Never Forgotten



Written By: Shattered Heart: & Mira-Charma13:

Rule: Do NOT post in here if you are not the writers, however, you may read the storyline if you wish. Please and Thank You.

Aaron had woken up on an early Friday morning smelling fresh bacon from downstairs. That could only mean one thing, Ace was in the middle of making breakfast for their family. Lately their parents had been busy with work that they weren't around till almost late at night. So Aaron and Ace grew closer together as brothers doing family things as if they weren't there to begin with. It was that they hated their family, well Aaron might, but Xyler loved family. Sitting up in bed he stretched his arms over his heard glad that they had a shared room that could fit them both in. The room had simple furniture: a medium light oak desk, separate beds close together, and a dresser next to their closet. The room was peaceful with the bright sunlight shining it's warm light throughout the room. Aaron made his way to the closet getting dressed in his usual attire involving a white t-shirt with a light blue flannel shirt and medium blue shaded pants with sneakers. Walking downstairs not bothering to brush his hair, he saw his brother standing in front of the stove turning around just then to put the plates of breakfast he made on the table for all of them. Aaron blinked for a moment 'Our parents? Oh great, this can't be good' he thought to himself.

"Oh. Aaron, come have a seat with us. Breakfast just got done" Ace said wearing his usual slightly faded jeans with just a red t-shirt like he always had. Aaron didn't say anything, he always held a grudge against his family since they weren't really there unless they wanted something; Ace sat down next to his brother eating his food starting with the bacon. Aaron didn't eat until their parents would speak, obviously they were there for a reason "Aaron, Ace we have something we need to tell you." their mother spoke up adding "The Royce family has returned with their sons Bran and Edgar to live here again" Aaron felt like jumping up and walking out of the room quickly, however he kept his composure. "I believe they want to meet up with you again, saying their usual meeting place by the old tree, wherever that would be" she spoke standing up eating only half of her breakfast. "We have to go to another meeting in an hour, we will see you guys later" she smiled about to walk over and kiss Aaron then Ace on the head, but Aaron spoke up "No you won't, we'll clean up when we get back, don't worry about it" Aaron had finished his food for Ace's sake and then put the dish in the sink as Ace followed him.

Leaving their parents behind in the kitchen, probably feeling ashamed this was how their life turned out, and knowing it was their fault. Ace linked arms with Aaron as they walked out of the house closing it behind them "Are we going to meet up with them?" Ace asked as Aaron nodded "Yea, we can't be distracted with 'them' there. We should focus on seeing our friends" Aaron was excited, Ace could tell with the way his brother spoke, and ruffled his light silvery hair. Aaron flinched complaining "Heeeey" chasing Ace as he ran down the path that would lead them to their hang out tree they always were at everyday they possibly could even after school in the past.

Name: Aaron Xylan Willows
Age: 21 (Oldest)
Likes: Reading, thinking, mysteries, Autumn, traditional settings.
Dislikes: Winter, Summer, loud noises, people.

Name: Ace Xyler Willows
Age: 21 (Youngest)
Likes: Adventure, watching movies, trying new things, Autumn.
Dislikes: Storms, spiders, horror/hauntings, ghosts.

Name: Bran Benedict Royce
Age: 21 (Youngest)
Likes: Motorcycles, rock music, animals, video games, horror movies
Dislikes: Little kids, rain, authority figures, seafood, bees

Name: Edgar Flynn Royce
Age: 21 (Oldest)
Likes: Video games, animals, food, reading, chilly weather
Dislikes: Bees, humidity, romantic comedies, women, guns

~~~

For the most part, this wooded path, set directly next to a somewhat abandoned park, was rarely used. So much so that the resilient grass had begun to breach the laid-out stones. Weeds grew straight up from between the stones, often making it easy to trip. The only regular visitors to this path now were the animals. The air seemed alive with the sound of chirping birds and the gentle breeze rustling the leaves. It was a peaceful place, practically untouched in the past few years.

