WHO: Vanessa Cleveland and Presto WHAT: Meeting and talking WHEN: Recently WHERE: Out and about WARNINGS: Low STATUS: Closed snd Complete
Presto was excited to see Vanessa. She was a good friend and she would understand the confusion and worry he had right now for his missing friend. Destiny was off on her own, he knew, and could take care of herself, yes, but still… he worried.
His life was so weird right now.
But he was here, this time at a bookstore with a cafe attached and a computer set up as cover as a glowing image hovered above it of Orange County, a topical map of such. Around it glimmered symbols of where people and places he knew were. His own icon overlaid that of the cafe and bookstore. Approaching his icon was Vanessa’s and he grinned as he waved hand and perused the images.
***
Vanessa was running a little bit later than she’d planned on to meet Presto but she knew her friend would give her a chance to explain why when she got there. Things were just an enormous mess for her in her life right now and she knew he’d get that she wasn’t quite her normal bright self. They could sit and talk and just relax for a little while together. And get some delicious treats. That was always the bright side of hanging out with Presto at random times like this - delicious new snacks they tried. And some pretty weird ones.
She grinned back at him when she came in and saw him at that table, making her way over to his table and sliding into the chair beside him and looking at the map hovering in front of his computer screen. “Magic or technology?” She asked him, knowing that both were equally possible with him because of his abilities and his brains.
***
Presto rose as she came up, and smiled. He sat again once she was sitting, eyes showing his worry over Destiny, even as he was happy to see his friend.
“Both. Computer is tech, but the hologram is a new spell, one I’m using to test my concentration.”
He waved toward her. “How are you doing? You look fantastic.” He really appreciated her company, frankly. A lot.
***
Vanessa noticed the worried look on his face and bit down on her lip. “No news?” she asked, sliding closer to him so that she could check out the map easier and talk quietly so that they wouldn’t be overheard. She knew how hard it could be to worry about someone you cared about when you had no clue where they’d gone. Or when they’d be back. “I’m sure you’ll hear from her before you know it.” She added after a moment, hoping to reassure him.
“That is really cool. What are all the dots for?” She asked, pushing her ponytail over her shoulder as she followed one that looked like it was moving.
“I’m...better than I was earlier. I’m talking to someone about things that I should have probably been getting help dealing with a while ago. What about you? Other than the obvious.” She said smiling at him as she tore her gaze away from the computer screen.
***
“None yet. I worry about whether or not she is okay, and if she is, why she hasn’t written. And… I am sure she is fine, and life is confusing. It was before, but now it seems more so.”
He shook his head, then, and smiled at her. “I am, however, trying my best to just focus on the now and the here. So… what are you doing? Oh yes? I hope the talking helps out.”
A small flailing was happening.
“The dots are people and places.” He pojted out the building they were in and the faint dots of the people around them, and the brighter ones that were the two of the, nearly on top of one another. “They’re an idea I got from a book.”
He made it vanish, the next moment, closing his laptop.
“And… I talk to someone too, a mentor person, who is helping me to try to focus and control my magic. And myself.”
He reached out to gently squeeze one of her hands. “If there’s anything I can do for you, ever, please let me know.”
***
Vanessa couldn’t help herself as she leaned her head on his shoulder as she squeezed his hand back. “I will. I promise. Right now...this helps. Just being able to walk away from all that mess and hang out with you for a few hours. We get in different types of messes and have always been able to talk about things without worrying about how the other’s going to take it,” she said with a smile. “And you know that if you ever need anything, I’m there. One of the benefits of my ability that I’m learning to control is that I can kind of fly when I’m invisible. And I’m entirely sure that wherever Destiny is the reason she hasn’t gotten in touch yet is that she’s focusing on that so that she can come back here sooner.” She said sitting up but not moving away from him.
“You’re brilliant and this is amazing. The way you’re combining technology and your magic. Does it just work for people you know?” She asked, her mind whirling with ways this could be used to help people. To help the kids that she wanted to work with once she finished school. “Sorry...I got a little excited as my brain started coming up with ways this could be used.” She said after a moment, her face heating up.
“Max gave me some exercises to try to improve my control further. And offered to put me in touch with someone he knows who can turn invisible. Not the same way I can but she can teach me ways to use it better than he could. Now if we can just control of my non dream issues everything will be great. Anyway! It’s my turn to pick up the bill for lunch remember? Deals are deals.”
