towerofanimus | Clearing the mind under the clear blue sea [Open]

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Clearing the mind under the clear blue sea [Open]

Characters: Xue'Kol and you.
Setting: Floors 10/63 for swimming. Or Floor seventy-three for the picnic.
Format: Prose but I can do either.
Summary: Xue looks to clear her thoughts with her favorite pastimes and favorite locations.
Warnings: Possible language/lack of clothing.

With everything that had been happening as of late, what with the administrators opening answering the denizens questions, for the most part anyways. The mysterious guests showing up and it being a Ruana month, Xue'Kol had lots to think about and frankly, at the moment, she really didn't want to. Instead however, she decided to take up the day for relaxing and enjoying herself while the coast seemed... moderately clear for the time being, she knew that trouble was coming soon.

For the better part of the day one could find the playful trolless enjoying her favorite pastime in her favorite floor; that being number ten, where she swam freely and happily throughout the watery paradise. At least, it was a paradise to someone like her. She also spent some time in the newer water filled floor, exploring the new depths and creatures that dwell in the recently added floor. It was all so relaxing and feeling the refreshingly cold waters on her bare skin was a much needed distraction.

Of course, even though she was currently enjoying the dip as nature brought her into the world, Xue always kept some clothing nearby in case someone came by and wanted to spend time around. She didn't want to make them uncomfortable if they were more of the modest and reserved types.

After her swims through the two floors, Xue picked up Sweetfang and they went to the snowy floor which she had grown quickly fond off. She had lived most of her life post-accident in the frigid norths of the Storm Peaks where she had lived alongside her worgs and spent most of her free time at. She loved the snow, every bit of it, she felt the connection strongly to the variation of the element, but not as strongly as she felt connected to water itself.

Once she arrived on the snowy floor, she sought out a nice spot for both of them to enjoy a nice picnic. First things first though, she quickly made a fire so that Sweetfang wouldn't freeze and once that was done, she set up the cloth and the food down. Snow always seemed to lift her spirits. Seeing the winter wonderland that her hair took the splendid color from, it made her have fond memories of her home and wondered how her worgs were doing. She gave a nice big haunch of meat to her Venomhide Ravasaur hatchling as she began to eat some of the food herself.

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Enoch himself was here to clear his mind. Though, being unable to swim, obviously not in the same way as the trolless. He watched, instead, a nautilus making its backwards way across the bottom, his eyes traveling to a pretty betta as it swam by in a swish of long fins, a colorful clownfish crossing its path and drawing his eyes to it, his mind finding abstract patterns in the shapes on the fishes' bodies, something meaningless to occupy his mind.

And then a shadow fell on them and Enoch looked up...and recoiled out of his drifting mental state at the sight of a humanoid, afraid at first it was a monster...

...no, no. That was a collar. She was a resident. He'd seen her before, perhaps in passing.

...clearly her kind had no nudity taboos. Not like it was nothing he hadn't seen before, at least.*

Xue had just finished playing around with some sea turtles before she began making her way back towards the hallway to grab another long breath of air. She'd been so used to this kind of thing for the longest time that it was easy for her to swim to extended depths for long periods of time. It was almost as if she belonged in the oceans.

On her way back however, she noticed she had some company. She waved in a friendly manner as she swam towards the side that had her towel, just in case the poor humanoid was timid about nudity.

Once out of the water, she let out a satisfied breath and grabbed her towel, wrapping it around herself with a cheerful smile and seemingly not embarrassed in the least.

"Oi' mon! How goes it?"

An Enoch centuries younger would have been timid. Not as appalled as a modern man might be, but he wouldn't simply accept it either. But the human (or humanoid) body was simply what it was now. It was unusual, however, to see someone who clearly thought the same.

"As well as it can in this place, I suppose... You must be doing better than I am, if you feel safe enough to swim like that."

"I've always felt at ease near, at, or near watah mon." She shrugs, looking at the watery walls for a moment before turning back to him.

"An' if we be stayin' stressed all da time, we be callin' fer an' early death. Even if dat mattah's little in dis place."

This floor was a little frightening, water everywhere and though the stair case itself was free of it, a bubble of oxygen it seemed so easy that the water would fall in, sweeping you off the stairs and out into the depths.

Shion looked out fearfully as he climbed, and spotted a figure in the distance. She recognised Xue'Kol and waved, not sure if she could see him.

Even under water, Ellistree had a pretty good sense of sight. It might just be due to her being a rather natural hunter, or her connection with the element. Whatever the case, she noticed the familiar person waving and could be seen smiling.

