seas_open | (les)

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(les)

April honestly isn't sure why she's here.

Les had said something about dinner and before she could even think about what she was saying, she had found herself agreeing and now she's here, uncertain, on unsteady ground, and neither of these are things she likes being. It's not a date, she doesn't go on dates, she simply does what she needs to do in order to get by, but befriending a witch she'd met first in a bar and then on the beach has little to do with just getting by. She doesn't need him in any way to get the things she wants.

But she's here anyway and she doesn't entirely understand why.

She'd put on a simple green dress and a pair of sandals, left her hair loose around her shoulders. She's left her taser at home, too, because she can't imagine Les doing anything that would require her needing it, which is stupid. It's how people get into trouble, by assuming they know things about a person they've spent barely any time with at all, but she's confident in her decision at the same time, just one more conflicting thought in a long line of conflicting thoughts.

It isn't even that she's here simply because she wants to sleep with him -- though she wouldn't say no. If that was all she wanted, she's certain there are less difficult ways to go about it. In short, there isn't much she understands about Les or about what she's doing.

But she's here anyway and she fixes the hem of her dress before knocking on the door of the guest house.

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"Oh, now I need a reason?" she asks, taking the remote when he hands it to her, though she has no idea what he might want to watch. She flicks through a few channels without really looking at what's on the TV before leaving it on some movie she knows she's seen before or at least caught bits and pieces of at one point or another. April doesn't spent a lot of time watching TV, but she doesn't spent a lot of time in her apartment alone and she knows better than to say something like that while she's on a potential date.

Then again, she's still not quite sure if that's what this is. For a woman -- and a siren -- who's awfully used to getting what she wants or manipulating the situation until she does, being this off balance is unfamiliar, though not necessarily unwelcome. Having something new, being challenged, these are things she hasn't felt in a long time.

"And here I thought you wanted me to call you just because you like me," she teases gently as she sets the remote control down.

When April lands on a channel showing a movie, something action judging the explosions on screen, Les simply nods not recgonizing the film. He finds that he would much rather just talk to April instead, even between the teasing and joking, she is interesting to say the least which isn't something he can say about just anyone. She teases him that he likes her, wants her to call him again, but he realizes that he really does.

"You're not too bad," he says, only to shrug after, but smiles in a tease. "I really like the part where you turn all scaly. That's cool. Very unexpected."

It's unexpected and for a second her smile falters, though not because she's offended or bothered by what he's saying. There have been so few people who have seen her as she truly is and none of them have reacted positively before Siren Cove. Even that morning on the beach had been a bit of a challenge and she knows people make assumptions based on what she is. She's sure there are those who might accuse her of using her influence to charm Les, that the only reason she's here at all is because she's forced him into it without his knowledge, but he says he likes it and she has to believe him. She hasn't used her powers on anyone since her arrival here with the exception of Bach and she hopes Les know that she hasn't used them on him at all.

"It's more fun in the water," she says, her smile returning, and she thinks she might like to show him, though it makes her nervous as well. The scales are one thing, but her teeth sharpened to points, her eyes gold around the edges, pupils blown wide like a shark, she knows those aren't quite as interesting as the shimmering black scales she has. "I can swim circles around you."

Les makes a face, pursing his lips in a half-smile, because that's the second time she's informed him her transformation is even better out in the water, in the ocean. He believes her, knowing how Sirens were called to the water. All the town legends and surrounding folklore written about the Sirens tended to spell that out pretty clearly. It is definitely something he wants to see though. Just from mere curiosity sake. He had seen Lara transformed, seen April's black scales, and the other night at Midsummer's saw Corry's arm turn bright gold. All of them different and beautiful...

But April goes off and presses one of Les' buttons, saying she could swim better than him. Which had to be true considering she was a siren, but when was he ever to back down from a challenge. "Swim circles? I don't know. I'm pretty awesome at it..." He grins back at her. "There's a huge ocean right out back. Now you're obligated to show me these superior swimming skills."

