[center][h3][u]Theo and [color=c4df9b][i]Starfire![/i][/color][/u][/h3][/center]
[center][indent][b][u]January 18th, 8:02 PM
The Scar

A Collab with Ms. Morningstar

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Theo took Starfire around the general grounds. It truly was a vast estate. They must've owned at least fifty acres of land. He showed her the greenhouse behind the Manor, and took her inside to give her a quick rundown of everything they grew. "So, what do you think?" He asked. He was calmed by the smell of the herbs, it was earthy and beautiful within the greenhouse. And devastatingly warm, but he had gotten used to that.

Starfire spun around, taking in the space around them, the smells and bright green colors. [color=c4df9b]”It is wonderful here, Theo.”[/color] This place had a lot of care put into it, this green house. It was a house full of green- the name was correct.

Her spinning came to a stop and she looked at Theo.[color=c4df9b]”I am Starfire, by the way. It is good to meet you, Theo.”[/color] She said, getting herself properly introduced to Clio’s favorite cousin.

“A pleasure, Starfire.” Theo nodded, just as aristocratic as he had been trained to be. “There are many places on this estate, but this is more often than not my favorite.” Taking it in a final time, he sighed. “Now, why don’t we travel somewhere a bit more...invigorating? That, or I could show you where you’ll be staying during your time here.” However short that was. 

Starfire smiled at Theo’s greeting. She could see why he was Clio’s favorite. He was collected and welcoming. [color=c4df9b]”Invigorating? What is invigorating?”[/color] She asked cheerily. 

“Something that makes you feel strong, rejuvenated without resting. We have this special place, called the Breakdown...the family goes there for fun.” Theo was amused by her cheerful behavior, but said nothing of it. “We have been for many years now.”

Starfire nodded slowly. [color=c4df9b]”Clio mentioned it earlier. This does sound like fun. Is it far from here?”[/color] She asked another question, not wanting to leave Clio alone for a very long time.

“Not at all,” Taking some dirt from a pot, he sprinkled it on the floor. “In fact, if you follow this path, it’ll take you straight there. The third path of the main straight, to be precise.” He drew some lines in the soil with the tip of his shoe. 


“Why don’t we race?” He asked, considering her. He wanted to know exactly why Clio had invited her into their home. The glowing eyes indicated metahuman or alien lineage. There had to be [i]something[/i] special about her. 

Starfire took in the information, staring down at the floor as Theo constructed his makeshift map. At the suggestion of a race, she raised her eyebrows. [color=c4df9b]”A race? Yes, I will race you. You do not want me to go easy on you, do you?” [/color] It was hard to tell if she was being genuine or pert. It had been a while since she had raced somebody in a friendly context. 

Theo grinned. “Not at all. In fact, if you’re so confident, then perhaps I should have a head start?” He asked, and before she could respond he was rushing out the door of the greenhouse toward the third path. 

Starfire gasped in mock offense as he took off running. Beginning to sprint out the door she followed him out. As the two ran, Starfire thought about Clio’s powers. Theo could probably do similar things, so Star had to act quickly. Looking down at her feet pounding the path she began focusing on her heels. There was a small pop, and Starfire’s step was a little larger. The next step, it popped again, a little louder. The next step, it turned Starfire’s run into a series of jumps. This process quickly had the alien taking large, bounding steps. On the 20th pop, she took off into the air, and the pops continued as she was a foot above the ground. At this point she was moving at around 25 miles per hour. Not looking back to see what kind of tricks Theo was doing, she concentrated on her own movement, sticking her tongue out the side of her mouth in concentration. Pop! Pop! Pop! The sounds grew louder as green discs formed beneath Star’s feet. It looked like she was jumping on invisible trampolines. Soon she was ten feet in the air and taking one legged leap after one legged leap. Following the path beneath her, it wasn’t long until she saw what she believed to be the Breakdown in the distance.

Hopefully she was winning! Clio’s family could do magical things. Perhaps they could turn into shadows and move silently amongst the darkness. Theo could already be there! She didn’t want to go too fast, or she could overshoot. Maintaining her speed for a brief moment, she gauged it in her head and did a front roll in the air after her final jump. Her body glowed green as she flipped down, back to Earth. At the last moment, she thought of the lawn. They would be upset at her if she burned their finely kept grass! She splayed herself out flat and energy emitted from her palms and soles, bouncing her and keeping her in the air. The energy around her dissipated as she purposefully ground her own momentum to a halt. Finally flameless, colliding with the ground with a grunt, she semi-gracefully tumbled to a stop at the outskirts of the Breakdown.. Slowly getting to her feet she wiped the plant matter off of her form and whirled around, looking for Theo.

