Night Swimming

[Lixue]

Spring Day 17 512 AV "Hey Ly?" Lixue whispered into the dark, flailing her foot off the bunk towards the ground. It landed solidly with a smack. A groan soon followed from the floor. "When will this stop? Mum is constantly angry now. Do you think it had something to do with the storm?" In the pitched blackness, Lixue seemed too loud to be normal, even at such a quiet tone. Ly was staying the night at Lixue's. The pair had completed this act since they were toddlers; Ly sleeping on the floor in Lixue's bedroom. It had felt strange to simply forget a tradition because they were of age, so the pair had not. There was a shuffle of fabric as Ly rolled over. Even in the dark, Lixue could feel him watching her. "I do not know, little one." A pause. "What is she even yelling about?" The two fell silent, listening. Natal, Lixue's mother, was shouting about what to do with the extra bed now that her youngest child was dead. Lonis, Lixue's human father, was speaking quietly; too low for them to make out. After a moment, the solid click of a door falling into place rang through the home. Lonis and Natal had disappeared into their room. "Hey, little one?" A soft sigh, and Lixue rolled over onto her side. "Yeah, big one?" Even though her parents had been arguing over a very touchy subject, she was calm. Right after the Djed storm, Lixue's younger brother had died tragically. "Do you want to get out of here?" echoed softly in Ly's timber voice. "Go somewhere?" A shuffle of sheets. "Let's go visit the old lake… Before you ask why, it will be cooler than laying here sweating with our minds racing about depressing topics. Besides. I have never seen you swim," the flirty tone made Lixue roll her eyes, even though he couldn't see the action. Without verbally answering, Lixue made her way in the dark towards the door. After opening it a crack to let the light in, she kicked Ly again and motioned with her head towards the other room. He obviously understood the hint and was on his feet in a tick. The pair spent several moments tip-toeing towards the front door, pausing every few seconds to listen for anyone moving around. Once the door closed behind them, Ly casually wrapped his arm around Lixue's shoulders since she had forgotten her cane and would need something to lean on. The two quickly made their way to the old ice skating area. Things had melted around Avanthal and the prison had become liquid. It would not bode well for them to run into an escapee. With this in mind, Lixue and Ly were also silent. With the recent heat, even the night air was still humid and made Lixue sweat. Mirror Lake was swollen, flooded by the random influx of water. Carefully making her way down the muddy bank, Lixue's nose crinkled in disgust as thin muck slipped between her toes. Thankfully, only the bank was dirty and there was a large dry spot near the water's edge. It was then she realized neither had brought anything to wear while playing in the water. "Ly, what are you going to wear?" The silence reigned down before he reluctantly retaliated, "What are you going to wear?" Since she was so comfortable with him, Lixue had no hesitation when answering, "Probably my undergarments." Thinking it over, however, the walk home would be extremely uncomfortable in wet underwear and dry clothes. "Or nothing," she added softly. Audibly, Ly swallowed. "Then I shall copy you, little one," he told her after a lengthy pause. The moonlight was bouncing off of Lixue's skin, practically making her glow. Ly almost seemed to blend in as he nonchalantly tugged off his shirt. For a calm moment, her eyes squinted to make out of his form before she realized what exactly she was doing and turned her head away. A few chimes later and there a soft splash echoed as he waded into the water. "Your turn, Lixue," he called tauntingly. Fingers curled around the edges of her night shirt, Lixue ordered, "Turn around. I do not want you to see." A tinkling giggle shot through the balmy air. "Go on, turn!" Sighing, Ly did as he was told. Quickly, Lixue shed her night clothes and undergarments, folded them messily, and hurried into the lukewarm water. "Oh," she moaned, "it is almost the perfect heat!" Wading out deeper into the water, so it stayed at her chest, she sighed with relief. At least this was somewhat better than the recently hot weather! One of Lixue's hands slipped up to massage her neck, fingers working at the tight knots.

[Alea Davenport]

Alea had almost gotten used to her cat's habit of going out in the middle of the night. That's didn't prevent her from trying to stop him. It was even more dangerous out there now than it used to be, and she didn't want him to get hurt. (Never mind that he always seemed to come home fine regardless of whether she found him or not.) Most nights, he got a head start, but this time she caught up with him right when he got outside, and she had no intention of letting him get away. She lunged at him. He sprang away. She chased him. He ran faster.

