Friday, 8th November 2024, 2:43 pm
"Hey, would you mind helping me with this?" Chunmei asks as she leans toward Jocelyn.
The two, along with a number of other female recruits, are in a bathroom of the IGSI Headquarters in Tokyo as part of a press tour to promote the outcomes of Brannon-Brook initiative.
The IGSI headquarters were built four years after the First Gate invasion that hit Tokyo and all but flattened the city. It would take almost a decade of concentrated rebuilding efforts to bring the city back to a fraction of its former glory.
"Sure, just stand still." Jocelyn replies as she fixes one of Chunmei's hair clips. "There you go! You look perfect Chunmei. I could just eat you up!" Jocelyn jokes as she tugs on her friend's cheeks.
"Hey! Leave me alone! Go rub butts with your boyfriend or something." Chunmei protests, rubbing her pinched cheeks.
"Ugh! I wish we could rubbing butts right now. I've barely seen him all month. I miss him so freaking much." Jocelyn cries out, startling her friend.
"Oh… oh, sorry Jocelyn. I didn't mean…"
"It's ok, I'll see him today!" Jocelyn says, her pout shaping into a smile as she considers the fact all Brannon-Brook graduates would be in attendance today, including Reyn who had been galavanting across the globe with Ravinok and the Director to show him off as their latest and greatest weapon.
"Five minutes, ladies!" A voice yells out into the bathrooms. Jocelyn and the rest of the Brannon-Brook women emerge shortly after and are led by an IGSI representative to a waiting room adjacent to the building's main conference hall. The sounds of hundreds of voices could be heard echoing through the building as the constituents from various nations and organization's all sit in the conference hall, eagerly awaiting the massively important announcement that GAARD has scheduled for the day.
A few minutes later, the men of Brannon-Brook arrive in the waiting room. Ghazal notices Jocelyn looking around fervently and he quickly notifies her that Reyn had not yet joined them, much to her displeasure.
The group waits patiently and listens intently as the conference gets started. The muffled sounds of various speakers leak through the waiting room walls as the recruits sit around impatient and fidgeting.
A sudden knock on the door captures their attention, and as Reyn's face appears from behind the opened door, Jocelyn launches from her seat. She leaps into Reyn's arms as soon as he enters the room, ignoring the rest of the recruits and oblivious to Doctor Ravinok and Director Martinez walking in behind her boyfriend, almost knocking over all three men.
"Ms. Webber. Moderation, please! " Ravinok chuckles as he squeezes his way into the room.
"I don't need to remind you about your expected etiquette and behaviour, do I, Ms. Webber?" The Director scowls.
"N-No, sir!" Jocelyn quickly responds, straightening her posture and holding direct eye contact.
"Good, you'll have Mitchells back soon enough. We just need him for a few more hours." The Director says, a slight smile covering half his mouth.
"Thank you, sir!" Jocelyn replies.
She nods at the Director and Ravinok and takes a moment to stare at Reyn who smilingly stares back. In a single, swift motion she hops up and lands a kiss on his mouth before he can react.
Ravinok chuckles and the Director averts his gaze as he sighs.
Reyn's facial skin tone begins to evoke alarming shades of red while Jocelyn trots back to her seat.
The group spends another hour waiting in mostly silence until an IGSI representative collects them from the waiting room.
A few moments later, the Brannon-Brook graduates would find themselves lined up along the massive main-stage of the IGSI building's conference hall while the Director and Ravinok went into detail regarding the Brannon-Brook initiative's goals and the processes used to achieve them.
They go down the line of recruits, introducing each one and elaborating on their skills and abilities. Each introduction ends with roaring applause and cheers as the IGSI delegates are introduced to what would surely become some of humanity's greatest warriors.
The recruits bask in the praise of their achievements, their eyes blinded by the flashing lights of cameras that would spread their name and fame across the globe.
Finally, the son of Lunara Mitchell's is introduced.
He walks up to the center of the stage and stands alongside Ravinok, who goes on a lengthy spiel about Reyn's abilities and the process of understanding and controlling them. As he finishes she turns to Reyn with a knowing smile.
