Just Like Me (TAG)

[Jaina Gaben]

Where the fuck was it. Where was his office.

Jaina was dirty. She smelled. The clothes she had on had been through a few weeks of hardship and had obviously gone without a wash. She didn't belong in these ivory halls. At least, she didn't look like she did. She looked like a dirty sixteen year old girl charging down hallways much too clean and big for her clutching a book to her chest.

It had all started one day when she had been at the public library. It was one of the few places she felt she could hang out in and not get run off or be expected to buy something. On a whim, she had searched to see if there were any other people like her. People who couldn't die. Maybe if one was in Astaria they might know something. Some trick, some... something.

Shit. Campus security came around the corner. They'd been after her since she just waltzed into the building and started running. She figured she might as well get a head start on them. Jaina rounded a corner and started checking doors, finding an unlocked closet and ducking into it. She let the security guards pass and get a fair distance away before she left and went the opposite direction. She knew she didn't have long.

She looked down at the book. It was some history thing that she'd honestly stolen from the library, she didn't have a card to officially check it out. Kind of hard when you didn't have an address. And were legally dead. Regardless, it was some nonsense about the history of this nation called Adaira that she couldn't care less about, but what she did care about was the section on this "lost duke." Specifically the portraits made of him.

And the fact that this conspiracy theory blog she found on the internet at the library pointed out that one of the history professors looked just like this lost duke.

She was back to scanning doors. She knew she had the right building, she just had to find the right room and--there! "Aleksandr Ambrose"

She didn't have time to make a nice entrance. She just slammed the door open, slapped the book down on the desk, open to the page of the portrait, and pointed at it.

"I don't have time for chit-chat. That's you, right?"

@sasha

[Deleted]

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Jaina Gaben

[attr="class","hearmenand2"]Sasha was packing up his office for the day, putting everything in his bag that he'd need, neatening up his desk like he liked it. If it wasn't well organized in the morning, he'd have a headache even WITH coffee. Well, to be specific coffee didn't really give him a jolt. Even three espresso shots didn't really do the trick anymore. That was the problem with a body like his. He sighed and started dusting his window sills when he heard someone burst in the room. He turned around. [break][break]

"Sorry office hours are-" Then he took in the sight he was seeing and his words just stopped coming out. They didn't apply anymore. And then the young lady, who looked quite worse for wear, slammed a book down on his desk with an open page and pointed to it. He walked over to the desk idly, looked down at the picture, looked at her. And laughed. [break][break]

"You forgot your tinfoil hat, miss. It really doesn't do to forget it, it would really tie your entire outfit together." Sasha smirked and crossed his arms. [break][break]

"But I have time to entertain this today. I could use something slightly more interesting than dusting my desk. You may not have time for chit-chat, but I do. And you do not have the luxury of trying to hurry your own conspiracy theory time up." He moved around his desk in a saunter and closed the door behind her. She looked young, but he knew firsthand that didn't necessarily mean anything. She could look young for her age, in multiple ways. She could be emancipated. She could also be a student of the college. Regardless, he wasn't worried about being in a closed room with a minor as he had a camera set up in his office. It was linked partially to the school, but he had control so he could shut it off if he needed. Or make it play a fake feed. Another good example of why he stayed very consistent in his after work movements. If something happened like today, he already had footage to overlay to replace. He walked back behind his desk and looked at her, not quite taking her seriously. How could he? A history book with his face didn't prove anything. It never did. People were remarkably easy to fool on this particular topic. [break][break]

"Now let's hear why you think a library book proves anything about me. Unless you've found essays I wrote on my topic of course, then I'd be happy to discuss those with you at length at some time other than now."

DEATH DOESN'T COME HOW WE LIKE,

in my case, not at all

dandy ♫

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[Jaina Gaben]

Jaina threw her hands up in the air. Of course. Of course he would deny it. Why did she think otherwise? Nobody just up and helped people. Nobody was that nice.

She grabbed the book and threw it on the floor. "Look, Professor Grandpa. I don't have time for this. Campus security is gonna be on my ass soon. That picture looks just fucking like you and that's important because I--"

She paused and swallowed. "I need your help." Her voice cracked as she spoke. She hated this. This was so damn hard.

She held her arms out, putting herself and her entire dirty ensemble, the stained and shoddily patched jean jacket, the stolen t-shirt that had plenty of holes in it now, the jeans that had holes that were NOT put there for fashion reasons, the boots that had also seen better days, all of it, on display for him.

But her clothing wasn't what she wanted him to look at. "Guess how old I am. Sixteen, right? Or at least somewhere around there or--or something. Listen, man, listen, I've been sixteen for sixteen fucking years and I'm so tired of it. I can't die. I can't age. Nothing changes, I reset back to "just turned sixteen" every goddamn night. Please. I just want to know how you got older."

She rubbed her sleeve across her eyes, trying to hide the fact they had tears in them, but actually drawing attention to it.

"I don't--I don't care about anything else I just want to know. I won't tell anybody. The Sparrow guy on his blog, the picture is all he's got to draw a link and even then he thinks Mothman is real. I'll go away and never bother you again, I just want to get older."

