home? back? starring ; hitari, tentten, mushimae, maoaru, takaniki-rida, ninda.
18/03/25

the sun was warm, the grass soft beneath them, and for once, everything felt… easy. tentten had insisted on the picnic, dragging mushimae and maoaru out of the house despite their protests. “come on, we never do anything fun anymore!” she’d whined, hands on her hips, and eventually, no one had the heart to argue.

now, they were all sprawled out across a big checkered blanket, food spread out between them. hitari sat beside tentten, their fingers loosely intertwined, while kirida, still human, sipped lemonade with a look of quiet contentment. ninda, as always, was silent, but she was here, and that was enough.

“okay, okay, but listen—” mushimae was already mid-story, waving a sandwich around as he spoke. “this old guy, right? he’s walking his tiny little dog—like, the size of my shoe—and then out of nowhere, the wind picks up and just whoosh—the dog is just gone.”

tentten choked on her drink. “gone?! like, actually gone?”

“gee-yon.” mushimae nodded solemnly. “flew right into a bush. the guy just stood there like he just watched his whole life flash before his eyes.”

hitari shook her head, smirking. “you’re lying. theres no way.”

“swear on my life,” mushimae grinned.

kirida snorted, setting her drink down. “i think you just make half this stuff up for attention.”

“how dare you,” mushimae gasped, clutching his chest like she had personally wounded him. “my stories are all true.”

ninda didn’t laugh, but maoaru swore he saw the tiniest flicker of amusement in her glassy eyes.

as the day stretched on, the sun dipping lower, they played stupid little games—tentten tried to teach ninda how to play rock-paper-scissors, even though she never moved, while hitari kept stealing pieces of fruit from maoaru’s plate when he wasn’t looking.

it wasn’t much. but it was theirs.

they finished eating between jokes and playful arguments, the sun dipping lower, but the air still thick with the promise of summer heat. when tentten finally stretched and said, “alright, lake time,” they all got to their feet, packing up what was left and heading into the trees.

the forest was alive with the sound of cicadas and rustling leaves, the air thick with the scent of damp earth. they walked in pairs, mushimae and maoaru trailing, while tentten, hitari and rida all lead together, deep in conversation about something that sounded like it was probably way too morbid for a summer afternoon.

ninda walked between them, silent as always, but every now and then tentten would glance back at her, making sure she wasn’t getting left behind.

by the time they reached the lake, the sky was starting to shift, colors bleeding into oranges and pinks. the water stretched out before them, dark and endless, reflecting the sky like a perfect mirror.

everyone stopped for a moment, glancing around at eachother.

“so, is anyone actually gonna swim, or are we just gonna sit around and complain about the water being too cold?” kirida teased, looking around to see if anyone would take the opportunity before her.

“depends,” hitari said, leaning back on her elbows, a lazy smirk pulling at her lips. “are you gonna actually get in, or are you gonna be your usual ‘ugh, my hair’s gonna get wet’ self?”

kirida gasped, pressing a hand to her chest. “how dare you.”

tentten laughed, reaching over to shove her shoulder lightly. “she’s got a point.”

“you guys suck,” kirida grumbled, but she was smiling.

“last one in is a total loser,” tentten declared, already pulling her shoes off.

poor little mae barely got a chance to react before tentten shoved him toward the water. he yelped, stumbling forward, and hitari burst out laughing as he splashed into the shallows.

“you’re so mean,” mushime sputtered, pushing his soaked hair out of his face.

“you love me,” tentten called, already running in after him.

one by one, they followed, the cold water sending shocks up their spines, but none of them cared. maoaru hesitated at the edge, but when kirida gave him quite a judgemental - though lighthearted look, he sighed dramatically and stepped in, shaking his head.

“peer pressure,” he muttered, but there was a smile tugging at his lips.

ninda stayed on the shore, legs against her chest, watching. hitari waded back toward her, gently crouching in the shallows. “it’s nice,” she said, tilting her head. “cold, but nice.”

ninda didn’t move, but something in her eyes softened, like she appreciated the thought. the thought that she was remembered.

the night stretched on, their voices echoing over the water, laughter tangled in the wind. tentten climbed onto hitari’s back at one point, demanding to be carried, and hitari groaned but didn’t ever let her go. kirida and maoaru seemed to have some kind of splashing war going on, while mushimae attempted to float and failed miserably.

for a little while, nothing else mattered. no tragedies, no futures waiting for them. just this. just the water, the sky, the warmth of being together.

tentten let her head rest on hitari’s shoulder, eyes half-lidded as the stars began to blink into existence above them.

“this is nice,” she murmured.

hitari hummed, the vibrations carrying through her back. “yeah,” she said. “it really is.”

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Pub: 18 Mar 2025 19:23 UTC

Edit: 02 May 2025 12:18 UTC

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