The air was warm, a pleasant change from the receding autumn (fall (whatever I’m Aussie)) chill. The wind smelt like salt and there was the slightest sound of water lapping against the shore, the waves illuminated by the light of the full moon beaming down upon them. Most of this would have made for a pleasant, quiet night and other day of the year. However most of it was drowned out by the party going on not five hundred metres behind him. As it stood now music blared, its volume challenged only by the voices trying to speak over it and the crackle of fire.

The salt in the air was drowned out by the smell of smoke and burning wood. The light of the moon paled in comparison to the bonfire raging. The turnout looked about the same as last year. It was a tradition, every year they had a big party on the beach the night of the first full moon of spring. Chase remembered his father telling him it used to be a very private night amongst the original families that created the tradition, his families. However somewhere along the line it became a bit more… “Chase! Get your ass over here!” Commercialised.

The boy glanced over his shoulder, the ocean breeze blowing soft brown hair over his dark blue eyes and smiled slightly before he abandoned the quiet water’s edge and quickly ran back towards his friends waiting for him. “Dude! Best night ever or what?” Mason said as he threw a beer to him. The sacredness of the night may have changed slightly, but the descendants of the first people of this tradtion were still in charge of organising the party. As it was, that meant him and his friends usually. They’d all known each other since birth virtually, so they were more like brothers than anything else.

Port Byrne had been founded… well a long time ago. Honestly it had been a long time since he’d finished high school and he couldn’t remember anymore. All he knew was that it had started with a small number of families and happened a long time ago. Those small number of families still held a very close bond, they had stuck together throughout the years, becoming more like one very large family, rather than a small number of individual units. Children were raised together, doors were left unlocked and fridges and pantries were practically communal property. Chase knew no other way of living. Perhaps not by blood, but his friends were as much family as his mother, father or biological sister.

The boy smirked casually and shrugged as he put the drink down. Sometimes it did feel like they were doing this wrong, disrespecting their ancestors or something like that. He tried not to let it bother him, tried to remind himself that things change and that pretty much every one of legal age looked forward to this event every year. But he couldn’t help but think it would have been nice to celebrate it with just family for once. He knew most of the people here by sight, some by name, but any more than that and he couldn’t tell you. Having spaced out for a few moments he missed Mason’s next comment and the sudden shove he received caught him completely off guard and he stumbled before he collided into someone and the boy quickly turned, catching them to prevent the pair from falling to the ground.

“Come on, Carys. Trust me when I say that this party is The Party in Port Byrne; the whole town is going to be there. You've got to come.”

Barely two hours after unloading her moving truck into the bungalow she was renting, and her new roommate was pushing for her to go to a party. The Party, rather. Carys ran a hand through her dark hair, trying not to let the exhaustion of moving furniture sour her mood. Audrey looked at her, an expertly arched brow quirking expectedly. They'd emailed and video chatted a few times before Carys had signed the lease and uprooted herself from New York, but nothing could have prepared Carys for the sheer will emanating from the leggy, dark skinned woman.

“The Party, huh?” Carys asked, sat on one of her larger boxes, looking out the massive bay window to the distant sea. It was strange to think that this was hers -- this beautiful sprawl of a house, this fresh air, the path down to the water. And yet, it rang hollow in her chest. She would have given anything to go back a year, to her cramped Manhattan apartment, and have her mum back. She'd left Carys her childhood home, her keelboat, and asked her to come to Port Byrne, where her mother had grown up those many years ago. It had taken Carys a nearly a year of endless paperwork and meetings with lawyers to get here. Perhaps, she mused with a tired smile, The Party was what she needed.

“Alright,” Carys nodded, storm grey eyes crinkling in a tired smile as she rose to her feet. “I'll go.”

The sun had long since sunk beneath the sea when they set out. Audrey had been kind enough to lend her something cute and, remarkably, in her size. The high-waisted shorts were cut, she had thought, rather short for a late night on the beach. Audrey had laughed, shaking her head, and Carys was again reminded that she was no longer in frigid New England. The tucked tank top and red flannel were comfortable, and Carys had dug in a box for a pair of sandals. Hair braided loosely to one side, she felt surprisingly rejuvenated by a simple shower and clean clothes, even after a long day of unloading while still jetlagged from the nine hour flight the day before.

Audrey filled her in on all the Must Do Things as they walked their lazy mile along the sand. Carys tried to remember them all; apparently this new home was much more lively than she had anticipated.

The fires and music were impressive all on their own, but the crowd was...well, almost overwhelming, even for her. Carys let Audrey lead the way, smiling wide as the taller woman introduced her to someone every few feet. Audrey hadn't been exaggerating, Carys marveled; she wouldn't be surprised if everyone was here. They were beyond friendly, and Carys found herself recharging, laughing and bright eyed.

“Oh, I've got a call--I'll find you when I'm done,” Audrey said suddenly, slipping away as Carys smiled and looked around. She felt a little lost, surrounded by laughter and joy and familiarity; she could see why her late mother had wanted her to come, but she didn't really fit yet--

She had been walking absently, a bottle of some local beer in hand, when she managed to collide directly with someone else. Her sandal slipped on the soft sand and she felt the jolt of falling, stomach lurching as she dropped and then suddenly stopped .

Someone had caught her, managed to keep them both from falling, and she'd sloshed a truly amazing stout on both of them. Carys blinked intelligently. Looking at her unfortunate rescuer, she quirked her lips in a wry half grin.

“Oops,” Carys said anticlimactically. She hastily shifted to return to her own footing, stepping back as they extracted and righted themselves. Wincing apologetically, she glanced down to survey the damage. Stout had stained her borrowed shirt a pale brown and his own was in no better shape. Shit.

“I'm really sorry about that,” she winced, looking up into blue eyes with a self depreciating laugh. “I wasn't paying attention, it's my bad. I'll get you a new shirt, I promise.”

