Goblin Town -- Logs

Kahiau is careful in reaching for the food, eating calmly and deliberately. The two shark-men are actually rather pleasant companions for breakfast. Cinnamon thinks for a bit before she curiously checks with Kamoho, "So... are the people who talk to whales, that you want to ask about maybe helping me... are they really hard to find or something? Is that why it'll take six months?"

Kamoho considers this. He seems to consider almost everything before speaking. It's as if he's either filtering through a translation program... or perhaps just trying to be diplomatic. "The people I need to speak with do not perceive time in the same way you do. They are... unhurried."

Cinnamon thinks about that for a moment... then nods slowly, "Okay, I think... yeah, that makes sense." She grins shyly, her voice rueful, "I think I need to learn more of that myself, actually!" She laughs softly, has another sip of her drink, then beams at Kahiau, "So, where are the things you want me to return, please? Oh! Also, I asked Kamoho -- and he said your name is a hint! Isn't that awesome?!"

Kahiau replies, "The wallet, clothes, and telephone are near here. I have a small cache of clothes I can wear. I normally come at dark, when people aren't as likely to get scared by a large naked man."

Cinnamon is startled into a nervous giggle at that! "Ahh... y-yeah, let's... not have you walking around naked, please. Umm... can we give you a lift to the location, maybe, since it's- oh!" She goes silent for a moment, her eyes shining as she stares out at the lightening horizon... then she points at the color-splashed sky just above the ocean. Her voice is quietly awed, "Look! Look, everyone -- the sun is rising!"

Everyone turns to watch. Cinnamon watches silently, her body still as she does so. The sky flushes pink, salmon, and rose, the hues intensifying into glorious swathes of scarlet and rich orange... and then the brilliant white of the sun just tips over the edge of the ocean, into the burst of color that precedes it. The two shark men are both humming quietly to themselves, and swaying slowly. Thorn's legs are curled up as he takes a sip of his drink. There's something soothing and relaxing to him about watching the sun rise over the Pacific. Shane looks dreamy, long legs stretched out in front of himself and ankles crossed as he leans back on his elbows. He does murmur, "Tell me where the clothes are at and I'll retrieve them."

Behind the little group of observers, birds burst into song, and the warm breeze laughs softly as it drifts past in greenery-scented richness. Cinnamon finally sighs, moved almost to tears by how beautiful this moment is -- well past any of her dreams, and far more beautiful than she believes she deserves. She's got good food, dear friends and possible new friends... and they're all in... Hawai'i! It's far more than a little fat girl from the Chicago suburbs ever expected! She takes a moment to surreptitiously wipe her eyes behind her glasses, then have another sip of her orange juice... and then she smiles uncertainly at Shane, "Could you- uh... well, thank you? You're right; it'd be a lot easier for us to get to the stuff if Kahiau doesn't have to worry about, er... about being seen?"

Kahiau looks thoughtfully at Shane, then nods once and gives the lean young man directions on where the cache of clothing is. Shane unfolds himself from the ground, then leans over and pats Thorn on the shoulder, and kisses Cinnamon on top of the head, "Be back soon, Thorn, acushla." He seems unconcerned, leaving his companions with a god and a former man-eating wereshark.

Cinnamon grins shyly up at Shane, her eyes sparkling. She watches him walk away for a bit -- mm, Spice and Josie are right; Shane does have a very fine- er, a, umm... he, ahhh... looks good on the departure! She blinks and giggles slightly at herself, then hastily turns back to the two shark-men, "So! Um, so is there... anything else I can do for you guys?" She smiles at Kamoho, "I know from my reading that you're a Pacifica deity, sir, so... do you know anything your human people need, maybe?" Thorn smiles quietly as he notices Cinnamon's gaze after the departing Shane. She's going to be so happy when they're together, he thinks.

Kamoho leans his head back and closes his eyes, soaking in the sun as if it's something he doesn't do often. His hair brushes the ground as he rumbles thoughtfully, "My people are... getting somewhat overrun. They are welcoming, though. The native people of my islands are being pushed to the edges of their own homes -- and not just the islands; the lands at the edges of the oceans, too. But I do not know what they need for that. Not the human ones."

Cinnamon thinks for a bit, considering Kamoho's words. Finally she says carefully, "Do you mean they are... losing their land to... to, um... well, to rich people who come in and think they can buy and own the land, and push everyone else off it? Or is there some other, um... do you mean something different, please?" She adds in slightly shy explanation, "I, er, want to be sure I understand, so I don't make mistakes."

Kamoho nods, "Just so." He motions around them, "This land is beautiful. People want the beauty. But then they cut it up into little pieces."

Cinnamon nods ruefully as she looks around, pushing her glasses up, "Yeah, I've... kind of noticed that." She sighs thoughtfully, her voice troubled, "That... is a really big problem. Honestly, it's probably going to take me a while to figure out how to maybe fix things -- especially since I'll want to be sure I'm doing what the people actually want and need. But..." she smiles a bit uncertainly at Kamoho, "I'll... certainly start trying to figure it out. I've got time to listen and learn, after all. Might as well try to do a good job with that too, right?"

Kamoho nods and smiles again. The expression would really seem threatening if you weren't in the habit of watching someone's eyes, and the other parts of their face, for their actual feelings, "I will speak to my other peoples as well." He pauses, then delicately adds, "I would not recommend immediately trying to speak to Pele. Let me be your go-between, and meet me again in six months. I will have more information for you then."

Cinnamon grins nervously, "I, umm... wow, I think I'd be really freaked out if Pele wanted to talk to little ol' me for some reason!" She nods as she happily adds, "I'll be delighted to meet you here again in six months! Should I wait for... like, about a month or so, once I arrive, for you? That's what Kahiau said he'd do for me, after all...?" She blinks and abruptly wonders if she shouldn't have mentioned Kahiau and eating people -- she hopes she didn't just get him into a world of trouble with his deity!

Kamoho shakes his head, "I will be here on the new moon, six months from now. So you should only need to wait three days."

Cinnamon blinks at that... then grins, "Okay!" She's pretty sure she won't have to worry about moon madness from a shark! There is some quiet conversation after that... and then Shane returns with clothes, a wallet, a set of car keys, and what looks like the kind of lockable bag that businesses use to drop off their deposits at the bank. Shane speaks quietly with Kahiau about the car keys, and finds out the car is garaged in a long-term parking lot sometimes used by people who work on nearby islands. Cinnamon smiles at Shane, "May I see the wallet, please?" He hands it over, and she checks the driver's license, looking for both what the young man looked like... and what the license's expiration date is.

Thorn looks over as well at the wallet. He too is curious as to who... well, who Kahiau ate. But it's more than just morbid curiosity -- he sincerely wonders who this person was. The face on the license is tanned, but definitely caucasian. Blonde and overbarbered, he looks like someone who probably pays a lot of money to look like he just rolled out of bed looking that way. Artfully rumpled hair, blue eyes... it's hard to tell from the driver's license, but if he had a surfboard, it's a good bet he was trying to cultivate the surferboy image.

Cinnamon sighs softly in relief... then tilts her head thoughtfully. How interesting! She's glad Kahiau didn't eat a nice island boy... why is that? Doesn't she feel any connection to the white boy -- since she herself is also white? Cinnamon considers for a long moment... then shakes her head, a slight smile on her face. No, she really doesn't feel any connection with the guy. If anything, he reminds her of someone Candi would get along well with -- someone who wouldn't even see Cinnamon herself, if she walked by, and would cheerfully mock her to build himself up in Candi's eyes. Add to that the fact that Cinnamon knows she's a supernatural now, and she knows she isn't a hopeless case -- that she is a good and worthwhile person -- well... yeah, she's sorry the poor boy had to die, but she's not aghast. Cinnamon smiles ruefully to herself, and checks the license expiration date.

The license isn't expired yet... but then, licenses are often issued for 5-10 years. Cinnamon sighs in exasperation. Well, that tears it. She's not going to be able to actually give this back to the family... she's going to have to just make sure it's someplace where people will find it. She flips the license closed, then hands it back to Shane, musing aloud, "So, how do we get it back to the family without them knowing who found it? Hm... anonymous call to the police, maybe?" She adds in explanation to Kahiau, "We don't want the police picking us up either, after all... especially not on suspicion of being the cause of his death."

Thorn shakes his head, "That'd make it even more suspicious." He considers for a moment, "There should be a lost-and-found box somewhere nearby, either in a hotel or a place like that?"

Cinnamon smiles at Thorn, "That's actually a really good idea, as long as we're sure there're no cameras on the box. I figure the car will emerge soon simply because I doubt the guy purchased parking for more than about five years at a time. That's about as far as those sorts of places will let you pay for." She pauses at a sudden thought... then pulls her cell phone and checks for the family name on-line. How well-to-do is this family?

Kahiau asks, "Why is it better if it's expired? It would still be suspicious."