"Mr. Mitchells, is there anything you would like to add? Anything you want to say to the world?"
Reyn steps forward and his ARCH-unit suddenly bursts to life with cracklings of aether.
He lifts his hand to the ceilings high above the audience's heads, gesturing their vision upwards. With a clap, an unexpected swirl of aether appears high above the heads of the conference audience, eliciting gasps and looks of wonderment from the crowd.
The twirling tendrils of shimmering light slowly begin to change colour and texture, eventually turning into the crude shape of a galloping dragon made of billowing flames. The audience's eyes are lit up by the supernatural display. The fire dragon suddenly erupts into an outburst of flaming butterflies that flicker through the audience, much to their surprise and amazement.
A sudden crack of thunder hits across the hall, startling the audience's eyes back to the ceiling.
A cloud of aether appears, quickly growing in density and energy, swirling around in a large circle, until without warning, sparks and crackings of aetheric energy start erupting in the air. Looks of wonder turn to fear as the aether begins to take the shape of the familiar invasion gates that have plagued humanity.
"Relax! Please, everyone. This is only a demonstration, please, sit back and enjoy." Ravinok yells out reassuringly over the hall's speakers, getting most of the guests to settle down, though still quivering in fear.
Another round of sparks and energy erupt from Reyn's ARCH-unit, and a moment later, the gate above the crowd begins to open with a violent outburst of electrifying energy, and from the void in it's center, a burst of aetheric energy bursts out, and the audience watches in unrelenting dread as the portal above them begins to rain down its content.
Like a soft snowfall, hundreds of flowers gently drift down from the portal, each one a different shade of deep red. They softly land upon heads, in hands, on seats and floors.
The Brannon-Brook graduates are equally surprised by Reyn's display of power, the outcomes of which make little sense to them. Ravinok himself stares in bewilderment. He had asked Reyn to do a small performance to wow the audience, but Reyn's ever changing displays of power still prove able to leave Ravinok shocked and confused.
"Please, touch the rose." Reyn's voice booms out across the hall, yet every person present hears it as a gentle whisper.
Jocelyn shudders as the words fold into her mind, his familiar voice tickling unfamiliar places.
Every person around the audience reaches for a rose, gently holding it in their palms as they look on, bewildered. As fingers touch the velvety, red petals, the flower elegantly unfolds, and in a shimmer of aetheric light, they fade from existence in front of each person's eyes, leaving behind a tiny piece of paper.
"On each of those notes are the names of the men and women that died defending our planet during the 15th Gate Defense." Reyn says aloud, his voice firm and purposeful. "We, the first graduates of the Brannon-Brook initiative, pledge our lives and our honor to the defense of our planet and her people. We will stand for the sacrifices made by those who have died defending the 15th Gate, and every life shed defending the gates before it. No more shall humanity cower to the invaders from beyond. With your continued faith and support, we can all ensure a brighter tomorrow for all humanity. Reject the Impossible! Victory or Death!"
Reyn's words cause an explosive uproar as the Brannon-Brook recruits all erupt into a chorus of cheers and whistles while the rest of the conference attendees applaud Reyn's speech long and loudly.
The conference turns into a huge success, with the Brannon-Brook graduates being allowed to show off some of their abilities and members of various governments and organizations already fighting to have the recruits contracted to their various public and private ventures. Ravinok would eventually lead the graduates back to their hotel for a quick debrief, allowing them their freedom for the last two days of their time left in Tokyo.
"Come on, we don't have much time! It's not far. Hurry up!" Ghazal yells as he and Reyn run through the Japanese capital's streets in the late afternoon. "There, just up there! Come!"
"Gaz, you know I got a date with Joze tonight. She's gonna kill me if I bail again!"
"Relax, princess, it's just a meet and greet."
They would eventually reach a small building on the outskirts of the city's downtown area, covered in graffiti and located in a less than savory location.
Ghazal eagerly knocks on the door, bouncing with excitement as he waits for an answer.
The door opens and a larger, bearded man pokes out his head.
"Um, is Omar here?" Ghazal asks as the man stares at him confused.
