Sand and Sun [Gunslinger, Aurora]

[Aurora]

Aurora was ready in under ten minutes - she was especially anxious to be out of the compound and under the sun today, so she utilized her speed a bit as she changed into her swimsuit. She now stood out front of the compound, facing the ocean, the wind off the water occasionally blowing through her long dark hair.

She'd changed into a basic black bikini, and sheer black loose pants hung low on her hips and blew in the breeze much like her hair did. Black seemed to be her favorite color, though it wasn't in the gothic, brooding way.

She passed a rock back and forth between her hands, then paused. Without looking up, she wound up and hurled the rock into the air. After waiting a few moments, she looked up. Her sharp eyes searched for only a split second before locating the rock, which was maybe ten feet above her head.

In a moment, she was underneath it, hovering a few feet above the ground. The rock fell, and her outstretched hand caught it in a snap. She eyed the rock as she tossed it up and down a couple of times, a smirk forming on her lips.

[Gunslinger]

Roy stepped out of the compound, taking aim swiftly and blowing the rock out of midair with a quick shot as it reached the top of its arc away from Aurora's hand. There was no sense in wounding her - not yet, at least, since he had no reason - and he thought she might take to having her hand blown off rather badly.

He had shed his normal clean attire for something much more foreign to him: shorts and a t-shirt. Even his shoes, run-down sneakers as opposed to the heavy, polished black shoes he normally wore, felt strange to him. Still, they were good for moving quickly and quietly if need be.

Grinning at Aurora's attire, Roy slung his towel over his shoulder and waved in a friendly manner. "So, you ready for some fun?" he called up with a little smirk.

[Aurora]

Aurora had heard Roy approaching the door long before he'd opened it, but she kept her eyes on the rock...until it shattered in mid-air. As bits of gravel - pebbles, really, were all that was left of it - rained down, Aurora leveled her chin and fixed Gunslinger with an amused smirk.

"You even dressed down," she noted approvingly as her eyes looked over his casual attire.

"So, you ready for some fun?"

"I'm always ready," she said emphatically. And when she said it, it wasn't just a cliche, nor boasting, but simply the truth. She enjoyed physical activities, and could not stand being locked up in the compound all day, reading or watching TV or even meeting with the rest of the group and discussing Brotherhood-related matters.

She took a few steps toward the beach, not drifting down from the plane she walked on, which was about three feet above ground. Her hands placed on her hips without thought of looking attractive. Aurora didn't strike poses and more than she acted coy or promiscuous to attract men.

Not that she'd had much experience in the 'male' department. But she kept the question of whether or not she was experienced just that - a question. No easy answers there. "So, does the exotic jungle make you miss New York, or have you forgotten it completely for this paradise?"

[Gunslinger]

Roy glanced at his clothes with a casual eye, sticking his hands in his pockets. "Eh, wouldn't make much sense to traipse around in a jacket, would it?" Honestly, he wouldn't have minded wearing a pair of jeans, at least, but he didn't really think it was the best idea for swimming, and it was going to be a lot easier to not have to carry anything around. Instead, all he had was the dog-eared book in his back pocket and a light canteen slung over his shoulder.

Flipping a pair of sunglasses out of his pocket and snapping them open, he slipped them on over his eyes and grinned at her. "This exotic jungle makes me miss Disneyland, where I know all the big spiders in the Jungle Cruise are fake. Still, the city or the jungle - you've still got too much overhead. Give me a nice, small town way out in the prairie. Then you're talking."

[Aurora]

"A prairie?" Aurora repeated, turning her head to fix Roy with a disbelieving look. "Tell me you're kidding. A prairie would have to be the most boring place to be out of every place in the world! There's nothing there - nothing except prairie dogs and grass."

She looked to him, closing her lips and examining him with an amused smile. "If it's peace and quiet you want, you don't have to go somewhere as boring as the prairie to get it. Some of the best thinking I've ever done, I've done in the last few weeks, at this place we're about to go." She nodded ahead, though their destination was far from sight.

[Gunslinger]

Roy shrugged and started to walk in the designated direction. "Peace and quiet are overrated, if you ask me. A small town in the prairie has trusting people, though, and trusting people are easy to rob blind if you know what you're doing." He threw her a grin. "I never said I wanted to stay in the same prairie town."

"So how far are we heading into this thicket here? And should I have brought my sunscreen?" He could feel the bright sun shining down on his neck, and the shade of the forest was starting to look mighty inviting. "Or are there going to be trees to block out all this light?"

[Aurora]

Aurora's eyebrows rose and she began to laugh as Roy voiced his reasoning for wanting to go to the prairie. At least he had a good reason. He was certainly an interesting guy.

"It's mostly pretty well shaded," she answered after taking a moment to picture the small oasis and ponder. "You should be fine." She hadn't thought about sunscreen because she never burned because of her tough skin. "And it's not too far...though it's a lot faster to get there my way." She tossed him a small smirk as they walked.

"So, do you ever shoot blanks?"

There was a silence that followed, and if Aurora understood the other meaning to what she'd said, she didn't show it. She did, however, explain, in case he was unsure what she meant. She lifted her hand and formed a gun with it. "Like...you shoot and nothing comes out?"

[Gunslinger]

Roy's eyebrow quirked up at the second meaning to her question, and his face took on a droll look. "If I've used up all the energy I store... yes, nothing comes out. But usually I have plenty, so there's little chance of that happening." He threw up a hand, letting blasts fire from all five fingers. The shots ripped through a series of branches like a sawed-off shotgun, and there was the sound of numerous birds lifting off in surprise and fear.

Shaking his hand, the tips of his fingers red from the discharge, he grinned at her. "Always pulling some in, so there's almost always something to put out."