[IC] The Gemstone Masquerade

[UltimatePuzle]

Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Bong! Groaning Belaziri pulled the covers over her head as her grandfather clock went off. "More sleep, less sunlight!" She muttered, as her dog Balthazar came bursting into her room and jumped on her bed. For being 110 lbs, he felt a lot heavier in the morning. "No Balth I am not awake nor do I want to be." Tired of listening to the dog whine and continuous trampling she sat up and looked over at her dresser's mirror, "Heaven help", she muttered as her snow white hair was standing on end in all directions. "Okay! I'm up!" She said, tossing the Leonberger his chew toy as she got dressed for another day in sunny Hermosa Beach, California.

[ScarlettWaters16]

Beep, Beep, Beep! Beep, Beep, Beep! Gwen sits up with a groan and looks at her alarm clock. The time reads as seven fifteen in the morning. Right, surfing today. When she remembers this, she jumps out of her bed with much more enthusiasm and runs to her closet, pulling out her wet suit. She yanks off her nightgown and slips into the stretchy blue and black fabric. She quickly pulls her hair up into a ponytail and runs downstairs, grabbing a quick bite to eat on the way down. She smiles at the sunny, beautiful, Hermosa Beach day as she hurries to her truck. She grabs her surfboard from her garage, puts it in the back of the truck, and swings into the bright blue Ford Ranger. She then whips out of her driveway and heads down the road, heading straight for the party itself, Hermosa Beach. _____________________________________________________________ Three more! Two more! One more! Gideon lets out a gasp of air as he sets the barbell back on the rack above his head. This early in the morning, nobody is really at the gym, but he doesn't care. He doesn't work out to show off; he works out to keep in shape for the ladies. Sure, if there's a few cute girls around, he'll lift a little more, but he tries to keep it simple. He smiles at the cute front desk girl as he rubs a towel through his hair. He is still shirtless and she blushes as he leans over the desk and asks what she's doing for dinner that night. She already has plans but it isn't like it matters anyways. He has a dinner date with a cute barista from Starbucks, a lunch date with one of his friend's ex-girlfriends, and drinks with a cute girl from one of the local colleges. Gideon quickly puts on a shirt and walks out of the gym, heading for his car, a blue Dodge Charger with white racing stripes. He climbs inside and leans back, taking in the fresh air. He can smell the salt coming off the sea and he looks down toward Hemorsa Beach. A few of the surfers were already out on the water. Maybe he would go. He looks to his passenger seat at his swimming trunks. He smiles into the mirror and takes off down the road.

[CallaLily]

Neveah hears her alarm go off as she steps out of the shower. She rolls her eyes, she always gets up before that thing, so why does she need it? She sighs and walks into her room, hitting the top of her alarm to dismiss it. She unwraps Her towel and starts to get dressed in Her everyday outfit, applying some mascara before grabbing her bags and heading out. She wondered if she would change up her schedule a bit today, but decided against it. Before anything, she would go and grab some coffee, and then her day would officially start. She found herself inside of the coffee shop in no time, it was her favorite place in town, always smelling like fresh baked goods and coffee beans. Neveah went up to the counter and ordered her usual, which was black coffee and a blueberry muffin. She took a seat and surveyed her surroundings. It was almost empty, only the people with a report due, or with a good book to read were here. Neveah smiled, enjoying the quiet crowd.

[Nuttynad]

Nadia woke up with a start. She had a funny kind of dream, like as if she was about to be eaten by something. She looked at her phone only to find that it rung after she woke up. Turning off the alarm, she went off to get ready for her day. After a quick shower and changing to her casual clothes, she went to make breakfast in the kitchen. Nadia fried some eggs and made some coffee, just then her parents came down to join her for breakfast. It was the usual day, doing this was the norm for her.

[XxLyraxX]

Estelle hummed quietly to herself as she raised the viewfinder to her eye, focusing on the sun as it began to rise above the ocean. A quick snap followed and she clicked a button and the picture popped up on the screen. She gazed down at it, bright blue eyes scanning over it. "Too bright." She mumbled and fiddled with the settings on her camera before she snapped another picture. This one was much better. A smile came over her face as she took a few pictures of the ocean as it crashed against the shore. When Sebastian had said he was buying an apartment close to the water she had been happy since that meant a beautiful landscape that she could photograph. She glanced down at her watch and saw that Alastair would be waking up soon. As if he was conjured up by her thoughts, her brother settled down next to her on the edge of the roof. She glanced up at him, watching as he fixed his glasses before taking a peek at Estelle's camera. "Nice. Sebastian says it's your turn to make breakfast since he has to head to the shop early." Alastair said quietly, a warm breeze ruffling his hair slightly. Estelle nodded and stood up, brushing off the back of her shorts. Ever since Alastair had nearly burnt the kitchen down he was officially banned from the kitchen and either Estelle or their twenty-five year-old brother cooked. However, Sebastian worked three jobs in order to make ends meet and so he didn't have time to cook most of the mornings. Estelle and Alastair had offered to get jobs as well and so Estelle worked part-time for a cafe and Alastair worked as a waiter at a restaurant right next door. The siblings headed inside just as Sebastian was headed out the door. He gave them a quick farewell before he was gone. Since their shifts didn't start until later that morning, they had a bit of time to get ready. Estelle headed into the kitchen while Alastair wandered around the apartment and tidied things up that were out of place.

