The Adventure of Fel

chapter five

As it turns out, one has a lot more time to appreciate the scenery when they're not lost. Under Pippa's expert guidance, I'm able to finally take in the fresh yet tinny air, unfamiliar concrete grounds, and friendly reflective buildings. The crowdedness reminds me of the Market, though the people do not. We have our fair share of diversity in the Market, but it's nothing like this. There are so many different fashions and hairstyles, skin tones and body sizes, laughs and grins. I almost want to stop and talk to every person I see, if only to find out what compelled the guy that passes me to dye his hair bright white with specks of glitter, glitter that catches in the sun.

"You like it here, huh?" Pippa asks when we finally stop at a fried food stand. A heavy breeze runs through our hair.

"Yeah, I do," I say, as I fish some coins out of my bag. "Maybe just because it's different. Plus, since you get to see so many unique people, it's almost like getting a taste of all The Lands at once."

"Sounds overwhelming to me, but I get what you mean."

Sweet potato fries in hand, I'm finally ready to do some actual exploring. I tell Pippa where I've already been with my family: the bio-preserve, the Fisher Museum of Incredible Abilities, the City Fair - typical touristy places. Pippa's never been to the bio-preserve, so I agree to go again. After that, we'll go to Orion's Observatory, where sabaists across the world travel to in order to worship. It's actually the place where I figured out my ability, though I was so young I don't really remember anything about the actual building.

Pippa leads me to the electric train; we enter the glass elevator that takes us up, up, up to the train station, where we purchase all-day passes before boarding. The bio-preserve is all the way across the City, so I tell her my story as we travel.

"I was six," I begin. "And it's important to remember that I was not yet a disappointment." Pippa snorts, then motions with her hand for me to continue. I cross my ankles, thankful for the plush green chairs, and clutch my bag.

"Mom and Dad took Ivy and me to the Observatory on the day of the last lunar eclipse, Eclipse Erin," I say, mentioning the eclipse named after the inventor of the sun-powered airplane. "They were all talking to this famous astrologist guy while I wandered around, touching stuff I wasn't supposed to, as you do when you're six. That's when I found Gwen and Leo, tucked into the far corner. Leo was sleeping, Gwen keeping watch. Her eyes followed me, so brave though they were both so tiny. I crouched down in front of them, reaching out my hand, calling 'here, kitty, here kitty!' and she said, in a very high-pitched voice, mind you, 'if you know what's good for you, you'll leave us alone!' I screamed and ran to my parents. I was all like, 'Mom! Dad! The cat yelled at me! She yelled!' And my mom said, 'well cats do that if they're annoyed,' and I said, 'she said words, Mom!' and then my parents realized what I meant and so we went home and ate cake. The cats followed us, and we've been friends ever since."

"That's quite the story," Pippa laughs after a pause. "I found my ability when I was three. As you can imagine, my dads were quite shocked when I bent over backwards to reach my juice box."

We spend the rest of the ride in comfortable conversation, talking about what Ivy was like when she was little - demanding but sweet - and what she's like now (essentially the same but slightly more stressed). We talk about our families, which I enjoy. It's not often that I actually find small talk interesting, but I like hearing about Pippa's family. It's large, made up of her two dads, Aaron and Jeremiah, her three triplet brothers, Axel, Ackley, and Afon, her younger sisters, Isabella and Velma, and the family dragons, Scaley and Biscuit. Pippa's the fourth one to leave the house, her brothers being older, and she says she misses them a lot.