[A Little Bit of Home][O]

[Jenko]

Marisa had lost count of how many times she had driven past the beach since she had arrived in town a month or so ago. With it's sandy beach and beautiful waters - it had called to Marisa just as it had back home. But the call of business had been stronger. She had to get textbooks...deliver her rent, and travel from fast food restraunt to fast food restraunt trying in vain to impress them with her 'do you want fries with that?' skills. Occasionally, to satisfy the urges, she would roll down the windows of the stupid little loaner car and take a deep breath of coastal air.

But today - today she couldn't help it. The car ground to a hault in the small parking lot far away from the beach - setting the parking break before she could talk herself out of it. The Student bookstore bag lay abandoned in the trunk - why read when it was a nice day out? She was no longer going to put up with her own excuses.

Once her feet hit the sand - she was like a kid in a candy store. Kicking off her shoes, ignoring the bitter bit of the cold air, she ran - kicking up a blaze of sand in her wake as she tore across the beach - careless as to whatever beer bottle and general refuse other patrons of the beach had left behind - her toes dug themselves like little crabs into the sand, and Marisa took in deep, gasping breaths like a drowning woman, twirling and reeling like the solitary pair of seagulls above her. Even they cackled at the foolish 19-something; who for all the world was acting more like she was barely over five.

[:-Neruka-:]

Neruka was leaning against a post admiring the ocean, this was one of the few times she rested. That was until she saw someone running a crossed the beach. Her mind was easily distracted from the beach to what could be a new friend. Neruka who was technically an adult always looked at things from a younger aspect. Why be serious? It only takes away from your fun.

She smiled and ran up to Marisa. "Hiya!" She said Cheerfully.

She looked at the ground making sure not to hit any broken glass or something that could injure her, the last time she was here, a shard of glass got lodged into her foot. "Hey you might want to be careful, broken glass and stuff. No one seems to care about the beach..." That kind of made her sad. The beach was go beautiful, why would anyone clutter it up with their trash?

"Oh! I'm Neruka by the way."

[Jenko]

Marisa was so lost in the cool spray on her skin and her feet in the sand that she forgot one of the most important rules of making a fool of yourself - check for potential witnesses first. So she was shocked that, as she finished her reeling and sqeals of delight as her own feet sprayed her with gritty sand - and she nearly bumped into another person - who had run up to her.

She realled back, however, with percision - however, this over-compensation back words caused her to continue that momentum - all the way to the ground. With a soft, sandy thwump - she landed on her rear in the sand.

Which really, really sucked as far as first impressions went when meeting new people...

Then she realized the other woman had probably seen her ealier display to...

Like she thought. Really, really sucked.

"Hey." She hurried to compensate again - this time with words - as she struggled to right herself. " It's um...Nice to meet you...you...you got a nice beach, here."

Stupid - it was the city's beach, not hers! This was just getting better and better.

"Um yeah...Even if stupid people litter on it." She was used to the plight of costal regions all across America as droves upon droves of people came and left almost everything they didn't want to bring back with them behind. " I'm used to it, though, even if I'm not okay with people doing it." She lifted up her one foot, leaving the other one firmly planted on the ground and showed off a very leathery footbottom - running around on beaches and piers and hard rock all her life had had it's advantages - and while after a few months the callous would soften and she would not longer be able to walk around on beaches barefoot...but right now; she could walked atop any jagged coors bottle and not felt a thing.

" It's cheaper than sandals." She admitted. So...she started off this meeting falling on her butt, making a fool over herself over the ownership of a beach, and then showing off her feet. Good call, Marisa, good call...

"I'm um...going to stop now. Name's Marisa, nice to meet you." She extended her hand for a shake; and old habit that had been drilled into her head by a manner-enthused foster-sister.