[CLIW]

Mitchell rolled out of bed with a disgusted groan at the sound of the telephone ringing. Assuming it was for his roommate, he slowly sat up, stretched, and relaxed as the ringing ended, followed by the sound of a rough voice addressing the caller: "What the hell do you want at this time?" He rolled his eyes. It wasn't like it was 2 in the morning, but it was a small improvement from living with his mother. He brushed off the tragic realization that he wouldn't be able to fall asleep again, and went through his usual morning routine. "Telemarketers!" shouted the roommate. "Can you believe 'em?" "Yes," muttered Mitchell.

[Savi]

Adelisa groaned when her alarm went off and she rolled over to look at her phone. What day was it? Oh shoot! We're late! Adelisa shot out of bed like a bullet and ran into her brother's room, not realizing her brother had friends over. "Over on your left, Jake! Left!" Adelisa glared at Archeron and walked over to the TV, unplugging the game system. Archeron, 'Jake', and his two other friends looked at her with either a glare or an incredulous look. Then, realizing she was in boy short pjs and a tank top, Archeron's friends stared at her. She rolled her eyes and said "take a picture, it'll last longer. Archeron! Can I talk to you in the hall privately please?" Archeron rolled his eyes and got up from his seat, walking over to her. "What?!" he angrily said. Adelisa put her hands on her hips and her eyebrow rose. "Do NOT talk to me like that, Archeron, or I'll tell all your little buddies in there your middle name." Archeron huffed and said "what?" in a softer tone. She smirked and said "did you forget today?" He shrugged and she said "we've got to go to work!" Archeron's eyes widened and he said "crap! Not again!" He ran into his room at the same time Adelisa ran into hers, Archeron kicking his friends out of the house so he can get ready and Adelisa getting ready.

[Avanhelsing]

It was a beautiful day in Hermosa Beach. There was no one outside except for two. Two young men were walking from beach both of them carrying surfboards. The two clearly twins even though they had a few differences. Like that the blonde one was shorter than his brother but he was more muscular. The brown haired one looked over at his brother. "So what's the plan today, bro?" Pete asked Jason. "Maybe we go to into town? I'm hopelessly bored so if you want to head in?" He said as they wandered into the downtown. The brothers Cameron were constantly together. "I'm gonna head back to the beach. "Pete said nodding to his brother. He ran back towards the beach. He never used a wetsuit like his brother. Another difference. He preferred to get tanned. He ran back to the beach and sat in the waves on his board. Jason decided to wander down Main Street looking around as he walked.

[CallaLily]

Neveah finishes her breakfast slowly, because she wanted to savor the day for some reason. She leans back in her chair and sighs, thinking of what she would do for the remainder of the day. She could window shop, or go to the beach, or even go back home and rest. She couldn't make up her mind, so in the end she just continued to lean in her chair, disappointed with herself. She should've been able to think up something.

[ScarlettWaters16]

Gwen parks close near the entrance of the beach. She notices that there are very few people there. That's good. More waves for her. She hops out of her car, her feet burning slightly on the hot asphalt. She grabs her bright blue and green board from the back of her truck and heads toward the beach. She hooks her surfboard around her ankle and heads out onto the water, lying on her stomach as she paddles out into the ocean. She notices a young man sitting on his board far out in the ocean. The waves begin to swell around her and she notices a couple good waves coming in. She paddles over to the guy and sits on her board next to him. She smiles over at him and says, "No one is normally out here this earlier. Normally I'm the only one." ____________________________________________________________________________________________ Gideon notices a coffee shop up ahead and his stomach rumbles. He pulls to a stop in one of the parking spots and hops out. He winks at some girls who are making their way in. They giggle and hide behind their hair as he walks in. He walks up and orders three chocolate muffins and a small coffee. As he waits for his order, he leans up against the counter and looks around. It's a quiet crowd on the inside, mostly college students. He looks over and sees a girl(Neveah) sitting by herself at one of the tables. He looks back as they call his order number and he grabs his food. Walking over to her unannounced, he takes a seat next to her and looks at her. "Hey, darling," he says with a sultry smile.