Worst first impression ever, Carys.

Carefully letting the girl go as she returned to her own footing, Chase shook his head slightly and took a small step backwards, giving her some space. He hadn't really gotten a chance to look at her before, it had happened too fast. Looking at her now he couldn’t really stop the goofy smile that crossed his face at her wincing, blue eyes flickering across her features as he shook his head slightly. “Don’t worry about it. It wasn’t your fault.” He assured her. And it hadn't been. “I ah… wasn’t looking where I was going. And it’s just a shirt, it can be washed.” Probably. Either way he wasn’t exceptionally attached to the garment “I’m sorry.”

Well, really it had been Mason’s fault for shoving him. But that could all be dealt with later. And Mason would pay later. “Are you alright?” As much as he wanted to run off Chase knew the polite thing to do would be to at least make sure she wasn’t hurt. “Are you here with anyone?” He then asked, looking around somewhat worriedly to see if anyone was coming over to see if she was alright, and probably tell him off for falling into her. However the only people coming over was the last ones he wanted to see.

“Smooth move Casanova!” Mason said as he practically jumped onto Chase, putting him in a head lock, which Chase quickly pulled himself out of and then shoved the other boy playfully.

“Get out of here!” He growled with another smirk. “Seriously. I’ll come find you in a little bit okay?” He then turned back to the girl and smiled apologetically with a shrug. “Sorry about that…” He paused, unsure of where to proceed from here. It was only really at that point that he realised he didn’t recognise her. His mind had been working to place the face, but he couldn’t recall seeing her before. She looked around his age, so they would have gone to the same school; there was only one in the whole town. So it led him to believe she was new to the area, either that or word of their party was spreading more than they realised and it was attracting out of towners.

Welcome to Port Byrne Chase couldn’t help but think morbidly. Formality dictated one should probably introduce themselves right now, but he wasn’t even sure if this meeting was going to last much longer. She’d leave and then they’d probably never interact with each other again. Which was a shame… she seemed like a nice girl.

If she'd been back in Manhattan, he'd have probably let her fall and cussed her out for her spacing out. Although she would have likely headed him off with choice insults of her own--she'd learned how to hold her own after ten years of living in the city. The whole ‘not being dropped and sworn at’ thing was, admittedly, a little charming. That evaluation was probably more due to the beer she'd had back home and the lack of food in her stomach, but she breezed past the thought.

“Other than my utterly ruined dignity, I'm fine,” Carys grinned, shoulders shrugging. He asked about her company and Carys moved to her tip toes, trying to see over the mass of heads to find Audrey. “Ah, yeah, my roommate she just--took a call--”

No dice. Audrey had vanished in the throng of people, and Carys felt her stomach drop. What if Audrey had decided that she didn't like her and--Carys shoved that thought down. Somehow, Audrey didn't seem like the kind of girl to keep her opinions to herself.

Suddenly there was a sprawl of limbs and male laughter in front of her. Carys dropped back to flat feet, a bemused grin crossing her face as another man captured her company in a headlock, only to be shooed off a moment later. She quirked a brow, grin widening as she shifted her weight to one foot.

“Interesting friend you have there--ah, what was it, Casanova?” There was no malice in her gentle teasing, grey eyes dancing with mirth. Manners suddenly returned to her and she spoke with laughter in her voice. “Sorry--I'm Carys. Please tell me Casanova is actually your name, because that would be hilariously awful.”

Chase laughed softly, shaking his head slightly as he rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, had the light been better she would have seen the beginnings of a blush crossing his face, and for that he was grateful. “I hate to disappoint, but I’m afraid it’s just Chase. Not nearly as exciting as Casanova, I know, but what are you going to do?” He shrugged slightly, letting his hands fall casually to his pockets. Whilst the conversation had been… brief to say the least, Chase found himself not wanting it to end.

“Would you like to join my friends and I?” He blurted out before his mind had fully realised what his mouth was saying. Now it was working three times as hard playing catch up. “I mean… until you find your friend again…” Smooth Chase. So very smooth. “They’re a nice bunch of guys.” He assured her, and then realised how suspicious it probably sounded to a young girl that he’d just met inviting her to come and hang out with a group of guys at a party. It wasn’t like he looked like a creepy guy. At least he liked to think so.

He was tall… ish for his age, taller than other guys he knew anyway, he had a light amount of muscle but nothing impressive like those guys who went out of their way to buff up had, rather his was more natural development from doing a lot of outdoor activities. He was often picked on for his hair by his friends, they said it made him look like a girl but it wasn’t that long, just because he took a little bit of effort to style it. This is why he didn’t hang out with girls often. He double guessed everything he said around them for fear he’d offend.

Guys were just… easier he guessed. He hadn't seen her at these parties before, so it lead him to believe she was new to the area but also knew enough not to pry in such a situation, which is why he didn’t voice it. But if she was then maybe she’d be interested in making some new friends. “Or I could help you look for your friend? I wouldn’t feel right leaving you alone until you at least found someone you knew.” Once again he silently hoped he wasn’t sounding creepy but it seemed to be a very fine line with girls. He’d never do something like that of course, but he was aware of how alert to that type of things girls were. He had a sister.

“Chase. I bet you never have to tell baristas how to spell it, at least,” she repeated, lips quirked in a grin. Her own adventures in pronunciation and spelling were entertaining, to say the least. But she was determined to at least make up for her clumsiness. Anyone who could survive a stout getting spilled all over them and not be immediately put off forever was probably decent people. Carys resolved to make it up somehow—she was not a woman accustomed to leaving a debt unpaid.

He spoke suddenly, a little sharply, and Carys took a moment to process it. Join his friends? He suddenly backpedaled, and it was like watching a bike accident in slow motion. Carys only grinned wider, cocking her head to one side and letting him go on for a moment. It was a little comical, a little sweet, and she was thoroughly entertained. Lest her silence become cruel, she spoke up brightly, “More new people, yay!”

