On Island Time [Closed] - Printable Version
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RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 06-16-2017
Anita heard the commands, but never once figured that she was the ma’am that someone could be addressing. Besides, not considering herself a ma’am her head was too full of smoke to really register that someone would be yelling at her. Or demanding that she state her business at the royal estate. The haughty princess was left to assume that of course the guard was talking to someone else. It wasn’t until she heard rapidly approaching footsteps that Anita even bothered to turn around. She looked over her shoulder to find a woman literally running towards her. Waves of dark hair fell over her shoulder as she cocked her head in confusion. Eyes widened behind large sunglasses when she finally realized the other woman’s intent. Anita was moving at a half-time of sorts, and her “hey, wait” came entirely too late.
Anita groaned as she made contact with the ground. Sprawled on the grass with the wind knocked out of her and an angry guards-woman on top of her. This was not at all the homecoming she had been expecting. She didn’t answer immediately, taking the time to catch her breath and stare up at her would-be assailant. Her glasses had been knocked off her face, and it was more than obvious that she was staring. Dual-colored eyes made subtle motions between the guard’s ears and her face.
“Getting a bit ahead of yourself…” her eyes dropped to the decorations on the guard’s sleeve. “Lieutenant. This part usually comes after you buy me dinner.” Anita laughed at her own joke. Her tail was mostly pinned beneath her but the end was tapping against the grass. The guard was not laughing. What a bummer.
“Name’s Anita. Anita Hart,” she explained, with no renewed amount of seriousness. “I live here. Well, I do now anyway.”
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 06-23-2017
Charlie stared back at the woman catching her breath beneath her. There was a ferocity in her gaze as her eyes made subtle saccades between the two-toned eyes. The rare mutation was hypnotizing in conjunction with the pretty face beneath her. Her face scrunched into disapproval at the suggestive joke the other girl presumed to make. Her ears flattened out and pointed outwards in her agitation. This was no laughing matter. She was protecting the royal family and this girl didn’t understand that she was now in big trouble.
Except she was now identifying herself as the princess. Charlie blinked once and then twice in confusion. Her eyes took on that far off quality as if she were picturing the princess in her mind. And she was. A beautiful young woman who took after her mother. With dark curly hair all dolled up in a matching gown. The realization that she was being told the truth dawned on Charlie slowly. She hadn’t recognized the princess in big sunglasses that covered half her face or in the casual outfit she wore.
Charlie scrambled backwards off the princess. “Oh my god.” She covered her mouth in horror at what she had done. She would definitely be fired for this. Her career was over. This was it. She might end up in jail for assault. She was getting ahead of herself.
She felt herself gripping the sides of her face in shock before she snapped back into action. “I am so sorry, Your Royal Highness. Please forgive me. I - I -” she was caught up stuttering and trying gathering Anita’s things to tuck them back into the purse. “I didn’t recognize you. I was just assigned to this detail. There was an incident. I’m so, so, sorry. Are you injured?”
Charlie was speaking fast because she was very obviously freaking out. Her ears had laid back into her hair and her tail was fluffed out and twitching wildly behind her.
She pushed herself to her feet and extended a hand to the princess. “Let me help you up.”
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 06-24-2017
Anita watched in real time as the realization of what she had actually done swept over the guard that still pinned her to the ground. It widened the grin she wore until lips pulled back enough to show off her pointy canines. The woman moved off of her and Anita took the opportunity to sit up. She inhaled deeply, breathing much easier to do without a weight on her, and rolled her shoulders as if they’d kinked up from her brief contact with the ground. The guard was freaking out and admittedly, she should have found it as amusing as she did. Obviously, it was the reaction she had hoped to garner from the slow revelation that she was the princess, but now she was starting to feel a bit bad, because it was clear that the woman thought her job was on the line.
“You can just call me Anita,” she suggested, reaching for the sunglasses that had been knocked off her face. She figured her words went mostly unheard as the guard scrambled to shove her things back into her bag.
