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 Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:30 pm
Auli'i 1 The small house was empty today. Both of Auli'i's parents had gone fishing, hoping to catch something for dinner to eat with the salad they had also prepared earlier, leaving the young woman by herself for a few hours. Half the day, at most. It was still fairly early, with the sun still sitting around the tops of the mountains in the distance and the full heat of the day not yet at its climax. It was the perfect day to leave for a walk, see what was just down the beach from her house. She'd already exhausted both sides years ago while exploring her new surroundings. Gone into town many times. Played games with the local children and made friends. But no matter how much you went in the same direction, you still never knew what new things you might find. The thrill of discovery was never-ending. That was something she had inherited from her parent's wanderlust, though she herself had no desires to go too many miles from her own door step. At least right now.
Getting up off the beach where she had been sitting, watching the waves crash against the rocks and the fishing boats slowly drifting in the distance, Auli'i brushed the sand off her bottom and started off in a direction. Along the way, she met a few locals preparing to go out on the water, fishers getting a late start to their day. She stayed until she got in their boats and pushed off, waving from the shore before continuing on her way. She walked in the water up to her knees to look at the sparkling fish underneath the waves. She listened to the sea birds gracing the surface, beaks opened wide to grab the small fish who darted too close. She was quite enjoying her day when she found something very unexpected.
Further on down the beach, someone was laying on the sand. Not unusually in itself, but this was a someone she couldn't remember ever seeing before. Strange. Her keen eyes picked up on a young man, apparently sunning himself shirtless, his pale skin blending in perfectly with the ground underneath his body. He could be easily missed, if not for the green hair that was a shade too pale for the plant life. Curious, she stole closer, not making an attempts at quiet. The sand muffled her steps until she was close enough to see that he was asleep. His eyes were closed and his hands rested on his stomach. His chest rose slowly in sleep. Bending down at his head, Auli'i got down on her hands and knees, her face hovering over his. My, he was cute. Really cute. She decided she wanted to get to know him. So she said very loudly "Hi!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:34 pm
Minke 1 The day had begun as most of his days did. He woke up, had breakfast, and almost immediately went outside. If he had his way, he would have gone straight to the water, spending a few hours swimming around until he grew tired. As it was, it wasn't his choice. Ballas wanted his chldren to help him with the farm, even if said farm was much, much smaller than it used to be. In Belrea, they had had acres and acres of land to raise livestock and grow crops. Here, in Matori, they had pots in their backyard of vegetables and a few fruit trees that were known to grow here, planted in dirt shipped across from their homeland. The older Geian would trust soil from nowhere else but what he had worked himself. It was Minke's job to help him tend it. Before he was allowed to do as he pleased, he had to check the plants to make sure no weeds were trying to choke them out, as well as watering them from their own separate rain collector. When his sister was here, she'd help split the chores with him. Now that she wasn't, it was his job to pick up her work, as well. It wasn't something that he disliked doing. It was still working with nature, as he preferred to do. But it still kept him from the water longer and for that, he resented it.
Today, Minke did his work as quickly as he could, than announced to his father he was done. Once given approval, the hybrid left for a long dip in the ocean, where he spent most of it underneath the waves, inspecting the different plants that grew there and watching the fish dart among the coral. Once he had his fill, at least for a hour or two, he went back to the shore, spreading out his shirt on the sand to lay down on and take a nap. He wasn't sure how long he was out for. Until he was very rudely awakened, it was a very pleasant dream.
He came to with a start and a yell, that only increased in volume when he saw the face over him. He quickly skuttled away on his hands and feet, getting sand up his pant's legs. As far away from the offending person as he could possibly get.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:35 pm
Auli'i 2 Auli'i wasn't sure what kind of reaction she was expecting from a sleeping boy on the beach when she had decided it'd be a good idea to yell in his face. To wake with a start, yes. Obviously. To yell back in her face and behave like she was about to stab him? No. So she couldn't help the own scream that came out of her mouth at his reaction, her own body scooting away from him as if she'd been burned. She sat there on her hands and knees staring at him, breathing heavily as he also did the same. Neither of them making a move.
