Welcome to Gaia! ::

ტრεჟค Now I know why the girls hated her.

Aren nodded, concurring with the need to go back to the condo. Jet lag wore his body down, and his limbs were beginning to feel as though his very bones were made of lead. It wouldn't bode well if he passed out face first in the sand; waking up with the grains peppering his tongue would be a less than pleasant way to start the day to say the least. However, the euphoria from having his old best friend here had kept his spirits high enough that he'd thus far been able to sufficiently ignore the exhaustion, but as she was retreating to her own room, he figured that it was the perfect time for him to follow suit. A sigh escaped him, and he wondered how she intuitively knew that he'd been staying in this room. He reached for the door knob with a chuckle, a few octaves deeper than what she'd remember, "Seriously, Shandra... I can make it to my room without your assistance." The native teased, grinning the same lopsided grin that she'd known from Montana.

And then it dawned on him. Someone else's stuff might have been in the room. Oh no. This was just too good; he'd picked the room that she did. "Moahk... tell me something. Which room is yours?" He'd die if she had chosen this one; apparently all subtlety was lost on Napi(Old Man), and he'd wanted to make sure that Shandra's path and his would cross.

Wait. A fleeting thought that he'd brushed aside as nothing more than a prediction of what was to come had Shandra chosen to stay on the reservation, came to the forefront of his mind. Red haired comrade will stand at the crossroads, on one path, the path that will choose which destiny belongs to you. He hadn't understood then. He had three years. Three extra years here. Where would that put him? Five years ago, he'd been so sure of the answer, and even now, his heart beat only to see the mountainous view of Montana, but it had faded a bit, and the seeds of doubt had been planted.

But Shandra was back in his life. How many of the other things were true as well?

Never again would he question the Shaman's words of wisdom. Too bad she didn't say what he'd decide.

He blinked, forcing him out of his thoughts and to stare back at the red head he'd known so well in their youth. "Looks like we're roomies for the night." The playful tone was thick with implications, and he laughed right after, not able to hold himself to actually entertain that idea.

Honestly, Aren wouldn't have minded switching rooms if she had requested it, but they'd lived in the same house before, and it wasn't as though either of them had a romantic interest in the other. He'd migrate to a different room in the morning; it could wait until then, just so that they didn't wake someone in their quest to find somewhere for him to crash. Despite his exhaustion, Shandra had mentioned him retelling the story of Poia... and he'd happily obliged, animatedly painting the story with words. He was meant to be storykeeper for his tribe, his very heart beat for it.

And so the night disappeared, faded with him sleeping stubbornly on the floor. No way he was going to commandeer the bed from a lady.

-Morning-

California's sun splotched his face at dawn's first light, though it was not quite harsh enough to be considered cumbersome or painful. But it was enough to awaken the Native American that had been happily sleeping on the floor. Somehow - he guessed Shandra - he'd managed to get the blanket from the bed, and a plush pillow had replaced the dufflebag that he'd tucked underneath his head. Damn woman. He thought idly as a yawn stretched his core. Still stubborn as an ox. Actually, he was surprised that she'd not heaved the mattress onto the floor and rolled him on it in the midst of his sleep; he'd never put something like that past her.

The smell of food wafted through the air, catching his senses with a rolling desire to satiate his morning's hunger, and if there'd been any doubts that he was awake, they would have been gone now. Instantly his eyes shot open and he sat upright, with no ill effects from sleeping without a mattress. This though, was likely due to the fact that he was used to it; his grandparents had taken over the boys' room, and he had opted to sleep on the carpet so that his brothers could take the hide-a-bed couch.

Shandra was already awake, unless of course she'd snuck out to find somewhere else to sleep. Doubtful... but a possibility all the same. But he caught a glimpse of fiery red locks and he exhaled a breath that he'd not meant to hold onto. The image of her hair made his hands grab a fistful of his; and he thought about her roundabout way of saying that his was different than the others. He supposed that he could braid it, but that was typically a girl's fashion off of the reservation. Contemplatively, Aren tilted his head to the side and considered how upset the girls would be if he chopped off his lustrious locks. That did it. Aren clambered over to his dufflebag and pulled out a small, handcrafted knife and bunched his hair up into something similar to what was called a "pony tail." He drug the edge of the knife over his hair, and immediately his head felt five pounds lighter.

