Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs)

Lili Anna
Hunter

75 POSTS
last seen Dec 21, 2012 12:09:32 GMT -5

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 7, 2012 5:47:24 GMT -5

Post by Lili Anna on May 7, 2012 5:47:24 GMT -5

Zylona

Heather. Poison Ivy. Salt Spray Rose. I sat on the rocks, looking out across the beach. It's always surprising how many plants you can find at the beach. Most of them get trampled by training Careers or swimmers pulling themselves out of the water, but there were plenty sprouting up under rocks and farther up the beach where fewer people fought and more people slept.

Tuna. Catfish. Eel. Trout. The fishermen were pulling in their catches before heading out again. I run through the names of all the fish as they get pulled out of the boats; it's a habit I guess. Never a bad one, it keeps me on my toes since school never does. But school's a complete joke anyway, especially when we're doing geology and math and history and english- I could go on. But I should probably stop listing stuff while other people are talking to me. Although no one does really. If there's one thing I'm master of, it's fading into the background. Entering a room without turning a single head. Listening to a conversation without attracting a single suspicious glance. Being kind of stalker-ish with no one really caring. Of course, my parents never cared, so why would anyone else?

I stared out along the beach, my subconscious naming everything my eyes cross leaving my own mind free to wander. Sailboat. Topless Careers, seriously, what is the point? Beach grass. What the, why is she... Oh dammit. Ooh, beach plums! My thoughts were so hopelessly confusing that anyone who happened to be able to see into them would be violently shocked by them. It was quite funny when some guys at school nicked my notebook and started reading it in front of me. It was one of those therapy diaries, where you write down every thought that comes into your head. And I'd thought they couldn't look any dumber.

As I ran my gaze over the Careers training, I caught sight of one little group who seemed to be getting kinda tense. I recognised one of the girls as Leila from around school, though I doubt she recognised me; I know she's smart- not the smartest maybe, but pretty smart- and she trains, but she's not the aggressive type. The other girl I didn't recognise, but it was easy enough to tell what she's like. Tiny bikini outfit, confident stance; she's a player if I ever saw one. Well, it was time to flick into stalker mode. I turned so that I was facing the party of five, reaching into my rough brown satchel to pull out a fish sandwich. The seemingly friendly group was growing more and more agitated, because of three people mainly. Career number one, Career number two and little miss you-won't mind-if-I-have-a-flirt-then-will-you?.

First it just looked like some harsh words. I was sitting around 150 meters away so I had no real clue what they were saying, but it was easy enough to figure out. Someone was being a jerk, someone else was embarrassed, someone else was embarrassed for being a jerk- Careers are easy to read, and teenage girls aren't much harder as long as they're not trying to be subtle. And a slap across the face was as un-subtle as it got.

I froze, partly in shock and partly in confusion. I mostly sit in the corner at school, so I've never really seen many people get slapped without a forewarning that generally consists of the words 'Don't make me slap you'. I'm not naïve in most ways, but everyone has one area of life they don't really know about, and mine is social interaction. I was still reeling from this sight, when Careers one and two crash into each other. Career I-got-slapped fell to the ground with a thud.

That was the last straw. I hate violence. I came close to self harm, and no one has to harm anyone else unless it's life and death circumstances; even then it's selective. I slid off the rock, grabbing my jacket as I ran over to the clump of people. Once standing among the intimidating figures, however, my protests evaporated.

"What... what's happening?" I got out. I'm standing between the quieter boy and Leila. I glance up at the guy. "Aren't you gonna stop them?"

[/color][/blockquote]

Last Edit: May 7, 2012 17:13:52 GMT -5 by Lili Anna

Artimis

Raseri Career Tribute 552 POSTS last seen Dec 5, 2023 15:35:48 GMT -5 mayor of bootyville	Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 7, 2012 10:21:36 GMT -5 Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Raseri on May 7, 2012 10:21:36 GMT -5 ((I'm back))
	"i shut my eyes and all the world drops dead; i lift my lids and all is born again. (i think i made you up inside my head.)"

cmac
Seam Resident

27 POSTS
last seen Jun 12, 2012 23:19:04 GMT -5

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 8, 2012 2:47:20 GMT -5

Post by cmac on May 8, 2012 2:47:20 GMT -5

WHACK
The loud crack of her hand hurt Casl's ears infinitely more than the strike hurt his face; he was used to physical pain, not loud noises. Rosalita was furious, and she had full right to be. Casl was more surprised that she was able to reach his face that easily, not that she had slapped him. Most of her words didn't register with Casl because his ears were still ringing, but her last words found their mark. "I thought your mother would've taught you better!" His cold gaze shattered as Casl though of what his mother had told him as he had grown older: "Not every girl out there is going to be nice to you, and you aren't going to like all of them either. But if you treat them the same way you treat me, you shouldn't have any problems." Casl thought of his mom's disappointment and pangs of guilt ran through him as his composure changed from that of aggression to shame. He turned to Rosalita and with two curt nods he simply said, "I deserved that." I needed to be put in my place.His shoulders slumped, and like before his body showed what he couldn't express in words. "I'm sorry." His eyes lingered on Rosalita for a moment before he proceeded down his path, attempting not to dwell on his guilt.