[:-Neruka-:]

"I'm sorry..I didn't mean to scare you or anything." Neruka said, to be honest this wasn't the first time someone fell backwards when meeting her, most people in fact did, Neruka was known for popping out of no where at random times. Neruka didn't particularly like scaring people, she always feel bad about doing it. SHe never means to it just, happens, probably due to her hyperness.

"Thanks, though the beach isn't mine, but seeing how I am here a lot I do practically live on it." Neruka said grinning. "The beach is fun to just come and hang out, in the morning no one is hardly here, but in the afternoons it gets real busy. I like to come out here and watch what goes on, no one ever leaves unhappy. Its like the beach is magical, and it brings happiness to everyone." Now Neruka was sounding like she was insane, or something. Most people would stare at her funny or slowly walk away by now, but Neruka never cared what anyone thought, she'd say what she felt, and oh well if they didn't like it, too bad.

"Nice too meet you too. Yeah.. Actually next month, their having a 'Clean up the beach, week.' But I doubt anyone will go along with it. Ya'know sometimes you can even see a Dolphin or two out there." She said looking towards the sparkling ocean.

Neruka looked down at her foot and nodded. "True, Smart idea." she said grinning.

"Like I said before, I'm Neruka." She said shaking Marisa's hand.

[Jenko]

Marisa's awkardness was a gone in a flash, once she noticed that this girl - Neruka - was pretty much a kindred soul. She gave the girl's hand a good, firm shake - and her lips split to show her slightly crooked teeth in a wide grin.

"Nice to meet ya, as I said - Nice to meet anyone in this place who's isn't already harping on me for rent or car payments. And don't worry about startlin' me - I'll get ya back for it." Now that the icebreaker was, well..broken - Marisa one actions rose to match Neruka's equally domineering cheeriness.

"Cleanup of the beach eh...I'll try to make it. I havn't even had a chance to come here 'for today, and it feeling like home. I, well...I've only been here a month or so - and all that time's been spent running between school and my apartment. I'm from Mass." She breezed, hardly stopping for breath between sentence and question. "You lived around here for long yourself?"

[:-Neruka-:]

"Awesome, it'll be great if you can make it!" Neruka said, Marisa would make a awesome friend, then again Neruka thought anyone would make a good friend. She made it one of her goals in life, try to befriend anyone she met.

"The beach feels like home to a lot of people..Its where you can kinda be free, run around, To me the beach is kind of like a friend you can't loose, no matter what its going to be here, and it'll never be mad at you. It'll never tell your secrets to anyone... It's like.. the perfect best friend." She said. "But, The one place that is better then the Beach is the forest. So many trees to climb, Oh! Theres a little cave where the waterfall used to run, well that was before they built a dam and rerouted the water someplace else. But it was really fun, when I was younger I used to make it like a second home." Neruka loved the outdoors, and..well everything! Anyone could tell that if you talked to her for a few minutes.

"I lived around here my whole life, we normally went to California over the summer, but I could never leave Ramsa, even if I tried it would call me back home."

[Jenko]

Marisa listened intently to Neruka, and for the first time in a long time, she may have truly found that 'kindred spirit' that books were always on about. She didn't mean that in a creepy way - it was just that, she never had met anyone she had agreed with so much before. Sure, she had friends who liked the beach too - but they looked at it as their prime tanning salon or crabbing spot - not as a think of beauty and nature. They hardly ever swam anymore - since they got over the 'age' of splashing around in the surf like a lunatic.

She didn't quite agree with anything - she'd never really been in a 'true' forest, but she had no intention of ever going in one - fun waterfalls or not. It was too...close. She's take salt spray and sandy shores anyday.

"I know where you're commin' from." She admitted. "These places are just...perfect. And you've gotten to live here your whole life. I've wanted to come to New York state since I was 4 - but I never got the chance until now. Maybe you can show me around sometime...show me the places you don't go after dark and all that."

