ic Last Gasp of Summer (IC) (Open)

[Thevshi]

Danger Manor

North Bay, Freedom City

Saturday, September 29, 2018.  1:00 PM

 

The discussion had begun just before the start of the school year about making a trip to the beach to get in some last bit of surfing before the weather turned and it got too cold for such activity.  From there it had sort of grown to more of a general social gathering for some of the Claremont students.  The Danger cousins had taken the initiative to host the gathering at Danger Manor, given the potential privacy concerns, and thus had set Prudence to work coordinating things.  This had included arranging for use of the private stretch of beach at the manor, arranging for the food for the beach cookout for dinner and securing transport for those students that needed a means to get to North Bay from the school.

 

Of course, all of this had been work on top of her normal responsibilities as the personal assistant to Janus and Veronica. 

 

The young woman glanced down at her tablet one last time, confirming that everything was going as it should as she stood near the boathouse at the end of the long dock that ran out into the water.  For once she was not dressed in her impeccable business attire, instead opting for a pair of dark blue jeans and white short-sleeved blouse, over which she wore a light windbreaker.  The day had turned out to be a pleasantly warm one, even if the temperature was not likely to reach the low-eighties and a light breeze blew in from the ocean.

 

"Everything appears to be in order."  She stated out loud as she lowered her tablet.  "The first van containing your guests should be arriving shortly."

 

"Great!  Thanks so much for all your work in organizing all of this Prudence!'  Veronica Danger replied as she walked over near Prudence, carrying the sail for a windsurfer over to where the board section was lying near the dock.  The teenage danger was dressed in a full body wetsuit, but her feet were currently bare.  Setting the sail down near the board, she looked around the area she had been working to help prepare the last couple of hours before looking out along the long dock.

"Too bad the Danger Yacht is out at sea for the moment, but probably for the best.  People might want to go aboard if it was here."  She said with a small smile.  Turning away from the dock, Veronica looked back inland, where a gentle hill rose up from the beach, upon which sat Danger Manor itself.

 

"Yes, that is likely a good thing."  Prudence replied in agreement.  "Besides, I believe you have a sufficient amount of watercraft for those that might be interested in going out.  Although, I rather expect most will prefer to just stay on the beach."

 

"Probably."  Veronica stated.  "But still should be a fun time for all."

 

[angrydurf]

Kam perhaps did not understand the meaning of fashionably late.  Or more likely a life of strictly regulated timing of events who's delay could cause national and international incident led to a certain promptness.  None the less he arrived at precisely the time indicated.  He paid the cab in cash and pulled his bag over one shoulder as he turned to enter the estate and alert the staff to his arrival.  When the young Dakanan was shown to the beach he strolled casually down the pier sandals lightly slapping on the timbers as he walked.  A loose fitting pair of athletic pants in a deep navy over his swimwear and a dusky grey sleeveless compression shirt topping it off was little coverage against the mild breezy day but he seemed unbothered despite his concerns in the planning that he was more accustomed to the dakanan heat than a new jersey fall.  

 

He waved to Veronica and Prudence as he approach seemingly unbothered by being the first to arrive.  "Thank you for arranging this I'm certain it will be a delightful afternoon."  he greeted when within conversational distance.  He looked out over the bay in appreciation.  it was quite the view and a far cry from event he princely vistas of his homeland.  Dakana was full of natural wonder to be sure but nothing on the sheer scale of the sea certainly.  

[Ari]

There was a splash, a yelp, and a laugh as Leroy burst out of the water, seated on the streaming back of his green dragon. Dio had a large, oilcloth package cradled between the curvéd plates of his teeth, along with a pair of over-sized swimming goggles over his eyes.

 

Spotting Kam, Leroy waved furiously "Hail, room buddy! Gladdens my heart to see you here and in one piece!"

 

Leaping from the dragon's back as Dio stepped onto shore, flicking his wings to get rid of the bay water, Leroy took the package and stepped over to Veronica and Prudence. Dio remained by the shore, using his long, red forkéd tongue to clean off errant debris in the crooks and crevices.

