Fun in the sun [Claire/Cheyenne/Open] (August)

[CHEYENNE MCLEESTER]

WHY was her sister acting like SUCH a SPAZ?! Cheyenne inwardly groaned at how embarrassingly pathetic the slightly younger girl was being. It was obvious she thought this guy was good looking, even if Cheyenne thought he seemed a little boring. He went to the museum and was glad her sister let him see an exhibit? And got him a job application? He was obviously as nerdy as she was! A perfect fit! Why the hell wasn't she jumping on this opportunity of companionship.

Oh, yeah. Cause she wasn't Cheyenne.

Cheyenne tried not to let her frustration show in her eyes as she looked between the pair as they interacted awkwardly with one another. Actually, he wasn't too bad. It was Claire. She wished she could get her to look up into his eyes. Didn't she know people liked to be looked in the eyes?

"You know.. you really don't have to rub sunscreen on me or anything. Cheyenne was just kidding about that." Cheyenne opened her mouth to say she hadn't been joking, not in the least, when Claire continued, punching her hard in the arm. "She's such a jokester! Haha.. you.. jokster.. you.."

She forced a smile and cocked her head to the side, putting her arm around her sister and pinching her ass really hard. "I am." She agreed. "A total jokester, but really, you should hang out with us! We have tons of drinks and we're probably going to go swimming in a bit!" She offered, knowing if she could bait him into hanging out with them then she could run off and find some men better suited for herself while Claire continued to awkwardly talk about things and try and cover her body up. "Wouldn't that be fun, Claire?!"

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

He was quiet and relaxed as the girls talked, sensing maybe a but of tension in the air. He had a feeling that Claire either didn't want to talk to him or didn't really know what to say. He supposed the whole thing was a bit awkward; being invited to their blanket to rub sunscreen on the girl from the museum. It was interesting how different the girls seemed, too. Claire was a little jerky in her movements, nervous almost, shy... her sister was very much the opposite. Everything seemed to flow from her naturally as if it took no effort at all to speak so openly and move her hands about. She was obviously comfortable in her own skin. He looked between them and then grinned.

"I'm not really dressed for a day out on the beach." He told them, in a way wanting to hang out, but not wanting to take away from their time together either. Plus, Claire just seemed so anxious with him there. Maybe that's just how she was. She had been very similar at the museum, until they got talking. A calm had almost taken over her then, but that calm was far, far away from them now, probably hovering somewhere miles out into the Pacific. "I really just came out to clear my head a bit, take in the sights. I do truly appreciate the offer, though." He said genuinely looking between them.

His pale eyes moved back to Claire, wishing she would look up at him. Why did he make her so uncomfortable? Maybe she knew somehow he was different? No, that made no sense. They seemed to get along well at the museum? Maybe she was the type to simply keep business and friendship separate. It was probably weird for her to encounter a potential coworker outside of work. "I'll be by museum tomorrow, though. I'll come mid afternoon so Bob will be in. If you're working I'll come say hello." He offered, using this as a way to gauge her feelings towards him. If she seemed like she didn't want him to say hello, then he would steer clear. Maybe he wouldn't come work there at all. The last thing he wanted to do was to jeopardize someone elses livelihood. But if she seemed like she wanted him to, then he would, of course, be there. She had before. She'd been so quick to get the application! People change, though. Griffin knew that. He waited with baited breath to hear her reaction.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire would have killed to be somewhere else right about now! She wanted to just run as far away as she could from them and out of sight so she could let her Therian side take over and transform into a giant, spotted feline. She could turn into a cheetah, and run faster than anyone could possibly catch her. Moving through the woods at the higher elevation on Megsy Isle and mingling with the wilderness that was everywhere..

A pinch on her butt made her jump and be zapped back to reality. "Wouldn't that be fun, Claire?!"

She pursed her lips together and curving them up into a smile, although there seemed to be a bit of a grimace there at the same time. "It would be a hoot." Claire said with mild exaggeration in the super duper excited department.

