//------------------------------// // Siren In The Buff (II) // Story: Camp Naturally // by Enclave2277 //------------------------------// Chapter 11 Recreation Center, Camp Everfree Adagio Dazzle tried her best to keep an open mind and go along with what her new friends were doing. Mainly, introducing her to the handful of guests who happened to be occupying the rec center at the same time for whatever reason. She felt slightly betrayed when the young couple went off to practice martial arts or some-such nonsense, leaving her to converse with other people on her own. It was akin to being thrown into the current and told to swim or die. The siren considered herself fairly competent at socializing, but it was a hell of lot more difficult than she’d expected without any magic to augment her natural charm. The whole “being a decent person” business was brand new to her. She hadn’t wanted to be goody two-hooves since the very moment that crotchety, old sorcerer banished her to this alien reality. Adagio’s immense pride as a siren and old habits threatened to erode whatever goodwill she’d managed to scrape together since her defeat at the hands of the Rainbooms. After all, she was not known for having an even temper. Adagio closed her eyes for a moment and took in a deep breath to try and calm herself. If she’d learned anything over the past fifteen hundred years, it was that humans loved to drone on about seemingly insignificant topics whenever they were given the opportunity. As fate would have it, she just so happened to be experiencing one of those awful situations at the moment. Despite her ever-increasing sense of frustration and irritation, Adagio soldiered on for the sake of sticking to the promise she’d made. The young man she’d been introduced to went by the name of Trenderhoof. He was blonde, tan-skinned with a lightly-muscled build and of average endowment. Reasonably attractive as far as human males went. Adagio had made the mistake of being polite by complimenting his stylish, ivory-framed glasses. By the looks of them, she had no doubt they were an authentic pair of Italian, designer specs. Sure enough, when she mentioned that particular detail, he rambled on and on about how exclusive they were. Joy of joys! Adagio was only slightly perturbed by the direction of the conversation. She enjoyed talking about fashion and Italy well enough. Oceans knew how many times she’d visited that marvelous country over the past few centuries. It had: delicious cuisine, art, culture, spirits, and the beautiful Mediterranean beaches with equally beautiful people who were always willing to have a good time. The high life, as it were. Yes. Italy was always a fine place to visit indeed~ The siren was more disgusted by the fact that Trenderhoof was making such an obvious (and clumsy) attempt at flirting with her by exploiting a topic that they both happened to be familiar with. He was certainly knowledgeable about the latest trends and what was considered fashionable with the “in-crowd”, despite not wearing any clothes himself at the current moment. The irony of the situation did not escape Adagio. She chuckled to herself at the notion of a fashion fanatic wanting to visit a naturist resort in the first place. When she inquired, his answer was that he’d been hired by a travel magazine called: Dazzling Destinations® (Adagio nearly laughed aloud at the name). They wanted him to come investigate the grand reopening of Camp Everfree and see what all the fuss was about. Essentially, it was like an all-expenses paid vacation to him. Trenderhoof didn’t seem to mind that his assignment required him to don his birthday suit while he stayed at the camp. He bragged about all the time he’s spent working out at the gym and how his vegan, gluten-free diet was finally paying off. Adagio felt her stomach churn and fought hard to keep down the lump of bile that tried to rise into her mouth. Listening to this buffoon prattle on about himself like some stuck-up peacock was bad enough, but what made it worse was that he took the opportunity (whenever he thought Adagio wasn’t looking) to ogle every nook and cranny of her body that happened to be on display. Which was pretty much everything, given her current state of undress. The poofy-haired siren had finally reached her limit after five minutes. While Trenderhoof casually leaned up against the wall (his eyes were practically glued to Adagio’s breasts), she excused herself to go get a drink. A few moments later, Adagio returned with solo cup full of ice-cold sports drink and slowly sauntered towards her unsuspecting prey. She made sure to put some extra swing in her step to accentuate her hips as they moved back and forth. Adagio grinned like a shark. Her impromptu runway model walk had the desired effect. The dullard was absolutely mesmerized by the provocative display of fabulous feminine flesh before him. So distracted was he, that Trenderhoof didn’t even notice when Adagio clumsily (and purposefully) tripped over the edge of a mat and dumped the contents of her drink all over him. The young man’s goofy stare instantly turned into an expression of shock and horror. Whatever impression he was hoping to leave with the siren evaporated in the blink of an eye. He let out a girlish yelp and his normally tan complexion took on a rosy hue. Adagio bit her lip and stifled a giggle-snort when she witnessed his manhood go through the “shrinky dink” process in a matter of seconds. She even went so far as to think that his penis looked kind of cute like that. It was always amusing to see how human males believed that the size of their member was the most important factor when it came to attracting a potential mate. No, Adagio mused. Size was most definitely not the be all, end all factor. Technique and passion were far more important to sustaining a relationship. Countless centuries of lovers sharing her bed had taught her that lesson. Although Adagio may have been somewhat of a hypocrite when it came to shameless flirting, she didn’t feel the least bit guilty watching him suffer through such indignity. Served the little cretin right for slobbering over her like a piece of rare, juicy steak. Clearly, he was thinking with the head dangling in-between his legs rather than the one atop his shoulders. Adagio put on a false expression of concern and placed her hand upon his shoulder. “Oh, goodness me! I’m terribly sorry, Trenderhoof. Please let me go fetch a towel or something to help clean you up. It’s the very least I can do. I wouldn’t want you walking around camp all sticky and wet! That would be just awful.” Trenderhoof made a not so subtle attempt at covering himself up. “AHEM! Well—uh—thank you for your concern, Miss Adagio. But I think I can handle this on my own. I’ll just take a nice, hot shower and everything will be right as rain. You’ll see! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’d let to get the process started as soon as possible…” The siren watched Trenderhoof awkwardly scamper off to the showers with his hands cupped over his shriveled junk. She realized that it must have been mortifying to be seen in such a state for someone not accustomed to the naturist lifestyle but… the other guests wouldn’t have made a big deal out of it had he simply walked to the showers. Such things happened whilst one was nude. It wasn’t any different than, say, one’s nipples becoming erect after taking a swim in chilly lake water. Adagio chuckled to herself and filled her cup with sport’s drink once again. While she reclined against the wall and sipped her beverage, Adagio was approached by a familiar, pink-haired Rainboom. The shy animal-caretaker shot her a stern, disapproving expression. A shiver went down Adagio’s spine as she met the gaze of those icy-blue eyes. She couldn’t be completely sure, but the siren suspected there was some Equestrian magic afoot. As much as she wanted to be angry at Fluttershy for taking her own powers away, the desire for revenge simply wasn’t there. She’d accepted her fate a long time ago. Instead, Adagio kept her mouth shut and waited for the girl to speak her piece. “That wasn’t very nice what you just did to Trenderhoof, Adagio.” The siren shrugged. “Yeah? Well, I’m not a very nice person.” Fluttershy put her hands on her hips. “Be that as it may, I can’t condone your attitude or your actions. What are you even doing here? Are you hatching some evil plan to take down Camp Everfree? Because if you are, I won’t hesitate to call the rest of the girls and stop you from—” Adagio scoffed. “Relax, Butter-Buns. I’m not here for any nefarious purposes. Can’t a girl simply take a vacation and relax at a naturist resort? Clearly, you have. Why can’t I?” “Oh. Umm—really? I didn’t think that you… were into naturism.” Adagio took a big gulp from her drink and sighed. “You’re talking to a native Equestrian here. Didn’t Sunset Shimmer ever tell you that sirens don’t normally wear clothes? I mean, sure I like fashion just as much as your prissy, pale-skinned friend. But that’s only after decades worth of adjusting to human customs and social taboos. I’d much rather be nude. What about you, sweetie? I didn’t take you for a naturist either. What, with how incredibly shy you are and all.” Fluttershy twirled a strand of her hair. “Not normally, no. My friend, Tree Hugger, invited me to come along and bunk in her cabin. I wasn’t so sure about being… n-naked in front of complete strangers at first but I don’t regret coming here. It’s given me a much-needed boost to my self-confidence and I feel like I can just… be myself around everyone. I can honestly say that I enjoy being nude all the time now. It’s nice.” “Mhmm. You’re preaching to the choir, sister. I’m glad that everything is working out for you then. Me? Not so much. I’m still new to this whole ‘making friends’ and ‘being a nice person’ bit. Old habits die hard and all that. I’m sure you understand.” Fluttershy frowned. “I suppose so. I’m glad that you’re at least trying to reform. Everyone deserves a second chance, Adagio. Even someone like you. That’s what Sunset taught us.” Adagio threw back her head and laughed bitterly. “Ah, you say that now~ But you have no idea what horrible things I had to do in order to stay ahead during the fifteen hundred years I’ve lived in this miserable world. If nothing else, being stripped of my magic has taught me just how much I used to rely on my powers to get my way. Well, no more! I’m just plain, ole’ Dagi now.” “I’m sorry.” Adagio waved her hand. “Pssht. There’s no need to be. I’ve still got my health. Not sure about the immortality part though. Only time will tell. Things could be a hell of a lot worse for me right now all things considered. While slightly annoying, I don’t mind charming people the old-fashioned way. With my wits, a smile, and showing them the goods every once and a while. Say, you’re not bad-looking yourself. Ever try pulling the ‘Fluttershy Charm’ on anyone?” Fluttershy fidgeted in place and twiddled her fingers. “That’s not—I don’t…” “I may have lost most of my powers, but I can still sense emotions. At least, on a rudimentary level. You know, it’s odd how your little rainbow lasers work: what they decide to take and allow the victim to keep. Worth investigating at some point. In any case, I can tell you’re lying~” Fluttershy’s cheeks flushed pink. “Ok. I-I admit it. I did try to charm my girlfriend the other day. It was right after the cosplay contest. Um—is it wrong that I liked being Poison Ivy?” “Not at all. It’s all part of the allure of being a bad girl. The real question you must ask yourself is: how much of that little act was Poison Ivy and how much of it was you? When you take the time to really think about it, I imagine you’ll be surprised by the answer.” Fluttershy blushed even harder. “Oh, my goodness!” “And there you have it~ You know, it’s actually been rather… pleasant chatting with you. Considering that we were once mortal enemies and whatnot. I suppose I’m not quite so menacing without my ruby and spewing out evil, green fog anymore, hmm?” Fluttershy took a few moments to compose herself after Adagio’s previous comment. It was incredibly unnerving to speak with someone who could sense emotions. “I—um—I’m not exactly an expert on such matters, but I’d say so. You’re a lot more approachable… I think.” “Excellent! I decided to ditch my accessories for the time being and forgo putting on most of my makeup too. You know, in the spirit of this whole