Summer Sorrow (closed)

A broad brimmed yellow straw hat could not hide her features, no matter how much she wished it would. The high summer sun beat down on the beach, all around her people pranced and played. The season was truly at it's height... yet here she sat. Not playing in the water, constructing sand castles, or even basking in the sun's light. But shaded by a parasol, a large parasol yet not large enough to cover the very edge of her thorax, reading a book as all around people laughed and cheered... she hoped it looked like she was reading at least.

For from her stationary position a secret envy was brewing within. Bikini's, shorts, skirts... all around her. Long limbs, short limbs, smooth limbs, rough limbs, scarred limbs and hairy. She bit her lip lightly, sinking deeper beneath her hat. As if that wasn't enough they all seemed so confident, guys going about in shorts and women in bikinis... she looked down at herself. She'd changed her outfit a little at least, a short sleeved yellow blouse to held her cope with the summer heat. Much better than her typical long white shirt and blue overcoat. Bun hidden beneath her hat.

She sunk lower onto her large beach towel, glad excitement and happiness kept most from looking to her too often. The green tide lapped back and forth, teasing her as bear feet broke waves. She felt herself blush, realizing that she looked quite unsavory staring at legs in such a way... she then quickly remembered her sunglasses masked her eyes and ducked down to look at her book once more.

She shifted uncomfortably, wishing she hadn't came but realizing she couldn't leave without drawing more attention.

Salem walked up the beach. The waters pressed up against her feet, and she let out a squeel. "Get away!" She shouted, holding her books as tightly to her chest as possible, almost like a saftey vest as she ran away from the water as fast as her little, shaking legs would take her. Her violet pig tails and white, claric-like jacket flying behind her in the find. 

A shiver went up her spin as she quickly barried her feet in the sand, and slammed her but into the ground, now about 15 meters away from the water. She then just sat there, rocking back in forth. I'm pathetic! She thought to herself, sobbing into her sleeves. 

"I even bought my first bikini, damn it..." She spoke, looking down at the white, purple outlinned Bikini. She then curled up into a ball, "Stupid ocean!" She screamed, picking up the nearest sea-shell, and tossing it towards the ocean. Her eyes then opened wide. 

"Watch out!!!!!!" She shouted, realizing it was headed straight towards an oddly shaped women by the water.

Charlotte, unknowing of the impending collision, was still feeling quite sorry for herself. Even their feet and toes, so interesting and smooth... so normal, while she had stumps. Her feet were more like a horse's than they were like a humans. Leaving circular imprints in the sand. She set her book aside, gently stretching... right as the shell smacked into the back of her head. Unfortunately she didn't have her usual trinket on her, and so took the full brunt of the shell... though her thick skin certainly aided her in taking the impact. She was however rather shocked, quickly turning to discern what had happened.

She found the seashell, broken in two against the back of her head. A quick check of her hat found it fortunately without great damage, but she had no idea where the shell itself had come from. She removed her sunglasses, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the harsh sunlight, before they met another's not far from her. A set of deep purple eyes, initially she wanted to be mad at, but with a moment of analysis she noticed the shock and fear in them. Either she hadn't done it or she had done it on accident, and Charlotte was willing to forgive grudges.

She gently smiled to the girl, closing her eyes and nodding her head in understanding. It was only then however that she noticed the beauty of her shell, a dark blue conch which shined alike the moon at midnight in the high sun's rays. She frowned slightly, upon lifting it, discovering that the shell had broken cleanly in two upon hitting her head. She looked up to the girl once more, lowering the shell and clasping her hand.

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" Salem repeated, over and over and over again as she leaped up from the sand, and charged towards the women. "I-I-I was aiming for the stupid ocean thing wasn't paying attention to anything- I mean anyone obscuring the path of the throw!" Salem was talking at an abnormally fast pace, something she always did when she had to communicate with other people.
 
