{ Cont'd } TFLN

[inkedenmity]

Continued from here.

Comments

[inkedenmity]

[Koujaku raises his eyebrows and tears his eyes away from Aoba to keep combing the sand. His own drink is running a little low, and he swirls the leftover liquid around a few times before just tossing it back. The whiskey hits him between the eyes, but he just clears his throat. At least he doesn't have to worry about spilling it anymore, but now he has the problem of what to do with this glass.]

Friend, or... date, then?

[powerofvoice]

[Aoba's been long sense abandoned, but he had managed to get a lot down before it was gone. Not being a towering giant or a constant drinker, his own alcoholic tolerance was much lower.

He frowns at the idea of it being a date.]

Friend, I guess. Everybody else was busy, and I didn't want to go just wait at Mizuki's bar or go home. I didn't wanna kill somebody either.

[inkedenmity]

Mmm.

[Koujaku just listens as they walk, eventually bending to remove his shoes that are becoming increasingly uncomfortable the more he moves. At the very least, the soles of his feet should be better exfoliated than before. Out here, it's so quiet with only the sounds of the waves. Very different from his typical Friday night haunts. The change is... welcome.]

I'd like to come out here with you again some time. This is nice. I... think I needed this. Not the search party part, but... being here is cleansing somehow -- a-ah, wait. What's that there?

[Shining his flashlight into the sand, there's a person-sized divot not yet reached by the foam and surf. Could this be... ?]

[powerofvoice]

[His own reply is cut off. Rather he would have agreed or not isn't known, as he starts to somewhat clumsily run toward the shape. It had to be him! It had to be...

...a surfboard. Aoba has never looked at a surfboard so angrily before. It's even earned his ire enough to have him pointing.]

This! Somebody is planting this stuff! They're killing him as much as I am!

[inkedenmity]

Planting... junk on the beach?

[Aoba, are you an angry drunk? It is a nice surfboard, though. Shiny and red with blue stripes. In fact, it has Koujaku wondering, does he need a surfboard? Does he want to ever go surfing? Possibly. Why not. I mean, he has a surfboard now, right?

A nice, sharp tug pulls the surfboard out of the sand, and Koujaku steps a little closer to the surf so that when it washes in, it can clean some of the caked-on sand off. Without so much as a word about it, he just tucks the giant thing under his arm and keeps walking. Look at this damn fool with a katana, an empty whiskey glass and a surfboard. He definitely looks like he's up to something.]

Aoba, I'm telling you, this guy went home. Probably hours ago.

[powerofvoice]

[He's currently a drunk. The anger comes from a different place.

Brown eyes blink at his tall, lanky friend before he's moving to catch up. Aoba's not going to buy you're just cleaning up the beach, Koujaku. The first piece of trash was still there.]

...I don't know the guy's number. I told you, we're not close.

[inkedenmity]

[... but he doesn't need a radiator. He might need a surfboard. Right?]

I know you don't. I'm just saying that we're bound to reach the end of the rec area of the beach here in a few minutes, and if we don't find him, I'm not going into the ocean to look, especially if we haven't proven that he's safe and sound at home.

[Koujaku flashes a kind smile Aoba's way. This is so silly really, but he's happy to be here with his friend.]

Aoba, you wouldn't let someone get hurt, you know.

[Turning back to the beach, there's a lopsided sand castle up ahead, the spires constructed from beer bottles with leaves attached to sticks for flags. Quite majestic (???), and obviously drunkly made.]

... yours?

[powerofvoice]

[...Koujaku has a point. The tide hasn't started to really come in yet, so he shouldn't be in the water. Aoba himself had walked up and down the beach quite a bit with no success.

...Maybe he'd overestimated how deeply he was buried.

Going forward, he moves to his knees, smiling at it with more pride than it would constitute.]

Yep. It was supposed to guard against the crabs, but I couldn't find any crabs.

[inkedenmity]

[Kneeling beside Aoba, he can't help but smile. Not at the castle, but at Aoba. He looks so proud of such a childish thing that it makes his heart swell. The light of the flashlight illuminates the vague details of the structure, and he reaches out to straighten a lopsided 'turret' as carefully as he can manage.]

Maybe it just did such a good job that they didn't dare approach. Right?

[powerofvoice]

[Some people are angry drunks, some people are handsy drunks; Aoba is an immature drunk.

He watches the movement, and sits up straighter, a grin coming on his face.]

Hey, Koujaku? You're good with your hands, right? We should use 'em.

[inkedenmity]

[It's refreshing, somehow. This dark, tipsy, potential felony-motivated excursion on the beach... he could have fun with Aoba anywhere. His company makes Koujaku feel new in his soul.]

Eh? I suppose so. What did you have in mind?

[ooc: I'm sorry for the delays -- I don't know what's been wrong with me. Malaise, I guess.]

[powerofvoice]

A better castle. [Deciding he wasn't going to prison, Aoba is happier now, relieved.]

Or... [The grin on his face is suddenly evil.] Let me bury you.

