The sound of waves crashing against the pier off in the distance is somewhat soothing. My eyelids close, feeling the sand between my toes as my hair whips around the back of my shoulders violently, the breeze sharp standing next to the ocean. A small exhale leaves my lips when the waves rush over my feet, hurting my ankles as I brace for the impact and undertow.
With the full moon high in the sky, the light shines brightly down and settles upon the world. It's serene, the scent of the sea air filling my lungs as Ulric stands behind me a few feet.
"I still find it hard to believe you've never been to the ocean before," he chuckles as I turn around and stick my tongue out at him before returning my gaze out across the sky. I can see the stars, some constellations vividly clear while others I can't, and more so, ones I won't be able to see due to the position of the Earth.
Lifting my hand, I point out, "There's Ursa Minor, seven stars..." my voice trails off as I feel Ulric take a step forward, closing the space behind the two of us. I then motion, "The North Star, my mother always said that if I'm lost, I'm supposed to follow Polaris."
Ulric's hands touch the top of my shoulders, a shiver traveling down my spine when he states, "Well, it looks like we found an interest of your own."
This is the fourth time we've seen each other in the past week, though I'm dreading tomorrow...
...it's Sunday and the dreaded day: Dance of the Lilies.
"The observatory over at the college is astounding and you'd be able to see the constellations much clearer," Ulric says and my heart skips a beat when he mentions, "We could even go tomorrow, I have a classmate whose major is astronomy with a minor in astrology though we share one similar class. He'll be able to give us access if it has anything to do with the sky, he's onboard."
My voice is quiet when it comes out, "I... uh, I can't, I'm sorry."
"Oh, I didn't mean to..." Ulric's hands lift from my shoulders drawing away slightly as I release a sigh. Turning around on my heels to face him, he quickly turns me around, his arms around me, telling me in a tone I haven't heard, almost as a warning, "Never turn your back on the ocean, it's dangerous."
My heart is beating fast as my back is against his chest, feeling the heat rise in my cheeks as I feel foolish. My voice evens out as I clear my throat, "It's not that I don't want to. My parents have made other arrangements for me tomorrow night. I'll be attending an event per their request." I pause, releasing a groan, "Trust me, I'd rather not."
"How about Monday after my classes?" Ulric asks and it makes me feel special that he wants to help me see the things I'm interested in further.
"Umm...I won't be able to until later," I swallow hard.
I can hear him breathe in above me, wondering if he's enjoying the scent of the seawater as I am, knowing you don't need super senses for that, something any human can enjoy. His arms slowly fall away from me, realizing he's been touching me longer than normal, though he states, "That's alright, we can meet around...midnight?"
That, I definitely might be able to do...Odette will show me empathy after having to stand the Dance of the Lilies.
"Sure!" I close my eyes, the wind hardly moving me as Ulric's solid form provides me some protection. It's enjoyable being able to spend time with him. He's never once asked me why we can't meet during the day, though it works well because of his work schedule. However, he could have suggested something during the day on a Sunday for instance, though that has never come up and I'm happy that I don't have to try and lie. It would end horribly...
Freeing, that's how I feel standing on the beach, at the brink of a cusp.
A smile works its way onto my lips...
...let's see how fast he is!
"Come on," I smirk, hardly waiting but half a second for a response.
I quickly move to the side, turning and pushing off the sand as I begin to run down the beach at a somewhat normal pace for a human...though, I might be cheating and going slightly faster. Waves crash beneath my feet with each step I take, seeing the tide pull out before rushing back up onto the sand.
A giggle leaves my lips before I suddenly exhale a gasp, turning to look out across the waves crashing in, surprised to see Ulric alongside me. His eyes meet with mine briefly before he suddenly rushes ahead of me, my eyes widening.
Is he like some Olympic athlete as well?!
Trying not to enhance that much further, afraid I might draw suspicion, however, even as I attempt to accelerate gradually, Ulric is the first to reach the posts of the pier. He leans his back against the furthest back, staring out across the waves.
"You're pretty fast," Ulric mentions as I stand alongside him.
"Well, not faster than you," I raise my brows, a soft giggle passing my lips.
Walking forward toward the posts of the pier, I can see many different shells littering the beach. Some are completely on display while others are half-sunken beneath the shifting sands. Crouching down, shifting, and moving the sand, I rest my gaze on a few shells, a white, creamy, brown color in a spiral shape is what I lift into my hand.
Ulric's voice is closer this time, seeing him stand near me to the side. Rising to my full height, I furrow my brows and question, "I wonder what these shells are."
"Auger shells," Ulric replies, my gaze resting on him as he says, "marine biology is another passion of mine."
"They're really pretty," I admire and then admit, "it's really neat how many things you're interested in. I've never met anyone so diverse or who wants to learn more than what is required of you for your profession."
Ulric smiles and nods, "Thank you." He then offers, "Why don't I take them home and get them cleaned up for you? I can bring them back when we go to the observatory on Monday."
That's really kind of him, so I accept his offer, outstretching my arm and showing him the shells. He takes them from me, seeing the way he's careful with them while I release a sigh. I know it's getting late and I don't want to overstay my welcome since Odette is waiting for me. If anything, I'm surprised she hasn't said boo about this.
"I...should be getting home, it's getting late," I offer him a smile and say, "thank you for bringing me out here, it's calming."
"You're welcome," Ulric nods, and he agrees, "I wouldn't want your parents to worry, let's head back to the main road." We'd taken his car, driving a good twenty or so minutes away from Paramount Conservatory. As we walk across the beach, my gaze flickers to him every now and then, just completely amazed how a misunderstanding morphed into an actual friendship. This is more than I could ever have asked for, being able to have this type of connection as I know it might not last long, considering everything.
Ulric brought towels with him so that as he has me sitting in the passenger seat, he takes water and runs it over my bare feet. When he goes to try and dry my feet, I shriek with laughter, telling him as I pull my knees to my chest, "Don't! I'm so ticklish there."
"Oh, really?" He arches a brow, noticing a devious smirk makes its way onto his lips as he suddenly grabs my ankles, once again trying to dry me off...though, in all honesty, it's funny how he tries to tickle me in between.
It's only when most of the sand is left outside of the car, do we leave the beach long behind, leaning against the door while staring out the window. The ocean fades out of view after a while, though, the moon follows us like a bright shadow.