Fandom Soul Eater: F.A.T.E

[EmperorsChosen]

Daniella Ethalyn - Hawaii Beach Resort
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Dani raised a brow, but otherwise didn't push the subject. Whoever that guy was, he seemed to draw in attention. Then again, perhaps that was because of that soul of his. While not an expert with Soul Perception, she could actually do some reading of her own, and it only took a slight bit of concentration to spot the lighthouse that was his soul. Loud and strong, albeit a bit different from Zosar's, as if there was some other stuff mixed in. Not to mention, Zosar's was somewhat naturally reined in, in contrast to this one. It seemed Raph recognized him from somewhere as well, which was curious.

However, the feeling of fingers lacing over hers distracted her. Dani smiled and coiled her grasp around Adrian's in response. "Yeah... probably not well," She said in regard to the idea of Nadia surfing, which Dani knew was unlikely for reasons more than the woman's size. However, that wasn't her secret to share. "Maybe she's done some ice skating with all the frozen shit there."

And with that, the speech began. Dani still didn't like the hero treatment some were giving them. Aside from it not sitting right given the prior opinions held not long before, it just felt odd. She would take people simply not ragging on them and feeding into her anger. However, she could at least agree with some parts, namely remembering the little moments. Rather than dwell on the sad, she had been trying to focus on the good and for now, it helped.

"Nah, Nadia'd probably snort and <Piss off!> or something," Dani remarked with a chuckle. As she had become less violent, it seemed so had Nadia.

Looking to Ark's reaction as he downed, she sneered a bit in amusement. "Well, if you do wanna surf, let us know. Just don't get too wasted like some of the people here are already," She said to them all, particularly eyeing Raph and Maria given their reactions at the bar. Though a drunk Raph was considerably less concerning than a drunk Maria. Either way, Dani didn't plan on getting drunk until much later, after she had her chance in the ocean.

Sir Les Paul Merciless Medic RedArmyShogun

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Aki Kiyoko - Hawaii Resort
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Whoa-" Aki at first wobbled, not expecting to be tossed up in the manner she was. She spread her arms out to account for balance and slowly stabilized.

Looking around, the girl was less concerned with what would almost certainly be an oddity to those around and more enigmatic at the prospect of "being tall". Like this, she saw over pretty much everyone else in the room, which made sense considering her foundation was the height of a giant. "Wow~ Is this what it's like for you people?" She asked, designating 'the talls' as a new subgroup of persons. Her gleeful expression then turned into one of slight smugness as she crouched down, eyeing Nadia in particular.

"Hehe... I'm even taller than you now, Nadia~," She chimed with a hint of pride. However, this expression too replaced itself as she took notice of an odd feeling emanating from her stepladder.

It was like a slight tingle. Aki couldn't say it was comfortable, however it wasn't exactly distressing. It was just enough to be noticed. Paired with what Kenny said, Aki caught on to what was happening. "Oh! You're a Volatile Soul! ...Wait, aren't we supposed to not be touching...?" Pondering that, shaking hands with Zosar resulted in a jolt. It wasn't painstaking, but it certainly was an irritant. However, in this case, it was but a tingle and one partially drowned out by a feeling of soothe as well. "Huh..."

In response to this curiosity, naturally, Aki poked and prodded to test if perhaps the tingle was just a fluke, tapping his bicep, then his shoulder, then placing the back of her hand to his forehead. "...I'm pretty sure there's supposed to be an electric shock or something."

Sir Les Paul The Regal Rper RedArmyShogun

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar | Outrigger Resort, Hawaii

Mmm, he thought internally with some disappointment, this is not going the way I thought it would at all.

In fact it was backfiring, rapidly.

Out of the two in this quartet Sara was the only one, he registered, that seemed not to have taken offense to his actions.

What made it worse, Eva agreed with Kenny and the admonishment he received from him was added on by her.

In all honesty this was not what he had anticipated and that was his own fault. He’d been so focused on getting to know more about this strange specimen with two souls, that he’d neglected Eva’s more genuine feelings.

He'd known giving their names out without asking had been a breach, but he'd taken the risk anyway thinking it wouldn't be a big deal.

A lesson had been learned.

Ultimately it didn't surprise him that Kenny's focus had been on him and not the girls. He had felt similar upon seeing him and his unique soul. Even now, he still felt the same. It hadn’t registered however with how he’d turned his attention on Eva.

Had he not allowed himself to be so enamored by his presence and the uniqueness of his spirit, he'd have thought more clearly and realized the attempt he'd made to welcome Kenny actually did come off as almost snarky in a way he hadn't meant.

An exhale escaped his nostrils as he made ready to speak- was going to apologize- specifically to Eva for how his actions had come across but he didn't get the chance, not as the buzz of speakers signaling for silence echoed in the room.

For a moment he was irritated by the misfortune of the timing but it passed as quickly as he let that feeling go. There was no point in making himself seem not just rude but tone deaf when the rest of the room was going silent also.

Resigned to silence, he watched as Kai Wagner took the stage, all while casting a furtive glance at Sara, Eva and Kenny before giving their host his full attention. Keeping his expression neutral- void of upset or any negative emotion, despite being very aware that this might only give the wrong impression yet again. One he didn’t bother to change.

The speech on the whole was not as formal as he’d expected, but it was the manner in which Kai spoke of his own preference for a simple life that reminded Zosar of a similar conversation.

“You can’t be serious.”

“I mean it.”

“You, an anthropologist?” The others around him had laughed at the incredulity in her voice. Markus had shaken him slightly on the shoulder in humor.

Then he’d waited for them to finish and said, “I mean it. If not that then probably a linguist with a focus in Magitech since it’s become so popular lately.”

“Aaaaaah, I called it.” Mav had said with such satisfied merriment.

“Can’t believe it honestly, if you ask me.” Markus had replied.

“And why’s that?” their disbelief now grating.

“Zo, c’mon,” his friend rolled his eyes at the look his partner was shooting him, “No puedes creer esto, you can’t believe this, let’s be honest with ourselves here- out of anyone here I don’t think being a anthropologist would really be the lifestyle you’d stick too.”

With a touch of annoyance he’d asked, “Why’s that?”

“Because the simple life just doesn’t seem like your thing.” Becky had stated as if it were obvious. “It just…doesn’t sound like something you’d stick too, Zose.”
​

The speech ended, and it left him feeling a mixture of hollowness and sorrow.

It wasn’t that he didn’t understand the meaning behind it, but when he thought about it, could he afford to take things at his own pace when everyone else was already ahead?

Adrian, Nadia and Dani had begun Chain Resonance, and he was sure the others had made successful strides in their own ways. He, however was starting anew.

At the end, whether it took him a bit longer to pass or whether he finished this quickly, he was very well aware of what waited for him at the end of FATE.

Frankly the way he saw it, right now, these were the moments he should be valuing. Kai was right about that for certain.

He'd hoped to start things off smoothly but it seemed he just kept walking himself into one problem after another.

He’d already gotten into his fair share of fights with not just members of Stingray’s team, his old friends that had led to his capture, but he’d gotten into duels with others he knew of too in the recent weeks that had passed since he’d gotten back.

If that wasn’t a warning of what was to come in the future, once he was done with FATE, what was?

He watched Kenny go without a word to stop him, crossed arms, and a neutral expression and thought to himself as he once again inspected the Chimera’s soul: You were right.

They’d all been right.

He could never live a normal cushy life. Some part of him craved the engagement a mission would bring and it was more evident now.

Even though he’d thought it’d be a terrible idea a moment ago given what he’d seen, there was a part of him that favored the idea of testing his mettle against Kenny's. Not in a test of power or strength but an activity to learn, much in the same way he'd felt the same over Feng and Aki.

If there was one thing he'd taken from his exchange with Gauss aside from learning the rich playboy had the ability to control metal to a degree, it was that there was a world of Unique souls, people with never before heard of abilities.

As Kai had said, ‘You never know the value of a moment until it's gone’, and here and now he felt that moment slipping by.


Alas, being greedy got you nowhere. He'd have to create a moment for their exchange some other time within all their time together. Stopping him when his attention was now on Aki, wasn’t worth it. Deferring his attention to Eva as she spoke, his brows went up as she seemed to be opposed to the idea of the Luau as he brought his mind back to their situation.

He had been thinking of asking her and Sara if they would go but it was clear now that wouldn’t be on the table to make up for things either. He was going to apologize to her first, then prompt her on what she’d like to do instead- but the words never left his mouth at her crude joke.


He gave her a confused look, one he shot at Sara at her remark of April. He was going to ask Sara specifically what happened, but then he caught Eva closing in and to his surprise felt her arms go around him.


It was so sudden he’d instinctively moved to stop her but he stopped himself instead, his arms stayed at either side of him and a genuine look of confusion on his face mixed with surprise registered at her gesture as he awkwardly returned the hug.

"Its alright about earlier, you meant it in a good way. It's just… kinda sounded weird. Thats all."​

“I’m sorry” was all he could genuinely give her. Then she was off, and he was left rubbing his neck watching her go.

Turning his attention to Sara he asked her, “What was that thing she wa--”

A sudden gasp, a shift in the air- his eyes widened with surprise, even a bit of alarm at thid sudden change. He turned on his heel ignoring whatever Sara might have said or would, and his eyes honed in on Kenny and Aki, immediately using Soul Perception as he felt that charged sensation stronger than anyone else could- just to balk at what he was seeing.

Well the good news was a serious fight hadn't started. He relaxed for only a moment before his brain registered the unbelievable.

Were they touching?

They were, and they were doing it so easily too.

Was it really that simple? He'd have thought with both of them unrestrained there would have at least been some kind of sting, a form of discomfort even but there was nothing like that. Not with what he could see from their souls. It seemed like it didn't even register as Kenny ensured he maintained the support Aki needed for balance. It looked like he was even using a minor degree of Amplification, he couldn't be sure, but it seemed possible and if it was that just made this whole thing a bit more unbelievable.

