Kaoru walked into her room and collapsed heavily into the ergonomic chair in front of her desk. Dinner had been...awkward. As it nearly always was. God, she just wished her mom would get over this whole "I need to be around to help you through this relocation" thing she had going on. She could hear the strain in her voice from having to be a consultant but being stuck at home. As she had just learned, communicating remotely was kind of a b@#$%. As were timezone differences. And given the weird hours her mom had been keeping to deal with time differences, she was basically just living in the worst of both worlds; the odd hours meant she couldn't really count as being "here" and she had to put up with the pains of working with a team that was often, at best, on the other side of the country. She just wished her mom would go back to her normal schedule. At least then she'd have free range of the house and wouldn't have to worry about sneaking in or out. And it wasn't exactly like she wasn't used to being alone for long stretches of time. Even if she could no longer just pop over to Chloe's house whenever she was feeling lonely.
She shook her head. Whatever. She had her video search for the people putting up posters was now running remotely (password and two-factor authentication protected, of course)*. Which meant it was time to start looking into what she could find about Duncan. And unfortunately, her best bet was to start by finding out about Shaun's family. Joy.
*****
With an aggravated groan, Kaoru slammed her forehead into her desk. She then repeated the gesture for good measure. Hours of searching and what did she have to show for it? Some bullshit details about the wee lil' laddie's wannabe websites. Shaun had been a terrible place to start. There just wasn't anything there! All she really had were some old photos, very out of date photos (worthless since she could easily make a more accurate image by aging and modifying Shaun's school photo) and the fact that he had disappeared in 2005. And what really sucked? She totally knew how to create awesome fake IDs and to spot inconsistencies in them. But the way they worked is they relied on the fact that there were millions of people in the US. So unless she had a specific ID to examine (she didn't) or she wanted to search through every citizen of the country (which would only take, what? Decades?), she had nowhere to go. She'd hit a dead end. Fk. Her time would have been better spent trying to figure out her feelings for Alexandra...
Wait! Hadn't Alexandra said she was a PI? Isn't this, like, exactly what PIs did? Well, this and tell people that their SO was cheating on them. And background checks. She pulled out her phone to text Alexandra but hesitated. Should she actually involve her? Duncan had some serious cash to throw about, which typically meant he had access to other resources. She might be putting Alexandra in danger by involving her in her research. But...was it any more dangerous that her being the Silver Shadow and Duncan doing...whatever the hell he was doing that seemed to involve getting in the way of hero matters? Except just asking for information (and maybe a gadget) wasn't really getting her "involved" really. So that should be pretty safe, right? She quickly typed out her message.
> Hey, hypothetically, if someone assumed a new identity, do you think you'd be able to find what their new identity was?
> Like, what sort of things would you look for to find it?
> Also, are you feeling better after Cassie's healing?
> Sorry, I didn't know you got hurt. :-/
> Oh, also, what kind of specs do your trackers have?
> I'm looking for something inconspicuous that lets out intermittent bursts instead of a constant signal to make it harder to detect. Do you have anything like that?
She glanced at the clock. She probably had a little bit of time for some further upgrades to her communicator before she went to bed. Setting it to block messages coming in on specific signals would be pretty trivial. And given how standard RSA was, that should be pretty easy to add. Though that would be useless if the other communicators weren't also using the same protocols. Creating a way to broadcast to only a subset of frequencies rather than using the All Team channel or anybody's individual channel would likely need more thought and have to wait. But she could at least do that first thing and set her communicator up to be ready to use RSA encryption if that was relevant. She could also then have the code ready to go and upload it on to people's communicator when she saw them at school tomorrow. She stood up to briefly stretch before getting back to work.
Shayera can hear the muffled conversation between Bronwyn and Alexis, but decides not to focus her attention to actually eavesdrop. She'd been insistent on keeping secrets, so she decides to let them have their privacy. Besides, she knew Bronwyn would let her know if there was something important to the team that she needed to know.
She goes to the restaurant owner to settle the bill for the pizzas and the use of the room, then glances over to Alexandra and Cassie working on her healing spell. She arranges the leftover pizzas in boxes and tries to send them on with her teammates headed to places other than her apartment, since she wasn't going to fly with a stack of pizza boxes in her hands.
It's fine, Cass Alexandra says Just means I'll take it easy on patrol the next few nights She says.
She watches the others start their own dramas, and leaves quietly, taking scraps with her.
... She completely undermined me. we got the hostages, but the conspiracy got away. Priorities, I guess.
She made the right call. Ambassador was too important. Her father said, taking a large bite of pizza. he finished chewing and swallowed before finishing. that conspiracy might hurt a lot of people when they got away.... but a diplomatic incident could cause even bigger problems.
What? that's....
That's reality, Xan. Sometimes, you need to step back, and see the bigger picture. Wingblade was, you weren't. he said. And, Besides, you made a number of tactical errors. You should have been more active on the battlefield. You messed up.
Alexandra's eyes were downcast as she nodded Okay.... sorry.
>Well.... depends what they assumed a new identity for.
>If you can hack any databases, look for activity from >60 year olds.
>assuming the identity of someone whose death was never reported is pretty easy. but if they just got a new ID in a new name... look for stuff the person would be doing. Easy to get lost in the system, but an ID is only as safe as a person is careful.
Alexis seemed to be mollified by that, as he calmed down. "...okay. But Alexandra is gone," He points out, noticing her absence. "...So I think the only one I could stay with for the night is you. Can we go to your house?" He asks Bronwyn.
From the far side of a dumpster, there's a sigh as Shaun stands up and walks over to the duo, a hand desperately brushing the last few tears off his face. "Okay, enough. I can't listen to this anymore. Bron, ye' got a piece of paper?" He pauses as he takes the two of them in. "...look I swear I'm not tryin'ta' snoop on ye's, a'ight? I was alreay here when ye' came in. Just gimme ta' damn paper."
Bracing the writing material on the alley wall, Shaun takes out a Sharpie and scratches down an address. As he hands it to Alexis, he raises a warning finger. "Go over ta' wall on ta' west side, walk through ta' yard till ye'see ta' two-story Victorian. Climb ta' gutter to the second story window. Don't make a sound, sorry for all ta' blood stains, an' f'ta' love of God don't touch my shit."
Alexandra stops heading out, as Bronwyn motions to get her attention Hey, B, what's up? She says, readying a barb if they were about to resume trading such
Bronwyn blinked, "Did you think I didn't know you were there? I just figured you didn't want to stand up. But no, I'm not going to let either of you sleep on the streets."
"So yeah, Alexandra, can you put Shaun and Alexis up for the night? Shayera needs some privacy for tonight and she will never ask for it. Please?"
She turned back to Alexis to explain. "Alexis... I'd be happy to have you stay with me, but right now I'm actually staying with a friend of mine while I'm... While I'm not at home. And I wouldn't want to presume on my friend's mom's hospitality. Especially cause she doesn't know anything about super-stuff"
She looks back at Alexandra. "Please?"
Oh f#+$ me... we need to set u a few safe-houses.... She says Okay Chateau de Walker is open for the night.... one of them can take the couch, and the basement is furnished.
She turns to Shaun and Alexis. Okay, so I guess you guys are staying at mine tonight. expct questions.... don't expect to get away with lying or Bullshitting. Expect Gill to cozy up to you, expect Lily to avoid you if she knows you're super.... Gods, I don't know how mum will react. She says.
Any questions?
Focussed on her magic, Cassie failed to note the other members of the team leave, only noticing their absence after the spell's failure. Shrugging, she'd tidied up her equipment and then slipped out into the alley, finding Alexis, Bron, Alexandra and Shaun in a discussion about something or other...
If he'd been in a better state of mind, Shaun probably would have taken issue with being shunted about like a lost piece of luggage at the airport, but at this point he was still too emotionally tired to care. "Does just shuttin'ta' f~#! up n' goin'ta's sleep count as B.S.?"
Some small part of him was kind of excited though. It wasn't just every day that you got (forcibly) invited to a famous cape's house. I wouldn't be surprised if they live in a black-and-white detective office.
Shayera finishes with closing out the check and comes back into the main room to find it empty. Her mouth twists as she thinks about everyone leaving ahead of her. And I thought Alexis needed clothes? Maybe sh-- he decided to go with Shaun?
Even the pizza boxes were cleared out. She throws her hands up. "Okay, I guess I'll fly on home and see everyone there," she tells the empty room. She steps outside and launches herself into the air.
Shayera races home at her top speed. Part of the reason was simply to cut loose; she almost always had to hold back whenever there was a fight, so pushing herself to fly at her top speed was cathartic. The other reason was to get a head start on her report before the inevitable chaos of having Shaun, Alexis, Kaoru, and likely Cassie and maybe Alexandra all within the same living space.
She lands hard on the balcony and with a few voice commands has Abacus up and active. She starts dictating her report while she undresses and takes a quick shower.
