[ Even a while after the announcements, Siffrin finds themselves wandering through the area aimlessly.
Eventually their wandering brings them to the pool. It’s empty.
…
He takes off his hat, cloak, boots, socks, gloves, eyepatch, and empties his pockets of anything that’s inside.
They look around to make sure that no one is watching… and they run off the edge and into the pool. They take in the sensation of the impact and the rush of the water fill their senses as they sink to the bottom. Once they’re at the floor of the pool, they open their good eye to stare at the surface until his lungs start complaining about the lack of oxygen.
When they push themselves up, however, they realize that maybe they weren’t as alone as they thought. ]
[Please, for your viewing pleasure, imagine Cantarella man-standing at the other side of the pool edge, staring down into the water with her frills half-out.]
Siffrin. Hello. Here to enjoy the calming embrace of the water?
I could say the same thing. It's the same as before. Death often defies reason and explanation, and despite knowing that, I'm struggling to fathom how this could have happened.
[There's a note of regret in her voice, stiff and deep. Cantarella draws some water into her palm and lets it trickle out.]
Did you need some time to yourself? [She wouldn't recommend it, but he had been very evasive, and sometimes the quiet is needed.]
[There are few things louder, at times, than the whispers in one's mind.
She shakes her head.] No, not at all. If you'd like to stay, then stay.
[Once again mirroring their positions earlier in the week, she dips her legs into the water.] Nor do I think there's any problem with swimming together. But even being in this room brings me some sense of...reprieve. [Not quite peace and not quite calm, but something to quell the rest of it.} See how the water dances in the reflection of the lights?
[Pool shadows are quite ugly, but she kind of makes them sound beautiful.
[ She wants them to stay. That's a relief! Siffrin seems to relax slightly at that, and their gaze falls on the water and all the shades that reflect off the water. ]
I guess I wanted to know what it's like, to see in color.
[ Though there really isn't anything wrong with the shades that they see, it is... a little sad that he's the only one who sees like this. Like there's a whole world that is out of their reach. ]
[She makes a thoughtful noise, tilting back to look at the reflections as they refract off the ceiling, like bubbles holding the whole pool as a scene underwater.]
It's another way of viewing the light and the way it plays off the surfaces of the world. [She tries to at least describe it in a way that might still match his perception.] To me, as well as beauty, there's much to learn from it. The sea is darker, deeper, where no light reaches it at all, and brightly colored creatures are often toxic, so their color is a warning.
[ They look up at Cantarella, as if considering something. To him, light and bright are basically the same thing, so it's hard to make a distinction. ]
High pigmentation can be very intense, so it may not be light or dark so much as dense.
[Cantarella tragically does not have a saturation filter to look at her own appearance or the world so she might describe the grayscale of a toxic sea eel. And the most useful example of it in a person would be...
Someone she cannot mention right now, vibrantly bright in her own way and now gone.]
As for myself... I am the most potent poison my family has ever produced, but, much like a gentle jellyfish, I do not mean you any harm.
[For what it's worth, the way Cantarella talks about her own family and whatever happened to put her in this position, she doesn't speak with any hostility. The words and the feelings behind them go deep, are complicated in the darkness, but there is also a placid softness to her voice.
It's complicated. The undisturbed water plunges deep.
The bottom of the pool, on the other hand, is visible. It seems like it can collect all of their thoughts at its bed.]
I don't see why not. The water can hold us while we can't hold ourselves.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wk 1 post body announcement
Eventually their wandering brings them to the pool. It’s empty.
…
He takes off his hat, cloak, boots, socks, gloves, eyepatch, and empties his pockets of anything that’s inside.
They look around to make sure that no one is watching… and they run off the edge and into the pool. They take in the sensation of the impact and the rush of the water fill their senses as they sink to the bottom. Once they’re at the floor of the pool, they open their good eye to stare at the surface until his lungs start complaining about the lack of oxygen.
When they push themselves up, however, they realize that maybe they weren’t as alone as they thought. ]
Oh, uh, hi?
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Siffrin. Hello. Here to enjoy the calming embrace of the water?
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Oh… I guess, yeah.
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Their positions have reversed now from what they were earlier this week. Cantarella has a seat by the edge of the pool.]
I thought I noticed you taking your leave from the library, but I wasn't able to follow. Such a harsh awakening was painful to endure.
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They swim towards the edge near where she is, leaning against the edge of the pool with their elbows. ]
I’m sorry… I should have helped you, but…
[ They failed there too. ]
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[It's sweet concern, but she gently takes it and places it aside.]
Are you all right? Did you know them well?
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I didn't really know them, no.
[ They didn't know them at all. He should have tried harder to know them. If there was something he could have done... ]
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[There's a note of regret in her voice, stiff and deep. Cantarella draws some water into her palm and lets it trickle out.]
Did you need some time to yourself? [She wouldn't recommend it, but he had been very evasive, and sometimes the quiet is needed.]
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They smile up at her. ]
I don't mind either way, haha. If you wanna get in the pool, I can get it out! I just thought it'd help me clear my mind.
[ Which is why they jumped almost fully clothed. ]
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She shakes her head.] No, not at all. If you'd like to stay, then stay.
[Once again mirroring their positions earlier in the week, she dips her legs into the water.] Nor do I think there's any problem with swimming together. But even being in this room brings me some sense of...reprieve. [Not quite peace and not quite calm, but something to quell the rest of it.} See how the water dances in the reflection of the lights?
[Pool shadows are quite ugly, but she kind of makes them sound beautiful.
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It does look pretty.
[ Hm... ]
Cantarella, do you see those shades? The colors?
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[The artificiality of the pool cannot match the sea, but it gives its own beautiful dance.]
What is it?
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[ Though there really isn't anything wrong with the shades that they see, it is... a little sad that he's the only one who sees like this. Like there's a whole world that is out of their reach. ]
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[She makes a thoughtful noise, tilting back to look at the reflections as they refract off the ceiling, like bubbles holding the whole pool as a scene underwater.]
It's another way of viewing the light and the way it plays off the surfaces of the world. [She tries to at least describe it in a way that might still match his perception.] To me, as well as beauty, there's much to learn from it. The sea is darker, deeper, where no light reaches it at all, and brightly colored creatures are often toxic, so their color is a warning.
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[ They look up at Cantarella, as if considering something. To him, light and bright are basically the same thing, so it's hard to make a distinction. ]
You're very light, I think. Are you poisonous?
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[Cantarella tragically does not have a saturation filter to look at her own appearance or the world so she might describe the grayscale of a toxic sea eel. And the most useful example of it in a person would be...
Someone she cannot mention right now, vibrantly bright in her own way and now gone.]
As for myself... I am the most potent poison my family has ever produced, but, much like a gentle jellyfish, I do not mean you any harm.
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There’s something about that which squeezes Siffrin’s heart, but they don’t understand why. ]
Well, if you’re not going to hurt me, then… do you want to come in?
i just realized i had this tag open but could also just reply to cap it off? i'm tying it
It's complicated. The undisturbed water plunges deep.
The bottom of the pool, on the other hand, is visible. It seems like it can collect all of their thoughts at its bed.]
I don't see why not. The water can hold us while we can't hold ourselves.