Late Night Swim (Marquise)

[sephora]

After having experienced the pool for the first time the other day, Sephora had decided to have another go. This time, though, she wanted to not jump on anyone. Having left her dorm room at about 11pm, she headed for the big building that housed the pool.

Not imagining that anyone would be there, Sephora wore a black bathing suit that was a one-piece only in the sense that it connected on each side, leaving her back and stomach exposed. Her dark hair lay loose around her shoulders and she really just wanted to float and relax. Leaving her tote in the locker room, Sephora's bare feet padded out into the great area and the smell of chlorine was refreshing as the motion-sensitive lights blared into existence.

Just as she thought, there was no one there. Grabbing a floatie, she jumped into the water, the cool substance covering her head and slicking her hair back. Floating for a moment, she thought about her day. It had been long and boring, full of meetings with other students where she had uncomfortably been forced to partake in a conversation about Anne Rice and vampires. This had been followed by a good conversation on the phone with her father where she had wanted to tell him everything, but had not.

Flexing her arm gently, the old cast had been removed and replaced with a slim water-proof cast that was a pale pink. The bruises on her face had vanished, and the pain that had overcome her ribs at one point was nearly forgotten. Rolling off of the floatie, she climbed out of the water and walked to the shortest diving board. Jumping off of it, she relished the feel of the water rushing everywhere. It was calming.

[Marquise]

Marquise felt like following Sephora, making sure she wasn't telling anyone besides the little ghosty about everything that had happened. Making sure their deal was still good and that his true identity hadn't been revealed. However, his mission proved to be a bust since she was by herself in the pool. He decided to play with her head a little bit, but he wasn't going to trick her or anything, he walked in to the pool just as she had dived in, he quickly dived into the shallow end carefully, still managing to hit the bottom hard, he swam at the bottom of the water. Not needing air, he stood there at the bottom of the pool looking up.

It's a shame I can't turn into animals, if I had that ability..... yes I would have turned into a shark. Then I would see how blood tasted mixed with chlorine....[/color]

Marquise looked up and finally rose to the surface, he did so slowly and he made sure he was behind Sephora in the water. With any luck she wouldn't have noticed him, unless she saw the water being disturbed from the shallow end after coming up from the dive. He popped up behind her, and spoke, "It's a little late to be swimming, is it not?"

[sephora]

As the water rushed past her, the girl thought of drowning, and how people did that to themselves. It was never a way she could do herself in, Sephora knew, for the idea of being choked out so far from her trees was terrifying. She swam for the top.

"It's a little late to be swimming, is it not?" Sephora's head whipped around. The voice had been in Armenian, her own language. One she had not expected to hear, especially in a pool suposedly by herself.

Having turn, she stared at Marquise. She had not known that vampires swam, for it had not been mentioned in the conversation earlier. Sephora wondered suddenly if he had been following her all day and had heard her conversation. She hadn't said much, but what she had said had seemed knowledgable.

"It's never too late for a swim."

She backstroked away from him, wondering if he would follow. Sephora was slightly curious as to why he had shown up here, so late at night, when he could be out feasting on Dani or haunting someone unsuspecting. Perhaps he was going to try and change the bargain, turning her early. No, that wouldn't happen.

[Marquise]

"It's been awhile, I started to worry that you were no longer interested in fighting lessons. After all, I haven't taught you kick boxing yet." He had been researching, looking up words in Armenian in his free time. He had a very good vocabulary, and he practiced it often, although he still went to his native tongue from time to time.

Marquise smiled, wading in the water, he then peddled backwards towards the end of the pool, "Sneaking up on you is extremely easy when you don't need to breathe. For a second I'd say I actually frightened you, even after you realized it was me...... I could be wrong, but you don't have to worry about me, I'm not going to attack you and shorten our little agreement."

Marquise pulled himself out of the water, he was soaked, and didn't care, his legs stayed in the pool however, while he sat on the edge, "I do feel the need to say however, You are looking rather tasty in that swim suit."

Marquise smiled, his fangs were showing and so were his eyes, he was warming up to the girl just a little. One day he would be her sire, and they would be close, she would come to see as he did. She would see that this world is plagued by humans. Humans such as the Paladins. And he was the balance to that. While he felt no need to go hunting after them, he would take care of them once he was powerful enough to keep them from killing his kind.

