Halcyon Halls

Who: Kat, and Wes
When: Wednesday early evening
Where: The garage, then who knows
What: Lessons in being a biker



The weather had put a slight damper on the plans they had originally made. A first time rider would have a hard enough time, without having to deal with slick roads, mud, and rain clouded the shield on their helmet. Thankfully, the following day seemed to provide more appropriate weather for the lessons. It was still humid as hell, which explained why his unruly hair seemed to have taken on a life of it's own. Even with his old fashioned helmet, it was still bushing out to the point of being ridiculous. Not that he cared, people were used to him looking like a wild, hairy, beast of a guy. Most thought he didn't bathe... which bothered him to some point. You could be unkempt, and still into hygiene, thanks very much. Having lived during a time in history, when sanitation wasn't wide spread, having been exposed to the stench, you came to appreciate a bar of soap. Plumbing, and toilets as well. Fuck, people didn't know how lucky they were this day, and age.

They had agreed to meet in the schools garage, which is where he had headed, after grading a few projects for his class. There were still quite a few that he needed to sort through, but there would be time for those later. He never liked to rush grading. You had to get inside the artist head a bit, try to see where their point of view was going from. If there was true effort, you had to look more deeply into it. Of course, there were those few who simply didn't give a damn, didn't try, and they usually received the same grade. No reward for the lazy. Wes sat on the hood of one of the few cars that littered the garage. Who it belonged it, he had no clue. Not that he cared at the moment, it was some place to plant his ass while he waited for her to join him.

His old helmet rested half way on the hood, half way on the black, and white fabric colored knee of his. Actually, the knees were the only part of his legs not covered in the strange looking trousers. They were cut rather wide open, fared, and ragged. The strange didn't end there, as he paired the pants with a bright yellow t-shirt, with a faded graphic of Bruce Lee on the front. His normal chucks had been traded for a pair of boots though. It had been long enough since he last rode, that he couldn't trust his feet in anything that wouldn't provide a bit of protection. Granted, he would heal if anything happened, but fuck, it would still hurt.

The bike.... yeah, he didn't know what to think. Dull eyes kept sweeping back to the machine every few moments. It wasn't cheap, he knew that. The fact that it was from that kid didn't help either. Why the hell was she fucking around with him? Unless he was magically nicer to her, than anyone else, he didn't get it. Then again, some people were completely different behind closed doors. Nah, that dickhead couldn't be that deep.

Who: Starbuck and Kat
When: Saturday night, 9:00ish
Where: the beach

Starbuck had spent most of the day packing up his belongings. He was also busy gathering up all of Kamea's things that were in his room, many of which he'd bought for her, or had been given as gifts from his mother and friends. Every item of hers that he touched, reinforced his belief that leaving here was the best thing for everyone involved. No, he hadn't accomplished all he'd hoped to, but there would be time in the future to work on his healing abilities, family came first, and it always would. Besides, the fundamentals he'd learned at Halcyon could be developed on his own, maybe not at the same rate, but he'd continue to progress while away from school. He was going to have to leave eventually and make things work on his own, this was just a bit sooner than he'd expected.

Everything about the last couple of months had been unexpected. He didn't foresee such an abrupt and somewhat bitter end to his relationship with Kat. He definitely wasn't prepared to have a woman show up with his child in her arms. And he really didn't anticipate the degree of progress he'd made so far at school. Starbuck had grown up a bit at Halcyon. He felt a hell of a lot less guilty about his father's death, even though it did still haunt him, and probably always would to some degree. His temper had calmed significantly, and he liked to think it was partially due to the fact it had been tested throughly by his peers. All in all, his experience had been one wild ride, but a good one none the less.

In some sense, that ride was over. He knew some of his friendships here would fade with time, but he was positive others would endure. But which way would things go with Kat? He'd been working so hard at avoiding her lately, thinking it was the best way to move on and erase the feelings he had for her, but they'd not diminished one bit. He loved her just as much now as he ever had. How long did it take to fall out of love? Starbuck wasn't sure if anyone could answer that question.

