Moonlit Reflections

[koulm]

A cooling sensation. No. She couldn’t call it that, for the experience was far more enjoyable. Refreshing? Yes. That was a good word. The pool was a perfect temperature, neither too warm nor too chilled. Complete perfection. For without looking, one could feel the cleanliness of that liquid. Her eyes were closed contentedly, her head leaned until the vein in her throat could be seen pulsing in the creamy dim moonlight. Never mind the worries about what the next day might bring. She was happy enough to be there at that very moment, encompassed in that reflecting water as she tried to catch the stars that floated before her. Positioned just right, she could hold a handful of them. That is, until she removed her cupped hands from beneath the surface.

Such beauty was not hard to come by should a being not even be looking for it. That was where it was located. In the heart of a creature who would turn and find something unexpected. Normal everyday things could be seen as beautiful with the right eyes. But Epona preferred the elements of nature to satisfy her lust to behold something of incredible awe. And that was how it was. For she was letting it surround her as she inhaled, deeply breathing into her those quiet moments of wonderment that this place was giving to her.

She sighed softly, allowing herself to slip even further beneath the glossy, unmoving surface. Sunk completely, the water now covering the entirety of her unclothed body. To become one. Just in that moment, enjoying being nothing beneath that darkened sky. Nothing at all but an insignificant human shaped creature who meant little to the world. One ability got no one anywhere, and her sort of healing wasn’t in demand at the moment. So she sat. Waited. Slept. Her uneventful life unimportant to anyone but herself. And while some beings might realize such an event and reflect on it until their life is consumed by the knowledge, Epona thought of that realization and she let it slip away as quickly as it had had woven its form into her thoughts. Why reflect on what cannot be changed? Why worry about what will never be different? It was as unimportant as her existence in this world.

Calming. There was something wonderful about being consumed alive beneath sleeping waters. Her knees pulled up to her bared chest, she let her head fall forward, her short feathery hair flowing in a dreamlike sandy wave behind her. It was a tired stance, sinking into nothingness. Inky skies above her. The lids drooped over her dark almond eyes, her lips pursed in a small drowsy pout. But she appeared serene, yet void of emotion as she was enveloped in the chill of the pond. At peace with herself and the world around her.

Let kingdoms fight among themselves, let the creatures murder and steal. She would still be living her life to the fullest, the way she wished to be. To live and die in her own way. The path she chose. Forget the horrors of the land and remain in ignorance. She didn’t need to know. She wasn’t a part of it. Never would be. Cursed fools who think they can change what is into what they want it to be. False hopes and dreams. Always striving for something better.

And here was Epona, resting in the silence of the world around her. Caring little of the events that went on daily. She was happy to sit and be there. Sitting in a pond. Rubbing the pebbles across her light skin in cleansing motions. Simple pleasures. Such things were meant to be viewed through virgin eyes, ignorant hearts. Her tiny fingers tunneled their way into the earth beside her, wriggling through the sand before grabbing handfuls and tossing the contents towards the surface of the water.

Lifting her head out of the water, she took a deep breath, scooting back onto the bank a foot or so. Her hair had finally settled around her neck, clinging to the skin in dripping clumps. Bare shoulders bathed in droplets glistened in the moonlight. She was prepared to jump out, air dry in the surrounding grass before donning her attire and having a night’s sleep. No. Not yet. Just a few more minutes in this setting of perfection.

Contentment. Happiness in its purest form. With a slight breeze rustling through the surrounding trees and caressing the water in gentle motions, and only a but a few clouds in the sky with a harvest moon filled with brightness. The world smelt of everything fresh and good, and the sounds of nature were abound. A mouse scurrying through the grass. Ants going about their nightly work. The flowers growing. Fish swimming through the lake weeds. Everything going about a regular cycle with no thought. No purpose. Let it all alone and it would continue even if the sun forgot to rise.

She sat among it. Waiting. Listening. Her heart beating as she watched with all her senses for something miraculous, yet nothing at all, to happen.

[Chani {♥}]

ooc;; I'm guessing this is a pond, since the water is still, right? Or is it a river that doesn't move? I know you mentioned river reeds, but I'm guessing that other bodies of water have them too? ...or something?

ic;; Pale hair fell over paler shoulders as aloof blue-gray eyes stared into the watery abyss before her. All the walking she had done today had made her feet sore and Lorelei, a passionate lover of water, had just had to stop and relieve herself. No matter how fast she ran, how far she traveled, or how hard she fought, they would always be after her. There was no escape, and never being able to stop was tiring.

She stood and walked into the water until she was waist-deep before diving further in. She swam until she was deep in enough that she couldn't stand up and waded, staring up into the sky. She wondered the same thing she had for so long now... How long would she be able to run until her legs grew too tired? And what then? They would find her, surely... What happened if she was too exhausted of fighting so much? Every time she began to feel that death was imminent, she got lucky and escaped it with a few nicks and bruises. How long until her luck ran out? Best not to think about it.