Hadn't Aki said Volatile Souls couldn't resonate, let alone interact?

Yet here they were. Unbidden, the image of Aki's surprise and the reaction from the sense of stinging rejection they had shared flashed into his mind as he watched-- and something in Zosar stirred as he recalled the look of pain on her face she had then versus what he was seeing now.

He blinked and he saw that same look Aki had on Wei, his first partner after everything had fallen to pieces, one of very small few that had offered to be his partner before the rumors became too much. It'd taken them a week of working together to get proper resonance right, they’d started better off than he had with Adra in all honesty but it had still taken time.

Now he couldn’t help but wonder if Kenny would even notice such an effect.


There was an admiration in his gaze as he watched.

It was… in a way inspiring-- til the moment of surprise faded and for some strange reason, he couldn't help but feel…odd at the recollection that all of this came quite naturally to Kenneth.

Not even realizing it till he already had taken a few steps, he started going in their direction.

“Follow me.” He told Sara, in a soft and gentle voice that barely hinted at the underlying emotion he suddenly felt within.

As he moved, something dawned on him.

Since Kenny had two souls did that also mean he could wield multiple weapons?

No, that was impossible, he thought.

Then again he never thought there was a wavelength that let someone push and pull metal they way Gauss had the day he’d antagonized him.

The Volatile Soul would make that unlikely-- but then again, Kenny had more than just that going for him.

When he'd been studying his soul he had only been analyzing the traits, he hadn't given it heavier thought than it was clear Kenny had quite a degree of experience.

Now he was thinking of the possibilities Kenny could be capable of as he moved.

How long had it taken Kenny to harmonize his souls and resonate with a Weapon?

Zosar didn't envy the Chimera, he personally felt a sense of endearment to the guy. That even with the falling out on his part, hadn't entirely changed. He couldn't imagine what it was like for him starting out, and he didn't bother trying. Even as he neared the table he knew he didn't feel angry- but the fact he couldn't identify what it was exactly he was feeling in the moment that drew him in made this all the more bizarre.

It was like something was pulling him to go to them, and he didn't see a reason to stop.

How long had it taken Kenny to even Soul Resonate?

How did having two souls that complimented each other bolster his growth? Did it make everything he had struggled with a cake walk?

Had he always had his two souls working in harmony, and if so, was it not fair to say he had something of an advantage?

His eyes hardened at the idea of things merely being a breeze but his mind knew for a fact nothing was ever that simple in life. He couldn't believe it would have been for Kenny either.

There really was only one way to tell, maybe if they sparred he'd see for himself more clearly just what exactly the Chimera was capable of.

"And here I came to apologize for my earlier impression.," He said with some distance between them as he stopped, surveying the scene. The distance done more for the case Aki was brought back down.

He didn't want to touch her, but that didn’t show, not in his soul or in his expression, there wasn’t a shred of negativity in him- but there was the stirring of something else. The thing he couldn’t pin down.

Excitement.

And amusement, that being more due to how the others around the table were reacting to Aki choosing to climb a stranger on first engagement.

"I planned on doing this with less eyes" Zosar admitted, "but at this point I can't say even I would be able to ignore this, and with you sort of drawing in so much attention here, I’d hate myself for missing a chance in the future.

"This is probably poor timing Ken," he went on with an air as if he were about to propose, "but if you would be so kind, once you’re done here, let's have a match outside." He stated politely, with a subtle tilt of his head, and a burning excitement that only his eyes held that his tone did not express.

He made it sound like an invitation, one Kenny could accept or decline.

"I'm sure you must be curious what it'd be like. I know I am, of course you’re free to decline, if you don’t want to" He added, waiting for Kenny’s reply and making it sound very much like it was no big deal if he did.

In reality though, he'd be very disappointed in the redhead if he did decline the match, the eagerness in his eyes mirrored in his soul, made it quite clear that Zosar wanted to spar, wanted to see what Kenny could do for his own eyes- and if turned that down it was fine, but it would shift his whole demeanor instantly the moment his invitation was turned away

Mentions: EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun Peckinou Shotgunpenguin Mook-LandStrider

Interactions:: Merciless Medic Sir Les Paul RedArmyShogun

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Feng Long - Nadia Semyonov - Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii - OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort​

"<Fucking idiot! What sort of fucking barn was she raised in!?>" Nadia cursed out in Russian, setting the drink down she hurriedly got up, and though a taller reach, Nadia did get up on the tips of her toes and grabbed Aki by her right ankle, surprising or not, Nadia did seem to have stern consideration akin to a mother as she began to speak. "Kiyoko! Get down right now! People aren't for fucking climbing on! How many times must I explain this to you! It's dangerous and will one day anger the wrong person! If you want to be taller get some stilts or platform shoes, you damn animal." Feeling the unusual, if not powerful wavelength of Kenneth, Nadia's own soul kept her course steady and sound, even if she were caught up in all of this, whatever this was.

Feng for her part let out a small chuckle but shook her head, standing up, she seemed keen on helping drag Aki down, but with the length given by the Meister, she was just out of reach. "Aki, at least ask people before you do that, more so with how you are dressed." She knew about Kenny, his past, souls, though not everything, and the fact the reaction was, what it was, she was more than a bit concerned. It was not dangerous, but Aki needed to be broken from doing this. More so with at least nearly half the people here being Meisters, the chances of rejection or physical pain was much greater here than out in the open.

Both women did give a pause as Zosar made his presence known, and it was quickly clear what and why. He wanted a fight. With the human tower situation, and now this, it was an interesting turn of events... But one thing at a time.


Interactions: EmperorsChosen (Aki) Sir Les Paul (Kenny) The Regal Rper (Gav) (Zosar)

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Aki Kiyoko - Hawaii Resort
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

"Wah-!" Aki yelped, seemingly startled by Nadia's sudden grasp. Her ankle was pulled off base while her arms outstretched, her body swaying back and forth as she tried to balance against the attempted dethroning.

While initially taken aback, by Nadia's tone, Aki's face formed a pout and she appeared a bit put out. "Platform shoes are hard to walk in and so are stilts. And you've only told me about twice!" Some would argue that twice was two times too many for something so odd. However, Aki stated it as if it were a compelling argument. "And he put me up here himself! I was just hanging off his shoulder before! Why would that make someone angry??"

As she argued with Nadia, the sound of footsteps grew ever closer and it turned out to be none other than Zosar and Sara as Aki observed after turning slightly on her one supporting leg. "Oh, Zosar! Sar-aaaah-!"

Unfortunately, while welcome, it was nonetheless a distraction that disrupted Aki's balance. Her wobbling intensified as her body bent and contorted to sustain her balance to no avail. In the end, Aki ended up falling from her perch, tackling and hanging from Nadia with her arms wrapped around the woman's neck. At first, this was from mere necessity of trying to catch herslef, however the soothing cool of Nadia's soul obviously sat well with Aki as she remained there. "Oh! You're like a really nice ice pack..."

Regardless, it was then that Aki glanced over to Feng to respond to her statement. "Why does what I'm wearing matter? There isn't much clothing to it, so it's pretty maneuverable," She said, completely misunderstanding Feng's point as she moved onto Zosar's request for a fight. "...You guys came to a beach for a fight?"

RedArmyShogun Sir Les Paul The Regal Rper Merciless Medic

 

[Merciless Medic]

Sara Middleton​

Date: September 9, 2067
Location: OUTRIGGER, Kāʻanapali Beach Resort, Hawaii
Interactions: Eva, Zosar, Gav, Kenneth, Aki, Feng, Nadia
Mentions: Kai
Mook-LandStrider The Regal Rper Sir Les Paul EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun

It had been so exciting to see Zosar here. There wasn’t just desire for him, but also admiration and adoration. Maybe on the verge to being a bit obsessive. Of course, due to being more than several drinks in by now, she had no idea that there were two other volatile soul users up until Kenneth showed up and she had to give a little soul sense whiff. She did remember Aki though, and watched as she hung out with Feng.

Zosar however looked enamored. It was definitely an interesting look on him, but she was a bit bummed out it wasn’t directed towards her. The past name Zosar had stuck with Sara, and it was likely it would never leave her mind. Anything having to do with Zosar she remembered with extreme clarity, more so than her memory for people at any given time, which was saying something considering she helped identify many of the bodies back during the April Fool’s disaster.

What she hadn’t expected was for Zosar to grab her hand and just hold it as he moved in. Then he spoke so sweetly to her, it was making her tail curl with delight. It was, yes, weird that Zosar was showing them off, but it was what excited Sara. Sara had never been about being ‘correct’ in social situations. Her thing about being treated like a domesticated dog despite her race was obvious enough. In fact, she seemed to enjoy being ‘shown off like meat’ as far as Eva called it. Maybe it was, but if it were Zosar? Sara definitely didn’t mind. Maybe it was the rose-tinted goggles that kept her from caring, or maybe she wouldn’t have cared anyway considering she treated herself like a dog instead of a proud werewolf.

Calling her Ma Sucre, ‘my sweet’ as he explained to her, had her face burning a bright red. She giggled, her body leaning back into Zosar playfully as he complimented her so, very aware he was also showing them off to Kenny as if Kenny wanted to date them.

Being polyamorous, she definitely didn’t mind.

That was when she noticed a change in both Kenny and Eva, especially right after Zosar introduced them with their names.

The shift had left her very confused. She stared as Kenny spoke in French, unable to parse what he was saying but the tone in which he said it sounded like a warning. She raised an eyebrow as Kenny said she didn’t desire an introduction. She did, she just forgot to say her name, since Kenny was rather eye-catching, and Zosar’s silly introduction left her absolutely giggly and speechless from happy flustered feelings.

When he said he was unsettling, she gave an expression of alarm, but chose to bite her tongue in silence. It was clear she didn’t think that of him at all. He explained a bit more about himself, and then said he was interested in Zosar. Was it for the Volatile Soul? It left Sara wondering in some confusion.