nudist camp and redemption thing. Do you like my hairstyle the way it is naturally?” Now that Fluttershy had gotten the change to study her former adversary in greater detail, she agreed that it somehow made the siren look… much more alluring than before? If that was even possible. Fluttershy shook her head, trying to get rid of the naughty thoughts that has suddenly popped into her mind. With a blush and a quiet squeak, she nodded in agreement. “The conditioner I use is pretty expensive. Made with Tea Tree oil and all those other essential thingamabobs. Reasonably sourced and all that bullshit. Ugh. I’m just glad that I don’t ever have to worry about living on a budget. My daily haircare routine would absolutely suck otherwise.” Fluttershy rubbed her arm and looked up at Adagio with a sheepish expression. “Oh, yes. I’m certain it would. Say, Adagio: did you have any other plans for today? I was—um—just wondering if you might want to… join Tree Hugger and I for a relaxing, afternoon yoga session. You don’t have to, of course! But I think it would be a good opportunity for—” Adagio finished her drink and tossed the solo cup into a wastebasket nearby. “Sure. Why the hell not. I literally have nothing planned for the entirety of my vacation here. That’s why I came to Camp Everfree in the first place. Whenever you’re ready, Miss Yogi. Lead the way~” Much to Adagio’s surprise, there was actually a dedicated room just for practicing yoga located within Camp Everfree’s recreation center. It was separated from the rest of the main hall by a set of wooden doors. Once she got the chance to take a look around, the siren let out an impressed whistle. The place was spacious, smelled of incense, and had several large windows along the walls to allow as much sunlight into the room as possible. Adagio could hear the faint sound of one of those nature soundtracks: complete with running water and pan flutes. The kind of soundtrack that a bunch of old Incan men in colorful ponchos tried to sell you at a strip mall. With little else to look at other than wood paneling, Adagio snuck a furtive glance at Fluttershy’s shapely behind while she padded along the tiled floor in front of her. Adagio had meant what she said before wholeheartedly. The faire-skinned caretaker was, despite being a former foe, quite easy on the eyes. Not a bombshell ten out of ten, but she gave off more of a shy, secretly sexy girl next door type of vibe. In Adagio’s book, Butter-Buns earned at least a solid eight. The siren supposed that she wasn’t too much better than that douchebag, Trenderhoof. But at least she knew how to be discreet when she was checking someone out. Speaking of checking out… there was an honest to goodness hippie doing some yoga poses over by one of the windows. Having lived through the sixties personally, Adagio had never been terribly fond of the counterculture or its more recent converts. They almost always stank like body odor and weed. Like, did it ever occur to them that bathing regularly was just common sense? And they begged for just about everything you could imagine! Money, drugs, food, a place to shack-up and shag for the night. Kind of like cockroaches but with dreadlocks and quartz crystals. Adagio shuddered when she remembered Woodstock. But at least she gotten to listen to some of the greatest musical artists of a generation. That part of the experience was interesting at least. Worthwhile even. Adagio’s reverie was momentarily broken when the green-skinned hippie lifted her leg high into the air and held it in place with her toes pointed upward. Just to make her feat of flexibility even more impressive, the woman held the pose for quite some time. That being said: her current pose (whatever it was called) left absolutely nothing to the imagination when it came to certain parts of her anatomy. A fact that did not go unnoticed by Adagio Dazzle. The poofy-haired siren placed her hands on her hips, bit her lip slightly, and took a moment to admire the scenery. In a most unexpected turn of events, the hippie acknowledged Adagio’s presence with a serene smile and finally lowered her leg back onto the floor. Without saying a word, she took a deep breath in, then out, and bent over until she was able to grasp her own ankles. The green-skinned woman closed her eyes and let out a relaxed hum. If she was at all embarrassed at the prospect of being seen in this new, but equally compromising position, she certainly didn’t show it. Well, at least I know she likes to keep everything down there nice and clean. Interesting. She doesn’t smell like a sweaty gym sock dipped in cat shit either. Huh. Maybe there’s hope for hippies yet. Adagio pondered with a bemused expression. The hippie let go of her ankles and slowly rose back up to her full height. She placed her hands on her lower back, jutted her hips forward slightly, and let out a satisfied moan when the tension in her vertebrae was released with a slight, crackling pop. Adagio cringed at the sound. She hated it when people cracked their knuckles or any bones for that matter. Oblivious to the siren’s discomfort, the hippie padded over to the windowsill and retrieved a bottle of water. After taking a few generous glugs of water, she wiped her mouth and waved at Fluttershy. “Hey there, Flutter-Butter. Who’s your new friend?” Fluttershy shuffled her feet. “Oh—um—that’s Adagio Dazzle. We met once before at the Battle of the Bands. I think she just got here yesterday so… she hasn’t quite gotten chance to explore what the Recreation Center has to offer yet. I was wondering if you might be able to show her? Umm… I really need to get going because it’s near the end of Wallflower’s shift and—” “Nah, it’s cool. I don’t have any, like, solid plans for the rest of the day. Might take a hike in the woods later or go for a swim. I dunno. Whatever feels right, sister~ Ya dig?” Fluttershy looked between the two of them and her best not to let the awkward silence drag out too much longer. “Oh. I see. Does that mean you’d like to spend some time getting to know Adagio better? I think the two of you could become really good friends if you tried.” Adagio leaned up against the wall and motioned for Fluttershy to get the heck out of the room so