This is Home: USAFA Chapel

    Switchfoot's This is Home came to mind while I was picking through these pictures, thus the title. 

    We visited the Air Force Academy on our lengthy roadtrip through the United States, but it was particularly the Chapel that I wanted to share with you all. 

    The Chapel is not a cathedral by any length, nor does it meet the definition of a basilica, but it has it's own presence and weight that makes you pause and consider what you're witnessing. It stands tall, strong, proud. Timeless. An unmoving pillar in the midst of turbulence that has seen decades and will see many more. 

    All photos were taken by yours truly on an iPhone... 4? Not sure. Over the course of a couple of days. Sorry if they're small, working within Blogger's requirements and not having them explode from the page.

    More pictures to come, eventually. Not tonight. It's late. 0104. 

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

   P.S. 12:30 AM is not the time to pretend you know what you're doing with the Windows photo editing options, take it from me. 

PSA + Writing: Anomaly, Not Prodigy

    Going for a record-breaking four posts in the span of just a couple weeks. Although this one isn't just more scribbles.

    I, against my better judgement and probable eventual mental breakdown, am aiming to attempt NaNoWriMo again this year. The project, as you might have assumed by my recent rash of posts, will be (retitled) Anomaly, Not Prodigy. How far I will get I have no idea, because there is a whole bunch of schoolwork I have to do as well.

    But, we shall see what occurs, ne?

    For those curious about following my progress, here's the link to my NaNo page for Anomaly, Not Prodigy, complete with synopsis and Novel Excerpt (that is liable to change). Seeing as NaNo starts tomorrow, the rest of my day is going to be world development cramming and whipping up a few more new characters and just generally attempting to have things as ready as possible.

    http://nanowrimo.org/participants/siani-delaney/novels/anomaly-not-prodigy

    Wish me luck.

    Now for the second portion of this post. I wanted to upload some more writing in case I don't get hardly anything up in November, although if I do manage to scrawl some decent stuff for Anomaly, Not Prodigy, you guys may get a sneak peek at what I hope becomes my next completed novel. (Fingers crossed so hard.)

    This bit is another from my 18 page, Jaz + Renner document that took up much of my attention last week. Spoiler alert but Jaz has just learned that the man who single-handedly trained her into the soldier that she is today, has been killed. His name is Min and she doesn't not take the news of his demise well. Ren is the one to intervene.

    To be on the safe side I'm going to give a slight content warning for brief, mild language (most edited out) and thematic elements. 

    And this scene is subject to change in the near or maybe somewhat far future. Since it's come to my attention that writing Jaz late at night means that she turns out kind of bipolar and since she's not... yeah. Anyways.

    Monsoon season. 

    Never ending rain.

    Always soaked through. Perpetual squishing in her boots.

    Four laps around the path, splashing through puddles, lungs burning.

    Drop at the start line. Thirty push-ups. Back on her feet.

    Run. Fast lap, slow lap. Easy run to a full-out sprint.

    It was late afternoon but it looked like dusk with the heavy cloud cover.

    Rainwater dripped into her eyes, caused her hair to cling to her face, her neck. Jaz flicked strands of auburn back, feeling her tied up hair swing to and fro with her movement.

    Her everything was on fire but she was numb. 

    Not him, not him, not him, not him. The rhythm matched the tempo of her feet as she fled an invisible foe.

    She took the curve too fast, her tennis shoes finding a water-slicked spot and then she was unbalanced, sliding across the spongy surface. Jaz went down hard, wrenching her knee to the side and then gasping in pain when her shoulder and head impacted with almost as much force.

    The rain didn’t slow. Lungs heaving for breath to deal with the pain, Jasmine curled in on herself. Get up. We’re not done yet.

    Roll onto stomach. Shove upwards. Get your good leg under you. Shake it off. Keep going.

    Her knee buckled. Jaz almost went down again, but compensated, panting for breath as she doubled over, hands on her thighs. 

    Jade-green eyes squeezed shut to keep water from streaming in. 

    This wasn’t happened. This hadn’t happened. He would still be there. She’d walk in the bar and he’d wave her over and ask about her missions. His dark eyes would reserve judgment until she’d filled him in and then he’d nod and say “you’re doing well” or “good work” or—or—

    Jaz start a stumbling run again, pain ricocheting through her leg and she didn’t care. She didn’t care. She didn’t care.

    “The Chief Commander agreed that, in the absence of your teammates, one-on-one training would be beneficial to your improvement.”

    “Flicker. As far as you can. Go.”

    “Again.”