Although Claire had social anxiety she knew that Griffin was a nice guy. At least from what she could tell from their time together at the museum. In fact, the very thought of him working there made her happy. Someone who wasn't as old as King Tut around to help her in the museum? It was a dream come true! And while she was fidgeting and trying her hardest to stand still, stiffening up and looking completely tense, she had to admit that she was glad if Cheyenne was going to embarrass her with some stranger, at least it was Griffin. He seemed mellow enough that they could connect on some level without her getting too spastic.

When Griffin mentioned that he wasn't dressed for the beach and explained what he was doing there she got the feeling he didn't want to hang out with them. And although she felt relieved that he seemed to not want to spend time with them, a part of her wasn't. He was nice and she had the feeling her sister was going to run off on her eventually during the day to go flirt with the other guys on the beach anyway.

"Come on, you're totally dressed to catch a few waves." Claire said in a nonchalant manner, waving her hand in the air for effect and then realized she probably looked ridiculous. Finally, Claire looked up at Griffin's face and seemed to ease up a little bit. "Are you sure you don't want to stick around? Cheyennes' right; we have plenty of drinks and food. I've got extra towels." She rolled her shoulders in a shrug and let her arms dangle by her sides now in a way that made it seem like she was definitely not as stiff, although she was still awkward. She shifted her weight onto her left foot causing her left hip to stick out a little to the side.

She got the feeling that he didn't want to stick around, probably a loner like she could be at times. "Oh Bob will definitely be there in the afternoon. And I'm there too. I'll probably be walking around. You can't miss me I'll be the one in heels." She made a little clicking sound with her tongue and winked, pointing with her hand at him all at the same time in a doofy attempt to seem cool. I'm such a tool.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin couldn't help but feel a little awkward at first. It seemed clear that Claire didn't really want him there, but that Cheyenne did. He wasn't really sure why either sister would want his company, especially since he hardly knew Claire and he knew nothing about Cheyenne at all. He licked his lips and gave a soft grin to the redhead when she insisted he was dressed for playing ni the water. It was obvious she was being playful, unless of course it was a taunt, but Griffin had the distinct feeling she wasn't taunting him. Then again, Griffin often thought the best of people even when their intentions weren't always great.

The invitation seemed to continue from the girl, and she even seemed interested in him finding her the next day, which made Griffin feel much better about the prospect of working alongside her. His pale eyes moved to the little beach site they created and he thought about it for a moment. Maybe he could sit for a while? That might prove to be fun. He didn't have to run off so quickly, and the whole reason he had insisted on it before was because Claire seemed uncomfortable with his presence, but now the tables seemed completely switched. She was inviting him! She was insisting he stay!

The man offered another kind smile and then nodded before looking at the watch on his wrist. "I can't go swimming, but perhaps I could spare some time to spend with you." He offered, again looking more at Claire than Cheyenne to make sure it was alright with her that he come and sit with them, even though it was her that encouraged the little gathering. She was okay with the idea now, but it seemed that she became uncomfortable quickly and the last thing he wanted to do was cause her any more discomfort than he already had.

"I don't really swim much." He offered to them, his toes digging lightly in the sand beneath him. "I can, but I... well, I'm a modest man." He said with a light chuckle. "Don't really like to undress much in public, silly as that is."

[CHEYENNE MCLEESTER]

Cheyenne was beyond surprised that Claire actually invited Griffin to stay. It was high time that she started acting like a woman! It was written all over her blotchy red skin; little Claire liked this Griffin character and Cheyenne was going to do everything in her power to get her out of her shell and into his bed.

The blond beamed at the two of them, her hands on her hips as she allowed them to interact. She was about to insister herself that Griffin should stick around when he changed his mind. The stupid smile on her face seemed to grow even wider; it was as if she had planned this entire thing all along and her plans were falling easily into place. "Well, sit down!" She chirped, taking a seat on the blanket and opening the cooler, pulling out a few more drinks for them to all share, unsure if it was what Griffin would want, and not really caring.

"I was wondering why you were wearing that jacket." She said with a soft scoff and laugh. "I don't know why you're modest, you have a sexy build. Or you look like you do. I'm sure Claire agrees." She said easily opening her drink, not even thinking how much she was likely embarrassing the girl with her, and not really caring. Men liked to be complimented and she needed to show Claire by example since she obviously had no idea how to play them like she did. It was actually a little sad.

