I've never seen a more impressive pool.
I mean, I've never even seen an Olympic pool in person, so that isn't actually saying that much. But even if I account for that... no, this one is truly impressive.
It's bigger than the pond with the gillworgs, bigger than the glowing pool thing that Llywelyn is apparently banned from. It's just... huge. It's deep. So deep that I think a whale might be able to fit there. Well... 'fit'. It's not like it's big enough for one to swim around and do tricks in. But maybe dolphins.
The water itself glows, just like the other pool did. It softly pulses a gentle blue due to the lights that are embedded in the walls of the pool itself. The ceiling above us is made of glass, which allows the brightest stars to show through, but it's frosted in such a way that it's not simply open night above us. Instead, it refracts the blue and yellow lights in this room so much that it feels like... daylight.
There's some kind of sand covering the ground everywhere that isn't either grass or pool, and in it are all sorts of decorative plants and trees. The walls themselves are cloaked in giant waterfalls that pour into the pool, keeping it churning, rather than quietly still, and creating little rivers from each of the four walls leading into the deep pool.
It's warmer here, too. Not hot, not dry. Just... pleasantly warmer than everywhere else on this moon. I can see some of the shimmering stars outside behind the waterfalls. It's like something from a dream. A fantasy. Something that's too good to be real.
And there are other people here.
I can see Jxyim, lying on a lounge chair under one of the trees, reading a book. There's a strange, lizard-like alien swimming in the water, and a furry creature sitting on the edge of the pool, dipping their feet in. There's also a bird-like thing perched on a branch, watching everyone. It's not the big bird Llywelyn feeds. Just some brightly colored bird.
The woman, or one who looks like her, who brings food to us in the cafeteria is walking around with a plate of drinks.
It's... social. It's like a resort.
I can't.
I can't decide if it's eerie.
Is it a paradise resort, a break from the chaos of the world? Or is it a facsimile of freedom in a prison?
Blue knuckles rap on my forehead. "Don't just stand there like a fis'ia statue, come in." Llywelyn snaps at me, pulling me out of my thoughts. He's stripped off his shirt and pants, and is wearing nothing but a tight pair of shorts.
Which of course leads my eyes to track down his form in a way that's just...
"S'nilian wo'! Stop staring!" He hisses at me, grabbing my chin and forcing my eyes back up to his. Which. Does not help anything. His chest is pulsing pink.
"You're the one who's stripping!"
"I'm not stripping, I am appropriately clothed for the environment!" He sniffs, "Unlike you. Go put on something sensible."
I glance down at my clothes. "I don't have a swimsuit." Or any clothes, really. These are the only ones I have, and I'm pretty sure they're not designed to be swimwear.
"There are things to borrow over there." He releases my chin and waves at a rack near the door. "Now stop ogling my body, you brute." He walks away from me towards the pool, his body swaying in the strangest, most serpentine way. I don't know if he's doing that intentionally, or if it's just how he moves and I've never noticed before.
I have to look away. I'm pretty sure I'm blushing, and I don't want him to see. I walk over to the rack, and see that there are indeed some swimsuits hanging there. They're... not like any I've seen before. They're all different colors and shapes and sizes, and some of them look more like... lingerie than anything else. I guess that's just how things are here.
But. Fortunately, there are some normal ones, too. I pick out a black one-piece that looks like it might fit me, and then go to the changing room. It's a small, private room, with a bench and a mirror. I quickly strip off my clothes, and put on the swimsuit. It fits, but it's... tight. It hugs my curves, and shows off my figure. I'm not used to that. I'm more of a baggy-shirt-and-jeans kind of girl. This... this is new.
I don't think I like it.
Especially when...
My gaze falls on the scar on my shoulder. It's faded considerably now. White, rather than angry red or pink. But the skin is unmistakably rough, pock-marked. It will never be smooth and beautiful skin.
My hand reaches up and hovers over the damaged skin for a moment, and the words Alistair used when he'd looked at it - 'it's pretty fucked up' - flash through my mind and I...