For dad... yeah, he'd get it. But mum might want to know about the boy I bring home.... She rolls her eyes. And I doubt I can convince her you and I aren't.... Sorry.
A few minutes later, Abacus gently announced an impending elevator car. But when the elevator doors slide open, instead of the whole team spilling out, only Bronwyn walks into the apartment, hands fidgeting, and a guilty smile flickering across her face. "Hi. Umm... Don't be mad."
Shayera's hair is wrapped in a towel while the rest of her is wearing light pink Chinese-style silk pyjamas as she steps out of her bedroom and freezes when she sees Bronwyn. "Abacus, save progress." She reaches up and pulls the towel off her head, letting her damp hair fall over her shoulders. "Um, why would I be mad? It's just... I thought you didn't want to come over... that often, I mean."
"No I do, I just- That's not the point. The point is... I, umm, no one else is coming over tonight. And..." Bronwyn swallowed, hard, but managed to keep from looking away, "...you're going to do your homework," her resolve broke and her eyes drifted down to Shayera's feet. "And I'm here to help."
The usual defiance starts to rise. "No, it's fine it's--" she says reflexively. But it suddenly catches up to her how big a step Bronwyn was taking in this. Her eyes go wide, and her stomach immediately clenches in a strange and autonomous reaction. "I, uh..." she starts without any idea of what she was going to say. Suddenly the penthouse apartment felt really big and the distance between her and Bronwyn felt magnified. Some instinct to start talking about anything but seized her, but she shoos it away. She nods wordlessly.
Bronwyn breaks the silence first. "Okay. So umm... Do you think we could... watch a movie or something? Like... a comedy? And just snuggle on the couch for a bit?" Finally her smile came back, "I think we'd both be too nervous to just... dive right in start. Right?"
Shayera grabs a fistful of her hair and shakes it out to get it drying faster while her cheeks redden. "Yeah, we could do that, I guess. But if you'd like to get it out of the way, I don't mind starting now. You know. Then we could relax and enjoy the evening?"
"Shayera, that's exactly what we're going to do. We're going to relax and enjoy the evening. Your 'homework should be a part of that."
Shayera looks uncertain. She twists the damp towel in her hands. What if nothing happens, with her? What if I'm--? She lets the towel drop to the floor and wipes her hands on her pyjama bottoms. "Okay. Let's, um, do that. You said watch a movie? Do you want any popcorn? Or, wait. I'm going to shut up and follow your lead." She takes an unconscious step back.
She couldn't help it; as soon as Shayera stepped back out of fear, Bronwyn rushed forward to embrace her girlfriend like there had been a string tied between them. "Hey. I love you. This is still something you want to do right? You want to find out about this part of you? That's all we're doing. There can't be a wrong answer here. But tonight is all about making you feel comfortable with yourself. So, do you want popcorn?"
Shayera doesn't move when Bronwyn takes her into a full hug. She just leans her head on her shoulder and breathes in all the scents of her girlfriend. Her arms slowly come to life and start to return the embrace. Her muffled voice replies, "No, I don't want popcorn."
"Me either. Do you actually want to watch a movie?" Bronwyn realizes Shayera's face is buried in her still-damp-from pond-water clothes. "Or do you want me to take a shower?"
She looks up with a slight smile. "You're probably dying for one, huh? Let's skip the movie. You can use my shower."
So,.. Alexis and Shaun are staying with Alexis tonight? Ok, good. Good that Alexis didn't remember that I said she could crash at Gabrielle's if she wanted.. Or did he remember and doesn't want to? Cassie wasn't sure how she felt about Alexis' change. The whole thing was confusing. She felt, what? Tricked? Violated? Taken advantage of? It probably wasn't reasonable but the fact that she was now a he changed things, and she wasn't sure she'd have been comfortable with him staying where she was, even just on the couch or whatever. Especially since Gabrielle would probably assume they were a thing or something. Whatever she felt though, she had to keep Alexis on side. He was probably the best bet for a protector... Strong, tough and probably easier than the others to manipulate. It didn't matter how it felt she had to deal with it.
"Well I'm heading back to my place." she announced. "I'll see you guys at school?" she paused. "By the way Shaun, I didn't have time earlier, but I've got that charm ready whenever you want... The one so that you don't have to spend hours on your makeup? All I need to do is key it to you and the ink or whatever and the pattern. When you're ready, get painted up and give me a call and we can finish it off."
Kaoru was just about done with her communicator upgrades when her phone buzzed with Alexandra's messages.
> Hmmm, aren't most new identities created to try to get away from the old one?
> Or, I guess, if that's not the case, what if it's for a job? Like some kind of black ops thing?
> Though I'm pretty sure there are millions of people age > 60 in the US.
> But I suppose millions is still less than hundreds of millions.
> And is that a "no, you cannot have a tracker" ? ;-P
> Oh, also, we should meet up at school tomorrow. I want to try upgrading the security on comms since you were worried about it.
She typed in the last few keystrokes, carefully pulled out her communicator, and hooked it up to her computer to start installing the new upgrades. While that was going on, she started heading towards the shower. As she was pulling her shirt over her head, she remembered her torn, bloody shirt still sitting in her bag. Crap, she needed to wash that. Or...was there even a point? She had ripped one sleeve off, so she wasn't sure it was salvageable, even if she did clean it. Maybe she could turn it into a vest? Damnit, she had liked that shirt. And it, along with most of her wardrobe, was practically brand new. Ughhh. Whatever. She would soak it after her shower and figure out what to do with it later.
Alexis looks perhaps relieved and a little worried as the plans were made, and he was situated to stay with Alexandra's family at their home. He hoped that there was enough room, especially with Shaun also coming with them. Though he filed away the instructions for finding Shaun's place in his pocket. That might be useful for later.
He looked over at Cassie, smiling at her and nodding. "You won't see me at school. Not tomorrow," He points out to her. He vaguely recalled that she'd invited him to stay with her where she was at before, but since Bronwyn was acting weird about him staying with Shayera, he assumed there would be some kind of weirdness between them if he stayed with Cassie.
He did take a short moment to get Bronwyn's ear. "Can you get one of my extra phones for me? I'll come see you after school to get it," He told her.
"Hello! I am Alexis," He introduces himself to the other people in the household. It was surprisingly normal for a place that had created someone like Alexandra. Like how he imagined a family home must be like. "I work with your daughter. I apologize for my intrusion, and I am happy to be hosted for tonight. Your daughter is...uh...she is not mean to me," He decided on that compliment, before reaching out and grabbing both Shaun and Alexandra in one armed hugs - that were like steel bars keeping them close. "We are very friendly! And normal. We are all very, very normal!'
Its not until the very early hours of the morning before the search seems to have a hit. Bringing up the video clip, it appears that Kaoru has a small frame taken from the security footage from a franchise convenience store taken around Rustside four days ago at eleven in the morning. It's a single still that shows a figure in a black jacket holding up one of the posters that he's putting up on the wall. His face isn't visible, but she can see he has short buzzed hair and is probably less than five-six that she can tell.
None of the other frames of footage show him at all from any of the other camera angles. She knows that Rustside is one of the more dangerous places in Halcyon to wander around, where people are poor and desperate at times. She has the address of this particular store if she wanted to go and investigate.
>No, it was a "My brain is fried from shepherding Shaun and Alexis". They're RFID. Could probably mod it that way, if you wanted to.
>Look, if someone up and disappeared, you either hope for a tip, or look for them where they would be. if they wrestled, check local wrestling clubs. If they disappeared well enough, it takes a lot to find them.
>Also, yeah, millions, but if you used an algorithm to look for resumption of activity after a 6 month or more gap.... probably could get a smaller candidate pool.
>Who are you after, anyway?
Stephen walker is standing at the counter, Chopping vegetables and chatting amiable with Genevieve, a dark haired and skinned woman, probably 15 years younger than him. She is stirring a spicy smelling mix in the bottom of a cook pot. Smells like Thai food.
Xan, I wish I had known we would have two more for dinner. Genevieve says. Who are your friends?
At Alexis' reply, Genevieve gets a more confused look on her face, and Stephen's Cold blue eyes bore into Alexis for a moment.
Sorry, but we're the boardinghouse tonight. Gotta let Wing and Bron have the house to themselves... She says And alexis, they know I'm a superhero. Dad used to be one, Gill labours under the delusion that she may one day be one-
I heard that, Xan! A voice comes from the living room
So, you needn't lie. also, we need to teach you how to lie.
Kaoru finished her shower, setting her bloodstained shirt to soak overnight as she toweled her short hair dry. Man, I can't believe it took me this long to cut it. Long hair is *such* a hassle. Why do people put up with it? She checked her phone, quickly shooting off a reply to Alexandra.
> Isn't RFID kinda short range?
> And how'd you manage to get stuck with both of them? I mean, Shaun's got a dad; why isn't he with him?
