---

---

Ryker muscles suddenly stiffened for a few seconds when he felt the electrical surge hit his arms. He didn't cry out in pain as one would expect. But he groaned through his teeth as he closed his eyes and lowered his head for a moment.

His memories flashed before him. The smell of burn flesh... the soreness from the beatings...the searing pain of that jumper cable connected to a 12 volt Battery. The screams of his brothers being tortured. He could even hear himself saying his Rank, Name and ID over and over. "Sergeant Ryker Burke, 1013758492!" Each time being asked an incomprehensible question, and shock for not answering to the torturers liking. His left hand began to shake slightly.

He shook his head a moment later to physically rid the thought from his head, and tightened his left hand into a fist. He looked over at the shorter blond, who had her hands over her mouth. A look of terror in her eyes as she looked at his arm. He looked down to see a hole in his jacket, a fresh black burn mark on his arm. Honestly he felt it only slightly. It wasn't as bad as he remembered. It was only then he seemed to warp back into the present, hearing almost everyone at once.

"Oh god I'm sorry, are you ok?"

“I mean he looks fine to me... Well, besides that gnarly scar on his arm... They must have doctors here. They wouldn’t gather a bunch of peeps with superpowers and not be ready.”

”I can help with that, give me your arm?”

Sascha suddenly pushed herself between her legs, Sensing his confusion. Ready to protect him with his order. He quickly reached down and placed a hand on her head to calm her. He hesitated for a moment before offering his arm to the guy with a nod of accepting his help, Looking to the blonde who shocked him he then said, to both her and the one who offered to help. "Its fine, It doesn't hurt that much...I'm used to it." He said realizing afterwards that would be a very awkward thing to be used to.

"It my fault. He added quickly with a smile... "I didn't mean to scare you with the Whistle..."

He was pulled away as the odd girl in a bikini and shirt suddenly appeared.

Heyo, what's happening, sorry to peep in. I just wanted to check something." She offers the sparking girl her hand. "Can you give me a zap? Just enough to make my hair stand on end. Fifty bucks says you can't do it."

What the hell, who asks for that kinda thing? He wondered, as he felt Sascha move her head closer to the new person sniffing. But she didn't move from between his legs.

Alonzo rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie, tattoos exposed, and pushed his glasses further up his nose before taking the guy’s arm gently in his hand. He felt the fluttering of nerves in his stomach but took a deep breath to try and calm them as much as he could.

He had an actual use now, no chance to mess this one up.

His eyebrows furrowed with concentration, fingers of his other hand flexing as they tingled. ”Sure did a number on this but it could be worse. No one’s at fault though, just wrong place, wrong time. Nothing for anyone to kick themselves over.” As he spoke, the burn started to slowly fade. The burn was large enough to leave a faint scar, and he hadn’t got a proper handle on this new power enough to make it disappear completely, but it would fade quicker than usual and was definitely better than if it had been untreated. ”S’alright though, look? Gone... more or less.” He gave him another brief smile and stepped away, flexing the tingling from his fingers; the newer scent of lavender far overpowering the lemon from before.

”She’s cute, what’s her name? Alonzo asked curiously, eyeing up the cause of the whole fiasco. ”And yours, actually?” He added quickly, cursing his lack of manners.

His grandmother would have his head if she could hear him.

Something went wrong. Terribly wrong. One moment Dani was watching lightning dance, the next second somebody got struck. A line of dandelions lit up like Christmas lights before promptly disintegrating as Dani shrieked and fell to her knees and crumpled to the ground in pain.

The would around her faded out, and Dani became somebody else--a young man in a mysterious room that smelled of burning flesh. Her new body was beaten and bruised, and felt like it had been for days. But even worse than they pain was the tortured screams of seemingly familiar voices. A vague pressed a live wire to her arm, sending a second surge of pain through her body...

Danielle awoke screaming and disoriented. Who was she? Where was she? She groped at her arms and face. "Dani? Dani?" somebody asked, hovering over her with breath that reeked of alcohol. Her mother, Dani realized. She was herself again, and the pain was gone "Are you okay, Dani?" William asked with big eyes. "You scared me! Don't do that again, Dani!" Destiny chastised with a wrinkled forehead and pouty lips. "Just get up already!" Abagail muttered.

With her mother's help, Danielle sat up slowly. William handed her a bottle of water and she took it gratefully. After a few gulps she put the cap back on. Her mother pat her back. "There, there. Take it easy. We think you might have had heat stroke. You were hallucinating. Let's get you out of the sun," she soothed, rubbing her daughter's back. Danielle felt like throwing up.

