Flying Too Close to the Sun

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BRAEDYN EVREMONDE
(words: 640)

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The sixteen-year-old ran across the sand, dropping his Otterbox-protected iPhone, Oliver Peoples sunglasses and headphones in the sand carelessly, surfboard tucked under his left arm, eyes narrowed against the bright sunlight of the late afternoon.  The sun reflected off the crystalline water, and if there had been two palm trees with a hammock strung up between them, it would have looked like paradise.  Well, deserted paradise--the stretch of sand was empty of people, although there were a few seagulls around.  Braedyn's hair glittered gold as he dived into the waves, board splashing softly in the water.  There weren't too many waves today, so he just flipped onto his back and let the waves that were present carry him.

Without paying to much attention to anything, he relaxed and watched the birds overhead.  His board had a tether he'd tied around his ankle, and he was an adept swimmer, so it wasn't like anything would happen.  Today, since it wasn't too hot, he had chosen to just wear his white t-shirt into the water along with his normal swim trunks.  A faint smile, the one that was always there, touched his lips.  There was nothing particularly amusing, but Braedyn was a naturally happy person, and being in the water just felt good.  He loved the familiar smell of saltwater and sunscreen that normally surrounded him.  Even after all this time, he could still smell it on his skin, unlike other scents that went away the more familiar you were with them.

"Surf City, USA number two," he laughed quietly to himself.  Huntington Beach, his 'hometown'--he hadn't been born there, but had lived there for most of his life--was known as Surf City, USA.  Actually, he wasn't sure what country this island was part of, but there were so many Americans (or at least people with American accents) here that it might as well be part of the U.S.

A sudden wave washed him overboard--literally--and dunked him in the cold water.  For a second, he was startled, but he opened his eyes and swam upward, tugging his surfboard along with him as he headed back to shore.  His stomach growled as he stepped onto the dry sand, and he wished that he'd brought some food.  Maybe someone will come along and bring something to eat, Braedyn thought hopefully.  He'd always been optimistic, even in the worst situations.

He recalled the day he'd first arrived at Foresta, only about a week ago.  The headmistress had told him to meet some new people, to make some friends by going and initiating conversations.  His reaction now was still the same as it had been: Who tries to make friends?  Easy.  And charming the headmistress had been easy enough, too.  She seemed like a nice woman anyway, and being on her good side could help him some day when he got in trouble.  Also, for once, he'd thought ahead and figured out where exactly the doctor's office was.  Once again, he gave himself a mental pat on the back for his forethought.  Lying down on his surfboard, he put on the 'Today's Hits' radio on Pandora, put on his headphones and sunglasses, and relaxed with his hands behind his head, almost see-through white shirt drying slowly.  A sudden thought popped into his head, and he remembered to check his phone for Felicity's text.  At the time, he honestly hadn't been thinking about anything else other than making sure she was alright, but now he saw other ways the gesture could be interpreted.  There were no new text messages, missed calls, or emails, so he assumed she was coming to the beach.  Or maybe she'd forgotten.  Oh, well.  He returned to his relaxation, closing his eyes and losing himself in the music.

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Notes: I don't know anything about surfing.  Nothing.  Zip.  Zero.  Nada.

