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logah2016-06-22 02:46 pm
lunaquatic) wrote in logah2016-06-22 02:46 pm
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Delivery Fish | Closed to Roxy
Dirk had handed her a plain box with an address written on it and asked that she make sure it was delivered before diving back into his work. In the typical way of assumptions, Dirk figured she knew he wanted it couriered over and Feferi figured that he meant for her to take it herself.
The box, taped shut, made a slightly metallic sound when she shook it gently. 'Roxy' said the address, further piquing Fef's interest. Dirks intention of her having the package couriered over bubbled away unnoticed as Feferi, grinning, strapped the box into her passenger seat and drove off to hand deliver the intriguing thing and see who this Roxy was (and to see what Dirk was sending her).
Feferi was dressed casually with a black tanktop and jean shorts over a pink bikini with matching pink sandals. Summertime was beachtime and Fef never knew when she would be near enough to a body of water to go swimming. Brightly colored bracelets rattled on her wrists, the light catching on the gold band around her forehead as she carted the box up to the front door and rang the bell, grinning and bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for the door to open. The doorbell sounded oddly like.. meowing? Except it continued long after a doorbell usually would.
The box, taped shut, made a slightly metallic sound when she shook it gently. 'Roxy' said the address, further piquing Fef's interest. Dirks intention of her having the package couriered over bubbled away unnoticed as Feferi, grinning, strapped the box into her passenger seat and drove off to hand deliver the intriguing thing and see who this Roxy was (and to see what Dirk was sending her).
Feferi was dressed casually with a black tanktop and jean shorts over a pink bikini with matching pink sandals. Summertime was beachtime and Fef never knew when she would be near enough to a body of water to go swimming. Brightly colored bracelets rattled on her wrists, the light catching on the gold band around her forehead as she carted the box up to the front door and rang the bell, grinning and bouncing on the balls of her feet as she waited for the door to open. The doorbell sounded oddly like.. meowing? Except it continued long after a doorbell usually would.
Roxy: what the wtf
Why did she have to have so many cats? Why did they all have to breed so much?
Why did they all have to be so friendly???
It was a wonder she didn't step on any tails or tiny paws in her cowboy boots, but Roxy was a professional for good reason. Opening the front door, she jammed her leg into the crack that appeared, effectively ensuring that no curious felines would slink out of the small space created into the outside world. She was pretty surprised to find a cute girl waiting outside, bearing...a box?
Roxy tilted her head, blinking rapidly.
"Damn, are you the new mailman? 'Cause lemme say, you're def an upgrade from that old dude that usually comes 'round with a mean ol' glint in his eye ready to jam clipboards straight through the unsuspectin' torsos of mail recipients—AGH."
Someone was scaling her leg.
Roxy reached down and scooped up the offender, squinting to find tiny little Jadis. Knowing that it was already a lost cause for the soft, draped material of her partially untucked shirt, Roxy placed the young cat on her shoulder (who then decided to stand her paws on top of Roxy's head). This done, the woman at last turned her attention to the girl on her front doorstep, who seemed terribly familiar for some reason.
"Sorry 'bout that, they get excited 'round cute girls—uh. Y'know, I just noticed you ain't exactly wearin' a mail delivery uniform."
Feferi: Ohai
"Sadly no clipboard.... Did you just say I'm cute?" Feferi asked, giggling slightly and keeping her arms wrapped around the box. The chorus of meowing had her peering past Roxy a bit.
"Glub so yes! Dirk asked me to bring you this box and he wouldn't tail me what was in it and I'm reely curious...." Feferi said, batting her eyes up at Roxy. "Would you mind terribly if I watched you open it? And how do you know Dirk?"
Feferi would be the first to admit that she wasn't jealous. in fact she wanted Dirk to get out and about more and meet new people. She was a little hurt that Roxy was a stranger that she'd never heard of... even if she did look oddly familiar.
Fef tipped her head to the other side, her dark hair brushing against her shoulder as she peered up at Roxy. "Why do you look so glubbing familiar?" Fef said, more to herself than to Roxy.
Roxy: Attempt to flirt.
Claws pricked into Roxy's scalp as she jerked her head up, a hand raising to steady the balancing Jadis. The fish puns were something Roxy picked up partially from the inflection in the stranger's voice, stressing syllables just differently enough to make it obvious that something was different.
It seemed like the girl didn't mind the flirting, though, so Roxy merely grinned as she replied, "You bet your sweet BASS I just smacked the 'Cutie Patootie' label on you—fresh from my standardized label maker, with crisp ink in a totes professional font sealed beneath the airtight lock of lamination. Got all those corporate motherfuckers linin' up, marvelin' away at this sealed scrap, kind of just puzzlin' away without bein' able to put together how superior the organizin' system got in the time they had their noses stuffed up one another's asses to sniff out what kinda shit the competition's pullin' out next."
That one definitely got away from her. Roxy clicked her jaw shut to put a curb on the metaphor and instead listen to the girl's explanation. So she knew Dirk? Huh—apparently well enough to just up and deliver something for him. That was kind of strange; the dude had struck Roxy as the type of guy who made it hard for people to make friends with him.
Maybe he was trying to apologize for insinuating she was a drug dealer (which was the damn rudest thing Roxy had heard from anyone in awhile) or was just really damn desperate to get on her good side.
"What, Dirk? I posted an ad on Craigslist offerin' up my hot bod in a bathrobe and fifty bucks to anyone who could fix my coffee machine—" Roxy's words got snatched out of her mouth at the same time Jadis leaned over and lightly smacked her nose. Holy shit, she had never actually paid the dude for his service aside from saucily tucking her bathrobe away onto his materials bag. Like a fuckin' calling card. Jesus.
Roxy waited for the cat paw to draw back to its owner before continuing at last: "—aaaand that's about it, really. Scoped out some ass, and then was on his way, launchin' himself back into the abyss of unknown circumstances." Roxy shrugged. "Not really much to say 'bout it, TBH. How 'bout you come in and we can talk 'bout what's makin' you the fill-in mailman for the dude?"
As Roxy stepped aside to allow her to enter, she flashed the girl a smile, gently pushing cats away from the open door with her boot. "My name's Roxy! It's a damn cryin' shame I don't know yours yet, but we got time enough for that." And then she was squinting at the stranger again, but mostly that fucking wild animal that she probably called her hair—
Nah, Roxy was just imagining things. No way.
Feferi: Be the fishnip
She tipped her head up to watch Roxy's face, mentally noting that Roxy's head would probably be on a level with Dirk's... and that Feferi should have worn heels instead of flats if she wanted to keep up with all of these tall folks rambling around.
