Alice wasn't really used to the mansion. She barley had any classes at the moment, coming into the place at such a weird time of the year and she still wasn't sure where she could and couldn't go. All she really knew is what she wasn't allowed to bring onto the grounds, mainly drinks, so her nights were mainly just spent playing games. Her days too. Everything in between to be honest.

It got kind of boring, to be honest and she'd spent the last couple of hours just exploring, finding every little nook and cranny, each little bit of history. It was kind of cool to be honest and most of the people she met had barely given her a second glance while she padded about the place.

Well, it had been cool, for a bit. But even that got boring after she'd found, shock horror, another identical bathroom. Like whoever had built the place had been some lazy developer just reusing stock made rooms to save time. Maybe curling up on a sofa in the living room and trying to slam her face against the boss she was stuck on would take her mind of everything. Maybe.

Finding her way there, bag in hand, she found it fairly empty, the only other person there was younger girl with blonde hair. OK, Alice wasn't the most touchy feely person but even she had to admit the girl looked cute curled up there with a book. "Excuse me? Is it alright if I play some games in here? I'm just so cooped up in my room and I won't make much noise. I'm sure I've got head phones in here somewhere," she added smiling and shaking the bag for emphasis.

She needed friends here anyway, maybe it wouldn't hurt to try. A little.

This summer was going much better than last summer. This year she wasn't worried about her grades and she could spend time with her friends all she wanted. Well, so long as she told Papa and/or Maya. She had even been able to start reading Warriors again! She had a bit of catching up to do, so she was rereading from the beginning.

So deep in her books, Abby jumped as someone came into the living room. A girl. With blue hair. Who was asking her something? Abby had heard the girl said something about games and now she was saying something about headphones? Video games? Like the boys usually play in here?

"Um, you can go ahead a set up here. It's where everyone usually plays. Here or the on at the computers. You don't have to use headphones either." She didn't think she knew this blue haired girl. Though there was something familiar about her. But the shifter was pretty sure she'd remember meeting a person with blue hair. "Uh, sorry to ask, but are you new?"

"Thanks, I'm still learning how stuff's done around here." Rules on paper she could deal with, or ignore, pretty easily, it was all the unwritten social ones she still struggled with. Or social stuff in general. "But yes, I've only been here a couple of days. My sister helped me get sorted out here when I got into town." For now, at least with most people she kept the whole running away from home thing quiet, it wasn't exactly something you just blurted out to anyone.

Carefully dropping her bag on the sofa, she sat down heavily and gave the girl a curious glance. When she'd spoken it almost looked like her teeth were pointy and from what Alice could see, scales on her feet? Did, did she have some kind of shark mutation? That was so cool!

"My names Alice, by the way. What's yours?" she asked distractedly, slowly removing console after console from the bag until there was a at least five on the sofa. Well, she needed options after all, didn't she. She could keep trying to beat that boss, but maybe a more chilled out, relaxing type of game was on the cards.

Abby smiled at the new girl's answer to her question. Good. They hadn't met before. Though the blonde might know her sister, since there was some familiarity. She moved her legs out of the way for the older girl to sit on the couch. It would be rude otherwise.

"I've been here a few years now," she said in response. Hopefully explaining why she asked.

>>"My names Alice, by the way. What's yours?"

"I'm Abby," she replied as Alice took out game after game. "Wow. I think some of the boys will be jealous of you. I don't think I've seen half of these. What are they?" she asked, picking one up she had never seen before.

Granted her exposure was through the boys of the school who played in the living room. She knew the Gamestation ones since that was what the boys played usually. But these were new.

It was still pretty surprising to her that some people live here from a very young age and that it was usually for pretty depressing reasons. Kind of sad that places like this were needed too.

Shaking away the more boring thoughts and focusing on the friendly girl in front of her, she was glad to have a name, and a pretty lovely one at that. Any name beginning with A was a good one in her book. So what if she was a little biased. "Nice to meet you then Abby."

Grinning at the comment, she was pretty proud of her collection. Of he various ones she'd squirreled away over the years, these were some of her favourites. "Glad to see you like them, I love being able to share them." Gesturing to each one and running through the list, it quickly added up. "Well, I've got some different versions of the Gamestations, some MatchLads and the newer 3D ones. I've even got a pretty decent Shaver Laptop in my room."

Adding a few more names to the list, she looked back up at Abby. "You can try any that takes your fancy, I'm not too protective of them. They're made to be played after all." So she wasn't above a little 'bribery' to make new friends. Although in fairness, Abby did seem interested and she did genuinely love getting people excited about games. 

Abby couldn't stop herself from looking over the device in her hand. It reminded her of the things Panu had in his room. Though probably not as... techy as what he had.

"These look like the ones the boys hide in class and the library," the blonde giggled. She grinned at Alice. "They always get in trouble though."

Finding the power button, she started whatever game the older girl had inside. "So, uh, your sister's here too?" The shifter resisted the urge to cringe at her conversation attempt. She wasn't so good at it.

