[Vacation! Open thread]

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Characters: Rinoa, OPEN
Progress: Ongoing
Summary: It's time to hit the beach! Get out your bikinis and swimming trunks, girls and boys. Yes, even you, Squall. Party style! Feel free to threadhop, start your own threads etc.
Location: Costa Faguita
Date: May, 1804
Warnings: None

This was the life. Rinoa relaxed on a sun lounger, soaking up the rays. Behind her sunglasses, her eyes were closed. She could hear the waves lapping gently against the beach in the background. It was as though the dragon invasion had never happened.

A group of holidaymakers passed by, laughing and joking as they headed for the sea. Rinoa sat up to take a look around. Hmm. Maybe it was time she went for a swim. But first she needed to reapply her sun cream. She smoothed back her hair and picked up her bottle of sun lotion. Now was there anyone around who might want to help? 

Comments

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

His expression turned thoughtful. "You still don't need to feel obligated..." But he somehow had a feeling that he couldn't entirely talk her out of it.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

Of course he couldn't, as evidenced by her shaking her head at him. "I offered." More and more, it was becoming a personal goal of hers to attempt to coax something resembling genuine happiness, maybe even a smile out of Kain. There had to be something she could do to ease his heart, even a little. "And I know I don't have to. I want to."

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain couldn't tell her what she did or didn't want, so there was no way to argue against that. "Then I won't try to stop you. Just know that it may well be an impossible task you've given yourself."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"I like a good challenge." She grinned playfully, hoping to lighten the mood. "No Vaan to chase after or Luso to bail out of trouble? I'm running out of the impossible to work on. So, what are the odds of me getting you to smile?"

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

She was in for more than an average challenge with Kain. "That's a question I'm not even sure I can answer."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

A soft chuckle broke out from Penelo, even though she attempted to wrestle it from bubbling up. "Let's try one you can answer then. What do you like to do with your spare time?" Unable to bite back the lightest of teasing, she added in a far too somber (and blatantly faux) tone, "Other than brood, fight and break female hearts?"

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain sighed at that last statement, almost tempted to ask who these broken-hearted females were... Although it wasn't as if he were very good at noticing such things, with his mind so fixated on one woman in particular. "...Well... I really do devote most of my time to training in some capacity..."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"You're not making this easy are you?" Not that Penelo expected it to be a small task, but she'd been hoping for some sort of clue to work with. There was a soft hum followed by an apologetic smile. "I'll stop teasing." The smile faded into a far more serious look, concerned. "Training is important, and around here, necessary. But don't forget that life's short. You're not really living if all you do is work."

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

"But I have to work hard if I'm to achieve my goals." As far as Kain saw it, he had an incredibly long way to go, to accomplish such a feat.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"And once you've achieved them? What will you do then?" She had no doubt that he would succeed at what he needed to do and had faith enough to believe it would happen sooner than later.

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

"I'm not certain. I don't know if I can even accomplish what I'm trying to do..." Kain had far less confidence in his abilities than she seemed to have.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"You can and you will. Perseverance and determination matter. But Kain, once that's done, you'll have a whole life spread out in front of you. Shouldn't you take the time to enjoy it?" Without warning, she bent and came up with a pearlescent shell. Hand extended, Penelo offered it to him. "There's so much you'll miss if you don't take the chance to appreciate it."

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Taking the shell in hand, Kain stared at it. A pensive look came into his face. What he wanted... what he truly wanted in life was forever denied him. How could he actually look forward to anything? He honestly didn't know what he was bothering to fight for, sometimes, aside from a family legacy he'd already fallen short of. "Penelo, I... All I know is my duty as a dragoon, my responsibility to protect my kingdom and to honor my ancestors. I have... nothing else."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

The pained, pensive look that settled on Kain's face smote Penelo's conscious. Her head dropped, contrite when she realized she'd caused it. "I'm sorry," she murmured, unable to look up for the shame felt for indirectly making him unhappy. "I shouldn't have pried."

After a deep breath, she forced herself to look up, resting a hand on his arm. "You have more. You have Zephyr. And you have friends who genuinely care about you and your happiness." And yet, she couldn't deny recognizing a sense of having nothing left. Hadn't she buckled to it more than once?

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Mention of Zephyr made Kain half-smile, he'd found a new sense of purpose caring for her, that was true. Even if he had nothing to look forward to back home... Here, in this world, he had her.

He nodded slowly. "I didn't intend to bother you by saying such things... but... I guess I needed the reminder." He paused, needing to sort out the next words before he said them. "I should thank you, for that."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"You don't have to thank me, Kain." Her head shook to enforce that sentiment. "That's what friends are for. I am sorry for making you sad but... it's nice to hear your thoughts." That he preferred to keep them to himself hadn't escaped Penelo. Still, she preferred to keep the conversation on a more positive track. "It's nice to see you smile too."

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

Kain tried his best to dismiss part of that. "It's no fault of yours, that my mind turned to such thoughts. A lot has been in mind for a while..." But his expression remained calm, and as happy as he ever got. "In at least one respect, my path is finally clear. I..." He struggled for words, not used to expressing these sentiments. "...care... about Zephyr a great deal. Almost as if she were a child."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

A soft hum escaped Penelo who smiled in response. "I think you're good for each other. I'm glad you found her." Glad he was connecting so well with another being, since she could tell he struggled with it.

[dragoon-rising.livejournal.com]

He nodded agreement. He definitely would have had a harder time losing Mount Odeals again, not to mention just... in general, were it not for Zephyr to care for. "...I think so, as well. I'm very glad for her presence, too." He never would have imagined taking in any creatures as a pet before, but a dragon was exactly the sort of being he could relate to.