[IC] Starlight

[Beloved]

A few hours ago he'd arrived in the small lakeside town of Alice, shifting impatiently in his seat as a relatively small man attempted to get his bag down from the overhead shelves above him, too full of pride to ask for any assistance. The process took several minutes that felt like hours, and Diana had to stifle his desire to clap sarcastically when the man, face red, finally began to make his way back down the isle and off the train, he felt bad for them though, everyone was muttering, even the workers had gossip amongst themselves, but that's what made the day pass by, and what kept them loco-motivated for the mind numbing task of customer service.

Dai slipped outside with his small suitcase (admittedly, being particularly weak in the limbs he was struggling slightly) and weaved his way through a small crowd blocking the way. The station wasn't especially busy, Alice itself was mostly supported by the wealthy vacationing families whose cabins dotted the lakeside, but there were a good number of people trying to commute on legitimate business. He kept on walking, and just outside the open air station grounds (which were covered by overhanging, translucent canvases) Dai found a number of cabs lined up neatly at the sidewalks edge, each just as bright and polished as the next, and after making quick, awkward conversation with someone he hadn't personally met Dai managed to convince a driver to take him to his cabin; "I just need to get to the Starlight Lake-house". It was an awkwardly silent ride, his usual driver was especially chatty and made the short trip of about twenty minutes as enjoyable as possible, but this one was deadpan and silent save for a few words about the weather when prompted, though his expression in the rearview mirror gave away his general disinterest. Diana knew that it was more likely than not this man would eventually be fired, considering it was part of his job to be especially friendly with the customers, but being shy and uncharacterized by his own wealth, Dai didn't try to make anything of the awkward silence. When he got to the cabin, workers were milling about, cleaning and stocking shelves, so he tried to make himself as small and unnoticed as possible as he slipped upstairs into his own room and slept into the late afternoon.

"If ya need anything just call okay?" said a small but strong looking woman in jeans and a loose shirt as she got into the passenger seat of a large white van, they were the last of the workers to be leaving, and she'd been a friend to him since he was very young.
"I will Laura." Dai responded quietly, smiling despite himself as he took a few steps back. The woman smiled knowingly, confidently, as the van started to pull away, she began to say something else, but he was too distracted by the dust kicked up as the van sped out of the driveway to hear her. It pulled haphazardly around the bend back toward town, and vanished quickly into the dense treeline.

After a short bout of coughing and rubbing his eyes, Diana sighed with visible irritation before turning his attention back toward the cabin itself. Admittedly, he was more than a bit nervous about going back inside on his own... usually there were servants of some kind moving about during the summers, and they kept him at ease, but now he was truly and completely alone as the sun started its slow decent. Biting his lip he made his way over the small expanse of grass between the driveway and the porch. The lovely cabin, exterior painted in soft, neutral colors while the porch itself was made up of well sanded planks, and every window clear as crystal, was made ominous given his mindset. He stopped a moment, having surmounted the short steps, to face the door in distracted silence, shifting on his feet awkwardly and trying not to glance to either side in fear that something would be nearby to startle him. Dai reached out, finally grasping the dark bronze colored doorknob and gave it a turn, but he had to lean into the door itself with all his weight for it to open, much to his dismay.

The inside of the cabin was well lit, as they could easily afford to keep all the lights on if they wanted, but it made him feel no better about the situation, casting quick glances at the various corners and windows and doorways that would otherwise be completely innocent and familiar to him. Drifting, he went into the living room and flicked on the stereo, mostly for background noise, and as the radio personality prattled on Dai moved to shut some of the curtains over daunting windows, before heading upstairs quite slowly, and running back down, laptop in hand, and tried to make himself comfortable on the floor, keeping his back to the nearest wall to ease his mind. A song started to play, one he knew well enough, but he paid it little mind, instead turning toward the various online conversations he was more or less a part of, and wondering when his friends, Faith and Raven, would arrive. He'd invited them both a number of days prior, and had arranged, loosely, with the station that the ticket costs for any Starlight guests were to be placed on his bill, but time was lost to his own thoughts and his overall discomfort with being alone in the cabin.

[libbypt]

'Now arriving at Alice please stay in your-' Eleanor heard her place of arrival and began to prepare to vacate the train. The carriage she was in wasn't very busy and everyone sat quietly glued to their own business, she wasn't surprised by the other civilized passengers in the carriage due to it being first class, however it had always been in the back of her mind as of why she didn't pay for the ticket herself. She was perfectly capable to do so, however Raven explained the 'expenses are going to be paid' which made Eleanor wonder, Who is this 'Diana' and why is he being so polite to me, Someone he definitely doesn't know?
As the train came to a halt only a few people stood up and grabbed their bags from above them, it took Eleanor a couple of minutes to get the timing just right to grab her bag in mid air while jumping high enough to reach and catch it while still standing. She managed it, and wheeled her suitcase out of the train.

