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Matthew Granger

"Look, I'm just trying to be a better person."

0 · 1,097 views · located in Realistic

a character in “Kohana Creek”, as played by usernamesareadrag

Description

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Name:
Matthew Samuel Granger

Nickname:
Matty

Age:
Twenty-Four-Years-Old

Likes:
Animals (especially dogs)
Pad Thai
Sweets
Cooking
Keeping Himself Busy
Reading
Taking Walks
Swimming

Dislikes:
Having Nothing to Do
Pity
Films with Tragic Endings
His Own Weakness
Confrontation
Mushrooms




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Matthew is not someone who would normally be described as traditionally handsome. At 6’2 he’s on the tall side of things and due to his admittedly bad posture and thin, lanky frame he appears to be quite gangly and a little bit awkward. Back in his teenage years, he was actually quite healthy looking, but after his stint with drugs he lost a dramatic amount of weight in both fat and muscle mass. However, as he continues to attempt recovery, he’s slowly returning to a healthier look. For now, he’s still thin but hidden under slightly bag clothing, he’s all wiry muscle from his near constant motion. His dark reddish-brown hair, almost auburn, is always in a wild mess of curls only capable of being tamed when wet or when it’s cut short. He almost always has some scruff on his face, more from a lack of attention to it than an actual attempt at a fashion statement. However, when he does find the time and effort to get himself cleaned up, he looks years younger and healthier than his rather raggedy appearance originally lets on. His undoubtedly best features are his eyes, which are a vivid, almost sea-foam green color, something that most people don’t notice due to his general lack of eye contact.
His usual style lends more towards comfort than for fashion, sometimes dressing in cable-knit sweaters, plaid-button-ups, or a t-shirt with a jacket or cardigan. They tend to be rather ill-fitting, either remnants from his younger years before he lost so much weight or, as his psychologist likes to tell him, a desperate attempt to hide from the world and fly under the radar of most people. He almost always wears a simple, golden necklace with a simple charm on it, a gift from his deceased grandmother. He couldn’t bear to part with it, no matter how much he needed the money.
His skin is hardly flawless, scars from fights on his chest and back, a nasty scar on the left side of his left knee from a motorcycle accident when he was a teen. He is without puncture scars on his arms, mostly due to the fact that, when he was on drugs, his preferred method was inhalation because he disliked needles.




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Contrary to speculation by some of the inhabitants of Kohana Creek, Matthew's secret is not that he is having a clandestine affair with a married man. If you asked him, he'd vehemently disagree but not offer up any other plausible explanation which, if you asked some people, makes it all the more suspicious. No, the man who comes to see him at odd hours of the day or night is actually his sponsor, Simon Morstan. Matthew is a recovering drug addict, coming up on one year sober but is still terrified that he might relapse again.




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The best way to describe Matthew, at least according to other residents, is that there’s something off about him. Oh, it’s not necessarily about how he acts- he keeps his head down, mouth shut, and fixes whatever may be the problem in a faster than timely manner. It’s not what he says because he’s almost unerringly polite if a little short. It’s probably how he speaks, voice mumbled, refusing eye contact unless its absolutely demanded, and a nervousness in his tone as if he’s constantly afraid that he’ll accidentally offend the person he is speaking with.
Matthew is admittedly awkward and, really, always has been. He finds it difficult to speak to most people his age due to his own low self-esteem and nervousness around people. Then again, it’s also difficult for him to speak to people younger than him. And older than him. Just most people in general, really. He tends to be a quiet individual, speaking softly and using only the bare minimum unless people drag the words out of him. He’s most comfortable with the few that he trusts and around animals- they’re just so much easier to please and he doesn’t have to worry about them being disgusted by him.
That would probably be the biggest problem. Plagued by self-esteem issues since an early age, any sort of confidence was effectively destroyed when he decided to get off drugs. His mind no longer fogged by the familiar, fake euphoria he could see the way people looked at him; nurses, old friends, random people on the street. It was like he was scum, not even a non-entity, which he would have preferred. As he joined a support group and entered rehab, it got a bit better, but he’s still weary of people and their judgmental eyes.
Surprisingly, Matthew is actually quite responsible. If he’s given a task, you can bet that it will be finished in an orderly fashion, never once doing a shoddy job. If he sees something that needs doing, he’ll get it done. It may be an act of repentance on his part, a way of making up for his past indiscretions, but he’s honestly just trying to be a better person.
Another surprising quirk of Matthew’s is that he has a very caring heart, especially around animals. He honestly likes to take care of others, a personality quirk that leads him to taking care of at least one stray animal at any given time in his apartment. As difficult as it may be to get him to trust you, once he does you are guaranteed loyalty for life, something that can be a great thing or a deep flaw because once you have that power over him, it’s so much easier to damage him emotionally.
So, yes, he is awkward, a walking, talking bundle of anxiety and apologies wrapped up in the shell of a recovering drug addict. But looking beyond his quirky behavior and abrupt personality, you can find something worth keeping around.



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Matthew grew up the single boy in a family of four sisters and a single mother, living in Mililani Town, a suburb near Honolulu. Before Matthew was born, his parents, Elizabeth "Lizzy" Granger and Carl Wrede, had separated under relatively cordial circumstances. Elizabeth then received a job offer in Honolulu and, being the headstrong woman that she was, packed up her child and, pregnancy be damned, moved her family to the suburb of Mililani. It was admittedly difficult for Matthew growing up with no real father figure and surrounded by four older sisters who alternated between treating him like a doll and as a pest. His mother was too busy with her new career to rein in her four unruly daughters. Overshadowed by his siblings, Matthew began to withdraw into himself, spending his time reading, studying, or hanging out with his few friends from school. His only real confidant was his grandmother who moved to Hawaii with them to be near her beloved grandchildren. She doted on Matthew constantly and gave him all the affection he felt that he needed.
Matthew was labeled a goodie-two-shoes, a title that he accepted with grace. That is, until he met Miranda Cassidy during his Sophomore year of high school. Miranda was a rebel, a self-righteous independent girl who seemed like she had the whole world in the palm of her hand; everything Matthew was not. He was head over heels before he properly knew what was happening, swept up in her confidence and exciting life. It was while dating her that he tried crack for the first time and it was fine. The high was nice, but he didn't have much of a desire to repeat it, only occasionally giving in to Miranda who introduced him to the underbelly of Honolulu. Still, he had control. He graduated high school with honors and was looking to submit applications to a number of colleges. That is until his grandmother passed away.
It was a crippling blow to the young man who felt like his life would never be whole again. There was a gaping hole in his heart that he was desperate to fill. He made the worst mistake of his life three days after his grandmother's funeral; at Miranda and her friends' insistence, he decided to drown his sorrows in drugs. What followed was a malstrom of drugs and bad decisions as he descended into the darkness and false euphoria offered by his poison of choice, whatever that may have been that week. He alienated himself from his family, old friends. College was no longer something he cared about, he just wanted more, more, more. It's all a haze now, a fog of insanity and temptation. He never hurt anyone, he was never arrested, but something did happen.
At the age of twenty, he overdosed, waking in the hospital. It was there that he went through the first pains of withdrawal, the worst feeling int he world, second only to when his grandmother passed. But with the enforced sobriety, he could see with clarity once more. He could see the shadow of his former self that he had become; a skeleton with no future, no life. It was then that he decided that he had to get sober.
The journey to end his addiction was not an easy one. He fell off the bandwagon several times, once brought on by the anniversary of his grandmother's death, another by a confrontation gone awry with his alienated family, and three other times brought on by intense stress. Still, there were more high points than low points following his decision to quit. He went to rehab, joined a support group, went to see a psychologist and met two of the most important people in his life.
The first was Simon Morstan, a college professor and an ex-addict himself. The neatly dressed gentleman with just a hint of a charming Southern accent supported Matthew throughout the years, a constant reassurance and someone to go to when he's feeling too stressed or as if he might fall off the wagon. The two are intimate friends, more of a bromance as Simon's eleven-year-old daughter insists. It was Simon who helped him start back on the track to college to pursue his life-long dream of being a veterinarian, helped him try to reconnect with his family, and who introduced him to the other great help in his life, Keilani Fergosa.
The old Hawaiian woman, who had been friends with Simon, had offered Matthew a deal; if he would work as her maintenance/go-to handy man and stay on the path of sobriety, she'd give him free room and board. Who was Matthew to refuse such a kind offer? He's been working and living at Kohana Creek since then, keeping busy just how he likes it. It's not an easy life with his work and college classes as well as his daily struggle with addiction and the odd looks he receives from other residents, but it's a good life. Well, at least for now.




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So begins...

Matthew Granger's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Eloise Pardon Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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Location: Honolulu, Hawaii
Date: Friday, September 17, 2013
Time: 8:21 P.M.
Temp: 74 F


The night was cool, breezy with the faint smell of saltwater. The rain had finally let up after three hours of nonstop sprinkling. By this time of the day the waves have calmed, but the tiding waves continue to cascade onto the bed of sand. Occasionally soaking a bolder or two. Honolulu is one the largest cities Hawaii has to offer, populated by many. Just under half a million believe it or not. So many different diversities intermix here but the culture remains rich. Visitors seemed to think the palm trees, clear beaches and warm weather hints to paradise. Some think of it as a sub-unit of Hawaii's paradise. The residents might say different. Contrary to belief... it rains a lot. Earthquakes aren't uncommon. Volcanic eruptions are nothing new although they are a not a threat, some are even made into visitor attractions. But that's on the outer skirts of town.

