Smoking Thoughts

[Glitch]

In the dark of the night at the dock in the lake, Dante Sloan sat leisurely smoking the smooth Kools stick, blowing the smoke out into the night. He liked to take that occasional breather from the crowd, and smoking his cigarette at night was the perfect opportunity. It had been a long couple of days, and a lot of adjusting for him. Not that he was done getting used to this place or the people in it, but at the same time he thought he may never be used to everyone, not with the surprises that seemed to pop up everywhere.

Surprises or not, Dante found that he was liking it at this school. It was living on easy street pretty much, no need to steal, no worrying about which crew was going to try and step up today, none of the stuff that was at his old neighborhood. Not to mention the beautiful girls in this place was certainly not lacking. He had seen his share of beautiful women, but until he came to this place he didn't know what it was like to be around so many bombshells. That was probably the biggest bonus of being there.

On the flip side, he did miss his family a lot. He missed helping his parents out at the restaurant, and he missed his crew. He had to give them a call to let them know what was up with him and told his boy Rocks to hold down the crew and keep them in line. Dante worried about them, and what kind of crap they'd get into without him there. Not to mention the growing rivalry between his crew and the Chinese, and that was bound to end badly. He had all these worries in his head, but knew he had no choice really. This place was his 'get out of jail' card. If Emma Frost hadn't bailed him out, he'd have his ass back in the cooler and wouldn't be able to help his boys out for the next ten months anyways since his folks wouldn't be able to afford bail.

When it came down to it, this place was probably the best place for him, and if Dante wanted to be completely honest, he could admit that this place is probably saving his life from ending up like the others in his neighborhood. He lived in one of those places that people rarely get out of, and this was his chance. And as the smooth ribbons of smoke left his lips and his aquamarine eyes stared at the moonlit waters of the lake in front of him, he thought on what the future had in store for him, and as he flicked the ashes into dark water, he hoped the future involved those said beautiful women in bikinis.

[FreezeFrame]

A Couple of Cigarettes Later~

"Man I could NOT wait to get the hell outta there Sky" Chase said to his cohort in crime as the pair walked out of the mansion to the dock on the lake. It was the agreed upon spot and the rest would be showing up eventually, but Dante had gone on ahead. He usually did that since he needed to air out and get what Chase called the creeping slant-eyed lust, the shit that Lian was always oozing out all over the poor guy, off of himself.

Chase just out of the blue punched her sorta hard in the arm exclaiming "Why the HELL did we wait so goddamn long for- SHIT!" and he took off laughing and running before Sky could hit him back. Zig zagging back and forth, just out of her reach and then seeing the glow of the cherry at the end of Dante's smoke on the dock he stuck his hand out to grab Sky by her head and hold her for a second. "Now chill- Sky yo chill! It was paybacks for uh," he tried to think of what it was paybacks for but they were so deep into owing each other cheep shots it didn't count "aw hell."

He could feel her trying to get at him and pushing hard as she was swinging at him. He let go and dodged to the side running past her and made a b-line for the dock. "HAHahaaahaaa!" Straight as an arrow he ran and only slowed down when he hit the planks so he could come to a stop next to Dante. "Yo dude."

*Pant - Pant* He tried to catch his breath "Dude, she's quick. Oh, oh -wheew- lemmie get some air here and-" he heard footsteps on the planks and looked back. "-No way-" He knew the water was deep off the dock but he so did not want to get wet.

[Decay]

Sky skidded to a stop right next to Chase and sucker punched him right in the stomach with her bony fist. "Ass!" she said with a smirk. Plopping down next to Dante, she grinned at him and let her legs swing off the dock. "We came to keep you company and uh, you know get rid of the Katana scent. Oh and to be your armed bodyguards once Lian decides to join us. Trust me man, you'll need it." She winked at him and reached over to slip her hand in the pocket where she knew that Chase kept his lighter. It took a minute of shuffling before she fished out the plastic blue lighter. "Could you have stuffed it in your pants any deeper? Christ dude."

She pulled the thin cigars from her pocket and handed one to Chase, placing one behind her ear as she put the rest of them away. Putting the cigar in her mouth to bite off the end, Sky took it out of her mouth and threw it behind her to the grass somewhere. She lit up the bitten off end, taking a couple of deep puffs as the end lit in an orange glow and the air smelled of some vanilla and spice scent filled the air around them. "Mmm this stuff tastes good!" she said handing Chase the lighter and taking a couple of puff of the cigar, trying to make the perfect smoke circle.