Well...it used to be a peaceful place. Before today, of course.

"ROWF! BARK! WOOF! GRRRR!" A dog was screeching excitedly from a ways down the path. His sounds of excitement were so loud that they echoed in the still air. More sounds accompanied the pup's loud and incessant barking and squealing. Voices. "Shut your damn dog up!" This voice was a crooning baritone. At the moment, it didn't sound quite as sensuous as it normally would. "I'm trying!" This voice sounded similar to the first one, but slightly higher-pitched. "You know he's nuts for squirrels! He won't stop once he gets going!" The second voice let loose this high-pitched whistling noise. "Bacon! Come on, Bacon! Here, boy! Shush and I'll give you a treat!" The yelping quieted down considerably, and peace returned to the unbeaten path.

At the end of this winding path stood a proud and insanely tall oak tree, surrounded by an overgrown meadow. The source of the ruckus was starkly apparent. For once, there were actually people here. Two young men, the first of which stood near the tree itself. This man was tall and lean, dressed modestly in a thin long-sleeved red shirt, a pair of old jeans, and scuffed white sneakers. Striking ice blue eyes hid behind a pair of black-rimmed glasses. Red-flecked blonde hair was tied up in a small ponytail behind his head. He clutched a leash, and at the end of the leash, an energetic and chubby Pembroke Welsh Corgi was pulling him. "Ouch!" he hissed through his teeth, struggling to keep up with the hyperactive pooch. "Knock it off, Bacon! Not so fast!"

Standing just off to the side underneath the shadow of the great tree, watching the blonde with amusement, was another man. This one was just as tall as his companion, but slightly more muscled, clad in an old black tank top, a pair of well-worn black jeans, and an old pair of dark Converse shoes. Like the other man, this one possessed some rather striking blue eyes, but he had no glasses. Instead, several eyebrow, lip, and ear piercings, as well as a single stud on his nose, littered his otherwise pristine face. His exposed arms showed off a myriad of dark, intricate tattoos. Long hair, black as night, draped down a bit below his shoulders. He, too, held a leash in his hands, and at the end of that leash was a tall, somewhat scarred, intimidating, powerful-looking Doberman (which looked like it was on guard watching for intruders).

"Would you cut it out already, Ed?" The dark-haired man seemed amused despite his words. "They could arrive at any second, you know." The blonde sighed, practically jogging around the tree alongside his excited companion. "I want to drain his energy a little bit before we play meet-and-greet," he muttered sourly. "Is that so bad?"

Both men sounded amused. This banter was normal for them.

Ace ran away until he was tackled by his brother being pinned to the ground near the tall tree. "Got you, Ace" Aaron smirked in triumph as Ace laughed "Okay, Okay Aaron, you got me, now get off" Ace pushed him off to the side to stand up helping him up as well "Come on, we don't want to late" Ace said as he heard Aaron spoke "How do we know they will even be up here right now, we didn't stay to listen about the time" fixing his flannel he looked over seeing two guys off to the side by the tree "I've never seen them before" Aaron spoke up not taking his eyes off the more punk style looking guy. "Me either, let's go say hi" Ace said thinking something seemed really familiar about the two.

Walking over to the tree Ace waved sort of friendly "Hey, haven't you seen you here before, are you new?" Ace had grown up to be more of the friendlier brother not noticing some things he probably should have in life. Aaron took on the responsibility as much as he could in order to let Ace have a fun childhood after their friends left those years ago. Even though they would write letters to their friends, eventually they came to an end, and the letters stop going out to them. It was hard to find time with school even if they didn't have to worry about part time jobs very much. Aaron shook his head knowing his brother was somewhat different in the past than he was now. Back then, he was the one to get into trouble with almost everything he did, and didn't trust a single person. His hair was also more wild with how his hair looked back then not caring to brush it. Now he spent his time brushing it the way he liked. Aaron stayed quiet, he used to love to talk, but when his friends left that changed.