> Should probably keep that in mind if he gets to be too obnoxious and you want to kick him out.
> And remember when I mentioned running into a Shaun clone last weekend? He was at the park today.
> I've got some ideas of what he's into. Just won't have time to look into it until maybe this weekend at the earliest.
Unless Alexandra had modded the trackers, she'd probably have to buy something online. Bit of a pain, but she probably wasn't going to have a chance to enact that part of her plan for a while anyway. She yawned as she quickly changed into some PJs. It had been a long day. It was probably time to get some rest.
"Xan?" Alexis asks, curious about the nickname they were giving Alexandra. It seemed to suit her. It was also easier to say. He let both her and Shaun go for the moment, looking at what was being cooked and feeling hungry again, as he approached the pot. "What is this?"
"Thai Curry," Genevieve tells him, smiling as she leans close to whisper. "So, are you together?" She asks.
Alexis tilts his head. "We are on the same team together." He replied. Genevieve shook her head and attended her cooking some more. "I'll get it out of her later," She comments offhand, before Stephen comes closer.
Alexis feels himself being scrutinized quite a bit by the former vigilante. Stephen scratches his chin softly and sniffs the air before speaking to him. "You smoke?" He asked. Alexis shook his head negatively, and Stephen raised a brow. "Hmm. Well, if you need a shower, you can use the master bathroom. Shaun too," He told them, clapping Alexis on the shoulder, noting his strength before leaving Alexis be.
Alexis decided that getting clean would be nice, so he wanders out to the living room, where a smaller looking version of Alexandra steps up to him, looking eager. "Wow, you're pretty tall! You must do a lot of training. I'm Gill, and I'm going to be a Shadow too. You need help?"
"Master bathroom," He requested.
"I'll show you where to go. Hey Xan, stealing your boyfriend and getting him cleaned up," She shouts at her sister, ushering Alexis to the master bedroom and the adjacent bathroom to clean up.
After showering, he put on the same change of clothes, seeing that he didn't have anything else to wear. He did wonder about the Walkers, and if their family life was really this nice all the time...
Wow. This shower is crazy nice. Big too. I guess she'd need that with her wings. Bronwyn fiddled with the display, feeling very weird about talking to Abacus about bathroom stuff, getting the temperature just right, and setting the pressure to something not much less than a power washer. Oh my God! As she went in search of assorted cleansers she'd found them, a small cache of shampoos, body washes, conditioners, and towards the back, sealed bottles of everything Bronwyn normally used. How long did she spend sniffing all this out? She's never just asked me so- Oh! She got that Tropical Passion shampoo! I've barely worn that since... since we first met.
She sat there for a moment, before shaking the moment off and heading into the walk in shower. If anyone ever asks me if I've cried over a bottle of shampoo, I am Going to lie.
After a luxurious shower that left her missing her long hair for the first time in a while, she finally shut off the water. Should I shave? Or moisturize? No I'm fine, no stalling.
Then a knock at the door sent her scrambling for a towel. "Just a second!"
The door opened a crack and Shayera called through it, "Would you like a robe? I've got, well, a couple in your size. They're really pretty too. Or some yoga pants, if that's what you want."
Bronwyn visibly calmed herself down and walked over to poke her head through the crack in the door. "A robe sounds great."
A bit of a smile starts to form on Shayera's lips. "Okay." Shayera slips away, and heads straight to the closet. She beelines into one specific corner where there's a small selection of silky floor-length robes and a couple heavier ones of flannel. Shayera pulls a couple off the rack and spins, holding them up to match Bron's height before heading back to pass them through the door. "This one kind of matches what I'm wearing. And I like the dark blue in this one," She suddenly shakes her head at what she's doing. "Sorry. Just, like, go with either one." She leaves Bronwyn to choose as she returns to the cavernous bedroom.
Bronwyn gratefully closed the door and walked over to the mirror to hang up her towel and make her choice.
What am I doing?! Mom would kill me if she knew I was standing in someone's bathroom about to go out there in just a robe - like, Only a robe.
Okay. Okay. You're just helping her. Your robe is staying on, and tightly belted. You're just going to make sure she's comfortable. Then you can... she abruptly realized she had no idea how long she'd been standing there staring at robes, trying not to think about if Shayera was wearing anything under her robe. But it's been long enough that I'm cold. "First thing's first. Blue."
Bronwyn comes out of the bathroom in the robe of midnight blue, lightly speckled with pale flowers. "So. I was going to suggest that you have a nice long bath, but... I mean your hair is literally still wet too. so what would feel most relaxing for you right now? I could give you a massage? We could just snuggle up? Or if there's anything else..." A calm that really was there somewhere deep beneath all her nerves shone in her eyes. "Whatever's going to help."
"By the way Shaun, I didn't have time earlier, but I've got that charm ready whenever you want... The one so that you don't have to spend hours on your makeup? All I need to do is key it to you and the ink or whatever and the pattern. When you're ready, get painted up and give me a call and we can finish it off."
Shaun gave the mage a quick half-smile. "Thanks Cass. I'll get in touch over ta' weekend."
- - -
"We are very friendly! And normal. We are all very, very normal!'
With the most deadpan look he can muster, Shaun turns to face Alexis. "Subtle. Real sneaky-like. They'll never know."
He had figured that Alexandra had been telling her family everything about the team. It wasn't exactly like she'd be able to hide anything from them anyway. Her dad was the Silver Shadow after all, and who even knew how much training the rest of her family had gotten. Which wasn't especially good for him either, given how much Alexandra loved digging up his secrets. Just act casual and get to bed ASAP. Don't talk more than you need to, and try to forget that one of the most accomplished non-powered capes is literally six feet away from you...and looking like a dad from a 60s sitcom...
He gives a half-assed wave to the parents. "Evenin' sir, ma'am. I'm Shaun, an' I'd appreciate bein' pointed in ta' direction of ta' couch. Had a long-ass day t'day n'..."
He stalled out as he realized both of the Walker parents were giving him x-ray stares.
What the f!@~? What'd I-?...OH SHIT THE ACCENT! "U-Uh..." F&*+! I can't just turn it off right now! Alexis is here, who knows how she'll react!...er, damnit, HE! Jesus Christ this is going south fast... "Yea', so, I'm, uh, I'm gonna go say hi ta' Gill..." He falls in step with Alexis and tries to pretend that he isn't already found out.
As Gill chats briefly with Alexis, Shaun leans out from behind the taller (such bullshit) boy and gives a small wave. "Hey Gill."
"Hey hero. Having fun managing your fan club?"
The Scotsman rubs the back of his head. "Uh, y'know what? Been kinda busy w'ta' whole Waterfront Park thin'."
"I saw. There was a breakdown of the fight on the news. Didn't see you though."
"Yea', I was a little busy almost getting stung by an octopus."
"...jellyfish."
"What?"
"Jellyfish sting. Poisonous octopi bite."
Shaun blinked, then laughed. "Whatever kid. Just go make sure Lex doesn't accident'ly rip your plumbin' out."
As Shaun's teammate and Gill hike up the stairs, a hand comes down hard on the redhead's shoulder. "GYAH! Mother'a God don't f~&~in' do that Al-!" He stops short when he turns to find himself face to face with Stephen. ...OH F&~! ME.
"You can keep it even if you're surprised. Impressive, but not perfect." He gives a pat that, in any other circumstance, would have been reassuring. "Let's talk."
As you begin to shower, a few moments after you step in, LAexis, you hear a voice ask you. So, you're 'Lex. Gillian says. From the way Shaun talked about you.... and Xan's notes, I would have sworn you were a girl. and last time you showed up on TV, you were a bit shorter.
So, What's going on there?
Alexis blinked and considered what to say. Alexandra had said they all knew about her hero work, and by extension they also knew about Alexis in some capacity, but not much about his powers. He didn't see anything wrong with telling her about it, scrubbing his skin free of the scent of smoke.
"I died. When I die, I come back. I'm different, but still Alexis." He explained it to her as simply as he could, hoping that would sate the younger Walker's curiosity. He didn't want to seem ignorant of his own abilities in front of her.
Shayera had wandered from one side of the bed to the other, trying to decide if she should be in the bed before Bronwyn returned or if that would be too obvious. Obvious? What am I thinking? I'm just... it's just homework. It's an assignment. And she's helping because... Her train of thought is interrupted when Bronwyn appears. She turns and smiles a bit when she sees that she'd chosen the blue one. She thought back to when she bought it and how she thought it'd look on Bron. It had sparked her imagination, the two of them sitting close and painting each other's toenails. She blinks at the idea and holds up a finger. She hurries over to her vanity and selects a couple matching shades of polish and quickly returns. "Here. We're relaxing, right? This is something I've wanted to do with you."
