Writing: Train Travel and Thrift Shop + Retake on the Locker Scene

    Ha. Look at me. Posting more scribbles before a full month had passed. 

    Nothing terribly long, but it is Jandy. The first portion is continuing off my last drabble challenge, with Jandy and Gage Continuing Escapee Adventures, and then I found that I had originally written that locker room scene with Jandy and Dechlan in a notepad. So I typed that up and am throwing it in here as a bonus.


    The train hummed and thrummed around Jandy in a way that was not as soothing as having Dechlan’s activities running in the back of her head, but it was getting there. Anything besides the dead silence that had been making it difficult to concentrate during her waking hours. 
    Again, almost without meaning to or even thinking about it, she searched for him, seeking relief from the echoing quiet that made a near-physical ache rise in her chest. 
    It wasn’t as bad as when she’d lost Jane—she doubted anything would ever be as bad as that. Dechlan was still alive; their connection was unharmed, intact, just weakened by distance.
    Lost in her thoughts, Jandy wasn’t prepared when a bump on the tracks below them made the car jolt and that motion caused her to slide on her make-shift cot enough for the pain to flare across her upper abdomen. 
     A quiet gasp escaped her before she could help it. Gritting her teeth as an afterthought, Jandy tried to breathe slow and even, lying still, her mobile hand fisted, in an attempt to keep from irritating any other portion of her injured anatomy. Not an easy thing to do, to say the least.
    Jandy was just quelling the urge to give in and voice a handful of choice words—a habit Dechlan had made a point of breaking her of and the only reason she underwent the effort to not—when Gage spoke.
    “You okay?” He sounded both weary and wary, neither of which were too surprising.
    She took a moment to get herself together before speaking, reminded of how little she actually knew about either of the Daxtons in those moments.  “Yeah. I would just give a lot for a bottle of some hard alcohol right about now. Or, you know, morphine or something.”
    There was a snort of humor off to her right, out of sight. Granted, most everything was out of sight as her position on her back only put the four sides of the train car and the roof within eyesight.
    Needing a distraction, Jandy gripped the crate under her with her useable hand and used that hold to elevate herself. Gage, sitting with his back to a near identical crate on the ground, watched her progress with a cautious gaze, but didn’t offer to aid her. Yet. Jandy was grateful. She would have to learn to deal with this new, unfamiliar pain and the sooner, the better for both of them.
    Once she was upright, nails digging into the wood beneath her, she forced out “What’s the plan then, chief?”, desperate for something else to think about besides the way her injuries seemed to be set on fire, her head pounded, and everything else ached like she’d been thrown from a bull.
    The man glanced at the expensive silver watch on his wrist, the long sleeves of his dress shirt from their op the prior night rolled up past his elbows. “We’re going to get off at the next stop, which should be a fair-sized hub. We need to figure out how far we’ve come, get a new set of clothes, and see if there’s anything we can do to make movement easier for you. We’ve got a long ways to go yet.”
    The promptness of his reply told her that he’d already been working out the different steps they needed to take in order to continue further for some time.
    His reminder of their clothing state caused Jandy to hazard a glance down at her own evening wear. Former evening wear. Now she wanted to be out of the torn, blood-stained, and uncomfortable dress as soon as possible. If she hadn’t been so familiar with Gage, the state of her disattire in his presence would have made her edgy. But she was at least comfortable having him around and she wouldn’t have put it past Dechlan to read the male Daxton his right when it came to her. Or, his lack thereof.
    Four months linked mentally to Dechlan had allowed her the chance to realize just how much protecting those he cared for was a part of who he was.
    Burying the ache that rose from the loss of her counterpart’s presence, Jandelyn moved to sit on the floor, favoring her side, diagonal from Gage, and let her head lean back on the crate. They would have a few more hours of travel in this unorthodox transport and then she would get to relearn how to walk with cracked—or broken, it was hard to tell—ribs. 

//

    Jandy sat on the floor of the small thrift shop in Stoney Run, a decent-sized city with a larger train depot then anything much else, Gage had informed her, trying to recoup her energy. The not-so-stealthy walk from the far end of the train tracks had been a long, grueling excursion, even with Gage’s help. 
    Now he rifled through the racks of clothes with a focus reminiscent of Dechlan while she worked to not curl into a ball of pain. The proprieter was already eyeing them with the look of someone comfortable calling the cops on suspicious patrons. And boy, did they fit that ticket, between the visible bruises, the tangible injuries, and their attention-drawing clothing. Gage’s jacket was around her shoulders, shielding her immobilized shoulder and arm but doing nothing for the raw scrapes and deep purple marks on her legs.
    Pushing her loose hair, with only the remnants of its curl, out of her eyes, Jandy considered weighing in on what Gage was taking off the rack, but knew that whatever he got would be functional. Not pretty, but Jandy was done with dressy for a very long time. Not to mention, the fewer eyes they drew, the better for everyone. 
    Gage snapped his fingers, drawing her out of her thoughts with a jerk. “Hey. You should look at the jeans. I want to be out of here in ten minutes. Need a hand?”
    Arching a brow at him, Jandy got herself up using her good hand planted on the ground and making sure not to stretch out her damaged side. Coming to her feet brought her into the stream of burning daylight that was coming through the filthy front windows and illuminated the water-stained walls. Squinting against the light, the female turned to find the women’s pants.
    “Check for small sweatpants over there,” Jandy commented to her companion as she started rifling, looking for anything close to her size that wouldn’t be a pain to wear.
    She heard Gage pause in his own search, then resume a few beats later. “Copy. Look at the shoes, too.”
    Just what she needed—a reminder of her scraped and dirty feet, the cost of losing those admittedly-stupid heels sometime before they’d gotten on the train, while she’d been unconscious. Letting a silent sigh escape her and with her bad arm braced along her battered ribcage, Jandy settled into her seaerch, trying to keep from imagining that Decklan was nearby. 

//

    The sky had clouded over by the time they had found clothes, gotten changed, and straggled back to the rail depot. Gage left her out beside the building’s wall, the hood of her ratty sweatshirt pulled up to cast the bruises on her face in shadow. He wore a ball cap that would perform the same function along with a dark gray jacket that complimented her blue sweatshirt and faded denim jacket that was a couple sizes too large in order to accommodate both her bound arm and the sweatshirt that kept it from sight.
     Rain started to spit from the dark clouds overhead, staining the sidewalk and splattering on her pants. Jandy let her head fall back, protected under the roof’s awning. Everything was happening more quickly than she was almost able to keep up with.

    It’d been twenty-four hours since she’d stood in the bathroom back at base, feeling like she’d be ill to her stomach with nerves. Since then, she’d been a prize on Gage’s arm, had the snot beaten out of her, escaped from the organization that had killed her sister, and was now on the run with a man she knew hardly anything about. Without the man that she wanted most at her side right now.


    The only thing about Blogger is that I have to take my documents from Microsoft Word, transfer them to a Notepad, so that the format isn't totally screwy on here. Thus, it doesn't transfer over my italics, and I have to go back through and put them in and it's just a pain in general. Just to be random.

    Onto the retake! Just as a mild warning, this one could be seen as a bit more mature than the last one.


