Description: Lucas LaCoeur was doomed to run into his sister's crush at some point or another. Strolling across the beach of Southtown is just asking for it. There was no way the poor guy could have expected to run into Drake's PARENTS at the same time, though. Matters just get all the more odd when Alexis gets called in!
The weather's starting to shift to a chill, but the day itself is quite perfect for being out on the beach. The sky is clear, the sun's beaming brightly over the sand, heating it up along with any mammals that might be caught under (sorry reptiles, no one likes you). Really, it's just plain nice for a weekend.
The beach is populated today a fair amount - not as much as it would be in the heart of summer, but it's a decent amount of folk milling around. Many students from the nearby highschool, but also some people who -live- here. Unfair world, right? The prime real estate houses linine the edge of the beach are all non-happening right now, except for one.
This one is emanating a very... distinct smell. The scent of meat and charcoal. IT'S A GRILL. Standing around it are three people in particular, give or take the stray person that wanders nearby. The first one likely to be noticed is a rather remarkably tall man of about middle age, hulking in stature with very fine blond hair mostly hidden under a ridiculous cowboy hat. More ridiculous still is the star-shaped neon blue sunglasses he wears over his eyes. He's quite bereft of shirt, revealing heavily tanned skin. His trunks are a splash of vibrant reds. Ohgodtheeyes, amirite?
The second person is a petite female of a flawlessly fair complexion, but about the same age. Long obsidian hair flows down beneath a dainty sunhat. She wears a rather tasteful, conservative skirted one-piece, emerald green in color. Her almond-shaped amethyst eyes aren't hidden by any sunglasses, but she does wear an outrageously oversized overshirt - clearly not one she got herself.
The third individual... might be a little more recognizable, depending on how one rolls. To the fans of professional wrestling, he should be easily identified as Domino from Rhode Island. To fight fans, he's.. well.. Domino, who began a career as a fighter on top of wrestler somewhat recently, and is supposed to be on tour around the world right now taking challenges. Dubbya-tee-eff. But to the female demographic by and large, he's either Domino -or- Drake Vyril (depending on the company using him), supermodel!
And it's the latter that comes equipped with spatula and giant, ridiculously poofy chef hat.
Fun in the sun is exactly what the doctor has ordered, even though fun may very well consist of laying around and doing next to nothing. Being anywhere other than indoors is not exactly something that reaches out and screams 'Yes, do me!', but staying indoors on such a nice day is also a waste. It is with great reluctance that the new kid in school ventures out, yet he forces himself to do so.
Stepping past the athletic field that brings back the sharp and painful memories of several days past, he actually makes it to the beach. So used to Russia he is that surprises him to see others populating the area, no matter what their reasons may be. Surely this student stands out in a crowd, but not because of his dashing good looks or status as a known and loved celebrity.
Lucas LaCoeur is fully dressed.
The warmth of the sun, especially on the sand, is not enough to get him to reveal even an inch of his chest. He is still quite sore and extremely bruised from the beating he suffered a few days before. This teen is not the slightest bit vane, and would almost flaunt his injuries in any other situation. This is far different. It would mean that he would have to admit to the truth.
That his much smaller, twin sister beat him up.
The world of fighting is still a new and exciting realm for him, and as such, there are many things that he does not know. The name Domino means little to him, other than reminding him of a game, a movie, or a Marvel super hero. Even if he did notice the oddly dressed individuals and the star amongst them, there would be no reaction. Instead Lucas continues his walk along the beach, enjoying the fresh air.
"So it'll be about ten more minutes," Drake says, prodding a slab of meat on the grill. "And I don't do this very often, y'know, so-"
"What!?," bawks the hatted hulk, loud enough to be heard in Geese's lofty tower. "Boy, you ain't raised right! What happened to'em?" This question is shot towards the woman, who gives him a helpless look.
Drake, patient as ever, continues, "As I was saying, I don't know why -you- aren't doing this."
"Because!," comes the mighty, infallable excuse.
"..'Cuz what?," asks Drake, punching holes in the defense.
"'Cuz sandcastles!" Iron clad defense, sucka'. This leaves Drake just staring at the larger man, who in turn just grins and grabs the arm of the woman nearby. With that, the two of them traipse - yes, traipse - down the sands away from Drake. Of note, though, the larger man has a slight limp about him.
Nevertheless, the two move across the sand before the man releases his hapless victim. "Go find us a spot," he insists. She doesn't bother saying anything back - she just keeps that helpless look on her face and totters along the shore. The large man's hidden eyes scan the beach inquisitively, searching...
...And he comes to rest on what stands out most of all.
Lucas.
"HEY! HEY BOY!," shouts the large sasquatch, waving a meaty arm to hail him over.
Interactions between others are heard, but nothing is loud enough to call his attention. The concerns of others are exactly that, and not enough to actually motivate him to play Encyclopedia Brown or the Hardy Boys. The fact that he can actually walk in the sand without pain striking him is motivation to keep him on his path, allowing him to explore areas that are still quite new to him.
The odd man and woman pairing is noticed, along with the slight limp of the older man. While it appears as if the woman at his side is not overly fond of him at the moment, again there seems to be nothing out of place enough to cause a need for action. If the females around here are anything like his sister, she'd be making all sorts of noise and fussing over what it is that she doesn't wish to be doing. At least she isn't hugging random strangers because she confuses them with her friends.
At first the man's calls are actually outright ignored, as he obviously isn't speaking to Lucas. Yet when eyes fall back to him, it appears as if this may be the case. The silent gesture of 'Me?' is given, as the teen looks around, trying to spot anyone else that this mammoth of a man may be speaking to. If this person accuses him of being Alexis, he's moving.