"Oh-okay..." Dani answered weakly. She took her mother's hand and shakily returned to her feet. Her mom put her arm around her daughter's shoulders and began leading her toward their cabin. As they continued past the group she was watching previously, the girl settled on a man in his late twenties with a well-behaved working dog between his legs. She looked at the man's arms and face and found scars, many of them deep. With all these details, and her gut feelings, somehow she just knew he was the one the vision had came from.

What happened to you? Dani asked the universe with tears running down her cheeks. He looked like such a good guy, and he didn't deserve whatever happened to him. The girl sniffled, wiped her tears away and continued into cabin '2'.

Unbeknownst to her, the universe listens, and a nearby dandelion seed carried her question heavily to the man known as Ryker Burke.

Alonzo blushed, and escaped Conner’s grip, and introduced. Conner smirked. That was not a rejection? Did he actually have a chance with this guy? Who knows. There was still plenty of weekend left. Alonzo threw his bag in his direction ran over to the other guy’s side. Conner couldn’t exactly blame him... He was handsome and had a cute dog to boot.

Alonzo rolled up his sleeves, exposing the tattoos on his arms, which Conner did not expect. This guy seemed like the shy quiet type, and not really the type to have a whole sleeve tattoos. Then he worked his magic, and healed the guy’s arm. Conner picked up Alonzo’s bag, and strode over to him. “Nice! But dude, we have got to talk about this awesome ink!” He took Alonzo’s right arm with a tattoo of the sea, with a Kraken beneath the waves. “Who did it?”

@GreysonEA

@Heartfillia @GreysonEA @Bai Suzhen @LostButterfly92

The man's reaction was worse than Mara had feared. Instead of yelping or recoiling, he spaced out for a few seconds. Mara's stomach clenched as she noticed the trembling of his left hand, the traces of scars on his arms and face. Had she just triggered a bad memory? As if the whole situation wasn't already shitty enough, in the distance, a scream rose up. She stared over at the teen hunched on the ground, people gathering around her. Great, she'd all too likely set off someone's phobia of lightning.

It was only when a dog pushed between the guy's legs, poised to guard him, that he snapped back into the present.

Although he tried to reassure her it was ok, Mara bit her lip. Used to it? So she had gone and reminded him of something unpleasant. Judging by his reaction, he wasn't used to shocks in the same way that electricians and engineers were. "It wasn't your fault," she replied. If only she'd damn well pulled herself together, this wouldn't have happened. "Not like you could've known."

Before he could answer, the woman with flowers in her hair approached, with an odd request. Mara raised an eyebrow. Give her a zap? While both damp and on edge? Yeeeeah, what could possibly go wrong? Even if this girl had an essence that could lessen the effect, it would still be a risky move. "Ehh, I'm going to guess you want to keep your fingers in working order." She folded her arms. "So I'll pass. What was it you wanted to check though?" As much as she needed the money, to help cover the cost of repairs to her parents' home, it wouldn't be worth it, at least not until she dried off and calmed down. She glanced at the wounded man again, proof of why it wouldn't.

The tattooed blond had stepped in, the wound fading at his touch. Not completely, but enough that it wouldn't get infected or leave major scarring. Mara gave a sigh of relief. Ok, lucky there was a healer around. His essence was obvious - the distinctive scent of lavender overrode the smoke and lemon smells.

Of course, that still left the issue of the guy's mental state, as the concern in the approaching teen's eyes made clear. The same girl who'd panicked just now. The burn may have been healed, but that didn't change the fact that electricity freaked out at least two people here.

---

---

Ryker reached into his pocket with his free hand and pulled out a stick of gum, expertly unwraping it with one hand and sticking in his mouth, calming the slight anxiety that popped up from the memory. He looked away towards the girl who screamed out when he was shocked. Now that his mind was catching up with him. She was up now, moving towards them. And She was looking towards him with a tear rolling down her cheek. Suddenly a voice popped into his head, asking what happened to him. It sounded like someone was whispering directly into his ear, but no one around him asked it. The voice was different from the two next to him now. His head cocked as he thought. I was...shocked? clearly confused by who said it, and clearly connecting it with what just happened. But I'm ok. He quickly added...not knowing if he would even be answered.

The scent of Lavender overpowering the lemon and even peppermint that was always escaping his lips. He had to admit it was an extremely useful power. He didn't mind one bit that it left a scar. Just another among the many on his arm. He smiled, "Thank you. I hope I didn't cause you too much discomfort." He said, while indicating his fingers.

