where is the pool

At least there wasn't much of an issue there, then; the less the topic of racing came up with Rin, the easier life was for Haruka. It had been a long time since he had been able to leisurely spend any time with Rin without it turning into some kind of fight; not since they were children, before things had started to fall apart.

Fortunately, the other didn't take too long, and Haruka only had to stand waiting by the door for a short time before he reappeared. Rin had certainly stayed in proper shape, something Haruka passively noted upon his reappearance. He was still serious about it all, then.

"Let's go, then."

He didn't bother to say anything else before turning to open the door and step out of the house, casting a brief glance over his shoulder to ensure that Rin was following before stepping out onto the street and walking, gaze shifting to focus on the beach in the distance.

House 001, huh? [layoffthechan]

"D-Don’t just—!" But of course Rin was too late, Haruka already started. He looked away before Haruka’s shirt came completely off, and just frowned. He just couldn’t believe this was happening.

Then again, who was he kidding? This is Haruka, he’s going to the beach, of course he’s going to strip right now. At least the other roommates weren’t around—not like they needed to see this as much as Rin.

Either way, Haruka had actually asked him to come along to the beach. It wasn’t often that Rin got to watch Haruka swin, after all…

"I guess I can go, though…"

Protests successfully ignored, Haruka had made sufficient time in removing pesky unnecessary layers before finally returning his full attention back to Rin. He'd agreed to come, then; whether or not that was something to be pleased about Haruka wasn't sure, but it was what it was. And it wasn't exactly untrue to say that the most recent race with Rin had played a part in motivating Haruka's return to competitive swimming...

"Get ready, then. I don't want to wait long."

It was none too unbelievable that Haruka would end up leaving him if it did take too long, but seeing Rin swim again kept him lingering around for the time being. It was certainly a shame the other didn't seem to enjoy it anymore, but that was just how it was, he supposed.

"...And I won't race you."

public indecency | open

praecuro-blog

Despite how beautiful the scenery was in Lorview, Mikan’s anxieties only increased as she took her first steps out of the house she was given. Where was the island? Where were the others? Was this another trick of Monobear’s, or something Monomi did? No matter, there wasn’t much she could do— or, well, nothing she could think of to do other than wander about trying to find familiar faces. It had been a long, long time since she was around such a huge amount of people, and her own paranoia caused her to believe them to be staring at her, ridiculing her with their eyes, nearby laughter assumed to be at her. Quickly did she start to sweat, shaky as eyes flitted from one crowd to the other.

Finally reaching the water, what quickly caught her attention would be the murmuring of crowds and gasps near the pier, some crowding around to stare curiously and others hastily guiding their children away from the scene and onto their usual business. Cautiously, Mikan approached the crowd, standing on her toes to see what the cause of all this attention was.

Her gasp joined the crowd of onlookers, and here she could hear them murmuring among each other, saying things such as ‘what is he doing?’ ‘somebody stop him!’ ‘this is indecent!’

Normally, the nurse would run away at once, covering her face and apologizing for witnessing such a thing. However, she found herself pushing through the crowd on shaky legs, bursting through them and in front of the half-dressed boy. Anxiously did she splutter her words, becoming almost even dizzy with embarrassment that she would be the one to speak up like this, at the very center of the crowd; the very center of attention.

“W-w-w-what are you doing?! P-please stop this at once!”

“Y-y-you can’t.. be doing this in p..public!! I think..!”

If Haruka had noticed the commotion around him he showed no sign of it; he certainly hadn't caught on to the fact that he was the center of it, with no Makoto around to stop him and his focus on the sea waiting for him. His intent focus did little for his case, however, public unrest growing despite him remaining blissfully unaware of what he was intentionally causing. Nothing came between Haruka and the water--

-- Except, apparently, a girl he was assuming was roughly his own age. His hand paused at his pants, eyes flitting upwards as his focus went from the intent to remove them to the young woman telling him to stop with a vague look of confusion. Why?

"...But I want to swim."

That was normal, wasn't it? It wasn't as if he were the only person ever to swim; in fact, he could see others doing so even from here. Unfortunately he was also still missing the entire point of the confrontation, unaware of the misconception taking place here, and seeing no reason to fully stop his pants soon joined the heap of clothing on the ground around him.

Fortunately, Haruka was always prepared to encounter any body of water, swimsuit kept under his clothing in the event that he should come across any opportunities to swim such as this; and of course it's there now, on account of the fact that he's not really a terrifying streaker, though he could certainly be labeled odd in other ways regardless.

