webboysurf

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Southern Plateau - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.082: Still Burning

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Lorcán - @Lord Wraith, Amma - @Rockette}

Previously: And you're gone

“Dude, I have to hand it to you, I would have quit the moment I took off, bro.”

Rory banged away at the metal bar as Lorcán approached, completely immersed in his work. He still listened, of course, as his roommate dragged on. Unsurprisingly, and to Rory’s annoyance, he had opened with a joke. Not even an apology to start off. He kept his eyes focused on his work, the rhythmic beating of the metal ringing in his ears alongside the surfer’s words.

“Y’know Bulltrue has a metal bender right?”

Rory leaned over to examine the piece.

“I mean I suppose you can keep bustin’ your hump out here and ignoring me. That’s cool, I get it. But you’re only tiring yourself out.”

Rory continued banging against the bar, further shaping it into pace. His arm was sore, but he didn’t show it. He removed the clamp on the bar and tossed it over to where the others were.

“Tiring yourself out before your night with Sky Betty as I heard.” Lorcán jabbed into his ribs, eliciting a grunt and an instinctive glare from Rory as he turned and grabbed another metal bar. Under the surface, though, those words tickled at something in the back of his head. Lorcán’s verbal jab was pointed enough and clear to cut through some of the fog. His wording had to have been off… Rory quickly turned back to the workbench and fetched a new metal bar. His cheeks heated a little more red than they already were from the work. Lorcán wasn’t there, so he had to have heard it from the others. And if the others had pieced together Rory’s weird wording, then certainly Haven had as well.

“Look, you can be angry all you want, but at least I didn't ask Haven to the dance. That was a pretty kook thing to do. None of this matters anyway, you’re just as raked under as I am. No degree, what are you going to do? Even I know there aren’t a lot of options for a Jake with your abilities.” Rory’s embarrassment faded as he went back to hammering a new metal bar into shape, his rage rising. Still not even a word of apology. Just more jabs… no, deflection. Rory’s grip tightened on the hammer, as he delivered more decisive swings.

“Look, I’m sorry I ran off. It wasn't my intention to actually leave you with the work. Why don't you power up? Even in three minutes the two of us can blast through the rest of this and I’ll cover the rest once you tap out.”

He extended a hand to Rory. Rory continued hammering the bar into place… and a little beyond the desired angle.

“Come on, wolves stick together, dude, two of us would be better than one. If you’re eager to see this through, let me help you, bro.”

Rory’s final swing of the hammer cleaved the end of the metal bar off, and he tossed the hammer onto the bench in frustration as he spun around to face Lorcán. His face was fresh hot with anger, sweat pooling down his neck and back as he looked at the extended hand. He looked back up to Lorcán incredulously, before his eyes focused on a particular figure behind his shoulder. Amma smiled while looking the two of them over like they were slabs of meat. He wasn't necessarily opposed to the objectification... but given her and Lorc were who knows where moments before left him feeling off. Something about this felt wrong, and he desperately wanted to know what they were doing. Rory looked back at Lorcán and slapped his hand out of the way. Despite the anger in his face, he took a breath and kept his voice even as he spoke. ”You don’t get to decide we’re good, bro. None of this might matter to you, man, but it matters to me. We’ve got one year left here together before we all go off… The twins are going to be running the damn course this year, Lorc.”

Rory sighed, looking around at the other crews for a moment, before turning his gaze back and keeping his voice lowered. ”It doesn’t matter if you meant to leave me to do the work myself, man. You did. And instead of apologizing, you’re deflecting. What the Hell is going on, man?”

Lorcán’s eyes narrowed as his hand was slapped away. The next few words out of Rory’s mouth fell on deaf ears as Lorcán replied everything he had just said to his roommate back. Nothing he said should have accounted for the minor assault he had just endured.

But he wasn't about to talk to his best friend the same way Rory has just spoken to him. Lorcán didn't exactly have the moral highground but he also didn't need to sink any lower. Lifting his face, he took a breath before raising his hands to wave the white flags.

“Whoa, whoa, let’s steer out of the riptide here. I’m not meaning to deflect, bro. Clearly I should have spoken to you before bailing. The ceremony really got me in the shallows earlier. I just wanted to blow off some steam.”

Taking another breath, he continued to speak.

“Bro, I completely forgot the twins were starting this year, like a total grommet I even forgot that Ripley would be doing the course too. I wasn't thinking about anyone but myself, it was totally selfish and it was kook-like ignorant. I don’t blame you for being upset, frustrated and like rightfully mad.”

Lorcán kicked the ground, trying to figure out his next couple of words.

“I’m going to get to work, there’s just over an hour left. But I’ll like stay out of your way and I’ll totally shut up now.”

He reluctantly admitted defeat realizing he couldn't force Rory to forgive him. Snapping a quick picture of the plans with his phone, Lorcán filled his arms with materials and made himself a separate workspace to try his best to catch up.

Rory sighed, picked up his hammer, and got back to work on his own. The anger had passed, a cold frustration left in its place. What didn't make any sense, though, was what Lorcán had meant by 'blowing off some steam.' Usually that meant tossing the ball around or wrestling... neither of which seemed like something Amma would do.

Regardless, the apology felt hollow... perhaps rightfully so. Rory had snapped and lashed out... something he hadn't ever really done before. That was more his father's modus operandi... and that alone was enough to keep Rory awake for a week. He had gone too far, even if Lorcán pushed all the wrong buttons.

And yet, it felt off. Lorcán had jabbed him first over and over before offering a half-hearted apology. And when it wasn't accepted, he tucked his tail between his legs and offered a more real apology before running. Rory recognized the guilt mixed with frustration: he had been hurt, and hurt Lorcán back. It was a gross feeling. A simple apology could probably wash it down. They just needed to be a little vulnerable and really honest with each other.

Instead, Rory turned back to the work at hand.

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Southern Plateau - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.077: And you're gone

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Tired of Tripping on my Shoes

Everything, for once, was coming up Rory. No last minute upsets in an important game. No sudden attacks or near-death experiences. His mess-ups with language hadn't seemed to cause any lasting damage in the relationships with his closest friends. Things were great.

Well, except for the impending doom of discredited degrees and a split-second decision to sell his soul to the government. But that was a future Rory problem.

