Admittedly, Fern doesn’t spend their days constantly planning their moves no matter how much they claim to be always on the ball. In fact, they’re quite lax when it comes to some certain sense of impending doom. Which they have absolutely none of when it comes to the overarching state of affairs in the environment around them. Maybe it won’t do to look at everything and meet it with a shrug and a que sera sera.[break][break]

But today they need grapes, because they must have them and this takes precedence over all other affairs. It is crucial that they have them. Green and seedless, or they will riot in the supermarket, thank you.[break][break]

Granted, there’s a certain routine that he abides by as soon as his boots click against the worn tile of the building, and habit carries him to the vegetables rather than the fruit. He doesn’t need a new baggie of roma tomatoes, but the familiar presence he steps next to is a boon in and of itself. “Fancy meeting you here.” The slight quirk of a brow, the crooked curl at one corner of his mouth, and a greeting he makes verbatim to jayden cross nearly every time the zucchinis get misted.

[break][break]

+ jayden cross | mission | monkë…

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

he really shouldn't be surprised.

[break][break] for one reason or another, it seems that his errand runs always ran perpendicular to that of this particular man fern delaney. the first couple of times could be deemed as coincidence; the several times after must have been fate.

[break][break] "likewise," he says with a nod. he glances over the vegetables section, violet gaze drifting over the items that were before them.

[break][break] "are you here to get grapes? purple or green?"

[break][break] normally he wouldn't have bothered in idle conversation. however... seeing as they've met several times now, it seemed only polite.

[attr="class","ooc"]

mission [break]
fern delaney

☉

A part of them wonders if jayden cross does not in fact have a house or apartment, but is instead a staple fixture of this store (all hyperbolic imagination, of course.) It only makes sense as to why he’s always here on the dot when Fern is. Fiercely independent as they can be, it strikes as strange to have their schedule align so exactly with someone who isn’t in their immediate life.[break][break]

The fanciful, daydreamy part of his mind known for spinning tales screams SERENDIPITY of the highest degree.[break][break]

They hum, pleasantly so, in acknowledgement. Blue eyes drift back to the produce directly in front of them, nose wrinkling when the automated audio of thunder rumbling strikes up behind the sound of their exchange, and the mist actually cuts in over them.[break][break]

“How did you know?” he is quick to trill in mild singsong, eager to latch onto attention whenever it is turned his way. Always a creature who thrives under light. “Or maybe you know me better than the rest, rather. Green, of course.” It’s no more than a friendly tease, coupled with a quick wink in his direction.

[break][break]

+ jayden cross | mission | monkë…

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

for a person so drab in personality, jayden often finds himself in the company of people more excitable than he. Chu-e Choi, mint frost, the list goes on. perhaps it's because his personality is so black and white that it begs the introduction of people who light their world up in technicolor.

[break][break] "the grapes are right here," he observes, with the kind of honest tone that cannot be argued against. for himself, jayden shifts to ponder over a bag of seedless purple grapes, before placing them down and picking up another, nearly identical, looking bag. "it's what makes sense."

[break][break] the rocket admin steps around the aisle to peruse a few more vegetables, adding them to his cart. it's the time of the week where he's due to fill his fridge, though it's not ever all that full to begin with.

[break][break] he reaches for a long carrot, still dewy from being sprayed earlier. at the teasing tone, however, he blinks and looks up. "i suppose..." he murmurs, half in thought. "i suppose i know your grocery store routine better than most."

[break][break] "and you know mine."

[break][break] after all, jayden was not a particularly interesting lad. his week often worked on a schedule, as did his grocery list.

