Human

☆ Identity Crisis (Caleb & Eleanora)

After living in Evermore for two years, Caleb could finally find his way home in the dark, which was useful seeing as he often left his studio at in the early hours of the morning, just before morning arrived in the sky. The city crossed a hub between tranquility and turbulence around 4 am. It was only in those wee hours that many creatures cared to come out of the shadows, both human and other alike. He'd learned from Giselle how to keep himself safe, but there were also others around the city who helped clean the streets of the worst crime. Many of them wore masks to protect their identity in day-to-day life and despite his gratitude for their help in keeping the human sector of Evermore free of rogue werewolves and disingenuous valkyrie, Caleb never expected to meet one face to face.There seemed to be some honor bound code between these masked individuals and citizens like himself. It kept them anonymous and him at arms length from any danger.
He had never been the type to rush head first into a fight without thinking, especially considering that by trade he was a painter, certainly not a soldier. His job was to help recreate the light and beauty that teetered on edge during the night in the city.
Only two weeks ago, during an evening seminar on the development of art in the community where he was speaking, a band of armed robbers had blasted down the front doors of city hall, demanding that everyone give up their valuables.
The ones he carried weren't obvious: a silver ring with twisted diamonds and rubies, which had belonged to his mother, now hung from a chain around his neck.However, the raiders were clearly professional and had an eye for detail. The light reflecting just so off the silver chain on his neck reflected in the visors that protected the captain's eyes.
Under the point of a gun, he'd refused to hand it over.
Perhaps, Caleb was a fool. Standing still at 4:05 in front of City Hall and feeling the absence of the stolen jewelry felt foolish. He should be in bed, at home, asleep.
It was just a ring, wasn't it? The emotion attached to the small physical object was only temporary.
Relationships, despite as he knew they ended, didn't seem like they should be temporary to him. It was hard enough to see the good in everyday life. When certain people brought it back, shouldn't they stay?
Sounds of a ruckus in the back alley drew him away from his thoughts. He would never be out on the front line, but neither would he be able to hesitate when it came to helping someone else who was -- like the Scarlett Archer. She was easy to recognise, in costume, at least, and it helped that it hadn't been Caleb's first encounter. The light from a nearby street lamp just barely illuminated two figures making an exchange. One was tiny and clothed in red and the other was tall, muscular, and wore black down to the ski mask. Every instinct told Caleb to walk, as quickly as he could, home; yet, curiosity beckoned him closer to hear what was being said. However, no words were exchanged before the large man took the slim figure of the younger woman by the throat, pulled her an arrow from her own quiver, and stuck it firmly against her chest.
The threat was obvious even to him, but unarmed, he could do nothing. Caleb could only watch as the giant of a man dropped the masked stranger into the street, and snapped her arm in two in a single crack. As he left, the alley's former darkness dissipated into the normal shadow of night.
The young woman wasn't moving.
Careful that he wasn't seen, Caleb picked up her and carried her back to his apartment a block away. The least he could do was make sure she made it through until morning.

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DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on December 2, 2019 at 9:06

Now that she was really noticing everything around her and had calmed down from her earlier panic she noticed the different touches on the place which implied two people of different tastes lived here, on the one side you saw the sketch pads and art supplies around which she was sure were Caleb’s but then there were warm decorative touches on the house which seemed more feminine, the kinds of things that someone would buy to decorate the home and make it feel more personal, plus there was a beautiful spray of flowers in almost every vase in the place “Right and there’s not always time” she spoke softly and nodded, she had lost today and that was impacting her greatly, it wasn’t like her to feel downhearted or like her fighting spirit had been quelled but tonight she had to admit she felt a little lost.

“Most” she repeated in response to his words as she looked back at him, there was also this struggle with what she did about whether she was doing the right thing, she was taking the law into her own hands often and some people saw that as dangerous, though Nora did everything she could to apprehend and not actually harm those she caught “Do you believe everyone can change?” she asked it softly because she truly believed there were some out there who didn’t care for others and who would refuse to change no matter how much good you showed them.

