[IC] Persona - The True Self

[Sen]

Sato Hashimoto // Sadaomi Beach

The group discussed their course of actions for a few moments before people started going off on their own, whether to hang out on the beach first or to go change into something more suitable. Sato stared out at the sea, lost in thought about what he was going to do today, until Mako suddenly grabbed his hand and started pulling him towards the changing rooms, where surprisingly few people were out by. Sato tried to break free, but Mako's grip seemed to be a lot stronger than he thought it'd be. Instead, Mako interlocked their fingers and held on tighter. He looked up at Mako, trying to convey his sense of panic. "Mako, I don't--..." A burning sensation ran through his face, but at least it could be explained as already burning from the heat.

Mako started talking, though, not letting go. It's not like Sato didn't want to hold Mako's hand, to be together, it's just... He wasn't an idiot. He knew what people thought. Sure, maybe most of them wouldn't say anything, but there was always the chance. There was always the possibility. And it scared him, like it always had. The chance of people not accepting him, so he'd always just did what they wanted like some puppet of fate... but what was the point? Wasn't that why he stood up against his own shadow, why everyone fought for their lives just to save him? He was really just backing out of that resolve he'd made back then by letting other people dictate who he was allowed to be.

Except he didn't say any of that, and instead he just let Mako pull close and kiss him. It was short and sweet, but that was all it really had to be. After, he said something that, before he joined the team, he would have he never thought he'd say out loud. "Mako, I... love you." Sato looked into Mako's eyes to see if he'd make time stop and they could enjoy the moment forever, but it was cut short when Sato found himself laughing at what he'd said. "Can I say that already? It isn't too soon, is it? Whatever, I guess I'll just take that chance." He gave a warm smile to Mako, letting their hands fall loosely down, together. He sighed. "Let's just enjoy the day and leave all this stupid stuff for another time."

Without saying anything else, Sato started pulling Mako (by the hand!) away to the small boulevard of shops that were nearby, intent on taking Mako up on his offer. Soon enough, though, they found a good place to buy shaved ice, and Sato went up to the counter. "Two shaved ice, please. Strawberry for me." He looked back at Mako. "You, uh, got the money, right?" Well, he said they did, so he better. Once Mako paid the teen that was working the stand, the two started walking back towards the beach. Unsure of what to say while eating ice, Sato scanned his brain for some kind of trivia. "Did you know that the flavors of shaved ice are all just sugar water that smells different? At least, that's what I heard."

By the time they managed to get back to where the group had established a spot for everyone with a couple umbrellas, Matt was already running towards the ocean, except, as he was running, he turned to the side. Presumably, he saw Shizuka coming out of the changing room looked stunning as usual, but apparently she was too stunning and Matt absolutely biffed it. The sight was comical enough, Matt laying face-first in the sand, that Sato couldn't help but burst out laughing. Genuine laughter. He looked over at Mako, with a tear in his eye. He didn't say anything in particular, but he just wanted to.

[Tenma Tendo]

Kanna Watanabe

-- August 1st, 2015 || Morning || Warakuma Train Terminal --> Sadaomi Beach --

Kanna watched silently as each of them greeted him, bowing a little bit himself. A few of them had been recognizable from school, like the gorgeous Shizuka Otonashi, but most seemed like upperclassmen. They...they were nice enough. It was very clear that a few of them were distant with each other, and it might have been some internal conflict, so Kanna kept his comments about that to himself; if they wanted to tell him, he would always be all ears.

Snapping out of his thoughts at the sound of Rui's voice, Kanna nodded quickly and followed the others into the train, being sure to take a seat on the outer side of the group. He was still a little uncomfortable with getting in the middle of their already strong friendships, so keeping his distance felt like the best choice.

The ride itself was rather long, as Kanna could feel himself dozing off by the passing minute. However the sounds of the others in the group kept him from complete falling asleep, each of their conversations blending into a symphony of various sounds. That coupled with the beautiful sight of the nearby sea and horizon, Kanna was impressed. So impressed that he pulled out his brother's photo and pushed onto the window with his finger, grinning all the while.

Upon arriving, Kanna was the first to hop, yes hop, off the train and onto the platform. It was a rather short walk to the beach from where they were, but the heat seemed to be battling against us. Letting out a quiet groan, Kanna forced his fluffy hair under his hood, in hopes to save his pale complexion from the monster of a sun up above. And in no time, they made it. The boy could tell just from where they were standing, that there were a lot of people around, which also meant that it would be easy to get lost. With his short stature and mostly quiet presence, Kanna took the time to memorize the faces of everyone he came with, even the two that left to go and find them a spot on the beach; he would definitely need it.

Complete lost in though, Kanna just managed to pick up what was happening. One of them had asked about getting changed, which made sense. Kanna, being just a little nervous about everything, put his trunks on at home so that he wouldn't run into this problem. All he would have to do was unzip his jacket if he wanted to swim.