Ace as a kid
Cute, innocent, longer hair aaron

Neither brother noticed that they suddenly had company at first. It was only when a new voice reached their ears that they both looked up, almost simultaneously. Those striking blue eyes that they shared were quite distinctive...telling signs, really. It was one of the only things physically that the two Royce twins shared. The blonde was quickly distracted again by his overly-excitable Corgi, who immediately began pulling on his leash in an attempt to reach this new visitors. The black-haired twin's Doberman turned only slightly in the direction of the strangers, upper lip lifting over wickedly sharp fangs.

"Hey." The black-haired man reached down and tapped the intimidating hound on the nose--he grunted and looked away. "Be nice, Chaos." Surprisingly, the more intimidating of the two men was the one to extend a hand to the approaching male. "Uh, yeah. Kind of. We used to live here. Just moved back into town. We're waiting for a couple of people here. Sorry if Edgar's dog disturbed your walk or hike, or whatever you're doing out here." Out of the two twins, this one was not quite as observant. He didn't pay much attention to what was going on around him.

"Uh, Bran..." The blonde, Edgar, finally spoke up, his attention now focused on the approaching males rather than his hyperventilating dog. "I think these are the Willows." Definitely more observant than his brother. The darker-haired male, Bran, peered over his shoulder at the other, looking incredulous. "Huh? Really?" He turned back around, scrutinizing the stranger. Come to think of it...those hair colors looked similar. Edgar and Bran both allowed their hair to grow out as they grew older. Edgar got glasses in middle school. Bran got contacts to replace his glasses, and over a period of time acquired his piercings, and tattoos. But other than that...they looked much the same as they did during their elementary school years.

Aaron was the one to watch as Ace shook hands with Bran and after hearing the other's name he his eyes grew brighter with excitement. "Bran? Edgar? Is that really you?" of course there wasn't much difference to them, but at first Ace didn't recognize them since they were older than in the past, obviously. Ace was about to hug Bran quickly, however Aaron intervened pulling him at the collar of his shirt "Hey" Ace turned towards Aaron "What's the big idea!?" Aaron sighed at his brother's complaint "What did I tell you?" Ace crossed his arms pouting like a little kid getting in trouble. "So you're Bran and Edgar, haven't changed too much I see" Aaron spoke up looking over watching his brother pet the more excitable dog playing with it while he sat on the ground.

Aaron figured that Ace was lost in his own little world like he always did whenever they argued for a short time or so. They hardly argued over anything worth arguing for and most of the time it was silly things. They were brothers after all, so of course they annoyed each other; normally Aaron would have hugged the others by now like had done when he was little, trusting everyone he would meet, but he just stood there with a smile on his face. "You'll have to forgive Ace for being...annoying, he's always like this around new people" Aaron was always telling his brother that some people don't like to be touched by others, even if it was a hug, which was different from a handshake.

(Okay next post WILL get bigger, promise)

"Haven't changed too much?" Edgar sounded highly amused by that statement. "I haven't changed much. Bran, on the other hand..." "Oh, yeah right, Ed," Bran muttered, keeping a firm grip on the leash in his hand. His dog, Chaos, was looking awfully leery of these strangers (strangers to him, anyway). The dark-haired male turned his attention back to Aaron. "I don't mind getting hugs, but I wouldn't get too close to me when Chaos is nearby." He motioned to the Doberman, who had affixed a hard and unfriendly stare on Aaron. "He used to be a fighting dog. I rescued him before he could be put down. He might think you're attacking me. And he won't hesitate to bite."

The other dog, the Corgi, seemed much different from the Doberman. He instantly yanked poor Edgar forward when Ace approached, whining and begging to be showered with love. Edgar chuckled, giving the dog some slack to do as he wished. "That's Bacon," he hummed, reaching up to brush some of his hair out of his face. "Pretty much adorable, isn't he? Nothing but a big, squishy, huggable ball of love." It seemed as if Edgar was the more cheerful of the two brothers.

