[IC] Starlight

[Beloved]

P-J said "I'll do what I can to make sure you don't regret this."

Dai broke into a smirk, almost laughing despite himself; "'Kay, that wasn't suggestive at all..." he mumbled before turning his attention back to what everyone else was doing. He couldn't help but keep smiling, but it was becoming more genuine as his stress subsided due to general hopeless acceptance of the situation, and turning to Faith for the first time, he nodded and said quietly, and a bit sarcastically; "Yeah, just us girls." That's how he'd intended it anyway, and more and more it was becoming evident that he had to deal with the massive discomfort of being surrounded by all of the guys he didn't know (for the entire summer no less)... he had hard enough trouble talking to one let alone several.

"Rooms right... uh,-" Dai was beginning to say 'uh' a lot, and his words seemed half formed a little rushed despite the slowness of his general speech, "-okay so there are...-" he paused, crossing his arms, trying to remember as he subconsciously counted with his fingers, little tapping motions against his upper arm, "-there are two queen sized beds, one's mine and the other is technically my parents, but they've never actually been up here so no worries... and there are two other beds in the loft that are both full sized. Then we have... lots of couches... I guess...", he shifted a little awkwardly and tried to figure out how to word the next bit; "it all depends on who is willing to snuggle up I guess. Faith, you-" he stopped as Eleanor came up to him, and he glanced down at her like a teacher would a child... though this was mostly due to his height, "-no she's not here yet doll. Um... uh... okay so the two bed rooms are upstairs and so are the two 'guest beds'", he literally added air-quotes to this, which isn't dorky in the least.

"I guess y'all can figure it out for yourselves?" He hadn't personally gotten settled yet, but something told him he'd end up on the floor one way or another.

[tatszico]

Kevin Sinnet turned his head as the focus of the group shifted to a tall, thin man standing closest to the doorway that would lead them inside the wooden palace. He tilted his head curiously, categorizing the lengthier man as someone whom he'd never met before, but smiled as Kevin realized that he was the honorable host. Diana - or Dai, as he introduced himself, kindly invited them all inside, and so Kevin complied with a beam. Shifting his bag that was resting against his hips, the young man pushed himself politely through the door frame. The matters of rooming were being discussed, and Kevin took the opportunity of confusion to claim a sport worthy of his sleeping frame. Being slightly competitive in nature, he had to be the first one choosing.

As he slipped through the crowd, the shorter man stopped momentarily as he approached the gracious host. "Hiya, Dai. Thanks for everything, man. I'm Kevin, and I hope we can become friends as the days cruise by." Giving Dai his signature, crooked grin, Kevin strode on by, where he almost bumped into a young lady with flowing, blonde hair and bright eyes. "Oops," he smiled as he examined the petite girl (Eleanor), "my bad. I'm Kevin, by the way." He gave her a little wave of greetings before smoothly sidestepping away and continued to one of the large couches that occupied the spacious living room. Slinging the duffle off his shoulder on to the couch that was directly facing the fire place, Kevin gave a cheerful and hearty stretch before turning to the crowd at the doorway.

"As of right now, I claim this spot Sinnet's territory, and between the hours of God-knows-when-we'll-sleep, this is where I'll be bunking." He grinned at them playfully, before softening his features into a genuine smile. He's already been tended with much hospitality; he would reserve the beds for whoever would need it more than he did. "Hope that's all okay with you, and that we'll get along very well together during the duration of our stay here." Turning to the host once again, Kevin gave a slight bow. "Thanks again, Dai." The young man laughed as he playfully tilted his baseball cap, sinking into the couch with a content sigh.

[breathofarda]

After the hellos were said and everyone began moving inside, Calliope knelt down to release Rosco from his carrier. The feline shot free, only to begin winding his way between her legs, his bright green eyes restlessly darting around as he took in his new surroundings. Some flicker of movement in the trees seemed to catch his attention and he was off like an arrow from a string. A gust of wind, cool with the oncoming night, shook enough of her blonde hair free of the fairly tidy bun that Calliope no longer felt the hair tie was necessary. Plucking it out, she rubbed her fingers along the scalp and hair roots, easing the soreness that often came with having her hair up too long. Lifting the now pleasantly light carrier and her backpack, Calliope made her way towards the cabin door behind the rest of the crowd. Her movements were unhurried, allowing everyone else to bombard Dai with their gratitude as they passed. Adding her own thanks seemed trivial when on the coattails of everyone else's, but she paused as well to offer him another easy smile.

