On the Beach {open}

[mother]

Maia sat by the sea, her eyes bright as she watched Rene dance across the sands. Apart from the coven Rene was the most important thing in her life, he might be eternally four but she was eternally in her twenties so it didn't matter. She was always happy when she was with him, he helped her to forget the sadness in her life and it worked, she couldn't remember much of her life before Rene and even his birth was faded. It was if her life had begun when she had joined the coven and before then it was all a dream.

She got up and chased after her small son, laughing and giggling as she went. Soon she had caught him up and he was held in her arms as she tickled him, tickled him senseless.

[lyranae]

She loved to dance on the shore. Lyra swayed with the sound of the waves, moving like the water itself. When she danced, she was in a trance. Her mind went blank and her limbs moved on their own. Her dance wasn't one a person could choreograph, it was one of the very soul. The few times someone would seek her out as a teacher, this was the first lesson.

Lyra would have danced for hours, had she not heard laughter only a few yards away. She stopped her dance with her arms still raised over her head and she turned until she saw the noise. Her head cocked to the side and she dropped her arms. It was a mother and her child. She didn't see many of those in the dream world, people were too busy having fun to actually have a family. Love just didn't seem to happen in the world anymore.

Lyra smiled underneath her mask and waved at the two. Something small, but kind at the same time.
[/color]

[mother]

As Maia danced around the beach she spotted someone out of the corner of her eye, someone that was wearing a mask and a long cloak, someone that she didn't recognize. She smiled and waved back at them, she didn't know who they were but she was going to find out, she always found out and then she would ask around.

"Hi," she said with a smile as she approched. Rene balanced carefully on her hip, it was normally where he was found unless she was busy doing something that he couldn't be involved in.

[lyranae]

Lyra didn't like confrontation. Even if it was perfectly innocent and kind, Lyra didn't do well under any pressure. She wanted to run, hide, slither away - anything. But she couldn't be that rude to someone who meant her no ill will. She wrung her hands and shifted the weight from foot to foot.

"Hi," the woman said, balancing her son carefully on her hip. Lyra bowed her head in greeting. She hoped it was an adequate non-verbal "hello". She raised her left hand and waved a little afterwards. Just for good measure.

[mother]

Maia was surprised to see that the other person approach her, obviously they weren't very social. It was hard for her to understand unsocialable people, she didn't know how to make contact with them.

((urgh shortness))

[lyranae]

Lyra felt horrible - and rude. She shifted her weigt from foot to foot, a nervous habit she picked up from dancing for so long. She always wanted to be moving. There were few times she sit still, especially when she was nervous. She kept her eyes on her feet, where she was comfortable. Something glinted next to her foot.

It's a shell! she thought excitedly. She bounced a little bit before dropping to her knees to dig it out of the sand. She loved rare finds! Cradling it, she looked up to the mother standing in front of her. She looked unsure of how to approach the obstacle of well..communication.

Lyra stood and held the shell out to her visitor. It wasn't often that anyone approached her and she hated being unhospitable. Her father had taught her that. And the value of one's pride. She had always treasured it. Maybe she's new to the beach, Lyra thought. She held the shell up to her ear and swayed to the sound of the waves trapped in this small, shiny shell.

The sounds of the ocean were the most beautiful out there. She wanted to share it with the mother and her son.

[mother]

Maia couldn't help but think that this girl was rather strange, actually scratch that, very strange. She wasn't talking, instead she was holding out a shell to her. She frowned slightly as it was held out to her and then taken away again, this girl obviously had been brought up in a very different way to her. "Pretty," she said with a faint frown on her face, what else did this girl expect her to say after all. She was perfectly willing to be friends at first but this girl was making it far too hard for her, she might as well just go now.

[lyranae]

She held the shell back towards the woman standing in front of her. She wasn't going to be pleased unless she said something, Lyra realized.

"G-gift.." she managed to mumble. Lyra frowned underneath her mask. Had she always sounded so strange when she talked? She couldnt even properly recall the last time she heard her own voice, but she knew she never was disoriented about it. She cleared her throat and said,"For your ssssson." She forgot how tricky an "s" was.

She didn't want to talk anymore. Her throat burned in a way it hadn't in years. She simply wanted the woman to accept her gift and maybe not give her that intimidating look anymore. Lyra was half tempted to jump into the ocean and hide under the water.

[mother]

Maia took the shell, finally realizing what the girl wanted. "Thanks," she said with a smile, it was going to be rather awkward to have a conversation with her. She did consider casting a spell on her to pursuade her to talk but she knew that that wouldn't be particularly kind - this girl really did seem to like to keep herself to herself.

[lyranae]

Lyra sighed under her mask. There wasn't much for her to do this time of night and she already felt her company ready to leave. She couldn't blame her exactly, Lyra enjoyed the solitary life. She got lonely every once in a while but not enough to ever seek people out. It was her pride kicking in again. Lyra plopped down on the sand and leaned back on her arms. The ocean was simply lovely to watch. This time of day was when the dolphins came around actually. Looking closer at the water she noticed that there was a small group of them next to the shore. She smiled and stood.

"Swim," Lyra said, pointing at the water. She took a few steps into the water until she was waist deep. "Dolphins are here," she called out to the woman on the beach. To prove her point she put her hand on the dolphin in front of her. It clicked happily.

[mother]

Maia shook her head slightly as she watched the girl, she seemed to so strange and yet in her own way she was trying to be friendly, she really did seem as if she was. She waited a moment before following her out, she might as well go for a short swim.

[lyranae]

Dolphins swarmed Lyra, more than excited for new people to play with. They clicked and squealed happily, pushing in and out of the water. Lyra grinned under her mask. They were so carefree, it was nearly impossible to not admire them. Lyra turned her body away from the dolphins and watched the mother ad her son follow her into the water. She was a little curious if her little boy could swim. Lyra herself was like a fish by the time she could support herself in the water. On the other hand, she was the daughter of a sea deity. She was suddenly curious about this small two-person family in front of her.

What were their names? What did they like? Where were they from? What were they?

She wasn't stupid, not many people in the Dream World were what the eye could see. Everyone had their own story, a unique history. It made Lyra admire the people who picked up story-telling. She loved sitting under the shade of a tree or drinking a cold glass of fruit juice while listening to a well told story.

Dolphins nervously approached the mother and Lyra waded over to her. She didn't want her to be nervous around the dolphins. They were quite smart, Lyra knew, and easily wounded by a display of nervousness.[/color]