Winter 2015: Miles & The Thieves Guild

[Ult_Sm86]

"That's difficult to do." Miles pointed out. "You're asking me to hack into and then crack a system I'm not only unfamiliar with, but a system I don't feel comfortable with because of the legal ramifications. This is..." He looked at the screen and frowned even more.

"It's too difficult."

Hobbie bent down next to his nephew and gripped the young boy's shoulder. Tightly. The squeeze was not really one of reassurance but more of added pressure.

"Miles, I didn't know that your little thinker had a limit..." he tapped Miles' temple, rather hard actually. "You need to try a bit harder, eh?"

"Uncle Hobbie, this isn't that simple. What you're asking me to do? It's beyond unethical. It's treacherous. To the people who have helped me, who have tried to train me and --"

"Boy, they ain't family." Hobbie growled. "And more importantly, your actual family doesn't even trust 'em! You heard your father, mutants are troublesome. Remember? He won't trust you anymore than he trusts me or the rest of the mutant race." A sneer crawled across his face.

"Miles, I'm the only true family you got." He stepped back and waved his hand, gesturing to the group of thieves behind him. "And they're my family. So don't you want to be part of the family?"

Miles debated saying no. Or not really. "Why do you want to do this to them?"

"Because they're undeserving?" Black Cat pointed out sharply. "Because if they think they can parade around with all that... funding and not benefit anyone but themselves? They don't deserve it anyways."

Tarantula rolled his eyes at Black Cat's attempt to rationalize their thievery. "Because, amigo. If they expect to hole themselves up like that and hide away their treasures, then expect nobody will come after them? They're stupider than they look."

"They won't see it coming." Hobbie added. "Especially from you."

Miles hung his head. "What if I don't want to do it."

"You've helped us out this far..." Black Cat said, stepping forward. "What are you going to do? Run to your mommy and daddy? Or the X-Men? Or the authorities? Like you wouldn't get punished too?"

"All those fake I.D.'s..." Tarantula snickered. "Tsk, tsk, tsk... and the safes that you unlocked."

"What safes?!" Miles shouted.

"The codes, Miles." Hobbie patted his head. "Surely you knew what was going on. Don't play ignorant... it won't work in court."


Miles felt tears well up in his eyes. He knew what was happening. He knew the situation he had been stuck in. He also knew no one could help him get out of it. He had to do it alone.

"Fine." He said, determined to find a way to get out of this. "... I'll help you steal from Xavier University."

[Ult_Sm86]

[[My favorite thing about Summer/Winter threads? NO TITLES!]


Cecilia: Cecilia sat curled up on one of the armchairs, a cup of hot chocolate beside her, absorbed in 'The Stranger' for the afternoon now that her exams were done. It was the perfect afternoon.

Miles: Miles came in with the box of ornaments, ribbons, tinsel, wreaths, and plug-in window candles. He had been assigned decorating duties for continuously pranking the staff. This was fine for him, the job was easy enough. As he thought about it, it made sense this was his punishment.

Miles: He could do it faster than them. He dropped the box, unintentionally rather loud, and began to pull out the long, imitation-ferns and red ribbons.

Cecilia: Cecilia looked up from her book. "Hey, Miles. What're you up to?" She eyed the decorations. "Are you on the decoration committee or something?"

Miles: He laughed. "For this room and the kitchen? I am the decoration committee. Though thankfully, the tree is sort of a school-wide effort." He bounced up, clinging to the ceiling and began to string the ribbons and ferns from the chandelier hanging from the center.

Cecilia: Cecilia watched Miles climb the walls with an uneasy look on her face. "Cousin you don't ever...get pains in your sides or anything right? No mood swings or anything?" She asked concerned.

Miles: From his place on the ceiling he zipped some decorative ceiling ornaments to his hands and began to stick them in the proper places. ".... Uh... no, why?"

Miles: That's a strange question... his brow crunched up as he thought on it. "No... definitely not. I mean, not that I can recall at the least."

