Re: A Return to Eaulir - 119 4A

[Nara-pyon]

Killian opened his mouth, but for the first time, no sound came out.

"It's about time," Shiro muttered.

"Aw, c'mon, Shiro," Kaito grinned. "Let him be."

Killian turned to Kaito hopefully. "So you'll swim with me?" he asked brightly.

Kaito blinked, his turn to be left speechless. "Um ... ah ...."

[Kara Winters]

Holly just cracked up right then and there. Honestly she couldn't tell if Killian just wanted to swim, or if he was honestly hitting on Kaito.

Between chuckles Holly explained, "Kaito doesn't like to be in large bodies of water."

Which was true, she never managed to get Kaito into the water the same way she could get Shiro.

[Nara-pyon]

"Or small ones," Kaito muttered under his breath. He turned around and spread his wings wide. From tip to tip, it was a span of well over ten feet. "You really think swimming with these is a good idea? Or comfortable?"

Holly wasn't the only one who was amused. Geran didn't know Kaito as well, so he wasn't laughing, but the rest of the group was quite amused by Killian's suggestion.

"Look," Rose giggled, "if you want to go swimming with someone, just ask. You don't have to flatter or flirt to get someone to swim with you. But you do have to promise that you won't pull any pranks - none of us can breathe underwater like you can."

[Kara Winters]

Holly didn't say anything, though she did agree. However, she had no interest in swimming at the moment.

Instead she patted the ground beside her for Shiro to come and join her.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro was still annoyed, and he was glad when Holly motioned for him to join her so that he wouldn't have to keep dealing with Killian. Truth be told, he was more than happy to leave the nut to Rose and Geran (who did seem willing to keep dealing with him).

He sat next to Holly and sighed, his wings unfurling and then folding once more against his bare back. He had of course put on plenty of their home-made sunblock: his pale skin would burn easily, he knew, if he didn't take care of himself.

"I really hope the others get back soon," he muttered quietly to Holly. "Or maybe we should just tell him ourselves what we found so we can say we fulfilled our promise and he can leave."

[Kara Winters]

"Do you really think he's going to just leave afterwards?" Holly asked Shiro with a bit of bemusement.

Shiro normally had the patience of a saint (which was completely Kaito's fault), but it seemed that Shiro didn't have much patience for Killian.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro rubbed his face with the heels of his palms. "Ugh ... no," he admitted reluctantly. "I only wish. But honestly, the way he treats everyone ... especially you and the other girls ..."

He sighed and leaned forward, using one finger to doodle in the sand between his feet. "I just hope he doesn't ask to come with us again. I know he drives most of us crazy, but there are enough people in our group with soft hearts who just might try convince us to let him come."

He hated himself for feeling the way he did, but he was smart enough to know that if Killian did accompany them, he would be driven around the bend.

[Kara Winters]

"That's true, normally the group is all for having other people travel us," Holly agreed, "And between Rose and Geran, there's not a really good reason not to have him come along."

After all Rose came because of Holly, though if Rose hadn't been allowed, Holly suspected that Rose would have left anyways. Geran was a bit of a unique case.

"Beyond the fact he would drive most people batty."

[Nara-pyon]

"Honestly, that should be reason enough," Shiro sighed; but then he cut himself off and shook his head. "Sorry. No. It seems he brings out the worst in me. I do still believe it would be a bad idea for him to come with us, and as much as I could say that many of us would simply be unhappy with it, I think the fairer excuse, the more legitimate one, perhaps, is that he simply doesn't show enough respect for anyone around him. And a person who doesn't respect the people around him does not deserve any special favours."

He was starting to act like Ura - never a good sign.

"I suppose," he added after a moment, "that I should have more faith in our companions to recognize the kind of character he is and speak against his coming with us ..."

[Kara Winters]

Holly giggled, "He certainly lacks tack, and really I think he just wants to find other people to socialize with. He's not really going to find what he's looking for when he travels with us."

Not everyone was friendly of course, and Killian was maybe even too friendly. Which was saying something.

[Nara-pyon]

"And yet I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't find it among his own people, either," Shiro murmured with a slight frown. "I mean, I know we've only met a few other Water Elves - Atl and Nyx and Chelan - but ... by all accounts, Killian seems very different from the others. And not too well regarded, at that."

Not that it excused him or made Shiro any more willing to travel with him, but he did find himself feeling just a little bit sorry for the guy. After all, Shiro was a Gaian, and he was of the opinion that people should be free to be themselves - right?

[Kara Winters]

"Well.... if he toned down on the flirting... because really even in Gaia, that is not appropriate unless you're in high school, and even then... high school girls have standards," Holly had to admit, "He might be able to sweet talk a girl or not, but let's face it. He's the guy who would get left behind as all his friends got married, and I'm sure he's not that young age wise."

At least she assumed seeing as it was hard to tell the ages of anyone immortal.

"Otherwise, yea, he's probably a bit of an outcast because he has an interest in things other than where he lives. Which I get the sense is a bit unusual."

[Nara-pyon]

"For most races," Shiro agreed, "to be fair."

