Tidal Waves [Open]

The ocean. It was something that the fire manipulator was painfully aware he'd never seen before he came to this place. Sure, he loved being in Liverpool with his pops, and he liked Germany when they would travel, but... he never really got the chance to just... watch the water. His steel-blue gaze was locked to the water as he stood on the beach, his bare feet pressed into the cooled sand. It was just past sunrise, and honestly, this sight? Gods, it was to die for. Watching it with a smile, the raven slid his headphones off of his ears and padded toward the water more, hearing the music from his stereo headphones settling his nerves. He didn't see anyone else out here... Well, not yet. He guessed on a Saturday, this would be a popular place, but he didn't plan to stick around long.

It looked too calm, he thought, too calm and too enticing. Like it was the Norse God Loki, wanting to play and drown whoever was stupid enough to get close. But this place was safe. Right? Taking off his backpack from his shoulder, and slowly he slid off his headphones and thick jacket. Putting them into his bag, he went to hide the bag off to the side of a few trees before he headed to step into the water.

The first thing he noted was how cold it was. "Oh! Bloody hell!!" River Haggard squeaked, and in his rush to get his feet out of the cold...well, he ended up twisting himself a bit too fast, and he yelped as he landed on his back in the icy water. Okay, that didn't work; now he was colder and his Def Leppard shirt was now soaked. Groaning, he sighed to himself before he went to wade deeper. This was stupid, but the warm breeze was calming, and... after everything? He needed to calm down.

Guess sometimes you just have to follow the tide to learn what can start to happen. Even fire can't ignore the call of the water when it has been denied for so long. Well, if he was alone maybe he wouldn't have been so clumsy. Not that he knew that.

Adelaide felt the loose soil of the forest diminish into the soft, cool sand of the beach. A warm breeze ruffled her somewhat messy, blonde hair, which was tied neatly up in a navy colored bandanna, rolled to act as a headband. She wiggled her bare toes into the silky sand, feeling a sense of relief at the gentle touch. So this was the beach she had been told about. She silently shamed herself for not wearing a swimsuit under her cloths. She knew that if she dared go into the water, her cloths would get soaked and would take forever to dry. It was not that she cared much about getting her older t-shirt or jean shorts wet, she just did not want to have to change later. She had a limited set of cloths, and would be forced to wear jeans if she could not wear the only clean pair of shorts she currently owned. And she was wearing those. With a sigh, she walked closer to the water, her head pulsing with pain as she attempted to block out what she was seeing.

Thousands of tracks of every color, running this way and that. There were too many to even try to track down. They glowed with varying intensity, each shining with its own shade or hue. Deep blue, light gold, soft peach, dark purple-everyone on the whole island must have been here at one point, because the colors were making her brain cry for mercy from the endless migraine that had taken root there. She could not stand her power, to see the traces of all life stretched out in front of her in those damn, glowing tracks that never left her alone.

She snapped back to the present as she heard a huge splash. Turning her head this way and that to find the maker of the noise, she finally spotted a boy, about 16, with his back in the water. He seemed pretty angry, so it must not have been intentional. Even though many of the people she had met with previously would have found such an act incredibly humorous, Adelaide did not see what was so funny. He could have gotten hurt! What was so funny about that? "Are you ok?" She asked. Her eyes widened slightly. What had she gotten herself into?! This boy seemed almost surprisingly...scary... But she refused to let his looks drive her away. The main problem was her 'talent' for never knowing what to say. It would certainly be of little use here, especially because she did not know the boy. She just hoped that this would not be too long of a conversation, or else she would be given the opportunity to make an even bigger fool of herself.

The raven was cursing to himself as he got back up, rubbing his back slightly with a sandy palm. He peeked over at the sound of a voice, his steel blue eyes looking to clash with whomever had spoken up. Instantly turning red in the fact, the pale raven took a wary step back. A woman? She looked like she was rather ill suited for this place. Well...so did he, but still. "I-I... I'm okay, really." He felt so out of his element here, and now doused, his powers would do not a bloody thing. Peeking at the water lapping at his calves, he bit his bottom lip slowly before looking at the girl again. Blonde, almost innocent-looking... Huh. He guessed there was all sorts who'd be here. Swallowing hard, he watched her before he wiped his sand-covered palms off on his black jeans that were not much cooler thanks to the water.