that she could go be with her girlfriend. “I’m certainly not opposed to the idea. Making new friends is kind of my schtick right now. Before we go any further, I suppose introductions are in order. As Fluttershy stated: I am Adagio Dazzle. But you may call me Dagi for short if it pleases you. What’s your name, oh great and flexible yogi?” “Tree Hugger,” the green-skinned woman replied. “Ah. Of course, that’s your name. How fitting.” In a move that left Adagio slightly befuddled, Tree Hugger walked up to her and wrapped the siren in a surprisingly intimate hug. Like most of the denizens of Equestria, she preferred expressing herself through acts of physical affection and receiving them in kind from others as well. The feeling of Tree Hugger’s warm, slightly sweaty body pressed up against her own was quite a pleasant turn of events for the lonely siren. How long had it been since she’d last been embraced by someone like that? Far too long, Adagio conceded. The siren returned Tree Hugger’s embrace, albeit hesitantly. She wasn’t sure what else she should do or what the other woman considered an appropriate level of physical affection. In the end, Adagio decided to throw caution to the wind and ran her fingers along Tree Hugger’s back in gentle circles. The hippie hummed in approval and nuzzled her head against the crook of Adagio’s neck, filling her nostrils with an earthy, floral aroma she couldn’t readily identify. After what seemed like an eternity, the two women finally broke their embrace. Adagio looked down at her feet and felt her cheeks redden slightly with embarrassment. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d needed that blasted hug. Before she could even sputter out an awkward reply, Tree Hugger smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “Awesome meeting you, Dagi. That was a good hug. We should totally do it more often now that we’re best buddies. I can tell you really like hugging people. Mmm. You smell pretty good too. Like, what kind of perfume is that? Some fancy French stuff or whatever?” Adagio blinked owlishly. “Oh—erm—it’s nothing special. Aside from my daily application of conditioner and body wash, I haven’t been wearing any since I arrived here. The same goes for usual retinue of makeup and lipstick as well. Trying to go as Au Naturale as possible to honor the spirit of Camp Everfree!” Tree Hugger nodded sagely. “Hells yeah, sister! I’m catching the ‘getting back to basics’ vibes you’re laying down right now. It, like, totally suits you. Seriously~ Major kudos.” “Thank you, for what it’s worth. You smell… fairly pleasant yourself, Tree Hugger.” Tree Hugger stretched out like a cat and smacked her lips. “Cool beans. I’m glad you noticed, Dagi. It’s my own homemade blend of perfume. Whipped it up with my mortar and pestle using dried flowers and olive oil. Pretty radical and cost-efficient, huh? But—uh—I wouldn’t go putting it on your salad. Doesn’t taste anything like dressing.” “Why would I even entertain the idea of drizzling homemade perfume over a perfectly good—you know what? Never mind. I’ve never been fond of vegetables in the first place. I’m more of a seafood kind of girl. Which, I may add, seems to be severely lacking on the camp’s menu.” Tree Hugger gave a non-committal shrug. “S’not like we’re anywhere near the ocean, Dagi. But there might be some trout or bass swimming around in Lake Clarity. Every try fishing?” “Of course, I’ve gone fishing before. I’ll have you know that I’m quite proficient at it too! I just… simply lack the proper equipment to do so at the moment.” Tree Hugger rubbed her chin in thought. “There’s gotta be somebody around here who has a spare fishing rod. Heh. You could even try doing it with spear too… you know, if that’s your thing. I’m not gonna judge how people choose to get their grub.” The poofy-haired siren took a moment to consider the feasibility of spearfishing in Lake Clarity. Spears weren’t terribly difficult to make. One could simply cut off a few sturdy branches, sharpen them, and harden the tips over an open fire. It was practically woodland survival 101. Given her long life, Adagio Dazzle had found herself placed in precarious situations on plenty of occasions. Frequently enough, that she was proficient at surviving in just about any environment. Since she had nothing better to do for the remainder of the afternoon, Adagio decided to ask Tree Hugger if she’d like to tag along on an impromptu fishing excursion. Much to her surprise, the hippie seemed agreeable to the idea. Suspiciously eager, one might even say. Adagio wasn’t quite sure how to interpret her new acquaintance’s enthusiasm. The siren’s gut instincts screamed at her that Tree Hugger might have an ulterior motive buried behind that serene smile, but she quickly dismissed the thought. Adagio knew she wouldn’t make any friends by constantly assuming that people were always fishing (pun intended) for an angle. She closed her eyes for a brief moment, and returned Tree Hugger’s smile in kind. They chatted for a little while about their favorite kinds of food and other libations. Adagio wasn’t aware that Tree Hugger even ate meat in the first place. But apparently, she did. And on a regular basis by the sounds of it. The hippie went on to say that she preferred the animals to be slaughtered humanely and responsibly sourced. As in: free-range chicken and whatnot. Meat was meat as far as Adagio Dazzle was concerned, so she agreed with Tree Hugger if only to make pleasant conversation. After a quick shower, the pair headed back to their cabins to retrieve some supplies before they went out to the lake. The hike to Lake Clarity was a decidedly pleasant one. It was a beautiful, cloudless day outside and the warmth of the midafternoon sun felt wonderful against their skin. Both women had decided to forgo wearing sandals or shoes. It was a rather spontaneous decision, considering the fact that they’d need to trek through a portion of the Everfree Forest just to reach the deeper end of the lake where most of the trout resided. Even so, they hadn’t experienced much trouble navigating the path towards the lake barefoot. It was mostly soft underbrush anyway. Once Adagio found a secluded spot on the beach, she proceeded