Day One: Welcome to the Sumpter Estate

It is a warm day in Elizabeth, NC. Elizabeth waits for her friends to arrive rather impatiently. The skies are clear blue, the wind gentle and calm. In the center of town there is a farmer's market and the town is bustling, but on the Sumpter Estate, all is calm and quiet, for now. Soon to be arriving will be a good number of Elizabeth's friends to spend the summer. Madam Kleine is walking around the living room, cleaning as she waits for guests to arrive.

Humming a random tune, Elizabeth dressed for the day, the light from the sun cascading into her room, casting a warm glow on everything. Her room was pretty simple, for a rich girl, and probably a bit messier than most would expect. Not many of them had been in any of her many rooms, especially this one, which she would probably claim to be her one true room.

There were posters covering nearly every inch of the pale lavender walls, all of them of bands, games, or inspirational phrases. Her bed was pretty normal too, for a rich girl. Most would expect a four post bed with drapes and the whole nine, but nah. Elizabeth had asked for something simple. It was a queen bed and her comforter was yellow and gray and pale, matching her walls. There were clothes strewn about the room, one article of which was draped over the flat screen TV on her dresser, which had knocked over the Wii's sensor bar. She had the Wii up here for her favorite game in the entire world, Twilight Princess (And Harvest Moon but shhh), and the Wii U downstairs for all of the party games.

Finally satisfactorily clothed in jeans and a t-shirt, Elizabeth bounded down the stairs to the second floor. She smiled at the stick-note 'nameplates' on everyone's room. She was hoping the others would be up for decorating their doors. It would be nice to see everyone's personality on the door to their rooms.

After a few minutes of bugging Madam Kleine and sitting around in the living room, her lack of patience got the better of her and she raced down to the garden to work with Henry, the gardener. The garden here had always been something she'd down with her grandfather and since his passing, she spend pretty much any free time she has up-keeping it.

Madam Kleine smirked as she watched the young lady shoot out the door. One day she would be a good hostess, today was not that day.

What am I even doing here?

Brandon had asked himself that question a dozen times on the drive over. The mansion was in an area that Brandon had never really driven to, nor did he have any idea how people could live in houses as large as the ones in this area. Brandon's own home was barely larger than a two-story trailer, and it seemed more than adequate for the six people who lived there, especially now that the other three had either moved out or to college. These last two years were the first time Brandon had ever experienced having a bathroom to himself, and now he was going to spend a summer in an estate that likely held more bathrooms than Brandon had visited in his entire life.

The drive had lasted about a half hour with Brandon's knuckles turning white with trepidation before he was even halfway there. His navy duffel had been carefully packed with everything he could conceivably need, including his laptop and some reading material. He hoped that the stay would be interesting enough that the books would remain unread, but at the very least, his copy of The Lord of the Rings in Spanish would keep him interested if he were ignored by the group. He had no idea how many people would show up or what they were planning, and the unknown both excited and terrified him. His parents had essentially given him a blank check to act as he saw fit for the entire summer, and for the first time, he was alone.

Brandon's first thought was he should get a gift for Elizabeth for inviting them. As he drove through town, a Farmer's Market caught his eye, and he purchased a bundle of a dozen roses, complete with baby's breath and other greenery that he didn't recognize. The flowers seemed fairly expensive to him, but he was unaccustomed to purchasing gifts, especially ones for girls. The florist gave him a wink as he paid with his debit card, and Brandon blushed in response. It might have looked as if he were buying flowers for a girlfriend, if he were only so lucky.

The final leg of the journey brought him to the mansion, and his jaw dropped as he saw the flowers in full bloom in the garden around him. Perhaps his gift was a bit poorly planned out. He didn't even know where he should park his car, as the beat-up blue Focus definitely did not match the decor of its new surroundings. He stopped in front of the main door and sat in the car, trying to calm his nerves for a few moments. Okay. I can do this. These are my friends, after all.

Brandon stepped out of the car before collecting his bag and the new gift, then approached the front door. He looked around at the yard, still in complete awe about the sheer size of the area. He stood there for a couple of minutes, simply taking in his surroundings without knocking on the door, partially out of nervousness, but mostly out of wonder.

Amelia looked out the car window as the she and her brother passed by various building that lined the streets that would lead them to Elizabeth's house. Though, in her mind, domain would probably be the more accurate word, given what she had seen of Elizabeth's other house from the one or two times she had slept over. The thought brought a smile to her face before she stole a glance at her brother, the current driver. Amelia was more then capable of driving herself, she had a license. What she didn't have was a car, since her parents didn't buy her one for reasons they refused to explain to her. So she was stuck with probably one of her least favorite people on the planet as chaperone until she finally got a car of her own.