Her enthusiasm was genuine, despite the little red flag poking up in the back of her brain. But Port Byrne was…so very not Manhattan. She’d been here for less than forty eight hours, but there was just something…welcoming about it all? Sure, she might end up dead in a ditch, but she had the strangest feeling that they would be friendly about it. ‘Sorry about having to murder you, it’s just a thing that needs to get done, no hard feelings, have a beer before we axe your face in’ seemed very much in character.

“I’m like, eighty three percent sure she can find me when she’s done. Ooh, no, make it seventy six percent, I don’t think she’s used to looking down.” Carys shrugged her shoulders lightly. She’d always hoped she’d be tall—her father topped six foot and her mother had been nearly five ten. Apparently height skipped a generation, and she found herself eye and eye with her grandmothers. Unfair, she mused, although helpful when sneaking.

“Lead on,” she gestured out with her, mostly empty, beer bottle into the night.

Chase smiled a little at her decision and nodded slightly. “The trick is to not take anything they say seriously.” He instructed with a small chuckle. As they made their way through the party the boy made sure to stay close to her, wary of another incident like what had happened to them repeating itself. As it was being slightly above average height did help in situations like this and he was able to keep the path relatively clear for her, not that they really had to go very far. As predicted his friends were over by the fire, and they had food.

Mason was the first to spot him. “Hey! Casanova’s back!” He said loudly, causing the other boy with him, Ryan, to look up and grin at him. Mason then turned his attention to behind Chase and his grin widened. “And you brought your new friend along!”

“Ha! You owe me ten bucks.” Ryan cried triumphantly, turning to Mason with a smug grin and holding his hand out expectantly, the other boy slapping a note in it and rolling grumbling something incoherent as Chase sat down and promptly shoved him in the shoulder.

“Come on guys, we’ve got company, at least try and act like adults here.” Chase said as he sighed loudly, wondering if this had been the best idea. “Carys, this is Mason and Ryan.” He introduced each boy, who waved back casually, each smiling with secret meaning as Chase invited her to sit with them.

They both appeared to be around the girl’s age, Mason was some inches taller than Chase, though had a fairly standard build, he was fit, lean athletic muscles was a nice balanced skin tone, he wasn’t tanned but it look like he got out too. He had short, spiked honey blonde hair and golden eyes. Ryan was a little shorter than both of the boys, but had a lot more muscle definition, a deeper tan and dark sandy blonde hair with dark brown eyes. A few tribal looking tattoos could be seen peeking out from beneath his shirt sleeves.

Mason shrugged casually as if he didn’t really care anymore. “Smore?” He offered, holding out a chocolate dripping marshmallow sandwich. Chase grinned and took it eagerly, deciding to accept the peace offering. “Carys?” The older boy offered, apparently trying to make peace with everyone with marshmellowy goodness. Then again who could honestly deny a smore? Then again Chase had to remember that they had a girl present, sometimes they got weird about eating in front of others, especially strangers. At least that’s if Mason’s sister was anything to go by.

They wove throughout the crowd, by bonfires and crisp night air, and Carys scoured it all with curious eyes. If this was to be her new home, her new world, she wanted to know it inside and out and learn its secrets. She’d never been content to leave questions unanswered, stories uncovered, people unmet. She polished off her beer, slipping it into a thoughtfully provided can as they approached a small group—the aforementioned friends.

The greeting and exchanging of bet money had her ducking a grin into a hand. It was good knowing that, no matter where she went, she’d be entertained by the stupid antics of men. People were people, no matter their world, and it made the shock of moving a little more bearable. There was something familiar, even without concrete and endless sirens.

“Heya,” she greeted simply, waving a hand as she was introduced. And look at that, Chase hadn’t utterly butchered her name. How thoughtful. She arched a brow as Chase requested they attempt to adult, and glanced over at his friends. She’d bet her house that that was practically impossible. It was certainly fine with her; she’d never fit in with those who took themselves too seriously. Mason and Ryan, right. She could remember that.

S’mores were offered and Carys’ grin widened. She decided that she rather liked this group—if they ended up axe murdering her, she wouldn’t even be upset. Well, maybe a little. Axe murdering seemed like a bad way to go.

“You are now my third favorite person in the world,” she informed Mason lightly, accepting the marshmallow delight with nimble fingers. Chocolate and marshmallow practically melted amid graham cracker goodness, and her toes curled in the simple delight. “I haven’t had a s’more in—oh, god, eleven years now. It’s even better than I remember. Correction, you’re my second favorite person.”

Chase looked over to Mason with an arched eyebrow, his mouth still full of processed sugar, the other boy simply grinning back smugly. Unfortunately he could read the smile as easily as if he’d said it aloud, fortunately he didn’t. Though, had he known better he should have taken Mason behaving as a sign of more trouble to come. However that would have to wait until later, as Chase caught a fleeting glimpse of a young blonde boy, who looked very lost but very familiar. “Hey Ryan? Isn’t that Seth?” He asked suddenly, nodding his head in the direction of the younger boy.

“What?!” Ryan shot up, searching the crowd before he too spotted the younger boy. “I’m gonna kill him.” He swore as he vaulted over the cooler near him and ran off into the crowd. Both Chase and Mason sat back slightly both laughing slightly and smiling at each other before they turned their attention to their guests.

Chase took another smore and took a bite out it, which was probably a mistake because Mason seized the opportunity. “So have I’m going to take a stab here and guess you’re new around here?” He asked casually. None of the boys were the flirtatious kind, just friendly really, though they would pounce on the chance to embarrass or poke fun at the other. Mason was usually the most social amongst them though. “So what do you think of this little get together?” It was a good question, Chase though any way as he took another bite.

