Welcome to Gaia! ::

Breana stepped out of the cafe only to be greeted by a blast of cold air that pinched her cheeks, turning them a blush-colored hue. The door swung shut behind her with a faint jingle from the bell above it.

Her white hair peeked out from beneath a knit hat as she tucked her scarf closer around her neck. Snow crunched beneath her boots as she walked along the salt-covered sidewalk, a familiar but unwelcome sound.

She didn’t bother hiding her disdain for the season. Snow might be pretty to look at but the heavy white clouds made her long for the sun. Winter was always too cold, too harsh, too… everything. She preferred the warmth of late spring to early fall, the kind that wrapped around her like a hug from an old friend.

In her gloved hands, she cradled a grande gingerbread oatmilk chai tea latte, the heat of the cup seeping into her fingers even through the fabric. The spicy-sweet aroma was a small comfort against the winter air.

Around her, people bustled with the kind of energy only snow could bring. Children laughing dragging sleds, teenagers careening past with snowbards slung over their shoulders, and couples walking arm in arm leaving trails of slush behind them.

She turned to head down the street when a figure caught her eye- a man walking across the street. He was layered in winter clothes but his blond hair and silver eyes were unmistakeable.

Fionan.

Brana froze mid-step. It had been years since she’d last seen him. Out of respect for her sister, she didn’t reach out to him, but with Fiona not here to stop her, why waste an opportunity to say hello?

Her heart gave a small unexpectedly excited lurch but steadied herself. There was no hesitation in her step as she crossed the street with purpose. The steam from her latte swirled in the air as she stopped a few feet from him, letter her voice cut carry above the chatter of people around them.

“Now that’s a face I haven’t seen in a while.” Breana stopped a few feet from Fionan, coffee cup held between two gloved hands as a thin stream of steam rose from the hole in the lid. “With all those layers of clothes, I almost missed you.”

“It has been a long while, hasn’t it?” Breana replied, her tone a bit saddened by how much time had lapsed. She’d long since been so used to him being around that his sudden absence felt like a missing puzzle piece, leaving an unmistakable gap in her daily routine and interactions with her twin.

“Fiona is…” Her voice trailed off, unsure how to put to words how things have changed. “She’s..” Breana drew in a breath while her heart and mind bickered over being honest with him and telling Fionan how withdrawn Fiona had become, or that they have been going through their own ups and downs, or just keeping quiet about it so she didn’t stir up trouble.

“My sister holds onto a lot of regrets and tends to keep to herself.” Breana offered him a weak smile, wishing she could tell him that she was fine, or thriving in some way. But Fiona, at times, just seemed like she was existing rather than living.

“You know, food sounds good. I only got this, to keep my hands warm while I walked around.” She glanced down at the cup she was holding in an attempt to shift the subject to something more upbeat. “Tell me, did you end up finding a job in your chosen field?” Unfortunately, she couldn’t remember what he was studying at Destiny City University but hoped that he found something he enjoyed.

“I’ve been there for her as much as she’ll let me but her reluctance to step into uniform has put us at odds on more than a couple of occasions. Granted I may not have used my best judgment in a few situations.” Breana’s gaze lowered to the steam rising from her cup, ashamed to admit that fault out loud knowing that one such incident nearly resulted in her twin turning into a youma.

“I’m glad things are working out for you career wise though.” She remembered him coming over around exam time, studying for finals with Fiona, up until she decided to take a break and bake cookies or some desert bread before hitting the books again. “Fiona still works at the ice rink, and often stays late after hours to take advantage of the open hour to practice for competitions.” Pausing, she took a sip of her latte, letting the warmth course through her before continuing.

“Last I heard she’d moved up to manager, or CFO I think…” With a dual bachelor's degree in Business and Applied Science with an emphasis in Accounting, she had worked her way out from behind the skate rental and now had her own office space overlooking the arena.

“As for me though, I’m working at a law firm as a paralegal and do some dog walking outside in the spring through fall.” While she loved to be outdoors when the weather warmed up, getting paid to go on a walk was always a bonus incentive.

“Don’t worry, I’ve kept your secret. Admittedly it was hard at times, but I haven’t told Fiona about you being one of us.” On more than one occasion she’d almost let it slip, if only to push her sister a bit in a direction so she wasn’t paralyzed by fear and left standing still.

Scared that her life as a Senshi would put someone she cared about in harm's way. Worried that she’d be hurt by someone if she discovered they were part of the Negaverse instead. Unwilling to keep such a secret from someone she cared about again. All that Breana understood, but It meant that Fiona made no effort to make new connections.

At least, not until recently. However, Breana hadn’t had a chance to meet this new person yet, probably because the last time her twin introduced her to someone, Bre had perhaps complained too much while on his wonder that it made her sister too embarrassed to reach out to him again afterward.

“I think it’s unfortunate that you two didn’t awaken at the same time.” She took a sip of her drink, pulling comfort from the warmth it offered which was being slowly stolen away by the cold air through the little hole in the top of the lid. “I think your abilities complement each other and you two would have worked together to keep each other safe.” She had to believe that had her sister never been forced to hide who she was as Alcor she would have embraced her role with Fionan by her side instead of shying away from the responsibility.