The early morning light was just beginning to crest the horizon when the young many stepped into the flat. The nearly empty dwelling echoed each footfall. A forgotten familiar sound that was humbling with it’s timbre.

Depositing his bags by the kitchen counter, Aelius turned golden eyes to the blinds covering an unfurnished window. An unfurnished window to match the unfurnished living space. Nothing but a small table and two wooden chairs made the space look like it was lived in. Sidestepping the table and chair, Aelius reached out to open the blinds letting in the weak morning light. A sigh escaped him. How long had it been? 7...8 months? How time flew. How much, and little, had changed in that span of time.

The flat was as he remembered. Barren and lacking any sort of inspiration. There were memories there though. Some good, others were questionable. If he was honest with himself, he had rather mixed feelings about returning. It felt good, but an anxiety rested in his breast. Said anxiety was the reason for his early morning return. He knew he wasn’t expected until a bit later in the day. It gave the youth time to center himself. Gather everything he knew he’d need to tackle the day ahead.

Returning to his bags (Bags not just the singular one he had left with), Aelius began rummaging around the small black duffle that accompanied the suitcase. Inside were his personal items. Things besides clothes that he felt the need to return with. Small trinkets from friends or lovers left behind, two books of interest, a few smaller personal items and a short collection of letters and envelopes with the same scrawling text on them. Each one addressed to Aelius. He paused at each item as he pulled them out but it was the letters that caught his attention the longest before he shuffled through them for one in particular, dropping the rest on the counter.

The last thing he pulled from the duffle was a pleather portfolio. Inside were numerous notes, reports, ledgers, and miscellaneous information. Most of the contents dealt with his time spent in the Chicago branch. Information on his duties out there as an agent, his job as a ballet instructor at the private school, his side job and how it blossomed into the small business that was now being run by another agent had personally picked and trained, and a letter from his commanding officer to Capt...General Faustite and General Schorl if she felt inclined to know. Everything important. Everything he’d need for later and likely things that weren’t necessary but useful to have with him. The letter her had plucked amongst the few others was carefully tucked into a sleeve behind the more pertinent information. A satisfying snap of the portfolio and Aelius let it rest on the counter with his eclectic collection of items.

A surprise yawn escaped him and Aelius grabbed his suitcase which he then carried into the bedroom. There, the one piece of furniture which had gotten the most use in the entire flat greeted him. The sheets and duvet were carefully made, just as he had left it. The few items gathered in the bedroom were all right as he had remembered. Nothing had been touched as the layer of dust acknowledged. “I’ll be doing some cleaning later.” He remarked quietly to himself as he deposited the suitcase onto the bed.

Before he had been a procrastinator. Someone unmotivated and uninterested in dealing with the daily factors that made up life. His time in Chicago with his commanding officer had taught him a few things, and particularly, the procrastinator inside of him had been ruthlessly suppressed and replaced. The thought of letting the suitcase remain full and instead pluck out what he wanted fleeted across his mind. It was tempting to cave. Old nostalgic feelings were teasing him to fall back on old habits, but he could practically hear Cheryl’s voice in his head lecturing him. So, dutifully, he set about unpacking. Funny enough, it was during his unpacking he realized something. His new wardrobe was easily double what it had been when he left. In fact, as he was hanging shirts there was a distinctive lack of hangers hanging in the closet. That was something he’d need to fix if his clothes were going to stay wrinkle free. A shopping trip was in order and Aelius was all too aware that since his corruption, this would be his first time going out on his own to spend his own money. Money he had earned rightfully on his own. Money that had brought along with it aid to the Negaverse in the collection of energy and starseeds.

Faustite couldn’t salt that wound anymore. At least for now. Aelius’s funds were meager though and he knew that something would need to be done about it. Now though the prospect wasn’t bleak. He had tools to begin tackling the job.

Glancing at the clock on his nightstand Aelius noted he had some time yet. Time to enjoy a hot shower and look over his report to General Faustite. He had checked it twice already, but that anxiety wasn’t going away. Instead the small ball was growing bigger with each passing minute. It was better to be active than ruminating. “Besides, a shower will help me wake up.” The bed was alluring but not what he genuinely needed.

With the last of his clothes put away, some in temporary dwellings, Aelius sloughed off the clothes he wore on his early flight home. A change in wardrobe was going to be needed anyway considering the mess that was his previous outfit. Flights weren’t kind on the neatness of attire, and though he’d be reporting as Heliodor, Aelius wanted to put his best foot forward.

It was time to pick up the broken pieces he left here in Destiny City. This was a new start to prove himself to his superiors. He just hoped they were willing to look beyond his past mistakes and accept his will to move forward. But, if he needed to prove it to them, then so be it. He'd tackle that challenge with zeal.


WC: 1041