Grabbing a big blanket he'd not yet packed, as well as a flashlight, his cell phone, and keys, Starbuck left the school and made a trek to the beach. His feet were bare, which was how he preferred it, and when they finally felt sand squishing all around them, a calmness washed over him. Starbuck wondered what the beaches were like in Japan. He wondered about the people too. Fuck, what if none of them spoke any English?

Letting the folded blanket drop to the sand, he plopped down next to it, his legs stretching out. Starbuck used the beam of the flashlight to search the surf, trying to spot Vegas swimming out there, but the water's surface was only moved by waves, no animals to be seen. He hoped he'd get to say goodbye to his 'foster daughter', also hoped Kat would arrive soon so he could bid her a proper farewell. What all 'proper' entailed, he wasn't sure. He just knew he needed to see her before leaving.

When: Evening - After her last class
Where: Gun Smoke Tattoos
Who: Kat and Jake

Kat couldn't decide if she was looking forward to or dreading her first day of "work." Part of her was stoked because it was a paying gig but the other was worried about possibly spilling blood on the floor if she ended up beating her half-brother for being a prick. That jackass, who she has never met but still, had absolutely no right to be angry at her for anything. Wes was the fucktard that cheated on his woman and knocked up Sky, Kat was just the end result. Besides, Kat had more than paid her dues while River got to grow up in a family type environment so he needed to just get the hell over himself stat. Unless of course he was looking for a beat down from big sis. Ew, that just sounded so wrong.

When her classes were finally over, she dropped her shit in her room, got changed and headed on down to the tattoo parlor. Since it was her first day and all, she decided to try to look a little nice but some pin stripped pants and a clean shirt were about as far as she was going with that. Sorry Clove, no naughty secretary look tonight. Besides, it was a fucking tattoo shop, how nice did she have to look? Exactly. Though maybe if business ever went down she'd consider rocking some cleavage and a short skirt but even that was pushing it.

Once she arrived, she wasted no time walking right on in and taking over the front desk. A bright smile and a one finger salute was sent Wes' way when he popped his head out but then it was down to business. Messy bastards. First thing she did was organize all of the random shit that was everywhere. Next thing she did was actually go through the phone messages and put that shit down in the appointment book, though reading some of the chicken scratch on random napkins and coasters slowed her down a bit. How hard was it to use a notepad or something? Christ.

Deciding that a little caffeinated refreshment was in order, she wandered off to grab a soda only to come back to someone hovering around her desk. "Touch anything and I'll break your hand." Translation: Welcome! What can I help you with today?

Who: Kat, Kristi
Where: Cafe
When: Wednesday evening, 7pm.
What: Reacquaintance

--

The years had passed speedily, now that Kristi had time to consider it. He remembered a time previously when the days had crawled, every one the same as the day before, and likely the same as the one to come after. Unlike most children, Kristi had avoided school from as early an age as possible, separated by language barriers, education barriers, and, of course, a general level of difference that pervaded any and every fragile friendship the youngster had ever attempted. In all honesty, though, he hadn't tried very hard.

Here he was, though, twenty years old as of three days past, catching up on a friendship with a person he hadn't seen in... years. Wasn't it only old people who said things like that? Sure it was, but apparently twenty was the opening bracket for 'days of the elderly'. Not only were days flying past, Kristi himself was experiencing the distracted, flighty mind of a Senior Moment. lol.

Back on his original railtrack, the Russian steepled his fingers on the cool surface of his chosen table at the cafe. As ever, he cut a sharp figure, conspicuous if only for the platinum shock of hair gracing his head, a polar opposite to the monochrome black fabric encasing him from the neck down. A milkless double shot of espresso sat beside his left hand, half imbibed and refilled with a shot of vodka left over from his jaunt to the kitchens with Summer, liquid that now sat invisibly beneath the slouching curve of Kristi's back. He was waiting for Kat, the girl from Vegas whose disappearance had been quite the coincidence, if one took burst water pipes and batshit nightmares into account. Not that Kristi did, of course, and not that he was pointing any fingers.

