Aberrant: Dead Rising - The Pumpkin Patch [Complete]

[Priest]

They had gotten back and as soon as the rest of the crew was in full "Hand Out the Goodies" mode, Priest went back to the cab and took Pumpkin into his arms. Carrying her on his hip, 'Dog' walking at their side, the two refugees from an Apocalyptic Lifestyles Magazine went over to the medical tent.

The crowds had thinned out as they approached. Have a cold or a scrape was one thing, but the chance to have our Christmas list full-filled was too good to pass up. This was one reason Priest had chosen to do this now. He didn't want to swamp the littlest super with too many gawking figures. He also wanted some of Doc Myf's time without a waiting line pressing her for time.

What he also needed to talk to someone about was what to do with Pumpkin here. She seemed like a nice enough kid, but she was a super and had weirded out at least one of his crew already. Non-supers ... heck, non-tough supers would have a hard time dealing with her. She was way you and had a very powerful manifestation of talents. People were in serious trouble with her around.

Deep down in his heart, Priest knew there were only two options. The were Violet and James, or Fox and Jules. Violet was, well, Violet. Fox and Jules weren't really a couple and might not be one if too much stress was put on thier relationship. It wasn't like the world had a glut of happiness going around.

So, his options were an unstable household and a household that only exisited in fiction. How in the hell was he supposed to figure this out.

Front of the tent. Time to go in. Why was he hesitating, and had Pumpkin just created a Butterfly like normal kids blow bubbles?

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine had considered helping with the unloading when they got back, but lots of able hands had been there to help, and while many of the guys knew about Jasmine's super-strength, she also knew that most of them were eager to help out, and discover what Fox and his gang had been able to salvage. So she'd wandered away from the commotion, towards the groups that made up Priest's entourage. She'd had an idea to check in on the little girl, Pumpkin, and see how she was doing.

As she approached, she spotted Priest carrying her towards the tent that Myf had set up to help people out with medical issues. She called out to him, picking up her pace to a slight jog.

"Priest - wait!"

She saw him hesitate by the entrance to the tent, though it didn't seem as if he'd heard her. She caught up to them though, and offered Priest a slight smile. He knew it had to have been hard to manage, the last couple days had been hard on the girl. He'd heard on the way back what had happened at Jas's parent's house, and knew that she'd not only found her father dead, but that the scientist, Dr. Jon Albright, had done something fairly grisly to the corpse. She turned her attention to Pumpkin as she approached, though, and smiled softly at the little girl.

"Hey, kiddo.. how you doin'? Did you have a good trip back? I know it was a long drive."

In truth it wasn't that long of one.. but certainly to the little girl, it must have seemed like it, and Jas seemed to understand that.

[Dawn OOC]

"It was fun," Pumpkin said, looking happy with her arms twined around Priest's neck. "I made Spot come out when we got here but he was too big for the truck, so I made little friends." Pumpkin held out a hand and concentrated, and a small silver snake with cute eyes blinked at Jasmine. Then it's body rippled and bat-like wings unfurled. With a flick of its forked tongue, it took to the air, dropping around Jasmine's shoulders before raise its head and looking eye-to-eye with her.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine looked startled at the appearance of the snake, and even more so as it settled itself around her shoulders. But she smiled at it after a brief moment, and then again at Pumpkin.

"That.. does sound like fun. I'm glad you're doin' okay, and that the ride back wasn't too bad, since you had so much company. Did everybody enjoy your friends, too?"

She addressed the question to Pumpkin, but glanced at Priest as she finished speaking. The question was there in her eyes - how bad did his people freak at the little girl's abilities? Jasmine was concerned at how people would deal with this little girl and her supernatural companions, and Priest's crew seemed more level-headed than the rest of the regulars around here. It would be a good indicator of how they could expect people to respond.

[Priest]

"Why hello, Ms. Gentain. I see you chose to check out on the Christmas in April Madness. Her friends were ... different for us. Nothing like a minature sea serpent in the bathtub. Gave Bethany ... one heck of a time."

He eyed her for a second, speculatively.

