Yes, It's Natural [Zaaacchhh ^^]

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac couldn’t help but smirk as Stella touched his shoe-wings without much thought for the mud that had accumulated on some of the edges. All he saw was delight and admiration, and it was enough for the vain boy. After all, anything that’ll show make the prince’s ego inflate even more, from a simple praise to complete and utter awe and obedience, is enough to make the boy’s heart flutter (though he’d prefer the latter anyday). “Well, now you have,” he chuckled, flapping his shoes wings more to amuse the girl, “I mean, gold’s a very strong color. Not everyone can pull it off. Especially men.” In short, he’s telling Stella how awesome he is for looking so amazing even with what he perceives as a unique design. Were you really expecting anything else?

“I also have neon pink and green shoes in the dorm. And a couple of ones with even more unique designs back home. I would’ve kept them here with me, but the administration recently decided to give me and Horus two new roommates, forcing me to evacuate my clothes from the presumed empty rooms.” Yes, apparently Zac’s done a good job of keeping his vast clothes collection by using the extra rooms as his own personal walk-in closets. Upon the arrival of Xander and Jayson to his room (which really came to him as a shock, considering that those two have been in their old rooms for so long already, why change now?), Zac found himself with 2/3 less of clothes to choose from for the week. Not good, not good at all. “Which reminds me, where do you stay Glowworm? Do you live in the school dorms or do you have a home around town?”

“Nice. Glowworm’s not just pretty, but very smart too. I like that.” Zac remembered the last time he said those words (albeit in a different phrase but contained similar meaning) and it was really embarrassing. He didn’t realize he was hitting on his ex back then. At least now he’s sure he’s flirting talking to someone he’s never met before. “If I say another trivial word again, say aglet, would you tell me stuff about it too?” While it may sound likes he’s mocking Stella, it’s actually the opposite. He didn’t see her words as a mark of showing off (he knows when one’s trying to show off most of the time, being a master show off himself), but rather another facet of the Glowworm that makes her unique and appealing in his eyes.

“Really? That’s sad. I like flying. Though after a few trips in your private jet, especially during the summer, it gets boring,” he answered in a matter-of-factly tone. Apparently too much flying in one’s private plane can get boring. “I hope mastering the bat would allow me flight.”

“Exactly my point. You did nothing still you look stunning.” Cheesy, greasy, but hey, Zac’s having fun so who are we really to ruin it immediately. Zac laughed when he heard Stella’s words. He knew she meant something else, but it was much too precious to simply let pass. “Indeed, my powers have side effects too. But then, whose power doesn’t?” he stood up and stretched, clearly doing it to show off his treasured body to Stella. “And dear, my powers don’t get me wet,” he leaned in closer, his cheek almost brushing with Stella’s. “I could tell you what would make we wet if you like,” he whispered, quickly backing up and smirking as he stood in front of Stella, giving her a wink.

At the rate that Zac’s going, by the time he’s theough, Stella would’ve probably have enough physical contact to last her three lifetimes.


ooc:
Sorry for the delay Neon. Just had the time to catch up on posts last night.RL is so not my friend right nao.D;
-Jam

[Stella Pinyin]

Gold was all very well, but neon green and pink were colours that should not have ever existed in Stella's mind. Too bright. "I have gold shoes," she said somewhat absentmindedly, not sure what to make of Zach's lack of clothes. After all, nice clothes were, well, nice... but two rooms full seemed a little excessive... But then, so were gold shoes with wings. And hats with feathers. And running around and jumping onto buildings with someone you've just met in your arms could be considered excessive too.... Yes, excessive was Zach all over.

"Oh, I live in the dorms.... The co-ed ones. I have a roommate, but we haven't crossed paths yet." Stella said hesitantly. "It would have been too hard to get too and from school if I had my own house. Why don't you, if you're having trouble with space?" Her fingers were still carefully at work with her hair, smoothing it out carefully. At Zach's comment though, her fingers snagged on a knot and she jerked, pulling out several strands. Again, her cheeks flashed scarlet and she swung her hair forward to hide her face. "Beg pardon but I'm not pretty," she insisted quietly, the bone pale skin between her eyes farrowing. She knew she stood out, but it was very obvious to the moon girl that she was not what one could ever consider pretty. It was something she accepted, but it was not enjoyable when it was thrown in her face. At his next question, Stella merely grasped the narrow tube of plastic at the end of Zach's laces. "This is an aglet," she said softly, then dropped the lace.

A private plane? Again, it was becoming very obvious to the perceptive albino girl that Mr LaRousse was more than well off. Money had never been much of an issue for Stella; she knew her guardian had a lot of it, and that if she made a reasonable request for something, she would usually get it. That was all money meant to her. "You would need to grow wings, would you not?"

And there it was again. It was hard for Stella to tell if he meant to make fun of her, or was just trying to be nice. Though perhaps stunning was more appropriate. People had literally stopped dead still upon seeing her.... And what was he doing now? Stella came close to shuffling back when Zach suddenly leant in so close. What was he going on about? "A shower? Perhaps if it begins to rain?" she guessed, almost invisible eyebrows raising in confusion. Why was he winking? Was there something in his eye? "Um, are we moving now?" she asked after a moment, as Zach did not sit down.

[Zachary LaRousse]

Excessive is such a strong word. True, it somehow described Zac’s overall personality, but he wouldn’t be too happy about it, mostly because the word had a negative ring to it. He’d choose a more positive synonym, like extravagant or even flamboyant (to an extent, but he knows Darryl already has that title to why bother stealing it from him). Ever since he was a child, nothing was ever simple in Zac’s life. From the large mansions (yes, with an s; apparently they have five or so dispersed across the world), signature clothing and lavish parties, Zac’s life has been all about the big and the huge. He never does anything ‘half-baked’, he says. At the mention of her gold shoes he leaned down and gave her another nose pinch, saying, “That’s cute. Does it sparkle like mine too?”

