June 20, 2020
"Yeah, I know. I'll let you know once I'm off my shift and we can figure things out from there? ...alright, sounds good. I'll give you a text later. Yeah. Talk to you later, mom."
The gentleness to the last few words did not match the ice in the young man's eyes as he leaned against the brick and mortar beside an Employees Only plastered door. He heard the small hitch in Melinda's breath as she quickly returned the familial farewell, and his gaze remained unfocused as he stared across the otherwise unoccupied alleyway. Early morning sunshine that managed to creep through the patches between buildings snagged on passerbys as they made their way along the sidewalk a ways from him, casting long shadows across his form. There was still a level of guilt that gorged itself within his chest when he'd use the terms towards her and Daniel, but his therapist had become insistent that he try. That the shift in addressing others with terms that suggested a bond might begin to foster such a sensation in him, and perhaps lessen his feeling of being so... adrift.
His thumb flicked over the screen of his cell, ending the call before he brought the back of his knuckles up to his lips, still seeing nothing yet glimpsing more than he necessarily wished to at that moment. The letters on the kitchen counter postmarked from the jail that Melinda refused to throw out--when Jericho tried, she'd just fish them out and put them into a shoebox she kept in the front hall closet. Daniel confirmed as much each time she got to them. After a while, she'd stopped leaving them out, just put them right into the shoebox. As if, someday, Jericho might change his mind and decide to go through the years of letters from that piece of trash.
This, of course, caused a rabbit hole to form for his thoughts to tumble down, images flashing around his head that made his teeth grind and pulse thud hollow in his throat.
A succession of rapid beeps drew him roughly from his thoughts, an alarm that he only had five minutes before his shift began. Jericho shoved the rabbit hole back into the forest at the back of his mind and punched in the keycode on the digital lock to open up the door beside him. His cell phone, wallet, and car keys were dropped into a small storage locker he slapped a combination lock onto and threw on an apron with the hardware store's logo on the chest. A charged walkie awaited him and he hooked it into place on one of the various pockets of the apron. Exiting out into the main store, he greeted a few of his co-workers mildly as he keyed in his log-in for his shift.
The faint n** of the early morning quickly faded into a heavy heat befitting a Destiny City summer day, and with it came the influx of customers that griped about the weather or stood beneath various vents belching cold air with delight. All the while, he and his co-workers moved about the store nearly non-stop--assisting customers with recommendations for projects, restocking, cleaning up after customers... Jericho himself was particularly wrapped up with other peoples' projects that day, once doing demonstrations for how to properly use new tools and materials with a regular couple who frequented the store. It wasn't part of his job description, but for the regulars he didn't feel inclined to glare at throughout interactions, he was often willing to offer additional advice, even going over plans one fellow had drawn out of his garden to help ensure he had the proper materials for what he was planning... never mind enough.
Little things, perhaps, but they were the parts that engrossed him far more than taking inventory or cashing out customers.
One woman tuttled through the store mostly on her own, only stopping Jericho now and then to be sure about the products she was picking up for her project. Again, nothing he was opposed to assisting with, and the woman's fluffy white hair and crinkles around her brown eyes had an easy time further softening his typical icy demeanor. Withered, weathered hands full of callouses spoke to her ample time outside and familiarity around her garden, something that only endeared the woman to the young man. It was no chore for him to offer her simple advice or caution if he felt she'd selected something that would hinder her project or could be entirely replaced by another--usually cheaper--product.
By the time she finally puttered over to the cash register, Jericho was well aware of her role in helping to orchestrate a part of the festival the city was hosting, and her endeavors to promote community gardens to youngsters. A concept that he could get behind rather easily, and after speaking with the store manager over the walkie--once he'd stepped away from the woman as she hummed over plants and seeds to take with her as part of her project--a concept the store could help sponsor and support.
She'd been flabbergasted when the store manager came out to speak to her, eager to offer the sponsorship and additional aid for her projects and booth. After all, community gardens would only do well to boost sales of the necessary supplies there at the store if locals got all the more enthusiastic about them. Not that he worded it so when speaking to her, but anyone could surely guess the donation wasn't altogether without a grain of self-gain. As it was, the store wasn't a nation-wide chain, but a city-born 'mom-and-pop' place. All the more reason to get their name out and associated with community-focused endeavors. It was a perfect win-win scenario, assuming she agreed.
Her misty-eyed smile as she came to his register gave Jericho the hunch even before he glanced beyond her to see the store manager flash him a thumbs up and a broad grin. "Now, unless this store has very good microphones on those security cameras," she began with a chuckle as she started to unload her cart onto the conveyer belt, "I believe I owe you a mighty big thank you for introducing me to Mr. Eikstormr?"