( WORDS ) 473 ( TAGGED ) @braedyn  ( MUSE ) here To be completely honest, Felicity had been too skeptical of the young man to bother calling or texting him. It didn't seem right that he'd give her his number, even in that type of situation, and the thought of someone actually caring about her beyond what was normally expected. People weren't even supposed to like her, let alone actually wonder about her well-being. The thought sickened her that she wasn't able to fend off his friendly advances, but it was no matter. Today, she was going to set things straight that he wasn't to consider her a friend, or at least, she wasn't interested in anything remotely like that... Or, at least, this is what she kept telling herself as she approached the beach. The young woman had done something rather odd appearance-wise, seeing that she wore gladiator sandals that didn't have a heel to them and seemed to accentuate her 5'5'' height. A dark blue, jean vest and a flowy, white skirt finished off the casual look as she affixed her hair in a french braid, as well as carrying her lacy parasol overhead. Swimming was possibly the worst activity she could do, so actually dressing for the occasion wasn't as imperative for her goal. In her freed hand was the napkin Braedyn gave her, just so she would remember not to engage in thrilling debates with strangers, as she so often did. Her light, pinkish eyes surveyed her surroundings carefully as she stepped onto the sandy shores, wincing slightly as the scorching ground came in contact with her skin. She'd have to be careful about how long she was going to remain on such a sunny turf, but for now, her parasol and abundant layers of sunscreen would do her well in protecting her fragile skin. Pausing to absorb the scene in visually, she observed the other students and people closely to see if any of them matched Braedyn's appearance or voice, though it seemed futile. It wasn't until she peered further onto the beach itself that she found the young man splayed out across a surfboard. Exhaling slowly, she took long strides to approach his side and ensure that she would be able to be seen, seeing that he had a pair of headphones inside of his ears. But, even with this, she chose to speak anyways, ".. Hello, Braedyn." Her tone retained an icy and almost detached quality to it, paling in comparison to the wry and witty dimension of her exhausted self that he'd witnessed. Felicity had been doing her best to erase that time from her memory, and focused moreso on what she could do to continue to give distance in their relationship. She had no need for friends, they would only hinder her and prevent her from achieving much greater goals. Yes, that had to be it. Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

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BRAEDYN EVREMONDE

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He had begun to fall asleep to some degree, despite the music, when he was startled awake by the sound of someone's voice.  The teen was surprised that he could hear anyone over the music, so he reasoned that she must be talking especially loudly.  Through his headphones, he couldn't tell whose it was, but when he opened his eyes, Braedyn realized that it was Felicity.  For a second, he thought she'd gotten really tan all of a sudden, but then remembered that he was wearing sunglasses.  Since he hadn't checked the time on his phone before his mini nap, his only indicator of the amount of passed time was that his shirt was almost dry, though the back, which had been pressed to his white and blue surfboard, was still damp.  

Sliding the headphones back to where they usually rested, around his neck, the boy greeted Felicity as he paused the music playing from his phone.  "Hey, Felicity," he said amiably, propping himself up on his elbows and rubbing the inner corners of his eyes with his index fingers to wake himself up.  Blinking somewhat sleepily, he stood up, rolling his shoulders in circles slowly and tilting his head to each side.  When his joints stopped cracking from the lack of movement, he focused his attention on the pale girl, moving his sunglasses to the top of his head, which revealed his ocean-colored eyes.

The sun was still shining brightly, intensified by the glittering water, and Braedyn was surprised that she'd chosen to physically come out here instead of calling him, which would have been so much easier for her.  At least, that was what he thought.  Maybe she didn't like calling people or her phone had some sort of issue.  Well, I'm flattered, he joked to himself.

"Good to see you're feeling better," he said, lifting a dark eyebrow.  A flash of white in her hand caught his gaze, and he was amused to see the napkin he'd given her earlier.  Her tone was cold, which surprised him a bit, hence the arched eyebrow.  It was strange how people could shift moods so quickly.  Then again, coming from him, that was a bit ironic, considering that he'd been in a rage just a few hours earlier.  He supposed he didn't have the right to judge.

