The waves of kindness (Kire)

[Deleted]

Kailani woke on the shore of the beach just about a mile away from home. She had taken to sleeping by the shore because Kona was out on a fishing trip. The now eighteen year old Kona was working as hard as he could so that the girls got no tressare or anything to get them closer to the jaws of the game. Kailani had been watching the games and trying to answer Mara's questions. She was doing what any sister would do. She was trying to shield Mara as much as she could. Of course Maris would ruin all of that if she ever heard Mara and Kai talking about the games. Maris was pissed at the moment because the two from the district had teamed up with tributes from lower districts. It didn't seem fair really The kids from the other two districts seemed to know what they were doing. Or at least one had. The female from district nine looked like she could hold her own. She thought the pairing was actually a really good choice for that matter. The career pack was still an issue though. It wasn't going to be pretty. She wondered what they would all be facing today.

Her mind did not dwell on those issues though. Her mind wandered over to the sea as she rubbed the sands of sleep out of her eyes. Kona's ship should be coming in soon and she would have to go meet him on the docks. She wasn't that far away from those either. She wished she could have gone with him but during the games it was he who got to go out while she stayed home to tend to Mara and Maris. At least Kai hadn't been beat up or anything by Maris. Everyone was training hard at the training center and watching the games. So it was actually peaceful for her. She didn't have to worry about it. It scared her when Maris got upset about the alliance that their tributes had formed. She had prayed nothing bad would come of it. Nothing had happened thus far which meant all was well. After all the only thing she was getting in trouble for doing was sleeping on the shore. She laughed to herself as she stood up.

She headed back to the house only to change clothes. She was down at the docks waiting for the ship to come in about an hour later. She looked around sitting on the edge of the dock and looking out. The waves crashing softly below her.

[Kire]

≋ S a m s o n ≋ S a n d e r s ≋

Does, Says, Thinks

I don't know what I'm expecting to see, walking along the docks as I am. Most people would look for animals, or a nice spot in the sun or shade - whatever they prefer - but my gaze is locked on the twisting, rolling ocean. The blue-green waters, seeming somewhat rough at the moment, reveal nothing more than the seafloor for about three meters around me. I feel disappointed, but I'm not entirely sure why. Without knowing in truth what I was expecting there shouldn't have been any reason for me to feel disappointed, but I do anyway.

Standing at the end of the dock I take a moment to breathe in the atmosphere and breathe out my disappointment. It wasn't a feeling I could banish right off but I certainly did my best to. Watching the waves roll and break was one of my favourite pass times, with few other things comparing. It took me some time before I noticed the girl sitting not too far from me, watching the ocean as I was - or similar to as I was. There was some rational part of my mind that knew she wasn't searching for the submerged bulk of a submarine, no one was, even though she still seemed to be searching for something. Probably a ship. I tried to judge her age without staring but it was hard. There was no doubt she was at least a few years younger than me, but what her exact age was I couldn't begin to guess. Her father's perhaps? I shrugged, trying to pretend it was a stretch, and turned my eyes to focus on the ocean again. I've never been that great around people, even those younger than me.

If a stranger wants to talk to me, they talk to me. If not, then I stay silent.

[Deleted]

Kailani kept her eyes on the horizon but the ship wasn't close enough for her to see it. Her eyes drifted to the blue green water below her. There were fish and seals and all sorts of animals that lived in this ocean. To her surprise there was one Seal bobbing in the water not too far off. She smiled as it continued to swim and then found its way up on to the buoy not to far off. She shook her head as she heard it sound off to the others that may have been in the area. She was surprised to hear the echo from almost right under her. She hadn't noticed the seal that had surfaced. She watched it take to the water again and go and join its buddy out in the deeper parts. A seagull landed next to her and she looked over at it. It was at this time that she realized another person was with her. A boy was sitting off not to far from her.

"Goodmorning," She greeted him kindly and laughed as he voice made the seagull fly away. It came back though as if expecting her to feed. "I've got nothing for you today buddy sorry." She smiled at the bird and if finally flew off once again as it realized it was not going to get anything from her. She turned to watch a pelican dive into the water for some fish. She watched it bob in the waves for a bit as well. Every so often she glanced back at the boy that was with her. She was trying to place him but it was hard to do so. She wasn't sure she'd seen him at training or at school. He did look a bit older than she was though.