***
He gently hugged her and smiled. “Thank you.” She was an amazing friend. He was glad he had her in his life. Without her, and Miss Ives, his life would be in pieces. He smiled at her as she spoke. “Good, because i know I’ll need you before this whole mess is through. More Vanessa time is good.” he nodded. She was strong and smart and he liked that.
Presto blushed bright purple the way she complimented him. “Once I proved to my company that it was real I started them on seeing if they could find ways to apply it to help people, to make new ways for people to learn and live better. So don’t worry, you’re not the only one. As long as I lock the magic in place, anyone can use it.”
He poked her gently. “Besides, seeing you get excited is fun.” A little friendly not!quite!flirting was fun too.
“Magic and technology should always be used to help people, or so I think..”
He listened to her and smiled, hugging her again, glad she was here and could talk to him. “I’m glad he’s helping you. Miss Ives is helping me, similarly. I use a lot of exercises and meditation to try to control my abilities and to learn to be less overemotional, which I slip into sometimes.” he grinned lopsided at her.
“Is everything okay outside of dreams? And yes, I remember. And a deal is a deal. It just means next time is my turn again.” He nodded.
***
Vanessa hugged him back, one arm going around his waist as she just enjoyed the feeling of being hugged by someone who cared about her and that she cared about too. She’d be lost without him to talk to with everything that happened. She kissed his cheek softly as she sat back up. “I’ve been missing Presto time lately so I’m all for more time together.”
“Well since you have people looking into ways to use it - maybe it could help with missing kids.” She blushed at that comment about seeing her get excited being fun. “Now you know how I feel when I get to see you talking about things you’re working on,” she said, that teasing flirting note in her voice that only came out around him. It was completely innocent, just a bit of friendly, almost flirting.
“Yeah...It’s taking some time to get control of my emotions. If I get upset I’ll start to fade out. Makes arguments really really fun,” she said sighing quietly. “But that could be because I’m living with a telepath. Or at least that fact doesn’t help.”
She swallowed and reached for his hand before answering his question about outside the dreams, needing that comfort as she started to answer it. “Not the best. I told you I grew up in foster care right? The families weren’t horrible to me but it wasn’t exactly the best situation for the most part and it left me with some issues that are coming back up now.” She wasn’t sure how much Presto would be comfortable hearing about what had brought these issues back up now. Or how much she felt comfortable telling him. The only reason she’d been able to break down and tell Max about it was knowing that everything she told him in his office wouldn’t go any further than that.
***
“Then we’ll just have to do this more often.” ANd he resolved to do so. He would find a way to spend more time with her, yes. She was important.
“That’s a very good idea. If it was programmed right, and both kids and parents agreed, and the local ordinances could be gotten…” His eyes went vague as he considered that idea, and he nodded as his brain ran a thousand ideas past him, one hand finding one of hers and squeezing idly.
Her other comment made him flush again and grin at her. “Remind me to do so more often.” La la la, a little silly flirting, nevermind his red cheeks. He was glad he could be this way with her. “I can understand that. I hope it gets easier. Emotions make all of us into fools.” He knew that for sure. He had been plenty a fool lately.
He caught and squeezed her hand, nodding as he listened, eyes on hers, curious, worried, caring. “I’m so sorry. I was a lucky son of a bitch, my entire childhood, to have my parents as long as i did. KNowing others don’t pisses me off, so much.” He shifted closer, hoping he could help comfort her and that she would know she was not alone.
“I’m here if you wanna talk about it, and it’s okay if you don’t, too. Family issues are hard. Losing my family was one of the hardest things I ever went through, and I know that family can really affect you a lot.”
***
Vanessa grinned as she watched the look on his face as he got lost in thought at her suggestion to use his locating program/spell to look for lost kids, squeezing his hand back gently but not saying anything as he worked through his thoughts. He was cute when he was working on something that way and she could admit it to herself. Maybe in another life they could have been more than friends but she’d take flirty friends here. Good, close flirty friends. “I could always make it easy on you, come by to visit you at work once a week or something.” She offered, half serious.
She leaned against him again as she closed her eyes. “I’ve got my dad now which is great. He’s trying to make up for all the years he wasn’t there because he didn’t know I existed until a couple years ago. My mom never told him and then she turned me over to social services right after I was born but never bothered to sign the paperwork that would let me be adopted so I was...stuck.” She looked up at him.
“Not that any of my foster families wanted to adopt me. They all told my worker the same thing - I didn’t fit with their family and they needed to place me someplace else.” Lately those feelings of there being something wrong with her had been bothering her again. “It caused some issues. Growing up that way. But now you know why I want to be a social worker? I don’t want any kid going through that if I can help it.” She hadn’t meant to unload all of that on him but once she’d started talking about it she hadn’t been able to stop.