Pale eyes barely bat a lash as he began to scan the bars and bag the purchases. "Pardon, ma'am, but I didn't conduct any introductions." Which wasn't a lie. He'd been with another customer while the store manager--the younger son of the store's owner--had spoken with the woman.
The furrows around her dark eyes grew all the deeper as she laughed, the sound light and sweet. "This is true! This is true, young man. My mistake then, I suppose my little guardian angel must have tugged on someone's ear instead. Caught someone's attention, he did, with how fortunate I've been today." She'd turned to pull her wallet from her purse, missing how his hand froze for a brief moment over the register as he keyed in the finalization for her purchase. "It'll be a wonderful surprise for so many youngsters and their families, I'm sure. Mr. Eikstormr--oh, sorry... am I saying that right?"
The sincerity in her gaze and the sudden hush of her voice was enough to draw a quirk upward out of the corner of his lips. "Yes, ma'am, you are."
"Oh, good! I'd hate to be mispronouncing his name, especially with all he's doing. But he offered to help sponsor my booth, did you know that? And he'd come up with little DIYs for kids to make their own little planter. Just a tiny thing, but that'll be great for them to bring home after working on something for a community garden, don't you think?"
"I think that will be great for them. Encourage the thought even after the booth or the festival." He told her the total, she paid, and he loaded up her couple of bags into her cart. Whatever additional supplies the store would be donating would be taken care of at another time, surely.
"That's what I was thinking! I couldn't afford to do it on my own, so I can't thank Mr. Eikstormr enough and you, young man, for all your help today." She paused then, eyes unfocusing as she stared at him before a wide smile crossed her features once more. One hand again dipped into her purse, and she chuckled, "Here, would you take this? I know it isn't much, and perhaps you wouldn't have much use for it, but after all the good fortune I've had today... who knows? Perhaps there's something to finding one's lucky stars after all, hm?" As she held out her withered hand to him, Jericho blinked once before reaching out to take whatever it was she had.
Her fingers uncurled, dropping a gold and green charm into his palm. Tiny stars, a brow lifted at the sight of the little trinket. Nonetheless, he bowed his head to the woman, pocketing the gift. "Thank you." He didn't really know what to say. Images flickered in his mind--a bright green star, sour and sweet that left him burned in the worst and best ways; a white star, soft and small, dainty and sweet and scared.
Apparently, his awkward silence that followed was all she needed as it was, smiling brightly to him and pushing her cart on out of the store. His thoughts tumbled around the charm in his pocket throughout the rest of his shift, wondering on the notion--were they his lucky stars? Or was that something else?
How exactly was that supposed to work, for an agent of the Negaverse and defense of the Earth from alien entities that hailed from these very stars?
Something ugly and bitter sank into his gut and lingered there, nagging and wicked. It bubbled and it flowed, ebbed and dripped.
His fingers flew over keys, logging himself out of his shift for the day. The walkie was returned to its home charger, the apron pulled over his head and hug back on its peg. He spun the combination on the lock to retrieve his belongings, noting a few new texts.
Immediately, his thumbs began to move, flicking over the screen to text Melinda that he was out and able to meet up for the dinner she and Daniel were hoping for. He said mild farewells to his coworkers, including the store manager who reconfirmed he had Jericho signed up to help out with the woman's booth after the details were ironed out. Stepping out of the Employees Only marked door, the city wasn't even in a neon broken gloom yet, sunlight still keeping the sky blue and clouds pale. His hand shoved into the pocket he'd put his keys, along with the charm, pulling out the former and the latter all at once as he reached his car. At least he managed to notice the latter and grumbled, crouching to retrieve the fallen emerald star charm.
It was then he caught sight of the glinting, multi-faceted gem-like object beside his tire. His brows furrowed and he grabbed up both objects. Straightening, he stared at the new acquisition. It seemed like a raw gem, a dark green with flicks of lighter tones to it in streaks here and there. Almost a star shape, he realized with a snort, turning it this way and that in his palm with his other index finger beside the charm. Bigger than the charm, he watched as the sunlight cast light through the gem, forming feather-like patterns through the mineral. Something about it made that ugly, bitter substance in his gut roll, and he grit his teeth, merely pocketing both objects before he got in his car.
Already he could feel a headache forming, just as his phone dinged--the place he was to meet his adopted parents for dinner. Jericho cursed. "Happy ******** birthday to me... must be my lucky stars."
WC: 2036
Quote:
Strange things appear in Destiny City all the time, so nothing seems out of the ordinary about what might look like discarded trash, broken glass, or pieces of broken jewelry. If anyone were to lean in for a closer inspection, they might find a beautiful, gemstone-like object that is shaped a bit like a star. They come in an array of colors and almost seem to have some sort of light sparkling in them.
