Compromising what- Will, I am.

[joie_devivre]

She'd won.

Of course she'd won, half of her wanted to say. The Shady half, the half that she'd cultivated in the human world and largely left when she'd come here. There weren't games of skill, money to win when she walked in the perfect sands of the beach

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[stoicsidekick]

Bush had had no intention of taking part in the ridiculous farce they called an auction, not even when his name had appeared on the list. But Archie had reasoned, and then cajoled, and then begged, and then flashed that damned smile of his, and Bush had been unable to say no. But now that the initial game had ended, it was time for the absurdity to begin.

The results might have been worse, he supposed. Shady was harmless - mostly - and he hardly minded the company of the fiery, attractive once-elf. Still, he was shaking his head bemusedly over the matter as he returned home later that day, half-dreading what mischief might be in store for him.

[joie_devivre]

Shady hadn't moved an inch yet- keep the advantage of him looking up at her for once.

"I technically get a day with you. I suppose that could consitute 24 hours, but I can't think of a single thing to do overnight." Her eyes twinkled, for all that he couldn't see him as she teased.

"How does the day find you?" Her braid-tip dangled down behind her, easily foot- maybe two, or more- below the branch.

[stoicsidekick]

Bush looked up. And up some more. He was forced to shade his eyes with the palm of his hand before he was able to discover from whence the voice came. "You can't?" he asked, all matter-of-factness. "And here I thought you were more resourceful than that."

He let the hand drop and shrugged. "Well enough. Are you coming down?"

[joie_devivre]

She paused for a moment, and scooted to shimmy down the tree in quick, graceful, thoughtless movements until she dropped the last six or so feet to the ground in front of him. "I am more resourceful - should have clarified, I meant something that you'd actually be willing to do." She raised a brow, her head tipped back to look up at him.

She'd gotten used to it, over the centuries. Looking up at humans who were older then ten, looking up at elves, at horses - at damn near everything.

"I don't suppose you'd have any ideas on what we could do at night, would you? Well, it doesn't have to be at night, except for the absolute most conventional."

[stoicsidekick]

She may have been the size of a child, but Bush had never thought of her that way. He barely noticed it these days, he had grown so use to her smallness of stature, and to the vivacity and charm that more than made up for it.

"Mm, true. But I never quite said that." Not true - at first there had been Archie, and then too much tragedy to think of sex, and then Archie again, but not quite the same, and the confusion associated with that. And so what would have already happened had they met in any other circumstances had, strangely, not. It was a bit of a teasing joke by now.

"Well, I wasn't aware the requirements of the auction were restricted to night," he deadpanned, purposefully misinterpreting her words.

[joie_devivre]

"Well, I have you for a whole day - that could be interpreted as 'until that time tomorrow', or... sundown. Sadly." She tilted her head. "But like I said."

She shrugged, sadly knowing that the innuendo was, in effect pointless. (That, however, didn't stop her from making it.)

"I think..." She paused, and her eyes narrowed for a moment as she ran over the options in her head. "I think you and I are going to have fun."

It was something he could do with having a bit more of.

[stoicsidekick]

"Ah, yes. Well." He raised a brow. "I'll have to keep that in mind."

Have fun. It was an innocent enough phrase, but Bush knew something of the sort of mischief those simple words can imply. He crossed his arms over his chest, the eyebrow still raised. "Is that so?"

[joie_devivre]

"Exceedingly." Her tone was chipper, and she tilted her head to the side. "You and I have an appointment with Dreamweed, I think. And maybe..." She paused. "You're a sailor. Do you like swimming, or is it just a job?"

Swimming, of course, largely meaning playing in the water with not many clothes on.

[stoicsidekick]

Bush stuck his hands in his pockets and frowned slightly. "I can't swim, actually." The fact that he felt just a little embarrassed about this fact showed that he had, in over three years time, adjusted to certain aspects of island life. Back home most sailors couldn't swim and had no wish to learn. If one fell in the sea the ability would only prolong death, not help one avoid it. But here, as he had quickly learned, people found it odd.

[joie_devivre]

Her brows rose.

"... Have you ever just played in the water? Not actually swimming, because the last thing you do when you go swimming is actually swim."

Not that what she said actually made sense.

[stoicsidekick]

And Bush, as always, was quick to point out the case.

His own eyebrows rose, echoing her own expression. "I'm not sure I follow."

[joie_devivre]

Shady rolled her eyes. "Come on. I'll show you."

She moved towards the beach from the Hamlet, knowing it wasn't far - and stripping off her shirt on the way, down to her breastband.

[stoicsidekick]

Bush followed, though his expression was dubious.

"This better not involve you pushing me into the sea," he warned, because he had experience with that sort of thing. "There are limits." He stayed a pace or two behind her, hands in his pockets, letting his gaze linger over her body only briefly.

[joie_devivre]

"I don't think I'm quite that dumb." Her pants went next, followed by her breast band. She was leaving a trail of clothes to the water, but besides a twitch of her hips as she walked, she didn't mention it in any way.

"But it does involve going into the sea - just nowhere near far enough that you'd drown."

[stoicsidekick]

His eyes went a little wide as she continued to undress, though he didn't turn away. He knew her well enough to know that wasn't necessary. He knew her well enough to know she was doing it on purpose.

Bush stopped on the sand a short distance before the water began, eyebrows slightly raised as he watched her. "All right, then."

[joie_devivre]

She'd stripped her clothes - and for once, it wasn't because of what she hoped to do naked. There was no point in ruining clothes, and she looked up at him pointedly, her braid heavy over her shoulder.

"The shirt should probably at least go. And your shoes." She turned, and walked the few steps to the ocean, just waiting.