Bright luminescent lights braze the City. Large buildings loom over the streets of Honolulu. Though one building stands tall. Taller than the rest. Kohana Creek. It's one of those places that everyone knows about, seen or wishe they could live there. The tranquil environment is enough to draw any one in. Being right off the coast of the beach. The landlord Keilani Fergosa has spent o]over half of her life keeping this place in order. Going above and beyond to keep the tenants happy. But something tragic has happened. The wonderful woman that many knew well had a secret -- a secret she kept to herself for many years. Keilani Fergosa had developed lung cancer in her fifties. The doctors did all they could for the poor woman. And for a few short years things started to look up. Until just recently. Ms. Fergosa had been having problems with breathing. Her son, Ono took her to the doctor only to find the cancer once again spreading. Sadly, the doctors gave her only one year to live. She fought, and pushed out another two years but one night. Her heart gave out. The cancer had spread and Ms. Fergosa could no longer fight any more. Cancer had won.

Her son Ono found her a few days later, lying in bed. He debated telling the tenants but decided to keep things private until further notice. Ms. Fergosa also didn't tell anyone that she had been in a dispute between a wealthy man who wanted to buy Kohana Creek from her. This man, Alan Westbrook personally came to Hawaii to do what his lawyers couldn't. He'd admit she was a stubborn old woman, but he offered millions. Still she resisted.

But her deteriorating health made her reconsider what was best for her family and tenants -- friends. She knew if she died, her son Ono would be to busy to look after the complex properly. It saddened her that she couldn't keep it in the family. That building remained in the Fergosa name since she was a young girl. But the offer of money meant Ono would be taken care of and Mr. Westbrook assured he would do his best to keep everything the same.

Luckily for Mr. Westbrook, all the paper work had been finalized a day before her death. An unfortunate event for everyone... But they will soon learn that Keilani Fergosa had secrets.

And the tenants will soon learn.




We all have secrets. Whats yours?




Giselle Torres had lived on the twenty-third floor for nearly four years. It was home and she never dreamed of leaving anytime soon. Things were quiet, peaceful and over all a great place to live. These sort of thoughts usually swirl her head around this time. Her lease was almost up, much like the other tenants which meant signing up for another year would permanently decide her future. But who would want to leave in the first place. Close to the beach, gym, pools, laundry room. If it were possible to sign a three year lease she would.

Coming back from her thoughts, the woman saw that Finding Nemo had just ended. It was always so nice to watch this movie. Not only does it teach kids a valuable lesson of never going against your parents but Dori made her laugh every time. Little Hope had been sitting Indian style with her chin resting in the palms of her hands. Clearly deeply involved in the movie. Elle glanced down at her watch. 8:30 P.M. And just that time to start cooking dinner.

"Okay... how about you find us something else to watch while I... order something. Take out sound good?"

She unlocked the screen of her cell phone and began to hit the contact button. Chong's had been programmed in her phone since the day she moved here. They had the best Chinese food in town. And they were conveniently close so delivery was available. Elle recited the order, occasionally Hope would say what she wanted only to change it seconds later. But at last, the food was ordered and should be there in an hour.

"Did you find anything?" The brunette kneeled beside Hope as she skimmed through the movie collection. "How about this, The Lion King?" Before she could hear Hope's answer, a sound of movements from the door caught her attention. A small thud could be heard. It couldn't have been the delivery guy, or Piper or Ava. They always usually text before coming over.

"Hold that thought little one."

Setting the DVD down on the floor, Giselle went over to the door. She peered through the peephole but didn't see anyone. However, a paper attached to the door across from her caught her attention. Being somewhat curious and nosy all at once caused her to open the door. The first thing she saw was the own similarly formatted paper tapped to her door as well. She immediately went to snatch the paper off, her hazel hues scanning over the words.

"Dear Tenant,

As the landlord, I would like to inform you that a meeting for the floors 20-23 are called. The meeting will take place in the lobby tomorrow 9/18/13 at 8:30 A.M.. Very important news and information will be given so I strongly urge everyone to attend. Please take this note seriously. If you happen to miss the meeting for whatever reason then I advise you to either ask a fellow neighbor or visit the desk by Monday 9/20/13. Thank you everyone.

In regard, your Landlord.


Giselle flipped over the back but found it blank. Glancing down the hall, she heard a ding at the elevator which meant someone had just entered. All of the other doors also had noted on them. A text message was soon sent to her niece.

-Hey, Piper. Where are you? I just got some weird letter from Keilani about a meeting. Check your door when you get home-

The woman put her phone away and retreated back to her warm apartment. Giselle went into the hall where the AC/ heating tabs where. The temperature hadn't went up one degree since she turned the air on nearly an hour before they starting watching Finding Nemo. So she came into the living room and the saw that Hope had already put on a movie.

"Hey, kiddo. I'm gonna' go right across the hall to see if we can get this air working. I'll leave the door open." Elle smiled at the little girl. She was only going to let Mr. Granger know the air wasn't working which was no more than five feet away.

Elle left the door opened as she said earlier and went on to Mr. Granger's door. She let her hand knock only three times. Standard. Not to many but just enough to catch his attention.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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Giselle had been waiting patiently until she heard the door from a nearby apartment open. It was Sage, so she quickly turned her head back to Mathew's door and knocked three more times. Hoping that he would at least wasn't sleeping. Again the rather petite woman folded her arms and took a step back just as Sage approached her. Only a few weeks since they had split, and just recently was she able to rest without crying herself to sleep.

"Hey..." She could barely look him in the eyes. And when she did they would only stay there for a few seconds before returning to the ground. "I'm okay." Giselle offered him a small smile until the incessant ringing of his phone started. A sigh emerged from her lips. Work was another vague reason why the relationship didn't last. Sage was a hard working and she loves that about him but she's a woman... a woman who needs attention. More so than she thinks he is ready to give. She misses him more than anything, but continuing down the path they were wasn't good for either of them. Somethings were better left unsaid undone.

He excused himself and tended to his call. Not that she could help it but her ears caught most of what he was saying.

"No... not those files... look.. I'm out of town... I can't do anything... you know who to hire.."

Elle also caught on to the look of surprise he displayed.The brunette tilted her head to side while scrunching her face up in caricature. Soon the familiar theme song to the Lion King caught her attention. Looking back to her opened apartment door where Hope was sure to be entertained for the time being. Mathew appeared not to be home which was strange because he usually always is -- well whenever she has any problems. And instead of asking any questions about the erroneous phone call dejectedly didn't happen. But that caring, nurturing side of her wanted to -- not just because it was her nature however her conflicting feelings towards him.

"Gissey... I love you."

And just when she thought talking to him couldn't get any harder. He had to say the one thing that made her question everything. Not to mention the reference he made to the pet name he would called her. Albeit embarrassing if anyone else heard it but cute nonetheless.

"Sage...don't call me that." She said, stressing his name then settling her soft eyes on his virtually pellucid ones. "And I love you too but that doesn't fix anything." Her voice almost to a whisper. "I should probably get back to Hope... I'd ask you too fix the air conditioning but you know, you're not exactly the handy type"

The setting changes from Kohana Creek to Realistic

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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Night was just descending over Honolulu, replacing the warm sun rays that cascaded over the city's beautiful beaches and streets with the artificial but no less beautiful lights of the city. Buildings were practically glowing, casting a radiant light over the streets, lighting the way for those Friday night revelers ready to celebrate the ending of the week and the beginning of the ever coveted weekend. September may not have been high tourist time for Honolulu, but the natives more than made up for it, young adults already swarming the streets, ready to have fun, drink, and party the night away. Well, most of them were. Some young adults were kept too busy by jobs and other responsibilities, keeping them from joining the beginning of the weekend escapades. Or, as was in the case of Matthew Granger, some simply didn't want to socialize.

Room number 1100 of Kohana Creek was the perfect hide away for a self-enforced introvert like Matthew. It was filled with slightly worn but comfortable furniture, the walls painted earthy, calming tones, and the entire atmosphere of the apartment really just gave off a warm, homey feeling that soothed and relaxed. Not that many people would know that, or, really, anyone but Matthew and perhaps four or five others. Room 1100 was a bit of a mystery to the masses, even to the other residents of the twenty-third floor of Kohana Creek. Matthew had a tendency to keep to himself and inviting his neighbors over was really one of the last things that he wanted to do. Still, the idea of having people over or, really, just doing anything with another human being could be almost tempting at times. Anything was better than being left to his own devices with nothing to do because then he would start to think, unwelcome cravings peeking up from the darkest part of his mind and that could be a dangerous thing indeed.

Matthew was currently curled up on his soft, plush beige couch, head resting comfortably against an arm rest as he flicked through television channels at an almost inhuman speed. Click. "A dollar makes me holler, honey boo boo-" Click. "It was another bad day for Wall Street-" Click. "Bad boys, bad boys, whatcha gonna do-" Click. Nothing, he decided as he turned the television set off with a decisive click of his remote, was worth watching right now. There were so many other things he could be doing. Well, not really. He'd finished his coursework for the weekend already, Ms. Fergosa had yet to inform him of anything that needed repair or just routine maintenance, Simon was out of town with his daughter on a last summer excursion before she had to focus on her school and he had to focus on teaching, not even a stray animal pattering around his apartment today since he'd found a home for that puppy... He sighed, worrying his bottom lip beneath his teeth. Sometimes he regretted his self-imposed exile, but it was really better that way. He just had to find something to keep himself occupied until it was a late enough hour that he didn't feel ridiculous going to bed.