A well put way of seeing how well it was being received by others, things they could do to improve it for next year. The boys still had a few years left of hosting the party before the younger kids took over from them. There was no real way she could know who organised the event, heck even most of the people who lived here didn’t. Despite being known around town, it was impossible not to really, their families tended to be rather secretive. Usually they didn’t hang out with too many people outside their close friends and even then they tended not to talk too much about themselves personally.

Carys got a little caught up in appreciating the delight of her utterly fake, and utterly delicious, treat. She probably shouldn’t be as delighted as she was, but there was a comfort in the nostalgia. She’d always been around the sea in her youth. She’d lived for the days when her mother would make space for her on the keelboat and let her thrust her face into the wind while the team practiced. They’d always collapse on sand after, exhausted and basking in the crisp air, chocolate and marshmallow sticking to her fingers and salt in her hair.

Ryan, evidently, did not approve of this Seth being at The Party, and Carys quirked a brow at his spectacularly quick escape. It was dropped in favor of the obvious question. Covering her mouth as she finished her bite, she spoke, determined to sound light.

“I literally finished unloading the truck three hours ago,” she remarked, “I came by a house about a week after my apartment was robbed, so I opted not to argue with the universe and move.”

She’d somehow managed to keep her voice even; Carys was grateful for that small mercy. She had no idea what her mother’s life had been like here—her mother had been gone for nearly thirty year, maintaining the property from afar. She’d meant to come back, to retire, after another Olympics, but—well. Carys was here now. All she knew was that the house had been in the Rees side of the family for nearly seventy years…and that she was probably in over her head. She had lived in five hundred square feet for the past six years. What the hell did people do with so much space?

“Little?” She laughed, glancing around her at the mass of people. She looked back with a cocked brow and a wicked grin, “You and I clearly have very different definitions of the word ‘little’. But this is, ah, different? That’s really vague. Umm—“ Carys trailed off for a moment, scrunching her nose as she debated on her description. “I like that I’m not crammed into a tiny apartment and six bottles of wine deep into my friends bitching about everything? Gold star stickers all around for that.”

She shrugged a shoulder, polishing off her s’more quite contentedly. A thought struck her suddenly, and she spoke up, “Soooo, my fancy new roommate gave this whole shenanigan fancy capital letters when she bullied me into coming,” Carys looked between Chase and Mason, head tilted quizzically. “What’s that all about?”

This time it was Chase’s turn to raise a quizzical eyebrow. He had been right about the recently moved thing, he hadn't excepted so recently, but that was kind of overshadowed by the almost casual mention of being robbed. “We’re the ones who organise it.” He said rather softly, since it was still this big, unintentional secret and all. “Well… us and a couple of other guys who grew up around here. But Port Byrne is kind of a small town, very quiet and there isn’t a whole lot to. This party is pretty much the only real event for just people around our age to have fun and meet people.

It goes way back to the times when the town was first founded. By ‘The Party’ I’m assuming your friend meant this was literally the only major party all year. Really other than that we have a bunch of surfing days, some camping trips, hiking, all that kind of fun stuff you do when internet connection is… sucky at best. But that’s a much less public thing, just friends. So it’s kind of make your own fun here.” Chase said, though honestly he preferred it that way. A lot of the small amount of tourists they get around here seemed lost without their phones and internet.

“You’re welcome to join us if you’d like?” What? Chase’s attention turned fully to Mason, who seemed to just have invited her along to… something. He’d kind of come out of left field there. “You’re new to the area, what better way to welcome you than a surf lesson from some of the best?” Chase rolled his eyes and prepared himself for Mason’s bragging.

Luckily Ryan chose this moment to return, dragging a younger boy behind him who bore such a resemblance that they could only be siblings. “Sorry guys, I gotta jet. I’ll see you tomorrow though.” He said in a low, grumbling tone as he glared at the younger boy as they both disappeared back into the party.

Chase and Mason glanced at each other before laughing loudly. “That’s Ryan’s younger brother, Seth.” Chase explained eventually. “Since this is technically public property I guess he’s legally allowed to be here but there’s kind of an unwritten rule that we don’t invite people underage because of the alcohol…”

“It’s not like we all didn’t sneak in when we were younger.” Mason interjected. “Ryan just doesn’t want Seth here because he doesn’t want to play babysitter.”

Chase shrugged slightly. “Maybe… he could also just be worried he might get into trouble. I mean if Ash was here I know I wouldn’t be able to have a good time. I’d be too worried about her.” He said, deciding to let the invitation situation drop for now.

“Ash is eleven!” Mason replied back loudly. “Seth is seventeen; he’s more than capable than taking care of himself. Besides, no one would ever mess with one of us.” That statement caused Chase to make a small face of disapproval. He didn’t want Carys thinking they were the dangerous sort… or thugs or something like that, but that was how it came across from that statement.

There was this air of, she didn’t know, mystery around this? Chase spoke so low his words nearly vanished in the steady breaking of the tide and the delighted shouts and laughter echoing along the beach. It seemed a strange thing—but, she amended quickly, she really had no base line for what was normal or not in the area. Carys tucked a wayward bang behind her ear as he began to answer questions that had lingered since she’d first been given the deed. The internet was as bad as people had mentioned? Well, that sucked. But the rest of it was…well, it wasn’t that bad. Maybe she’d lose her mind, maybe she’d fall in love with it.

For now, it was fresh and new, and that was enough.

“Hmmm,” she remarked, tapping her lips. It was an answer, if not the most satisfying one. There had seemed like a real story behind it—but it must have been her curiosity eloping with her imagination. Before she could comment, Mason had broken in with an invitation; to surf, not a ticket to axe town, and she offered a little huff of laughter. Well, that was—forward. Maybe she was reading too much into it. A very loud part of her was demanding she say yes, that she chase the next adventure.

She might have, had they not been distracted by the return of the shortest of the trio (Ryan! She was determined to get their names right), with what looked to be a younger sibling or cousin guiltily in tow. Chase was polite enough to explain and Carys made a sympathetic ‘aww’, glancing in the direction they had gone.