Cinnamon smiles at Kahiau, "If it were expired, I could just take it to the family. I'd tell them that I found it, and I knew something had to be wrong, because the guy would have gotten in trouble for driving on a long-expired license. So it clearly had to be lost."

Kahiau nods slowly, "But if it's not expired, he would be looking for it... and since he is missing still, it would cast suspicion. I see." He rubs his chin and considers.

Shane is thinking as well, "I can't do any of the talking in this, but... if you can park the car somewhere that it would get towed but there aren't a lot of security cameras...?"

Cinnamon hmms, "Well, if we know where the car is parked, could we maybe call the office and ask how much longer there is that's all paid up, on that car? Because if it's going to run out soon, then we could simply drop all the stuff but the keys into the car... then leave it to be found when the parking contract runs out." Shane considers that, as Cinnamon checks the keys to see if there's any kind of identification on them. Excellent! Looks like the car key actually has a tag on it with an address.

Kamoho listens quietly to the discussion. Kahiau says, "Or break into the car really clumsily and set off the alarm. They'd try to contact the owner then... especially if the wallet was in the car."

Thorn thinks, "Hrm. If you're looking to get closure for the family... well, the car is going to be impounded by the police when the parking fees run out. You then don't want the wallet to be languishing in an anonymous lost-and-found box. But I'm not sure how to guarantee that the wallet will be found, and I don't want to rely on the police to go to the effort of trying to find the guy or his family."

A couple of searches online find that the guy was reported as missing but the leads have gone cold. Kahiau explains that he changed the license plates, and the parking isn't in the dead man's name, "That's why we need to make sure the wallet is found with the car."

Cinnamon nods thoughtfully, "Okay... so we drop all the guy's stuff into the car, except the keys -- or wait! Different license plates? Hmm... how's this sound, then? Let's just drive the car to someplace where the police will impound it, then change the plates back, and leave the car, all his stuff, and the keys there. How's that sound?" Then Cinnamon frowns, "Except... that's still suspicious, darnit. Hmm... I'm thinking just leave everything in the car, then. Change the plates back, tuck the keys someplace under the car -- like the owner did it, so he wouldn't have to carry keys with him -- and then... just let the parking contract run out?"

Thorn thinks it was already suspicious when the license plates were changed, but he doesn't say that. "All things considered, that might be the best thing to do," he says. "The police will be suspicious, but there'll be no leads they can follow."

Kahiau says, "That will take a couple of years. The trail will be very cold."

Cinnamon nods to Thorn, unaware that her thoughts are very similar to his, "Makes sense to me." She gives Kahiau a curious glance, "A couple of years? Why do you say that, please? I mean, you said this guy was one of the first you took and ate after losing your eye, and that you lost your eye five years ago. Unless there's something really weird about this parking garage, the parking contract should run out in no more than a year, right?"

Thorn says, "Not to put too fine a point on it, but the trail should very well be cold. I know it puts the family in continuing distress about their missing son, but the alternative is... well, telling the family the truth -- which we can't do."

Cinnamon nods to Thorn, "Plus, if they've got all his stuff back, it's a big pointer towards his being dead. That'll give them the closure Kahiau said he wanted for them." She smiles inquiringly at the cursed shark-man, "Did I get that right?"

Kahiau nods slowly, "Yes, the contract should run out soon. Yes... this is a good plan."

Cinnamon beams, "Okay! Good. I'm glad you're happy with this. So, let's see... Shaney, I know you can look really different when you want... like with a hoodie and stuff? So, um... do you think you could sneak in and put all the guy's stuff into his car maybe, and tuck the keys someplace discreet underneath it?"

Shane chuckles, "Of course, acushla. Let me get some gloves, a hoodie, and some big damn jeans, and I'll look like the bummiest of beach bums."

Cinnamon giggles at that, then leans to hug Shane, "Thanks so much for helping out like this!" She's a bit pink when she straightens, hastily adding, "So! Um... right. Kahiau, does that take care of everything to your satisfaction then? Kamoho, is there anything else you want to say or ask or anything?"

Kamoho nods slowly and looks at Kahiau, "You are learning. It is good." He stands and begins to strip down to skin again, "I think I shall return to the water."

Cinnamon turns an even brighter scarlet shade, her nervous squeak slightly muffled by her hands flying up to her mouth as she hastily looks away! She manages to remember her manners enough to stutter out, "Th-thank you very much, m-mister -- er, I m-mean, Kamoho -- f-for coming up and sh-sharing breakfast with us -- and looking for someone who m-might talk with me!"

Kamoho is absolutely unconscious of the fact that Cinnamon is blushing like mad. He nods and says, "It was a pleasure." He looks at his adopted son, "Will you come with me? Or do you need to stay?"

Kahiau looks at the others, "Do you need me?"

Cinnamon grins embarrassedly, peeking between her fingers at Kahiau, "I, er, I th-think we're... okay?" She glances inquiringly at Shane, to see what he thinks -- since he's the one who'll be going in to the parking garage.

Shane considers, then asks, "One question... did you keep the old tags?"

Kahiau shakes his head, "No. I threw them in a dumpster." He adds, "But the registration is in the glovebox, and I didn't do anything to the VIN."

Cinnamon nods and holds up the keys, "Here's the garage address on the keys themselves, Shaney!" Thorn is actually glad that they're flailing a bit, here. He doesn't like thinking of the small group as a bunch of criminal masterminds. There's no helping that the family are going to be suspicious, but at least there'll eventually be closure of sorts.

Shane bounces the keys in his hand thoughtfully as the two shark men head for the water again, and murmurs, "It's too bad he switched the plates, really. But... sometimes you can't get everything perfect. But at least this way, the guy isn't going to be just 'missing' -- they'll know he's not coming back."

Cinnamon nods gravely to Shane, "That's probably the best we can hope for, yeah." She sighs, watching the two forms slide into the water and out of sight... then starts folding up the towel and beach shorts. "Hopefully we can get this taken care of right away tonight..." she beams sunnily up at her two friends, "because that means we'll have the rest of the week to just relax and enjoy ourselves on vacation!"

Thorn has watched Colombo enough to remind Shane to purchase things only with cash. The half-beansidhe nods and finds a place to buy a pair of truly outrageous jeans -- and when he says 'huge jeans,' what he means are a pair with very wide legs. The ones he ends up buying also seem to have a complex network of D-rings and straps on them. He also gets a beanie and a hoodie, and a box of nitrile gloves at a drugstore. Then the half-beansidhe asks Cinnamon if she can help him get his hair braided and wrapped up under the beanie.

Cinnamon carefully wipes down the wallet and other goods so there are no incriminating fingerprints, then happily braids Shane's hair for him -- though she seems to take a bit longer than is absolutely necessary... and apparently has to run her fingers through the long, dark strands a couple times, so as to ensure she's gathered it all up for the braid! Admittedly, Shane is perfectly capable of braiding his own hair. He's done it every day for most of his adolescent and adult life, since Janet never made him get it cut. After all, his father has this same style of hair, and Quinn's is now long enough to have to be put in a double-braid so it doesn't brush the floor. But then, Shane didn't say he didn't know how to braid hair to put under a beanie -- instead, what he said was, "Acushla, can you help me with this? The kind of braid to fit under a hat can be tricky." It is a perfectly true statement! It's just also true that he mastered the trick of braiding by the time he was 13. Later, Cinnamon will remember that Shane knows how to braid his hair, of course... but right now she's having a perfectly lovely time!

Once that's done, Shane dresses in the hoodie, jeans, beanie, and a pair of boots that add a good two inches to his already not-inconsiderable height... for the trip to the garage to drop off the keys. Cinnamon looks a bit worried before Shane heads off, "Are you, um... will you be okay? Will you need help? Er... is there... anything else you need?" Thorn does not fool himself; he too is nervous and worried -- but if nothing else, what they're doing is the right thing for the greatest number of people.

Shane's normally erect posture is changed -- he's slouching. Even his walk is different, but when Cinnamon asks if he's okay, he smiles. "I'll be fine." He smiles at Thorn too, "I don't have any ID but this on me." He holds up the wallet and keys, adding, "They catch me, I'm going to say 'I was bringing the keys to the address to return them.' After all, there's no phone number on any of it, and that's a perfectly true statement, yes?"

Cinnamon nods a bit worriedly -- but makes herself just give Shane a quick hug, and wish him really good luck! "Do you want us to come along for just in case?"

Shane hugs back and shakes his head, "Stay at least a mile away. I'm not taking a phone or anything in with me. I'll be in and out." He grins, "Remember, I was trained by Quinn to get in and out of places quick and quiet."

Cinnamon sighs worriedly and nods -- and carefully doesn't mention at all that she's going to be anxious until Shane gets back! "Okay. Stay safe, please!"

