Yes, It's Natural [Zaaacchhh ^^]

[Stella Pinyin]

The air was still, and cool. The sky was mostly obstructed by clouds, the odd ray of sun doing little to warm the air. It was light outside without being harsh, and as of yet, it had not rained (knock on wood). Perfect, in other words, for Stella to continue mapping out the layout of the school that was now to be her home. The conspicuous white cane left on her new bed, the white girl had donned a pair of sunglasses to protect her overly sensitive eyes from the sun, as well as her black Burberry coat pulled over a simple grey dress and a pale blue scarf.

The courtyard was mostly deserted, most students choosing to congregate in doors. Stella had chosen to sit under one of the tall trees there, the falling leaves making the ground relatively soft under her. A few students sat under another tree across the yard, as one showed off to his companions by scaling the trunk and leaping from the topmost branch. caught her breath, but the boy did not fall, or at least, fall would be the wrong word. He floated to the ground, slowly, like a feather. Unnoticed by him or his friends, Stella clapped softly, smiling. To a girl that had lived her life in the company of only her uncle, the supernatural abilities of others was still a surprise and a delight to her.

Looking around with wide violet eyes, behind their protective darkend glass, Stella pulled out an MP3 player, one of her parting gifts from her uncle, and settled down to watch the students to a background of Chopin. Here, among so many other, ‘different’ students, she felt like she just might have a chance of fitting in, though she could not help but note they all looked just like normal teenagers. With a small sigh, Stella tucked a lock of snow white hair behind her ear. It would be an accepting environment here, wouldn’t it? If a student could float like a feather and be met with only rolled eyes and a clap on the back, even she was bound to fit in.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac has what can only be called as a love-hate relationship with the cold. He hates it because he can’t show off his body anymore. During the warmer days, he can go out, shirtless and all, and it wouldn’t be too weird. He could simply say that he was just walking around, exercising or something, then it got too hot (chuckling inside, consciously preventing himself from saying “because of me”), hence his need to take his shirt off. If he’d do it in the fall, he’d make a complete fool of himself, something certain people (*ehemVincentehem*) wouldn’t let him hear the end of.

On the other side, the cold weather allows him to showcase his fashion sense more. He could now wear clothes and not fear that he’d destroy them by being all sweaty (not that Zac sweats profusely or anything). And now, he can even add flair to his usual attire by adding all sorts of layers and accessories, like beanies and scarves (which in turn help him brag more, as he never wears anything without a name).

Possibly due to the cold, the student lounge became a bit too humid, too stuffy. Apparently no one wants to go outside and enjoy the not-so-warm breeze. That being the case, added by the fact that the Idiot Brigade were once again making their dorm room their headquarters, Zac decided to go out and walk absentmindedly around.

Dressed in a rather simple purple shirt, grayish-white pants and a black neck warmer, topped with a neat feathered fedora (apparently some of Darryl’s sense of style rubbed off him due to the long periods of practice in drama, but he won’t admit to that). If ask if he’ll get cold, he’ll simply laugh mockingly and tell that person that Zachary LaRousse isn’t a sissy like him (while in fact he is currently tapping on a polar bear’s inherent immunity to the cold to help him survive his walk).

Unlike Stella, Zac wasn’t really amazed when he saw the kid float down to the ground. Envious maybe, but not amazed. Zac’s been in Hammel for a good four years already, and he also lived in a house where everyone was powered, even their helpers. To him, being surrounded by people with powers was as normal as the sun rising in the east and setting in the west.

But even with his familiarity with all sorts of powers, seeing a seemingly ethereal girl across the courtyard came as a surprise to Zac. He’d encountered all sorts of metas, but never did he find someone as weird as her. Was she really that white? Or was she simply glowing? They say curiosity killed the cat. Unfortunately for Zac, he has more than a dozen or so cats inside him, hence his resolve to go beside the girl and ‘observe’ her.

