The World of Talents should remind you of many other fantasy worlds with superheroes, magic, and cosmic powers, except with a Krosis twist...
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Joel Jones sat alone on the restaurant's patio, protected from the sudden cloudburst by his table's overhanging umbrella. The other patrons had gone inside, but he liked the coolness of the air, not to mention the solitude. Although, now that he thought about it, his solitary existence was currently his main problem in life.
Seeing a hand reach out to take one of his french fries, he grabbed the wrist and heard a shriek. As the wrist pulled back, he let go, and he was looking at a woman, a little younger than his 22 years, with long platinum blonde hair that looked gray from the rain.
"Hello," he said, hoping he sounded friendly. She looked shocked at what he had done.
"You noticed me," she said, shakily.
"You weren't exactly being stealthy, standing right in front of me while trying to steal a fry." The young woman just continued to stand there. He noticed that she wore a gray tracksuit that clung to her slim form due to its rain soaked condition. Her small nipples, obviously bra-less, poked out the front of her top in the cool air. Embarrassed, he quickly looked back up at her face. Sort of cute with a small nose and mouth, not wearing any makeup, but he favored the natural look anyway.
She still looked upset, so he gestured to the seat across from him. "I'm sorry for grabbing your arm. Please, get out of the rain. You must be cold." He deliberately made sure not to look at her nipples again, preferring to instead be a gentleman. She sat down and leaned her head forward so that it was more under the umbrella, though the position made her seem like she was interested in him, which was silly. Women were never interested in him.
"Let me order you something." He waved to the server, who hesitated only a moment before rushing out with a menu over his head to protect it from the rain.
"Yes sir?"
"You want a burger and fries too?" Joel asked her. She nodded. "Another of these for my friend, please."
The server glanced around the table and then back to Joel with a strange look on his face.
"Is there a problem?" Perhaps the server thought that the girl was homeless, Joel thought. Well, maybe she was, but... "We are paying customers."
The server paused and then responded carefully, "Another burger plate...yes sir." Then he went back inside.
Joel shook his head and then turned to the woman. "I'm Joel."
"Grey," she responded. "You can still see me?"
"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be able to see you?"
She sat there, watching him and thinking. "Is there something special about you? Are you a Talent?"
He laughed. "I wish! No, I'm incredibly unremarkable, honestly."
"Oh. I don't think you're unremarkable." She stared at him and absentmindedly cracked her knuckles.
Soon the second plate arrived. Joel had to point to the spot in front of Grey when the server looked confused as to where to put it, and then the employee left, shaking his head.
The two of them ate in silence, Grey ravenously consuming her burger first, and then slowing down to enjoy her fries smothered in ketchup. "Thank you," she said as she leaned back to pat her slim belly. The rain had stopped, but the rest of the patio was soaked so they were still the only ones out there. "Joel, I'm sorry, but soon you're going to forget me. I'm surprised you still know I'm here."
He gave her a doubtful look, half smiling.
"This is the longest conversation I've had in 10 years, I think," she continued. "I don't want it to end. Can I tell you about my life?"
He nodded.
"I was born...I think 19 years ago? An only child. I don't remember much of growing up, except for when my parents started to forget me. They'd set themselves plates for meals, but would ignore me when I came to the table. When I asked about my food, they seemed surprised that they had forgotten me. I thought that they were playing a prank, and then it started happening more and more often. Finally, it happened every meal. Outside of meal times, they just left me alone to do whatever I wanted. I didn't realize at the time that they just didn't notice me anymore. I eventually just ate the occasional bit of food from their plates.
I still went to school. I was in my early teens then, so I realized that if others weren't going to help me then I had to help myself. By the time I would have graduated, if the teachers had remembered to put my name on a diploma, my parents had completely forgotten me. I had to put a sleeping bag down in what used to be my bedroom after my father remodeled it into a home office. One day I finally managed to get their attention again, but they screamed at me like I was an intruder and I had to leave or they'd have called the police!"
There were tears rolling down her face now. Joel didn't know what to do...whether her story was true or not, she was obviously upset. He reached forward and took her hand.
She gasped at the contact and squeezed his hand tight. "You can still see me?" He nodded. "Joel...can I...can I have a hug?"
He nodded, and they got to their feet. She melted into his arms, squeezing him hard and holding on as if he'd disappear if she let up even a little.
The top of her head came to just under his chin and he rested it upon her gray-silver hair, enjoying the first hug he'd received from a woman that wasn't family.
Then he caught a whiff of her. "Um...you've been living rough for a while, huh?"
She disengaged and stepped back. "Oh, I must stink. I've been slipping into people's houses to use their facilities but it's been a few days since I bathed." Her cute face reddened with embarrassment.
"Well, I only live a couple of blocks away if you want to take a shower. I can wash your clothes too. Uh, if that's not too forward!"
Her face lit up. "That would be great!"
He paid their bill and as they walked to his apartment he told her his story. "I wasn't kidding when I said I was unremarkable. I'm also an only child too, of a bank teller and an accountant. With those backgrounds you'd think I'd be good with numbers, but I got middle-of-the-road grades and barely graduated. When my parents passed away a couple years ago I inherited their condo. I get by doing editing and other boring online things." He turned to her, but she wasn't there. "Uh, where'd you go?"
"Right here," she said from right beside him, and he jumped.
They entered his apartment and he gestured to his bathroom. She pulled her top off and revealed small but attractive breasts with tiny pink nipples.
"Um, Grey...!"
