genessia | What's a hero anyway? [Action/Open]

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What's a hero anyway? [Action/Open]

It was no use. Jaune rose from his bed in a sleepless sort of unease. It'd been a couple of days since the whole thing with Ruby, but he just couldn't stop thinking about... stuff. But Jaune was tired of trying to sleep, so instead he threw off his covers and sat up at the side of his bed in his bunny onesie. Seems the typhoon had passed, but it was dark out... maybe a little windy. Oh well.

He gets out of bed and gets changed to go out, even fastening on the last of his armour before he'd slip out of his room. He had to be quiet now - he was letting Nora and Karina stay with him after all, until they wanted to move out or whatever... That was the good part about the weekend. With Nora showing up he didn't feel as alone as he used to when he'd first arrived. Jaune was quiet as a mouse as he tip-toed through the living room to the front door. He opens it slowly, quietly, and steps out into the hall.

Closing the door behind him just as quietly, he looks down the hall before making his way. He slowed down when he passed Ruby and Yang's apartment though, even coming to a stop in front of the door. It was there he stood in thought. How was Ruby doing? He should have visited her... but it sounded like Blake and Yang were so busy over there that he passed it by. Soon, he figures... He'll visit her as soon as he can. But the incident had him on edge.

Taking a deep breath, he made a decision in silence.

Message to Harry Dresden

Jaune sends Harry a text message: "Hey, I know it's late. Can you call me later? In the morning I guess. I need to talk to you about some stuff."

Pocketing his phone, Jaune continued, taking the stairs down the four stories to get to the lobby, where he exits his building into the night. He kept a good grip on his sword though... After what happened to Ruby, he can't take any chances. He can't even go too far from his building at Tupelo Ally... so he just sits on the stoop.

"This place is so crazy..." He says to himself, "... I kinda wish we could just go home."

Huh. Seems like the night's actually clearing up. The moon's starting to peek out from behind the God awful storm clouds from the previous day. Setting his hands back to balance, he leans back on the step just staring up at the sky. There was a lot on his mind - and he may not be used to thinking about so many things at once.

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Jaune wasn't the only one hanging around town this late at night. Raye had ventured out to do some quick errands herself, once she got a look at that newspaper. The thing was trash, but it did have some grains of truth, so she took it all in stride.

She'd packed her satchel full of emergency supplies for the upcoming crazy weather: first aid kit, some boards and nails, extra blankets...and of course, more instant meals than you could shake a stick at. Cooking never was her forte, but she could handle anything that required nothing more than hot water and/or a microwave.

While moving around town, she spotted Jaune sitting out on the porch steps, looking as if he were carrying the whole world on his shoulders. Was this about the singles ad? She could guess it was him, what with the whole bear monster thing, she'd just kept it to herself so as not to em~~bear~~barrass him.

"You're up kind of late, aren't you?"

Raye was standing in front of him, her scarf covering the lower half of her face. Her eyes were calm, but there was a hint of concern there too.

Jaune's distraction breaks when Raye talks to him, and he looks down from the sky to see her just standing there. By the way he looks, you'd think she just caught him doing something he shouldn't. "Oh, uh... Hey Raye...!"

He sheds a smile, but the charm isn't there. It fades.

"I'm just thinkin'. You know what happened to Ruby," He says with a slight sigh, "Nothing like that's ever happened before..."

Raye inclined her head faintly. She could understand his feelings; she'd faced a lot of situations like that back home, though they were usually a lot briefer. It doesn't make it any less scary, though. After a moment of silence, she climbed the steps to sit down beside him. The plastic bags rustled noisily as she set them down, and leaned on her hands.

"That was a really tense situation. I'm glad everything turned out okay." M had pulled this kind of stunt before. The last person he'd kidnapped had been ruthlessly blown up, and though Raye hadn't been directly involved with the incident, she'd heard about it, and the aftermath had been agonizing for everybody.

She looked at Jaune. "You okay? Want to talk about it?"

No kidding it was a tense situation, but there's a whole other angle to it that Jaune couldn't shake. When Raye sits down and offers to talk about it, he hesitates in a sense of embarrassment. He even blushes a bit.

