asharpertongue | Beach BBQ [Open]

Levi's idea for a beach party had been a good one. After the past few weeks they both needed to blow off a little steam and Lara had taken to the idea like the proverbial siren to water, inviting all her employees and friends. Levi had put the word out at the police station and among his closer friends so between them a decent crowd was forming.

The tables lining the beach were piled high with food and drink, a DJ was already in full swing and people were drifting over to the large bonfire for warmth as the chill started to cut through the summer evening. A few of the Heart of Gold employees had brought their kids along for the festivities and a friend of Lara's was performing little glamours and tricks to keep them entertained. Large clusters of huge pillows were dotted about the beach just a little way from Levi's house and lanterns and firelight bathed the whole area in a warm glow.

Maybe Lara had taken it a little far but she liked to treat her friends and everyone could use a little R&R.

OOC: Levi and Lara's friends have been officially invited, but everyone else feel free to wander in at your leisure~.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Well, that was an abrupt change but one that he would have expected from a Disney princess. At least she seemed as awkward about the transition as he did.

"You're welcome, and which ones did you bring? I want to make sure I don't eat them and pass out, only to have you steal all my stuff."

She sticks her tongue out at him, glad he doesn't seem mad about her rather out-of-character greeting. "S'mores cookies and chocolate cupcakes with cream cheese icing," she grins. "And how do you know I didn't still all your stuff on my way here?"

"Because this is my house and all my stuff is still here. Unless you stole it and then replaced it with exact replicas," Levi pointed out, heading over to where the desserts were so he could check out what Iris had brought.

"Which if you did, that's dastardly."

"...Right. Well, maybe I did. But I moved everything exactly one inch to the left, just so you'd be thrown off," she grins, following him over. "You'll get up in the middle of the night to get some water and bump your shins on something every couple steps."

"Oh, you are so very evil," he said, sighing and shaking his head at her as he survey the table.

"So show me which ones are the poisoned ones you brought so that I can try some."

She grins broadly, gesturing at a pile of s'mores cupcakes and m&m cookies. "Right there. They're not poisoned though. That'd be too obvious, silly."

"Unless that's what you wanted me to think," he said, taking one of the s'mores cupcakes and taking a big bite. It was amazing and he hummed softly at how delicious it was. If it was poisoned it was worth it.

"You'll never know, will you?" she smirks, though she's secretly glad he seems to enjoy the cupcakes. "Well... Until you die from poison, I guess."

"I don't think I'll even know then if it's fast acting enough, totally worth it though," he said, taking another bite of the cupcake. "When you break Lara's heart because you killed me, and she's weeping at my funeral and they present her with my flag? You should cheer her up with cupcakes like this that aren't poisoned."

"Oh I will," she smiles, taking a cookie for herself. "I may have to rework the recipe a bit though. The poison is part of the flavour, you see? I wouldn't want to diminish the tastiness, especially not for a grieving... sort of widow."

"Are you sure she wouldn't want to join me in death? She'd be very distraught," Levi said, polishing off the cupcake. Definitely worth the risk of poison.

"Maybe... But I love her too much to let her go. It's a blessing and a curse, I guess," she grins.

"That's so very, very greedy of you," he said, shaking his head. He didn't doubt that Lara meant a lot to Iris though, she had a strong protective streak in her.

"I'm a greedy person when it comes to the people I love," she admits with a shrug. "Maybe it's a siren thing."

She pauses, realizing she'd never actually told him she was a siren before now. "I mean, uh. Not that... Okay, I'm a siren too. Just so you know. If Lara hadn't already told you."

"She hadn't told me," Levi said, giving her a deadpan look. Of course, he had guessed, given how he had first met Iris and the fact that she was so close to Lara, but he didn't have any confirmation. Until now.

"She hasn't told me about anyone being anything and I don't expect her to. And I don't plan on asking. But don't worry, your secret is safe with me. Lara has too much blackmail material on me for me to blab."

"Okay, good. I wasn't manipulating you or anything when we met. Lara has a charm on me so I can't use my powers without express consent," she explains, worried he may think the worst. "And I can be pretty sure you won't blab my secret, considering I just poisoned you and everything."

"If you had used your powers on me it would have been the worst use ever since you didn't make me do anything," Levi pointed out. Honestly he was confident enough that if a siren did use their powers on them his own ability would give him a heads up. At least that's what he was telling himself.

"And everyone has a right to a few secrets. I don't begrudge you yours."

She giggles slightly. "You have a good point. Unless I've actually been manipulating you this whole time into thinking I didn't make you do anything."

"Does it work like that?" Levi wondered. It was something that he'd been meaning to ask Lara but usually got distracted by other siren related questions first. "Can you manipulate someone into forgetting entire events?"

"Umm..." Iris shrugs, pulling a face. "You'd have to ask Lara. I'm practically a baby when it comes to siren things. I only learned I was one like... a month ago."

So, apparently it was entirely possible to be a siren without knowing you were one, which seemed weird to Levi but that was just something more to ask Lara at another time.

"So has it been a big adjustment for you?"

A tiny laugh slips out. "Definitely. I was raised by people who were incredibly conservative and blamed me every time a man would try to touch me," she shrugs uncomfortably. "I thought they were right, for the longest time."

Beach BBQ [Open]

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