Realistic or Modern help me to name it

[alex danvers]

xxx

mxxxaxxxtxxxexxxrxxxixxxaxxxlxxxixxxzxxxe
o r xxx l e t xxx t h e xxx a s h e s xxx f l y​

 

[digital witness]

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────x

──────────────────────────── » » » ────────────────────────────x

name. aster. age. twenty six. sexual orientation. homoromantic demisexual. height. five foot six inches. weight. one hundred and thirty five pounds. occupation. works part-time at a local pawn shop manning the register and bringing in merchandise. family. estranged from parents since infancy; joss, sister (41); vincent, brother in law (43); jackson, nephew (5); mae, niece (1).

 

[alex danvers]

x

​

oz lucille mayer
____________________________________

◤xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◥
full name | oz lucille mayer
age | twenty-five years old
orientation | homosexual
occupation | mechanic, ex-convict
height | five foot three
◣xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx◢​

x

 

[alex danvers]

O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Z

found yourself in a new direction
arrows falling from the sun
canyon calling, would they come to greet you?
let you know you're not the only one

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 518
kinda short but intros are hard​

“You better find that guy’s bike back, or you’re fuckin’ fired, you hear me?” Claude’s voice boomed through the garage, and Oz automatically cringed at the way it echoed through the large open space, reflecting off walls and meeting her again. Claude stepped closer, a pointing finger probing the air in her direction, and his voice lowered when he realized how some passersby had stopped and looked through the open gates at what was going on. “If I let him know his bike’s stolen, we might as well close up. You were on shift yesterday, so you get it back.”

Claude obviously didn’t realize that Oz had absolutely no idea how to get the bike back, nor did she think he cared. Things were a lot different for her, however: her parole depended on her ability to hold a job, and if she proved that she couldn’t, she was going straight back to jail. At least he’d given her the rest of the day off to track it down. With a frown between her eyebrows, Oz pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Archie’s number. He’d been one of the only friends from her childhood that hung around after she’d gone to jail, and he’d helped her get the job at the mechanic’s, plus he was somewhat involved in what went around in the pawning world, so if there was anyone that knew what happened to the motorcycle, he would. Coincidentally, he was also her only hope.

“Yeah, yeah, I’ve seen something like that pass around. Check the downtown pawn shop, I think they might’ve seen it come by.” “Alright, thanks, Archie.” She caught the next bus downtown, and it took her a good hour before she was anywhere near the pawn shop, and another thirty minutes before she actually found the pawn shop itself. The place was largely empty aside from one or two lost customers trying to find their way through the various items placed around the space, and the guy behind the desk. Oz’d taken a look around outside but hadn’t spotted the bike, so she stepped right up to the front, near the register, and made eye contact with the guy manning it.

“Hey, uh, I was wondering if you guys had seen a blue-and-yellow dirtbike pass through your shop, or heard of it going around?” The dude seemed more interested in whatever he was doing on his phone, and gave Oz a sideways glance, before shrugging. “I don’t know. Haven’t heard of one coming in here. Don’t think so.” His words earned an annoyed eyeroll from Oz, who leaned a bit closer to the counter. “Look, man, someone stole it from my shop and now my ass is on the line, so can you just take a look, or ask your boss, or something? I just need to know for sure. After, you can go back to playing Candy Crush, or whatever.” He grumbled something unintelligible, turned his phone’s screen off and slapped it down on the desk behind the counter, and shrugged. “Fine, I’ll ask my coworker. I’ll be right back.”

 

[digital witness]

Axxxx Sxxxx Txxxx Exxxx R

what did you learn tonight?
you're shouting so loud
you barely joyous, broken thing
you're a voice that never sings

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 575

ready to fite​

Business was slow. They'd had all of nine customers since opening at eleven o'clock that morning and with little use for two employees running the floor, Aster had seen herself into the back room under the guise of "filing paperwork" while she left the shop's newest employee, Richie, to his own devices. She'd made herself comfortable, sitting with the heels of her maroon Doc Martens propped against the edge of her boss' desk and her back leaned heavily into his leather chair, its front legs hovering in the air while it teetered on the two in the rear, and she stared absently up at the water stained ceiling while the radio played softly from a speaker on the desk, the music eventually going fuzzy as the reception cut out.

The fizzing white noise of the radio had only just begun to fill the space when the door was being flung open and Aster slammed the chair back down onto all four legs with a startling bang. She was quick to mask the alarm on her face as she consciously pulled her features down into her usual stone-faced expression and shrugged. "...What?" She spat, her little show of intimidation wasted on Richie who remained wholly unfazed. "There's a girl out here wantsa talk to you. Says it's boutta bike or a motorcycle or something." A crease formed between the woman's eyebrows and, quickly led to the conclusion that leaving her coworker to handle the issue on his own wasn't an option, she pulled her feet from where they still sat upon the edge of the desk and brushed past Richie to push through the door.

Aster's gaze was quick to find the woman in question and she shot her a curious look as she stepped to to meet her at the front desk. "What's it you're looking for?" She listened, her memory jogged, as the brunette described the dirt bike to her in detail. "I mighta seen somethin' like that come through here." She sucked at her teeth, gaze flitting to meet the other woman's as she made herself comfortable and laid the flat of her forearm against the top of the counter and leaned into its edge with her hip. "One of our guys came by last night, but our boss don't like to move shit like that - too much risk involved. Forget to get the papers authorized and all a sudden we got cops sniffin' around the place tryna shut us down. Nah, we sent him out." She watched with a curious interest as the woman's face fell into something of disappointment. "...What's it matter to ya anyway?"

If there was one thing Aster couldn't stomach it was the idea of someone being screwed over and as she listened to the brunette tell her tale and explain the situation regarding the dirt bike, her job, and her task of tracking it down, she could feel her insides beginning to twist. "Richie?" She called over her shoulder, fishing the key ring from her pocket and tossing it to the man as he stepped into view from the office. "Watch the shop." The keys bounced against his chest, jingling as he fumbled to catch them, and Aster could feel two pairs of curious eyes on her as she moved around to the other side of the desk and looked to the brunette expectantly as she started for the door. "We're gonna go get your bike back."

