Wednesday, January 21st, 2009 Who: Starbuck and Ash Where: Infirmary When: Afternoon What: Ash is a klutz and needs some help
Ash loved the cold weather. In Salem it was rare to get more than a couple inches a month, and so this was definitely a change for her. However, with snow came ice, and with ice came slippery sidewalks. She had been heading back towards the dorms when it happened; one second her feet were beneath her and the next one had gone AWOL--shooting off to the side. With a strangled yelp she threw her hands up in the air to try and catch her balance, but it was too late and in a flurry of limbs and some scuffed snow, she dropped to the ground.
“Owww.” She couldn’t tell what hurt more; the cement was cold and that was seeping in through her coat and jeans. But when she went to crawl to her feet, pain zinged along her forearm. Aches and pains were everywhere, but didn’t compare to that--hissing in agony, she cradled her arm against her abdomen and then staggered to her feet.
The trek to the infirmary wasn’t nearly as fun as her initial trip through the snow was supposed to go. Shivering, she nudged her way inside and then looked around, pushing her hair back from her face with her good hand. “Uhm. Hello?” She looked tousled, with a broad band of wet fabric across her hip and her back.
---
Starbuck liked the cold as well. Yes, he missed Hawaii, because he missed the beach and the waves and surfing and swimming and so on, but he enjoyed the cold and the snow. It was invigorating. However, like Ash, he was also a klutz. Starbuck had stopped counting the number of times he’d fallen on his ass so far this winter. But, lucky for him, he’d not hurt himself, well, no more than a bruised butt and ego.
He’d seen a few people so far this season, all of them suffering from sprains and bruises associated with the weather. When Ash walked in, he recognized all the signs. Her skin was flushed from the cold and wind, her clothes were damp from the snow, and she appeared to be nursing a sore arm. Starbuck motioned to one of the infirmary beds. “Is it just the arm?” he asked.
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“... It’s kind of sad that you don’t even have to ask what happened.” Ash was more than used to mocking herself for things like this. Her expression was rueful but pained as she shuffled across the room to the bed. Following behind her, a mournful looking blue fox came trotting through the closed door and then ducked beneath a nearby chair.
“Yeah... everything hurts, but that’s kind of standard. I think I did something to my wrist though.” She hadn’t attempted pulling her hoodie off yet, figuring if necessary she could just peel the sleeve up. “Not broken, but... ouch.”
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“I’ve seen it a lot since it started getting cold out. And, well, I’ve taken a few falls myself. Been lucky to not break anything though.” Starbuck gave a little shrug and grabbed a blanket from a cabinet for Ash, handing it to her once she sat down.
Starbuck noticed the fox. He’d heard about Ash’s ability, so it didn’t surprise him. It was actually quite cool. “My daughter would love that,” he commented, nodding toward the fox’s hiding place. “Can you make fish? She loves fish.”
He held out his hand to take hers gently. Starbuck had a very soft touch when healing. She didn’t need to remove her hoodie if it was just the wrist. “Alright, so, a warning... or at least a head’s up. It feels cold and tingly when the healing is working, and it will leave you with a glowing blue imprint from my hand for a day.. max. Got it?” he asked. Some people were weirded out, so he liked to give them all the information up front.
---
“My mom likes to tease that I have sturdy bones. Which is a good thing, since I fall all over the place it seems like. Thanks...” She murmured that when he offered her the blanket, and shook it out with her other arm before hooking it loosely over her back. When the fox was noted it multiplied, splitting by what looked like fission and then bursting into an array of fish. They “swam” into the air, whirling around the pair.
Watching this, Ash looked amused. “Yeah, I can make fish.” It wasn’t her being a showboat--her brain had just gone the direction that had been suggested, without her consciously deciding it. Then she ignored them, focusing on Starbuck’s words and nodding. “Okay. No big deal.” With everything that followed her around all the time, a handprint on her arm was definitely the least of her worries.
---
Starbuck smiled broadly and looked around at the fish ‘swimming’ through the air around him. “That’s so cool,” he commented honestly, his fingers reaching out to touch them, but only finding air as the illusions went right through him. “You’ll have to show her that sometime. You’ll be her new favorite person.”
Carefully, his fingers wrapped around her wrist, trying not to disturb it more than necessary. It was already starting to swell. Heat radiated from it, because injuries always felt hot to his touch. It was part of what helped him find their source. Closing his eyes, he focused his energy on that heat, willing his own cooling, healing energy to seek out the pain and reverse it. The process only lasted fifteen seconds or so. Both his hand and her wrist glowed, but his hand looked normal again at the end of it all, while her flesh continued to radiate blue light. “Try moving it now.”
