The cephalopod’s influence had extended its tentacles of inspiration to the blonde as well. She loved the octopus too!!! A gasp of awe and WONDER escaped from the woman’s lips as she gazed upon the beauty and majesty that was the octopus. In fact, the weight of her shock had collapsed her onto knees as well. The effect this exhibit had on people was not to be underestimated.

Senic crouched down and leaned forward until she could feel her breath on her face. “I am so glad you feel that way,” she whispered with a slow but solemn nod. Extended her arms out, she lifted her newfound friend—yes, they were FRIENDS now—back up to her feet in a swift motion. However, their bond had yet to fully evolve into something magical until each of them acquired one important thing: their names!!

“I’m also Senic!” came her cheery introduction. “Like when you open a can of soda and everything goes FIZZZ and SHHH after you shake it, y’know??” Okay, that last bit was completely unrelated, but she just had the urge to share. She had always wanted to tell someone about this revelation of hers, but most people ran away every time she wanted to spread her knowledge (and her hugs). But not this time!

The blunette returned to her original post by the tank, with her face and hands pressed against the glass in her mesmerized state. “Do you like swimming?” she suddenly asked, whipping her head around to make eye contact with the stranger-turned-pal. There must be a reason for this afternoon visit to the aquarium! And since aquariums held water, this woman must love to swim! What better way to bond with someone than to open up about your hobbies and interests.


@ashe

The blunette let out a gasp. Her new best pal loved octopi and swimming?! This. Was. AMAZING. Fortune was certainly smiling down on her as she clapped her hands together in glee. For such a hastily established friendship, they already had so much in common. At this rate, others would simply mistake them as being one person!

But wait, did Senic even like swimming? This thought, unlike the rest, had lodged itself in her mind as the blonde preoccupied herself with strange mutterings. She, like herself, was probably celebrating this unexpected yet fruitful turn of events. However, the student simply could not shift her focus onto anything else besides the issue of her aquatic preferences. If Ashelia liked to swim, then she ought to as well, but her ability to recall such facts was reliably unreliable.

She turned her head to gaze into the tank. The water looked so exciting. A sense of longing overwhelmed her senses. The blonde’s inquiry was heard but not addressed, for immediately afterward, Senic was no longer pressed against the glass in wonder. No, this time, she was on the opposite side, staring at Ashelia from inside the exhibit.

HIII! was what she would have screamed had her oxygen supply not been replaced with something less mammal-friendly. She stood there inside the tank, waving frantically like a child caught on television. Teleporting sure came in handy. Her expression showed not a hint of worry as bubbles escaped from her nose and mouth. Though her body tried to rise to the surface, she withstood its buoyant tendencies by pressing against the glass with all her might.

This is the best!!! she would have said. Alas, her voice was swallowed by the surrounding water.

The world was a blur from her perspective. Her eyes were not made for underwater sight, and her lungs were certainly not built for this sort of environment either. A strange phenomenon occurred: the longer she stood, the more difficult it was to breathe. She tilted her head in confusion as air bubbles drifted upward. How long did this usually last again?


@ashe

Wow, this holding-your-breath thing was getting tougher by the second. Fewer bubbles swirled around her as her lungs depleted their air supply, but how could she quit when she just got started? But the tightening of her chest reminded her that her underwater adventure was over. She didn’t even get the chance to pet the octopus.

As soon as her face matched her hair color, the blunette decided it was time to stop drowning. Plus, her new friend looked like she wanted to say something to her! Flashing her an exuberant yet strained grin, she felt herself pop back into the realm of air-breathers. Water splashed against the aquarium floor as a sopping wet Senic returned to her spot beside the Frenchwoman.

“Did you see me swim???” Well, in actuality, standing at the bottom of a tank didn’t exactly qualify as “swimming,” but boy, was it a blast! Everything was blurry and muffled and downright freezing! Why she was the only one to discover this, she’ll never know.

Her clothes hung heavily with the added weight of water, and the air-conditioned building did nothing to help her shivering. She wrapped her arms around herself to fend off the cold. Gosh, aquariums felt like giant refrigerators! “I think I need blankets,” came her shaky voice.


@ashe