Present Rory was doing just great.

Rory had managed to parse out his work assignment fairly quickly, beaming as he approached the work site. He had mustered up with his teammates, receiving the plans for a moment while Lorcán and Amma began talking ink. He couldn't really relate, and the last thing he wanted to do was interrupt to brag about his recent dance plans... especially after the beach incident. He still hadn't gotten around to apologizing for that. He'd find time, certainly. But for now, they had work to do. Rory eyed up the plans, making a few mental notes. He was certainly going to need power tools for this... he wasn't going to be able to copy powers all day. This was a marathon, not a sprint.

Rory left, fetching a reciprocating saw, some clamps, and a hammer. He managed to set himself up nearby his friends, doing his best not to eavesdrop. He watched the two, a slight uneasy feeling seeping into his stomach. He knew flirting when he saw it... and there was something between those two that felt familiar. He couldn't blame Lorcán: Amma was alluring in her own ways. But after everything that had happened today, and the gift given by Torres... she was at the bottom of Rory's "trust" list on the team. The last thing he wanted was to see his bro get hurt, especially when he had a good thing going. He just needed to buck up and be honest with Rora.

Though, Rory was the last person who could judge him, and he knew it. Hell, Rory had crushes on practically everyone in Blackjack at some point or another. Some were embarrassing, others based purely on looks. Those he still had feelings for after all this time... it was too late to ruin friendships now. The last thing he needed was awkward team lunches or awkward locker room interactions... or, worst of all, losing what little time he had left with his friends.

Rory paused as he had collected some metal bars. What were the lengths they needed?

"Hey, Roth, what-"

As Rory turned around, he was incredibly surprised to see his best friend scooping up Amma and taking off like a rocket. The sudden flash of combustion blinded Rory for a second, and the intense heat washed over him and left him more hot and sweaty than usual. He looked up in disbelief as they had taken off, turning back to look at their work. They had worked on a handful of bars... and now they were God knows where. Rory's gaze slowly turned towards his fellow classmates, who similarly turned their judging glares his direction. Rory walked over towards their station, snatched up the plans and the bars they hadn't yet finished, and returned to his station.

Once again, he'd have to cover for the chill-master general and little miss too-cool-for-school. Usually he only had to cover for a teammate at a time when it came to shirking basic responsibility. A two-for-one deal was a rare treat.

Complaining wasn't going to get the job done, however. So, Rory rolled up his sleeves and got to work. He clamped down one of the metal rods, measured out the length, and used a marker to mark the cut line. He used the reciprocating saw to cut off the excess metal, moved the bar down the clamp, and fetched the hammer. With a loud, strenuous series of hits, Rory hammered the piece into shape. He could feel the sweat accumulating on his back, and ripped his shirt off to toss aside. This was going to be a long day.

Rory fell helplessly behind his classmates, who with scoffs came throughout the day to remove work from his pile to do themselves. His cheeks were red hot with embarrassment and shame as he poured his feelings into his work. He slammed the hammer into the metal rods to bend them through his sheer force of will, unable to rely on the same powers as those who scoffed at his efforts. But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop until it was all finished. So he worked, not speaking a word to anyone as he silently stewed on his thoughts over the hours of work.

... 'you want to sleep together tonight'... but that could also mean... no, there's no way...

... I don't owe him an apology, Lorcán owes me one. I'd never leave him to do work like this alone. He knows that. But no, run off with the tatted french girl who might be spying for the enemy. He won't be upset that he has to do all your work for you...

... Rora seemed really bothered at the beach... there's something else going on. Maybe I should ask Haven if she knows anything? Probably after I ask about the flirting...

... Why web up my pants? Was Mei jealous? But Haven and I... well, I'm... but Haven isn't... is she? No...

... Maybe I should ask Banjo for prank advice? I'd go with the shaving cream thing again, but Lorc finds that really funny every time...

... No, Wings definitely knew I just meant sharing a tent... right?

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Southern Plateau - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.068: Tired of Tripping on my Shoes

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Mei - @Garden Gnome}

Previously: We get by Just Fine

Rory's eyes watched Haven carefully, clocking the tensing of muscles as she took a moment to respond. She had taken a step closer, smiled at him, and responded. Her voice was, for lack of a better word, sultry. It almost felt like a whisper, or an invitation. But that didn't make sense... he had asked her. He was getting used to knowing when he had missed something: a reference, innuendo, obvious subtext, or a classic "Rory" phrased sentence. She didn't seem to be referencing anything, 'sure' didn't seem to have any sexual connotations, and there didn't seem to be anything obvious unsaid. This left the obvious problem being a poorly phrased question. Though, what could possibly have been misinterpreted? He asked if she wanted to sleep together. Classic sleepover, nothing weird there. Except... maybe there was something about the together part...

Haven had flown off to have a talk with Banjo, leaving Rory motionless trying to put together the pieces. He sighed, resolving to ask Lorcan about it. He was pleasantly surprised when he saw Mei's approach, his smile instinctively widening as he locked eyes with her. “Here, a hand knitted towel made by yours truly.” She had thrust the towel into his chest, reaching up to grab hold of it before she turned around to walk away. He looked at the towel, reading the stitching briefly.

"Wow... thanks, uh... wait, Mei, does this-" Rory tried to lift one leg up and reached a hand out to stop her, only to feel unexpected resistance. He had leaned his torso forward, but his legs remained stuck together. He tipped over, falling face first into the dirt. He had managed to lift his arms to protect his head out of pure instinct, a protective measure trained from years of being tackled by his favorite 7ft tall blonde athlete. Once prone, Rory flipped himself into his back to examine what had happened to his legs. He was a bit surprised to recognize the strands of silk that had practically glued his pant legs together. He looked up to where Mei had stormed off to. Judging by that reaction, he had royally fucked up.

Rory weighed his options. On the one hand, he could probably fetch his keys from the bag lying next to him and try to saw at the webbing... but that would take time. The other options was... well, a bit more bold. Rory kicked off his shoes and shimmied his way out of his PT sweatpants. He was left in only his black t-shirt, a pair of light gray boxer briefs, tube socks, and not even an ounce of dignity. Now free of his web-trappings and suitably covered in a fine coating of dirt, Rory darted after Mei with the towel in hand.

