✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"Return to Scanthia?"

Dustin asked, a note of bewilderment in his voice.

"Is that even possible?"

He added and Asling sighed.

"Currently, no."

She said flatly. Her green eyes looked down at her hands and there was a notable frown on her face.

"To open a portal like that, back to my home, I would have to be an extremely powerful master of Magick."

She said.

"Okay and?"

Steve said.

"Well I'm not."

She replied.

"Back at home when it came to magick I was almost a laughing stock. The best I could do was transfigure a cup into a bowl. It's literally the same thing but a different shape."

She said as she put her head into her hands.

"What? They are?"

Dustin asked in reference to Asling's words about cups and bowls earning him an elbow in the side from Lucas.

"Not important right now."

He hissed.

"Well if you trained, wouldn't your power get stronger?"

Will asked quietly and Asling looked up from her hands to him.

"I suppose, but it would take some time. I've been training for years and still can't do it."

"But you'd be training on your own now."

Mike said.

"And how would that make things any easier?"

Asling asked.

"What if the reason why you aren't the best at magick is because your master was holding you back?"

Will suggested.

"What do you mean?"

Asling questioned, her eyes narrowed with intent at the young Byers.

"He could have been keeping you from reaching your potential without you even knowing, holding you back."

"I mean, that's possible but I don't know if that's the case."

Asling said.

"I always thought that I was just a dud."

She admitted.

"Asling, no, we all know that's not true."

Steve said causing her to look at him.

"What are you talking about?"

She asked.

"The other day, you pulled a book out of thin air to explain your world to me."

He began.

"You do things most of us - except Eleven- have thought were impossible for the longest time."

He added.

"You just need to focus a little more and try a little harder."

He said.

"You got this."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"This is cute and all but I really have to ask,"

Nancy began,

"Asling, what are you wearing?"

She asked and Asling looked down at the baggy sweatshirt and sweatpants that she wore.

"What's wrong with what she's wearing?"

Steve pipped up defensively.

"What's wrong with what she's wearing?"

Nancy threw his question back at him.

"Look at her Steve, those clothes are obviously too big for her. She looks like a hobo dressed like that. Where did you even get those clothes?"

Nancy asked and Asling's eyes looked from Nancy to Steve.

"Is she wearing your clothes, Steve?"

Nancy asked as she turned to him.

"Yes."

Steve said flatly.

"And what about it?"

He added. "

She can't just wear your old gym clothes, Steve."

Nancy said with a scoff.

"Asling needs proper clothes just like anyone else."

She added.

"Well how am I supposed to know what to get for her to wear?"

"You don't need to."

Nancy replied.

"I'll take her shopping on Saturday."

Steve's eyes widened.

"You'll what?"

He asked.

"I'll be here at one in the afternoon to pick her up. There's a new mall that just opened last weekend and I've been meaning to go, this is the perfect chance."

Steve gave a skeptical short chuckle.

"Nancy can I talk to you for a moment?"

He asked.

"Alone?"

He added and she rolled her eyes but obliged.

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"What is your problem, Steve?"

Nancy asked almost instantly as soon as he pulled her aside to talk to her in the hallway.

"Do you really think taking her out in public is a good idea?"

Steve asked as if it were obvious.

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Nancy countered.

"Allie... Asling doesn't understand how a lot of things in our world work."

He explained.

"I had to tell her what a phone was yesterday."

He added with a sigh.

"She could attract too much attention to herself."

"So you''re being protective,"

Nancy prompted as she looked over her shoulder and back into the living room where Asling sat with the others.

"Over her?"

She added.

"What? No- well yes- but not like that."

He said.

"Asling needs someone to help her understand the way our world works."

He added.

"And you want that to be you?"

Nancy replied. Steve stayed silent.

"I don't want it to be me- I-"

He tried replying and Nancy crossed her arms over her chest as she gave him a skeptical look.

"Are you falling in love with this girl?"

She asked flatly. Steve, flabbergasted, scoffed.

"No."

He said quickly.

"Definitely not."

He added.

"But I'm coming with you to the mall on saturday."

He said sternly.

"Fine."

Nancy said.

"Then Jonathan is coming too."

"Fine."

"Fine."

✧*~☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙ - .*☆

"Your swords are really made out of crystal?"

Dustin asked and Asling nodded.

"Awesome."

He noted.

"They're designed to-"

"Destroy anything evil."

Will finished her sentence for her and she turned to look at him.

"How could you know so much about me even if I have never met you?"

She asked and will shrugged.

"Will has been to the upside down before."

Mike replied.

"And the upside down was a part of him until just recently."

Asling tilted her head as she studied the boy.

"You were- are connected to the upside down?"

She asked curiously. Will nodded.

"He was flayed."

Lucas said.

"Flayed?"

Asling asked.

"The mind flayer- he's a monster from the upside down- he basically made will his spy."

"You've been to the upside down? For how long?"

Asling asked. Will hesitated in his response, obviously the memories of his prison in the parallel dimension were still a little harsh on his mind.

"About a month."

He said slowly.

"That long?"

Asling asked.

"What is it like?"

"Cold."

Will said flatly.

"Dark."

he added.

"And dangerous."

"Dangerous."

Asling echoed his words with a note of anxiety in her voice. She shook her head lightly to rid the idea from her mind and focused instead on a new question.

"What else do you know about me, Will the Wise?"

She asked with a small and kind smile and Will smiled back.

"I know you play the flute."

Will said.

"Not very well but you play it."

He added and Asling chuckled.

"Well they say practice makes perfect."

She mused.

"And I don't practice so there you have it."

She added and Will and the others laughed with her this time.

"Well not that this isn't great and all but it's getting late."

Steve replied as he came back into the living room with the others. Nancy followed him but went to stand by Jonathan as soon as she entered the room.

"It's not even eight thirty."

Dustin said.

"Right but my point is-"

Steve replied, pausing to think of a valid point.

"It's a school night."

He said.

"It's Friday."

Max replied.

"Don't you all have better plans for your Friday night then being here?"

Steve asked and they all shook their heads. Steve sighed and Asling yawned.

"Well Asling is obviously tired so I think that means it's time we call it a night."