A slow smile spread across Bronwyn's face "Sounds fun!"Even though I'm going to chip that into oblivion in 24-hours flat. Unceremoniously she plopped down on the ground near the bed's edge and patted for Shayera to sit. "Okay, gimme your toes." She spread on the polish in thin, even coats for a few toes, resisting the urge to start tickling Shayera instead. Once she was done she stayed put though, reaching up to firmly keep Shayera in place when she started to rise.
Gently she worked her fingers along the arches of Shayera's feet. "They still need time to dry." Looking up into her girlfriend's eyes with a cheeky grin she added. "I'm not gonna let you undo my good work that fast!"
Shayera relaxes her wings that had her propped up in a reclining position and drops down to lay flat while Bronwyn rubs her feet. It was similar to the pedicure she'd had with Portia and the others, but definitely more intimate. She closes her eyes and lets her girlfriend work on her feet, though from time to time her eyes flutter open to see the color dotting the tips of her toes and Bronwyn just behind them.
When Bronwyn tells her to stay put, Shayera relaxes again, staring up at the ceiling. "Okay, fine! How long before they're dry?"
umm... Like... At leeeaaast ten minutes? Just lean back and enjoy. I'm not going anywhere."
"I'm leaning back! I'm all the way back!" Shayera giggles, closing her eyes as she shimmies on her bed to move closer to the middle.
Bronwyn scrambled up after her. You are going to get nail polish all over your sheets!"
"I'm being careful! Besides, what else am I going to do for ten minutes?" she says, peeking out of her mostly-closed eyes.
Bronwyn settles herself in a kneeling position across Shayera's legs and slowly leans down to kiss her. "Do I have to sit here to make sure they dry?"
Shayera reaches up and locks her arms around the back of Bronwyn's neck when she leans over. "I think you're overly concerned about my sheets. I go through, like, a lot, you know." Her wings, spread flat like a broad fan on either side of her, slide out a bit more.
With one hand Bronwyn reached out to carefully stroke Shayera's feathers. "Fine," she murmured, lips barely brushing against Shayera's. [B]"Then if we're not waiting for your toes, what are we doing?"
The smile on Shayera's face falters a bit. "Um, I guess... you were gonna... help me with something?" Her arms fall to lay against her sides, freeing Bronwyn if she wanted to get up. Her eyes open partway, and she looks at her girlfriend through her lashes.
"Okay. Umm... Well, she's thinking about it while we're kissing... "So... She reaches down, fumbling a bit as she tugs at the sash of Shayera's robe. "Just keep your eyes closed if you want. she takes Shayera's hand in hers. "Really, Shayera. I'm here, we're here." Carefully she places their hands on the slight curve of Shayera's stomach. Just... Whatever feels right."
Shayera nods, closing her eyes once again. She puts her hand over top Bronwyn's for a moment like she was going to move it, but she lets go. She drapes one elbow over her eyes while her other hand strays below her navel. She takes a couple slow, deep breaths. "Okay."
This isn't what I was supposed to do. I was just going to help her get comfortable and leave. But she needs me. [smaller]"Okay. Just... Just listen to me, okay? Don't worry about our hands, just... Think about your favorite smell Something that makes you feel safe and relaxed and cozy. Whatever happens happens. We're just..." Her voice caught just before she let out a quiet groan. "We're just finding out what that might be. Nothing needs to happen. You've already got me."
Shayera drew in several centering breaths, focusing on Bronwyn's hand on her stomach. She considers the pressure exerted on her, and how it wasn't a threat if she needed to rise to her feet quickly. The voice above her registered stress, which set her on edge, but it did not signify an impending attack. She breathed in again and exhaled slowly. I've already got her, she thinks, trying to push aside her instincts. What does that mean, exactly? Oh, right. No stress. She tries to bring herself into focus.
A helicopter beat the air as it passed by the penthouse. Distant sirens sounded in the streets below. She could tell the skyrail was passing by her building. The thrum of the medical and chemical lab equipment sent vibrations through the apartment. She feels her own heartbeat and the functions of her body. The presence of Bronwyn's hand is a burning reminder of what she's supposed to be doing. The homework. What is it I like? What does my body tell me?
After several more minutes, Shayera shifts her arm so she can peek up at Bronwyn. "You okay? I'm sorry this is taking a while. I've usually given up by now."
Bronwyn was clearly flushed, but her voice was gentle. "I'm fine, sweetie. Where did you go there?"
Shayera sits up briefly to move her wings to one side to clear the other in case Bronwyn would want to lie next to her. She shrugs. "Nowhere, really. Just... tried to listen to my body, like I was told. And I hear everything else."
Bronwyn followed the implied invitation, and put her arm around Shayera as she lay down "So umm did you feel good at the start when we were kissing, and then just... I dunno, listen to everything else too much? I've just .. I've seen when something has all of your attention. I've seen when I have all of it and... I know that wasn't it."
Furrowing her brow, Shayera meets Bronwyn's eyes. "Um, was I supposed to focus on you? I thought... I mean, my homework... It's 'me' time, right?"
This is why you're not supposed to do this. How is this supposed to have anything to do with... She hadn't meant to say that, but... it was out. "I mean, yeah, it's 'me-time,' I guess, but, but the whole point of your homework, heck the whole point of making love at all is because of the Love part!
"Shayera... Look if you're tired, or you've just tried enough, or you want a break or... I mean I can just go for now, and you don't have to, of course you don't have to! But... but if you wanted to try again... If you did try, try for us. Don't just think about your body - you're so much more than that!
"Think about what makes you feel happy and safe and loved. Think about the way you get squishy inside when you see me in a pretty dress. Think about... how I smell right after a run, or focus on my shampoo - whatever! Just... just think about us!"
Bronwyn wiped the back of her hand across her face. "I'm sorry. I really do mean it. If nothing happens, nothing happens. You have me and I'm not going anywhere, but... I don't care about your homework, I don't care if you masturbate Shayera, I just want to know if when we get married we'll... we'll be able to really be together that way."
Shayera stares at Bronwyn, wide-eyed. She was right. She just tried the same old way she'd done her "self exploration" these last few weeks. She barely even acknowledged Bronwyn was present. But she was here. Her girlfriend was here. Shouldn't that make a difference?
She reaches out and takes Bronwyn's hand in hers, giving it a squeeze. "I-- you're right. I just... ignored you." She shifts her position so she's laying next to Bronwyn and stuffs a pillow under her head so it's propped up and looking straight into her eyes.
Shayera guides Bronwyn's hand back to her own hip, so they're no longer touching, though they're lying so close to each other Shayera can feel her warmth and breath. One hand is under her pillow, but her other is resting just above her waist.
Bronwyn didn't say anything. I kinda said too much... She just looked in Shayera's eyes. I know you never promised things would be easy, but... God? She loves me so much. Even if she can't... Please. Just help her a little. Help her find peace.
Shayera drinks her in. She studies every feature, every facet. Starting with Bronwyn's large, expressive eyes, she examines the deep chocolate brown irises with flecks of gold and amber that sparkle and give her eyes an inner light. She studies her long lashes and her eyelids, made more pronounced with the vestiges of the coppery shadow that survived the recent shower. She follows the arch of her eyebrows to her forehead mostly hidden by the wild locks of Bronwyn's hair still damp and smelling sweetly of her favorite shampoo. Shayera's focus moves to the slight angle of Bronwyn's cheekbones, and to the smooth contours of her jawline. Then her attention is drawn to her full, soft lips, pressed together just a bit with worry and concern.
Shayera's focus diffuses so she takes in Bronwyn's full face as her hand finally moves. She doesn't close her eyes; doesn't try to feel her own body. She thinks on Bronwyn, noticing the slight rise in temperature coinciding with the color blooming in her cheeks. She wants to marry me. She wants to be with me. I can almost feel in her what I should be feeling. Shayera bites her lip, but keeps her focus and attention on Bronwyn.
Heat blazes in Bronwyn's eyes as Shayera bites her lip, but she stays still. Her breathing gets a little faster, her face a little warmer, but she stays still, falling into the intensity of Shayera's gaze.
Shayera tries to block out the input her other senses are feeding her, focusing only on the scent and sight of Bronwyn. She inhales deeply and the subtle nuances of Bronwyn's scent fills her mind. The sensations from her body are nagging and distracting, so she pushes them away. She lives in the sensations she is drawing from Bronwyn -- the rising heartbeat, her sweat, her pulse, her breathing, the mix of hormones and arousal. If only she could show her. Show me. Could you just--?
Shayera snaps out of it and rolls over, adjusting her pyjamas. "Sorry! You'll get in trouble for this. I'm breaking your rules."
"Don't stop. You're almost there."
Shayera sits up and turns her waist so she's facing Bronwyn. "I wasn't... I need you to-- But no, you can't. Sorry."
Bronwyn's stomach was squirming. Of course I'd never do that for me, but... "I could-" Shayera shakes her head. With her other hand, she reaches over and gently touches Bronwyn's cheek. "I won't let you cross your line. I love you too much to let you do something you'll regret."