"We got another new kid, he's a New Mutant. Still, I think you're losing your 'New Kid' status mad quick man." Sky nodded and pointed her cigar at him before turning back to look at the lake, all dark and pretty with the moon shining on it. She looked deep in thought for a minute, not something common for Sky, but with the atmosphere and the fact that it was just the three of them, it seemed like a good time. "Hey... any of you guys still thinking about that last Danger Room session?" She looked over at them both while twirling the cigar between her fingers. It had been weighing on her mind kind of heavily, and she couldn't really ignore it. It weirded her out that she was ready to die right then and there, not something she expected to encounter yet.

[Glitch]

Taking another pull of his cigarette, Dante stared straight ahead, flicking his ashes in the water and staring straight ahead. "Being ready to die really makes you think huh?" he said in his low voice while blowing out the smoke. He liked Chase and Sky, they were pretty cool. Hell he could see them fitting in pretty well with his crew back home. They were both pretty tough, and he could respect them. This place that looked like a Hollywood home from a distance seemed a bit more bearable with them there. Plus he did feel like either of them were putting up a front about anything, at least nothing big. Everyone was entitled to their secrets, and Dante wasn't a guy that would pry,

"I didn't think stuff in there could seem so real," he admitted taking another pull from the cigarette. It's not like he hadn't been in a situation where he didn't know if he'd come out alive or not, but yesterday it was all so real, like he would inevitably die. There had been some bad situations when Dante had known that his life was at risk, but it never felt like a sure thing the way it did yesterday. It felt like they were all actually on this crazy mission, and even though it was his first time, he acted mostly on instinct. For awhile it felt like he was living out some kind of sci-fi action movie that Michael Bay and Peter Jackson joined forces on. After only a couple of minutes, he was so caught up that he forgot that it wasn't real.

Dante looked over at Sky sitting in between him and Chase, finding it odd how soft her face got in her state of deep thought. She always had a very wicked look about her and almost like her own guard up, but it didn't seem to be there at the moment. It was a side of her that he could only assume was a rare side, because what he knew from her in the last couple of days, this was not common behavior for her. "You okay?" he asked looking back at the water to not let her feel scrutinized.

[Decay]

Sky shrugged and flicked the light gray ash into the wind as her legs swung back and forth on the dock. "I'm cool and everything, just thinking thats all," she said twirling the cigar between her fingers. "We were all ready to die, and it was just like way too real you know? It's just weird to think about. It's like, damn I don't even know." She brought a knee up and pulled it to her, resting her chin on it as she stared out at the glittering water, bring the cigar up to her lips to take a couple of more puffs as the sweet and spicy scent swirled around her.

"It wasn't real this time, but that makes me think that what happens when it does become real? Are we all gonna do the same thing, just do something, anything to go down and take whatever other motherf&*kers with us? I'm starting to think that we did that whole thing so we could figure it out if we'd do the same thing over again." Sky shrugged a bit, glancing briefly at the two guys that sat on each side of her before looking back at the water. "I guess in the moment it was like THE thing to do you know? But looking back on it, we either did something seriously stupid or seriously brave. I wasn't gonna go down without taking the others with me, especially those disgusting giant cockroaches. That would have been it though if it weren't real. No escape no nothing, we wouldn't be here talking now. I guess I just kinda realized that I ain't ready to end it, no matter how bad ass it would have been. I'd still do the same thing, but I don't ever want to for real for a long time."

Taking another couple of puffs of the cigar, Sky chewed the inside of her cheek lightly, still thinking as her eyes focused on a glittery spot in the water. It was like after that whole thing she looked at life in a whole new way. She wanted to see her family again, she wanted to go out and do more things, and she wanted to spend more time with her friends and just enjoy life. Already Sky had plans to beg Gavin to take her flying and was contemplating figuring out if they could hot wire a car and go joyriding, without a giving a damn about the consequences; it's not like Sky was a stranger to punishments anyways.

