//------------------------------// // Siren In The Buff (I) // Story: Camp Naturally // by Enclave2277 //------------------------------// Chapter 10 Lake Clarity Beach, Camp Everfree Timber Spruce let out a long puffing breath as he jogged beside Gilda on the beach. With every step he took, a dull ache pulsed along the entire length of his penis, causing him to be grumpier than usual. After the cosplay event, Gilda had followed through on her promise with much more enthusiasm than he’d been expecting. One wild night of making passionate love had left the young couple deeply satisfied but achy and sore in places that were difficult to ignore. He looked over at Gilda’s neutral expression and wondered just how high her pain tolerance was. Although she didn’t show it outright, it was clear by the slight wobble in her jogging stance that she was feeling the aftereffects of their night together. They’d both taken some extra-strength aspirin tablets during breakfast and guzzled copious amounts of coffee to supplement it, but at some point, they’d probably need to rest for a while and take a nice, long soak in the hot tub. Timber tapped her on the shoulder lightly, signaling that he wanted to take a quick break. She grunted in agreement and they both sat cross-legged in the sand, taking a sip from their water bottles. As gently as he could, Timber reached over and caressed her bare, muscular thigh affectionately. Gilda returned the gesture by grasping his hand and smiling. Timber felt a warm, tingling sensation blossom in his chest. Gilda always looked so beautiful whenever she smiled like that. He admired her expression for a few moments longer and sighed contentedly. Gilda leaned back slightly and closed her eyes. “Damn. We kind of overdid it last night, huh?” Timber hummed in agreement. “Are you sore too?” “Ugh. My coochie feels like it’s been stretched out by a fuckin’ taffy machine. Guess that’s what I get for ridin’ my well-hung boyfriend like a tiger in heat. Erm—sorry, Tim. I didn’t mean that in a bad way. We just gotta be more careful whenever we have sex… like that.” Timber blushed and watched some ducks that were flying by. “I know. You’re usually pretty tight down there so—uh—it’s not easy for me to fit inside you without there being… a little discomfort. I’m sorry, Gilda. I didn’t mean to hurt you in any way…” “It’s ok. I know you didn’t,” Gilda assured while she rested her head against his shoulder, “This is just your run of the mill couple stuff we gotta deal with. Live n’ learn or whatever it’s called. But—ah—why don’t we lay off bumpin’ uglies for the time bein’? At least until we’re not feelin’ like we ran a freakin’ twelve k marathon with our crotches.” Timber mirrored his girlfriend’s sentiments wholeheartedly. Since they weren’t feeling too great anyway, the two of them decided to extend their little break for a while longer. When they finally got up, Gilda & Timber went for a quick dip in the lake to wash off any excess sweat that had accumulated on their bodies. The water was still slightly chilly due to it being so early in the day, but the cooling sensation was welcome nonetheless. Neither of them had thought far enough ahead to bring along any towels. Instead, they simply allowed the sun and the wind to dry off their skin naturally. It was one of the many perks of staying at a naturist resort. You never had to worry about lugging around a soggy bathing suit whenever you went swimming. Now that they were sufficiently refreshed, the young couple continued their morning jog along the beachfront. As they rounded the corner of a more secluded section of the beach, Gilda paused for a moment when she heard something strange in the distance. Well, not strange enough in the sense that it caused her to panic but certainly out of place. Thinking on her feet, Gilda grabbed Timber by the arm and hauled him off into some bushes nearby. He yelped out loud when a few of the branches scratched up against his bare, unprotected flesh. “Be quiet!” Gilda hissed. “Ow! What the hell are you doing, Gilda? Now I’m gonna have to put on crap load of antiseptic when we get back or all these cuts might get infected. You do realize that it’s a terrible idea to go rolling around in the bushes when you’re naked, right? Hey! Are you even listening to me?” Gilda cupped her hand over Timber’s mouth and gestured towards the beach. “Yeah, I heard ya alright. You can bitch as much as you want later. Just shut up for a second so I can listen. I thought I heard somethin’ weird right over there. Hmm. That almost sounds like a