Once the beautiful manor belonged to a young couple who had just married. The husband had inherited money from his parent's deaths, and built his wife her dream home. The land around the mansion was ordered to only have the beautifulest of flowers, fountains, and statues. The house itself was on a plot of 100 acres and was surrounded by trees. In the back yard of the house is a large garden, stretching all the way to the end of the acres. It's said that the husband did this for his wife to show her that if he had a flower for every time he thought of her, he would have thousands. The front of the house is a long gravel path leading to a circular driveway with a large angel fountain in the center of it. Then there's a large iron gate at the beginning of the gravel driveway.

((Inside of house: YouTube - ‪12 MILLION DOLLAR LUXURY HOMES FOR SALE ARIZONA MANSION - VIDEO TOUR‬‏ Only pay attention to the rooms and not the outside! Except for the small terrace, the pool. Plus theres multiple bedrooms, just different colors.))

Name: Andrew Xander Marquet
Age: 23
Pic:

Name: Scarlett Xandria Marquet
Age: 22
Pic:

((I'm not making a bio because you'll learn about them eventually :3 ))

((IS that a HOME THEATRE?!?!?!? And those rooms are gorgeous!! :drool: Alright, I'll do the same with my characters. :) *coughs* Though . . . they aren't necessarily real pictures. :XD))

Gideon Valentine

Though seen as the oddest man out in nearly every bit of his social life, Gideon has the extraordinary talent of making small gadgets and such out of metal. His favorite color is the dark crimson that he seems to wear constantly (hence his long - and warm - coat as well as the strip of fabric he uses to keep his hair out of his face). His family is certainly an old one . . . and very . . . ah, well, different.
He comes from a small town near Bend, Oregon. He is 22 and his eyes are gray.




Alice Black

Though she looks completely normal, she tends to have a flamboyant personality. Alice loves clothes, books, music, art . . . just about everything. One thing she won't stand for is irritated, self-absorbed people (like Gideon). She considers herself a peace-maker of sorts. She typically wears white and gold: colors that match her pale skin and golden eyes.
She comes from a mansion home in Beverly Hills, California. She is 20.

((Yes it is ! xD So how do you want to start? Just them showing up at the home and unpacking?))

((Sounds good to me. :yes: I would start us out . . . but I have to go. :())

Scarlett stood in her new room, her eyes lit up at the beauty of it as she started to unpack. Her bed was rather large with sapphire blue sheets, black pillows, and her bed had a canopy with see through blue curtains surrounding all sides. She had one of the curtains drawn back so that her black suitcase was sitting on her rose engraved comforter. Scarlett's long blonde hair went just to her mid back, swaying slightly as she walked to her closet to put all her clothes away. She could hardly believe that this house was old! It had been remodeled so well.. And the best part was that her bedroom had a balcony. So did the bedroom down the hall. She could tell because when she went out on her's she could see the other perfectly.

Once she had all her clothes away she looked up at the chandelier on her ceiling before heading into the hallway and starting to walk around to look at all the rooms. Later she would most likely go to the pool to get her mind of the recent events. Just two weeks before she arrived at this house she found out that her supposed "love" was cheating on her, so she left him. Her brother had never liked him anyways.. but she was already getting over him. Scarlett wore a simple black tank top and then short light colored jeans that had a few rips in them. Her and her brother needed the money, so they had decided to take the government up on the offer of staying here for awhile.

Andrew sat in his room, sighing softly. His room was just like his sisters, though his involved a red crimson color instead of blue. He stood up and stretched his arms, heading out of his wonderful room. He had already unpacked. The odd thing about this trip was that they had been driven here in a dark limo, and no electronics were allowed. There was of course a phone and tv in the house so he didn't really need his phone to begin with. He went down the grand staircase after going down the long hallway and slowly walked down it, overlooking the large chandelier and went towards the bar. He snaked his way behind the bar and started to scan the place for a good drink.

"Thirsty?" Alice had watched Andrew enter the room with a smile on her face. Somehow she went unnoticed until she spoke up. When the boy turned to her, she pushed a bottle his way. "It isn't alcoholic, but it's good." Spiced cider filled half of the young woman's glass: she'd obviously been there for a few minutes. Alice Black didn't like being stuck in her bedroom for long so she'd headed toward the place she figured she would meet someone: the bar.
"I'm Alice," the pale girl extended a hand with a friendly smile, meeting Andrew's gaze steadily. "You just arrived, didn't you? I was in the car behind yours." There had been two limos (though why you'd need more than one, who knew) that drove to the old house: one held Andrew and Scarlett and the other held Gideon and Alice. While Andrew and his sister had been helped into the house with their luggage the other two were still adjusting their things to be brought in. Alice hadn't gotten to her room until the siblings were nowhere in sight.

