koiwamizuiro | 2nd Dive: Exploration [Action]

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2nd Dive: Exploration [Action]

[Some time has passed since Ai first entered Luceti, and even now she was growing accustomed to life in the village. Slowly, but steadily. It was a much quieter place than what she was used to back in Kibitou.

The draft had come and gone, but the girl hadn't taken part in it, and she was thankful for that. Her recent entrance into this peculiar world was enough to deal with on its own, though she had kept herself as informed as she could as to what exactly was going on.

Today, she had initially tried to simply soothe herself with another walk around the village. It had developed to be a certain routine for her that she often practiced, and the weather was more pleasant than it had been before, warmer. She was wearing a long-sleeved black shirt and blue denim jeans, along with her yellow jacket on top that she had regained possession of upon entering Luceti.

However, curiosity got the better of her and she ended up heading to several places that she had intended on checking out earlier, diverging from her walk a bit.]

Action I.

[Firstly, Ai found herself near the Bakery in the morning, a certain scent inviting her to come even closer and see what was available that day. The girl had wondered whether she would be able to find anything like her favorite Imagawayaki dessert here to buy later (or get, rather), so she would inform herself of what was offered here. Besides, she was also feeling hungry now, so her timing couldn't have been better.

One may find her right at the time she has an inner discussion with herself as to what to get, or they may find her wandering close by later with a croissant in her hand, already eating it contentedly.]

Action II.

[Then, Ai found her way to the front door of the Battle Drome. From what she had understood, this fascinating facility wasn't just a combat simulator, and she wanted to test out its capabilities for herself. She had read about it and already had a few scenarios in mind, but that didn't necessarily mean that she couldn't use the help of somebody around offering to help her understand it a bit more.]

Action III.

[The Library was also a place the girl wanted to check, the last location on her route today, though she didn't have anything particular in mind upon entering it as she simply went on browsing. Maybe there was something informative as to the worlds of the other people she met here? Or perhaps there were different works of fiction made by authors from these other worlds that could intrigue her? Regardless, she wouldn't mind having some reading material to go through before she went to sleep each day.

Ai would spend quite a bit of time here, thinking as to what she would get and what would spark her interest the most.]

Action IV.

[Finally, when the sky has already darkened, Ai would take a small break near the river close to her new come, Community Housing Building #2, and clear her head some with her eyes watching the stars and her body resting on the grass. Anyone wandering around this late would be able to catch her there.]

(OOC: You can stumble upon her anywhere along her route. Reading the reflections post I have linked to is not necessary as it simply shows her initial thoughts and impressions of Luceti right after she gets herself an apartment.)

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[His suddenly less cheerful tone didn't go by unnoticed by Ai as she walked beside him, her croissant in her hand as she chewed on it, the two of them now out of the bakery along with Lax. Her features displayed her curiosity as she took in both Diamond's words and what his body language was telling her. Perhaps she had hit a sore point without realizing it...]

That sounds like a good idea, Diamond-san. [She still answered, giving the boy a smile as she did.] I would like that. Perhaps there are even things you can teach me. [After all, she wasn't that skilled to manage everything on her own, and she would not be opposed to finding out more about potential otherworldly delicacies either.]

[But then she also wanted to ask as to what had brought the subtle shift in the boy's tone, doubtlessly caused by something she had said.]

...What is on your mind? [Another piece of her croissant was about to be gone while she waited for his answer.]

[Diamond nods, liking the idea of cooking with Ai. It'd be fun. Lax trots beside the two dutifully, his own breakfast long gone into his stomach and a roll coming out of his fur. Yeah.]

Oh, well, see... Pearl and I do manzai, right? [It would've come around.] Well... Back home, we put our dream of being the best on hold so we could protect Missy, but after that we started doing out acts again. And now here, since we've, um, seen the draft and all [for better or for worse] we've decided to stop again...

[It's not that he's hesitant to talk, persay, but the meat of the matter is slowly being exposed. He wants to have something to occupy his mind. Manzai does that, but now that it's stopped that's one less thing to keep thoughts away. He touches his right arm slightly.]

It's because I got hurt, too. He got really angry-- [Diamond cuts himself off, because he doesn't want to think about it or talk about it, and shakes his head. His hands are trembling a little.] He's a real worrywart sometimes.

[Ai frowned a little as the boy spoke, the conversation clearly heading into sensitive territory for him. She was glad that he was sharing this with her, but at the same time she didn't want to make him feel uncomfortable if she could help it.

One thing was for certain: Diamond wasn't the only somewhat scarred by the draft, and while she was not one to talk about this, seeing as she wasn't there herself, she could still take a guess as to how he might be feeling.]

...To protect Missy again? [She blinked curiously while she took another bite from the croissant.] She cannot take care of herself?