"Well I wasn't going to-!" A mote of alarm sparkled in Bronwyn's eye, her mouth hanging half open as she struggled to put the tangle of her thoughts into words, "I just wanted you to... But you umm... You were...? That helped, right?"
Shayera leans over and kisses her on her forehead while inhaling all her mixed scents. It was a pleasant, heady cocktail that made her brain dance. "Yeah. You helped. I can feel you, um, or smell -- damn, there just aren't words -- it's like there's these little bubbles floating off you, and they're sweet and spicy and kind of intoxicating... Anyway, that's probably a no-no for you, right?"
"Well it's... It's not wrong to be... turned on. I'm just supposed to- It's just a good thing to do to wait for right person and-" Abruptly tears filled Bronwyn's eyes and she lay her head on Shayera's shoulder, the top of her head resting against the cool metal of her wing. "You know I meant it right? About us getting- about you being my wife?"
Shayera hugs her, letting one hand rub up and down Bronwyn's back while her other hand twines her fingers through her hair. "I know," she whispers, thinking on the idea that seemed so far away that it felt unreal, yet here, together, she could envision the two of them eloping that evening.
"But we can't." Bronwyn jerked her head around so she could see Shayera's face. "I mean not right now! We totally can, just..l- later." Bran-fate be damned. I am going to live long enough to marry her.
Shayera pulls back with her head cocked to the side and looks at her with a wry grin. "You have to wear a dress too, you know."
Bronwyn put on a mask of annoyance, "Have to? We're not even engaged and you're talking about 'Have to's?!" She reached her hand up to tangle in Shayera's hair and gently brought her down to the bed.
"Of course it's a 'have to.' Otherwise, I might just say no." Shayera's grin spreads to a full, bright smile.
"Well joke's on you. 'Cause when we get married and I get to wear a dress - it's going to be so dang beautiful you're gonna forget how the vows go."
Shayera giggles despite herself and bites a nail as she looks Bronwyn up and down. "Okay. Deal." She reaches around Bronwyn's waist and pulls her in close. "So, it's time for relaxing and snuggling, right?"
"Sounds perfect."
The voice stops a moment, apparently stunned. So, you're puppy girl.... but your regeneration is that... wow, you could be first class if you can survive enough damage that your body completely reconfigured itself.
Hey, Alexandra mentioned your sartorial troubles... SO I dug out some of dads old stuff. might be a tad tight in the shoulders, but better than nothing, right? Alexis hears a bundle beign left on the cabinet
Anything else you need.... sounds like you've had a day.
Shayera's mind had settled as they lay snuggled together in her bed. She thought of a few topics of conversation to strike up, but filed them away for later while they simply enjoyed each other's company. Instead, she stayed quiet and still with a minimum of caressing since she was worried about stoking Bronwyn's concern that she would drive herself wild by thinking about things she wasn't supposed to do. But Shayera was determined to demonstrate that they could stay together in her bed without breaking any of her taboos.
It actually wasn't too long before Bronwyn's breath became steady and regular. It had been a long day, despite the fact that Bronwyn usually didn't need much sleep. After watching her sleeping face for a bit, Shayera slips from their embrace and grabs a tablet from the nightstand. She sits cross-legged on the bed and finishes her report.
She toyed with the idea of waking Bronwyn so she could help her with the wording of a few things, and to help her explain where Bronwyn had actually gone -- something she needed to ask her anyway. But she felt a surge of butterflies at Bronwyn's sleeping presence there in her bed that she couldn't bring herself to disrupt this perfect moment.
She finishes the report the best she can, sends it on to Whippoorwill, then uses the tablet to dim the lights before shutting it down. Then she lays down next to Bronwyn, curling up gently with her wings pointed away from her. She watches her a while before her own eyes droop and sleep takes her.
Alexandra lounges before the school, sipping coffee out of a thermos, one leg propped against the lamppost she is leaning against. As she spots Bronwyn, coming from the wrong direction, she smiles.
Hey B. Hope you and she enjoyed your night off. She sniffs a little, and smiles. and Given the direction you came from, and the shampoo you used.... you did.
She raises a hand as Bronwyn starts to reply. Hey, hey, I think it's sweet. I'm rooting for you two crazy kids, you know that. She says
But, I need you to get this to Bran. Shes says, proffering a small envelope. Tonight would be preferable, if you can swing it. Never see the big lug around, but have something to talk over with him. She has a warm smile as she mentions Bran.
Brân Fendigaidd, Lord of Ravens, Sleeping Guardian
On this Sunday, I would like to invite you to a Council, on matters of great import to our mutual endeavor. It will convene At Monument park, withing the Shadow of my honoured ancestor. Your presence is, once again, highly sought.
Alexandra Elliott Walker, The Argent Shadow, Second under the Flying Blade.
With a measured-yet-forceful hand, Mr. Walker guides Shaun to sit in a wooden chair. Some part of the Scotsman's mind wonders if he'd interrogated other people in this chair. The ex-Shadow took a seat in a well-worn armchair, which he twisted away from the TV to face the teen.
A long second passes as Stephen studies Shaun, and Shaun tries to desperately avoid eye contact. It's like a wild animal right? Just don't look threatening and they'll go away...oh Jesus please go away...
Another moment stretched to eternity...then another...
Shaun clears his throat. "U-Uh, this is a pretty quiet talk..."
Stephen raises an eyebrow. "Who said I was going to be the one talking?"
...oh f~~+...
From the kitchen, Ms. Walker speaks up: "Sweetheart, he is still our guest. You could at least do him the courtesy."
Mr. Walker rolls his eyes and gives Shaun a small smile that reminds him way too much of a cat playing with its prey. "Fine then. I'll start things. Alexandra told you about this family's policy of...honesty, yes?"
Eyes now locked on the older man, Shaun nods vigorously enough to shake his chin bandage loose.
"Good. At least she remembered that. But, now, if you knew that rule, why was the first word out of your mouth a lie?"
"...u-uh, I wasn't ly-"
He's interrupted by a forced laugh from Stephen. "Shaun, that accent was as convincing as the fairy tales I told my girls when they were still in diapers. So, how about we stop the impression, hm?"
...f*+%ing fantastic. Casting a nervous glance towards the stairs, Shaun held up a finger for pause as he started forcing his voice back to (technical) normal. "Lookin' f'ya'...looking for ya'...looking for you..." With a face like he was tasting soap, the Scotsman tried his best to steel his gaze. "Fine. I'm back to *cough* normal. Happy?"
"No." Tenting his fingers, Stephen leaned back in the armchair. "...tell me your life story."
"...wwwwwwwhat?"
"Your life story. Tell me what in your past has made you you. What made Shaun Travis MacGregor?"
More than a little confused, Shaun coughs again and started thinking. "Uh...well..." This is a test. Alexandra has to have told him everything that I told her. He wants to see if I lie again. "...I was born and raised in MacGregor, Iowa. My Grandfather introduced me to heroes, like American Dream and, well, you. When you were younger anyway...*cough*, uh, and they inspired me to want to be one. A hero. My Grandfather is former Special Boat Service, so he was able to teach me, toughen me up and get me ready. Then he...passed away last year. My old man decided we needed a change of scenery, so he moved us out here. And...yeah. That's really it."
His face a stoic mask, Stephen lifted a hand with three fingers extended. "Wow. I'm almost impressed. Not everybody has the balls to lie to me three times after I already called them out."
"Wh-? I'm not-!"
"Duncan. Arthur. MacGregor."
Shaun's blood turned to ice.
"Your older brother. An avid capewatcher, at least until he vanished in summer of 2005. He was one of two people who influenced your early life, the other being-"
"Stop..."
"-your mother, Moira MacGregor, maiden name Grant. She had your brother out of wedlock with your father, Jack. She nearly died from the birth, spending two months hospitalized and another fourteen in a wheelchair. Even afterwards she experienced fainting spells for another four years. Almost the exact same song and dance played out-"
"Stop..."
"-when she ignored her physician's advice and decided to have another child. I say almost exact, because this time, while she did suffer from similar weakness and symptoms, she ultimately did not-"
"STOP!"
He was out of his chair, arm swinging, before he even realized what he was doing. A flurry of motion. A lance of pain. In a moment, Shaun had gone from leaping up and throwing a punch to having his elbow bent painfully the wrong way and his head locked under Stephen's arm.
Not missing a beat, the ex-Shadow caught the redhead's eye over his shoulder. "...survive. She died in her sleep, found in the morning by her two-year-old son. You. When asked why you were up so early, you told your father that a nightmare had kept you up through the night." Another blur of limbs, and Shaun crashed back down into the wooden chair, arm and neck thankfully unbroken. "That night marked the first of many you spent sleepless. You suffered from sever insomnia, to the point that you had waking hallucinations and sever emotional reactions to even the slightest stimuli."