Hopefully it wouldn't look too bad. But if it did, he'd just have to go beg a native on the island to fix it. Surely one of them would know how to crop hair in a correct fashion. Aren released the grip on his hair and shook it out before he gathered what he'd literally just sliced off and threw it in a sandwich bag that he rummaged from his bag. If he didn't think that sending it home would leave a few of the girls riled up, he'd have thrown it away. But having them fret would make the shipping all worthwhile.

Once done, Aren stole a glance at Shandra, ignoring the hunger for now. When had she gotten so painfully attractive? Sure, she was pretty before, but it was like he was just now noticing it, that he'd only just opened his eyes to gaze upon the beauty she'd become. A coy grin slipped into his features and he hugged his knees, rocking back and forth for a moment before stalking over to her, each lithe step a bit more flirtatious than the last. "Good morning, Shandra."

He didn't stop until he was just in front of her, and he did his best to resist the urge to trail a finger down her cheek. Something wasn't right here. This was Shandra... his best friend so many summers ago. "I'd venture to guess that you didn't sleep, just as you promised." Even if she hadn't - which he suspected to be the case - he'd have not taken the bed she'd insisted upon in a million years. It'd have been rude.

His eyes bore into hers, an intensity within the chocolate pools that he'd not ever directed at her before, but something within him was.. giddy, excitable. And the sheer sight of her lovely countenance was enough to stir the feelings within him. He winked, actually winked at her was the next line slid from the depths of somewhere he hadn't known existed. "You know.. if you'd needed entertainment for those hours, I'm sure I could have foregone that type of sleep for another kind." What on earth was he saying?

A velvet chuckle escaped his chest, deeper than he'd used before. "If you want to take me up on that later, I'd happily oblige your request." Napi! If she didn't smack him, he would. Just as soon as he was able to do so. Because this wasn't awkward in the least. Hitting on your best friend made you cool. Right.

What the hell is going on?

Raine smiled as her friend muttered for more sleep, that smile only widening as she felt Sophia;s body curl against her under the covers. The girl’s head made it to her lap, Raine gently reaching down and smoothing her hair with a gentle hand. She felt the girl’s arms slide about her waist, butterflies seeming to erupt in her stomach as she continued to gently stroke Sophie’s head.

“Now now, not everything outside that door can be evil. But if you want to stay in, I can go get breakfast and bring it back. Breakfast in bed?” Sophia showed no signs of moving, and Raine was perfectly alright with that prospect. Sure, she found herself hungry, but she didn’t want to disturb her friend if she didn’t have to. Sitting this close with her – well, it felt nice. Really nice. It was not until her roommate moved, prompted by a deep growl of her stomach, that Raine moved a muscle, giggling as she felt the girl nudge her shoulder with her nose. It was too adorable to resist. Seriously, how did she never notice how cute Sophia was in the morning until now?

“Oh, I know! Remy makes one heck of a breakfast spread, I’ll give him that much. However, Miss Sophie, it's your lucky day,” she said with a smile, standing from where she was on the edge of the bed, placing her hands on her hips with a slightly satisfied look on her face. She wanted to do something nice for Sophia, something that was going to show how much she meant to her. Something that was going to taste delicious! Leaning forwards slightly, curls falling over her shoulders, a smile never left her lips as Raine stood over her beautiful friend.

“I just happen to have the best waffle recipe you’ll ever taste. Burke-McEwan family secret, you know. And, I just happen to be in the mood to make them. What say you to that? We could eat in bed, talk about our feelings…have a pillow fight. You know, girl stuff.” It was clear that she was joking around about anything other than the waffles, which sounded just…divine. It had been awhile since she had made any of her family recipes, but today was a special day, and deserved special morning sustenance. There was nothing like fresh waffles with strawberries and a little bit of warm maple syrup to start things off on the right foot.

Omega: Finishing up at the beach.