She then fell to her knees, than shortly after, falling forward into a bowing formation. “I’m so sorry, is there anything I can do to help? Are you hurt?” She quickly spewed out, “I-I’m a medic major!” She spoke, rapid fire as if her words were being fired out from a machine gun.  
 
Salem had yet to notice the girl’s spider-like appendages, but she was in too much shock from hurting an innocent person to pay attention to such major details. “I’m so so so so so so so sorry for hitting you with that shell!” She began to sob, “Please forgive me!” Salem shouted, grabbing the attention of anyone nearby.

Some how Lothric had managed to fall asleep on the beach of all places, wearing just some normal red shorts and having his sword tucked inside the massive bag of his was all that he had bothered to take with him on the trip to the beach. Dreaming of past events had left him rolling slightly around in the sand but not more then a few inches to each side as he mumbled silently.

Hearing some one shout woke him from his slumber but he couldn't really make out what the person was saying, as he sat up and dusted him self off Lothric turned his attention to the noise that had taken him from his slumber and noticed that two people where sitting close and one of them where crying and had shouted something. He then noticed the lower body of the other women was a spider, he blinked a few times before shaking his head just to make sure he hadn't been seeing things but no it was definitely a women with a spiders lower body.

Scratching his neck a few times he grabbed the bag and made his way over to the two before placing his bag down again when he reached them. Moving his gaze between the two for a few moments Lothric then bowed his head deeply before he spoke with his normal gentle and regal manner "A thousand pardons of interrupting you two but I couldn't help but overhear the commotion and was wondering if you are both okay?" he had fixed his gaze on the one who was crying as his face took on a friendly look.

Gentle hands descended upon the bowing girl's head, gently petting to console her, "It's alright. I'm a medical major to~ We've got to be strong, I hardly felt the shell~ Please don't cry~" Her voice more soothing than the gently lapping waves, cutting through the screams of joy and excitement around them. "Shh~ Shh~ Shh~ Shh~ Shh~ You're fine, you're fine. Deep breaths, deep breaths~"

She gently moved her hand's to the girl's shoulders, "What's done is done, you've apologized. I forgive you." She turned to the newcomer, nodding twice, "Yes yes, everything is fine. She just made a simple mistake, that's all. She's got a very good throw it seems~ Perhaps baseball is a specialty? Muhuhu~"

Charlotte gently released the girl's shoulders, bringing her hands together. White wisps of  almost steam seemed to escape from between her fingers. With an opening of her fingers a towel of sorts was formed, almost like a handkerchief in texture. She passed it to the girl to dry her eyes, clearly she had to be quite caring to go to such an extent. She could overlook what little damage she had done, for certain...

Charlotte reaffirmed her sunglasses, attempting to at least hide her wandering eyes. So many legs, she couldn't stand it. She tried to instead focus on the girl's vibrant hair, eyes hardly visible through her glasses but the red tone on her face most certainly was.

Salem didnt even look up from the ground as the woman crafted her a handkerchief, something Salem didn't quite notice due to her face still in the sand, she let out a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry, again." Salem spoke, quickly grabbing handkerchief, and blowing her nose. "I just have this thing about meeting new people, and hurting people, and talking to people..." it was then she noticed yet another stranger had joined in on Salems beach 'adventure'. Her face quickly turned the color of a crab, and once more Salem's face ended up in the sand as she groaned into the crushed rocks beneath her.

"Thanks for the handkerchief..." Salem spoke, face still buried in the sand due to embarrassment. "I..I'm sorry for ruining it, I'm sure you don't want it bacmk... I can pay you back!" Salem shouted, her head rising from the sand and her body leaping into the air in one, solid movement, only to have her crash back into the ground full throttle.

"I forgot I was broke... I just started at the school a few days ago... I have nothing..." she then held the handkerchief up to her eyes to blot away the new gathering of tears. "I could be your slave for a week! No, a month!! NO! A YEAR!!!"

