Hillwood forest RP

((Sounds reasonable.))

Really, when all was said and done, Curly was relieved Big Gino had let him off the hook. Even if by some miracle he'd punched Gino out a second time, odds were when they got back to Hillwood Gino's mooks would have torn him to shreds. But that didn't matter now. For right now the tents were coming out. Curly considered asking Rhonda to share a tent with him, but she was still standing close to Harold and he figured if he asked, he'd only get hit.

He sighed. "Who'm I staying with?" he asked, figuring the others had probably chosen for him to stay with someone who could 'keep him in line'.

From the inside of one tent came Rhonda's voice.

"Not in here!"


(( God, Rhonda's so mean. ;_; ))

"Yeah, I know you'd have too hard of a time keeping your hands to yourself!" Curly called back to her.

"Maybe I should go?" Harold said awkwardly. "I mean, it looks like everyone's picking tents for the night and y'know... I mean... Yeah." He still couldn't meet Rhonda's gaze as he awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck.

Phoebe shivered as she watched the sun set behind the rainclouds. She poked her head inside the tent where Helga had finally been allowed to go to sleep, then walked over to the next tent, trying to give her friend some privacy. She nudged her way under the flap and curled up in the corner.

"Oh, um." Rhonda blinked. "You can stay, or go, if you want I mean." she ignored Curly's retort. "I mean, it is just sleeping, after all, it's not like I'm going to give you a makeover or something."

Rhonda fluffed her hair, making a show of pretending to be nonchalant in taking out her sleeping bag.

"Well then," Curly threw one arm around Arnold and dragged him towards the ground so he could put his other arm around Helga, "looks like the 3 of us will be spending the night together!"

"If you're not lyin', you're not tryin'." Gino's old man used to say. Good advice, or at least Gino thought so. In his experience people always prefer lies over the truth. This deeply troubled a younger Gino. As time passed it became the crux of his entire lifestyle. He couldn't make friends because in his mind, no one could be trusted. So he surrounded himself with people he'd hired or manipulated instead. He knew their goals, their motivations, their weaknesses. Gino needed to be in control of his life and everyone in it. As he grew older, he felt the need for genuine companionship. An equal who would be his friend out of loyalty, not because they worked for him. A boy named Sid almost filled the role of a friend. Like the brother Gino never had. Almost. He didn't show it, but it truly pained Gino that Sid chose not to stay with his organization for... moral reasons.

Gino remembered his clenched fist slamming down onto his desk. "Don't do this to me, Sid." His younger voice echoed in his mind, strained with anger from the perceived betrayal.

All of Gino's 'friends' were either afraid of him or secretly plotting against him. All anyone ever wanted from Gino was favors or money. Never just... him. Sometimes he wanted to laugh at his stupidity for wanting more out of life then he had, other times he wanted to cry because he was afraid his whole life was a lie, but in the end he got over it. Gino always got over it.

Phoebe smiled at him and gently touched his arm.

Gino blinked, rejoining the others back in reality after his little trip to the past. He looked at her. Not to eye Phoebe up and down (although that would occur to Gino later when she turned her back to him), but to search her expression for the vaguest hint of falsehood. Something, anything which would indicate a lack of sincerity. He searched in vain. Either she was a masterful liar or genuinely pleased with him for his decision. Hesitantly, Gino treated her to a friendly smile in return. This one wasn't like the others he wore. It carried no hidden meanings. It was a secret smile he'd never shown anyone. She barely caught it before bustling off to help the irritating nerd with the red hair. Gino put away his smile before someone else could see it, then followed after Phoebe in thoughtful silence.

...And totally checking her out, naturally.

EDIT: ((Sorry for the huge post. Anyway, Gerald better start showing some interest, 'cause Gino is suddenly all about the oogling/romancing Phoebe. I'm not entirely sure how that happened.))

((Awwww.))

