fightlikehell: (bright smile)
Matthew Murdock, Attorney at Law ([personal profile] fightlikehell) wrote in [community profile] nexus_sages2016-05-27 02:05 pm

made waves with some friends I know

beach bonfire coconut fruit salads burger sand dollar cookies dog swimming
beach tent dip island crudite sausages grilled peaches shells sunset
beach picnic bar veg smores volleyball
 
The season is a'changing, the weather is warmer. The forecast calls for high temperature, low humidity and a light breeze. A near perfect day. What better reason to gather the friends and have a good time with a bonfire? Grab a beer, have a seat. Cheery tunes fill the salty air. There's plenty of room and so much to eat.

Matt Murdock is actually dressed for the beach. Still likely more than usual. He burns so easily. There's no way he could have done this alone. Anyone who is anyone in Nexus knows that there is that distinct Verity Willis touch on everything. If the sounds and the sights don't get you, it is going to be whatever Clint has on the grill. That man is magic.
[ooc; Come on in, guys and gals! Hop threads, twist time for sooner, later and all things in between. It's a real party. Don't be shy!]
oathstokeep: (shy smile)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-29 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
Mortals and the mythical don't usually have a pleasant result. She hasn't been kidnapped or made a pawn in yet another game. The only games Brienne is engaging in are of her choosing.

While she's considering, she again appreciates the two pairs of hands for her to hold and lightly, lightly swing with the wind. "Three...?"
'
The corners of her mouth curl.
maydayqueen: (shiny!)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-29 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, there was that run-in with a fairy godfather...

Hand swinging? Brienne really is starting to relax! Frea's enjoying it so much she almost forgets what they were counting for. Oh yes. Racing. Hmm, that means she needs one of her hands back--but not both. Holding hands while they race into the waves means nobody gets left behind. Yes. This is ideal.

And if they have a tie, they'll just have to trade shells.

Frea whoops with joy when she splashes into the water. The cold water brushes up over her ankles before retreating. She chases it across the sand, kicking up the foam and twirling around in the spray and laughing. Always laughing.
oathstokeep: by braelyn on dw (happy memory)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-29 07:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Such a man that he is! They should cross paths again in the future. Brienne believes that he is just like that at all times: dapper, enigmatic and prone to glitter. She must tell Frea that she had promised him a feast in return for kindness.

Just a little hand-swinging, yes. Progress. Brienne lets go of one hand, anticipating another. Together? Oh. That doesn't seem like a bad change at all. Off they go across the sand. She finds herself laughing, laughing too at the first cold splash over the tops of her feet.

The last time she even saw the sea was from King's Landing. The water was not nearly so inviting.
maydayqueen: (smile)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-29 08:05 pm (UTC)(link)
Dapper and enigmatic, yes. Glitter, not so much. Not until the next Samhain ball, anyway. But very deserving in feasts. Frea will have to hope she's invited too.

A little progress is only going to encourage Frea to hope for more. It's a slippery slope, Brienne, from the cold peaks of moral certitude down into the valley of joy.

And then there's laughing. Be still, her heart! Frea grins up at her friend, enjoying the moment while it lasts. "You have a nice laugh."
oathstokeep: (shy smile)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-29 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Perhaps the sparkle in his personality and smile shall suffice until that time. As to feasts, Frea is automatically included. What manner of appointed protector would Brienne be if she wasn't a part of it? And a little support for hosting any event with no prior experience would be invaluable.

Being in the cold for so long she really has had only a vague idea of what she had been missing. What started as exclusion has ended up to be self-imposed hermitage. But the way down is so inviting.

A kick to the waves sends more water to swirl. "Oh..." Brienne hadn't realized she was laughing. She's been stern and vigilant slowly coming to be carefree as well as warmer. "Not so much as yours." She starts to step into the waves.
maydayqueen: (embarrassed smile)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-30 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
Schön does sparkle in his own way.

Frea is great at feasts! They'll host the best feast Westeros has ever seen. Food and flowers will be abundant, and the weather will, of course, be perfect. A lingering taste of summer in a land facing too much winter. It shall be every good thing.

The way down is strewn with flowers and ends in Frea's arms. There may be an occasional thorn, but what does that matter when there'll be kisses better?

"I like it." It's pressing, but it's the last of the pressing. A little reward for Brienne's bravery in letting herself laugh again. "When's the last time you went swimming?"
oathstokeep: by butterflydarlin dw (placid)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-30 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
Food and flowers are usually things boasted of from places like Highgarden or Dorne. Boy will they be in for a treat! At the very least, Tarth has to offer views like no other in the Seven Kingdoms.

Oh but what are thorns truly? Life has its barbs. And Brienne has a bark rough exterior. When there will be kisses oh then any thorns should be just fine.

She still smiles. No other reproach or remark aside from a little more color. That's the standard is it not? "I can't place the day but it was before I left to pledge Tarth for King Renly. I'd say more than a year." Another kick to the water. "Too long."
maydayqueen: (embarrassed smile)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-30 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
A fine feast and splendid views are key ingredients in the recipe for a fairy tale. At a noble knight, a maiden fair, a dark and mysterious man... it's unlikely to be easily forgotten, this feast of theirs.

