(Thank u so muuch🥺🥺)
Roger breathed heavily, his throat sore from yelling and his lungs hoarse. He'd projected so much that all was left was the faint nausea rising in his stomach. He glared at Juniper, his face finally softening as he adopts the expression that Astrid had earlier.
Silently, he moved closer to Juniper, reaching his arms out and gently placing them around her, allowing her to rest against his chest. His mechanical half whirred with overheating complaints from the running and yelling, but he ignored the sound, only focused on the hug with Juniper.
Astrid tried to hide her flinch as the hand on her shoulder kind of surprised her, but she allowed it to calm her as much as she could.
(I got you fam I got you)
Juniper let out a soft squeak and flinched when he moved towards her, only to feel confused when his arms wrapped around her. She too could hear the whirring of his mechanical insides, and the sound was almost soothing. She hesitated before leaning against him, closing her eyes and swallowing the lump in her throat.
She didn’t speak. If she did she was sure she’d start sobbing.
Stephan watched on with an empathetic expression, looking back down at Astrid and offering her a small, weak smile.
She had only Roger. Stephan wanted to make sure that didn’t stay that way. She would have all of them. A found family of sorts.
Roger felt the tension in his heart increase, the beating quicken as he held his breath to avoid the tears. As much as he wanted to let himself cry, something inside of him forced him to hold it back. Instead, he swallowed the lump in his throat and held Juniper tight.
"You don't have to be afraid anymore." He whispered, barely audible enough for even himself to hear it.
Astrid, however, allowed the tears to fall. She watched Roger and Juniper, as much as she wanted to join the hug, she knew she should let the two have this for themselves. Instead, she covered her mouth as she tried to cry as quietly as possible.
Juniper clung to Roger, pushing her face against him. The sound of ticking gears and grinding of internal parts was met with a soft sniffle. Juniper silently sobbed against Roger at the soft words, her hands balling into slight fists.
None of this was fair.
Juniper had swore off making friends and yet here she was, hugging Roger tightly and letting him soothe her as she cried. It felt strangely… right? She felt like she really was related to Astrid, like Roger was family, like Astrid was family.
She didn't deserve any of this for what she did to their family… did she?
"I'm sorry…" She whispered softly in return.
(YOOOO THIS TEXAS WEATHER ISN'T VERY GAMER RN AJKDJFJDLA))
Roger closed his eyes, not letting go of Juniper until she did as he nodded.
"We forgive you. He forgives you."
Astrid wiped a few tears from her eyes as she smiled, somehow hearing Roger's words comforted her too. She gazed over at Stephan and Atlas for a moment, without making eye contact as she exhaled.
"There's nothing you can do that could make us hate you." She muttered to Juniper, but to the boys too. They've helped so much already, she knew they were allies.
(AHAKD I HEARD MAN HOW YOU DOING!? I’m in Utah so I understand the weird weather but it’s really wack for you guys.)
Juniper moved to Astrid next, hugging her tightly. “Thank you… thank you.” She murmured gently, her words almost too quiet to hear.
It did a lot to hear those words. She was forgiven for what she had caused. And she was welcome. They all were. The entire group was there for each other. They could all keep going even without the two members physically. They’d still keep them in mind, in heart.
She hoped they could at least. She didn’t want to forget them ever.
( WHEW! WE ONLY GOT THE WORST OF IT FOR ONE DAY AND TEXAS IS BACK TO NORMAL NOW BUT MAN WAS IT DRAINING plus this new job got me wildin and also i hvave been spending all my free time drawing stickers that i plan on selling very soon! i just gotta finish up the last batch before i open my shop uwu)
"Okay," Roger began, his voice evident of the tears as he exhales, letting the rest of the emotion slip out before he swallows the lump in his throat. "We're gonna have to figure out how to publicly upload this information Eddie sent me." He hardens his face as the last remnants of the previous moment slipped from his eyes.
"It won't take long before people will start banging at their doors, rioting against guards, everything. They're already angry, they just need the proof to justify it."
(Daaaannng y’all been busy! The stickers sound super fun! Y’all should drop a link once the stores up cuz STICKERS)
The silence seemed a lot more comforting than planning. But it had to be done eventually and now was the better time to do so before they could lose the information.
“I’m not sure where to upload it, if I’m being honest. There’s got to be some sort of computer lab or something we can connect to. Roger, can you connect to towers and stuff?” Stephan asked, his eyebrows furrowing.
( AAAAA AAAAAAA SORRY HAHA HIT ANOTHER WALL BUT THE STORE IS UP NOW!!! HERE'S A LINK
https://www.etsy.com/shop/aloesshroomsticks ik it says there's a limited supply on some but I promise it's an infinite stock I can literally redraw all of them I just forgot to say there's more than one LOL )
Roger flinches, afraid of the option Stephan offered him.
"I can, but the moment I connect to one, my location becomes public. If I were to do that, they wouldn't hesitate to send a whole squad after me."
Roger placed a frustrated hand on his hip as he continued. "Eddie could have taken them no problem, but I'm not built for a battle. I'm built to execute defenseless people."