"This here is Sascha..." He paused for a second before realizing he was asking for his name, not if Sascha was hers. "I'm Ryker Burke... it's a pleasure to meet you all."

He looked to blond girl and smiled confidently. "No harm done, Well some harm....My favorite jacket now has a charred hole in it. Though I barely felt it. We are all learning so I don't blame you one bit... Excuse me..." He said with a chuckle.

He then looked to the girl and moved over to her and her mother. Sascha moving out from his legs and standing right by his side looking up at him. "Excuse me, are you ok?" He asked with genuine concern. Then looked the mother,"What happened? Is there anything I can do to help?"

@Heartfillia

A cool breeze blew by, carrying with it a tiny, glowing seed. It swirled and danced on the air, finally settling in a few strands of Dani's golden locks. ^{I was...shocked? But I'm ok...}, a mysterious voice seemed to whisper in her ear. Dani stopped in her tracks, heart racing and wide-eyed like a deer in the headlights.

Her mother stumbled but held tight to Dani, using her to keep balance. Dani just stood there, unblinking, with her heart pounding. Her mother put her cool hand to the girl's clammy forehead and felt her cheek and face. "Honey, what's wrong? Are you feeling faint again? Don't be frightened, I'm right here," she soothed, stoking her daughter's long hair.

Dani was hardly listening. She stared blankly ahead, lost in thought. Di-did he hear me? Was... was that him answering back? Dani wondered frantically. Never had she heard such a deep voice come from a dandelion messenger. They were usually celestial. Angelic. The dandelions must have contacted him on her behalf. But then, did that mean her mind was no longer sacred? Could she trust the dandelions with her thoughts and feelings and secrets? What if she accidentally hurt someone by thinking something she would never say out loud, or what if people found discovered her power...

The next thing she knew, a man with that same deep voice was speaking right in front of her, asking if she was okay. It seemed her hunch was right. She looked him in his amber eyes and at his scarred face for only just a moment before looking away with an embarrassed smile and reddening cheeks. "I um, I'm fine, really... " Dani stammered quietly. It was bad enough to be speaking with somebody she didn't know, and worse that he might figure out she has powers.
Dani looked down at the dog by his side to distract herself and avoid accidentally sharing her thoughts, but the dog only made her feel more anxious. Good doggy..good doggy...good doggy... Dani repeated in her head. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearing her mind.

"Oh, just a case of heat exhaustion. A little bit of water and some shade and she'll be right as rain," Dani's mother answered for her, patting her on the shoulder. Feeling a little more calm, Dani nodded and drank from her plastic bottle water to help support her mother's explanation, while avoiding eye contact. "She's a little shy around strangers," her mom explained, leaning in to whisper toward the brown-eyed man, before wobbling back upright.

"Anyways... my name is Fauna and this is Danielle, William, Destiny, and Abagail. Say hello to the nice gentleman, kids." Fauna said with a friendly smile, pointing to each child in turn. Abagail crossed her arms and mumbled 'hello', William nodded and said 'hey'. Destiny gave him an energetic wave, 'hi' and a big grin, glancing to and from the man and his dog, but more interested in the dog. Fauna nodded approvingly. "And who do we have the pleasure of meeting?" she asked.

"Can I pet your dog? Can I please?" Destiny suddenly blurted out, reaching for the animal. Danielle grabbed for her sister's shirt sleeve, trying to stop her, but the girl slipped from her grasp.

”Nice to meet you both.” Alonzo nodded with a slight smile, waving away the concern of his hand. He stepped back a little to give Ryker some space, and to also get out of the worst of the lavender cloud. He knew the smell would cling to his hair and clothes for hours now. Not that it was a bad smell; he just wasn’t a fan of the old lady images it brought to mind. ”Teething problems, bit of a weird sensation to get used to. Nothing major though.” He gave him another brief smile before Conner was in front of him again, hand on his arm.

This guy was definitely the touchy-feeley type, but Alonzo didn’t mind too much. He’d had worse. He grinned brightly at the mention of his tattoo. They were his absolute pride and joy. ”I designed this one. Well, adapted it from a painting I did a few years ago. I regretted selling it so much that I redrew it in tattoo form. One of my friends actually tattooed it though, he lives in the south. This one,” He held out his other arm, adorned with runes and a compass. ”My grandma designed for me before she passed. She was very spiritual. All of the runes mean something different.” He smiled a little sadly but didn’t dwell. ”I have more on my back and my shoulders. One on each thigh too. I’ve spent way too much money on these already, but I still have some space so still room for more.”

