Imma Whale (Ivy)

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

There was nothing like a refreshing swim in the school's pool on a hot June day, at least not in Kuni's book.  Having grown up in summers that were only mildly warmer than the rest of the frozen year, he roasted in anything above about seventy degrees.  He wished he could stay in the water for the entirety of summer, really - but he had to just deal with wearing the lightest tanktops and shorts he could get away with.

Today, though, he couldn't be bothered to put his shirt back on as he walked back up to his dorm.  The Inuit boy had a towel wrapped around his shoulders, but otherwise the only thing covering him up was his swimming trunks.  Already he was feeling hot again, and he couldn't wait until the sun set so he could pop open his window and let in a refreshing cool breeze.

For some reason, one of his roommates had locked the door to their dorm, so Kuni fumbled around in the hallway for his key to get in.  He nodded at a few people that passed by; it took him a few moments to figure out which one was the right one.  He didn't usually bother locking any of his doors (habit from not having locked rooms back home), so it took the slow boy a longer time than most to crack one open.

[Ivy Rose]

So Ivy had run into Kuni a few times in the past few weeks, and they had gotten to talking very briefly but it was enough to pick her out of bed the day before graduation in order to say goodbye. She hadn't made many friends in her time at Hammel, but she still had another year; but as far as Ivy knew, Kuni was leaving very very soon.

To say she was expecting him to be outside of his dorm with nothing but swim trunks and a towel hung around his bare shoulders would be a lie. In fact, the sight she was beholding stirred a very odd, confusing sensation inside of her, but she pushed it down, her lips leveling into a hard line. Ivy didn't like the feeling, nor did she know why she had it, and so she decided it was best to ignore it. The brunette cleared her throat to the older boy, trying to capture his attention.

"Hey," She said softly, her head tilting back slightly to look up at him. "Did I come at a bad time?"

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

Despite how few times they had spoken, Kuni saw Ivy as a friend, and was more than happy to spend time with her if she wanted to. Unfortunately, she didn't seem the type to typically socialize much, so most of their interactions were brief. Kuni often wished he could think of something more to do or say, but she was usually gone on her way before he could come up with anything.

Therefore, he was totally not expecting her to show up at his place out of the blue, especially since he wasn't, in fact, graduating. Given his age, he probably should have been, but he was behind in school and his ability was far from trained, given the difficulty of practicing it. So when Ivy cleared her throat (just as Kuni managed to unlock his door), he jumped slightly, looking over with surprise.

"Oh, hey!" he blurted, eyes wide. He turned the knob and opened his door a tad, ruffling his hand through his damp hair. "Oh, uh, no. Just... Had a little trouble with the door, one of my roommates locked it for some reason." Kuni chuckled awkwardly and waved a hand into the common room. "Um, did you want to come in? I just got back from the pool, I was just, uh, going to get something to eat. You're welcome to stay." He offered a broad smile, hoping she would take the invitation.

[Ivy Rose]

His surprise to see her amused her slightly, but it was completely justified considering their prior encounters. They were always, if anything, short and sweet and never too invested. But today, she didn't want to leave without at least a somewhat decent and lengthy conversation. When he graduated... she actually found herself thinking she would miss him.

Funny how that sounded to herself.

"If you wouldn't mind my company," Ivy admitted a bit sheepishly, her lips tipping upward into a small but genuine smile. He had only gotten a few of those from her, so she hoped it wasn't unwarranted and unnecessary. She entered the room slowly and sat herself on the couch in the common room that looked very much like her own but felt far different, shifting to sit herself cross legged on the cushions. She left her shoes on the floor out of respect for the older-boy and his furniture.

Ivy didn't really have much to say, so she tried to start up a conversation. "I haven't really been swimming in the longest time. I used to always before coming to hammel, but... I just haven't had much time."

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

Kuni couldn't help but wonder what had gotten into the younger girl. This seemed totally out of character, from what he had seen from her so far. He wondered if someone she had a bone to pick with him, or something? He hoped not... And she didn't seem upset.

