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.
Showing posts with label drabble challenge. Show all posts
Showing posts with label drabble challenge. Show all posts
Friday, March 28, 2014
Friday, November 1, 2013
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.
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.
Thursday, October 31, 2013
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.
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.
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.
Drabble Challenge: Day 25
Wow, NaNo starts in twelve hours. I really don't know if I'm ready yet. Not to mention my outline for the first several chapters is back at home. Which may complicate things a bit.
As it turned out, I got two drabbles done over all of yesterday and a bit of today. I did work a little in the car, but we were driving through Pennsylvania and there were a lot of cool things to look at, so I didn't start seriously working in the evening.
I did (finally) get to jam the Daxton Twins in, though, which I am pleased about.
Please meet Gage and Teagan Daxton, also perhaps-not-so-willing participants of the Dyad Program.
They're kind of awesome. And older than they look, I think, but details.
Drabble Challenge: Day 25 - winter
Word Count: 1,539 Minimum Goal: 1,500
Jandy had forgotten what time of year it was until she was escorted to a briefing room one morning that overlooked a paved courtyard. A light dusting of snow covered the ground and dusted the surrounding buildings, with the overhead sky shaded gray with winter clouds.
Looking out on the stark and almost harsh scene, she realized she missed her little corner of the world back at home. Japan hadn’t been her native land, but after spending the majority of her life there, it was the closest thing she had to a mother country. And she liked it that way.
She forgot, again, that she had someone listening in on her thoughts and emotions until there was a faint feeling of question at the back of her thoughts. In answer, she focused on the sensation of being surrounded by people and buildings, the warmth of her old haunt where she’d drown the pain she couldn’t remember the source of. The emptiness of her apartment that was probably long since ransacked and repopulated.
Thus far, that had been how they communicated. Impressions, emotions, sensations, but no words as of yet. Sometimes, Jandy felt like she could hear things from his end of the connection. Pieces of conversations when around her was silence, the clink of silverware when she wasn’t eating, splashing water while she was in bed… It’d taken time to adjust and to get her skin to stop crawling every time it happened, and now Jandy found the background noise soothing.
Taking a seat in one of the handful of chairs, Jandy rolled across the floor to be near the window, propping her feet up on the low windowsill. You should really see this, Soldier Boy. Despite the whole prison look, the snow makes things a bit less… oppressive. Like a big, mean dog with a bow tie.
Bemusement drifted through her. She couldn’t help her eye-roll and sank lower in her chair, relaxing into the leather, feeling at ease for the first time since she’d arrived here. The soldiers who had escorted here had stepped out into the hall, so the room was empty.
It’d been two days since Doctor Hummel had had a free-for-all with her brain and the pain was finally beginning to recede to a dull pounding. If the soldier – Dechlan Scott, she reminded herself – on the other end of this link had been fighting the same effects, he’d been very good at ignoring it. Jandy had gotten scarcely a glimpse of any pain from him over the last forty-eight hours.
Jandy could feel Dechlan Scott’s vague attendance to her thoughts; just a faint notion, but one that she was certain of either way. She was able to do the same to him, if she preferred, but oft times was too busy drifting through her own memories to pay much attention.
There was a click from behind her. Twirling in her seat, the woman watched the opening portal to see who would come through, seeing one of her guards pushing the door open. Warren was the first one through, surprise, surprise.
Jandy arched an eyebrow at him, looking past him as a woman and a man, both about the same height and with blonde-brown hair, followed him into the briefing room. Both pairs of hazel eyes went to her as they entered and they exchanged a look.
Odd. That was either a good look or a bad look. “Welcome to my office,” she drawled in greeting.
The Dyad Program’s overseer wasn’t impressed as he took a seat at the head of the table, his two companions occupying spots side-by-side across from Jandy. They were perfectly serene and that wasn’t even the weird part. They their every movement was made in sync. No lapses or pauses.
Just when she was beginning to think maybe they were in on the whole mental connection thing, the door opened again. Her dark gaze flicked that way and her surprise was mirrored both on the face of the man standing there and in her—his—thoughts.
“You’re—“ Jandy started then stopped, finding she couldn’t think of anything to say. Something tugged at her—a memory, maybe—that she couldn’t pinpoint, sparked by his presence.
He looked like the soldier she’d been imagining since two days ago. Short cropped, brown hair, tall with an upright form, and a direct gaze. It didn’t take him long to school his features, subduing the display of emotion before he spoke.