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Notes: 

( WORDS ) 522 ( TAGGED ) @braedyn  ( MUSE ) here Although Felicity had always recognized Braedyn as a tall individual, the height difference between them was borderline painful. She shifted uncomfortably as she was forced to crane her neck to peer up at him, connecting her scarlet eyes with his own, sea-green ones. "I've come to clear some things up, and yes, much better," she responded in her offstandish tone, crossing her arm beneath her chest, ".. I usually don't succumb to being so.. Weak all the time, so don't get the bloody wrong idea, all right? I'm not the type of person that makes friends." The young woman had absolutely no idea how she was going to word this as she stared into the inquisitive expression. Wasn't he supposed to shun her away now? She braced herself for such a reaction as she ventured on. "I'm not a likable person, really, so take this back," she said, holding out the napkin as she spoke, "I don't socialize.. Well, now would be an exception, but again, I'm unsociable and I don't intend to repeat anything like this. So, I have no need for it." By now, it seemed as though she was desperate to fend him off, and her reasons as to why they shouldn't be friends were starting to sound a bit infantile. She internally chided herself for her lack of substantial reasoning for why she didn't desire companions, and though she outwardly protested it, it was most likely because she did crave socialization in some respects. But, this thought was incredibly disconcerting, and she denied it with all of her conscious being. After a brief pause, she continued in a vehement tone, "Our personalities really won't intermix well, and I'm certain that you won't appreciate being around me, so I came here to clarify that we're not companions.. Perhaps distant acquaintances, but I'd prefer it to remain that way." She was about to continue on with her incessant and somewhat redundant rant, when a wave from the short approached and washed over the young woman's feet. Fel emitted a shortened scream of indignation, resembling more of a squeak, but cut off the sound the instant she was aware that it'd come from her own lips. A slight flush of humilation passed over her cheeks as she tried to regain her composure, pulling up her skirt a bit and continuing to hold out the napkin in Braedyn's direction. Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

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BRAEDYN EVREMONDE
(words: 563)

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The fact that Felicity had to tilt her chin up just to meet his eyes was almost entertaining. This close, he could see that her eyes were a strange, pale scarlet color, which he hadn't noticed before. It was almost creepy, but Braedyn supposed it was part of whatever caused her to appear so ghostly white and carry her parasol around. Albinism? He thought that was the name, but wasn't one hundred percent sure. With this new observation, he could almost understand why those boys from earlier had mistaken her for a vampire of some kind.

She agreed that she was indeed feeling better, and said that she’d come to clear things up. Clear things up? What things, exactly? he wondered. Her tone was almost unfriendly when she spoke again, saying that she didn't usually succumb to such weakness, that she wasn't the kind of person who made friends.

He kept a level, neutral look on his features, the only expression of emotion his single raised brow and a tiny crook in the corner of his mouth as we waited for her to finish speaking. She held out the napkin, saying that she likable or sociable, so he should take it back. Her reasoning was not as advanced as he’d expect from someone who had earlier been reading a nonfiction book by Charles Darwin. Her barreling, rambling speech seemed to be an attempt to prevent him from telling her exactly how bad her logic was. Felicity told him that their personalities did not ‘intermix’, and that they should remain distant acquaintances.

Braedyn laughed at her shriek when the waves washed up around her ankles. With an amused expression, he said, “First, you’re on the beach. Beach equals adjacent to ocean. Ocean equals water. Therefore, beach equals water. Did you really not expect to get wet?” He gestured with his hand at the wide expanse of water in front of him.  "I thought you were smarter than that," he added a little teasingly.

“Second, being sociable is not any sort of weakness.” Now it was his turn to be a little ticked off. Insulting the trait of friendliness was like insulting him. “In fact, it’s a strength. Being antisocial and a loner your entire life isn't going to get you anywhere.”

He then motioned to the napkin in her hand. “Keep it, throw it away, whatever. I don’t need my own contact information.” His words were accompanied by a quirk of the mouth.

Finally, after a moment’s consideration, the boy looked at her through eyes narrowed against the sun, looking thoughtful and concentrated. “Why are you so against being social? Do you just go around being rude to people who are nice to you? Does it really pay to have all these walls up? Life’s no fun without friends,” he said, his words unusually meaningful. “Honestly, without friends, I’d probably be dead today. Let me tell you a little something. I have a tendency to be a daredevil. And that means doing dangerous, life-threatening things. If I was let loose to do whatever I wanted, without the wisdom of my friends, I would have fatally injured myself long ago. Now, I can tell you aren’t exactly the same, but don’t take it literally. Consider it a metaphor, if you would.”