Taking a few minutes to get everyone into their swimwear, one of the guys that had gone in there earlier questioned about what to do at the beach. At this question, Kanna couldn't help but perk up a bit.
"Swimming, sandcastles, boogie-boarding, sunbathing, relaxing.." The teen began listing off some of the things he would do when he use to come to the beach. By the time he had listed off all of his fingers trice, the group had situated themselves on the beach, followed by one of the group members tripping over nothing and falling to the ground. Well...he couldn't really blame him since he was looking directing at Shizuka before doing so. Most would kill for a sight like that. Heck, it was what most of his friends talked about when they were suppose to be working.

[Flood]

Ryan Chideta
Sadaomi Beach

Samuru offered to sketch Ryan, but he once again shook his head in the negative. "No offense meant, but I would rather not be sketched. It just feels... embarrassing." He blushed a little as he said this, his body wasn't worth sketching. After he said this Matt pulled a beach ball out out of his bag and laughed as he simply said they could play ball in the water. Wouldn't it be playing ball on the- and he tripped over nothing and fell flat on his face. An awkward silence passed as Ryan contemplated whether or not he should help Matt up. Eventually his better nature gave in and he walked over to the fallen upperclassman. "Let me help you up senpai."

After that whole debacle Mako and Sato walked off holding each other's hand, looking to go get shaved ice together. Ryan smiled at the two, good for them. The new guy spoke up and started quickly listing off stuff to do at the beach, Ryan lost track after sunbathing. "I think I'll go relax near the water. Dip my toes in and stuff ya know?" With that being said Ryan went to do exactly that, sitting down just a few feet from the encroaching waves and letting himself get submerged up to his ankles.

[Letter Bee]

Samuru Amakusa

Samuru nodded at Ryan's refusal to be sketched, saying, "All right; I'll find something else to do." And with that, he observed as Shizuka looked spectacular, Mako and Sato went off to get shaved ice, and Kanna be more at ease. Oh, and Ryan offer to help Matt up. This group really was an anime-style Nakama, and he felt himself growing closer to them. Maybe he had jumped the gun when he had assumed they all disliked him. Drawing closer to Kanna, the young man would say:

"Greetings. Kanna, right? My name is Samuru Amakusa; I wasn't there for when the others 'recruited' you. How are you and how are you holding up?" Samuru then, on impulse, began sketching the clear blue sea, as well as the sky above. He then smiled as he began to work his pastels. "It's so nice to see the others happy."

A mischevious smile on his face, before the young man whispered, "Say, want to go see what Rui is doing? He is our leader, after all, and he saved us. But, and no offense, he looks like a generic nice guy, with any hidden depths concealed very well. It'll be fun; we can discover his interests, how he interacts with others, and perhaps even give him a surprise gift once we see what he'd want. Or we can just ask him upfront; that works too. So, what do you say?"

Samuru planned to do it anyway; Kanna or no Kanna. But it would be more useful to have a friend beside him than not, right?

@Sho Minazuki@floodtalon@Tenma Tendo

[Takaru]

Kotori Shirohane - Sadaomi Beach | Saturday - Morning

With Kazuki and Megumi off on their quest for the best spot on the beach, such as it might still be available with the number of fellow beachgoers, the remaining group was left to their own devices. Seeing as most had yet to don their swimsuits, this seemed to be the first port of call - including Kotori, who followed the others toward the changing rooms with her bag clutched in both hands and quickly shuffling into the girls' area before giving a small wave to Shizuka as they split up into separate changing rooms. As she got changed, Kotori couldn't help her thoughts straying back to her previous worries - but just as before, she shook them away and continued on.

A little while later, and just in time to miss a certain mishap involving tripping, Kotori stepped out of the changing room and back into the sun, feeling the ground change from concrete to sand beneath her sandals as she did. One hand rested on the sunhat still perched upon her head to keep it from accidentally blowing away in the gentle breeze that greeted her whilst the other rested on the strap of her bag that she'd slung over her shoulder. For a brief moment, she squinted behind her glasses when she left the shade provided by the changing area behind and looked around to see that the others had already finished changing and were discussing what they wanted to do first. Glancing between them, Kotori felt a slight warmth spreading across her face - a feeling she tried to fight. Of course, it was a losing proposition from the start and as such she quickly resigned herself to instead hide her face beneath the brim of her hat that she pulled further down.

In the brief moments, however, she did get a brief look at what everyone else was wearing - which bridged a wide gamut from sporty, such as Samuru, to the quite fashionable Shizuka. Still, Kotori did at least feel a small measure of relief when she caught a glimpse of the newest addition to the group - as it meant she wasn't the only one who was wearing something over her swimsuit. Kanna was wearing his jacket in order to protect himself from the sun - which was much the same reason for which Kotori had packed hers. At least, that's what she'd told herself - but in truth, she'd already known that she'd probably feel too embarrassed about the thought of herself being seen wearing so little. Even if her own swimsuit would hardly pass anyone's definition of daring, Kotori just couldn't quite bring up the self-confidence to join the others without covering herself with her thin summer jacket.

With her gaze still down-turned, Kotori adjusted her bag's strap to rest a little more comfortably against the pale yellow fabric of her jacket that was broken up by a floral pattern in various shades of red, blue and green - perhaps not something out of a fashion magazine, but Kotori still liked it nonetheless. But though she might not be looking at the others again just yet, Kotori could hear them talking - or rather whispering, as she found herself not too far from where Samuru was conspiring with Kanna. She didn't quite catch everything being said - but even despite feeling a little guilty at what she realised might constitute eavesdropping, she managed to gather that they, or at least one of them, were planning something with Rui.