"I'm starting to think that's one of the big shit holes that come with being a mutant. Like okay, let's face it we're pretty bad ass compared to normal people. We're hated for that as it is, but now with that we're probably gonna be in shit like that for the rest of our lives where we can die at any minute cause one thing or another would lead us to that kinda situation. And that f&@$ing blows man, we wouldn't deal with that whole thing if we weren't mutants. It sucks like you know us chilling like this could be the last time ever and we wouldn't know it till its way too late you know? I mean the other day backstage of the theater, none of us were thinking about that stuff." She watched the wind blow the ashes off the bright orange butt, kind of hitting her on the kind of life they signed up for now. As much as she loved her power, being able to make anything disintegrate into dust and blow away, much like she did with any stress or issues that came at her, she was starting to get why all the teachers could be such hardasses about stuff. They seen all this crap and probably been in that same situation loads of times beforehand. "It just kinda sucks," she said with a sigh and used her hand wrapped around her knee to pick at the peeling pieces of rubber on her converses.

[FreezeFrame]

Chase didn't want to admit that he really didn't want to die, he had said it to Sky on the bridge of the space heap they were in, but she was his best friend after all and he trusted her with his feelings. Well, most of his feelings anyway. He had thrown in with his team, his friends for the most part -with one obvious exception- and the only people who he felt really got him in his short time on the planet.

"Man, I didn't want to die but I was ready to go with you guys. I don't think that's a normal part of being a teenager, but for us I guess it is. Maybe that's why we get away with so much shit. I mean come on the former White Queen, one of the most powerful psychics ever, like EV-er, and we get away with sneakin out and messin around and drinkin and all? I always think she already knows when I did or didn't do something so I just thank my lucky pair of crusty socks that she leaves us some room to screw up. I'd hate to be one of her Hellions. Ha those poor bastards, I could tell you some stories I heard but nah, forget bein on that team mon."

"Yeah, but like Nightcrawler said it's the ultimate sacrifice and hey, maybe it'll be enough to redeem our sorry twisted asses if and when that day comes." He half heartedly laughed but it wasn't a real laugh and the others knew it. He looked at them both and said "I gotta say though was glad to be dying with you guys, it was the weirdest feeling, like it was an honor to share it with you guys. Not to get all mushy and crap, but there's nothing like facing the end with the people who matter most to you right?" He reached over and squeezed Sky's calf just slightly and smiled just as slightly.

He let his hand drop off her leg and slipped it into his pocket, fishing for his lighter as he placed the cigarello into his mouth to moisten the end. Finding his lighter he pulled it out and looked at it, shiny zippo with a yin-yang symbol in purple and green glinting in the light of the moon. He traced the circle of the symbol with his thumb and thought about never being able to do anything ever again. The whole of his life gone and nothing left, he wondered about God and heaven but he didn't ever have time for religion or any of that, the only thing he would have to leave behind was what he did in his life and dying on his terms not like some punk was how he wanted to go.

"Thanks for uh, you know pointing out the obvious to me when we were facing the end. Dyin like a punk is not how I'm goin out. I don't know if there's a God or heaven or if we get to come back as a dog or a tree or whatever- alls I know is when I'm gone my life and my death are all that's gonna be remembered and I ain't bein remembered as a punk." He nipped the end off his stogie with his teeth and spat it into the water. Flipping his Zippo down on his thigh to open it, and up to strike it alight, he pulled on his cigar as he brought the flame to the tip. "Hero might be nice," he puffed out a cloud and clacked his lighter shut "but right now I sure don't want to think too much about bein dead. What's got you dwellin on that anyway Dante? You ok man?"

[Glitch]

"I'm good," Dante said taking another pull of his cigarette. "Can't blame me, my second damn day in this place and I was faced with that. Three days ago I was in lockup, I didn't think I'd end up fighting space aliens and ready to die." It was the first real thing that he had said to anyone about his life at home since he came here. The most he had said was that he was from Chicago and told them about his power. He wasn't the most open person, he never had been. Telling people too much could get him in deep trouble and could also give them something to use against him.

"So this is all really for real then huh?" Dante said flicking the ash into the water. "I didn't think that this shit actually existed, or at least I'd ever be apart of it. Now that I am, well what can I say it ain't the easiest thing to figure out." He said what he had to say, and didn't plan on digging into it. It did slightly rattle him that he was thrown into this life, and he was slowly adapting. He hadn't been there long enough to let his guard down or even try, but he was easing himself into the mindset to take everything as it came and expect the unpredictable.