Two souls, two separate sets of DNA, a patchwork not dissimilar to Eva but not distorted either. Eva’s soul was still whole, just felt separated. But Kenny’s soul was literally just two souls melded together, which had her wondering just how painful his life must have been up till now.

Eva said her discontent with the idea of being introduced without her permission, which left Sara confused. It was just an introduction, why was there so much tension over that? It didn’t make sense to her whatsoever and if it weren’t for Kenny’s ambient calming wavelength, she’d be a bit frustrated.

That’s when she noticed Eva’s eyes shift to Zosar’s necklace and she looked at her with some concern. Keeping an eye on her, she listened for more of their conversation so she could speak up.

Then, the speech happened.

Sara didn’t like introspection much. At least, not much anymore. Everything went back to April Fools, and she was already hitting the drink pretty hard. There were a couple things she took note from the speech at least. They believed in the program, there was going to be a lu’au, and they can succeed even if they do this all a bit slower.

It left her agitated, but Kenny’s wavelength still prevented her from feeling it. It left a bad taste in her mouth regardless. She wanted to be frustrated, let it out a little, but she felt like it was being bottled up and thrown out to sea without her permission.

Eva brought back the thing about April after her eyes shifted from a lie, making Sara click her tongue, not wanting to think about that time while drunk. She watched as Eva hugged a surprised Zosar, giggling as he looked so shocked, as if he didn’t deserve the hug.

She watched as Eva left for the beach, and when her eyes went to Zosar, there was a really empty spot around his neck.

Necklace… Necklace… Eva…

Fuck...

Kenneth also moved to the table with Aki, Feng, and Nadia, and soon enough Gav appeared there, as well.

She had noticed that Aki climbed him and they were just talking idly it seemed. The amplification wasn’t lost on her as she sort of felt it, but she watched as Zosar’s attention shifted from her to him.

She pouted. Of course.

Zosar looked confused about April, and she was about to talk about it but he just started walking towards Kenny and told her to follow him. Already annoyed, she followed along obediently anyway. She didn’t know that two Volatile Souls shouldn’t be touching, as she never studied the matter. Still, she heard a little of what was going on over there. Aki was astounded that Kenny could touch her without either of them getting hurt, which she thought was weird, and Zosar was…

Propositioning for a fight???

They didn’t have time for this.

Aki fell from her perch because of Nadia with an amused Feng watching and even joining in on telling her off. Of course, Aki’s jubilant greeting earlier and Kenny’s ambient calm left Sara in a better mood.

Butting in, she waved to the people there. “Hi, Nadia, Feng, Aki, Gav, and Kenny again.” She then turned her attention to Zosar, grabbed his hand, and patted his chest where his necklace was. “Yo, hey, Zosar, over heeeerrre, Eva stole your necklace as a stress compulsion, we need to get it back. You can spar with him later if Greek Sculpture wants to.”

Whether he agreed to it or not, she felt the gremlin energy take hold and she giggled mischievously as she used her natural strength to tug him away from the group and out towards the beach where she last saw Eva leave, treating Zosar like how she treated Noah back when they were still partners.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Noah Wiley​

Date: September 9, 2067
Location: OUTRIGGER, Kāʻanapali Beach Resort, Hawaii
Interactions: Gauss, Arkayis, Annika, Wes, Gav
Mentions: N/A
Sir Les Paul Peckinou Mook-LandStrider Shotgunpenguin The Regal Rper

Gauss thankfully took his joke about ‘rich man’s breeding grounds’ as a joke, smiling more now that Gauss wasn’t as high strung as he had been. He ignored Gauss’s remark. A weapon living with their meister was a common trope, something that even the new generation did often, even if the weapon didn’t want to move in the first place but did so out of necessity. Gauss’s own logic simply died with that trail of reasoning.

Besides, he had grown so used to living with Sara that he needed to live with at least someone or else he’d have gone mad. Gauss’s admissions to him not realizing how big this all was had him chuckling, but he soon tuned him out.

Unlike Sara, Noah was being a lot more introspective and while he should hate it, it was also a welcoming distraction to the burn on his face. The speech had him thinking a little more. At least the program was believed in, but what about them? Did it extend to those within the program who needed help and validation that they weren’t just monsters?

Either way, he knew Sara was definitely living in Hawaiian time almost all the time, unless it came to training. She also fussed about the little things and the little moments in life, something he wished he gave more than a half a fuck and a rat’s ass for.

Well, he would have. Being with Gav made it just a little easier.

Bringing up April Fools left him with a bad taste in his mouth and he groaned, wanting something to drink now after that little mention soured the entire meeting for him. Lu’au tomorrow at six in the evening, lots of stuff, and even the cough as ‘code’ had him snickering with a smirk.

Okay, good, the speech was saved.

But as he spoke of doing things at their pace, and that they’ll succeed even if they did it a bit slower…

Noah glared at the table.

Training with Gauss and Arkayis, with some help from Kusumi, and he made it through leaps and bounds with his wavelength control and regulation, even able to amplify with Gauss’s help. Still, he felt like it wasn’t enough. They needed to be better, he needed to be better…

He wanted to be strong enough where his healing wavelength actually healed more than what it could now, but they’ve been so busy learning how to do other things that he sadly had to put the brunt of what he’d like to learn on the backburner.

A quiet life? A slow life?

Noah would love to be back in that slow grind, chilling like a villain and not caring, even if the sky blazed red and the moon split in half as madness descended upon the planet and consumed all. He wouldn’t have cared then. But now?

He cared too much. And it made him antsy.

But even as he lived a slow life, he missed out on all the important things in life because he didn’t feel like they were important to him. They were just things he could tack on if he put a bit of extra effort into it, which he never did.

Of course, he didn’t leave the table yet, and he gave Gauss a dirty look. “Hey now, I haven’t left yet.”

Wes didn’t seem to offer much of anything to the conversation, only really asking Annika if she wanted to join the Lu’au.

And so, Noah’s attention went back to Gav. He appreciated the little squeezes to his shoulder. It let him know he was still there. A surprise it had been, sneaking up on him like that. He looked a bit concerned though as Gav didn’t seem to like the appearance of that redhead, and - after the speech - warned them to just be a little careful. He nodded with some concern, knowing that he’d have to leave again. Knowing that Gav was here though gave him some solace, so he wasn’t about to just leave this group as of yet. He wanted to eat and drink first.

He looked back up as Gav got his attention, and was surprised at the peck, his cheeks turning beet red as he muttered an affectionate “baka” under his breath and quickly ducked his head down to surf aimlessly through his phone, hoping his messy hair hid the massive blush and the attempt not to smile like an absolute dork. He nodded at Gav’s goodbye, only to audibly groan and rest his head against his hand on the table out of sheer embarrassment and cringe.

“Why bae? Ya could’a… Ah, fuck it…” He waved his hand nonchalantly, shaking his head. “See ya later.”

With that, he just tried to tune everyone out, not wanting to think about what Arkayis or Gauss was thinking right now.

 

[Merciless Medic]

Raphael Valerias​

Date: September 9, 2067
Location: OUTRIGGER, Kāʻanapali Beach Resort, Hawaii
Interactions: Adrian, Dani, Maria, Ark, Gav, Zosar, Sara, Kenny, Nadia, Aki, Feng
Mentions: N/A
EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun The Regal Rper Sir Les Paul

Talk, talk, talk, all these important people who barely fought a day in their lives really liked to talk about the meaning of life, didn’t they?

The only thing Raphael got out of that speech was that the Lu’au was happening tomorrow, and try not to break things at the very end. He didn’t much care about any of what the guy had to say, he just focused on his drink and didn’t think much about the intricacies or philosophies behind what he said. What he said had already been thought before in Raphael’s mind and he didn’t want to go over it again. Today was a time for celebration and relaxation, not to reminisce about sorrowful times or their training speed.

He heard Adrian talking about Nadia and her surfing, but didn’t really think about it all too much. Kenny was center stage with his attention. A shame Ark didn’t know who he was. His mind was sort of on what Maria said, but talk of her broom brought him back to Raphael station.

“Oh, you brought your broom? Would it be alright if I get to try it, too? Don’t worry, I promise not to crash it.” He gave a cheery smile, and awaited her answer. Kenny was completely forgotten, his mind now becoming single-laned from the alcohol he was drinking. Although, that got taken away as he watched Ark down his drink and he laughed at his expense. “Man, quit trying to shove an igloo in your brain socket.”

Dani was apparently leaving. After a quick exchange, he smiled to Dani and Adrian, then the grin got naughty. “I hear you can try out the Lu’au dance clothes.” He grinned mischievously, figuring Adrian would probably like to see Dani in something like that, but he also did it just to fuck with her. There were other things happening outside of his peripheral, but all he wanted was another drink.

He patted Ark on the shoulder as he got up. “Try not to destroy your brain with ice, Arky-mans. If anything, get some alcohol. Let loose a little.” He chuckled, lightly punching his shoulder with a weak throw of his arm before going over to the bar to get more drinks.

And more drinks he did. In fact, he was starting to get pretty drunk.

Hey, that redhead was an interesting man, why not go over there?

He managed to make his way through, his British accent shining through heavily now as he approached the group. He didn’t recognize Gav at all, neither did he of Feng or Aki. He had only seen Zosar via Sara’s picture, but the two he did recognize were Nadia and Sara.

“‘Eyyy, bitches and schnizels, how’s it goes on things- OH, hey, Ice Queen, howww’s them alcomahols treatin’ ya? Not gonna beat me up again, eh?” His attention shifted directly from the collective to Nadia, his Asian style robe slightly sliding off one shoulder as he hiccuped a little.

“They just told me I couldn’t drink anymore, but- heyyyyy, ya got a nice selection. Hope you don’t mind me taking another drink off yer hands~.” He looked at the group of three girls, leaning against the table with his arms propping himself up so he didn’t fall over. “Ohh, is that long island tea? Can I have it pretty pleeaaase?” He asked with an almost childlike plead, his face rosy-cheeked from having drank a little too much.