After walking outside of the station she saw perfectly placed taxi's, all in a idealistic straight line.
'OCD's would love this' she thought to herself before struggling a few more paces with her heavy suitcase. Approaching the taxi she politely tapped on the drivers window glass, expecting him to role down the window like any other average taxi, so she bent slightly over to be able to speak to the man, but instead a sudden burst of the door hit her face and she fell to the ground landing on her backside.
"It's okay." She quietly spoke her left hand clutching her forehead as the kind taxi man helped her up repeating his apologies, he obviously didn't mean to do it and Eleanor understood that, however he tried to apologize as many times as possible while seating her in the car and moving her suitcase for her.
"It's a beautiful place full of wildlife and animals! Oh the animals they are truly amazing you should see the-" Ellie began to zone out from the taxi man's gibberish as he began to drive. Still clutching her forehead she also felt sharp pains in her lower back - where she fell. For the whole of the journey she stared out the window, the trees and houses that sped past calmed her, she slowly drifted off. She lifted her hand from her head as soon as she hear the taxi man finally say
" We are here!" Finally, the taxi man made the 20 minute ride feel like forever and the snooze she had didn't make her head feel any better. But as soon as she looked at her hand a little patch of blood was in her palm, 'Damn' she said under breath and quickly checked the drivers mirror to see what her face actually looked like. As she peered into it she saw a huge bruise shape (about the size of a plum) on her forehead with a slight graze by the side.
'Oh boy look out' she said to herself as the taxi man came to open her door, before he saw she quickly raised her hand back onto her forehead, she squinted as her palm hit her face heavily, she forgot that her bruise actually hurt on impact and was too busy thinking of a way to mask it fast enough.

As she stepped out of the taxi she was handed her luggage by the driver and stood near the door, the driver sped off and left her alone in-front of a cabin she had never been to before. She waddled to the door still holding her forehead and finally pushed the doorbell with her elbow after many efforts she stepped back slightly and looked up at the cabin, it looked beautiful and the view of the cabin made her forget to hide her face as she lowered her arm down back to her side.

[Beloved]

Fingers moving in a reflexive blur, Dai would only glance down at his keyboard to enter the occasional number or special symbol he hadn't quite gotten memorized, entirely focused on his various conversations, he hardly even heard the music that was playing. A conversation dulled, and just as he was switching tabs there was a sudden, very loud and somewhat obnoxious ringing that flooded the living room, resulting in Dai banging his head into the wall behind him in surprise (though not hard enough to cause any damage to it or himself). He clutched his chest and sighed, shaking it off, and put a hand behind his head before getting up to answer the door, the possibility of this being some sort of murderer or similar situation had slipped his mind entirely. He had left his laptop laying haphazardly on the floor behind him.

"Hell-" He started quietly, opening the door and adjusting to the light, though he was already making relatively good eye contact (as most of his friends were significantly smaller than himself) "oh, damn-doll you need ice" he said in a hurried but flat tone, actually almost everything he said came out that way, with his perpetually hushed voice. Turning, he said over his shoulder; "uh come in, sit down somewhere, I don't mind...." He was glancing around, only just barley conscious of being any sort of host, as he moved around the corner through the living room and into the kitchen, returning shortly there after with a small ice-pack. "Uh." was all he could manage as he held it out to the girl, only now dawning on him he had no idea who she was.

[libbypt]

"Thank you" Eleanor said quietly taking the ice pack and holding it against her forehead with her left hand squinting at the cold touch, she stumbled in with her heavy suitcase almost tripping at the doorway and sat on the nearest couch, "It's nothing serious, just a bruise and a slight graze". Adjusting herself into the couch, relaxing her head and neck, it was so comfortable compared to the train seat and the taxi seat- a relief! The room around her was lovely, beautifully decorated and suited perfectly to the cabin. Although it was extremely clean and tidy it almost felt homelike to her. 'Is that the Diana boy that raven had mentioned? He's nice' She thought to herself as she played with the frills at the end of her light coral dress (matching her hair of course).

She began to stand- well at least try- however her head began spinning, she fell back into the heavenly couch and sighed in some way 'paralysed' against the cushions her right foot tucked behind her left, comfertable.
'Manners!' Eleanor thought to herself as she shut her eyes for a moment, all the bright lights began to give her a headache.
"How are you?" She asked effortlessly, her head being too heavy to move she raised her eyes to just about see him by the right of her. Constantly twiddling with her frills at the end of her dress.

[Beloved]

"I'm alright..." Dai muttered, rubbing the back of his head unintentionally as he opened the front door fully and slid a previously concealed screen into place. Stealing a glance into the living room he checked to make sure his laptop wasn't snapped in half or anything... but it looked fine, so he turned back to the girl and, albeit reluctantly, took a seat on the small couch adjacent to her in the entry room. "I assume you're one of Faith or Raven's friends? Oh erm, I'm Dai. D - A - I." he spelled quickly but not harshly. They talked for some time at length about nothing in particular, mostly the general details of her trip... all small talk that followed the awkward explanation that Raven hadn't yet arrived.
The world turned on outside, and as they talked the sky got a little darker still.

[DAWNSTAR]

Faith yawned and stretched as she stood up, the train had arrived a few minutes ago and rudely woke her from a light sleep. Faith hadn't thought about the length of the trip but she would have loved to arrive earlier than she actually did. Faith grabbed the large suitcase and smaller bag suitcase out of the above compartment. When Faith turned to move down the aisle, she bumped into a man wearing a business suit who was bent down tying his shoes. "Oh dam man! Sorry about that, I didn't see you there." Faith said with a wide smile. The business man just muttered something and walked off the train. In actuality, Faith was happy to have bumped into such an uptight person in a uniform. From what Dai had told Faith on the invitation, it was suppose to be the vacation place for the rich which Faith thought would mean vacation clothes and not a suit. Faith quickly ran off the train and out into the road leading away.
Waiting for its occupants were several taxis which seemed to reflected the kind of people who came here. Each one was so shiny that Faith could see herself in it but Faith had no trouble hopping into one. Faith happily told the man to take her to the Starlight lake-house. The car was well ventilated and the man had interesting stories and comments on Faith's makeup. Faith learned that the driver, Jake, had a daughter around her age who reminded him so much of his deceased wife that he feared he might push her away. Faith supplicated the man's fears with the fact that he only needed to bond with the woman she is and not worry about the similarity to his wife. Overall, Faith was happy to have conversation to allow her a distraction from the normally boring scenery. The car came to a halt at the cabin and Faith hopped out and said her goodbye to Jake.
Faith was amazed with how beautiful the design of the cabin was. She had no problem with marveling at the beautiful wood and the amazing flowers around the area. Faith quickly moved up the stairs and knocked on the door in a series of knocks that mixed a two-three-two. The knocking was rather cheerful and meant to be as such so as to allow Dai a little hint that someone arrived.

