A tease a day keeps Marauders happy

[shounenphelps]

Who: Mouri Shin and James Potter (open to Marauder house)
When: Midday
Where: Marauder House - anywhere
Style: Action
Status: closed (except as above)

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[Every once in awhile Shin just goes swimming. He can't help it, between growing up on the coast and his natural affinity. With one so close at hand on top of that... well why not? He usually heads straight for his room to change afterwards, but today he aims for the kitchen for a snack.

He has a towel over his swim trunks and house-shoes on, but that's it.]

Comments

[selfless_stag]

[Today James also feels like a swim and a snack, except in the opposite order and slightly later than Shin. So they both end up half naked in the kitchen. James gives his friend a smile and goes for the biscuits cupboard.]

[shounenphelps]

[!!!]

Ah, I'm sorry, I was just...

[He wasn't expecting to get caught. House full of people, but he still didn't. If it was anyone else, he'd be able to keep his cool, but he still tries to keep up his best manners around James - the person whose opinion he cares about the most 2nd to Sirius.]

Normally I wear a full-piece, you see. Out diving.

[selfless_stag]

Hmmm? [James turns, not really paying much attention.]

What are you apologising for?

[Shin is good guy really but sometimes, James just thinks he's too nice. Strange catch for Padfoot.]

[shounenphelps]

Well I-

[... And he relaxes a little. Right. James is just a normal guy. No different from his friends back home - except maybe with a bit more humor than Touma.]

Nothing, I guess. Habit.

Would you like something to drink? [He's opening the fridge anyway.]

[selfless_stag]

[James chuckles slightly.] Sometimes I wonder how you can be so...[Stuck up was very much the wrong word here so James decided to leave out the adjective.]...when you're dating Sirius.

No thanks. [He's busy with his biscuits.]

[shounenphelps]

[Well that does sting a little, being a critique, but he hears James out, even the unspoken part.]

Ah... I think I know what you mean. That's just how I was raised. Still, I like to think that being in this place...

[He gestures to the rest of the house with his quart of Fruit Milk.]

And around you all I'm, how to phrase it... having more fun. [Hopeful smile?]

[selfless_stag]

I would hope our influence has changed you. You're a good person and you're good for Sirius. I've never seen him so happy. Just don't tell him I said that.

[He laughed.] You need to relax a little. Break a few rules. But you'll do it at your own pace. And I'll be there to enjoy the spoils.

[He gave Shin a wink, meaning everything and not trying to hurt his feelings. Finishing his last biscuit, he smiled again.] You're a good friend, Shin. To everyone. You won me over. I like you. Relax.

[And he headed out to the pool.]

[shounenphelps]

[He flushes with the compliment as James leaves, but then abruptly puts the drink away to dash back out into the hallway.]

Hey James!

[He takes his towel off and puts it up over his shoulder.]

How about a race?

[selfless_stag]

[He turns just as he was opening the door and looks back.] A race?

[Grin] You're on!

[shounenphelps]

I won't go easy on you!

[He starts running back that way. Better get your head-start James or he's gonna run you down!]

[selfless_stag]

Just tell me where the finish line is. [James shuts the door after him so he gets a few seconds.]

[shounenphelps]

[Ah! As soon as he opens the door, he shouts with a smile] Too far even with your handicap head-start!

[The towel gets dropped right there and he's about to dive right into the nearest end, even if it's the shallows. He's done this before~]

[selfless_stag]

[James is already in the water. He doubts he'll win but it's fun either way.]

[shounenphelps]

[When Shin dives in, he makes sure to swim underneath of James - just for a bit of potential freak-out. He even spins on his body's axis to get a little current flowing.]

[selfless_stag]

[Merlin, Shin is a good swimmer. James thought he would be with his "dolphin" nickname but this was amazing. Poor James was never very fast, he just enjoyed the water mostly.]

[shounenphelps]

[A race wasn't really a race without the competition, but since it was James and he'd promised not to go easy... Shin didn't. He surfaced for air, but quickly ducked under again. He specifically turned at the other end of the pool in the fastest way possible, without even going back up for air a second time until he was a quarter of the way back down the pool.]

[He did, however, start doing the backstroke after that to call out to James.]

Hey! So how... [He waited until he saw James surfacing again, a grin on his face.] Many laps?

[selfless_stag]

[James stopped at the other end, just watching for now. He wasn't that kind of athlete. Flying didn't tax his lungs the way swimming did.]

A few less than I've already done? [He panted.]

[shounenphelps]

[Shin had to laugh.] It sounds like we should do this again sometime. After you've had time to practice?

[selfless_stag]

Or we could race on Sirius' brooms and call it even? [As if was obvious he would win that.]

[shounenphelps]

That I have been practicing! [Shin was extremely proud of that, even knowing that James could still beat him.] I'd gladly try again; it's the only way I'll get better, right?

[selfless_stag]

Great! Why don't we dry off and return back here in fifteen minutes?

[shounenphelps]

Well I could take care of the drying off part, but that doesn't get us dressed.

[selfless_stag]

That's why we're meeting back in fifteen minutes. Gives us the time!