"So, uh..." Bran reached up and scratched the back of his neck. "It's been a really long time." "Well, obviously..." Edgar muttered under his breath, flashing his brother a mischievous smirk."Shut up, Ed." Bran cleared his throat. "We, uh...figured you might wanna spend the day together or something. We've got lots of movies and video games at home. And Edgar can whip up something good to eat--he's training to be a chef, after all." He paused, grinning sheepishly. "Sorry. Forgot that you wouldn't know that..."

Edgar hummed, stretching his arms up and behind his neck. "I want to work in a Michelin three-star restaurant someday. Fine dining and whatnot. That is my ultimate goal. While Bran here...wants to get into the music industry." Bran shrugged, studying his nails and looking awfully smug about that little tidbit of information. "I sing. And I'm pretty good," he admitted, turning those blue eyes skyward.

While Ace was playing with Bacon he listened to what the others were saying "I want to be a crime scene investigator. I know it will take a lot of work, but I'm willing to do anything just to get out of this town, and protect people" Ace laughed as the dog pushed him over licking his face. Aaron shook his head, his brother was always so carefree, but at least he received really good marks. "Professional photographer is what I've chosen to go with, not someone who takes pictures of models, just of nature and scenery" Aaron thought for a moment, he had to go shopping for some supplies since he had his hobby. "I have to go shopping for a couple things first, if you want you can tag along with us" Aaron said wondering if they would follow or meet up later.

Ace finally detached himself from Bacon walking over to Chaos just staring at him in the eyes with a friendly smile. Ace was always the pet lover in the family, love all kinds of animals, however the black panther was his favorite. Just like an overgrown kitty to him and that's all he saw animals as, something cute to cuddle or play with. "Hey Chaos" he hugged the dog knowing it might bite him, not that he cared, and then pet it on the head. Laughing he looked up at Bran "How old is he? looks like an overgrown puppy" "Oh Ace" Aaron shook his head asking Edgar "So what is your favorite dish to make?" he was curious seeing he liked to eat just about anything or try anything at least once. He ordered squid before, fresh, just so he could try to cook it with Ace, and wound up liking it. Ace thought his brother was strange for liking foreign food, he didn't know how he could like it without putting any kind of sauce on it.

Ace was the sweets lover in the house, he loved chocolate as well as different kinds of cake considering Aaron spoiled him or people in their friend group would always give them sweets. He was popular with the girls, obviously, he just saw them as girls, never anything else; Ace looked back at Chaos "What, are you going to bite me now?" Ace said still with a smile as his hand laid on the dog's head. "If he bites you, don't come crying to us" Aaron mumbled.

"I'd do anything to get out of this town, too," Bran grumbled, folding his heavily-inked arms across his chest. "I forgot how tiny of a town this is. Really set back in the boondocks. The only really modern thing for miles is the mall." Which was where both he and Edgar would be working in the next couple of days. "I'm so used to Phoenix. It won't be an easy transition for me." The Royces moved to Phoenix, Arizona all those years ago. Hot, dry, and heavily-populated, it was nearly the polar opposite of this little town. Both brothers perked up at the mention of joining the other pair of twins on a shopping trip. "Are you going to the mall?" was Edgar's immediate inquiry. "Of course they are, Ed," Bran retorted in a drawling tone. "It's probably the only place for miles that sells decent stuff."

This playful, yet still somewhat rude, banter seemed to be a regular occurrence between Bran and Edgar. Perhaps they liked to tease each other...

"Hm. That's convenient," the blonde mused, completely ignoring his brother's somewhat unpleasant response. "Bran and I need to stop by the mall anyway. To finalize our employment. I worked as a sous-chef at a Red Robin back in Phoenix. There's a Red Robin in the mall, so I've simply been transferred." "And I used to work at a Hot Topic," Bran piped up, keeping an eye on his volatile dog. "I got transferred, too. So, yeah. We'll go with you. ...Eehh...I'd be careful with him if I were you. He's a recovering fighting dog." Chaos clearly did not like having this strange human in his face. He bared his teeth again and snarled as a warning, but Bran pulled sharply on his leash, correcting him. The Doberman simply turned his head away, body still riddled with tension...but at least he was ignoring Ace instead of ripping his face off.

