What Lies Ahead... [Jack Rannells]

"Yeah! Oki's a real good friend of mine. We met around new years and really hit it off. She's pretty cool... If a little weird heh." Jack would smile as he remembered the time in the Hot tub... and how awkward it got. heh... Gooooooood times... before all this Persona nonsense. Back when all Jack had to worry about was getting stabbed and shot while fighting crime... huh... perhaps it wasn't so easy back then after all.

"Them" Jack would say flatly "Quinn prefers "Th" Pronouns. Adamantly I might add... Though I can understand the confusion... They are really cute..." Jack let that sit out for a moment not realizing what he had just said.... yep... taken a sip... Check the time... Huh... MmmmHmm...

Wait shit..."I-I mean! uh D-Did I say Cute!? I meant uh! C-Cut! They're a really a CUT above the rest! AHA! Y-Yeah! S-SO! How are things with that Julian guy going!? AHAHA! Eh... erm... yeah..." Jack's face felt like it was on fire... God why can't he just shove this down like he did in the first grade with Susy Finkster... That terrible monster of a girl.... he still has the nightmares.

"Huh... What a coincidence... I met Oki not too long ago either... It's funny how things happen." Mae chuckled. Why did she meet everyone Jack knew? Life was certainly strange...

"Them? Ah... Quinn is non-binary? Huh. Interesting... I knew that something was a little different about them... I just couldn't place my finger on what exactly... That explains a lot." Not that it really mattered to Mae that much honestly. Quinn was still a friend regardless. Knowing this wouldn't really change Mae's opinion about them. After hearing Jack said cute, Mae awaited the reaction she knew was about to come... And sure enough, after a couple of seconds, Jack realized what he had just said. "So, you like Quinn eh? I say, go for it. Tell them how you feel... It's a start." Mae said encouragingly. "Remember that I'm supposed to be helping you with this kind of stuff."


"Well... The first date went well. I don't think it's gonna go anywhere though... It was a rash decision on my end... But he's still a good friend. Besides... there's someone else..." And Mae would just leave it at that for now, despite how much Jack begged and pleaded, her lips would remain sealed on the matter... She did not feel ready to divulge that information yet.

Sigh... he was sure cornered now wasn't he?.... Eh... Might as well drop the pretenses for now. After all there was no way that this conversation would leave this table. He knew he could trust Mae after all. "Ugh... ya got me... yeah I might have a bit of a little minor kinda sorta small not really there but eh amount of feelings for Quinn. They're just fun to hang out with and just... Stuff ya know! It's all just Stuff and things and yeah! God I am not good at this at all!" Jack buried his head in his hands to hide his slowly reddening face."It's just really complicated ya know? I don't want it to be complicated..."

Jack would look at Mae for a moment"Oh... Hey sorry to hear that. If it makes you feel any better I've been on plenty of dates gone south." Jack obviously didn't quite understand the situation.... "But if you say there's already someone else then it really wasn't meant to be. Glad yer haven so much luck though... Mind throwen some of that my way heh,"

"Well, I'm not here to judge. I'm here to help you. If they are fun to hang around with, why not go for it? It's at least something, right?" Mae gave Jack a friendly smile. "Things like these are almost never simple. Are you unsure of your feelings? If so, that's understandable... Quinn doesn't know yet, I take it?" Mae asked. Just to be safe. Although, when it came to Jack, you needed to be really dense to not notice if he was getting flustered or nervous. "Just do what you think is right. If a relationship with Quinn is worth pursuing, then I will support you every step of the way. You have my word, Jack. We're friends after all, and that's what friends do, right? Support eachother."

"The date itself went fine, don't worry about that. It's just... I'm not sure if I'm his type at all, for starters, and secondly, it was Julian who saved my life from my shadow self... I owe him my life, and I'm not sure the best way to go about things would be to get intimate with him, you know? He might just see it as a sort of way to make up for the fact that he saved my life..." Yeah, she had given it some thought since Charles had told her his feelings for her, and Mae had struggled finding a solution to the predicament. Who would she want? In the end, Charles was her choice. At least Julian and Mae could still be friends... The pinkette crossed her fingers hoping he would not take this the wrong way...