Actually, she was smiling! "Of course I wouldn't mind," he said quickly, ushering her inside. His own smile was still wide and even excited. Kuni stepped inside after her, closing the door softly behind them. He would have told her to make herself at home, but it seemed Ivy already was, so he went to the cupboards very quickly and grabbed some jerky, an apple, and a big hunk of bread. It was quick, and easy, and soon he was sitting beside his friend on the couch, meekly offering one of the handmade pieces of fish jerky to the young girl. "I won't be offended if you don't want any, but I thought it would be rude not to offer," he chuckled.

He took a bite into his apple, listening attentively as Ivy spoke. Small talk, he could do that. "I think I'd go crazy if I didn't swim," he replied, wiping the back of his hand across his mouth. "I try to get to the lake when I can, but sometimes I just, um, stick to the pool." He tilted his head and added,"Actually, I'd prefer the ocean, but that isn't exactly convenient." His cheeks flushed a little, realizing she'd probably wonder why the ocean was better than bodies of fresh water. "But, um... You should go sometime! If you want. And have the time. And... Yeah." He tore off a piece of bread to stuff his rambling mouth.

[Ivy Rose]

Ivy crinkled her nose in disgust at the fish jerky, not really meaning to, but just that she really didn't like the idea of dried fish being shoved in her face -even though it wasn't really shoved-.... "At least you have consideration," The brunette offered a light smile and even a nervous laugh. How did she react to that? Truly, she was a failure at anything that involved human interaction, and it was kind of embarrassing.

She listened, nodding at his words. He was responding to the small talk, at least, and that made her feel a little less incompetent in the conversational aspect of things. After years of keeping to herself for survival purposes, it was really difficult to break the habits. Pretend you're talking to a teacher... be chirpy... but not too chirpy? She told herself.

"I remember when I was younger, Fi and I would go to the beach and play for hours. It was nice, and we would get the worst sunburns. Then we would spend hours just making sure the other was okay and rub aloe on our backs. It was always so much fun," She offered, trying to be as upbeat as she could without sounding strange, which was really her head down and smiling with a somewhat less quiet voice.

She had never really spoken about Fi to him before... Well, there was a first time for everything, right?

[Kunikpok "Kuni" Arrluk]

Kuni assumed Ivy didn't want any of the jerky due to her reaction, so set it aside and continued munching on his apple. He'd actually made the stuff himself, but... It was definitely an acquired taste.

He wasn't the most intuitive of people, but even Kuni could tell Ivy wasn't used to this sort of things. The way she reacted, the pauses... It felt odd, but he wasn't one to judge. He listened as she spoke about someone, Fi, and waited until she was finished to ask,"Um, who's Fi?" After a second, he went on,"I... Never got sunburns back home. We just had to worry about frostbite and not falling into the water." Kuni chuckled and bit off another piece of bread.

After another couple moments, Kuni hesitated before asking,"Was there a reason you came over? I mean, I'm happy to have you," he added quickly, hoping he hadn't offended the girl. "I just... Well, I wasn't expecting it." From past interactions, Ivy just didn't seem the type to come over for simple chitchat for no reason.

[Ivy Rose]

Had she really not mentioned Fi in his presence? Well, actually, that probably wasn't surprising. Giving up information about herself and her family was rare, but usually people figured it out if they saw her walking with her sister to a from class. That, or they thought they were lesbian lovers, which had always irritated the eldest Rose twin. Couldn't she love her sister without it being disgusting? It wasn't like she kissed her anywhere except the cheek or gave her the occasional hug?

But Kuni asked, so she would answer.

"Fi, or Sofia, if my twin sister. We're not identical, but still twins..." Ivy started, but soon, the conversation went back to him for a short moment. He had never gotten sunburn? It was almost a monthly occurrence with them, especially on their 'adventures' but they had never been too bad because of the precautions they began to take when it came to their skin.

She bit her lip. "I just... I know you're a senior and graduation is coming... I just didn't want you to leave without saying goodbye since, you know, you've sort of been a friend to me."