I am afraid of what I'm risking if I follow you

[alotofnerve]

The surrounding area was quiet as Red peeked out of the hole they were in, the last cover before they left the tunnels of Fraggle Rock entirely to step out into Outer Space. Even though she had agreed to start traveling with Gobo and Mokey, she had yet to actually do so.

And even now, looking out at the dark open area just ahead of them, she hesitated a moment. "I...I dunno about this, Gobo," she said after a moment. Then she cleared her throat. "N-Not that I'm scared or anything! It's just...so sudden."

Comments

[alotofnerve]

"Yeah, c'mon, Gobo. Impress me."

It was a challenge, and they both knew it.

[gobetween]

"Impress you, eh? Alright well, let's see here... Oh, I know! I bet it'll be your favorite part of the park!"

Laughing, he let go of her hand and took off running, waving a hand for her to follow.

[alotofnerve]

With a laugh of her own, she ran after him, keeping up with him.

[gobetween]

He led her down a winding path through sleeping patches of flowers, through a quiet playground (with a brief leap up into the seat of a swing to go forward, back, then forward again and jumping off), and around the outer edge of a quiet playing field, before mounting a hill and slowing to a stop. Glancing back at her, breathing a bit heavier from the effort, he took his position as slightly ahead of her to scoop her up in her momentum and twist around, planting her in front of him and starting down the hill.

To the water. In front of them stretched a large pond, over which a stone drum bridge stretched. Reflected in its quiet ripples was the moon and many of the stars above, adding to the view. Smiling, he released her midsection, though he remained close.

"Well? Better than okay?"

[alotofnerve]

Follow behind him, she hadn't expected him to pick her up, but she laughed anyway as they continued down the hill.

As they came across the pond, though, she fell silent, her wide eyes looking on.

"Whoa...!"

[gobetween]

He laughed some, bringing her closer to the water, the delicate scent of it joining the other smells of the park around them.

"Not so bad up here now, is it?"

[alotofnerve]

She's unusually quiet as he led her to the water, looking in the pond with wide eyes. She didn't say anything, just watching the lights reflecting off the surface.

Her tail was still swaying, though, and that was the only clue Gobo would have before -

*SPLASH*

[gobetween]

He leaned back, hands up in the wave of water back toward him, and he laughed as he looked back at the pond and the ripples now breaking the surface.

"Guess I got my answer." He snorted, idly scratching the back of his head, his other hand on his hip. "Maybe I should've saved the pond for last..."

Not that he sounded entirely displeased with the idea of being here the whole night, mind.

[alotofnerve]

After a few moments, Red resurfaced, looking back up at him with a wide grin. "It's so deep, Gobo! There's so much more room to swim and do tricks!"

[gobetween]

He grinned back, crouching down and looking across the water at her.

"I knew you'd like this place best!"

[alotofnerve]

"It's incredible!" Swimming out a bit further, she then waved at him. "C'mon, Gobo!"

[gobetween]

Though Red always liked swimming best, you didn't have to tell any Fraggle twice to get into the water. He slipped out of his vest, if only because he wanted to protect the things in the pockets, and backed up a few steps. With a running start he jumped off the bank and tucked up, cannonballing into the water with a great SPLASH.

[alotofnerve]

She giggled, keeping most of the splash off her face. She waited for Gobo to resurface. "That one wasn't too bad. I can make bigger splashes, though."

[gobetween]

He snorted some, using his hand to send a wave her way.

"Oh yeah? You couldn't trip into the water and make a bigger splash than that."

[alotofnerve]

She scoffed, sending one back at him.

"I practice splashing all the time. I bet you haven't been swimming as much while you're up here."

[gobetween]

"Then you bet wrong." He flinched back from the wave and snickered some. "I got us here, in the middle of the night right? How else would I know where the pond is?"

[alotofnerve]

"Just 'cuz you know where it is doesn't mean you use it a lot." She swam around him a bit. "I bet I could beat you in a swimming race."

[gobetween]

"Oh yeah? I bet you you couldn't! One end of the pon to the other, using the bridge as a guide."

[alotofnerve]

She grinned. "You're on!" Then she swam to the bank of the pond, getting ready to start. "Let's go!"

[gobetween]

He laughed and dipped in some, swimming after to get into position.

"Alright. Ready... set... GO!" And he took off, swimming across the water at full speed."

[alotofnerve]

She swam and kicked as fast as she could, quickly moving through the water. "Yahoo!"

[gobetween]

He would've laughed if he thought he could avoid swallowing half the pond doing so. All the same a competitive grin was on his face as he powered himself through the water, only stopping to look for Red once he was able to touch the other bank and come to a stop.

[alotofnerve]

By the time he reached the other end of the lake, she was already sitting up on the bank, grinning at him.

"What took you so long?"

[gobetween]

It didn't take long for him to find her at all, and once he did, then he laughed.

"Alright, alright." He hefted himself up beside her, pausing a moment on all fours to shake all over before actually sitting down. "So maybe I am a little out of practice at swimming up here."

[alotofnerve]

She snorted. "A little? I beat you by a mile!"