 

The Dragon Prince of Earth-2 was all smiles, wearing what was clearly the Academy uniform reconfigured into a one-piece stripéd bathing suit that left his powerful arms and legs bare, the limbs resplendent in fire-breathing monsters, strange letters Veronica recognized as archaic Atlantean and the phrase 'Dearest Roo' on his left tricep.

 

Bowing before Prudence, Leroy unwrapped the package to reveal a series of progressively smaller slender plates of blue and black crystal, the largest twice the size of her tablet, the smallest able to fit on one finger as a ring.

 

"Executrix of the Dangers, I, Remilikun the Sun Dragon, humbly offer these gifts. The plates are my sister Olu's invention, they permit ready access to an extradimensional space, allowing effectively infinite storage of anything that can fit on the surface. And if you put them together..." spreading the oilcloth onto the grass, Leroy moved the plates into a corner of each larger member, causing them to dissolve into and expand their next-larger neighbor, until there was one plate the size of a small table "...you slightly reduce portability while vastly increasing usable size!"

 

The tattooed boy beamed at Veronica "Hullo, Ms. Danger! How are you today? What trouble do you have for us poor guests?"

 

"He means 'fun'. Grammar error." The dragon tossed a crab back into the bay, kneeling in his turn "Blessings of good earth and gentle storms upon you, hostesses, what form best suits this occasion?"

Edited September 30, 2018 by Ari

[Zeitgeist Blue]

A white and large shuttle van bearing the Danger family logo appeared from a bend on the road, filled with students ready to let their hair down. It rolled to a stop by the pier and the doors slid open, a ramp extending from the inside. Nicole was the first one out, driving her wheelchair down, wearing a burgundy hoodie, its sleeves rolled up her forearms and unzipped down the middle to reveal a black tanktop. She wore denim shorts and a shawl over her legs against the Autumn temperature. Her hair was kept under control in a ponytail, strands of loose hair swaying in the breeze as she led the students through the pier and onto the beach itself.

 

Another large multi-billionaire's mansion-cum-beach house. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't impressed but then she saw three students already gathered together a little ways off and she couldn't help but keep her eyes on the two very attractive boys in swimwear with the Danger. She drove a little faster, eager to introduce herself.

 

"Hi guys," she said as she rolled into the group. She gave a little wave, eyes shifting from Kam to Veronica, and lingering on Leroy, on his Atlantean tattoos which she could not read but recognized, before indicating herself. "Nicole. It's nice to meet you."

 

Then she turned in her seat and gave Dio a wave.

 

"And anything to do on land?" She asked, noting that they all looked as if they were ready to surf on Malibu waves instead of Northeastern shores. "For those of us who can't or don't want to swim. We can't just eat all the time. I've got movies, music, and--"

 

She snapped her fingers and pointed to the dining table sized plate on the ground. "We could just fiddle with that. I'm guessing something to do with extradimensions?"

Edited October 3, 2018 by Zeitgeist Blue

[Heritage]

Following out of the van after Nicole came Lulu, pale as a ghost in a red one piece swimsuit under a pair of cut-off shorts and a denim vest. To keep away the rays of the dreaded Daystar, she wore a wide-brimmed straw hat, oversized sunglasses and what smelled like a lot of coconut-scented sunscreen. Her flip-flops slapped loudly on the dock as she trotted out to join the others, a large canvas beach tote over one shoulder and a Tupperware pie keeper held in both hands.

 

"Hey, y'all," she called out, waving one free hand. "Thanks so much for havin' us out to your place!" She held the pie keeper aloft. "Ah made my momma's famous Key lime pie! Real Key limes and condensed milk, just like GamGam used to make."

 

Lulu wasn't normally big on trips to the beach, as her fair skin burned so easily. But it was a lovely day, and it meant a chance to see her male classmates shirtless, which was reason alone to make the trip!

[Thunder King]

Adam walked the distance. Well, walked was a relative term. Rather, he moved quickly when he could and slowly when it was too inconspicuous. He had a dufflebag slung under his arm and was practically daring in dress. Well, at least for him. 

