On Island Time [Closed] - Printable Version
+- alonimi (https://alonimi.net)
+-- Forum: Contemporary (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=71)
+--- Forum: Miscellaneous (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=87)
+--- Thread: On Island Time [Closed] (/showthread.php?tid=729)
+- alonimi (https://alonimi.net)
+-- Forum: Contemporary (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=71)
+--- Forum: Miscellaneous (https://alonimi.net/forumdisplay.php?fid=87)
+--- Thread: On Island Time [Closed] (/showthread.php?tid=729)
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 01-31-2018
Charlie’s eyes ping ponged from queen to king to princess and back again. She swallowed and it sounded deafening to her ears in the quiet that followed Anita’s storm. She bobbed her head to the queen and made a quick bow. “Yes, of course, Your Majesty. Right away.” Her voice was tight with tension but there was some relief in her dismissal. She exited the room straight backed with a brisk military-like gait. Once the door was closed on the royal family, Charlie felt herself slump against the wall. She sighed, “great,” she muttered to herself. First day on the job and things were already...interesting. She shook her head and returned to her post where she would ruminate about the entire encounter. 
In the silence before Julianna dismissed Charlie, Owen’s nostrils flared and he felt his blood pressure spike in response to his pounding heart beat. No doubt that telltale vein was bulging in his forehead. He rubbed at his sparse beard in agitation and sighed heavily out of his mouth. Owen stared at the guard’s back until she had closed the door on them and then he returned his gaze to his defiant daughter who had wounded him. He opened his mouth to say something back to Anita but stopped to shake his head as if he were arguing internally with himself. No, it wouldn’t help to argue with her.
“Welcome home.” He said in a voice that was almost gravelly with resignation to his new struggle to repair his relationship with his daughter. Owen took a few steps towards her and pulled her into another hug. He pulled away and placed both hands heavily on her shoulders. “You don’t understand a great many things about me, Anita. And we’re going to fix that.”
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 02-02-2018
Anita still did not look at her father in the silence that followed her callous outburst. Her brightly painted lips were so tight together that the color was hardly visible. Her tail had curled around one of her legs. A tell-tale sign among herself and those of the family with tails that they were feel distressed. She risked a glance at her mother. Disappointment could easily be read on her features, but her tail was still and her ears remained at stout attention. How could she seem so calm in a moment like this? Anita wanted her father to contend with her. Though she had mostly submit to him, she wasn't finished wild-catting as it were. She wanted them to scream and say nasty things to each other. She wanted something to do with all the misplaced rage she was feeling.
The child most certainly did not want her father to hug her. Did not want him to wish her a welcome as if she’d not shown up and immediately caused problems. His hands were a heavy weight on her shoulders. His presence was a heavy weight on her heart. She shrugged his hands off of her shoulders before he’d finished speaking, even though she didn’t want to. She didn’t know why should couldn’t control that exaggerated lift of shoulders.
“Maybe some things can’t be fixed,” she replied. Once again she didn’t know why she said it. She tapped her sunglasses out of her hair and let them drop back over her nose to obscure her eyes. She felt like she was on auto-pilot, as she walked away from her parents. Controlled by something indignant and wounded that wouldn’t let those around her know peace. “You can tell my new guard dog, I’ll be in my room,” she called bitterly as she ascended up the marbled staircase.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 02-19-2018
Owen didn’t say anything further despite Anita’s continued outburst. He watched her carefully with something like military disciplined patience. When she had disappeared up the stairs, Owen felt himself deflate a little and he breathed out loudly before turning to look at Julianna. He couldn’t hide the wounded expression from his face. “I guess we should have just gotten her a dog.” He said with acidic sarcasm. “I need a drink after that.” After that second comment, he felt a stab of guilt for his wife’s condition. She couldn’t chase stress away with a shot or two.
“What are we supposed to do about her?” He walked towards their kitchen fully expecting Julianna to follow him. "Should I sent Charlie up there? Or no?"
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 04-04-2018
Julianna’s ears swept backwards as she continued to observe the altercation between her husband and their young daughter. It was a hard scene to witness, but she knew the way she felt now did not compare to the pain her loved ones were experiencing. Something between them, or with Anita, at least, that just wouldn’t settle into a calm forgiveness.
“It’s not too late to get her a dog” she replied as angry footsteps stomped across the second floor landing. She kept her response light even though there was nothing she could do fix what was happening between Owen and Anita. She followed Owen into the kitchen and immediately sunk into one of the benches at the breakfast nook with a sigh. It was a bit of a tight squeeze with her round belly, but her feet were sore and she needed to sit.
“It’s probably best to let her settle tonight. Let her get used to the idea. And there’s no reason to put Lieutenant Weatherfare in a position to have Anita’s anger taken out on her. Just give it time,” she advised and it was possible she was talking about more than the guard situation.
Anita was fuming over her parents decision to assign her a babysitter. Normally, she would have stopped int to greet Nicholas, but she figured it was best to let her younger sibling to his homework in peace as she went to her room to calm down.
She could take care of herself, and it wasn’t like they’d made any of her brother’s tote around a personal guard. Even her mother didnt have one anymore. She only had a small entourage when she made public appearances.
