[center]Her eyes slowly lifted from the grass at her feet, Tabitha's arms uncurling and dragging to rest at her side; releasing the grip she had taken up on her shins. The slasher had been talking, spouting out something Tabitha figured was about half of the truth. She wouldn't say anything about it, though. [color=FF7F50][i]He got a point, but it ain't got nothin' to do with me.[/i][/color] She didn't think much of the Semblance, or the 'power' he was ranting about. As far as she knew, she didn't have any. [color=FF7F50][i]Least not yet.[/i][/color]

 The pattering of feet. [color=FF7F50][i]Runnin'?[/i][/color] Her attention had already shifted to the girl coming to a stop near her. She didn't remember her name, but Tabitha remembered her face. She had been the one who had helped Stormy, during whatever fainting spell she had in the C-Route. Had asked Ghost Girl [i]why[/i] they had been given Semblances. [color=FF7F50][i]Weird, how some of this stands out, and some just don't. Lot happenin', but what's really goin' on here? The hell's her name? Whatever, I'll ask in a minute.[/i][/color] She looked at the girl with a flat expression, hearing out her question. Then flat became quizzical.

 [color=FF7F50]"I think we gonna find out a lot, one way or another. The Magician's probably one of Ghost Girl's 'friends', and she put him up to lookin' after us."[/color] A finger came up to her chin, contemplation plain on the harlequin's face, [color=FF7F50]"Hard to tell, though, for real."[/color] Then came a question that almost caused her expression to completely slip. [color=FF7F50][i]Why'd I come here? Ain't ya business. Just like I told the old lady.[/i][/color]

 She kept herself in line, though, biting back the acidity she felt like unloading. [color=FF7F50]"Ya wanna know that, huh?"[/color] Instead, she felt she'd be a little dramatic, [color=FF7F50]"I came here to set shit right. And this place's gonna help me do that."[/color] Tabitha smiled, something a little cold and a little distant, [color=FF7F50]" What's ya name, anyway? I ain't know ya. Tabitha's mine, if ya ain't caught it."[/color] She knew that the vagary of that statement would be transparent to some, but she wasn't going to let any of them know just how far she was willing to go. Still, she kept talking. [color=FF7F50]"I'll go ahead and tell ya, I ain't gonna trust whatever reason the next spook is gonna give us for doing whatever it is we gonna do."[/color] 

 Tabitha's hands went back to her shins, and she lowered her head at another approach. Tristan, this time. [color=FF7F50][i]I was hopin' for this, right? Fuck.[/i][/color] Her heart went in a hundred different directions, her eyes widening; Tabitha silently thankful that her hat and hair would obscure that. His greeting was simple, and strangely put her at ease. Whatever tension she had been building since conversing with the girl she didn't know felt distant. [color=FF7F50][i]Somethin' good might finally be happenin'.[/i][/color]

 [color=FF7F50]"Hey,"[/color] she returned, looking up, placidity reigning on her face, [color=FF7F50]"good to see ya without a hole in ya head."[/color] Part of her winced at that, but it was buried. [color=FF7F50][i]Ya dumb bitch! Be nice.[/i][/color] A laugh, weak as water followed, and she sat up a bit; bringing her eyes to meet his. Silver, again, to gold. The Semblance had wrought a change in him more extreme than she had imagined, fragments collected from her crying-laughing momentary breakdown recovered. [color=FF7F50][i]It's...somethin'?[/i][/color] A lot had changed, but the scene before her felt just like they had been talking after Lane brought Tristan into their group. Awkward, but not with malice...just uncertain as to how approach the scenario. Distance. Before, that hadn't mattered; now it dug a dull dagger into her when she thought about it.

