Tonight though was a scheduled ‘work’ meeting that left not Imara but Stibnite standing under the tree canopy looking rather annoyed. The sky had decided to open up right after she got there and she was not at all amused to be standing in full uniform getting soaked. Oh she knew Dravite would have been able to find her by hunting her aura if she had gone to seek cover somewhere else in the park but frankly, it was just easier to wait it out. After all, what sane senshi or knight would be out in this weather?
Then again, she might not have wanted to know.
---
Dravite had sensed Stibnite’s aura not long after he entered the nearby vicinity,it was interesting how more potent it was when compared to the first time they had met. It was an observation he had mad back in October but pressing circumstances did not allow him time to comment, a few weeks later, when they met again in the Rift, he had been too overwhelmed by the signatures of those gathered around the General Sovereign, Zinkenite, to take notice. Nonetheless it was still an impressive amount of strength, something to be admired when not under the scrutiny of other officers.
“You know,” The lieutenant stepped out from behind one of the overgrown Rhododendrons, his chain held in one hand as if he expected unwanted visitors to suddenly appear. “If you were going to be here this early you should have moved our meeting time forward. Or at the very least waited somewhere dry until I arrived.” It would have been a simple enough task for her since she knew where he was well before he could pinpoint her location; teleporting to him would have been an easy enough task considering they have met here before.
“I just don’t want you telling your husband that I got you sick.” Dravite smirked knowing that one, he was not late to their meeting, and two, she was not the type of woman to spread false lies or pointed accusations.
---
Stibnite’s eyes shot over to glance at the man who had appeared. At first it had that womanly edge of shut up before I kick your a**. And in this form, she stood a chance to literally do so. Not so much as Imara. “Problem is when who I’m waiting for had a knack for being early. “ Stibnite shot back, that annoyed look becoming a smirk now as she walked towards him and extended a hand. “Can’t have him reporting back I am a lazy General.” Her hand touched his shoulder and she teleported all of 100ft to a covered Gazebo that had recently been emptied from the pair of humans taking cover there.
Dropping her hand, Stibnite threw back her hood and shook out her hair. “As for my husband, he’s up to his armpits in alligators.” That smile became a smirk. “I’m sure he would like to lecture an agent instead.” All joking even as she gave the white haired man a shrug.
“Anyway, I don’t want to keep you in this...mess. I was considering taking you into the Rift for a bit more of some interesting training but after recent events, I think we will hold off for now. Don’t want you getting home to a worried woman.”
---
“She seems to be doing a bit better now that I’ve signed up for a home security system.” Patrolling was not something he could really get out of so if this small gesture would give her piece of mind if he was out late then it was worth the price he paid.
Summoning his collected energy, Dravite offered the globe to Stibnite; his quota had not only been met but also exceeded for this turn in. “With the holidays I don’t expect to be able to meet the required amount. Most of my immediate family actually live in Destiny City. There are a few traditions I’m expected to participate in.” Most of them revolved around volunteering through the church, caroling and dinner with family; none of which he was opposed to doing but he knew his mother well enough that trying to explain her why he couldn’t go wouldn’t sit well with her especially since he was actually stateside this time.
“Also,” From the inside of his glove he pulled out the photo he had meant to give to Stibs back at the gym. “Her name is Vera, at least that’s what she goes by. It’s… complicated, but she’s been living with me for about half a year now.”
---
With a nod, Stibnite reached out a hand and took the energy that he offered, sending back with her own store until she could present it back in the Negaverse. “I understand better than you think. Both of us have family here and are expected to show.” Her words clearly showed how much ‘show’ was strained to say. Things had gotten difficult since her wedding and she was dreading the questions that seemed to come at every family event. Not to mention she had year end to work through for the gym.
With the energy safely stowed away, Stibs turned her attention to the photo Dravite was handing her. “Vera. I take it no last name to go with…” Her words were cut off as she glanced down at the photo. Gazing back at her was a raven haired woman about her own age with some of the most striking red eyes. She was laughing and almost looking as if she was trying to avoid the man holding the camera while enjoying it all at the same time.
“How…” Stibnite mouthed the words before her eyes flickered back up to Dravite’s face. “How long did you say she had been living with you? Around what date did she start?” Her voice had chanced. There was a bit of a rushed pace to it as she was searching his face.
---
“Since the beginning of March. I was on a hiking trip when I found her. I’m not sure how she got out there, and to be honest at first I thought it was a deer or something that got spooked when it noticed I was near.” While he had been hunting a few times in the past it wasn’t his reason for going out that day.
“She was unconscious when I found her so I took her back to my camp until she woke up.” Too far away from any cell phone tower to call for help he had no other choice but to wait at the time without knowing the extent of her injuries. Granted, if it took too long for her to come to he would have carried her back to the trailhead and just left his things but Dravite was pretty sure she appreciated having something to eat at the very least.
---
“I see. And you said Vera is what she is going by? She didn’t know who she was or is she hiding?” ” Stibnite’s words were without emotion as she looked down at the photo again. It couldn’t be...could it? His answer to that question was going to be critical.
---
“I did take her to the hospital, and they ran tests. The doctors confirmed that Vera does in fact amnesia. As someone who has been there and knows how difficult and confusing it can be I offered to let her stay with me to see if maybe something might trigger a memory or wait and see if someone would file a missing persons report that matched her description.” The expression on his face was evidence enough that neither happened in the last ten months.
“There have been a few times where she has had vague recollections but nothing really concrete.” Muscle memory had been the first, and as far as he knew, the only thing that has truly come back to her. Like the time she sat down at the piano at the mall and started playing as if she had known how to her whole life. “My cousin seemed to have recognized her but even after looking through a photo album…”
---
“Dravite, I don’t want to keep you out in the rain but please keep your phone on you when you return home. I….” How did she say this without giving away too much. Could she say it? After all she was only guessing. Without seeing the woman, without Mathias seeing her, it was all just a gut feeling. “I need to talk to Leucite and I think he is going to want to talk with you afterwards. I can’t say much at the moment but I can swear to you that if this woman is who I think it is, there is no one in the world any of us would let her enter this war.”
Shanyume