Inevitable

Casl continued to Beck, and was satisfied as his challenge met an immediate response. A flash of movement, a quick tug on his arm, and within seconds Casl felt the last grains of salt leave the bottom of his feet. Beck spun so quickly Casl had no time to react, Casl's body was suspended in air for a brief moment and promptly returned to earth with a dull thud muffled by the sand. Casl had not been knocked off of his feet in years, and the feeling of being airborne stunned him more than the impact. "C'mon, Warren. You should've taken the chance to finish me with my back turned. Might've been your only chance to win. Now, it's on," Casl rose immediately and hardly stopped to spit the grains of sand from his mouth. Really? Attacking with your back turned? What a coward. Casl was furious at having been caught off guard by the unorthodox maneuver. Compounded with his frustration at himself for what he had already said earlier, he was grateful to have the opportunity to blow off some steam and Beck just happened to be the perfect target. Casl approached his adversary, making no effort to hide his contempt: "Believe it or not Arlyn, I'm actually someone who believes in a fair fight." He sized up Beck, noting exactly where he feet were, and how he distributed his weight; it made all the difference when moving on loose sand. He seemed to be leaning more on his back foot, prepared to throw a punch. Casl drew closer, not at all intimidated by his smaller opponent. He shifted his hips and shoulders, and cocked his right arm back, ready to strike; the muscles in his arm and shoulder rippled as they coiled back, every muscle fiber tensed and was ready to fire. Through gritted teeth Casl spat,"I really hope this hurts." He clenched his fist even tighter, ready to send it with the force of a cannonball at Beck when he was stopped.

(ooc: 2 things:
1. Super open ended for anyone to stop them from killing each other, a fight without the combat mexhanics/powerplaying seems difficult. And 2. s
Sorry for taking so long, busy weekend and I got a little confused and I was hoping to hear back from nick419 too, but I hope this works. Sorry its so short too, I've been rather defective over the last couple days. Wow that was a lot of excuses.)

angel4030
Merchant

[M:0]

129 POSTS
last seen Jul 5, 2012 12:27:30 GMT -5

"Just throw 'em the face!"

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 8, 2012 7:11:04 GMT -5

Post by angel4030 on May 8, 2012 7:11:04 GMT -5

Calypso bolted down the stairs. Where is it? Where is it? she panicked before her mother appeared in the kitchen doorway with an amused expression. "Looking for these?" she asked and Calypso's eyes lit up as they fell on the small bags dangling from her mother's hands. With a squeal and nod, Calypso bounded over to her mother and gave her a tight hug. "Yes! Thanks mom," before her mother could reply, Calypso was down the hallway and out the door. Of course, anyone who knew Calypso was used to her endless energy.

If I hurry, the tide should still be low enough to find them,she began planing as the rows of large houses slowly thinned and the first whiffs of ocean water drifted through the air. When the ocean came into site, Calypso was an unstoppable force. "Oop! Sorry! I need to get by! Nice sunglasses! Woops!," came her chattering voice as she slipped and bumped through the crowd. The beach was normally more crowded at this area with adults trying to relax, children building sandcastles, and Careers flirting and fightings. Losers, Calypso thought with a wide grin as she finally broke free and padded down the beach towards the water. Ever since she was little, Calypso had collected the small shells that would wash up on shore at low tide. As the obsession grew, her parents limited such expeditions to the weekends when school was off.

As she reached the water's edge, Calypso began her hunt. Although she found a shell here or there, she couldn't find her favorite spot. There was one place on the beach where the most shells would gather, and Calypso grew frustrated as the minutes passed. Suddenly, she spotted her precious seashells. With tunnel vision, Calypso bounded towards them when a foot suddenly came down and crushed the small jewl. Freezing, Calypso took in the scene with narrowed and furious eyes. A group of older Careers were gathered and by the looks of it, two were about to start a fight. Right ontop of her seashells. Oh no they aren't she huffed before stomping towards the group. Nobody seemed to notice her approach, but Calypso took this as an opportunity to slip past the small group of on lookers and get near the two baboons.

Grabbing two small pebbles, Calypso whacked each boy on the back just as the larger boy was about to throw a gruesome punch. "STOP IT!" Calypso screamed in fury. With all attention on her, she continued. "You're crushing my seashells! I mean look at this" with one hand, Calypso indicated towards the scattered seashell pieces. Not waiting for any sort of response, she grinned with an idea. "And since you baboons crushed them, you're going to help me get more, OK?" Calypso shoved a collecting bag into each boy's hands before turning to the girls. "Hi! I'm Calypso," she introduced with a pleased smile stretched across her face and Calypso finally paused, giving the others a chance to respond for the first time since she had barged into their group.

laphae8ash

guest

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 8, 2012 12:36:32 GMT -5

Post by laphae8ash on May 8, 2012 12:36:32 GMT -5

Narration
Talking
Thinking

The apology from Casl caught me off gaurd. I cocked my brow and stared at him for a moment. Is he serious? Maybe there is more to him than I thought... I start to tell him that as long as he watches his mouth its okay but I just watch him slump and I actually feel strange that someone like me could make a big career feel so awful. "Just don't make assumptions about me. You have no clue what I'm like." I mumble trying to defuse the situation...but it seems like I'm too late and Beck takes advantage of my distraction and leg swipes Casl sending him flying.

Up until that moment I would've been the happiest girl alive to see that, but now I felt bad and I turned to Beck and glared at him. Just as Casl reared back his fist to return the favor a blonde head bobbed between them. The girl was even shorter and smaller than myself and without thinking I moved to stop Casl, but the girl let loose with a yell that rivaled even mine...about sea shells?! The last few moments have almost shocked me to a point of speechlessness but when the little blonde starts to talk I snap back out of it.

Looking up I notice a new redhead was giving me a look of repulsion and I don't know why. I don't know her and if she's bent out of shape over what just happened she doesn't need to be hanging on the beach with the careers. A slap is nothing compared to the brutal violence they lay on each other. My eyes glare back. If she's going to have an issue with me she might as well say it.

Focusing back on the small blonde I say,"Hi Calypso, I'm Rosalita. That big oaf is Beck and the other goon is Casl. That's Alaric, and I think her name is Leila, no clue who the red head giving me the look is though." I tried to sound friendly but I was getting annoyed with the group of people that were surrounding us. Its not that I don't like people, I just don't like people in this situation. I turn back to Casl and Beck with a smile "Well, are you going to help the girl or what?" You did stomp on her sea shells." I point at the broken pieces.

