina, right?" He wasn't use to strangers approaching him, it was normally Yuu who was making the first move to meet and talk with others. Watching curiously as she extended a hand, he froze up in slight disbelief. "...Dance?" Yuu asked in awe, for whatever reason, a lot of the girls he knew seemed to dislike him a lot, outside of Mrs. Danyell, so being asked by a girl to dance was certainly new. "Uhhh...I mean, sure!! I'd love to dance with you!" Yuu smiled excitedly, his eyes sparkling as he took her hand "But, uh...just so you know. I haven't danced in, around, 12 years or so!" He noted, a faint blush of embarrassment, carefully placing his other hand on her side "And my last dance partner was my mom, so there was a big height difference."

It happens when the sun comes down,
and when the evening birds sing their last melody
It’s a specific kind of feeling, and a specific kind of noun,
it’s hard to feel unhappy,
it’s almost hard to frown (1/1)
—

Scene
Mina slightly perked up by the sudden excitement which emanated from Yuu’s voice; seeing him so eager, became naturally contagious.
Mina couldn’t help but chuckle, as Yuu went on to explain his background in dancing.
“No worries, i’m not gifted in grace—no room for judgement here” she assured, grinning, with a quick thumbs-up.
Mina hadn’t really danced in a while, since she refused to take lessons when she realized they didn’t really serve a valuable purpose. She also wasn’t very passionate about it, so it seemed like a chore.
Although, she very quickly came to a realization that if she had stuck with it, she would be thriving as she was dancing with Yuu.
-
After countless lines of small talk, laughs, and untraditional dance moves—the two eventually sat down.

This allowed Mina to take a little breather, but it also had her thinking again. Not about anything sad, rather, she remembered how much she appreciated the fact that everyone had some kind of life story.
To her, each and everyone was extremely fascinating.
Of course there is a fine line between prying and learning, and she understood that, but in that moment—on a whim—she wanted to ask about Yuu’s.
She didn’t expect specifics or anything personal, she was just curious about his views on life. Additionally, it would break the awkward silence—which was honestly the only part thing that morally compelled Mina to ask.
“So Yuu tell me about yourself, you know, besides dancing 12 years ago with your mom.”

[Derekjay2000]

Cassidy pouted as Sahara seemed to stop her explanation short. The light user wiped away her tears as her friend went on ahead with Iggy. "If she doesn't wamt to talk about it that's fine..." Cassidy reminded herself, the fact that Sahara didn't seem to trust in her enough to give her an honest awnser hurt her, if only for moment.

'Then again, why would she trust a monster like me...'

Content to let things be as they were, Cassidy merely took the chance to appreciate having Sahara around again. The two girls chatted by the fire, she avoided talking about the obvious elephant in the room of course. Meanwhile everyone was dancing, and Rohan was playing his guitar "For someone so uncouth, he plays well..." Cassidy noted as she listened to strums and Lissandra singing. She smiled as Iggy went about photographing the evening events, she smiled as she wrapped an arm around Sahara's for their picture. "Mother never really got to explain much about technology to us, so I'm glad we have a photographer like you around-" Pausing as she stared towards Iggy, Cassidy raised a brow as she repeated her offer "Do you want to dance?" She placed a hand on her chin before she slowly stood up, "Sure...we can dance. You don't mind, right Sahara?" She gave her friend a quick glance before offering her hands to Iggy "I wouldn't mind dancing, after all...this'll feel like dancing with my brother when we were your age!" She stated bluntly, reminiscing of her brother.

[Derekjay2000]

[Takumi]
Too much noise, and too many people. Takumi concluded as he watched everyone scuttle about on the beach. The idea was comforting in a way, since it reminded him of camp. '...I'm not here to think about that' Takumi shook his head, scanning over the crowd, Takumi would glance over to Leios and Umi. "Well, seems Leios went fishing in that forest..." Takumi noted, watching the pair begin to act all lovey-dovey. Instinctively, rolling his eyes in embarrassment as he tried to avoid staring, he had quite enough of his parents doing that crap.

"Gods I miss them..." Takumi sighed, his mother and father were gone. Eve had been imprisoned in Seiya and his father, Gil, had gone missing ever since the destruction of Fuji. The people at the fire were technically 'family', but he felt more alienated with them then his now criminally incarcerated mother. So, in terms of family...he was very much alone.