    Jandy was fairly sure that the ill-tempered European woman who’d put a day’s worth of time into her appearance would have an aneurysm—or at least a fit—if she threw up right now.
    Trembling hands gripped the edge of the locker room sink. Slow breath in, even longer out. Get it under control.
     Dechlan was detectable on the fringes of her thoughts, but he felt distracted and Jandy was fine with that because she couldn’t have handled his reaction at that moment. Anymore emotion than was already roiling in her and she really would be ill.
    The brown of her eyes had been covered with a pair of contact lenses that were an eye-drawing azure and it was that gaze that stared back at her in the mirror.
    The hard part was that Jandy knew what this was. She hadn’t been given any information on this job, but her appearance was telling.
    When she and Jane had been living in Akita, she’d juggled two full time jobs and a part time when she had the energy to spare. One of those jobs had been as a serving girl in a high-class night club—a position she’d procured by not being one of the women her age addicted to drugs—that would get crazy around two in the morning on a regular basis. 
    Right now, her attire and make-up could have rivaled that of any of the women who had walked into that club on the arm of a man who man a point of showing how deep his pockets were.
    The dark outlining to her eyes, the high pair of platform heels, the short hem and plunging back of the dress that matched her eyes. All of it had a purpose. Draw attention, intimidate lesser men, intoxicate those who thought they had a chance.
    Jandy shifted to stand up straight, ignoring her churning stomach and stepping into her shoes, all too aware of how their height had been chosen to further augment the image she’d been created to fill.
    Previously dark eyes flickered to the door, closed for the moment, then back to the mirror. Jandy wished she could say she had no idea how to be the type of woman who could fulfill this role, this… appearance. But she couldn’t, because this was who her mother had been, who her friends had been. This was the type of person she’d worked around for three years, day in and day out, and who she had learned to be when the moment called for it as a result.
    Jandy knew how to walk like those women, talk like them, smile like them. Seduce like them. That’d been the world she’d struggled to keep both herself and her sister afloat in, when everyone else had been content to drown. 
    In the back of her mind, she felt Dechlan’s focus shift to her, but knew she wasn’t ready to face his thoughts—not yet. Her ability to keep him out was far, far less impressive than his, but that didn’t mean she didn’t know how to drown him out for the precious few minutes that she needed.
    Finding a memory of a pounding beat, deafening lyrics, and the thump of her own heart, Jandy ran her hand through her loose hair. It, too, had undergone hours of treatment and the tousled look her short, brown locks now bore could easily have been hours of work or a happy accident, depending on the eye of the observer.
    She practiced smiling, the blood red lipstick on her lips stretching to accommodate the expression. It looked real because she’d had to learn to hide the exhaustion, the stress, the hopelessness that had weighed heavily on her shoulders as she worked to support her family of two. All for naught, as it turned out. 
    Her smile took on a sardonic edge just as there was a light rap at the door that echoed through the locker room. Then Jandy realized that Dechlan was very there in her head, despite her thoughts drowning him out, and that he was waiting for her to let him in—literally and figuratively. 


    And there we go. Scribbles! And now I need to go work on science and my parents and I are watching The Island with Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson. She's been kicking butt for a lot of years. 

    Thoughts, comments, and critiques are welcome, as always. Thanks for reading!

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

(uber-late) Drabble Challenge: Day 31

    So. Guess who actually pulled together something to post over the last couple of days. I had hoped to post this either last night or this morning, but between my Tylenol PM (I had a multi-hour nap yesterday afternoon and wasn't taking any chances) and then having to chauffeur this morning, I didn't get it done until just now.

    Trinity, you will be pleased to hear in advance that this is Jandy and Dechlan. I sat down with Faolan and Serenity in my brain last night and ended up starting to assemble multiple short blips for these two instead. 

   At any rate. Maybe I will get a post a month this year, at this rate. 

    And, to be fair, maybe I didn't get the drabble challenge done until just now, but my last twenty-eight some posts have been good about increasingly long scrawls.


    Drabble Challenge: Day 31 - future
    Word Count: 2,598    Minimum Goal: 1,860

    Jandy knew she looked leagues away from how she usually did – seductive, untouchable, breathtaking, even – but she didn't realize how much until Dechlan stepped into the woman's locker room and paused. Not just a heartbeat, but several full moments in which he stilled entirely. 
    If it'd been any other moment, she may have tried to crack a joke, but standing on the cold tile in her bare feet because she didn't want to put on the dangerously tall heels she's been provided with, Jandy wanted nothing more to be herself again. This was not her. The black dress, draping low across her chest and lower down her back while reaching just low enough on her thighs to hide the knife scar she had. The blood-red lipstick chosen specifically to draw attention. The smoky eye shadow that allowed her to cast almost predatory glances if the moment – or Warren – should call for it. None of it, not even the artful tousle that her hair had undergone following a treatment to make the soft curls shine, and she’d never wanted it to be.
    Dechlan was still frozen, both physically and mentally. His thoughts were turning circles and she didn't try to interrupt them, dropping her gaze and tucking her chin to her chest to try and find her own composure. 
    Shifting her footing and bumping the platform stilettos waiting to be worn, Jandy crossed her arms tight over her chest and cleared her throat to rid it of the tightness. "They did a real number on me, didn't they? Warren's got an incredible budget to pull off this sort of makeover. I have no idea what runway he pulled that lady off of, but it wasn't from back home."
    Her voice unstuck her partner and she felt as Dechlan regained himself and crossed the remaining distance between them. Jandy let her gaze flicker up to meet his when his chest was in her eye-line. As usual, his face was hard to read and he was utilizing his one-sided ability to keep any specific thoughts he might have from leaking through to her. 
   "Say something, Dech." She whispered at his continued silence, searching his green eyes for some indication as to what he was thinking, manicured nails digging into the skin of her arm. "Please."
   Dechlan drew in a breath, reigning in whatever his initial reaction was because she finally felt him let down the iron wall, his emotions spilling over. Tears filled Jandy's eyes that she struggled to blink away before her makeup got ruined because she hadn't realized how alone she’d felt until that moment.
   Managing a ghost of a smile, Dechlan lifted his hands, letting his fingers catch the ends of her curling hair. Jandy’s breath caught in her throat and she couldn’t help but lean into him, trying to shield herself from the cold in the unheated space with the proximity.
   We only have a few minutes. His comment was anything but focused, his thumbs brushing across her skin, fingers still tangled amongst her dark brown curls, as much absorbed in the moment as she was. 
    Jandy didn't care about how much time they did or didn't have, she just wanted to stay there. There, in that moment where the nightmare of their reality couldn't touch them, with her partner lingering close. She glanced up at him again, searching for a way to ask him to just get them out of there. 
    His grip on her curls tightened a fraction. It's going to be fine, Jandy. You just have to trust me. 
    It wasn’t hard to feel that he was holding something back. Not that it changed anything. I do trust you. It’s Warren I don’t trust. It’s what he has planned that I don’t trust. Reaching up, she found his wrists with her hands, not seeking to push him away, just to keep the tremors from settling in. Pain curled through her chest. Who knew what the night would hold, let alone their future. If they even had one, anymore.
    Imagination took over without much trouble and her grip on Dechlan’s arms tensed before she could help it.
    Hey. 
    Dark eyes flickered up to meet flecked green. The fear-driven pounding of her heart slowed under his touch, the feel of his fingers tangling in the ends of her tousled curls quieting her racing thoughts. She had enough forewarning of the kiss he pressed to her forehead for several lingering moments that it was a comfort, not a surprise or a shock.  It felt natural. Right. 
    I talked to Gage, Dechlan’s thoughts came across as quiet, calm, focused again. 
    Jandy found it difficult to match his mindset, not ready for this to end because that would mean he would have to walk away from her. His forehead was leaned against hers, hands cradling her face and probably crushing her hair, a fact she couldn’t have cared less about. 
    Despite his awareness of how her mind wandered, the man continued, We put contingencies in play. If things don’t go like they should, as they tend to with Warren. You’ll be safe and Warren will have Teagan and I nearby, so we can gather as much intel as possible from you two to pass on to him. Just stay calm and do what Gage tells you. He has all the mission details. Alright?
    She murmured her understanding, eyes closing with oncoming weariness. 
    “Jandy.”
    The switch to verbal communication confused her enough to get her eyes open again, searching Dechlan’s face to find out where his thoughts had gone now. 
    He smiled, a true one this time, not just the partial expression from minutes prior. “You look beautiful.”
    Jandy felt tears fill her eyes, because he didn’t say it because of the dress, or the creative styling of her hair, but because she needed it.
    “Thank you, Dechlan,” she whispered, tamping down her rising emotion and hoping their quiet exchange wouldn’t reach any prying ears outside the locker room.

