And those were to die for.
It was just a fun day all around. You know how adorable it is to watch two three year olds play football while fighting over a toy tractor? Priceless.
Got to take a lot of pictures with everyone, and you want to know what else is priceless in the most awkward sort of way? Changing you Facebook profile picture to a selfie of me and my cousin, and all these women asking a) if I'm dating him and b) since I'm not, can they?
(In case there was confusion, I answered NO to both of them)
Today my dad is out in the field so I'm trying to find guitar lesson plans for my little dude who's coming over this evening, while dad doesn't need me. While I'm trying to write this post. You could say I'm a multi-takser.
Now on to the whole point of this blog post.
While I was snooping through all the blogs I follow, and then snooping through all the blogs they follow, I discovered Rachel's blog over at The Inkpen Authoress and she has this amazing thing called chatterbox where she selects a word and then other bloggers write a snippet of conversation that relates to that word somehow. And it's really fun because there are no rules other than to relate to the word she gives and that it should have a conversation in it. So I decided I wanted to join this party. No rules sounds great, and I'm always ready for an excuse not to work on my own stories.
So the word for May was Water.
And this is what I came up with.
The ocean rolled and crashed in on itself, throwing it's waves up against the cliff walls, trying to get high enough to see over the top. Drat this wind. For once she wished it would stop. It blew her up onto shore, but it blew away her hope of seeing him. She must get higher. She rolled back with all her power, waves building higher and higher, then she threw herself forward, letting the wind carry her hard and fast. Waves slammed into the rocks and a spray went up over the top of the cliff.
There it was! The smoke! He was coming. She didn't know why she doubted him. He'd said he would come. But he was a flame. He changed all the time, wherever he was lit. Her droplets told her he was small this time. Probably only a campfire like the ones people lit on the beach at night to snuggle by. But he was coming. She was sure of it now. She wanted to go out immediately, but she held herself off shore. She must wait until he was closer. She didn't want to dry up before he arrived. She could see embers in the air now, drifting down against the wind. Her waves danced excitedly. He was here! She let the wind roll her up onto the shore and then gathered herself up into her own form, similar to the human women she saw on the beach, but she fancied herself more beautiful than they. She was the heart of the sea. The rest of the water was mere extensions that she could use to her fancy. She took long, quick steps, trying not to remain on the land too long. Down the shore line she could see them embers starting to spin and collect, forming into arms, legs.
She moved to the edge of the sea where the water could tickle her feet and ran to him, sending up little sprays all the way. When she was close she reached out her hand. He touched her finger and she giggled at the tickling sensation that went through her as a few drops evaporated.
"You came." Her voice rippled.
"I said I would." She liked the way he snapped and hissed like he was burning driftwood inside his throat.
"I know." She remembered herself quickly and stepped into one of the tide pools, sending a reproachful glance at the wet spot that had arrived on the sand.
He sat an arms reach away from her and the shore line, picking up little twigs and sprigs of grass and popping them into his mouth.
She smiled. "What are you today?"
He snorted and smoke billowed off of him. "A pile of burning leaves in a barrel."
She laughed, water bubbling on her lips. "How exciting."
He smirked, his eyes twinkling red. "Oh yes. And what are you about today out there with all your fingers to do as you please?"
"They're waves, not fingers." She corrected easily and waved a hand. Drops spattered on him and his shoulder hissed and little plumes of smoke drifted up.
"Easy. Don't douse me." He said it calmly but she was the way his flames flickered and knew she'd made him nervous.
"I'm sorry." She folded her hands in her lap. "There's a ship out there that wants to come in to shore, but with this wind I'm sure I'll beat him into the rocks if the sailors aren't careful."
He nodded. "How cruel."
"I know." She smiled. "But sailors know all about me. They understand I can be fickle."
"And heartless."
"Not so. I'm the heart of the sea. By definition I cannot be heartless. Indifferent maybe." She shrugged. "But why shouldn't I be? They're only little things that come and go. I am eternal, and free, and powerful. I'm a danger to them and they still insist on sailing me."
"They love you." He tossed a stick in his mouth. "I hear them when they light the ship lamps. They love you greatly."
She smiled smugly. "I know."
He leaned back on the sand, letting his limbs feed off whatever lay there to burn. She looked down into the tide pool, at the little fish circling inside it, scared and senseless. She clicked and scooped him up, placing him in her abdomen for some good fresh water then glanced back up at Him. "You're thinking something. You're all smoke."
He looked up at her and his fires blazed. "Just that we're in an awful predicament. You always having to be in the water, and me always needing to burn. I touch you, you evaporate. You touch me, I go out. How long do you think it can go on?"
She looked down and made ripples in the pool with her finger. "Until one of us decides it's enough."
He hissed. "I don't want to decide it's enough. I don't want to leave you. I don't want you to take off to torment humans and forget about me."
"Then we won't." She said calmly.
"I don't want to stay at arms reach forever." He said it slowly, heat fro him rolling over her like the sun in summer.
She looked up. "If we don't what will be left of the world? The sea will be just a big puddle, with no identity. Just a pile of water for men to sail over and dive under and harvest from. And you...what would a campfire be if it didn't dance and wink? The world needs us."
He shrugged. "You said yourself that you're indifferent to them. They only last for a bit, and then they fade. Why should they reap our benefits when we are kept from what we want?"
She looked at him tenderly. "Are you thinking clearly? You know it would only last an instant, and then be over forever?"
"I think we'd be reborn. You in some swirling vortex down at the bottom where it's dark. Me in some new spark. Maybe we could find each other again. But if not...we'd still be happy, wouldn't we?"
She nodded slowly. "Yes."
He smiled and tipped his head in that brash way that she couldn't resist. "Then come here."
She smiled teasingly. "Why don't you come to me?"
"It'll last longer." He explained, even though they both already knew it. "Fire goes out faster than water evaporates."
She chuckled and stepped out of the pool, stooping to release the little fish back into the ocean. Then she turned to him. And took a step closer. His smile was still there, flames jumping off of him at all angles. She'd never seen him quite like this. She reached for him, water rolling and swirling and splashing with barely contained excitement. He held his hand out and took hers, drawing him towards him and pulling her into an embrace. She could smell smoke, and felt the tingles race through her. She let him, soaking in the feeling, even as her limbs began to fall apart in his.
"I'll be here." She whispered, when she knew her last drops were going.
"I'll find you." Came the answer through smoke.
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