“Co-ed rooms huh. I lived there for the past four years. It was fun, but for some strange reason, I only got males last year. Unfortunately because of that petty incident the clan leaders thought I should move into a new room, an all-male dorm to beat.” Zac just moved to his present room a few months ago, causing great ire in the teenage mimic. While Horus was manageable, it was his friends, namely Vincent Verax, who really got into Zac’s nerves. The goth boy never fails to drive Zachie insane, mainly because he’s just as obnoxious and egotistic as the prince. “A roommate? So you only have one as of now? Lucky you. You know his or her name? Who knows, he/she might be a close friend of mine.” He couldn’t help but chuckle at the apparent awkwardness of that sentence, especially since it came from him. While Zac had ‘pals’, he’s much too proud to call people ‘friends’, telling himself that calling someone a ‘friend’ entails accepting that he/she is your equal or even better, and Zac’s ego couldn’t just take that.

“Ask my father that,” he shrugged, putting his hands to the his pockets and looking blankly across the horizon, “I’ve been bugging him ever since I entered Hammel. He claims staying at the dorms is fun. After all, that’s where he and mom grew closer together.” He added a gesture of fake vomit after his story. His father says that being a student is one thing, being a dormer is another. His father stayed at the dorms when he was a student in Hammel too, and gained many insightful experiences from it, he says. Aside from being closer with his mom, he claims it taught him independence and responsibility, something he knows Zac won’t learn if he stays at his own house with attendants and staff all around. While Zac has learned how to take care of himself at a daily basis, him being responsible is still a bit of a stretch.

“My, my, either Glowworm isn’t used to being called beautiful or she’s just trying to belittle herself,” he laughed at her blush. “When somebody says you’re pretty, you say ‘thank you’. You are pretty my dear. If you aren’t, why would I waste my time showing off and talking to you?” He held Stella’s chin and made a smile that made his eyes turn into half-moon crescents, hoping to tell her how much fun he’s having flirting talking to her. “Let’s try this one more time. You’re pretty Glowworm. Now what do you say?” he asked, sounding like a kindergarten teacher talking to one of his students.

“Glowworm really is smart. And cute too.” Compliments just keep on flowing out of Zac’s mouth. Whether this is because he’s just a flirt or if it’s true attraction, it’s hard to tell. This is Zac after all. “Perhaps. I don’t know. I didn’t grow spots when I tap into a cheetah nor do I grow spikes when I use a porcupine. The hair around my body becomes hard and pointy though,” he said, giving Stella a sly wink, “I don’t usually grow extra appendages when I use my powers. But if it means I’ll be able to soar through the skies, I won’t mind it that much.”

By now Zac knows how clueless Stella can be. First the ‘wet’ question, now the shower suggestion? He could just burst into laughing thinking about Stella’s next statement. But being the great gentleman that he is, instead of simply letting it pass, he decided to tease Stella even more. “Wait, I don’t understand. You want us to take a shower? Or just me?” he asked in a surprised yet dirty naughty manner, “I didn’t know Glowworm is this aggressive.”

“Moving? Why? Getting a little cold already? Want me to help you warm up?” Poor Stella. Talking to Zac was really one of the greatest mistakes you could ever do.

[Stella Pinyin]

Was he trying to make her uncomfortable? Poor Stella was not aware of Zac’s somewhat obnoxious if charming nature, and so she had come to the conclusion he had no idea that he was making her feel very awkward. Perhaps she was misunderstanding the situation though, it seemed to have happened here plenty of times already. So, in an attempt to replicate what she was going to choose to take as a friendly gesture, Stella reached over and pinched Zac’s nose in return. ”I don’t need any more sparkle, actually,” she pointed out, then hunched her shoulders up and down. The movement created ripples in Stella’s white hair, now smoothed out and free of knots.

”Ah, her name is Essence, I think... we haven’t really talked much. I know she does not mind me having my pet cat in the dorm.” Stella had made sure to check, after all, Celeste was very hygienic and had had all her shots but not everyone was ok about finding the occasional bit of white fur on their clothes. ”Do you have a lot of friends at Hammel? You’ve been here a while, and you seem to have no problem starting conversation,” Stella asked, her pale lips curving into a smile. The wind was starting to chap them, and the girl winced slightly as a tiny crack opened on her bottom lip. Sucking the injured part into her mouth, she tasted blood. There was lip balm in her bag; she started fishing for it with sensitive fingertips.

Despite Zac’s own less then happy reaction to the story, his parents struck the light and dark manipulator as very wise people. It was hard to show any sympathy to someone who did not want to bother something considered important by his parents. Especially when you did not have any. ”He’s giving you a chance to experience he found important,” she pointed out mildly. ”A lot of people would find it very interesting to know how their parents met, let alone have the chance to live in the same place.” It was hard to keep the passion out of her voice. Stella had learnt very quickly her uncle did not wish to dwell on her parents, and so did not ask. Occasionally particular topics caused hidden desires to bubble up shamefully. ”Forgive me, it is not my place to say those things.” How embarrassing, to have such an outburst (well, perhaps a tiny quake) in front of someone she had just met.

It seemed her embarrassment was not yet over. Her cheeks burned vermillion at Zac’s words, eyes skirting everywhere to try and avoid catching so much as a glimpse of the boy beside her. Still, his smile was as contagious as a yawn; his cheeks were reduced to little apples any grandmother would love to pinch. Her balmed up lips curved upward and she gave a rueful giggle. She did not agree with Zac, but he was clearly not willing to trop this. ”Thank you. But you really only talk to people if you think they are attractive? Isn’t conversation and mutual interests and other things important?” They were the things mentioned in those adds for e-harmony Stella had seen on the television in the dorm lounge once or twice anyway.

After the brief explanation of his powers, which ended in Stella picturing Zac flying around like a vampire, it became very clear to Stella she was not on the same page as Zac. Why on earth would she shower with Zac? And how was this aggressive? This whole situation was becoming increasingly bizarre. ”I’m confused,” she said finally, taking a small step back and eyeing Zac worriedly. ”You appear to be talking in circles, or applying meaning to words that I’m not aware of.” She frowned slightly, and lent forward to poke the tall asian boy in the chest. ”It would be much appreciated if you explain yourself, please. It appears you’re laughing at me.”