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar & Sara | Hawaii, Outrigger

When Aki fell, Zosar acknowledged it with only a shift in his gaze. He knew the others or Kenny himself would have caught her, so for him the focus was merely keeping out of her range of touch.

He'd thought the only people's touch he'd need to look out for would be people like Adrian or Zari, or the few among the Enlighteners, now he had to add Aki to the list. Likely Kenny too. The only movement he made for her inevitable trip was a shift of his feet that didn't bring him any closer or further from where he had stopped.

The comment she made about Nadia didn't go unnoticed though. He snickered with a little puff of amusement, taking a mental note, and then his gaze went right back to Kenny as he waited.

Even when Sara spoke to him, he heard it, it just didn't fully register. At least not in the way it should have.

Instead of ignoring her completely he said, "One second," brushing off her comment in a manner he hoped did not come off as too rude. He just wanted to hear what Kenny had to say.

It seemed she had other ideas though. Feeling her yank caught him off guard. Resisting even when she began to tug him further away proved quite useless against her werewolf strength, only managing a stumble. With a turn of his head to look at her, he said with his eyes in as nice a manner as he could, 'what are you doing? Give me a second?'

Sara deadpanned, then poked his chest. “Don’t make me pull you outta here myself, your necklace is gone and we have to find Eva or else she’ll give it to someone else.” Her voice sounded urgent, probably a bit too urgent given her drunken state, but she was now pulling him a bit more with that same sense of urgency. Even her soul was nervous, though it was likely Kenny’s soul drowning hers out still.

At that exact moment, Raphael walked in.

Collabers: Merciless Medic

Interactions: RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen Sir Les Paul Mook-LandStrider

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Kenneth Russo​

"Chimera"​

Species Human
Partner Sylas Kallis
Rank Fate Agent

Location OUTRIGGER Resort, Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii
Mission A Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride
Status Interested

​

Tags: EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun The Regal Rper Merciless Medic Mook-LandStrider

What audacity. It was heavily implied there was to be no fighting during this lovely vacation and here came Zosar trying to pick one.

Of course, it made some sense. Kenny was well-aware of what he was doing. Not that he was trying to instigate a fight, but by presenting himself as an alternative to another with a Volatile Soul, it was little different than declaring it a competition--at least, that's how many interpreted it. The fact Zosar responded to the more minor challenge with the disproportionate one of outright combat in an unsuitable place did provide Kenny more insight; perhaps he was afflicted, similarly to Aki, with a type of haphazard hyperactivity akin to Aki, albeit more so in his decision-making more so than his general behavior.

It was a hard argument. Nurture vs nature. Many would argue that the circumstances of one's life had far more to do with their behavior. Kenny didn't believe that entirely himself. He didn't believe the radical idea that ones genetics and their soul dictated who they would be, but the man did believe quite fervently that it created the structure that the rest of their life would unfold around. Some adapted to it better than others. Some became slaves to it.

Of course, the more he thought about it in that passing moment, the less he could really blame Zosar. In one fell swoop, Kenny did several things. He presented himself. An obstacle that few other Volatile Souls could ever hope to achieve. Kenny could use most of his Volatile Soul due to his other. Zosar was likely stuck at half or less. Most could train their whole lives and never surpass that half-way mark, and if so, not normally by much. Kenny also didn't repress his soul, so it was effectively raw for everyone to see. Beyond that, he stepped in, introduced himself, and effectively emasculated Zosar in front of his friends (girlfriends?). Even twisted the situation so that Eva would agree with him. And, finally, when he flexed his wavelength to lift Aki, he let them all have a taste of what his wavelength could really do.

If anything, he was a giant challenge to the man. Kenny couldn't blame him for trying to answer that challenge.

But, he wouldn't placate it either.

"I will, in fact, be declining," Kenny replied with a light tone.

"It seems to me that what you really want is more understanding and you're in the mindset that you gain that from fighting me," Kenny explained, "but, in my time, I've learned that words and other demonstrations are far better at gaining a greater understanding." Kenny tilted his head, allowing his eyes to become half-lidded, "besides, if you did fight me, you'd become frustrated at me holding back, and only really learn the gap between us. Instead, after our vacation, contact me and I can show you more aptly the eccentricities of my soul."

That relaxed face of his shifted before he turned back over to Nadia and Feng. He looked at them quite seriously for a moment.

"Leave the poor girl alone. You don't know what it is like to live with our soul. Zosar came and challenged me now for the same reason Aki struggles to compose herself. Our souls are chaos incarnate," he told them both, "she cannot change who she is any more than you can stop being a giantess or a berserker. If you intend on befriending us, seek not to change us, but to understand us so that you may better adapt and guide us as friends."

His eyes then specifically fell on Feng, though none that suave, soothing rush of his soul was poured into this dialogue. "In the wrong circumstances, her behavior could be a problem. She should work on that. However, it is not something you achieve quickly--it takes years. In that time, if you intend to be her partner and a good friend, learn to ride the waves," he told her, offering that lone piece of advice for their blossoming partnership. More than anything, that's what he wished he could tell all those working with a soul like his own. Volatile. Unbridled. Difficult if not outright impossible to control. Sometimes, you have to forfeit that control and go with the flow.

"I'll be on my way. There is another issue I must amend," Kenny said, leaving behind his focus on Feng and ultimately the entire conversation.

. . .​

It wasn't exactly a difficult task. He recalled Eva stating she was going to the beach. And, the direction she left. More importantly, he already had her very unique Soul Signature memorized, and his field of vision with Soul Perception was quite large. Elly might have been able to pin point the weapon immediately if she focused and Sara could have smelled her out eventually, but Kenny had effective means of tracking as well. More importantly, he quick and courteous. Like the red sea, waves of people would split around him, creating an unencumbered path for him to follow.

What Sara might not have been aware of, and probably wasn't, was that Kenny overheard every little thing she said. She could have tried to keep it in hushed whispers, but such wouldn't have mattered even if she did. Not that it seemed she tried to keep it a secret of any kind.

Thing was, Kenny felt responsible. Just like with Zosar. He triggered the events that unfolded, all of which spurred on the desire to fight. Similarly, he triggered some compulsion in Eva. Even if Zosar was also partially responsible, Kenny felt more so. As he saw it, he caused a problem and he wanted to fix it. He had spent years causing problems and leaving them be. Now, realizing how problematic that was in the past, it didn't sit well with him to do nothing.

He did in fact find Eva. As radiant as ever, though her beauty was not the focus of this mission of his.

"Miss," Kenny said, trying to catch her attention. If it could have, his very soul would have reached out to spin her around, but alas, it could only act as the beacon it was.

"I do apologize for bothering you again," Kenny went on, "but I believe you have something that belongs to your friend."

It was this point that he actively tried to use that Healing Wavelength. To create a calming effect in an area that he was sure Eva was within. Without his Volatile Wavelength broadcasting it out, it would never be so widespread or impactful, but he had learned to harness them together. In this case, that is what he relied on to try and avoid a social catastrophe with the girl.

"I feel at fault for any trouble my... introduction might have caused," he told her, "and I do not wish to allow it escalate amongst friends. I would like it to be returned and to accept blame for the transgression."

His words were soft and honeyed, that much was true. They were also honest. Eva could have picked up on any modicum of deceit that came from him, but none did. In this situation, it seemed the man she had just met felt so poorly about the necklace she had taken, and the impact such an act might have, that he wanted to see it returned. A lot could be inferred from the validity of his statements.

More so, he knew her name. It would have gotten her attention far, far faster than simply calling her miss. Thing was, she never introduced herself to him of her volition. While it made the situation more difficult, he didn't feel right calling her by a name she did not consent to be provided. It was act of self-sabotage in a way, but he had his ethics. A name was an important thing. More so, consent was an important thing. He had no intention on violating that with her as he did Zosar. Unlike Zosar, they had no kinship from a shared soul. Besides that, Zosar had lied about his identity before, tarnished the value of his name. Eva, to his knowledge, had never done anything to deserve such treatment.

 

[Sir Les Paul]

Adrian Hackney​

"The Maiden"​

Species Human
Partner None
Rank Fate Agent

Location OUTRIGGER Resort, Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii
Mission A Hawaiian Roller Coaster Ride
Status Frustrated

​

Tags: RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen The Regal Rper Merciless Medic

Adrian let out a defeated sigh. The conversations going on were pleasant enough and of course spending time with Dani was never a negative, but the longer they seemed to sit there, the further his goal of getting to the beach and surfing seemed. He just wanted to do one thing on this visit. Just one. He was a simple man with simple desires, really.

And, everything going on in front of him seemed so complex.

The new guy visited. Fine. He was fine. Nothing wrong. Aki used him as a human jungle gym, got barked at, he lifted her up like she was a cheerleader, and apparently that was some type of sin. No one barked at him like that when he lifted up Dani during the dance, but that was neither here nor there. Of course, it's not like he recalled Aki's name if she ever introduced herself or knew this new girl. The only new face he could pick out was the guy with the remarkable soul. He seemed like the center of attention here, and he stole it effortlessly. Kudos for him, but Adrian wasn't about that life. At least, not right now. Zosar came over in some type of mood asking to spar, got shot down, and then the new guy fled on business. Sara seemed frantic for some reason.

It was all a mess. A giant mess. Zosar could handle his own business. In other circumstances, Adrian might have found himself interested if only to defend his buddy, but a combination of not understanding the desire to fight, not having seen any instigation, and having a greater drive to hit some waves had completely dissolved any interested he might have had in Zosar.

Besides, the new dude shot him down harder than Nadia did Gauss. What did catch his interest was how matter-of-fact he was about this alleged gap between himself and Zosar. Typically, in a one versus one situation, Adrian had a natural advantage. His skill in Self Resonance and high-intensity training regime were enough to put most lone Meisters on the backfoot. Adrian was almost curious if this alleged gap was so big that Kenny could give him a real challenge. He hadn't had one since Zari, and even then, he had to reserve Self-Resonance.

