Thomas's Island

[Dahrinn (Groucho)]

On The Island...​

It was a warm summer day, and the bright sun was slowly creeping up the sky to hang directly above the earth. The hours passed with the occasional period of shade, as the occasional cloud drifted between the sun and the ground. It wouldn't have been hard to appreciate how good the weather was at the moment, and it would have been easy to relax at such a time. And then there was Thomas.

Thomas was rapidly doing the preparations which, until the point, he had accidentally put off in favor of attempting what would be his next attempt at a successful short story, and he regretted that, as he could not find the antique gas lantern that he had favored so much. For now, the items he had accounted for were among a small amount of flashlights, a generous amount of batteries, four walkie-talkies, a revolver, pencils, pens, paper, a few copies of maps of the island, a swiss-army-knife, medical kits, a camera, and his current draft of the previously mentioned short story. He had everything in a large, multi-compartment backpack that was humorously over-sized, giving him the appearance that emulated a bipedal tortoise. He was now sure that there would be no shortage of supplies at the cabin on the island, but it never hurt to be thorough.

This trip was meant to celebrate a number of things, among them were his nineteenth birthday, which would be in a few days, the start of summer, and an extremely belated celebration of local publishing of a short horror story of his.

He was waiting patiently for the first of his friends to arrive, and in the meantime he looked for his prized lantern. He was, at the time, the only notable occupant of the large cabin, and any room he was not currently occupying had the lights out.

He was very excited for this trip, and hoped that most of the people he invited could make it. He peered out an adjacent window, anticipating that in a short while, a familiar face or two would become apparent to them.

He has been sure to arrange travel with any friends who he worried couldn't make it otherwise. There was a small boat with enough room for a group of people, and he knew a person who would take them, an older man who, despite being very off put by Thomas's hobbies, accepted Thomas's payment in exchange for the small task. His friends would likely be here in mere minutes. As such, he took his supplies and made his way down the path towards the dock on the island.

A short while earlier, at the Dock on the shore...​

An older man, looking to be in his seventies, sat at the helm of a boat large enough to hold a small group of people. His face was gaunt, his eyes sunken, and his hair and beard were snow white. His outfit brought to mind that of a fisherman, though he had no fishing supplies with him. He squinted in the sunlight, and brought his hand to his brow to shield his eyes as he saw two identical young men. He called out to them in a voice not particularly welcoming, though not necessarily threatening.

"Hey! You guys Tom's friends? This is the boat to 'is island."
​

 

[DANAsaur]

Seated in her private floatplane, Michelle looked out of the window and sighed. Her parents didn't even notice that she was gone for the last 48 hours. In fact, they didn't even notice her. She thought she would spend the entire summer with her family until one wretched phone call ruined it. 48 hours ago, she and her parents were having dinner then suddenly her mother needed to go to Milan fashion week while her father needed to be in London for a business meeting. Thus, resulting Michelle's disappearance.

To be quite honest, this was not how Michelle expected her summer would be. She expected to spend it with her parents, not to be on some private island to party and socialize. "But we can't have everything we want, can we?" she mumbled to herself, resting her chin on her palm before noticing the perfectly blue ocean below and the island owned by Thomas.

Michelle didn't expect for Thomas to send her an invite, especially since the last time they saw each other was years ago. In fact, the two of them rarely speak to each other because of her being busy all the time. She was also surprised that she doesn't know who will be with her on the island.

"Miss duBois, we've arrived"

Michelle was pulled out of her thoughts when the pilot spoke, making her sigh once again before heading out of the door. It was midday, the worst time to arrive. As Michelle came out of the plane, she immediately felt the heat. She was wearing a white off the shoulder sundress with a huge hat on her head and flip flops on her feet. She was also carrying a simple tote bag on her shoulder and sunglasses to cover her beautiful eyes against the sun rays. She was sweating a little bit even before she had reached the docks, and its starting to make her feel irritable.

Removing her sunglasses as soon as she saw Thomas looking like a bipedal tortoise, she waved and hollered. "THOMAS~ DARLING~" the blonde girl shouted to gain his attention, removing her black sunglasses before walking towards him and stealing a quick kiss on his lips. "Mwah!~ It's sooooooooooo great to see you, love! How's life? Tell me everything! But first, let's go to the cabin, shall we? The sun is bad for my complexion~ Unless you want to wait for all your guests to arrive? Uuuuugh~ that would take forever! Come dahlin! We must go and get some margarita~"​

 

[Boss Megu]

Mitch groaned as his brother continuously whined beside him as they sped along the road towards the area where they were supposed to meet the ride to Tom's Island. Ignoring his brother happy chatter, Mitch glanced at his phone checking to see if Arabella made it yet. Nope, no new messages. He frowned and startled when Matt tried to take his phone. "Who are you expecting to contact you, little brother? I'm kinda curious." Matt sing sang as he gave him this mischievous smile. He rolled his eyes and replied, "We're twins, Matt. You're not older than me than 15 minutes. That doesn't count." Matt laughed at him and Mitch glanced at his phone. Nothing. He glared at it traitorously.

Matt glanced at him, looking amused. "It's Arabella, isn't it? Why? Missing your girlfriend already?" he asked. Mitch snorted and glanced at his twin in amusement. "Are you seriously asking me that? You know she likes you right, not me?" Matt huffed. "Can she even tell us apart?" Mitch shrugged, not really sure if Arabella did. His eyes brightened as he saw a dock appear from the last turn, just like Thomas said it would be. "Finally, we're here!" Matt cried beside him. "Hurry up, sir! We're nearly there!" He egged the cab driver to go faster.

Mitch rolled his eyes but when the driver met his eyes in the rear view mirror, he nodded his head. The driver nodded back and drove a little bit faster. Mitch sighed and shook his head as brother vibrated in his seat.

Thinking on his relationship with Tom, Mitch wouldn't say they're the best of friends, they got along well enough, after the initial awkwardness. Getting invited to their private island with the possibility of knowing more about the history of the place wasn't a chance he wasn't going to pass up.

The driver put the cab to stop and the twins reached towards the middle of the car simultaneously and would have hit each other had Mitch pull back at the last minute. He huffed in frustration. Matt just gave him his signature smug grin and ran out quickly. "Last one there is a rotten egg!" Startled, Matt quickly paid the cabbie (with extra) and grabbed his own bags, including the one Matt forgot, and chased after his energetic twin brother. "Chicken nuggets! Matt, you cheating twit! When I get my hands on you, you're going to regret crossing me!" He yelled, steadily gaining on his brother, who shrieked at the sight of him so close.

