There was no way you could do your job as a bodyguard if the client or so had decided you know what, the world is big, pretty place of love, and sunshine and no, I’m not drunk at all--
At least: that was how Jessie had figured that conversation happening; with no real insight into the exact details, he imagined that simply, the client had pulled his partner-to-be, and their guard aside, gripped them by the shoulder, and maintaining eye contact had said listen here--
Lakes. Lakes is where it’s at.
And I might be high, yes.
Jessie amused himself with this a lot: but then, not much to do if he was waiting and the night dawned.
To his understanding, the general idea here appeared to be to go in together, and cover a certain area, cleaning it off the infected so that come morrow, there should be nothing that forbade the vehicle in transporting overly rich people to Lake Armdale; there was some houses there; it was a pretty good spot; the infected didn’t roam in savage numbers--
Excuses, Jessie was sure, anyone stupid, or anyone without a true understanding of what happened beyond the proverbial ivory of Stronghold’s walls thought, thoughts surely wrong--
And to him as someone who’d ventured into no-man’s land-- and returned before:
To him, this was another job risking his life--
But then, the title of a specialist he donned was quite broad; having scouted these parts before, and mostly just recently (including an Ian encounter), he understood the easy ways with which to reach the lake--
Where to turn, where to duck: where to dodge, and strafe.
He understood.
Understanding, though, as he smoked and the smoke of these beloved cigarette drifted upwards, and like a brazen cunt he leaned against the Stronghold’s outside walls--
Understanding didn’t mean survival.
It meant nothing--
It meant a higher percentage of surviving this, coming out alive and intact, missing nothing; it meant that anyone in charge could slap the pertinent document with the details, and proclaim--
See, this one has been to the lake before, it says so in this report from his mission--
That means everything is alright.
It would not be correct.
But as Jessie awaited his fellow SS person to arrive in here, join him so they could set up and walk idiotically into the night--
It didn't appear to matter.
And it could not.
Instead, knowing he'd be spotted like so: knowing he'd be approached with this stupid big smile on his mouth, and trusting whatever impression one gleaned of thereof, Jessie just looked up--
Looked and observed as the sun plunged down, creating a streak of colors on the horizon, announcing a night.
How the actual fuck did she get coerced into doing this stupid shit? She was pissed, beyond pissed even, and anyone that encountered her before the gates could read it all over her face. Her jaw was clenched tight as she took her first steps outside of the safety of the walls looking for this idiot that was supposed to be accompanying her on this death march to the lake. If she got bitten or killed she would be back to haunt some idiotic higher-ups, their families, their dogs, she was going to ruin their lives in her afterlife. Anyone that knew Asena knew she wasn't pleasant, she wasn't friendly, and she gave zero fucks about the people around her as long as they left her the hell alone...how could they just go and stick her with some stranger and think she was going to be ok with it.
She walked down the wall a ways, the sun going down, the fact that this job was going to be done in darkness irritated her that much more. How smart was that? Toss two secret service soldiers out in the middle of the night to make things safe for these rich pigs who probably deserve to be killed. She wasn't against them getting a taste of the real world but she knew that was also highly against the rules of the inner citadel. It wouldn't be long before she would spot Jessie, a familiar face from around headquarters but not someone she would willingly go out of her way to speak to. She narrowed her eyes at him before a deep sigh would leave her already tired body. " I assume you are the other half of this mission, right?", her tone was less than enthusiastic as she took in his appearance.
The reason behind her drawing his attention could be obvious; he had been waiting for her; her womanly parts related not, but Jessie squinted at her regardless, sporting that mildly mischievous gaze, as if he were reading off things and pieces about her, the bibs and bobs of her person she’d otherwise keep hidden.
And the cigarette kept him company, on.
When she had finally gotten close, she responded rather amazingly--
And at once, those fiery parts of Jessie undoubtedly dubbed as problematic in the past reared--
And eventually:
Jessie would respond by leaning off the wall; taking one final puff at his cigarette--
Then blowing the smoke out at the exact moment he flicked the cigarette off, stomped on it with the heel of his foot and told her--
“Aw, c’mon baby, give me at least a reason to put that frown on you.
“Well, never mind, I’m sure the baby did the job, so.”
With that, he actually beamed: straight up beamed like her most annoying sun, recognizing her from prior ventures into the SS shit before, and knowing that the likes of her did not deserve bodyguard duty.
C’mon.