Arthur watched as Muriel walked away, heading toward a gathering of people talking. For a second Arthur thought he saw a bolt of electricity and was bewildered, before remembering that he was at a conference for people with powers. As Arthur wondered what other powers would be on display here, a scent of lavender blew down on the summer wind. Arthur wondered where it was coming from as the smell was quite strong and he didn’t see any lavender plants.

Deciding that it must be a part of a power, Arthur decided to head over to where it was coming from. As Arthur walked across the grass, he found that the smell was emanating from two attractive man talking. One had the whole surfer dude thing going on, while the other was covered in tattoos. While not usually Arthur’s type, there was something alluring about the tattooed man, something besides the pleasant smell.

Seeing that they were deep in conversation, the tattooed man seemingly showing off his ink, Arthur decided not to barge in just because they both were attractive. He turned away, hoping to find someone else to talk to, only to spot one of the cutest dogs he had ever seen in his life.

Arthur always had a soft spot for dogs, his neighbours growing up having one and his landlady letting him walk hers. On autopilot, Arthur approached the dog, ready to pet it. But a little girl got there first, pleading with her own puppy dog eyes to pet the dog.

Arthur abruptly stopped, almost running into the family surrounding the dog. Taking a moment to refocus on what he was doing, Arthur finally saw the dog’s owner. He too was attractive, and Arthur wondered if plant essences could turn you hot.

Arthur slowly walked up to the dog and its owner, “Do you mind if I pet your dog?”

Arthur then turned to the little girl, “But you could totally go first. I mean this dog is cute enough to wait in line to pet. Right?”

Arthur then felt a little awkward, thinking that this mom must be asking who this strange man was and why was he talking to her kid. Arthur’s cheeks started to turn slightly red as he worried about being weird with this dog, his attractive owner, and this family he was engaging with.

@LostButterfly92 @Heartfillia

@Heartfillia@Martian

"Where's your manners!" Mother Fauna scolded. Dani couldn't bear to see what would happen next. She closed her eyes and covered her face with the back of her hand, expecting the worse.

A moment pased, and rather than hearing growling and screaming she heard a new voice. Dani snuck a peek and saw a slightly older boy with dark hair and glasses casually approaching, wishing to pat the dog as well. "Hey! I wanted to pet her!" Dani's little sister protested, stopping in her tracks. She slid down onto her hands and knees in the gravel, stopping just about a foot short of the dog, dirtying her legs and yellow dress in the process. She was pouting and looking longingly at the dog in its eyes. Dani's heart raced, worrying that the dog would pounce at any moment.

The new boy then offered to let Destiny go first, appeasing the young child. She raised her chin up with a smug grin on her face, but she stayed in the dirt this time seeming to wait for permission...

@Heartfillia

Well, at least Ryker now seemed pretty unfazed, compared to his initial reaction. Still, knowing she owed him a new jacket didn't make Mara feel much less guilty. A charred sleeve was much more minor than burned skin, but she still felt the need to make up for it, and her budget probably wouldn't stretch that far.

"Yeah, and hopefully they'll actually help us with that learning," she muttered, with a glance towards the pavillion. The suspicion that this summit would consist more of talking than anything productive hadn't gone away. With all these people gathering, she needed something that would take her mind off of such thoughts.

Her gaze settled on the big fluffy German shepherd, Sascha, and her expression softened. An undeniably cute dog, and she could see why the little girl and the guy with glasses were so eager to pet her. Mara inched forward, but stopped. No, it wouldn't be worth it. What if she hurt the dog? Or one of the people nearby? Besides, Sascha probably wouldn't take too kindly to someone who'd shocked her owner.

Keeping a safe distance as she watched, Mara hoped the cute scene would calm her enough that she wouldn't cause any more problems.

---

"I um, I'm fine, really... " Dani stammered quietly.

Ryker blinked, so it was her that he heard a moment ago. He glanced over to her mother

"Oh, just a case of heat exhaustion. A little bit of water and some shade and she'll be right as rain," He glanced back at Dani, he had seen...felt... heat exhaustion before. It wasn’t that. It was something else. If she could speak to him telepathically...could she feel his pain as well from the shock? He didn’t push the issue for the moment, but smiled. "She's a little shy around strangers," nodding.

"Anyways... my name is Fauna and this is Danielle, William, Destiny, and Abagail. Say hello to the nice gentleman, kids." He smiled at each one with a friendly smile and nodded. However he was noticing how Dani was seeming even more nervous while looking at Sacha. He patted his dog's head with a simple command. “Sitt” While it was easy to understand he said sit, but he said it in an odd accent. Sascha immediately sat down next to him.