Shane slouches off down the road. If they didn't know it was him, it wouldn't seem like Shane at all. Usually, he doesn't slouch... he strides. He doesn't walk like he's got a stick up his behind, but he's got good posture and he walks with confidence. This guy looks like he's likely stoned out of his mind. It's a tense hour and a half or so, but he comes back looking just the same: slouchy but unmolested. Cinnamon sighs in relief when she spots him returning, excitedly calling to Thorn, "Shane's back!" She nearly flies out of the little AirB&B house to hug Shane tightly, "You made it! Thank goodness! We're so glad you're back!" A heartbeat later she realizes she's being way too publicly touchy! She hastily steps back, flushed but still beaming with relief, "Yay! So... so now we can just relax and enjoy our vacation... r-right, guys?!"

Shane takes off the beanie and starts unbraiding his hair with a grin, "I told you I'd be fine." But he's happy to hug her back, "It was a quick in and out. I had to actually use the physical key on the fob -- the battery was dead. But I got the door unlocked, stashed the wallet and the key under the seat, locked it and got out."

Cinnamon sighs and relaxes, "Wonderful! That's a relief."

Thorn lets out a breath and smiles, nodding. He caught Cinnamon in her flight out of the house to Shane, but he says nothing about it yet -- just nods at Shane's description, "Good!"

Shane starts shrugging out of the hoodie, leaving him in a tank top, "So... what are we doing with the rest of our stay?"

Cinnamon grins excitedly, "W-well, I know there's several really beautiful mountain parks in Hawai'i, and, um, the... beach? I mean, we d-don't have to go swimming, of course, but... it's probably really nice to walk along, and... maybe to... like, lie in the sun with good books and cold drinks? Maybe?" Thorn is already trying to think of how he can let these two be alone together. Fortunately there's no Marcus present, either! Cinnamon adds wryly, "I... don't think I want to hike to the very tops of the active volcanoes, though, since I agree with Kamoho that we should let him do any talking with his sister... but the rest of the mountains are supposed to be all lush and green and gorgeous!"

Shane considers that, "Beach. I think beach. With all the sunscreen. Beansidhe burn like mo... we sunburn really quickly. But I'd like to go for a swim." Cinnamon nods quickly at that! She's happy to see a partially naked- er, nude! Right, use the correct word... um, yeah... bathing suit on Shane. Hmm... must get a big floppy hat for her too, in that case -- so she can hide the blush!

Cinnamon, of course, does not have a bathing suit. What she has instead are T-shirts, jeans, or her new batik sarong... and flip-flops, and her new, very large and floppy hat! She also has a pair of the very large sunglasses that go on over one's regular glasses. With the hat, it hides most of the cheerful young woman's face... even her little scarlet braid is still short enough that it's hidden by hat brim flop. She too needs a lot of sunscreen, though she's happy to pack a nice, big picnic lunch for them all... along with a few low, folding recliner chairs, a big beach umbrella, lots of towels, and a good book she's found on the Hawai'ian deities. Shane helps pack up towels and sunscreen, water and snacks, and more for the beach. He also makes sure Thorn is coming, since Shane is trying hard not to spook Cinnamon too much. She keeps rabbiting on him if he's too flirtatious or too intense, and he's got the suspicion that if he tries to flirt while he's wearing a swimsuit, she's going to freak right the hell out!

Thorn is happy to carry stuff to the beach, and also includes a small first-aid kit because he's paranoid like that. He did bring his own bathing suit, and remembers to wear sunglasses -- even though it mutes the light, he doesn't want to go blind accidentally! It's been years since he was at the beach; he's looking forward to the relatively novel sensations of sand, surf, and sky. Shane whips his hair into a braid and shrugs out of his tank top when they get to the beach. He gets the sunscreen on by himself mostly, but does need help getting it on his back.

Cinnamon blinks at Shane's (quite courteous) request for a bit of assistance... then has to swallow once or twice before she can make herself move. She'd been slathering the sunscreen on her arms, neck and face, and feet, like usual -- everything else is covered by clothing. But she just can't quite bring herself to pass up an opportunity to... t-to... well, like... r-r-run her hands... all over Shane's back! She's almost petrified at that thought... but despite her shaking hands, she carefully squeezes a bit of sunscreen into one palm, then smoothes it over the pale skin. It's... almost mesmerizing! She realizes after a few seconds that she's used up all the sunscreen, and she's just stroking him now -- which causes her to snatch her hand back, mortified and hoping Shane didn't notice! A splort more of sunscreen, and she continues... reminding herself to go slowly... wow, this is... like, really nice...?! She's almost a bit disappointed, despite her incandescent face, when she finishes!

Shane noticed. Shane definitely noticed but he was absofuckin'lutely not going to call attention to the petting -- or ask her to stop! He's sitting there quite peacefully: knees pulled up, arms across them, eyes closed... and lips curled into a mischievous grin. Were he his father, he might have made some sort of remark -- but luckily for Cinnamon's equanimity, he's not Quinn! Instead, he simply smiles over his shoulder when she's done, "Thanks, acushla. I'll have to ask for you to reapply that later. You're supposed to do it every hour or so if you're swimming." He gives her foot a light squeeze and hops up, trotting off to slide into the water.

Cinnamon just sits there for a few moments, the sunscreen bottle in one hand and the other hand still covered in lotion. A small sigh escapes her as she watches Shane... then she blushes more hotly as she glances sideways at Thorn, "S-sorry, uh, Th-thorny -- umm, d-do you want sunscreen too?"

Thorn blinks and smiles, "Oh, no, I'm fine! Thank you, though." He amusedly wonders just how much reading Cinnamon is going to be able to get in! Despite that, he takes it slow, stepping bit by bit into the surf and seeing what sensations resonate with him; what he feels: the warmth of the sun; the chill of the water; the, uh, 'wetness' of the ocean; the crumbling of the sand beneath his feet... though he does hope to at least avoid the sting of the jellyfish! The chill of the water does seem a wonderful contrast to the sun's heat. The breeze off the ocean has the scent of salt in it, while the sand on the beach goes from crumbly, to soft and smooth under the water. Ocean water has a different feel to it than other water, too... there's a thickness and texture there that freshwater does not have.

Cinnamon sighs once again as she watches Shane sport through the water like a porpoise... but then she mentally scolds herself: stop staring! She'll scare the poor guy away, at this rate! So she busily sets up the big umbrella, sets out the towels and chairs for them all, pulls out a nice, frosty can of soda from their cooler... then settles happily into her chair with her book. She wants to learn all about Hawaiian deities! -- and once she's finished this book, maybe... something on cetaceans, maybe? That'd be fun!

Shane knows he's taking shameless advantage of them being away from Marcus, away from Coblyn, away from everyone except Thorn -- who has been very much having Shane's back on the romantic front -- to gently step over the boundaries. He's not pushing Cinnamon uncomfortably. He's just giving her safe chances to do the things he suspects she wants to. Without Hilde or Aisling or (goddess forfend) Marcus there, he can slide into the parts of him that are beansidhe and let those bits of him that are a little mischievous shine through. No Hilde or Aisling is important because they'd playfully tease Cinnamon about what he's doing -- and it would ruin Cinnamon's ability to relax around Shane. With Marcus, well... it's Marcus.

Like the braiding. Not only can Shane braid his own hair, he's learned to braid it into a tight crown around his head so he can fit it under everything from a beanie to a chainmail coif. He can even do fairly intricate decorative French braids on his own head if he's got a mirror, good light, and enough time. Asking Cinnamon to do it? That's pure indulgence. He hasn't forgotten her asking the young man on Sparrow's rez about his hair. He hasn't missed her looking at his own hair. He knows how wonderful it can be to let a lover brush and play with your hair -- it's an intimate and sensual touch. It can be downright erotic, without being so naughty as to have to be done in private... and it can be played off as asking for a bit of help from a friend.

But it certainly didn't feel like 'just a bit of help from a friend.' It felt like finally letting his acushla pet his head and do something that lovers sometimes do for one another -- without putting pressure on her, or making her feel like he wants something she's not ready for. It got her hands stroking through his hair and over his head. It got caresses, instead of just hugs and sometimes hand-holding. It was amazing -- and he was so, so glad he was already wearing the loose, heavy jeans.

And the sunblock? That was premeditated, after the braiding -- he didn't feel a bit bad about it! Well, not until afterward... when he realizes he's hoist on his own petard.

Sitting between Cinnamon's knees and letting her stroke her hands over his back, down the line of his spine, and over his shoulders was bliss. When Shane carries tension, it's in his shoulderblades. Her hands moving over him there? It's lovely. He's glad he's facing away from her, to hide his grin when he realizes she's run out of lotion and is simply stroking his skin. He wouldn't call attention to it, and risk having her stop, for all the stars in the sky! His training in martial arts allows him to keep still and keep quiet despite the shivers that want to slip through him, and the soft sounds he wants to make. If he'd responded the way he truly feels, she'd rabbit for sure!