gal… singin’. Damnit! Where have I heard that voice before? It’s so familiar…” Even though he was less than pleased about his current state of affairs, Timber had to admit that the voice sounded vaguely familiar to him as well now that he’d gotten the chance to listen to it. Not wanting to intrude on a guest’s privacy (at least in an obvious way), Gilda and Tim crept through the brush until they were able to see who the mysterious singer was. Just a few paces away from the shoreline stood a tall woman right around Gloriosa’s age. Her skin was a rich, golden-yellow that had a healthy glow to it in the early morning sunlight. The woman’s hair was orange, interlaced with streaks of gold that nearly matched her complexion. It was extremely curly and voluminous, almost to the point of being an afro. A thick, but neatly trimmed tuft of pubic hair in the same shade rested in-between her long legs. Timber bit his lip slightly as he observed her naked form in greater detail. By most people’s standards, she would have been considered strikingly attractive. Her breasts weren’t very large, but they were quite firm and rounded off in a teardrop shape. Lean, yet shapely muscle adorned the entirety of her lithe frame. Like that of a professional ballet dancer or a gymnast. Beside the woman sat, of all things, an adult turkey vulture. The carrion eater was an unusual beast for anyone to associate themselves with, even less so for someone like her. Yet… the bird of prey seemed to relish all the attention she was showing it with. The vulture bobbed his bald head along while she sang and groomed his dark brown feathers with a fancy, silver brush. ♫ Blue Moon, you saw me standing alone ♫ ♫ Without a dream in my heart ♫ ♫ Without a love of my own ♫ In what was probably the most bizarre thing either of them had ever witnessed, the vulture opened his beak and began to sing along with her. His voice (it was clearly male) was deep and velvety smooth with an aristocratic English accent. Not only that but he was also an excellent singer. ♫ Blue moon, you knew just what I was there for ♫ ♫ You heard me saying a prayer for ♫ ♫ Someone I really could care for ♫ Gilda’s mouth gaped open and close like a fish as she continued to watch the unlikely duo perform a duet together. A million questions ran through her poor, overtaxed brain. Who was this woman? Why did she seem so familiar? And was that an actual talking vulture? She hugged her legs up to her chest and tried her best not to panic. “Tim, what the actual fuck is going here?!” Timber scooted closer to Gilda and wrapped his arm around her shoulders. “Uh… well, I think we’re seeing a bonafide popstar singing Frank Sinatra with a… talking vulture? Look, I gotta be honest with you: I’m just as surprised about all of this as you are.” “Woah. Hold the fuckin’ phone! How’s come you aren’t freakin’ out about this like I am? Is there somethin’ you ain’t tellin’ me, Tim? Do you know this poofy-haired broad from somewhere? C’mon, spill it!” Timber took in a deep breath and sighed. “It’s a bit complicated, Gilda. Let’s just say that I know a hell of a lot more about magic than I ever cared to learn about. Particularly, when it comes to my sister and some of my friends. A pretty good chunk of them have powers n’ stuff.” Gilda stretched out her legs, but crossed her arms underneath her breasts. “Like that freaky super speed Dashie always keeps showin’ off with? I didn’t realize this crap was so wide spread. Do you have any powers that you’ve been holdin’ out on me about?” “No, I don’t. But my sister does. It’s a side effect from her being possessed by the spirit of Gaia Everfree. Glory can commune with animals, grow plants wicked fast, and heal injuries in a matter of seconds. You know, like nature powers. Just do me a HUGE favor and keep it secret. She’s very sensitive about her powers and doesn’t want anyone to freak out about them. Please, Gilda? I’m really going out on a limb here and trusting you with this information.” Gilda let out a long sigh. “Alright. I’d be a real shitbag of a girlfriend if I broke your trust. I promise that I’ll keep my trap shut about your sister bein’ some hippie goddess or whatever the hell she fancies herself as. But I will talk to her about it if she opens up to me, got it?” Timber leaned over and kissed her on the lips. “Thanks! I really appreciate it.” “Sure. Whatever,” Gilda mumbled with a slight blush, “What about goldilocks and Barney the talking Buzzard over there? Do you know anything about them?” “I recognize the woman, I think. She’s the lead singer from the Dazzlings. Uh—Adagio