Gold eyes sparkling with delight, she brushed an invisible crumb off of her grey pants. "It's good to meet up with the only other male in the household. I was beginning to think that the only guy here was Gideon." With an over-exadurated shudder Alice laughed. "I don't think I would have survived our stay had that been the case." Her gold necklace made of many small chains clinked lightly as she leaned forward against the counter. Alice wore sandals that matched her gold belt around her waist and a loose-fitting shirt of the purest white. She certainly didn't come from a family that was struggling financially.
"How are you liking this place so far?"
-

Gideon arrived around the same time as Alice, but he'd holed away in his room as swiftly as possible. The door stayed cracked, but he didn't make any effort to venture out and explore the house. Not yet. The dark-haired youth inspected his room with an unhurried demeanor and an expression that showed no hint of awe.
His pale fingers traced over the carved wood on the bed and dresser while his brown eyes moved over the dark browns and tans that decorated the room. The large glass door that led outside caught his attention swiftly. Gideon opened the door that led out to the balcony and stepped out to the edge. Looking to his left he could see another balcony. Must be the room down the hall. Silently hoping that particular room was empty, Gideon moved back inside.
He hadn't brought much with him, but he wasn't complaining. He brought his share of books and trinkets, tools and clothing. It was everything he thought essential to have while he was away from home. Gideon coughed lightly into his hand as he closed the glass door behind him. After that he went about putting things in their respective places: clothes into the dresser, books on a shelf nearby, tools laid out on the small table across from his bed. . . .

Gideon Valentine had no intention of letting anyone in the house know he existed for the time being.

((:eager: I got a post in!! Hoorah!! I might be gone again . . . but I'll try to post in all of our threads!! :sweat:))

Andrew smirked and nodded to the girl. "I'd like a drink." He said, giving a slight nod. He chuckled at her following words. "Well.. it's nice to have a girl around that isn't my sister. Obviously that would be a big downer on my part." He said, looking at her eyes slyly. It was good that she was attractive. Now he could have at least a little fun at the mansion. Andrew ran a hand through his blonde hair and sat down on the closest bar stool, his confidence could be shown by his expression.

Andrew looked down at the elegantly styled bar and ran his fingers gently over the marble counter top. "I think I can live like this easily." He said, smiling over at her. "The house is rather beautiful and a lot to take in." He said, his eyes looking her over.

Scarletts eyes glanced around the hall when she noticed another room. She bit her lip, wondering if this was the room that had a balcony as well. She then kept walking until she got to the end of the hall that had the grand staircase that led to the downstairs.

"Quite easily," Alice nodded her agreement. "There's a hot spring in the back, huge bath tubs, a theater . . . what else could we possibly need?" She caught eyes with Andrew before looking back to her drink. Even the glasses were incredible. Sipping the cider, she poured a second glass with her free hand and handed it over to the confident youth beside her.
"So, Andrew," the girl took a small breath before letting her first question loose. "You and your sister came together. Good family relationship at home?" It was a personal question for the first meeting, but she seemed eager to know. Gold eyes filling with curiousity, she leaned against the countertop with a small grin on her pale face. "You aren't coming out here to hide from anyone, are you?"
-

The sound of movement in the hallway caught Gideon's attention. His brown eyes shot up to witness a brief flicker of movement as someone passed by his door. Instead of standing and going to say hello, he let his dark hair curtain his chisled features as he resumed placing his belongings on the dresser's surface. I don't want to talk with anyone right now.

Determined to keep away from any person, he merely lifted a book from the shelf and sat on the bed. He would read for many hours . . . perhaps until he was hungry.

((:XD Which he will do. He needs to eat sometime! :lol:))

Andrew nodded. "My sister and I are the best of friends.. but both are parents are dead." He said, biting his lip. "My father was killed in jail and my mother died a few years ago of cancer. But we get by." He said, taking the drink with a nod of thank you. "We were in need of money and my sister wanted to get away from her abusive ex boyfriend. She refuses to believe that him hitting her was abuse since he would always apologize." He muttered, rolling his eyes. "But finally she left him when she found out he was cheating. Me on the other hand.. I have no one to hide from." He said, taking a gulp of the drink. "What about you? Are you close with the Gideon guy you came with?"

