[center][h3] [color=8493ca][u][i]Static[/i][/u][/color] and [u][color=c4df9b][i]Starfire![/i][/color][/u][/h3][/center]

[center][indent][b][u]January 1st, 7:44 PM
New York City, New York[/u][/b][/indent][/center]


Starfire wondered what Chipotle was and then watched silently on, rocking back and forth on her heels, as Clio and the woman named Karen discussed apparel. Clio’s clothes were most likely trampled on and dirty right now as they did not seem to be made of the same stuff as Starfire’s purple outfit.

After a few moments, it was just Starfire and the man named V. Starfired looked at him and smiled, and then tilted her head to one side.

[color=c4df9b]"You say you are not special. Do most people you know have the ability to summon and control lightning?"[/color] She asked. Perhaps, Starfire thought, every human or other creature living on this planet had unique and special abilities. So far she had only seen a few with powerful abilities, but perhaps every other human was just shy. 

Virgil had by now pulled out his phone. It seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime to go to a little dinner thing with Karen Hernandez, the pop star of the century. That, and the opportunity to maybe fill a void that was left when he and Frieda...well...That wasn’t as important right now. Virgil needed to focus on the situation at hand.

Ricky and Sharon were still out there somewhere. However, it was as he was cycling through the apps on his cellular device, that he realized that Starfire was still there. Some part of him made him think that she’d just follow along when the girls talked about clothes and changing. They kinda traveled in packs to do whatever back in Dakota. Never judge a book by it’s cover, he supposed. He thought about her question.

[color=8493ca]“Well, I guess not many…”[/color] The young man replied sheepishly. He was mostly trying to draw attention away from himself so that he could maybe make a quick escape, though, he didn’t wanna be blunt about it now that the attention was on him.

Starfire tilted her head even more and raised an eyebrow. 

[color=c4df9b]"Are there...two hundred lightning wielders?"[/color] She asked, guessing an amount she thinks might be right. Where she came from, every single person had the same ability. A natural ability to harness the power of the stars, to live off the stars. Here it seemed quite different. Clio did not seem to live off of shadows, for example.

[color=c4df9b]”Do you need to eat lightning?"[/color] She asked another question. Starfire had just been introduced to two other people with strange abilities and it required further investigation. Unfortunately for Virgil he was the only person around.

Virgil kept his eyes on her, narrowing them slightly in observation. He wondered what kind of angle this girl was trying to take with the first question. Two hundred? That was an odd question, though, it sounded like she genuinely didn’t know. She looked like she could pass off as a meta or ‘inhuman’, though, maybe it was something other than that. The second question seemed to confirm his suspicions. 

The absurdity of it made him chuckle a little bit. 

[color=8493ca]“No, I, and well humans, eat food for that. I can absorb lightning for a couple different reasons, but, I can generate it by myself.”[/color] Virgil explained, going off of his assumption that she simply wasn’t from here. The concept of aliens didn’t seem so strange anymore to him, especially considering his past in the line of hero work. Though, most of the ones he encountered were JL related.

[color=8493ca]“And, I only know one other person that could do what I can...There might be more, but I guess it isn’t all that common.”[/color] Virgil scratched the back of his neck a little.

[color=8493ca]”Going by your question, though, I can guess that you’re not from around here. Are you?”[/color] He asked a little more directly.

Starfire shook her head. [color=c4df9b]"No...I’m from somewhere else."[/color] Not trying to be vague or mysterious, the subject of Starfire’s homeworld was a raw and touchy one she didn’t like to talk about, and Virgil might be able to see it on from the mixture of guilt and loss that barely flashed across her face before she got back to the conversation at hand.

[color=c4df9b]"But thank you for telling me these things. My friend Mayaka is also helping me. You’re very good at noticing things, too. "[/color] She said. So, lightning powers are rare, and humans eat food. That reminded her of the kebabs she bought for Clio that the seller said was food. Something entirely different!

[color=c4df9b]"Where are you from?"[/color] She asked. [color=c4df9b]"Are you from New York?"[/color] 

Virgil nodded and looked back down at his phone again after she thanked him for the information. As they had been talking, he had been subtle charges to his phone to text Sharon’s phone without his having to look:

‘U OK?’ He texted. What actually surprised him though, was that his phone had the little red circle at the top like it was recording something. Or..-

“Yeah, I’m fine!” A voice came up outta his phone and shook Virgil for a second. Sharon? When did she call? More importantly, when did he answer? He looked back up for a second at Starfire, wondering if she heard that. 

[color=8493ca]”I’m from a place named Dakota City. It’s not too much different from here.”[/color] Virgil answered her question in hopes that she didn’t dwell too much on the voice that came from his phone. But that was kinda hard, when it spoke up again.

“Go to Chipotle!!” The voice shouted again.

Starfire nodded and looked down at the shouting box in his hand. It told him to go to Chipotle. That must be a communication device. It was much smaller than the ones Starfire was used too, and could be carried in the palm of his hand. That was a wondrous invention! Immediately, the alien was curious.

[color=c4df9b]"Who are you talking too?"[/color] She said, leaning over to get a closer look at the phone. A moment later she straightened her back and looked back at Virgil. She didn’t want to offend him. [color=c4df9b]"Is it private?"[/color] 

Virgil smiled through a cringe. 

[color=8493ca]“It’s uh…my sister...Just excuse me for a sec will ya?”[/color] He asked. With that said, he turned his attention back to his phone.

[color=8493ca]”What are you even talking about? I don’t remember this being part of your gift-trip to New York.”[/color] 

“Listen to me. You having to go hero wasn’t in the plans either, but you got the chance to meet Karen! And if [i]you[/i] get to know her, I kinda-sorta know her through you. You know what that means? I can rub it all in Tanisha’s fat lip about how my brother got to meet Karen and I got to go to the concert--” Virgil sighed at his little sister’s mile-a-minute pace.

[color=8493ca]”So, wait, wait, hold up. You mean to tell me, that you’re gonna use me to put down your arch-frenemy? What kind of--”[/color]

“Oh my gaaawd V, just do it! I won’t ask you for anything ever again! [i]Please[/i]!?” Virgil was quiet for a few seconds, eyeing Starfire for a few as well. He knew the probability to be impossible that she’d never ask him for anything again, but he didn’t want an earful from his dad at home. He caught sight of the ladies and his uncle making their return. Virgil shrugged his shoulders a little bit.

[color=8493ca]“Alright, fine. I’ll go.”[/color] Virgil gave in. After all, it wasn’t like it’d be something terrible. Plus, he didn’t need to hear his Uncle J try to roast him about not going out with three girls and being engaged to Ricky. 

“Yes! Oh, and make sure to take a pic and send it to me. BYE!” And just like that, she hung up. Virgil took off his hat and combed a hand through his dreads. Looks like Chipotle it was. As such, he nodded in greeting when they were all back in a group again.

Starfire was waiting patiently and had wandered a few steps back, trying to not listen to Virgil’s conversation but doing so anyway. It was obvious she was listening, because as soon as Virgil hung up she slowly walked back to where she was before.

Karen and Clio reappeared, Clio with new clothes on that looked much less ornate than her outfit. If everyone was going to the Chipotle, then so was Starfire.

[color=c4df9b]"Yes. Let us go to Chipotle. There we will all get food."[/color] Starfire had never had food before and she was eager to try it out. She looked between Virgil, Clio, Karen and Jones. Today was going very well. This concert was much more exciting than she was expecting it to be.