However...he wasn't completely alone.

Walking over to Kamilla, Takumi glanced down to see what she found. He gawked st the comparison as he looked over the shell "My hair, huh?" Takumi smiled as he ran his hand through his pink curls, "My mother certainly passed down something to me. God knows where this color came from." He laughed slightly, he didn't remember much of Kamilla's own family history, but he could assume she was alone as well. 'She's a pain in the ass, but we need to stick together' he watched her carefully as he followed her back to the fire.

After having eaten, Takumi stole a glance at Kamilla and then to the others who were dancing. With slight uncertainty, Takumi spoke up without looking at Kamilla "So..." he began, "How much you wanna bet I'm a better dancer than you are?" His mouth slowy turned into a smirk, his eye glinting with challenge as he peered over at her through his bangs.

[NaroModerator]

Iggy froze in place when she reversed the question back to him... did he want to dance? He didn’t know how to dance either. He invited Cassidy without thinking about it. He simply nodded his head in response since he couldn’t form any kind of reply at the moment. “Just a warning, I’m not that good at dancing but I’ll try my best” he whispered as they started to dance just like umi and leios.

Rohan let out a small chuckle watching Iggy and Cassidy dance. Maybe he’ll give them a lesson on how to dance, but then his glance only shifted over to Sahara sitting alone. She was probably didn’t want to talk to him anymore... was it because of the thing with Liss? No it couldn’t be that... she rejected him countless of times before and left without a word. Maybe her and Ray were talking again, and knowing how she is, she probably didn’t want Rohan around as much. Well for now he just focused on playing his guitar. Once they played a few songs he put down the guitar to rest for a bit “How about we pause the songs and dancing for a few minutes?” Rohan turned to see Liss after putting did his guitar leaned forward “that was amazing Liss! I didn’t know you were such a good singer. Maybe you should sing for me sometime. I’m gonna see how my team is holding up” he signaled with his thumb over to Iggy, Cassidy and Sahara. “Let’s see... we can tell ghost stories around the campfire” he said jokingly and sat down by Sahara but leaving a space in between for Cassidy “I hear that the forest in front of us is haunted, and the hell-bent evil spirits come out at night to scare the folk around here” he said as joke trying to get some of them scared.

[Derekjay2000]

[Yuu]
"I think we're gonna be good friends!" Yuu laughed happily as he danced with Mina, something about being with others and having a fun time just felt so amazing. Despite not having known each other too well, Yuu was very glad to be able to meet someone new and chat, and dance.

After their rather unconventional dancing, Yuu plopped down next to Mina as he smiled as everyone else continued to interact, "This is how life should be like," Yuu spoke up fondly, "Friends, family, and fun~" Taking the moment to kick back as he reclined and lay on the soft sand, Mina's question pulled his attention back to her. "Hmm..." Yuu hummed as he slowly sat back up, turning with a bright childlike grin he pointed a thumb at himself "I'm gonna be a hero!~" was his simple response. "I wanna protect anyone and everyone, and kick ass doing it! I want people to laugh, love, and live without any worries" he smiled looking down with a proud, yet somber smile "My mom passed away when I was little. But, she was always so nice, and caring, always worrying about others before herself. My dad was the same..." he looked up towards the sky, memories flashing through his eyes of his parents, "They were really great people. They were my inspiration, and that's why I'm gonna become the greatest Hero, one who surpasses all others!" He shook with excitement as his eyes lit up, "That's how I met Miss Danyell and everyone! I'm undergoing special training" he then turned expectantly to Mina, "And now I'm on the beach talking with you! What about you? You had a bunch of letters, are you a mail woman?"

[keya]

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn bright lawn
and he names the sky his own (4/6)
—

Scene
Mina’s eyes fixated on Yuu’s demeanor, and the way he moved his body as he excitedly talked about himself. The sparkle in his eyes as he was talking about his goals—although in Mina’s eyes a little naïve—was so full of passion, that it made her wonder what she could do to achieve that level of stability. It made her feel as though the moment she was living in, moved in slow motion.