"*cough cough*, f~@%, *cough* you..."
"You were placed on a regiment of sleeping pills that was maintained for two and a half years, until your father's work sent him abroad and you were left in the care of your only surviving family member, your grandfather William MacGregor, also known as Mad MacGregor. He promptly called your psychiatrist (to put it lightly) an idiot, and it is at that point that you finally said something truthful in your heavily edited "life story." He trained you. Made you into what I can only assume was his ideal of a hero. And after his death, your father decided to move here."
"Shut up...!"
Smoothing down his shirt, Stephen returned to his seat as fresh tears leaked down Shaun's face. "I could fill in some details, but I believe I've made my point."
Shaun's breathing was ragged. "You bastard...you have no right...!"
With a sigh, the former hero's expression surprisingly softened. "You can't keep pretending everything is okay, Shaun. That you are okay. At some point, every secret gets exposed. I would know, I've done the exposing most of my life."
A second stretched into an eternity.
Shaun's blood boiled, but his chest felt hollow and cold. Mr. Walker had taken a spade and flipped the worm-dirt over, exposing every horrible thought, twisted feeling, and thorny memory to the sunlight of his mind. Pain flowed through the cracks in his facade and out of his eyes. He wanted to grab a dagger and stick it through the old prick's heart.
The memory of that night throbbed. The flash of cold iron. The arcing spray of blood.
His fists unclenched as he (tried) to let the anger go. He couldn't do that again. He wouldn't. I'm a hero. It doesn't matter what kind of s@$~ he digs up, I'm a hero. I can be better. I have to be.
Thankful for Gillian's thoughtfulness on the subject of his attire, he stepped out, towels off and threw on the sweat pants and long shirt that seemed the easiest to wear for sleeping in, looking at what was underneath to wear for tomorrow. It seemed...interesting. Perhaps this would be his style now, as Shayera had told him.
Stepping out of the shower, he was surprised to see another girl I'm the house, who looked him with a strange look. "...Who are you?" She demanded, crossing arms over her loose top, giving him a suspicious stare.
"I am Alexis. I am Al...Xan's friend," He said. She seemed to visibly relax at that. "Oh, cool. Just don't talk my ear off about cape stuff, okay?" She requests. "I'm Lily, Xan's older sister."
"There's something stuck on your nose," He points to the shiny bead on the side of her nostril. Lily smirks at him with amusement.
"Yeah, that's the weirdest pick up line I've heard. Go bug my sister if you're trying to flirt," Lily tells Alexis, leaving him baffled in the hallway before he goes to seek out Alexandra.
"Xan! Xan, you didn't wait for me," Alexis says as he finally catches up with her, looking at Bronwyn and straightening out. "Hi Bronwyn! Did you bring my spare phone?"
He looked particularly odd as he approached, his clothes seeming to have been lifted from the late nineties in style. The cargo pants with its many pockets over high top sneakers, a loose flannel shirt over an oversized tee shirt printed with the face of Bret 'The Hitman' Hart on it in stenciled layers, and a yellow snapback worn backwards over his long, dark hair. He looked like he'd stepped out of an episode of Boy Meets World.
"I was thinking a lot about how to be friends with Kaoru, and I think it will be easier now," He told them, grinning with eager naivete. "He can help me find my style on a shopping trip. Since Shayera doesn't know anything about what boys wear. What do you think?"
Alexis finds Alexandra in the dining room, Eating curry over rice and chicken. Hey, foods in the kitchen. Wasn't sure how much you'd want, after a whole pizza.
When Alexis returns Lilly is in the room, She and Alexandra are talking in surprisingly good French. Vraiment Alexandra, ramener à la maison deux gars, pour rester? Je suis sûr que maman est convaincue de quelque chose de choquant.
Tais-toi, Lily. Ne sois pas une telle bite. Et je ne les baise pas. Shaun est un fou fou et ferme, même s'il est très agréable de le voir torse nu Both walker sisters share a furtive smirk Et Alexis est fondamentalement un enfant, mentalement. et était une fille jusqu'à il y a deux heures.
She notices Alexis, and Lilly gives a shrug I'm gonna go finish my application to Concordia,You enjoy your nonsense.
Hey... So, anything you want to tell me, Lex? Alexandra asks as Lily leaves.
As Stephen is grilling Shaun, Gillian appears.
Go easy dad. She says giving her dad a look. You don't get to choose whether he tries to be a hero.
He Lied, three times. Stephen replies
And I bet you pulled the life story thing. Don't tell me that's not a hit below the belt, I read Xan's notes.
He is reckless. He'll get himself hurt. probably permanently.
Gillian takes a step forward So Talk to him about armour. or tactics. Tell him about spire, or show him some scars.... But don't weaponize his family shit. Gillian says If you can't make your point with facts, are you sure you're right.
Stephen smiles a little Not bad, Gill. take the rationality position, and then use thier own desire to be rational against them. you're getting better at manipulation.
Also, you two, there's food.
Kaoru awoke at her normal early hour. With a yawn she reached for her phone. No new messages from Alexandra. But it looked like her program had gotten a hit. She quickly pulled out her laptop, frowning as she pulled up the result. She must have had a bug in her program; it had found a hit in a completely different place than she had told it to look. Or wait, was it? She hadn't thought any of the intersections Alexandra had told her to monitor were in Rustside, but if she were being completely honest, she was nowhere near to having learned all the different districts and where exactly their borders were. Nevertheless, she send Alexandra a text.
> Hey, got a hit on those poster people you wanted me to search for.
She paused. Should she just send the still frame and a location? It might make more sense to just show it to her in person. In case Alexandra wanted her to do a follow up or...something.
> I can show you at lunch?.
She quickly deleted the question mark and replaced it with a period. It was dumb. Just state it as a fact. Less likely to decline that way.
She then went in to double check her program was correct. A detour that almost made her late for school. Luckily, living relatively close by meant she was able to slide into first period just as the bell rang.
Bronwyn's eyes opened and her consciousness returned with her sight.
I fell asleep? Okay. Okay. Robes are still on.
She glanced down at where hers had bunched up between Shayera's arm and the sheets.
Okay, mostly on anyways.
So - we slept together. There's no earth shattering kaboom. No one's hands are in anyone's- are where they shouldn't be.
...Just makes it easier to slip into the next step... She'll understand that this was a one time thing though, right?
Carefully Bronwyn lifted Shayera's arm from her stomach, slipping out of bed to go track down her clothes. These pants really are ruined... Instead of getting dressed though, she just fished out her phone.
Okay... it's late. Mary-Beth's still probably awake. Especially 'cause you were a jerk and haven't told her what was going on at all since you said you were going on a mission...
Quickly she typed:
Bronwyn: Hey MB. Sorry I'm so late. Everything's fine. I'll be back at your house in a little bit
She stared at the screen for a long moment without . It *is* pretty late already. I don't have my own key or anything either, so I'd basically be asking Mary-Beth to stay up... So before she hit send, she tweaked her message.
Bronwyn: Hey MB. Sorry I'm so late. Everything's fine. I'll be back at your house in the morning. Probably before you're awake. Sorry!
Mary-Beth: ...
Mary-Beth:
Mary-Beth: ...
Mary-Beth:
Mary-Beth: ...
Mary-Beth: [seen at 1:43]
Okay. Not gonna read too much into that. I could just sleep in the chair... No, I might not get the chance to do this again with her for Years.
She padded back over to where Shayera was still asleep, and slipped back under the covers, carefully positioning herself so she could put her arm around Shayera this time. She smiled slowly, Better the knees than the wings, I guess. God she's beautiful...
***
She'd left Shayera's a little before dawn with a kiss and a murmured "I love you." once Shayera wasn't too groggy to hear her.
Even in the early morning there were too many people for her to run across the city as quickly as she wanted to. Or not with any subtlety at least, so running to Mary-Beth's to change into one of her dwindling outfit combinations had meant no early morning track practice.
There are so many reasons that I could be coming from different directions. It's not like I just got out of Shayera's limo! I didn't even run here from her place! I just didn't want to run up alongside the rest of the team since I wasn't in the makeup practice.
The old shampoo was a good catch though...
She gave Alexandra a quick insincere smile as she professed to be 'on their side' "Yeah. You have such a unique way of showing it. Thanks again though.
"And I'll be happy to pass it along to Bran. Anything in there I shouldn't know?"
"Xan! Xan, you didn't wait for me. Hi Bronwyn! Did you bring my spare phone?"
"Oh. Wow. Umm... yeah, yeah I've got your phone here. Where did... Did you pick out these clothes for him, Alexandra? I mean, Kaoru might want to help find something more... Something more your style? We can definitely salvage whatever you like most from this though."
Shaun scrambles to wipes his eyes as Gill and Stephen talk. Not that it had much of a point anymore, it was pretty obvious that the only person in this house who didn't know all about his shit was Alexis. Xan's notes...so Alexandra dug all of this up...