“Dechlan Scott.”
Jandy had no idea what to make of her emotions, nor of the guarded vibe she was getting off of him, but she replied, “Jandy Sparks. Nice to actually meet you.”
The soldier watched her a moment longer before moving around to sit down at Warren’s right hand, a seat over to Jandy’s left.
She found herself almost frozen, unable to glance over at him or even produce legible thoughts, because this was really happening. Jane was really gone and she would be spending the rest of her foreseeable future with someone who was currently an absolute stranger privy to her every thought and emotion.
Her fingers curled around the arms of her chair before she pushed to her feet, despite how Warren seemed ready to begin his little powwow. Snow had started to fall again, the wind blowing the flakes about in small flurries.
“2-22, please take your seat.” The overseer said with very little room for anything but compliance in his voice.
Jandy ignored him for the time being, arms crossed tight over her stomach. Dechlan Scott was keeping to himself, which she was thankful for. She’d been able to ignore the fact that he was an actual person, not just a thought in her mind, until now. Now he was real.
Now her sister was really gone. Really and truly.
//
Green eyes boring into hers as he gripped her shoulders tight, keeping her from launching herself at the people in white coats who’d come to take her sister away.
He didn’t say anything but Jandy couldn’t tear herself – or her gaze – away from his.
“Please.”
“I can’t.”
//
Jandy drew in a sharp breath, not sure where the memory had come from, but when she turned, turned to look and see if it was the same man, he was already watching her. As if he’d expected it, or maybe he’d just been able to pick up on the memory as she relived it.
You were there.
Dechlan nodded once, like he’d heard the thought.
Reaching for her seat, the woman sat down a bit heavily, feeling as though she’d been hit by a large projectile. What was Warren’s purpose with this? Why him?
That man, however, had had his patience quota used up for the day and it showed. “If you’re ready to begin, 2-22?” He didn’t wait for her to confirm, continuing anyways as he gestured at the other two members of the meeting. “Gage and Teagan Daxton, designated 2-01 and 2-02. They’ve been part of the Dyad Program since before you and your sister were here.”
Jandy attempted not to snort at the “part of” portion of his introduction, covering with a light cough that everyone seemed to buy—except Dechlan. The tick that appeared for a brief moment in his jaw told that he’d caught the thought and that he was far from annoyed buy it.
Secure in the fact that he wasn’t going to rat her out to Warren—maybe not such a flawless little soldier after all—Jandy nodded at the Daxton’s after the fact.
“You guys are twins?” She asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
“We are,” the female, Teagan, answered. “Got invited to this little rodeo a bit over a year and a half ago. Not a lot of perks, but it’s at least a bit warmer than where we came from.”
Her twin smirked at the not-so-veiled jab at Warren’s project. Jandy wondered briefly how long it’d taken them to build the connection she was seeing. The potential had been there for Jane and her, but that had been before Jane hadn’t been able to take the pressure any longer.
Warren cleared his throat, casting a hard look at the three of them. Dechlan was left out of it, nothing about his ramrod–straight posture and silence offending his boss.
Jandy decided then and there to loosen him up a bit at some point. There was no way she’d be able to survive otherwise. Although, it might not be such a hard job after all, she figured, watching the tick appear again and reaching out with her thoughts to poke him experimentally.
The feeling she got in response no doubt translated to “leave me alone and listen”. It took a fair deal of effort to keep from smiling.
“2-01 and 2-02 are going to be your program guides. They have been ready for field work for some time, but I want them to get the two of you in sync before their first mission.” Warren’s words had a sobering effect on all of them.
Her humor from moments prior dissipated, this piece of news drawing much the same reaction as a bucket of cold water might’ve. Field work?
Not my finest work, but I guess it'll do. Yay for Daxtons! I plan to do more with them in the future, but for now their role is comprised of grudging lackeys for Warren.
I may take a page out of Penny's book and do some prompt combining, just as an FYI. Not a lot, but enough to cut my five remaining drabbles down to three in an attempt to make them slightly more manageable before I have to, you know, start a 50,000 word novel sometime tomorrow.
Speaking of which, I need to finish my outline (still) and figure out the NaNo widget.
Alright, now for the second drabble. See you in two!
Ad astra per aspera.
To the stars, through difficulties.
