You, Me, Her and Him

[andhiswife]

This, Greta thinks, is probably overdue. Jordan might not be Saoirse's age, but she's about her size, and Greta's fairly certain they'll get on. She's a little less certain about Marvin and Cu. The sheepdog has excellent manners, but there's no getting around the size disparity between him and the little terrier, and Marvin might not like it. Then again, Marvin also might not even show. She'd told Sam that Cu would be here, figuring he'd know best whether his own dog would actually enjoy tagging along.

She's also not entirely certain about the beach as a meeting place. Saoirse loves it, of course, which might be part of the problem. Even without any sign of her coat, Greta can't quite shake the fear that the seals will end up calling her into the water. It's probably paranoid, and even if it isn't, she's heard enough stories about selkies to know she doesn't want to be that person -- the one who so fears losing them that they do something awful just to keep them a little longer. But she's grown desperately fond of the girl, despite knowing what she is, and it's hard not to dread what seems like an inevitable departure.

Not that it'll be today or anything. Jordan and Sam will be distracting enough that Saoirse won't even be tempted to look too long at the waterline, probably.

She's rather looking forward to seeing them, with or without Marvin in tow. They'd checked in during the attack of all those awful little toys, so she'd known they were all right (and vice versa). But it's still reassuring to actually see them, happy and in one piece. If she's being entirely honest with herself, part of the reason she arranged this playdate is so she'd have an excuse to spend time with them without seeming... fretful. Or needy. Or other things she generally isn't.

The private insistence that this isn't all about her might be what prompts her to look down at Saoirse and ask, "Are you excited to meet Sam and Jordan?" They've only just arrived at the beach, and she hasn't spotted the pair yet, but she expects they'll find them soon enough.

Comments

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse nods and looks up at her from her spot on the sand. She's tugging her trainers and socks off so she can run about in the sand. It's still cool, but it reminds her of home, and the sun will warm the sand, she knows.

Her backpack, with her shell and notebook and a change of clothes in case she gets dirty, sits nearby, and Cu sits right next to it, ever ready to make sure he's got his eye on her.

[improvises]

The invitation had been something of an unexpected one, unusual for the time they usually spend together, but Sam hadn't needed Jordan's enthusiasm to agree without hesitation. He'd gotten it, of course — Jordan is pretty crazy about Greta, and considering how good Greta is with her, Sam can hardly blame her for that — but over these past few months, she's become someone important to him, and he trusts her judgment when it comes to this sort of thing. Truthfully, he suspects that he would have agreed to anything she suggested. That it's the beach, and the prospect of a new friend, has Jordan practically skipping down the sand, Sam just a few paces behind, Marvin on a leash with him. They might as well give this a shot, too, he thinks, and if all else fails, he can leave Marvin tied to a post of the boardwalk or a railing of one of the sets of stairs leading up to it, well within view but unlikely to cause trouble. With any luck, though, it won't come to that.

"Hi, Greta! Hi!" Jordan calls, still darting along ahead. Sam, following along, smiles as the pair comes into view. He's spoken to her since, but there's something a little relieving about seeing Greta unharmed after all of that recent chaos, which he'd tried so hard to avoid, mostly just grateful that he'd had the sense not to get one of those awful toys for Jordan.

"Hey," he adds warmly, directing his smile over at Saoirse for a moment, too. "I hope you guys haven't been waiting long."

[andhiswife]

"Hello, Jordan!" Greta scoops her up off the ground into a hug. It's become something of a customary gesture over the past few months, though in the wake of all that Hatchimal nastiness, it's especially nice to have the girl safe in her arms for a few moments. She settles the girl onto her hip long enough to ask, "And how are you?" and receive a breathless, delighted, "Good!" in response, then sets her back down on the sand.