“I’m fine,” she answered, trying to muddle through everything the guard was saying at once. Her tail tapped against the ground, until a hand was thrust in her direction. Anita observed the guard’s ears from behind dark lenses as she used the leverage to pop up from the ground.
“What do you mean there was an incident?”
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 06-25-2017
“I couldn’t, Miss Hart.” Charlie countered despite Anita’s insistence at casual address. At the present moment she was too mortified to consider it. Unless it was an order? Had the princess given her an order? It sounded more like a suggestion. Charlie quickly had Anita’s hand in her and she pulled the other woman up easily. Her other hand went out to Anita’s side to steady her as she stood up. “I’m glad to hear it. Again, I’m very sorry.” Apologies were reiterated as she handed off the purse she had picked and refilled.
“Oh.” She frowned. “I suppose you haven’t been briefed yet. This morning the King - ah, your father and your brother were tailed by a man who was later confirmed to be a Covenant of Allied Forces informant. The man has turned up dead in a motel room.”
Charlie brushed at her uniform to rid it of any leaves it had collected in their fall, well, her tackle. “So the Queen has beefed up security. Your father and brother now have their own details. I’m guessing you will have one too now. And extra perimeter security has been assigned to all of the royal residences...um...hence...me.”
She gestured to herself kind of awkwardly displaying a crooked smile that briefly showed off the dimples in her cheeks. "I don't normally do security work. I'm just trying it out. I guess I'm not that great at it as you know firsthand now." Apparently Charlie was keen on continuing to beat herself up about...beating up the princess.
Her eyes flicked to Anita's hair, ears twitched as she reached up to draw leaves from black curls. She tried to be gentle and not get the hair tangled or pull too hard as she pulled grass and leaves from the woman's hair.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 06-27-2017
Anita listened to the recount of the incident and didn’t continue to insist that she be called Anita. Miss Hart she could tolerate. It was better than princess. It was only fun being princess when she was getting something out of it. She adjusted her purse and hummed her understanding. Anita knew that turned up dead probably meant that her dad killed him, but she kept that to herself. “Mom does like to overreact,” she mumbled as she continued to listen to the details. Anita was quickly uninterested in the Covenant informant. It seemed to be handled for now, and there was nothing she could really do about it, regardless. If dad and Nic were safe, she supposed that was good enough for now. She’d rather focus on the guards adorable dimples.
“What do you normally do, Lieutenant…?” she trailed to let the other woman fill in the blanks. She watched ears twitch as leaves and debris were pulled from her wild hair. Behind black sunglasses, Anita was free to look the guard over. They were the same height, but the other woman was broader, stronger. Filling out the Navy uniform in ways that Anita’s leaner figure couldn’t dream of.
Curls bounced as she nodded her head towards the cottage, directing the guard to walk with her.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 06-28-2017
“For the record, I don’t think it’s an over reaction.” Charlie countered quickly, perhaps too quickly for proper address to a royal. She couldn’t help it, she had been concerned herself which was why she volunteered for the duty. “The CAF can’t just -” she stopped short and growled in frustration, her tail flicked erratically behind her. Charlie’s opinion on the matter was apparently firm. Charlie shook her head of the patriotic indignation she felt and took to answering Anita’s earlier question that she had ignored. “It’s Weatherfare. Charlotte Weatherfare. Erm, well, everyone calls me Charlie, anyways.”
She was left following after the princess partly because she felt drawn to and partly because she wanted to be sure she wouldn’t be in huge, huge trouble. “Let me escort you inside.” She said this as if Anita hadn’t indicated that Charlie should walk with her.
“I, um, am normally in Naval informatics.” She rolled her eyes. “I was duped into the position. They promised if I took it, I could transfer super easy. The truth is nobody wants the job. So, I was stuck doing boring computer stuff waiting for a good transfer to come up when really I wanna see some action!” One closed fist smacked down into the palm of her open hand and she had an extra feline bounce in her step to enunciate her enthusiasm for ‘action’ whatever that meant. Her pony tail bobbed and bounced around with that step.