As it turned out, I got two drabbles done over all of yesterday and a bit of today. I did work a little in the car, but we were driving through Pennsylvania and there were a lot of cool things to look at, so I didn't start seriously working in the evening.
I did (finally) get to jam the Daxton Twins in, though, which I am pleased about.
Please meet Gage and Teagan Daxton, also perhaps-not-so-willing participants of the Dyad Program.
They're kind of awesome. And older than they look, I think, but details.
Drabble Challenge: Day 25 - winter
Word Count: 1,539 Minimum Goal: 1,500
Jandy had forgotten what time of year it was until she was escorted to a briefing room one morning that overlooked a paved courtyard. A light dusting of snow covered the ground and dusted the surrounding buildings, with the overhead sky shaded gray with winter clouds.
Looking out on the stark and almost harsh scene, she realized she missed her little corner of the world back at home. Japan hadn’t been her native land, but after spending the majority of her life there, it was the closest thing she had to a mother country. And she liked it that way.
She forgot, again, that she had someone listening in on her thoughts and emotions until there was a faint feeling of question at the back of her thoughts. In answer, she focused on the sensation of being surrounded by people and buildings, the warmth of her old haunt where she’d drown the pain she couldn’t remember the source of. The emptiness of her apartment that was probably long since ransacked and repopulated.
Thus far, that had been how they communicated. Impressions, emotions, sensations, but no words as of yet. Sometimes, Jandy felt like she could hear things from his end of the connection. Pieces of conversations when around her was silence, the clink of silverware when she wasn’t eating, splashing water while she was in bed… It’d taken time to adjust and to get her skin to stop crawling every time it happened, and now Jandy found the background noise soothing.
Taking a seat in one of the handful of chairs, Jandy rolled across the floor to be near the window, propping her feet up on the low windowsill. You should really see this, Soldier Boy. Despite the whole prison look, the snow makes things a bit less… oppressive. Like a big, mean dog with a bow tie.
Bemusement drifted through her. She couldn’t help her eye-roll and sank lower in her chair, relaxing into the leather, feeling at ease for the first time since she’d arrived here. The soldiers who had escorted here had stepped out into the hall, so the room was empty.
It’d been two days since Doctor Hummel had had a free-for-all with her brain and the pain was finally beginning to recede to a dull pounding. If the soldier – Dechlan Scott, she reminded herself – on the other end of this link had been fighting the same effects, he’d been very good at ignoring it. Jandy had gotten scarcely a glimpse of any pain from him over the last forty-eight hours.
Jandy could feel Dechlan Scott’s vague attendance to her thoughts; just a faint notion, but one that she was certain of either way. She was able to do the same to him, if she preferred, but oft times was too busy drifting through her own memories to pay much attention.
There was a click from behind her. Twirling in her seat, the woman watched the opening portal to see who would come through, seeing one of her guards pushing the door open. Warren was the first one through, surprise, surprise.
Jandy arched an eyebrow at him, looking past him as a woman and a man, both about the same height and with blonde-brown hair, followed him into the briefing room. Both pairs of hazel eyes went to her as they entered and they exchanged a look.
Odd. That was either a good look or a bad look. “Welcome to my office,” she drawled in greeting.
The Dyad Program’s overseer wasn’t impressed as he took a seat at the head of the table, his two companions occupying spots side-by-side across from Jandy. They were perfectly serene and that wasn’t even the weird part. They their every movement was made in sync. No lapses or pauses.
Just when she was beginning to think maybe they were in on the whole mental connection thing, the door opened again. Her dark gaze flicked that way and her surprise was mirrored both on the face of the man standing there and in her—his—thoughts.
“You’re—“ Jandy started then stopped, finding she couldn’t think of anything to say. Something tugged at her—a memory, maybe—that she couldn’t pinpoint, sparked by his presence.
He looked like the soldier she’d been imagining since two days ago. Short cropped, brown hair, tall with an upright form, and a direct gaze. It didn’t take him long to school his features, subduing the display of emotion before he spoke.
“Dechlan Scott.”
Jandy had no idea what to make of her emotions, nor of the guarded vibe she was getting off of him, but she replied, “Jandy Sparks. Nice to actually meet you.”
The soldier watched her a moment longer before moving around to sit down at Warren’s right hand, a seat over to Jandy’s left.
She found herself almost frozen, unable to glance over at him or even produce legible thoughts, because this was really happening. Jane was really gone and she would be spending the rest of her foreseeable future with someone who was currently an absolute stranger privy to her every thought and emotion.