---
She watched as he worked, tucking her hair back behind one ear and away from her face. The fish responded to what he did as well, turning into glowing, neon beacons within the room before slowly fading from view. A moment later a cat began winding its way around the room, before it began to climb one of the walls. She had never understood why most of her subconscious illusions were animals; but she couldn’t explain why it did anything.
“That’s so cool,” she whispered, before giving her wrist an experimental swivel. No pain brought a bright grin to her face, and she looked up to him quickly. “Thanks!” Flowers of all shades and types began to bloom across the various surfaces in the room. “And I’d love to show her sometime.” Little kids were the best; to them it was amazing, not bizarre, what Ash could do.
---
It was cool to have someone’s feelings broadcast in the form of swirling images. He could tell she appreciated his help in the way the illusions changed. They were beautiful. “You’re welcome. I don’t think a girl’s ever given me flowers before,” he teased with a chuckle.
“You’re Lucas’ sister, right? You two should come over some night for dinner. You could show Kamea then.” He’d been meaning to have the two over since they arrived. They seemed cool, and he wanted to be welcoming.
---
Ash’s cheeks went pink at that, but she moved right on through the embarrassment to give him a cheeky grin. “First time for everything. Mine don’t wilt and die, either.” Granted, they just turned into something else, but that was neither here nor there. All it took was a few moments before the flowers had bled into another image, which seemed to overtake the walls.
“That’s me--I’m Aisling. Ash,” she amended. “And you’re Starbuck, right?” They had conversed on the message boards, but it was nice to finally meet him in the flesh. And he was cute! “We should! I’ll have to hunt him down first, but that’s what cell phones are for. He’s been kind of AWOL for the past couple of days,” came the explanation a moment later. “One day is normal, but he usually always messages me something stupid after that.”
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“I am,” he confirmed with a warm smile, helping to adjust the blanket she had haphazardly thrown over her shoulders. Starbuck motioned to the coffee maker on the other side of the room, “Do you drink coffee?” he asked. He didn’t, but they usually kept some brewing in the infirmary this time of year. “I’ve got hot water and tea bags as well, if you prefer.” Starbuck didn’t care for either. Caffeine wasn’t his thing.
“Maybe he’s just busy,” he offered with a shrug when Ash mentioned her brother’s AWOL status. “I don’t know what all he’s got going on, but a new school is a lot to adjust to.”
---
“Coffee’s good?” She huddled into the blanket with a mumble of appreciation, but then shook her head. “I’m fine though--just need to dry off a little.” The blanket would help a little with that, but not perfectly.
“Yeah, he’s been busy. Which is a good thing--he wasn’t really all that into coming here.” She appreciated that he had, though; it would have been bizarre, and lonely, to come to the other side of the country by herself. “So I hope I didn’t interrupt something when I came in.” Although he would most likely tell her otherwise; it was the polite thing that most people did. Above them, the ceiling took on the appearance of stormy clouds which seemed to have nothing to do with the curious, light-hearted smile on her face.
---
“I wasn’t big on leaving home to go to a supernatural school either,” Starbuck admitted, not bothering with the coffee when she told him she didn’t need it. He wouldn’t press the issue. He offered, she declined. Simple as that.
“Nah, this is my job. I sit around during my shift, reading, sometimes cleaning or doing inventory, and wait for people to show up who need healing.” Taking note of the clouds, Starbuck looked at her carefully. “Is something bothering you?”
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“Lucas says he wants to learn more about his abilities, but I know he was happy in Reno.” Ash shrugged lightly. “But then he’s not always the most open person in the world, so maybe there was something going on that I don’t know about.”
His summary of his job got a raised brow, and a lopsided grin that matched her brother’s perfectly. “Wow, that sounds boring.” When he looked up she did as well, and the storm made her exhale. “No. But I probably thought something negative for a second.” Looking back to him, she shrugged. “My subconscious can be thinking about my ex boyfriend while I’m talking to you about puppies. Not all the time, but sometimes.” While it was true, it was still sometimes a convenient “out” for when her subconscious blatantly led on to her real feelings on a subject.
---
“Hard saying. I felt bad leaving my mom, but she was the one who insisted I go to a supernatural school to improve upon my healing abilities, and she was right. I can do so much more than I could before.” Starbuck knew his dad was proud as well. “Plus, I never would have met Kim... so that’s one major perk.”