He was somber a quiet through the rest of the night, stewing over things as Stephen broke down his tactics with an uncomfortable degree of precision, and later when had mechanically picked up a bowl of curry. Any other night, it probably would have been great. Tonight though, he was too exhausted to care...
- - -
(hey bron)>
(can we talk l8r?)>
(like after school?)>
(i need 2 blow off some steam)>
(maybe at that forge u were talking about?)>
(the hidden 1, not the costs money 1)>
Shaun tucked his phone back into his pocket as he climbed the school's steps. He felt and looked like garbage. Thankfully not the drunk kind, but the Walker's couch had done a number on his back. Plus, now that the pain meds and adrenaline had worn off, his jaw and abs were painful to use, which was especially a problem with the abs. All that combined with yesterday's emotional meat grinder, and he was already ready to just go back to sleep. But no! I still gotta keep up appearances I guess...
He made a point to avoid Shayera if he noticed her in the halls. His exit from the pizza joint had been pretty damn unconvincing, and Mr. Walker's words kept echoing in his ears: "At some point, every secret gets exposed."
Bullshit. If that's the case, then how come nobody figured out the Kennedy assassination? Or how those Alcatraz guys got to safety? No, I just need to avoid her...my team leader...my friend...oh f%#& me...it's not like I felt good about lying, but what the hell was I supposed to say!? 'Oh yeah! That sounds like my a++$&!~ older brother! Gee, I guess he went and just found superpowers and lost 200-f!&%ing-pounds!' And it might not have even been him! Mom had an uncle who moved back to Scotland, maybe he married a MacGregor from there...and made a perfect copy of my face as a kid...oh f&*$ me...
Alexis has to pause as he pulls up to the table and stares at the food that make his eyes water. He can smell the intense heat of the meal, which was normally something that he hated. He still hated it, but he couldn't not take a couple bites at least to show his appreciation for what Alexandra's mother had done for him.
He ponders what he wants to talk to Alexandra about now. Not about his change, because it wasn't really relevant to her. No, he wanted to talk about something else. It dawned on him what was really bothering him at the moment, something she could relate to and help talk about.
"...I was trained that nothing should come in the way of the mission. But when I tried to work like that today...people were hurt. People who shouldn't have been hurt. Because I was too destructive." He fidgets a bit. "I would have hurt Shayera more too if you hadn't stopped me. But..."
He looks at her quietly, sniffling as the spices made his nose run. "How do you keep doing this work when you're afraid you'll kill someone by accident?"
Alexis snatches up the phone, looking pleased to see that it worked and it was connected to his e-mail, so he could correspond with Kaoru. "I got these clothes from Xan's father. He was very nice to me," He told Bronwyn as he types up a quick e-mail to Kaoru, ignoring the recent exchange they'd had.
In exchange, I think that I could teach you some self defense. It's the only thing of value I feel I can offer you, except for my friendship.
Your Friend,
Alexis
Bronwyn was gone before she could stop her.
Shayera sat in her bed for a while that morning, enjoying their mingled scents in the sheets until Tiffany showed up for her morning beauty routine. She desperately missed Bronwyn being there, since she would have loved to see what the fashion expert would have done with her.
"You're unusually mopey this morning," Tiffany observed.
"I, um, my girlfriend slept over last night."
The fashion editor squeed in delight, which caused Shayera to smile despite herself. Tiffany sobered quickly, noticing her absence. "She took off early, huh?" After an affirmative nod, she continued, "So you're a little bummed that she didn't stick around for breakfast or going to school with you? Don't sweat it, hon. You two just took a major step. It's sometimes natural for there to be a step back."
"What does that mean?" Shayera asked helplessly.
Tiffany paused to think before she answered. "It doesn't mean she doesn't love you. So don't think that. It's just... if she decides to go back to the way things used to be for a while, don't freak out. Remember, you're still young, and most girls your age still live with their parents. You living by yourself probably represents this glamorous life that she'll have when she gets older and moves out."
Shayera's mouth twisted in uncertainty. "But she's already moved out. Her parents didn't approve of us, and her being gay."
Tiffany waved her makeup brush in a 'tadaa' motion. "Well, there you go! Think: If she moves in, then you'll be, like, an adult couple. And you're not. Not yet. So let her take a step back to process."
"Okay, I guess. What do I do in the meantime?"
She grinned. "Just be patient. Be you. It might be awkward in the next few days, but it'll get back to normal before you know it."
Shayera arrives at school in the sports car, being the only one needing a ride from her place that morning. She was dressed in a festive-looking skirt and blouse combo with a bit of lace trim. She meets with both the fashionistas and the Chinese girls, though her attention is still keyed to Bronwyn.
Her heart sinks when she sees another combination of Bronwyn's tops and tights that she took from her home. I had several outfits for her... why didn't she want to at least get dressed at my place? She tries to take Tiffany's advice to heart, but she couldn't shake the disappointment.
Bronwyn was in a discussion with Alexis and Alexandra, so she decided to figure out a way to broach that topic later. As she follows Yin Ying, Shu Zi, and Yu Hiu to their first class, she spots Mary Beth in the halls. She grabs her real quick.
"Hey!" She feels a pang of jealousy that Bronwyn would rather stay with her even after last night, but she forces that aside. Instead, she puts a smile on her face. "I can't thank you enough for letting Bronwyn stay with you. But can I drop some clothes off for her at your place? She needs more than the four outfits she's got. And you gotta make her take them, okay? Don't let her get weird about it. Okay?"
Kaoru had spent much of the morning ignoring her teachers and instead cyber stalking one Mr. Bren. It was a perk of both bombing most of the placement exams and being a "special needs" student; most classes -- or really, all the classes without stupid amounts of memorization -- were already easy A's and she could keep her computer out in all of them to "take notes." Plus as long as she was careful about not going to pages that would load images, she was pretty sure no one could tell what she was doing anyway.
Of course between her focus on finding dirt on this a!@*!*~ kid and the fact that she had missed the initial notification, she didn't see that she had a new email until much later that morning when she was winding down her info dive and just needed to fill time before the bell rang for lunch. She stifled a groan. Everybody thought she was a guy now and they still kept trying to bring her along on clothes shopping trips. Though admittedly, self-defense lessons might be useful. Except that Alexis was probably the least qualified person to be giving them. Her advice would probably be "punch the other person as hard as you can and watch them explode." Besides, she didn't need Alexis viewing her as even more of a weakling who needed to be protected.
I need men's clothing. It's either you or Shaun. I don't want Shaun choosing things for me to wear.
Let me know if you change your mind.
Your Friend,
Alexis.
Alexandra's eyebrows go up as Alexis tiptoes around the local pachyderm Alexis, the people who made you were monsters. They didn't teach you about being a hero, they taught you to be a weapon. She says And yeah.... what can you tell me about that bit.... the part where you tried to kill us. Alexandra wishes she had a delicate way to broach that subject.
Also, add more rice and chicken, your eyes are watering.
Would you believe it went well?Alexandra says Well, Shaun's probably lightly traumatized, and Lily thinks I'm sleeping with one or both of them, but otherwise.
Just wanted a st down with a few people on the team. work out some tactics I wanted to try. But.... don't mention it to Shayera please. Last thing I need is her over my shoulder.
Alexandra sits down across from Kaoru, and takes a bite out of leftover curry and rice. So, you wanted to tell me something about the cameras. She says, quietly putting her com and a tracker in her hand, and slipping it to Kaoru Also, You mentioned meeting Duncan? Again? She wished she had paid more attention to Kaoru when He mentioned the Shaun clone... there had been so much that seemed pressing at the time, though...
As she waited for Alexandra to show up, Kaoru blinked at Alexis' response. Was there a polite way to say 'men's clothing would look terrible on you'? She somehow doubted it. Hell, she wasn't even sure they'd be able to find men's clothing that fit Alexis. Or at least, not the types of men's clothing that she preferred. Or rather, if they wanted something that would fit over her chest, she'd probably have to be drowning in fabric elsewhere. As terrible as Shaun's utter lack of fashion sense was, his loose, tank-top style at least meant Alexis wouldn't have to worry about being able to button the top up or anything. Saying as much was probably the most tactful she was going to get.
It was a little surprising that Alexis even wanted men's clothing. She seemed pretty into the whole dress thing. Though she supposed if they were surprise attacked, dresses were pretty awkward to maneuver in. And if you were going to wear pants, really men's pants were the better bet. For some reason designers seemed determined that women shouldn't be allowed to have pockets that actually held anything. Chloe had said something about it ruining the "lines" of the outfit, but she suspected it actually had more to do with wanting women to buy expensive handbags.