//

     Pounding bass and flashing lights were the only thing she knew for the first few minutes after they were allowed into the night club. That, and the press of bodies, perhaps too many, that filled the establishment. She stuck close to Gage’s side, hand tucked in the crook of his elbow to keep from getting separated.
     Jandy found she had to remind herself to keep her chin up. It’d been well over a couple of years since she’d last been in one of these types of places and when she had been, she’d been the one serving the drinks, instead of the role she’d been made to occupy now.
     “You do not go to them. You make them come to you. You are above them. If they want your attention, they must ask for it.” She hadn’t t liked that ill-tempered woman in the least, but at least her instructions for how Jandy was to act on this assignment meant she wouldn’t have to feign interest in any of the other patrons. 
    Yet, anyways. Gage had gotten his own orders. A mission and a target, no doubt. 
     What made fear twist in Jandy’s gut was not knowing what role she would be playing in this farce. The man at her side, shorter than she was used to and useless as a source of comfort, turned and the woman turned with him, past experience aiding her navigation in the death-trap heels. She let her gaze drift over the room, not settling on any one person for more than a heartbeat.
    In the back of her thoughts, Dechlan was a solid presence, not interfering, but remaining very alert to what was going on around her. It took some effort to remember to focus on the details of the club, the faces, so that he would be able to have enough facts to come to his own conclusions. Watching through each other meant that they only saw what the other took notice of. So Jandy paid attention to how many exits there were and where the private tables were, instead of on how many drinks would be easily spiked by even an amateur.
    “Wait here.” Gage had to lean close to get the message across, bringing with him an unfamiliar scent.
    Shrugging, Jandy moved to occupy a nearby stool, perching on the leather with her legs crossed, setting her clutch on the round tabletop at her elbow. She kept her features expressionless, not interested but not bored, either. Both would attract unwanted attention, which she felt she was getting too much of already. 
    
//

   The pain was unlike anything else, despite the time she'd taken a bullet from some acquaintances of her father’s, the slash of a knife across her stomach, even when Jane had died and it had felt like someone had poured acid into her head. 
    “Tell me who sent you and what you were sent to do, or she’s going to suffer more.” Easy, oily, entirely in control and comfortable that way.
    Their mark's bodyguard twisted her arm further at some unheard command, stretching the ligaments in her already dislocated shoulder further and causing the fiery pain spreading through her to burn hotter. Jandy screamed, unable to even think about quelling it. 
    She couldn't feel Dechlan, even on the fringes of her mind, as if the pain was blotting him out. She couldn't see Gage through the spots flooding her vision, even though she knew he had to be there, and the only sound ringing in her ears was her own cry of pain. 
    “I told you, I just wanted to see about making a deal. The girl’s got nothing to do with it.” Gage was on the verge of desperation; she could hear it in his voice over her gasped breaths.
   The pressure on her forearm was relinquished and Jandy collapsed on the floor, agony white hot in every nerve of her body. The tile of the floor was cold beneath her cheek, the dampness of tears on her skin collecting particles of dirt, and at first she thought someone had turned the lights off in the back room, but realization dawned a heartbeat before she blacked out, pain radiating from her right shoulder.

//

    “...Sparks...Sparks. Jandy!” 
    Unfamiliar voice, unknown surroundings, lingering memory of a burning pain and an operation that couldn’t have gone more wrong. Before she even got her eyes open, Jandy lashed out with one hand towards the voice, fingers curled back to use the heel of her palm as the impact point. The motion caused a fresh wash of liquid fire through her injured shoulder and arm, both immobilized against her chest.
    Someone caught her flailing limb with a protest of, “Hey! Come on, Sparks.”
    “Gage?” She managed, throat raw, trying to reach through the haze over her thoughts for Dechlan while blinking against the dim lighting of… wherever they were. “Where—“ Her question was cut off by a coughing fit.
    “Take it easy. I’ll explain everything.” He still had a hold on her hand, and now used that grip to pull her upright, the other reaching to steady her once she was up.
    Jandy focused on the man before her, the combination of dizziness and pain making her feel ill. “Water?” She croaked out, still trying to find her partner in their connection and the lack of his presence starting to cause fear to well up in her chest.
    A bottle was produced without comment and Gage opened it with a deft twist, offering it to her. A second glance at his face revealed some severe bruising and a swollen lip. He hadn’t gotten off scot-free either, it seemed.
    Her first instinct was to reach for the water with her right hand—the one that was wound tight with makeshift bandages from wrist to shoulder and bound against her torso—an instinct she didn’t find difficult to quell when even an attempt at movement drew a groan. Nope, she wouldn’t be using that side of her body for a while. Actually, if she focused, breathing hurt too, along her right side. That would have to come later, though.
    The Daxton twin pressed the water into her left hand when she failed to take it after a few moments. “Drink, then think, since you can’t seem to do both.”
    If Jandy had felt any better, she would expended the effort to find a comeback for that, but she was exhausted. So she lifted the plastic bottle to her lips, careful to make sure she could even get it that far, with the weakness that caused her limbs to shake.
    While the liquid settled, the woman took a moment to observe her surroundings for the first time, letting Gage take the water and put the cap back on it. 
    The air was still around them, but when she focused, there were subtle vibrations that passed through the… boxes she was sitting on. It wasn’t a large space, and the only light was coming from a small window up over their heads. The size of it reminded her of…
    “A train car? What are we doing on a train?” And where is Dechlan? And your sister?
    Gage shifted from his crouch to sit on the ground, setting the bottle of water in a nearby backpack that was tucked between two more crates. “We are taking the most expedient means away from Warren and his center of control. Which is this.”
    She settled her focus on him, taking in a breath to keep calm and steadying herself when the train swayed around them with her left hand planted on the box beneath her. The cost of a daring escape would no doubt be easy access to painkillers. And new clothes. It had taken a belated minute to realize she still wore the dirty and torn dress from… the prior day? “Things went south last night?”
    He nodded. “Yeah. Our mark was onto us from the start.”
    “And I suppose there’s a good reason that Teagan and Dechlan aren’t here right now?” Jandy aimed for nonchalant and failed, breath catching in her throat. She was already in too much pain to deal with what Gage would have to tell her about their missing partners.
    “They said—well, Dechlan said through my sister to just get out. He gave me a name to use against our mark—you’re going to have to tell me how he knows this stuff—and they let me leave with you. With a few death threats, of course.”
    “Of course,” she murmured, squeezing her eyes shut to combat a new pounding making itself known in her head. There still wasn’t great clarity going on upstairs and it was going to keep her from searching for Dechlan for the time being. No matter how much distance got put between them, she still should’ve been able to at least feel him. “What’s the plan, then?”
     “We’re going to the coast, to New Washington. Dechlan and Teagan are going to try and rendezvous with us, but is they don’t show up by the end of the month, we’re supposed to get out of the country.”
    Helplessness closed her throat. “I can’t do that, Gage. I can’t—“ ...leave him. He’s all that’s left.
    A similar emotion was reflected in the male’s hazel eyes as he managed a humorless smirk. She’d left behind her—her pillar and he’d left behind his twin sister. They were in the same boat and right now, it was hard not to feel like they were both going to sink.
    