[attr="class","ooc"]

mission [break]
fern delaney

☉

He is always straightforward and to the point, and they have noticed this about him. It’s a little bit grounding for Fern, who is always drifting on some lofty idea or aspiration that often ends up being far grander than he can get a hold on. Oftentimes, they require having their ankle tugged (usually by his gruff, but darling Marza Volchitsa,) so that they might be yanked back down to earth.[break][break]

It was their lack of anchoring that landed them in trouble in the first place (but that is for another time.)[break][break]

So it could be claimed that Fern takes comfort in the weekly familiarity that comes with tall, dark, and tomato, but prompting to admit as much has all the likeness of pulling teeth. He is much better at games, and jest.[break][break]

“Thanks.” They watch with blatant amusement as he compares bags, then shake their head. “I don’t know why you bother with the purple ones. They’re completely different.” Green are much better, and their opinion is not a humble one.[break][break]

There is a natural rhythm that the two of them operate on, skirting around one another to pluck up the items they’re looking for. Fern rolls a mango between their palms, inspecting it for bruises and soft spots. “Oh you only suppose, hm?” An airy laugh tangles the words up. “You should know that is a feat. I don’t pride myself in monotony.”[break][break]

Fern shrugs. “But yes, I do.” He points idly at another bin, after deeming the mango satisfactory then dropping it in his handbasket. “They’ve moved your sweet onions.”

[break][break]

+ jayden cross | mission | monkë…

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"i don’t know why you bother with the purple ones. they’re completely different."

[break][break] jayden glances back at the grapes when fern delaney mentions them. separated evenly in bags of green and purple, dewy and bright with the spritz of water that they were cleaned on. he seems to consider the other's words for a moment.

[break][break] "i sup —" he hesitates, briefly, before continuing on. "i've never tried. my mother always purchased the purple ones, so i have never thought any different." unlike fern delaney , jayden is a man who prides himself on the routine. and the monotonous. life is simpler that way, once you know what to expect.

[break][break] at the mention of sweet onions, jayden blinks once more. then simply frowns.

[break][break] "so they have."

[break][break] he glances around at the aisle, looking bewildered, as he looks for the missing sweet onions. it's surely a mistake, he thinks. sweet onions would be necessary for the meal he had in mind for dinner.

[break][break] "ah —" he says. "there... they are."

[break][break] the last of his words pitch into an uneven tone because next to the sweet onions are the cabbages. and next to the cabbages are... two oranguru sitting in a pile of smashed-up lettuce and tomato juice, passing them back and forth as they have nothing better to do.

[break][break] how unfortunate.

[attr="class","ooc"]

mission [break]
fern delaney

☉

Of course the response they are given is a simple and sensible one. Fern could tease him a bit more—something tells him it might prove easy to do so, no matter how neutrally the other man behaves. Instead, they opt not to tread on the subject of his mother; call it their intuition at play.[break][break]

Instead, they smile brightly, possibly warmly, even. “Maybe if you deviate from the norm, you’ll find yourself pleasantly surprised from time to time.” This is about grapes, yes, of course.[break][break]

The strange lilt of the other’s voice draws Fern’s attention away from the array of neatly stacked cucumbers. Their head tips to the side, and they open their mouth to ask if there are no good bags, when they catch sight of the oranguru. “Well this is certainly new,” their glance shifts sideways as they sidle up next to him, curious to see how he will react to the disruption. Then their attention turns away from the oranguru entirely. “Do you think we should ca—“[break][break]

A loud splat cuts his question in half, an unpleasant slimy feel of vegetable innards smushed against his cheek from the half-eaten tomato lobbed at him with alarming precision.[break][break]

He blinks, staring at Jayden for a beat as the tomato slides down his face to plop on his shoulder. It’s a matter of seconds before the juice is seeping into the cotton fabric of his shirt. And in the next, he is whirling around on his heels in a furor toward the guilty party.[break][break]

“Hey!” his admonition is loud, leveled at one of the oranguru, and obviously huffy. All the cadence of yelling at a bratty younger sibling for acting out. “Totally uncalled for!”[break][break]

It’s an impulsive reaction, one that prompts them to not consider what jayden cross might think of them, or if it will incite the two mischief makers.