Scarlett glided down the staircase but swiftly avoided the bar. She was in no mood to talk with her brother, but she could hear him talking of her. As he spoke of her ex she felt chills go up her spine. With a small shake of the head she continued into a library where she stood and looked in the mirror, her hand trailing to the side of her face where she moved her blonde hair back. You could barely see a bruise that had been placed there. She let her full lips frown before looking around the room. She let a sigh escape her lips before she started to scan through the books.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Alice said quietly, her face the picture of polite pity. After taking a few sips of her own cider, the dark-haired woman cleared her throat. "I," she began, lifting her chin in an over-dramatic manner, "don't run from anyone." Her golden eyes twinkled as she laughed. "My father was friends with the man who convinced me to come. Apparently they wanted someone from the Black family in on this housewarming ordeal."
Alice smiled a bit before rewinding and thinking of what Andrew had asked. She was in the middle of a sip when she choked, hardly swallowing before spraying her drink all over her new friend. "Gideon? Close to Gideon?" The expressive youth burst into laughter, wiping away a few tears that sprang to her eyes as she fought to keep herself from falling off of her stool. "Y-you haven't met him yet, have you?" Alice giggled, leaning closer to Andrew as she whispered her next statement. "It would be easier to be friends with a toad."
-

Gideon scowled as he stepped past the two at the bar. He hadn't been planning on leaving his room, but it was hard not to when he was thirsty. He'd headed down for a cup of water . . . and caught the tail end of Alice's comment. His brown eyes were dark as he passed by, his stony expression revealing nothing (save his scowl, which ended up slipping through).
Stepping into the huge kitchen area, Gideon promptly forced his mind away from the other people. Alice was like that to him: teasing and trying to get him to be social. The fact of the matter was this: Valentine was anything but a social butterfly. The male tightened his grip on the glass that he pulled down from a cupboard. His gloved hands were clenched as he finished his drink of water and headed farther into the house silently. Let them say whatever they want. It was one of the many reasons he didn't like people: they always put their own opinions to you before actually getting to know you. Alice appeared to be good at that.

Valentine sighed to himself as he stepped past a large set of doors . . . and backtracked when he glimpsed the library inside. The dark-haired male tilted his head as he entered, his gaze passing over the many rows and shelves before him. It was almost like a breath of fresh air: this place was a santuary. The hint of a smile teased at the corners of his mouth . . . and then Gideon caught sight of another person.
The second girl in the house, Scarlett, was a good ten feet from him. With another scowl, Gideon turned his attention back to the books with the hope of forgetting her presense.

Scarlett turned quickly when she noticed another male enter the room. "Oh, hello. You must be.." She pulled a small paper from her pocket that had the list of the two others staying. "Gideon." She said, his name rolling off her tongue. Her green eyes looked him over. "Sorry if i'm in your way or anything.. I was just about to leave.." She said, her eyes looking away from him before going over to the book shelf. She gently grabbed an old worn out book and then turned to go. "I'm Scarlett by the way. It was nice meeting you.." She said, turning her head to give a small smile.

Ace grinned. "Understandable. Well.. maybe he'll come around? In a house of luxuries he's bound to become a simple man." He said, running a hand through his blonde hair. "And there goes my sister.. well, you'll meet her later I guess." He said, watching as his sister went by. Then a few moments later, so did Gideon. He took another swig of his drink and stood up. "Want to go swimming?"

Hearing his name, Gideon looked toward the girl. He kept silent, merely allowing a slight frown to marr his brow as she inspected him. Quietly doing the same, he swallowed and watched her snag an old book. She was nice-looking: blonde, beautiful . . . and the completely opposite of Gideon himself.
He caught her smile and fought against giving her one of his own. Strange . . . he never wanted to smile. His face wasn't built for it. The dark-haired male blinked and turned back to the shelf he suddenly seemed quite interested in. "You too." From there he just waited for Scarlett to leave.
-

Alice's eyes lit up. "A swim sounds excellent! It will certainly be a great thing to do before dinner. It's nice outside right now, too." Standing, she nearly tripped over her stool's leg. Righting herself, the pale woman laughed and brushed her white clothes straight once again. "Meet you at . . . that door in ten minutes?"
The back door showed the brilliant deck . . . and the swimming area was just beyond that. With a beaming smile, the woman headed toward the hall, leaving her glass there on the counter beside the bottle of cider. She winked . . . and then stepped lithely toward her room.

