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 Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 5:06 pm
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As his feet left the stability of the boardwalk and the sand of the beach slid its way between his toes, Hux let loose a soft hum to vocalize his pleasure. Had he been wearing shoes, before this? He couldn't remember.
The sound of waves in the distance distracted him from the thought. Mesmerized him, even. He looked up from his large, calloused feet to take in the sight of the ocean. As expected, it was beautiful.
"Breath-taking," he murmured. His voice sounded funny and far away. More of a whisper than anything solid. He brought the ukulele in his hand to his chest and positioned his arms in the correct fashion. The uke had been the first instrument he'd ever learned to play. His sister had taught him, and if he thought hard enough on it he could even remember the exact moment it had donned on her that she should pass on the talent- the exact smile, the exact laugh. She'd always been so beautiful.
What had she looked like, still and cold, on that hospital bed... alone...?
Hux shoved the thought from his mind as soon as it had come. He focused, instead, on the instrument held so carefully within his grasp. He strummed a few times, found the rhythm he'd been looking for, and began his walk toward the ocean. The beach was dark, calm, blissful. He did his best to take the energy around him and put it into the tune he played, into the words he didn't vocalize but- instead- hummed.
If there was anyone else on the beach, he was too wrapped in his own world to notice.
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 7:01 pm
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With summer fading and fall quickly making it self known, Juniper had decided to enjoy the last vestiges of the warmer months at a place she rarely visited. Plus, with her bandages not free from her upper arm she had no worries of getting anything in her wound. The stitches had been removed and now only a red line remained. The promise of a scar was most certainly there.
It had been a beautiful day, but the night was proving that fall was beginning to take hold as a cool breeze drifted off of the waves. Her long, blonde locks were pulled back in a loose, low messy ponytail. Strand fluttered around her face intermittently but she didn't bother to fix them.
A long, baggy t-shirt was all that covered her bathing suit. Flip flops were held in hand as she slowly walked the sandy beach, enjoying the cool wet grains as the tide licked at her feet. The salty air had a sort of healing effect on her, and the strain she hadn't realized she'd been carrying was slowly easing from her body. "I needed this." She smiled out at the water.
If the waves had been crashing harder, she may have missed the soft music that floated over the sands. Pausing in her walk, she listened carefully, before turning to walk onto the drier sand which stuck to her feet. She had to adjust herself once or twice, but a large form eventually caught her attention and she realized that was where the music was coming from.
Tucking one of her stray strands of hair back behind an ear she walked closer to whomever it was playing music and found herself stunned to see a very familiar face. One in fact she hadn't seen since the ball and had been worried about. For a moment she was thrown by his short hair but there was no mistaking who it was.
"Hux?" She said. "I was worried about you! I am so glad to see you're alright!" A smile danced across her face. "I didn't realize you played an instrument. It's lovely, what you're playing."
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Posted: Sun Sep 25, 2016 9:46 pm
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Hux's playing stuttered to a halt when the silence around him was broken. He turned- eyes wide and dilated- in the direction of the woman that had come from the sea.
"J-Juniper?" He wondered if his voice sounded odd to her, too. He could barely hear himself over the waves, but he assumed that was because of his currently heightened senses. When she complimented him, he glanced at the uke still held close to his chest.
"Ahhm, was just strummin' s**t I guess... I'm, uhh- I'm trippin' pretty hard right now, so.." He cleared his throat, feeling somewhat anxious. He hadn't been expecting company. Hadn't really even considered the idea of someone happening upon him. He'd been so wrapped up in his environment, in his own head... he did his best to quell the panic that had risen in his chest. Did his best not to remember all the s**t that Juniper's sudden approach had dredged up.
"Wanna hear an actual song? Any requests, or, I can just wing it..."
At least then he wouldn't have to talk.
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 4:56 am
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A breeze blew by, tickling its way through Hux's scalp. He closed his eyes against it, enjoying the feel of wind on his face and water gently brushing in and out over the tops of his feet. He'd been standing so long in one place that he was starting to sink into the wet sand. He liked the way that felt, too.
As Juniper spoke, he began strumming again. A soft tune, just to keep his hands busy.
"I've been ok." He lied.
He didn't want to remember about 'that night' or any one other than this one.
"How have you been?"
He was nowhere even close to being new to hallucinogens and he knew how to handle himself quite well. He kept his thoughts easy, focused- instead- on the way the world felt around them. He did his best to accept the presence of another, but anxiety still edged at the corner of his mind. He wanted to be alone, but Juniper had been such a help to him back at the court... he couldn't just tell her to go away, not when she was so honestly interested in his well-being. Or, as it would happen, his lack thereof.
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Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2016 5:01 pm
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Juniper nodded at his 'ok' answer. She knew better, but what was she going to do? Pressure him to tell her all about his problems? Hah! That would only make them both incredibly uncomfortable. It wasn't worth ruining a possible relationship over. The best she could do was just be there if he wanted to talk.
"Not bad. Life hasn't been terrible." She shrugged. "I work a lot. So not much has changed on that front." She worried at her bottom lip for a moment. The crashing of waves and Hux's strumming the only sounds between them as the sun's last few rays began to diminish at the night sky slowly came to life above them.
Eventually though, Juniper eased into the quietness. What was awkward at first began to grow easy and comfortable. She listened contently to the music Hux played as she watched the waves crash just in front of them. The water lapped at their feet gently, and Juniper soon noticed her own feet had disappeared under the wet, shifting sand.
With night came the cooler temperatures,a nd Juniper found the wind whipping at them somewhat chilly. So, she turned and walked up the beach a bit, just out of range of the tide, before sitting down, her knees bent and arms wrapped around them. Toes tapped in a steady rhythm to the music. "Come on. Come sit down." She smiled at him. "If we are going to listen to music, we might as well be comfortable. Unless, of course, you'd rather go elsewhere? Or....perhaps be alone?" She tossed out that last option hesitantly. She didn't want to leave him, but she had just walked up on him and...well...maybe he needed solace?
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Posted: Tue Nov 08, 2016 1:51 pm
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A comfortable silence had grown between them and Hux allowed himself to strum without much thought as he stared at the sea as it darkened. By the time Juniper said something again, he'd become so unaware of her presence that he was surprised to find her further away than she'd been before.
He turned to look at her, fingers still plucking at the strings of the uke- as though it were just another part of him. Soft and lilting sounds flowed from the small instrument in waves; just like the ocean.
Alone, she said. He felt as though he'd always be alone now.
"I'll sit with you." He said, then moved towards her. His long legs traversed the space between them easily and he settled onto the beach next to her, crossing his large limbs in front of him. He'd had to stop playing, in order to sit, and- spell seemingly broken now- he placed the uke on the ground next to him. He'd taken the mind-altering fungi hours ago, and already he was coming down. His body felt relaxed and at ease; his thoughts were soft and distant-feeling. The world wavered around him beautifully, his vision still making the edge of things blur and shimmer. Tears burned at the corner of his eyes, when he thought of his sister and her kids playing at this very beach only a few months ago.
For the second time in front of Juniper, he cried.
"They're gone." He said in a voice that broke, as though she might understand what he meant.
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