d r o w n i n g in a sea of lies (open)

[Claire Winters]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, text-shadow:#999999 2px 2px 2px; padding-left: 25px; padding-top:-60px;margin-top:100px; border: 7px solid #ffffff; color:#ffffff; -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; width:300px; background: url(http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq84/pucksbelle/CATCHAN/th-dotbg100.gif); bTable][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-5px; margin-right:-5px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-50px; margin-right:-40px; border: 6px solid #ffffff; width: 70px; height: 70px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-30px; margin-right:27px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 65px; height: 65px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-90px; margin-left:-40px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 90px; height: 90px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-130px; margin-left:50px; border: 6px solid #ffffff; width: 40px; height: 40px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-125px; margin-left:-2px; -webkit-transform: rotate(-40deg); -moz-transform: rotate(-40deg); text-transform:uppercase; color:ffffff; font-family:verdana; font-size:20px; letter-spacing:-2px; padding:5px;]CLAIRE WINTERS[/style] [STYLE=height: auto; margin-top: -80px; text-shadow:#000000 0px 0px 0px; color:#000000; -webkit-border-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius: 20px; background:#ffffff; opacity: 0.6; width: 260px; text-align: justify; padding:8px;]The diving board was springy under her graceful, ballerina steps as Claire walked to the end of it. She still remembered the first time she had ever walked down a diving board quite fondly. She had lost her balance at the springiness of the platform and fell off, knocking her chin off the board on the way down. She had bitten her tongue and knocked herself senseless during the fall and was left afloat in the water. The serenity of it all had been quite mesmerizing, despite the fact that she had been eight. She still remembered seeing a little stream of blood floating away from her mouth and wondering if she was dead and that was her soul drifting away from her. Then in a plunge of whiteness and the chaos of a million bubbles tickling at her arms and legs, the lifeguard brought Claire back to the surface. A brave knight leaping into the fray to bring the damsel in distress to safety. That had been her thoughts at the time, for what they were worth. She'd been dazed and almost drowned. She had to wonder if they had been her thoughts or merely a transposition of thoughts as she reflected on the time. Still, she had drawn inspiration from that moment and become a certified lifeguard herself, though only during public swims and public events when there were others around. She wasn't strong enough on her own to help those much larger than herself. The crystalline surface of the water glistened below her and for a moment she felt a shiver of fear, thinking about diving and cracking her head open on the frozen surface of the pool. But it was merely settled, she knew, as she had seen it that way hundreds of times in the past. There was no one else there at the moment; the other students were in class, but Claire didn't feel like going, so she had come to the pool to enjoy the peace that this period of time offered. With a couple quick bounces she launched herself from the board and into the water, her hands clasping together to break the surface like a spearhead as she embedded herself into the liquid. Then like an airplane's air brakes she stretched her hands out and stopped all movement. Somewhere between the surface of the water and the bottom of the pool she hovered, her long mess of hair floating around her as it was impossible to tame. She let out a few bubbles and watched them rise, trying to find that serenity she had found years ago, briefly entertaining the idea of letting all her hair go and let the water take her. With a quick exhale she let out another large bubble and tried to catch it but failing as it slipped between her fingers and broke into a dozen other bubbles. She loved it under the water, where everything sounded murky and appeared to ripple back and forth. Slowly she stretched out her limbs and let her natural buoyancy carry her back to the surface, breaking the seal and taking a gasp of air as she stared up at the ceiling, her eyes unblinking as they glazed over in deep thought. To anyone who came in at that moment it would look like she had drowned, unmoving, barely breathing and staring blankly up at the ceiling of the pool house. But people never came to interrupt her there. It was her time, while everyone else learned. She even entertained the idea of drifting off to sleep. What was the worst that could happen? She would drown and finish what she had started two years ago. Not that bad, she supposed. [/style] [STYLE=margin-top:-20px; height: auto; text-shadow:#000000 0px 0px 0px; color:#000000; -webkit-border-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius: 20px; background:#ffffff; opacity: 0.6; width: 260px; text-align: justify; padding:8px;] WORDS: 625 TAGS: - NOTES: someone stop her from drowning! :D made by HUNNY @ h8u and btn [/style]