[/size]

Raseri
Career Tribute

552 POSTS
last seen Dec 5, 2023 15:35:48 GMT -5

mayor of bootyville

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 8, 2012 15:08:29 GMT -5

Post by Raseri on May 8, 2012 15:08:29 GMT -5

Apparently, Alaric’s opinions didn’t matter to anyone anymore, because neither Beck nor Casl paid an ounce of attention to his attempt at peace. All he saw was Casl’s fingers tapping Beck’s shoulders, Beck’s leg shooting out into Casl’s ankles, and then Casl’s back, flat on the ground. Then Beck, jumping up, backing away. "C'mon, Warren. You should've taken the chance to finish me with my back turned. Might've been your only chance to win. Now, it's on," he spat. Alaric was worried now. Even though he was a Career, he wasn’t a fan of petty fights like these. Of course, maybe insulting Casl hadn’t been the best thing to do.

"What... what's happening?" Alaric heard, and he turned to see a redheaded girl standing between him and Leila. She seemed a little distressed considering she wasn’t there for the majority of their conversation. Maybe she just didn’t like violence."Aren't you gonna stop them?" Alaric didn’t know what to do; Beck and Casl were both larger than him and he didn’t want to get into the fight. But these two girls beside him obviously didn’t want a fight to happen. Rosie, well, he wasn’t sure about her. He put his hands behind his head and drew in a deep breath, anxious.

"Believe it or not Arlyn, I'm actually someone who believes in a fair fight,” he heard Casl say. Then he pulled his arm back, and Alaric knew he had to do something or Beck was going to get a nicely sized bruise on his face. He spat, “I hope this hurts,” and the muscles in his arm rippled, ready to fire. Right when Alaric was sure he was about to send his fist at Beck’s face, Alaric swiftly stepped forward and gently pinched a spot on the inside of Casl’s elbow with his right thumb. At the same time, he grabbed the Career’s clenched fist with his other hand. From his years of studying pressure points on the human body, he knew this motion would cause Casl to be unable to send a punch. It made it so that as long as Alaric kept his thumb on that spot, the muscles in his arm wouldn’t be able to clench enough to move fast enough.

”Come on, Warren,” he told the larger boy quietly but firmly. ”We don’t want anyone to get hurt. What’s punching Beck going to accomplish? Nothing. It won’t help you, it won’t help him. And you’re making these poor innocent girls upset.” He still had his thumb on Casl’s elbow, and he spoke through gritted teeth. He was tired and he wasn’t having fun like he had when they started joking around earlier. ”And I’m sorry I said that about you. It was uncalled for. So let’s just forgive everyone,” he nodded his head towards Beck, “and have a nice time at the beach, shall we?”

“STOP IT!” he heard a girl scream, so shrilly that he wanted to cover his ears. Twelve eyes turned to her, and she said, "You're crushing my seashells! I mean look at this,” and Alaric looked at the wreckage of her shells. She stuffed a bag in Casl’s and Beck’s fists. "And since you baboons crushed them, you're going to help me get more, OK?" Whoever this girl was, she seemed to have some attitude. She was obviously younger than any of the group, with blonde hair and grayish eyes. And yet she was yelling at them like they were all a bunch of fist-fighting dimwads. Then again, maybe they were. “Hi! I'm Calypso," she announced with a pleased look on her face. Alaric had to smile. ”Hey, Calypso,” he said with a friendly grin, momentarily forgetting about holding onto Casl’s fist. He took his hands off the other Career’s arm.

"Hi Calypso, I'm Rosalita,” Rosie said. “That big oaf is Beck and the other goon is Casl. That's Alaric, and I think her name is Leila, no clue who the red head giving me the look is though. Well, are you going to help the girl or what? You did stomp on her sea shells.” She then pointed to the wreckage, and Alaric was appreciative of the fact that Rosie didn’t think of Alaric as and oaf or a goon.

I guess I’m going to be picking up some shells, then, Alaric thought. [/color]

"i shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
i lift my lids and all is born again.
(i think i made you up inside my head.)"

laphae8ash guest	Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 8, 2012 15:23:43 GMT -5 Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Back to Top Post by laphae8ash on May 8, 2012 15:23:43 GMT -5 (Hey this is just a reminder that you guys need to PM Kay if you didn't do the activity check to get your characters reactivated, I know I saw Casl and Beck in the inactive characters forum.)

rainey
Hunter

62 POSTS
last seen Jan 6, 2013 22:52:58 GMT -5

You are mad; entirely bonkers! But let me tell you a secret, all the best people are.

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 8, 2012 17:41:04 GMT -5

Post by rainey on May 8, 2012 17:41:04 GMT -5

Leila felt a small smile on her face, despite the serious circumstances. As Alaric stepped forward and attempted to calm the other two down, Leila couldn't help think maybe the Alaric I know is still there. Disappointment seized Leila as watched the Beck and Casl begin to fight. Glancing to the side, Leila noticed a new girl had joined them. She seemed a bit younger than Leila and Leila faintly recongnized her. What's her name? I know it begins with a Z.. Leila momentarily wondered. Her thoughts were cut off as the girl finally spoke up, clearly confused about the situation playing out in front of them.

Leila immediatly liked the girl as she said, "Aren't you gonna stop them?" Leila was glad that she was not the only one upset about the fight brewing. Before Leila could respond to the girl, she watched as Alaric, with one final glance at her and the new girl, strode up to Casl and in one swift movement, rendered the large boy unable to throw his powerful punch. "Be careful," Leila directed towards Alaric. She had witnessed many occasions where someone would intervene in a fight and end up getting hit themselves. Suddenly, another new girl seemed to appear out of nowhere and Leila couldn't help but laugh at the stunned looks on all three boys' faces.