"And who do we have the pleasure of meeting?" Before he could answer he heard Destiny suddenly shout out as she moved forward towards Sascha if she could pet the dog. Another lad came up as well asking if he could pet Sacha as well.

With Destiny pouting and saying she wanted to pet her first he scratched the side of his head...She looked the same age as Everly, but slightly immature in comparison. He smiled and said ”You don’t have to ask me. You have to ask Sascha.” He crouched down next to his dog and said, You have to offer her a handshake first. If she does shake your hand, you can pet her.” He glanced at the boy who asked as well. Same with you.

As soon as Destiny would offer her hand, Sascha would immediately place her paw in it. He smiled and looked up to the mother and stood back up ”My name is Ryker Burke. It’s a pleasure to meet you all. This is my Partner Sascha.

Well Miss Fauna, I’m assuming you are the eldest sister?” He said with a charming smile, ”If you do require any help, just let me know, I can cool anything down with a simple touch.

Parking Lot --> Cabin Pavilion --> Conference Hall

In the near distance, an exceptionally regular-looking Honda kicked up a cloud of dust and gravel as it careened into the parking lot and came to rest in probably not an actual parking space. A 30ish man with short ash brown hair and a short beard hopped out and grabbed his backpack. After a couple minutes of power-walking, he reached the small group of people gathered between the lot and the cabins.

"Hey!" Joseph called out with a smile and a wave as he approached. "I'm surprised so many people actually came! Isn't this exciting? I hope a lot of people with powers show up!"

Almost in the same breath, the man looked at his watch and gasped.

"Oh man, it starts in ten minutes! Looks like I'll have to use my SUPER SPEED! See ya later!"

With that, Joseph took off running - his pace fairly impressive but still quite human. He sprinted all the way to the cabins' central pavilion before he had to lean against a wooden column and gasp for breath, garnering a mildly confused look from the check-in volunteer. Beyond that point lay another gravelly path that wound through the woods for a couple minutes before abruptly opening up toward the large conference hall, full of the modern amenities and technology any semi-camper would want.

Anyone else without super speed might want to get going.

@Crimson Flame@LuckyBlackCat@Bai Suzhen@GreysonEA@LostButterfly92@Martian@Heartfillia

@Heartfillia@Martian

Destiny's little blue eyes lit up, and she flashed a toothy grin. [B]"Hi Sascha, I'm Destiny. You have such pretty fur--can I pet you?"[b] the little girl asked genuinely. She offered one small, dainty hand. The dog almost seemed to smile back as she put her paw in the girl's hand. Destiny grinned ear to ear and pat the dog along her side and back for a moment, then embraced her in a hug for a few seconds. "You're so soft, Sascha!" Dani stiffened, worried for her sister, but finally breathed when the girl let go and backed away without incident. "Thank you for letting me pet you!"

The man then introduced himself as Ryker, again. Her mother laughed a bit drunkenly. Her faced flushed probably with both embarrassment and infatuation. "Haha, that's right, you introduced yourself just a minute ago! I'm such a goldfish." Fauna brushed her blond hair and smiled. William made a face in disgust. "I'm actually the mother-had kids young..." she trailed off, putting each hand on William and Destiny's shoulders, with a bittersweet smile.

Ryker offered to help out with his powers, a cooling power of some kind. Fauna raised her brow and smiled, tilting her head. The younger children made sounds in awe. Abagail shuggled"Is that true? Hm, what do you think, Dani?" her mother asked. Dani smiled nervously and shook her head. "Oh, un I'm okay, but thank you." It seemed either he didn't recognize her, or perhaps he figured she wasn't ready to reveal her secret. Dani breathed in relief.

Suddenly a man came running by, pretty quick for a man. He quickly announced that the conference began in ten minutes. Fauna checked her watch. "Oh! How time flies when you're making friends. Care to sit with us at the conference, Ryker?" Fauna asked, nudging her children along toward the conference hall. "Yes, sit with us! Sit with us mister Burke!" the younger ones eagerly agreed with her, looking back and nearly jumping with excitement as they went along. Abagail absently played with her music player, and Dani gave him an approving nod and smile before following after her family.