@sasha

[Deleted]

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Jaina Gaben

[attr="class","hearmenand2"]Professor Grandpa? Oh come on he had even SHAVED that day! He didn't look anywhere CLOSE to his age. He just sighed though and listened to her carefully. The bit about campus security, and apparently she needed his help with something. Presumably not coursework. He listened carefully to her. So she wasn't how old she looked. She had been sixteen for sixteen years. Suddenly why she was here was very, very clear. And he wasn't going to make fun of her for this. She wasn't lying, this wasn't a sting, she wasn't here to trick him into admitting being immortal. She was desperate and he could tell. He saw her swipe her face with her sleeve. He wasn't going to say anything, but he was fairly certain that was to get rid of tears in her eyes. He was about to answer her when he heard a knock at the door. He sighed and smiled gently at her. [break][break]

"Just...sit down in the chair on the other side of my desk okay? I'll handle this." He walked up to the door and opened it up. Campus security saw her behind him. [break][break]

"Professor Ambrose, we're sorry to bother you during your daily routine but we're looking for a young lady. She's not authorized on the premises." Sasha smiled warmly at the two security personnel. [break][break]

"I'm sorry gentlemen for the trouble. She's not unauthorized. She's...the daughter of a friend. I was supposed to be giving her lessons on history so that she could be better prepared for when she enters college. I forgot to clear it with the college though. Honest mistake." [break][break]

"Sir, is she homeless?" [break][break]

"That's a little blunt to ask, gentlemen, isn't it? She's simply trying to bring back the grunge phase. It can still use some work unfortunately, but she's on the right path right?" The security personnel looked at each other, nodded and then smiled at him before leaving. Sasha then closed the door and went back to his desk and sat in his office chair across from her. [break][break]

"Alright that's that handled. Now let's start over shall we? You know my name obviously, although feel free to call me Sasha instead. Most everyone does. But you have me at a disadvantage here, as I don't know your name." He smiled warmly at her in welcome, waiting for her answer patiently with the fingers of his hands clasped together on his desktop.

DEATH DOESN'T COME HOW WE LIKE,

in my case, not at all

dandy ♫

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[Jaina Gaben]

As opposed to sitting in the chair next to the desk, Jaina dove under it in an attempt to hide. Today wasn't a die day. Not when she was close to some answers.

When the security was shooed off, she crawled out and curled up in the chair, pulling her knees up to her chest. It made her feel safe. She had most of her vulnerable areas protected and it reminded her of happier times. In addition, if she needed to, she could spring out of that position and start running quickly.

"Jaina. Jaina Gaben. Not that it does anyone any damn good. According to all the legal bullshit I'm dead. I was dead. Problem is it doesn't stick. Every night, no matter what happened, just "boop!" back to sixteen, back from the dead. Not like you. You've been around since... fuck knows when, I forgot the numbers, but a really fucking long time, and you at least get to be an adult. You figured it out, you figured out how to not get stuck. I'm stuck. I'm stuck and it sucks. I just want to get older or die. One of the two. Don't really care which. That's all I want. Just tell me how you did it and I'll go away and never bother you again."

@sasha

[Deleted]

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Jaina Gaben

[attr="class","hearmenand2"]Oh. Sasha understood the problem. She wanted to grow up, and since he had been an adult for a very long time, she wanted to know how he had managed it. He listened to her words carefully and patiently. And then when she was done, Sasha sighed and massaged his temple with his fingertips.

"Firstly, one thing I've learned is that regardless of law your name is your name. Doesn't matter if it's legal, you're here aren't you?" He smiled ever so slightly, making sure it wasn't too wide. He wanted to come across as patient, and there was a fine line between that and mockingly smiling. She was obviously in pain about this, and hoped he had the solution. The truth wasn't going to be easy to break to her.

"Secondly, anything I say about this will be between you and I understand? I...grew up like any other person. But somehow the gene that causes powers to emerge only activated when I was about thirty five years old. I just...never grew any older. It was like someone put me on pause. I heal from any injury. Adapt to any disease. And stay looking like I have. Forever." He let out a long sigh.

"If I could help, I would. But there's a reason I teach history. History of powers being a specialty. Because I also want to know why. While I treasure the relationships I have now, I have outlived my wife, my children, my grandchildren and my great grandchildren. Jaina...I'm stuck too." That was probably the first time he had outright admitted that to someone. It was like seeing a younger version of himself had made him more honest and forthcoming with his experiences.

"When I looked the age you currently look, I was just normal as far as anyone was concerned. I didn't heal the same way. When I went into battle there was actually risk to my life. I grew up and then I paused. And had to start hiding and finding paperwo-well I'm sure you already know." Sasha rubbed the back of his neck, regret clearly on his face. He wished he had better news for her.

DEATH DOESN'T COME HOW WE LIKE,

in my case, not at all

dandy ♫

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[Jaina Gaben]

Jaina couldn't care less right now about her name. If she could change things, make things move, it didn't matter at all. Her eyes sparkled as she stayed dutifully quiet as he began to explain.

The sparkle left her eyes quickly as he explained his powers kicked in when he was thirty-five. That explained everything. Sure, he was stuck too, but he was at least stuck as an adult who could do things and knew how to make paperwork work and shit. He could have a job that wasn't some under the table bullshit that barely bought a meal at Nacho Bitch for a weeks worth of work.

She blinked away tears and buried her face in her knees to hide it. She had to look tough. Couldn't show weakness. It was all she really had.

"It's fine. I--It was a long shot anyway. Thanks. I'll leave, I won't bother you anymore. Might go find that campus security and scream some bullshit about having a gun, see how long it takes them to deal with me. I'll be fine."

She stood up and started to move to the door, but paused just before it. "I guess we really are the same. Stuck while everyone and everything else just... leaves us behind."

She took a deep breath, willing herself to not cry. She wiped the tears from her eyes and renewed her determination. No weakness.

Maybe today was a die day after all.

@sasha