“Thanks for saving me from prison, Dai. A summer with my little brother would have ended up being full of blood and sweet, sweet silence.” Laughing to show she wasn't serious despite having frequently imagined locking her brother in a closet for a few hours or days, Calliope slipped past the host and further into the main room. She eyed Kevin's claimed spot and shook her head, teeth flashing in a grin. With a slight jiggle of the pet carrier, she defended the absent Rosco: “I'm pretty sure the cat will disagree. Or use your face as a pillow – either way, I can't imagine him not hogging the hearth.”

Figuring she wouldn't be taking a bed because cuddling with random people wasn't her idea of a good time, Calliope set her luggage beside a second couch before approaching the fire place and Kevin's claimed makeshift bed. Moving to the opposite end of his couch, she pivoted on her heel and plopped. Although she didn't consider herself particularly heavy, the couch sank in around her body and formed a luxurious little haven. Knocking her shoes off, a pair of navy Keds with tiny white polka dots, Calliope set them neatly beside the couch and drew her legs up against her body. She was simply too comfortable in jeans and a worn blue t-shirt to stay awake late into the night if things didn't escalate.

Leaning against the arm of the couch, she peered at the mingling group with some curiosity. The host seemed surprised and even a little alarmed by so many warm bodies pressing in close to him, though he was beyond fault in terms of politeness and hostliness, or whatever the word for it was. Idly rubbing her feet, Calliope turned her attention to the windows and the various opportunities beyond – swimming and climbing some trees both sounded like things she'd need to do in the next 48 hours. I wonder if they have any mountains nearby... probably should have looked out the window instead of at a book, she thought, chewing the inside of her cheek.

[Swarley]

Richard could understand how uncomfortable Diana, whom he now knew as Dai, must have felt, if a ton of people he didn't know showed up at his apartment without his knowledge, he wouldn't really know what to do either. That being said, Richard's apartment was only slightly smaller than the area he could immediately see when he looked into the house so it wouldn't exactly fit the amount of people that were showing up uninvited here. Still, it made him feel a pang of regret of not even bothering to learn anything about the set-up here before showing up as he could have at least made some attempt to tell the host he was going to be coming along.

At of that was forgotten though the moment he stepped into the "cabin". He looked around and only two words could come to his mind. "Holy shit" He said a bit louder than he expected it to be. This place was huge, Richard had never seen so much space that could still be considered interior. He knew that this was an expensive place but he never thought that there could be someplace so expansive. To him expensive was a studio apartment in Manhatten with floor to ceiling windows and modern design choices, not a castle in the wilderness. He ran his hand through his hair before turning his attention back to Dai, who was giving instructions on how the rooms would be arranged. While a bed seemed nice, Richard didn't want to take it away from anyone else and the couches in this house look super comfortable anyway.

He looked at Dai and simply said "You've got an amazing place here..." before he saw the man he knew as Kevin and the girl with the nice name, Calliope, both pick spots. Not wanting to be left without one Richard decided to use this opportunity to spring into action and grab a good sleeping area. And what is really meant by "Spring into action" was for Richard to slowly walk over to a couch in the same general region as the other two and flop down face first onto it. Muffled by the cushions he said "I hope no one minds me taking this couch." He felt like he could fall asleep right then and there, it was more comfortable than his bed at home for sure, and his car that he would sleep in from time to time. Thinking of the car brought a sudden pang of realization him and he let out a loud "Ugggggghhhhh" sound with his face still buried in the cushions. He still had all his stuff in the car even though he felt so comfortable just laying here. He'd have to at least get off at some point to bring it all in.

[WinterNightSky]

Raven was suddenly awoken when the car passed by a bump on the road. She rubbed her eyes and looked around, it was getting pretty dark now and she hasn't arrived in the cabin yet. The town of Alice was a one hour drive away from her house and from Alice, they still have to make their way to the cabin which was located in the lakeside near the woods, far away from society. Yawning, she grabbed a pair of chocolate bar from the seat pocket in front of her. She placed lots of chocolates, candies, and lollipops in there for situations like this wherein she will have to sit in a car for at least more than an hour. Her mouth watered at the first bite and her stomach grumbled, making her realize just how hungry she was. She hasn't eaten a single meal today and she was really looking forward to having dinner with her few friends.

