Getting to Know You... Kind Of? (Raiden & Anemone)

[Mookie]

“It’s fine.” Raiden said simply and turned his attention elsewhere. He didn’t respond to the question about the graze on his head. It didn’t hurt. Not much at least. He didn't pull his hand away from Anemone's either. Just waited for her to let go. He figured that she had just been holding on for support. He did however respond to Anemone’s comment about the cove with a short nod.

Maroon eyes surveyed the surrounding area with mild curiosity. The atmosphere was nice. Quiet and calm. If the beach was ever busy he could just come here, he noted. Getting past those rocks would be a bit of a pain, but he figured it would be worth it.

Raiden began to walk away from Anemone, the bottom of his wet jeans dragging beneath his feet. He’d have to be careful not to trip up.

After walking a little ways from he had been stood, he stopped and stared out across the ocean. He dropped to sit in the sand eventually. Not too far from the ocean but not too close either. He wanted to dry off his jeans and from where he was sat, the breeze felt just right.

“This is a good spot.” He murmured quietly, his gaze still lost in the clouds as if in some sort of trance.

For the first time that day Raiden allowed himself to relax. It wasn’t very often he had the chance to relax at one of his favourite places. He’d been so busy lately and hadn’t had the chance to come to the beach and chill out. He wanted to enjoy the moment whilst he was here. If only for a little while.

[Silver]

She was smiling inanely. She could just feel it. Grinning like a total idiot and for no apparent reason. Just... because. She felt happy. Despite the slight pain in her leg, she felt happy that she'd done something and it seemed Raiden was happy about it. Though she couldn't tell. She hoped he was happy about the cove. He seemed to like it. Though the nod he'd given her was a little non-commital, she assumed his walking away could be taken as a good sign.

She was contented for the moment. Just to let him sit and be, it seemed to be what he wanted and she wasn't going to push it. She had said she wouldn't talk much, and the easiest way for that to happen was for her not to be so close. So, as he wandered off, she did the same approaching the water's edge and then beginning to wade until the water lapped half way up the thighs.

Things had started to happen on instinct as soon as the water was deep enough. Small shouls of small silver fish were approaching and dashing away, curious to the intruder and then not so much when they realised she wasn't a threat.

"I can't let you out... not with Raiden here. Too many questions, you know." Anemone explained softly to Fossu whom she could feel was waited expectantly to be released.

"He won't care."

"Maybe..." Anemone murmured and slipped back, bending her knees so the water supported her and her legs dangled, like she was sitting on a chair which was invisible to anyone else. She drifted for a few minutes simply revelling and enjoying the atmosphere. This was one of her favourite places on the beach. It was difficult to get to for anyone who didn't want to try, or who couldn't swim well. But the end result was always worth it. It was so quiet, and quite picturesque too. This was the only place she ever really chilled out, and the only place she never allowed any of her clan to come, and she'd never brought any of her siblings here either.

So why did I bring him here? Anemone wondered, looking over her shoulder at Raiden who was still sitting on the sand enjoying... whatever it was he was enjoying. The atmosphere, the breeze. The fact she wasn't asking questions. She was a little confused. She'd never brought any of her family members here, or even her closest friends, but she'd brought a grumpy, standoffish person, who had shouted at her already, here... and why?

Well - she didn't actually know. Maybe it was just a dumb idea on her part. A hope that he'd enjoy the beach and appriciate somewhere like this maybe more than her siblings who had surroundings like this all the time and took them for granted at times.

Anemone shrugged and stood up in the water. She walked out and approached Raiden, kneeling down in front of him with a small grin. "You can come here when ever you want. No one else comes here... seriously. I don't allow it. You could bring your dog here... if he can get over the rocks."

[Mookie]

He could just fall asleep now. It was heavily tempting. The breeze and the smell of fresh ocean water that was carried with it washed over him in waves. Relaxing him completely.

He wasn't entirely sure what it was about the ocean or the beach or the fresh air that relaxed him so much. But he supposed everyone had something that soothed and relaxed them.

All he had to do was close his eyes and he'd be gone. He couldn't though, especially with Anemone here. It'd be weird.

Raiden turned his attention to Anemone to see that she was.. floating.. or something.. he wasn't sure what it was she was doing exactly but she too appeared to be relaxed and at ease.

Maybe they had something in common after all. Not that he knew what her interests were or.. actually he didn't know anything about her. Just her name that she needed natural water to survive and that apparently she could glow.

Still he doubted they'd have much in common. They weren't alike at all.

Anemone had left the water and was now crouched before him with a smile on her face.

'She smiles a lot.' he noted somewhere in the back of his mind.

“Mm.” The hanyou hummed. He wouldn’t have asked for her permission to come to the cove but nodded a thank you anyway. He knew the cove wasn’t hers. It belonged to no one. But since Anemone appeared to be the only one aware of it, it sort of was hers. Her own place to escape. A place she was letting him share.