"So! A museum man, huh?" She asked, sipping her drink and forgetting completely about finishing lotioning her sister and focusing more on the importance of helping her pick up this guy. "Claire's always loved that museum. Even when she was a little kid, she liked going there. I think she was the only kid in her class who jumped up and down at the prospect of another field trip to the museum. I swear schools have no place else tot ake the kids so they just send them there because it's so much easier than planning a real trip. Once our mom threatened to not sign the waiver because Claire was being a brat about something and she cried all night." Chey snorted and shook her head. "Were you like that?" She looked between the pair, trying to picture them together. She could maybe see it. Definitely.

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

"You know it's okay!" Claire leaned forward a bit and held her hands out as if she were trying to stop Griffin, then letting out a nervous little laugh. "...you don't.. have to go swimming. Modest is good." She nodded and realized she was going to start fidgeting again soon if she didn't keep talking. "I don't think I want to go in the water anyway. It's the strangest thing sometimes I can love the water but then other times I hate to go near it." She said in her matter of fact tone, nodding her head a little and crossing her arms over her chest. She acted as if she didn't know why this was, but she knew exactly why. When there was no moon she loved playing in the water and swimming, but the fuller the moon became the more she hated the water. Oh, the many joys of being different!

When Cheyenne started to compliment Griffin it was like nails scratching down a chalk board, causing the hairs on the back of Claire's neck to stand up. Her sister just had to flirt with everyone, didn't she? Then again it wouldn't be like Chey NOT to flirt with any being with a thing hanging between his legs, so she sighed. "Subtle." She said softly, more under her breath than at her sister and listened to her in silence as she talked to Griffin. That was, until the embarrassing story started.

When Cheyenne told the story of the field trip incident Claire's eyes became wide and her face flushed an awful pink shade. Why did her sister have to tell stories of her like that?! She thought about retaliating, telling a story of her own but realized that would make her no better. And a cat fight wasn't exactly something she wanted to get into at the beach and in front of company. Last thing she needed was for things to turn into a slap-fight and someone's top get accidentally yanked off and with Claire's luck, she knew it would be her top.

"Yes. As I recall I was a brat because you decided to step all over my Little Mermaid coloring book with your muddy shoes, so I waited until you too your shoes off and threw them at you." Claire nodded, recalling the incident and then grinning to herself. She sat down on her towel, her legs tucked at her side and leaning on one hand casually. She felt a little better at least. It was way better than wishing she had been given the ability to turn into an ostrich so she could bury her head in the sand in the humiliation. But that little jab was better in her opinion.

Her eyes landed on Griffin for a second, wondering if maybe that was a little too much. But why did it matter? Why did she care what he thought? "SO. Did you drive here or do you live outside of town..?" She asked just trying to make some conversation now and try to get the topic changed before Cheyenne pulled out the heavy artillery.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin took a seat with the ladies and accepted the drink, though only out of politeness. He held the cold beverage in his hands, the perspiration moistening them. It felt nice on the hot summer day. He offered a nervous chuckle as Cheyenne commented on his build, looking down at himself, surprised that his cheeks flushed a bit. He wasn't used to people being so forward with him. He knew he wasn't unattractive, but for someone to say he had a sexy build made him feel uneasy a bit. He didn't like to be judged by his outward appearance, but his inner beauty. Even the most ugly paintings had great meaning and beauty hidden within, which was what made them special.

"Thank you." He offered softly out of politeness, running his cold, wet hand over the back of his neck. Despite his awkwardness he was having a good time watching the girls go back and forth with each other. He could see Cheyenne made Claire as uncomfortable as she was making him, and he couldn't help but feel bad for her. The story wasn't that bad, surely the sister had worse ones that she could have told, but it was apparent that even this mild story upset poor Claire.

"I was sort of like that." He offered to Cheyenne to answer her question. "I didn't attend public school, but my parents took me to the museum often, and once I was old enough to go without them I went on my own whenever I could." He explained, taking a tiny sip of the drink. He never cared much for the sharp taste of alcohol, but he was surprised how sweet this one was. "I truly enjoyed being there, so I could understand why little Claire would have been upset at a threat like that." His eyes moved to his potential future co-worker and he grinned softly, his eyes twinkling just a little.