Somehow it wasn't too much of a surprise that Kat, of all people, was attending Halcyon, of all places - and had been, it seemed, for quite some time. Kris wouldn't exactly say it gave him the feeling of rainbows, snuggly toys and spiced wine at Christmas, but maybe, just maybe, having someone he already knew knocking around would help him get into the swing of things more smoothly. Vacation was great, of course, but who knew what would happen when rigid schedules and tasking teachers rolled onto the drawing board?

He took a sip from the citron-flavoured pitch of his bitter coffee, and mused to himself, brooding over the ripples in the liquid. A lot of things had changed over those past years, the many years. The shadow falling over his table suggested history was catching up, however, and Kristi's head lifted to greet it.

Who: Kenzie and Kat
When: Early Evening
Where: Outside of the school

Kenzie was not really a cat but sometimes he had a hard time distinguishing that fact. He spent so much of his life in the form on a white, fluffy cat that it was easy for him to think of himself as being primarily that and then secondarily human, but it was really the other way around. Because of this, his reflexes were nothing similar to a cat. He didn't have the same balance, didn't always land on his feet like a real cat did, and didn't have near the grace. That did not, however, keep him from doing things that other cats did when he was in cat form, and sometimes even when he wasn't.

That being said, Rudra was in a tree. Ezra was busy, doing what, he wasn't sure, wasn't even sure that Ezra was sure, but he was busy, and Kenzie was bored. So what does one do when they are bored and no one knows that you're anything other than a cat? You go wandering about as a cat, of course. And where is the best place to wander? It certainly wasn't in a tree. Now that he was up there, he had no idea how he was going to get down, and he found himself pacing back and forth upon a tree limb that was really none too sturdy, meowing. What a predicament!

While the meow was certainly enough to garner the attention of anyone who happened to be about, which happened to only be one person, the sound of the tree branch cracking under the weight of the massive cat was certainly enough to warrant even more of the aforementioned girl's attention. The branch snapped and down went the ball of flying fur, hitting hard upon the ground.

Now as mentioned previously, Kenzie lacked the grace of a cat, the balance, and the ability to land on his feet every time. So instead of on his feet, he landed on his head and was knocked instantly unconscious. There was just one thing about that. When he was asleep, knocked out, or otherwise incapable of conscious thought, he lost his form and went back to what was natural for him. It was not instantaneous, no, however the white fur began to disappear and the body began to lengthen and after a few minutes, in place of what was once a large cat, an apparent Main Coon, was a very human boy, completely naked and unconscious on the ground.

Where: The beach
When: Afternoon
Who: Caibre and Kat
Rating: Adult themes.

It had been three days since she had last snorted something up her nose and to be honest, she wasn't feel completely horrible. Of course that was probably all thanks to the happy pills she was still popping but one step at a time here. At least she was making an effort to not be completely strung out while she was on vacation. Kudos for that. Another effort she was currently making was not to be completely pale once their plane landed. In the land of the tan, Kat was going to stick out like a sore thumb so she figured a little sunbathing after class was definitely called for.

After she had finished up with her last test for the day, she headed back to her room to drop off her books and change. Her blue bikini was quickly pulled on along with a pair of jean shorts before she reached for her towel and a bottle of tanning oil. Fortunately she had the whole supernatural thing working in her favor so she wouldn't completely burn to a crisp but she was hoping that she would be able to hold a tan for a little while. Though once she was back, it was all about the pasty white glow.

A cab was taken down to the beach once she was ready and soon her bare feet were padding along the sand. The weather was some of the best it had been in a long time and she half considered just playing in the water. Though as tempting as that was, she laid out her towel and took a seat. The cap to the oil was popped open and she drizzled the cool liquid down her arms and then her legs. It warmed as she rubbed it into her into her skin and she sighed as she stared out across the water. As much as she didn't want to admit it, it would be good getting away from the school for a little bit.

Once she was sufficiently coated, she laid back and shimmied out of her shorts. With her sunglasses perched on top of her nose, she closed her eyes and let the tension slip away as she listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline.

Who: Starbuck and Kat
When: Friday afternoon
Where: Starting in the Aquatic common room, heading for Hawaii!