He does /not/ look like his sister.
Regardless of what the truth behind the situation may be, Lucas does begin to walk over to this bizarre man who is currently calling out to him.
With outrageous reserves of patience, the hulk waits. A huge, pearly smile spreads over his face - the sort've way a great white shark smiles before it murders you and your friends.
And as soon as Lucas is close enough, a meat arm SWINGS. ...To clamp down around Lucas' shoulders. "Hey, Boy!," he greets. "You look like the sharp kind! So I got a super special secret mission for you!"
The other arm, even if his swing misses Lucas' shoulders, lifts to tug his shades down just enough for his strikingly blue eyes to zero in on the teen's.
"You've gotta help me find some seashells. Maybe even a starfish. The lady-types run from starfish, and it's hilarious. Savvy?"
Drake, meanwhile, just whistles and grills.
The one thing that was not expected was for this other man to attempt to touch him. Years of exposure to the lifestyle of his parents has caused him to be quiet naive about some things, even though he'll never admit to this. He could very well attempt to step back and avoid this interaction, but speed is not something that Lucas is known for when not on skates.
As soon as that meaty arm touches down on him, it's all the young man can do to keep from openly whimpering. Lucas steels himself all the same, not about to clue in anyone to the fact that he may be injured. "You don't say." While he doesn't appear to be all that enthusiastic about this encounter, he at least keeps his tone respectful.
Then he hears exactly what is being asked of him.
"I'm sorry. I wasn't planning on joining any scavenger hunts today." This is not some real life massively multi-player online game, nor is it some Easter egg hunt for the children. Looking past the large man, Lucas finally catches sight of Drake, but again there is no flash of recognition.
"What would you even want with seashells?" The thought of such a large man making a necklace for himself flashes into his mind, but he does his best not to chuckle. He'll save it for when he relays the story to his sister.
"A super special secret mission is no scavenger hunt, boy," says the hulking behemoth conspiratorially. His back hunches, head lowering to draw in rather close to Lucas' face with a tight-lipped frown. "You see, what we're gonna do, that lady over there'n me... we're gonna build us a sandcastle. A sandcastle of -epic proportions-. Cuz y'see, I'm clearly an epic man. Gotta have my epic proportions. So, you in or out?"
"Chet Vyril, you unhand that boy this instant!," cries a feminine voice. Indeed, it's the woman - who now gives the large man a comically stern, pointed look. Her dainty, well-manicured fists are on her hips and everything. "Honestly, I can't bring you anywhere!" The remarkably proper, poised lady glides over the sand more than she walks, swatting Chet on the wrist until he withdraws an arm from Lucas.
"I'm just playin' around with the locals!," protests the beast.
The woman squints her purple eyes at him, then turns a much softer, warmer look onto Lucas. "I'm terribly sorry about all this. Is everything all right?"
"Aw geeze, c'mon, darlin'!"
"You hush!"
So many things are running through his mind currently, and none of them are going to be spoken. He of all people understands the wrath of a woman, and is not about to further any unwanted or unneeded lectures. He's far more content to allow the woman to fight his current battle for him. Something tells him that she'll get away with it easier.
For one brief moment, Lucas wishes he were back around his parents. They were far different than what he is seeing here.
"Everything's fine. I'm out for a walk, you guys are making sandcastles. Sounds grand." Even as he's speaking, a hand begins to rub at the area where that large hand had been resting. Eyes dart around, looking for some sign of a child. With the fact that they are looking to play in the sand, Lucas immediately decides that some small kid has to be involved. Then again, he can't remember a time where his parents ever played in the sand.
"Oh, I apologize. Not just a sandcastle, but a sandcastle of epic proportions. It sounds like you have your work cut out for you." No, he is not going to volunteer to help.
But he didn't mention the starfish. This somehow gets a grin from the one deemed 'Chet'. "Yeah, see? Wasn't bein' mean or nothin'! You know me!"
The woman's eyes slide from Lucas to Chet, then back again. "Yes. Yes, sandcastles. He insisted." Another pointed look to the huge man. "To kill time, as it were." She looks back to Lucas, then gives a gentle smile. "I'm sorry he accosted you. And I'm sure he'll behave himself now..." The last bit is said a little more directed towards Chet... but then she turns to pad back the way she apparently came.
Chet, meanwhile, suddenly leans in to hover his head right beside Lucas'. "You didn't rat me out with the starfish! Decent of ya! What's your name?," he asks, giving that shark-like grin again.
A man, no matter how young, knows when to keep his mouth shut about certain things. No matter the location, this is at least on constant in his experience. "It's okay, Ma'am. We were just talking." Lucas tilts his head as she decides to leave. "I hope you enjoy passing the time."
Just when Lucas was beginning to believe that he's free and clear, the large man is right back in his face. Size does not intimidate Lucas in the least bit. He's more worried about his public appearance. "No, Sir. No reason to mention it. Besides, it seems like a secret. Who am I to ruin it?"
In effort to keep the man at a reasonable distance, Lucas takes a step back and offers his hand in proper greeting. "Lucas LaCoeur." He doesn't need to add the fact that he's new here. It's either obvious by his appearance, or he's just someone who likes to stand out in a crowd.
"If you really want help gathering shells, I can go see if my sister is doing anything. She might think it is fun."
The hand disappears into a giant mitt. Despite this, Chet's grasp isn't overbearing - he's obviously being careful. But the single pump he gives it is none too gentle. But hey, it's a respectable handshake, right?