Fef burst out laughing. "Did he actually want to sea your hot bod in a bathrobe?" Feferi asked gleefully, thinking of the way he flinched and looked away when she swapped between outfits. Her pink eyes flicked up and down Roxy consideringly. "...Is that offer available for hapless deliveryfish who are nosier than they should be?"
Feferi giggled to herself as the cats moved in, smelling the abundance of salty and fishy smells that wafted from Fef like perfume. "So Dirk's betta at computers and mechanicals than most people and when he was a small fry he made himself an auto-responder AI that has become somefin of a jerk!! He calls himself Hal and he tricked me into breaking into Dirk's old crappy apartment when he invited me over and told me to come right in and that the door sticks!!" Fef explained. Sometimes she went in for subterfuge but mostly she was a clear ocean that you could see right to the bottom of.
"Anyway I felt reeeely bad for freaking him and his little brother out so I found them a much betta place with doors that can't be busted open by moderately determined mermaids given misleading directions!!!" Feferi concluded, swinging the box back and forth a little absently and making what was inside clank mechanically. She froze, remembering not to jostle Roxy's gift.
"Oh and I'm FEFERI!!! Named for a cuttlefish!" Fef said cheerfully, then grinned and held out the box meaningfully. "Shell we sea what Dirk made you??"
Roxy: Scope the shortie.
Roxy decided consciously that she rather liked this girl.
"Ooooh MFG. That boy. Y'know what the first thing he says to me is? 'The bathrobe ain't necessary.' Like, DAMN boy, you haven't even seen me yet and you're throwin' on the fuckin' charm. Then he backpedaled but that kind of impression ain't anythin' but lastin', y'know?" Roxy shook her head, finding herself blinking quite suddenly down. Oh. Oh, fuck her and the fact that she gave it away. "Weeeeell, I don't actually have the bathrobe anymore. Tell you what, though: I'll totes dress up in anythin' else I got for you, free of charge. That includes my sexy scientist lady get-up." Roxy winked, leading Feferi around a corner into the living room.
The clink of the metal parts drew the attention of some cats whilst others scampered, only to return soon after; they were a swarm of meows and purring, twining around Feferi's legs in hopes that she had managed to bring some sort of treat where Roxy had deprived them of more snacks.
"Oh, man! Cuttlefish are those cute li'l not-squid things, right? Man, I LOVE those li'l fucks. All bioluminescin' like they're havin' their own personal rave." Roxy dipped down to fit her arms under the box, lingering there just for a moment to say: "It suits you." And then she was folding herself onto the ground, not bothering with the couches; assembly like this required getting up close and personal, and she didn't really want metal parts just kind of hanging on her dining room table.
In the meantime, several curious cats got themselves cozy stretching themselves out along Feferi's legs and flopping all around. "I thiiiiiink 'Roxanne' is like...'dawn' or somethin'? IDK, I just think it's got ENDLESS POTENTIAL for nicknamin'. Plus 'Roxy' is a cute AF name to have." The woman in question shrugged, turning her attention to the box. Opening it up, she found something to answer all of her niggling questions and self-doubts, to dispel every single demon that had nipped at her heels from the moment she became aware of the gifts existence: a bunch of metal parts.
Yeeeeeeah, she really should have expected that.
Feferi: Adapt stingray shuffle to a sea of cats
The box was disappointingly mysterious even when opened. Dirk apparently trusting the recipient to put fins together. "Oh glub I hope I didn't break it," Fef said, distressed. She tossed her hair back over her shoulders... or rather tried to. Her slight motions had attracted the swarm and her hair was now host to several of them, with more tangling paws and teeth and tails in the dark mass.
Her brief attempt to disentangle herself failed miserably, as it just made her hair all the more tantalizing a target with the cautious tugs. Twisted around to try and see how to free herself, she was decidedly off balance when one of the more affectionate cats decided to pounce. Feferi toppled over with a yelp, laughing as she vanished under waving tails and meowing face as they clambered all over her.
"There're so many!!" Feferi cried, ineffectually trying to move them off of her one at a time. It would have been easier to empty the ocean with an ice cream scoop. Giggling, she tried to sit up, but there were too many cats lying on her hair to free herself from her Gulliverian dilemma. "They're reely frondly but please kelp!!" Feferi pleaded, laughing helplessly as a cat bodyslammed her face and flopped on a last free section of her hair, purring loudly. Feferi's legs flailed as she tried to see a way out of this wholly unexpected predicament, feeling sudden sympathy for Dirk's panicking in the water, though she was trying to maintain her decorum while drowning in cats.
Roxy: Rescue Mermaid Rapunzel!
Roxy could only watch with a grand measure of fucking awful amusement as Feferi toppled, not unlike King Kong getting felled by a couple of frisky furries. Despite herself, she was laughing like an ass and appearing as the BIGGEST of all butts when she pushed herself up and seemingly abandoned both parts and Feferi as she ducked into the kitchen.
The true intent underlying her seemingly apathetic actions soon revealed itself in the form of the treat bag being shaken: surely enough, the cats were soon to flee Feferi in favor of procuring more snacks for their bellies. All were meowing enthusiastically again as Roxy slowly picked her way through the furballs back into the living room; after sitting back down before Feferi and nudging the gift box aside, Roxy at last dipped her hand into the bag and produced a few treats.
"All right, you fuzzy li'l magicians: who wants to do a few tricks?" Maybe she was showing off. Just a little.
Feferi: Be the Damsel
"Downstairs LAB!!! Sign ME UP!!!!!!!" Feferi enthused once she was settled on her knees rather than on her rump, preferring the option of standing up more easily in case of future swamping. Also it put her head closer on a level with Roxy's.
"Your cats do TRICKS???" Feferi glubbed, eyes widening as she settled in to watch the potential show. Her cuttlefish could sometimes be persuaded to go where she wanted, but mostly they were highly resistant to being trained. "Are they bred or spliced specially to give them more obedient traits??" she asked, mind whirling with the possibilities. She'd been focused on studying behavior and movements and population sizes. It hadn't occurred to her to breed a better cuttlefish.
Her eyes practically bioluminesced with excitement as she looked around at the cats with increased interest, leaning forward eagerly. Her knowledge of cats was mostly limited to the basic facts that they were highly independent and often preferred hunting and that they were far less domesticated than dogs. All the flopping and purring had seemed contrary to this but she hadn't considered that it might be a specifically coded behavior.
Roxy: Show off.