This is the first time Greta's mediated any kind of interaction between Saoirse and a child who wasn't also living at the Gardens, and she's wary of playing favorites (or seeming to). So she smoothes her palm over Saoirse's hair reassuringly -- she hasn't been forgotten -- as she addresses Sam. "Oh, not at all. We've only just arrived, ourselves." Having a little extra time to get situated is no bad thing, and they definitely haven't been waiting long enough to get bored.

"Jordan, this is Saoirse," Greta says, patting the older girl's head in gentle emphasis. "And Saoirse, this is Jordan and Sam. And Marvin," she adds with a nod towards the little dog.

She's already told them that Saoirse can't speak, though she hasn't yet specified why. It had seemed prudent to give Jordan time to get used to the idea rather than spring it on her, if only to prevent a stream of curious but potentially tactless questions. Saoirse probably won't object to them finding out what she is, but it's only fair to let her meet Sam and Jordan, first, before pressing her for permission to tell them.

Cu's risen to his feet, stub of a tail wagging wildly, though he seems to be awaiting some sort of cue before he actually bounds forward to start investigating the new parties. "This big fellow is Cu."

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse smiles shyly when faced with the new people. She's less shy with Sam, because she spends more time with adults than with the children of Green Gardens. Jordan is new, though, and she seems already louder and happier than most children that Saoirse gets along with.

But Greta likes her, and Saoirse trusts Greta.

She waves a little, and Cu woofs and takes that as a sign that they're good people. He bounds in place, then lopes forward to meet them.

[improvises]

"Hi Saoirse!" Jordan adds, stumbling just a little over the pronunciation but bright, seeming to remember just a moment later to tone down her enthusiasm a touch. These days, Sam has found, she comes in one of two forms: more enthusiastic than he can keep up with, almost as if overcompensating, or moody and impossible to please. In the months since Andrea has disappeared, the latter days have started to become fewer and far between, but regardless, if it's going to be one of two extremes today, he's glad it's the former. He just doesn't want her to wind up scaring off this girl that Greta is clearly so fond of. God knows Jordan could probably use a friend.

This sort of thing is supposed to be normal, he thinks, anyway, adults arranging playdates, or something of the sort, with their charges. It's also not something he has a lot of experience with, barring Andrea coming over with William, a far stranger, more unconventional situation that he prefers not to think about if he can help it.

"It's nice to meet you," Sam says to Saoirse, expression warm, then nods towards Cu. "Both of you. He's cute." Marvin stays by Sam's feet, just a little hesitant, then lets out a bark of his own, one that seems almost like testing the waters. He's a small thing, but he's never seemed particularly deterred by his size, and Cu, however much larger, doesn't seem to be approaching in a way that Marvin might find threatening.

The smile he offers Greta is a little softer. It's good to see her, it always is, and he's always appreciated how natural she is with Jordan. That's as much the case now as ever, maybe even more so, seeing her in the company of another child as well. "That's a lot of introductions to get out of the way."

[andhiswife]

'Normal,' by Greta's standards, would be all the children of a certain age who live on the same street mingling with one another and forging their own friendships. Darrow's too large -- and its parenting population too wary -- to foster that sort of thing. This more deliberate arrangement might be normal by local standards, but she can't help but feel a bit anxious about it. She likes Saoirse and Jordan, and she doesn't see any particular reason why they wouldn't get on (unless Saoirse takes exception to the age difference, or Jordan gets frustrated by Saoirse's inability to speak).

But whether they get along isn't really up to her, it's up to them. Mostly she's just counting on Jordan's good nature and Saoirse's good manners to keep this from becoming a disaster, even if they don't really take to one another.

She returns Sam's smile, both pleased to see him looking well, post-madness, and grateful to have some back-up. "We're rather a large crew, aren't we?" Motley, too, and she can't help grinning when she realizes it's mostly comprised, now, of little girls and variously sized dogs.