    ...And yeah. I have no idea how this turned out. I got it written, and that's enough for me, so I will let you all decide on if it's pathetic or not. 

    I do have some idea of the next portion, so maybe it won't be another month before you see anything from me, but we'll see. It's all up in the air with me. 

    Happy March to you all and a fantabulous April, if I probably won't be posting again until then. As always, muchas gracias for the patience.

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

0200 Hours and I am Interneting (Alt: Writing -- Jade + Jase)

    Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive. 

    And the hour is depriving me of my usual wit and humor (joke) so... life is life-ing as usual. I'm on a sort-of internet break, but I wrote a page and a half of a Microsoft Word document on my ipod while avoiding schoolwork the other day and figured it was better than the nothingness I've produced up until now.

    It's been one of those "I have so much in my head but everything I put on the page sucks" sort of phases, I'm afraid. But the scrawl I'm posting tonight (this morning...?) came rather easily after a couple days of computer break, so. We'll see if I can continue in this line and maybe find it in me to do something with Jandy and Dechlan.

    But, for some background. I was sitting and idly thinking about Deviant Storyline Jaydn and Jase and the ever present issue of her martyrdom for her family that's causing her to say no to a potential future with Jase. Do not ask how I got to this point, but I ended up with Jase getting pinged by Charles (contact/good friend of Jade's) to go rescue Jade, who'd gotten herself in a bit of a fix. 

    Through an unfortunate twist of events, I believe she fell down a flight of stairs and ended up getting caught by the local law enforcement who... were on her tail for reasons unknown. I didn't say this idea was hole-less, just FYI. Anyways, by the time he gets there, she's at the hospital and on a couple more painkillers/sedative-type-drugs than she's used to. Which, considering Jade stays away from all that stuff in general because it clouds her mind and she can't think, makes for an interesting Jade. Like, you hear about alcohol bringing out different sides of people? Well. Yeah. 

    After she commented on Jase's eyes making her imo (father) smile, because they were special like Ha'imo and Merri's, and commenting that she didn't like drugs because they made her mind all "woo-woo", Jase knew it'd be quite a tall order to get her away without attracting attention. 

    And there was another moment while she was still pretty out of it that was humorous but stemmed from a much more serious subject, which is referenced in my scrawl, but I haven't quite worked out what her comment was. 

    As for the timeline, I'm putting this ten or so months after Ruusan was rescued and brought home and also post another event that Penny and I never got to but considered, which had the space station attacked and a bunch of hunters (Jase included) captured by baddies and just... stuffs. My brain is so dead right now.

    If you're really confused over stuff, ask. Please. Because my explanations are really crummy at the moment.

    I may also have taken a small liberty founded in hopeful wishes for Ruu which you should be able to figure out as soon as she enters the scene. 

    Anyways, kicking off on the space station where the Vhanders live, in the infirmary, Jase having managed to get Jade there. (And Jase is familiar with Ruusan because she was one of the attending doctors after he and the other hunters were rescued following the proposed attack on the space station.)


   Her head turned on the white pillow, the rustle drawing Jase's attention and he watched as her eyes blinked open, disorientation clear to be seen there.
    For a long moment, Jade watched him, pieces clicking together in her gaze before she looked past him, then to the machine that was displaying her vitals. He'd muted it a half hour earlier, having no desire to listen to it blip in pace with Jaydn's heartbeat.
    "Charles called you?" The woman asked at last, her voice rough from the effect of the drugs that were still making their way from her system.
    Reclining back in the seat Ruusan had found for him and trying to ignore what seeing her like this was doing to him, Jase nodded once. "Sooner would've been better, but I got you out before they called in anyone higher than bootlicker."
    Jade braced her usable hand on the mattress and shifted herself upwards so she was sitting up, but the crease between her brows spoke of the pain she had to be in.
    "I don't remember a lot," she murmured after she'd resettled, glancing at him with something akin to apology in her gaze. "Just... a lot of different drugs. And later."
    He didn't need a translation for 'later'. When she'd started coming back around. The things she'd said that still echoed in his thoughts.
    Deciding to spare both her and himself until a later time when they would both be prepared for that conversation, Jase offered, "Your sister-in-law, Ruusan, said it'd be a while until she'd get everything flushed out of your system. They gave you quite the cocktail. Must've known who they were up against." He allowed a brief, faint smirk to pull at the corner of his mouth.
    The woman shrugged her free shoulder before looking down to observe the status of her arm, discontent showing through to her features. Jase leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees.
    "The medical read-out in the hospital said you fell down a flight of stairs and Ruusan concurred with that prognosis." He didn't know whether the fall had been a miscalculation or an honest stumble, and thus wouldn't try to reassure her, but he would've put money on the former. Dark environment, possibly being pursued, assumed that a distance was farther than it turned out to be...
    A ghost of a smile appeared on Jade's face, as if she had already guessed the direction of his thoughts, even with her fogged mind. In response, he raised a brow at her, daring her to contradict him.
    She didn't, but that may have been because there was a scuff of feet on the smooth infirmary floor, drawing both hunters back to the present as they made sure there was no imminent threat.
    Wrapped up in a sweater and with her hair braided back out of the way, small curls escaping, Ruusan brought warmth to the room with her presence alone, blue eyes bright with cautious interest. A blanket was in her hand, held out of the way of her growing baby bump.
    Jase was still surprised at the change between this Ruusan and the one who's been there to greet him and the other rescued hunters upon their delivery to Loophole's infirmary five months prior. But he hid it well, sitting back in his seat to allow the doctor access to her sister.
    "Sorry, I didn't mean to interrupt," Ruu said, glancing between the two. "They just keep the infirmary cooler than is normal so I wasn't sure if either of you wanted this." She indicated the blanket in her grasp.
    "I wouldn't mind," Jade replied, honesty in her voice and Jasen could see her mind processing all the different signs in Ruusan's movements and expressions that would tell of her physical and emotional welfare. "Their cocktail is proving hard on my system."
    Professional disapproval drew a frown to Ruu's features as she approached, hesitation falling away, and she moved to unfold the blanket, tucking it around Jade. "I don't know what they were thinking. Mixing some of those things can easily be toxic to anybody's system, let alone someone like you, who isn't accustomed drugs of that potency."
    "I don't doubt that whatever law enforcement dragged me in gave them strict orders to make sure that there would be no way I'd be going anywhere without help," Jaydn shrugged again, too tired to work up any great amount of frustration over the spot of trouble she'd gotten herself into.
    One of Ruusan's slim hands drifted over her extended abdomen, while the other settled at the small of her back, neither action going unnoticed by the two hunters in the small, curtained off room. "Still. Our oath is to do no harm and whatever doctor or nurse administered your dosages got darn near committing malpractice."
    Jase was content to let the conversation flow around him, the adrenaline high he'd been running on for hours finally beginning to slow enough that he could relax. Plus it was... nice. Being there. There was still a lot that would need to be talked about, but Jade wasn't pushing him away and that was enough of a start in his book.
    "You should go home," Jaydn said and for a moment, he thought she was addressing him until stormy-blue glanced up and saw that she was talking to Ruusan still.
    That woman was not enthused by the idea. "I'm okay, Jade, really and I would really rather be here, making sure there's no adverse effects from that cocktail then twiddling my thumbs and pretending to sleep."
    From the sound of it, this was a conversation that had been had more than one time and Jase knew it had everything to do with what had occurred less than a year ago and the life currently sheltered within Ruusan. His priority was currently Jade, but he did agree with where the other hunter's thoughts undoubtedly were at. Get Ruusan to rest so she doesn't wear herself out and cause complications to her pregnancy.
    He stood, the movement drawing the attention of both females. Jade's gaze was calculating, deciphering his intentions, while Ruusan's was curious.
    "I'll walk you to your apartment and then I'll come back and stay with Jaydn," Jase said, informing more than anything else. "If anything changes, I'll find someone to send and get you. And the rest of your guys' family will be here before too long."
    Protest again rose in Ruusan's blue eyes. "That's very sweet of you, but I really don't need to be--"
    "Ruu." Her sister's voice was gentle but not allowing for further argument. "I'm fine. And whether you like it or not, you need to be off your feet. Go and someone will come get you when the others arrive, alright?"
    When the doctor finally came to terms with that fact that she wasn't going to be able to talk herself out of this one, she sighed. "Alright, fine. But I want to be notified the moment anything changes."
    Jase stepped around the bed to take Ruusan's elbow in hand and guide her towards the exit, noting the gratitude in Jade's eyes as she watched the proceedings. The pregnant woman's instructions died out rather quickly after he ushered her from the room. The rest of the infirmary was vacant besides a man whose appearance suggested that he was on the night shift. All the same, Jase did a quick assessment as they passed to determine if he was armed and decided he wasn't an immediate threat. If he did turn out to be one, he was certain Jade would be able to hold her own until his return.

