An Afternoon on the roof

Having unpacked his clothes and the majority of his books in addition to placing his violin and a box of artefacts under his bed Lugh was to be found on the roof terrace. Well this sure brings it all back he said leaning on the railings, the light breeze from earlier had picked up but was still pleasant, just strong enough to pull at his ponytail in addition to his loss linen shirt. Taking a seat nearby and putting on a pair of glasses and opened a book to a marked page, placing a small electrum flask by his feet.

Aemilio had not finished unpacking yet but he decided to leave a part of his wardrobe (most of his luggage was either clothing or other kind of things that had to do with his appearance) inside the suitcase where it didn't take up much space and wouldn't wrinkle - he'd take the clothes he needed out of there when he actually needed them.
All that was really ready was his laptop, having made sure he had a good internet connexion and putting the boxes so the sound spread through the whole room. His laptop was installed on the free bed, which he'd declared his desk.

Now he was exploring his new kingdom, starting by finding out who was staying in which room and by doing so ending up on the roof terrace. When he saw Lugh sitting there he couldn't just walk away - after all, this guy had proven to have a bit of an attitude and was a very possible source of future complications for him.
"On the roof of a mansion with a view like this," he half-asked as he stared at the horizon with glistening eyes, "you've got your nose in a book...?"

Peering over the top of his spectacles at Aemilio, Lugh made a small sigh, "Well I highly doubt the view is going anywhere, unless you plan to steal it and hide it away for the next few months?" adding in his head 'Or stab me in the eyes'. Closing the book having not even got to the end of the page, "And you're assuming I didn't admire the view when I arrived here." he pointed out, 'and I daresay I'm more in awe of it than you' he thought having spent most of his life underground, in Otherworld.

Aemilio raised a brow at him. "Easy there, no need to get all defensive," he said crossing his arms over eachother in front of his chest, "I was only joking...! Damn, what happened to you during the unpacking? Just now you were mr happy, positive, bouncing-up-and-down gaylord...?"
He walked to the railing of the roof, put his hands on it and leaned over it just a little. "I merely pointed out the view is incredible. Any specific reason for your change in attitude?"

"Humans are complex creatures, arriving at Meinior was like coming home, put me in a good mood. But anywhere you can call home ultimately has as many bad memories." Lugh said, the last time he came to Penrose he had just been exiled, and with another five years left the Mansion served as a reminder of sorts. "To put it in other terms, I've not been home to my family since I was last here, so I'm just missing my sisters, Danan especially." he said putting the book down, picking up the flask and moving over to Join Aemilio by the railings.

"O," Aemilio said a little startled, naturally unprepared for a story like that, "I'm sorry, I didn't know." He turned his gaze to Lugh now, his eyes seemingly scanning him. "Listen, I know I probably shouldn't be asking you this but... what happened to your family?"
He realised this was either going to end in Lugh avoiding to talk about it or a sad sob-story, and that it may have not been the nicest time to ask about it but he did so anyway. The unusual thing about him was (not that he did something he knew wasn't nice, obviously, but) that he sounded sympathetic... genuinly!

"It's a long story, and one I'd rather not talk about. But suffice to say, I haven't seen them in about six years, one of my sisters came to visit while she was touring Europe the last time I was here. That was five years ago. after that I went straight into a degree and then spent two years travelling the globe in preparation for my Doctorate, that book is one of the pieces of literature I picked up, I've around fifty books on the subject and more than a few copies of ancient texts." He explained while unscrewing the cap from the flask, "In short I've not been home since I left six years ago, my youngest sister Danan Has taken it pretty hard, she turns ten in December." He continued Taking a swig of the black liquid.

"Damn," Aemilio said in a soft voice, "that must be hard on you... When will you be able to see them again?"
He first wanted to ask something about the book and Lugh's impressive book collection when his attention was drawn by the flask. "Isn't it a little early to be drinking?" he asked, hoping talk of booz might lift the conversation to happier grounds - it usually worked wonders for a lot of guys his age.

"I don't honestly know." Lugh said, and it was true the chance the courts may exile him permanently after the fiasco in the Northern Isles, "The average doctorate takes between three to seven years, some longer. But I'm hoping to finish in five years." he said leaning on the railing again.
"Heh, It's never too early to start drinking, not that it's alcohol anyway." he said knocking back some more. "It's a supplement; I have a voracious appetite as you will know doubt see this evening.”

Well, that much was over. Keo readjusted her gloves nervously. There was really no reason to wear them... but it was better than the others suddenly seeing her hand bandaged up. She slipped back upstairs and into her room, changing into a short sleeved shirt to cool off a bit. It exposed the scarring on her left arm, but really, that much was going to be seen sooner or later unless she felt like wearing long sleeved shirts and jackets all year.