Kael

Lily looked eagerly up at her brother. It was not every day that the supers of America met. Lily had developed her powers quite recently, when the family discovered she could float on water, like her namesake, the lily pad. Since both children got their powers less than a week ago Kael's parents were a little nervous to send them off on their own. Of course, after Kael promised nothing bad would happen to his sister, and flashed them a grin with his Venus-flytrap-esque teeth, they allowed him to go.
Once their parents had dropped Lily off he made her promise she wouldn't leave. Of course that promise was broken as soon as she saw the dog. Chasing after her Kael slammed into a woman checking her purse. As he apologized he noticed the ram's horns sticking out of her head.
After weaving through person after person Kael finally found lily, talking to a man who he didn't know.
"Hey, Lily we better-" He began. Suddenly the man started looking around franticly before settling his eyes on Kael.
"You must be her brother?" The man asked.
"Yes I'm Kael, this is Lily, and we're leaving." Kael said hurriedly.
"I'm Leon!" He called out as Kael, pulling his sisters arm disappeared into the crowd.
"Don't talk to strangers, Lily."
"He's not a stranger, he has a dog!"
"Just because he has a dog doesn't mean we've met him before." Kael explained.
"We have now." Lily argued.
"Come on, let's head over there." Kael said pointing to the entrance of the conference hall. "We'll take a second to talk."
"About what?"
"Stranger danger." Kale muttered.

Alonzo shouldered his bag again, once Conner had finished pouring over his tattoos, and took a quick stock check of everyone.

Ryker had disappeared a little way away with a younger family; the two younger children besotted with Sascha and honestly? He couldn’t blame them. Another guy wandered over to the group, seemingly drawn in by the dog. Ryker was going to be the belle of the ball with Sascha on his arm like this.

He quirked an eyebrow as a car pulled up in a cloud of dust, a guy hopping out and heading towards the two little groups at a speed. Alonzo watched the weird exchange before the man took off sprinting; fast but still obviously human. He made a mental note to sit as far away from that one as possible.

”I mean I think that guy needs more help than anyone here can give him.” He snorted to Mara, shaking his head slightly as he watched him lean against a tree, gasping for breath.

”You both coming?” He asked, glancing over his shoulder as he started to make his way down the path, towards the check in desk.

@LuckyBlackCat @Crimson Flame

@Heartfillia @LostButterfly92 @Zanavy @GreysonEA

Watching the dog accept the child's handshake and hug, Mara gave a near smile, if a twitch of the lips counted. Sascha reminded her of a childhood family dog she'd known, Alfie, ever-affectionate in contrast to most humans. Pets were the truest friends. At least Sascha's owner, Ryker, didn't seem too bad... As long as he was offering to help out of concern, instead of showing off. Mara wanted to believe the former, but she knew a certain two do-gooders who showed a different side behind closed doors.

An overenthusiastic shout drew her attention from the scene. Another guy waved and grinned, bragging about super speed before sprinting down the path at an entirely mundane pace. Mara rolled her eyes, nodding at Alonzo's comment. Ok, she knew what it was like to desperately want a power, but did that guy have to make an ass of himself over it? "Yep. All I have to say is, be careful what you wish for," she murmured.

No sooner were the words out than she inwardly cringed. Had she just let on how much she'd wanted what others had? What a vulnerable little sap she'd been? Not exactly something she wanted to open up about, especially to total strangers. "Anyway, yeah." She hurried after the tattooed guy. "Let's go."

The doors of the conference building opened up into a spacious, blissfully air-conditioned hallway. An abundance of signs with large arrows directed conference-goers to the right room. A couple workers briefly checked the guests' tickets before welcoming them in.

"Because the meeting is starting in a couple minutes," one volunteer explained, "I'm afraid we are unable to test for the plant-powers discount at this time. We apologize for the inconvenience, and please check back in with us after the meeting if this applies to you."

The volunteers also handed each person a small packet containing useful information like a map, phone numbers to call in case of problems, and the itinerary for the weekend. The schedule seemed a little disjointed, like it was made by different people. For example, one time slot gave conference-goers a choice between "Panel Discussion: Correlational or Causal Links Between Animal Essenced People and Mental Illness and Learning Disabilities, and Implications for Plant Essenced People" or "Scavenger Hunt / Water Balloon Fight." Of course, anyone could say no to both options at any time and have some free time. But is that what people paid to come here for?

The actual meeting room was mostly full by the time the group arrived, nearing its recommended capacity of 150 people. It appeared the front rows mostly contained scientists and other professional-looking people, while the more casually dressed people congregated toward the middle. Most of the empty seats were in the back rows - not the best for seeing and hearing the stage, but good for people-watching the whole crowd.

Less than a minute after everyone got settled, the lights dimmed slightly and two people walked onto the stage. One a serious middle-aged woman, the other a tall man with dark brown hair.