“I’m sorry,” he said sincerely, frowning slightly. “Breakups suck.” He’d been through a horrible one, so he knew from experience.
---
Ash’s expression melted into one that was easily recognizable, and was followed by its usual counterpart of “Aw!” Starbuck was adorable; it was always so cute to see a guy that loved someone that much. The illusions shifted to match her current reaction, and garnered a giggle from the brunette. With effort she willed them away, bringing back the blue fox from before.
“Don’t worry about it--we’ve been broken up for ages.” He had been the one driving, and hadn’t been all that apologetic after the crash. That, coupled with her inability to stop the illusions, had effectively ended that relationship.
---
Starbuck blushed a little at her reaction. He knew he was stupidly in love. It was enough to make some people gag, but he was glad Ash seemed to appreciate it. He’d never felt so good in his life as he did right now. Kim was one of the best things to ever happen to him. “I don’t know if you saw anything on the boards.. but we’re having a boy. He’s actually due on father’s day.” Which Starbuck thought was so very cool. For a few years, he hated the holiday, but once Kamea came along, he loved it. It was no longer a painful memory of what he’d lost. Rather, it was a reminder of all that he still had and that he needed to appreciate the family that remained.
“Yeah, but it can still be hard. I get pissed sometimes thinking about my ex. But if it hadn’t ended the way it did, I might not have Kim, so I try to keep that in mind anytime the bitterness returns.”
---
And there he went and blushed, making him about three times more adorable, at the very least. “I saw--congratulations again! You guys must be so excited. Is Kamea looking forward to having a baby brother? Lucas apparently wanted to sell me. But he was like, twelve or something so I kind of give him the benefit of the doubt.”
Ash shrugged. This time the clouds showing up were a true reflection of her opinion of her ex. “He’s a jerk. But... like you said, things happen for a reason. I wouldn’t be here if they didn’t. And there’s more for me to do, and learn, here.” She loved Salem, and she wanted to return there. But exploring and branching out was a part of life. Who knew if she’d still want to go back a year from now?
---
Kim always enjoyed the blushing as well. Actually, most women did. He thought it was embarrassing. It was hard for Starbuck to hide his feelings. He loved Kim so much, and it showed. “Kamea is thrilled. She talks to Kim’s belly, and she sometimes gives me older toys, saying they’re for Reed, because she’s a big girl now.” It was the sweetest thing he’d ever seen. She was excited to be a big sister. “Seems like Lucas got over it and likes you now. I think all siblings go through the phase where they contemplate selling each other. I’m an only child, but I know a lot of siblings, and it seems to be a thing.”
“I think you’ll like it here. There are a lot of cool people, myself included,” he joked with a big grin. “You should definitely hang out with Kim. She’s awesome. And I heard Frankie already cooked for you and Lucas. She makes the most amazing desserts. She’s been working on some vegetarian recipes for me as well. They’re pretty good!”
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“Either they want to sell us, or mail us off to Cuba. Or trade us for the neighbor kid’s dog... there’s a whole list of things big siblings do to us evil infiltrators.” Ash was grinning still, and melted a little more when he explained Kamea’s reaction. “She sounds so adorable. I can’t wait to meet her.”
Then she brightened, and the stormclouds vanished; replaced by bizarre images of the cabinets within the infirmary opening and closing at random intervals. Ash had become adept at ignoring them for the most part, since they were simply always there for her, but that did make her blink for a second before returning her attention to Starbuck. “She and Lucas made tiramisu together. I just got to enjoy the spoils of that. Not sure if she cooked it or he did... kind of think she did though, just because Lucas can’t cook for anything.” Again came the lopsided grin. “I know I already like it here--it’s fun! Especially with totally cool people like yourself around.”
---
“Cuba. Right,” he said with a little chuckle. Vinnie and Frankie were at each other’s throats half the time, and the other half they were best friends. He found it amusing the way they acted and wished sometimes that he had a sister. He was glad to be having a boy, because he felt like it would be good for Kamea to have a sibling.
“Her tiramisu is great, so it sounds like she probably did most of the work, but maybe he helped or learned how. You’ll have to quiz him or something.. have him make you some to prove he was paying attention.” There was a small part of Starbuck that was concerned, but he didn’t let it show. He knew Frankie was a bit vulnerable right now, and he didn’t want her getting attached to yet another guy who wasn’t what she was looking for. He didn’t really know Lucas all that well, so maybe it was stupid to worry, but Starbuck and Vinnie had both had their fill of Frankie’s failed relationships.