But, even then... nah. The waves were calling.

The guy left with a few words to Nadia and Feng, and Adrian just could not care less.

Adrian stood up from the table, looked down to Dani with a smile, then over to Nadia with a more serious look on his face and a cocked head.

"I don't know if you're gonna chase that guy down for argument--'cause I know you don't like being talked to that way--but I wanna hit the waves," Adrian said, pitching that specific comment to Nadia.

He didn't acknowledge anyone else there. Not Raph. Not Aki. Not Feng. Not even Maria, if she was still nearby. Adrian was becoming a narrow-minded man on a tunnel-blind mission.

"Dani," Adrian said, still trying to toe the line between stern and serious but also considerate without being demanding, "I would really like to go... like, now-ish."

Adrian then made the slightly theatrical motion of a double hand wave at the doors nearest the beach where the board rentals were, as if trying to point them along in the direction. At the least, he did stop to offer her his hand after, trying to be at least somewhat sweet on this mission of his. Worst case scenario is the drunk sorcerer took it instead and received a lesson in his trademark pain wavelength.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Maria Mayer - Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii - OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort
​

With attention more aimed at what they planned to do, Maria mostly kept quiet till Raph who seemed a little, no, a lot drunk. Narrowing her eyes, he asked if she had brought the broom and if he could use it. And just like that Raph was gone as Maria said; "I didn't bri-" With him gone she exhaled a little in disappointment, "-ng with me...". Just as quickly, Maria's attention was caught by Aki standing atop the Ice Giant descendant, Maria had found out the girl listened better if given sweets to distract her. In a way she was a wonder all of her own, different from Dani but still a treasured friend. She was given little time to process this as Adrian got up and sought to just leave the whole situation.

He had a few parting words for all of them in this situation, at least she had the time to reply to Dani and her mention of drinking. "Hmph, I've yet to have a single drink and I would only end up showing Adrian how a proper dance is done, at your expense. Raphael, however, is far too down that path to stop. We haven't even had that long here, but I don't know what all he had till now."

During her pursuit and the incident with Aki landing on top of Nadia, she knew neither would be hurt, but unlike Adrian who was in a hurry to do what he wanted, Maria was concerned for the pair and stopped, plus she had a feeling she would just be in the way if she followed Dani to join the two... Not that she wanted to surf in the first place, walking the shore or island interior might be more productive, or just keeping to the shallows, but for now she was curious as she kneeled down to stare at the two, what exactly were they going to do? "Do you need a hand, or would it be better if I go play in the sand?"

Interactions: Sir Les Paul (Adrian) EmperorsChosen (Dani) (Aki) The Regal Rper (Ark) (Zosar by proxy) Merciless Medic (Raph) (Sara by proxy)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Feng Long - Nadia Semyonov - Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii - OUTRIGGER Kāʻanapali Beach Resort​

For her part, Nadia slipped backwards from Aki hanging off of her, given she was wearing beach style heels and was already off balance on her feet, Landing on her backside, with Aki still hanging off of her, she glared. Still, the girl had done nothing wrong, but still, the words of this Kenny fellow irked her. But she was not the Nadia of before, she actually had very little to say to the man. Given she never really explained herself to others, in the past or now, unless pressed or there was a need, she snarks back; "And it's a good thing your souls allow one to ignore gravity." She said acidly, even if this was her fault in part or large. Aki had to learn. Still, it was irksome against her own soul to have the girl hanging off of her, she seemed to enjoy using herself for an air-conditioner, even if her own body temperature actually was no lower, or the fact it caused Nadia some discomfort.

Looking up at Maria, Nadia shakes her head, side to side. "No, that won't be needed. Aki, get up now and decide what you are doing, I'm going out to the pool to sunbathe. Eventually I'll go to the water..."

For her part Feng however, Feng had more than a bit to say, first at Aki, answering her question as she eyed the larger ice giant. "Because being clothed so, an interaction such as this is either a necessity of battle or an act of familiarity or intimacy.... Er, basically it's the same as rubbing up on them in your underwear." She said in short order shaking her head. It was one thing to handstand in what amounted to underwear with a friend at the least, but a stranger, that was something else. However, to a degree, what Kenny had to say got a rebuttal as she called out during his retreat.

"I have been with Aki for six months, most of her antics amuse me or are endearing, however they all are not suitable to society... What little of it I can know. And you know better to say those words to me Kenneth." She said, using his given name. "I do not seek to change her. I seek to change her interactions with others. How can one ever learn if the teacher never speaks? I'm fully aware of what I got into, having Aki as my weapon, most people would rather not be around either of us, a mentor wanted us to quit. We aren't, and I'm not giving up on Aki either. But if she does not change in some way, she'll never leave this program and I'm not leaving her here. See to your business." With her Chinese accent plucking the strings of her speech, the green swimsuit clad woman watches the interaction between Aki and Nadia play out, as she sighs. "Come on Aki, lets-" It was then a clearly saused man game for the Long Island Tea.

He was part of the mage program, wasn't he? Was a drunk Wizard a good or a bad thing? Should she stop him from getting more drunk than he was? It was a vacation after all.

For her part Nadia upon getting Maria off of her, turns her ire towards Adrian and simply says, "Go eat shit, I said I'm going to sunbathe, so that is what I'll do. I'm not diverting course to just have the last word with him. He's an idiot, what more needs to be said?" Nadia may have changed some, but not fully, shifting her attention to Raph, who was seemingly out of it, a bit too cocky for her liking, but she had her revenge against him already. "Do I have reason to belt you again? And I don't care, I'm not drinking it. And neither were they." She said of the Long Island Tea.

Interactions: EmperorsChosen (Aki) (Dani by Proxy) Sir Les Paul (Kenny) (Adrian via Nadia) The Regal Rper (Gav) (Zosar) Merciless Medic (Sara by proxy)

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Daniella Ethalyn - Hawaii Beach Resort
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Dani was poised to depart with Adrian, that was until the whole situation with Aki a couple tables down happened. The Demon Sword watched with a deadpan as the human pinball jumped around on the guy and then Nadia attempting to pluck her down, obviously succeeding which caused Aki to crash into the ice giant. That was further evidence of Nadia's change as prior shouldn't have spent her time trying to lecture Aki when it didn't concern her.

The next thing to catch her attention over the growing mob around the Chimera was Raph, and not for the right reasons. The pink-haired girl's gaze darkened towards him, though ultimately all she did was brandish her middle finger in his direction as he stumbled off. "Yeah, maybe you should try that fuckb-" However, she was distracted yet again, this time by Maria, which caused her expression to soften somewhat.

"Or you'd just joing the Lu'au dancers..." Dani remarked back as the dollmaker switched gears to check on Aki and Nadia.

It was then that Adrian's words took her notice, and her expression softened back to normal almost immediately. "Oh, yeah. See ya' guys!" She said, giving a terse goodbye as she took his hand whilst being led out.

Sir Les Paul Merciless Medic RedArmyShogun

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Aki Kiyoko - Hawaii Resort
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Having collapsed onto Nadia, Aki lay there for a second, not because she was hurt, but because of the soothing cold emanating from the ice giant's soul. However, just as the girl had become distracted by the woman's soul from the happenings of moments ago, again she was distracted by the ongoing talks, namely between Kenny, Feng, and Nadia.

As she sat up, she looked between all of them, gaze shifting to the person who spoke. The conversation didn't last long, though, and soon he was gone. Though, to be honest, Aki didn't take offense when people chastised her or otherwise gave her guidance. Coming from a place where attention was scarce, in a way it made her happy when someone cared enough to want to help her, even if she disagreed with the topic of conversation.

"Uh..." Yet, before she could speak to it, he was gone and newcomers had appeared. "Maria! You're here too! I thought you would've been hiding in your workshop."

Aki lunged and hugged the witch in a tight embrace as she hopped to her feet, only relinquishing hold when she took note of the drunk Englishman. Looking over at the red-head who came over looking for more drinks. One may have though, naively, would just give the drink over to him, and certainly she may have. That is, if she hadn't been told just today that the Long Island Ice Tea had a myriad of alcohols in it, and Raph was clearly, medically-speaking, "fucked".

Staring at him with a deadpan, suddenly, Aki took possession of the beverage. "Confiscated," She decreed with a sternness that was unusual for the bubbly woman.

It was then that she processed what Feng had said about why her clothing mattered. At first, it obviously didn't click for Aki, which is probably why Feng came out and provided a more blatant example. This seemed to reach Aki, causing the girl to freeze momentarily as her eyes drifted down at her own apparel. Then, slowly, her eyes travelled towards the nearest boys, being Raph and Zosar respectively, and finally looking back to where Kenny had departed to. Finally, also perhaps uncharacteristically, a red hue seemed to appear on her face as she slowly crept over toward Feng, partially hiding herself behind the other in embarrassment.

RedArmyShogun Sir Les Paul Merciless Medic

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar & Sara | Hawaii, Outrigger

Surprise widened his eyes when he felt nothing, which ultimately the question Aki had asked, coming to a beach to fight, was ignored. What Sara had been trying to bring his attention to finally registered and when it did their movement seized altogether, but with the situation with Kenny still unanswered, the Egyptian put a pin in it.]

By the time he’d turned back to face Kenny, the stiffness in muscles brought on by the shocking surprise was already gone, with it, the eagerness from before had dulled.

Kenny’s denial of the spar in favor of a more personal conversation was a better trade in the end. Not only would it grant opportunities for better learning than the spar, but it also gave a leeway to discuss their differences in the future.

Had they fought, it would have been the same thing he would have asked no matter how the fight had ended, not that either one of them from how Kenny stated it, were blind to who exactly would have the upperhand in such a match anyway.

“That sounds perfect,” pleased in response at the alternative. Not at all disheartened, but rather now shifting focus. He was about to shift his attention back to Sara the second Kenny started addressing Feng and Nadia- but he paused to listen, or rather spectate.