 

He was wearing swim trunks that rested on his knees and a plain black short sleeved shirt that was tighter than he'd anticipated when he bought it. He knew his pallor and scars might draw attention, but his parents had reassured him that he had nothing to fear. Claremont had all sorts of students, some of whom were far less 'normal' than even him. He was still wearing his false eyebrows and wig, though and trusted that the gum he applied them with would hold. 

[alderwitch]

Janus had taken longer to get dressed than usual as, for the first time in perhaps the teen Danger's life, they had been uncertain what to wear. They would have just worn a pair of board shorts and gone with that but it might make some of Janus' classmates treat them differently and Janus found themself reluctant to deal with any of that on what should have been a pleasant fun day. Wearing a swim top, however, chafed - literally as well as figuratively. Finally, they'd made do with a sleeveless fitted swim shirt but were still vaguely unhappy with the results. 

 

It's stupid. This is stupid. Grumpily, the teen pulled on their board shorts and headed barefoot down from the manor towards the ocean line. Waving once at the knot of students, Janus came down the gentle slope quickly enough to catch the tail end of conversations, "Hello and welcome - sorry for being late, Ronnie. I was having a moment." Janus paused alongside Veronica to give her a one armed fraternal hug of thanks for holding down the fort. "Hello, Adam, Lulu, please come join us. Oh, and thank you for the pie, Lulu. We've got all sorts of things set up - Prudence really out did herself with the planning, so you'll have no lack of entertainment even if you stay on the beach. Once it gets dark, we can set up a screen to watch movies if it appeals to people." 

 

Janus stepped to one side and towards the wheelchair bound student, "Though if you'd like to enjoy the waves, that can be arranged," Janus added, lowering their voice a little beyond group conversation; their manner genuine. "If you prefer to stay on the beach, we will certainly make sure that there is no end of entertainment and I'm sure there are others who are similarly disinterested in swimming but if there are accommodations that would make the day more enjoyable for you, please let me know."

[Cubismo]

Astrid had just come to the party. She only heard about it at the last minute and wasn't sure that she even wanted to come. A mansion party near the beach didn't feel like her scene. Especially since she totally still didn't real really know the Dangers that well. Eventually though she decided swimming would be pretty cool and figured that there was a decent chance that some good-looking guys or gals might be there. 

 

She decided to begrudgingly tone the rocker look a bit for the party, wearing a pretty sweet black bomber jacket with lightning bolts on the back, her favorite ripped short jeans and a black swinsuit underneath it all. It was simple causal and most importantly wouldn't scare anyone here. Probably. Americans could be such prudes sometimes.

 

Astrid walked onto to the beach with her typical devil-may-care attitude and looked around for anyone who seemed liked they'd be even mildly interesting to talk too. She didn't plan on getting into the water quite yet. Not until she manged to find someone fun willing to go in with her first. 

Edited October 1, 2018 by Cubismo

[TheAbsurdist]

Corrine stepped out third, but then she liked bronze. It suited her in terms of color.  She was wearing a porkpie hat, a plaid black and pink shirt,  a pair of faded and distressed denim short, shorts with some flip-flops, with various bits and bobs of jewelry on, and a pair of mirrored aviator shades on as she stepped out of the bus slinging her big canvas duffel with various things, and she chimed in as she approached, "I got a copy of Surf Nazis Must die, which would be kinda appropriate."  She had that idle grin, and now that she wasn't dressed entirely for comfort, and coming back from an extensive practice did she had herself done up proper.

She seemed a lot more relaxed than before, and of course she was away from Claremont, so she could be.  And like this, she was a stunner, with easy, breezy air made whatever she was wearing like she belonged on the cover of a magazine.  Though she didn't really know anyone here apart from Nicole, and things were often tense between them, though she waved to her as she approached the Dangers, as they were the hosts she wanted to make sure she introduced herself, as she was possessed of some measure of etiquette.  Probably.  "It is a lovely place.  I didn't bring a board, because it's running a little late, but, whatever, right?"

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

"Hello Kam."  Veronica stated with a wide smile as the Dakanan prince arrived.  "I suspect it will be a wonderful time." 