"Mei, wait! I'm sorry." He slowed to a stop as he approached, pointing to the towel he was holding. "I... uhh... look, can we talk for a second? I owe you an apology and an answer, if you want."

Mei could hear the owner of the familiar voice coming from outside of her tent. She hadn't expected Rory to come after her like that. Perhaps, there was more hope to this then she realised. "Hey Rory. I see you got yourself out of a sticky situation. I'm just setting up my tent to sleep on my own, but otherwise I'm free to talk. Go ahead."

Rory stared at Mei for a moment, processing her joke, before simply shaking his head and stifling a laugh. As he looked down, he winced at the realization he had left his pants behind. He had dreams about this. He paused, composing himself, before looking back up towards Mei. "I'm sorry I... well, thought you were joking. At the beach. I was a bit flustered, with the whole thing with Ro and the dance. And I never would have expected you to ask me to the dance. So I misunderstood what you were saying. I got in my own head. And I'm sorry for that."

Mei stared at Rory as he laughed at her silly attempt of a joke. She didn’t know if he really found it funny or he was just laughing to lower the tension in her tent. For her own sake, she decided to believe the former reasoning. Anything good that Rory gave her she would take. who knows when she would ever get it again? She wasn’t like Haven who received good signs of intimacy and actions given to her even without trying.

“Well, I hope it is abundantly clear to you now. I would never joke about such things. Should you ever forget, feel free to refer to the towel at any time. Hopedully that will jolt your memory back to remembering.”

Rory nodded, flashing a small smile as he looked at the towel. It still didn't make sense to him, why she was always this kind to him. "I appreciate it." He paused for a moment, taking the time to fold up the towel before looking back to Mei. "As for an answer... I would like to go to the dance. With you. If you still want to go with me, that is." He felt a sudden wave of embarrassment flood into his cheeks, but he held his ground as he looked towards Mei.

As Mei heard Rory's words, every part of her wanted to yell "YES" out loud without hesitation, and it took an enormous amount of willpower for her to resist herself from doing so as soon as the words left his mouth. She decided that him waiting for a minimum of a few minutes in silence would be payment for what he had done to her on the beach and earlier in the plateau.

After leaving Rory hanging in silence for a few minutes, internally dreading every single minute that she put both of them through, afraid that he might reconsider, Mei answered him. "You sure?" Not giving him any chance to respond, she continued immediately. "Of course, you're sure! Who else would you go with? I'll go with you, no further thought necessary." The more opportunities she gave him to not think about Haven, the better she would fare.

Rory's smile involuntarily widened, and he nodded in response to Mei's acceptance. Everything was finally coming up Rory. He ignored the small part of his brain telling him this was too good to be true. He turned around, back towards the rest of the camp, grinning like the idiot he was. He walked back towards the bag, pants, and shoes he left in the middle of everything. He scrambled to pick them up and scurried into his and Haven's tent to change.

As much as part of him knew some of the others would prefer he ran around all day in his underwear, he changed into a spare pair of shorts to get ready for his work assignment.

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

Mr. Roth,

I would like your help to schedule a meeting with H.E.L.P. sometime in the next week or so. I need to discuss career plans given my watchlist status and recent developments at school.

It's about time I follow my parent's lead.

- Rory Tyler '29

Rory sighed as he hit send on the email, immediately tossing it on his desk across the room afterwards. The words felt revolting to type, and he couldn't bare to look at them again. His father would have been proud, and that disgusted him. But some bells couldn't be unrung.

Rory didn't act when Hyperion first struck. There wasn't a chance in Hell he was going to sit on the sidelines this time around.

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: Southern Plateau - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.060: We Get by Just Fine

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Haven - @Skai, Banjo - @Hound55, Calliope - @PatientBean}

Previously: Enemies

The ride out to the Southern Plateau couldn't help but feel like a march towards disaster, even to the happy-go-lucky Rory Tyler. Of course, he didn't show it, though. He had occupied a window seat, head hung out the window and seeming to enjoy the feeling of the wind in his hair. He kept looking up, admiring the way the sun's rays cut through the leaves of the trees overhanging the old dirt road. He kept his trademark smile wide, in case anyone else was looking. Underneath the mask, Rory couldn't help but feel a creeping anxiety coiling inside his chest. There was a much larger game at play around them, and there was nothing he could do yet. He had a plan to get some information... but until he could schedule his meeting, all he could do is be there for his team.

Even that, though, he would surely mess up.

Before the Minotaur had even come to a full stop, Rory had practically launched himself out the door to catch a breath of fresh air. He took a couple deep breaths, giving a wave towards the few folks of Team Firebird. Once he felt the tightness in his chest loosen up, Rory hoisted up one of the pre-fab tents onto his shoulder and carried it towards the edge of camp, a noticable distance away from the other tents. He tossed it onto the ground, wiped the sweat from his brow, and called out to Calliope and Banjo. "Yo, lovebirds... picked out a nice spot for ya. Try not to keep us up all night!" He flashed a cheeky grin, well aware of the implications of his jab.

He wandered back to the Minotaur, grabbing his overstuffed duffel bag and removing his metal water bottle from a side pocket. His eyes drifted towards his teammates, taking in the view as they hoisted tents into various spots around the campsite. His smile felt genuine for a moment. They were still all together for now. Besides... no matter what, they would all come out on top by the end of the year.

He would make damn sure of that.

Rory's eyes, of course, lingered on a certain winged teammate as she was busy setting up most of the tents. He looked around at the gathered Blackjack team, trying to size up bunkmates. The three bros wouldn't be able to share a bunk all to themselves... and Banjo and Calli were clearly an item. Rory was used to getting picked last. So, he'd have to find his own place to sleep for the night with another one of his friends.

Rory saddled up towards Haven with his bag over his shoulder, offering the bottle of water towards her for her to take a drink. He looked towards the tent he saw her throw her bag in, and nodded towards it. He paused a moment, making sure he thought through his sentence before he said it. Last thing he needed was another misunderstanding like at the beach. "So, Barnes... you want to sleep together tonight?"

