(Untitled)

[wishesandsmoke]

Eden had a penchant for taking in strays: the kitten who'd appeared in her home one day, the show dog who'd been left behind, the cheerleader she'd lied to for so long and a somewhat alarming number of hapless scientists. These last, at least, had been spread out over several years and she'd never actually brought them home to live with her

Comments

[anewwaive]

Gideon wasn't much of a beach person - which was funny, really, considering where his hut was located. Regardless, he was taking a walk and just so happened to be on the beach, and there was the tiny yapping terror and Eden. He (unsurprisingly) completely ignored Mr. Muggles as he headed over to where Eden was standing.

"Your dog has to have the most annoying fucking bark ever," he commented, stopping a foot or so away from her so his sandals didn't get soaked in the tide. "Just in case you hadn't noticed."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Maybe that's why he likes you," Eden drawled, stopping with the waves dragging around her heels to look back at Gideon, smirking but fond. "You remind him so much of himself." It was a rare day he managed to annoy her, but then, that was her right as his best friend - to be as big a pain in the ass as she knew how.

[anewwaive]

"Funny," he said, rolling his eyes. If anyone else had said that, they would've gotten more than that kind of fucking response from him. Eden, though, Eden he was fine with. "You going in for a swim?"

Shit, he hadn't done that in a long time.

[wishesandsmoke]

"Uh huh," Eden said, slipping her hands up through her hair as she shrugged. "Seemed like a good idea. You coming in?" She could always wait a little longer if not. Good company usually beat running off alone anyway.

[anewwaive]

Gideon eyed the water before shrugging. He hadn't been planning on it, but he guessed he could go in for a little while. It was hot as hell, anyway.

"Yeah, I guess," he said, toeing off his sandals, his shirt adding to the pile a few moments later. "But if a squid or whatever ends up attached to my foot, I'm blaming you."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Oh, come on," Eden said airily, waving a hand toward the rest of the beach. While there were a few scattered people, there weren't that many out just then. "Everyone knows those only attack large groups and baby showers." Grinning, she made her way out to the water, pulling her short hair back into a messy ponytail as she went.

[anewwaive]

"I didn't realize they had specific targets," he snorted, stepping in deeper until he could dunk himself under to get that over with. He didn't know how the ocean managed to be fucking cold when they were on an island, but it managed. "I like assuming shit is out to get me here so I'm not surprised when this place does pull something."

[wishesandsmoke]

Eden wrapped her arms more closely around herself, wincing a bit as she waded out; as much as she liked the chill of the water, it could be overwhelming. "It's you against the world," she announced, shooting him a grin before she ducked under herself, coming back up with a sound somewhere between a gasp and a laugh. "If there is something out to get you, maybe I should be swimming a little further away."

[anewwaive]

"I'll fucking remember that next time you need something," he said, pushing his hair back out of his eyes. "I mean, I probably wouldn't jump in anyway, but you know, even less of a chance now."

[wishesandsmoke]

Eden gasped, mock-offended, hands fluttering to her chest. Between the sun on her shoulders and the cold water, it was, to her, perfect. "Some friend you are," she said. "I thought I could count on you to keep me safe."

[anewwaive]

"You're the one who's an ex-superhero," he pointed out, not buying it. Shit, even without the powers, he was pretty sure she could still kick ass. "I'm pretty sure that means you're the one I'm supposed to fucking default to in case of crazy shit."

[wishesandsmoke]

"I was never a superhero," Eden said, words overlapping his as she shook her head. Her tone turned lilting, self-mocking. "I was just super." Very little she'd done had done any good, after all.

[anewwaive]

"Did more than me," he said with a shrug. He was just a writer and a bank robber, and a fucking failed one at that. "Just saying it makes you more qualified to be a fucking basass either way."

[wishesandsmoke]

"Yeah, whatever," Eden said, splashing him as she rolled her eyes. "Total badass, carrying around a freaking show dog." Mr. Muggles had grown on her, yes, but she was kind of relieved Claire was around to take care of him now. He liked her better anyway.

[anewwaive]

"Oh, I don't know. The dog's pretty fucking evil," he said, then paused and considered something. "Did he have some kind of ability too? Just curious."

He was only half joking. Fuck, he didn't read comic books or anything, but even he knew some of them had animals with powers too. In the mutt's case, it was actually sort of a scary thought.

[wishesandsmoke]

"Hilarious," Eden drawled. "No. Not that I know of. As far as I'm aware, only people have any abilities, and they do damage enough." She hated to think of what would happen if Mr. Muggles had any kind of power. He was spoiled and bossy enough as it was. "Give him power and we'd be screwed."