    And... yeah. It's something. I kind of like it. Might fill in the blank spots before and after at some point, but I really (really, really) have to get some schoolwork done one of these days, so we'll see.

    I haven't forgotten Jandy and Dechlan, either, Trinity. Really, truly. It's just again with that "I know what I want to do, but it won't come in a way that I'm satisfied with" sort of thing. Which is getting rather frustrating, so I might need to change something in the idea I've been chewing over for the last while to make it different and see if that kick starts anything....

    Anyways. I should go read about transcendentalism and all that fun stuff before it gets to be too insane of an hour. 

    Many thanks for hanging around (and did you just follow me, Nate? If so, awesomeness, muchas gracias, and welcome. :D) and again, don't be afraid to leave comments or questions. I will get back to you pretty quickly. 

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

Drabble Challenge: Days 29 & 30

    What about NaNo? Of course I've started my NaNo! I have twenty-four words on my Day One document, thank you very much. 

    Yeah, I'm freaking out over how this whole "words" thing works and wanted to continue working on my drabbles, so. Second to the last one complete. I'll fiddle with the last one over the next day or two. NaNo is gonna have to take priority.


    Drabble Challenge: Days 29 & 30 - promise&simple
    Word Count: 1,875    Minimum Goal: 1,800

    The calmer Jandy got herself, the easier it was to hear what was occurring on Dechlan’s half of their link. She’d been able to see what he was seeing in the past, but that’d been with complete cooperation from both parties. Getting audio would be as much as she could do on her own.
    “…sir. This wasn’t supposed to be our assignment. I saw the original file.”
    “Who said it was yours, Lieutenant? 2-22 has been assigned with 2-01. You and 2-02 will be remaining in command to relay information as needed.”
    The strength of Dechlan’s emotions was enough to defocus Jandy. She struggled to stay constant through the buffeting waves, brow creasing as her hands tightened around each other. It’s going to be fine, Dech. A whisper, maybe not enough to register with him, but something in his subconscious recognized her voice.
    It felt like he let out a long breath. “All due respect, sir, but you put us together for missions just like this.”
    “I distinctly remember you requesting being part of a Dyad, Lieutenant, and your word to stay objective.” There was something in Warren’s voice that put Jandy’s teeth on edge—like he knew something he wasn’t telling.
    Dechlan seemed to have an inkling of what it was because he went completely still for a breathless moment before speaking again. “I have been, sir. 2-22 has reached mission capability, per your orders, and has been excelling. I don’t know what—“
    “I have reason to believe you aren’t as objective as would be preferred, Lieutenant, which is why I am sending your counterpart with 2-01.”
    “This is a high-profile job, sir. Wouldn’t 2-02—“
    “Are you questioning me, Lieutenant Scott?”
    Jandy wouldn’t have been surprised if Dechlan had bit his tongue at that point to keep from saying something they would both regret.
    “No, sir.”
    “Then you are dismissed.”
    “Yes, sir.” She’d never heard him sound so wooden, forced and then she tucked back inside her own head before he would realize she was sitting there and listening.
    That didn’t mean she didn’t still feel what he felt; every bit of his helplessness, his simmering anger, the desire to lash out at something before he quelled it with an iron hand.
    Jandy cradled her head between her arms, feeling a tremor run through her. 
    I’m going to protect you. A promise she knew Dechlan had meant. There was no way for him to lie to her about it. But one he wasn’t going to be allowed to keep. 
    Although hard to get a read on, the Daxtons seemed confident in what they were doing, which was a good thing. Gage would know what he was doing. 
    Thinking logically about the matter was easier than Jandy would’ve thought. She lay down with her head on her flat pillow, staring through the darkness of her quarters, and there was no emotion to rise and clog her throat.
    She had to counteract Dechlan, which helped to keep her calm. He hadn’t returned to his own room after Warren had dismissed him, pacing through the halls instead, tense and on edge. Jandy hadn’t really realized how important this was to him, how much was on the line not just for her, but for both of them. They’d spent months learning how to work together in tandem and just when they were getting it figured out, Warren threw them this new curve ball. Now it would be a matter of keeping that synchronization over a much greater distance with a new level of pressure.
     Jandy let her eyes close and reached out to her partner, fingers curling in her thin blanket. Dech. Please, calm down.
    Don’t, Jandy, not right now. 
    No, this isn’t just about you. This is both of us and you can’t just push me out.
    She caught a glimpse of his intentions right before there was a rap at the door of her quarters. Sitting up, the woman could feel his struggle to calm down radiating off him before she slid off the bed. It was an easy matter to pull some extra clothes on—pants, for one—then she went to open the heavy barrier, having to put her shoulder into it.
    Dechlan’s hands were on either side of the frame, his head hanging, both with weariness and the weight of his own guilt. Because that was what it was, Jandy realized as she lifted one hand to brush a feather light touch along his cheek, seeking to bring him some form of relief.
    And it felt like she was back with Jane again, somehow. Becoming the protector again, except this time it wasn’t from the evil in the shadows of their lives; it was against the fallible nature of the human heart.
    I… will be fine, Dech, Jandy whispered through their link, feeling the foundations of stubble against her fingertips. You don’t have to take all this on yourself. I may not be who I was before I lost Jane, but I think I can still muster a little something to get myself through whatever it is Warren’s got planned.
    The green eyes that flickered up to meet hers were still weighted down by things that Jandy might’ve been able to sense, but that she didn’t always understand. His mind was so different, it worked in such a contrasting way, that she struggled to keep up. But, right now, it’d never felt more relatable to her.
    This was how she’d felt when she’d been here with Jane. When Jane had been dying and there had been nothing she could do.
    Come on, Dech. Talk to me, she pleaded, stepping closer to catch his gaze again after it moved away from her. The cold air from the hall brushed over her bare toes and Jandy had to resist the shiver that crawled up her spine.
    I was invested in keeping you two alive from day one, Jandy. Jane died not just on your watch, but mine. And it— He ran out of words, gritting his teeth as he tried to get his point across.
    Jandy was able to pick up on what he’d been working to say. It’s different with me. Because of this. Quiet, almost matter-of-fact.
    Like I knew it would be. Dechlan’s grip on the steel door frame tightened a fraction and she resisted the urge to get him to stop before he cut himself. It was how he was holding on.
    Making a decision, Jandy leaned to flick out the lights of her small room, then ducked under her counterpart’s arm, snagging the side of his shirt as she went. “Let’s go.”
    The soldier turned to face her after a few moments, compliant but exhaustion hovered on his face, in the darkness beneath his eyes. “Where?”
    Jandy managed a partial smile, but her eyes smarted. She wanted to be able to do something for him so badly… “Dining hall? I don’t think the guards would be too happy if we tried to get outside at this hour. Or maybe one of the upper offices….maybe we could see some stars.”
    She hadn’t let go of his shirt and didn’t realize it until Dechlan reached down to uncurl her fingers, but he didn’t release her hand after that. 
    Not even considering turning him away, Jandy laced her fingers through his then led the way away from her quarters despite how her door was still open. It wouldn’t matter if it was closed—there were video cameras everywhere.
    
