Private Finished The Best Ships are Friendships

Nessie laughed a little, a light and airy sort of sound. You do plenty of cool things. The telepathy is particularly useful. Especially when it came to them communicating. It was nice, she felt, to have someone to talk to and not have to worry about the barriers of speech. She'd gone through her life writing notes in order to communicate, and now, with this person, she didn't have to.

She didn't have many friends in her life. None at all, to be exact. Most relationships she formed with people tended to fade away due to disinterest on her part or her anti-social tendencies. But Edward...had rather quickly become her friend. She supposed it was just their similar personalities. She'd never met anyone like him before, but she was glad that she had. He was a good guy.

Me, too, she told him, reaching up to gently rub his ears in a motion similar to affection. She liked Edward a lot. Perhaps it wasn't too bad to let someone like him into her life a little more.

Would you like to come over for lunch? I don't live too far from here, she offered. She didn't often let people into her home, so this was a rather big step for her.​

She smiled as her ears picked up his purring. Nessie had always been a cat person...she supposed that was why she and Edward got along so well. They always seemed to manage to enjoy each other's company without having to speak to each other too much; just being in each other's presence tended to be enough. He was someone she could relax around. She didn't seem bothered at all by his closeness.

We can always come back and swim after lunch, she offered, collecting her things. She shook the sand from her blanket and tucked it away in her bag, putting the bag over her shoulder. She slipped on a pair of sandals for the walk home to protect her feet from the hot pavement of the sidewalk and led the way. You can certainly help cook, she told him as they made the way back to her house.

It was a little two-story cottage near the beach that she took him to, tastefully painted in a sandy tan with green trimmings. The front lawn was neatly kept, with hibiscus bushes growing along the front of the house. Big bay windows offered a peek into the living room, decorated in a simple yet comfortable style. The inside of the house was just as quaint; there was nothing flashy about the interior design, but it all seemed to fit together in a cozy kind of way, with wicker furniture that was set with plush cushions. Custom artwork hung on the walls, neither too little or too much, all signed with the same stylized strokes: VL.

Nessie led the way through the house to the kitchen, where more bay windows looked out onto the backyard, which featured a swimming pool and hot tub, and more hibiscus bushes in varying colors, as well as a couple of palm trees. The kitchen itself featured marble counter-tops and modern appliances, as well as an island in the middle for extra counter space and casual dining, with a couple of bar stools lining one side. It was all rather neatly kept; Nessie had always been one to clean up after herself, and living alone made it easy to keep things clean.

The fae went about the kitchen, pulling out a griddle and setting it on the island. I was thinking grilled cheese? It wasn't anything complicated, Nessie tended to prefer simple foods anyways. She opened a small bread box on the counter and pulled out a loaf of sliced bread, then fished in the fridge and set a small variety of cheeses on the island, too, as well as a tub of spreadable butter. Everything seemed to have a place in this house.​

Nessie made headway on her sandwich, pausing when Edward asked her about school. She considered for a moment. It had been a long time since she'd been in school, either. She took her time responding. When I first arrived here, I went through college as an art major here. She'd mostly taken it to get her footing in the art community, here and abroad. Her paintings went to people all over the world now. She occasionally traveled off the island for work, but it was rare that she left the comfort of her studio.

That was a long time ago, she told him. I have been here for...a long time. Fifty years, to be exact. She doubted that he'd ever guess that she was just over a century old, since she didn't look a day over twenty-something...it was her glamour that allowed her to stay looking this way despite her age. She was young, though, for a Fae. There were many others who were even older than she by several hundred years.​

Piano, huh. Nessie wondered if he was any good. She had an appreciation for other types of art than just what she created: music, drama, writing, et cetera. She stored the thought in the back of her mind, maybe she could get him to play for her some time.

Nessie listened to him quietly as she ate her sandwich. There was some truth to what he was saying. Dating had always seemed like a weird concept to her. I haven't, either, she replied, though it clearly didn't bother her. Nessie didn't really date. When she had the need for companionship, all she had to do was use her powers to hypnotize someone into staying around her for a little while before sending them on their way again and retreating to her lonely lifestyle. It was kind of nice to have Edward around sometimes, though.

I'm comfortable around you, as well, she offered, watching him as he did the dishes without being asked. He was a nice boy. Nessie would even dare to call him a friend.​

Nessie gave him an amused look, You appear to be more than just a cat to me. You're also a good friend, and good company. She watched him as he finished drying the dishes and came back to join her at the counter. It seemed that he was becoming familiar with the nuances of her culture; being thanked was an insult and a sign of weakness, and there was a system of giving and receiving when it came to the Fae and how they operated. She appreciated his awareness for her way of life. It was a kindness that would not go unnoticed.

Sure. We can head back down to the beach, she replied, picking up her bag and putting it over her shoulder again. They made their way out of the house and back to the sandy shores nearby. Nessie played a little with her new sketchbook, drawing a beach umbrella and dumping it out onto the sand. Interesting. She picked up the umbrella and opened it. It wasn't colorful or anything, but it worked just like the real thing. Interesting. With Edward's help, she set up the umbrella so it wouldn't blow away in the mild breeze that was coming from the sea before they headed for the water. Nessie waded in, enjoying the way that the water cooled her skin that had been warmed by the sun.​