Lia strolled through the bustling streets of her settlement. The world seemed serene now, though scars remained. Rubble littered the outskirts, stones bleached by energy blasts, craters marking where battles once raged. Now, those craters serve as communal ponds and the rubble now serves as foundations for new, modest homes. Money no longer made the world move. Value was instead found in the hands and heads of all people. On her brief journey, Lia stopped at a small fruit stall and traded a hand copied pamphlet on the historical development of soil enrichment in agriculture for a punnet of strawberries. "A fair trade." Lia said with a smile.
Her destination loomed ahead: a shabby building with a hand-painted sign. AISHA'S TAVERN AND PHARMACY. Lia smirked. "That's so Aisha. Hiding the medicine behind the moonshine."
Inside, the contrast was striking. The barren exterior gave way to a living sanctuary. Ferns draped from the rafters and the air smelled like damp earth and scotch. Herbs lined the oak counter, their leaves moving ever so slightly as if they had their own heartbeat - or perhaps shared one with somebody else. Baskets of fruit filled the shelves, and bottles of liquor and tinctures gleamed in the light.
Scanning the room, Lia spotted her old friends at a round wooden table. Even though they were all just sitting there passively, you could tell that they were... Different.
Levi sat hunched in his hoodie, eyes darting rapidly as if tracking invisible currents of data only he could see. Lia could see a Holo-communicator flashing in a sequence similar to morse code at an empty table near him.
Kez crouched on the floor, petting a grey wolf while a crow perched on his shoulder. Lia could swear that the crow's gaze mirrored that of it's owner when her eyes met their's. His ranger's attire blended in seamlessly with his companions.
Aisha, radiant in green, moved gracefully between patrons, refilling glasses with her usual warmth. Wilting flowers in table vases instantly perked up, blooming in her wake.
And then there was Jax. Scruffy grey hair, a long beard, trench coat frayed at the edges, gloves with cut-off fingers. Dust clung to him like a second skin. The floorboards beneath his heavy boots seemed to groan and settle, as if the very foundation of the building was bowing to the sheer force of his mass.
Lia sighed, adjusted her glasses and approached.
Aisha greeted her first. "Lia, darling! It's so good to see you. You haven't aged a bit - must be all that 'academic peace' you're enjoying!"
Kez and Levi nodded in unison. Though Levi didn't look away from the digital rabbit hole he was currently lost inside.
Jax slammed his mug onto the table, the liquid inside surging toward the ceiling like a geyser, turned with a grin that didn't reach his eyes, and barked, "Well, look who it is — our fearless leader, Oracle!"