Mind boggling (open)

[Luke Brody]

Luke walked through the beach, his mind racing with everything that had happened. Selena was dead, Ariel was in charge...he was free. Ariel hadn't taken any interest in him when Selena had been in charge and so far, she seemed to be leaving him alone. And that was just fine with him. But what was he going to do? He had no money, just a high school education...he had nothing. He perused any fliers he ran across, hoping to find something he'd be able to do, but there was nothing. At least, not as far as he could see. He blew out a breath and ran his fingers through his hair. What was he going to do?

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Mari was wandering down the beach. Her family had an affinity for it. Her dad usually could be found sailing on the water most weekends and he'd named her Marina. The fact that most of her friends knew her as Mari was just because it was easier in college to keep names short. Dad hated it of course which is why she did it.

She saw a cute guy wandering past and ducked her head shyly. She couldn't read his thoughts but he seemed pretty down all things considered. Granted she had her own reasons to be sure but this kid made her seem like PollyfreakingAnna. "Hey there. You look a little down. I was thinking of getting a hot dog from that stand over there. Care to join me?" Mari called out to him with a soft shrug as she shuffled over to him. "My names Marina. I don't normally ask strangers to come eat with me but you look like you could use a friend. Besides the hot dog venders a bit creepy and I so don't want him checking out my ass." she added giving the guy another excuse to hang with her if he wanted to. "An extra set of hands is good too." she admitted. Her cerebral palsy made her a clutz and she'd end up with a hot dog in the sand if she wasn't careful.

She dusted off her blue jeans and the pink blouse she wore. She had a floppy straw hat with a pink daisy on it to keep the sun out of her eyes. She looked 12 from a distance until you got up close and realized that she was way too curvy to be 12. She smiled good naturedly though and looked back shyly at Luke.

[Luke Brody]

"Hey there. You look a little down. I was thinking of getting a hot dog from that stand over there. Care to join me?" Luke jumped at the sound of someone calling out to him. He turned to see a girl staring at him.
"Uhhh...." Luke hesitated. Should he do it? What if this was one of of Selena's henchmen in disguise. Come on! She's dead! he reminded himself. He wasn't too sure of the particulars, but he didn't care. All he knew was that Selena was dead and he was free. It was the only thing that mattered.
"My name's Marina. I don't normally ask strangers to come eat with me but you look like you could use a friend. Besides the hot dog vendor's a bit creepy and I so don't want him checking out my ass," the girl continued.
"Sure, I can be the buffer," he agreed.
"An extra set of hands is good too," she admitted.
"It's not a problem," he assured. "After you," he continued, stepping aside.

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Marina smiled at him, he seemed like a nice guy and so she shuffled up to the hot dog vendor. She ordered a hot dog with mustard and relish on it and a coke and the vender leered at her. He was trying to look down her blouse the perv. She looked to Luke so he could order and handed the money over. As Luke took the hot dogs she shuffled over to the table farthest away, carrying her coke because it had a lid on it.

Making sure the bench was clean she sat down on it and looked across at Luke as he joined her, "Thanks, I don't get out much. My dad's really...yeah well my dad's always on my case about being out in public too much." she shifted and her black shoes gathered more dust on them. There was nothing to be done of course when she moved across the sand it was like watching a duck waddle. "So what brings you out here?" she said as she sipped her soda. He was the shy quiet type and made her seem gregarious in comparison. That was a change for sure.

[Luke Brody]

Luke followed the girl to the vendor and she ordered a hotdog and a drink. Noticing the leering look the man gave the girl, Luke shifted on his feet uncomfortably. He had seen that look in Selena's gaze many times and he hated it. However, he could never object. After she paid the vendor, the girl shuffled over to a table and Luke followed her. He thought about offering to help, but wasn't sure how she'd take it. And the last thing he wanted to do was make this girl mad.
"Thanks. I don't get out much. My dad's really...yeah well my dad's always on my case about being out in public too much." Luke's eyes flickered questioningly. Was she a s slave? It'd explain her shy demeanor.
"I think I get it. Until recently, I wasn't allowed out much either," Luke admitted.
"So what brings you out here?" she asked, surprising Luke. What could he say in response to that? What if her master or mistress was looking for a new slave or something? He had just gotten free. He didn't want to be caught again.
"Nothing really. I've just...got a lot on my mind," he answered, hoping she'd leave it at that. He really didn't want to be enslaved again and he'd do anyting to stay free. Anything...