Aki upon their meeting had come off as a straightforward, carefree, the ’do what I want’ type without the arrogance associated; she had obvious restraint given her behavior around Gale and not just that engagement but their whole engagement of that day but her restraint wasn’t a lot. It was tempered between self-preservation and obliviousness, from what he understood.

It had been amusing to see both Nadia and Feng react the way they had, but that was only because it was the natural reaction he expected anyone to have to a situation like this. No one really just went to climb someone at random while holding a conversation with them- and from Nadia’s clear ire, it seemed Aki had done similar or likewise to her too if he was guessing right. Feng clearly had the experience, Aki must have likely just been faster and perceived any attempts to stop her.

A lack of social understanding to a degree was present too it seemed. It gave him a bit more insight into her as a person, now that he wasn’t just analyzing her capabilities alone. All of this was surface stuff though, he hardly knew her beyond a single day, this specific day aside. With Maria joining in to perform a check and Kenny issuing his departure, it was better to just be off.

And so he said, “We’ll be going also. Something’s come up that I need to address.”

And the second he turned to face his werewolf companion, his face shifted to something carried a grain of seriousness.

"Tell me why Eva would steal my necklace? Did she tell you she was taking it? What's going on?" His tone hushed as he picked up the pace towards the exit.

Sara took a deep breath as she stopped moving, trying to make this as succinct as possible despite this not being her strong suit, and also trying to be hush-hush about it, but her being drunk, she might as well have slightly lowered her normal talking volume. “Okay, so, ever since her soul got distorted, she became a compulsive kleptomaniac and gives items she steals away to others. She doesn’t realize she steals anything until she’s already given it away. So we have to go find her and get it back.”

That sounded like hogwash. If she wasn’t aware of what she was doing, she wouldn’t know, period outside of others telling her. There was clearly some level of awareness- just no control.

It was bad enough he hadn’t known she stolen from him, worse she’d done it at all. If it was a direct result of the change to her soul however, that compulsion made things make a lot more sense.

“You’re saying she has no idea what she’s doing at all?”

She hummed a bit, unsure on how to properly say it considering her mental faculties were a bust. “Well, uh… I mean, she does know, but like… it’s complicated. So, she is aware of what she’s doing, but not how bad it is. It’s like a kid who doesn’t know killing your neighbor’s annoying cat was a bad thing. They just know they have to do it to get rid of the annoyance.”

One side of his lips curled down in displeasure.

Well, if that was true then it at least made the sting of her stealing his necklace of all things, less impactful.

Sara went on, “I honestly don’t know why it manifests as her wanting to give the stolen things away though, I think that’s part of whatever type of soul she had before the distortion or whatever, or maybe that’s just her personality ‘cause she’s selfless.”

Selfless was the last thing he would think if anything bad happened to that necklace.

It was one of many heirlooms from House Aeolus. A defunct Demon Tool, from a bygone time. It couldn't even be called a Demon Tool anymore from what he understood, the jewel in its present state now only acted as a badge inherited by only the strongest members of Aeolus.

Thinking about the necklace now he recalled that other members of the House Aeolus had similar 'badges' of honor but none was higher than the one this jewel and another defunct Demon Tool, given credit too. He couldn't remember it all though, it'd been so long since her lectures...

But- he did know that it hadn't started out as a necklace. Before his father had gotten his hands on that jewel it had simply been part of formal jewelry she wore. He only knew some of the history because she'd explained it to him, back in the days he'd been training to be an Enlightener Agent and undergoing studies at the same time.

The chain compared to the jewel wasn't as valuable aside from Enchanted manufacturing, it was the jewel itself that held the most value, not that anyone outside of either his parents personal circle or Aeolus members would know anything about it even if they had a degree in history. That thing was old, older than his mother, and she was a good six centuries or maybe it was four, he felt like he was missing something important about who had made it, she had said it but right now it didn't matter- whatever it was it probably had been posturing.

It was the only thing she had taken with her after all upon vacating her position as leader of her House, and to do that she’d had to physically fight her older and younger sisters to earn the right to take it instead of passing it down. All just so she could support the MIBVI objective but take something with her in case she did die during those chaotic times.

Whatever price of value it had he didn't really care, his mother had bled for that thing before passing it on, he just wanted the necklace found and back with its rightful owner.

Letting Sara’s hand go, now nearing the exit, Zosar spiked his wavelength, a trickle of spiritual energy flowing through his entire body to up his speed.

Even as his foot stepped out onto the sandy floor of the beach he was already thinking of backup plans. Using Gauss if it did get lost being one.

"Find her," his tone was gentle even though the request was more like a command, "please," he added as an afterthought. "I can't afford to lose that necklace." And in that line alone there was a level of vulnerability he had never shown before.

He wasn't sure he'd forgive Eva ever if she did somehow lose it by the time they got there.

Sara gave him a sweet smile. She could tell he was thinking of a bunch of things, but as soon as they hit the doors that led to the beach, she patted his shoulder. “Hey, don’t worry. She does this all the time and I’m quite used to it. I’ll just sniff her out and bull rush her!” She said it with such silly enthusiasm that it seemed oddly placed given the situation, but it was because she was all too eager to help Zosar in his time of need. Plus, him being all vulnerable like that was extremely cute, she wanted to get his necklace back for him.

The second they were outside, they were off. Her Aromatic senses exceeding his Perception, Sara was the guide that allowed them to immediately detect just where Eva was, and where Kenny was presently at.

Raising a hand and touching Sara’s shoulder to get her attention, Zosar stopped her from going any further.

It wasn’t a coincidence then that Kenny had decided to excuse himself after all, he thought. He had sought Eva out- for what purpose that could be exactly, he had two different hunches, and if one was right, it would only make having to confront Eva less his problem.

Keeping their distance, enough to remain out of sight they watched without making their presence known. Interrupting would just set Eva off, if how Sara explained it and his own personal experience as an actual thief as part of past work said anything, she'd run the second she saw them-- or swim in her case, which would only make things worse if she somehow lost the necklace in water.

"...and I do not wish to allow it to escalate amongst friends. I would like it to be returned and to accept blame for the transgression."​

Sara’s ears here picking up only the ending of Kenny’s statement as they stopped. Observing on the sidelines, and relayed back to her silent traveling companion who watched the exchange with only his slightly narrowed brows saying anything of his tense state.

Collabers: Merciless Medic

Mentions: RedArmyShogun EmperorsChosen

Interactions: Sir Les Paul Mook-LandStrider

 

[Sir Les Paul]

September 9th, 2067​

The rest of the evening went... relatively smooth. Once the Fate Agents dispersed into their own little groups, the vacation became truly that: a vacation. A period without stress, a chance to decompress, no mission, no objective. Just rest, relaxation, and whatever type of fun they wanted.

For some, it was lounging in the sun, allowing their alabaster skin to be kissed by the sun.

For some, it was staying perpetually intoxicated on the infinite liquor the place had on tap.

For some, it was taking in the sights all around them, enjoying the serenity of the ocean.

For some, it was hitting the waves and crashing on a surfboard, enjoying the frivolity of it all.

For most, it was just getting a chance to enjoy some time off with the newfound friends they had made along the way in this absurd program.

It went without saying that familiar faces crossed paths again. Some had more interesting chats than they could have when surrounded by others. Some ran off to enjoy even more intimate moments in their private rooms. It didn't matter how any one person intended to enjoy their time at the resort, they had the chance to do so without antagonism and surrounded by their friends. Even though there were a few new agents of chaos thrown into the mix, it was hardly enough to detract from their enjoyable evening.

September 9th, 2067​

The Lūʻau was an exciting mess of events. It was held out on the beach, near a pavilion beside where the sandy shores merged with the verdant green line of trees and controlled foliage. Kai didn't quite give justice to just how energetic this event would be. Right as the event started, there were fire dancers on the pavilion, food already set out with pigs roasting for later, the process of roasting itself being part of the show. The entire area was decorated to the brim with authentic cultural pieces and convincing replicas of what would have expected for a traditional Hawaiian feast and even more that few might have recognized as pieces of decorum.

The food was hardly fancy. It was designed to be eaten with the hands, as was tradition. True to the announcement, there were no booze provided... but plenty of sly agents had their way around that. Many of them stockpiled booze of all sorts from the resort and simply carted it over beforehand in a few trips. While it might have appeared a touch redneck for such a high-end facility, there were layers and layers of iced down coolers full of beers and drinks of all kinds. Again, not as fancy as what the resort itself offered, but nonetheless present for those that wanted to partake; assuming they hadn't brought their own.

At the center of the entire event was a massive bonfire. Twelve foot tall, fifteen if the breeze blew it up, and impressively wide. It was constantly fed and acted as a centerpiece for dancing. While the fire dancers on stage were mostly toned men that made even Adrian and Kenny look slender by comparison, most of the dancers surrounding the flames were women in grass skirts, all more than willing to teach anyone that wanted to participate a few moves. Some Agents, like Gauss, had already joined in on this, being wreathed in a special lei provided by the staff, and swinging his hips along with the dancers. It was an effeminate dance, but the man was already familiar with the moves; a Lūʻau was hardly foreign to him.

The food attracted some others. Adrian was particularly interested in it as it had a unique, roasted flavor. Not quite burnt, but blacker than normal, and the assortment was both impressive and strange. There were your typical proteins, like pork and chicken, but there was also various fish, octopus, native roots, fruit, coconut milk used in various dishes, and coconuts themselves often used for serving, examples being the traditional stew made in a massive batch for the event. Three massive tables of what appeared to be carved wood jointed together were being refilled consistently, making the serving area more of a buffet than any type of actual sit down table.