Nailed it. Casual, simple, impossible to misunderstand. Besides, Haven was just a friend. It wasn't a big deal to crash with a friend after a long day.

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

As the early dawn rays fell upon the P.R.C.U. campus, Rory Tyler had already been running. He had barely slept, crashing for more of a prolonged nap than a full night's rest. He always had the recurring nightmare right before school started: a certain hyperhuman extremist would roll into a forest clearing wearing a mask, take it off, and it was Rory. At this point, it was getting old. Even he knew why he was having it: years ago, at this exact time of year, he lost any sense of comfort he could ever have. No matter what he did, how much he smiled and gave people nicknames... there was always an unspoken question lingering in the air.

Could you end up like him?

Rory's run slowed to a jog, before he stopped at the nearest bench outside the stadium. He rubbed some of the lingering drowsiness from his eyes, his body still yearning for some sleep. Rory leaned back on the bench, admiring the early morning sky. The lingering trails of cirrostratus clouds reminded him of the silk threads Mei worked. He hadn't been oblivious to her aggressive knitting the night before: something told him it had to do with him. She seemed angry... context clues and some hints from Calliope made it clear he had misunderstood her. He'd have to ask for clarification later, before the Homecoming Trials work started. Maybe she was being nice, and offering to go with him to the dance after a rather embarrassing rejection to a question he hadn't asked. She was probably just being considerate. Even still, he had messed up: that much was clear.

Rory's gaze went out of focus, the colors and shapes of the sky above blending together. He smiled softly, feeling a small breeze roll in with a touch of salt on the wind. The sensation sparked something within him. He quickly reached into his pocket to pull out his phone, opening up his notes app to jot another idea on his "Senior Year Bucket List" note. Right underneath "Try out a Mei Hammock", Rory wrote down a new entry: "Ask Haven to teach me to fly".

He paused after typing, having reflexively went back to the home screen. A group selfie with Blackjack was hidden behind a number of apps Rory never really used. He slid a couple screens over so he could look at the selfie again. He had managed to take it as they were sitting down before the opening ceremony the previous year. Somehow, it felt like almost no time had passed. They didn't have much time left together. Even if Amma was right... they still had a year to make some memories. No one could take that away from them.

Rory pocketed his phone, got up from the bench, and continued his run.

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Chimera's Lair - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.051: Enemies

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Lorcán - @Lord Wraith, Haven - @Skai}

Previously: Closer

^{| Monday, September 4th, 2028}

The first the rest of the team saw of Rory was as they gathered outside the mess hall. He was one of the earlier ones, arriving around the same time as Gil and just in time to feel a familiar hand smack into his rear end. “Hopefully, you dudes don’t have to sit down too soon, but man, bros, you missed out on some legen-lactose heavy’-dary swells this mornin’. I am totally going to get you both out on a board before we graduate.”

"If you can score me a board for a day, I'll be there, bro." He chortled as Lorcán's pants dropped, continuing to gather with the rest of Blackjack.

As they departed, Rory's pace slowed a bit from walking with Lorcán and Gil. Haven saddled up beside him, keeping a healthy distance. "I always seem to forget how handsome you look in uniform."

Rory turned his gaze towards Haven with a perplexed expression. "But we're always in uniform, bird-brain. Even I don't forget how stunning everyone looks after summer break." Rory shook his head in mock disbelief, smile wide as he took a step out of his way and lifted an arm to bump Haven playfully. He turned around, taking in all of Blackjack as they were approaching in. Harper linked arms with Haven, Calli linked up with Banjo. Aurora and Lorcán were bound to sit next to each other, like always. Rory didn't pay much attention to who he sat next to for the ceremony, his focus on eying the crowd of students to catch a glimpse of Will and Mary. They were a bit apart, caught up with the hoard of freshmen. Will was, unsurprisingly, already looking bored and tired of the whole ordeal. Mary, on the other hand, was busy laughing and talking with everyone around her as she was just settling into her seat. She managed to catch a glimpse of her older brother and gave him a wave. He waved back.

From there, Rory's attention was shot. His attention waded in and out, as he felt his gaze turn towards his teammates. The opening ceremony was always more of a formality than anything else. He was a bit confused, however, when he saw Jim enter onto the stage. It took him a moment to realize he had been introduced as the Chancellor. It seemed like an odd pick... but, then again, if Jim could handle Banjo, he could certainly run the whole damn school with ease.

Then, the bomb dropped.

Rory didn't quite understand the nuance of Jim's bad news... but it was made all too clear the second the stranger spoke. She wasn't faculty... and once she continued speaking over the former Blackjack advisor, it was abundantly clear she was a member of the Foundation. Her tone was... off, to say the least. It felt almost rehearsed to him. But the murmuring and frustrations nearby made it clear that something was hitting a chord with some.

Not Team Blackjack, though.

"What's with this bitch?"

Rory couldn't contain an audible wheeze as he managed to catch Haven's comment from behind him, clasping his hands over his mouth. He felt comforted knowing that he wasn't the only one who saw through the charade. Regardless, one by one, he watched as several of his teammates filed out of their seats. First Lorcán, who was chased after by Aurora. Then Haven, whose feathers were clearly ruffled. And then Calliope. Those who remained seemed more shellshocked than anything. Rory's face was blank as he immediately looked for Mary and Will. The former had already turned to look towards Rory and shook her head while maintaining eye contact. He nodded in acknowledgement, reaffirming her suspicions. When Rory looked to Will, he found his younger brother had a sly smile on his lips. Rory's blood ran cold, and he leaned forward in his seat.

Amma's laugh was chilling, Rory's eyes lifting as he watched her descend from their place in the stands. But she wasn't going for the exit... no, she was approaching Torres. There was history and familiarity... but not comfort. His eyes locked on his teammate as they spoke. They were too far to make clear what they could possibly be discussing... but Torres offered a box. A gift. And Amma walked away.

Rory's stomach churned as thoughts raced through his mind. He had never really managed to get much out of Amma, and didn't know much about her. She was cold, abrasive, borderline cruel, and biting in the way she spoke to others. He despised the way she spoke to his friends... but it was clear there was something more going on here. She looked defenseless talking to the Foundation representative, and that thought alone was enough to send a colder chill down his spine. Amma was just about the scariest thing he could think of... no, that wasn't true. There was someone far scarier, another figure who spoke in pre-rehearsed melodrama but had the strength and cunning to back it up. If the Foundation was anything like him, Blackjack and P.R.C.U. were in for a rude awakening.

