Though there was very little sun to speak of, it was still hot. Hot and sticky. Dart honestly felt like he was swimming. His messy brown hair was plastered to his head, and his shirt and vest clung to his skin, wet with sweat and the humidity. He could feel his leather armor warping and growing soft from heavily saturated air, and he felt like he was drowning. 

Genius, D'Artagnan. Who's bloody idea was it to go tramping through the rainforest again?

He swiped at another bush with his sword to cut down a path, and looked to his side to look at the companion who was with him. She looked just haggard as he did, sweat dripping down her face as it did his as she tried to keep up with him through the dense brush along the river. Even in this state, she was still incredibly pretty. His mind slipped back to how they had met several months ago, strictly by chance, in a pub in Adeluna where he had been working as a busboy. Somehow, he, among all the well traveled sailors and adventurers that passed through the city, had caught her attention, and had been asked by her to accompany her on her travels as her protector. 

When the question had later been posed about where they should go, he remembered what his response had been. 

Yeah, Genius. You were the one that wanted to come here…

Dart paused and sat down on a tree root and looked at the Avatar of Earth. 
"You kn-know, F-fox? I-I am r-really starting to question the choice t-t-to come here," he chuckled as he wiped sweat from his brow. He pulled his canteen from his side and took a swig of the luke-warm liquid inside. It wasn't quite refreshing, but he didn't dare try to refill it from the river. He knew better than to do something like that. To make the water even remotely safe to drink they would have to boil it over a fire, and with how wet it had been, it was a near impossible task. 

Dart offered the canteen to Foxglove. "I al-always thought th-that ad-adventuring would be more… I d-don't know… g-glamorous," he chuckled. 

Foxglove had pulled her long red hair up and rubbed her forehead to get rid of the sweat. She stared at Dart and gave a friendly smile but it was terribly hot. Which was weird considering where she was from it shouldn’t have bothered her at all.


She sat down by her protector and gave him a sad smile. “Maybe not the best of ideas but look at the bright side, we could always go skinny dipping in the water!” She tried to cheer him up. “I bet it would feel really good.” She tried to make him feel better.



“Keep it Dart… I’m a being that doesn’t really need to drink. It’s a nice luxury for me but I worry more for you.” Foxglove leaned back on him and looked up at the sky. “This does suck though. I’m picking our next place to go.” She teased him gently before standing up and started to get rid of layers of clothes. “That’s it I can’t take it anymore. Let’s go for a dip… Only for a moment or two.”

It made Dart feel a little bit better to know that it looked as though Foxglove was just as uncomfortable in the heat as he was. At least he wasn't a total neophyte. He knew she was from the Deserts of Arri, where all the Rosenites originated, or at least as far as he understood, but one thing he did know for sure, was that dry heat was much different than humid heat. 

He made room for her to sit on the root beside him, and he was quick to notice the sad smile she gave him. He felt his heart fall, and she must have known because she was immediately trying to cheer him up with the prospect of skinny dipping in the river. He looked thoughtful, though a bit disappointed when she refused the canteen. Yeah, it may have been a luxury, but he was supposed to be protecting HER not the other way around. 

All in all, he had to admit, the thought of a swim was incredibly appealing. He found himself imagining how cool and refreshing the water was sure to be, and had all but missed what Foxglove had said. It was only when her corset had fallen to the ground and she was removing her shirt that it clicked for him what she had actually been saying. 

As the fine contours of her back became visible, a furious blush rushed to Dart's cheeks, and he choked on the water he had just taken a swig of. He quickly spun around on the root, coughing on the water, but trying to both shield his eyes and give her privacy. 

"F-Fox! Y-y-you c-c-c-can't j-j-just s-s-start und-d-dressing!" he decreed, his stutter coming back full force with his flusteredness. 

Foxglove stared back at him and held her shirt to her chest. “Why not? Are you afraid of seeing a girl naked.” She teased him. “It’s bound to happen sooner or later. You wouldn’t let me go swimming all by myself where a big bad man could come out from no where and get right?” She gave him a mischievous smile. “Come on Dart, come swimming with me. You can even look if you want to.”

She pulled on his hands lightly. “It will be fun, I promise.” Her shirt was already unbuttoned and she probably had no idea the effects it would have on the poor boy. “The water will be refreshing and we can stop right here for the evening and catch some fish in the river to eat. I’m sure we could start a fire somewhere near by… If we could find a cave or something.” 

D'Artagnan went red again when Foxglove teased him. "N-n-n-no! Not a-a-a-f-f-fraid. I-I-I w-was j-j-just b-b-brought up t-t-to r-r-respect w-w-women," the young man told his companion. Her argument that he wouldn't let her go swimming along where something or someone might see or grab her was compelling. He looked thoughtful for a moment, and gave Foxglove a slight glare when she smiled at him impishly, and seemed more irritated than embarrassed. 

That was at least, until she leaned over and grabbed his hands and pulled on them lightly, giving him a fine view of what lie under her open shirt. His face went red again and he averted his eyes. 

She's right you know, a swim would be nice. And admit it you have been curious… Oh hell no, none of that. Mother would be ashamed. You're her protector, after all. 

But you can't really protect her from the shore… 
Damn…

"F-fine… b-but you h-h-h-have to t-to g-go f-first, AND y-y-you have to t-t-turn around u-u-until I g-get in the water."

Foxglove smiled at him and laughed. “If not disrespect if I want you to see. I’m not shy around you Dart.” Her green eyes shimmered with all the light around them. There was a soft chuckle that left her lips as she gave him an adorable look.