Sitting beside the girl ever so casually and cooly, hands tucked nicely in his pockets, he spoke, looking straight ahead, not even bothering to turn to the girl he’s talking to. “So are you naturally this white or is that a side effect of your powers?” Not exactly the warm welcome one would give a new student (she sticks out of the crowd like a bright glow stick; Zac would kill himself if she’s an old student and he hasn’t seen her in years), but that Zachary LaRousse for you.

[Stella Pinyin]

Focus fixed on the adolescent displays before her, Stella had not noticed anyone nearing her until he was sitting right beside her. Her head sung around quickly, eyes wide behind her glasses. A boy; perhaps asian? She would have to take her glasses off to see for sure. ”Um, can I he-” Stella started, but was quickly cut off by the rather thoughtlessly voiced inquiry

For a moment, Stella’s cheeks flushed dull pink. She felt the desire to tuck herself into her coat like a turtle. ”N-no, I was born like this,” she answered somewhat slowly. A downside to wearing glasses; the answer to her rather unique pigmentation (or rather lack thereof) was usually answered when the dark pink of her pupils were exposed. Stella looked away from the curious boy and drew her knees towards her chest. “Albinism is a different sort of mutation to metas,” she added, softly. “I just have both. It was clear from her voice how much this fact thrilled her. “Do you usually ask strangers questions about their appearance?
“

Despite what may be thought, the question was not completely supposed to be a set down. Was it normal to ask people you didn’t know things like that? To ask them anything? There had been rather strict morals about talking to strangers drummed into Stella’s head for as long as she could remember.

[Zachary LaRousse]

For a moment there Zac thought he’d be put down so quickly like a matchstick flame exposed to the crisp air of autumn; the girl was so into the show-offs that apparently she didn’t notice the self-proclaimed crown prince sit beside her. Lucky for him his question was quite unusual (or rather rude, in anyone’s standards) that he saw the girl almost jump up from her seat in surprise. From the corner of his eye (he’s still not looking at the girl, for reasons even I don’t know), he saw her eyes widen and her cheeks blush pink. He smirked. He believes he has that effect on people – irritation, surprise, admiration, awe, intimidation, and many more combined – and the girl just made his claim stronger.

“I know that albinism is different from being born a meta dear,” he replied with a rather mocking tone, even rolling his eyes (though as he’s speaking from the side, in Stella’s view, she’d probably just see his eyeballs moving). So the girl was albino then. That explains her sticking out like a sore thumb. But then, why does she glow? Or did she just seem like that because virtually all light bounces off her? (Optics was the only lesson that stuck in Zac’s head from his 8th grade Physics class). “So what can you do? Leap tall buildings in one leap? Go faster than a speeding locomotive? Climb walls and shoot icky webbing from your fingertips?” He assumed her power may be related to light, something like bioluminescence perhaps (which in Zac’s mind, was a very useless power; why have the power to glow when you can simply use your phone to get through the dark?). He’d really be surprised if she said yes to any of the options he’s presented her.

“Gosh, moody are we?” he snorted, amused by the girl’s not-so-witty but equally snarky retort. He might just like this kid (apparently Zac has no idea Stella’s a bit older than him). “Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. Depends on my mood really,” he added, leaning to the back of the bench, his arms spreading and leaning on top. “Consider yourself lucky.” Finally he turned to the girl, giving her a sly wink and an arrogant smile.

[Stella Pinyin]

Realizing the boy was not planning on leaving, Stella removed her earplugs and, after a moment, removed her sun glasses. If she was to be drawn into a dialogue with a perfect stranger, it would be advantages of she could at least see him clearly. Bright violet eyes fixed on Zach as she turned herself to face him. Bone white eyebrows, almost invisible against her skin, had risen in surprise at the interruption. They lowered as she realized her guess had been correct. He was asian. Not Japanese; his face was not the right shape. Chinese? But Stella at least was not so... brash as to ask someone she did not know questions about his origins.