Scarlett blushed, noticing his eyes look her over as well. She gave a nod of the head and started to leave. "Oh um.. my brother and I were going to go swimming around this time. Your welcome to come if you'd like." She said, then left before hearing a reply. He was a rather handsome guy, but she didn't know if she could let herself go into another relationship. The last one left her with many scars and nights of crying herself to sleep..so a relationship wasn't the best option.

She made her way back to her room and shut the door gently behind her, going over to her closet and slipping into her black bikini before looking at herself in the mirror. She had a nice body, but her downfall was the scars and bruises that could be seen in multiple areas on it. She grimaced and grabbed a towel before heading back down the stairs and towards the pool. Thats where she met her brother, just like they had planned.

Ace nodded and went to his room to change into simple black swim trunks. He then went back downstairs and met his sister. "Oh, hey. I hope you don't mind but I invited Alice." He said, clearing his throat. "She's really nice.." He said, standing by the door Alice told him to meet her at.

((Sorry its short, I'm busy o: ))

Gideon didn't so much as nod to acknowledge what Scarlett said. Instead he just flipped open a book and listened to her leave quietly. Truthfully he wasn't reading, but it was nice to give of the impression of being busy instead of glaring at the girl as she retreated. She seemed nice . . . but he wasn't the sort of person to get into relationships with others.
Snapping the novel closed he headed for the door. He couldn't concentrate on the rows of books now. It wasn't long before Gideon was back in his room with his welding tools in his hands. Granted, they were small because he worked on tiny objects . . . but they were comforting. The smooth handles and familiar switches made Valentine settle into a routine. Sadly, he couldn't stay focused on it: Scarlett's invitation drifted through his mind like a stray paper at every chance it got. With a frown that would have made Scrooge happy, Gideon grumbled under his breath and headed for the hallway.
-

Alice practically flounced into view as she met the siblings at the door. Her bathing suit was quite . . . well, lets just say it would have drawn many eyes in a public domain. Both the top and bottom pieces were a creamy white with gold fringing every edge. Her dark hair framed her smile as she gently offered a hand in Scarlett's direction. "I'm Alice," she said, her golden eyes full of polite greeting.
She didn't stare at either of them, but merely situated her towel over her second arm once again. "It's good to see some friendly faces. I was beginning to worry that there would be a social blackout here." She was referring to how Gideon was so anti-social, but didn't say it blatantly. "So the both of you like swimming?"

Scarlett smirked when she saw Andrew's jaw drop. She gently took the girls hand. "Oh yes. We both love swimming! We used to have a pool when we were kids and would spend the whole day swimming in it." She said, smiling slightly. "Oh, Forgive me for not introducing myself; I'm Scarlett, Andrews sister." She said, looking at the girls very fashionable bathing suit. Scarletts bikini was just plain black and had no real sparkle to it. Suddenly feeling a little self conscience, she draped her sapphire towel over her shoulder. "Oh and I hope you two don't mind.. but I bumped into Gideon and invited him to swim too. I don't know if he'll come but he seems like a nice guy." She said, smiling to both her brother and then the girl he was interested in. She made her way over to the back door and turned the elegant door handle to go onto the nicely furnished patio. She walked over to the very long pool and dropped her towel on the edge of the patio before slipping into the pool.



Andrews jaw dropped at the view of Alice. He was instantly drawn to look her over, happy that he was staying in a house with her. "Oh, you invited Gideon?Thats fine. I haven't really met him yet so hopefully he'll come." He said, his green towel draped over his strong shoulder. Andrew had a rather nice body, including a well toned chest and decently strong arms. Though he didn't flaunt them like most men. He casually followed his sister and dropped his towel by hers before jumping into the pool. He went under momentarily before coming back up and grinning at Alice. "Feels great!"

"Pleasure to meet the both of you in one day." Alice smiled again as she watched Scarlett head for the pool. It was a beautiful place - even by her standards (which were quite high). The dark-haired girl waited for the others to get into the water before slipping in at the edge. It was when she thought no one was looking when she let her golden eyes trail over Andrew. He wasn't so bad - at all.
"The water isn't as freezing as the last one I was in," Alice said, ducking under to get her hair out of her face. Wiping away the droplets that clung to her features, the woman laughed. "I had to get out just to let my breathing start back up. I think there was a layer of ice on one end of the pool." She was being sarcastic: it hadn't really been all that bad.