Finals were over, and Starbuck was feeling damn good about that fact. He actually felt confident that he'd done a good job this time too! Energy/Light/Life was obviously the most difficult, if only because it was the class he cared about the most, but now that it was over with for the quarter, Starbuck could breathe easy, and upon reflection, he had a good feeling that his grades would reflect his hard work. Now it was time for some relaxing.

He'd packed for the trip home the day before, knowing he wouldn't have a lot of time on Friday. There were goodbyes to be had, and they included visits to the surf shop to see Kyle and a trip to the beach to tell Vegas where he was going and what to do in an emergency. She was settling into her new family quite well, but he still worried about her.

He was worried about Kat too, but Starbuck was hoping that she was simply stressed out from school and the stuff with Wes. A vacation would help. It had to. At least she'd been somewhat chipper in her journal replies to him. The cheeky comments showed a bit of her old spunk, which had been absent lately. He wouldn't tell her, because it would probably come out wrong, but she'd looked like hell in the past few weeks. It appeared as though she'd not slept at all since learning about Wes. The stress of the situation had to be weighing on her, and Starbuck wanted to help, but she refused to let him even try.

Maybe that would change this week. Maybe some time away together would mend the rift that had formed between them. He'd find out soon enough.

Locking his door as he left his room, Starbuck shoved his keys in his pocket and shifted his bag on his shoulder. He didn't bring a lot home, because he still had plenty of his belongings back at the house. Almost anything he needed would be there waiting for him. He and Kai had pretty much anything Kat would need too, but he assumed she'd pack heavier than he did. He checked his watch as he made his way out to the common room to meet her. Quarter to four, plenty of time to get to their first flight.

When: Late
Where: Just outside of the school
Who: Kat and Wes

There probably wasn't any question that Kat wasn't doing so well. There were dark circles under her eyes, she wasn't studying and she was acting out in class even more than before. Hell, she was lucky she had made it out of bed this morning. To be honest, she was having a difficult time convincing herself that she should stick around at all. Part of her was ready to just pack up her shit and leave while the other part, the part that held all of the common sense, was starting to agree. It hurt so much, so much more than any physical pain she had ever had to endure. Life was easier before she found out about Wes. Lonely, but easier.

Once all of her classes were finished for the day, she headed right on down to Hell to drink herself silly. Drugs, alcohol, more drugs...all were consumed without care of consequence. At one point she had blacked out but before anyone could drag her off, she was up and taking more. With the room spinning and her body sufficiently numb, it was finally time to call it a night and see if she could pass out and for once get some sleep.

Kat didn't know how she ended up making it back to the school, but she did know that she shouldn't have finished off that bottle of tequila along the way. Her stomach churned as she struggled to make her way up the steps leading into the school and her skin visibly paled as everything began to catch up with her. If she had only eaten something today, then she wouldn't have been dealing with the nausea. When was the last time she ate anyway? If pills and booze didn't count, then she couldn't remember and that was probably a bad sign.

With her stomach doing flips, she knew there was no way she was going to make it inside so instead, she headed for the nearest bush. The last thing she needed was to be bitched out by the janitorial staff for puking all of the front door. Somehow managing to pull her hair back, she heaved and vomited off to the side of the entrance, the sounds coming from her small body definitely not human. In fact, she was almost convinced that dying would be preferable to what she was doing. "Oh God, just fucking kill me," she grumbled before hurling again.

Where: Hell
When: 10 PM
Who: Kat and Ray

What the fuck was she supposed to do now? So her father suddenly shows up and she was supposed to be...happy? Angry? Confused? All of the fucking above?! Kat hated uncertainty when it came to her feelings. It was why she cut them off and rarely expressed them. Life was much easier not having to deal with any of that shit and that's exactly how she preferred things. So screw Wes and his fucked up revelation! And screw that bitch of a mother she had from hiding all of this bullshit in the first place! God damn she hated thinking about "what ifs" and "if onlys." DAMMIT.

Well you know what? Fuck that noise! And of course Xael wasn't a help so alcohol and some major partying it was! Nothing like a little booze and "candy" to make all of the pain and doubt just go away. Okay and maybe Kat had never gone past the alcohol before but there was a first time for everything, right? And hell, her mother had been a coke whore and apparently Wes was a druggie so why the hell not? The apple doesn't fall from the tree, right? Right?! Might as well just give in to her fucking genetics then.