 

Before Prudence could respond to Kam, the sound of Leroy’s arrival drew her attention.  The Dangers' personal assistant did not quite know what to make as Leroy arrived and presented her with a gift, causing her to be momentarily lost for words.  "I…I am not the Dangers' executrix."  She finally managed to reply.  "Just their assistant, but thank you for the gift."  She added, looking at the plates with a bit of uncertainty.

 

Veronica grinned as Leroy spoke, only to quickly be corrected by Dio.  "Oh, I don't know, you never know when there will be trouble around here.  But there will be a considerable amount of fun at the very least."  Focusing on Dio, she then added.  "Well, though this is pretty private area, it might be better to blend in for this Dio."

 

It was then that the van arrived brining several of the students and Janus had made their way down from the manor.  "Hello Nicole."  Veronica said in greeting, turning toward the older girl as she came over in her wheelchair.  "I am very pleased to meet you as well."

 

As Janus came by and gave her a one armed hug, Veronica returned the gesture, giving her cousin a sympathetic smile.  “It's fine Janus.  People have only just arrived and Prudence and I have been finishing with the set up.”

 

"Hello Lulu, Adam, Corrine."  She then added as more students followed Nicole down to where the beach and the dock met.  "So, as Janus was saying, there will be plenty for those that just want to stay on the shore to enjoy.  We got some beach games and other things to do.  For those interested, I found a couple of surf boards hidden away in the boat house, along with a pair of wind surfers.  We also have a few jet skies, and a small power boat that we can take people out on if they wish.  When Selena arrives, I plan to head out on one of the surfboards and try my hand at surfing myself."

[angrydurf]

Kam sparked a genuine smile at the timely arrival of his roomate and shook his head lightly in amusement, 'You certainly know how to make an entrance Leroy."  he greeted as the boy joined them and offered a gift.  Looking down at it with some interest he was fairly certain if there was anywhere in the city such an artifact might be at home it would be among the Dangers.  

 

As more students arrived he stepped aside to let veronica greet them stepping out onto the beach and offering a friendly wave to the new arrivals, "A pleasure to meet you Nicole."   He looked with mild concern at the chair but she seemed confident that it could navigate the beach so he wasn't about to draw attention to it.  "Lulu, Janus."  he greeted as well and offered a wave as he caught sight of the large boy making his way down the walk.  He was in truth not entirely certain what his role ought be here as most social gathering he attended had a more regimented purpose and he wanted to be sure not to awkwardly act as some sort of tertiary host out of habit.

 

He looked over the items laid out on the beach with a curious eye, "Looks like volleyball, Frisbees, some sort of tiny javelins?" While he'd made sure to be familiar with most common modern american games leave it to the dangers to drag out toys not deemed safe since the seventies.  "Hmm."  he pondered grinning to Nicole, "Perhaps the interdimensional gateway would be the safer choice."

[olopi]

Monica had heard about the beach party a while ago. Heard about it, and immediately written it off. If there was one place she really didn’t want to be, it was the beach. She had zero reasons to go, it wasn’t like something amazing would happen there. She could just stay at the dorms and enjoy a quiet evening.

 

But of course, she’d accidentally brought it up with her therapist. Who pushed her to go. “Force” was perhaps a bit of a strong word, but probably one that was appropriate. Perhaps she’d get to know the others better, perhaps she could develop some trust with them, the arguments made sense to her. She still didn’t want to, but in the end, ended up getting onto the van anyways.

 

She stepped out, wearing her usual outfit of an oversize black hoodie and black jeans. For once, she let her hood hang down, as she’d actually put some effort into making her face presentable. Maybe enough people would want to do something that didn’t involve the water.

 

She observed the others from a distance for a moment, then moved in towards the main group, where she didn’t say anything beyond a somewhat shy “Hi.”, trying her best to hide the fact she wasn’t entirely comfortable here. Which probably wasn’t particularly good, he could tell the others could tell.

[Azuth65]

Another one of the Danger family's vans pulled up by the first vehicle, a yellow surfboard strapped to the top.  After a second the panel door on the passenger side slide open, allowing Selena to step out, a tropical leaf print sarong vest over her sky blue two piece swim suit.  Reaching back in she pulled back out a modest sized mesh bag, a beach blanket and wet suit clearly visible, and setting it on the ground before getting her board down.

