Eye of the Storm

[Izaak Finch]

There were few figures dotted along the shore of a foggy beach in New Zealand. Not many were out to brave the bitter temperatures or the biting wind, let alone the ripping and twisting of the raging surf. But there was one, perhaps too young to be called a man and too old to be a boy, standing amongst the remnants of the wave’s driving force, ankle-deep in frothy white-wash. It were almost as if he was weighing up his options as a pair of extraordinary blue eyes sought out a horizon the mist had swallowed up. His arms were twisted defensively across the sturdy planes of his chest, the impressive lines of his biceps taut beneath the bronzed skin as they strained against the wind that was whistling sharply down the shoreline. He took a hesitant step towards the hurtling breakers, clearly torn between adrenaline and sense.

The sky thundered statically overhead as a mushroom of ominous clouds began to roll across it. Izaak titled his head back, his already dampened fringe tumbling from his azure eyes, and his hand reached back to rub the base of his neck whilst deep thought. It was now or never. The weather wasn’t going to hold up for him alone but he had planned on visiting this particular beach for so long now that it was unfunny and ironic. He waded forward another few steps and this time looked back over his shoulder to just make out a silhouetted figure that seemed mildly familiar. Where had he seen them before? Distracted from the ocean now, Izaak craned his neck to see if it would strengthen the poor visibility just that little bit extra. But nope, nada. Maybe he was just being paranoid. Sighing, Izaak turned back into the surf until it was breaking viciously at his hips. If they really wanted to stop him, or come and join him for that matter, they’d wade out themselves.

 

[Valencia Barselona]

Valen was in another one of her moods. Losing Rand had made her more then a little reckless, and coupled with her recent..... problems, she found that walking on a stormy beach suited her needs just fine. She reached her arms out, fingers dancing through the air as she played at trying to catch the fog. Letting her eyes scan the stormy horizon she continued walking, drawn along by a sense of something greater than she pulling her forward into the unknown. She met the rumble of thunder with a slightly maddened giggle, beginning to twirl to the rythm nature was creating before her green eyes were met with the image of a boy, nearly a man, standing in the waves.

With her dark hair flying carelessly about her face she stopped abruptly, her sharp eyes taking in the scene before her. She knew this boy, had met him before, though what he was doing challenging the stormy ocean was beyond her. Valen, however, was not one to question, merely to accept. In a moment she had made her choice, reaching the waters edge and continueing despite the cold to stand beside him. They seemed kindred spirits at the moment, both alone and acting strangely on a stormy beach, and for that reason alone she felt him worth her time. Looking straight ahead she wrapped her arms around herself before she spoke, half shouting to be heard over the wind. "so you decided it was a good day for a swim?"

 

[Izaak Finch]

Through the sound of the whirring wind and the thunderous crashes of the steel grey waves, it was understandable that Izaak would not be able to hear one approaching him from behind. He did however feel the prickle of hair rising on the back of his neck and a pair of eyes sewn to him, coming closer with every passing second. But he didn’t turn to look, instead he steamrolled over his curiousity and waited for the person to reach him. The voice that was raised to challenge the roaring scene only just made it to Izaak’s ears and he laughed, partly amused but anxious in the very same moment. For the briefest of moments his exquisite blue eyes darted to the figure beside him and realised that he had been right, he had met this young woman before. Valencia.

The nineteen year old squared his shoulders, then allowed them to relaxed in an exaggerated shrug and spoke loudly with a smile resounding in his voice. "I don’t see why not. It’s really just water, isn’t it?" Water possessed by Satan himself but even though this was no Bondi beach, Izaak could handle it with his eyes closed. It was only a matter of why now. It was madness, but maybe perhaps Izaak was insane himself. Last night had put a spin on him, turning him upside down, flipping him this way and that when he’d realised that his heart still beat for Alexis. Loving two girls at once, how much more reckless could you get, it was a recipe for disaster. Challenging these throttling waves seemed like a ferris-wheel ride in comparison. "What about you?" He grinned wildly as he threw his gaze over to Valen as she stood beside him. "Having fun walking right into the storm?"

 

[Valencia Barselona]

Green eyes flashing with mischeif Valen found herself laughing and was suprised at the sound even as it left her throat. For once, the laughter was genuine, not forced; something that had happened far too unoften in the past few months. It was odd, but a situation that would normally scream danger to any sane person was turning out to be the very situation in which Valen was finding herself most confortable. With waves crashing next to her and a possibly insane young man standing next to her, she felt fully alive. Her life lately had consisted of taking chances in order to feel alive; perhaps that why Izaak's comment amused her so.