Alea ran after her cat, pushing herself to the limit to try to catch up to him. Of course, it was foolish to think she could out-run a cat. By the time she lost sight of him, Tom had led her to what had once been Mirror Lake. Alea had never skated on this lake herself, and now she might never get the chance.

As she stared out at the dark water, the silence was broken by the sound of laughter, peculiar for this time of night. She peered over the water and noticed, on the other side of the lake, some forms moving about in the shallow end of the water. That gave Alea a wonderful idea. It had been ages since she had gone swimming. Avanthal was no longer the frigid ice-land it had once been; in fact, the temperature at the moment was more reminiscent of a balmy Denval summer.

She quickly stripped down to nothing, folding her clothes somewhat neatly and setting them away from the water and mud. She stuck a toe into the water, expecting it to still be shockingly cold, but to her surprise, it was a wonderfully pleasant temperature. She waded quickly out to where the water was as high as her neck. She inhaled deeply, feeling the buoyancy as the water held her up. She trailed her arms through the water a few times, recalling the sense of water floating over her skin. Then, she paddled out into the lake, aiming toward the two figures she had seen earlier.

[Lixue]

Lixue had lost sight of Ly. One moment he was standing off to her side and the next.. The next there was a soft, constant splash of water and he had disappeared. The reasonable conclusion was to assume he had slipped into the water. The only problem? Neither Ly nor Lixue knew how to swim. Therefore, he could not simply slide into the liquid and disappear from sight. She was sure he could pop back up into her vision in a moment, though. Ly would not leave her side for no reason, after all. With one hand still at her neck, rotating bony fingertips in close circles, Lixue was startled when she felt moist air trickle across it. Using the same hand, she pretended to casually bring it down before quickly flinging it backwards. Skin met skin in a loud slap! "Ow, ow, ow!" Lixue yelped, cradling her stinging appendage. Ly had taken a surprised step backwards, holding his now bright red cheek. "You scared me, Ly!" Moving toward him in the water, she squinted to make out his face. "I am sorry, truly. If it helps any, your face hurts. Literally." "Kiss it and make it better?" Ly asked with a mock pout on his face. The look changed to one of surprise when Lixue did just that; stood on her tiptoes and aimed for his cheek. The only problem? It was dark and she had miscalculated, along with wobbling in the water from her movements. Instead of teasingly placing her mouth on his face, Lixue had accidentally landed on his lips; soft, somewhat moist, lips parted with shock. When she backed up awkwardly in the water, barely aware of the warm liquid slapping at her shoulders, Lixue became aware of the palm cupping the back of her neck. How long had it been there? Since she had slapped him, or had it moved in the few ticks it took to… To kiss him? The action left Lixue with the hint of a feeling displaced and unsure, but still mainly calm. Conscious of how they were both naked, she crossed her arms over her chest in a futile attempt to cover herself from his view. Ly was not trying to steal a view; he was staring at Lixue with wide, purple and pink, eyes. Slowly, Ly removed his hand from the back of her neck where his thumb had been unconsciously rubbing her skin. What did this mean for them? How had a simple kiss that yielded only stunned responses changed the tenuous relationship between them? Had it altered the unwavering bond both had with the other since young childhood? A thousand questions raced through Lixue's mind, but she calmly tried to assess the situation even while shifting uncomfortably on the muddy lake floor. A dribble of sweat raced down her cheek and Lixue absentmindedly flicked it away. Ly's eyes watched the movement almost worriedly. Was she going to hit him for an accident she had caused, but had been induced by his needless flirting? Even as both opened their mouths to explain to the other what was racing through their minds, Lixue held up a finger and "shh"'d him. Her eyes latched onto a figure paddling out in the lake. It was moving towards them, splashing at the water. How the two of them been so wrapped up into their own drama they had failed to notice the incoming intruder? Apparently. Silent, Lixue pointed a figure toward a few tall weeds which had popped up in the water after the storm. She did not wait for confirmation of Ly's understanding. The liquid was difficult to move quickly in. Soon, Lixue discovered it was easier to use her hands and place them together to make a spear and part the dark water. The liquid seemed to help her knee also; Lixue was more able to move it and not limp as she once had. Trying to keep quiet was near impossible as Lixue completed a large, half circle around the person. The warm water was lapping at her bellybutton by then. Ducking down so she waddled more than walked, she noticed Ly had stayed behind in the cover of the thin, waving weeds. Softly spitting out the liquid which had stealthily slipped inside her mouth, Lixue slowly crept up on the shadow.

