[earlier days, pt. 2]

[forewarned_is]

Kali wakes to sunlight on her closed eyelids. She stretches luxuriously without opening them, taking a moment to savor the pleasant lingering ache of last night's exertions -- both the battle, and what came almost immediately after.

That was, she has to admit, pretty unexpected. But there's some satisfaction -- all right, a lot of satisfaction -- in the knowledge that it took him even more by surprise. And a lot of amusement in watching him try to pretend that it was his own idea all along.

She rolls to her side, and opens her eyes.



At the volley of astonished swearing, a flock of small, brightly colored birds takes swift and panicked flight from the trees overhanging the little tent.

Comments

[changeinasnap]

"Like a fish," he says, quite cheerily. "And yourself?"

[forewarned_is]

"Like a duck," she counters, and the challenge is quite clear now.

[changeinasnap]

"First one around the island?" he suggests. The smile has comfortably settled back into its usual incorrigible smirk.

Oh, I am so gonna take this one, the smirk says.

[forewarned_is]

She steps out onto the sand, and a breeze stirs her hair.

"First one around the island after we've both seen the terrain."

[changeinasnap]

"What? Aw, come on, where's the fun in that?"

A limping kitten wouldn't look this injured.

[forewarned_is]

She laughs. "I have met you, Loki."

[changeinasnap]

"...Well, yes," he allows. "But how would that make it less fun?"

It's a challenge, Kali! A challenge!

[forewarned_is]

"Well," she says judiciously, "if you really don't think you have a chance without that little extra advantage, I suppose I could give you that much..."

[changeinasnap]

Well played, says his abruptly more grumpy expression.

The ever-present amusement lingers right on, though.

"Ten seconds," he says. "However you want to make use of them? I leave to you."

[forewarned_is]

"Ten seconds," she agrees, holding his eyes.

"Go."

And with a flash of fire, she's gone.

(A very sharp eye, pointed in the right direction, might make out a dark speck hovering in the bright sky high above the island.)

[changeinasnap]

Never one for letting an advantage lie -- even if it really would be more fun to leave the terrain a surprise -- he vanishes in the same instant.

For him it's less a burst of fire and more like a gust of wind, whipping up the edges of the surf for half a second before he reappears in another spot along the island coast, then another, and another in a rapid game of leapfrog.

The picture might be a little more piecemeal, but hey, it's right down there in the muck. He likes that.

[forewarned_is]

The dark speck is now a dark blot, an insect, a doll, a human-shaped figure falling toward the beach feet first.

Exactly nine seconds have passed when she lands in a crouch on the sand, circled by a new impact crater of her own making, red silk settling around her like folding wings.

[changeinasnap]

At nine and a half seconds, he pops! into existence right on the edge of the crater, accompanied by another faint fluttering breeze.

At nine and three-quarters, he flashes another wicked grin her way.

And at ten, he sprints for the water and dives straight in with an exultant whoop.

[forewarned_is]

She's sprinting right beside him, and the length of red silk flutters to the sand and stays there.

It'll do to mark the finish line as well as anything else.

[changeinasnap]

He will not be distracted when glory and honor are on the line!

...not that much, anyway.

And thing is, when he said he took to swimming like a fish, he meant it. A narrow, shimmering shape darts past her, trailing bubbles of laughter in its wake.

[forewarned_is]

Well. We'll just see about that.

Kali drives through the water, all six limbs moving.

---

Not too long later, the red swatch of silk is still lying undisturbed on the sand -- but two figures are stretched out near it, drying off in the sun.

[changeinasnap]

"You know, the sad thing is," he's saying thoughtfully, eyes closed and face upturned to the sun, "if you did cheat I really can't say anything to that but, 'Well done.'"

Thoughtful, and perhaps a bit sulky as well.

Or, er, more than a bit.

[forewarned_is]

"If I did cheat, don't you think I'd tell you?"

She's lying on her front, arms folded, toes tracing idle patterns in the sand.

[changeinasnap]

Peacable, "Of course you wouldn't."

He cracks open one eye.

"Because if you did I'd have to rescind my 'well done' on the spot."

[forewarned_is]

"It would still be well done if you couldn't spot it," she points out. Serenely.

[changeinasnap]

"But! If you cheat, and everybody knows you cheated, it loses a little..."

He spins a hand, digging up the words.

"Je ne sais quoi, you know?"

[forewarned_is]

"True," she says, entirely unperturbed.

"Hold still a moment."

[changeinasnap]

He lifts an eyebrow. "Why, what're you gonna do?"

Nevertheless, obligingly, he does as directed.

(And gets ready to jump if circumstances require.)

[forewarned_is]

She bends sideways in the sand, propping herself on one elbow, and reaches for his foot.

"You've got some seaweed in your toes."

[changeinasnap]

"I do?" He peeks down at his foot, lifting it just enough to get a good look. "Huh."

He wiggles his toes, and, by extension, the seaweed lodged between them.

"So I do."

The little scrap of green keeps moving even after his toes have stopped.