Activity

@emily-waldorf oh that makes a lot more sense now!  I think Kit is going to be rather impressed by Avin’s outfit XD

Also, that’s some very interesting background on the Colondites!  It makes me sad for Avin though.  Poor guy’s been through so much 🙁

Kit:

“I’m from Vegada.  You haven’t heard of it.”  I shake my head.  Nope.

“And your name is…?”

“Kit.” I grin. “Yours?”

“Avin Merrelsby.”  I nod slowly.  Nice, nice.  My gaze strays back over to Valencia.  Wait…

She…

She’s looking at me.

She’s staring.

Really staring.

A thrill shoots right through my chest as my head swims in this sudden fog of excitement.  My face flushes as my gaze suddenly drops to the floor.  Don’t just stand there like an idiot – DO SOMETHING!

Of course.  No better time, right?

I nervously grin back at her, and dip an eye in a barely perceptible wink.  Look, look, I know what you’re thinking, but this really isn’t as obnoxious as it sounds.  She’d only notice it if she were really, really looking – which she is.

Come on, Val!

She doesn’t even blink, her gaze locked in a hollow stare.

Hello?

Her eyes are blank, lips slightly parted.

I don’t Valencia is actually seeing anything at all, to be honest.  I’m not sure she even realizes what she’s doing.  I’ve seen this before.  I think she’s just resting her eyes somewhere (like me) – somewhere she can dull her mind and numb her senses…OW?

Oh that hurts.

My face burns, except this time it’s not with excitement.

“So, Kit: what do you do in Spire?”  I turn back to this man – Avin, only half hearing his vaguely disinterested question.  Ah yes.  Small talk – my favorite, and the apparent bane of Valencia’s existence.

SAY WHAT?

A million answers shoot through my mind.

Well usually I’d be rotating between parties and obligatory social functions – at least, I would if I still had any friends, if anyone actually wanted me there anymore.  Ummm, ouch? 

Yeah.  That’s the nice thing about Basil, though – he’ll judge you twice for flipping a light switch wrong, but when it comes to those real nasty social taboos, he’s as gentle and quiet as a dove.  A brat dove, to be sure, but a trustworthy one nonetheless.

Speaking of which…It’s not like Basil actually does anything, besides eating and sleeping and whining about his perpetually stopped up nose.  Even so, he’s been surprisingly cooperative for a boy living in a walk in closet.  Look, you got to have it rough if living in a closet is preferable to running back home – as if the shock collar and barcode on his neck weren’t enough to tip anyone off.  But there’s no way in blazes I’m telling this guy about Basil – everyone knows he’s involved with the Feds and that, my friend, is exactly how people disappear.

Like Cousin Rosemary.

Uhhh maybe I could tell him about my brothers?  That sounds safe…kind of.  You know, as long as it sticks to pleasant small talk, I think we’ll be good.  At least I can tell him all about Milo, or brag about Julian’s first expedition.

Let’s see, let’s see.

Valencia and I…is Valencia a friend?  Would she be alright with me calling her a friend now?  I’m not sure how much I can tell him about the issue with Rosemary, but I think it’ll be fine.  The whole city seems to know about our search by now anyways.

“Mmm what do I do in Spire?”  I grin nervously.  “I suppose it’s not much different than whatever you might do in Vegada.  I spend a lot of time with family, and with friends.”  I think Basil counts? 

I nod over at Valencia.  “She’s a good friend of mine.”  I flinch a little as the word slips across my lips.  It hurts- really, really hurts – like a death knell ringing in my heart.  “Do you have any siblings?  I have four other brothers.  Milo’s the youngest, but only by a month – he and I are both adopted so we’re kind of like twins I guess.”  I beam back at Avin.  “And Julian is just a couple of years older than me, but he’s already decided that he’s going to be a pro explorer and that’s that.  In fact, we just got him back from an expedition down South…”

Plus Eli, who’s flying off his rocker again –  and by that I mean he’s rocking the blazes right towards another nervous breakdown.  And lets not even talk about Jasper.  I’m pretty sure Eli gained another gray streak since he came home, although it’s hard to tell since that might’ve also had to do with Milo and I keeping some sort of fugitive in our closet.

 

Oh goodness that scene with Valencia was painful to write XD

@emily-waldorf I changed Valencia’s part – she’s not necessarily afraid of Kit, just afraid of emotional vulnerability in general.  Also she’s burned out and overstimulated by now and I’m honestly not quite sure if I can write her out of it…but we’ll see XD

I’ve left Avin’s reactions blank, so feel free to add or change anything!

And YES Kit does think he’s something else.  He might just be my most roastable character yet, but I have such a soft spot for him regardless.  I just can’t help but root for him – as obnoxious as he is, he has such a pure and sincere devotion to Valencia and it makes me so soft :’)