Once he eased into his place at the school, Dante knew that he'd take on a different demeanor. Right now he was still on his guard with everyone, not trusting easily and still sizing everyone up, even looking for his place in this crazy world. At that moment, he was content though, and his guard wasn't as high as it normally would have been. He dug Sky and Chase ranked okay. They were both very real and he saw enough of them to feel at ease. Hell they were ready to die together, that had to count for something.

[FreezeFrame]

"Yo dude then just don't sweat it, cool? Look it's simple, we do what we want when we want and if they catch us we pay the penalty." He looked at Sky and grinned as he put his cigar in his mouth and talked around it. "I ain't one for gettin caught though, and like I said I figure that Emma already knows some of the stuff we do. Hell, she's got to! I guess she lets us do our thing for one reason or another, hey maybe she gets a kinky kick outta readin our minds and seein what we did, who knows." He took his cigar out of his mouth and pointed it at Dante "And anyway I never been unlucky enough to get caught doin anything that I'd need to be locked up for. Not in a jail at least. So since ya brought it up, musta wanted to talk about it right? So talk then, what'd they say you did?"

Chase knew better than to ask what the guy had done. You never ask what anybody did, cause nobody ever did anything-ever, so you ask what they say you did which was just the proper etiquette for this kind of conversation. Chase was no dummy in the streetsmart department, tough and good fun to have around, but not a hardened criminal even though he'd spent a little time in juvie. He learned the hard way about sharing too much information, having been openly homosexual in his last school he quickly learned that keeping shit to yourself was the best way to do it and when he'd come to the academy he decided to keep a lid on that. He never anticipated enjoying sex with a girl until Sky came along.

"Oh hold still Sky, you got a wicked big skeeter right -THERE!!-" He said really selling it to her that there was a bug on her forehead and then smacking it HARD, hard enough to sting his own hand. "Got it." He started giggling as he put his cigar back in his mouth and shook his hand. "Stings a little. Kinda like reality huh Dante? Yeah, it's real here buddy. I know it's hard to believe but you gotta let it sink in dude. Sky'll tell ya how it was man, we took the same cab from the airport out here and man it was like the weirdest ride, at least it was for me. Tell him 'ASS', be a warm tender girly and share with the guy." He grinned and made a face at her letting her know the slap in the forehead was paybacks for the shot he took in the gut.

[Decay]

Rubbing her forehead with an annoyed look on her face, Sky glared slightly at Chase. "Why thank you soooo much Chase, you're so damn considerate." She looked back at Dante, still rubbing her forehead. "We met at the airport with this ass laughing at me because I was having an epic battle with my huge duffel, which by the way weighed five times more than me and was just as big. And I couldn't pull it off the conveyor belt, so there I am riding round and round on the belt thing trying to pull my monster bag free, and this jackass-" Sky chose that moment to whip around and smack him hard right in the center of his chest hard with her bony fist so he'd at least get the air knocked out of him.

"Oops, thought I saw a spider," she smirked and leaned over to take the cigar from Chase, now one in each hand and she took puffs of both of them at the same time. "Anyways, he was laughing at me while like four people had to pull me and my bag off the belt. Then we both went to the dude that had a sign for Xavier's and oh man that's where it started. We were driving this dude crazy! The sun had just set, and we're both in the back with windows open and howling at the moon, and I kept putting my bare feet through the window, and then remember Chase, I accidentally turned the guy's hat into dust and we played it off that it flew out the window. That was hilarious, I thought the dude was gonna have a heart attack when we got out. I don't think I ever seen anyone speed away faster."

Sky had a nostalgic grin on her face remembering that day and handed Chase the cigar back. "We did a lot of shit since that day ha. You know, Emma's cool though like she don't seem the type that goes around reading minds for the hell of it. I mean look shes got Cyclops to keep her busy, and he is soooo hot in the geeky way. I think as long as she knows we're safe she leaves us be. She's all proper and stuff, but look at Cyclops, he's strict and a pain in the ass too, but we all seen them relaxed like at the picnic after the food fight when they were just hanging out. I just... I don't know I don't see it man. I don't think they're clueless, but I don't think they wanna know everything you know?" She said thoughtfully taking a puff of her cigarette.

"That's just me though. Hey Dante what were you doing in lockup though? Shit that's heavy stuff man, you never said anything." Sky looked at the attractive hood with curiosity. She wasn't one to judge, she knew when her brothers went to the academy, Cyclops and Professor X when he was alive bailed them out all the time, and Sky had almost gotten arrested for pickpocketing several times, but she was with her brother then and he got her out of it. It was just interesting cause it was another piece to the mystery called Dante.

