i reach out to my lifeline, the angels laugh in paradise
Eleftheria feels a little rush of warmth snake through them as the stranger compliments them with a genuine smile. It occurs to them that they're putting a lot of trust into this man, someone whose name they don't even know, as he turns them so that the side of their shoulder is nearly touching his chest. He continues to explain in many words what the next steps are, but El is only half listening at this point, beginning to wonder whether they should just get out of here in case the man has malicious intentions. They aren't completely convinced that he's dangerous, however, and he's being a good sport about teaching them to swim...it's not as if El is giving anything to him in return. They take a breath before deciding to continue on unless the man does something to give them a bad feeling.
His voice and touch, however, are gentle, giving El the opposite of a bad feeling. After a moment of hesitation, they turn their head to look him in the eyes with a little grin and say, "I'm El, by the way. Figured you should at least know my name before cradling me." There is a teasing light in their eyes before they turn away and do a big hop to go straight into a floating position, feeling safer to do so now that they know the man will hold them.
It doesn't go very well. There's a swooping feeling in El's stomach as gravity shifts around them, and their upper body goes a little too far backwards into the water, drawing some of it up their nose. Yet again, they splash around and grab onto Bart with flailing arms, righting themself and spluttering water from their nose and mouth. Fuck, this is embarrassing. The water is salty and itches their throat, mouth, and nose unexpectedly. They take a minute to cough things out, waiting a couple more breaths and wiping the water from their eyes.
"Okay, I'm gonna go slower this time," they say, before doing exactly that. On the third try, they make an effort to keep their face above water and let their free hand drift out. Their eyes are squeezed tight, and their heart is beating fast, but to their surprise, they don't immediately sink. In fact, they actually begin to float a little. It's taking all of El's self-discipline not to tense up and move around, knowing now that doing so will ruin the whole exercise.
His voice and touch, however, are gentle, giving El the opposite of a bad feeling. After a moment of hesitation, they turn their head to look him in the eyes with a little grin and say, "I'm El, by the way. Figured you should at least know my name before cradling me." There is a teasing light in their eyes before they turn away and do a big hop to go straight into a floating position, feeling safer to do so now that they know the man will hold them.
It doesn't go very well. There's a swooping feeling in El's stomach as gravity shifts around them, and their upper body goes a little too far backwards into the water, drawing some of it up their nose. Yet again, they splash around and grab onto Bart with flailing arms, righting themself and spluttering water from their nose and mouth. Fuck, this is embarrassing. The water is salty and itches their throat, mouth, and nose unexpectedly. They take a minute to cough things out, waiting a couple more breaths and wiping the water from their eyes.
"Okay, I'm gonna go slower this time," they say, before doing exactly that. On the third try, they make an effort to keep their face above water and let their free hand drift out. Their eyes are squeezed tight, and their heart is beating fast, but to their surprise, they don't immediately sink. In fact, they actually begin to float a little. It's taking all of El's self-discipline not to tense up and move around, knowing now that doing so will ruin the whole exercise.
they say i am my own lifeline
ELEFTHERIA