"You here to see someone? Are you okay?"

They weren't odd questions to ask, but it did bring to mind something else. Jasmine had stayed with Violet and James when she first got here. Maybe she could shed some light on how stable a relationship that was. Maybe she could guestimate how solid Violet was.

"So ..." he started out, "you still staying with Violet? Is that working out for you?"

Here it goes, he thought as he gave Pumpkin a quick hug of regret,

"I hear James wants to start a family - get a few kids on the way, kind of starting the world over and all that. You think he'd make a good dad?"

[Jasmine Gentian]

"Yeah, I'm doin' okay. I just came to see Pumpkin, here, and make sure she was doin' alright too."

She looked up at Priest, and nodded a bit.

"Yeah.. it seems to be working out alright. I mean, they've got their issues.. I guess everyone does these days, huh?"

She looked down at Pumpkin thoughtfully, then back up at Priest, as if she got where he was going.

"He does want to start a family, I know he's been mentioning it. And Violet was thinking about kids too, I think. They seem like they'd be better than some. Violet has been very kind, and she has a lot of love to go around - and I don't just mean it like you'd think."

She leveled Priest with a mock-serious look, indicating that she wasn't just talking about Violet's ever-present sexuality.

"I think James could use a few lessons in common sense and etiquette.. but he's the protective sort. He cares about those three women a lot.. I can tell that, if nothing else, you know? He seems like he'd do anything to protect them.. or anyone he cared about."

She considered Pumpkin speculatively, though she tried not to let the little girl pick up on it. She murmured quietly, almost as if to herself, though it was loud enough for Priest to pick up on.

"It might not be a bad idea.. Violet could use a little responsibility, in my opinion. And she's dying to help people, somehow. Maybe I could talk to 'em.."

[Priest]

Priest nods and rocks Pumpkin on his hip, a gentle bobbing motion. He seems to consume and digest Jasmine's words. He breaths deeply as if sighing in relief.

"On a totally and completely unrelated topic, what do you think of the Captian and Jules as a possible couple? He's the head honcho here and that's a lot of work, but he's a caring man. Jules ... I saw her son die and I know that's been rough. Still, she is a good mother who might look forward to another window being opened."

"What's your totally theoretical opinion of those two."

He whirls Pumpkin around until she smiles at him, and the snake squawks.

"I would myself, but it takes a firmer hand than I can provide. Once I hit the road again I'm heading west and that means El Paso, Santa Fe, and Pheonix. It's not safe. I feel bad enough taking Sarah with me, but ..."

There were no good words to say in front of Pumpkin that he liked her, but loved his daughter Sarah. Sarah was his reason for keeping going and he had to keep her close.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine seemed to consider it for a long moment. Jules was a definite possibility too, although the Captain - she hadn't known him much in any other sense, so far, and still thought of him that way - seemed like a busy guy. She bit her lip, looking thoughtful.

"Well, I'm sure Jules would be an excellent caregiver.. she seems like she was a wonderful mother. But.. after what happened to her, I'm not sure if she'd be ready for that so soon. Maybe she would.. maybe it would be too hard for her. I don't know, you know? And Fox - I don't know if they're actually a couple or not. They seem familiar, and I know she's living with him. But I'm living at Violet's, that doesn't mean I'm involved with-"

She stopped, realizing she had been about to say too much in front of little ears. She mocha-colored cheeks reddened a bit, and she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"Well, anyone there. Despite the rumors. So it probably wouldn't hurt to ask all of them. It wouldn't be fair not too, I think.. and we want to do what's best for her. There's no way of knowing which that would be.. without asking. If Jules and Fox aren't together.. that would probably be a lot for Fox to take on, considering how much he's dealing with around here. We need someone who's not so involved with all these missions, these assignments. That's gonna be Jules, probably.. or Violet. James'll go, of course, but I think Vi is trying to stay away from all that. She seemed pretty unhappy on the last mission, and not all that useful."