"I, uh... I'm River. Nice, to, uh... m-meet ya." Dang, he could just never get over his stutter, could he? Oi. Shakily, he extended his left hand, offering it to her as his eyes dropped to the water between them. "I'm terribly sorry... I made a bloody fool out of myself. I didn't plan on soaking myself like that..." She was still on the beach, and after a moment of arguing with himself, he stepped up back onto the sand and shaking, he held his hand out to her in greeting. He seriously felt like such a blasted igit after that. But at least she wasn't laughing. Most people would have. Of all the things he could have done, could have said! Well, sometimes he wasn't so great at this talking thing. Communication? Heh, that was a good joke.

"Are you a student here, too?" he asked softly, peeking at her shyly, "I've yet to meet anyone hands-on yet... It's all just been passing." The British English was thick on his tongue, the German almost hiding behind it. It was bound to happen when raised by a mixed-tongue man, after all. But it did blend softly on his tongue; not harsh, like it did on his father's own course and blunt muscle. "...It's, uh...A nice mornin'," he murmured as he peeked at the sunrise that was starting to almost blind him whilst the light hit the cold waters, "it probably won't be this quiet by noon."

Adelaide briefly analyzed the other person's eyes as soon as her own chocolate gaze met with his steel blue one. They were, well, steel blue. But his now extremely red face caught her attention before she was able to study his eyes anymore. Her own face turned a soft pink in response. She took her own step back, mimicking his. The boy's reaction surprised her, nobody ever did anything like that where she came from. But this was a new place, a new school. Not that she had been to a proper school before...

The boy walked out of the water, and Adelaide’s trained eyes jumped immediately to his feet. Light blue, almost the color of the sky on a cloudless day at noon.

But at least he was not injured. But his embarrassment was so brutally obvious that it made Adelaide nervous. She had never been around anyone without an odd air of confidence. But at least he had an interesting accent.

“River…” She echoed, feeling the name on her lips. It was a nice name, she had to admit. “It is nice to meet you, River. I am Adelaide,” She said. It was almost an automatic response, one she had been taught many times over by her caretakers before she came here. “No, don’t be sorry! I am actually surprised that I was not the one to fall into the water,” She remarked. And nobody should be sorry for something they cannot control. Adelaide took River’s hand, assuming that he was offering it to shake. It was just a touch, as her had swiftly dropped back to its place by her side. But touching others made her nervous, especially if she did not know the person well. She tried to limit it to short moments of contact. She was definitely glad that she had not approached a boy with a sharp tongue or a fierce attitude, which it was obvious that River was not always the confident type to make cruel jokes.

“Yes, I just arrived a couple days ago,” She replied. So, he was a student too, then. She glanced up at the sky, the newly risen sun shining brightly, a small orb of light amongst the clouds. “It is very beautiful,” She sighed,”Though it is a shame that such a nice place will be clustered with others by lunch. It would be much more peaceful if it was always like it is now.” She thought for a moment, and then ducked her head. Looking at her toes, she wracked her brain for anything to say. The questions were over, and no replies remained that she could piggyback off of. She had to think for herself for something to say, something to ask. And what she came up with was far from spectacular. “Um…What is your favorite color?” She murmured, half hoping that he had not heard it. Maybe in the time he could ask, ‘what did you say’, she could come up with something else. But it was hard to not be heard on a quiet beach.

Thank gods she didn't bolt. He was used to most people being confident and always so strong in mind. But here, standing wet as he tried to offer her a smile, the shy raven nodded and shook her hand gently, honestly glad she pulled back so quickly. "It's nice to meet ya, Adelaide," he replied softly, watching her with his gentle and mostly alert gaze, "I would feel really bad if you were the one who fell... I'll dry off in the sun eventually, yeah?" He had to admit, he was feeling a little more comfortable. She was just as nervous. Well, that didn't ease him as much as he hoped, but at least she wasn't making him talk. It was a passing thing, something simple.

"I got here late last night... It's very pretty, I gotta admit. I like the atmosphere, but I'm a little wary of the people. I'm not used to being alone again."[/i] Not since he was still an orphan, at least. Those were darker, sadder days. Watching the sun some, he chuckled under his breath as he slid his hands into his jean pockets; at least it was pretty much dead at the moment. "... Colour? Probably gold or orange, in that spectrum. What about you?" Slowly, his gaze went back over, his eyes flitting over her chocolate ones. Oh. Wow. She had a sweet shade of brown, almost like Sabriel's. One gets to know the exact shade of something when you're stuck in a tattooist's chair for hours. He was a great soul, and gentle with his tattooing, but still.