Instead, he simply sits still, soaking up the touches, and doesn't point out when she's forgotten herself. When he thanks her and stands up, he faces away from her and just looks over his shoulder to smile and give his thanks -- because turning around would have given away a lot more than he wants to! He's forgotten one crucial thing: swim trunks are made of lightweight material, and don't hide things nearly as well as a kilt and heavy sporran do.

He'd never thought he'd be happy ocean water could be so damned cold!

While Cinnamon is reading on the beach, Spice gives her a call. Cinnamon blinks at her purse -- who could be calling her here? She fumbles out her cell, then brightens and answers, "Hi, Spicy! How're you doing? How's everything and everyone on the Valkyrie? Oh! Also, is Josie there? Tell her thanks a ton from me -- her suggestions for the magical comb were perfect!" She beams happily, adding, "Grandfather Shaman even said that the Dawn we added was very auspicious!" She pauses to let Spice reply -- but then remembers one more important thing she wants to share: "Oh, again! Also, um, also please tell her that Jaeger says he can shelter the moon-eyed folk under their trod for the holidays -- so we won't be in a rush to explore under Coblyn, and can take the time to do it right!"

Spice is sitting with Josie in their cabin on the Valkyrie; the young wolf-woman knows her sweetheart is up to something from the mischievous gleam in her eyes! However, all the hacker says is a cheerful, "Awesome! I'll let her know." Of course, the phone is on speaker... but Spice doesn't say that out loud... yet. "Is everything as fuckin' amazing there as you expected? Have you gotten to go swimming yet? I've heard the fuckin' beaches are sweet!"

Cinnamon laughs! "Oh, the entire island is gorgeous!" She pauses a moment, glancing around herself... good, both Shane and Thorn are off in the water... then adds more quietly into her cell, "Also, Spice? Remember how you and Jo-Jo and I would joke about Shane, um... looking fine?" Her soft giggle is a mix of nerves and happiness, "Oh my gosh, Spicy! You will not believe what happened to me -- he asked me to put sunblock on his back! It was so... so neat! ...that I actually didn't realize for a moment that I'd run out of sunblock, and was just running my hand all over him!" She blushes as she hastily adds, "I, um, I don't think he noticed... well, I sure hope he didn't! But... b-but... wow, it sure was nice feeling!"

Spice almost cackles. In the background, Josie has to clap both hands over her muzzle to keep from being heard on the speakerphone as she too giggles madly. When she's caught her breath, Spice says, "Ooh... naughty Bosslady! I'm sure he wouldn't mind being petted."

In the background, Josie giggles and whispers, "Maybe even heavy-petted!"

That gets Spice to throw a pillow at her! Then she takes the phone off speaker before continuing, "Are you getting out in the water? Swimming? Getting Shane to teach you to surf?"

Josie snorts amusedly, "Shane grew up landlocked!"

Cinnamon grins shyly at the laugh -- she's glad Spice thinks she's fun! At the questions, though, Cinnamon blinks... then hastily adds, "Oh! Also, you didn't say -- how's everything going on the Valkyrie? Are you all having fun?"

Spice chuckles, "We're havin' a goddamn blast. I think Josie likes bein' around all the wolves, and now that they got the fuckin' memo, no one's on her about havin' pups."

Josie raises her voice this time, "Not now, anyway. Maybe in a few years!"

Spice says, "Quit changin' the subject, too! Did you actually take a bathing suit with you? You gotta get in that ocean!"

Cinnamon laughs! "Is that Josie in the background? Don't forget to tell her thanks for the Dawn suggestion!" She pauses, not really sure how to answer... then finally smiles (a bit nervously) and admits, "I'm sorry, Spicy, but there aren't any bathing suits that look good for girls my size... but I'm still having a wonderful time sitting on the beach in the shade and reading... and, um, watching Shane sometimes too!"

Spice snorts, "The hell there's not! Bosslady, you gotta rock that shit. Get out there -- swim! You wanna talk to whales? You're gonna have to get in the water! Tell ya what, I've got a satellite uplink -- let's find you a cute suit and get Shane to teach you to swim."

Cinnamon's laugh is wry and a little tired, "Oh, Spice, you think I haven't tried? It was... utterly humiliating, going to stores -- I even tried without my mom and sister!" She sighs, adding morosely, "Still couldn't find anything."

There's already the sound of keys clitter-clacking in the background and the mumble of voices and then there's a ping of a message coming through on Cinnamon's phone, "Check the messages, chica. I fuckin' swear, you'll love some of these. Even Josie thinks so." Cinnamon sighs, quite well aware that pretty suits on the hanger (or, in this case, online) always look terrible on her... but Spice is a dear enough friend by now that the little dragon takes a moment to look.

The suits Spice sends aren't modeled by thin women and marketed to plus-size women. No. These suits are actually modeled by women that are Cinnamon's size and shape. The ones the hacker and the wolf shifter seem to have thrown together form the search are largely halter necklines with full-coverage tops that flow into something almost like a skirt. Beneath the skirts are often bottoms that are almost like shorts instead of the panty-style suits Cinnamon is used to seeing. Some of them are one-pieces with the skirt part built in. The bodices often look like something out of a 1950s dress, built to flatter someone with a larger body type. They're often in jewel tones and the bottoms are usually black. They don't hide the wearer's figure, but flatter it.

Cinnamon blinks slowly as she pages through Spice's suggestions on the cell, her voice wondering, "Are these... they're really bathing suits? Wow... I have never seen such pretty suits before!" She gasps at once, her eyes widening in delight, "Oh! My favorite colors, too! Golly, Spice, where did you find these?!"

Spice's grin is audible in her voice, "Girl's gotta have some secrets, bosslady." When Josie snorts, Spice chuckles, "Nah. I searched around for plus size models and then went from there. Gotta find places that actually use models that wear the size clothes they're sellin'. Pick one and we'll get it sent." Across the room, Josie is texting Shane: Sending Cinnamon bathing suit and cover-up. Look for package from company. Don't let her hide it. A moment later, Thorn gets the same message. Elsewhere on the beach, Thorn blinks as his phone (carefully kept in a waterproof baggie) buzzes. He peers at it, and his brow furrows. Then he glances over where Shane is swimming happily, realizing the other man probably hasn't checked his phone yet. Thorn tucks his cell away quickly, not wanting Cinnamon to see him checking it. He'll have to be a bit quick at the hotel to check for deliveries.

"P-pick one? Er..." Cinnamon falters nervously, then nearly stutters, "Buh-b-but how... I, um, I m-mean... wh-what s-s-size? I, uh, I d-don't have any idea what size I am, Spicy!"

Spice's voice is a little impish, "You could get Shane to measure you."

Cinnamon's squeak is almost ultrasonic, "No! Uh, n-no, um, that, uhh..." She sighs, pulling herself together, and simply says firmly, "No, Spice. I can't. You know that." She thinks a moment, then adds, "Did you w-write down the measurements you t-took for me, for Liane? M-maybe those... might help?"

Next to Spice, Josie snorts, "Or she could choose based on, y'know, the clothes she wears."

Spice covers the cell to laugh, then reply to her sweetie, "True, but where's the fuckin' fun in that?" She grins as she adds to Cinnamon, "That's right -- there's measurements to be had. Pick the suit you want and I'll get the measurements and order it for you." To herself, she thinks, [...and possibly send the package in Shane or Thorn's name...]

Cinnamon sighs worriedly... but then nervously picks the one in her favorite colors -- a lovely, swirling melange of shades of deep emerald green, shimmering indigo, and brilliant aquamarine blue. "Wh-when should I expect th-the package, then...?" She desperately hopes she'll have a moment of peace, before the guys find out about the package, to try on the suit... so she's not utterly humiliated again if it doesn't fit properly!

Spice says cheerfully, "I'll send it express -- so, a couple days. If you've never really had a suit, do you even know how to swim?"

Cinnamon snorts amusedly, "Swim? No, not really. Umm... I can probably doggy-paddle just fine, though... and honestly, probably better if I just hang out near the shore." She mentally crosses her fingers that the package will take too long to arrive... or... maybe the airplane bringing it will have engine trouble, and not take off from the mainland? In her anxiety, it doesn't occur to her that Spice might simply be shopping on-line in stores which are already located on the islands!

Spice mms, "But we know Shane knows how. I'll message him and let him know you'll need lessons." She says this cheerfully enough, but the grin she's giving Josie is positively wicked.

Cinnamon blinks and stutters nervously, "Oh! Oh no, please -- d-don't do that, Spice! I d-don't w-w-want him to feel... p-pressured or anything, y-you know? M-maybe... um, sh-should we just wait and... and see if he offers? That way... er, it's, like, his choice?"

Spice grins, "Bosslady, I promise you, Shane's not gonna feel pressured. You know he loves helpin' people."

Cinnamon sighs worriedly, almost wiggling with anxiety in her deckchair... but finally she sighs and mutters, "Oh... all right, I... I guess we can ask..."