Edited 2014-07-21 17:44 (UTC)

"Hey, anytime," she answers, grinning when he all but challenges her. It's so rare, to have someone talk to her like that, like she's an equal rather than something to be held above him. April has encouraged that all her life. She's manipulated and used her influence, she's flicked her hair the right way and had men and women alike put her on a pedestal and while that's something she's always encourage, something she's always wanted, this is nice, too, in its way.

"Though I may have already been told by local authorities that I might want to consider investing in a nice top for my morning swims," she admits. Levi hadn't quite put it like that, but it was clear that she needed to either time her swims better or find a more private place to come out of the water.

Les cracks up laughing at the thought of her emerging from the water stark naked, scaring the human tourists. "AH, what do the police know about anything," he says, shaking his head, but he's still very much amused by her story. He likes that April has a sense of humor not only about the siren stuff but about her own situation. He feels as though he can be himself around her, not having to be too serious, or too impressive. He gets enough of that at work, dealing with Lara's business partners. "But don't worry I'm a witch, I'm positive I can figure out a way to shield your little swimming display from prying eyes. If you wanna---"

He cuts off just as there is a loud, interrupting knock on the door of the guest house. It appeared their dinner has finally made it. The prospect of food is a completely welcomed addition to the night, and he pops up from the couch. "Sweet. Food's here," he says, half jogging towards the night table where his wallet was in order to grab enough bills to cover the tab.

He opens the door to find a young-ish driver holding an large paper bag filled to the brim with takeout containers. It all smelled delicious, and he was suddenly very excited. He smiles wide over his shoulder at April. "You totally get to keep dinner-ordering duties," he informs her, paying and tipping the driver. He thanks him as he shuts the door back with his foot and then brings over all the food to the kitchen bar.

She's distracted by the food -- which does smell amazing -- and she gets up from the couch to join Les back in the kitchen. Without asking where she might find plates, she takes a guess, opening a cupboard and smiling when it appears she's guessed right, though a second later she's focusing again on what he had said earlier.

"Could you really?" she asks curiously, setting the plates down as he digs the containers from out of the bag. "Find a way to shield a person visibly?" It's a little like being invisible, she thinks, and she's not sure whether she loves or hates the idea, but it is intriguing.

For the most part, April likes to have people look at her. She likes knowing there are eyes on her, that she has control of a room simply because of the way she looks. But the thought of a private way to swim, possibly not on her own... her gaze sweeps over Les again and she finds herself smiling. That doesn't seem like such a terrible thing at all.

Les digs into the bag, placing out all the containers, as April heads for the cabinents to find utensils and plates. He hadn't done much in the way of cooking while staying with Corry, so her guess is as good as his on where everything is. Soon the counter is filled with utensils and food containers, and suddenly Les is reminded of his life growing up with Rosalie. His mother was never a cook either, preferring instead to use the kitchen for her potions and spellwork. There was always something cooking, just never edible food.

They often ate takeout dinners just like this. Containers sprawled out over everything, with nothing fancy or anything. Just them. So he is more than content. He doesn't know exactly what April considers tonight, but he is more than enjoying himself, he nites as he slides onto on of the stools.

He takes out a pork eggroll for them both giving her a smile as he offers it. "When it comes to magic everything is possible," he says, biting the end of his eggroll. "But shielding someone is relatively easy with the right spell."

"Everything is possible," she echoes, sounding interested. It's not a question, really, she believes him because she has no reason not to. The first time her scales had shown up not long before puberty she'd been calm, strangely collected for someone who had just turned into part-fish, and now in the face of all this magic, she doesn't see any reason to get worked out. It is what it is, just like she is what she is.

She takes the eggroll, then helps herself to some of the other food, picking up a pair of chopsticks from the bag. Taking a bite of her food, she chews, considering, then says, "I'd like to try that. Being shielded while I swim." Her mouth turns up and she shrugs before she adds, "You could come along. Behind the shield."

Les squeezes the packet of soy sauce over his rice, licking his fingers free of the small bit that dribbles over them. He looks at April with a grin at her invitation. "So we're gonna---" he gestures his finger at the dinner and up at her. "We're gonna do this again?" Not that he wouldn't mind it being a casual thing too. He is more than willing to provide April some magical security detail on her swim.

