WHO: Presto and Kira WHAT: not-so Random meeting of friends WHEN: recently WHERE: pizza place WARNINGS: Low STATUS: Closed/Complete
Presto smiled as he headed toward where he had heard Kira was. By a little converse, a little inquiry, a little bouncing around, he had gotten her scent, so to speak, He had some ideas, and so he was heading to bounce them off of her. Sort of. He was odd, sometimes, okay?
Turning a corner, he spotted her and waved. "Kira! Hi! Got a few minutes and an empty stomach? Pizza and awesome shakes sound good?" He grinned. He was odd, okay? But he did love to treat his friends. Sometimes, it was fun to just surprise people.
***
Kira was friendly with Presto mostly because he was friends with Scott. By now, though, she liked to think he was her friend now, too. That was why she was grateful for the invitation. Of course, pizza and shakes were a good incentive. She wasn't going to complain about that.
She smiled and nodded. "Yeah, sure. I don't have anywhere to be."
***
Presto smiled to her as she nodded. “Then come on, oh groovy one. Let’s get some grub.” He offered her his hand, smile wide.
“How do you like teleportation?”
***
Kira had to think about that for a minute. "Teleportation? I think it'd be a convenient power to have."
She liked her own powers well enough, but having the power to be anywhere she wanted in no time at all? Yeah, that'd be cool. After a second, she realized exactly what he was asking. "Oh, you're asking if I'm okay with you teleporting us somewhere?"
That made more sense. Presto was pretty powerful. It wouldn't surprise her that he could teleport.
"I don't think I've ever been teleported before." She'd been here for three years, and she really couldn't think of a time that had occurred. "Guess there's a first time for everything."
***
Presto grinned at her. She was not the only one who had made that jump. Which made him think he needed to start crafting. Why not?
He smiled as he nodded. “Yes. Sorry for the confusion.”
“I try not to teleport anyone around without asking, outside of emergency. I thought we could go see this little pizza cafe I found which makes awesome shakes.”
***
Kira smiled at that. "It's nice that you ask first. I would think it'd be kind of scary if someone wasn't ready for it."
Emergencies were different. One could save someone with teleportation and be thanked later for it. Or at least that's how she thought it should be.
"Well, since you're my chauffeur for the evening, lead the way," she said after a moment. "I mean, we've got shakes to get to, right?"
***
He gently took her hand and a second later, they were popping in outside the side door of a restaurant from which the smell of pizza soared out. “Welcome to the best pizza in town.” He led the way inside, and to a table, waving at the host who was with another customer. The host, used to seeing Presto come in, waved back.
“So how’ve you been doing?” he spoke as he sat on one side of a booth.
***
Kira was impressed by the teleportation, because she didn't feel like she needed to throw up afterwards. She was kind of expected to feel some disorientation, but that wasn't the case. She was glad to be settled already so they could get straight to conversation.
"I'm doing okay," she said honestly. "Glad classes are over for the summer."
She was a bit pensive as she sat there. "Things are so...routine."
That was fine and she was okay with it, but that was all. She wasn't quite as fulfilled.
***
“Yeah! Thank the Gods. I was about ready to flop from shear stress.” He settled and cocked his head to the side, and nodded, slowly.
“Too normal, huh? Have you thought of what you would like to do? A mission, so to speak? A purpose for your life?”
***
"I've been here for three years," Kira said, thinking that was enough of an answer to explain her rut. She had been home that one time, but even that seemed so long ago. "I don't really miss the adventures I'd been on back home, but I do miss how good it felt to keep people safe."
She did kind of like not having to fight for her life every week. She still felt like she needed something more fulfilling, though.
"I'm thinking about changing jobs," she said after a moment. "I love the comic shop, but I feel like I'm growing out of it."
She shook her head. "You know, enough about me. How are you doing?"
***
“Ahhhh I get it.” He understood.
“Maybe a new job is a good idea. It couldn’t hurt.” He smiled as she asked that, and he chuckled. “Pretty well. With work, and Erin, and now Tom to help with his changes… settling into a whole new life is nice.”
He grinned at her. “After four years in the Realms, I have a lot to relax from, but even I still run, and hunt.”
***
“Nothing wrong with that,” Kira said referring to running and hunting. “It’s nice to find a life here and still maintain some of the life you had before.”
She was in a sort of similar situation. “I sometimes help out with the weres during the full moon.”
She’d even seen Presto out there during those full moons. “And I’m one of Jill’s guardians. Those things are still fulfilling.”