Then Charlie became bashful, “I mean...obviously, as you already know.” She laughed nervously at how her eagerness for action had led her to tackle the princess. Charlie pulled at her ponytail to occupy anxious hands. “I’m still super sorry, by the way.”
Once at the residence, Charlie surged forward a couple of steps to pull the door open for Anita. “So are the rumors true? Are you moving back home now?”
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 06-30-2017
Anita’s brow appeared from behind her large sunglasses, entertained that the guard talked back to her that way. Not because she was offended, no, she was mostly amused. The guards that were more acquainted around the royal family weren’t so reactionary. Anita’s tail matched the quick movements of the woman’s in front of her, picking up on the tension and irritation about the CAF. Ridges of hair bristled on the end of the silver appendage. “Charlie,” Anita sang, drawing out the ‘e’ sound as she shoved a hand in her bag to rustle around for her cigarette case. “That’s cute.” The golden case was produced and she snapped it open to retrieve a one of the menthol sticks. She walked slow and let Charlie talk, digging a lighter out of her pocket.
The cigarette bobbed on her lips as she laughed at Charlie’s enthusiasm. The ridges on her tail had faded and it swayed lazily behind her knees. “Don’t worry about it.” Smoke trailed as she waved away the event with her hand. “I’m sorry I wasn’t some heathen for you to properly apprehend. Another drag off the cigarette and smoke billowed from her mouth as she spoke. “Even still, dunno how much action you’ll see with my dad around.”
She laughed at her own joke and ashed on the cobblestone walkway. She kicked at the thin, paper-white debris with the toe of her boot. “Rumors? About lil’ ole me? How exciting.”
“Anyways, yes. I am moving back home. As per orders from Queen Mom.”
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 07-11-2017
The guardswoman giggled at the joke ‘queen mom.’ She was left sort of holding the door open but Anita had a cigarette in hand. So Charlie just let the door slip from her fingertips and it quietly settled back into place. They could wait until the smoke break was over to enter the residence. She was pretty sure it was non-smoking? Or well, couldn’t the princess do whatever she wanted? She seemed content enough to hang out for a few moments. That was good enough for the guard.“There are always rumors about the royal family.” Charlie said unthinkingly. “I mean.” She was completely disarmed. “It’s not like bad stuff - it’s just - with your father being - back? And the family moving here, there’s a lot of buzz about what’s going on with all of you.” Briefly she cocked her head at the princess wondering what she had meant by her earlier commentary about her father and not seeing action with him around. She knew he was an ex-CAF officer of some kind but he was rarely spoken about or seen around except with the family. Things around him and their return, or, relocation to the isles was all hushed. Charlie, admittedly, wasn't entirely informed about all things concerning the royal family. She made a mental note to do her own research.
Her eyes tracked the movement of cigarette as it was brought by a slender hand to full lips. Charlie almost regretted that the princess insisted on covering her eyes with those sunglasses. She would like to get another good look at the colors.
Charlie linked her hands together politely in front of her, straightened her back, and squared her shoulders thinking herself looking quite the appropriate guard. Much better than her previous lapse into unprofessional conversation. Talking about rumors with the princess! What was she thinking? She was rattled.
“At any rate, we are glad you are home, Your - ah - I mean Anita.” She smiled warmly as her tail swayed languidly behind.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 09-07-2017
Anita continued to grin, almost mischievously, at the flustered guard. It wasn’t because she had anything particularly mischievous on the brain, she just new that the expression paired with giant dark sunglasses could unnerve people sometimes and she wanted to keep the lieutenant a bit overwhelmed. She was cute when she was nervous. It seemed to be working, what with the way Charlie continued on about the rumors surrounding the royal family. Anita listened, entertained, occasionally hiding that smirk behind her hand to take a drag of the cigarette. It wasn’t anything she hadn’t heard before. Or wasn’t actively living with herself. “Well, there’s a lot going on with us,” Anita responded, vaguely. Which wasn’t untrue. It would be amazing for a royal family of seven (with a new addition on the way) that was prefaced by a long history shrouded in murder and magic to have nothing ‘going on,’ with them. Anita didn’t proceed to confirm or deny anything the lieutenant had heard. Charlie was cute, but not cute enough yet to inspire Anita to really talk about herself. Instead, she let the spent cigarette fall from her fingertips and snuffed it out with the toe of her boot.