The size disparity between Cu and Marvin (and even Jordan, for that matter) is greater than she'd imagined it would be. If she hadn't already seen how good the dog is with Saoirse, it might be a little alarming. "He does know how big he is," she says for Sam and Jordan's collective benefit as Cu lies down on the sand and stretches his nose towards Marvin. "So he's very gentle, isn't he, Saoirse?"

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse nods importantly. Cu is very gentle, probably because Saoirse is so little. She steps up to him and scrubs her hands over his head, since he's on his belly. She waves shyly at Marvin, even though he's a dog and can't wave back, then steps behind Cu shyly.

She looks at Greta, then at Jordan, eyebrows tipped hopefully. She wants to try to play, but she's not sure how to ask her.

[improvises]

Though Sam wouldn't really have expected otherwise, both because Saoirse herself is so small and, more importantly, because he trusts Greta's judgment, it's nice to hear it stated outright anyway. If nothing else, it means he won't have to worry about Jordan getting ahead of herself. He can never predict when she'll decide to be fearless or what kind of trouble it might get her into, and the last thing he thinks any of them needs right now is for Jordan to be overly friendly with a very large dog and for something to happen because of it. While there might not be any way to tell now how this will go, that's one thing he won't have to concern himself with, and that goes a long way.

"Can I pet him?" Jordan asks, looking to Sam for permission, and then, when he nods her ahead, to Saoirse, whose decision it seems like it should be. Marvin, at least, seems pleased with the company, which Sam chooses to take as a good sign. He's not necessarily the most discerning or high-strung dog, but still, it seems like a good step in the right direction.

To Greta, Sam adds, laughing, "A very large crew. I think I might be feeling a little outnumbered."

[andhiswife]

"Only if they join forces," she points out in an amused undertone. "But if worst comes to worst, I will do my utmost to protect you." She's joking, of course. If Jordan and Saoirse actually saw fit to team up and dogpile Sam -- with or without the help of the actual dogs -- Greta would probably take a picture and count the outing a rousing success before it even occurred to her to attempt a rescue.

As if to demonstrate his own trustworthiness, Cu flops over onto his side, exposing his sandy belly and paws. Greta crouches down to scrub her fingers through the less messy fur along his side. Going off the hopeful look Saoirse gives her, she ventures, "Saoirse and I like to look for shells, sometimes. Or..." she opens her bag and pulls out a little soccer ball, smaller than the ones Saoirse actually plays with, but a bit easier to transport (and hopefully still sturdy enough to not fall prey to Cu or Marvin). "Saoirse's just started to play soccer. Maybe you could show Jordan some of what you've learned." She raises her eyebrows at Saoirse, waiting to see what she prefers -- or if she has some other idea.

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse nods, and she reaches to take the football from Greta's hands. She spins it idly in her hands, the way her coach sometimes does when he's talking, but she's not as good at it as he is. She doesn't mind if Jordan wants to pet Cu first, before she shows her anything. He's very fluffy, and he loves pets and attention.

[improvises]

Jordan has already leaned over to pet Cu, pleased as ever for the presence of another dog, but she looks up and smiles when Greta mentions soccer. Sam has yet to get her into any one particular sport, figuring he's got a little while to go on that front, but she's been active enough to wear him out practically since she learned to walk at all, making a habit now out of running him ragged. To have someone she might be able to get some of that energy out with is, as far as he's concerned, nothing but welcome.

"Yeah, I wanna see!" Jordan says, straightening again, and Sam only has to give her a gentle nudge forward before she's moving closer to Saoirse, clearly interested.

Sam smiles, warm and fond, almost teasing when he looks over at Greta. "Yeah, somehow I have a feeling you'd be part of their ganging up on me instead."

[andhiswife]

Greta has seen a little of Saoirse's soccer practice -- enough to know that, at her age, it seems to mostly consist of trying to teach the children that they shouldn't all try to kick the ball at the exact same time. She overheard one of the parents refer to the game as 'swarmball,' which seemed apt. But Saoirse has clearly been paying attention, and it ought to be less overwhelming with just two children involved. It's not as if there are goals to aim for or positions to play; they can just boot the ball around on the sand, hopefully avoiding the dogs and the water. The ball probably floats, but she doesn't think any of them would relish wading in after it.