“Me too” she nodded slightly, she did better on her own most of the time because she found other people so loud that it was often hard to get her thoughts together around them, that was why she didn’t do much in the social realm, going to work and being around people all day every day was more than enough for her to get her fill of noise. After he headed off the garden she took a little while just to gather herself, whoever had done this to her was still out there and she feared they were dangerous but it seemed like she was no match for this guy one on one so she was stuck for what to do. She could inform the organization of what happened but how much would they take from her word when she would have to call in anonymously. As a reminder of her own mistake today too, her arm was throbbing and consistently reminding her how reckless she had been.

She hovered in the doorway for a moment before he turned around the canvas and showed her the painting he had been working on which made her take a few steps closer just to marvel in it for a moment “You’re right, this ensures that I get to keep doing what I think I do well” she pressed her lips together “It also keeps you safer not knowing anything” the picture was incredibly detailed though and while it was in his own artist style it captured features about herself she wasn’t even sure you could tell whilst she was wearing a mask “Wow” she spoke softly as she perched herself on the wooden bench nearby “You have quite the eye for detail” she spoke softly before turning her eyes from the painting to the sky “It’s going to take at least a week for my arm to heal” she commented in a frustrated tone, she wanted to get back out there so bad but even she didn’t have a suicide wish.


HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on December 4, 2019 at 19:01

Caleb had shared a home with Giselle for a while now and it had over time grown from being half empty to filled with his own personal touch. He'd brought things back from his old apartment in Paris, some which had memories attached to them, and some which were basic necessities, but it hadn't felt right until he'd planted a chute off the willow tree from his great aunt's garden. It was related to the one he'd planted with Ava when they'd lost their baby.There wasn't a lot of sense of wasting all his days in mourning. In truth, it never made him sad to sit next to the tiny plant, very often it brought back a sense of nostalgia or peace to the small abode that he'd made. His son would have been four years old now probably with reddish hair and bright blue eyes. He may have lost one family, but now two years settled into Evermore, he was making a new one. "We don't always get the time to do the things we want...to love the people we want to love." The Frenchman mused and smiled up at her from his seat. "So, all I figure is we make the most of what's left."

Scarlet was right. Not everyone would respond to kindness. Caleb had been fortunate that he hadn't truly run into a lot people who wanted to treat him badly. Even his father leaving was not the man's fault and Jonas had expressed to him in the few times that they met, if he had another chance, he wished he'd known his son. Caleb fiddled with the paintbrush for a moment before dipping it in water and watching the clear fluid turn first a soft pink, then a bright red. The combination of color that he'd used on the canvas lasted only for a moment before it swirled together into a muddy concoction ready to be thrown away. "Some people change," He shrugged, leaning back on the stool and partiality disappearing into the plants on the porch. "But, I think most people are given the chance to change and don't try, because change is scary. We see who we could be and chose to leave that behind for the comfort of the familiar. It's...easier. The curse of being human."

Caleb let out a long breath, enjoying the fall air. It was December and still in the mid 70s. He was spending as much time as he could outside, before the bitter cold set in and he was stuck indoors by the fireplace with two layers of socks. He would always choose a few clouds and a bit of chill over being stuffed into a room, unable to stretch his legs. He had never dealt well with claustrophobia. Pairing it with a party or a loud group of people made it even worse. Perhaps, he was truly an introvert, but he certainly was one who preferred exploring and the outdoors. He liked being on his feet and on the go, always ready to find a new adventure. He cleared his throat and stood up, tidying the art space that had just exploded with creativity. "Well, seeing as your superhero alter-ego may be out of commission for the next while...what is something you haven't been able to enjoy recently? You know, with all the stregems and arrow slinging?" 

Granted, he knew very little about both strategy and bows and arrows, but he could guess that in any profession, one could use a break now and again. The small home by a lake was an excellent place to do that.


DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on December 7, 2019 at 12:13

Nora didn’t like to think about her past often, there wasn’t much good in it if she was honest and the good memories she did have were tainted by what she knew came after them. There had been a lot of good for her in the past few years though, from meeting Emilio and starting Everectronics and seeing it grow from this tiny startup on one floor of a building to now having one of the tallest buildings in the Evermore skyline was certainly exciting. But there was one thing she knew she was sorely lacking in her life and that was people to care for. After everything went down she just kinda shut herself off from it all, she had lived alone since then, she worked around people but she rarely let the conversation turn personal and the few friends she had she barely got the chance to see. “Maybe you right” she responded giving credit where credit was due, how did one even begin to start letting their walls down enough to let someone in when she knew how badly people had let her down in the past “I find that easier said than done though, I guess my default is the go it alone approach” which is why it was so hard for her to accept help. 

She sat herself against the seat and curled her feet underneath her, resting her hands on her knees in an almost meditation-like position as she listened to him talk, it was actually quite relaxing to sit here and while away some time while watching the way he worked on his painting, he was a natural, she noticed, everything he did seemed to effortless and like it was easy for him but she was sure there was a lot of thought going behind each movement too “I think you’re right” she responded to her words “Everyone has the capability to change but most people put up these invisible barriers for themselves and stop themselves before they even try” which was a sad thought but she supposed the idea of comfort and stability was often overpowering when compared to opportunity “And others don’t even see why they would need to change in the first place” she did see some good changes happening in the city, peace contracts expanding, greater communication and cooperation but it was slow progress for certain. 

She leaned back against the seat and closed her eyes for a while, just breathing in the cool fresh air and really appreciating this evening for what it was. Underneath the frustration she felt because she couldn’t get back out there and tackle this threat again for at least a while, there was a part of her which knew she craved his level of peace, to just take a breather for a while, so maybe this wasn’t the worst thing that could happen to her. “Honestly?” she asked with raised brows as she thought about his question for a moment, there was a lot of things she sacrificed in the name of what she did for the city “Having a good meal” she responded and nodded her head slightly “I literally can’t remember the last time I had a steak and I love steak” and now that he’d made her think about it she really missed those little indulgences she used to give herself, like a really nice meal or setting aside an evening just to sit down with a book. 


HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on December 11, 2019 at 17:27

Caleb was introverted and spent a lot more of his time thinking than talking. He very often found it easier to describe his experiences in his head than to get them out in words. He had a vivid inner life and he often wondered if the reason that he'd been drawn to art was because he'd struggled to make connections through talking when he was younger. It hadn't been a problem during his university years. Almost everything got easier with a glass of wine in your hand and sometimes he'd used that as crutch. He'd become dependent on that buzz to make socialization relaxing and easy. Ava hadn't tolerated it, especially since he had a weakness for letting go so much that his actions could turn into a blank slate and fuzzy memories. She'd been a hard person to win-over, but once she was his ally, had fought harder for him than anyone, including against his own demons. Caleb hadn't had a drink in five years and in her honor, he was fairly certain that he never would again. He ducked his head, looking over the finished canvas at the petite girl. "We all have our strengths and weaknesses. Talking certainly isn't mine."

He tucked the pencil behind his ear and headed through the patio doors, back towards the kitchen. By now, the mug of tea within her hands must be cold and he had to admit that something to eat sounded delicious. He understood what she meant about not having time to relax, despite that his world surrounded in canvases in clay could seem very much like an oasis. Being haunted by memories had its downsides and he often struggled to sleep. The dark circles under his eyes were evidence enough to that. The deadlines were another thing.Painting on commission was different than working on his own. Working with clients could either be a nightmare or a daydream and sometimes people had ideas that he simply couldn't bring to life. It took time to learn how not to punish himself for not succeeding or being where he wanted to be: ambition had a truly painful bite. 