Though the name seems to cause Chet pause. "Whoa, wait. LaCoeur, huh? And you have a sister? Blonde thing, is she? Big green eyes?," he asks. "Can't remember the name, though.. but'cher last name sure is a strange one. No way more'n one family'd have it, right?"
The mitt releases Lucas' hand in favor of stroking his chin contemplatively.
Thankfully his hands took next to no damage during the fight, and he's actually anticipating something strong from the larger man. So his hand is squeezed, quite impressively so, but he doesn't show any signs of being bothered. As thankful as he is to reclaim his appendage, he passes it off easily enough.
"Boy crazy and completely clutsy?" Oh, great. He has to stop running into people that know his sister. Hopefully this large mass of a man isn't going to attempt to leech himself to him. If it even comes close to it, he's walking away. "Probably not too many of us around. Her name is Al..exis." Bonus points for actually using her full name. Sort of.
His eyes move away from the mountain in front of him to settle in the direction in which the woman had walked away. "She's been here longer than I have, so I have no idea what kind of name she's made for herself. If she broke anything of yours, I'm sorry."
"Hah, nothin' but hearts, from what I can tell!," Chet laughs mightily. "I think we met'er in America! Our boy was comin' up to visit, and we ran into her at a competition or somethin' another. Ah, Veronica'd know better."
Chet leans a bit to the side to scan for the woman, but finding no sign of her, he turns back towards the grill. "My kid over there's got a thing for'er. See'em?," he asks, pointing unabashedly across the sands right at Drake.
Drake who, at this time, is flipping things on the grill with a semi-zombified look on his face. Eyes half-lidded and all that.
Chet then turns to Lucas with that ginormous shark grin of his. "We're grilling! You should come join us! You two probably know each other anyway!"
Blink.
Blink.
"You're kidding, right?" Alexis, a heart breaker? "Well, she does go all over the place, doing whatever she wants. I'm sure that she's met a lot of people." If they haven't ran away in terror, than she must be acting as their mother wishes for her to, and that thought nearly causes Lucas to smile.
Finally a child is mentioned, but he's far older than what was expected. Lucas leans around Chet to examine Drake. "Wait. That's the guy that she's supposedly dating?" Poor guy. Then again, his sister is his world, so of course Lucas is going to be interested in this. "I really wouldn't want to intrude, Sir. You are spending time with your family. I don't know your son, but I probably will meet him sooner or later." Especially if he's dating Lexi.
"No way, the more the merrier!," quips Chet. He then pauses. "Wait, so.. Drake's -actually dating- her? Holy moley." He turns to peer up at his son, who at this time, notices he's being scrutinized. So Drake, in poofy hat, stares down at both blonds and waves the spatula in awkward greeting. He then turns back to the grill and resumes prodding at the meaty stuff thereupon.
Chet looks back to Lucas. "Well, I insist. And I've been known to carry people around when I want'em somewhere!," he mock-threatens.
The reaction of Drake's father is not something that he would normally expect. "You mean they're not dating? All I know is that she supposedly has a boyfriend, kind of. To quote her." Just how exactly he was able to get her to admit to that much will go unspoken as it honestly isn't proper to speak about. "I don't know what's going on, really. I just got here."
As Drake finally notices them, Lucas gives him a nod in greeting. This isn't exactly the type of guy that he would peg as her type, but then again, Lucas knows very little about her type. Some things are better off left as they are.
A hand is placed against his sore chest at the mention of being carried towards the grill. "Ah, that won't be necessary." A nervous expression is given to the large man before Lucas finally smiles. "I appreciate the offer, and would love to join you." Now he may /have/ to go collect shells.
"Good! C'mon, then, I'll introduce ya!," Chet beams.
And so, the limping monster begins back up the sands, presumably with Lucas not far behind. Unless he takes off running, which may or may no be a great idea. That limp considered, he might successfully get away! Or Chet could have mysterious Dhalsim-esque powers. Either way, when they reach the grill, Chet gestures with a beefy hand towards Lucas. "This here's Lucas!," he proclaims in his gravelly, rough voice. "He's the brother of-"
"-Lexi? No way," says Drake, looking momentarily stunned with widened eyes. "Heard a fair bit about'cha. I, uh.. take it Dad's dragged you over?," he asks, peering towards the considerably larger blond. The man he really looks nothing like.
The thought of running for the hills is kept in his mind, but as injured and slow as he is, the teen is convinced that he won't get far. Gathering starfish as a punishment is not exactly his idea of spending the day, and so he goes along with what is being offered. For now.
Comparing the father and son is rather interesting, as they honestly do not look alike. Lucas is the perfect example of his own father, and if you ask him, looks nothing like his sister. They may be twins, but their date of birth is roughly all that they have in common. Drake's reaction catches him slightly off guard. What does one say to that. "Whatever she has said isn't true, unless it isn't all bad, then it only may be true."
If he actually knew Drake's name, he may actually realize that he knows something about the guy. Until then, he's someone who is interested in his sister, which places him in the land of discomfort. "That he did. I hope you don't mind.... I'm sorry, I don't think I got your name."
It truly is a night and day difference. From a cosmetic angle, anyway. Even the voices are very different - Chet's roughness compared to Drake's smooth, softer voice? It wouldn't be a far stretch to assume he was adopted, or from a previous marriage at first glances! "Actually, it's been mostly good. Says you're into hockey, right?," Drake says, trying to draw all the random information to the forefront of his mind.
But then there's the issue of his name. Chet butts in suddenly with a huge grin. "Standin' at five-eleven, weighing in at a hundred'n fifty-six pounds-," he rattles off.