Phoebe laid in her corner of the tent, alone and cold. Helga was safe, she knew that much, sleeping gently under the watchful eye of Arnold and the spastic but loyal guard of Curly. Eugene was fine, having no real injuries as usual. So why was she so apprehensive?

Gino's looks and smiles were confusing. To Phoebe, everything always had to make sense. If it wasn't logical, it didn't work. Even her thin relationship with Gerald- they were together out of association, with Helga following Arnold, Phoebe and Gerald were bound to spend a lot of time together.

But Gino- she sighed. Always the con man. She wasn't sure how to take him. But that smile had rattled her. Was it possible that Gino did in fact have a heart under the stony facade?

"Hey Phoebe," Gerald began, ducking into the tent. "You okay?" Something was definitely off with her today, but he couldn't say what. "Also, would you mind if I crashed in here with you tonight? The other tents are beginning to look a little crowded." He beamed at her.

Phoebe glanced up as Gerald entered the tent.

"No, that's perfectly fine." she said, crawling across the floor to snatch up a sleeping bag and snuggling deep inside it before turning her back on her tall friend.

Gerald stared at her back, not really sure what to make of it. How had everything turned around so quickly?

"Phoebe?..." He asked quietly, dropping down beside her and laying a hand on her blanketed shoulder. "Are you - ?... Are we - ?" But he didn't really know what to add to that. It just seemed as if there was some sort of finality happening between them that he'd never really seen coming. Not that there was anything to end, but still... he couldn't shake the feeling that something was changing between them.

((Aww, this is sad.))

"We?" she asked, rolling back over. "We what? I don't think I understand, Gerald. Is it not alright for me to be a slight bit depressed because we are stranded in the forest? Is it not alright to be worried about my friends who are injured and fighting? And why are you being so protective?" she pulled slightly under his hand. "If you haven't noticed, I'm capable of taking care of myself, as I've been doing all day, since you abandoned us. I've been taking care of everyone around here, but as soon as you come back you are hanging all over me!"

((Nothing personal on that one, Alyssa, I know you picked Gerald up later. I just needed something for Phoebe to guilt trip him over))

((Don't worry this is all good! Gerald needs this, I think and I approve of Phoebe asserting herself.))

"I'm just... Forget it." He said as he stood back up. "I found the stupid lake by the way and was coming back to tell you all that, but the next thing I know I see you in the mud all tangled up with Big Gino who - in case you've forgotten - is a criminal! How am I supposed to react to that Phoebe? You and me, we're..." But he still couldn't say it. "You get it right?"

"But whatever," He told her with a sigh as he headed for the tent opening. He left without another word. Outside he found Gino heading in his direction. He reached out and wrapped strong fingers around Gino's arm.

"Stay away from her." He threatened before entering the adjacent tent where Helga had passed out.

As Gerald ranted, Phoebe was trying to untangle herself from her sleeping bag, but by the time she was out, he had left the tent. She reached out a hand, trying to stop him

"Gerald! Gerald, I-" but he had gone inside Helga's tent. Fuming at herself for loosing her temper, Phoebe violently kicked one of the tent poles.

Harold let out a garbled cry of fright upon hearing the word "makeovers". He panicked as flashbacks to an ill-fated girls only party ended with him tied to a chair as the girls surrounded him like vultures and made him "beautiful".

"No makeovers EVER." Harold said, grabbing for her hands and holding them tight. "Promise?" His eyes were as wide as saucers.

"Hey there, Gerald!" Curly was sitting against the pole the tent was supported by. He'd been casually observing Helga and Arnold and wondering how Helga could be so crazy and still get who she wanted, but he noticed that Gerald was fuming. "You look mad. Did someone steal your underwear and throw them on the campfire?"

Rhpnda burst into laughter, the first time she'd really laughed on this whole, sordid, trip. "None, no makeovers. I promise, not ever. You're perfect as is! Uh, plus, red's totally not your color, you know?" she laughed a little nervously.