"I think we should," she answers simply, watching the way he licks his fingers. It's such a small thing, a little gesture, a motion she'd likely have used herself if she was just trying to get him into bed, but she's not used to paying attention to anyone in such a way. It sends a shiver rippling down her spine that she tries to hide.

"Someone needs to keep you from eating only pickles for every meal," she adds a second later, flashing him a teasing grin. "And besides, I want to see more of what you can do. If you're going to get the full siren show one day, I think it's only fair we trade back and forth a little."

A minor moment passes between his question and her response, an obvious interest on her part being directed at him. It's a feeling he is used to receiving from women, maybe not one as extraordinarily beautiful as April. But he is attractive and charming in his own loveable manchild type of way. Women weren't really his problem. It's keeping his interests focused long enough to get real with people. He just isn't good at the emotions. But the other stuff?

Well that....Les is particularly good at the other stuff. And the look April gives him when he licks the sauce from his fingers definitely gets his blood flowing faster. The teasing tone in her voice returns, and he nods along returning her smile. "I show you mine, you show me yours," he laughs. "It sounds like a fair exchange. Though I may be getting the better deal. The full siren show? Exciting. Is there gonna be a dance routine?"

Picking up his fork, he dives into his food, his stomach hungry for food and maybe more.

Edited 2014-07-23 18:10 (UTC)

"Hmm, I don't know how well I'll be able to dance with a tail, but what about a swim routine?" she asks with a smirk, watching the way he returns her smile. She doesn't want to like him, she realizes. She wants this to be boiled down to the simplest possible terms, the ones where she doesn't get attached and therefore doesn't get hurt. From the time she was a toddler, too young to even know better, people had screwed her over and she's always done her best to stay just a little bit separate. It makes this easier.

Les is not going to make things easier, she can already tell.

"Everyone likes to see what isn't familiar to them," she answers when he says he might be getting the better deal. "Scales and swimming, that's all par the course for me. But magic? Spells and frog eggs and a way to shield people for privacy? All brand new."

As she continues, Les takes a few more bites of food, finding their conversation easily amiable. They had found a connecting point on this siren and witch show-and-tell. These days he had a secret fascination with the entire siren thing if he's honest. Especially after going to work with Lara, his curiosity had blossomed. He had never given most of it much thought before, perfectly content to believe witches were the superior supernatural being in town. Now he has reasons to wanna know more...

And April is offering them up with an openness and a good smile. He won't be able resist the urge to take up her offer, he realizes.

"Well I'll be certain to show you all my best tricks," he says. "Oh!" He puts down his fork with a start and a grin. "Let's start now 'cos this is a good one." He reaches for her arm, the one nearest to him, clutching it in his hands firmly. As he concentrates his mind on his powers, a soothing spark of energy unfurls from his fingertips against her skin, energy meant to calm the receiver, close to stepping into a warm bath.

When he takes her arm, she realizes whether or not she wants to like him is pretty irrelevant. She does like him already and when he touches her, before he's even done anything, she feels a little like her skin is on fire. For a second nothing happens and she's about to ask him what he's doing, but when she feels it, something washing over her, and while she's not generally prone to nerves in the first place, there's something soothing about whatever it is he's doing.

She feels like she's in the water without having to set foot in the ocean. It's the closest she's ever gotten to feeling completely comfortable without being surrounded by water.

Her smile is soft, genuine, and she looks at him for just a moment. "That's amazing," she says. "It feels... I feel like I do when I'm swimming."

April's reaction is geunine, a pleasant expression washing over her features into one he is used to seeing when using the extra energy pumping through his veins in this manner. It always makes people look at him like he's just given them the best massage in the history of the world. His mother had been even better at it, capable of focusing energy to soothe all types of aches and pains.

When April says she feels like she is swimming in the ocean, her smile relaying just how much that means to her, he looks on with a smile. He's never heard that before, and he isn't sure why but that gets to him, makes him more aware that he's gently clasping her arm in his hand, that he is indeed attracted to her more than physically.

Impulsively, Les decides he wants to kiss her. And he does. He uses his free hand to clutch her face and cheek bringing their mouths together.

