Poolside - Inez & Catseye // Inez & Julian

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With the coming of summer, Inez tries to relax by the pool, but a certain purple cat has other plans.



With the summer officially having arrived, Inez was more than happy to take advantage of one of the rare moments that the outdoor pool wasn't completely full. Finding a pair of oversized sunglasses and a two-piece swimsuit was easy enough to start an afternoon of lounging out in the sun.

The sleek jungle cat stalked the watering hole, movements fluid and graceful as she crouched low to the ground, all senses tuned to her prey. Catseye loved this game. She was in regular housecat form, but in her mind she was every bit the BigCat she could transform into. She moved silently around the side of the pool deck, certain that Inez couldn't hear her approaching, and positioned herself behind the chaise where her classmate was lounging. She waggled her back end as she got into pouncing position, then attacked the bathing suit's strings with vigour, trying to capture them in her paws and tug at them with her teeth.

Inez sat up with a shriek, clutching the top of her two-piece to her chest in a sudden panic. "Dammit! Who thought that was funny?" she gasped as she looked around for any of the likely culprits. Then again, she thought, with the boys around the school, none of them were likely to be trying to steal her bikini top.

Then she saw the purple cat and smiled despite herself, trying to hold the small scraps of fabric still and shake her head at the same time. "Ooooh, you. Bad kitty!"

Catseye came around to the front of the chair and jumped into Inez's lap, careful not to dig her claws into the bare flesh, and nuzzled Inez's hand with her cheek affectionately before taking another swipe at a dangling string.

Giggling and fidgeting, Inez swatted lightly at Catseye's paws before reaching down and grabbing the cat by the collar and lifting her up off the ground. "Aha!" she exclaimed. "See how you like it!"

The sensation of choking had Catseye panicking but instead of lashing out with her claws, worried about hurting Inez, she shifted into girlform so that her human self returned to Inez's lap rather than the cat body dangling in the air.

Inez let out a startled 'eep!' and tumbled backwards, suddenly noticing that she was winding up with the purple-haired girl on top of her. The second thing she noticed was ripped fabric in her hand that might have at one time been part of Catseye's collar that might have been halfway into becoming a shirt before it tore.

The third thing Inez realized was that if any of the boys were to walk out and find two of their female classmates topless and rolling around by the pool, they'd likely explode.

Trying to catch her breath between giggles, Inez poked at the older girl's ribs. "Okay, okay! Truce! Truce!"

Catseye stopped giggling and looked down at herself curiously. "Collar came off," she pointed out bemusedly, although she was aware that Inez would have realized that. She rolled off Inez and gave another tug at the strings. "Catseye thinks it's only fair that since TableBreakingGirl made Catseye have no clothes Catseye should get TableBreakingGirl's strings."

"Table breaking...?" Inez repeated, then giggled and clutched her top to her chest again. "Wait, nuh-uh! You can just go all cat again! No one cares if cats are naked!"

"If Catseye went back to catform, Catseye could not talk and Catseye wants to talk to TableBreakingGirl about the name TableBreakingGirl, and if TableBreakingGirl likes it or if she thinks Inez is a better name." She was distracted from her original purpose by Inez's comment about being naked, however. "How come no one cares?" Catseye asked, though she wasn't sure if Inez could answer her question. She perched in an adjacent lounger, comfortable with her own nudity. "How come cats can be naked but humans can not?"

Inez righted the lounge chair quickly, finally giving up and tying the top of her swimsuit back on and hoping none of the boys were getting an eyeful from the sunroom. "Dude, it's not like I'm gonna be all prudish, yo. But if you go walking around naked, you know, folks are gonna think you're weird. People wear clothes. Cats have fur, they don't need clothes. Get it?"

Then she realized that Catseye had asked another question. "Yeah, about that. How come you've always got nicknames for people? Just a habit or is that some kind of cat thing?" Great, I'm asking about cat psychology. This beats trying not to offend Dori's squirrel for weirdness.

"But people have fur too," Catseye pointed out, glancing at her own arms and groin. "Catseye does not understand." She blew out a breath at Inez's question. It seemed like she'd been explaining it a lot lately; she reminded herself to make a journal post soon so she wouldn't have to keep explaining it. "Human names are hard to remember beause they do not mean anything to cats even though cats are very smart, especially Catseye," she answered. "Naming things because of what they look like or what they do is easier. But Mister Beaubier and BurningGirl say it is mean to call things names because of what they do or look like. And Catseye does not want to be mean to her friends so Catseye is supposed to ask if people think the names Catseye has for people are mean or if they do not mind."

"Oh," Inez said as she thought about it. "That kinda makes more sense. You pretty much call things like you see 'em, without trying to hide how you think. I like that. People aren't usually that honest."

