Ah swimming, a hobby I had regained a love for not all that long before. I smiled slightly and nodded to her. I loved her sort of fun or so I thought.

"Ah well I've been to the beach the pools must be fantastic though. Will have to check it out some time Lucia."

I continued to smile wondering what else there was to do, swimming and science would only get me so much entertainment after all. I looked to Ryu, I noticed earlier she had seemed a bit shy, but I said nothing of it.

Swimming, a hobby most likely to relax and receive some fun after another hard day of school. Ryu remembered her rough meeting with another student at the pool, but let the thought pass as it was her task to say something.

The pool is great, never been to the beach. Well, I do sports to pass time around here, like tennis... Swimming is not my thing at all.

She could've said she enjoyed taking other girls by surprise, talking with them long enough when being alone to force them to do things with her, but that wouldn't be a good impression to the others. Facing everyone in ther little seating, Ryu thought about what to say next. Of course saying nothing would solve the problem after some time, but may annoy other around because of a possible pause.

I guess you are not only swimming around here... Is there something else you like to do?

Lucia nodded at Ryu, the beach was much more dangerous to go to than the pool, or at least it could be in certain times, but Ryu and Erica didn't really need to know that. It would make for awkward conversation. So the red eyed girl curled up in her chair to look at the others.

"We can go whenever you want to Erica"

An excuse to see a cute girl in a swimsuit was always good. Then she had to think about what Diana would normally do when she was simply resting somewhere in the back of her mind. She liked sports and reading... but both were a little boring.

"I got for walks I guess, at dawn or dusk usually"

Uh, are you going to leave me alone?

Obviously sounding kind of surprised, Ryu tried to keep her facade upright as long as necessary. She didn't know the girls at all, just their names and a few hobbies which seemed to be long enough for Lucia to invite someone for a swim. Some girls were easy to convince around here evidently, just for the benefit of some adventure seekers.

Walks are nice I guess. Actually I never woke up early enough for dawn, but I prefer sneaking through the woods anytime, too much traffic out there to stay on a path.

Ryu just wanted to keep them talking. She'd follow them from a distance if they were going to swim somewhere anyway, to observe other people seemed kind of fun to her after all.

I shook my head softly at the offer of going to the pools right now anyway, I wasn't quite in the mood to swim and I was more so a bit shy around other people for things like that... despite the fact my swimsuit was a full body wet suit... well the one I wore to swim in anyway.

As for walks the idea did sound entertaining, though I myself would probably end up adding research into it so I could continue my work on PECO. I looked to Ryu then with no change in my soft smile.

"Well... I tend to research things... it's a rather secluded activity though and most people wouldn't find it fun I'm certain... I lost touch with 'fun' before I came here."

Completely honest was my tone and gaze as I shifted my weight in my seat looking back and forth betweren the two women beside me.

Ryu looked very incredulous as Erica said she'd prefer research than having fun in any possible way. Even as the girl continued smiling she couldn't believe her, Erica sounded kind of honest even due her almost implausible words, but if she liked it, it didn't matter at all.

It sounds... strange, but interesting. Do you research anything special at the moment? And, um, if you like to do it, isn't it fun in the end?

Her face changed to a more friendly expression, even if she didn't feel like it. The subject was kind of interesting, but she just asked to make sure Erica would think she showed some interest for it. She seemed to be a quite sophisticated character, most likely due her hobbies and appearance.

Still, Lucia seemed to be a tougher nut than Erica. She didn't reveal much, but finds out some things about others. But, obviously she liked other girl as Ryu remembered her statement she was rather cute, a weird thing if they'd be somewhere else than Shokushu.

"Specific? not really, usually anything around me, in general, seeing how things work how I can make things work, how I can manipulate things to change the way they work and things like that."

I explained in a cool calculating voice, much like a teacher rather than an 18 year old girl like I was. Odd that I seemed to have no sense of fun any longer, Crystal had as far as I knew stolen most of that from me, I was barely beginning to rediscover it thanks to my day with Kanoe.

"And.... it's fulfilling not really fun it's a different sort of good feeling it provides that I find less stressful than fun."

That sentence would probably confuse ryu even more, Fun as stressful... no one could imagine that I was certain.

I guess you already know I didn't get it, right?