Once Forellen had excused herself for the evening she took her leave and went back inside the condo humming absently to herself as the wine had really relaxed her. Knowing that there were going to be more than one person not feeling at all well in the morning Forellen decided to shower before going to bed and wasn’t surprised that she didn’t have to rush to allow someone else their turn in the shower so she took a nice hot soak and then padded back to her room yawning. It was more than time for bed and Forellen was starting to crash. She tossed her cloths into the small hamper next to the dresser and crawled into bed passing out almost as soon as her head hit the pillow.

The next morning: Was this supposed to make me feel good?

Forellen had to actually drag herself out of bed and glared bleary eyed at the alarm clock on the night stand. She mopped a hand down her face and yawned stretching out to get the kinks out of her back. For some reason she wasn’t feeling quite herself this morning. Could it be the wine and she had a hangover? Forellen took a moment to think about that and shook her head negatively at the thought. Unlikely she only had about three glasses of wine and had a nice snack earlier in the evening so it couldn’t be the wine.

Getting up Forellen looked at herself in the mirror and yawned again the off feeling lessening slightly. Perhaps she just didn’t sleep well? That had to be it and in that case the cure was simple. A nice cup of tea with breakfast would work wonders for her mood. Oddly she took her time getting dressed and dressed nicely as if she was going to go out for the afternoon. She even caught herself putting some makeup on which she usually didn’t if she wasn’t going out anywhere. Shaking her head Forellen put her makeup away and breezed out her door into the hallway.

Upon stepping out into the hallway Forellen could already feel her mood lifting. The sun was streaming through the windows and it looked like it was going to be a gorgeous day. Taking a deep breath Forellen could smell that someone was making breakfast. Good she was not really in the mood for cooking for herself today. Because when one cooked oneself breakfast one usually would up making breakfast for everyone. She didn’t mind cooking...she just wasn’t in the mood. So with her usual grace and charm she swept into a rather busy kitchen. ”Good morning everyone.” She said as she went for her tea.

ტრεჟค snogging with my best friend. what?

He grinned when he saw the red head eye the baggy with confusion. "I'm sending it home... screw with one of the girls' heads." It was a particular girl, one he had had developed a crush on once Shandra had left. And she, obviously liked him too, despite his constant teasing and causing her to sputter. Tatsikiyaiko'ko, or Tatsiki for short. She was shy at first, and even when she caught his eyes with hers, her cheeks would flood with color and her eyes would stray. But persistance had paid off, and he'd eventually gotten her to seek him out. Now she was outspoken with him, and he would just be beside himself if he received an angry letter from her, scolding him because he'd abandoned that part of their tribe. But three years was a long time to allow for it to grow back.

Surprisingly Shandra didn't retreat, but after she ran her fingers through his hair, he pulled back the still somewhat long locks (comparatively speaking, as they fell to his shoulders) and tied them with a leather cord from his pocket. And then his hands worked at her hair, unbraiding the loose tresses so that he could do it over for her. It was a quick job, nimble fingers stroking and reveling in the silken feeling that her hair had. "I'll do so when we get back. Honestly I don't know if any of the natives here would know how to cut hair, but until then, it's just layers." He stole a glance at the mirror so that he could gage why she seemed so disapproving. It resembled the job that his sister had done to her hair many times over, save a few strands that had somehow missed the blade; he'd take the sheers to them in just a few minutes, clean up the messy job he'd done. Note to self: make sure to use scissors, and make sure you have a mirror on hand. But now...

Now he had Shandra's attention, and such a feat wasn't an opportunity he was going to miss. The size shifter lightly tapped a finger on her nose and gave off a soft, velvety laugh. "I must have told you this a million times, but the red in your cheeks goes well with those flaming locks of hair. But you know what I'm talking about, Moahk." Aren whispered in her ear, inching closer to her face involuntarily. His eyes fell on her lips and a small grin formed on his; he knew exactly what to do, and his hand came up to cup her cheek and a low, sultry murmuring reached her ear. "This is just the beginning of the invitation."

And with that, he closed the gap between them, locking his mouth on hers in a tender but still demanding kiss. The feeling of her against him sent electricity firing through his veins, and he poured it into what he gave her. His other hand instintively snaked around her waist and pulled her in closer; the warmth of her was savory, satisifying, and right now, he didn't think he'd ever let her go. He didn't want to let her go; she tasted wonderful, something he'd never even fancied before, and now he wasn't sure if it'd be something he'd ever forget.