Chase and Mason were debating their policy of guest qualifications, and Carys huddled into her flannel, content to listen for the moment. They were lively, which provided great amusement, filing away little nuggets of information in the flow of words.

“You have a sister?” She’d asked Chase, rather surprised. On reflection, it wasn’t that strange. She was an only child and she always seemed to assume that everyone else was too. Not that she hadn’t wanted siblings—they always seemed like great fun—but it still seemed so novel. Siblings seemed like something almost unreal, like something only in movies or television.

There was something odd about Mason’s insistence of their…she didn’t even know. The usual, twenty something male bravado, she suspected—young and seemingly invincible. Carys didn’t think on it more as a newly familiar voice called her name.

“Carys!”

Carys turned, brightening at the sight of Audrey, who paused, something indescribable flashing over her face. Audrey smiled suddenly, and Carys didn’t have time to wonder if she had imagined it.

“Sorry for abandoning you,” Audrey spoke, “It was important.”

“No problem,” Carys laughed, “I ruined your shirt, because I am really spectacularly awful at first impressions. The stout deserved better.”

“That’s what laundry is for, dear.” Audrey looked between Chase and Mason, her brow arching impossibly high. “You’re not getting her into trouble, right?”

Carys found this idea both incredibly amusing and incredibly appealing, her eyes lighting up with fiendish delight. Perhaps drinking on an empty stomach had been stupid, and she’d probably regret it in the morning, but that was Future Carys’ problem. Present Carys was perfectly pleased.

Chase looked to the girl with a small, almost embarrassed smile and nodded slightly. “Yeah… but we all do. Small families, but we’re all like one big family… not related by blood, but you’d never know really.” He frowned slightly, knowing he wasn’t explaining it really well, because it was very hard to explain to someone, how they weren’t really related but that they… were? A big family not bound by blood, but by bond. They were all so close, it wasn’t impossible for an outsider to make it into the group, they did meet other people, some just hit it off better than other.

It was rare though, it took a lot to make it into that inner circle of family. And family meant a lot to them. Mason, as creepy as he had sounded, was right. Very few people bothered them, mostly because they kept to themselves but also because of how tight the group was. No one was ever really alone, a problem for one became a problem for the whole and they would defend their own to the death if need be. However he was not the best at explaining things like that, Mason was the more eloquent one among them.

Luckily his thoughts were interrupted by someone calling out Carys’ name. The boy turned his head sharply, honestly having forgotten that Carys had been here with someone before they had collided and he had kind of pulled her away. The other girl was certainly… something. The way she looked at him made him more than a little uncomfortable and when she accused him of potentially getting her friend in trouble the colour practically drained from his face. In reality she easily could have been referring to either himself or Mason, or both more likely. But it still felt like it was aimed at him.

Mason clearly thought his reaction was hilarious and began laughing loudly. “Don’t worry; I’m keeping a close eye on him. There will be no trouble. I must apologise for him stealing your friend though.” He assured her, flashing a charming smile that so often got them out of so much trouble. Charismatic bastard. Not that he ever complained about it of course. Mason was a natural born leader; there was no doubt about it. However he was never quick enough to come up with the words as easily as his friend did.

The concept of a town wide family was…well, Carys didn’t have any real basis for comparison. There’d been her mother’s sailing team; they were practically her aunties, but neither Reagan nor Leialoha had their own families. She had a cousin, which seemed like a close thing, but they had only met twice when Carys was very small. And while she’d always had friends, they’d never been quite like family. The Philharmonic had been close knit, but she’d been one of their youngest members, and had little in common with them beyond their shared love of music. She found herself strangely fascinated by this simple thing. It didn’t even seem real.

“I see,” she’d said, even though she knew she truly didn’t.

Audrey seemed to assess her company for a moment, although Carys couldn’t guess at what she’d concluded. Regardless, her expression had turned to a relieved smile, and Carys found herself grinning. They hadn’t known each other very long—only six months, and all but forty eight hours had been over the internet—but that protective streak warmed Carys’ heart. Audrey renting out the house she’d inherited had been a wonderful stroke of good fortune. Moving thousands of miles would have been terribly lonely if she’d arrived to an empty house.

How noble of you,” Carys joked to Mason, eyes glittering with mirth as she arched a brow. Perhaps she was being too comfortable, but she’d always been quick to find her place among people. It came with the territory with moving a dozen times in her life. As soon as she settled in, work or competition demanded that her family uproot. It hadn’t always been fun, but Carys was nothing if not resilient. She’d made the best of it.

“Thanks, then,” Audrey remarked, the skepticism in her voice no longer quite so unfriendly, if not entirely dissipated. She turned to Carys, jerking her thumb over her shoulder. “It’s time to put your money where your mouth is; beer pong’s open, and I must defend my title.”

It was like a fire sparked in Carys’ grey eyes fueled by her competitive streak. “Try not to cry when I utterly annihilate you,” she practically purred, chin jut out in defiance. Audrey laughed at that, the sound bright as she began to walk backwards.

“Oh, darling, that’s cute.”

Carys turned to Mason and Chase, smiling rather apologetically.

“Sorry—duty calls. It was really nice meeting you,” she looked between them, her cheek dimpling.

“You’re stalling,” Audrey sang song, and Carys laughed, looking over her shoulder and flapping her hand dismissively.

“You’re just eager to lose,” she returned, before turning back to Chase. “Thanks for putting up with me. Um, I’ll see you around? I mean, I’ll try not to spill beer on you again, but I can’t make any promises.”

Lord, she sounded over eager, didn’t she? Carys opted instead to twitch her fingers in a parting wave, turning with a bounce of her braid, skipping over a piece of drift wood to practically pounce on Audrey, arms linking as she opened her mouth to unleash a tidal wave of trash talk.

