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 Posted: Sun Jan 28, 2024 7:19 pm
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The gathering in Mirrorspace was still fairly fresh on Jett’s mind, but with everything that had happened yesterday and knowing he still had a bit to do before bed, Jett hadn’t stuck around after they’d finished straightening up.
Despite his late night, he was up early–partly because that was just business, and partly because he’d made plans to meet up with Telesto for breakfast at a quaint little cafe in the middle of town. It had the benefit of being both professional and delicious. They made a good cup of coffee, and Jett enjoyed an easy morning before work. He was going through emails and updates on his phone, only half focused on it.
It was a slow morning, thankfully.
Alexander was meeting him here, and while Jett had ordered coffee, he had yet to order a breakfast sandwich. Something of a regular here, he knew he wouldn’t have to wait long for his order–and he knew it would be good, so he was ready to recommend it when Alex got here.
Jett was dressed professionally, put together like he was ready for a board meeting.
Mostly because he did actually have an important meeting later. He wasn’t the least bit concerned about it, though; he already knew it was going to go well.
Naturally, that meant he could enjoy his breakfast chatting with a friend. Or, close enough. Telesto seemed like they were going to be a dedicated asset to the Dark Mirror Court and that meant Jett wanted to know them. Breakfast was a good start. He’d texted which table he was sitting at, just to ensure there was no confusion. Jett had arrived a bit early, but only because traffic had been good.
Now, he was just sipping at his cup of coffee and enjoying the soft jazz music and the low hum of distant chatter.
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Posted: Tue Jan 30, 2024 9:42 pm
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Alexander was a different energy than Telesto, that was easy to tell as he jogged up by the cafe window. Grey sweats and a black tank top with some simple sneakers was a far cry from the silver trimmed and gossamer outfit of Telesto. Alex carried himself in a lighter way, large form moving more languidly where Telesto had been controlled and measured with every gesture. If it wasn't for the perfectly matching warm smile displayed when Alex pushed open the door and saw Jett, the two could have been confused for strange twins rather than just the same person.
"Hey there, Jett," Alex said as he walked up to the table, extending a hand out in greeting. "Sorry if I'm a little late, got it in my head that this place was an easy jog and may have gotten a little side tracked on keeping in a straight line."
The speech difference spoke for itself, literally.
"This looks like a cool place, how long have you been keeping this gem a secret from everybody, eh?" He laughed, grinning at Jett and his own joke.
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Posted: Wed Jan 31, 2024 10:01 am
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Alexander was not what Jett had expected, but really–he should have known better than to assume.
There was no dramatic flair to his words, no archaic aristocrat persona.
Just, Alexander.
So Telesto was a persona, then?
That was fine. Everyone wore different masks. He took Alexander’s hand and shook firmly, returning the smile.
“No, not late at all. I’m glad you could make it, I hope the jog wasn’t too much.” Who had so much energy this early in the morning?
“I wouldn’t call ‘keeping this a secret’ so much as not having the opportunity to share before. But if you like this place, we’ll have to meet up more often. I’ll never run out of suggestions. If you want to order anything, the girls up front are waiting, I told them I had company today. Coffee’s pretty good.”
…If you were running low on energy. Alexander didn’t seem to be.
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Posted: Fri Feb 02, 2024 9:51 pm
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Jett was just as personable as Alexander remembered Remarque being, which was a big help for the situation he was finding himself in. Learning about the senshi as a whole had been already the ordeal, then learning the rest of it all had been another. Some things were still combobulating in his head.
"Nah, jog wasn't too bad. My apartment is just in the city center, so was a nice way to see some parts of the city I usually don't. Plus I saw some dogs along the way, and one person walking a cat, which is always a great time."
He glanced over to the counter, waving quickly at the aforementioned girls.
"Oh yeah, that'd be great. I never turn down a cup of coffee. I'm usually a night drinker, but hey the morning is good too! I'll be right back," he said with a small nod to Jett before striding over to the counter to place an order.
He'd order up a large coffee with a little bit of cream and cinnamon, and then a nice breakfast sandwich to go with it. Morning jogs meant morning breakfast sandwiches, and something sweet to add to it, as a reward. Cakepops weren't okay in the morning, surely. He had a dentist, it was fine.
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Posted: Sat Feb 03, 2024 12:13 pm
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Though Jett still had some doubt that a jog this early could be anything but horrible, he was willing to indulge what he could write off as an eccentricity. Far less than that of the person walking a cat, at least. To each their own. He was patient while Alex got his coffee, and he smiled when he returned.
When Alex was seated again, and because Jett was sure that there was a reasonable distance between them and then next occupied table, he asked, “How are you feeling today, about how last night went? I figure you’ve had a bit of time to get your thoughts in order, to figure out where you want to go from here?”
Not that Jett expected him to play host regularly, but he couldn’t help his interest in what direction Alex wanted to go in now that he had a feel for the Court.
Jett was curious by nature, of course he’d want to know if Alex got what he wanted out of the evening, and what he wanted his next steps to be.
