Ariadne would have punched his arm, if it wasn't for the fact that he was her life jacket at the moment. So she let his little comment go. But still, he could have warned her. She apologized as he tugged her arm from his neck. She didn't mean to choke him and didn't even realize that she had been. She sat...stood? Floated? Whatever, she was quiet for a few moments, trying to calm herself. Conor was quiet, so that helped a little.

She looked away, from the spot she'd been staring at, to Conor. She was still clutching on to him but not moving her feet what-so-ever. She gave him a slight glare as he nudged her shin before sighing. "Fine, fine." She stretched herself out so that her arms were still around her neck but her feet were floating away from him. She started to move them, slowly, before picking up some speed.

She glanced at the shore, at Ashton's sudden yelling, and smiled. She laughed alittle at Conor's comment. "They'll be the best of friends in no time." She was happy that Slick was having fun while she freaked out over here. She just hoped she didn't have some sort of panic attack or something. She froze as she felt this strong feeling. The feeling of hate and the urge to kill. She stood up and pulled away from Conor.

"Something's wrong." She started to look at the shore, who was feeling this? It wasn't Ashton. Sure, he was made but he wasn't going to kill Slick. And the death threat wasn't directed towards her cat but...her and the boys? Her eyes stopped on a large shadow. The thing looked about thirty feet and was slowly making it's way towards Ashton. She had no clue what it was but she knew it was bad. "Ashton! Look ou---"

Her words were cut off when a large, orangish-red ball flew into the water, inches from her. The impact caused a huge wave and threw her backwards, into the water. She sunk down into the sand before kicking herself up. She started coughing up water and gasping for air. Luckily, she was still on the shallow end, so she wouldn't have to swim. But she was a sitting duck out in the water.

As her head is swallowed by the water with a startled gasp, Conor is quick to grab her other arm, pulling her back up. This is when she locks her arms around his neck, nearly cutting off his air supply with a jab about the ground. Conor grins. “Yeah, I technically could have told you. But then you wouldn’t have done it,” he observes.

“And if you choke me to death, I won’t be able to keep us both from drowning so just trust me, you’re alright,” he jokes, reaching a hand up to her forearm, giving it a little tug to give his neck some space.

Conor knows it will take a few more minutes for her to calm down still, so he decides to just work with what they have. “Okay, I’ll move back to where I can touch the ground. Keep your arms around me, let your legs rise up a bit, and kick your feet slowly back and forth to get used to the movement. I’ll move us around so you get the idea.”

Even when his feet are safe on the ocean floor again, she doesn’t seem to want to try and swim. “Come on, get those feet up,” he nudges her shin with one of his toes. “Remember, I promised I’d be here the whole time. I’ll keep your head above the water,” he adjusts his arms on her waist so that it’ll be easier for her to move.

By the bonfire, Ashton’s yells could be heard as his frustration towards Slick rises. “Give me back my marshmallows you stupid cat!” he hollers, being easily out-moved by the quick cat.

“I think they’re bonding,” Conor mutters with a slight laugh.

Ariadne smiled as he promised to stay by her. It made it alittle easier for her to get the courage to do this. Just as Ashton said that, Slick came out of nowhere and grabbed the bag of Marshmellows before taking off with it. She couldn't help but laugh as Ashton took off after the cat. It would be near impossible for him to find the black feline in the dark. She stood up at the same time he did and dusted the sand off of her pants. She looked down at her clothes, her shirt was long enough so if she took her pants off, it'd still cover her underwear.

So she took her jeans off and followed Conor, stopping just before the water. She stayed behind as he made his way into the water. She dipped her foot into the water and quickly pulled it back due to the sudden temperature change. The was water was freezing compared to the nice warm fire. She took in a deep breathe. She could do this, she kept repeating this in her head as she slowly started to walk into the water. It was not getting any warmer. She was slightly freaking out by the time she got to Conor. The water was up to her chest which was to close to her face for comfort.

Not panic, ha, easy for him to say. She payed close attention to what he did, she wanted to make sure she did it perfectly. She had to trust herself and him. So she closed her eyes and started leaning back, she felt him grab her calf to help her float. She was still freaking out but started relaxing and once she thought she was okay, he let go. She was getting ready to freak out but the feeling of floating over came that. She actually wasn't scared as she floated there. She opened her eyes and looked at him, smiling.

She stands back up, still smiling. "That wasn't so bad." She was completely relaxed now. But than he moved even further out in the water. Great, here comes the freak out. She bite her bottom lip, she really liked where she was. She didn't want to go out further. Come on, Aria, you can do this! She started giving herself a mental pep talk till she calmed down. Than she followed Conor, quickly grabbing his hand, and pulled herself closer to him. She tried to stand up only to realize the ground wasn't there so she sunk alittle, her head completely underwater. Her first reaction was to grab onto Conor.

She quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face there. "Could have atleast warned me the ground was gone." She mumbled against his skin. Her heart was pounding in her chest from the slight drowning scare so she wasn't exactly ready to let go yet.

“I’ll stay with you the whole time. That’s a promise,” he assures her.