"Dad!," interjects Drake sourly. "The name's Domino, to most. Including your sister, when she first met me. But now she calls me Drake - and since you're her family, you get that privelege, too." He offers a bright, charming smile and swipes the poofy chef hat off his head to pass over to Chet, along with spatula. Chet contents himself with the grill while Drake moves over to offer a hand. "Nice to finally meet you."
Every family dynamic is different, he realizes this. Even if Drake is adopted, it's none of his concern. Besides, he's guessing the woman from earlier is likely his mother, and that could explain a few things.
"Aye, hockey. If I didn't have a twin to explain, I'd think I was born in a rink." Perhaps he really was, and Lexi is just odd for not playing it as he does. Then again, she did attempt to when she was younger, so he's not willing to rule anything out. "Al's not really the type to say anything bad anyway. Well, not normally."
As soon as Chet speaks, Lucas can almost see where this is going. What is it with everyone and fighting?
Once yet another hand is offered, it is shaken. This time his own shake may be more firm, but this is because he's not looking at shaking hands with an elephant. "Oh. You." See, now Lucas is kicking himself. "I thought I was meeting someone new. Lexi's mentioned you a few times, said that you were good people. I just haven't heard much lately."
Then again, this is primarily due to the fact that he's been tormenting his sister since he's arrived. "Yeah, it's cool to finally meet you. I've been wondering who my sister was going on about."
Shark grin from Chet.
Pleasant grin from Drake.
"Going on about me, huh?," Drake asks, once the firm, respectable handshake is given. "In that case, I hope it's likewise all good things. She's.. really somethin' special." Pause. He shoots a look over his shoulder to Chet, who's still bearing pearly whites. "Grill, Dad!," he fusses. Chet just snickers and busies himself.
Drake's eyes drift back to Lucas, and he exhales a sigh. "Haven't seen much of her lately, to be honest. So I hope she's been saying -good- things. Apart from me being good people."
At least he knows that talking about his sister can make these people smile. It's still unclear as to if this is a good thing or not.
"Like I said, she's not the type to say much of anything bad, to be honest. If she doesn't like someone, I usually don't hear about them." Then again, if he finds out that anyone's been mistreating his sister, he's likely to have a word and fist or two for them, even if it's a losing battle. "People keep saying she's special, and I wonder what I've been missing in Russia. Did she fall, hit her head and turn into our mother?"
Now /that/ would be something to see.
Lucas becomes confused, as evident by his facial features. "I didn't realize that it'd been so long. The way she was talking, I thought you guys were tight." Unless he was in some sort of Himeko induced trance. "I met this girl named Himeko for the first time just a few days ago, and Al made it seem like she has a steady boyfriend. Sort of. I just thought... you know?"
That.. that probably came out a little more creepy than Lucas had intended. Drake looks momentarily lost, single obsidian eyebrow quirked. But when Himeko is mentioned, the expression turns to one of clear disdain. "Ugh.. yeah. I don't blame Lexi for saying that. Himeko's kind've.. -into- her, y'know?," he says. "That, and she's just not a very good person. Lexi's had problems with'er in the past, and.. yeah. Not worth getting into."
Right hand lifts, then waves dismissively.
"Anyway, tell'er I'd like to see'er while I'm in Southtown." Pause. Blink. "Wait.. she was telling you that I'm her boyfriend?," he asks. His expression and tone in this is a little guarded - but surprised, all the same.
If anything is going to come out wrong, it's coming from Lucas. He hasn't had the ambition to actually make friends with the locals and put effort into what he's thinking. Then again, he should be treating this differently. "Really? I don't see it. Then again, all I saw was some odd chick clinging to me, calling me Lexi."
He does /not/ look like his sister.
While he does so like to torment his sister, Lucas makes a note to tell her that he's run into this Drake person. The twin chuckles at the reaction, even though he's not sure what to make of it. "She said that you were her boyfriend, kind of. Just like that. Makes me think there's more to the story, but I really don't want to know. Some things a brother just shouldn't know."
Drake starts to open his mouth to explain, then pauses. Lucas doesn't want to know? He probably shouldn't mention or explain it. But at the same time, Cheat's leaning from behind the grill to peer at Drake cock-eyed. Yes, while wearing star-shaped sunglasses.
"..Let's just say that I wanna be with her a lot more than time allows," Drake says finally, giving a half-hearted smile.
And at this moment, the woman arrives - presumably 'Veronica', as Chet said earlier. "Oh, joining us?," asks she, bearing far, far more striking resemblance to the teen. Hair, natural complexion, even the same eyes - right down to the nose.
"This is Lucas. You remember Lexi, from America? Girl we ran into? Gymnast?," Drake says. "This is her brother." He indicates with a casual sweep of the hand.
"Oh, lovely!," gushes the woman, making the happy-curvy eyes that only females with the almond-eyes seem capable of doing at the drop of a hat. "She's a sweet girl, your sister! We've been wondering when we would hear more about her..." And this time, it's Drake who gets a pointed look from the mother.
As long as he isn't hearing any details that are going to make him want to bathe in bleach and gouge out his eyes, things are cool. The fact that good ol' Chet is looking for answers brings about a know-it-all smirk. Lucas isn't nearly as sweet as his sister to those he doesn't know. "You sound busy, she's busy, it makes sense. I could say that my sister is the best thing in the world and that I moved all this way just for her, and so you should go out of your way to make things work with her, but I won't." Even though he just did. "Whatever works, man."
As soon as Veronica arrives, he turns back into that young gentleman that he's supposed to be. She's given a smile and a nod. "I hope it isn't an issue that I'm here. You have such a charming family, and what boy can pass up the opportunity for food?"
