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Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
A woman sat veiled behind a niqab, her hair covered as well. She was dressed entirely in black and sat alone in a booth at Maddy's. In front of her was a coffee that had been dolled up with sweet creamer and sugar. There was a waffle in front of her, one of the smores waffles, half eaten. She was alternately sneaking sips of coffee and bites of waffle underneath the veil while reading something on her phone.
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
Thespis walked in, another day another waffle, although since learning how. ..opened it was to elements such as Seers and Scelesti, he was a tad more guarded, which honestly for a Guardian is a pretty normal day. Coffee and chocolate chip waffles today. Looking for a place to sit he spots the new face and decides to people watch. "May I join you?" he asks
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
She looks to him with eyes unhidden between her veils. He can't quite see it but can hear and possibly even feel her warm smile when they close softly for a moment and she nods, "Please." A single word was probably enough for a skilled ear to pick up the sound of a voice that one may have heard before. She gestures to the seat across from her.
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
He raises an eyebrow, "I'm sure you get this often, but have I seen you somewhere?" he aks, giving smile, "or do you just have one of those faces?"
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
She chuckles, "It is likely you have seen me before, yes. Though I usually do not have the niqab unless I wish to preserve my privacy so I may live my other life." She speaks enough that he can be sure of it. She is Aya Jabir, the non-violence advocate, activist, scholar, speaker, author.
"I suppose once I'm here, it's not as necessary, but it also feels a bit wrong to remove it away from home."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"Adam Harken," he says extending a hand, "My resume is much less impressive, talent agents are much less heard about compared to their clients." he chuckles then considers, "We all hold on to things that remind of us of home, so that might be a reason to hold onto it."
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
She places a hand over her heart and lowers her head, "No offense meant, I try to limit physical contact with those who are masculine-presenting for spiritual reasons. I still extend my warmest greetings to you, Mr. Harken." Kindness comes naturally to her, and she truly does seem to wish well.
"You say you are a talent agent? Have you worked with many stars? Anyone I might know?" (edited)
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
he retracts the hand, "No offense taken." he says, "Well. . .I've worked in Hollywood before coming here but I'll admit I don't know any A-Listers, if anything I've meet their Agents more, actually I have met Steve Carell before, but that was a birthday party. " he shrugs, "and even then I was their because my Boss dragged me along, he stars I do know or either B-Grade or aren't in any movies that most people have heard of." he sighs, "But I do plan on changing that, one A lister client, that's all I'm asking the universe." he laughs
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"Steve Carell?" She nods, "I think I remember him from.." she sneaks a sip of coffee while she thinks, "Evan Almighty! Yes, that movie was enjoyable, he seems like a pleasant man." His comment gets her looking aside, "If I meet a star in need of a new agent, I might be able to point them your way.."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"That would be much appreciated, I remember him better as Micheal Scott" he nods, "Moved to Philadelphia this month, LA was getting stifling and a change in scenery." he sighs a bit, "Best way to deal with shitty memories is to just pack up and move I found."
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"Oh, that's unfortunate... and may make finding that A-lister more difficult. But having been to LA, I can definitely understand what you mean." She sighs and shakes her head, "The 405 was a psychic vampire the one time I ended up on it. I plan better now."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"Figuratively, yes?" he says as he motions around the waffle house, "Sorry to dance around it but just by being here, I think we both know such a thing is entirely within the realm of possibility."
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"I would not doubt it if you told me the jinn-- the spirits-- of the highway itself have a gnawing hunger that feeds on those trapped in its traffic, but there is much of their world and ways I don't know, nor seek." She says this with all seriousness, "I would be more curious about which way the causation goes for that, but it would be mere curiosity."
She looks Thespis over, almost as if trying to read him like a book, top to bottom. "I am certain you are curious what of myself brings me here. I am a listener of the dead, and a discerner of truths. Not definite article THE capital-T Truth, but I have seen enough of something greater while in the Hell of combat, and since then, I have been working to help others at least look in the same direction."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
he smiles, "I'm afraid I can barely hear the whispers of the dead, but that which I can hear often proves interesting." he says, his smile stays on but theirs something else too it, like a private joke, "Truth is something that can be harmful if exposed to too early. . .like an affair," he thinks of the analogy, "Say I found my friend's spouse was unfaithful, they are in domestic bliss and love their partner dearly, do I tell them the truth or keep it hidden of the sake of everyone's happiness?"
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"You pose a difficult question." She takes a sip of her coffee, "My tendency would be to see if what I have discovered can be proven; if it can be proven, then I believe I would inform them in the gentlest way and afterwards, try to help them avoid making angry decisions."