Her fingers curled around the arms of her chair before she pushed to her feet, despite how Warren seemed ready to begin his little powwow. Snow had started to fall again, the wind blowing the flakes about in small flurries.
“2-22, please take your seat.” The overseer said with very little room for anything but compliance in his voice.
Jandy ignored him for the time being, arms crossed tight over her stomach. Dechlan Scott was keeping to himself, which she was thankful for. She’d been able to ignore the fact that he was an actual person, not just a thought in her mind, until now. Now he was real.
Now her sister was really gone. Really and truly.
//
Green eyes boring into hers as he gripped her shoulders tight, keeping her from launching herself at the people in white coats who’d come to take her sister away.
He didn’t say anything but Jandy couldn’t tear herself – or her gaze – away from his.
“Please.”
“I can’t.”
//
Jandy drew in a sharp breath, not sure where the memory had come from, but when she turned, turned to look and see if it was the same man, he was already watching her. As if he’d expected it, or maybe he’d just been able to pick up on the memory as she relived it.
You were there.
Dechlan nodded once, like he’d heard the thought.
Reaching for her seat, the woman sat down a bit heavily, feeling as though she’d been hit by a large projectile. What was Warren’s purpose with this? Why him?
That man, however, had had his patience quota used up for the day and it showed. “If you’re ready to begin, 2-22?” He didn’t wait for her to confirm, continuing anyways as he gestured at the other two members of the meeting. “Gage and Teagan Daxton, designated 2-01 and 2-02. They’ve been part of the Dyad Program since before you and your sister were here.”
Jandy attempted not to snort at the “part of” portion of his introduction, covering with a light cough that everyone seemed to buy—except Dechlan. The tick that appeared for a brief moment in his jaw told that he’d caught the thought and that he was far from annoyed buy it.
Secure in the fact that he wasn’t going to rat her out to Warren—maybe not such a flawless little soldier after all—Jandy nodded at the Daxton’s after the fact.
“You guys are twins?” She asked, curiosity getting the better of her.
“We are,” the female, Teagan, answered. “Got invited to this little rodeo a bit over a year and a half ago. Not a lot of perks, but it’s at least a bit warmer than where we came from.”
Her twin smirked at the not-so-veiled jab at Warren’s project. Jandy wondered briefly how long it’d taken them to build the connection she was seeing. The potential had been there for Jane and her, but that had been before Jane hadn’t been able to take the pressure any longer.
Warren cleared his throat, casting a hard look at the three of them. Dechlan was left out of it, nothing about his ramrod–straight posture and silence offending his boss.
Jandy decided then and there to loosen him up a bit at some point. There was no way she’d be able to survive otherwise. Although, it might not be such a hard job after all, she figured, watching the tick appear again and reaching out with her thoughts to poke him experimentally.
The feeling she got in response no doubt translated to “leave me alone and listen”. It took a fair deal of effort to keep from smiling.
“2-01 and 2-02 are going to be your program guides. They have been ready for field work for some time, but I want them to get the two of you in sync before their first mission.” Warren’s words had a sobering effect on all of them.
Her humor from moments prior dissipated, this piece of news drawing much the same reaction as a bucket of cold water might’ve. Field work?
Not my finest work, but I guess it'll do. Yay for Daxtons! I plan to do more with them in the future, but for now their role is comprised of grudging lackeys for Warren.
I may take a page out of Penny's book and do some prompt combining, just as an FYI. Not a lot, but enough to cut my five remaining drabbles down to three in an attempt to make them slightly more manageable before I have to, you know, start a 50,000 word novel sometime tomorrow.
Speaking of which, I need to finish my outline (still) and figure out the NaNo widget.
Alright, now for the second drabble. See you in two!
Ad astra per aspera.
To the stars, through difficulties.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Notification
Just giving peoples a head's up (greetings to you, new follower, AKA, Sam) about what my current game plan is.
We're headed to the grandparent's in the morning, which is a several hour drive, during which I fully intend to write my little heart out. So long as I am not completely miserable and more sick than I have been this evening. Heh.
I do fully intend to give finishing the drabble challenge my best effort, though. I like Jandy and Dechlan a lot and it's all just a matter of actually getting the words onto the page.
Then I need to finish my NaNoWriMo novel outline. Heh. Two days. Oh gosh.