Spice beams and says cheerful goodbyes before she hangs up -- then grins impishly at Josie, nearly crowing, "Shane's gonna be teachin' the bosslady to swim -- Shane! And Cinnamon! Goddamn half-naked. In the fuckin' water. With Shane's hands all-the-hell-everywhere, because I fuckin' dare you to teach someone to fuckin' swim without gettin' handsy as shit! Shane's gonna have to stay in the goddamn ocean for an hour after they're done -- and the bosslady's gonna in perma-blush! It's fan-goddamn-tastic!"

Josie giggles and pounces Spice to tickle her, "You're mean! -and you're also wonderful."

Spice grins and squirms a little, not really minding at all being pounced! "Hey, someone's gotta give 'em a kick in the arse! They're movin' slower than that fuckin' glacier!"

That night at the little cottage, Cinnamon suggests going to the beach again the next day -- in the slightly desperate hope that both men will be sick of it and want to visit the mountains by the time the dreaded new bathing suit arrives. She finds, too, that she actually enjoys relaxing there on the beach, in the shade with cold drinks, good books, and the occasional sandcastle... plus the scenery sure doesn't hurt, even if watching half-naked, pretty men makes her turn all kinds of shades of pink! She expects she'll be able to manage at least one more day on the beach, sans suit, since she knows it takes time for stuff to be flown out to Hawai'i... so she's both surprised and slightly horrified to have Thorn come wandering in that evening, holding a small box that he says... is for her!

Thorn has carefully purchased a couple of books at a nearby gift shop -- one is apparently a medical thriller, and the other is a paranormal romance thriller that he's looking forward to wondering where the author got their information from. He's getting the books so that he can sit on the beach under the umbrella while Shane teaches Cinnamon how to swim. As he's coming back from the gift shop he's careful to check both the mailbox and the porch, and is chuffed to find the package for Cinnamon has arrived. He happily enters the cottage, careful to speak casually so he doesn't sound like he's in on a conspiracy, "Hey, Cinnamon! A package arrived for you."

Cinnamon looks up curiously from her laptop -- then remembers just what is supposedly coming for her! For an instant she has a distinctly trapped look, as if she's not sure whether to try simply fleeing... and then she pulls herself together again. As she reaches for it, she says politely, "Thank you, Thorn. Um... who's it from?" Oh, uuuuugh! Yep... looks like it's the suit. She hastily rises, "I'll, um, j-just check this out... in my r-room!" Fleeing is sounding better and better to the poor, stressed girl!

Thorn replies, "Sure, no problem!" -- while trying to sound as casual and non-threatening as possible. "I'll put together lunch for the beach tomorrow."

Cinnamon firmly closes her door, locking it before she turns back to the package. A few slightly stressed minutes later, she's finally made herself open the package, and is firmly reminding herself: this is a gift from Spicy! There's got to be something nice about this thing... ah! Well, the colors really are as vivid and lovely as in the photo... oh! Also, there's a marvelously colorful, all-concealing pullover wrap that Spice sent as well -- thank goodness! So Cinnamon sits on her bed... and stares at the dreaded suit for a few minutes before she can bring herself to try it on. It helps that she can reassure herself: no one else can see... and if it's dreadful, she can just... just return it. Plus, since they won't be returning to the beach until tomorrow... she'll have at least this evening to cautiously check out how the suit looks. There's a four foot tall mirror on the back of her door, after all.

Back in the living room, Shane glances up from where he was lounging and reading as well, a smile quirking his lips as he asks Thorn, "Bathing suit arrived?"

"Mm-hm," Thorn replies. "She's trying it on now."

Shane grins, "Spice is devious." He clears his throat, "Which is likely why she very, very sweetly suggested I teach Cinnamon how to swim." He smiles wryly, "I suspect I have been set up somehow."

Thorn smiles warmly, "Spice said she suggested that to you. Also something about 'hot weather' and 'glaciers melting.' I'll hold the fort on the beach."

In the bedroom, Cinnamon finds that the suit... is a shock. It actually... fits! Plus, the lower skirt hangs just right to ensure not much of her shows there, which means she doesn't feel like a hungry-hungry-hippo stuffed into a cut-off tube sock. The little dragon blinks slowly at herself in the mirror. Huh! This... what was it Spice said one time? This doesn't suck! She also tries on the wrap and is pleased at how much it covers -- as in, all of her! She carefully removes them all, getting dressed in her regular clothing again, then neatly tucks the suit and wrap away under some of her clothes. Maybe she'll... think about wearing it sometime soon! Being that exposed, though, rather scares her... so she's a bit flushed with nervousness when she slips quietly back into the AirB&B's family room.

Thorn is talking with Shane about what they should be doing that day, as he prepares lunch. Shane smiles and glances up, "Hey, acushla. I checked the tide tables for tomorrow. I figure if that's the bathing suit, the best time for swimming lessons is gonna be probably about 10:00 a.m. That'll give us time to get in a couple hours and then we can head for lunch after that."

Cinnamon's eyes get really wide, "Wh-wha- -- h-how d-d-did you know?! Th-that it was a, a b-bathing suit?!" Then she sighs and almost facepalms a second later, "Oh, crabcakes! I forgot to ask Spice n-not to mention it!" A heartbeat later she blinks again, her eyes narrowing -- did Spice pressure Shane at all? "Wait... um, you d-do know, Shane, that, uh, th-that you don't have to take time out for swimming lessons, right? There's, um, there's n-no need for... for me to bother you with that, r-right?"

Shane arches a brow over top of his book, "Acushla, you act like it's a bother to spend time with you. I know you want to see if you can talk to the cetaceans. You'll need to be better at swimming for that. I like spending time with you. I like spending time in the water. It's a win-win." He grins, "It'll be fun. Swimming's amazing."

Cinnamon blushes hotly, glancing away as she mumbles, "Oh, umm... okay, I... I guess..." She sits down at her laptop again, and spends several minutes staring at it without seeing it. In the end, though, none of her frantic, tumbling thoughts tell her how to avoid having Shane see her in a suit. It looks like she's stuck!

Later that night -- once Cinnamon has headed to a very stressed, early bedtime -- Shane murmurs quietly to Thorn, "See, the way to keep her from freaking out and backing out is to not ask if she wants to have the lessons. Instead, you tell her when the lessons are going to be. Because if you ask, she'll talk herself out of it despite wanting to do it." He grins at his friend, "She's braver than she thinks she is."

"Oh, she absolutely is," Thorn agrees with a smile.

The next morning, Cinnamon wonders to herself: how on earth did she get here?! Hadn't she sworn, after that mortifying shopping trip with her mother and sister, that she'd never get a stupid bathing suit? Hadn't she decided not to learn swimming, since she couldn't abide having people snigger at her behind her back -- and worse, not be able to see who it was, due to having to leave her glasses off while in the water? Yet here she is, in the ocean and without her glasses... and of all people, it had to be Shane... a half-naked Shane, even! -- who's teaching her to swim?! As one of her grandmothers used to put it: sweet hopping frog on a pogostick! Short of her drowning herself (and maybe that'd end the mortification?), how could things get any worse?!

Shane gets Cinnamon's help with the sunscreen again, and offers to help get her back and shoulders in turn -- or at least what little of it is exposed. The little dragon is happy to help Shane with more sunscreen, though she's bright red again by the time she's done. She's so scared to ask for help with hers, though, that Shane may realize she's actually shivering slightly from sheer nervousness as he spreads the lotion on her back... and she squeaks and startles the first time he touches her -- then blushes hotly and apologizes profusely! Shane is wearing the same trunks as before, but he still seems relaxed and cheerful, "It's gonna be fine, acushla! You'll love it. The big thing is to not open your eyes underwater without goggles. Not in saltwater, anyway. There are some swim goggles in the tote if you want to wear them."

Cinnamon sighs and thanks Shane for the offer of swim goggles, but sadly notes, "It j-just makes my already blurry vision even worse, Sh-Shaney. I really wish they had goggles you could put on over your glasses -- like my sunglasses, you know?"

Shane smiles and just keeps his voice calm and gentle, "It's fine, acushla. Just relax. I've got you." He chuckles, "I think they actually make prescription goggles for serious swimmers. Or you can wear the really big goggles. There are workarounds." Cinnamon blinks interestedly at the thought of a pair of goggles... with glasses lenses -- what a cool idea! Shane gives her shoulder a squeeze, "Okay. Let's get to it."

Thorn remains on shore, and intends to remain on the shore for most of the swimming that day, though he will be going into the water occasionally. In the meantime, he'll read on the beach, to let Cinnamon and Shane have their time together -- hopefully without any sudden departures from the water!

Shane's a good teacher. He's actually a good teacher for a lot of things just because he's calm and patient. With Cinnamon, he's got extra incentive to be gentle and calm because he really cares about her state of mind, and doesn't want her self-conscious in any way because -- as Spice mentioned to Josie -- he's going to be touching her. A lot. Very extensively. It's about halfway through the swimming lesson that Shane starts realizing just how very evil Spice is -- when he has to change his stance slightly. He's pretty certain Cinnamon wouldn't realize just what was going on, but he's not going to risk explaining an inconvenient bodily reaction... that would have her hiding in her bedroom for the rest of the trip!

