soul_logs | [Open] Pool Party!

"Th-Thanks," she stammered, wiping the water from her eyes and face. She turned to hide her light blush from the compliment and pointed in the direction they had come.

"Someone didn't realize we were racing or something and they were swimming across my path. I had to dive under to avoid crashing into them." As she spoke, the person in question was doing exactly what they had done, turned at the wall and was now headed back they way they came.

Kid watched for a few moments. "I see. They must also be practicing."

He then turned back to her. "But I'm glad you're all right."

It probably would have been painful crashing into each other at that speed.

She tread water for a moment. "Do people sometimes have to swim on missions?" That's the only reason she could think of for swim practice in a desert.

"Thanks." She chuckled. "Good thing I was watching, or things might not have worked out so well." She wasn't referring to the speed, but how hard she might have hit the person with her hand.

"Not too often," Kid answered. "But there are occasions where a mission involves some kind of body of water. It's also a good skill to know regardless as you never know what kind of situation or environment you may end up in."

"The eggs can be in water, too? Like fish?" She was learning more every day. And little by little, she was getting her drive back to learn more about herself and actually go on one.

She tried to stifle a chuckle, but couldn't. "Like when you're knocked into a pool...?"

"It's possible," he said. "Once a human has fallen to the path of kishin, they begin to devolve and become less human. Thus they could very well use the water as their hunting ground, such as beaches or lakes." Insert many folklore and mythologies based off such creatures.

But at her statement about being knocked into a pool, he gave her a rueful grin. "Yes, like being knocked into a pool."

Sheena hadn't read any of the myths of this world yet, but she could imagine, considering some of the legends of her own world.

"Sorry," she replied to his comment, the small smile she wore belying that apology just a little bit. "Getting knocked into a pool that many times in one day can't be fun."

"Not particularly, no," he sighed before leaning his head back against the edge of the pool. "But I suppose a good end came out of this particular incident."

Sheena crossed her arms on the edge and rested her head on them as she looked at him. "Yeah. You didn't drown," she joked before giving him and understanding smile. "I wouldn't blame you if you stayed away from pools, though."

He just gave her a wry glance. "It's tempting, I admit," he joked. "But I'd be a poor excuse of a shinigami if I let some kids pushing me into a pool keep me from further using or enjoying it."

His wry look was met by one of innocence as she struggled to hold in her laughter. "I swear, Kid, mine was purely accidental." A very substantial pause. "Each time."

She looked around a moment, taking in the sight of everyone enjoying themselves before speaking again. "Do you come here a lot? This is really my first time here, and I'm enjoying it."

"I'll believe you," he said, though his tone was still light enough to have that "Uh huh, sure" undertone. Jokingly of course. "But no, I don't come here that often, really. I have a pool back at the mansion so I can just use that for my own leisure."

Sheena continued looking innocent because well, it was true. She was a klutz; the only time she was less clumsy was in battle--or sleeping. Although, there was probably going to be a day she fell out of bed in traditional Sheena fashion--noisily.

"The mansion?" Her tone was one of surprise. "You're a noble?" Sorry, Kid, but to Sheena, anyone who lived in that type of home was a noble, and she was shocked that you were treating her like an equal. Nobles usually looked down their noses at her.

It was Kid's turn to look at her in surprise, though more for classifying him as a "noble" than anything else.

"I suppose you could say that," he said after a moment. He was a rich guy—he would never deny that. Nor did he really give off that "common folk" vibe, though that's mostly due to his proper (self) upbringing. But it was only natural, right? Being the son of the head hancho shinigami and all that. "Though I never really thought of myself as a noble. Just a shinigami."

Though on that point—

"Are you really that surprised?"

Sheena had actually moved back a little; her experience with the nobles on her own planet making her suddenly unsure of herself around Kid--despite his friendly nature.

She found herself nodding in response for a moment before finding her voice as she looked down. "Yeah. Nobles on my world wouldn't act the way you do with me. They're usually rude towards me, so I always leave before I do something I'll regret." She looked up at him.

"But, you're not like that. You're nice."

He looked at her for a moment before glancing upward a bit. Kid knew some of the aristocrats were like that. His own weapons—well, more like Liz—had often commented how he was such the "spoiled, rich kid" and at first he thought nothing of it. Or rather, he just ignored and continued on his way. Despite his own naivete at times that came from his more "royal" upbringing, he was still polite, dignified—proper.

"That may be more of my upbringing and sense of what I believe would be proper decorum than status. However, I will admit that I do use to it my advantage sometimes."

Like cutting through long lines in the amusement parks—kidding. But when it came to looking up special information only available to people like his father? Oh yeah, definitely.

"Still, I'd rather be seen as your equal," he said as he looked back at her. "In fact I still have a lot of catching up to do with my friends and peers. I only joined Shibusen's classes a couple of years ago. Although I know the material and my father thought it unnecessary, it's still not the same as going through the process."

Luckily for Kid, Sheena judged people on their actions more than anything, so while nobles tended to be condescending to her, she always gave them a chance not to be. Unfortunately for her, she found very few who acted the way he did. In fact, she could think of only one who didn't look down his nose at her, and that was because he was usually looking at other parts of her body. Proper? Certainly not. But definitely better behavior than the others showed her.

She shook her head slightly. "I'm pretty sure they were taught to be polite to others, too. They just chose not to be so with me." Unfortunately, she could never be sure if it was because of where she was like they said, or because she didn't fawn over Zelos the way they did. Probably both, since either way, she wasn't one of them.

