Graupel Canyon Oh... no
#1

Look
Psychic party



Jordan had wallflowered most of the day. She fidgeted with her nametag so much that she kept having to press down the edges back onto her dress every few minutes.

There were people she knew there that she wanted to spend time with but they had people they wanted to spend time with, and Jordan didn't want to be a social burden. So, she mostly kept to herself.

She had just finished loading her plate with food from the refreshment table, eager to find a spot to sit and eat. Perhaps, she'd find shelter under a tree if all the picnic tables were taken?

Anyway, she turned around and oof! Bumped into someone, her food comically crushing against their clothes with a loud SPLAT! It was like her body was moving in slow motion, watching the horror as it unfolded. Eyes wide, she stared, blinking at the mess she'd made, wanting to crawl into a hole and never resurface.

"Sorry! Oh no- uh!" She panicked, searching for napkins on the refreshment table.
#2


It was a bigger crowd than last time and Zachary was encountering so many new faces that it was overwhelming. He had procured a cup of lemonade at one point but after having become so turned around, he was now empty-handed.

His own pact was elsewhere lost in the crowd, hopefully networking and rubbing elbows with new people. At the moment, he was playing a game of name tag hunting, looking for familiar names to nod at and for new powers to approach. Until the realization that meeting new people was terrifying.

Yeah, Zachary was a total loser. Too shy to ask what bug powers meant or if super speed really did exist. So, he was awkwardly walking around until he found some inner courage.

The sudden slow-motion smashing into another person and the press of something lukewarm and mushy to his front halted Zachary's plans. "Guh?" He intelligently replied, looking down at his shirt with big dumb hands held up like a tickle-me Elmo.
#3
Napkins!!!!!

Jordan was searching for napkins!!!

She set her paper plate of squashed food down on the table as she located napkins and immediately grabbed a handful. She turned to look at the unfortunate person she'd bumped into and was about to start wiping at their clothes when common sense and decency kicked in. She handed him the napkins, dared to look at his face and her expression changed to surprise. Surprise and embarrassment.

"Zachary!" She squeaked. "Gosh, I'm, uh! Really sorry!"
#4
He wasn't entirely sure what hit him but it looked like his superman tee was enjoying a mini buffet.

Eyes peeling up to look at the person he was surprised to learn he recognized her!

"Jordan?" The mimic from the park! The one with the vampire trauma and mysterious power. What a coincidence. (angel)

Her alarm and stack of napkins made him finally remember the shirt. "Oh hey, no big deal." He was used to a messy life. Working with dripping, frozen sweets all the time.
#5
No big deal! Well, that was good, and hey! He remembered her name.

Jordan smiled sheepishly and bit back several more apologies she wanted to utter in her shame.

It was fine! At least it happened to someone nice?! Or maybe that was worse!!

"You, uh, having a good time?" She grimaced at the state of his shirt.
#6
He'd have to scrub off the gunk in the washroom later. The shirt was old and Zachary had at least two identical ones, so he'd look on the bright side.

"Uh yeah, it's great to see so many psychics together. I've been checking out the different powers." Zachary tapped at his name tag.

His forearm brushed against the mess. Awful!
#7
Jordan's gaze followed where he pointed, and she stared at the name tag, reading everything on it.

Water, teleportation and illusion! Gee, Jordan would love to try her hand at teleporting, especially after it didn't work with Grace.

"Looking for an additional mem... ber," She read aloud, blush colouring her face. "You're in a pact!" Jordan realized belatedly. Pop Rock Pact. Like the candy?
#8
While her gaze shifted, Zachary was over here trying to palm some napkins from a nearby table.

Her own nametag was obscured with hanging hair, but he had clocked it moments before. Copy cat. Nice way to put it. He had considered going playful himself with the power explanations. However, Katara, Jumper, and Mastermind (Marvel) would be a lot of pop culture among a pretty diverse crowd.

Zachary had his own flush as the last line was read aloud. She had undoubtedly stumbled across his spelling mistake. "Yeah! It's a new pact. With Ariadne and Finlay." Zachary turned his head to look at the scattered crowd.