"So much for a laid back senior year." Rory muttered to himself as he stood up, making his own slow exit out of the stadium.

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Beach - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.034: Closer

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Haven - @Skai, Team Blackjack at large}

Previously: Please Tell Me Why

^{| Monday, September 4th, 2028}

“Alright gentle-dudes and lady-brahs, where does everyone see themselves once they graduate?”

Rory plopped himself down next to Haven, flaring out the back of his old varsity jacket on instinct as he relaxed himself. He lifted up one knee again, wrapping an arm around it to keep himself sitting up. Lorcán's answer was in character and unsurprising. Rory extended his thumb and pinky finger in a little wave to his friend, acknowledging the answer and being as encouraging as he could without speaking. Speaking had gotten him into enough trouble today.

"I'm hoping to volunteer for the U.S. Forest Service this summer, before I start my career. It depends on how friendly they are with hypes, but there has to be at least one Ranger out there that will accept me."

His gaze turned to Haven as she spoke. Once again, very much like Haven to want to explore the national parks. Her other comment settled in his mind, though. Whether they liked it or not, everyone in Blackjack was different. Hell, Rory was on a damn watchlist... but even then, he had a hard time understanding the fear when it came to her. How could anyone be scared of Haven's pretty wings and-

"If I go, feel free to visit me in the states, Lorcán. The American National Parks are gorgeous."

Rory looked to Lorcán instinctively, genuine smile still alight on his face. Rory had never been to any of the American parks... but everything he had heard and seen about them definitely seemed like their vibe. Though Lorcán was sure to get lost without Haven helping to steer him back to the correct path. She was good at that. And quite frankly, it sounded like fun. Rory leaned over into Haven's personal space, whispering into her ear, "I wouldn't mind seeing the parks. See you all in your element... it suits you." He bumped his shoulder into hers lightly, before leaning back into his own space. He flashed her a toothy, playful grin.

Haven had looked at him through her eyelashes as he spoke in her ear. A broad smile spread slowly as he spoke. She turned her head towards him after he bumped her shoulder, her eyes bright in the firelight. "Consider yourself invited then." Rory's cheeky grin faded into a soft smile as he held her gaze for a second. For that briefest of moments, it felt like they were the only two on the beach.

“I’m still trying to figure out my plan for after graduation. My guess is I’ll-” Aurora's response was interrupted with a yawn. Rory couldn't blame her, as he felt a yawn begin to build himself. He covered his mouth to stifle it while Aurora continued. “Sorry. I was going to say that I’m guessing I’ll live in the Alumni Village for a while, at least until I figure out my next move, I’m in no rush.”

Rory nodded. It was a reasonable move. But he definitely did chuckle quietly as he saw her lean up into Lorcán’s shoulder, seeming to fall asleep. Once again, Rory waved his thumb and pinky in his best friend's direction as the redhead settled for a good rest. It wasn't a half bad idea... but something in his thick skull told him that if he got that close to Haven, there'd be a chance he'd cross a line he couldn't exactly uncross.

That's silly... she's just flirty with everyone. And so are you... you're just friends. Don't read into it.

"If I keep my grades up, I’m aiming for a spot in a diagnostic radiology residency program... It’s not as fancy as it sounds, though." Rory nodded towards Harper. She was smart as a whip... and given her keen eye, radiology made sense. You'd have to look really close to see all the molecules and stuff, after all.

As a brief pause enveloped those around the fire, Rory leaned forward. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out at first. A number of thoughts and feelings swirled in his head, before he just started mumbling out what came to mind. "I... there's a lot of kids who are like us out there trying to make sense of everything. Powers, Hyperion, the backlash, watchlists.... this place isn't the solution for all of them. And even if it is, they need help and the tools to get through it. They need someone in their corner, cause not everyone has that." He paused, his brain trying to catch up to the words he just spoke as he stared into the fire. This wasn't the first time he had verbalized his plans... but he hadn't exactly shared anything like this with the team before. Harper and Haven had specific plans... specifics weren't something he had thought out all that clearly. "I don't know if that means working for H.E.L.P., or joining a practice, or what... I'm still figuring that out." Rory's gaze remained on the fire after he spoke, an uncomfortable pit forming in the center of his chest that he couldn't yet place.

Avatar: The White Jade Gambit

Huo

---

There will come a day, Huo, that you're going to have to fight for your home...

Huo quickly sprung into action, launching the whip immediately at the first of the large chunks of pillar coming his direction. The jet of water quickly pushed the projectile out of the way, and Huo spun around with his hands outstretched to form a new whip from the ocean behind him. He was able to spin and hit the second stone, knocking it just off course enough to impact the ground a mere foot to his left. However, Huo was out of time. He just barely managed to lift his arms to shield his face as the third stone hit him dead-center, sending the waterbender spinning and landing on his face on the shore. The pain was extraordinary, his nerves ablaze with desperate pleas for relief that would go unanswered. He could feel his heart beating through his extremities as pushed himself up onto his hands and knees. He turned a gaze up towards the captain, who just seemed to smile in sadistic amusement.

... I know it's not in your nature to fight. You want there to be another way...

Huo pushed himself up to his feet, and immediately threw two sweeps of his arms towards the captain. In response, two jets of water shot forth from the ocean behind Huo at the captain. The captain planted his feet in a wide stance and lifted up both arms to his sides, creating two small barriers to block the attacks shortly before they landed. The water splashed against the rock, but lacked the force to even make a dent in the flimsy barriers. Huo didn't let up, though. He swept his arms in slightly wider arcs, curving jets of water around the barriers towards the Captain, but the captain simply pulled his arms back. The earth shields moved to block the new attacks as well, to which Huo fired a water whip down the open center towards the captain. Huo's opponent merely smirked, took a forceful step forward, and a new barrier blocked the whip. The waterbender lost sight of his target behind the barrier for a moment... but only just a moment. Before he knew it, the new barrier lifted off the ground by an inch and was punched forward by the captain. Huo tried to sweep up a wave of water in front of him to create some sort of shield, but it proved fruitless: the large slab broke through the wave and knocked Huo onto his ass.

