"The middle of town." She stated, pulling a few strands of her hair into her hand. She lifted a knife to it and cut the blue tendrils into her hand. If anything, it evened out her short hair. "He won't do it for free, however." She murmured, stuffing the hair into an empty bag she had on her and filling it up with a few coins and dollars and what appeared to be a ring. "That should be enough. Hair sells for more than you can imagine up in the higher cities." She explained. "Everyone wants hair extensions or wigs. A lot of people lost their hair in the radiation down here."
Roger and Astrid exchange nervous glances, wondering about the legitimacy of this guy. Nevertheless, Roger was nervous, but he didn't want to let the others see his anxiety, so he held his composure. He stood up and looked out the window, realizing the moon glowed high in the sky.
"It's late, we should go to sleep."
Juniper looked out to the moon, frowning. It's light could be seen even with the shadow of the city above. "Yes… We'll go tomorrow…" Her eyes fell to her arm, where her bandages were wrapped around. A soft, sad sigh left her throat. She would never get used to seeing death. Not ever. She hated it. The way the victim fell limp… the way the blood flew…
She shuddered and grabbed her blankets, throwing them around herself as she kneeled down and squeezed her eyes shut. "goodnight…" She whispered, trying to erase the memory of gunshots and the sound of blades through windpipes. She could hear the crushing, crunching sound now. it made her grit her teeth.
Astrid complied to the night sky and made her way down the hall, but Roger lingered. Something held him back from reality, something pulled him, and he stared at the floor intently. His eyes flashed, the memories haunting him; images of desperate eyes that begged for their life as Roger recited the rules to the thieves, street rats, white collar criminals, that just wanted to survive, finally lost their life to Roger's lack of empathy. Roger had to force himself not to feel for them, so that he could survive, but at the cost of other's lives. Roger started to question if his life was worth the countless lives he took, but he soon realized how much time had passed as he stared at the floor.
He snapped himself back to reality, looking around before sighing, shaking his head and retreating to the hallway.
By the next morning, Juniper had barely slept. Her eyes looked bloodshot and there was something distant about the way she moved to grab a slice of bread from her bag.
She couldn’t get the haunting sight of Jesse’s death out of her mind. It was horrible. It reminded her too many times of the death that befell everyone in the Outer Lands.
Astrid woke up late.
She had forgotten to mention to Roger that she needed to be woken up, considering she had gotten so used to Jesse waking her up early. She missed her morning walk.
As her eyelids fluttered open, the realization dawned on her once again; this was the first time she woke up without Jesse there. Tears welled in her eyes immediately as she clutched her pillow, trying her best to cry quietly. For a moment, she almost fell back asleep, but the sun was already brightening up her room, and she had to get up.
Roger made breakfast. He wasn't exactly sure if he was doing it right, but he wanted to make up for all the meals he missed. He opened the fridge, staring at how much it lacked in food, before grabbing an egg. He turned to the stove, which rested under a blanket of dust. Concerned, he attempted to turn on the gas fire, but to no avail. He humphs, frustrated with how little Astrid and Jesse had while he was gone. How much was stolen from them?
Roger looked at his robotic hand; realization dawning on him. He activated a specific weapon in his hand, but didn't fire it; instead, as it heated up, he cracked the egg on his hand, using a fork to scramble it as it cooked.
Maybe he could use this horrific half of him for good.
(Sorry, had work)
Juniper got up only when she smelled the eggs cooking. She slowly moved into the kitchen, in desperate need of a hug and something to take her mind off of everything.
(It's fine! I've been p busy too haha)
Roger notices Juniper entering the kitchen and looks at her, the cooked, scrambled egg in his hand, sizzling quietly.
"I was…just…" He picks up a plate and turns his hand upside down so the egg falls, "making breakfast." He sighs and looks down, shaking his head.
"I was so naive to think I could take this world on my own. I can't even handle being a big brother."
(Work again XD I Work every morning for four hours now)
Juniper glanced at him dully, tilting her head at the sizzling eggs. She didn’t say anything for a long time, looking more dead than alive.
“You’re doing fine…” she finally said, staring at him with empty eyes. “This is your first day… give it some time.”
(Ahaha okay! I'll be pretty busy in the upcoming days- I've been babysitting my cousin for the past 3 days and today's my last day)
Roger sighed heavily, approaching Juniper with the plate. As the sun glared several bright morning sunrays into the house, Astrid stepped out from the hallway, rubbing her tired eyes.
"Good morning, Astrid."
Roger hummed, gazing at the sleepy mess. She hadn't even changed out of her pajamas.
(Ooof)
Juniper turned to look at Astrid, a small smile gracing her lips. “Good morning.” She murmured, her expression returning to the solemn glare from when she had first woken up:
(Update; yesterday wasn't my last day :'))) lmao today SHOULD be my last day, though.)
"Good morning," Astrid began, sludging to the other two as she ran her finger through her curly-and tangled- hair. Roger apprehensively handed Astrid a plate of eggs, as Astrid took the plate, a little confused, but her confusion ended as she ate the eggs happily.
"Are we leaving soon?" Astrid asked, adding a bit of nervousness to Roger as the anxiety of the procedure returned.