His attention returned to the poor girl he had met, still confused as to why exactly he had been stopped in his rush to begin with.

"You're not supposed to swim in clothing."

#praecuro #sry mikan

House 001, huh? [layoffthechan]

"Yeah, a while…" He didn’t expand past that since it was kind of his fault that they hadn’t seen each other in “so long." What with the avoiding them and especially Haruka if only for a race. And of course, he’s still like that. Just looking at Haruka right now, that towel around his neck, clearly he plans to go to the beach now. Just the thought of it makes Rin want to race him and best him but it’ll be just as before.

If Rin wins, Haruka won’t care.

If Haruka wins, he still won’t care.

So before Rin considering inviting him for another race, his new plan was to try to make Haruka care so that his win could mean more. And it will, one day.

"Going out I take it? Have fun."

The awkward lack of much conversation between the two came as little surprise. There wasn't much to say while trying to avoid a fight; Rin seemed to have grown increasingly touchy over the years since their last race. In hindsight, if Haruka had known how much it would change he wouldn't have agreed in the first place, but there was nothing he could do about that now.

He nodded, focus partly going back to the beach that was waiting for him. It would probably be better without Rin there; less competition, and more time for a leisurely swim, free from trying to gauge what Rin's reaction would be to any outcome of a race and Haruka caring little about it. Just him and the waves. Still...

"You can come if you want."

It was a big beach anyway. Regardless of whether or not Rin took the invitation or not, he was going himself, deciding it would probably be better to leave his clothing here than have them get lost in his careless rush to get into the water; with that decided, he turned his back to Rin, sliding the towel off from around his neck and going through the process of removing pesky clothing.

#belmead open #this is such a dumb post. what am i doing. we don't know

public indecency | open

Water.

Lorview and its surrounding area is, it seems, full of the stuff, starting with the sea the town has been built around, spanning outward as far as the eye can see. Blue waves rolling up to lap at the shore of soft white sand, gulls crying overhead... It's no wonder that Lorview is, according to the brief explanations of each town given, something like a tourist attraction.

The beach is precisely where Haruka can be found at the moment, among a spread out crowd of other people milling about the shops and stands on the pier he's currently standing on. The sun is warm, but not too much, everyone seems to be enjoying themselves... And Haru is staring out across that expanse of blue, a certain wonder in his eyes. Unfortunately, everything is about to go wrong.

It starts with his shirt, pulled up over his head and tossed carelessly aside in a matter of moments. The sight would perhaps have been less odd if he had been on the actual shore or near changing rooms, rather than on a pier in the middle of a crowd of people, mothers shielding the eyes of their children in growing horror as a strange boy suspiciously strips down before their very eyes, looking less like an ordinary swimmer and more like some sort of deranged flasher.

He can't help it, really, if he pays less attention than he perhaps ought to in the heat of passion, but the spectacle certainly looks more incriminating than he intended.

House 001, huh? [layoffthechan]

Oh great, the man of the hour has arrived. He could have easily ignored his presence, pretending he never saw him or heard his voice call his name. But he was staring right at him, the same expressionless face as always. He made a snarl, not believing his luck.

"Haruka," it was too hard to not growl out his name. “Isn’t it just great that we’ll be living under the same house? Wherever we are. You must be enjoying that I’m here, huh?"

How like Rin to respond with what had apparently become one of his trademark expressions. It had been a long time since Haruka had seen him with anything other than a snarl or some other unpleasant face; he half-wondered if Rin's face would eventually freeze like that, like mothers were always warning their children about. It probably wouldn't be noticeable even if it did.

"Of course." Even if Rin's comments had gotten to him, he wouldn't have shown it, expression remaining deadpan. As if he were going to let some sassy shark's attitude get the better of him. "I don't know the others here, and it's been a while since I've seen you." It could have stayed that way and he would have been perfectly happy, considering how their last encounters had turned out, but he didn't add that part on.

House 001, huh? [layoffthechan]

"This is dumb," Rin mumbled to himself as he stared at the house in question. Sure, the town itself was nice and had enough water for him to practice his swimming all he wanted, but when he saw who he’d be bunking with in this “house," his expression went sour.

A Sonia Never…mind? Interesting name, maybe she’s just as such so he wouldn’t be bored. Natsuki O’Conner? Another weird name. Hopefully these weird names just don’t mean weird people. But the last name, right before his own, that’s the one that worried him.

Haruka Nanase.

"Yeah, this will definitely be interesting," he said with a sigh before entering the house, looking around. He dropped whatever belongings he had onto the couch and began exploring the place.