"Hi! I'm Calypso!" the girl finished with a grin that Leila couldn't help be return. Leila opened her mouth to reply but Rosalita beat her to it. ,"Hi Calypso, I'm Rosalita. That big oaf is Beck and the other goon is Casl. That's Alaric, and I think her name is Leila, no clue who the red head giving me the look is though." she listed and Leila frowned slightly before turning back to the girl, Calypso. "Nice to meet you Calypso. And yeah, I'm Leila and I think she's Zalin?" she said, giving an apologetic look to the red-headed girl in case she was wrong. "Well, are you going to help the girl or what?" You did stomp on her sea shells." Leila heard Rosalita say to the boys and she couldn't help turn to them and laugh softly.

Placing her hands on her hips, Leila grinned at the boys. "So the big bad Career boys can't handle picking up seashells?" glancing down at Calypso, Leila gave her a playful wink. "I think Calypso will whip you guys into shape if you don't start sea shell hunting."

(OOC: Sorry this is a little shorter than my usual post, but exams and all have started for me...fun stuff...haha)

nickg419
Hunter

54 POSTS
last seen May 23, 2012 15:24:03 GMT -5

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 8, 2012 21:30:57 GMT -5

Post by nickg419 on May 8, 2012 21:30:57 GMT -5

((im back. the internet was down at my place for a few days so i couldn't post. and cmac, for future reference, you have permission to godmod Beck for fighting purposes. that goes for anyone else, if its necessary for the situation.))

So many things happened in the next instant after I made my move on Casl. At first, he was about to swing what looked like a heavily loaded blow at me, then his arm went oddly limp as Alaric grabbed it, and then I felt a sharp pain in the back of my head. What the hell was going on?

Well, now that I apparently didn't have to worry about dodging Casl's punch, I could figure out what happened. Turns out some random blonde girl hit me with some kind of rock or pebble. Then she started chewing me out about seashells. Who the hell did she think she was and did she know who she was talking to? Okay, I wasn't about to stand here and take this. Me and Casl had unfinished busniess.

"Woah woah woah! Slow down little girl. First off, I'm not helping you collect seashells. I don't even know who the hell you are! And Alaric, I appreciate the help and all, but this is between me and Casl. And all you other girls, just stay outta this." I was still very on edge, still in combat mode. But then my brain slowed down a little and I noticed Rosalita. She gave me a disapproving look, like she was getting tired of the whole thing. At this point I didn't care about what the other girls thought, but Rosalita was different. Didn't this whole thing start with her? I decided that fighting with Casl was not worth losing her interest in me. I wasn't going to let a stupid fight hurt my chances at scoring with the hottest girl in our district.

I relaxed and my muscles loosened up. "Alright, never mind." I took the bag from the blonde girl. "You got lucky this time Warren, but this isn't over." I had to at least keep my dominant image up with some comment. I couldn't look like I was just forfeiting. "Where we gotta go find the fuc....I mean.... shells?" I was still annoyed that I was obeying the commands of a girl who was obviously younger than me, but maybe Rosalita wouldn't think of me as such a barbaric idiot. I looked at her, hoping for a sign that she blew off the little spat and was still considering spending the night with me.

Last Edit: May 8, 2012 22:06:59 GMT -5 by nickg419

cmac
Seam Resident

27 POSTS
last seen Jun 12, 2012 23:19:04 GMT -5

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 9, 2012 2:44:34 GMT -5

Post by cmac on May 9, 2012 2:44:34 GMT -5

Intervention

"Wait.. What's happening?" Casl heard a new voice out the corner of his ear, but didn't bother looking. What does it look like? I'm gonna knock this idiot's head off his shoulders. Casl was a second away from feeling the satisfying recoil of his fist connecting with his target when he felt an immobilizing sensation shoot down his elbow to his wrist. ”Come on, Warren,” Casl found the source of the intrusion: Alaric. He felt the pressure of Alaric's palm on his fist as the boy continued, ”We don’t want anyone to get hurt. What’s punching Beck going to accomplish? Nothing. It won’t help you, it won’t help him." Casl stared at Alaric intensely, he unsure if he could trust Beck's friend. Well it won't help the bone structure of Beck's face, but it's sure as hell gonna make me feel better. "And you’re making these poor innocent girls upset.”Casl thought briefly of Leila, hoping she wasn't upset at him. Then to Rosalita: I kinda burnt that bridge already. Casl didn't even know who the new female voice was, but he didn't put much worth into the opinion of strangers. ”And I’m sorry I said that about you. It was uncalled for. So let’s just forgive everyone, and have a nice time at the beach, shall we?” Casl's frustration grew. Of course you are. Everyone's sorry once they have someone to be afraid of. Casl was convinced that Alaric was simply trying to protect Beck, and was growing tired of the distraction. He debated yanking the smaller boy out of his way when his concentration was broken yet again.

"STOP IT!"[/i]

Casl felt something hit him sharply in the back, bouncing off without even leaving a mark on the large boy. He noticed Alaric's hand drop as they both turned to see a tiny blonde girl approach, clearly furious about something. Casl, it seemed, could do nothing right today and he was beginning to pick up on the trend. "What'd I do this time?" he complained, almost whining. All he wanted to do was punch someone, which he thought was a pretty simple request. Clearly, the world had different plans for him. "You're crushing my seashells! I mean look at this,” Casl obediently looked around, noticing a particularly large area where he had landed on his back moments ago. The girl placed a bag in his free hand and Casl noticed he still hadn't lowered his fist. Someone certainly is fearless. "And since you baboons crushed them, you're going to help me get more, OK?" Casl couldn't help but admire her courage as his face moved from that of intensity to a small smile. Very few girls would approach a stranger literally twice their size and try to boss them around; she did it with a smile: "Hi! I'm Calypso." Casl was still dumbfounded at how to respond as he finally lowered his arm to accept the bag from her.

