Waves Of My Mind -- Shadow

[`Pharaoh]

(( EMILY ANDREA CASTLE ))

(( I Walked Alone... ))

...across soft sands of the beach. My feet were bare, as I had tossed my sandals off by some rocks near the bottom of the cliff. I had worn my favorite little white dress and a little grey jacket over, but had tossed those aside too. Living most of my life in California, a few states away from my old home in Utah, meant that I was always prepared with a bathing suit underneath. I took it off, my too-perfect body looking great in anything. One of the perks of being able to become anyone or anything? Well, being a model in all forms of the word was definitely one. The bottoms were small white shorts, and my top was white and frilly along the collar, with no straps.

I let the water run up over my toes, deeply inhaling the strong scent of woodland mixed with salty ocean. Unlike other places, the ocean here had a strong and somewhat pungent salty smell. It was true, rough, hearty, and not for the faint of heart to enjoy. The water rolled up to my ankles this time, and I was almost enjoying myself for the first time in ages. I'd always felt a strong pull to the ocean, and it drew me in with each wave as if it were breathing, each breath a call out to my name, begging me to join and become forever mixed with the blues and greens and spraying sea foam.

I began to walk slowly deeper and deeper, the frigid northern coast causing my legs to go numb up to my knees. I did not stop to think, but rather let the pain and cold wake my mind and bring it to life. I thought best with a surge and thrill from the adrenaline brought on by pain or shock. This was both, and it was doing wonders to keep my thoughts focussed and on-point. Suddenly, I saw his face again. That sweet, lovable face. It was so perfect in my mind, I remembered it so vividly. The last time I'd truly seen it had been in the mirror of my bathroom so many months ago. That thought brought my back to reality as a wave sent water up to my hips.

All the clarity had gone now, replaced by the mere presence of water and wind all together. It seemed so harmonic, perfectly designed. I continued through the water until it was up to my waist, before stopping and just letting my hands float on the surface. My eyes were closed, and the glint off my red hair was so vibrant that it almost appeared golden. I suddenly heard a sound, and turned around, making my face into a smooth sixteen-year-old and my hair into golden ringlets. Nobody stood behind me, so I relaxed and went back to trying to pay sole attention to the water; however, I kept my cutesy blonde-girl appearance. You know, in case anyone did show up.

(( Notes ))

``ALIAS ::
Faceless
``AGE ::
15 years
``GENDER ::
Female
``BIO ::
[ xXx ]
``WORDS ::
500 words exactly
``NOTES ::
Not quite the length I was hoping, but this is standard for my style. :3

[Shadow]

The coast was beautiful, stretching into a cove bordered by wooded cliffs. The smell of salt filled the air, tangy but not unpleasant. It had been a long time since I had seen the ocean - too long. The sound of waves crashing on the shore filled my ears as I made my way towards the beach. It wasn't difficult to slip down one rocky crag to another; afters years of running, I was pretty proficient at rapid escapes over rough territory. So this more relaxed atmosphere suited me fine as I casually made my way down the cliff. My foot brushed a rock, which tottered for a moment and then fell, creating a series of low-pitched noises that I could only define as "the sound of a rock falling". My artistic Mojo seemed to be lacking at the moment. I landed on the soft sand without a sound. Every pore in my body seemed to ache with eagerness to feel the water on my skin. It had been too long, perhaps. I was sure I hadn't taken a shower in weeks. So yeah... definitely too long.

