I will be grateful for this day; {open

[Jasper Devine]

APPEARANCE: click/OOC: i had a surge of muse on the way home, haha.

If there was one place Jasper Devine was tired of visiting, it was the beach. Actually, he was tired of Australia entirely; its rolling plains and crystal clear shores were dull to him, and compared to the tall skyscrapers and crisp air of Chicago, where Jasper had grown up, they were nothing. But, he didn’t have much of a choice at this point, because unless he hit it big on the lottery, or he inherited a shit-ton of money from some rich yet unknown relative, Jasper was stuck on the stupid spit of land they dubbed the Gold Coast. Even then, he might have a bit of a hard time leaving, for while Jasper himself would be more than eager to hop a plane and jet out, his daughter, Emelia, might not be as thrilled. Unlike her father, she actually enjoyed their place of residence – especially the beaches, which is why she often dragged poor Jasper down to the shoreline at least five out of the seven days in a week. But, despite his aversion to going night after night, you’d always find him, without fail, at sunset, traipsing along in the sand after his four-year-old daughter, simply because it was what she wanted to do.

It went without saying that Jasper was hugely devoted to Emelia, to the point where he’d gladly give up everything he had, even his own life, to make her happy. Just seeing that little girl smile made his entire day worthwhile. So, when she wanted to go to the beach, he took her to the beach, even he was sick and tired of watching the sun set over the sea and the feeling of sand in his shoes. Needless to say, he spoiled her; showering her with her every wish and desire, no matter what the cost. It was a lifestyle that was bound to backfire on him as Emma grew older, but Jasper had a few years before then. Besides, she was a good kid; there’s no way she’d ever try to take advantage of her sweet, naïve, young father... right?

Could you really blame him, though? She was all he had. It was no wonder Jasper did everything in his power to keep her in his life. After Juliet, the only other person in the world (beside his daughter) whom he would’ve jumped off of a cliff for, left him for dead, Jasper refused to risk losing Emelia, too. So, he took extra precaution by bowing to her every whim. It wasn’t a very good way to fix things, but he didn’t know what else to do. Not that he really had to worry about her leaving anytime soon, for after all, she was only four years old, but still, Jasper wasn’t taking any chances.

So there Jasper stood, wide-eyed, staring out at the setting sun with that same concerned look on his face as he had every night, and every time his mind began to wander into the future. It scared him – the future – in fact, it terrified him. Yet, as much as Jasper tried to push it away, he couldn’t help but think about it. He worried about it a lot; probably more so than any normal person should. What was going to happen to him, twenty years down the line? More importantly, what was going to happen to Emmie? He turned his head slightly to look for her, staring down the shoreline out of the corner of his eye, expecting to see her playing in the sand. However, much to Jasper’s horror and surprise, she wasn’t there, causing him to immediately put his thoughts on hold and whip his body around to look for her more thoroughly.

“Emmie?” He called, his voice cracking with fear as his frightened, hazel eyes scanned the darkened area around him. In that instant of silence, panic gripped him, sinking his heart further into his chest. He ran down the beach calling her name, stumbling a few times in the uneven sand. The two cigarettes he had left slid around in the carton that was shoved in his back pocket, making noise like a set of chains rattling against one another. His breath grew heavy and tired as his sprint dropped into more of a trot, and his face grew pale as if he was about to faint. Believe it or not, this situation fell upon Jasper’s shoulders a lot, to the point where he should expect it to happen at least once, or even twice a day. His short attention span made it easy for his curious daughter to slip out from beneath his radar, and in turn bring her father one step closer to a cardiac arrest. You’d think Jasper would be used to it by now, but apparently that wasn’t the case, for he’d beat himself up more and more each time it happened.

His heart pounded with every step and the beach grew darker with every passing second as the sun continued to disappear over the horizon, messing with his vision, teasing his already horrible eyesight. He panted as what little energy he had left dissipated from his body, slowing him down as he glanced over his shoulder. However, just as he did this, he overlooked an obstacle in his path, causing him to trip and fall flat on his face. A short gasp escaped his lips as he dropped to the ground like a weight, his frail, skinny body slamming violently into the sand. Barely a second passed by before Jasper pulled himself back up, though, refusing to waste anytime that could be spent hunting for his daughter. However, he did give a quick glance behind him in order to check to see what exactly it was that he tripped over, so he would know to keep an eye out for it in the future. Jasper expected it to be nothing more than a piece of drift wood, or perhaps a toy left behind by a child; but, both of these guesses were incorrect. One can only imagine his surprise to find a perplexed, young, blonde-haired child staring back at him, laying on her stomach in the sand, playing with her two dolls.