[Ripple]

Lian whistled as she headed towards the lake. One hand in her pocket, the other carrying a six pack of Yuengling and a cigarette in her mouth. She had wanted one since the damn stables and she was glad that there weren't any teachers around to tell her otherwise. Plus Katana wasn't there to freaking flip out like a moron again just because she flicked an ash. God she's annoying, she thought as she inhaled a good amount of smoke. The whole crowd in the Rec Room was making her annoyed and claustrophobic, plus she wanted to hang with her own crew since tomorrow her stupid chores were going to start. Wash dishes.... shit man this is gonna blow.

Putting the thoughts of tomorrow aside, Lian would make sure she was able to enjoy her last night of freedom. It was going to be like being in jail, not that she ever knew what it was like. OK well she once spent a night in jail with her friends for being drunk underage. Being at a rock concert always brought the best and worst of her and she loved to party.

She reached the lake and was able to detect Sky's light hair in the distance. Chase and Dante were distinguishable of course and she smirked while slowly getting closer. She made sure to hold her cigarette in her right hand before grabbing Sky and Chase's heads quickly and screamed in their ears. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" she said and then jump back immediately. It was their formal way of greeting that many wouldn't understand. But their culture was quite different from the rest of the world's. The world would eventually need to get use to it.

"What's up fags?" she asked them while taking a drag. She winked at Dante before looking back to her best friends. "So I was warned by the fuzzy dude that we need to lay low tonight. But of course that only translates to 'cause havoc and raise hell' in our language. She tossed each of them a beer and cracked her own open. "To freedom," she toasted before taking a long sip.

[FreezeFrame]

Usually Chase was into the whole yelling into each other's faces and insulting your fellow droogs routine, but not tonight, not right now. It was a different mood they were all in and even as he welcomed the beer he was insulted by it's bearer. She didn't know him like others had in the past and the whole 'fags' name was one he could do without, it was why he didn't tell anybody in this school what he was. He didn't need to go through that shit all again. On top of it all she was the worst lookin beer slinger this side of Oktoberfest, she just didn't have the boobs for it.

"Yes To freedom!" Chase gently tapped Sky in the elbow with his beer and passed it to her to hold as he stood and rushed Lian. "Freedom from you!" Shoving her off the end of the dock to land in the water- BUT NO! As she went off the end of the dock he FreezeFramed her in mid air, well specifically her clothes in mid air. She was hanging there unable to budge the clothing, it being molecularly afixed in place right there in mid air, her muscles she could move freely of course but inside what felt like solid lead wrapped around her she would have little space to move. "HAHAHAAaa! Nice pose there 'Ms. Swan Lake'. Hahaa haahahaa. So tell us, where'd ya get the beer? No lies you slanty eyed horsefuker, or so help me inta da drink ya go mon."

There was no way she could move, his power to hold her clothes there couldn't be overcome, not by her power at least. "Yea, go ahead and ripple on outta your clothes if you want to make us all toss our cookies, but you got some nerve strollin up here all casual like, as if you got no worries with getting this beer." He tapped his foot against the other two bottles in the six-pack floating near his feet. Having frozen it first when he shoved her and it fell from her grasp.

Beer was a precious commodity and he respected the heavenly hops and the brothers barley far to greatly to let it meet any harm. In fact he had frozen Ripple's beer in her grasp too, perfectly torturistic one might say, as the golden amber liquid was spilling out just inches from her lips. "You know what lengths I go to to get the stuff we drink, the crap I gotta deal with from damn Inflict? Do ya? And if you been holdin out on me, on us- I will sure as hell kick YOU in the balls CAUSE WE ALL KNOW YOU GOT 'EM girls ain't supposta have THAT MUCH FACIAL HAIR. Stupid twat-NOW SPILL YER GUTS."

With that he sat down and took his beer up from Sky. "And after a nice yell at the smelly yellow fellow our hero had himself a tasy cold beverage." He narrated as he cracked open his bottle with a grin and took a long swallow or three. "AAahhhhh- now that's what I call refreshment. Hahahaahahahaa!" The sight of Ripple frozen in the air a few feet above the water and out off the dock more than a yard glittering in the moonlight was a beautiful end to a fantastic day, but the night- hoHOHOOOO, the night was still young.

