Chapter 38: Summertime Shenanigans
The group of men wandered onto the sandy grains, and were immediately welcomed by its clean ocean breeze. Mew stretched his arms out to the grace of the wind and closed his eyes to the surrender of its calm.
"Aaaaaah, now this is more like it!" He said, the breeze whistling in his ears.
Even Joe Dark felt keen to smile under these conditions, "You're right, this is perfect. I wish I could spend the whole summer here..."
As he closed his eyes to drift off Mew chuckled and said, "You'd actually have some color in your skin then."
Joe Dark groaned his eyes awake, "Why are you spoiling my mood?"
"Hehehe...!" Mew grinned and looked out into the distance. The beach was plentiful with people. Children and parents, students on vacation, all of them relaxing and playing in the sand.
"Seems there's a lot to do on the beach." Riku commented.
"You never went to a beach Riku?" Mew turned to his brother.
"There was one in Tethe'alla but...there was never any time to go there." Riku drooped with a sigh and Mew immediately ran over to pat him on the back.
"Well once the ladies arrive you'll be making up for lost time...in no time!" He pulled away with a grin and started greasing his palms with anticipation, "So come on out ladies...Show me what you got!"
"Papa, we're here!" Maria's cheery voice was followed by the muted sound of her footsteps hustling through the sand.
She had on the swimsuit he had picked out for her, with the addition of pink scrunchies on her wrist, and her hair done up in a backward ponytail. By the time she got up to Mew she was hung over and breathing a little heavier than normal.
"Heh, don't tire yourself too early Maria. We got a whole day of fun ahead of us!" Mew bent down and patted her on the head, making her eyes flinch shut.
She started wiggling her little toes in the sand and seemed to already be having a good time. Mew couldn't be happier for her.
"Heeeeeeeeeey!" Speaking of happiness, that was Lunis calling to them. Mew sprung right up with big old eyes and watched the lunar beauty dash onto the shoreline.
Her body had been unchained from the shackles of her clothes and replaced with a somewhat tighter bound on her chest and hips. A white, glittery underwire frilled bikini cupped her massive breasts, giving them just a little bounce, but mostly emphasizing their size and firmness. She complimented this with a bikini bottom riding an inch above her thighs, making her slender, athletic legs appear even longer than normal. And her hair, once bound in an innocent knot, was let loose for all to see. It was like a long wedding hood knitted from the light of the moon.
"Yes...That graceful bikini top raising those bountiful breasts to the heights of the stars, while the bottom accentuate the towering form of her legs, and the ample curves of her thighs. And letting her hair down? Its a power move. Now her captive audience is sure to look down her entire body. Yet her maturity is enhanced by the curious, timid gaze she gives as she steps upon the sand. Yes, truly this tapestry of beauty can only be described as...Curves of the Moon ala Innocence."
Mew breathed new life deep into his body and felt like he was being lifted on the arms by a pair of bosom angels. And this was but one of four beauties whom would grace his presence.
Admiration of her appearance aside for now, Mew noticed that Lunis started hopping on one foot and brushing the bottom of the raised one while whispering, "Hot hot hot!"
She then stumbled to a stop a few feet away from the group and leaned in with a smile, "Heh heh, I didn't think the sand would be so hot!"
She then raised her head high, eyes closed, and brushed the side of her hair as the wind draped it behind her like a cape, "Mmmm, but this air...Its so lovely!"
"Holy crap..."
From the corner of his eye Mew glimpsed a rare sight of Riku's jaw dropped with speechlessness. He was doing him proud.
Lunis opened her eyes and lowered her head ever slightly with a smile, "D-Do you like it Riku?"
"It...It looks good on you." He said with a hesitant gesture of the hand, and an even harder smile.
Mew stealthily raised a thumbs-up his way.
"You've got to be kidding me!" Solaris suddenly exclaimed and threw his hands down, "You're showing waaaaay too much skin Lunis!"
"Don't be mad at me!" Lunis replied and gestured in the worst possible direction, "Mew's the one who suggested it!"
"Oh really?" Solaris AND Joe Dark synced their glares in unison.
"H-Hey don't look at me," Mew put up an innocent front, "She asked for my help. And look, she's happy with it!"
"She made a terrible call." Joe Dark murmured.
"Well if she's happy about it..." Solaris muttered through gritted teeth. Crisis averted.
"So where are the others?" Mew asked.
"Oh? I thought I saw Alura with us..." Lunis turned her head around and then shrugged, "Maybe she got lost? Lady Auris and her kids needed a bit more time though."