“Well you guys go. I’m gonna keep guard over the marshmallows. Never know what kind of animals could be out here, and we don’t want them to go missing,” Ashton remarks distractedly as he slides three puff balls on to a stick.

“Come on,” Conor says, rising to his feet.

He tugs off his shirt, tossing it to the sand, debating whether or not the pants should come off as well. Seeing as he’s wearing boxers as well, he deems it alright, as they’re in the dark anyways. The cool breeze off of the water causes goosebumps to rise on his arms and legs. As he wades in to the water, he flinches a bit at how cold the water feels after having been sitting by a nice warm fire. “Just stay close, and I’ll show you the basics,” he looks at her.

Conor stops them when they are about chest-deep in the water. The current was still quite a way out, so he was comfortable that she was safe from being in danger of getting swept away. “I think the first place to start is the simplest thing you can do in water. Floating,” he leans back and brings his legs up until he’s lying on the surface, rocking every few seconds with a new wave coming in.

“You just have to keep still and not panic. Your body will float naturally and it’ll make you more comfortable in the water. Once you can trust yourself to do this, the rest will come easily,” which is a bit of a lie, but he figures positive encouragement is the best method right now.

He places his feet back on the floor of the ocean bed, pushing back his now wet mop of hair. “Here, lean back and I’ll help you get started,” he places one hand on the back of her shoulder and the other stands by until she let her legs rise out from under her.

Conor stands with her for a moment, his hands on her shoulder and calf, keeping her steady until she relaxes. “Good, just be calm. I’m going to let you go, but I’m only a foot away. Just stay still and you’ll be alright.”

His hands come off her as he moves back a bit, letting her float on her own. She was doing well, given the fact that she had never been in a body of water like this before. After a few minutes, he demonstrates how to tread water, walking a little farther out so he can kick his feet around underneath the water. “Just hold my hand, and kick your feet. It’ll take a bit to get used to, because the water is going to catch you in your face and startle you when you first begin,” he explains.

Ariadne stayed quiet as Conor drove off the highway and to the beach. She couldn't help but wished they had gone when the sun was out. Than she would have been able to see how truly beautiful it was. But she wasn't going to complain. This might be the only time she would get to see the beach while all of this with the Mogs was going on. She watched Ashton grab the bag of marshmellows and take off so quickly, wasting no time at all. Slick jumps out of her lap and takes off as well, disappearing in the dark.

She slid out of the car and walked over to Conor so that she was walking beside him. She shook her head to his question, she really wished she had seen the beach. If she was wishing things, she wish she hadn't hit her head that day and lost her memory. She wished the doctors never got their hands on her. Maybe her life would have been so much better. But she also wondered what kind of person she would have been if she hadn't hit her head.

She kept her head down, staring at the ground as he spoke. "It sounds really nice." She said, finally looking back up at him. She watched Ashton strip down to nothing but boxers before diving into the water. He really needed to invest in swim trunks. Ariadne could only take so much of seeing him in his underwear. She followed Conor as he walked over to a bonfire pit and sat down on the sand. She ran her fingers over it, making little designs before taking her shoes off and digging her feet into it. It felt weird and nice at the same time.

Taking the stick from him, she did just as he said, watching him to see when he took his out. Once her's was the same brown, she pulled it out before taking the marshmellow off the stick. "Wow, it is really sticky." Her fingers were sticking together after she had placed the gooey treat in her mouth. She ate a few more before Ashton came and stole the bag from them. She decided to lay back and stare at the stars when Conor spoke again. She quickly sat up and stared at the water.

She was still alittle hesitant to try to swim but she really wanted to do the things she missed out on because of the lab. "Will you be with me the whole time?" She wasn't so worried about the clothes as she was to drown in the dark ocean. She really did not want to drown in the dark ocean. "If you are than yeah, I'm ready to learn."

“The beach it is then,” Conor clicks on the turning signal to get off of the highway.

The coast of Charleston is lined with beach houses, most of which are empty since it is a long way from spring break. Still wanting to take precautions, Conor drives the truck down until the road ends and a sandy trail begins. “Alright, we’ll have to park here and then walk down the path to the water,” he says, turning off the truck and sliding out.

Ashton makes sure to grab the bag of marshmallows, darting off down the path without waiting for his companions. Conor waits for Slick and Ariadne, tucking his hands in his pockets as they start to walk. “Have you ever been to a beach before?” he asks.

When she shakes her head, he scolds himself internally. Of course she hadn’t been to a beach before! As long as she could remember, she had been locked up. Think before you speak, Conor, he thinks to himself.

“It’s pretty nice. Lots of sand and the sound of the waves are like a lullaby. You won’t be able to see very much since it’s dark, but maybe with the lighthouse, some of it will be lit up for you,” he says.

By the time they catch up to Ashton, the path opens up to a large spread of shoreline. The youngest male is already stripping down to his boxers, tossing his pants and shirt aside with the food as he runs towards the waves. Conor can hear the splash when he hits the water, but he forgoes following the boy just yet. “I’ll get started on the fire. Come have a marshmallow with me,” Conor grins at her, making the best of the situation.