 

[alex danvers]

O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Z

found yourself in a new direction
arrows falling from the sun
canyon calling, would they come to greet you?
let you know you're not the only one

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 597
kinda short again but didnt know how u wanted to do this​

It only took the guy a couple minutes, which Oz spent looking around the place, her eye falling on a couple mechanical pieces that they had stalled in the far corner. Her fingers moved over the iron parts, inspecting it with a quiet concentration that changed the expression on her face into a focused frown. Her attention was only pulled back to the counter in the front of the shop when a heavy-footed thunking of steps moved into the room. Her gaze just moved back to the counter front when a second person entered the room, followed closely by the guy behind the register. Oz’s gaze connected with the girl, and, understanding that this was the coworker that the guy had gotten.

Oz stepped back to the register, nodding slowly when the girl asked after the point of her visit. “I’m looking for a Yamaha WR250 X, practically brand new. Repainted blue and yellow. Got extra tire thread in the shape of barbed wire.” She shrugged, a playful smile around her lips. “You know how dudes are.” Her hope was sparked, temporarily, when the other girl mentioned seeing the bike, possibly, come through the shop, but her face drooped into disappointment when she brushed the thought off and said that her boss wouldn’t have accepted it. Oz shrugged, prepared to give Archie another call in hopes of tracking down the bike elsewhere, when the taller girl broke the silence.

“Uh, some asshole stole it from the shop I work at yesterday, during my shift. My boss ain’t happy so I gotta bring it back, or he’ll fire me.” The expression on the other girl’s face twisted into something of determination, and Oz watched with curious interest as she pulled a small keychain from her pocket and tossed it at the guy Oz had talked to before. Before Oz knew it, she was on her side of the counter, moving towards the door, and almost unnoticeably motioned for her to follow, offering – no, giving – her her help in tracking down the dirtbike.

“Uh, alright,” she muttered, following the brunette outside, back into the 5pm-autumn sun, and followed her down the street towards the bus stop that Oz had come from. They’d only barely been on the bus when an alarm on Oz’s phone began to ring, and she pulled it out of her pocket, and groaning when she saw the time: 5:30pm. “I gotta be home in two and a half hours tho. Think we can make this quick? I only have today before Claude fires me.” And I go back to jail. The brunette next to her shrugged, then nodded, affirming that if they were on the right path, that Oz would see the bike back to the shop in time. The sideways glance that she’d received at her notion of having to be home at a specific time reminded Oz of how childish it sounded to have curfew like that, but she wasn’t about to piss of her parole officer, Leo.

Oz’s heart sunk in her chest when the brunette motioned for her to get off the bus with her and she saw the neighborhood she was in – one of the shadier ones, and hurried to keep up with the other girl. “Look, I’m not supposed to be in this part of town. It could get me in trouble-” Oz’s words were cut off when the brunette interrupted with the question of whether she really wanted the bike back or not, and she grumblingly agreed, though the tracker around her ankle suddenly felt heavier than before.

 

[digital witness]

Axxxx Sxxxx Txxxx Exxxx R

what did you learn tonight?
you're shouting so loud
you barely joyous, broken thing
you're a voice that never sings

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 792

ready to fite pt2​

The bell that hung from the upper corner of the door gave a jingle as Aster pushed through and another when the shorter brunette followed suit shortly thereafter. She found a comfortable pace and failed to ensure that the other woman could reasonably keep up until she'd come to an eventual halt at the bus stop on the corner of the street where she stuffed her hands deep into the pockets of her bomber jacket and turned to face the newly-acquainted stranger. She gave her a quiet look over, trying to figure out what her deal was without verbally asking, but found herself interrupted when the bus rolled to a stop in front of them and its brakes gave out a startling hiss. The doors swung open and Aster's gaze gave a flick toward the stairs, imploring the brunette to take the first step, and followed her inside.

The woman sat, but Aster opted to stand. The soles of her boots kept their grip against the dirty floor as her fingers curled themselves around the metal pole that sprouted from the backrest of the empty seat next to the brunette's and she gave a curious glance when the woman's phone began to ring. It was an alarm of some sort - for what she couldn't say - and she considered the woman's words for a short time before she gave a shrug. "I know where he likes to hang; if he's there I'll have your bike back in no time." She nodded. This of course relied entirely on the fact that Curt was, in fact, where she presumed him to be, but he'd always been a creature of habit; so when the bus arrived at their intended stop she moved with an unyielding confidence and gestured for the other brunette to follow her.

She could sense the woman's discomfort the moment they stepped off of the bus and Aster gave an annoyed pull of her eyebrow when she made her concern known. "You want your bike back or not?!" She snapped, resuming her normal pace when the woman begrudgingly agreed. "That's what I thought." She grumbled, her steps falling heavier as she set off into a maze of dimly-lit alleyways. "We're almost there. Stick with me and you'll be fine."

They were nearing the end of the first alleyway when a darkened figure stood upright from its position leaned against the corner of a building, effectively obstructing their path. "Oh shit... Aster, is that you?" The man pushed back on his hood and a broad smile lightened his stony expression as the pair extended arms and curled their fingers around each others', pulling close in a quick greeting that was clearly familiar to them. "Fuck, girl, it's been a damn minute since I've seen you. Whatchu doin' here? You lookin' to buy?" The man's gaze flicked to the brunette behind her but hardly acknowledged the additional presence when Aster quickly brushed off his initial assumptions just as his fingers were dipping into the pocket on the inside of his jacket. "Nah, man. I'm off that shit. I got a job now - I'm doin' good for myself. I'm, uh - I'm looking for Curtis... you seen him around here?" There was a pause and he nodded, running his fingers over the stubble on his chin. "Yeah, I seen him come by here." He gave half a step sideways and pointed into the space behind him. "Right through there," his finger lowered just as their gazes followed and he spoke up, breaking their concentration before they could walk away. "And, uh... come see me if you change your mind. You know I'll always take care of you." Aster's smile faltered only slightly, a familiar itch rearing inside of her, but she said her goodbye and pushed past regardless, offering a quick glance to ensure the other brunette was still on her tail.

"Keep your eyes open for that bike of yours," she slowed in her step as the quiet murmur of voices became audible and they rounded the final corner into a decrepit-looking courtyard where a smattering of men and women had gathered. Walled in by foreclosed buildings on every side, the area gave the perfect cover for carrying out deals without being busted by the police - not that the area had much of a police presence to begin with - and Aster was instantly taken back to the many days she'd spent here in the later part of her youth.

Still, her gaze moved about the space with a sense of purpose and she paused when she spotted a wheel poking out from behind a stack of pallet boxes. "Hey," she nudged the woman's forearm with the back of her hand and pointed. "Is that your bike?"

