Independent Streak Activated (Koty)

[Joelle McIntosh]

(Dated for Sunday)

Oooh brothers were stupid sometimes. Joelle was currently fuming at Jeff. Why?

Because he wouldn't take her to the pet store.

She'd only asked because she didn't know Pilot Ridge at all. He had six years of being in town and exploring, and she had… much, much less. She'd Googled the address and had her saved money in her wallet and everything, but nooo. Jeff had said no.

Which naturally meant that she was going to find a way to get down there herself. She'd seen a bus stop down the hill from the school. Maybe it would take her in the right direction? Well, it was worth a shot.

Marching down the hill from her new school, she found the bus stop easily enough, but now she'd reached it she was starting to question the sense of her plan. How was she supposed to carry a fish and a tank and everything she needed by herself? Her backpack would only fit so much. Jeff was going to be her escort and her packhorse, but he had refused to go.

Sigh.

Staring up at the bus stop again, Jo frowned and peeked up and down the road. Which way did she need to go?

[Koty Hura]

Sunday. For some a day of prayer or sloth, for others a day of rampant clutching to a quickly fading weekend.. For Koty it was generally a good day for preparation. Especially around this time when a number of people that continued to somewhat surprise him were in church or still asleep after a night spent consuming far too much of any number of substances (or just staying up far too late - one of those things he could honestly relate to). He wore what many would call nice clothing, but what Koty thought of as comfortable. He was fortunate in that he fit very well in off-the-shelf pants and shirts, but his jacket was admittedly tailored and his gloves were completely custom made. As a matter of fact, the cheapest visible item of clothing Koty was wearing was his shoes... Because it just so happened that these particular off-brand shoes were comfortable as anything, and far beyond appearance Koty bought his clothing for comfort.

He'd also bought his car for comfort. It wasn't overly special and it definitely wasn't new.. It was, however, immaculately maintained and very clean. He'd only had it for a few months now and he intended on keeping it for many, many more. It was, of course, an old-style Mini Cooper. A car meant to serve function over form that happened to function so well that it could also look good without looks being it's focus. It was dark green with white stripes and two large additional headlamps on the grill. If one knew cars they might guess that it'd been lowered slightly, and that the wheels and tires were aftermarket, but Koty hadn't done those things.. he'd bought it exactly as it was and maintained it.

The interior was a pleasant tan and nearly all leather (it had been reupholstered at some point) and just as clean as the outside, and Koty had very nearly sat down in it when he noticed a girl who seemed rather troubled at the bus stop. She seemed anxious and.. if he was to go out on a limb, like she had no clue where she was going. Not an uncommon thing at Hammel... There were new people every week of all ages and types and races and creeds.. This one seemed.. approachable. And so Koty let a soft sigh out through his nose as he realized he'd already made the decision to risk appearing a bit creepy on the chance that this girl was trusting enough to accept the offer he was about to make.

He gently closed his door and walked quickly over to be within easy earshot. It was either fortunate or very unfortunate that this parking lot was so close to the bus stop. Fortunately, Koty looked like some male protagonist out of any number of animes... and generally people (at least girls around his age or younger) tended to stay relatively open around him. Unfortunately some people were weirded out by his lack of contractions and... usual lack of facial expression.

"Miss?" Koty, in his perfectly fitting clothes, black leather jacket, grey cotton gloves and spiky jet black hair, waited for the girl to turn and recognize his presence before continuing. "Please forgive me.. I could not help but notice that you may be new to Hammel. Your bus will likely not come for.." He glanced at what appeared to be a rather expensive watch and shook his head. "Nearly forty minutes. I am on my way into Pilot Ridge to do some shopping.. I would certainly not mind company if you would be willing to overlook my lack of familiarity. No catch, I assure you, and you are most welcome to refuse. I would not be in any way offended."

[Joelle McIntosh]

Joelle pulled her purple plaid wool coat closer to herself as she waited. Jeff had said that Vermont got cold, sure, but that didn't mean she had to like it. If this was November weather, she really didn't want to see December. As appealing as snowmen and snowball fights sounded, she wasn't looking forward to the accompanying temperatures.