[Rhetoric]

~on the edge of the woods~

Before she had ran out of the school, Liv left a little present at Lurai's door. Fresh sticks and a worn out, old drum pad. It was as close to an apology as Liv was ever going to get, and the wolf-chick needed the practice. Grinning, she made sure Lurai would see them, and took off outside, relieved to lose herself in the cool night.

Liv hadn't been kidding when she said she needed air. Being cooped up always put her in a miserable funk and nothing loosened her back up like being outdoors. Back home she would have gone right to the stables and hung out with Lo and the horses. Here... well, she'd just have to make some new friends.

Yer awful slow. Liv felt the prick of little, tiny talons on her scalp as something light landed among her curls. Poor, girl stuck with two legs and no mighty wings.

Liv looked up more amused than angry at her new friend. "I swear to God, you are two peeps away from being deep fried and served with slaw!" She reached up and snatched her tiny tormentor off her head, holding him careful and firm. It was a sparrow. One small, massively annoying sparrow. Liv had met the little birdie in the courtyard and he had told her there was a 'flock of two-leggers' by the lake. "Stay out of my hair," she ordered, looking into those tiny, black eyes.

When she released him, the sparrow, who had introduced himself as Cuil, perched on her shoulder. Not much further, Livi, he informed her, not quite able to grasp her name. Listen.

Liv paused and could hear loud laughter and playful shouting. She could also make out inky shapes in the distance along with the glowing pricks of what could only be cigarettes dotting the darkness.

"Is that chick... floating?" Liv asked, her eyebrow arching up.

Looks that way, Cuil agreed. Two-leggers here are very strange.

[Taffy]

- - ON THE EDGE OF THE WOODS

Ricki squinted at the sight of a sparrow perched on a dark haired girl's shoulder as she headed close to the part of the woods where Sky and the gang often went to smoke. It wasn't exactly Ricki's favourite place in the world because she couldn't stand the smoke, but she liked the view the place held- and specially on a night like this, Ricki could only imagine how pretty the lake must've looked; hence she'd decided that she'd probably stop by the 'smokers point' as Ricki liked to call it, to check out the view for a bit, before heading back to the mansion and just going back to her room to chill out for a bit before going to sleep.

Although, seemed like she'd have company perhaps whilst gazing at the lake. The more the merrier! The sight of the sparrow on the girl's shoulder made Ricki smile- it was times like these she hoped that she had her camera with her- it just looked so cute from where Ricki was standing. Ricki didn't hesitate to move closer, preparing herself to greet the girl before Ricki's jaw dropped open and her legs came to a halt a couple of steps behind where the dark-haired girl was standing. "W..ow." Ricki was stupid to think that she wouldn't find company here at the woods. "Lian's hanging over the lake... again?"

The memory from the sneak-out bonfire was sort of fuzzy in Ricki's head, seeing she was quite the lightweight, but Ricki could've sworn it was almost like Deja Vu from the night before. Ricki moved forwards to catch a glimpse of the dark-haired girl's face and recognizing her to be the new girl Nightcrawler had introduced to Leah and herself while they were talking down the hallway. "Oh hey! You're Liv right?" Ricki spoke, turning her head to look at the somewhat tomboy-ish yet really pretty girl, noticing for the first time the stunned expression on her face. Ricki couldn't help but giggle at that. "You'll get used to that-" Ricki commented, indicating her head in Lian's direction. "- sooner or later." Ricki's giggles underlined her words as normal as she shook her head at Lian.

"I'm Ricki by the way, codename Taffy." Ricki always loved introducing herself to new people- especially using her codename. It just made her feel so... cool. "Come on, If Lian's hanging mid air, Chase is probably around here too, and if Chase is here- well, then so is Sky." Ricki laughed, her natural comforting grin spreading across her face as she beckoned Liv to follow her and started walking towards 'smokers point.' It didn't take long for the Acolyte and the new Paragon (Ricki presumed that she was a new Paragon, seeing Nightcrawler had been the one to bring her in.) to find the rest of the gang.