 

[alex danvers]

O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Z

found yourself in a new direction
arrows falling from the sun
canyon calling, would they come to greet you?
let you know you're not the only one

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 614​

Oz’s gaze moved apprehensively through the narrow space of the alleyway, immediately feeling uncomfortable – not because she wasn’t familiar with these sorts of places, because she was, but rather because Leo tracked her every move, and he’d definitely have some questions as to why she was hanging out there, two hours before curfew. This would undoubtedly earn her a search tonight, tomorrow, Thursday, and every following day until he was sure she didn’t drag something illegal or something dangerous back with her.

The girl that accompanied her seemed relatively at ease despite how the masculine figure up ahead blocked their way, and the ease with which they behaved around each other made their past friendship obvious. He addressed the other brunette as Aster, not acknowledging Oz in the slightest as the two shared a brief conversation about one Curtis. She almost let out a sigh in relief when the man confirmed that whoever the brunette had been looking for was indeed where she said he would be, and her hopes of finding the bike and keeping her job skyrocketed to a new high, even though she told herself that it didn’t mean anything until she’d gotten the bike back to Claude and made it home before eight.

They brushed easily past the man, weaving through alleyways until they came out on a narrow courtyard with a group of men and women who were laughing and smoking. Oz kept her eyes down, looking for anything but trouble as she followed the brunette’s gaze around the space, following until her own eyes came to rest on the same dirtbike wheel sticking out from behind a stack of boxes. She immediately recognized the silver chassis, the deep blue spray-painted casing with yellow details, and the overly-threaded front tire that was sticking out. She gave a quick nod, confirming that that was the bike she’d been after since that morning, and only looked on quietly as the brunette stepped forward in the direction of the bike.

She strutted towards it as if it was hers, pulling it off its kickstand and beginning to push it away, until a man’s voice cut through the air. “Hey, what the fuck, Aster! That ain’t yours!” One of the men sitting at the table near the middle of the courtyard popped up, gesturing wildly at the other woman. Oz couldn’t exactly hear what the brunette yelled back, but the gist was clear – however, this Curtis dude wasn’t ready to back off. The brunette, by then, had managed to push the bike into Oz’s hands, and turned around swiftly to meet Curtis as he approached them. Her hand disappeared into her pocket, and Oz’s heart sunk as she realized that it was a threat, and that whatever was in her pocket was only there to give weight to her threat.

It didn’t escalate, but the heaviness in her stomach remained as the idea of being put back in prison flashed through her mind, and neither of them spoke as Oz pushed the bike through the alleyways after the brunette, her gaze only briefly connecting with the other woman’s when they stopped near the main road. “Thanks for your help. Imma call Claude, let him know he can come pick it up…” She left the bike with the other woman for a moment as she pulled her phone out of her pocket, called her boss, who was surprised to hear where she was but relieved that she’d managed to find the bike regardless, and told her he’d be there in fifteen minutes to pick it up. “Uh, is there anything I can do for you in return? Kinda couldn’t have done that myself, so…”

 

[digital witness]

Axxxx Sxxxx Txxxx Exxxx R

what did you learn tonight?
you're shouting so loud
you barely joyous, broken thing
you're a voice that never sings

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 623

it's something​

Aster moved with an unwavering display of confidence in her step that allowed her to merge seamlessly into the smattering of people and successfully divert any unwanted attention from being pulled toward her until she was shimmying the bike out from behind the stack of pallets that had haphazardly been used as a form of cover and a male voice boomed through the semi-enclosed space as it sliced through the air. "Hey, what the fuck, Aster?! That ain't yours!" The brunette, who instantly recognized the voice as belonging to their man in question, Curtis, gave a visible roll of her eyes. "It ain't yours either, dipshit!" She watched from her peripheral vision as the man leapt from the table he'd been seated at and took a step forward. She'd since taken the bike by its handlebars and rolled it toward the other brunette just in time for Curtis to confront the pair and swung around to meet him.

"Don't be fuckin' stupid, Curt." Her shorter stature made no difference and she easily matched his stance, pressing forward. The pair went quiet for a split second and Aster's gaze flicked down as her hand disappeared into her pocket to allow her fingers to curl around the butterfly knife that she kept nestled there. Curtis quickly caught onto the implication and, with a visible grind of his teeth as his jaw clenched in frustration and, inevitably... defeat, he took a step back and softened the stiffness that had kept the muscles in his back and shoulders pulled taut. Aster took a step backward, eyes still locked upon Curtis to ensure he wouldn't try anything, and nodded for the brunette to take the lead. "...Come on, let's go."

She only relaxed once they'd stepped back onto the street, losing the rigidness in her shoulders as the brunette thanked her for her help in acquiring the bike and passed the bike off to her so she could call her boss. "Nah, we're good." She waved off the woman's offer to return the favor somehow and shook her head. "That shit just don't sit well with me, y'know? It ain't right. Fuckin' dude's always been a piece of shit. Thinks he can just take whatever he wants and sell it off to get his next fix-" They kept up a slow pace, walking in the direction of the bus stop they'd come from while they waited for the woman's boss to swing by and take it off their hands. Aster paused in her thought, dipping her hands into her pockets, and kicked at a pebble with the toe of her boot. "Actually, there might be somethin' you can do for me." She watched as the pebble clattered along the sidewalk before it rolled into a grated storm drain and her gaze lifted to meet the brunette's.

"You said you work in a shop, right?" She began as more of a conversation starter than a question and moved right into her point as she already knew the answer. "The resale price on some car parts is unreal. We could, uh - we could get somethin' going that could be good for the both of us. I'd pay you - cash, of course - but if y'all had any parts layin' around that you didn't need I could buy 'em off ya to sell at the shop." She began, offering a sideways glance toward the other woman. "In return I could keep an eye out for anything shady that might come circulating through the shop like that bike of yours. Kinda like... you scratch my back I scratch yours, y'know?" She paused, eyes lifting as a battered up pickup truck squealed to a stop on the curb next to them. "Think about it."

 

[alex danvers]

O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Z

found yourself in a new direction
arrows falling from the sun
canyon calling, would they come to greet you?
let you know you're not the only one

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 650
let the gay commence
officer leo marshall​

Oz’s hands gripped a little tighter around the steering wheel of the bike when the brunette seemed to consider her words, and let go of a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding when the brunette brushed off her offer. She listened quietly, her eyes eventually finding their way to connect with the brunette’s gaze, and raised one eyebrow questioningly when she went into a short rant. “Appreciate that.” Her eyes followed the pebble as it bounced off the sidewalk a couple times, before disappearing into a storm drain grate, before moving up to meet with the brunette’s as she cut through the temporary silence that had been formed.