A band was preparing on the side. The fire dancers themselves were going only to drums, and while it was definitely intense--for what it was, in comparison to the superhuman agents--it would only get better as the sun set. It created an immediately intense, energized atmosphere in a slightly smaller area. Which worked out decent as many agents elected not to attend; apparently, when a meeting wasn't mandatory, many of those in this program had no intention on showing up. Those that did, however, not only had access to the food, entertainment, and livelihood of the party, but also an assortment of gifts: a beautiful red lei, grass skirts, and a small goodie bag full of mostly merchandise from the resort, including a set of quality towels, sunscreen, and oddly enough some water flavoring packets of tropical flavors that would prove quite intense and fruity--mostly because they were actually intended to be mixed with alcoholic drinks, but that wasn't advertised.

It seemed there were some agent-inspired alterations to the Lūʻau as multiple rows of chairs alongside the drinks and what appeared to be a series of hookas full of a wonderful mind altering herb were present. Not only that, a series of targets made from nearby harvested trees for what seemed to be knife and axe throwing were just right there, clearly not planted by the officiants of the party. As stupid as alcohol, drugs, and weapons might have been, the hosts didn't seem to intend on intervening. Whether that was due to some rule of hospitality or fear of upsetting the potential volatile agents was unclear, but either way, it had the same ultimate result: more activities for the agents to indulge in.

It would still be some hours before the sun truly set, so there was still plenty of time before the more intense shows of fire dancing, the burning of the giant wooden idol they had designed, or the roasted pigs being brought out. Many of them were apparently buried in sand ovens for slow cooking, not just rotated over a cooking spit. Had the agents wanted, and some probably did, this Lūʻau could have gone on into the wee hours of the night where the nearly full moon would have danced beautifully on the ocean waters.

Some might call it too good for these agents. Most present would have likely told that some to fuck off and continued enjoyed the festivities.

RedArmyShogun The Regal Rper Merciless Medic Mook-LandStrider EmperorsChosen Peckinou Shotgunpenguin​

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Feng Long - Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii - Lūʻau Grounds​

As the day came to a close, Feng mostly spent her time with Aki, doing whatever her partner liked and for herself suggesting a game of volleyball and otherwise taking her time to enjoy the sun or water. The day went by without any incidents of note, or much of anything it seemed, everyone was keen to breakoff into their own groups, to do their own thing, though Feng did witness and angry sunbathing Nadia throwing Aki like a ragdoll into the pool, when the former laid on her to cool off. It was amusing, and she knew the weapon would be fine. Aki was cut from the same rock as Feng herself.

Continuing into the next day, the morning was much the same, with Feng chiefly gathering some seashells and lava rocks, while she couldn't carry many, a few souvenirs would be nice, she even went as far as to snorkel to find some better ones. Evening came and Feng found herself alongside Aki and several others, studying the display put on for them. While the Fire Dance was interesting, in her mind it still had nothing on a Chinese New Year festival, though it seemed one of the males at least shown an interest in joining the women in her dance... Should she join in on that? Next was the wonderful scent of the food line, and then the gift bag, putting on the Red Lei, she was not so sure about the grass skirt unless she wanted to change out of her normal attire and put back on her swimsuit, maybe Aki would like to wear her own? The towels and sunscreen would have been useful when they arrived, but they had days after. The drink mixes, well, in moderation those were fine, a weaker alcohol with them would not be of much issue. The question was to inform Aki of their uses, or to let her have them as is.

However, the next two items drew a mix of concern and her scorn. The concern was the knives and axe toss games, with alcohol and the lack of supervision, well, there were plenty a drunken tale that started like this. The 2nd one however, that being the drugs, well that irked her slightly, even though DWMA agents had the freedom to do such, she would be keeping well away from there, and keeping Aki away as well. Anything that altered the mind to a great extent was just weakness and dependency being asked for from the hooka tubes, she would not be surprised if some agents brought other substances with them.

"Hmm. Aki, you don't care much for Alcohol do you? Or is there some you don't mind? Those bags can be mixed with more water or taken as is, but they were made to mix in with alcohol of sorts. Though, I do want some of the food here and now. What about you?"

Interactions: EmperorsChosen (Aki)

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Nadia Semyonov - Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii - Lūʻau Grounds
​

As the day went on, Nadia mostly kept to herself, sunbathing and enjoying the pool what bit she could, as the inquisitive Aki came over and laid on top of her during one of the former, to cool off, to which Nadia said something to the effect of, "Oh, I know what will cool you real fast." And with that Nadia manhandled and threw her into the deep end of the pool. Something that was normally against the rules, which prompted Aki to return with an excited, "Again, again!" To which Nadia obliged a few times till she finally got bored, or Feng dragged her off, in all honesty she didn't much care. Though the beach was much too crowded to do what she was tempted and remained so into the night. The only other thing Nadia did was go out with Dani and a few others as Nadia took them to search for local food, different from what the hotel offered. The following morning she would stop to catch up with Dani, before going on a run around the local area of the island.

As morning switched to evening, Nadia, not caring overly much to spend most of her time at the Lu'au, would do what was expected of her new station. At least not all here was a loss, she thought to herself. The food she looked forward to, and the knife game interested her. And minus a flask sized bottle of Vodka that she planned to take a couple shots out of, then to share the rest with Dani and whoever else, she had another goal to accomplish while all else where distracted and stuck to this event. That was confronting her fear while the chance was here, she even had a bathing suit on underneath her regular clothes.

Forcing a smile to her face as she greeted the heads of this event, she removed it at the first opportunity, looking around, truthfully, very little interested her and struck her as poor decisions in others as she walked over to the knife and axe toss, eyeing the contents of her bag, Nadia didn't much care for the flower hoop, but the towel would be useful here soon. The rest she was curious of and could take it or leave it, sitting the bag down, she grabbed a knife hefting it by the handle, flipping it and catching it.

Bladed weapons came natural to her, and using a knife as a throwing knife wasn't unusual for her as she took aim at one of the tree targets. Pulling her right arm back and angling her left she stepped off on her right, throwing the knife with a bit of finesse as it buried several inches into the target, dead center. "Ha."

Interactions: None at present.

 

[RedArmyShogun]

Maria Mayer - Ka’anapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii - Lūʻau Grounds​

As the day flowed along, Maria would largely keep to herself, though she would venture out, going to the ocean, walking the island for resources, till she was directed to shops given laws on harvesting and shipping bits of Hawaii, the vacation was experiences and things it offered, they were Alien to the isolated workaholic. Some solace and peace were found with the smaller outings, seeing some friends, or joining the small outing with Nadia and Dani, but by and large, Maria was very much an introvert, and just trying to force herself was not something she could do. Donning her blue dress once more, she had plenty to do on the next day.

Setting up a few orders for resource shipments the following morning, Maria mostly went to less popular attractions for the season as far as her fellow agents seemed to be concerned, a Natural History Museum, the one on Honolulu was seemingly larger and had more exhibits, but traveling there today would be a bit of an issue, maybe in the remaining days? Still, the Lu'au made her feel all the worse. This was not her idea of fun, not even remotely close. The constant buzzing of people, the lights, sounds, the lack of distance, the voices, all of it probing to her mind, sounds to sort and to file, sights to try and learn at once. It was nauseating.

She just wanted it all to stop. It was like being in that club. Still, she would at least get some food or her gift bag, then quietly wander away. "...excuse me..." She said quietly, trying to move around some of those dogpiling on the food tables, for what little help that gave. "Excuse me..." With that she reached and grabbed a plate, using her doll and wires from the rings to grab what all she wanted before backing away. Grabbing a bag with the doll, she found a chair and took it to the outer edge, away from everyone and everything, taking a seat and eating off of her lap, she would look through the bag later.

Interactions: None

 

[Mook-LandStrider]

Annika
Lūʻau Bonefire
Sir Les Paul Shotgunpenguin
​

The rest of the afternoon was pretty nice. She spent the time hanging out with Gauss and setting up her own room to her liking. They were only going to be there a few more days but her anxiety was starting to grow at the idea of another scenario like the april fools day festival. Eventually falling asleep she met with Wes early the following morning before breaking off to get ready on her own.

Getting dressed she affixed several beautiful crystals to her outfit before finishing up and heading out of the hotel. She took her time walking to the Lūʻau, taking in the sun and letting her mind drift away from the possibility of chaos. Arriving shortly after the start she began to mingle in and out of several groups, forcing a social front she was getting her years worth of socializing in. Breaking from a conversation she took a few minutes to get a small bit of food. She didn't intend on eating much, having expected to take part in whatever events were coming up.

Still, despite the small plate she did eat a small bit, getting herself the energy to go abit wild later on. Ordering a small drink for herself she sat down and watched the main bonfire. After a short bit she realized one of the dancers was Gauss but didn't immediately move to interact with him.

Finishing her drink she made her way over towards the giant fire, running a hand through her short hair she couldn't help but smile. "Hey, I wouldn't mind trying that." Annika said to one of the dancers. Now within a few feet of Gauss and made eye contact with him. With a sly smirk she mouthed out the word "Cute."

 

[EmperorsChosen]

Aki Kiyoko - Hawaii Resort - Lu'au
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

Aki took plenty of advantage being at the resort. She experienced playing volleyball for the first time, getting a bit too excited and striking the ball a bit too hard into the enemy team. She also had some fun at the on-site pool, of which there were some slides and diving boards she took advantage of. At some point between those activities, she took note of a sunbathing Nadia and took to using her as an air conditioner, resulting in the anger of the ice giant and a new game discovered, being Nadia throwing her into the deep end of the pool. Aki could've sworn Nadia seemed to be having fun for a short bit before Feng distracted her with something else. After that, Aki took some time snorkeling, and at some point ended up chasing and catching crab she tried to keep as a pet before being forced to release it.

The following day, Aki was one of those excited to attend the Lu'au. She was still dressed in her swimsuit, albeit wearing shorts and a thin jacket. Unlike Feng, she didn't care how it compared to the Chinese New Year celebrations, enjoying it all the same. She bounced around, from the food, to the dancers, to the fire dancers, to the--knives? Eventually, she settled down a bit next to Feng, going through the bag of gifts, shrugging a bit at Feng's question.

