Journal of a Rose

The Flyer

[Several pages of a month's worth of activities flip by, from finding odd jobs to learning the ropes of big city life... again. Another date, another star, the side note for this entry reads: Clothes shopping? - set aside moolah for the Gummi bus fare - make copies of resumé stat!!! In the opposite corner, a minimalistic rose has been doodled in the same gold pen as the star. It seems to be the least messy detail out of everything else on the page.]

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Found a weird flyer on my way to MoogDonald's this morning. Accidentally tore the top a little, but what can ya do when it's thin paper? It's some sort of invitation to join a very... floral mercenary group. The Army of the Roses... I heard about them in passing comments on my way to work, but thought they were some sort of dumb boyband or pompous sports team. I also heard mercenaries weren't legally sanctioned here, so what's the deal? Is it something I should be worried about?

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Regardless, I had to quit my job because someone accidentally burned the whole place to the ground... And by accidentally I mean that I got the shit scared out of me by a huge roach, and I ended up setting fire to everything around me... again. So, I'm on the run from the law once more. It's a constant cycle at this point. Sorry, capitalism, but you need to build more fireproof establishments. Not everyone has complete control over their roach-induced panic burning.

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Luckily, my apartment is inconspicuous, and it's buying me enough time to pack and leave again. Damn, I really liked this one... It had more room than the crate corner I set up in the Firestorm's cargo hold, yet here I am packing up because I had to go and screw this one up, now didn't I? No surprise there...

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[A small ink stain slightly merges with the start of the next sentence.] Joining a merc group won't be so bad, right? Iris and Irene have been insistant that I use my skills where they're needed, so why not? Maybe this "Rose Army" is in need of a fresh, new perspective. Though I doubt I'll bring anything new to the table. If they're so official and all that, I'm sure I'll just look like a circus clown compared to them. Maybe even with a low pay grade just starting out, which sounds awful. I guess it's either that or face jail time... I'll take my chances. Who knows? Maybe it'll be good for me, help me turn things around in my favor. Or they'll immediately fire me for the baggage that comes with... Wouldn't it be funny if they knew how to fix it all? How to give me a second chance to live without what I have to carry? I doubt it, but the thought gives me some hope. Some Guardian I turned out to be, hitting all these dead ends...

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Speaking of, I need to drop by a library one of these days. I wonder if this place has any books or travel logs on missing worlds... I have no hope for what I may find, but it's worth a shot anyway. I mean, it's about time I did something with all that guilt-ridden motivation. Russ would say the same.

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I wonder how he's doing? I should call him soon. For some reason I keep forgetting to do that, so I'll make a note for later. Hope he isn't too mad at me for postponing that!

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I should pack and leave before it gets too late. I wonder how long the trip is?