|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2011 7:31 pm
Every Monday through Friday, Jada Chamberlyn was an early bird. Her alarm would go off somewhere around 4:00 in the morning, and she would hit snooze until 4:15. Rising, she would devote the next 45 minutes or so to her exercise- About 5 miles total, most days. since moving closer to town than her family's mansion, a lot of her jogging time had been spent around the park, even knowing the dangers, simply because it was such a convenient place to run. For the last few weeks, her form had been conspicuously absent among the few other early birds she would sometimes see. Much of her time for exercise had been spent doing less rough exercises instead, in deference to her doctor's wishes that she be careful, that she let her body heal and stop riding it so hard. She'd been exercising when she could squeeze it in between class or work, not in the dark where if she burst something... But this week, she was returning to old habits. A clean bill of health, with a few small dietary and health changes, and she was free to resume running on her natural schedule. Her cat was still asleep in the middle of the small dining room table when she pulled on the only pair of non-heeled shoes she owned, her white and purple sneakers. Her black capri exercise pants were a little looser in the thigh and calf, testament to her dropped weight. Szelem would be proud if she could see her 'chubby' daughter now.
It didn't take her long to get to the park from where she lived, Jada hitting the park right at 4:25. She'd walked the distance as quickly as she dared for a warm up, swinging her arms as she walked, slightly surprised to feel that the air was already getting chill. It was October, and soon the leaves would turn to gold and copper, falling to the ground as a beautiful carpet. The air was crisp at 4am, the noise of the city at a minimum for a town that was almost always busy. She had to be at work in a few hours, leaving her time for her exercise, a nice luxurious shower, and a small breakfast. (She didn't have a microwave after she'd accidentally nuked aluminum foil in the other one, and her stove smelled of gas every time she turned it on.) Her kitchen cabinets consisted of canned soups that she could just dump out into a bowl, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, and some protein shakes. She should probably see about begging another microwave off the landlord, but right now she was too concerned about avoiding an eviction notice. Three months of living on $10 an hour in a city where the rent on her 460 square foot apartment was $550? Water and sewer were included, but not electric. She had basic television, but no internet- that she had to leech off the neighbor. It was amazing that with all the people getting out of dodge, more people weren't just squatting in the vacant units.
Reaching the fountain, she lifted a leg and stretched it out, bending until she could feel the burn. She was going to have to drop a couple of classes this semester. Only being able to work on Saturdays due to class and her "real" job were making it harder on the agency to get any of the better-paying jobs for her. If she could work some evenings in there as well, maybe it would help. Modeling was a lot more lucrative, even with her lack of experience, than an 8-4. Jada switched legs, breathing out to try and get more stretch. The scars were light decoration now, on the outside, but it was inside she could feel the discomfort. Rising straight, she stretched her neck, lifting her legs in place. Where would she head to? Which direction should she go in?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 3:41 pm
Kess kept things simple, despite the appearance of the contrary. Her life was hectic, with multiple jobs, school, a buzzing social life, and an extreme lack of sleep. On top of that, she was an agent of darkness, doom, and chaos, according to the senshi she'd run into during her patrols.
Still, she was relaxed, at ease with her lot in life. Things were simple, and therefore the stress rolled off her back. The only thing that really got to her was her excess of energy. If she didn't work out, fight, ********, anything to work her muscles and ease her mind, she became restless, and unsatisfied.
And that was why, on nights when the senshi didn't pick a fight with her, Kess Reever worked out, before heading to sleep around six or seven in the morning.
Her lanky form was clad only in sneakers, tank top, and small running shorts, an ipod strapped to her bicep. Her sweatshirt had long since been discarded, after her warm-up.
Still, she was a social, friendly sort, and after throwing a few jabs at the air, meandered her way to the only other runner her age, who was busy stretching out a leg. It looked a little uncomfortable.
"Mornin'," she flashed that reckless, wide grin of hers. "Care for a running buddy?" To her, it wasn't awkward at all. Most people didn't like to run alone, herself included. It was easier to push one's self with a partner.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 05, 2011 9:34 pm
She was almost finished stretching when she heard footsteps, a voice. "Good morning!" she greeted, pulling out of the stretch. It wasn't the first time she'd joined up with another jogger on a morning run, but it was certainly the friendliest greeting she'd ever gotten at 4-something in the morning. She turned to meet the chest of a tall blonde- it took her a second to look high enough to find her face. Well that just wasn't fair at all. At least, Jada consoled herself uncharitably, the other woman had freckles to go with her height.