That he kisses her is a surprise and the fact that it's a surprise is even more of a surprise. April has built a life around being able to read signals, especially those coming from men, but Les has surprised her in a dozen different ways and so when he kisses her, she has a moment where she's not entirely sure what's just happened. But then she realizes, she knows what she wants, and she closes her eyes and leans into the kiss, tasting soy sauce on his lips.

A soft hum escapes her, a gentle, pleased sound as she lifts her hand, resting it first against his chest and then sliding it up to cup his neck, her fingers grazing gently against his skin. It's different than kissing Will was, it's not about trying to get anything or trying to get Les to do something for her. There's no intention behind it other than simply enjoying it and April thinks it might be the first time she's kissed someone just to kiss them. Without any sort of underlying motivation.

Edited 2014-07-25 01:25 (UTC)

Her hand clutches at his neck, fingers soft on his skin, and Les is reminded how exciting new people are too him. At the taste of her lips, April is something he immediately wants to learn and touch and explore, and he's happy, relieved even when she doesn't push him away, but instead responds in kind, kissing him back, curling up to him. He knows tonight was a casual deal, but he finds that he is totally into her. Even more than he realized.

Les presses his mouth to hers again, placing both his hands on her cheeks and jawline to tip her chin up as he stands from his stool, in order to be closer, in order to kiss her more deeply. He lingers for a few seconds longer until he cuts away but doesn't move his hands. He smiles down, giving her an amused grin. "You're not using your siren charms on me, are you?" he asks in jest, smoothing out the skin beneath his thumbs. "I gotta tell you I really like it."

Edited 2014-07-25 03:59 (UTC)

"I could ask the same of you," she answers with a slow smile up at him as her arm slips around his waist, tugging him closer to her. She's still sitting and she shifts on the stool, drawing him toward her legs. "How do I know that magic calming bit you just did isn't actually about getting pretty girls to kiss you?"

It's not, she knows this. She thinks they'd both know if the other was using some kind of magic on them, that they'd feel it somehow, and the only thing she feels is a warm sort of delight beginning to slide through her. It's foreign, not something she remembers having felt since... since the last man she'd willingly shown her siren form to. But that had been a mistake.

This doesn't feel like a mistake at all.

Smirking softly, Les leans down to meet her lips in a soft peck. He allows April to draw him in between her legs, his body simply arching forward against hers. "I totally own that calming bit was just to get you to kiss me," he says with a chuckle, using his fingers then to brush her long hair away, exposing the skin of her neck, but he doesn't use his lips yet. Instead, he just trails his fingertips down slowly until he finds collarbone and the neckline of her dress, never taking his eyes from her face...

"Maybe you can try your best move on me next time," he offers, grinning wickedly, because he actually wouldn't mind that at all.

Edited 2014-07-25 23:56 (UTC)

"You won't know what hit you," she says with a smirk, but she has no intention of using any of her influence over Les, mostly because she's enjoy this so much, she's enjoying having someone pay this much attention to her without having had to use her powers on him, without having expected this from the beginning. It's what she thinks most people are after anyway, so rather than drag it out, she gives it to them as soon as it benefits her in some way, but this is different, and she tries not to dwell on that as a shiver travels down her spine at the touch of his fingers.

Still, she says, "Next time," before she gets up from her stool, both hands sliding up his chest to hook around his neck and then she tugs him closer for another kiss. There's something about him, something about the heat of his body so close to hers, the scent of him, something about the way he kisses. She just wants more of it.

Les isn't even certain what's hit him now to tell the truth. April's beautiful, yes, that had hardly escaped him...from the second he met her that night at Watersong. Still she isn't what he expects all the time which caught his attention in the first place. She has a story and intrigue, and he likes that. Likes it very much. Obviously he realized they were flirting and teasing each other, almost since they moment they met, but he didn't quite know how much he wanted her until she's grabbing him and saying 'next time' because yes next time. There will be a next time, and he's so fine with that. More than fine with that, he thinks, as she wraps her arms around his neck to kiss him again. Because she feels nice against him, and so he moves his hands down to the small of her back and her ass, pressing her hips right against his. She's generous with her touches and the openness of her kiss, and he responds to it, craving the contact once someone's giving it to him, kissing her back in actual earnest, enough to become breathless from it.

