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 Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 8:02 pm
From within the walls of a two-story house, thirty miles away from their intended destination, a dynamic struggle was unfolding- a fight between two very stubborn forces, going head to head in a battle of wit and strength. As one side pulled, the other side resisted, and no amount of strength on either side seemed to be able to make the struggle cease. No, intervention was needed, or soon the whole house would be destroyed by the monumental battle!
So Diedre, Saeles's guardian, reached over and pulled the young messenger's shirt down past her head, ending the struggle then and there.
It appeared that the poor girl had attempted to put her arms through the same whole as her head, hence the struggle. Looking about with an expression of exasperation, the young Herald sighed and looked up to her caretaker with eyes that begged to understand. She'd tried on shirts before, and they'd never done this! Why did that one attack her?
However, her guardian merely laughed softly, packing up the last of the supplies they'd need- a list of numbers to call for lunch, a few boxes of juice and cans of soda for Saeles and Diedre, respectfully, sunblock, and the two towels they'd need. Already they were in their swimsuits, with their shirts and shorts in place on top of them to make for an easier walk to the beach. The last thing the brunette wanted to expose her newfound child to was the filthy conditions of public changing rooms.
"...Where are we going?" Saeles's voice brought her out of her thoughts, and she turned back to the curious Herald, watching as she wiggled those little wings of hers ever so slowly. Diedre had cut special slots into her shirt to accommodate those little feathered beauties of hers, though she took careful care not to touch them- though she knew the feathers were soft and she rather liked having them touched gently (it let her know that they weren't just growths, Diedre reasoned...), each touch left her with a small static shock.
Granted, it wasn't too bad at first, but it was getting stronger every week. She could only hope that the charge didn't get too painful or disruptive as time went on...
"We're headed to the beach, Saeles! Lots of salty water, sand..." But even as she attempted to make it simpler, every word out of her mouth made her poor Herald's eyes widen and her head tilt even more with confusion and curiosity.
"Salty water? But... what's 'sand'? And why's the water salty?" The white-haired child's voice was quiet, confused, disconcerted. So far, that's all poor Diedre had done- confuse Saeles half to death.
The mere concept of a beach was mind-boggling, and no matter how much she played it out in her mind, it didn't make sense. She was used to a grassy backyard, soft upholstery in her home, and the bite of the rough concrete outside if she fell over. But this... 'beach'? Water that didn't taste neutral or chlorinated, but rather, salty? And what on earth was 'sand'?
"You'll see, dear. Now, let's go! Into the car!" With that familiar chirp of giddiness, a smile lit up the reborn messenger's face and she complied without another word. After getting hoisted up into the car and buckled into her booster seat, they began the relatively quick drive down to the ocean front.
---
Once they were down at the beach, Saeles immediately noticed two things- one, the breeze smelled awfully strange, and secondly, there was something roaring not too far from the car. Wrinkling her nose at the first stimulus and freezing up at the second, she took a cue from her guardian's nonchalance and attempted to relax. If Diedre wasn't worried, than hopefully she had no reason to be, either.
"This is the beach, Sah!" Since her name was pronounced Sah - eh - less, Sah was a good nickname for her- not only was it quicker, but it also gave a much less formal touch than her full-blown name. Hearing this and looking at her beaming guardian, she reluctantly unbuckled and put on her two small sandals that awaited her.
Flip-flops, some called them. Others simply called them slippers. Either way, she put them on and made her way with Diedre down the parking lot, hand in hand, until the moment her feet first made contact with the sand.
There was a yelp of fear, a sharp jump, and a clambering noise as the child attempted to run back to the car as swiftly as possible. Whatever it was she was stepping in, it certainly didn't feel natural! The sinking feeling made her feel like she was falling, the fine grains that would be at home in an hourglass felt like they were pulling her under, and clung to her toes in all their hot, fine glory. Her eyes were flared open wide as she was scooped up, her wings sending out small bolts of electricity as a self-defense measure.
"Saeles, Saeles! That's sand. It's hot, but it won't hurt you, I promise!" Grabbing the slippers from the sand, Diedre listened to her hurried mumbles and cries of fear as they made their way down the sand and towards the water.
And for a long while, they just stood there, the Guardian with a Herald in her arms, ready to welcome a day of fun in the sun.
...As soon as she could get over Saeles's fear, of course.
What she wouldn't give for another child to show her that the sand and water weren't going to kill her...
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2008 7:54 am
The sun was shiny, the breeze was warm, and best of there was no rain in the forecast. To the blonde mistress of the house, that meant one thing: Beach Day!
It had been far too long since Sirene had managed to get out of the rut of everyday life and just take a vacation to one of her favorite places. Still, she knew that today might not be as relaxing as a normal day in the sun. It would be the first time Yuki ever went to the beach and, though she loved the angel as her own daughter, that one fact came with a basket full of worry. And the first problem was already going on.
“Yuki! Put down the Bokken this moment! You are not taking that to the beach!” Sirene sighed out for the tenth time in five minutes. Everything else was in the car and some how, she had even gotten Yuki into the black one piece swimsuit she had bought the girl awhile back. But the one thing the tai-chi student would not hand over was her practice sword.
There was no answer from the sword winged herald. Instead, she stood next to the car, black flip-flops to match the long cover she had over her swimsuit. In her hands, the bokken Sirene had bought her not to long ago when the guardian had become a teacher as well. Yuki respected Sirene when they were training, but outside, they had a very mother/daughter relationship from time to time as they were both stubborn.
“Yuki…” Sirene added once more casting the girl a warning glance that Yuki answered with her own glare. Sighing, Sirene threw her hands up. “Fine. Take it. But I’m not getting you another one if you do anything to it.”
That was all Sirene had to say. With the approval, Yuki was in the car and ready to go before the woman could blink.
----
The drive passed by quickly as it was really not too far from home. It was far enough that they had to drive but still, that didn’t seem to bother either of them.
Pulling up to the parking lot, the woman counted her blessings to even find a parking place in the lot. She hated having to walk the extra two blocks to the paid parking and found the man who took the money always seemed to be a bit…well…strange. Still, today was a good day.
“Are you sure you want to take that on the beach with you?” Sirene sighed one more time, leaning her arms against the steering wheel before looking at Yuki.
“Was it not your own words that one should remain diligent in study?” Yuki spoke back knowing full well that she had Sirene caught in her own words. Like many girls find happiness in dance when they are young, or dolls, Yuki’s passion came out quickly. She had been given her first sword and in her mind, she saw herself as a sword master.
“As you wish.” The battle was lost.
Opening her own door, Yuki hopped out of the car and looked around. It was bright and caused her to blink a few times until something caught her eyes. Narrowing them, she watched a strange looking girl step onto the sand and suddenly run off of it screaming. Was it that dangerous? Well, it would be her first opponent then!
Walking towards the start of sand, the angel slipped off her shoes and stepped onto the sand. It was hot! Way hotter than what she had ever practiced on. The first step made her wince but she was determined not to look like a fool as she waited for her guardian.
Sirene shook her head as she flipped her sunglasses over her eyes from her forehead. She always wore them as a headband but almost hoped that Yuki wouldn’t take up her habit if she ever started to wear them. “Yuki, the sand isn’t going to bite. If it is too hot, jump in the water.” Sirene smiled walking over to join her herald but making sure to keep her shoes on as she picked up Yuki’s and started walking towards an empty spot near the water.
Yuki slowly followed her guardian but kept looking back at the other girl. She knew she was an angel as well but the aura she felt coming off her was something different. Was that really pain fear?
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