Pietro looked over and picked it up, "What? No!" he sighed, "it's stupid, can't you see that? ... almost as stupid as arguing with a cat" he added, shaking his head and tossing the paper to the garbage can again.

Brutus retrieved the paper and rolled on it to flatten it out. "Meow meow!" He called up to Pietro slamming his front paw a few times against the paper.

It was almost like Brutus was arguing with him. No it's good!

"uhg" Pietro pulled it away from him, "No, it's awful" he argued back, "it has too many ruffles, the bow looks dumb and I'm a boy drawing dresses. Do you not see what's wrong with that? I'll give you a hint. Everything" he crumpled it again and threw it out the open window.

Brutus watched him throw it and raced toward the window to go retrieve it.

Pietro sped over and grabbed the cat before he could, he held him up to look him in the eye, "This is not a game of fetch-first of all, we're on the second floor dumby" he stated, "secondly, leave it. It was garbage." he glanced at the door, going over to lock it again he went back to his desk and set Brutus down next to him as he grabbed a new sheet of paper, "the silhouette was all wrong anyway. It should've been more like this, see?" he started drawing it out new, "and I swear if you tell anybody about this, I'll see that you're the next thing Freddy cooks up, got it?"

Brutus lowered his eyes but moved closer when Pietro explained the silhouette, his tail flopping back and forth.

He looked up at Pietro and meowed, putting his paw on his sleeve as if promising not to tell.

"Good" and since that little agreement, Pietro got used to showing Brutus his designs. "Frills or pleats?" he'd ask, "no no, you'ore right, pleats look cleaner-but then should it be in blue or pink? You're totally right, it depends on who's wearing it, complexion makes a difference y'know" most of the time Pietro basically believed he was talking to himself but sometimes he had to question whether or not Brutus really understood what he was saying.

It got to the point that drawing was pretty much all he was doing, he kept stealing paper from the printers at school and he drew in every class.

---------- Post added 06-03-2014 at 12:57 PM ----------

One day, seemingly out of the blue, Victoria won a contest retreat that she didn't exactly remember signing up for... but there was room for her and two others to go.

Separately, June also won the contest for just herself.

Victoria had been very nervous about the whole thing but after the looks from both Polly and Celeste she couldn't say no.

"Alright. Alright, we'll go!" She said finally giving in.
Polly and Celeste danced about the house.

Victoria still didn't like this. Which is why she called up Logan and Charles had the gang on stand-by. This would be good for the girls to get out as they hadn't traveled far from the manison since arriving there...

It was a vacation to the warm and sunny isles around Cuba. Logan was more than happy to join in for some beer and sun.

They spent the first day on the beach, Polly and Celeste splashed about in the water while Victoria sat and lounged under an umbrella. She wasn't a fan of the water. Her element being fire and all. Though it was something she kept to herself. She had it under control as long as she kept a level head.

It was a beautiful day and the weather guide called for blue skies all week. It didn't seem like anything could go wrong.

Logan wasn't a huge fan of swimming either-he did tend to sink more than anything else. But he was certainly enjoying the bar.

"Hello June." Victoria said not looking up from her book.
"What are you lot doing here?"
"I could ask you the same question." She said putting her book down. "Win any contests lately?"
"Yeah actually." June said sitting down beside her.

Coco, who had been sitting with Logan at the tropical beach bar, looked over and leapt down, tackling the large cat. Brutus licked Coco's head before play fighting back.

A pit began to grow in Victoria's stomach, "So it's a trap then."
"Probably..." June said sighing.
"You remember don't you?"
"Yeah..."
"When?"
"A little while before I started staying with the Brotherhood... Wanted to be closer to you gals."
"Celeste is quite displeased with you."
"She'll get over it... Not every day you bet up your sister's crush."
"Ah... so that's what it was about." Victoria commented, holding out a fruity drink for June who took it.
"Good to have you back, Juno."
"Likewise Vesta." June leaned her head against Vesta's shoulder. "Do they?"
"No, not yet..."

Out of nowhere the sky began to darken and clouds began to swirl over the beach. It was a disturbingly quick change, as though Storm had summoned them and yet she was back at the institute.

Then, through the swirl of dark clouds something could be seen falling. As it dropped it was clear enough that it was a person with dark skin and a black trench coat billowing as he fell head first to the water below. It seemed likely he was unconscious.

Victoria stood up, "JUNE!" She ordered heading for the water herself.

"On it!" June disappeared and reappeared above the fallen figure and dove after him. She wrapped her arms around him just as they hit the water.