Jasmine didn't mean to talk about the little girl so much in front of her like that, but Priest had her thinking about it now. The thought even crossed her mind to care for the little girl herself, but.. she was still so young, and even though she'd helped take care of her sisters, taking care of one of your own was way different. She didn't feel ready for that. Plus.. she still had so much to do, trying to find her Mom, and her sisters, and her aunt.. and maybe her brother. She just.. couldn't commit herself to someone else like that, not until she knew what had happened to her own family first.

[Priest]

So really he had but one choice and not a sterling one.

"Thanks for this little chat, Ms. Gentain. Do you think me bringing this up to Violet would be for the best, or can you step in and do the request ... and tell me if it goes bad."

Priest reached up with his free hand and tickled Pumpkin's ear. That earned him a giggle and a pinprick bite on his finger from the serpent. The Scavenger Lord ended up sucking his wounded appendage.

"Pumpkin Honey, your snake's got a wicked bite. Damn near took the flesh off my finger."

"Damn near," she echoed to Priest's embarrassment.

"Note to self: Watch words around Quick Wits," he quipped.

"So, Ms. Gentain. You want to hold Pumpkin here for a second?"

"Pumpkin, you want to be whirled around by the Nice Ms. Gentain? I'll be right here."

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine nodded and took the little girl from Priest, then splurged for awhile as she played with her, swinging her around easily and laughing as she played with the little girl's pets. She waited for Priest to go in and talk to Myfwany, then when he came back out to collect her, she gave Pumpkin a hug and managed to sneak a quick, playful kiss on the little girl's cheek before she could protest.

"Okay, kiddo.. I've got some people I've got to go talk to. So you go talk to Doctor Myf with Mr. Priest here, and I'll come see you later, okay?"

The little girl nodded, and let Priest take her little hand with his big one and lead him in. Before the disappeared into the tent, she gave Priest a reassuring smile.

"I'll talk to them all.. just in case. You've got your hands full, after all. And please.. just call me Jas."

With that, she hurried off in the direction of the building Fox and Jules shared. After a moment though, she turned back around and headed in the direction of the shipments that had been brought in, scanning the crowds for Jules. She was figuring she'd find the beautiful Native American woman there overseeing the unpacking, and she was right. Not only was she there, but she was with the Captain, which made the upcoming conversation either more or less difficult, and she wasn't sure which. She waited patiently as they spoke with someone, trying to catch both their attentions without interrupting their conversation. As she watched, she noticed the way Jules looked at Morgan when he wasn't watching, and bit her lip.

Maybe they are together.. I just can't tell.

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

"... so that's up to you," Jules finished telling Fox as Jasmine came into earshot. "Ger's got all his notes, and Violet and I can report our impressions." She suddenly rolled her eyes. "And I'm sure James will have an opinion, too, since he was hovering around sticking his nose in and probably heard everything. You really need to establish some criminal procedure."

Morgan nodded, looking thoughtful, and Jules watched the sun turn his hair into a flame-kissed aura. It made his natural - or perhaps unnatural - good looks more apparent, and made him look less like Dan. Suddenly shy, Jules turned away and saw Jasmine waiting. "Hey, Jasmine, what do you need? I mean, I assume you want something, with that whole 'want something' look on your face." Her easy grin kept it a joke rather than a criticism.

[Jasmine Gentian]

She smiled sheepishly, and nodded, taking no apparent offense at the other woman's comment. Then she motioned them both over to the side, away from prying ears.

"I have something I needed to talk to you about."

She ran a hand nervously through her hair, then took a deep breath.

"It's.. well, it's about Pumpkin." She glanced hesitantly at Fox, but from Jules' confused expression Fox hadn't quite gotten that far, having probably been too busy catching up with activity around the base first to tell her everything that had happened on the run. She took another breath, and started talking, trying to get it out all at once without making an idiot of herself. Who the hell was she, a seventeen year old kid, to be discussing this little girl's future with people?