But-- yolo, he supposed, and so as he looked her up and down with that obviously searching look, not even caring if she assumed the worst of him, or some utmost interest in her curves, her waist--
Everything that suddenly appealed to him between random moments--
‘Random’.
--as he took stock of her. he weighed how this was gonna go down before he rolled his shoulders back, and said to her--
“Alright my hateful shrew, fucking off we goooo.”
And if she didn’t shoot him dead by the end of the night, lord, she surely would by the end of that sentence.
" Baby? Do I look like a fucking child to you?", she snapped at first that angry look only getting worse when she took notice of him looking her over. " Like what you see? STOP.", her mood was horrible but she was sure killing a few infected, if they ran up on any, would solve this problem, better them than him right?
Hateful shrew. WHAT DID THAT EVEN MEAN?!
Asena was already internally screaming, her face flushing red at the thought of such a horrible name. Who the hell did he think he was?! She was not hateful in the least, ACTUALLY, she was a damn pleasure to be around (HA)! Everything he needed to know about her current mood could be seen all over her face, her eyes narrowed, her nose wrinkled, she looked like she was ready to pounce him and put an end to her suffering right now. Her hand moved to her hip for only a moment, her fingers grazing over the grip of her gun before falling away, her commanders would probably frown upon her if she shot him so close to the wall..unless she got him far enough away and said he got bitten. Yes, then she would be doing him a service by putting him out of his misery. ORRRR just drown him in the lake and leave him floating there, that was a great mess-free solution. No no, she had to be good, but a girl can dream, right? " Listen here dickhead, my name is Asena, you are going to call me Asena, not baby, not hateful shrew, ASENA.", yes a damn pleasure indeed.
She started walking as soon as she finished her little rant, trailing behind him a little ways, glaring daggers into his back. If looks could kill he would have probably already been dead. " You don't think it's a little weird to be doing this at night?", very weird but who was she to question it? She glanced back over her shoulder at the wall a sense of dread in her stomach but was it from having to do all of this with Jessie, some guy she didn't know that was now going to be charged with at least attempting to have her back, or was it from leaving the safety of the walls? She wasn't entirely sure.
He felt very tempted to point out twas a romantic title, really and c’mon, except she barked at him--
So, so hard and so loudly:
And he fucking giggled and placed his hand to his mouth.
“My bad,” he chirped, his tone muffled but she’d hear it for sure.
Or, you know, clearly not since she’d be too busy figuring out how to get him killed; maybe shoot him in the head? No, she could not chalk that up to an infected attack, unless she came up with some hardcore ruse that a reaper had swung by, and bitch had learned how to handle a firearm--
Now wouldn’t THAT be cool.
… Not, it wouldn’t.
Jessie blinked.
It was only as he saw-- saw how her hand twitched to her gun; it made him think-- a lot, and the conclusions didn’t just begin and end with no, don’t piss her off--
He reached deeper.
Deeper into his mind that of a profiler-- a man who turned his expression meticulous, and cold, and though he continued to don his surely mischievous smile--
He delved deep into Asena’s mind.
So-- he widened his smile.
“Aye aye, Asena.”
It was so odd.
Not fitting his tongue at all, making him wonder if she’d ever tried a different title, before off they walked together, and Jessie absolutely slowed down to allow her to catch up; he was not letting this lady here walk at his back, all things considered.
But he paused-- looked behind himself, before even past the first view of Asena-- past and past, sighting the tall walls of their ‘home’, he guessed, a view and a thought that prompted a mocking scoff--
“Of course it’s weird,” he agreed, before walking on; it would take a while to truly enter the no man’s land; a while to slip into the woods, dark yet; a while before the dread in his stomach settled; like, until this mission was over.
But he’d not share the fact of himself with her.
In fact--
“But you know, we’d not be where we are if we weren’t thought to be expandable.”
He shrugged-- grinned at her, and chirped (the grin crooked, of course)--
“So will you shoot me first when I get bitten or will you wait until I shoot myself so you could kick my dead body.
“You know what, that sounded much better in my head.”
He chuckled to himself too since, fucking hell, this was hilarious.
Posted 05-14-2021, 06:58 AM
Was that a giggle? Was he serious right now? So first he calls her a baby now she is a fucking JOKE! She glared at him the hardest she had probably ever glared at anyone before the moment that giggle hit her ears, his little chirped apology ran straight through her soul. What had she done wrong this time to make them assign her to a mission with HIM. " WOW since you like to laugh so much maybe you should have been a clown instead of a military man. HAHAHA SO FUNNY.{/speech], her fake laugh was beyond sarcastic but her words came off as super sweet. [speech]" I just LOVE clowns said no one ever."