Relieved that Chaos was in the mood to listen today, Bran allowed himself to relax, rolling his shoulders forward. "He's four. He was raised by a bunch of dog-fighters and trained to fight since puppy-hood. When he lost a fight, his scumbag of an owner dumped him off at the local shelter. I arrived just minutes before they planned to put him down, and I adopted him. He's a handful, but he's very loyal to me. Took me months to gain his trust." With the spotlight suddenly turned on him, Edgar reached down to brush some dirt off of his silly Corgi's nose and cleared his throat anxiously. He seemed a little...shy, perhaps. "I can cook just about anything. I love to make Italian and Asian food--those are my fortes."

The bespectacled blonde glanced down at his watch, and then suddenly scrambled to his feet. "Hey, Bran. We need to get moving or we'll miss our appointments." "Yeah, okay..." Bran tugged on his dog's leash--Chaos happily put some distance between himself and Ace, heading insistently toward the gate that led back onto the path. "Ed's got his Prius parked out front. We'll have to drop our dogs off, but then we'll head straight for the mall. You guys have a car, or do you wanna ride along?"

"I'm riding my bike" Ace said standing up with a big grin, he finally got the one thing he had asked for all these years, and all he had to do was build it. It took the help of a couple friends of his outside of the town, but he finally got it built just right to where it was quiet and still ran smoothly. "No you're not, you can't ride it without me remember" Aaron said scolding him as his brother looked with sad cute eyes almost like a lost puppy "Puppy dog face doesn't phase me, brother" Aaron spoke watching Ace pout then look sly "Then I'll tell grandmother you were out with your friends doing-" Ace was cut off by Aaron "Fine fine, you can ride it sheesh, now shut up" he clearly was embarrassed by something enough to be bothered before Ace could be finished with what he was saying.

"How about tomorrow?" Aaron asked then whispered something in Ace's ear making his eyes go wide almost as if in fear and then he back up putting his hands in defense. "Okay okay, tomorrow, tomorrow it is" Aaron hadn't told Ace there was no gas it in to begin with since he used it a couple of times in order to go pick up a few things or hang out with friends for a bit while out and about. "If you don't mind, we'll take you up on the ride" Aaron said politely, though no matter how polite he was, that was only his cover he put up around everyone else until you truly got to know him better, and sometimes people wished they didn't know him.

Bran stopped in his tracks. Obviously, he was intent on leaving as soon as he possibly could--he didn't know Aaron or Ace very well anymore, and thus he felt uncomfortable being around them--but something caught his attention. He glanced offhandedly over his shoulder, a single dark eyebrow raised. "Bike-bike, or motorcycle-bike?" The intrigued tone to his voice was new, indeed. Before, he just sounded as if he was mechanically answering questions and making a pitiful attempt at chit-chatting. Edgar sighed, tugging on Bacon's leash to get the chubby Corgi heading down toward the path again--the dog nipped at Chaos' heel as it passed by, earning a growl. "Oh, no. Don't get him started on motorcycles," the blonde warned. "He'll never stop talking."

Though the other two males weren't aware of it yet, looks could certainly be deceiving. The longer they spent around the Royce brothers, the more Bran would open up...and the more Edgar would let his true colors shine.

"Come, then." Edgar strode ahead of the pack with Bacon leading the way, a charming smile on his face. "We should hustle." "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming--don't rush me." Bran took his time, walking at a slower pace. Chaos walked directly by his side. Despite his history as a fighting dog, he appeared to be quite loyal to Bran. During the walk down the path, Edgar moved at a quicker pace to accommodate for Bacon's excitement while Bran lagged behind, whistling a tune to himself. It didn't take them very long to reach the end of the path, which split off into the park and led directly out toward the road. Parked just across the street was a shiny blue Toyota Prius, which Edgar made a beeline for. He just hopped right in, scooping Bacon up and plopping him down in his lap. Bran had to double back around the car to help Chaos into the trunk--he didn't want the volatile dog sitting in the back seat between two strangers. After Bran hopped into the passenger seat, and Edgar made sure their companions were also seated (and buckled up), he pulled out of his space, heading straight onto the road.