[Kire]

≋ S a m s o n ≋ S a n d e r s ≋

Does, Says, Thinks

I was still enraptured with the rolling waves when a foreign voice reached my ears. "Good morning." My head jerked to face the girl I had noticed before, and I wondered why I had jumped so much when she spoke. I attributed it to how quiet it was around here, all the boats having sailed already and only the odd fisherman sitting in a chair with his fishing rod tucked in a niche near him or her. They all waited for a bite, in a similar manner as how I waited for the elusive appearance of a grey hulking shape under the water. Though perhaps fish were a bit more than slightly more common.

"I've got nothing for you today buddy sorry." It took longer than it should have for me to realize she was talking to a seagull and not me. I had been about to retort that I had no idea what she thought I was here for but it certainly wasn't true, but if I had I would have looked foolish - as if I hadn't already made a fool of myself in my search for a submarine. The splash of a pelican diving into the water, discerned as the cause from the view out of the corner of my eye, wasn't enough to distract me from taking another look at the girl. A hand rose to rub the back of my neck, as I had a habit of doing when I was thinking. Right now I was wondering how I might talk to this girl, because she had already said good morning to me so maybe I should respond in kind?

I was always more awkward around people than was good for me, and it didn't help that most people thought me insane for my belief that the Capitol spied on us from submarines. Maybe it wasn't fully true, but I certainly wouldn't put it past them. The technology was most certainly available to them and I wanted in on it. "Morning." I had to work my jaw a bit until the word for form, and even still it sounded stiff - whether gruff or fearful I had no idea. There was no doubt about it; my people skills suck.

[Deleted]

Kailani was a kind soul. She could turn on your if she wanted to though. If you gave her a reason to hate you she would undoubtedly hate you until she was given a reason not too. There were some that had gone into games that she hated. They got back on her good side only because they were going into the games and she wished she could do something to help them She would help out even her enemies if she found some value in it. After all she helped Maris out even though the woman made her skin crawl. As soon as she and Kona had enough money saved up and were old enough she was filing for custody or Mara and bringing that woman down. It might be a little vindictive but she couldn't help it and Kona would help her out. She shook random thoughts out of her head as she waited for the boy to say something.

It took him a long time to say anything at all. Kailani was extremely patient though and so she just waited smiling out towards the horizon. There should be a ship there but it still wasn't there. She wondered how much longer it would take for it to come in. It wasn't like they were supposed to be gone for longer than two nights. She prayed that the things that happened to their father had not happened to Kona. She would be broken if it happened to him too. She turned when the boy finally spoke a soft smile on her face. "I'm Kai but the way. Its a loving morning isn't it." She turned back to the water and at the very edge of the horizon she spotted what she had been looking for. It would still take the ship awhile to get into dock though.

She stood up and moved closer to the boy so that she could hear him better. She smiled at one of the old fisherman who tilted his hat to her. She sat down at a comfortable distance away from the boy so that they wouldn't be in eachother's personal space. "What brings you out here this morning?" She questioned trying to start up conversation.

[Kire]

≋ S a m s o n ≋ S a n d e r s ≋

Does, Says, Thinks

The slosh of the water under the dock was as soothing as the undulating sea that was causing it, and I had once again drifted to absently staring at the expanse before me in silence. One word from me and then silence, it was more than typical. The girl beside me seemed to have other ideas, or she didn't feel like leaving me be. I was truthfully more interested in searching for one of the submarines I knew must lurk somewhere in those waters, but I suppose human interaction was something I could take part in. Actually, I might be better off trying to learn how to deal with people, because right now I was horrible at it - not like anyone would know.

"I'm Kai but the way. Its a lovely morning isn't it." I was nearly startled yet again by this girl, and I shook my head to try and sort myself out. This was getting ludicrous. Almost the instant I looked up my heart jumped into me throat. Then I realized the shape on the horizon was not a submarine, it was a normal fishing vessel. Disappointed, I had not had the time to respond to the girl before she was speaking again. "What brings you out here this morning?" I worked my jaw, it having gotten stiff again after its short use only moments before. As I did that I tried to figure out how I could explain it, at least in a way that wouldn't make me out to be the idiot everyone seemed to think I was. They didn't understand my need to do this, and the knowledge I had that this was as possible a thing as catching a fish.

I shrugged. "The salt air is nice." Perhaps she wouldn't have noticed my searching gaze, my desperation for any sign that I was right. I would prove my validity one of these days, just hopefully sooner rather than later.