"Are we almost there?" She asked a bit impatiently, she was getting hungrier by the minute and the hunger made her physically weak and tired.
"We'll be there in 15 minutes or less" John replied. Raven leaned on the chair and sighed, looking at the view outside the window while taking another bite of the chocolate bar. The town was a peaceful town indeed. She thought as she saw a group of friends walking their dogs and chattering away. In another corner, there was an old couple laughing together and enjoying eachother's company.

By the time she took the last bite of the chocolate bar, the car slowed down and the cabin appeared into view. She stood up straight and brought herself closer to the window to look at the cabin. Just as she did that, the car came to a halt. "We're here." John said. She threw the wrapper inside the tiny trash bin inside her car and excitedly went out of the car, making her way to the trunk. John followed and opened the trunk, bringing her suitcase out. "Thank you for driving me here." She said gratefully. "Are you sure you don't want to stay for dinner? I'm sure Dai won't mind." She offered. "I'm fine, go to your friend and have fun. I already ate before we left the house." He answered with a warm smile, and the wrinkles by his eyes showed. Raven nodded and slowly walked to the front porch.

She looked back to see the car take off, watching it disappear as it went on further. She brought back her attention to the door that was right in front of her. With a deep breath, she rang the doorbell.

Ding. Dong.

[libbypt]

'is Raven coming?' she asked herself as she looked around seeing no other familiar faces.
She tuned her hearing to everyone else and noticed the discussion of 'beds'.
"I could sleep on the couch.." she said quietly knowing she'd comfortably be small enough to fit, a queen size bed would engulf her. She stood quietly watching everyone move around and talk to each other.

"How many more people are coming?" she asked softly facing Diana's directions deluded into thinking he must know. She was calculating how many people would be on a couch or bed. She took a look at a few tall people on the couch, 'I would feel bad if I slept on the bed' although the sofas were large she would still have more room on one compared to the other people.

[Sam12435]

As he walked through the door, Rayne was almost knocked off his feet. He hadn't seen a house this inviting since he was a little kid visiting his grandparents. With a childish smile he put his bags to the side and ran around the large room they had walked into. He admired the many couches and beautiful décor while laughing like a pre-schooler. As he arrived back to the group, he heard mention of bedding arrangements. Truly, Rayne didn't care where or who he slept with, as long as he could lie down he was happy. He looked over as he heard a strange sound from Richards now claimed bed. He let out a bit of a laugh. ‘I can already tell this is going to be a great summer’ He thought to himself as he tuned back into the bedding conversation.

“Personally, I am happy anywhere” He said with an innocent tone. He glanced over to Dai and smiled deviously. “And I don’t mind sharing at all” He said before winking at their new host. His reaction from earlier was so entertaining that Rayne couldn't help but tease him just a little. It was then that he noticed someone that he hadn't seen before. It was a rather innocent looking girl with long blond hair. He smiled as he waved over in her direction. He was about to introduce himself when there was a ring at the door.

“More people are here?” Rayne asked excitedly as he looked around the people in the group. He couldn't help but be a little curious at who could be arriving. All of his invitations had shown up, so anyone else was a new person. Rayne liked new people. He made his way to the door and peeked out. There was a girl with long black hair and a very regal air about her.

“There is a girl with black hair at the door” He announced before looking back to Dai. He had always been told that he shouldn't invite people into someone else’s house, although the urge to throw the door open and welcome them was very tempting.

[Beloved]

Dai listened quietly to every passing comment, the initial panic he'd faced earlier having given way to thoughtful compliance and a natural desire to keep things organized. He turned his attention momentarily back to Eleanor whom posed a very important question... how many more people were coming anyway? He mulled this over a moment, and then, in an almost defeated yet comical tone he whispered back, "Everyone I guess." He smiled faintly, attempting to be reassuring somehow but came up with no other opinion, he could ask Rayne for an approximate number but it wouldn't help much given how long ago the invitations would have been sent out, so Dai decided, whatever happened happened, and that was that.

He explained in limited detail in response to Richard's comment that the cabin was bought by his parents as a means to bond with him as a child, but they'd never found time to actually visit as previously mentioned. Decidedly, he left out the bit about how terrified he was when he was left alone. "Okay so, three couches down, one to go?" There were four in total, two in the living room and two out where they stood in the entry hall, one of which the boy named... Dai thought it was Richard, had claimed already.