After a lot of throwing shit and even more pacing, Kat finally pulled on a black hoodie and headed for the door. She wasn't looking to be cute or sexy or any of that crap because tonight was only going to serve one purpose and that was to get completely fucked up. The jeans that she was wearing weren't her favorite just in case they got messed up in the process and the shirt she was wearing was just some random band tee that could easily be replaced. Although if she fucked up her Chucks she'd be pissed but she was due for a new pair so whatever.

During the cab ride over to Hell her patience was nonexistent and she found herself becoming more and more anxious with every second that passed. She hated to admit it, but she couldn't handle all of these thoughts and feelings. Her mind had been going nonstop since she left Wes' office and she needed it to stop already. When they finally arrived at their destination, she practically jumped out of the cab and ran for the door. A shot was in her hand the second she hit the bar and she had thrown back at least three more when Ray rolled up. "Here," she said as she slapped some money onto the counter. "Let's get this party started."

Where: Wes' Office
When: Late Afternoon
Who: Wes, and Kat
What: Wes finally shares the dark secret.

Nerves, they were certainly getting to him now. Wes couldn't recall the last time he had been this nervous. It wasn't a good emotion... it was pointless, he thought. All it did was fuck you over, when you needed to be calm, and collected. When stuttering over your words, or saying something fucking stupid, was really out of the question. Further more, it was his office, the place that rarely used. So blank, and bare, compared to the shop, or his classroom. But, this wasn't a conversation, that he needed to have interupted. So, the office was the best way to go about things. Especially if he had to worry about her reacting, in the same way Starbuck had... he shouldn't have told him. Not until he had talked to Kat, he knew that now. But, it had given him some idea, of what he might be in for. So on that side, it had been helpful. But, he didn't see any more art lessons in their future.

Not that he wanted to same kind of reaction out of her. Fuck, he didn't know what he wanted her to say, or do. He didn't know what he was going to say yet. There was really no graceful way of going about things, but he didn't think just saying 'Hey, I'm your dad.' was the best idea either. Some how, he'd manage to say it. He would do it, as delicately, as he possible could. He was sitting at his desk, slumped low in the seat, his fingers curling in his beard, while a uncountable number of thoughts raced through his mind. After this was taken care of... he would still have to tell Piper, and his other kids. He knew how Piper would react. The two had been together, when Kat was conceived. It would be another long ass phone conversation, of her telling him what a piece of shit he was. A nice big reminder, of what a fuck up he could be. Yeah, that would be helpful.

Then there was River, and Frida. How would they handle learning about a new sibling? River had been his boy, his eldest, his first born. A place of pride, in their family. Now that was gone, and he could only imagine how angry his son would be. For one, it was another betrayal to his mother, and it showed how careless he could truly be. As for Frida, well, she likely wouldn't speak to him for a time, being so much like her mother. Not that he could blame her. This changed everything. When there was a knock at his door, his head snapped up, his stomach turning so furiously, that he thought he might be sick. Taking a deep breath, he sat up in his chair, his eyes moving around the room, before finally resting on the door. "It's open." He called. This was the moment... it was time.

Who: Starbuck and Kat
When: Monday night, 9ish
Where: Kat's 'secret room' upstairs
What: Starbuck has exciting news to share!

Starbuck was honestly on cloud nine. He couldn't remember being this happy in a very long time. He had been carrying around some heavy burdens in recent years, and now one rather large burden had been lifted. He and his mother were no longer poor. He didn't have to worry about making enough money at his part time job to help pay the bill back home. He could spare a bit of cash every now and then when he wanted to buy something he didn't really need. And he could definitely treat Kat to a bit of luxury in an attempt to 'woo' her a bit.

