I Yet Live/Writing: Steampunk Jade and Kensey

   No, really, I do.

   And I think there's still some life in these fingers and some breath to the characters in my head, but between going from one end of Korea to the other, trying to do schoolwork, taking a two-week computer hiatus, and trying to figure out getting moved completely from Korea in the next month, things have been a bit touch-and-go, to say the least.

   So, while I would like to say I'll be able to post something for you all in the near future, I can't promise anything, because the next four weeks are going to hold a lot of craziness, and then there'll be a whole bunch of craziness for two or so weeks after that, and... Yeah. There's a lot going on.

   Granted, there's a chance that the craziness will drive me to write something, if only to escape all that's occurring, but we'll see.

    In the meantime, I found a short scribble I wrote for Steampunk Jade during her four year leave of absence, with a woman named Kensey who was the main reason she was finally able to get her head put on straight. May or may not have mentioned her in the summary I did for the Steampunk. Totally can't remember now...


    “What’s your story then?”
    Jade glanced at Kensey from the corner of her eye, then turned back to cleaning out her gun. “There’s nothing to tell.”
    “I disagree,” Kensey drawled, sloshing the bottle of brandy around, watching its contents with distracted interest.
    The younger woman didn’t reply, intent on her task, and hoping that she would give up her line of interrogation. Jade had no desire to explain why she’d left Sanbourne almost four years ago, and even now, she had to stop in her work to take a breath.
    Four years.
    Shak, Nathan, I’m sorry.
    “And that is exactly why you should have some of this,” the brandy was dropped on the table beside Jade’s elbow. “Then start talking.”
    A quiet exhale. “Ji.”
    Kensey pulled herself up to sit on Jaden’s other side, mouth quirked in humor. “You’re one tough cookie, kid, but no one can keep locked up forever.”
    I’ve lasted this far, haven’t I?
    “Oi, stop ignoring me,” the blond interrupted her thoughts, now sounding cross.
    Jade leaned back in her chair, drumming on the wooden desk with her oil-stained fingers. She fixed the elder woman with an calculating look. “I have nothing to say about myself, Kensey, and I’ve made myself clear on that several times now.”
    “Don’t you get hoity-toity with me, kiddo,” Kensey grumbled, grabbing the brandy to drink straight from the bottle, as she’d been doing off-and-on all evening.
    Jade almost wanted some of the burning alcohol; memories haunted her stronger than usual tonight, and she knew from experience that the liquor could dull that pain.
    “What a pair...” Jade said on a quiet breath, returning her attention to her dismantled weapon. 
    She continued to rub the now-filthy cloth along the inside of the barrel, taking care not to scratch the interior.
    Kensey frowned. “Excuse me?”
    “Nothing, Kensey,” the Gogamian murmured as she pulled the rag free and set about putting her gun back together.
    “You are honestly so very strange,” the woman said, jumping down off the table and taking her brandy with her.
    Jade hummed noncommittally, sliding her gun back into its holster, and then starting to scrub the grime off of her fingers. The oil lamps in the room all flickered as a strong breeze blew through, ruffling Jade’s hair.
    She shook her head to get her bangs from her eyes, noting how they had lengthened recently. Kensey had retreated to one of the armchairs, and was flipping through a log while continuing to nurse her alcohol.
    Jade thought she was preoccupied enough to drop the earlier subject; she wasn’t.
    “Who was he?” the sick woman voiced after a long silence, the abrasiveness she was known for dropped from her tone.
    “My brother,” Jaden almost didn’t get the words out, because her throat tightened as she said them. “But I was the fool.”
    “We’re all fools in love,” Kensey replied.
    “I suppose you could say that,” Jade stood up, pulling on her shoulder holster like a jacket, then putting her trench-coat on as well. The night air was chillier then normal and she was starting to feel cold.
    “Why’d you leave?” the blond prompted behind her.
    She was tempted to ignore the other, to refuse to continue saying it aloud, but Kensey was tenacious; she’d keep coming back until she’d heard all she wanted to.
    “He got married and I couldn’t accept her, so I left.” Jade relented after a few moments of quiet.


    And that's all I've got for the moment. Again, I'll see about working on stuff, but balance is kind of key right now and some things will have to fall lower in my list of priorities then others. So.

    I'm off to clean and vacuum my room. You all have a good day/night/whatever and thanks for being patient with me!

    Ad astra per aspera.
    To the stars, through difficulties.