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The shiny white sand of the shore reflected almost as much sunlight as the ocean. Tiny granules like little coals against the feet of the many, many beach goers that swarmed in fluctuation all around them. Off in the distance, the ocean pulsed on and ever on, hissing and sighing with each wave. It was perhaps the most textbook example of a beach day one could ever dream of.
“I thought the point of laying on the beach was to tan, Cereza?”
Including the occasional irritated tone of her present company.
Opening one eyelid by a sliver, Cereza looked up to see Jeanne staring across the open expanse of the ocean. Or at least, that’s where Cereza guessed she was looking, it was a bit hard to tell with the broad sunglasses Jeanne wore.
“And what does it look like I’m doing?” she replied as she luxuriously stretched her arms to the side and then brought them forward to prop her chin up on her hands, the warm fabric of the beach towel softly tickling her palms.
Jeanne titled her head to look down, her white hair spilling over her shoulder in pretty waves. “You look like you’re enjoying yourself, though as you know, it will take you hours before the sun will have any effect on your skin,” Jeanne reached up and shifted her sunglasses up to rest on her head, her gun-metal grey eyes shining with amusement, “one of the many side effects of our contracts that might be more of a hindrance than a help, at least in this situation.”
Shrugging one shoulder with minimal effort, Cereza grinned. “Who says I can’t enjoy a little sunbath anyway? Just because I gain power from moonlight doesn't mean I can’t enjoy a bit of sun,” Jeanne opened her mouth to reply- “I am half Lumen after all.”
Whatever Jeanne was going to say was lost as she snorted in amusement and rolled her eyes, leaning back in her reclining beach chair. “Oh yes, the prime example of Lumen techniques, absorbing the deadly rays of ultraviolet radiation to cosmetically alter one’s appearance.”
Cereza reached over and prodded Jeanne’s thigh just hard enough to make her jump. Jeanne replied by swatting her hand away.
“Besides that, I wasn’t asking about your current position, I was asking about mine,” Jeanne gestured at the broad umbrella over her head, which cast a comfortable shadow across the length of her relaxed body, “while it’s lovely you set this up, I’m a bit confused as to why I’m sitting in the shade.”
Pushing herself up to sit on her knees, Cereza stretched her shoulders and was pleased at the way Jeanne’s eyes momentarily unfocused as she flexed. “Because dearest, while we may be guarded from most of the sun’s deadly rays, I recall a certain someone being a bit more susceptible than she would let on.”
“That was centuries ago!” Jeanne snapped up, her spine rigid with indignity, “I haven’t been sunburned since I was a teenager, Cereza!”
“Oh?” Cereza leaned closer, “Then what happened last month when you came home from that ‘Professors Party’ out on that lake boat?”
The smallest hint of red bloomed on Jeanne’s checks and she glanced away. “It was… a minor burn. But it was because I was both in the sun and on the water, the rays reflected off the surface and magnified the effect. And it was gone within an hour after I got home!”
“You,” Cereza raised her hand, “were” she reached forward towards Jeanne who eyed her with suspicion “sunburnt!” she shot her arm out and gently ‘booped’ Jeanne on the nose.
Jeanne grunted and swatted at her hand for a second time, but missed. “I already agreed to wear sunscreen!” she said with a deepening frown as Cereza giggled, “I hardly think the umbrella is necessary! And what about you? You’re not wearing any and you’re sunbathing!”
“I’m of more Iberian stock than you, Jeanne of Arc,” Jeanne rolled her eyes so far skyward that Cereza mildly concerned she might lose them in the back of her head, “I can take quite a bit more sun than your fair French skin.”
With a huff, Jeanne turned away and sank back in her chair, dropping her sunglasses back over her eyes and crossing her arms, her pretty pink lips still frowning
“If you’re just going to coddle me Cereza, why bother coming here at all?”
Cereza leaned in under the shade of the umbrella and rested her arms atop Jeanne’s silky legs, her fingers lightly rubbing small circles along the inside of her thighs. “Because it is a beautiful day, because we haven’t had time for just the two of us in far too long, and because you look absolutely wonderful in that bikini of yours.” she took a very long look up and down Jeanne’s perfect body, her slim ruby bikini leaving little to the imagining, something she was definitely appreciating.