Oz cocked her head slightly, raising an eyebrow in question as the brunette continued her train of thought, and Oz was put on the spot pretty much right away. She didn’t get the chance to so much as utter a word before the brunette was telling her to think about it, and Claude’s car – evident by the mechanic’s logo painted on the side of the door – was rolling up to the curb. “Alright, I’ll let you know!” Oz muttered, before helping her boss load the bike into the back of the truck and getting in on the passenger side.

As much as she’d expected, there was a knock on the door that night at nine. “Oz.” Leo barely looked at her as he let himself into her apartment past her, only nodding briefly in acknowledgement as he moved into her living room. He moved straight into his search, opening random drawers and pushing the cushions of her couch upward as he upended her living room in search of anything incriminating. “So,” he began, still rummaging through her things as he pulled an entire stack of books out of her small bookcase to look behind it, “just wondering, what were you doing downtown today? Didn’t think you were one of those risk takers that makes a little trip to the central drug neighborhood of town.”

“I’m not.” She sighed, watching him go through all of her things, through her phone, to eventually end up in front of her while she explained the events of that day in honesty – well, mostly. She didn’t tell him about the drugs the other girl was offered, nor the weapon that she’d been hiding in her pocket. Leo seemed to buy most of it, though he raised an eyebrow when she told him how Curtis had backed off. “Just like that? Boy steals a bike and just lets you walk away with it?” His hands moved over the length of her arms, patting her down, over her back and stomach, before shifting down to the pockets of her pants, and the lengths of her legs. Finally, he pulled the rim of one of her pants’ legs up, baring the ankle tracker that still remained around her leg. “Gotta make sure it’s still there. Alright, I think you’re good.” He nodded, and she plopped down back onto the couch, resuming her show and assuming that he’d find the door by himself. “See ya later.” “Bye, Leo…”

She brought up the brunette’s proposal to Claude two days later – if she was going to do it, she was going to do it with his permission – and he only shrugged and nodded. “If you have anything you think could be worth something, run it by me. If it’s just scraps, I don’t see why not.” She took his confirmation to the pawn shop that afternoon, finding the same guy behind the register as before. “Is your coworker in?” He only raised an eyebrow, not looking away from his phone. “Uh, big afro, nose piercing, neck tatt-” “Aster!” He called out, not once tearing his gaze away from his phone, and stepped aside when the brunette that had helped Oz stepped out from the back. “You scratch my back, I scratch yours.”

 

[digital witness]

Axxxx Sxxxx Txxxx Exxxx R

what did you learn tonight?
you're shouting so loud
you barely joyous, broken thing
you're a voice that never sings

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 634

aster don't give no shits​

Aster didn't stick around for long after a burly-looking man exited from the driver's side of the car and set his sights on the bike that the brunette still had her hands on. "Aight, just hit me up!" She took to walking backwards for a few paces, a lopsided grin pulling at one side of her mouth as their gazes met one last time. "You know where to find me." She chewed down on her lower lip and spun around on her heels, starting toward the bus stop.

It was a few days before she heard back from the brunette. She'd claimed her usual spot in the back of the shop when Richie called her out to the register and, upon setting foot through the doorway, her gaze came to rest upon the woman's familiar face. Her stoic expression broke into a broad grin that had the skin at the corners of her eyes pinching into wrinkles and she made no attempt to mask her satisfaction when the woman repeated her words back to her, officially setting their haphazardly formed business plan into motion. "Shiiiit - I knew you'd pull through for me," she bit down on her lip, still smiling, and moved to the edge of the counter to grab the first piece of paper she could find. "Here," she began to scribble something down. "This'll get you the store, but if you don't wanna talk to Richie here you might as well just hit me up directly." She circled one of the numbers, folded the paper, and slipped it right into the palm of the brunette's hand when she extended her arm to take it. "Where you work at?" They carried their conversation for a short while until a customer requested help with one of their larger pieces of merchandise and the brunette took the opportunity to see herself out, assuring Aster that she'd be in touch shortly.

When the contact she'd been promised never came, Aster took matters into her own hands. She had the afternoon off work and, conveniently finding herself in the area where the brunette's shop was located (she had to Google it), she moved with her usual calm confidence through the gate that had been left slightly ajar. She followed the sound of power tools being used, stepping past the various piles of tires and loose car parts, and had taken to peering inside of an open car hood when the sound of the tools stopped and soft footsteps followed in its wake. She tore her gaze away from the complex innards of the car and a bright smile lightened her face when it came to rest upon the very brunette she'd sought out.

"That's a good look for you," she teased, pointing out the welder's mask that she'd pulled up to rest atop her head. "I was in the area," she shrugged, noting the curious expression that the other woman bore. "I figured I'd come take a look around. That's a shit gate you got out front, by the way. No wonder you gotta worry about your shit gettin' lifted." She allowed herself to take a brief look around the space, eventually lifting herself onto the trunk of one of the parked cars and letting her feet dangle. Her gaze dipped as she did, a bright green blinking light catching her eye as it dipped past the woman's ankle. "I knew a girl in high school had to wear one of those." She pressed the flats of her palms against the dirtied metal surface and leaned back. "Said it was a bitch when she had to shower... whatchu get busted for?" Her eyes dragged back up the woman's petite frame to connect with her gaze, unfazed by the invasion of privacy that her blunt inquiry had presented.

 

[alex danvers]

O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Z

found yourself in a new direction
arrows falling from the sun
canyon calling, would they come to greet you?
let you know you're not the only one

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 635
whats ur deal, aster!!!​

Oz would’ve liked to say that she lost the piece of paper with the girl’s number on it, but that was a lie. Truth was, she put the note in the pocket of her jeans, which she promptly forgot about as she discarded the garment into the laundry basket later that night. By the time she found the note again, it was too late: a run of the laundry through the laundromat place down the street had not entirely wiped all the ink off, but had definitely smudged and run through the paper until it was completely illegible. She’d thrown away the slip, thinking that she’d remember to pass by the shop to meet with the brunette again and explain the situation… and then work suddenly got insanely busy.

Oz’s mind hadn’t even inched in the direction of the pawn shop girl over the course of the previous days, instead focusing on her work. She’d been welding together a frame for a sports motorcycle that a customer had requested to be custom-made, when a noise from the doors made her look up. Her gaze moved through the space, but she failed to see the figure walking through the space, and turned back to her work when another clang reached her ears. This time, she did see the girl strolling casually through the shop – and who Oz immediately recognized.