"Oh… oh! You're… just wait here." The man's stutters before disappearing behind the door and the sounds muffled shouting emanate from inside the house shortly after.
A moment later, the door bursts open and a smaller, bearded man comes sprinting out and grabs Ghazal immediately, lifting him into the air.
"You fucking wanker!" He shouts as he struggles to hold Ghazal up, eventually dropping him to his feet and wrapping him in a tight hug. "Six fucking years, you bastard! Where have you been?"
"Check the bloody news once in a while! I was just on!" Ghazal scowls as he slaps at the man.
"What the fuck did you do now? There bloody not be any police showing up here!" The man scolds as he slaps back at Ghazal.
"Bruv, I'm practically on a Strike Team already. Gonna be saving lives and kicking arse in the next invasion."
The man's face turns sour. He grabs Ghazal's hand, holding it close to his chest.
"Gazza, are you serious? What about mum and…"
"You heard me, Omie. I've been at Brannon-Brook the last three years, bruv. We're finishing our recruitment next month, then your little brother is off to fight gate monsters in the next invasion."
The man suddenly hugs Ghazal.
"Come inside! Tell me everything!" He says, pushing Ghazal into the house.
"Oh, Omar, this is my best mate, Reyn. Reyn, this is Omar Merkaan, my older brother." Ghazal says proudly as he slaps his brother's back.
The group quickly moves inside, where the house's other occupant scurries around the kitchen. The sound of clattering cutlery and boiling water leaks into the living room where Omar leads Reyn and Ghazal to sit on the bean bag couches around the room.
The place was very small but extremely quaint. Reyn feels immediately comfortable as they settle into the beautifully Bohemian living space. Bits and pieces decorate every surface of the area around them, and Reyn finds that his eyes are constantly attracted to something new.
"So, Omar's my older brother. He's um, not been around for a while. Haven't had a chance to see him in six years!" Ghazal announces as they settle into the room.
"Oh, don't beat around the bush, princess. I was disowned. Mum and Dad didn't think fondly of my fondling of other men." Omar says pointedly while chuckling. "Schalk, come here, babe."
A large, muscled man appears wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts that barely contain what they were designed to. His face is half covered in a thick, glorious beard that would put Glenn Foster to shame. "Hi, guys." He greets warmly as he folds into the room.
"That's my little German meat popsicle, Schalk." Omar boasts and Schalk throws out a little hand wave.
"You want some tea? Beer?" Schalk asks, but Reyn and Ghazal both decline, much to his dismay.
Reyn notices his frown, and elects to have some tea after all.
Ghazal and Omar go on to catch up on the last six years of their lives while Reyn listens on intently. They eventually drag him into their conversations, asking his opinion on various topics regarding their past and current lives.
Reyn would go on to learn more about Ghazal's past than he had ever considered.
The fact that his best friend's parents were war refugees from the Middle-East, or that they were extremely religious and forbid Ghazal from pursuing his dream of becoming an archaner. He was disowned by his parents as soon as he was conscripted into Brannon-Brook. But most shockingly, most of his family were killed in the London gate invasion. Ghazal, his brother and parents only survived because they were driving Omar to some kind of conversion camp.
The two brothers joke and laugh as they talk about their personal experiences and struggles, neither finding time for sadness or grief in the glowing face of a sibling they have missed for so long.
Reyn's administration of Ghazal grows more than he thought possible as the nature of his life is finally revealed, and Ghazal's ever-confident, ever-positive and ever-crude personality becomes even more of a lantern to the darknesses of doubt that still plague Reyn's mind.
Hours would go by, and a vibration in Reyn's pocket would quickly alert him to his forgotten promises to Jocelyn.
" :( " Jocelyn's message reads.
"Joze I'm so so sorry! Gaz introduced me to his brother, we started talking. I lost track of time. I swear. Please forgive me!" Reyn responds nervously.
" :| "
"Thank you! I'll make it up to you! You, me, Tokyo. Tomorrow. NO DISTRACTIONS!"
" :) "
Reyn tucks his phone back into his pocket with a smile, not noticing the brothers were intently watching him placate his girlfriend via text. They chuckle as he turns his attention back to the conversion.