After that, she just grabbed her camera, some headphones and a notebook before heading off to the terrace. But she should have expected others would be around by now. Lugh and Aemilio... being civil, hopefully. She just moved over to the table, putting the camera and notebook down then quickly turning to address them, "Hey guys. Hope I'm not interrupting anything... I'll just leave if I am."

Aemilio was just about to say something to Lugh when his attention was drawn by Keoki. "O hello," he said turning to Keoki, "no you're not interrupting... In fact," he added with a small grin, "if you feel like sharing your opinion on the statement 'it's never too early to start drinking', you can just blend into the conversation unnoticed."

"Hardly, despite my best efforts dear Aemilio remains oblivious to my affections." he said grinning, before returning to his more sombre mood. "And it isn't too early, not for me at least." He said taking another mouthful before replacing the cap. "And hello." remembering his manners.

"Drinking, huh?" she noticed Lugh's flask and figured why they'd gotten on the subject, "Hell, a drink would sound nice right about now. So no, I don't think it's too early, haha. And sorry to hear that Lugh." She grinned as she walked over to the railing, peering out to take in the view. "Nice out here, huh? So much forest too, I'm not used to it, yet." She was used to staying in cities, or at least large towns, but here everything was just surrounded by the forest. It was a big change of scenery, but she was enjoying it so far.

"I'm sure you'll get over me eventually," Aemilio said to Lugh in a dramatic voice, putting a hand on his shoulder for a pose befitting the fake emotional moment.
When Keoki mentioned the view he nodded in agreement; "yes it's amazing. I predict I will be spending a lot of time here." Then to Keoki: "I'm guessing you're a city-girl?"

"Hmm, I'm planning on taking a trip into town in the next few days, I plan to see of the Pubcrawler is still standing, you could join me if you'd like? I've an old friend to see, and I'll even but you a drink." Lugh said to the pair. "The forest is beautiful, and dangerous. But as long as you don't stray to far from the path, and avoid it at night, you should be fine." he said remembering a few occasions where the forest had nearly got the better of him. "and here I thought you'd spend all your time by the pool?" he asked Aemilio, "Well there goes my fantasy of seeing you with your shirt off. He's just one big tease eh Keoki?"

"Yeah, always stayed in the city. Perfect place the blend in, and even if you stick out, no one's going to care. Stay there for a few weeks and disappear to the next, no one will ever notice," Keo replied to the city-girl comment, "And as for the drink, if it's on you, I can go for that! What do you say, Aemilio? Hell, maybe you'll loosen up and give Lugh less trouble, the poor guy," she would have fun with that for sure.

But before she could get to any real teasing, she heard what Lugh said about the forest. "Really now...? Oh, I like that." Her favorite thing in the world was to catch strange phenomena on film. Not just ghosts and the general paranormal, but other werewolves, creatures like that. And a giant forest that you weren't supposed to wander in? Oh, who knows what wonderfully malicious things could be in there... But she snapped out of the thought after Lugh's tease comment, which made her laugh as she replied, "Hey, maybe if we get some drinks in him someone can convince him to lose his shirt anyway, would that work for you?"

"Sure, I'll come along. Sounds like fun," Aemilio said to Lugh - he'd already considered checking out Penrose anyway and now instead of going alone he was accomponied by two others. Not to mention Lugh had been here before so he already knew his way around.

Lugh's story about the forest caused his expression to turn more serious. He already read something about people disappearing in the area and that there were some silly urband legends about the forest being haunted but to hear his housemate talk about it so seriously... o well, he wasn't scared of some stupid ghost story!

When Lugh made his shirt-related comment and Keoki's reacted to it, he forced himself to laugh along.
"Actually I don't drink," he said truthfully, "so you're gonna have to find another way to 'convince' me," he added with a grin - playing along despite the fact that he still felt a little awkward about the continuing running gag about Lugh fancying him... (yeah, so he may have just found out he suffers from a mild case of homophobia)
"You know what," he then said as a naughty grin spread across his face, "I'll go bare-chest of if you two do the same." Needless to say this comment was directed at Keoki entirely.

"You like dangerous forests? Now granted that the nearby area is safe enough, but anymore than a kilometre in and it's unnerving at best. If you don't drown in the swamp, there's how do I put it. A malevolent force, its presence fluctuates, but it's always there." Lugh wasn't sure if this was working or just encouraging them more, but them staying away from the forest would make hunting easier "It'll be good to have company. And I'm sure I can think of something, stealing all your clothes while you’re in the bathroom maybe?" he asked smirking.

"Oh, I'm not scared of big bad monsters," she grinned, especially considering she'd count as one of those more classic monsters. "As for the shirtless deal. Well, forward, aren't you? But that's not going to happen."