She straightens, looking back at Sam with what ought to be mock offense, except she really can't help but return his smile. "Well, that," she starts, "is a--a baseless accusation. I'll have you know that I'd only take a few pictures before I pulled them off you." She folds her arms: point made. "Probably."

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse drops the ball onto the sand and kicks it forward. It doesn't roll well in the softer sand outside of the water's reach, but she goes with it anyway. She kicks it towards Jordan — some of their practices have just been kicking the ball to each other, or learning how to dribble, and Saoirse is getting good at both. The harder lesson for her to learn is to avoid getting hit by the bigger kids. They knock her down a lot, with body checks and when they stick their ankles in front of her. But she's tough, she can be okay.

Cu woofs and bounds after her, circling around the girls and leading Marvin on a merry chase as well.

[improvises]

Jordan seems nothing short of delighted as Saoirse kicks the ball over to her, shifting her weight like she means to try to keep her balance before attempting to keep it back over. It's easier said than done — she's very small, still, and the dogs circling them now make for an almost impressive distraction, but she always seems to have determination and enthusiasm in equal parts. Besides, given how few friends she has even remotely close to her own age, she's less competitive than she is hopeful, as is Sam. It really would be nice, he thinks, if this could lead somewhere, maybe become a regular occurrence. This — it's nice, Sam thinks. Normal, maybe. The sort of thing he could get used to.

Smile broadening as he watches the two dogs run in a circle, he bites back a laugh as he looks over at Greta. "Yeah, just a few, probably. Real helpful."

[andhiswife]

A good portion of Greta's anxiety melts away as the two girls start kicking the ball back and forth. It's a relief to see them getting on. Jordan might be having a little difficulty kicking the ball accurately, but that's to be expected. At least she's not half again Saoirse's size and inclined towards bowling the other girl over, which is what seems to happen with irritating frequency at Saoirse's games.

"Wouldn't you rather be rescued after a few pictures than not rescued at all?" Greta asks, eyebrows raised. "Besides, I'm sure you could hold your own for at least a few minutes."

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse is grinning hugely only a few heartbeats in. She might even be laughing, but between how much she's moving and the fact that she can't utter a single sound, it's hard to gauge. She trips on the soft sand a few times, but never seems to mind. She just gets back up again, pushes her hair out of her face, and keeps playing.

At least until the ball ends up in the water. Cu barks and bounds at the surf, as if scolding it. The water's still very cold as it shifts from winter to spring, and the ball is drifting further out as the tide ebbs.

Without really thinking about it, Saoirse runs into the water after it. Further out, a handful of seals pop their head above water.

[improvises]

"I mean, if I had to choose between the two..." Sam answers, rolling his eyes teasingly at Greta as he shakes his head. Truthfully, he'd neither mind nor be able to blame her, as long as it meant Jordan was having fun. Saoirse, too, since she's here and since Jordan seems to be enjoying herself so thoroughly. It doesn't matter that she stumbles occasionally or that her aim in kicking, or attempting to kick, isn't the greatest; likewise, she hardly seems fazed at all by the fact that her current companion doesn't speak. Some things don't require words, and this seems to be one of them.

Sam is half-watching until the ball rolls towards and into the water, and then he holds up a hand towards Greta, making his way to where the ball is drifting out even as he sees Saoirse do the same. She's such a little thing, he wouldn't want her to wander too far or get caught in the tide or anything like that.

"Hey, I've got it," he calls, wading out in the direction of the soccer ball, only half-aware of the seals that have made their presence known as Saoirse has made her way into the water. "Don't want to let it get too far."