    “Again.”

    “Stop. Sleep. We’ll do more tomorrow.”

    “Take the target. I will be here.”

    “You’ve gotten stronger. Go farther.”

    “You’re late. Don’t let it happen again.”

    “You want to be an elite—act like it.”

    “Again.”

    “Use your instincts. Don’t think. React. Come again.”

    “You think you’re that good? Prove it.”

    “Again.”

    “Remain conscious. Losing awareness now will ensure your death and that would be troublesome to me.”

    “How many times have I told you? Pay attention. You want to be the best, then you learn how to protect yourself so you don’t burden your teammates.”

    “Again.”

    “Tell me about your teammates.”

    “Again.”

    “Tell me about your family.”

    “Again.”

    “You have come very far, Jasmine. Good work.”

    She dropped, catching herself with her hands and bent toes inside her shoes. Down. Up. Down. Up. Hard shove off, hand clap, down. Up. Down. Up. Hand behind back, other centered beneath her. Down. Up. Down. Up.

    It’d been last week. He’d caught her in the hall of headquarters last week, curious about her schedule.

    “Sorry, sensei. I’m slated to head out for an investigation at the south border tonight, but I’ll be back in five days and I’ll find you at the Tipping Point so we can catch up.”

    “Very well. Be careful.”

    Idiot. Idiot. Telling her to be careful when she was doing a routine inspection and then—

    Jaz held herself on the up of her push-up, jaw clenched against the way her arms were turning to jelly, trembling from the strain she was putting them under.

    Dead. Dead. Dead, dead, dead.

    Dead like Mio. Dead like Levi. Cold. Stiff. Lifeless. Dead.

    Jaz struggled to get back on her feet. Her knee would be in no condition for anything in a few hours and she didn’t care. She’d been confined to the city-state until further notice anyways. 

    Blast Whitecourt.

    The joint was already stiffening. It protested when the soldier started to run again, breaths coming in jagged gasps, from physical pain, from devastation, from exhaustion, from defeat, from despair.

    Jade-green eyes blinked to keep the pouring rain from blinding her. First curve, straight stretch. 

    She wouldn’t cry. Didn’t know how she could—not after Mio and Levi.

    Why bother. Why bother. What’s the point, if they all die?

    I hate you, Min. I hate you. I hate you. You weren’t supposed to leave. You were more of a dad than anybody else has ever been to me in this city. You saw me for my potential, not for my roots. 

   Second curve, straight stretch, headed back towards the start line. Three more laps. A form in one of their black uniforms, face a pale splotch through the inclement weather, waiting for her.

    Jaz continued her limping run, drawing in a lungful of air through her nose, letting it out through her lips, trying to stem off the stitch forming in her side. 

    It was Renner. Always Renner. Aristocratic features drawn, hands in his pockets.

    “What.” She went down to do her push-ups, arms almost buckling. If she couldn’t run, she’d do this instead.

    “I just got back. Whitecourt told me.” His boots scuffed across the spongy track and he crouched down at her side.

    Jaz didn’t spare him a glance, gaze trained on the ground. Up. Down. Up. Down. Don’t stop. Can’t stop. Don’t stop. Can’t stop. Down. Up. Down.

    “Stop.” There was that voice again, the one that meant Ren wasn’t kidding around. “Jasmine, stop.”

    It went ignored. “What do you want, Mason?” She knew the reversion to his last name would throw him and that would buy her time to finish and get back up to run. Renner was predictable, to her. 

    Ren broke her expectations, this time. There was an irritated huff, then Jaz watched him stand up in her peripherals, and was caught unawares when a heavy boot was planted between her shoulder blades.

    Jaz tried to lock up in time to keep from collapsing, but was too off guard, her senses too dulled by exhaustion and grief to react in time. Ren applied pressure and she buckled, her arms giving out and she hit the ground—again.

    Her earlier impacted shoulder complained against the rough handling.

    Turning her head so she wouldn’t drown, Jaz heaved for air before making to get up again. 

    Ren shoved her back down, merciless. 

    “Get off my blasted case, Mason,” she spat between pants, using her able arm to shove herself away from Renner’s foot and onto her back. 

    Not her brightest idea. Raindrops splattered against her exposed face, blinding in their intensity. Respite came in the shape of Renner Mason leaning over her, his jaw set.

    “No. Get up. You’re going home.” Hard. Unflinching. Adamant.

    “I’m not done.” Sparked temper, unhidden anger.