She pushed the welder’s mask up and away from her face, and put her tools down before approaching the girl, wiping her hands on her pants just as she looked up from the engine she’d been looking at. Evidently, her question was written on her face as the other brunette immediately delved into her reason for appearing at the shop unannounced. Oz shrugged briefly, lifting the welding mask from her head entirely and tucking it under her arm, resting against her hip, and gestured briefly around. “Claude had a security camera installed. Plus, I think you scared them off for now.”
Her gaze dipped down along with the brunette’s when it came to rest on her ankle, and the GPS tracker that remained around it, obvious and visible to the eye as Oz’s skinnies didn’t fit over it. “Uh, yeah. It is.” She muttered, averting the subject from the reason why she wore one. “Gotta put a bag on it and wrap it in duct tape and everything. Pain in the ass.” Her gaze narrowed as she looked at the brunette, trying to determine whether she was trustworthy enough to lift a tip of the veil as to why Oz was on parole, and cut again through the silence before the brunette could ask the question again. “Armed robbery.”

She gestured briefly with her head, towards the doors on the side of the building. “I’m going on break now. Wanna come?” The brunette was quick to agree, and Oz put away the welding mask and gloves before leading them through the doors and past the narrow hallway. She stopped briefly to fish her cigarettes out of the pocket of her jacket, and led the two of them through the door on the far end of the hallway, which led to the parking lot. Oz propped a cigarette between her lips, offering out the package to the other woman, who politely refused, before shrugging and lighting her own. “So,” she took a few puffs of the cigarette before she was sure it was lit properly and blew out a cloud of smoke that hung between them momentarily, before her gaze found the brunette’s, “I’m Oz, by the way. And uh, since you asked me what was up with that-” she gestured briefly to the device that rested against her ankle, “figure I might as well ask you the same. ...What’s your deal? Like, uhh… why’d you help me?”

 

[digital witness]

Axxxx Sxxxx Txxxx Exxxx R

what did you learn tonight?
you're shouting so loud
you barely joyous, broken thing
you're a voice that never sings

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 505

this is very short and very bad
but in my defense i'm very tired...​

Aster's eyebrow curled into a curious arch when the other woman seemed to intentionally skirt around her question and instead delved into the complicated dynamics involved in showering while wearing an ankle monitor. She didn't speak, patiently awaiting her intended answer, and a subtle smirk came to her lips when she finally got it. Armed robbe- wait. Her thoughts began to twist and tangle as she tried to make sense of what she'd just heard. Had she really gotten herself caught up in helping a (convicted) thief steal back a bike from another thief? She gave the woman another look over, deciding she didn't look or behave in a manner that she'd expect from a person who fell in the same category as someone like Curtis, and cast her ambivalence aside for the time being in favor of giving her a chance.

The brunette either didn't notice or was thoroughly accustomed to receiving looks like the one that Aster was undoubtedly giving her in response to the nature of her conviction and Aster snapped out of her internal conflict just in time to nod when the woman invited her to join her on her work break. She slid easily from the rear of the car, hands finding their way into her pockets, and followed the woman through the hall and out the doors to the parking lot. They loitered near the building, a smattering of cars speckling the asphalt lot, and Aster quickly declined the woman's cigarette offering despite the slight pull that she felt in her abdomen. She took a shallow breath, trying to avoid breathing in the smoke, and her gaze followed as the woman gestured toward the GPS tracker that adorned her ankle.

"Oz? That's kind of badass," she grinned, coming to the conclusion that the name fit her perfectly, and gave herself a moment to consider her answer to Oz's question. "I'm Aster and, uh - I already told you... that shit just don't sit well with me." She shrugged. "I didn't have a lot as a kid. My sister and I - we had it rough. She's a good person, y'know, she always tried to do the right thing and I watched her get screwed over by too many people." Her gaze flicked from where it'd lingered at the toes of her boots up to the other woman's eyes where they came to rest temporarily. "I couldn't do anything about it then, so i'm doin' something about it now." She shrugged again, a playful smile suddenly ghosting around the edges of her mouth and lightening her expression considerably. "I probably wouldn't've helped you if I'd known your ass was arrested for armed robbery though." She teased, masking her sudden vulnerability through the prism of humor.

"I'm just fuckin' with you," she clarified, eyes automatically dipping down to the blinking light near her foot. "I did my share of stupid shit when I was younger too... I just made sure I didn't get caught." She winked. "How long you gotta wear it for?"

 

[alex danvers]

O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Z

found yourself in a new direction
arrows falling from the sun
canyon calling, would they come to greet you?
let you know you're not the only one

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 666​

Oz found her face pulling into a similar grin as Aster, as she introduced herself, commented on her name; her face pulling out into a playful smile as she saw the twinkle in her eyes. “Thanks,” she smiled, her eyes softening slightly, “don’t hear that a lot.” Rather, most people asked her where her parents had gotten the name – but Oz didn’t know. For all she knew they could’ve taken it from The Wizard of Oz. But judging by the number of books her dad had read in his lifetime, that wasn’t very likely.

“Hey!” She grinned along, pushing lightly at Aster’s shoulder in a playful gesture as she propped the cigarette between her lips again, the smile on the other woman’s face immediately drawing Oz’s lips into one too. She couldn’t deny that her grin was charismatic and contagious, and it lingered on Oz’s face even as she took the cigarette from between her lips and blew out the smoke, catching the expression on Aster’s face and turning her head away so she wouldn’t be as affected by it.

Her gaze followed down, coming to rest on the device around her own ankle, the invasion of her privacy that Leo used to know where she was at all times. “Uh… ‘til the end of my actual sentence, so… three more years.” She shrugged, dropping her cigarette on the sidewalk and putting it out with the toe of her shoe, before stuffing her hands down her pockets. “I don’t really care, it’s mostly just the curfew that’s annoying. Gotta be at home from eight pm to seven am every night.” There were more conditions on her parole, but she didn’t delve into it, remaining under the assumption that Aster wouldn’t be interested in hearing all that shit anyway. “Kinda puts a bummer on hanging with anyone at night.”

She’d shown Aster around the shop after her break, and given her Oz’s phone number after she’d sheepily explained why she didn’t contact her. They talked about the deal for a bit, discussed parts that Aster would be interesting in taking off their hands, and Oz let her know that they’d be in contact should anything come into the shop.