After seeing Gerald enter the tent, Gino held back. He hung around outside debating whether or not to go in after him. I don't owe the guy anything. I should waltz right in like I own the place.
Gino's feet remained rooted in place. He'd begun to hear harsh but muffled voices. If asked, Gino might have maintained that he respected their privacy, but in reality he just didn't want to get caught up in whatever the argument was about. He could guess easily enough anyway. Maybe I'll leave them alone for a moment. He grudgingly conceded.
The storm was really starting to come down. Curtains of splattering rain poured upon Gino by the bucketful. He grumbled and muttered curses under his breath about the weather.

A few minutes passed before the tent flap rustled. Noticing this, Gino took a step towards it only to have his arm seized within an iron grip. After listening to Gerald's ominous, stern faced warning, the light in Gino's shadowy eyes danced with amusement. He said nothing, however, and they stepped by one another without further conversation. If by 'leave her alone' you mean 'spend the night getting to know her', I'm all over it, your majesty.

Gino found Phoebe attempting to re-set a tent pole which had been knocked at a sharply tilted angle. He wordlessly knelt down next to her and helped align it back into a secure position. With that done, he nodded approvingly and chose one of the two vacant sleeping rolls for his own. He gave no indication he'd seen or heard Gerald. "Kind of a lousy party for Arnold, eh?"
Gino tossed his soaked, partially folded jacket into a corner of the tent. He grabbed a fistful of his shirt and twisted it to wring out the water. "...Might be we can work something out for him when we get back tomorrow."

When she heard the tent flap rustle, Phoebe turned, mouth open with a rehearsed apology to Gerald. Instead, she met the even gaze of Gino. Wordlessly, he knelt to help her fix the tent pole she had knocked over. He asked her a question, but for a moment it didn't register. Control yourself, Phoebe she thought, mentally shaking herself.

"Oh, yes. Rather disappointing." She waited for a moment, nervously, then was mildly surprised to see him choose a sleeping bag.

"Tomorrow? Yes, I hope so." She replied, distractedly. She scooped up her sleeping bag and smoothed it out, dueling with herself as to whether or not she wanted to lay it out next to Gino's or as far away as possible.

Satisfied that he was as dry as he was going to get without removing all of his clothing, Gino ruffled his finely trimmed but currently wild brown hair. Since he'd already patted himself down for a comb without any luck, he'd given up attempting to groom himself further. Phoebe's dark tresses swerved and curled gracefully, somehow managing to make 'sopping wet' look flattering. That's what Gino was thinking, anyway.

Crossing the small distance between them, Gino took a seat next to Phoebe's bed roll. His confidence usually remained unshakable when it came to dealing with people, but he found himself at a loss for what to say. Something witty and charming. Something that'll make her lips tremble and her heart beat faster. Gotta seriously wow her. This is it, here I go. "So, it's raining pretty hard."
Gino had to exert a great deal of willpower to keep from face palming.

((...This is the sweetest thing ever. Hatterlet, Nefarious, you guys are ridiculously amazing and lovely.))

((This is so fun. Thanks, 'maybe.))

As Gino approached her, Phoebe experienced an emotion she had not felt for a very long time- nerves. This whole experience was strange to her, she could not quantify it in any way. Each step he took set her heart beating faster, something Gerald hadn't done since fourth grade. He sat down slowly, eyes never leaving hers, and she gazed into them, waiting.

"So, it's raining pretty hard."

That's it? He spends all this time building up all this tension, and he comes up with weather? This is Big Gino, right? Mob boss of Hillwood? Known con artist? Has half of Hillwood High in his debt or in pieces, and he gives me weather?

"Yes, I suppose it is. Perhaps I should set up a makeshift weather station, see if I can judge when this will stop." Without conscious thought, she reached across the gap and brushed some of his hair out of his eyes. Suddenly seeing her hand spanning the distance, she gasped, and snapped it back. "I'm so sorry."

((GOD SO MUCH TENSION IN THESE TENTS IT IS DELICIOUS

ETA: I have no idea why the gif is moving so fast. XD ))