Lothric gave the two a smile before he turned his gaze towards the ocean and then back to the two and as he did he noticed the pink? haired girl leap into the air only to crash back onto the sand, this made Lothric give her a slightly confused look until she began to speak once more and the complete insanity that came out made him chuckle lightly before he knelt down towards the two and placed his left hand on the pink? haired girl's shoulder as he spoke gently "I don't think your kind friend over here is that bothered about the handkerchief, so just dry away your tears and calm down a little okay?" he then gave his biggest smile to show how genuine he was.

Lothric then turned towards the spider faunus and scratched the back of his neck a few times "I am horribly sorry if I am disturbing but I just can't stand and watch her be this sad and frantic, it makes my poor heart shiver to be honest. But still I forget my manners I am Ser Lothric Ember a pleasure to meet you Miss?" he still had his gentle and somewhat regal tone to his voice and tried to lock his gaze with hers but the sunglasses proved to be quite the challenge to see where her eyes where. While he had made his introduction he had extended his free arm towards the spider faunus in a handshake.

"Muhuhuhu~ My dear, I can make as many handkerchiefs as need be. There is nothing to repay~ Creating fabrics like that is my specialty, from handkerchiefs to bandages to towels. I can most do most all of it~" She smiled gently to the girl, "Stop throwing yourself to the ground, you'll graze something. Then I'll have to make plasters as well, not that it's any trouble for me~ But it's certainly best that you keep yourself from unnecessary injury."

As a hand made it's way into her peripheral vision she gently took it, shaking it, "Charlotte Monochrome, medical student at Syne academy with several years prior surgical experience~" She once more attempted to peel her eyes away from the legs around her, face still lightly scarlet... she hoped it came across as sunburn rather than as a result of such jealous thoughts.

Once again she looked back to the girl, gently petting her head as she wept. Such a delicate thing, so easily controlled by her emotions. She made a mental note to make an eye on this one, she couldn't let such a pure child be injured. Shh~ Shh~ Shh~ It's alright~ I'm far from delicate, my appearance is deceiving in many ways but not that~ Thick skinned and honed defenses. I don't have any need for a slave~ I can cook and clean with ease~ If you really want to do something just please calm down."

Salem slowly took deep breaths, good air in, negetive air out. "Alright, sorry about that..." She spoke, letting out a subtle giggle as the hyperventalation calmed down. "I'm Salem, Salem Ambrosuis," She spoke, extended both her hands, one to each of the people around her, "I'm a first year medicle student at Syne, But I've been studying medical practices since for years with my..." Her voice fell silent, 

"I mean, When I was with my mom."

She then shook her head. "I'm just here to become a huntress, like my old man." She then let ou another burst of laughter as she quickly rose to her feet. Finally, she was getting a look at just what the creature was that she hit with a sea shell. 

"Oh my god! You're... You're..." Her eyes opened wide as she clapped her hands together in joy, a smile stretching from ear to ear accross her face. "YOU'RE A FAUNUS!!!!" She then moved up close to the woman, Charlotte, looking over every visible part of her body. "That's so cool! I'm so jealous. Oh my god, you're part spider! Thats even better! I've never seen a faunus before with a body that divereged so much from the average humans, this is freaking insane!" Salem was speaking a mile a minute, but the words weren't really for others to hear. Mainly for herself to get out her excitment. 

"And your semblance is in direct correlation with your Faunus breed, so cool!!!" She then got on her knees and grabbed the hands of Charlotte, "We simply just have to be friends! I have to know everything, whats it like walking on 8 legs? Spinning web??? Do you eat your boyfriends? I know I would if i had the chance, boys are skum." 

"No offence," She spoke, looking up at the man who had recently introduces himself. Lothric.

Lothric took the hand offered to him from Salem and shook it a few times before letting go and couldn't help but chuckle as she seemed to have regained her composition, then came the barrage of words and questions directed to Charlotte and he had to laugh heartedly at that.