//

    You still awake? 
    The briefing room was cold, exposed to the draft the late January winds brought. But the blanket of darkness over the complex meant they could see the stars, small pinpricks of light against the midnight tapestry of the sky.
    Jandy didn’t want to move from where she was, tucked into Dechlan’s side as they leaned against each other for support. He’d gotten heavier in the last few minutes and, judging by the lack of activity from him over their link, she was pretty sure he’d finally drifted off.
    A quiet sigh escaped her as she continued to watch the twinkling stars, ignoring the pressure in her head that spoke of a need to sleep. There would be time for that later. Now, Dechlan needed her. Her partner needed her, and there was no way she was going to leave him.
    You’ve been my anchor since the start of this, Dech. Let me return the favor. She traced the bones and veins in the back of his hand, unwilling to let go and have his arm around her fall away. Even if she was stepping back into the role of protector for Dechlan, as she’d been for so many years for Jane, he could provide the same security for her without even being conscious. Jandy supposed it was because she’d come to associate his very presence by her side with safety. 
    It was hard for her to look back on her life and trace the path to this point. Well, how was it supposed to have worked out this way at all? Three years ago, she’d been working three minimum wage jobs to feed herself and her sister, keep their apartment, and make sure Jane wouldn’t have to do the same. 
    Now, Jane was gone and Dechlan was here and she had been and was in the heads of both. Really, the two most important people in her life, since the beginning. It’d only been Jane for so many years, and now she didn’t want anybody but Dechlan. 
    She wasn’t a fool; she knew that Dechlan hadn’t been Warren’s first choice—that had been some guy named Smithson—but Dech had gotten his foot in the door somehow. Protecting her long before she even knew she needed protecting.
    Jandy let her cheek rest against his hair, feeling her throat tighten. She wasn’t sure what to call it—a gut feeling, maybe, but she didn’t think that this next assignment with Gage Daxton would be one she would just walk away from. 
    The fact that Warren had pulled Dechlan back to command was evidence enough. It meant that, whatever was going to go down, it was going to be something that wouldn’t go over well with Dechlan’s want to protect. A trait that Warren was aware of and was guarding against now.
    Nothing about this next job would be simple and, if she was honest with herself, she wasn’t ready for it. She wasn’t ready to be away from Dechlan, she wasn’t ready to rely on Gage Daxton to keep her alive, she just wasn’t ready.
    But she’d have to be. And Jandy knew it, as much as she wished she didn’t. 
    We both know that if I mess up, I won’t make it back, Dech. And if I don’t make it back, I don’t want to begin to think of what that’ll do to you. Because we put up a good front and pretend there’s more space between us than there is. Like right now. 
    Slipping her fingers between his, Jandy held on tight to her slumbering companion’s hand and tried not to think of how the silence after Jane would be nothing compared to the silence if they lost each other.

    Should I mention that I have a headache right now to cover for the end part? Got a bit introspective for Jandy without my meaning it to. And, I must say that these drabbles are nowhere near as fast-paced as I imagined them being in church on Sunday. I was expecting to be in the heart of my writerly sadism by now, but we're still in the beginning stages of it.

    Ah well. We'll get there eventually.

    Poor Dech, eh? He actually is taking his whole role as protector really, really seriously. The thought of not being able to be there for her is going to kill him--or drive him to interesting extremes, but who knows.

    But now I have to go work on my NaNoWriMo. Wish me luck, eh? Or at least this whole writing deal flowing a bit better than pulling teeth. Or... some similar analogy. You know what I mean.

    Ad astra per aspera.

    To the stars, through difficulties.

Drabble Challenge: Days 27 & 28

    I was going to post this in several hours, along with the other two final drabbles I have yet to write, buuut, my mom isn't as forgiving a roomie as my sister. The typing bugs her. So I'm laying here, creeping along with my typing this to keep the noise down, hoping she'll pass out before too long so I can work some more.

    Heh. Life of a writer.

    NaNo started forty minutes ago. Aaaaah. Aaaaah. Heavy breathing. Panic. I'll write that tomorrow.

    Phew, it's warm in here. I'm baking. I began to despair of ever getting this combo-drabble done, though. Then I erased a hundred words and began in a fresh line and it came pretty easily after that. Which was a relief. I want to get onto the next one before my inspie fades. Stay with me, Dechlan, I'm begging you.


    Drabble Challenge: Days 27 & 28 - diamond&letters
    Word Count: 1,748    Minimum Goal: 1,680

    Five weeks. Twenty-eight days.

    The dining hall was still and empty when they wandered through it in the dead of night. One of the pros of Dechlan’s being on Warren’s goon squad was that he was allowed little privileges, like meandering around the base whenever he so pleased—even three in the morning.
    Jandy trailed along at his side, silent. She was exhausted, but the knot in her gut kept her from sleep.
    The Daxtons had given them a green light that afternoon. They’d reached whatever goal Warren had set up for them and now were ready for ‘field work’. Dechlan had more of an idea of what that meant, but Jandy had no desire to know. None at all.
    Enough light came from the kitchen’s emergency lights—the fancy ones, that flicked on whenever it was dark—to illuminate the large room and keep them from bumping into anything. Jandy went to sit on one of the tabletops, hands clasped together. Closer study revealed that her hands were cold enough for her fingernails to turn blue.
    “It’s going to be fine,” Dechlan said after a moment, coming to sit on the bench beside her perch, the words reverberating through their thoughts along with the quiet, steady strength he always seemed to have. 
    She managed a partial smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes. Despite the issued sweater enveloping her small frame, the warmth that had filled her earlier at their achievement had fled, leaving her empty and freezing inside. 
    Turning to sit sideways on the bench, Dechlan reached for her hands, curling his longer fingers over hers in an attempt to transfer some heat to them. Jandy didn’t protest, remembering times she’d done the same for Jane.
    The fact that she felt like she’d just come out of a freezer aside, the stillness of the dining hall was peaceful. It was just them; no Daxton twins, no blaring alarms, no Warren with yet another load of stuff for them to do… 
    Do you ever want to just leave? She didn’t voice the question for fear of being overheard, but Dechlan definitely go the entire sentence, because his gaze flicked up to meet hers.
    A reluctance to answer was all she got at first. But he did reply, the words coming through after a few moments. Sometimes… but I would rather be here, protecting you, than be anywhere else without any idea of what’s going on in this complex. I want to end what Warren is doing here, but the only way to do that is from the inside.
    Despite the past weeks spend in each other’s heads, Dechlan’s response surprised her. You’ve been keeping that to yourself.
    Brief humor crossed his features. It took some effort. No offense, but it was a while before I was sure that you wouldn’t tell anyone if I did tell you.
    I’m honored you trust me now, then. And she pushed her sincerity across the connection to him along with a hint of a smile.
    It wasn’t accurate to say that silence fell, because, even if no words were being spoken, they were always passing things back and forth, intentionally or otherwise. That was what happened now and Jandy let out a quiet breath. 
    Are we going to make it through to the end of this, Dech? She’d called him Soldier Boy for a week before he’d broken her of that habit, and since then, it’d been whatever her current mindset dictated. 
    I don’t see why we won’t. Dechlan rubbed absent circles against the backs of her fingers with his thumbs, not realizing he was even doing it. Jandy was sure because she checked.
    I’m not a soldier, or even a spy. I don’t how to do what Warren’s probably going to want us to do. The pit in her gut grew again and she hoped she wouldn’t be sick again, like she had been earlier that evening.
    Dechlan’s grip on her hands tightened and Jandy felt a wave of…she wasn’t sure how to define it, but if she had to, she’d have called it protectiveness. He’s not going to send us in somewhere that we won’t be able to handle. He doesn’t have that many functional Dyads, so he can’t afford to lose any. And what do you think I’m supposed to be for? 
    Comic relief, Jandy quipped, drawing a snort from her counterpart. The noise echoed a bit in the dining hall, reminding her of where they were situated. 
    “I’m going to protect you, Jandy,” the soldier said, voice low, an unspoken promise backing his statement.
    “I’ll protect you, Jane.” Seven years old and defiant even with the bruise on her cheek.
    Jane sniffing, tears still staining her cheeks, but nodding. “I know, Jandy.”
    “Yeah, I know,” she kept her own tone equally quiet, knowing he would’ve caught the memory and through that, the significance of her word choice.
    Little else was spoken after that. Jandy ended up initiating a game of tag—sort of. She ran, scrambling over tabletops and trying not to trip over her own feet, while Dechlan anticipated her every move and stalked along after her. The kitchen staff showed up a handful of hours later, when she was laying on her back on one of the long tables, almost asleep, while Dechlan occupied the bench below her, waking from a fitful rest at the hushed conversation.