She took a deep breath, trying to exhale all the miserable thoughts that haunted her day in and day out. She loved the way the water contoured around her body; there was a sense of security about it that she could find nowhere else, and being under a starlit sky only added to the already unquestionable beauty of this place. For a while, Lorelei even fooled herself into believing that, because of the serenity and loveliness of this place, nothing bad could happen. She relished that thought for a few moments, dreaming that it was true, that she would live here forever, in the water, and never have to worry about the path of death and grief that filled her footsteps and wilted her past into insignificance.

Being half-Siren was a wretched curse. Always wanting, longing, lusting for water. And Lorelei, she couldn't often have it. She was worried sick of what lurked there, just waiting for her to give into temptation as she was doing now. It was so hard to resist the urge... Just as vampires need blood, Sirens needed water. Unfortunately, for Lorelei, water was also her stake to the heart.

Again freeing herself from the burden of formidable thoughts that roamed her mind relentlessly, she dunked back under the water, feeling it move around her as she swam as slowly as she could. She resurfaced again, inhaled, and began wading once more.

Having been engulfed in her mind and fulfilling her waterlust, Lorelei had not noticed that someone else was there. But, on such a peaceful night, she heard the water's surface break somewhere. She looked around, a little frightened, but couldn't make anyone out. Worry clenched around her stomach like a constricting snake, obliterating the dream she had created that nothing bad could befall her here.

She knew she needed to leave the water... But she had been enjoying it so much. She didn't want to leave yet, especially if it had just been a frog hopping into the water or a fish flopping about. She finally swam as quietly as possible toward the bank, until her feet could meet ground so that she was sure she could rush out of the water, collect her clothes, and leave swiftly if need be. She mustered the courage to speak.

"Hello?" she called over the water. "Is... someone there?" She swallowed hard and only her love for the water surrounding her body kept her standing there.

[koulm]

((Thanks for catching that. Curse my indecision over location.))

There was something in the air. A thrill? Who knew. But it was there, and Epona felt it fluttering within her veins. For it was enough to bring her into an state of higher alertness, listening carefully to the wind singing as it moved from grass blade to grass blade, through the undergrowth, above the trees. Yes, how she listened to that airy song of loneliness. It was not something that she could call beautiful. While it was, there was something darker about it. Mysterious perhaps? Whatever the word, it was attractive to the young fairy, and truly wished that the moment could last forever in order to let her revel in that sound, forget about everything that could possibly cause a problem for her, and sink into the blue of nothingness.

How desirable that would be.

But alas, events never seem to turn out the way a being wishes them. It was a tiny sound. She barely heard it and never would have noticed had not it grown closer before moving into the distance yet again. A disturbance in the serenity of that place. Gentle ripples struck her breast with just that smallest whisper of intensity that caused her to feel the flow against her skin. Perhaps it was just a fish surfacing for food. Yes. That’s it. Don’t be ridiculous, Epona. Fish aren’t like that all. She did not wish to be afraid of this phantom in the dark. After all, there was little use in fearing what wasn’t there. But if it wasn’t there…then there should be no noise. No ripples.

Nothing at all.

In the end, she felt herself rising from the depths, water pouring off her paled skin in transparent streams, an eerie glow forming around her figure as the moonlight illuminated the cascade. It was a slow rise, gaining her footing in the sandy shores and glancing concernedly around to see if she could catch sight at all of this ghostly creature that must roam around these parts. She sure hoped it wasn’t a ghost. Ghouls, phantoms, wee little beasties…anything invisible was something she could honestly say she was terrified of. Even though logically they could do her no harm. For it they were transparent, they could not touch you. Right?

Of course right.

Wrong. She realized she was deluding herself into believing such lies. Anything could be harmful. It was just a matter of whether it was physical or not. Terror of such creatures was a mental torment from these things that may or may not exist. But so long as one believed that they didn’t, one could happily go along with life and live normally. Always. Until the day came when the very thing you feared pops out of your closet and scares you to death. But thankfully Epona had no closet, so she was in no danger of that.

A womanly voice carried across the air, echoing slightly against the once again peaceful surface of that flickering pool. There seemed to be a slight tremor in it, as though this phantom woman was in fear of something. Could it be that Epona had made a sound that attracted the attention of this stranger? It was very much possible.

Having tucked the dripping hair behind her ears, Epona looked around once again. Just to make sure. And so mustering up the courage, she softly called out to the other female creature, “I’m over here.”

[Chani {♥}]

A female's voice answered her and she felt slightly relieved upon hearing it. After all, if the being had malevolent intentions, wouldn't it have remained quiet? Surely it would not reveal its whereabouts. Still, Lorelei felt both afraid and compelled to follow the voice. Such a skittish creature, she was.