Then she mentions Lexi, and he can't help but wonder what she's telling people. "Well, you're so close. If you'd like, I could always call her and see if she would care to join us as well? I'm willing to bet she's not too busy to pass up time with you." Now it's his turn to look pointedly at Drake.
Lucas along with everyone else. Even some people passing by.
And this is what's called peer pressure, kids at home.
Drake fidgets a little. "Ah.. well.. err.." His eyes shift hither and thither, then he clears his throat. "Kay. You can, sure. Why not? I'll throw s'more foodstuff on the grill..." Sheepish grin is offered, and both parents look pleased.
And then their eyes turn expectantly onto Lucas.. but at least the mother adds, "It's fine, dear. We're happy to have you."
Peer pressure is good for the soul.
When the go-ahead is given, Lucas pulls a cell phone out of his pocket. It isn't the most high-tech piece of equipment in the world, but it's something at the very least. Holding in one button to trigger a speed-dial, he waits for her to answer. "Al? Yeah, so I'm looking at some guy named Drake. Sound familiar? We're at the beach if you want to come by." As soon as this is said, Lucas purposely holds the phone away from his ear, just in case it is needed.
He's currently standing with Drake and Drake's parents while they are grilling food. His father is at the helm, so to speak, and now apparently all eyes are on him. He'd offer more for conversation, but being on the phone he isn't sure exactly what to say. Instead he smiles again to Veronica and mouths the words, 'Thank you very much.'
Veronica just keeps the happy-squinty eyes.
Chet disappears somehow behind the grill, only to lean out from the other side. "So, uh.. Drake. Just how close are you'n that blonde princess o' yours? What about-"
"Hush-hush-hush," Drake says quickly. "I think after you knocked the -other- girl out off the boat, that's been weird." Along with a slew of other complications. "And Lexi'n me are.. y'know.."
Veronica's eyes slide over to her son.
"..Well.." Drake fidgets, peering about at everyone. Including total strangers meandering by. "..Good?"
Getting a phone call in the middle of an afternoon gab session with Vanka is not an uncommon occurrence. Getting a call while sprawled out on the grass on the Athletic's field, watching the clouds go by... is. What she was doing on the field watching the clouds is anyone's guess, but her phone rings and it says 'ANNOYOTRON'.
It's a call from Lucas.
Alexis blinks, flips the phone open and is about to say 'hello' when she's bombarded with information. "WHAT?!?!"
Good thing Luke pulled the phone away from his ear.
After her little outburst, she tries to act nonchalant. "Oh, yeah, sure. I know a Drake." She's already on her feet and moving away from the field right onto the beach. "Be there in a few, kay?" Without anything else to say, she snaps her own phone shut and tosses it into her pocket, trying to peer down the beach in order to find her brother ad Drake.
Even with the phone pulled away from his ear, Lucas is forced to close his eyes at the outburst. Once it's past, he brings it back, only to have her hang up on him. At the silence, he again pulls it away to look at it, shrugging once he notices what happened. "She... hung up." As if this is anything unusual. "But I think she'll be here soon." Hopefully.
Thankfully, due to the exchange with his sister, Lucas is completely clueless about the conversation between Chet and Drake. Even if he wanted to listen he wouldn't, based purely on principle. The phone is placed back in his pocket just in time for him to hear Drake explain exactly what he is with his sister.
"Good?" Lucas looks to Veronica, then back to Drake. "That explains it all."
Chet responds to Lucas' assessment with a bemused, "Hah." Veronica grins wryly. Drake just makes a tiny frown. "Gimme a break, guys. C'mon. You saw how we were!" Except Lucas didn't. Unless Alexis rambled the entire thing at him afterwards, or somesuch.
It -was- pretty fun getting to relax with her, though.
"So.. uh.. how 'bout those burgers, Dad?," Drake says quickly, whirling on Chet. Chet simply blinks, looks down at the grill, and says, "S'done."
"Good. I'll go get plates'n stuff, then," Drake says hurriedly, rushing off towards the beach house that has to be associated with this grill, leaving his parents to snicker.
Oh, duh! Right. The beach house. Now why didn't she think of that when she was leaving school grounds? That'd make the most sense, right? 'course it would! Though, Lucas said /beach/ and beach means 'big sandy area' in brotherese. So, it actually takes Alexis a good few minutes to figure out that her brother meant beach house when he said 'beach'. By then, she's already switched directions and is heading there.
Stopping to fix her hair and outfit, she exhales a sigh. This isn't going to be awkward at all, nope nope! Not at /all/.
Breaking into a run when she spots Lucas, she slows only when she takes in that there are two other people there. Two other... adult people.
Oh yeah. Not awkward at /all/.
"Lucas," she says politely. So politely that her brother will likely wonder what the heck happened to her. Then she turns to Veronica and smiles. "Bonjour, Missus Vyril." Pause. "Mister Vyril."
"I didn't." Okay, so they're all aware that this is true, but he has to speak up about it. Besides, this is the 'better' part of Lucas's personality shining through. He wouldn't be himself if he didn't make a point to tease someone, and the guy who has an interest in his twin sister seems to be better than anyone.
As Drake makes his retreat, Lucas snickers and shakes his head. "I think I see why he gets along with my sister so much." This isn't meant to be an insult at all, but rather an amusing observation. "He reminds me of her. In a way."
What Lucas isn't expecting is that tone from his sister, and he actually sinks his head in response. He's in trouble, no doubt. "Hey, Al. Great that you could come by. I hope I wasn't interrupting." When he sees her interaction with the adults he understands why they may like her. She's not being her perky self, completely. "Isn't it amazing who you can meet while you're out for a walk?"