Eventually, her brother came to a stop, a few yards from their destination.
"Get out." He said, popping the trunk of the car. Not wanting to argue and get in a fight, Amelia got out of the car and went and got her things before closing it. Without even a wave or verbal good-bye, her bother gunned the engine and left her there without any instructions on where to go. Sighing to herself, she shouldered on bag and grabbed her suitcase and began walking. At least he had dropped her off in a shady area.

It would take her another hour to reach Elizabeth's house, which she only found as some communication problems while asking for directions and a lot of walking. Smiling to herself as she reached her destination, Amelia walked down to drive way, eager to get inside. As she made her way to the building, she spotted Brandon, staring around at the mansion as if he was on some sort of alien world. Laughing to herself, she approached him before reaching up and gently tapping in on the shoulder. When he turned around to see who it was, he would find her with her signature white umbrella, open the blocking the rays of the sun leaning against her left shoulder. She was wearing a simple yet elegant white sundress and a pair of sandals for the day. Once she had his attention, she gave him a kind, if slightly tired, smile.
Hello Brandon. How are you today? She signed

---

---

Today, like most days, her very first thought was, “I wish I could sleep longer.” For as long as she could remember, Jocelyn had never been a morning person. She never understood people who could jump out of bed, put on a pot of coffee and, in an instant, be ready to face the day. For her, the lure of a cozy bed far outweighed that of a pot of liquid caffeine and morning traffic. See, Jocelyn was the type of girl who set her alarm for six-thirty in the morning planning to get up, maybe go for a quick run, cook breakfast for her parents and still have time to shower and get to where she needed to go on time. But, like all the best laid plans, this one never came to fruition. Inevitably the snooze button was just a groggy swipe of the hand away, giving her relief from facing the reality of the day in 5 minute bursts. After the tenth "burst," however, Jocelyn decided that it was finally time to get out of bed.

After a few hours of moping around the house, tossing articles of clothing, electronics, and a few books into her duffel bags, Jocelyn was finally ready to take the seemingly long drive up town. She'd decided on sticking to wearing a pair of dark skinny jeans, a striped blouse, and black wedges; it was something simple to kick off the Summer. After lugging her bags to the backseat of her 2004 Acura TL and turning the air conditioning on full blast, she began her drive to Elizabeth's house. Having been to the girl's house a couple of times in the past, she knew exactly where she was headed, and got there in a reasonable amount of time. Although she'd seen her house before, she still couldn't help but gape as she pulled into the lot. Hell, before she even met Elizabeth, she'd never seen houses so large and lavish. Well, not in person at least.

Jocelyn pulled her two large duffel bags out of the car and locked it before making her way to the front door of the home. She was simply delighted to see that two of her friends had already arrived, and were holding a conversation in front of the entrance door, bags still in hand. "I don't know about y'all," she said as she stepped past them and knocked twice on the front door, "but if I gotta hold these bags for one more second, my arms are gonna fall off." She set one of the bags on the concrete, chuckling to herself as she turned to face her friends once more. "Glad to see you two. Looking forward to the rest of the Summer?"

Mentions: @mskennedy615@Joshua Tamashii@JBRam2002

As if she had been ready the entire time, Madam Kleine was at the door and opening it within minutes of the knock. The mansion was spotless as usual due to Madam Kleine tireless work and tireless she appeared as she opened the door. Her face held a bright smile framed by her wavy gray hair. "Good afternoon, everyone." She spoke with a grace to her voice. "Please, feel free to set your things to the side. The butlers will take them to your rooms." As she spoke, two older gentlemen appeared, smiling and ready to take their things.

"There is tea in the living room and I believe Ms. Elizabeth is in the garden with the gardener. Please, make yourselves at home." She finished, bowing and stepping away to get to work. On what? No one really knew but she kept herself busy.



Mentions: @mskennedy615@Joshua Tamashii@JBRam2002

_Outfit

"Don't mind if I do." Eva responded from behind them, slipping past Jocelyn into the house. She didn't have the same react as the others. Her house was technically bigger than Elizabeths, though it wasn't like she wanted it to begin with. She dropped her bags in front of the two bulters and kept walking, ignoring them completely.

