Marco!......Polo!

[Panthera]

It was one of those perfect days where the sun was beating down gleaming off the water like sparkling diamonds and the heat radiating from the sun was the perfect temperature to take a refreshing swim in the pool. There were enough clouds in the sky to disguise the sun every once in a while to give the illusion of the sun's rays hiding behind a curtain not allowing the UV rays to penetrate the skin. And with the sounds of a mixed country CD playing in the background, gave the effect of relaxation that made it much more enjoyable. Music soothes the savage beast right?

There didn't appear to be anyone around and it was a shame to let this beautiful pool go to waste. Samantha had hoped it was cold enough to numb her back even if it was for a little while. The tread mark ladened across her spine was a now that bright purple/black/blue/yellow shade that made you go OW when spotted. But, it was actually healing up nicely even though it still hurt when she moved her arms in any direction.

Her cheetah bikini was finally getting some more use as she catwalked her way to the poolside with a towel in one hand and her flipflops in the other. After finding a suitable lounge chair, she placed her towel over its back, tossing her shoes to the side and putting her sunglasses delicately on the table near the chair. Stepping up to the pool, she crouched down and sat there allowing her feet to feel the coolness.

It was then, she got the first chill to run up her spine as the water was a bit cooler than she had anticipated. The goose pimples immediately popped up on her skin, but she found that this water will be a welcome relief to her aching muscles. So without hesitation, she pushed off the cement ground with her hands and hopped into the deep end of the pool submersing herself totally. When she came back up, she suspected her lips had turned a slight shade of blue, but her back felt increasing better.

"Damn, is that cold", she shivered, but was getting use to the water as she swam across wincing. She needed to get her body moving, it was the best therapy. After she arrived to the other side, a white ball was slowly floating by on the water's surface. Picking it up, she tossed it in the air and caught it, but it's no fun playing by yourself, so she simply placed the ball on the pool's outer edge and took another lap across to the other side again.

[Guido Carosella]

Guido was hoisting an utterly destroyed golf cart on his shoulder, an unfortunate victim of him attempting to jump a small hill while driving it. He was gonna have a heckuva time thinking up a story for Scott. Juggernaut, yeah, that's it. Juggernaut ran out of the trees, smashed his golf cart, and ran off. There was nothing Guido could have done.

As he cautiously made his way towards the garage, he was momentarily alarmed to see movement by the pool. He didn't think anyone would be using it yet. It was a nice enough spring day. Warm without being hot. But good golly, that water looked cold. If it was Grim Shady getting in his daily self-flagellation by swimming laps in a cold pool, the jig was up.

Instead of a disapproving stare masked by ruby-quartz glasses, Guido was treated to a few scraps of leopard-print material surrounded by a great deal of flesh.

Jakester's a lucky man. "Heya, Sam. How's tha water?"

[Panthera]

She instantly recognized the man coming towards the pool. Well who wouldn't forget someone that looks like a building with white hair and red goggles. But why in the world was he carrying a.....golf cart? She looked a bit inquisitively at his package and noticed a wheel dangling form a wire on one end and the top a bit bent inward. The steering wheel wobbling as Guido walked towards her.

Samantha's back was feeling much better with the coolness of the water compacted with a little aerobic exercise to stretch the muscles. Oh it still hurt like hell, but at least now the muscles seemed to scream at her a bit more quieter like a fog horn in her ear instead of a city tornado siren.

Possibly Guido made her come to him in the shallow end of the pool just to see her in a bikini, but Samantha didn't even think anyone noticed her any different than any other women or girl at the mansion. Then a flash of Kitty's eyes came to her when Sam entered into the rec room flaunting only a long flannel shirt and slippers. She had never witnessed jealousy before, but it wasn't a pretty sight.

So with her natural grace of a feline, she walked over to the edge and placed her arms out and bent inward on the cement while her wet face and hair glanced up to meet Guido's goggles. The sun was behind her thankfully, so no glare obstructed her view.

"Heya, Sam. How's tha water?"

The goose pimples were still a little obvious, but she replied with a warm smile.

"It gets a bit of getting use to, but it isn't all that bad. You should try it for your sore muscles."

[Guido Carosella]

"Yeesh. Looks cold."

Guido's last foray into the pool involved him dropping naked from about a thousand feet into the air by a psycho ex-girlfriend. For some reason, the pool didn't seem as much fun as it used to.

She had a point about sore muscles, though. Guido's power made him hurt all the time, but usually he could ignore it as long as he kept up with his meditiation. He had a masseuse on retainer back at his townhouse in Georgetown, but it was a long drive just to get a rubdown.

Carefully setting the wreckage on the ground, Guido kicked off his shoes. He was wearing cutoff jeans and an oversize Yankees jersey. He theatrically dipped a big toe in the water.

He jerked it out as if it had been bitten.

"Are you nuts? That's freezin'!"

[Panthera]

The wreckage looked like something a dog would mangle as his toy as he set it down with a small crunch to the grass. She giggled inside at how delicate he handled the torn up mess he must have created. If there was one thing Guido had for him it was his ability to make Samantha smile at times she needed to. Jacob was far too busy with school and Logan....well, he was Logan.

His dramatics in front her at the pool, made the shape shifter roll her eyes in a sarcastic reaction to his bad ballerina audition he performed before her. However, his reaction to the water seemed real enough.

"Are you nuts? That's freezin'!"

Sam walked over to where he was performing his Oscar winning performance and placed her cooled hands around his ankles. She massaged them firmly and didn't even consider what odors may protrude from such large feet. She honestly cared for those in pain and was simply trying to help.

"Now, is a slight difference in temperature going to stop the big strong man from entering the pool and soothiing those large aching muscles?", she added with a wink.

[Guido Carosella]

Guido began to wonder if his mutant power suddenly changed to melting into a puddle. Her hands were COLD, but strong. And they felt mighty good.

"Well, if yer gonna twist my arm. Or leg. Or...whatever."

It was time to stop talking before he got himself into trouble. With a grimace, he settled himself of the edge of the pool, with his legs dangling in the water. His teeth ground almost audibly at the temperature.

"Heh. Whoo. Great."

[Panthera]

Sure it was bit nippy to be swimming today, but it sure beat sitting inside the mansion making enemies. Sam just didn't feel she belonged just yet and making friends was becoming more of a job than a natural occurrence. Guido sitting down and placing his feet in the water was another indication that he was being sweet to her and she actually enjoyed his company despite other comments about him.

She placed her arms back on the cement spread out and bent in slightly allowing the sun to warm them up. She looked to the mangled golf cart then back to Guido. He apparently didn't take any mind to his little science project over there, but Sam was a bit curious.

"Um, are we having some driving difficulties?" she asked nodding her head in the cart's direction.