Returning the smile with on of her own, "Well, clearly they didn't hide them well enough. Playing and learnings' an art, not something most can learn." Just a little fib, she wasn't exactly a truant at school, generally sticking in in most classes. Expect languages. Those she could sit in the back and just play some games while people tried to speak french.

Watching Abby, is was pretty obvious she was new to actually playing games, but that was fine. Everyone had to start somewhere. "She doesn't go here anymore, but she used to. Talked the place up quite a bit actually. Don't know if you'd have met her but she's called Serena."

Rather than play herself, she just sat and watched the young girl figuring out things for herself. Her facial expressions were pretty damn cute while she sat with the console. It did push her to ask a question of a different kind. "Do you like it here, at the mansion I mean?" She hadn't met many people here yet, or talked to them much at least, so getting a general vibe of the place was important.

Abby giggled a little at Alice's comment about the boys. She personally thought they were silly to try to get something like that past the teachers. The blonde had learned to only pull out her books when she was done with her work, or the teachers said she could.

She was beginning to figure out the fighting game the device held. She didn't typically like violence, but it was kind of fun figuring out how to get the character to attack or defend. Or jump attack. That was really hard for her fingers to do.

"I know Serena!" she beamed. Though it did end up with her loosing track of the game and cause her character to be hit and die. "Aw. I died." She frowned and restarted the match before continuing. "I met Serena when I first came here. She's really nice. She started my self-defense lessons. Then pointed me to Sam to keep them going. At least, if your sister Serena is the Serena I know." Abby knew that there were often people with the same names going through around the same time. There were two "Jack"s she knew of after all.

>>"Do you like it here, at the mansion I mean?"

"I do! I've made lots of friends since I came here. And I have a family again," she then remembered the last time she tried to explain her family. "My parents died a long time ago. But I have Papa and Maya and Adder now. My aunt isn't too happy about it, but my uncle is happy for me!"

She died again. It was her own fault since she wasn't paying attention. "You really have to focus on this," she commented. "I consider this home now," she admitted, turning from the game. "I haven't been back to my Aunt's house since... two summers ago? Maybe. I can't really remember. But I prefer being here to anywhere else. I don't get stared as much for my teeth and skin. It's nice to belong somewhere."

An eyebrow went up hearing that her sister helped self defense classes. What, was she some kind of ninja or something? No, that couldn't be her Serena could it, she'd looked so, girly and sweet. There was no way she was a badass fighter. "I don't know if that's my Serena. She's about my height, blonde hair, blue eyes? Last names Rivers like mine." Probably just a mix up.

Alice listen carefully as Abby explained her own circumstances for being here and it kind of put stuff into perspective, how easy she'd had it herself. But at least this place was a home, from the sounds of it and a good one at that. "That's, well that's kind of awesome, that the mansions such a good place. I'm still a bit lost here, so hearing someone so cute singing it's praises is reassuring," she added nudging the girls arm jokingly.

Noticing her hunger bar getting a little low, she pulled one of the many energy bars she had stashed in any pocket she had free. Thank god the mansion was so accommodating when it came to her odd food requirements and they even got the nice chocolate ones as well. Glancing over, "You want one? I've got loads and they're pretty nice. Can't go anywhere without them so I have plenty spare."

God that side effect was weird, and damn annoying from time to time.

Abby nodded as Alice described her sister. "That sounds like Serena. I don't think I ever learned her last name." Or at least, she couldn't remember knowing it. "I know she helps DocProf out sometimes." The teen was pretty sure her Serena had a blood based mutation, but she wasn't 100% sure on that.

Abby smiled as Alice seemed to take her word for the school. "It's not always great, but I think that's normal," she giggled. Though she didn't know about the cute thing. She decided to ignore it. She was kinda small for her age so...

"Are they any good?" she asked. She had never actually seen those types of bars before. "If you're hungry we can make something? I know the kitchen pretty well." Having used the kitchen for so many meals, she really did know where everything was.

She was learning all sorts of stuff about her sister, she was a personal trainer now? In martial freaking arts. That was kind of awesome. "Oh you'll have to give me to gossip about her then, can't be a good little sister without good teasing material." Alice had heard about this DocProf, but having been here all of a few days without getting hurt she hadn't met him.

"Mhmm, pretty tasty, they've got chocolate in them, as long as you don't have more than a couple a day they're not too bad for you." They also had the benefit of mostly filling her hunger bar, meaning she could carry them about pretty easy to deal with the day. "But don't worry abut needing to make anything, if I stopped every time I needed to eat I'd get nothing done." Shrugging, "It's just a weird side effect of my power."

"I hope you don't think I'm rude but what power do you have? It's hard not to see the awesome teeth and beautiful scales and I'm curious. Of course tell me to get lost if you don't want to." Alice loved physical mutations, they looked so cool and frankly, some of them were better looking that most people.