She slammed the door to her room without meaning too. Anita wanted to calm down, but she just couldn’t force herself to chill out. It was a little better in the familiar space of her room, but not much. Moving to a modern record player on a cluttered shelf she turned it on and dropped the needle in whatever vinyl she’d played last. Her room didn’t have a balcony, but that was fine, she could still open the window and shimmy out into an outcropping of the room that shelter the first floor.
The tiles weren’t the most comfortable to sit on, but she could chain smoke cigarettes and still hear her music and at any point she could use a rose trellis the scaled the wall to climb down and take off for a while.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 07-01-2018
Owen’s eyes rolled towards the ceiling following the footsteps as they made their warpath towards Anita’s room. With his hand down by his side, he picked uselessly at the skin on the side of his finger as he walked. “She doesn’t need a dog.” He said just to be argumentative.Instead of going for hard liquor, Owen grabbed a beer for himself and a sparkling water for Julianna from the fridge. He grunted at Julianna’s assessment of the situation. He didn’t necessarily disagree. He joined her at the nook when he’d opened his beer. Owen slid into the seat next to her and pushed the water at her. He sipped idly at his drink and fiddled with the bent cap.
“Lieutenant Weatherfare is a tough girl.” He said, staring blankly straight ahead. He was taken up with thoughts of how alike to him Anita was. That temper certainly hadn’t come from Julianna. “She’ll need to be.”
___
Needless to say, Charlie’s first day on the job was both stressful and confusing. She was left to meditate on what she had witnessed while at her post on the perimeter of the royal residence. While she appeared to pace diligently around, she was distracted in thinking over the evenings’ events. The sound of some music coming from above and behind her made Charlie turn around and head back around the corner of the house. A bit of dim light came from the open window on the second story. Charlie backed up, craning her head to see who was up there. Her suspicions were confirmed as she eyed the princess smoking on the roof.
“How’s the view from up there?” She called up to her charge trying to sound friendly and as if she hadn’t witnessed any awkward family drama.
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 06-11-2019
Anita glanced down over the knees she had pulled to her chest. She wasn't smoking, so much as she was letting the cigarette burn down as she lazily held it between two fingers. She saw Charlie standing in the yard below, calling up to her. The other woman looked so cheerful, her ears and tail in a friendly posture. Anita's anger had not subsided, but it wasn't necessarily directed at Charlie. So from the room she was able to see how pretty the lieutenant was and appreciate it. Anita could work with pretty. Just because she didn't want a guard doesn't mean she couldn't have a little fun before sending this one away.
Smashing the cigarette out on the chunky roof tiles, she left the trash and slid down to the edge of the room. A barren rose trellis climbed upwards and she used the rungs to climb down to join Charlie in the yard. On the ground she was shorter than the guard. She didn't care for that one bit. Dual-colored eyes gave the other woman a once over. Anita hummed but the sound didn't necessarily mean anything.
She wondered how often she wore that severe looking ponytail. Anita would enjoy wrapping all that dark hard around her hand and...
"You can tell them no, you know," he own voice interrupted her spiraling thoughts. "You don't have to take this job."
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - saronym - 08-14-2019
Charlie observed as the princess made her way down from the roof. She would have offered a hand for assistance but she knew better than that by now. This princess wouldn't be needing any special help. She just needed a guard. Whether she would admit it or not.
Charlie let the friendliness drop from her face. She folded her arms under her breasts and shifted on her feet to pop her hip out. That made her appear slightly shorter but she was still taller than Anita.
"Let me tell you something, Anita," she dropped all formality and raised her eyebrows in warning, "I'm fine with taking orders but I don't take anyone's opinion on what I'm capable of doing or not. You don't want a guard. That's your opinion and your problem. I do want this job and I plan on doing it."
After she said her piece she smiled again, "Don't worry. I won't get in your way or cramp your style."
RE: On Island Time [Closed] - megs - 01-10-2020
Anita always felt better with a cigarette. Holding a lazily smoking stick between her fingers, or having it bob on her lips when she talked always made her feel like...more. More of whatever persona she was trying to portray. More aloof, more antisocial or haughty. It pushed her to chain-smoking and meant she constantly smelled of smoke and sounded like she had just woken up. Ironic, since she rarely slept. Which meant she lit another while the pretty guard sassed her, so she looked appropriately smug. Fingers curled over her mouth with one sculpted brow lifting towards her hairline in a perfect imitation of her father. It was a look that was almost purely Hart. Surprised and perhaps a bit aroused by a show of defiance.
"Awfully defensive, Lieutenant," she sang. She flicked ash onto the ground. "I have no doubts that you are very capable." Her tone easily revealed the double meaning to her words. Which was unnecessary because she continued to tease. "I am very much looking forward to seeing what you are capable of." She made a show of looking the sailor up and down with her dual-colored eyes. She'd neglected to put her sunglasses on. She hid a smirk behind another drag of the cigarette.
Anita turned on her heel and began walking away. She fully expected the other woman to follow. "So, tell me about yourself, Lieutenant. Impress me."