A spirited smile appeared on Ryu's face as her ironic spoken words amused her way more than anyone else, as usual. She had fun in anything she did, even if it wasn't that fun sometimes. Not a cheerful girl, or most likely a kind person, but she definitely found herself funny. It was almost the only thing left from her joyful childhood...

But... Fun is definitely necessary. If you didn't notice it yet, even in a rational you can't live without it like... let me say, when you don't feel any love your whole life.

Ryu briefly drummed her fingers on the arm of the chair she sat on as she faced Lucia again, then Erica. She didn't seem like a person who never felt fun for a long time, her smile seemed to be just a natural manner. Ryu's voice turned into a more serious one before saying something else.

It will kill you if you don't try to feel it sometimes, believe me. You can not run away just because something bad happened, I don't know if I am right, but it is the truth... Well, I am quite simple-minded, hehe.

"Hmmm, I don't see why not having fun would kill me... and well... I don't think I've ever felt love in my life thus far either I'm under the impression love doesn't really exist."

I explained with a dismissive gesture which I realized might have seemed rude though when she mentioned running away from something bad happening to me... that was exactly what happened to me, I wondered how she could tell so easily though I could feel my face and expression droop the second those words passed Ryu's lips, it would make it obvious she had hit a nerve with it.

I didn't say anything else after that for a short while I just sat there staring at the black cloth that stuck out from under my skirt hand toying with the hemn of the skirt itself. Why had she mentioned something like that...

I didn't mean killing like... well, dieing. It attacks your soul, your spirit, it is like you detach something required from your life, and you'd most likely start to isolate yourself.

Ryu had been right. The student seemed to dislike the direction of their conversation somehow as she saw her smile disappearing, like no emotion was left in the expression of her face. She had only assumed how Erica felt and didn't want to hurt her in any way, even if they just met each other.

Erica stared at something beyond her field of vision, obviously paying attention to it. Maybe she shouldn't have said what she just said, but it wasn't retrievable anyway.

You know... I didn't mean to make you sad. Just my thoughts after all, my own. I had a phase like this once, feeling terribly alone like I never had a friend or if I didn't enjoy anything in my life...

Ryu made a short pause to take a deep breath before continuing, maybe she could rescue herself by explaining.

You can't ignore feelings or emotions, once they are there you can't just do nothing. That was... everything I meant...

She was angry about herself due she unintentionally offended someone, and it seemed to hit her much harder than anything else possible in this situation or place.

It took a few moments of silence after Ryu spoke again my eyes during that time glanced to Lucia whom seemed just to be watching us chat. It took me a short time after even that to speak again.

"It's alright... It's still a fresh wound..."

I explained with a brush of sorrow on my face as I ran a hand down my skirt to flatten it out a little bit more; I was doing it out of habit more than anything now; pulling out wrinkles and folds.

"Hope you don't think I'm upset with you or something, cause I certain am not."

I reassured her as best I could though the smile didn't return. I was too upset in general for that to happen for me right now.

(Silly timezones >_<)

Lucia blinked again, apparently she had missed another part of the conversation. No matter, it can't of been very important if they hadn't asked her to join, or maybe it just didn't concern her. No matter, blinking a few times, she felt slightly dizzy and she leant on her arm, knowing what was to happen next.

They would notice her eyes slowly beggining to change color, bluer and bluer. Only slightly at the moment, as Diana took over once more. Blinking for a final time, the true persona would appear.

"Oh... my head" she complained, there was even a slight difference in voice.

I looked to the other woman for a moment, something seemed different about her suddenly and I nodded faintly to her.

"Are you alright? I have some asprin on me if you need it."

I thought i was the right thing to offer since she said she had a headache... or at least that's what I thought she had said. I decided it best not to mention the fact the woman's eyes seemed a different color suddenly.

Diana nodded, she usually found that a headache would occur if she forcibly tried to subdue her alternate persona. Closing and rubbing her eyes would basically cause them to change their color to her normal icy blue. She usually had fake contacts that hid this, but today she hadn't expected company... no matter.

"Thank you, that would be really good"

The girl sat back in her chair to look towards the others, wondering what their reactions may be, if any.

I just pulled the bottle from my skirt pocket and offered it to Diana.

"You can keep it if you want to."

I told her brushing my skirt off nervously as usual.

((forgive the shortness... nothing else came to mind))