Year One

Azuma: "Well then."

Azuma: This got awkward pretty fast.

Taiyo: "Umm..."

*Aroma stares at her feet & continues to blush deeper & deeper.*

A"It's--it's nothing. Please don't worry about it."

*Thiera scratches the back of her head.*

Azuma: "Well, it was nice meeting you all. I'm sure we'll see each other around."

Mimiru: "Nice to meet you."

The two make their way down the hill and down the path to get the hell on away from there.

T"It was nice to meet you, too."

A"...I messed everything up. I'm so sorry, I should have just stayed quiet."

T"No, no, it's good that you told us. Because...well, you know. It's good to...be able to rely on people...with...that stuff. You know what I mean?"

A"Not really?"

Taiyo: "And now you do. Those two were nice. She was even homest in her own way."

Taiyo turns to face Thiera.

Taiyo: "Do you have anything you'd like to share?"

Down the path and away from the hill.

Azuma: "That was awkward. Nice people though. Thought they had a mass exodus out of the city some time ago."

T"Well, maybe...no...no, not really."

Taiyo: "That's not very convincing."

T"It's not important. I don't want to talk about it."

Taiyo: "It's good to be able to rely on people for these sort of things."

*By this time, Eve's parents have gotten home, bringing pizza with them. Eve's escaped into the backyard with several pieces in order to enjoy the fresh air*

T"What sorts of things?"

Taiyo: "The sort of thing you should be comfortable admitting to someone you think will understand."

T"Who says I have anything like that?"

<Maybe it won't get hot this year. Ether way.....>

*Eve finishes her pizza and considers going back inside*

Taiyo: "You stammered a bit when I first asked and are trying to avoid it."

T"So? It's a free country, I can stammer & avoid questions if I want to."

*She folds her arms & looks away.*

Taiyo: "Okay... Umm...it's getting late. Shouldn't we be going?"

A"Alright. I'm sorry today wasn't very much fun. Maybe if there weren't so many gangs, and stuff."

Taiyo: "It wasn't a total loss. We met some nice people."

Decending down the hill, Taiyo takes hold of Aroma's hand.

*Sensing Taiyo's nervousness, Aroma allows this.*

A"Yeah. We should try again some time. Right...Thiera?"

T"What? Oh, of course."

*Thiera is walking in front of the pair, apparently lost in thought. She looks back when she hears Aroma speak to her.*

Taiyo: "We can go to the beach tomorrow, right? Even if those jerks show up, it's a big beach."

T"I don't see why not."

The next day, at the beach. Taiyo lays her towel down and immedietely removes her clothing, bathing suit, a pink tiger print bikini, underneath.

The beach has several other people there. More so than the pool the day before. The day is also fairly warmer.

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Weather Reporter: "Temperatures rise for the first time this summer. Perhaps the mild heat will be a thing of the past. Back to you in the studio, Halloway."

Halloway: "Shots reported at four AM last night on the east side of the city. No reports of any injury or death leaving police baffled as to the source. And a husband and wife were found slain in their home this morning suspected to have been done by members of the Tyranno Boys gang."

Azuma: "Good God, if this weather gets any worse I may have to wear two layers of clothing rather than three."

Kentaro: "Something you shouldn't do anyways. This is the west coast. We don't get unbearably cold weather like the north."

Azuma: "Don't cramp my style."

*Naturally, Aroma's & Thiera's towels are green & white, respectively. They have their bathing suits from yesterday on, & this time, they get started putting on sunscreen right away.*
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*An indeterminate distance away, Ven is sleeping on a grey towel, rolled up in a ball. Her hair is clipped up behind her head, & her swimsuit is a grey classic bikini.*

Taiyo is sitting on her towel staring about at other bathing suit clad women. One in particular catches her eye. Not too far from them is a blond woman in cut off denim shorts lying on her front on a blue towel, asleep with her bikini top untied and lying underneath her. Those who pass her by stop and look or look as they pass.

Taiyo: "So bold..."