Multiple voices and water fill the air. So much noise to bear, and no one minds it much. They've come to have fun after all. Gallows scooped up the soft sand and pushed it into a pile form. Emilia now a golden tan followed that up with her own pile and the two began to fix it into the shape of a castle of sand. Emilia was fine with her tan now that she was past the constant sunburn. Twenty weeks and four days does that to you.
Clive remained sleeping in the sun off to the side still the same color he was when he got there. It was all lotions that kept him turning browner. Still, that didn't stop Gallows when Clive went to sleep on his back and Gallows made it so Clive now wears the words, 'NERD' on his back in a pink red. The swimwear was a welcomed purchase down the line when they realized how much time they would spend on the beach. Gallows and Clive had their trunks and shirts, and Emilia had her one-piece swimsuit—because a woman should not be caught in public wearing some of the skimpy things she saw. That, and she could not see her fighting in one had she the need to. Then, there was one person who sat next to Clive as always just staring out at the lake wearing a hat and the same clothing she always wore.
"You want to join in, Virginia?" Gallows wondered as he and Emilia continued with the sand castle.
"Yeah," Emilia added cheerfully. "Why not get into the mood and have a little fun. You haven't even gone in the water or anything since we got here." Although she was not one for such recreation herself, it grew on Emilia. Plus...Gallows had a way of persuading her into having a little fun. Like, when she said she had not wanted to go in the water. That was the day Gallows bought a pail and shovel as well. The pail was used to carry water by him as he said he would be making a sand castle and needed the water. Instead he threw it on her and ran for the lake. That brought her—and her revenge instincts—to chase him down and nearly drown him. It was all fun in the end although Gallows later coughed up a shell.
Virginia blinked. She almost did not even hear the words of her friends. Gallows lost his grin. Obviously she was not intent on joining in the fun they were having. She wasted so long here and had no fun whatsoever. "Maybe...the beach isn't the place for you." He proposed.
"What else is there?" Virginia replied not really intent on knowing the answer. She was just humoring him.
"I think they had some fair with rides."
"I hate rides. They make me nauseous." No they did not, but she was sure she was not in the mood anyway.
"They have large markets." Emilia interjected.
"We've no money though, so what good is shopping?" They had money, but she was right, not that much.
"We'll let you buy reasonably priced stuff if you want. Anything to make your stay enjoyable." Gallows replied with quick wit.
"Have you seen a reasonably priced item here?" She questioned. "Did it not cost you twenty gella to buy a burger the night we went out to eat?"
Gallows shrugged. "I was wrong." He shook his head. "I always pinned Jet as the downer, but you take the cake Virginia."
Virginia looked to the sand and Emilia elbowed Gallows. Did he just mention the name of the person who was in jail while they have been here of all places? A person Gallows knew meant a lot to Virginia. That is unfair to say though. Jet meant a lot to him too. Everyone on the team meant a lot to one another. They were practically a family. Jet was a brother from another mother to Gallows. They did act like siblings a lot. At least the constant ragging on one another. Somehow Jet turned out to be the older brother though. Though that may be untrue.
"Look," Virginia began as she stands brushing off her dress of sand. "don't mind me so much. I'm sure I can find fun on my own." She wanders off.
"Who put sand in her underwear?" Gallows said from the side to get a glare from Emilia. "I'm only kidding." He defended.
She smiled. "I know, but," She begins working on the castle. Gathering some sand to place on the top. "I just," Or so Gallows thought until she pulled at his trunks quickly throwing sand into them. "thought you should know what it feels like." She pats him with a comforting smile and sits back.
A moment passes. "I can't believe you of all people did that." He hung his head low. Stands. Walks for the water with sand falling out of his pants. Some kid laughed saying he was going 'doody'. That brought a laugh from Emilia that would not end until two hours later when Gallows finally returned the favor. Gallows credo: Get revenge, but wait until it's unexpected.
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At the farther end of McNale Resort was the Zephyr Mountains. Named after the guardian. The shorter of the mountains was called Zephyr's Blade, and that was what was made into an inn. The group did not stay there. They did not have the money. At the top of the inn there was a flat plateau. A cliff. An overhanging. Whatever it can be called it was flat earth that made up the roof. From which you can see all of the town though.
That was what brought Virginia here eventually. There was more wind up here, and she forgot to expect that when she first got to the top and was nearly blown back. She gained footing and felt the air cross her face and move her hair about. It felt good. This was probably the best part of the town, but no one ever came up here.
What she did not know is that someone was here already and to the side. He had only just noticed her as she noticed him. "Hello?" She wondered. She could not see the man clearly in the shadow out of the direct sun that would seem bothersome if standing in it for long.
As a cloud moves the man with medium-long auburn hair stands to meet her. "Oh, I didn't hear you even come out."
It was silent a moment. "Why are you here? It's off-limits." She questioned.
He looked back to the landscape before them. They could see the bazaar and other sorted attractions as well as the lake from there. "I'm not...much of a people person."