He could always reread one of the many books shelved carefully away on the bookshelf in his bedroom or make dinner for himself, but both of these actions would require standing up and he was quite comfortable where he was. If worse came to worse, it would just be another Friday night turning in early. He began to doze off, lulled into a half-sleep by the comfiness of his sofa and the barely perceptible city noise leaking in from his windows.

It was in that state of drowsiness that he imagined that he'd heard a series of knocks on his door. But that couldn't be it, his mind assured him. Who would be knocking on his door, after all, especially at night? He wasn't expecting visitors. Then there was another set of knocks, shattering the notion that he had imagined the first sound, and he finally sat up, rubbing his tired eyes. He hadn't imagined that, right? Well, he could at least go check.

With great reluctance, Matthew pulled himself to his feet, tugging down the hem of his plaid button-up shirt to make some semblance of order in his own appearance- it was ironic, Simon often said, how he was rarely very orderly but his own apartment was impeccable. With that done and a futile attempt to flatten his usual mess of hair, he quickly made his way to the door, letting it swing open. And then suddenly wished that he hadn't.

There was Ms. Torres, probably the one who had been trying to get his attention given her frankly awful luck with things going on the fritz in her apartment, and Mr. Blackwood. He'd apparently stumbled upon an awkward moment if the thick tension in the air meant anything. Oh, he'd heard that they'd broken up, but that still didn't mean he wanted to be witness to whatever sort of drama was playing out in the hallway, the awkwardness of overhearing the whispered words of love almost too much for him to bear.

"Sorry," He blurted out, set to recoil back into his sanctuary, quite aware that he had inadvertently helped to break whatever moment they were having. "I didn't mean to... um, yeah."

The setting changes from Realistic to Kohana Creek

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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Hope stared at the screen intently. Now was the part of the movie where the baby lion was held up to all the other animals by a monkey. Hope never really understood what that part meant really, but she supposed it must have had something to do with the cub being pretty. It was a cute cub, after all. Hope would certainly bow down to that, and perhaps keep one in her own apartment.. Maybe.

Hope's stomach suddenly started grumbling. She snapped out of the trance the TV had on her to look down at it. She hadn't noticed it before, but she was kind of hungry. Wasn't the delivery man supposed to be here by now? And what about Giselle? What was taking her so long that she had to miss the best parts of the movie? Hope decided she should go check up on the woman, and see if she was coming back yet. Hope stood up and quickly toddled off to the front door. First she looked over to the left, towards her apartment. Then as she turned towards the right, she spotted Giselle in an instant. From the girls perspective, she was chatting with two guys out in the hall. One was the man with nice eyes, and the other who.. fixed things. Oh, Right.. She needed the air conditioning problem taken care of. Hope stood watching the people for a moment, almost hiding in the door way. She was trying to decide if she should join in or not... Well, Hope was missing her movie. But then again, she can always press rewind.

Hope stepped out of the apartment building and ran over to the small group of people. "Hey Ms. Torres, you're missing the movie!" Hope complained with her eyebrows arching. "Don't you wanna see where the baby lions go to the Elephant's grave yard, and meet the laughing..."Hope paused, temporarily forgetting the word hyenas."...The laughing dogs?"

The setting changes from Kohana Creek to Realistic

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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#, as written by Issa
Piper Torres


Piper loved how close she and her aunt Giselle lived. Giselle had always been Piper's role-model. Piper, being six years younger had always looked up to her aunt. And now she was even more thankful for having such a cool family member. After all, if it hadn't been for Giselle, Piper would probably be sulking at home with her parents' strict rules hanging over her head. She also was thankful for Giselle not telling her parents that she had moved into her own apartment. True, it was only down the hallway but even that would be too much for her parents.

Piper was brought out of her thoughts by the sight of people up ahead. It was awkward, to say the least. Piper, walking down the corridor, had walked into what appeared to be a confession. Giselle stood facing Sage Blackwood, Giselle's ex-boyfriend. Their relationship was over, Piper had never heard the specifics of why, but it appeared that Sage still harbored feelings for her Aunt.

"Gissy... I love you" The words were clearly only meant for Giselle but Piper was within hearing distance and caught them all the same. It also appeared that the maintenance guy, who lived in the apartment Giselle was knocking at, heard too. He opened the door, blurted out a "Sorry." and looked ready to dash back into his apartment.

Piper knew her aunt was strong and fully capable of looking after herself but Giselle was also family. Piper couldn't help but worry about her. Piper didn't catch the words her Aunt spoke back to Sage. She was ready to either slip into Giselle's apartment and wait for her or jump to her aunt's aid when Hope, the little girl that lived on their floor, walked out of Giselle's apartment. The young girl's appearance and obliviousness to the tension between the older people could only help dissolve the awkwardness of the situation just as... (Piper searched her brain for the name of the maintenance guy. Micheal? Mitch? Mathew...? Mathew sounded about right)... just as Mathew's appearance would help too.

Piper stepped forward, attempting to catch her Aunt's attention.
"Elle, are you alright?" Piper asked, using her aunt's nickname. Giselle could take care of herself but if she wanted moral support than Piper would be there to help. Piper glanced down at Hope who was busy trying to convince Giselle to come watch a movie. Elephant graveyards and laughing dogs...? What kind of movies was this kid watching?

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres Character Portrait: Samuel Williams
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Sage stiffened, a knot in his throat forming. He couldn't change what happened... and neither could she. Seeing people gather he'd clear his throat and give a small wave to Hope. She sure was a cute kid. He had hoped to have kids one day. He'd look back up at Giselle and give a smile, of course it was all to fake. "I understand Gissey..." He'd stop and smirk, "I'll always call you that... even if... " He'd stop realizing that the people were still there."Too bad... I would've fixed it for you... but... I must go... I'm sorry..." Sighing he turned to go back to his apartment, grabbing his keys to his Camaro, he walked back out.

You're an idiot Sage... why did you say that?! He mentally cursed himself as he walked down the halls. He avoided everyones gaze, and made sure not to catch their eye. He needed a drink, and he knew where to get one. Speeding away he let a few tears fall. He was in the privacy of his Camaro anyway. As he arrived to his destination he wiped the tears off his cheeks, and checked himself in the mirror making sure that it didn't look as if he were crying. After being satisfied, he got out of the car and walked up to the entrance of the club

He showed his ID to the bouncer, not that he needed to anyway, he was a regular since him and Giselle broke up. Walking in the strip club he sighed and went straight to the bar, this time ignoring the women. He needed to get drunk first... before he would gaze upon any strippers... after taking a few shots he pulled out his phone. Of course it was no fun drinking alone.

Sammy! I'm at the club...come join meh!-Sage

He sent the text to his best friend and sat there drinking shots, waiting for a reply.

The setting changes from Realistic to Kohana Creek

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres Character Portrait: Ava Vinyard
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Having a personal conversation with was momentarily interrupted by the opening of Matthew's door. Elle could kiss him right now for interrupting because she really didn't want to have this conversation right now. And truth be told, she hasn't been sure if she even wanted one. When Mathew spoke up, apologizing briefly her attention went up to him once more. But before she could get a word out a little voice sprung out from below. It was Hope, commenting on how Elle had been missing the movie.

"Don't you wanna see where the baby lions go to the Elephant's grave yard, and meet the laughing..."Pause. "...The laughing dogs?"

Glancing down at the young girl brought a smile to her lips. Surely little Hope meant Hyenas as dogs in the jungle just didn't strayed their and if they did they wouldn't live long. "Don't worry, we can rewind when I get back okay?" She told her in the hopes pacifying her. Hope soon nodded just as she heard another voice. It appeared that so many distractions had intercepted Sage to the point where he felt he needed to leave. The look on his face was enough to suggest that he remembered what she was speaking about. This was supposed to be easy but a part of her didn't want to see him go. Giselle frowned at his words but for all the wrong reasons. "Right...I'll see you around." A inquisitive speculation crossed her mind as she wanted to know where he was going. Instead of asking, she simply nodded and tired not to let his pseudo smile get to her. He must have thought she was stupid if that drawn in smile would fool her.

Her niece Piper had appeared to join the cast but her gaze remained on Sage as he started down the hall. Finally after realizing where she had been she looked at Piper. "Yeah, I was just coming to see if Mr. Granger wouldn't mind having a look at the air conditioning."

Piper had briefly bobbed her head in understanding.

"Do you mind taking Hope back inside?" Giselle only waited until both girls had retreated back inside her apartment before continuing her conversation with Matthew.

"I know I'm supposed to put in a work order with Keilani first but I figured you wouldn't mind. It's just so hot." The brunette began to fan herself to put an emphasis on her point. It was working last night but... I don't really know what happened. And I am sorry about that... bringing my drama to your front door." Giselle released a much needed deep harboring breath. "Any way. I'll leave the front door open so come over when you get ready." She flashed a smile, trying to finalize things before pivoted on her heels and returning to her own apartment.

Coming inside revealed the opening credits of The Lion King which meant Hope had indeed re-winded it back. Giselle took a seat on the sofa, feeling a bit light-headed. "I ordered take-out. And did you see the note... Keilani has never left a note like that since I've been here. I wonder changes she's talking about." Hoping somewhere that Matthew Granger hadn't gone to complain about badgering tenants coming straight to him, especially her. That was the only thing she could think of. She again grabbed her cell to text Ava, wondering where she had been all day. Probably another photo shoot.