They came with stakes they came with blessed water, they came with preachers and torches and swords and they raided my home. Lucky for them I wasn't strong enough at the time. Soon, soon enough I'll be stronger.[/color]

[sephora]

"It's been awhile, I started to worry that you were no longer interested in fighting lessons. After all, I haven't taught you kick boxing yet." Sephora had gone far enough that she reached her floatie. She wasn't a strong swimmer by any means, so trying to talk to Marquise and stay afloat at the same time would have been pretty difficult. "Sneaking up on you is extremely easy when you don't need to breathe. For a second I'd say I actually frightened you, even after you realized it was me...... I could be wrong, but you don't have to worry about me, I'm not going to attack you and shorten our little agreement."

This last was in english, and it was almost abrasive to her ears after hearing him speak Armenian. "Well I suppose it would be easy, as I was under the water and unable to see or hear you." She didn't say anything about him frightening her, for he truly had. It also unnerved Sephora that he had seemed to read her mind, the reason she had been afraid. So apparently, vampires didn't mind that you talked about them, just as long as it was about the fictional ones and not the true ones.

"I do feel the need to say however, You are looking rather tasty in that swim suit." Sephora laughed out loud. It was one of the few times she had laughed around him, for something about Marquise's presence always set her on guard. Perhaps it was the exact thing he had just set that kept her wary, but for some reason she found this extremely humorous.

Thankyou? The girl paused, still smiling, to regrip the floatie that she had nearly fallen off of, "Forgive my laughter, I can just view that in a different way since you have quelled my fear of being eaten."

[Marquise]

"Fair enough considering I've had my share of you before. You were the most beautiful thing that night you see, a fountain of blood pouring off your body, and I, a hungry vampire didn't need to sink my teeth in you for one second." He spoke as if it was a romantic encounter, or quite possibly the best day of his life.

He watched as she struggled about, "You're really not too good with this are you? I'm not much on swimming myself, but it seems as if the water has it out for you."

He jumped back in the water, wading for a second and then making his way towards Sephora and her floatie, holding out his hand, "Come, let us get you out of this pool, it's not safe for you."

Was he concerned about her? Kind of, kind of not. You see, if someone drowns, it's hard to get them to drink his blood. So it becomes an issue when trying to turn her should she begin to drown. He wouldn't want someone with such potential to die such a horrible death, lungs filled with water and a crazed vampire trying to force feed you his blood.

Now if that crazed vampire were to try and drown someone who he didn't have a personal investment, then at least that death would be fun for one of the two people in the room.[/color]

[sephora]

"Fair enough considering I've had my share of you before. You were the most beautiful thing that night you see, a fountain of blood pouring off your body, and I, a hungry vampire didn't need to sink my teeth in you for one second." The way he said it sounded as if it was the best memory he had, the way that one would speak of their first kiss.

Sephora stared at him for a moment, shocked by the image that had come to her mind. She could see herself laying on a bed of moonlight, covered in her own blood as she had been that night. The image was strange, with him sitting beside her, hand over her eyes, lapping up her blood. The girl didn't necessarily think that it was a beautiful image, with her hair plastered dark red to her face. Perhaps one day, she would find it appealing.

"You're really not too good with this are you? I'm not much on swimming myself, but it seems as if the water has it out for you." He said as she once more slipped off of the floatie. She had been trying to move around to balance on her stomach and the attempt had been a massive failure. Marquise jumped into the water, swimming towards her, hand outstretched. "Come, let us get you out of this pool, it's not safe for you."

Sephora gave him an incredulous look. Not safe for her? He wanted to drain her of her blood and swimming wasn't safe for her? Finally getting the floatie under her stomach, she turned and doggie paddled away from him. "No, I've got it. I need to learn if I'm ever going to be good at this." She did have to admit, though, her affinity with nature did not spread to water. While she was a natural in the dirt the girl was a floundered bird in the water.

