❥ Stronger Than Stone

Past

With the sound of waves accompanying them, Zenny bent down and picked up a seashell she found on the shore. Holding it up against the setting sun, she admired it's intricate pattern and smiled at it's beauty. "Tsukasa, look at this shell I found." She said in a hum. "I love collecting little beauties like these, it's so incredible to think that it's made purely from nature, isn't it?" The ginger said as she turned her head up to look at her tall companion who was gazing out at sea with a vacant look on his face. She stood up and approached him slowly, putting a hand on his arm "Is something wrong..?"
He let out a little hum "I agree with what you said before." he stated before turning around and looking directly at her. "Though this place also brings awful memories..."
Tilting her head a bit to the side, she asked quietly "May I hear?..." They paused for a moment of quiet, a pair of seagulls chirping in the distance and the wind blowing through their hair. With a heavy sigh Tsukasa began explaining "I too used to collect seashells... For my sister. She'd always loved mermaids, and I wanted to give her something that could connect her to the ocean." His gaze avoided hers, she gently tread around until she found a boulder she decided to sit on, listening to him intently. He continued "There couldn't be anything wrong with that, could there?" She shook her head in agreement. "And yet..." Tsukasa's expression shifted, with heavy steps he approached the petrified statue of a middle-aged man on the beach. His voice was filled with spite "Someone still took offense to the simple gesture."
The scene fell quiet, something about his tone of voice was off, but Zen couldn't quite tell why. With short quick steps she went over to him to comfort him before suddenly seeing his emotions explode violently, his fist swinging through the air and hitting the statue's head clean off.

Her heart sank, she shrieked in fear of what he had just done.
Could this really be the gentle giant she knew? His large silhouette loomed over her, his back turned to her and without moving an inch.
"Tsukasa! Y-you.. Why did you..?" She couldn't keep her voice still, it had already begun to tremble with emotion.
"I'm sorry!" She blurted out, which made him turn his head a little in surprise.
"I can't possibly understand what horrible things you must have experienced to feel such hatred, but... This isn't going to help anyone!" Tears were already streaming down her cheeks, she began sobbing in the confusion of it all. Tsukasa's imposing figure slowly turned around to look at her, she didn't dare to meet his gaze, so she clenched her fists and looked down to hide herself.
His big shadow was reflected on the golden sand planes below her feet. She saw as he froze for a moment, then abruptly turned and walked away.

...
Liv was peeling potatoes in the outskirts of their camp. The rest of their gang had ventured to the beach, while she had decided to stay and prepare for dinner, she was humming softly, a random tune she made up as she went.
Zenny had promised to return and show her any of the neat things she found on the beach. Then they'd add them to their shared ever growing collection of nifty finds.

Suddenly the warm sun-ray she had been basking in while working was whisked away, and she looked up in confusion.

She saw the broad figure of the newest addition to their home blocking out the sun. In that moment he almost resembled a titan, carrying the sky on his shoulders. He was walking slowly, yet with firm steps, toward a clearing in the woods, near the camp.
And based off the look on his face, she deducted that something must have happened since he had left with the rest of the group left. They had all seemed in high spirits then, especially her ginger friend.

She sighed softly, despite her initial wariness of the man, she did not like it when the people around her suffered.
Putting away the potato and flint knife in her hands, she carefully approached him.
Softly, she laid a hand on his big shoulder, and he jerked his head around like a scared rabbit, clearly on edge. "...hey." She shot him a small smile,
"I know, the two of us.. haven't talked that much, and if you don't feel comfortable speaking with me, that's understandable. I can just sense that something happened back there..."
her eyes trailed in the direction of the seagulls howling behind them. "And I just wanted to offer an ear.. in case you needed it." She gave his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

He looked up at her with big round eyes, that looked so innocent and surprised that she almost had the urge to pat his head. He opened his mouth, then closed it again and furrowed his brows.

Sensing his inner conflict she took it as her cue to continue. "You know Tsukasa, I'm sorry if I came off as hostile in the beginning, but I admit I was not sure what to expect from you. Now that I know you a bit better.. I don't think you have malicious intentions. I also know that you mean a lot to a certain someone in our camp." She added with a lighthearted playfulness.

He was looking more intensely at her now, and she wondered what sort of thoughts were flying around inside his mind, "... Did the thing.. that happened, have anything to do with her?" Liv softly asked.

Tsukasa observed the girl standing above him, her eyes were big and full of compassion, the wind slowly tugged in her long hair. He understood why Zenny and her were friends, and it was more than clear how much they both cared for each other.
He felt a sense of comfort in her company, yet his feelings were all over the place, and he had a difficult time gathering his thoughts.

Liv backed away a few steps, and breathed out, "I understand if you need some time alone to think, I'm sorry if my presence was bothering you. I'll head back to the camp, but find me if you need anything."
She once again gifted him one of those warm yet careful smiles as she turned to walk back.
"I..."
She paused her movement as the male suddenly spoke up.
"I was reminded of some bad things from the past.. and it made me lash out..."
She sat down next to him, "how so?"
"My sister, my younger sister, she was.. in the hospital. I wanted to bring her a gift, so I collected seashells since she loved the ocean."
He nervously glanced at the girl next to him, but she just looked at him with such an amount of softness and understanding in her eyes that he almost went speechless. "I.. The man who owned the beach, a rich drunkard, did not take lightly to my "trespassing". He beat me to a pulp. When I returned, the only thing I could gift her was the broken pieces of a seashell."
The sensation of tears burning behind his eyes had returned, yet he pressed it down like always.

Until a hand reached out for his arm, "Can I hug you?"
He looked at Liv, and she cautiously looked back at him, "Yes."
So, she hugged him, tightly, he definitely needed a hug. "Tsukasa... it's alright to cry, and it's alright to be vulnerable. It doesn't make you any less strong, alright. What you have been through is hard, and unfair, you did nothing to deserve it. I... I had a little sister too, so I can relate to how you feel on that level. Please don't carry all of the burdens all by yourself, that's not good for anyone, not you nor the people who care about you."

A tear rolled down the man's cheek, and Liv leaned forward to wipe it away.
"I killed him."
"Hm?"
"The man who owned the beach, I found his statue, and I..."
A vengeful look emerged on his soft facial features once again.
"You were overcome with emotion, I don't agree with your actions per se, but I also empathize with your reasons."

He didn't meet her gaze, "Tsukasa, let's be friends alright? You don't need to isolate yourself. Zenny really cares about you, and I'm sure if you explain yourself like you did to me, she will understand you much better. She probably just got scared and confused in the moment, please go talk to her. I think it would be really good for the both of you."
She held her hand out, he accepted it and stood up, "Oh! And one more thing, I'm sure Zenny would love to share our seashell collection with you and your sister... if you don't mind me asking, what's her name?"

"..Mirai."

"What a beautiful name... it means future, right? I'm sure she loved you very much, and wouldn't like to know that you still beat yourself up over the past. Take care, okay." She smiled, and then finally went back to peeling potatoes.
Looks like dinner will be a bit delayed today.