[Swarley]

"I'm not makin' out with yoooooou! Even though I think your cuuuute!" Richard sang along loudly as he drove his car towards his destination. He tapped his hands against the steering wheel to the beat of the drum and nodded his head to the beat. The car was an early 2000s sedan that had obviously been through a lot. There were dents and chipped paint just littered on the body of the vehicle. It was loud when it drove by, no doubt because of the messed up muffler. Even though the car was a piece of crap, Richard didn't care, it was the only car he could really afford and in all honesty he had kind of gotten used to it's constant problems. The back of the car was piled with both junk and supplies for his time at the cabin. There was a duffel bag filled with clothes that had obviously just been shoved in there without being folded. There was also a blanket and a pillow in the back because he was pretty sure he was going to be sleeping on the couch or the floor judging by the amount of CCs there were in the email he got inviting him out. There was a couple of guitar cases, one was a Epiphone G-400 Vintage SG which was placed in the passengers seat with an accompanying amp placed on the floor (However it was a smaller amp than the one's he was used to) as well as a cheap Gibson acoustic guitar placed in the back. He wasn't exactly sure why he brought all that to this "cabin" as he knew it wasn't like he had to study up on his guitar, but if he could get some practice here and there before going back to school it would be all okay.

Truth be told he wasn't expecting to make it out of his hometown this summer. As much as he loved spending time with his family and friends there's only so much of that he could actually take before he got absolutely exhausted with it all. So when he got an email from an acquaintance of his to go to a maxed out cabin with some other people, how could he refuse? The email said that there would have been a train ride provided as well as taxi service but Richard felt like it would be better just to drive it. It wasn't TOO far from his hometown and he could sing along to whatever he wanted in his own car without thinking about how bad other people would want him to stop in a train or even a taxi. He just hoped that maybe he could get the gas money reimbursed because he provided his own transportation

He turned down the street that the house was on and noticed how big all the other places around here were, a lot different than in the city with all the tightly packed apartments and storefronts. Whilst looking at all the houses he finally noticed the one he was supposed to be heading for and he turned into the driveway, the car coming to a screeching halt outside the home. He made a mental note to himself to get new brake pads as he turned off the music, stepped out of the car, and stretched out. He was wearing a J Mascis t-shirt with tight dark denim jeans and sunglasses with blue frames. He brushed his hand through his hair and walked towards the door, knowing only that he was supposed to meet someone, possibly a girl, by the name of Diana. He noticed that someone had already arrived there and was waiting to get in, Richard assumed she had already used the doorbell or knocked on the door so he went up and stood behind her. "Hey" He said with a smile on his face as he waited to be let in.

[Sam12435]

As the train soared its way along the tracks, Rayne couldn’t help but tap his foot excitedly. His summers consisted of him sleeping upside down on his lounge for weeks, so when he got a text from his friend Faith inviting him to a cabin for the summer, he jumped at the idea. The invitation had said that he could invite someone, so Rayne assumed that inviting everyone in his contact list was okay too. He smiled wide before he noticed the person next to him was looking off into the distance. He stood up and walked around behind them, putting his head next to theirs and looking out the window.

“Watcha looking at?” He asked curiously. He spent the rest of the train trip talking top his new friend. It turned out he was going a town a few stops after Alice, so he chatted happily until he heard the announcement ‘Next stop, Alice’

“That’s me!” He said as he grabbed his rolling suitcase in his left hand and his briefcase in the other. He waved his new friend goodbye as he ran off the train, excited to finally get to his destination. He ran down the path until he was greeted to the sight of taxis waiting by the side of the road. This must have been what Faith meant by ‘Expenses paid’. He ran up to one of the taxis and opened the backseat door, throwing his bags in and taking a seat and leaning towards the driver.

“Starlight lake house my good man” He said as he smiled wide to the man. On the trip he engaged in a nice chat about the area with the driver. Apparently this was a nice calm place that people often came to for relaxation and to kick back. After about twenty minutes he finally arrived at the house. He pressed his face against the window as he admired the buildings impressive size.

“Dats sho big!” He said with a strange mumble as his face squished against the glass. He was used to living in a three room apartment that was about the size of a tool shed, so this was a very welcome change. He thanked the driver before grabbing his things and waving the taxi off as it made its way back down the path. As he turned to look at the front door he noticed a few familiar people. He ran his way up the steps before dropping his suitcase and wrapping his arms around the girl from behind.

"Hey there Faith!” He said with a wide grin as he hugged her. They were friends, so that meant he could hug her without fear of being yelled at. For some reason, strangers always found it strange when he hugged them. He looked over to see one of the people he had invited. “Richard!” He yelled as he released his grip on the girl and hugged him tightly. He let the boy go and stepped back, picking up the luggage he had dropped. “How is everyone today?” He asked with a wide grin, happy to see some of his friends.

[breathofarda]

“Erh, hey? This is our stop.”

