Beach BBQ [Open]

[asharpertongue]

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~.

Comments

[jasonwright]

Jason releases his grasp on her, not even realizing he was holding on. "You're apparently not capable of dumping me," he says. "But very slippery."

[littleredsiren]

She lets out a yelp as she slips out of his grasp, cutting it off with a 'blub' as she sinks under the water again, emerging a few feet away and looking very betrayed by her own body.

"I'm scaly, of course I'm going to be slippery," she grumbles, frowning.

[jasonwright]

"Maybe you'd be better at dunking if you weren't scaly?" he suggests, smiling as she pouts more at herself than anything else.

[littleredsiren]

"..."

Iris quietly lets her scales fade back into her skin. "I'm gonna try again. Don't move, okay?"

Steeling herself, she swims up to him, resting her hands on his shoulders with a determined look and using them to push herself out of the water, hoping the weight would work this time.

[jasonwright]

He's smiling as she tries again because the same thing happens as before--nothing. At least she doesn't fall this time. "Nope, sorry."

[littleredsiren]

She lets herself drop back into the water, rolling onto her back and floating there, glaring up at the clouds.

"I could always order you to dunk yourself, with my siren voice..." she muses, frown fading into a tiny smirk.

[jasonwright]

He paddles along next to her, tilting his head. "You could. I did give you permission and all."

[littleredsiren]

"That wouldn't be very nice though, would it?" she asks, turning her head so she can see him. "And I would never do something not nice with my powers."

[jasonwright]

He stares at her for a moment, honestly awed that someone so kind exists in the world. "You've got to be one of the--nope, you said no more compliments ever. Not going to finish that."

[littleredsiren]

She grins, her cheeks flushing slightly, and reaches over to pat his head. "You learn fast!" she teases. "I'm so proud."

[jasonwright]

"Old dogs can learn new tricks," he laughs.

[littleredsiren]

Iris felt her stomach clench slightly, quietly wishing she had Kennedy's level of bravery and forwardness.

"Old, my butt," she says, laughing nervously. "You don't look a day older than 40."

[jasonwright]

"Oh good! I'm actually 52," he says, splashing her a bit. "Saltwater's good for the skin."

[littleredsiren]

Iris laughs, rolling over in the water so she can splash him back. "I get plenty of saltwater on my skin, thank you very much. You would never know I'm 92, right?"

[jasonwright]

"Really?" he asks, making a shocked face. "I never would've guessed. You sirens must age slowly."

[littleredsiren]

"Actually..." she trails off, scratching her ear awkwardly. "That's kinda true."

[jasonwright]

He raises his eyebrows at that. "It is?"

[littleredsiren]

"Yeah," she shrugs, focusing on the water and scrunching up her nose. "I mean, not the 90-year-old part because I'm only 25, but the ageing slowly thing. Lara told me we kind of hit a peak age, then our ageing slows down? It kind of confuses me."

[jasonwright]

He finds the slow-aging fact interesting, and he's even more intrigued that Iris seems so unsure about it. "Why is it confusing?"

[littleredsiren]

"I don't know," she shakes her head, smiling wryly. "It's just, there's nothing set in stone with this stuff. Not every siren functions the same, you know? There's no set age where we slow down or anything, there's no rules on what a siren will look like, what level of influence we can wield..."

[jasonwright]

"Is that such a bad thing?" he asks, moving along with the gentle waves. "I mean, it sucks not knowing exactly what'll happen, but...that also means you don't necessarily have to behave like the other sirens, right? I mean, you don't want to influence people too much. Some do. At least there's not rule book that says you have to stop aging at 30 or you have to influence others to do what you want."

[littleredsiren]

Iris rolls in the water, thinking it over. "I guess so, yeah. I'd rather have a lack of rules and be able to follow my own moral code than to just... have to make people do what I want."

[jasonwright]

"Exactly," he says, dunking under the water to get the hair out of his face. "Time to live by your own rules, right?"

[littleredsiren]

"Mmmm... No family to hold me back, no monster rules to hold me back... I should just become a total rebel," she grins.

[jasonwright]

Jason laughs. "A rebel huh? What's your first move gonna be?"