open | come bury your toes in the sand

[redigere]

WHO: Naminé and friends; open to passersby
WHERE: Beach near Heropa
WHEN: October 15th
WHAT: BEACH PARTY! Feel free to create a new prompt if the ones below don't appeal to you.
WARNINGS: None for now!

It'd taken a lot of last minute scrambling, a lot of runs to the grocery store, and a lot of help from her friends. But as Naminé steps back from the set up, she smiles. Allows herself a little bit of pride in what she's accomplished.

The home tent is where all the food is. Fold up tables have been loaded with an array of sandwiches, finger foods, and drinks, and a cooler nearby has fish and other seafood goodies to be grilled at the bonfire once someone gets hungry for it. This is also where she'll direct friends to drop off snacks and homemade goodies. Please do not sneak any of the chocolate and marshmallows meant for s'mores later.

Close by is the rest area, which is really just a big spread of blankets and a couple fold up chairs on the sand. She doesn't expect everyone to want to stay standing up all day, after all. Naminé knows she's going to be there for a bit, chatting with friends who are visiting, and she may have started a tiny sandcastle and collection of sea shells at the edge of the blankets as well.

The volleyball net and accompanying volleyball are borrowed from a co-worker, so it definitely needs to get back to her in one piece. There's plenty of space for other sports and competitions though...perhaps a game of soccer? And how could anyone ignore the ocean? She and a few others will likely be waist deep in it, learning and practicing how to swim.

Not bad for her first party. Now all she has to do is wait for her guests.

Comments

[redigere]

[Naminé doesn't quite understand the idea of Heropa having a consciousness or having a hand in the weather. Maybe it's what the term "mother nature" refers to? In any case, she trusts Nike on this.]

Um...maybe a wave? Like a sea of rainbows. And how should I thank her?

[drizzle]

[A light, thoughtful hum will be heard from Nike as she begins to wonder over the best way for Naminé to repay the city's kindness. It won't be long until a large smile forms as she gets an idea.]

How about thanking her loud enough for her to hear you?

[As she says this, Nike will allow a piece of the colorful rainbow cloud to break apart into two different halves. One piece of it will have a semi-explosion, taking the form of colorful waves while the other part of the cloud will begin to descent towards them until it was close enough for the girls to want to ride on. Sitting up, she'll turn to the girl.]

More specifically, would you like to show your gratitude from up on top of the clouds?

[redigere]

[Naminé is vaguely aware that she's staring at this point, but she can't help it at all in the face of another one of Nike's feats of rain summoning. A cloud...floating right in front of them...]

We can ride that? All the way to the sky? And we won't fall through?

[drizzle]

Of course and we won't! As long as you hold onto my hand tightly, that is.

[As amazing as her rain summoning can be, if it weren't for the levitation abilities the Porter gave her, then they wouldn't be able to use the cloud as a vessel. Getting up from her seat, she will begin to remove the white one piece dress over her body to reveal her modest swim suit of a sleeveless shirt and shorts. After folding her dress neatly, Nike will float onto the cloud, finding it was easy to concentrate as she was over water, so extending her hand towards her.]

It may be best to get onto this with your swimsuit. A cloud is made of water, after all. I can't guarantee your clothes won't get wet.

[redigere]

Oh, that's fine, I'm already in my swimsuit.

[Naminé hurries forward to take her friend's hand, her expression brightening by the second. It's such a nice day, and the ocean might be clear enough to see through, further out towards the horizon. There's no way she's turning a chance like this down.]

Let's go!

[drizzle]

[There will be a small smile as she notices the younger girl's swimsuit. It was a less daring version than what most girls around her age usually like to wear. The younger girl will begin to levitate off the ground the moment her hand was on hers'. Lifting her onto the cloud next to her, Nike will point towards the sky with her free hand.]

Then let's go CC-chan! Up, up, and away we go!

[Yes, their cloud was known as CC-chan for now on. And with her proclamation said, both girls will begin to rise to the sky in a gentle, almost steady pace, before it reaches enough of a height to move faster without fear of losing any effect of the water vapor under them. Their surroundings will begin to change along with their surroundings as Nike begins to glide from under the fire rainbow, allowing her friend the chance to see the city she was currently living in. They were high enough to see almost all of it.]

Heropa is really pretty from up here, isn't it?

[redigere]

[As they ascend, Naminé turns to look at the beach, and she's rendered breathless. Everyone at the party is in miniature now, little specks against the sand. She wonders if they would even notice if she waved from up here.

She gets a little more literally breathless now that they're higher up in the air, but it's still a spectacular sight to behold, one that Naminé tries to burn into her memory to commit to paper later. She feels like a bird, soaring above the city, free to do as she pleases, and it's-- it honestly makes her feel a little emotional, somehow. She scrunches up her face to stop herself from tearing up, and when she speaks her voice is as even as she'd like it to be.]