(Noooooooooooo Im gunna miss you. I had a college orientation is why this is so late T^T I'm gunna miss you so bad)
"Yes… after breakfast." Juniper murmured, rubbing her eyes as she ate slowly. "We'll have to hide your… mechanical parts Roger." She sighed and tried to pick up her mood. She felt extra dead today and It wasn't too enjoyable.
Juniper's eyes fell on Astrid. "How did you sleep?" She asked softly. "How did you both sleep?"
(D'awww congrats! Also it's okay I'll still reply when I'm not battling writer's block haha)
Astrid looks to the floor, her gaze unable to fix on either of their eyes. She thinks about how she slept, trying not to remember how she woke, as she takes a bite of her eggs.
"I think it was good." Astrid whispered, eyes empty, her mouth hung open as if she were to say something else, but she never did, leaving Roger to answer.
Roger found himself too lost in thought to answer. Just like last night, he spaced out, and with that blank expression on his face, there's no telling what he could possibly be thinking about. In fact, he might not have even heard the past five minutes of the conversation.
"Roger?" Astrid echoed as Roger blinked, his vacant eyes expressing his question before he said it.
"What?"
(Yay!!! Glad y’all are still gunna be around a bit!)
Juniper looked between the two, a little bit of her soul seeming to return as a small light flickered to life in her eyes. “I’m glad, Astrid. You all are family to me, including Roger… I worry for you.” She admitted, the words feeling strange in her mouth.
But it soon faded as Roger grew blank. She tilted her head when he spoke. “How did you sleep?” She repeated the question hesitantly, worried about upsetting him.
Roger's eyes gazed from Astrid to Juniper, but quickly shifted away as he nodded. "Good, yeah. Slept good."
Astrid's concern remained in her eyes as she looked near Roger, studying his robotic parts, but she wasn't sure how to word all of her questions, so she kept quiet.
Roger tried his best to change the subject.
"Well, if you two are done with breakfast, we should get ready to leave, right?"
(Had to do some chores >:c)
“Yes we should. I am done.” She moves her plate to the sink and began washing it, looking nervous as she did so. She didn’t want something happening to the other two. She didn’t want to go out there. What if Astrid got shot next!? She couldn’t live without her new best friend. But did Astrid consider her a friend? What if she didn’t? Juniper was a street rat after all. What if she got in trouble with the law? And if Stephan didn’t do the removal process? What then?
(That's okay! I was gone all day today haha sorry)
Astrid stepped over to join Juniper in cleaning the dishes as Roger grabs a small bag of essentials. Astrid breathed sharply as she gazed in Juniper's direction.
"Are you nervous too?" She whispered, though she had no reason to want Roger to be out of earshot, she still leaned in a little closer to whisper her question.
Roger himself had stopped focusing on how nervous he was for the procedure, but what he shifted his focus on was not any better. It's still dangerous out there. Is he willing to take another life in order to protect Astrid and Juniper's? Is he willing to shift the subject he protected? How is killing the enemy any different? They still have a family, they still have a life.
(You’re ok I slept for most of it XD)
“Incredibly… the man I know is actually close to our age… I’m just worried that… that we will be hurt. I-I can’t lose anyone else. I’ve lost too many…” she choked, leaning closer to Astrid for comfort. “His name is Stephan… he has this friend who goes by the name of Wolf. She… she’s living proof the labs are experimenting on people…”
(Bruh goals tbh LMAO)
Astrid listened intently as Juniper spoke, feeling her stomach tighten as Juniper leaned in close. As Juniper finished, Astrid looked up curiously, her eyes flickering to Roger.
"Is she…like Roger?" She utters quietly, looking over at Roger who, for the second time today, seemed lost in thought.
(The graduated life is a fine one my friend XD)
“No… she’s no robot. I never believed she was telling the truth until I met Roger… she says she’s got a chip in her brain and another that lies in her spinal cord. It controls and stabilizes her unstable vitals.” Juniper shuddered. “She sounded like a madman. She’s even acts like something is not quite right in her head. But if she’s telling the truth it’s because something happened to her.”
( You can say that again :') I ended up re-installing Pokemon Go so that I could go outside more often,,,,surprisingly enough, sitting around all day isn't as fun as it seems when i don't have academic pressure)
Astrid shakes her head, shuddering at the thought of being treated like a lab rat.
"I can't believe anyone would do that to a human being."
She mutters with chills in her voice and skin. She turned to face Roger as he steps to the door.
"How much of a walk is it again?" Roger inquired.
(@me XD honestly it really isn’t.)
Juniper looked to Roger and smiled softly. “About fifteen… if we use the building route.” She said, looking back to Astrid. “Do you remember it? Walking on the rooftops?” She asked softly.
“Roger, we need to hide your metallic parts so they don’t try and reclaim you. I do not want you to be hurt again. I’ve taken a liking to you.”
Roger turns to Juniper, his eyebrows twitching in confusion as he tilts his head.
"How are we going to hide it?"
He questions as Astrid gathers her things into a bag, preparing for the departure.
Juniper grinned and pulled a rather plain looking gas-mask from her own travel bag. “I have my ways. Put on a big jacket to hide your arms. It’ll be hot but it’s better to convince people you’re a survivor of some radiation poisoning or something.” She told him, offering him the mask and looking around for something to help.