“Glad to be home,” she lied. Though her tail swayed in an unconscious rhythm that matched Charlie’s. She cocked her head at the other woman, smile shifting into something less like a cat toying with a mouse. Softer. More genuine. “Have you met them, yet?” She asked this while reaching past Charlie to open the door. “The king and queen?” she continued, her voice lowering with a dramatic flair. She pulled open the door and walked inside, a nod of her head indicating that Charlie should follow her.
Unceremoniously, Anita dropped her bag in the foyer and pushed her glasses into her hair so she could see in the dimly lit space. “Mom? Dad?” She called as she moved into the elaborate home. “What kind of homecoming in this?” She complained loudly.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 09-09-2017
Charlie was completely undone before the princess who smoked cooly and issued those careless smirks. It was really the lack of eye contact that bothered her. She felt disproportionately exposed by the fact that the princess’ eyes were hidden behind dark sunglasses. It left her feeling more open to scrutiny and so she remained stiff and stoic under that particular pressure. “Um, ye- yes. I have met them.” Charlie’s nod was a good-natured and innocent one. "Briefly. At my Naval graduation. And for the interview." When Anita opened the door, her hand immediately shot out to push it open farther. Somehow, she felt it was her duty as a guardswoman to hold the door open. She had no idea if this inclination was based in any fact or true requirement.
Charlie hesitated in the threshold. She wasn’t sure whether she was supposed to enter the home or not. Her tail twitched erratically behind her and her ears seemed unable to decide what to do. THey pinned back briefly in her embarrassment before springing upwards again and twitching nervously towards the sounds coming from within. She wandered after Anita, assuming the invitation.
Owen and Julianna had fallen asleep together, cuddling as it were, in a homemade blanket and pillow fortress. They had made the structure with Nicholas who had become bored of the activity and wandered off to entertain himself in his own room. Owen and Julianna took advantage of the comfy structure and laid down together and accidentally napped. The sound of Anita’s voice calling to him roused Owen. He jerked awake and nudged at his wife who lay in his arms. “It’s Anita.” He said with sleepy excitement as he untangled himself from her. Owen rose and helped his increasingly obviously pregnant wife up. Owen then moved quickly towards his daughter who he scooped up in an enthusiastic hug. He wrapped both arms around her and lifted her slightly from the floor before putting her back down again. “Hey baby.” He greeted her with fatherly familiarity as he pressed a warm kiss against her forehead. “Welcome home sweetheart. I missed you.”
Charlie all but forgotten was mortified to find herself witness to such a private moment between the King and Queen. She blushed wildly and occupied her eyes with the floor beneath her feet.
"I see you've met Miss Weatherfare." Owen gestured with his open hand at Charlie who looked up at him sheepishly and bobbed her head that what he said was true. "Good." Owen said curtly. He then glanced at his wife seeking confirmation from her with his gaze as to whether it was a good time to announce that they would assign her to Anita as a personal guard. Owen, personally, wanted to rip that bandage right off in anticipation of protest from Anita.
So, he did, without further permission from his wife. "Because she will be your personal guard from now on. Your mother and I decided that would be necessary given recent events."
Charlie's own eyes widened a touch given that word of her selection had yet to reach her before this very moment.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 09-10-2017
Anita’s tail swayed happily when her father appeared even though her expression remained much the same. Regardless of her face the appendage always gave her away.