[laina;]

[atrb=width,500px][atrb=border,0px,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-right: 120px solid #4a4d5a; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 10px 20px 0px;font-size: 10px]On a beautiful, warm day like that, the absolute last place Laina wanted to be was in class. Why should she have to go, anyways? She'd much rather spend her days outside, away from her dorm and clusters of people. And so, she found herself headed towards the campus's pool, hoping there weren't any adults there. She didn't want to get in trouble for skipping class again, like she had last week. Laina had been told if that one person found her skipping class again (and at the pool...), then she'd be in major trouble. Of course, Laina hadn't been told what that "major trouble" would be, but she figured it'd be something somewhat irritating for her. Like being constricted to her dorm except for school. Goodness, that would be terrible. She couldn't even stand the thought. And so, Laina hummed to herself quietly as she walked along, making sure to stay within the shadows buildings cast in the early day. The girl wore a simple tank and shorts, and underneath her favorite purple halter bikini. Slung across her shoulder was a grey bag, holding just her phone and a towel. Nothing more was needed for the pool, right? Except maybe sunscreen, but Laina rarely used that. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw someone walking her way. Shit! She cursed silently, nearly diving behind a building. It was the exact person who'd threatened her last week. But they hadn't seen her. She let out a breath and continued on her way, humming a tune from one of her favorite songs. Laina walked slowly, but it wasn't long until she'd reached the pool. And there seemed to be no one there. The water was undisturbed, not even a life guard was stationed, it seemed. Laina dropped her stuff on a lounge chair and began to take off her clothing, dropping it messily into her bag. She turned towards the pool and had been about to dive into the deeper part, when someone floated to the surface. Shocked, Laina shrieked. Her heart was nearly beating out of her chest, both scared and trying to figure out of the girl was alive. It certainly looked as though she'd drowned, but that wasn't possible. People weren't stupid enough to actually drown, were they? No, no no... "H-Hello?" Laina called loudly, trembling. "Are you okay!" She said it more like a statement, willing for it to be true. If the girl didn't answer in a matter of seconds, Laina was going to freak out and dive in there. Though, since she'd just floated to the surface, wouldn't she be dead already...? Shit. [/style][STYLE=float: left; width: 380;border: 3px solid #4a4d5a;width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style][STYLE=float: left;width: 250px;padding-left: 10px;font-size: 10px]Notes: Hai c: Hope this is okay~ Word Count: 444 Tagged: Claire~ template by pianissimo of btn[/style][STYLE=color: #4a4d5a; font-family: georgia; font-size: 40px; letter-spacing: -5;line-height: 23px;margin-right: 5px;float: right;width: 120px;text-align: right;]how can i be brave when i'm afraid to fall[/style]