 

A few minutes later she joined the rest of the guests and their hosts, "Hey guys, thanks again for hosting this little shindig.  Shame the weather and the waves aren't really cooperating today," she said with a shrug.  Her disappointment with sub-optimal surf was short lived however when the wealth of shore-based activities was pointed out.  "Volleyball is always fun, but lets keep the lawn darts to a minimum.  I like my eyes where they are," she joked.

Edited October 1, 2018 by Azuth65

[Zeitgeist Blue]

"Woah there." Nicole's smirk was teasing as she leaned away from Janus, her hands up in mock defense. The Danger had a way of making people feel at ease, almost like smooth liquor, but Nicole knew she hadn't had one drop of it.

 

"Let's keep the personal space while the party hasn't started yet. But, you know, I'd love to see what you have in mind."  She threw a thumb back at the pier. "Do you mean the ships back there? We passed them on our way here and I'm sure one of them could fit the whole party. Or two?" She asked, a brow raised in question.

 

Then she looked up at Kam and then down at the now obviously Earth-2 item, as advanced as it was. She rubbed the back of her head at Kam's suggestion, suddenly reluctant to push through with it. She could kick herself right now. "Welll... I don't have my tools with me so I can't really do much here now. If Leroy'll lend it to me after I could do much more. As is, I could only make guesses."

 

"So maybe later? Janus offered and I could accompany you to sea first, watch how you surf and all. You look like you know your way around the waves," she said to Kam just as more people came into the picture, Corinne among them and looking like she stepped out a magazine's cover as always.

 

Jeeze, talk about a mood swing.

 

Well, Selena seemed to consider staying on land. Nicole could sometimes swear the other girl was the only senior that wasn't some kind of ass (besides Alex) and so was worth hanging with.

Edited October 3, 2018 by Zeitgeist Blue

[KnightDisciple]

Selena was already well on her way to the others on the beach when Micah tentatively stepped out of the van, a well-worn backpack resting over one shoulder. He was wearing a light-colored t-shirt and some khaki cargo shorts. He was definitely not dressed to swim, but he was at least dressed to enjoy a nice day. He didn't quite trudge down the beach toward the others, but his pace was by no means quick. Once he was close enough, he gave everyone a shy wave and a slight smile.

 

"Uh. Hi."

[RocketLord]

Pan stepped out of the van next to Micah, giving him a huge grin as he took off from the ground. "C'mon, they won't bite!" Still, he decided to wait for him, flying next to his roommate as he approached the group. For his part, Pan was wearing a pair of dark red bathing trunks that went to just above his knees, with a dark green floral print on the left leg. Black flip flops barely held to his feet as he floated around, while he wore an open emerald green hawaii shirt with a white flower pattern, showing off his abs. If nothing else, he dressed in consistent colors. His red hair was a mess as usual.

 

"Hello, everyone! Nice to see you all again!" His voice was full of his usual energy. It would be nice with a party and to just let loose.

[TheAbsurdist]

Corinne was easy to hate, in that she had a confidence over her body that most teens might now have.  After all she was a good dancer, and had to dress for recitals in a way that put her on display, she was used to it.  She didn't care, and once she was in the sand and set down her duffel, she kicked off her sandals, and unbuttoned her top, revealing the matching bikini top to the color scheme she had on, the breeze enough to push open her shirt.  

 

And with that, she went in full sunny California girl mode, as she galloped over to Monica and Micah, and swooped her arms around their shoulders and dragged them into the group.  "Hey guys!  You're gonna wanna talk to the hosts, it's proper and stuff!"  Intent on dragging them into some measure of socializing, before she glanced to Pan, and nodded to him.  "Speak for yourself!"  As she lurched away from the two, and snapped at Pan playfully, before she surged away from them to go examine the boards.

[Ari]

The young man before Veronica and Prudence had been taken thoroughly aback by Prudence's awkward correction. Blinking for a moment, Leroy rallied "Ah. I beg your pardon. I hope you find this fruit of my sister's genius useful, regardless."