"So, while we were on our run, we found a little girl hiding out in a library by herself. She doesn't seem to have any family left alive. In fact, she doesn't even seem to remember her name - just that her Dad called her Pumpkin. Anyway, Priest brought her back, saw to her for awhile, but.. we spoke, and I don't really think he's up for taking care of her.. you know. Full time. So.. Priest and I were talking, and he was asking my opinion on who should care for her. The thing is.." She turned briefly to Jules in explanation. "The little girl is a super. She creates animals.. "friends" to keep her company, that seem to adopt whatever shape she wants. We're concerned that people without those kinds of abilities might grow to be afraid of her, or not know how to handle her. So.. it would fall to someone with abilities like ours to be able to take care of her properly."

She paused for a moment, letting that linger, absorbing the looks on their faces. Almost as an afterthought, she spoke again before they had a chance to respond.

"I considered volunteering to care for her myself, but.. I need to follow up with my family, see if I can find my mother and my sisters before I can care for someone else. And.. I mean, I think I could do it, but I'm awfully young.. I'm not sure how good of a job I'd even do. All I've ever done is help care for my sisters. The only real options Priest and I could think of would be.. well.. the two of you, or James and Violet. I mean.. they want to start a family anyway, and I'd like to talk to them about it no matter what. But.. I thought it might be best to come to you two first.. and see what you had to say."

She paused then, waiting to see what their reactions truly were before speaking any further.

[Mr Fox]

Morgan was curious where this was going. He had been so busy with the trip itself he hadn't had time yet to consider what to do with Pumpkin, but Jas was right. The girl needed a home. Priest, already being a father had been Fox's first choice and assumption, but apparently that was not to be. "So what did you have in mind? Looks to me like you've been thinking about this on the trip back."

The military and now political leader part of him considered that one more super on their side would be useful, but the decent human being in him knew that little kids deserved to grow up and choose their own path. He just hadn't had any personal experience with that. His own father had been a right bastard and had driven him out of the house at age 16 which led to him falsifying his birth ate to join the Air Force. His brother, Jules' husband, had not been so lucky to escape. Somehow he'd still turned out to be a good man.

He was honestly and obliviously curious to hear what Jasmine would suggest.

[Jasmine Gentian]

"Well, Captain.. it's not really my decision. But.. with a child so young, I'd think that we would need another super, like I said.. someone who could handle her abilities without freaking out. But.. someone who isn't leaving all the time, and putting their life on the line. Whoever they chose to raise that child with.. well, that would be their call. But.. at least for now, the only two options I can think of that match that description would be Violet.. or Jules."

She bit her lip nervously, glancing at the slightly stunned Native American woman.

"I know.. you just lost a child, Jules. So.. bringing this up is probably a horrible thing to do. And I'm so sorry. But.. I know Violet can be kind of emotional, too. I don't want you to feel wronged if I bring it up to Violet, and she fixes on the idea, and it never even gets mentioned to you. That.. doesn't seem right either. I don't even know if she'd be willing.. but she was talking with me - as a friend - about starting a family. So.. those would be my suggestions. The best person to take the child, between those two, would probably be.. whoever felt the most ready for one."

[z-Jules WhiteElk]

Jules listened easily enough, but when Jasmine got to her point, Jules was shaking her head. "I... shit, Jasmine." She turned and stepped away, trying to get control of her simmering emotions. She turned back, trying to talk-

Benny.

-and had to turn away again, clearly distraught.

"I don't know if I can," she said, looking up over the buildings into the Oklahoma sky. Blinking hard so that the tears wouldn't come, she said, "Ask me again after we do the prison raid. Maybe... maybe then. But no promises, Jasmine. I... it's too raw."

Her voice caught on raw and she dug her fingernails into her palms. The pain helped and she was able to turn back, looking mostly normal. "And don't discount Myf. We might also be able to take her to Gabriele - they seemed the nurturing type, now that Elijah is gone."

[Jasmine Gentian]

"Myf.. that's right. I didn't even think about her, I don't know why."

She nodded at the other woman, and the guilty look on the girl's face told her that she felt horrible even asking. She glanced between Jules the Captain, running a hand through her hair.

"Those.. those are both good ideas. I don't know why I didn't think of the Doc.. or Gabrielle either. I should talk to Myfwany at least.. and depending on what happens, I could always make a trip to see Gabrielle. In fact, that might not be a bad idea.. I should see how she's getting along, and how her new establishment is coming. Depending upon when we're going to New Mexico.. I need to be with you for that."