"Well... Yeah I'M okay. I wasn't the one that got kidnapped by some nut-job and almost--" He stops himself there, looking Raye in the eye then as he sits up straight. "Raye," His voice is almost oddly calm for him, "Back where I come from, there are monsters everywhere. They're... normal. And Ruby? I've watched her cut the head off a giant killer bird that could've easily eaten her, or worse."

Taking out his phone, he just holds it in his hands, looking at the black screen. "She almost had fun doing it. She's... awesome," He says simply, "So that message I got, when she was captured? It... It scared the crap outta me."

"She was helpless! She was... scared. She was practically begging us to save her," He went on, "That's not Ruby. And the thing that made her like that wasn't just a stupid monster... It was a guy."

He shivers a little, but shifts in his spot to try and hide it. "Now she's up there just... in bed, not doing anything," He shakes his head, "And if you know Ruby, you know she's never not doing anything."

Raye looked past Jaune's head toward the window where she assumed Ruby's apartment would be. There was broken glass, but it seemed to be boarded up. Darn paperboy! Then she looked back at her friend, who was definitely unnerved.

"Oh, he's a monster all right," Raye growled. "Maybe he doesn't have claws or fangs, but the creep is completely heartless!" Raye had never seen this person, so that was only a guess, but it was probably a safe bet to say he blended in given that no one knew who he really was. She folded her arms, glowering at the streets. "He's gone after people in the city before. I didn't get the whole story, but Dean or Harry could probably tell you more."

She blew out her breath, frustrated. "I wish I could do something, or tell you something that would make it better and prevent him from doing this again." Raye looked at Jaune's face again. "But he's smart. No one knows who he is, and he covers his tracks too well. Right now, there's just not a lot we can do except try to pick ourselves back up and keep moving."

Maybe if one of them managed to get four charms, they could do something about M. That would be a crazy last resort, though, and the charms were supposed to be used to make something really good happen, not just to neutralize some bored psychopath.

"Well... Well screw him!"

Jaune pushes himself up from the steps and steps onto the side walk, pacing back and forth. "What if... something happens? What if one of them--" It was as hard for him to say it as it was for him to try and forget about it. "What if I can't--"

Jaune's hands were clenched fists, one squeezing his phone as he walks back and forth a little bit. If this were Ruby he was talking to, she'd basically be telling him that he's not allowed to "can't." Now she was the one bed-ridden. It didn't even seem fair.

Jaune fumes for a while, then stops, taking deep breaths.

"... I wanna be a guardian."

"A guardian?!" Raye repeated. She'd expected Jaune to say a lot of things, and she understood all too well his need to pace and fume and vent. It was her preferred method of dealing with anxiety and anger too. "For one of the cities?" She knew Harry had Everglade, the creepy Frollo guy had Attleton, and a week had passed with Captain Hammer's announcement to take on Genessia itself...which had gone unchallenged, so he probably got the job.

He had the determination, and he'd actually done really well against that bear monster. He could probably handle the job, and she was glad he was doing it for the right reasons.

Even so...

"It's a huge responsibility. You might want to sleep on it before you make a big decision on a whim."

"It's not on a whim!" Jaune snapped back at Raye, even though he didn't really mean to, "It's been two days, and I can't stop thinking about it! I want to. I want to. That's why I have this!"

*SCHINK!* His sword his drawn and his shield is open - after he pockets his phone again of course. "It's why my grandpa had it, it's why my Dad had it. They were heroes; they were warriors."

His arms slumped at his sides as he turns. "But it's just like at Beacon, huh? The others are better suited for that kind of stuff. But I can't just be that goofy guy that the others keep carrying. I can't keep tripping over my own shoelaces and get the crap beat out of me when my friends are fighting for their lives!"

Then he stops and turns towards Raye, holding his arms out to his sides. "What am I supposed to do? Huh? You asked me when we met if I was a knight. Well I'm the furthest thing from a knight right now, and I don't think this M jerk is going to wait until I am one."

Raye leaned back, her eyes wide. What? But she was the one who yelled at everyone else, not the other way around! And to hear JAUNE of all people shouting, that's got her attention. Maybe she underestimated him. He's really serious about wanting to protect people.

But she could hear the frustration in his voice. He was scared, and she didn't blame him one bit. This M monster had nearly succeeded in murdering his friend in front of all of them. She couldn't think of any reason why someone would want to hurt someone like Ruby, and honestly, it made her furious too. And Harry...what he'd been emanating was downright horrific in his blind rage.

