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Prosper had insisted that they attend the party, but Ophelia hadn't yet seen anyone she knew. It was strange to be older, with arms and legs so long she didn't know what to do with them, and she didn't like the new bathing suit she'd had to buy, despite numerous assurances from the salesgirl that it was the style for girls her age. (Which, by anyone's guess, was about ten.)

Prosper, who was excited about his new job as an art teacher, had gone off to find some of the other parents and find out more about the school community, and had told her to go make some friends. But everyone seemed so clique-y! Where was she supposed to find friends in a place like this?

Instead she'd wandered away, somewhat ashamed of the hips and the height she hadn't had before, and found a lonely looking volleyball net. It was, however, obviously intended for the party because there was a new-looking, fully inflated ball lying in the sand.

Ophelia picked up the ball and smacked it into the net. She could amuse herself just fine.

Ophelia dropped the ball and blinked at the new arrival. For a moment, she thought it was Lizzy - after all, white hair and wings couldn't be that common - but decided against the judgement. This girl looked nothing like her friend.

"I'm Ophelia," she said, forcing a smile. "My friends... ah... call me Squishy."

She retrieved the ball and tossed it over the net.

"Do you want to play?" she asked.

"It's not hard," said Ophelia. "You just... uh... hit the ball over the net and try not to let it touch the ground. Why don't you serve?" She positioned herself in the middle of her side of the court, trying to be ready for anything. The only time she had played volleyball before was with her father, and he always went easy on her.

"I like your wings," she called.

Maddy had been imitating Ophelia's position, ready to throw the ball when Melchy reached the net. More people? Well, that was alright with her, as long as they were as nice as Ophelia was to her. Which reminded her that the other girl had been talking to her before the stranger had arrived.

She smiled shyly at the newcomer, before lightly throwing the ball over the net. She wasn't a very good thrower, but hopefully no-one would mind terribly.
"It's alright with me, if it's alright with Squishy?" her wings flickered in betrayal of her nervousness.

"Uh-uh. No way yer real name's 'Squishy'."

Melchy wasn't questioning, he was demanding. He was putting himself out there, putting his hands on his hips, and insisting that the strange girl in the bikini was not named Squishy. "Jus' like m'real name ain't Cat or Boyo." He shrugged, glanced at Nahuel, and tossed his head. "Anyways, th'full name's Melchizedek, 'ey all call m'Melchy." He tilted his head and gave Ophelia a rakish grin. "I answer t'anythin', though."

Then he glanced at the possibilities for teams. Well, he'd definitely have Keres on his team, that was a given. Now it was just deciding between the other three. Maybe it'd be best if it were just him and Keres. After all, he couldn't think of a single human (or nonhuman, for that matter) being a scarier opponent than his sphinxy friend.

"I gotta nother friend comin' up," he said, "an' I'll take her. Th'other three of yez c'n be a team."

And, as if on cue, a loud, sharp yell of, "OI, CAT!" announced said "other person's" ohsoanticipated appearance.

"Stop tryin' to be hot s**t and flirting with all the girls," Keres barked when she got up to the group. She hadn't heard any of the conversation of who's name was what and so forth, but she had seen the grin Melchy gave to the bikini clad girl. Boys... they were such pigs. She knew what thoughts went through his mind.

She gave him a shove against the side of his head for good measure before she turned and actually gave any attention to the others. With her gold, feral eyes she glanced at the two unknown girls who had been at the game.. place first.

"I'm Keres," she announced down to them, realizing the differences in their heights compared to her own. God she felt like a freak...

That one girl had pretty butterfly wings though...

She shook her head and looked back at Melchy. "What exactly are we playing...?" she asked loudly, though there was a hint of uncertainty and meekness in her voice.

Keres' appearance earned only a slight, knowing grin from Melchizedek, and he immediately reached out and tapped her lightly on the shoulder. "We're teammates, girly," he said, and then tossed his head. "Called volleyball. Point is t'hit th'ball over th'net an' keep th'other team from hittin' it." He nodded and gave Keres a small smile. She was by far the tallest of the flock, and that would certainly be an advantage in the game.

And then the brown-haired girl told her his name and he grinned. "Ophelia," he said with a nod, almost one between equals. Bit of an unwieldy name, sounded like it was hard to spell. A lot like his, really. But then he flicked his hair out of his eyes with the tips of one finger and put his hands back on his hips.

"So which of yez wants to hit it over here, eh?"

He looked at Keres and quickly clapped his hands together in a double fist. "Far's I know, ye'll do best t'hit it like this," he suggested in a low voice.

Honestly, he had never played volleyball, but any frequent beachgoer came across the game eventually, and he had watched quite a bit as the weather had warmed up.

Keres made a silent "Oh" with her lips and nodded her head. So THAT'S what this game was called; she had seen a couple people playing it once before, but she had never learned what the hell it was.

She looked at Melchy and mimicked the way he held his hands, but untangled them a second later. "I will," she offered to the butterfly-winged girl. She moved more in front of the middle of the net, her hands semi-poised to take up the ball -- whether it was rolled or tossed.