Returning his grin with one of her own Valen let green eyes meet blue as she spoke. "Lately, my life has been all about walking into storms." She didn't know whether he would realize the underlying meaning to her words, but she thought he would. She felt an odd pull to him, as if his life may in strage way coincide perfectly with hers, not as lovers, but as friends. Though he was clearly gorgeous, she found that she oddly had no attraction to him further than friendship. It was unusual for the girl, but it convinced her to give him something few people had ever had; a chance at friendship.

Turning back out to the ocean Valen closed her eyes, taking a brief moment to enjoy the feeling of the wild wind wipping up a mist of salt water all around her before continuing playfully, "It may just be water, but water can kill. Remember that. The most peaceful and wonderful of things always has the power to turn on you. The question is, what risks you are willing to take." With a wink of her eye she turned and took a step backwards into the waves before calling out. "You willing to risk the storm Izaak?"

 

[Izaak Finch]

"Lately, my life has been all about walking into storms." Izaak cocked his head at a slight angle to the left, eyeing Valen with a certain inquisitive slyness stirring in his azure eyes. This girl, she was perfect and perfect friend for him in every single way. It was almost as if he had known her before they had even met. "You and me both." He muttered beneath the depths of his breath, strangely amused by the parallels they were running on. Perhaps this risky business at the beach was not him trying to tempt the fates but instead the other way around. Even her eyes, such a soulful shade of green, seemed oddly but warmly familiar to the young man.

It probably wasn’t a safe idea to pay more attention to the words she was speaking instead of the waves crashing all about them. But Izaak could not help himself; he was intrigued by this invisible field that seemed so intent on drawing the two of them together. The azure of his eyes narrowed playfully on her as she sunk a step backwards into the ocean. Without even having to think, Izaak followed with an exuberant smile rolling happily across his lips. "You willing to risk the storm Izaak?" Izaak smirked and arched his brow, simply daring her to tell him otherwise. Then, with a powerful splash rocketing upwards behind him, Izaak dove beneath a barrelling waves and glided right past Valencia. "You can bet your life on it." He grinned as he surfaced a few yards away from her with nothing but the rolling swell between them. Behind him, a fork of lightening exploded the horizon into an eerie shade of purple but it was only for the sharpest of seconds. Izaak whipped his head around to catch the last of the dying light before beaming back at Valen. "Come on then," He called with a hint of challenge in the undertones of his voice and gave her his own encouraging wink.

 

[Valencia Barselona]

Valen noticed the slight tilt of his head and held her breath. He might think she was crazy and leave. She wouldn't hol it against him, not when so many others seemed to share his view. The differance here, however, was that she actually cared if he stayed. She was hoping against hope that he would. Relief crashed over her fiercer than the ocean waves when he responded with you and me both. Feeling her face breaking into a huge and genuine grin Valencia began laughing, feeling that for once, fate may be on her side.

She turned quickly as he jumped past her, nearly losing her footing. Quickly righting herself she shot Izaak a playful glare, wondering at the fact that she was so open with him. Though she had only met him weeks ago, she felt that she had known him entire life, which was, Valen knew, utterly impossible. Her eyes widened and she let out a little gasp as lightning flashed out over the ocean casting everything in a purple light. Smiling at the wild beauty of it all she threw herself forward to follow him, gladly accepting the undisguised challenge that lay in his voice. She felt herself laughing wildly as she followed behind the young man, and she couldn't help but turn into the storm and yell at whatever higher power there was out there. "Do your worst then! We clearly aren't afraid!" Valen knew she was tempting fate, but could not help it. Lately, she had been willing to bet her life on nearly anything, but today, swimming into the storm with Izaak seemed like a pretty good bet.

 

[Izaak Finch]

This seemed like no place for a blossoming friendship, not there in the midst of the violent storm. Perhaps it was the fact that it was dangerous that made it seem all the more special and binding. But Izaak knew that the nature of the weather was taking no part in this, it was all just Valen herself. The electrical charge of the lightening overhead seemed to wire Izaak as he stood there amongst the waves, hollering and laughing as the dark featured girl called up to the heavens. It was a side of himself that he had not seen in months but a side he had dearly missed. There was no ‘how’ or ‘why’ on how Valen brought this out of his, she just did, period. And call him crazy but Izaak loved her for it already.

Izaak reached a hand through the silken water and it brushed against her fingertips. At first he hesitated with a smile in her direction, but then bore no shame in gripping it tightly within his own and leading her out further into the choppy surf. It wasn’t until the waves began to roll around his chest that Izaak stopped his venture. "So what’s got you so daring? Just looking for some fun?" Izaak asked with a crooked and curious smile, allowing the chilled water to caress his open palm as he finally slid his hand from hers. Valen could just be this forward all the time, but Izaak sensed that her influences ran a little deeper than her own will.