[break][break]

+ jayden cross | mission | monkë…

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

perhaps it would be pleasant — in fact, jayden knows exactly how pleasant it could be. he also knows how hard the crash would be, should the situation turn undesirable.

[break][break] before he can turn to comment on the matter, however, a situation presents itself in front of them.

[break][break] a most unpleasant one.

[break][break] "— watch out!" he shouts. the first oranguru - enraged by the commentary from fern delaney - stomps it's fists against the ground, letting out a howl of rage. the second compliments his partner, throwing his fist into a watermelon (where the hell had it gotten a watermelon). the fruit splinters into a combination of seeds and scarlet pieces, threatening to spray both fern delaney and jayden in a messy embrace.

[break][break] the rocket admin is quick on his feet. he drops the onions he was holding, and attempts to tackle him to the floor. his gastly materializes just in time, tossing a WILL-O-WISP to crash into the pieces, sending them to a burnt crisp.

[attr="class","ooc"]

mission [break]
fern delaney

☉

Fern is most definitely not anticipating the dodge that takes him down alongside jayden cross. In fact, he is simply turning back in a cringe to avoid more fruit splattering across his face when he registers the other barreling at him. “What in the bloody—“ For the second time in mere minutes, their sentence is cut short, and as they yelp and squawk as they crash to the floor tangled in a heap, there is perhaps a slight shift in his manner of speech.[break][break]

The surprise of it all, underneath the hooting and howling of the oranguru, drives the thickness of a particular accent to the twists of their tongue. One the other man might find familiar should he be listening close enough to register it as different from the careful neutrality Fern typically tries to speak with.[break][break]

At least they have enough sense to pull the ball kept safe in their pocket, loosing the dragapult housed within, “Cecelia, my love, help our friend’s gastly out with this dreadful lot.” On cue, a wide, serpentine maw opens up and uses DRAGON BREATH to send a paralytic spray of gas in the direction of the oranguru—hopefully to incapacitate them further.[break][break]

“Oh my, you don’t even know my name yet. Now-“ He can’t help himself, from the way his smirk stretches a hair wider—not when they’re practically nose to nose like this. Brows lift in tandem, and his voice is all but a suggestive coo. “What was I just saying then, about pleasant surprises? ”[break][break]

It’s an implication they cannot hold onto for long, and within seconds, they are breaking into amused laughter and rolling away to push themselves up to their knees to survey the damage being done to the produce aisle.

[break][break]

+ jayden cross | mission | monkë…

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

he forgets.

[break][break] it's only a few seconds, but in the split second from when the fruit projectiles are being thrown at them, jayden forgets where he is and more importantly who he is. sure, this is still a rocket-occupied city but it is one where there are others still present. civilians like fern delaney who could expose him.

[break][break] but his body moves before he can help it, slamming into the other to save him from quite an unfortunate splash.

[break][break] heat fills the air as the dragapult's DRAGON BREATH explodes across the grocery store. the muffled sounds of the oranguru can be heard in the distance, a mix of pain and surprise, as they stomp their fists against the ground with rage. screams of shock from the other civilians are warped, as he vaguely hears someone else call for help. call the authorities. something.

[break][break] but jayden's cheeks are flushed, looking down at the other as he talks about pleasant surprises.

[break][break] it's the laugh that breaks up the tension, and jayden watches, slightly dumbfounded, as the other slips out from beneath him. the rocket admin follows suit, looking around to see one of the oranguru passed out and the other tied up by grocery store personnel that had wandered upon the scene.

[break][break] "are you... okay?"

[break][break] as awkward as he feels, his gaze is still full of genuine concern.