The setting changes from Kohana Creek to Realistic

Setting

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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It seemed like the little drama in the hallway had become something of a spectacle as other people stepped out to investigate. Which, of course, made Matthew want to retreat back into his apartment even more. It was strange how all of the people on the twenty-third floor seemed to be connected in a way, or at least the people in this little scene. All tangled together in a mess of relationships and familial ties until it resembled something like a sitcom or, as it was right now, a network drama. Well, except for him, he was more of the unwilling audience or the secondary character that had brief cameos. The analogy was getting too bizarre and he shook his head, tuning back into the situation at hand.

Piper was asking how Ms. Torres was, concern laced in her tone. Then there was little Hope, evidently being babysat by Ms. Torres, was saying something about lions and laughing dogs. It probably made sense in context, the little girl didn't seem prone to babbling from what he'd seen and heard of her. He couldn't do much else, half hidden behind his door, but watch as Sage beat a hasty retreat, smile almost achingly fake. He felt bad for him as the other man retreated into his apartment only to return and have to pass by everyone on his way out, but instantly cleared the feeling from his mind. Honestly, someone like Matthew feeling bad for an apparently successful businessman like Sage. The idea was almost laughable in a depressing sort of way.

They were left, awkwardly stranded in the hallway in the wake of the little scene, and Matthew wasn't quite sure who was the most uncomfortable- Giselle after having her private matters broadcasted, Piper for stumbling upon the scene, or himself. Yes, it was probably himself, but only because he tended to exist in a state of pure discomfort, weird encounters or not. It was only then that he found out why exactly he'd been drawn out of his apartment. Ms. Torres' air conditioner was on the fritz. Again. He really shouldn't be surprised. There was, after all, a reason that he'd dealt with Ms. Torres the most out of all of his neighbors. Her apartment was practically cursed by a malevolent techno gremlin or something.

He waited politely- what else was he supposed to do?- as Ms. Torres ushered Piper into her apartment with Hope before finally turning to him. She was right, of course, that technically she should be going to Keilani before he was sent over, preferably when no one was home so that he didn't have to deal with people, to fix whatever problem had sprung up. Still, Keilani wasn't much of a stickler for rules and Matthew, despite his oddities, was a decent enough guy. He wasn't going to insist on protocol for something like this, especially for someone like Ms. Torres.

"It's fine," He mumbled, shrugging off the apology with all the grace of someone who usually was the one apologizing and wasn't used to being on the receiving end. "I'll, uh, be over in a minute." With that, he retreated back into his apartment, but instead of collapsing back onto his sofa like he'd planned to do when he'd first heard the knock, Matthew found his way over to the toolbox perched on the coffee table, flicking open the latch for a moment to do a brief inventory. If memory served, he had everything that he'd need for the air conditioner.

It was funny, he decided, as he shut the box with a soft click, that four years ago he wouldn't have known how to do any of this. But the day he made his deal with Keilani, he'd sealed his fate as a handy-man, shadowing the then maintenance man, learning all the tricks of the trade before the older man retired and Matthew took over. There was some trial and error at first, but now it was just old hand. Maybe, he thought sardonically as he exited his apartment, slipping the key into his jeans pocket, if the veterinarian thing didn't work out he could just be a full-time handy-man with a PH.D. Dr. Matthew Granger, handy-man. Had a nice ring to it.

As he was closing the door, he noticed something off. There was a note attached on his and almost every other door in the hallway. He paused, taking the note gently down and looking it over. A meeting? The letter seemed a bit off, not exactly Keilani's style, but he tucked it away anyways. What did he have to lose? It wasn't like he wasn't going to be here tomorrow morning. Anyways, curiosity was already rising in him about what exactly the meeting could be about.

He hesitated outside Ms. Torres' door. Oh course she'd invited him in, but knowing that he'd actually have to face people when inside was a little troubling. Still, he had a job to do, and so, squaring his soldiers or at least attempting to as much as his poor posture allowed, he entered.

"Did the guy fix the temperatures machine yet? " It was Hope, seated on the floor in front of the television. Suddenly the comment about elephant grave yards made sense- The Lion King. A smile almost escaped his lips before he caught it. Disney movies. They never got old.

"I'll be done in a, ah, minute," He offered up in lieu of greeting, breezing by the two women and one girl on the familiar path to the air conditioner. He set the tool box down and rolled up his sleeves exposing surprisingly muscled arms before getting to work, a look of pure concentration covering his face. At least while fiddling with the AC unit he could pretend this was normal and that he wasn't intruding on the little gathering. The problem was relatively simple as he knelt down, hand grasping for a screwdriver before continuing on with his job.

As engrossed in his job as he was, Matthew didn't have the time to keep up his shield of awkwardness and insecurity, instead looking a little more normal as he fiddled around, face relaxed and in the zone. True to his word, the air conditioning started up again, whirring to life after a few minutes, the blessedly cool air wafting through the stuffy apartment, the effect almost instantaneous. Matthew allowed himself a small smile in a sort of mental congratulations as he packed his tools away. At least there was something he could do right. Then the tension seemed to return to his shoulders, social awkwardness once more setting in.

"It's should be, uh, fine now," He offered Ms. Torres as he finally picked his tools up.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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"Perhaps it's just a chance for her to catch up with us and see if we have any problems?"

Giselle shrugged her shoulder before setting her phone down on the coffee table."Mm, maybe. I haven't seen her around lately either." They would only have to wait until tomorrow to find out. Returning tired eyes to the screen revealed the introduction of baby Simba being displayed to all of the habitats of the jungle. The movie was so cute and sad all at the same time. It was then she wondered if this had been the best movie to let Hope watch. Hell, she was a grown ass woman and she still teared up when Mufasa died. Giselle glanced down at the sequined wrist watch she was wearing to check the time.

"Did the guy fix the temperatures machine yet? "

Right as little Hope's voice sounded off, Matthew had entered her place rather quietly. "Oh, there he is now." Smiling She wasn't expecting him to say much. He never did. Always so placatingly much like his dexterous craft at repairing things. And unlike usual where she would watch him work... she chose the latter. "Okay, take your time." Something desolated about him warranted her to ponder his character. Her gaze followed in his direction until he disappeared down the hall. A bit of hesitation on her part from wanting to get up and check on him.

The Cuban returned her attention back to the screen. Every now and again she would hear the sounds of Matthew's ministrations creeping into the living room. Slowly, she stood up from her spot at the sofa. Determined to check on the man at once but a curt know on the door stopped her plans. More than likely it was the delivery man, quickly she headed back to her bedroom to grab her card and a few dollars as a tip. Passing by Matthew on the way.

"Looking good. " She comment him before continuing back on route. Another knock went off at the door just as she answered it. There stand an average Asian male holding a several take-out bags.

"Thirty-eight, ninety-five."

He handed over the bags while he took the card, tip and swiped on his tab. The man thanked her and made his way back down the hall. Elle kicked the door close with her foot as hands were full with bags. "Food's here." Elle called out. She headed into the kitchen and sat the bags on the counter top. A whiff of delicious smelling ethnic food swirled around the kitchen, no doubt halfway through her apartment by now.

Boxes were removed from the plastic bags. The words 'Thank You' plastered several times on the containers. Elle grabbed a few plates from the cabinets, and went into the dining area to lay them out on the table. Next she took the containers of food and chopsticks over as well. When she came back into the living room to grab a pillow for Hope's chair, Matthew had just returned claiming that the air conditioning had been fixed.

"It should be, uh, fine now."

"Oh, thanks... " Giselle headed over to where the man had been standing. "I really appreciate it... I guess I'll start going through Keilani for these things instead of inconveniencing you like this." The smile on Giselle lips slowly curved downward.

"Have you ate yet? I'd like for you to stay for dinner. We aren't gonna finish all that food by ourselves and it's not like you haven't already worked for it. C'mon... you deserve it." The woman went to take his tools while placing a hand on his back, urging him towards the dining place. "Go ahead. Help yourself. I'll put these by the door."

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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#, as written by Issa
Piper Torres


Piper loved her Aunt's apartment, it was so luxurious and comfortable. Piper's own apartment was smaller, cheaper and filled with a range of eclectic items that matched her personality and budget. Piper spent almost as much time at Giselle's as she did in her own apartment. She knew it just as well as her own. Well, almost. She hadn't known that her aunt kept such a vast supply of kids' movies. Or perhaps these were movies that Hope had brought from her own home.

Hope, sitting indian style in front of the television, was already absorbed in the movie. She only turned once from the screen to ask if their air con had been fixed.
The movie had only just began when Mathew, the maintenance man, wondered into the apartment. He held his box of tools in his hand, clearly going to fix the air con. Piper had not had much to do with the man, her apartment rarely needed maintenance and she found that when she did cross him in the hallway there really wasn't much to say.

Piper turned her attention back to the movie as a knock on the door sent Giselle first into her bedroom and then to the apartment door. The takeaways had arrived and Piper felt her stomach rumble in reply to the smell of the food. Piper loved how easily Giselle included people in her plans, especially when she assumed that Piper would stay for dinner - which of course she would. The smell of takeaways was far too tempting to pass up.
"Foods here" Elle called. Piper stood up and glanced down at Hope,
"Ready to eat?" She asked the young girl before wondering through to the dining room.
"It looks great. Thanks Giselle." Piper said, helping her aunt set the table before sitting down. She didn't start eating, waiting for everyone to take their seats first.

From another room in the flat she could hear Mathew telling Giselle that he had finished fixing the air con. Giselle's reply was to invite him to dinner. He entered a moment later, Giselle's hand pushing him lightly through the doorway. Piper smiled at the man and indicated the seat next to her,
"Take a seat," Piper told him, "Come enjoy the food."

