The Ones Who Stay [Private][Summer]

Friends remain with you

~

Status

HP: 200/200
MP: 100%

Taking breaks is always nice and it's especially great to when one is under stress or needs time to think. Apparently, Hosenka is one of the best places in the world for this because it's also known as the Spa Town, so that about summarizes Hikari's thought process for coming here. She needed to de-stress from all that has been going on, especially her work in Rose Garden. She stayed in that city a little too long for her sanity so going on this vacation was a good choice. The sun was already setting for the day and Hikari looked at the horizon, gazing into the beauty that comes with the sunset. The whole world was painted a fading orange colour, as the moon's playful gaze began to come into sight. It was breathtaking at this time of day, and with Hosenka being where it was, it only enhanced the view from the city. Hikari smiled as she hummed, walking towards a hot spring that was going to open for the night.

The hot spring was busy, as it was a main tourist attraction. People all over Fiore and even residents couldn't get enough of the natural hot springs in this area. Hikari looked at the curtains in front of her and looked at how they were labeled. Men's, Women's, and... Mixed? Hikari looked at the sign for the mixed bath, wondering why that this would be a thing here. Surely, it had to be fake right? Hikari was going to take a step in, before immediately deciding that it wasn't really worth it. She loves to tease people so, the reactions she could get out of people in the mixed bath would be great, but she can't really handle being teased back and going in a place like that, you become fair game for everyone to tease back. Hikari sighs, as she walks over a couple of steps and enters the women's bath. It was surprisingly empty in there, no other women going into the bath, perhaps they went into the mixed bath with someone they know and... Hikari's imagination was let loose for a moment and a red blush coated her face. At this point, it was hard to tell if the steam was from the hot spring or her thoughts.

The hot spring was nice. Like scarily nice, it felt as if she could melt into the water the minute she set her first foot into it. She sighed with relief as she washed her body, and then stepped into the refreshing water of the bath. She would have fallen asleep, but a little girl entered the bath with her mother, with the little girl jumping in. Normally, she'd be irritated by the little girl, but she was feeling a little happier at the moment. She smiled as she got out of the bath and changed out into a robe that was provided for her. It was comfy and warm like the bath so it was like she never left. They even provided a complimentary drink of milk. Hikari smiled as she opened the bottle of milk and drank it, the cool drink running down her throat. She shuddered as she finished it. She now understands why that this area is such a great tourist attraction. They take advantage of what they have and they use it well. Hikari wanders to the middle of town, the streets even more alive at night with the amount of people in the area.

She sits on a bench and looks at all the passerby, seeing a group of girls headed into a club, seemingly already to support one another when they get in there. Hikari smiles at them as they head into the club. When would she be able to find friends like those ones? It's hard to make time for other mages as when most of them aren't doing anything, they'd rather be on a job instead of meeting people. She sighs as she looks up at the full moon, reflecting off the fountain's water. The centre of town is still teeming with life and it is a little far from quiet. Hikari begins to sing softly to herself, knowing her voice would be hard to hear under the ambiance of the town. It was a simple song, just a lullaby her mother taught her. She sings it when she wants to distract herself from thinking too much, but the song makes her zone out a little, not really paying attention to who or what is around her. She closes her eyes, as she sings the words.

Friends remain with you

~

Status

HP: 200/200
MP: 100%

Whenever she escaped into her world, her own world full of singing, she didn't really pay attention to her surroundings, everything sort of ended up blurring into one colour and then it was gone. She usually doesn't sing in public but this happens to her no matter what. Since she was reminiscing, she began to think about her mother and... her home. The place that she thought she would never leave. A place that no one could take her from until, that just happened. She was snapped out of her reverie, with her eyes being somewhat watery as she snapped back to reality. Was someone talking to her? She focused on the view again. It always took a moment for her to come back to reality, after day dreaming as intensely as she did. She was focused on one particular spot, until a black haired girl popped into view in front of her. Hikari jumped a little as she didn't know when the girl had gotten there. For crying out loud, she doesn't even know how much time has past since she sat down here.