Every life has its pains, it's true, and these thorns have roses.

It's a good standard to maintain. The gentle back-and-forth will let them both ease into the changes ahead. Frea kicks some water in Brienne's general direction, intending to splash her a bit. "Then I'm doubly glad we came today. Thank you."
oathstokeep: (shy smile)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-30 05:41 am (UTC)(link)
The songs and stories practically write themselves from here on out. And goodness knows those last for all time if the tune is right. Those that would never be there would know of what came that day.

Every rose worth possessing will have thorns, else how would it be a rose?

Frea's demeanor has made the slow divestment of personal armor a liberating task. Splashing is it. Brienne has to stoop to touch the water with her fingertips and swirl it about, still holding her friend's hand. "Thank you." Giving into the whim she flings her fingertips in Frea's direction.
maydayqueen: (laugh)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-30 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
There'll be a few unexpected twists and turns along the way. So long as it all has a happy ending. Stories for the ages, ah, those are glorious things.

Everyone worthy of possessing a rose knows a rose cannot be possessed, only loved in the way it will allow.

Splashing it is, and now she's hoist on her own petard. Unreliable things, those petards. She tries to look indignant about getting splashed--for about a half a second. Then she is, predictably, laughing. "You're welcome!" She splashes in Brienne's direction again.
oathstokeep: (shy smile)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-30 10:22 am (UTC)(link)
Can there be a happy ending? There are almost always uplifting endings in songs if not a cautionary tale. May the day be bright and goodness win. How right Brienne was saying that in the songs it is always summer.

There is much to learn. This is not a simple art of gardening. Oh no. This is a new skill.

Indignation at splashing is the standard response. So is a retaliation after said splash. The water is cold enough to get a wince and a brighter laugh out of Brienne. Full water war is now waged!
maydayqueen: (laugh)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-30 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Every story has a happy ending if it ends at the right time, and likewise, every other kind of ending. It's a matter of timing. If their story ended here and now, with them hand in hand on the cusp of the ocean and the future, it'd be an ending of hope and happiness.

Frea's garden requires tending as careful as the most delicate bloom, but oh, the rewards.

It might not have been her most inspired or surprising reaction, but sometimes the predictable is comforting. But if it's war, well then. She's dragging Brienne further out into the water where their differences in height won't matter so much. She suspects Brienne swims like a fish, so she isn't worried.
oathstokeep: (elements)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-30 07:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Hope, happiness, oh all the things that she could bottle up into her heart to protect until the end of her days. Brienne's high watermark of pleasures keeps getting challenged by Frea's abilities.

There's a reason why people tread lightly in gardens among the flowers. This much Brienne knows.

"Deeper?" she asks but there's not a hint of worry. She follows. And not without splashing at her, scooping handfuls again and again her way. It will be some time before depths can challenge her footing. And yes, Frea she swims very well. Soon choice of dress doesn't matter at all either. Will you look at that? Beneath the waves no one can see. Despite her comfort in open water there is this nagging impulse to hold onto Frea.
maydayqueen: (laugh)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-30 07:46 pm (UTC)(link)
If she could give Brienne hope and happiness for the rest of her days, Frea would consider herself the most successful May Queen ever born. A rising ride of pleasure lifts all spirits.

Once they've learned their ways around each other, Frea won't seem so fragile. She requires a deft touch, but a sure one.

"Deeper," she confirms. Brienne may still be on her feet, but Frea's bobbing with the waves now. It's harder to swim while holding Brienne's hand, but it's worth the effort. Seeing Brienne playing is worth so much more than a little inconvenience. They can splash each other and laugh and bob together, and hold onto each other in more ways than physically.
oathstokeep: (shy smile)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-31 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
You mean she isn't already? Well right now she is making headway. Hail to Frea, may she reign forever more. Surely there are much grander feats than making a giant warrior woman happy.

Deftness could be applied to other arts not just swordsmanship. Right?

After a time Brienne finally dunks her head beneath the water and come up to spout water. If it so happens to be in Frea's direction, so be it.
maydayqueen: (smirk)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-31 02:21 am (UTC)(link)
Frea honestly can't think of anything she'd prefer over Brienne learning to be happy. Yes, she has other duties, but there's no reason she can't manage them and help Brienne both. Managers need to be able to oversee many projects at once, and prioritize accordingly.

This is surely true. Many arts benefit from a deft touch. Sewing, one imagines.

It just so happens to be in Frea's direction, so accidentally, uh huh. Brienne's got a wicked sense of humor when she lets loose and Frea's loving it. "Ack! I'll get you for that one!" Splish splash she's so threatening, really.

Just wait until the next time Brienne closes her eyes. Frea vanishes and won't be so easy to find.
oathstokeep: (elements)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-31 05:00 am (UTC)(link)
She has selected a challenging subject. Not impossible. There are bits of hope and whimsy that have always been hidden away. And Frea being so very much an insistent and vibrant person, there is simply no reason Brienne has to combat her or treat her ill. They both are willful women.