Finally, she decided to swim toward the voice. She returned into the water, using her arms and legs and push her forward. She felt the water stream over the underside of her body as she moved. Oh how she had missed the water, so beautifully calm. A voice kept nagging at her to get out of it before she wound up in trouble. Cursed she was, always longing, wanting, lusting for the water, but never being able to stay with it for long. To fear what she loved most, to hate what she needed.

At last, she could see a fair face. The woman's hair was dark and, if it had been all that was above the water, Lorelei would have perhaps passed right by her. She slowed her swimming and finally stopped completely, merely treading to keep herself afloat. She let out a sigh of relief.

"I was frightened for a moment," she admitted softly, smiling amiably and still not feeling at ease completely. The kindest of faces could hide an evil soul. What if this woman had been sent after her? No, surely she would be dead by now if that had been the case.

[koulm]

It was a frightening feeling, Epona having realized that she had attracted attention to herself. And now whatever was out there was moving closer. But whatever it was, the thing was female. That didn’t mean, however, that it could be trusted. After all, living in such a world, nothing was ever guaranteed. Including one’s safety. With that in mind, she was prepared to flee should the need arise.

And at the sight of the thing approaching, she stiffened subtly in anticipation. One had to look out for him or herself, be it a friend or foe. And even if the creature were friend, Epona realized that even those beings could not always be trusted. Yet she always managed to delude herself into always looking for the good in people, no matter how hard it was to find. Indeed, she was such a naïve little thing. It hardly mattered when one was in danger, but she kept on searching.

Look where it got her. It would hardly be surprising if she wound up wounded and tossed about like a toy with no purpose. Entertainment came in all sorts of form these days. Even Epona in her blissful ignorance realized that. Blissful. It really didn’t fall into that category. For it wasn’t like that at all. She truly didn’t mind remaining in the dark about most of the event of the world, but it wasn’t as though it made life feel perfect. Pleasurable. Harmonious. Because it wasn’t, and nothing could completely wrap their home in such a way.

Though she wasn’t normally this wary.

However, when the woman was before her, Epona smiled down at her as though a breath of fresh air had removed all worry from her heart. And as this creature spoke, the fairy sank down again beneath the calmed surface, leaning her head back once more feel the water in her hair while the chill lapped at her skin.

“So was I,” she admitted, “But it is a dangerous world, after all.”

[Chani {♥}]

"Yes, it is," Lorelei agreed in a solemn voice. What she said afterward contrasted her previous tone completely; it was genial and bright, with a smile to accompany it. "I'm Lorelei. What brings you here?" She looked around and realized the silliness of her question. This place's beauty and calm demeanor would have attracted anyone passing by. There was that, and the practical idea that this woman might have come to bathe. That's how it had started with Lorelei, but she just couldn't muster up the self-control to leave it.

She tried not to imagine the Sisterhood collaborating below her, swirling beneath her in the water and preparing to drive a dagger into her stomach. She had nothing to defend her but the blue gem around her neck. Oh, but they had them as well, didn't they? She swallowed hard and pushed the thoughts from her mind, turning her face back to the other woman in the water.

[koulm]

((*forces self to post* I'm sooo sorry. >.< After this week I should have more time on my hands. ))

There was a calmness in the air with the relaxation of the nerves. Epona could sense no danger from this girl, but that wasn't surprising. She wasn't good at sensing danger even if it spat in her face. Then again, she hardly ever exposed herself to it, preferring to remain a safe distance away from anything posing a threat. She may have been naive, but she wasn't completely foolish. Or stupid. Whatever you decided to call it. Still, she should have been more aware of the fact that she was sitting in a pond with a complete stranger. But with it being another woman, she was put at ease.

Ah. Not a stranger. Not anymore. For the girl had introduced herself. Now it was only natural for she herself to state her own name, doing so with a slight hum in her voice, "Epona." A simple word. Nothing more. Nothing less. That was, after all, everything that was needed.

"Here?" she looked down at the question, "I was just passing through and decided to stay the night. What about you?" She spoke the truth, seeing that she had nothing to hide, but she thought her returned inquiries may have sounded nosy, so she quickly added, "Of course you don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

[Chani {♥}]

"Oh, no, it's alright," Lorelei assured her. "Much the same as you. I was wandering about when I found this place and I couldn't resist." Being nomadic was a filthy, tiresome job. She had found cleanliness and rest in this water, it had revived her. Sometimes a body of water was the only thing that could rejuvenate Lorelei. Running, hiding, staying at one place for a night and disappearing before the sun rose the next morning. It was all her life seemed to consist of, it was a neverending quest to... live? Survive? Maybe that's the way everyone's was.