At least despite the cold she was feeling good today. Even the fight with her brother hadn't entirely dampened her spirits. Her hair had perfectly fallen into the waterfall braid she'd tested that morning, her make up had gone on without her having to go back and fix it partway through. Even her clothes for the day had worked perfectly - her jeans and butterfly adorned t-shirt actually fell how she wanted them to. It had been such a good start to the day, and she wasn't going to let Jeff ruin it for her.

Even if she did have to try and figure out how to get a fish and supplies back to Hammel on her own. She'd just have to teach the fish that Jeff was a brat.

Maybe she should have looked up the bus schedule. It probably didn't run very often on a Sunday... but she didn't feel like turning around and going back to the school. She wanted to show Jeff just how independent she could be!

The voice behind her caught her by surprise, and she quickly spun to see who it was. Whoever he was, he had a way with words. Sort of like a guy in the movies!

But pretty words or not, she knew her stranger danger. And she wasn't supposed to go places with strangers. But he seemed nice enough... Okay! Her mind was made up.

Besides, if she was kidnapped or something, it was all Jeff's fault.

"Really?!" She beamed at him and scuttled closer to him. "That would be so great! Thank you!" Bouncing on her heels, she smiled brightly. "I don't know where anything is yet, and my brother was no help." Because everyone needed to know that Jeff was being mean. "I just wanted to go to the pet store... do you know where it is? Oh! But we can do your stuff first! I don't wanna interrupt!" Not after he was nice enough to offer in the first place.

[Koty Hura]

Wow. It had been some time since Koty had felt like telepathy was completely unnecessary.. It seemed that this girl's mind spoke directly through her face, not though her skin like minds usually spoke to Koty. He literally watched her expression go from surprise to pleased excitement, then apprehension followed by dismissal and affirmation.. with a faint smirk of mischief. He imagined the story played out along the obvious paths.. 'Noise! ..person? Attractive person! Don't know this person... Person with car who is nice.. Going with person!'

This had Koty grinning. This girl was entertaining, even if he hadn't yet gathered enough information to tell anything else about her. Beaming scuttling girls were rather adorable. Speaking of things out of animes.... "Pilot Ridge can be a deceptively large place.. Very few people know where everything is, however I am certain you will have no problem figuring out where the things you need can be found. I am sure your brother has his reasons." Pet store? ... There was a chain pet store a few blocks from Koty's preferre asian market. "I do know of a pet store. One of the large chains.. PetCo? PetSmart?" He whipped out his phone as he nodded back toward his car an started the trip there. "If that may not suffice I am sure there are other, more specialized pet stores within reasonable driving distance. Might I ask what you are hoping to acquire?"

Koty had already forgotten about doing his own thing. No worries, though. He would remember very quickly when they were staring at aquariums and hundreds of tiny fish.. They may not make good sushi, but they'd certainly remind of it.

When they got back to the car, he would slip in and unlock her door from the inside (no automatic locks on cars made in the 80s) and start it up.. the little engine purred to life as Koty stared at his phone.. either looking for options based on what Joelle had said she wanted, or waiting to find out what she was after in the first place.

[Joelle McIntosh]

Joelle had always been easy to read, especially when she was excited. Good emotions lit up her face like a Christmas tree, but bad ones she tended to be able to mask more. Mostly to make those around her - especially her family - unaware of them. She kept being told to share them, but some things were harder to share than others. It was better to keep a few locked up.

But bad feelings, beyond irritation with Jeff, had no place with her right now. Instead she was excited. Not only would she get to get her fish, but she might even make a friend out of the deal too! A cute friend.

"I hope so! I've only been here a few days." Definitely not long enough to know the pretty little town. As for Jeff's reasons, she was still going with 'Jeff is a big meanie.'

Tilting her head, she pulled her phone out if her pocket. She'd looked up pet stores and has found one that was supposed to be downtown somewhere. "I found this one..." She offered the slim device to him to show The Ark's website. "It says they have fish. Is it close?" Eagerly she followed him to the car. Jeff was probably going to murder her for going with a nice stranger, but he could go fly a kite. "Oh! A Betta fish!" They were so pretty, and easy to look after from what she'd read so far.

Once they got to the car and the passenger side was unlocked, she merrily crawled in beside him and buckled up. "I like your car." And, upon finally remembering things like introductions, she sat up a little straighter and smiled at him. "I'm Joelle, by the way. And thank you. ... Again."

[Koty Hura]

Koty stared at the girl's phone, then looked off a bit in concentration. "..It is not. In fact, it is likely a near twenty minute commute. However, I would vastly prefer a smaller establishment if you are looking for a fish. Generally the level of care the animals receive is vastly superior." There was no question or hesitation as Koty fastened his seatbelt and glanced over to make sure Joelle had done the same. The place she'd found was where they would go.. and if the level of care for the animals was substandard, he would find them another place.. and another. A pet was not a thing to take lightly, and an animal treated with compassion made for a better pet. Not that it was hard to take care of a betta, but the point remained.

"I know a thing or two about taking care of a betta. When I lived in Japan I knew a boy who fought them.. we did not remain friends for long. Would you find it odd if I was also interested in acquiring a pet fish? I had not realized how perfect a place for one I have on my desk until you mentioned them."

So this was Joelle.. and she was adamant about giving thanks. Koty merely nodded as he put the little car in reverse and turned to look behind them, smoothly transitioning to traveling forward once he was out of the parking spot. "It is good to meet you, Joelle. I am Koty Hura. Are you prone to motion sickness or anxiety? I will refrain from.. enthusiastic driving.. if you prefer." Not that Koty's Mini was all that fast in a straight line, but WOW did it handle. That was the point. That was what he'd wanted. Something with classic styling and the ability to turn on a dime, hopefully without a lot of the bells and whistles of newer cars. He felt like they took from the experience significantly more than they contributed.

"Do you have a name picked out already? Are you interested in a male betta or a female? The males are generally prettier and more common as pets, but the females can have less flashy beauty and are often more active when kept alone." Like females of most species...

Koty would make quick work of getting them on the way into Pilot Ridge... more gently if Joelle had asked, and.. more quickly if she'd insisted she was okay with enthusiasm. If he had fish in the car on the way back into town, he wouldn't be able to drive quickly then.. If given the opportunity, he was more than happy to get it out of his system on the way there.

[Joelle McIntosh]

For a moment Joelle's heart sank a little. If it was that far away, would the older boy still be willing to go? She'd liked that The Ark looked small, and small always seemed to mean better. She wanted her fish to come from somewhere reputable, where it had been looked after well before going home. After several trips to the local PetCo back home to get stuff for Bear, she'd seen so many sad bettas in little cups. She'd felt bad for them then, and now she could converse with fish? She worried about what fish like that might tell her.

Yet as Koty buckled up, she brightened and stopped worrying. It seemed like he was down for the adventure, and she was thrilled about it. Soon she'd have a tiny friend to talk to, and that was exciting. Not that she didn't like or want human friends, but there was something soothing about fish and their tendencies to be non-judgemental.

"Oh! Really?!" The idea of him also getting a fish was intriguing. Not so much the idea of having a friend who fought bettas. But the fact that Koty had stopped being his friend at that point made her smile. Cute and fond of animals. It was easy to dismiss fish because they weren't fuzzy or cute or easy to pet, but Jo liked them almost as much as dogs. "That's not weird. That's great! .... Uh. The knowing about them and the wanting one. Not the fighting thing." Poor little fish.

It was hard not to squirm happily on the seat. Now she had a name to go with a cute face. As for his question, she shook her head. She'd driven with her oldest brother enough to not be scared. "Nope, no motion sickness!" Anxiety.... Not at least when it came to car rides. Other things, yes. "Enthusiastic driving is the best kind of driving." She didn't have her license yet, but she badly wanted to learn.

More questions! .... Questions she didn't really have answers for yet. "I don't know yet. I was going to look and see which one was the friendliest. ... Or loneliest." She'd get a feel for them. "I don't care if they're male or female. It's their personality." Males were pretty, yes, but if a female needed a friend most, then that was the one she would adopt. "I'm going to wait for it to tell me it's name." Wait that probably sounded weird. "I can talk to fish. Kind of. Still learning that one." It had been an incidental discovery, being that her manifestation had been more geared towards breathing underwater.

Once they arrived downtown, Jo exhilarated from the drive, she waited for Koty to park before she unbuckled her seatbelt and practically threw herself out of the car and onto the sidewalk. It was time to fish shop!

[Koty Hura]

"I believe that would be the best method for choosing a fish were it available.." Koty had never met someone who could talk to fish before, but he wondered if Joelle got some of the 'support' abilities that often came with such a thing, like underwater breathing or aquakinesis or something. "I am a telepath myself. --Not of the 'wireless' kind, though. No, I am far more powerful and far weaker simultaneously. I am a tactile telepath. I must have bare skin-to-skin touch with the person whom I wish to connect."

He raised his gloved right hand from the shifter and wiggled his fingers. "It is my reason for wearing gloves and long sleeves. I have no issue with cold weather, I simply enjoy comfortable clothing and I do not wish to have my mind assaulted by any random person who has the misfortune of brushing my arm as I walk down a sidewalk." He'd had.. less than pleasant experiences with such 'brushings' in the past. One that had landed him in the school's infirmary for several days due to psychic overload. Crazy people were not fun for telepaths.

Koty had parked right out front of the pet store, a grin plastered onto his face. He loved driving this little Mini. The 20 minute commute had hardly taken twelve minutes and the seatbelts had gotten a noteworthy workout... but still, Joelle had only smiled and giggled at a few points, taking the otherwise possibly scary trip and making it all the more enjoyable. Yes, Joelle was a wonderful passenger for enthusiastic driving, and Koty was almost reluctant to get out of the car. Perhaps there could be another session in the future when there weren't aquatic being in the car..

"Your company has been quite enjoyable, Joelle. Thank you for allowing me to be your transportation." There hadn't been much time between then spent around each other, but Koty was enjoying it so far. "Are you required to speak through water, or is it possible for you to communicate nonverbally with fish? I am unsure if you would be allowed the former in a pet shop..."

Inside, Koty would head for what he understood to be an ideal Beta habitat and all the trimmings. No measly little bowl. No. A 5-gallon tank, soft sandy gravel, a filter, a small air pump, synthetic plants, small gravel vacuum, tank decorations with hiding places, a heater.. the whole nine yards to provide a beta with a veritable utopia.. along with three different kinds of pellet and flake food, not to mention frozen bloodworms and brine shrimp.. which he would leave at the counter to join Joelle in picking out her fish. He was quite interested in how exactly her ability worked.

[Joelle McIntosh]

Joelle smiled up at Koty, glad he didn’t think she was weird. Well, not for that, anyway. Then again, if he’d been at Hammel for a long like, like Jeff had, maybe he’d seen weirder powers. “I hope so! If they’ll talk to me. Not all of them do.” Apparently that was less to do with her as a person, and more due to her power still being… unstable, was the best way to word it. But having her own fish would help her practice. Her trainer had even said she could take it to class now and again for training. Koty’s own power made her nervous and curious all at once – but mostly curious once he clarified that it was through touch. She wasn’t so sure how she’d feel about someone reading her thoughts without warning, but the touch element to his power made her a little more comfortable. Especially because he was considerate enough to use gloves. “That’s really neat!|” She’d… just have to make a mental note not to make skin to skin contact. She wasn’t ready for a potential new friend to think her odd right away.

She nodded at his explanation. “That would be scary.” She didn’t even like what was in her own head some days (mostly her bad, bad days), let alone someone else’s head. “Did your trainer teach you that trick, with the gloves?” The trainers were apparently full of all kinds of tips and tricks like that. She just wasn’t sure what was going to help her with her own training beyond practice.

The drive left Joelle exhilarated and giggly. Not even her oldest brother dared drive like that when any of his family was in the car, not even if she and David begged him. Getting to experience a wilder time on the road was like nothing else, and Jo was happy for the experience. It hadn’t scared her at all – quite the opposite, really. It had been like a mild thrill ride, and that was just fine with her.

His comment made her beam at him all the more. Koty was definitely fun. And nice. And cute. That thought alone made her both excited and nervous as hell at the same time. She’d never had a boyfriend, not at home, and not at Hammel, and the idea alone still made her anxious. Bad idea to crush on new friends, anyway. It was a good thing he wasn’t a ‘wireless’ telepath, or she’d probably be dying. “You too! And thank you for saving me from the bus.” Maybe she could bake him something in home ec class as a thank you. Hopefully he wasn’t offended by sweets. “Oh, it’s… I don’t know. I guess sort of like a telepathy link? It’s a whole lot clearer when I’m underwater with them, but that’s real hard to do with a pet.” She suspected that she would only be able to do it in a lake or in the ocean. But that was okay.

She followed Koty around like a little duckling, watching him scrutinize the shelves and put things at the counter. There were so many things. She’d originally planned on a decent sized bowl or mini tank, but what Koty was putting together looked more like a fish palace. It was a good thing she’d saved up quite a bit of allowance. She’d just… have to figure out just how much she did have compared to what Koty was collecting cost.

Once everything was collected, she headed to where the selection of bettas sat. Watching them intently, she was quickly bombarded with tiny little watery voices. She hadn’t actually encountered so many before, and trying to match the fish to the voice was going to be tricky. Closing her eyes a moment, she tried to focus, but they were still chattering away. … Maybe she needed to find the quietest one. “There’s so many,” she said after opening her eyes again and looking up at Koty. “They’re really pretty.” But pretty wasn’t the only thing she wanted in a fish. She needed to find the one who needed a friend the most.

After a few minutes of looking, she paused in front of a little green male. Rather than darting around he seemed content to swim in a more contented way. Trying hard to shut out the rest of the fish, she focused on the single green one. ”Hi Fish.” It seemed to work, as his attention turned to her. Smiling, she gently pressed her finger against the glass for him to investigate. Blip, she heard in the back of her mind. “Is Blip your name?" Blip is Blip. Jo smiled. Fish were funny sometimes. Looking back up at Koty, she pointed to the green one. “I like this one. He’s funny.”

[Koty Hura]

Koty would have briefly explained on the warm-up to the drive that he'd purchased gloves on his own when he was still very new to his ability after having very suddenly experienced waking up to his house burning around him. Obviously it hadn't been his. The bus he'd been on had braked to avoid a pedestrian and his hand had slipped off the seat and touched the neck of someone that he hadn't noticed ahead of time had burn scars across much of their exposed skin. He'd experienced what was at the forefront of that person's mind.. It had been traumatic at the time but it had helped a great deal to prepare him for what his power could really do.

At the pet store he'd watched studiously as Joelle looked from container to container, seemingly trying to distinguish what voiced belonged to which fish. "Oh? I had not realized that fish had senses of humor.. Fascinating.. Might I listen in as well?" If Joelle agreed, Koty would deftly slip off one of his fitted gloves and gently take her hand.. possibly before she'd even realized what he'd meant.

Presumably in that instance he would get an overwhelming sensation of surprise and 'there is a cute older boy holding my hand what do I do'... at which point Koty would grin but give no other impression that he knew what she was thinking so loudly. "How do you hear them? With your mind or your ears?" He spoke outloud only to make Joelle feel more comfortable. It would make sense if the girl had literally zero mental shields, but Koty had enough for the both of them.. Also he was good at discretion and could simply avoid going looking in her mind for things. --Would. Would avoid. Because wow, impolite much? Regardless, though, it might be hard not to overhear anything her mind was actively screaming..

If she did remain calm-ish, he would look at little Blip and reach up with his free gloved hand, trying his style of communication (which was solidly the 'mind' kind, not the ears kind) as he pressed his fingertip to the little cup by thinking through Joelle as a conduit.. "Am Koty. Like Joelle? Want go with?" ..Koty had gotten enough glimpses at the psyches of assorted animals to know that communication was occasionally very strange to them with a different species and it was better to start out brutally simple. Of course, he may well have failed miserably, especially of Joelle was distracted by him not having let go of her hand yet..

Provided Jo didn't flip out and remained calm and focused enough to.. maybe get some of Koty's thought across or allow him some access to the way she heard Blip's reply, Koty would let her hand go or continue holding it as seemed appropriate, but whether or not Blip was the one he would glance over to a stunning red and purple male betta that had caught his attention. The ends of it's fins were tattered and it's scales looked dull. It looked depressed and Koty had a feeling that it was the one he aught to take home and care for. It's name, when roughly translated in the way that a fishes thought had become 'Blip', was Ash. Funny, the possibility of a Japanese boy with a Japanese fish with a name from a Japanese cartoon...