Apparently, the black-haired girl hadn't been here that long yet and that was a relief. Hikari didn't want to come off as rude for ignoring the poor girl. She was just lost in her thoughts, like usual. She sighs as she wiped the tears from her eyes, as the girl asked how she is. She smiles blankly, not really wanting to make eye contact due to feeling somewhat emotional at the moment, Ah, could be doing better... Just having one of those off days you know what I mean? She chuckles, but there is no real happiness behind it, as if she was mimicking someone else do it. She smiles a little bit when the girl asks if she could spend the night with Hikari. She's never seen that many people try to go out of their way to spend time with her so she was happy with the gesture, Sure. I'd honestly rather be happier with someone with me, even if its you, stranger. What's your name by the way? It's odd, the black haired girl's presence is so calming and Hikari never feels this way with other people around. Normally, Hikari would be suspicious of this but, she'd rather feel calm than... whatever she was feeling before.

Lonely. Hikari's eyes went half-closed at that word. She always disliked it. As a child, she seemed to always want to avoid being lonely or other's feeling lonely. She always loved to keep other's company, it was simply in her nature. She sighed as she looked at the lone star that was shining in the sky. She reached her hand out and said something without thinking, Do you ever wish you could go back and change something that happened to you? Hikari's hand dropped as she looked down at the floor, wondering what the girl would think of her after asking such an odd question. Hitting people you don't even know with really hard questions is always a good way to make friends. Being alone would suit Hikari. After all, she does push people away to begin with.

Hikari looks around at the square, still teeming with life and sighs for the umpteenth time today. No wonder it makes her so sad, it reminds her of her home, and even just the thought of that was enough to make her cry. She smiles sadly at the girl, thinking about how foolish it was for her to come here. She tried to de-stress when all she had done was make her life more miserable. She felt bad for the girl, being dragged into her sorrow when all she was probably hoping to do was make a new friend.

Friends remain with you

~

Status

HP: 200/200
MP: 100%

Hikari smiles as the girl agrees with her, having those days where everything seems bad around you but you still try to put on a front. These kinds of days seem to have been coming more often as of late but she didn't seem to know why. Maybe it was because the day of when the festival usually happened was coming up and it was another year she couldn't keep her promise with the girl who nearly died. She sighed as she looked up at the moon once again.

Hikari was little taken aback by the girl, now known as Summer. Summer Guiyang? Why did the name sound so familiar? It was a name that was stirring something deep inside of her, but she didn't know why it was doing this. She had never met this girl in her life so why would it be possible to stir a reaction within a stranger she had never met. She looked at the girl who asked for her name, wondering if it matches her hair. Hikari grabbed her hair affectionately. After all, it was the hereditary trait that her family never failed to pass down. Hikari smiled at the girl before saying, V-, Hikari. Hikari Inoue. She didn't know why she almost did that. She hadn't said her first name in years, and yet she almost slipped up the cover that she's been holding longer than she has been with her family... Maybe that explains her feelings for being in this moods. She smiled sadly as she played with the fabric on the sleeve of her robe.