Although, Mina couldn’t help but chuckle, as Yuu reminded her of the action movie characters she would watch as a kid—in the most wholesome way. But a goal as simple, and almost childlike as being the best hero, in that very moment seemed to make perfect sense.
Maybe it wasn’t about what us as humans couldn’t do, rather what we aspire to be that molded stability.
Sure, being the savior was quite ambitious—but it seemed as though that goal he set for himself pushed him to be his best self in every way.
And in place of envy, Mina felt an overwhelming sense of inspiration. Even with a backstory like his, he made no excuses for the heights he wanted to reach.
-
“And now I'm on the beach talking with you! What about you? You had a bunch of letters, are you a mail woman?"

With a laugh, Mina looked upwards at the large expanse of the night sky—as soon as Yuu had finished talking.
“Life sure is crazy huh? Mm, unpredictable rather. But hey I truly respect that!”
Mina’s eyes diverted back to him.
“No doubt about it with that attitude you’re practically there! But me? Definitely not a mail woman—i’d say i’m more of an admirer than anything else.”

She let her wave of excitement surrounding Cherokee embrace her for a good minute as she went on to explain how she ended up at Kagusutchi.
-
“I hope to be able to find a strong purpose for myself, cause I mean it was kinda dumb just heading here outta nowhere right? But I guess things do happen for a reason after all—i’m thankful!”

[Iz]

Sitting on the outskirts of the beach, the blanket of tallgrass obscuring his figure like a veil, Solomon continued to observe the proceedings of the gathering. As much as he wanted to be a part of the festivities, the prolonged social interaction was like a suffocating chokehold on his mind. Whether it was a product of his long-established cynicism, the guilt of his bloody résumé making him a black sheep amongst the flock, or maybe just the fact that living his years as an isolated killer had nailed the traits of an introvert into his persona, the rough transition into a normal life was still taking its toll on him. So, while his friends rejoiced in the warmth of each other’s company and the golden sunset, beckoning the moon to take its place, he lay back onto the ground below. Breathing in and out, he felt the air enter his body, dispersing into his limbs, giving sustenance to his bloodstream. He felt the weight of his body on the sandy dirt under him, a comforting reminder of his permanence, a reminder that he didn’t have to look over his shoulder every few seconds, in fear of his own shadow’s presence behind him.

In a bid to calm himself down, he resorted to a hobby he had adopted to fill in the large gaps of free-time he found himself with in-between contracts. Tracing the blips in the night sky like a page of connect-the-dots, he formed tales and stories from their light. Solomon supposed it allowed him to make sense of his life, an absent-minded activity that gave him some time and peace-of-mind to reflect on his thoughts. Like careful embroidery on the fabric of the Universe, observing its weaving and construction made him feel like a sightseer on a tour of the entire cosmos. It was a feeling that never seemed to lose its lust, or appeal, or the sense of adventure it evoked. In a way, the constellations represented each of the individuals gathered at the beach today, including himself. Every single star was a marvel of science and nature, impossibly beautiful, givers of life and illumination, and insurmountable in stature within their own orbits. But, zoom out a couple hundred light years, and they all begin to look the same. Some a shade brighter, some a little smaller in his peripheral, but despite their grandiosity, it was impossible to tell them apart once you got far enough away. Were any of them closer to the Maker than himself, or his dad, or his brother? Certainly not, and if they could talk, they’d probably be just as confused and bumbling and insecure as everyone else.

The only way they achieved their meaning to the people on this planet was their position in relation to each other. Alone, they’re just blemishes on the canvas of Earth’s atmosphere. But together, they form the basis of legends, they form constellations that somehow give birth to hope, that inspire creation, and persist in their purpose.

Solomon let out a defeated groan, “Constellations, huh?”

“Fine, I get the message. Maker be damned, if you were gonna give me a message, why couldn’t you have just put up a sign telling be to stop being such a slouch, or throw a meteor down at me? It always has to be so needlessly complicated with you, doesn’t it?”

Speaking to the stars was the only way he knew to direct his words to his Creator. Honestly, he didn’t even know if there was one. Surely their Lord couldn’t be Jove, there had to be someone higher than him, someone way up above. Then again, even if there was, he wouldn’t blame them for ignoring him, or sending him on wild goose chases to get their message across, whoever they were. He didn’t deserve forgiveness from his friends, from himself, and definitely not from the merciful Maker. At least, not yet.

It would take time, he knew that.

“Well, you know what they say, Amaterasu wasn’t built in a day. Atonement isn’t gonna walk to me, but the least I can do is take a couple of strides in its direction while I still have the chance,” he remarked, before getting himself off the ground, brushing himself off, and descending back down the hill toward the beach.