Dazzle, I think her name was? They were pretty popular a while ago but I heard that they split up for some reason. As for the vulture, I believe Twilight’s dog could talk too. Maybe he’s similar?” Gilda narrowed her eyes at Timber. “Oh yeah? Don’t think I didn’t notice you eyin’ her up, buddy. Looks like Tim Jr’s gettin’ real excited about seein’ Adagio in her birthday suit too…” Sure enough, as Timber glanced down at his penis, he realized that it had become erect at some point. Due to everything that was going on, he’d hardly even noticed it. Now that he was aware of it, Timber couldn’t help but feel the dull ache pulse through his shaft again. He blushed fiercely and tried to think of anything to convince his girlfriend not to do anything rash. “Gilda, you have to understand that I—” The tomboy snickered and gave his arm a playful punch. “Relax, Tim. I ain’t mad. Even I gotta admit that she’s one seriously smokin’ hot piece of ass. I’d probably fuck ‘er myself if the opportunity presented itself. So, don’t feel bad about gettin’ a boner. It’s cool.” Just as Timber was about to breathe a sigh of relief, Adagio abruptly stopped singing, sauntered over to where they were hiding, and placed her hands on her hips. “You two can come over and join me, if you’d like. It’s a lovely day for relaxing on the beach and catching some rays.” Gilda chuckled nervously. “Oh—uh—how’s it goin’? We were just sort of… enjoying the bushes over here. Ya know, like getting’ back in touch with nature n’ shit. Didn’t mean to disturb you and your feathered friend ma’am.” “Please. Don’t take me for a fool. I know that you two were watching me groom my darling Lucifer. Far be it for me to judge a pair of burgeoning voyeurs, but it really is unbecoming for a camp counselor and one of the camp’s owners to spy on guests, don’t you think?” Timber scrambled to cover up his privates, but it was already too late. Adagio had gotten an eyeful of his erection, judging by the downright sultry expression on her face. “I’m sorry.” “There’s no need to apologize, Mr. Spruce. I’m quite happy that I was able to elicit such an honest reaction from you. After what happened with my sisters, I was worried that I’d somehow lost my charm. But… it appears that I’ve still got it~ And I’m not even wearing makeup today! What about you, Ms. Steelclaw? Like what you see?” It was Gilda’s turn to blush. “Fine. You’ve made your point. We both think you’re hot.” Adagio clapped her hands and giggled. “Excellent! I’m in good company then. Come along~ I’ll introduce you both to Lucifer. He’s rather shy around strangers, but he’ll warm up to you once he gets the chance to become better acquainted.” The well-groomed vulture sat on a nearby log, preening his wings. When Gilda and Tim approached him, he tilted his bald head and looked at them with a calculating expression. There was a vast intellect hidden behind his glossy, hazel eyes. When they sat down in the sand before him, Lucifer gave a non-committal snort and shuffled his claws. “Ah, so the interlopers have come to greet me. How droll.” Adagio clicked her tongue. “Lucy, that’s no way to greet potential friends!” “Ah. I had forgotten that you’ve been trying to reform yourself as of late, Mistress. Very well then. Greetings humans. I am Lucifer Morningstar. You may address me as ‘Lucy’ for short, if you prefer. A pleasure to meet your acquaintance. I hope that we may become… friends.” Timber offered his hand, to which Lucifer shook with his wing. “Timber Spruce. I—umm—I run Camp Everfree with my sister, Gloriosa. Are you… enjoying your stay so far?” Lucifer let out a low, growling grunt. Which was probably his version of a polite chuckle. Timber couldn’t really tell for certain. “I have enjoyed myself thus far, yes. A fine naturist camp you have here, Mr. Spruce. Hmm. I must say though: throughout the centuries, it has never ceased to amaze me how squeamish humans are concerning their own nudity. At least you and your mate don’t seem bothered by it. You’re certainly better off that way, in my humble opinion.” “Hold on a second. Did you just say… centuries?” Lucifer cocked his head. “I did indeed, Mr. Spruce. What of—good heavens! I nearly forgot that you are unaware of my unique condition. You see: Mistress Adagio hatched me from an egg many centuries ago and used her siren magic to do so. It had… unforeseen consequences, shall we say. It granted me increased longevity and a keen intellect as I’m sure you’ve surmised.” Adagio massaged his pink scalp. “Don’t act like coming here was all my idea, you feathery little