[Claire Winters]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, text-shadow:#999999 2px 2px 2px; padding-left: 25px; padding-top:-60px;margin-top:100px; border: 7px solid #ffffff; color:#ffffff; -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; width:300px; background: url(http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq84/pucksbelle/CATCHAN/th-dotbg100.gif); bTable][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-5px; margin-right:-5px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-50px; margin-right:-40px; border: 6px solid #ffffff; width: 70px; height: 70px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-30px; margin-right:27px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 65px; height: 65px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-90px; margin-left:-40px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 90px; height: 90px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-130px; margin-left:50px; border: 6px solid #ffffff; width: 40px; height: 40px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-125px; margin-left:-2px; -webkit-transform: rotate(-40deg); -moz-transform: rotate(-40deg); text-transform:uppercase; color:ffffff; font-family:verdana; font-size:20px; letter-spacing:-2px; padding:5px;]CLAIRE WINTERS[/style] [STYLE=height: auto; margin-top: -80px; text-shadow:#000000 0px 0px 0px; color:#000000; -webkit-border-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius: 20px; background:#ffffff; opacity: 0.6; width: 260px; text-align: justify; padding:8px;]For the briefest of seconds Claire was back to her prepubescent self, several years earlier before her mind had developed in that way that she just couldn't explain. Drifting idly in the water staring up at nothing in particular as the world was drowned out. Nothing but her own thoughts, her own mind, and the simple thoughts that a child thinks about. Though that was where the illusion ended. Even when she tried she couldn't begin to think what those thoughts were. It astounded her how her younger self had managed to spend the time, how all those years had gone by in a blur that she couldn't even recall. Right up to that moment when she'd found herself on death's door. The tingling embrace of the angels. But she was snapped out of her reverie by a voice. Her eyes blinked and the glazed expression disappeared. The first words were muffled by the water but as Claire went to sit up and promptly sank until she started to tread water she picked up on the last of them. Between the last few words and the way the girl was visibly shaking Claire could determine that the girl had been frightened. And with good reason. There was never anyone at the pool at this hour. Everyone had class, either attending or teaching. But then students were often skipping off classes. Like Claire herself at that moment. But she really didn't see the necessity in attending a class she'd already finished the work for. If she understood everything why would she need to have it told to her again and again? "When people drown their lips turn blue and purple and their skin pasty and pale," Claire replied as an answer. Her own lips were a healthy pink, but her skin had always been very pale. Then again she had never tried to tan it, either. She never saw much point. With a deep breath she submerged her head and gathered up her plethora of strawberry blonde hair, sweeping it backward over her shoulder to get it out of the way. Once she broke the surface it clung to her head obediently, though it still sprawled across the top of the water like a gown. Even the spots where it was usually braided had suffered at the hands of the water, leaving it all fairly unmanageable. Claire swam forward toward where the girl stood until her bare feet could touch the bottom of the pool, then continued on until she was able to stand comfortably, the water playing at her collarbone as she brushed back what hair had been disentangled when she had swam. Her eyes glanced back at the clock on the wall, then at the girl. Definitely a student. "Shouldn't you be in class?" she asked without much thought. She hadn't been expecting an interruption for that very reason, though the girl could easily accuse her of the same thing. It didn't really make any difference to Claire what the girl's answer was. Claire's reverie had been broken and there wasn't much point in staying there without the peace the pool offered. Especially since she was on duty that evening anyway. She waded to the stairs and climbed out of the pool to where her towel sat on a lounge chair, letting the sun warm it, and began to dry herself off; a task that seemed tedious with her wet hair continually moistening the skin on her back, but that was something Claire had grown used to handle. She wrapped the towel around herself and turned back toward the girl. "Hi," she offered a bit belated, but greetings were a common courtesy and she was fairly certainly the girl had offered one when Claire's ears had been in the water.[/style] [STYLE=margin-top:-20px; height: auto; text-shadow:#000000 0px 0px 0px; color:#000000; -webkit-border-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius: 20px; background:#ffffff; opacity: 0.6; width: 260px; text-align: justify; padding:8px;] WORDS: 648 TAGS: laina NOTES: haaaaaaaaaair made by HUNNY @ h8u and btn [/style]

[laina;]

[atrb=width,500px][atrb=border,0px,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-right: 120px solid #4a4d5a; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 10px 20px 0px;font-size: 10px]Someone could only imagine Laina's relief when the girl moved. Her heartbeat immediately slowed, and it seemed to loosen. Relieved, Laina let out a breath she'd been holding. She stood for a couple more seconds before sitting down, dangling her legs into the pool. "You can't blame me for thinking you'd died or something. No one else was here, and you were...you weren't moving, so." Laina shrugged, her fear from before completely gone. She felt no need to linger on past feelings, anyways. Laina studied the girl as she swam towards her, mostly her hair. It was a pretty color, she decided. "Shouldn't you be in class?" The girl asked. Ah. This made Laina giggle, completely amused by the thought. "Shouldn't you?" Laina countered, a light smile on her face. Indeed, Laina should have been in class. But hanging out at the pool was so much more relaxing. No teachers to call on you to answer things you probably didn't know, and no classmates to annoy you. Laina definitely preferred the pool over that. She sighed, wondering what the point of school was, anyways. Laina didn't need to be smart to be an actress, did she? Middle school education was enough. Her parents could have helped her, if Laina hadn't been stubborn and wanted to make a name for herself by herself. Oh well. Definitely too late for that now. The girl now headed out of the pool. Pursing her lips, Laina stood up. Was she going to leave now? Laina didn't really want to be here alone. Having someone to talk to instead of being in class would definitely cure boredom threatening to settle in. Oh. Laina thought, as the girl spoke. She was just saying hello. Laina smirked, and nodded. "Hey," She replied, shifting her balance from foot to foot. "I'm Laina, by the way." [/style][STYLE=float: left; width: 380;border: 3px solid #4a4d5a;width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style][STYLE=float: left;width: 250px;padding-left: 10px;font-size: 10px]Notes: it's kind of short, i guess. sorry? :c Word Count: 308 Tagged: claire~ template by pianissimo of btn[/style][STYLE=color: #4a4d5a; font-family: georgia; font-size: 40px; letter-spacing: -5;line-height: 23px;margin-right: 5px;float: right;width: 120px;text-align: right;]how can i be brave when i'm afraid to fall[/style]

