2025-08-11 - Artemisia and the Water Dragon.

It was a nice warm afternoon, and Aaron was out about checking on the critters of the park, his next stop was going to search for the Lake serpent that he liked to call Pearl. Remembering Artemisia was interested in meeting the water dragon, so Aaron invited her to go on the lake with him. Dressed in clothing he did not mind getting wet he waited for her on one of the parks boats humming a tune to himself scrolling on his phone while he waited.

Did Artemisia come dressed for the lake? Yes. Did she try to make it fashion? Also yes.

She is wearing a pink and white polka dot suit with a pair of jean shorts over top and a pair of yellow converse sneakers as she approaches, a pair of large heart shaped glasses on her face that almost look novelty. A number of of charm necklaces dangle around her neck and she lifts a hand to wave before calling out, "Hey Aaron!"

Looking up a smile crosses his face, "Hey Arte!" standing up Aaron waits for her to get closer putting out a hand, "Here let me help you." he looks her over and grins, "Look are you! You look great." he pats the boat driver, "Alright, we are ready." he sticks the phone in a backpack that is close to him. "Are you excited?"

"I can't say I've ever met a sea serpent before," Artemisia admits cheerfully, taking the hand into the boat and finding her seat. "So. Yeah! Is it pink like Serendipity?" Aaron may be on the young side for that reference.

"Pearl is very cool, very chill vibe." he smiles as he sits when they start to move out onto the water, "Here stick one these on." he hands her a life jacket and one himself rules are rules. Aaron blinks, "A what?" he tilts his head at her quietly.

"Did you name it or is that its name?" Artemisia wonders with a lift of her brows juuuuust above her heart-shaped sunglasses. She puts on the life jacket without complaint, then laughs. "It was a kids show. Or book. Or both. About a kind, pink sea serpent."

Aaron shakes his head, "I named it, she seemed to like it but not sure to be honest. I call her that cause of how colorful her scales are." he smiles enjoying the warm breeze, "Hopefully she isn't hiding today."

"Where does she usually come up?" Artemisia wonders, looking out at the water with a smile.

"Where she wants too." Aaron chuckles looking out over the water, "Sometimes we just have to sit and float about before she comes to visit." though it looks like today she may already be out he looks through the binoculars. "There look." he points handing them out.

Artemisia tips her head at that, then shrugs. "I suppose if you're a great behemoth of the deep, you keep your own schedule," she says with a quirk of amusement to the corners of her lips, looking out over the water. She is looking in the completely wrong direction when Aaron hands her the binoculars, only to take them and pull her sunglasses on top of her head so that she can look through.

Aaron looks out at the water where something seems to be moving through the water, he taps the boat drivers shoulder so they stop. The sight is odd to see the spines f the serpent slither through the water like that, they spines vanish under water and soon after a large serpent/dragon like head peeks out of the water looking at the boat.

"Oh."

It's possible that Artemisia doesn't speak, so much as breathe the note of surprise and delight as the serpent peeks its head above the water. "Hello," she croons softly, even sweetly to great beast.

Aaron chuckles watching as the serpents large head peeks out, a soft snort of water and mist come from its nostrils then it dips back under and comes up on the other side of the boat and comes more out of the water looking down on those in the boat. The scales glinting from the sun all colors of the rainbow, large eyes look to Artemisia and then Aaron. "She is pretty isn't she."

"Pretty?" Artemisia giggles. "She's spectacular."

The serpent comes up to her full sight watching them, her head tilting to the side she is just as curious of them as they are of her. "Pearl, my friend wanted to meet you." Aaron calls to the water dragon. The large eyes look to Artemisia her head coming down slightly as if to look Artemisia over.

"Hi Pearl," Artemisia says with a bright eyed look, moving to carefully stand in the boat. She grew up near the water, she knows what she's doing. She reaches out a hand, but also reaches out with empathy so that Pearl can feel just how glad the little blonde is to meet her. It's a genuine, warm sort of feeling.

The larger serpent looks at the hand and backs away a bit, but then stares at Artemisia as the large serpent focuses on her for the moment, perhaps feeling the small blong reach out. The feeling for the moment is that she is hungry; his eyes dart to the water, and in a quick movement, she is back under the water, diving deep. Aaron blinks and looks to Artemisia. "I wonder if she will be back."

"She's hungry," Artemisia says with a blink, smiling over at Aaron. "So maybe she went for some fish. I'm glad she's not eating me."

Aaron smiles, "No, no, she does not see us as food." he looks to the water, smiling, his fingers caressing over the top of it. "We do not know if there are others of her kind," he looks to Arte, "We think she is the only one."

"How was she discovered?" Artemisia wonders, taking a seat next to Aaron as she gazes out at the water. "I mean, giant sea creature-" It doesn't feel polite to call her a monster. "But like? She can't have always been here? Because like. I'm from Michigan and our fauna is not as wild as what happens here. Do you think she's from the same place as the snugglebunnies?"

Aaron looks to the water then back to Arte, "She showed up at the beach in the park one day, back when the park was closed." he shrugs his s shoulders slightly, "I have tried to talk with her before but I don't think I am good enough at it yet to know what she is trying to say." he thinks for a moment, "She doesn't know where she is from just that she is here and she is the only one that we know of, she does like to have her picture taken." he laughs, "I think she is a bit of a Diva."

"Well," Artemisia pauses with a grin, dark eyes warming with pools of pink like the sunset on the water. "If you looked that good, wouldn't you want your picture taken?"

"Absolutely," he grins brightly, he can be a bit of a diva when he wants just ask Ravin. He looks to the water again, "Was there anything else you felt other than her being hungry?"

"Nah." Artemisia shakes her head. "Not really."

Aaron nods his head. "I know she feels lonely at times, so I come out on the lake when I can to just watch he. She seems to like the company." he looks to Arte, "Maybe now she has met you, if you like, you can come out and spend time with her too."

What they don't realize is that the water serpent has brought her head out of the water a bit again and is watching. There is a noise, and the two are soaked with water, then the serpent is down again and swims off.

"I wonder if she likes music," Artemisia muses as she presses a finger to her lower lip. It'll be something to find out. Admittedly, it's not a thought she manages to contemplate for long as they are abruptly soaked by the serpent.

Coughing up lake water, she takes off her sunglasses so that she can wipe her eyes. A note of laughter caught between her teeth. Looking over to Aaron's soaked form, Artemisia wonders, "We are sure she liked me?" They are going to need to dry off.