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

mission [break]
fern delaney

☉

As they survey the mayhem, they consider the fact that they have little desire to linger longer than necessary. It’s not as if Fern is some moral, community-burdened citizen looking to maintain a degree of order and peace. He has his own reasons for not wanting anything to do with the authorities or powers that be. Therefore the attention suddenly pressing in from other store-goers is not the sort they desire.[break][break]

At least the oranguru are presently indisposed.[break][break]

They are distracted by the nudge of their dragapult returning–floating up to their side with a bag of their beloved grapes salvaged and hooked on the tip of her tail. “Marvelous job, Ceci. Superb.” Temporarily distracted by the praise he lavishes on his beloved companion, both hands lifting to press flat under the wide expanse of her jaw. Fingers scratch at her chin and Fern rubs his nose against the tip of her snout before recalling her, and returning his attention to jayden cross .[break][break]

“Hm? Oh, yes. I suppose I will have to weather the acts of atrocity committed to my shirt, but I think I’ll manage,” they reply, waffling a bit as their eyes lift to meet the unfiltered level of genuineness in their acquaintance’s expression. They are accustomed to spinning little fibs and falsehoods, or conflating their words to the point of exaggeration for the simple sake of making themselves difficult to read.[break][break]

When leveled with this, however, something burrowed deep down prompts them to be honest in spite of their teasing. Odd. There is a bright pink bloom across his skin, no doubt from the contact and Fern’s little quips, and they find this strangely delightful. It deviates from the careful neutrality the man typically presents himself with, and they wonder if they might be able to pull more varying response if they pry here and there. Just a bit.[break][break]

Fern shakes this off, like water sliding off the smooth back of a dewgong. All in favor of the coy twist of his lips, spark of mischief in the bright blue of his irises. “Are you okay? I’m afraid your schedule might be irreparable now.” His hand lifts, plucking up bits of loose spinach leaves from the other’s hair. “And you seem to be wearing your dinner. Whatever will you do with this much spontaneity?”



[break][break]

+ jayden cross | mission | monkë…

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","jaytop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"]

as fern delaney gestures to the state of his clothes, jayden blinks and looks down at himself as well. it seems that he too was not able to escape unscathed.

[break][break] "oh," he says. "my house is not that far away — and i have a laundry machine and dryer, if you would like."

[break][break] it didn't occur to jayden how odd this might seem, considering that he barely knew the other. but also at the same time, he felt like he knew the other perhaps too well. there was something comforting about seeing those familiar pair of verdant eyes across an aisle of cucumbers and melons.

[break][break] "ah — " he starts. "i suppose you are right." his own schedule was irreparable now, and he was sure fern delaney the same way.

[break][break] a ghost of a smile lifts to his face.

[break][break] "i suppose i might be forced to dive first into it —"

[break][break] his head tilts.

[break][break] "would you like to come over?"

[attr="class","ooc"]

mission [break]
fern delaney

☉

Well this is a twist they don’t see coming.[break][break]

“That so? Funnily enough, I also live nearby.” They pause, eyes rolling to the side in thought. “Though I am short machines, so I wouldn’t mind avoiding the laundromat.” Now this—this is most certainly a little fib on their part. But it is for the sake of curiosity, and they find such pursuits worth the white lie.[break][break]

The fact alone that jayden cross is willing enough to offer strikes Fern as endlessly fascinating. He is someone who Fern doesn’t know, but does at the same time. Little habits and quirks picked up simply from sharing a generic public space over and over again.[break][break]

For all of the webs of falsity that Fern spins, he realizes that somehow this is the first untruth he’s told the other. How funny was that?[break][break]

Their own smile widens, eyebrows raising when they are gifted the slightest hint of a smile from him. “I think you may very well have no choice but to do just that.”[break][break]

Casting one more surreptitious glance around the market, he sets in motion, breezing by the other man, only to cast a look back over shoulder, coy grin brightening his face. “You move fast, but I would.” And again, because they can’t help themself, they punctuate with a cheeky little wink. “It’s Fern, by the way.”

[break][break]

+ jayden cross | mission | monkë…

[attr="class","pokeclass"]