[Alea Davenport]

It was tiring, swimming that far without rest, and she didn't know how to swim more efficiently. With her method of paddling, her head stayed above the water, so she could hear the voices of the two, but not enough to make out what they were saying. She almost thought they sounded familiar, like people she'd only met once... but it was too dark and the voices too indistinct for her to figure out who they could be.

Treading water, she watched with curiosity as the pair suddenly when silent, and then split up. She tried to keep her eye on both of them as one circled around behind her. She felt a little uncomfortable, not sure what they were up to. A recollection that the prison had melted and criminals roamed free flashed through her mind, followed by all sorts of grisly deaths and terrible things that could happen to her. But she'd recognized them, hadn't she? She didn't think she'd ever met a criminal... She wanted to call out to greet them, which would probably have eased her worries, but the Djed storm had taken her voice and replaced it with a painful cough...

Well, if she couldn't call out from a distance, she'd just have to greet them up close. She made her way toward the one who was standing still, trying to stay aware of the one who was trying to sneak around behind without letting on that she'd noticed.

Once she made it to the reeds, she carefully put her feet down, relieved when they met the bottom of the lake. She took a moment to close her eyes and lean back into the water, resting her head on the surface as if it were a pillow, letting her hair spill around her and swirl in the water. Her ears also went under water, which subdued all of the ambient sounds of Avanthal's night. As a result, she did not hear or see the figure sneaking up behind her...

OOCLet me know if you want me to give you something else to react to. I just wasn't sure how much I could accomplish without hijacking your characters a bit

[Lixue]

Lixue knew she was loud. The sound was echoing in her own ears. No doubt the woman, judging by the silhouette, could hear her, also. The water did not want to part smoothly. Her hands, though clasped together in a piercing shape, seemed to almost slap against the water than slide. The muck on the bottom of the lake grabbed at Lixue's toes and ankles. As she neared the lady, Lixue ducked down to avoid being seen, if she was not already. The girl leaned backwards into the water. Unaware of how the hearing would be knocked out, Lixue crept forward at the same, slow, pace. The warm water lapped at her chin; she was submerged up to the neck. Every now and then, liquid would slip into her mouth and Lixue had to spit it back out. Her legs were tiring, but Lixue's knee felt great! Better than it had in ages! How strange. Why could this be? Did the water have some type of soothing effect? If her damaged muscles were alleviated by the liquid, could someone else's be? Would an elderly person with aching bones be able to take away some of the pain? If so, had anyone realized this? Was the statement even true? Lixue made a mental note to ask her mother. She already knew of using heated water to relax a sore, but was the same true for cold fluid? Ice seemed to freeze the area. What if, instead of diminishing the pain, it was simply hiding it? Then again, the water felt very warm, bordering on too warm. Perhaps she was merely confusing the liquid as cold? Lixue made another mental note to try out the effects of cold water on sore muscles, or bones. Eyes latched onto the form, Lixue realized just how close she was to the girl. Though she did not want to harm her, Lixue did seek to restrain the person until it could be decided whether or not she was a threat. If the person had escaped from the prison, what did one do? No prison existed anymore; would they take back a criminal? Was the idea even possible? Or absurd? Only one way to find out, of course! The real question was: Would Lixue be able to hold down the person? After all, she was barely under five feet and less than ninety pounds. What if… Instead of attacking from the front, she attacked from the back? A dirty trick, but with her size, it would be necessary to use all resources available, even if some were not fair. As the woman went to stand, Lixue tried to wait for the best possible moment. She moved just as the female found her bearings. The water splashed and tall weeds thrashed as Lixue weaved her way through the water. Only a few feet in and she launched, arms outstretched with hands like talons. Her palms smacked on top of the girl's shoulders, before latching on tightly. Lixue's legs wrapped around the woman's tiny waist. Her ankles intertwined. Perhaps the odd weight had thrown the lady off balance? If not, Lixue would continue to cling. "Who are you?" burst unexpectedly from Lixue's mouth, as she struggled to hang on.

