The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, taking the majority of its colored clouds with it. By now the sky was predominantly purple and gray, with only a few clouds to hinder the effulgence of the stars. The sand and sea were swathed in an ethereal provided by the moon, which for the young blonde man walking along the shore, was absolutely enough.
Carrying his sandals in his left hand and a small, cloth bag in his right, Nikkolai continued down the beach, squishing the sand between his toes with every light step he took for amusement. He enjoyed the tranquility of the ocean at night, when there were no other people around and the only sound was of the waves splashing against the shore. He was close enough to the water that it came and looped around his ankles every time it met the sand, which had prompted him to roll his trousers up to his knees earlier. The sleeves of his white shirt were rolled up as well, and his long, blonde hair was pulled back into a low ponytail in an effort to keep it out of his eyes.
Bending low, Nikkolai scooped up a shell from the sand, catching it just before the waves could carry it off. "Oooh... this one's pretty," he commented to himself, grinning as he let out a soft, triumphant laugh. Rinsing it of most of the sand that was covering it, he deposited the shell in the bag he was carrying. He already had a nice collection, with the bag almost half-full of shells of all various sorts of colors and shapes. Nikki had had nothing better to do tonight and it had been so long since he had come to Hivan! There was no issue in giving up a night of performing for time to relax.
However, as he continued on his way, cold, wet droplets began to pelt his body and the area around him. The musician stopped in his tracks, looking up at the sky. Clouds had begun to set in and, now that he was paying full attention to his surroundings, he noticed that the wind had picked up as well and the ocean was becoming somewhat unsettled. A pit began to form in his stomach and he nibbled his lower lip, contemplating seeking shelter from the storm that was obviously coming. There were still a lot of shells to collect, though, and if it was only rain, what was the worst that could happen?
Against his better judgement, Nikkolai proceeded, although he was acting more hurriedly, not bothering to rinse the shells before he put them into his bag. The rain began to come down harder, dampening his clothes and his hair and making him incredibly uncomfortable. Even so, it wasn't too big of a deal; a little water never killed anyone, and he honestly didn't mind the rain so much.
It was the thunder that he minded. And so far, the rolling, booming sound hadn't occurred.
Backing away from the water, for now it was becoming a tad too choppy for him to be comfortable near the edge, Nikkolai plopped down on the sand a few meters away, setting his bag in front of him. Since he still had no reason to be frightened of the storm, Nikkolai began to go though his shells, humming softly to himself as he counted them. It was the simple pleasures in life that made him happy.