Cecilia: "Oh thank God..." she sighed. "You know my friend Mayday, right? Well, I'm asking cause I wanted to make sure...well, that you don't turn into a spider as well..." She shrugged. "Sorry, I don't mean to scare you. I was just concerned. I don't think it's an issue even, but I wanted to be sure."

Cecilia: She looked at the box. "Want some help?"

Miles: Miles blinked. "She turned into a -what?" He silently dropped into a crouch. "I could use help, but first I want to know more about this spider-... thing?"

Cecilia: Cecilia sighed. "A few days ago my friend Mayday attacked me and Fabian. She was trying to eat the cat and she'd been acting a little deranged for awhile...she started hemorrhaging and convulsing so we took her down to the medlab where she...transformed into some human-spider hybrid..."

Cecilia: "...We stopped her needless to say...she's in containment and she's...alive...but she's in rough shape. She has eight eyes and extra arms," Cecilia said. "I just wondered because you have spider powers as well and I was...a bit worried...She nearly died Miles..."

Miles: Miles gulped as he processed this information. "That sounds alarming. Thankfully, none of that is similar to what I can do, and for the most part her, Jess, and myself have only surface-similarities in our abilities. Maybe, like different spider breeds, different spider-mutations have different traits." he shrugged and handed her the box of candles.

Miles: "Feel free to put these in the windows. There's outlets under most of the windows, so they should have a place."

Cecilia: "Mayday's...not really spider powered. They think she really has DNA replication based powers so they might be to fix her so...but you probably aren't interested in the science mumbo jumbo. Sorry..." Cecilia took the candles and began placing them by the now frosted glass. "Reminds me a bit of the votive candles in church," she said, taking in the decorations, tone indecipherable.

Miles: "The science is a bit beyond me, but I'm not completely disinterested. However, DNA or not, I'm very different from both her. And Jess. And even that student Eddie. Actually, those two older staffers? Rachel and Rogue? Told me there was a guy named Ben."

Miles: "He had similar abilities to all of us too. He died though, they didn't get into detail. Point is, there's a lot of us, but that doesn't mean we're all alike. And her abilities being, what is it, DNA replicators? Proves my point further. I'm just evolved with spider-traits."

Cecilia: "And you say the science goes over your head?" Laughed Cecilia. She thought a moment. "I wonder how I ended up with force fields?" She pondered. "You'd think you and I might have similar powers..." She shrugged.

Cecilia: She placed a few more candles down. "So, what're your plans for the holidays?"

Miles: "Not necessarily. It's dependent on the male DNA and there's even theories the abilities are based on situations. Habitats, what have you. I imagine whatever is going down when your abilities reveal themselves might play a role, being times of stress seems to be the most common time they appear."

Miles: "I think I'm going to go to my parents' house, but I'd be willing to try to collaborate a small Christmas Day gathering with both our sides, if you'd like."

Cecilia: "So you think being born in La Perla and growing up in the Bronx might've made the difference?" Cecilia snorted. "Actually that might make sense, there's a lot of guns in both places. It'd be just perfect that I adapted to become bulletproof. Just wish I could've manifested three years sooner," she said, a tad bitterly.

Cecilia: She raised an eyebrow. "Really? Actually that'd be really cool..." she turned to Miles. "I'm spending Christmas with my tio and tia, my mother, my older brother and Fabian. If you're up to seeing us then we'd be more than happy to have you."

Miles: "I don't think it necessarily has to do with bullets themselves, but I bet there's some self-defense in there somewhere." he began to hang the mistletoe up at the door frame. He frowned at Fabian and took the mistletoe off the wood and back into the box, deciding a nice bow might be better.

Miles: "Maybe... I dunno... I don't know about the aunt and uncle, aren't they the side that feuds with my part of the family?"

Cecilia: "Vincente is your mom's cousin...but I don't think he's angry with your mom. He told me awhile ago that he remembers her and that he doesn't blame her. He blames his mother, my abuela, more. She's the one who made the most trouble."