Confusion

“That big oaf is Beck and the other goon is Casl. That's Alaric, and I think her name is Leila, no clue who the red head giving me the look is though. Well, are you going to help the girl or what? You did stomp on her sea shells.” Rosalita was, as always, ready to be social and speak her mind. Goon? Casl didn't really like the idea of her thinking of him that way, let alone saying it out loud. Before he could answer, Leila chimed in as well: ""So the big bad Career boys can't handle picking up seashells?" Enough with the peanut gallery! Casl looked to her and smiled, though he couldn't help but be a little embarrassed at the situation. Sometimes he didn't realize how trivial some things were until it was pointed out to him. "I think Calypso will whip you guys into shape if you don't start sea shell hunting." Casl stood there quietly, probably appearing a bit slow, as he just smiled and looked down for a moment at the shells in the sand. If you can't beat 'em, join 'em.

Center Stage

Casl decided that now would probably be as good a time a ever to stop being as mute and still as a marble statue. As he finished processing everything that just happened, he resolved that he still wanted to be the center of attention. He turned to Calypso with a smile, Casl had instantly decided he liked the bubbly girl: "Hi there sweet heart, by 'the other goon' she really meant to say 'the tall, charming, handsome young man that she is clearly crazy about' is Casl," he looked to Rosalita and gave her a wink. I can flirt too, gorgeous. He gestured to himself an said, "that's me. Nice to meet you." Casl turned to the red-haired girl he had yet to speak to with another smile, "You too,
whatever-your-name-is, I'm Casl." He honestly had no idea who the girl was, but he had no reason to be impolite to her. Plus, it seemed like she was being ignored because she was so quiet and unimposing. Casl decided it was time to do what he did best or, at least, second best: make friends. What he did best was a tie between moving heavy things and doing to what his mother told him to do. "What's your name?" he asked her, trying not to be intimidating which, admittedly, wasn't the easiest thing for him to do. Casl then turned to Leila and Rosalita to answer them poking fun at him and Beck, "Yeah I'm not sure I can pick them up by myself, they look a little too heavy for me to handle all by myself. Want to give me a hand?" he delivered the joke with a small chuckle. In his experience, laughter was contagious. "You got lucky this time Warren, but this isn't over." The sound of Beck's voice made Casl tense up immediately; he hoped the others didn't notice but he was horrible at being subtle with his body language, and changes in the composure of his huge frame weren't exactly hard to notice either. "Maybe I'll be luckier next time," Casl muttered under his breath, hoping no one heard him. Casl then bent over and picked up one of the unbroken shells at his feet, gently holding it between his thumb and forefinger. "Where we gotta go find the fuc....I mean.... shells?" Beck stumbled over his words and Casl decided it was a perfect time to have fun his expense: "They're right under your feet you big oaf." Casl smiled to Rosalita, hoping she liked the joke. Finally, he returned his eyes to Calypso, his face that of relaxed confidence; Casl was sure he was winning everyone over with the tension dissipating for the first time all afternoon. He nodded to the shell he still held in his hand and asked, "The ones that look like this, right?" Casl waited for her answer before he dropped the shell in the bag.

Lili Anna
Hunter

75 POSTS
last seen Dec 21, 2012 12:09:32 GMT -5

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 9, 2012 14:49:16 GMT -5

Post by Lili Anna on May 9, 2012 14:49:16 GMT -5

Zylona

I stood, shocked, watching as the pair continued to size each other up. The guys threw cutting words at each other, and that much was ok, but it was when I noticed their fists clenching, their eyes gleaming with the thrill of it. There's nothing thrilling about beating the hell out of another human being. "I really hope this hurts." I hope it doesn't. I looked blindly around, but I was closer to exasperation than I had been a minute before.

A few tense moments past, and I was getting more and more pissed off, especially at the girl in the pink bikini, who, true, looked a bit hurt, but also eager for a fight. I'd just opened my mouth to tell them to grow up when a yellow head dived bombed into the middle of the group. I jumped back with a weird cross between a gasp and a yelp. "STOP IT!" I stood up straighter at this and started grinning. Yep, that's everything pretty much summed up. And the next thing I knew she was shoving a bag into the boys' hands. That was when she turned to us with a bubbly, confident grin. "Hi! I'm Calypso."

The silence that followed her was remarkably sudden and very much welcome. It was the bikini girl who broke it with an irritated tone. "Hi Calypso, I'm Rosalita. That big oaf is Beck and the other goon is Casl. That's Alaric, and I think her name is Leila, no clue who the red head giving me the look is though."

A threw a glance with narrowed eyes and an irritated expression at Rosalita. I focus on the names she gave out though. Beck. Casl. Alaric. I thought about this in silence for a minute before something snaps me out of my trance. Rosalita is smiling at the guys- who're still looking tense- and glancing pointedly at the broken shells. Tonna selecosa. Tibia curta. I start rattling off the names of the fragments of shell on the ground. Paper nautilus. I continue to name shells as I cast an eye towards the fighters. The other guy- Alaric- had stepped forwards and was holding Casl's arms still, hitting some kind of pressure points and stopping his fist. Casl looked absolutely furious, party from the arrival of Calypso and partly from the end of his fight. I couldn't make out what Alaric was saying, but it seemed to work; as Casl was released from the grip, he was struggling to conceal a smile. I threw Alaric a grateful look as he looked down at the shell fragments.

"Nice to meet you Calypso. And yeah, I'm Leila and I think she's Zalin?" I looked up at Leila, who's looking at me rather expectantly. "Oh, um... it's Zylo-" I drifted off as Leila turneds away to smirk at the guys. Not that I could blame her. I mean, watching two guys standing around stupidly holding bags that have been shoved into their hands by a jumpy teenage blondie of all people is a pretty rare and pretty funny sight.

But then Beck killed it by resisting. He started ranting about how he was above "Woah woah woah! Slow down little girl. First off, I'm not helping you collect seashells. I don't even know who the hell you are! And Alaric, I appreciate the help and all, but this is between me and Casl. And all you other girls, just stay outta this."

"Could you just get over yourself? Please?" I finally spoke up, not out of impatience- more out of boredom and maybe a little worry at this point. However, though he relaxed, I think it was more for the benefit of Rosalita than because of what I said. He still found it necessary to warn Casl one last time though. Guys. And of course because they're shells (which are too girly for a burly guy like him) he found it necessary to start swearing. Really? He carries on glancing at Rosalita though- forget Careers, needy guys are the easiest to read.