Roxy blinked herself out of it, grinning away. She always took the opportunity to talk about her cats, especially with someone who could listen along with the conversation. "I mentioned researchin' the cat genome earlier, right?—Weeeeell, I got a bunch of samples from a few different purebreeds across the board. When I was comin' up with these guys, I tried to pinpoint between two wildly different breeds where they had a sequence of similar codin' in hopes that it would influence the behavior some thanks to the instincts associated passin' down. So I ended up with these smartass whiny babies that got swarmin' cute girls in their DNA."
Another wink was shot Feferi's way because Roxy really couldn't help herself, but she was soon clicking her tongue to get the cats' attention. "Alright, everyone, line up!" All twelve cats scrambled to follow the command, meowing away and eventually becoming a long string of furballs staring upwards. Roxy dutifully produced a morsel for each, and while they were gnawing away, she took the opportunity to point them out: "Alatar, Allanon, Bloyse, Circe, Gandalf, Meowgris, Merlin, Morgan, Pallando, Radagast, Rincewind, aaaaand Saruman. Circe's gonna be especially friendly RN thanks to her pregnancy, but don't touch her belly 'cause she'll swat. Meowgris is the li'l dude there ended up on my shoulders when I was answerin' you at the door."
Once the cats were finished up, Roxy took them through a few more tricks, including some handshakes and high-fives among sitting and standing; they had more of an arsenal when she had her training stick out, but just this much was fine for demonstration's sake.
Feferi: Be Impressed
She pursed her lips, something about 'Merlin' striking a bell. "Is it just me or are those pretty unique names?" Feferi asked, demonstrating her overall lack of pop culture knowledge.
Fef flopped onto her belly, sandaled feet waving idly in the air as she propped her chin on her arms to watch the cats from more of a cat's eye view. "I wonder if I could train my cuttlefish to do tricks like this..." Fef mused as the next cat down the line highfived Roxy. "Because that would be super cute."
"Ooooo maybe I could teach them to swim in circles or in sync!!! Synchronized cuttlefish swimming!!!!!!" Feferi chirped, swinging her feet faster as she grinned at the cats. "Do they answer to their names and everyfin?"
Roxy: Talk cats.
Roxy grinned as she procured more waves and taps from the cats, eventually rolling up the treat bag; no need to get the stout cats fat. "Heck yeah! They're the GREATEST names. Every Pointed Wizard's Hat I breed is named after one of the MAGYYKAL WIZZERDS for whose headgear they are classified. I was originally gonna do 'em all after Calmasis and Zazzerpan and his apprentices, buuuuut there's a lot more wizards than just THEM in the world." Plus her relationship with her mother was still a bit...odd, to say the least.
"If you can motivate 'em with food or treats, you're p much home free on the front of trainin' em; just associate the rewards with the trick actions and they'll start comin'. Maybe if you match it up to your hand makin' ripples in the water? IDK." Roxy shrugged, but tilted her head as she grinned. "'Course they answer to their names! I breed GENIUS CATS."
Feferi: Flirt
She winked up at Roxy. "And I MEANT that if they're genetically inclined toward swarming cuties AND you've been reinforcing it then they must take YOU down all the glubbing time!" Feferi said with a sharklike grin before using her not inconsiderable muscles to sit up before the cats could swarm her again.
Feferi tucked her feet under herself and absently adjusted her clothes back to some semblance of order after rolling around on the floor. Her bright eyes flicked over the assembled cats all licking their chops and swishing their tails and sitting around the robot bits that had come out of the box. "So did Dirk fin to include assembly instructions atoll or shell I be lecturing him on the right sort of gifts to be giving pretty scientists???"
Roxy: Just gals bein' pals.
Roxy clicked her tongue and extended a hand for one to come sniffing away at. While disappointed at the lack of treats, Radagast nonetheless submitted to some scratches behind the ear. "My cats DO got some p good taste if they were tryin' to bowel you over the moment you walked in the door, though." Another wink? Well, anything less would be a disappointment.
At Feferi's question, Roxy merely rolled her eyes with a shake of her head. "Nah, NOTHIN' of the like. Don't you worry though, girl: I'm def messagin' him the next free day I got to come over and fix all this up for me. Not much point in a gift if the recipient doesn't know what the hell it is. And trust me, I totes wanna be able to provide the dude with some PROPER APPRECIATION." And pay him.
Feferi: Oh my cod
With Fef's hair already twisted up off of her back, Roxy would have an excellent view with nothing but some bright pink and black bikini straps in the way.
"And you should TURTLEY do that!! Silly Dirk and his assuming everyone knows how to build robot fronds from scratch!!" Fef said conversationally as she shifted her flexing to show off her back better. She looked over her shoulder at Roxy, grinning. "Pretty good right? Feel em! Rock solid swimmer bod," she said proudly.
Roxy: Strip.
A fact: Feferi was a really nice girl. Like, the nicest Roxy had met in awhile, and damn cute to boot. The science talks had been fun, and Feferi seemed to really like the cats (and their owner). Even with all that, there was a touch of hesitance, something that didn't allow her to quite go ripping off all her clothes to show off and compare just yet. Instead, Roxy carefully inched the straps of her overall skirt and the sleeves of her shirt off of her shoulders, keeping most of the fabric bunched over the swell of her padded bra.
Once her arms were free Roxy flexed them like an old jock cartoon character might have; she wasn't nearly as toned as Feferi, thanks to the effects of her hormones, but she kept sharp on her defensive skills between her rifles and the hand-to-hand combat. "Okay, YOUR turn. Get your soft hands all sweetly acquainted with these flamin' pistols before I take 'em off to the gun show in the next state over."
Feferi: Accept offer
"Do you go swimming much?" Fef asked curiously when she had finally decided that was probably long enough for shoulder petting her new friend (which meant it was about a full minute longer than most people would have). "I swim ALL the time!!! It's how I maintain my.... torpedoes?" Her attempt to mash up gun and fish puns stuttered and failed, but she shrugged and soldiered gamely on.
"Anyway I could take you out sailing or diving or somefin?? There's a lot of reely neat dive spots if you get out far enough!!! And I've been wanting to.... try some out," she finished somewhat lamely, remembering belatedly that Roxy wasn't in the know about superpowers and just casually admitting that Feferi could breathe underwater to a relative stranger seemed... unwise.
Fef grinned sheepishly and reached out her hand to the nearest cat, attempting to scratch its back the way she did with the dolphins (and a way that most cats would object to).
Roxy: Get felt up.