A hand gripped her shoulder lightly before a quick release, but Calliope still felt the looming presence as she came awake, one eye popping open to peer upward curiously. A rather plump man was standing over her, solid brown eyes full of kindness as he waited to make sure she was awake before departing. Waving goodbye to her brief companion, Calliope grabbed her luggage and got off the train. She moved slowly, but only because of the pet carrier she was toting as well as her own impressive backpack. The backpack had seen better days, having been used for numerous rough hikes through mountains and forests, but it suited her body and could hold anything she needed without leaving too much room for the unnecessary.

“I've got him, thanks.” Waving away the taxi driver when he tried to grab for Rosco, her orange-and-white tom, Calliope slid into the cab and plopped her pet down beside her. She didn't know what Rayne would say, but Rosco was her family and her responsibility and even for a cat he was easy to keep around – didn't need a litter box or even food most of the time if his hunting went well. She certainly couldn't leave him with her family and their new problematic foster dog. A brief worry surfaced regarding predators, but Rosco was a barn cat and a veteran – foxes, coyotes, such predators were commonplace. Settling back into the seat, Calliope told the driver her destination

The drive flew by, though perhaps that was because Calliope was tagging alongside Roland Deschain in the fiftieth reread of The Gunslinger. Her posture was comical, having slid down in the seat until her legs were resting against the back of the front passenger seat and her head well below the headrest. Chewing on her lower lip, Calliope endured the ride in pleasurable silence and when the taxi driver brought the car to stop, she gave him a hefty tip for not being talkative and bothersome. It was only fair, since everything else was apparently paid for. A frown furrowed her brow at that thought, but Calliope couldn't retain the worry long as she got her first glimpse of the lake house and its surroundings. Duly impressed, she let the cabbie help her out and slid her backpack onto one shoulder. Rosco made a grumbling noise from the ground, displeased with his continued imprisonment.

After a thorough evaluation of her surroundings, she finally zoned in on the house's porch and the gathering there. She immediately recognized Rayne and thought the other fellow looked familiar, but she couldn't immediately place him. As everyone was busy greeting each other, Calliope was capable of walking up relatively unnoticed. Setting Rosco to the side and out of harm's way, she dropped her backpack to the ground and peered up at the grouping with a quicksilver smile.

“Hullo, Rayne. Hullo, other people. I am Calliope.” Her eyes flickered briefly, recalling the various reactions her name inspired, but wariness over potential pending jokes was simply too much effort and a second smile briefly lit her face.

[Beloved]

"Uh," was all Dai could manage, standing awkwardly in the doorway just behind the thin screen, "welcome?", his eyes drifting between the four of them and then finally settling on Faith, whom eased his mind considerably. He'd left Eleanor on the couch in the entry room a bit earlier so she could rest, and even though the knocking had been enough to get him off his computer again he was certain she was still asleep, but despite this he glanced back at her worriedly before sliding the screen door open, letting it vanish neatly into the door-frame, and stepping out onto the porch.

He was slouching slightly, a typical trait of his when he wasn't in what he considered public, and it brought him down a few inches to about five foot eight, and again, as he had been doing for the last ten or twenty minutes, he subconsciously rubbed the back of his head and proceeded to fiddle with his hair, while decidedly avoiding prolonged eye contact with either of the boys he didn't know. But, having been standing around just long enough to see the last girl arrive, he smiled at her and said, in as friendly a voice as he could muster; "I'm Diana."

[MST3K 4ever]

Peter-Jason, or P-J as he preferred, came from a workING-class Irish Catholic family where his dad was a Homicide Detective, mom was a U-S History teacher, and three brothers and four kids. P-J had his choice of colleges to choose from, because he was the 3rd ranked Outside Linebacker in the country. Though the college he attended wasn't a powerhouse they offered P-J one thing the other big names couldn't, and that was a starting position from day one. Football wasn't going to be his career it was a stepping stone to his real career, and that was being a doctor. All indications were that if he kept elevating his level of play each year he would be a top-ten pick in three years. P-J would play 5 maybe 6 years in the NFL and then retire so he could go to Medical School.

P-J sat in his train car as it rolled on through the mid-day, and reflected on all of his life's journey to this point. P-J shared the ride with an elderly couple and a seven year old girl who was going to visit her daddy for the summer. The three of the them were on their way to the town just past Alice, and P-J listened politely when they spoke to him. He enjoyed the fact they were willing to talk about themselves for the majority of the trip. Ever since the team was catapulted into the National Spotlight by a miracle run to a BCS Bowl Game he felt like his time wasn't his own. Speaking engagements,interviews, being a part of the local Catholic Church, and of course the usual fun that comes with being a student-athlete. This was his chance for a while to just relax, see some old friends from school, and of course make some new ones.

During the last couple of weeks of school P-J began showing signs of stress. It seemed like everything was just out of control, and that was when one of his best friends from school stepped in. Rayne Maxwell was going to be spending the summer with some friends in a cabin, and he was allowed to invite some of his friends as well. Rayne could tell that this trip away was just what P-J would need, and he had no idea how right he was.

P-J's parents were initially reluctant to let him go, but since they couldn't afford to send him anywhere when he graduated High School over a year ago they agreed to let him go. Although his father was hoping he would come home and take on the summer job of reorganizing the record room at the Station. However he knew P-J needed to have some fun for a while this year was hard for him.

As the train came to a stop the porter called out on the P-A, "Welcome to the beautiful and scenic city of Alice!"

P-J stood up and said, "That's for me." He gathered his duffle bag and said to his companions, "Thanks for being such great company. Take care and safe travels." P-J smiled at them and got out of the car Once he was on the platform P-J gathered his suitcase and a garment bag. He looked around and asked, "Okay now what McCabe?"

As the train rolled away with the exception of a few workers who were heading back into the station P-J realized he was all alone. P-J shrugged his shoulders and said, "Well you wanted to get away from it all." P-J shook his head and said, "Be careful what you ask for you just might get it."