Although most were gathered around a campfire, being serenaded by the duo of Rohan and Liss, he spotted his brother and a newcomer sticking out like a sore thumb. It didn’t take a psychic to see that something had went down, the girl was practically losing it, and Zach, similarly to what he had been doing for the past few months, was standing next to her like a deer in headlights. Letting out a deep sigh, and preparing himself for what he expected to be a healthy dose of petty drama, he began to approach the pair. “Look, whatever my dumb brother did to cause this mess, I’m sure it’s not worth crying abou-”

His snarky greeting was cut off when he caught a glimpse of her face.

‘Oh, FUCK.’

While he had never seen the man’s daughter in-person, the girl’s features were unmistakable. He wracked his brain trying to remember the name of the councilman he had been sent after in Nil. What had it been, nearly a year now? From his years of wandering, he had gathered an impressive knowledge of the political goings and climate of the nations, and prior to the assassination, he had done some background research to determine the best method of execution. Learning of the man’s daughter, and her conditions, he found a rare sense of mercy in his heart, much to the dismay of his Masters, and did away with him in a secluded area, disposing of his body in a pseudo-cremation ceremony by himself the next day. This contract was one of the selective assignments he had been given to kill an individual who, on first glance, seemed to be the last person one would expect to have a hit on their head.

The grief which now seemed to consume the girl was unmistakable, there was only one deed that could invoke such emotion at its hands. After all, he had seen its effects firsthand while it had taken hold of Zach for all these months. Solomon snapped his fingers, and shut his eyes, trying to find a trigger that would unravel the name of the man whose life he had taken, and furthermore, his daughter.

“Brianna!” he exclaimed, “Brianna, anyway, as I was saying, whatever may have happened,” he explained, wincing at his attempt to dismiss the situation coyly. He knew all-too-well the reason why she was sobbing, but he had a feeling that now was absolutely not the time for re-introductions. “Shedding tears isn’t gonna do anything. I mean, yeah, it might help feed the plants or something, but I don’t think they like saltwater anyway. Plus, I think we should leave that job to the clouds.”

Solomon gave Zach a quick nod of the head to indicate he would need help with the next bit. Lifting his arm in front of him, a trail of shimmering light formed beneath their feet, leading out of the clearing and toward the campfire. With Zach lifting his arm and returning the gesture, the light bloomed and sparkled, creating quite possibly the most brilliant footpath he had ever laid eyes on. “However, just because we shouldn’t feed the plants doesn’t mean we don’t have a job to do. And, our job right now, is to drink the night away, and forget about all of the baggage we might have been carrying before setting foot on this beach.”

That last statement was just as much of an attempt to provide reassurance to Brynna as it was to reassure Solomon. Despite being pretty much as far as possible from each other on the reasons-for-guilt-and-trauma spectrum, there tended to be one common remedy, no matter where the feelings may have sprouted from. If alcohol could numb the pain of agonizing, pleading screams, the sight of life leaving someone’s eyes day-after-day, and the ever-growing weight of loneliness, surely it’d do some good for her. Setting his hand on her shoulder, he could clearly sense confusion at his verbal invitation. So, for good measure, he extended his hand out to her, motioning toward the roaring campfire, and the jolly crowd of buffoons engaging in some sort of sad excuse for dancing to the tune of his cousin’s voice and Rohan’s guitar. Judging by Brynna’s state, there was a 50/50 chance of her collapsing after taking her first step, and he didn’t wanna risk the others seeing yet another unconscious person lying at his feet. The first time with Danyell, at least he had an excuse, but he figured that after the second time, it would probably start to raise some eyebrows.

[Jove]

August was happy to see that he wasn't the only one socially awkward. Solomon too had stood apart from the rest. Unlike Solomon, however, August didn't need to apply any effort in hiding himself. The matrix was the power of imagination, all things could be done through it. Simply desiring to have his presence unprecieved was enough to render his entire being invisible.

August would've approached the son of Sehun, but the cyclops seemed to be having a conversation all on his own, it was creepy, it really was.

"Why don't you play with them? They seem to be having fun." A voice. From where? There was no beside him, no one behind him, no one immediately before him, he was alone, as he always was, close enough to hear Lissandra lose herself in many a melody but far enough as to not be bumped into.