When Feferi popped the question about swimming, Roxy froze up, foolishly glad that the woman had already drawn away so she couldn't feel the tension that suddenly locked Roxy's muscles. Carefully slipping her sleeves and straps back into place, she offered a quick chuckle, though the sound was—fuck, it felt raspy, deeper than Roxy wanted right at that moment.
"Swimmin' ain't really the best-advised thing for me to be doin'," Roxy admitted, swirling a clump of her hair around one finger before tugging on it. She felt her own smile upon her face, carefully stitched into position so as not to give way to—to literally anything else, because the kinds of things she was thinking were not things to be grinning away like a fool over.
Before Roxy's nerves could get jangled with further attempts at not thinking about shit, she saw Feferi's petting of poor Rincewind. "Oh, no—look, you gotta pet along the way their fur grows, see?" Her fingers made quick work of smoothing down the cat's pelt, her digits lightly brushing against Feferi's. Apologetically, Roxy grinned and lifted her eyes up.
"Like I said, swimmin' ain't really my thing for a number of reasons that ain't worth gettin' into at this moment, but I am totes amenable to hearin' if you've got any other kind of date ideas. I am the most persuadable. It is me."
Feferi: Be Demi Moore in Ghost
Feferi shook her head like this was beyond her comprehension and let Roxy guide her hand over Rincewind. "Ooooh," Fef said as the fur smoothed down and the cat pressed back against her. She looked over at Roxy and grinned before catching hold of the other's fingers. "Are you asking me to ask you out on a date?" Feferi asked, beaming.
Before Roxy could respond, Feferi was tapping the finger of her free hand against her lips as she pondered. "Whale if you aren't partial to water probably a swimming or surfing or beach date probably wouldn't be ideal.... Or the aquarium..... Dinner a movie is a classic but also doesn't reely make for much of a chance to get to know each otter apart from awkward small talk...."
Feferi glanced around Roxy's house absently, screwing up her face a little as she pondered other possibilities. "Hmm I may have to look up a few fins before I give you a definitive answer... Dirk has your pesterchum info right?? How's your schedule looking for next week?" Feferi asked, starting to get to her feet, clearly planning to run off and research restaurants and ideal first date scenarios.
Roxy: Panic low-key.
She focused mostly on petting Rincewind after that, mostly firm strokes along the cat's back. She kept her grin on, though it still felt strained. "If you're still into the whole 'datin' this hot lady' thing, we can totes just do somethin' right here? Watch dinner together, make a movie in my room—wait FUCK. Switch those two around." Kind of like how she just switched from cis to trans on this girl! Haha. Fuck.
Yeah, alright, okay, she was cool. If Feferi turned out to be awful about it, then Roxy could just pick her up and throw her outside. And, uh. Maybe move. Or she might just slink off to places unknown, and Roxy would be out a date but not having to worry about something bad going down.
It sucked that she had to be so paranoid, but Roxy didn't forget why she took those self defense classes: she would protect herself, no matter the cost.
Feferi: Be the papping you want to see in the world
No misgendering, the sites had been very clear, and that would hardly be a problem. Roxy looked distinctly uncomfortable so Feferi sat across from her (careful not to squish any cats and, smiling, held her hands out, not wanting to initiate contact without permission. Coming out to relative strangers was hard, she had learned, and the best thing to do was to be respectful and let them take things at their own pace.
Feferi giggled, her hands held out steadily, palms up, wiggling her fingers a little to invite Roxy to take them, or like some casual sea anemones filtering food out of the water. "Whale if you'd rather stay close to home I could bring over some take out and we could watch a movie... Or make a movie," Feferi said with a wink. "Could probably get some green screens and we could take our date ANYWHERE!" Fef continued, demonstrating that the more illicit meaning had gone straight over her (admittedly short) head.
"Oar..." Feferi swallowed before putting her own dark secret on the table to even the balance. "You could come over and swim at my house! Nobody but the two of us!! But only if you want. ...And you shoal-d probably know that my house is... ridiculous." Feferi smiled sheepishly. "My mother has no concept of casual living so it's me and my aquariums in a house that could house a whole ship's crew but the pool is very nice!! There's a fresh water with fish in it or a salt water which is deep and good for diving!!"
Feferi had her own moment of biting her lip, wondering if that would scare Roxy off. Usually she waited until she knew people better to admit to living in a modern architect built elaborate mansion with custom furniture, but Roxy's abrupt honesty seemed to need a revealed secret from Feferi as well.
"...Or if it makes you uncomfortable that's ok too... My life is... ridiculous," she admitted apologetically. Mostly she liked having the resources to do what she liked without thought, but sometimes it did make things very uncomfortable.
Roxy: Get back on the flirting schedule!
Hell, she'd been getting a lot of validation on the gender front lately: between reuniting with Sollux and then coming out to this lovely lady, Roxy was pretty much flying high on a wave of euphoria. Not quite the surfing that Feferi had mentioned, but it felt just as great.
"You and I would make the BEST movie. Can you imagine the kind of hard scifi we could produce? Move over, Pacific Rim, not ONLY are the two of us drift compatible but we're gonna whip up some ACTUALLY VIABLE MONSTERS that could take over our world." Roxy gave Feferi's fingers a little squeeze, offering her a wide grin that was helplessly glad.
As one of the cats came over to sniff their joined hands (looked like Gandalf), Roxy could only laugh. "That ain't a thing you gotta worry about with me! Dude, my cats fuckin' swarmed you and you got through it like the most skilled trooper on this side of the city. Plus havin' a bunch of aquariums in your own house sounds TOTES AMAZE."
Giddy and impulsive, Roxy lifted Feferi's hands and placed a kiss to her fingers, so light and feathery not even a single smudge of lipstick came off on the other woman. She looked up through her eyelashes with a grin. "Your life might be all kinds of ridonkulous, but I'm pretty ridic myself. Seems like it makes a hell of a good fit, huh?
Bolstered by her innate sense of thrill and the positive reaction she had received so far, Roxy added, "I've been lookin' for a reason to bust out my swimsuit anyways. Hittin' up your pool and then doin' dinner sounds like the best way to spend my time tonight."
Feferi: All aboard the S.S. Date
"You can meet my animal fronds then!!! I have a good bunch of flamboyant cuttles right now that have been industriously moving all the rocks around in their tank!! Busy little cephalopods!! Nofin like as impressive as your cat tricks but they're awfully colorful," Feferi enthused. "And we could order somefin and eat in or come back here? I'm not.. great.. at cooking, and the chef doesn't come until tomorrow... Hmm... or we could go out and eat somewhere if you prefer..?" She felt a pang knowing she was relatively incapable of providing food that she had made herself, but hopefully Roxy would be up for delivery!