He glanced at Anemone and regarded her for a moment. His expression was as guarded as ever but his eyes seemed to be searching. For what even Raiden didn’t know. Maybe a reason as to why someone like her was even bothering to make an effort with someone like him.

He hadn’t met anyone quite as persistent as Anemone. Persistent in the way that she refused to leave him alone no matter how many cold glares and irritated scowls he threw her way. Most people would and had in the past. The only other person he had come across who had been as persistent with him had been Ella.

Though he had to admit that he was very thankful that Ella had come into his life. As annoying as he found the older woman.. If it hadn’t been for her.. Well. He didn’t even want to think about what sort of person he’d be now.

Raiden closed his eyes and brushed a hand back over his head, pushing locks of silver hair from his face. He felt somewhat light headed. The fact that it was so warm and that he hadn’t eaten anything today wasn’t helping. He sighed lightly and dropped his arm to his side, his wild hair flopping back into place.

“Are you meeting someone?” He questioned, looking back to the girl crouched before him. He remembered Anemone mentioning that she had an hour to kill before she had to be here at the beach.

[Silver]

Anemone simply sat and observed as Raiden went about his routine. Silently observing her for a moment and then the surroundings. Then running his hand up into his hair. He looked... a little perturbed, maybe? She wasn't sure, but his expression appeared a little off, unlike it had before. Maybe he was thinking about something that wasn't so good to be thinking about.

Temptation to ask was there, but it was quickly becoming apparent that asking questions wasn't the way to go with Raiden, and that he would just become more silent and more standoffish towards her the more she pressed. So she simply stayed quiet and let him muse.

Then he mentioned her meeting someone.

Anemone averted her gaze to the waves. The tide was going out. It was perfect timing for her to leave and go and see Fyran. But now she was here, she didn't really want to leave. "I... I'm supposed to be. My brother, Fyran, at home." She paused, and fell back onto her behind crossing her legs. "He kind of relies on me, and doesn't like me not being in the village, so we made an agreement that I'd come back and see him when I could. He can't come and see me... he's not allowed out of the village. Something to do with women influencing the men... or something." Anemone shrugged, "its a rule at home."

She realised she was babbling and rolled her eyes at herself, "not that you need to, or even want to know all this." She half-smiled, sweeping her hand across her forehead, causing her headdress to jangle noisily. "I'll head off soon... the 'Prince' doesn't like to be kept waiting."

Pausing again, Anemone pursed her lips, and started drawing shapes in the sand with her fingers. "I shouldn't be too long..." she looked up at Raiden, a little hopeful, "will you still be here when I get back?"

[Mookie]

Raiden had to admit that he was a little curious about Anemone and where it was she came from. Though of course he didn’t and wouldn’t let her know this. He didn’t see much of a point and so he kept his gaze on that invisible something in the distance, listening to her closely but pretending that her words weren’t at all interesting.

It was only when she asked if he would still be here that he turned his attention back to the girl sat before him. He regarded her with the same curious eyes he had just a moment before and arched a brow.

She wanted him to wait?

Why?

Really, he didn’t understand women at all. Did she actually enjoy spending time with him? In that respect he felt sorry for her. He knew he wasn’t the most fun, up beat person to hang around so he couldn’t understand why anyone would want to.

And there was that little glimmer of hope in her eyes again. It unnerved him. He did plan on staying here for a little while longer but he didn’t know how long that would be so he wasn’t going to make her any promises.

“I don’t know.” He answered honestly, with a light shrug of his broad shoulders.

"Maybe.."

[Silver]

If he was curious about her, he didn't show it. There must have been something extremely fascinating on the horizon to keep his interest so steadily. She didn't mind. Whether he was listening or not, or interested or not, he wasn't scowling at her for talking, so that was a vast improvement from when they'd met earlier that day.

He looked at her with an arched brow, and a different look in his eyes that she hadn't seen before. She probably confused him. He was like Gyan, who was so standoffish that no one ever tried to get close to him. But Anemone was different. She liked challenges. Gyan had been a challenge, and Raiden was too. But she liked hanging out with Raiden anyway. Even if he did glare and scowl, and didn't talk much. There was something... safe and kind of relaxed that she liked feeling when she was around him.

He answered with a very general maybe. Anemone hadn't expected anything more. In fact she had been rather surprised it was a maybe, rather than a flat out 'no' like she had been waiting for. She smiled again and got to her feet.

"Maybe is good enough for me." She grinned, and quickly did something she'd been wanting to do since meeting Raiden. She quickly rubbed his left ear, grinned impishly at him, turned tail and dashed down to the water's edge. Once in up to her hips she surface dived and disappeared.

((We can leave it here if you want or carry it on from a 'later' time. I don't mind.))