P-J walked through to the station and out the window he saw a taxi. P-J approached the cab and asked, "Excuse me? Could you get me to this address?"

P-J handed him a piece of paper with an address on it and the driver replied, "Nice address there Chief! Yeah sure no problem hop in." P-J got into the cab and they were on their way.

The driver asked, "So what you got going on up there?"

P-J was taking in the scenery and could feel the stress leaving him. He replied, "Just seeing some friends for the summer."

The driver said, "Wow! I wish I had friends like that."

P-J chuckled and then came the turn up the road to get to the cabin. When P-J saw the cabin he felt his jaw drop and his eyes grow larger. The porch alone was bigger than the bedroom he and his brother Alex shared. P-J shook his head slowly and said under his breath, "Toto I don't think we're in Kansas anymore."

P-J got his luggage out of the taxi and paid the driver. He approached the front door and said, "Okay here goes nothing." With that he opened the door and saw a flurry of activity which made him smile for some reason. P-J then announced, "Hello everyone especially to Rayne Maxwell who invited me here. I am a refugee from Belk Hall Room 106-D seeking asylum for the summer. Name's Peter Jason McCabe, but please call me P-J."

[JurassicHole]

As the train came to a stop at the station, Tyson couldn't help but crack a toothy grin as he looked at the beautiful scenery of the town of Alice. He'd at first been a bit skeptical when his friend Faith had forwarded him an invite to spend the summer at a cabin with a friend of hers, but seeing the place with his own eyes made him happy he'd agreed to come. It was a lot better than spending the summer at a wrestling camp or with his weird Aunt Beatrice, that's for sure.

As he contemplated which of the two would have been worse, a portly fellow took his tab from the seat above him, smiling as he announced they'd arrived at his destination on perfect time. Tyson, nodded his head as he practically leaped from his seat, backpack hooked over his right shoulder and a small carry-on bag his father had let him borrow held tightly in his left hand. Stepping off the train into the brilliance of late afternoon, Tyson spotted a row of taxi's practically beckoning him forward as he tried to take in all the wondrous sights around him. By taking in these sights, however, the young man realized how out of place he looked compared to the majority of those milling about station. Most were dressed very "well-to-do" and the like, while he himself was wearing a simple t-shirt from one of his wrestling meets, blue jeans. and his favorite pair of running shoes. Faith would probably ding him for that, as she had said her friend and the area were very affluent.

At any rate, this thought made him pick up the pace as he hurried over to one of the cabs, the driver bowing his head as he popped the trunk for Tyson to put his things. After tossing his stuff into the back, he hopped into the back of the cab, fiddling with a piece of paper from his wallet as the cab driver waited for directions.

"Uhhh...hmmm..hold on, sorry man. I believe the place I'm supposed to be is called Sunlife Cabin?" Tyson got an odd look from the driver, which caused him to look back at the paper, his cheeks reddening as he did so. "Oh, I mean Starlight Cabin! Sorry man, trying to get my bearings, not used to being in a place like this."

The cab driver simply laughed and told him not to worry about it, asking if the station he had playing would be alright for the twenty minute drive to the cabin. Tyson simply smiled and nodded his head, the cool tunes of Hendrix playing away. A pang of home sickness hit him, as his dad was always listened to the classics, but he knew that would subside as soon as he was at the cabin with his friends.

The drive seemed to be over in the blink of an eye, as the cab driver hopped out to help Tyson remove his luggage from the back. A quick bit of banter broke out as the driver said all services had been paid for on this route, while Tyson felt bad about not repaying the driver for the smooth tunes and drive. Finally they shook hands, Tyson palming a ten dollar bill in the mans hand and rushing off towards the cabin before he could protest.

It looked like the gang was all here, as he saw Faith and Rayne up on the porch, along with a couple other teens he didn't recognize. Well, here goes nothing. he thought to himself as he made his way up to the porch.

"Hey guys! Faith good to see ya and Rayne, I'm surprised pest control allowed you off the train." Tyson laughed as he made his entrance, poking fun as he turned to the others. "I apologize, I'm Tyson, self appointed friend of Faith and Rayne at your service."

[tatszico]

Kevin Sinnet strolled out from the bustling station, a black duffle bag hoisted around his slender and sturdy frame. Years of being on his high school baseball team made him adept with carrying bags, so he poised no complaints as he made his way outside with his heavy luggage, where the last radiant rays of the setting sun graced him with a fiery splendor that coated the world in gold. He was momentarily taken aback by the sereneness of the atmosphere, and he allowed the wisps of the cool Summer air tend to his flustered skin, the young man hot after being cooped up in a cramped compartment of a very long train ride. Curious passerby's glanced at him with small smiles and gentle waves as he politely maneuvered himself to the very long line of taxis where generous drives approached the newly arrivals in hopes of earning the last of their commission for the night.

Kevin himself was approached by a middle-age man of a sturdy build, introducing himself as Ryan. "Welcome to the town of Alice, kid! Gorgeous little town, eh?" The man pounded his chest, signalling to the young man that he was a proud native of this refreshing city. Kevin grinned, tipping his blue baseball cap that had a white 'N' emblazoned on the front - his varsity Newberg High School baseball cap that was the only hat he wore. "It really is! What a place. I'm actually a little bit ashamed that I've never visited before." Kevin shook his head in wonder as the burly man let out booming laugh, leading the younger man to the back of the taxi where he popped open trunk. Kevin nodded in thanks, his grin still evident as he dropped his heavy duffle with a loud thud.