The spontaneity of it all was throwing her off a bit, but Roxy was so cute, Feferi didn't want to let this slip through her fingers.
Roxy: Pap the girl.
She winked, but could tell that Feferi was flailing a bit. Action in mind, Roxy bent her knees and grasped the other's face firmly, leaning down and pressing a quick peck to her nose with a grin. "Feffy, girl, it's gonna be alright." Roxy reached down and grasped her hands again, tilting her head just a bit. "We'll go swimmin', and I'll cook you somethin', a'ight? Then we can watch a movie, and lay down some sick moves on each other like the 'accidental yawn leading to cuddling' maneuver. You and I are going to be the BEST at this date thing. Promise."
Feferi: Sha la la la la la
Fef grinned sheepishly and tangled her fingers with Roxy's. "My couch is comfy and good for 'sick moves' probably," she said conversationally, though the air quotes around 'sick moves' were audible. "You got any favorite movies to bring along? My library's pretty... fish and nature documentary oriented."
Fef wasn't embarrassed by her selection, but she could practically recite along with the narrators by now and she was interested to see what Roxy might come up with.
"AND if you can't find your suit I have several spares in assorted sizes for guests!!! You wouldn't BELIEVE how many people walk around their daily lives without a swimsuit on always!!" she said in tones conveying her disbelief at this irresponsibility. Then again she had been wearing a bikini under her clothes and if she wasn't directly wearing one, there was one in her car or her purse or her backpack. You just never knew when the opportunity to jump in a body of water might arise.
"And YES we whale be the BEST!!!!" she agreed, grinning up at Roxy before freeing her hand to let the other go dig up a swimsuit in case she didn't want Fef trailing her around the more private parts of her house just yet.
Roxy: My, oh my.
"Has your couch seen the sick moves before?" Roxy's head cocked at an angle. The question was born more from curiosity than any sense of jealousy; the latter wasn't an emotion she felt often, which was probably why polyamory was thing she was so interested in as a relationship—
Okay, yeah, that was a conversation for another time. She'd dumped enough on Feferi today already—and it wasn't like Roxy couldn't be perfectly happy monogamous.
At the mention of Roxy bringing movies, she immediately straightened out, her grin a blinding curve set into her face. "Fuck, you didn't know about the cats' names, did you? I know EXACTLY what we gotta watch. BRB, I swear I'm gonna be back to chillin' in your presence in a li'l bit."
As she spoke, Roxy was already speeding up the staircase, ducking right into the master bedroom. Despite her age, her room looked like it belonged better to a teenage girl, with assorted messes all across the floor and a hodgepodge of messes that didn't quite coalesce into one main theme of interest. Rather than take a moment to appreciate the sheer amount of shit she had managed to stuff into her room, Roxy moved her ass right to the TV, sliding out three CD/Bluray release boxes. Movies procured, she at last got together her swimsuit in a bag along with her other necessities and went back downstairs.
Rather than head back to Feferi, however, Roxy took the opportunity to duck into the kitchen and start distributing dry food for that cats. There was no telling when she'd be back, after all, and she didn't want her fur-babies to skip out on a meal just because she was out on a hot date.
With everything at last sorted, Roxy finally returned to the living room, angling Feferi a grin. "Ready to get goin'?"
Feferi: Except neither of us is that shy
Fef watched Roxy thunder up the stairs, giggling cheerfully before crouching down and trying to lure cats over to practice petting them. She had moderately more success holding her hand out and letting them rub along it as they pleased before cautiously scritching. She figured she was doing a good job when they leaned into her hands like dolphins.
A rattling sound from another room precipitated the rapid dispersal of the cat crowd and Feferi straightened curiously, brushing her hands off on her jean shorts absently and shedding fur. Her black tank top, now well fur-coated, lay forgotten on the floor and she had bigger fish to fry than bothering with putting clothes back on.
Feferi beamed right back at Roxy when the latter reappeared. "Dolphinately," she said with a grin. "You wanna ride with me?" she asked.
When Roxy declined, Feferi grinned, belatedly remembering that they'd just met, and bounced over to her bright pink two seater and pulled out into the street, waiting for Roxy to catch up before leading the way carefully to her house up on the bluffs near Crocker U. The closer they got to the water the larger and more ridiculous the houses got. Feferi wished she'd thought to get Roxy's number so they could have been talking on the phone. Her usual fear about other's reactions to the ridiculous house she lived in returned as she keyed in the gate code to allow multiple entries and the black and gold gate slid smoothly out of the way.
The house was... well, ridiculous. Set in a large enough lot that the large structure didn't appear too oversized, it gleamed prettily with sleek modern lines in black and grey and glass, the walls too high to let the neighbors peer in. The driveway was black stone and ran up to the front door with a large fake pond on one side complete with water plants and stepping stones. When Roxy got out of her car she could see that the bottom was all pebbles and artistically placed boulders and the water was deep enough to swim in and filled with brightly colored koi and other fresh water fish. It relied on a natural balance to keep the water clear. The water ran right up to the walls in a few places and there was a path of massive rectangular stepping stones to get to the front door. (decidedly noncompliant with most safety regulations, but very aesthetically pleasing)
Feferi got out of her car, grinning sheepishly, the bright pink of her vehicle and her bikini top almost like a shout against the dark and muted colors of the house as she waited for Roxy on the glossy black stone of the driveway. "Sorry, I told you it was ridiculous..." she said apologetically, running her fingers through her long hair, freed again without cats to endanger it.
Roxy: It's the thought that counts.
After Roxy parked That Piece of Shit and jumped on out, she shot Feferi a grin and grabbed the hand currently not tangled within the wild amount of hair on her head. "Hey! I think ridiculous is p cool, just like I think you're p cool." She gave a squeeze to the other's fingers, casting her eyes back over to the massive structure.
"TBH? Kinda reminds me of my childhood home. Like waaaaay back in the day." Roxy tilted her head up, her lips tugging into more neutral expression as she pondered. Technically, she still owned the house, but she hadn't been back there in years. It seemed like something that belonged firmly in her younger years instead of a habitable area to be revisited; fuck, it was probably filled with a number of new mold species and parasitic insects by now. Creepy old houses like that could go under the weather pretty quick, after all...
Though she wouldn't have had to leave at all if her mother had been able to stay alive.