 

Rising, he had been about to say more when his eyes alighted on the new arrivals. "Pray excuse me, Prudence. There is a matter I would like to discuss but it must wait."

 

"Nicole!" Leroy rose, crossed the distance between them with a step, and clapped her heartily on the shoulder. Dropping back onto the grass and scooching the oilskin closer to the pair, he desynced a smartphone-sized piece of the crystalline structure and presented it to the young inventor.

"The theory is still beyond me, but yes. It forms and maintains a link to a pocket dimension just outside this reality. Merely touching and concentrating is enough to retrieve anything located in the bubble. Unlike most of my sister's creations operating it without psychic powers is actually possible!" He rolled his eyes "Brilliant she may be, but Oluko has a tendency to forget not all of us know magic or the mysteries of the mind!"

 

He smiled at his schoolmates "If you would like, I would love to join you on the lawn. The water is more to Dio's taste."

 

Nodding to the volleyball net, Leroy added "How about a warm-up with that, then something more relaxed? No powers, of course. Nicole and I will organize our teams' strategy from the sidelines, loser owes everyone else in the game a favor."

 

"Sensible, Ms. Danger" the green dragon said to Veronica, melting and condensing into a slender young man with tanned skin, forest-green eyes and wavy blonde hair that cascaded down his shoulders. He looked fondly at the water equipment, his voice having lost the harsh draconic edge as he asked, quite casually "What say you to a race?" Smiling disarmingly, his teeth uncannily sharp and white, Dio elaborated "Even while disguised my wings still work, although none of those craft could bear my weight I could give those machines a run for their money."

 

[Thevshi]

Veronica

 

Prudence gave Leroy a small smile as he apologized about the title he had used for here.  "I am sure it will be most useful, thank you very much."  She said before Leroy moved over to talk to Nicole.

 

"Don't worry Prudence, I will take some time to study it later tonight.  We will figure out how it works in no time."  Veronica offered her and Janus' personal assistant.  With that, the teenage Danger turned her attention back to welcoming the other students that followed after Nicole.

 

"Good afternoon everyone, welcome!"  She said with a warm smile as Monica, Selena, Micah and Pan arrived as well.  "Seems people are starting to get some beach games organized, but for those that are willing to brave the water, there are a number of options for that as well."

 

Veronica looked over at Selena as the older girl mentioned the waves not cooperating.  "Not giving up so easily are you?"  She asked with a smile.  "At the very least I would appreciate some pointers before you join any of the beach games.  I am not quite ready to give up on trying my hand at surfing just yet."

 

As Dio donned an illusionary disguise, Veronica gave a small approving nod.  "Yes, that generally looks better Dio, though, I can see through the illusion.  As for a race, while I am not sure I fancy the chances of a waterborne craft against an airborne competitor, I am willing to try with a couple of these, but first I want to try a bit of surfing, and am certain that I will not be able to come close to matching you while trying that."

[olopi]

Monica wasn’t surprised when Micah walked up to her, from what she’d seen of him he wasn’t exactly the extroverted group person either. At least she wasn’t the only person here who didn’t feel like they quite belonged, that would probably help in some way. Hopefully.

 

She didn’t say anything, instead just directing an appreciative nod towards him. That was all she had time to before Corinne swooped in. Ugh. On one hand Monica didn’t mind it because this way she didn’t have to approach the group herself, it was being done for her. On the other, seeing Corinne in an outfit like that didn’t help with the reasons Monica hadn’t wanted to be here. She calmed herself down for a moment, before looking at Corinne, who was running away now, for a moment and then turning towards the rest of the group.

 

“Not getting into the water, so if anybody has some idea what to do on the beach let me know. “ If nothing else was happening, she could probably convince somebody to just go for a walk, that was a reasonable plan B.  

[Thunder King]

Adam was checking his phone for an indicator of what temperature the water would be. Warm enough, he decided. Just warm enough. He'd be back, of course. He'd hang out with his friends and enjoy their company, he'd walk around, chat, etc. Now? The ocean was tempting him.