I shrugged off my white shirt, barely making a sound. It was one of those weird talents I had, maybe. I was quiet as a cat. Throwing down my shirt, I soon tossed my jeans aside too, leaving me in nothing but my boxers. It wasn't as if anyone was nearby - no one I could see or hear anyways. Kicking my clothes into a little gap between two rocks, I walked down to the water and dipped my feet in. A happy sigh escaped my lips as I submerged myself into the churning waves that surged around me, pulling at the hair on the nape of my neck as I dipped my shoulders further down. Staring out at the horizon, I couldn't help a small smile forming on my lips. Moving my hand in circles on the surface of the water, I caused it to form a little whirlpool. Watching it for a moment, I lifted a finger and spun it quickly once. The whirlpool seemed to erupt and I frowned. Apparently changing the direction of the current wasn't as instantaneous as I'd hoped it would be. Time for more practice, I supposed. Making my way farther out into the water, I suddenly sensed another presence in the water. Ducking beneath its surface, I breathed in deeply and felt my gills opening. Glancing through the dark water, I searched for a sign of another person. I didn't need to kick or struggle to move through the water - it was all natural. I just pulled my arms forward and back and shot through it, moving like I was made to be a part of this world. My eyes were slowly filming over as they always did, forming a protective coating so that my vision could be sharper in the murky waters. I thought I saw the blurry color of skin up ahead. Looking around me, I wondered if there was someplace I could duck and hide if the person came near me. I found a little pocket at the sandy ocean floor, nearly fifteen feet beneath the surface. My hand crept up to my ear, testing the skin flaps that were supposed to protect me from water pressure. Since they were fully in place, I made my way down to the ocean bottom, sitting down as if I were lounging on the beach instead of fifteen feet below the water's surface. Leaning back against a smooth rock, I tucked my hands behind my head and waited, intently listening to the sound waves that the other person's movements were creating.

[`Pharaoh]

(( EMILY ANDREA CASTLE ))

(( I Churned Water... ))

...and began to swim out farther and farther. Eventually I couldn't touch the bottom, and the cold of the water threatened to render me unconscious. At this moment, I dove under and felt myself changing into what would appear to any normal human as a mermaid. I had long, webbed fingers, and my hair had turned into a deep abyss of ebony. My skin was also black in color; literally, black in color. I had white racer stripes on my arms, which followed my body down to the tip of my incredibly long fin. It was a vibrant and electric shade of purple, with stripes fanning out of the very natural tail in black and white.

She was a design I'd come up with some time ago. Her eyes were black as the sea, and she had two small holes in her face for a nose that could be used on the surface. Gills were found starting at the back and sides of my neck, and I had no ears. A small mouth emitted large sounds, but was rarely used anyway. As much as I called her my mer-form, she was more of a monster of the deep to the general public. As far as efficiency went, however, she was incredibly versatile in the water, and it made quick getaways all the more simple.

I swam under the waves, the reinforced skin I'd made not feeling any ice as I dove deeper. I was about twenty-five feet under now, and then I began to feel very cautious. There were eyes somewhere near, I began to feel, and that tingling sense was most definitely not the water. I dove over behind a rock, where I sat and thought for a moment. Abalone diver? Regular diver? Maybe a boat passing by overhead that was sending strange tremors through the water? No, it was definitely alive, and it felt to me like it might be human. I sat, wondering what to do next.

(( Notes ))

``ALIAS ::
Faceless
``AGE ::
15 years
``GENDER ::
Female
``BIO ::
[ xXx ]
``WORDS ::
333 words... hahaha...
``NOTES ::
I got lazy, but I like it nonetheless. Don't mind me, lawl.

[Shadow]

The tremors that ran across my skin were unmistakably human - at least they were at first. They seemed to change in nature, though, making me warier of whatever this thing was. I'd known plenty of strange creatures in my time - came with being a mutant - but I was never eager to find more. Standing, I moved my hand slightly and the water around me cleared for a brief second. I saw a flash of color as something hid behind stones ahead of me. Great. A giant human-looking fish thing. Or at least that's what it had seemed from a distance. I sighed crossly, causing bubbles to erupt from my lips. Just when I thought I was going to get some much needed alone time, this happens. Hoorah. Sarcasm. Got to love it. I made no sudden movements, but drifted into the current, hoping that my body wouldn't send too many tremors that would alert whatever creature was lurking out there of my presence. The last thing I wanted was confrontation. If this was human, it was doubtless some crazed mutant or other, and I'd had enough of mutants - even if I was one. I trusted them no more if not less than I did humans. At least humans were scared of me.