Ah, fuck. She really didn't need to be spacing out during a date with a cute girl. Roxy jerked her head back down to Feferi and grinned, curling her toes inside of her cowboy boots and giving the other's fingers a squeeze. "Sooooo, water you feelin' more like? I could totes start on dinner now, or we could run off and go swimmin' before we chill in your kitchen. I'm thinkin' maaaaaybe swimmin' first, that way we can just pig out on the couch while we're watchin' the movie." She couldn't help slipping the pun in, considering Feferi's propensity for them; besides, it might aid in cheering her up.
Feferi: Be the Anglerfish
She grinned and pulled Roxy along to the front door across the wide flat stepping stones, pausing to unlock it before leading her new friend into her house. The air that gusted out through the door was cool and moist and smelled faintly of salt. The foyer was wide and black tiled and the ceiling reached to the top of the second story. Lighting along the ceiling made it feel more like the bottom of a well than anything.
Feferi hardly seemed to notice as she pulled Roxy to the right and into a large bedroom dominated by massive tanks bubbling peacefully and subtly lit. In the main tank, a dozen small brightly colored cuttlefish darted about, rearranging the sand and rocks in their home to their desires. Another tank held some placidly swimming small fish with a number of plants and scuttling crabs and the third contained anemones and clownfish peacefully swaying in the simulated tide. All of them had more than enough space for the number of fish they held as well as an abundance of locations for them to settle in.
Fef's bed was a king sized waterbed crammed into one corner with her desk crowded against it so that the walls could be dominated by her fish tanks. Two other open doorways revealed a walk in closet with bright clothes piled on the floor and a bathroom with pink and white towels that seemed like a shout of color amid all the somber dark blue walls.
Fef led the way to her cuttlefish tank, brushing her fingers against the cool glass and grinning, her face lit blue by the tank lights. "Aren't they just the cutest?" she glubbed happily as they swam over to the front of the tank, following her trailing fingers optimistically. Feferi giggled and crouched down, opening the cabinet on which it stood and snagging a small pellet of brine shrimp out of the fridge down below. She dropped it into the water and the cuttlefish swarmed it, chewing on their treats.
Feferi looked up at Roxy, beaming. "So this is my room," she said belatedly.
Roxy: Examine cephalopods.
Roxy inched on closer, deciding to first examine the cuttlefish that Feferi had mentioned earlier: a few of them were decidedly vibrant, a few sporting patterns that reminded Roxy of a tabby cat or a zebra. They were cute, in the kind of way a cartoon squid might be; honestly, they looked like someone had tried to make a furry out of some ocean life, stopped at the head, and called it a day. They were just weird enough for Roxy to grow enchanted, perfect little freaks of nature that had her grinning as she turned back to Feferi.
"I've made the executive decision that I am totes in love with your room and all your fish. That is a thing I have decided just now, and it is effective immediately. The super official decree also includes the fact that your cuttlefish over here are cute AF, and if I actually had a single fuckin' clue what to be doin' with them, I would be v tempted to take one home with me. Except my cats would probs try to catch them, so it's better that they're chillin' here with you instead of gettin' shoved into the basement at my house?" Roxy shrugged and straightened up, still grinning on down at Feferi. "Seriously, this is SUCH a cool set-up you got goin' on here. If I didn't have my ground lab, I would be shootin' INTENSE amounts of jealousy your way RN."
Content to watch the cuttlefish eat their treats a bit longer, Roxy quieted, though she soon glanced back over the bathroom's way. "I'm gonna get changed real quick, so BRB. Then we can get with the rest of the tour and cookin'-slash'swimmin'." Grinning, Roxy ducked into the bathroom with her tote bag at her side. Thank god swimsuit bottoms were so tight; she didn't have to worry about grabbing duct tape and having it come off in the pool into a mess of gross glue residue. A few minutes saw her emerging at last, floppy sunhat squashed onto her head and the full expanse of her stomach and sides uncovered where she had earlier been too jumpy to consider it.
She cracked another grin at Feferi, knowing she wasn't quite as toned as a hardcore swimmer, but feeling pretty good about the muscle beneath the fat anyway. "Well? Worth waitin' for?"
Feferi: Engage mandibles
It had been such a long time since she had properly invited a guest into her home. Dirk had been over recently but he hardly counted since she'd been calling for help and the afternoon had gone... poorly. Absently she trailed her fingers over the faint network of scars criss crossing her right shoulder as the result of the accidental lightning strike.
Feferi was idly playing with the water in her waterbed to rock herself back and forth when Roxy returned. Fef popped up immediately, her somewhat sleepy expression brightening to glee. Since Roxy seemed to want a proper review, Feferi's pink eyes ran her up and down, her tongue tracing her lips as she admired the long legs and luscious curves.
She bounced off of the bed and walked over to Roxy, grinning up at her. "Dolphinately," she said admiringly. "And that HAT pulls it ALL together!!! You're one tall drink of water," Fef said with a wink.
If Roxy hadn't been a foot taller, Fef might have tried to kiss her, but they had all evening and she didn't want to jump the gun any more than they already were. Instead she grinned and offered Roxy her arm. "Shell we?"
Cheerfully she led the way back down the hallway and into the main living room. It smelled like the ocean and one was was just windows with an excellent view of the ocean, though the smell of salt water came from the pool. Her house's floor plan was built entirely around the front and back pools, both sprawling expanses of water. The front pool was freshwater and maintained by the wildlife and plants within it, kept in careful balance and closely monitored. The study facing it was slightly sunken so the water ran up to the windows and you could get an aquarium view of the koi and turtles swimming around while you worked.
The back pool made no effort to look natural. The deck was stone left slightly rough for traction and planed carefully in large slabs. It was massive enough for several people to swim laps in comfortably and was where Feferi spent most of her time, even before she developed the ability to breathe underwater. The water ran deep for the main body of the pool but its special feature was several branching segments that ran under the walls of the house and provided pool access from indoors when the weather was mild enough with gates that could close and seal it off when not.
The living room's pool extension was about the size of a large hot tub and shallow enough to be waist deep on Feferi for most of it, though it plunged down to allow for more comfortable swimming under the wall to get to the main pool. Another extension came up in the main house's bathroom which had a large luxurious shower so you could exit the pool and step straight into the shower. Feferi showed Roxy the convenient arrangement with considerable glee, explaining the way her days usually went though she managed to catch herself before admitting to sleeping in the pool now that she could breathe underwater.
The living room had a large plush couch but no apparent TV until Feferi opened a cabinet and pulled out a remote and a panel of the wall slid back to reveal the large screen. She grinned sheepishly at Roxy. "I did say it was ridiculous," she said with a helpless grin before leading the way into the kitchen.