He grabs three sticks as he walks towards one of the designated bonfire pits, still filled with bits of wood. He fishes his lighter out of his pocket, flicking it open and pushing the trigger down. The flame casts a faint glow on his face as he crouches down by the fire pit. With a blow from his lips, the fire shoots down, igniting the remaining lumber. “Now, the key to a good roasted marshmallow is to make it nice and gooey without having it catch fire,” he glances at her as he sits, reaching for the bag.

He prepares two marshmallows on the sticks, handing one to her. “Hold it over the fire but be careful not to stick it right in the flames. It’ll burn and taste like charcoal,” he advises.

Conor waits until his is golden brown before pulling it back and sliding it off the end of the stick. He takes a bite, feeling the marshmallow squish between his lips. “It’s been too long since I’ve had one of these,” he mumbles, finishing it off.
A peaceful quiet stretches over them as Conor devours four more marshmallows. Ashton rejoins them; soaking wet and shaking his hair out like a dog while he eats. Conor casts a look over to the water. It did look nice, he thinks to himself. “Do you want to learn how to swim?” he asks Ariadne. “You don’t have to take your clothes off or anything, we have dry things you can change in to when we’re done,” he offers, knowing she will probably be hesitant to remove any clothing around them.

Ariadne didn't have to look at the two to know they were talking about her. She didn't blame them, she felt like she was slowly going insane. She sighed, first she had no memories of her past and the memories she does have are haunting her. She looked down at Slick as he stared up at her. "Atleast you aren't freaking out." She scratched the back of his ear as the other two got back into the truck. She tried her best to avoid eye contact. She was embarrassed about her sudden break down.

She listened to the song, even though she didn't know any of the words. To be honest, she didn't know the words to any songs. She felt so deprived. She can't say a normal life cause whether it's in a lab or traveling with these guys, her life will never be normal. She sighed before burying her face into Slick's side. She didn't move as Ashton started yelling at Conor.

It wasn't till Conor turned his attention to her did she sit up and pay attention. "Um, we can stop if you guys want to. I don't mind." She never seen a beach before and it sounded relaxing. Maybe it'll calm her down even more. "Sure, let's stop."

“Alright, just tell me if you need me to pull over again and I can find a truck stop or something,” he says, getting back to his feet as she brushes by to get back in the truck.

Ashton approaches, eyes flickering between the other two. “What the hell are we going to do if she has another spaz attack? We can’t keep pulling off the road every time she gets claustrophobic.”

Conor shakes his head. “It wasn’t about claustrophobia. I think she may suffer from a mild form of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. It wouldn’t surprise me with where I found her.”

Both boys speak in hushed tones so as not to be overheard. The loud engine of the running truck helped mask their words. “So what, do we get her medication or something?” Ashton’s naïve nature is clear to Conor in this moment as he looks at the confused and slightly fearful younger male.

Once more, Conor shakes his head. “No, it’s too big of a risk to try and get a doctor involved. It may slow us down a little, but we’ll just have to deal with it ourselves every time she has an episode. Maybe after a while, we can help her get over whatever it is that’s haunting her from that place.”

With a clap to Ashton’s shoulder, Conor instructs him to get back in the truck. “Since we’re all awake, how about some music then?” Ashton tries to break the silence as they continue on the highway.

He reaches for the stereo knobs and turns them, trying to find a clear station with the old antenna. He finds an old Queen song that crackles every now and then with static, miming singing in to a microphone. Conor rests an elbow on the window sill, propping his head up with his hand. His lips mouth the words of the song like a whisper, trying to keep his mind from getting too wound up.

A couple hours later, Ashton points at the front window, towards the green sign hanging on the overpass. “Charleston! We gotta hit the beach! Come on, Conor!”

“I don’t think it’s a good idea,” is all that comes from the driver.

“Dude, we’ve been in this musty truck for hours. A quick swim and a bonfire is all I ask. You bought marshmallows, it’s like fate! It’s only 3:00, I don’t think we’ll even see anyone else there. I’ll shut up for the rest of the drive, I just need to stretch my arms and legs,” Ashton begs.

Conor glances towards their companion in the middle. “It’s your call. We can stop so he’ll shut up, or we can keep going and I’ll throw a bucket of water on him to make up for it,” a faint grin tugs at his lips.

Ariadne looked up Conor as he moved towards her. Her body was still shaking but she couldn't tell if it was from fear or the cold breeze that blew over her. Either way, it still made her think of the dream which didn't calm her any. She closed her eyes and tried her best to clear her mind, focusing on the feelins of those around her by using her empathy ability. Ashton seemed confused on what to do, Slick was worried about her, and Conor seemed like the only calm one. So she stayed focused on his emotions.

Slowly, she started to calm down herself. By the time she opened her eyes again, she looked back at Conor, nodding. "I'm okay now." She stood up, still hugging Slick as she did so. "You don't have to stop, I don't really feel like going back to sleep." It was the truth, she feared what would happen if she slipped back into the dreamland. "We can keep going, if that's fine with you."

She didn't wait for an answer as she slide back in the truck. She felt bad, this was the second time she freaked out on them. Atleast her nose wasn't bleeding this time. She ran her hand across her nose to check. Nope, no blood. She looked at the two, waiting for them to get back in the truck.