[Joelle McIntosh]

Joelle had already learned via her trainer that powers all came with side effects, and half of mastering your power came from learning to cope with those side effects. So far all she had to deal with was a shortness of breath after swimming for a long time, but she’d also been told that she could become asthmatic down the road. That, she wasn’t looking forward to. But at least Koty had found a good way to cope with his own power. His manifestation also sounded a lot scarier than her own. She’d also shared her own, though in comparison it seemed… boring. Even when she thought about (but didn’t actually bring up) the cute lifeguard that had ‘saved’ her from drowning.

“Some do! This one does.” This one being the green Betta now identified as Blip. Not even thinking about it, she nodded in agreement. “Sure you can listen! It’s really cool.”

It wasn’t until her hand was securely encircled by his that she froze just a little, a jumble of thoughts tumbling around the forefront of her mind. First were the simple alarm bells of CUTE GUY HOLDING HAND, which was followed by a rather nervous HE DOESN’T KNOW ABOUT ME, and a rather large tangle of anxiety as she realized he could probably hear all of that oh God. Trying hard to shove it all away, she instead focused back on the fish, and much less on her hand in his. … Which was warm. And kind of nice.

No no no no no. Think about the fish not about hands. Fish fish fish fish fish.

It was sort of working.

“In my head,” she squeaked out. “So I guess it’s a little like fish telepathy?” Did that make it weirder? She wasn’t sure. She wasn’t sure Blip thought it was normal, but he seemed happy enough to have someone to talk to. The green fish blinked at the new voice, seemingly looking between both before addressing both of them. Leave? Yes. That made Joelle grin. So she was right! Blip did like her! That alone distracted her away from Koty’s hand still in hers.

She didn’t even mind him utilizing her power to get to know the red and purple fish’s name too. “He’s really pretty. I like his name, too. Ash.” Funnily enough, it didn’t bring the anime character to mind. More… campfires and embers. Which was suiting, given his color. “It’s too bad males fight. Or they could be friends.”

[Koty Hura]

Koty didn't think fish telepathy made things weirder. If anything, communicating vocally would be weirder than telepathy.. At least to a telepath. Ash, as it turned out, was rather apathetic and depressed. He'd been dropped at least once at some point and when the concept of leaving was brought up, he'd been very adamant about 'No fall'. Koty (and presumably Jo as well) had promised. He'd forgotten by that point that he was holding her hand.. and if she wasn't nervous about it to remind him, he'd have been holding her hand all the way up the counter.

Koty had gently taken Ash and handed Blip to Jo to take to the counter... when he'd seen that she... didn't have nearly the ideal habitat that he did. It didn't often occur to Koty that other people didn't have money like he did. His mom had left him a lot. And the total amount was still growing. Stock options and dividends for the win. But when he saw what would be Blip's home he paused and looked from fish to fish to Jo to the counter.

"Joelle, I am afraid there is a small issue." He paused as he set Ash down and waited for her to do the same, before picking up the little tank she'd brought to the counter and gently tugged her back toward the fish supplies, depositing the little thing back where it had come from on the shelf. "I cannot in good conscience allow Blip to go without the best reasonable accommodations. In fact, I insist that you allow me to provide you and Blip with an upgrade. I apologize if I seem pushy, but I will not accept 'no' as a response." ..At this point Koty remembered that he was still holding Joelle's hand. And she was.. more than a little nervous about new cute friend holding hand buying her stuff especially because they'd just met.

"I am more than happy for you to provide what you are able toward the purchase, but for the sake of your training and Blip's happiness as well as my own comfort and your ease of fish ownership, I must insist." A few moments later there was another five-gallon tank and filter and heater and air pump with a hood and a light that was made to show off the colors of fish.. "Though.. would you be willing to choose the decorations and color of the gravel? I feel that darker and contrasting colors will make Blip shine. Perhaps black with red? There are several red plants as well. Please choose anything you would like. I wish for you and Blip to both be happy."

