A Cold Swim (Open To First Reply)

Justin walked towards the edge of the partly frozen-over lake, wearing his regular blue swim-shorts and sword strapped around his white t-shirt. Being a son of Chione, the Snow Goddess, Cold weather did not effect him. He slipped the shirt off to reveal a solid stomach he had been working on since he got to camp 4 years ago.
He laid his sword onto his shirt and folded the clothing around it, to keep the sand out of the sheath. Justin walked calmly to the edge of the water, and dived in head-first into the water. The regular sensation of swimming in cold water washed over him. The sensation was like being in a doorway between a heated inside, and a snowy outside. He could feel the cold, but just beyond a sense of warmth.

The moment he hit the water, he started the do laps around the edge of the lake, dodging the larger pieces of ice as he did so. Only once it started to snow lightly did he walk out onto the beach, and jog back towards his shirt.

Rachel~||~Alice~||~Jennings
Rachel loved the cold. She wasn't immune to it like the Khione kids, she just didn't mind the chill on her skin. So today she headed out to the beach in worn-down red sweater covered with patches, jeans, and a hat to cover her curly brown hair. Her feet were bare, like usual. The only thing out of place was the absence of her cat, Amira. Her clipboard and bejeweled dagger were in place, though. She needed her clipboard to capture anything interesting enough to draw. Like the boy she just spotted jogging towards his clothes. Drawing men was harder for Rachel, especially with muscles, so she took the chance, sat down, and drew. Since had just probably taken a swim, he was sopping wet, which made an interesting challenge for Rachel.

Rachel~||~Alice~||~Jennings
Rachel glanced back up at the boy, only to move her hazel eyes away again. Her freckles were hidden by the flush that had crept onto her cheeks. She forced herself to go back to her paper, which was covered with guidelines. She embellished, adding the frame, erasing and re-drawing, but her eyes kept drifting back to the boy. You just need to refresh your memory, that's all, she told herself. But the erratic beating of her heart told her otherwise. But she pressed on, getting a clearer shape on her paper.

Rachel~||~Alice~||~Jennings
Rachel was even more flustered as usual, trying to cover up her drawings. She put her clipboard aside, tucked in her legs, and looked at the boy, so close to her. "Um, hi," she said in a small voice. She averted her gaze; she never could hold eye contact for long, being the introverted girl she was. She felt heat creep onto her cheeks as she stood up, still not looking at the boy. Extending a trembling hand, she introduced herself, her voice still quite small. "I-I'm Rachel... I'm a daughter of H-Hermes..." She cursed her nervous stutter, and looked down at her bare feet, covering her face with her hands.

Rachel~||~Alice~||~Jennings
If it was possible, Rachel's flush deepened even further. She puffed out a few clouds of her quickened breath before she sat down, taking the clipboard to her chest and holding it there. "Um, I was.... Drawing," she said, still timid. She tried to avoid looking into Justin's eyes, but her hazel eyes kept sliding back. She forced herself to focus on the horizon, and cleared her thoughts. Propping the clipboard up against her knees, keeping it hidden from Justin, she examined the son of Khione, trying to keep her blush down. He was well built, and, dare Rachel say it, handsome. Suddenly shivering, she pulled her body tighter in, forgetting about the clipboard, which clattered off of her knees, the drawings half finished.

Rachel~|~Alice~||~Jennings
Rachel drew her knees up to her chest, and rested her chin on them, covering her face with her arms. "I don't mind it. Plus, it's a hassle to wear a jacket while I'm drawing. It drags me down." She took a quick glance at her clipboard, with her unfinished drawing of Justin. She really needed to get a cover for her clipboard. She sighed, and buried her face in her arms, not knowing what to do next.

Rachel~||~Alice~||~Jennings
Rachel blushed furiously, trying not to grab her clipboard. "Oh....I was, um, drawing...you," she said, in a very small voice. She buried her face even further into her arms, embarrassed. She hadn't even finished it, and Justin already knew about it. She wished she had brought Amira, to hug the tabby, no matter how sleepy the kitten was.

Rachel~||~Alice~||~Jennings
Rachel peeked over her arms, brown curls covering everything but her hazel eyes. "You really think so?" Rachel asked. "I'm not even finished with it," she continued, her voice even. Most people would glance at her work, then look away, pretending to ignore it. Justin's compliment made her feel rather warm inside, and she smiled, before ducking back into her arms to cover her blush, once again.

Rachel~||~Anne~||~Jennings
Rachel gave him a smile, her cheeks burning, and nodded. She took up her clipboard, dusted it off, and drew. She had a good memory, so she only needed to take a few glances back at him to complete the picture. But since she had no definite way of shading the scene, she just quickly colored a basic lighting situation. She smiled, and with a critical eye, went over her handiwork. Everything seemed to be in order, and she could fine-tune it as soon as she got a pen and eraser. The whole thing only took about five minutes. "Hot chocolate sounds really good right now," said she.

Rachel~||~Alice~||~Jennings
Rachel gladly took his offered hand and stood up, brushing herself off. Her feet and hands were slightly numb, and that was it. "I'm fine, really," Rachel said. But she still wrapped her arms arounds herself, keeping in what little body heat she had. "I'd just like a cup a hot cocoa." She smiled, and picked up her clipboard and pencil, tucking the utensil behind her ear. Hugging the board to her chest, she said, "Let's be off."

Rachel~||~Alice~||~Jennings
Rachel bit her lip. "Queens," she said, after hesitating. "How about you? That is, if you don't mind me asking..." She looked away, knowing she had probably stepped into dangerous territory. Many campers liked to keep their history to themselves, because of some painful past. She took back her question. "Never mind, don't answer that..."