"Where's food? I'm starved." Eva asked, making her way for the kitchen already.

She had a long, annoying ride with her... 'body guard' whom she paid to leave her alone for this trip. Even if her mom agreed to let her go, they were both too stubborn for this. Luckily, the guy was pretty easy to pay off. It only took a couple grand to get him gone, better than she'd hoped for honestly. The rest of the trip had been much quicker. If there was one thing Eva wasn't on the road, it was slow. Her black car was parked haphazardly under one of the trees on the property. She wasn't planning on going anywhere anyway.

Brandon stood in awe at the size of the mansion, oblivious to everything else until someone tapped him on the shoulder. Terrified that he had somehow committed a faux pas or perhaps that a policeman had come to cart away someone who was so obviously out of place, Brandon jumped a bit at the touch and turned to see who his potential assailant was with wide eyes betraying his emotions. The sight of Amelia in her white dress assured him there was little to worry about, but it did not slow his panicked heartbeat much.

The small amounts of sign language Brandon had picked up over a few years of chatting with Amelia (and a summer course he had taken between his 7th- and 8th-grade years) helped him understand what Amelia was asking, and he returned her smile with one of his own. "Amelia! I didn't see you drive up!" Out of all of his friends, Brandon had most hoped Amelia would be present. Not sure what else he should say, and feeling like his gift was rather our of place, he held the bouquet of a dozen roses out to Amelia. "Uh... I brought a gift. Do you want one?"

He was still holding the roses towards Amelia when Jocelyn approached. Without even realizing he was doing so, he retracted the flowers. "Oh, I could carry one if you want," Brandon offered. He only had a single bag anyways, and despite not having participated in many sports or other strength-building exercises, he still had a decent amount of natural muscle on his large frame. "Truth is, I don't really know what to expect. I hope it will be pretty fun."

Brandon had barely gotten the words out of his mouth when the door opened and they were welcomed. A peek inside left Brandon completely dumbfounded. He was relatively sure his entire house could fit inside the first room in this estate. He was still gawking when Eva brushed past him and dropped her bags off as if it were just another day for her. He didn't even get a chance to say hello before she was on to the next room.

In all the confusion, one thing stood out in his mind. He had seen Eva, Jocelyn, and Amelia, and the maid had mentioned Elizabeth. That was four girls... and just him? This would either be the most uncomfortable or most fun summer Brandon had ever experienced. He stepped inside the building and briefly set down his own bag. "Uh... nice place?" he offered hesitantly to the butlers standing nearby.

Amelia watched Brandon's demeanor as he spoke to her. It was obvious that he felt a bit nervous, though she noted he was always nervous around girls. When he brought up that he hadn't seen her drive up to the house, her smile faltered and her expression turned to one he was probably all to familiar with. It was one that was a mixture of fear and disappointment, the expression she only had when it came to matters regarding her brother. It probably wouldn't be hard for her friend to figure out what had happened.

When Brandon offered her a flower from the bouquet he was carrying, Amelia smiled again and managed to take out a rose before Brandon withdrew the gift. She watched as both he and Eva entered the house, Brandon once again gaining a dumbstruck look on his face while Eva dropped her stuff off and, in Amelia's opinion, rudely dismissed the servants. Amelia approached the butlers as well, putting down her suitcase but keeping her bag, giving them a kind smile and a wave before leaving to find Elizabeth.

It would take her a few minutes of wondering around the gardens to find the person who was like an older sister to her, working on the flowerbeds. She silently approached and gently tapped Elizabeth on the shoulder. Once she had her friends attention, she gave Elizabeth a kind smile before proceeding to 'talk'.
Hi Elizabeth. Where are the showers? My brother was... well my brother and dropped me off about a mile from here to walk the rest of the way. She signed, knowing Elizabeth was likely the only one in the house she could have a full conversation with that only involved sign language. Elizabeth would probably understand why, since Amelia was not the most athletic girl and would likely need a shower after walking such a distance in this weather.

---

---

Jocelyn was about to take Brandon up on his offer of carrying one of her bags, but didn't quite get the chance to say so before the door swung open, Madam Kleine standing in the opening. She smiled brightly and spoke kindly, informing the bunch that Elizabeth in the garden, tea was in the living room, and that they should all leave their bags for the butlers to take up to their rooms. Just a second after Madam Kleine disappeared, however, Eva slipped past Jocelyn and into the house, uttering something about being starved. Shaking her head and smiling to herself, Jocelyn heaved the large bag back onto her shoulder and stepped inside after the girl. Unlike Eva, however, Jocelyn handed her bags to the butlers and thanked them before they left.