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Posted: Tue Feb 06, 2024 10:11 pm
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Alex dropped into the seat, smiling as he unwrapped his breakfast sandwich and took a bite while Jett asked his question. His eyes briefly flicked around the room, confirming for himself that there was no one nearby enough to hear.
"Well, it kind of depends. It went great for me, given the plan was just to learn what the state of the Court was. But in the overall sense, I think it went poorly? I mean, it would've been insane to assume the party would've been everyone coming together and having a great time with no problems, but the vibe was a lot more.... disparate than unified, you know?" He shrugged gently, taking another bite and drink. "But there is promise in it all. Some of the people were willing to try the unknown games, and there were people willing to speak up about their discomfort with the unknown. Both take different kinds of courage, although there's some polish that could be applied to some... But, wars aren't won with manners, right?"
He leaned back in his seat, one hand laying over his arm while he lifted his drink up. "Going from here.... well, for a part, study up on some better party games. Apparently I wasn't great at party games in the past, or I guess they had weird ones? Ideally the memories and general sense of self will consolidate a bit more soon."
"I'd like to get to know everyone individually though, find out their unique aspects and quirks. Everyone wants something, so if we know what that is, it'll be easier to see how the Court can help. I think that's probably the first proper step to follow... Then there's a long plan after that, but that's more vague notions and punchy concepts, who knows what'll change."
He shrugged again, nodding towards Jett. "What did you think about last night?"
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Posted: Sun Feb 11, 2024 9:51 pm
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"Interesting is a good word for it," Alex said with a chuckle.
He smiled at the mention of the boys' concerns, shaking his head as if it would somehow reach the pair and dissuade the notion. "That's nice of them to worry, but them messing up can't offend me. If they mess up, it means they were trying, and that's what it's always about, you know?"
There was a genuineness and optimism in his voice as he said those things, as if that was just a simple statement of fact that was shared by the world over. The act of trying being all there was, and the result of the act being secondary, if even that. Most of that was Alex, who had just always been a hopeful person, and wanted to see people always be ready to try again. Some of it was Telesto, as the old soul awakened and settled in with the young life Alex had lived, the ancient warrior who believed every bit of training was part of the journey, and it should all be cherished.
"I'd be happy to meet with them. I think I can contact them with the mirrors, right?" He said, lowering his voice a little at the last bit. Some of the phrases for this life could make you sound just a little crazy if a passerby heard bits, and he'd rather avoid that.
"But, what about yourself, what are your big goals with the Court? I may have my own plans, but I'd say it's obvious that your plans have first priority. If they're something I can help with, anyhow."
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 12:37 am
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Jett reached for his drink while arching a brow at Alexander, but he doubted that alone could convey how much those boys could worry. If there was any space to convince themselves they were doing something wrong, they’d find it.
“You can reach them that way, yes.”
Jett had a good view of all that he needed; he’d picked a spot in the cafe that gave them space, and the means to accurately assess if it was safe to talk about certain subjects.
He was comfortable enough to speak without the pretense of riddles.
“I want to tap into its full potential. I want to find what power it's got locked away, I want to uncover all of its secrets. There’s so much in there that we don’t even know about. If you want to help, my best suggestion is to figure out how to use that power of yours, get more comfortable with it, and then head into Mirrorspace and see what you can find. No pressure, though. What plans did you have in mind?”
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Posted: Fri Feb 16, 2024 10:34 pm
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"Much the same," Alex said with a small shrug. "We need to have its full power if we are going to have a fighting chance, and I'm sure it can do a lot more than we can imagine."
"Most notably though.... From what I've been able to piece together, the other two factions have places. Physical places, here in the city, but we don't. I'd like to see that changed, to create a, for lack of better words, Hall of Mirrors in the city. A place for us to go that is not within the realm, an extension or something."
He sat back in his chair, looking to Jett with the unanswered bit of his question. He had only known about the Mirrorspace for a relatively brief time, and he was by no means well accustomed to it. He didn't know if this idea was even possible, but if anyone knew it would have to be the man sitting across from him. It would be a good first judgement of the plan, far down the road as it was.
His hand flexed, balling into a fist and unballing, as he thought on the other bit. Becoming more used to his powers... It felt strange to think about that, but part of it felt nostalgic almost. Somehow he felt like he was learning to do something for the first time, again... And then his head hurt a little, but he was getting used to that.
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Posted: Mon Feb 26, 2024 3:39 pm
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Alex shrugs, one hand drawing along his chin in thought. "It's been mostly hearsay and what little I could pick up since I've been going out, and some of it may be other stuff getting confused... But, I thought, there was like agreed meet up or hang out spots in the city they had. They may not be like official, but it's somewhere that's their space."
"Far as I can tell, there's nothing like that for us."
"And yeah, while there's some danger to having a location that can be infiltrated or targeted, there's also a safety in having that safe zone that any of ours can enter; including those who may not share our.... reflective disposition. I recall the party having a vague question or two that centered around others being brought; we're not in a zero contact situation with them, so we have to consider it."
He gestured to the building around them, shrugging again as his arms fell back to the table. "Far as I figure, they've probably got places like this. Perfectly normal locations that people go to, but then you just spruce it up with some relics or stuff to encourage those you don't like from going there."