She leaned back in the chair and pushed her sunglasses up to hold her hair back, absently brushing blades of grass off her arms. "So, uh, this might be weird, but do you have a name other than Catseye? I mean, I know that's what everyone calls you, but - do you?"

Catseye grinned proudly at Inez's comment about her being more honest than people, but her good mood faded at the question. It didn't make her sad, persay, and it certainly didn't make her angry. It was just... strange, talking about her past, because it made her think about her family and the life she might have had with them. "Catseye was named Gabrielle Elizabeth Smith by the MotherPerson and the FatherPerson," she said slowly. "The MotherPerson calls Catseye this name sometimes. But that is not what Catseye likes to be called. Mister Beaubier and BurningGirl say that names are special because people have them their whole lives, and also that...." she struggled to remember Angel's words, "there are names that we're given when we're born and some names that we grow into." Catseye thinks she likes the special name she grew into better than the one she got given when she was born." She got distracted by a bug landing in the pool, watching it with interest. "But when Catseye came to the school she got called Sharon for papers. Catseye does not mind Sharon. Does Inez like being called Inez?"

Inez looked down at her fingers. "My mom named me Inez," she said quietly. "She died when I was a baby. So that's kind of something I have to remember her by. My dad says I look like her..." She sniffed once, then put on a smile. "But enough about that. I bet we can run in and get you a suit right quick and go for a swim, yo?"

"Catseye thinks that is an extraspecial name, then," the purple-haired girl said softly, smiling. She reached over and petted Inez's arm. "Catseye thinks it is much more special than TableBreakingGirl. And Catseye is going to ask VisionsGirl to name the baby mousie Catseye found 'Inez' because its mother died when it was a by too but if it is named Inez it will be strong and nice just like Inez the human!" She stroked her friend's arm for a moment more before making a face. "Catseye does not want a suit!" she protested. "Does Catseye have to wear one?"

Thinking about it, Inez shook her head with a smile. "Heck no. I think the boys could probably use a heart attack or two."




Hours later, Inez manages to get some quiet time in the sun. Until Julian shows up and things get a bit heated.




Inez stretched out on the deck chair, her hair finally dry after the morning's little "swim" with Catseye. It has been a while since she'd been able to actually laugh and relax and have fun after Bosnia. For the afternoon, she just was content to stretch out on one of the deck chairs and soak up a few rays.

With the sun almost at its daily zenith, Julian started what had become something of a daily ritual- his afternoon swim. The long New England winter had confined his exercise to the weight room and aerobic machines. No longer would he need to toil against the strain of a bench press, or suffer exhaustion on the long climb of a stair stepper. While the workouts had done wonder for his tone, Keller still preferred the water.

There he was in his natural element and swimming really was the best exercise. Unfortunately, his disdain for indoor pools and the recent drama that had arisen in the wake of prom often kept him away from the outdoor facility in the earlier hours. With any luck, Angel wouldn't be there.

Glancing over the hedges, Julian found himself in luck- there weren't a lot of people there and most of them were lounging rather than swimming. Not paying much attention to who was sitting where- only having checked for flaming red hair or blue fire balls being hurled at his head- Julian slipped off his shoes and tosses his shirt and towel on the lounger next to Inez- momentarily blocking her sun.

"You're. In. My. Light." Inez growled without turning her head towards Julian. "If you don't move by the count of three, I'll..."

When she opened her eyes behind her dark glasses to see Julian - shirtless Julian - standing next to her deck chair, whatever threat she was about to issue came out as a high-pitched squeak. "...hi?"

Julian smirked, while Inez may have had the advantage in formal wear- and in that bikini- Keller looked fantastic in his green and black swim trunks. "You'll hi me? Not exactly up to your typical standard of threats, Inez. I mean, toss me in the lake or something at least."

"The lake's overdone," she responded. "Besides, that's what the old folks do. Me? If I was going to torture you or something..." Inez paused to adjust the top of her swimsuit before stretching out, arms over her head as she leaned back. "I dunno, I'd try and be a little more creative."

Taking a seat next to her, he attempted to check out her rather vivacious figure with some tact and subtlety. There was no denying, as he began his stretches, that Inez Temple was gorgeous. "I'm sure you'd be able to think of something," he said wryly. "Mind if I barrow some sunblock?" Keller didn't wait for an answer as he grabbed the bottle from beneath her chair and started to rub it into his arms.

"Mm." Inez mumbled by way of permission. "Wouldn't want you to get burned. And speaking of..."

Waiting for a moment for her to finish the comment, Julian finally gave up, "What?"

"You and Angel," Inez explained. "She still all sorts of pissed at you about the Esme thing?" In the few seconds of stunned silence, she looked over and smiled broadly at Julian. "Oh, don't try and hide it, we all heard about it. Smooth move there, newbie."

