1.38a Hormones Activate - Jet

“Dad... can I borrow you for a sec?”

Jet gets some relationship advice from his father this morning about someone he's liked for a long time. Someone who is nerdy like he is, but quite possibly has him in the friend-zone.

Dustin is helpful, and talkative. Jet is unsure if he can follow so many specific instructions about what to not say or definitely not do. Mom must be a lot to handle.

(I just love seeing these two together)

Jyo stayed out late jogging again. And is in trouble again. “Sorry mom, I didn't think you'd be near a window this early.”

“I was coming up from the lab!”

“Working late?”

“Don't take that tone with me, little MISS, I am allowed as an adult to work all night if I need to. YOU out running alone for half the night to and from stars know where is a different matter entirely.”

“Yeah well-”

“Grounded. Grounded, grounded, grounded. And if you say anything more, grounded all over again.”

Jyo finally stops arguing, certain that any moment now her mom will notice that it's also two hours after she was supposed to head for school.

“I'm sorry mom, I'll head in and clean up a little.”

“Yes you WILL.”

Win.

Certainly there is a trick involved in this outdoor activity that will wow crowds one day.

Imaginary snake animation. It would've been cute.

Meghan forgets to science for a bit and plays around for a day instead, in a now somewhat rare instance of not-being-herself.

(I used to let her play claw machines as a way to roll for what kind of supernaturals she would get to know, hence Loki turning into a Vampire and the faeries in town being from her childhood stuffed animal). Mummies are not going to be in this story, nu-uh (even though elder Meghan has currently rolled to visit Egypt at the very end of her life- NO! We're not DOING THAT, I said). Now that I've revealed my creative methods they are useless to future me. Way to go, me.

*ahem* Moving on...

Dustin out playing a set to perfection. This one is for a straight to cable special.

Mom & dad's room is good for homework.

“But what are you doing in here?” Jet casts a disparaging look towards the blue sleeping bag.

Jyo yawns. “Chaperoning you on your date.”

“It's just study.”

“I'll be here.”

He sighs dramatically.

That 'date' is Christian Elson, who first appeared in this story when the school held a fire drill in the middle of a winter snowstorm. She's been Jet's friend since that day, when they built a snowman together.

As she is not a depressed goth kid from the late 90s or a member of the Adam's family, I give her a makeover, although I'm not sure those eyebrows can be tamed.

Appropriately nerdy and yet still self-confident. Better.

Jet begins the homework non-date by talking to her breasts about how beautiful the ...flowers are. You know, outside. But they will not be outside because the homework is here with them, in their backpacks.

She misses all of these cues as nobody wrote them into a romance novel and instead asks him if there is a snack cupboard.

He is nice to be around though. She gets the sense that his rebellious nature actually protects a big heart. Girl's romance stories are all about that sort of stuff.

But, what's he trying to say to her right now? She wasn't listening well.

Who cares about you? You do this every day.

She finally gets up the courage she needs to break the awkward eye contact.

“So-o that was a yes, there are sandwiches?”

He finds his voice again and clears his throat. “Yes. Yes of course we have food.”

“Great, can we eat somewhere with less... decoration?”

Turns out she can't stand art. How did he never notice that before...?

Dustin makes Dannigan Swift fly on stage during the 'call for volunteers' part of his act.

Amazingly, Dannigan agrees and hams it up for the crowd.

He simply couldn't turn down an opportunity to internally mock the non-flying public. Also if Dustin was trying to piss off his number 1 frienimy this way, it didn't work.

Everything is fake on stage anyways.

The kids get down to homework. Christian sits cross-legged on the kitchen floor,

while Jet heads upstairs to his sister's new writing desk.

...is he rebelling against this whole date right now, or chickening out? Even I can't tell.

I have him call her over to join him and this results. Real smooth you guys. You really are alike.

Oh look, it's a plasma beetle. Yaaaaaay.

Dustin takes one look at Meghan when gets home that evening and falls in love all over again. Somehow.

“How's my beautiful wife?”

She tastes a little bit like charred jerky, so he invites her into the shower with him.

These two roll romantic wishes and autonomously flirt all day if I don't give them something else to do. This is why they make a great couple, and horrible parents. Do they know if their kids are both at home now? No. Do they know that their son has a date upstairs in his sister's room? Of course not. Are they happy anyways? Absolutely.

School is out early for local voting, or something, so Jyoti and Jet stop at a cafe on the way home.

