Welcome to Gaia! ::

”Ma, really. Theres no reason to be afraid of the water.” Psykgi said as she put on the hemoneutral pair of goggles and the hopefully sanitized snorkel, ”Goodness, I live on the coast!”

Ma'am chittered and scuttled, a groundbound tornado of whirling roaches. The water was dangerous – it was full of seadwellers and monsters, even here on the beach. There was reason to fear the water – even she, a swarm, functionally unkillable, feared the water. Psykgi should too.

”Ma, come on. It's the reefs! It's safe.” Well, safe-ish. It at least wouldn't be completely off limits to a redblood looking to see what the fuss was about snorkeling the reefs near Civisect. She'd heard it was beautiful and, having done her homework early, having sent out all her applications, done her chores, and finding herself with time to spare that not even her lusus could nag her about, she had decided to do something recreational. ”Safe enough” she amended. This was, after all, Alternia, and she was a redblood. Nowhere was safe, especially not in Civisect, but Psykgi wasn't going to let that get her down.

Ma'am rattled her displeasure, a rare sound from the normally quiet and subtle lusus. Her charge, she muttered unhappily, could have at least worn hemoanon clothing.

”Goodness, ma, why bother with that? If someone takes offense to me being in the water, they'd be about as peeved if I was wearing grey as red.” she looked down at her swimsuit – a refreshingly feminine affair she had purchased from Civisect. It had taken some doing to get it in red, but it was worth the obnoxious amount she'd had to pay for it. Red and black was a gorgeous combination. Lowest part of the spectrum or no, she had a gorgeous blood color, and she was proud of it. She adjusted the swimcap on her head – also red – and grinned at the roiling mass of her lusus, her bright eyes magnified through her goggles.

But it was dangerous! Ma'am insisted, again and again, as Psykgi walked out to the pier. Her protests took on side notes of frustration and admonition. Why was her troll defying her? Why did Psykgi enjoy putting herself into such situations? Why couldn't she just listen for once? It was that Lee's fault, wasn't it?! The swarm grew more and more anxious, if such a word can describe a being that doesn't truly have emotions, scutting in a most disorganized way. Please, she begged her charge, reconsider.

”Oh, ma.” Psykgi said fondly, giving her a wave, ”You know why.” and with that cryptic statement, she jumped into the waters near the reef, her snorkeling fins flopping awkwardly as they hit the water.

Ma'am made a rustly, chittery shrieking sound and, with clear reluctance, began to pour herself into the water. Roach after roach hit the pulsing ocean surface, struggling until they found purchase on each other and the pier, and finally pushing out after her charge, a frantically paddling raft of roaches.

Not very happy roaches.

Psykgi had been enjoying herself (despite some surprising wariness) and was happily swimming along looking at the shells and shore formations and the reefs just a bit further out when she saw someone approaching – someone with goggles, but without any other equipment for breathing. Someone with gills and, very obviously, of that particular series of shades that signaled the highest of bloods. Oh! she thought, pausing in her swimming to watch them, A seadweller!

Who was coming... right for her with a multi-headed lusus in tow. Psykgi surfaced, treading water, as the seadweller came up nearby. ”Hello!” she greeted. Having the ocean turn white as milk beneath her as what appeared to be a jellyfish-hydra of some sort (presumably the others lusus) made its way towards them was a little unnerving, but Psykgi had nerves of steel. So, instead of cowering, she gave the seadweller a friendly grin, only somewhat restricted by her snorkeling mask.

”Oh, me? Just enjoying the water!” She said, ignoring the swarm's distressed chittering as it tried to reform itself away from the predator – So what if the seadweller's lusus had a few of Ma'am for a snack? There were always more, perhaps not out in the water, but when she got back to land for sure. ”I didn't get a chance to swim here during Bloodfest, but goodness, they are such lovely reefs!” she enthused. Natural beauty wasn't exactly her thing, but it was nice, and she was enjoying it, and it was a source of civic pride – and that, she was quite into. She contemplated asking something in exchange, but decided against it. She'd probably find out more from listening than asking. Introductions, however, were always in order. ”I'm Psykgi Mentha, by the way!”

”Oh gosh, I wouldn't say I'm good at it, but I do practice!” she said, grinning. Not saying she was bad at swimming was definitely along the lines of a complement from a seadweller, and Psykgi was pleased to consider it as such. And that statement... an invitation? Or a lure into a trap to cull her? Or both?

”Oh gosh, probably! The little mask was really meant for surface activities. ”But there are other things I could rent – like portable air devices or a submersible – that might let me go deeper!” she said thoughtfully. Even if it was a trap and the seadweller wanted to kill her, it would at least be fascinating! And fun, at least for a while! And interesting – seadwellers always were, but this one was asking about adventures and her. Her. A redblood. More interesting still! About as interesting as the coral itself! What a good night she was having so far!

Ma'am was not. This was not Ma'am's night. The swarm was not happy.

”Ooo, adventures...” she said, thinking for a moment. Honestly, walking outside her hive in the main city proper dressed in red was a dangerous adventure in itself, but Psykgi had a feeling that the Seadweller wasn't interested in redblood problems, even if they were wonderfully daring. Fortunately, she had other options. ”I sure do! In fact, my moirail tells me I'm a very good sidekick!” she said, treading water and watching the seadweller, ”What about you? Are you... inviting me on one?”

Was Leeroi a hero?! ”He sure is!” Psykgi said, proudly. Sure, many of their adventures were in rpgs and such, but a good many were outside in the wide world, and they were fun... sometimes painful and exhausting, sometimes threatening of life and limb...but fun. After all, they were with Leeroi. And she'd love to tell the stories... but there was just one problem.

”Of course!” she said, treading water, ”I'd absolutely love to tell you the stories – there are so many – but...” she kicked herself above the water again, ”I am in the middle of an adventure now!” She supposed, if the seadweller wanted it, she could cut her exploration short, but she did want to bring that up. It was entirely logical that they had forgotten! ”It's a little hard for me to tell stories in the water – I have to focus on swimming, all that... But say!” she smiled, ”This gear is rented for a few hours yet – are there interesting stories about this reef? You could tell me a few, and then we could go for...” she splashed a little – treading water was hard! ”... sodas on the boardwalk, or something like that, and I could tell you my stories!”

Ma'am's cluster in the water was shrinking, bit by bit. The roaches could 'raft' for a time, but they weren't ants and this was the ever-moving ocean. Bit by bit, the swarm portion that was with her was falling apart. Out of communication from it's main shore portion, it could only barely wish that they would go for sodas now, not later.

Psy ignored them. ”If that's okay with you!” she added, casually.

"Ooo, those little fish sound great!" Psy said, "The big fish, too, and secret treasure... gosh, they all sound great!" she said, "Oh gosh, though, nothing in particular..." she adjusted her face mask, "I leave that up to you!"

-----

Psykgi climbed up on the pier, taking off her face mask and fins and putting them into the bag that had been provided. "Oh gosh! That was amazing!" she said, her face flushed from excitement and marked by the face mask, "If this reef has so many things, then I wish I could see the ones around your hive!" But she'd have to get permission and permits and all sorts of things. That was for a later time.

"Oh! Do you still have time to get drinks? Theres this great place on the boardwalk..."