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Mari nodded and sipped her drink she leaned forward and winced slightly, she rolled her sleeves up and a purple bruise showed on her wrist before she adjusted her cuffs. The shift of fabric against her back made her wince but she did her best to ignore it. "Oh my dad wants me to come home. He's kinda pissed I went back to school. I just needed to get away." she shivered quietly and bit her lip as her stomach knotted slightly. Her phone went off and she looked at it, "I gotta take this real quick. My dad. He gets mad if I don't check in."

I'm at the beach eating a hot dog. I'm going to be doing my homework when I get back to the apartment. she texted her dad letting him know she wouldn't be out long.

She looked back at Luke apologetically, "My dad thinks I shouldn't go out alone. He hates it. He says the world is a bad place." The last was said quietly as she looks away at her drink and bit down on the straw.

"I just hate being cooped up is all. I just don't think people are that bad." she flushes, "Sorry, I didn't mean to babble. I didn't mean to disturb you." she smiled softly at him and picked up her hot dog, taking a very delicate bite of it. Her phone kept going off with Texts from her dad and she did her best to ignore it while she ate though now she felt slightly ill and didn't want to finish her hot dog.

She glanced at the message on her phone and her face flushed. She typed furiously back and set the phone down. She exhaled and made herself finish her hot dog despite her mood being ruined. She felt like she wanted to cry and kicked herself mentally. She was old enough not to react and here she was about to burst into tears in public.

She smiled ruefully, "You're lucky. You're male. My dad thinks I can't do anything right because I'm a girl." she said with a slump to her shoulders. "I hope you have pleasant things on your mind at least." she knew he didn't but he was so nervous she didn't want to set him off.

[Luke Brody]

The girl nodded and sipped her drink. As she did so, she winced and then rolled up a sleeve. Luke cringed at the purple bruise on her wrist. It would appear that her dad hadn't been happy with her recently. However, he said nothing as she fixed the cuffs of her sleeve.
"Oh my dad wants me to come home. He's kinda pissed I went back to school. I just needed to get away," she told.
"I hear you," Luke said. How often had he longed for the same thing when Selena had him? But it wasn't like he had anywhere to go. His parents were probably long gone by now. And even if they weren't, they had probably forgotten all about him. Just then, her phone went off.
"I gotta take this real quick. My dad. He gets mad if I don't check in," she told him. He nodded that it was okay and he saw her text something. "My dad thinks i shouldn't go out alone. He hates it. He says the world is a bad place," she continued, whispering the last part.
"It's okay. I get it, he told her. He could certainly understand that. The world hadn't done him any favors.
"I just hate being cooped up is all. I just don't think people are that bad." Then she flushed if she knew she shouldn't have said what she had. "Sorry, I didn't mean to babble. I didn't mean to disturb you."
"You didn't disturb me," he assured her. As she had vented, her phone had continually gone off. He probably discovered that she snuck out. But why doesn't she apologize and go back? The longer she stays here, the worse it'll be when she gets back, Luke mused to himself. At least...that's how how it had been with Selena. Finally, she grabbed the phone and texted furiously. Then, she looked at him, seemingly about to cry.
"You're lucky. You're male. My dad things I can't do anything right because I'm a girl," she told him.
"I'm not so lucky, believe me," Luke told her.
"I hope you have pleasant things on your mind at least," she continued.
"Sometimes," he admitted. Then, he gave her a sympathetic smile. "Hang in there. I know it doesn't seem like it, but someday you'll be free," he assured. "I gotta go." With that, he stood up and headed out into the night.

[Marina Anne Sinclaire]

Mari could tell the younger guy was thinking about some blonde chick that had hurt him badly. While she couldn't sense the words she got the gyst enough to know that he felt she was just putting off the inevitable. She slimped her shoulders and bit her lip in thought.

She relaxed slightly when he said he wasn't so lucky, "Hey, you wouldn't happen to know anyone who would like a job as a page at the library would you?" she asked him, "I could use an extra set of hands and you look tall enough. I'm the director at the university library. If you wanted you could work there. Tuition could be arrainged if you want. Employees of the library get most of their tuition paid." she finished her hot dog and tossed her reminants in the trash.

"Thanks. I appreciate that. Don't forget to come by the university library sometime. Tell them Marina mentioned the open page slot." she called as she watched him retreat. She hoped he'd come to the library. The kid looked like he could use some friends much like she herself could.