That thought donned on her. "Oh...I didn't mean to intrude."
"Don't bother." He dismisses. "It's not like I have anything to keep from you. I don't care what anyone sees of me. My name is Phil...no family name because, well...no family." He laughs. A true laugh too. Not some laugh to cover up some thought kept to himself. "I'm a drifter. My specialty is bounty hunting though."
"So...you don't like people." She deduced. "When most people say they aren't a 'people person', it usually means they make themselves that way. You just don't want to be with people."
"Is that so?" He questions. "What are you, a psychologist or psychiatrist, something like that?"
"No," She laughs at that absurd thought. She could never be one of those. "I'm a drifter like you. Well...except for the bounty hunter part. I'm more of a...treasure hunter, but that's not me either. I'm not sure I hunt anything really. I like flowers though. Finding them I mean. Sort of exciting to see rare things." She shakes her head. "What am I doing? I'm talking to a complete stranger." She tells herself.
"I said my name. I'm the one who's talking to a stranger." Phil defends himself.
"I'm...Virginia Ma...Virginia."
"So...Virginiama why you here?"
"I'm sorry, I'm Virginia. The 'ma' was a mistake." She corrects him.
"Oh...sorry." He looks to the passing cloud real quick and then back at her. "Why are you here? Up here, and all. I would think you have friends with you."
"I do...but sometimes you just have to break free from them." She lowers her head. "Sometimes...even your friends can't make you feel better. When it feels like everyone's your enemy."
"Everyone my enemy? Sounds like my life story. I hadn't spoken for six years before about five months ago."
"I should feel sorry for you then. No one should be like that."
Phil stared at her a moment. "Something about you...reminds me of this guy I met." He shook his head dismissing that thought. "You should explain to me...why no one should feel that way. Tell me why other people make life good."
"Fine, I will."
He looks to the sky, and she waits for him to recognize her again. "Tonight then. I will meet you at the book shop come seven. You can tell me then. I have to go for the moment."
"Wha?" She watches him walk away as she catches her words. "Wait." He's gone though. "What now?"
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Evening came as quickly as it did every other day. The sun grew orange in color as opposed to the yellowish-white it is the rest of the day. It's effect on the rest of the environment more significant now as it painted the lands an equal hue of orange.
Virginia stepped out from the sandcraft to meet Clive who stood nearby. "Where you off to?" He wondered.
"Huh?" She looked to him nervously. "Me? Well...where are you going?"
He raised a brow. "Uh...you're the one leaving?"
"Well...you should be headed somewhere." She replied and began to walk away again.
He was not sure what was happening, but he was losing the battle. "Hey! You never answered my question!"
Her fading image replied, "Maybe next time!"
Emilia blinked as she came to Clive's side. "That was odd of her."
Gallows nodded as he came out to see what the commotion was. "Especially after her recent rack record of mope, mope, dig a hole, bury her head in it, mope some more, come up for air, and mope again."
Clive and Emilia looked to one another in confusion as to Gallows' analogy. They had no idea what it meant, and doubted anyone in the world did.
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Virginia wrings her hands as she walks the market. She had no idea why she came here. She just knew that she did not want to harm the man's feelings by not showing up. He was a loner, and was probably in pain, and so being how she is she has to stop that. She knew what it meant to be alone. Despite her want not to be here she still wound up outside the book store.
"You really did show. I didn't think you would." Phil admitted as he put down a book.
"I guess," She looked for a lie. "I was more impressed by you than I thought."
"Well, c'mon, I want to show you the festival that was happening nearby, 'Flowers of Filgaia.'"
"Really?"
"You did say you liked flowers right?"
She nods. "Most girls do."
He leads her to the gathering of people that were all flower enthusiasts. They had either painstakingly grown them, or they were artificial. She saw one that ate a small animal for food. Something seemed familiar about it, but she could not figure it out and they moved on.
Eventually they found themselves in the park next to it after dusk to rest. Walking slowly she finds the fake grass that was laid out. She stood silently. "It's not like the rest of Filgaia here." Just like Yggdrasil, but she would not admit that to Phil. This must be what the old Filgaia was like.
"Well...it is artificial." He replied.
"Still...those bushes there are real."
"Yes...but they are not usually grown here. They are out-of-place."
She looks down to it sadly. He had a way of dismissing any nice comments like that she had about vegetation. "Well...it's still the same to me." She leans over to smell a flower that grew on the bush when it started raining. Not raining. The water that the town used to keep the bushes alive that came from sprinklers were turned on due to a timer. She let out a shriek when the cold water hit her.
Phil grabbed her hand. "C'mon." He ran out wit h her just behind as they reached a dry area.
"Now what?" She questioned.
"Well...there's nothing more to do. And I'm wet...so I'd like to get dry. So this is good night." He wringed his shirt dry.
"Well...I guess...I had fun tonight." She said, but some part of her said it by force.
"Me too. Maybe we should do this tomorrow night as well."
"Um...sure thing."
"Same time, same place."