But there was a small voice inside his head, urging him to stop because this was just not normal; one didn't neck with their best friend. It wasn't enough to sound his retreat completely though; Shandra hadn't seemed to mind the close proximity. He leaned back to take in the visage that was Shandra's and Shandra's alone. "Nitá'painahkimaa... and I think you would be perfect for the position." What was he saying? That he wanted a girlfriend? If he had been in the right mindset he'd have kicked himself again. Not only was it cheesy, and completely unlike him... this was Shandra, the girl who'd followed him around on the reservation for months, the girl that had introduced him to music of her culture, the girl who had been a completely innocent fourteen when he'd met her. And he couldn't see any of that now. The haze that the woman she'd become shrouded all past thoughts of her, blurred the unspoken boundaries that neither he or she had thought to cross.

The hand that had been cupping her face slid downwards to her shoulder and fell to rest there. Why did he want nothing more than to intertwine their bodies together, have the satin feel of her against him? Something was wrong, but with the euphoria coursing through him, those thoughts of fretting didn't do much to hinder what he'd already done, what he was moving to do again.

His lips hovered, just a hare's breath away from hers while he waited for her answer, an intensity brewing in his chocolate eyes.

Breakfast in Bed, Cooked Just Three Feet Away

Carlos was simply lost in the pleasantness of current company. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so warm, or had been so open. It was a change he could live with. He listened take things to heart where as before they rarely seemed to permeate his pessimism of life. " All true... Except beauty believe applies more to you...", She sat up and came to him and he wondered. Not long she was over him and he hadn't noticed his own arms wrapping around her waist, as she kissed his cheek and then whispered. " I'll see to it then... quickly..." as she slipped away out of his embrace and walked to the bathroom he watched. In part in admiration, the other basic lust. It didn't seem to matter whether he should care about consequence. She made him Happy.

When the water started running, he gave a deep sigh, and exited the room via his unique means. He slowed at the destination and saw it beginning to fill up but appeared in an available space. Mr. Summers seemed awfully busy and hungry, and Carlos really didn't feel like being in a place that would get crowded for long. He waved to Forellen absently as he checked a cupboard for things he could use. He found two deep pots and a frying pan and skillet to use and set them stacked neatly. The next thing he did was raid the frig for three dozen eggs, a package of bacon, a box of sausage patties, a gallon of milk and a gallon orange juice. Mr. Summers looked a little confused and alarmed, as Carlos went on to retrieve two steaks and some liquor?

He was about to protest but suddenly, in a flash of black Carlos was gone before the eyes gathered there. He was back in Evie's room with everything on the floor. He looked around and saw steam from the bathroom so she was taking her time. He was sure her heightened senses pick up the the shower streams as a very welcomed massage to her nervous system. He banished the thoughts for the moment then was gone once again outside. He went around to find small bits of dried out bits of driftwood, and pondered fishing. but that would take too much time he thought. He teleported back into Evie's room leaving behind a small crater in the sand. When he re-appeared, sand spilled onto the carpet and he gathered it up into a large mound. He divided it into two and evened them out before placing the pots on top and placing the wood he had gathered in those.

He breathed and summoned fire into his hand. It was easier now. Like anything he did with skill, it was simply practice. If he did the same with his actual powers maybe he be more on Cissa and Bella's level. He put flame to wood and kindled fires in those pots, and placed the skillet and frying pan on top to get warmed up. She said breakfast in bed, and well, this was close enough. He didn't think she would freak out about this, coming as close as they ever could to burning down a building. Risky, against the rules, and yet still done as safely as possible. Sounds alot like what Evie would do. as soon as it got hot enough he opened the windows to let fresh air and not smoke up the place.

He started breaking the eggs and opening packages to begin and the sounds of searing and cooking could be heard. It was about now he noticed the things he forgot and left again. Back in the Kitchen to a few surprised faces he grabbed seasoning, bread, dishes, bowls, utensils, for cooking and eating, as well as two trays and glasses. Before he was gone once again just as "hold on" came from Mr. Summer's mouth, he grabbed butter and like like a thief unplugged and stole the toaster disappearing. Once again back in the room Carlos was oblivious to Evie as he concentrated on managing the food. Nothing would have burned and would prefer to keep that way as he started turn meat over and flipped what had become a plain omelet in the pan. He neatly stacked food on one plate by what it was. He was gonna cook the steaks last so they won't be cold whenever she got out of the shower.