Anyways. During dinner this evening, I also finished a random, introspective, friendship/life applicable scribble that's been floating around in my head for a bit and thought it might be a good thing to post. You guys can get back to me on whether or not I was right.
Ernest Hemingway once said, "The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too."
It's kind of hard to believe, but it's true. It's applicable in a lot of different types of relationships, but, in my case, it applies to friendships.
I let one friendship swallow me whole, lost track of who I was and that there are more people out there than just that one person. That person was and still is very, very important to me, but the difference now is that I know that there are going to be other people, too.
Because, let's be honest, one will never be enough. One friend that you pour yourself into is not going to be enough and all you're going to end up with is a bruised heart. Speaking from experience.
You need all of them; all the different kinds of friendships that you'll come across in life. You need the friend who's been your bestie seven years running. You need the friend to pass cutesy blabbers and hugs back and forth with. You need the friend who's watched all those action movies too. You need the friend who you spill your heart to when you don't know who else to turn to. You need the friend you talk about hot guys with. You need the friend you hardly realized was there had until God gave you a kick in the pants. You need the friend who got you interested in Castle. You need the friend who understands the procrastination. You need the friend you don't really talk to anymore.
Maybe some won't be as close as others. That's okay.
Maybe some will be easier and less draining to spend time with than others. That's okay.
Maybe only a handful will ever really see your heart, and that's okay too. It doesn't matter how close they are, they're still going to shape who you are. Leave an impression on your person. Good, bad, painful. It's still important.
Don't be afraid to open your heart to someone new. Maybe they'll be one of the most amazing people you've ever met. Maybe they'll break your heart.
Both are how we grow, learn, and slowly become who we're supposed to be.
And there's my writing for today. (Yes, I really do have friends who fit all those descriptors, believe it or not.) Thoughts are quite welcome.
Thanks for hanging in there, guys! See you, hopefully, on the morrow with a flurry of posts. Hopefully.
Ad astra per aspera.
To the stars, through difficulties.
We're headed to the grandparent's in the morning, which is a several hour drive, during which I fully intend to write my little heart out. So long as I am not completely miserable and more sick than I have been this evening. Heh.
I do fully intend to give finishing the drabble challenge my best effort, though. I like Jandy and Dechlan a lot and it's all just a matter of actually getting the words onto the page.
Then I need to finish my NaNoWriMo novel outline. Heh. Two days. Oh gosh.
Anyways. During dinner this evening, I also finished a random, introspective, friendship/life applicable scribble that's been floating around in my head for a bit and thought it might be a good thing to post. You guys can get back to me on whether or not I was right.
Ernest Hemingway once said, "The most painful thing is losing yourself in the process of loving someone too much, and forgetting that you are special too."
It's kind of hard to believe, but it's true. It's applicable in a lot of different types of relationships, but, in my case, it applies to friendships.
I let one friendship swallow me whole, lost track of who I was and that there are more people out there than just that one person. That person was and still is very, very important to me, but the difference now is that I know that there are going to be other people, too.
Because, let's be honest, one will never be enough. One friend that you pour yourself into is not going to be enough and all you're going to end up with is a bruised heart. Speaking from experience.
You need all of them; all the different kinds of friendships that you'll come across in life. You need the friend who's been your bestie seven years running. You need the friend to pass cutesy blabbers and hugs back and forth with. You need the friend who's watched all those action movies too. You need the friend who you spill your heart to when you don't know who else to turn to. You need the friend you talk about hot guys with. You need the friend you hardly realized was there had until God gave you a kick in the pants. You need the friend who got you interested in Castle. You need the friend who understands the procrastination. You need the friend you don't really talk to anymore.
Maybe some won't be as close as others. That's okay.
Maybe some will be easier and less draining to spend time with than others. That's okay.
Maybe only a handful will ever really see your heart, and that's okay too. It doesn't matter how close they are, they're still going to shape who you are. Leave an impression on your person. Good, bad, painful. It's still important.
Don't be afraid to open your heart to someone new. Maybe they'll be one of the most amazing people you've ever met. Maybe they'll break your heart.
Both are how we grow, learn, and slowly become who we're supposed to be.
And there's my writing for today. (Yes, I really do have friends who fit all those descriptors, believe it or not.) Thoughts are quite welcome.
Thanks for hanging in there, guys! See you, hopefully, on the morrow with a flurry of posts. Hopefully.
Ad astra per aspera.
To the stars, through difficulties.
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