Cecilia: Cecilia shrugged. "Nobody's holding you responsible for anything and my family has no interest in continuing a silly grudge. Everyone's been there and done that." She caught the frown though there. "C'mon we're not that scary. You know Fabian and you know me and my brother Miguel isn't me at all. It'd be fine. You'd have fun. Trust me."

Miles: "I think I can maybe suck it up long enough." he said with a smirk. "But you have to promise me you'll help me get the two sides together. I don't want to be doing all the work."

Cecilia: Cecilia nodded. "No worries! I'd help out too. Just lemme know and you guys can come by anytime, though it might be a bit cozy with...nine people?" She laughed. "Or we can trek to see you, either way. New Jersey's not far from where you are."

Miles: "Why don't we do something on Boxing Day?... here?"

Cecilia: "If that's okay with Xavier I don't see why not, my family's never seen the school...but we'd have to check first," she said. "Though I don't see why it'd be a problem though...they all know what I am and what this place is. For the most part...I don't tell them everything but they know all the essential things..." And wow, now she felt really guilty.

Miles: "Well... my dad could use a visit here to become more comfortable with things." He shrugged and wondered if this was the best option. It felt right. Right?

Cecilia: Cecilia frowned. "You broke the news to your Dad? Or your mom did, right? How...did that go?"

Miles: He scratched the back of his head and decided there needed to be more decorations near the ceiling over the tall windows. Jumping over and clinging to the wall, he hung holly and stuck wreaths to the glass. "It... went."

Cecilia: Cecilia felt her heart sink at that. It was easy to forget some families weren't as accepting as hers. "I'm sure it's a bit of an adjustment, yeah? I mean, this school is insane. I've been here most of the semester and I still get all worked up. Imagine how hard it is for humans to understand."

Cecilia: "It might be nice to come here, your dad can see how normal we are, it might help..." She goddamned hoped it did at any rate.

Miles: Miles snickered. "Normal is far from how I'd describe this place. Or those who live here."

Cecilia: Cecilia laughed. "I know right?! Practically half the school's an orphan! What the hell?" She chuckled to herself. "I'm so happy that's not me. Sorry, that seems really cruel...I'm not trying to be. I'm just grateful I have people to go back to. This place is kind of home in some ways...but you can lose touch with the larger world surrounded by this much crazy!"

Miles: "Don't forget the amount of people who have lost their wives or husbands... it's sort of depressing." He looked at the enormous, currently undecorated, Christmas tree. "Not fitting of the Holiday season."

Cecilia: Cecilia frowned. "No, maybe not. But it crosses my mind a lot...the fact that my life appears to consist of just waiting for another disaster. Always waiting for the other shoe to drop, for one of my friends to get hurt...it's a trigger for me...I try to relax and not let it get away from me but it's difficult..."

Cecilia: "I don't want to leave, don't get me wrong, but I would like it if my excitement just stayed in the normal range for a little while...It'd be nice not to worry."

Miles: Miles felt a pit of guilt bubble and wretch, but he stowed it away and hid his guilt with a pleasing smile. "Everything's fine. XU is the safest place, even when it doesn't always feel that way."

Cecilia: Cecilia laughed. "You do know I've been attacked three times here by three different people right? And that I fell through the ice the other day?" Cecilia snorted. "Murphy's law seems to really apply to me. But it's fine...I'll learn to adapt, somehow. I have to." She grinned. "I'll loosen up even if it kills me."

Miles: "Murphy's Law? How did you fall through the ice? That sounds like Darwin's award to me." he added a wink so she wouldn't feel too offended. "And you do need to loosen up."

Cecilia: Cecilia nodded. "I promised I'd try and I will. If I don't...well...I don't actually want to think about that."

Cecilia: She smiled at the wink. "A bunch of us were racing golf carts and..I sorta went off on my own cause I felt like I was a wet blanket and sorta spoiling everyone else's time. Some people came after me 'cause they thought I was pissed off or something and...well, their cart fell in."

Cecilia: "I ran up to try to save them and like an idiot I fell in too, got dragged out by the guy I was trying to rescue for added humiliation..."

