As some of you may know, Peanut and I are crazy about Roleplaying, and it's clear, since this is the second one on this site that belongs to us. And we aren't even done with the first one! Regardless, that won't stop us from starting this new roleplay, Rude Awakening!

 

Kinda dark and mysterious title, eh?

 

As stated in the title, this RP is one on one, no exceptions. Please refrain from posting in the RP. Instead, follow us on this new journey!

 

Peanut, my amazing friend, let's begin!

"Not right now," Serah said with a faint smile. "What I want to see is a race." She wanted Lightning and Riku to swim against each other. It had been at least four years since Lightning swam against anyone...It'd be interesting to see how she did.

Riku blinked at the mention. "Against a swimmer," he assumed, smirking. "You're joking." He had strength and speed, but mostly on land. He doubted he would be too good in the water. Losing always hurt Riku's pride, even if it was for fun and games. Besides...was Lightning even up for something like that?

Lightning read between the lines of Serah and Riku's conversation; Riku knew she swam in the past. Oh well--there was nothing she could do to take that knowledge away. "I'm rusty," she said to Riku. "You've got a chance." Besides, he grew up on a beach; he had to be a good swimmer.

Riku hesitated, but only for a second. "Fine, you're on," he said, looking to the girl beside him. His smile turned crooked again, simply because it was Lightning. Even when she was soaking wet she took his breath away. He had to fight the urge to wrap his arms around her when he first got in the pool; she might not have been comfortable with it.

"Two laps," Serah announced. "Down to that end and back here. Lightning, stroke preference?" Lightning gave her a look, and she recognized what that meant: it was ridiculous to ask someone who didn't swim professionally to swim any kind of formal stroke. "Alright, whatever you want. Ready?" 

Riku decided to make this a little more formal, despite Serah's question. He pulled himself out of the water and stood on the edge of the pool, offering his hand to Lightning. Gotta start it off right, he thought with a crooked smile. If they were going to do this, they were going to make it official.

Lightning hmphed, reaching out her hand and grasping Riku's. She set her other on the edge of the pool and got out easily, glad to finally be able to use her legs. They were almost back to normal on land, but in the water, they were perfectly fine. Though she knew she hadn't raced in a while and what was important to her was getting better, a part of her hoped to beat Riku. 

Riku helped Lightning to her feet to stand beside him, but he couldn't keep his aquamarine eyes from roaming over her figure. The swimsuit was simple, but different; it was a one-piece halter suit, black with intricate designs on the stomach that revealed some skin. Riku released Lightning's hand and looked away instantly, clearing his throat as he glanced Serah's way. "Go ahead," he murmured. They were ready.

"Alright!" Serah called from the long side of the pool. "Ready....Set..." As she spoke, she focused on Lightning getting into position. Her eyes focused ahead, like they always had in a competition.  "Go!" She shouted out the last word, but that didn't prepare her for Lightning's entrance. Despite her time away from competitive swimming, her dive in was almost flawless. And it was graceful, just like it always was. 

Riku's dive wasn't graceful, but normal for someone his size. He went into the water and surfaced, beginning to stroke instantly. He and Sora used to race against the surf when they were younger, so this was a little easier since he didn't have to battle waves. Regardless, he knew Lightning was fast as well. He would have to make this count.

Lightning swam as if she was on her own, in her usual mentality. Winning against Riku would just be a bonus: what she really wanted was to keep improving and do better than she had before. It was like she told him when they were competing in a triathlon: she didn't care about beating others, she wanted to top herself. But at the same time, it felt good to do better than others. She was at the other side of the pool before she knew it, and she gracefully twisted and pushed off that wall to go back to the start.

Riku pushed off the wall a third time before he knew it, in the final stretch of this race. He surfaced a few seconds after Lightning reached the end and shook his wet hair out, looking to her and seeing that she won. He groaned dramatically and fell back into the water. Can't believe I lost.

At the end of the race, Lightning turned around and saw that Riku was a good few seconds behind. That stunned her into silence even after Riku reached the end and made his defeat dramatic. She really didn't think that she was that good right now, but... She smiled, leaning back and floating on her back as the sun shone down. It feels good to swim again. 

Riku righted himself and looked to Lightning, who floated a few feet away. "You got lucky," he taunted, but it was in good nature. He knew that he was just slow. Ever since he put more muscle on, his speed had decreased. Sora was a lot faster than him now.

"Sore loser," Lightning retorted calmly, a tiny smile on her lips. She lifted one of her hands out of the water just enough to splash Riku, the rest of her body barely moving just because of how much she perfected her ability to balance herself in the water. To think that she used to do this all the time...She was lucky back then.

Riku squeezed an eye shut and turned his head at the water that came his way, but when that was over, he swam over to be beside Lightning. "Careful," he warned her. "I just might dunk you." She wouldn't be too happy with him for that, he was sure. All she had to do was ask Sora how it felt to be dunked by Riku in the water and she would know. Then again, Riku would never be that rough with Lightning. She was different.

"Then you'd prove me right," Light said, glancing over at Riku as he tread water right next to her. "And I know you wouldn't want to give me that satisfaction." In other words, he wasn't going to dunk her. She was safe from that unsportsmanlike conduct. 

Riku rolled his eyes. "Girls," he muttered under his breath. He could never win against them, since they were all so stubborn. Riku wasn't sure who was worse: Lightning or Kairi. Both were pretty awful under certain circumstances, but Riku wasn't going to think like that...or stare at Lightning when she had that swimsuit on. He swam backward, away from her, just to make sure he didn't look too long.

"Oh-ho, you did not just go there," Lightning said, propping herself upright as she looked at Riku swim away. He was lucky Serah didn't hear that; if she did, she would have hopped in and climbed onto his back. But as a sudden splash appeared between her and Riku, Lightning realized Serah indeed did hear Riku's muttered comment and she was reacting the same way that Lightning predicted she would. 

Riku instinctively lifted his hands to block the water that suddenly appeared out of nowhere, someone jumping into the pool. What, was Sora here already? He was sure he would have at least hollered "cannonball" before making his leap. Regardless, Riku opened his eyes once the water settled, only to see two very ticked off sisters. Uh...

Serah sent a brief glare at Riku when she was in the water, unable to do her intended move because Riku wouldn't dare turn his back to her now that he saw her expression. So instead, she swam up right in front of him and set her small hands on his shoulders, attempting to force him underwater. 

Riku didn't sink very much, not enough for Serah's plan to follow through. "You're kidding, right?" he taunted, smirking as he tried to fight his laughter. He was too big and she was too small; she couldn't force him underwater so easily. She would have to be a lot stronger to do that.

Serah looked over her shoulder, seeing her sister just floating there with an expression of amusement. "Lightning," she whined. Come help me! But all she got was a slight shake of the head. Serah hmphed, giving up as she took her arms away from Riku. Fine, she gave up.

Riku took his chance, using his strength as he picked Serah up by her waist and tossed her into the air, over Lightning and onto the other side of her. She was lightweight, and he was strong enough that he could pull it off. He was sure she wouldn't be happy, but this was all fun and games.

Lightning looked up and followed Serah with her eyes--and her ears, since Serah screeched all the way down. As soon as Serah sunk into the water behind her, Lightning lifted a hand to her face to bite back her laughter. Serah wouldn't be happy she found this so amusing, but it really was hilarious.