I made my way towards the shore, my body moving in tiny increments to speed up my progression. I just wished that I could clear the water around me again, but I couldn't risk the creature spotting me again. So instead I kept my senses alert, staring with eyes that were only slowly adjusting to the water. If I could change anything about my powers, it would be my eyes. They worked fine after being in the water for like a half-hour, but I'd rather they adjust as quickly as everything else. If my eyes and ears were as rapidly developing as my gills, then I'd have something to party about. Well, maybe not party, but whatevs. It would make avoiding this creepy water-human-fish thing a lot easier.

[`Pharaoh]

(( EMILY ANDREA CASTLE ))

(( My Heart Throbbed... ))

...with pounding beats, and I cursed it and willed it to be silent. Of course, if I changed my heart I could quite easily kill myself. So instead, I came up with another plan. I formed a few sensors on my face, slowly to keep my location hidden, and waited for any further tremors. After I could determine the creature's location, I figured that it was a Mutant of some sort. Great. Not that I hated them, but they were always so stuck-upish and full of war-torn backstories that made me want to gag more than cry with them.

I swam to the surface as fast as I could, changing color to blend in with the waters around me. As I broke the surface, I let my face and body change. I grew an inch taller, with slim legs and a big bust and hips. My skin was perfect and had a slight glow to it that showed only my youth and health more clearly. Eyes were a stunning blue color, as deep as the water I swam in. My hair was blonde, even when wet, and shimmered through the dampness. I was any boy's dream, from the hair to the curvy form. My bathing suit of choice was a cute lime green and white striped bikini top with frilly white bottoms. I swam toward the shore and got out quickly, pulling my hair back and smiling with beautiful white teeth.

"Nothing like I refreshing swim." I said aloud to nobody in particular, fetching the beach towel I'd brought and laying out on it to sun myself. I had fine skin, with only the faintest tan that made me more appealing. I preferred girls to guys when I had the choice, considering I was used to it. If the Mutant really was a girl, so be it, but if not I'd be much happier. I made a much better girl than I did a guy, at leas in my opinion.

(( Notes ))

``ALIAS ::
Faceless
``AGE ::
15 years
``GENDER ::
Female
``BIO ::
[ xXx ]
``WORDS ::
335 words
``NOTES ::
Wow, oddly consistent post length. =)

[Shadow]

I listened, but the signals had changed again. This time they'd returned to being human. Whatever the thing was, it was certainly not natural. I closed my eyes and took a few calming breaths. The water rushed through my body like air, but more tangible. I could taste it, and it made my insides feel soft and cool. The temperature of the water didn't affect me much - the pores in my skin were a little different than human's, making my internal body temperature something a bit more stable than was probably usual. Being a mutant wasn't all bad, sometimes. I moved through the water, listening for the sounds of the creature. It seemed to have returned to the shore. I shot towards the surface, the water around my body surging and churning, propelling me. It became something of a blanket when I neared the top of the waves. My head popped out quietly and I peered towards the shore. I could see a girl that looked perfectly normal, with tan skin, one of those killer model bodies, and blonde hair that looked straight out of some movie. While I couldn't deny that she was like bombshell attractive, I wasn't all that excited about it. I guess I thought of life in one of those freakishly realistic ways - a girl like that wouldn't fall for some cat-eyed mutant kid, so why bother? Plus I sort of like brunettes. Either way, I decided she already knew I was here by her behavior. And while I wasn't excited about the prospect of appearing near her in my underwear, I figured it would be better to show myself. Darting beneath the water, I took another breath and shot towards the shore. My body moved like it was made for this, gliding with minimal effort on my part as the water churned around me. I paused when the water was around my height, tucking my feet beneath me so that I could stand up. My head popped out of the water and I looked up at the girl with a friendly expression on my face. Curse my disposition, always making me look boyish instead of mysterious and sexy. Oh well.