Cinnamon is, unsurprisingly, initially awkward and stiff, tending to flail and splash if her head goes underwater and/or she accidentally inhales water or somesuch. However, when Shane shows her through example that she can't sink and drown instantly whenever she isn't touching the bottom -- that she in fact has to make an effort to push her whole body underwater -- she slowly starts to relax and actually hear and trust what Shane is teaching her. In fact, when she realizes the water actually supports her a bit, and that smooth, slow motions are best for moving through it... Cinnamon starts to fall a bit in love with the ocean. Of course, that feeling is greatly aided by the guidance and touch of the hands of her very first friend... something she can't quite admit even to herself yet!

Shane is the sort of teacher to praise and correct gently. His hands are supportive until he trusts Cinnamon to move on her own a bit. Since this is the first lesson, he's going to stay very close. But around the two hour mark he does call a halt. Swimming is really quite strenuous and tends to sneak up on you... because only once you're out of the water do you realize just how much the water was supporting you. He's still standing up to his waist in the water when he leans down to kiss Cinnamon on the top of her head, "Why don't you head on up and chill out with Thorn for a bit? I wanted to get out in the deeper water for just a bit, and you should rest before we go grab lunch."

Cinnamon gasps happily as she straightens in the water, then beams up at Shane. She's almost glowing with excitement, "This is so much fun, Shaney! Can we swim some more after lunch? Do you know if there's a place here on the island that might be able to make those corrective lens goggles you were talking about?" As she starts to wade out to the shore, she adds over her shoulder, "Hey, isn't there, um... is it snorkeling, I think, here as well? Do you think that'd be fun too?"

Shane grins at Cinnamon, "We can maybe do some more after lunch, yes -- and yes, I'm sure on an island surrounded by ocean that there's somewhere you can get corrective lens goggles -- though I doubt they'd be like one-hour glasses -- and I'm absolutely sure there's snorkeling." His thoughts are a bit less restrained, however: [Please, please, please, please go sit with Thorn a bit so I can get my body under control, acushla! I am trying my very best not to come off as the world's biggest creep, but biofeedback only goes so far!]

Cinnamon beams again, waving cheerfully at Shane once more before she splashes out onto the sandy shore. Pattering up the beach to the big sunshade, she pulls on her overwrap while enthusiastically burbling to Thorn about how much fun swimming is and isn't Shane awesomely kind and patient? -and she's going to try to get the special swim mask and has Thorn ever snorkeled and does he know anything about it or does he think it might be fun maybe and wow! -she sure is hungry! Back in the ocean, Shane waits until Cinnamon is well away toward the shore... and then he turns and heads out to deeper water to cool off and get himself under control.

Thorn looks up from the medical thriller -- he gave up on the paranormal romance, mostly because it didn't match anything like what he knows about elves and sidhe and the like -- and smiles to Cinnamon, "How'd it go?" -- and then he's hit with the barrage of questions! He laughs warmly, and does his best to answer each one in turn: yes, it is! Yes, he is! A special set of goggles sounds like a great idea! He did some swimming in the National Guard, but not snorkeling, and doesn't know much about it, but he does think it'll be fun -- and please, help yourself to the sammiches!

Cinnamon settles happily on the big towel, devouring a few sandwiches before she sighs and relaxes, "Wow, much better! Okay, Thorny -- let's see what we can find out!" She pulls out her cellphone and checks for snorkeling locations around the Big Island, near where they are -- as well as places they might rent some snorkeling gear (which should know what those items actually are), and maybe even a place that can make the special swim mask she wants. She chatters happily to Thorn as she finds things out: yes, there are some lovely snorkeling spots nearby, and yes, you can indeed rent the requisite equipment... oh! There's even someplace that can make the swim mask she wants!

It's half an hour or so before Shane comes out of the water. He scoops up his phone, calling out to Thorn and Cinnamon that he needs to check in with some people. It's even not a lie! Once he's far enough down the beach to not be heard, he calls Spice. When she answers the phone, Shane speaks in a calm and even cheerful voice, "Spice, I'm not actually sure whether to strangle you or thank you. So I'm going to thank you -- and then maybe strangle you later. You fucking well set me up and I just spent two hours having to sound cheerful and normal and not like a pervert and then I had to send Cinnamon off to sit with Thorn for another thirty goddamned minutes because swimming trunks don't hide a thing. So... fuck you. And... goddammit. Thank you. I'm buying you dinner when we get back."

Spice almost cackles again, "Jesus fuckin' Christ, Shane! You could pay me back better by finally getting the balls to ask her out -- but I'll accept dinner instead." She's teasing. She knows Cinnamon's still gun-shy about sex and romance.

Shane snorts, "Yeah. We all know that's not happening for a while yet -- but I'm doing my damnedest. Dinner. For you and Josie, because don't think I don't know you've got me on speaker. Hi, Jo!"

That makes the wolf shifter giggle and call out, "Hi, Shane! We love you both!" Shane just snorts and ends the call with an affectionate chuckle.

Cinnamon is delighted at how well swimming went, and excited at Shane's suggestion of snorkeling -- so after lunch she persuades the guys to drive to the little local hotel that advertises snorkeling lessons and equipment rentals. Unfortunately, as the matronly woman at the front desk tells the little dragon, rentals and training -- and custom swim mask work -- are all ordinarily closed down during the winter, when the tourists are usually gone.

Cinnamon is badly disappointed. She thinks for a long moment... then realizes she may be speaking with a Hawaiian auntie! They're often the go-to problem solvers for a community... so Cinnamon very politely tells the woman that she would appreciate some advice, if the woman has a moment. It's winter-slow in the little hotel, so the woman smiles and agrees... and Cinnamon relates that she just learned how to swim, and she's very excited about it! Also, she does not want to be a rude tourist trying to throw money around to get her way... so if her query is inappropriate, she's trusting the woman to please tell her so? The woman agrees again, slightly intrigued by now.

At that point Cinnamon asks: does the woman have, say, any family who'd be willing to teach the three of them how to snorkel, and/or would be willing to rent or loan them some gear? Or alternatively, if there's something else the potential teacher needs -- a ride to a store, say, or a grocery shopping trip, or a lift to another island, or whatever -- could Cinnamon be helpful to them that way instead? She really wants to give back in thanks for all the beauty and joy she's receiving here, after all -- she considers it her duty, as well as a pleasure! She doesn't say aloud, of course, that it actually is her duty to represent and care for the Pacifica supernatural peoples...

The matronly woman studies Cinnamon thoughtfully for a long, silent moment... and since Cinnamon got a bit of culture training as well when she learned Hawaiian, she remains respectfully silent, watching and waiting for the auntie to decide what to say. The woman glances consideringly at Shane and Thorn... then quietly makes a phone call. In Hawaiian, she tells someone on the line that she's got three surprisingly polite haoles here who would like some snorkeling training and gear... and would Uncle Kai like a short, one-day job for tomorrow, perhaps? After some discussion, the woman hangs up and smiles at Cinnamon, telling her that she's found someone for them, and they can take their lessons in the hotel's swimming pool. Also, if they go to this address (she scribbles a note down on a hotel notepad) and give her name to the guy there, maybe -- only maybe! -- he might be able to make the requested mask for Cinnamon.

The little dragon is utterly delighted! However, she also apologizes profusely, adding (in Hawaiian) that she should have mentioned right up front that even though her companions don't, she herself speaks the language! She adds that she's also very pleased to hear a respected auntie thinks well of her and her companions, and thanks the woman again. There's a little laughter and chatting back and forth... and then Cinnamon, Shane, and Thorn depart to run their errand and hopefully get a specialized swim mask for Cinnamon. The pleasant woman waves and wishes them a lovely day... and once they're gone, she picks up the phone and quietly activates the local grapevine. She thinks she might like these three haoles... so she's very curious as to how they behave when they're in more of a position of power, rather than supplicants. She's kind of hoping they're for real. Unsurprisingly, the local grapevine works well -- and so the auntie is pleased to get good reports about the respectful haoles who seem to know they're haoles, yet are still appreciative and considerate to the people and the islands.

The next day, the snorkeling training goes fairly well. Shane's a little bit of a mother hen, but he lets Kai, the trainer, do his thing -- despite knowing that Cinnamon has just learned to swim. Snorkeling is a pretty advanced thing, but he's pleased to see the little dragon really enjoying herself, and taking to it well! Shane himself has been swimming for a long time and enjoys the training a great deal. He's curious what they'll see once they find somewhere to actually go. Cinnamon is happy to give the middle-aged man what he requests as payment -- which pleases him greatly, since it'll help his family. Thus, when Cinnamon eagerly asks where Kai would recommend to go for some really excellent snorkeling, he suggests a location that's about an hour's sail away. Cinnamon nearly bounces with happiness in the water, "Awesome! Do you know where we might rent a boat, too?"