"Oh, they were so cute together," sighs the mother. "Alexis really is a good girl. Good for him, I think. He can be a bit.. like his father." Veronica shoots a look over to Chet, who just gives the cheekiest grin evarr.
And suddenly, there's an Alexis. The mother smiles brightly and nods her head. "Hello, Alexis. You're just in time. And we're glad you could make it."
The father takes a different approach. "Hey, darlin'," he says cheerfully. "Hope ya brought an appetite. Makin' lots'a burgers'n hotdogs over here. And if anyone tries to drag ya off before we get to hang out, I'ma piledrive'em." Stoutnod.
"Beast..," mutters the mother. "Drake's gone inside to get some plates. We were just talking with your charming brother."
Wait... what? Charming? Her brother? Alexis shifts her gaze to Lucas for a moment, shakes her head and then lays on the charm.
"Thank you for inviting me, it was really very nice of you to include both my brother and myself in your family dinner." Were she wearing a skirt, she'd curtsey. It's what's to be expected when one is in polite company, right?
"Er... do you need help with anything?" The gymnast can't help feeling extremely awkward. The situation in and of itself is awkward, but standing around doing nothing is making it worse.
What? That look is familiar, and it only causes him to grin. He can be polite if he so chooses, and now it may almost be a competition. Only it would seem that his sister is doing such a good job that he now has more time to be less charming to Drake. It's a guy thing. He's not going to lay on the charm where it isn't needed. That's just wrong.
"Yeah, Lexi. They were out making sandcastles, as a family. Doesn't that sound like so much fun? I think that we should do that sometime." Lucas is joking, but then again, he'd do it if she want to.
Hearing her make the offer, Lucas shakes his head. "No, no. Allow me to assist. It's been so long since you've had the opportunity to speak with each other. It would be a shame to deprive you of that. Shall I go check and see how Drake is doing?" Now Lucas looks back to Lexi. This is why he moved here, after all.
The two parents exchange a look, then look to the teens. "Ah.. yes. Lucas, go check on Drake, if you like," Veronica says. "I think he'll have it under control, but.. well, Drake is Drake."
"Hah," muses Chet at that with his sharky grin. He moves around the grill and starts towards Alexis. "Where ya been? Heard ya ain't seen Drake in a while, what's up with that? He treatin' ya good?" He lifts his left fist to gently nudge it against Alexis' chin.
"Sandcastles? Really?" Blink. "You'd never last a second in the sand, Luke." Then he counters her offer. There are moments where, as much as she loves her brother, she wants to kill him. This is one of those moments.
Another look is shot at Lucas, this one a little more scathing. Oh, she'll deal with him later, when no one's around, 'cuz he's certainly not making things any better.
"H-huh? Oh! Well, I didn't know he was back in Southtown. I was supposed to go to Korea when he had his next match for that tour thingy he's doing, but I never got verification for when it was." Thus, she figured he was still /in/ Korea. Not making sandcastles on the beach not two hundred feet from the Pacific High athletic field with his parents.
"So, yeah. I guess he's treatin' me fine." Though he could probably learn to use a telephone from time to time.
This is classic. He could sit back all day and watch this, but there are other fish to fry, so to speak. As soon as it's mentioned that he can go and assist Drake in the house, Lucas half bows to Veronica, keeping up the charm for as long as is needed. "It will be my pleasure. Anything to allow you all to catch up."
Again he recognizes that expression, but it does little to keep him from his chosen task. Instead Lucas nods to each in turn, then heads inside to locate he who is interested in his sister. No, he's not intending to be anything other than nice, but Lexi doesn't need to know that. "Hey, man. Need any help?" Of course, he's speaking as soon as he gets inside, having no idea if Drake is actually doing what he said he would be, or slipping out another door.
Oh no. Drake's present. The interior of the beach house, hardwood floor, fairly posh and remarkably well-kept... still has an empty feel to it. But Drake emerges from the kitchen area with a bundle of styrofoam plates. "Huh? Wha?," he calls, spying Lucas suddenly in his home. "Oh, yeah, s'fine. Just had to duck out for a minute. Got kind'a weird out there," he admits, starting across the floor to the male twin.
Outside, Chet just frowns a little. "Really?," he asks, enthusiasm dropping. "Yeah, the guy he was gonna fight was a no-show. He stayed as long as he could in that temple, but he's had to switch things up. His next match'll be here in Japan, against some chick he's fought in the past." His shoulders lift in a little shrug. "He didn't tell you he was back? I'll have to smack'em on the head."
Veronica gives her husband a dirty look, then turns a warm smile onto Alexis. "I'm sure he has a good reason for not saying anything. He's been keeping busy, after all. Training and the like? I'm just glad he's out of that awful place.. did you see the news?"
"That explains it then," Alexis replies to Chet with a nod of the head. The guy never showed up, why would Drake call her and tell her to verify her flight, right? But it's what Veronica says that makes her feel guilty. "I... did." Clearing her throat, she glances toward the beach house, where her brother is also hiding. Why is it that she's left out here to feel alone and awkward? "I would have gone to Korea then, but Lucas arrived, and he needed someone to show him around and help him get settled."
Having no idea what sort of tortures his sister is enduring outside, Lucas takes the opportunity for the far more relaxed feeling inside of the beach house. "Yeah, sorry about that. I had no idea what was going on before I was shaking your hand." He offers a hand as he speaks if Drake is looking to unload something. "Can't say as I wasn't looking to run into you eventually, but this isn't exactly my choice in scenarios." Were he older, this is where he'd be offering to take him out for a drink. "Didn't figure it would hurt to leave her out there for a while, though."