When Alexandra arrived, Kaoru accepted the comm and tracker, trying not to smile at how smoothly and naturally Alexandra had handed them off. Her own attempt to smoothly put the tracker in her bag and hook the comm up to the computer didn't go nearly as well; she had the dexterity and fine motor skills from years of music lessons and working on small circuit boards but not the practice. Might want to work on that. Perhaps pick up some card tricks for some close up magic? That seems like a way to work on that. As her computer began uploading the encryption upgrade, she brought up the still frame of the man putting up a poster and turned her screen so Alexandra could see.
She kept her voice low as she talked. "This is from Monday around 11am in Rustside. And...I wouldn't say I met Duncan 'again.' Pretty sure I stayed out of his sight, but I definitely saw him in the park before things went to hell and that was definitely his voice over that antiquated comm system. I got a weird feeling when I first met him on Saturday though. There was this one point where he was sizing me up and suddenly the air felt a lot warmer. Might have just been my imagination since...well...I don't really like being stared at, but if he's mixed up in super business, maybe it wasn't. I looked into him a little yesterday, but his trail went cold in '05. I know he likes music though, so I thought I'd look for music purchases, but that's going to be a big pool. Thought maybe I could ask around local music stores but...well...is there a non-sketchy way to ask people if they've seen someone who pretty clearly isn't related to you? There are also a lot of music stores in Halcyon. Oh, I also came up with this approximation of him." Kaoru pulls up a computer image of Shaun that's been aged and edited. It's a pretty close likeness, but it's also pretty clearly computer generated.
"Oh, that makes sense. I guess her dad would be closest to having things to fit, huh?"
She didn't want to make him feel weird or out of place, but... "So, what's your plan for today? Still planning on enrolling with a different last name?"
Shaun:hey bron
Shaun: can we talk l8r?
Shaun: like after school?
Shaun: i need 2 blow off some steam
Shaun:maybe at that forge u were talking about?
Shaun: the hidden 1, not the costs money 1
Metal costs money; fuel costs money. I'm still paid up through the month at the MakerSpace... **sigh**
Hectoring him about that won't help him open up though, and we're dealing with enough mystic-y stuff that some extracurricular haunting could be a real problem for him.
I mean, seizing in the halls isn't good anyways, but... It could be worse.
Bronwyn: Sure thing :-)
Bronwyn: I'll send a pin with the address
Bronwyn: I can get there around
Bronwyn: six?
Bronwyn: Don't show up early though! It'll be locked!
Bronwyn: You don't have a key
Bronwyn: And if Bo thinks me having a space there leads to people breaking in I WILL get kicked out.
Bronwyn: I've got a breastplate to fix, but do you have any projects?
***
Mary-Beth's eyes flickered quickly between Ying, Zi, and Hiu as they kept walking. "Umm... Have you talked to her about the clothes? Or like any of this?" She took off her glasses to rub them against the sleeve of her sweater, and break eye contact for at least a second. "'Cause.... Look Shayera, I would do anything for Bronwyn, you get me? That means I really want you guys to work out, but that also means I'm not going to pretend to be an impartial party okay? Talk to your girlfriend. Please don't kill me."
Alexis sniffled and added what Xan told him to, letting it dilute the spices a little more. "I lost sense of myself. I let instinct drive me to fight whatever was closest to me. It was...awful. I don't like having no control," He told her.
"I also...I don't remember if we had any important conversations before now," He admitted. "I forget things when I come back. So maybe I asked you this before. I don't want to hurt anyone. I want you to make sure I don't. Whatever you have to do," He implores her.
Alexis looks up from his phone and considers it, before shaking his head. "I think I want to try and rest today. I have my phone now if anyone wants to talk to me," He said.
He paused as he saw a classmate from math, forgetting himself and waving to her. "Hi, Becky!" The girl stopped, gave him a skeeved out look before hurrying towards the school.
Alexis' face fell sharply at that, looking at the ground. "...They don't see me anymore."
After considering your responses, I am aware that I need to be direct.
I wish to be your friend, and friends are supposed to hang out. The need for clothing is an appropriate excuse to invite you to hang out with me. I want to spend time with you, face to face, so we can talk and learn more about each other.
Please let me know what you would like to do if you don't want to go search for clothes. I really need a male friend right now.
Your Friend,
Alexis
Kaoru also seems to have gotten a piece of spam mail that somehow made it through her filters. ONE NIGHT ONLY, SUPERWRESTLE LIVE AT HAWKINS REC CENTER!
Bronwyn reaches up to give Alexis a quick hug. "This is probably the first time where you've had to worry about people not recognizing you after a change, huh? Well don't worry. We all still see you. They will again too."
<(I've got a breastplate to fix, but do you have any projects?)
(bo? Whos bo?)>
(but yea, i have some stuff 2 work on)>
(i broke my dirks awhile back, figured i could try 2 fix them)>
(wanna try 2 make some more knives 2)>
(i'm just about out now...)>
He starts to pocket his phone, but fumbles it slightly as he remembers something.
(oh n dont worry about tools or metal)>
(what i really needs the furnace)>
(i've got a kit i can use)>
(n i've got some metal at my old man's place)>
(i'll grab that after school)>
(should get me there right around 6)>
(c u then)>
From the seat next to him, Bert jabbed him sharply in the ribs.
Shaun rolled his eyes. "Yea' yea', I'm puttin' it away...!"
"What? No, not your phone, MY phone!"
Confused, Shaun glanced over to see Bert's phone angled towards him as it played a video. No...a live feed! "SHIT! They're doin' now!?"
"Right now!"
"But it's not even noon!"
"I know right!?" The portly underclassman pushed his spectacles back up his nose. "This new guy must be something else...!"
The two watched the screen with rapt interest as camera flashes picked up to an alarming degree as Matrix stepped onto the stage, along with a smattering of other members of the Defenders. Barely containing their excitement, the two capewatchers witnessed as a side door opened and revealed...
Shaun's face dropped. "No way...ye' gotta be shittin' me...!"
With heavy footfalls, the animated statue of Odysseus steps into view, a broad and forcibly friendly smile on his stone face.
Mary Beth's words stung like a slap in the face. Shayera steps back, eyes wide. "I wouldn't ...kill... you..." Her mind spins, trying to figure out the unspoken messages and coming up with terrible conclusions. Tiffany's advice jumps to the forefront. I'm going to be patient if Bronwyn needs some time. She probably told Mary Beth her plans this morning, and she's scared to tell me. That's why she's telling me to talk to Bronwyn. Shayera blurts out, "That's okay. I know we're taking a step back. I'm good."
She spins abruptly and heads to the sanctuary of her sisters Ying, Zi and Hiu.
Xiu Ying sits down with the other Chinese students, chatting about the English Literature assignment from last period and their plans for the weekend. She glances over at Bronwyn's table and gives her a wave but stops short of blowing her a kiss. That might be too much, she thinks.
Her phone buzzes midway through the meal. "Hey, Boss. Tonight? Really? Ugh. Why so soon? Huh. Should I have the others with me? Okay, then. Evening off for everyone but me. Wonderful. Uh-huh. Right after school? Okay, I guess. Bye."
"Wait - a step back? She really said that?"
Mary-Beth, mouth full of Bronwyn's famous chicken salad gave her an aggravated, but expressive look. "Like I'd make that up?"
I pushed her too far. I was just seeing what I wanted to see, and she was just telling me what she thought I needed to hear until I left. But why would she just go along with all that if- Because you always tell her not to run away. And now she felt pressured and crowded and now she's passing along messages through Mary-Beth and-
"Brnwn? Hey!" Mary-Beth finished swallowing her overlarge bite and snapped her fingers under her nose. "Did you know you guys were taking a step back?"
She was sure her cheeks weren't actually on fire, but she was also really, really aware that the rest of her table was trying not to look like they were listening in. Well, Marco just looked really really uncomfortable. But Ronnie, and Kyle, and Jacob, and Michael (Kyle's new secret-boyfriend) definitely couldn't really be studying the table that closely.
"No. I thought last night was a really big deal, but like, a good big deal."
She didn't look, but she heard Marco stop midswallow.
"Okay, if I have to say this again today, I'm gonna force you to just make me a t-shirt of it: 'Talk To Your Girlfriend.'"
Marco's aborted swallow had to led to him having a bit of a coughing fit, so Ronnie just raised her voice higher while Jacob helped him. "Emby's right, Bron. You can try to run the whole race in your head, but if your feet don't follow suit you're just standing still."
"Okay. Umm.. make sure Marco doesn't die?"
In a single smooth motion she scooped up her bag and rose from her seat and started walking over towards where Shayera was sitting. Okay. Okay. If she doesn't want to talk about this now, that's fine. It doesn't mean anything bad. As long as we can talk about it tonight.
"Hi Shayera. Mind if I sit?"
***
Shaun: should get me there right around 6
Shaun: c u then
Bronwyn: k
Bronwyn: if you're bringing your own metal for new knives, its easier to start with a blank.
Bronwyn: (like a short flat bar you can sculpt into the blade)
Bronwyn: but whatever works!