They both stopped at the sight of an old man waiting by the boat. Mitch's face scrunched up into a frown. He was looking like a suspicious character, fisherman looking without the supplies. What was he doing here, were they being tricked? Was Thomas planning---oh! He inwardly sighed in relief at what he said, "Hey! You guys Tom's friends? This is the boat to 'is island."

Mitch wasn't sure what to say to being called Tom's friends, but he supposes they are. When Matt quickly got on the boat, Mitch followed quickly, not wanting to be left behind. "Do you know anything about the island?" he asked the old man he drove them towards the island. The old man glared at him so fiercely that Mitch had to back away, hitting his brother. "Bad things happened on that island." the old man responded finally with a dark stare. "Best you both be careful." He warned them and the trip was kept in heavy, awkward silence.

Mitch caught Matt's eye and his twin shrugged. Reaching the island and bid goodbye to the old man, who muttered things they couldn't hear. Looking at each other, they went up and away from the docks to where Thomas said he'd be waiting.

Aside from the ominous warning, Mitch was excited. This place had so many hear-says and fallacies; he hated nothing more than fallacies. But he was on the island now and he could get rid of a few of them! Looking up from his excitement, his smile froze at the sight of Michelle kissing Thomas.

"Damn..." Matt whistled beside him. Mitch couldn't help but gape and rage at the impropriety of her doing that in broad daylight. "Michelle duBois-" whatever he would have yelled next was muffled by Matt's hand covering his entire face. Matt greeted Mishy enthusiastically, not that Mitch would have heard it, not when his twin gave him a dark look, before releasing him and rushing over. Mitch scowled at him but followed anyway.

So, Mitch may have over reacted. It wasn't everyday you see your crush kiss your sort-of childhood friend. Mitch wasn't jealous though. Nope. He wasn't.

 

[koolkat4595]

Arabella was in serious trouble with the law, fashion law that is. Her father was expecting her to attend Milan fashion week as a representative for Valeana Designs, but when fun calls all else doesn't matter. Arabella just threw a bone to her sister, Yuna. Her father hardly gives Yuna the light of day, so she thought it would be nice gesture to allow her to be a part of fashion week. Arabella was driving her light blue car with her trusted bodyguard, Horus, in the passenger seat. "Arabella, your father will want to know where you are. What do I tell him?" Horus did seem a bit concerned to Arabella, but she never ran off without a plan up her sleeve. "Everything is taking care of. I told him that I needed some time off to refuel my creative juices. He should not bother you for a while. Either way you will be staying at my condo until I call you to come get me. Vacations all around. You deserve it".

Arabella's hair was blowing behind her. Just the night before she was getting it dyed her usual pink color using the trendy pink henna method. Her waves and curls never looked better as she zoomed down the whining road that lead to the predetermined location Thomas sent her. "Horus, check my phone please". Arabella had it on the charger this whole, making sure it had a full battery for the trip. Being the prepared woman her mother raised her to be, she had her wall charger and an extra battery in her new Valentino backbag . Araballa had everything in her bag from her swimwear, her glasses, travel toiletries , her make up,and a pair of cute sandals. "It seemed to be off this whole time." Arabella mentally smacked her forehead. After hearing the boot up sounded from her Galaxy S7, Horus unlocked her phone and looked at her notifications. "It seems that Mitch and your brother has tried to contact you ma'am." She let out a huge sigh as the boating docks came into view. There was no one there though. "Mmmmm okay" Arabella parked her car and got out. After Horus gave her the phone, she texted Mitch back. "Hey, just arrived at the docks. Lets get this party started!" Arabella grabbed her bag and luggage from the trunk. Arabella took a brush out of her bag and brushed out her long pink hair. " I made sure to bring your notebook." Horus was like Arabella's right hand. They had been together since she was 3 years old, and mostly knew her more than she knew herself. She flashed a smile at the older dark-skinned man. "I completely forgot. Thank you Horus."

He handed her a small mole-skin journal, but then pulled her in for a big bear hug. "Dont hesitate to call Bella. Lots of creeps out there." Horus let Arabella go. She laughed a little. "Horus, ill be with my friends, including Thomas." Arabella reminded him, putting the book in her bag. "Yes, Yes dont get lost in the romance between Thomas and that Matthew boy." Upon hearing his words she quickly looked around slightly panicking. "Horus! Don't say that out loud!" He chuckled, motioning towards the water. "I am guessing that's your ride." He pointed to a boat racing towards them. Arabella quickly quickey into the car for her sunglasses. Looking down at her outfit, she straightened herself out. At the last minute she changed her mind about her shoes. "How can i enjoy the Island in ankle heeled boots? I'll just go with my black high-tops". As soon as she changed into an extra pair from her trunk, the boat docked. With her backpack , luggage, and sunglasses in hand, she got in the boat, greeted the strange old man, and waved goodbye to Horus. Arabella knew he would not leave until the boat left, but it was a nice gesture anyways. The older man watched her while Arabella was settling in. "Sir, are there others still coming? I know i am a little late.". The man nodded, "Yes, a few more i reckon. You watch out now, danger be livin' on that 'ol island"

 

[Imbroglio]

A white Buick with paneling pulled up to a house in a neighborhood it had no business being in with a squeak.
The girl behind the wheel put the car in park and from the passenger's seat took an envelope that was already torn open and proceeded to pull the folded paper from it, open it up, and read it. Mouthing the words quietly to herself.
As she read, her thick brows furrowed.
She must have looked lost to anyone who happened to notice. But she wasn't. She'd been here before, though not often.

Pale blue eyes flickered to the clock on the dashboard. 1:24 in dimly lit green.
The time could not have been right. With some amount of chagrin she leaned back over toward the passenger side and pulled a purse into her lap and produced a phone.

1:25

Merkatie looked at the numbers incredulously and then looked back around. There were a few cars lining the street. Perhaps those were the other guests? She looked back at the phone and then at the letter again.

as early as 12:00.

And yet the house seemed rather dead. She chewed her lip and looked back at the house. More a mansion.
Then she turned the headlights off and pulled the key from the ignition. She left the vehicle, pocketing her phone and the letter, and attaching her keys around the belt-loop of her jeans.
Maybe Thomas had meant midnight. That certainly would have been early. She didn't doubt it either, not from Thomas with all his strange hobbies.
She smiled in spite of herself and walked toward the big front doors.

She was tall. Taller than other girls she knew and taller than many boys. Rail thin and shapeless. She should have been graceful with that physique, but wasn't.
She rapped her knuckles on the door, took a step back, and waited.
She took this time to adjust her clothes.
Smoothing her fashionably distressed tanktop and adjusting it so it hung off her slim shoulders as it was supposed to. While she fussed, she made sure to glance at the door lest it open and she was caught doing heavy adjusting to a bra-strap or something else that wouldn't bother anyone but would seem very awkward if she thought about it too much. There's people she did not know here, and she'd like to at least try to make a decent impression.
The door never opened.