Regardless of the fact that the other girl was in flats taller than Jada was in the highest pair of heels she owned, the smile that the heiress turned on her potential exercising companion was genuine. "I'm up for that." she agreed. "I do have to warn you though, it has been a little while since I've been out for a real run. I may be a little slow." that was a mild understatement. And had nothing to do with the length of their legs in comparison to each other. Still, with a companion, she would be more inclined to test her limits. "My name is Jada." She slipped her rubber band off her wrist, starting to tie back her cropped locks to keep it off her neck while she ran.
"You care which direction we head off in?" she bent down, gripping her ankles before rising. Little by little, she was warming up. This was planned to be a nice, easy run for her. "I've always been a little partial to heading down towards the docks this time of the morning. Nice and quiet, and until the fish start coming in it can smell pretty nice."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 1:58 pm
"Gravy with me, lovely. Name's Kess." Perhaps her overabundance of freckles simply reflected her sunshine personality. Regardless, the lanky girl stretched an arm behind her head, holding it as Jada secured her hair.
The iPod strapped to her bicep was turned off, the earbuds tucked away into the band, and dark eyes glanced toward their perspective path. "I like it," a nod of agreement, and she almost bounced on the pads of her feet for a moment, as if psyching herself up with music that was no longer playing.
When they got going, she took it easy, her long legs matching the younger woman's pace through practice [most of her running partners were shorter than she]. "You get yourself injured, Jada?" Explained why she hadn't seen her out here before.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 8:42 pm
Jada decided she forgave the other woman for being tall the second she was called lovely. It appealed to her battered vanity. Jada liked being flattered, even inadvertently, she really did. "It's a real pleasure to meet you, Kess." she finished stretching, and then took of jogging when it seemed the other woman was ready as well.
It was a steady pace, brisk, and she was pleased to feel her body responding properly. The terrain was different than on a treadmill or on the gym, and her muscles pulled as she threw herself into the jog. "I have bad luck." she said finally, grinning up at the blonde. "Got myself hit by a car."
What else was she supposed to say? 'Haha, no, well, see, a giant phoenix monster was attacking the town and I helped kill it, kind of, then got stabbed by something very sharp and almost bled out before some Good Samaritan that I don't remember got me to the hospital.'
"It wasn't any fun. I actually don't remember much of anything." It was the same story she gave everyone. And the curiosity of who had helped her drove her up the wall. An act of random kindness, never to even ask about what had happened to the person they saved? Then again, her parents hadn't allowed her any visitors. "But I'm recuperating well. It's been a few months. I've missed the exercise. This feels really nice." Sneakers pounded the pavement, a nice rhythm between the two of them. "So how long have you been doing this? I don't normally see that many people out this early in the morning, and none of them are normally quite so friendly as yourself."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 9:23 pm
"I hope they prosecuted the guy," Kess's tongue clicked against the roof of her mouth in disapproval, "Obviously, his fault, since I don't know how someone could not notice you." It was hard to tell if the blonde was flirting, or simply stating a fact, due to the lack of fluctuation in her tone.
The truth was, if Jada had told Kess what had happened, she'd have believed it, even if she wasn't an evil agent of chaos and destruction. Her wide smile grew, as Jada continued, despite the seriousness of the subject. "If you can't remember, how do you know it wasn't any fun?"
They'd gotten into a groove now, where the running felt good, rather than tiring. "This is late, for me. I reckon I'm a nocturnal creature," She laughed, though it was a slightly breathless sound. "I usually hit the hay around seven or eight in the morning, actually, so you're seeing me in my pre-sleep glory."
Kess tended to sleep until the middle of the afternoon, which is when she did her late deliveries, classes, and social activities, and did her less legal activities after dark, followed by patrol. In the morning, she exercised, then did early deliveries, before passing out to start over.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 10:01 pm
"Never caught the driver." she said honestly. "And to be fair, it was pretty dark outside. And you know these DC drivers lately. So worried about getting attacked by terrorists they are looking to the top and the sides, hardly the front. As I said, I don't remember much. Until I woke up a couple weeks later with a morphine hangover and a hankering for fried chicken."
Shaking her dark head, Jada clucked her tongue. "Seven or Eight in the morning is no good for the metabolism. Though I have to admit I am jealous of the freedom in those hours. I get up around 4 or 4:30 and work a 9-5, then spend my evenings in class. Mondays and Wednesdays this semester, though I may try and pile on a couple more next semester."
