Night Swimming (Open)

[asharpertongue]

It's been a trying day...week...month, if she's honest. The situation with Bach and the missing elders was getting on her last nerve.

She needed a swim.

Pulling her phone from her bag, she sent a text to a few of the more senior members of the siren community:

Night swimming tonight from sundown on the wrecking beach. All welcome. Food and drink provided. Please spread the word.

That should do it.

She send another note to her contacts at the police station so the unaware human element would be steered away. The wards would be up around the beach, discouraging vanilla humans from coming down there but it didn't hurt to have insurance in these matters.

Hopefully the sirens would come, maybe some of the witches. It would be nice to sprawl on the rocks for a few hours with friends.

Comments

[asharpertongue]

"You're right. I'm not going to spend my night worrying about a frustrating man." She grinned as a few of the younger sirens went hurtling towards the sea, their scales rippling into existence as the salt water washed over them. "It's a fun night, not a moping night."

[louise_abasi]

"It looks lovely. The water." She let a nervous giggle escape. "Maybe I should pick up swimming lessons again."

[asharpertongue]

"The offer to teach you still stands." She said, wading into the shallows up to her calfs.

[louise_abasi]

"I know, I know. And I know it's an irrational fear, especially in that town. You just don't know what resides in the deep, you know."

[asharpertongue]

"Well, yes actually. I do know." Lara grinned.

[louise_abasi]

"Oh come on", she stuck out her tongue. "Surely it's not just villages full of sirens underneath the surface. Nor huge octopuses. You know what I mean."

[asharpertongue]

"No of course not. There are fish too." Lara flicked some water at Lou.

[louise_abasi]

She squealed. "Someone save me!"

[asharpertongue]

Lara laughed and stopped to pick up a little siren girl that wanted up. "A little rescuer has arrived Lou!"

[louise_abasi]

"Are you sure? Is she not just an excuse for me to get touched by a siren?" She waved at the girl. "Surely you're a beautiful dangerous creation!"

[asharpertongue]

"Show Miss Abasi your teeth, little one." The girl smiles a toothy grin, her teeth not quite pointed yet but certainly trying. "A ferocious beast!" Lara let her own teeth change and made a high noise in her throat that had the girl laughing as she put her back on the sand. "Go find your mom. Show her how far you're coming along."

[louise_abasi]

"That is certainly an impressive set", she sighed. "It's good they have this place, even though it's sad that it's necessary.
.. I'm ruining the fun, aren't I?"

[asharpertongue]

Lara shook her head. "Not at all. And it is good. Unchecked sirens running around with no one to teach them? No thanks."

[louise_abasi]

She gave her a wink. "Sorry, lady mama. I think the girl just pointed out to me what I don't have. Besides the impressive set of teeth."

[asharpertongue]

"And what's that?"

[louise_abasi]

"An impressive secret side to me and -" She pulled her knees to her chest. "Youth? Goals? Why the heck would I feel proud about having done nothing for a day? Why can't I have big dreams and - oh my goodness I don't know what the beach is doing to me, forget about it."

[asharpertongue]

Lara smiled ruefully and shook her head. "What would your mama say, you talking all melancholy like that?"

[louise_abasi]

"Don't tell my mother." Lou tugged her ear lobes. "She'd throw out a French saying before telling me that we can only change things that we will still pass on our road, not those we've already left behind. I get it. I'll lock myself up with my kaiju collection tonight and think of brighter things."

[asharpertongue]

Lara smiled. "At least we have this tonight. A bit of surf, sand, food and drink."

[louise_abasi]

"Of course, of course! I don't have a bad life, neither you. And there's nothing wrong with knowing what you want and how you're going to achieve it." She shook her head. "I read too many motivational posters."

[asharpertongue]

Lara laughed. "I think you do. You do have trouble turning off that big brain of yours."

[louise_abasi]

"I agree, and it's nerve wrecking sometimes. I'm already mothering people without them being my children." She stretched. "I will do something wildly irresponsible like staying up the entire night, watching monster movies. That's wild, right?"

[asharpertongue]

"For some, yes, but I think we can do better than that. How about I find one of my Heart of Gold people to entertain you for a night?" She held up her hand. "And before you protest...I don't mean sex, necessarily. My people know how to have a good time. I'm sure they can tune into something you'd like to do."

[louise_abasi]

Lou blushed. Invisibly, but the act of blushing made her more uncomfortable. "Really now? Setting me up with human entertainment to make me forget about my future worries?" She giggled. "I couldn't."

[asharpertongue]

Lara grinned. "Of course you can. It's just a night. A night where you can let go and have a good time."