"I'd agree with that," I said, deciding against some stupid greeting like "hi, I'm Collin, nice to meet you". That would make me look even more lame than my god awful haircut, which could pretty much always be categorized as "hat hair". Yeah. Some outrageously gorgeous girl was way out of my league. Not that I cared. I was sort of a fugitive, which left very little time in my schedule for any sort of crushing and romance or any of that nonsense.

[`Pharaoh]

(( EMILY ANDREA CASTLE ))

(( In My Opinion... ))

...he was actually kind of cute. I sat up, pulling my legs into my chest and sighing. Honestly, I assumed that he knew as much as I did that we were both Mutants. Finally, I relaxed a bit and lay my legs out to the side. Staring at him, I tried to think of something to say, but his face sort of reminded me of one of my friends back home, and it made my heart heavy in my chest. I rested back on my arms, staring at his face for a long time before I knew what I could say.

"We're not fooling anyone." I said, shaking myself to clear away any remaining homesickness. This was the fun part. I'd make sure that if I didn't ever see him again, I could at least mess with his head a bit. No harm in toying with him, I supposed, if he were another ink blot on the already ugly past I'd left behind. So I looked at him still, smiling a sweet and sensitive smile. "I don't suppose you like blondes? I prefer redheads myself, but now and again I go with a cute brunette too."

My entire body changed in an instant, gaining another inch and my face becoming a different kind of model beauty. My hair was long chocolate brown down to my hips. My bathing suit top was now blue with white polka dots, the same bikini bottoms as before. I stood up, walking a few steps toward him.
"It's fun, sometimes, not having any real face. Always able to be perfect, don't you think?" I got into the water up to my knees, stopping as the surging cold made me bite my lower lip. "Have you ever wanted to be perfect?"

(( Notes ))

``ALIAS ::
Faceless
``AGE ::
15 years
``GENDER ::
Female
``BIO ::
[ xXx ]
``WORDS ::
298 words
``NOTES ::
She's going to mess with him a bit now if she can. >

[Shadow]

I was admittedly pretty surprised when she changed shape. But in the end it all made sense - I mean, that would totally explain the whole changing sound waves underwater. And it wasn't too shocking in the end. I'd seen a lot weirder in my line of... well, wandering wasn't really work, so I guess my line of... life. Or something. I listened to the girl with one of those impassive looks on my face - my mom called it my "cheerful airhead" look. Supposedly it made me look like I was listening but not really taking anything in. Not really true, that - I always listened to what people had to say. I was never as smart as my brother had been, but I had enough of that whole "relating to people" thing - sympathy? or was it empathy? I never could remember - so it wasn't too hard for me to concentrate on someone else for a change.

"Personally," I said finally, my voice calm like the waves around me, "I think perfection is overrated. It's the imperfections that make life interesting." I hovered on the surface of the water, watching the girl with a cheerful sort of look on my face, even if I was feeling a little uneasy. Now that I knew for certain she was a mutant, there was a bit of danger thrown into this situation. If she was one of the friendly types, then whatever. But if she wasn't, he definitely had the upper hand, being in an unlimited expanse of water.

[`Pharaoh]

(( EMILY ANDREA CASTLE ))

(( He was right... ))

...but that didn't make me any less against him. He was a Mutant, and for some reason, I just knew they were the reason I could never see my family again. In a surge, I was in front of him, and grabbed his face with both of my hands. It began to change, turning first into the idea of a "perfect boy". He had amazing dark hair, a strong jaw structure, and became considerably more muscular. I was so tempted to change him again, to make him look like the boy I'd left behind, but I didn't. Instead, I held him in my hands and looked at this now incredibly attractive boy. Yet, with all of his new charm, I didn't know exactly why I didn't find him much cuter than before.