The man looks thoughtfully between the three of them... then asks a few questions about sailing. Between Thorn and Shane's knowledge of rigging and sailing, and Cinnamon's knowledge of navigation, Kai is pretty quickly comfortable with the threesome actually understanding how to sail. Uncle Kai nods decisively to himself -- the grapevine was right about these three! So he offers them use of his own sailboat. It's a bit different than what they're used to -- being a catamaran rather than a traditionally monohulled boat -- but he's pretty sure they'll be able to adjust. Cinnamon blinks startledly when she realizes he's offering his own boat! "Ohmygosh, Kai, you don't have to do that! I -- w-we -- uhh... what, um, what can we offer you as thanks for this... this incredibly generous gesture on your part?!"

Kai waves it off with a broad smile, "Nah, nah. You bring her back safe. Boat needs to be out or she starts to break down. Auntie Leilani gave the okay on you lot."

Cinnamon tilts her head thoughtfully, then grins, "Well, can we take you to dinner or something? Or bring dinner to your family?" She privately promises herself to leave the boat in better condition than they received it, in thanks for this extremely kind offer! Thorn too blinks and is... really floored by this! He doesn't quite understand why Kai is being so generous, but the healer is (like his companions) determined to bring the boat back in better condition, if possible. He also silently thanks the crew of the Valkyrie for all the training they gave!

Kai laughs, "Maybe so, maybe no. We see when you bring back my boat." His dark eyes crinkle at the corners with playful good humor. Cinnamon laughs at that, thanking the man with happiness and a warm hug. Unbeknownst to the threesome, that night the grapevine has a long and fascinated discussion about them, as well -- and so, later that evening, Cinnamon is fortunate enough to get her modified swim mask too! She's thrilled -- now they're all ready to sail out and go snorkeling tomorrow!

Shane chuckles as they get the catamaran out on the water, his hair pulled back in a braid at the base of his skull to keep it out of his face... mostly, "Either of you have to bite your tongue to keep from saying 'Oh, we'll be able to sail it. A bunch of werewolves taught us how to handle a boat, even in a serious storm!'?"

Thorn laughs as he helps get the boat out into the water, "It was a near thing!"

Shane grins at Thorn, "Oh good. Not just me, then."

Cinnamon laughs delightedly as she sits in the prow, out of the way of the boom and rudder. Her scarlet hair is already escaping the quick ponytail, fluttering about her face turned into the warm, salt-tasting breeze that's driving the little cat swiftly along, nearly bouncing along the tops of the waves. "Well, I've not gotten actual sailing lessons on such a tiny boat, but I figure it's the same principle as a three-master, right?"

Shane steps over to Cinnamon and crouches behind her, "Here, acushla, your hair's going to get in your eyes." He first rests a hand on her shoulder to let her know he's there, then -- if she stays still -- quickly plaits her hair into a braid to keep it from whipping into her face too much. Cinnamon shivers happily, after thanking Shane -- she finds she really likes having him touch her hair! She wonders for a moment: could guys like touching girls' hair the way she loves stroking Shane's? Fortunately her common sense kicks in almost immediately: likely they do for pretty girls like Candi -- but not for girls like her! That's okay, though... it's just too beautiful a day today, and the company is too nice, to feel bad about that!

The hour of sailing goes swiftly and pleasantly, scudding past as lightly as the rippling waves. Cinnamon keeps an eye out for the markers they'd been told to watch for, and sings out once she spots the tell-tale signs of the reef. The threesome quickly go through the procedure they've just been taught, including carefully anchoring the boat so they don't break the coral, putting out the flag and buoy that signifies snorkelers nearby, then pulling on all their gear and double-checking each other to make sure nothing is forgotten. After that -- and with some excitement -- they all let themselves slide into the warm ocean.

Below the water, it's an entirely different world. The sun refracts through it, making the bright colors of the darting fish and the weird, wonderful shapes of the reef into a fantastical place. It almost doesn't seem like they're on the same planet! Thorn takes in a slow breath before slipping into the water. Though the riot of colors is muted, it's still colors -- more resplendent than even the gaudiest songbird he's seen! He's stunned, almost forgetting to breathe... but breathe he does, and slowly swims along the edge of the reef. He deliberately takes his time, enjoying the flickering, water-diffused sunlight as it dances over the reef.

Cinnamon squeals excitedly -- she can see clearly with her wonderful new swim mask! She giggles at herself, then takes a deep breath... and then carefully dives deeper, kicking her fins with slow, strong, regular motions just like she was taught. It's enormously satisfying to the little dragon -- her body does just what she wants it to do, rather than being clumsy or stumbling! She beams contentedly to herself... and then starts floating along by or above the reef, admiring all the colors and motion and shapes and swift-darting, tiny, jeweled creatures. What a truly beautiful place! Shane too lets himself relax as he slides into the water, examining the life forms around the reef and being careful not to touch. He takes a lot of joy in seeing new things; he also takes a lot of joy in watching both of his friends discover this new world as well.

Cinnamon starts out the way she was taught: she periodically glances up and around, making sure she doesn't lose track of her friends. However, she's very new to this, and the beauty surrounding her is astonishing to the little dragon... and so, slowly, she starts becoming more and more absorbed in each brilliant new little creature or plant she sees... in each new discovery just past this gently fluttering ruffle of life... she does remember, at least, to listen to her body -- and so every once in a while she surfaces for a big gasp of air... then happily dives back down to continue her lovely, silent, extremely fascinated explorations.

At one point when they're both surfaced to catch their breath, Shane removed his mouthpiece and grins across at Cinnamon, "You realize you're only coming up about half as much as either of the other of us, right, bea... acushla?"

Cinnamon blinks at Shane, raising her mask and wiping her hand across her face to let the glass clear, "Uh... what? Am I doing it wrong?" She mentally checks herself: weight belt isn't sliding or anything, her breathing is still even, she doesn't feel dizzy or anything, fins and mask and snorkel all seem to be working fine... she settles the mask back onto her face, then grins at Shane before replacing the snorkel. Her voice is a bit nasal, of course, due to the mask blocking the nose, like usual, "Don't you guys like going deep too?"

Shane laughs and shakes his head, "No. Not if you're comfortable and have enough breath. I think you might have better lung capacity." He absolutely bites his tongue almost hard enough to hurt when Cinnamon asks if he doesn't like going deep. She doesn't know the double entendre she just handed him -- and he's not about to scare her off with it!

Cinnamon looks intrigued, "Better... lung capacity? Huh!" She thinks about that for a moment -- then beams excitedly, "Let's test it! Want to dive with me, and we can time ourselves?" She happily waves a hand at Thorn when he surfaces too, "Hey! Thorny! We're gonna run a breathing test -- Shane says I'm not surfacing as much as you guys! Want to dive with us, and we'll time ourselves?"

Thorn swims over and nods, "Sure, I'll be glad to help!"

Cinnamon grins delightedly, "Okay! I'll count to three, and everyone take a deep breath -- then dive underwater! Then we'll stay there for as long as is comfortable... and see if Shane's right about my lung capacity, okay? Are we all ready? One, two, three!"

Shane replaces his mask and the mouthpiece of his snorkel before he can share the comment with Thorn. He nods and waits for the count. Cinnamon takes a deep breath and dives with her friends... and then they all float relaxedly in the water for a while. Shane has good lung capacity, simply because he works out and does a lot of physically strenuous things. However, he doesn't hold his breath for extended periods of time on the regular, so he has to kick up to the surface right at the edge of five minutes. Cinnamon watches her friends carefully, and as first Thorn, then Shane rise to the surface for air, she blinks -- how cool! Apparently being a dragon lets her breath very deeply too! She's still watching when Shane descends again, and she grins uncertainly, using hand gestures to ask: should she go up? Or stay here?

Thorn has to go up a second time to refill his lungs again. He's frankly amazed at Cinnamon's lung capacity! Shane gives the little dragon the signal to stay, trusting her to know when she's running out of breath. Cinnamon nods to him, then hangs peacefully in the water... with only the occasional fin flip to keep herself floating along with the others, admiring the reef. In the end, they time her ability to stay underwater on one breath for about 25 minutes -- and the little dragon is as surprised as they! She giggles happily, hugging her friends and thanking them for both noticing, and helping her discover this nifty new thing about herself. Shane grins, eyes twinkling, "Noticing things is part of my job." But he absolutely, positively accepts all the hugs she wants to give!

Cinnamon laughs happily, giving Shane another hug before she pulls her mask on again, beaming, "Okay! Back down to wonderland, yeah?" They all exchange cheerful thumbs-ups, then dive again... and Cinnamon rapidly loses herself again in how beautiful the life-teeming reef is. She swims back towards the little catamaran each time she surfaces, of course, but she finds she's truly fascinated by the undersea!