It was only when they mentioned his name that Kotori realised that she hadn't actually seen him out on the beach - or Kazuki and Megumi, for that matter. Raising her hat ever so slightly, Kotori hesitantly peered out across the beach in a quick search for the two Shoujin students or Rui.

[Tenma Tendo]

Kanna Watanabe

-- August 1st, 2015 || Morning || Sadaomi Beach --

Fiddling with the hem of his jacket, Kanna watched in silence as the others began splitting up into small groups to go and do some of the things he listed earlier. It was a bit weird, to be honest, as since he only had a small connection with Rui for the most part, asking if he could join one of their little groups might make things awkward for everyone; Kanna definitely didn't want that.

Unaware that one of them was quietly approaching him, while other was about to begin some unintentional eavesdropping, Kanna flinched, looking up at the former with a tilted head. Dark hair and steel colored eyes, two traits that Kanna knew he couldn't forget. He said his name was Samuru Amakusa huh...an upperclassmen possibly?
"A-Ah, hello Amakusa-senpai, i-its a pleasure to meet you!" He originally began, giving the other a slight bow before straightening. "Oh, I'm okay. Thanks for asking. I've been through a lot worse so, I sure I-I can get through this." While he said this, the boy couldn't help but have few doubts, these doubts clearly showing on his face. Of course he was nervous about what the others thought about him, after hearing about his brother and what made into how he is today, but he still couldn't out right say it. It was pathetic...

Lowering his head at the fact that he couldn't be completely honest, Kanna caught sight of Samuru drawing what appeared to be a sky and a crystal blue sea. Navy blue eyes lit up almost immediately as he couldn't help but clap his hands together in awe.
"Wh-Whoa...you can draw? That's so neat! And it looks almost like the real thing!" Kanna smiled widely, his eyes practically sparkling at the talent in front of him. He appeared to be much more relaxed as well. He nodded quickly in agreement, his eyes never leaving the sketch in Samuru's hands. "Y-Yeah, I don't know them that much, but it's always nice to see people when they're happy." He voiced, before looking back up at the other male.

When Samuru put a rather mischievous smile on, Kanna couldn't help but lean in a bit, understanding full well that he was about to get some dirt on something or someone. Hearing that the other wanted to see what Rui was up to, Kanna could only arch his eyebrows. Although he hasn't known him for long, Rui did seem like the type of person to show less than what he knows. And plus, it would be fun to having an adventure on the beach!
"O-Okay! Sounds like fun!" He said while nodding eagerly; it was clear that he had already grown fond of his senpai.

[Letter Bee]

Samuru Amakusa

Samuru breathed in relief at Kanna's positive reaction to his offer of friendship. Now to try and not flub this up with social anxiety born from long years of hiding who he really was. "In response to what you said about what you've been through; we've all undergone a lot; that's what we all have in common. Not to say we're all friends or anything; I'm...inexperienced at friendship and I'm also a newbie at that, but we all get along so far. We are not a true Nakama yet, and we probably will go our seperate ways once this is over, but we're united to find out the mystery behind this whole affair." He tilted his head slightly away. "Or at least, that's the ideal state."

"But I'm getting ahead of myself; let's go seek out Rui." And with that, a few pastel-strokes finished the average-quality picture of the blue sky, sea, and shore, and Samuru got up to look for Rui, gesturing to Kanna to follow him.

He would slowly backtrack to where they had last seen the high schooler; the shops closest to the train station. As he did so, carefully making sure Kanna wasn't far behind, Samuru would have an idle thought: We really aren't a Nakama, more a loose coalition.

The components of the coalition were Rui and his two friends, Megumi and Kazuki. This triumvirate was the nucleus that kept everyone together. Next were the romantic pairings; Mako and Sato - those two were braver than he was - and Shizuka and Matthew. There was also Kotori and another girl, that bloodthirsty chick who had helped fight his Shadow. Then came Ryan Chideta, the introverted outlier whose bond with the others wasn't as deep as Rui and the nucleus, and now, him and Kanna, the two newbies among newbies. Do not forget the ones we keep shedding along the way; the ones who keep vanishing into the ether after a while.

Snapping out of his thoughts, Samuru looked around for Rui once more, before turning to Kanna; hopefully, the two would be relatively alone. He would then say, "Kanna, I have to tell you something. Something that might be useful in preparing you for the danger to come, and something that provides another reason for us to come to Rui, get to know him better, and thank him with a gift."

He then continued, "The Star of the Tarot and The Heirophant; those are our cards. The Star symbolizes hope, renewal, and spirituality and the reverse stands for despair, discouragement, and loss of faith. The Heirophant, meanwhile, embodies religion, group identification, conformity, tradition and beliefs. Some of those are ugly things, but counterbalanced by the reverse, which stands for overcoming restrictions and questioning how things are."