    “The hell you are. Get on your feet, O’Haire. That’s an order.” Ren reached down to grab her by the collar of her jacket, reminiscent and yet not of a reversed situation years ago, and pulled her up.

    Jaz’s body refused to fight anymore, and all she could manage was to latch onto his wrists, her head lolling backwards at the sudden change in position. Ren dragged her closer, she tried to backpedal, and he just tugged her back again. 

   “Stop. Fighting.” He clipped off the words, dark eyes narrowed. Dangerous. Not someone to cross.

    She couldn’t have been accused of being that smart. “You don’t know anything, Mason. Now get your hands off me.”

    “No. Because the moment I do is the moment you go back trying to kill yourself.”

    Pain burned through her but Jaz only let it fuel the fire. “Did you ever think that maybe right here is where I need to be, Mason? That this is how I deal?”

    “Only those with no one left deal this way. You are not alone.” A small shake punctuated Ren’s heavy tone, as if he were attempting to shake his version of sense into her. 

    Now it wasn’t just pain kindling embers in her chest, but her eyes smarted. “Don’t talk to me about loss, Mason.”

    Thin lips let out a hissing breath and Ren’s fingers tightened further in her jacket. “Listen to yourself, Jasmine. This is not you.”

    “Maybe this is me, you’ve just been too oblivious to notice it in all your fascination with the runt of the pack,” Jaz sneered, bitter, lashing out in the only way she had left. “The little mongrel that Daddy said you weren’t allowed to play with. Ever think of that with that genius brain of yours? Maybe you didn’t care because why should you? The daughter of the drunk and the whore, the only one to not put you on a pedestal.”

    Stop. Stop talking. Stop.

    Ren slapped her.

    The air left her lungs at the blow, head turned from the low force of it. She swallowed, then found her face brought back around by cold fingers grasping her chin. Jade-green eyes flickered upwards.

    “If you,” the temperature felt like it dropped when Renner posed the words to her, deadly calm and his eyes frigid. “Dare to insinuate that you are only a fascination to me again, you will find yourself alone, Jasmine O’Haire.”

    That killed any remnant of fight left in her. Jaz felt like a cork had been pulled and now her every wayward emotion was emptying from her with a speed that made her already shaky legs impossible to stand on.

    Renner’s hold on her jacket was released as he grabbed her upper arms, keeping her upright. The ice had disappeared—that was a scare tactic she did not need to see from him again anytime soon—and her longtime friend was there to support her.

    “You need to go home,” Ren murmured, helping her regain her feet. 

    Jaz nodded, tremulous, deflated, ready to drop again at a moment’s notice, and clung to his arms, needing the grounding effect just feeling him there brought.

    Not gone. 

    Not yet.

    “You can’t go anywhere.” Jaz lifted her head to plead with him, jade-green eyes shadowed in her grief. “You can’t go anywhere, Ren. I can’t—not again. Not anymore than this.”

    Ren pushed back one response, then shook his head. “I will do the best I can.”

    And that was it. She knew that would be all he would give her, because they both knew what their line of work meant, how dangerous it was.

    How many losses there were, even in times of peace.

    “I will carry you. You are not strong enough to flicker and you’ve injured your knee.” The business-like tone was chosen to draw her from her thoughts, distract her.

    Jaz wanted to kick up a fuss. The retorts were there, ready to be used, but she couldn’t get her brain to connect to her tongue. So she just sagged in Renner’s supportive grip, awaiting whatever decisions he came to.

    Just like he had done with her, when his own grief had propelled him to her door.

    Rain continued to pour down around them. Fitting, considering, but she wished it would stop. 

    Maybe if the sky would stop crying, then she could do so instead.

    I ended up liking this scrawl quite a lot, myself, although I mentioned Ren's rough handling to my sister and she did that disapproving brow pinch and said that there had to be a more chivalrous way for him to handle the situation.

   Unfortunately for her, chivalrous and gentlemanly is one of the first things on the list of "This Will Not Work When it Comes to Jasmine O'Haire". Even more so when she's in this state of mind. 

    At any rate, this will be October's last post, and I do hope to see you all in November, to update you on my NaNo progress if nothing else. 

    Thank you for reading! 

    Ad astra per aspera.

    To the stars, through difficulties.

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

    Contrary to popular belief, I am still alive. 

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

Life...

    ...it carries on.

    I realize it's been a full month since I last posted anything, let alone writing, and for that, I apologize. Life is speeding along and I'm barely (barely) keeping up right now.

   That said, I will have been eighteen for a full day in about ten minutes. Yup. It's that time of the year again. Siani's birthday. 