"The two of you are close?" She couldn't help but ask. Being an only child made her curious (and perhaps a bit jealous) of people who had siblings. The Black family never had more than one child at a time: it wasn't proper in their social circles. Crazy people certainly weren't being fruitful and multiplying to cover the surface of the earth.
-

Gideon tried to focus on his book - he really did - but he just couldn't. When he finally heard voices outside, he convinced himself that a glance wouldn't be terrible. That was a mistake: his brown eyes caught on Scarlett as she entered the water. Watching for a moment, he shook his head. Don't bother. People didn't have room in their lives for social outcasts who just happened to be freaks.
Darkly glaring at his recent project (something he'd been making for a child in his old neighborhood) Gideon finally sighed to himself. He tried for another five minutes to unsuccessfully get back to work. Instead he merely stepped out into the hallway and headed for the door to the patio.

He never stepped outside. Lingering just inside the doorway, he watched. Gideon Valentine was good at just that: observing. Silently assessing his new living companions, the dark-haired youth crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the door frame. What harm could come from watching?
He didn't feel the need to announce his presense or participate in their little get-together, but he could observe it from where he stood: in the outskirts and shadows well out of the way. It was what he was used to . . . and it was how he liked it. Amusement lifted one of his eyebrows as he watched the trio interact. In Gideon's own way he was participating: he was a silent part of the conversation just as someone who has entered an online chat room but hasn't typed a thing. There, but not necessarily announcing it.

Andrew glanced to Alice. "Yeah, were pretty close. Since were only a year apart we grew up always having the other sling to us." He grinned. "Hey Scar, did you give me my wallet back?" He asked, raising his left eyebrow. He had given her his wallet earlier on the car ride here because he owed her a little bit of cash, and was to lazy to get the money out himself. His sister then quickly got out of the pool to go get it. "Kay thanks, I just remembered it." He said, running his hand through his dirty blonde hair. Now he was alone with Alice. "Wow, that sucks. The last pool I was in was about five years ago.. and it was pretty nice. Lately i've been going to beaches instead of pools. " He said, swimming over towards Alice and then leaning up against the side of the pool beside her.

"So where are you from Miss Alice?" He asked, grinning slyly and looking at her, his blonde bangs falling into his green eyes. Both he and his sister had green eyes. They could easily be mistaken as twins thanks to their many similarities. Both blonde, green eyes, same lips, and they both had the same nervous habits of biting their lip.


Scarlett quickly got out of the pool. "Thanks for reminding me! I'll go get it." She said, going towards the back door. She then got her towel and quickly dried herself off to the point where she was just damp, not soaked and made her way for the door. She opened it and then instantly collided with Gideons chest. "Oh, i'm so sorry!" Scarlett said, blushing instantly, her green eyes looking away from him as she backed her wet body away from him. "I uh.. umm.." Her face was still flushed as she tried to come up with something to say. "Sorry.." She said again, biting her bottom lip and looking back up at him.

Alice laughed, giving Scarlett a small wave as she went to get the wallet. She recognized a con when she saw it. Golden eyes flickering back to meet Andrew's green gaze. She focused on the boy's question as they were left alone. "Beverly Hills," she said, a sarcastic smile spreading over her face. "Despite the lack of a tan, I'm a California girl."
She flicked a bit of water out of the pool so she could doodle on the ground beside her. "How about you, blondie? From whence do you hail?"
-

Gideon had been looking to the side of the room when he heard the door open. Straightening, he didn't have time to move. A weight bumped into him, and the dark-haired male swallowed quietly. "It's fine," he said, smooth voice sounding a bit more scolding than he'd meant it to. He caught her flushed features with a stoic expression on his face, and mentally smiled as she worried her lip.
"It's alright," Gideon said quietly, backing away a step. She left a bit of his shirt damp, but it wasn't very noticable against his dark clothing and red coat (which is just a hoodie, honestly). Lifting a hand to offer her a way past him, Gideon let his dark eyes trace over the girl's partially towel-covered form. "You didn't mean to."

Scarlett took a step past him and started to scold herself in her head. She then turned back to him and glanced at the damp spot on his hoodie she made. "Again, Sorry." She said, letting out a small laugh. "I should've been looking in the direction I was going." She said, smirking. "But what can you expect from a blonde?" She said, trying to lighten things. She then went in the direction of the stairs and silently went up them, going into her room and grabbing her brothers wallet out of her black and white checkered purse. She then went back down stairs quickly to see if Gideon was still there. Her towel was now over her shoulders, not hiding her body at all when she noticed him still there. "You can come out on the patio if you'd like, I won't bite." She smiled. "But i'm not sure about the other two.." She said, grinning.