Both boys looked at each other quizzically; eyebrows raised on both parts as the girls spoke and eventually walked off together. Chase knew that this was normal behaviour amongst people their age. You go to a party, generally you drink a lot and you have a good time. Yet it wasn’t really a social norm that they or any of their family really partook in. An occasional drink every now and then on special occasions but never to access and the terms ‘drinking’ and ‘game’ were never used in the same sentence. It dulled the senses and clouded the mind and it wasn’t a sensation he enjoyed.

“She’s a wild one.” Mason stabbed with a wink, jabbing the other boy in the arm with his elbow. “Do you think you’ll see her again?”

Chase rolled his eyes and shook his head slowly. “Honestly? Not really. Maybe… around town or something, maybe a passing glance, a wave, how are you doing kind of thing. But I just…”

“But you wanna.” Mason stated, looking at the other boy seriously. Chase didn’t turn to look at him, simply shrugging his shoulder and letting his hair fall over his eyes as he stared at the fire. The older boy rolled his eyes and groaned loudly, pushing him on his shoulder. “Come on you sad sack, we should probably get a head start on clean up, now that Ryan has managed to weasel his way out of it. If you ask me he had Seth appear on purpose to get out of it.”

He stood and waited, Chase eventually standing too as the pair began cleaning up the mess on the beach. By sunrise you never would have guessed there had been a massive party save for some left over ash from the fire and a lot of disturbance in the sand. The boys didn’t make an appearance until midday; the sun was beaming down and the sand was just starting to get hot underfoot. But the waves were perfect; the water was blue, clear and extremely refreshing. The salt water splashing against his face was really helping to wake Chase up and clear his mind.

Seth was with them today, but Mason’s cousin as well as his own sister had elected to skip the surf in favour of a spa day. Chase didn’t mind, it was good for Ash to spend time with an older girl and she always looked up to Chloe. For now Chase was content to hang back behind the breaks, watching as his friends caught the beautiful waves nature had provided for them.

For the umpteenth time, Carys remembered why she kept swearing off drinking. Head pressed into her pillow, she tried to ignore the way her skull pounded. She was half afraid that her skull might fracture with the pressure, and squeezed her eyes tight. She promptly regretted that. Blearily opening an eye in the dark, box filled room, she fumbled for her phone. Finding it beneath another pillow, she checked the time. Seven thirty a.m. That was…she spent embarrassingly long calculating the amount of sleep that equated. Three hours and eighteen minutes.

Of course, it felt like nearly noon, courtesy of truly awful jet lag and time zone shifts. Carys groaned, slowly rising to a careful sit. She’d always been a morning person, and her body protested the (perceived) late hour. Stumbling out of her bed, she navigated the boxes mostly successfully, stubbing her toe at the door. Swearing beneath her breath, she somehow managed to find the kitchen. A container of aspirin and a glass of water sat on the marbled counter. Carys dutifully took them before finding a note, held in place by a key, and grudgingly turning on a light to read it.


Carys managed a small grin, which transformed into a wince as her head throbbed. Running a hand through her tangled hair, Carys heaved a sigh. Right then. Down a liter of water, shower, and then get started on her laundry list of things to do.

--


By the time she had started her list, the morning shadows had receded and the small town had come to life. Things were at the upper limits of reasonable walking distance. She might actually have to get a car, she mused, and then corrected that thought. She’d have to get a license. It wasn’t as though she’d ever had need of one—she’d come of age in Manhattan. Even if she had had a car, it wasn’t as though there would have been anywhere to park it. Subways, busses, and cabs had been more than sufficient.

At least her hangover had finally abated, and the sunshine was surprisingly rejuvenating. Carys was all too happy to wander. There was an actual market, with people calling out to each other by name, idling and chatting. She drew a few curious looks, but smiled and ducked her head, continuing on. The lack of traffic and sirens was almost disconcerting.

She’d gotten a key made at a hardware shop, which had taken nearly forty minutes, as the gentleman helping her had decided to introduce her to his staff. Carys smiled through it all, trying not to feel uncomfortable. She hadn’t expected this level of interest, was used to the bare minimum of pleasantries and being on her way. She wasn’t sure if this belonged in the plus or minus column.

The general store was more of the same, and she found herself running well behind on her (self-imposed) schedule by the time she’d reached the marina.

Things did not go quite so smoothly there.


--


“I have the paperwork,” she’d insisted to the harbor master, who eyed her suspiciously. “The Heartstring is mine.”

“That boat is the Rees family’s,” he’d insisted, for what felt like the hundredth time. Carys bit her tongue to keep from shouting. Somehow, she didn’t think that would be particularly effective.

“It belonged to Seren Rees, and if you’ll just read the paperwork, you’ll see that it now belongs to me. I know my lawyer sent it to you, and I have it here.”

He eyed her suspiciously, finally accepting the folder she was presenting, looking through it.

“I don’t know this notary,” he’d pointed out, and Carys nearly screamed. Why was this, the thing she had dreaded most, so difficult? Hadn’t she done all the leg work back in New York, in that sprawling office, numb as titles and deeds were changed to her name?

“I can call her right now,” Carys already had her phone out, only—no signal. Of course. What was the point of an international sim card if there was no cell reception? She bit the inside of her cheek, eyes stinging and fists clenched. “I’ll get her credentials. My mother left this boat—“

“You’re Seren’s kid?” He said suddenly, interrupting her, sounding both astonished and suspicious.

“That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you,” Carys couldn’t help her frustration from spilling out. “I just want to see my boat.”

He made a show of flipping through the paperwork for a few more minutes, before finally getting to his feet and nodding for her to follow. “She’s this way,” he’d grumbled, and Carys nearly burst into tears of relief. This was awful enough as it was.

He led her to one of the furthest moorings, chattering something about how he’d known Seren as a girl, had rented to her parents before her, gone to school with the father—Carys was only half listening, heart drumming in her ears.