It appeared her attempt to make out this person were one sided- she could only assume he had seen enough on first glance. Seen the paleness anyway. His tone made her frown; he had asked, had he not? Why ask if he didn’t want to hear the answer? And if it was so simple, as he made it seem, he should have thought of it himself. That, she told him, though her tone was much more civil. Still, her own boldness shocked her and she blushed, looking away quickly. A change in subject was most welcome. Stella was not pop culture-savy enough to recognize the references to Superman, or even the amazing spider man, and so merely looked confused for a moment. “No, I can, ah, bring light, so to speak,” Stella said hesitantly. The extent of her abilities was still something of a mystery. “Or blot it out entirely. But only sometimes, I can't really do it on purpose." That was why she was here, right? "What can you do?”

“No, I ju-” Stella started on the defensive, but quickly backed off when she realized he was not being wholly serious. A hesitant smile answered the cocky smirk he gave her; at least he was actually facing her now. That was quite a hat he was wearing. “I think I’ll pause my judgement on that until I’ve got a proper grasp on the situation,” she replied politely, tugging at a lock of white hair that had escaped to whip her cheek lightly. “Is it normal to be so abrupt, here? I mean, there would be a lot to be curious about, wouldn’t there?” Stella nodded over to the group of teenagers. “Is that sort of thing an everyday occurrence? I’ve never met another meta before, and now I’m surrounded.”

But she still stuck out, apparently. Were other people looking too, and just less... forward? She really hoped not.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac would be so happy if he knew that Stella was carefully observing him, even trying hard to determine his racial origin. To him, it shows the sign of deep interest and admiration, something Zac likes to have around people. He lives to be on the spotlight, to be admired and idolized, to be the center of everyone’s attention. Anything less was an insult to him. He perceives himself as the modern day Adonis and is perfect in anyway. He had the looks, the money, and the power. Apparently he doesn’t know that too much arrogance drags him down his imaginary pedestal to a level a bit too low for comfort.

Another not-so-nice thing about Zac, one with a direct correlation with his overall arrogant personality, is his tendency to mock people who tell him things he thinks he should know. He feels that at times, when people explain to him things he know, that they’re looking down on him. That they see his apparent ignorance as some sort of weakness. And part of the perfect image he’s trying to portray is having no weakness of any kind. “As expected, a light manipulator,” he smiled, a huge grin of achievement plastered on his face. He just loved being right. But then she added that she can’t do it on purpose. “An uncontrollable meta huh, just got plucked out from your home I assume?”

“I can do all those things and more,” he smirked. Well, in theory anyway. He never really tried jumping over a building using a kangaroo’s leg power (he figures a flea, despite being disgusting, is better fit to do the job, but since he can’t tap into one, he’d have to settle for the pouched mammal). Nor did he ever race against a train with his cheetah speed (he knows the chance of beating one is slim anyway; it’s not like he could ever reach the speed of sound with his cheetah dash). But he certainly can’t shoot webbing out of his fingertips. “I can show you some tricks if you want to.” After all, showing off is what Zac does best.

Zac couldn’t help but laugh at Stella’s answer. It was unorthodox and not that snide, but it was a well thought of comeback as well. The new kid is really giving Zac something of worth here. “Pause my judgment? Proper grasp on the situation? What the hell is that?” he said, his tone a bit more mocking than welcoming, “Dear Glowworm, just accept it as is. You don’t have to test it or anything. I’m telling you: You are lucky.” He shook his head then gave Stella a playful pinch on the bridge of her nose. (And yes, Zac has decided to call the girl Glowworm now. Sorry Stella).

His ears perked up at the unusual use of words. He tilted his head to the side as he looked at Stella more closely. “Are you…a non-native speaker of English by any chance?” If she is, then that would probably explain her stutters (which are actually the instances when she’d speak but Zac would simply cut her off) and her rather smart retorts. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t catch your abrupt and curious about question,” he chuckled, now more of a playful, bashful kind compared to before (as he was more curious than mocking now), “But yeah, there would be a whole lot of show-offs in this school. This is a meta-human haven after all.” He slumped back to his chair and pointed at the kids playing across them with his mouth. If Zac only had telekinesis, he would’ve pushed the kid off the branch already. Lucky for them Zac didn’t develop anything that’ll allow him to make people’s life hell from a distance.

[Stella Pinyin]

(OOC: haha a human with the powers of a kangaroo could jump two single story houses, in case you Zach to try it out.)

Stella just nodded slowly. How exactly it was obvious she wasn’t sure (as far as she could see, her luminescence only showed at night), but it was very obvious from the boy’s tone of voice he was very proud for having guessed correctly. “Yes, apparently my powers did not show until quite late, for a meta.” Stella elaborated, rubbing the familiar piece of jade around her neck between forefinger and thumb. Another differentiation; the nice man who had appeared at her uncle’s house had mentioned the strangeness of her situation. “Abilities usually show younger than nineteen, correct? How old were you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Apparently, the desire to show off was shared amongst the students here. The thought a student could leap over buildings and run faster than a train was dumbfounding to Stella (how was she to know he was, at best, exaggerating?). ”Oh, yes please,” she said quickly, eyes wide. Stella was never one to pass up on a free show! If she had known how such a remark would inflate an already overinflated ego, she may have desisted...

When he mocked her speech though, the eagerness fell away. Her lips pressed together, paling already white flesh. And glowworm? That was a new one! Her eyebrows rose in astonishment, and they practically disappeared into her hairline when this strange boy reached out and pinched her nose. Stella and her uncle hardly touched, and she’d known him all her life! Having someone she had never met get so near her face... Her incredulity must have shown, and her nose twitched like a rabbit’s as the boy let go. ”Ah, what?” Stella started to protest, but she was cut off. Again

The girl’s bloodless looking cheeks flushed again. Was her english that bad? No one had commented yet. ”I’m from Hong Kong,” she offered by way of an explanation. ” But I moved here very young. Is my english bad?” His was flawless, but then, he may have been born and raised here, like her uncle. Then came a change in the boy’s demeanor that even Stella’s bad eyesight could pick up. The mocking was still there, but it had diminished slightly. Surely an encouraging sign? ”I apologies if I was unclear, I meant that, with so many people with powers, is it usual, what you did? To ask someone you do not know what their ability is, without asking for an introduction?” The next comment stuck out even to the usually oblivious Stella as slightly hypocritical, and she covered her mouth with one hand to hide her smile.

[Zachary LaRousse]

For all the nasty quirks and irrational dislikes the young mimic has, apparent hatred and the lack of empathy for those who developed their gifts late and have fairly no control over it would have to take the cake. Zac grew up in a meta-human household: his parents and extended family were metas, as well as most (if not all) of their household staff. As Zac was growing up, those people who can’t do anything exemplary were weird. As a child, his mom already prepared him by teaching him a few meditation techniques and breathing exercises, which helped the kid as he got his power under control early on (he only had two outbursts so far: one when it first manifested, but more due to his caretaker jumpstarting the whole thing; and the other just a few months ago, for reasons unknown). Instead of feeling sympathetic for those who are struggling with their abilities, Zac viewed them as weak and dangerous. Telepaths, weather manipulators and pyrokinetics are those he tends to dislike the most; he hates it when people suddenly read his thoughts, magically change the weather because they’re feeling moody and randomly burn stuff and have no reason to justify it.

Given that background, it isn’t really a surprise when Zac almost jumped out of his seat, his eyebrows crooked as he looked at the girl in front of him. “Nineteen? You say you’re already nineteen and you just developed your powers? How was that possible?” he asked, more rhetorical than ever. It was just his mind taking actually, trying to process all the information being given to him. “I’m seventeen. Gosh you don’t look nineteen,” he chuckled, surprisingly giving a complement out of the blue. “That is late. My powers manifested when I was thirteen. And back then, I told myself that if nothing showed up by the time I turn 14, I’d kill myself.” Despite chuckling as if to present the whole idea of him committing suicide if his powers don’t manifest, it does contain some truth to it.

The desire to show off isn’t really a collective want. Only a few people live on showing off, Zac included (the other one’s Verax, but seeing Stella’s a pretty timid girl, he’d have to wait ‘til later). “Really? Then you’re in for a ride,” he said, standing up and stretching for a bit. After a couple of arm rotations and leg stretches, he scooped Stella up, wedding bride style and winked, “Hold on tight Glowworm.”

First he tapped on the speed of a cheetah, running around the courtyard, hoping to build enough momentum for a tall leap. A few minutes later, after Zac felt he had enough momentum to get him to the top of the gym, he quickly shifted to a spider monkey and made a quick somersault over the bench and used that momentum to leap to the top with a kangaroo’s ability. And with a graceful boink, Zac and Stella safely landed on top of the building, Zac on his knees and panting hard due to the rather dangerous and tiring act. “W-was t-that i-impressive e-enough G-glowworm?” he asked between pants.

“Could I ask you dear Glowworm to get down for a bit, I need to catch my breath,” Zac said, helping Stella stand up from his lap. He was very much sweaty and disgusting now, but at least he’s successfully showed off to Stella, and that’s all that counts. “Where were we again?”


ooc:
Apparently Zac didn't answer some of Stella's questions. Sorry Neon. He would've answered it, had the post not been too long already. I promise he'll answer it the next time (hence the "Where were we again? question).
Sorry for the wait Neon. ^_^.
-Jam

[Stella Pinyin]

Unsure whether to take looking younger as a compliment or not, Stella merely blinked wide violet eyes at the remark. Still, his voice, for once, was free of mockery so she assumed it was supposed to make her feel better. ”So you expected to develop abilities?” Stella began to ask, but it was clear Zach had been seized by the desire to not only have a chance to show off, but had been asked to! Watching him perform his stretches, it was obvious his power was of the physical manifestation. Just as Stella was about to ask if she should move back, she found herself (for the second time in two days) hoisted into someone’s arms, much like she herself picked up her cat. At his warning, Stella looked at Zach with trepidation ”But what are you going to-” Her question trailed off into a scream as they started moving.

Quickly realizing the sense in Zach’s suggestion she snaked her arms around his neck and held on for dear life. Lilly white hair waved behind her like a horse’s mane, and just as she was beginning to gain composure, they jumped onto the nearby building, then summersaulted, and finally with a final leap that left Stella’s heart near her toes, the pair landed.

<Thank you, ancestors, for allowing me to live though that, and I promise I will burn a stick of incense for you as soon as I can> Stella muttered quickly in Mandarin, eyeing Zach as if he might suddenly swoop her up on another death run in an instant. ”Y-yes, more than enough.” She gasped, her arms unlocking as she stumbled off the boy’s lap to wilt into a heap beside him. It seemed that she had drastically underestimated physical contact as a rarity. Drastically.

Stella too was having trouble remembering what they had been talking about. ”Maybe Hong Kong? Ah, I come from there. It’s why my english is maybe, not perfect. And I think I asked if you, ah expected to show abilities?” That was what they had been talking about, wasn’t it? Distractedly, Stella quickly ran her fingers through her hair; the wind had managed to knot it rather badly.... it would take a good half hour and a comb to restore it.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac remained in his kneeling position for a while, droplets of sweat steadily flowing down from his forehead as he bowed down to catch his breath. From the rather neat and decent looking kid who walked confidently beside Stella, Zac now looks like a drenched rat, dirty and stinky and sweaty. He definitely wishes he’s brought a handkerchief so he can at least wipe his face. “Expected to develop abilities? More of was pressured to develop one,” he said as he remembered a question left unanswered before his rather dangerous stunt. He couldn’t help but chuckle as he tried to count how many times he’s been asked that question (or a certain conversation he has went to that topic) within the span of a month or so. While he’s not above answering and explaining himself again, he just found the thought widely amusing and entertaining.

Successive use of animal abilities to achieve a superhuman effect is really taxing to Zac’s body. Sure his stamina was above average and his toned body built somehow helps him withstand the weariness, but the intensity of what he did just now, combined with the extra weight of a person he carried throughout the ordeal (not that Stella was that heavy) made Zac extremely tired and hungry. Increased metabolism is a side effect of Zac’s gift, and while it is good in the sense that he gets fat real hard, it also means that he has to eat a lot after such an intense stunt. He couldn’t help but chuckle when he heard his stomach suddenly rumble as he sat down to relax.

Despite his rather unappealing look, Zac still managed to maintain the confident smirk and the arrogant air he had earlier (after he caught his breath anyways). He told himself that he could definitely rock the wet look. He shook his bangs to the side and said, “Oh yeah right, Hong Kong and your English. That explains it.” Zac is not really a grammar Nazi, so he could care less if it’s perfect or not. But she does have this tone that sets her apart, much like her ethereal appearance. “I’m not sure about perfection, but it does sound a bit odd. Maybe a little too formal? Not that it’s a bad thing, but odd nonetheless,” he said, giving Stella another wink.

Zac ran his hand through his own hair when he saw Stella trying to untangle hers. While his wasn’t that long, it managed to get a bit disorganized too. Not a problem, he still has his fedora to cover his hair. “My fedora?!” he shouted, reality suddenly hitting him that he has not the hat with him anymore. “Where could I have dropped it?”

[Stella Pinyin]

Out of the politeness that seemed to be a major part of Stella’s psyche, the moon-white girl was choosing to ignore the slight smell of perspiration that was starting to radiate off Zach; in the cold, the boy was steaming like a horse after a rub down. Stella, unlike Zach it seemed, had always been taught to carry a handkerchief on her at all times; it was one of those little items that could always come in useful. Hiding the reluctance she felt at the thought of having the pretty cotton square getting drenched in, well, sweat, she fished it out of the small bag that had by some miracle stayed over her shoulder and handed it wordlessly to the dripping mammal mimic.


His statement was puzzling; ”You were expected to carry the mutation?” Stella asked, her tone bordering on incredulous. Why would anyone want to carry the burden of being different, a mutant, a freak, much less have have parents who expected it of them? While she did not voice this thought (rude rude rude) her bordering disbelief was evident in her wide violet eyes, pupils as always skating back and forth quickly. One corner of her mouth twitched in an unwilling smile as a tiger grumbled from Zach’s stomach, but she covered it quickly with her hand. The smile vanished when she was sprayed as Zach shook his hair out, like a wet dog. It was a pity she’d given away her handkerchief!

Trying to be subtle, Stella tried to wipe her alabaster face dry with the sleeve of her (terribly expensive) coat. The school had to have a dry cleaner, after all.... right? As such, she missed Zach’s wink, but heard his comment. A serious, rather determined expression crossed her face and she nodded briskly. ”I will do my best to fix it!”

Careful in her attempt not to break any of the brittle strands as she combed, Stella’s hand jerked in surprise as Zach halted his own grooming and suddenly shouted. The tug on her skull stung, her lips pressing together as she hastily extracted her hand. ”Maybe it feel off when you...”were almost getting us killed”were showing your abilities?” Stella offered, not bothering to look around. If it was any further away then a few meters, she wouldn’t be able to see it well and if it was down in the courtyard, forget it. ”I won’t be able to help you much in finding it,” She said quickly, in case he thought her rude. ”I can’t see very well.”

[Zachary LaRousse]

Never did it cross Zac that his ‘little’ stunt would be this taxing. His clothes are extremely drenched and the sun isn’t even up. Granted this wasn’t his usual form of ‘showing off’, but since his normal method isn’t really that appropriate (it involves goading the rather arrogant freshman into a fight, shaming him by gracefully evading everything he throws at Zac, then ending the fight with a simple gorilla flick), he figured a more peaceful way of showcasing his ability would be more suited for the situation. And by more peaceful he assumed it also meant also less tiring. Apparently that is not the case.

He promptly removed his neck warmer and his maroon tee, not really caring that it’s an autumn afternoon. He was, like Stella has described, steaming as a horse; he’s got enough warmth to keep him until the night, he assumes. He was about to wipe his sweat away with his shirt (it’s definitely against his will, but he’s so uncomfortable that he’s willing to sacrifice his shirt; it’s not like he’s going to wear it again anyway) when he saw the small bag thrown at him. He easily caught the bag mid-air and opened it, giving Stella a confused yet equally curious look. “A gift? This early?” he asked as he shook the small bag to drop its contents to the palm of his hand. He smiled as a nifty handkerchief popped out of the bag. “How thoughtful, thanks. Don’t worry, I’ll just buy you a new one.” His smile turned into a smirk as thoughts of Stella definitely liking him ran through his head. (Yes Stella, apparently a simple act of kindness can go a long way with Zachie).

“Of course. I’m a LaRousse dear Glowworm. To be a baseline human, as the other elders would say, would be an abomination. And I wouldn’t have it in any other way really,” he explained as he finished wiping his forehead and his arms. He patted the not-so-warm floor to tell Stella to sit beside him. “I mean, even our house help were meta-humans. In my world, to be a plain human being is to be a freak.”

Zac couldn’t stop himself from laughing when he heard Stella answer with such determination. It’s not like he’s insulting her English in anyway, he just finds it amusing. “What did I tell you, too formal,” he chuckled, doing a face palm and shaking his head. “No need to change it Glowworm. I actually find it cute.” And again with the wink. Did I not warn you that aside from being overtly arrogant, Zac is also quite the flirt?

“Really? I didn’t notice.” Of course he hadn’t notice. If he had, he would’ve grabbed it with his free hand and save him (and Stella) the bother. “No worries, it’s not like it’s important or anything. I can simply buy one anyway.” Money really is never a problem for the boy. “Can’t see very well? Then why don’t you have your glasses with you? Or perhaps you forgot your contact lenses?”

[Stella Pinyin]

Male nudity, to any small degree, was something Stella had seen only on the odd Calvin Klien billboards at the airport. As such, as Zach began stripping off layers like an onion her cheeks started to burn, and she quickly raised her hands to her face to hide the blush. Zach’s comment hardly got through to her, though she looked up when he passed her bag back... He was still shirtless. Not knowing where to look, Stella shook her head. ”It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” she said quietly; she had plenty of handkerchiefs. She just really wanted him to put his shirt back on. Now.

But, apparently, Stella would have to deal with a topless Zach for a while longer; he was showing no sign of wanting to get dressed again. In a compromise between being rude and her brain, Stella kept her eyes on his shoes. She shuffled closer as he indicated she should, still looking at his shoes. They were pretty nice shoes, after all. Shiny. ”I don’t think my parents were metas... my uncle doesn’t know,” she explained, trying to get her head around the idea of Zach’s topsy turvy world. ”but then, I think I’m usually considered a freak, meta or not,” she pointed out, her white hair swinging forward as if to prove her point. Stella had picked up that people brought up self deprecating comments as an attempt at humor...

.... it didn’t seem very funny to her, but she smiled anyway.

Still, Zach’s reaction to her promise to fix her speech did strike her as somewhat humorous, and when he slapped his hand onto his forehead she giggled softly. Her laugh wasn’t heard often, but it was strangely infectious. Reaching into her bag, Stella pulled out her sunglasses again and slipped them on, shrugging. ”Glasses don’t help. There’s poor transmission from my eyes to my brain, and perscription lenses make my Nystagmus worse.” Aware that that Zach would have little to no idea what that was, Stella quickly pulled her glasses down, and looked Zach straight in the eyes. Or at least, she would have. Her eyes moved irregularly back and forth, tiny little twitches as if she was reading a tiny tiny book. ”I can’t really control it, and focus can be difficult.”

[Zachary LaRousse]

Unfortunately for Stella, Zac caught her timid blush (her hands actually helped Zac notice the reddened cheeks and the uncomfortable downward gaze), making the mimic smirk even more. While Stella’s blush did come to Zac as an expression of embarrassment, he interpreted the cause in a rather different and skewed way. He is a guy after all, and to him, a guy taking his top off whenever he feels uneasy (even in a rather public place) is as normal as breathing only through your mouth when swimming – not-so-usual but necessary if he wants to stay comfortable. To Zac, Stella’s blush was more of an embarrassment of seeing a guy she had a crush on shirtless – unexpected but totally not undesirable. So being the huge tease that he is, he’s decided he’d go on bare for a little more time, even though he’s getting a bit cold already (nothing a little polar bear endurance couldn’t accomplish).