Oh. He thought with realization. This must've been his karma for mocking Solomon.

"I'm surprised that your actually here mother. Have you not had your fill of hurting me yet? First you abandon me and now you haunt me, is there no end to your evil?" Though, of course, he knew that she hadn't been a ghost. She wasn't dead, he would know if she was. It was merely a hallucination, such were the repercussions of sleeplessness. Still, he preferred this a thousand times over what awaited him when he closed his eyes. Ever since that vision a year ago, nightmares had accosted him every night. He had been awake for total of three months now. Had he not been drawing strength from the matrix, his body would've given out a long time ago.

The fact that the hallucinations were back meant that he must've over-exerted the matrix. The matrix wasn't omnipotent after all.

Sighing the son of Jove straightened the light around him. "So much for sub rosa."

August found himself walking in the direction of Yuu. Strange. He could've sworn that Leios would've been his first destination, perhaps he was being subconsciously drawn to the two. Either that or he had still been half asleep and, therefore, half sleepwalking.

Yuu was talking to some girl that he didn't recognize, his girlfriend maybe. August would have to congratulate him later, but for now...

"That level of buoyancy is dangerous, Yuu. Heroes don't exist in this world, not anymore. There are gods and men and you are either one or the other." Despite his words, August actually felt a tinge of admiration for the boy, how could he not? To remain so idealistic in times such as these, especially after everything he's seen, was truly praiseworthy. That didn't mean that August wasn't going to goad him, it was a party and what's a party without a piñata.

"Your still every bit as foolish as you were then, I thought that you would've grown some by now." (*cough* I am giving you a golden opportunity to use a short joke since August is vertically challenged)

August turned to the girl. He had planned to verbally assault her as well but froze. She was cute, appearing, in many ways, a lot like him. But that wasn't the reason for his sudden stop. She was wise, he could see it in her eyes, wise beyond her years.

"Yo-" August took a moment to compose himself "your name."

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

For a time everything seemed to swell within a void, painted by the dusk surrounding them. Brynna could feel herself spiraling, slowly sinking down into the earth from whence she came. Perhaps she’d be with her father again sooner than she realized. Her dazed panic and sob stole every ounce of her concentration, leaving her heartbeat unmonitored. It began to race faster and faster overtime, the hand pressed against her face no longer comforting her. However the soft touch of Zach’s hand against her shoulder invoked a slight gasp. After a few moments she managed to regain control of the irregular beat, allowing her chest to rise and fall at its usual rate once more.
No, she couldn’t go out like this. Father wouldn’t have wanted that. Yet she didn’t know what to do. Her whole being was set ablaze, and she was left groveling beneath the unbearable weight of this new knowledge. It hurt. So intensely that she couldn’t of described it to others, even if she was capable of speaking.
Still, she wasn’t alone. Finally glancing to Zach once more, she was slowly able to make out his outline. Her tears running dry not because her emotions had settled, but because she physically couldn’t summon anymore. Then a new voice came from above. Over the sound of her friend’s repeated apology came a sharp verbal jab, one which faded as she met the young man’s eyes.
They were light and grey, reminding her of metal. Something about them seemed... Different. Perhaps it was the slight edge to his gaze, leaving her uncertain of what emotion he was feeling. Though that wasn’t the only abnormal thing about him. His hair shown two different colors, and yet neither half appeared to be the work of dye. However she couldn’t understand how it was possible for such an oddity to occur naturally. It held her attention for a few moments, until the man suddenly called her name. Well, at least a name similar to her’s. He had referred to himself as Zach’s brother, and yet she couldn’t recall ever meeting him. However he seemed to know her in some way. Probably through Zach.
Gently glancing back to her old acquaintance once more, Brynna found herself shocked as the new man began to ramble. His attempts at comforting her turning odd rather quickly. First it sounded like any normal ‘keep your chin up’ speech, but it soon turned to a spill about watering plants and clouds. While she appreciated his efforts, the young woman had to admit that she had no idea how to respond. That was until something magical happened.
As the ground lit up beneath her feet, the ginger slowly gasped. The new light shed an entirely different perspective on the boy before her. Suddenly she wondered if she had died, if her heart had given out under her stress. Their darkened surroundings began to glow as the light stretched out towards the campfire, leaving her speechless. All the shapes and sizes of the brilliant works of light truly left her feeling out of this world. Safe even. All she needed now was... Her father. She could feel tears threatening to spill over once more, as a hand gripped her other shoulder. Slowly glancing up to the mysterious man as he spoke, Brynna found that the light painted him in a new manner. Perhaps he was an angel who’d come to take her home.
His offer confused her. Drink their problems away? What drink would console the loss of her father?
That was when he extended a hand to her. Was this it then? Her only option? Her gaze drifted to Zach yet again, looking for some kind of reassurance before making her decision. After a few moments of hesitation, she gently accepted his hand and stumbled to her feet. She felt felt numb and heavy, leaving her leaning against him for support as she weakly hobbled forward. Allowing the stranger to guide her to the dancing flames in the distance. The singing, dancing, and good cheer of its companions leaving her completely silent.
That evening she’d lost everything. She no longer felt she could relate to the rest of the group, or the world around her. All that was left for her was burden of learning to forget.
And with that, the plan of the man at her side.