The Heartstring was larger than she had anticipated. She had grown up on sleek, modern yngling’s, laughing into the sea spray as they carved through water. But Heartstring…she was older, wooden, not fiber glass, and Carys wasn’t sure what she was feeling. She reached out to brush a hand against the hull, fingers gliding along smooth wood.

“I’ve minded her for thirty years, taken her out when she needed it,” he remarked with pride, looking at the Heartstring fondly. “You’ll never forget her, in all your years.”

Carys nodded, throat tight and pulse skipping. Heartstring. Aptly named.


--


The walk home was less than pleasant. Drained and tired, she hadn’t exactly accounted for the whole ‘near equatorial’ part of Port Byrne. She’d slipped into skinny jeans and a longer shirt without thinking, and found precisely zero hair ties in neither her bag nor pockets. For the first time in years, she strongly considered chopping it off for relief from the humid day.

“I’m home,” she’d called to the empty house automatically, slipping her shoes off at the door. Beyond the scattered boxes (and the nightmare that was her own room), the house was wide and open, sunlight streaming through bay windows and bouncing off crisp white walls and tasteful décor. Purportedly her grandparents had built the place and passed it on to her own mother, maintaining and upgrading it with rent and alimony alike. Her mother had always spoken fondly of the place, had sworn to move back after she finished competing. It felt strange, living her mother’s dream in her stead.

The house didn’t even feel like hers. She felt like an intruder in someone else’s life, out of sorts. Carys tried to shake the maudlin thoughts from her head as she wandered into her room. Two cellos sat in their stands—and the rest of her belongings lay in boxes. Setting her bags atop her bed, she peeled out of sweat and frustration, digging for something more suitable. Shorts, a loose shirt, a hair tie and another liter of water later, Carys found herself pacing the only empty swath through her room.

I can’t do this, she finally decided, throwing her newly made key and useless phone into a bag, practically fleeing from the house.

She’d found herself on crisp white sand without even thinking. It was nothing like her own youth, scrambling over rocks and leaning over cliffs to grey, choppy seas and bitter winter winds. Only the air, salty sweet and catching wind was the same. Carys dropped her bag at her feet, looking out at the endless expanse, curving at the horizon. She’d never felt so small in her life, so utterly lost. What was she supposed to do here? She’d given up her career, her friends and the shreds of family remaining to move to a completely different world—and for what? She searched the sea, as if it had any answers. It simply came and went, indifferent to her.

Carys ran a hand through windswept bangs, and walked. Wind and sunlight chilled and warmed her skin in equal measure. Eventually, she kicked her shoes off and let them dangle through slim fingers, wandering at the water’s edge, bag jostling her side.

There were smatterings of people as she wandered further from her swath of beach, although she couldn’t determine if they were tourists or locals. She wasn’t even either of those—Carys had barely finished the thought before berating herself. She hadn’t even been here three days yet, and she was already moping amidst all her good fortune.

OOC: All fine :) So long as you forgive the rather lackluster post on my behalf.

The afternoon was starting to roll in and Chase finally headed in, lazily riding a few waves in before sitting his board on the sand, flopping down on top of it. The other boys had come in about half an hour prior and had fish and hot chips for him. The boy smiled contently and began digging in. Honestly he was curious to know how it went with Seth last night, but knew better than to ask. Seth had been even quieter than he was which likely meant he was still feeling a little bad about the whole thing and was sulking.

Chase remembered back in the day when he, Ryan and Mason had used to sneak around to those bonfire parties. He had no older siblings technically to speak of, but that hadn’t stopped the older members of their extended family shooing them off or escorting them home the same as Ryan had Seth last night. The boy would bounce back. For a few minutes they all just sat there in silence, the only sounds were that of chewing and swallowing. Silence was usually a rare commodity amongst the group, especially one that lasted more than a minute or so.

“So everyone’s all good for camping next week?” Mason finally stated as the pile of food began dwindling down and their empty bellies began to feel full and satisfied. Ryan, who’s mouth was full of a chip sandwich, merely made a noise of agreement and continued chewing.

Chase nodded happily, smiling casually. They usually camped all year round, once a month or so, sometimes a little less during the winter and more frequently during the summer. Their group was usually small, the three boys and the two girls. Seth usually hung out with Jesse and Aiden, two other members of the extended family around his own age. He was probably only here because he was still in trouble from last night. The family groups were fairly large, but the ages were somewhat spread out, they tended to have kids around the same time. He supposed, in retrospect, it probably helped develop closer bonds between the group, something integral to their survival as a whole.

“So,” He leaned back in the sand slightly, blue eyes glancing up at the familiar faces around him. “Did we wanna catch another few sets or just head home?” He asked, receiving a few shrugs in response, which caused him to scoff and roll his eyes.

“It’s flattened out a fair bit.” Mason noted, dark gray eyes gazing out over the sea. “Might as well head off now.”

That seemed to be enough for the rest of the group and they all slowly clambered to their feet, boards underarm they began trudging towards the footpath, which travelled parallel to the beach along its length. They could have brought a car down, but the walk back wasn’t long and it was better for them in the long run.

Whenever Carys had gotten maudlin, she had gone exploring. She’d throw her things into a bag, pick a train at random, and let her feet carry her somewhere new. There was something soothing about finding new little wonders, about one foot in front of the other without a destination. Carys let herself quiet, focusing on only the sand between her toes, the bite of salt in the wind, the back and forth between breaths and heartbeats.

She lost track of time, walking what seemed to be endless miles of coastline, out past the bustle of bodies to rockier shores. She found a small cove where the world seemed to fall away, until there was simply the dim roar of the sea and the chattering of gulls. For the first time in a year, Carys found peace in the quiet.

The sun had sunk well past noon by the time she finally picked up her things and turned back. She left with a lingering glance, memorizing the little curve of rocks and ocean, lips curving into a quiet smile.