Samuru looked around even more, fear entering his expression. He had to choose his next words carefully, "And how things are right now...they aren't bad, but I have cause to fear. As I said before, we are not a true Nakama yet. And there are people who were rescued, joined us, and then vanished into thin air. We might be mistaken for that; we might even really be that. But point is, we're not truly accepted. Not merely that but - and I hope not to be accused of treason for this - we are not all one unit. We aren't as 'deep' as we could be." He then clasped his right fist to his chest, a gesture of affirmation, and continued, "And I want to change that. In fact, instead of moaning, I will prove that group identity can be a good thing as well."

A smile. "And, to be honest, I will need Rui for that, and also you. So do not vanish, Kanna-kun."

And with that, Samuru headed back to the changing stations, confident that no one had heard his mini-speech. There, he might find Rui, who perhaps had not have left the place at all. Waving his hand at the younger but wiser student, Samuru would say: "Hello, Rui-san; a moment of your time? Basically, we'd like to ask; are you doing anything? If so, can we join in?" He smiled widely.

"I've also been thinking that we should have a mini-party; we're here for a day or two, right? What about having the party be the climax of that? With cake slices and ice cream and pasta and sushi and seaweed dishes; if they have any." He then thought that Rui and his friends may have planned that already. "But it's okay if we weren't the first ones to think about it." He rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"Seriously, though, something to bind all of us together would be great. Oh, and perhaps a gift exchange?"

@Sho Minazuki@Tenma Tendo

[Sho Minazuki]

Sadaomi Beach

Saturday
1/8/15

"I don't think that will be necessary", before anyone could properly be off to look for him he was back, changed into his swimming trunks with an open shirt, wearing shades. He adjusted them before continuing,

"I am here now after all. And a party sounds nice, though don't think too hard about what to do, just have fun", clearly he was already having fun. He was still holding his bags, so one could guess that Kazuki and Megumi still had yet to set up their spot... Is what one would usually think. In not long, Kazuki was rearing up from around the corner at the other end, looking like he had run from something,

"Ugh... Hm? Oh you guys, if you head that way you'll find me and Megumi had set up a spot... Anyways I'm going to... Get lunch. Don't mind me", with that Kazuki was off, walking at a rather brisk pace.

"Hm. A little strange, but let's get going. By the way, if you want the changerooms they're a short walk on the beach towards the station", and with that he was headed off to put his stuff down so that he was free to do other things.

[Takaru]

Kotori Shirohane - Sadaomi Beach | Saturday - Morning

As it turned out, the object of Samuru's and Kanna's little discussion - which Kotori had reluctantly stepped away from, giving politeness the edge over curiosity when it came to accidental eavesdropping - was not far away indeed. Glancing about, Kotori saw Rui stepping out from the changing room, the final one to join the others in his own beach-wear. With everyone thus accounted for, Kotori's attention turned back to the beach that stretched out before them as she peered out from beneath the rather low-held brim of her sunhat in search of the two Shoujin High students that had gone off to find a suitable spot to put down the bags. Shifting the strap slung over her shoulder, Kotori wasn't exactly opposed to no longer having to actually carry her around.

Incidentally, she soon spotted at least one of them - a sight which furrowed her brow in slight confusion when she realised that Kazuki was both going at a rather speedy pace and, judging by his breathing, had been doing so - or more - for quite a distance. As he drew closer, he only now seemed to actually spot the group strewn about the immediate vicinity of the changing rooms - and seemed a little preoccupied as he pointed to where he'd just come from, letting them know that Megumi and he had indeed found a good place before heading on with no break in his pace. The confusion on Kotori's face was not hard to read - at least, if one stood close enough to see beneath her hat - as her eyes followed Kazuki on his way onward for a few moments more. After that, she shook her head briefly and decided to simply take him by his word and assume that he was just hungry, rather than suspect some strange ongoings to have taken place.

Either way, the fact that there would be somewhere to keep their bags was not an unwelcome one - and Kotori turned to head in the direction that Kazuki had pointed; finding herself to not be the only one doing so when Rui too began walking. However, before she got more than a few steps, Kotori looked back when she realised that perhaps not everyone had actually heard the brief exchange or noticed Kazuki's return and subsequent departure. Samuru and Kanna had surely been right there, so Kotori's gaze turned to the others - but skipped over both Sato and Mako as well as Shizuka and Matt when she realised how awkward she'd feel if she walked up to them and perhaps interrupted either par's time on the beach. She still couldn't help an inaudible sigh escaping her lips when she realised that it was much the same reason that she hadn't been really been able to do anything to help the latter couple return to the more light-hearted mood that they'd been just a few weeks ago.

However, once she cleared that thought from her mind too, there was still one member of the group unaccounted for, Kotori realised. Sitting a little ways off, Ryan was evidently already enjoying the feel of the ocean lapping at his feet - but in doing so, Kotori wasn't sure if he'd heard that they were going to head on over to the spot that Megumi was occupying by herself now. Glancing back to Rui, who was going ahead already, Kotori stopped in her tracks - and then headed back, walking up to the younger boy. It was only once she got closer though that it occurred to her that she hadn't really spoken much to him before - or, as she noticed upon looking past her sunhat, seen him without anything covering the telltale discolorations of scars, faded though they may be.