She picked up the pace as they rounded the corner that led towards the docks. She was breathing a little harder, but she still felt great. "Ready to kick it up a notch? I want to get my heart rate up a bit. Want to get some of my muscle back." And maybe drop fifteen pounds. After her hospital trip and how anorexic she had started to look, she had plumped. Now her agent was starting to encourage her to drop, in hopes it would land her more jobs.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Oct 11, 2011 10:21 pm
"Oh, yeah? Where do you go? I do a little part-time at DCU, when I've got the time." A relaxed sort of shrug, one shoulder lifting as they jogged, and despite Jada's advice, she knew she'd be going to bed just as 'late' the next night. A natural athlete, on top of her frequent kickboxing sparring and recreational sports, Kess had no problems with keeping in shape.
"Got something to prove, huh?" The blonde's good nature lingered at the idea, and she raised her brows at Jada. "Try and keep up, sweetheart."
They moved into a run, rather than a jog, though it was far short of a sprint. Doing that would only tire themselves out, and make it hard to finish their route at a good pace, later on.
When they finally got to the docks, Kess slowed her strides, breathing heavily. Her shirt was lifted, revealing a flat stomach only slightly less freckled than her face and shoulders, and wiped her face. "Don't stop," she mumbled, encouraging them both to keep a sort of jogging walk, rather than collapse on a nearby railing and let their muscles cool. "It'll be worse if we stop, then start."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 3:28 pm
"DCU. I 'graduated' from Crystal sometime around a year and a half ago. If you've been in town long, I'm sure you heard about the fun with last year's graduating class at all the schools." Jada had stopped her few kickboxing lessons when she started avoiding Ari. And she was a natural eater. Jada had a weakness for every individual calorie under the sun, and had probably eaten a slice of the distant cousin and estranged BFF of every cheesecake in town. Her eating habits combined with the amount of time she'd spent last year on the liquid diet that the Destiny City Hospital preferred...
"What can I say? I've got a Napoleon Complex." And said complex roared to the front when the blonde challenged her, however good-naturedly. She pushed herself forward with a breathless chuckle, letting herself go. Running had always felt like flying. She ran until she felt her heart start to pound, until their feet were pounding out that same rhythm on the concrete of the dock and she could hear the sound of metal doors opening, voices calling morning greetings. And just when she was going to take flight, it was over, and they were slowing down. She gave a breathless laugh, shaking her head at the blonde. "That was fabulous. I haven't felt that free in forever."
Jada forced herself to take deep, slow breaths as they slowed to a light jog. The sky was starting to peek over the water, just a little, telling her that it had been... she'd lost total track of time. "Thank you so much for joining me, Kess."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 4:18 pm
"Hey," The blonde grinned, "Don't thank me. I would've had to spend the last hour listening to repetitive dance music, if I hadn't run into you." The docks were beautiful, in a way, so close to the water, and nature, but filled with a sense of purpose. Everyone moved as a part of a larger machine, routine, in both their greetings and their tasks.
"What do you say we walk it out to that cafe at the end of the pier as a cool down, and I buy you breakfast?" It was, after all, time for Kess to eat 'dinner', before she went home, and to sleep. Unlike Jada, the blonde could actually cook, but like Jada, she mostly chose to eat elsewhere, instead, though the reasons for that were entirely different. Kess didn't like to spend much time in the main floor of her house, once her Uncle's, until he had died and left her the property. Instead, she stayed in the basement apartment, where there was only a microwave and mini-fridge.
"You sure impressed me, Napoleon, pretending to have an injury, then running me ragged. I reckon I'll be sore from this one for a day or two." Or, instead, sore from the sneak attack a senshi had dropped on her, anyway. Hard to tell right now, when her lungs were still desperately dragging in air.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 5:54 pm
She laughed. "An hour of straight dance music is only good if you've got a chaser." the heiress waggled her dark, neatly shaped eyebrows. She slowed still further, rolling her head back and taking a deep breath of the cool air. It was so nice to be out and about at 5am again. It was like coming home, it really was. Some things didn't change- life could suck even more in DC, and the same old grind would still be going down, just with a new cast.
When the blonde offered to buy her breakfast, Jada's eyes lit up. "If you're serious, I'd say you're my Friend of the Day. Or at least getting a really good head start on the title." She had plenty of time to go and chill over a nice breakfast before heading back home and showering. And if she was a little late to work, Geoff owed her for the overtime she'd put in on the Wichter case last week.
If she had been taller, she would have slung a friendly arm around the blonde's shoulders and dragged her towards the cafe. As it was, she might be able to reach the other woman's waist if she stretched... okay, okay, that was overly dramatic. Being called Napoleon made her smile though- it was certainly the most original thing she had been called. She shouldn't be surprised, considering the joke she'd made about her complex- okay, not so much a joke as a warning- but the name still pleased her. Just a little.
