Heart Don't Fail Me Now, Courage Don't Desert Me | Closed to Jake

[mustachioedmaiden]

When we last left our heroes, Jane and Jake's date had been abruptly interrupted by a series of confusing texts from Sollux, requesting that Jane heal Tavros in exchange for his eternal servitude. Distressed by what this could possibly mean in concordance with her already-present suspicions regarding her mother's true nature, Jane resolved to venture to her childhood home, a place she had refused to revisit since finding her father's body there years before, in search of clues. Jake, seeing her obvious apprehension and distress, resolutely deigned to join her, and so they set off together, tension high. 

Jane had only taken the time to change clothes and grab some gear before hopping in her truck alongside Jake, her trusty fedora (a gift from her father) tilted smartly atop her wild curls. It was not far from her apartment to her old home, a 45 minute trek at most. When they pulled up front, the house towered above them, the truck almost seeming dwarfed where it rested in the winding, expansive driveway. They parked right outside of the elegant steps that led to the door, and Jane took a slow breath, gathering herself. ".... I have not been here in 7 years." she said, giving a small shake of her head in disbelief. "I... I didn't even get my things after he died. My room should be just as I left it when I moved into the Crocker U dorms freshman year..."

Comments

[mustachioedmaiden]

Jane took the other end of the shelves, and they began lifting them to the floor one by one. "What do you mean?" she asked, cocking a brow as the second was lowered carefully.

[hoperidesagain]

Jake looked to her before they lifted the second, giving a small shrug of his shoulders. "Well...I mean this is a lot of space just not being used you know? Nice place and all. But you're living in an apartment instead. Just not sure if you have some other kinda plan."

[mustachioedmaiden]

"I always told myself I'd move back here one day." Jane said, frowning a bit as they moved on to the next shelf, lifting it off of its pin supports. "Maybe now, I finally will be able to. Maybe this is how I can get the closure I need." She sighed. "It's a bit big for just me, though."

[hoperidesagain]

He nodded as she spoke, thinking over it as he helps with the next portion of shelf. When they set it down, he gives a snap and points a fingergun at her. "You could rent out rooms! I know you aren't hurting for cash, so you could make it like a cheaper thing? I dunno! Help people out with an easier home or something. Just a thought!"

[mustachioedmaiden]

Jane quirked a brow. "That's an idea!" she smirked, and reached for the final shelf. "... Or we could always make it the base for our new superhero duo, hmm?" she gave a little chuckle, the suggestion silly to say the least.

[hoperidesagain]

Jake blinked at that, waiting to reach for the final shelf at her suggestion. He tilted his head, eyes looking to her own as his tone changed somewhat. "...do you mean that? I mean...I like my apartment but I wouldn't mind a change of place. I wouldn't...wanna mooch off ya though."

[mustachioedmaiden]

Jane was about to grab her end, and at his words she fumbled, her fingertips gripping air for a moment. "Oh! I... uh... I didn't mean like.... L-living together! I meant using the space as a sort of base of operations." Jane said, her hard-boiled exterior cracking with his assumption. "But that... Might work actually." She finished, calming a bit. She bit her lip. "... Would you be interested in that? I have plenty of space here. And I could use the help cleaning up."

[hoperidesagain]

Jake blinked, flushing at that and clearing his throat. He had...massively misunderstood that and now he was pretty embarrassed. "I uh...s-sorry! I dunno why I just thought that's what you meant...Um...m-maybe actually. It could...work really well. I'd have to think a little more on that though. S-Sorry! I was a really big dipstick there."

[mustachioedmaiden]

Jane shook her head, shaking her hands in front of her. "You're fine! The way I worded that statement certainly made it sound like such was what I was getting at. I'd need to give it some thought too, but that is certainly an idea. We could easily convert a few rooms into training areas." She nodded to the other end of the shelf, and picked up her own, a soft grin on her face.

Once they had finished, she turned to the now-empty cabinet, eyes scanning for any sign of something out of the ordinary. Her gaze fell quickly to the interior's base, and an eyebrow quirked upwards as it fell upon what appeared to be the smallest sliver of a piece of paper's corner. She immediately began pulling out the pins that had held the shelves, and handed them to Jake, before taking a slow, gathering breath. "We need to find something that we can pry this off with." she said, fingertips trailing along the small crack at its top and sides. "I'd bet my biscuits that this is a false panel."