First things first... he thought back to the other night and how he'd joked about feeding her grapes and fanning her. The moment classes were done, Starbuck had run into town on a shopping spree. He had a lot of things he needed to get, and not a lot of time to do it. Yes, he was slacking off on studying a bit tonight, and he'd begged Kyle to let him have the evening off (which Kyle was more than ok with once Starbuck explained everything)... but it was all for a damn good reason! The island was small, and it wasn't easy to come by all the things he needed. There weren't any huge fans made of feathers, but he'd found a big Chinese looking one. Grapes were easy though, and he bought bundles of both green and purple, making sure neither had seeds. He bought some other items of indulgence too, mostly of the edible variety. Then came the real challenge... decor. Starbuck wasn't the kind of guy who knew anything about fashion or furnishings.

( more )

Who: ANYONE AND EVERYONE
Where: Heaven
When: Friday Night
What: Charity Date Auction


Eva was something beyond excited. It fluttered about her with nervous energy. If she were out in the open water no doubt there would have been small eddies forming around her in response to the energy she gave off with each and every breath as she hurried about Heaven getting all the last finishing touches done on her crowning achievement. Eva had done her fair share of party planning over the years at Halcyon, she loved being in the mix helping set a mood. And let's face it the girl loved a party... especially a theme party.

But this was something more. It was something that had been entirely her idea. Born of... who the hell knew where but it did put together all her favorite things. Flirting, dating, runway shows, Heaven... the list really could go on. Even in her egotistical glory Eva knew that she couldn't have completed this event without the girls that had volunteered to help out. Taylor, Sam and Frankie had been fantastic, picking up on all the things that Eva was horrible at... you know like the practical aspects of the whole event.

The night had a beach theme as was befitting the charity chosen for the evening and Eva couldn't have been happier. Heaven had been decked out, Vale's assistant proved to be more than helpful at helping her organize the decorations and getting the staff to help out. A runway had been constructed with a podium at the back where Eva planned to do her auctioning from. Tropical plants lined the runway for the dates to strut their stuff along. Eva was almost jealous that she wasn't doing any strutting herself and with the outfit she'd donned for the night... she felt like she could. Perhaps not traditionally beach themed but it was a swimming suit... of sorts and as the auctioneer she thought she needed to glam it up and set herself a part a little.

But when didn't Eva think she needed to set herself a part from the crowd.

Eva exchanged a few last words with the bartenders for the night, making sure that mai tais and other tropical drinks were the order for the night. She wove her way through the tables that had been set up a bit aside from the runway, brightly colored umbrellas over them to add to the theme. She ensured that there was plenty of food ready for people attending and finally she made sure that man at the door was ready to take the $10 dollar cover charge. It was for a charity after all!

Now all she had to do was make sure that the meat er... the dates were ready for their big night!

( ooc posting information )

Who: Kat and Wes
When: Late Afternoon
Where: Gun Smoke Tattoos

Kat was feeling…well she didn’t know what she was feeling and that was part of the problem. Quiet wasn’t something people would normally use to describe her but this week it was strangely accurate. First there was the whole thing with Starbuck and then Selene and fuck! It just wasn’t turning out to be a good week. At the auction thing seemed like it could prove to be interesting. Heh.

By the time that classes had ended, Kat had decided that she needed to get out for a while. Hanging out around the school was out of the question, so she dropped her shit off at her room and headed for the city. She took a cab to cut down on travel time and spent a short amount of time debating just where she was going to go before it was decided to pay a blast from the past a visit. Well, her mother’s past anyway.

Combat boots fell lightly against the marble floor as she entered and with a critical eye she gave the place a good look over. Not too shabby. In fact, it reminded her of a couple of the shops back home. “So anyone home or what?” Small hands were shoved into the pockets of the studded hoodie she was wearing and her skirt fanned out a bit as she spun around as she checked out the walls.

Kat chewed on her bottom lip a bit while she waited and turned when she heard footsteps behind her. “Let me guess…Wes?” She flashed a cheeky grin to the guy and made her way over to the counter. “I’m Kat.”

Who: Starbuck and Kat
When: Afternoon
Where: Starts outside and moves to Aquatic
What: Starbuck makes a discovery and needs Kat's help

With the weather heating up, Starbuck felt the need to spend more time in the water. If he was gonna be outside, then he wanted to be surrounded by cool and refreshing waves. When summer temperatures finally arrived, he'd likely be living in the water, because it was his only escape from the heat.