When you put down your knitting and raise shields and swords you do forget that there are subtle things that are just as piercing and tough.

How she manages to grin and not swallow sea water yet is anybody's guess. That's what she deserved. One blink too many in the bright sunlight and Brienne is seemingly alone. "Frea? ...Frea?"
maydayqueen: (tongue)

https://youtu.be/wCfWHqrYUqo

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-31 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
The challenge is what makes it worthwhile. Struggle makes the reward all the sweeter. Two willful women working in the same direction toward the same goals is no bad thing--that's a force to be reckoned with.

A knight with an understanding of the subtle things would also be a force to be reckoned with.

Frea's not answering. But there's a distinct tickling in the small of Brienne's back. Nothing there when she whirls around... just how long can Frea hold her breath?

About this long; she's surfacing behind Brienne now, trying to fill her lungs again before she's caught.
oathstokeep: (shy smile)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-31 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
A force to be reckoned with and without dragons. The ground covered has been utterly sweet. Winter might be coming but Brienne best brace herself for other things of the future. It has only been a few weeks time.

She whirls around treads water trying to get a distance and perspective. No time to worry yet. "Frea, you're not a fish." Though it has been some time now. There's a gulp and when she has turned around...drat. A moment too late.

"Frea." She idly splashes at the surface. Waiting now.
maydayqueen: (smirk)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-31 05:43 am (UTC)(link)
They may not have dragons, but they may have something better than dragons. They have a capacity for mercy and kindness; they have the strength of their own arms; they have a healing touch. Not traits often seen in power in Westeros. It's past due.

No, she's not a fish. Or is she? Is she perhaps a mermaid? Or a siren?

No. The water is not her element or her native home, but she can get around in it well enough to brush a hand against Brienne's leg before flitting away again to surface out of reach. There's no mistaking or hiding the mischievous grin behind the hair plastered to her cheeks.
oathstokeep: by butterflydarlin dw (placid)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-31 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
Trust is also a valuable asset that is oh so lacking in the seven kingdoms of Westeros. Brienne likes to believe that another age of heroes is sure to come. Those were times when strife was met with greater acts of chivalry and goodness. This new time should be about women.

Real women. Not teasing, fish impersonating women.

Finally there she is! And such a smile that is. Even out of reach with the sunlight reflecting off the waters, Brienne can make out that smile. "You think you're very clever don't you?" She may not have very impressive lungs but she can swim. Brienne dives and heads like a shot in Frea's direction.
maydayqueen: (tongue)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-31 06:18 am (UTC)(link)
Real women can tease, and laugh, and still kick ass. It's part of the magic. Maybe Brienne can come to trust that. Otherwise, Frea will have to look into introducing her to a mermaid. Some people trust with their eyes before their hearts, poor things.

"I think you like the challenge," she retorts. She'd be smirking if she wasn't in the middle of realizing she's in trouble. She tries to dart to one side so she won't kick Brienne, but it's harder to get started when she's being so careful. It won't be hard to catch her.
oathstokeep: by braelyn on dw (happy memory)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-05-31 06:42 am (UTC)(link)
In all of this if there is one vital takeaway it's that a woman can be multiple things. It's everyday truth and magic. Just because everyone else does not believe that or even know doesn't mean it must continually pain and define her. Frea and all the marvels she knows of are helpful. So far drastic education is not needed. But no one would turn down seeing a mermaid!

"I like you don't I?" Careful, her competitive nature is comfortable ground. She can say things like that. And it is true. If she is kicked, it won't be a problem. Brienne is very sturdy. And they are at war. Wounds happen. She grips Frea about her torso and pushes to surface so they can breath.

It would seem that the May Queen is a prisoner!
maydayqueen: (embarrassed smile)

[personal profile] maydayqueen 2016-05-31 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Women can be all the things they want to be. That should be the true rebellion in Westeros: one of ideas. The rebellion in Brienne's heart is a start. Her successes will pave the way for others.

There will be a mermaid meeting in their future. She can arrange these things.

Oh, so that's how it is? "I sure hope so." The flirtatious possibilities of the exchange aren't lost on her, and she does wonder just how Brienne means that...

It's not a time for daydreaming because now she's been caught. Oh dear. Once they've surfaced and caught their breath she brushes Brienne's hair out of her face. "Hello there."

Brienne has a prisoner. What's she gonna do about it?
oathstokeep: by butterflydarlin dw (placid)

[personal profile] oathstokeep 2016-06-01 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
Such knowledge cannot help but be shared. Of course it would continue on from Brienne. Big things have small beginnings.

Their outings will never be dull at the rate they're going. Hot springs, flower fields, sun-soaked beaches now and they haven't covered much ground at Nexus.

Like can mean so very much. It is the only word that she has for what Frea has been inspiring in her, like interpreting a language. Oh who can think now?

Caught with arms and not tentacles of a Kraken or shark will mean she stays afloat! Those wouldn't have to worry about straw patches of hair in the way. She opens one eye completely than the other. "Hullo. Now you won't be slinking off. How am I to splash you?"

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