 Her thoughts from earlier were lingering in the back of her head. They stared at each other for a long moment. [color=FF7F50][i]Five to one...which one should I be lookin' at?[/i][/color] Truly, she looked at each of them; finally taking time to look over this Tristan with curiosity; rather than dread. [color=FF7F50][i]It ain't him, but it is. Wonder why I was so worried? Actually looks kinda cool.[/i][/color] Something in her knew the answer, but kept it locked down. Better not to bring that to the surface. [color=FF7F50][i]Ain't like it's gonna do anyone any good for me to start breaking down.[/i][/color] Stormy had managed to hit home with her advice. [color=FF7F50][i]And I was honest with her, for a minute. I should do the same with Tristan. He deserves it, right? He shared in my circle. He knows Rani, knows Lane...[/i][/color]

 She smiled, a little, right before Tristan's arm did some weird rearranging act. It took her a second to catch what was going on. [color=FF7F50]"Oh, fuck, for real?"[/color] It was supposed to be a thought, but she couldn't contain herself. She smiled a little wider, taking the gun and tested its weight; lifting it, away from the small group near her, and looked down its sight. [color=FF7F50][i]I bet this thing fuckin' hurts.[/i][/color] As she did, he offered exactly what she was hoping for. Her demeanor softened, and Tabitha felt like herself for a minute; like the girl she had been before her brother's death, who she was before the Ghost Girl had arrived in her life. [color=FF7F50]"Thanks, Tristan."[/color] It was an earnest statement, made with a broad smile. [color=FF7F50]"Yeah, talkin' would be pretty great."[/color] She wanted to say more, but couldn't. The stubborn part of her that was dead-set on being tougher than she was held her back, like it usually did.

 [color=FF7F50][i]He's...lookin' out for me.[/i][/color] That alone touched her deeply, spreading warmth through the nigh-perpetually cold Tabitha that had been present since the group was called to the C-Route. Maybe, even a bit of her facade was cracking; hard. He spoke of his appearance, of isolation [color=FF7F50][i]Mine or his? Both of us? Fuck.[/i][/color] and put into kinder words what she had thought about the cliques forming around them...and how little they really knew of each other. She smiled, at that. [color=FF7F50][i]Me and him ain't so different.[/i][/color] They [i]were[/i] on the same page, just maybe different paragraphs. Then he spoke of [i]fear[/i]. Tabitha knew a hell of a lot about fear, and trying hard to seem like she was immune to it.

 Then he said something that wrenched her heart and brought small tears to her eyes. She couldn't formulate words. He had already spoken her thoughts. So Tabitha Calvicante did what came naturally, she followed her instincts. She stood, slowly, and closed the distance between them; and hugged Tristan Traeger since the first time they had met. It didn't last long, but she gave him a tight squeeze; and took two hopping steps back, a couple of tears rolling down her cheeks; touching on the tattoo-teardrop and tracing the center of the strange 'scar' that sat opposite it.

[color=FF7F50]"I ain't wanna get left behind, either. Ya speakin' my mind, Tristan,"[/color] she couldn't hold back, the words pouring out rapidly, [color=FF7F50]"Ya right; we ain't know each other too well. I never gave ya that chance, back home. I'm real sorry, about that. I..."[/color] The harlequin-girl hesitated, gesticulating wildly, perhaps reminding Tristan of how she had acted before Will's death, [color=FF7F50]"I fucked up. Ya got brought into my circle. Lane and Rani are my family, the only people who ever gave a fuck about me besides Will. I was too wrapped up in my own head to give ya the acceptance, there, ya needed. I was..."[/color]

 She thought, for a moment, cradling the gun against her chest.

 [color=FF7F50]"I wasn't me. I still ain't sure if I'm me, 'specially now...but I wanna give ya that chance. I want us to have that chance. I want us to know each other,"[/color] Tabitha's voice lowered, [color=FF7F50]"I want us to be like me'n Rani and Lane are. I want us to stick together, through all this bullshit. I ain't gonna leave ya behind, and I sure as hell ain't gonna let ya do that to me. 'Sides, we got people waitin' on us. People who'd be pretty fuckin' lost without me, and I know Lane would lose his shit if I ain't bring ya back with me. Rani, too."[/color] Tabitha knew she probably hadn't intended to let all that out, but in her mind it [i]needed[/i] to be said. 

A smile spread across her face, the most genuine one she could remember producing in a long time.

[color=FF7F50]"I ain't gonna lie. The new look scared me. Ya scared me. But, lookin' into ya eyes, all of 'em, and thinkin' about the guy I barely know...ya can't be anyone else."[/color][/center]