Gabriel and Billy | A Summer Swim (Backdated to August 26th)

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Billy and Gabriel have the same idea to beat the summer heat.


Gabriel never understood why more people didn't swim in the lake. It wasn't as sanitary as the pool, and it felt a good deal colder, although it probably wasn't. But there was something about floating in the water here that Gabriel was currently finding more agreeable than the social and sterile environs of the pool.

He floated along for a bit before righting himself up, bobbing in the water as he turned to spot the jetty where he'd left his things. His eyes caught sight of his shirt, phone and cigarettes, and he started swimming over to the dock.

90 degrees and nearly the same in humidity, Billy had decided it was far too hot to be dry. He'd started toward the pool, but the shouts and shrieks that reached him first changed his mind, and so he padded through the trees toward the lake, hoping it would be less crowded. A few minutes later, he reached the destination--not quite vacant as he noted a figure swimming toward shore. He squinted, trying to make it out, as he raised a hand high in greeting.

Gabriel, catching the gesture out of the corner of his eye, stopped swimming and turned. He too squinted, raising his arm to give a little wave before starting to dog paddle toward his things. "Hey," he called out, more shouting than anything else. As he approached, Billy's figure came into view, and he tagged a smile onto the end of his greeting. "Fancy seeing you here."

"Guess I wasn't the only person who decided to avoid the pool," Billy said, kicking off his sandals and dropping his towel atop them. "On a scale of bathwater to frostbite, how is it? Should I just jump in?" he asked as he started to peel off his shirt.

"Eh," Gabriel shrugged, looking up toward Billy as he kicked his way to the dock. "Closer to bathwater, I'm thinking. But refreshing enough." In a second, he appeared on the dock, traces of water at the end of it. Water dripped off him, and he kicked his shirt aside to grab a towel. "You mind if I smoke out here?"

"Go for it," Billy said, dropping his shirt beside his belongings. He glanced at the water before committing, taking a couple steps away and jumping in feet-first. A moment later, he reemerged, paddling over to the dock and hoisting himself half-up onto his arms. "You lie!, he accused, shivering before he shook the water from his hair.

"I mean..." Gabriel shrugged, a small smile on his as he looked down at Billy. "I was in for a while, so I guess I got used to it." He held his pruney left hand up to show Billy while his right one fumbled for a pack of American Spirits. "Or maybe I'm just numb."

"Ok, maybe I believe that," Billy continued to lean on the dock, lazily half treading water beneath him. "Beats sitting out in the humidity at any rate. So why aren't more people out here? Is there some Loch Ness monster I need to worry about?"

"Honestly, I dunno." Gabriel shrugged. His finger felt the corner of the pack, and he pulled it out, triumphant. "I think people like things clean and chlorinated, and the lake seems gross." In the blink of an eye, he pulled out a cigarette, found his lighter and lit up. "Can't say I mind dirty," he added after a few puffs. "Although the lake monster might be a thing."

"Well, if you want dirty, I can give you a few places in the city, Pools, I mean," Billy quickly clarified. "Some of those public pools should be labeled as a biohazard. Me, I'd rather risk being dragged underwater and molested by Nessie than catch botulism, or whatever the disease de jour might be."

Gabriel laughed. "Hey, man, no risk, no reward, right?" He laid his towel on the dock and sat down on it. "And anyway, I hear Nessie's pretty handsy."

"And this is exactly how rumors get started," Billy said, as he hoisted himself halfway up to lean on the dock. "Next thing you know, it'll be fifty feet long with dozens of tentacles. And...I think I'll leave the rest of the rumor to you. Bad things tend to happen when I say things that aren't true too many times."

Gabriel snorted. "So I've heard." And he had, though he had yet to encounter the effects of Billy's power in this universe or the last one. "What's the weirdest thing you've accidentally done?"

"Weird? How long do you have?" Billy grinned. "And are you asking for weirdest before or after I fill our lovely lake with Squirtles and Sharpedos?" He pondered a moment, trying to think of a good answer. "Well, I've had my share of wardrobe-malfunctioning teleports. Homonyms are my subconscious nemesis. And I'll probably never know whether my kid brothers would be around if I hadn't desperately wanted one."

"Oh God," Gabriel wrinkled his nose as he flicked ash onto the dock. "There's a crisis for you. Can't get too mad at them, either, in case you Freaky Friday-ed them into being. You magic people," he shook his head. "No way to live."

"It's a heavy burden, being able to warp reality to your whim," Billy said sagely. "And hopefully someday, a little more will, a little less whim. So how about you? Any embarrassing mishaps? Or most devious use of them. Take your pick."

"Oh, until I got here, exclusively devious uses of them." Gabriel shrugged. "Stole to survive. Tricked a lot of people out of their wallets. The most head-shakingly-embarassing moment was probably when I miscalculated my velocity and tripped over a chain-link rope and knocked myself out." He grimaced a bit. "Never had one of those weird cartoon-y moments where, like, I run, and my clothes don't run with me, though. One of these days, I'm sure."

"Ooo, that's bad," Billy winced at the mention of the fence. "Well, if you ever decide to try to outrun your clothes, let me know. That should be on video. For science, and all."

"Well," Gabriel shrugged, "you let me know if you ever want to experiment." He took another drag off his cigarette. "Science requires careful examination, after all."

"Careful, I might just take you up on that, one of these days," Billy said, before hefting himself up onto the dock. "Well, I think I'm sufficiently cooled off. And didn't even get eaten by a monster. What do you know."

"Wonders never cease," Gabriel smiled as he extinguished his cigarette. "You live to fight another day, Kaplan. Mazel tov."