Aye aye...
The two words that would break her soul as she closed the space between them and walked beside him. She was ready to give up on him, exhaling deeply she was ready to accept her fate of being annoyed the next however many hours this was going to take. She moved her hands up to her temples rubbing gently trying her best to ward off the impending migraine that was sure to attack her. " You may be expendable. I'm essential.", there was that undying loyalty to the military that had been programmed into her after years at the orphanage. " It should be viewed as a privilege to be sent on such an important mission even if it's total bullshit.", She was a loyal dog, sure, but that didn't mean she had to like everything she was assigned to do.
His question caught her one hundred percent off guard causing her to give him a strange look before giving it some serious thought. " I mean...we don't have to wait for you to get bitten for me to shoot you.", she said with a shrug and a laugh glancing over to him " I guess if you get bitten I'll just shoot you myself, kick you a few times, and head back to the wall for some brunch." she said a smirk on her face." Don't worry though I'm sure we won't run into many infected and if we do surely you can avoid getting bitten... just don't try to make any jokes with them.", She was loosening up a little, progress was progress.
And then, he just laughed; and laughed, and laughed--
“Wow, holy shit, so who put a hot poker up your ass and forgot it there?”
--and said that; and he laughed, too; this girl was HILARIOUS. She was the true clown here-- the good kind; no make-up and just laughs, because Jessie S. Michels was in fucking stitches here--
She took herself so seriously--
God, so seriously; he just wanted to tickle her or something--
No, no, that sounded stupid.
He wanted to poke and prod her until she murdered him.
Fuck yeah that was the real thing.
So--
He remained giggly-- fucking did, his cheeks puce and blushing, but he wasn’t that level of dumbass; considering how trigger happy she was, he damn well approached his gun with his hand, just sort of pat pat there, making sure that shit was within reach should, iunno, something like a very angry Asena happen?
God: Jessie should not have decided-- then and there-- that he was living for this shit--
He sure had, though.
So:
Yolo.
“We’re BOTH expandable,” he argued back merrily, at once shooting her a rather convinced of himself kinda expression since-- fuck yeah look at ‘em being sent off here, of course their wee lives mattered ‘bout as much as a bag of shit you dropped on your neighbor’s welcome mat, and then lit on fire and then…
Never mind, this idea sounded amazing and Jessie was totally doing it.
Now.
Where to harvest some shit--
“Asena.”
Unrelated--
“Watch out, that’s some real shit there.”
Related:
A literal stinking pile; it was as they passed by the sight thereof planted square besides some rock poking from the ground below that Jessie shot a look over his shoulder-- there, the Stronghold shrank and shrank, their night of death awaiting ahead--
Jessie beamed, and sped ahead.
“Asena, Asena,” he shouted to her, grinning ear to ear like the idiot he wanted her to think he was--
Because.
He was.
He donned that title with much light like the beaming sun; and much vivace, like some after a truly satisfiying fuck. Also, what had been the point of him repeating her name like a chant?
Once again his words ran through her entire body like wildfire, her teeth ground together as she struggled so badly to keep a level head in this nightmare situation. She already had a pretty bad temper and every single time Jessie opened his mouth it just made it that much worse. Getting locked up for killing him would have been worth it, in her mind she was doing the entire stronghold a favor by ridding the world of this pest. Hell, forget being locked up they would probably give her an award for getting rid of him! An award and a raise...it was tempting for sure, so very very tempting.
" Do you ever just shut the fuck up or is there something defective with you?"", she practically screamed at him her face turning red in the process. She didn't joke, she didn't play, this was a job that needed to be taken seriously and they had the audacity to pair her up with a total ass clown. " I'm fixing to jam my foot so far up your ass that you're going to be spitting toenails. So let's give shutting up a try, last chance."
She was serious. Oh so serious.
" I'm not going to argue with you.", she snapped before arguing with him despite her words. " You are expendable. Worthless. I am an asset, they need me as much as I need them. Do you think those paper pushers above us would ever be caught dead out here? I think not. If they didn't have me they would have to get their hands dirty." She was done trying to make her case with him, no matter what in her mind she was essential and he was worthless there was no changing that.
He chanted her name and that was all she could take, she turned on her heels to face him as he ran up on her ready to tackle him and beat the living hell out of him. " SHUT UP! WE AREN'T EVEN THAT FAR FROM THE STRONGHOLD! JUST STOP!", she roared out her hand once again moving to her gun ready to put him out of HER misery. She took in a deep breath eyes narrowed trying to regain her composure. " Can we PLEASE just get to the lake, take care of business, and get back without me shooting you? I don't need any more blemishes on my record and I be damned if you are the cause of my next reprimand."