He scrambled and seasoned some eggs, Sunny side up and whatever could be done with eggs. When he could afford to he went across the room with Liquor and toaster and placed the latter on top the frig, and the bottles inside. Out of ten bottles he was glad to see at least three of those Jack Daniels she was craving. Funny how he had a prizes to claim and she was getting everything. He would have to think harder to get back at her. Back to cooking the food piled and seemed to call to his stomach which growled in complaint. It would have to wait. the more he cooked the more he could devour.

ALPHA Hehe. The day after.

It didn't take Wilbur long to realize he'd worked himself out of the conversation. Too many new people at once kind of made him nervous and Jacen made him even more nervous. He didn't know how he was supposed to take the incident that occurred between him and Leion just a few minutes before. It wasn't that he was against that sort of thing, there were plenty of gay people in Gloucester; Massachusetts had attracted a lot of them since same-sex marriage had passed. He was just becoming more uncomfortable with this whole new situation. He still hadn't been properly introduced to everyone, and shouldn't there be some sort of orientation or something? He figured being a part of a school where you have a very high chance of getting killed required some sort of preparation. In any case, here he was and he was determined to make the best of it. Jacen suggested that Leion be taken back to the condo, and for some ungodly reason, he raised his hand.

"Yeah, sure." Embarrassed, his face turned red as he lowered his hand. Was he really so eager? Or was it just his nerves?

After dropping Leion on a couch in the condo, Wilbur flew back up to the room Bella showed him earlier. Honestly, he wasn't sure if it was his room or not. He didn't bother to turn on a light, or get undressed, before he fell asleep.

~SKIP~

Propped up against the side of the bed, Wilbur realized he hadn't quite made it into his bed. Luckily, he landed in the right room. He was surprised at how clear his head felt, how ready he was for the day. He found a pair of swim shorts to change into, choosing them because they took the least amount of time to put on.

"Holy crap! He exclaimed aloud to himself, "Today is a good a** day!"

Wilbur decided to take the stairs down to the lobby where he passed a few of his team mates on his way out the door. Normally, the sudden burst of sunlight would make him cringe in the early hours of the day. Today was different. Wilbur corked himself into the ground, his signature way of taking off, and spiraled into the air, going very fast. He flew straight up, having to spin himself multiple times to keep the airflow propelling him forward. By the time he had trouble breathing due to the altitude, Wilbur looked down and could see most of Catalina Island. He smiled hugely and torpedoed back to Earth like a hawk after its quarry. He plunged into the water at almost top speed; drugged as he was, he still knew that he could break his neck. The water felt nice on his body which, just the night before, had been subjected to copious amounts of alcohol and sweat. He swam regularly to the shore and walked out with an intense hunger rumbling in his stomach.

Walking back into the foyer of the condo, Wilbur openly voiced his opinion on jellyfish; stating that they should either start making jelly or change their name. His rant was silenced when he saw Cyclops standing in the kitchen. Wilbur walked up to the veteran X-Man, silence, mouth agape, and placed his hands on the sides of Cyclops' face. He patted his cheeks to check and see if he were actually real. Satisfied that he was, Wilbur turned to the fridge and proceeded to eat whatever he could get his hands on. The cupboard also provided food and, satisfied for now, Wilbur walked into the room with cartoons playing. Christian and Jacen were sitting in the room already. He narrowed his eyes at Jacen, whom he still didn't understand and shifted his gaze to Christian, whom he still did not know. Still wet, Wilbur sat on the floor in front of the couch, far too close to the television. Watching the cartoons he watched as a child, caused Wilbur to be overwhelmed by a feeling of warmth and love. Without looking behind him, and with a tear welling up, Wilbur addressed the two.

"Hey, Jacen? I don't care which side of the fence you're on. I just want you to know that I love you anyways. No homo, of course." Still keeping his eyes on the television, "Um, other guy, I'm not sure what your name is, but I love you too, man. My name is Wilbur."