[Derekjay2000]

"I didn't think I would run into another fan of the heroes like me," Yuu commented with a bashful smile. "You really think I'm almost there!~" Yuu squealed placing his hands onto his cheeks. "Your the first person to not say I'm stupid or something!"

The way Mina talked about her seeking Cherry out and then calling it stupid was a punch in the gut for Yuu, recalling the memories of multiple boat crashes just to find the Siopelos household. "I mean, it's not that dumb..." he laughed nervously, "I think it's very admirable to go out on your own and go for a goal."

Yuu playfully patted her on the shoulder, "Well, whatever the purpose you end up finding know that I'll support ya!" He looked over at the others who were telling ghost stories now, "I hope you stick around a bit, we're having some..." he paused to think of a good word to describe the current drama, "problems, but everyone here is a good person. No shortage of potential friends-" Yuu visibly recoiled as August called out to him and Mina, 'speaking of shortage' his cheerful aura quickly shifting to one of agitation "...Well," Yuu hissed slightly, turning to glare at August "Almost everyone." Yuu clenched his fist tightly as he scowled down at the Prince of Seiya, "Talk all you want Vermillion, heroes will never die! I'll make sure of it" Yuu crossed his arms over his chest as he stood, "The more you talk down about heroes, the better it'll be when I surpass you!" standing and speaking firmly Yuu paused as August continued to try antagonize him. "You're one to talk about 'growth.' Big words coming from a little girl..." Yuu shot back, before crouching down just to be eye level with August, a smug smirk tugging at his lips "But maybe you wanna say that again? I might've misheard you, and I can hear you much better down here..."

His smirk grew even wider as he rosr back up at August's bewilderment at Mina, "Aww~ Is the Little Princess getting flustered?" Straightening himself up, he glanced over to see the Zach, Brynna, and Solomon approaching. Brynna looked very faint, and Zach looked more sad than before, "Oy!" Yuu called out, August becoming an afterthought as he jogged worridly towards the three. "Hey, are you alright?" He offered Brynna a helping hand as she approached the fire, Yuu glanced between the trio before landing a glare at Solomon, who looked to be the most coherent of the three, the memories of Solomon's outburst flashing in his mind as he stood back up "The hell happened!?"

[Iz]

Solomon grimaced at the sight of Yuu, 'Ugh, just my luck that the first person I run into is HIM.'

"Stand aside, orphan boy, this isn't your concern. The last thing I'd wanna do here is rip yo-"

He stopped himself, rolling his eyes and shaking his head while giving himself a minute to calm down. Out of all the people in this ragtag group, Yuu was far-and-away the most difficult to deal with. Honestly, he didn't quite blame the boy for his residual anger, and in fact, the others' readiness to forgive and accept him into their ranks was far more surprising to him than Yuu's reluctance. Still, after the months that everyone had spent acclimating, whereas with the others, the wall in between Solomon and them was like a 10-foot tall gate, troublesome, but easily scaled with effort, the wall in between him and Yuu was like an electric fence with barbed wire at the top, guarded by a platoon of soldiers. It seemed like no matter what he did, even trying to edge close would just end up with bruises on both sides, both metaphorically and even literally at times.

‘Baby steps,’ he reminded himself. ‘Baby steps.’