"Bah...Oh well, I can wait a little longer." Lunis began to walk past them to take a little further glance at the ocean. As Mew's gaze lustfully followed her behind, he noticed where one of their missing guests was...Motionless like a statue behind Joe Dark.
Alura's choice of swimsuit was surprising. She had a violet halter top with frills at the bottom, and a cheeky bikini bottom with thin lacy black lingerie underneath. Curiously, her midriff was covered by a see-through fabric that seemed to have been stitched together. She still had her gloves and brooch on, and in addition put on a small straw hat and sunglasses with red rims.
"Meh," Mew closed his eyes and shook his head in pity, "Some people are gifted, some are not. Still, points for trying."
He then gestured at her and said with a snicker, "Hey Joe, look behind you."
Joe Dark did a quick 180 and jumped back a little, "A-Alura when did you...?"
She turned her head to Mew and seemed to be a bit...angry?
Caught in an unexpected situation, Joe Dark started looking over her clothes and doing his best to comment on it, exposing a clear lack of experience, "Y-You look...I guess..."
As Alura put her gaze back on him she asked in a tone seemingly aping Lunis', "Do you like it, Joe Dark?"
"Tsk...!" Joe Dark laid a hand against the side of his head and looked away, "W-Where did you even find that...?"
Alura's hand hovered over her chest, "I tore up parts of my dress to cover the space between my chest and legs."
"...I guess it could look worse." Joe Dark murmured.
Mew bit his teeth in a hiss of shame while Alura bowed her head, tucked her blushing face under the shade of her hat, and murmured, "T-Thank you."
Mew fluttered his eyes and then daftly crossed his arms against his chest, "Man, take the edge off Mr. Dark King and he's just another socially inept teenager."
"YOO HOO! WE'RE HERE!" And finally, after a long feeling lull in beauties, it would be Shina, Shina Aurora, who'd take center stage next.
She waltzed out in a simple azure triangle bikini top with complimenting thin stringed bikini bottom. There was something resembling a bulge forming on her stomach, but she kept that covered up pretty well with a see-through light black cloth covered with glitter for stars. She's tied up her hair in a long braided ponytail and is wearing crystal-clear glasses with only half their rims visible. She looked as radiant as ever. And the curves as curvy as curvy could be.
"Shining the brightest on this bright sunny day is the loving big sister. Look at her! Her pose, her grace. She struts her long legs onto the beach without a care in the world. Her breasts and thighs are on full display, while her sparkling eyes hide the ravenous hunger of a LION. She desires attention, she CRAVES it. But look at those glasses! While she's busy nonchalantly showing of her sexuality she's purposefully juxtapositioning it with her innate nerdiness. The Ditzy Blonde, a tried and true classic..."
Mew raised his hand hard in salute and puffed out his lower lip, "Alex Whiter my fallen brother...You were a goddamn HERO!"
Shina fluttered her eyelashes and remarked with a giggle, "What's up with the salute?"
Mew threw his hand down and chuckled too, "J-Just...making up for not celebrating the 4th of July!"
"Oh you...!" Shina swayed her hand down and then bopped him in the gut, which Mew pretended to keel over from.
"Heh! So hey..." As he rose back up he scanned the area, "Where's Kairi?"
"Ugh..." Shina threw her head back and cupped her mouth in both hands, "SIS, GET YER BUTT OUT HERE ALREADY!"
"NO! I REFUSE!" Kairi's distinctly furious cry came from behind the pair of outhouses nearby.
"...I'll be riiiiight back." Shina threw up a ton of sand on her way to hunt down her sister. A brief scuffle ensued, after two shadows started to be dragged out into view.
"C'mon, once you get this over with it'll all be better!" Said Shina.
"T-This is so embarrassing! Cut it out!"
"Yooooou promised!"
"And I also promise that one day, when you aren't cowering behind your baby, I'M GONNA KICK YOUR ASS FOR THIS!" It was a declaration of war to rip the heavens asunder. Yet for all that bluster, all Kairi was doing was suffocating Mew with anticipation. Truly, for her to put up THIS much of a fuss the contents of her clothes must be something extraordinary.
Shina gently pushed Kairi out into plain and clear view and Mew stared at her quietly.
She definitely had her sister's body even if there was a little more weight around the hips. Nothing bad really. In fact it looked kind of nice with the green bikini bottom she wore, with multiple strings riding up her thighs. Her top was a bandeau style and had a little trouble keeping her chest from bouncing. Her hair had been clearly forced into a side ponytail with an iris marking where the tie was...But was it really that bad? It actually looked kind of nice on her. Though obviously the beet red face and pertinent scowl wasn't doing her many favors in the attractiveness department.