carrion muncher. We’re celebrating your 1200th birthday, remember?” “Of course not, Mistress. I wouldn’t dare presume as much. However, you’ve always enjoyed frolicking about in the nude, if my memory serves me correctly. How does the expression go? Killing two birds with one stone. Ah, yes. That’s the one.” Adagio scratched the underside of his chin. “My dear, Lucy. Sirens don’t normally wear clothes in the first place. I’m much more comfortable walking around without them, thank you very much. I do try to keep up with the latest human fashion trends whilst in public though. In any case, no article of clothing could possibly hold a candle to the unrivaled splendor of my naked body. Just ask, Timber Spruce. I’m sure he’d agree with me whole-HARDedly~” “Perish the thought, Mistress,” Lucifer mused while he extended his other wing to Gilda, “Warmest salutations to you as well, Ms. Steelclaw. Judging by your perplexed expression, I must assume that you aren’t quite accustomed to dealing with anything magical in nature.” Gilda hesitantly shook his wing and tried her best not to freak out. “Yeah, this whole situation is way too fuckin’ weird for a simple gal like me. Erm—no offence, Mr. Lucifer. Tim, how do you even deal with this kind of hocus-pocus bullshit on a daily basis? It’s crazy!” “Well, umm—I’d say that you get used to it over time… but that’s pretty much a lie. I mean, I’ve at least come to terms with my sister’s powers and her sincere commitment to not abuse them. I dunno what else to tell you, Gilda. Just try your best to accept magic for what it is, I guess.” Gilda was still visibly uncomfortable but she shuffled closer to Timber for some much-needed comfort and looped her arm around his. “Figures. I finally get the chance to have myself a stable relationship with a great guy and just about everybody he knows is more magical than Harry Potter ridin’ a fuckin’ cruise missile to Hogwarts. Gah! What has my life turned into?” Adagio, in the meantime, took the opportunity to prance around the sand in an excited manner. She began humming a tune that neither Gilda nor Tim had ever heard before. The siren performed feats of dexterity on the beach that showcased just how much of a skilled and extremely flexible dancer she was. When she finally finished her little routine, the young couple stared at her, faces slightly flushed, and clapped awkwardly. Adagio took a theatrical bow. “What do you lovebirds do for fun around here? Lucy and I only just arrived at Camp Everfree last night. Looked like there was some kind of bodypainting shindig going on but I only caught the tail end of it. A shame, really. I would’ve loved to have participated…” Timber shrugged. “Ah—well, Gilda and I were going to hit the Rec Center and go for a dip in the hot tub. We’re… still a bit sore from earlier so, you’re welcome to join us if you’d like.” Adagio waggled her eyebrows and gestured down towards Tim’s waist. “Oh, I have absolutely no doubt that two are seriously tuckered out from having so much fun together~ Magnificent Manly Meat Rods aside, that sounds like a wonderful idea! Hmm. Are there any instruments laying around by chance? I wouldn’t mind having a decent jam session. You know, to keep me on my musical toes… so to speak.” Gilda blushed fiercely, rubbed her thighs together, and tired her best not to embarrass Tim any further. “Erm—I ain’t an expert on the subject but… yeah. I remember there bein’ a few things sittin’ around the Rec Center. Like guitars n’ shit. What do you play?” “My dear, Gilda: it would more appropriate to ask what I haven’t played.” Gilda let out an awkward chuckle. “Right on. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see when we get there.” “Tally ho! It’s off to the Recreation Center my pretties! Hahahahaha! But not you, Lucy. I don’t think the other guests would take too kindly to a talking vulture in their midst. Why don’t you fly over to the cabin and grab some money out of my purse? Go enjoy a nice, juicy steak or something else meaty.” Lucifer didn’t need to be told twice. With a regal flourish he took off towards the cabins in search of something tasty to eat. Taking that as their cue, the unlikely trio headed back to camp for some hot tub soaking and possibly a bit of musical entertainment. Since it was already half past twelve, most of the guests were busy enjoying their midday meal in the dining hall or picnicking outside amongst the natural splendors Camp Everfree had to offer. As for Timber, Gilda, and Adagio, they had all consumed their lunch over an hour earlier when the dining