"They're both here. Somewhere."
#9
Finlay! Oh! She knew Finn!

"I know Finn! He drove us here today!" She beamed brightly.

"He's a regular at the cafe I work at."
#10
"Oh? Small world." Zachary smiled. For as small a group in the vastness of Colorado, psychics had a knack for finding each other.

So she worked at a cafe. Nice. "I also met him at a cafe. Must be his pick-up spot." It sounded a little skeevy, but he was sure Jordan would pick up on the small joke. Finlay was as pure as the driven snow. A literal Snow White too. With the whole animal powers.
#11
His pick-up spot? Jordan’s eyes widened, not getting the joke.

"Oh! It’s not like that." Blush. "I mean, Finn’s very cute and all but, uh, we’re friends!" Just friends!
#12
Welp, a swing and a miss on that joke!!

Zachary smiled big with an aching jaw because he couldn’t do more but laugh and maybe not cry?

"Don’t worry, I get what you mean. Finn’s not really like that." He waved a hand to further emphasize. Thank goodness Finn was somewhere else and not here to see Zachary almost besmirch his good name.

"Cool you know each other. Ah, you mentioned a third person in your carpool?" Maybe someone else they had in common.
#13
Oh good. That was good. Jordan breathed a sigh of relief and smiled shyly back at Zachary.

At the question about her roommate, Jordan perked up a little. "Yeah! My roommate, Alexis. She's here..." Jordan had a brief look around them but couldn't immediately find Alexis. "Somewhere!"
#14
He did not know that name!

"Cool." Zachary nodded to a silent beat. "Don't think we've met but there are a lot more people here than I expected." The party seemed to grow each time. He had some theories about way lines or spiritual centers with the many psychics who flocked to Colorado.

"What's her power?"
#15
"Oh, um," Jordan frowned a little. "She doesn't know it yet?"
#16
Oh...weird.

Zachary's bottom lip jutted out as he started thinking. A mystery to solve.

He sucked on his inner lip, worrying the skin between his teeth, making a tsk sound when he release. "You ever try to mimic it?"
#17
Yeah, it was a challenging one. Jordan raised both eyebrows at the question.

"No, I haven't. At least, not on purpose. I'm not really sure what I'd be mimicking." Then again, that hadn't stopped her before, considering how out of control her power was at times.
#18
A surprising response, but Jordan didn't seem all that comfortable with her power just yet. Zachary just hummed a small note of understanding.

"Well, the good and bad thing about powers is they always tend to show themselves at some point." Usually at the most inopportune times.
#19
Hmm, that seemed accurate to Jordan!

"Yeah," She laughed a little and curled a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess they do."
#20
The conversation was nearing a natural end and Zachary was willing to let Jordan merge back into the sea of people.

After one last question.

"If you do figure it out, are you and Alexis thinking of forming a pact yourself?" Living together might make things easier.
#21
Oh! It was a good question. "I’ve thought about it for sure. Though I haven’t brought it up to Alexis yet. Why?"

She didn’t mention her cousin yet. Didn’t know where he fell on pacting these days considering everything going on with him.
#22
Zachary shrugged, noncommittedly.

"Nothing big. Our pact is looking for a possible fourth member but we can only take one. If you and Alexis are thinking about it too, then this is the best place to get information and maybe see if anyone else feels like a good fit. The two of you would only need one more person."

He didn't want her to feel pressured or anything. Pacts were an excellent idea for safety but also a tremendous commitment. Not a decision to make lightly.
#23
Jordan nodded. "If I can think of anyone for you, I’ll let you or Finn know." She smiled. "I think my cousin wants to start one too, so I have him and my roommate at the very least, if she’s interested."
#24
She already had it all figured out. Zachary was really stoked for Jordan.

"Sweet. Text me if you ever need anything. The more pacts out there the better! "
#25
Jordan beamed back at him and nodded her head.

"Thanks, Zachary." It felt good. To be part of something in a way. A community.
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