 

[Valencia Barselona]

The storm was worsening and Valen knew it, but that just seemed to fit this scene better. Inside her, her own storm was raging, a tumultuous wave of emotions all crashing together at once. With the storm grew her joy, a joy that could only be caused by facing death head on and coming out on top. That’s what she felt like. She was in a mad contest with death, and a friendship would be her prize. Friendship could seem so small a thing to most, hardly worth the risk she was taking, but to Valen, letting herself go enough to become friends with Izaak would be more dangerous than braving the storm. He may not know it yet, but Izaak was walking into two storms with her that day; the one outside, and the one within herself.

She watched her companoin as he played in the waves, laughing along with him even as she marveled at him, cherishing that she had found someone with which to share a bit of the insanity. The young woman did not mind as his fingertips brushed her own, nor did she mind when he confidently grasped her own small hand in his own. She simply returned her smile, allowing her luminescent green eyes to show her emotions as she trustingly allowed him to lead her further into the chaos. Much shorter than he, she now found herself bobbing along in the waves, arms and legs working hard to keep her in one place, though she didn't mind or allow any sign of struggle to cross her pretty features. Valen merely swam, allowing Izaak to speak.

So what’s got you so daring? Just looking for some fun? A sharp pain flashed through her eyes breifly at these words. Normally, her reasons were her own, not something she would even think of sharing with another. Today, however, was different. This man with whom she felt an unexplicable bond made it so, and so she decided to leap. Figuratively. "Well, I do like fun." she replied playfully before she continued, "When you've lost everything you ever lived for you can affor to be daring, because you have nothing left to loose. Taking chances is the only thing that really makes me feel alive anymore." With a start, she realized what she'd just said and shot Izaak a shy smile. "I've never admitted that to anyone before. I don't think I'd even admitted it to myself really."
Then suddenly Valencia was giggling uncontrollably, managin to gasp out between one giggle and the next. "Would you look at me? Here with a stranger in the middle of the ocean in whats practically a hurricane admitting the secrets of my heart. Have you ever met a stranger girl?"

 

[Izaak Finch]

The pain that momentarily flooded Valen’s iridescent green eyes caused Izaak to flinch, unsure as to whether or not he’d just devastated their chances at what could have turned into the strongest friendship bond he had ever had. But Izaak had forgotten his foolish uncertainty within moments as she began to speak, playfully at first before digging a little deeper into herself. Those brilliant blue eyes stayed fixated on her all the while, watching and wondering carefully what had been so horrible as to hurt her this much. Izaak had seen his ex-lover, a girl that he was still secretly in love with, with his cousin last night. He had been furious, and was now reckless. But that was all, he’d pick up the pieces of his broken heart and move on. It was the way it had to be and the way it would be. But that was all. Sure he had lost his unborn daughter and he had lost his love, but he had also found a few wonderful things on the way. And whilst the day he had lost them both had been, hands down, the worst of his life Valen, it seemed, had been through so much more. And Izaak was instinctively concerned for her, perhaps even a little intrigued.

His bittersweet revere was shattered instantly by her mad giggles and Izaak could not help but laugh along, just happy to see her so up there, despite not knowing what she was laughing about. "Have you ever met a stranger girl?" Izaak smothered his laughter with a pensive hum and ran his thumb thoughtfully along the fixed line of his jaw, feeling the prickle of light stubble beneath his touch. But it was all just an act of course. Even if she was the strangest girl he had met, Izaak didn’t give a stuff. Not once before in all of his nineteen years had he ever felt this instantly connected to someone. "Well no there was... Oh wait, she was pretty normal. And then there was, oh wait, she turned out to be sensible. And well, nope. I think you’re it Valen." Izaak teased, bumping her cheekily with his shoulder before seeing a break between the sets and allowing his body to lean backwards and float on the surface of the bobbing waves. "So what if you are though, I think we’re a pretty good match." A smile caressed his lips as he stole one glance from his new found friend and let his eyelids slide to a lazy close.

 

[Valencia Barselona]

Valen grinned unconciously at all Izaak's reactions. It seemed that perhaps she had finally found someone with whom she could share the shadows of her past, as well as the demons that now plagued her soul. It would take some time, she knew, but already she felt closer to this man than she'd felt to almost anyone in the course of her life. If asked, she would never really be able to explain the bond, but it was there, and for that she was grateful. Seeing the confused expression on her new freinds face she calmly told him, "I'll tell you what's happened one day. I promise, but for now lets just enjoy the moment."

She watched as he appeared to think, the silly grin she wore growing wider. Listening to his explanations she began to giggle, and splashed him playfully with water when he finished, just as he was leaning back. Valen knew she had grown strange lately, and hearing him confirm it stirred something within her, though it wasn't bad. She felt a sort of pride in herself almost. Besides, she thought, he's out here with me acting just as strange. So what if you are though, I think we’re a pretty good match. She laughed slightly at his words; they so closely mirrored her own thoughts. With a pretty smile she replied, "You know, I couldn't agree more" before turning her eyes back out to watch the ever approaching storm.