Charlie was not as forgotten as she seemed to think. Anita groaned as she was squished against her father. “Hi, dad,” she said, almost breathless as she was lifted and the life was hugged out of her. She wrapped one arm around his neck and used the other to wave her mom who was making slow progress out of the living room. Anita was caught off guard by how obviously pregnant her mother was now. She hadn't been showing the last time they'd seen each other.
Anita pawed at her father, trying to get him to release her so she could stopped being embarrassed in front of the cute guard. She breathed and exaggerated inhale when she was finally released and pushed her sunglasses into her hair. “I missed you too,” she mumbled as he kissed her forehead.
What happened after that seemed to occur in double-time. Anita immediately noted that side long glance Owen passed to Julianna and she knew at once that she would not like whatever was coming after that. Her parents only looked at each other in that silently confirming way when they were about to give her an ultimatum or a condition. Her brow furrowed over her two-toned eyes. Her mouth set into a thin line because she was already angry and she hadn't yet heard what was coming.
She was here in the four month time limit. Wasn't that good enough. She had just walked in the door. What else could they have decided for her already?
Anita’s tail froze before it appeared behind her shoulders to sway angrily behind her head. “You did what,” she demanded, but not because she needed clarification. She just wanted to point out how absurd she found the whole thing. “That's ridiculous.” Turning to Charlie she added, “no offense,” off-handedly because it obviously wasn't the adorable guard she had a problem with. Anita had been looking forward to spending time with the Lieutenant but not in a “constantly around because she's babysitting me” sort of way. In a personal sort of “maybe see her naked” way.
“I don't need a guard,” Anita complained, sounding both pleading and exasperated. “I can take care of myself.” She knew it wasn't any use but she protested anyway. She hated that they never seemed to listen to her. Hated how what happened when she was younger always seemed to influence their decisions regarding her. Her tail paused again and fell to the floor.
“Wait. What events?”
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 09-13-2017
Owen had anticipated Anita’s push back and was mentally prepared to deal with that, he however wasn’t as prepared to share with her that the CAF was back in their lives and potentially out for blood. He lips pressed together into a thin line and he glanced at Julianna waiting for his wife to join them as moral support before he shared the news. Almost simultaneously Owen and Charlie folded their hands. It was perhaps a complete coincidence or a habit shared by those who had the military in common. Whereas Owen’s hands folded neatly behind him, Charlie’s folded in front of her.
“Earlier this week I executed a spy on the CAF payroll who was tailing your little brother and I around town. Your mother and I have therefore made the decision to increase security here at home and to take additional personal security for each member of our family.”
He delivered the information matter of factly as if ripping off a bandaid before allowing his tone to soften. “I know this isn’t ideal. This isn’t what you wanted to hear when you came home. But we have to work within security confines until we can accurately assess the threat. Okay?”
Charlie’s head bobbed agreement along with the points Owen made. A pleasantly neutral smile played out on her features as her tail swayed with ease behind her. Apparently she agreed with everything Anita’s father had to say. That she was longtime a fan of the Queen and her husband wasn’t necessarily a secret but it wasn’t quite public knowledge, yet.
“I promise I won’t cramp your style. If you want, most of the time I can make it so you don’t even know I’m there.” Charlie added trying to sound as agreeable and encouraging as possible. She didn’t like the idea of her first charge being resistant to her services. That sounded like a recipe for disaster.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 09-14-2017
Julianna came to stand near her husband as he went toe to toe with their daughter on the matter of the CAF and the increased security. She didn't need to say anything, but her presence was solidarity enough in the decision they had made together.
Anita's tail picked up an even more agitated cadence behind her knees. A ridge of silver fur stood on end, and her eyes darted between her parents behind dark lenses. “Ideal?” She repeated, voice pitching higher. “Of course it's not ideal. It's bullshit.”
“Anita...” Julianna’s tone was even, but laced with the edges of a warning. Usually it was all she needed to mollify her children, but Anita was not interested in being mitigated.
