Author's Note: This came from a PPMB thread that I can't find anymore, from sometime in fall of 2011. Occupy was at the forefront of my mind, and I imagine that would've been true for a nearly 30-year-old Jane, too. Please enjoy:
Octopus
Jane never knew it, but Melody Powers never really came into her own as a character until she and Daria got their first place together in JP, and Daria had the chance to watch Jane attack her craft. Nine years, two neighborhoods and three apartments later, and the sheer single-mindedness with which Jane focused on a canvas, or in this case, a collage, was still inspiring. So it really ought not to have been a surprise to anyone, let alone Jane, that Daria was standing in the doorway of Jane's room, watching her work.
"Poor Columbia. Is the war propaganda poster business so dried up that's she's reduced to tentacle hentai to earn a buck?"
Jane nearly dropped her glue gun as she jumped three inches off of her chair. "Jesus, Morgendorffer. Warn a girl if you're going to sneak up on her like that. And don't you have to get packed? I thought the Bs were on the road this weekend."
"I packed last night. Taxi's not going to be here for 45 minutes. Remind me why I do this again?"
"Because Arianna wasn't paying you to write for her, and the Phoenix does. Now suck it up and get packed. Where are you off to, anyway?"
"Detroit. I'm missing New York ComicCon for a trip to Detroit, the highlight of which will be awkwardly trying not to look down as I interview a bunch of naked, sweaty Europeans in a language they don't speak."
"And the flying octopi," Jane snarked.
"Octopuses," Daria corrected. "And – huh?"
"Flying octo- Octopuses?" Jane quizzically looked at Daria, who nodded. "Huh, who knew? Anyhoo, it's the Red Wings. Flying octopuses. God, Daria, how did you get that job?"
Daria shrugged. "I think it's the thick-rimmed glasses. Some marketing guy must have thought it would be 'edgy' to have a chick covering hockey. Meh. At least it gives the guys from the Herald something to laugh at. Oh, and you never answered my question. What are you doing to poor Columbia there? And why does the Treasury Secretary have tentacles?"
"It's a metaphor," Jane declared, bashfully. "Okay, not my most subtle piece, but the kids downtown wanted to put an art thing together like they had on Wall Street. I found out about it this morning, and they open tomorrow. Kind of a rush thing."
"Well, take a picture before the cops shove a baton through it. And try not to get arrested, okay? I won't be here to pick you up this time." Daria bent down and placed a kiss on the top of Jane's head.
"First big road trip, huh?" Jane asked, standing up.
Daria nodded.
"I'm proud of you, kid. You'll be great. Go get 'em." Jane opened her arms and gave her wife a tight hug. "Now let me get back to work."