Kotori's steps faltered at the sight as she brought a hand to her own chest - though she couldn't help her curiosity being piqued, the topic of scars and how one might have gotten them was not a topic she would want to be approached about. As such, she afforded him much the same courtesy - even if she felt some measure of sympathy, given that Ryan did not have the fortune of being able to hide his own scars.

"Uhm... Chideta-san?" Kotori said, her voice as quiet as ever as she quickly glanced back to make sure she didn't lose sight of the others as they went on ahead. "S-sorry to bother you, but, uhm, M-Morinaka-san just came by, so..." she said, her voice trailing off with every word, whilst keeping her eyes firmly on the ground somewhere in front of her; only hesitantly looking up to see if Ryan had even heard her - and then making a vague gesture toward where Rui and the others were heading in order to finish her sentence. She remained standing somewhat awkwardly for a moment, glancing between them and Ryan as she waited for a response - before then turning to follow the others to wherever it was that Megumi was waiting, albeit at a slight distance.

[Tenma Tendo]

Kanna Watanabe

-- August 1st, 2015 || Morning || Sadaomi Beach --

Kanna looked back up at Samuru as he listened to his explanation of how he felt about the others and himself, and of course how he held up. It was definitely reassuring to see that he wasn't alone on this, but in truth, it was scary to even think about what the others thought of you. Kanna couldn't help but tilt his head to the side when the older male stated that the whole group wasn't necessarily friends. From what he saw, they looked pretty close; a little separated into their own groups, but still close nonetheless? Could it have been a facade because he was here? Or could something had happened that made them more separate? Kanna might never know... The boy could only nod slowly at Samuru's statements as his own thoughts remained conflicted.

As the search for Rui began, Kanna hopped up almost immediately, a smile returning to his face; he had already been infatuated with the other since he and a few others saved him, so it was only natural that he would be excited to see him again. Kanna tried his best to stay beside Samuru, as he didn't want to get lost, noticing that they were backtracking to where they last saw Rui. There were times where the white haired boy ended up behind the other male, mostly due to crowds and such (heck he kept a hand on Samuru's arm from time to time to avoid losing sight of him completely), but fortunately they remained relatively close.

It was only after a couple minutes of searching that Kanna noted that they were almost completely alone.
"U-Um...I don't think Shinichi-senpai is here..." He mumbled, rubbing his sleeve covered arms softly. When Samuru suddenly turned around to look at him, the boy flinched, stopping as well to look up at him. He said...he said he had some things to tell him him. And for some reason, Kanna felt nervous as to what he had to say. "...O-Okay..." He said slowly, tilting his head curiously as he gave the older male his full attention.

Kanna couldn't help but arch his eyebrows at the mere mention of his card. Within his slightly dazed state after defeating his shadow, Kanna did remember Rui bring up something about stars, but he couldn't remember what exactly. Listening on, the boy couldn't help but think that the card represented him exactly. But as for Samuru, he didn't know the other enough to say if his stuck or not. Nonetheless, Kanna nodded slowly to show that he was listening intently. As Samuru continued to talk, Kanna couldn't help but see and feel the fear laced in his body language and words. Once again, he mentioned how they weren't really friends, but just acquaintances that share a common cause, there were plenty before him that left, and that they, including him, weren't truly accepted.

It scared Kanna to be honest, learning that those around him probably wouldn't accept him as easily as he assumed. It made him want to leave. Made him want to cry. Made him wish even more that his brother was here...it felt almost similar to the government knowing secrets about you life and claiming to be your 'friend', but in actuality, it just a common goal of keeping everyone safe that makes them act the way they do.

Kanna lowered his head slightly, almost sure that he didn't want to hear anymore of what Samuru had to say. That is, until said teen raised a clasped hand to his fist in affirmation, claiming that he wanted to prove his own words, his own beliefs, wrong. A smile smile formed on Kanna's face as he looked back up and nodded quickly.
"I promise! No m-matter what, I won't vanish!" He confirmed, balling his hands into fists as well.

Making their way back to the changing stations, the two boys had finally found their target.
"Hello, Shinichi-senpai!" Kanna chimed in, before letting Samuru take the lead on the conversation. He listened quietly, nodding in agreement when he had to and smiling sweetly when Samuru asked for anything. And with a confirmation of Rui saying they could have a party, the white haired boy jumped up while throwing his hands up in the air, a sign of happiness by most. Seeing that Rui was heading off to put his stuff down, Kanna pointed at him, jumping up and down in the process. "Come on, come on, let's follow him!" He said as he was already off to catch up with the other male.

[Letter Bee]

Samuru Amakusa

Few words, yet immensely charismatic and even-handed; that was Rui Sinichi from Samuru's point of view. The eighteen-year old once again felt a surge of respect for the younger student for being so wise beyond his years. But Samuru wasn't so blind as not to notice Kazuki's apperance and mysterious behavior, though he also wasn't so uncautious that he would butt into other people's business. No, time to focus on the 'spot' prepared for the gang.

"Yeah, let's get going; I can't wait to see what has been set up," he ended up saying. A slight smile; he was now opening up. He then looked at Kanna, who was already going after Rui, and went after him, walking briskly. He then thought: Maybe I shouldn't have frightened Kanna.

