Time Warp: Beautiful Day, But I'm Letting It Get Away (Open)

[Serena Varsair]

Serena as an Adult

July 18th, 2026 - 9:30 AM

What about wine? Would Harry even like wine? Should she really be worried about what alcohol she had for her 18-year-old brother when they went to her house in France next week? It wasn't like he had any experience with it. He just asked her to have something. Really she'd be a bad sister to do it, but he was so sweet. Besides, she tried her first beer at 16. She hated it, but she had tried it.

Her mind continued to race through thoughts as she dangled her legs off the dock of the Pilot Ridge lake. Dressed in a blue bikini top that hugged her very fit and curvy upper body, and white shorts that stopped half-way down her thigh, she was the picture of every teenage boy's dream in the summer, at least that's what Serena thought. A light tan covered her from head-to-toe. A white sleeveless vest and white sandals that she had laid neatly next to her completed her look.

Sure, in 5 years she'd start going downhill, heck, probably sooner, but right now, she was gonna enjoy her body's prime while she could. Her meta powers certainly helped...though her job as a nurse kept her going constantly anyway. She thought she had even spotted a bit of leg muscle last week, but it had since faded.

"Who knew that I'd be working harder now than I did when I'd visit here ten years ago...at least I love it..." Her voice, a firm mixture of American and French accents that she had never really achieved when she was younger. The frequent travel between the countries made it possible. Being a personal nurse to a wealthy French-American family made it even better. "If only old man Acord could see me right now, bet it'd give his heart quite a jumpstart."

Serena was back in Pilot Ridge because her brother was dating a girl he met when he visited Serena back when she was a student at Hammel. Serena closed her eyes, just enjoying the sun on her skin, humming quietly to herself. Nursery rhyme again...darn it Tommy Acord...

((Reply doesn't need to be as long; just felt like having a fun long post))

[Louis Scott]

Thank god I got the weekend off, couldn't take another week like last time. Louis thought to himself as he walked to the familiar shores of the lake. In the ten years since he had left Hammel Louis had not seen the best of times. He had barely graduated from college with a degree in engineering, only passing by his professor’s good graces, and that degree had done very little in giving him a career since he'd left, only being able to get a very low paying job with long hours that barely kept him the apartment he had inhabited since college. He had been rather fortunate in terms of keeping his looks, regularly maintaining the rigorous workouts that allowed him to keep strong, though he had lost some muscle definition as he had aged. The lack of funds and also caused him to not get as many razors as he would like, leaving with an almost perpetual five-o'clock shadow on his face.

The long hours of work had left their toll and left Louis with a strong desire to cut loose, so he thought some time at the lake with its fresh air would do him some good. He walked around for a little while before something caught his eye and caused him to stumble, a very shapely body and a flash of silver hair. It couldn't be, the thought rang through Louis head as walked closer to the woman dangling her legs over the dock’s edge. As he got closer Louis began to feel more and more sure as to the identity of the woman, so much so that when he was only a few feet away from her he called out in a questioning tone, “Serena?”

[Serena Varsair]

Wine it was. Harry shouldn't get drunk on it, and Serena could tolerate a bit of it. Well, tolerate the taste. It was very difficult for her to get drunk with her metabolism. Maybe that's why alcohol held no interest for her...

Serena turned her head as soon as her name was called, one of her thin bikini straps nearly falling from the quick motion. A hand raced up to fix it before it paused on it, her arm pressed a bit against her chest as the other hand lightly fell down to the dock to steady her. Body half-twisted, but head looking right up at him..."Louis?"

A flood of memories came back. A lot of good times. Some distant. He could never reconcile the difference between his friend feelings and his romantic feelings. She could never quite fall in love with him, it just never had happened for her, just like she always said. When she left for college...she left Vermont...and him behind. Their future just wasn't meant to be together. "How are you?" She managed to ask with a cracked voice.

Hesitantly, she fixed her strap and leaned to her side, pulling her vest and shoes slightly toward her, opening enough room for him to sit if he wanted. It felt wrong not to offer it, especially if he came down here to sit himself...or even to talk to her. "Trying to grow a beard?" She asked, wondering as to his light facial hair.