Then, the other guy, Casl, was just as bad. His chat up line was awful. If I'd been Rosalita I'd have given him a tongue lashing there and then. But he didn't seem too cocky, he was nice enough. And he actually asked for my name outright, which was nice.

"It's Zylona. Nice to meet you Casl." I gave him an awkward smile, but he was acting kind of awkward as well, so we were pretty much even. He turned away pretty quick though, in order to talk to Leila and Rosalita. I sucked my teeth for a moment, but shrugged it off and went back to listing shells.

"Conos Aulicus. Muraex pectin venus comb. Cyprea Aurantium. Urchin spines." I hadn't even noticed that I'd been talking out loud until my chain of words was cut off by a sharp hissing as I stubbed my toe. Well, I had to have a go at conversation didn't I? Turning to Calypso I asked, "So, what kind of shells do you collect? Are exoskeletons included in shells?"

[/color][/justify]

Artimis

angel4030
Merchant

[M:0]

129 POSTS
last seen Jul 5, 2012 12:27:30 GMT -5

"Just throw 'em the face!"

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 9, 2012 17:19:15 GMT -5

Post by angel4030 on May 9, 2012 17:19:15 GMT -5

Calypso turned towards the girl in the pink bikini as she said, "Hi Calypso, I'm Rosalita. That big oaf is Beck and the other goon is Casl. That's Alaric, and I think her name is Leila, no clue who the red head giving me the look is though." Her smile faltered slightly as those words coaxed tension back into the air, but this time between Rosalita and the unnamed girl. Calypso shifted awkwardly when another voice behind her spoke up. "Hey, Calypso," one of the boys, Alaric, said with a friendly grin which she quickly returned. "Hi," she said before realizing that he didn't have a bag. "Oops, almost forgot to give you a bag!" she giggled before stuffing one into his hands and giving him a teasing smirk.

"Nice to meet you Calypso. And yeah, I'm Leila and I think she's Zalin?" another girl with brown hair, Leila said before giving an expectant look towards the red headed girl. Calypso was about to ask the girl exactly what her name was when Rosalita's voice piped up. Calypso couldn't help but laugh as Rosalita taunted the boys, "Well, are you going to help the girl or what?" You did stomp on her sea shells." Calypso forced a stern expression onto her face before placing her hands on her hips. "Well OF COURSE they're going to help me," she declared, fighting the urge to giggle.

Leila spoke next and as she did, Calypso could not hold back her laughter anymore. "So the big bad Career boys can't handle picking up seashells?" she asked and Calypso had to admit that the image of the three large Career boys in front of her picking up sea shells was very amusing. The girl continued with a quick wink towards Calypso, "I think Calypso will whip you guys into shape if you don't start sea shell hunting." Calypso gave a firm nod of agreement before narrowing her eyes at the boys. "I'll beat you all up easily!" she said, attempting to appear serious, but they most likely could see the smile twitching at her lips.

Suddenly, one of the boys who had been fighting, Beck possibly?, stepped forward with an irritated expression. "Woah woah woah! Slow down little girl. First off, I'm not helping you collect seashells. I don't even know who the hell you are! And Alaric, I appreciate the help and all, but this is between me and Casl. And all you other girls, just stay outta this." Calypso felt a frown immediately wipe away her smile and she gave him a death glare, daring him to repeat that. I don't care if he is twice my size! He's picking up shells whether he wants to or not, she declared to herself. Before she could fire any comments back to him, however, he seemed to change his mind and with a sigh he muttered, "Where we gotta go find the fuc....I mean.... shells?" By the looks he was shooting Rosalita, Calypso immediately took this to be a sign that he wanted to impress her. She immediately sent Rosalita a triumphant grin as her own way of thanking the girl for causing Beck to agree.

The final boy, Casl, who looked like a giant from Calypso's point of view finally spoke up, "Hi there sweet heart, by 'the other goon' she really meant to say 'the tall, charming, handsome young man that she is clearly crazy about' is Casl," he paused long enough to send Rosalita a wink and Calypso resisted the urge to say 'quit flirting and starting picking up shells!' Of course she manage to hold her tongue since he was being kind to her. When he called her sweetheart, however, Calypso sent him a playful glare. "Don't call me sweetheart! I'm not a baby, I'm fifteen," Calypso wined, unconsciously letting her bottom lip jut out into a pout.

Casl turned back to Beck and Calypso prepared herself to whack him with another pebble if he started another fight. "They're right under your feet you big oaf." he said in reply to Beck's question about where to find seashells and Calypso giggled. "Hey you're a bit of an oaf too for stomping on the shells with him in the first place," she reminded him, but she made sure to keep the teasing in her voice so he would know she hadn't meant anything by it. When Casl asked if the shell he was holding was the correct type, Calypso jumped up and plucked it from his hands before taking a closer look. She was very picky about what shells were acceptable and after a few moments, she gave a quick nod of approval. "Those are the ones! Now crouch down for a second," Calypso instructed.

Looking to the side, Calypso heard the red headed girl who had finally introduced herself as Zylona, listing off names as she eyed the seashell fragments. Calypso had never heard any of the names and felt her mouth open slightly at how smart the girl was. "So, what kind of shells do you collect? Are exoskeletons included in shells?" Zylona asked and Calypso paused, her eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "Um, just any pretty ones. You're really smart by the way," she finally said with a friendly smile. "Do you three want to help too?" Calypso couldn't help ask the three girls, Zylona, Leila, and Rosalita, with a hopeful expression before glancing at Casl to see if he had followed her directions.

laphae8ash

guest

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 10, 2012 10:20:32 GMT -5

Post by laphae8ash on May 10, 2012 10:20:32 GMT -5

Narration
Talking
Thinking

It wasn't hard to catch Alaric's smile that I didn't refer to him as a goon or oaf...he wasn't he was a good guy, way too nice for me, he was the type of guy my parents would suggest for me...and most the time I'd blow them off. Guys like Casl and Beck, they were more my speed. I couldn't help giving him a smile though, my flirtatious nature was hard to calm.