But what was done was done; he now had to move and see what had been prepared for the group.

@Sho Minazuki@Tenma Tendo

[Flood]

Ryan Chideta
Sadaomi Beach

Ryan was kind of in his own little world, watching the waves go back and forth for a minute. It was honestly so peaceful out here, the beach was great. He took this opportunity to muse on his life, or more accurately his recent monster fighting life. It was really crazy, he loved manga and anime, now his life basically was one. He wasn't the main character certainly, that was probably someone like Rui or maybe Sato, but he was certainly an interesting side character. Maybe one of the stronger ones? Suddenly Kotori's voice shook him from his inner thoughts, asking if he had heard about Megumi.

"Oh, thanks Shirohane-san." Ryan got up and dusted off his pants of any sand that was stuck, following Kotori who was in turn following Rui. Rui really was the main character of their little anime life huh?

[Sho Minazuki]

Sadaomi Beach

Saturday
1/8/15

With Rui leading on, everyone made their way to the other end of the beach, not too far away, and found themselves a little spot up against the rocks in the shade. As expected, Megumi was there, or rather, it was expected only she'd be there. She seemed to be a little upset... Which probably means Kazuki's leave was involuntary, she wasn't scared to express that either.

"Haaah... Maybe if it was another beach he wouldn't be so wishy-washy, and Riku decided to pass... Hm? Oh, welcome, to this spot I picked out. I see some of you have already changed, you can leave your bags here", she seemed to not notice them for a short moment, but regardless, it seems they have a good spot here, it had a good view of the beach and there was some shade from the sun.

As everyone put their bags down, or set up their towels and umbrellas, or got out some food, whatever they had with them.

"We'll all meet up here after we get changed. Then we'll decide what to do for today. We have all day to enjoy after all", he proposed. As he had noted before, the changerooms were on the other end of the beach, not too far from the station, but not past it either.

[Takaru]

Kotori Shirohane - Sadaomi Beach | Saturday - Morning

Thankfully, it turned out that Kotori hadn't disturbed Ryan - at least not too much, seeing as he stated his gratitude rather than annoyance for noting the rather hasty passing of Kazuki to him. As she turned to follow Rui, she glanced back to also see Ryan lift himself out of the sand - and then looking about to make sure that no one else would find themselves missing everyone else. Samuru and Kanna were already heading in the same direction - which still left two pairs. Kotori spotted Mako and Sato a little ways off, the two having returned from a brief icecream-laden trip unbeknownst to her. She was a little torn between not wanting to interrupt anything and not wanting to leave anyone behind and thus gave a half-hearted wave which she hoped would yet simultaneously would not catch the attention of either of the two in order to direct toward the same place everyone else was already heading.

Once that was done, Kotori glanced about in search of the final two members of the group - and soon enough spotted both Shizuka and Matt; neither too far off. Still, even at a distance Kotori could feel the odd awkwardness that had been haunting them; unknowingly slowing her steps as a small frown appeared on her face. The wave she gave the two was even less spirited than the one that had been directed at the two boys - even as she tried to hide her unhappiness at seeing her two clubmates unhappy in turn with a smile that , at a distance, would hopefully not like quite as wry as it was.

With her own worries over anyone in the group losing sight of one another thus assuaged, Kotori turned her gaze forward once more. An inaudible sigh escaped her lips even as she adjusted her glasses that were resting just a little bit out of their most comfortable resting place from the constant looking about. She'd lost count how often she tried to tell herself not to worry too much about Shizuka and Matt since having asked Rui for advice on the topic - hypothetically, of course. Lifting her head slightly so that she could peek out from beneath the brim of her sunhat, she saw him a bit further ahead - as ever leading the whole group, even if, thankfully, it was merely to a particular spot on the beach rather than the unknown depth of the Mirror World. Either way, he never seemed to run out of confidence, Kotori mused.

Any further thoughts though were quickly interrupted when she noticed that Rui was greeting someone a little up ahead - who turned out to be Megumi, standing all alone in the shade of a few rocks. She seemed a little bit miffed as she stood there with her arms crossed, seemingly muttering to herself before noticing the new arrivals. Unfortunately, Kotori was just a bit too far away to catch Megumi's words before she had already turned to greet Rui and everyone else as they arrived after him. As Kotori drew closer, she gave a quick bow in greeting to Megumi, even though they'd only been separated for a few minutes, before turning to look about the immediate vicinity.

Indeed, it was quite a nice spot - the shade provided by the rocks alleviated her worries about getting too sunburnt even in spit of her various precautions. Meanwhile, they weren't too far off from the water which was lapping at the beach in lazy waves - the ocean looked rather inviting indeed. Of course, no part of the beach was particularly secluded in this weather - and as she looked around, Kotori could see multiple other people, whether alone or in groups, having set up as well. Some had simply spread out a towel whilst other had brought or rented sunchairs and beach umbrellas. Not too far off, she could even see a small group of teenagers engaging in a game of beach volleyball on a makeshift court.

