a river runs through it.

seth riverra | 25 | not human “but just as the river is always at the door, so is the world always outside. and it is in the world that we have to live.”

[sethriverra]

eiffelnam​:

   she’d have to admit , her version of swimming was pretty draining. “ kinda swimming and swimming , are the same thing! you can’t convince me otherwise. ” eiffel huffs out , paddling around in slow circles , around seth. never daring to venture farther than an arm’s reach away , irrational fear of sinking to the bottom , still at the forefront of her mind. making her way back towards her girlfriend , eiffel moves to cling to seth’s side. resting her chin ontop her wet shoulder. “ okay honestly , swimming is so overrated. it tires you out so fast , i don’t know how you do it. ” feeling bold , she leads them out a little deeper. cautiously paddling forward , trying to copy the other woman’s earlier movements. a little more success , but still not quite right. “ is … this … any better? ” she gasps out , struggling to keep her chin above the pool water. 

   seth can’t help but laugh. “well, i guess it’ll keep your head above water... for a little while.” dog-paddling does get tiring quickly, though. puts a lot of strain on the arms and legs to keep up. it’s more like fighting the water than using it to her advantage—but she can hardly expect someone with so little experience to be perfect so quickly. just because her own upbringing gives her an advantage doesn’t make everyone so fortunate, she can recognize that. “you’re tired already?” she asks, biting her lip to suppress another laugh as eiffel swims over to cling to her side. does she do this on purpose? make herself as cute as possible? seth thinks it’s likely. as her girlfriend takes another chance to try swimming more efficiently, she watches with amusement. “that’s better,” she says, nodding encouragingly. “but try not to keep your arms too close to the surface. a little below it is better.” she pauses. “don’t be afraid to use your legs a bit, either.”

[sethriverra]

eiffelnam​:

  there’s a brief moment of panic , as seth pulls away from her. eiffel’s arms flailed about , in an effort to relatch to her. “ okay , okay. like a frog , got it. just … don’t go so far out , stay where i can reach you. ”  she fusses while reattaching herself to her , only moving once satisfied , seth wouldn’t be out of arm’s reach. kicking out legs experimentally , eiffel tries swishing her arms out. after a few more failed attempts of actual swimming , she finally settles on a method. which looks more similar to doggy paddling , than swimming. “ hey! look! i’m moving! is this swimming, am i doing it right? i totally knew this would be easy , should have tried a long time ago.” sounding far too excited for not actually accomplishing , her girlfriend’s goals.

   it’s endearing, to say in the least, how eiffel flails about the moment she pulls away—does she really think she’ll drown in a pool? at their age? the odds are astronomical, especially considering that seth is a great swimmer herself. “don’t worry, i’m not going anywhere,” she reassures her, amusement twinkling in her eyes. she has to bite down on her lip to keep from outright laughing as she watches her girlfriend try ( and fail ) to do as she says. “well... you’re kind of swimming, i’ll give you that much,” she says, not one to bring her down, especially with how excited she seems. she is making an effort, after all. “here, do you see what i’m doing? try it like this. you’ll waste less energy this way.”

[sethriverra]

eiffelnam​:

   eiffel just wrinkles her nose at the other woman , still not making any moves to detach herself. deep enough for a start. comical , seeing as how eiffel considered it deep enough , period. she’s tense as she floats there , body ridged anytime the water rose. “ yeah , yeah. of course , i can swim. why wouldn’t , i know how to swim? come on babe , have some faith. ” she huffs indignantly , brows furrowed as she gives an experimental kick , of her legs. knowing fully well , seth can pick up on her fibs. “ isn’t this sort of dangerous though , i mean …. electricity and water? not that i’d lose control , just saying. ” she’s rambling. trying to get the topic of her lack of swimming skills. “ and what am i supposed to be doing , with my arms? am i supposed to just … window wipe them , or what? ” 

   seth can tell that her girlfriend isn’t comfortable with the situation, now more than ever, but she appreciates that she hasn’t launched herself out of the pool, yet. if she continues on like this, she won’t force her to stick around, though—sunbathing isn’t a bad option, either. “well...” she trails off, deciding not to give eiffel too much trouble on her very obvious lie. she might not drown if put into water, but calling that swimming was... a little bit of a stretch." don’t worry, i trust you.” she gives eiffel a warm smile. it’s true that water and electricity are a bad mix, but she doesn’t think she’s that out of control. “it’s not so hard, just use your arms like this,” she says, pulling back just enough that she can give her an example of a breaststroke. “think of it... like swimming like a frog.”