She knocked again, a little louder, maybe she'd been too quiet, stepped back again quickly and waited, tapping her boot idly on the pavement.
Still nothing.
She reached into her back pocket to check the letter again. Maybe she'd misread. Maybe Thomas had actually meant 12:00 am. She looked over it thoroughly this time, but there it was in plain English.

come to my house

She sighed noisily, folded the letter back up and shoved it back into her pocket and got her phone out of the other one. No New Messages. And back into her pocket that went too.
It was hot out. Past noon in Virginia in the summer. A fresh hell she still wasn't used to. It was not that it was too hot as much as it was the humidity clung like sweat and you never felt clean. And now she was standing on a door step in it feeling rather abandoned.
Merkatie turned around and walked back to her car to lean against the hood. Arms folded across her chest. She leaned there thinking for a while before getting her phone out again and debating internally on texting Thomas to ask if she'd misunderstood something or if she should just go home.
It was not as if they were especially close and had the rest of his guests shown up before her it would not be a far stretch of the imagination to assume they simply left without her.
Maybe they did.

And, maybe they were still at the docks. They weren't supposed to leave there for almost another hour. Maybe the other guests had indeed arrived earlier and had simply made their way to the marina already.
She should at least check, she was invited after all.
In only a few moments after this thought entered her mind she was typing in a search for "Marina" and finding the one closest to her from Thomas' empty house. It was walking distance. If no one was there, she'd simply turn back around and go home, apologize later in a text that she had missed his birthday.
If she found them there... Well, then she'd go on this adventure.
She pulled a small gym-bag from her car, locked the vehicle, and started off toward the docks.

 

[KamrenReed]

There was a young teenage boy leaning into the back of a shiny red Impala while it was still moving. Though his mother had given a tisk when he unbuckled, he paid her little mind and impatiently rummaged in the backseat for his things. He eventually drug an overstuffed sportsbag between the seats and into his lap with some extra effort. Once there he settled back and crossed his arms over the bag and gazed out his window from his passenger seat. His eyes swept over Thomas's large manor. Though he knew very well that this acquaintance was much more wealthy than his own family that didn't keep him from being impressed.

He gave an awed whistle as their car drove up the curving drive, past the front gates and sweeping up to the doors of the house.
"It is big. Imagine living in that," His mother commented with a tight smile. A clear attempt to be positive.

"I am,"
Mirkeil knew she had been uncomfortable with the whole idea of letting him go to this party. In her eyes he was still too young to be heading off on his own, though he always was independent in spirit. He looked into her face which had a lot of the same soft features of his own. Her eyes were brown instead of his blue, though she shared the same sandy blonde hair as her son. He was definitely chubbier though.
Her lips remained somewhat pursed as the car slowed. She had always been overprotective. Perhaps because he always stood out so much in school. He did well but had gotten a hard time for being different. In the end it always bothered her more than it did him. He patted her hand encouragingly as they came to a stop.

"It's just Thomas, mom. I'm sure he won't force me to drink or have underage sex. So I'll just watch."

She simply eyes him without humor. If possible her mouth tightened further.

"It's only a joke, mom." He had popped open the door part way, adjusting the sportbag to carry. Instead of climbing out he craned his neck awkwardly to see further down the drive. "Huh..." He caught sight of a tall slim figure walking away from the mansion. His blue gaze moved to the quiet and lifeless house, then passed back over to the dusky girl leaving it. She looked oddly familiar.

He popped the door shut and pointed ahead. "Can we drive up there? I think I know her."
The car drove onrward, pulling along side the older teenage girl. Mirkeil rolled the window down and his head popped out.
"Merkatie? What are you doing here?" He asked surprised.

 

[Dahrinn (Groucho)]

Island​

Thomas was staring intently at the treeline of the forest when a voice called for his attention. Though it had been some time since they last met, it was instantaneously recognizable. When she came up to him and kissed him, he was, for at least a few seconds, at a loss for words, after a brief moment of shifting his gaze back to the treeline- he thought he saw a wild animal of sorts- he responded to Michelle's greeting.
"*Ahem* Hello Michelle, you caught me off guard, things have been going great for me... I had a short story published some months back, you wouldn't happened to have read it would you?"

His eye caught some movement and he shifted to the side, looking past Michele to see the approaching twins. He would have to ask which one was which. One of them seemed upset over seeing Michelle walk up to him and kiss him. Thomas hoped that wouldn't cause any problems.
"Well, would you look at that, both twins are here already. I'm going to go say hi."

He walked at a quick pace over to the twins, and greeted them.
"Hello! First things first, who's who?"

Spinning around, making sure that everybody around him could hear, he spoke.
"Michelle wants to head over to the cabin, so if you guys could take her while I wait for the rest of the guests, that would be nice. I have a few copies of the map."

He quickly took his copy, scrawled some lines and Xs on it, and handed it to them. It showed an outline of a path to the cabin. He also grabbed a walkie-talkie from his bag, and handed it to them.
"If you see anything interesting or concerning, talk into this and tell me what it is. Watch out for snakes, among other things. Try to stay on the path."
​

Docks​

Meanwhile, at the docks, the older man noticed some more people come along, appearing as they were looking for something. They fit some more descriptions of Thomas's friends, so the old man spoke up.
"If you're looking for Thomas, this is the boat to the island."

They seemed somewhat confused, so the Old man decided he would explain to them what he though was happening.
"I think Thomas is doing this to rustle your jimmies or something. Which is also probably why he hired me, of all people. Do me a favor, and while your on the island, try to stay one step ahead of him."​

 

[DANAsaur]

Michelle tensed up as soon as Thomas mentioned the twins, her body frozen out of pure shock and dread. She did not dare to turn around and face them for fear of seeing her expression. She did not expect the twins to be invited! Her mind was frazzled at the moment with numerous thoughts filling her head: Did they saw the kiss? Do they think I'm a weirdo for kissing Thomas? Do they think I'm a slut? Should I kiss all of them so I won't be weird in their eyes?

She snapped out of her thoughts when Thomas left her to talk to the twins, her demeanor slowly going back to normal. She cannot let them know that she's feeling insecure right now! She took a deep breath and turned around to face the twins, immediately noticing Mitch in a sour mood. "Aww~ someone's in a sour mood! Is it because of the boat ride?" She walked towards the twins and focused her attention to Mitch, wrapping her arms around the nape of his neck as her fingers played with his hair. They were in a rather intimate position with their bodies leaning against each other, their faces incredibly close. She let her hot breath tickled Mitch's right ear as she whispered and purred, making sure to look at him at the corner of her eyes "or perhaps.. its because you saw me kissing Thomas?"