“Or,” he childishly chose, coupled with a little giggle that kinda confirmed her words:
Or maybe the latter-- definitely the latter.
After all-- he wanted to be serious.
Take this with matching respect that a veteran of his kind deserved--
But.
Did he want to--
Did he want to: as to his delight she went so very anal-- much to his delight in a literal sort; and he waggled his brows not in a coy manner, but neither cheeky or little; he looked a fresh-born, deceptive striking devil, and indeed the brows had been waggled.
The dare posted.
Eyes asking her to do it--
C’mon, kick him so hard.
Go for the balls. First.
C’mon.
Except in some wonder of wonders he did not talk-- instead sizing her up, ignorant, brainwashed--
Oblivious.
At once, Jessie embraced how he was different-- how he othered from this woman; him who knew himself a part of the machine, one of the cogs running the belly of it.
Unlike her. Blinded, her birthday blinkers fastened it--
He embraced it so well, her vitriol bounced off, not even tilting his smiling expression--
And not losing a point, and ignoring her warning from before--
“And if you didn’t have me, your precious clients couldn’t even get here.”
Could hire another--
But then, she too could be replaced by the rich wanting something else--
Pew, finger guns.
When she snapped--
When she actually shouted-- that was when he paused; when he looked at her, judgmental for sure--
When he blinked, and stated clearly to her once she’d finished her puny threat-- the gun she kept reaching for, this screaming one-sided match here all but proofs there was a reason she stayed where she was--
Just a pawn. Just someone so useless they’d be reduced to escort missions. To being a slap to the thigh, come here, dog.
To be what she was.
Just like him--
Jessie's lips curled, softly judging her.
And then he cocked his head at her--
“Nah, if you shoot me it’s ‘cause you never had control in the first place-- I’m not forcing you to press the trigger, after all,” he slipped at her casual, heading towards the thicket of the forest in the distance; though it wasn’t exactly a journey he was trusting to take hours before they reached their target, it hardly should span for but moments.
Jessie, above all, did not need this idiot’s irrational screaming giving out their position-- in a world of the infected too capable of sniffing one out based on their heartbeat alone; even just breathing-- in such a world this made her a weakness.
A liability--
A ticking, shitty bomb ready to go off if something did not go her way.
p f f t
Jessie kept his hand on his gun, then, in close, trained proxy to immediate offense should the rustle and bustle of their 'bouts poke a murderous head out--
It was so hard for her to understand that not everyone took like as seriously as she did, not everyone came from the same background that required them to be a cold bitch. Some came from better, some worse, but no one could really understand why she was the way she was. To her this was a debt to be paid, the military had been generous to her, kept her fed and alive for years so it was her turn to repay that with her undying loyalty and service. It wasn't something she meant to do it was just automatic and only intensified when it came to people she didn't know or understand. Of course, his pokes and jabs didn't help at all, it was like dealing with a child and she was not fit for that.
Every word that left his mouth rang true, he was right, when it came right down to it she lacked the self-control she once had. Years of serving the rich and keeping up their irritating lifestyles had worn her down from the soldier she once was. Her face twisted in total disgust as the realization of just how right he actually was set it, her cheeks burning red from embarrassment now rather than an outright rage that she had previously allowed to bubble to the surface. She wouldn't say that he was right, never, but...he was right.
She wanted to yell out in protest but no words left her mouth instead she once again tried to relax and followed him into the brush. Not a single word was spoken, she didn't even look all that mad anymore, more defeated than anything. He had rained on her angry little parade and her umbrella decided to give out right in the middle of the storm.
She wasn't going to apologize because she very blatantly wasn't sorry for anything she did, instead, she would offer something different, something she would also normally never do. " listen, let's just start over from the beginning. You know ten entire minutes ago." That entire sentence burned her throat but she would eat her pride just this once for the sake of a smooth trip where she wasn't wanting to absolutely murder someone.
He saw the twist in her face; the flush as well; he should have been victorious; glad, even, eager to bask in what read to him as signs of weakness; he had defeated her, one might have said, mostly when the red of her cheeks burned hard, and wicked; it reminded him of rubies, the sort he’d viewed in semi-dark, and in places just dimly lit; she reminded him of a gem for a moment, and again Jessie reminded himself, he should have been happy:
He should have looked at her in a boasting way, that arrogant, and cocky away of someone who’d clearly gotten under her skin (he had), receiving the due flushing in turn as payment--
Should have--
Instead:
He looked at her with a calm face.
