With skin too tight and eyes like marbles, you spin me high. {Open}

[warmeryouth]

Bailey, much to the dismay of both his mother and his sister, has always been a morning person. No matter how late he crawls into bed, he finds himself up as soon as even an inkling of sun sneaks its way through his window. He's never minded, besides; the early morning hours prove something of a holy hour, during which he finds himself blessed with tides of inspiration.

He watches the tides this morning, standing at the very edge of the boardwalk, the sun just beginning its climb in the sky. The salty air bristles his skin and his lungs as he breathes it in; guitar strapped around his shoulder, he strums on the instrument a bit, letting the quiet melody blend with the cry of seagulls and the fervor of the waves as they rush onto shore. For once, he pours his siren abilities into his playing, to add to the lilting quality of the song as the lyrics start to from in his head.

He sings them as they come to him, the words flickering out into the world like the wings of uncertain sparrows. This is his calling in life, he knows. And not just because of his siren abilities. Music lives in his blood, and he relishes the beauty of it as it unfurls in his veins.

Siren Cove is where he's meant to be, he realizes, as his fingers stir more fervently on his instrument and his song takes flight to greater heights. There is magic to this place beyond that of sirens and witches; a magic only music can really translate.

So in the early morning hours, he stands. And he sings.

Comments

[warmeryouth]

Bailey lets the song wind down as the sun begins to rise in the sky, drawing out the last notes with a yawn-like ease. He always feels the most alive during these early morning hours, letting the increasing light wash over him along with the salt from the sea. Perhaps a bit cliched in the world of men with guitars, but Bailey can't bring himself to care; he takes comfort in the familiar, after all.

When he turns to put his guitar away, he catches sight of the young woman watching him and he blushes.

"Well, I hope you enjoyed the show?" He calls out, wondering if she's cold, just standing there in shorts.

[callmeemily]

It's when the music finally stops - it stops, the silence descends, and then he speaks - that's when the silence is broken with a crack. She actually blinks, like she's coming back to herself, and she tugs the sleeves of her sweatshirt down over her hands when she suddenly realises they're cold.

She's had this problem, ever since the... incident, months ago. She's cold. She's always cold, she can't get warm; even in the heights of summer, in the evening or early morning she'll be wrapped up in a hoodie of some sort, and summer's a long way away, now.

"I- Sorry, I just- That was beautiful." Raleigh takes a cautious step forward; she's the most on-edge this time in the morning; the greenish-gold of the rising sunlight reminds her of unpleasant memories, and it makes her twist briefly to look behind her before she moves close enough that he doesn't have to raise his voice to talk. "Do you do this every morning?" She hasn't seen him before, but she doesn't make it down to the docks all that often. Her coffee's gone a bit cold, but she takes another sip of it anyway, the sea breeze tugging at her blond hair.

[warmeryouth]

"Yeah, pretty much," he answers with a small smile and a shrug. He's a morning person, right down to his bones; he sleeps better when he's been out in the dawn light, strange as it sounds. "And thank you. I've been practicing for awhile now."

He glances at her, notices how she seems to be trying to get warm.

"Are you alright? You look a little cold," he observes.

[callmeemily]

Moving closer, Raleigh shifts to stand on the edge of the dock - far enough away that she's not crowding him, but she can rest her hands and her coffee on the railing. "You can really tell that you've practiced. I can't believe I haven't heard it before, but... if you don't mind, I'll make sure to keep an ear out more often."

She smiles, even though it fades a little when he remarks on her looking cold. "I'm- I mean, I'm always cold, it's no big deal." She shrugs, and looks back out at the ocean before she takes a breath, her smile back when she looks over at him. "I'm Raleigh, by the way. It's nice to meet you."