The Sky's Always So Blue

[Sukoshi Tori]

It's nice there's no clouds today...Tori thought as she sat back against the back of the park bench, gazing up lazily at the vast and endless blue that was the sky. It hung above her as she tilted her head back, allowing the long, straight strands of her hair, blue in the back, to hang over the wooden bench's backing, while her bright, green bangs fanned out over her pale face, partially managing to cover her unusual, pink eyes. They were half lidded, lost in thought as her hands were folded over her lap; she wore a loose-fitting pastel pink camisole today, along with a baggy pair of Bermuda shorts that had to be kept up by a black belt on her thin waist; her hips easily rounded out against the fabric.

Kicking off one of her tan flip-flops, a soft sigh escaped her lips as she closed her eyes completely, allowing a soft breeze to float by over her. Ever since Battle City, everything's been so uneventful...nothing to do... She complained in her head, her brow furrowing ever so slightly as she tried not to think about dueling. She didn't want to think about it for a while; most of her teenage years had been centered around dueling, it was her career, but for now...right now, she just wanted to relax. She couldn't say that she wanted to be a normal girl...she'd never be normal. Plus, it wasn't like she had any friends to hang out with. Maybe she could get a job? Sometimes, she helped mom and dad out at the pet store...but maybe a different job? Something she could call her own?

Tori sighed again, opening her eyes once more as she ran a pale white hand through her hair. Life shouldn't be this difficult when you're only sixteen years old...

[Xenneth Hikari]

The days were stale and lacked excitements, but a certain young man did not see it that way…

His eyes had closed shut so tightly as a simple win had reached and tickled him with a passing. His meek voice made a simple mourn in response while his head was low to let his violet hair curtain parts of his face while the breeze had carried the threads of hair in a pursuit in the tails of the gust. His mouth was opened as if he was scared of the gentle force and his edges of his blue school uniform’s sleeve had flagged itself in the gale. He had the most peculiar stance in the public as his knees seemed lean inward as if he was about to fall to them with a bend. His heels of his white shoes touched the ground as he assumed a more “normal” position of his stance and slowly opened his blue eyes that had a glistening color like sapphire as the light hit them.

”Such a strong wind…but, pure.”

He had spoke so gently that his words were as silent as the Spring breeze itself. He had felt a bit of content feeling the natural force if it not sent his hair into a wild sway at that moment and ended with a gentle tail wind that made him reach his hand into his pool of violet-dyed hair and stroke it into place; like so. His eyes had opened as if he had awoken from a dream that was beyond his control, and the moment past like that finding himself standing in the park almost forgetting in that spare of a second what he was doing before he shut his eyes away from the world to witness mother nature’s playful gale tempest that had forced him into security.

”Oh! So forgetful…Tokyo Bloom!”

His right hand lifted and gave himself a gentle knock on the head while his face burst into an expression of hilarity towards his vague memory. It had been the evening, and he had just finished his doctorial classes for that day. He really did not plan on staying in school all that long. He had other responsibilities after all, and sometimes it revolved around taking care of the duties his mother had left behind so long ago during her disappearance.

Yes, such a vague memory he had. It’s too bad he did not have the option of choice.

A right hand pulled the strap of a book bag, and the left had reached across to do the same. Pretty soon, they guided their way along his lower shoulders where he carried the weight that his fragile back could not handle. He continued to question why he took a shortcut through the park, but he would remember that he knew why the moment he laid eyes on the stationed trees that had their thick roots covered with soil and surrounded by complimentary soil beds of lovely colored petals, the laughter and positive tones in the voices that surrounded him, and the songs of the birds that were comparable to the morning quails’ melody that chirped “Peace-All-Right!”

It was just a beautiful place to walk through, so much so that it guaranteed him a smile as he passed through on his way home.

His mouth closed shut with a muffle of his gentle laugh, his voice so soft and appearance seem as close resemblance to a giddy female that it sounded off like a giggle as he reached his right hand with his fingers slightly bent to seem like they would cage his mouth that contained the bubbling happiness. He had stepped through the grass as his steps were so close as if he were savoring his walk through on the side walk; his feet not wanting to trample the lovely greenery unless he was to freely step onto it for play, or perhaps…lay on it?

Could he really? In his school uniform? It would get dirty? He knew how to wash, but it could be troublesome. His cousin’s apartment was not far, but the grass was so…tempting. Maybe, just for a little while, right?

He had swung his backpack from his back and his body almost like it had given away as he was on his knees and off the layered path in no more than a few feet as a reminder that he’d have to get up sometime. His eyes that had been staring to the sea of green blades had their vision go from there to the distant bench where a young lady sat all the way to the clouds in one quick and foul swoop that he did not have time to acknowledge her presence from afar. He laid there feeling his head pillowed by his sack of books and his legs on a bed of green. It felt so comfortable that once again, he repeated that same giddy giggle uncontrollable while his hands reached to his stomach as if someone was tickling him before going to the edge of his shirt and pulling at the white cotton fabric.

He sighed in relief and relaxation. He could just stay for a little while…right?

