EXPERIMENT X

@ rust and stardust

A man greeted them warmly. "Hello. Pike was in contact with us. He'll be here personally to escort you where he needs to. He just couldn't risk keeping a prisoner overnight."

---
"If it makes you feel better, I can resist." Jasmin offered with mild snark, to which the boy relaxed and took her pressure.

@ k1ssmysass

The brunette stared at the man for a moment before stepping inside and out of the cold, lingering just inside the door. "Why not? Kraemer already knows the location of that base."

-

Scott rolled his eyes goodnaturedly, patting the boy on the back and sending him away once he'd finished and unwrapped the cuff from her arm. "Is the hangover bad enough that you need some kind of medication?"

@ rust and stardust

"I don't know. I take orders, not question 'em." Giles admitted. The other man jumped to speak up. "They had a bad run-in with the last bout of prisoners. Lost a few people."

---

Jasmin shook her head mildly. "Nope. I feel as fresh as a spring daisy. Whatever the fuck they look like."

@ k1ssmysass

She raised her eyebrows, but didn't ask any more questions, figuring anything else was better heard straight from the leader himself. Aspen stepped back and leaned against the wall, closing her eyes for a few fleeting moments.

-

"Interesting. I've never heard that one before." Hungover people, or not-hungover-people, hardly ever compared themselves to flowers. Bateman scribbled something on his clipboard, eyes flickering briefly to hers.

@ rust and stardust

"I'll get you somewhere to sleep. Aspen - right?" The new man with kind blue eyes offered with patience.

---
Jasmin blinked in a way that defined languorous. The smaller boy excused himself. "I'll see you guys later!"

Once the door shut, she gave a tug of his clipboard, trying to catch what he was writing. "Before you try to diagnose, I'm bipolar." She said warmly, just like you'd say "I'm hungry" or "I have blue eyes."

Deciding against taking his clipboard, she released her hold, keeping eye contact with him the whole time so he knew she wasn't about to turn violent.

She was still under a precautionary watch, was all she knew.

@ rust and stardust

"I'll get you somewhere to sleep. Aspen - right?" The new man with kind blue eyes offered with patience.

---
Jasmin blinked in a way that defined languorous. The smaller boy excused himself. "I'll see you guys later!"

Once the door shut, she gave a tug of his clipboard, trying to catch what he was writing. "Before you try to diagnose, I'm bipolar." She said warmly, just like you'd say "I'm hungry" or "I have blue eyes."

Deciding against taking his clipboard, she released her hold, keeping eye contact with him the whole time so he knew she wasn't about to turn violent.

She was still under a precautionary watch, was all she knew.

@ rust and stardust

"I'll get you somewhere to sleep. Aspen - right?" The new man with kind blue eyes offered with patience.

---
Jasmin blinked in a way that defined languorous. The smaller boy excused himself. "I'll see you guys later!"

Once the door shut, she gave a tug of his clipboard, trying to catch what he was writing. "Before you try to diagnose, I'm bipolar." She said warmly, just like you'd say "I'm hungry" or "I have blue eyes."

Deciding against taking his clipboard, she released her hold, keeping eye contact with him the whole time so he knew she wasn't about to turn violent.

She was still under a precautionary watch, was all she knew.

@ rust and stardust

"I'll get you somewhere to sleep. Aspen - right?" The new man with kind blue eyes offered with patience.

---
Jasmin blinked in a way that defined languorous. The smaller boy excused himself. "I'll see you guys later!"

Once the door shut, she gave a tug of his clipboard, trying to catch what he was writing. "Before you try to diagnose, I'm bipolar." She said warmly, just like you'd say "I'm hungry" or "I have blue eyes."

Deciding against taking his clipboard, she released her hold, keeping eye contact with him the whole time so he knew she wasn't about to turn violent.

She was still under a precautionary watch, was all she knew.

@ rust and stardust

"I'll get you somewhere to sleep. Aspen - right?" The new man with kind blue eyes offered with patience.

---
Jasmin blinked in a way that defined languorous. The smaller boy excused himself. "I'll see you guys later!"

Once the door shut, she gave a tug of his clipboard, trying to catch what he was writing. "Before you try to diagnose, I'm bipolar." She said warmly, just like you'd say "I'm hungry" or "I have blue eyes."

Deciding against taking his clipboard, she released her hold, keeping eye contact with him the whole time so he knew she wasn't about to turn violent.

She was still under a precautionary watch, was all she knew.

@ k1ssmysass

The sixteen year old nodded, eyeing him warily but too desperate to get some sleep to turn down his offer. Her pride would have to wait a few hours, it seemed.

-

"I was actually just writing down that you're not hungover, but thanks for that little gem." He inched the clipboard away from her, giving her a stern look that faded once she gave up on trying to take it from him. "You're not so bad."

@ rust and stardust

"Giles, I recommend you stay overnight as well. Can't have you driving back when a storm's a-brewing." The man flashed an irritatingly perfect set of teeth.

--
"Hey, I cry diamonds. I can spare a few gems." She joked, not backing down from his stare. "You ain't so bad either."

@ rust and stardust
(Hi.)

@ k1ssmysass

His teeth were too straight, like his father was an orthodontist, or maybe even both parents were, and they'd worked tirelessly to get him a perfect smile. "How big's the storm?"

-

"If you cry diamonds, then do let me know if you're ever feeling sad. You don't have a concussion, by the way, or I'd have told you before I let you fall asleep. Congrats."

@ rust and stardust

"A small tornado," It was Giles who spoke this time, "nothing bad."

---

Jasmin snorted like a bull, watching his hands absently, wondering what to look at.

@ k1ssmysass

"No tornado is a small tornado." That's what she'd always been taught, not that she cared if an angry wind took the roof off the entire place.

-

"Are you hungry?" It was hard to tell if she'd eaten or not.

@ rust and stardust

"It's not about to blow the roof off." Giles said almost smugly, as if on cue.

---
"Yes." Jasmin deadpanned, nearly drooling over the idea of food.

@ k1ssmysass

"You hope." She simpered, turning back to the other man. "You said you had a room for me."

"I'll have a tray sent in." He patted her on the head mischeviously and stood, stepping outside to ask a nurse to bring some food in for her.

@ rust and stardust

"Hey, we're not baboons. We know about the weather." Giles sounded almost hurt. He was acting unprofessionally, arguing back.

---
Jasmin jokingly snapped her teeth at his fingers as he withdrew, leaning into the wall. Everything was almost okay.

@ k1ssmysass

The girl sat him a patronizing look; did it matter? Without waiting for the man to shoe her the way, she started off in a random direction.

-

He watched the girl slip in with the tray and waited to hear some sort of remark from the patient inside, a smirk on his lips.

@ rust and stardust

"Soldier, do not take another step." The man from camp raised his gun.

--

Jasmin sat the tray on her bed, mesmerized by the food.