With a wicked smile, she immediately pulled away from Mitch and giggled loudly. She was only teasing him in hopes of cheering him up. She then looked at the twins before strategically pulling them down for a hug, their faces buried in her bosom as if trying to suffocate them. "I was just teasing Mitch~ but teasing aside... I miss the two of you sooooooo much! Oh my lovely gorgeous twins~~ My darlings!~" Once she was certain the twins' faces are as red as tomatoes, she let them go and grabbed her map from Thomas as he distributed them and babble away about snakes.

"Well, you heard them, boys~" Michelle purred after Thomas finished talking, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she looked at the two. "Let's go to the cabin, shall we? I desperately need a margarita! Oh and maybe~ we can have some wild fun~ "​

 

[Nikaleles]

"It'll be fine," he insisted, a little waspishly.

Kyle only looked skeptical. "That's why you're all pale and shaking, is it?"

Dorian huffed indignantly. Kyle had never been the most observant person, but it didn't take someone particularly astute to notice his discomfort. He was practically quivering; the butterflies in his stomach weren't giving him any reprieve.

But his older brother didn't respond to his irritation. Instead he craned his neck to look out the car window, turning around in his seat slightly. "Is... that it?" he asked, focused on the old boat.

"Looks like it," Dorian said bitterly, still stinging from the embarrassment. He reached into the back seat to get his bag, eager to get out of there.

"Are you sure? It's just some old man and a pink-headed girl."

"Sounds about right." He struggled to pull the bag out from between the seats.

Kyle watched Dorian pull his belongings into his lap, before sighing. "Dee," he said, a little more softly now. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. You can just call him up and say you can't go this time. You could always just... visit him later. Y'know? On the mainland..."

"I'm not going to do that," Dorian snapped, before immediately feeling regret. He softened his tone. "I want to go. I do. I'm just nervous about the... you know. The boat."

It was only half a lie. He was definitely nervous about the boat – he hated boats with a passion. Still, it was better than being on a plane, and you couldn't exactly drive a car to the island... so he had resolved to put up with it. But there were other things causing him far more apprehension.

Kyle looked at him with a sad smile. "Mmkay," he said. "Well, it's only a short trip, right? You'll be back on dry land before you know it. Just don't get into any trouble, okay. I know that's asking a lot of you, but..."

Dorian snorted a laugh and waved him off. "Come on, man. It's just a bunch of dumb kids on an island. It's not going to turn into a slasher flick or something."

"This is, literally, exactly how a slasher flick would start."

"All right, all right. I'll be careful. I promise to only have unprotected sex with a couple of people."

"Jesus Christ," Kyle said, shoving Dorian by the head. "Get out of here."

The mock outrage made him laugh. "Watch the hair, short stuff," he said, making sure the mild assault hadn't left anything too out of place. He held his bag to himself nervously and looked out at the boat with an anxious sigh. "... All right. I'm going."

"Give me a call when you get there, okay."

He clutched his bag a little tighter. "I'll try. I don't know if they'll have reception."

"Great. Mum and dad will be thrilled."

"It'll be fine," he said softly.


Once they'd said their goodbyes, he stepped out into the sun and slung the large bag over his shoulder with some effort. He was slightly overdressed for the weather – but in the company of complete strangers, he preferred being a little hot to being a little bare. He waved back at the car before beginning the walk over to the boat. The quivering in his stomach picked up in intensity the closer he got, but it wasn't the boat ride he was thinking about.

It had been a while since he'd last seen Thomas. They hadn't spoken for a little too long. Was it going to be awkward? Was Tom different now? Was he different? Too different to get along, even? What if Tom had found success, and here he was, dragging his ass through life, still trying to figure out how to become an adult? What if he was going to be stuck on this island for a week with a bunch of people who didn't like him? People who could not possibly have any respect for him?

Don't be stupid, he snapped at himself internally. He's never been that kind of person. He probably wants to see you as much as you want to see him. He wouldn't have invited you, otherwise... idiot.

He watched his feet walk him to the dock. It felt like it was taking a hundred years. He would look back now and again and see Kyle's vague figure watching him from the car. He worried about a million things. Tom, the other kids, being stuck on an island, whether or not he'd be able to call his parents, what would happen if he like... died.

You're worrying about nothing. It'll be fine.

He looked up and realised he was already at the boat.

"If you're looking for Thomas, this is the boat to the island," said the old guy.

"Yeah," he breathed. "Hi."

"I think Thomas is doing this to rustle your jimmies or something. Which is also probably why he hired me, of all people. Do me a favor, and while you're on the island, try to stay one step ahead of him."

He stared blankly at the fisherman-looking guy, who may or may not have been completely off his rocker. "Umm... right."

He was suddenly more certain than ever that this was a bad idea.

 

[Boss Megu]

Mitch glared at Thomas, redirecting his anger to him. But before he could reply something scathing, Matt said with an exaggerated frown, "After all these years, Tom? You know that the Novak with a stick in his ass is Mitch and the fun twin is me!" Mitch released his anger in a heavy huff, glaring at his brother slightly. "Thanks for inviting us, Thomas." Mitch thanked their host politely, because one of them had to do it. "It was--," he cut himself off as his phone made a little short jingle to alert an incoming text.

He was about to pull it out when Michelle slithered herself close to him. Stiffening as she drew herself closer to him, her hands in his hair, he tried to angle away, but she was surprisingly strong for a woman. "Aww~ someone's in a sour mood! Is it because of the boat ride?" she teased. Mitch's irritation came back and was about to firmly deny her claim, she whispered something to his ear, her eyes catching his, "or perhaps.. its because you saw me kissing Thomas?"

Matt stared at them with a blank face before looking down at his phone, awkwardly. Mitch closed his mouth with an audible shut as she drew away and couldn't deny his claim without stuttering. Catching his brother's dark look, Mitch winced. Matt was definitely not happy about that hug as much as he happy and uncomfortable with it. Matt turned way from them to speak to Thomas but before he could speak, she dragged him and Mitch for a hug, while cooing "I was just teasing Mitch~ but teasing aside... I miss the two of you sooooooo much! Oh my lovely gorgeous twins~~ My darlings!~" She dragged them straight to her chest that it made Mitch flail at the action. When she finally let them up, Mitch stepped away quickly. His face a perfect shade of red that Matt matched, except where he was wearing a scowl on his face, Matt opted to look away and wandered towards Tom. "This for me, Tom? Thanks~" He said to Thomas, not quite meeting anyone's eyes quite yet, as he got the map and grabbing the walkie talkie before his brother. "I get the walkie talkie!"

