Is there any concern that your sister’s girlfriend would tell the greater public? (ETA: ex-girlfriend)

thatsahumanperson

n/chuckxavier, I don’t think so. She seems like a good kid and I don’t think she’d want to do anything to hurt my sister. She also loves all things superheroes, so I feel like she knows the importance of keeping this kind of stuff secret, you know? n/onmyown, yeah. It’s the first person really anyone in my family has told. I’ve never had a girlfriend I’ve been serious enough about that it’s seemed worth it. And after seeing what my sister has gone through … god, I don’t know how I’m going to do the whole wife and family thing—telling anyone seems terrifying.

theneonthorn

honestly, this is why I’ve never invested in building relationships with anyone who isn’t either a) Unusual or b) knows about them. there’s still always shit to deal with because a lot of Unusuals in one place can have some … bad side effects, but it’s easier than trying to constantly get people on board with the idea.

thatsahumanperson

Yeah, that makes sense. I guess on some level I’ve always thought I would end up with another Unusual. I just haven’t met all that many of them. And a lot of y’all know how weird even Unusuals can be about mind readers—it’s not the easiest ability for people to digest.

theneonthorn

you’re telling me. without going into details, my ability is … well, for a lot of people, it’s even less likable than mind reading. I also haven’t really ever had a successful relationship, platonic or romantic, so maybe don’t take advice from me.

onmyown

Aw, come on, thorny! You’ve got us!

theneonthorn

yippee.

MARCH 5TH, 2017

In the month since I went to his apartment and we had our big fight (I seem to be getting into a LOT of those lately), I haven’t heard a word from Damien. Our nearly constant texting in the few weeks we’d been friends went to total zero overnight and, even though I sometimes got the temptation to reach out, especially after everything with Emily, I never did. I was too proud to make the first move, especially when I knew that he would never take that leap himself. So when I got a text with nothing but a time and the name of a local diner, I assumed it was an emergency.

“Damien,” I said as I slid into the booth across from him.

“Rose,” he said, matching my tone, like we were two enemy spies meeting. That was a bit what it felt like, what with all the people who had warned me to stay away from him.

He didn’t say anything else to me, instead flagging down a waitress to ask for two cups of coffee.