“No,” Anita protested, all but interrupting her mother. She watched silver ears pin backwards momentarily at the pushback. “That's not the point,” she said, quickly, turning to regard Charlie over her shoulder before looking to her parents, again. She frowned at them, she didn't like when they did this. Forced conditions on her, standing side by side like a literal wall to block her.
“Why did you make me come here?” She demanded. “I was just fine back home.” Anita’s emphasis on home was intentional. She wanted to be in Colorado. She wanted to be in Winter Heights where she knew everything and could do whatever she wanted. She hadn't even been in the isles for a day, and already she felt suffocated. “If the CAF is here causing problems, why couldn't I stay where I was?”
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 10-03-2017
Owen expected the fuss but he didn’t like the way Anita snapped at her mother. Out of the corner of his eye he watched his wife’s ears fall to her hair. His jaw tensed as he pressed his teeth together throughout the entirety of Anita’s outburst.“You listen to me.” He practically growled at her stalking one step closer to her. “Where were you kidnapped? Hm? Where I was murdered?” He demanded the questions at her. “Home. In the United States where the CAF runs free. They crucified my image. They betrayed this family. And they aren't happy I'm back. If that’s where you want to call home, be my guest. But it’s not my home anymore. Things are different now.”
He took a glance at Charlie over Anita’s shoulder. The young woman’s eyes were averted to the floor and she looked like she wanted to run away. Her ears were pressed flat against her head and her tail had expanded in response to the tense situation.
“You think the CAF is causing trouble here?” He continued his voice dripping with hate for his former employers. “They sneak in this country like rats and they try to nibble. And that’s all they’ve got right now and we’re going to keep it that way. Aren’t we?”
The question was addressed to Charlie whose head popped up suddenly realizing she was being pulled into the conversation. Oddly enough the determined speech he gave left Charlie welling with some kind of patriotic pride that she had been selected for such an important task in keeping the princess safe from foreign enemies. She nodded her head curtly, ponytail bobbing as she agreed. “Yes, sir.” Her gaze shifted to Anita and she gave the frustrated woman a mild smile. “You won’t notice I’m around, A-” she glanced nervously at the queen feeling less confident in calling the princess by her first name in front of the monarch. “A-Anita.” She stammered deciding to risk disrespect in favor of making Anita feel less ostracized.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 10-12-2017
Anita didn't shy away from her father’s stern gaze, or cower as he approached her. Dual-colored eyes searched his face, her jaw was set with a hardness that rivaled his own. Silver fitted tail whipped angrily behind her legs, that threatening ridge of fur still standing on edge. “You worked for them nearly your entire life,” she bit back. The fingers of her good hand curled into a fist at her side. Her injured hand was hidden by the sleeves of an oversized sweater she deliberately wore lopsided for that purpose. “The CAF has always been here. What were you doing about it then, Lieutenant General? ” The young Hart child was to the point in a confrontation where she was no longer concerned with getting her way, or attempting to make a sound argument. She felt cornered, and like any threatened feline she lashed out.
Rolling her eyes, she scoffed derisively at the brief commentary Owen had with Charlie. The seemingly misplaced patriotism felt incongruent to Anita. Her father claimed that things were different now, but they didn’t feel different. Or maybe they did, and that’s what Anita didn’t like about it. “This is ridiculous,” she spat. “Do you even hear yourself? You find out who your real dad is and suddenly you’re just bursting with Veridian pride?”
Anita knew she had made a mistake before she’d finished speaking, but somehow had been unable to stop herself. She didn’t need heavy and palpable silence that fell over the room to alert her to her wrong doing. For the first time, she conceded to Owen. Her gaze dropped to the floor and her tail stilled.
It was Julianna that first broke the silence. Though her authoritative tone was only loud enough to be heard. “Lieutenant Weatherfare, thank you for your time. Pleas return to your post on the perimeter.”