[Claire Winters]

[atrb=cellSpacing,20,true][atrb=border,0,true][atrb=style, text-shadow:#999999 2px 2px 2px; padding-left: 25px; padding-top:-60px;margin-top:100px; border: 7px solid #ffffff; color:#ffffff; -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; width:300px; background: url(http://i436.photobucket.com/albums/qq84/pucksbelle/CATCHAN/th-dotbg100.gif); bTable][atrb=cellSpacing,0,true][atrb=cellPadding,0,true] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-5px; margin-right:-5px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 100px; height: 100px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-50px; margin-right:-40px; border: 6px solid #ffffff; width: 70px; height: 70px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:right; margin-top:-30px; margin-right:27px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 65px; height: 65px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-90px; margin-left:-40px; border: 6px solid #ffcad2; width: 90px; height: 90px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-130px; margin-left:50px; border: 6px solid #ffffff; width: 40px; height: 40px; background-image: url(http://i39.tinypic.com/z7eiv.png); -webkit-border-radius: 100px; -moz-border-radius: 100px; ] [/style] [STYLE=float:left; margin-top:-125px; margin-left:-2px; -webkit-transform: rotate(-40deg); -moz-transform: rotate(-40deg); text-transform:uppercase; color:ffffff; font-family:verdana; font-size:20px; letter-spacing:-2px; padding:5px;]CLAIRE WINTERS[/style] [STYLE=height: auto; margin-top: -80px; text-shadow:#000000 0px 0px 0px; color:#000000; -webkit-border-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius: 20px; background:#ffffff; opacity: 0.6; width: 260px; text-align: justify; padding:8px;]Of course the girl replied the way she had. Claire hadn't expected anything else, and there was no real answer to the question. None that she cared to voice anyway. Should she be in school if she was already ahead of the class? Her being there might hold them back, but her lack of attendance might cause her to suffer. It was a vicious circle she wished she could figure out more. One of those many thoughts that she just couldn't find the right words to describe, the right explanation for the conundrum. Which is why she left the girl's retort unanswered and simply took a seat on one of the lounge chairs. Ironically this was also why she was there at that school, learning how to voice her deepest thoughts and get them out of her head. "If there's no one here is there much point in me moving?" Claire mused on the girl's comment. "If it's just me, the peace and the quiet then why would I do anything to disturb it?" she answered her own thought with one equally as cryptic and let that subject drop as well. She unwrapped the towel and let it fall across the lounge chair, lying back on it herself to relax and let the sun warm up her bare damp skin that her bikini didn't cover and dry her off. A single arm draped over her eyes to block it out and she remained quiet for a long moment after the other girl introduced herself. Laina. Claire didn't think she had any classes with the girl, but she could be wrong. The name didn't ring any bells, anyway, but it was a large campus with a lot of students. It was perfectly possible they could be neighbors in the dorm. "My name is Claire," she responded after a long moment of silence during which she decided she didn't know this Laina girl. She remained on the lounge chair with her eyes covered as a gentle smile spread itself across her lips. "Feel free to go for a swim, Laina. I'm a certified lifeguard, I'll save you if your lips go purple," she said with a whimsical and nonchalant tone. She had never had to use CPR on anybody. Pools didn't see that many people drowning, as it were, and lifeguards rarely got wet while on duty. It was sometimes maddening to be sitting there watching everyone else in the water and longing to engulf yourself in that moistness but being unable to because of responsibility. Another reason Claire enjoyed these moments when the pool was abandoned. She had seen a drowned people in movies, particularly a documentary shown during her lifeguarding classes. She remembered the color of their lips and wondered what it would be like to kiss them. That was what CPR was, essentially, mouth to mouth contact, lips on lips. It was kissing without the intimacy, though Claire wondered if that was really true. Could you have that kind of contact without the intimacy? Breathing the breath of life into somebody seemed pretty intimate to her, anyway.[/style] [STYLE=margin-top:-20px; height: auto; text-shadow:#000000 0px 0px 0px; color:#000000; -webkit-border-radius: 20px; -moz-border-radius: 20px; background:#ffffff; opacity: 0.6; width: 260px; text-align: justify; padding:8px;] WORDS: 537 TAGS: laina NOTES: pointless musings. :D made by HUNNY @ h8u and btn [/style]