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Notes: 

( WORDS ) 646 ( TAGGED ) @braedyn  ( MUSE ) here Now that her true personality had surfaced, it seemed as though his had as well, and she found herself glaring at him the instant he chided her for being so surprised about the waves' presences. "Well of course there's going to be water, I'm not daft," she snapped, narrowing her eyes in his direction, "I just didn't think I'd be here talking to you for this long to be washed by one." Of course, this wasn't necessarily her true reasoning, she'd just forgotten about the presence of the water while she was engulfed in her speech, but it was more or less for the sake of the argument that she conjured these points. Something about his almost amused smile and inability to take this seriously frustrated her to no end, especially since she was powerless to try and control him with rage. He'd probably just laugh it off, really, so there was no point in wasting her energy there. "I never said it was a weakness," Felicity then answered as a rebuttal to his statement. In truth, sometimes being social did have its perks, but it simply wasn't going to work for her lifestyle. And, offending the guy that could punch out a group of three boys wasn't necessarily what she wanted to do now, "It's just not going to function properly with the type of person I am. I tend to succeed and do well when alone, and people are naturally repelled from me, so why should I try achieving something so taxing and won't last?" Of course, she never wanted to admit that betrayal was a very real and frequent issue that she faced, and this was her method of defending herself against being hurt in such a manner, "I think I'll be able to get along fine without friends, they can prove to be distracting." Her tone was icy and defensive, for she found herself far more focused on her work at hand without the distraction of people around her. At his statement about the napkin, though, she rolled her eyes and placed the item into her over-the-shoulder bag. Might as well keep it around for future reference if nothing else. However, once Braedyn began speaking almost philosophically, she chose to listen intently to him. Sure, it seemed as though he took direction from his friends, but she wasn't so easily influenced. If she was to mess up, then it would be her own fault, and that was that. "Life doesn't have to be fun," she replied quickly, remaining on the ball with timing of her responses, "Maybe you appreciate receiving guidance from your friends, but I'm perfectly capable of managing that on my own. If it means I won't have to deal with betrayal and back-stabbing, I'll gladly take a life of solitude. And again, we're very, very different. Do you really think people will take to an albino midget like they will to a sociable surfer guy? Be sensible here." Though she seemed to be degrading herself, Felicity was fed up with people sugar-coating their words, and she wanted to keep reality as evident as possible in this argument. Finally, the young woman seemed to compose herself a bit as a wave passed over her feet again, ".. Why do you care, anyways? I'm just saying that I'll be out of your hair, and yet you're still trying to drive home the point that having friendships would actually work for me. Well, I'm telling you that they won't, so I don't really see the reason behind this." She exhaled slowly, drawing into herself a bit while she crossed an arm over her ribcage and gazed at the sands. Deep in her heart of hearts, she had no idea why she combated being friends with people, especially when someone who had the potential to be one was standing right in front of her. Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

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BRAEDYN EVREMONDE

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Her snappy, bad tempered responses were starting to bring his bad moods back, especially the one about her not expecting to be here long enough for a wave to creep up on her.  Braedyn ran both hands through his hair in frustration, tilting his head back with a groan.  "I didn't call you stupid," he said, exasperated, volume rising.  Nobody came to the beach without expecting waves, no matter how long they were staying.

"And yes, you did call it a weakness.  'I don't usually succumb to such weakness'," he said, quoting what she'd said earlier, drawing air quotes with his fingers.  Felicity continued on, saying that it didn't fit with her personality, that it wasn't worth the effort to create something that wouldn't last.  "Who says friends don't last?" he demanded.  "And don't try telling me that you said so.  I don't care how smart you are, you're not always right."