Miles: "... Yeah that's a definite Darwin award right there. What were you doing driving a golf cart on ice? Untested ice, to boot?"

Cecilia: "I ask myself the same question quite often," she admitted. "I figure you only live once, might as well get as much out of life as you can...even if it's dumb sometimes. There is such thing as a calculated risk."

Miles: "Yeahuh..." He finished up the doors and then tossed the boxes in boxes so they were neatly stacked into one another, just the way he was shown in second grade while he used to watch Sesame Street. "Vone box... two box... treeee box! Ah-ah-ah-ah-ah!"

Cecilia: Cecilia chuckled. "Unos, dos, tres...Good work on the decorations, cousin. I'm sure everyone will appreciate the atomosphere."

Miles: "They better. I didn't do this willingly." He snapped the box shut after he took out the stockings. "Our stockings are being made, I'm assuming."

Cecilia: Cecilia shrugged. "I suppose so. And what do you mean you didn't do this willingly?" She asked. "Not the decorating kind of person usually? Well, I guess I have no room to complain. I don't decorate much."

Miles: "It's sort of a punishment." He said shrugging. "But -- " he stopped talking and went to his phone, which was vibrating. He read a text, his eyebrow perking up. "Okay, well... That's all the decorating I can do. I'll catch ya later 'cuz." He promptly put the stockings on the couch and headed to the kitchen and the back door.

Cecilia: Cecilia raised an eyebrow. Okay, what the hell was going on here? What the hell was her cousin mixed up in and, more importantly, what could she do about it? She sighed, "Miles, I swear to God. One day I'm going to find out what kind of trouble you're in. And when I do, I'm gonna make those people wish they were never born," she said to the back door.

[Ferguson]

<Miles> Pelar passed the large box over to Duke who was passing the sweet potato pie over to Miles. Miles was confused as to what all of the shuffling was for, but they were parents so they knew best. Right? "Miles, bring that to the table."

<Miles> He shrugged and brought it out to the long dining table where he hoped to find Cecilia and Fabian.

<Cecilia> Cecilia lead the group through the foyer and into the formal dining hall. "Ah, here are," she said to the others. "Hi Miles! Merry- Boxing Day!" She laughed.

<Cecilia> Miguel's eyebrows were raised. "Nice place!" He said, grinning at the paneling. "It's so unfair I don't have any powers. I'd kill to have come here. Oh, hey so this is our long lost cousin, right?" He grinned at Miles. Apparently the Reyes' curse of short stature also affected Miles' side of the family.

<@Fabian> Well, this should be a barrel full of fun. Fabian couldn't help but be a little nervous about being in a school of mutants with a family containing a member Cecilia had mentioned wasn't exactly on-board with mutantkind but it was a little late for that and at least there was food to be had.

<Miles> Miles waved awkwardly and flashed a half-grin. "Hi, uh... yeah. My parents came in over there, they're uh... wrapping or something? I don't know. They'll be out in a sec." He looked to Fabian for some kind of relief. Think of a place to bring them and occupy their time! he tried to say with his eyes.

<Cecilia> Vincente sauntered into the dining room, his wife, Carmen, close by. Holy shit, was that painting an original ? "So this is our long lost, familia?" He grinned. "Vincente, Cecilia and Miguel's uncle, she forgets to introduce us," he laughed offering a hand. "This lovely lady on my arm is my wife, Carmen, and the woman behind me is Maria, Cecilia and Miguel's mother."

<Cecilia> "And I'm sure you already know Cecilia and Fabian," Vincente laughed. "Also, please excuse the lack of eyebrows on me. We sorta had a mishap with the barbecue the other day."

<@Fabian> "Does it count as barbecue when it's a cake?" Fabian asked curiously smirking over to Vincente just to tease a little bit. "Wrapping? Sounds like they're busy. Have they gotten much of the tour of the place yet?" Fabian couldn't help but see a bit of what he assumed was nerves in Miles' expression. Well, he could imagine having his own family here so he couldn't blame the guy.

<Miles> "Oh -hi! Hey. Nice to meet you." he said to each of them. "Yeah, uh... they realized one of the gifts weren't quite wrapped." From the other room a loud *bonk* could be heard. "Whadjadothatfor!?" "I said more tape!" Miles groaned.

<Miles> In a few moments however they came out of the room, presents wrapped and Duke rubbing the top of his forehead. "Your mother can still wield a wrappering paper roll all these years later..." he said to his son. Both of the Morales' parents smiled at Reyes. "Hey!" Pelar nearly shouted.

<Cecilia> "Jesus Christ, Pelar!" Laughed Vincente. "It's been...Christ, years now. Miguel wasn't done cooking yet," he said shooting his nephew a grin before going to embrace his second cousin. "I'm so sorry, Alejandro couldn't be here but...well..." God and that was a painful memory...

<@Fabian> Crap, was this a gift exchange as well and he had missed the memo? Well, at least he could always run upstairs and grab a good bottle of something or whatever he could find to serve as a gift. At least it wasn't a big thing considering the main point of this was family reunion and that seemed to be in full swing at the moment.

<Miles> "I know!" Pelar whined and Duke had to suddenly hold the entirety of gifts, a look of surprise washing over his face as his wife ran in for hugs.

<Miles> "Dad..." Miles offered to take them and put them under the tree. "They're pretty heavy, son." Duke said. Miles smirked and took them regardless. "Spider-strength now, Dad." Duke didn't like being reminded of that... but man that boy could be a hell of a running back.

<Cecilia> Cecilia laughed as Miles carried a small stack of presents off to the tree. "Proportional strength comes in handy, huh?" She said to Duke. Ahhh and Fabian appeared to be gearing up for another present panic attack.

<Cecilia> "Relax, mi heroe. I put your name on the card, I wouldn't let you fall on your ass," she smiled. "Sorry, but I didn't know we'd be having this reunion when we went shopping and I didn't want to send you running at the last minute."

<@Fabian> "Nobody's tense." Fabian chuckled quietly to Cecilia. "I was just planning on grabbing a bottle from upstairs or something but that does save the trouble." He replied, keeping his voice down. It also saved the chance of drinking it later which should always prove to be fun and possibly involving more not-all-terrain vehicles.

<Miles> "Okay... so... presents or eating?" Miles asked, coming back into the room. Pelar rolled her eyes. "Gifts or food, is that all you think about?"

<Miles> "Well... He has a point. It is Christmas..." Duke pointed out. As his wife finished hugging, he took an opportunity to shake hands and clap backs.

<Cecilia> "If he's anything like the guys in our side of the family the only other thing he'll think about is boobs-ow!," said Miguel as his mother smacked him upside the head.

<Miles> Miles snickered. He really was part of this family.

<Cecilia> Cecilia snorted. "Why not have both at the same time?" Remarked Cecilia. "I'm sure we can eat and unwrap without too much trouble."

<@Fabian> It couldn't be helped, it had to be said. "And save the boobs for non-family time I assume?"

<Miles> Miles wanted to high-five Fabian. As his mother's eyes and others fixed on poor Fabian, Miles figured hell with it and shot him a thumbs up. "You're gonna fit in this family." Duke suddenly broke into laughter and between his tee-hee-hee's, he slapped Fabian on the back and said "Thaz-ma-man!"

<Cecilia> Oh lord, what the hell have I gotten myself into? "Right, so presents?" Said Cecilia, coughing a little awkwardly as she made her way into the rec room, followed by her female relatives, except for Carmen who appeared to be just fine with all the guys' talk.

<@Fabian> He spoke the native language and had been accepted by it's people! Fabian couldn't help but take a little pride in that fact as he blended well enough with most anyone it seemed. "That's what I'm aiming for." He laughed as his back got slapped fondly, stepping after the ladies for this present business.