"I told you it has been a while." It was both an excuse and a reason, all in one. "But running is my exercise thing." She grinned sheepishly, stretching her hands above her head. As she did, she felt her shirt ride up, felt the stretch of the scars on the skin of her stomach. She knew they looked older than they were, but the feeling, the remembrance, made her drop her arms quickly, self-conscious. "So this cafe is the place with the amazing cinnamon rolls, right?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 6:34 pm
"Ain't that the damn truth," They shared a grin, that admitted they had both probably done their fair share of partying, and the blonde nodded, lifting one slim shoulder in a shrug. "I'd do anything for an illustrious title like that." Having company during breakfast was worth a few bucks, and Kess had the money to spare. She had a consistant, ample income, and she didn't live anything close to a lavish lifestyle.
"More of a sports girl, myself. The running is just a side effect." Being forced to run up and down a field when you played soccer and lacrosse, for instance. It made sense, looking at her lanky, naturally athletic frame. The coach in high school had constantly complained about her lack of interest in basketball.
Dark, observant eyes briefly caught on Jada's scars, before the shirt covered them once more and she glanced up, looking toward their destination. "The very same, m'lady."
It was a cute, homey little place, with a somewhat nautical theme, on the wood of the pier. Kess pulled open the glass door, holding it to let Jada walk through, before a waitress noticed them and indicated a booth.
Kess snagged two menus on her way past the counter, offering one to the shorter girl before collapsing into the booth and glancing through it. It was dropped on the table after only a cursory glance. Clearly, she already knew what she was getting.
"'Morning, ladies. Coffee, today?" The waitress was an older woman, nondescript, but friendly.
"Yeah, that'd be awesome. Can I get some grapefruit juice, too?" The blonde squinted at the woman's name tag. "Thanks, Gloria."
After the waitress had left, Kess raised her brows. "So, running's your exercise thing. What're your other things?" Major? Job? Hobbies? It was a casual question, vague.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 14, 2011 3:52 am
"Ahhh, lucky. I was never much of a sports kind of girl. My coordination was shot. I would just go to the games for moral support, having a nice book tucked away." they had to slow as they got closer to the cafe, and Jada's arms swung loosely at her side. "Never could do gymnastics, never had the coordination for lacrosse. Baseballs gravitated towards my head and I never hit a single pitch. So I started riding horses. Never joined the team at Crystal, though I competed as a child."
Thanking Kess for holding the door, Jada followed the blonde to the booth the waitress had indicated and slid in across from her, sitting very primly. Her back was straight, her shoulders back, and her lips pursed in concentration as she debated the beverages. "No coffee, thank you. I'll try the strawberry lemonade, and a water please. No lemon." Under the table her ankles crossed neatly.
Sweat was sticking to the back of her neck, gluing down flyaway curls, and the heiress glanced around the restaurant for a moment. "Give me one second please, Kess. I'll be right back." She was going to go crazy if her hair remained plastered to the back of her neck like that. It only took her maybe five minutes to rinse off her neck and draw her fingers through the underside of her hair, pulling it back up. And then she felt presentable, darting back out the door and heading for their booth.
"My other things? School, work, exercise. I'm suspiciously boring. Anything you want to know in particular? Fair warning, I do like to talk about myself."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 5:06 pm
Kess' dark eyes flickered over Jada's appearance as she returned, noting the subtle, pleasant changes. There was something to be said for short hair. Low maintenance, and just as cute windblown and salty as when it was slicked and combed.
Their drinks had been delivered in Jada's absence, and the blonde had already finished her complimentary glass of water. The mug of black coffee found her lips, and she smiled from behind the ceramic. "Suspicious sounds about right," No one that attractive was that boring.
"I might think you're some kind of vigilante. Like Batman."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 5:59 pm
She leaned back, tugging on her tank top. "I don't do too much, I have two jobs. I work. I take classes at DCU and I angst about my lack of a romance life. I'm your typical, vapid 19 year old."
"You're good." Jada leaned in. "But I'm not Batman. Try Supergirl." she glanced to the side, playfully leaning forward. "I'm an alien. From Krypton? I shoot laser beams from my eyes." If only the other woman knew how borderline true some would consider that. The heiress took a sip of her strawberry lemonade, tapping her fingernails lightly against the glass. "Of course no one can know. I may have to kill you now." she said it thoughtfully. "Unless you have something just as interesting to offer in return." Manicured hands splayed over the table.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