[Certainly the draft would have made whoever went there even more aware of the dangers Luceti posed, especially a relative newcomer to the scene like Diamond. And herself, for that matter.]

[She saw him getting a tad distraught over thinking about Pearl, so she interjected concernedly.] It is okay, Diamond-san. That is in the past, right? You are both over this.

We get a lot of time to ourselves here in Luceti. [The girl looked forward as the two of them walked side by side, Lax not too far from them either. There was a thoughtful expression on her face as she went on speaking.] Even if things like the draft happen sometime... I think you should still continue doing manzai. As a way to relax and so you can have... something good to contrast the bad things that come with living here. [She was, of course, thinking of her own passion at this, which was what gave her confidence in what she said.] Otherwise you might end up just living in fear, or... always dreading the next misfortune that can happen to you.

It's not that she can't take care of herself, but it's a bit like habit. She's a Lady, you see, from an important family back home, and even though we know she can take care of herself, we still want to make sure she wouldn't have to in the first place. She's a dear friend to us both.

[Yeah, that's it. She wouldn't have to be alone either anymore, not with he and Pearl here.

He listens to her - in the past, both over it... maybe - and smiles brightly. Overall, despite everything, Diamond is first and foremost an optimist. Just one who's been scarred slightly by a war not his own.]

Not everything's bad here, so it's fine! After all, I have my friends and I've made a lot of new ones here, too, even ones who're from completely different worlds like you. And if I can't do manzai, I'll cook or do the puzzles Mr. Layton makes up. I'm planning on making a big maze puzzle for my friends.

But if you say she can protect herself on her own, then you do not need to stop doing manzai. As a dear friend to you, I do not think she would want you to abandon your dream of becoming the best at it anyway, and she can certainly see that is important to you. [Seeing as Missy was also close to him and Pearl, after all, and at least Ai would want to make something like that clear in her position. Especially in a place like Luceti where continuing to do one's hobbies was another way to cope with the situation of being imprisoned, and one that would most certainly work well for most people.]

Yes, that is a better way to look at it, Diamond-san. [Ai liked to be optimistic about things herself, determined, and seeing her manage to better Diamond's mood made her smile. She then tilted her head a bit curiously.] Do you mean one of those paper maze puzzles, or something else?

I suppose you're right, but Pearl will probably say that we should focus on our Seniors' teachings first and foremost... [He's a real tough cookie, though it's because he doesn't want Diamond getting hurt again. Pearl kind of has a protection complex.] Besides, it's only put on hold for now~. I can't imagine a world without our dream.

A proper maze one! It'll be as big as a bedsheet. [He's got ambitions okay. But unlike Pearl, Dia probably won't finish it unless someone cheers him on.]

You can bring that up again though, and see what he has to say. [At least Diamond could change his mind a little, make him think about it some more first if he truly did want to continue doing manzai.]

[The girl then chuckled a bit in response to the boy's enthusiasm about what was essentially a paper maze.]

Well, in that case... I am sure that would be one tough puzzle to solve.

[Just what kind of classes did they really teach over at that school? She still needed check it out further, more so than just reading what was said on the guide. Then again, she had to acknowledge that they were probably different depending on age, too.]

I certainly will. [Maybe they could just not practice as often. Yeah.

And besides, it wasn't just a paper maze, but something his friends could do the unwind.]

I just wonder how I'm going to make it challenging enough for them... Missy's really smart, and Pearl never gives up on something if he starts it, so it's got to be super hard.

[Diamond himself isn't exactly attending classes, really, but he's a bodyguard that stands in the back and looks "imposing". While learning. Or he will be.]

Careful not to make it so difficult that it is not fun anymore, though.

[Frustrating tasks were never enjoyable to do, after all, and that would apply for her as well, though she had yet to see a paper maze which was that hard to do.]

I think having a good sense of orientation is the most important thing about solving a maze, not necessarily smarts or will.

[One would have to wonder just how good of a job Diamond of all people would do at looking imposing and being a bodyguard. Perhaps his Pokémon can fill in for him, though looks can certainly be deceiving.]

But if they cut down the routes and stay up all night, they'll be sure to have it figured out by morning. They're just those kind of people.

[He's too fond of his friends, really, and he chuckles at the thought of Pearl and Platina staying up all night just to finish a maze.

And knowing Missy, she'll make Diamond attend as a student anyway...]

...If you are worried about that, perhaps you should set up a time limit. [And that was the end of the croissant as Ai began chewing on the last piece, soon gulping it down contentedly. It had been a good breakfast, she was probably going to visit the bakery often.] Or at least, a limit per each day so that they do not stay up all night.

That's a good idea. That way, they'll have a goal to get to each day! I'm sure they'll like that idea.

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