Chapter Seven: Sportzy Mart

"Mother, so totally not happening," Kara deadpanned, staring down into the lake with her arms crossed wearing a shimmering green sundress. Several dresses were discarded on the docks next to her, each one prettier than the last. Which was precisely the point.

"Stop hijacking my magic. I am not dressing up for that disrespectful idiot." Rather than trying again, Kara kicked the clothes back into the water, watching them dissolve away in frustration. She bunched up the skirt of her dress and used a bit of magic to turn the skirt into pants and dull the shimmer until it was just a forest green womper.

"It'll have to do," she decided with a frown. This was a horrible idea. Terrible, even. Kara shouldn't even have entertained the thought.

Why was she out here dressing up for that tasteless human? Humoring him in the first place?

Kara had lost her mind. Really. If he got any ideas, she'd just have to resort to actual violence.

Only, Kara wasn't certain that was why he wanted to talk. He could just be trying to get her away from her home like some kind of crazed weirdo. It was clear he hated the lake and hated her living by it.

Worst of all, she has no idea when Theo was even coming over or if he still was. He'd left the plan very ambiguous when he took off into the woods. Maybe all the fussing was for nothing and he wouldn't show up at all.

Kara went inside and kicked her shoes off with a groan to collapse onto her new couch. The worst part, she decided, was the waiting.

The hours ticked by, the sun rose into the sky, and Kara's anxiousness grew. Just as she was about to change once again, there came a knock. Kara wasn't sure if she felt more relieved or disappointed.

At least the waiting part was over, though. Kara got up and paused just shy of the door. Last chance to back out, she told herself. It'd be easy.

No. She was going to do this and she was going to face Theo head on. No backing down.

When she openes the door, Theo backes up and offeres her an awkward nod. Not a polite one or even a nice one. It might just be gas, actually.

"How do you look more anxious than I do," she demandes incredulously. His shoulders hunched and he crossed his arms with a glare.

"I wasn't sure you'd really agree..." Oh my Spirit of The Sea, was he this pitiful yesterday? Was this some kind of farce? Deceit?

Kara looked at him closely, suspicious, before stepping out and closing her door. Could it be she has been looking at him all wrong once again?

Whatever he wanted to talk about, she'd see his true colors soon. Until then, she wasn't going to trust a single thing he did.

Theo turned his back and Kara bent down, grabbing a handful of pebbles off the ground. She closed her fist and opened it, now holding a handful of cash. Kara tucked it into her pocket and jogged after him.

Kara followed Theo through the woods to the Hart house where he guided her to a four door sedan. Hopefully they weren't driving too far, Kara couldn't be out of her lake for long.

"So, where would you like to go," Theo asked as she climbed in, starting the car and pulling out of the driveway. "We can do the gift shopping first and get it out of the way, or...?"

Or what? Talking? 'Coffee,' as he put it? Yeah, no.

"How far is it to the closest sporting goods store," she asked.

"About an hour and a half. You don't strike me as someone who'd shop for..." He stopped himself, seeming to rethink whatever he was about to say. "Uh, nevermind."

He was driving, Kara rationalized with herself. She couldn't smack him while he was driving. They'd crash.

Deep breaths, Kara, deep breaths.

"I'm not shopping for myself, it's for your brother. You said he's big on adventure, right? Has he ever gotten to explore that side of himself outside of reading or gaming?" Theo glanced sideways at her before looking back at the road.

"Our parents have been a little... protective of him. So, um, no. Not really." That was precisely why Kara knew exactly what to get him. The poor kid was probably aching for an adventure of his own.

"Then everything I need is probably at a sporting goods store," she confirmed.

"Alright, the Sportzy Mart it is," Theo agreed easily.

When they got out on the open road and out of Light Rock, Kara was worried he'd use the opportunity to broach whatever he wanted to talk about, but he mostly chatted idly, explaining the scenery they as they drove past.

It was a long drive. Kara found herself getting horribly carsick halfway there, which made it seem even longer. When they finally hit the city and pulled into the parking lot, she stumbled out of the car and threw up on the asphalt.

Theo was at her side in an instant, doing that hovering thing again.

"Are you okay," he asked nervously.

"Fine. I just don't drive often." Already she was starting to feel better just being on her feet. She'd feel better back home in her lake, obviously, but this was acceptable.

Other than how thirsty she was. The ride home was going to suck so hard twice as hard.

"Let's go this over with," she insisted as she straightened up. "I'm okay."

Theo didn't look convinced, but he led her to the store without complaint.

The very first thing that Kara noticed when they entered the store was that it was massive. High ceilings, high shelves, endless rows of distractions. Nothing was even labeled. Just general vibes.

That was fine, she'd find what she needed somehow.

"Okay, so we should split up and get his gifts separately and then meet back up here once we're done," she told him. "No more than, say, thirty minutes. Does that sound fair?"

It was his time as well, he should get as much a say as her.

"That sounds fair, yeah. I'll just go... Over here," Theo mumbled, already walking off. Seriously, what was his deal?

Whatever, she couldn't ponder that right now. Gifts. Adventure gifts.

Kara probably went a bit overboard as she shopped. She'd never gotten to shop like this before and she'd never gotten to buy gifts for a guppy. Or, uh, a human kid. It was overwhelming.

She decides to focus on the basics, though. Kara had watched a few adventure films of her own. A holster, a belt with useful pouches on it, just some things that would make him feel like the action heroes from the media he enjoyed.

She also grabbed a journal that she spotted, a small smile spreading over her face. If she just used a bit of magic, she could...

Kara turned into the next aisle and stopped as she bumped into none other than Theo. He looked equally surprised.

"What is all this," he asked, looking through the items in the buggy. "Is this all for Blake?"

"Pretty much, yeah. Why?"

"Hey, it's your money. I won't tell you what you can and can't spend in on. But, uh, you really don't have to do all this, honest." Well, seeing as she could turn almost anything into money with magic, that wasn't an issue.

"I got a little carried away, possibly," she relentes. "But I think I'm done now. What about you?"

Theo looked away, lips thinning.

"I don't know what to get him. I haven't... I don't..." Hmm. Kara looked down at her buggy and nodded to herself.

"You know, I'll need some help wrapping all this and carrying it over. And we're buying it here together, so... How about we give him everything as a team?" The offer clearly caught him off guard, but he didn't decline immediately.

"Really?" She shrugged. "Thanks."

"You're welcome. Now, let's get out of here. I think you and me have a coffee date to get to."