[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

[bastard.livejournal.com]

Seifer grinned when he spotted Rinoa waving him over, and didn't hesitate to alter course and make for her direction. He'd expected to see her with Squall, but apparently the commander's pale ass didn't take too well to the sunshine. Here's hoping they'd get to see Squall sporting a ridiculous lobster tan before this little vacation was over.

"It beats sitting around in the snow all day." Plus, he had yet to hear back from Raijin--which only worried him slightly. Seifer would never admit as much, though.

"Why, are you inviting me to lay out with you?"

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"There's space if you want," Rinoa replied, smiling back as she adjusted a strap on her bikini.

It was just her for now - Irvine had gone off somewhere, probably with Selphie or some other girl, and pretty much everyone else was wandering around the beach or splashing around in the sea. Rinoa herself was drying off, her hair curling slightly at the ends.

Naturally, she welcomed company. Rinoa leaned forward as she watched him approach. There were a lot of guys with great bodies on this beach, but there was no denying that Seifer was one of the hottest.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

"Don't mind if I do."

Hey, at least he'd waited until she'd extended an invite--even if he was the one to really suggest as much. As if Seifer would pass up the chance to piss off Squall by keeping the space next to Rinoa occupied while his stoic rival debated on whether or not wearing leather pants to the beach would keep up his too cool for school image.

"You mind?" He asked, producing a bottle of sun-screen. "The last thing I need is to end up looking like the chicken wuss with a lobster tan."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"That would be pretty funny," Rinoa replied, grinning at the mental image, but she wasn't cruel enough to refuse him. People with fair complexions needed protection.

She shifted, swinging her legs around to sit next to him, and held out her hand for the bottle. For a second, a part of her worried what people might think, but her intentions were entirely innocent, after all. And that's what counted as far as Rinoa was concerned.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

Of course they were. The fact that anyone--Squall included--might see them and think more of the situation didn't escape Seifer either. In fact, it was that possibility that accounted for the slight curl at the corners of the blond's mouth when Rinoa began to lotion up his shoulders and back.

"I'm surprised Squall isn't with you." No he wasn't, actually, but he wasn't going to say as much outright--at least not yet anyway.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa made a face when he mentioned Squall. "He'll be around soon," she replied evasively. "I don't need protecting out here and I guess that's the only reason he has to be around me right now."

She finished applying the lotion to Seifer's back, then leaned back with a sigh. "Done! No lobster tan for you."

[bastard.livejournal.com]

"I was under the impression that the two of you had something more going on."

Not that it was any of his business, really, but that wouldn't stop him from adding some salt to an open wound in his own charming way. He grabbed the bottle, holding it out as if to offer her the same courtesy she'd just given him.

"His loss, either way."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa shook her head. "I don't need any more, thanks. And Squall and me... We don't. Not yet anyway. Didn't you realise that?"

She thought he was asking an honest question. More fool her, maybe, but Rinoa liked to believe the best in people.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

He tucked the lotion into the sand near where they were seated.

"I just assumed everyone got their memories back when they returned." Hey, it had worked that way for him, after all. An honest mistake. Or was it?

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

She shook her head again. "Not everyone. Squall came back from a different point in time... He's still only seventeen so he doesn't remember anything about... anything that happened after that."

She lay back on the sun lounger and sighed, blinking up at the sky.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

That was good news. Seifer hadn't really bothered to prod at his rival since he'd been back. It had bothered him before when he first learned that Squall was older. Now it looked like they were back on a more even playing field.

"Doesn't seem your style to give up so easily."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

She looked sideways at him. "What makes you think I've given up? I'm just... taking a strategic break. Like SeeDs do before they figure out their plan of attack."

In truth, Rinoa didn't have anything that could accurately be described as a plan, let alone a strategy. She just tried to find as many reasons as possible to be near Squall, but right now the sun had lured her out.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

Seifer just snorted in response. He didn't really know what Rinoa saw in Squall, anyway. There wasn't exactly much there, personality-wise. Then again, she had always sort of been the type to tackle a challenge head-on.

"If you say so. I wouldn't bother waiting for him to make the first move, though. He'd sooner piss himself than figure out how to approach a girl."

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa smiled. "You don't have to tell me that. I'd forgotten how awkward he was. He really didn't know how to handle me."

[bastard.livejournal.com]

"It definitely takes a special kind to manage that." Why no, he wasn't tooting his own horn or anything~

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

Rinoa laughed. She got what he meant, all right. "Maybe so."

She stretched, yawning, and closed her eyes. The sun made her feel sleepy, but in a good way.

[bastard.livejournal.com]

"Not gonna go in?" He nodded toward the water, where a number of others were already splashing around.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"I've already been in," Rinoa replied. "Couldn't you tell?" She twisted a strand of hair around her little finger. True, her hair had dried entirely now since they had been talking, but it had still been damp when Seifer arrived. "Why, you wanna go for a swim?"

[bastard.livejournal.com]

"Maybe in a little while. I'm fine here for the moment." Rinoa was one of the choice few that Seifer didn't mind being around for prolonged periods of time. Consider yourself lucky, girl. Or not, depending.

[livelyangel.livejournal.com]

"That's fine with me." Rinoa smiled and closed her eyes again, happy to just enjoy the sun.