to gather the materials she would eventually need to build a fire. Finding branches suitable for making spears and firewood was easy enough. The only difficult part was lugging the rocks around to create a big enough firepit to cook the fish in. With Tree Hugger’s help, the process was much more efficient and not to mention pleasant, since they continued to converse while they worked together. Adagio was honestly surprised at how easy it had been to get along with the mellow-minded naturist. Perhaps, she was just a little bit too stubborn and stuck in her ways when it came to judging people. Or… at least, a very small minority of hippies within the larger majority of hippiedom. Yes. That was definitely an apt judgement call. Centuries worth of profiling different personalities across the globe and from every culture imaginable couldn’t possibly be that inaccurate. That’s what Adagio’s pride insisted at any rate. With her conscience temporarily sated, the siren set about getting the fire started. Neither she nor Tree Hugger had brought much along with them, but Adagio had insisted on brining a metal fire-starting rod. It was a simple piece of equipment that she always kept in her purse just in case. Since most of the wood they’d gathered had come from the forest floor, it was already quite dry and began to ignite quickly once the sparks caught on it. Before long, Adagio and Tree Hugger were standing in front of a roaring fire, busying themselves by sharpening a few sticks into spears. It was actually Adagio doing most of the work. She’d brought along her trusty bowie knife that had a handle fashioned from a stag antler. In no time at all, she made quick work of the sticks with a few deft strokes of her wrist. Tree Hugger folded her hands behind her back and used her toes to play with a pebble in the sand. “Hey—um—Dagi, don’t take this the wrong way but why does someone like you need such a wicked knife? Almost looks like a miniature sword. Hehe. Feels like I’m hanging out with a female version of Crocodile Dundee or something. Is that thing, like, totally necessary?” Adagio continued whittling but sighed. “Because, like Mr. Dundee always says: ‘THIS. This is a knife, mate!’ In all seriousness though, I find it reassuring to have such a hefty blade by my side. Peace of mind, as it were. I suppose… a pacifist such as yourself wouldn’t understand.” It was clear that Tree Hugger was very uncomfortable with Adagio’s offhand comment but she nodded in understanding regardless. “Uh—well I don’t really get it to be honest. Violence is never cool, no matter what the reason is for its justification. But... I sort of understand your point of view. You like having protection.” Realizing that she’d just blurted out a major faux pas, Adagio put down the spear, walked over to Tree Hugger, and placed both of her hands on the hippie’s shoulders. It took every ounce of willpower Adagio possessed to look the other woman in the eye, but she still managed to do so. Even though her cheeks were flushed red and she felt like a complete asshole for insulting her new friend so thoughtlessly, Adagio knew that she needed to apologize. “Damn it! Why is this so difficult? Ugh! I didn’t mean to insult you personally, Tree Hugger. What I said ended up coming out wrong. Despite how it may seem, I’m still new to this whole ‘making friends’ thing. That and I’ve never been terribly fond of hippies. I’m… sorry if I hurt your feelings. Can you find it within your heart to forgive me?” Tree Hugger took hold of Adagio’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Apology accepted, dude. Heck, we all say and do stupid stuff from time to time. What’s important is recognizing that you’ve made the mistake. Which, I might add, is what you did. Don’t worry, Dagi. We’re cool.” “O-ok… good. I really am trying my best to be less judgmental. Honest! For the time being, it’s still very much a work in progress though. Years of terrible habits, and my own pride, have made a me a bit… insensitive when it comes to being empathetic towards other people.” Tree Hugger shot Adagio a look of concern. “Hey, don’t go beating yourself up too much. You’re doing the right thing by trying to become a better person, Dagi. As my old yoga instructor, Peaceful Vibes, used to say: ‘The most beautiful flowers grow in the deepest mud.’ I think flaws and imperfections are what really make us appreciate and love people, ya know.” “Huh. For as long as I have set foot upon this earth, I never once thought of it that way before. That does make me feel a lot better. Thanks, Tree Hugger. You’re turning out to be quite the profound philosopher.” The hippie blushed and wiggled her toes in the sand. “Nah. It’s nothing like that, dude. I just had a really awesome teacher. Uh… you can go back to making spears now if you want. I’m good.” Realization dawned on Adagio that they were still holding hands. With a slight blush of her own and an awkward chuckle, she let go of Tree Hugger’s hand and went back to whittling. Now that she was focused on the task at hand, the siren made quick work of the remaining spears and set about hardening the tips by plunging them into the red-hot coals of the fire. Satisfied with a full set of six spears, Adagio hefted one to test its weight and took it with her into the lake. Adagio abhorred doing anything in half measures. And so, with the grace of a dolphin, she dove headfirst into the crystal-clear water of Lake Clarity. Swimming underwater in a naturally made environment was so much more satisfying than a manmade pool. It gave Adagio a taste of the freedom she once enjoyed while she was in her native form. Even though human skin was a far cry from proper siren scales, it still felt marvelous to swim around in the nude. It didn’t take long for Adagio’s predatory instincts to kick in. Even though she’d been a bipedal air-breather for the past fifteen hundred years, the siren felt most at home in the water. She carefully scanned the bottom of the lake for prey. Adagio then swam towards a cluster of rocks to help camouflage her body. She also made sure to do so with as little wasted movement as possible. Otherwise, the trout would be alerted to her presence. With a savage grin, she spotted a big, fat