He couldn’t stop himself from chuckling as he saw from the corner of his eye how Stella seemingly fixed her gaze on his shoes, seemingly focused on preventing herself from getting a glimpse of Zac. “You like my shoes? Just had them shipped from New York a few days ago. Aren’t they just lovely?” he laughed, moving his feet up and down to make the wings flap. “How I wish the shoes were just like Hermes’ sandals. Apparently my powers don’t let me fly,” he sighed, “How about you Glowworm, ever dreamt of flying up the skies one day?”

“Oh yes you are a freak,” he laughed, ruffling Stella’s hair, “You’re a natural show stealer. You know some people have to work hard just so when they enter the room all eyes go to them? But you, never in your life can people ignore you.” And yes, that is a complement in Zac’s book. Being a self-centered brat, Zac strives to be the center of attention in everywhere he goes. And while he doesn’t really see himself being as white as Stella, he will agree that having such a unique pigmentation will help the lady a lot should she decide she wants to be the life of the parties. “Also, it’s very freakish to look this beautiful and radiant even after running through the courtyard at speeds clocking at around a hundred or so kilometers per hour,” he smiled, putting some of Stella’s hair (the ones he just ruffled) behind her ear.

And yes, for those who are still wondering, Zac has officially turned his flirt switch on. (Not that he ever turns it off anyway).

While Stella was busy focusing on his winged shoes, Zac was busy staring at Stella’s face. And while he doesn’t find himself attracted to her per se, he does have to admit that she’s something. Worthy enough to flirt with, he thought. “Cute laugh,” he said when he heard Stella’s giggle. He didn’t know what he had said or done to make her giggle, but he could care less. He actually tilted his head and was about to ask what nystagmus means when Stella suddenly looked at him and showed him what it was. “Woah,” he gulped, “That is something. Is that a side effect of your powers?”

[Stella Pinyin]

Truth be told, Stella had not been able to tell there were wings on the gold shoes until Zach made them move. Now that was something! Carefully, Stella lent over to touch one of the wings, not minding the cold mud that smudged one of her fingers. ”I’ve never seen a boy with gold shoes before,” she said honestly, for while she had a pair of gold heels, she was not used to men dressing ostentatiously. At the mention of Hermes, her head snapped around to look just past Zach’s shoulder. ”Hermes, Greek messenger god, renamed Mercury by the Romans. Closest planet to the sun is named after him.” absentmindedly, Stella scratched her ear. ”Correct?

It was not a desire to show off; there wasn’t a prideful bone in Stella’s bleached body. A knee jerk reaction, was all. Preparation for an unexpected round of 20 questions.

The girl’s reaction to the actual question was not nearly as polished. ”Oh, no! I mean, ah, I’ve only been in a plane once, oh, no, I was on one when I was little…” giving up, Stella just shrugged. ”I like it down here, I think.

Zach’s constant touching; her nose, picking her up, her hair…. It was beginning to make the girl feel a tad uncomfortable. Afraid of being needlessly offended or oversensitive, she gritted her teeth and bore it. His comment seemed a little ignorant though, and she felt she had to speak. ”I don’t think I would mind being ignored every now and again, she said softly, her eyes downcast behind her glasses. ”I’m not really made to be the centre of attention.” Almost unnoticeably, the girl’s shoulders were starting to hunch forward. The compliment did not help; kindly though it was no doubt meant to be. ”I didn’t run,” she pointed out, looking up quickly. “I didn’t do anything.” And there he was, touching her again. His hand seemed to hover near her face, and she twitched slightly away from it. Tactile overload to a girl who had been hugged on average maybe twice a year.

His reaction to her eyes was not surprising, though perhaps disappointing. Stella quickly put her glasses back on and looked forward. ”No, it’s common in people with albinism. I’ve had surgery, it’s much better now.” A thought accord to her, and she frowned slightly. ”I’m not sure what the side effects are, I don’t think I’d notice. I’m already sensitive to light, and my eyes take a long time to adjust when the lighting level changes quickly…. She shrugged again, rubbing at her eyes under her glasses. ”Apart from getting you wet, does your power have any side effects?”

No, Stella did not realize the sexual innuendo in what she said. Leave the girl alone