... you'll plead, or reason, or beg...

Huo spun around onto his belly, waves lapping up into his face and burning his fresh wounds. He gritted his teeth, only to find his mouth full of liquid already. He spat out its contents, opening his eyes weakly to see a cloud of red in the sea foam. His mouth tasted like iron and salt, as Huo once again tried to push himself onto his hands and knees. He felt the slight rumbling of the ground, and didn't even look up as he saw a shadow pass over him. His muscles burned as another slab was slammed onto his back with force. Huo's face was bashed into the sand, a fresh wave scooping saltwater into his mouth mid-gasp. His fingers dug into the sand, a desperate ploy for leverage to try and push himself up... but the weight was burdensome. He closed his eyes, unable to breath nor lift himself up in that instant.

... but the catgator ignores the cries of the fish. Some folks won't listen to words...

Huo felt, underneath his fingers in the sand, water pooling around them. In a desperate instant, he flexed his fingers. Water poured up from underneath the sand in a jet, catching Huo's palms. His upper torso bent up, the slab suddenly hoisted off his back and into the shallow shore behind him as he sat up on his knees. The waterbender watched the smug expression of the captain fade, the latter shifting back into a strong power stance. Huo, on the other hand, had lifted himself up onto one knee. He pressed one forearm into that knee, lifted himself up to his feet, and readjusted the leaf hat on his head. Huo's breathing was labored, and his arms hung to his side. He stood motionless, watching as the captain slammed one foot into the ground. Five vase-sized hunks of rock lifted out of the ground and hung in the air in front of the trained earthbender. The smug, toying expression was gone.

Huo waited until he saw the flexing of muscle in his opponent before he acted. The second the standoff was over, Huo lifted his right hand to send a large jet of water from the ocean propelling the stone slab forward in a high arc. The captain launched one rock straight forward. Huo spun around the projectile, using the arcing movement to pull up a wave from the ocean under his feet. He rode the wave upwards and towards his left, to which the captain responded by firing two of his ready rocks towards the moving target. Huo's arms dipped into the wave, and two jets of water cloaked themselves around his arms. Huo lifted these new water-tentacles up and lashed the ends of them around the new projectiles. With a mid-air spin, Huo used momentum to launch the two rocks back towards the captain. In a panic, the latter fired his last two projectiles to intercept. A cloud of earthen debris obscured the captain's vision for a moment, but not enough that he didn't notice the slab from before was plummeting towards him. The captain raised an fist, launching a pillar of stone to shatter the slab into pieces.

... some folks need to be taught some manners, swamp style.

The captain didn't notice how quickly Huo had closed the distance until it was too late. Huo had let one of the tentacles splash into the ground, and instead focused all his attention on his right arm. Huo rolled on the ground at the captain's feet, and rocketed up on his heels into a flying uppercut. The jet of water around his right arm propelled upward in front of his fist, enveloping the captain's torso and legs in a bubble of water. Huo's exhaled as the uppercut knocked the soldier just off his feet, and the blowing wind immediately began to freeze the water. Within the blink of an eye, the Earth Kingdom soldier's limbs and body were immobilized in a tomb of ice. His head was exposed, and the immediate outrage on his face was satisfying for Huo to see. The waterbender stumbled backwards, head still reeling from the sizable hits he had taken moments ago.

After taking a second to absorb his surroundings again, Huo filtered out the barking orders of the temporarily restrained captain. His eyes darted towards the direction he had seen the lady with the painted sword run off to. The ice wasn't going to last long... and he was sure a cheap trick like that wasn't going to work on him twice in a row.

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Beach - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.029: Please tell me Why

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Aurora - @Melissa, Mei - @Garden Gnome, Calliope - @PatientBean, Gil - @Roman}

Previously:

^{| Monday, September 4th, 2028}

“Bro, _{I don’t know what you think you’re doing, but I’m pretty sure you’re doing it wrong.}”

The atmosphere seemed to shift in the area almost immediately. While still not great on the uptake, it was clear something Rory had did went wrong. Again. Laughter coming from Banjo was always a surefire sign Rory had said something dumb, but the reactions of others were clear indications this was a more grand mistake than usual. Lorcán quickly tried to shuffle away, falling over the cooler and warming the drinks in the process. Rory's eyes immediately clocked the sound of coughing coming from both Pallyx and Haven... though the latter's more visceral physical reaction was the more pressing indication. He hadn't seen anything fluster her like this before... leaving Rory to play back his own words in his mind for the briefest of moments. He had asked Aurora if she wanted to go to the dance... it felt like an obvious way to gauge if Aurora would have been receptive to being asked to the dance.

How the Hell did it wind up like this?

"Rory, can you come over here and mix me up a martini, please? We can perhaps talk and catch up." Rory's eyes darted towards Calliope, and a newly approaching Gil. Given Rory had clocked another Gil approaching Lorcán, it was clear this was enough of a mess that the Gil battalion had been deployed. He wasn't looking forward to getting roasted by Banjo over this for the next three months... whatever the this was. He was busy looking between everyone, cheeks flush with embarrassment, that he had almost forgotten Aurora was still there.

“Oh god, uh, Rory, I… I-I don’t think I’m going to go with anyone to the dance. You’re really sweet to ask me, but I don’t think the whole ‘date to the dance’ thing is, well, my thing. You should ask someone else though, I’m sure whoever you ask will say yes… I mean, I didn’t say yes, but someone other than me will! And I didn’t not say yes because I don’t like you or anything-”

_{"But... I wasn't... wait..."}

Rory's mouth was left partially agape, his mind thoroughly muddled. Part of him, for a moment, began to wonder if this was a prank. He hadn't asked Aurora to the dance. He hadn't even thought carefully about asking anyone to the dance... if he had, there was a beautiful brunette within eyesight he would have. Though at this point, it was becoming clear his odds of finding a date to this thing were mini-

Lorcán!