"Don't play with it, Matt. We'll need it for emergencies." He snapped as he took his map from Thomas. "If you see anything interesting or concerning, talk into this and tell me what it is. Watch out for snakes, among other things. Try to stay on the path." Thomas warned them with smug smile of his. Mitch nodded and turned to look at Michelle as she spoke with that sexy smirk on her face. "Let's go to the cabin, shall we? I desperately need a margarita! Oh and maybe~ we can have some wild fun~ " Mitch frowned at her, thinking it was too early for drinking. "I'm game." Matt said and lead the way towards the cabin. "See you later, Tom! We'll try not to have too much fun without you~"He crowed as he side stepped to avoid Mitch's hand. "Missed 'lil bro!" he cried as he ran with Mishy giggling right after him.

Mitch followed his brother and Michelle towards the indicated path and turned around when he realised something. "Wait, did you just say SNAKES?!" Mitch freaked, walking back towards Thomas who was walking towards the docks. Matt had run back and drag him away forward. "Come on, Mitchell. There's no need to over react. I'm sure the big bad snakes won't come out to play with little Mitch," Matt teased as he and Mishy shared an amused look. "No, no, wait! Matt! He said SNAKES! SNAKES!" he practically screeched as his twin laughed at his overreaction. "We'll be fine, Mitch. Relax, I'm sure Tom just said that to freak you out," Matt told him, looking amused. "Besides, you know I've dealt with snakes before." He added, giving his brother this confident look before looking at his copy of the map and walked forward. "Watching Snakes on a Plane isn't experience, Matt." Mitch pointed out. Matt gave him a glare, "Shut up, Mitch."

Mitch rolled his eyes and looked around, paranoid, as they began to tread closer to the cabin. He pulled out his phone to take his mind off the snakes. Finding Arabella's text, he smiled. "Finally," he muttered to himself as he read it. "Hey, just arrived at the docks. Lets get this party started!" She texted and Mitch rolled his eyes at her words. "Finally! Hurry up, Thomas is purposely freaking me out already and Matt's being himself." He texted back and then adding, "Mishy's all over your Thomas. If you don't hurry, she'll gobble him up. HA HA!"

Pleased with himself, Mitch sent the text. "MITCH! YOU'RE FALLING BEHIND! DON'T BLAME ME IF THE SNAKES APPEAR WHEN YOU'RE ALONE!" Matt yelled, a little ways ahead with Mishy. Rolling his eyes, Mitch ran to catch up, freaked out despite himself. While waiting for his brother to catch up, Matt stuck his finger in his mouth and raised it in the air and grinned at Mishy. "I'm trying to gauge the wind speed." He told her, as he kept his finger out. "Don't JOKE about things like that!" Mitch scolded him as he reached them. "It's not fun--what are you doing?" Matt looked up and grinned. "Checking the wind speed with my finger." He responded and looked up with a smirk, "Bet you can't do this, lil bro."

Mitch wrinkled his forehead as he looked at his twin. "Why would I do that?" He finally responded. "You're just so freaking weird, Matt." He added and looked to his left and screamed, hiding behind his brother. "SNAKE!" Mitch yelled as he pointed at something hanging from the branch of a tree. Matt froze with him then laughed. "I-I'm pretty sure that's not a snake." Matt told Mitch, but made no move towards it. "It is to a snake!" Mitch whispered, his eyes not moving from the thing on the tree. They both grabbed Mishy by the hand and both twins ran from the tree and moved up the path. "I told you this was a bad idea!" Mitch whispered to his brother. Matt rolled his eyes. "You came anyway!" He retorted. Mitch huffed, because his brother did have a point.

 

[koolkat4595]

Arabella was slightly concerned when the older man spoke. "I think Thomas is doing this to rustle your jimmies or something. Which is also probably why he hired me, of all people. Do me a favor, and while your on the island, try to stay one step ahead of him." Right when he spoke, another passenger came onto the boat. He puffed a low "Yeah...Hi" and which Arabella waved and greeted him with a polite "Nice to meet you" He was unfamiliar to her, or at least she had never personally met the man. "Thomas must has many friends I have never met" She thought to herself. Arabella become somewhat sad, realizing that she was not that big of a part in Thomas's life. "It's okay, you know the world does not revolve around you. Unlike that girl Thomas for some reason likes to invite to his parties" Arabella was suddenly thinking about Michelle whats-her-face. A snobby egotistical brat that kind of reminded her of her older sister, but with less work-ethic. The new guest pulled her out of her inner rant when he said "Umm...Right". Arabella concluded that he was either a man of few words or very shy and nervous. Either way she wanted him to feel welcomed. "It's a bit different is it not? My name is Arabella Valeana by the way. I can tell it is going to be a very fun week with Thomas."

Arabella was about to ask him his name when her phone buzzed in her hand. Looking down her saw that is was from Mitch. "Finally! Hurry up, Thomas is purposely freaking me out already and Matt's being himself. Mishy's all over your Thomas. If you don't hurry, she'll gobble him up. HA HA!" She instantly chuckled at the thought of Matt being a butt to Mitch, almost missing the last part of his text. "Ugh I knew it, Thomas is too much of a nice person to kick that attention hungry girl to the curb" Not realizing that was talking out loud. Surprised at her public blurb her quickly covered her mouth. "Well that was unexpected. I am becoming so rude." Arabella quietly chuckled at herself. Years of competing with her siblings has done a number on her manners. It was probably due to Arabella imagining the she-wolf going after Thomas. Arabella thought very highly of Thomas. He was a scholarly man that surrounded himself in unconventional interests. He was basically the primary source of her adventures and fun experience. Thomas was so laid back, just as laid back as Matt, her other crush. Arabella saw Matt as a fun and free personality. He never seemed to be chained to what was socially acceptable. She admired that about him. She wished she could be like that, but her dreams meant too much to her to rebel so publicly.
Arabella began to blush while thinking of them. "I think I have a problem" She said in her mind. Going back to her phone, she responded back to Mitch. "I am on the boat, I think there will be a few more people coming. Do you know a very well kept man with a large nose? I don't think I have ever met him before." She sent the text and looked back up at the people around her.