She just hoped that if he did go outside Alice or Andrew wouldn't say anything mean about him. What was wrong about a quiet guy? She thought that if men were quite it was just more mysterious and sexy. Unlike her loud obnoxious ex who always spoke whatever was on his mind. Thinking of her ex she instantly remembered her bruises that Gideon could probably clearly see on most of her body. Then there were a few scars here and there.. but they were only noticeable if you really stared at her. She again bit her lip and let her blonde bangs fall into her eyes. "Well i'm off to go be a third wheel again, see you around if you choose not to come out." She said, giving a small wave before stepping out through the patio door. She then sat Andrews wallet on the patio table before going back to the pool and dropping her towel on the edge of it.

Scarlett then jumped into the deep in on the other side of the pool from where Alice and Andrew were. She then came back up, floating on her back and looking to the now star filled sky. If things got hot between Andrew and Alice then she would leave to go to the bar. No sense in keeping her brother from having a little fun. Her blonde hair flowed around her shoulders and lower back as she swam thanks to her hair being fairly long. She then closed her green eyes and listened to the two on the other end of the pool talk.

Andrew chuckled. "I could tell by your appearance. Sure you may not be that tan, but by your clothes and overall look." He said, meaning that since her clothes had been so nice he knew she was from somewhere big, and Beverly Hills was one of his guesses. "Were from Spring Hill Florida. Its by the gulf." He said, running his hand through his hair. "Thanks sis." He said, seeing that she placed his wallet on the table. He knew she didn't mean to take it, and probably only took the money out that he owed her. He then grinned seeing Gideon by the door. "Nice bumping into him Scar. You probably scared the shit outta him." He said, leaning his head back in the water.

His green eyes looked back to Alice's gold ones and then decided to ask how old she was. "So, how old are you?" He asked, closing his eyes for a moment before they flickered open. He then let his eyes look her over again before looking up at the sky. "It's pretty out tonight. Not like the usual sky I see.." He said, knowing that his new home was in a pretty bad area of Spring Hill. Flooded easily, tons of neighbors and no backyard. After he and Scarlett went seperate ways he ended up downsizing to a smaller place. But now that Scarletts boyfriend was out of the picture she could move in with him and they could get a bigger place if they both worked.

Sometimes he didn't like the thought of living with his sister, but he knew her living by herself wasn't such a good idea when that maniac ex of hers was ticked off about her dumping him. Plus at his house he was usually kind of lonely.. He then shook his head to get his thoughts away and cleared his throat.

"I won't bite."
Gideon let the beginnings of a smile tug at the corners of his lips before watching her leave. Though he didn't do it obviously, the male kept Scarlett on his radar until she had disappeared completely. He took a slow breath, moving to the other side of the door to lean against the doorframe. Maybe this time he would keep the door open.
When Scarlett returned, his dark eyes met hers for a while as she invited him out yet again. "We'll see," he said quietly. He wasn't staring, but he was obviously looking over her scarred form. What had happened? Gideon knew what kind of person it took to create those marks . . . but on a woman? The thought of this girl coming to harm apalled him.

Scarlett headed back out to the pool, leaving Gideon alone with his thoughts. Watching yet again, he breathed in the outside air. It smelled of cultivated plant growth and damp cement - something far away from home. Home had the smell of drugs and cigarettes mixed with unwashed bodies and burned food. Add alcohol and you've pretty much got it.
Wrinkling his nose at the thought, Gideon folded his arms and stared at the girl floating through the water. Catching Andrew's glance, the tall youth mentally frowned. Not tonight. He wasn't going out this time.
-

"Florida," Alice smiled. "I love the beaches there, when they aren't too crowded." Scarlett returned rather quickly, and Alice followed Andrew's gaze to where Gideon stood. She couldn't help but laugh at Andrew's comment about the silent observer. "And here I thought he would never come out of his room." Shaking water from her face, the young woman sent her attention back to the water that splashed up in her face.

The girl snorted (almost choking) as Andrew cleared his throat. "It's an amazing night," she agreed. Floating on her back for a moment, Alice grinned. "How old do you think?" Why not make it into a guessing game. Glancing to the boy as he came into view, Alice dove . . . and returned on the other side of him. "Let's see if you can guess accurately."

Scarlett swam for another few moments before gently pulling herself out of the water and onto the patio. "I'm gonna head to the bar. Goodnight you two." She said, giving a small smile before grabbing her towel and wrapping it around herself. She walked back inside, swiftly moving past Gideon and going up the steps and down the hall to her room. When she arrived in her room she checked her only device that connected her to the outside world, her computer. Of course you couldn't use the internet or contact anyone, but she could read her mail. Which comforted her. She sat on her bed, her eyes scanning over a few things that had been sent from her ex. Again he was threatening her to come back to him. She bit her lip, forcing herself to turn the computer off and put it back on her desk.

