[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

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

Mjrn's also wandering along the shore, on her way back toward the Garden groupl. However, she's taking her time. The delay isn't so much savoring the scenery as brooding about whether or not her current state was permanent and guilt for brooding when she should just be grateful for a second chance.

Normally, her ears would have picked up on Penelo's footsteps early on, or her eyes would have recognized her friend from a long distance. As it was, not only was Mjrn still struggling to reconcile with her diminished senses, she was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't realize she was heading right toward the person she had been searching the beach for, earlier.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

Fortunately, Penelo was on the lookout for her Viera friend. Eager really to see her again. The time without her had been miserable, and felt as if the whole world was closing in around her. She hastened her steps to more quickly close the distance between them. As soon as she was close enough, she held out her hand with the shell, right in front of Mjrn. "You look like you could use some company."

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

"Penelo!" At once embarrassed that she had not seen her earlier and excited to be in her company again, Mjrn smiled. She peered at the shell, then at the blond girl. "I had searched the skies for your arrival, yet it must have eluded me. I cannot imagine a more welcome surprise, however."

A knot of tension with that she didn't realize had been there began to fade. Now that Penelo was here, everything was instantly better. Not as it should be, but better.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"I'm so glad to see you again." The week of waiting and mourning had exacted a toll on Penelo's optimism. Not knowing if she was truly all alone once more had haunted her thoughts. Yet now seeing Mjrn in the flesh pushed all those dreary days away. Without warning, she reached out to pull her friend into a tight hug. "Next time, I go with you." And with that, all the chastisement she planned to ever inflict on her friend. Her opinion held that they would hold their chins up high and move on from here, no looking back.

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

Mjrn hugged back warmly, as though in apology for all that Penelo suffered because of her. Whether Penelo refuted it or not, she knew that couldn't be allowed to happen again. "Aye, though I hope any other swarm will be long in arriving. We deserve our measure of peace, do we not?"

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"Yes, we do. All of us." Peace. The one thing Penelo craved more than anything in the world, and yet it seemed like it never fully stayed firmly in her grasp. Even here in Gaia. Too many troubles compiled on this world, and keeping her friends safe involved fighting. But maybe someday that could all be a part of the past.

Yet today, those thoughts had no place. Surrounded by sand and sun, it felt wrong to dwell on these things. "Right now we have a chance for some. We should enjoy it, right?"

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

That was met with an eager nod. "Indeed." She glanced around, as something came to mind. "Is Chit roaming the sands, or is she located at the airship? I ought to see her, as well."

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"She's in the airship. I had the hardest time getting her to stay. I think she knew we were coming to meet you." Penelo had no doubt the bird must have known. Once she'd heard Mjrn's voice through the phone, the cockatrice had finally started to eat once more.

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

"Then perhaps now she ought to be allowed to roam more freely." Mjrn waited for Penelo to lead the way, since she wasn't sure where the airship was landed.

[danceawaypain.livejournal.com]

"I don't see why not, it seems tranquil enough here. It's this way." A quick point and then Penelo turned to make the short trek to where the airship was parked.

[dewdrop-pebbles.livejournal.com]

Mjrn smiled upon seeing the airship. She wasn't sure if she would ever share Fran's love of flying, but the vehicle was as close to having a home as she would get, for now. Even after Reks' departure, that remained true.

She stepped inside, to hear loud peeping ahead.