It dawned on him that Calliope had made a joke about imprisonment, and he'd been too caught up in his planning to respond, but all the same he let on a faint smile knowing there was someone with good humor among them. Just as he was about to offer a suggestion about the bed arrangements Rayne spoke to him, so he turned to give them his full attention, though he had been admittedly blocking them out as they sped around the room moments earlier.

Rayne said "And I don’t mind sharing at all”

A quiet; "Oh..." Was all Dai could muster, his face reddening again despite himself, but thankfully then there was a very loud, very obnoxious ringing in the house again that echoed throughout the cabin and he wondered why no one else was terribly alarmed when it did, as he himself had physically recoiled slightly (and he was supposedly very used to the noise). Only now was he again aware of the music playing in the background, as he listened to the vague description he smiled faintly, and turned toward Eleanor; "That's probably Raven eh?" and moved to open the door, he tried not to make it terribly obvious he had to struggle to open it as he always did, but in the back of his mind he was painfully aware how sad he must have looked before it did move.

Standing there on the porch, lovely as he remembered her, was a friend he hadn't seen in a very long time, so he smiled, and speaking quite softly said; "Hey Ray."

[WinterNightSky]

Being as impatient as she was, Raven was about to ring the doorbell once again when the door opened slightly and slowly. Her hand was suspended mid air near the doorbell as she stared at the door, waiting for the person who was struggling behind it to be seen. Standing in front of her was her best friend, Dai, who was noticeably inches taller than the last time she's seen him. Like always, he had that sweet, gentle smile on his face that made her feel safe and secure. Unable to contain the happiness that she felt upon seeing him, she puts her suitcase down and hugs him, which she realizes was the first time she ever did in their years of friendship. After pulling away, she smiled and looked at him, "You've grown taller. Now I actually have to look up when i'm talking to you." She said as she picked her suitcase up. "And that's unfair." She said jokingly. Bringing her attention back to him, she sees movement behind him from the corner of her eyes and that was the only time she payed attention to what was behind him. She looked over his shoulder, which she had to stand on the tip of her toes to do, and noticed a guy with light brown hair and a girl with long blonde hair, which she recognized to be Eleanor. "You never told me you were inviting a guy friend over." She said nonchalantly, not forgetting to put stress on the word friend. Just as she was about to look away, she noticed one more person.. and another.. and another one.. Feeling overwhelmed by the amount of strangers there were, she straightened up her posture and looked at Dai silently. Her face was flushed red in embarrassment at the thought that all these strangers saw a side of her that she never shows to anyone besides Dai and Eleanor. Suddenly, a loud grumbling sound broke the silence. "So.. What's for dinner..?" was all she could silently say.

[Beloved]

Dai shrugged with understanding as well as acknowledgment as he muttered; "He's not- uh, I mean, I don't know him erm... there was a bit of trouble with the guest list...." the redness in his face was still present if not enhanced, and in that they shared mutual expressions of discomfort. "I wouldn't worry, they're all pretty distracted right now... oh and Eleanor's been waiting for you, bumped her head earlier." His sentences were rushed, a lot to do, and despite his joy in seeing his friend he really needed to get things settled inside, so he turned, gesturing lightly into the room and announced in a voice so practiced it was definitely out of place; "May I introduce, miss Raven Hales." Diana turned back to his friend and nodded slightly, reassuringly, before speaking again; "You, Eleanor and Faith can share my room if you'd like. I'll find-" he turned toward Rayne and winked sarcastically as he placed a light hand on their shoulder for the moment; "somewhere to sleep." But all in all he mostly looked silly given the redness of his face.

[MST3K 4ever]

P-J looked around and took in the whole "who's sleeping where" situation. He grew up in house with 7 other siblings, but luckily the ages were spaced out enough that they never really had to deal this issue too often. Unless extended family came to visit, and then things got a bit cramped. During those times P-J's older brother Patrick usually put a couple people up at his place, and that was P-J and the third oldest brother Johnny. All that being said P-J was now just looking for a place to drop his gear and get to know his new roomies.

He was going to take one of the couches, but it seemed as though they were all being taken. With that P-J headed upstairs and saw one of the full sized beds in the loft. He said, "If no one else minds..." P-J dropped his stuff and said, " I claim this land for Spain!" He opened up his duffel bag and took out his Kindle and began charging it. Then P-J took out one more item and placed it on the nightstand; a picture of him and his family at Patrick's wedding day. It was about 4 years old but it was his favorite picture because the entire family was together.