[CallaLily]

Neveah jumps, her eyes opening to reveal a handsome young male sitting across from her. "I don't recall inviting you to this table." She says, her eyes boring into his. She didn't expect a boy to stroll over to her table, but she seemed calm enough. "I'm Neveah, and before you do anything, sweet-cheeks, you should realize I don't come easy." She shrugged and leaned forwards, challenging him to reply, a smile dancing on her face.

[CLIW]

What to do, what to do. Mitchell tutted in thought, eager to get out of this undersized dump of an apartment, and quietly slipped out to escape the smell of a small amount of smoke caused by bad cooking wafting around the place. He headed into the downtown area; it wasn't a long walk for him. He whistled as he chose a random route to take. It was his day off. He had time to get lost.

[UltimatePuzle]

Opting to take the drive down to the beach, Ziri put her board in the back of her older brother's jeep, sending him a quick text about leaving him her baby, her 1968 Mustang Fastback. Kill my baby and I kill you. Was her final message as she buckled in and drove towards her hotspot, a secluded part of the beach that was only known by the locals. "I've got a blank space, and I'll write your name." She sang as she whipped around in the jeep, for a little car the thing went pretty fast. Giggling she hooked into her spot in the faux parking lot and stripped down to her tye-dyed purple and black bikini. She quickly made her way down and planted her things in a prime spot under the half shade of a tree and started to wax her board as she watched the waves. "Another day in paradise." She said, watching a few guys start to rip waves.

[Savi]

Adelisa shouted at Archeron, who was still gettin ready, "I'll cover for you!" Archeron, still in the shower, said back "thanks! I'll be out in a second!" She rolled her eyes and muttered to herself "more like an hour" before grabbing her purse and walking out of the house. A small smile appeared on her lips as she walked to where Archeron and her worked: the local animal shelter. It was Archeron's idea, but she was all too happy to oblige. It wasn't that far, seeing as they didn't need a car in the small town unless one went to the beach. She was not one to go to the beach, but Archeron would go a lot of the time. As she neared the shelter, she past a cafe, a library, a restaurant, and a set of homes until she finally saw the large Animal Care and Control Center sign in the front. Upon her entry into the parking lot, Adelisa noticed something was off. The animals were howling mournfully, showing signs of trouble ahead. Her walk turned into a sprint when she noticed the noise. As she ran into the center, she saw the concerned looks of the citizens. A heavy-set elderly woman with a sleeve tattoo came up to her in her large uniform, her name being Mary. Adelisa called her spitfire. "Listen, barbie doll, you need to calm those dogs down before I get slapped for a complaint and I end up getting arrested for assault on said complainer." Adelisa grinned and nodded, saying "ma'am yes ma'am!" Spirfire grinned and said "have fun! Where's pretty boy?" Adelisa smiled softly. "He's gonna be late. He had to go help his friend fix his car." Spirfire rolled her eyes and said "inthat boy actually came to work early that would be the miracle of a century." Adelisa laughed and said "he's good for it though." Spitfire nodded before going back into hustle mode. "I'll get some volunteers to help you." Adelisa nodded, both of them silently agreeing to run to where they needed to be. Adelisa sprinted off to where the dogs were held, her keys jangling against her bag made the dogs bark at her. I could really use some help right about now, Archeron! she thought, hoping for it to send to Archeron but knowing it probably wouldn't.

[XxLyraxX]

After a breakfast of eggs and toast the siblings took turns in the shower as they got ready for work. It didn't take them long and before long the apartment had been locked up and they were heading down the stairs. Once at the bottom they turned left and began heading towards work. Since Sebastian needed the car to reach his many jobs, the younger siblings resorted to walking everywhere. But they didn't mind, it was good for them and allowed them to see all the scenery as they passed. Alastair walked along beside Estelle, hands shoved into his pocket. When they reached a corner he slowed, glancing down it. Estelle smiled as they turned down it. "Say hi to Bard for me." Alastair nodded as he paused at the Animal Shelter. It wasn't far and they passed it everyday on the way to work. +~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+ @Savi As his sister continued walking, Alastair headed over to the cages in the Animal Shelter. He noticed a lot of the dogs seemed to be barking and making a rucuss. He wondered what it was that had gotten them so riled up. He stepped in front of a large and cage and knelt, smiling softly at the golden Labrador sitting within. "Hey Bard, how are you doing this morning?" He asked softly as he reached his fingers inside to gently pet the dog. He had meet Bard a few weeks ago when he had randomly stopped at the shelter on the way home. He had become fast friends with the dog ever since. He wanted very much to adopt Bard but their apartment didn't allow animals so he has been visiting the dog every day. +~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+ @Avanhelsing Estelle glanced back as she saw Alastair kneel down next to one of the cages. She smiled before turning and facing forward. The cafe was only a few blocks away and she glanced at her watch, seeing that she still had time. They had left the house a little early since it hadn't taken them that long to get ready. Estelle inhaled the warm air, a small breeze ruffling her long brown locks. She was dressed in her uniform outfit, pants and a white buttoned down shirt. Her phone vibrated in her purse and she looked down, hand reaching in to search for it. Suddenly, she felt herself collide with someone or something. With a yelp she stumbled backwards, tripped over her own feet and tumbled to the ground. Her purse fell beside her, contents scattering along the pavement. Estelle lay there dazed, wondering what in the world just happen.