Once her big sis' hands were off Kairi jerked her hands behind her back and sucked her lips in, mustering a fevered pout along with the occasional glance Mew's way.
Mew stood there and stared at her from top to bottom and his mind emptied the glossary of adjectives he had prepared for this moment. Her face got cuter the more the red retreated from it.
Finally she thrust her face his way and grumbled, "W-What?! A-A-Aren't you going to...S-Say something?!"
Mew gently waved his hand out and the words slipped right out of his mouth, "You look fantastic Kairi."
"D-Do you really think I wanted to wear...?!" She started gritting her teeth but then her face flattened into a stoic declaration of, "W-What?"
"..." Mew's pupils shrank and his cheeks reddened. He scratched the side of his face and chuckled, "I-I mean yeah that is probably a little much..."
She squeaked out a gasp and then threw herself upright with taut fists, and began storming off past Mew. He heard her muttering angrily "I-Idiot...!"
Mew's eyes fluttered a few times and he started rubbing the back of his head.
"Ah, the joys of youth." Came the sultry voice that Mew wanted to hear.
There was much to say about Lunis, Shina and Kairi. But they were merely rookies caught in the shade of a pro. This woman's appearance here was the proof that Mew's plans were mandated for success by the Heavens themselves. Breasts. Butt. Thighs. Hips. Legs. Youth. These formed the Hexagon of Sexual Superiority, of whom Auris Aurora had no equal. With all her earthly experience, she would know how to maximize her sexuality to the fullest.
Mew's whole body was stiff but NO, he must look...This was his destiny.
He turned around aaaaaaaand...
A coat.
A thin. Draping. Aquamarine. Plastic coat. She was locking her gifts away behind zipper and latches. And no, not even the hope of them coming undone meant anything. He could see that underneath her coat was a diving suit. The only skin worth noting was the same old, admittedly pretty, face, but even that was ruined a little by the appearance of sunglasses and a straw hat. Hauled over her back by a firm rope was an ice cooler, a grill, and a whole bunch of towels, umbrellas, and bags of lotion.
Disappointment. Didn't even begin to describe his devastation.
He froze there, allowing her to walk right on by. She laid her cold hand on his shoulder and whispered in his ear, "Nice try."
Her soft giggle tormented his soul as her godly bountifulness strayed further from his light, "But you're welcome to try and catch a glimpse at true paradise..."
As she left to meet up with the others she teased him one last time, "After all, my body's truly worth dying for..."
Mew slowly picked himself up and rubbed the back of his head, "Haaaaa...oh well, three out of four ain't too bad."
He saw their small group fiddling around in place for the moment and counted them up, "Well, everyone's here! Now we can finally-"
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" As Mew prepared for what was supposed to be a fun summer day, a certain egotistical fit of laughter turned his body stiff. He sucked his lips in deep and turned a hard right, praying that he was just imagining things.
"KABOOM!" "KABOOM!" "FFFFZZZLLL..." Went the fireworks, coating a small group a few feet away in shadows. Not...that it was a big secret who they were.
"Oh great, not her..." Mew groaned like a creaky door. All the casual-goers on the beach were staring now.
When the shadows faded the Planetary Aurians were revealed. Saturn was at the lead in her usual lab coat, but underneath she had a thin rectangular bikini strap and the equivalent of a thong as her bottom. She had a whistle dangling around her neck and a pair of big sunglasses.
Behind was her partners Jupiter and Mars. Jupiter didn't bother changing clothes besides leaving her scarf at home, while Mars was wearing red and brown swim trunks.
Shockingly behind the two of them was Gabriel, with a human skin tone and a flowery set of swim trunks...And his sheathe attached to his hip?!
But there were two others to the left that Mew didn't recognize at first. They both had a human skin tone. One had short mint-green hair and a slimming white one-piece swimsuit, complete with golden sandals and flashy silver shades. The other had striking rosy hair given a rough, short cut, and her skin was riddled with freckles. She had torn jean shorts and thin straps riding up her firm, toned calves, along with a halter top enclosing her chest. Truth be told, if it wasn't for her black fingernails, Mew wouldn't have been able to recognize the two of them as Neptune and Priscilla.
Neptune was carrying around a couple bags with umbrella and towels wedged inside, while Priscilla had a hand on her hip and eyed the sandy horizon.