"I don't own a car." He explained to the girls as they continued to question him. "I do live in the city, though. I took the metro to the bus station and then took the bus here. Sometimes I ride my bike, but that's a very long trip and it was just a bit too warm out to do that today. I prefer to do that in the Autumn months." He explained, his eyes darting out towards the sky as the gulls cried overhead. Seagulls were one of the few birds that bothered him. Not severely, but their constant crying and scavenging made him think they were unintelligent birds. Truly, they were smart, but only because they were sneaky. He thought maybe any avisaille who were swindlers by profession were part seagull.

He sighed and then turned back to the women who were accompanying him that afternoon. "So what's on the agenda for you ladies? Do you usually play the games? Swim?" He looked at the drink in his hand and then smirked at the girls. "Get intoxicated?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

There were certain things that Claire never liked. One was parties. She hated partying and drinking until you have to crawl to the bathroom so you could just throw up the nachos you ate six hours before for dinner. The second thing was social gatherings. She blamed her social anxiety on that, because when she was in a crowd full of people she usually ended up talking about the most out of context things or rambling on, moving through twenty topics within a two minute span. They just made her uncomfortable. And of course the most important was the third thing; Cheyenne trying to get Claire to talk and/or flirt with a 'hot guy' was by far the most excruciating, humiliating thing of all. She didn't exactly know how to flirt unless she was being sarcastic. Sometimes when she tried to be a smart ass guys took it as flirting and they ended up being on completely different pages of entirely different books of opposing genres. Like the bible and Evolution. Talk about awkward.

Claire had managed to zone off and go into her own little world, a web of thoughts floating around up there in her brain causing her to grow distracted and forget about everything else that was going on. When she came back she realized she was staring down at the little wine cooler drink that was in her hand, the condensation running down the unlabeled glass bottle and making her hand cold and wet. With a few blinks she looked around and then her eyes landed on Griffin. Yes. Her sister's newest victim. Poor Griffin. He'd gotten sucked in by Cheyenne's beauty and bubbly personality and was stuck sitting there talking with them when he probably had better things to do. Like walk around.. by.. himself. Although that didn't seem like a bad idea right about now.

"We drove." Claire said flatly and looked over at Cheyenne and nodded. "Isn't that right? Well-- I drove. Because let's face it if Cheyenne drove my car would have been stuck in a ditch somewhere." She shrugged and took a sip from the alcoholic beverage as if she was parched, chugging a bit of it. "Could you imagine? That would really suck. Luckily I've got Triple A for such occasions because you never know when your sister will suddenly lose control of your car because her phone starts ringing and crash it. Am I right? Right?" She looked at her sister, knowing it was the nerves again that was making her talk about things that happened when they were much younger, taking another drink.

"The games? They're more of Cheyenne's thing. I swim. Or read. I have an arsenal of books in my bag to keep me busy while she's getting hosed down in a white t-shirt." She nodded as if this was obvious. "This is- this is really good. Is anyone else thirsty?!" She chugged down the rest of the drink and then stuck it in the sand and looked between the two of them before reaching for the cooler. "We uh, we have any more of those things?" Just kill me and drag my body out to the water and let it float away.

[CHEYENNE MCLEESTER]

"I stepped on your book because you were coloring by the front door." She reminded with a haughty little smile. Of course, she knew, even as a kid, she could have stepped around it, but Cheyenne wasn't always the nicest big sister. She took good care of Claire, and was there for her when it really mattered, but that didn't mean she was always nice to her. In fact, when they were young she was downright rotten at times. It was just how they were with each other; Claire was the bratty little sister and Cheyenne was the bitch older one. In reality, Claire wasn't even that bad, unless Chey provoked her to be.

It was hard for the older girl to keep a straight face as the boy went on for his love of the museum. He was so dorky! Chey couldn't have chosen a better person for Claire to flirt with. A hot loser like her! Clearly, they were a match made in heaven, so she behaved herself a little more, and allowed her sister to put her down when she brought up the accident she had caused years before. Especially since Claire seemed to be spiraling downward into a tornado of nerves. "It's true, I have a tendency to find ditches to drive into." She offered casually, smiling at the overdressed Griffin, her hand reaching out to play gently with her sisters red hair. "I nearly totaled her car once." She looked at Claire and gave her a soft, playful smile.