With a destination in mind, Carys walked much more briskly, abandoning soft sand for an established path. Her shoulders had started to smart in the afternoon sun, aching where her bag dug into the flesh. The exhaustion she’d ignored reminded her how very little she’d rested and eaten in the past few days. She’d been so determined to keep moving, losing herself in action and distraction alike. Now that she’d taken a moment to breathe, her body protested its treatment quite vocally. This hadn’t been her most well-though out excursion.

Her phone got signal in fits and spurts, and though she knew the way home (straight), she found herself antsy at not knowing when she’d make it back. She’d walked for, apparently, two hours. It had been fine on the going—but the coming back was significantly less pleasant. Her phone helpfully informed her that she had at least another forty minutes yet. Wonderful.

She’d begun passing people again, smiling politely and continuing on. The thought of the house (not hers, not yet, maybe not truly ever) still churned her stomach, but she knew she couldn’t avoid it forever. Eventually she’d have to unpack and settle in. It was such a foolish thing to resent, a house, especially as lovely at this one. Yet she had done nothing to earn it—at least she had paid for her apartment with her own money, even if it had been in a shit neighborhood.

Arms tucked beneath her chest, Carys kept her head down and lengthened her stride, as if she were back home. Not that she could have ever confused the two worlds—this path lacked the familiar aroma of piss and car exhaust. Focused on getting home she very nearly managed to run into someone. Instinct had her opening her mouth to bark back an insult, but she’d looked up and caught the words before they spilled off her tongue.

Oh—shit, she recognized those faces. Carys scoured her hazy memories from the previous night (really need to quit drinking, she reminded herself). Right! The beer incident. And s’mores? She was pretty sure that had happened.

“I’ve got to stop running you over,” Carys quipped apologetically, grey eyes crinkling as she scrunched her nose in a wince. “It’s Chase, right? And um—oh god, I swear I know your names—“ she directed to Mason and Ryan, cheeks flushing more with embarrassment than sunburn at this point. No, seriously, you drank way too much her brain reminded her ever so helpfully.

“I’m drawing a blank,” she admitted with a self-deprecating laugh, scuffing a sandaled shoe against the pavement. “Anyways—super sorry, I wasn’t paying attention. I’ll get out of your way.”

Good job, Carys, forgetting the names of literally the only people you even sort of know. That’s really going to do you wonders.

Mostly the boys were walking along at a leisurely pace, chatting amongst themselves. He suddenly felt someone bump into him from behind and the boy stopped turning and looking down, surprised to see a somewhat familiar face looking back up at him. The girl from last night. Carys? He took a step back to give her space as she fumbled a little with her words. The boy chuckled softly. “After last night, I’m surprised it wasn’t ‘Casanova’.” He had seen her later in the night, the boys had dutifully remained at the beach to make sure everyone got home safely and the beach was left in acceptable condition.

Needless to say he didn’t blame her for forgetting his friends’ names. “Mason, Ryan and Seth.” He introduced each boy in turn. He made sure not to address Seth as ‘Ryan’s brother’, he knew it bothered him. “So what are you doing all the way out here?” He eventually asked. The other boys gave him a look before Mason gave him a pat on the shoulder and they began walking ahead. He understood it simply meant they’d go ahead and he’d catch up later. “I mean this is a long way away from town…” He trailed off, realising that maybe she lived far from town like they did.

And they lived far from town. “Did… you want a lift home?” Chase eventually offered. “I mean if you don’t that’s fine, but I just thought…” he trailed off, deciding not to mention that she looked tired. Chase might not know exactly how to speak well to girls, but he knew enough to never say anything about how they look. Ever. Even if you thought it was good, they might find a way to twist it into something bad. “Or I could walk you back to your place?” He decided to offer instead, knowing trailing off wouldn’t be acceptable.

It wasn’t as if it was a dangerous place to walk around. No. In fact he was certain this was one of the safest places for a girl to be walking around on her own. Everyone knew everyone, so unless it was someone from out of town and there was no one around… but no one ever came here. Except maybe a few brave hunters every now and then who were after some of the wolves in the forest. However he’d rather not bring up those around Carys. It wasn’t something she needed to know about right now. And should someone around town find out she was hanging out, to use the term lightly, with them the wolves would come up eventually.

The Casanova quip did wonders for her nerves—anyone who could poke fun at themselves was aces in Carys’ book. Her lips twitched into their customary grin, her dimple making an appearance. Chase was kind enough to (re)introduce her to his friends, and she twitched her fingers in apologetic greeting, the embarrassed flush across her cheeks slowly receding. Mason, Ryan, Seth. She had to get it right next time if there even was one.

Looking back up to Chase ignoring the slight crick in her neck, Carys offered a bracing laugh. All the way out here was a stark reminder of just how foolish she had been, spacing out and exploring without even a thought for her personal safety. She hadn’t even brought mace; she knew better than to explore without it.

“I, uh, kind of got caught up in exploring?” Even Carys knew how ridiculous that sounded. “Admittedly, it’s not the smartest thing I’ve ever done.”

So much for that college degree, she nearly snorted aloud. Fingers pushing her bangs behind a pink ear, she nearly gaped at Chase’s offer. That was…unexpected, to say the least. She still couldn’t quite get over the strangeness of people actually owning cars. They’d always been such a hassle.

“Oh, um,” Carys began, suddenly aware that she’d just been looking surprised at Chase. “I mean, it’s not that big a deal, Google says I’m only like…fortyish minutes from my house that-a-ways,” she pointed over his shoulder, “I’d hate to trouble you; I mean, any more than I already have.”

Admittedly, it was a tempting offer. Even Carys, who had routinely walked over five miles a day for most of her adult life, was worn down. She brightened her smile, squaring her shoulders. It wouldn’t be that bad, she tried to tell herself. She’s spent countless days in university thriving after pulling all-nighters. Of course, she’d been eighteen and invincible then, but she dismissed that detail.