Hikari is surprised at the girl's response to her question. Surely a girl as happy as her would never have any regrets. Then again, putting on masks is easier than dealing with the baggage that has been left for you to bear. Hikari looks at Summer as she stares at her, it was as if Summer was staring into her, seeing what her past was and she almost breaks when Summer hugs her, asking if she wants to talk about it. So this is what was missing. She just needed someone like Summer to be able to talk to. Soon, when Summer taps Hikari's back, she noticed the beauty of the cherry blossoms that had sprung up around her. She smiled as she looked at Summer. No one could be this nice, but for this night, Hikari will pretend this is a miracle and will confide in Summer since she had been so nice to a complete stranger. Hikari breaks the hug, not really willingly but more because she needed to be face to face with the person she was saying this to, ...I was born into nobility into a small town near Fiore. Nobility has standards for everywhere and here was no different. I was promised at a young age but I still grew to love him... My parents were protective of me due to being an only child. One day, there was a festival and with all the rush of the night, I got seperated from my parents. Thinking this was my one and only chance, I went and explored areas of the festival they said I couldn't go to. I wandered so far, I ended up in the village where they were having a celebration of their own. They were setting off fireworks and there was a little girl there, who set off a firework in her face. I immediately ran over to her and tried to help her, but she was knocked out. I left my hair tie that day, I think it fell off or maybe I handed it to the girl who might now be dead. I was horrified and I thought it had been my fault that it had happened to her. I found my parents later and it was hard to leave our household since that day. Hikari smiled sadly at Summer, I hope that girl is okay, but I don't know what happened to her ever since that day. The anniversary of that day is coming soon and I get like this around this time every year. Though I don't really drag strangers into it. Hikari chuckles warmly at Summer, wondering if the girl will think she is crazy or something for confiding something so personal into a complete stranger.

Friends remain with you

~

Status

Hikari smiles at Summer when she compliments her name, as many people look at her with confusion when she says her name. It took her some time to get used to her new name, and it almost feels like if she uses her old name, she doesn't feel like the person she grew into today. She smiles solemnly at herself, happy that she was able to confide in someone after such a long time. There isn't that many people that she could talk to and it was odd that she was able to confide in some stranger. She hadn't really thought about the girl sitting beside her but she did seem to have a calming presence about her.

Hikari found Summer's reaction to finding out that she was nobility understandable. After all,  being nobility isn't really a common thing and a lot of nobles usually get overthrown by those who outnumber them. Being a noble isn't always sunshine though and it was a lot of stress for a young person born into nobility as you have to consider how others view you. Never how you view yourself. Hikari sighs as she remembers struggling to adjust to her lifestyle, as she wasn't as lady-like as she should have been back when she could still be considered nobility. When Summer got up and began to walk away, Hikari didn't blame her. She confided in a random stranger who was probably off to tell the person that she came with about how odd Hikari was. But, Hikari heard a sound similar to sparklers and she looks up at the sky. Isn't it ironic that fireworks would be going off as she remembers a painful memory about fireworks. She chuckles when she looks up at the sky, expecting the explosives to be lighting up the sky is beautiful colours. But, she was surprised when she looked at the sky and still saw it only being lit by a sole shining star. When her eyes lowered to the girl now in front of her once again, she felt her face fall in shock. Summer was using fireworks magic, looking like the one from that fateful day but more controlled and powerful. When Summer confirmed that she was the girl from that day, Hikari didn't really know what to feel. She looked at Summer, curiosity in her eyes wondering how could fate play with her like this. When Summer had sat next to her once again, she sighed and hugged the girl tightly. She tried not to cry but she couldn't help the fact that her eyes were now foggy, "I felt like that it was my fault you were hurt that day. I was an unfamiliar face in your village and it made you lose focus for that moment. But it's amazing to know that we were able to meet again." Hikari pulls out of the hug and looks at Summer in the eyes, chuckling, "I'm glad you were able to become the amazing mage that you are today. For Pete's sake, you are a better mage than me! But I'm glad we were able to meet again." Hikari beams at the girl as she sits there, looking at Summer, still processing that the girl in front of her was one of the main reasons she was scared to ever leave her household after that day. Maybe if they had met sooner, she could have been fighting alongside her to try and defend the area they lived in. But it's wasn't really the time for that anymore. Hikari was grateful that she was able to tie up this story neatly. She smiled at Summer saying, wiping her eyes, "So, now that all the heavy stuff is out of the way, want to try to do something fun, friend?" Hikari looked around at all the stores, clubs and bars open and saw all the men walking around. Hikari looked at the guys that caught her eye and then at Summer, wondering if she would want to join her in the act of making all the pretty boys fluster.