7/18 Instance: Building Bridges

[puppygirl]

Timeline - Before the game 'Doom of our Days'

Jay was aware of the looks he was getting, fidgetting with a blade out of his metal wing, the metal going round in his fingers as they waited at the airport. He'd already smoked through half a packet and was unsure if that had been enough. Usually he could hide nerves, but today was a whole new ballgame and he really wished people didn't recognise him.

"Ah really wish Ah wasn' semi-famous now..." He muttered, hair tied neatly back and his fake wing polished up. "Cheers f' comin', Gede...Ah'd've bolted by now."

"Hey ... anytime man, anytime," Darren said, smiling brightly for Jay's benefit, "she should be comming through any minute, right?"

"Yeah...'s what d' arrival's say." Jay's wings twitched a little as he watched the boards. "Yeah. Dere's her flight. Oh man..." He took a deep breath. "Ah don't know what d' hell Ah'm supposed t' say. Ah mean, what do Ah say?"

Mary-Anne had never liked flying, but this once she was happy to make an exception. She'd packed light, only what she could carry on, so it was a matter of simply heading straight for where her Joshua was waiting. As she got closer to the end of the arrivals tunnel though, her steps slowed, until she finally paused.

No, she couldn't not do it. He didn't have to see her, didn't have to give her the time of day, but he had, he was making the effort. No matter what came, it was something and she'd get to see her boy again. A few more steps and...and she could see a red wing, and as he turned...

"I dunno, I guess 'Hi Mom'?" Darren suggested with a smile, patting Jay on the arm, "it worked for me."

"Yeah..." Jay once again scanned the crowd coming out, before stopping. "...Dere she is. Holy fuck, Mom, you're old." He half breathed. Well...here went nothing. He raised his arm hesitantly, waving to her - not that he needed to, she'd already spotted him.

Mary-Anne was making her way through the crowd, returning the wave, chewing a lip as she finally made her way to him and simply...stopped, looking at him, taking in the metal wing, the scars...and ignoring them for the fact her son was standing in front of her. "...Joshua?"

"...Hey mom." Jay said finally, still fidgetting with the feather. "Uuuh..." He sighed, before gesturing to Darren. No, he couldn't bring himself to hug her. "Dis...dis is my best mate...Darren. Darren...meet my mom."

Darren gave the woman a slighty warey smile, "Hi, Mrs. Jay's Mom," should he hold out a hand or wait for Jay to do something first ... provided the dude didn't like ... explode from tension.

Mary-Anne tore her eyes from Jay and took in the...rather large young man standing next to him, smiling. It was obvious where Jay had got a lot of his looks from, the smile making her look ten years younger. "Please, call me Mary-Anne." He was...interesting...

There was a slightly uncomfortable pause. "Um...if...y'all ain't got any bags t' pick up...do y' wanna go somewhere a li'l more...um...private?" Oh hell, and he was picturing himself being calm and smooth. He glanced over the crowds. "An' somewhere where Mr Hero here ain' gonna be so recognised." He smiled at Darren.

"Not just me dude, you're the most noticeable out of the two of us," he smirked, "I can go get the bags while you two decide what you wanna do?" He offered, "They're named right?"

"Oh...there's no bags. I travelled light." Mary-Anne smiled again. Her eyes went again to the metal wing, but she'd save the questions until they were somewhere quiet. "You'd be...Warlock, yes? I saw the news." She smiled. "Those kittens where adorable."

Jay snickered. "Looks like y'all ain' gonna live dat down, ami." He sighed, replacing the blade before awkwardly opening his arms. "C'mere, mom. It's been this long, guess d' least Ah could give y'all is a hug, right?"

Darren rolled his eyes, "Yes ma'am, me and the kittens," nope, that was going to be his legacy wasn't it? Oh, Jay was offering hugs, that was a good sign, right?

Mary-Anne hesitated, before immediately hugging her boy, only a couple of inches height-difference between them. "Oh god, Joshua, I missed y'all, boy." She murmured, closing her eyes and swallowing the lump.

"...Missed y' too, mom." Jay murmured back, before pulling away quickly before he started blubbering right here in the airport. "Anyway. Uh. Ah know a li'l coffee shop dat's outta d' way an' likes mutants. Y' wanna get a cab, Gede?"

"Do I have a choice?" Darren smirked and wandered off in the direction of the exit, "Come on then."