"Heh, this ain't too bad," The half-dragon remarked, letting her rougher side hang loose this time around, "How long's it been since we went to a beach Belle?"
Neptune hooked her shades downward and smiled, "A hundred and twenty anniversaries ago, give or take two years."
Mew wandered up to the group and threw his arms up as a front of being welcoming, "Heeeeey! What are you guys doing here...?!"
Gabriel coughed and Mew threw him a shocked look, "I invited them."
"YOU did." Mew spat blandly.
"Of course!" Saturn proclaimed and propped her glasses upright, "And I'm glad he did! I ain't gonna let you drag this beach atmosphere into total dulldom!"
Mew crossed his arms and sputtered, "Oh really? You think you know how to have fun on the beach?!"
Saturn stood on her tip-toes to ram her face into his, "I have 110% more fun in my nose than you do in your entire ugly face!"
Mew pushed back and grit his teeth in a competitive scowl, "Bring it on stove top."
The two exchanged growls for a bit until Kairi suddenly yelled, "W-What the hell are we even supposed to DO at a beach?!"
Saturn brushed Mew aside and twirled her whistle around with a slow confident stride, "Lemme show you how its done..."
She blew the whistle hard and thrust her pointer finger out towards the sandy expanse, "Team! Divide and conquer!"
Jupiter punched into her open palm and exclaimed, "Finally! Time for some fun!"
She hurried past every other person in the area and started dragging her toes through the sand like it was a shovel, etching what appeared to be a volleyball court.
"Shall we?" Neptune eyed Priscilla.
"After you." Priscilla gently extended her hands out, and the two went off and began setting up their towels and umbrellas in the sand. Auris joined them.
"Guess I'll go see what kind of food stands they got around here," Mars took a couple steps forward and patted Mew on the shoulder, "Want to come with?"
"Eh sure why not. I could use a bite to eat." So they went off, leaving Gabriel to muse his purpose here to himself.
"And I suppose...I'll just enjoy the atmosphere for now." And to that extent, he began a brisk stroll across the beach.
Kairi slapped the side of her face and groaned, "T-That really doesn't help..."
Saturn snagged her by the hand and stared at her with the fiery passion of a thousand suns, "At the beach you let loose...!"
Then forcibly turned her dazed body around and threw her hand out towards the efforts of her friends, "AND HAVE FUN!"
The preparations were soon finished up, giving the group a sort of hub to meet up at later on. Everyone was going their separate ways, but Riku and Joe Dark were stuck together pondering what they were going to do.
"Have fun huh...?" Joe Dark murmured and stuck his hands deep in his pockets, then glanced at Riku from the corner of his eyes, "Hey you, got any ideas?"
"Hmmm, honestly I think I might just lay down on a towel for a-" Riku's gesture at the towels was intercepted by Lunis' iron grip, locking his arm between her chest.
"Riku come with me! I found something really cool near the water!" She squealed with childish enthusiasm.
"O-Ok...?" He went right along without much else to say, leaving Joe Dark feeling a little grumpy and betrayed.
"Oh fine, go with the one showing the most skin, what do I care..." He felt a tug at his boxers and, unsurprisingly, Alura was responsible.
She gazed at him with her blank stare and stated, "Joe Dark, I want ice cream."
"...Now?"
"I want ice cream now." Her eyes widened and her lips puckered.
"...Fine, lets go find some." It was better than loafing around anyways.
"Yay." She whispered as the two combed the beach in search of that cold, creamy delight.
They didn't have to go far to find it either. North of the shore was a big hut dedicated to ice creams. They claimed they hosted a hundred unique flavors. The sight of that made Alura start to drool.
"A hundred flavors...?"
"You don't even know how much that is yet." Joe Dark replied.
"Joe Dark, I'm going to try them all." She uttered with staggering unearned confidence.
"My pockets aren't lined with greens Alura!" Joe Dark proclaimed, "I can buy us one each, that's it."
Alura's lower lip curled with a "Hmph!" and he remarked, "Don't be a child."
The two of them climbed up the steps and found Mew and the brown-skinned Aurian turning away from the front counter, a green and tan looking ice cream in their respective mouths.
"Oh hey Joe. Here for some ice cream too?" Mew wagged the two-scoop cone out and Joe Dark felt a bit of revulsion.
"What on god's Earth kind of flavor is that?"
"You made a good choice," The brown-skinned Aurian remarked, "This is easily in the Top 5 of ice creams in the universe."
