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 Posted: Wed Jun 15, 2016 8:47 pm
It was Aubrey's first day back in Destiny City after three years of being gone, she had just turned 22 and was now trying to find a job. The owner of the Ace of Spades where she used to work was on vacation for a week so she would have to wait to talk to him, until then she was walking down the street of store fronts, picking up applications where she could, looking increasingly more bedraggled and less hire-able. The steady drizzle that soaked everything did not help her appearance, or her mood as she slogged from one dead end to another.
Soon she found herself in a somewhat familiar area, she couldn't quite place why it called to her so much until she spotted the old antique store just down the street and suddenly she remembered why it was so familiar. It was where Jett worked, where they had met and he sold her the music box that sang her to sleep every night. Aubrey shuddered and quickly crossed the street, she didn't know if she was up to facing him right now.
How could she explain where she had been, how she had left with no warning? Aubrey didn't even try to call or reach out to anyone in the Dark Mirror Court, or even to Jett himself whom she felt was a friend. It was too much right now, so she hurried pass the store on the other side of the street hoping she could avoid him, but at the same time a small little part of her wanted to see him, wanted the comfort of a friend right now to tell her things were going to be okay, even if it was a lie.
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 1:05 am
Luck was either on her side—or it wasn’t. As fate would have it, Jett was just stepping out of the store front when she walked within his line of vision. At first, he knew she looked familiar, but he didn't recognize her until she'd turned away.
And then things had clicked.
His brows had furrowed and he was watching her, trying to place her when he remembered the Dark Mirror Senshi from so long ago.
Fortuna was a name he hadn't forgotten, but too long ago he'd lost all traces of her. He had expected the worst—figured she was a casualty in the war. He might have forgotten her if the Court hadn't been so small.
But he remembered.
His mouth opened to call for her, but he had to force himself to recall her real name. Crossing the distance between the two of them he said, firmly and with disbelief in his voice, "Aubrey?"
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Posted: Thu Jun 16, 2016 5:55 am
A shudder passed through Aubrey's body when she heard Jett's voice speak her name, followed by an equally strong feeling of joy and dread. She turned slowly and took in the image of her former leader and felt the guilt rise in her chest once more. She didn't know what to say and for a long moment she simply watched him.
"Hey Jett, It's been a while..."
Aubrey said finally as she watched him cautiously. The confidence she had once exuded so easily seemed to be a distant memory, she stood with her arms wrapped around her chest protectively and she had a beaten look in her eyes. Rushes of words went through her mind of things she wanted to say, how she was sorry for disappearing, how she wanted to tell him all the awful things that had happened to her so that he wouldn't judge her like he must be.
The words wouldn't come, so Aubrey simply watched him, her weight on the balls of her feet as if she was getting ready to run or fight depending on how he reacted to seeing her. Her eyes pricked with unshed tears that she wouldn't allow to fall in front of Jett. Meanwhile the little voice at the back of her mind told her it was a mistake to return to the city and she should have just taken her sisters and ran, but the part of her that was Fortuna hummed in harmony for the first time in three years as it sensed the presence of its leader and companion.
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Posted: Sat Jun 18, 2016 10:12 pm
Jett slowed when he noticed her demeanor; he kept a bit of distance between the two just to be careful. She wasn't entirely unlike a cornered animal, and he didn't want to provoke her, even if only accidentally.
"It has," he said after a second. Though his brows were knit, he was quick to offer what seemed like a friendly smile.
"I was worried about you. I thought something bad had happened. I'm glad to see you alive, though."
He gestured towards the antique store. "It's a slow day, you want to come by and chat? I was just on my way to lunch. We can catch up, if you want? My treat."
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 2:52 am
Aubrey relaxed subtly when he didn't openly approach her, or yell at her as she was almost expecting to happen, in fact he seemed genuinely happy to see her, which couldn't be true... could it?
'Something bad did happen...' Aubrey wanted to say but she couldn't make the words form as she watched Jett, she wanted to go with him, and beg for his forgiveness, but the silence seemed easier. She was about to deny the lunch offer when her stomach grumbled loudly at the mention of food. It had been a long morning and and she wasn't exactly rolling in cash at the moment.