Realizing what he said, his eyes lightened up so much they almost actually glowed.
"But, neither is the squad. Eddie's kind of their only war machine. The rest are people with a bit more capability than the average human, and no sympathy. That's all."
(:0!!!!!! YES I LOVE THEM SO MUCH!!!! And you good! I got sick and ignored things for a bit anyways 😂)
That would be an issue. They couldn’t fight off an entire squad with just them alone. Juniper bit her lip and looked to Astrid for a moment.
“I can fight and so can Atlas. Stephan is more suited for healing and Astrid can only speak for herself so I won’t put words in her mouth but I know we’re pretty willing to fight to take these people down, Roger. I can fight.” Juniper looked up at him, nodding confidently. “If they’re not suited for a real fight then they’ll fail and we can win, right?”
Stephan gave her a look and shook his head.
“We should explore all of our options before choosing one. There might be an easier way to do this.”
(the one day i'm up for responding AND IT'S THE FUNKING APRIL FOOLS DAY THING ON TH E POST I'M LOSIN GMY MIND READING THIS HKADKJKFAJK)
Roger huffed, looking out into what's left of the town.
"We need more capable people on our side, and we need to get them without putting ourselves in danger. And we're definitely not putting Astrid in danger."
As much as Astrid wanted to retaliate, she agreed. She wasn't built to fight, and she was much too afraid of confrontation.
"There has to be something we can do," Roger continued.
(THEY'RE SO FUNNY EVEN THO I HAVENT BEEN ON ALL DAY. LIKE THE OH. NO. IS LITERALLY JUST A PHOTO. SEE:)
( oh no )
Juniper worried at her lip, sighing gently at the words. He was right. And Juniper really wasn't exactly good in a fight either. They'd suffer pretty heavy casualties while trying to broadcast the message if they tried to do it at the moment with the little help they had.
"What are we going to do then? We can't just sit around and wait for them to get to us." She complained loudly. Stephan shook his head but pointed to her wound.
"No but we can lay low for a bit while we look for people. The best place to look is out here in the outlands. Nobody who lives in the city are capable of the amount of fight we need. In the meantime, we can bandage you up and make sure the rest of you are in good condition."
( aAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAaaAAAA )
"Good plan," Roger began, feeling a little relieved that he didn't have to lead the group after what he just saw, "we should find a decent shelter to lay low."
"Do you think our house is safe now?"
Astrid perked up, causing Roger to turn his head to face her, his expression puzzled.
"Since, you know, we haven't been there in a while…they've probably already figured we won't be returning."
Roger shrugged, looking at the others.
(Same. Same. 😂)
Stephan took her words into consideration, a soft grin lighting up his features. “You know, that might just work. They’ve already checked the area, but would they post guards just in case?” He asked lightly, humming in thought.
Atlas and Juniper shared a look. “Is it too dangerous?” Juniper asked softly, her eyes wide. “I don’t want to risk anymore lives.”
(If u respond this late at night(at least it's late for me) ,,,,,,,,,go to sleep please I love u plz sleepc buut also how have you BEEN babes))
Roger let out a grin, nodding his head.
"I say we head back there, just for the time being. Once we restore our strength and build up enough people to fight, we can launch our attack."
Roger stood up and started walking, making sure everyone was ready beforehand. He inhaled a deep breath, feeling the tension in his lungs rise.
He's still holding a lot of his emotions at bay. He's tense, but he won't let these people know about it. They don't deserve to see that side of him. He shouldn't let anyone see that part of him, right?
(Hi! Don’t worry I was asleep 😂 but also HIIII. I’m alright! Tired from finals but finally getting a break.)
The rest followed after Roger, Stephan taking stride behind Roger with Juniper and Atlas following suit. Juniper walked alongside Astrid, her eyes tired and weary of her surroundings. She looked a little more than tired.
“You doing alright?” Stephan asked Roger kindly, sensing his tension.
( Yaayay!! soak in as much of that break as you can babes))
Roger had a delayed reaction when Stephan questioned him. One too many seconds of silence passed before he looked at Stephan.
"What? Oh, don't worry. I'll manage. What about you? We kinda dragged you and Atlas into this."
Astrid clung to Juniper as she exhaled a shaky sigh, releasing a sort of stress and anxiety from her lungs.
"We can do this…" She whispered to herself, the rest of what she said ended up being completely inaudible, but it sounded like self-reassurance.
(Thannkksss I'm going to take it all in with much appreciation. I'm so ready for this break.)
"It's fine. It was about time we got out and had an adventure for once. Else me and Atlas probably would have just rotted in that place for the rest of our lives." Stephan admitted, laughing at himself. Atlas came up behind him and grinned brightly, laying his head on Stephan's shoulder as they walked.
"Mm, I actually got outside, Stephan was the recluse. He did good with bandaging me up though…"
Juniper gave Astrid a soft squeeze, listening to her self-reassurance and trying to make sense of it. It provided a needed distraction from her racing thoughts. She added her own into the mess of words, her eyes dropping to the ground as they traveled.