Joe Dark tilted his head and bluntly remarked, "I'm sorry who the hell are you?"
The Aurian glanced at Mew and sounded offended, "You didn't mention me?"
"We've been busy," Mew casually licked his ice cream with a shrug and then nudged his elbow at the Aurian, "This is Seth, Planetary Aurian of Mars. Calls himself the 'Desert Whirlwind'."
He hunched forth with a snickered, "Though today it'd be the 'Dessert Whirlwind.'"
"Ha ha." Mars replied.
"Hmmm..." Alura was off to the side staring up at the overwhelmingly large menu. Joe Dark went from looking at her to Mew and that proved a better use of his time than their dumb jokes.
"Mew, what flavors would you suggest?"
"Uhhhh," He waved his cone out and said, "Can't go wrong with avocado."
"Cappuccino ain't bad either." Mars suggested
"Avocado?!" Joe Dark focused in on Mew's face with a white hot stare, "Is your brain a Cauliflower?!"
He felt another tug at his boxers and Alura pointed at the menu, "Joe Dark, I want to try raspberry."
"...Raspberry?" Wait, why was he angry again?
Whatever. He could see why she'd gravitate towards that flavor, "Tsk...Now what flavor should I get? Mmrrr, I can't remember what my favorite was..."
Alura's continued tugging wore him down and so he went "Screw it" and walked them both up to the counter, "Two raspberry ice creams."
A minute later the payment was fulfilled and they each had an ice cream in hand. As the four of them headed out Joe Dark took a lick and remarked, "Hmph, not bad. Tastes...familiar."
He checked up on Alura and saw her staring at her cone. The cream was already melting softly under the sun's rays. She raised it to her mouth, and then chomped down on the tip top.
"Ah...!" Her eyes squeezed shut and she grabbed the side of her head, "C-Cold...that...hurt...!"
"You goof," Joe Dark chuckled as she threatened the cone with a light squeeze, "That's not how you eat ice cream."
She stopped and watched as he gave his cone another lick. She then stared at her cone some more and mimicked what he did, but slower and more involved. When she was done her eyes lit up momentarily.
"I like ice cream." Expressed so much joy and wonder in very few words.
"Haaaaa..." Joe Dark licked his ice cream and kept walking. Meanwhile, Mew and Mars split off to continue their mission.
"So where to next partner?" Mars asked.
"I don't know, I've sort of been craving a hot dog..."
"With mustard?"
Mew snapped his fingers at him, "And onions."
"Don't forget the oodles of cheese sauce."
"A little tomato on top maybe..."
"And a pickle..."
"What no!" Mew snapped back in shock, "Don't ruin my hot dog with that wrinkly log!"
"Says Mr. Avocado Ice Cream..." Mars wagged at him in a reprimanding manner.
Mew stared at his ice cream, took another lick and muttered, "Is it really that bizarre...?"
He then glanced off to the right and saw Jupiter spiking the poles of a net into the ground and then standing triumphantly beside them.
"Come one come all! Who's brave enough to challenge the mighty Jupiter to volleyball?!"
Her roar of competition lit the fire in Mew's heart and after finishing off his ice cream he nudged Mars in the hip, "Whaddya say?"
Mars instantly shook his head and backed away, "No way man, she'll murder me..."
"Not if we work together," Mew nudged him in the elbow, "Come on. Cooooome oooooon..."
Mars sighed, a fire lit in his eyes as he raised his hand and proclaimed, "Alright...lets do it partner!"
"Yeah!" Mew pumped his fist and the two of them broke off their duty to dash to Jupiter's court. Along the way Mew accidentally brushed against Kairi's back and knocked her onto her knees.
"AAAH!" She gasped in shocked.
"S-Sorry Kairi...!" Mew turned to her for the moment and then was off quick as the wind.
"Uuuugh..." Kairi clamped her arms against her wobbling chest and tried desperately to make them stop. But the added resistance just made them bounce more.
She grit her teeth and pulled herself up, then dug her feet into the sand and refused to move, "If I move an inch they bounce..."
She stared down at her chest with wobbly eyes and a vicious pout, "Damn you Shina...! My vengeance will be swift and agonizing!"
"Dear." Her mother's tender voice called to her from behind and she thrust her head around. Her mom had discarded the coat and was now fully revealed in her diving suit, flippers, mask and snorkel included.
"You can't stand around all day. Go on, play with the others."
Kairi pumped her arms under her chest in a huff, "E-Easy for you to say, you have no shame!"