 

[Dahrinn (Groucho)]

Docks​

The Old Man was checking the engine of the boat as they waited, and he would eventually come to see two more people enter the dock, and come to the boat. After they did, he checked the list of people Thomas gave him.
"One more person before I can go, by the looks of it."
It took about fifteen seconds of standing around before the silence was interrupted by a faint buzzing noise. The old man took note of this, reaching into his pocket and reading the message he received from Thomas; A message detailing how he didn't need to pick up Michelle.
"Oh, never mind. She arrived a different way."
He slowly looked up at the passengers, as to emphasize what exactly he was about to say next.
"Using, assuming Thomas isn't lying, ...a private float plane."
Without a moment's hesitation, the Old Man shifted to the side to turn on the boat's engine, and in a few moments, him and the passengers were heading towards Thomas's island. It wouldn't be too long until they arrive.

Island​

Thomas was sitting at the edge of the wooden dock on the Island, waiting patiently for boat to come over the horizon, his large backpack was laid out beside him, and he was going through the items in it once more. He came across his most recent story's draft, and perused it. It was an extremely messy, unfinished, and abridged version of what he had in mind, starting with the last paragraph in full detail, then a small chart detailing how pieces of the story add up, complete with underlined details that he decided would be made more vague, as to befuddle the reader, and allow their mind to fill in the murky blanks; A method he felt embraced Lovecraft's own philosophy, that the greatest fear was that of the unknown. He was in the middle of deciding what would be the best use of adjectives in certain parts when a stray gust snatched it from his hand, sending it into the water.
'Damn!' He thought to himself, 'oh well, I got that memorized... I can probably just rewrite it.'

A short while passed, and he could make out the boat coming towards the island. Naturally, he stood up and waved as it drew closer.

Cabin​

The group managed to make it uneventfully to the cabin by following the path, the only thing of note being Mitch seeing what may have been a snake. There were a few peculiar sites, some of the trees had wooden pegs hammered into them, though all the ones within reach had either been pulled out or broken off. Upon reaching the cabin itself, it could be seen that it was a nice building, appearing to have been renovated from what was once an older building. Either way, it was large and appeared comfortable. The interior was spacious, with a tall ceiling, and a staircase leading to a second floor/balcony from which one could look down and see the first floor, or go to the various guest rooms. Right next to the main room, naturally, was the kitchen, with myriad counters and recently stocked drawers and a fridge. In some isolated spots on the counters there were small streaks of dust, and various signs that this place was cleaned up recently. To the left of the kitchen there was a wine cellar, which didn't have as much signs of renovation. It was still maintained, but the foundation had clearer signs of age. Furthermore, there was an Iron door to the right, which had a note on it, in Thomas's handwriting;​

I was too scared to come down here as a kid, and in cleaning up this place I've made the mistake of misplacing the key. If you happen to find the key, tell me before you go in here; I hoped to explore this place with you guys.​

 

[DANAsaur]

Michelle could only giggle at the twins' antics as they made their way towards the cabin. Her insecurities were quickly forgotten thanks t the two. Just seeing them together and teasing each other is such a refreshing scene. Besides, she seriously missed the twins and wanted to spend some time with them. She giggled as Mitch started to panic about snakes and laughed when Matt joked about it. She didn't knew why but Matt's joke kind of sparked her wild imagination. She turned around to face Mitch and smiled "Matt's right. No harm will come to little Mitch" the blonde haired girl teased as she looked down at Mitch's pants with an amused smile. "Oops. Looks like Mitch isn't so little after all. But no worries, no snake will harm you. Besides, I still need little Mitch to.. Satisfy my needs~"

With a wink and a seductive smile towards Mitch, Michelle licked her lips before facing forward to continue their journey towards the cabin. She was having way too much fun with the two! She's glad the twins are here on the island or else she's going to die out of boredom. She giggled once again as Matt said something about having an experience with snakes. Michelle knew she should keep her mind out of the gutter but she just can't help it! "Oh my, Matt~ You didn't tell me you've played with snakes before! Was it Mitch's? Because I want to play with it too~ Bet it was a python~" To emphasize what she's implying, she leaned in to Matt and whispered "but I'm fine with playing yours~ bet yours is an anaconda."

When Mitch pointed out that it was just watching Snakes on a Plane, Michelle let out a disappointed sigh and a pout. She thought there's already something interesting happened between the twins! She definitely need to do something about the two. She cannot let her fantasy be just a fantasy! Deciding to let it slide for now, she continued walking down the path and intertwined her fingers with Matt as he walked by her side. For years, Michelle had this thing for Matt and Mitch. Besides having a fantasy about the twins getting incredibly intimate with each other, she also had a crush on both of them. Of course she's preventing herself to fall in love to any of them because a) she's got commitment issues and b) she doesn't want to destroy their friendship so she just tease the two and be touchy with them.

When Matt stuck his finger in his mouth and raised it in the air, Michelle stole a kiss from him and bit his lip as she pulled away cooing "So adorable~ I could just eat you up!" Of course, Mitch had to ruin her fun and bicker with his twin until the two saw a snake and dragged her away with them.

As they panted and catch their breaths, Michelle finally noticed that they arrived at the cabin. It was a peculiar sight and she was feeling a bit uneasy about the place but decided to shrug the feeling off. She's just need a drink, that's all. She quickly shook off the twins' hands and walked inside the cabin, plopping down the couch as she propped up her feet on the cofee table. "Boys, one of you go and make me some margarita. The other one massage my feet. I think I pulled a quad from all that running~ come now. I'll reward you handsomely after your services~"​

 

[Imbroglio]

Merkatie: :Mirkeil

Merkatie flinched when she heard a voice call her name.
She turned to look at the car that had pulled up beside her, blinking from surprise. There was a boy with his head stuck out the window. Her gaze darted from him to the woman driving and then back again trying to place how he was familiar... But then it came all at once.

"...Oh," Was all she managed at first but she quickly pulled herself together.

"Mirkeil, right?" She said, knowing full well this was indeed the same boy she had met before. She was ashamed she had not recognized him right away... He'd clearly remembered her. "I'm meeting a friend."


He looked from Merkatie to the bag hanging at her side, then to the grand house she had been walking away from. His brow raised a fraction. "This friend you are meeting? Doesn't happen to be their birthday does it?" He started to open the door before she could answer, hoisting his overstuffed bag across his back while sliding out of his seat.



She blinked again, this time struck dumb. How could the world be so small?
"Yes, actually..." She looked him over as he climbed out of the vehicle. He had a bag.
"You're...." She paused, "here for the whole island thing?"



"Yup." Mirkeil answered simply, smiling and readjusting the bag strap that was digging into his shoulder. It looked as if he had packed quite a bit. He wasn't ready to be at a loss of things to do. It certainly wasn't filled with fashion supplies. He had opted for a casual tee shirt, jeans, and sandals for the day.