Rory physically recoiled as the train of thought in his mind reached a violent stop. For some reason... everyone thought he had just asked his best bro's crush out in public with the whole team gathered. Anxiety and panic immediately flared in his throat. Rory wanted to run and scream and beg for forgiveness on his knees, but his body felt five times heavier than normal. He took a few steps in Lorcán's direction, unable to look at Aurora. The same dumb smile he always had was plastered on his face, hiding the turmoil in his head. Rory felt a touch on his shoulder, turning to see Mei had moved in. His heartbeat thrummed in his ears.

“Hey Rory! So..uhh.. Would you like to go to the dance with me?”

Rory's smile faded. Banjo's laugh and the confused and upset expression Aurora had played through his mind as he took a moment to process Mei's words. It was day 1, and Rory was once again the laughingstock of Team Blackjack. "I'm sorry, Webs... I'm not really in the mood for jokes right now."

He turned on his heels in the direction of the only person he trusted to tell him how it was: Calliope. His footsteps were quick, swinging by the cooler just long enough to pick up a bottle of gin and a bottle of Vermouth from the warm cooler. He reached down into a small bag a few feet away, fetching an old cocktail shaker that had been pre-loaded with ice. He opened up the top, settling the bottom a little into the sand as he crouched down. He flicked off the tops of the liquor bottles with ease, the tops resting somewhere in the sand. His shots were poured freehand, with little care for balance, ratio, or alcohol content. Once done, he set the liquor bottles down and closed up the cocktail shaker. He approached Calliope and Gilbert whilst shaking the cocktail mixer, grabbing a red solo cup from a nearby plastic bag in the process. Rory looked between his two close friends, smile long gone. "I... I was just trying to give Lorcán a little push, and see if Ro was interested in going to the dance at all." Rory finished shaking the drink and flicked the top of the shaker open, pouring its contents into a solo cup before handing it over to Calli. "Now Mei is making fun of me, Rora and bro seem upset... I really fucked this one, didn't I?" He grabbed the energy drink from Gil, cracking it open as he waited for yet another lesson from those two.

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

Previously...

“Dude, did you iron your dress uniform?” Lorcán asked before kicking his feet into the air and jumping upright again. “I totally forgot about the senior dance after the Homecoming Trials, you think you’re going to ask anyone?” Lorcán fished, his fiery eyes darting back towards their redheaded teammate. His arm shot up to wave towards the gathered members of Blackjack while his mind began going through all the things Lorcán knew Aurora enjoyed.

His father had always said that you don’t ask someone out empty-handed. You need to bring a gift. But what gift could possibly say enough, while simultaneously playing it cool to lowkey ask a girl to the Senior Dance?

“...How do you go about asking someone?” The question escaped from between Lorcán’s lips, but his words weren’t directed at Rory. It was more like a thought meant to be kept inside rather than suddenly out there for the Canis boys to hear. The smile on Lorcán’s face continued to grow.

“Bro, can you pass me one of those 'Claws?”

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Beach - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.018: My Own Worst Enemy

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Lorcán - @Lord Wraith, Haven - @Skai, Aurora - @Melissa, Pallyx - @Bartimaeus}

Previously: TBD

^{| Monday, September 4th, 2028}

As Rory patted Lorcán on the shoulder, he took a moment to notice that all of Blackjack was back together again. His smile was near infectious as he wrapped an arm around his best mate, steering him in the direction of the coolers and the others. "I asked an underclassman to iron my uniform for me, in exchange for a case of beer. We both know what happened last time I tried to iron the fancy set. As for the dance..." Rory's mind echoed with Lorcán's question. How do you ask someone out? Well, you obviously just ask if they are going. It seemed so easy even he could figure it out. But as the two began approaching the rest of the group, Rory looked towards Aurora and just nodded to himself. He looked over to Lorcán and whispered, "Don't worry, bro. I'll show you how it's done."

Time seemed to slow down for a moment, though, as a familiar rush of wind came in from the side. Rory's gaze slowly turned towards the winged figure, the sun seeming to trace and illuminate the tips of her tawny feathers. The wind was swept up in and around her face, but he would recognize that body anywhere. Haven moved in with a nonchalant air about her that always made him envious. As soon as that grin adorned her face, he slowed to a near stop and just watched her for a moment. Rory simply lifted a hand in acknowledgement, but nothing more than a grunt managed to escape his lips. It took everything in his power to not down as she walked towards the cooler. He removed the arm from around Lorcán and approached the cooler, leaning over to pull out a Claw next to Haven. "Thanks for bringing the drinks, Rory."

"Uhh... yeah, no problem, Wi-err... Haven. You look..." Rory paused as he motioned towards her with an occupied hand, taking her all in before instinctively looking away towards Lorcán to toss him the Claw. He muttered softly, "You look really good, Wings." He cleared his throat, hand reaching up to wipe the sweat from his brow. He must have worked up quite a sweat playing catch. That was clearly it, nothing else. Rory's hand was barely making an impact, so he quickly removed his Hawaiian shirt and used the sleeve to wipe a bit of the sweat. Afterwards, he tossed it towards his bag and leaned back towards the cooler. He gave a brief smile to Pallyx, reaching in to pull a cider for her and held it out. "Let me know if this is fruity enough for ya, Vamps. If not, I can shake up a cocktail for ya."

Satisfied in his hosting, he fetched a can of water and cracked it open. He took a refreshing sip, and gave a nod towards Aurora as she approached. “Yeah, Rory, really sweet of you to think of everyone. Where’s your brother? Will, right?”

Record Scratch

Rory's happy go lucky smile, in an instant, became a hollow shell. He stared blankly at Aurora for a moment. He knew she meant nothing by it... but Will's sadistic smile was still burned in his mind. That was the last thing he wanted to think about right now. When she immediately moved on to the others, Rory felt relieved. He gulped down half his can as Aurora eventually moved on to talking to Lorcán.

“...How do you go about asking someone?”

Rory looked from Aurora, to Lorcán, and back to Aurora. The soft smile returned to his face. They were cute whenever they spoke. Her smile was different around him, and he seemed to be lost in her presence. Surely, she wanted to go to the dance with him. And he wanted to ask her. All they needed was an opening.

Enter, Rory.

Rory took a couple steps towards them, lifting his elbow high to rest it on Lorcán's shoulder. He looked to Aurora, smiled, and made his opening move.