(( Notes ))

``ALIAS ::
Faceless
``AGE ::
15 years
``GENDER ::
Female
``BIO ::
[ xXx ]
``WORDS ::
135 words
``NOTES ::
Enjoy the wiggle room.

[Shadow]

My eyes widened as I felt my bones seemed to shift and change. This was nothing like the transformations I was used to in the water - this change was painful, unnatural. As soon as I got over the shock, I pushed the girl away quickly, and my face returned to normal in a few moments. The water between us flew in two directions, a warning.

"Don't touch me." I said in a low, wary voice. I had always been one of those glass-half-full people before I'd discovered my powers. Now, I was one of those glass-half-full-till-some-idiot-knocks-it-over-and-spills-it types. Apparently this girl wasn't here to be friends or anything, so I couldn't expect her to be anything but cruel to me. Geez. Life sucked sometimes.

[`Pharaoh]

(( EMILY ANDREA CASTLE ))

(( This Time I... ))

...actually felt guilty. I pulled back, not stopping until I reached the shore. I knelt on my towel, facing away from him, letting my form slip seamlessly back into what I always looked like. The girl who was once so normal, until her fifteenth birthday. Who had friends, family, a boy who actually dared care about me. They made me so full of joy, lifting me up to the sky and letting me think I had the capability of being normal. That in a world where fitting in was necessary, I stood some chance.

"See what being a Mutant makes me?" I willed myself not to cry, and finally stood up strong. My stance was full of power, but my face was void of anything but fear and sorrow. I didn't like being what I was, but it was better he knew than ever start thinking I was worthy of even a scrap of kindness. I walked quickly over to my dress and slipped it on, not bothering to dry myself off or anything. My bathing suit began to leave a water mark on my shirt, so I changed it into undergarments and turned to look back at the boy.

"Look, I'm sorry. But I'm nobody's friend. I might have been once, but ever since becoming a freak, I have to stand alone. I'm completely faceless, I don't even know where I belong. If you could understand, maybe, I'm sorry for you. Life sucks, move on. That's what I used to say. Now I keep moving every day." My new theory? Move enough and I could outrun my problems. This boy was a horrible reminder that they were catching up to me. As much as I was angry now, I actually had the audacity to wish inside that he wouldn't push me away like everyone else. Fat chance.

(( Notes ))

``ALIAS ::
Faceless
``AGE ::
15 years
``GENDER ::
Female
``BIO ::
[ xXx ]
``WORDS ::
311 words
``NOTES ::
I love the band 311. Especially the song "Speak Easy", which is practically the theme song of this thread. xP

[Shadow]

I listened to her talking, taking in her words. Heck, I always listened. When did I do otherwise? I supposed hunters and humans and strange evil-looking mutants were out of the question, but all in all this girl didn't really look evil, so I figured it was okay to sit here. Besides, I always felt strong in the water. As long as I had that, then I was almost guaranteed a route of escape. Even so, I couldn't help moving forward, closer to the shore. Closer to this girl who seemed to kind of understand what it was like, being a castoff. Or something like, at least. I supposed not all mutants were thrown out of their house by their parents, but I was pretty sure some had faired worse.

"Life sucks, yeah. But that doesn't make you anything you won't accept being. If you call yourself faceless and friendless then that's all you'll ever be. Or so I think. But I'm an airhead so there's no reason to listen to me." I let my hand drift on the water. A shape began to form, and I breathed softly onto it, feeling a little of my energy waning for a moment. The shape seemed to bubble as it approached the shore. When it stepped onto the sand, it looked like a little kitten made up of a shifting blue surface. In all reality, it was water, but because I'd given it a bit of an extra kick, it was actually quite solid. I'd been working a lot on that ability recently. The kitten sat down and made a little mewling sound, which was a little... echoey, I guess. It was hard to explain, since my water-nymphs as I called them were pretty unique. They had a conscience for as long as I willed them to, and had distinct personalities. This kitten seemed to be the flirty type. I smiled slightly, glad to see that my skills were actually coming to some fruition - at least a little. Bigger animals were harder.