//

     “What’ve you found? Any gold? Diamonds?” Jane asked, sitting on the ratty old couch in their apartment, watching Jandy sort through a box of their mom’s stuff. 
    It’d been four days since the police had discovered her body and they’d hardly seen their dad since, so Jandy had taken it on herself to go through the stuff in her mom’s closet.
    “Old papers, some letters from a lady with Mom’s maiden name. There’s not a lot here and definitely nothing worth anything.” Jandy reported, holding up one of the envelopes to show her sister.
    “It looks old,” the younger commented, taking the envelope to study it while her sister returned to her investigation. “Do you think she’s still out there?”
    “Maybe.” Jandy paused, sitting back on her heels. “That’d be awful, don’t you think? Parted by an ocean from someone you care about, not knowing whether they’re still alive or not.”
    Jane hummed in agreement, opening the letter to read it.

//

    Their first assignment was nothing like the assassination attempt Jandy had believed they would be told to carry out. It was a simple retrieval of some information. Dechlan would do the retrieving, she would do the distracting.
    For the first time since she’d learned about their having to do field work, Jandy felt confident that she’d actually be able to do what Warren was asking. Acting wasn’t her strongest skill, but she’d done it before, and, when armed with the video that Warren supplied her with, she had just the bargaining chip she needed to draw some attention.
    Dechlan wasn’t thrilled with the plan—that she saunter right into the lobby of a large corporate building and start making threats of with words like “public media” and “indecent exposure”—but there wasn’t a lot he could do about it.
    Warren assigned one of his commanders to oversee their op, and his job was to get them in and out. Jandy would go in first, demand to speak with the head of the company, conveniently vacating his office, while Dechlan took the maintenance stairs, broke into the office, and lifted what Warren had sent them for.
    It went off without a hitch. Jandy drew on confidence she hadn’t felt so strongly since she’d been standing up to a guy much bigger than her to protect her little sister and she felt all that more pleased with her performance when her counterpart had a smile and a “good job” for her as they drove away.

    They spent two months working on similar assignments for Warren, handling six different operations while the Daxton’s were sent on other jobs, the details to which they weren’t privy. 
    Then something changed. Jandy wasn’t ever allowed to read the actual mission files, but Dechlan was, and the one that Warren handed him after Jandy got dismissed without so much as a “by your leave” was different.

    She sat on the bottom bunk in her small quarters where she lived on her own, knees drawn up and her arms looped around them. The cement was cold against her back, a detail Jandy ignored as she closed her eyes, trying to follow Dechlan’s movements.
    It was past Warren’s light’s out time, but he was up and about, moving through the halls with a destination in mind. She was able to figure out what it was after a bit of poking, but he had been working on his blocking skills—Jandy had to fight for every tidbit of information she extracted from his brain. She still hadn’t been able to work out what he’d read in the file for their latest assignment.
    Why are you going back to see him? The woman questioned, knowing she wouldn’t be getting an answer from Dechlan but needing to try anyway.
    There was a flair of irritation when Warren’s guards stopped him. She assumed that didn’t last long when the next emotion she picked up on was satisfied with a vexed edge to it. 
    Opening her eyes to the darkness of her room, Jandy gritted her teeth at her inability to break through. It hadn’t been necessary for her to fight her way in thus far, and she knew that maybe she shouldn’t be doing so now, but this was important. Important enough to put the unflappable Dechlan on edge. She realized after a minute of considering that, if she couldn’t get him to tell her what he was doing, maybe she could just listen instead. So she stopped fighting with him and started paying attention to what was coming to her through their connection.
    He was tense enough to put her on edge right along with him. Anger, something akin to betrayal, frustration, and… traces of fear?
    Jandy let out a long breath, trying to focus harder. She had to slide into the background of his head and in order to do that, she couldn’t be a riot of emotions or Dechlan would be able to pick up on her intentions in a heartbeat. He already could, if he’d been paying attention, but this was working because he wasn’t. 

    Huh. Just realized that little flashback with Jane and Jandy could be seen as really callous. To clear things up, their mom wasn't much of a mom and we'll leave it at that.

    And I was going to comment on something else from that, but then realized I could be giving stuff away and sooo, ne'er mind. Move along.

    Um. Yeah. So. Words. Dechlan still fulfilling his awesome dude role well enough? I feel kind of bad for him. He can't help but just get rather completely protective of Jandy. One of the side effects of living in one another's head.

    Muuuuum, go to sleeeeep. It's 1 AM. I want to write at full speed and get thousands more words done. I can't if you're not snoring like baby sis over there. And my Pacific Rim soundtrack is done. Piffle. 

    Boyce Avenue covers it is.

    Alright, I'll let you guys go. Three posts in one day, though. Kind of a record, I think. Feel free to leave thoughts. They make me rather ridiculously happy.

    Ad astra per aspera.

    To the stars, through difficulties. 

Drabble Challenge: Day 26

    I forgot to ask last post; how's the new layout/color/design for my blog? More readable? Trinity commented that the white on the red was difficult to read, so the purple was my alternative after a bit of fiddling. 

    This bit got mixed reviews from me. I really liked how I started it, but when I got further along my groove started fizzling out so I'm a bit "meh" over the end. 