It probably wasn't good to be thinking of his friends right now. She wasn't Sabbies, and it was not good to put things like that upon a new person. "I'm not really used to being alone; my Pops was pretty much a guard dog for me for years, so it's...strange, ya know?" He didn't want to let her in too far, but letting her get a taste of the fact that he was in no form a cruel person was good. Absently sliding a hand behind his back in military fashion, he smiled at her before he noticed the birds flying overhead, going toward the waters not too far off from them. "I'm gonna bet it's breakfast time for their little ones," he murmured gently before he looked at her again, his gaze soft and curious, "...Would you want to split a sandwich or something with me? I brought a few bottles of water in my bag, and we can hang out for a bit or something? It's better than just standing here and risking to be a landing mat for the gulls." Chuckling, he offered a sheepish smile. He was so not charming. Oi. No wonder he only seemed to attract men. 'Fruit really doesn't fall far from the tree...' he thought before shaking his head and looking toward her, aware she had every right to just walk away. 

She was relieved that he did not ignore her question, or worse, run away. If he had been anyone else, she was sure that the boy would have bolted. She was lucky to have approached such a nice student like Raven. “Hrm…” The girl thought briefly. There were so many colors, and she had never really thought about which was her favorite before. “I like dark blue the most, especially when it had hints of green,” She decided. It was the color of one of her caretaker’s tracks.

Adelaide was taken somewhat off guard when Raven began to speak of his father. As far as she knew, she never had a father. Never even had parents to begin with. From what she knew, which was very little, she was born from a test tube. And it always made her a bit sad when others talked of their proud heritage. I mean, parents? That meant that you were supposed to be here. That you were not just a trial in some elaborate test.

“It must be very strange,” She thought,”I mean, it was certainly strange for me too.” She refused to ignore that she did not know if anyone cared about her like a mother or father would, but she would easily put her caretakers and trainers into the classification of parents. When was sent out for the first time, it was very strange. Especially when she could not find her way back, and could not find her way forwards either, and ended up in a cave alone for years…Yes, very strange indeed.

She noticed him shift his hand behind his back, a position she would occasionally see others do. But they were always in uniform, and Raven certainly was not in uniform. She assumed that it was just a habit, and decided not to bring it up. She noticed him look up, and turned her gaze to the sky. The birds flew above them, leaving slightly faded streaks of color in the already bright sky. Despite the fact that it was causing her head to pulse with pain, it was very beautiful. A sweet smile appeared across her lips as she watched the flock.

Her gaze shifted back to Raven at his words, her eyes widened slightly. But her eyes soon showed her gratitude at his offer. “Thank you, I would love to!” She exclaimed. She was internally cheering. A huge step had been made for the girl. She finally had a friend, or at least she thought so.

Dark blue with hints of green? Huh. Well, she was pretty unique after all, huh? Smiling to himself, he nodded and his arm dropped from behind him. Stuffing his hands in his pockets, teasing a thumb at a guitar pick in his left pocket, he hummed and strode toward the spot he'd hidden his bag. "I'm glad to have met someone kind first. I'm not really...good with people." He was just so glad he didn't have to put up with other pyros at the moment. Well, that was the term his Pops used. River strode with an ease he didn't act like he had, like he had come control in this, but it was a willingness control. That he could lead her as she wanted and only as she needed. It was a comfort. Once at the spot he'd hidden his bag, he knelt down to get inside of it. Offering her a sealed bottle of water, he gave her a smile. At least someone was open enough to let him at least try to be a friend.

Moving to sit down, he felt the sand at his feet, the grains a little rough but cool. "You don't mind tuna, do you? I don't go for beef at all. Just never tastes right." Not to mention his Pops was allergic to fish, so it was a good way to keep the man out of his meals. "I have a habit of putting cinnamon in everything I eat. Pops started me on that when I was a kid with tea, but eventually I just kept it as a staple." It also kept his stomach from bothering him too much between long periods without food. Taking out a second bottle of water and keeping his bag between them as a way to ease her nervousness, he took out the wrapped sandwiches and offered one to her.

