3.06 – Oceana

The next day at school passed surprisingly slowly.  It was a real slog, even though she had more fun conversations with Sarah, Maria and Derrick.  Leona was distracted and antsy about how her first formal interview would go.  Sarah and Leona kissed a few times, though these couldn’t distract her too much.  She flew home, feeling as though she’d been released from a prison.

The rest of the day she whiled away playing Final Star Online 2.  She spent time doing the long but funny Mobot questline.  She laughed and grinned, her head hanging over onto her shoulders a few times only to be followed by more giggles.  Finally, the mental alarm she set on her communicator went off.  She scowled.  It had gone off during a cutscene, and she had a feeling there was a fight coming up sometime soon. If only she’d had more time, but she couldn’t be late because this was what she was looking forward to all day.

She daydreamed about how she’d gallantly fly in, scoop the reporter up and take her for a magical flight, in the process gaining a steadfast ally.  Then she had bad ones where she swept in and a crowd of reporters lay in wait for her to barrage her with questions like, “What were you thinking about when you used that stupid jackhammer?” and “Isn’t it true that Vanguard was passing the credit to you for taking down the last rare giant monster?”  and “Leona! That guy you dropped from ten-thousand feet high up gave us a great story. Can you fill in the blanks for us so we can figure out this overrated and mysterious new hero?” and “How does it feel to be fighting crime when you’re just fifteen? This has to come to an end.”  and “Mistral refuses to comment on your relationship, but it’s all but known a thing.  What was it like to be a real superhero’s booty call?”  and “Her career is over.”, “Over.”, “Why am I even here?”.

Those dreams particularly had Leona zoning out.  The kisses had helped her through this.

When she arrived at Oceana Ballroom, the moon was up and it was a three-quarter phase.  It was plenty bright enough to find her way there.  She’d taken a break between questlines to contact Oceana as Aurora and negotiated with them to see what they could do to help her first interview go smoothly.

“I’m honored to have you at the Oceana tonight.  We’ll have a special table ready for you.  It’s on us, however if you don’t mind, we’d appreciate it if you agree to a photo op for our website to help advertise the ballroom.  With your phenomenal reputation as the best hero the duo city bay area has had, whatever you eat or drink will more than pay for your celebrity presence.”

Aurora agreed without any hesitation.  Thus, when she arrived at the location, she saw the terrace which was ringed by a small water-garden filled with night-blooming water lilies and excellent lighting first. It was the most distinctive decoration in Oceana, and it certainly did honor to its name.  The first thing she thought of was bringing Mistral or Sarah here when her eyes locked on the lovely balcony. This was why Goonie loved it so much.

She spotted the lovely Valerie waiting at a table off on its own in the midst of the most lovely decor.  She was sipping wine idly with her head resting in her palm.   Her hair was in an updo with an asian hair spear through it, if that was what it was called.  Maybe it was like a pretty chopstick, but Leona wasn’t sure, though it was pretty rather than silly.  She wore a black cocktail dress. It slung over one shoulder baring the other like a toga, clinging tightly about her bosom.  The dress skirt flowed around her chair and something like an obi was tied about her waist in a lighter shimmering fabric with a subtle texture of its own tied in a bow which rested on her hip.

Finally she looked up and spotted Leona who’d transformed her costume into a dress ahead of time.  It was a shimmery and silvery white. She’d created frills along the neckline, leaving her arms and upper back bare so her wings would be usable.  Her skirt had three rows of ruffles  and it was poofy.  She created herself strappy shoes with ribbons on them.  She’d had to adjust her pocket to rest up on a shoulder beneath the ‘fabric’ since the neck plunged to bare some of her cleavage.  She’d studied her face to generate just the right makeup for the night and Goonie had helped with it.

Others had spotted her and the piano music that was floating up on the breezes changed.  It was something still elegant, but it suited the entrance of a hero.  She hadn’t arranged any such thing, so she blushed as she started to ascend to the balcony.

“Aurora!” Valerie said with a grin.  The table was roped off, so people rose from their tables and watched. Some applauded her while Val continued to speak loudly, “I was hoping I didn’t get the time wrong. I probably came too early.  Thanks for agreeing to an interview, although I have to say I didn’t expect something this … well … showy. You didn’t seem the type.”