It definitely looked like the least-lived-in room, all of the surfaces so shiny they were practically untouched. Feferi didn't cook and the professional staff mostly brought her prepared meals or made her things she requested when they were on duty. Since her tastes leaned toward fish as natural as possible, that didn't provide much wear and tear on anything but the knives. The kitchen was kept fully stocked regardless, in case the whim should suddenly strike her to try her hand at feeding herself.
Fef grinned and hopped up to sit on the granite-topped island in the middle of the kitchen, her bare thighs unbothered by the cold stone beneath her as she kicked her feet a little. "So what do you fin? Swimming first or cooking?"
In the brighter light of the kitchen the fine tracework of Lichtenberg figures could be seen spreading out in fractals from her right shoulder against her dark skin.
Roxy: Follow the leader.
It felt ridiculously good to have staring be of a breed that was appreciative: Roxy liked attention, after all, and having someone specifically take notice of the care she placed into her fashion choices bolstered her confidence further. Knots of tightly bound tension at last eased in Roxy's back, and she grinned back on down at Feferi before taking the proffered arm. "Hell YES we shall. This is somethin' that we are shallin' the fuck out of."
As Feferi led her through the halls, Roxy was at once more struck by how tall, dark, and damn forboding the whole place was: if pressed to assign the space to someone she had recently seen, Feferi would have been Roxy's last guess. Everything about the woman just seemed so overly bubbly that aside from the obscene amount of aquariums, Roxy would have believed her companion to be lying about it belonging to her. Maybe Feferi would do better with something, uh, less overbearingly Gothicesque? Except that wasn't fair, since a lot of the shit was modern and Gothic architecture wasn't.
Argh, the whole place just seemed slapped together in the most ostentatious, hoity-toitiest of ways, and Roxy couldn't figure out why it was nagging at her. Feferi was great, her aquatic life was all totes adorbs, and there was really no reason for her instincts to be jangling like the Wicked Witch of the West was on her way over. Besides, she liked Wicked the musical, which doubly fucked that metaphor over. Nonetheless, her subconscious set of nerves refused to unjangle themselves for all the cute girls in the world, despite Roxy's numerous threats to kick her own ass.
Hell, maybe it was just the fact that she hadn't dated in awhile: her rehab in high school and desperate scramble playing catch-up during junior year and her college woes during senior year all among the fucking gender counseling and all of that BS hadn't exactly left Roxy with a ton of time to explore her dating options early on. She'd fucked around with relationship biz a little bit in college, but her devotion to her studies had pretty much kept her from forming any kind of lasting bonds that didn't hold some parallel business or scientific purpose. And then after, she had been so fucking busy with assisting at clinics before opening up her own, and...
Jesus, she was pathetic. Roxy couldn't quite believe the rapidfire internal flashbacking that was going on while she accompanied Feferi through the halls, but she was getting pretty quickly fatigued of her own personal anxious angst fest. Roxy very primly took a metaphorical bat into her equally intangible hand, took aim, and then knocked that shit out of ballpark and out of mind. There was no reason for her to be lowkey freaked by Feferi's house and no reason for her to be thinking about her previous misadventures in dating. Hell, she was twenty five, not a fuckin' spinster.
As they entered the kitchen, Roxy firmly resolved not to think about anything that she just had before, instead cementing herself firmly to reality. This had the unfortunate side effect of throwing her into the fucking fray without any kind of context; not that she was unused to dealing with popping into situations in the middle of things, since her providence was basically fixing a bunch of human fuck-ups on animals, but still.
Nonetheless, the new decor that Feferi had led her to required its own amount of attention. For one thing, the kitchen was absolutely MASSIVE, and that was, y'know. A pretty big deal. Roxy had a decent sized house to herself thanks to her chunky checks at the end of every week (paid by herself TO herself), but Feferi was on the level of the one percent instead of some self-made middle classer who was saving all her inheritance for an early retirement and running around the world.
Roxy was unsurprised to find that the aquatic display outside was anything less than over the top and amazing to every damn degree: pretty typical, considering the decor of the rest of the house (and those high-tech tanks in Feferi's room that were STILL giving her a dual scientist-veterinariangasm). She allowed herself to take stock of the surroundings, but not for too terribly long, considering that she still had a date to attend to.
A date with a pretty impressive amount of scarring on her shoulder.
For one thing, Roxy wasn't a rude bitch: she didn't stare at things, and only ribbed her friends for stuff that she was sure wouldn't actually get them offended at all. She'd thought she had caught a glimpse of something on Feferi's shoulder earlier when they were showing off their muscles, but, again, not a rude bitch. Feferi had been sensitive enough not to launch into the usual questions that cis people did when Roxy came out to them (about whether or not she had any operations, fumbled compliments about not "looking" trans, and of course what the hell was in her pants), and she was loathe to disturb that gentle peace. If Feferi wanted to show off her scarring earlier with the muscles, she would have: but she hadn't, and thus Roxy very surreptitiously did not mention a single thing about them.
Instead, she turned her attentions back to the kitchen, her grin spread across her face. "Damn, you have something of THIS size and you don't cook at all? That's like, a goddamn AFFRONTAGE, girl. Still, it's got me swoonin' somethin' fierce: it looks like you could hold a goddamn prom in here, just invite your high school AND college graduating class on over to sip from fancy engraved wine glasses by their bases and titter at each other in clothes that cost more than most people make in a fuckin' month. And I'm assumin' from you leadin' me here specifically that I get to utilize this entire counter space like it ain't nobody's business but mine to be inhabiting? I mean, shit, your mom might have some over the top tastes but I could kiss her for givin' you THIS kind of kitchen. I mean, damn, I'm gettin' a serious case of the vapors here."
Roxy grinned down at Feferi, and then bumped her with her hip. "Gonna have to stick with my earlier plan of swimmin' with you first, though. Kinda need a dip to cool down after gettin' all hot and bothered over your kitchen."
Feferi: Make a Splash
Or was she?
A vague memory from Derse flitted through her mind, but faded before she could catch hold of it properly. Dirk would have told her if Roxy was one of them though, right? Or would he? It might not have occurred to him to volunteer the information since doubtless he just meant for her to hand Roxy the package and scoot...
Feferi shook off her moment of reverie and grinned up at Roxy sliding an arm around her date's waist after the hip bump and giggling. "Whale maybe you can teach me a fin or two about cooking since apparently I've got a fancy set up," Feferi said cheerfully, though she slipped past the playful suggestion of party throwing. Despite how well Roxy was taking the ridiculousness of the abode, Feferi was still a little tense, waiting for the confident girl to find one oddity too many and take off running.