She then turned right around and threw her hands at her, "L-Look at you...! What...what even is that?!"
"A diving suit," Auris stated plainly, "For...diving."
She put on the mask and snorkel and her voiced muffled, "Why don't you play with Shina? Look, she's building a sandcastle."
Kairi turned around and saw her sister dutifully packing sand into a imitation stone tower, whistling while she worked.
"..." Kairi smirked and she replied in an impish tone, "Oh don't worry mom...I will."
Her mom's dulcet sighs were a distant memory as she wandered over to Shina's tower, firmed her arms under her chest, and began to stare.
"La la la la...Oh!" Shina perked up with a smile, "Sis, did you come to help?"
Kairi's eyes were black like the devil's, and the swift thrust of her heel toppled Shina's tower in an instant. Shina let out a long gasp of her name, as a devilish smile grew on her face.
"Sis, I think you're regressing..." She then murmured.
"I'm going to regress your face you...!" As Kairi felt inclined to conflict...
"Mama?" Maria's worried voice broke through, revealing herself just a few feet away. Staring. Frightened, but curious, "Why did you ruin Auntie Shina's castle?"
"Guh...!" Kairi clamped her mouth shut and then creaked her head towards Shina. Shina's closed-eye smile was oddly mischievous.
"That's dirty...!" She whispered before kneeling down beside her and picking up some of the sand, "I-I just...noticed a flaw that needed fixing!"
"Oh, ok!" Maria was too young to know any better, and Kairi felt at least a little guilt for deceiving her.
"Oh I see what you mean!" Shina played along and started scooping up some sand between her fingers, "Yeah, lets start over and do it right sis!"
"This ISN'T over." Kairi muttered from the corner of her mouth as she roughly smooshed the sand together into the base of a tower.
But what of Riku and Lunis? What have they been up to?
They were at the ocean's edge, the encroaching tide tickling Lunis' toes and fingertips as she dipped down to pluck any seashell that caught her eye.
"Look at these things! They're so many different kinds of them!" The moment she looked ready to keep one, she dropped it for another.
"This reminds me of a beast's scale back on Genestasia!" She said holding a black oval shaped one into the glistening sunlight.
"And this one's like the hoof of another creature...!" She said with a cracked white shell that would normally resemble a fan.
This energetic, exploring side of her was fun to watch and made Riku smile. But it was also curious why she was acting like this.
"Have you never been to a beach before?" He poked his head out in interest.
"No, I haven't." She replied plainly, twirling back to him on one foot.
"..." He stared at her bright expression, which gazed towards the ocean sea and took a whiff of the breeze.
"We didn't have these warm grains of sand, and the ocean was full of terrifying creatures that nobody wanted to mess with."
The water brushed up along her feet, and she squirmed. Taking a long leap back she threw her hands down and summoned her knives.
"Eeek! Like that!" Her chest heaved heavily while her eyes darted around. But, as Riku quickly discovered, all she had was a piece of algae stuck to her foot.
"This is just algae." He bent down and plucked it off. She pulled her head away as it was raised to her face, but over the next five seconds she leaned in closer and eventually let it touch her cheek.
"Hahaha!" She giggled, "This is so slimy!"
Riku flipped it over his head and remarked, "This is the worst it'll get around here. There's a lot of wonderful things under water."
Riku turned his back to the growing wave in the ocean and extended his right hand out towards her with a smile. Lunis laid her hand over her chest and mentioned, "But...I can't swim."
"We don't have to." He said certainly.
She slowly lifted her head, closed her fist, and nodded, running up and taking his hand as he faced the ocean.
"Do you mind if I join you?" Came the muffled voice of Auris, garnering a puzzled look from them both as they saw her decked out in scuba gear.
"Pffft...! What're you wearing Lady Auris?" Lunis barely squeezed her chuckle back in, "Sure, come with us!"
"..." Auris was peeking through her mask with her regular know-it-all glare when she suddenly smirked, "Sorry, was I interrupting something?"
Her eyes were locked onto the two holding hands.
Riku shook his head and told her, "Its fine. I don't mind if you come with."
While Auris strutted confidently into the water, Riku had to gently guide Lunis deeper and deeper into the cold ocean waters. Once their heads began to submerge, he surrounded them in a large air bubble and carried them around far past the shore line.
Auris swam around them for a bit, then dove straight for the bottom. Seems she noticed a few places worth checking out.
Lunis moved around the bubble and pointed at places of interest. There were a lot more shells down here, and a few of the indigenous hermit crabs crawling around.