Piper wasn't scared of talking to strangers and she liked to think that she could make pretty good conversation when she tried. It was also easier for her when she felt comfortable and if there was anywhere other than her own apartment where she felt comfortable, it was Giselle's place.

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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As little Hope watched Scar being introduce into the movie, she began to regret rewinding it all the way back to it's the beginning. She just watched all these parts less than half an hour ago, and she predicted every line that was said and done. However, Hope didn't regret having rewound it back past the musical parts again. Hope really enjoyed it when the animals began singing and dancing. She would have got up and danced along, if there hadn't been a knock at the door.

Little Hope gasped aloud and whipped her head over her shoulder. The first thought that came to her mind was "Mommies here." Yet, as she glanced up at the clock on the wall, saying it was almost Nine O Clock, she realized it wasn't her mother. Oh well. Hope closed her gaping mouth and went back to watching the TV screen.

"Foods here" Giselle announced. Hope turned her head about around and, this time her whole body. "Ready to eat?" asked Piper, following Elle into the Dining room. Little Hope stood up and with a wide grin, she shouted, "Yeah!" The girl followed Piper into the Dining room, and attempted to help her set up the table, (though she probably only did forks and spoons.) Once the table was set, Hope hurriedly found her spot around the table and climbed into her high-chair.

Little Hope and Piper watched as Matthew was being brought into the Dinning room with them. Hope raised her eyebrows to some degree, a little confused to why he was going to eat with them.. Oh well, she thought, shrugging her shoulders and slowly looking down at her plate. Hope stared at it for a moment, feeling like she's forgotten something. The noises from the living room quickly reminded her of what it was. Hope quickly raised her hand and said, "Wait! Wait, I'll be right back. I have to do something." Hope squirmed out of her high-chair and got down on the ground. She crawled under the table, then ran into the living room. Hope stopped at the TV, raised her arm to press pause, then quickly ran back into the Dining room. She waited until she was back into her chair, to which she said, "Okay now! We can eat the food."

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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The work had been relatively quick, the sounds of The Lion King trailing into the otherwise silent room adding a soft background noise as he fiddled with the air conditioning unit. It was lucky, perhaps, that the AC wasn't in the living room or somewhere where he would feel like he had an audience. Just complete solitude, well, apart from Ms. Torres stopping in for a quick comment. As awkward as it made him feel, which wasn't very different from his normal state of being, it was nice- well, Ms. Torres was nice. Going out of her way to thank him and occasionally just say hello in passing. It wasn't something that he was generally used to, but it wasn't anything he would complain about. Not that he was about to become her best friend or anything, just a side note as he finished up. However, that being noted, he didn't expect to be stopped before he left, apart from maybe a little thank you or something in passing.

"I really appreciate it... I guess I'll start going through Keilani for these things instead of inconveniencing you like this." He paused, blinking for a moment as her lips quirked downwards into a frown. Did she really think...? That was probably giving Matthew more credit than he was due given the only thing she'd interrupted or "inconvenienced" was him being literally bored to sleep.

"It wasn't any inconvenience," He hastily assured her, eyes drifting momentarily to her face, not quite meeting her eyes, before they trailed back down to the floor, almost like a sheepish child. "It's my job after all." He tried for a little smile, just a tiny bit of reassurance.

The next moment was a bit of a blur. One second she was asking him to stay for dinner- which, really, she didn't have to and he wasn't sure if he really wanted to anyways- and the next she'd taken his tool box and guided him into the dining area and Piper seconding the motion, indicating the seat next to her. Contrary to popular belief, Matthew was actually quite bright which could be a bit of a pain in some situations. Like right now, for instance. His mind was conjuring up a million reasons why he shouldn't stay, why he should go back to his room, maybe cook something for himself or splurge on his own take-away, and seclude himself instead of intruding(he may have been invited but it still felt like intruding) on this little gathering.

For once, however, he decided to hush his nagging mind and take something of a chance. To most people the idea that having dinner with neighbors was "taking a chance" would be almost laughable, but that just showed how good he had gotten at routinely secluding himself. There was a little part of his mind urging him to stay because he had been getting better and, worst case scenario, everything was uncomfortable and he never had to do this again. Besides, the delicious aroma of the food still in their boxes was temptation enough, reminding his empty stomach that it had been more than a few hours since the last time he had eaten.

"I..." He paused for a moment, wobbling on the edge. Well, may as well take the plunge. "Thanks. Thank you, I will." He found his way to the offered seat next to Piper, flashing her a bit of a smile because that was the polite thing to do, wasn't it? But he didn't exactly dig in. As socially stupid as he claimed to be, certain manners had been drilled so deeply into his consciousness by his grandmother that the idea of eating before his hostess or anyone else was practically appalling. Besides, he needed to wrack his mind to figure out if he actually remembered how to use chopsticks short of spearing the food with one like a primitive fork.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Eloise Pardon Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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Elle had hoped she wasn't being to forward by asking Matthew to stay for dinner. Although he did truly deserve it. And her mother always taught her to take care of the man who looks after the household, however she was sure when Maria said 'man' she meant husband and not the maintenance man. By the way things were going finding a husband wouldn't happen anytime soon because the once thoughtful loving man that stole her heart hadn't been the same behind closed doors. Giselle glanced over to Matthew, still so quiet. He still appeared to not be comfortable with being in her presence. The vacant state on her features making her look lost in a dimension of confusion. Coming too, she realized she had still been staring at him for a while and lowered her eyes to the table before shoving chopsticks full of rice into her mouth. Hoping that he didn't find that weird. Finding something to excuse herself, anything that would delineate her to leave the table. 'Right, drinks!' Standing up from her seat she offered the explanation, "I'm gonna' get some drinks, be right back." The woman migrated over to the kitchen to retrieve a few cans of soda. She returned and placed one by everyone's table side.

Diner seemed to be going great until she suddenly felt bile rising in her throat. That nauseating, god forsaken feeling which started occurring more often than she wanted. She tried to ignore it, swallowing back roughly and placing a hand over her mouth while using the other to poke at the shrimp fried rice. But the smell turned into something horrid rather than the saporous scent first welcomed. However, ignoring it this time wouldn't work. Giselle new it was coming so she scooted her chair away from the table again which gained everyone's attention in the process. "Excuse me." Alibiing herself, Elle rouse from her seat with urgency and headed out into the living room to reach her bedroom, wanting not to alarm anyone.

.......................

Down the hall, sitting on the wintry adamant flooring was Elle, gently wiping her mouth with a washcloth. Giselle closed her eyes while leaning her head against the edge of the cold porcelain bathtub. She shivered exceedingly on the account of her exposed legs being subject to floor. For the last past week she found it easier to ignore, to forget all about the miniature problem growing inside. And yet her mind couldn't wrap around the fact that for the next eighteen years her life could possibly include financial, emotional and physical responsibility of another human being. Taking care of herself hadn't been the easiest thing. Giselle came to realization that she would never want to be in this situation alone. An abortion seemed probable and for plausible reasons -- she could at least count them out. But as she tried to scrape together all the logical defenses her intellect was there to adjourn the proceedings. It was frustrating not being able to come up with a justified answer while trying to piece together the puzzle that was her cognizance. After gaining more of her strength, she stood up, pulled down her shorts and moved over to the sink. Facing herself in the mirror wasn't as easy at it looked -- especially after those sort of thoughts crossed her mind.

'Don't judge me.' She told herself. Giselle reached for her toothbrush, squeezing a generous amount of toothpaste over the bristles and began to polish her mouth. 'It wouldn't make me a bad person... would it? Every so often she'd return the brush under the running tap before reinserting it to her mouth. The abhorrent aftertaste steadily being replaced by a minty tang. 'Lot's of people women do it...' She continued to stare at herself through the reflecting glass. She was tired; it showed. Everything from the frown marking her lips to the drowsiness faceted in her eyes. 'It'd be like nothing ever happened.' There was a sense of loneliness and sadness placed in them, but she had no one to blame for it except herself. This short lived pregnancy was begging to take a toll on her. Never did she imagine it to be like this, it felt more like a deadly sickness instead of a miracle. 'My life could go back to normal.' Keeping her sight on the mirror for a few seconds longer, she finally lingered over to the door and pulled it open. 'No one would ever know.' The false smile falling into place as she re-entered the dining area. Giselle took her original seat, her appetite clearly gone. She glanced up an offered Hope a bantam smile.

"Matthew?... You wouldn't happen to know anything about the notes? I mean Keilani has never left notes in the past."

But could she live with the disgrace?






Not that he was an complete ass, just the ongoing usage of cocaine was beginning to take a toll on his behavior. From him being his usual smart-Alec self to his sarcastic and somewhat vulgar humor, one could say Sebastian wasn't himself. That last intake of 'white girl' delivered the final blow in pushing him overboard. Had he have been sober this whole scenario might have went a little differently, perhaps he'd felt inclined to let the stripper go. Nothing though could have prepared him for when Eloise got up and left the room. At first he figured the blonde to be getting more familiar with Brandi but when she continued past her, a look of disdain crossed his features. "Where the fuck are you going Eli!" Making sure to add an extra hint of acrimony on the word 'fuck'. Quickly jumping up from his spot on the sofa, Sebastian yanked open the door to yell out another malevolent locution. "Yeah well fuck you too, Eli!" Causing a few of the patrons to turn back in his direction. Instead of furthering his direct vivacity on the AWOL female, Sebastian chose to close the door with what little bit of nobility he had left.'Look at you, screaming after some 'bitch' -- using the word as an connotation of his annoyance with Eloise and not a insult of character. His articulation may have not been the best choice of airing his feelings, but he was never one to have complete control over his emotions to begin with.