"Except, I figure, for us in particular, we could probably use the mirrored aspect of our stuff to maybe hide the location in some clever light tricks and camouflage."
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Posted: Thu Feb 29, 2024 8:43 pm
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Jett nodded along and soaked up the information while he could. There were many different ways to approach their situation, and while he thought he knew how to keep with the times and modernize, in some aspects he knew he was still set in his ways.
“It’s possible,” he mused. “But I don’t trust a lot of hearsay. If they’ve got an official meet up spot, I don’t know of it. I see a lot of Senshi in the park, but you’re likely to find a little bit of everyone, I don’t think that space belongs to anyone, per se. Places like this,” he shrugged and admired the walls of the cafe before returning his gaze to Alex, “I wouldn’t know if the White Moon or Negaverse has any cafes they run for their own exclusive clientele. Or allies. But then, it’s probably a secret for a reason. Their space and all.”
The Dark Mirror Court might not target them if they knew civilian identity, but the Negaverse? Of course they would. What better way to kill an enemy than by slipping into their house while they slept?
“I don’t know if I’ve got any relics that I’d leave out in the open, though. But then, I keep my cards pretty close to my chest. Mirrorspace is safe. I’ve taken Senshi there before. But I think I understand your thoughts. Mirrorspace can be dangerous, and it’s not wise to take someone in there if you aren’t sure you can guarantee their safety. But,” he clicked his tongue against the roof of his mouth, “I don’t know about mirror magic and camouflage.” Maybe Leto had a better idea but there wasn’t much that came to mind for him.
Alex seemed to have great aspirations.
“It’s not quite the same, but I’ve got a good few connections in the city. I employ a few of our Court members, and I suppose it’s safe to say that there are some unspoken spaces we dominate a bit. But be careful what you put a label on or how you advertise any location you might look at setting up. You might wind up in danger. Not everyone is as chivalrous as you. I try to leave as few openings as possible. Sometimes even ‘allies’ are only playing nice to look after themselves. I’ve met people that’d throw us under the bus as soon as that was more convenient.”
If they had relics, secrets, identities–hidden, but accessible…
He had no doubt someone would try to use that against them.
But then, maybe he was just a bit more jaded than Alex.
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Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 3:59 pm
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Alex nodded along as he listened, humming or tilting his head at different times while Jett spoke. He knew Jett was the more knowledgeable of the two and had a better understanding of the situation as it was, but he couldn't fight the urges and memories of Telesto, who seemed to really love a fortress.
"Guess park would be good as anywhere for there to be a Switzerland, right? And yeah, I guess if we were sure they had places, or much less what places, then it'd be a whole other ordeal. Not much of a secret."
He nodded again. Mirrorspace was new to him, and mostly it was confusing. His interactions there so far had been fighting monsters, exploding floors, and then the party. Far as its potential, he assumed limitless and figured it was best to let it get paired down from there. Which he knew was likely given a lot of his ideas were based more on theme than logic.
"I understand if it's not really a thing, I'm just spitballing based on what I can figure mirror magic means. Guess you can call it a.... hunch, about things to have. I get the impression I've a lot of hunches like that, or well... You know." He chuckled, pointing to his head with a swirling finger.
"Yeah, no worries. I wouldn't label anything outside of Mirrorspace, for now at least. But always good to know where the places to go are in the city, in case something happens and we can't get in there. Never know when the city could have a terrible thunderstorm and bam," he said with his hands coming together and moving out like a sphere, "every mirror in the city broken. Then we're sort of especially trapped, right?"
He hadn't considered creating a space of his own, but it was certainly an idea. His apartment wasn't small, so he supposed that could work, but Jett was right about the risk of locations being known and being too close to himself. Maybe there was somewhere in the city... What part of the city wouldn't want a sudden recurring influx of people, that was always a positive, right?
"And yeah, you're right. Not everyone is going to be part of the Court, as it were, some just have the self interest to look out for. But, I guess that's kind of the burden of having a group, right? You leave yourself open to being hurt, so you can protect others from being alone."
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Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2024 7:54 pm
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“Too true,” Jett sighed. He sipped at his coffee and shrugged. “There are a lot of moving pieces to keep an eye on, that’s for sure. And people are unpredictable. And don’t always tell you what they need.”
So much of this was a guessing game. Picking the best answer and hoping it worked, and dealing with the fallout if things didn’t settle into place.
But the more they put in, the more they’d get out of it.
“I’d like to think that if we can pick up the effort to restore Mirrorspace, it might give us the means to do all that we hope to accomplish. It’s trying. But I don’t think it’s strong enough.” Yet. “You keep thinking about that idea of yours. Maybe there’s more we can do outside of just gathering energy and exploring Mirrorspace.”
Thankfully, the customers and staff had kept their distance so Jett didn’t mind keeping on with this conversation. Public as it was, they were careful about it. Truthfully, he couldn’t imagine trying to set up an undercover meeting place, not with how sneaky the Negaverse was. It seemed like a lot of stress, but he already had a lot on his plate. Maybe someone else had a better plan and was more equipped for it. He could support them, but he had a surplus of concerns he’d have to have addressed, first.
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