Don't know if I should laugh or cry. I feel like I'm constantly on the edge of one or the other these days. In the end, I just breathe and pull my hand back.
I step out of the changing room, and walk over to the pool. Llywelyn is already in the water, floating on his back, his eyes closed. He looks... well. It's a little silly to say he looks like a happy fish.
But he does. Calm and relaxed, floating with the gentle waves of the water.
I sit down on the edge, and dip my feet in. The water is warm, and pleasant, and I can't help but smile. It's nice. If nothing else. The water is nice.
I slide into the water, and swim over to him.
Not for... any particular reason. He just. Invited me here. So it seems rude not to.
He opens his eyes, and looks at me. "Did you find something suitable?"
"Yeah." I say, treading water next to him. "It's not my usual style, but..."
He glances at me, and then away, his chest glowing just a bit. "It's... old fashioned." He says, carefully.
I look down at my swimsuit, and then back at him. "Is that bad?"
"No. Just... not something I see often." He shrugs, and then turns onto his stomach, swimming away from me.
I follow him, curious. "Why not? Don't girls here wear swimsuits?"
"Girls here do whatever they please." He says, as he reaches the deep end, and dives down. I watch him go, and then take a deep breath, and follow.
The water is clear, and I can see him below me, his hair floating around him like a dark cloud. He looks... graceful. Elegant. Like he belongs here. Like he's part of the water.
He sees me, and beckons me closer.
I hesitate a moment.
After all, even if he denies being a fish it's... he probably has some kind of gills or something that let him stay under water. I'm just a human.
But...
I kick my legs, and dive down, towards him. He smiles, and grabs my hand, pulling me deeper.
I don't know how long we stay under. It feels like forever, and like no time at all. We swim around, and he shows me things. The bottom of the pool isn't like any other pool I've seen. It's just as full of color and plants as above water. There's coral, sea grass and even small fish swimming around. We play a bit of impromptu tag, and race from one green flowering coral to another, and it's... fun. I haven't had this much fun in a long time. Not since...
Not since I was a kid.
And I-
Maybe enjoy it a little too much, because before I know it, my lungs are screaming. And the surface is so far away. I kick up, but it's so slow. So slow. I don't know-
When did I get so deep?
My hands claw at the water as if that will somehow help, and I feel myself going lightheaded.
Then a hand wraps around my waist and I'm dragged through the water, faster than I could ever hope to go on my own.
I break the surface and gasp, coughing and sputtering, and the hand pulls me into a strong body.
"Cough it out, breathe. It's alright, you're fine." Llywelyn murmurs into my ear, his arms wrapped around me. "I've got you, stop thrashing, If you bruise my delicate skin-"
I cough again, and it hurts. But I can breathe. I'm okay. I'm alive.
I look up at him, and he's looking down at me. His hair is plastered to his face, his eyes are bright, and he's... concerned. Worried. Scared?
His veins are pulsing a soft blue, and I can feel his heart beating fast against my back. "Nishi'an human, do not ever do that again."
I stare at him, and then I laugh. It's a breathless, wheezing laugh, but it's a laugh. "I didn't... I didn't mean to... I just... I forgot."
"You forgot your own species' lung capacity?" He taps my forehead with one of his delicately manicured claws. "I cannot be expected to account for your stupidity."
I smile, and lean my head back against his shoulder. "I'm sorry."
"You should be." He huffs, but I can see his collar turning a soft pink. "Next time, just..."
He trails off a moment. "I'm sure the Master has something for human lungs. What an atrocity...! Only two minutes...!"
"I-I! I'm not a professional swimmer, okay?" I protest, "That's plenty of time for someone like me!"
He snorts, and then releases me, pushing me away from him with a sudden surge of strength. "Don't cling. You're breathing now, right?" He's turned his back to me and is swimming away.
"Wha! I never! Clung! You asshole!" I shout after him.
He just laughs, and doesn't look back. "Go recover, human. I am tired of babysitting you."
I glare at his back, and then swim after him.
Mostly...
No, entirely just to annoy him.