Who: Polyhymnia/Shiri Eneas and Ares/Ian Carmichael What: Chance meeting Where: The beach When: Sunday, July 20th (Yes, tomorrow) Warnings: Ares being charming. :P
Ares hadn't been to the beach for a while, he usually took the time to go surfing early in the morning for a bit. He liked the exercise and he liked showing off his great body. More then once he had picked up some hot girl or guy, more then one kind of exercise in one day was very enjoyable.
When he came to the beach he noticed the service on the beach but he simply ignored it all, he just muttered ["Stupid Christians"] before finding a good spot to surf.
"[Blessed Christians.]" Shiri murmured softly as she resisted every instinct in her to sing “Onward Christian Soldiers” with the congregation on the beach. Sitting just far enough away from the morning beach service to have plausible deniability, but close enough to hear every word from their charismatic preacher, every note sung from the people and and every strum of the intoxicating guitar strings. If it wasn't on the beach she would have joined them, but so public...
Like an addict, she knew better than to roll the joint in public. Better to just get the contact high.
As she rose to her feet, abandoning her backpack and yoga mat in a pile on the sand, she smiled untroubled under her wide-brimmed sun hat and the morning breeze made her blue and teal sun dress cling to her still slightly damp body from the shower she took after her morning yoga instruction. She had come here to dry off before returning home... Then her precious Methodists were on the beach. Part of her heart missed them... The part of her that could ignore how traitorous it was.
She shook the hand of the preacher as she passed him by, the song was still on the lips of his flock. The muse couldn't resist the inspiration that coursed through her to him, and then with their song softly and unknowingly on her own lips, she went near the water's edge to wade in to the bottom hem of her dress just at her knees.
Yes, that was definitely the way to dry off.
Ares had been surfing, burning off some energy and fighting the boredom he had been feeling since the battle against the Egyptians. Fighting had been fun, it had made him feel more like his old self again, it just had not lasted long enough.
He was taking a break from surfing, he was lying on a big towel letting the sun dry his body.
Shiri had noticed the man come back from surfing. Even in Miami, home to muscular bodies, it was rare to see one as ripped and developed. She followed him with a sly glance from the corner of her eyes until he reached his large towel and then pulled her gaze away. All her time in the modesty obsessed Middle East had taught her to be subtle. Besides, she had this ocean to splash her hands along...
Because yes, this was the way to continue drying off. The muse have given up on such endeavors.
Ares knew he was good looking and never hid it, never through the ages had he felt the need to blend in. He had the looks and he showed them off.
He of course knew she was there, he didn't survived so many centuries by letting his guard down. He wasn't subtle when he watched her, he openly looked her up and down.
And she was very accustomed to being stared at. Quite frankly, it was nice to be stared at openly as he was and not in confused surprised and poorly hidden stares like she was more odd than the piercers that had earrings all over their face. It's why she didn't move away from her splashing or do anything not to encourage him.
Ares sat up a little, every movement making his impressive muscles ripple, after his nice surf enjoying the female form could only make this Sunday better.
Okay, splashing time was over. There was a difference between sea misted and wet and she didn't fancy the latter. Shiri wanted to be dry by the time she returned home, so she left the surf and glanced at the man who was admiring her as she passed him to return to her things and make sure they were still there. In a committed relationship yes, didn't mean she couldn't flirt.
Ares watched her return, if it was up to him it would not end with simple flirting. He had an one track mind when it came to women, most of the time. "Lost something?" He asked, using the English accent which came with his mortal 'disguise', when he saw her walk past him again. He smiled in a friendly helpful way.
"Hopefully not. But beaches are tricky when one leaves their possessions." She replied in an almost sing-song tone as she looked to the man again, her pink eyes only momentarily giving him another once over before returning her attention to her things. He certainly had everything in the right place, now hopefully her backpack would be much the same. It seemed okay she determined and then let the bag drop back to the sand. "Would not want to have to chase a robber. It is hard to run in the sand."
"I would have gladly chased a robber for you." People who knew him would think Ares was up to something, and they would of course be right. He was at the beach because he was bored, surfing was fun but it was not as much fun as playing with a pretty mortal. There was no fighting to be done, no blood to be shed and physical exercise was always more fun when done with someone else.
"Put yourself in danger for thirty dollars and an easily cancelled debit card? Dangerous." Shiri turned to face him completely, easing her weight on the balls of her feet and then her heels to sway slightly as she took up full eye contact with her. She always did attract the brave ones and the way the sun was in the sky… she had time to play. " You must be very brave."
Ares would have loved to have a reason to chase some mortal thief and maybe even get into a fight with him, but no such luck. So, instead he focussed his full attention on the girl and tried to not look cocky, but he failed. "You inspire braveness." He flattered her, catching a mortal thief was not really something brave in his book, but the girl could not know that of course.
Inspire braveness? Shiri lit up with a smile. Someone would say there are not many differences between bravery and religious zeal in certain circumstances. How many times had she inspired a mortal to face martyrdom… Too many times to count. "From just passing by? Hmm, there must have been some in you already, stranger."
One of Ares' domains was courage, besides he knew he was brave. "Beauty like your's would inspire any man to be brave." He was pretty impressed by the lines he was coming up with. "My name is Ian." He introduced himself with a little nod of his head. "Why don't you sit down and talk for a bit." He wanted more then just talk, but for now he was being Mr. Charming.
"My name is Shiri," she continued on in her sing-song tone, making no attempt to not speak in it. She was flirting after all, no reason to be boring. Teasing, no reason not to have fun. "Is your towel big enough for the both of us?"