As the three of them are exploring -- diving and swimming and finding all the beauty they can -- Cinnamon feels a gentle bump. She's utterly engrossed in admiring a particularly lovely, fluttery, brilliant scarlet little... 'thingie' she's just found! She'll discover later that it's called a Spanish Dancer nudibranch, but for now she turns around, beaming, to share the pretty little creature with whichever of her friends just reached out to her. However, instead of Shane tapping her to show her something, or Thorn accidentally bumping into her... Cinnamon turns to come face-to-face with a large, friendly... shark! Or, at least, it seems friendly...? -in that it's simply doing the underwater version of floating nearby, instead of attempting to eat her.

Cinnamon nearly flips over entirely from her reflexive jerk backwards, and a cloud of bubbles escapes her lips from her startled squeak! She pulls herself together a heartbeat later, as the shark continues its slow, curious sweep around her... then giggles at how she almost went head over heels in shock! She smiles as she keeps watching the shark, wondering if this is either Kahiau or Kamoho... or another shark entirely? Hmm... isn't it a bit big for a regular shark, though? Tattoos, that's it -- she should be looking for tattoos!

As the creature sweeps back around Cinnamon once again, she's able to spot a mark which another person might take as just a black blemish on the shark's silvery-gray skin. This is most definitely Kahiau! Cinnamon grins and raises a hand to wave at the shark, letting him know she recognizes him... though she's not sure if this form is intelligent enough to recognize her, really. Didn't Kahiau say once that he's smart enough as a shark to know he wasn't always a shark? So... hm, there's really no way to know how smart that is, Cinnamon guesses. Well... at least he's not tried to eat her yet, or anything? She grins at that thought, and the next time the sleek form sweeps past, she reaches out and lets her fingers brush along the surprisingly raspy skin.

Shane notices the very large body moving around Cinnamon and has a rush of: [Ohfuckhugepredator!]' He instantly starts moving toward her -- before his forebrain kicks in to remember: [Wait... acushla is the apex predator in this situation!] In the interim, Kahiau continues swimming back and forth for the stroking. They've seen him when they've looked down at him through the ocean... but down here in his natural habitat, he's enormous! -and eerily graceful. Cinnamon beams at the megalodon, getting more confident as he continues to slowly, peacefully circle her... and when he brushes past, she gently scritches his dermal denticles. She thinks maybe he likes it? He does seem to slow down while she does that, and he keeps swimming past her close enough to touch... so she'll keep doing so as long as he seems to enjoy it.

Eventually he rolls slightly as she scritches, and she lets her hand catch on his dorsal fin. It's no surprise to her that his greater weight and inertia sweeps her easily along through the water next to him, and she laughs in spite of herself -- this is fun! With her free hand she continues gently scritching where she can reach... while also wondering: does Kahiau-shark seem to like it too? Of course, it's hard to read a shark's emotions -- they don't exactly smile -- but he does go whirling and almost dancing through the water. He doesn't seem to be trying to shake her off, so that does seem to be evidence he's at least enjoying himself somewhat! Cinnamon giggles delightedly, continuing to gently hang on as she's pulled smoothly through the ocean at Kahiau's side. She's careful not to clench her fist -- she doesn't want to harm his fins, after all -- and when she can, she continues lightly scritching her fingertips across his sandpapery skin, in a hopefully pleasant motion. She also laughs and waves when she spots Shane, hoping he can see her against the huge shark's sleek, pale side.

Shane realizes -- after his brain catches up with his instincts -- that this creature is far too large to be a normal shark! Eventually he too spots the marking, and relaxes. He stays close, though, watching Cinnamon play with the megalodon the way other people would swim with porpoises... and he can't help but laugh! Cinnamon giggles and continues to play with Kahiau for as long as the huge shark seems interested, though she doesn't push or grab. She doesn't want to upset him, after all... though she will pause long enough to reach for one of his pectoral fins, when she realizes she's spotted a bit of fishing line trailing from it -- he must've just gotten that recently! No problem... the next time he turns, she carefully lifts it off him, releasing him and coiling the line around her fingers as he swims past her. After glancing around for a place to put the nasty stuff, she settles on tucking it into one of her weight belt pouches, so she can throw it away later on land. She grins up at the shark after that, almost surprised at how graceful and sleek he looks underwater.

Thorn swims up beside Shane, staring at the incredible sight. He's seen Cinnamon face off against gods; he's not worried about sharks. But... shark-gods? "Is... is that Cinnamon with a shark?" He's forgotten, in his shock, that he's underwater -- but at the incomprehensible, burbly sound he shakes his head and swims up to the surface, waiting to talk with Shane when the other young man comes up for air.

Shane surfaces a short bit later, removing his snorkel from his mouth to grins wryly, "It's Kahiau... but I almost had a heart attack before I realized it!" He motions at his own flank, "Saw his tattoo."

Deeper underwater, the enormous shark does a happy barrel roll when the fishing line is removed. It seems the closest he can come to a thank you. Cinnamon giggles again, reaching up to let her hand rub the long, pale belly... and when he circles around just so, she's happy to do it again for as long as he likes... at least until she has to surface again for air. At that point she beams and waves at her friends, cheerfully calling, "Hiya! It's Kahiau!" Below them, the megalodon swims past the little group, sending something of an underwater wake to surge under them... and then he's gone.

The threesome spend the rest of the day snorkeling and diving, exploring the reef, and later climbing back onto the cat to eat their previously-packed lunch. It's a great deal of fun for all of them! However, snorkeling is a physically intensive activity... so eventually Shane -- being Shane -- insists they set out back toward the island before it gets too late. Doesn't Cinnamon want to make sure to do something nice for Kai, after all? She agrees happily, and when they get back to the island they search out a small local market that's still open. Searching through it, the threesome find fresh fish, fruit, and vegetables -- the island doesn't have a lot of livestock, so getting things like local meat is largely in the seafood area. Amongst the three of them, they decide that a big basket of fruit and a good sized yellowfin would be an excellent extra gift to Kai, for the amazing day which having the use of his catamaran gave them.

Shortly after that, Kai is very happy with the shape his returned boat is in -- and he's even more touched at the gift of food the three haoles bring. In fact, they all get warm hugs from the man, and he tells them that if they ever come back to the Big Island, they need to come have food with he and his family! Cinnamon would be bouncy with excitement, were she not simultaneously tired from a day of swimming. She's incredibly happy with the day's experiences, though, and her hugs for all her friends -- not just Kai -- are warm and very thankful. This has been a truly amazing day for her!

The remaining three days of vacation are peaceful and a great deal of fun -- it's perhaps the most relaxing trip any of them have had since Cinnamon and Thorn landed on Coblyn! There's no pressure to be diplomatic, no attacks from mercenaries... in fact, once they'd met with Kahiau and Kamoho, it was all simply soaking in the sun and joy of the island! Plus, Cinnamon has learned an incredibly valuable life lesson which she'll never forget, and really loves: underwater, all of her is buoyant! Nothing feels heavy or dragging, nothing sags... she floats, she flies in water, gliding as easily as a fish or porpoise, due to her strength... and that graceful buoyancy makes her feel beautiful.

When it's time to go back home, Shane smiles crookedly, "Well, back to the grind."

Cinnamon beams up at Shane, "It's not a grind! It's hard work sometimes... but isn't it still magical for us all?"

"It certainly is for me," Thorn says. "I hope I never get used to it."

Shane smiles, "It's still amazing, yeah." He may not be speaking entirely about the work he does.

Cinnamon beams and hugs Shane, then grins happily at Thorn, "Let's go home!" Daringly, she leaves her arm about Shane's waist -- at least as long as he doesn't seem to mind! She's internally delighted to see that he keeps his arm around her shoulders all the way to the car to take them back to the airport.

At the airport, Shane goes back to the dance of checking his weapons as 'theatrical props.' Thorn and Cinnamon also both get to witness someone checking his ID, and commenting on James Smith seeming like it must be an alias. Shane's reaction is his now-classic laugh, "I get that a lot." He doesn't deny it nor insist it's his name, of course... and naturally, they let him through. The flight back is, unsurprisingly, long and tiring. Shane seems to slip into a sort of bodyguard mode -- or at least he seems to be taking the role of making sure everyone gets home safe without having to worry too much about the details. Cinnamon leans her head against Shane's shoulder when she droops a bit from tiredness during the flight... but again, it's only as long as he doesn't seem to mind. Fortunately, Shane doesn't seem to mind. Ever. Cinnamon sighs with sleepy contentment, murmuring, "This was a really nice trip, Shaney... will you and Thorny come back with me in June, when I have to talk to Kamoho again?"

"Of course, acushla. Anytime you want." Shane smiles down at the top of her head, and Cinnamon mmms contentedly again, squirming around a bit in the airline chair so she can almost snuggle up against Shane. Later she'll blush hotly at the memory of her almost draping herself on the poor, patient man! But for now... it's heaven.

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Last modified: 2019-Jun-12 19:53:32

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