kismet_loop_logs | 002 ✤ c l o s e d

Who: Akito + 1^st three PCs to tag in (+ 2 enablers huffhuff)
What: Swimming & Eating
When: August 22^nd
Where: Southwest Sector Farmland
Warnings: Nudity (probably)

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It hadn't taken Akito very long to find a stream leading to the southwest and, once he had, he was loathe to leave it. Yes, he always dreamed of living life outside of the laboratory walls, but he hadn't expected it to be so... Scary. He had an abundance of knowledge yet it's useless when he has no idea how to apply it practically. And if this really isn't the Earth he learned about then that leaves him at an even greater disadvantage...

So no, once he found a place he felt comfortable with he was hesitant to part with it. There is enough food in and along the stream to keep even his high metabolism sated - foods he never had the chance to try back in the lab, where he was limited to fish and rice for the most part. Any foods Akito recognizes are quickly sampled, and while at first the flavours were overwhelming he quickly grew to love the sweetness of fruits and certain vegetables.

Akito swims as deep in the stream as he can, a small waterproof bag filled with strawberries clutched to his chest like the precious treasure it is to him. It takes only a few minutes for him to reach the large pond the stream empties into that he's claimed as his own. He never experienced feeling territorial before, but after he has dug himself a dry den in the bottom of the pond to keep his precious items safe, Akito noticed himself feeling irritated whenever someone came nearby. Not enough to frighten him, but simply to cause idle curiosity.

Because he's in farmland, Akito only comes out of the water when sun sets and there's no risk of anyone coming across him as he lounges on the shore. It's quiet in a way he isn't used to - a lively quiet, with the ambient sounds of nature he only ever heard before through speakers.

He keeps the tip of his tail under the water, swaying back and forth slowly, indicating his contentment while leaving small eddies swirling in its wake. His dorsal fin makes it impossible to sprawl out on his back, leaving Akito stuck sprawling on his side in a classic mermaid pose as he stuffs his face inelegantly with his stolen strawberries, but he refuses to shift into his fully human form. The cool breeze roaming along his shark skin is too pleasant a feeling to give up at the moment.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Perhaps surprisingly, Lea understands better than Akito might realize. "And when it seem like everything you know has been taken from you, you just want to hold on even tighter to anything that seems the least bit familiar," he says. Like, say, what had been left of an old friend, even long after they'd stopped being anything like the person he had remembered.

"I'm sure they appreciate that you're paying them back, in your own way," he says. "Though can I ask exactly how? Do you have some kind of water-based magic, for example?"

Akito is surprised that Lea understood perfectly when being given so little to go off of. Then again pretty much all of the reactions he's gotten from people here have been a surprise to him. This one, at least, has been pleasant.

In answer to the young man's questions, Akito uses one of his most basic abilities in demonstration. He moves his hands slightly under the water, sending a small wave over the shore to soak Lea's pants.

Lea's life has left him with a great deal of sympathy for people in unusual situations. The wave, however, has him snatching up his backpack to avoid the contents being damaged and scrambling back a bit to avoid the worst of the soaking. The former is successful. The latter... not so much.

Fortunately, Lea seems more amused than angry. "You know," he says with an amused smirk, "a simple 'yes' would have sufficed." He sets the backpack down on dry ground, then Akito gets a look at Lea's powers as he generates a fire on the ground next to him to help him dry off.

"Don't suppose you can make water clones of yourself?", Lea asks. "That was always Demyx's favorite trick. Mainly as a way to avoid doing any actual fighting himself. Don't need to demonstrate if you can; I'm just curious."

The sudden materialization of a fire startles and enthralls him. He stares at it, wide-eyed, then promptly realizes why the fire was started and pulls all of the damp out of Lea's clothes, depositing it back into the pond until the young man is completely dried.

"No. My control is not very good. Even if it was I don't think I would be able to do that."

Lea abruptly realizes he's drying out more than his fire can account for and smiles, letting the fire die once he's all dry. "Thanks," he says. "Guess you know what my powers are now too."

"If you're interested in improving your control, I could probably help you," he offers. "I'm already helping Jendayi practice her wind magic. Though we'd have to be careful; fire elementals are especially vulnerable to water magic."

He perks up at the mention of improving his control and practicing with others, but instantly shuts down at the thought of accidentally hurting anyone. Akito shakes his head very emphatically this time.

"No, I can do it by myself. Thank you."

And just as instantly, Lea realizes that he probably shouldn't have put it quite that way. He shakes his own head, chuckling slightly. "Sorry, I didn't mean it quite that way," he says. "It's nothing that bad. I just meant I'd have to be a bit more careful to stay out of the line of fire.. er... water."

"There's always gonna be risk of accidents when training with others; that's just the way it is," he says. "But that's why people like us need to practice and gain better control in the first place, and the sooner it becomes second nature, the better; that way you'll be able to use it confidently if you ever really need it. We take some basic precautions, we'll be fine. Trust me, I've survived a lot worse than an accidental magical soaking."

Until Akito can be sure, he still doesn't want to risk it. He's never used his abilities outdoors and that might make them more unpredictable. He continues shaking his head.

"I will learn more by myself first."

Lea nods. "Alright, suit yourself," he says. "But even if you don't wanna train with us, you should come watch sometime. Might even pick up a few pointers."

"Besides," he adds, "we usually pack a picnic lunch when we come out to train. Just as easy to pack one for three as it is for two. I'll even spring for some ice cream afterwards. That is, assuming you like ice cream." Though really, how can someone not like ice cream?

"I've never tried ice cream before," he admits, immediately curious.

Lea looks positively scandalized at this news. "Seriously?! Never?", he says. "OK, now you have to come watch us. I can't let a kid continue to go through their life ice-cream-less like that, no sir."

Okay, yes. His curiosity is definitely piqued. "Is it really so good? Better than strawberries?"

"Well, different people like different things, so that's kind of a matter of opinion," Lea says. "But I certainly think it is. Especially my favorite flavor: sea-salt ice cream. It's salty and sweet at the same time and is 100% delicious."

"Only way to know for sure what you think is to try it for yourself, though, which is why I need to make sure you get the chance."

002 ✤ c l o s e d

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