"Not really... Most of it tastes bad and even the kind that doesn't, why wouldn't you just drink something that doesn't have that terrible after-taste?" Aki questioned as if it were obvious. "If you suggest any... I don't mind trying it, though," She added, leaving the option open to Feng. If she really did want someone to drink with her, Aki would. The same could be said for a lot of the others. It just wasn't something she would opt for automatically.

"Ooh, the food looked really good, though! We can do that!" Aki cheered excitedly, having now adorned the necklace from the gift bag.

RedArmyShogun

 

[The Regal Rper]

Zosar | Outrigger Resort, Hawaii

Whatever Eva’s response may have been when Kenny approached, whatever had ensued it was water under the bridge. All that mattered now was that he had the necklace back and that was it.

Having taken Kenny’s contact since he was there anyway to play a part in helping retrieve the necklace, the Meister had exchanged contact information with the Chimera and once the matter of the necklace was settled, both had moved on to their own activities.

Once Kenny had departed, Zosar spent his time with both Eva and Sara, for the better part just enjoying their company without treading on the earlier incident. Joining them in their swimming activities for a bit before he eventually got bored of that, and suggested they try seeing what the others were up to.

He got to watch Adrian and Dani take up their surfing experience, and though it’d been awhile since he had done surfing himself, he didn’t doubt his ability to pick up a board and catch some waves. While surfing hadn’t been something he’d done in a few years, skateboarding was still an activity he did now and then- besides, iit had been more fun to watch both of them wipe out as they got the hang of things. Of all the most important things about surfing, it was patience that was key, personally he had expected to see Dani get frustrated on some level at some point. However once he had enough of watching them surf, he moved on to another activity, volleyball to be precise. The sport specifically put him up against Aki’s side for the part he played in.

By the evening, he was ready for bed and by the time tomorrow had rolled by he was looking forward to the Lu'au. Though he wasn’t sure if Eva was still going to come despite his attempts at convincing her he was at least expecting to see some of their peers if Sara didn’t show in lieu of Eva’s falling interest.

He wasn’t too surprised to see that very few people had actually come along. If it wasn’t mandatory, it wasn’t going to happen with most FATE Agents here that weren’t interested in the food or dancing and he’d expected as much- it was good to at the very least, see some familiar faces. The coolers stacked with drinks didn’t escape him, nor did Gauss participating in the festivities escape him either.

He was half tempted to join him in all honesty. Though it was an activity he’d definitely do later, probably after he got some blade throwing in.

Seeing Nadia do her part, Zosar approached one of the axes, and grabbing one in a hand was reminded of the grueling, laborious training he’d been partaking in over on Hoshi turf. It was funny how a simple minor reminder could take him back to those literal soul sucking woods so quickly.

At least the targets here wouldn’t be out for his wavelength like those hard as rock trees.

Still sucked he hadn’t been able to take any pieces of it with him, stealing any would have outright banned him from ever going back too and he wasn’t about to do that if he wanted to stay in both Midori and his extended family’s good graces.

Tossing the axe up into the air and catching it in his waiting hand, with an overhead and arm drawn back movement he released his hold on the axe, letting it fly- sailing through and hitting its mark with a hefty thunk. The blade struck near center circle but not dead on like Nadia’s knife had. Eyeing it, it was a few centimeters off the actual mark he had been aiming for, but it was better than he had been expecting.

Seeing Nadia’s handiwork was just a mental note to not doubt her hand-to-eye coordination, even if the target was still.

“Good throw,” he complimented her, Maybe you could throw me around like that some time. His brain said, but he wisely didn't.

There was a time and a place for horrible jokes, and now wasn't a time for it. Plus, he'd rather not have another person grow tired of his humor too quickly like Becky had- always eyerolling whenever he'd made a witty pun or dry remark, even though she loved it.

He had a strong feeling Nadia would, like many of the others here with enough time, would all fall into that same groan or sigh or eye-roll the moment he started making jokes like that more blunt and knew who could handle them.

Granted if Nadia didn't like his jokes she'd probably just walk off like she had last time anyway, even if he had found it funny when she had.

Spotting Feng and Aki in the distance he whistled calling one of them and waved.

"You thinking about joining the dance over there?" He said with a head gesture in Gauss direction and the other dancers to Nadia.

Mentions: Sir Les Paul EmperorsChosen RedArmyShogun Merciless Medic Mook-LandStrider

Interactions::n/a

 

[The Regal Rper]

Ark | Hawaii, Outrigger Resort | Rings: 1/1

After stopping Raph from making a fool of himself with his drunken socializing, being, literally the only one who bothered- Ark spent what time he didn’t oversee his friend exploring the resort horizon on his own. To say he was a bit disappointed that he hadn’t been able to get Maria to tag along was in fact true, but it was a fleeting feeling that went away as he surveyed the beautiful tropical environment around them. Not only did he try out some of the more local activities like banana boating- of which he struggled immensely to keep his balance in despite being an actually good swimmer- he also was on the same team as Zosar in the volleyball match that had him once again, against Aki.

Working with the Meister again in another sport match had been just as fun as the last game they’d done together and to say he didn’t enjoy playing the sport with Aki in for the ride on the opposite team again, was a lie.

By the time the Lu'au had rolled in he was honestly wondering who would show up. By the time he had he’d caught sight of a few familiar faces, Aki, Feng, Nadia- was that Gauss over there dancing?

Yeah- yeah, no that's him alright.

At least he seemed to be having some fun.

Looking around he didn’t spot the redhead giant anywhere either- guess like most of the rest they hadn’t decided to tag into this event.

Had it not been for his own personal magical senses, he might’ve missed the sight of Maria completely. Looking at who was crowding around the table before deciding to hold off on going for anything, he moved her way.

“You really do enjoy your own quiet time, huh?” He asked her as he approached. “Not a bad thing of course.” as if to clarify the statement was a rhetorical one. He turned his attention to the bonfire, leaving space for an almost awkward form of silence to take over- awkward to him in that he became aware of it- but with Maria…well, he honestly didn’t know what would be awkward for her outside of the more blatantly obvious stuff.

“You have a good time yesterday?” He decided to ask, since, he hadn’t exactly seen her much at all yesterday after wandering off to do his own things. “With the others I mean, and the material hunt” he awkwardly added.

Mentions: Sir Les Paul

Interactions: RedArmyShogun

 

[Shotgunpenguin]

Wes Kraven
Outrigger Resort, Lu'au

Mentions: Mook-LandStrider (Annika), Sir Les Paul (Gauss) The Regal Rper (Zosar) RedArmyShogun (Nadia)​

The rest of the day went by in a flash after the ceremony came to a close, with Wes and Annika both going their own ways after the dinner was over. Annika had taken Gauss up on his offer of spending some time together after the ceremony last night, which left him completely free to his own devices. The first thing he did was return to his room, checking to make sure that his bed was indeed as soft as it looked. A quick nap and another meal-bar later, he spent the rest of his night binge-watching trashy television, cheesy B-tier horror movies, and enjoying the relative silence of his own room. When morning came, he met up with Annika, the two of them taking the time to grab a quick bite at the complimentary breakfast the resort offered, before splitting up to do their own things until the lu’au later that night.

Afterwards, Wes spent the majority of his day alternating between napping in his room and wandering aimlessly around the resort. He’d visited Hawaii for about a week, during his period of time away from the academy, but nowhere nearly as fancy as this. Eventually, he decided to check out some of the amenities the resort offered, receiving a massage that had him feeling like he was walking on clouds the rest of the day. Even now as he wandered the celebration, stepping past and between small groups of people, he felt lighter than he had in years.

Wes didn’t particularly know what he was supposed to be doing, if he was being honest. Parties were never really his thing, and he had shown up mostly because Annika mentioned that she would be going. although he had no idea where his partner was at the moment. Idly, he looked down at the gift bag in his hand, opening it and inspecting its contents. The gift bag contained an assortment of items, none of which particularly interested him. Everything in it were things anyone could pick up if they visited a tourist shop on the island. Still, if nothing else, he could always bring it back with him and send it as a gift for his parents back home.

Eventually, Wes caught sight of Gauss near the giant bonfire, dancing alongside women in grass-skirts and a few other agents. He had to admit, the man looked more than comfortable with himself as he gently swayed with the music. Either he was a fast learner, which from what he’d heard from Annika may have been the case, or he’d done this before. Speaking of his partner, it looked like she was going to join the group on stage as one of the dancers excitedly draped a flower necklace over her shoulders. He briefly considered joining the two of them, but decided against it.

Walking around the party for a bit more, his eyes wandered over to where it looked like someone had set up knife and axe throwing away from the main party. It was sparsely crowded, with a few agents taking their shots at the wooden targets. He approached one of the remaining empty targets, letting his gift bag drop onto the ground by his feet as he pulled a knife from the target. It was about the same weight as the knife he was required to carry on missions, but it was clear that it was something some of the other agents had found rather than their standard knives.

Grabbing the knife by the handle, Wes brought his arm up, holding out his other hand in front of him to help in gauging the distance. He vaguely recalled going axe throwing once when he was younger, although it was far too long ago to remember how he did. Bringing his arm back, he took a step forward with his lead foot and brought the arm down while releasing his hold on the knife.

The knife sliced through the air, rapidly approaching the wooden target for all of two seconds, before impacting in the sand about a foot before the target. It slid for a short distance before coming to rest directly below the target itself, the handle of the knife sticking directly up towards the target.

“Tch.” Wes clicked his tongue and stared at the knife, before looking over to the targets that two other agents were using. Both had hit near dead center of their targets, although one had used an axe instead of a knife. Biting down on a twinge of irritation, he walked over to the target and grabbed another knife, picking up his first one on the way back. Repeating his throwing process, two more knives impacted the sand, each failing to make contact with the static target and causing more and more frustration for him.

“Come on, how am I this bad?” He asked himself, retrieving his knives and returning to where he had dropped his bag, intent on at least hitting the target once before giving up.