The two stared at each other in wonder, staring blankly into each other’s matching hazel eyes. Jasper almost felt his heart stop for a minute as he came to the realization of who it was, and slowly but surely a broad smile crept over his face. Immediately he pulled himself together, sitting on his calves as his lips quivered in search of the right words to say. He was so happy that he finally found her, the poor boy could barely talk. “Jesus, Em, you… you almost gave me a heart attack.” It was clear that he tried to sound sinister, or perhaps threatening, but the stupid grin over his pale, makeup-covered face made his attempts seem nothing but silly. He laughed a little as if to turn his words into a joke, but the little girl before him didn’t seem very amused. “I almost gave you a heart attack?” Emelia repeated in surprise, “But you’re the one who tripped over me!” Again, Jasper laughed, playfully ruffling her long, blonde hair. A smile finally cracked over the girl’s angelic face, setting her toys down in the sand in order to climb up onto her father’s lap, who protectively scooped her up into his arms, a heavily sigh rolling off his lips as he gazed up over the sunset, for once truly appreciating it’s beauty.

It was times like this that Jasper often wished would last forever, that he actually began to like being on the Gold Coast. After all, if Emmie liked it, it couldn’t be that bad, right? But, as cliché and cynical as it may sound, all good things must come to an end sooner or later, as Jasper was reminded by the darkness that was slowly but surely beginning to surround them. His soft eyes fell onto the child in his arms, watching in slight amusement as she battled to keep herself awake. “Maybe we should… get going.” He suggested gently, hoping the girl wouldn’t put up a fight, as she often did. But, for once, there was no argument, no stubbornness tonight. Instead, there was just a small yawn and a tiny nod, which made Jasper question whether or not she even heard what he said. He didn’t bother to repeat himself, though, taking advantage of his daughter's silence by rising to his feet, holding her small, thin body tenderly in his arms. The wind began to pick up as night set upon the land, ruffling his mess of brown, poofy hair and sending a small chill through his skin. He hesitated there for a moment, his eyes flickering from the long trek toward the walkway and back to the comforting sight of the ocean, drawing in a deep, nostalgic breath before he finally turned, trudging up the beach toward the bright lights of the boardwalk ahead of him.

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[Eleanor Byrne]

Normally, Eleanor wasn't still in the ocean this long. Normally, she stayed away from populated beaches. Normally, she wasn't completely and utterly exhausted while waiting to dry off. She stood on shaky legs, running a hand through her dark hair. She took several deep breaths. Her knees were shaking and her muscles were going to be in serious pain tomorrow, but she was back on land and minus a tail.

She looked to the setting sun. Had she really spent her entire afternoon at Mako? Apparently. No wonder she was starving. She hadn't eaten since about one o'clock, when she'd finally slowed down long enough for lunch. Of course, then she'd taken off into the water again, exploring all of her old haunts.

So it shouldn't have been surprising for her to discover that her chosen spot wasn't exactly vacant.

There was a man that couldn't be out of his twenties holding a little girl. Thankfully, his back was turned. Not so thankfully, she stumbled in the sand, falling with a loud oomph. Brilliant. Just what she needed to end her day.

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[Jasper Devine]

Just when Jasper was beginning to get used to the silence, the drowsy child in his arms began to fidget, kicking and flailing around like some sort of animal. He had barely gotten half-way up the beach when she suddenly started to move wildly, causing him to stop in his tracks in order to put her down. Jasper simply assumed that she wanted to walk beside him on his own; a fair enough request for a young girl of four. But, apparently, he guessed wrong, for the minute Emelia’s feet touched the ground, she took off back toward the water’s edge, leaving her now-perplexed father behind without sparing a second. She didn’t even bother to take the time to explain why she needed to go back, and instead, presumed her worrisome and predictable father would follow. And, as was expected, he did. Like an obidient yet reluctant dog, Jasper turned around with a heavy, somewhat annoying sigh, rolling his eyes as he followed after his daughter, praying she had a good reason for kicking him in the stomach and running off.

The little girl was much faster than he was, and thus reached their destination quicker than Jasper. She ran over to the spot where they were sitting only a few minutes ago, digging around in the sand for the two toys that were left behind. Just as Jasper finally caught up with her, she retrieved them, brushing out their hair with her fingernails as she glared up in irritation at her father, “You left my dollies.” The child stated accusingly, her lips a thin line across her pale face. Normally, Jasper might put up some sort of fight; after all, he wasn’t the one in charge of Emma’s silly playthings. But, he kept his mouth shut for once, giving in to her allegation with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders and a single word of apology, “Sorry.” He muttered dully. There was a short, thirty second pause between the two of them before Jasper finally spoke up again, “You ready to go?” Emelia nodded slowly in response, reaching up for her father’s hand as they once again continued their short journey toward the boardwalk. But, it wasn’t long before another interruption delayed their travels, for as Jasper glanced down the beach, he couldn’t help but notice the silouhette of a young woman amongst the fading sunlight.

Normally, Jasper would pay no mind to other people, being the rather anti-social hermit that he was. However, something about this woman in particular caught his eye, which was especially strange considering he could barely make out her face, or who she was. He was so captivated by her appearance that he even had to stop for a second time just to watch her, a gesture that caused alarm in the four-year-old walking next to him. She tuggled lightly at his gloved hand, hoping to catch his attention. But, still, Jasper didn’t move. He glanced down at Emelia, then back to the dark figure in the distance, suddenly feeling uncertain of his rash thoughts. It was weird, to see a woman sitting alone on a beach at this time ofnight… right? It would be polite and courteous to check on her, and make sure she’s okay… right? That fast, Jasper began to second guess himself. On the other hand, maybe she didn’t want to be bothered. Maybe she was alone for a reason. Maybe it would be best if he just let things lie.