[:-Neruka-:]

Neruka smiled and nodded. "Rarely anyone does, they always stare at me like I'm like crazy or something. Its nice, that someone finally does.. Kinda makes me feel like I'm not insane.." Neruka gave her classic smile, that hardly ever faded. "Sounds great! There are a lot of great places around here, Dove hill used to be a really popular spot, its so pretty..This giant hill with the sun behind it.. Everyone loved it, until a girl was murdered there now everyone only thinks of death..never of how fun it used to be...but yeah, Anytime you want a tour, I can show ya around." She smiled and started drawing a smiley face in the sand.

[Elfy]

Blaze slipped his shirt off and rested it on a rock. He stretched out his legs, and then his back. With a smile, Blaze started running down the beach. It was peaceful, and it kind of reminded him a river he used to play in when he was a baby. When had gone about a mile, he spotted two people talking. Blaze turned, and jogged over to them. Two girls. A small smile crept onto his lips. "Hi!" He waved as he came closer. Then came to a stop in front-ish of them.

[Jenko]

Marisa's smile grew into a slightly slier expression, as Neruka made the comment about not being insane.

"Not so fast, dearie...I'm not exactly the poster child for mental health." The serious effect of her statement was lost when, at the end of it, she couldn't help but snort out a hiccupy giggle.

"That'd be great - it's a plan then; help out the poor old newbie so she doesn't go wandering down back allies and lose her life's savings." Any levity soon dropped however, as Neruka went into the sad tale of the beautiful picnicing hill just yards away.

"I read something about that in the paper. Horrible thing, really - whatever sicko could attack a child deserves a needle in his arm. And a long, cold sleep." She snarled...but once again, any attempt at venom in her voice faded as if taken away on the breeze - this time, her attention went with it; as she was distracted by a newcomer - a male newcomer.

Hey...she may not have been the perfect woman...but she was a woman.

"Well, uh...Hi!" Her voice travelling up an octave, she suddenly became very interested in a long of frizzed out hair - trying to straighten it.

[Elfy]

Blaze's smile slowly grew. "Hey Nuke, it's been a while, a year?" He turned to Marisa. "And I don't think I've ever met you before." He bowed, exactly how the men used to in the old days. It was also a custom the phoenix's when they met a new person... especially a woman. "I am Blaze. Blaze Hunter. You might be?"

[:-Neruka-:]

Neruka nodded. "They still haven't found him.." she said sighing. "But when they do, I think death is getting off too easy. He should be locked up for good." She growled. Neruka followed Marisa's gaze up at the guy who was standing in front of them currently. "Hi." Neruka said grinning. Neruka was always up for talking to new people, even though this person wasn't really all that new to her, it had been a long time since they talked. Her hyperness also Voided out any hormonal instinct she may feel right now. "I think, It has been a while! How are you Blaze?"

[Elfy]

Blaze chuckled. "I am well award of who you are Neruka. We went to high school here together. Remember, I was the guy who everyone was mad at for turning down the record contract?" Their still mad... He remembered Neruka. She was the only one who hadn't bugged him about it...

[Jenko]

Ah...and they said chivalry was dead. Marisa's heart was slowly travelling back down her throat into it's proper place in her chest, though, as Neruka and Blaze - obiviously old struck up a conversation. The fire-haried boy wasn't the infalliable god she had first laid eyes upon; and therefore the attraction was slowly subsiding. He seemed like a nice guy too - and the last thing she need to leap upon him like she was going to smother him.

"I'm Mairsa...new here." She admitted after her silent, oggling pause. "Neruka and I were just discussing our love of outdoor places and hatred for child-killing maniacs."

[:-Neruka-:]

"Oh! Yeah." Neruka said grinning. "Yup, Marisa is my newest friend." she smiled and added a circle around her sand drawn smiley face. "You liked the beach right? Or was it the forest..Or...Hmm..I dunno I forgot I know you liked some outdoor place." Part of her hyperness always changed the thoughts in her mind, and sometimes got rid of them before she could save them as memories, thus leaving her to forget minor details.