She hadn’t expected the brunette to text her back so soon, but it was barely two days later when she received a text from Aster telling her she’d be over later that day. Oz expected her with a quiet curiosity as to what the purpose of her visit was, but the brunette seemed to be only there to just hang out when she’d lifted herself on the trunk of a car – a different one this time – and simply watched Oz work. She struggled to concentrate as she dug around in the engine of an old pick-up that had been taken in because it wouldn’t start, feeling the other woman’s eyes on her almost continuously as they held up a sparse conversation. “Come here,” Oz muttered eventually, tightening a pair of pliers around a plastic tube to hold it closed as she beckoned the other girl over. “Imma need you to hold this closed while I get a replacement for the connecting bolt.”

She was only gone for a minute, but when she came back, Aster had the pliers in one hand and was holding the hood up with the other, while the hood prop dangled off on the side. She grinned, complying with Aster’s quiet question to help her out, as she lifted it again and put the prop back in place. “Alright, come here. I need to slip this on there- just hold it still.” The brunette somehow managed to hold it perfectly in place while Oz rifled through the engine to screw everything back in place, and she didn’t take a step back when Oz told her she could let go. “Issues with the ignition,” Oz murmured at Aster’s curious glance, and shrugged. “It’s an old car. Dunno if we can get it to start again.”

 

[digital witness]

Axxxx Sxxxx Txxxx Exxxx R

what did you learn tonight?
you're shouting so loud
you barely joyous, broken thing
you're a voice that never sings

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 919

1 friend acquired​

Aster's grin didn't falter as Oz's hand extended to connect with her shoulder and she gave a playful shove against it that had Aster sidestepping to maintain her balance. "I'm just sayin'!" She lifted her hands to expose her palms in a gesture of surrender and relaxed against the building's side when the other woman began to delve into the details of her release. "Oof," she sucked in a sharp breath and gave a subtle shake of her head as she bent her knee and brought the sole of her boot to press against the brick wall they leant against. "That's rough... but I guess it's better than wasting away in a cell somewhere." She shrugged, eyes following as the woman smothered her cigarette with the toe of her shoe.

They talked for a short while longer, ironing out the details of their agreement, but their conversation eventually dwindled to a close when Oz announced that she had to get back to work before her boss got on her ass about it and Aster nodded. "I gotta get back to the shop before Richie's dumb ass burns the place down," she agreed, taking a step backward upon the sidewalk. "I'll catch you around, aight?" She flashed a lopsided but undeniably charismatic smile as the two started their separate ways. "Enjoy your, uh, night in..." She teased, eyes darting down to the still-blinking GPS tracker on her ankle and her grin unwavering upon her lips as she spun on her heels and turned to walk away.

It was a few days before she dropped by the shop again. Business was slow and she was sure - well... sort of... - that Richie could hold down the fort at the pawn shop until she returned later that afternoon to help him close up for the day, so she sent off a quick text to Oz to inform her of her plans and popped in just around lunchtime. She ignored the silent question that she observed etched in the other woman's eyes as she stepped through the gates and moved right into the garage with no ulterior motive outside of spending a few hours in her presence - a welcome change from the apathetic responses that she had to fight to wring out of Richie back at the shop. She pressed the flats of her palms against a rusted car trunk and hauled herself onto it, the heels of her boots hitting its bumper while she watched Oz work.

She found an undeniable fascination in watching her pick around under the hood of an old pickup truck. She enjoyed learning; she enjoyed observing people who were particularly skilled in a certain field and picking up new skills. She hated school - loathed having her intelligence rated based on her ability to pass a test that proved little more than one's ability to memorize rather than truly absorb information - but this? This was where she thrived.

She was ripped from her trance when Oz eventually waved her over and she hopped from the car's trunk, the soles of her boots hitting the cement floor with a thud before she moved to join the woman under the open hood. "Yup?" She stepped forward, eyebrows pinching in concentration, and listened carefully to the brunette's instruction before she reached down to replace Oz's hand around the pliers. Feeling a distinct need not to let the other woman down by somehow fucking up such a simple request, she held the pliers perfectly still while she stepped away to sort through an array of bolts and screws and only moved to rest her free hand against the raised edge of the car's hood. She leaned into it, accidentally lifting it in the process, and scrambled to account for the extra weight as the hood prop clattered into its resting position and the metal pressed down against her hand - all the while never losing her grip on the pliers that she still held tight. She took a step to the side, hands remaining firmly in place, and tried to calculate her odds of successfully propping the hood back in place without letting go of the pliers or having the hood slam down onto her head but, deciding that the numbers didn't seem to be in her favor, waited for Oz's inevitable return.

"Uh..." she murmured when she heard the sound of footsteps approaching from behind her, and resumed a more relaxed position when Oz came to her rescue and propped the hood back into place. "Thanks," she mumbled almost sheepishly but had little time to linger on her mishap before she was being walked through another set of simple instructions.

They worked for a while longer, Oz showing an exemplary degree of patience as she guided Aster through a number of steps with varying difficulties, and eventually wrapped up their efforts as they walked to the back to wash the grime from their hands. "You know what? You're all right, Oz," Aster grinned as she used a tattered looking rag to dry her hands. "They ever let you outta here?" Her gaze flitted to meet the brunette's, her thus far unspoken implication becoming increasingly clearer. "I'd ask you out for drinks but I'm off all that shit and I'm not sure whoever's behind your little friend there would take kindly to you rollin' up to a bar," she let her gaze dip down as her words tapered and she gave a shrug. "But you should come 'round sometime if you ever wanna hang."

 

[alex danvers]

O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Z

found yourself in a new direction
arrows falling from the sun
canyon calling, would they come to greet you?
let you know you're not the only one

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 540
congrats!! u now have one (1) puppy​

“Alright, now go ahead and try to start it,” a small frown curled around Oz’s eyebrows as she watched Aster turn the key in the ignition, and the engine sputtered a few moments before falling still again. She shook her head, and beckoned for the brunette to leave it any further before they went into the back of the shop to wash the soot off their fingers. Her gaze flicked sideways for a moment when Aster spoke, but she mostly kept it trained on her hands as she held them under the stream of water to rinse off the dirt, and a twinge of a grin appeared on her face. “Not usually… They make me stay during closing hours and make sure no one’s stealing any bikes,” she grinned, leaning back and taking the towel from the other girl as she dried her hands. Aster’s next words had a smile, much more genuine and warm, appear on Oz’s lips. She hadn’t expected the brunette to be that friendly that quickly, but appreciated the gesture anyway. “I’ll take you up on that.”