"Tha's what all the folks say after comin' here. Well, I can honestly say I speak for the rest of the town when I say Alice is honored to cater to such a polite guest! So where to, youngin'?" The older man patted Kevin roughly on the back, making the boy stumble, but Kevin just bursted out laughing. Man, this was so refreshing. He made the right choice in coming here to escape the harsher realities of his crowded city. It was awfully nice of Rayne to invite him; though the two men got along quite well, they weren't as close to each other as they were to their respective social circles. Still, with most of his buddies being out of state for the Summer, Kevin had Rayne to thank for, for hoisting him a lifeline that saved him from boredom. There was also this other person named Diana that he'd have to thank once he get there; without him, none of this would have been possible. The young man took in a deep breath, closing his eyes and just took the moment to relish in the warmth of the dying sun. He gave a hearty, satisfying stretch before turning to Ryan.

"Ever heard of the Starlight Cabin?" Kevin smiled.

---

The twenty minute car ride was turned into an enchanting journey that exposed Kevin Sinnet to the true beauties of the world. Never before had the young man laid his eyes on such tranquil splendor and vivid colors. For the duration of the ride, the boy had leaned against the window, elbows propped with his chin resting on his wrist and just...took in everything. His mouth was slightly agape, his eyes glazed over, and Ryan just drove onward with the occasional glance at the rear view mirror, grinning in a proud manner. But to Kevin's slightest reluctance, the surreal experience came to an end as the car unexpectedly parked at the edge of a dirt driveway that looped deeper into the woods. However, as Kevin snapped out of his trance, excitement sparked at his core as he could vaguely see the outline of the cabin.

The boy got out of the car, giving a playful yawn as Ryan got out and headed to the trunk. Kevin dusted off his black pants and blue long-sleeve that had it's sleeved rolled up, gingerly making his way to the back, trying to not get dirt on his white sneakers. With the help of the older man, Kevin managed to hoist his bulky duffle over his shoulders with ease. The two men then faced each other as the trunk snapped shut, grinning.

"Nice meeting you, Ryan. Thanks for the smooth, safe ride out here. Damn, what a place." Kevin clucked, shifting his hat cheerfully on his head. The older man laughed, reaching out a hand.

"Anytime, kiddo. You hav fun, y'hear? Be safe, and enjoy the wonders of Alice. If'ya head back to town sometime, be sure to check out the local commodities. We got young women tha' are one of a kind." Ryan winked before letting out a booming laugh as the younger man clasped the gentleman's hand with a sturdy handshake, trading over the money for the ride. Ryan winked again in thanks. With final waves and goodbyes, Kevin watched as the yellow taxi pulled out, made a u-turn, and headed back towards the city. With his signature, boyish smile still on his face, Kevin turned and made headway towards the cabin. As he got closer to the enormous building, he saw a cluster of people mingling on the porch.

"Ah, shoot. Looks like I'm one of the lasts, eh?"

Without hesitation, he strode up and notified his arrival. There on the porch he saw Rayne, and he hollered out, striding up and clasped his friend on the shoulder. He turned to the rest of the folks, beaming, recognizing some faces and registering new ones. He let out a surprised yelp as he saw Callie, a girl that he occasionally bumps into with his rock climbing group, waving at her and grinned brightly. New faces or old ones, he directed a rousing introduction towards them.

"Nice to see you all! My name's Kevin, and it looks like we're in for one hell of a Summer, yeah?" the young man grinned at the crowd, a hand resting on the straps around his shoulder, and the other adjusting his baseball cap playfully. His brown eyes twinkled like the young stars emerging from the darkening sky. "Can't wait to have fun with you all, and let's make the best of it!"

[Swarley]

Richard heard a familiar voice from behind him and looked to see who it was, and it was none other than Rayne, the person who brought him here in the first place. He smiled brightly at him and after the brief hug they shared Richard went on to answer the question asked of him. "Well I've been doing well today, I just got here in that junker over there." He points to his car that still was sitting in front of the house. "It's not much but it gets the job done. Also I just want to thank you so much for the invitation, without it I would have been cooped up at home having to talk with people I haven't talked to since last summer, and there's a reason I haven't talked to them since last summer." He said with a goofy smile as he realized another yellow cab pulling up.

The woman who walked towards them seemed familiar to Richard, though he couldn't quite put his finger on why she thought she was. However he saw a cat and that made his attention shift, cats were his favourite animal and the addition of one to this specific setting could make the summer even better than he had previously thought it out to be. The woman introduced herself as Calliope, Richard thought it was a nice sounding name, had a certain regal quality to it. "I'm Richard, but most people just call me Rich." He said with a smile and a nod in her direction before he heard the door open.

At first Richard assumed that this must have been another guest that had gotten there before everyone else, but as it turned out this was actually the Diana from the email. He was different than expected, for one thing his gender was different than originally thought, but Richard just thought of it as some Evil Dead thing where the guy has a typical girl name but probably goes by some short-form in order to deal with people thinking weirdly of them. Richard decided not to let it be known that he thought the host was of a different gender than originally thought, that's probably not good for first impressions on people. "Rich Masters here, one of Rayne's many plus ones." He said after Diana introduced himself to the small crowd outside.

Soon came another yellow cab, this one carrying a really built guy. Richard couldn't help but feel a little inadequate when he saw this guy, he was so fit he had to be some kind of football player or weightlifter or like a soldier or something. The man introduced himself as P-J, yet another one of Rayne's guests. Then was another really built guy, this one named Tyson who also came in a yellow cab and who also seemed to Rayne very well. Richard could only think of how many people Rayne must know, he saw the email addresses attached to the invitation but he didn't expect all these people to know him as well as they all seem to.