"...So." Edgar was the one to break the silence this time--Bran was far too distracted with his phone. "It's been quite a while since we've seen each other. I'm sure your hobbies and such have changed. What do you like to do for fun?"

"Uh yea, I have a motorcycle, kind of, Aaron calls it a motorbike since it was easier to just make it from scratch" Ace answered following behind Bran keeping up with him. He loved adventures, rushes, and defiantly motorcycles with how fast they could go. He was in a small time and had that boring life here. So the motor bike made up for him wanting to leave, well just for a little bit that is; Aaron looked over at Edgar "Same with Ace on that account, he loves bikes, all kinds. I doubt they'll stop talking now" Aaron half joked when he said not sure if they would talk to whole way or not. Aaron and Ace took seats in the back next to each other, as kids they were inseparable, however, now that was something they knew all too well.

Aaron let Ace speak up first "I like to work on things, studying after all those years wound up catching my interest, and it helped out in the long run. Though I still don't like reading even if it's a good book, I get bored easily, and would rather act things out" Aaron knew that Ace didn't like books, the kid would always fall asleep on page one not wanting to focus unless it was for studying for school. Ace might not have been a nerd as far as anyone could tell, however he was clearly the smart one in school.

Aaron shrugged "I don't tend to speak about my hobbies usually, if I don't have Ace there, or we're both not hanging out with our groups of friends. I tend to be found in my room...relaxing" he didn't say he was an artist, it was kind of a wimpy hobby for someone who appeared well less wimpy than that. "Otherwise we watch moved, sometimes Ace jumps off cliffs and such, while I take the pictures" Aaron said as Ace spoke up "He has pictures all over his walls" Aaron hit him as if telling him to shut up. "What do you two like to do for hobbies?" Aaron asked to change the subject from him.

"I like video games," was Bran's near-instant response. Though most of his attention remained focused on his cell phone, he still paid careful attention to the conversation at hand. "I like to sing and play the guitar in my free time. I ride my Harley whenever I can. I used to like going out with friends back in Phoenix, but, uh...you guys are the only people I know in this area, so I don't know if I'm gonna be doing too much of that. Do you guys like to club and cause mischief? Ed's no fun when it comes to clubbing and stuff..."

"That sort of thing bores me," Edgar muttered under his breath, splitting his attention threefold between the conversation, the road in front of him, and his constantly-squirming canine companion (in stark contrast to Bacon, Chaos seemed to have dozed off in the back). Bran scoffed and quieted down, animatedly tapping away on his phone. This unfortunately turned the spotlight on Edgar, and though he didn't appear too frazzled, it was easy to tell by the expression on his face that he wasn't so sure about this topic. "I like to read." His words were simple. Almost drawling. "I test out new recipes in my free time. I enjoy video games, as well." "Ed doesn't get out much," Bran interjected, earning him a less-than-amused glance from his twin. "Sometimes he'll agree to take a ride on the Harley with me for a while, and we'll go out to restaurants and stuff. He doesn't really like people in general."

Edgar shrugged at this insinuation. He didn't bother protesting it. It was true, after all.

As the blonde continued to drive, Bran's phone continuously vibrated and squealed, and he kept on texting. After just a couple of minutes, the device seemed to be grating on Edgar's nerves. "...Don't you ever shut that thing off?" he demanded idly, watching the road signs like a hawk so that he wouldn't miss the mall by accident. "Shut what off?" Bran blinked innocently for a moment. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Hermit. Forgot you have something against cell phones."