Chey reached for the cooler and got her sister a water, recognizing she was using the alcohol to loosen herself up. Drinking too much too quick would not only dehydrate her and turn her already slightly pink skin pinker, but make her look like more of an idiot in front of this boy, something she was trying desperately to prevent for Claire's benefit. The little twit could thank her later. "You know, I won the wet t-shirt contest two years ago." She boasted. "I think Claire would actually stand a chance if she entered, but, you know how she is." She said waving her hand as if Griffin had known Claire for years. "She's just not into that stuff." She reached for the bag and started pulling out some of the books. "You a beach reader, Griffin? I could never sit and read at the beach, I just don't know how she does it. There are so many....people to look at." She laughed, her eyes wandering hungrily to the shirtless service men. "Claire's always been more focused than me."

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

He watched them thoughtfully as they spoke, not really paying attention to one more than the other. They intrigued him still. Griffin didn't talk to many people and didn't have many friends. Of course he was close to his parents and the people they associated with, but he rarely went off and made friends of his own. Mostly this was due to him having his little secret. It was difficult to explain to friends as they aged why you looked so youthful still. Unless, of course, those friends were fellow Avisaille, but it wasn't easy to pick his own kind out of a crowd. It wasn't like they openly showed their wings, though at times he wished they would. Life for the Avisaille would be so much simpler had they only been able to openly be who they were.

Again, the feeling that Claire was uncomfortable around him came creeping up. She seemed anxious and slightly spastic with her replies to him, and she finished the drink he had hardly touched in a matter of seconds it seemed. He didn't understand her; she had asked him to stay when he had offered her a way out, and now that he had she seemed anxious by his presence. Was she being kind before? Did she really want him to leave? He shifted nervously in his seat and took another small sip.

"You know, I won the wet t-shirt contest two years ago. I think Claire would actually stand a chance if she entered, but, you know how she is." Griffin actually didn't know how Claire was, not really, though he got the distinct feeling she wasn't exactly the type to go run off into a competition to show her body off. He chuckled softly in reply as if he knew that about her, though of course he didn't. His eyes did briefly roam over her body, though he quickly pulled them away, hopefully before either girl noticed, his cheeks flushing just a bit. That was so unlike him! It wasn't even so much he wanted to gawk at her, as much as the blonde had called attention to Claire's body and he looked out of instinct. She could do well though, he thought. Not that he was interested in those sorts of competitions, but... he nodded his head as he looked at the blanket, trying to hide his own sudden discomfort again.

"I read here sometimes." He admitted softly, the gulls crying overhead annoying him once more. Stupid seagulls. "I often come here to think and reflect, but have brought books in the past. This is the only place I feel I can truly be myself." He offered. It was the truth; it was the only place he could comfortably let out his wings and be the bird-man in which he was born to be. This was the only place the wind was able to blow and bristle his feathers, making his entire body shudder with excitement and bliss. This was the only place, he was told, that resembled the world in which his ancestors came from. No wonder he felt most at peace there. "When I'm here, nothing else seems to matter." He knew it wouldn't make sense to them and smiled bashfully. "A bit silly I suppose." His shoulder rolled as he looked at the females. "I'm not stopping either of you from your activities, am I?"

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire was grateful that her sister handed her a water this time. She wasn't a drinker to begin with so the wine cooler was already starting to give her a headache. It was also from the mixture of the heat and the sun beating down on them since they didn't have an umbrella, since it was left in the car because 'somebody' had to tease Claire about it. She could feel her cheeks flushing a bright pink both from the heat and embarrassment over her little ranting spell she'd just had. Her eyes darted to her sister and she could tell that Cheyenne was actually trying to help her instead of making fun of her and she definitely appreciated it. She'd have to make it up to her sister, she already knew that. Maybe she'd buy her lunch in a few days.

She sat there and took the water bottle and pressed it to her forehead, letting it cool her head down and she even let out a sigh of relief. "Sorry. I tend to get a little.. chatty when I get overheated." She said trying to use that as an excuse for her anxiety as she took a few deep breaths while Griffin spoke, figuring she could use the time he was talking as a little time out for herself so she didn't have to make herself look like more of an idiot.