"You see, I'm getting better alr-" Turning to look at him as she spoke ended up as a mistake. Sephora slipped sidways off the floatie with a shriek, her head going under with the rest of her. Falling into the water she wrapped her legs around the floatie before it strayed and pulled her face into the air. Gasping for breath, she grabbed the floatie with her arms and went on as if nothing had happened, kicking along in the water with the floatie on top of her instead of under her.

Sephora coughed, "I'm getting better."

[Marquise]

"Come," He said gesturing to himself with both hands, he saw that he was going to teach this girl how to swim if she was ever going to get out of this wretched pool. "I'll show you some easy things that might help you, come, take my hand, I'll lead you to the shallow end, there I will teach you at least how to stay afloat of nothing else."

His eyes turned blue to look kinder, his fangs retreated, in reality he felt a little annoyed, but he knew she would just become more and more determined and wouldn't be satisfied until she had a permanent place for her at the bottom of the water.

Foolish Sephora, you would come here and swim by yourself? No life guard around, no other life form, and still you seem just as convinced to drown yourself.[/color]

Marquise waded to her, grabbing her waist, he kicked with his legs to stay up, tilted onto his back just a little bit and attempted to pull her to the other side of the pool. With any luck she would at least hold on to her floatie and attempt to kick.

[sephora]

"Come, I'll show you some easy things that might help you, come, take my hand, I'll lead you to the shallow end, there I will teach you at least how to stay afloat of nothing else." Daring a peek back, Sephora saw that Marquise was much closer than he had been, and was gesturing with both of his hands. How could he do that, swim with no hands? She stopped kicking her legs and tried to pull herself higher onto the floatie without slipping, but to no avail, her cast kept getting in the way. After only a moment of struggling with it she felt arms wrap around her waist and drag her towards the shallow end.

Giving in, the girl kept one arm wrapped around the floatie and tried to help by doing an akward doggie paddle. This turned out to be a mistake, though, as her cast caught Marquise's arms and they almost sunk. Gripping the floatie as best she could with her cast'd arm, she only used her legs for the rest of the journey.

"I'm normally a better swimmer, it's just this cast." She sputtered. Well, that was partially true. Normally she could at least float. Sephora's father had had a pool put it, but truth be told, the girl had always been more interested in laying in the grass than laying in the water. No matter how much he had tried to interest her with it, she had never really jumped into the crystal clear water by herself.

Twisting around, for she was partially laying on Marquise, she looked and saw that they were almost there. The girl nearly tore free of his arms to try and make it the rest of the way by herself, but then decided that might not be a good idea. If she knocked him off balance and then lost grip of her floatie, they might both go down. Sephora rested her head on him until her feet touched the bottom.

Pulling loose, she still held onto the floatie just in case she needed it. "How did you do that, swimming without your hands? If I could figure that out, then this cast would be no problem." Trying it once, Sephora found it to be an immediate failure, falling onto her bottom at the bottom of the pool. Luckily they were still in the shallow end she she merely stood up and pushed the hair out of her face as it dripped pool water everywhere.

[Marquise]

"Long story." The truth? Water polo. But he didn't feel like getting into mindless talk of a sport that made no damn sense to him even when he played it. "I wouldn't be so quick to drown if I were you, I can't turn you if you drown. Or get decapitated, and while I may be able to when you're on fire, standing near fire is a risk I'm not sure I'm willing to make."

I really hope you get dead already though...... a vampire would never be so mindless as to swim if they couldn't swim. Well, we don't need to breath so bad example. We wouldn't put ourselves in situations like those.[/color]

Marquise wasn't necessarily hungry at the time, a little annoyed but that's all. "Fast powerful kicks with the legs, and pushing yourself up out of the water from underneath it with your arms, it's called wading, learn how to do it, cast or no you should be able to accomplish that much. Otherwise lay back and relax your body's muscles, and you should float along the surface."

Marquise felt like slapping his head, but more so he felt like emphasizing his point. Marquise laid his head back touching it to the surface of the water, he slowly relaxed each leg, they floated to the surface. He was partway in the water, but if he needed to breath (which he didn't) he could.

EDIT: I totally meant to say "Can't" lol. sorry....