Aya brings her hands together in front of her, weaving her fingers together and resting her veiled chin against them. "If I cannot prove it, then it would be better to keep silence and avoid causing conflict while perhaps discouraging my friend from making too many long-term plans with them." She pushes back from her hands. "Regardless, one should be careful not to be caught up in the lie or reinforce it."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"Wise answers," he nods, "Not how I would do it, if I know it for fact then I could prove it, as it is fact," he says, "The key would be guide them to their own discover, help show them the way but in a subtle enough method that they come to it themselves and make their choice how to proceed. . .like guiding one through a labyrinth."
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
She nods along, "I see, I see. I suppose what I mean is that, I can witness something and tell you that I witnessed it. And if you think me trustworthy, you may believe it. But I cannot show what I have seen to prove it, or at least, I cannot." The veil was poked by smiling cheeks, "I imagine is likely much easier for you to do so." (edited)
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
he grins, "And what would you be implying by that?" he asks, playing along
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"You are here, too." She taps the table.
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"You got me their," he admits, "I've seen Truth, I've seen Hell and it's Demons, learned they lessons they have to teach," he admits, "So, how are you able to hear the whispers of the departed?"
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"I don't know how familiar you are with my story, but all of my activism started with the time my study abroad trip during my junior year in college ended up in the middle of a skirmish." She looks to him, catching eye contact for a brief moment before looking down a bit, "What the news stories and book don't mention is that while the skirmish was happening, I could hear my friend screaming out even after she'd stopped breathing."
Her hand moved to the mug of coffee and she put a hand around it and gripped it a bit. She sighed and shook her head, "She didn't even know she'd died, and I spent the rest of the time, until the fighting stopped, trying to calm her. She only rested when the shots stopped."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"A proper medium then," he says, "I can only imagine the pain and confusion caused by such an event. . .to not even realize you've died," he shakes his head, "You've taken what many would most likey call a curse and found a purpose for it, you have my admiration."
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"It took a lot of work. But I had a lot of help, I owe a lot to good guidance." She takes the coffee and, sliding it under her veil, finishes the last of it. "Some time, I may have to have you explain that bit about 'Hell and its Demons'." She chuckles.
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"It's not as bad as people think," he chuckles, "Oh it's bad, but it has a purpose, not eternal torment. . .although their are such places, my Hell was a place of. . .enlightenment."
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"Some describe it as a place of purification, cleansing, and stripping of material delusion." She raised an eyebrow about it being a place of enlightenment. "Descriptions of Hell are often fairly fascinating in a morbid and horrifying way, I definitely spent way too much time overthinking Dante's Inferno." (edited)
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"Wonderful book," he says, "Too much faith in good and 'divine love' sure, but with each Canto, each trial, Dante learns from his journey, from the Dammned and from his guide, until he ends in the center of Treachery, staring down Lucifer himself," theirs strange smile on his face, "Imagine, how much knowledge he gained from his adversity. . .to be in the center of the world. . .but then they ruined it with that fucking video game!"
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"What I always found fascinating was the description of Hell's gates as being opened. That is, those inside can leave, if they so desire." Her eyes fall on his, this time not flinching away, "Did you desire to stay, while you were there?"
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"A little," he admits, "Oh it was frightening yes, but it was real, like everything in my life was fake, merely a role to play, a new script everyday, but the pain, the terror, those where real," he sighs, "But what's the point of learning something if you can't apply it to life."
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"I may understand a small portion of that sensation; my life before that study abroad trip, I remember it almost like I remember books I read when I was a child, not real though vividly recalled." She gave a quick light shrug, "It makes sense, I guess, that one's life isn't really lived until one is aware of how close one is to not living."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
"Exactly" he says, "I was not living, I was acting out a part set for me, it wasn't me." he nods, "Hell showed me who I was, with pain and demons as my beloved teachers."
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
"This has been an interesting conversation, Mr. Harken. Do you have a card? I think I might enjoy talking with you more, but unfortunately I must tend to some personal matters before I'm meant to make an appearance elsewhere."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
he nods and hands her his buisness card, "It's been a pleasure." he says
Jane/Aya - connie (she/her):
She accepts the card and places it into her purse before pulling out money to pay for her tab, "If it was a pleasure for you, then it was shared, though I believe I enjoyed it more." She chuckled and rose from her seat. "I look forward to seeing you again soon."
Vincent/Thespis/Edward-ET:
he nods and gives a little salute, "I'm sure we'll have plenty of debates."
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