She spun around mid-swim past a pretty docile shark and quickly made her way towards them and unto the stairs, taking a nice slow breath of air as she came out, grabbing the towel in the process and beginning to dry herself as she spoke.

"Ey' der! Nice ta be seein' ya 'round."

Shion blushed as he realised she had no clothes on and looked away staring out into the water. "Yes... you too... I hope I didn't interrupt your swim."

"A'course not! An' besides, I always be havin' time ta greet and chat wit ya mon. An' ya be knowin' dat if ya evah be needin' anyting, ya can jus' come git me kay?"

Xue'Kol smiled and wrapped her towel around herself to make it easier for Shion to be at ease.

"You as well... That's why I was here. But it's hard not to stress when one is surrounded by reminders of those lost and alone in their own worlds..."

Enoch watches as the nautilus from before falls out of the water. He scoops it up and deposits it back inside.

Well that was a little less embarrassing, Shion didn't quite look at her still but nodded, "I know." He smiled and looked out into the water.

"Doesn't it scare you?"

"I don't be tinkin' we be havin' dat kinda luxury mon. Considerin' we got so much ta keep in mind an' all... Dis kinda goes without askin' but, guessin' yer missin' yer world or is it someting more?" Xue asked curiously.

"Naw mon, it be da one place were I always be feelin' at ease. Always have, even back home. Even when I had thought it took me when I was younger an' all." Xue shrugged and smiled.

"What 'bout joo mon? Do joo not like it?"

Shion blinked at her words, did she mean she had almost drowned? He tried to suppress his shudder. "Reno taught me last summer, Turk's aren't allowed to drown." He gave a small smile. "It's just..." He waved his arms, "There's so much water."

"A Turk huh? So joo be one 'a dem?" she asked with a smile, already knowing the answer.

She turned to look at the water and smile only grew bigger. "Guessin' it ain't a big deal ta me. Back home I used ta swim in da open oceans often."

Shion nodded, surprised she didn't know, it wasn't exactly a secret. He fiddled with his Turk pin idly. "There were no oceans where I came from... well there was, just far away..."

"Dat be sad, da oceans be wondahful. Don't be tinkin' I could be too far from it. Or from watah in general. It be like a part 'a me." she said with a bright expression on her face.

"What luxury?" Stress wasn't a luxury. This pain wasn't a luxury. If he could just turn off those thoughts he would have done so a long time ago.

"I miss what my world was." He watches as the nautilus starts moving again, feeling safe from threat. Until a triggerfish darts from behind an obstacle almost immediately. Enoch looks away as it attempts to crack the nautilus's shell open. Just marine nature at work...

"It's...hard to miss what I was returned to."

"Da luxury ta be preoccupied wit oda thoughts oda dan survival mon." Xue replied with a shrug. "Really, wit all dat be goin' on, sometimes I be wonderin' if worryin' if even possible."

She chuckled a bit at her own comment and shook her head. "Even if I worry at times too..."

Her eyes followed his and she listened to his words as the scene transpired. "I be sure ya ain't da only one mon... Have ya tried maybe talkin' wit friends 'bout it?"

"Rare as monsters are during the day, there is plenty of time to be preoccupied."

A sigh, and he glances up at the ceiling.

"...Not that it would be much better if monsters were more common."

His friends... Certainly not Tohko or Aleph. Aleph had his own problems to handle, and on top of that...well. There was a problem he himself would probably never resolve. And then Tohko...she was loyal and friendly, but her immature approach to life didn't lend themselves to the things he wanted to talk about. The Puella Magi he'd met...had their own burdens as well. Too much of a burden.

Lucifel, though, and Raphael, and Sola, if he could find her...

"...I will try. A dear friend of mine arrived last week. I've always been able to turn to him."

"I'm glad there is one here then, for you to feel a little more at ease." He looked out at the water again, "I learned a lot about them, because of the life there. It's so fascinating all those creatures that used to live under the ocean..." He paused a moment, "Well I guess here they still do."

"Did dey?" she asked curiously as she rubbed the back of her head with a light chuckle.

"Dunno if I should be sayin', 'Dat's good!' or 'Oh dear.'" she shakes her head and smirks.

"While I wouldn't be wishin' anyone a stay in dis place, at least havin' someone like a friend wit joo would help a great deal in dealin' wit dis place."