"Thanks. Ya know, for...not laughin' at me." Shyly, he smiled at her and turned his gaze to the water, taking off the plastic wrap on his sandwich and taking a bite. Ironic; eating fish when there were so many hidden beneath those beautiful waves. He figured it was best to let the talk die down a little so they could eat. Uncapping his bottle and setting his sandwich on his leg, he took a small drink from it, grateful for the taste of spring water.

Adelaide smiled and nodded. She had never been much of a people-person herself. That could have easily been from lack of experience, or lack of people, but her social skills were usually mediocre at best. The only people she seemed to be able to truly converse with were ones that found conversation just as nerve wrecking as she did. Otherwise, they just talked unendingly, or expected the right words to flow from her mouth.

The girl followed Raven, a breeze playing gently with her wavy hair. But as long as no strands strayed into her face, she did not mind it. She looked down to where he had hidden his bag, a faint question springing up in her head. ‘Why did he need to hide it?’ ‘So nobody stole it, idiot.” It was a good thing that she did not ask out loud, as the answer was obvious when she thought about it.

She looked up to see an outstretched hand, offering her a bottle of water. She gave Raven a smile and took the bottle gratefully. “No, I do not mind. I like tuna more than beef too,” She said. It had been a while since she had either, but still remembered the faintest tastes of each. And tuna appealed more to Adelaide. “Hm, Cinnamon? It sounds interesting,” She thought, “But good interesting.” She took the offered sandwich bag happily.

Adelaide looked up from her sandwich, looking to Raven. “Why would I ever laugh at you? I know that anything you may have done, or said, I would have done or said so why should I judge you for that?” She said, a seriousness not seen before entering her gaze. Who would laugh at such a nice person, even if he fell into the water or if he sometimes was a little bad with people or if he had a stutter? None of that really mattered anyways, so why would anyone dare to laugh? Turning her head down to her sandwich, she unwrapped it and took a small bite off of the corner. It was a bit different from what she was used to, but still good. After another few bites, she grabbed the water bottle, and attempted to open it. A light blush appeared on her cheeks as she realized that the cap was simply too tightly on for her to get it off. With her head down, looking at the sandy ground, she held the bottle out infront of her. “Um…sorry but would you…could you…” She muttered, embarrassed at her apparent weakness. She hoped that the cap was just on tighter than normal, as she grasped for an excuse for her inability to twist off the cap.

The seriousness in her gaze as he watched her was almost unsettling, but slowly, his steel blue eyes softened and he nodded in understanding. Yeah, she sure wasn't like Sabriel in soul, but he could get where she was coming from. Nodding, he let the topic fall between them, and watching the water, he didn't look back over until he heard her struggling with the cap. Chuckling somewhat fondly, he nodded and set down his bottle before taking hers. Meeting her gaze, his own warm and more calm, he nodded. "It's okay. I have trouble with these things, too, sometimes. I had a good friend of mine who actually couldn't open anything with a twist cap because of how badly he shook in the hands."[/i] Indigo was a good man, soft-spoken and usually blunt as all hell; he was sweet, too, and maybe part of his appeal was the fact his Pops didn't like him.

Twisting the cap off, he offered the bottle back to her, smiling gently as he set the lid on the palm of her other hand. "I'm kind of used to that kind of stuff, so if you need help, just ask. I can't always get lids off stuff, either. Pickle jars or jelly? Might as well skip it." With a smile, he laughed quietly, the tone smooth and cracked some under his breath. "It's really okay, though... Um... You don't mind if I call you by a nickname or something, do you? You can call me Rivvie if you want. Or Ala, short for Alastar. Kinda liked star-watching when I was a little 'un." He figured it was best to keep on common ground. It was safer, after all, and they both seemed painfully shy.

"My name's technically Aleister Crowley Haggard, but... I've gone by Riva' so long, well, it kinda stuck." Turning his head to look at her, he smiled gently. He had to keep turning his head to look at her when he heard her talking; she was on his left side, which was sadly his bad ear. "...Also... Don't look so sad when you're talking about stuff. You're really bright for having so much pent up confusion." River couldn't help the fact that he could see it. He was always a good judge of character, after all, and he didn't see anything bad in her. Not yet, anyway.