Caleb propped open the doors to the outside as he shuffled around the living room searching for a cellphone and the list of all the restaurants he knew delivered at crazy hours. His sleep schedule was...off to say the least and he'd found some people to truly accommodating, especially considering he didn't enjoy eating french fries and bacon 24/7. Taking care of himself was important, or he knew he'd end up in a swirling tornado of rainbows and watercolor like his mama. As beautiful as it sounded, all he knew was that her obsession with perfecting her art had ultimately lead to her death. He wanted to be different than his parents. Perhaps, though, he could still carry on the good parts of the wonderful woman who had raised him. He dug between the couch cushions and felt a cold metal phone meet his grasp. He did have a tendency to lose things, but at least they stayed within a rather small apartment. "Is there someone you'd like to call? Just so they know you're safe."


DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on December 12, 2019 at 9:03

She nodded slightly when he spoke about people having strengths and weaknesses, her strengths tended to lie in her intellect and determination along with physical coordination but that was balanced out by her lack of connection with others, she had always found it hard to connect with others, whether that was down to her isolated upbringing or experiences of others letting her down she didn’t know “Me neither” she commented pressing her lips together “People, in general, isn’t mine” she guessed she’d never really clicked with anyone the way others described, she had friends sure but they were the kinds she’d get a meal with and then be on her way, she was yet to meet someone she felt the need to pull closer to her, perhaps because she didn’t let people get close to her in the first place. 

When he got up to wander around the house she stayed where she was, knees huddled to her chest as she watched the sky for a while, nothing particular was happening other than a few clouds brushing past the moon but she always found a sense of calming from just looking up at the sky she supposed. She wasn’t sure how exactly she felt right now, she was in an unfamiliar situation and she knew there was no doubt a crisis out there tonight which the Scarlett Archer should be attending to but for a while, she just wanted to hide away here and mull over her choices til now. 

His question about making a call had been thoughtful but sadly not something that came to mind, there wasn’t anyone waiting for her back home, after all, no one would actually worry over her. Emilio would realize something was wrong when she didn’t show up for work the next day but other than that, it seemed like she didn’t have much personal impact on others. “No that’s okay” she responded with a shake of her head “My family and I don’t talk anymore and I live alone so” she grimaced slightly as though it was no big deal. Instead of wallowing in it she thought for a moment before asking him a question of her own “What’s your inspiration behind what you do?” she jerked her chin towards the canvas, she was curious to know how an artist’s mind worked when it came to what they shared with the world. Nora often questioned her own motivations when it came to the things she did and the answer often came back different depending on the day. It occurred to her that she did a lot in the name of others but expected very little back in return. 


HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on January 20, 2020 at 17:58

Caleb waited for their meal to show up, paid the service, and brought it out back to the porch with some napkins and two glasses of water. It was important for anyone who was healing to get good nutrition. He, also, lived alone and had for several years now. Before Ava, he had also lived alone. He had a tendency to enjoy his own company more than that of others and despite the friends he had in his life now, he still found it extremely necessary to retreat on his own to process the day and its happenings. There was always something he needed to think about or feelings that needed a place to go. Truthfully, that was was why he made art. It was an outlet and a place he could speak when words didn't same to portray the depth of so many situations that he'd experienced.

"My only living family is just under 5000 miles away." He said, playing with the food on his plate and arranging the vegetables into a face, as his Mama often had as a child. It still amused him, honestly. "Technology helps, but sometimes I still feel guilty for leaving France when there could be people there who need me. I have tried to convince her to come here, but she says she is old and Paris is her home. I am grateful I have the ability to purchase plane tickets whenever I want...but that doesn't mean I am eager to...to go."

Caleb looked down at the takeout tray. In such modern times, it seemed like there would be better solutions to his crisis of not being able to fly in planes. Not yet and not anytime soon. "I miss my family, but I suppose my art is one way of helping myself be at peace with the place I am right now." He twirled a pencil in his fingertips, making brief eye contact, before looking away. "Some people prefer to wield a weapon and all I need is a brush. I think it helps me feel just as strong as carrying any sword."


DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on January 26, 2020 at 14:13

She glanced over at him a little surprised when the food arrived and scooted close, taking a seat near to him and then tucking her legs underneath her as she picked up the knife and fork and cut some up before taking a bite, she savored the mouthful before eventually swallowing it down. “You must miss them a whole lot” she commented softly, in a stupid way she missed hers sometimes too, even though she couldn’t stand to see them after all the things they had done, she missed the people who raised her, the ones she had good childhood memories with and shaped her in the person she was today.

“Technology is basically a lifesaver for me, it has saved me needing to take several overseas trips unnecessarily” but he was right, it only went so far and sometimes a face to face meeting was what you needed. She couldn’t really relate to being far from people she cared for because it now occurred to her that she didn’t have all that many people she actually missed. The way her life had unfolded had led her here, along with her natural preference for being alone. It occurred to her that she was pretty unapproachable at the end of the day, she spent most of her time alone at home with her dog and while she did many things to protect the people around her, it was never something she did because she wanted to be close with said person.

“Do you not like traveling?” she questioned with a quirk of her brow, flying was almost second nature to her now given that she needed to visit the customers abroad a lot, it wasn’t uncommon for her to take 2 or more trips in a month. Speaking of, after tonight’s antics she was going to need some sort of cover story, she glanced down to her arm and then sighed. She took a few more bites of the food, feeling somewhat replenished by being able to get a decent meal for once before setting the tray aside, when he mentioned art and how it helped him cope with the world she smiled softly “I’ve never been the artistic type but I definitely know how getting lost in work can be somewhat of a lifeline when I need to just forget about everything” whenever things got too much she always threw herself into work and that helped to calm her.


HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on January 27, 2020 at 16:37

Memories of his Aunt flashed behind his eyes: her gentle, wrinkled hands guiding him home from a graveyard in his bare feet, her seeming never ending kindness at his teenage outbursts, and the smell of cookings wafting in the front door when he came home from Uni, half drunk and more than a little distant. She’d been his constant companion and his stability in a world filled with mismatched puzzle pieces and dark rain. Caleb gingerly ran the pencil in his fingertips between the cracks of the styrofoam box creating an outline of a face. Her smile was what he loved. No matter how bad the day or how stubborn he’d been, his aunt had loved him. So many others would have chosen to let go of a young man who with all his heart had for many years wanted only for his mother to return. Celeste was different. She never let him go off the deep end and eventually, Caleb had come to greatly admire her for everything. It had taken time. Time and the right woman lecturing him about appreciating the people in his life. 

Caleb relaxed, letting his long legs cross against the deck. It was a cold evening, but being raised in the mountains, he didn’t mind a bit of wind. Outside was always preferable to inside. He could feel the breeze on his face and see the stars. “I love to travel.” He sighed, squinting up at the sky, as it began to transition from soft blue to grey. It was a winter sunset, for sure. “I’ve been fortunate enough to see much of Europe and several of the large American cities, oui? They both seem to have something. Perhaps here it is more of a charm and there it is more a long held history.” 

The young man gulped, a sudden chill coming over him.  He glanced over at her, before shrugging, and crossing his arms over his chest, burying himself into his hoodie, more for coziness than true need for warmth. “I have issues with planes. Recently. When someone you...love so much...dies in one. It is,” He held his pinky and thumb an inch apart. “A bit hard to trust gravity and enclosed spaces.” It still hit him hard sometimes when he would look up at the night sky and see the blinking lights of a plane flying over him. Once upon not long ago, he would have imagined that it was Ava flying off where she most loved, but now. Reality was a harsh bullet to bite. “What about your family? Living? Dead? Some place else on this giant planet?” 