( Hell yeah babey!!! I believe in u )
Roger chuckled with them, growing quiet once more as they walked. Something was building up inside of him, and it wasn't pretty. For some reason, though, he masked it.
The scenery was as usual, but somehow more melancholy. Without Jesse waiting for her at home, Astrid wasn't as excited about returning. She tried her best to appreciate the occasional dead leaves and colorful breeze, but it just wasn't the same without his presence in her life.
Roger eyed Astrid with a tinge of guilt. How are they going to continue after all this? What's next for them? Would they ever get back to normal? Is there even a normal to get back to?
(Whooo! I can finally rest. Ima have such a good rest)
Juniper never really had appreciated the scenery. It was just another reminder of the situation they were in and how strangely wrong the world seemed at the moment. She glanced up at the large city above, a dull ache forming in her chest. So much for ever living up there. She just wanted a normal life for once. Something peaceful and decent and not filled with stealing and surviving and fighting. It was a far away dream though. None of it was going to happen.
As the approached the wall and the city once more, Juniper found herself chewing up the inside of her cheek, the dull taste of blood being her first hint that she had bitten a little too hard. She didn’t know if she could do this… what if Roger or Stephan or Astrid or Atlas got caught next? What if they died too?!
(Yes!! so rpoud hehe also i vacationed to colorado!!!! that was super fun)
Astrid couldn't have expected what she saw when they reached the house. Somehow, in the middle of all this mess, the running away, the adventuring, the attempt against the organization that wronged both of her brothers, Astrid forgot about Polly.
The dog laid, tired and sad, next to the fresh dirt where Jesse was buried. She lifted her head to sniff the ground before resting it once again in defeat.
"Oh my God," Astrid whispered, alerting Polly of her presence. She turned her head in Astrid's direction, and Astrid's heart broke all over again. Tears were evident in the dog's eyes, as Polly huffed in the dog's version of stifled sobs.
(Ooo! That sounds really fun! How was vacation? Relaxing?)
Juniper’s brow furrowed when they came upon the dog, stopping for a moment. She gripped Astrid’s arm, looking a little afraid at first before she recognized the dog as Polly.
“Oh… poor thing.” She whispered gently, looking up at Roger and then to the others before she gently moved forwards, kneeling across from the grave and the dog. She held out a hand to Polly, shaking a little as she did so. She was still scared of dogs.
(It was great! I'll be going back to Colorado at the end of August, the first time was mainly city stuff and I went all by myself, but this next time my family and I will be going to the mountains!)
Polly sniffed Juniper's hand for a few seconds, sensing the grief on her skin as she brushes her nose against Juniper's hand and resting back on the ground.
"How long has she been here? I hope she found a way to eat without…" Astrid paused abruptly as if his name got itself caught in her throat. She sat down next to Polly, petting her back as the dog sniffled against the dirt once again.
Roger wasn't sure how to react. He'd only remembered Jesse for a few seconds before he was gone, and his earlier memories with his brother are still foggy. He wanted to stay on course, too, but also wanted to give Astrid and Juniper- and Polly- a moment.
He turned to Atlas and Stephan.
"This is the house. I can't promise it's got any useful supplies, but it is a shelter."
(The mountains there are so preeettyy. I love them so much!!! Though I'm glad it was good! I hope the second time is super fun too! It's pretty up there so you have that to look forwards to when you get into the mountains!)
"I'm not sure…" Juniper replied in a soft spoken voice. She gingerly patted Polly's head, hesitant to pet her but feeling a strong sense of empathy and connection with the animal. She was sure Astrid felt it stronger, and momentarily wondered what life would be like if she herself hadn't distanced herself from the world and it's people. Would she be happier? Or would this feeling of grief and anger and sadness be worse? Stronger? She really didn't know. It had been a long time since she had really let herself be open and trust a group like she had with the one she had come to know with Astrid.
"Let's take her inside and get her some food or something. If she'll come… I don't know much about dogs…" Juniper admitted, looking to Astrid. "I don't want to leave her here."
Stephan and Atlas left the two girls to their moment with the dog as well, instead turning to look at the house then at each other. "It'll do fine." Stephan reassured. Atlas glanced around with a hesitant sigh.
"It isn't too close to everything? I don't want any soldiers or anyone from the upper cities walking past here. I guess it might be good to be hidden in plain sight though…" Atlas questioned, looking to Roger. He stepped a little closer to Stephan and sighed.
(Yesss! i can't wait to take tons of picturesssss )
"Funny enough," Astrid began, furrowing a curious brow at Polly as she runs her finger along the dog's paw, "I don't remember if she's ever been in the house."
Polly's eyes trail upward to reach Astrid's voice, curiosity grazing her eyes as well. "I don't think we've ever tried, either."
By now, Roger already starts making his way toward the door.
"Like I said," He started, "they've already ransacked the place of any evidence that could lead them to where we are now. Nothing out there will lead them back here."
He opens the door to reveal a messier place than what they left. Furniture was turned over, curtains were ripped off, a few holes accompanied the walls.
Roger exhales, swallowing a lump in his throat as he steps in, avoiding looking at anyone else.