[Alea Davenport]

Alea almost yelped in surprise as her peaceful floating was so rudely interrupted by something jumping on her back. Fortunately, as using her voice these days tended to result in a painful coughing fit, the attack forced her underwater. Self-preservation kicked in, as she wished to avoid drowning. She shoved her body upward, pushing against the muddy lake-bottom, to get her head back above water. Fortunately, the person on top of her was extremely light, so she managed not to drown.

She struggled to throw the person off of her. When flailing around randomly proved both ineffective and hazardous, Alea instead threw herself backwards, making sure to take a deep breath beforehand in case she was pulled under. She mused how foolish it was for her attacker to give up their footing, and therefore any control of where this contest went.

The attacker's question caught her off guard though. It had the audacity to ask who she was? After attacking unprovoked? Before she could become too indignant however, she suddenly realized why the voices she'd heard before sounded so familiar. It was Lixue and Ly, the strange Vantha couple she had met near the end of winter!

She calmed down substantially, and tried to gently pry the arms off her shoulders. She would have loved to let them know who she was, but alas, her voice was no longer functional. Ever since the storm...

She turned her thoughts from such dark places, and attempted to face her recent acquaintances, hoping that they would be able to recognize her, despite the fact that she was not bundled in the layers of clothing she was wearing the first time she met them.

[Lixue]

The woman flailed like a maniac. Her arms and legs kicked or flung every direction. One nearly smacked Lixue in the face! Clinging, legs around her thin waist and arms around the stranger's neck, Lixue tried to hold on. She nearly managed, until the attackee flung herself backward underwater. Lixue was not prepared and sucked in a mouthful on accident. Her lungs were not made to handle water! She tried to breathe, tried to reach the surface, but the woman had not yet come up. Fingernails dug into the stranger's collar bones. Lixue's lungs burned from the inside out. An almost exact replica of the time when she tried to save her brother, except the person who could rescue her was out of arm's reach. This time she might not make it to the surface. Lixue tried to cough under the water, tried to exhale the liquid, but only seemed to inhale more. Slowly, Lixue lost consciousness, though she struggled to stay awake. The last mental image she had was of her brother, who had drowned because Lixue did not know how to swim. His tiny fingers had been outstretched, trying to reach her. Lyn's mouth had been open in a silent plea. Water had been rippling around him, teasing his clothing into movement. Grey haunting eyes had watched her leave him behind. Lyn had died because of her and it was only deserving she could die the same way! The world went black. Lixue's legs unwrapped from the girl's skinny waist and her arms stayed only by the way they were previously clutched. Though light, she felt more like a deadweight to Alea than a human being. No breath was exhaled from Lixue's lips; no liquid coughed up from flooded lungs. When Alea tried to pry away her arms, Lixue slipped backwards, landing with a splash in the water. No continued echoes of movement followed. Ly had noticed something was wrong. Bursting from the stalks of strange weeds he had been hiding in, he tried to run to Lixue, who was barely floating face-up in the water. Droplets sprayed Alea as he passed her, hands reaching for Lixue's petite body. Calloused fingers wrapped around her shoulders, shook her once with a desperate, but weak, "Lixue?" Fear was clearly visible in his voice. "Honey?" Clutching her naked form to him, he half carried, half dragged, Lixue to the muddy bank. "What do I do? What do I do?" Ly mumbled, trying to think. "She was always the medical one. Oh, gosh, why did I not pay more attention to what she rambled on about?" A shaking hand was pushed through his black hair. "We were just married, how can I lose her now? Could fate truly be that cruel? Lixue, please..." Kneeling next to her form, he finally noticed Alea. "Do something! Save her! Please…" The tone of voice transitioned from demanding to pleading. The risk of losing his wife, his best friend, was high and scary.