At least for a few seconds before she did.
"How rude!" she said, furrowing her brows at him. "You didn't need to yell in my face, you know."
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:36 pm
Minke 2 He didn't answer the strange, loud girl who was suddenly with him, only continued to stare at her upside-down face. Where had she even come from? There had been no one here before he went for a swim, just the stray neighbour going out on their boats to fish or dive. He would have remembered her. Her skin was so red, her hair a match for it to make her stand out in Matori. Or anywhere, really. He'd never seen anyone so bright before.
His shirt was crumpled underneath his back, a small lump poking at him painfully. Maybe if he stayed really, really still, she'd go away. Maybe her attention span relied on movement. He barely dared even to blink, though his quickly rising chest gave away his stillness.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:37 pm
Auli'i 3 "Aren't you going to say anything?" the Hapuna demanded, tilting her head at the strange hybrid who just stared at her. Once the initial shock wore off, she had expected him to start yelling at her. At least get annoyed enough to start speaking about how she shouldn't be doing this or that. It was rare for someone to laugh off when she did something like that. But stare? She'd never been stared at so much. It was a bit creepy and unsettling. Maybe he couldn't talk? He certainly could hear.
Sitting back on her legs, Auli'i sat with her hands on her thighs, now smiling at him, giving hm the benefit of the doubt unless he proved otherwise. "My name is Auli'i. I came from down the beach. What's your name? You can write it in the sand, if you want."
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:38 pm
Minke 3 No, Minke was not going to say anything. Or write his name in the sand. Let her think he was mute and also too stupid to understand what she wanted, he didn't care. Maybe she'd get bored, than, and leave him alone. Everyone usually did when he went completely quiet and still, seeing the efforts as completely useless if he wasn't going to react. Some kids were stubborn enough to keep picking at him, it was true. Those that found pleasure in the tiny jerks of his body he'd make when they'd come too close or throw something at him. The way his face would wince or his shoulders tense was hilarious. Elias was getting a lot of practice trying to look intimidating like a real swordsman would. Though it often didn't work and he, too, would be included in the reticule.
Maybe if he kept scooting backwards, he could get his whole body into the water and quickly get away. Than again, she was a Kahikinan, wasn't she? No Earthlling or Aishan could be that red. Hair, yes. Never skin, too. Which meant he had no chance of escaping her in the water, if she choose to follow him. He might be able to outrun her, if he could get to his feet fast enough. She was already in a position to do that faster, too.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:39 pm
Auli'i 4 The Hapuna settled in on the beach to wait, feeling her feet and lower legs sinking into the soft sand. And waited. And waited. A generous amount of waiting, really. But he never moved. Seemed hardly even to blink. Was there something wrong with him? Or was he just this rude?
Auli'i crossed her arms over her chest. She'd have started tapping her foot if she wasn't sitting on it.
"Can you not write, either?" she asked rudely, once more tilting her head at him. Releasing her arms, she leaned forward until the palms of her hands were nestled in the sand, inching closer to him. "I am talking to you, you know!"
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:40 pm
Minke 4 Minutes passed. How many, Minke was unsure. But he could watch the sun moving behind her head, so it was many minutes indeed since she had woken him up so violently. And she was still here. What did she want from him this badly? He was hardly a conversationalist like his sister. He was quite boring, actually.
"I can write...." he answered softly, shifting his aching back, trying to dislodge the lump of shirt directly underneath it to no avail. He would have to get up off it and he didn't feel quite ready to do that, yet.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:41 pm
Auli'i 5 Auli'i's eyebrows were beginning to lower once more and she was about to open her mouth to yell at him why he was ignoring her when he finally spoke. For a moment, she was honestly shocked. It had seemed like he was really determined to not give her any kind of answer or acknowledgement. And that was just far too rude of a thing for her to ignore! But if he thought finally answering, and in such a soft and innocent voice, would make her soften up on him, he had another thing coming.