Aurora landed before Valerie and smiled, embarrassed by the setup.  She wasn’t sure what to say in response, more than flustered.

A waiter came through an opening quickly, holding a tablet.  “Welcome to Oceana.  Madame, may I get you a drink?”  he asked with a slight bow.  Oh… so posh.  Leona felt like she was in it too deep already.

“I’ll have water to wash down the wine.” Valerie grinned. “Just a little goes a long way with me.”

Aurora laughed, finally speaking. “Ah, I’m sorry if this is overwhelming.” Oh, it was.  So very overwhelming. She kept her cool. “It was a friend’s idea, actually.  This ballroom sounded very interesting.  It’s not quite as private as I might have liked, but it does make for a fine show.” Leona grinned, looking at the waiter as she folded her wings behind her snugly.  Now this was where Goonie’s advice came in.  She was shocked that she’d insisted on this, but she said it would make a good impression. She could have had water, but it wouldn’t have reflected well on her, or so she said.  Goonie said, don’t drink too much. If you come home drunk for the first time, I’ll call Quinn on you, she joked.

She hesitated but spoke, “Please bring us each a single glass of champagne.  After that, the lady reporter here can have all the water she would like.”  Mom was really being permissive in the interest of her success. It would make her look more adult and counter the popular impression people had of her.  Showing this kind of a side to her would do nothing bad for her image.  That was, unless she got drunk.  She had little experience with it, and wasn’t sure how quickly she might get drunk, so she’d sip lightly as Goonie told her to do so over time she could see how she handled it.  An immature side of her was kind of excited for this.

“My treat, of course.” Aurora smiled.

“All right?” Valerie chuckled. “I usually have to pay for my own parking!”

Oh, jeez.  Her parking too? She didn’t have much money on her, but what she was given by Goonie just in case would probably cover that.  She could maintain her image and it would add to her mystique.

The waiter nodded and bowed deeply this time, heading inside.  The velvet rope cordoning the table off from the rest was lovely.  People continued to watch even though they returned to their tables.

Valerie spoke and smiled. “You seem a little tense, Aurora.  So, do you need to relax first, enjoy your drink, or should we get right to the questions?” She winked, stepping around the table and taking her seat.  She lifted her tablet from the table.  A clutch purse hung over the back of her chair.  It was pretty fashionable too.

Aurora smiled. “Alright… feel free to ask right away, if you’d like.  All appearances aside, I’m focused on business.” She laughed softly.  “When the Midnight Avenger says to you, think about doing an interview, you don’t ignore the advice.  Any of his advice.” She grinned as she clasped her hands in her lap and waited.

Valerie nodded, laughing. “Well … here we go.  I guess the first question I have is, where did you come from exactly?  What are you doing here? What are your intentions?”  The first question was a barrage, actually.

She thought about the questions, and answered.  These were mostly things she’d already told her, but she repeated what she said before, more or less. “I’m half-human and half of an alien race who strongly resemble the classic angels.  Very possibly they were the source of the stories and myths circulating about them.  I don’t want to go too much in depth about where I’m from, but what I’m doing here is pretty much what you’ve seen.” She smiled and moved on.

“I’m doing my best to be the best hero this area has seen in a long time.  It’s an interesting job, honestly a dream come true even if you see some things you didn’t imagine could really exist.   Seaside City doesn’t need a hero as much as San Isidro does, which is as you know is where I patrol most.  I fly very fast, and I’ve never clocked it.  Up in Society of Sentinels they didn’t calculate it.  I’m fairly sure I can break the sound barrier when I push.  It doesn’t take long at all for me to go back and forth across the bay area.  The whole four hundred mile radius is my neighborhood, pretty much.”

Aurora moved on to fielding the final question she’d posed, “My intentions are pretty much as you’ve seen or surmised. My role models are Mistral, Vanguard, Midnight Avenger …” she hesitated to add this one, “Bombshell. But, I pattern my ethics and stance on superheroing mostly on Vanguard.  To me, he sets the bar for everyone else, and to be able to attain even a fraction of his reputation for honesty and justice even though many find him to be overrated, well, honestly, I’d be glad if I managed to emulate his career.”