Raye pushed herself to her feet and approached Jaune, standing directly in front of him. Her hands pushed into her pockets, and her dark eyes studied his face seriously. Beneath the fear, the anger, and the insecurity, there was resolve, and there was courage. She respected that. Jaune was made of sterner stuff than he let on, and maybe more than he realized.

"Then do it." She inclined her head in a single nod. "How can I help?" If he was this sure, and this dedicated, then she couldn't think of anyone better to be a City Guardian.

Jaune hadn't noticed how surprised Raye looked during his whole spiel. If he had, he probably would have choked back a bunch more words. He really didn't mean to yell or sound as frightened as he was - he really did wish he could just hide it better, or make the feelings go away. What surprised him was when she just stood up and faced him.

"... Really?" He blinks a few times. She just... agreed with him? Just like that? Wow. This girl really believes in him, doesn't she?

... She really was like a grumpier Pyrrha.

"I-I don't know... I don't know what to do," He admits as he lowers his arms, looking towards the ground, "I was gonna call Harry and see what he could tell me. He's a guardian, right? Like Captain Hammer? I know Harry was accepting deputies, so I was gonna ask him, but..."

"You really think I can actually be an actual guardian? And protect a city all on my own?" Now that sounded really scary.

Edited 2013-12-16 10:12 (UTC)

"Who said anything about being on your own? Even Harry calls out for back-up when things get crazy over there," Raye replied. And she didn't know what she thought of Hammer. He seemed kind of cheesy, but she'd never met him in person herself. Maybe people just ordinarily talked like comic book stereotypes where he came from.

She smiled, head tilted slightly to the side. "Other than that, yeah. I think you'd do just fine. Like I said, it'll be a lot of hard work and responsibility. You'll have to do a lot of patrols, monitor the communicator frequently, and keep an eye on the paper. Being a leader isn't just about smashing monsters -- it's about knowing who to send where, and knowing when it's time to fight and time to be diplomatic."

Raye hesitated for a moment, then dug into her pockets until she found a crumpled receipt and a mini-pen with sparkly purple ink. (She's a teenage girl, she eats this stuff up so shut up.) She wrote down a number and passed it to him.

"I don't normally give this out, but I know someone who can help you with the fights at least. She's one of the Sailor Scouts: Sailor Mars. Call her if you get in a tight spot." Because as much as Raye herself would like to help, it was still vital that she maintain her secret identity.

Being a guardian sounded tough... but at the same time, it didn't sound much different than being a team leader. Hard work, and responsibility. And Nora was there now - she'd help him if he needed it, right? The more Jaune thinks about it, the more uncertain he feels about the whole thing... but Raye hands him a piece of paper with a number scribbled onto it, and he eyes it curiously.

"You sure know a lot about this stuff..." He says, looking her in the eye again, "... Thanks." Finally, he smiles again.

"And sorry I yelled at you, I just... I haven't been sleeping and I've been worried..." He starts as if he's going to list off a few things, "And I have people staying with me and I had crappy luck at the job fair, and the typhoon..."

He pauses, not sure what to do. Thanks didn't seem good enough, but hugging her seemed so totally inappropriate... so he holds up the paper she handed to him and smiles again. "I'm going to hold onto this. I bet whoever this is will help a ton if you're recommending them."

"Well, I have been here a long time," Raye shrugged. "Just as long as Harry has." He was just awake longer when everyone else got dropped into a super coma.

She listened to him patiently as he listed all of his mounting frustrations, and it became a little more clear to her just why he looked so defeated on the porch steps. He was having a pretty crummy week, wasn't he?

"Maybe you should try getting some rest while you can," Raye suggested, retrieving her bags from the steps before returning to Jaune. Before she started second-guessing herself, she pecked his cheek and moved past him to start heading home.

"I think you'll do fine," she said, smiling over her shoulder. "Hang in there."

Sailor Mars totally had his back.

Oh!

Ohhhh! Jaune got a little kiss on the cheek. He looks utterly dumb-struck as Raye passes him by to head home. His cheeks also resemble tomatoes.

"Oh, uh, yeah!" He said, turning and waving to her, "Bye! Be careful out there!"

As she gets far off, he lowers his waving hand. "... Super careful," He mutters, watching until she was out of sight. He then turned to head up the steps into the building again, and he stumbles going up one.

