Down By The Docks [Eli, Jason, Kennedy]

[littleredsiren]

 She'd been worrying about this all week. It was one thing for her friends to say they wouldn't freak out at her siren-ness, and another thing completely for them to actually see it. She'd set up three different times for them to meet, figuring one-on-one would probably be a bit easier to handle.

Iris flitted around her kitchen all morning, putting together a picnic basket with different treats inside. It all quickly started to get out of hand and she was glad she'd set up a plan with Jason to provide meals for the other homeless people in town, because she had way too much for just four people right now.

A quick glance at the clock nearly sends her into another fit of panic. Throwing on a bathing suit under a cover up and grabbing her basket, she makes her way to the beach nearest the docks in a hurry.

No one's there when she gets there and she breathes a sigh of relief, setting down the basket and hauling off the cover up, heading into the surf to swim off her nerves until someone shows up.

Comments

[littleredsiren]

If she wasn't already red and scaly, she'd be blushing. "I'm glad I don't scare you,' she says softly, reaching out carefully to let Alfredo sniff her.

"It's just me, buddy. I packed treats for you an everything."

[jasonwright]

"You're not scary at all. This whole look fits you." The red definitely suited her. Alfredo sniffs her hand, reaching out tentatively to lick her at a soft spot on her cheek. When he recognizes her sent, he barks, jumping back into the water and paddling around her happily.

"See? I knew he wouldn't forget you for long."

[littleredsiren]

A giggle slips out at the feeling of the dog's tongue on her cheek and she reaches out happily to scratch his ears, mindful of her claws. "As long as the people, and dogs, I love don't think I'm scary, that's all that really matters to me," she admits. "I'll get used to it in time. I don't know if I'll ever get used to the controlling thing. I made Lara's bartender do the hokey pokey last time I practiced on him."

[jasonwright]

"Yeah? Well I'm sure most of the sirens here don't use the control thing for bad. Probably only when they're pushed, right?"

[littleredsiren]

"I don't think so. Lara's kind of the... Siren mother. Matriarch," she explains, blinking rapidly as she tries to get it all right. "She keeps everyone in line, I think. And trains us baby sirens who didn't know about our powers and didn't have family to teach us."

[jasonwright]

"Lara is?" He had started gathering supplies but hadn't began the construction work she hired him for. He knew about her...siren-ness, but not the whole matriarch thing. "She sounds pretty amazing."

[littleredsiren]

"Yup. And she's amazing. She's so encouraging and helpful," she sighs happily. "She managed to get me to use my powers properly a few days ago. She says I should practice them more between lessons but..."

Iris just scrunches up her nose and shrugs, splashing water at Alfredo for him to bite at.

[jasonwright]

The dog happily obliges, attacking the water as she splashes him with it. "But what? Shouldn't you practice?"

[littleredsiren]

"It's weird asking people if I can. Like, it requires trust and I don't want to put anyone on the spot, and I don't think I want to know if any of my friends don't trust me?" she says, scrunching her nose and focusing on the dog. Somehow it makes it easier to be frank when she does that. "Plus what if I ask them to do something and it embarrasses them and they get mad at me? There are so many factors to it."

[jasonwright]

"That's...a fair point," he says, tilting his head. "Start with baby steps? I mean, you won't be asking your friends to do anything life-changing or serious. 'Hold my bag for me' or something. Besides, I'm sure a lot of people trust you just fine."

[littleredsiren]

She lets out a nervous little laugh. "I guess so. I'm just a worry wart. I'd only really be asking them to do stuff like touch their noses, or to run from one end of the beach to the other. That's... not a big deal, right?"

[jasonwright]

He gives her a reassuring smile. "Not a big deal at all. You can ask me to do something if you'd like."

[littleredsiren]

"Really? You trust me enough for that?" she says, raising her eyebrows. "If you're sure, it has to be explicit consent. Like, outright saying 'You can use your powers on me'. Just so you're aware."

[jasonwright]

Jason grins. "I had to push you to be just a tiny bit vain. I trust you won't hurt me or embarrass me." Figuring he's really got nothing to lose, and hell, if it helps her practice, he says, "You can use your powers on me."

[littleredsiren]

She sticks her tongue out at him, mock grouchy. "Okay... I swear to you I will make you do nothing you'll regret."

Tossing Alfredo's ball down the beach so he won't disturb her concentration, she sinks into that feeling of persuasion and comfort again, feeling it flow up into her voice. "Touch your right hand to your nose, please," she orders, her voice taking on that eerily seductive siren quality that made anyone they were controlling want to listen to them.

[jasonwright]

"I trust you."

It feels weird. One minute, he's joking around with her. And the next, his heart races and he feels like he needs to do whatever Iris tells him. Jason lifts his right hand and touches his nose, glancing up at her for further instruction. "Like this?"

[littleredsiren]

She's a little surprised at how well that worked. He really must trust her for his subconscious to give in so quickly. Or maybe he's just weak willed, but somehow, weak willed and Jason are not two concepts that fit together in her head.

"Very good," she nods, the tone not leaving her voice. "Now, put your hand back down, get up, and stand on one foot for ten seconds, please."

[jasonwright]

"So polite when you boss me around." He's surprised that he's kept his teasing tone, but that overwhelming need to please her returns. Jason lowers his hand and gets up to stand on one foot. Easy peasy.

[littleredsiren]

She sticks her tongue out at him, totally ruining whatever 'badass seductive siren' thing she may have had going. "I like to be polite, thank you very much."

"All right. Last one for now, it's making me a bit tired. Pat your head and rub your tummy at the same time."

[jasonwright]

He chuckles a bit at her request, but does it anyway having mastered this trick as a kid. "Are you appeased, my queen?"

[littleredsiren]

"I am," she giggles. "You can sit back down now."

Shutting her eyes for a second, she lets go of her grasp on her powers, feeling them retreat back into her. "Was that weird?"

[jasonwright]

He feels her will leave him and takes a deep breath. "A bit weird, yeah."

[littleredsiren]

She tenses up, biting into her lower lip before she realizes what a bad idea that is with fangs. "Ow. I didn't make you uncomfortable, did I?" she worries. "Or make you do anything that you didn't enjoy?"

[jasonwright]

"No, no, I mean just weird as in a different feeling. Like, I felt compelled to do everything even though I thought "This is just silly of me." You didn't make me uncomfortable," he smiles.

[littleredsiren]

Iris shivers slightly. "All right. Good. That would freak me out a bit though. I think I've spent too much of my life doing what everyone tells me already," she says wryly.