Somehow, despite having half filled an aquarium with stuff, he still hadn't let go of Jo's hand. Her thoughts were pure and.. well.. adorable, really. And 'loud' in the sense that they were strong, but not loud in the grating or uncomfortable sense. Koty was quite used to volume, it was tone that bothered him.. and Jo's tone was refreshingly pleasant.

[Joelle McIntosh]

Jo’s heart went out to Ash. He seemed nice, but the fact he was dropped and therefore somewhat mistrusting made her sad. If anyone was equipped to help him, clearly it was Koty. He knew about fish, after all. He might not be able to talk to him, but she had faith in him that he could get the little fish perked up in no time. She actually liked this way of using her power. She just hoped that she wouldn’t start stuttering over her words after talking to them for any length of time. That was one of the less fun side effects of her power, and stuttering around a cute boy wasn’t a way to impress him at all.

As they made their way back to the counter, she couldn’t bring herself to let go of his hand. He’d started it, after all. Though her mind went back and forth between it being warm and nice, and being anxious because she wasn’t sure just how much of her thoughts he could actually access like this… she still didn’t let go. She missed physical contact like this, because Jeff wasn’t great with it. Even hugs were a stretch with him. If she had to put up with the anxiety of him potentially accessing certain thoughts, so be it. She could try just not to think about it.

She happily took Blip in his little water bag, watching him swim around and trying to reassure him that it wouldn’t be long before he was all set up in his new home. She sent those same thoughts to Ash, who still seemed nervous about being dropped. Blip’s new home may not have been quite as extravagant as Ash’s, but it was all she had money for. It was supposed to be an okay start up kit for a Betta.

“Issue?” Curiously, she set Blip back on the counter, keeping him far enough away from Ash so they didn’t start going at one another. She suspected that instincts would take over, no matter how much she told them not to. Trotting after him to keep up, she watched him set the tank back. “… Wait, what?” How was that… he barely knew her! And now he was offering to get her a tank for Blip? “But Koty! It’s really expensive! You don’t have to… I can upgrade him when I save up some more?” She didn’t expect that to work, but she hadn’t expected Koty to try buying her a tank, either. Maybe he had a part time job, or something. She didn’t know. But wow. She was sure that her anxiety over it was evident in her thoughts alone. What would Jeff say about her letting a stranger drive her to the store and letting him buy a tank for her too? … Who cared what Jeff would say? She was still mad at him. A little.

“If… if you really won’t take no for an answer…” She bit her lip nervously as he gathered the tank and technical aspects of it. She was still floored by the offer, and still had no idea why Koty was being so nice to her. Obediently, she followed him back to the aisle with the decorations, and spent a few minutes picking out a few plants, as well as a pretty stone-like castle for Blip to hide in. “Are these okay? Do you think he’ll like them?” Of course she could ask Blip herself, but for some reason Koty’s opinion mattered more at this moment. “… Thank you, Koty.” Nervously, she squeezed his hand lightly and offered a smile to him.

[Koty Hura]

"I am certain that Blip would have quite enjoyed the habitat you had previously picked out for him, but I wish for him to flourish and live a long and healthy life. In addition, should he get lonely, this larger set-up will provide enough room and hiding places that a number of small community fish can safely be added at a later date. It is much easier to have an abundance of space than a lack. This will not simply be Blip's room, it will be his world." Koty gave a small affirmative nod. This was common sense. He was more than capable of providing and Joelle had a need. He was somewhat certain she was not used to receiving gifts, but one of the benefits of his ability was that he knew beyond any doubt that she was indeed surprised, blow-away, completely unexpectant, not the least bit entitled, and genuinely greatful that he gave a damn about her and her fish both.

"I believe that your choices are perfect, Joelle, and that Blip will love them." She knew she could simply ask as well as he did, but his opinion seemed to matter.. And honestly if Blip had never been in a rock-like castle decoration, he likely didn't have an opinion on the matter.. or any clue what the castle or plants or giant clear box was. Maybe better to just surprise him. Koty was already looking forward to placing Ash in his new home and watching his fins flare as he finally had room to swim and move and be active and be fed good food (and real food for treats).. No doubt Blip would love it as well.