Rui's voice drew Kotori out of her inspections as he reminded those present that they could get changed if they still needed to - a sentiment which prompted Kotori to look down at herself and the light summer jacket she was wearing over her swimsuit - and that they could decide on what to do once everyone was ready. For a moment she contemplated whether she really needed to wear the pale yellow jacket - but quickly decided to keep it on for the moment, seeing as she was going to be waiting here until everyone was ready; nodding to herself briefly as she convinced herself that she'd need the jacket just in case the wind suddenly picked up or the shade was unusually cool as she slid her beach bag off of her shoulder.

Seeing as there was still a little while to wait, Kotori reached into the bag to retrieve a simple white towel and spread it out in the shade provided by the rocks before - with at least a small measure of relief - taking a seat thereupon; glad to take a moment's rest after the short walk with the bag on her shoulder. "Ah", she said as she peeked back into the bag, "Uhm, if anyone needs a spare towel... o-or some sunblock..." Her voice grew ever more quiet as she produced the items in question from the bag - and in turn drew the attention of anyone who'd actually heard her. For a moment, she remained seated on her own towel, somewhat awkwardly holding the spares in hand - before quickly stashing them away.

However, Kotori's empty hands only remained still for a few seconds before she found herself playing with the hem of her jacket whilst she glanced about from beneath the sunhat that still rested atop her head even in the shade. Knowing that she probably wouldn't be able to calm her fingers if she didn't find some sort of occupation, Kotori reached back into her beach bag - before withdrawing the book that she'd already started reading the train ride here. Looking up once more, she made sure that she wouldn't accidentally appear to be ignoring anyone approaching - before opening the book the page where she'e left off before; intent on continuing her reading - at least until everyone else had arrived and gotten themselves ready.

[Letter Bee]

Samuru Amakusa

So...should he suggest the party once more, or just contemplate his navels? Or maybe he should just lay down a mat, spread some sunscreen over himself, and rest underneath the shade of an umbrella while putting on sunglasses? Yes, he had those. Or he can wait for Kanna to do something.

Oh, Lord, Kanna. Samuru had been so focused on himself that he had forgotten that he had scared a little kid out of his mind! Looking at the albino boy, the older teen actually looked ashamed of himself as he asked, "So, Kanna-kun, how are you feeling right now? And, uh...sorry for scaring you earlier."

A thought, as Samuru brought out his pastels and sketchpad from his bag once more and spoke, "I shouldn't have dumped all my worries on you like that. So..." he brought sandwiches and water from his pack, taking them out from a seperate compartment than his art supplies, "Why don't we eat?"

If Kanna accepted his offer, Samuru would wave Rui over as well, asking, "Hey, want to have a snack with us as well while we wait for the others? After all, even Glorious Leaders need some time for themselves!" He gave a slight smirk.

@Sho Minazuki@Tenma Tendo@Takaru

[Tenma Tendo]

Kanna Watanabe

-- August 1st, 2015 || Morning || Sadaomi Beach --

The white boy hurried over to Rui and his friend Megumi, only letting his facial expression drop once he knew he was far enough away from Samuru that he wouldn't notice the sudden change. Despite how hot it was outside and that he was also wearing a hoodie, Kanna felt a little cold. He did manage to put on a brave face in front of the dark haired teen, but there was definitely strain hidden under the shaded features his hoodie graced him with. Samuru was being nice and patient with him, but he flat out said that they weren't really friends. It was heartbreaking to say the least, and made the boy honestly want to cry, but he knew that if he did that, it would probably only guilt trip Samuru into lying to make him feel better. Kanna couldn't help but feel a little alone at this point. He was at the beach, with mostly strangers, if not acquaintances, that he could barely even talk to without stuttering or shying away...he felt so alone.

Kanna placed his hands into his pockets and slowed down to a steady walk once he was close enough, fiddling with his brother's picture in his...Kanna came to stop, sliding under the shade for a quick second to give his skin a break...or at least, that's what he made himself think to hide the panic that the picture that he was almost positive he left in his hoodie pocket mere minutes ago was now gone. Kanna felt like he was about to physically be sick. His hands started to shake and he could hear his heart beating in his ears.

He almost didn't notice Kotori taking a spot in the shade near him, as he was checking his pockets three times over. Nothing...nothing. Nothing... It was only when the older girl spoke up, that Kanna physically flinched and lowered his head. Geez, why did he always get like this? Kotori isn't scary...she's nice...she's nice...she's...n-nice. Kanna took a deep breath and shook his head before looking around where he was sitting. Nothing again. Kanna was once the verge of a panic attack as he started to scratch his arms under his sleeves. It wasn't like he could ask any of them for help either after what Samuru told him, so what?

Wh-Where could it be?

What should he do?

Kanna drew a complete blank until Samuru's voice cut through his hazy mind, causing him to look up so fast, he could have snapped his neck off if he put any more force into it. The other wanted to know how he was feeling, huh...he was apologetic for scaring him, huh...while the apology was very sweet, Kanna wasn't in the right mindset to speak rationally about anything. So instead of answering the dark haired male, Kanna's eyes went back to Kotori of all people, hoping she could help him, before lowering his head and pulling his knees up to rest his head on them. He didn't want to appear rude to Samuru, but he had no idea how to ask for help from those that might never be his friends...