[ooc: you okay?]

[inkedenmity]

[The corner of his mouth twists up into a little grin and he stretches his legs out, looking over the castle.]

I've seen what happens to people you bury, Aoba. No. I might not make it home. I don't want to become a statistic.

[Koujaku, what are you talking about?]

Let's make this castle fit for a king, then. Or for Aoba.

[Jabbing the flashlight down into the sand so that it beams onto the decrepit little structure, he removes the accessories on his hands and arms, tucking them into his pocket securely. Then, it's a matter of... well, razing the whole plot of sand. They're going to start anew.]

[ooc: Getting a little better, thank you for asking <3 I hope all is well for you!]

[powerofvoice]

Who even has a statistic for people who get buried in the sand and die? [Reassuring, huh?] And I wouldn't leave you out here. Granny would kill me if I lost you somewhere.

[He scoots forward on the now clean sand.] ...Hey, Koujaku?...No walls outside of the castle itself.

[ooc: good, thanks for asking :) Inbox is always open if you need to use it.]

[inkedenmity]

If my Coil wasn't in my pocket, I could probably look it up! Hah ha!

[Someone has recently learned how search engines work. He is very proud. And scooping sand into some sort of foundation, using the flats of his palms to pack it in and push the outside perimeter into shape.]

No walls? Why?

[... catching up here.]

H-hey, and you would only not let me die in my sandy grave because Tae-san might kill you? Hmph. Some friend you are.

[ooc: I appreciate that. Same to you!]

[powerofvoice]

[Good job, Koujaku. Aoba could have show you a long time ago, but good job.]

That's not the only reason. [He begins scooping up sand to shape it into a dome shape. A small one.] Mizuki would probably miss you, too. I wouldn't want to see him sad.

[He's teasing, of course. He was too happy to have the other man back to lose him again.]

[inkedenmity]

I don't know why I'm even friends with you. [He blinks at that tiny dome and clicks his tongue.] Aoba, that's a puny castle. Here, you need more --

[Teasing back, he grins as he pours more sand on top of the dome, helping to shape it and maybe feeling some electricity in his arms when their hands brush.]

We should give the castle wings, like a bunch of big, separate spaces. It's your castle, so I'll need somewhere to sleep when I visit.

[powerofvoice]

[With him.

He sulks at him for a minute.] You won't be allowed in if you keep taking out the guard towers.

[But admittedly, Koujaku was doing a better job, as expected.] You'd probably be some kind of king, too. Or a knight.

[inkedenmity]

[Done deal. Oh, that sulky face though. It makes him grin, as he tries to reconstruct this guard tower.]

Fine, fine. Okay, what about turrets? They're my favorite.

[... oh, and... hmm. He's pretty much giving this column of wet sand a handjob as he tries to make it stand up straight. It definitely looks a little too much like a dick and not at all like a turret. It even has a nice little cap on it. The windows he pokes in with his finger helps, at least.]

I'd like to be a knight. Being a king sounds boring.

[powerofvoice]

Turrets are your favorite? How many times have you built castles?

[Aoba's eyes go there, watching the hand move up and down. It's shaping them well, so should he do the same? His hand moves to gather up the sand to mimic the motion, eyes going between Koujaku and the sand. Teach him sensei.]

You'd be bored being a king. [He can see that.] You'd be like the prince who turned it down to travel instead.

[inkedenmity]

[Koujaku has to honestly consider that -- maybe once or twice as a child? His memory strains to recall, and he shakes his head.]

I just like the way they look.

[What Aoba says makes him smile though, and he works to straighten one of the sides of the foundation.]

I don't know, I think I could be inspired to settle down for the right... mmm, person.

[powerofvoice]

[Aoba's own creations were coming along. They weren't as fast or as good as Koujaku's, but they were decent enough.]

Yeah? [He looks up from his work.] What kinda person? [Not that Aoba doesn't have an idea. Someone beautiful and smart and sophisticated. She'd probably be rich, too.]

[inkedenmity]

[Hey, Aoba has plenty of technical prowess and engineering skill that Koujaku doesn't. He's just better at making it look pretty. Doesn't mean it won't all fall down later.]

[Aoba's question brings a flush to his face however, that he's only grateful the darkness disguises.]

A person with... a nice smile, fun to be around, kind-hearted, intelligent... a. A person such as that, I guess. A face I can't get out of my head.

[Not a 'her' or a 'she' in sight. It's time Koujaku come to terms with some things that he's kept buried deeply for months.]

That kind of... of person.

[powerofvoice]

[His will last; Koujaku's would look pretty. They made a good team.

Aoba blinks at him, his hands stilling on the sand. That didn't match the description Aoba had his his head except for the last one. Of course someone like Koujaku would be with someone beautiful.]

Doesn't that sound like a friend? [Aoba: king of relationships.]

[inkedenmity]

[That's some positivity there.]

I want something different than what I've had before. Something real, and strong. Maybe I want something that grows from friendship.