Skinny dipping in the moonlight

T: around 17.00, maybe a bit later
P: the lake in the forest around the academy
W: chilly but a mild wind, an almost-full moon on the sky hidden behind moving clouds


It had been a weird couple of days, to say the least. Exhausted, and frustrated about work, Lavender had decided that it was for the better if she took some time to focus on herself. The mindfulness of walking a walk around one of the lakes she had yet to explore seemed like a good way to clear her mind and figure out what to do with her work-situation. Since Benjamin had thrown her supervisor across a bar, her supervisor had done nothing but harass her; even when she wasn’t doing anything remotely wrong. Quitting seemed like the best option, in her opinion; but sh needed the money and she needed something to do throughout the week so that she felt like she had a purpose.
She wasn’t sure how long she had been wandering about, but as she noticed the sky getting a tad bit darker, she knew it was about time to head home. She was still too new to the areas, and finding her way back home after twilight would be almost impossible for her. Calmly, she looked over at the waters of the lake; having it at her right side as she was walking clockwise around it. Maybe, just a quick swim? It didn’t seem like there was anyone around, and she was almost certain no-one would be considering doing the same since it was getting borderline chilly in the air.

She stopped, dead in her tracks and turned her front to the water. She was alone; there was no-one she could harm. What damage could be done by a twilight-swim? After all, she was so fed up with only having her tub to wet her scales in.
She allowed her bag to drop onto the ground, before she opened her jacket and took it off; revealing a rather elegant pantsuit underneath. She folded the jacket up, opened the pantsuit by a zipper on the back and took that off as well; rendering her in nothing but a couple of lace panties. She folded up the pantsuit; placed it on top of the jacket, and jumped into the dark waters of the lake.

Moments went by, before she emerged to the surface; her hair slicked back and glistening in the last specs of light. She never swam in public places, mainly because she had no clue on how to control herself. After all, she had never learned to.
As she swam, she was more than thrilled. She loved every moment of it, truly. The way she could move freely made her giggle with glee, and every time she would dive beneath the surface, she would emerge as what she was designed to be by nature; a luring temptress of a siren. The last thing she needed; the last thing her body screamed internally to be allowed… She wanted to sing. She didn’t, however, as she wasn’t to lure anyone. She didn’t wish to harm anyone. This, right there, was perfection for her. As moments passed, she ended up floating around in the sporadic moonlight that now ruled the sky. If she could have stayed there forever, she would.

Usually, she wouldn’t have been caught swimming out in public. She had figured she would be alone, and that she would have noticed if someone would be approaching. She had been lost on thought and glee, and had failed to see that some stranger now was looking at her from the shore of the lake. She noticed the slight ember from the cigarette first, before it seemed that the owner of said cigarette addressed her; resembling her with the greek goddess Artemis herself. ‘’One ought to be careful resembling daughters of the sea with goddesses,’’ she replied in her melodic voice; keeping her distance to the stranger. However, her words were neither filled with harm nor spite, as one would have expected by a startled siren. Instead, she tried to keep her cool. As long as he didn’t join her in the waters, she felt far more safe in her siren form. ‘’Hubris is usually punished greatly by the gods and goddesses of old,’’ she then warned him; keeping the most of her torso and arms over the surface of the water. Even as she was naked, her scale would cover her breasts and allow the moonlight to reflect gently off of the silvery scale.

Keeping herself at a distance from the stranger was her safest bet. Both because she knew the scent of werewolf, but also because she knew that an almost feral siren in the waters would be dangerous enough without the blood to lure her. She should have known better than to go swimming… She as always so careful; and of course, that one single time she decides to live a little, she risked hurting someone once again. It was simply so annoying that she felt some sort of defeat. Once more, her upbringing won the battle. She kept her eyes on the stranger, awaiting a response; since the conversation had been started by using references of old Greek mythology, she had found it somewhat proper to play along; although she wasn’t sure if the stranger had wished that. Perhaps a reaction of awe or appreciation had been more desired? Yet, she knew the stories of Arachne and Medusa. She was not to accept being measured as beautiful as a greek goddess; she knew of their temper far too well.

The stranger seemed to have no patience for being lectured on how not to pursue hubris. Trying to elaborate on daughters of the sea being related to goddesses, as well as mermaids having ties to the goddess of the sea, Lavender decided not to neither agree or disagree with the stranger. Sometimes she chose not to enter a discussion, solely so that she wouldn’t lose. ‘’Care or not, I would appreciate if your display of disdain for the gods and goddesses of old wouldn’t be displayed on a description of my person or appearance, dear stranger. It is not the words that causes them to be mad; it is the person the words describes,’’ she said; her ever so melodic voice heeding a warning as she cared little for the thought of having some god or goddess smite her. However, the stranger had mentioned already being cursed. To that, Lavender simply tilted her head in curiosity. She didn’t ask, however, as it was not her place nor her right to know.

Then, as if she was an open book, the stranger read her completely; she was either scared by her own nature or what the stranger could do to her. ‘’I am no fool. I know the scent of the cursed wolf. Yet I do not need to fear you,’’ she said, raising her head to look at the moon. ‘’If I needed to fear a wolf, I would never have roamed the forest alone,’’ she said; and where a part of her believed that statement, another part knew it was a blatant lie. She was terrified of the stranger for being so direct with her. She couldn’t even retrieve her belongings and disappear, as the lake was just that; a lake. There was no water-based escape route for her, and getting out of the water, return to being in her human form, getting dressed and then running away would be a surefire way to get hurt if she had just offended the stranger by using the words ‘cursed’ and ‘wolf’ about them.