Keo moved away from the railing and glanced back to her camera, moving to go pick it up. Flicking it on, and double checking that the settings were right, she moved back to get a shot of the horizon at daylight. "Anyway, a visit to Penrose will be nicer with some company. I figured I'd try to find a weekend job or something. Used to work as an event filmer, you know, if some tour group or celebration wanted to get things on tape," she explained, "But I doubt a small town would have use for that... Plus it was mostly a job of convince on my part, made it all the easier to move when I felt like it."

Actually, it'd be a bit weird to have regular friends too. She'd never seen her parents since she left, and the only person on her cellphone was Anna. But thinking about that would get depressing. She flicked the camera back off and placed it at the table again, taking a seat so that she was facing the boys with her back leaning against the table.

Aemilio raised a brow when 'malevolent forces' became a topic.
"Ok don't take this the bad way," he started carefully, "but... please tell me you don't really believe in those stupid ghost stories about the forest?"
He was really hoping Lugh and Keoki would now both say it was just a joke and they of course didn't believe in stose stupid legends. Come on, he was just about to start to like them... please don't let them be some bunch of supersticious lunatics?!

"O well," he sighed when Keoki refused to go shirtless, then to go on to Lugh: "ok... no offence man but... the whole 'you fancying me'-thing? You're going on about it for so long I'm starting to fear you mean it."

"Last time I was here a tree attacked me, it knocked me over, tied me up with vines and hoisted me into the air. Like a spider saving a fly for later." Lugh said blankly, "A friend literally had to cut me down. I don't know what it is but Burglinde both is and attracts the supernatural, like some kind of paranormal magnet." He continued recalling that the last time he was here there were few actual humans. In fact that was precisely why he had chose Penrose for his doctorate, he wanted to get to the bottom of it this time around, or maybe it had called him back. The latter option did not sit well with him.

"So it would seem we've got a professional in our ranks." he said pushing himself off the railings and walking back to his book "Well I'm sure we can find you work of some kind, admittedly as you say it's not likely to be filming, but still." A grin spread across his face as he turned to reply to Aemilio "Well maybe I do, maybe I don't." he said adding in his head 'either way I'm having too much fun with this."

Keoki couldn't help but listen to the story with a big grin, oh, she'd hit the jackpot here. Maybe that was why Anna insisted she moved out here. But Aemilio was certainly skeptical, "Oh come on now. Reality as we know it is boring! Wouldn't you want something different? Fascinating and unreal, dangerous, even. It'd be a thrill! Heheh, but for now, I suppose I'll have to stick to reality... and check out this forest for myself some time."

Oh, there was little that would stop her from checking it out now. "Anyway, yeah, any job would be fine really, just need some money is all. It was pretty expensive to move all the way out here... made me remember why I rarely took out of the country trips before. Out of curiosity, how'd you two end up here? Lugh, you even said you've been here before, right?"

In reply to Lugh's story about being attacked by trees Aemilio simply sighed; 'great,' he said to himself in mind, 'damn day one I find out one of the people I'm sharing this house with is ready for the funny farm.' Of course he didn't utter these thoughts, not wanting to make enemies on his first day.
"I hardly believe in ghost stories any more Lugh," he therefor said as a nuanced version of his inner monolouge, "anyway... how 'bout we head for town now? We've still got a couple of hours left 'till dinner."
He then gave Keoki a questioning look; "or would you rather go tomorrow have more time to look for a job?"
At Lugh's continuation of the seemingly endless gag about like-liking him, Aemilio sighed a little annoyed; "listen, give it a rest already if you don't mean it... I'm growing tired of it. And if you do mean it, DEFINETLY stop it! You're not nearly cute enough to turn me gay."

“Well I’ve always been interested in other cultures and mythology, so the first time when I was offered the chance to take part in an exchange student program I jumped at the chance. This time well I already know the area why not come back to it for my research, additionally its nicely in the middle of the region my research concerns.” He explained
A vicious grin appeared on Lugh’s face when Aemilio mentioned not believing in ghost stories, though he said no more on the subject. “And here I thought I was quite the pretty boy?” he said turning to Keoki “Fine then If you’d rather I stop I will.” before adding in his head ‘until you start treating the young ladies as objects’. “In any case, it would seem the decision as to whether we go to town now or later rests with you.” He said to Keoki

"I've always been into the supernatural. Just interesting, like Lugh says. And don't worry, you're still quite a cute one," she replied to Lugh's comments and the pretty boy question. Then it seemed it was up to her, so she pushed herself up off of the bench, "Sure. I'll go jobhunting later, it'd be a bore to drag you guys along anyway probably. Just let me put my camera away and I can meet you guys at the door, then?" she asked, turning back to her stuff on the table. A bit of sightseeing would be nice before dinner.