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 Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:32 pm
This city, whatever it was, seemed much bigger than she had pieced together from the few floating memories she pinned to the recent past. Even as she sat in the passenger seat of the car that Liam drove, she found herself staring out the window without really seeing anything as she lost herself in thought again. Fragments floated through her mind, and she let them pass without too much thought at the moment.
This place they were heading felt familiar, even if she couldn’t grasp the memories from the jumbled river she had in her mind. Running her thumb over the older-style key in her lap, there was that feeling of familiarity, even if she didn’t have context for it yet.
“So you will come back after running to the store to get me, and that takes an hour or so?” she questioned the blond as she turned to face them instead of the window. Time and its flow felt out of place still, but after these few months, she was beginning to grasp an understanding of it, even if she had to rely on an outside source to keep track of it.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:34 pm
“Yup, I just want to get some things from the grocery store.” Liam was planning on cooking dinner tonight and needed a few things, his father had given him a list of things to pick up, so dinner would be a father son project tonight and not something he’d ever made before. Bundled up in the car, knowing he’d have to exit the car soon, Liam was not enjoying the cold weather. His suv, because he found he preferred the height of an suv over a car, was nice and warm as the seats were all heated as was the steering wheel in his hands - it was perfect.
“The house should be nice and warm, I can show you how to use it before I leave if you want.” So she could set it to a temperature she’d prefer, he didn’t want Agatha to get too cold while he was gone. “If you want I can pick things up for you as well?” He offered. “Things for the house.” Even if he had a feeling she’d still live with them more than she would spend time in her own home, which was fine with him, but it was worth offering to stockpile the place for her as well. She would eventually move in, or at least spend most of her time in the house, so he might as well offer to help her stock it with things to eat and drink.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:35 pm
With a nod, she looked up at the approaching home. Grey eyes scanned over the structure as she felt more of that familiarity, this time with some scattered memories of being there before, though heat wasn’t something she could remember being there.
“When you get back, I want to look around a bit first. As for anything from the store, I’m unsure.” At this point, she ate what the blond cooked, slowly figuring out what she preferred, but nothing stood out strongly over any other dish just yet. “If I think of anything, I can let you know for next time.”
As the car stopped, she let herself out with the small bag she had as well as the key in hand. Turning to wave back at the blond, she noticed how it was quiet here as well, though not as hidden and far off from other buildings as the manor was.
The sound of them driving off didn’t bother her much as she stood on the small porch and looked around, not yet heading inside as she contemplated things. It felt familiar here, uncannily so, even if what she could remember was vague. Liam had been here, as well as Desiree, more than a few times, at least.
Looking out towards the trees, she sighed and took a moment to just sit on the small chair out here on the porch before setting her bag on the table next to it. Heading inside would happen; she had to check things out, but for now, she wanted to see if there really was a cessation of meddlers.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:35 pm
“Alright.” Nodding his head slowly at her words, hopefully with time she’d come up with things she liked and preferences which she could tell him and Aloysius about. This was a new planet for her, he knew that, he just wished that perhaps she’d had a better experience when she’d first arrived…someone to show her around and help her discover things. Because so much was so new for her now.
Dropping her off Liam waited a moment, just watched silently, before he headed off to get the shopping done for the house. Most of it was already paid for and gathered by some worker at the grocery store, it was much easier, but there were some things he preferred picking himself - produce and meats. So while most of the things were paid for and packed he still needed to walk into the grocery store to get the final few things, it was how he conducted things since he’d taken over the handling of groceries. Aloysius had things he ordered from his phone, he still did, but Liam didn’t let him just order produce and meats that way. Some things were best being hand picked and so they could not be delivered to the house.
It was a good thing the car had left when it did, or its driver would have spotted the blond approaching, but Ash was lucky and the alien was able to make his way towards the house unseen by the driver of the car. He’d been stalking the area for a while now, having noticed his fellow ancient missing, he’d become worried that something had happened. He just had to avoid people when he visited, he didn’t want to answer questions, and that had become harder as work seemed to be getting done on the ramshackle home.