As he pondered yet another yellow cab dropped someone off. This made Richard feel like he didn't make the best choice taking his own car, was it just that the train was sponsored or was there some other reason everyone decided to take that. He dropped the idea, taking notice of the new person that had just arrived, who was yet another person that Rayne knew really well. However the new person also seemed to know Calliope, which was a bit of a welcome change. This did however make Richard realize that he knew basically no one here other than the on that had invited him, all the more reason why this is a great getaway for him. He once again decided to introduce himself to the people that had shown up since his last introduction. "Hey, in case I didn't already tell you or whatever, I'm Rich." He said with a grin.

[Sam12435]

Rayne couldn't help but laugh at Richard's description of the car. He laughed because he saw a number of similarities between the owner and the car, but he decided that might sound bad to say out loud.

"You owe me for the invitation, just remember that" He said with a playful grin. "And I figured that it would be a lot more fun with more people" He added, remembering the number of invites he sent out. It was then that he noticed a taxi pull up.

"Speaking of which" He said excitedly as he jumped over and hugged the newly arrived girl tightly.

“Callie!” He said affectionately before letting her go. It was then that he saw something that caught his attention. Upon closer inspection, it was a pet carrier that contained a rather displeased cat. “You brought your cat?” He said as he glanced towards his newly arrived friend. At first he didn’t know what to think, but his head was soon filled with childish adoration for fluffy animals. He poked his finger into the cage to scratch the cat, but quickly withdrew it as the cat made another disgruntled sound.

“I think I will wait until it’s not caged.” He said with a laugh. It was then that he heard a noise behind him. It seemed as though they were being greeted. Rayne looked intently at the boy that was greeting them. He was sure that Diana would have been a girl, so he was a little taken back to see that it was a boy. He leaned in close to him, inspecting his face closely. After a few seconds of intense focus, he smiled and leaned back.

“Faith, why didn’t you tell me our host was so cute” He said with a cheeky grin as he glanced back at her. He looked back towards his new friend and waved. “My name is Rayne, it’s very nice to meet you” He said before he heard something from behind him. He turned around to see another one of his invited friends. It was his football playing pal, P-J.

“P-J!” He said as he ran over and hugged his friend. He let him go and looked up to make eye contact. P-J was a fair bit taller than Rayne was, but that was one of the things that Rayne found cool about him. “Glad you could take a break to come chill” He said with a smile up to him. It was then that he heard another familiar voice come from behind him. He turned around to see Tyson, one of his friends that he didn't invite. He figured the invite must have come from Faith.

"Just for that, you don't get a hug" Rayne said with a pout before crossing his arms and huffing. Tyson was always playing around like that, and Rayne secretly liked it. He wouldn't let anyone know though, so he poked out his tongue like a kid. He then remembered that he had invited a few more people. He turned back to the host for the trip and smiled.

“I hope you don’t mind, but I invited a couple people.” He said as innocently as possible. The invitation said he could bring one person, but then someone might feel left out, so he invited everyone. He was a little surprised as he heard something from behind him. He turned around to see another of his invitations had arrived. Rayne smiled wide as Kevin clasped his shoulder.

“Hey Kevin!” He said as he wrapped his arms around the man playfully. As he released the man, he glanced back over to the others. “I invited everyone” He said as an innocent smile crossed his face.

[WinterNightSky]

Beep.Beep.Beep.

Without opening her eyes, she reached for her alarm clock and turned it off, making it fall in the process. Raven lay still in bed, enjoying the comforts of her cold room and warm sheets. Opening one eye, she stares at the ceiling quietly. Noticing that her room had an orange glow, she grumbled and closed her eyes once again. "Why am I up so early.. The sun is still rising." She said to herself in a lazy manner. After a few more seconds of relaxation, her eyes shot wide open in alarm. She froze. "I-Is the sun rising.. or setting?" She threw her blanket away from her, getting goose bumps as the cold air hit her skin. She quickly stood up and ran to get her suitcase, opening it frantically and placing it down infront of her closet. She opened her closet and threw one clothing to another, making a mess everywhere. "Tsk. I should have packed last night. Or even the day before that." She complained while putting in some nice, clean clothes into her suitcase and throwing the ones she didn't like behind her. She grabbed one blue dress and stared at it for a few seconds before unsuccessfully throwing it to the bed. It missed and fell on the floor. With a scowl, she stood up and walked over to pick it up and place it neatly on the bed. She quickly went back to her suitcase to close it and ran to her bathroom.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

After a 10 minute shower, she quickly dried her hair with a hair dryer, stopping when her hair was only a little damp. She quickly changed into the blue dress the she had prepared and grabbed a pair of blue flats from her shoe rack. After finally being ready to go, she grabbed her suitcase and dragged it behind her as she made her way out of her room. With effort, she slowly carried her suitcase down the stairs. "Oh miss Hales, let me help you with that." Her butler said. He ran up the stairs and met her halfway, taking the suitcase from her and bringing it down with ease. Raven sighed at the relief of not having to carry such a heavy object. "Thank you." She said quietly as she went down the stairs in a lady-like manner. "Where are you headed to?" Her butler asked as he carried the suitcase to the car. "Dai's cabin. The Starlight Cabin." She answered in an exhausted voice. She followed her butler to the car and stepped inside, closing the door and leaning on the window.

Her butler, John, was a man around his 50's. He has been with her since she was 2 and he has been like a father to her. After placing Raven's suitcase in the trunk, John went over and sat in the driver's seat, adjusting the mirror before starting the engine. "So I see you're finally hanging out with that young boy after such a long time." He said with a smile. "Yeah." She said shortly but with a small smile on her face. She hasn't seen her friend in a year after she dropped out in her last year of highschool due to her poor health. Although she won't openly admit it, she misses her best friend.