Pitifully he returned back to his spot on the sofa, sinking down lower than his mental equilibrium had already done to him. "Her name is Hope, not that kid," The words... that voice almost like an echo through the entire relatively small lounge room. Sebastian brought an angered hand to rest at his mouth, covering the downward curvature of his lips. He wasn't happy. And hearing Brandi correct him on the mentioning of her child did little to calm his nerves. Of course he could put up a facade, a pseudo stature like he always did but he was too far gone. Even now, being alone in a room with a beautiful woman such as she, able to comfortably look over all her curves without seeming perverted immoral. Sebastian had just felt taken advantage of. Here he was risking himself by sneaking Eloise into this club, going so far as to make sure she received a private show and this is how she repays him. By getting up and walking off. "Hope..." A unparalleled name for such an unparalleled girl. "Cute... cute kid." The sand-haired man turned his head off to the side. Six hundred buck practically down the drain, his high officially ruined now turning into an salient aggravation.

"Can you believe that... show a lady a good time -- provide her with a beautiful woman such as yourself and what does she do? Break my balls. Nah, I don't need that shit. Girls like her come a dime dozen." Still upset by the matter at hand, Sebastian concluded that he would just have to handle Eloise at a later time. He returned his attention back to Brandi, a step in the right direction as his conscience was no longer referring to her as 'the stripper'. "You must see a lot of real slime balls coming in and out of here. And you're probably standing there in that glittery little outfit thinking the same thing about me." Sebastian rose to his feet, his facial semblance a bit callous as he took tantalizing steps forward, guiding Brandi backwards until he was sure her back had met the wall. Gazing down at the radiant ivory-skinned woman, Sebastian imagined leaning in, seizing her lips to a chaste kiss but knew it would only result in two things. One; getting slapped and two; being escorted out by one of the bouncers. But a want to release his cardinal urges passed over yet he knew this woman wouldn't be willing and that peeved him. The tilting of his head to meet her eyes, the lowering of his voice to get his point across. "But don't fucking judge me, okay. You don't know me and I don't know you." He whispered into her ear, his warm breath caressing her ear, the sweet smell of fragrance scenting his tickled nose. The young man leaned up from the proximity of the woman, lids drifting lowly over his bloodshot eyes. "So, as far as I'm concerned... you're still that chick from Kohana Creek with the kid..." In his somewhat hazily state of mind, Sebastian whisked a loose strand of hair away from her forehead. "See you around, 'Brandi'."

Once again the uncontrollable stentorian music percussed him in the face once he opened the door. He chose to leave Brandi. Maybe it had something to with knowing he was no longer in control of the situation after Eloise had taken off or just his way of coming down from his high. But now he needed to get out there, out of that small room and away from this. Sebastian closed the door behind him, a part of feeling upset that Eloise had actually disappeared with the cash and coke he had given her. "Fuck it." The man headed over to the bar and took an empty seat and lifted a finger at the bartender, indicating that he wanted a drink. "Bourbon, double"Sebastian turned in his chair, eyes darting over to the center stage where he saw a blonde-haired girl dancing. And then finally finding two familiar individuals, one being Mr. Blackwood, the boss of his best friend. The other as the guy who always where's suits. 'Sam-something'. He turned back just s the bartender set out his drink. So long for the perfect Friday night.

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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It was only when dinner had begun that Matthew had looked up from his still empty plate, just to give a cursory glance around the small table. There was Piper next to him and Hope across the table with Ms. Torres who was... staring at him. He dropped his gaze again instantly, opting to dish out his own food instead, hardly glancing at what the containers held before putting a small portion on his plate. She had invited him, right? It hadn't been a sort of paranoid delusion on his part? Or maybe, that nagging doubt in his mind added, she hadn't expected him to agree and it had all just been polite niceties since the food had arrived while he was still over. Instead of feeding his fears and anxiety, however, he opted to feed his now quietly rumbling stomach. Which, as it turned out, was more difficult than he previously thought.

As Ms. Torres left in a hurry to get drinks, he fumbled awkwardly with his chopsticks, wracking his mind for the proper way to hold them. It ended up looking like a complete mess as he nearly dropped the utensils try to pick up a piece of chicken. And the more he struggled, the more a rosy coloration took over his face, embarrassment from his own self-consciousness. There he was acting like an idiot around two admittedly beautiful women and the petite darling of the twenty-third floor. Maybe this dinner hadn't been such a great idea after all.

Later on, after he'd gotten something of a hang of the chopsticks(he still admittedly looked like an idiot using them, but his method still worked) and was no longer threatening to accidentally let one of them fly out of his hand or stab himself in the eye, the dinner did improve. It was almost pleasant, really, a little domestic even. It wasn't all that rare to have company for dinner, but usually when he did, it was with Simon and his daughter with whom he admittedly felt at ease. Here, among practical strangers, well, neighbors who he'd lived near for maybe four years, but strangers all the same, it was starting to be okay. He didn't participate in the conversation, but managed to speak up once or twice in something more than a mumbled comment. Which is why he was visibly startled when Ms. Torres suddenly scooted her seat back and excused herself, looking like she was about to be sick as she hurried away.

Awkwardness descended over them, an effect of the sudden departure, and he tried not to pick at his food, pushing the leftover rice delicately coated with soy sauce into a little pattern on his plate. He made a conscious effort not to listen for any retching in the other room, keeping his mind on the table in front of him. Hopefully it had been a false alarm or something, but, when she returned, he didn't have the heart to ask. Her smile was fake, achingly so, but maybe that was just from his own expertise in giving fake smiles. When she suddenly changed the subject, an obvious attempt to keep anyone from asking questions, he went with it. After being invited to dinner and for all of her kind smiles, he could at least do that.

"Um," He swallowed his last bit of rice(and wouldn't his mother be so proud? He'd actually cleared his plate), taking a sip of soda to follow it up before speaking. "I don't. I mean, I just got my note too." He hesitated for a moment, a pensive look crossing his face. "That really doesn't seem like her... I hope there's nothing wrong." There was silence for a moment afterward that genuine moment of concern before he seemed to realize that he was done.

"Oh, uh, thanks for the dinner, by the way. I'll just..." He trailed off lamely, not sure if he was expected to offer to go or to help clean up.

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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#, as written by Issa
Piper


Piper hadn't realised how hungry she was until the food arrived. A full day of study with little breaks had meant that there had been limited time for a decent meal. Once everyone was seated and Hope had run back into the lounge to pause the movie they began. Piper dug in, helping herself to a little bit of everything. She missed the vacant stare that Giselle gave Mathew, more focused on her plate than on the other members of the party. It wasn't until Giselle stood up announcing that she was bringing drinks that Piper realised with a pang of guilt that she hadn't been at all sociable.

"Enjoying the food?" Piper asked Hope, catching a piece of pork between her chopsticks and popping it into her mouth. Out of the corner of her eye Piper could make out Mathew struggling with his chopsticks. The utensils looked awkward in his grip and Piper could see his face growing redder by the minute. Piper bit her lip, debating with herself whether or not he would appreciate her help. In the end she decided against it, she didn't know him that well and she didn't want to make him feel any more uncomfortable. Thankfully he seemed to get the hang of them quickly enough.

"Excuse me" Giselle's words caught Piper's attention. They seemed off and as she looked up Piper was disturbed to see the expression on Giselle's face. She looked like she was about to be sick. Piper pushed her seat back, ready to follow her aunt out of the dining room. Then she thought better of it, she didn't want to crowd Giselle or make a big deal out of something that could potentially be nothing... Still Piper's dinner didn't go down so easily after her aunt left the table and Piper found herself glancing up towards the door every few seconds. When Giselle did reappear, a smile plastered onto her face, Piper found the worry for her aunt increasing.

"Matthew?... You wouldn't happen to know anything about the notes? I mean Keilani has never left notes in the past." Giselle turned the attention towards Mathew, stopping any possible queries into the reason for her absence. Piper frowned slightly, her concern only rising at her Aunt's tone of voice. There was definitely something wrong. Piper would wait until she was alone with Giselle before asking her what was going on, she doubted whatever her aunt was keeping secret was fit for the ears of little Hope.

Mathew answered Giselle's question, voicing the concern that most of the residents must have felt. Keilani had never left notes before.
To take her mind off the increasing worry Piper felt for both Giselle and Keilani she stood up and began to clear the plates. One glance at Giselle's face told Piper that her aunt could do with a rest. Besides it was Piper's way of paying her aunt back for the food.
"I'll do the dishes." Piper said, hoping that Giselle got the message to stay put. Knowing her aunt though there was as good a chance as any that she would ignore the message.

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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Hope sat quietly while eating her food. She had a little bit of fried rice, and half a box of sweet and sour chicken. Normally, the little girl would be more talkative during dinner time. But with these new guests at the table, she felt a little unsure about it. There almost seemed to be a little less to talk about.. Hope stuffed her cheeks full of chicken and chewed on it for a long time.

"Enjoying the food?" Piper asked. Hope turned her head and gulped down the chicken. "Yeah, it's good. I like Chinese food." Hope answered, looking back down into her noodles and using the chopsticks to grab a tight hold of them.

Hope had eaten Chinese food so many times at Giselle's house, it feels almost.. 'alien' to use forks and spoons anymore. She was 'skilled' with using chopsticks, however, this one piece of chicken just wouldn't want to hold. Try after try, Hope eventually just used one chopstick to stab through it, making a small clank against the plate before it was shoved into her mouth almost furiously.