A movement near the trees caught his eye, and he looked over his shoulder to see Shoneah and Andarien returning to the beach, hand in hand, bags over their shoulders and both of them looking very pleased - until they caught sight of Killian, who was still talking with Rose and Geran, and then Andarien looked annoyed and Shoneah rolled her eyes and sighed visibly.

"Hm," Shiro murmured, his eyes lighting up suddenly. "This could get interesting."

[Kara Winters]

"You just want to see the fireworks," Holly laughed as she lightly whacked Shiro on the shoulder.

The joy about talking with Shiro or anyone from Gaia, was that she could use a very Gaian saying and it would be understood.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro laughed and suddenly felt better. "Maybe I do," he grinned, giving Holly a playful, light shove. "Though on that note, that's something I should look into sometime. Kaito told me about when he had gone on a trip around the Four Lands with Lin and Earendil and some others - they started out just after the New Year's celebrations which included, as he described it, 'the longest and most spectacular fireworks display he had ever seen'."

He smiled and watched as Killian spotted Shoneah and Andarien and started heading towards them. "Of course, our cousin, who had created the fireworks, probably used magic ..."

[Kara Winters]

"And it's probably safer," Holly murmured to Shiro, "I mean... fireworks are technically explosives. Granted, if you want to look into it, I think you should ask Eron. He strikes me as the type of chemistry teacher who would burn certain chemicals to show off which colours it would make, just to get his students interested."

Eron certainly seemed like the type who had at one point really liked teaching. True, he spent a lot of his time researching now, but she found when she had a question about dyes, or Miyuki had a question about how to heat, cool or do something, he was more than willing to explain it in careful detail."

[Nara-pyon]

"It's just a matter of finding the time," Shiro nodded. "But you're right, Eron would probably be the one to ask."

He was distracted from the conversation when Killian reached Shoneah and Andarien and greeted them loudly and exuberantly - or rather, greeted Shoneah.

"Silverbirch!" he beamed, extending his arms towards her as if he were expecting a hug. "How wonderful to see you again!"

Andarien glowered, but Shoneah calmly pushed Killian's arms aside and kept walking right past him. "Hello, Killian," she said coolly. "If you'll excuse us, we have work to do."

[Kara Winters]

"She dealt with him like the way a parent would deal with an unruly child," Holly couldn't help but comment softly and with a giggle.

Especially one who didn't seem to understand that what he was doing was unacceptable.

At that moment Miyuki, who felt like she had been holed up in the tent for too long, stepped out of the tent with all her Pokemon in tow.

[Nara-pyon]

Shiro was impressed. "I think I just gained a whole new respect for her," he grinned.

Andarien also looked a bit smug at how easily Shoneah had deflected Killian, and didn't bother even speaking to him as they passed by him and headed to the tent.

"Hi, Mi," he greeted his sister cheerfully when she appeared outside. "Guess what! We managed to dig up all kinds of littinum!"

Killian looked like a puppy that had just been kicked - confused and lost.

[Kara Winters]

"That's good to hear," Miyuki grinned, "I'm just out to stretch my legs, and to give the Pokemon a chance to run around. Ryo is starting to get into everything..."

The poor eevee was just bored to tears whenever Miyuki was busy working and he wanted to run around. Suki wasn't as bad, but she liked interacting with other people. It was only Yasu and Ai who were fine, mainly because Ai would spend time with Eon and Yasu liked to nap in the forge room.

[Nara-pyon]

Andarien looked down at the Pokemon and a guilty expression crossed his face.

"I haven't been doing a lot with Eon or Zeus, either," he said quietly. "We probably should do some training."

He looked hesitantly at Shoneah, who just smiled at him. "Don't let me stop you," she grinned. "Maybe Xipil could participate, too."

Andarien brightened and looked to Miyuki. "What do you think, Mi? It's been a long time since we've had a battle."

[Kara Winters]

"Sure," Miyuki replied, "Would you like to bring out Ponydash for a run as well?"

It had been a while since they trained, it was like they were a bit too caught up in their work these days. To be fair, it was a lot of work for the both of them.

[Nara-pyon]

"Hmm ... yeah," Andarien grinned. "I usually just let him run around in the gardens but it will be good for him to train for real, too."

"Just give us a few minutes to put our things away and find the others," Shoneah spoke up. "We shouldn't be long."

As the two of them headed into the tent, Killian, looking utterly dejected, sat down alone at the water's edge.

[Kara Winters]

"I'll be here," Miyuki replied.

Once Silverbirch and Andarien were back in the tent, Miyuki herded her Pokemon towards the beach. She was a bit surprised that Killian was there, but wasn't sure what had happened.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked.

[Nara-pyon]

Killian looked up at Miyuki, surprised at her question. The others had either told him off or ignored him, after all.

"Oh," he sighed, perhaps a little dramatically, "considering how long you were all away and how long it's been since we've seen each other, I would have expected that someone would talk to me, but it seems that I am most unwelcome."

Rose laughed out loud. "Killian, don't make us sound so terrible. We would be quite happy to talk with you if only you weren't so pushy."

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