The car set out the driveway and Raven closed her eyes, listening to the song on the radio as she drifted into sleep.

[Beloved]

As Rayne leaned nearer to him, Dai instinctively inched backwards, bumping lightly into the doorframe behind him, a light blush forming in his face, not only from embarrassment (which doubled when he heard what he took as an off handed compliment) but also from nervousness given the situation. He'd watched car after car pull up and more people, nearly all strangers to him, make their way up onto the porch... "Everyone?" he mumbled, dwelling on that word for a moment, unsure if he should be especially cross or flattered by the... especially friendly stranger.

He sighed lightly and attempted to regain his composure, taking his hands from his face though it still betrayed him, displaying his mixed emotions in both color and expression. Dai smiled, it was an awkward smile but pleasant despite, and he did his best to seem optimistic even with his growing concerns for the situation. "Well, since you're all here I guess that's that then..." he did his best to address everyone at once, "I'm Dai" (though the spelling was left up to individual consideration), "oh and um, welcome, I guess." He stifled a quiet laugh, it was uncomfortable and awkward and genuine but not unfriendly, only then did he look around and notice everyones belongings.

"Oh come inside, erm, we'll figure out rooms in a second I'm sure you're all tired?" He shrugged, giving another awkward smile, which had been present on and off throughout his little speech, and he turned to move further into the entry room, mindful of his other guest, whom may or may not still be resting. He'd noticed Faith among the group, but was much too distracted to be even remotely social just yet... nervous was a better word, he was very, very nervous.

[MST3K 4ever]

P-J embraced Rayne back and was smiling even more broadly than when he arrived. P-J said, "Great seeing you Rayne. Again thanks for the invite here it's so what I needed."

Rayne went on to greet some others and P-J just took it all in. He was seeing so many people he didn't know and yet he felt like he should. All that being said P-J was used to being comfortable in a room full of people he didn't know, Every Saturday 20,000-25,000 cheered for him as he hit the field and played like there was no tomorrow. In this case though P-J didn't feel the pressure to perform for this group, and P-J felt a great sense of relief wash over him. That he could just be himself even though he only really knew Rayne and a few of others from some of his classes was okay with him.

One thing that once again stood out to P-J was that he was the tallest guy in the room. Ever since he was 17 he was tied with being the tallest person in his family. P-J was the seventh of eight kids and for years his siblings would razz him about his age. Then came one morning when they all stood up at St. Matthew's Roman Catholic Church, and P-J was the same height as the oldest sibling Patrick. Last year he passed him and P-J loved the fact that he now towered over everyone else. Then again though his father was very quick to point he could still knock him down with one punch. Growing up in a somewhat tough part of town P-J's dad made sure his kids could handle themselves, and to that end he taught them all boxing techniques.

Just then someone by Dai introduced himself, and clearly he was caught off guard by what was going on. This whole situation reminded P-J of the many parties back in his hometown. One person tells a friend that the folks are going out of town, and that they are gonna raid the liquor cabinet. Then that person tells another, then another, and before you know it you gotta a riot. Although it didn't happen to often in his neighborhood, because it was pretty amazing how well-behaved people were when they found out that there was a cop living in the neighborhood.

Dai tried to look pleasant and friendly but his nervousness was showing. P-J grabbed his gear and began to walk in. As he did he made a point to stop and talk to Dai. P-J said, "P-J McCabe thanks for letting Rayne invite me. I'll do what I can to make sure you don't regret this." He gave a nod and said, "It'll be okay. Listen if I have to crash on a couch that's okay it won't be the first time. I do it at least once a week in the film room at the Athletic Complex."

With that P-J walked into the cabin and was amazed at how massive and just welcoming it all felt.

He said, "Yep I think this has the makings of a great summer."

[DAWNSTAR]

Faith was surprised by how quickly the others arrived after she had come to the door. She said a few hellos and heys as they gathered about. When Dai arrived at the door, Faith smiled widely, happy to see her friend once again. Faith quickly disregard Rayne's comment on how Dai was cute. She agreed but wasn't much one for stating as such. Faith was surprised that Tyson actually showed up, she had sent him the invite at the last minute to sort of be a douche.

"I agree that this will be a great summer. Shouldn't be too hard having fun at this place. It is quite the place you have here Dai!" Faith said with a wide grin across her face. It wasn't rare for her to smile anymore but she was truly astonished by the, well, richness of the place. "It might be best to figure out exactly how we are going to sleep in this place. We can't really have the boys sleeping with us girls right." Faith said jokingly. She wasn't too worried about Dai doing anything but it might be a bit hard for someone so shy as him. "So, which way to the rooms?" Faith stated quickly to cover the somewhat bland joke. Faith was happy to be living in such a beautiful place for the summer and with some people she hadn't seen in a while. There was even a few faces she had never met but would be happy to meet.

[libbypt]

Eleanor heard a faint mutter of people around her, and slowly opened her eyes, the snooze she had made her feel refreshed and relieved the pain from her forehead. The ice pack she was holding against it was now some warmish mush in a bag. She slowly sat up from her legs tucked into her stomach position and placed both feet onto the floor gently. She yawned loudly and stretched her arms out as wide as she could.

As she looked by the front there were many people, 'I didn't know this many people were coming?' she asked herself, before searching the crowd of people for Raven, hmm no sign of her. She stood up and walked slightly closer to see if she was hiding behind one of the tall boys but that wasn't the answer either.
"Is Raven here yet?" she tugged at Diana's sleeve and rubbing her eye at the same time almost like some preschooler.