"Ya'mon. I don't be tinkin' I coulda been lastin' dis lon in dis place without some form of watah ta swim on. I'm even more 'appy dat dey added a floor wit snow. It be remindin' me of where my home be."

"I'm glad you have things that remind you of home, and make you happy."

"Same here mon. It be makin' tings dat much easier ta deal wit here."

She smiles at him, "So, how have you been holdin' up? Wat have ya been doin' an' such?"

"I've been good..." And Shion realised with a start he really had been, he still had nightmares about killing Reno and if he wasn't careful it haunted him through the day. But for once they weren't in the middle of one crisis or other.

"We were really busy with Reno and Elena's wedding, and I've been trying to learn as much as I can about the new floors."

"It be good ta know dat. I always worry 'bout dose I've come ta know an' care 'bout." Because even if she was out to survive, she still wasn't a heartless assassin... Unless work called for it.

"Yeah? I peeks inta dat from afar for a while. It was real nice mon. An learnin' yer surroundings always be a good ting yanno?"

"It's a common quandary, I think..." Enoch sighs and tries to smile a little. "I'd like to think he and I could help each other here, too."

"You should have came, it would have been nice to have you." He smiled. "It is, there is a lot to learn."

Xue smiles, "Well dat be a good ting at least. Now ya two gotta work togetha an' such."

Xue chuckled, "I did tink 'bout it. Alas, ain't my place an' all an' I was makin' sure der wasn' any outside interference an' all." Cause she would have hated for something that nice to have been interrupted.

"Aye, an' da more we know, da bettah equiped we be fer dis place."

"Mm...it will be something we need to accustom ourselves to. At home, he was untouchable. It was he who supported me."

At least now, now he'll be able to return the favor...if Lucifel will let him.

Shion smiled, though he would have rather had Xue'Kol there than Ganondorf, or Ruana though the latter hadn't caused any trouble.

"Yes, and the more we can help new people."

"Oh? Well mon, roles can easily be reversed at da toss of a coin as dey be sayin'. One could say dat be pretty true in dis place since one nevah knows what's comin' 'round da cornah an' if ya be needin' ta do someting ya ain't use ta."

Edited 2013-02-18 11:34 (UTC)

"Which in turn be helpin' us all yanno?" Xue smiled and nodded.

"We're all in dis togetha, wetha sum undahstand dat or not."

Shion nodded, that was true. "We are."

"Good den, so long as we keep dat in mind mon, we'll be okay." she added with a wink.

"I'll be headin' to mah room ta rest unless ya wanted ta do sumtin'?"

"That's true..."

And in this case, something one party is not going to take well to...

"All we can do is help those who are less able to adapt..."

Shion shook his head, "No, it's alright, go and rest." It was important.

"Aye, it be bettah dat way since like it or not, we're all in dis togetha."

And she knew some didn't see it that way, or liked it much for that matter.

"You know, joo be free ta be joinin' me mon," Xue said with a teasing wink.

"Ain't evah said know ta cuddlin' wit a cutie like joo."

Edited 2013-02-19 10:42 (UTC)

"Um..." Shion was confused at first, he hadn't been the one swimming, he didn't have to rest. He was fine.

Then he blinked, the tone more than the words making him catch on. After all he and Xion spent most nights ~~curled up like kittens~~ in the same bed, but that was different.

"Um..." He's flailing, because he doesn't understand what she means or what she is asking and

Argh

Sorry Xue'Kol Shion is a blushy flaily mess at the moment.

Edited 2013-02-19 10:56 (UTC)

Xue couldn't help herself. His reaction was way too priceless, so much so that the trolless doubled up laughing for a good while. Mirthful tears could be seen at the corners of her eyes as she held her abdomen, wiping her face once she was able to.

"Oh mon, no need ta be getitn' like dat," she said in between a laugh.

"Though, it only be makin' ya cutah y'know?"

Once she had caught her breath, she smiled. "Naw, mon, it was jus' a friendly suggestion. Company's nevah bad, not in dis place, but don't sweat aye? I'll be seein' ya 'round." she finally added with a wink and a wave.

Shion's blush just got deeper as she laughed at him, flailing some more.

"Um... yeah... see you around..."

Xue smiled, "Don't sweat it hon, kay? Ya be a nice guy..." she paused, her look turning a bit somber as she turned to leave.

"Don't be lettin' dis place change dat..."

With that, she began to leave.

He blinked at her, "You're nice too..." He said with an awkward smile as she left.

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Clearing the mind under the clear blue sea [Open]

Floor 10

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63!

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