Nice

There was something about a nightly walk on the beach that Aranea could always enjoy. Maybe it was the touch of a light breeze on her skin that she could only compare to a whisper; or the star-peppered sky, seeming infinite and doubling back towards her on the ocean's surface. Maybe it was the cold water pressing against her bare feet, with the minuscule sand beneath them; or the salty taste of the air when she breathed; or even the pristine silence broken only by the restless waves.

Though widely known for her tendency to babble like a brook, even Aranea knew how to appreciate some decent quiet time. Rather than focusing on filling the soundless void, she kept her attention on what was around her, the spidery girl simply walked along the water's edge and took in the beauty of the scene she was in.

By her side there strolled a girl with a shark-like smile, long braids just glimpsing a touch on the water. She wore a bright pink tankini top, with darker swimming trunks. The number seemed to consume her, all limbs and and very thin. Aranea herself had a classy swimsuit covering her thick body, matching her blood colour. Every so often she attempted a sideways glance at her companion, as she felt the other girl's stare on her near-bear skin, though thick darkness made it difficult to catch her in the act.

"Something on your mind?" She spoke softly, as if the silence could remain still unbroken.

The sea dweller said nothing

for a moment so long, Aranea wondered if she'd even heard her. She began to repeat the question, stopping herself when she heard Meenah clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Ya look pretty, Serket," her voice was considerably louder than the cerulean blood's, whose cheeks became tinted with a light blue blush.

She looked away from the other, turning her gaze to the dark water. A faint smile pulled at the corners of her mouth. "Thank you," She inwardly cringed at how conditioned the response sounded. One couldn't come up with an answer more bland to a compliment.

"I mean it," Meenah pressed, "With the stars reflectin' of the water like that 'n' all around ya. It makes ya look really-- " She spoke confidently at first, her words gradually slowing in momentum until being reduced to a mumble, "Really..."

Aranea suppressed a giggle, nodding along as her girlfriend (or 'gillfrond' as Meenah liked to say) spoke. She took the other's hand in her own and gave it a hearty squeeze. "Nice?"

Meenah, pressed her dark lips to Aranea's cheek. Or rather, she tried to. It was too dark to properly see, so the kiss landed on the girl's right eye instead. "Yeah," she whispered with another kiss, this time hitting her target, "Nice," another kiss, "Really nice. Incredibubbly nice."

A short giggle escaped Aranea's lips; she brought up her free hand to cover her mouth as the high trill of her laugh morphed into a flustered snort. This brought the fuchsia-blooded troll down to her knees with a splash, shoulders shaking with a silent cackle.

"Way t' completely ruin the moment there!" She screeched from where she lay in the shallow water. It was like she'd never heard anything so hilarious on all of Alternia.

However, Aranea was not amused. It was a ridiculous thing for one to laugh over, really. Her face a bright blue by now, she let out a loud huff. Embarrassment soon mixed with a hint of annoyance when she realised Meenah was probably just trying to get her riled up. She'd succeeded, as it was generally easy to get the other worked up over the smallest things.

Pulling her white frames from her face to clear of stray droplets, Aranea pulled the corners of her lips into a frown. An irritated him vibrated from her throat while she rubbed her grey palm against the lens, "I can't control that part of my laugh, Meenah. If you're going to act so sophomoric as this, then I... " She paused, the anger and embarrassment she felt at being laughed at sticking, "I might retire to my hive. It's dark anyhow so I might just do so regardless, and I suggest you--"

Darker tinted fingers wrapped themselves around her thick wrists, stopping her overly animated speech. She jerked, dropping her glasses in the shallow water. Meenah made a tisking sound with her tongue that told the other she'd started to get carried away again. As long as her speeches could run normally, they were far worse when she felt anxious; at times such as this. She probably would have gone on for a good ten minutes if the fishy troll kneeling at her feet hadn't stopped her.

"Ya need t' shut up 'n' enjoy yerself, Serket," She mused with a grin that seemed to split her face in two. It's that, she let herself fall back against the water, using her body weight to pull Aranea down as well.

Said troll crashed to her knees with a gasp and a shriek. Though her ankles and feet had gotten used to it, the water was freezing against the skin of her legs. The grainy sand rubbing against her calves was uncomfortable. She'd have compared it to sandpaper if not for the blatant redundancy. It took a moment to find her voice again once the shock wore off, "Meenah!"

"I told ya t' enjoy yerself!" The sea dweller hissed through her still present grin. The water pulled at her long braids, splaying them around her head and body in two winding lines, "Quit yappin' 'n' relax here with me. Look at the stars. Ya know how t' relax, right?"

Aranea gave a good hearted huff at the question- obviously sarcastic-while Meenah's free hand flew up to touch above her chest, as if feeling faint with the idea that her 'gillfrond' could possibly be stuck in a purgatory of stick-up-her-ass syndrome. Aranea herself used her own hand to splash the high blood, rolling her eyes at the act, "Of course I do now hush!" She giggled, slowly lowering herself to lie beside the other, but keeping her upper half supported with an elbow. Water in the nose was never a pleasant feeling, at least for one without gills.

Her hand twisted to clasp against the other's; fingers curled around each other as the two girls sat in silence. It was only broken by the smacking of waves against the water's surface. They didn't speak for a long time- just sat side-by-side in the water, Meenah running a slim thumb over Aranea's- but they didn't need to either.

With the moon glimmering on the choppy sea; the whisper of air sending cool jests across Aranea's face; and content humming of her 'gillfiend' next to her was all she needed to focus on at that moment. She didn't know why she enjoyed it so much. Normally she'd find the situation a bore and attempt to liven things up in some garrulous way.

Maybe it was because she was spending this quiet time with Meenah, who she loved more than even she could describe, or just her fatigue catching up with her. Whatever the reason, there was one thing Aranea couldn't deny about the tranquility of it all.

It was nice.

//AN: I'd like to say that this is where I wanted for this story to go but I originally planned for it to end with skinny-dipping. About half way through I realised I wouldn't be able to get a smooth transition so I guess I had to scratch that bit out. Oops.