hall was less crowded. Luckily for them, Smokey & Wallflower had put together a blue-plate special that included: coleslaw, cornbread, and whiskey BBQ chicken tenders. They’d all eaten their meals in comparative silence (Timber and Gilda still felt very awkward around the siren for a whole host of different reasons), except for Adagio. She’d done most of the talking. The topics she’d broached were fairly risqué given the setting they were in. A fact that the young couple were painfully aware of but virtually helpless to stop her from rambling on about. They supposed it was her own strange way of being friendly. Most of the things she talked about were the “unique” experiences she’d had during her banishment on earth. Which spanned over a thousand years apparently. When she started discussing the time she worked as an exotic dancer in Suleiman the Magnificent’s court, Gilda coughed loudly and suggested that they head over to the Rec Center for a nice, relaxing soak in the hot tub. She hoped that it would encourage the poofy-haired woman to quiet down a bit. Adagio slipped into tub the last, opposite Timber & Gilda and laid back with her arms and legs spread wide apart. The trio closed their eyes and let out a contented sigh together as the hot water soothed their aching muscles and whatever kinks had built up over the course of the past few days. Just as Gilda had hoped, the hot tub was doing a great job of keeping her mouth shut. Or… at least for a little while. The siren scooted over a bit and let out a soft, but sensuous moan. One that the young couple noticed immediately and neither of them felt was appropriate. A goofy smile spread across Adagio’s lips. “Ahhhh! There we go. I have located the bubble jet~” “Don’t you even have an ounce of shame, ya damn nymphomaniac?” Gilda grumbled. “Psssht. Don’t be such a prude. There’re aren’t any annoying strips of cloth to get in my way, so I might as well take full advantage of the situation. Why don’t you give it a try, Gilda? No one will be able to see below our waists while the jets are—” “Listen there, sister. I like pleasure just as much as the next gal, but I got standards!” Timber placed his hand on Gilda’s back and rubbed it gently. “Gilda, I get that you’re upset. But could you please try to keep your temper in check? I know there aren’t a whole lot of people around right now, but I’d rather not make a scene. And Adagio, I’m going to have to ask you to stop. Using the bubble jet that way’s not very… sanitary or appropriate. Sorry.” Adagio let out an annoyed huff as she shifted her position again. “Fine. You’re boss, after all. But I’ll have you know that I take an immense amount of pride in keeping my velvet sheath fresh and squeaky clean at all times. If you don’t believe me, feel free to take a closer look. I’ll even get out of the tub, bend over as far as I can, and spread my—” Timber’s cheeks turned a deep shade of crimson. “NO! I mean—ahem—that won’t be necessary. We’ll just take your word for it. I’m sure you have a very high standard of personal hygiene.” “As if it wasn’t immediately apparent the very moment we met. Woe is me! What an enormous burden it is being an attractive, fun-loving, single woman at a stodgy nudist camp. What do you folks even have available at this supposed ‘Recreation Center’, hmm? I certainly didn’t see much in the way of instruments when we first entered the building.” Adagio groused. “Quit your bitchin’, Adagio. There’s plenty of stuff to do around here. Just don’t expect Camp Everfree to be one of those hedonistic resorts in the tropics where there’s lots of booze, no rules, and anythin’ goes. We ain’t runnin’ that kind of operation here.” The siren slowly raised her foot out of the tub and wiggled her well-manicured toes. “Quite frankly, I’m surprised that a tomboy such as yourself even knows what hedonistic means. Hmph! Very well then. Please enlighten me, dear Gilda. What does one do for fun at the Rec Center?” Gilda scrunched her lips together as if she bitten into an extremely sour lemon. “Yeah… well, you’d be surprised at how much stuff I know. I ain’t stupid…” “Gilda, remember: chill out.” Timber warned while rubbing her back. “Fine. You’re right. I’ll try and calm down a bit.” Adagio giggled, then slid deeper into the water until she was completely submerged. When she surfaced again a few seconds later, the siren’s poofy hair became dripping wet. It cascaded down past her shoulders and breasts like an orange-gold waterfall. She grinned sensuously at the couple across from her after she emerged from the hot tub and sauntered