"If you must know, this young lady's just been delivered some... tragic news," he replied, snapping his fingers as a momentary, but blindingly intense flash of light was directed right at the boy's face, missing his eyes by a couple of centimeters. Not only would this be a snarky way to get back at Yuu for the biting glare he had shot his way upon the trio's arrival, but it would also give him a few moments to explain the situation without Brynna seeing it. Turning his face away from the girl, and making sure he was out of view, he not-so-tactfully mouthed the words "HER DAD" to Yuu before making a throat-slitting motion. Turning back around to face everyone as the flash of light died down, he cleared his throat to dispel some of the awkward tension floating in the air following his explanation. "Uh, anyway, Brianna, or Brynna, or whatever your name is. You mind staying here with Zach for a minute?" he asked, confused as to her complete lack of response or verbal acknowledgement up until this point. Solomon was aware that intense grief or emotion can often overwhelm people, leaving them in a state of shock, but this was entirely different. It was as if half of everything he said was flying right over her head or something, or at least, that's the way it seemed. Taking a pause to try and remember for a second, he held his hands out in front of her, and waved his fingers, what he remembered to be the Nilian sign-word for "wait here."

Giving Zach a quick nod, and motioning ever-so-subtly in Brynna’s direction before giving him an encouraging wink, he jogged over to where Rohan sat. At first glance, Solomon noticed that his friend was sitting a weirdly uncomfortable distance away from Sahara, almost as if he was saving a seat for someone. Delivering a quick punch to his arm, Solomon leaned over to Rohan's side, a mischievous grin on his face. "Well, I hope I'm not interrupted anything here," he said, making a blatant and purposefully obvious gesture toward Sahara. "But you mind coming with me for a second? There's just some things I wanna check on at the house to make sure everything's good for the night. I mean, I’m no Kios, but if there’s anything that needs to be looked at, I’m sure we can figure it out,” he exclaimed, nudging Rohan in the side.

As the two left the area and approached the house, he glanced back at Rohan, who was a couple of steps behind him. “Okay, I don’t think I have to explain to you that I couldn’t give less of a shit about playing mechanic right now. This is your dad’s beach-house, right?”

“Think he has anything up there in his wine cellar?”

[DannyGirl~Moderator]

As the song ended, Lissandra slowly glancing to Rohan. She shot him a soft grin as he carefully placed his guitar against the log between them. For someone who claimed to be rusty, it certainly hadn’t showed. Then he suddenly leaned, his unexpected praise darkening her complexion in an instant. “For you, hm?” Pausing to consider for a moment, the young woman gently placed her hand over his. “That could be arranged.” She finally teased, moving back every so slightly as his attention drifted. Though he made it seem like he wanted to bond with his whole team, she suspected otherwise. Her stomach twisted as he stood to accompany Sahara, though she managed a nod in reply. So they were still playing this game? She’d thought that after their kiss he’d pull himself together... But that didn’t seem to be the case.
Why wasn’t he making a choice between them? He couldn’t just continue to float between both of them. Drawing in a deep breath to calm herself, Liss slowly rolled her eyes at Rohan’s attempt to scare the group. A haunted forest was as cliche as scary stories came. Then again, she was also upset with him. Maybe he was doing a better job than she was giving him credit for.
That was when something truly unexpected happened. Turning her gaze at the sound of Yuu’s annoyance, her scarlet orbs immediately widened. It couldn’t be. Jumping to her feet in surprise, Lissandra swiftly made her way towards the three before she realized her legs were moving. “Where have you been?” She demanded sharply from behind, never taking the time to greet the newcomer. It really was him, August. “You can’t just take off without a word for months on end, then pop up out of nowhere like nothing’s wrong! We didn’t know what happened to you!” As he turned to face her, her anger only grew. This wasn’t how she expected him to reintroduce himself to the group. He owed them more of an explanation. Though honestly, she was mostly shocked that he’s decided to return period. She’d assumed he’d left for good.
His reasoning as to why was something she’d never been able to piece together.
Tightly pinching the bridge of her nose, the auburn haired girl fell silent. She needed to take a few moments to calm down. A lot had happened since he’d left, meaning he was probably adjusting as well. She couldn’t blowup at him right now. It’s ruin the new sense of peace of their vacation. Not only that, there’s a good chance he’s vanish again if she placed too much pressure on him. “What the f*** August?” She whispered under her breath, slowly shaking her head in irritation.

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