"Sometimes? But not all the time? Like you expect it to happen?" That's what was different about him. "You don't have..that aura about you. Like you expect people to know right away you're a noble and to grovel before you." Obviously, that was something Sheena didn't approve of. There were only two people she would bow before, and that was the King and his daughter.

She looked away for a moment as she collected her thoughts. Turning back, she gave him a smile. "I think I can do that, Kid. You've been nothing but nice, and you only want my friendship. Not to mention, you don't seem the kind to shy away from work."

"I'm sorry that had to happen to you—you definitely don't seem like a person who deserves to be treated so poorly." Seriously, how can you earn respect by being disrespectful to everyone else? He never understood it.

"Once someone knew who I was, I would expect them to treat me with the proper respect, but not grovel." He looked at her with slight incredulity at that notion. "I want to help people, not own them. But yes, only sometimes. I can't call myself a proper shinigami if everything is always handed down to me—that's something I learned and discovered on my own."

He had already taken a step toward that when he decided to find and train his own Death Scythes rather than just having one chosen for him, but seeing Maka, Soul, Black☆Star, and Tsubaki fighting against Stein on their own cemented the deal. It was there that he realized he was different and that it just wouldn't work if he stayed the way he was.

And at her last statement he looked at her curiously before giving her a wry grin.

"Yes, I am known as a workaholic. But I prefer it, really."

Wow, Kid, way to make Sheena blush even harder. He had an higher opinion of her than even she did, and she had come a long way from thinking so poorly of herself thanks to both Lloyd and Colette. But, obviously still not far enough if she was still apprehensive around those she perceived as nobility.

"Th-Thanks," she finally managed to say, trying to hide the blush on her cheeks. People really shouldn't be judged by what they are--or even who they are--but by their actions alone. With horror, she realized that she had done just that to Kid when she backed away from him. "And I'm sorry for how I reacted when I found out that you lived in a mansion. I shouldn't have done that."

After he mentioned how he wanted to help people, she looked up at him then, a hesitant smile on her lips. "That's how I am; I want to help people stop suffering and let them live the way they want. That's the the main reason I'm actually trying to help you end this war instead of sitting off to the side not doing anything." She paused before murmuring quietly. "People shouldn't have to suffer so others can thrive..."

She was shaken out of her reverie by his grin. "I really didn't know you were a workaholic, but..." She gave him a grin of her own. "If you really were, you wouldn't be here."

This was where Kid was rather clueless as to why Sheena was reacting the way she was, particularly when he never really pinned her as someone who would feel embarrassed as much. It was an honest statement and it followed his philosophy that no one should be treated poorly just because of status.

"It's fine," he said, still a little confused. "Given your past experience, it's understandable."

Hearing her own values was good to hear as well. It was always comforting to know there were similar minded people here that wanted to protect others no matter where they were from. So he smiled a little at her words, which then turned into a small laugh.

"Maybe. But it also wouldn't be proper if the host representative did not attend, wouldn't it? Besides, even I'll admit that I probably needed this break."

An overworked soul was not a healthy soul, nor would it be good for the mind or body. Sometimes it was hard for him to remember that and there were times where he definitely pushed the limit. But he would concede that this was a much needed break.

That was because that ninja who projected an image of self-confidence and toughness just couldn't take a sincere compliment to save her life, Kid. And telling her she was an equal when all her life she had been told otherwise until recently still took some getting used to. Luckily, she shared the same philosophy he did (she just had trouble applying it to herself at times).

"It might be understandable, but it was still wrong," Sheena said. Seeing his confusion, she explained. "I grew up in a small village that decided to separate itself from the rest of the world's traditions. So, we didn't consider ourselves 'mainstream' and were looked down upon by those that did." Of course, she's leaving out the fact that she probably could have assassinated the ones who insulted her, but she actually hated killing and murders not ordered by the king or pope were more than likely frowned upon.

"Now that you mention it, it probably wouldn't be right if you didn't show up," she chuckled. He wasn't the only one who needed this, either. She had been away from people--and reality--for a little bit, and needed to get back in touch with both.

And hopefully, by the end of the day, she would be ready to get back to both without effort.

"I see," he said as he listened with interest. "Though there's nothing wrong with having your own culture and customs." Of course being too much of a backwater village was also not the best either, but he doubted that was the case. Everyone needs some modern living.

"And how have you been enjoying yourself so far?"

Since they were sort of on the topic.

No, there was nothing modern in her village. In fact, she was probably the only person to ever have anything modern: her ExSphere. "There isn't, but the rest of the world really didn't see it that way. And to be honest, I don't think they really wanted to." Nothing like a planet full of isolationists and bigots to grow up on.

It was amazing that she came out somewhat normal and accepting of others despite their differences.

She blinked at the sudden question. "I'm having a pretty good time, actually. I needed to get out of my room and this was the perfect way to do it."

She looked at him.

"How about you?"

"That's a shame. Though there are a few places like who also prefer their isolation." Golemancers being the number one on that list.

"Other than being pushed into the pool three times," and a half, "it has been enjoyable. It's also good to see everyone enjoying themselves."

"Ironically, people looked down on us, but they had no problem asking for our help when necessary." She paused. "Did I mention it was a ninja village?" She tended to forget that. Some chief.

She covered her mouth to stifle a laugh, but this time, she didn't apologize. He'd already been through a lot. "Well, I'm glad you are after that." Another pause. "Are you hungry? Whatever's cooking over there smells good."

[Open] Pool Party!

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