Eventually, the girl's plate was licked clean and she was completely full. She laid back in her high-chair and closed her eyes, letting the food settle.

"Oh, uh, thanks for the dinner, by the way. I'll just..." Matthew mumbled, seeming a little unsure of what he wanted to say. Hope sat back up and looked around the table for a moment before resting her eyes on Matthew. She smiled, an idea beginning to form. "Hey Mr. Matthew, we could play a game." Hope suggested. She climbed out of her high-chair quickly, and went to go tug on his arm. "It's gonna be fun, I promise!" The young girl exclaimed. Hope turned her gaze over to Giselle without bothering to hear Mathew's response. "Ooh, could get the bag, please!"

Setting

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Character Portrait: Eloise Pardon Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Sage Blackwood Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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"I don't. I mean, I just got my note too. That really doesn't seem like her... I hope there's nothing wrong."

Elle had been long done with her food, by this point she only sitting at the table because everyone else was still eating. From time to time she would take a sip of the soda. The bubbly acids gliding down her throat in the hopes of calming her stomach. It was about that time for dinner to conclude concisely. She had hoped Matthew enjoyed his time. A constant coming from Piper was enough to let her know she had questions. Giselle went over several excuses...'the food was bad' ...'she ate to fast'. Several pragmatic reasons on why she left the table could be put to use. But she hoped Piper minded hers. Bad enough the grotesque thoughts of killing her unborn child maneuvered into her mind. Oddly, the idea of lying to her young niece aghasted her. However, what was she supposed to say? 'I'm pregnant Piper but I'm thinking of having an abortion.' What would she think of her? The sense of being judged is what ultimately kept the arcane concealed.

The sound of the familiar voice startled her, and caused Elle to look up Piper's direction. "I'll do the dishes." 'Thanks Piper'... Had she just answered her niece in connotation. "Oh, thanks Piper" The woman replied, watching as her niece rose from her chair and began to clear the table. It was definitely a relief that she wouldn't have to deal with the ablution of the dishes. She surrendered a genuine smile, at least one she had a purpose for having. Elle glanced down to her wristwatch finding that it was getting a bit late, Charity would be here for Hope in approx. an hour and a half. After that, it was smooth sailing with the bed and the pillow.

"Oh, uh, thanks for the dinner, by the way. I'll just..." Matthew's quiet voice sounded off. Those were departing words, well, words to prepare for his take-off. Not that it bothered her, she just didn't feel that he enjoyed his time. He was one of those types of men that kept to himself and it was clear he was out of his comfort zone. After only speaking to him a few times, all of which related to the maintenance, it was still obvious that his nature was...reserved. So saying that she expected him to start going inhumane -- jumping off tables was out of the question. Yet, Elle worried about him. Worried about him in an felicitous way the appropriated whatever 'friendship' they had; if it was even a friendship at all, more so neighbor-ship. Either way, there was something about him that riveted her. And it had absolutely nothing to do with gender indifference but just sensing peculiar vibes from him. Though there he was, sitting throughout dinner occasionally fumbling with the chopsticks and evading any sort of eye contact.

She planned to respond, to put a end to his terror which meant he could leave whenever he pleased. But little Hope beat her to the punch. Well in this case, she didn't actually deliver the final blow. "Hey Mr. Matthew, we could play a game. It's gonna be fun, I promise!" That sweet angelic voice somehow returned her back to the present. Elle could only imagine what Hope wanted to play. Monopoly? Candyland? Any board game known to man, Hope knew, and played quite well seeing as she beat Elle on several occasions without even letting her. "Ooh, could you get the bag, please!" Though that wasn't until she heard the little girls next words. 'That bag'. The bag Elle had made for Hope whenever she visited and wanted to play dress-up. It contained brushes, blushes, various lipsticks, eyeliners and mascara. Every now and again would the woman need to bring out. Lately Hope had been satisfied with just watching movies. But seeing as she had a new prospect, Elle understood. The Cuban looked over to Matthew, a sort of glint in her eyes. She never had to say 'no' before to Hope. A part of her never felt comfortable with denying anything for her. Mathew could always say no to helping her dress up. "Go ahead, Hope. You know where it is." She said. If all fails, Elle could always substitute for him although she knew just as well as Hope that it 'wouldn't be the same.' Once the little girl had pranced out of the room, Giselle stood up and asked for Matthew to follow. "C'mon... I'm sure she'll drag you in here either way." Elle stated, now leading him back into the leaving room. Her bottom yet once again met the soft cushions of the sofa. "She's an enthusiast." A good kid she was....a real good kid. Yet she felt somewhat sorry for whatever Hope had in mind for Matthew.






Sebastian sat there on the tall bar stool almost waiting for something to happen. Perhaps he was waiting on Eli to come running in, begging on her hands and knees to be forgiven or even waiting for the beautiful stripper to come out and unveil her undying want to please him. It's not like he hadn't already paid for it. Just sitting there at the bar, gorging on drink after drink started getting old. An old Hawaiian man sitting on the right of him kept going on how his son had came out of the closest and how he'd never get those grandchildren he wanted. It was all real nice. But suddenly someone bumped into him, not just anyone but Mr. Blackwood. Sebastian just didn't have the time or apparatus to be bothered. No, he had other fish to fry. A blonde haired fish. However, he did finish nursing his current cup of Jack Daniels before standing abruptly. "Your old man must be real proud... I won't be bringing my son here anytime soon." The older man sulked in his misery created by himself. His son's sexuality shouldn't reflect on the man's distress. Instead he should be there for him. "That blows... I feel real bad for you- your son. I feel bad that he has to put up with such an asshole for a father." Of course that comment had earned him an hostile stare but it was unwarranted. The young man simply tossed two 'twankies' on the counter and made his way out.

......................

Instantly the cool air brought forth a new sense of unfounded revelations. The bar had become quite stuffy, in fact constricting and Sebastian knew if he didn't get out of there when he did then something bad was going to go down. As much as he tried, the anger just wasn't disappearing. If anything the alcohol did little to calm his nerves. He began to walk... Not really sure where he was going but one thing was certain, he was intoxicated. Shit-faced actually, a perfect time to revel in some blow. Subconsciously he dug his hands into his pockets, finding it absent of a certain bag. "Where the hell-" Couldn't have been the club -- until the quick memory of being in the VIP room with Eloise in the form of a flashback. "A little nose candy before the show." The visage of him passing Eloise the bag after taking a line dealing of drugs.Returning back to his current state of mind led him on a different route. He was livid. His steps quickened, displaying pure asperity. Sebastian clenched his hands so tightly that they were turned achromatic. Taking his money was one thing, but taking his drugs... oh they were playing in a completely different ball park all together. Eloise had fucked up, little did she know.

Sebastian hit the elevator button twice before it finally opened on it''s hinges. Just a few more seconds until he reached the twenty-third floor. He shook his head, his mentality was offset. But surprisingly, he was scared. Scared because he didn't quite know what he would do. Dusty blue eyes were brought down to investigate his shaking hands. That sort thing happened lately, more so because his usage with cocaine began to increase ever since he started hanging out with Eloise. The things he told her, the things he did to her and now what? He was starting to feel abandoned though deep down he would never admit to it. Lately his best friend Severin had been too busy with work and Piper to spend time with him. If only he knew... His own father was to caught up with work and his wife to attend to his own son. Sebastian never took to well to being alone. Not that it was anything brand new. Ding!The doors to the elevator slid open. A quiet sophisticated hall came into view. His first steps off the elevator was sealed after he past by his own door, not paying any mind to the notes plastered over several doors. Instead, Sebastian continued until he reached the last door of the hall. Eloise.

He almost had a hard time at getting his breath under control. For a while he simply stood there staring at the number 1109 branded into the door. A constant battle brewing in his mind over going through with this or not. Certain scenarios playing out in head. "Bitch deserves it." He mumbled under his breath. 'Fuck it' He placed a hand over the doorknob and another onto the door as he applied his full weight. Without really giving it much thought, he slowly turned the knob. One could only imagine the expression on his face after it continued to turn. A sinister grin formed over his lips as all he could think was how stupid she had to be for leaving her door open. Entering her apartment brought the heart-stopping thrills coming with breaking and entering. As he slipped past the threshold, quilted brightness casted the living room. But he had been here times before so it didn't matter either way, light or not. Sebastian quietly closed the door behind him, only allowing a almost soundless click to be heard. Everything seemed to be in place. Her art books, camera, magazines and what have you. A hiccup passed through his lips when began to descend further into her apartment. Rounding down the hall to her bedroom... that's where she kept the 'good' shit.

The door to Eloise bedroom slowly crept opened. A figure slid in between the crack. Standing with her back facing him was Eli as she appeared to be straightening up her bedsheets. He glanced over to her nightstand and then to the vintage clock sitting on top of it. 10:40 P.M. Enough time had already been wasted. Without further adieu, he began to move. If it wasn't for the vexation with her then he might have took this in another direction but that was not the case here. Sebastian grabbed a hold of Eli, nearly knocking her to the ground. Large hands were brought to her neck while pushing her back onto the bed, effectively wedging himself in between her legs. He wrapped them around her throat, applying just enough pressure to alarm the young woman. "Don't scream... don't fight..." He glanced down into her mesmerizing blue hues. "You know what I could do you... Do you know, Eli!" He bellowed into her face. "I could hurt you... but you know what? I won't." Sebastian tightened his grip around her slender neck. "But you know better than to fuck with my shit. I told you not to play games with me." Pause. "Cause I can make living here hell for you and you know that." His voice softened, considerably.