"My best friend back home always said that if you're passionate about anything, that'll be the only key to yer happiness. Just follow what you know you care for, and soon enough, things will come your way again. Of course, that's coming from a guy who's three times my age and runs an underground gang network... but he isn't a cruel person by any means."Every one of the ANGELs that looked up to Virgil knew his number one rule. No killing. It wasn't right. "So...if you're ever really lost on something, just think about what ya love and what your strengths are. You'll figure a path out of whatever situation yer in." It had helped him many times, personally, but he wasn't about to go over his life story.

She felt relief wash over her as Raven took the bottle with a good natured chuckle. She looked up when he began to talk about his friend again. Wow, Raven had so many friends! How did he get so many? He must have just been around a lot of people his age for a while, or at least that was what she assumed. She took the bottle back with a quiet,”Thank you,” And took the cap in her other hand. Adelaide took a sip of the cool water, glad that it was still slightly cold. It felt very refreshing, as water usually did.

She was also happy that Raven was used to helping people out with things, and she would probably need the help at some point. She was not the strongest bird in the flock, but that did not mean that she had to be left behind.

She perked up as Raven continued. “Rivvie…Can I call you Rivvie?” She asked, a giggle hidden in her voice. It was a name that she would think of giving a young child, a nickname for a boy much younger than herself. But it seemed to fit River nicely, despite that. “Um..But a nickname for myself? …How about…Addie,” She thought out loud. “Unless you have another name in mind. Star-watching…She had been 9 when she had seen the stars for the first time. Even though they were partially hidden by streaks of color from planes, she found a unique beauty in them that she had yet to see anywhere else.

Aleister Crowly Haggard. Adelaide agreed, River fit him much better than Aleister. “My full name is Adelaide Lorelei Abbey,” She said,”Though I only just recently learned that I had names other than Adelaide.” She added. She had just been told of them when she came to Foresta, because it was needed for registration. It felt good to have a full name, it made her more like the other students.

She paused, wondering, do I really look sad when I talk? She never meant to, it was just how she was. And for most of her life that she could remember, nobody cared what emotion she had displayed on her face. All that mattered was that she was alive and able to train to be what she was told, no bred, to do. And it felt surprisingly good to be around someone who cared. “I am sorry,” She muttered. She smiled sweetly,”So, like this?” She asked.

She listened carefully to River’s advice. It seemed to be full of meaning, and the black haired boy seemed to care a lot about it. She would have to remember to become passionate in something, whether it be her drawings or her singing or anything. Maybe it would make her smile come more naturally. She nodded as he finished. “That friend of yours sounds like a wise person,” She remarked thoughtfully.

It seemed like she really was like the people that the old dog Virgil helped. Well, at least Riv knew how to react ROI her better. Watching the sky a moment, he smiled. "Nice to get to know ya, Addie. Sorry I don't have much to offer, but I do how to stay friends. People kinda keep away from me. I kinda prefer that, since most people wouldn't understand me anyways, but still." smiling back at her, he relaxed some, nibbling on his . "You have any hobbies? I play guitar myself."


( Terribly sorry, the net got shut off at home and my phone is kinda testy with providers on my phone.)

((I AM SO SORRY for how dreadfully late this is! And do not worry how long yours is, I really do not mind. ouo))

Adelaide smiled cheerfully. “It is nice to get to know you as well, Rive..Rivie,” She said, catching herself so that she could get used to his nickname. It was not that she did not like it, but she had never met anyone with two names before. And she just was not used to it yet. The girl frowned, disagreeing with the black haired boy’s comment on his inability to offer anything. But she did not say anything about it, instead finding herself somewhat saddened at how so many people avoided him. And what made it even worse is that he preferred it like that. “Well, I certainly do not know you inside and out yet, but I also really want to stay friends,” She said, her sweet smile returning.

She thought about what she enjoyed to do in her free time. Honestly, she really was never given the opportunity to take up a sport, or to practice an instrument. She was rarely given things to do when she was little, but still found ways to fill her time. Most of that time was filled by stealing pens and drawing on the walls. “That is really cool, Rivvie! I wish that I could play an instrument…” She thought out loud. “Well, I sing sometimes, but that is not really an instrument. And I also draw too.” She decided.

OOC; Retiring this thread! Let me know if you want it revived.