Welcome to Gaia! ::

inayah wasn’t entirely sure why she’d come to the reservoir.

She didn’t swim—not really. And even if she wanted to, she hadn’t brought anything remotely close to swimwear. But the day was bright and warm, the sky a soft blue full of early summer promise, and the breeze off the water smelled clean. She told herself she was just out for a walk, nothing more.

Her sandals clicked softly against the path as she wandered, eyes drawn to the shimmer of the water and the way people laughed nearby—splashes, music, little kids shouting in delight. It was lively without being overwhelming, and for a while she just soaked it in.

When she rounded one of the curved edges of the reservoir, her attention snagged on someone cutting cleanly through the water. A girl with vivid red hair, braided and pinned like something out of a fairy tale. She was fast, and graceful—like she belonged in the water. Inayah slowed unconsciously, a little bit awed.

She didn’t realize she was staring until her foot caught on a raised edge of pavement.

“Ah—!” she gasped, stumbling a step before catching herself.

Face burning, she glanced around quickly. Had anyone seen that? She pressed her hand to her chest, trying to will her heart to stop hammering. Maybe she should sit down for a second. Act like she meant to stop here all along.

Instead, she shuffled over toward the railing near the edge and leaned against it, pretending to admire the view.

The red-haired girl was still out there. Inayah found herself smiling faintly.

“She’s really good,” she murmured under her breath.

She didn’t recognize her, but… there was something kind of inspiring about her. Like she wasn’t just swimming—she was claiming the space around her. That kind of confidence was hard not to notice.

And maybe… it made Inayah want to try, too.

Eventually.

Maybe.

But not today.

Inayah hadn’t meant to get caught staring—but it was hard not to. The redhead moved like she belonged to the water, like every stroke was a kind of dance. Graceful and strong. Everything Inayah wasn’t.

So when the girl swam to shore and actually spoke to her, Inayah startled.

Her eyes went wide, and she hesitated for a half-beat too long before smiling—small, uncertain, but genuine.

“Oh! Um—hi.” She tucked a loose curl behind her ear, suddenly very aware of how awkward she probably looked just loitering by the railing. “It’s going okay. I was just… walking. The weather’s really nice today.”

Her eyes flicked to the surface of the water and then back to the girl, a little spark of admiration peeking through her uncertainty. “You swim really well. Like—really well. It’s kind of cool to watch.”

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other. “I don’t really swim myself. I never learned. But you make it look kind of easy.” A soft laugh escaped her lips. “Which I’m guessing it’s not.”

Her gaze lingered a moment, curious. There was something kind about the girl, something approachable. And something else, too—Inayah couldn’t quite name it, but she’d felt a flicker of energy earlier, something she hadn’t experienced much but was slowly learning to recognize. Not dangerous. Not threatening.

Just… different.

But right now, she was just Inayah. And the girl in the water seemed happy to talk.

“I’m Inayah, by the way.”

Inayah blinked at the sudden voice, her steps slowing as she turned toward the source. For a moment, her heart jumped, but the other girl’s smile put her at ease. “Oh—no, it’s okay,” she said softly, brushing a loose braid over her shoulder. Her gaze drifted back toward the shimmering water, the sunlight dancing over its surface. “It is… really pretty,” she admitted, her voice warm with quiet awe.

When Rowan mentioned teaching, Inayah hesitated. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her shirt. “I’ve… actually never learned how,” she confessed, a small, sheepish smile tugging at her lips. “I just like walking around here. It’s… peaceful. But I don’t think I’d be very good at it.”

Her eyes lingered on the ripples a moment longer, as if weighing the offer, though there was a hint of uncertainty in her expression.

Inayah’s lips curved into a small, shy laugh at the ducklings comment, though her gaze still dipped toward the water. “I don’t know… I think ducklings have an unfair advantage,” she murmured.

She shifted her weight from one foot to the other, the toes of her shoes scuffing lightly against the pavement. “Maybe… just my feet wouldn’t be so bad,” she admitted after a pause, though her tone carried the air of someone still testing the thought in her head. “But I’ve never been in water deeper than a bathtub.” Her eyes flicked up toward Rowan briefly, uncertainty mingling with a flicker of curiosity.

nayah glanced down at the water, her hands tightening slightly around the strap of her bag. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other before speaking, her voice soft.

“I don’t know…” she admitted, a hint of nervous laughter escaping. “It feels like… if I step in, I’ll just sink straight down. I know that’s silly, but it’s hard not to think about it.”

“Okay… just my feet,” she said quietly, a small, nervous smile tugging at her lips. Her fingers fidgeted with the edge of her sleeve, but there was a trace of determination in her eyes now. “I think I can do that.”