"Good morning," the woman began, "and welcome to the SHARP Summit. My name is Dr. Lakshmi Gupta, Founding Director, and with me is Dr. Preston Nichols. All of us at Companion Biotech are pleased and humbled by the interest shown by people of all walks of life to gather here in unity and discuss..."

The director continued a dry speech for several minutes about "mutually beneficial relationships," "the company vision," "growing a better world," and other such vaguely inspiring messages about the conference's goal of bringing differing groups together for open discussion. A small round of obligatory applause followed as Dr. Gupta handed off the mic.

"Thank you, Dr. Gupta," Dr. Nichols spoke. "Now, I know you're all eager to get started with all the events we have arranged. There are just a few things we need to go over first. I'll try to make it fast..."

The researcher continued a dry speech for several minutes about rules, interjected by a few jokes which received polite amounts of brief laughter. Most of it was general, self-explanatory things. Always use the buddy system, especially when you go into the woods. Quiet time is 11 pm. No slurs against Plant-Essenced people, Animal-Essenced people, or Non-Essenced people will be permitted in any context except when necessary to discuss their impact during discussions. No reckless use of superpowers. Y'know, the usual.

"Alright," Dr. Nichols continued, "now it's time for all of you to play a part here. Let's have everyone find their cabin and introduce themselves. Tell everyone your name, where you're from, what your Essence is if you have one, and a fun fact about yourself. If we have time at the end, we'll have someone from each cabin come up and talk about a few of of the most interesting things you heard."

Dr. Nichols vaguely pointed to areas of the room where each cabin was supposed to gather. Then he walked toward the Cabin 10 group.

The young family of four skipped the cabins and head briskly through the parking lot to the conference hall instead, bringing their meager bags and backpacks with them. Dandelions swirled in swarms around Dani, feeding her the joy and excitement and fears of others around her. The small blond girl swatted at the seeds that tickled her nose and eyelashes. She tried unsuccessfully to ignore them,as their strange celestial voices were distracting and only seemed to add to her own anxiousness.

The automatic doors opened into a wonderfully cool lobby. Dani wiped her forehead dry with the back of her hand and breathed in, taking in the cool, filtered air. Her mind was quieter now that she was away from the swarm of dandelion seeds, though not perfectly silent. There must have been seeds lingering around, caught in thr hair and clothes of the people in the room.

Her family lumped close together as they waited in line, holding hands as the younger ones bounced quietly but impatiently. The line moved quickly enough and soon their own tickets were torn and they were sent on their way with a small packet and their ticket stubs.

The conference hall itself was packed to near capacity. Oh no! Dani thought, squeezing the straps of her messenger bag. There was probably more than enough seating, but there were not enough seats in a row for everybody to sit together.

"Excuse me, oh, I am so sorry to bother you, but could you kindly make room for a few more?" Fauna said in her most sweet and charming voice, batting her eyelashes and flashing a smile at an elderly couple. "Of course we can, dear!" the old lady answered. She pat her husband, who in turn yelled out down the row. Soon the row had moved to one side, making just enough room for the Dallon family and their companions.

Just as everybody had made themselves comfortable, the lights dimmed and the conference began. An old man came out, and he started blabbing about goals and rules and it was about as exciting as the first day of school. It was not long before the younger kids were complaining and fidgeting, but Fauna was prepared with snacks and handheld games. Dani looked to Abagail, who was now playing on her cellphone rather than listening to music. Maybe she does care about this trip, essences and all that... Dani wondered as she nodded off.

Danielle awoke to a gentle nudge from her mother. "Wake up, sleepyhead. It is time for an activity," she explained quietly as she picked up toys and wrappers. The lights were back on and people were getting up, talking, and moving about. Dani groaned and rubbed her eyes. "What kind of activity?" she asked. "We're getting to know our cabin-mates." Dani groaned again, louder. Fauna smiled and rolled her eyes. "You wanted to come here! Come on," she teased, offering a hand. Dani took it and got up reluctantly.

Destiny pulled Fauna's sleeve, and her mother leaned down closer to listen. "Mommy, I need to go to the bathroom!" the little girl whispered urgently. "I guess this is where we part ways," Fauna said with a bittersweet smile as turned to her new companions. "Thank you for spending time with us. It was wonderful to meet you!" Danielle smiled and nodded in agreement. Abagail mumbled while messing with her phone. "Goodbye!" William said with a wave. "Bye!" Destiny quickly followed. She bent down and shook paws once again with Sascha again and gave her a pat on the head. "Byebye Sascha." With that, Fauna linked hands with her young children and the group left their seats and disappeared into the crowd.