[Zachary LaRousse]

If anything else, Zac has somewhat mastered the art of making people uncomfortable of their own skin. May it be through his continuous jabs about how great he is, then making a not-so-subtle reference to his target’s characteristics, or simply with his rather physical and sometimes most of the time seductive/flirtatious touches. He knows making people uncomfortable would make them unaware of the things they do or say, which is useful when he’s trying to extract something from a person. But then, he’s not trying to make Stella uncomfortable. If anything else, he’s trying to be nice to her. He finds her really amusing (if not attractive altogether) and he’d like to keep her by her side, if not as a friend then at least like a toy dog in his pocket.

Stella’s nose pinch came as a surprise, as really, he knows that she’s uncomfortable with anything physical (not that it stops him anyway). He felt a wave of achievement ran through his body. Who knew his constant touches would make the albino girl come out of her shell. “Nice one dear Glowworm,” he chuckled. Then it occurred to him that he hasn’t introduced his first name yet nor did he get the girl’s. He’d just have to stop by Dr. Campbell’s office later and try to extract it from him. That or maybe Stephen knows who she is. Lucky he’s in town for at least a couple of days (though he wishes it’ll be longer). “Why not? You can never get enough sparkle you know.” He laughed, knowing full well that one can in fact get too much sparkle. Edward Cullen is a nice example.

“Essence? Nope. Never heard that name before. Maybe she’s new like you,” he nodded as he put his hand under his chin and tried to fit the name with a face. He even tapped into an elephant’s memory capability to help him remember better. He doesn’t really remember names and faces unless he finds them really amusing or repulsive. “A cat? Cool. Is it a he or a she? What breed is it?” While he really isn’t a cat person, he did find animals interesting, mainly because he’s tied to the Earth’s biosphere.

Zac couldn’t help but chuckle at Stella’s question. It wasn’t ridiculous really, but he just found it odd. While he does have no problem starting a conversation, he does have a problem making friends. Not that it bothers him anyway. “I do have quite a circle of ‘friends’ Glowworm,” he told her, though most of them are frenemies/friendly rivals at best. Justin was the closest he got to a best friend, but he transferred to Kocher two years ago. “I can introduce some of them to you if you want.” Not that Zac would go at lengths to drag the girl and show her to his friends, ‘cause that’s what a normal person would do, but Zac figured that it’s social convention to say that. In short, he’s just being nice. “Nope. Conversations are second nature to me. It’s hard to get by in this world if you’re shy,” he said, sitting on the rooftop edge, observing the ethereal figure in front of him from the distance.

“You should meet my dad then, I think you’d just be lovely together,” he laughed, rolling his eyes as he said that. Mocking and ranting aside, Zac loves his parent/s. If anything, his mom instilled a strong sense of family in the kid, that when a huge storm hits, the only people you can turn on to is your family. If Zac had a Kryptonite, it would most likely be his father and Cedric (and maybe Stephen too). “Don’t get me wrong, I find it interesting, but really very bothersome,” he grinned, “And you don’t have to be sorry about anything.” He grabbed the shirt off his shoulders and tried to wring the sweat off it. Lucky nothing came out. “So, how about you, have your parents talked to you about how they met and pestered you about it?”

“Nice one Glowworm. We are making real progress here,” Zac said, clapping his hands with glee. Her smile and shy giggle was really something. He tells himself he should really watch out for this girl. “Do you think I’m that shallow? I feel offended,” he jokingly said. Though really, he did seem shallow based on his previous statements. “Those are important too, but hey, we all have different priorities right?” By then Zac realized that Stella’s awkward social interaction meant something else. That it may not stem from being shy but from having a whole different paradigm when it comes to talking to people. Zac has a very unstructured and spontaneous way when he’s just conversing for fun, and Stella just seems to be the opposite of it. He smirked as he put the shirt over his shoulder again and went back to Stella’s side. He’s got a new goal in life now: to break those walls she’s put and make her as spontaneous as a person can be. It’ll be fun, right?

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you know nothing about double entendres,” he nodded apologetically, as if truly sorry for the confusion he’s done. By now he’s sensed that his image is beginning to wane, from an esteemed guy to a jerkish butthole, which he clearly doesn’t like (not that he isn’t one). Time to clean up some dirt if he wants to continue flirting talking with the girl freely. “I’m sorry. Will you forgive me?” He couldn’t help but laugh when Stella poked him. He would’ve followed it up with a you-want-to-touch-my-arms-and-abs-too? retort, but he figured he should save it for later. “You like it? I work hard to make it toned and amazing.” He hopes that’s subtle enough.

[Stella Pinyin]

This glowworm business was starting to get a bit embarrassing; every time he used it she felt like someone was poking her with a pin. It was not his fault though, maybe. She had after all failed to introduce herself, what with the getting carried around and being dropped on top of buildings and the like. "Ah, Stella," she said quietly, worried about being rude, then cleared her throat. "Beg pardon, but my name is Stella, not glowworm. I should have introduced myself before, again, I apologise." Quickly, she bowed her head. Behind a curtain of white, her jaw was set; she was actually correcting someone! It felt horribly rude.... but not all together bad.

The topic of her cat was seized on with gusto. A real, 'glowing' smile spread across her face as Stella found the opportunity to talk about her beloved pet. "Her name is Celeste, and she's a white Angora. She's very friendly, and is happy indoors. I've had her for 5 years now," the ghost-girl gushed, leaning forward lightly with her enthusiasm. It was impressive; Zac was obviously having a positive influence on Stella's ability to converse more freely, for all that he made her feel uncomfortable at times. A less confident person would have by now found a way to leave the conversation, feeling awkward trying to chat with someone who seemed to think every second thing she said could be found insulting. Even obnoxious arrogance had its place (sorry Zac ^^)

Stella shook her head at Zac's offer. As kind as it was, if Zac's friends were too similar to himself, it would be too overwhelming. One was enough. At the comment on shyness all she could do was look down and shrug. However the precarious nature of his position became obvious and Stella looked up quickly. "Be careful there," Stella had broken her arm falling off her uncle's roof once. It had hurt horribly, and her explanation, that she had just been trying to see the sky and tripped, was deemed far from satisfactory. Following on her somewhat motherly warning came Zac's comment about meeting his father, and she raised pale pale eyebrows in surprise. The surprise quickly turned into something else, something hidden and private that made the girl shake her hair out in front of her face.

