the person who appears at the entrance is not the same @jessica that jayden remembers. though, it's not to say that they were ever particularly close. as members of rocket, they likely have only met each other in passing. despite their fathers' connections with one another, that didn't necessarily mean that their children were close.

[break][break] still, her connections with the local gang prove to be interesting enough for jayden to pushpast whatever first impressions lay in front of him.

[break][break] "black?" a pause, and then he corrects himself. "ah, manner now, isn't it?"

[break][break] in the line-up, jessie would see a few other recruits that had been called to training:

[break][break] lincoln mcneil. he was an old recruit, but had spent much of his life on smaller missions and behind the scenes. his records indicated that his personality was skittish like a mouse, but when cornered, he could burrow down like a rat. at 15, however, he still had a lot left to learn.

[break][break] julie hart, the orphan of two former league officials. she was adopted by a rocket scientist who was too busy to give her the proper training. as a result, while intelligent, she was often slow in physical combat.

[break][break] heath stone. with absolute 0 relation to ALEXANDER STONE , the young mand had joined the ranks of rocket at age 20, when he was struggling from school debt and dream to become a musician. as a result, he had very little interest in becoming a valuable member of rocket. rumor had it, however, that he had a temper that had yet to be unlocked.

[break][break] and then, of course, there was @jessica . child of GABRIEL BLACK , husband to a former gang leader. mother of one.

[break][break] "get in line." a pause, as jayden waited for them all to be situated together and then he walks in front of them, dragging an iron bat against the floor. "do you know why you're all here?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] @jessica [break]
recruitment: act i

julie squeaks, a little startled to see the other recruit stand next to her. though it made sense ‐ girls had to stick together after all!

[break][break] "hi," she whispers to the other. "i'm julie."

[break][break] she jumps again when the ex-beast runs that awful bat across the floor.. almost enough to make her want to cover her ears. but she doesn't. instead she stares at the other with a wide-eyed, admiring gaze. woah. she was so smart!

. . .

[break]

"excellent," jayden said with a nod. "good job, manner."

[break][break] he lifts the titanium metal bat with a swing forward, before having it settle onto his shoulder. he's quick to control the speed as to not crush his own bones.

[break][break] "what do you suppose yours is?"

[attr="class","ooc"] @jessica [break]
recruitment: act i

the look that he gives @jessica is long and drawn-out, though should the other take a chance to look in his amethyst gaze, they would find no other feelings reflected in them but her own.

[break][break] "those are outside factors," he says. "they aren't your own."

[break][break] before she can have a chance to redeem herself, his attention turns to the others in the room.

[break][break] "mcneil."

[break][break] 'oh! uh - i get 'fraid easily and have butter fingers but i'm scrappy in a fight.'

[break][break] "hart."

[break][break] 'ah - my parents - i mean, sorry, that's not about me, sorry! i mean - i'm not very good at -'

[break][break] "stone."

[break][break] 'i don't give a shit about anyone else besides me, but i don't think that's a bad thing.'

[break][break] jayden sighs. "not wrong, but not correct either. all of you - " he points. "lack combat ability. today we are going to fix it."

[break][break] with his bat, he points to two of them. "stone and manner, you're up."

[attr="class","ooc"] @jessica [break]
recruitment: act i

the musician obediently steps up to the plate, though there is nothing quite obedient about his gait. if anything, the way that he walked forward lazy, unimpressed. he folds his hands behind his head and yawns — "so, what we doin' today boss?"

[break][break] another person who might feel irritated by the nonchalant way that he was spoken to, but jayden betrays nothing as he hands them both a metal bat. full of titanium, both are heavy in their weight.

[break][break] "you two will battle against each other for five minutes, or until i call it. the first to get knocked off their feet is the loser."

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"] @jessica [break]
recruitment: act i

violet eyes drag over to the cotton candy-haired youth. "stone. careful — i want no un-needed trips to the infirmary."

[break][break] the boy drags the bat up, propping it on his shoulder. "aw boss, you think so highly of me."

[break][break] jayden steps back, allowing the two to take to the field. pushing two fingers into his mouth, he elicits a sharp whistle.

[break][break] heath carries a smug smile as looks at @jessica, sauntering forward, but otherwise doing little. "alright babe, let's get this over with. beat me up, and i can get back to my dorm to nap."

[attr="class","ooc"] @jessica [break]
recruitment: act i