around the room. “I’ve been told that my hair looks sexy this way. Not to brag, but I think I pull off the whole ‘wet look’ quite well, don’t you think? Ah~ I see it in your eyes. You agree with me. My body may be human, but I will always be a siren at heart. What I wouldn’t give to swim in the ocean once again with the sun gleaming off of my beautiful scales. Such is my life now, though. I came to terms with it a long time ago. Both a curse and a blessing, I suppose.” Gilda suppressed the urge to punch Adagio’s face and continued her explanation instead. “The only way to find out is to head on over to the main room and check out what’s available. Like I said before: there’s bound to be some instruments sittin’ around somewhere. If not, we probably got a karaoke machine stashed away too.” “There’s definitely one of those around. I remember Glory telling that me she bought one a couple of weeks before the camp reopened. A pretty nice one too, if I recall correctly.” Timber added. Adagio hummed while she dried off her body with a towel. “Well, it’s a start. I shall withhold my judgment until I see the device with my own eyes. However, if I find out that it’s filled with nothing but repetitive pop music or dubstep, I shan’t hesitate to destroy the retched thing.” “Uh—not that I know of. Glory doesn’t like those kinds of music anyway.” Adagio rubbed her hair with the towel vigorously until it became poofy once more. “Excellent. Then there is hope for humanity after all. Who knows? I might even regale your guests with some Italian opera if I’m so inclined. Oceans know you people could use a healthy dose of culture around here.” Gilda got out of the hot tub next and began drying off. She also helped Timber do the same while he stood next to her. “What’s that supposed to mean, huh?” “Oh, nothing. Just that today’s youth is woefully uncultured. Trust me; I spent years trying to make a name for myself in the music industry. It’s all about what sounds trendy and can make a boatload of cash. Absolutely no appreciation whatsoever for the great composers of yore. No offense, but you don’t look like the type of person who would enjoy listening to the classics.” Gilda put her hands on her hips and glared at Adagio. “Look… I’m tryin’ my best to be patient and understanding with you, Adagio. I really am. But you’re makin’ it pretty damn difficult so far. Listen up! ‘Cause I’m only gonna say this once: If you’re hellbent on makin’ friends, don’t act like a stuck-up bitch all the time. People don’t take kindly to that sort of crap.” The siren’s entire body sagged as her cheeks took on a rosy hue. “I’m not a bi—no, you’re right. My sincere apologies, Gilda. I’m not used to… making friends. Ever since I lost my powers, I never realized just how much I relied on them to get what I wanted out of life. That included manipulating people to the extent of brainwashing them.” “Somehow, that doesn’t surprise me.” Adagio’s voice cracked. “I know I was an evil, emotion-sucking monster! You don’t have to tell me twice. I freely admit it. But I’m trying to reform myself into someone better. That’s part of the reason why I came to Camp Everfree in the first place. I wanted to see if people would… accept me for who I really am. Without all the magic, the glamor girl façade, and fancy clothing. Just 100%, au naturale Adagio Dazzle.” Not expecting such a raw, emotional response from the aggravated siren, Gilda’s retort died in her throat before she even had the chance to say it. Instead, the tomboy bit her lip, looked down at her feet, and rubbed her hands together awkwardly. Adagio threw her hands up in the air. “Go on then! Make fun of me if you must. I probably deserve it for all the terrible shit I’ve done over the past fifteen hundred years.” Timber finally decided to step in because he noticed how flustered Gilda had become. “Adagio, we’re not going to make fun of you. None of the other guests here will either. I think you’ll find that Camp Everfree is one of the most welcoming places you could ever hope to visit.” “Welcome to normal people, you mean. I may be naked and magicless like the rest of you now but that still doesn’t change what I’ve done. You’re just regular human, Timber. What do you know of a siren’s powers? Do you know what it’s like to drain someone of their will? “To dominate them so completely that they’re nothing but a drooling, emotionless husk? Do you know what REAL power tastes like? Ha! Of course, you don’t. It’s an orgasmic, all-consuming fire that blazes within the very fiber of your BEING!! Nothing can possibly compare