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[puckishly.livejournal.com]

You know, what's the good of having preternaturally fabulous weather if you aren't going to take advantage of it?

And furthermore, what's the good of having a sharkless lake if you're not going to take advantage of that?

And what's the good of giant squid in that sharkless lake if you don't occasionally descend to the depths to taunt them?



Hence, enter one Puck, now breaststroking rather rapidly towards the shallows. His jeans are slowing him down somewhat, but all in all he swims like a fish: If you're looking hard, you might even catch a flash of gill.

Once safely in shallow water, out of Sunshine Dust's (rather considerable) reach, Puck sits up in the water and sighs.

"Terribly sorry, darling," he calls, a little breathless.

Summertime, and the living is easy?

Comments

[cheerychaplain]

There is a rather jumpy-looking slight man, who had been walking along the shoreline, watching Puck with some misgivings.

He is also nervously looking around an awful lot, though that has nothing to do with the swimmer (or so he thinks).

"Er. Nice day for a swim?" he asks.

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

Puck glances up to Mulcahy and brightens.

WHY HELLO, TOTAL STRANGER.

"Oh, quite," he says, cheerful. "One really must mind the squid, however."

[cheerychaplain]

"...Mind the squid," Father Mulcahy repeats, politely confused-as-all-get-out. "Are there very many squid in the lake?"

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

"Only two, that I know of," Puck replies, splashing idly; the water's not much higher than his waist. "But one never does know when there will be more."

[cheerychaplain]

"And they're ... dangerous? Squid?" he asks.

It's a nice day; there are people scattered here and there along the lakeshore. In the distance, a woman laughs. Father Mulcahy twitches and looks over his shoulder.

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

Puck follows the twitch and the look with well-concealed amusement.

"It depends," he says of the squid, in the tones of one who is attempting to be diplomatic. "I shouldn't say they were dangerous, precisely ... but all the same, one does well to stay out of their paths when one can. Though that can become difficult; they are so very large."

A beat, and then he really can't resist.

"... Aught amiss?"

[cheerychaplain]

Mulcahy really doesn't know quite how to respond to the treatise on squidly size and habits.

So he doesn't.

"Ah, no," he says, with another glance behind him. "I just thought I might have recognized a young woman's voice."

[weeper-of-blood.livejournal.com]

Le Chiffre is out in the sun, and ohmygod he has his shirt sleeves rolled up! But he's still wearing black so no change there.

Though he's mainly out to watch the Universe go by and think whatever villainy thoughts that occupy his mind, he's also found himself peering over at the jean clad Puck who seems to be calling to someone..

".. Not drowning your partner I hope?" Well, Le Chiffre would probably apologise mildly if he drowned his girlfriend. So..

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

Puck turns and blinks up at him, utterly innocent.

"Me, sir?"

He doesn't really know all that many pseudo-aristocratic businessmen, all things considered.

[weeper-of-blood.livejournal.com]

He blinks in response and turns his attention to looking somewhere behind Puck at an incredibly amount of nothing, "No, the other impish individual behind you."

If Puck is going to play innocent, the Le Chiffre gets to do sarcasm.

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

"In which case," quite gracious, "as the only imp that I can see, I shall have to answer you no." A smile. "I am simply taking my leave of the squid."

[weeper-of-blood.livejournal.com]

"Squid?" He sounds mildly surprised, but not at all shocked by the revelation, and he's not even sure if Puck is being serious anyway. "I'd be careful, I heard they're quite temperamental creatures."

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

Puck's still sitting in the shallows, and thus far hasn't made so much as a move to stand; all the same, he's watching Le Chiffre carefully behind the smile.

"Did you?" he says, tilting his head curiously. "Then I should say we're quite a match for each other."

[call-me-kick.livejournal.com]

And then a child appears near the shore, almost fairylike in her gracefulness as she picks some stray flowers, admiring their colors as well as the vibrant colors of the summer around her.

Puck has never seen her before, nor has she seen him, but she has been warned by her uncle, that we can be certain of.

Oblivious, she settles down in a patch of grass nearby and begins attempting to trace figures in the clouds with her finger.

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

After a moment, Puck tilts his head curiously and turns to watch her.

"What are you up to, little mistress?"

[call-me-kick.livejournal.com]

"Trying to see the shapes in the clouds," she says, a line of concentration denting her forehead.

"They're being very difficult today."

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

"Ah," he says thoughtfully, and glances up at the sky.

After a moment's squinting consideration, he gestures and says:

"That one, I think, is a hen-- you know her by the trail of chicks. And the other by her feet seems very like a crocodile."

[call-me-kick.livejournal.com]

Kick hums thoughtfully, tilts her head, and squints at the clouds.

"No," she says, and points at the one near the cloud!hen's feet. "That's an alligator."

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I think not," Puck protests, pouting. "You see the dark spots, just there? Those, I expect, are his crocodile tears."

[will_scarlett]

Will likes to do his swimming in the inlet and its rare to see anyone going that quickly and can't quite make out who it is from where he's relaxing in the water. So calls out,

"Need any aide, sir?"

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

Puck pops up, splashing water, and peers around curiously.

Will gets a slow smile.

"Oh, I'm quite all right, sirrah," he says. "Though if I do require any, you shall be the first I seek out."

[will_scarlett]

As soon as Will hears Puck's voice is takes a great amount of will to not panic, but he's in the inlet and Puck's over there, so its fine. He'll just dive down for a bit to hide the fact he's gone very pale and is trying to remember if Puck sits with any court and is connected with Molly's world.

From the stories he knows, Puck is on the edges and has never mentioned Dresden and Molly's world so he probably had nothing to do with her kidnapping hopefully. Finally he comes up for air when he can't really hide anymore with a horribly fake smile,

"Aye, sir, glad to know o'it."

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

Puck does not giggle at the smile. Really.

(Except in that way where he does.)

"And how do you fare, Will Scarlett?" he calls. "Not in need of much aid yourself, I hope."

[will_scarlett]

"Well 'nough, sir, glad to see ye've yer memory back."

He's wondering how long he can stay in the water and finally decides this is rude and doesn't do to be rude, just won't mention Molly ever.

So Will carefully swims towards the shore and comes out, his paleness making his freckles, scars and the fact he really doesn't tan at all more apparent as he bows to Puck while heading towards where his shirt, boots and knife are.

[puckishly.livejournal.com]

"Yes."

That is Puck's only reply on the matter of memory. Meanwhile he wanders out of the water and in Will's general direction. He himself has neither shirt, boots, or knife, but he seems not to mind it.

He returns the bow courteously, and perhaps a touch extravagantly.

"Have you much head for rhetoric, Will?"