When Griffin asked about activities she scoffed and laughed both at the same time which made a weird noise come out and she shook her head trying to brush it off. "I'm not much for the beach activities. I come because its relaxing and I like to listen to the waves." She admitted, knowing Cheyenne would probably be rolling her eyes at that but it was the truth. She liked to listen to the waves crashing against the rocks and the giant islands that stuck out in the water like two towers. She preferred when it was less crowded, actually. But she figured it would be fun to hang out with her sister which was why she'd gone during the beach parties.

[CHEYENNE MCLEESTER]

"Overheated?" Cheyenne practically whispered to her sister, smirking and giving her a sidelong glance. It wasn't just being overheated that cause Claire to ramble on and on and on. Pretty much any situation that made her even slightly uneasy turned her into a chatty lunatic. It was a little embarrassing, but that was just Claire. It's how she was.

"Don't worry, Griffin. You're not spoiling any activities. In fact, maybe I'll go and join some and leave you two to get to talking!" Cheyenne stood up, feeling good about this decision. She knew there was an incredible chance that Claire would completely blow it, but she had the feeling that her sister might do better if she were gone. Maybe it was Cheyenne who was helping her feel uncomfortable. Then again, Claire was Claire and Claire would do whatever the hell Claire did, dumb or not. Either way, without her hanging around there was a slim chance she would come out of her shell a bit. The girl decided she would watch from afar for a bit and see how her sister fared. She would come bale her out if necessary, but Claire needed to learn to stand on her own two feet.

"Now behave, you two." She said with a playful little laugh, bending over close to Claire and grabbing the suntan lotion. "Don't blow it." She whispered so only the redhead could hear before popping back up and tossing the lotion towards Griffin. "Be a doll and try and get that spot on her back? Really, she's probably mere seconds from turning into a cherry." She wiggled her fingers into a sort of waive and stepped away. "Toodles!"

She practically skipped away, not sure what she was going to do yet, but whatever it was, it would give Claire some time to flirt, and Griffin some time to make a move!!

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

Griffin was glad he didn't seem to be getting in the way of any activities for the young ladies. He would surely have excused himself quickly if he were, though they had invited him to sit with them. Last thing he wanted was to hold anyone up from their interests! He would hate if someone were impeding on his time. What he wasn't expecting, though, was Cheyenne leaving so briskly. That had been unexpected, as had the lotion being tossed at him. His cheeks turned a light pink as he caught the bottle, not sure what to really do.

The young man looked down at the lotion and then at Claire. He could already tell that she wouldn't want him to, considering she had told him he shouldn't earlier. He decided to chalk it up to Cheyenne trying to get them friendly with one another. What Cheyenne hadn't realized was that Griffin and Claire were friendly! They had spent some time together at the museum, and though he wouldn't quite call the girl his friend yet, they were certainly acquaintances at this point!

"I won't put any on you if you don't want me to." He offered graciously, placing the sun block between them with a gentle smile, wanting to ease the uptight Claire. He had never met anyone so edgy before! He turned his head and watched as the blond moved away from them. He wondered if she was always that way.

"Your sister is nice." He told Claire, turning back to her. "Spunky.." He continued, his brows furrowing just a bit. "You two seem nothing alike." Now he laughed a little, taking a small sip of his drink. "I don't have any siblings, though at times I wish I did. It must be nice to have a friend all the time who knows what your life is like."

[CLAIRE MCLEESTER]

Claire looked at Cheyenne but didn't say anything, only looked awkward sitting there and fidgeting a bit. She was glad when her sister decided to get up and go away. She was more of a mess when Cheyenne was around because her sister made her nervous and she never knew what Cheyenne might do to embarrass Claire. "Finally." She said under her breath and watched her flit away to probably go hit on something hot and beefy with no brain. The total opposite of what Claire liked in a guy. She liked a guy with brains and maybe that was why she was so picky! That, or it could have been because whenever she went on a date she burned through conversation so fast that it left nothing but an uncomfortable silence before they even made it halfway through the date. Most men left early, excusing themselves and saying that hey had an emergency. Big whoop.