Once that was done P-J felt comfortable enough that it was time to let the group see the real him. This was a side he revealed to hardly anyone at all. In fact his parents didn't even know this about him. P-J slipped out of his blue golf shirt and put on his favorite T-Shirt in the world; his gray Batman T-Shirt. For all his athletic prowess and the way he carried himself on and off the field P-J was a comic-book/sci-fi geek from head to toe. His favorite character was of course Batman and he owned a lot of the merchandise, and he kept it all at Patrick's house. Patrick was a comic book geek as well so this was something he and P-J bonded over. Although those who knew never gave P-J any lip about it, because at his height and weight not many wanted to make P-J too upset.

He then slipped off his deck shoes and put on his running shoes. Finally P-J felt like himself his favorite T-Shirt, blue jeans, and running shoes yep this outfit felt as natural to him as his football uniform. P-J took a deep breath and said, "Ahh now it's time to relax."

P-J went downstairs and opened the fridge. He saw several bottles of water and P-J said, "I could use one of these." He grabbed a bottle of water and opened it up. As he got ready to drink it P-J pulled out his wallet and laid two 50 dollar bills on a desk nearby the kitchen area. P-J said, "This is to help with the expenses. Need anymore more let me know." P-J wasn't a rich kid by any standard, but he did have some money saved up and his dad slipped him some money as well. P-J realized that all of the guests coming up here was overwhelming Dai so he figured he would do what he could.

P-J grabbed a seat along the bar and just began to take it all in.

[libbypt]

Eleanor waved back at the man and smiled a little, she nodded politely before turning to Raven who had just walked through the door.
"Raven!" She said excitedly but quietly before wrapping her arms around her. Her and Raven used to be close but slowly drifted once she left.
As Ellie stepped back a few paces to let Raven enter she took her time and looked around at everyone.
Many people had already claimed sofas at this point so sharing a room with close friends didn't seem like such a bad idea.

Now that eleanor came to think of it there were [i]a lot[i] of people. She didn't recognise any of them, 'Diana must know loads of people!' She thought to herself watching everyone move about still. Although it was calmer to when she first woke up, a few people sitting on their claimed couches, a few by the door and one by the kitchen.
She yawned loudly still half asleep and pushed her hair out of her eyes flinching as she touched her bruise.
"What should we do now then?" She questioned yawning again.

[Swarley]

Richard heard the door open again and rolled over to face the door way. He smiled at the newcomer as Dai introduced her to everyone and Richard waved lazily at the woman he now knew as Raven. Another name Richard thought was nice, however it did remind him of a specific short story written by Edgar Allen Poe, though he couldn't quite put his finger on what it was, probably The Tell-Tale Heart. So many new names to remember on this trip how could Richard ever keep track of them all.

Richard decided that he should probably get up to get the supplies he had packed for the trip and bring them inside. After a few moments of mentally preparing himself to get up, he decided it would probably just be better if he rolled off the couch. He hit the ground with a moderate thud and a groan before he picked himself up and rubbed his arm, which had hit the ground first. It didn't really hurt at all, but he wasn't exactly someone with a high pain tolerance so it did sting a little but that would pass. Taking a mental note to not do that again even if he was feeling particularly unmotivated to move.

He made his way out the door and towards his car until he opened the passenger's seat and took out his SG and amp which he proceeded to bring inside post-haste and place beside the couch he was taking. He then went back out and opened his back of clothes which was almost full, he took the blanket and pillow he had just laying around on the seat and attempted to fit them into the duffle bag with moderate success. The bag could almost be closed all the way, except for one end where about 3 inches of zipper remained open. He brought it in and put it beside the guitar and then made his way towards the kitchen. Richard opened the fridge and took out a bottle of water and leaned on the counter across from P-J. "Hey." Richard said with a smile.

[Sam12435]

Rayne couldn’t help but laugh a little at the mention of ‘guy friend’. The first his first meeting with both of these people and he already knew he would have fun here. He grinned as the girl started to blush and waved at her with a grin. It seemed like her and Dai were pretty close friends, so he figured she must be a pretty nice girl. His attention was turned back to their host as he fumbled over his words, his cheeks growing redder. He chuckled to himself before turning back into the conversation.