“Well, you’ve certainly achieved that, despite our new metahumans liaison officer’s comments in her interview earlier with my colleagues. An informal poll run by the Chronicle shows you with an 80% approval rating, approximately.  So do you have another identity, or are you like … this … all the time?”

Aurora grinned, pleased at what Val had just said to her, “I can’t blame you for asking that question.  And I regretfully decline to answer it directly.  I will say this; I do have a life beyond being a superhero, but that’s all that anyone needs to know about it.  What you see is pretty much what you get.  I might be more daring when I’m doing the superhero thing, but not by very much.”

“Oh, I see.  You’re a risk taker, then,” Valerie replied.

The waiter returned with a little ice bucket on wheels.  When he came to a stop he opened it, revealing a bottle of champagne.  Aurora wondered what it would taste like.  “Compliments of the house,” he said grandly, producing a cork extractor. He proceeded to open the bottle for them and poured them each a half-glass.  “If there’s anything else, please don’t hesitate to let us know,” he said, bowing again as she backed up and away.

Valerie looked across at Aurora and grinned. “I’m impressed. I guess a lot of us think highly of you, by which I mean people here in Seaside. Do you like our side of the pond?”

Aurora blushed redly at her compliment and smiled thankfully after the waiter.  She wondered if her superhero form would buffer her against the effects of alcohol.

“Aha…” She laughed, embarrassed.  “I’m not used to the attention, honestly. I haven’t really asked anyone for anything.  I mean taking advantage of people’s generosity doesn’t sit well with me.  I’m going to be giving the Ballroom a photo op in exchange for hosting us.”

Aurora cleared her throat and eyed the campaign glass.  Should she raise her glass and toast at this point? Would that be too formal?

“Yes,” Aurora spoke softly. “I do like Seaside. It’s very clean, very nice, and it’s doing very well.  I like to fly through it once in a while.  Though, I also enjoy the charm of San Isidro at night.  It’s less bright to say the least.  It’s quite an experience, gliding through the buildings and seeing the night life in both.”

Aurora took a risk a moment later and lifted her glass, signaling a toast.  At her prompting, Valerie finally did as well, raising her glass. They clinked and she grinned before taking a sip. Aurora swished the champagne in her mouth for a time and her nose wrinkled.  This was really bitter but bubbly.  She looked out at the bay towards San Isidro, glowing in the distance.  A cooling breeze played through the balcony.  “Wow, this is good stuff,” Valerie commented.  Aurora wouldn’t have known, but that told her they weren’t sparing any expense.

She took another sip, and the second was a bit more pleasant.  So far so good.  Valerie chewed her lip and spoke, “Off the record … this is just an interview, isn’t it?”

Aurora blinked and smiled. “Appearances, aside … that is the intention.” She smiled wryly.  “Honestly, this is a wonderful experience. It’s kind of magical.  I hope people don’t get the wrong idea in general about this situation.  When faced with the choice of doing something like this instead of meeting you in a hole in the wall coffee shop, I thought about which would be the more interesting experience.” Even though Goonie had practically forced her.  She leaned her head back and closed her eyes, feeling the breezes rustling and shifting her dress’ skirt and ruffles.  “Honestly, this balcony suits me the most.  It’s open, the wind caresses my body.  Only if the sun was up would this be a more pleasant experience.  But the night breezes across the bay are sweet and refreshing.” She opened her eyes and took another sip.

“Besides giving you this interview, it’d be worthwhile to make a friend in the media, and you don’t make friends with salad.” She grinned.  Goonie would kill her for saying that.  “Oh, bad example.” She laughed.

Valerie laughed. “My boyfriend is lucky I don’t have an interest in the other team,” she said, “because aside from having questions to ask, this is the best date I’ve ever had.”

She had a boyfriend and she was calling this a date?  Sweat drops.  Val spoke up again, “Well, you’ve certainly gone a long way in making a friend here, and I think if you don’t mind my contacting you when weird things happen, I can certainly see my way to making sure the good you do is reported.” She smiled warmly.