[Louis Scott]

Louis stared for a few moments as he looked at the woman who he had spent many a night with, noticing the fallen strap and tight clothing for only a moment and felt a slight twinge in his chest, he'd never really gotten over the French girl when she left and blamed his damn indecisiveness for the failure of that relationship as he never acted on any of his feelings. Ever since she had left for her home back in France he'd never been able to hold a relationship with any other women, and a one time thing with a man, but he had gained some more confidence in himself their separation. He wasn't a blushing, self conscious boy anymore. As these thoughts went through his head Louis focused himself back on Serena as she questioned him. “I'm good, just spending a day off from work.” There was little Louis could do to help the awkwardness of the current situation except answer her with an equal amount of awkwardness before he asked, “What about you, how are you?”

When he saw Serena move some of her in an effort to make room for him, Louis smiled and walked forward before taking a seat next to her. At her question he rubbed his jaw uncomfortably and said jokingly, “Yeah the caveman look’s been really drawing me lately.” He actually had having all this scruff on his face, but again he would rather save up money for other activities.

[Serena Varsair]

"Work, what do you do?" Serena asked, eyes more open and awake than they had been moments before when she was relaxing alone. As he got closer, she couldn't help but put one hand to her light red strands as her other hand gently scratched her neck. Serena didn't know what to say.

She had had these red strands of her hair for the past decade, always redyeing it after cutting her hair. It had been for Louis and seeing them had always reminded her faintly of him. Seeing him in person was almost too much. She almost...if he had...if she hadn't-...As soon as she realized she was touching the red part of her hair, she quickly moved it to the rest of her. It was the longest her hair had been, just as full as when she was younger, but much longer.

"I am okay. I did it, I'm a registered nurse now. I-I...travel with a French-American family..." Realizing that she left out a critical detail she quickly added, "I'm on vacation right now though. Here for my brother."

Once he was close to her again, she resisted the urge to move in close to him. She didn't really have as much of a variety of cuddle buddies as she did when she was younger...she didn't really need it either when she was the main cuddle buddy of the rich eldest of the Acord boys. "It's...different. I...uh...I see you've kept in shape. Your body still looks great."

[Louis Scott]

Louis looked over at Serena as she asked him about his job, giving a small smile he said, “I work here and there, don't earn much, but it's a living.” There was no reason to worry the woman with all the details, after all they had broken up over a decade ago. He did focus in on her a little more when he saw Serena move her hand through some of her partially red hair. He felt his smile fall as he could feel how much regret was welling up in her, it was one of the many emotions he had felt over the years when he had thought of the French woman and he knew from experience it could get very painful. He tried to raise an arm to wrap around her if she allowed him as he said quietly, “You're not the only one to wonder what if.” He did feel a little strange at what he was doing, but their past had made him feel like it was a natural thing

He felt a bit a happiness flow through him as he listened to Serena describe how she had gotten her dream job. “Hey that's great, I remember how much always talked about becoming a nurse, glad you found somewhere to work. I hope you have fun with your brother” Louis was completely earnest in his words, but there was a little hidden bit of sadness in them. Since they had split up they had both finished school, but only one of them had been able to go for the job they wanted, but he had ended up in the exact opposite position. As he sat down next to his ex Louis felt something in Serena, like she was fighting some desire that he couldn't place. These emotions had caused a momentary lapse in concentration, though as he tuned back into what the French woman was saying he couldn't help but let a big grin plastered on his face saying, “Yeah, I try to stay fit whenever possible, though it's starting to get harder to do so.” After he finished he gave a once over her before saying flirtatiously, “Looks like you kept up too. Though I guess burning carbs like you just ran a marathon every moment will give you that.”

[Serena Varsair]

"I'm...sorry to hear that," Serena replied quietly to Louis. It wasn't exactly fair in life how different of paths people could take. Here she was, only rarely having to pay for herself when with the family, and making enough that she could probably support both of them...and here he was, barely able to support himself. Serena wished for something to say...that everything would be okay for him, that it will work out. But the words failed her...

As his arm wrapped around her, she let herself move in a little closer. It felt so strange, she was the successful happy one, picturesque of a daydream.

A body that many guys would kill to be able to be as close to as Louis was right now. Even if she'd say yes to a good many of those guys, few would have the courage to even ask. She got to be a nurse to a very active, fairly large (all things considered) and mostly bilingual (in her native languages) family. Fufilling both what she wanted to, and getting to be a sort of mentor to kids and getting to sleep with a handsome man when they had the shared time.