A few minutes later Danielle and her family had made their way back from the restrooms to the conference hall. By now there were ten groups, all made up of about 15 people, more or less. They found the group with a small '2' sign hanging on the wall, and joined the rough circle. It seemed the group had started without them, and while Dani was annoyed that she missed some, she was thankful not to have to speak first. She always hated these kinds of activities in school.

Dani looked around the group and she thought she might have seen Ryker or Arthur again, though she couldn't say for sure with other people blocking her view. Right now an elderly man was speaking, and there was only one person between him and Dani. Her heart pounded as she struggled to decide what she would say, but before she knew it, it was her turn and everybody was looking her way.

Dani froze, staring back with wide eyes. Her body quivered visibly and her heart felt like it would pop out of her chest. She glanced around the room with her eyes darting frantically back and forth. She wanted to run and hide, even die, to escape this torture...

But a comforting hand touched her shoulder. "Your name, where you're from, if you have an essence, and a fact about you," Fauna gently reminded her. Dani gulped and took a deep breath.

"...M-my name is Danielle. D-Dani. I grew up in New Hampshire.. We-we just moved to Florida," she said, leaning a bit to look at her family, they waved, except for Abby, of course, who stood with crossed arms and a grump on her face. Dani leaned back, totally forgetting what she was saying. "I... um.. I um..."

"Do you have an essence, honey?" her mother prompted with an encouraging smile and a rub on the back. Dani felt like her heart stopped, and her eyes went wide. Should she tell the truth? Or could that put her family in danger like in every superhero movie ever? Now that powers were more common, more people were open about their abilities, but still...

"I-I don't know..." Dani answered vaguely. "But...but I've wanted one all my life. M-my dream is to be a hero. A s-superhero..." she finished. Dani thought she heard scoffs and chuckles in the crowd, and she bowed her head so her hair fell in front of her face.

Fauna pat her daughter's shoulder. "Good job, sweetie. I will go next." Her mother then turned to the group and smiled sweetly. "Hello everyone, my name is Fauna. Like my daughter said, we moved from New Hampshire, but I was born and raised in Florida. I have no essence, but they sound like fun! And I adore all kinds of animals."

"I'm Destiny and I want an essence too! I'm ten years old," Destiny shared with big grin.

"Hey. My name is William. An essence would be cool. I want to learn to surf."

"Abagail. No essence. I didn't want to come."

"Abby! Fauna chastised. "What? It's a fact." Abagail shrugged. She took her ipod out and stuck the buds in her ears. Fauna sighed and shook her head.

Eventually the next person spoke up, and Dani began to relax a little now that her turn was over, but she couldn't help thinking that this was all a big mistake...

Alonzo checked himself in before making his way through to the conference hall, making a mental note that he was in Cabin 5 - halfways between them all. Easy enough to remember.

He made his way trough to the conference hall, picking a seat on the edge of the room and taking out a spare notebook and pen - he suffered from claustrophobia so being on an edge made him feel a touch more comfortable than cramped in crammed in next to people on either side. Not to mention the air conditioning was a welcome relief from the heat outside. He was going to have to change out of his hoodie at this rate. He was sure he packed some shorts somewhere…

He was drawn out of his head by the stage lighting up and the room dimming, a woman starting to talk about the whole reason behind the conference. If he was honest, he tuned out most of it. He wasn’t exactly interested in the science behind it all - he just wanted to speak to some actual real people who also had to deal with this new ability.

He blinked out of the daze he’d slipped into, glancing down at the double page spread of crappy little doodles he’d drawn while the pair had been rambling. He shut the notebook and shoved the pen behind his ear as he stood and gathered up his bag once again, giving Mara a small wave as he headed off in the direction of cabin… 5.

”Halfways between.” He mumbled under his breath, joining the steadily forming circle. There were quite a few other guys from what he could see.

He hoped he wasn’t about to get hate crimed- he wasn’t exactly the straightest looking person…

He was second in line, once the first guy had said his bit - Daniel or something or other… he hadn’t been paying too much attention - he could pipe up and introduce himself.

”Uh, hi. Alonzo Solandis, I’m from near here, no where really exciting.” He shrugged a little, giving a slightly sheepish smile. ”I have a lavender essence, if you couldn’t smell that already, and I’m an artist. I specialise in watercolour and oils but dabble in everything.” He smiled, glancing expectedly at the person beside him.