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[Sukoshi Tori]

"?" Tori glanced up momentarily from her own thoughts to hear, not only a strange boy talking to himself, but laughing hysterically at...really, nothing at all. His hair and eyes were probably as strange as her own, so she wasn't going to be one to point that out, but...she raised a slow eyebrow and sat up straight, resting her hands on her knees as she watched him curiously. Finally, she stood up and began walking over to him, of whatever volition she didn't fully know, save for the fact that she was just curious.

"...Having fun over there?" She called to him and tilted her head to the right, brows furrowed in a short of confusion, though she had a light grin crossing her plush, pale pink lips. She crossed her arms behind her back as she watched, approaching with her hair bouncing lightly behind her.

She came to a stop a few feet away from him, a light pout crossing her lips as she awaited his answer.

[Xenneth Hikari]

His mind had unraveled from the comforting bliss of his temporary paradise on the grass as he was brought to reality. He had been laying down on the grass, so his first reaction was to get into sight who was speaking to whom. His head tilting back as his chin went over. His eyes could make out a pair of tan flip flops that seemed a bit distant enough so that he could not make out the pair of feet that were slid in the footwear. He only let his eyes go from there to make out the shorts that she wore and the camisole wear until he could see the facial features of the young woman eventually. There was not much to comprehend while upside down like so. He had quickly corrected himself realizing that he was in the presence of a lady which was the only thing he could gather in his awkward position.

He gasped sitting right side up and then his hands touching down so quickly that it was like he leaped from his back, to his knees, and to his feet in one swift movement.

”W-well, yes!” he had responded as a red flush came across his face realizing what kind of question he just answered, ”W-w-wait! I mean!” he had felt silly all at an instant minute. He could not ever collect his calm when it came to his embarrassing moments. Who would not think of the young man as strange finding him laying on the grass and tossing around in a giddy manner like a kitten on a carpet? He had tried to come off as masculine as others said he should try; more “manly” as they would say.

He had noticed a single violet hair that had been in his vision. It was a hint that he was unkempt and disarray with his features. His lips pressed as his cheeks flushed a rosy red. His hands had reached to his long strands of hair that seemed like a tangled mess. His palms had ran across the silky smooth violet bundle until it was straight, or as close as he could get to it while letting out a awkward chuckle of his voice and his eyes closed. He was obviously embarrassed, as always.

Oh please! Don‘t laugh at me!

He prayed this heavily in thought before he had given his head a tilt to the right. His hands that ran through the pool of violet hair had finally made their way to his lap, right upon the left coveting them in a tamed fashion as if he worked as friendly convenience salesman.

It was something like that considering his job. He even bowed slightly, even if it was in a hesitant way as he reared his back just as quickly as it bent.

”I-umm…is there anything I can do for you, Miss?”

Polite he was, he offered his services so quickly. It was only natural. Even if he was off on the hours, what other reason would someone approach him other than wanting something as simple as to borrow something or a tidbit of information from one of the city’s locals. Maybe she was a traveler?

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[Sukoshi Tori]

Tori couldn't help the soft bout of giggles that were escaping her from the flustered state of the rather pretty boy in front of her. From his pale, longish purple hair, to his strangely bright eyes and girlish face, he felt like something out of a shojo manga. What was it that they called this type again? Shota type or something...she wouldn't have known that well, not being so much a shojo fan, or even really that into manga in general.

"Hm? Something you can do?" Tori blinked, as though confused by the question at first.

In all actuality, she really had no previous reason for approaching this boy, apart from curiosity. Was she really so bored lately that she was coming up to complete strangers and bothering them? Whatever happened to her hobbies, huh? She'd been finding no passion in them lately, or in anything really. Was there a point anymore? Was there ever? God, I need to stop thinking like that... She thought with a grumble inside of her head. People would start thinking that she was some depressed emo or something...she didn't need something else to add to her list of what people found wrong with her.

"Oh, actually, no...you were just laughing and sitting by yourself and...I got curious." She admitted with a nervous chuckle, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head while her other hand rested in the pocket of her shorts; she even still carried her deck around. Pathetic...

[Xenneth Hikari]

The young boy had frowned slightly while his cheeks had glowed a gentle rosy red. She was giggling, and furthermore, he was acting all “silly” again in public. He would sometimes forget who was around whenever he retreated into his many blissful paradises. These times included when he would lay upon the grass, when he would relax in a pool of hot water in his bath tub, or simply just….being alive. He got a thrill out of the natural things in life and that made him feel as if he was such a “spazz.” The last thing he wanted was someone else seeing that.

”Oh! I-I‘m sorry…” he had said, ”…I was just…uh…relaxing?”

He put such an emphasis on it as if he was asking her. It was more embarrassing than before as he made an awkward smile come across on his face. His eyes felt as if he wanted to close them tightly and never open them again to see the young woman’s face, but there he was opening them as much, rather little, as possible to show a slice of those eyes that sparkled like blue gems beyond those lids. He had a sweet image, but it embarrassed him since it was not exactly “manly” and what was less “manly” was someone catching him rolling about in the grass like a dope.

I gotta stop doing this… he had thought, It‘s not like I‘m in front of Chezza-nii at home!

He felt like he was more of a ditz than usual since he keep forgetting that only his cousin Chezza did not mind. Their bond was so tight, he could call her a sister because she understood him, but what would this girl think of him besides the usual like any other would. A giggle, a laugh, and walk away to continue the torture of a conversation that would damage what little reputation he had, and it was very minor at this point.

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