   It was actually a pretty good day. Slept in unintentionally (although that happens when you say "just one more episode" three times), spent all morning through lunch at the BX and commissary with Mom and my littlest sister, then came home to crash for several hours while Mom got the troops putting up Christmas decorations. We did a family dinner out to Olive Garden, I got a card that made me cry, a Willow Tree aptly titled "Angel of Freedom" for the newly emancipated, legal adult, and a new iPod that I thought was a tin of Juicy Fruit gum. Along with some other stuff.

   So. Yeah. I'm an adult. I get to vote. And drive with whomever I wish, whenever I wish. As long as Mom says it's okay. 

   Aaannd, yeah. I can't tell you when I'll be posting anything writing because my brain is just... overloaded on schoolwork, television, and another alternate universe Jade (don't ask; I don't know why I keep trying with her) but even that doesn't get a lot out of me.

   I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving and congrats to those of you who braved NaNoWriMo, whether you finished or not. (I did not, for the record. Gave up after a week when I had school and NCIS: LA to wade through.)

    Ad astra per aspera.

    To the stars, through difficulties.

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.

Skipping Tonight

    Today has not been a very good day and I want to be at least a little productive before I pass out. Whilst do both on the morrow, no worries. After I get my brain sorted out, along with Jandy and Dechlan. As tends to be with new characters, they're not settling in my head quite right yet. I can sense several voided/massively edited scrawls in my future. Siiigh.

    On a side note, welcome to the party, Owl. ^.^

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

Just an FYI

    Fell of the bandwagon tonight and watched Pacific Rim with part of my family until midnight. Now it's 1 AM and after the last few late nights, I'm ready to drop. So, I'll get both my drabbles done on the morrow.

    (Also, Pacific Rim was really, really cool.)

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

I Yet Live/Writing: Steampunk Jade and Kensey

   No, really, I do.

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

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

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

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


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


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

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

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

Back Online

   It's a bit early (Friday evening) but I'm expecting a busy weekend, so I decided to get on now as opposed to tomorrow in a bid to Skype with Penny, if she's not busy.

   So, yes, I'm back online, and hast got news. Exciting news.

   First of all, we have received our assignment from the military and sometime before the end of August, my family and I shall be moving to the Pentagon, which is balanced somewhere between Maryland and Virginia. This came as only a complete surprise to us, as we never expected to be placed anywhere near there. We were expecting Germany or Japan before D.C. But, on the bright side, we'll be near our cousins and only a day of hard driving from Penny and her family. So. Much fun.

   Second of all, I am registered for the OYAN Summer Workshops hosted by Mr. and Mrs. Schwabauer in Olathe, Kansas. I have a pretty good chance of making it, but, at this point, it's looking like I will be flying across the Atlantic Ocean solo to get there. Which Mom is very much not thrilled with. I don't think she'll crush my dreams and refuse to let me go, though. But we'll see what happens.

   And otherwise, we have my mom's grandparents and aunt coming next Thursday, and we're going to be crazy hectic busy the two and a half weeks they're here, with trips planned all over the peninsula. I'm.... not completely thrilled, as we've already done a good deal of what we're going to take them to see, but there's not a lot to be done, so.

   I'm not sure what my posting schedule is going to look like between grandparents, travelling, schoolwork, starting the whole move, prayerful Workshops, and so on and so forth, but I will attempt to get something up every now and again.

   I've had a lot of inquiries as to whether or not I intend to continue with my Sean and Lindsey scrawl and I've always said I didn't think there'd be anything more for them, but they've had other ideas. I haven't gotten anything written down yet, but there's been movement in my head, so I shall attempt to see about sitting and getting it down one of these days.

   And.... I believe that's about it for the moment. I got a fair deal done with my two weeks offline; not as much as I would've liked, but it went pretty well, so. Hopefully I'll figure out how to balance schoolwork and computer from here on out, especially with only three weeks left to our school year.

   As always, thanks for reading. You all are awesome.

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

Hiatus

    I was really hoping things wouldn't have to come to this, but they have.

    As I've mentioned in my previous several posts, schoolwork is looming like a mountain over me. I've been struggling as it is to try and stay on top of it, but with the school year's end in sight and the OYAN Summer Workshops coming up fast as well, I need to have it done, not just on top of.

    So I've decided to take an at least two week hiatus from the computer and internet, if not longer, to try and knock out a bunch of the stuff I have to do.

    I will be back, I promise, and, if you're lucky, I'll have written something in my non-internet time. Probably whilst stay wired into everything for a couple more days, but after that, it's so long to me.