[sethriverra]

eiffelnam‌:

   despite her girlfriend’s very valid point , eiffel continues her pouty behavior. scrunching her nose up , as seth boops it. had in been literally anyone else , they’d have earned a left hook. it was actually humorous , just how sappy , seth could make her. “ i’m holding you that , just so you know. don’t think i won’t haunt you out of spite , because i will. ” she muses , splashing the other back. and then the security of solid ground beneath her feet , is gone. only the tips of her toes brushing against it , as she half floats and half clings , to seth. “ okay. alright …. this is deep enough , babe. don’t you think? ” the water is about chin level for her now , and her panic begins to set in again. “ right , of course. yeah. okay so …. i just … float here? or … do i like … paddle , or something? ” 

   “i’d sure hope you would. if i was dumb enough to let you drown, i’d deserve it,” she chirps, too cheerfully for the subject—it isn’t like she’s expecting anything to happen, though. she wouldn’t dream of letting eiffel drown when it would be so easy for her to help. “deep enough for a start,” she continues, biting her lip to hide another smile. her girlfriend certainly doesn’t seem comfortable, but the fact that she isn’t making a break for the steps is encouraging. “you can float, if you want. but swimming is what i had in mind.” she pauses, wondering if eiffel even knew how. “you know how to swim, don’t you? just a little?”

[sethriverra]

eiffelnam‌:

  she gives her a playful little shove , continuing to follow her out further. another pouty little frown makes it’s way to her face as her girlfriend continued to poke fun at her. “ am not! i’m a great , liar! ” she protests with a laugh , sticking her tongue out. “ you never know though , gorgeous. what if i get a cramp , and can’t stay afloat? or my legs give out , and i slip under?” eiffel questions coyly , hands slipping down to the other woman’s waist. “ not to be dramatic but , you may , have to do cpr on me. just incase i take in too much water , or whatever. ”  she muses , with a playful grin. gasping loudly , as the cool water hits her. “ babe , i don’t think you understand. i thought we were sunbathing together , okay. nobody has time , to be washing five bundles of hair. these extensions were expensive , okay. ” though she motions for seth , to continue leading them out. “ you’re helping me wash my hair , when we get back to my place. we can take a bubble bath or use a bath bomb , and then , you can stay the night. ” 

    “if you were, i wouldn’t be able to tell when you do it,” seth points out, bringing a hand up to boop eiffel on the nose affectionately. she knows that her girlfriend isn’t the biggest fan of swimming, but she appreciates that she’s at least trying to make an effort. “i promise, if you start drowning, i’ll save you. i don’t think cpr will be necessary, though.” she smirks to herself as eiffel gasps, giving her another playful splash as she leads her deeper into the water. it’s definitely getting to that point where swimming should take place, too—at least for the smaller of the two. “don’t worry,” she says, laughing lightly; “i won’t make you wash all your hair extensions by yourself. we can use whatever bath bomb you want, too.”

[sethriverra]

eiffelnam‌:

   “ flattery will get you nowhere , seth. i know you too well to be swooning , over all of your praisings. ” she says that , but can’t help but grin , at her. they’re waist-deep now into the water, her feet still securely on solid ground. it’s about as deep as eiffel has ever been , in any body of water. which she plans on keeping that way , though seth clearly has other plans. “ what do you mean , sweetie? i’m not trying to do , anything. ” she fakes innocence , hands slipping back to her girlfriend’s shoulders. “ oh , fine. but if i drown , it’s on your conscience. ” she’s being overdramatic of course , having no doubts , that seth would ever let that happen. “ how much deeper , are we going out? i didn’t plan on getting my hair , wet. ” 

    “i guess i’ll just have to try harder, next time,” she replies, a sly smile working its way onto her lips. while eiffel is out of her element, she won’t do anything too mischievous, but the thought has certainly crossed her mind. “sweetie,” she continues, biting back a light laugh; “you know you’re such a bad liar, right?” not that seth can be mad at her when the worst she’s lying about is whether she’s trying to get out of swimming lessons. “don’t worry, baby, i won’t let you drown. i don’t think the pool is deep enough for that.” she doesn’t have that little faith in eiffel, either way—she isn’t totally helpless, after all. “well, deep enough to get your hair wet,” she replies, splashing some water in her direction. “come on, wading isn’t where the fun is. you have to actually swim.”