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“It was probably mostly her, yeah. Lucas... yeah, no. Not that anything tastes bad--I think he’d starve if he were that helpless--but he’s definitely not anyone’s favorite chef.” Hell, Lucas wasn’t even his own favorite cook, which was another reason to enjoy Reno--buffets, everywhere, all the time. Highly convenient when you didn’t want to put forth the effort to make your own meal.
“Even if I quiz him I might make her be there to lecture him if something goes wrong. Not like he’d listen to me.” Much as she loved him, he could be stubborn--especially with family.
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“I’m a decent enough cook, but I’m a vegetarian, and that bothers some people. They don’t want to go to a dinner party that’s missing meat.” He shrugged. It was cool. He understood that other people enjoyed meat, but Starbuck simply refused to eat it. He could communicate with sea creatures, and he knew that all living things had feelings and fears and hopes just like he did. How could he ever bring himself to kill something like that for food when it wasn’t necessary for his survival? He did just fine without the stuff. In fact, you’d be hard pressed to find someone healthier than Starbuck.
“Lucas seems cool though. You both do.” And they seemed fairly normal, which couldn’t be said about everyone at TJS. Starbuck needed a dose of normal in his life. This school was crazy sometimes.
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“I always find it funny how that bothers people. I mean come on--one meal out of your life you can’t munch on a steak. Big whoop.” Behind her on the table, a cat hooked its paw over its muzzle almost in an ‘oi vey’ gesture. “I don’t mind; I tried it once, for about a year. But I had an allergic reaction to penicillin at one point and... geh, long story.” She waved it off--that information was in her medical file. “I got hooked back into it, basically.”
“Thanks! You too.” Ash was the kooky one of the pair; Lucas was the straight man.
---
“I’ve never eaten meat or fish in my life. But I’m not vegan. I still enjoy eggs and milk stuff, as long as it’s organic and the animals are well cared for.” He sounded like a health nut and tree hugger, and maybe he was, but Starbuck simply had standards when it came to what he put in his body. Now that he was a dad, he was even more conscious of it all. He wanted nothing but the absolute best for Kamea. He didn’t know if she’d inherit his gift for communicating with sea creatures, but she was already a big animal lover and had never eaten meat either, so he was confident she’d remain a vegetarian. Still, if she one day decided that she wanted to eat meat, he’d get over it. At this age, he made most of the choices, but he knew that wouldn’t always be the case.
Lucas and Ash reminded him a bit of Vinnie and Frankie actually. Vinnie was more calm and grounded, and Frankie had her head in the clouds. The differences between them probably ensured those relationships worked.
---
“So your parents are vegetarians too, huh?” Ash was honestly curious, and cocked her head to the side curiously. For him to never eat meat meant that they didn’t think he should eat it either, which pretty much gave her the answer--but she still asked, because it kept the conversation flowing. “Yeah, I never went vegan; that was a little too intense for me.”
Lucas and Ash weren’t necessarily close; there was too much of an age difference for that. There was respect though, mixed in with genuine affection. It was a reasonable balance, made easier now that they were both adults (mostly) and could have conversations that they both enjoyed.
---
Starbuck nodded, “My mom has the same gift as me... communicating with sea creatures... and dad was just never big on meat, so it was easy for him to give it up altogether after he met her.” It wasn’t much of a sacrifice for Bardsley, but he would have done anything for Kai. They were so in love.
“Are you close to your parents?” Starbuck asked. He was simply curious. Though it was probably not a good idea to ask. Starbuck had found that a lot of people at school had shitty family relationships. Kim was a prime example. But others came from families not so dissimilar from his own.
---
Ash’s jaw dropped, and dolphins wearing clown make-up appeared to explode through one wall, swimming through the air around them. “You can talk to them?! Oh my god, that’s so cool!” The dolphins got a glance, but all she did was correct the illusion so that they no longer looked so ridiculous. Seriously, imagination? Seriously? Ugh.
“Yeah. I love them to bits and I wouldn’t trade them for the world--even if we don’t always agree on things.” Amelie and Emmett were good people, who approached life much in the same way that Lucas did--a live and let live, middle-way approach. Emmett in fact was a Taoist. The principles... sort of drifted with Ash.