"I don't wanna' hurt you, Eli but your gonna' make me do something I'll regret. Now, go get my shit." Sebastian released the hold on her throat and grabbed by the arm, snatching her up off the bed. "Where is it?" He clutch the bed sheets along with snatching them off. And then he moved over to one of the drawers, pulling it open and rummaged through it. Throwing panties and bras out behind him. After emptying it he pulled it out of the socket completely. "Where the fuck is my shit!" Again his tirade continued. Ripping open draw after drawer and throwing them down until he found nothing. The longer Sebastian continued the more it looked as if a hurricane had manifested. Obviously he was fed up, it was evident when he went back over the blonde and pushed her against the wall. He brought his hands to her face to cup her cheeks. "You have about three seconds... two..."

Setting

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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Matthew continued to stay in his seat as Piper collected the dishes, clearing the table and disappearing into the kitchen to wash the remnants of the night's dinner. It was strange, not knowing what he was supposed to do after dinner. If he'd been by himself, he'd be the one washing up or, on particularly bad nights, he'd leave it in the sink for the morning. Even when eating with Simon and his daughter there was a routine to follow- he'd help wash up before joining in with whatever activity they had planned for the evening. Here, however, there was no routine to follow, no set actions and he found himself completely and utterly lost. Routine was safe, it was comforting and just by joining his neighbors, relative strangers, for dinner, he felt like a fish out of water.

It wasn't that he wasn't grateful that he'd been invited to diner, even if he couldn't really fathom why Ms. Torres had done so, it was just... He didn't know. He didn't lift his eyes from the table top, instead tracing little patterns in it with his gaze as he went through his options. Leaving still seemed to be the best course to go, retreating into his apartment like a turtle back into its shell. Safe if a bit lonely, but he'd imposed enough on Ms. Torres' hospitality. It wasn't as if they were friends, just neighbors who occasionally spoke, so Matthew hanging around afterwards would be not only pushing his luck but it would make everyone uncomfortable since he was reasonably sure that Ms. Torres wasn't the sort of person to actually kick someone out of her apartment.

"Hey Mr. Matthew, we could play a game. It's gonna be fun, I promise!"

He was broken from his increasingly depressing thoughts by the little girl's exclamation, turning his gaze to her, eyes wide almost like a deer caught in the headlights. That was, well, unexpected, to be quite honest. He had no idea what had spurred the suggestion or ever her enthusiasm. Children had the horrific habit of being extremely blunt, uncensored in a way that was both refreshing and, for their parents, unerringly embarrassing. So, the fact that she wanted to play a game with him was something even his dour mind couldn't misconstrue as a duty or simple hospitality like he could for Ms. Torres or Piper.

Without waiting for a response, Hope was already tugging him from his seat- he let her, not putting up any sort of resistance either out of shock or an attempt not to upset the darling of the twenty-third floor- but his eyes turned quickly to Ms. Torres, hesitation clearly painted on his face as if to ask, 'Is this okay?' Part of him wanted her to quietly correct Hope and tell the girl to leave him be, to provide a quick escape for their neighbor. Then again, he wasn't sure what he had expected- he wasn't sure if he would ever meet someone who could deny Hope what she wanted.

"Oh, um, all right," He finally agreed, giving up escape as futile once Giselle didn't voice any opposition. He may be awkward and socially inept, but even he didn't want to upset a little girl. Besides, it couldn't be too bad, could it? Probably just a board game or a video game or whatever it was little girls enjoyed doing these days. Hope was saying something about Ms. Torres getting her bag and, yes, that sounded a bit ominous as Giselle sent Hope to get the bag herself. He was already having flashbacks to growing up with his sisters, wracking his mind for what exactly awaited him. Could it be Barbies? He could remember many a day being forced to play with dolls with his older sisters. Oh, this did not bode well. Wait, did little girls even play with Barbies even more? Was that still a thing?

Tugged once more from his jumble of thoughts, Matthew was guided into the living room by an almost apologetic sounding Giselle. He took a seat on the opposite side of the couch, hands folded in his lap as he glanced around nervously. The television screen held a paused image of The Lion King, a frozen picture of a young Simba with Mufasa spread across the screen, stopped mid word.

"She seems like a good kid," He commented quietly, unknowingly agreeing with Giselle's thoughts. And she did, really. She didn't terrorize her neighbors like some of the children on other floors of Kohana Creek did and, from what he had seen today and a few times before, Hope seemed like a bright, enthusiastic child.

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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#, as written by Issa
Piper Torres


Piper, strangely enough, actually enjoyed doing the dishes. Alright, so perhaps enjoy was too strong a word, but she didn't find it such a chore as other things. She cleared the table, scrapping the remains of each plate into the bin. From the dining room she could hear Hope eagerly dragging Mathew through to the lounge so that he could join her in one of her games. Piper wasn't sure what game Hope was thinking of but as Giselle didn't seem to protest against it Piper had to assume that it wasn't anything too bad. No doubt if Giselle thought the game would make Mathew feel too uncomfortable than she would have stepped in... right?

Piper's mind wondered as she ran the hot water and began to rinse the plates. Now that her latest assignment was in she had little school work to fret about, leaving plenty of space in her mind to ponder the Keilani's letter and Giselle's odd behaviour at dinner. Both were out of place. Piper would find out the reason for keilani's letter tomorrow at the meeting but Giselle... she would have to talk to her aunt later when it was just the two of them.

Not thinking Piper turned the tap, meaning to turn it off but instead turning it on full. A spray of water erupted from the pipe and Piper jumped back with a small exclamation. Quickly stepping forward again she flicked the tap off, properly this time, and took in the damage. The kitchen bench was blessedly clear of water, or at least it was only a small amount that she could easily wipe up. Piper's clothes were another matter entirely. Her shirt was soaked. She gave a huff of annoyance.
She wasn't a clumsy girl, anyone lacking sleep like she was could have made the same mistake. Piper grabbed a tea towel and quickly cleaned herself up as best she could. The water stain was cold but thankfully she was wearing a dark top, restricting any awkward see-through situations.
Then, making sure to fully concentrate on what she was doing, Piper got back to the dishes. There actually weren't all that many since dinner had just been takeaways and before long Piper was putting the cleaned plates away and wiping the bench.

She left the kitchen and headed back into the lounge. There Giselle sat watching as Hope played her game with Mathew. Piper barely had time to take the scene in before a loud shattering sound echoed down the 23rd corridor. Although dampened by the distance and the walls of Giselle's apartment the sound was still loud enough to be heard, at least for Piper who was the closest to the door. Piper turned her head towards the door of Giselle's apartment, as if that would help her figure out what the noise had been. Then she turned back to Giselle and Mathew, wondering if they had heard.
"What was that?" She asked them, she was almost willing to ignore the sound if no one else had heard it.

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Character Portrait: Hope Louis Character Portrait: Matthew Granger Character Portrait: Piper Torres Character Portrait: Giselle Torres
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Hope loved it when she had someone to play around with. Most of the time she did all of her playing at school, with other kids. But when an adult agreed to, things got exciting. The little girl dragged Matthew down into the living room, and did her best to shove him into a chair. Although it was so close to bed time, she had a sudden 'sugar rush' from all the soda she just drank. "Stay here." She ordered Matthew, a wide smile on her face. Hope ran off down the small hall to Giselle's room, and got "the bag". Quickly did she return with her arms wrapped around a sparkling pink purse, obviously being filled with something as girly as it's container looked.

Little Hope sat down on the arm rest and began fiddling with the zipper on top. Once it was opened, Hope reached in and grabbed a tube of cherry red lipstick. "We're gonna play the princess game, okay Mr.Matthew?" Hope asked, her question sounding more like an order than a question. "I'm gonna dress you up, and then you gotta dress me up!" Hope didn't wait for his answer. She undid the cap on the lipstick tube, spun the bottom, and painted the red all over his lips. After half a minute, she removed the lipstick from his mouth and put the cap back on it. "Alright, you have to smack your lips together Mr. Matthew." Hope instructed him. She put away the lipstick, and now got out the purple eye shadow. "Alright now, this goes on your eyes. Close your eyes Mr. Matthew." Hope made sure to instructed the man on everything she was about to do to him, in case he had anything to object to. But the moment she stopped talking she started working, so there really wasn't that much time to interrupt anyway.

Hope sat up on her knees and placed one hand on his shoulder. Gently, she began stroking his eyelids with the tip of the brush. The shade of purple on his eyelids didn't really match very well with the shade of red on his lips, but to Hope, everything looked stunning. Make-up made everyone look better, she believed.... Or with Mr. Matthew, she hoped.

After his eyelids were done, Hope took a small break to find the blush. Her tiny fingers rubbed against all the different containers, but nothing had the small square shape of blush. She grew a little frustrated there for a second, until she caught glimpse of a thin black cylinder. She grabbed that instead, thinking that the mascara should go on next.

"Alright, Mr. Matthew. This is mascara, and it goes on your eyelashes. You need to keep your eyes still or it will hurt, okay Mr. Matthew?" Hope twisted the cap and pulled out the thin black brush. She rubbed it against the side of the tube, and prepared to put it on him. But just before she did, an small clash sounded off. Hope was frozen still, confused and startled by it. "What was that?" Piper asked, coming into the room now. Hope blinked, and looked towards the door. "...Maybe it was..." Hope trailed off, really having no idea what that noise could have been. Subconsciously, the little girl found herself sitting a little closer to Matthew.