6654/Past Clutter, Today's Freedom

Past Clutter, Today's Freedom
Date of Scene:	25 February 2019
Location:	Unknown
Synopsis:	Summary needed
Cast of Characters:	Green Lantern (Rayner), Green Lantern (Cruz)

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Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     Kyle Rayner is at Jessica's apartment. He's out of the rin, dressed in jeans, a light lbue t-shirt, and heavy gloves used for construction, gardening, etc. Green eyes inspect the place a little bit. "We'll start small," he moves to one of the metal shelving units. "We'll start here." He stands in front of it and the words are slow, nothing rushed. Everything is deliberate.

     "It's going to suck. I know you don't want to get rid of things. You know you need to. You're no longer a victim. You're a kick ass woman. Time to start facing a new enemy," he smiles at her. "And I'll help you. I'll make sure you don't fall," again the words are soft as he keeps speaking. "You've got this," he says knowing that she'll need a lot of talk. A lot of shoulder offerings in case she needs to lean.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz's house is more or less a mix of 'hoarding' and 'doomsday survival' - there are shelves and shelves of shelf-stable produce and at least four freezers. The outer walls are reinforced with one-inch plywood and the windows are covered as well. There are clear paths to all the rooms. And one closet in the middle of the house has a very impressive armory. There are a lot of clothes - only some of which is clean.

Jessica is wearing a slightly-stained gray T-shirt with an Overwatch logo on it and pants. "I know... but... it's so hard to do it..." She sighs as she looks down at her ring. In this situation, her willpower's rather faulty. "It just feels... safe in here. Comfortable. I know where everything is. I could close that door and not have to leave for two years. It's... my Fortress of Solitude." Obviously alluding to the legendary fortress of Superman.

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     Kyle is looking at the shelf. "First we clear this shelf," he nods and the ring is off. "I know, it'll still feel safe, but you'll feell good to face the world, too," he says brining up the first few bits from the botom shelf. A look is given to her, "What do want to do with these?" the plan is to clear the shelves then clear the wlals behind it. One sectionat time. this would be it for today.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz sighs softly. "One thing I like about a Lantern - is that space is big. Really big. It's hard to fathom just how vastly, hugely, mind-bogglingly big it is - even our sector is... well... it's big and there's not that many plantes. Just flying not at my fastest speed - there's a lot of solitude." The only areas of the house that are _not_ complete disasters are the bedroom (well, half of it where the bed is), the office where her computer is (and hte door to the armory), and the master bathroom. "I used to talk with Drake about doing a donation to the food banks of all this stuff... but never got around to it."

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     "Yes, but this should feel like your home. Open like space, willing to face it all without any walls or things meant to keep things away," Kyle says softly and he looks at her. "Basically to have it all without making yourself completely alien," then he is setting aside any food so it could go to a local foodbank, "Once we clear offthe shelf,we can go there tonight, or tomorrow. I would like to start that tradition with you, Jess," Kyle smiles and blushes a little bit.

     "I could tell you what I've done since our last meeting," he says just trying to make talk while showing her items that were not food, nor expired as he is hoping to clearing off that shelf.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods. "That'd be good," she states softly, as she finds some boxes to put the food products in. "I don't need all of this," she murmurs to herself, over and over again. "And..." She sighs softly. "The lighting's kinda dim." It's daylight out - but every window's fully covered. "Open like space, huh?" she whispers softly. "But I'm closed in like a clamshell. Maybe I should start opening the windows."

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     Kyle looks at her, "One step at a time." He's happy to move through the place just gathering up the food. "Yes. Space will be open. Remember, go at the pace you feel you should. If you want to open a window, just say so," he says and gestures to the speace theya re making. "See? It's growing," he knows that's a bad "That's what she said" joke in the making.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods. "I know..." She then slumps. "I feel so ridiculous in this situation. I should be the fearless Green Lantern.... but look at me? I'm flinching every time one of these items gets in the box." She sighs softly. "I'm pathethic."

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     Kyle looks at her, "Every Green Lantern has their story. Not all of them are fun and happy when they start. Trust me," he looks to her. "It doesn't mean the story won't get better. You're not pathetic for going through some hardships," he says just trying to ease Jessica. Kyle does feel bad for her. The horror of the creature-ring-thing that scarred her arm. How there are scars within her just by surviving the experience. Then the trauma she suffered before everything with rings began.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods as she was jut wearing a short-sleeve shirt now - her arm-scars were visible. "Anillo... let's open a window. Just one." She heads to the living room, holding her hand up - and various construct tools pry the plywood away and sets it to the side - a window facing the backyard. Which is unkempt but at least not a mess. She just stares out the window, sighing softly. "Is it just me...?" she murmurs in a dreamy voice. "Or does hte house seem more open now?"

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     "Well, you're literally making room within it. Light coming in can make the place more inviting," Kyle explains trying not to dissuade any progress. However, he is being a realist. This is a significant step. Getting everything like this area, that's going to take time. "You're making a lot of progress. Just enjoy the sunlight in the place. The world can be scary, but it can be beautiful, too. I think a lot of Lanterns forget that about their sectors. There's always a beautiful world, or some pretty part of a planet, somewhere in the sector," he says with a little bit of sadness in his voice. Sometimes the universe is a cruel place by design. A few planets put an exclamation point at the end of that.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz shrugs. "Yeah. I Just feel pathethic that I need help just to clean my house up. Anyway - maybe I can take those shelves down - that corner is hard to navigate at times." She sighs happily as she just looks over her back yard. "I do wonder if my neighbors would even recognize me..." She then murmurs, "Anyway - I was trying to write my next book, and I had a neat idea. Under Volthoom's influence, I had all the characters figthing each other - it tanked. Was trying to think of something to get out of the corner and maybe use some Emotional Spectrum stuff - just say that a strange red light was making them all angry and they had to solve it."

