"Don't bullshit me," Glory said. "You look like you're about to go hole yourself up in your little cave and ignore the world for a while. There has to be a reason for it."

Léan flicked his tail annoyedly, grumbling, and stared at Archie. The stare he was giving him could have melted steel.

Archie backed up a bit, chewing his lip, and then glanced at her. "I told you already, didn't I?" he reminded her timidly. "When we first came back from deeper water...before I dragged him out here."

"Ah, that's what this is about," Glory said. "I think I get it now. You and your mood swings, right? Should I head back inside and leave you be?"

Immediately, the same sort of sadness from the previous night came over him, coupled with a very helpless look. He again looked at Archie, but this time as if he'd done something terribly wrong and didn't know what it was.

Archie sighed, not knowing what to do or say at this point. He kept his attention focused on Damon instead.

Glory sighed.

"Sorry... I think the sunburn is making me a bit snippy," she apologized. "I didn't mean to keep jabbing. I shouldn't have snapped at you." Feeling her skin starting to head up again, she carefully drew her jacket back over her shoulders to protect them from more burning.

Léan nodded wordlessly, leaning back to float on his back and pushing himself out a bit, so he could float around and relax.

Once Archie was sure he was out of earshot, he swam up to her, with Damon leeching to his waist. He looked amused.

"Today's your chance, you know. That little spazz last night from him...made me even more sure that he's developing feelings for you," he informed her quietly, but brightly. "And look how upset he got over one little snap...I think you should try to approach him about it sometime today. But, if you want time to think about it..."

His tail swished back and forth. "Is 'Nana' awake? The other human you live with? Maybe we could try to get her more used to us today."

"Nana's awake, yeah..." Glory replied absently, thinking. "Are you really sure about it, though? Being comfortable around someone isn't the same as having feelings for them."

"Maybe I'm just not seeing what you're seeing," Glory said. "He's a bit more open than before, sure, but I wouldn't call it 'comfortable'. He's already locked up twice today." She sighed. It hurt her to see him so clammed up, and she wasn't sure why. She tried to ignore the little voice in the back of her head that said she was starting to have feelings for him, but the little voice was insistant.

Glory sighed and looked out to where Léan was floating. He looked peaceful, with his eyes closed...

"Alright," she said. "I'll see what I can do. I don't know if the subject will come up, though... And I can't really go and get him. I'm not going in the water today."

"Let me go and ask," Glory said, getting up. It was true that she worried about Nana's health, but she trusted her grandmother to know her limits. Quickly, she headed back into the cottage.

"Nana?" she called.

"In the den, Gloriana," Nana replied. Grinning, Glory went into the living room.

"It's a nice day, Nana," she said when she saw her grandmother. "Why don't you come outside with us?"

"I don't know, Gloriana..." Nana replied. "This old body isn't what it used to be. I can't handle plowing through the water like you do."

"So bring out a few cushions and sit on the rocks with me," Glory said reasonably. "I'm not going into the water today. I got too crispy yesterday."

"What about your... friends?" Nana asked, not exactly sure what to call them.

"They want you to come outside and meet them," Glory replied. Finally, Nana sighed and got up.

"You win, Gloriana," she said, gathering a few cushions from the sofa. Glory grinned and walked outside with Nana, grabbing the aloe lotion on her way out.

As they walked out, Damon and Archie were playing with the seaweed, squeaking and chirping as they tossed pieces of it at each other, amused that it stuck to their bodies and got tangled in their hair.

Léan had drifted a bit closer, but he was still farther out than the other two, eyes closed peacefully, the fins at the very bottom of his tail flicking back and forth. He opened them a bit when he felt the back of his head brush against one of the rocks.

Upon seeing Glory walk back out with the other human in tow, however, he rolled back over onto the correct side, curious. He watched, but didn't approach for a while.

Archie squealed, dunking Damon underwater playfully, and then he noticed the two. He waved, in a friendly way, before Damon resurfaced and dunked him, as well.

Grinning, Glory waved back at them. Now, if only Léan could have fun like that... Leading her grandmother over to the flat rocks, she took the cushions and laid them down. Then she helped Nana sit down comfortably and sat next to her. Somehow, it felt really nice to dangle her feet in the cool water again.

"See, Nana? It's nice out," Glory said. Her grandmother nodded.

"You're right, Gloriana. As long as I can stay dry, I'll count today as a very good day," she replied.

"Well, it's very nice to meet you," Nana replied, shaking his hand. "My name is Susan, though from time to time I'm called Sue." She smiled. "I believe I've already met your brother."

"I'll say," Glory muttered to herself, although she was still grinning.

Damon peeked out from under the rocks, curiously, to watch. As soon as the formalities were done with, he sprang out from under the rocks and tackled Archie.

"What call me? Archie? Cheater not name," he demanded, tilting his head.

Grudgingly, just as Archie said he would, Léan made his way back up towards the rocks, attempting to avoid the tornado that was Archie and Damon playing around with each other.

Glory watched as Léan made his way to them. He looked more relaxed than he had before, probably from his sunbathing earlier. She grinned when he got closer.

"You look like you're feeling better," she commented.

"I would join you, but I've had enough sunbathing for a while," Glory said. "Sunburn tends to do that. Anyways, you've met my grandmother, Susan, right?"

And now he was back to being a stick in the mud. Great. Glory sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You don't have to be so stiff about it," she said, pouting a little. Nana chuckled softly.

"Now, Gloriana..." she started. Glory immediately lightened up.

"I know, Nana, I'm just teasing," she reassured.

Archie swam up behind Léan quietly and dunked him. "It's not his fault he acts like a stuffy old man!" he jeered before fleeing, back to Damon.

Léan grumbled as he came back up, eyes narrowed. "I'm going to throttle him one of these days."