BWI Airport Portalocity Lounge, Saturday

[scarlet_and_indigo]

The plane down from New York hadn't taken long, but after all the time in airports, TJ was ready to be done with it all, and was regretting her refusal to let Dad take her in the jet. But nope, she was doing this on her own, no overprotective parents around.

Somehow, she thought the biggest danger here was going to be glitter. The stuff was everywhere. Most of it was concentrated on a huge banner that read FANDOM HIGH, but it never stayed just where you put it, did it?

She wheeled her suitcase over to one of the seats and perched on the back of the seats, tail out for extra balance, and took out her phone to text back that yes, Dad, yes, Mom, she'd made it just fine. And then maybe to whine to Aunt Kate about how she'd had to do that.


[Newbie shuttle ahoy!]

Comments

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"For my genetics? Eh, depends how far back you go," TJ said. "I get 'em from my dad, but his mom and dad had the usual number. Just part of my mutation. Oh, wait." Her eyes got wide. "You don't even know about mutants?"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"Mutants?" Charlie shook her head. "I mean only in the geeky sci-fi sense, but no. And no offense intended."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"Hey, no worries," TJ assured her. "If you know the geeky sci-fi type, it's a good start. Some folks in my world are born with something called the X gene. It can give us powers sometimes, make us look different, a ton of stuff. So, like..." She called up photos on her phone. "My mom looks normal human, but my dad looks more like me."

She paused. "Yeah, getting out from under family, and I'm already showing off pictures. Good job, me."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

Charlie laughed. "We'll never escape our families. So you have this X gene and it gives you powers? Dare I ask?"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"You can ask," TJ said. Then she laughed. "Nah, it's not a secret or anything, but mine are hard to demonstrate off the cuff. I can possess someone for a little while, and I can fire hex bolts. Not to mention all the awesomeness that is my bod," she added with a grin.

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"You definitely have an awesome bod," Charlie said with an admiring look. "But I'm going to just say no to possession and hex bolts for today, thank you very much."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

TJ took a bow. "But yeah, you see what I mean. Hard to demonstrate. But you do magic, which is pretty awesome!"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"Definitely hard to demonstrate," Charlie agreed. And shrugged with a smile. "Gale Girls do magic. Easier to demonstrate, but we also tend not to show it much around your average person."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"Yeah, your average person can get pretty stupid about things they don't understand," TJ acknowledged. "Mutants who can pass tend not to show off their powers, either."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"Where I'm from the people who need to know about the Gales, know about the Gales, but most people just maybe know that we're eccentric and incredibly lucky," Charlie said. "We're discreet, usually, but not really hidden. At home at least. Here I wouldn't lead off with my abilities. It's sheer luck you noticed me. Most people wouldn't think twice about someone running their fingers along a bus."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

TJ grinned. "I'm apparently not most people. What else is new? So are the Gales just your family, or is it more than that?"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"They're 'just' my family and much more than that," Charlie said cheerfully. "We're... a Force to be reckoned with. Magical as all get out, descended from a Horned God. You know."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"Literally?" TJ asked, because it felt worth clarifying. "Do any of your family have horns?"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"Only the boys and usually only around ritual time - not that your average person would notice." She hesitated, "Well, there are exceptions. Sometimes they go full blown stag. That's pretty noticeable, but we can mostly keep people from noticing or at least have them thinking there's nothing odd about it."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"Okay, that sounds pretty cool," TJ admitted. "If a bit difficult."

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"You have no idea," Charlie said. "Seriously.

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"More than just the looks?" TJ asked.

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"It's a whole family thing," Charlie said, "Way too complicated to get into, but if you know anything about stags with a full rack? Touchy doesn't begin to describe it." Nor did highly dangerous. And that was before the Aunts and Aunties got protective of them.

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"...Ugh." That kind of summed it up, right?

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"Ugh is right," Charlie agreed. "But I love them. Family, right?"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"Family," TJ agreed. "Nuts, but what can you do?"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"Exactly!" Charlie grinned at her. "So what brings you to Fandom High?"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"Family." TJ laughed. "Okay, sort of. They want me to get a bit more experience and a broader spectrum of things under my belt before I settle down, I want to do some things on my own without them always there." She shrugged. "The brochure looked interesting. You?"

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[wildgalegirl]

"I'm Wild," Charlie said and you could pretty much hear the capital letter there. "The Aunties hope that all the crazy wonderfulness of this place - my words not there's - will keep me occupied and mostly, somewhat, out of trouble. And put. They hope I'll be happy to stay put for a while."

Charlie had a wandering soul.

Re: Wait for the shuttle

[scarlet_and_indigo]

"'Crazy wonderfulness' sounds promising," TJ noted. "You're the wanderlust type?"