She did, no more than three days later, when she visited the pawn shop to pay a visit to Aster. They hung there for a while, spending their time being interrupted by Richie and – at least from Oz’s end – complaining about the limitations of her ankle tracker. And it was only two days after that that Aster showed up at the shop again – mere minutes before Oz’s shift ended.

“Oh, I was just about to go home.” The brunette only shrugged, and Oz vaguely shrugged back as she fetched her jacket from the back and slipped it on, before stepping out the door, and promptly being followed by the brunette. “Er… you want to come hang out at my place?” She extended the invitation before things could feel weird or awkward, and Aster accepted, following her onto the bus from the stop near the shop and plopping down on the seat next to Oz.

Oz’s apartment was small, just too small to be comfortable, but with her current pay and legal situation it was the best she could do. The living room consisted of a slightly tattered couch, a small tv, a couple bookshelves with books and personal items – among which a few pictures of her and some of her friends that stuck after everything – and a narrow coffee table. The bedroom wasn’t much more than a bed and a closet, and the kitchen… well, she was lucky that she wasn’t too big, or she would’ve had trouble squeezing in between the two countertops.

“Home sweet home,” she sighed, unlocking the three locks on the door – you never knew in these shady neighborhoods – and dropping her jacket on the couch on her way in. “I don’t have any beer, but I’ve got a few cokes in the fridge if you want one.” She disappeared through the doorway in the kitchen, rummaging around for a moment before moving back into the living room and tossing Aster a can from where the brunette was sitting on the couch. “Oh, and my parole officer ‘s gonna come tonight, probably between seven and nine… just so you know.”

“You want pizza or Chinese?”

 

[digital witness]

Axxxx Sxxxx Txxxx Exxxx R

what did you learn tonight?
you're shouting so loud
you barely joyous, broken thing
you're a voice that never sings

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 877

this is pretty bad...​

Aster wasn't the shy type; she didn't feel uncomfortable when Oz saw her through on her offer and met her at the pawn shop where they hung out in the back office while Richie watched the sales floor and even less so when she kept the pattern of interaction going by meeting the brunette at her own workplace a few days later... apparently only mere minutes before she was due to clock out and return home for the day. She failed to catch onto the subtle hints that were being nudged her way and cluelessly tailed the brunette through the door she'd only just walked in from before Oz was somewhat tentatively inviting her to her apartment and she shrugged at the offer, briefly thinking it over. It wasn't like she had anything better to do... and, besides, she'd grown to enjoy the woman's company in the short time since they'd met each other. "Yeah, I'm down," she nodded and fell comfortably into step with the brunette while they made the short walk to the bus stop.

She bit absently at her tongue piercing, pinning it between her front teeth and pulling while they sat together on the bus - a nervous habit she'd picked up somewhere along the line that drove her sister, Joss, absolutely insane. Oz, however, seemed unbothered by the quiet but incessant clicking of metal against tooth that ensued for a short time to follow and only spoke up to inform her that their stop was coming up next.

The apartment was small, but it was nothing that Aster wasn't used to. She'd spent much of her youth in a space approximately the same size, if not smaller, and made no comment regarding her initial impression as she stepped into the space while Oz discarded her outerwear onto the couch and moved into the kitchen. She gave the room a quick one-over, grabbing a closer look at the few pictures that adorned the bookshelves, and sunk down onto the couch just in time to catch the can of soda that was being lobbed at her.

"No biggie," she shrugged, cracking the can open and propping her elbow on the back of the couch. While the mention of a police officer would've had her packing up to leave little more than a year ago she had nothing to hide nowadays. She was clean, had been for a while now, and she trusted Oz's intuition that this officer - whoever he or she was - wouldn't pose much of a threat as their introduction came with no warning aside from their soon to be anticipated presence before the conversation was shifting to her preferred dinner order.

"There's a place a little ways from here called Giovanni's - you ever had 'em? Best fuckin' pizza I've ever had. Shit, girl, you're missing out." She fished her phone out of her jacket pocket, which she'd yet to take off, and unlocked her phone. "Here, I'll call 'em..."

They'd taken to absently watching TV while they waited for their food to be delivered - Aster didn't feel like walking and, well... Oz couldn't leave the house and while Giovanni's was good it definitely wasn't "breaking the terms of your parole" good - and it was little more than twenty minutes after Aster had placed the order that there was a firm knock at the door. Oz got up from the couch to answer it and when the familiar scent of Italian food failed to meet Aster's nose, she assumed it must've been her aforementioned parole officer - an assumption that proved correct when a tall, wide-framed man stepped through the door decked out in full uniform, pausing in his step right in front of the TV she'd been watching.

Aster remained slumped down against the couch, hardly moving except to crane her neck to see around the man as some shitty made-for-TV movie continued to play out on the screen he was conveniently blocking. He moved into a brief conversation with Oz, eventually stepping out of her line of sight, and was in the process of checking the ankle monitor that adorned the brunette's ankle when there was a second knock at the door. "I got it," she nearly sprung from the couch and moved for the door, pulling a crumpled wad of money - it was nothing flashy, just some fives and a twenty - from her pocket as she did.

"How much I owe you?" She caught the delivery driver's eyes wandering to the interior of the space, toward Oz and the police officer, and gave an irritated roll of her own. "The hell your nosy ass think you lookin' at? -- Here," she pushed the twenty and one of the fives into his hand. "That enough to cover it?" She waited for his nod but hardly gave enough time for verbal confirmation before the food was exchanging hands and she was closing the door on his face. She moved to reclaim her spot on the couch, dropping the pizza box onto the narrow coffee table, and gave a confident, unfazed lift of her eyebrow when she noticed the man's gaze flitting toward her. "You want a piece? Best pizza you'll get outside of downtown..." she offered, her playful words paired with an equally proud grin.

 

[alex danvers]

O!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Z

found yourself in a new direction
arrows falling from the sun
canyon calling, would they come to greet you?
let you know you're not the only one

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 625​

It didn’t take long for Aster to make her pick – preferring pizza over Chinese food – and with the suggestion of the pizza place that the other girl knew nearby Oz’s place, one that, in the few months that she’d lived there, she’d never had, Aster went and placed the call. Oz had switched on the tv after that, watching some vapid action-packed movie that left little to the imagination when it came to the love interest’s white tank top in the rain, and Oz had just barely forgotten about the pizza and Leo’s visit when there was a knock on the door.