A slight blush set into Julian's cheeks. "I'm not denying anything...I'm still trying to figure out what the hell happened though." Slowly spreading the off white lotion across his chest, he continued, "I didn't want to kiss, Esme- well, no, I did, but I didn't want to, ya know? And then we were...and then Angel saw...and now," he sighed, "I have no effing clue what's going on."

"Julian, did your parents never give you the Talk?" Inez teased. "When you get to a certain age and things start feeling funny with your body, and you start noticing girls differently...?"

"Ha-ha, very funny," Jules said with a sarcastic roll of the eyes. "And no, my parents were of the school of thought that if you don't teach a kid about sex, they won't know what it is. Speaking of parents...I got another letter from home. They were a little upset that I sent all those flowers to Bosnia."

"Hell with 'em," Inez said sharply. "Your parents suck, dude. If they give you shit about trying to make a friend who nearly died feel better, who needs 'em?" She actually clenched her fists hard enough that the sound of her knuckles cracking could be heard probably across the pool.

"Y'know," she said in a lighter, almost teasing tone, "I kinda got banged up a bit too, and I didn't get any flowers..."

Flinching slightly as she cracked her knuckles, Julian let the unease pass silently and grinned ruefully. This time the once over of her body was anything but subtle. "You look fine from here- what happened?"

Inez sighed, sitting up and taking her sunglasses off before looking at Julian. "I was right there when Yvette stepped on the mine. Kinda knocked me for a loop, and I got cut up a bit," she winced at the memory - "a bit" was an understatement after she'd carried the razor-sharp girl almost a mile to the camp - "carrying Yvette back to the Red Cross camp. But the doctors bandaged me up and checked my head and I was fine the next day. Go tough me, yay," she mock-cheered, her voice suddenly tired and flat.

Julian shifted and set down the bottle, rubbing the remainder into the back of his neck. "I...I hadn't heard about that- everyone here just heard that Yvette was maybe gunna die. I guess we were distracted." Knowing the feeling of seeing a team member carted off the field (though never having done the carting off himself) he could sympathize with her. "You may be okay outside, but how are you doing...really, I mean."

"I'm... okay, I think," Inez responded after a while. "I know it wasn't my fault, and I'm not blaming myself or second-guessing things anymore. Not since we got told she's going to be okay. I kinda felt for a while like I should've looked out for her more, I guess. Some take-charge leader I am, right?" she joked with a small laugh.

With a small smile, Julian picked the bottle back up and held it out to her, "Can you do my back?" He turned around slightly, laying himself across the chair before continuing, "From the sound of it, this wasn't one of those poor-leadership-almost-got-a-team-member-killed sort of situations. It does sound like a team-leader-was-willing-to-sacrifice-herself-to-get-the-help-the-team-needed-situation, yeah?"

"That's a good way to look at it," Inez said, picking up the sunscreen bottle, almost on autopilot before she came to her senses. "You know me," she said as she began rubbing lotion into Julian's back and shoulders, "anything my friends need, y'know?"

Teasingly, she leaned in close to Julian's ear. "If you know what I mean," she said quietly.

Blushing slightly, again, Keller cleared his throat and shut his eyes, "I have a few ideas what you might mean...care to make it any more clear?"

Inez smiled wickedly, even though Julian couldn't see her. "I suppose I could..." she whispered.

Glancing over her shoulder, she tugged the top of her bikini up and laid herself flat against Julian's back. "If you're feeling, y'know, like some friendly company..."

Suddenly very glad he was laying on his stomach, Julian took in a sharp breath, "Friendly?"

"Mm-hmm," Inez purred, wiggling slightly. "You know, I happen to know an empty suite where I might go relax for a bit. Nice and quiet and private... there might be room for two, even."

With a quiet sigh, Inez leaned up slightly to readjust her swimsuit, then bent down to kiss Julian on the ear. "You're a good guy, Jules. I hope Angel comes to her senses and sees it. But if she doesn't..."

The offer was seriously tempting and in his current situation, he wouldn't be going anywhere. "You...are just...wow...." Words failed him as she kept it up in more ways than one. He sighed, knowing he really shouldn't- particularly since he still wanted to get Angel back. "I just...I'm not ready?" He felt like a complete tool as soon as the words left his mouth.

With a quiet sigh, Inez leaned up slightly to readjust her swimsuit, then bent down to kiss Julian on the ear. "You're a good guy, Jules. I hope Angel comes to her senses and sees it. But if she doesn't..."

Playfully, she reached down to snap the waistband of his swim trunks. "You know where I'll be. And, um... you might want to take a dip. Water's nice and cold."