And 'friends can be distracting'?  "Distracting from what?  If you're so unsociable, how would you know they're distracting?"  Hers was the point of view of a lifeless, soulless zombie of a person dedicated only to personal academic accomplishment.  Well, academic accomplishment won't get you anywhere without social skills.  Which you seem to have a deficiency of, he thought to himself, a hint of spite in his mental voice.

Braedyn attempted to explain exactly why friends were important, telling Felicity about how he'd be dead without his friends.  She informed him that she'd take a life of solitude over back-stabbing any day, asking him if he really thought people would want to be friends with like they would with him.  "If your friends are back-stabbers, then you have a real issue with picking your friends," he interrupted.  "And what really matters is not being so rude and hospitable.  If you just give people a chance, you'll find that the people you want to be friends with don't care what you look like."  Obviously, people would have preconceptions about her, but if they used that as a reason to ostracize someone, then you didn't want them as a friend anyway.  Those were the people whose only friends were others intent on being judgmental and critical.

The girl continued to ask him why he cared.  She would apparently be out of his hair if he just let her.  Braedyn snorted and said, "You saw me beat up those guys.  Don't you think I could have gotten rid of you if I wanted to?"  Another wave washed around their ankles, and he thought, a little maliciously, Well, at least there's no screaming this time.  "And no, life doesn't have to be fun.  But you don't have to live, either.  It's a choice, and you might as well enjoy your choice," he snapped, crossing his own arms. 

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Notes: 

( WORDS ) 916 ( TAGGED ) @braedyn  ( MUSE ) here She'd just about had it with this guy. Just who in the world did he think he was? On one hand, he was attempting to do some 'good' by convincing her that she needed friends, but at the same time, he was firmly trying to put her in her place. This certainly didn't bode well with an individual as stubborn as she. "I can pick up on hints, you know, so that doesn't necessarily mean you have to physically say that I'm an idiot," she growled in response, growing increasingly irritated with him. Honestly, she wished that he would simply drop the subject and let her be. How hard was it to say 'Hey, you go and have no friends, I really don't care'? That would certainly make both of their lives easier. The young woman's rage grew as she listened to him. That wasn't the weakness she was referring to, but it could easily be mistaken for that. "I meant weakness as in my physical state after using my ability.. Socializing might be a strength of yours, but it's not mine." She then smirked wryly at his second statement, seeing that she'd never had a 'friend' that lasted longer than a day or so. Well, that was also due to her parents' constant interference, and her naturally rebellious attitude that drove people away like some sort of repellent. He insisted that she wasn't always right, and though this was true, she replied with an equal amount of vigor, "When did I say my view was always right? Throughout my experiences with the.. 'Friends' I've accumulated, I haven't found one that's been able to withstand me." This was only partially true, seeing that she never gave the entire effort to actually maintain a relationship, and she seemed to actively drive off others as well. If given the chance and motivation, she might actually prove to be acceptable company, but that was a thing of fantasy concerning the stubborn girl. Fel was only slightly taken aback by his words concerning distractions. Wasn't that one of the most prominent traits concerning companions? Exhaling in an aggravated manner, she elaborated on this, "I might not have personal experience, but I've seen the students that fall behind, and it's most likely due to parties or activities of the like. I've maintained my academic scores through hard work and studying, but I don't bloody think that having a bunch of friends wanting to keep up relations through social gatherings would necessarily help me keep them up." It only seemed logical that surrounding herself with friends would result in her grades dropping, and out of all of her meager achievements, that had to be the one she cherished the most. Her eyes surveyed him skeptically, taking out her sunglasses just as the sun became a tad too strong for her liking and placing them over her pinkish eyes. The beach was far too reflective when it came to her sensitive optics. As he interrupted her, though, she rolled her eyes angrily, though it was expertly disguised by the dark-tinted sunglasses. "I don't pick friends anymore. And giving people the chance to be kind also opens up just as much room for them to be sods too," Felicity countered, "And visuals are one of the most prominent elements in a first impressions, as much as people don't want to admit it. Even if someone did end up seeing beyond my appearance, I can't find one reason that I'd be able to connect with them on a personal level. I don't do that kind of thing." When would this boy ever learn that what he suggested was impossible for her? Oddly enough, his response to her inquisition bewildered her. Yes, he could've and probably should've just gotten rid of her, yet he didn't. Was there some other alternative motive behind what he was doing? The thought disconcerted her greatly, and the young woman found herself glaring at him unintentionally. Oh, if he was planning something, she'd get to the bottom of it, there was no doubt about that. She arched a brow at his last words, watching as he crossed his arms. However, an instant later, her brows were knitted in frustration as she tilted up her head to meet his gaze, "I'm enjoying my life just fine, thank you! I don't need friends to enhance it, I'm perfectly content with my plethora of novels." Sighing exasperatedly, she rubbed her temples briefly, finding her energy beginning to dwindle slightly. This argument was going nowhere, and unlike the political or scientific debates she could have with others, there was no definite end. She could debate for hours on academic topics, but throw in something social and she was clueless. "All right, obviously you're not going to listen to me," she growled angrily, finding it unbelievable that she was even suggesting this, "So I'm sick of running around in circles with you considering me blinkered. How about this, then? If you can somehow prove to me that having friends is more beneficial, both psychologically and academically, then I'll consider my point invalid, and I'll attempt to.. Make friends. However, if the results are exactly the opposite, I'd like you to consider us as distant acquaintances, and you'll stop trying to convince me that my way of life is wrong." As she watched him, a smug feeling spread throughout her body. There was no way he would accept, and if he did, she'd surely be the victor. Second chances they don't ever matter