"My parents both died, when I was very young." she said flatly. "My uncle doesn't like talking about them, so I don't really know how they met." It was unfortunate timing; the lightness that had begun to grow in Stella's voice and been snuffed out with brutal efficiency. But Zac seemed more then capable of making the usually solemn girl smile and even laugh, as he had proven. A shy smile cracked at Zac's plea for forgiveness; for all that he made her feel very claustrophobic he was amusing, and seemed to be willing to draw answers out of her with a patience that was quite rare. "I'll forgive you" she said, her hidden laughter audible in her voice, "But please be clear." For all his promises, the very next words out of Zac's mouth confused the girl. "Your shirt is toned?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. "I have to do that to my hair, or the lead in the water turns it yellow.

*facepalm*

The autumn afternoon was slowly dipping towards night, the brightness of Stella's skin becoming obvious as the levels of light lowered. It was safe to remove her glasses, but the girl still blinked hard as her pupils readjusted. "I think I should eat soon," she mused, aware of the emptiness in her stomach. The girl looked up, over the rooftops, then looked at Zac with mild panic as a new question occurred to her. "How do we get down?!"

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac was actually surprised when Stella suddenly said her name. Could she be a mind reader too? As far as he knows, light manipulation is not related to telepathy, not one bit. “Stella. Like the star? Amazing,” he said, his right hand holding his chin as if the matter is a very serious one, “Fitting. You’re stunning just like one. And hot too.” If Zac could high five with somebody now, he would. Where does he get these things really? He slowly approached Stella and brushed her loose bangs behind her ear once more. “But if you don’t mind, I’d like to call you Glowworm still. I mean, everyone will call you Stella. I’d like to be a special one. I am special for you, am I?” he asked, trying to sound like a shy teenager, complete with the cutesy yet unsure stare. Whoever said drama class was useless?

“So I guess this is the part where I tell you my name right?” he asked, squatting in front of the girl. “I’m Hunk, but you can call me Adonis if you like,” he said, giving her another one of his winks and flexing his right arm in front of her. He consciously tried to hold his laughter. He’s never been this bold and comedic before. While he wishes Stella would simply take it as is, somewhere inside him, something’s hoping that despite her apparent cluelessness to the real world, she’d see the joke behind his introduction.

Apparently Stella’s life is all linked to the stars. First her, now her cat. What’s next, a dog named Supernova? “Lovely name. You do like stars don’t you?” he asked playfully, “And a white Angora too. You have quite the taste in pets. I wish I had one too.” Not that Zac can’t have one. He actually owned one when he was a kid, a black ChowChow he named Puff. Unfortunately he got bitten by a snake one day, and since they had no animal healer employed in the staff back then, Puff was gone. He was supposed to get one for his fifteenth birthday, but seeing that his school schedule’s become a bit more hectic than usual, his father decided to postpone his pet hunting at least until he’s graduated. “So if she’s here with you, who’s taking care of her now? I mean, I’m not a cat hater, but I don’t want stray animals going through my stuff and whatnot.”

Would Stella have changed her mind if she had known that none of Zac’s friends were as obnoxious and self-centered as he is? While the saying ‘birds of the same feather are the same birds flock together’ may hold true to comic book enthusiasts or sports jocks, it fails miserably when it comes to egotistic brats. If it were, then Zac and Vincent would’ve been bffs already. While Zac’s friends may have a few quirks (Rivers is a fashionista, Jayson a lone wolf, Eric is anything but a child), none of them are like Zac. (He’d crush them instantly the moment they show signs of being like him). He smiled at the sound of Stella’s concern. But instead of taking heed, he tapped into a spider monkey’s agility and did a back flip, gracefully landing on his right arm. “No worries Glowworm, I can take care of myself.”

Zac suddenly stopped his joyful tricks when he heard Stella speak about her parents. “Oh, I’m sorry Stella,” he said, jumping to her side then giving her a tide squeeze, even using her proper name this time. “Trust me when I say I know how you feel. Somewhat. I lost my mom to a brutal ‘accident’ when I was 7.” Being a public figure (and her meta-human status hidden), Gabriella’s death has been broadcasted as an accident. But a meta-human investigation had revealed that it was an attack. And even after ten years, the leads they get all turn into useless dead-ends.

And yes, a face palm was in order. “Not the shirt silly, I mean-“ he caught himself when he remembered that himself a bit around the girl. For the moment at least. “Never mind,” he smiled, “Woah. A free dye-job every time you take a bath? Don’t you like that?”

The setting sun only made Stella glow more in Zac’s eyes, both literally and metaphorically. Her glow makes her seem even more otherworldly now, a celestial goddess who came down to mingle with the lowly mortals even for a while. “Hungry? Hmm. I know, I’ll treat you to dinner tonight,” said Zac as he broke off his trance, “Then we can go for a quick tour of Pilot Ridge. You’ll be staying here for a while, might as well know the place, am I right?” He stood up and stretched once more, ‘subtly’ telling Stella his answer. “So, would you prefer I carry you like a newlywed or simply give you a piggy back?”

[Stella Pinyin]

Stunning, Stella could accept though she couldn’t help blushing. Hot, however, did not make sense. ”It’s actually rather cold,” she said honestly, despite the warm jacket blocking out most of the chill. Her nose was starting to turn light pink, and she rubbed it with one hand to warm it back up. He was in her face, again, but to her credit Stella did not flinch as he brushed back her hair. Her attempt at hiding was thwarted, it appeared. His next comment just did not seem to make any sense. Special to her for what? And how? ”Ah, you are the first student I’ve really talked to...” the bemused girl started slowly. ”So, this makes you special, I think?” As she thought about it though, Zac had been rather special in his ability to make her laugh, and he had never seemed frustrated when she wasn’t sure what to say... Did that make him special?

The names Zac was suggesting were off enough to spark a bit of a warning in Stella’s brain. ”Adonis, the Greek athlete?” she sounded skeptical. ”Are these, ah, how do you say, your nick names?” His heritage was clearly not Greek, it seemed a little too strange. Also, she was beginning to see that Zac did not always mean exactly as he said, or at least, did not speak directly. It was like trying to see around a corner sometimes. And seeing was not Stella’s strong suit.