rainbow trout swimming at a languid pace. The stupid fish must not have been used to humans because it didn’t seem to have a care in the world. Adagio exploited the creature’s naïveté with ruthless efficiency. She pressed her feet against a rock and propelled herself forward like a torpedo, spearing the fish on the first try. Since she didn’t have a basket on hand, Adagio decided to take her catch straight back to the beach. Tree Hugger was sitting cross-legged on the beach, basking in the afternoon sun when she witnessed her newest friend surface from underneath the water with a speared trout in tow. She watched with rapt attention as the wet-haired siren made her way towards the firepit. It was like seeing that old painting where Aphrodite emerged from the surf but in real time. Uncertain that she would be able to form a cohesive sentence, Tree Hugger simply nodded her appreciation when Adagio plopped the freshly caught Rainbow Trout on a flat rock nearby. The mellow-minded naturist was hypnotized by the swaying motion of Adagio’s firm and shapely backside as she made her way towards the lake to catch yet another fish for the pair to feast upon. When Adagio finally dove underneath the surface for a second time, Tree Hugger let out a breath she hadn’t known she’d been holding. For the most part, the hippie considered herself a lover of both sexes. She had no specific preference either way when it came to gender. People were people. Each individual had their own unique qualities and personal quirks that made them beautiful. Both in the physical sense and the psychological sense too. It was as simple as that. Or… at least it was to Tree Hugger. There were times, however, when she could confidently say that she was interested in a specific person because the traits they possessed just so happened to be what appealed to her sense of aesthetics. Adagio Dazzle was one such person. It had been a long time since she’d felt so… attracted to someone with such intensity. Tree Hugger had tried her best to throw Adagio subtle little hints that she was keenly interested in getting to know her on a deeper level. She’d willingly assumed the most revealing yoga pose she could possibly think of (on the spot) just to gauge Adagio’s reaction. To see if she too was interested. Unfortunately, the siren was proving to be a difficult woman to read thus far. Adagio seemed to enjoy physical affection quite a bit. That much was clear. But that didn’t necessarily mean that she wanted to take things anywhere beyond platonic. Nuzzling, kissing, and even massaging could be done between good friends. Gods knew she’d done that plenty of times with Fluttershy. Yet… she’d never felt the same way towards her shy friend as she had with Adagio. It was vexing, to say the least. In a rare show of frustration, Tree Hugger laid back in the sand and let out a deep sigh. She could tell that Adagio wasn’t the type of person who made friends easily or quickly. She came off as a bit of a loner, if Tree Hugger was being honest. What Adagio was doing right now was probably pushing the upper limits of her comfort level when it came to socializing. Tree Hugger had no desire to make the poofy-haired entertainer feel uncomfortable and potentially ruin their budding friendship by being too forward with her own (admittedly) selfish desires. Tree Hugger was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn’t even noticed Adagio standing over her. The only thing that broke her reverie was when a few droplets of cold lake water landed on her bare stomach from Adagio’s dripping wet, amber-gold locks. She jerked slightly at the sensation but choked back the urge to cry out. That wouldn’t have been very cool. Adagio cocked her eyebrow while she placed her hands on her hips. “Are you alright? I hope you didn’t decide to eat any psychedelic mushrooms while I was spearfishing. Seriously! You were really spacing out there for a while. I was worried that you’d overdosed or something…” Tree Hugger sat up and shook her head. “Nah, I was just… zoning out. Thinking about stuff. Trust me; I’d let you know if I was eating shrooms or some of my stash of Mary-J.” “Very well then. I’m glad to see that you’re in good health, Tree Hugger. Although, I can’t imagine the camp owners are terribly fond of your recreational drug habits. Has it caused any issues with the other guests? I hope you aren’t stinking up the cabin with pot smoke.” Tree Hugger grinned sheepishly. “Uh… well, there was that one time where Mrs. Cake ate too many of the special brownies I’d made for the picnic. In my defense though, I did label the Tupperware container properly. Hehe. She got SUPER baked! You should’ve seen it. Rumor has it that she and her hubby had a pretty radical time in the woods afterwards~” “Uh huh. You’re proud of yourself for spicing up a married couple’s sex life, aren’t you?” Tree Hugger pumped her fist in the air and laughed. “Hells yeah! I’m all about passion, love, and nature. Those two were, like, just so cute together! How can you not dig their positive vibes? Life goals and all that, dude. C’mon, Dagi! Don’t be such a stick in the mud. Where’s your sense of romance?” Adagio huffed and crossed her arms underneath her breasts. “I’m not a stick in the mud. I just—romance and touchy-feely stuff have never been my forte. That’s all there is to it, Tree Hugger.” “Oh. Wait a minute. It almost sounds like you’ve never been in love before. Have you? It’s ok, Dagi. You can totally tell me. I promise that I won’t laugh at you. We’re buddies now, right?” Adagio blushed fiercely and suddenly found the sand beneath her well-manicured toes far more interesting than the woman standing directly in front of her. “Well, the truth is: I… I’ve never actually been in love before. Not even once in my long, miserable life. FUCK! That sounded really pathetic, didn’t it? Especially, coming from a woman my age...” An icy knot formed deep in the pit of Tree Hugger’s stomach. She knew that she’d just stepped on a figurative land mine and wasn’t entirely certain what to say next. The guilt she felt for upsetting her potential bestie only compounded further when Adagio plopped onto the sand next to her and hugged her legs to her chest. She didn’t sob. She