[laina;]

[atrb=width,500px][atrb=border,0px,true][atrb=vAlign,top][STYLE=border-right: 120px solid #4a4d5a; text-align: justify; padding: 0px 10px 20px 0px;font-size: 10px]If Laina was honest with herself, she found this girl interesting. The way she spoke--it was...well, different. She seemed to think about what she was saying; but then again maybe it came naturally. That was something Laina wished she could do. Laina herself rarely thought about what she was saying before it passed her lips...it was sometimes a disadvantage. And so, Laina found herself smirking at the girl in the towel. "That's like saying 'If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?'" Laina told her, with a grin. Honestly, that was one saying she didn't understand. She supposed it could be either way--it just depended on the person. To her, of course it made a noise. If something falls, it makes noise. Unless the whole saying was lying...maybe the tree never fell? Ugh. Just trying to think deep was starting to give her a headache. "I suppose it doesn't really matter. I'm just trying to say that maybe, if you hadn't been pretty much pretending to be dead, I wouldn't have nearly had a heart attack." Laina said, shrugging. Hearing the girl's name, she nodded slowly. "Claire." Laina muttered, trying out the name. It was simple, but Laina didn't actually know anyone named Claire, except for this Claire, of course. Sort of like how she didn't know any Lainas beside herself...and the great-great grandmother she'd never met. (But that didn't count, she told herself.) "Feel free to go for a swim, Laina. I'm a certified lifeguard, I'll save you if your lips go purple," Laina blinked, as though the thought hadn't occurred to her. That she could swim. That had been why she'd come to the pool. Well, and because she hadn't wanted to go to class. "Hmm." Laina glanced over at her things on the table, then shrugged. Why not? She sat on the edge of the pool and slowly edged herself in, jumping in that last foot or so. "Ahh, this feels nice. It's really warm out here." Laina said, not exactly to Claire, but rather in general. Maybe to herself. She thought about actually swimming, but quickly decided against that. Laina would feel awkward swimming with another person at the pool--who wasn't--and especially someone who claimed to be a lifeguard. So she leaned backwards and floated on her back, slowly moving her hands to keep her afloat. Laina stared up at the clouds in the sky, trying to find shapes--but all seemed to be grey blobs. "So what class are you supposed to be in?" Laina asked Claire, trying to start a conversation. [/style][STYLE=float: left; width: 380;border: 3px solid #4a4d5a;width: 100px; height: 100px;][/style][STYLE=float: left;width: 250px;padding-left: 10px;font-size: 10px]Notes: lolwutisthis. Word Count: 449 Tagged: name!~ template by pianissimo of btn[/style][STYLE=color: #4a4d5a; font-family: georgia; font-size: 40px; letter-spacing: -5;line-height: 23px;margin-right: 5px;float: right;width: 120px;text-align: right;]how can i be brave when i'm afraid to fall[/style]