Rocks that had survived being dragged through miles of sand and tides were given a beautiful sheen. Riku decided to pick up a couple as souvenirs.
Lunis knelt down next to a couple of crabs and poked her finger out. One grabbed on and she pulled it in and flailed it about. It was flung loose into the water, where it drifted down before their bubble, and Lunis waved out an apology at it.
A bit later, Lunis scoops up a few shells and picked out one that almost seemed shaped like a heart. That's the one she decided to keep...
Back with Kairi, she's still playing along with Shina's efforts as long as Maria's watchful gaze remained glued to her back. Kairi snuck the occasional glance back and muttered, "Come on Maria, don't you have other things you want to do?"
The sisters had constructed two towers thus far. And they looked pretty good, albeit a little tilted.
"Ah, so this is where you got off to," Approached Gabriel from their left, "This is...?!"
Shina patted the side of her tower and said, "We're building sandcastles!"
"Unacceptable," He firmed his eyes and planted a hand on his sheathe, "The craftsmanship is amateur at best."
"H-Huh?" Uttered Kairi.
"I understand the lack of experience may hold you back..." Gabriel closed his eyes and shook his head, "But...you should strive to put your best foot forward in all things art."
"Oh yeah? Lets see ya do better!" Shina proclaimed.
"Sis!" Kairi spat through gritted teeth.
"Very well. I shall." Gabriel smiled and sat right down a few feet away, kneading the sand to his will.
Shina pumped her fists and proclaimed, "You heard 'im sis! Lets show 'em our power of teamwork!"
"What?!" Kairi watched Shina work harder and faster in the sand, "WHAT?!"
She was thrown into this sudden competition, like it or not, and scrambled to keep up with her sister's pace. All the while Maria sat down and paddled her reddened feet in the air.
A few minutes in Gabriel was crafting a giant cube of sand while the sisters had all the towers finished. Shina was working up a mean sweat and panted.
"You know what this reminds me of?"
"...What?" Kairi groaned.
"When you and I used to build LEGOs!" Shina cheerfully declared.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about...!" Kairi turned her head aside.
"Ah come on sure you do! You mistook a piece for candy and tried to eat it..."
"T-There was candy that looked like the bricks give me a break!" She sheepishly squeaked out.
"Aha!" Rang Shina triumphantly, "We should go through the old album and see what we used to make. Maybe we can share some of those pictures with Mew and the others!"
"Ugh, haven't you embarrassed me enough today..." Kairi collapsed onto her back, receiving another grim reminder of the buoyancy of her chest.
"Sis, you gotta not let yourself get so easily embarrassed," Shina giggled and began working on the foundation of the castle itself, 'It ain't a very attractive look."
"Oh excuuuuuuuse me," Kairi threw herself back up and slapped her knees, "I'm the one stuck in the stripper swimsuit that's barely containing my breasts!"
"Sis, I only chose that cause I care." Shina said with a terribly bad smile.
"Uh uh. Care. Sure." Kairi slanted her brows, huffed out a heavy sigh, and then silently continued work on the castle.
Their work produced something rather impressive by sandcastle standards. Four feet tall, with etched in windows and a raised draw bridge. And so far all Gabriel had to show was a gigantic cube of sand.
"Is that all you got Gabe?" Shina proclaimed with a huff of haughtiness unlike her norm.
Gabriel turned his back to the cube, closed his eyes, and gripped the handle of his sword.
"Cleave the passage of time, and bridge the past to the present..." The blade clicked out, a flurry of slashes occurring in the span of a second, yet undetectable to the naked eye.
"Rendering Slash: A Thousand Words!" At Gabriel's proclamation the excess sand was cut cleanly from the mold, and in its place was a perfect replica of the Ten Sages' Pyramid. No, it was beyond perfection. It breathed with an air of antiquity in its many numerous cracks and flaws. It was art given flesh, unsurpassed even by the hands of a god.
Maria's rapid claps said it all. Gabriel took his humbled bow, and accepted his victory in silence.
"Awwww man..." Shina whispered, her confidence so deflated it sunk into the sand.
Kairi looked down at the castle, then at the pyramid. It was impressive, but in her eyes the castle looked better.
"...Shina?" Got her attention turned around.
"Can we...take a picture of our castle?" Kairi nudged her foot along the ground, watching as Shina pulled her head up on a wonderful smile and dashed for a bag she left on the ground nearby.
Right away she whipped out a camera, hooked her sister across the back, and pulled her in front of the castle. She raised the camera to capture them all in view and flashed a "V" over Kairi's shoulder.