[andhiswife]

It was probably just a matter of time before the ball wound up in the water. Greta had assumed (perhaps foolishly) that everyone would take it for granted that one of the adults would be going in to fetch it, though. When Saoirse starts to wade in, instead -- and a few seals pop their heads out of the water -- Greta pales, darting in after the girl.

"Saoirse," she starts, aiming for 'mild exasperation' instead of 'mild panic' or any other tone that would require some explanation. The girl's already soaked to the knees, so there's no saving her trousers, but Greta scoops her up, anyway. A sodden hemline and a wet splotch over her hip are a small price to pay for knowing Saoirse's not going anywhere.

Greta backs out of the surf and gives Saoirse an anxious little once-over. Logically, she knows such a brief foray into the waves wouldn't actually hurt her. But she still feels compelled to say something, to find some reasonable objection to cover up for the less reasonable one that had her hoisting the girl out of the water in the first place. "It's too cold for that. Just let Sam get it, all right?"

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse reaches for the ball even as Greta lifts her, and she pouts a little. The seals immediately duck back beneath the surf when Sam enters the water. If they surface elsewhere, it isn't within eyeshot. Cu woofs and dances around Greta's legs. Saoirse giggles silently when Cu tugs on her wet pantleg, and she leans her head on Greta's shoulder, evidently assuaged, while she watches Sam fetch her football.

[improvises]

It is on the cold side, but Sam isn't overly bothered by that, nor does he have to wade too far after the soccer ball. His jeans will be wet, but he ought to have expected as much, really, and at least it's only to his knees or so. Any farther out and he'd still have gone for it anyway, but he knows full well that wet denim won't dry easily, and he's privately a little grateful that he can grab the ball before he winds up having to sit around in soaking wet jeans all day.

With Jordan at the shore, toes just at the edge of the water, Sam smiles, holding the ball up as he returns to the rest of the group. "Mission accomplished," he calls, making sure he's fully clear of the pull of the waves, tromping back up to drier sand, before he sets the ball down again. "Though I don't know whose point that would be. I think this game works better on land."

[andhiswife]

She doesn't know if Sam noticed the seals or not. It doesn't seem as if he's noticed her behavior, or thinks it odd, which was her biggest non-seal-related worry. She relaxes, giving him a grateful smile as he slogs out of the water. It turns a little amused and a little sheepish as she takes in his jeans, which probably won't dry off anytime soon. Poor man. This must be what 'taking one for the team' means. "I think you ought to get that point," she says. "You've earned it."

She turns her back to the waves and presses a kiss to Saoirse's forehead. "One of these days," she says wryly, "we'll manage a trip to the beach where we don't end up soaked." At least, not by accident. She sets the girl down so Cu can sniff her over, then crouches beside her. "Did you bring extra trousers?"

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse considers, then rummages into her bag so she can check. She has extra socks and trainers, at least, so she pulls those out, since her feet are starting to feel cramped and squishy in her drenched ones. There aren't any trousers, though.

As she rummages, her shell tumbles out onto the sand, but her focus is primarily on her socks and shoes. She plops her butt onto the and and starts to try to tug her shoes off, frowning in both concentration and effort.

[improvises]

"Yeah? I won't argue with that," Sam says of the point, though he's laughing as he does. Jordan, still mercifully dry, has taken up the soccer ball where he's set it down, kicking it a short distance and running after it only to repeat the same again. He suspects this may become a trend, that he's very likely to wind up having to get her a soccer ball of her own in the very near future. As long as nothing winds up broken — though he's sure at least one thing will wind up broken, and he won't care half as much as he probably should — he can't object on that front.

He glances at Saoirse, and his smile grows a little amused, a little self-deprecating. "You know, I think you might be onto something there," he says, crouching so he can start taking off his own shoes. It won't help much when his feet will just wind up covered in sand instead, but still, he'd rather not stay in wet socks if he can help it.