[Deleted]

Kailani was still trying to place the boy that was next to her. She could swear she'd seen him before but it didn't really matter. She had maybe an hour before the fishing vessel met with the dock and she could help tie ropes. She was always here so the boys usually always threw the ropes down to her and she would go about tying them a few would jump down to help her. They all worked like a well ordered machine. She would even help sort out the fish that would stay in the district and what would go out to the capitol. They really only got a handful to take home. She loved the sea and thought many things were possible within its waves. To her nothing really was to farfetched an idea when it came to the dark depths or the ocean. The ocean floor after all was so far below surface and the ocean was so big one couldn't possibly know everything about it.

One of these days she hoped she'd be able to search the seas. If not personally and physically perhaps in death. After all there had to be an ocean in haven for all the fours that had gone before her. At least she was sure she'd see her father once again. She shook her head slightly and then looked at the boy next to her jump. She hadn't meant to scare him and a concern look was plastered over her face. Sure she was still giving off a soft smile but she was a bit worried about having offended or scared the boy a little too much. She didn't have problems with social interaction unless it came from the career families of her district in which case it was kinda the whole issue with the fact that usually she was paired up with her brother and they were a powerhouse team in the training center. She was a formittable foe herself though.

The boy finally spoke again and it had her tilting her head to the side. "It is but that's not why you are out here." She knew she might be prying to much but now she was extremely curious about this boy. He hadn't even introduced himself like she had. Not that she would expect that from everyone she met. He seemed to have been doing what she was but somehow it wasn't the same. She couldn't put her finger on it but she did pride herself in her observation skills most of the time. "Its alright if you don't want to tell me. Its just always so peaceful out here. My brother's ship pulling in will disrupt that for a little bit though." She giggled slightly and then looked out at the dot of a ship still making its way into the bay.

[Kire]

≋ S a m s o n ≋ S a n d e r s ≋

Does, Says, Thinks

My eyes drifted to the boat the girl must be avidly staring at, seeing that it was still a ways out. Instantly I went back to scanning the waters, hoping I might see some other hulking shape in the waves. Occasionally I caught her glancing at me, looking slightly puzzled. I ignored her for the most part though, not wanting to have to explain myself to her. No one understood why I did what I did, and it was impossible for me to tell them without fumbling over every other word. That's why people thought I was crazy, or at least dim witted.

When I had spoken her head had tilted to the side, like a dog's does when you tell them something. "It is but that's not why you are out here." I let out an indignant sigh, not really looking forward to dealing with someone so determined to have me look like a fool. "Its alright if you don't want to tell me. Its just always so peaceful out here." I determinedly kept my eyes averted, knowing she would see me looking and try to pry from me. "My brother's ship pulling in will disrupt that for a little bit though." Unconsciously I recognized that that must be the ship that was approaching. Her brother's, not her father's? It was odd to think that a son might be out without his father, assuming the brother wasn't much older than the girl I stood beside.

The girl's giggling took me off guard and I looked at her quickly. Immediately I remembered why I hadn't been looking at her and turned my head away. "Can't a guy just enjoy the ocean?" I didn't bother talking about the ship that was slowly growing bigger, preferring to stay off the subject of family, especially around a stranger. Why does why I'm here matter to her so much?

[Deleted]

Kailani sighed as she was making no conversational headway with the boy next to her. In retrospect what did she expect. Many people in the district were closed off to each other. She had better just let the peace fall between them and the ocean but that didn't mean that she wasn't curious. She liked making new friends but it seemed that he did not want to make friends with her. She looked away from him with a sad smile on her face. She might as well let him return to his watching the waves. "There are so many things within the ocean. Its a vast world of things we still don't fully understand. That's why I love it here and why I love being upon the waves." That was all she was going to say. It was her last ditch effort to get him to say something else. To be maybe even a little bit friendly.

Her brother's ship continued to slowly makes its way into the bay. She was getting only a little antsy about it. She always got antsy the last gap that they had to close to the docks. After all it was possible for someone to have gone overboard in the night or for something to have happened to them out there. She wouldn't know until she saw everyone when they were close to dock. They weren't close enough for her to see right now. However,the sails moved slightly to adjust for the wind. That meant at least most of the crew was still on board.

Finally the ship got close enough for her to see what was going on on board. The boys were getting everything ready to make anchor and she saw her brother up in the crew's nest. He looked tired and a little beat up but she's discuss that with him later. She turned to look at the boy once more as the ship got ever closer to the doc and the animals started to scatter almost