    So....wish me luck? And thank you so much for tagging along with my blog. It means a tremendous amount to me.

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

A Writer on Pinterest

   You know that awful moment when it's a Saturday morning and you're expecting to sleep in after a really long, really emotional day yesterday that had you in tears as you crawl into bed, and then it's 7:30 in the morning and you never wake up this early, let alone on a Saturday, but you're awake now and it's just... Sigh.

   So, yes, it's 7:45 and while my headache from last night is gone, I really had wanted to sleep longer. Oh well.

   For the focus of this post, Pinterest.

   I believe that the majority of you already follow me on Pinterest, but I'm going to put this together for those who don't.

   As any good writer on Pinterest does, I have a variety of story and character related boards to which I pin a good deal of pictures pertaining to the board's title.

   I will provide a link to each board and a brief summary about what's entailed below. Please don't hesitate to follow through, even if you don't have Pinterest. (Though if you don't have Pinterest, you might consider it.)


   Story Inspiration
   I have three boards that all begin with "story". Story Inspiration is a collection of pins that provide me with inspiration for something to include in a story. That could be anything from a bunch of dragon pictures to a short quote that makes me go "Ooh, that'd be a fascinating line to spin a story off of."
  
   Story Setting
   As the title might suggest, Story Setting is all about the world in which a story might take place. The locations range from an artwork of an oriental palace in mountains to a digital rendering of a sci-fi style hotel room. Take your pick.

   Story Style
   This would be for those looking to outfit their heroes in anything from silver wire masquerade masks to a black bustle skirt from the Victorian era. This board is still a bit new and my eye is not particularly drawn to things of the accessory/clothing genre, so filling it is a work in progress.
  
   Faces to Remember
   When you're on Pinterest and going through people's story boards, you'll find that they have a penchant to save pictures of people who they find inspiring, and this is my take on that. All the faces to be found in this board are ones that I think would be interesting in a story, but have not yet found a home for. Ages range from adorable little Asian girls to an older woman with gray hair who has all the qualities of a mentor in her face.


   Now, for the more personal boards, involving the characters I already have.


   Characters
   This is a stashing spot for the pictures I find that remind me of my characters. It doesn't always have to be spot on. Maybe it's his hair, or her expression, but it's a little conglomerate of things that make up the people inside my head. (Hint: If you wanted to have an idea of what Vivian looks like, here's your chance.)

   Hints of Character
   This board is very similar to Characters, but it's in words, songs, and poses instead. This song lyrics remind me of those two characters at this given time; that Mustang is one that I could see my character's brother fixing and then the character driving. Little things that make up the characters on the inside, instead of on the outside.

   Profile: Sarris and Novarr Schaefe
   This is a specialized board for my characters, Sarris and Novarr. It's a big mish-mash of Characters and Hints of Characters, just for the two of them. I also enjoy doing MBTI for my characters, so Novarr has a fair deal of ENTP pins. Sarris, on the other hand, shares her type with several other of my characters, and I have stuffed them all in another board that I'll share at the end. (Warning: Sarris has had a tough background, and a couple of the pins in this board reflect that. One is of bloody hands, the other uses the word "h*ll", so if you're not comfortable with either, consider skipping this board.)

   Profile: Ruusan and Jaydn Schaefe
   Technically, Ruusan has been both an Armstrong and a Vhander, but calling her a Schaefe was easiest, so I went with that. Like Sarris and Novarr's board, this is just a collection of pictures and quotes that remind me of these two sisters, although now it's extended to encompass the Deviant, so if something doesn't make sense, see if it has a "Deviant Ruu/Jade" note attached. If not, it may have a "Kidnapped Ruu" note, and that means the same as the deviant.

   Profile: Ianthe and the Tribes
   I believe I already shared this board when I posted about Ianthe a while back, but I'll share it again for any newcomers or happen-byers. This board is a bit more expansive than the last world, extended to include Ianthe's world and all the people and places in it. So there'll be pictures that remind me of characters or images of real life Arabian palaces, all in an attempt to capture the feel of that world.

   Profile: Jasmine "Jaz" O'Haire
    Not one of my largest boards ever, but this is a smattering of things that make me think of Jaz, who I've posted a couple of scrawls about. The majority of this board's contents are her MBTI type, which is ESTJ, but there are a handful of others things included as well.