As usual, Starbuck hit the beach first thing in the morning. Surfing at dawn was his way of meditating, and it help him get his day started. Classes has been particularly difficult today, especially healing. He was gaining strength in this skill, but the more he was able to accomplish, the more exhausted he was afterward. He felt mentally and physically drained at the end of the day, and Starbuck felt a quick dip would revitalize him and allow him to return to his room and get some much needed studying accomplished. He didn't have to work tonight, and at the moment it felt as though football wasn't going to happen. He wasn't in the mood to put up with the guys in the club, Xael and Jeremy in particular.

So as he tugged off his t-shirt and kicked his flip flops aside, Starbuck felt as though he was shedding his problems. A second later, he was washing them away with the waves lapping at his skin. He didn't bother with wading into the surf all slow and reflective, nope, Starbuck charged the water and dived in, immersing himself in the liquid. It enveloped his body and mind, immediately setting him at ease and exciting him all at once. Nothing like a swim to help him get his head on straight.

He surfaced briefly to catch his breath, and then Starbuck dived deep to do some exploring. He was actually seeking out the sea otter he and Kat had befriended the week before, but as usual, Starbuck took caution when near the kelp forests. The long, waving 'trees' held hidden dangers, and they could easily tangle and confuse a diver. But as he approached them, the only thing that confused him was a frightened cry from the surface.

( more... )

Who: Starbuck and Kat
When: Thursday evening
Where: around school

Unlike their last get together, Starbuck really didn't have anything planned for this evening. That wasn't to say that he would half-ass shit and just expect Kat to continue to date him. Keeping a woman around took some effort. It was just that he'd been busy with school and work all week, so there was limited time for planning. Besides, what time he did have to think, he spent a lot of it thinking about how to resolve the tensions that had developed.

It made his gut ache to see Kat and Ada snapping back and forth at one another. He cared too much about both women to see anyone hurt in this situation, and he really wished they'd each just sorta forget that the other existed. He could be friends with Ada and date Kat, and they could all just not talk about any of it... right? Seemed unlikely, but he was trying.

His mind had wondered off several times while at work that afternoon, so much so that Kyle took notice and told Starbuck to get out a bit early. The weekend would be busy, and that was when Starbuck really needed to be on his game. Starbuck gave a nod of thanks and left town, going back to school to grab a quick bite before returning to his dorm.

He munched on a pear as he casually strolled back to Aquatic, giving nods to the people he passed along the way. It was strange how he recognized nearly everyone now. It really hadn't been that long ago that he'd arrived at the school knowing no one and getting lost on a regular basis. Now, well, he was sorta a 'local'. In truth, Starbuck hadn't even expected to stay at Halcyon this long. He'd thought the classes would be easier and somehow... they'd magically teach him everything he needed to know in just a few months time. Man, he'd been WRONG. Starbuck had shown progress by this point, but he'd also suffered some set backs along the way. Still, he had hope for the coming months. Full blown spring would be arriving soon, and with it, he hoped to either take a trip home to see his mom or try to bring her to the island for a visit. If he couldn't 'graduate' quickly, then he'd need to start planning trips back and forth, because he'd gone far too long without seeing Kai, and he missed her like crazy. At least now he was making money, and he'd figured out a way to budget it so he was sending some back home to help with bills, some he used to buy phone cards, and the rest he saved. It was a good thing Starbuck had never been the type of guy to spend much money on anything for himself. But, now that he was going to be seeing Kat on a regular basis, he might have to dip into that savings from time to time and spend a bit of it on her.

Tonight, no money was needed. He loved that when he was with Kat, he could really just hang out and be himself. She liked a lot of the same things as him, so a good date could be as simple as a trip to the pool or ocean. That wasn't to say that he wouldn't take her out for a 'traditional' date if she was up for it, but neither of them were really the sorts to do the whole dinner and a movie scene. He'd had his dinner already, and now all he needed to do was change clothes and go get Kat.

When he arrived back at his room, he traded his jeans for navy mesh pants and kept his plain white t-shirt on. The grey hoodie could remain as well for the time being, but the real shoes had to go. He ditched the sneakers and kicked them into his closet, putting on flip flops instead. Before walking out the door, he finished his pear and threw on a baseball cap. It was right at six. Time to meet up with Kat.