Celeste’s well being while Stella was away had never concerned the violet eyed teenager before, after all the cat slept for most of the day anyway. ”Celeste’s trained,” she smiled, her literally glowing face beaming slightly. If there was one thing Stella was proud of, it was her cat. ”She explores by herself at night, and usually sleeps all day. I do not think she bothers my roommates.”

Stella squeaked when Zac suddenly started squeezing her, going stiff as a board. ”Ah, can you-” she started to ask, before the glowworm heard Zac’s own story, and while not quite hugging him, patted his back. ”That’s horrible,” she said with feeling, her eyes sorrowful. ”It must be even worse, I mean, I can hardly remember my parents, so it is harder to know what I have lost, you see?” Besides, with no photos, there were not even faces to picture, just the two names on the tablets in her room, so she could burn incense.

Stella wrinkled her nose, and for the first time that conversation, said something Zac could perhaps really relate to. ”Yellow doesn’t suit me. It clashes with my skin, and it makes it harder to buy clothes. White works better.” If she could dye it, she would want it black, like it was supposed to be, but with no pigmentation, there was nothing for the dye to cling to.

It was uncomfortable; Zac was starting to stare as the sunlight dimmed and Stella started to give off light like the glowworm he’d named her for. She hadn’t honestly expected that from him, and she looked away with a frown. It was strange, she understood, but that didn’t mean she liked being studied like a circus freak. If she’d been aware that Zac was looking for a very different reason, she would have already turned pink though. ”But, I just meant in the dining hall!” Stella said in surprise, ”I mean, I don’t usually go out in public at night, given my, ah,” she held up a hand; it looked like it had been coated in that liquid inside glow sticks, ”condition.”

Her anxiety did not ebb at Zac’s suggestion. ”There aren’t stairs?!”

[Zachary LaRousse]

Zac laughed ever-so-loudly when he heard Stella’s comeback. It didn’t strike him that she didn’t get the latter part of his compliment. “You have quite the sense of humor there Glowworm,” he said, almost pinching the girl in the cheek then retreating almost immediately. Being a full grown girl (she’s seventeen already after all), he figures she wouldn’t take it too lightly to be given a kid’s trademark pinch. So maybe another nose tap is in order. “I like it when girls have a sense of humor. It’s always them who’s looking for a guy with a witty tongue. Don’t they ever consider that relying on the guy for all the laughs can drain a man?” Not that he ever had the problem of not having girls because he had no dry wit (he’s the opposite actually – he usually never runs out of something to say, possibly because he has a way of bringing a conversation back to himself, and him being the creature of vanity that he is, has always something positive to say about him). But there had been times that he’s just not in the mood for any humorous remarks and because of that he had a little spat with his girlfriend (of course that’s not the only reason, possibly because he was so uninterested and unresponsive too, but Zac is never too keen on his own mistakes anyway). Sure it was a small fight, easily ratified by a quick trip to the ice cream shop or even a bear hug, but it was irritating to the guy still.

“First student you ever talked to? That’s nice,” he laughed. It did make him kind of special. He can’t remember who was the first person he spoke to in Hammel though. Was it Justin? Or some other dude whom he didn’t really care about now? Either way, Stella doesn’t seem like the girl who’ll simply forget him even after they’ve parted, especially now that she’s acknowledged the ‘special’ bond they have, so it’s all good. Zac doesn’t do well with being forgotten. To him, forgetting someone else’s name is ok, but forgetting his name is a grave, grave crime. “Am I not the first person you talked to here? Other than the guards, of course,” he laughed, trying to make himself more important in the girl’s life.

“Hardly. That’s my name really. Don’t you believe me?” he laughed. Despite his plan not working, he feels better now that he knows the girl isn’t really that gullible. He does thrive on the weak-willed and loved having new pawns, but girls like Stella have a special place in his heart the hierarchy, especially since he’s taken a liking to her. “Fine, my name’s Zachary Drake, though I go by Zac. Call me Drake and I won’t hesitate throwing you halfway across the courtyard,” he teased. He may be a bit of a jerk, but such thoughtless acts like that are beyond him. If you’d notice really, most of his threats are anything but bluffs. “But it’ll make me feel better if you call my Adonis. Or Hunk. Or anything along those words.”

“It is. The fact that her murder hasn’t been resolved after ten years only makes it much harder.” It’s not every day that Zac tells people about his sob story. To him, it makes him look weak and helpless, two words he has no intention of being associated with him. Then again, Stella doesn’t seem like the one to gossip, and she’s his little Glowworm anyway, so who cares.

“True. White, like black, can go easily with others. You actually look like a blank canvas, that any color will simply pop on you. Unlike us who have to think of skin tone and other what not whenever we’re choosing clothes.” He smiled when he heard that Stella has taste in fashion after all. So her being a clueless albino girl isn’t true after all. “Haven’t you tried dyeing your hair before? Or even going to a tanning salon?”

“I know what you meant silly, but I want it to be different for you. This is your first night here, right?” he asked, eyes still observing the girl as she glowed more beautifully under the continually darkening surroundings. “Don’t worry, Pilot Ridge’s pretty much used to metas. True, they don’t know Hammel’s a meta school, but there’s been enough around to tell them we’re pretty harmless,” he nodded, giving Stella’s shoulder a light pat to reassure her, “And besides, I doubt you can glow like a supernova, so it won’t be that noticeable.” He turned around and squatted, turning his head just slightly to talk to Stella. “Fine. Piggy back then. But I tell you, it’s much more comfortable if you’re cradled in my arms than on my back.” Sure, he’s gone at least a bit softer this time, but it doesn’t mean he’ll stop his narcissistic and flirtatious comments.

[Stella Pinyin]

Why was he laughing? Stella looked at Zac in surprise, eyebrows rising. What was so funny? Stella didn’t have a sense of anything, let alone a sense of humor. Still, Zac had said to accept compliments and this... sounded like one. ”Ah, thank you?” she tried, still confused. It was hard to develop a sense of humor when most of the media you saw was the news, or Chinese dramas set hundreds of years ago. Besides, a lot of what her fellow teenagers seemed to think of as funny made no sense to Stella, and she was not putting it all down to missing visual aids either.