“Lunch... sounds nice.” she said finally, faint color in her cheeks. Aubrey hated seeming weak in front of Jett, she knew that the Dark Mirror Court valued strength and determination, things that she lacked at the moment. Three years ago she would have accepted instantly and made witty remarks to keep the conversations flowing, now there was an ocean of things she wanted to say but only the barest of trickles would make it through the walls she had placed to protect herself.
“How have you been, anything exciting happen while I was gone?” she questioned awkwardly to fill the void of silence, she wasn't ready yet to divulge her story, and if Jett already knew what happened he didn't seem keen on sharing that fact so she would wait until she had some food in her stomach to settle her nerves in order to speak.
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 11:52 am
Jett just shrugged and gestured for Aubrey to follow him. There was a burger place he was always happy with nearby and it seemed like a better environment to socialize than the side of the road. "Been good," he said without really elaborating.
There was a lot of personal things he wasn't going to bog her down with—school had gone well, he was working full time at the antique store and they were doing well enough that he was trying to pitch opening a second establishment. He had a fiancé, and a kid. But those were the things that no one cared about.
"You've missed a lot though. Plenty of exciting things. I'll have to fill you in some time."
He paused as he walked and glanced over his shoulder. "…If you want to hear all of it, at least. You were gone for awhile. There were a few things that changed. Now that you're back, though…"
His voice trailed off and he shrugged; they had reached the door so he pulled it open for her and gestured for her to lead. "…You looking to get back in the game?"
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 12:08 pm
Aubrey followed Jett's lead as she always had before and it was surprisingly easy. She could tell there was a lot about his personal life that he didn't want to share at the time but he also didn't probe her about why she had been gone so she could understand the hesitation about talking about home life.
"I'd like to get caught up on what is new" she responded as she passed him inside the building and waited to be seated. "I guess I never really thought about getting back in to things... When I left all traces of that side of me were gone." She paused briefly as they were seated and handed menus.
"But the moment I crossed back into the city limits I've felt Fortunas presence... And she isn't exactly happy with me." Aubrey responded quietly as she skimmed over the menu, afraid of what Jett must be thinking about her.
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 12:53 pm
Jett just laughed softly. "Yeah, I know how that can be."
He didn't need to look at a menu; he had his favorite and indulged far too regularly. "Things have been rough. Got harder, since you've been gone. Seems like the world is moving on too quickly. Our numbers have dropped."
It wasn't something he was proud of, and something he seemed to carry like it was his own fault. "….We need to make a comeback. Or find something we can do to get everyone moving. But I don't have a lead, or a direction to push us in, you know? …We're working on it, though."
It sounded like a promise; he didn't want to chase her away, but he wasn't going to lie.
"…You should get back into it," he suggested. "We could really use you."
Jett shrugged; he didn't press it, just wanted to throw it out there. "I'll do all I can to help you readjust, though." Regardless of if she chose to power up or not. He was just desperate not to lose another Dark Mirror Senshi to purification.
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Posted: Sun Jun 19, 2016 8:06 pm
Aubrey watched Jett as he spoke, she could see that he really cared about the Dark Mirror court, and she wanted to believe in it as much as he did, but it was difficult. Aubrey hadn't been a senshi long before she was forced to leave so it never became such a big part of her life as it seemed to be to Jett. She didn't want to let him down, but she also wasn't confident in herself.
When the waitress came by the table she quietly put in her order and waited for Jett to do the same, once the waitress left Aubrey eyed Jett for a long moment before finally speaking what was weighing heavily on her mind.
"All I want to do is keep my sisters safe, and I can't even protect myself against one drunk human... How can you expect me to help save an entire city from monsters and disillusioned senshis?"
Aubrey questioned soft and low. Her hands were clenched on top of the table and it was clear there was a lot of emotion running through her mind.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:11 pm
Jett was leaning back in the booth and cocked his head to one side as he raised a brow. "You start small. You can't change the world in one night. You take any self defense classes?" he asked. "Or have you spent the past few years getting rusty? Because, if you need some pointers," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a business card. It was simple—his name, the name of the Antique Store, and his phone number. He pulled out a pen and scribbled his private number on the back before sliding it over.
