The Future's Calling
(( A/N: Wanted to write a little thing as my brain is very active in a lot of different ways at the moment. Not intended as any kind of vent writing, though apologies if that does seem what it is. Everything is fully character driven, I promise! /gen
Aside from that, I hope you all enjoy, and I plan to leave it open ended so asks are welcome afterwards! I wanna be able to interact with folks a bit more on here if I can. ))
The time was roughly around what would be described as early evening, the sun just starting to set down in between the buildings in the city. The light from its rays casting a gentle orange glow over everything, those out still walking the streets also bathed in this light when they passed through it. This time was around when a lot of folks tend to settle into the house for dinner, whether it was something freshly homemade, or simply take-out from some local restaurant.
One instance of this taking place was in the Aster household. A single mother and her adoptive child that she met only a couple years prior to the current events. Jacqueline, or Jackie for short, was a woman who gives off the air of 'I'm not going to take shit from anybody.' She owned a tattoo parlor underneath the apartment the two lived in, only having two other people that come in during the day to help out with any customers they might have.
At night, whenever she was home, the daughter would help watch over the place in case of any intruders or similar. Where they lived was not the worst place to have a home or a business, but it also wasn't the best. Jackie had some folks in her past that still liked to try and come by to take what they were owed, even if they had been payed off years ago. This used to be a problem, until Frost came along.
Frost Aster, formally known as F-04-0430-25, is an escapee from a testing facility that used to hold their headquarters outside of town. That was, until, a certain breakout happened, rendering everyone and everything in the building wiped out and the place left as a frozen, bloody graveyard. No one knew about what had happened, as no one was thought to have survived, aside from Frost.
Flashbacks of her past would plaque her occasionally, either bringing her nightmares, or the occasional breakdowns where she simply shutdown and did nothing until snapped back into the present. As time passed, these episodes have gotten fewer and fewer, and were now a brief conversation brought up by Frost when it was on her mind.
"...I don't know if where I'm heading in my life is a good direction, mom."
Frost was seated at the dining room table, a plate of pasta and garlic bread in front of her as the two were settled down for dinner. She had her fork in hand, idly spinning the noodles around on the end of it as she was careful not to fling sauce everywhere. Seeing a red splatter on the table cloth would not help her train of thought right now.
"What makes you say that, dear, everything alright?"
Jackie's tone was always softer and calmer when it came to Frost, knowing since day one of meeting her that she was missing a parental figure in her life, and had been since she was very young. A soft tink is heard from the utensil she was using as she places it down next to her plate and reaches over, gently resting her now free hand on Frost's. "You can talk to me, I'm right here.."
The young woman's downcast eyes slowly lift up to look at her adoptive mother's gaze, nervous icy blue orbs peering into comforting chocolaty brown ones. There was no response from either for a few moments, before Jackie softly speaks up again.
"It's about the lab, isn't it...?"
It had taken about a year for Frost to fully trust Jackie enough to explain to her all that had happened at the lab she could remember. If the facility wasn't already destroyed, Jackie would have marched in there herself and given everyone who worked at I.P.L. (Investigation of Phenomenon Laboratory) a piece of her mind.
The word 'lab' caused Frost to flinch in the slightest, turning her head to the side and letting out a shaky breath. "Partially... it's... it's really complicated right now." She was hesitating, not wanting to explain too much to her mother, but she knew she also couldn't hide anything from her either. "It's not just the lab... that's- that's in the past but..."
"...there's stuff going on that's making me feel like I had back then... back when I escaped. I'm scared of myself sometimes now but... I can't tell if it feels... right or not..."
The concerned look in her brown eyes spread into a soft frown on her face as Jackie carefully reaches out and places her hand on Frost's cheek in a motherly way, gently tilting her head up to meet her eyes again. "Frost, look at me..." Her voice was calm still as she was choosing her words very carefully. She didn't know what exactly Frost was going through right now, but she still wanted to be supportive for her.
"No matter what it is that's going on, I still love you. Just take things one step at a time in your life, focus on where you want to take things."
Jackie gently pulls her hand back before picking up her fork again. "Only you can take the reigns of your Life and lead it to where you want to travel. And it's up to you if you travel alone, or with others." There was a slight, knowing twinkle in her eyes, before she resumes eating her pasta. "Now don't forget to eat, dear, don't want your food getting cold~"
Frost had lowered her head again slightly when her mom pulled her hand away, before she quietly picks up her own fork again and actually starts eating this time. Jackie may not have said much, but what she had said got Frost's mind going. Her thoughts were quickly lost and scattered about what all she could do with her Life... who all she could meet... those she could spend her Life with...
As more time passes, dinner came to an end as both of them finished eating and placed their dirty plates into the dishwasher. Jackie was setting things up to run the dirty dishes through a cycle overnight, pouring the soap into the small compartment it goes into. Frost was hesitating in the doorway, watching for a few moments, then clearing her throat and speaking up.
"Thanks for dinner, mom.. and for the small talk.. I'll be heading out for a bit. Planning on getting some fresh air and a way to try and clear my head a bit better."
Jackie lifts her head up and a soft smile is shared between the two. "Alright, just be safe. And text me in case you're not going to make it home tonight."
A soft response of 'Will do.' is given before Frost is swiftly out the front door, her phone tucked into her pocket and her beanie snug and secure on her head. Even though there still wasn't many people out and about at night, she still wanted to keep at least somewhat of a normal appearance.
Her current destination was the park, wanting to feel the gentle breeze of the night air brush past her as she has her gaze on the sky above, seeing what glimpses of the stars she could see in the patch of nature amongst the bustling city. Her thoughts were still scattered, but they were of more manageable topics now as she spends her time talking a walk, her hands resting in her pockets.
"Maybe I should go on a trip again, just so I can see the stars shine bright once more..."
Seeing as it was not too late still, there is always a chance of someone else being around the park, or even someone sending a message to Frost on her phone... Whatever Life is to throw at her this night, she would take it in stride and see where things go...
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