After another sip of champagne, she lifted her tablet again and woke it. “Okay, now for some simple information.  Favorite color, food, time of the day.  Are you seeing anyone?”

Oh jeez… was she trying to confirm if she had any super relationships with anyone?  “Easy questions and a hard question you threw in there too.” Aurora chuckled.  “For my favorite color, blue.  The color speaks to me emotionally.  Where food is concerned, I know this doesn’t sound very angelic.  Steak.  I love it most when cooked medium.” She didn’t elaborate to give too many clues.  She didn’t get to eat it very often.

“For the time of the day, I never really thought about it. Noon probably. The sun is at its highest point at that point.  But then I also love sunsets and sunrises.  They’re beautiful.  Honestly, I don’t have a preference exactly.  And for the hardest question so far, am I seeing anyone? I don’t really want to disclose personal information for the sake of privacy.  But I will say this, I am seeing one person, and I love her very dearly.” She blushed, thinking of Mistral.  Sarah came to mind too, although when it came to love, it was difficult to say which was nicer. She leaned more towards her all-time heroine. Who wouldn’t?

“Well, she’s probably a lucky girl,” Valerie said, grinning. “I won’t put that part in, though.  Just that you’re seeing someone.  So what do you consider the toughest part about being a hero?”

Leona sighed and smiled. “The choices you have to make,” she said simply, “when you’re a superhero you have to make decisions constantly.  I don’t want to make a mistake, so I do the best I can to make those decisions with the ideals of the Sentinels in mind.  With the ideals of Vanguard.” She tilted her head, thoughtfully. “I know that eventually I’ll have to make even harder decisions, and mistakes will happen.”  She paused for a moment and concluded it.  “I just want to make sure that when that happens, I’ll have the knowledge, wisdom, and experience to make those choices the right way.”

Val nodded and moved on. “So how did you choose the name Aurora? Did you choose it? Is it a given name?  It could be either.  Does it have any meaning other than the obvious?”

“In a way. It’s the name I chose for myself.” Aurora waved her hand in the air, showing her a miniature version of the aurora borealis for a few minutes.

“It’s like this.  It’s more than a superhero name or a mask.  Aurora is me, Aurora is who I am. What I feel.”

“Do you have any rivals or enemies?” Val asked, pursing her lips.

“None that I’m aware of. Not yet.” Aurora smiled. “Even when I went to train with the Sentinels and met more people with powers and abilities, rivalry wasn’t really a part of it.  A good bit of the focus was on teamwork actually.” Aurora made a cute face.  “Can you imagine someone hating me?” she asked with a grin.

“... really lucky …” Val muttered almost too low to be audible.

She coughed. “Well, you certainly seem very charming and cute,” she said, making Aurora flush redly.  Steam practically rose from her neck.  “Are you planning to join the Sentinels full-time at this point, or can we expect to see you for a while?”

Aurora wondered if she really was batting for the team as she put it.  She was really cute too and would make for an even cuter lesbian.  But she loved Mistral far too much to hurt her.  Leona was one thing, but Aurora quite another thing.  She sipped more of the champaigne.

She answered the question. “It’s not really my decision.  I can plan all I want, but that doesn’t mean that I’m owed that degree of respect from my peers, and I’m new.  I’m not sure how to put it exactly.  But it’s entirely up to them.  If they respect my work and me, I would be an asset for them, but it isn’t my choice and I would never resent it if I never rose higher than Basic Membership.  I understand that even Associates still protect their cities and the Full Members too, they just prioritize the Sentinel’s business more, which is understandable.  When you’re a full Sentinel, your neighborhood grows to become the whole world and beyond, perhaps.” Aurora smiled.

“I would be very honored if they called me up.”

Valerie took another sip, writing on her tablet as she finished her glass. “Well, I just have a few more questions for you, do you have any for me before we continue?” She smiled with a slight blush showing on her face.

Aurora’s first interview was going far better than she expected, and an unexpected friendship seemed to be in the offing.