"Hey Red, Hot Shot over here just reminded me... there's this senior dance after the Homecoming Trials. You want to go?" Rory looked over towards Lorcán with a knowing, smug look.

There, on a platter right in front of him, was an opening to ask her to the dance.

There's no way this could possibly be misconstrued.

Commencement: A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University RP

Rory leaned against the railing of the ferry, taking in the familiar ocean breeze as the strings of his hoodie whipped up into his face periodically. It took a minute for him to finally stuff them down the front, flashing a smile of recognition and nod to one of his underclassmen in Canis. His eyes turned back towards the island as the boat cut through the choppy waters. His stomach tightened slightly as the senior anxieties began bubbling up at his core. He had already wasted so much time already... and for the first time in nearly forever, it felt like there was finally somewhere that he belonged. This was more of a home than the four bedroom townhouse in Ottawa ever was.

"If I end up in Canis, can you please just pretend like we don't know each other?" Will Tyler saddled up a few feet away from Rory, back against the railing as he picked at some dirt underneath his fingernail. He didn't even look at Rory, his eyes instead scanning the rest of his classmates.

"You think I'm gonna pass up an opportunity to embarrass the hell out of you now that we're at the same school?" Rory's infectious smile was unwavering as he slid over to Will, attempting to put a hand on his brother's shoulder. Will shrugged it off instinctively.

"Then Alces it is. Gentle, Mindful, Honourable. Guess I'd just have to pretend to be an idiot like you for a few days to guarantee an invite, right? It'll be tough, but I think I could manage." Will looked up at his brother for a moment, giving him the same cold and calculating stare he gave everyone else. And then came the sadistic smirk. Rory's smile never faded, but they both knew those words wounded him. Will walked away, and Rory just turned to look back at the island.

Now it felt like home.

^{________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}

_{Location: The Beach - Pacific Royal Campus}

Welcome Home #1.008: Sun's Out, Guns Out

^{_{____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________}}

_{Interaction(s): Lorcán Roth - @Lord Wraith}

Previously: TBD

^{| Monday, September 4th, 2028}

Rory had gotten to the beach early, still reeking of sweat and a heavy dose of deodorant and cologne meant to overpower the stench of a five mile run at dawn. He had quickly changed out of his tracksuit, opting instead for a pair of bright red floral print swim trunks and a matching unbuttoned Hawaiian shirt. He had pre-packed most of the gear he needed the night before, stuffing a duffel bag full of towels, blankets, sunscreen, a cocktail shaker, and an assortment of footballs and beach balls for entertainment. He already pulled a couple umbrellas from storage, and had stuffed his fridge full of everyone's preferred drinks in advance: Craft beers, hard seltzers, half a case of lager, a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon... Blackjack was picky about their beverages. He didn't mind, though, as it gave him an excuse to get a big chest cooler years ago. And of all the things in Rory's room that wasn't a ball, that cooler easily saw the most use.

Rory was at the beach fairly early, before most students were willing to wake up to party at the coast. He dumped his treasure trove of beach essentials at a primary spot in the center of the beach, and immediately got to work setting up the rest. He had lugged some of the nicer beach chairs out under some central umbrellas for those who wanted to relax under some shade, while keeping a few other chairs nearby for those not afraid of some sun. Poorly folded towels were left on all the chairs, and the large cooler of drinks was parked up under the umbrellas. Rory took his time setting up the drinks in the cooler in a healthy mountain of ice. He left the lid open, hoping the drinks would last long enough for either Blackjack to get their fill or Calli would take pity on them and work her HZEs. In the meantime, Rory cracked open a can of water let the waves lap over his feet at the shore.

Then, of course, came the distractions. As more and more students began to flock to the beach for some downtime before the academic year officially began, Rory found himself getting practically dragged half-way down the beach talking to dormmates, classmates, incoming freshmen... you name it. Just about everyone knew Rory Tyler: a starting striker for the P.R.C.U. Chimeras, quarterback of the Canis intramural football team, shortstop on their baseball team, former chair of the Model UN... while he wasn't the resident movie star, he was the next best thing. Rory had a nonsensical or opaque nickname for nearly half the campus, and the other half he inexplicably knew by last name only. It was only a matter of time before he got a few folks together to toss around a football.

"Think we can finally snatch the Laurels from Alces this year, Tyler?" A fellow Canis student queried, while lobbing the ball across the circle to Rory.

"Alces' reign ends this year, boys. They don't have a chance." Rory chuckled a little as he caught the ball and brought it up to his chest, eyes scanning the circle for who to throw the ball to. He noticed some movement in the background, and his gaze lingered for a few moments too long as a dripping Banjo waded to shore. A cough from someone in the circle shook Rory back to attention, and he quickly launched the ball in a high arc past his target. He flinched as he saw a familiar mop of light brown hair in the trajectory. "Heads up, Hot Shot!"

Lorcán managed to push his cousin out of the way of the ball, before tossing it back into the circle with more refined aim. Another dorm-mate swooped in for an interception, tossing the ball behind his back mid-air to Rory. The latter rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Where was that in the finals last year, man? We need this kind of energy in game time!" Rory looked over to his boy Lorcán and rocketed the ball towards his best friend, just as a certain red-head was removing her cover-up not too far away. Of course, as soon as Rory had let loose the football, he felt a cold shiver run up his spine. He felt his gaze drawn to the pale form of his teammate Amma Cahors. He was genuinely surprised to see her, as were a number of bystanders from what he could tell. Somewhere deep down, the smile plastered on her lips felt more akin to a predator baring its fangs and licking its lips than a woman enjoying a walk on the beach. Somewhere even deeper down, part of him wanted to be prey.

A sudden thud and a series of uncomfortable hisses stole Rory's attention away from a tempting danger. Rory's aim had been true, but his target's attention seemed also divided. The ball had socked Lorcán right in the face, and his best friend slid to his side almost immediately. "Shit, Lorc, sorry about that. Figured you had your hands up, so I was going for a tight spiral, and..." Rory trailed off mid-sentence as his distracted scan of the beach spotted Aurora and Harper speaking to Gil a ways down the beach. He looked back to Lorcán slowly, his cheery smile transforming into a knowing grin. "I see, I see... something else catch your eye, Hot Shot?"