It started when he was just a baby. Not a mainstream power, but one that a child could easily figure out. What child hasn’t kissed their parent? A grandparent? A friend? A stranger? One little kiss and Sebastian would know your power inside and out. One little kiss and Seb could make your world, or ruin it, whichever the case may be.
When it happened, it wasn’t a vision or anything like that, but it was something he could feel in his bones. Something that resonated with him, hummed throughout his body for as long as his lips were on theirs. A power he’d eventually call “kiss and tell.”
When people find out you have a sensory power, everyone wants to be your friend. Then all of a sudden they don’t want to be your friend anymore because you tell them that their power is essentially useless like turning green with envy or being able to make pie appear out of thin air. His whole life he was kind enough to kiss you and tell you what your power was, but it got old rather quickly. One day he decided that he’d start charging for his service. After all, who doesn’t want to know what their power is?
Seb sat at his chestnut dining table and scribbled in thick blue marker, “One Kiss is All it Takes!” onto a poster. He thought Calvin Harris and Dua Lipa must have had him in mind when they collaborated on that song. Eager to get started, he grabbed the sign and dashed out of his house. He swiftly jogged down the street in the direction of one of the local hospitals. He lived in the city, so he didn’t need a car to get around; he’d make it wherever in the city within twenty minutes. As he trotted down the street shadows flew past him. Mainstreamers. The power of flight was one of the easiest powers for a person to figure out, and it was actually quite common. One simple thought of lifting into the air and boom, you’re fighting to get out of a tree. Most people think that they just have the ability to fly, but it might be levitation, their bones are like birds, or they can run on air. Either way, flight is flight.
He arrived at the Rudding hospital which had one of the biggest birth centers in the town. The automatic doors slid open and the cool sterile air grazed his face. Seb marched right up to the desk, gracefully slammed his poster on the counter and smirked. Annoyed at his stunt, the receptionist drew a “U” in the air pointing back towards the entrance, and Sebastian instantly turned to face where her finger directed. He spun around, the receptionist repeated her gesture, and Seb turned right around. “Okay, I get it! I’m sorry,” he apologized. He glanced at the receptionist’s handwritten name tag and said, “Hey, Ms. Betty. I’m sorry I slammed my poster down, but I’m really excited.”
“About what? Actually, I’m not interested. You can go now,” Ms. Betty said as she shooed him away with her hand. He stumbled as his body was pushed back slightly.
“Now that’s an interesting power,” Seb grumbled. He set off to leave the hospital when he saw a mother and father walking with their newborn daughter. “Hi, I’m Seb, short for Sebastian, and I can tell you what your daughter’s power will be.” Curious, the mother slowed down to see what he was talking about.
“Really? How so?” she asked. The father glanced down at his poster and threw his hands into the air. “You’re kidding! Go find somewhere else to hustle, kid.” He started to walk past and Seb gently placed his hand on his shoulder.
“I’m not lying – that’s my gift in a nutshell. One kiss is all it takes. I can prove it to you free of charge, if you already know what your power is.” Fed up with the conversation, the father sighed. He turned and started towards the door when the mother said, “Yes, I know what I can do. I can…”
The next moment happened in a blur. Sebastian quickly ran over to the mother and kissed her before she could reveal her power. The fumes from the father were practically visible. He ran to Seb and grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him in the air. “Wait! Wait! She’s able to balance anything.” Sebastian huffed. Stunned, the father let go of him and Seb fell to the ground. Flustered, he got up and started dusting his clothes off. He let out a slight chuckle and said, “You’re able to balance anything on top of each other. I’d call that a ‘fine balancing act.’”
Amazed by his gift, the mother pulled the father to the side. She glanced over at Seb, clutched her purse tightly and swiftly walked over to him. “Name your price.”
