#aqualiic

@aqualiic

Enough was enough. 

There was no bypassing these feelings like they did not exist anymore. They existed and they caused Rei stress that he just couldn’t ignore any longer. 

It was freezing cold outside, but Rei made the journey regardless. Bundled up and waiting, he knocked on Haruka’s door. It was the polite thing to do, but he understood that Haruka didn’t often answer. Makoto had told him that. Especially on a cold day, Haruka would probably be found in the bath. A warm soak sounded so nice right now. 

But, thinking of Haruka in the bath was bringing warmth to Rei’s cheeks. His heart was pounding, and he was sweating despite the cold. 

On nights where Penny couldn’t quite cope with the silence of her trailer - when her mother fell asleep in front of the muted, staticky TV with her freezer meal abandoned on her tray table and her cigarette still burning - she felt like she might fizzle up and die like the last ember in a fire. She’d clean up the meal, put out the cigarette, turn off the TV, and cover Pam in a warm blanket, then slip out of the trailer with a tote back tucked over her shoulder.

Midnight was no time for escaping to the bath house, and she knew it well, but what else should she do? Just cope with surviving? Try to bury herself in a book when her mind wouldn’t shut up? No, she needed movement - and the fluidity of the water gave it to her gracefully.

Once she’d changed into her bathing suit, Penny let herself into the water, tunnel vision locked on the single warm steaming point of entry on her side. As she submerged herself, the water sluicing over her body, she exhaled sharply beneath the surface, bringing bubbles skyward to pop.

closed starter for @aqualiic​ 

The snow made a pleasant crunchy noise under his boots as he walked along a path only he knew, through the woods. Well, alright, maybe not only he did. But people usually would not stray from the path for visitors, and he’d started doing so only a few months ago, when he’d started needing to run away from town, into the woods’ heart with his mate. When he reached a spot he knew to be safe, he stopped and crouched setting hi bag down, looking around, just in case, before getting rid of his clothes with the usual cold shivers embracing him.

After all, nobody would want to see an otherwise completely unsuspicious small boy with angelic blond curls scream and whine and grit his teeth in pain as his whole body morphed, his bones and muscles visibly rearranged themselves under his skin, his eyes changed and his face became completely different.

Once that all happened and he opened his eyes after collapsing on the snow, he verified his sight was different - as usual. He would see less colors, and the shapes around him would be less defined. But the smells, oh, the smells. He could sense them all now. It was familiar, he could feel the taste of blood in his mouth at the fresh scent of rabbit, could feel the sting of pine leaves in his brain with how intense their smell was. He could tell where a bird was, by following the traces left in the air by it, and he knew exactly what had walked around on the snow by just sniffing it. He could sense the woods differently, and see them from another point of view.

“That’s way easier said than done, y’know…”

Jack steals an uneasy glance towards the water in question, pulling his knees in closer to his chest as though it was bound to lunge at him and drag him in at any given moment. Sure, Haru made it look so easy with the way he swam, as though it was second nature to him; as natural as breathing. Watching him swim was one thing… but taking up the others’ suggestion about learning how to swim himself – which meant him actually being in the water – was another thing entirely. His heart clenched uneasily just considering it further, tempted to get up and to create more distance between him and the pool.

Oh dear. It would seem that class was over now... and that meant it was time to move on to other things.

Specifically, the club.

And for a while now, the violet-haired girl had been feeling rather useless. She was told all the time that she was the most intelligent of the club members, but... what did that mean when she did nothing to organize club activities, or assist the others? She just sat there, reading her novel until it was time to share poems -- and even that wasn’t particularly useful, given that it was something everyone was expected to do.

But Monika -- the leader herself -- had asked specifically for everyone to seek out new members. The four they had was pleasant enough, yes, but it would be nice to expand their horizons. Sayori said she would “try”. Natsuki didn’t appear interested at all.

Yuri, however... perhaps this was her chance to prove she was good for something! She would be the first to bring a new member.

... But who in this class could she possibly confront?! She had never even spoken to anybody, except--

... No, no no ...

They had only worked together once, on a class assignment. They rarely spoke together at all. What were the chances that he would want to join?

But she had to be useful...

Feeling a lump rise in her throat, Yuri frantically ran in front of him and staggered back apologetically. “P-Please forgive me! For... for cutting you off.. I know you wanted to leave...”

      THOUGH HER INTENTION had been to get in and rejuvenate, she was distracted by the other form that stood there along the sands.  His gaze caught her attention, she seemed to catch a FAMILIARITY within it.  A love for the ocean, but something of a conflict within the soul.  Or some other m u s h y, insightful crap.  Maybe she was reading too into it, yet she strode up beside him, arms crossing.

                                “You a fish outta water?”

Air.... He needed air to fill his lungs. Where was the air? Everything was dark. Oh. His eyes were closed, but...he couldn’t quite gather the energy to open his lids. How did he get into this situation again? His body tossed around as he heard the waves above him. Water... That’s right, he had jumped. 

   Theo was aware of his current actions, staring at a young man whose blue eyes looked LOST and HOPELESS. Would he dare to say empty? They didn’t know each other, he wasn’t able to tell much from observation alone. However, he could tell this person was rather upset over something, a conflict in this precise moment.

   The reason he caught himself observing the ravenette was because of how similar he appeared to be to his brother—devoid of emotions and putting up with a facade good enough to fool himself but not those around him. Therefore, the blond pondered over approaching him or merely glance elsewhere and forget about it altogether.