EXPERIMENT X

@ rust and stardust

"Like a dream." Jasmin joked mildly, taking another long swig before passing it back, her already-sleepy outlook on the world lulling her into easy conversation. The way she slurred her words made it seem like she'd been drinking before he arrived.

"What about you - leading a bunch'a people?" She sat up with a low sigh, moving so he had room to sit.

---
"Someone is looking for him." The woman promised.

@ k1ssmysass

He took another drink and nodded, reluctant to drink much more; he had other duties to attend to, and she wasn't even one of his own. "You shouldn't be drinking."

-

Aspen glanced around, wandering almost absentmindedly to one side to examine pictures on the wall.

@ rust and stardust

"Neither should you." Jasmin quipped. "Dig up any dirt on me while I was gone? Lemme tell you - I had a shitty upbringing in stray territory. I grew up without much purpose. I jumped between camps." She shrugged her heavy shoulders.

Her mouth formed an upside-down crescent, as if she'd hit a mental barrier. "They told you 'bout my little sister, huh?"

She gnawed on the back of her knuckle absently, reluctant to drink much more. She was already feeling too loose.

She opened her mouth as if she was ready to say more, then faltered.

--
The woman walked with her, releasing the grip on her shoulder. She was surrounded; running would prove useless.

"Who is that guy to you?"

@ k1ssmysass

"I read about you. Sorry to hear about her." The kid had been young, only six. He'd always thought six was a bit too early to begin training, having started himself at ten. "You don't have to talk about it."

-

"That's not any of your concern, but just a squadron partner. For patrols." That was all it had progressed to, really.

@ rust and stardust

Jasmin offered the flask, eyes wandering over him, trying to get a read on any sign of a personality. She was beautiful, without that fresh layer of grime and grimace of fear she'd held their first meeting.

"She was tryin' to get out of cleaning her room, so she ran off an' I followed her right into the middle of training. I remember a bang, an' she was limp." Tears leaked in her eyes, but they didn't fall.

---

"It is now. You're on our grounds. Honey, I want to know so I can help you get back. We just want to send a message across. Or at least, most of us."

@ k1ssmysass

The man listened, frowning slightly at her story. "That's awful." He almost couldn't find the words to describe what it felt like to imagine his own siblings going through the same thing; surely, experiencing it firsthand was unimaginably horrific. Tears sprung in her eyes, and he slipped her a tissue.

-

"Yeah? Well, he's a comrade. That's it." She said again, eyes traveling over the items hanging on the wall and then over, across the passing faces.

@ rust and stardust

"You can either dwell on it or learn from it. So, I learned until it hurt t' learn. Enough with that sappy shit." She accepted the tissue, but her fingers brushed over his with purpose, as if saying, 'I'm okay. I just need time.'

She watched him with her owl eyes, expecting him to pull away.

---

"Fine!" She blew out a snort. "You win."

@ k1ssmysass

It didn't seem clear to him how one could learn very many lessons from a freak accident like that, but he wasn't about to try and tell her she hadn't learned anything. Maybe she had. He allowed his fingers to linger before pulling away, eyes still distant.

-

"Win what?" She'd kill to be back arguing with Grayson right then, perfectly content to go on patrols and come right back.

@ rust and stardust

"Sit down. Tell me 'bout your tragedies." Her voice was barely more than a breath of hot air. She patted the spot next to her.

The tissue was left in a wad in her hand.

---
"I'll leave you alone about your 'comrade.' Girls and guys can totally be friends, sure, but the way he looked at you-" She admitted, mouth twitching. Her brows furrowed.

@ k1ssmysass

"I have none, other than watching my best friend watch his brother get gunned down, and watching a boy shoot himself by accident." Those were tragedies, sure, but not his.

"It's between me and him, surely." She reminded the girl, irritated by her persistence.

[brb for an hour my fav new show is on]

@ rust and stardust

Jasmin pursed her lips, doubting his words. She reached out, taking hold of his wrist, and pulled him down to her level so she could wrap her arm around him.

---

"I suppose so," She scoffed, eyeing the paintings with mute disinterest and a clear vision problem.

(Okay.)

@ k1ssmysass

He allowed her to grab hold of his wrist and pull him down to wrap her arm around him, although he couldn't decide whether it was a drunk or sober gesture. "You're getting close to drunk, Collins, and I've got work to do..." He mumbled tiredly.

-

Aspen eyed the girl, taking note of the way she seemed to squint. "Having trouble?" She was starting to wonder where the officer was, and if there even was one.

@ rust and stardust

"You need a break." She whispered into his shoulder, palm urging him to sit down.

---
"A little." She admitted.

@ k1ssmysass

The man sat, shooting Lydia a questioning look. "Five minutes, then I'm back to work. You need sleep."

-

Murmurs of "Evening, General!" and other variations could be heard from somewhere behind her, and she glanced over her shoulder.

@ rust and stardust

She eyed him sleepily behind thick lashes. Her fingers lifted to force one side of his mouth upward, into a half-assed grin.

---

"What fresh Hell have y'all brought me today?" Pike, an overly handsome, steel-eyed male said without humor.

Did all the men here have no senses of humor?

@ k1ssmysass

An eyebrow shot up. It had nothing to do with the alcohol; she acted similarly sober. Did she have no idea how to treat authority?

-

Aspen watched the dark-haired man with narrowed eyes and almost clenched fists. He'd been the one to send the patrol that ambushed them out.

@ rust and stardust

"You're fine. I can stop. You jus' need to live some. Your eyes are getting too hard. There'll be nothin' left if you keep it up. Relax. I won't say nothin' to the others."
---

"You sent us there!" The girl who'd taken her in said with annoyance. Normally, she was extremely and entirely respectful. Pike was a whole other breed.

"Soldier, lower your voice." He didn't acknowledge Aspen.

@ k1ssmysass

The man took one last swig of the alcohol before handing the flask back and standing up. "You'll go before the troop in the morning, and they'll vote you in or out."

-

The brunette impatiently tapped her foot, giving off the impression that she had better places to be. But she'd been told never to talk first by her brother, so she didn't.

@ rust and stardust

Jasmin caught him by the sleeve, brows furrowed. She kept her words from slurring into a single bundle. "Seriously - you need t' live some. Have a nice night." She released him slowly, sinking back into her bed.

---

"I've been told your name is Aspen. We need you to give a message to your leader." Pike looked bushy and no-nonsense with his dark, somber gaze.