Sniffing the air, as if it would tell him much of anything, the blond made his approach as he had seen someone stepping out of the car just before he’d ducked out of sight. Someone who was female but seemed unfamiliar to him. Whoever this was seemed to be living here now…or at least laying some sort of claim on the place. His hands were stuffed into the pockets of his jeans, he was avoiding wearing a heavy coat unlike most people, and made his approach slowly.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:37 pm
Sitting up as she noticed someone approaching, they didn’t seem familiar or particularly magical. The number of other humans she had met was narrowed down to those inhabiting the manor plus an additional blond male, but this one seemed too tall to be that one.
The fact that the man sniffed the air seemed odd, though, and she pulled her back onto her lap to make sure she had something to ward them off with. A small canister called pepper spray had been provided in addition to the normal things she carried around.
“Hello?” she called out coldly to the approaching figure.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:37 pm
Blue eyes like ice turned toward her, that voice almost sounded familiar, who the person was he wasn’t sure but something seemed…familiar and yet not. He didn’t know them, he knew he didn’t, had they been the same ancient he was looking for he’d have known. He knew he would, she was impossible to not remember, the fact she’d stabbed him ensured this fact.
“Evening.” Raising a hand and waving as he slowly came closer. “New owner?” He questioned, thinking of how very careful with this conversation he’d need to be. He couldn’t give away who or what he was, a human wouldn’t understand, and yet he needed to know who this person was.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:38 pm
Returning the gesture, she eyed them cautiously. “Yes, still in the process of moving in.” At that, she shifted forward in her seat, bag still on her lap as she looked towards the door. “This place was on the market, condemned apparently, so my dear friend thought to get it for me since I liked the style of it.”
It was a practiced enough story, one she’d gone over with Desiree and Liam before coming here, just in case someone asked. It was apparently something that people did, going and buying abandoned houses and fixing them up because of the cheaper cost.
“Were you one of the other interested parties?” Raising a brow, she fiddled with the things in her bag before pulling out a bottle of water to sip from.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:39 pm
“Oh, so you weren’t here beforehand.” He said slowly, looking her over as if he might reveal something to him, if this wasn’t Portia than where had she gone? It was hard to imagine the ancient senshi giving up the place she’d claimed as her own. Though if authorities had condemned the place then maybe? She likely had no one to help her in fending them off, no way to keep the place, but where had she gone then? He couldn’t picture her having friends or allies here on Earth either.
Oh, now how to answer that. He could say he’d known someone who had been living here before it was condemned, as much of a risk as it might be, or he could go along with what she had just offered him unknowingly. If he said he’d known someone who had been living here it could cause issues, if this woman tried to find out about people living here and visiting here, it might not go well for him. If something had happened to Portia it might not be good to connect himself to her, especially if this person was involved or aware.
“I was, it’s a nice old home. I was looking at it and considering looking into it, seeing who was selling it.” Best to not say he’d spoken to anyone about it, just incase.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:39 pm
“No, I lived much further away,” she said with a hint of frustration. While things were still uncertain, she felt disdain for where she’d been before this planet. Every fragment of memory was the same, a room that seemed never to change, and she hated it. The only thing she had started to pull from her memories was that books were the preferred form of entertainment.
Twirling one of the small locks of hair that framed her face after the rest was pulled into the bun it was in, she eyed the man in return. Nothing seemed familiar, which was neither good nor bad at the moment.
Nodding and accepting their response, she had assumed that it was how things worked here. Even the manor she stayed at was considered old and valuable, so there must be some sort of market for it it seemed.
“It needed some work done, apparently, but the contractors did well with a short timeline. Something about making sure the pipes wouldn’t freeze in winter, but I’ve never seen the inside before the work was done,” she lied easily.
“I do hope you find another worthwhile home since this one is mine.” Looking over at the front door, she could see that it had also been replaced in the repairs. As long as it kept unwanted visitors out, she’d be happy with that.
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Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2025 8:42 pm
“It is good they were able to work so quickly, to ensure nothing would freeze in the winter.” Because as much as he liked the winter, and lived for the cold, he knew it wasn’t good for homes on this planet. It could break things, like pipes, not that he understood all that.
“I’m sure I will, though it might take some time.” A long time actually seeing as he really wasn’t looking for a home, he was looking for a person, though he did find the house appealing in its style. He had no way of affording such a place, not that she needed to know that. Turning to go, slowly, Portia wasn’t here and he didn’t need to remain here. He’d find her, if he could, but he really had no idea where she’d be hiding now.
“Enjoy the house, it’s lovely.”
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