As the headed back toward the counter with.. several times the value of things they'd left with, Koty gave Joelle's hand a little squeeze back. "Please, Joelle, when it comes to me, do not consider money a hindrance. I am very fortunate that my mother.. 'gave hugs with her wallet' as I have heard it described. She worked a great deal and had great influence with her company and .. Money is no hindrance to me, nor will it be in the forseeable future. I am happy to provide you and Blip with the best and I wish for you to be happy having the best."

It was quite possible that Jo had never seen someone so casually swipe a card for well over $100 worth of aquarium supplies (and that was after Jo's contribution) but Koty was clearly quite the opposite of worried about it, even making sure that the frozen food he'd bought was added to the total when it was hidden beneath some synthetic plants.

Back in his car with their new friends securely in Jo's lap, Koty turned the little car around and started the trip back to Hammel. "Have you ever driven a car before, Joelle? One with a manual transmission?" If the answer was 'no' then Koty would give another nod and explain the pattern of the shifter between them.. First, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth gears. "When I press the clutch, pull the shifter straight toward the back of the car, and when I press it again, push it forward to the middle, then pull toward you and push up." ..Why? Because adorable for starters.. But more because when Koty had been younger he'd loved when his mother let him shift gears in her car. There was something innately satisfying about it.

Besides, everyone had to start somewhere.

[Joelle McIntosh]

She didn’t really want to admit it, but Koty was right. He was so smart. The way he worded things… it was mesmerizing. “I didn’t know bettas could have friends. I thought they fought with all fish?” He really did know a lot about them. Lots more than she did, despite her reading about them. His help was going to be key, she could tell. She’d have to try to get his number, or something, so she could ask him questions. But only if he didn’t mind! … Which she hoped he wouldn’t. An excuse to see him again sounded perfect to her. Even if it was only to talk fish.

A small part of her, deep down and buried under more excited surface thoughts kind of sort of hoped that it could maybe sort of be more than talking fish, though.

“Really?” She inspected her chosen tank decorations before smiling brightly up at him. She wanted Blip to be happy. She couldn’t wait to get him set up in his new house and see him move around and explore. The chances of her blowing off homework for a while and watching him instead were… reasonably high. And maybe if she decided to forgive Jeff, she’d try to lure him down from his dorm to see Blip too.

Granted, if he’d agreed to take her in the first place, she wouldn’t have met Koty. Maybe she’d thank him instead of continuing to pout at him.

She was learning new things about Koty all the time. Back home, with four kids to support and really only her father working, it wasn’t like her family was super well off. Comfortable, was how her parents like to phrase it. They didn’t struggle, but they weren’t rolling in money either. She was okay with that. So to meet someone who did have money was kind of… weird. She wouldn’t have guessed it of Koty. “You’re really too nice, Koty. I’ll have to think of a better way to say thank you.” Her mind went to scenes from terrible chick flicks and a kiss on the cheek came to mind, but she quickly banished the thought. Way, way, too soon, and probably a very good way to freak him out and scare him off. Bad idea. She’d think of something else. Like cookies. Who hated cookies?

Her eyes widened as everything was rung up, trying not to focus on the total. Even after her meager contribution it was still way up beyond what she’d expected. Nibbling on her lip, she tried to ignore it and instead watched Blip flare his fins at Ash. “Blip no, be nice.” Her green fish looked her way, but to his credit he stopped showing off for a few moments.

She was careful in the car to keep them as far apart on her lap as possible so as not to stress the two fish out, though Ash didn’t seem too inclined to flare back at Blip, who kept casually trying to flare when Jo wasn’t looking at him. When he was caught, she gently scolded him and shifted him further away from Ash. The question brought her attention from the fish to the car. “Nope. My brother tried to show me once, but his car’s automatic.” She had yet to get her learner’s permit, either, but that was mostly because she was waiting to legally transition. Otherwise the whole thing was going to be one big mess. She could wait. Sort of. Still, she watched the lesson, her fingers itching to try shifting the gears. Once she understood what he was asking, she carefully wrapped her fingers around the shifter and did as she was told, beaming when she seemed to do it correctly. “I did it!”