Drake looks at the hand, then the bundle of packaged plates in his arms. Being somewhat pampered in his upbringing, Drake decides to acquiesce to Lucas' offer. Plates are transferred over to him. "It's cool, really. I figured I'd meet you eventually, unless she took off hiding from me a second time." His right hand lifts, rubbing over the back of his neck. "Yeah, my parents love'er to death. Mom likes that she has some refinement to'er, Dad likes that she's spunky."
Drake trails off then, a tiny smile forming over his lips. He casts a glance to the door, then back to Lucas, promptly clearing his throat and wiping the look off his face in favor of a more neutral, casually indifferent look. "Anyhow, it really is nice finally meeting the other half."
Meanwhile!
"Does not. Still should'a called or somethin'. Gonna whap'em somethin' fierce," grunts Chet. Veronica exhales a little sigh and shakes her head. "It was just awful to hear about it on the news. Getting into -more- trouble. As if hearing he went off to Thailand wasn't enough! At least here he has friends like you." Coo.
"Oh, but it does! He probably only just got back, and then had to take care of the house, and get back into Saturday Night Fight and stuff." Alexis shrugs her shoulders. The lack of phone calls is nothing new to her. Though had she known he was actually back, she might maybe have called /him/.
Peering toward the house again, she wonders what's taking the two boys so long.
The Vyril's again grab her attention though. "I don't think that he thought there was going to be trouble in Korea. He goes there quite often," she says, nodding her head. "Oh, I'm certain he has a lot of friends in this area. Probably not as many as back in Rhode Island, but enough."
Oh, look. He's catering to the needs of the boy toy of his sister. Oddly enough, Lucas doesn't mind in the least. If he makes her happy, then Lucas will do what he can to return the favor. "She took off on you? I'm sorry I keep asking questions, she just hasn't said much. I know it isn't my business, but I would like to think that I have a right to know who is making my sister head over heels, you know?"
The look is given to the door, causing the twin to shrug. He shouldn't be staying, not with such a happy reunion and all. "Oh, yeah. Great to finally meet you. I'll take these out, but then I can scamper off. You guys seem so happy, I really shouldn't get myself involved. I'm sure that I'll hear about it later." And by hear about it, Lucas means that the entire school will hear his sister when she's talking to him.
"She got.. spooked, I guess. Apparently she was.. or is.. not sure anymore, but she was a fan when I first met'er. I took a shine to'er really well, and it freaked her out. She went and hid from me," Drake explains. "Suppose she just wasn't expecting any kind'a adoration to be returned." His amethyst eyes shift sidelong. "Aaaanyway... you don't have to go. Really. You can stick a-BUNS!"
With a start, Drake whirls around and dashes off to the kitchen, flailing an arm. "Go ahead and take the plates out there! Tell'em I'm gettin' the buns!"
Them crazy Vyrils.
On Lexi's end, Chet just looks disgruntled. "I'm gonna talk to'em anyway. Gotta treat the wimmins better than that." His arm is promptly swatted by the mother. "Well, with his reputation now..," she says, turning back to Alexis with a bright smile. "Oh, but -you're- here. And I was just saying earlier that I think you're a good girl for him to be around. Feet on the ground, solid upbringing... a respectable girl." Nod.
And then there's the shout of 'BUNS!' from the inside.
Chet turns around. "The Hell?"
"Chet, language!"
"The.. heck..?"
Alexis is no fool. She's well aware of the reputation Drake has, and she's fairly certain of the number of girl's he's seeing. Of course, this can have changed since she went to Israel after his last tour-match.
"It's fine, Mister Vyril. I'm positive it just slipped his mind." A bright smile is given to the two adults, and she clasps her hands together in front of her. "< That's very sweet of you to say, Missus Vyril. You are much too kind. >"
The yell about buns has her jumping and spinning to face the beach house, though.
Blink.
His sister, spooked? "Something tells me I'm missing something, but I'll get it later." Something just isn't adding up, but it could just be that he's been away from Alexis for so long that he doesn't fully understand his sister anymore. "Look, man. No matter what's going on with my sister, you all need to be alone right now. I'll play delivery, but then I'll slide on out. Not that I don't enjoy the hospitality. Your parents are amusing."
The shout has him looking at the other male with a brow cocked, but not commenting. Instead he salutes and steps outside, delivering the plates as promised. "He forgot the buns," Lucas explains, suddenly feeling like the center of attention as soon as he steps through the door. "He'll be right out."
The bigger twin walks over to his sister and wraps an arm across her shoulder, giving her a mild attempt at a hug. "I just realized that I'm going to be late for practice, Lexi. I have to get going." Turning towards the parents, Lucas half bows once more. "Your home is wonderful and so is your hospitality. I do hate to run off, but I also hate being late."
Oh, Lucas has no idea. Zounds.
But Drake is busy collecting buns. He gets no parting comment, unfortunately.
His parents, however, laugh in unison at the boy. "Oh, -we- don't live here! We live in the United States!," Veronica replies. "This is Drake's home. We came to check up on him after the Korea fiasco."
Yes, Drake owns his own beach-front property.
But then Veronica turns to face Alexis. She's speaking le francaise! "<Hardly, Miss LaCoeur. I only illuminate the good I see, and you have given me much to work with.>" And this is said with a pleasant smile.