"Next time we finish the food first," he says in between kisses, grinning against her lips. Their food still smells aromatic and delicious, but he's suddenly less intent to care. April is taking all his attentions now, and he's very much obliged to continue giving them to her. "Because I have to say I was looking forward to the orange chicken..." He moves his hands up to her collar, cupping her neck for a moment as their mouths move together in a slow rhythm. After a second, he manages to get the zipper in his fingers and unzips her dress down her back. He means to undress her now, undress her first, all his focus on seeing her, on what's underneath. He lets her dress slip away using his hands to push it to the floor in a heap at her feet. He stares at her for a very few long moments. She's actually impossible, perfect. He appreciates it because who couldn't appreciate someone who looks the way she does.

But he's not even sure that's why he likes her. It's something more. Something that has him wanting April more than he's wanted anyone in quite awhile. "But maybe I can let this distraction slide this time," he finishes with a smirk reaching to wrap his arm around her again, pulling her back to him.

Edited 2014-07-26 15:14 (UTC)

He undresses her with confidence and April likes that, has spent a good portion of her life being the aggressor and having someone take over, having someone just unzip her dress without pretense or preamble is refreshing. When the dress slips down to the floor she steps out of it, using one foot t push it aside as she slides both her hands under his hem of his shirt, fingers spreading over warm skin. "Chinese food makes good leftovers," she points out as he tugs her close again and she smiles before leaning in to nip gently at his lower lip.

She's distracted from the food now, anyway, distracted by how close Les is to her, the warmth rolling off him, she can practically feel the change in temperature and she presses herself up against him as she pushes his shirt up, wanting more, wanting skin. "Next time we won't even bother with food," she murmurs, her lips ghosting over his jaw, then down the side of his neck and she's concentrating on the fact that she wants him, because want is always easier than thinking she might actually like a person.

But she does. She likes him.

She doesn't know this place well enough to know where his bedroom is, but she can make a guess that it isn't in the kitchen and as she tugs his shirt up and off, she steps backward, pulling him with her.

Les likes the sound of next time the more April says it, the idea that tonight isn't a one off deal. Nothing has happened with April so far to make Les think about slamming on the breaks. Instead, it feels as though the opposite has happened. Tonight simply put the gears further into drive, cemented the fact that Les indeed is interested in having a something with April. He isn't positive what it will be, but he knows it'll be fun.

Very fun, judging the way his body responds to her hands sneaking under his shirt, sliding across skin and the muscles of his stomach, to her mouth against his neck. It feels good. Is good. She isn't shy, and he digs that, likes to be touched and kissed. He likes that she wants him back. It's been awhile since somebody has.

His shirt gets tossed away, and she pulls him along by the arm through the kitchen and the living room. The guesthouse is only one floor with the bedroom and bathroom conjoined in a small alcove near the back, and he's happy for that because it only takes seconds to reach the bed. He eyes her for a moment, smiling softly, because he hadn't given much thought to how tonight might go. Maybe sex was always in the cards. But maybe not this, where he feels the anticipation in his gut, the burn of it. "You're making me feel all tingly right now," he confesses for no reason, except that he's a little amused by it, by his own reaction to her.

Edited 2014-07-27 19:22 (UTC)

Another time, she thinks she would have had a response for that, a suggestion that tingly wasn't what she wanted to make him feel accompanied by her hand sliding down against the front of his pants, but there's something about the way he says it that's awfully sweet. In fact, she's not sure the last time anyone has said anything like that to her and she lights up in a smile, almost unconsciously. "Tingly, huh?" she asks and while there's a teasing lilt in her voice, her smile is still genuine and a little pleased. She doesn't have to put on an act here or, at the very least, she doesn't want to. Les doesn't need her lines, he doesn't need that siren persona she constantly puts on for others.

"I like tingly," she murmurs, leaning in to kiss him again before she moves back, sitting on the edge of the bed and tugging him down with her. It hadn't been her intention to take him to bed tonight, though she'd certainly thought about it, yet now that she's here she doesn't have any regrets. He's handsome and she likes him and that's an awful lot more than she's had in years. She can't remember -- or she can, she simply doesn't want to -- the last time she liked someone like this.

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