"You know," Claire's features scrunched up a bit, squinting at Griffin to keep the sun out of her eyes. "She thinks that whenever we have to go out it's her job to find someone willing to spend time with me. You don't-- yeah the whole sunscreen thing? It's fine. I'm pretty sure I got all the major areas and what I missed Cheyenne already rubbed in." She wanted to maul her sister right about now.

When Griffin called Cheyenne nice she blinked at him a few times, wondering if he had been referring to the blonde bean that was just there with them. Of course he meant her! As if there were a herd of Cheyennes hanging out at the beach. She shrugged as if she didn't think much about this until he spoke again and that's when she had to laugh.

"I don't have any siblings, though at times I wish I did. It must be nice to have a friend all the time who knows what your life is like."

Claire laughed loud enough to get the attention of a small group of teenagers who had set up their own little beaching area not far from hers and she caught a glimpse of a dirty look from one of the girls. What was it with girls and their hatred for other girls?! It made sense if you were a Therian, but the girl didn't look like a Therian to her. Sure, she couldn't be positive but even still. In packs depending on the animal, the females might be intimidated by other females. But she didn't understand why humans were. If you were THAT intimidated then something was wrong. And for anyone to be intimidated by Claire was just plain stupid.

"Sometimes I wished I was an only child. The only thing that siblings are good for is teasing you and borrowing your favorite pair of shoes." Claire let out a little sigh and began to think of her yellow heels that were sitting at home, all innocent. She couldn't think about that now though! Now wasn't the time to be thinking about her shoes. "SO!" She snatched up the bottle of water and uncapped it so she could take a big swig of it. It felt much better than the wine cooler. "Ahh." She let out in relief, her thirst quenched nicely. "It's a nice day, huh?" She said and nodded, unsure what else to say.

[GRIFFIN CARTWRIGHT]

The girls sudden laughter startled the ever calm Griffin and his body tensed while his eyes enlarged just a little. It was the bird in him; eager to take flight at a sudden, unexpected sound. He could feel his feathers bristling, but no one could see that, thank goodness. It wasn't always easy being an Avisaille for this very reason. Noises, especially in a city, were unavoidable. Fortunately Scriptor Bay was a nice city with an extremely low crime rate. He wondered if this was part to do with the Guardians. Did they stop crime from happening? Maybe it was the peacefulness the tree gave off? The city's inhabitants, though not always well intentioned, were generally good people. A portion of those people, though, weren't human at all. He wondered maybe if that had something to do with it as well. No one would ever know for sure, he supposed.

Griffin could tell that Claire wasn't interested in discussing the relationship with her sister. He wondered if it were strained somehow. They seemed friendly enough with one another, playful even. Claire was definitely picked on by Cheyenne, he could tell in the stories that were told, but the relationship didn't sound like a bad one. It made him sad that she didn't value what she had. He wished so very much he could have a young brother or sister. Or even older! Someone to have shared life's experiences with! Someone who understood him, cared for him in a way only a sibling could! Claire had no idea what a gift she had. It was rare for Avisaille to have siblings. Many were born only children, the humanoid breed cautious to keep their numbers low. They bred enough to keep their population high without being suffocatingly large, but due to this many were born as only children. What was more rare than Avisaille having one sibling, was having two. Griffin had only heard of one family to ever have three children, and they had been looked down upon for their decision. The elders watched the numbers, though, and when there seemed to be few of them they would call for those able to breed, to go ahead.

Griffin wasn't sure he would ever breed. And that was fine with him.


"It's a beautiful day." He agreed with a nod looking out as the waves crashed gently. "I don't always come to this part of the Isles." He explained as he looked out towards the cliffs in the near distance. "I love the cliffed islands over there. The water beneath is clear and cold and usually so calm. The trees are usually bare because the wind sweeps their leaves away early in the season." That's where the camping trip was always held and he had a special place in his heart for it. "It's much more dangerous." He explained, looking back at Claire, certain she had probably visited them sometime in the past. Most people of the city had. "I'm more dressed for that part of the Isles." Again he looked briefly at the girls body, noting how little she was wearing, but his eyes moved quickly to the blanket. "I enjoy it there. Very quiet, serene..." He gulped, sure he was bothering her. "What...what are you reading?"