lightwithin | 5th Light - [Text/Common // open commentlog]

Current Mood: contemplative
Current Location: Crustacean Cove

5th Light - [Text/Common // open commentlog]

It's just like home.

I didn't think I'd miss it like this. If you spend ten years building sandcastles and cracking coconuts, it gets kind of boring.

Now I'm here, and it's fun. But still exactly the same.

I don't want to stay. I know some of you do, but nothing ever changes in a place like this. And it's not home, not without the people who make home special.

I guess this place has reminded me that even if I could go back, there's only sandcastles and coconuts waiting there for me.

And if the Elegante is the only way forward then, no matter how bad it gets, I'll take it.

[Kairi is at the cove, ankle-deep in the surf. She's watching something bob out over the waves as she writes. When it disappears, she turns away and begins walking along the beach. She picks up and pockets seashells as she goes.]

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[Kairi starts laughing and darts forward to try and catch the lobster properly, but it's already burrowing back under the sand.]

Hm? Oh. Sorry. Heh, no. It just surprised me.

[She's grinning kind of sheepishly, because she used to live on an island and really shouldn't be startled by crustaceans. And now Xanth's frowning. It only makes her feel sillier, and that only makes her smile more.]

Um... What were you saying?

[Oh look, it's a convenient change of subject!]

J-Just that, uh, w-we were never out to f-for more than-- th-than a w-week. Uhm-- i-it's a cargo sh-ship, that-- that I work on. Just went t-to oth-- other ports.

Well that sounds like fun.

[The islands are her home and Kairi had her fill of world hopping on her first adventure, but still...]

I'd like to see it some day. Your world, I mean.

[Like hers, but bigger, with ports you could sail between and a desert...]

What about you? Suppose you could visit any world at all. Where would you go?

Uhm... I-I.. I d-don't know. S-Somewhere l-like... here, I-I guess? Q-Quiet, and w-warm, and... p-peaceful.

C-Could--could do w-without the b-big, purple l-lobsters th-though...

Are you sure? They look like fun to ride.

[They don't, actually. After seeing a rider get pulled from the saddle during the dressage event, Kairi's happy to go without. But she can't help teasing, just a little.]

W-Well, uhh, I-I don't know ab-about that. I-I-- I can't even r-ride a h-horse...

[Kairi giggles]

Neither can I.

Still, if you like places like this, you should make the most of it while you're here.

[And without further explanation, Kairi starts heading for the surf shack.]

Y-Yeah, I-- I guess.

W-Wh-- uh, where are y-you go-going?

[Kairi all but beams. She is so glad he asked.]

Well, you can't swim. But swimming's not the only thing you can do at the beach.

I'm sure they'll have rowboats at that place.

[She waves at the surf boards and wind surfers leaning against the outside of the shack, but pauses mid-stride.]

Unless you'd rather not go. That's okay.

Uh-- n-no! That-- that sounds l-like fun. I-I can do boats, as-- a-as long as w-we, uh, don't-- f-fall out.

Hehe. Okay, no falling out.

[And Kairi digs around in her pocket for some of the smaller, slightly chipped shells she's collected. She hands them over and soon one of the natives is dragging a boat down the beach.]

Think we should help?

Y-- yeah! S-- sure.

[Kairi is grinning. Proving yourself a strong man is practically requisite beach behavior. Other appropriate activities include stick-fighting and ridiculously difficult obstacle courses.

In short: Kairi is glad to see that Xanth is enjoying himself.

For her own part, she grabs the boat's oars and begins following along behind.]

[Kairi climbs in and seats herself in the bow with an oar. She looks from the second oar to Xanth before offering it to him.]

Here. That is, if you want it.

[She's far too accustomed to rowing her own boat. But she did say they would make the most of the time at the beach.]

Heh, unless you want to look for fish or lobsters.

N-- no, uh, I'll-- I-I'll help r-row.

S-So uh, hhhow far a-are we g-going to g-go out?

[Kairi shrugs.]

I don't know. I don't think we'll be allowed to go too far from the island, and there're probably too many rocks to get near it, but it would kind of nice to see the lighthouse from the ocean.

But this's your beach vacation too. Why don't you choose?

Umm...

W-We can s-see the ligh-- lighthouse! Th-that's fine w-with me. Y-You ready?

[Kairi nods.]

Ready.

[And she pulls back on her oar. Yeah, far too accustomed to rowing her own boat. Kairi gets no points for teamwork. None at all.[

D-Did you, uh, do this m-much? B-Back home? W-With all those rafts y-you all b-- built?

[Kairi laughs and watches Xanth so she can get the timing right. It works, sort of. They're moving forward anyway.]

Oh, we never got to sail the raft. But we all had our own row boats. There was an island that was too small for houses. All the kids in the town would row over to play there. It was - heh - a lot of fun.

[Kairi's staring into the water, her smile turned soft. Oh nostalgia~]

M-Makes me wish I-I lived somewhere l-like that. There weren't any l-little islands where I lived, j-just... open o-ocean.

But you had other ports. If there had been other places to visit on my world, maybe... Well, things might have been different.

[Just bobbing along~ Singing a song~ Oh look! It's an outdated pop-culture reference.]

Besides, you had a whole desert city to play in, right?

W-Well, yeah, b-but I didn't... play m-much there. I-It's another port, and I-I didn't travel around m-much un-- until I got o-older, and then I s-spent a lot of time w-working.

[Kairi glances sideways at Xanth. What had he said before? He liked climbing over rooftops and watching the ocean for fun.

She can't help but feel he's missed out on a lot. Still, it's not like there's any shortage of time around here.]

Well, when we get back to the ship, we should get a group together and go camping.

It's not a game exactly, but - heh - it's definitely not working.

[Was that a shadow under the water?]

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