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     "You shouldn't," but Kyle can understand why she does. When people are recovering, and they generally feel weak. Sometimes this comes because they see others acting better. When it's not that, it's the comparing of oneself pre, and post, injury. Eventually, people bounce back faster than before. "Maybe, but if people put two and two together, it could be problematic. Use the ideas, but change the colors. Go beyond Mister Biv." A grin is on his face as he talks about artwork.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods. "Yeah... like if the Red Lanterns ever come to this side of the galaxy..." She shrugs softly. "I don't know..." She sighs softly as she just paces back and forth. "Hmmmmmm...." she murmurs softly. "What else should we do?" she asks, glancing back at the empty shelf.

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     "Other colors do," Kyle says softly and he looks at the woman. "Take down theshelf next," he says softly with an amused smile on his face as he is happy to keep this going. They've gone farther than he expected.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz just sighs softly as she twitches. "Alright... just one shelf," she murmurs as she uses constructs to take it to the ground. "The sad thing? This isn't the first time I did this... with an old friend I cleared some of it out -but... it didn't take."

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     "Well, if it doesn't take I'm going to yell, and make you do two shelves," Kyle grins at her. Then he crosses his arms just leaning to see how the shelf is going. "I thinkw e should free a widnwo or something more from here. Make sure it takes," he admits.Green eyes watch Jessica as he is curdious what she is thinking to that question.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz murmurs, "I mean - I tried clearing the house before with a good friend - he moved on to someone else when I had to leave for months... and... I never took the shelves down..." She slumps as she shakes her head. "Anillo - why are you here?" The ring starts to flash in confusion, not really sure what to say as it makes a 'huh' noise.

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
A nod comes from Kyle," then he goes to her for a moment. He tries to hold her close for a moment. "Do you need to talk about it?" he murmurs softly just holding the woman close to him. Rigth now, eh's unsure where the bad memory starts or finishes, he just knows its' bad.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz just leans against you. "Ever been in a nightmare?" she whispers. "Not just a dream - a living, waking, nightmare? I've been in two. One of my own making - and one that I never imagined possible. How did you get through your trials?"

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     Kyle sighs, "An old girlfriend. I wanted to marry her. She was killed my first day with the ring...It wasn't pretty," Kyle says just telling her of a ngithmare he had endured. "It's hard to fight past. Sometimes you need to dig deep, very deep within. Realize the things around you that are good, and cling to them, maybe a little harder than you should," he admits. Kyle clung to his station in life as a lantern. Honestly, that helped him out a lot, Jess would need to do similar to get past her own nightmare. "Cling to the good stuff, regardless of what it is."

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods. "The mob. It's all the mob's fault. That's why this all happened." She sighs. "I was going hunting in the woods with some friends... and saw two people burying a body. We got the hell out of there..." She then raises her hand up, and creates constructs of three faces. "My friends... didn't make it. They were gunned down. That's when I locked myself in here. Six years ago. Until Volthoom came - I never left this place again. Terrified that they'd find me."

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     "Are you that same person. If you were there today, would the same thing happen," Kyle asks. Green eyes look at her intently. Those eyes are soft, as he is watching her. He wants to see every part of her face. That's a hard question to wrestle, and he knows it. He knows it all too well. How many times did he ask himself that question? Tons.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz shakes her head. "But that fear drew Volthoom to me - who made things worse." She shakes her head. "I think I'm better now - but I sometimes have anxiety attacks from flashbacks and the like. I haven't got a decent night of sleep in a month." She sighs. "I'm a wreck." Perhaps she doesn't see the positive - that she stood up to Kilowog. Punched Guy in the face. Helped in planetary defense. Saved a civilization of little rock critters. But right now - she's just pitying herself.

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     A nod comes from Kyle, "You need to remember, who you are, and who you were are two different people. You have strenght now you didn't have before. Ring or not, you're stronger than you were. That makes you different. Think improved," Kyle says honestly. All the things she has faced up to this point has changed her. That amount of time will change anyone for better or worse. Jessica doesn't see it, but she did change for the better.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz nods slowly. "Maybe... but I was a different person before this happened. Part of me wants to take this ring - and go after the mob. Eradicate them." Her ring ahems. "Yes, Anillo. I know. I know. A girl can dream..." She glances at Kyle. "I... can we talk about something else?"

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     A nod comes from him, and he does gibs slap her upside the head. "Kilowag would do that. Don't go after the mob like that. You might attract the other colors," Kyle smirks softly. "I could always make a Titanic movie joke involving drawing," Kyle smiles at Jess hopefully lightening up the room. "How about we go for a movie after this? Way to tackle the world, but stay hidden. Best of both worlds?" he offers with a small shrug. Green eyes looking to her hoping that helps a lot.

Green Lantern (Cruz) has posed:
Jessica Cruz jumps, then giggles softly. She then starts to smile faintly. "Maybe we can go to the diner and get pancakes?" she asks as she smiles happily. "There's a 24-hour one a few blocks away - at least there used to be."

Green Lantern (Rayner) has posed:
     "Well, what are we doing here? Free the window and we'll get going," Kyle smiles big as he is moving. Whilsting a little, he uses the phone to look up times. A sparkle is in his eye as he watches her. Today is going to be a good day.