[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]

"From what?"

Perfectly innocent, as another light touch joins the first: a kiss this time, to the spot where neck and shoulder meet.

[forewarned_is]

A tiny sigh, both fond and exasperated.

"Make yourself useful," she says, holding the ends of the clasp in one hand and gathering her hair in the other; a careful twist, and she trails the heavy rope of hair across his fingers.

"Hold this."

[changeinasnap]

By contrast, his sigh is a good deal more theatrical -- if no less affectionate.

"If you insist," he says, grandly, and lifts her hair up and away from her neck, keeping a path clear for the necklace chain.

[forewarned_is]

Kali fastens the clasp quickly, once her hair's out of the way.

And shifts backward in a sinuous motion, bringing her shoulders up against his bare chest.

"Now was that so hard?" she murmurs, as one hand rises to the back of his neck in turn, fingers threading lightly through his hair.

[changeinasnap]

"Mmmm."

He's probably agreeing with her. Maybe. If the noise sounded less like a purring cat, though, that might help a little.

Letting her hair cascade back over her shoulders, he slips both arms around her waist and leans his head back against her hand, eyes drifting closed.

[forewarned_is]

Her fingertips touch his head, massaging lightly; she turns her head enough to brush her lips across the line of his jaw.

And whispers in his ear: "We're not going to stay inside all day, are we?"

[changeinasnap]

"...Gotta admit right now I'm kind of thinking about it."

Still in the same low, almost-a-purr.

[forewarned_is]

"After you went to all the trouble to bring us here?"

Her other hand rests lightly on his wrist, where it crosses her waist.

"What a shame that would be."

[changeinasnap]

He lets out a long, long breath -- a remarkably steady one, all told.

Under Kali's hand, something shifts: she no longer touches bare skin, but brightly-colored fabric, the cloth spreading and twining up his arm like a quickly growing vine. Mere seconds later, he's fully clothed and eeling his way out of her grasp.

"It really would, wouldn't it," he remarks lightly. "After you?"

[forewarned_is]

A wicked sidelong smile, and she steps past him to push open the tent flap; the sunlight glows through the red silk of her sari where it drapes from her upraised arm.

(He's chosen yellow and dark blue; she notices idly; colors that complement her own.)

"Tell me, Loki," she says thoughtfully, "can you swim?"

[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.