"Hehe... I don't think it's much about luck, but maybe? I don't know to be honest." Mae shrugged. She still didn't know why Charles had fallen for her like he had. "Love is a tricky thing... It shows up in the most unexpected ways..." Geez, she started to sound like an old experienced woman, which she was far from being. Although, it wasn't everyday an android fell in love with you. So she's got that going for her.

"Sigh... I don't know Mae... I mean the Red ranger is only allowed one tyepe of relationship if he has one at all, and that's with another Ranger. More often then not Pink... And no offence... But no. Ahaha!" Jack would laugh and gently punch Mae in the shoulder before returning to his slowly chilling cup of Tea. "But beyond that I mean. I just not sure yet... or anything really... and no... They don't know. I am a master of hiding my emotions... Although I have tossed around the idea that they can Read Minds... So there is that."

Jack would take another sip and choke back the tears and bile rising in the back of his thought before he would speak again."You guys just didn't click. It's understandable. But it dose seem like this new guy has you quite smitten! Tell me AAAAALL about him! Who knows. I might be able to give you a bit of advice. I may not understand the female mind... But I got the Guy brain down pat!"

"H-Hey! What's so wrong with me?" Mae crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "I demand an answer. Baka..." She needed to know. He brought this on himself. Now he would have to "suffer" the consequences. "I dunno about that. You can be pretty transparent. I'm sure Quinn has at least a hunch. They are sharp, after all." Mae chuckled at Jack's comment about mind-reading. "Well, if they want to know, they will find a way. Trust me." And whether that way would be pleasant or not for Jack... Mae had no clue, but she hoped it would be the former.

Oh geez... She knew this topic would come up eventually... Well, she didn't want to say any names... so a short description was all she could bring herself to give the Red Ranger... "W-well..."


There! Hopefully that was vague enough so he couldn't guess who it was...

"Huh? It's cus we're bros! Ya can't date yer bro. It breaks the bro code of conduct... Or as I like to call it. Bronduct." Jack said simply as he sipped the last of his Tea and set the slightly melted tea cup aside. Turns out Zyugreen tea, or at least his imitation, was highly acidic and toxic to all forms of life except Jack... Though he would never know this and would just assume that the people he shared it with died of completely unrelated causes... But that is unrelated to the matter at hand... back to the story.

"I doubt they know. If they did they would have tryed something by now... and ya know... You're description sounds a lot like a robot I know... Except the sweet part. Never have I met a more blunt man... bot... thing... Oh yeah Robots are real... Shoulda... Shoulda probably said that part first... ehe..."

"Well, if you say so..." Well, at least that made her feel a bit better. At least there wasn't anything wrong with her, which she was very glad for. "Bro Code? What's that?" Mae raised an eyebrow. Was there some unwritten rules men had to follow? Or was this just something Jack had made up? Both scenarios were equally likely. Hence why the girl asked, moreso out of curiosity than anything else.

"I dunno about that, Jack. Quinn may very well know. You slept together with them in THEIR bed without any complaints from Quinn. I pretty sure they are aware." Mae chuckled cheerfully at first, then her laugh slowly (and awkwardly) died out when she heard what Jack had said. // He knows Charles?! Oh.... This is bad... I gotta get out of here before he gets anything out of me! // Mae stood up. "Oh sorry, look at the time. I... Uh... gotta go, soooo... See ya!" And before Jack could ask or say anything else, Mae had left the café. Phew... That was too close for comfort.

[Exit]

"The Bro code is the code by which all true friends must conduct themselves by! And you no knowing the bro code worries me Mae. Next time we see each other remind me to lone you my copy. It's important that you know what is expected of a bro at all times." Jack was dead serious when it came to bros. He took the bro code to heart almost as much as the Ranger Code of Ethics written by none other then Jack himself. Yet to be published though... no publisher would take it... he often wondered why.

"Sh-shut it! I-It's only because they only have one bed!... I would sleep on my own if I could but I- eh... Oh you're leaven? Well see ya later then! Next time tell me your boyfriends name! I might know em..." Jack would smile as he leaned back in his chair... ya know... another ZyuGreen wouldn't hurt.

(exit)

Following stat increases by 4:

Jack:

Mae:

6. Lk