"Than what is your name?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:43 pm
Minke 5 The only sounds were the waves on the shore and the distant yelling of a local leaving for work as another staring contest ensued. This girl sure was stubborn, was all Minke could think about as he blinked rapidly at her, his aching back once more still as a stone. And it would feel like a stone after this growing bruise was fully formed tomorrow.
The hybrid sighed quietly, digging his fingers into the sand at his sides. "You're not going to leave unless I tell you, are you?"
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:44 pm
Auli'i 6 Somewhere overhead, a bird called. Another answered in the distance. Far out across the water there was a great splash. But neither of these things caught Auli'i's attention, could not drag her eyes away from the cute young man on the beach in front of her, who she was slowly inching closer to, all the while watching him widden the gap back between them.
"Nope!" she answered with a big grin. She always got her way.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:46 pm
Minke 6 But Minke didn't give her that instant gratification. Instead, he contemplated how to do this, if he wanted to remain on his back while she kneeled over him upside down. It was quite uncomfortable. So, he felt, would be moving. Despite the shirt lump still digging into his body, he didn't know which was the worse of the two evils. He certainly wasn't going to write it out for this pushy girl. Give her the chance to make fun of his handwriting. Which she surely would do. The way she was smiling at him made him feel like she was appraising him somehow, waiting for him to do or say something so she could laugh at him.
Or maybe that was just the way he always felt around people and she had no ulterior motives with him. It was always so hard to tell.
The hybrid moved his lips, moistening his dry mouth. "My na.....Name is....Minke." Saying his name always made him feel so vulnerable, as if he'd stripped away every protective barrier around himself.
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:47 pm
Auli'i 7 The smile that spread across the Hapuna's face was all triumph. Ah ha! She had learned long ago that if she was persistent enough, she could always get someone to answer her. And this wasn't even anything difficult. It was just a name. It wasn't like she was asking him something weird or embarrassing in front of a large crowd of people. She'd understand his hesitation than. But it was just the two of them. Three if you wanted to count that one boat way, way out in the distance, close enough to make out the mostly blue profile of a Matorian. Or maybe a hybrid. It was hard to tell details this far away.
Auli'i moved back to Minke, scooting even closer to him until he was backed up with his feet now in the water. She had noticed when she'd first spotted him that his hair looked a bit wet, the ends curling violently around each other. Clearly he'd just had an early morning swim. She wondered if she could persuade him to go back in. It was much more fun swimming with someone else.
"Oh. That wasn't so hard." She finally stopped moving closer, feeling like she had tormented him enough. Sitting back, she pulled her legs out from underneath her and spread them out before her, stretching them, her bare feet encrusted with sand. "It's nice to meet you. I won't bite, you know."
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:48 pm
Minke 7 That was still left up to debate as far as Minke was concerned. He still didn't know what her intentions were with him and she had been quite bitey with her words so far. Who was to say she wouldn't use her actual teeth on him if he got too close. She seemed like the type who wasn't against doing that.
The lump of shirt now sat underneath his shoulder blades, having slowly shifted upwards while he shifted down towards the water. The warm ocean was lapping at his feet, calling to him to submerge himself further. He so badly wanted to do just that, to let the sea sooth away the pain in his back that was now resting against his bones quite painfully. Still, he tried his best not to make a face, not to give her any satisfaction of his discomfort more than he could manage.
"Okay. I told you my name." She continued to smile at him, trying to look innocent. "So....Can you...."
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Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2023 5:49 pm
Auli'i 8 Auli'i stared at Minke, watching his reactions quietly but intently. Oh, it wasn't lost on her that he wanted her gone. It was clear as the day. Had been for a while, in fact. But how was she supposed to pass up a cute boy on the beach?
"Can I..." she repeated, drawing out the last word, looking around as if she was pretending to think about it. She could always just leave him be, yes. Stop purposely torturing him to see how he'd react. However, it was just too much fun. Had she not run into him, she wasn't sure what she would have done for the rest of the day. "Mm. Can I what?"
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