"Victoria what-" Celeste began to ask as Victoria was actually getting into the water.

"Rescue now!" She yelled.

June's head was pounding as she struggled to pull the person up to the surface, her mind too disoriented to teleport. Arms wrapped around her and the figure and a pink orb surrounded them as they made it to the surface.
Victoria hand a hold of the person and Polly had June while Celeste floated the bubble back to land.

"June? JUNE!" Polly patted her cheek.
"I'm fine..." She mumbled.

Victoria leaned over the figure and patted his cheek, "Hope.. Hope!" She yelled.
"Here." Celeste placed her hands on the man's chest.
"Vic, you know this guy?" Polly asked.

Horatio looked like he had been in a pretty nasty fight, his body was bruised and he lay unconscious and exhausted. With a little help from Celeste he gasped a breath of air and rolled to his side, coughing up a bit of water before falling to his back again to try and catch his breath, "uhhggg..." his blank eyes stared at the sky as his fingers toyed with the sand. "where am I?"

"On an island beach near Cuba." Victoria said, taking his hand and putting it on her soul Gem, "You're safe, Hope.
"Sis, who is this man?" Celeste asked, continuing to heal him.
"Someone very special." June said softly, sitting up.

"... huh..." Horatio sat up slowly, patting Celeste's hand, "thank you, I'm alright. I'm lucky you were here... all of you?" he questioned, tilting his head a little. He'd heard Victoria, Celeste and June thus far.

"What do you mean special?" Polly asked, arms crossed.
"Oh um, you're welcome." Celeste replied.
"It's a long story", Victoria sighed. It would be very hard for the two of them to understand without their memories. "This is Horatio. He's a time mutant. June and I have met him before...And stop using your powers." Victoria said poking Polly.
"You know I can't help it."

"Do you feel better, sir?" Celeste asked being very formal with the fellow.

Brutus and Columbus came over. Columbus lept onto Horatio and purred madly. Celeste chuckled, "I think Coco likes you."

Horatio chuckled as well and pet Coco, "Yes, well he certainly seems happier to be with you than he was with me" he replied, sitting up. "And please, call me Horatio."

"Oh, alright then." Celeste replied, "It was you?! Thank you!" She surprise hugged him
"Wait, you're the guy who brought Columbus back to Celeste?" Polly asked, rather surprised.
"You could say he's like a Big brother. Always keeping an eye out for us." Victoria said.
"Well... if Victoria says you're alright... I'm Polly." She said introducing herself. "Have we met before?" She asked suddenly, "I feel like I know you from somewhere."
"Yeah, me too..." Celeste commented.

"He's a time traveler, you may have bumped into him before, little sis." June said poking Celeste cheek.
"Hey! No touchy. I'm still mad at you."
"Awwwww don't be like that, we all worked together as a family to save Horatio. Hug attack!" June wrapped her arms around Celeste and didn't let go.

"Noooo... I'm still maaaaaad" Celeste whined, trying to stay strong.

Horatio laughed, "That's the tricky thing about time travel. I do actually know you, all of you, quite well... is this our first time meeting then?" he asked, rising to his feet. He was still soaked so he shrugged off the trench coat and gloves he'd been wearing, "My it's quite a bit warmer here now. This place is a snowy mountain some time from now, hence the falling." he offered his hand out to anyone who would take it in greeting, "It's good to meet you for your first time"

Celeste broke free of June's hug of love, "Likewise, Horatio-san." Celeste shook his hand first and then Polly.
"So I'm guessing you must have sent us the 'You won a contest to this resort' letters." Victoria said calmly.
"Let's go eat, I'm starving." June said arms behind her head.
"D'aw I was gonna go surfing."
"I am a bit hungry." Celeste said. "Will you join us Horatio-san?" She asked, a warm smile on her face.

"Contest winners?" Horatio cocked his head to the side, "hmm... sounds like something I'd do. Maybe I haven't done it yet. I would love to join you. June, would you give me a hand?" he asked, reaching in her general direction. He needed someone to guide him since at some point he lost his walking stick.

"Of course." June took a hold of his hand.
"Logan-san. We're getting dinner." Celeste called.
"There will be beer. <3" Victoria called.
"So what's it like to time travel?" Polly asked as they gathered their things and headed to a nearby restaurant.

Suddenly everything around Horatio and June froze as it's colour faded away. "Juno, do you remember me?" he asked, his metallic eyes finally able to locate her. He wanted to make sure he wasn't going to be freaking her out with this.