[andhiswife]

"Whoops," Greta says when the shell tumbles onto the sand. It's probably fine -- a shell ought to be perfectly at home on a beach -- but knowing that it's a musical instrument makes her cringe a little at the thought of it being on the ground. With Saoirse and Sam both occupied, she leaves off removing her own shoes in favor of picking up the shell and brushing off the clumped sand that's stuck to it.

Jordan abandons the soccer ball and trots back over to them, eyes wide. "What's that?" she asks, pointing to the shell.

"This is a very special shell that belongs to Saoirse," Greta explains, angling it so Jordan can see the little holes that have been drilled into it. "She can make music with it." It's not all that she can make, and for that reason, Greta doesn't presume to offer any demonstrations on Saoirse's behalf. The fairy lights are harmless, but that doesn't mean Saoirse will want to show them off. Before she even arranged this playdate, she'd assured the girl that she wouldn't tell Sam and Jordan about her magic unless she wanted her to, and she has no intention of breaking that promise. "Maybe she could show you later," she says, leaving it up to Saoirse to disagree -- or not. If Saoirse decides she'd rather stick it back in her bag and go back to kicking the ball around, she suspects Jordan would forget about it before too long.

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse watches, for a moment wondering if Jordan will try to play it. One of her socks is half off, fabric rolling up on itself on its way down her wet foot. The other is a soggy ball on the sand already. When she hears Greta, she perks and nods. Yes, she'll play later! But first, she wants to keep playing football.

Her sock goes flying as it finally lets go of her toes. Cu chases after it, and brings back a small hunk of wood, instead. Saoirse giggles, pushing her windblown hair out of her face.

[improvises]

Sam can't help but laugh at the way Saoirse's sock goes flying, already heading in its direction when he sees the piece of wood Cu is carrying back in the sock's stead. It isn't like it's gone as far as all that, and anyway, he's used to playing with Jordan, and the frequency with which that involves having to retrieve various items when they inevitably get out of her control. This is just to be expected, and at least this time, he doesn't have to wade out into the ocean to retrieve the soccer ball, willing as he'd been to do so.

"I think this might be yours," he says, teasing, as he holds the sock out to Saoirse. "And that's a very nice shell. I'm sure Jordan would love to hear you play."

[andhiswife]

She grins when Sam fetches the sock back. Even though there was no reason to believe otherwise, it's still a relief to find him as good with Saoirse as he is with his own daughter. Cu drops the piece of wood in Greta's lap, and she picks it up and waggles it enticingly before throwing it for him.

Saoirse seems keen enough on the idea of playing her shell, but she doesn't reach for the shell or otherwise indicate that she's ready to do it right now. Putting it off just a little might be for the best; it would allow her to at least give Sam a little warning about the fairy lights. They're perfectly harmless, but she still wouldn't want to spring them on him.

"Maybe after you're done kicking the ball around, hm?" she asks, brushing Saoirse's hair back. "How does that sound?" Then, lowering her voice a little, she asks, "Do you mind if I tell him about you? It might make things a bit less startling."

Sam can undoubtedly hear every word, but it would be just as obvious that something was up if she drew Saoirse aside to speak to her in private. Regardless, she hasn't given anything away, and she won't if Saoirse doesn't want her to.

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse likes Sam a lot, she decides. He's nice, and he doesn't treat her like a little kid, and she likes his smile. She pulls her wet sock close and unrolls it, draping it over her wet shoes with the other one. She wants to keep them all together and give the sun a chance to dry them out while they're playing.

When Greta asks her about her secret, about sharing it with Sam and Jordan, she looks up at her. She smiles small, then nods. Yes, that's fine with her. She wants to keep playing, first, though!