Listening to Leila join in on ribbing the two about the seashells was fun, I think I'd probably like this girl.Just as long as she knows that I come first. I just really don't do well with competition. Especially on the girl side.

Beck gets all huffy about collecting shells and it bothers me. Yeah I get that its not his thing, and truthfully I could care less about them as well, but we seemed to really upset this girl and anyone who was as brave as to run in between he and Casl was good in my book. Besides, seeing the look on Casl's face as he cocked his arm back let everyone know Beck's pretty face wasn't going to be pretty for long. Casl starts up with teasing him again and I roll my eyes. So much for moving on. If he keeps that up, its not going to be long before Beck snaps.

The group wanders on chatting about things and Xylophone or whatever he name with shoots me another look. Suddenly Blondie yells about her age and my mouth drops I couldn't believe that Calypso said she was only a year younger than me. Standing next to her it was night and day. Thank God I don't look that young! I may only be sixteen but I pass for 18 or even older sometimes and most the guys on the beach couldn't tell you my real age.

As we walk along the other kids are picking up shells and tossing them in bags. I hang back a bit thinking about my next move Beck's Mr. Popular and don't get me wrong he is one of the best looking guys on the beach but something about Casl's apology is tugging at me. I've really never had someone be so really sorry they said something to hurt me. It was...sweet? I shudder at the thought. I don't do sweet. I eat sweet guys for dinner.

The water rushes at our feet and I look off at the expansive blue green ocean and a smirk crosses my face as an idea fills my mind.Well lets see just how sweet Casl really is... I'm really not in the mood to collect shells. In fact I want go swimming again. Turning to Calypso, hand her the bag with several sparkling shells and smile, "I think its time for a dip." and with that I take off running. My fingers working the ties on my top and I toss it aside, next go the black shorts and with a glance over my should at the boys take a running dive into the next wave.

The freedom in that moment is beyond what I needed. There are no restrictions only me and the water and the salty bubbles popping around me. My head breaks the surface shaking the water from my face I bob in the water up to my shoulders and I call out to Casl laughing, "I figured this would make you more comfortable about this morning." My eyes sparkle as I watch the expression on the faces of my stunned company.

[/size]

Last Edit: May 10, 2012 10:29:01 GMT -5 by laphae8ash

nickg419
Hunter

54 POSTS
last seen May 23, 2012 15:24:03 GMT -5

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 10, 2012 19:21:01 GMT -5

Post by nickg419 on May 10, 2012 19:21:01 GMT -5

It took all I had not to drop Casl right there when he repeated Rosalita, calling me a big oaf. First of all, it already kind of annoyed me when Rosie said it, but I wouldn't stand there and take it from Casl. I knew Rosie was probably joking, even though I was acting kind of oafish. I also knew Casl wasn't. It may seem like he was, but I knew he was just trying to piss me off. He wanted to finish that fight just as much as I did. Neither of us could stand not knowing who the winner was. However, I wasn't going to be the one to start fighting again and annoy the girls. If there was anything more important that kicking Casl's ass right now, it was hooking up with Rosalita.

Speaking of that, just when I was about to bend down and start picking up the impressively brave girl's shells, Rosalita spontaneously took off running toward the water. Her hands moved to her top strings and......wait....what?.....was she....naked? I had to do a double take, no, more like a quadruple take when I saw her completely nude body diving into the water. It was just a glimpse, very quick, but that was enough. Up until now, she was number one on my wants list, but now, it was a necessity. My male hormones were going crazy at the sight of that short moment. I would have never expected anyone to do that. I mean, yeah, I had gone skinny dipping before, but that randomly and in broad daylight? What was she trying to do? Watch me and Casl have a death race toward her in the water? From what I could tell, he was frozen, just as I was. All I could do was stare in shock. Okay, maybe shock wasn't the only reason I was staring.

Suddenly, the working part of brain kicked in, saying get your ass in that water! Finally I moved, dropping the bag for the seashells. "Uh sorry guys, but there is a beautiful girl completely naked over there, and I'm not gonna stand here playing with a bunch of shells." I began to walk toward the water, still looking at Rosie, the water up to her shoulders. Man, that was such a tease, keeping her chest just out of view. That's when I heard her comment, "I figured this would make you more comfortable about this morning." So she was doing this to spark something in Casl. Damn him and his pathetic apologies. But hey, I guess he knows the game too. Oh well, I wasn't letting him win this one. Besides, I was already much closer to being in the water.

I made my way toward Rosie, going a little deeper into the water with each step. Now it was time to make my move, and I didn't care if I had an entire audience watching. "I think you dropped something over there," I said with a grin as I nodded my head in the direction of her clothes on the beach.

Last Edit: May 10, 2012 19:21:29 GMT -5 by nickg419

cmac
Seam Resident

27 POSTS
last seen Jun 12, 2012 23:19:04 GMT -5

Center of Attention// (The Zodiacs) May 11, 2012 16:24:21 GMT -5

Post by cmac on May 11, 2012 16:24:21 GMT -5

"Don't call me sweetheart! I'm not a baby, I'm fifteen," Calypso frowned at him and Casl couldn't help but laugh and play along with it. "I'm sorry please don't beat me up!" Casl took a step back and acted as if he were afraid of the girl who didn't even reach his shoulder. I wonder if this is what it would be like to have a little sister? Casl's mind drifted for a moment, he had always been curious about what it would be like to have siblings. He liked this girl's energy, he found Calypso adorable and she made him smile, it was a great distraction from the confrontation earlier. Casl could finally relax, smile, and enjoy the beach without having to react to comments from Beck/Rosie/Alaric. The feeling of no longer being on the defensive was a welcomed relief. Hoping she had found him funny Casl continued, no longer joking: "Just because you're a big, scary fiftenn-year old doesn't mean you can't be a sweetheart though," Casl shrugged his shoulders and bent down to pick up a round shell with a reflective, opaque inside that had caught his eye, "it just means that I think you're a nice person." Casl rose and his eyes met hers, he smiled to her and held out the shell for her to inspect.