MADE BY VEL OF GS

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BRAEDYN EVREMONDE

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A sigh of irritation escaped from his mouth, accompanied by an eye roll.  "I wasn't implying that you were stupid, either," he retorted sharply.  Felicity was impressively sensitive, and not impressively in a good way.  Their whole conversation was turning into a balancing act--when one of their tempers rose, the other's did as well, as if in an effort to balance out the anger crackling between them like the lightning that Braedyn was able to conjure.  In fact, it would have been interesting if he'd done so and compared the two.

The girl also informed him angrily that he'd understood her sentence about the weakness wrong.  Rather than being sociable, she'd meant the weakness that came with using her power in large quantities.  Like anyone who'd realized they were wrong in the middle of a heated argument, he could do nothing but glare down at her--literally.  She also admitted that she wasn't always right, and she hadn't said that she was.  "I didn't say that you said you were always right.  I was preventing you from using that as a reasoning for your logic," he said harshly, temper flaring up and splintering into pieces of kindling that fueled the fire.  "And if your friends don't stick around, well, friendship is a two-way street."  He was sure she could understand that.  It took two people to create a friendship, and two people to maintain one.

Not surprisingly, he learned that Felicity's experiences with 'distracting friendships' were nothing close to first-hand.  "And were those people of any significant intelligence before they had those friends?  No, probably not.  Everyone's different, and most of the time you draw people who are similar to you.  So do you think hard-working and smart friends will distract you from whatever it is you don't want to be distracted from?" he countered quickly and acrimoniously, hands curling into fists at his side to prevent them from lashing out on their own.

She pointed out that giving people the chance to be niece also gave them the chance to be total 'sods'.  Braedyn's talent for coming up with witty quips seemed to translate into his bad temper, because he had a retaliation for that, too.  "Ever heard of the thing people like to call 'the golden rule'?  Well, that rule basically gives you the right to be a 'sod' right back to anyone who treats you that way," he responded caustically.

And then she made a bet with him--a bet he could have easily turned down, because honestly, if he wanted friends, there were much easier ones to come by--that he had to accept just so that he could be right.  "Challenge accepted," he answered, a glint in his eyes.

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Notes: