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Close To Home; Closed
Topic Started: Sep 1 2011, 11:53 AM (1,166 Views)
Jonny
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Jonny followed Selene's movements, at least generally speaking. In order to avoid himself staring, he found himself focusing more upon the sound of her footsteps, his eyes falling upon the area around them. It reminded him of some of the older corridors within Desmond Court, where even his family rarely tread. Compared to their most commonly used studies, those places maintained their regal feel of so long ago, and it was a feel he felt hear now. Maybe it was part of his imagination, wondering how far back the estate's history went. Or perhaps it was genuine, and he was taking steps through what, at one time, would have been reserved solely for the lords and ladies of the land.

They passed by the changing room where Jonny had earlier placed on Arthur's riding outfit, and where his clothes still lay waiting for him. He hoped he hadn't damaged Arthur's clothes in any way without realising - even if they were spares, they weren't his property, so he had rather little right to treat them poorly...
Though he supposed he'd have to apologise for the smell on the jacket. It had been placed around Selene's soaked form, and that was from pond water. Not like a small trip to the dry cleaners would be that much of a fee for a family as powerful and rich as the Frostfires, but the inconvenience might be displeasureable.
...Man, there were so many ways this day could go rather bad for him, weren't there?

Once they arrived, Selene wasted no time in removing the waterlogged boots from her legs, and going inside, just as Jonny finally removed his powers from her. She would hardly need them in the showers, and he wouldn't want to grow further tired as he waited for her.
The boy was about to make himself scarce for a while, so as to avoid raising suspicions, when Selene's head popped back out through the door.
"I say, Jonny... could you uh... do me a favour?" The corporate heiress asked, and Jonny slowly nodded, wondering just what on Earth her favour could be.

"I didn't have a change of clean clothing with me, so if you could, you know, get me a change of clothes I'd much appreciate that," Jonny blinked twice, trying to make sure he had heard that correctly. Whilst, in theory, it might have seemed such a simple favour, there was also an element of trust involved in it, and it was still rather odd to ask someone who was only a friend to do such a thing. Or at least, it was odd for Jonny.
"Uh... I guess so. I'll try and find something." He muttered, thinking to himself on just where exactly he would find clothes for her.

"Now go!" The words were hushed, likely to avoid attention being drawn to the two of them, but it was clear Selene meant them as seriously as if she had yelled them. Once the door shut, Jonny rushed himself into the changing room, retrieving his wallet, and then out of the estate, though only properly kicking himself into full speed once outside of the main premises. He knew of a town nearby, and figured the safest bet would be to go to one of the various supermarkets around - such as Asda, or Sainsbury's. On the other hand, he supposed he couldn't just get Selene any old cheap piece of clothing, even if this was likely a tempoary measure.

Deciding to compromise, he made his way to the first Primark he could find, a few familiar faces waving at the sight of the return of someone they hadn't seen for quite some time.
"How's the fastest boy alive?"
"What are you doing back here?"
"Were you caught up in that London stuff?"
"Why don't you come back more?"

A slew of questions came, though the unspoken one seemed to be about his choice of outfit. They were gazes, both casual and otherwise, towards him in the riding outfit, which whilst not to the degree a certain friend of his had suffered from her submerging in the pond, still clung a little tightly around him, and his chest being partly exposed did not help.
"But still... what do I get...?" He asked himself again and again, trying to determine what his friend would find acceptable. He knew next to nothing about her fashion preferences, aside from a commonality towards skirts. But at the same time, he had seen her in trousers as well, so he couldn't help but consider she might wish for a change in pace. She didn't seem to be the kind to lean to be large portions of pink, but he couldn't guarantee she disliked the colour either. And Primark, as a clothing store, stocked a wide range from which to choose - perhaps too wide!

"C'mon... think... at this rate, she'll be done with her shower before you get back there." Naturally, he did not actually know how long the corporate heiress might take soaking herself in the waters of the shower, but he doubted it would be a time measured in hours. He held up a dress in one hand, and a pair of denim jeans in the other, and tried to find some way in which to compare them, so he could ultimately come to a conclusion.
Eventually, he resorted to the age old tactic of asking for someone else's opinion, and had soon assembled a shopping basket of just about everything he would need. It was arguably a bit too tomboyish, but a few people he had asked said that it was a fairly 'neutral' attire, so he trusted them on the matter.

The remaining challenge was in some far corner of the shop, and it perplexed the boy's mind even farther than this whole ordeal regarding the rest of the clothes had. At least with jeans and shirts, he could claim some experience with. But this was... completely different. It accounted for pieces of anatomy he didn't have, and indeed, depending on what he bought, it could leave a horrifying impression, should he be wrong in his choice. Size was a key issue, and there was no way for him to know the answer - not without a time machine and a major change in character. If anyone on this Earth, outside of Selene herself, might know the answer, they would most likely try to kill him for trying to gain such information.

What type of lingerie was he meant to buy?

"Well... I guess there was that time at the beach..." He muttered to himself, a slight reddening in his cheeks as he realised that was his only source of reference. He could general estimates, but his thoughts were muddied by something as he tried to focus, and soon enough, in desperation, he simply grabbed the set that seemed closest to what Selene had worn that day - right down to the frills. If she hated him for it, then that was what he got. The more he worried about it, the more such thoughts would simply serve to embarass him.

After a few raised eyebrows from people at the counter, Jonny paid for the items, and he raced back to George's estate, one bag full of clothing in his hands. He had now been gone for what was at least twenty minutes - though it could have easily been thirty minutes, as he hadn't taken his phone with him, and thus he lacked a measure of the time.
Regardless of that, he ended up back in front of the bath room door, and quick to try and rid himself of the clothes not meant for in, he did not wait or knock as he opened up the door.
"I-I got the clothes..." He muttered as he walked on in, the bag in his hand.
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Lawman
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And somewhere on the George Estate, a certain patriarch of the Frostfire family raised an eyebrow as he received a frantic phone call from Uncle George who, on a routine inspection of his estate grounds found Selene and Jonny mysteriously missing with only their horses. "Dearie me, Stravas... a raised eyebrow?" Mrs. Frostfire gasped in mild astonishment as Stravas raised an eyebrow after disengaging the call, the corporate chairman (seemingly) casually slipping his phone back into his pockets.

"George just called, said that Selene went missing along with that chap, Jonny. Told me he found their horses at the edge of his estate but no trace of the riders," Stravas replied as he dismounted as his mount approached the field in front of the main stables compound, with two of Uncle George's hirelings swiftly tending to the horse, leading it back into its stall somewhere inside the large building.

"Selene, missing!?" Mrs. Frostfire exclaimed, nearly falling off her own horse before she could properly dismount from the shock of the revelation hitting her like a sledgehammer. Only the night before had she been practically crying the whole night and praying for her daughter to return home safe and sound. And with memories of last night's events still fresh on her mind it was quite expected that when she heard the word missing she immediately feared the worst. "But how could he do this to our daughter? And to think he seemed like such an affable lad..."

"Mother, steady yourself there!" Johann exclaimed as he took hold of Mrs. Frostfire's shoulder to prevent her from falling over.

"I know last night's incident was pretty hard on us all, but there's no reason to jump to conclusions..." Arthur chimed in as he dismounted by gracefully leaping off the saddle with a back flip and landing on his feet, running his fingers through his hair with a slight grimacing expression.

"Whatever the case, I'm not taking any chances after last night - it was already bad enough we couldn't personally intervene, and I'm not about to let history repeat itself," Thomas interjected as he retrieved his phone. "Siegfried?" the eldest son of Frostfire inquired over the line looking for the head of Frostfire Industry's security detail. "Get a special response team ready, as well as a helicopter. I want every inch of this estate and the nearby ones combed. Thomas Frostfire, over and out," the eldest Frostfire sibling disengaged the call before nodding to his mother who was very close to breaking down in tears.



Selene sighed in relief as she turned off the shower - running water and a generous amount of antibacterial shower foam (a product of Frostfire Pharmacare) with skin moisturizer did their magic, leaving the corporate heiress feeling clean and fresh as she dried herself off, before wrapping a towel around her body... "I-I got the clothes..." the corporate heiress would hear Jonny's voice say from inside the bathroom.

"J-Just leave it outside the shower stall and wait at the hallway for me," Selene replied, cautiously opening the door to her shower cubicle slightly ajar and sticking her head out to motion for Jonny to leave the clothing next to the shower stall, coming out only after she was certain that Jonny was waiting outside at the corridor for her instead of trying to steal a peek. But should she be worried? After all, didn't she know him well enough to trust him not to do so? But then again, there's always the old saying "boys will be boys", Selene thought as she first slipped into her underwear, a set of pink lingerie with white frilly accents (reference), part of the clothing package that Jonny had bought...

"Jonny, I think you got the size wrong by a bit... cor blimey, it feels a little tight up there," the super speedster would hear Selene say from behind the bathroom's door as the corporate heiress next tried to fasten the hooks on her bra, only to realize - much to her dismay - that Jonny had gotten the size off by - give or take - an inch and a half, or maybe two. Wait - how did he manage to guess her sizes in the first place!? Fortunately, the rest of the outfit turned out okay, and a few moments later, the corporate heiress would step out from the bathroom, fully dressed in her new clothes. (reference) While it was suitably girly for the corporate heiress' tastes, the simple white minidress and blue skinny jeans projected an image that was more suited to a daughter of a working-class man instead of a billion-dollar princess.

"Not quite the sort of outfit you'd catch me in while I'm walking the streets... but thanks anyway," Selene said with a smile, before glancing at the exit. "Let's go find my brothers, before you know, they do something silly like call in a security detail to comb the area for us," the corporate heiress continued with a nervous giggle, which didn't last long as the whirring noise of helicopter rotors was heard, eliciting a gasp from the corporate heiress, followed by a face palm. "Me and my big mouth..." the corporate heiress mumbled, before giving Jonny a worried look.

"At this point, my advice is to stay close by my side," Selene commented in a concerned tone.
Edited by Lawman, Nov 22 2011, 01:39 PM.
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Jonny
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Jonny heard the shower stall open, and caught Selene's face through the slight gap she had opened. That she did so only served to remind the boy that she had nothing on, and how close he was going to be during that time. He stepped slowly, making sure she could see that he made no odd movements as he did so, knowing that this was about to be a severe matter of trust.
He placed the bag down, opening it slightly to show that the clothes were inside, before beginning to turn on his feet. He treaded towards the door, not even looking back as he went through it, and had it slam shut behind him.

It was only then, that did he finally remember to breath.

The boy slumped to the floor, having gone through more stress in the last few moments, that he often would in an entire day. It was just... such a surreal situation, and one that he personally would hope not to encounter again any time soon. He could hardly imagine the damage to his reputation, and that of Selene's, should anyone find out what had occured. And he doubted Seth would ever let him hear the end of it it either.

"Jonny, I think you got the size wrong by a bit... cor blimey, it feels a little tight up there," Jonny immediately stiffened upon Selene's words, a combination of fear and... something else, overtaking him.
"S-sorry! Its just I could only..." Could only... what? What was he meant to say to her? That he had tried to estimate her bust size from when she had been dressed in a bikini? Oh yeah, as if that couldn't be taken completely out of context, particular given how accurate his memory could be.
"Guess." Was all he dared to say, his face glowing a slight red as he did so.

Eventually, the door clicked, a sign that Selene was about to exit. Jonny scrambled to his feet, turning to see Selene as she emerged from the shower room.
"Not quite the sort of outfit you'd catch me in while I'm walking the streets... but thanks anyway," Jonny breathed another sigh of relief as she gave at least some mild approval of the outfit, and he tried to smile.
"No worries. Besides... it... looks good on you." It certainly wasn't the top quality dresses or tops that might otherwise be expected, but it had a certain low key charm to it. It was certainly a change of pace at least, and one he could appreciate.

"Let's go find my brothers, before you know, they do something silly like call in a security detail to comb the area for us," Had it been describing any other family, Jonny might have believed it impossible, and even then, he had some doubts.
However, those doubts were swept away by the whirring sound of helicopter rotors, and Jonny couldn't help but notice Selene's facepalm.
"Me and my big mouth..." The corporate heiress muttered, and Jonny then realised that she was more than a little concerned as she looked at him. "At this point, my advice is to stay close by my side."

"You don't say..." Jonny muttered in turn, trying to conceive of what to do in this situation. They really had one of three options to pick from, and none of them were perfect by any means:
1) They could try and make a run for it, and avoid any potential confrontation. Ultimately useless, as it would just further raise alarms within the Frostfire family, as Jonny would seem all the more guilty of wrong doing.
2) Go out to whatever security detail was present, and explain the situation. It would require them to assume that, after the events of yesterday, there would still be a mindset of 'ask questions first and shoot later', as opposed to the other way around.
3) Wait, and let the others come to them - they made sure they couldn't be missed by accident. Unfortunately perpetuated the image that they had been alone together, and making them wait might not make the Frostfire family feel any better.

Well, before he did anything else, it might be an idea not the be looking like he was abusing Arthur's kindness.
"I'm gonna go get changed myself. Better I not be wearing something of Arthur's, should anything happen, right?" He said, making his way inside the changing room. If Selene had her objections, then unfortunately, by the time she'd be able to follow him in, he would already be starting to change.
Getting all sorted from there didn't take too long - maybe a minute or two at most - and eventually, the boy emerged, with far less hassle than Selene's changing had been.
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Lawman
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"No worries. Besides... it... looks good on you." The corporate heiress nodded and smiled at Jonny's remark.

"That's all I needed to hear then," Selene laughed nervously, trying not to think too hard about what might be going on outside. Judging from how (most likely) Thomas had even called in a helicopter to join the search, they must have mobilized a sizable security detail, enough perhaps to be even considered a strike force. The only other time the corporate heiress imagined a security detail of such level would be mobilized would be when escorting Frostfire contractors in Iraq or Afghanistan.

"I'm gonna go get changed myself. Better I not be wearing something of Arthur's, should anything happen, right?" The corporate heiress nodded as Jonny decided to change out of the riding outfit loaned to him by Arthur, returning a short moment later in the same clothes he'd been wearing when Selene had seen him in when he joined up with her family group.

"Cor blimey, Thomas, isn't that a little excessive?" Selene thought as she spotted her parents and siblings in front of the stables, and assembled before Thomas was an entire squad's worth of security personnel - all decked out in SWAT gear; midnight camouflage BDU's, armored vests and ballistic helmets with goggles and balaclavas and equipped with MP5A3 submachine guns with EOTech holographic sights. The droning of helicopter rotors was heard once more as a helicopter bearing the livery of Frostfire Industries' security division buzzed overhead.

"There they are!" One of the Frostfire guards said as he pointed at Jonny and Selene, and almost immediately the rest of his colleagues fanned out, forming an arc-shaped formation in front of the duo.

"Selene!" the corporate heiress' mother exclaimed, relieved to see Selene unharmed.

"The nerve of you!" Thomas Frostfire said with a tone of barely-restrained anger as the guards trained their weapons on Jonny. Meanwhile, the helicopter that was circling overhead stopped to a hover, as another Frostfire guard in SWAT gear sat at the open side door, a slight glint coming from the scope of his MSG-90 precision rifle as the sharpshooter set Jonny within his rifle scope's crosshairs. "To think we could be friends as well, to think we thought so highly of you-"

"Wait, brother!" Selene cut Thomas off as she jumped right in front of Jonny with her arms spread out wide, putting herself right in the sights of the troopers. "It's not what you think at all!"

"Come on now Selene, you needn't fear him anymore - he's only asking you to say all these because he threatened to hurt you, did he not?" Johann interjected as he stepped forward, walking past Thomas and towards Selene, before extending his hand towards his sister, gesturing her to come over and take his hand. "But worry not; you're safe now," the second son of Frostfire said as he gestured with his other hand at the contingent of Frostfire guards that all had their weapons trained on the super speedster.

"Will you just LISTEN for a moment?" Selene up and exploded in Johann's face the moment he got within an arm's reach of the corporate heiress, and for a moment her brother reeled back in surprise, before gesturing for the men to lower their weapons. "I had an accident while riding... Arwen got spooked and threw me off her back into the pond; Jonny helped me, he got me a change of clothes so I didn't have to drag myself around soaked in pond water," the corporate heiress said as she looked at Jonny.

"Is that so?" Arthur commented, joining Johann by his side. "Well then, let's hear the words from your lips then, Mr. Desmond," the third son of Frostfire said as he stood next to Jonny with his hands behind his back as he leaned in slightly, a wry smile on his face that seemed to say "amuse me".
Edited by Lawman, Dec 5 2011, 01:56 PM.
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Jonny
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Now changed, Jonny emerged from the changing room beside Selene, just in time to see the forces that the Frostfire family had gathered together. Whilst an impressive sight, in terms of sheer resources available, it did leave a rather big question in Jonny's mind. Namely - how did all these people get around the United Kingdom's gun laws?
Seriously, they were talking about a nation that was amongst the strictest in the world when it came to gun prohibition. You could only get a firearms certificate if a valid reason - and self defence didn't count - was given, and everything, from barrel length, to total length, and even caliber size, was taken into consideration. Even if Frostfire Industries could have its security staff's weapons listed under 'work related' business, they'd have to be extremely thorough not to step over the law.

Jonny had only met police officers a few times over the years, and mainly in school, but he knew to ask questions.

The scene that began to unplay was eerily familiar, though the last time it had happened, Jonny had been on the other side. He had been the one trying to tell Selene she was safe, even as she stood between him and a mad man. The only difference, in all terms of practicality, is that the weapons threatening to kill him, should they try anything, wouldn't work.
Well, mechanically, they would, but on a boy that could outrun the fastest caliber of round that their weapons could be outfitted with - a .22 rimfire, and thats assuming they prepared the hyper-velocity variants - then it was little use. By the time their bullets were even a metre from the barrels, he would be out of the targetted area.

But Selene, on this occasion, was defending Jonny in earnest, rather than under the influence of some terrible force. She made half her tale a lie, to avoid implicating Jonny as the cause of her need to change, but the other half was the honest truth. What came next, was really of no surprise, as Arthur joined in, and asked Jonny to confirm whether or not the tale was true. It seemed as if they were expecting Jonny to struggle with his answer, and in fairness, he did - albeit briefly. After all, even if it was to protect the two of them - Jonny for even encouraging her in the first place, and potentially Selene for failing to use the powers without getting in this mess - it was still a lie. But Selene hardly deserved poor treatment from her family, and neither did he, considering what he had done for her.

So... didn't he deserve to go along with one little white lie?

"Yeah. She fell in the water, we got her back to the manor, and I went to get her some clothes, as she made sure she washed off anything that could prove infectious." He drew from his pocket the receipt - and showing that it was such, so the armed security forces didn't jump the gun almost literally - and held it up.
"And besides, if I really wanted to kidnap her, or hurt her, or whatever, I could have done so yesterday. I could have done so five minutes ago, and gotten her so far away that you'd have no chance of stopping me. In short, if I wanted to do anything to Selene - she wouldn't be standing here." He said, folding his arms as he said such words.

"But after I freaking help to rescue her; after I literally lead her out from a spiralling tower of madness and evil... You think I would do anything to try and hurt her?" The tone in his voice made it clear that such a thought was all but inconceiveable to him, and he would admit, that had it been herself, instead of her valkyrie, that he had to battle the day before, he'd have struggled even harder than he had.
"She's my friend. Has been for over a year. And I would like it to be that way for a very long time." He stated in all truth, before standing forward of Selene, putting him back in the line of the gun sights, and before the three brothers.

"If you've got a problem with me trying to look after one of my friends, then say it now."
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Lawman
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It was a simple thing, really. While the brothers had no way of telling whether or not Selene was telling the truth, the easiest way for them the gauge to credibility of their sister's tale was none other than to hear it out from Jonny's lips. And quite understandably an uneasy silence hung in the air for a few moments. "Yeah. She fell in the water, we got her back to the manor, and I went to get her some clothes, as she made sure she washed off anything that could prove infectious." The super speedster showed the receipt from the store as evidence that his motives were pure, as Johann scrutinized the receipt.

"Jonny's right," Selene added, standing next to Jonny with her hands on her hips. "God knows what kind of stuff the pond was harbouring - I was thankful he was there to get me back her to get a good washing down before I caught something nasty. And he even got me some nice new threads to boot."

"Now there, Selene, have you forgotten what mom and dad taught us about not to speak out of turn?" Arthur interjected, wagging an admonishing finger at his sister after she tried once more to put in a word for Jonny. "I don't recall any of us asking you to validate his tale... unless you're saying that you made it all up?" the third son of Frostfire insinuated, and for a moment Selene was worried that he might've seen right through their bluff, especially with the way her brother looked at her slyly and smiling not his usual friendly and lighthearted smile, but more of cloak-and-dagger sort of smile, as if he had hidden intentions.

"Do forgive our sister's interruption, Mr. Desmond, please continue," Thomas said as Selene glanced at her father and mother, hoping that either one of them would intervene, but both Stravas and Tamika remained silent, observing the entire scene.

"And besides, if I really wanted to kidnap her, or hurt her, or whatever, I could have done so yesterday. I could have done so five minutes ago, and gotten her so far away that you'd have no chance of stopping me. In short, if I wanted to do anything to Selene - she wouldn't be standing here." Jonny continued, folding his arms across his chest as he recounted what happened the other night, and Selene was sure enough that even with all the security personnel present, if Jonny had meant any one of them harm, all the men and their guns would mean nothing to his speed - and she guessed her brothers knew it well too. If anything, the security personnel was merely a gesture, a show of force. If they truly wanted to get things done they would've simply relied on their magic and summoned beasts instead.

"But after I freaking help to rescue her; after I literally lead her out from a spiralling tower of madness and evil... You think I would do anything to try and hurt her?" The tone of Jonny's voice showed that the very thought of doing any harm to Selene was inconceivable to him; and while Selene was certain that Jonny was one to do anything for Yuki, Seth and herself... or heck, any of his friends really, the incident last night had proved beyond any shadow of doubt on Jonny's devotion towards his friends. "She's my friend. Has been for over a year. And I would like it to be that way for a very long time. If you've got a problem with me trying to look after one of my friends, then say it now," the super speedster said as he stepped in front of Selene such that he faced the three brothers and the Frostfire guards.

"No, of course not, Mr. Desmond," Stravas interjected as he now stood in front of the Frostfire brothers so that he was face-to-face with Jonny (or rather looking down slightly due to the Frostfire patriarch being significantly taller), and no one had even so much as seen the Frostfire patriarch move. "I would like to apologize on my sons' behalf; you should know that we've been on our toes since last night's incident. Trust is something that is so hard to build up, yet so easy to break and even harder to rebuild. But what you did for us makes my trust in you unshakeable," the Frostfire patriarch said as he extended his hand to offer a handshake to Jonny.

"Yes!" Selene thought, beaming jubilantly at her father's unexpected intervention.

"And moreover, I do believe I hadn't had the chance to properly thank you, for all you've done for the Frostfires."

"Father's right," Johann chimed in, knowing how cautious a person his father can be. If he'd outright stated that he trusted someone, there was really no doubting the old man's judgement. "Alright then, work's done! You can all go home now!" the second son of Frostfire said to the security personnel, as the men nodded before heading back towards their armored transport vans - for the most part it would appear that the storm had passed.
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Jonny
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If there was anything Jonny would confess right now, it was that he was prepared for just about every possibility. After all, he had all but insulted the Frostfire brothers for suspecting him to have kidnapped their sister, and dared them to act, should they still have issue with him. And ultimately, if those guards - even with their weapons lowered - tried to act, he would no doubt defend himself, or flee the scene before they got the chance.
"No, of course not, Mr. Desmond," As it turned out, that wouldn't be necessary, as the Frostfire patriarch stepped forward. As tall as Jonny might have been for his age, there was a clear gap between him and the older man. Yet, as Stravas Frostfire was left to physically down on the speedster, it didn't feel like he was looking down on him mentally.

"I would like to apologize on my sons' behalf; you should know that we've been on our toes since last night's incident. Trust is something that is so hard to build up, yet so easy to break and even harder to rebuild. But what you did for us makes my trust in you unshakeable," Well, this was... surreal, to say the least. Whilst it might odd to consider anything surreal, having encountered all myriads of superpowered beings and creatures, Jonny would say much of his life was still grounded in the general context of the world he lived in. And here, before him, was the richest and most powerful men on the face of the Earth... offering a handshake. Strange as it was, Jonny looked at the hand for a few moments, considering whether or not to take it. It didn't take long to make up his mind however, as aside from being an immensely rare opportunity, after all he had said, it was only proper he cement the friendship.

"I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something to help. She means a lot to me... as a friend, of course." He said as he shook the multi-billionaire's hand, shrinking a little has he corrected himself in how he precisely considered Selene. Plus, on top have having already gotten the family a little paranoid, he didn't want to force anything onto Selene that wasn't of her own choosing. Not after yesterday.
"And moreover, I do believe I hadn't had the chance to properly thank you, for all you've done for the Frostfires." With that, the handshake ended, and Jonny was left feeling a little awkward as he now rubbed the back of his neck.

"Really, its no big deal. Well, okay, kinda a big deal, but I did it because it was the right thing to do - so no need to thank me." He said, trying to blow it off, but Johann merely back up his father's statement, before dismissing the security. It was good that things hadn't gotten any more heated, and a small sigh of relief came from Jonny's lips as they left.
"I hope you don't mind then if Selene just shows me around the area? No horses so she doesn't fall in any ponds, of course." He asked, turning back to look at Selene, giving a small wink. If everything was okay, he'd follow her lead.
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"I couldn't live with myself if I didn't do something to help. She means a lot to me... as a friend, of course." Jonny accepted Stravas' handshake. Despite his seniority, the multi-billionaire was surprisingly fit and probably a good deal more athletic than many men less than half his age as his grip felt firm, yet at the same time exerting a carefully-controlled degree of force so as to not feel forceful. Stravas smiled as he released Jonny from their handshake, with the boy rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. After all, to be able to stand right in front and even shake hands with one of the wealthiest and most influential men in the world wasn't an opportunity that came to anyone. "Really, its no big deal. Well, okay, kinda a big deal, but I did it because it was the right thing to do - so no need to thank me."

"Well, with that it makes you a friend to the Frostfire family. Congratulations, Jonny. You earned it," Thomas added as he nodded his approval, flashing the super speedster a smile of utmost sincerity.

"A friend, eh?" Arthur chimed in with his usual playful smile, his tone full of insinuation - albeit this time more of a teasing sort of insinuation. "That's what they all say about my sister. But I can easily guess most of those who said that actually want something more than just friendship- OW!" Arthur's comments were cut short as Selene kicked him in the shins.

"Arthur! We're good friends, really - and that's all there is to it!" A flustered Selene said as she flailed at her brother, blushing furiously. It was true that she regarded Jonny as a close friend of hers, but unknown to himself Arthur had come dangerously close to bringing up a touchy subject. But there was a shred of truth buried in Arthur's words... there was a part of Selene that wanted something... more. But the corporate heiress was quick to perish the thought... afterall, didn't Jonny already have his eyes on Yuki already and Yuki on Jonny? How could she be so selfish as to think of vying with her own best friend? No, clearly Yuki-chan was the more worthy one!

"Elementary, my dear Selene," Arthur quipped as he gave Selene a cat smile as he mimed Sherlock Holmes smoking from a pipe, feeling somewhat proud of being able to figure out his younger sister like he always has. Although his self-satisfaction wouldn't last as Selene gave him another kick to the shins. "I say, you'd probably be slightly more desirable if you don't have a tendency to run hot and cold," Arthur commented, grinning at Selene as he rubbed his shin.

"Say it again!" Selene barked as she smacked Arthur on the head, trying to appear angry but the way she was all flushed in the cheeks showed that the corporate heiress felt more awkward and embarrassed than any actual anger.

"There, there, that's way enough you two," Johann interjected, giving the two siblings a pat on the head, chuckling slightly as Arthur went over to stand next to Thomas, chuckling like a schoolboy, but stopping immediately as Thomas looked over at the youngest of the Frostfire brothers with a raised eyebrow.

"I hope you don't mind then if Selene just shows me around the area? No horses so she doesn't fall in any ponds, of course." Jonny said as he looked over to Selene, who was standing with her arms folded across her chest with a pouty expression, although the corporate heiress quickly smiled as Jonny gave her a wink.

"Well, I don't think that's a problem," Stravas replied with a smile, folding his arms across his chest. "Although it'd be nice if you can join us all for a spot of tea later," the Frostfire patriarch said as he looked at Selene, clearly deferring the decision to his daughter, leaving it up to her to choose whether to join up with the rest of the family later for tea, or to simply have Jonny speed-lend her back to the Frostfire Estate at the end of the day.

"So, Jonny... shall we?" Selene asked as she looked at Jonny, waiting for him to take the lead.
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Jonny
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Jonny was glad to have broken Selene out of whatever foul mood her brother's teasing had entrenched in her, though he could hardly blame her to begin with. Whilst he could only scarcely begin to grasp the intricacies of the opposing gender, his experience had led him to learn that they didn't feel particularly comfortable when the subject matter of relationships - successful or otherwise - came up. Or perhaps it was simply the fact it was her sibling who had approached the subject matter, that evoked such a response from the corporate. It was one thing for a relative stranger to query such things, and another for family to get involved. His best reference for that, or at least, the one most fresh in his mind, would be the commentary of his mother earlier that morning.

But at the same time, he couldn't help but take note of Arthur's words, even as Stravas gave his consent for the two Hyakuji students to freely interact on the estate grounds. He had made the implcation that not only did Selene indeed have a long list of friends, but that by extension, many had wished to add on a particular prefix to the term. Whilst the relative success by the billionaire princess to maintain - or even obtain - such relationships was questioned as well, Jonny focused much more on the first comment. A long line of young bachelors who sought to be the one... What advantage could he ever have, when the majority of his family's fortune was inheritance, as opposed to earnings?

Well, he supposed very few could have themselves called friends of the family itself, it was still unlikely that he should be the only one.

"Although it'd be nice if you can join us all for a spot of tea later," Jonny blinked, briefly wondering if the rabbit hole that today had become, was going to grow any deeper than this. He was going to actually have tea - socialise - with the family, as opposed to being connected solely through his bonds with Selene. Such a thought, a year or two ago, would have been all but inconceiveable. And yet, here reality was, threatening to smack him around the face should he do the stupid thing.

"I'll be there. Something bitter, but not too strong." Lacking in knowledge on what teas - and of what quality - would be available, he found it perhaps a great deal simpler if he gave general details to work from. Inversely, he'd have to hope it wasn't so vague that they chose a tea which he would be found to dislike entirely.
Ah, well, surely it wasn't as if they wouldn't find something to drink. And besides, him getting to sit around the table with them was more the point than anything else, and it was a fact he kept in mind.

But it was it a matter that, regardless, could still only take second place, at best, within his priorities.
"So, Jonny... shall we?" Selene asked, and Jonny gave a simple nod, before walking out towards the open fields. Back in his own clothes, it felt a great deal more free to stand there, the sun shining over head through the clouds. Perhaps it was symbolic of good things breaking their way into Jonny's life, after the hectic storm and nightmare of yesterday. Perhaps it was merely the coincidence that the British weather system, that convoluted mix of so many air sources from lands far and near, had decided to grant unto them, with no true reason or purpose to it.

And perhaps, as the warm light touched upon him, he cared truly little for the details of such a thing. It was there, and it made the day - amongst other things - just that bit more beautiful.
"C'mon!" Excitement overtaking the young teenager's mind, Jonny, in spite of the fact that he was the one meant to be shown his way around the area, ran forward towards the nearest conceiveable landmark. It was hardly a run that Selene could not catch, and it was doubtful it would remain anything resembling a race for long. But then, it was the time to spend with one another, after the nightmare had passed, and before another could be allowed to start.

This would be their day, and nothing would change that.
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Lawman
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Chosen of Ares


And a simple nod from Jonny was all the response Selene needed as the corporate heiress followed the super speedster across the open fields - craning her head upwards to feel the sun in her face, shining through the partly-cloudy sky. Selene couldn't help but wonder though, whether there was a certain symbolism to it all, given all the stresses and drama they all had to go through of late. The school's financial troubles, and then the ordeal of the previous night... those were dark days indeed. But at the end of the darkness was light.

"C'mon!" Jonny called out to Selene, as in his excitement the super speedster ran across the field (albeit at a normal speed) towards the nearest landmark, a chestnut tree.

"Careful there Jonny, I'm supposed to be the one showing you around, you know?" Selene said jokingly as she took off after Jonny towards the tree. "Because it'd better not be your turn to fall into another mucky old pond!" the corporate heiress burst out giggling as she reached the tree. It felt almost surreal - to feel so at ease, especially given the light of the recent events. It's not to say she didn't feel this way over in Hyakuji, but here in Britain, to be so close to home, the English heiress felt completely carefree on top of her joy.

After all, no one knows what kind of hell may visit upon them tomorrow. But as far as the corporate heiress was concerned, today was heaven.

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