She glanced at Fox, aware that he might not be thrilled with the idea of her leaving. But something was appealing about the idea, of getting away for a bit, and checking on the young blond. After all, Jasmine imagined she might feel overwhelmed. She had her faith to see her through, but she was the same age as Jasmine, and she certainly couldn't imagine running her own compound.

[Mr Fox]

He wouldn't be happy to see her go, but it was her choice. "We'll be doing the trip to New Mexico next week or the week after. I hate to wait even a minute but we really need to prepare and I need to be here for at least a little while. With those murders while we were gone the people need to know we are here and won't always be gone on this or that errand." He reached over and gently rubbed Jules shoulder unsure how much comfort if any to try and give in public like this.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine nodded, looking away thoughtfully for a moment before turning back.

"Okay then.. thanks. I'll see what I can figure out between now and then. And Jules.. we'll figure something out. I don't want to force anything on you that you're uncomfortable with. There's more solutions than I thought about at first.. hopefully one of them will pan out."

She thought about trying to offer the other woman some form of comfort, but wasn't quite sure how to go about it. After a moment though, she reached up and squeezed her other shoulder lightly for a moment, then turned and walked away. Myfwany would probably still be busy examining Pumpkin, but that made it a good time to catch her, and maybe talk to her about it once she was done. At least she'll have had an experience with the girl, and she could give Priest an update.

She got back to Myfwany's tent as they were finishing up the exam, and waited outside until Priest walked out, holding the little girl in his arms.

"Hey. How'd everything go, she doing alright?"

[Priest]

"Healthy, hearty and hale is our Pumpkin," and he tickle her. "We are even letting the puppy loose for a while ... to the Land were Puppies run free. Pumpkin is fine. The Doctor says she needs a bit more sun," he looks Pumpkin in the face, "and I think we can arrange that. Pumpkin is going to do some errands around the camp with me tomorrow."

Looking to Jasmyne,

"Was your trip ... productive?"

That was the best way to put it. He didn't need details, he only needed some hope. He wasn't sure how Sarah was taking this - Pumpkin seemed to be always around her - but he needed to find out soon.

Pumpkin was so cute and so precious, especially in this world, but ... and there was always a but these days, his crew was his family and Pumpkin could hur, or even kill them. She had killed zombies after all.

[Jasmine Gentian]

She nodded slightly, looking a little thoughtful.

"Yes, and no. Jules seemed.. distraught at the idea. But she said she might consider it after the trip to New Mexico. However, she gave me a couple more ideas. I'm going to speak with Myf in here.. I don't know why we didn't think of it, but while she'll be busy serving as a doctor, she'll probably still be spending most of her time here in the refuge. There's also the other refuge.. the one Gabrielle started. She's young, but now that Elijah is gone, it might not be a bad idea, and she doesn't seem the type to take many chances if she's taking care of a child. I thought about taking a trip there after the New Mexico trip, to see how they're doing. It has potential.. but I'm going to talk to Myf first, and I haven't spoken with Violet yet either, not even since getting back. I think it might not be a bad idea to see how she's doing first."

[Priest]

"Hmmm ... I'm worried about someone single, or without a support network. Maybe Gabrielle would work out. She's terribly you, like you," he winks to Jasmine. "She does have a devouted support network though and the manpower to devote ..."

"Anyhow, New Mexico comes first. We can take the trip together when we get back. She barely knows me and I got blown up, so I didn't really get the time to know any of the people. It won't kill us to go and ask."

He sighs a bit.

"I know it was a long shot, but I was kind of hoping for Morgan and Jules."

"How about you check out option two and see what the climate is like? I'd do it, but James and I don't get along all that well."

He looks at Pumpkin and blows in her ear as she looks at the largest mass of people she's seen in ... forever.

"Huh," she waves at the annoyance.

"Pumpkin, how would you like to take a road trip?"

[Jasmine Gentian]

Pumpkin contemplated this for a long moment before nodding.