The explanation makes things make sense. The hug, on the other hand, is nothing but awkward. "Aww! You're leaving? Now? Do you /have/ to go to practice?" Jutting out her lower lip in a small pout, Alexis sighs. "I wanted to be there for that!" She supposes she can always go to the next practice, because if he's got one, there will be another one.
"< You are way too kind, Missus Vyril, >" the gymnast says with another bright smile. Not wanting to leave Chet out of the conversation, she turns and says, "If you are both here for a while, you should catch one of Lucas' games. I'm sure he would love to see familiar faces in the crowd."
What? Well, isn't that something. "All the same, it's a lovely home." This is who his sister has decided to crush on? His parents will be thrilled.
Lexi's reaction is partially predictable, but not what he was expecting. He mock punches her in the shoulder as he begins to walk away. "I think you'll have a far better time eating with this wonderful family than you would have sitting in a rink. Just call me later, and we can meet up." It isn't as if he's going to be hanging out with anyone else any time soon.
Nodding to both parents one last time, Lucas begins to step away. "If you're in the mood for a good hockey game, than I'd be pleased to see you there. I'm sure that Lexi will be able to give you dates and times if you are interested. Thank you again for your hospitality." Giving a small wave to his sister, Lucas heads out, allowing them time to catch up if they so choose.
"Oh, that would be lovely, wouldn't it?," Veronica gushes to Chet. Chet just grins huge-like. "What, see an unmitigated brawl with youngsters? Why the heck not?" This earns him another swat on the arm, which he just laughs off.
And Drake then emerges from the home, holding a package of buns. "Later~!," he calls to Lucas, though it may or may not be heard over the other beach-goers. He then hands the buns to Chet.. and finally sets his gaze on Alexis, saying nothing for the time being.
He's... really leaving her here in all this awkwardness? After leaving her here in all the awkwardness? Alexis just blinks after her brother, sighing heavily. He called her here to set her up! Ooooh! She'll get him for that later. She knows where his dorm room is, after all.
"Once I get back to the school, I will email the schedule to Drake, and he can share it with you." Smiling at the Vyril's, she does actually make a small silly little curtsey. "He really is very good, but he /does/ tend to fight with the other players a lot." Yet he's still managed to keep all of his teeth. Go figure.
Once Drake emerges, she flushes guiltily. Had she known her brother was going to flee, she might have begged off until a more opportune time. Yet...
"Drake!" Parents are forgotten and she rushes toward the model to leap at him with a hug. "There you are! I thought the fridge might have eaten you or something!"
Drake is assaulted with a blonde girl. Good thing the bread was passed off to his father beforehand! Drake catches her about the waist, holding her a little aloft in the air, after staggering back a couple steps. "Hiya," he replies.
The parents? They try to act like they're not watching and all. You know, doing the normal parent thing.
Drake, meanwhile, tilts his head to peer towards Alexis' face. "How've you been? Doing okay?"
Giggling as she's she's lifted upward, Alexis smiles at him and leans in to rest her forehead against his. "Yep! I've been okay! Sorry I didn't get out to Korea. I meant to, but then plans got all changed and stuff." Another guilty look is given to him before she attempts to hug him tightly. "But you're back! And you're gonna be fighting in Japan next? That's /so/ cool!"
Drake just squeezes her tighter, nigh in Blackout proportions. Almost. Alexis is likely used to being put through that by now, anyway. "Yyyep. Hotaru." He tilts his head slightly, then shrugs. "Looking for a new outcome this time. But hey, she'll do well for Japan, I think."
A quick look is shot over to the parents. Veronica is fiddling with her nails. Chet is setting burgers onto buns, then onto plates. Satisfied, drake leans in to steal a quick kiss. "I've -missed- you."
Muah!
Alexis is blushing quite prettily after the stolen kiss, and she peeks over her shoulder toward the Vyril's. Maybe it's a good thing Lucas is gone, he'd probably die laughing at the way his sister is behaving.
"Hotaru? Oh! I think she's the one that I fought for that charity thing. She's pretty tough, but I know you'll do great!" Pause. "Missed ya too. Should'a told me you were back in town."
"I know, and I -swear- I was gonna. I've just been thinking about you, too..." Drake lowers her enough to set her feet on the sandy ground. "Do you hate me for not texting you or anything yet?," he asks, giving her a guilty, sulky look.
"Nope! Why would I hate you for not calling or texting? You've been busy, right? Training, and then family stuff. It's cool." Alexis grants him a great big smile as she says that. See? No hard feelings here. If there were, would she have come? Not likely. "I s'pose I should ask if you hate me 'cuz I never made it to Korea when you got hurt."
"It wasn't as bad as all that, honest," Drake replies weakly. "But no. I mean.. you made it really clear that you have schoolwork to do and stuff." He begins to retract his arms from the blonde's waist. "So... gonna stick around for foodstuff? You know my parents totally love ya. They won't mind. -I- definitely won't.."
"It wasn't schoolwork so much as Lucas moving here and stuff." The 'and stuff' isn't elaborated on fully. There are reasons for that, but it's all about switching schools, and she's really not considered that so much now that her brother is attending Pacific.
"Huh? Oh! Sure! If they don't mind. I mean, I'd hate to intrude on a family gathering, and I know they don't get to come here as much as they'd probably like and..." Yes, she's babbling. She's a babbler.
"Nope!," interjects Chet suddenly. "It's cool. Wouldn't want you to miss me chewing him out for not callin', would'ja? Also, food's up!"
Drake shoots his father a look, then sighs and gestures towards the grill. "After you."
Log created on 13:34:37 10/19/2008 by Drake, and last modified on 04:02:20 10/20/2008.