Jay shook his head with a smile, some of the tension gone with the hug. "Y'all want me t' take your bag, mom?" He murmured as they both followed the punk.

"No...no, I should be fine..." She shook her head. "So...Darren...?" She tried hesitantly. "Your...best friend?"

"Oui...we uh...we used t' room together."

"Two of the longest years of my life, ma'am," Darren called over his shoulder as they exited and he fagged down a taxi.

Mary-Anne smiled a little. "Please, Darren, call me Mary-Anne. I'm not old enough for ma'am jus' yet." She dimpled at him a little. "Joshua still as messy as I remember then?"

Jay looked a little uncomfortable. "Non. Oh look, taxi." The cab pulled up, the driver peering at the pair. "Heeey! Icarus and Warlock!" The driver grinned widely. "Oh boy! Where do you boys wanna go - I'll pick this up for free! Off to do more stuff for our city, boys?"

Darren gave the guy the biggest grin, "Nah man, just off for some coffee," he waved the other mutant over, "It's okay Icarus, I've got us a ride, tell the good man where we're going."

Jay was not looking at his mom, resisting the urge to facepalm. "Uuuh. KJ's, ami." He muttered. "Y'all don' hafta do it f' free, man, it's jus' coffee-" "Nope, not letting you guys pay a dime, not after what you've done for us. Come on in!"

Mary-Anne simply stared at the two boys, before grinning - and it was the spit of Jay's grin - and getting into the taxi. "If I'd known you boys were this famous I'd've bought my autograph book."

"I'll sign a reciept for you if you like," Darren climbed in last, "... bit cramped huh, remind me again why we didn't borrow the van, there's room in there."

"Because Lor- Polaris would have our hides if we stole d' van, ami." Jay pointed out before smiling at his mom. "D' wings are still a pain in the ass." He half-apologised.

"I can see..." Her eyes were drawn again to the metal, but she kept her questions, still amused.

"Only if she knew we'd taken it," Darren chuckled.

Mary-Anne snorted a little. "Jo-" No, what was the name he was going by? Obviously it was to hide their identity. Boys. "-Icarus would never take anything without asking firs'."

Jay suddenly looked shifty. "Uuuh. No. Ah wouldn't."

There was an adoring fan in the cab ... must ... not ... troll, "Yeeeeeeah, I guess."

~time passes~

The cab drove off, Jay muttering because he hadn't been able to persuade the cabbie to take the money, leaving them outside a small coffee-shop that was a little out of the way. "Well...c'mon, Ah guess." THe tension was racking up again, but he had Darren at least. There was no way he could do this on his own.

"Nice place," Darren said as they walked in, "Umm ... shall I get these, what do you guys want?"

"Y' know how Ah like my coffee, ami. Mom?"

"Oh...just a latte, please. No sugar." She watched Darren go to the counter, before looking at Jay a little nervously. "So...Darren...is he...?" She put it as delicately as she possibly could.

"Is he...oh! Oh, non, no, no he ain', just a...really good friend." Jay's wings immediately flared a little as he tried not to blush. "Um. Hey...dere's a booth free...?" Half-shepherding his mom to it, he hoped like hell Darren hadn't heard that. He'd forgotten his mom knew he was gay...

A few minutes later Darren returned with drinks and a smirk, "Here we go," he passed them out.

Oh god, he'd heard. Jay took his, supressing a groan and trying not to meet his mom's eyes. "Cheers, ami." He took his gratefully, stirring it a little for something to do.

A couple of moments of silence passed before Mary-Anne took a deep breath. "Um...I guess...I should really...thank you for coming to see me...I'd've understood if you didn't want anythin' more to do with me after..."

Darren took a seat at the booth and drank his coffee ... wow, this was way more awkward than when he'd gone with Selene to see her family ...

Jay flicked Darren a quick look before going back to his coffee. "Tell ya d' truth, Mom, Ah wasn't too sure if Ah wanted t' but...well, even Ah ain' enough of a bastard, y' know? Ah shoulda contacted y' straight away when Jill died but..."

Mary-Anne bit her lip. Now was not the time. "I understand." She drew a deep breath. "So...tell me...tell me everything?"

[Ferguson]

"...Dere she is. Holy fuck, Mom, you're old."

That made me snort hard, should we expect anymore of Mary-Anne?