[sephora]

"Long story. I wouldn't be so quick to drown if I were you, I can turn you if you drown. Or get decapitated, and while I may be able to when you're on fire, standing near fire is a risk I'm not sure I'm willing to make." Sephora smiled at him. She wasn't quick to drown, just wanting to learn. What better way to force herself to learn to swim than jumping into a pool by herself?

"I'm not trying to kill myself by the way. Or elude you through death, if that's what you're thinking." Sephora smiled at him wryly. The thought seemed so strange, killing herself to avoid what she had agreed to and slightly anticipated. Although she supposed that if she wanted to, drowning would be the way. It brought a shudder to her spine.

"Fast powerful kicks with the legs, and pushing yourself up out of the water from underneath it with your arms, it's called wading, learn how to do it, cast or no you should be able to accomplish that much. Otherwise lay back and relax your body's muscles, and you should float along the surface." He then floated, though only his face really stuck out of the water. She followed suit, relaxing her feet then her legs and everything on up. Flopping backwards into the water, she was having a really hard time relaxing her left shoulder and cast, so she could barely keep her face up. Pulling one foot below her, she used it as support while rubbing her shoulder.

"Ever since that night in the forest, I can't make my shoulder relax. That's why I can't float, I used to be able to." Not that she felt she needed an excuse, but perhaps now he would think her a little less incompetent.

She tried floating again, but still could not get her left shoulder and arm to relax. This time, though, Sephora was able to keep her nose above the water, filling her core as much as possible with air so that she ebbed closer to the top. She smiled with accomplishment, but water got in her mouth which made her panic and Sephora felt her back hit the bottom. Standing, she spit out the water.

[Marquise]

"So you're learning how to swim..... when you already know how to without a cast on, when you know full well the cast isn't permanent." Marquise held back devouring this girl where she stood spitting out water. Even as a vampire part of him thought this was entirely unsanitary.

"At least when you are a vampire you won't have to worry about drowning. I'm beginning to think turning you will save your life more then once....." Marquise was a little hungry, but he was also getting a little fed up with the water. He never understood the human fascination of swimming. In essence you were just endangering yourself in order to be in water. It was pointless, it had nothing to do with survival. Avoid large amounts of water your entire life and you should be fine.

Marquise tensed his body up where he lay floating, and sunk to the bottom of the pool. No air bubbles would rise, he would just lay there looking up at Sephora from the bottom. He changed into her, and she would see the image of what she would look like, dead at the bottom of the pool. It was an extreme, but he felt like showing her the future should she keep swimming with her cast on.

I might have to go back to referring to you as girl soon..... hopefully you make a better vampire then you do a human. In fact, I'm betting on it. Maybe we should get you with Dani as well...... we could take turns feeding on her day in and day out..... It would be.....[/color]

Images of Dani being torn to pieces by the two of them, and Dani's room mate who Marquise had yet to meet sitting in the corner in terror flashed into his head. He smiled.

Beautiful....[/color]

[sephora]

"So you're learning how to swim..... when you already know how to without a cast on, when you know full well the cast isn't permanent. At least when you are a vampire you won't have to worry about drowning. I'm beginning to think turning you will save your life more then once....." Sephora wiped water out of her eye as she listened to him. He didn't understand, she wasn't trying to teach herself simply from the loss. In fact, she had come here mainly to swim and hadn't known she would fail so bad. Without the cast she was a poor swimmer, but could at least doggy paddle and float.

Attempting a float again, this time she could easily hold her nose above the water. Standing up and feeling accomplished, she saw that Marquise was gone. Looking around, the girl noticed something in the water before her.

It was herself. She stared for a moment, before realizing that Marquise had taken her form and was pressing his point about her drowning. She rolled her eyes with a smile. The girl didn't know why he was so worried. She wasn't a strong swimmer with the cast, but if she had really slipped off of the floatie out there she would have been able to make it to the edge. It just would have taken a lot of sputtering and effort.

"Alright, I get your point." Sephora said as she poked her own arm with her toe. It was a wierd sensation, touching herself even though it wasn't herself. Strange.

Turning, Sephora headed for the steps out of the water. Her fingers were getting wrinkly and she hated that feeling. Besides, as much as she liked water, she didn't like being in it for too long.