Rex continues leading the way, taking Anders up from the docks and garden area towards a squat building.

Deke meets them halfway, off a side path. "Circ is down there at the tide pool," he says with a wave. "Said to head towards her once you were awake."

"All right, I guess this is actually happening." He feels a little green.

"Tide pool is like. Waist height on Mak. You'll be fine."

Rex takes the path Deke had just come off, it leads a little way back down, towards what is indeed, a pool of water.

Anders studies the pool, trying to take comfort in what Rex said. He's much taller than Mak, the water might only be knee high for him.

Circe's lying on her back, floating near a rock in the centre of the pool.

Mako's perched on the rock, and the two of them seem to be talking.

"Morning, Circe. Morning Mako," Anders says once he's close to the edge of the pool.

Circe shifts in water, smooth and graceful and rises to her feet - the water comes to about mid-thigh on her. "Morning, sharkbait. You might want a few less clothes on."

Indeed, Circe is clad in a form fitting bodysuit.

“Oh, goodie.” Normally, when a pretty girl asks him to take his clothes off it’s because he’s being mugged. This time, he can’t just trap Circe in a spirit cage and leg it. Or can he? 

The largest problem he has...well. His time with the Wardens, however brief, left him quite scarred. He’s slow at taking his shirt off, trying to convince himself he’s okay. 

Circe turns, and the light catches her skin just right to highlight dozens of fine white scars all over her skin.

And Mako chooses that moment to slide off the rock, into the water, revealing his chest and that he's pretty covered in scars as well.

Well, then. As long as he pretends that the Warden mark is a bruise, he'll fit right in, though his stomach turns a little to see Mako's. So young to have all of that. 

"I guess I have to step into the water now."

Circe wades closer to the shore, and it does in fact get shallower. "I'd be careless to let you drown in such little water."

"You never know, it might be enough." Anders laughs, but it's mostly nerves. He steps into the water, shivering at the temperature.

Circe watches him, walking backwards away from him. "Good start." She manages to mostly not sound sarcastic.

Anders would not fault her for it, he can picture how ridiculous he looks, a grown man terrified of a pool. He keeps inching forward. "Where's this Mischa I've heard so little about?"

"Got caught up handling a problem with his radios. He'll turn up."

"Right." He holds himself back from asking what a radio is. "Where do we start, then?"

"We're gonna teach you to float."

"Sounds dangerous," Anders laughs.

Circe laugh and flops back in the water with a splash and...floats. "It's actually pretty easy."

Anders copies the motion, and shivers. "Maker, it's cold. If I end up losing fingers I know who to blame."

The floating is...nice. Relaxing.

"You'll get used to it," Circe waves off his concern. "See, not so bad, is it, sharkbait?"

"My hair's going to be a mess, but I'll grant you it's not as bad as I thought."