“Nice to meet you Raven!” He said in a happy tone after being introduced by Dai. “My name is Rayne and I look forward to becoming your friend” He said with a grin before the blond girl from earlier ran past him and hugged the newest arrival. It seemed as though she had been waiting for her for quite a while. Then the topic shifted back to the sleeping. It seemed as though Dai had decided to put the girls in one room, leaving the boys to fight over the rest. He was caught off guard as their host turned to him and winked. As the boys hand rested on Rayne’s shoulder he couldn’t help but blush slightly. And his comment was especially… distracting. Luckily for Rayne, the blush on Dai’s face made the situation much more amusing and he couldn’t help but giggle a little. He put his hand on top of the boys and leaned in closer.

“Feel free to bunk with me” He whispered in a rather suggestive tone. He had already learnt one thing about Dia that would make the stay all the more fun. He is very easily embarrassed. Making people feel embarrassed was one of Rayne’s favourite pass times. He gave him a cheeky smile before leaning back and letting out a loud yawn, stretching his arms out. He watched as people interacted around the house, excited that people were already making friends. It was then that he felt his stomach grumble.

“Anyhow, food does sound like a good idea” He said as he glanced over to Raven with a smile. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

[WinterNightSky]

Raven smiled at Ellie after she gave her a hug. She entered after Ellie moved a few spaces back to give her space and that's when she saw just how many people there were.

Sam12435 said
“Nice to meet you Raven!” He said in a happy tone after being introduced by Dai. “My name is Rayne and I look forward to becoming your friend” He said with a grin.

Raven turned to face the cheerful guy who introduced himself as Rayne. She nodded her head slightly and responded with a small smile,
"It's nice to meet you."

She looked over at the rest of the visitors and laying down on one of the couches, was a guy who smiled at her. She returned it with one of her own and amusingly watched him roll off the couch. Her attention was back to Dai when she realized he was talking to her.

Beloved said
"You, Eleanor and Faith can share my room if you'd like. I'll find-" he turned toward Rayne and winked sarcastically as he placed a light hand on their shoulder for the moment; "somewhere to sleep."

Raven was a bit taken a back, surprised that Dai wasn't so shy anymore.

Beloved said
“Feel free to bunk with me” He whispered in a rather suggestive tone.

She couldn't help but be amused at this little exchange of flirtation and she let out a small laugh at Dai's red face. Knowing how easily he gets embarrassed, she couldn't help but enjoy the situation.

Sam12435 said
“Anyhow, food does sound like a good idea” He said as he glanced over to Raven with a smile. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

Raven's full attention was now on Rayne. The mention of food made her stomach grumble and her mouth water. Her body felt so weak at the hunger she was feeling. "Yes, please." she responded in what sounded like a whisper.
She turned to face Dai for permission. He was, afterall, the owner of the Cabin. "Can we have dinner, please?" She asked in a gentle manner.

[Beloved]

A bit distracted by Rayne, whom had managed to turn the situation back into their favor (and embarrass him further in the process), Dai almost didn't answer when the question was posed. He almost shrugged in response, and then realized his place as the 'host'; "Oh uh, of course." He mumbled, knowing that it was later than it felt, and very shortly, if it hadn't already, the suns light would fade leaving only a blanket of stars in the sky.

"You know how to cook?" He smirked, nudging Rayne, with whom he was becoming more comfortable, given he was better prepared after his first few experiences with their humor. Letting go, he walked through the living room and around a long bar-counter, passing P-J and Richard with a small nod of acknowledgment. "One... two... three..." he began, counting faces for the first time since they'd all arrived. "Ten...." he mused, sudden fit of nervousness returning causing his face to become pale. "I-" he added reluctantly; "I think I'm just going to call someone." With that, he picked up the wireless phone resting on the inner counter where it rested against the wall, and dialed a short, four digit number before putting the phone to his ear; "Laura. Ten. People. Food, Help. please." there were short pauses between each statement and whomever was on the other end of the line seemed to know him well enough to keep the conversation going.

[MST3K 4ever]

P-J was just taking in everything going on around him when Rich approached him. P-J knew Rich through his friendship with Rayne and P-J thought he was all-right, but he didn't know enough about him to classify him as a close friend. Still though all indications were that Rich was an all-right guy and Rayne had good taste in his friendships, so P-J was cool with Rich.