As tears started to run down the pale girls face she went to her bathroom and slipped off her bathing suit. Her green eyes looked over her body. It still had nice curves, and her busts were in all the right places, but the bruises and scars made her think of herself as worthless. Just like Carter had called her. She then put on a stylish lace zebra bra and underwear to match before slipping into a black slightly lacy nightgown that stopped right before her knees. During the summer she only slept in nighties, so she hoped she wouldn't draw any attention by the outfit.

She then went down stairs with her bare feet and quickly walked to the bar that was right next to the patio door. She glanced to Gideon, then down to her teal nail polish that colored her finger and toe nails. She sat down on the black bar stool and leaned over the bar, pouring herself a glass of rum and mixing it with a few other random drinks and then sitting back in her chair to take a sip. Usually she wouldn't drink, but tonite she needed something to make her calm down. She looked back to Gideon. "Want to join me?" She asked, her green eyes showing that she had obviously been crying earlier by the red tint in them.

Andrew grinned and waved goodnite to his sister. He then scratched his head, tilting it a little to the left as he looked at her. "Um.. I'd say probably 20-22." He said, smirking slightly. "Or at least, thats how old you look." He said, floating on his back as well. "The beaches are pretty nice near my area. Theres this beautiful beach called Honeymoon island were the waters so clear and blue that you can see thousands of shells. Plus you can see dolphins just about anywhere in that area. My mom used to take me and Scar there thousands of times when we were kids. But it was always pretty crowded.."

He then smirked. "Yeah, me neither. But my sister has that effect on men unfortunately." He said, rolling his eyes. "Though she usually attracts the type of guys that have huge anger problems, or men that end up in prison for murder." He said sighing. "I know she didn't mean to get mixed up with such a bad guy.. but she just got caught up in the wrong crowd after our mom died." He said, hearing the water clash against his ears as he floated.

Gideon had stayed in place while Scarlett passed him. Sending a quick glance after her, he focused on the two still in the pool. It was many minutes later when he heard Scarlett moving about near the bar. Lifting an eyebrow as he caught sight of alcohol, Gideon tried to focus on her drink instead of her lithe form.
The tall youth hesitated when Scarlett asked him to join her. "Yes," came his blunt response. He spoke more to this girl than he had in an entire week to everyone else put together. He'd only known her for less than two hours. "Are you . . . alright?" Gideon saw her red-rimmed eyes and felt sorry for her. Apparently she shared something in common with Gideon himself: she had something going on in life that she would rather forget.
Stepping behind the bar near Scarlett, he was careful to avoid touching her (as though she might shatter upon a simple brush of his arm) when he passed by. As always, he was silent while he got his own glass. He mixed himself something similar to Scarlett's beverage before leaning against the counter. They were on opposite sides, but it seemed a bit more . . . friendly that way. Granted, it looked like Gideon wanted something between the two of them, but at least he wasn't a few feet away from her.

((Aaah, my awkward little social outcast needs to be more social. I have to keep erasing things that I know he wouldn't say. :squee: lolz))
-

When Scarlett left, the girl sent a goodnight after her. Alice winked as Andrew guessed her age. "Bingo. Twenty. Good guess, Tiger." Righting herself, she flicked her hair from her eyes before letting her lips curve into a smile. "Beaches are always my favorite place to go. It sounds like we both spent a lot of time in the waves as children."

As the water splashed up in her face suddenly, Alice sneezed. Fighting off a small blush, she wiped water from her eyes again. "Your sister got involved in the wrong crowds?" Sending her golden gaze toward the door, she frowned. "She doesn't seem like that type." Then again, they'd just met. Who knew? Appearances could be deceiving. Everyone knew that.
"Is that why she's . . ." Alice trailed off, frowning back toward the building. "Poor thing. I'm sorry."

Scarlett looked up to the man when he asked his question. "I'm as best as I can be in this situation I guess.." She said, taking a swig of her drink. "Is it that noticeable that i'm upset?" She questioned, forcing a small smile on her full lips. Her lips went around the glass again before sitting it down and looking the tall man over. He was very attractive. He had the type of chest that a girl could just fall into and have his strong arms wrap around her. Scarletts green eyes then quickly looked down to her glass after realizing she had been staring at his chest for the last few moments.."I don't want to bore you with my problems, since everyone has a sad story to tell.. so i'll just keep it at this." She said, pausing for a moment. "Sometimes when you meet someone you think they're so wonderful.. and that their the best thing you could ever have.. when really their nothing but the one thing you never wanted." She said, picking up her glass with her slender hand and taking another drink.