"It's Zylona. Nice to meet you Casl." The girl revealed her name and returned Casl's somewhat uncomfortable smile. He was happy that she was at least being nice, if a little quiet. "Conos Aulicus. Muraex pectin venus comb. Cyprea Aurantium. Urchin spines." The words had about as much of an effect on Casl as the rock Calypso threw earlier: it caught his attention but left no lasting impression. Was that even English? Casl wondered to himself, hoping he wasn't the only one who had no idea what Zylona was saying. He looked to her, but just stared blankly. Luckily for him, she continued, "So, what kind of shells do you collect?" Ok I understood that, maybe I just didn't hear her right a moment ago. Casl was momentarily relieved to understand her question. "Are exoskeletons included in shells?" And you lost me again. Casl was not only confused, but he was conflicted over whether he should be embarrassed or not. Does anyone know what she is talking about? Calypso came to his rescue yet again: "Um, just any pretty ones. You're really smart by the way," It comforted Casl to hear Calypso speak with words that he could understand, if she had mirrored the sophisticated vocabulary of Zylona he would have felt utterly lost. Casl looked to Zylona and asked, 'What's an ex-oh-skeleton?" He treated the word delicately, hoping he wasn't embarrassing himself too much in front of everyone. That's not a dumb question, right? Casl tried to affirm himself while he glanced around briefly to gauge everyone else's reaction to his question before bending back down to pick up another shell. He waited for Zylona, who he had recently decided was probably a genius, to answer.

Casl didn't even notice Rosalita leave, somehow the peacefulness of picking up shells and checking for Calypso's nod of approval had distracted him from the object of his desires. Then he felt a stillness overcome the group and as he looked up, he saw the pink top on the ground. That looks just like- his eyes followed the footprints near it to... black shorts. It can't be. Now, his eyes were racing up the tracks in the sand, but only just in time to see the splash as he realized what he just missed. Aw c'mon! I just can't catch a break today. The wave raced up the beach, erasing Rosalita's last footprints. A shocked silence hung in the air over the group, only interrupted by the ambient noise of the ocean and beach. "Uh sorry guys, but there is a beautiful girl completely naked over there, and I'm not gonna stand here playing with a bunch of shells." Beck confirmed what Casl thought could only be an inappropriate daydream of his, and left toward the ocean. And Rosalita. The surprises just kept coming for Casl, as Rosalita opened her mouth and actually called out to Casl, not Beck, "I figured this would make you more comfortable about this morning." She laughed to him at what he realized was a bit of an inside joke between the two of them. The gears in Casl's head slowly began turning. Was that an invitation? Swelling with confidence because Rosalita was accepting his advances, Casl returned her banter with a grin: "Smart and pretty! How did you know taking your clothes off would make me feel better?” Casl let out a short laugh. He found himself unconsciously taking his first steps in her direction as he saw Beck enter the water. Casl realized that what he was doing, and noticed that the two of them were drifting toward her like moths to a fire. Casl recalled what happens to the moths who go straight into the fire: they get burnt. He realized that if he started racing Beck to her one of them would end up trying to drown the other, something he was pretty sure wouldn’t impress Rosalita or anyone else he had met for that matter. "I think you dropped something over there," Beck stated the obvious, but it made Casl notice the pink top at his feet. He had been too busy focusing on the owner who had been wearing it just minutes ago. With that, Casl stopped to pick up both the bikini top and the shorts as an idea that could be either terrific or terrible popped into his head. Holding them in his hands, he noticed how slender Rosalita really was to fit into so little fabric. Casl dangled her clothes out in front of himself at arm’s length, and brought his other hand up to his mouth to shout to her, ”Finders keepers!”

Casl then turned back to the others, hoping they would go along with him. He didn’t have any mean intentions, but that wouldn’t stop people from interpreting his actions however they chose. I really hope this doesn’t backfire. I’ve made enough mistakes for today. Casl had a moment of doubt, but quickly erased it and assumed his usual confident(read: arrogant) attitude telling himself that it was a good idea. With a smile he asked the group that remained on the beach, ”So what should I do with these?” He hoped for one of them to donate an idea because to be honest, he hadn’t thought this all the way through. He returned his gaze to Rosalita’s sleek body bobbing in the ocean, cocked his head to the side, and dangled the clothes again almost treating them like a fishing lure, did his best to look playful and then smiled. Your move.

Last Edit: May 11, 2012 16:25:19 GMT -5 by cmac

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Post by Lili Anna on May 7, 2012 5:47:24 GMT -5

Post by Raseri on May 7, 2012 10:21:36 GMT -5

Post by cmac on May 8, 2012 2:47:20 GMT -5

Post by angel4030 on May 8, 2012 7:11:04 GMT -5

Post by laphae8ash on May 8, 2012 12:36:32 GMT -5

Post by Raseri on May 8, 2012 15:08:29 GMT -5

Post by laphae8ash on May 8, 2012 15:23:43 GMT -5

Post by rainey on May 8, 2012 17:41:04 GMT -5

Post by nickg419 on May 8, 2012 21:30:57 GMT -5

Post by cmac on May 9, 2012 2:44:34 GMT -5

Post by Lili Anna on May 9, 2012 14:49:16 GMT -5

Post by angel4030 on May 9, 2012 17:19:15 GMT -5

Post by laphae8ash on May 10, 2012 10:20:32 GMT -5

Post by nickg419 on May 10, 2012 19:21:01 GMT -5

Post by cmac on May 11, 2012 16:24:21 GMT -5