---
Starbuck chuckled at the odd looking dolphins. That was a new one. “Yeah.. I can. Well, not so much talk as communicate mentally. It’s hard to explain, but I see images that let me know what they’re thinking and trying to tell me, and it works the other way as well. My best friend, Henri, is a manta ray. He’s cool. Looooves hot, female tourists. The dude is shameless.” Starbuck nodded toward the dolphin illusions. “I’m not a big fan of dolphins. They’re gossipy. Never shut up.”
“I’m guessing they’re both witches as well?” he asked. It seemed a fair guess given Ash and Lucas’ abilities. But it could be that only one of their parents was a witch. Powers, however, were generally more powerful when they came from two parents.
---
Ash’s expression lit up with her grin as she listened to Starbuck explain his ability, and about Henri. She could only wish that she’d interact with animals on that level; although her mother might be able to cook up something. “I love it. And I guess that’s a good look for them, to you, huh?” The clown make-up faded back into place on the dolphins’ broad snouts and faces, and Ash chuckled.
“Just our mother. Dad’s always been fascinated by it... which I guess is how I got away with creating half of the things I did when I was little. ‘Real’ imaginary friends, mostly,” she added, by way of an explanation. When five year-old announced that she had a bear over for a tea party, most people assumed it was a teddy bear. Amelie and Emmett had to get used to seeing an actual bear cradling a teacup and paying rapt attention to their little girl’s rambling.
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Starbuck nodded with a small laugh and a big grin. “Yeah, it suits them. Dolphins are nuts. I’ll introduce ya to one sometime.. you’ll see what I mean.” They could be okay, at times, but Starbuck really wasn’t a fan of dolphins. They liked to gossip, could be a bit catty, and they were also a little slutty. They were the Valley Girls of the ocean.
“Did he know about your mom’s abilities early on?” Some supernaturals kept their gifts a secret when dating, some didn’t even reveal themselves until children entered the picture. Starbuck didn’t think that was wise. The dating part, sure, because it was hard saying which relationships were lasting. But once you found someone special, someone you could trust, you told them. Starbuck hadn’t found anyone like that back home. Yeah, he had lots of great friends and had gotten extremely close to a few women he’d dated, but something was always holding him back, and given that he didn’t feel comfortable telling them he was a water nymph, he figured those relationships just weren’t meant to be.
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“Yeeessss....” Ash hissed the word gleefully. She had always wanted to swim with a dolphin; but it wasn’t as though they let just anyway go diving into the pool at Sea World. It would mean a trip to Hawaii, and that had never happened. The trip to TJS had been her first major trip since they helped Lucas move to Reno, in fact.
Shifting around a little beneath the blanket, she shook her head and then pushed the damp ends of her hair back over her shoulder. “Nope... not while they were dating, at least. The way the story goes is that dad called her on it one night after they’d been dating forever, and she’d cheated with making dinner--because she wasn’t all that amazing at it back then,” she added. “So she told him, and he was fine with it--I mean, after some usual questions and surprise. She said she figured he would be though, since he’s Taoist.”
---
Or a trip to Florida. Dolphins weren’t all that hard to find. And if he could stomach being inside an aquarium, he supposed he could take her there to chat up some dolphins. Aquariums made Starbuck nervous, because as well meaning as the employees were, and as hard as they tried to take good care of the animals, it was still a cage. Most of the animals there seemed happy, he had to admit. They enjoyed human interaction. But some slaves felt content too, so long as they were treated well. Still didn’t have freedom.
“Doesn’t seem like it would be an easy conversation. There were a few times back home when I thought about telling people.. good friends, girls I dated.. but I never went through with it. It seemed easier to lie.” He shrugged. “Recently we had to tell Kim’s best friend about all this. She didn’t believe us at first. I had to cut myself and show her how quickly I healed, and then Kim had to actually shift into her wolf form. Once Lauren got over the shock.. she was like your dad, tons of questions.” He chuckled, “And she wanted to meet some vampires. She loves those damn Twilight books.”
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“None of my friends back home know. Lucas told some of his coworkers I guess... but he’s better at reading people than I am.” Listening to him, she briefly widened her eyes but then laughed. “Wow. I can imagine that must have been a shock for her. But she took it well, at least? I mean, you didn’t give her any glittery vampires, but she didn’t run for the hills or anything.” Sometimes it was touch and go with some people. Ash had known that most of her friends back in Salem were a little too... jittery, maybe, to handle finding out about her abilities. Which was what made coming here so very difficult, because until she got control... she couldn’t go home.