Stella shook her head, ”No, I talked to one of the recruiters, Stephen Gage. And the head of research, Dimitri.” particular introduction made her blush again; an unplanned midnight swim in the pond of all things... ”Am I special to you then?” if being a first made you special, Stella aways had her trump card. ”Maybe I am the palest person you’ve met?” That was a joke... No sense of humor, as mentioned. Or at least, not much of one.

Ah, Zachary! Finally, a name to the face and voice and... well, everything else. Stella was glad, she had decided that, while he made her uncomfortable, she liked this boy. He was very easy to talk to; he didn’t get unnerved by her naivety. ”Zac’s a nice name,” she pointed out. ”Better then Hunk. That sounds like some sort of weight measurement, or what you would ask for at a butcher.” Literal thinking, that’s our Stella.

Murder?[/b] “Your mother was murdered?”[/b] Stella exclaimed, horrified. In an act of, for her, extreme empathy, Stella reached out and patted Zac’s hand. ”That’s really terrible. Not knowing always makes it worse. I know that much.” If Zac was willing to share, so was she. It was the least she could do; it was obvious the topic was one that neither mentioned to just anyway. ”I don’t know what happened to my parents either. I don’t think it was,” she looked away, ”I think it was an accident. My uncle won’t say. He doesn’t like talking about it.”

Compared to her parents, talking about her albinism was a walk in the park! ”It’s good I don’t need to be too careful, it can be hard for me to see the color properly in the first place,” she pointed out. ”I stay away from fine prints; it’s too risky if you can’t make out the pattern.” That rare bubble of a laugh popped through Stella’s lips at Zac’s suggestion. ”It doesn’t work like that,” she said simply. Did he think every albino in the world wouldn’t have tried if it did? ”Without any pigment, my hair won’t hold dye. And if I tried to use a tanning bed, I’d be burnt. Badly. You can’t tan if there’s no skin pigment to darken.”

It was hard not to panic. Stella did not go out at night. It was a terrible idea. People might be used to metas, but it wasn’t often people glowed in the dark like fireflies! It wasn’t something that blended in particularly well. ”I don’t like being stared at,” she said softly, barely audible with a tiny hunch of her shoulders. But Zac was not to be brushed off. Still, being carried? Piggy back would mean wrapping her legs around him... Stella looked down at her dress and blushed again. No, that was not going to happen. Bridal style it was, then. ”Don’t drop me,” she warned, sighing and looking around longingly for the absent stairs. He was already close, and to make sure she wasn’t caught off guard like last time, with nothing to hold on to, she put an arm around Zac’s neck. ”Don’t drop me,” she repeated, looking up at him anxiously. This seemed so much more dangerous when she was condoning it, rather than being taken by surprise.

[Zachary LaRousse]

“Stephen? Stephen Cage? So you’ve met Staggie already? That cheater. He told me I’ll be the first student he’ll see the moment he gets back to Hammel,” he chuckled as he gave Stella a look of mock jealously. Zac would be lying if he told her that Stephen is his least favorite staff in Hammel. He and the older man go way back, even before Zac manifested his gifts and got admitted to the famed school. You see, Stephen and Zac’s butler-caretaker Cedric used to go out. And since Zac’s father was usually away due to business trips and other such eventualities, Zac became the couple’s pseudo-son. Whenever he had a break from recruiting he’d visit the household and would play a lot with the kid, tell him jokes and teach him about life. As much as Zac would like to deny it, he got most of his tricks from the older man. His bond with Stephen is one of the few that he really treasures, and he was really thankful that even after he and Cedric fell out, he still looks after the little boy. “So is he the first person you’ve talked to? Or is he the one who recruited you?”

And while he did notice Stella’s cheeks redden upon mentioning a few names, seeing that he’s still thinking about dear Staggie he assumed he was the reason for the shy girl’s blush. “Oh Stella, don’t get your hopes too high up,” he laughed, giving the girl a sympathetic pat, “Childish crushes won’t do much to Stephen. Aside from the huge age difference, he doesn’t really swing your way.” While Zac is definitely not homophobic, it doesn’t mean he doesn’t make fun of the older guy from time to time.

“Of course you’re special to me Glowworm,” he said as he gave Stella another playful poke in the nose, “Why else would I give you a lovely nickname?” Lovely to his ears maybe. “Of course not, don’t talk about yourself like that. You’re literally the brightest, most stunning girl I’ve met. How about that?” He does hope Stella can get the joke. And when Stella said his name was nice, even nicer than ‘hunk’, he couldn’t help but laugh. “Of course it’s nicer. Why else would I be named like that? I mean, the very definition of ‘hunk’ and ‘adonis’ is Zac, you know that?”

Despite not feeling down as he was telling her his story, Zac actually found Stella’s sympathetic pat to be very comforting. If it was because Stella is just so sweet and innocent that he could feel the sincerity in her gesture, or just because she’s so radiant that he feels like an angel just held him, he couldn’t tell. “That’s awful. At least I have something to hold on to,” he said. Even though his mother left him prematurely, she did leave quite a mark in his life. Even his dad would tell him stories about his mom from time to time, if only to make her evident in the boy’s life. “Have you tried asking him why he’s very sensitive about it?”

“Wait, you’re colorblind too?” he asked when Stella talked about her having a hard time perceiving color. Is this part of her albinism too, or an unfortunate side effect of her powers? “Melanin does protect the skin from UV rays. So I’m guessing you don’t hang around the beach much, right?” Stella’s the first albino Zac’s met, so it goes without saying that he’s got near zilch knowledge about her condition.

”Why would they stare at you? What do you think you are, some kind of superstar?” he teased as he gave Stella a disbelieving look, “Glowworm, they are not staring at you, they are staring at me. It’s not every day when they see a deity as handsome as me walk among them simple mortals.” Zac isn’t really one to help others feel good about themselves, but he’s already gone soft on the girl way before, there’s no use being all mean to her now. And besides, he’s not only making her feel confident, he’s also feeding his ego in the process (and Stephen has a habit of checking on the students he’s met, especially on the new ones; if he gets wind of Zac being mean to Glowworm, he’ll be sure to give the younger boy one heck of a beating, figuratively of course).