And right now, the man that she had spent two years with him as the most important person in her life, looked like the past decade and kicked him in the dirt and left him to rot. It made all of her happiness turn to guilt. It made her feel so horrible about herself. It made her want to kiss him once more...These flurry of thoughts and emotions swirdled as he spoke. She had been listening, but all his words did was inflict more guilt, not make her feel proud or happy.

"Yes...it makes it...easier." Serena said, kind of spaced out, after not having responded. If her eyes were lasers, the water in front of them would be blocked from view in all of the steam she'd have caused. Looking to Louis finally, she pushed her head in the direction of his, mouth slightly open. She wanted to give him a kiss if he'd let her, to let him know she still cared...even if it had been so long as for their lives to no longer be connected. "Louis...what happened?" She'd say if he refused the kiss or after they completed the kiss. "Why aren't you...what happened to you?"

[Louis Scott]

Louis spoke quickly as he felt how much guilt was welling up in Serena, “Hey, it's fine. I live well, I don't need much to stay happy.” Even as he said it Louis knew it was a complete lie, he'd never been able to get many of the things he needed, and had to buy some food that didn't exactly fit a healthy diet. Still, he had no desire to see his former girlfriend blame herself for how his life turned out

Louis pulled Serena a little closer, tensing up as he felt the pity and guilt continue to swell up in the French woman even after his reassurances. He had tensed up so much that he almost missed when the silver-haired beauty kissed him, but he quickly returned the kiss as their lips met, holding her close for a few seconds as if to remind himself of how she felt a decade ago. Louis tried, hopelessly, to smile down at Serena after separating from the kiss as she tried to ask him about his current situation. “The economy isn't exactly the best for my line of work right now, engineers aren't really needed I guess. Trust me it has nothing to do with what happened between us.” He was very quiet as he spoke, not sounding very convincing and he knew it. Truth was he had lost a lot of focus since his second year of college, being unable to think about much besides a big what if. He'd been terrible when he interviewed for jobs, usually coming across as an idiot to potential employers and being one of the lowest ranked to graduate in his class, he'd always wondered if maybe he had someone there to help maybe he could've done better.

[Serena Varsair]

"Few people need much to stay happy...," Serena replied slowly before adding, "But few people also get what they need to do it." Louis may be better at hiding his emotions than he was when Serena once knew him, but she could still see the face, the eyes, the body language, everything telling her that he was in bad shape and just trying to make things work.

"Are you kidding?" Serena nearly screamed, only holding her voice back by the closeness of their bodies and the dryness of her freshly-kissed lips. "Roads and bridges falter, building design has been stagnant for years, even efficiency could use improvements. I know you are one of the first to go when things get crunched, but they can't be that bad. Hell, why are you still in Pilot Ridge, you could've done much better elsewhere, couldn't you?"

The whole time, Serena was looking at him, talking to him, as if those years in time had evaporated, and it was only when she finished that reality came back in to haunt her. No matter what she said, what she told him...she was about to go on vacation with her brother to France, followed by a rather romantic getaway in Italy that she had been surprised with, before coming home to help old man Acord on his yearly summer golfing trip with other old friends.

"You wouldn't believe how much I wish..." Serena looked to him, before leaning away slightly, "To turn back the clock, to help you out more...but...I'm sort of in a relationship now, I have a whole family that depends on me. The relationship...it...it isn't serious, but it...there is...I can see a future. Something I couldn't see when I was younger. After college, things changed for me."

[Louis Scott]

Louis tensed up as he felt the anger begin rising in Serena, preparing for whatever the French woman was about to say. He let the gray haired woman speak out her incredulity at his explanation of his situation, partly out of not wanting to interrupt her, and partly because he agreed with what she said. After she finished speaking the blonde man let his arm fall from Serena’s shoulder before he put his hands to his forehead and laid back on the dock. “I know, I should've left this place a long time ago, but this is the only place I've ever been happy living. Going out West brings me too close to my family, and being in a city just leave me wanting to bash my skull in.” As he spoke Louis rubbed his palms against his head, trying in vain to massage his problems out of his life.

Louis looked up at the sky as Serena told him about her life, feeling a swell of regret, anger, and jealousy in his chest that the woman he had once… felt something for had gone on to find someone else, get a job while he'd been left to being lonely and having no job, no matter how much of both the latter were his own fault. “It's no problem, as I said I'm fine.” As he spoke the blonde man tried keeping his voice from showing his emotions, barely succeeding in doing so. He waited a few seconds, continuing to stare at the sky, before asking, “How does the he treat you?”