It didn’t matter that there no longer was a use for a Guardian schedule, she never stepped away from her duty to Jill. She never would as long as they both were in town.
***
“Maybe we can get together post-full moons, share ideas and thoughts, and plans.”
He nodded. “And maybe we can find another way for you to help more people.” He started to get an idea.
***
Kira was very curious. He definitely looked like someone who was up to something.
“Oh yeah? You have some kind of plan?”
***
“Well, you’re a guardian, and we occasionally have these problems. I wonder what would happen if we put together, well… a guardian force. Not like… cops, and not to attack anyone. Purely defensive. Both to teach others how to defend themselves, and to act like a flying wing, show up where people need help, with a group on duty all the time, if we can get enough people, and powered by someone who can teleport or fly, so they can respond to cries for help. It wouldn’t solve every problem, nor would it be without flaws, but…” He waved a hand.
“It’s something more.”
***
Kira was nodding along with what Presto was saying. It all made a lot of sense to her.
"That sounds like when we used to keep a Guardian schedule, when there were a lot more Moroi here." Rose was always the one in charge of that, and she'd done such a good job. It could be a way to kind of keep her legacy going.
"I think that could be a thing. We've got Training Terrain already for all that self-defense stuff," she added. "Maybe we could work with them on this."
Kira had been thinking about applying for a job there already.
***
“That makes sense. Have a place people could train will all kinds of others, and even people who didn’t have time, or didn’t want to be a guardian could come in to be a ‘enemy’ and help people prepare for the possibilities, you know?”
He shrugged. “I have no idea whether or not it would work, or is even a really great idea. But… guarding those who need guarding, those who cannot guard themselves, coming together against threats no one of us can handle alone? I think that is a dream worth trying.”
***
“Only one way to find out if it’ll work,” Kira pointed out. “All we can do is try. Maybe it will pay off.”
She had a feeling this was one of those things that could work very well. They managed to make something similar work with the Guardian schedule.
***
“Of course.” Presto grinned at her and bounced. “I hope so. And for now… I would be glad to learn more about you, and your life, and your adventures.” He smiled warmly.
***
Kira had to think about that for a moment. "I've been here so long, I almost forget what's interesting about me."
She grinned, though, because she knew she still had some things to offer. "Have I ever told you about what I am?"
She told so many people. Maybe he knew already.
***
Presto shook his head. “I think someone mentioned it, by name, maybe, but… I do not recall, honestly. Sorry?” he tried to keep track of things, but sometimes he got lost.
He was not always a great thinker.
***
Kira quickly shook her head. “No need to apologize. It could be I never mentioned it.”
That was entirely possible. “I’m a kitsune. A sort of fox spirit? That’s the best way to describe it. I don’t transform like werewolves do.”
She always wished she could, but she had other cool powers. “It’s the only reason I know what I’m doing with a sword.”
***
“Okay.” He smiled a little and listened, hearing her, and grinned. “Do you want to change forms?” The words blurted out as he listened.
“THe kitsune spirit helps with the sword? That’s kind of cool.”
She sounded like she had cool powers!
***
“I think it might be cool to change? But it’s also not part of me, like it is for a werewolf. I like what I am.”
That hadn’t always been the case. She was once afraid and confused about what she was. By now, she’d learned to control it and use it to her advantage.
“My mom told me the spirit keeps me balanced. The sword also is a part of that balance.” She laughed a little. “I’m actually kind of klutz a lot of the time. When I’m with the sword, it keeps me coordinated.”
***
Presto smiled at her, nodding. “Cool! That’s pretty keen. Most people aren’t, so much.” He liked that. Just another reason that she was someone he liked. She was cool! He admired her confidence.
“Oh yeah? Nifty! I used to be a real klutz before I had magic. Now… I can dance, which might not sound like much, but it’s huge.”
***
“That is huge! I haven’t mastered that one, yet.”
She was clearly amused about this. “I think it’s interesting magic helped both of us be more coordinated. Well, sort of magic in my case. Supernatural at the very least.”
She realized right now that she was really having a nice time. Spending time with a friend she hadn’t got to hang out with for awhile was just what she needed. The distraction from how mundane her life had gotten was necessary.
***
“I’d be glad to try to teach you, if you like.” He smiled at her. “I only know two dances, and i only learned them because of magic, so I might suck as a teacher, but I could try.” He nodded.
Life could be worse, and he was having fun. He had a friend, and a life worth living, and he was happy. “I’m glad we got together, today.”