to it.” “Ah—well—no but we can try to understand. Look, you’re not the only one who’s had issues with Equestrian Magic. I’ve seen it firsthand with my sister and I’m sure Flash has too considering that he’s close friends with the Rainbooms. We’re not asking you to make light of what you’ve done in the past. Nor do we expect you to become friends with everyone in camp. Just be honest about everything and put your best foot forward. That’s all there is to it.” Adagio let out a weary sigh. “Alright. You win. I don’t really have anything left to lose at this point. Um—that being said: would either you care to be my friend? You two are the only hum—erm I mean, people that I’ve managed to socialize with since arriving here so…” Timber offered his hand to the dejected siren, to which she accepted with a firm shake. Gilda shuffled over to her as well and paused for a moment, uncertain if she really wanted to be friends with Adagio or not. In the end, Gilda decided that everyone deserved a second chance and so she too extended her hand towards the siren. Adagio shook it hesitantly but gave Gilda the best smile she could muster. Gilda rubbed the back of her neck. “Hey, when you said: ‘I don’t really have anything left to lose’, what exactly did you mean by that?” Adagio threw back her head and laughed. It sounded harsh and humorless. “After the Rainbooms blasted us with their sparkly friendship laser, we lost our siren powers for good. Sonata and Aria didn’t quite… agree with the direction I wanted to go afterwards. Therefore, we parted ways.” “Ain’t you gals sisters? Seems kinda petty to me that you’d split up so easily.” Adagio shrugged. “To the casual observer, perhaps. We were never blood-related in the first place. You must understand that sirens are very much creatures of opportunity and convenience. The three of use banded together because our magic harmonized so well and it served our needs. When that very same magic disappeared, so did our cooperation.” “Damn. That’s really harsh. Didn’t hanging out together for so long make any difference?” Adagio twirled a strand of her hair. “You’d think it would. I even tried to convince them that we were practically family after everything we’d been through over the centuries. But… neither of them seemed inclined to believe a word I said. Sonata scampered off to Japan to become a voice actress or some malarkey, and Aria decided to join a punk-rock band as lead guitar. Barely even got so much as a goodbye from either of them.” “I can’t even imagine what that would be like. Now I feel like a real scumbag for being so harsh to ya. If I’d known what you were goin’ through, I’d have tried to be a little more—” Adagio stepped forward and placed her finger on Gilda’s lips. “Ah! None of that. I don’t need your pity. All I’m asking for is a fresh start without any judgement. Think you can manage that?” “Yeah, I think so.” Adagio clapped her hands together. “Good. And you needn’t worry about my financial situation either. I have a pretty solid grasp of human economics and have taken the proper steps to secure my wealth over the centuries. Let’s just say that I have more assets than I know what to do for several lifetimes. Human or otherwise.” “Then what the hell are you doing here? You could easily afford to go somewhere fancier.” Adagio wrapped her arm around Gilda’s shoulder. “My dear, Gilda. Not everything in life is about money or luxury. As I told you before: I’m perfectly content to enjoy the simple pleasure of basking in the nude whilst surrounded by nature. It’s as close to being back in Equestria as I can get without going through the portal. So far, I haven’t been disappointed with what Camp Everfree’s had to offer. Why on earth would I consider leaving now?” “Nah, it’s cool. I totally get what you’re sayin’. Tim and I are gonna head on over to the main room now. Do you wanna come with us? I’m sure we could introduce ya to some of the other guests. Uh—if that’s what you want. Can’t hurt to make a few more friends, right?” The siren nodded, then threw her damp towel into the hamper. A sad frown formed upon her lips as she watched Gilda and Timber hold hands while they walked towards the door. As much as Adagio hated to admit it, she felt more than a little jealous of their relationship. The two of them were a far cry from being the perfect, textbook couple but it was clear to Adagio that their bond was healthy and strong. With a wistful sigh, she continued to follow them. At the very least, she wouldn’t feel quite so lonely during the remainder of her stay at Camp Everfree.