[OPEN] Soldier On--

[bufudine]

Who: Serph and YOU
Where: The Park
When: November 14th, afternoon
Style: [brackets] preferred, but I can adjust
Status: WIDE OPEN

[It's been quite some time since Sera's departure, and since then, there have been others -- both Tribe and friends -- who have left Vatheon and not returned. Serph doesn't know if they'll return. Maybe they will. Maybe they won't. In the end, the decision isn't in his hands.

Before, there hadn't been time for these departures to affect him.

Which is why he's in the park, kicking a hacky sack. Signless had taught him the game when he'd noticed Serph watching him, so many months ago. In some ways, this is an imitation of that time; while Serph's content to play on his own, he's more than happy to play with people passing by.

Will you join in?]

Comments

[tsundyne]

[When Yukari passes by Serph, she can already hear the light kicking sounds. Initially, she dismissed them, but then she sees his familiar face. She is mostly content to watch him, considering she doesn't have too much experience with a hacky sack; and that's pretty much exactly what she decides to do.

At least, until she sees him mess up for the first time. Then he might hear her snicker a little as it drops to the ground.]

Whoa. [A sort of sarcastic, impressed tone-- although he really is doing a lot better than she might've expected.] Looks like you've been at it for a while.

[bufudine]

[Serph turns to regard Yukari when she speaks, nodding in greeting. He doesn't even bother to bend down to pick up the hacky sack; instead he hooks his foot underneath the fallen ball and tosses it up high enough for him to catch it with his hand.]

You try.

[And he lobs it over in an easy underarm toss.]

[tsundyne]

[And Yukari catches it somewhat easily, since-- well, seeing the way he'd been holding it in his hands, she suspected he might do that. His words don't register, though, until afterwards.]

Me?

[. . . Does she have to?]

Well, I-- I guess I could. [She's going to stall, though--] What brought this on, anyway?

[bufudine]

[Yes, she has to!!]

I haven't played this since it was introduced to me months ago.

[It's just one of the reasons for this, but not the main one. Even he gets restless, sometimes. And it's easier not to think about things he has no control over when he's occupied.]

[tsundyne]

[Yeah . . . she knows the feeling. To want distractions, to be occupied. With Minato and now Squall gone, she knows the Defense Force is all his now, unless someone stepped up without her knowledge; so the burden must be heavier than he's used to.

She drops the ball down and starts trying to keep it up in the air with her feet.]

Oh, so someone taught you.

[-- not that she has too much success. It drops after a couple bounces, and she chances after it.]

[bufudine]

[Excuse you!! This is nothing!!

Serph waits until Yukari's back with the ball before speaking, nodding.]

Signless taught me. It wasn't long after my arrival here.

[tsundyne]

[She idly continues to play with the ball after she returns with it, despite her initial hesitation; though after a while, she'll pass it back to Serph, since it was his to begin with. She definitely doesn't want to hog it.

And at the mention of Serph's arrival, she can't help but think back on the day they met.]

It really has been a long time, then. Wow.

[. . . Time flies.]

[bufudine]

[Serph holds the hacky sack on his foot for a moment while he thinks about that. Eventually he nods, agreeing.]

I've been here longer than I had my demon.

[It's a really long time, to him. And he resumes kicking the hacky sack juggling it for a while.]

[tsundyne]

[She nods as well-- although she doesn't exactly know how long he's had his demon, nor how long the others have had theirs. Since he's been so open about the demons, however, she has no reason to believe he'd lie about it or anything.

She'll take him at his word.]

Heh. You've learned a lot, haven't you?

[She watches him as he plays with the hacky sack; though she knows well that he's learned a lot more than just that.]

[bufudine]

[Serph nods, tossing the hacky sack to his other foot before passing it to Yukari.]

I'm grateful for my time here. The people here have been good to us.

[Is that... a smile?????]

Especially you.

[tsundyne]

Especially . . . me?

[WHAT IS GOING ON, she feels all warm inside!! Which doesn't usually happen, but luckily Serph passing her the ball is enough of a distraction. So she catches and holds onto it, looking thoughtful . . .

Before passing it back. Back and forth time?]

I didn't really do anything.

[There's a faint smile on her face, though. Not even she can believe that, even though they're her own words.]

[bufudine]

[PROTAGONISTS is what's going on.

Serph shakes his head before he kicks the ball back to Yukari. Maybe they can get a steady volley going. And suddenly hacky sack turned into tennis??]

The time you've given us... I appreciate it.

[tsundyne]

[More like soccer?? Or something.

But anyway, she kicks it back successfully, so it is indeed the start of a volley. But who's paying attention, anyway? Her smile turns into a chuckle, upon hearing his response.]

I'm pretty sure the Coral's the one responsible for that.

[Supposedly, anyway. If the natives are to be believed-- if it wasn't for the Coral, they would've never met.]

. . . But I appreciate it, too.

[The time they've had together; which she suspects is what he meant all along (duh).]

[bufudine]

[Serph nods and kicks the hacky sack back in silence. But after a volley of a few more easy kicks, Serph starts angling his returns a little further to the left or right, just outside of Yukari's immediate reach. She's gonna have to work a bit harder to get the ball!]

[tsundyne]

[WHAT-- wow, way to catch her completely off guard!! And they were having such a nice moment, too, but she supposes that doesn't matter anymore.

Oh well. She does miss the first couple shots, since they come fast and at a different angle than she'd been expecting. She has to chase after the ball, but after that, she notably improves. She'll try to make it difficult for Serph, too! He's not the only one who can do this--]

[bufudine]

[Heh heh heh. Is this a competition now? It may be a different game, but this does feel a little familiar now.

They do manage to get a decent volley, though even Serph misses a few of Yukari's trickier shots. He'll keep going until either Yukari asks him to stop, or he think she looks tired or like she's not having fun any more.]

[tsundyne]

[It's when they're volleying that she's having the most fun-- but the same holds true for her, she won't stop unless he asks her to or wants to. Maybe it's out of a stubbornness to keep up with him, after losing to him a few months back-- or maybe she's just missed the exercise.

But either way, neither seem to mind.]