Since there's no place to go

There was a plan to surprise Lochlann ready, and Eph was just waiting to spring it - even if it was just essentially a tackle - but she second-guessed at the last moment when she saw him arrive. She could see him from where she lay in wait hidden, in the cover of the trees. And he didn't look particularly like he needed to be tackled at the moment.

Eph sighed. It had been months since she last tackled anyone and her body was starting to miss the sensation.

Dismayed, she strode out of the shade and walked close, boots treading softly on the grass. It was a good call to wear so many things, she thought, as she slowed down the snowfall around her, brushing them aside. "Hey, uh, it's been a while."

She stepped a little closer, keeping her tail low and steady. The possibility of just jumping the gun and instantly snapping to affection stayed present, and she knew she had to hold back, at least for a while. "You know, I was going to surprise you, but you look like I used to... that expression... well, I won't bother attempting to describe it."

Without a word, Eph gave a bitter smile and hugged Lochlann, wrapping him in her arms and her tail, and her lack of warmth. She stayed there for a while, and slowly stepped back. "I, hmm... can we get off the ice first? It's bad for a lizard."

"Not really, and all I know is it's really, really bad for my circulation." Eph shivered, the cold getting to her through her intentionally very thick clothing. It slowed down her very blood, and by extension everything else about her. Her tail curled up, and she could swear she shrank a little.

Reptiles did not get along well with the cold.

She sneezed a little, and then a lot, and found herself shaking. But she refused to leave - after she saw Lochlann like that, there was no way she was leaving. There wasn't much warmth there, and she clung to the only source of heat around. Eph hugged Lochlann again, eyes closed and body trembling.

"I - I - okay, qu - quick tell me what th - that means and we - we can get off the - the ice, o - okay?"

There was really no way she could hear that stunted pause and not feel guilty. Drawing breath deeply while wrapped in the hug, Eph stifled her shivering and gently broke away from the hug. "O - okay, but... you should've told me so I could've prepared skates. And p - practiced. I'm going to be falling a lot."

She moved back and built herself a little momentum, which she poured into a forward motion, sending her into a slide. While she had the proper moderate speed, it didn't do too much, and her tail was frozen stiff as she attempted to swerve and failed, slipping and landing on her face.

Ouch.

The sheer cold made her flinch and shiver again, which she once again attempted to hide. Lochlann already seemed to be having a bad time. That wasn't allowable. She couldn't be uncomfortable when someone else already was.

With much effort she stood up and shook a little, inviting him over with a slightly forced smile through chattering teeth. "Co - come on then! I can't be the o - only one skating and freezing out here and wow it is cold."

Okay, that was a little weird.

"Please don't tell me you want to do it here," Eph groaned. As much as that would have warmed her up, she would most likely have died of hypothermia just from dropping her panties. It was bad enough that having a tail forced her to wear a skirt in the cold. That would just push it over the top.

His charms had to be resisted, she thought. Even if he wasn't particularly using any of that at the moment. In fact, barring his very laden choice of words, he didn't even seem to be making any advances. It was probably worth a shot to just listen.

After a little contemplation, Eph sighed and bent over like she was told, tail taut and fully upright. "Okay, fine, but if we are going to be doing it here at least don't leave me exposed for too long. I'd rather not, you know, become an Ephsicle."

"Not while - what, did you have some sort of ride on a boat ride?" A world full of new possibilities presented itself to the lizard's thoughts, of all sorts of escapades and hijinks. A quick reminder of how she was terrible with water brushed them aside though.

A sigh of relief. Eph was both relieved and disappointed at the outcome. At the very least, the possibility of death by refrigeration was kept at bay for now. "Nah, every little bit counts. It's all good, don't worry, don't worry."

Eph wrapped Lochlann in her now slightly warmer tail playfully. However, her eyes were serious, and her grip was a little tighter. "You know... I'm not really sharp or anything, but... even I can tell you're a little off today."

She gave him as reassuring a hug as she could and then beckoned to the shoreline and the grass, where there was no ice. "How about we... do - uh, how do I ask this - you maybe want to, I don't know... talk to it? A - about it, I mean."