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“Yeah, Frankie’s like that too. She won’t tell anyone about being a sprite. I think for her, it makes sense, what with the wings and all. But, to each his own.. or her own. I never felt like I could tell anyone. After all, it wasn’t just me. I had my mom to worry about.” And he didn’t want anyone hurting his mom because they were different.
“Oh yeah, Lauren thinks it’s awesome. She can’t wait to visit again. She loves this shit. It’s exciting, you know? For people who spent their whole lives thinking all of it is made up.. fiction.. that’s exciting. And she did drool over a few vampires,” he added with a chuckle. If Charlie ever felt up to dating again, maybe Starbuck would suggest Lauren. They seemed to hit it off when she visited. “Honestly, I don’t get the appeal. Sure, most the vamps on campus are unusually good looking, but I really think women like them simply for being vampires. It’s weird.”
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“I’d probably never hear the end of it if I told some of my friends. They’d either freak out and tell everyone else--problem numero uno--or they’d want to meet every other supernatural creature in existence, and get me into a world of trouble--problem numero dos.” Ash said all of this with a smile, even if it was a little bittersweet; the friends who would get excited about it were some of her closest buddies.
“But yeah, I understand why Frankie wouldn’t.” Ash couldn’t really imagine herself walking around with wings all of the time; with her luck they’d be torn off.
---
He chuckled at the Spanglish. She was a goofball. He had a feeling she and Frankie would become best friends once they got to know each other better. “I hear ya, that’s how I felt about it too. Just wasn’t worth the risk in the end, and it wasn’t like it was all that hard to keep it a secret. I don’t have any weird body parts or abilities that show themselves without warning... well, except for the first time I healed someone. I didn’t know I had that ability. It just happened without warning when I was doing CPR.”
“Your ability is really cool though. You could put on some amazing kids shows with your skills. If we had more children on campus, you could make some serious cash off it.”
---
“Healing people sounds so cool. Although that was probably a hell of a shock for you. I’ve always had my illusions around, I guess. Or for as long as I can remember, anyway.” Ash’s smile turned into a broad, sassy grin then as she freed up one hand and huffed on the nails, buffing them against the blanket before inspecting them. “Yeah, I’m a hot ticket in the preschool ring. I get alllllll the juice boxes I want.”
Oh for the love of... you’ve gone too far, you dork. But Ash didn’t care; this was her playful side. Had to come out sometime.
---
“Major shock. It’s really rare for a kid to inherit both parents’ abilities. Even more unusual for those abilities to be strong. But as far as I know, there’s only been supernatural blood in our family tree, so that might have something to do with it. All my relatives are water nymphs.. at least that’s what my parents told me.” But Bardsley and Kai never went into much detail. They were both oddly quiet about their families. Starbuck didn’t know what sorts of cousins, aunts, uncles, or grandparents he had out in the world. He just figured there was a good reason why he’d never met them, so he didn’t ask about it. Maybe they were all assholes, like the majority of Kim’s family.
He laughed good and hearty like when she made a show of it all. “You really need to hang out with Frankie and Vinnie some more. They’re as crazy as you are.” He laughed some more. She was cool and dorky. And, being a dork himself, Starbuck could appreciate that.
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“Mom comes from a pretty long magical line. Our grandmother has some wickedly cool abilities.” Which weren’t all fun and games, but that was what she showed her grandchildren; there was no need to scare them when they were little. When he laughed, Ash giggled lightly. “I haven’t met Vinnie yet, but if he’s as cool as Frankie then I’m down with that.”
Once more she scooted around, and finally made a face. “Blegh. I need to go change clothes--that’s the only way I’m really going to get dry.”
---
“They’re both big dorks. You’ll like them. Most people do. Vinnie’s my best bro. The dude is cool as anyone I’ve ever met. And Frankie’s crazy, but she’s hard not to love.” He shrugged. Frankie really was a handful sometimes, but Starbuck loved her like a sister and felt protective of her like she was one.
“Sounds like a good idea. If anything else hurts later, come find me, okay? You’re more than welcome to come to my apartment too.” He had an open door policy. Starbuck would never turn someone away if they were in pain. Well, except that one time he’d done it to teach LuLu a lesson, but she needed it!
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“Got it. Thanks, Starbuck! I’ll see you later.” She smiled as she hopped off the table, and then headed for the door. Maybe if she grabbed Lucas she’d con him into coming with her to dinner at some point. He’d been way too reclusive lately.