Ace shrugged, he never had been to a club before seeing as there was only one and it opened just a few weeks ago. "No, we haven't" Ace answered as Aaron kept quiet, of course he had been the club a few times, but it wasn't really his sort of thing. He figured his twin would like that alot more than he would or had in the past. If he spoke up about it then his brother would realize why he didn't want him to write the motorbike and that was something he didn't want to argue about right now. Ace grinned "Though it sounds like fun, I've been tempted to go with some friends of mine just to check it out, though what I really want to do is go to a rave"

"I can agree with not liking people, they're annoying" Aaron said honestly looking out the side back window with his chin on his hand leaning against the door of the car. Ace leaned forward just to see the cell phone that Bran was messing with. "What kind is it?" his curious child mood had kicked in, that was something both brothers had in common, they loved adventures. "What kind of video games do you play, Edgar? And the mall is the next right" Aaron spoke up seeing the sky was still bright with colors, he loved colors more than anyone else he knew, even if he mostly saw the world in black and white half of the time. Aaron knew more about life than Ace did and would even shield him from it for years.

(sorry my post was bigger, but there was an issue with my net, so I have to retype it)

"I've been to raves before," Bran admitted, finally glancing up from his phone. A devilish smirk curled his lips. "I can take you to one if you want. They're fun! And Edgar actually likes them." Bran's free hand shot up into the air, waving around. "Hallelujah! It's a miracle!" The blonde clicked his tongue. "I may not like the nightlife, but I can still get into a good beat. I dance at raves, but I don't socialize." He paused briefly, and then made a different turn. "We have to drop the dogs off first. Our house isn't very far from the mall--don't fret. I doubt I'll get lost."

"Some people can be annoying," the dark-haired twin corrected simply, tapping away on his phone again. "But not all of them are. Just got to sift through a lot of assholes to find a decent person." He leaned back in his seat, briefly flashing the phone to Ace--it looked like a pretty fancy smartphone. "Christmas gift. The newest iPhone."

For a moment, Edgar didn't answer Aaron--he was focused on finding a decent parking space across the street, since the driveway was occupied by an SUV and a huge, gorgeous red motorcycle. "I play a lot of action-adventure games," he admitted with ease. "A lot of role-playing games. Quite a few survival horrors, as well. When I'm in the mood for something more casual, Pokémon and puzzle games always do the trick." Bran chuckled, pointing out a free space to the blonde--Edgar instantly went for it, parking his Prius like a pro. "I like action-adventure. I play casual stuff, too. But I really like shooters. Edgar plays more than I do. He'll only play single-player campaigns, though. He won't play multi-player unless it's a local co-op sort of deal."

Edgar killed the engine, hopping out of the car with Bacon in tow. Bran took his time, peering back at the other pair of twins. "So, uh...this is our new place. Not exactly glamorous, but it works for us. Our mom's home, but she won't bug us if we don't bug her." It was a slightly run-down two-story house. Back during their childhood days, the Royces lived in a huge house. Their father was a wealthy man. Sitting on the front porch of this house, focused on watching a bird in the nearby tree, was a skinny, scarred, raggedy black cat with a notch missing from one of his ears. It looked feral, at first...but there was a collar around its neck. It must have belonged to the Royces.

"Really?!" Ace exclaimed happily at the sound of being able to go "Then we can make Aaron go with us" Aaron shrugged "Depends if I don't have my usual grouping" he didn't mind going, but he did have other things he normally did. Ace knew what a cell phone was, however he hadn't heard anything about people updating phones to call it an iphone. Aaron didn't stay inside long enough to play video games or get on their computer from time to time. It was rare if he did use it, he was the old fashioned-traditional sort of guy who loved to relax outside rather than be inside. Ace was the same as his brother in that category, he was just a bit more outspoken, and loved to embrace the freedom they had.

They knew what was going on in the rest of the world, though that didn't stop them in staying where they were, and neither of them wanted to move. Though Aaron did want to take new pictures of things he hadn't seen yet and put them in his photo album. Aaron relaxed in the back seat closing his eyes until they pulled up across a house. Aaron or Ace didn't comment on the house, Aaron would scold his brother if he dared, and when they got out of the vehicle, Ace was grabbed by his collar by his brother "Slow down animal fan, you might not want to scare anything else away" Aaron stated following the two asking Bran and Edgar "Either of you like storms?"