<Miles> They all went into the room and Miles quickly got his gifts for his cousin and Fabian first. "Hope you like 'em, guys." Pelar sat down with Vincinte and the two of them couldn't help but connect. The appetizers were already out on the coffee table, blocks of cheese with tiny knives, crackers, turkey-pepperoni and various latino-flavored spreads.

<Miles> Also, little weenies in bbq sauce with toothpicks.

<Cecilia> "I'm sure I will, cousin," she laughed, taking her gift and handing Miles his. Hell, this year had to be a record. She'd never gotten more than five presents in one year.

<@Fabian> "Of course we will." Fabian slid into a seat and also into the food, grabbing a bite of cheese as he made himself comfortable, shifting enough for Cecilia to join him. "So, what did you all do for Christmas?"

<Miles> Pelar let Duke take that. "Not too much, we have been sitting tight mostly. A lot of the uh... chaos... over the last year has made a lot of our close family and co-workers fled the city. But not us, we love New York, you'll never find anywhere else for us to be." He watched as Miles sat on the floor in front of his own gift.

<Cecilia> Cecilia glanced nervously at Fabian for a split second but mostly kept a straight face. "Ah, yeah. Mom and I were in the Bronx when that hit and Miguel was on duty overseas...now we've moved in with Vincente and Carmen in New Jersey, like they've been pestering us to for years. You ever been out to New Jersey?" She smiled. Of course he had, who in New York City hadn't at some point?

<Cecilia> "And I was ten blocks away," added Vincente, troubled.

<@Fabian> This was something that Fabian had a good deal of practice in. His face barely even cracked when the topic was brought up and he smoothed out the reaction to fit with what was being discussed. He knew how to slide past unpleasant topics in many a setting, he could surely manage it here. "Well, I suppose there's trouble every place nowadays. You never know where something's going to happen."

<Miles> "Exactly my point to Pelar." Said Duke. Pelar rolled her eyes in response. "That was my point to you you wanted to go to Chicago." She looked to Carmen. "We were both afraid of moving; however, because Duke's half-brother might try to pop up in Miles' life again. He just got out of prison recently and last time he was out -- yes he's been in and out of prison -- he tried to be a part of Miles' life."

<Miles> "We didn't want that."

<Miles> Miles froze and cleared his throat as he began to tear open a gift from someone. "Oh-hey!" He shouted louder than necessary. "Wow!"

<Cecilia> Cecilia sat up a bit straighter at that. "Oh, more relatives I'm unaware of?" She smiled, staring directly at Miles as she said it. You couldn't hide it forever, cousin. Now I have a target.

<Cecilia> "Anybody I'd know?" Said Carmen slyly. "Imma cop. Could run him through the system, see if he's been behaving."

<@Fabian> Oh yay, jail had come up as a topic instead. Now there was something that Fabian enjoyed talking about even less and he tried to not think about Carmen just checking random names through her database and perhaps putting two and two together a bit closer than he was comfortable having her do.

<@Fabian> "Well there's always one in the family, yes?"

<Miles> Duke shook his head. "I don't want to give my brother more problems than he has. He told me he was going straight, I'm not saying I believe him, but I don't want another brother on the streets being targeted by cops because of his personal history. I haven't seen him for months, he told me he was out and left. He's being smart for once, staying low. Told me he has a real job."

<Miles> Miles eyed Fabian and mouthed the words drop it, drop it, drop it "Oh, Fabian, you like that watch?"

<Cecilia> "That's fair enough," said Cecilia to Duke. Truthfully, she'd thought of asking Carmen to do it anyways, but she was also aware of what else her aunt might find if she went looking there. Despite wanting to flatten the asshole who was threatening her cousin, she wasn't willing to run that risk.

<Cecilia> Knowing her luck she'd just ensure both of them were taken away forever, something she was sure she would not survive. I'll find another way and when I do I'll make this idiot wish he was never born. NO ONE fucks with my friends.

<@Fabian> "It's fantastic, thank you." Fabian was perfectly fine with having the topic dropped. Knowing Cecilia he would wager a guess that it was probably too little too late if Miles wasn't wanting anyone to look into something. He was going to have to ask to be more caught up on these happenings after this whole dinner.