Ricki was honestly surprised to find Dante there- but then again, she shouldn't have been. She should've guessed that he'd probably stepped out for a smoke too. Now that she thought of it- she felt sorta guilty seeing she remembered putting out his cigerette earlier; she hadn't left him very happy with that one. "Hey guys!" Ricki chirped, grinning over at Sky, Chase and Dante. "Don't you ever get bored of hanging Lian over the lake Chase?" Ricki added, giggling as she looked over at Chase. "Oh! And I met a new person along the way! I don't know if you guys've met her yet...? I think she's a new paragon- is that right Liv?" Ricki turned around to look at Liv, wanting to confirm what she was saying.

[Rhetoric]

Cuil pecked at Liv's cheek with his sharp little beak. Two-legger's behind us, he told her with his peepy little voice. Want me to poop on her?

"What? No!" Liv turned to look at the fluffy, little body about to launch itself off her shoulder and she flicked him in his tail feathers. "Behave yourself." She couldn't help but grin. Sparrow's were, in her experience, feisty, miniature warriors. They were small but they made up for it with big attitude and Cuil was a ferocious, wee thing.

A moment later a blonde girl came up behind them. She was perfectly friendly, though Cuil didn't appreciate being ignored. He peeped his frustration until Liv told him to knock it off, nearly tossing him loose with a flip of her ponytail. "Yeah, I'm Liv," she said with an exasperated sigh. "And the bird is Cuil," she said it slowly, knowing it sounded funny. Kool. "And this happens...often?" She gestured to the lake and fell in step beside Ricki. Chick seemed a bit... vanilla, but she was friendly, and Liv could hardly complain about that.

When they got closer, Liv snorted fully appreciating the beauty of the maneuver she was seeing. Someone had knocked the Asian chick off the dock, and suspended her there, her beer frozen inches from her lips. It was the work of a master and she couldn't help but clap. "Dunno who did it, but nice," she said happily, standing beside Ricki. Aside from the irate floating girl, there was a pretty blonde chick, and two dudes. One looked ready to piss himself laughing and the other... well he had that sort of look on his face that said he was trying to be nonchalant about the whole thing. The sort of too cool for school look that made Liv roll her eyes.

She didn't have patience for people that needed to be badass twenty-four/seven. Get over it.

"Yup, newest Paragon," Liv agreed, realizing that Taffy had been talking the whole time. "Name's Liv... or Rhetoric, I guess. This is Cuil. Please say hello to him so he stops bitching." She jerked her thumb at the sparrow and the little warrior let out a loud peep that Liv smirked at.

She wondered if she should tell the small group they'd just been told to f**k off by a bird.

[FreezeFrame]

Chase looked at Sky and Dante. None of them knew this new chick and he wasn't sure how cool she was, especially with a trained pigeon on her tip. What the hell is Ricki thinking bringin some new fish out here!?! We gotta see what she's like before she gets the invite, shit. Friggin uncool man, there goes the neighborhood. It was too late though, the damage was already done, the girl'd seen em smoking and drinking so the next best thing to do was to pull her in close so she couldn't rat them all out.

He put his own beer down and scooped up the other two leftover beers as he stood up. "Nice ta meet ya Liv. Paragon huh? Whoa, those guys are pretty decent." He held out the beers as he walked over. "Let me guess, you have Disney powers- talk to birdies sing on perfect pitch- you're obviously in the rescue me stage, right? Pre princess-gown and fairy-godmother? Well don't look now but I think your prince is sittin right over there." He nodded his head at Dante.

"Here ya go ladies!" he poked them both in their guttywuts with the bottles. As soon as they looked down to reach for them he grabbed Ricki by her shirt and tossed her off the dock with a heave. Freezing her in a similar fashion right next to Lian hanging upside down. "HAHAHAAAaa! NOPE- never gets old Ricki." Looking back to Liv he saw her perplexed by the bottle he had frozen in place in the air at her stomach. "You like that trick huh?" he grabbed the bottle he had offered to Ricki and nodded his head raising his eyebrows for Liv to do the same to her beer. "Got it?" he asked as he unfroze the molecules from their spaces in mid air, allowing the beers to be moved.

"So what's the deal with the bird? You named it Kewl!?! That's uh," he made a face raising one eyebrow and looking back a Sky for a brief second "yeah - bet that'll getcha in tight with those kick ass Paragons." He snickered, "Grab a seat, drink up." He went back and sat down in his spot putting Ricki's beer down next to him. He knew now they would never get the answer to what got Dante locked up, but this would be fun anyway. Watching Ricki wiggle out of her frozen stiff clothes and Lian ripple out would be hilarious.