sea breeze

sylvia had a very short fuse and the girl standing sheepishly next to her waas burning through it faster than she probably wanted to. “and i just don’t think it’s smart to be talking like this to people you don’t know, yeah?” with that, she was standing up from the bench and walking toward the other girl. “you act like you’re telling me things i don’t already know. what’s your point?”

a mermaid. mateo needed a mermaid. he knew exactly where to find one, but he needed a mermaid who wouldn’t swim far, far away at the mere sight of him. now if only he could remember her name. dairy? darling? dandelion? there was a ‘d’ somewhere. he sat on the shore, contemplating how to get her attention while she was enjoying herself in the water. he eventually gave up on trying to remember her actual name and cupped his mouth so that his voice would carry a little further. “mermaid! helloooooo!” he called out repeatedly. he should really start carrying a little black book just for names.

Instinctively, he opened his eyes and smiled at her sudden burst of commotion. “I have been for awhile, yeah,” he replied, glancing at his watch as if that would help him remember just how long it has been — though he was well aware that he has been dead for those sixty years he mentioned moments ago. “No? I’m sure the cemetery is loaded with ‘em should you wanna meet some more.” Quinton never visited the local graveyard for that reason. “There you go, so hopefully time isn’t that excruciatin’ for you.”

she looked back down at her hands after her outburst, looking up only once he answered her question. "i-is it weird?" she pondered, "being a ghost and all?" darya was curious about the afterlife and how it worked- there were angels and demons and ghosts and she couldn't help but be confused by the whole afterlife thing. "i o-only go to the cemetary every now and then; it has a sad feel to it so i try to go only when i need to. b-but if i ever want to meet a ghost, i'll go there first." Darya only ever went there to pay respects to those she had previously known that had passed away. "well, i hope it isn't."

“i–… don’t know that i’d go about calling it ‘cool’ actually. well, at least not until i’ve got a grip on the whole thing. won’t be cool when i burn my eyebrows off or accidentally light my spellbook on fire,” hunter released a nervous laugh, playing it off as though those weren’t completely logical possibilities. she shrugged, “it’s not terribly uncommon. witches in my family can do it, and, well, demons are like–… masters with fire.” she gave her a smile and then looked back at the book, flipping through the pages swiftly. “i get it. i mean–… first time i came here i was like a kid at disney world for the first time ever. locals didn’t really like me gawking at ‘em, but–… you adjust,” she waiting for a moment until the other girl got out her card, then gestured to where she should swipe it, “when did you move here?”

There were still things in life–scratch that, afterlife–that Ramsey hadn’t quite gotten used to. His world had been small when he died. People were people and that was it. No nonsense, nothing strange. A day in Halloweentown after decades of wandering had made the people, the humans, the strange ones and everything else was normal. Vampires, werewolves, witches, ghosts like yours truly. He could wrap his head around that well enough. Angels and demons? Sure, those were in his ma’s old bible. Mermaids, though? He didn’t know fuck all what to do with that.

And so, he sat enraptured as she swam through the water. He had never been much of a swimmer, but for a moment, he felt a little envious. Maybe a lot. Sat cross-legged on the edge of the lake with a toothpick between his teeth, Ramsey pulled absently at grass before he tossed it to the other side of him. Water splashed through him and he sputtered, faux-affronted as became fully tangible.

“Hey now, can’t a fella tear up some grass without gettin’ all splashed on?” There wasn’t one visible on his face, but there was a faint smile in his tone. “Havin’ fun in there? It looks like it’s fun an’ all.”

darya hadn't even realized ramsey was sitting on the shore, so when she heard his voice from beneath the water, she couldn't help but be a little surprised. she came floating back to the top of the water, so that her head popped out, water lapping at her shoulders. "s-sorry about that!" she exclaimed, waving at him before her arm splashed back under.

she had never really understood how ghosts could be- everything else in halloweentown made sense to her, but ghosts intrigued her a bit- it was as if they got to live two lives, and she couldn't help but wonder if eternity was actually enjoyable or not. she couldn't imagine it being all that, watching people you love grow old, but she also thought it might be kinda cool to watch as the world transformed literally right in front of you.

darya swam over to him, wading in the water just beyond the shore. "it's f-fun," she replied, "it's therapeautic to go out and swim every now and then." her reply was honest- she did have fun while she was out in the water but really she did it to unwind and relax, and to feel at home somewhere.

“It seems like a nice spot in town for things like that,” he acknowledged with his eyes remaining closed. Admittedly, he spends most of his time in the woods surrounding this lake or in town square, and when he is not there, he is attempting to freak some of the citizens out using his ghostly abilities. Being a paranormal entity was boring, what could he say? “Amen to that. Sixty years feels like an eternity, especially when you’re already dead. At least you’ve got some things to live for, yeah?” He asked, assuming that she was not of the undead.

Darya nodded, eyes looking out across the water to the other side of the lake as she enjoyed the serenity. "You're a ghost?" she asked, nearly blurting out the question. She hadn't met many ghosts so it excited her when she met one. "S-sorry, I don't meet many ghosts," she apologized, not wanting to seem overly excited or anything. "i guess i h-have things to live for, i mean- the lake is nice, and i have a few friends."

e closed his eyes momentarily while he focused on the gentle waves of the lake and the subdued voice of the woman beside him. Had he known that it was so serene here in the late afternoons, he would probably stop by more often to indulge in the rare tranquility. “Not by the lake, no,” Quinton responded. “But I’ve been in town for a long time.. I think it’s been sixty years, give or take.” He shifted slightly to stretch out his back more, “You?”

darya nodded along as he answered, pulling her legs in closer to her body. "i come here a lot," she admitted, "to swim or t-to just sit and read or relax." her eyes looked over at him as he answered, "i've been here about fifty years, so i p-probably came right after you did. it f-feels like i've been here forever though."

While the brunette sat down beside him, he leaned back and allowed himself to lie down with his hands intertwining above his rib cage. It was a silent gesture that displayed how comfortable he was and that she had nothing to be intimidated by. “It is,” he agreed as she spoke up, understanding then and there that the shared quiet made her uneasy. “Do you like comin’ here to read?” He rarely visited the lake due to its oh-so crowded shore during the day, but he somehow got lucky enough this evening, and he would gladly take the company of one compared to thirty.

darya relaxed and crossed her legs, becoming more comfortable as they sat there. "i do, yeah," she replied with a nod of her head. "it's usually pretty q-quiet in the afternoons and the sun feels nice when you read." she was usually alone when she went to the lake, but she would admit it was nice to have someone to talk to instead of just reading. she glanced over at him, "do you come here a lot? i h-haven't seen you around before."

“of course i’ve turned someone into a toad,” she stated matter-of-factly. it was the truth, surprisingly. it happened when she was fifteen; alonso pierce was mocking her hair during potions class and all thalia could think to do was to hex him. of course, she had meant to make him croak like a toad and instead, turned him into one. “then you’ll never truly succeed in magic. stop being afraid of everything and grab life by the broomstick. you can do anything you set your mind to. unless, of course, you act like a pansy until you croak.”

    ROWENA smiles as she sits at the edge of the pier, watching Darya swim through the waters with a look of fascination on her face. The witch loved the others species in town, and she loved learning about them. And Darya was a close friend, she remembers when the mermaid first came to Halloweentown. With a grin taking her lips, she watches in awe at the way the mermaid leaps out of the water, only to dive back under in a moments notice. With her feet dangling in the water, the witch kicks her legs a bit to splash the water, waiting for her friend to come up again. But who knew how long that would actually be ?