   MBTI Personality
   And last but not least, my MBTI Personality board. This has a mix of various types that either hold meaning to me via friends or characters, or just interested me enough to repin them. If they are connected to a character, there will be a note at the bottom saying who it is. For instance, there are several ISTJ pins that are marked with Sarris, Jaydn, and Cameron, and more still of ISFP, which is a new character of mine, Leo Argon.


   And with that, I think I've covered all my story-related boards on Pinterest. If you feel like delving into the bottomless pit that is the rest of my Pinterest, feel free, but don't expect to escape for some time.

   Hopefully, you all found this quite interesting, or some such. Thanks for your time and I pray you all will be sleeping on Saturday morning, not writing blog posts, as I am.

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

Writing: Introduction Bit to Jaz

    It's just as the title says and I apologize for taking so long to finish editing the blasted thing. It didn't take me much longer at all after I finally sat down to do it.

    Unlike the last vague ramble I posted for Jasmine "Jaz" O'Haire, this one is in my regular format and is of a good length. You won't need much of an entering explanation, since this bit starts at the beginning.

   
        The two males walked back into their small city side-by-side, taking in the bustling activity with the pleasure that came when one had been gone three years.
    The darker-haired one stuffed his hands into his pockets, looking around him for the familiar bean-paste fish seller that had been in business since he and Dan had been kids.
    The other took in a deep breath and grinned. “Now this is what I’m talking about. All those foreign places, and they can’t fry beans like the old homestead can.”
    His partner agreed with a small noise from the back of his throat.
    They had just started forward again, intent on checking in with their commander in person for the first time in several years, when a laugh rang out from behind them that made them both stop in their tracks.
    It was a feminine laugh.
    An incredibly familiar feminine laugh.
    A lot of things could change in three years, but there were some things that didn’t and her laugh was one of them.
    They turned as one, hearts pounding with anticipation at seeing her again, minds racing with similar thoughts. Would she have changed? Would she remember them? Was she still waiting for them?
    And they froze when she appeared through the crowd.
    Her auburn hair was tied up in a high pony tail, its length hanging down her back and swinging as she walked. Jade eyes shone with amusement and her lips were stretched in a dazzling grin.
    She wore the outfit of a black-ops member, two handguns hanging from her hips and they swayed in time with her step. Not just a black-ops member though; a captain.
    And she was flanked on either side by two other males they didn’t recognize. Both were at least half a head taller than her and wore a similar uniform to Jaz’s, except they wore a distinctly lower rank than she did.
    “Jaz…” The lighter-haired boy murmured with wide eyes.
     His partner was similarly dumbstruck, his dark brown gaze following Jaz and her new teammates, unable to find words.
    The three black-ops members passed them without a glance and the two returning soldiers couldn’t help but catch some of the conversation passing between them.
    “…wanted to laugh when he said you two were no match for his men!”
    “Did you tell him otherwise, captain?”
    “Of course! I’ll always protect my boys.” Jaz’s smile was bright as she put her arms around their necks and her fondness for them was clear.
    “Hey, Zack,” the lighter-haired male said, eyes narrowed speculatively.
    “What, Dan?”
    “They look like they’re coming back from an op. Probably headed to report to the boss.”
    “What are you standing around for, idiot?” Zack was already walking, eyes fixed on where their teammate had disappeared through the crowd with her subordinates.
    Dan pumped a fist and hurried after his friend.
    Their minds were both set on the same questions; just what on earth had happened to their teammate, and who were those intruders daring to get near her?
    “…work, Captain. You two as well, Kano, Des.” Whitecourt was saying as the two returning soldiers neared his office door.
    Zack waited until his boss had finished speaking before rapping his knuckles on the door twice.
    “Come!”
    The two exchanged glances, sharing the uncertainty they both felt over facing Jaz again, then Zack pushed the door open and they stepped in.
    His office was unchanged, bearing the same smart, yet tasteful decorations likely chosen by one of his female aides and the oak desk piled high on all corners with files and loose papers.
    Four pairs of eyes watched them as they approached the head’s desk, and Zack made a point to focus on Whitecourt, and not Jaz, although the temptation was strong. She’d changed so much while they were away.
    “Mission complete, sir!” Dan announced for the both of them, glancing at their female teammate for a moment before refocusing on the commander.
    The graying man smiled. “Good work. I want reports done and on my desk by Thursday, understood?”
    Both nodded. “Will do, sir,” the dark-haired one replied, voice far less exuberant than his bright-eyed partner.