"Cheese!"
Kairi smiled and this moment was captured perfectly with a flash of light.
"Gah...! Bright..." Came the grumbling groan of Joe Dark, joined by Alura.
He rubbed his eyes and then lazily looked at what was going on, "Sand castles...? What are you, children?"
"You're never too old for sand castles!" Shina pumped the camera against her chest.
"..." Joe Dark stared at the two's barely concealing swimsuits and squinted until he could see no more, "...Put some damn clothes on."
The sisters scoffed in differing tones but he didn't really care. He went back to his ice cream, which was down to the last drops.
Alura had gobbled down the rest of her cone a bit ago and rubbed her belly, "I really, really like ice cream."
She then looked his way and asked, "Can we get some more later Joe Dark?"
"You'll get a stomachache if you eat too much."
Alura gave him a long, cold stare and then tilted her head, "I don't care about aches. I need more ice cream."
"...That's a dark road to go down Alura." He advised as he licked the last of his cone dry.
"More like a rocky road, aaah...Aaaaah?" Shina wagged her finger and Joe Dark's icy glare was her just desserts.
"Shut up..." He lazily mustered up the effort to bark back.
"Mmmmrrr..."
Joe Dark looked down and expected Alura bugging him but instead was surprised to find Maria tugging at the bottom of his trunks.
"What?" He uttered softly.
"Uncle Joe, my feet hurt..." She raised one foot and...
"Good god those are redder than a tomato..." Joe Dark flung the cone over his shoulder and slowly bent down, pointing at his back.
"Come on, I'll carry you to the towels..." He whispered very, very quietly.
"Ok!" Maria hopped onto his back and all the air in his lungs was expunged from his mouth. His knees quaked as he stood and braced the girl's tiny legs under his arms.
"Awwwww..." Shina cooed.
"Look at the big softie carrying his niece..." Kairi said with a smirk.
"Get bent!" Joe Dark yelled, quickly facing Alura to tell her, "Sorry, I'll be right back..."
Alura stared up as he wandered off. Maria watched down from her high perch, and her lips slowly widened into a smirk.
Alura's heart skipped a beat, and she watched in utter silence as Maria pulled down her right eyeduct and stuck the tip of her tongue out.
The two walked a fair distance away. Alura's mouth was left agape, and a burning sensation grew in her chest. She raised her hand towards it, and suddenly felt it clutch into a bone-cracking fist...
Meanwhile, with the two goofballs...
"Hey! Jupiter!" Mew hollered out and the amazon's eyes darted their way, starting off intrigued, then dulling into disinterest.
"Oh great..." She leaned back against the pole and sighed.
"That's...not the greeting I was expecting." Mew said, slowing to a snail's pace.
"Its not you..." Mars sighed loudly.
"You needed to recruit Mew to take me on?" Jupiter remarked.
"Noel you can't use your full strength here. You'd destroy the planet." Mars fought back, but kept to a kind tone.
"So what?" Jupiter peeled off the pole and flexed her biceps proudly, "You can't beat this and you know it."
"Then put your money where your mouth is." Mars' loosened the gentleman gloves a little and stared deep into her eyes, unflinchingly.
"Hooo damn!" Jupiter perked up and cricked her neck around, "Fine then. You and me, 1v1 on the volleyball court!"
"HARK!" Suddenly hollered Saturn, "I think we should up the stakes!"
She ran up to the court wearing a pair of electrified gloves that looked similar to the material her suits were made of. She then crossed her arms, carefully avoiding skin contact.
"Jupiter AND I will face Seth..." She thrust her eyes wide-open, "And YOU!"
Mew flinched and then tightened his fists by his hips, "A battle to settle old scores eh?"
"Mmm hmm!" Saturn feverishly nodded her head and then gestured to the court, "Our field of battle awaits!"
The four took their sides and Jupiter kicked the ball up into her hand, "You're going to regret this. Cat and I are the best power combo this side of the universe!"
"Brains...!"
"And BRAWN!" Jupiter clapped the ball between her hands like thunder.
Mars twitched and Mew gazed right at him, "Don't be intimidated, we can take them."
"Hehehe!" Saturn nudged her glasses down, "Nah, you're going to lose hard you big delinquent!"
"Yeah yeah keep yapping stove top," Mew curled his fingertips into the palm and faced forward, hunched down and ready for battle, "Hope you're prepared to mark a second loss in your record book!"
Next Time: What About Solaris? (What ABOUT Him?)