"That sounds okay. Maybe my dragon can come?"

Jasmine laughed a little, and nodded then.

"I don't think that would hurt anything. We'll see you guys around, okay? I've got a friend to go talk to."

She glanced up at Priest, looking a bit amused.

"If that doesn't work out, then Gabrielle seems like the best option. I don't think either of us are much younger than you were when you were taking care of your kid, huh? So she could probably manage, considering she has the help."

[Priest]

That brought a smile to his face that slowly faded. Beyond her sight, Priest ran a finger along his wedding band. He looked to Pumpkin and forced a smile.

"How about we go back to the truck and see what Leo is doing?"

Looknig to Jasmine,

"Please coming calling with whatever news you have. I appreciate it, and so will Pumpkin."

He bounced the little girl on his hip and started walking back to his little corner of the compound.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine waved goodbye to Pumpkin, and headed off towards Violet's. She'd almost forgotten about the books, but almost as an afterthought she stopped by the Hummer and grabbed them from Jim's glove compartment, where she'd stored them. She knew it wasn't the authors Violet had been asking for, and she hoped this would be good enough for now. Wrapping her arms around them to conceal the titles - she wasn't sure what people would think, and she didn't want to cause any issues - she hurried back to the three-story building and opened the door. She glanced around as she walked in, looking to see who was around.

"Violet? James? Jill? JoAnna? Is anyone here?"

[Venus]

"I'll be right there, honey", Jasmine heard Violet's melodic voice.

Shortly after Violet came down dressed in a white see-through bodice that hugged her body like a lovers gentle caress. Over that she wore a long robe that was made of the same material with matching hood and trumpet sleeves. It gave her a ghostly yet sexy appearance and enhanced her look extremely.

Violet quickly closed the distance to Jasmine and gave her a sisterly hug and kissed her gently on her forehead. "You made it back.", the statement was sincere but Jasmine could hear that Violet was really happy to see her again. Making it back alive wasn't given these days.

[Jasmine Gentian]

She nodded, and smiled at the other woman. There was something a little sad about that smile, but the young woman hugged her back and closed her eyes as Violet kissed her forehead, happy to be around one of the people around here she knew she could count as a friend. After Violet pulled back, Jasmine held the books out to her, looking a bit apologetic.

Originally Posted By: Jasmine Gentian

She managed to find a couple beginner's books, a small one called "Wicca A to Z" that seemed to be some kind of encyclopedia about the religion, and another that was just called "Wicca", by some guy named Scott Cunningham.

"The places we found were hit pretty hard, hon, so this was all I could locate for now. I'll see what I can find somewhere else for you, okay? In the meantime, how have you been?"

[Venus]

Violet took the books and briefly flipped through the pages.

"That'll do, thank you so much, sweetheart.", Violet put the books on one of the tables and sat down on one of the chairs crossing her legs in a very seductive way.

"I've been doing ok... but you aren't?", Violet's eyes searched Jasmine's and she reached out a hand to her offering her to take a seat.

[Courier]

James' bass voice said, "Yo! I hear you're back. Welcome."

James walked down the stairs with his hair obviously wet, he'd apparently just gotten out of the shower. Unlike when Jasmine left, this time James was moving around gracefully, although the thick glasses he wore covered bandages.

Walking closer he said, "Jasmine, right"?

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine glanced up, relieved to see that James looked like he was doing better than he had when she left. She nodded slightly, though he couldn't see it, and glanced back at Violet, addressing the other woman's concerned expression.

"Yeah, James.. it's me, Jasmine. Glad to see you're doing a little better, I hope..."

The beautiful woman's gaze bored steadily into her, and she sighed, looking back at her.

"Oh.. I'll be okay, I guess."

She bit her lip, and took Violet's offer, letting the other woman guide her to a seat. She sat down in it, and propped her legs up, crossing them at the ankles where boots met table edge and leaning back, the chair balancing on the it's back two legs. A quick scan of the girl's emotions revealed a complicated mix. There was despair and grief and anger, all clouded with a bit of numbness. There was a bit of relief there too, though, and a lot of concern, as if the girl in front of her had a lot more on her mind than the one who had left a few days ago. After a moment of silence, Jasmine kept talking.