"I don't see how you only brought one bag, dude," Jocelyn said, redirecting her gaze towards Brandon, "I mean, we're gonna be here all Summer! You mean to tell me that you packed a hundred days worth of things in one bag?" She was just poking fun, of course. Most of her friends, from past experiences, knew that Jocelyn had a tendency to over-pack. Though, she didn't think of it as over-packing, more so being prepared for anything. It was like she always said, "you never know what might happen or what you'll need." Her parents never seemed to understand this aspect of their child, but chose not to question it. Hell, maybe it was a trait she inherited from her birth mother.

"Do you think we should go to the garden, see what Liz is up to?" Jocelyn took a quick look around, folding her arms across her chest. Apparently, Eva had gone in search of food. She'd join her if it wasn't for the chicken sandwich she'd eaten on the way over. The sound of tea in the living room wasn't all that appealing either, seeing as how she thought the drink was absolutely disgusting unless she filled it with enough sugar to fill a bathtub.

Mentions: @Joshua Tamashii

Elizabeth smiled warmly as Amelia spoke to her. She was glad to see her friend had arrived safely, though rather rudely treated.

I can show you to them. At least walking here meant less time spent with your awful brother. Elizabeth returned to Amelia in sign language, happy that the skill her family had found useless was useful now. Do you want to go now? I can take you there. Elizabeth asked, putting the spade she was using to garden down on the fence.

She was aware of Amelia's brother tendencies and hated that such a sweet child had to deal with such cruelty. She found great friendship in Amelia.

"Leaving so soon, Miss?" Alfred asked from the middle of the garden, a silly looking hat on his head.

Elizabeth smiled and nodded, "Yeah. I think she wants a shower before she gets settled in." She explained to him.

"So, we just let them carry our stuff for us?" Brandon still couldn't get over how large the place was. Sure, he was expecting a big house, but this was ridiculous. On the other hand, no one else seemed to be waiting around for the house to get any smaller, and Brandon didn't feel like getting left behind on the first day.

At Jocelyn's query, Brandon chuckled wryly. "Hopefully I didn't forget anything. If I did, I can probably find it in town. I momostly just brought clothes and a couple books. A place as big as this probably has its own laundry." Not sure what else to expect, Brandon handed the roses to a butler. "Uh, sorry to ask more from you, but could you put these in water please? Thanks!"

At his friend's suggestion, Brandon nodded. "Yeah, we should probably go say hello. Do you know what we're planning to do all summer?" he asked as he began following in Amelia's footsteps.

Amelia gained an amused smile and her shoulder's shook in what would've been a laugh, had she not been completely mute, when Elizabeth brought up that being kicked out a mile away meant she had spent less time with her brother, which was true. The less time she spent with him the better, though the thought made her feel a bit bad. When Elizabeth asked if she would like to head to the showers now, she nodded before signing back.
Yes please. I hate feeling like this. She said, which her friends probably knew. Amelia hated feeling sweaty or dirty outside of anything art related. She was fine with having clay on her hands, but not mud or regular dirt. It was an odd quirk of hers. She waited for Elizabeth to lead the way, adjusting her umbrella a bit and looking down at the Rose she had gotten from Brandon, gently and carefully spinning the flower around the examine it from every angle.

Mentions: @Joshua Tamashii@JBRam2002@mskennedy615

I don't blame you. Elizabeth signed back and began leading the way for her friend. She didn't necessarily hate being dirty, but did quite enjoy showers. They calmed her down but she wasn't one for being particular about getting dirty, or living in a dirty space... Though, she didn't like filth...

When she realized she was getting lost in rather useless thoughts, Elizabeth shook her head slightly. She noticed the others coming towards them as well and began to wave. "Hello everyone!" she shouted, signing as well out of habit. She smiled as she walked over to them and gave each a gentle hug, before realizing the reason she hadn't given Amelia one was because she was dirty...

"Oh no, I'm so sorry! I forgot I was dirty from the garden..." She exclaimed, still signing.

---

---

Jocelyn walked right beside Brandon as they followed in Amelia's footsteps towards the garden. "I have no idea what's planned," Jocelyn said with a light chuckle, "hell, I don't even know if there is anything planned. We could just be going with the flow. All I know is, this Summer will probably be a lot more eventful now that we're staying here; a lot more fun than what I'd originally planned." Knowing her parents, Jocelyn knew that there'd be no toleration of sleeping in every day or "fooling around" when instead, she could be volunteering or working. It took her about two weeks of groveling for her parents to finally agree to let her stay the whole one-hundred days with Liz.

