The Beat of a Dancing Heart

[featheredhugs]

Date: June 12th, sunset
Location: On the front steps of the Manor
Status: Kirby, Raphael

Raphael had his wings stretched out sunning themselves. He always seemed to grow tired around this time and he knew better than to believe it had nothing to do with the blade. Normally he kept it at the small of his back, but for now he had it resting by his side, the jewel reflecting in the final rays of sunlight.

He was slightly hunched over his journal, a little bit oblivious to his surroundings, humming slightly as he trapped his thoughts and confined them to the lined pages.

((*))

Comments

[featheredhugs]

"Uhm... uhm, ah..." He swallowed hard (when did he need oxygen, really?) "But then we might both drown and uhm..."

His cheeks burned. "Well, okay."
Then he realized.
"I didn't bring anything to swim in."

[beachbunnykirby]

"Do I look like I brought anything to swim in?" Kirby asked back.

[featheredhugs]

"Uhm. Well... I didn't notice."

Well it wasn't like he had anything to hide...
He ducked behind a tree to remove his robe. "Don't peek!" he called out.

[beachbunnykirby]

"As you command, mylord," Kirby called back and started swimming back and forth in the pool.

[featheredhugs]

Raphael peered around to make sure she really wasn't peeking, then wrapped his wings around him as best as he could and slipped into the water, his wings sticking straight up as if he was afraid they would melt if they got wet. His blade was still strapped to his back and the scar it was leaving behind was more obvious with his wings up.

"Uhm, the water is cold," he pointed out.

[beachbunnykirby]

"You'll get warm if you move," Kirby promised. "Come on - the last one by the other bank has to pay for ice cream for both of us afterwards."

She didn't want for his reply but launched herself off across the pond.

[featheredhugs]

Well if there was one thing Raphael couldn't resist, it was games. He grinned. "You're on!"

He and Pancake started swimming as quickly as they could.

[beachbunnykirby]

Kirby threw herself into her strokes, showing she was quite a trained swimmer. She still considered whether it would be more benficial to her to let the red-head win.

[featheredhugs]

Raphael was oblivious to everything except the fun of a game. Kirby was fun, he decided, and she liked games. And she's a really good swimmer. He decided he would like to play more games with her if she wanted to.

[beachbunnykirby]

"There," Kirby panted as she reached the 'goal'. "That was fun. How about you? Should you be getting those feathers wet at all?"

She should have been more shocked about people with wings, really, but this place had a way of making a person used to strange things quickly.

[featheredhugs]

"Oh they dry quickly enough. They're quite warm to snuggle in and make a great umbrella." He shook out his hair. "You win!"

[beachbunnykirby]

"How'd you get them in the first place?" Kirby asked curiously. She looked back to where they had come from. "How about we swim back there and the loser pays for the second round?"

[featheredhugs]

"I was born with them," he beamed proudly, then fluttered them to let the water spray from the feathers. He was having so much fun! "Sounds good, you're on!"

[beachbunnykirby]

Kirby launched herself off through the pond again. In her mind, she was pondering options of how a person might end up with a pair of wings.

[featheredhugs]

The pup splashed on ahead.
Raphael laughed. "Does it count as my winning if my dog makes it first?" He grinned.

[beachbunnykirby]

"Only for your dog!" Kirby laughed.

[featheredhugs]

Raphael grinned too. He inhaled and let himself be submerged in the water.

Beneath the surface, all was quiet except for his pulse beating in his ears. It never ceased to fascinate him how very real his body was. It needed food. It needed rest. It needed air. It did silly things like catch a fever when it saw a beautiful human like Kirby.

Speaking of needing air...
He beat his wings a couple times to propel him forward and then surfaced, breathing heavily and wiping the red hair from his face but he was still grinning as he swam to get to the finish line.

[beachbunnykirby]

Kirby laughed and shook herself when she was sprayed with water from Raphael's emergence.

"We're going to have so much fun this summer!"

[featheredhugs]

He grinned. "Yes! Fun is good!" He splashed his wings a bit. "What other games do you like?"