"My Dad is dead. We found him, he looked like he'd been dead awhile. And then..."

She trailed off for a second, and Violet felt a wave of fury rush through the girl, though she tried hard to clamp it down.

"Well, anyway.. there was a note from my Mom, she took my sisters and left to go to New Mexico, where my Aunt Ruby lives. So I'll be going with, when they head to New Mexico to deal with that woman's prison stuff in a week or so. The rest of the trip went pretty well, we ended up finding some stuff. It wasn't too dangerous, this time around anyway. We had a small zombie horde at Wal-Mart, but other than that it was a few here, and a few there. Nothing major."

[Venus]

Violet nodded and gave Jasmine a warm smile.

"I'm sorry for your loss, honey. If there is anything I can do for you, just ask. I can do more to make you feel better - if you want to. You don't even have to speak.", the achingly beautiful woman slowly stood up and walked over to the bar.

"I think you could need a drink. It's on the house of course.", she winked at her flashing her teeth just for the briefest moment.

Putting two glasses on the bar Violet poured herself a glass of Jack Daniels and raised an eyebrow at Jasmine. She knew the girl wasn't of legal age but who cared these days?

[Jasmine Gentian]

"Thanks.. I think I'll take you up on that. The drink, that is.." She was silent for a moment, then glanced over at Violet thoughtfully. "Do you have any cognac? That was Dad's favorite. I should have a glass of cognac for him."

As Violet began to shuffle through her bottles searchingly, Jasmine drew in a deep breath, and let it out.

"Anyway, that's not all I wanted to talk to you guys about. There's something else, something a little more important. James, maybe you might wanna sit down, so we can all three talk?"

[Venus]

Violet poured Jasmine a glass of cognac and took it to the table giving it to her before she resumed her position next to her.

"That sounds awefully serious. What's wrong, Jas? You're not going to stay?", there was a hint of worry in Violet's voice. She had to respect Jas' decision if she wanted to leave but she hoped the young girl would stay.

[Jasmine Gentian]

"No, nothing like that. I mean, I'll probably be taking a lot of trips, I might go visit Gabrielle for a bit and see how she's doing, but I'm sure I'll be back. But no, it's serious, but not bad, really."

She took a small sip of the stuff, and grimaced slightly. It was strong, and had a woody flavor to it that Jasmine wasn't at all used to. But she took another small sip, trying to adjust to the liquid, before moving on.

"While we were there we found a little girl. She's young.. no more than five or six, at the most I'd think. She calls herself Pumpkin, cause she said that's what her Dad used to call her. But.. she's like us, she has.. abilities. She creates little creatures. When we found her she had these dogs protecting her, and I've seen her make this little dragon thing.. they seem real, or at least they move and react. Whether it's how she wants them to act, or if they have some kind of control over their own behavior, I'm not sure. They seem tied to her somehow, and protect her, or match her mood."

She was quiet for a moment, letting that sink in and taking another small sip of the cognac before continuing.

"Priest brought her back with him, but I don't think he feels prepared to take on another child, especially one so young. His daughter can handle a gun and all, she's old enough. But Pumpkin's too young, she needs to be somewhere safe, where she isn't in danger. And I got the feeling that Priest's crew weren't really comfortable around the girl.. she's too young to understand that her abilities make people uncomfortable. We're both pretty convinced that she needs someone to take care of her who can handle her abilities, someone more like us."

She looked at them both steadily for a moment, studying them.

"There's a few options, though not a lot. I spoke with the Captain and with Jules.. though I'm not exactly sure whether they're 'together' or not. But.. I'm not really sure Jules could deal with it, so soon after losing her son. I mean.. she said she'd think about it after the New Mexico run, but it seemed like.. a lot to ask. We thought about Myfwany, but she's going to be so busy doing things as a doctor around here, that I don't know if she'll be up for looking after a child on her own, especially one that will need as much care as Pumpkin. The only other options really are either you two.. or Gabrielle. Priest and I are considering a road trip after New Mexico back to the enclave, to see how she's doing and if she's settling in well. She doesn't have any other supers with her, but she has a big support system, so she could probably handle her. I know you two were thinking about starting a family, though you haven't been together a long time.. and you've got the club too, so that's already a handful. But I thought I'd come to you, and at least see what you think."