[hoperidesagain]

Jake nodded in response, still somewhat embarrassed at his immediate thought of what Jane had meant. He knew that had to just be...outright foolish really. But he clasped her on the shoulder before moving to the shelf, lifting it off with her.

When she began scanning as only the great Jane Crocker could, he waited to see what she had to say. At her words, he looked down at his own hands, mumbling something. "And your biscuits are real good...don't wanna lose those...Hmm..." He looked over the small crack she had been working on, giving a nod before taking a deep breath. "...I've been trying to like...make things from the energy besides just like a block or something. So maybe..." He focused on the hope of a tool to lift up the panel and to fit into that crack, hands glowing yellow...and then the energy slowly pouring into the air above them. Not too long, a firm but slim rod of energy was there, just the perfect size to work the angle. He hands it over to her with a wink, breathing a bit heavier now. "Would you like to do the honors, Detective?"

Jake's Rod Is Firm, and Jane is Impressed

[mustachioedmaiden]

Jane chuckled a bit at his statement before returning to looking for something that would... Her eyes widened as she watched a rod made out of pure energy appear as if from nothing. Her mouth hung half agape, and she took it gingerly, fingertips moving as if to see if they'd phase through it. She looked to him, impressed, when it felt firm in her hands.

"Gladly." She replied with a smile, and turned back to the cabinet. It was easy enough from there, and she pried the false back from the cabinet itself quickly, setting the wood panel to the side before handing the rod back to Jake. Inside was an entire storage system filled with files, a safe, and various other boxes. It was obvious that they had been rifled through, and hastily at that. Jane frowned, and knelt to pick up the piece of paper she had seen in the bottom of the cabinet. Her eyes flicked over the small type quickly before widening suddenly, a soft gasp leaving her lips. "... Elizabeth Peixes. Peixes, Peixes.... Isn't that the last name of that Feferi character?"

Jane Handled Jake's Rod Expertly

[hoperidesagain]

Jake was a bit proud of that, and now came the second part of his experiment when she handed the tool back to him. The bad side of this power was that it did take his hope to use...but if he could absorb others...why couldn't he absorb his own back? He gripped the rod and willed the energy back in...and it did just that, a refreshing feeling coming over him. He didn't get it all back but it was better than nothing.

He watched as she read over the document, raising an eyebrow at her stating that name. He nods slowly, eyes glancing to the document as well. "Yeah...Feferi Peixes. That's the name. Why would her last name be here though?"

A Fish By Any Other Name...

[mustachioedmaiden]

"On that, I am not sure." Jane said, taking a slow, gathering breath. She set the paper to the side before turning back to the cabinet, beginning to flick through the files. Occasionally, she would withdraw a paper to view, and every one had that same name emblazoned upon it in bold typeface. "From the Desk of Elizabeth Peixes. Coirdially yours, Elizabeth Peixes. Best, E.P." Jane read aloud, giving a little shake of her head. "... This... This can't be. This woman... My mother obviously wanted to keep her hidden." She nodded to the panel. "... What if... This is an alias?"

...would...smell like fish?

[hoperidesagain]

Jake did what he could in this, basically glancing over the things she pulled out and set to the side again just for a second set of eyes to be on them. Then when she spoke, he looked to what she had...and raised an eyebrow at her suspicion. Gears turned in his head, and his hand placed itself on her shoulder as she spoke.

"...Janey...if that's true...then...what if there's some kinda connection between you and Feferi?"

[mustachioedmaiden]

A hand rose to rest upon Jake's, and she frowned, giving a little shake of her head. "... It... Would be foolish not to entertain that possibility." she said. Jane appeared to be calm, but it was honestly just shell-shock. Trembling fingertips continued to comb through the files, and she shuddered as her hands fell on what appeared to be an official document. "... It's her birth certificate, J..." Jane whispered. "Or a copy of it, at least." She rose it to eye level, the blatant, bold print leaving no more question to be had. "... Elizabeth Peixes." She handed it to Jake. "... As far as we knew, her maiden name was Lakely. Beatrice Lakely."

[hoperidesagain]

While Jake may not be the most well versed in a social conversation or reading another's emotions, he knew Jane. He knew her well. So while she kept the calm look about her, he could tell she was shaken to her core. His arm wrapped around her shoulders and squeezed tight as she handed him the paper. He looked over it with a careful glance, shaking his head in disbelief at the strange event unfolding before them. "This is...this is way out there. What are we gonna do about this Janey? This is...this is like multiple levels of weird. I can't even wrap my head around the whole thing, but it's demanding attention by golly.."