[`Pharaoh]

(( EMILY ANDREA CASTLE ))

(( A Little Kitten... ))

...Startled me into looking back. I hadn't heard what the boy had said--I'd been stupid and stubborn, and blocked it out--but the sound of a kitten had caught my attention. I saw a little watery form and grinned, setting my things down again. I took a step toward it, but hesitated, not sure quite what I could do. I had once had a little kitten that looked a lot like this one. In form, not color, obviously. He'd been a little striped tabby. He'd grown up into a fat, lazy little thing. I missed him too.

All this thinking of home was unhealthy if I was to keep distant from it. I sighed, finally kneeling over and petting the little kitten thing. It mewed again, and my fingers were left surprisingly dry. I smiled, stroking him under his chin. He rolled over, batting playfully at my fingers. I looked up at the boy, a bright grin on my face. Little things always made me so happy. Simple, and yet they spoke volumes. I looked up again, saw the boy, and finally realized it all. Well, here you go. I thought to myself. Hope you're a happy girl now.

I quickly stood up, shaking my head.
"You're such a nice boy, and I-" I didn't know quite what to say. "I suppose, I'm a terrible friend. I can't stay put and I-I, no, that's not, well, I-" My mind was searching for what I wanted to say, but even I wasn't entirely positive what that could be. Finally, I sighed and looked at him seriously.
"Name is Emily. I'm a curse of a friend, and I never stay put more than a few days, but I'm not good at being cruel anyway." I sat down, picking the kitten up and placing him in my lap.

(( Notes ))

``ALIAS ::
Faceless
``AGE ::
15 years
``GENDER ::
Female
``BIO ::
[ xXx ]
``WORDS ::
311 words again.... wow....
``NOTES ::
The word count is entirely on accident, I promise! ><"

[Shadow]

I was very happy to see that the little water-nymph kitten made the girl happy. It was little things like that that always made me feel useful. I guess it was something of a complex I'd developed, having a perfect older brother and all that. But being able to help someone cheer up did sort of make up for my general feelings of uselessness. Allowing the current to take me a bit closer to shore, I listened as the girl introduced herself as Emily, the 'curse of a friend'. A small smile played at the edge of my mouth.

"I'm Collin," I said cheerfully, "Also not much of a consistent friend and also a bit of a wanderer. I can't say I've ever attempted being cruel so I couldn't say whether I was good or bad at it." I smirked slightly as I watched Emily holding the kitten.

"Glad you like the little tyke," he added with a pleased grin.

[`Pharaoh]

(( EMILY ANDREA CASTLE ))

(( He Made Me... ))

...smile at his words. "I don't suppose you'd ever be good at being cruel. It's not very easy if you care." I let my mind wander a bit, and I began to daydream of the past.
"I used to have a kitten like this. Not exactly like this, though; he was a real kitten. A silver tabby. He had the biggest eyes. When he grew up, he was always so lazy, but a real sweetheart. I miss him sometimes, too." I let the kitten suck on my finger briefly, before he rolled over onto his back and batted at my hair. I teased him by taking a strand and waving it in his face, which made me laugh again. I hadn't been happy like this for a long time, and I could have been home for all I knew.

That was when I felt the ache in my heart again. That emptiness from being alone, from knowing that your family probably thought I was dead. I felt the guilt all over again, but didn't know exactly what to do. I was stuck with this sudden urge to run and never look back, but someone I felt I shouldn't just get up and leave, especially when Collin had been so kind. I rested my head on one hand, casually entertaining the kitten with the other.
"I used to live life with no regrets." I said dreamily, my voice thick with depression.

(( Notes ))

``ALIAS ::
Faceless
``AGE ::
15 years
``GENDER ::
Female
``BIO ::
[ xXx ]
``WORDS ::
243 words
``NOTES ::
Tired and lazy, but a post is a post! ><"