They go on to talk for hours, late into the night and Reyn learns more about Ghazal and his brother than he would care to know. Omar would eventually persuade Schalk to drive the two friends back to their hotel where they sneak into the room they shared with Paolo and Luka.
As he promised, Reyn would be waiting outside Jocelyn's hotel room early the next morning.
The fact Chunmei, Lumari and Priyanka each exited before Jocelyn was not something he had considered, leaving him to awkwardly deal with their various types of teasing over his relationship with their friend.
His girlfriend eventually departs the room, and he manually maintains the thought to keep his mouth shut as his eyes flick widely up and down her body.
"I take it I look ok?" Jocelyn giggles.
"Amazing!" Reyn responds as he soaks in the vision of her beauty.
Her long auburn hair hung elegantly down her shoulders, just reaching at the peak of her breasts. The top half of her body was wrapped in some manner of twisted, weaved, green cloth that made little structural sense to Reyn, but looked amazing on her, nonetheless. The little freckles on her neck and shoulders fade away to flawless porcelain-like skin. While her legs and bottom are molded into a pair of tight, blue jeans, fighting valiantly to contain her curves.
She flutters her long lashes at him and he quickly moves to her side where she greets him with a kiss.
The two go on two explore various sights around Tokyo. Jocelyn indulges deeply in the rich histories and artistic displays across the city, while Reyn focuses on the world famous delicacies that seem to wait at every street corner.
The two eventually find their way to the top of the Neo-Skytree and stare blissfully at the beautiful scenery the Tokyo skyline provided.
After most of the city had been flattened, large swaths of land were turned into parks and sanctuaries that housed every kind of plant and tree native to Japan. The late afternoon sun only helped to enhance the already majestic visuals that the landscape provided.
As Reyn strains to get a better view of tiny details in far away vistas, he feels Jocelyn's soft hands tug at him from behind.
"Reyn… I'm sorry, but I'm gonna be a shitty girlfriend for a while." Jocelyn says with a pout and Reyn looks at her confused. "I miss you, Reyn Mitchells. A fucking lot. I know you're busy getting ready to save the world and make GAARD lots of money… ugh, but I'm still your girlfriend. I'm allowed to want you to myself for a bit, right?"
"Joze, of course, I totally understand. I've actually spoken to the Director about this. I just need…"
"Relax, Reyn. It's ok, I'll never stop you and I promise I won't nag a lot. But… I just miss you. And maybe I'm starting to get a little jealous. You're getting famous now and I'm sure women are gonna be throwing themselves at you. I saw the way that Japanese chick keeps looking at you…"
"Jocelyn, I…"
"It's ok, it's ok. Forget I said anything. Ugh, I'm spoiling our date. Sorry, Reyn, let's just…" Jocelyn whines as she tries to apologize but Reyn grabs her chin and bends down to kiss her before she can speak.
"I love you, Jocelyn Webber." Reyn says. He grins sheepishly as he holds her face beneath his.
Jocelyn's eyes quiver as it begins to leak every emotion, her face turns red and every pore explodes into goosebumps across her body. She eventually collects herself and unlocks from Reyn's grip, grabbing him at the collar and pulling him down for another kiss.
"I love you, too, Reyn Mitchells." Jocelyn smirks.
The two are quickly interrupted by a yelling security guard running up toward them, and they quickly find themselves escorted off the premises for their inappropriate displays of public affection.
The giggling duo spend the rest of the evening enjoying traditional food and wine in a little restaurant hidden off a street corner.
With both filled to the brim with sushi and rice wine, they elect to spend the end of their evening relaxing on the shores of Tokyo Bay, but would instead bless its beaches with their projectile vomit while they curse they're decisions to overindulge on nondescript, raw fish and homemade alcohol.
A taxi would help them find their way back to the hotel where Reyn piggybacked Jocelyn to her room.
The violent greeting from her roommates would leave him both drunk and concussed by the time he reached his bed and final taunting and tickling from Ghazal would finally see the end of Reyn's free time in Tokyo.