Once the two finally reached Amelia and Elizabeth, Jocelyn's lips spread into a wide grin. Her grin faltered and her body tensed, however, when Elizabeth reached in for a hug. Not too long ago, Madam Kleine had informed them all that Elizabeth was out gardening with Alfred, meaning that there was a high chance that she was dirty. "Yeah, yeah, Liz. Nice to see you," Jocelyn said once the hugs were finished. "It's just a little dirt, no biggie. Where are you two headed?"

So we're going in without a plan, then, Brandon thought to himself, worry showing on his face somewhat. "Well, plans are overrated, right?" he said with a wry chuckle, mostly to convince himself.

As they approached Elizabeth, Brandon returned the wave with one of his own. He was not normally a "huggy" sort of guy, but he awkwardly reached his arm out, not even noticing that she was dirty until she mentioned it. "Oh... well, that's okay," he shrugged, brushing the soil from his shirt. Thankfully, it didn't appear that he had stained the shirt, as he didn't bring nearly as many as Jocelyn had. He felt awkward and out of place, but kept a smile painted on as he waited for Elizabeth's response to Jocelyn's question.

Mentions: @Joshua Tamashii@JBRam2002@mskennedy615

Signing and talking, Elizabeth responded to Jocelyn's question, "I was going to take Amelia to a bathroom so she could shower and I find myself in need of one as well." Elizabeth chuckled. She would have stopped signing if Amelia weren't there, and unlike others, she knew it was more comforting to have someone else that signed around.

"How was the ride for the both of you?" Elizabeth asked, starting to walk towards the mansion with the others. "Madam Kleine's been pacing the floors waiting for you all to arrive." Elizabeth explained, chuckling. Nevermind that Elizabeth had been pacing in anticipation as well.

Amelia followed Elizabeth, twirling her umbrella as they walked. They didn't get very far as Elizabeth stopped to say hello and give Brandon and Jocelyn hugs, smiling in an amused manner as she apologized for forgetting why she hadn't hugged her to begin with. Brandon didn't seem to care but Jocelyn got all tense, amusing her a bit more, though she perfectly understood that reaction. She remained silent as she watched Elizabeth talk to the others, waiting patiently for them to get to the showers so she could feel clean again.

As she waited, she would look around at the garden, finding places that would make for excellent landscape material, be it as a sketch or as a painting. There would definitely be plenty of subject material within and around the mansion for her to make sure of.

Damarquis rolled over in his bed as the sun peaked through the curtains, a few rays managing to strike his face. He groaned as he reached down and pulled the covers over his face. It felt as if he had just fallen asleep, and now it was time to get up, get dressed and go spend a lot of days with his friends. He hoped Elizabeth had a lot planned for them, but he was sure whatever would happen would be great. His alarm clock caused him to finally rise from the bed and sit on the edge of it. He slammed his fist down on the clock causing it to emit a screech followed by silence. He groaned knowing he’d have to replace the expensive clock. It was a gift from his ex-boyfriend.

Sighing, he rose and walked into his large bathroom, stripping and throwing his underwear into the hamper in the bathroom. He didn’t wear anything else aside from underwear when he slept. He waited for the water to heat up before he hopped in, and after a good ten minute shower, he felt refreshed and rejuvenated. He brushed his teeth, combed his dark blue tipped hair and shaved his body before looking at his nude form in the mirror. He was quite proud of his body. He didn’t go to the gym much, but he took care of his appearance. He wasn’t conceited, but he enjoyed what he saw and it put a smirk on his face. He knew exactly what outfit he would wear.

After he got dressed, he grabbed his car keys and wallet. He took one more look at the outfit and smiled. Elizabeth would have a fit, and Amelia would probably turn as red as a boiled lobster but he would enjoy their reactions nonetheless. Elizabeth lived about twenty or so minutes from his house and he was thankful for the graduation gift his parents got him. The mustang sat in the curved driveway in front of the extremely large house his father had built. Five bedroom, five and a half bathrooms, a theater, a game room, a beautiful kitchen, a pool house for guests, and a large pool, all gated in. He was used to this lifestyle, but he didn’t take it for granted. He was very appreciative and it showed. He had packed his clothes the night before and grabbed his two luggage bags and his Christian Louboutin purse before heading out the door. The alarm system activated with a press of a button.