And an oddly understanding face--
Though behind his eyes so many things raged on--
On, and on.
Until she said something-- until she said something that made him cock his head at her, this weird standoff coming to a halt, and his brows wrinkling-- in weird, and complex shapes of the various emotions that he went through in moments.
From curiosity, to wonder; to not knowing what to do, and knowing it all.
To all that-- to and fro.
And then, he made a decision.
A weird, and simple decision.
He didn’t have to; he didn’t think he liked her-- while also liking her. His opinion shifted again--
And Jessie then liked her.
He stepped out.
“Alright.”
He offered her his hand.
Face to face they were.
And where the distance between them had dwindled in light of his approach, he didn’t try to kill it entirely, and in the space between them he hung out his hand, his eyes curious, and calculative.
“Let’s try this over: I’m Jessie. We’re on a mission together. Someone out there sure doesn’t care if we die--
“So.”
And at that, his tone turned immediately charming, his cheeks just somewhat pinking.
“Let’s make sure we got each other’s back and don’t get bowled over by the infected, shaaaall we?”
Cue a brow waggle. Duh.
Posted 05-29-2021, 07:12 PM
A blank slate was just what they needed after their horrible start, it was only for a few hours after all, and then she could be rid of him for at least a while, she could handle that, right? She doubted the two of them would have been able to continue had they decided to keep on with their little game of back and forth, this was about getting the job done and nothing more. She took his hand without hesitation, giving it a little shake despite the fact that only moments before she wanted to shoot him right between the eyes. She smiled an almost genuine smile at his words ready to get this job over with and get home.
" Off we go then~ Into the unknown for the sake of rich bastards everywhere.", a little dramatic but the sarcasm was thick in her voice even. She smiled brightly, dying on the inside as she did, this was going to be a total mess and she could already tell it but for the sake of the mission she would be just as cheery, cheeky, and outgoing as he was to keep things moving smoothly.
She started walking through the thicket, arguing with herself internally about how stupid all of this was, she would surely implode on herself before all of this was over. She might not have wanted to murder him but she would have at least loved to smack the eyebrows right off his face after that ALMOST adorable little waggle. What a dumbass, but for the time being he was her dumbass and they had to do what they could to keep each other alive.
" How far out do you think this place is anyways?"
She almost smiled a smile; almost the favorite kind-- w i d e: and he felt within himself an odd, and yet primal need to hunt it down: to make it wide and impetuous; to twist it gone.
To make it beauteous and his heart soared--
And his thoughts clashed vile with beautiful: and he felt wrong and crooked and yet curious--
And considered it with an unabashed, and warm interest.
A little waggle of his brows followed next--
Her words reached, of utmost interest: her sarcasm delighted, setting just right against his cogwheel of his pell-mell; fitting snug and flush and keeping his focus for moments--
He resisted his thoughts only minimally--
He resisted them, knowing he’d be failing--
He failed, and decided something; it was immediate, dangerous.
He smiled, impish; mysterious; avoiding the kind that stabbed a dagger in her throat--
But the sort wholly whimsical, playful so.
And Jessie sighed near luxuriantly, and with endless cheer, however fake, chirped--
“Oh, a good fuck-off distance away. We’ll get there at night.”
With that, Jessie sidled up to her immediately, starting off to continue to their target-- yet doing so with an unabashed, and flirtatious gusto.
It was with subtlety that he faked feeling disappointed ‘bout this--
For the road ahead was a journey; for it would take them a while to reach the post: shy and for the sequestered's private world; their brittle, little echelon.
--enough to send two mortals to wind through and clean out every diluted spot; those lovely, wry sightings for the blood-sucking monstrosities; with a convincing, and yet distorted human shape that often haunted with a reminder even he, one of these days, could join them--
Even he.
--those.
And it'd be a journey theirs, merciless, and horrible: and above anything to Jessie S. Michels:
Familiar.
He anticipated it with gusto after all.
Maybe, too much.
"So why the military? Did you join, or were you recruited?"
That he whispered quite surreptitiously, as if it were a secret just for their persons--
The teasing angle of his smile said so.