[Savi]

Adelisa groaned in annoyance as she walked down the aisle of dogs, their barking and howls annoying her to the point of a headache. Adelisa looked up to see a young man near the cage of a dog that was marked 'unadoptable' by Spitfire. She smiled at how kind the dog was to the young man and went over to him. "Hi, I noticed you are interested in this little guy." She smiled at the beautiful golden coated dog and winked at the labrador. "He's quite a catch, isn't he?" She tried to say over the barking dogs that were slowly starting to simmer down as they saw her. They knew when they saw her it was feeding time. She looked up at the man with a smile. "He's not for adoption, sadly. We just keep him here for the owner. Apparently a man came in and explained that he wanted the dog but because of living conditions... anyway, he has been adopted, we just hold him here because the owner knows Spitfire- I mean our manager Mary. We do have other dogs similar if you're interested, though it's hard to step away from such a beauty."

[Avanhelsing]

Pete sat down on his board and just watch the waves like he always did. He found it calming. His brother hated sitting in one spot just doing nothing. Pete had no problem with it. Pete noticed a girl swimming over to him on a board of her own. He turned and gave her one of his better smiles. He nodded to her. " Same for me. My brother and I are usually gone by now. I'm Pete Cameron." He said bobbing on the water. Jason was moving far to quickly right now for his own good. He was not looking where he was going and humming to himself. As he walked he collided with someone in front of him. He looked over at her and quickly put his board down to help her pick her things up. "I am so sorry!" He said looking up at her. He was a about 8 inches taller than her but it did not matter. "Jason Cameron." He said putting everything back in.

[UltimatePuzle]

After being in he water for a few hours Ziri finally caught a few good waves and caught the unwanted attention of males as she packed up her board and her things. "Look guys, I'm just not interested." She said, shrugging them off as she got in the jeep and drove back to her house to change. "Stupid bigots thinking that I can be treated like that." She muttered, as she rinsed out her hair and braided it quickly as she grabbed a pair of black distressed skinny jeans and a red tank top. Donning her red rimmed "nerdy" glasses, that she actually needed, she grabbed her boots and jacket and went back out, deciding to take a walk down to get a bite to eat. On her way, she noticed the goons from the beach were casually walking behind her. "Shoot." She muttered as she tried to go a different route and saw a guy walking toward her. Once realizing he wasn't one of the creeps she ran up to him. (Mitchell?) "Hey can you help me out? I'm being followed by some creepos and I need help shaking them off." Biting her lip she took a closer look at the guy and prayed he would say yes.

[ScarlettWaters16]

@Avanhelsing Gwen smiles at him. "Gwen Harper." The waves begin to swell around them and she notices an amazing wave coming up in the distance. She looks over at him and begins to paddle forward. "Come on. That wave looks like a beauty." She begins to paddle faster, heading out toward the wave in the distance. "How long have you been surfing for? I just starting a couple years ago. And where's your brother? Should he be out here with you?" Her long ponytail flops onto her back and sticks to it. She peels it back off and shakes it free to where it falls over her shoulder. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ @CallaLily (Best love comes out of hate right?) Gideon grins at the girl's arrogance. "It doesn't matter if you invited me. Free space, free seat, so I'm going to take it if it's open. And how do you know I'm here to flirt with you? I might just be sitting here because I want to sit here." He shakes his head at her and rolls his eyes, leaning back in his chair. He kicks his feet up onto the table and smiles haughtily around his shoes at her. "And if you don't come easy, then I won't even try, sweetheart." He takes a big bite out of his muffin and says with his mouthful, "But you don't know what you're missing out on." He grins at her and takes another bite.

[CLIW]

He looked on in surprise at the woman and glanced behind her to see a group of honestly nasty-looking men following her. "Absolutely," he said, wondering if he could distract or intimidate them. As he was clearly outnumbered, he decided on the option to distract and picked up a rock, hurling it at one of the guys. "Now duck into a shop or something. This might take a few minutes."