didn’t scream. Only silence pervaded the air as Adagio stared blankly towards a random point on the lake. Somehow that was far worse than any verbal tantrum she could have thrown. Instead of words, Tree Hugger decided that her actions would speak for her. She scooted behind the dejected siren and carefully wrapped her legs around Adagio’s hips and tucked her feet underneath Adagio’s folded legs. Then she slid her arms around her friend’s stomach and embraced her with as much warmth and tenderness that she could muster. Tree Hugger could tell that Adagio was extremely tense. The muscles located in-between her shoulder blades were the most noticeable by far. There wasn’t too much she could do to loosen them because of the position they were currently in, but she did press her cheek against Adagio’s back and nuzzled it gently. It seemed to have an effect on the siren, for she began snuffling shortly after Tree Hugger placed a kiss right underneath her neck. Tree Hugger rubbed her fingers along Adagio’s stomach. “Shh. Just let it all out, sister. Remember: it’s ok to have a good cry every once and a while. Gotta get rid of those nasty vibes putting a damper on your groove, Dagi. Trust me; you’ll feel a lot better once you let go.” Adagio wept quietly for what seemed like an eternity. The only reason Tree Hugger could even tell that she was crying in the first place was because of their close proximity to each other. Finally, Adagio started to relax after she let out a particularly loud snort. Tree Hugger was surprised to feel the siren’s hands clasp around her own and give them a firm squeeze. They snuggled like that for a while longer, content to say nothing and listen to nature. The silence was only broken when Adagio gave a watery, half-hearted chuckle. “By the oceans. I must look like an absolute mess. It’s a good thing I decided not to wear any makeup today. Otherwise, it’d be running all over my face. Probably would scare everyone back at camp, making them think I was some deranged, serial-killer clown. Hahaha!” Tree Hugger nuzzled her shoulder again. “Hey, it doesn’t matter. You did what you needed to do. Besides, I think you look beautiful without all that makeup. S’ don’t worry about, ok?” “I… appreciate the much-needed confidence boost, Tree Hugger. But you don’t have to sugarcoat it. I’m the ass end of an emotional train wreck right now. End of discussion.” “I’m just calling it like it is, sister.” Adagio sighed and allowed herself to enjoy the warmth of Tree Hugger’s body. “Fine. I shan’t argue any further. You win. Hmm. As much as I hate to put an end to our little bonding session, the trout aren’t going to cook themselves. Erm—do you mind… letting me go?” “OH! Ahaha. Sure thing, Dagi. Sorry about that…” With the deftness of an experienced huntress, Adagio immediately began gutting and descaling the trout with her bowie knife. Neither of the women had brought much along with them, but Adagio had insisted on having some olive oil, seasoning, a spatula, and an old frying pan on hand. Tree Hugger stood a few paces away as she watched her friend fry up the trout to perfection. It smelled heavenly. Apparently, the smell was good enough to have attracted the attention of a turkey vulture. When Tree Hugger looked up to watch him soaring above them, the raptor seemed to have something clutched in his talons. While she was no wildlife expert herself, Tree Hugger had a lot of secondhand knowledge when it came to animals, due in not small part to being friends with Fluttershy for so long. She knew that vultures did not kill live prey. They were carrion eaters. Before she could ask what was going on, the vulture swooped down and plopped the hapless creature in its talons onto the sand below. Blinking in confusion. Tree Hugger realized that the furry little creature was none other than Rufus. She ran over to him and gave the baby badger a quick checkup to make sure that he was ok. When he appeared no worse for wear, Tree Hugger scooped him up in crook of her arms and began petting his fur. He replied with a happy bark. Meanwhile, the vulture landed next to Adagio and began preening his feathers. She reached over and scratched his bald head affectionately when she finished frying the first fillet. Although it wasn’t the strangest thing that Tree Hugger had ever seen, it certainly fit in her top ten. As if to punctuate the oddity of the situation even further, the vulture started to converse with Adagio. “A most delectable fillet of Rainbow Trout you have cooking up there, Mistress. I dare say, it smells quite appetizing. Were it not for the slab of raw steak I feasted upon earlier, I would’ve been tempted to try a piece myself.” Adagio flipped the remaining fillet onto a plate so that it could cool down. “Naturally. Who’s you little friend?” “The young chap over there goes by Rufus. He was kind enough to show me where I could procure lunch. The camp’s owner, Miss Gloriosa Daisy, assisted us in that regard. Oddly enough, she didn’t seem terribly surprised that I possessed the ability to speak. Imagine that.” Adagio rolled her eyes. “Lucy, you do realize that most humans aren’t accustomed to talking animals, right? Oh well. Cat’s out of the bag now.” Lucifer fluffed his wings uncomfortably. “Erm—well, yes I suppose you have a point, Mistress. But you said it yourself when we first arrived here: this place positively reeks of Equestrian magic. Surely, you can sense it as I have. It is particularly strong with Miss Gloriosa.” “Mhmm. Although, I can’t be certain how powerful she is without seeing her practice magic firsthand. Her aura reminds me of an ancient druid or a chloromancer. She and I will have to have a chat about it at some point in the future. Come over here, Tree Hugger. It’s high time you met my beloved companion and confidant, Mr. Lucifer Morningstar.” Lucifer gave Tree Hugger a theatrical bow and offered her a wingshake. “A pleasant day to you, Ms. Tree Hugger. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” “Yeah. Sure thing, dude. So… I guess you’re kind of like Twilight Sparkle’s dog, Spike? He can talk too. I’m not really sure how that happened but—uh—magic is, like, totally gnarly.” Lucifer cocked his head in confusion. “I wasn’t aware that there were any other talking animals present at Camp Everfree. Rufus is, of course, a very clever lad but he cannot speak. Oh! What I wouldn’t give to have such comradery! You simply must introduce me to this Twilight Sparkle.” “Uh… Twilight’s not exactly here right now. She’s not really into the whole naturist scene either, come to think of it. Dunno what else to tell you, dude.” Lucifer clicked his beak. “What a shame. Such is life though. Are you familiar with this Twilight Sparkle character, Mistress? If she possesses a talking dog, then she must also be aware of Equestrian magic. She might very well be worth investigating.” “I’m familiar with her pony-princess counterpart. But not this world’s version of her. Tree Hugger, do you know if she has a magic medallion like Fluttershy?” Tree Hugger nodded slowly. “I think so. Look, Dagi: I’m probably not the best person to ask about all this hocus-pocus stuff. All I know about it is from secondhand information. And even then, it’s almost always from Fluttershy. Her circle of friends are the ones with all the powers.” Adagio took in a deep breath, closed her eyes, and suppressed the urge to get upset with her new friend. Intellectually, she knew that Tree Hugger had nothing to do with the loss of her powers at the hands of the Rainbooms during the Battle of the Bands. Yet, despite Adagio’s best efforts to finally move on with her life, it was still proving quite difficult to bury the hatchet and ignore their transgressions against her. Forgiveness wasn’t something that Adagio Dazzle was used to bestowing upon others, former adversaries included. “I am keenly aware of Fluttershy’s friends and what their powers are capable of. In fact, more than you could possibly ever know. It’s just that human Twilight wasn’t present when I was… hit by that magic rainbow laser of theirs. She’s a variable that I must know more about!” Realizing that Adagio was upset, Tree Hugger began rubbing her shoulders. “There’s no reason to get all bent out of shape over it, Dagi. Maybe we can ask Shy to introduce us to—” “Don’t patronize me, Tree Hugger,” Adagio spat as her eyes briefly flashed red, “You have no idea what those girls took away from me! What I’ve had to deal with since… I became weak. It’s not something I’d expect a magicless, mortal human to understand. Just… stop.” Although she was a little hurt by Adagio’s dismissive tone, Tree Hugger didn’t shy away. Instead, she wrapped her arms around the siren and pulled her into yet another comforting hug. Almost instantly, Adagio’s muscles relaxed and she let out a long, shuddering sigh. Feeling utterly ashamed of herself, she felt her entire body burn with embarrassment. She looked down at Tree Hugger’s arm and traced her fingers along its surface. “Some friend I’m turning out to be. I’m sorry, Tree Hugger. You didn’t deserve to be yelled at like that. I just… have so much anger left inside me. I don’t even know how to deal with it sometimes. I’m a grown woman, for ocean’s sakes! It shouldn’t be this difficult to control my fucking temper! GAHHHH!” Tree Hugger let go of Adagio’s waist and started to stroke her hair. “I don’t really know all the details of your past, but just so you know: I’m here for you, Dagi.” “Thanks again, Tree Hugger. I truly appreciate your dedication. But mark my words! Next time, I shall be the one to do the comforting or what have you. That’s twice I’ve had to rely on your kindness after an outburst.” Tree Hugger chuckled. “It’s not a contest to see who’s the better friend, Dagi. But… if you’re offering, I’d be more than happy to take you up on some totally radical snuggle buddy time. You know, whenever the mood strikes. Whatever floats your boat, dude.” Rufus chittered excitedly at the prospect of a new human female to hang out with. The orange-haired one seemed a bit on the grumpy side, but he figured that given enough time she would warm up to the other guests. He scampered across the sand and nuzzled Adagio’s ankle with his snout. When she didn’t immediately react, he gave her appendage a few experimental licks. As he suspected, her skin was quite salty (like most humans) but the Honey Badger enjoyed the taste. Once she was done hugging the green one, she crouched down and petted his head. Lucifer nodded his approval. “It would appear that you’ve made two friends today, Mistress.” “Must be my animal magnetism,” Adagio intoned sarcastically, “Anyway! Let’s get started on the fish, shall we? Wouldn’t want it to get any colder than it already has.” For the first time since the day started, Adagio truly felt at peace. It was nice just sitting on the beach with a couple of friends, eating a simple but delectable dinner. She couldn’t help giggling at Tree Hugger’s loud belch after she finished her final portion. The woman was many things, but couth would probably never be one of them. That suited Adagio just fine. It was one of the reasons why Tree Hugger was so interesting to hang out with. When the hippie finished cleaning up, she grabbed the acoustic guitar she’d brought along earlier and played a few chords to make sure it was still in tune. Tree Hugger shifted her position so that she was more comfortable and began playing a beautiful composition that Adagio immediately recognized as one of Francisco Tárrega’s works. As the melody filled her ears, she sang softly in Spanish. The lyrics did not belong to the song itself because it had none, but rather they were to an old lullaby she’d once heard a mother sing to her daughter in Madrid. Adagio glanced over at Tree Hugger once she stopped playing her guitar and noticed that the hippie was crying. Out of concern, she reached over and gave the woman’s hand a gentle squeeze. “What’s wrong? Are you ok? You’re not hurt or anything, are you?” “I’m fine, Dagi. I must’ve gotten caught up in the music. You have such a beautiful voice…” Adagio smiled. “I’ve had many years’ worth of practice. Still, I’m grateful to hear you say that all the same. It wasn't easy trying to sing without the help of my jewel but I manged well enough. I was… afraid that Rainbooms had taken my voice away from me too. But I’m happy that I can still sing.” Tree Hugger smiled back and admired Adagio’s serene expression. “Yeah. Me too.”