Roommate AU

Monty holds out her hand and Aubrey drops the key into her palm. It was one of those new fangled key fobs. "Don't worry, I'll take care of ya."

A whistle behind her. "Yea I bet ya will, Boss.”

A statement like that might normally please her ego - but not at work. Monty twists her head around and glares at Puckett, and he has the decency to blush, the color obvious on his dull green scales. She stares at him until he mutters an apology and lumbers back to the garage.

Monty thinks she hears Aubrey chuckle. "Sorry about these guys. I've been tryin' to work on their manners. Do you wanna borrow my car so you can get back to - I dunno, headquarters?"

Aubrey opens her mouth, then pauses, checks her phone. Checks her watch, then her phone again. "Maybe," she says on a sigh, biting her lip. "Eventually. I'm doing as he asked, he can deal without me for a while."

"Y'know," Monty wrinkles her snout, "I didn't think you were this kind of assistant."

"I'm not," she deadpans. "She quit some time ago. I haven't a clue if they plan on replacing her, lucky me."

"Tell you what, take my car back and I'll drive the fancy car over tonight. But since he can spare you, you wanna get some lunch?"

Aubrey seems to think that over, but there wasn't much to think about, so she nods soon enough. "Alright. Thank you, Cowboy."

Her heels click against the linoleum floor as she follows Monty out, to another annoying choir of whistles and heckles, this time directed at Monty for not sharing that she had a "girlfriend." Aubrey, in a good natured way that Monty doesn't usually see of her, takes the heckling in stride and even winks at Rigby on the way out. The little kobold turns red from head to toe.

Once outside the shop, Aubrey gives Monty an aside glance. "Are you quite sure your aunt didn't throw herself down some stairs to get away from them?"

"She assures me she did not."

Soulmate AU

The day after she realized her book was nowhere to be found in Montgomery's room - more specifically, the day they were picking up Captain Wayfinder's away team from Runswick - Harper notices a faded white scar on her arm.

Brow furrowed at what the hell could cause that - a spell? A knife? - she feels a familiar urge to write. Perhaps it was Harper's general good mood, or maybe it was more her frazzled nerves from listening to Demetrius and Brunhilde argue over a tomato for two and a half days.

So she does. Be careful next time, yes? she writes, then draws an arrow on her shoulder.

Her skin tingles as she receives an answer. No worries gal, just a bounty that wouldn't go down.

She drums her fingers on her skin, a small smile on her lips. It was like old times, and apparently Harper was sentimental. She had been feeling the urge to reach out to her soulmate more lately - again, something she blames on Harper. But she isn't ready - Harper's and Aubrey's differences aside, she hasn't changed her opinion on being Marked.

She finishes getting dressed and goes to check stock.

"Fool's Gold 2"

You watch her settle against the ship's railing, familiar even on this ship that wasn't yours. You take your place next to her, hyper aware of your petulant body language. You take a swig from your flask, offering it to her after cleaning the spout with a gold glow.

She raises a brow at the metal container, eyeing it wearily, and you manage a grin. "It's just water."

Looking more at ease, she shakes her head anyway, and you let it hang limply in your hand as you fold them on the banister.

"Something is bothering you."

You glance at her; Aubrey has mimicked your casual position but her eyes are as intense as they always are as she simply watches you. "It's been months since we started this, Aubrey. Shouldn't I have more than the basics by now? It shouldn't be this hard, should it?"

You were certainly better than where you were when you started. But compared to her, who had picked up firearm training so well that you had very nearly finished her gun by now, you feel indignant at your slow progress.

Aubrey hums. "You don't need to be so hard on yourself. As you've said many times, your heart is not fully in it yet, right? Your magic is improving and there are plenty of regular distractions."

She was right about that - it was hard to truly focus on leisure time when the two of you were still expected to handle your regular duties, now, you suspect, under the watchful eyes of the Tains. Nevermind the fact that, with your ship still seized, you and your team were attending to various matters, both personal and necessary. You yourself had taken up bounty hunting again to keep your coin stock healthy enough, and there were days you didn't see Harper at all.

"Besides," she continues, gesturing for you to hand her your flask, and you do. "Muscle memory is one of the first things you need to train. You are not there yet, but I'm confident that you will.

She tucks your flask away. "You are too stubborn for the case to be anything else."

You grin at her backhanded compliment and the way she just stole what she probably assumed was indeed alcohol from you, something Harper would do for Demetrius.