She released her grip on Roxy's waist, offering Roxy her hand in invitation. "For proper swimming we need the main part of the pool," Feferi said conversationally as she tugged Roxy along, tangling their fingers together happily. She heaved one of the sliding doors open and stepped out onto the sun-warmed stone of the patio and headed for the shallower end as the sea breeze gusted around them, lifting Feferi's mane of hair and making her grin even wider. The stone beneath their feet was pleasantly warm. The sun seemed to soak into Feferi's tanned skin as she beamed up at Roxy.
"Whale if you want to keep your hat on I'd suggest sitting on the edge and easing in?? The whole pool's too deep to stand up in..... Oh would you like somefin to float around on?" Feferi asked, turning toward the other and laying claim to Roxy's other hand in the meantime, carefully looking down and scooting close enough that she could rest her toes lightly atop Roxy's before grinning up at her date again. "It's a great pool for practicing diving in!!"
Roxy: Muse.
"I will teach you everything there is to know about cooking," Roxy promised, finding her hand easily slipped onto Feferi's shoulder. It made her a bit nostalgic for the days that she would use the top of her short friends' heads as "arm rests:" she might pull out the move on Feferi later on, after a few months of dating and I love yous to ensure that it wouldn't get her broken up with. Granted, they weren't officially dating yet, but it seemed like there might be something worthy of pursuing. "By the time I'm done with you, you'll be able to make pasta by hand and make the most bangin' of turkey dinners."
Feferi's palm felt warm in hers, and Roxy could feel her grin only get wider. The sun outside made her glad she had sprung for a hat, and doubly appreciative that Feferi had a pool that they were going to dip into. Before Roxy could muse further, she found that both of her hands were getting held hostage by a cute girl, and whoops okay maybe she should listen instead of marveling at how cute Feferi's face was.
"Can't say I ever really learned proper diving procedures," Roxy admitted, folding her thumbs over the back of Feferi's hands. "Gonna have to take you up on the floaty toys, though. Kinda hard to initiate a deep-grudged SPLASH WAR when you've gotta devote two or three limbs to stayin' upright."
Feferi: Tips appreciated
Feferi turned with a swirl of hair, bouncing over to a low chest made of the same stone as that underfoot. The lid lifted without a sound and, with a practiced flick of her arm, Feferi flung a flat lounger into the water, then some noodles and some brightly colored weighted sticks in as an afterthought. They sank with a splash, revealing just how deep the pool was. It might as well have been a pit, at least 10 feet deep.
She grinned as she returned to Roxy's side with a pink inner tube. "For you," she said with a grin, then held it behind her back, rising to the balls of her feet as she leaned in toward Roxy, a coy look on her face. "...If you can tank of somefin good to give me in exchange." Her eyes flicked between Roxy's eyes and Roxy's lips, biting her own absently but making in abundantly clear what sort of thing she was hoping for. She fully intended to backpedal if Roxy looked uncomfortable, but sometimes you had to take a risk if you wanted a gorgeous girl to kiss you on the mouth.
Roxy: Be romantic.
She was fiddling with her skirt when Feferi at last returned to her side; at the offer of a trade, Roxy raised her eyebrows up and cast her skirt aside near her towel. She counted on the proximity to keep Feferi from scoping out something that wasn't quite her business (yet).
"Hmmm. Shit, you drive a hard bargain, girl," Roxy hummed, her hands sliding onto Feferi's waist. She only had to bend her elbows the barest amount to get her hands properly into position; perk of having a tiny partner, she guessed. Her knees bent as she stooped, her face stopping just a few inches above Feferi's. "You forgot somethin' you really should've taken into consideration, though."
Roxy grinned and tightened her grip around Feferi's waist. "I am one HELL of a sneaky-ass rogue."
With a push of her toned legs, Roxy jumped into the pool, limbs locked around Feferi so they both hit the water at the same time to the tune of Roxy's laughter.
Feferi: So romance. Wow.
She darted to the surface, kicking her feet automatically. The salt water buoyed them up more than pools usually did, letting them bob around on their little sea. Feferi tried to maintain a pokerface as she arrowed through the water toward the drifting innertube and popped up through the center of it. She tipped forward, tube vertical and around her hips as she kicked back over toward Roxy, ass up in the air as she tried to look stern and feign a glare at the blonde. "GLUB no innertube for YOU then!!" Feferi tried to say coldly, though her mouth fought her, a grin tugging at the corners of her mouth, having to fight down giggles as well.
It was hard to look terribly dignified while ass up and floating on a pool, having to paddle her arms to keep her face out of the water, hair spreading out around her like water weed, looking like more of a mermaid than usual. "Serves you right," Feferi said primly, arms churning under the surface like duck legs paddling to keep her upper half upright as she smirked at Roxy. The other floaties had spread out across the surface and Fef used a quiet nudge of her power to set them drifting as far away as possible, which in a pool this size was pretty far.
Roxy: Such swoon.
The first glance of Feferi's face informed Roxy that she had quite possibly fucked up. As the other woman drew closer, however, she was relieved to find a grin fighting to work its way onto her expression.
Roxy tried her very best not to laugh too hard at the way Feferi was floating, but the glee ran uncontained in her voice. "Aw, damn, you ruined my master plan by bein' good at swimming. How could I've overlooked the fact that you can kick my ass in the water? I am sufferin' from the foiling over here. Just wrap me up in aluminum right now," she concluded, treading water until she and Feferi were closer to one another.
It was an odd thought, but Feferi definitely reminded Roxy of her cats back at home: they were always on the hunt for affection and hanging around hoping to receive it, but they could get bratty when it was denied (only to soon come looking for more). Roxy hummed in thought before flicking her wrist, sending a small amount of salt water towards Feferi's face. "You totes fell into my trap, though: now that you're in the tube, you can't defend yourself from my AQUATIC AGGRIEVANCES."
Feferi: Abandon prior plan
Fef's feet brushed the bottom of the pool as she wrapped a hand around one of Roxy's ankles as it churned past, squeezing for barely a second before zipping away before flailing could result in her being kicked accidentally.
Feferi began to circle Roxy, grinning and sharklike and completely forgetting that normal humans have to come up for air as she occasionally brushed Roxy's foot or a hand before circling wider.
At last she erupted upward behind Roxy, using her hands rather than her powers to throw a small wave over the blonde head, laughing happily and not even short of breath. "In the water you're at MY mercy," Feferi said in a passably supervillainy voice, though she spoiled the effect with more giggles as she swam toward the tube, pushing it back toward Roxy. "One floaty as promised!"