Starbuck had grown really lax with the whole rule system at school. He'd never really been one to follow rules in general, and unless someone really got on his case about it, he would continue visiting the women's dorms. Wasn't like he was some sort of unwelcome creep looking to bust into a lady's room. He was simply picking up his date! When he got to her door, he knocked, "Ya ready?"

Who: Starbuck and Kat
When: Wednesday night, April 3rd
Where: Kitchens
What: They need to talk.

Find Kat. How the fuck was he supposed to just find her?

When Starbuck returned from the pool, having worked with Cassandra on the whole swimming thing, he went back to his room and quickly changed into some clean clothes. Loose and ragged jeans with a simple grey t-shirt did the job. He grabbed a hoodie just in case his search for Kat took him outside.

First he checked her room. But, after a few knocks, and a minute or two of waiting to be caught and told to scram, he decided she wasn't in there. Next he checked out the library. Kat was a studious girl, but no sign of her in there. Maybe she was having trouble thinking of school today as well. Now where to look? He thought over all the things she'd said to him the past two days. Didn't she mention something about wanting a milkshake? Hell, if she wasn't in the kitchens, he could at least get some food for himself. He was hungry after all.

As he walked into the kitchens, he heard noise. And as he came around the corner of the row of cabinetry, he spotted the short blond. "Hey..." he said simply, walking over to the island in the middle of the room and leaning his back against it. "So... you really did want a milkshake. Should have known." But, really, how could he? With Kat, you never knew if she was fucking with you or being totally serious. And that was why he was here tonight, to find out if she'd been fucking with him the night before, or if she really did miss him. He wasn't sure which he preferred. Neither would make his life any easier, so maybe it didn't matter. Either way, he wanted an answer. He needed one so he could figure out his next move.

Starbuck looked to his side and saw an overflowing bowl of fruit. He snatched up a pear and bit into it. Food for thought.

When: Early Evening
Where: Pool Area
Who: Kat and Starshine :D

What was it about Tuesdays and having absolutely nothing to do? There wasn't even a mound of homework needing to be done! What the hell man, what the hell. Watching television was about as exciting as watching paint dry (nothing good is ever on) and the internet just wasn't coming through like it usually did. It was just the same old shit on YouTube and The Superficial was slacking off on reporting on all of the celebrity train wrecks. Where was Brittany when you needed her? Lame. So needless to say, Kat was bored and needed something to do before she decided to take out all of her energy on some poor soul who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

After a few minutes of pacing and pondering, she came to the conclusion that a nice swim or soak in the jacuzzi (she'd decide what she felt like when she got there) would be just the thing to keep her occupied for a while. Had she mentioned that the weather needed to get the hell over itself yet, because it did. Anyway. She tossed on her usual black bikini, grabbed a bottle of water, slipped on some flip-flops and headed on out to the pool area. It was warm enough indoors that she didn't bother wearing anything over her suit and figured all of the little eleventeen year olds could have a free show on her. She was just such a giver that way.

Once she made her way down, she decided a few laps in the pool would come first and then she'd follow up with a nice soak in the hot tub. So in she went, cutting through the water like a hot knife through butter as her arms and legs propelled her through the crystal liquid. Blond hair turned dark as it streaked behind her and fanned out when she finally took pause. Oh yeah, she definitely needed a bit of a workout to keep her from going stir crazy. After another twenty minutes or so of lapping the pool, she decided to call it quits and headed for the edge. In one swift movement, she pushed herself out of blue abyss and out onto the tile floor. Water rushed down her body as she stood and her hair clung to the bare skin of her back as tiny droplets held on for mercy. Both hands moved to adjust her bottoms as she padded over to the lounge chair that housed her bottle of water and after a quick sip, she turned and stepped into the steaming bath.

A soft sigh parted her lips as she sunk down onto concrete seat and she shivered as her body temperature began to rise. Everything was blissful as she leaned back with her eyes closed until her spidey sense started to tingle. "Take a picture," she muttered as she leaned back to get comfortable. "It'll last longer."