But, at the same time, Jasper was awfully curious. What did he have to lose, anyway? It wasn’t like there was anyone else around to witness it if she blew up on him or something. Then again, he’d have to live with the guilt if he did end up bothering her. He went back and forth on the decision for a good five minutes, weighing the pros and cons, yet still not getting anywhere in his decision-making. Finally, though, after what felt like hours of walking around in circles, Jasper’s lips quivered, mumbling three small words to his daughter before he walked slowly and nervously toward the woman nearby. “Wait a minute.” He gestured for Emma to follow, and, though confused, she obeyed, quietly trailing at her father’s heels.

It didn’t take the duo long to reach their destination, and a now-shaking Jasper took a deep yet uneasy breath and cautiously approached the woman. She was pretty, a brunette, whom he could now see was wet and smelled strongly of saltwater. Was she out there swimming the entire time, and Jasper just never noticed? It wasn’t really unlikely; after all, he wasn’t exactly the sharpest when it came to paying attention. “H-Hi,” Jasper finally stammered, already ruining things by sounded like some sort of anxious stalker, “I… I don’t want to bother you or anything, but…” He hesitated, his stomach churning as he considered just walking away one last time before choking out the words, “… are you alright?”

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[Eleanor Byrne]

Eleanor tilted her head to the side, surprised to notice the man with the little girl was staring at her. It was odd, and it made her self-conscious about her rumpled clothes and air-dried, salt-encrusted hair. While he stared, she stared also, though she tried to be a bit discrete about it, ducking her head to throw some hair in her face.

When he came up to her, obviously nervous, she made an effort to smile. "Oh, I'm fine. Just a little tired." She pushed her hair back and smiled. I'm Eleanor. Eleanor Byrne. It's nice to meet you." She held out a hand after carefully noting his hands were dry. The last thing she needed was to grow a tail in front of complete strangers after moving back to town.

[Jasper Devine]

A strong feeling of relief washed over Jasper as she turned to him, looking calm and easy upon his shaking figure. He still felt a little bad for just waltzing right up to her, a total stranger, and speaking to her like some sort of creep, but at least she wasn't angry; and if she was, she did a nice job of hiding it, making him feel more a bit more comfortable with the situation. Her voice was soft and sweet, the complete opposite of the yelling and screaming Jasper was preparing himself for. A smile crossed his face as he nodded, locks of his thick, brown hair bouncing in front of his hazel eyes as he did so. "... O-Oh." He stuttered, a bit of a delay to his uncertain voice. His eyes flickered from the sand beneath their feet to the woman before him, searching his mind for something clever to say while regret slowly began to sink into his chest. Well, now what was he supposed to do? Just leave, or sit there with her and hold up a conversation? Both options seemed equally horrifying and embarrassing, bringing poor Jasper closer to a panic attack the more he thought about them.

Well, one thing was for sure: he couldn't just walk away without making himself look like a total asshole. And what if she happened to see him on the street or something one day? Sure, it was highly unlikely considering Gold Coast was the second most populated city in the state, but, still, it could happen; and there was no doubt that conversation would be far worse than the one that was almost going on now. So, taking a deep breath in attempt to calm his nerves, Jasper turned his attention back to the brunette, hoping the silence would die out soon.

It seemed that God was smiling down on him that day, for Eleanor spoke up and introduced herself. Well, that was a nice place to start, right? Jasper nodded once again, taking her hand lightly in his. "Jasper," he said quickly, "Jasper Devine." Again, he smiled at her, trying to look at least a little relaxed, rather than the freaked out, nervous spaz that he normally portrayed to people. "It's nice to meet you, too." His eyes slid to the side, taking notice of the little girl at his side, who was quietly playing with her dolls in the sand. It sounds kind of horrible, but Jasper had been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he almost forgot she was even there. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, catching her attention. "Oh, um... this is my daughter, Emelia." He introduced as the child gave a little wave in Eleanor's direction, an innocent smile crossing over her pale face. "Hi, lady." She spoke cheerfully, her high-pitched yet soft voice making Jasper laugh. It didn't last long, though, for it slowly began to dissipate as another silence began to set in. That quickly, Jasper felt a sense of anxiety set in, finding himself at a lose for words for a second time since they had first spoken.

[Eleanor Byrne]

Eleanor grinned. He seemed to be at a complete loss for words. It was kind of odd, in a way. He had been the one to come over to her. She didn't mind, though. It was hard to search out the people that you used to know after packing up and leaving without a word for seemingly no reason. Kinda gave the wrong impression to people.

She hadn't noticed the little girl, though now that she did she couldn't get over how adorable she was. "Hello there," she said, kneeling down next to her. "Tell you what. You can just call me Ella, okay? Not 'lady'?" She smiled and stood, her knees crackling loudly.