A smug formed in Zac’s face as Stella went in front and wrapped her hands around his neck. He slowly stood up and walked towards the ledge, smirking as he teased Stella. “Drop you? Why would I drop you?” he’d ask a few times, jerking all of a sudden as if dropping the girl really. “Fine, fine, don’t cry,” he said, seeing that he’s shaken the girl a bit too much already, “Ready now? One, two three!”

Zac has no plan whatsoever on how they’re going down. Unlike when they were going up, Zac had no change to build up momentum whatsoever, probably because it wouldn’t be much of use anyway. So compared to their elaborate rush-around-the-grounds-before-jumping-up routine previously, in which Zac tapped around two or so animals, this time he only jumped down with the help of the kangaroo, then braced himself for the impact by curling into a ball and using the armadillo’s invulnerability. Fortunately they landed in one piece. “You ok Glowworm?” he asked, helping the girl stand up on her two feet once more.

[Stella Pinyin]

Despite the mistake in identity, Stella’s cheeks only reddened further. ”You are mistaken, it’s not... I mean, not Mr Gage, I mean,” the poor girl covered her face with her hands, her palms cooling her flaming cheeks. ”It’s nothing.” The swinging comment meant nothing to Stella. Her uncle brought men and women home; do to what she had no idea, but she was not innocent to the idea of homosexuality. More, innocent to sexuality in general.

Her hands dropped only a second too early to block Zac’s continued assault on her nose. She wrinkled it up like a rabbit and shook her head quickly to shake off any further attempts at poking. ”Being named after a blind segmented invertebrate who lives in dark damp caves?” That sounded odd, to anyones ears. ”Stop it,” she waved the compliments away, though she did blush again. “You’re strange.”

In a reflex reaction, Stella’s shoulders hunched up at the idea of asking her uncle about anything he was uncomfortable about. To the pale girl’s chagrin, she could actually feel her eyes start to water. Of course she wanted to know why she couldn’t even see photos of her parents, or know about them and way they liked... if they had common interests with her, what she had inherited from them. The shame of such an obvious loss of composure in front of someone she just met was enough to make her wish she could melt into the ground. Quickly, praying he had not noticed, she quickly swiped at her violet eyes with one paper white hand. ”He just doesn’t like it being brought ip,” she said softly, “And I don’t want to be ungrateful. I’m sorry, can we talk about something else?”

The change in topic was a relief, despite the content of the following topic. ”No no, I can see colour,” Stella corrected quickly, laughing softly at Zac’s ignorance. ”But it’s all very blurry, Unless it’s a solid block of colour, things run together a little, like a bad water colour painting.” Her laugh became a little louder at the idea of going to the beach. ”I’d turn a very unfetching shade of pink! Besides, I don’t own a bathing suit.” Beaches held very little appeal to the quiet girl; the issue with the sun aside, sand was hard to get out of anything, and the water was always cold.

Again, Stella giggled and waved of Za’s silly comments, the corners of her eyes crinkling with mirth. While he was still too far away for her to be able to make out his expression, she could hear the lightness in his tone. He wouldn’t mind people staring. The lighthearted expression on her own face vanished though when Zac pretended to drop her. She gasped, eyes wide as they stared out just past Zac’s neck. The landing jarred a little, but she was steadier on her feet then after her last experience with Zac’s kangaroo-ness. ”All fine,” she straightened her jacket, and with quick fingers made sure her bag was still safely closed. ”I’m not good with finding my way to new places, so, if you still wanted to find a place to eat, can you show the way?”

Without her cane, she’d need a guide. ”Ah, do you mind if I, ah,” Stella rested a hand on Zac’s forearm. ”Can you stand in for my cane? I didn’t know I’d need it.” A shy, but still slightly cheeky smile blossomed over the girls face. ”You talk more then my cane, but I will manage.”

[Zachary LaRousse]

Should Zac know that Stella is completely innocent on the idea of homosexuality, or sexuality in general, he would simply chuckle and shrug it off. For all that they’ve talked about today, it doesn’t surprise him that much anymore. He’s pretty much fixed on the idea that Stella’s more sheltered than he is. If anything, he’d tell her that she’s missed so much of life as she’s been hiding behind the four walls of her life for seventeen years. And he’d tell her of a lovely story on how he became oriented on the concept of homosexuality (which would not bode well to Stephen, of that I’m sure).

After a couple of routine stretching (just to check if he still has his arms and legs after that dangerous jump-stunt he performed), he dusted his pants and spoke, “So it’s not Staggie you’re fan-girling about? Not the big burly man with a ‘stache and a goatee?” He gave her a confused look, even going as far as scratching his head on the back. Despite his extreme love for himself, he’ll willingly say that Stephen is actually good-looking. That he has this masculine and manly aura around him that it just a magnet for virtually anybody (which means he chuckles inwardly whenever he sees a woman in the mall trying to hit on Stephen whenever he accompanies him on his shopping sprees). “So if it’s not Stephen, then who?” More a rhetorical question really, since Zac’s just trying to think out loud and clear his mind right now. Apparently he’s a bit interested in who has captured Stella’s eyes. Why, I have no idea. After a few seconds of silence, his eyes finally widened. “Oh gosh, so it’s the head of research then? What’s the name? Dimitri?!” His grin turned into a smirk, confident that he’s finally hit the mark.

Zac was actually taken aback by Stella’s words. Who knew she had so much knowledge in her. First about Hermes and now a glowworm. Not that the knowledge about those things are pretty vague, but it’s how she words things out and say them with complete confidence (despite being a bit shy at other times) impressed him. Apparently being caged for seventeen years isn’t so bad after all. “Who else do you think deserves that name? Isn’t it cute?” he chuckled, putting his tongue out like the mature kid that he is. “Why? You want me to start insulting you now?” Not that Zac would actually do that. Stella’s gotten into his good side already; too late to start the insults anyway. “And I’m not strange Glowworm, I’m unique. Amazing. One of a kind.”