[improvises]

Jordan, distracted with kicking — and nearly tripping over — the soccer ball, doesn't seem to hear what's been said, but Sam doesn't miss it. For the moment, though, he does his best not to let his expression betray as much. He hasn't got a clue what about you might mean, but judging by Saoirse's reaction, he will soon enough; there's no reason to pry. Even if she'd decided otherwise, it wouldn't be his place to interfere. He might have asked Greta later what her question was about, but he wouldn't have expected an answer in any kind of detail. Saoirse has only just met him and Jordan, after all, and he knows how children can be. He also knows from Jordan's own occasional bouts of being temperamental that it's important to earn their trust rather than dismissing them. Whatever there is to find out or not, that's her decision to make.

"Are you ready yet?" Jordan asks abruptly, breathless and grinning as she makes her way back over to the others. Sam, both surprised and not, lets out a laugh, reaching down to ruffle her hair.

"Be patient for just another minute, okay?" She huffs out a sigh in response, but seems to be alright enough with that for the moment. It gives Sam a moment to glance down at Greta, brow arching, a silent question.

[andhiswife]

Greta notes that questioning look, and lifts a hand in appeasement. It seems most sensible to just tell Sam, first. Whether he wants Jordan to know about fairy lights and selkies is up to him; for all she knows, he's trying to shield her from as many of Darrow's oddities as he can. Saoirse's magic might be harmless, but the Village was never short on parents who didn't want their children mixed up with anything magic-related. All things considered, she couldn't really blame them.

Once Saoirse seems to have herself situated, Greta straightens. "Right, off with you," she says, watching with a fond smile as the two get back to kicking the ball around (this time moving away from the waterline).

She waits until they're out of earshot, then falls in next to Sam. "Saoirse is..." she almost says 'not quite human,' but that, she thinks, would be doing the girl a disservice. 'Not quite' is too close to 'less than,' and she's a child. Besides, if Sam's to find out anyway, she's not sure there's any point in trying to approach the subject delicately. He's not from the Village.

"Well," she says, glancing up at him, "have you ever heard of selkies? Do they have stories about them, where you're from?"

[selkiesaoirse]

Saoirse is only half-listening to Greta while she and Jordan go back to playing with the football. Cu is bouncing around with them, trying to paw at it occasionally. Saoirse's breath is coming a little louder as she laughs while she runs, and although she slips on the sand occasionally, she doesn't tumble or fall.

[improvises]

It's something Sam has gotten used to, half-keeping an eye on Jordan while doing something else, his daughter always in his peripheral vision but his focus elsewhere. He's pretty sure, in fact, that it's a necessary skill, but it's a useful one, too. If not for that, he'd never be able to get half as much work done, or bring her with him when he runs any errands, or stop to have a conversation with anyone. Besides, right now, he's hardly worried. With the number of them here, people and dogs alike, it seems unlikely that he would miss any indication of trouble. So he listens carefully to Greta as she speaks, Jordan appeased by finally being able to get back to playing, and nods slowly in response to her question.

"They do," he says, his expression turning a bit sheepish then, "though I'd be lying if I said I remembered much of anything about them." It's just not the sort of thing he'd ever paid that much attention to. He wouldn't have thought he would need to, though he wishes now that he had a few details he could fall back on. "Is she..."

[andhiswife]

"Yes," Greta confirms with a little nod. "Her coat isn't here, though. That's why she can't speak." Or turn into a seal and disappear into the ocean forever, but Greta's not exactly distraught about that part.

"She still does have a bit of magic about her, though." This isn't home, where such a thing would be admitted in hushed tones, and Greta makes an effort -- for Saoirse's sake -- to sound casual. It helps that her magic really does seem harmless. "When she plays her shell, these little fairy lights appear. They don't really seem to do much but look pretty, but they're a bit of a shock if you're not expecting them."

Greta hesitates for a beat, then decides she has to at least touch on the seals. If they do this again, especially once the weather warms, he and Jordan are bound to notice, anyway. "And there are the seals. They seem drawn to her, and she to them, especially if she gets close to the water." She scrapes her hair back, frowning a little in spite of herself. "She knows it's too cold for swimming, but..." she lets out a breath and shrugs uneasily.