“Well I hardly think-”
Jeanne froze for a split second, and then surged forward. Curving her upper body over Cereza’s, and flicking her arm out faster than the eye could see.
Cereza only heard a ringing SMACK before she was twisting herself from under Jeanne’s guard and turning to face the threat-
That of the blurred form of a volleyball slapping into the chest of a running man so hard that there was an audible encoring SMACK. He flailed backwards with a shrill yelp, feet kicking up grains of white sand as went down. Their fellow beach goers (whom they had been successfully ignoring up to this point) all jumping at the commotion.
“Whoa hey! Wicked arm there!” A second man jog over to his downed friend. Both were shirtless and probably the prime ideal for deodorant commercials filmed on the beach, chiseled tan bodies and sun bleached hair.
Cereza relaxed against the chair again, Jeanne’s calves tense against her back, likely both from fending off the ‘attack’ and from a touch of irritation. She never was very patient with the males of the species.
“You alright there bro? That looked like it hurt.” The second man was bent over his ‘bro’, who just gave a very loud groan in response, he straightened and grinned in a way he must have thought charming, “Damn, you put him out for the count, what do you do for a living, blondie, cage fight?”
“You wish that was the extent of my abilities,” Jeanne muttered darkly, then raised her voice, though her tone lost none of the hostility, “you ought to be more careful with your toys, you could have seriously hurt someone.”
“There are lots of children here, boys, best to be more cautious.” Cereza added, her tone much more breezy and playful.
The upright offender had the decency to look abashed. “Ah right, I’m so sorry about that, guess the last rebound was a bit too intense.” at his feet, his friend groaned in a small voice.
“Todd, man, get me to a doc I think I collapsed a lung.”
“That’s a distinct possibility,” Jeanne shifted back with a dismissive air, “the lifeguard over there should have enough medical training to be able to tell.”
‘Todd’ looked a bit confused (perhaps he wasn’t used to such a quick disinterest in his entire being), but bent down to help his friend sit up.
“Hold on,” Cereza got to her feet and placed her hands on her hips, her own sapphire colored bikini sparking in the sunlight as she moved, “while you’re off making sure nothing is broken, why don’t you let you let the two of us tag into your game?” She heard Jeanne groan in displeasure, but ignored it.
Todd half flinched, “Well I guess... I mean it shouldn’t take us long to get back and our friends...” he glanced over his shoulder.
“I’m sure they’ll be glad to have someone to play with while you’re out, and really it’s the least you can do after almost striking us with your ball.”
The dubious look on Todd's face was priceless, but he was smacked in the ribs before he could protest further. “Dude just let them have it, take me to a doc already, and then get me a beer, Jesus.”
“Wonderful!” Cereza said before Todd could reply to anything else, “off you get now boys, we’ll keep your friends busy.” She strutted over and retrieved the volleyball from where it had been half imbedded in the sand (Jeanne had struck it so hard she was slightly surprised it hadn’t lost any air) and airily waved at the two as they limped off to the lifeguard stand.
“No.” Jeanne said before she had even managed to fully turn and face her.
“I’m not asking dear,” Cereza trotted forward, leaned down to snag Jeanne’s wrist with the hand not cradling the ball and then deftly tugged Jeanne up and out of her chair, “you were just complaining about how bored you were with sitting around.”
“I was complaining about the unnecessary umbrella, I was enjoying the sitting around aspect.”
Cereza ignored that for the sake of her argument. “Now we can go have some traditional beach fun, and if the friends of those two are anything like them, you’ll probably enjoy putting them in their place.”
Jeanne fell into step beside her without further protest, her fingers deftly pulling all her long white locks of hair back into a loose ponytail that swayed tantalizingly against her back. “At least I will get some time in the sun this way, since you seem keen on keeping me out of it.”
“That’s the spirit!”
The volleyball net was not very far from their spot, but it was mercifully somewhat less crowded around the area, likely to avoid such incidents that had nearly just occurred to them. However, rather than two more brawny beach boys on the other side of the net, Cereza was pleasantly surprised to see a pair of women who were as equally chiseled as their former game rivals.