 

"Sorry, guys, I'll be back in a few." He waved and briefly crouched into a starting position. He had been clocked at around a hundred miles per hour before, but this was on sand so he imagined he would be unable to go at full speed. Plus he wouldn't want to jump his full length because he didn't want to end up a mile into the ocean.

 

He took off running, blitzing past his classmates before taking a flying leap into the ocean with an exultant laugh. He splashed down a few hundred feet into the ocean.

[Heritage]

It was all a bit overwhelming for Lulu; sure, her family had gone on a few summer trips to Florida's Emerald Coast, aka 'the Redneck Riviera', where there were a handful of cute guys. But there were also all manner of regular folk, in all the wonderful shapes, colors and sizes of the South; here, pretty much every guy was drop dead gorgeous, with chiselled abs, amazing hair and near-perfect skin.

 

Well, there were a few exceptions; Adam had a network of scars all over his body, not that they did much to lessen his appeal. And Janus...Lulu was surprised that the lithe young prince hadn't taken the opportunity to show off his no doubt impressive pecs; still, he looked pretty cut in his-

 

Lulu paused, blinked, and then realized she was staring, and suddenly felt confused, embarrased and...well, more confused, really. Veronica had never called Janus a 'he'; she just referred to him as 'cousin' or by his name. No, not his name, but-

 

Ah've heard of this sort of thing before; what's the term for it? Oh God, not 'it', ah didn't mean...shoot! Ah'm just stupid; ah'm just a stupid country girl.

 

She wasn't mad at Janus; she was mad at herself for making assumptions, for caring, and for lacking the language to talk about it. So instead, she just did what her momma did when thinks became uncomfortable back home: she threw herself into food preparation.

 

"Ah can, ah can start cuttin' up the pie...though we don't have to eat it right away..."

[angrydurf]

Nodding to his roommate Kam glanced back to Nicole, "Opportunities it seems abound."  he noted with a small shrug and shake of his head at the extradimensional teens response.    He let out a small laugh at the suggestion of his expertise in the water, "Ahh well my homeland has many lovely lakes and rivers,"  he noted with a grin, "Majestic waterfalls and rapids abound, but not so much the surging seas."  he explained with a sweeping gesture to the ocean as Adam sped toward it at speed, "I dare say some at least are however eager."  he did acknowledge as the teen shot toward the water as if launched by a cannon.

 

Looking back over the assembled students Kam agreeably nodded to Leroy's suggestion, "I'm game."  he glanced about and held a hand monica's direction as she was drug over by corrine, "Volleyball?"  he invited welcomingly expecting the less social students might feel more at ease with a more defined activity, "I admit I know it mostly from television."  He glanced over his shoulder as he kicked the ball up into his hands, "Janus care to join us?"  he enquired and raised a brow to Micah in invitation as well.

[RocketLord]

Pan put on a mock frown, which quickly turned into a grin again. "Well, I think its nice to see everyone. Even you." His tone was a bit sour, but more playfully so than hostile. He waved after Micah, then turned his attention to another part of the group. Particularly those that had just mentioned a race. Pan immediately set of, flying over to Veronica and Dio.

 

"I'm in! Just tell me when and where!" It had been ages since he had a proper race, not since leaving the pixies back home to join the Lost Heroes. So racing someone here in Freedom City, and someone that was an actual living dragon? That would be awesome. He blinked once, noticing that Veronica was standing there. "Oh, hi Veronica! Thank you so much for throwing the party! And to Janus too." 

[Azuth65]

Selena motioned to her bag and the wet suit therein, "I'm still good to head in, I was just expecting things to be a touch warmer from the weather reports I read last night.  Still, worst case, the idea of doing some racing might be fun.  Bet I could keep up with most of those boats," she said with a smile.

 

"Easy Lulu, we should probably hold off on food until it gets closer to dark.  That reminds me," she said turning back to Veronica, "I know a place we can get some free pallets if the bonfire plan was still on."

Setting a hand on Nicole's shoulder she leaned down to whisper to her friend, "Do you think Kam was interested because 'sports' or the outfits normally worn?  I mean, I know why I enjoy watching the game."