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Lorelei shook her head. "Generally speaking, they're making bad choices before they see me - and when they do, they lose their heads entirely and just let the ship go her own way. In the rapids, that's a stupid thing to do."

She shrugged. "I can't survive for very long outside of rapids, and no, there are no rapids straight from there to here." With a little smile, she added, "But there are enough smaller sets of rapids that I managed to make it without fading away completely, and as I have no intention of going any farther, it should be fine. As to why..." She thought for a moment or two, then frowned. "I can't really say for sure. Perhaps because when I was first making the choice - whether to go or stay - my emotional being was bound up in the rapids where I had died. I wanted to be found, but it may well be that it was misinterpreted as wanting to stay near the water."

Lorelei tilted her head. "It's...water," she said after a moment. "It all sort of looks the same after a while, you understand." She shrugged. "It's quieter here. And warmer than at home. That's a nice change, I must admit. Watching the dolphins is lovely."

She relaxed back and let her fingers trail in the water. Or rather, through the water, as there was not even a ripple to mark where her hands were. "There are less boats to crash here. It's...peaceful."

Katalina's gaze was sympathetic. She'd met Lorelei not too long ago, and had felt sorry for the creature. She hoped to get to know the spirit better, but it might never be the same as it was for Kra and the others. How could she understand something so different from herself?

Katalina choked, hastily turning away to hide the look on her face.

Lorelei, however, merely looked bemused. "Well, I...if you wish." She extended a hand, offering it to him. She glanced around, her gaze finally landing on Katalina. She, too, began to giggle quietly. "I...I mean, most things go through me. But I've never actually touched a human, so I don't know if you would go through me." She gave him a grin.

Lorelei smiled faintly. "I take it you are not very interested in paranormal myths, Joshua." Her voice was amused. "I'm not anything particularly special, but no apologies are necessary."

She leaned back, seeming a little on edge. Perhaps because she wasn't used to being around people for so long, or perhaps for some other reason. "Since you have the greater part of the story now, any questions?" she asked.

Katalina was struggling not to laugh. She'd never heard Joshua stumbling over himself like this. I guess I should have thought of that, she realized. Lorelei was lovely, and Joshua was, after all, not blind.

Lorelei smiled at him. "Of course you can," she said easily. "I'd advise swimming here, though. These rapids get very dangerous very fast for boats."

"Mmm," Katalina agreed noncommittally, already thinking about who to take Joshua to next. She considered and dismissed a few of the more dangerous ones, then sighed and shrugged. "The rest of my friends are a little less...friendly, so be prepared, Joshua," she told him. Then she gestured. "This way."
She swam directly into the rapids, waving goodbye to Lorelei as she was swept away.

Katalina was giggling like a maniac as the rapids swished her around, sometimes dunking her and then just as swiftly yanking her back up. She loved the feeling of not being in control - it gave her the same sort of rush that adrenalin junkies get on an insane roller coaster.

She flicked her gaze over her shoulder at Joshua, and beckoned to him to try to catch up, since she was unable to slow down. If he wasn't with her when she made the turnoff, she was fairly sure he wouldn't see it.

Eventually, Katalina simply grabbed a large rock that was sticking out of the cliff face and held on so that Joshua could catch up. He looked frightened, she thought with an instant rush of guilt. She hadn't meant to scare him - to her, the rapids were fun.
She put out a hand for him to grasp if he so chose. At least they'd be closer when they got to the turnoff.