    Zack finally glanced at the team standing off to the right of the desk. Jaz was entirely ignoring them, which wasn’t what he’d expected. As he watched, was making faces at one of her new teammates, nose scrunched up.
    So much for having matured in the last few years. Well, mentally that is. Physically was another matter altogether and it was probably a good thing that she was a sister more than anything else to them.
    But her blatant ignoring of them was out of character, which meant that she was avoiding them by ignoring them, and the thought put Zack on edge.
    Whitecourt didn’t seem to notice the faint tension in the room, or maybe he was just overlooking it on purpose for the time being, and he addressed Jaz and her team when he spoke again.
    “Captain, you and your team are dismissed. Take a few days off before coming in for your next assignment, will you? I’m sure there’ll be another team willing to take an extra mission so you three can get some sleep.”
     Jaz looked up, jade eyes glinting in the sunlight that streamed through the windows as she did so. “Aa. Will do, sir. Come along, little pets.” The humorous twist to her lips indicated that this type of teasing was a regular thing, and their reaction confirmed it for Zack.
    The two strange men both huffed in amusement at her words, but they followed her command and moved towards the door.
    The boss chuckled at their antics and glanced down at his paperwork, and that was when Dan reached out and grabbed Jaz’s arm.
    She stopped in her departure from the room, and turned to look at him; her face had switched from teasing to indifference so quickly it was frightening. “Is there something I can do for you?”
    “Don’t you remember us, Jaz?” Dan was pleading with his voice, his eyes, and his grip on her arm, but it didn’t seem to be having a visible effect on her.
    Zack was tense, watching her closely while remaining aware of her new teammates standing near the door who were observing the proceedings silently for now.
    “Of course,” she said simply, her jade eyes narrowing a fraction. “Most everybody will, I would guess. It’s not been that long.”
    Dan grinned. “Then what’s with all the coldness? Don’t I get a hug?“
    Zack saw her tense right before she took a purposeful step backwards, away from Dan’s outstretched arms. She hooked her thumbs through her holsters, adapting an expression of nonchalance, but Zack knew what this was now. She hadn’t forgiven them for leaving her behind.
    “What do you two want?”
    “J-Jaz, it’s us! You’re teammates!” Dan’s voice was almost desperate in his attempts to regain good ground with their sister-figure.
    “Yes, I believe we’ve established that, and no, you aren’t. Not anymore.”
    Dan had that kicked puppy look down pat, Zack admitted in the back of his mind, but her words were a far more pressing matter than Dan’s facial expressions.
    “Aren’t you glad to see us at all?” The lighter-haired boy asked with a far more subdued voice in response to her statement.
    “What reason do I have to be happy about?” Jaz questioned with a deceptive air of calm that none in the room believed for a moment.
    “We’re back, Jaz,” Zack took up the conversation, taking his time in speaking. “I would think that's a pretty good reason."
    “No, it’s not. Because you left me without even asking if I wanted to come. Isn’t that correct?” Her smile was grim, her jade gaze hard.
    He had guessed that was what this would be about and chose his next words carefully. “We thought it would be best. You needed the support of your friends and teachers more than you needed us. We did it for your benefit.”
    “You forgot something.”
    “What is that?”
    “I needed my family more than my friends and mentors.” She held together well when she said it, the unforgiving smirk lingering on her mouth, but her voice cracked when she said family.
    Zack met her gaze and knew regret at the look in her eyes, and before he could say more, the captain turned on her heel and left the room.
    Her departure left Zack, Dan, Kano, and Des in something of a silent standoff, with their commander keeping an eye on their goings on while he continued to work.
    One of Jaz’s new teammates, the taller of the two with dark brown hair and muted blue eyes, spoke first and with meaningful inflection to his words. “Don’t aggravate our captain.”
    “She was our teammate long before she was your captain,” Dan shot back, temper heated with his anxiety over Jaz’s response to their return.
    “You’re the ones who left her!”  The brunette seemed to be holding more back.
    “We left her for her own good!” Zack said between clenched teeth, something about these two rubbing him the wrong way.
    His response seemed only to fan the brunette’s ire, causing the other soldier to step closer to Zack as he spoke. “Which is why we had to pick up the pieces of her broken heart when we were placed on a squad together, yes? You call that good for her?”
    “Oi, Kano,” the one apparently called Des said, grabbing his teammate’s arm. “Cool off.”
    The taller male took in a breath. “Sir?” His eyes went from Zack to their commander. “On second thought, do you mind if we take a mission? I think we’d all agree that a bit of time away might be good right now.”
    “Yes, that’d be nice, sir.” Jaz’s voice came from the large window behind their commander.