Half hoping that it would be the pizza and that Leo wouldn’t show up today – which was, in all, a completely ungrounded expectation since he’d showed up almost every night since she started her parole – she moved for the door. Although she’d expected it to be Leo, her heart still sunk slightly when she pulled it open and revealed the decked-out officer, and cast an unsure glance in the direction of the brunette on her couch before she was sedately stepping aside and letting him in.

Leo sent an openly confused stare in the direction of the tattooed girl on Oz’s couch, but she didn’t say anything, leaving him to draw his own conclusions, and eventually stepped away from the couch as they moved into the kitchen. “Same old same old,” he muttered, pulling out a notebook from his back pocket that Oz was familiar enough with. “Where were you this morning at seven am?” “Here.” He scribbled down something, flipping to a few pages up ahead and then back. “Last Thursday at four pm?” “Work.” “Where’s that?” “Claude’s Garage.” “Hm.”

They walked through the questions that Oz knew by heart now, and she frowned as she dug out her phone from her pocket, unlocked it, and handed it to Leo. He only scrolled through her messages and missed calls for a few moments until he handed it back to her, and lowered himself to check the ankle tracker. She wasn’t sure whether they checked it to make sure it hadn’t been tampered with or to make sure it was still tight on there, but she honestly didn’t care; she hated the thing and wanted it off her as soon as possible, so she messed with it as little as possible and only touched it when she got undressed or in the shower. Just as he bent over the device, there was another knock at the door, followed by Aster piping up to get it.

She absently listened along to the conversation near the door as Leo opened up the tracker and shoved a new battery into it, and had to suppress a grin when she heard Aster call out the pizza boy on staring. Soon after, the door closed, and Leo straightened himself out just after. His gaze moved to Aster on the couch and then to the pizza, and shook his head as he moved for the door. “Alright, you’re all good. See ya tomorrow.” He saw himself out, and Oz turned and dropped on the couch next to Aster. “He’s here every night,” she sighed, pulling out her ponytail and running her fingers through her hair. “Getting kinda tired of it.”

They finished the action movie, and Oz pulled another pair of cans out of the fridge and threw one across the room into Aster’s hands. They hung out for a little while longer, the clock eventually hitting 9pm and Oz’s eyes beginning to droop. Aster took note of it and decided to head home, and with the promise of keeping in contact and possibly agreeing to meet again soon over text, Oz let Aster out and prepared for bed.

 

[digital witness]

Axxxx Sxxxx Txxxx Exxxx R

what did you learn tonight?
you're shouting so loud
you barely joyous, broken thing
you're a voice that never sings

ｗｏｒｄxxｃｏｕｎｔ ;; 811

​

“You’re still coming, right?” Joss’ voice echoed through the phone. “I told Jax you were thinking about it and he’s just dying to see you, but I can explain it to him if you can’t make it –” her voice had begun to taper off and Aster picked up right where she’d left off. “Nah, tell him I’ll be there,” she corrected, unwilling to break her nephew’s five-year-old heart, “I got a few things I gotta finish up around here ‘n then I’ll head over… let’s aim for like… four-ish? That work for y'all?” Joss agreed, settled on dinner plans, and the pair wrapped up their call with the promise of seeing each other soon. “I love you, Aster.” Aster shrugged, not one for verbal declarations. “Yeah, you too.” She mumbled her goodbye and slid her phone onto the coffee table before dragging herself off of the couch.

She straightened up her apartment, readied her clothes to be taken to the laundromat later that week, and was in the process of cleaning out a number of old takeout boxes from her fridge when there was a knock at the door. Who in the fuck… she groaned, figuring it had to have been a neighbor come to complain about the volume of her music, and, without touching the stereo, marched to the door to yank it open with an irritated huff.

“…Oz?” She pulled her eyebrows together, confused, before the pieces fell together and she suddenly remembered. “Oh, shit… I totally fucking –” she stumbled, tripping over her words before she shook her head and waved her inside. She brushed past after she'd shut the door and hit the power on her stereo, killing the music. “Sorry, it’s just that –” she started up again, trying to determine how she was going to make this work when she was due to be at her sister’s place in less than twenty minutes. “...When’s your curfew again?”

Oz hadn’t had the time to so much as think about taking off her jacket before Aster was ushering her out the door again and the pair were on their way to the parking lot. “You ain't got nothin’ against kids, right?” She grinned as she slid into the driver’s seat, amused by Oz’s obvious bewilderment toward the situation that she’d just been dragged into. “I told my sister I’d stop over at her place today. I totally forgot we’d made plans, but don’t worry, she’s chill.” Chill wasn’t the first word she’d use to describe Joss, but she didn’t want to scare Oz off before they even left the parking lot. “She won’t care if you tag along 'n we can go find somewhere to chill after. She got kids though, but they cool. They'll like you.”

The drive to Joss’ house was a little over thirty minutes. It took them out of the city and into the suburbs where the houses could compete with entire apartment complexes in size. She turned down the familiar streets, her old clunker of a car undoubtedly looking out of place amongst the luxury sedans that decorated so many of the driveways, and pulled to an eventual stop in front of a decently sized two-story house with an impressive yard and a large window over the front door displaying the chandelier that hung above the entryway. She stepped out of the car after she'd thrown it into park and a grin came to her lips when she noticed the way that Oz seemed to be stuck in place as she took in the sight. “You comin'?”

They cut through the yard where the front door was swinging open before they’d even made it halfway. Jax squealed and jumped from behind the glass of the storm door and pointed to Aster in the yard before turning excitedly to his mother who met his excitement with a smile. Joss opened the door for them, directing a polite smile at Oz, and Aster playfully crouched as Jax squealed out her name. “Hey, Monster!” A devious grin had her lips curling upward and she slowly crept toward him before her fingers clasped around his sides, sending him into a fit of giggles. "C'mere," she grinned, slinging him over her shoulder, and casually moved to join Joss and Oz near the door once more while he clawed desperately at her jacket.

"Joss, this is Oz... Oz, this is Joss," she gestured between the two of them. "And this –" she swung Jax off of her shoulder and onto her hip, tousling his wild hair, "– is Jax."

"It's a pleasure to meet you," Joss gave a smile that looked genuine enough, though she remained wary of company that Aster kept given her past. "Why don't you two come in? Mae is in the living room with Vince. Can I get you anything to drink, Oz?"