Ares moved over a little, there was more then enough room on his towel for what he wanted to happen. "Of course there is, Shiri." He recognized flirting when he saw it. He knew that not all flirting would get him what he wanted but he had to try, he was male after all.
Easing down beside him, Shiri tipped her wide brimmed hat back a little on her head so he could better see her face as she settled her skirt along her knees. The water still glistened along his skin and she could easily see his board. "You like to surf? I have never gone. It seems very difficult."
Not hiding his admiration of the her body Ares looked at the water on her skin wondering how it would feel to lick it off. When Shiri spoke to him he looked up into her eyes. "Surfing isn't very hard, I am sure you would do very well." He shifted a little bit closer to her, "If you want I could teach you." He was not the most patient of teachers but for a pretty girl he could pretend to be.
The muse was not a shy woman; she just pretended to be. She blushed lightly under his admiration, her pale cheeks taking up a light pink hue. Shiri let the bare skin of her arm graze his as she giggled softly, "Perhaps another time when I have a swim suit."
Ares wouldn't complain if Shiri was surfing without a swimsuit but he knew so called modern man was pretty prudish. What was wrong with showing off once body? "Any time you want." He said instead of suggesting to surf naked. "What brought you to this beach on a Sunday morning without a swimsuit?"
"I was on my way home from work. My hair was all wet and I wanted to dry off surrounded with lovely things." And watch the Methodists have their service, but she felt no reason to add that. It would just sound odd and tacked on.
"There are lovely things around here?" Ares flirted, "I only see one lovely thing." He never let his eyes leave Shiri's as he spoke. One could not have Love as a consort for centuries and not pick up a trick or two on the way.
Shiri heard that line constantly, but that didn't mean she didn't like to hear. Especially from someone outside her mortal… He was required to say it. This Ian was saying it as part of the chase and that’s the reason she blushed more and played with her skirt lightly like a schoolgirl. "Quite a flatterer."
"Just speaking the truth." Ares watched her blush and play with her skirt. A good chase made the price at the end only better. "When it comes to beauty I do not lie." He added he shifted a little, not really moving toward her but it made him 'accidentally' touch her knee with his. He pretended no to notice though.
Oh, the accidental knee touch. A classic. Shiri liked the classics. Getting a little more comfortable, she let her knee brush against his to continue the contact. This was a fun game. She really hoped it wasn't going to cause her a lot of trouble, but that bridge would be crossed later. It was nice when strangers said she was beautiful… of course she was. She was a muse, but… sometimes when she was alone she wondered it because of the curse along her skin… This was nice. "I will have to believe you then, Ian. Do you come to this beach often?"
Ares was enjoying the fact that Shiri played along, he liked a good chase and a good fight but at times it was nice to flirt and be flirted with. "I only come here when I have time." He leaned back on his arms, making sure that his knee did not move away from her's, his impressive muscles nicely on display. "I own a big horse farm which takes a lot of my time."
The modern world requires the woman to play along a little or the chase got very weird, very quickly. Shiri made no attempt that her eyes followed him as he leaned back, watching the display. More mortals should look like that. There were too many ugly people and they were all in her yoga class it seemed. But she nearly squealed in giddy delight as his words caught her ears, "You have a horse farm? I love horses!"
Ares didn't miss the excitement in Shiri's voice, "I do, I breed Friesian horses." He was proud of his horses, not really the kind of horses he was used too in the old days but they were strong and powerful. "You are welcome to visit and ride them if you want." He offered, no chasing needed here, she would come to him or at least he thought she would.
Fresians? Be still her heart. Not only magnificent draft animals but the horses that carried her Templars to Jerusalem Crusade after Crusade. It had been so long. Her excitement was almost like electricity crackling along her skin. "You would let me ride them? Really? Really, really?"
Ares smiled, it was almost a real smile. He didn't smile for real often but then again he didn't meet someone like Shiri everyday. He sat up and grabbed his jeans, he pulled a card out of his wallet and held it out for the girl, "Any time you want."
Greedily, she snatched it up. Sure, she could easily go riding on Nick's horse ranch but these were bigger and more to her liking. Shiri grinned without restraint, "Are you doing anything Wednesday?"
Ares was the boss, he could do on his ranch what he wanted, when he wanted and with whom he wanted. "I'll make time for you." He said as he leaned back again. "Just tell me what time and I will have a horse ready to ride for you." He would let her ride him anytime but he was not going to say that out loud just yet.
Shiri looked up to the sky again. The sun had moved a bit… Enough for her to know she should be getting home. She had promised her mortal silver dollar pancakes when she got home. But if flirting would get her to ride a Fresian, she would continue. Even as she stood up, she allowed her arm to glide along his, her knee to drag along his until she was at her feet again. "I will call you. Certainly. But I have to get home now."
Ares looked up at her, openly looking at all her feminine curves. "I'll be waiting for your call." He was so sure of himself, he would have fun with her on Wednesday.
Shiri was certain she would have fun with his horses on Wednesday. "Soon, soon. Anticipation makes the world go round." She giggled lightly and then waved before dashing off, snatching her bag and yoga mat in one fluid motion. It was hard to run on sand, but she was light on her feet and graceful… and had much experience making her way across it. Now it was time to go home to her sleeping beloved mortal.
Ares watched her go, enjoying the view he got of her backside as she ran away. The easy way she ran through the sand should of course have warned him that he was dealing with another family member but he was not thinking with his head as he watched her.
Summary: Ian and Shiri meet at the beach, flirt and make a date for next Wednesday. They do not know the other's true identity.