P-J smiled back and said, "Hey there Rich nice to see ya." P-J raised his bottle and took a swig. P-J put his bottle back down on the bar and said. "It seems like Dai wasn't exactly ready for all of this, and that Rayne invited a few more than he was supposed to. All that being said though it'll be all-right I think the key is to just take it as it comes." He took another drink and said, "I saw you brought your SG with you looking forward to hearing you during the summer. I'm a Springsteen fan when it comes to music. Seen him four times even got to be in the front row once."

P-J looked back at Dai and said to Rich, "We gotta help keep our host on an even keel. Right now the poor guy looks like he's gonna have a nervous breakdown if you look at him wrong. Can't say I blame him though the majority of people here he wouldn't know if they were wearing name-tags and had their resumes with them. Now he's playing host to them." P-J shook his head and said, "It's gonna be an interesting time until we all get used to one another. Not to mention who knows who may hook up with whom as the summer goes on."

P-J nodded and said, "Okay I think Dai could use some lightening of his load." P-J walked over to the desk grabbed a sheet of paper and wrote on it. He walked back over to the bar and motioned to Dai who was on the phone. He held up the note that read, "Is there anything I can do to help you out?"

[Beloved]

Diana was visibly surprised, but this gave way to a small smile as he continued his conversation on the phone; which consisted largely of quiet 'yeses' or 'noes' and the occasional elaboration, nothing particularly interesting. Moving over to the bar he took the note from P-J, and using a blue pen he'd found by the phones base scribbled something hurriedly before turning the note back toward his guest with a shrug.



With that settled, Dai turned, leaning lightly against the counters edge with his back to everyone, and continued his conversation, and he brought a hand up to the back of his head, fiddling only lightly with his hair in distracted thought, while he tapped his foot loosely to the song playing on the radio.

[Swarley]

"Yeah, I feel kinda guilty to be honest." Rich said to P-J about Dai's situation. "Like, I know if a bunch of people showed up at my place that I didn't know I'd be pretty freaked out, but yeah like you said, sometimes you just have to go with the flow." Rich smiled at P-J when he started discussing music. "Yeah, I brought it along for a bit of practice and if anyone wanted to hear a bit. When I'm with my band we usually play upbeat surf and grungy type stuff, but when I'm solo I'll still play a bit of that stuff, but I'll usually play more mellow stuff like J Mascis, or Mac DeMarco, or Elliot Smith. But hey, if you wanna hear some Springsteen I think I could play some of his stuff." He said with a grin.

When Dai walked in looking panicked, Rich decided he should help out somehow. Though the only things he knew how to cook were macaroni, instant ramen, and toast so he wouldn't be of much help on the cooking front. When P-J got his note returned from Dai, Rich read it from behind him before asking "Are you going to need any help with that? Or should I try to find something else to help with?" It didn't really seem like it was all that much to carry, but Rich didn't really want to seem like too much of a dead weight, and he did feel bad for just barging in with a dubious invitation, even if he wasn't the only person to do so.

[MST3K 4ever]

P-J looked over the note and heard Rich's offer to help. P-J looked at him and said, "Yeah those stairs look kinda tricky. I won't say no to an offer. Let's get to it,"

As P-J started to go get the luggage he said, "I grew up in a family with 10 of us in the house, so this ain't too bad. In terms of cooking Mom's a school teacher and Dad's a Police Detective, so one thing my parents made sure we knew how to was cook because we didn't always know when they'd be home. Some nights it fell to us to fix the dinner." P-J nodded and said with a note of pride," I whip a a pretty mean homemade Spaghetti Sauce. Well except for the time about 3 years ago I forgot to brown the Italian Sausage all the way through and gave just about everyone food poisoning." P-J shook his head and said the note of pride was gone, "My father threatened to throw me into jail, and with him that is never an idle threat either. Although my 3rd oldest sister had a Trig midterm the next day, so she wasn't too upset with me." He shrugged his shoulders and said, "The rest of the family well it happened in February, and it wasn't until Easter when everyone started talking to me again. Mainly because Father Moore had an Easter message about forgiveness."

When P-J heard Rich mention Springsteen that made P-J smile. He said, "Cool deal! He's my guy all the way. Seen him four times and my dad even got me his autograph. Dad was still a beat cop doing traffic one night, and he came speeding through town. Dad pulled him over and realized who it was, so my dad said for an autograph to me he'd let him off with a warning. The rest is history."

P-J grabbed one of the bags and said, "Let's get to it," With that P-J began moving to the upstairs and to the room.