Theo had been watching the woman as he ran leisurely behind her. After she had gotten out of eyesight, he had sped up exponentially. It was about four minutes after she had arrived that he found himself at the Breakdown. Panting, he wiped the sweat from his brow and walked over to Starfire. “Amazing.” He muttered, nearly reaching out to inspect her. He prevented himself from doing so, and cleared his throat instead. 

“Good job.” He said at last, shrugging in defeat. 

Starfire smiled giddily. [color=c4df9b]”Thank you. Did you go easy on me? Clio can create places to run out of thin air, somewhat like I can.”[/color] She asked genuinely. Perhaps he meant a regular foot race, and she cheated. He didn’t seem too upset, though.

“Not at all, just quite slow, it seems.” Theo said with a chuckle, before turning his attention to the Breakdown. It used to be a factory warehouse, but now it was just a building on the outskirts of their estate that they used for training. It stretched taller than the manor, and while it looked dilapidated, it was actually quite nice on the inside. They had spent many years patching it up and creating a perfect space for Delphine training. It was easy enough to access, even from the outside, as there was another gate to it just beyond. . 

Stepping inside with Starfire, they were greeted by enthusiastic children and adults alike, all busy showing off their powers. Challenges were taken on the top floor, which was currently vacant as far as Theo knew. It looked like the average gym. With weights, benches for lifting and even some electrical cardio equipment. The second floor was what he wanted to show Starfire most. That was the magical skills training room. 

“Family, this is Starfire. Starfire, these are the Delphine members who care enough about their abilities to train.” He laughed, as if this were a joke, not a jab. 

Starfire thought the building looked more dilapidated than she expected, but once the sound of chatter, the clattering of metal equipment and the overall better state of the inside of the building came to her attention, the place felt very welcoming.

[color=c4df9b]”Hello, Family. This is Theo.”[/color] She said, gesturing to the man beside her with a small, wry smile. Exercising was a very different activity where she came from, but the alien could see the resemblance. 

Theo eyed her with a brow quirked. Had she just...introduced…him? He ignored that, taking her around to all the equipment. Once that was done, he took her to the next floor and grinned. There were at least twenty family members here training. They lifted weights not with their bodies, but with their shadows. Kids arm wrestled with tendrils of void. A few practiced giving slaves menial tasks. Some practiced throwing daggers and other weaponry. Others still were pouring over cauldrons, referencing spellbooks and checking herb labels. It was everything Delphine, all in one room.

“Any thoughts?” He asked, turning to look at her. 

Starfire was enjoying the sights and sounds when she realized that some people were not here voluntarily. The zombies sent a chill down her spine as he thought of Shaun’s roommate Pete, naked in the shower, hungry for flesh. Perhaps it was best to keep these thoughts concealed for now, though Starfire wasn’t exactly the best at hiding her internal thoughts. She did a quick scan for Maeve, the woman Clio and Star had met outside the theater. Not finding her, she turned back to Theo. [color=c4df9b]”It is very busy in here. The shadow powers are amazing to behold, I have never seen anything like it.”[/color] She said genuinely, avoiding the topic of zombies.

Theo noticed her gaze lingering on the slaves, but said nothing. Instead, he took the compliment with grace. “Thank you, Starfire. Your abilities are just as impeccable.”

Starfire smiled. [color=c4df9b]”Thank you, Theo. I am not very good at controlling them, but maybe one day I will be.”[/color] She turned back to the room and looked over a nearby child working on improving himself. He reminded her of himself. It is amazing that he has come so far in such a short amount of time. Human lifespans are so much shorter than hers, and yet they have learned so much in such a brief amount of time.

[color=c4df9b]”They are already so skilled in their abilities. You must be proud.”[/color] She said, not looking at Theo. 

“I am, very much so. Seeing them bloom before me only strengthens my pride in them. It allows me to truthfully say that there is nothing I wouldn’t do for them.” He smiled, watching the same child Starfire was. “Fanmi se tout bagay.” He mumbled. 

She glanced back at him briefly, as his words turned into another language. After a moment’s pause she spoke up. [color=c4df9b]”Do members of your family fight often? Clio mentioned challenges, but I did not think they would be so violent. The muscle power broke her arm.”[/color] She said, instinctively reaching for her own arm where Clio was injured. 

Theo sighed. He personally wasn’t a fan of the challenges, though he had partaken in his fair share. “It’s the way of our family. No one can be equal. It keeps people in line.”

Starfire tilted her head to the side and pondered this. [color=c4df9b]”Yes, I suppose it would do that.”[/color] Perhaps if her family had something like this, things would not have gone so poorly. It was hard to know. Starfire stayed silent, watching a young woman attempt to out wrestle a tendril of pure shadow. 

Theo had been expecting some form of resistance. He scratched his arm, sighing. “Well, why don’t we complete our tour? There’s so much to show you.”