[sethriverra]

eiffelnam‌:

  her pout deepens as she’s tugged further out , into the pool. she’d much rather be sprawled across one of the pool chairs , soaking up the rays of the sun. preferably with , seth beside her. with or without their swimsuits , doesn’t matter to her either way. but for now , she’ll continue her little lesson. for how long though , is up in the air. “ oh whatever , the point is you’re naturally , a strong swimmer. you’re water dynamic or whatever , and i’m like a sack of bricks. ” eiffel continues to whine as she loops her arms around seth’s neck , treading fingers through her wet hair. “ of course , i don’t think you’re icky. the opposite , actually. i think you’re stunning , when you’re all wet. ” she lets the innuendo hang in the air , tugging at the string of her girlfriend’s swimsuit.

    “a sack of bricks? i think you’re a little better than that,” she teases, continuing to lead her out deeper. at the moment, the water is up to her waist—not exactly deep, but seth is confident she’ll get there. even if it takes her the rest of the afternoon, she’s determined to get her in the water. swimming is one of her favorite things to do, and she wants to share a bit of that with eiffel. maybe she’ll even learn to appreciate it. “i know what you’re doing,” she says, swatting her girlfriend’s hand away from her swimsuit. “you’re trying to distract me. not gonna work, but maybe i’ll give you a reward if you come out a little deeper with me.”

[sethriverra]

eiffelnam‌:

  if she’s full out pouting over at seth , she refuses to admit it. they’re nearly knee-deep into the cool water , and that’s plenty deep enough for eiffel. with a dramatic sigh though , she’s accepting the offered hand. lacing her own fingers through her girlfriend’s , as she waddles closer. “ the irony of that , coming from you. you were literally born , already knowing how to swim. ”  she huffs out , clinging to seth’s side. it’s not that she can’t swim ,  it’s just …. she’s by no means a strong swimmer. something about not having solid ground under her feet , sends her into a panic. “ isn’t sunbathing so much more fun , than swimming? being all wet and cold , is icky. ” 

     there’s always something amusing when it comes to eiffel. this time, it’s the little pout on her face—seth knows she won’t admit to it, but she isn’t exactly blind. “that’s not true,” she says, gently tugging at her girlfriend’s hand to lead her deeper into the pool. so far, so good. “i wasn’t born knowing how to swim like this.” in fact, it was something she had to get used to, although it didn’t take long. in this form, she has no powerful tail to move her through the water, only the long limbs of a primate. “as much as you know i love sunbathing, i’ll have to say swimming is more fun. the water isn’t cold, either—not once you get used to it. i mean, you don’t think i’m icky, do you?” 

[sethriverra]

[ @eiffelnam​ ]

     “it’s okay, i promise,” she says, biting back a lighthearted laugh. she doesn’t want to make fun of eiffel, but it’s a little... cute when she gets nervous like this. “once you figure it out, you’ll never forget.” seth pauses, holding out a hand for her to take. “it’s like... what’s the saying? like riding... a bike!”

[rcdchester]

Sleep was something that didn’t entirely come easy to Robin these days. In lieu of slumbering during the night, he found himself wide awake once the sun went down, inspiration struck. He had taken to venturing out into the city when staying his cramped apartment became too stifling, laptop in his bag and enough money to keep himself fueled with at least a few cups of coffee while he typed away at… well, what was supposed to be his latest story. It was more of a right mess than anything else.

But it would be something, one day. Some day. If he could just fucking concentrate long enough to write more than a few sentences, and be satisfied with that. For the longest time, all he did was stare at the screen, fingers hovering over the keys before retreating to flop into his lap. “Fuck,” He sighed, brushing a hand through his unruly hair in frustration. Glancing around himself, he leaned over and tapped the shoulder of someone in the seat nearest to him. 

“ ‘Ey, er– sorry to bother you, but, can I get your opinion on somethin’ real quick?”

[sethriverra]

     it’s later in the evening than seth is usually out and about, but with her girlfriend staying late at work and sleep not yet crossing her mind, she doesn’t have much else to do than wander. and wander she does, for a good while before stopping into a less-than-normally-convenient cafe, appreciating the mostly-empty shop for a long moment before stepping up to order. caffeine is a luxury she’s long since gotten used to, but it still never ceases to amaze her the things people come up to make life that much more interesting.

     a voice breaks through her little moment of wonder. despite her many years around people, she still is never quite used to being approached—but then, people are social creatures. her own upbringing was more lacking in that. “oh?” she asks, turning her piercing gaze on the stranger. “sure, what do you need it on?”