Omega - Flintstones suck

While Christian was in his fit of hysteria, he did notice that someone was leaning up against the back of the couch. He didn’t pay any mind to it, his attention was fully fixed upon the television, with its glorious pictures of a cat being completely owned by a mouse.

Christian’s attentions were finally broken from the tele when he heard Jacen make the same remark that he did. Apparently, Christian wasn’t the only one to whom television was alien to.

“He… HEY!,” Christian said rather excitedly. “How you been, man!?!?” He looked over Jacen once… then twice… then immediately started roaring with laughter. Here was his roomie back at the Academy… wearing a freaking Snuggie?!?

“You… You look like… a mutant Kirby!!” Christian lost it then, barely catching the bowl of fruit in his lap from hitting the ground. Between the laughing fit he was having at Jacen’s expense and the cartoons on the tv, Christian’s sides were starting to hurt something fierce.

Christian's laughter subsisted when he saw the rather damp kid walk into the room and sit down right in front of the two on the couch. Christian blinked a couple of times when he heard Wilbur say that he loved the both of them, which was odd to Christian... that was the first time he met the guy.

"Thanks, man. I...love...you... too?" Christian was definitely taken aback.. "Name's Christian."

Christian was going to extend his hand in salutation when he noticed that the show on the television changed to something less funny. Christian didn’t really know what was showing, but it had none of the farcical slapstick stuff that cartoon cat and mouse had. And that upset him.

“What the hell is this garbage?!?,” he shouted from his seat as he began to pick grapes out of the bowl and started throwing them at the television. All Christian could tell was that it had some fat idiot and a bunch of dinosaurs. None of which appealed to his sense of humor at all. He kept on throwing fruit at the television, not caring what kind of mess it would make…

He stopped himself mid-throw as the previously sleeping Leion seemingly disappeared from the living room area. Christian didn’t hear anything, but he instinctively felt the surge of energy in the vicinity…

He blinked a few times until he refocused back on the television. Just seeing that lame and unfunny cartoon was really getting under his skin.

”Man the harpoons, men! Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!!” Heeding his own order, Christian didn’t start pelting the tv with fruit until he saw the whites of that insufferable fat man’s eyes.

Alpha and Omega.... Oh NO! We've Crossed a Politically Correct Line! The World Will Crumble!!!

Jack felt strangely pleasant. He had always admired this feisty redhead, but now he couldn't remotely deny that she was pleasant and fixating. He slowed his pace as she did, abit worried that she would go off on the other guy for a moment, but when she turned back to him he smiled, and it was more obvious that he was looking at her.He tried to think of what to say to her, distracted though by the new closeness she had to him, and those gorgeous yet fiery eyes staring at him time to time. It made him feel warm and more welcome then she usually manages. He struggled to find an answer for her obviously distracted with the pleasantness of this situation. " Tell ya the truth, I hadn't thought that far. Give a guy a minute, it'll come.", Back to the thinking.

Taking her in in whole for a moment he looked ahead and went into his own little world of thought. " Holy! Took This long to get an internal monologue? geez... Anyway, while I'm here in my own little world. Dayum Kerrigan's hot... That's all I really need to say right now. For all my fans on the other side of the looking glass READING THIS. the best way to describe how I'm starting to feel about this girl, is best described if you all Click Here. Enjoy. Maybe we should get sandwiches.... The walk alone will be awesome.... shoot... I'm still thinking in Italics? Come on Creator god Person go back to me in the world! I'm not the only character in this story... ish... Back and forth... you get the point.". He felt something light and faint on his arm and looked over. She was slightly flushed and her arm had kinda nudged his as they walked.

He decided to push his luck abit. Hoping for the best, he reached around to her opposite side, and brought her in closer by the waist, his hand on her side gently so as to not irritate her sore ribs. He avoided looking at her when it was done his own face slightly red, barely unnoticeable by the his tanned skin. " Suppose we just mosey along for a spell. Maybe grab a bite. Get to know each other better..." his voice declined towards the end of the sentence. He felt some kind of discomfort for what he was doing. But he didn't want to move his hand away. Her skin was surprisingly soft and wam and he liked this proximity. It was intoxicating.