"Honey, who's you're friend?" His mom called from behind, leaning over to see Merkatie clearer.

"Merkatie. Remember? My tutors niece?"

"Ohhh. Yeah." The woman replied as if she did remember, but obviously did not, trying not to seem rude. "Hi, dear." She waved some fingers at Merkatie, "You both have fun then."



Merkatie waved back awkwardly and forced a polite smile onto her face.
Fun, right. There might not be any fun to be had since no one was home. But there were still the docks to investigate.

"C'mon I guess." She said to Mirkeil as his mother drove off. "There wasn't anyone at the house."

It occured to her then that she should have mentioned this to Mirkeil's mom. She might've wanted to know that there was a possibility she'd have to come right back to get her son again.



He finished waving off his mother before beginning to walk in step with the much taller girl. "No one at the house? That's weird. I thought we weren't leaving till 2." Mirkeil at first seemed unfazed by the news. "I don't think Thomas would leave us. Not unless it was some practical joke." He frowned at the thought and some doubt entered his mind. "That wouldn't be very funny though."

Ahead he noticed the sidewalk steeply angling down towards the seaside. In the not so far distance was a cluster of docks. A few people were gathered around one of the boats.



None of those three figures appeared to be Thomas and Merkatie had a sinking feeling in her stomach. She decided she'd take Mirkeil home if they'd been forgotten. It would get her mind off her hurt feelings and give her something to do so the day was not a waste.

As they walked down to the marina she made a point to scan the area but could see no one but those few standing around a less than luxurious boat. It stood out against the others for it's smallness and plainess. Nothing like the vessels around it which were large or flashy and fit in with the neighborhood. None of the others seemed to have had anyone aboard them. Their only motions from the gentle waves that rolled through the docks and lapped up pavement at the launch site. No one else. Unless you counted a few seagulls...

As the two of them got to the bottom of the slope she figures better. And, as she had first assumed. None of them were Thomas. But two of them looked to be around her age. The third was an older man.
Mounting some courage and banishing the nervousness that had settled in her gut she raised a hand up.

"Hey!" She said loudly as she and Mirkeil walked down the dock. "We're looking for somebody."​

--------------------------------------------------------​

That was all she'd get to say.

She found herself, Mirkeil, and the other two strangers on that boat without much of a word. The older man muttered something about Thomas and the island but nothing informative, maybe he was impatient.
She grimaced the whole way.
Her bitterness was not helped by the way the boat lurched whenever it hit a swell.

But they did get there in one piece. It was an island, and Thomas was there to greet them at the beach. ​

 

[Nikaleles]

The boat rocked slightly as he set foot on board. Not much. But enough. He felt a different uneasiness growing in the pit of his stomach, something a little more physical. He hadn't even had a chance to get seasick yet, and he already felt nauseated just by the thought of feeling nauseated.

"Nice to meet you," he heard, and he looked up from his carefully placed feet to see the pink-headed girl there. "It's a bit different is it not? My name is Arabella Valeana by the way. I can tell it is going to be a very fun week with Thomas."

Dorian blinked at her. She was pretty. "Hi... Arabella," he said somewhat unsteadily. "Dorian Ensdale."

He thought briefly that Valeana was kind of a weird last name. It sounded like something out of a fantasy novel. (And here he'd always thought that his was unconventional...) His mind quickly moved on to more pressing issues, however. Namely that he was probably about to barf in front of her.

Under normal circumstances, he would have made more of an effort to be friendly, and he wondered if he should say something more. Make some conversation or something. But most of his concentration was spent on wondering if he was going to fear-vomit, so he decided to keep his mouth shut lest something come out other than words. He found a place to sit nearby instead.

He was in the middle of wondering how he was ever going to live down chundering overboard in front of a hot girl before they even got to the island, when suddenly she spoke again. "Ugh I knew it, Thomas is too much of a nice person to kick that attention hungry girl to the curb." He lifted his head to see her looking sort of embarrassed. "Well that was unexpected. I am becoming so rude."

"Heh... it's fine," he said. God knows I talk to myself too. He couldn't help but notice that the way she spoke was really stilted. Formal. It reminded him too much of his father.


He sat in troubled silence for a little while before he noticed some other young folks coming their way. He didn't think much of them at first – primarily because he was preoccupied with worrying, but also, they didn't seem like... well, the kind of people who would be attending a rich kid's island party.

He was shortly proven wrong when they started walking right up to the boat.

"Hey!" shouted a tall, mannish-faced girl as they approached. "We're looking for somebody."

Dorian glanced at her, then looked around. "Well," he said. "If you're also looking for Thomas, this is the boat to him."

Apparently they were, because they boarded, and soon enough the boat was on its way.


Dorian spent the ride in nauseated silence. Despite the churning of his stomach, he somehow managed to not throw up as he had feared. However, the closer they got to the island the more nervous he became – an anxiety that was compounded when he saw Thomas waving at the beach as they approached.

He decided to hang a little behind everyone else.

 

[koolkat4595]

Arabella felt a little relieved that Dorian introduced himself, and did not seem too fazed by her outburst. Had it been a member of the board at her father's company, her brother's supporters would have a field day. She nodded at him, taking in his appearance. Before long other's appeared, "Hey! we are looking for someone!" Another unfamiliar younger male called out, as him and a woman got on board. The boy appeared to be in good spirits. He Had blonde short hair and an adorable face. "Thomas has all types of friends I see." Arabella said in her mind. The woman behind her instantly caught her eye however. She was tall and very pretty. She looked like she came straight off the runway. Arabella made the effort to wave at the new passengers, but the atmosphere did not seem right to strike up a conversation. Thomas would probably officially introduce everyone on the island. She quietly looked out at the waters during the boat ride, taking in the scenery. The otherwise still water became a source of inspiration for Arabella. Before docking, she made an sure to take pictures of the water and docks with her phone.

"Very serene. I could get use to this" Arabella stood up as the boat made a complete stop. "Thank you sir." She shook the old mans' hand. One of the many ingrained habits Horus instilled into her was always thanking the "help". The way he explained it was "They are the same as the customers who buy your clothes. Without them, your business does not run." Her father did not share the same philosophy, but Arabella chalked that up to ego. That is probably why Horus was in charge of Arabella's upbringing, second to her mother that is. After thanking the man, she got off the boat and was greeted by Thomas. He soft familiar expression filled Arabella with happiness. Her face seemed to only brighten with the great opportunity to possibly go in for a hug. As everyone milled around to get off the boat, Arabella was swift and graceful, grabbing her things and with one movement was onto the wooden docks. "Good Afternoon Thomas!" Arabella quickly put her luggage down and wrapped her arms around him for a quick and soft embrace. " I hope you day as been well so far. This week is going to be amazing, I am sure of it" Arabella was not lying. She knew whatever activities Thomas had in mind, she would enjoy just because she was able to spend time with him and all his interesting friends. She released him from her hug and moved out of the way of the others. "Where is Matt and Mitch anyways?" Arabella asked as she looked around for her friends. The dock was empty a part from the people she was just traveling with. Arabella once again straighten her clothes of any wrinkles and smoothed her hair down to make herself as presentable as possible.