[Courier]

James took a seat and listened to Jasmine's tale, took especial interest at the mention of a super powered child, but seemed oblivious at first as to where it was going. After a moment he started and was glad he'd sat down.

*A kid. With powers.*

...

*And Jas, and probably the others, think we should take charge.*

...

*Wow.*

James seemed unusually introspective for a moment then he stated, "Four."

James continued, "There's four of us that need to be here for this talk, not two." There was a pause then James said, "Sorry Jas, make that five with you."

[Jasmine Gentian]

Jasmine nodded. She had forgotten about that, it was too odd for her to think of the fact that these people weren't just sleeping with each other, they were like a family - or at least that's how they thought of themselves. She waited patiently for either Violet or James to retrieve Jill and JoAnna so that the conversation could continue.

[Courier]

James walked out to the forge and a moment later he came back accompanied by the sisters.

James sat down and said, "You're going to want to sit for this one. This, this is too big to even start discussing without everyone here. I think... I think I'm going to ask Jas to repeat everything she just said."

[Venus]

As soon as the sisters came back with James Violet waved Jill next to her placing an arm around her for comfort and making very clear that they were a couple. Her fingers playfully cradled the buff blondes mane while she looked at Jasmine with quiet expectation.

It was difficult to read what Violet thought of the proposal, she was unusual hesitant and calm but she had not objected or freaked out either. Her smile gave nothing away and she tried to encourage Jas by nodding at her.

[Jasmine Gentian]

Looking a bit more intimidated at the idea of twice the audience than she had anticipated, Jasmine repeated the story. Her eyes flicked between the three women and James as she did, trying to absorb their reactions and gauge what Jill and JoAnna thought of the whole ordeal, as well as Violet and James. Violet's lack of reaction one way or another was a bit of a surprise to Jasmine, she had expected the woman to be either hot or cold on the idea, but thus far she couldn't get a very good bead on the other woman's emotional state.

Once she had finished explaining Pumpkin's situation, and what their different options were, including the fact that this group was only one of the options they had in mind and that she didn't want anyone to feel forced upon, she waited again. She was hoping for more of a reaction this time.. or at least some discussion about it.

[Venus]

"Has anyone asked the kid what she wants?", Violet broke the silence that was slowly spreading after Jasmine told her story.

She gave Jasmine another of her warmest and most welcoming smiles and spoke with her honey tongued voice, "Aren't people going to complain about us again? I can hear Hoffany preaching how evil we are on his next sermon once the word spreads that little Pumpkin is staying with us - even if we were the best choice you got.", there was not a hint of hostility in her voice but Violet was trying to cut things down to the core.

"What would you prefer, Jas? What do you think is the best for the kid or is this more about her being a super and having absolutely no control over her powers? She could easily kill 'normal' parents - but James and I could deal with it.", she looked at James and the sisters.

"I'd be willing to take her but that's just one vote - I won't do this if there is but one vote against it. Things are complicated enough as it is right now, Jas. Please don't take this wrong but there is a limit to how much shit I can take and the stupid gossiping about everything I do and trying to keep this 'family' thing here going without going insane.", Violet's eyes briefly sparkled at the end of her sentence but then her features quickly got friendly and soft again.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to spook you, Jas... I'm actually flattered that you considered us to take the responsibility. But it's not my call alone. We must do this together - unanimously."

[Courier]

James wanted to grin and frown. On one level he seriously liked the idea of a kid with powers. Having children around was a step towards the future he wanted, and it might even change JoAnna's mind about having some of her own. On the other hand this 'easily kill normals' was a bad thing since 2.5 of the four of them were normal.

James asked, "Does she not control her powers, or is it just that she's a 5 or 6 year old with powers? And agreed about the one vote. We need consensus, not a quorum on this."