    She was leaning in the open space, jade eyes glinting.
    “How on earth did you get there so fast?!” Dan all but shouted.
    Their former teammate, Kano and Des’ captain, smirked with genuine humor in her gaze, the first sign of acceptance she had given thus far. “It’s a secret.”
    “As for your request,” the commander interrupted loudly, looking at all the soldiers in his office in the eye so his point got across. “Denied. I won’t be having strife in the ranks, so you’re all grounded to the village until further notice.”
    Silence reigned for a long moment as the four males assessed one another and the sound of Jaz thumping to the office floor came a moment later.
    At her bidding, Kano and Des said their farewells to Whitecourt before heading out the door after their captain, none of them looking back.
    Zack and Dan exchanged looks, before they turned back to their commander. He didn’t seem overly annoyed with the argument that had just occurred.
    “When did she become a captain?” Dan asked after brief moment of quiet.
    “Last year. Kano and Des have been under her command since the day after she made rank. “
    “Did she ever have signs of waiting for us, sir?” The lighter-haired boy said, hope in his eyes. Zack knew he was searching for anything to give them hope.
    “The first six months she was in here every other day asking for any updates on your mission before she stopped out of the blue. Next thing I knew I was giving her promotions until she reached a level of skill that gave her the option of switching to black-ops, and she took that opportunity the moment it was available. Looks like you guys’ leaving didn’t have the preferred effect, eh?” Whitecourt leaned back in his seat, an apologetic smile on his weathered face.
    “Yeah…” Dan murmured before tapping Zack on the arm. “Let’s go, yeah? I feel like some of those fried bean paste fish you love so much.”
    “Aa…”
    They also spoke the required formalities to the commander before plodding out.
    Once on the street in front of the central military headquarters in the city, they faced each other, studying and gauging how the other had taken it.
    “She’s changed,” Dan stated.
    Zack huffed, but resisted the urge to roll his eyes in his soured mood. “You think?”
    “How do we get back in her graces?” The other mused aloud, seemingly oblivious to Zack’s exasperation.
    “What makes you think I have the answer to that question?”
    “Because you’re the brains here, and I’m the brawn,” a half-hearted grin here, but it faded fast. “You know, of all the things I expected to happen, this wasn’t one of them. Tears, anger, avoidance, yes, but... this is something else entirely. She’s got a new team Zack. She doesn’t need us anymore.”
    “That’s because she wanted it that way,” Zack murmured, stuffing his hands into his pockets as he surveyed the street, not surprisingly devoid of the bustling crowds found in most other sections of the city. “She never liked having to rely on us as much as she did. She wanted to be on the same ground as we were, but we never gave her the time of day.”
    “She did? We didn’t?”
    “Yes, imbecile, she did. You just were too busy protecting and shielding her to notice.”
    “Hey! You were doing the same thing!”
    “Yeah, I was, wasn’t I?”
    “Then how do you know she felt the way she did?”
    “We were gone three years, Dan. That’s a lot of time to think and analyze everything about our team. But I didn’t know for certain until we talked to her just now.”
    “And you think she despised how much we protected her?”
    “It was a possibility, and now I think that that’s been confirmed as well.”
    Dan fell quiet, processing Zack’s words for several minutes before he finally said quietly, “She called them ‘her boys’. She smiled at them like she used to do to us.”
    “And she loves them more than she did us, I think.”
    “What makes you say that?”
    “They understand her more than we did. You can tell by the way they automatically guessed that she told off her target for talking down her team. The way they’re so comfortable together. Think back; when was she ever that comfortable around us?”
    “To the point where she’d walk through town like that with us, you mean?” Dan mused for a moment, then frowned. “Never.”
    “Exactly.”
    “I don’t want it to be like this, Zack. I know she’s mad, I know she’s got a new team, but I don’t want our old friendship to die like this. I don’t want it to die at all, blast it!” The lighter-haired male threw his hands up.
    The older boy shrugged. “They’re grounded here and we’re not going anywhere until after some well-deserved leave. Might as well make the best of it and see if we can talk to her again.”


    Unfortunately, after this, my bits all skip to that rather disastrous mission that Jaz takes on. I might try and fill in the blank spaces, but I'll likely just end up editing whatever I have got and go with those.

    Sheesh, I have no brain... It's been a long day, with an 0700 wake time, exercising, walking our neighbor's beagles twice solo because my sister is sick, and then I've been running back and forth between schoolwork getting stuff for her all afternoon.

    Anyways. Thank you for reading and I hope this bit isn't too disjointed, considering it's two years old with an edit job to make it more readable.

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