***
Presto immediately smiled. “I’ll take it. Once a week it is.” He smirked at her, betting she had probably not counted on that response. “I mostly work out of the house these days, so you can come have lunch with me and make me pay attention to things!” He knew he had a bad habit of not paying attention to eating, sleeping, that sort of thing.
“Yeah? That is cool! I’m glad you have him again.” He smiled and snuggled her close, one hand rising to gently comb through her hair, half-petting, half just holding.
“That’s messed up. You deserve better. You’re an amazing person, and I’m so very glad you are here.” He kissed her cheek in turn, glad to hold her and listen. He nodded, seeing the way she felt, and glad to listen.
“Any kids who gets you in their corner will have a powerful ally. And the best person they could have there.” And he would do what he could to help, Not to take her place, but just in case sometimes she needed a little help.
***
His response did surprise her a little but Vanessa just grinned back at him. “Okay then. It’s a date. Once a week I’ll come over to your place and we’ll have lunch and hang out. That way we both have to take a break from working on things and relax.” She told him, knowing that he might be a little surprised by her going with it that way. “I’ll even cook so that we don’t have to wait for delivery or anything.”
Vanessa relaxed against him, just enjoying being held by her friend this way, letting him comfort her as she told him what growing up had been like for her. “I didn’t mean to unload on you that way. Sorry. Today’s supposed to be about having fun and hanging out.” She said sitting up slightly but not moving away from him.
“I just don’t want any kid growing up feeling like there’s something wrong with them. And maybe I can help make sure to place them with families that they will fit with because I’ll know better what to look for.”
***
Presto’s smile just spread wider. He was totally blown away that she would go for it, and he blinked a lot, but he knew he wanted this. He had let a lot of things slide, but he would not let this friendship go. She was too important to him. Way too important.
“Holy cow. Cook? I’ll count myself lucky then. Sometime, I’ll make my cookies for us.” He was good at that, and liked doing it. Not so much other foods, really. Or so he felt.
He snuggled against her, his arms around her and just holding on. He didn’t want her to ever feel alone, because she meant a lot to him. “Vanessa, you can always say anything with me. What else are friends for?” He kissed her cheek again and smiled, bending his head against hers, just because it felt right. He sat up as she did, cocking an eyebrow up.
“Makes sense. “ He nodded, hesitated, then spoke softly. “I don’t like acting like having money is a big thing, but if I can help at all, please let me know. There has to be a reason i ended up with all these resources. If they can help people, then all the better.” He nodded again.
***
“It’s a good stress relief for me. There’s something relaxing about combining everything in a bowl and then seeing how it turns out. Breaking eggs is especially therapeutic some days. Which probably sounds really weird but it’s the truth.” Vanessa said with a shrug. “Cookies huh? What kind?” She asked, one eyebrow raised.
“I know I can. I also know that you have a lot on your mind already without me dumping more on there with the crappy way I grew up for the first 14 years.” She told him. It was her nature to protect the people she cared about, try not to make life harder for them if she could help it.
“I promise you I’ll let you know if I think you can help. Right now - just having a plan to hang out more and unwind is going to help me get through the next few classes more than anything else could.”
***
“It sounds like fun, really.” He grinned at her. “I make cookies of all kinds, like snickerdoodles and chocolate chip cookies.” He smiled wider. Somehow, she made him feel better.
“Hey!” he poked her, eyes flashing. “I will always be here for you. And you don’t have to protect me. Not from you.”
Presto noded. “I hope so,. I think you’re pretty awesome.”
***
“You better not be teasing about chocolate chip. It is dangerous to tease me about chocolate some days,” Vanessa said trying to give him a fierce look but dissolving into giggles after a few seconds which probably ruined the effect.
“HEY!” She protested at that poke. “I’ll try to fight the urge to try and protect you from me. It’s just - my nature to try to protect the people that matter to me. But I’ll try for you okay?”
She smiled at him. “You’re pretty awesome too. And now...I’m thinking we should decide what we want for lunch before my stomach starts growling loud enough to be heard at the next table.”
***
Presto smirked. “Teasing you? You would know if I was teasing you.” He smirked, then hugged her, laughing. “It is fucking awesome to hang out with you again.”
“Thank you, Vanessa. You are amazing.” He nodded. “Okay good, okay fine.” He looked at the menu, happy.