Somehow, the two of them had been thrown together and perhaps, the pieces were not as mismatched as they had first appeared. Clearly, a bit of distance and a good conversation appealed to them both. In the quiet of the night air, as Caleb began heating kindling in the firepit, it made clicked. Sometimes the people you least expected to meet were the ones that were the best at listening.


DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on January 30, 2020 at 8:47

There was something peaceful about just sitting back and watching him work, it wasn’t like she had much better to do, given that her arm was throbbing and she felt very weak, her strength had all but left her and so staying still seemed like the wisest choice. Besides, he was a peculiar male who stood out to her. Firstly, he hadn’t turned her in to the authorities when he could have, secondly, he hadn’t even checked who she was behind her mask and now he was casually painting while she sat here and pondered what strange forces in the world decided to bring the two of them together tonight. In a very strange way, she felt like she could trust him.

Her expression softened when she heard him say he loved to travel because she was curious to know his reasons for avoiding it if that was the case. She did wonder if she was overstepping with the questions but it was hard to gauge him, he seemed quiet and reserved like her but in different ways to the way she was. “I think every place has it’s own…” she thought about the way she would describe it “Charisma” she commented and nodded, everywhere kinda sold itself to you in different ways which is what made traveling so addictive to her, because everywhere made you feel different about it “Japan was definitely one of my favorites” she added to the end and nodded her head slightly.

She saw the way he looked a little shaken by the topic though and it made sense after he explained his issue was with planes rather than traveling itself and she nodded solemnly when he said someone he loved had died in one. That had to be life-altering when it came to how you saw the world and she wasn’t really sure what she could say “I can’t even imagine how hard that must be to…process” she had lost someone in a traumatic way before and it had changed her whole life and no doubt his experience had done the same to him.

When he asked about her family she went quiet though, picturing the figures of her parents in her head, she had so much anger and resentment in her mind every time she thought of them because of the things they had done “Living but honestly to me they are dead” that sounded harsh, she knew that, but she could never forgive them for the decisions they made and how they acted without even the smallest level of human decency “They did some really bad things, things that got people killed and yet they still believed they were doing right” she pressed her lips together “I don’t think I can ever forgive that” and that wasn’t just her being caught up by her anger, she truly blamed them for the hurt they caused. She huddled closer to the firepit that he was lighting for warmth, rubbing her hands together as they talked.


HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on February 1, 2020 at 0:29

“Charisma.” Caleb rolled the word over is tongue, with a slow nod. “I agree. I think big cities are perhaps the most unique. They can have multiple levels. A new place for everyone. This is one of the things I do like about the city,” He chuckled, “But I will admit to being very biased to the country and some good ducks.”  

He would like some ducks and a small pond, perhaps a nice sunset from the house. He enjoyed living with Giselle in this relative solitude, but her home was distinctly lacking in the space for animal companionship, particularly birds. Waking up to early mornings of colorful birds taking off over a lake were still some of his favorite memories. 

Caleb felt for Scarlett. He couldn’t imagine having family members that had done such terrible things, or worse, permitted terrible things to be done to you that you couldn’t even speak to them. She was correct that in some situations cutting ties became the safest and best option, even when others did not understand. Sometimes, people judged what they’d never been through, but Caleb did try not to make that happen, though he was far from perfect. “To say the truth, I cannot imagine family relations that...tough. When it comes to people having my back, I was blessed. Even though it is few people, they support me.” 

He was human and he had his faults. If he had been in her shoes, he didn’t know if he’d have been capable of saying no to others in the same way she did. In some eyes, he was sure that his empathy for others made him weak, but those were not eyes that he wanted to see through. “I find it honorable you were able to stand up to your family. They say standing up to strangers is far easier than people you care for...and it takes a great deal of strength to do either.” 

She had such a strong sense of right and wrong, of justice. He admired that about this young woman, despite they weren’t close. Caleb was a peace keeper, sometimes to a fault. In his relationships, he was most often the one who listened to others and tried his best to give advice and rarely the one who aided in battle. “How did you know that was what you needed to do? Or put on a mask? Is there a superhero training school? More of a one-step a day thing?" 