"None taken Miss Ambrosuis. I doth agree most of my kin can be quite the brutish boars and would perhaps be justified with something close to that fate." answering her worries or at least her choice to acknowledge that her burst about boys and the eating aspect might have offended him, Lothric then turned his gaze towards Charlotte and gazed over her complete features before making a mental note about it if the need should ever arise.

"I must admit I am intrigued by your traits as well Miss Monochrome but I will await your decision if you wish to talk about it as I would rather not offend you." He then bowed his head in respect to them both before he stood up to his full height and stretched his arms.

Charlotte initially flinched, how she had not noticed her faunus traits was beyond her, however she immediately assumed that she would react negatively. Shutting her eyes tight behind her glasses only to be surprised when shells did not continue to fly, rather words of excitement and questions rained down upon her. The smiling girl before her gushing her heart out, not in fear of her but with great intrigue.

Redness spread further across her face, pushing he glasses further up her nose. Praying their largeness would hide her blush even a little. Even the boy was asking about her features now. This was too much. "I-I assure both of you, these features of mine are more a hindrance than something to marvel at. F-Flattered as I am. I-I have never had a boyfriend or any relation of that sort, my appearance is viewed by many as quite frightening so partners of that sort are quite difficult. I don't think I'd eat them? But I don't really know how any of it would work. I-I have a lot of trouble with doors and stairs to. And elevators are typically too small to facilitate me. Having eight legs burns far too many calories so I have to eat a lot."

Her face only grew redder still as she explained her bizarre body. Wringing her hands. "I-I guess it's nice that I have fur that keeps me warm, my back works both as an operating table and a movable couch. I-It takes a lot of work to keep it soft but I haven't had any complaints from patients."

"Thats so cool!" Salem Shouted at the top of her lungs, still circling around Charlotte, studying every piece of her. "I think the Faunus species is the most amazing thing in the world! I really do wish I was one myself, but alas, I'm simply a human." She let out a sigh of regret, "But there is nothing to be done about that. I hear they are trying to come up with surgeries for that stuff, but I'm not that dedicated to the idea." She then stopped circling around her knew found friend, not because she realized she was being creepy and inconsiderate, but because she had tired herself out. She then fall down in the sand, onto her back, and let out a sigh.

"This world is such an odd place, don't you think?" Salem asked. "So many different kinds of creatures inhabit it, each one living a completely different life. No two of beings experience the same things in the same way, our thoughts, emotions, actions, are all unique to the individual... It's so... cool..."

Lothric laughed heartedly at the display the two girls where showing, Charlotte being flustered was cute and the complete insanity Salem seemed to show by circling and bursting out all of this when mere moments ago she was in a state of what could be considered mild panic.

Shaking his head a few times he look between the both of them before speaking "Well if I didn't know better I might have called this conversation strange. Either way it seems you two are hitting it off on the right note, if you wouldn't mind I would enjoy being around for the continuous exchange."

Laughing slightly Lothric stretched his hands out to their full length before he cracked his neck slightly as he readied him self for their answer and what other insanity Salem could gush forth with the words and actions.

Tho within his own mind a few concerns did push through, what would be Charlotte's final reaction to all of this attention and not that it was negative but too much and she might just react to it as being negatively focused on her.

"Th-The world is full of Bizarre people and occurrences yes," Charlotte quickly nodded, still incredibly flustered. The lapping of the waves and even the crowds around the trio now somewhat tuned out to her, this sensory overload was far too much. It wasn't just the heat, the strange girl and the reserved boy were much too distracting. With their legs and their moving... She had to cure this jealousy.

She looked to the purple haired girl in the sand, once more clasping her palms together, "If the sand is too coarse my back is available, I'm fairly certain that it would be more comfortable than the sand. More sh-shaded also."

She lowered her behind as low as she could, pressing her body to the ground and allowing herself to become comfortable... or at least, as comfortably as she could in the given circumstances. She looked back down to the blue shell, the one which had been thrown at her, and with her surgeon precision and semblance was able to piece it back together. The sealant hidden within the shell itself.