Not because he's a clumsy dope.

Honestly, he's a little giddy.

[Truth was, Harry had been up most of the night himself just stewing.

M. Harry had been here for more than two years now and this guy had been dogging him the entire time. And Harry had nothing on him... Or her, he didn't even have that much. Not a face, not a name, not even a voice.

Just one murdered friend and one traumatized girl.

And then there was another angle: Harry hadn't been there to help. It wasn't a guilt thing either, the whole thing had gone down while the local wizard was too far out to be of immediate assistance. And he would have been too. A few hairs from a hairbrush, a quick tracking spell and they would have had Ruby home in time for tea. It could have been a coincidence,maybe, but as a wizard, a Warden and now as a City Guardian, he wasn't allowed to believe in coincidences.]

[That was what was going through Harry's mind that night, so it's a little while into the morning before Jaune's call is returned.]

Got your message. What's up?

[After spending the night having trouble sleeping, talking to Raye, then having trouble sleeping again, Harry's call had the guy answering it looking dishevelled and tired.] Mm? Oh... Hold on.

[Jaune rolls up to sit up in his bed with a yawn, making sure to hold his phone with one hand at least. He looked around, and tried to listen to see if Nora or Karina would hear him talking. Didn't seem like either of them were around.]

Okay... I've been thinking a lot about Ruby... [Jaune looks back to the screen.] And I-- Well, I mean... [He's not the best at speaking his mind without being totally ticked off - but he got that out of his system that night yelling at Raye.]

... Well I wanna be a guardian. Like you.

[That... that wasn't what he expected when he answered the call and his eyebrows raise a little. Jaune? A Guardian? The kid was pretty green but... well, he hadn't been there but from what Harry understood, he'd been there right from the start in the search for Ruby. That said something, but, a job like this, it wasn't a small one. Sure it came with money and resources, but that only stretched so far.]

You sure about that? It's a big job.

[Darnit, people always questioning him... don't they know the more they ask that question, the more uneasy he feels about it? It's tough to swallow, but Jaune manages every time. He nods to Harry on the screen.]

Ruby's messed up, Harry. I didn't even think something like that would ever happen. So... So maybe I'm not sure. But it's not like guardians are completely alone, right?

[A deep breath and a sigh.] I can't keep sitting around here, and I sure as heck can't keep holding my friends back. I've gotta do something, man.

[It's not just Jaune. Harry would ask that question of anybody looking into this job. It's been more than a decade and a half since he first got into the business of trying to keep things in order in his home town of Chicago. He just wants to make sure Jaune knows what kind of responsibility he's looking at.]

That's a good answer. But this is about more than sticking your neck out for your friends. It means you're going to be the guy that people look to when things go wrong, and you can't not have the answer or not know what to do.

[He lets out a breath and sits back a bit, rubbing the back of his neck.]

If you can handle that, send in your announcement to the city. I'm a Guardian too, so I'll back you.

... Well... if being a guardian is too much then I can at least work with you, right? You had that booth up before and... and you didn't make it in time for Ruby... [He clears his throat, not meaning to imply anything.] Do you have anyone helping you out?

[Harry scowls a bit at that reminder, but it's toward himself and not Jaune. He should have been closer, should have been ready for something like this. Screw it, he's collecting hair samples for quick and easy tracking spells on the fly.]

Tell you what. Think it over for awhile and if you decide to start smaller, I'll give you a spot in Everglade to get some experience in the field.

[Jaune sees Harry's scowl, but doesn't look wary of it like he normally would. On some base level he understands how Harry's feeling, despite being unable to articulate himself. Everyone felt that way.]

Sure, give me a day. I know after I clocked you in the face and stuff, I barely have any right to ask... But I'm serious, you know.

[An awkward pause.] Uh... and... thanks. I'll talk to you later. I should probably go see how she's doing anyway.

[Harry grunts and waves off the apology.]

Water, bridge, etc....

Take your time and think it over.

[He's about to hang up when he pauses, thinking it over for a second and then.]

Hey. Whatever you end up deciding to do, you did good the other day. All of you did.

[Once again, he's surprised. But he shouldn't be. Saving someone's life was a big deal.] Oh, thanks. I didn't do much, but... Well I guess I did what anyone would've obviously done. She had lots of people looking out for her.

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What's a hero anyway? [Action/Open]

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