"Give me a call. Of course, if your father's still giving you a hard time…"
His voice trailed off and he shrugged. "I can think of a few ways to take care of him. Mirrorspace has a lot of twists and turns. Wouldn't take much for him to get lost in there for a few days. Of course, Mirrorspace spits them back out after a while, but," he shrugged.
"If you need him out of the picture for a while, it's a good thing to keep in mind."
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:21 pm
Aubrey let out a long breath as she watched Jett. "A lot has changed, but not so much that I would ever give up Aikido." she said quietly before shaking her head.
"I guess I should explain what happened, when my father attacked me in december three years ago, our neighbors called the cops on him, I was in such a bad state that child services was brought in and my sisters and I were moved to my grandmother's ranch back in Salem. That's where we have been for the last three years, but she died in February and now my father is trying to regain custody of Kerrigan and Bethany." She swallowed hard at this point.
"He claims to have changed, but I don't trust him. I haven't seen him yet since we only just got back, but now I have to fight a custody battle for my sisters, and I'm worried that the courts will favor the birth parents over the elder sister." Aubrey told Jett, watching his reaction.
"While a mysterious disappearance would be convenient I don't think it would actually help, my mother isn't capable of taking care of herself much less two rambunctious children." Aubrey added as an afterthought.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 5:59 pm
Jett watched her carefully and nodded. "You let me know if you need help," he said after a pensive moment. "It can be a little hard to get on your feet after something like that. But the city has a few programs if you need a little help."
He didn't expand on the matter; he didn't want to make this an awkward conversation. "I don't do Aikido, but I still box. Every now and then. Things got a little busy back at the house, so I'm not in competitions so much. No good to have a busted up face when you're trying to sell antiques. Can't really come up with a good excuse—not like antiquing gives me a good excuse to walk around with bruises. Plus, got a woman back home who fusses over everything."
He seemed exasperated, but there was a very obvious fondness in his voice; he smiled and shrugged.
"The point is, I'm glad to see you back. Just want you to know that you're not alone."
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 6:31 pm
Aubrey met Jett's gaze for a long moment before she finally nodded. "I appreciate it Jett, and I would like to... I guess try to help out, I just got back so I don't know what my schedule will be like since I don't even have a job yet." she shook her head slightly and then pulled the card towards herself and looked at the number.
"If I were to get back into things... I would need to know how the magic stuff works, I have the physical fighting down, but I don't think I can survive on that alone, especially if there is a trump card I could access." she pointed out as she drummed her fingers on the table top.
The waitress came by the table to drop off their drinks and Aubrey smiled at the woman and thanked her and then waited for her to leave.
Aubrey glanced back up at him and offered a small smile. "Do you think you could train me to be a good Dark Mirror senshi?" she questioned hesitantly.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 8:59 pm
Jett reached for his drink and took a sip before nodding at her last question. "I think I could. You wouldn’t be the first, and I doubt you'll be the last. I've gotten," he shrugged, "A little stronger since the last time we met. So I might be able to help out a little more. Tell you what, you let me know when you're free and we'll do a spar. Let me see how well your fighting in hand to hand, and then we'll work on your magic. Thing is, you can use self defense without being powered up, so that's always my preferred method. Plus, it's always more satisfying to get a good hit in. But."
He shrugged once more. "We'll get you practice with both. I'll make sure you're ready, if you want to dip into that again. I'll show you around Mirrorspace, too. Fill you in on everything."
He was surprisingly casual about talking about the Dark Mirror Senshi, but there wasn't anyone around. He was confident, but he wasn't stupid.
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Posted: Mon Jun 20, 2016 9:11 pm
Aubrey nodded. "I think I could get out for a bit tonight, if you are free" she responded brushing her hair out of her face. "Not for long though, I don't want to leave my sisters alone in the house." Aubrey added.
It didn't take long for their food to arrive, into which Aubrey tore with gusto. It was good, but free was always the best spice. "I'm not even sure I remember how to power up, so we might just have to meet somewhere close to my house." she told him between bites.
"But I don't want to impose on your time, I'm sure you had plans and what not before I blew back into town unexpectedly."
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