Posted 06-06-2021, 03:42 PM
A good fuck-off away huh? She liked that. A laugh was sure to leave her as she mused just how far that was and how it was measured. Was it a million-foot-long dicks? More? Less? Was it the length of two people having sex? Could it be the distance of how far you could hear someone scream fuck-off? Who fucking knew, it wasn't like it mattered anyway since they were both still stuck walking it regardless. " I would hate to have to be the one to measure a fuck-off. " Her mind was still working out how exactly you would do that in the first place. " Maybe just maybe things will go so smoothly that we'll get there in half a fuck-off." She was being delightfully optimistic, nothing was ever easy out here and a walk in the dark with things lurking about that wanted to kill you was far from a cakewalk.
Despite all that had happened before and her less than ideal reaction to being sent outside of the wall for the sake of a couple of rich fucks day trips she was actually excited. It wasn't often she got to see action, real action, not since becoming a bodyguard for a rotation of idiots. She cut her teeth on missions like this, missions that involved killing rather than babysitting. She loved it so much so that she frequently regretted entering the secret service even though that secured her a place within the inner citadel, a life of luxury that most from her beginnings could only dream about.
" A little of both I suppose~ A military orphanage picked me up when I was young and took me under their wing. I owe them my entire life for pulling me out of the slums and giving me a real chance at life.", her loyalty ran deep for a good reason as misguided as it was at times, they kept her alive and now she gets to return that favor by serving until she can't any longer. " Besides it was either the military or a gang for me, at least with this work I get a cushy bed and get to keep all my organs.", she scoffed at the end, her mom was in a gang and they ended up taking literally everything from her, organs and all. " What about you? What brought you to this lovely job with all its glory?"
He was looking at Asena like an actual unicorn had appeared before him out of nowhere-- him, and a person who was actually rolling with his jokes, and though they’d stumbled first-- here she was, elaborating on it; the red, great hue streaking his cheeks even reached his gaze-- immediately: for he beamed, a twinkle in his eyes promising any recalcitrant stuff.
“Well, maybe we’ll get there soon enough and cut it down to half fucked off and-- oh god, no, your joke was much better.”
He concluded that with a delighted giggle, either pleased as punch she’d beaten him to making it-- or that she’d made it; or that he’d failed for he liked to-- and at once, the fact they’d gotten off the wrong foot at all appeared nonsensical, unlikely, and buried so, so far in the past, it just couldn’t be true.
It still was.
And together, they walked.
Jessie knew he was still splitting his attention; that, no matter how becoming Asena was-- well, becoming-- he had divided himself equally into two perfect halves, of each one noted the surroundings, that eerie, calm before the storm quiet that the forest featured initially; which it belied could only be measured by the skeletons that surely paved the paths of warning for anyone walking through here-- tales and stories their bleached bones whispered, and the flesh they were missing a confident nod to the feral kind of monsters lurking in here--
But the other half:
That was buried onto Asena, noting her from the corner of his vision on occasions, for one foot he placed after another, one after another of a straight, calm walk past the trees, and over the unmarked roads that kept their trespassing as quiet as possible.
But her words made him startle; it wasn’t an evident reaction-- rather, his mind jumped, and as he bated his breath a bit, he appeared to comfort in a vague, and nonplussed “huh”, before facing forward, appearing for the next second or so as if he’d not talk--
But he would.
“The same, actually,” he admitted, half grinning at that; he concealed how dark his eyes could get were he to fish out this memory-- he concealed, or pretended he could conceal that his features were to naturally darken when that part of his past was dug out, and in some kinder, or benign words explained.
“Was orphaned at… fifteen. So I was chucked into the orphanage for a hot second, then you know, the military confiscated all the family riches and all that, and adopted me.”
He finished that off on an oddly optimistic note, before halting suddenly-- though he did hang his arm out to halt her, it was only explained by the non-verbal cue of his hard, and a pointed look in a specific direction-- a clamor of trees over yonder, and Jessie thinned his lips, standing still, frozen.
Except…
His arm did lower by his side; did reach for his gun-- and then missed it, leaning onto a great army knife with a toothy edge that he preferred over the loudness of a gun; although, getting a melee weapon out did mean he was thinking close range combat.
It was a time as any to incline his head at Asena softly, and from the corner of his mouth ask her, tone private, quieted--
“Melee’s my specialty. Good with bladed and anything. Yours?”
For up ahead, a small groaning revealed hungered few hunters, lurking in twos and frenziedly sniffing at shrubs.
Somehow at all that, Jessie had to partially smirk.
Posted 06-25-2021, 11:16 AM
Posted 05-09-2021, 11:50 AM
Binging with the wrong lot