    Drabble Challenge: Day 26 - escape
    Word Count: 1,655    Minimum Goal: 1,560

    Jandy stumbled into the cafeteria at six-thirty, knowing Dechlan was already inside, but having to search for him. This effort was aided when a hand—his—went up in the air across the large, busy room despite the way his back was turned.
    She made her way through the early morning bustle of people, nearly tripping over a pair of outstretched legs on her path to her partner. Dechlan held out a hand to help her step over the bench when she reached him, waiting until she’d sat down to let go and move a Styrofoam cup of coffee in front of her.
    Not bothering with a verbal thank you, because he’d already picked up on her fuzzy gratitude, Jandy tried the coffee sludge from Mars and managed not to grimace for once.
    Mornings were not her thing, at all. She was just grateful that it didn’t bother Dechlan. 
    “We’re supposed to meet the Daxtons at oh-seven-hundred to continue off yesterday. Warren wasn’t too pleased we didn’t finish on schedule,” the male said, matter-of-fact as he moved an extra plate of eggs off his tray for her to eat. 
    “He can go stuff it,” Jandy mumbled, leaning against his shoulder, just wishing she could go back to sleep. 
    Dechlan elbowed her and she caught the wordless command to eat. A quiet sigh escaped her.
    “They said it gets easier,” he continued after she’d started to poke at the food before her. “It’s just harder for us because we’re not related and that makes it more difficult to get to the level of familiarity that they need.”
    A huff of amusement escaped Jandy. “Familiarity, sure.”
    They both knew what Warren wanted, but, as acquaintances of barely two weeks, it was hard to get there and remain in their respective comfort zones.
    And, if she was honest with herself, Jandy knew that she was scared of ending up like Jane. The pressure of training and developing their connection would keep getting to her until her heart gave out and—
    Dechlan bumped her. Stop.
    That was the most they’d been able to manage thus far in terms of intelligible thoughts. A single word, backed by a fairly strong emotion or mixture of emotions. They’d discovered it when she’d woken up from a nightmare, screaming for Jane and almost giving Dechlan a heart attack.
    But Jandy didn’t respond, chewing on her cooling eggs and ignoring his gaze boring into the side of her head. The coffee was doing its job in waking her up, despite the awful taste. 
    As expected, he didn’t press her any more than that, but she could feel what he was holding back and wished that there was some way she could erase the intense mixture of emotion weighing on both of them.
    Jandy only got a brief warning before Dechlan stood up, which was out of the ordinary, because he usually waited for her. The oddity further increased when he held out a hand for hers. “Come on. Bring the coffee, if you want.”
    “Where are we going?” she questioned, leaving the sludge behind as she let Dech pull her to her feet.
    There was no forthcoming reply, but Jandy caught pieces of his plan through their link and she shot him a look as he forged a path through the crowd of soldiers and scientists. He pretended not to notice, leading her on a winding path from the depths of Warren’s complex until they were in the upper levels where you could see sunlight.
    It was still mostly dark out, with hints of pink and purple starting to streak the sky, and Jandy couldn’t have cared less, pausing in a long hallway on ground level to look out at the heavy blanket of white covering the slope of a nearby mountain that rose up over the compound. Dechlan paused when he realized she wasn’t following.
    “Jandy, come on. We don’t have that much time before we need to meet with the Daxtons.”
    She couldn’t tear herself away from the overlook. “But how much better can it get than this? We could watch the sunrise from right here.”
    A curl of satisfaction made its way through the connection, drawing Jandy’s attention from the window and to Dechlan where he stood several paces away, attempting to keep that emotion from transforming into a smile. “Would you like to watch it from here, or from outside?”
    Outside. Fresh air. Cold air. Snow. Cold. Jandy couldn’t think of a time she’d eager to go outside, but after spending what felt like months cooped up in Warren’s laboratory, nothing sounded more like heaven.
    “Outside.” She responded a heartbeat later, jogging to catch up with her partner, her dark mood from earlier releasing its hold on her. If her eagerness to be outdoors had been any less, Jandy would’ve considered that he’d done this on purpose. Even so, she couldn’t find it in her to be even fractionally miffed at him.
    The security guards at the door the soldier led them to weren’t too pleased to be letting Jandy out and about without prior authorization from Warren, but Dechlan applied just enough pressure on them to get them to think again.
    And it worked, because, with a final warning to be back in a half hour, the guards allowed them through, a gust of cold air greeting them and Jandy laughed, stepping out onto the pavement that bore a good inch of snow on it.
    Dechlan stayed close behind her once they were outside, directing her towards a good vantage point to watch the sunrise by gesturing the direction to head when Jandy checked with him.
    “You did this on purpose,” she accused, unable to keep from smiling even as she did so. The frigid temperature was causing her cheeks to turn red and her uniform wasn’t nearly warm enough for this, but she didn’t care.
    He shrugged, confirming her suspicion. “You’ve needed it.”
    There wasn’t a lot she could say to dispute that, because it was true. Jandy turned her gaze forward, being careful not to slip as she made her way across the un-shoveled grounds.
    The air was crisp, tingling as she breathed it in, and it was a welcome change from the sometimes-stagnant air deep in the belly of the gray compound that towered behind them. Jandy could feel Dechlan’s similar pleasure at getting outside, but his was for different reasons. 
     It’d taken until her nightmare just a handful of days prior for them to talk. Actually talk, not just maintain the uncomfortable front and pick up on every wayward emotion. About Jane, about how he and his brother had gotten involved in Warren’s program. About what had really happened last time she’d been at this compound.
    “She would’ve loved this,” Jandy murmured when they came to a standstill, looking out from the crest of the hill the entire complex had been built on. They were boxed in by mountains that were no doubt farther away than they appeared to be, but there was a gap between two peaks to the east where the sun’s light was already beginning to make an appearance.
    Dechlan glanced down at her but didn’t say anything, his silence respectful and comforting, in its own way.
    “Not that,” she amended, waving back at the buildings, stark against the white backdrop. “But the mountains. We lived in the heart of downtown Akita. The snow that reached us never stayed very long and traveling out of the city to see anything but buildings was difficult.” Fond memories of Jane’s excitement over even a dusting had a smile pulling at the corner of Jandy’s mouth.
     “She wouldn’t have blamed you for what happened.”
     I know. The self-recrimination didn’t fade though. Jandy pushed her hands into her pockets, letting out a breath that billowed in the air.
    The sun was close to making an appearance, but she wasn’t able to pay as much attention to it as she would’ve liked, instead being distracted by the internal debate Dechlan waged with both himself and her. 
    She knew what he was trying to do, but Jane had been her sister. Her little sister who she had been looking out for since they’d been five with their mom gone all hours of the day and sometimes into the night and their dad stumbling home long after dark, drunk as he always was after grueling day of manual labor.
    “How am I supposed to let go of that, Dechlan?” Jandy asked, turning to him with pain and frustration welling in her chest. “You’re in my head. You’ve seen how we grew up, you know how hard I worked to keep her safe from every problem my parents brought home when there was no chance of escape for us.”
    “Yes, I know. But I also know that being brought here,” he threw a hand out towards the nearby buildings, a certain amount of intensity in his fern-green eyes as he spoke to her. “Was not your fault. It was Warren’s. He decided he wanted you two and there was nothing you’ve could’ve done to avert that. Being linked wasn’t your fault; the strain of it wasn’t your fault.”
    Sunlight streamed through the mountain pass, warming the air and Jandy was momentarily struck with how it illuminated Dechlan’s features before wondering what it did to hers. “I could’ve fought harder against him,” she murmured at last, unable to help the underlying unsteadiness. 
    “And he would’ve pushed back harder.” Dechlan didn’t mince his words, seeking to drive his point home. “You know that.”
    A breeze blew past them, causing goose bumps to rise on her arms despite the long sleeves of her shirt. 
    Yeah. She admitted silently, her dark brown gaze drifting to where the sun was nestled between the peaks of the two mountains, rising at a steady rate. I know. But it doesn’t change the fact that she’s still gone.


    Also, just by the way, writing a mental link between two people is actually kind of hard. You constantly have to remember that you're not just writing one set of thoughts and emotions, but two. Maybe not in as great of detail, but you have to remember that the second person is there. 

    So, yeah. I like the beginning a lot. Later is okay. Sorta.

    Planning on combining the next two drabbles into "diamonds&letters" and "promise&simple" then the last one will be "future" and I do have something sadistic planned. As long as I can get my aching brain to cooperate with me, but we'll have to see how that goes.

    Anyways. Comments, questions, critiques, or concerns can be directed to the comment box and I would be pleased to respond to them. Thanks for putting up with me and I should be posting again today sometime. "Should" being the operative word there.

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