[Takaru]

Kotori Shirohane - Sadaomi Beach | Saturday - Morning

From where she was sitting, Kotori could see that Samuru seemed to be getting along quite fine - alternating between Kanna and Rui as he spoke with little hesitation about plans for the day and whatnot. He certainly seemed to warm up to everyone a lot quicker than she'd done back when she'd first become part of the group - which was a good thing, as she didn't wish that awkward discomfort upon anyone else. Rui, of course, took things in his stride - but the same couldn't quite be said for Kanna, Kotori noticed when the younger boy briefly flinched as she addressed anyone in earshot - which wasn't very far, considering how quiet her voice was - to offer a towel or sun-block should they need it.

Not having meant to bother anyone, Kotori quickly thought whether she should apologise - or if speaking up would just be even more annoying. It was only after a moment of inconclusive internal debate that she would glance over to Kanna - and then notice how suddenly his eyes would latch onto Samuru when the older boy quietly addressed him. Trying not to pry, Kotori was just about to look away - when Kanna, instead of answering, turned his eyes over to her. A silent moment passed - and then he turned to instead put place his head upon his closely-held knees; a rather dejected sight that made Kotori blink in confusion. With no idea what was going on, Kotori in turned glanced between Kanna and Samuru - unbeknownst to her, in much the same dilemma of not knowing what to say or do as one of the other two.

As she did so, Kotori briefly wondered about the cause for such a thing - it didn't seem like something that someone who was comfortable would be doing. Was he perhaps feeling anxious about going to someplace away from home with a bunch of people whom he didn't know very well? Or did he maybe just realise that his holiday homework was still waiting for him at home? Whatever the reason, Kotori realised that in such a mood, he'd probably not be enjoying this first outing with the whole group - which, after all, was the entire point of them coming to the beach. Thinking back to the first few times she'd been with the others - even if the occasion had been visits to the Mirror World rather than the beach - they'd always made her feel welcome, even if she'd doubted just how much she'd be able to help them in turn.

That thought finally motivated Kotori to speak up: "Uhm..." Of course, that didn't exactly translate into her knowing what to say in such a moment - but at least she didn't stay completely quiet as she thought on that. "Is... is everything okay?" she asked, a tinge of worry audbile in her voice that was as quiet as ever, as she peered through her glasses over at the wistful-looking Kanna; even as she realised that she probably wasn't doing much of a good job at cheering anyone up with just such a simple question.

[Sho Minazuki]

Sadaomi Beach

Saturday
1/8/15
@Tenma Tendo@Takaru@Letter Bee@Amaterasu@floodtalon

With everyone changed and ready to get into the water, it was only natural to think about what to do. They can't just have a splashing montage in the waves, that's not too much happening. The best way to splash water at each other was something else entirely. Everyone present would see it, Rui was holding water guns, and somehow in the time everyone was changing he found Kazuki and managed to get him to help.

"There I helped, now let me avoid this damn sand", he complained. Rui let him off before turning back to everyone.

"I thought just splashing water would be boring so we have these instead", he suggested. There seemed to be a bunch of unique types beyond pistol and rifle types, like a spreader, or even a spinning kind of thing. Rui in his hands had two pistols, so he seemed ready.

"Take your pick and we'll form teams".

[Letter Bee]

Samuru Amakusa

Samuru's mouth gaped as Rui made yet another surprising and wise decision. Or could it be that he was just stupid and socially inept? Well, it didn't matter; what mattered was that there was an assault rifle with his name on it. Walking towards Rui, Samuru took out an toy AK-47 whose transparent, brightly-colored plastic exterior made sure it was different enough from the real thing not to cause fear in nearby residents. He would then salute Rui and then turn around to the other members of the party, a rare smile on his face.

He then joked as he fired a jet of water up at the sky; "Look, I'm Che Guevara!"

Looking at Kanna, his first impulse was to approach him and ask to be teammates...but the younger kid didn't seem to be easy around him. Were his earlier words still affecting the boy? That left a change of plans.

Walking over to Ryan, Samuru would grin: "Hey, want to join the water gun fight? I think we can win!"

@Sho Minazuki@Tenma Tendo@Takaru@Floodtalon

[Flood]

Ryan Chideta
Sadaomi Beach

Ryan grinned as he took the weird spinning thing from Rui, holding it in his hands and looking at it from different angles. "Hey Rui, how does this thing even work anyways? Is it like a gatling gun or something?" It appeared to be filled up already, so at least he didn't need to figure out that part. He noticed Samuru yelling something about Che Guevara while shooting water into the air. Who is that even, some foreign celebrity? Ryan shook it off and smiled, at least he was having fun.

"Hey, want to join the water gun fight? I think we can win!" Samuru asked, under the impression that he could win. How cute. Ryan let an innocent smile spread across his face, pointing what he believed to be the barrel right at Samuru nonchalantly. "Teams? Is that how water fights work?" His smile turned devious as he found the trigger. "I thought these were free for alls." He pointed the nozzle at his feet, firing off a few shots as a warning while laughing. "Come on guys, hurry up and grab your guns!" He shouted to everyone who failed to get their weapons immediately.