It's beautiful. Thank you so much for this, Nike. This is...this is like a scene from one of my wildest dreams.

[drizzle]

You almost make it sound like our trip is over. There's actually more I want to show you.

[Just taking her up to the sky wasn't enough, in her opinion, she wanted to show her a different world, one that she may not have ever imagined before. Nike will allow the cloud to go up higher into the atmosphere, getting as close to the fire rainbow as possible, allowing its' crystals to surround the pair instead of seeing it over their heads.

They will only stay within the colors for a brief moment until they begin to move deeper towards the sea. Nike knew the weather ahead was safe for travel. It was such a clear day for most of the Atlantic Ocean. Their surroundings was in a good mood especially when it knows they were up in the clouds to offer their gratitude and express their excitement over the world's beauty.]

Remember you said you wanted to express your gratitude for Heropa's kindness in creating the rainbows for you? The best way to do that is by shouting from the top of your lungs into the sky your thanks. Why don't you do that now?

[redigere]

[The more they soar up into the sky, the tighter Naminé clutches at Nike's sleeve, her eyes as wide as saucers. How can she possibly commit all these beautiful shades of color to paper? She could mix her paints for years and still not get any of it right. Maybe this is what they mean by fleeting pleasures.

She glances up at her friend at her encouragement, her face flushing pink.]

Shouting? Um...okay.

[Shouting is one of the last things that Naminé is good at, but here goes nothing. She sets her hands to the side of her mouth to amplify her voice as she calls out.]

Thank you so much!

[drizzle]

[All Nike could do was watch and listen for Heropa's confirmation over having heard the other girl's words of gratitude. She could tell she wasn't the type to yell. For as long as she known her, Naminé has always been quiet and gentle, but it was wonderful to notice she was opening herself to this world. Something that the inner workings of the world may not notice, but the sky will.

Nike will lower her gaze as she begins to sense Heropa's sky begins to reach her, communicating its wish for the best way to give the younger girl a gift for her trouble. Allowing the cloud to move forward, while lowering in altitude, the girls will notice the deep ocean beneath them will sparkle, filling with glitter due to the current sunlight.]

'You're very welcome', may be what Heropa is saying in return.

[redigere]

[Naminé leans forward to get a better view, lets out a soft breath. She thinks this is what the ocean would've looked like, if she'd had more time to look at it back at home.]

It's beautiful.

[drizzle]

It really is. The beach has a beauty about it that belongs solely to her.

[As much as she was raised on a island nation, she rarely had time to go to the beach since her heart is truly set on the mountains and meadows than anywhere else. But, even she understood the importance of the sea's beauty. After all, her sister's favorite spot was the beach than the mountain or woods. They rarely roam those places with her unlike Kitora would.]

...I'm glad you were able to see the type of glitter from the actual ocean. I think you once mention in wanting to use it for your mural...?

[redigere]

I did, didn't I?

[Naminé's gaze turns a little distant. She remembers that conversation, what seems so long ago now, when she first came face to face with Nike's enthusiasm. It's a good memory. But the reminder of her mural is also a reminder of how she'd only just recently found the will and energy to replaster the dent Kagami had made into it, all the way back at the end of September.]

I will, once more of it is finished. I still have a lot of painting to go.

[drizzle]

[Nike will notice the distant gaze that will slightly remind her of the one Riku would have every once in a while. A small frown will be given after listening to the tone in her voice as she explains more about there being a lot of painting left to do. Wasn't she painting all of this time? It's been a long while, hasn't it?

Lightly tilting her head, to get a better look of her face, as the cloud will continue to fly around, Nike will hold her hand a little more tightly.]

Hey, is everything okay? Why do you look...so sad over finishing your work of art?

[redigere]

[Naminé gives Nike a quick, startled glance, her reverie broken.]

I'm not sad about finishing it. It won't be done for a while longer, since it's the size of the whole wall. I was...thinking of something else.

[She's silent for a moment, then a sigh leaves her lips. She might as well tell Nike, to get it off her chest. Because in the end, it really had bothered her, what he'd done. But still, admitting to this would be the equivalent of tattling on Kagami, it feels like...]

Don't get mad at Kagami after I tell you what happened, okay?

[drizzle]

[There will be a conflicted expression at that request because she has an inking suspicion that he may have done something that deserves a hit upside the head, but...noticing that she looked so unsure about even telling her all she could do was agree.]

...a pinky promise to add good measure on keeping my word.

[She'll even raise her tiny finger to show she was serious in respecting her wishes.]

So, what happened?

[redigere]

[If any other circumstance, Naminé would adore the idea of a pinky promise, but right now she can only manage a little nod, linking their fingers and squeezing lightly.]

I started painting my friends from my world onto the mural. One of them is called Axel. He...we have a complicated past with him, but I really believe that he's my friend now. But Kagami hasn't forgiven him. [She hesitates here.] He punched the wall where I'd painted in Axel.