Whatever had hurt the young woman was clearly of a more volatile nature than things he'd known existed in Evermore, but he knew it was a lot of questions and Caleb didn't want to be the one to scare her off, especially, when it appeared they may be spending a few days together. There was time, a warm fire, and plenty of food to keep them company through the night. He never slept much anyway. 


DhampirPermalink Reply by ✓ Eleanora Riley Nordstroem on February 2, 2020 at 15:32

“I like the idea of feeling small in a big city” she responded with a hint of a smile on her lips, he was right, cities were so big and you saw these smaller communities inside of it, you could go to a different place in the city and see something different, especially because it was full of the supernatural “You know just getting lost, realizing you are just one person in a place that homes thousands upon thousands, it’s humbling” it reminded you that the world didn’t revolve around you. She smiled when he mentioned ducks though “You had ducks?” she asked with a smile “I love animals of all kinds, I find being around them peaceful” and honestly, she tended to like them more than people.

When she thought about the experience she went through with her parents, the worst part truly was having to deal with it so publically. Her parents were the CEO and COO respectively of their company which meant all eyes were on them and during the trial, the media spread their attention to their daughter. Nora never wanted to be in that spotlight and it had been pretty damaging for her to have to go through all that “You should keep them close” she advised with a slight nod of her head “I’m not completely alone, I have a mother type figure who took care of me in the first few years I spent here” she had nothing then and Katiya had taken her in, she would always be grateful for that.

“It wasn’t easy” she responded softly when he said he wasn’t sure he would be able to turn his back on his family, honestly it had taken every bit of strength she had to walk away but there had always been a part of her that believed in wrong and right so strongly. She couldn’t make excuses for people who put people’s lives in danger and caused so much suffering to others “But there’s always been a compass in me and...I can’t betray myself like that, even for someone I love” her priority would always be following her instincts and doing what she felt was right, which was exactly why she went out there and protected people.

She laughed softly when he asked how she got into what she did, it was a fair question “Well it wasn’t always a mask, before it was a hoodie which I kept over my face” she nodded slightly as she leaned back in her seat and glanced over at him “It was just something I decided to do one day, someone was in danger and I stepped in to help them and then...it went from there” she nodded a few times “It wasn’t simple at first and I got hurt a lot but knowing I was protecting people...it made me feel like I was making up for the hurt they caused” it was especially focused around taking out drug-related crime, because that was heavily tied into what her parents had done.


HumanPermalink Reply by ✓ Caleb Eli Segal ~Mod~ on February 10, 2020 at 16:00

Caleb wasn’t sure that he liked the idea of either feeling or being smaller than he was - Antman’s miraculous powers and their intrigue be damned. He was only just starting to feel at home in his body again. Perhaps it was he’d stopped traveling: tbhad been nice to appreciate the sameness and safety of everyday life, like two slices of whole grain toast in the morning, and cloudgazing at night. Yet, he couldn’t quite deny either that there were still many adventures yet to be lived and if he had 99 problems, lack of curiosity wasn’t one of them. 

“There’s a lot of different ways to see the world. A good telescope is one of my favorites. I do miss an audience for the great majority of my alien humor, though.” He said wrlyly. Ava had always laughed at his jokes, even when they weren’t that funny, or he’d run out of extraterrestrial puns two hours into their celestial pondering.  He hadn't told any astronaut jokes in a while. Long enough that Caleb was pretty sure he'd forgotten most of the punch lines, but all the same it was nice to remember how much laughter there had been. Sometimes when you lost something it was easy to get swept away in the torrential downpour of sadness and forget the bright eyed nights over dark skies.  

“Family is not always who you are born to,” Caleb shrugged. “I did not meet Ava’s family until I came to Evermore, but even after her passing I still meet her cousins for lunch and nights out. We were drawn together by the inexplainable.” He held his hands an arms’ width apart. “The love of a good woman.”  

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