She held his hands but he looked away from her. She knew he was shy but this was something that was bound to happen no matter what they did. She gave him a smile as he gave in. “Fine. I have no fear about going first.” She let go of him before swooping in and kissing his cheek.

Moving quickly she undressed and folded her clothes into a pile. She moved into the river and smiled up at him from the river bed. “Come on then.” She turned around and waited for him after saying that. “I wasn’t raised to be too shy and I trust you.”

Gods, she is so pretty… especially with how her eyes sparkle…

Dart gave a wry smile when Fox conceded going into the water first and his face flushed a bright pink instead of red when her lips met his cheek. 

So soft!

The young man sighed as Foxglove called to him to join her again. He stood up and turned his back on the river and unclasped his leather cuirass and set it down near the tree root and pulled his vest and tunic off and laid them nicely on the root. He sat down and pulled off his boots before dropping his belt and sword. He glanced over his shoulder to gauge what Foxglove was doing before he ventured to remove his breeches. 

It was no problem for the avatar to give in to going into the water first. She wasn’t as shy as Dart was. Though he was incredibly cute for being that shy. It was probably what attracted the girl to him. Dipping her body in the cold water sent chills up her spine up as she fanned her arms out and let her fingertips ride the top of the water. Her green eyes peered forward even though she was waiting for him to get in. 

She hummed a bit as her toes played with the river stones below. Their smooth surface was relaxing to her but also at the same time she was unnerved by the fact she could slip and fall at any moment. A fish darted past her and she chuckled softly. It was nature after all and she was born from it.

When he finally got into the water with her Foxglove turned around and gave him a smile. “Not so bad now was it?” She gently splashed water over to him. It took her all of two seconds to decide to pounce on him. Both of their bodies flying into the river water. She held onto him and pulled him back up. Hugging him to her she laughed hard and smiled at his face. “You shouldn’t be so shy around me. Lady or not we’re in this together right?” Her hand came up as she pushed his wet hair back.  Her own hair was stuck to her shoulders and breasts thanks to the water.

“Let’s have some fun okay?”

Gooseflesh rose up over Dart's skin as he slipped into the water up to his waist. It was chilly, but it was indeed a welcome relief compared to the hot muggy air on the bank. Dart shivered slightly and ran his hands into the river and pushed the water up over his shoulders. 

All right… this wasn't such a bad idea. You can live with this.

He waded in a bit deeper and couldn't help but chuckle softly. "No…no you are r-r-right," the young man admitted as he glanced over his shoulder at Foxglove. He laughed as she splashed at him, and he turned to splash her back. The next thing he knew is that she was jumping on him and they were both going under the water. He floundered for a moment, partly from the shock of the cold water on his otherwise warm skin, but mostly because of the surprise of feeling her otherwise bare body up against his. He spluttered and flailed a bit when Foxglove pulled him back up out of the water. 

"F-FOX!" he gasped as she laughed hard and clung to him. He might have hugged her back, but he was still trying to get his footing which was a bit difficult with her hugging him, and he didn't want to grab onto her for support for fear of grabbing something that he shouldn't. He was panting slightly, and attempted to glare at Foxglove as she pushed his hair from his face. 

I can't stay mad at her… look at how happy she is. 

He was grateful at least that her hair was long enough to cover her chest. It made things a little less awkward for him. He sighed and gave in. 
"I c-can't argue w-w-with you anymore. W-what do you have in mind then, Fox?"

Fox looked up into the sky, there was a smile on her face. Her green eyes could see the swirling white fluff clouds above, but barely, through the blue, blue sky. It was beautiful out and now she did not even feel bothered by the hot humid air around her flesh. Her fingers skid across the top of the water as Dart made his way in. Her curved ears perked a bit as the sound of how chilly he felt. The chatter of his teeth reached her ears, that was a common reaction to the cold water at first.

Blinking as he finally played splash tag with her Foxglove looked even more happy. It took her a whole two seconds to decide to jump onto him. The Rosenite Avatar tried to keep him close. Under the water her red hair looked more like blood mixing into the water. It was long and red, but not quite as long as her counter part’s. They came up together and she watched as he spluttered about.

“DART!” She yelled in return as she chuckled and clung to him. She could tell he was attempting to get his footing. She tried to help as her feet moved the river stones beneath his feet to create a stable place to stand. Making a pout face, the Avatar seemed down but only for the moment as the sour face he held vanished.

She wiped the water from his face almost lovingly before giggling, “I just want to relax. We’ve done nothing but cut down the forest and make our way deep in… Just to end up damn lost.” She gave him a frown before swimming way and floating on the top of the water. “This is nice. The water here is different from the temple. Everything is.” She was experiencing everything outside of Adeluna and the temple for the first time and with that in mind she flopped into the water on her stomach. 

“Thank you for bringing me out here Dart.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “You are really my hero.”


They relaxed in the water for what seemed like a few hours. There was idle talk in between their play. Finally they made their way out of the water as the evening was beginning to set in. She stretched as she left the water. “Do I have to go first? Or will you venture out with me?” She offered him her hand and smiled at him. It didn’t matter what her shy traveling partner chose, Foxglove was happy with either or.

Making her way over to her pile of clothes, the Avatar slowly began to get dressed. She flopped her hair out of  the way of her shirt before turning her head. “Huh?” A scream left her lips next as from behind the bush arms grabbed her pulling her in.

“DART HELP.” They were fast, and she was gone.