To change the subject she then locked her green eyes with the boys. "So Gideon.. got any special girl back home waiting for you?" She asked, smiling a genuine smile at the tall man. Of course she wasn't looking for a relationship.. but flirting wasn't bad right? Of course she was attracted to Gideon for his looks and mysteriousness. But once their time here was done she'd never see him again. So what was the harm in having a little fun for once?

Andrew stood up in the water and smiled as Alice blushed from the water splashing in her face. He gently took his right hand, putting it against the side of her face and wiping away a few drops of water with his thumb before letting his hand drop. Though his eyes were still locked with hers. "Yeah..one night when I was having a party while our mom was gone, a few people that I didn't invite showed up without me knowing and Scarlett got along with them pretty well, especially this older guy named Carter. He's a year older than me and she was obviously attracted to him.. and I thought nothing of it. He seemed like a pretty nice guy at the time.." He said, then let out another sigh. "But then after a year she moved in with him and she would come over with huge bruises and black eyes and make up stupid excuses like she fell.." He said, rolling his eyes. "It turned out that Carters friends were all drug dealers, including Carter. And that Carter had a bit of a Intermittent explosive disorder where he lashed out and usually didn't remember what went on during his rage attacks." He said, swimming on his back. "But thankfully she got away from it all." He then went over to the side of the pool and leaned against it. "So Alice, got any guy back in Beverly Hills?"

Gideon listened faithfully - it was something he was good at. After fingering his glass for many moments, he nodded to show that he was still following what Scarlett said. Taking a few drinks, the youth leaned against the bar again and watched Scarlett's expression change from sorrow to regret. "Sounds like a nightmare," he commented quietly, watching the girl take yet another sip from her glass. It was easy to watch her move; she was slender and moved with a delicate grace that many people seemed to lack.
He caught Scarlett staring at him for a few moments, but to hide his discomfort Gideon focused on his drink. Apparently the focus was a little too intense: he was feeling a slight buzz by the time she asked her question about a "special girl." It almost made the dark-haired male choke. They locked gazes . . . and he shook his head. "No one wants to wait for someone who never comes." He didn't pursue relationships - friendly or otherwise.

It wasn't that Gideon hated everyone . . . he just liked being alone; he wasn't good at talking with other people and tended to be a bit . . . awkward. It just felt like he was wearing a mask that didn't quite fit. He was experiencing a similar issue at that very moment by forcing himself to stay at the bar to speak with Scarlett.
"More?" he asked, trying to keep himself from fidgeting. He just . . . didn't know what to do. He was never in a situation where there was no one else around to take over the conversation for him. Gideon was an observer, not a player in the world's games. Mixing himself a second drink (already), the youth convinced himself that it was his last glass. He knew alcohols like the back of his hand . . . and he wasn't usually fond of them. This was a change that he'd thought was a good way of trying to change his habits: why not try to spend time with a stranger? She was pretty, nice and tried to talk with him. What was wrong with trying?
-

Andrew's warm hand on her face made Alice's cheeks burn. She gave the boy a crooked smile before clearing her throat and blinking to make herself concentrate on what was being said. Hearing a bit of Scarlett's history made Alice frown in pity. Poor thing. She moved to sit on the side of the pool, shivering as the cooling dusk air struck her arms. It was a pleasant feeling. Alice was silent while Andrew told of his sister's unbidden mistake: and she was brought back into the current situation when she heard him swim closer. The blond's question made her raise an eyebrow in amusement.
"Guy?" The young woman laughed. "Try guys. I was glad to leave home for fear of being drowned in their love letters and angry girlfriends." Alice let her smile grow as she watched Andrew's face. "I had a guy in Beverly Hills. He was a looker. Blond hair, blue eyes . . . a surfer, he said. With me one day and POOF!" Her toes splashed water up so she got some in her face once again. "Gone. I'd known him for three years, and he just left without telling me." She shook her head, looking a bit miffed. "I thought I knew him better than that, but I suppose not."

Alice swallowed, looking a bit downtrodden. Trying to brighten the mood once again, she offered a forced smile. If she'd had dog ears, they would have been drooping dramatically. "What about you, Tiger? Any admirers, secret or otherwise?"