[Alea Davenport]

When Alea saw Lixue's still body, she felt sick. She hadn't meant to hurt anyone. But Lixue had jumped on her, she was just trying to defend herself, it wasn't her fault the woman nearly drowned! But none of that changed the fact that Lixue wasn't breathing, and Alea didn't know what to do.

She numbly followed Ly as he dragged Lixue to the shore. Good, Alea thought, the water hurt her, so get her out of the water. She could only stare, wishing she could somehow take it back, that she had not over-reacted. Her instinct for always trying to win had made her neglect Lixue's safety, and now... she had drowned? It didn't seem possible. Alea had never known anyone who died, not personally anyway. And never anyone who died because of her...

The desperation in Ly's voice broke through to Alea's mind, and the world snapped into focus. She could worry later about whether this had been her fault or not. What defined her would be what she did next, and she's was not someone to sit idly on the sidelines if there was ANYTHING she could even try.

She knelt next to Lixue's unbreathing form, a grim and slightly angry frown on her face. She had no more medical knowledge than Ly, but unlike Ly, she had the best solution to all problems...violence. She shook Lixue's shoulders, hard, as if she were just sleeping and needed to wake up. When that failed to produce the desired reaction, she slapped the woman's face, hard and repeatedly. Feeling that her current position beside Lixue was not giving her enough leverage, she knelt on top of the unmoving chest, putting the majority of her weight into the knee digging into the middle of Lixue's torso.

She wanted to scream at Lixue to wake up, but she had no voice to do so. All she could do was continue to shake and hit the woman, silent tears of helplessness, guilt, and frustration trailing down her face.

[Lixue]

Ly was frightened. Lixue was not moving. No breath slipped between her pale lips. No air raised her chest. No fluttering of eyelashes as she awoke. No laughing and sitting up and saying it was all a prank. No curling her fingers around his. No twisting of her lips into a smile. Just… nothing. Alea was pounding on Lixue's chest in seeming anger. Slapping at her face as though Lixue was simply sleeping. Shaking her shoulders. When she seemed to straddle Lixue's form, leg digging into her chest, Ly snapped. "No! Get off! You will cause more harm than you already have!" Clammy hands pushed at Alea's shoulder. Instead of removing the young woman, the action seemed to push Alea's knee down further into Lixue's ribcage. The air was heavy with tension. Alea's desperation and Ly's fear mingled. A drop of sweat raced down Ly's cheek. Perhaps it was a tear? Suddenly, Lixue coughed. It sounded more like a dying animal than human, but it was a sign of life! There was a gurgle and a choke. Ly shoved at Alea, effectively turning Lixue in the process. Water poured out of the petite Vantha's mouth. Gagging on the lake's liquid, Lixue's face turned red. Trying to gasp in oxygen, Lixue's lungs burned. Her eyes watered and tears ran down her cheeks. Fisting her hands, she crawled onto her hands and knees before gagging some more. Water was puked up, splashing onto the muddy ground below. "Oww…" Lixue whispered, shaking limbs collapsing. Ly rushed forward, barely catching her in time. Crouching down, he half pulled her into his lap. Lixue was limp, appendages trembling. Loudly, she sucked in air. Ly was crying, rocking her back and forth. To no one in particular, Lixue hoarsely murmured, "Thank you."

[Alea Davenport]

Alea sat back in stunned relief as Lixue coughed up water. Her heart was pounding so fast she could almost hear it. Of course, now that Lixue was alive and being taken care of, Alea had nothing else to but feel guilty about her part in what had happened. She hadn't meant to hurt Lixue... she was just defending herself. How was she to know the person attacking her didn't know how to hold their breath? What was she doing messing around in the lake if she couldn't swim?

But no one could hear her excuses, and possibly more importantly, no one was interested. It was good that Lixue had Ly to take care of her, and it looked like Alea wasn't needed. Not wanting to remind anyone that she had almost killed a woman, Alea slipped quietly back into the water. Her clothes were still on the other side of the lake, so it was pretty much the only place to retreat to. She crouched down to her neck in water that was maybe four feet deep, waiting to see if the two Vantha wanted anything from her. Vengeance, maybe.