<Miles> Miles thanked his newly discovered family for the amazing cardigan sweater and matching scarf (what a hip-cat he would look like now) and his parents, despite having already given him gifts, let presented him with a new basketball. "Yeah! Thank you!"

<Miles> Pelar and Duke gave the extended family their gifts as well, Pelar smiling especially wide as she gave Cecilia her gift. "Enjoy, sweetie."

<Cecilia> Cecilia laughed as she unwrapped 'Akira.' "Tetsuoooo!" She chuckled. "Ah, Miguel and I used to watch this all the time, thanks guys!" Obviously Miles had been talking to the right people.

<@Fabian> "Oh she definitely will appreciate that." Fabian assured them, settling back into what was apparently pretty typical American Christmas; slightly awkward gift exchange, some snacks, and a meal to follow was a good system, after all.

<Cecilia> "So what's the plans for the rest of the holiday?" Asked Miguel, fiddling with his dog-tags. " I have to go back to my unit soon if I want any vacation during the summer. So what fun things have you all got lined up?"

<Miles> "Well, I was wondering if we were all going to go Times Square and see the tree?" Pelar said. "Maybe ice skate as a family? Also -- I would love to go camping over the summer." Miles was dreading this conversation. The last thing he wanted was more awkward family interactions.

<Cecilia> "That sounds really nice," said Cecilia. "I've, uh, never been camping before." Though somehow she wasn't so sure it was her thing. She'd lived in urban slums her entire life...that did not prepare one for that kind of Davy Crockett crap. Ah well, she could give it a try sometime. Get the most out of life and all that.

<@Fabian> Camping sounded lovely? Fabian was fairly certain camping sounded the opposite of lovely and he was fairly sure that wasn't something Cecilia would enjoy either but he just smiled, trying to imagine the scene. "Well, it sounds like we have a very full day ahead of us."

<Cecilia> Camping meant trailers and hotdogs, right? She could handle that. Tons of people did it every year so it couldn't be that bad. Though it would suck to have to walk to a shower, but other than that it wasn't anything she hadn't faced in La Perla. "Gonna be a great day, huh, Miles?" She smiled. Dear God, he looked quite shaken up.

<Miles> Miles eyed the gift he had in his hand. It was an external hard drive that had been stuck under the tree with his name on it. He didn't need to ask who it was from. He knew. "Huh? Yeah. That's -uh... Camping is great. Tents, marshmallows, whatever."

<Cecilia> Cecilia eyed the external, she could see the pieces here...but they weren't yet falling into place. "Gotta a lot of downloads to store, cousin?" She said, quirking an eyebrow.

<Cecilia> Miguel coughed something that vaguely sounded like 'porn.'

<Cecilia> Cecilia frowned, she goddamned hoped that external was not for that . How much porn did an eighteen year old guy have that they needed an external?!

<Miles> Duke eyed Miles. "Whatcha got there?" Miles cleared his throat and tossed the device into his pile of things. "Musta been the secret-santa gift I did with some friends. Got mixed up, probably." He smiled and chuckled to Miguel's comment. "Well... why save porn when it constantly generates on the internet like blood in the human body?"

<@Fabian> Fabian couldn't help but give a snort at Miguel's suggestion. "Either way I'm sure he'll put it to good use." Fabian's mind was still stuck on what a bad idea camping would be but maybe they would let it slide once summer was actually here. "We missed secret santa did we? I can only imagine what would have been given."

<Cecilia> "You draw names and give presents in that, right?" Said Cecilia. "Who'd you draw Miles?"

<Miles> "Uh... We did it in a small group." he said to Cecilia and Fabian. "I got -" He smiled at his cousin. "It's not a secret if I tell you, now is it?" Miles' father grinned. "Boy's got a point."

<Cecilia> Well, this was going far better than Cecilia had expected. So obviously she didn't need to worry half as much as she did. "Fair enough," she said, leaning back and relaxing a little. She should be less worried more often.