"Well, I'll go with you anytime," Bran chirped, sounding pleased that Ace, at the very least, was willing to be his rave buddy for the night. He continued speaking as he walked back around the car to fetch Chaos. "Ed has to be in the right mood or he won't go. Maybe he'll be more willing if we can find him a date for the night." A noncommittal grunt was all the dark-haired brother received from Edgar as a response.

A date? Oh, please. Edgar couldn't have been more different from the other two males. He preferred to stay indoors, away from nature and the elements. The blonde was a definite homebody, as well as an electronics addict. When he wasn't working, he spent most of his time on his computer and playing video games. It was strange, though, that such a techie didn't own, nor did he want, a cell phone. Bran was a bit of a different story. While he liked video games and spent time on his laptop whenever he was home, he preferred to spend his time outside. Taking walks. Riding on his prized motorcycle. Clubbing. Partying at raves. Bran had a wide circle of friends, while Edgar was a loner by choice and not by circumstance. They were an odd pair, indeed. While they were quite different when it came to both their hobbies and their personalities, the two of them spent a great deal of time together. They were planning on attending the same university, and then living together for several years afterward while they found their places in the world.

"You two are more than welcome to come inside for a few moments," Edgar offered, just before he strolled off with Bacon in tow. He completely ignored the raggedy cat on the porch, but Bacon practically leaped at it. The infuriated cat let loose a high-pitched, incredibly loud yowl, swatting at the Corgi--Bacon yelped and scurried through the door. "Yeah, guys, you can come in for a couple of minutes," Bran reaffirmed, sauntering toward the door at a much more relaxed pace. Unlike Bacon, Chaos ignored the cat, but Bran stopped and leaned down to pet it. "Hey there, Frankenstein." Surprisingly, the scrappy cat purred like a kitten and accepted the touch.

The door led into a small red-tiled foyer, which conversely led into a modestly-sized silver-carpeted living room. Once released from their leashes, Bacon and Chaos both headed straight for the leather couch, where they plopped down unceremoniously for a nap. Despite being modest in size, the living room was exquisitely decorated, and a huge flat-screen television dominated the space. Edgar began moving toward his room, but Bran, who just finished hanging the leashes on a wall hook, grabbed his arm. For a moment, the two brothers engaged in a staring match, but Bran eventually looked away, turning back toward their guests.

"I don't really like storms. Make me kind of nervous. I'm used to living in the middle of the desert--we didn't get much rain." He paused. "Lots of dust storms, though." "Storms help me sleep well at night," Edgar admitted, jerking his arm out of Bran's grasp. "We should leave as soon as possible. I don't want to miss my appointment."

"I think we'll just wait out there" Aaron spoke keeping his brother outside as they walked back down the driveway towards the car. "What gives Aaron?" the red head asked his brother not understanding why his brother didn't want to go inside. "It's not our place and we shouldn't over do things, you need to slow down alright? Besides we have to get to the mall and back home in time to make dinner tonight. You still have your chores" Aaron spoke, he didn't do everything in the house though probably could if he really wanted to. The sunny day was starting to hide behind a few clouds off and on, but so far there was no rain, just clouds. Ace didn't think too much on it, but he didn't go against his brother when he spoke like he did.

"Alright, so while we're on the topic, what are we going to get at the mall?" Ace asked Aaron looking back at the house. They started talking about the supplies Aaron needed and knew Ace would want to spend money too wanting something. Joking about the weather and seeing the reactions of their old friends, they waited outside for them to return. Ace really wanted to go inside and see the house, but knew that his brother wasn't going to let that happen. Though something caught Aaron's attention that Ace was talking about "Wait, you're going with a girl? Who?" Aaron always wanted the details on what his brother was up to when it came down to girls, he (Ace) went out with a couple different people over the year while Aaron refused to.