 

[Dahrinn (Groucho)]

Dock​

Thomas watched as the boat drew closer to the docks, and he was excited to see that all of his guests had now arrived. He zipped up the large pack and put it on, showing a sight difficulty with how heavy it actually was. He lumbered closer to the spot which his friends were getting off of the boat, Thomas and the Old Man glancing at each other only for a moment before the Old Man averted his eyes. Arabella, after thanking the Old Man for his help and giving him a handshake, was quick to get off, and obviously happy to see Thomas. She stepped up and hugged him, as such Thomas essentially stood still... He wasn't exactly a very physical person. Of course this was more than a step down from Michelle's first interactions with him. It was then that Michelle asked where the twins were. Thomas said plainly;
"Oh yes, they arrived earlier than you along with Michelle."

He blinked twice heavily, and he broke eye-contact with Arabella as he spoke again.
"All things considered, we should make haste towards the cabin."

Before actually going on the path, Thomas took a step towards the rest of his guests.
"Thanks for coming you guys, I can't apologize enough about the earlier confusion. I was dealing with things that had to be dealt with, and... well, to state them now would ruin the surprise.
He raised his hands and wiggled his fingers with a devilish grin for about a second.
"But in all honesty, I'm surprised you were all able to make it, and am very glad you did."

He took a map out of his pack, and pointed to two spots marked with X's and numbers.
"The way to the cabin is very simple, we're at X one, and simply follow the path to X two. Don't let this rickety dock fool you, the cabin is actually very well kept."

He started to head down the path, while gesturing for the group to follow them.
"It should only take a few minutes for us to get there, if you see anything that that I don't, be sure to tell me. Let's hurry, Michelle's, in all likelihood, making things *ahem* awkward."

Cabin​

Upon the coffee table was a small manila folder, containing a mix of unorganized notes of near unreadable chicken scratch, pencil sketches of odd creatures, and printed pictures of the creatures from From Software's "Bloodborne."​

 

[Imbroglio]

Merkatie sat in her spot for a moment, watching the other girl get briskly up and step gracefully off the side of the boat and onto the weathered docks. She didn't have any of her own reservations it seemed. Walking right up to Thomas too, and giving him a hug in greeting.
They must have been close.

Or, at least closer than she and Mirkeil.
Maybe they had gotten the memo about the boat thing or...

Before she could finish her thought, Thomas had moved closer to the boat and started to apologize.
That made her feel better even if she was still a little perturbed. A text would have been nice. Nonetheless, it was hard to stay angry when someone seemed genuinely sorry. Even if it was in a Thomas kind of way.

She hoisted her bag onto her shoulder and only managed a tight smile before he went on in a typical Thomas fashion.
She sighed through her nose, adjusted the bag strap, and stepped off the boat as he was talking.
He certainly seemed like he was in a hurry. Talking rather quickly and retrieving a map to show them. She at least didn't feel rude for her voice getting stuck in her throat.

Apparently there were at least three people already here. Possibly more.
She opened her mouth to ask about them and why they needed a map for such a short walk, but shut it again when he moved off toward a worn trail. She sighed again, this time more harshly. This was already a little overwhelming.
At least she'd have Mirkeil if she ended up truly being the odd one here. He had always been a nice kid and at least she knew him a little. She ended up looking about for him once here came into her thoughts, she didn't feel much like being alone even on a short walk.
She tried her best not to look like she was off balance. Trying to keep her face calm and blank and hoping it was working.

 

[KamrenReed]

The boat ride was really enjoyable for Mirkeil. He hardly noticed the awkward silence of the other teens around him since he chose to chat it up with the older gentleman steering the boat. Asking him about the coast and if he worked professionally as a farryman or fisherman. Mirkeil mostly got curt non answers or grunts in reply. Though the driver wasn't so chatty, Mirkeil made up the silence with his own friendly conversation. Talking about the long road trip into Virginia and how he twisted his mothers arm to let him go to this party. How cool it was that he got to go to something so unique like hanging out on a private island with just a handful of people looking for a good time.

Before what felt like long they reached the old rickety docks. Mirkeil was one of the last to get off the little boat. He grabbed up his bag and climbed from the bobbing vessel in a bit of a stumble. He laughed it off as he joined the others who were already talking with Thomas. Before he could call out a proper greeting they were all marching off toward the cabin and he shrugged it off.
Easily the shortest of the lot, Mirkeil had to speed up to keep with the pace of the others and their long strides. He hurried and settled himself somewhere between the composed and polite pink haired girl, Merkatie, and the strange lanky boy who still looked a little green.
When he caught Merkatie's eye he drew nearer to her, "Kinda cool, isn't it? It would be fun to run around here, especially the abandoned buildings where the settlement was."
He looked from the pink haired girl to the boy who was trailing behind. "Don't you think?"

 

[Nikaleles]

Dorian had watched dispassionately as Arabella and Thomas hugged it out. Well, at least Arabella had been hugging it out, anyway – Thomas wasn't a touchy-feely sort of guy. Which was somewhat unfortunate, because Dorian really felt like he needed a hug.

As he had feared, Thomas didn't really seem to have any particular interest in him, regardless of the fact that they hadn't seen each other in a few years now. He felt like his presence warranted a 'hello,' or maybe at least being called by name, but Tom was dead-set on doing his thing for now. So he continued to keep to the back of the group and submissively kept his eyes averted.

As they wandered down the path, he lost himself in thought. Between the senile old man on the boat, the aforementioned 'surprise,' and the whole slasher movie setup, he was wondering if this wasn't one of Tom's things. Maybe he was only here as fodder for one of Thomas's little projects. That might have made more sense.

He was in the middle of degrading himself when he looked up from his feet to see a round little moon-face looking expectantly back at him. "Don't you think?" asked that short kid from the boat.

Dorian recoiled slightly and gawked at him for a moment, utterly taken by surprise. He hadn't heard anything that had been going on around him, and didn't even know what the kid was asking him.

"... Yes," he said with a confidence that he didn't at all feel.