Pulling out onto the highway, he reminisced on the great times he had in high school with them all. He reached down and grabbed his phone, sending a few messages to other people wishing him a safe and happy summer, and congratulating him on his acceptance letter. He was happy, and it showed on his face as he pulled into Elizabeth’s estate. Her mansion was beautiful, reminding him of an old era and he loved it, much different than the technology infused great house he lived in. He parked and got out of his car. His bag was looped over his forearm and his keys danged from the open top pocket revealing a golden colored puff ball. His phone was in the same hand the bag hung on, while his other hand rolled the two luggage pieces, one attached to the top of the other.

He was excited, he was ready to see them, and when he was let into the house, he immediately shouted, “THE DIVA IS HERE!”

---

Alex had been driving around for a while. It's not that he lived far away, but he kinda got lost. When he finally figured out where he was he started driving in circles around the area. He still wasn't entirely sure if he wanted to show up. Sure seeing them everyday wasn't an issue to him, but staying in the same house for the whole summer kinda freaked him out. He also felt this may make the incoming separation even harder. He was already missing Kiley who he had pretty much everyday sense they were born. Kiley also told him that she already missed everyone from the group and wanted him to tell them that she wouldn't be able to show up at all this summer. Eventually he forced himself to drive straight to the house. After he finished filling up the gas in his truck. On the way he started thinking about his friends he knew would be there. He went over each of them in his head.















Soon Alex arrived at the Sumpter Estate and came out of his head to admire the look of the place. From what he could tell a few of the others were definitely already here and he parked his old Mazda truck behind Brandon's ride. He lifted his bags out of the passenger seat and hopped out of the truck. He still had a few things in the back of his truck but he would just come back for them later if he needed him. All he needed now was his bookbag and Bag of Holding. He took the few steps from the driveway to the front door and hesitantly knocked on the door.

"I'd comment on how late you are, but honestly I think they'll all be surprised you made it this early."

"Pssh, I woke up at 6:00am today..."

"Yeah, and then again at 6:15 and 6:30 and again every fifteen minutes for a full three hours. Still, pretty impressive for you. Must be excited to spend another summer not working."

Ronnie let the jab slide off him. The past years it may have sparked an argument between the brothers. The two had somehow managed to grow closer recently with Ronnie close to moving away, and Ronnie could tell this was a joke. He had a point too. Ronnie had woken up much later than he had planned to and packing had been a whirlwind. And dressed in joggers and a tank, he even kinda looked like he had just gotten out of bed.

"Who's all staying at this house? You gonna be spending all summer with those girls from the swim team?" John continued.

"Nah, these are my friends. You know, Elizabeth and all them. But hey, just 'cause they're not party animals doesn't mean I can't work that Pacheco charm... but you would know all about that wouldn't you?" said Ronnie, laughing at his brother's coy grin. Not that he had any intentions, going into this summer. It wasn't like that. He just enjoyed being able to get a genuine smile out of the overly sarcastic John.

Still, he wondered who would be showing up out of the group. It had been an open invitation, but some people had plans. He hadn't seen any list of confirmations or anything, but he hadn't really been looking. It would be a pleasant surprise either way.

John and Ronnie continued their conversation for a short while longer, until it completely died out upon pulling up to the front of the estate.

John let out a low whistle. "That's some house. Yo Ronnie, you sure you're not gonna try and marry this girl?"

"Uh huh," Ronnie laughed dismissively and opened the truck door. "Thanks for the ride." He grabbed his bags out of the truck bed and leaned through the open passenger window. "Well, see you in like three months I guess. Make sure dad remembers he has to feed Hoops now."

With a bag to his side and one over his shoulder he walked up the front steps to find Alex standing there. "Oh shit, Alex. Didn't even see you there. How's it going?" He walked up and pulled the young man into a friendly hug. "Glad to see I'm not the only one getting here after everyone. And from all the cars, looks like we got a party on our hands."

He stopped and looked from Alex to the door. "Did you-" He was cut off as the door opened at just that moment by one of the... servants? He wasn't sure what the appropriate word was these days. He smiled at her and gestured to Alex, following in after him. The surprises continued once inside, with Marquis standing in the entryway.

"You're supposed to be in Japan," he said laughing, as he pulled his other friend into a hug. "I guess you just know where fun really is though." He grinned, taking a look around the room. "Hell yeah, this gon' be fun."