He simply nodded when she asked the subject of her uncle’s reluctance to disclose information about her parents. It did strike him as odd, but then again, it wasn’t his life so why bother prying. It’s not like he’ll get something important (i.e. something he can use) from the knowledge anyway. “How sure are you? Let me judge,” he laughed, finding Stella’s reluctance to go to the beach adorable, “And your bathing suit’s not a problem. I’ll buy you a two-piece if you want to.” Since money’s never been a problem for the boy, giving stuff away has become normal for him too. “This settles it. Come spring break, you are coming with me to the beach.” And so is inviting people to his various trips out of town.

As much as Zac would insist that he isn’t, he’s still a hormonal teenager with a knack for subtle innuendos. And Stella, unintentional as it may be, just gives him so much to work with. “I have a handy cane you can use,” he said, laughing loudly as he patted the hand on his other forehand, “And it can do more than just talk.” Sorry Stella, but the boy you’re with now just can’t stop.

“Let’s stop by my dorm room first. I need to get a new shirt. Unless you’re ok with having a shirtless escort through town,” he said as they walked across the grounds towards the all-male dorms, “I’m perfectly fine with it though.”

[Stella Pinyin]

“What’s a ‘stache?” Stella asked, tilting her head to the side. Zac was a constant figment of confusion, it seemed. The pale girl thought perhaps she had learnt more in the last hour with Zac then she had in years worth of her uncles “integration” lessons. Dimitri’s name had her burying her head in her hands again as her cheeks blazed. ”Yes, Dimitri.” she muttered through her fingers. The tall, gangly and somewhat absentminded young man had made a definite impression on both the girl, and her cat. Celeste had taken to exploring the research labs at night.

”Perhaps the conception of, ah, cute is different?” bleach white eyebrows rose in surprise, and a touch of skepticism colored her violet eyes. ”Do you like insects very much?” Her fingers quickly combed her hair behind her ears, nails catching on the sunglasses still perched on her nose.

”Pink, sunburnt ones too? No no,” Stella giggled softly, then shook her head and pulled her red coat closer around her at the very idea of a two piece bathing suit. ”I can’t swim, anyway. But” She quickly bowed her head, but just a little one ”your offer is very generous. Thank you.”. The offer required a respectful reply, but only so much respect was appropriate to a boy who seemed to be as mischievous as a monkey spirit.

Stella looked up curiously. The lower levels of light had only worsened her vision, for all that she was now clearly glowing like the worm Zac had so kindly named her after. She looked just past his shoulder, unable to focus properly on his face. ”You need a walking stick? A talking walking stick? You can walk fine!”

Come on, that one was pretty damn obscure.

Stepping quickly to keep up, Stella almost tripped over an uneven stone in the sidewalk. ”Do they have chinese food here? Good chinese food? With proper spice? Americans don’t seem to have much, ah, taste for spices. The food is always very bland.”

[Zachary LaRousse]

Oh gosh. Stella has got to be kidding. No one could be that unaware, no one. He could understand her innocence to sex and flirting, but a ‘stache? There isn’t anything remotely sensual about that thing really (sure there are such fetishes surrounding the said facial hair, but those don’t count). “Are you seriously Glowworm? You don’t know what a ‘stache is?” he asked as he scratched the back of his hair. He doesn’t know if he should pity the girl for not knowing or be irritated at her being so ‘dumb’. Then again English probably isn’t her first language anyway, so it’s somehow understandable. “’Stache. A mustache. You know, facial hair?” He bent down slightly and rubbed the top of his upper lip with his index finger and thumb. “Sorry, I don’t like the unshaven look that much Glowworm. But when I get lazy one of these days and grow a ‘stache, I promise to call you over before I shave it.”

That was fairly easy to extract. Seems being too innocent and gullible does have its benefits. “Dimitri? Dimitri Spade? The tall and lanky hermit?” Zac rubbed his chin as they absentmindedly walked along the courtyard grounds, slightly nudging Stella whenever an obstacle he deems dangerous for his ‘blind’ companion comes in sight. “Meh, guess he’s ok.” Not that Zac’s in any position to judge. He’s never been to the labs really (what’s a student to do there anyway, get tested?) and he’s only seen the man ten to twenty times in his whole four years in the school. Researchers and students don’t really mingle that much anyway. “He does have that mysterious appeal to him. Though I still think Stephen would’ve been the better choice. But I’m biased, so yeah.” Nope, Zac’s not embarrassed to talk about his mancrushes. He claims he’s too sure of himself to be shy from such kind of talk. “So, how’d you meet him then? Is he nice?” Zac prodded like a nosy fanboy. Not that he cares much about it anyway, he’s just curious, that’s all.

“Nah. I don’t like insects. But I don’t hate them either.” While he does hate the outdoors, Zac is actually ok with almost any form of wildlife. He had apprehensions about lizards and frogs when he was little, but was lucky enough to grow out of it. As for insects, while he wouldn’t go out their vast estate and dirty himself to find some, he wouldn’t scream like a girl when he sees one either. He’d either swat it with his shoe (should it be a cockroach or any pest) or simply pick it up and let it go. “Besides, Glowworm isn’t an insect. You’re my cute and cuddly…Glowworm,” he added, pinching her cheek to mask his rather incomplete statement.

“Then I’ll teach you how to swim! I’m the member of the school’s swim team so you can trust me.” It would be a shame if he can’t teach anybody how to swim. “Come on now Glowworm, you don’t have to be shy.” He ruffled her hair a bit and hugged her slightly with one arm, pulling her closer for a moment, when she gave him that very polite bow. “I should really get used to you bowing around me almost always, should I?” he teased.

Fine. Indeed it was a bit on the obscure side. Stella wins. “Never mind,” he laughed. Maybe it’s for the better though. She might get too upset with Zac ‘confusing’ her all the time and suddenly leave. “I think the town has around three to five so-called Chinese restaurants. But I’m afraid they’ve been whitewashed,” he shrugged. Chinese food is known for its variety of spices and it’s no one’s fault most Americans have fairly low tolerance for spices. “Would’ve offered to fly you to Beijing or at least HongKong, but alas, we have school tomorrow and I’m grounded until December. So, whitewashed Chinese food it is?”