“So after Leila got out and I came back late from having to find her, by myself, I noticed you weren't home..?”

“Oh right, I was out doing research. Gonna write a book.”

Before Jyo can say how unconvincing his tone is, they run into their cousin.

Who is not doing well. Barely a month after Eugene passed away, his hopelessly romantic wife Lize followed him.

But I'm over sad death stories. We're not doing that right now. Kevin is back out in public during the middle of the day for some reason. Jyo jogs over and flags him down. “Hey! Where have you been lately!?”

He's groggy, tired. “Dealing with a bit of...”

She cocks her head to the side. “A what?”

“You shouldn't have to worry about it at all.”

Jet stops Everet to talk about the SSO. He's bored and feels like stirring up trouble.

“I'd join in a heartbeat, if the people in your crew weren't so incredibly retarded.” Jet informs his cousin.

“Good. Glad not to have you.”

“So in lieu of hush money, give me a story.”

“No.”

As if I can't get one without your help, he thinks.

“Can't we talk about it, or- something?”

“I don't know, I don't think there's a point to that.”

"You haven't been around."

“It's not about the stupid Organisation is it, you didn't join them right?It's not like you drop contact off the face of the planet.”

Kevin glances behind her at Everet. “No, there's no point to that, either.”

“When did you become such a bad friend?”

“What if I need help, will you still come flying over to save me?”

“That depends. How much have you got on you?”

What the f-

Something, an unfamiliar emotion, crosses Kevin's face but he restrains it. “There is something lately but I can't talk to you about it. Mainly because it's not human business, so it won't affect you.”

She tries to take that as an answer so she doesn't become angry with him. “It's already affecting me if you can't hang out. I thought you had the logic skill.”

Kevin raises an eyebrow but doesn't take the bait. “Funny.”

Then he abruptly leaves- he's been doing that lately.

"Eugene, do you know what-"

"It all just PAINS ME." He complains, offering no clarification.

Forget this, there are games to play at home, she decides, tired of chasing people around who don't want to hang out with her anyways.

“So how is it looking?” Jet asks in a more serious tone. "Have you been able to make a difference? I mean, even with you involved there is still active recruitment at school, and at several events that have been funded by the Mayor's office, right?"

"How did you-"

"Like I need to tell you my sources." Jet is in the literary club, where even the newspaper club has to go to get researchers. It's easy to find out what's being done publicly and correlate it with events at school. Many of his friends have been approached by the SSO. "If you get in too deep, recruit me. I'll do whatever I can to keep the family safe." He says. Eugene doesn't respond to this. 

Jyoti only heard a few bits and pieces of their conversation, but it had better not be about her least favorite subject.

Meanwhile, the entrance to the lab is given a bit of a warmer feel as most of the family hangs out here during the day now.

Meghan approves.

And time passes...

Meghan captures the last local butterfly that she needs samples from. It took days to spawn.

Starlight Shores is as vibrant as ever.

Jyo comes to terms with not knowing who she is or where she's going and tries to enjoy the moment more often.

Everyone is busy with their own schedules.

There was no break in, Meghan just decided the camera and alarm system were fun to have around.

And I build an offshoot to the lab behind a locked door leading to a secret room.

(the Awesome roll we have applies to the lab)

It's meant to go into a trophy room for things like the death flower and dna samples of the family, or something.

It starts off nerdy.

Miura really does feel at home here. She visits twice a week for awhile.

Summer arrives in full force with skin-blistering heatwaves.

For some reason school is still in session.

There are a lot of kids just joining elementary school now, so there is a traffic jam every morning.

Also...

Does this kid look like Loki or Circe?

Not the one with the mittens on in summer, that one's an idiot. The one behind him. There's something off about him, I can't place what it is.

Also Jet maybe has a secret admirer? To whom he is oblivious.

He has himself a steady friend-zone thing, after all. They meet at a rodeo bar and get in, because the city of Starlight Shores recognizes that kids need a solid place to unwind after going to school in obscene heat in summer even though they live along one of the most visited and vacation-able coastlines of the continent. This city was founded by surfers and saloon-owners, after all.

Do not mention the haystack, Jet thinks, do not mention the haystack.

Which finally.. becomes something more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jet gets a girlfriend before his elder sister, even though they are half a life stage apart.

School wasn't out early for local voting, I just learned that I could make them leave early without it counting as skipping school. I think there was a field trip here though too.

I'm not sure how far the SSO side plot can go, honestly, which is why it's receiving a little bit of attention, but not much.