One of them laughed and put her hands on her hips. “Did those two chicken out already? I thought they would have stuck around until we at least lead them by ten points.”
“Oh your friends had a little bit of an... incident, and had to sit down for a while, so we offered to tag in for them.” Cereza could tell she was going to like this game.
The two women exchanged a glance, both of them grinning. “Well, if you’re sure, but I’ll tell you the same as the dudes who fostered the game on you, we’re pros at this game.”
“I can’t say that I’ve spent much time playing the game,” Jeanne called back, flexing her arms and smirking challengingly across the court, “but Cereza and I are nothing to sneeze at when it comes to athletic endeavors.”
“No witch time.” Cereza murmured in an aside to Jeanne, who faintly scoffed but tipped her head in acknowledgement.
With another conspiratorial glance between them, the women stepped back to the court. “Alright, let’s see what you’ve got!”
What they had was a vicious dynamic of unspoken cues and tells that let them work as if they were one being in two bodies, inhuman speed and agility, and fundamentally competitive natures. What they lacked was knowledge about the rules of the game. So for every brutal serve and each swift return, there was a mishap or out of bounds shot that cost them a point in someway.
Not too mention that their opponents were extremely good. For humans lacking any extra abilities gleaned from a contracted with a demon, they kept both Jeanne and Cereza on their best game.
A final slip and subsequent grounding of the ball was the last point they needed to win the game, after nearly an hour of rough and blistering play.
“Damn,” the taller of the two women (who’s name they’d learned was Diana) picked up the ball and walked to the net, reaching one hand under to offer in a shake, “You sure you two haven’t played before? You’re monsters on the court!”
Cereza chuckled as she took the hand. “Beginners luck I’m sure, you played beautifully out there and it was an absolute pleasure to have a game with you.”
“You should pair up and come back next week for the tournament,” Carrie was the shorter of the two and she firmly shook Jeanne’s hand, “You would spice things right up.”
Was that a wink she had just thrown Jeanne’s way? And was that a spike of protective jealousy Cereza had just felt? My the new things she was being exposed to this day.
“Oh believe me,” Jeanne said airily, before turning at giving Cereza a wicked grin, “for us, ‘pairing up’ isn’t an issue in the slightest.”
Not many things could stun Cereza’s smart attitude silent, but that was certainly one of them.
Diana laughed. “With the way you two move together out there, I do not doubt it. Thank you for the game, that was a lot more enjoyable that our last challengers, and hey, if you decide to join us next week, the tournament is open to same day sign ups. Hope to see you there!”
“You just might.” Jeanne smirked and gave a little wave, then gently captured Cereza’s hand in her own and led them back to their own little island on the beach with their finger intertwined.
“Oh ho, what’s gotten into you?” Cereza let her voice dip into lower sultry tones, her eyes wandering up and down Jeanne’s body, now lightly shimmering with faint sweat.
“Well Cereza,” Jeanne stopped just short of her chair and turned to her, smug little grin across her lips, “it seems as if you got what you wanted, I’m actually enjoying myself, out on a very crowded and very sunny beach.”
“Perish the thought.” Cereza smiled.
“Oh hush, enjoy your victory and let me enjoy my fun.” Jeanne dropped back into her chair and brushed her hair over one shoulder, looking very pleased with herself.
Cereza moved forward and down, slinking herself over Jeanne’s reclined body with practiced ease, “Thank you for indulging me, Jeanne.” She said softly, her eyes locked on Jeanne’s. “It has been so long since we have had a day like today, and I have missed them so.”
Jeanne’s smile gentled, and she reached up to stroke her fingers through Cereza’s short hair. “Thank you for insisting we come, I really needed a day like today, you always did know how to bring me the most joy.”
They smiled at eachother for a moment more, and then in unison, came together for a long kiss.
The sun was hot against the white sand, the beach was crowded with all sorts of milling people, the ocean hissed in and out against the earth from off in the distance, but for that moment, all they knew was each other and their love for one another.