Her eyes flickered across Astrid’s face, a look of soft understanding upon her own. “Don’t let them tell you anything.” She replied firmly, sliding over and patting the seat next to her. She trusted Astrid, for now. She seemed harmless. “Hope is a rare thing to have out here. We all used to hope, and then they told us what it would take to get up there,” she pointed upwards, where the platform of the floating city could be seen.
Astrid's eyes trailed upwards with Juniper's words as she sat down next to her. She shrugs her shoulders and returns her gaze to the ground in a sort of laugh.
"I don't really care about that. I just miss the green on the trees and the fields of grass."
Her eyes locked on the dirty, trashy ground below her.
"The world isn't anything it used to be, that's what my grandparents used to say."
Though half of the air wasn't anything close to clean, Astrid inhaled deeply. This moment was such a contrast to the days she spent snatching food from innocent merchants; she didn't feel like she had to run anymore.
“Earth is dead. There’s no sugar coating it.” Juniper replied rather sharply. They never made it to Mars, they never found life on another planet, but they did find new nuclear weaponry. And they did start a war. And they did kill the world. “Though I’ve heard some floating cities have trees and grass.”
She was jealous of those who entered the cities. She wanted a normal life for once. One she could live without stealing. “And their food is supposed to be good.” She murmured, pulling her bag close as if afraid it would walk off.
Astrid glared at the ground, Juniper's hard truth reminding Astrid as she held her breath, feeling her heart rate rise.
"I don't want to live in the floating cities. That just means I'm one of them."
She replies coldly, scratching her elbow almost nervously as she starts to fidget. She certainly didn't identify with anyone down here, with their reeking of alcohol and other foul stenches, but she'd rather hard truth than a happy lie. She didn't want to abandon what little excuse she had to call herself human.
Plus, moving stressed her out.
Juniper grinned wickedly. “Funny how if we go up there, we become mindless. And if we stay down here, we turn into corpses along the roads and are burned.” Juniper laughed softly, shaking her head. “I hate this place. I want to get out of Sire.” Out where the air was cleaner.
Astrid looked up, but only looked partially at Juniper, curiosity filling her eyes.
"Do you think it's any better anywhere else?" Astrid reached into her jacket and pulled out a small sketchbook, a few messy scribbles of natural sceneries filling the pages. One had a clean city, with trees every couple of feet, and gentle, warm lights accompanied by summer rain. Another was a forest, with flowers littering the grass and animals and birds scattered among the scene.
"Is there anything left of this world that looks like this?" She utters, showing the pages to Juniper.
Juniper had been places many others had never been. She wasn’t born into Sire. In fact, she was only visiting the city for now. She studied the book’s pages, biting her lip. “Only one place is still clean enough for that. There’s a genetics lab trying to regrow trees on that land. It’s protected, there’s a building there for them. There are trees around, but they never last very long.” She mumbled, hoping she made sense. “The birds are only alive as pets.” She added, rubbing the back of her neck.
She wished such a place existed. Earth would be a much better place if it did. “Have you ever been out of Sire?”
Astrid listened closely to Juniper's answer in anticipation, clenching her fists as she puts away the sketchbook. She turns her head away as she scratches the back of her neck, rubbing her arm, and finding other ways to fidget without being obvious.
"I was too young to remember it. My mom drew these when she went, but…" She pauses, unable to finish her sentence. After the silence had gone on too long, Astrid gave up trying to come up with a better way to end her pause.
"I should…probably head home." She murmurs, but she doesn't move.
“Mm there could be other places like that. I haven’t been everywhere.” She replied, rubbing at her bandages. “If your mother came from the east then I for sure have no idea what’s out there. I never head east. Too much toxic land for my taste.”
At the mention of a home, Juniper perked up. “Do you have a place to stay?” She asked softly, rubbing her nearly shaved side of her head. “It would only be for a night or two…”
Astrid's eyes lit up as she holds herself back from jumping up.
"Of course you can stay with us! I'm sure Jesse won't min-"
The realization settled in as Astrid paused, her excitable posture sinking into the ground as she looks down in shame.
"Well, the only problem is…I'm lost, I don't know how to get home from here."
Usually Astrid would stay in a certain radius near her house, but temptation overcame her and she drifted a little too far away from a place she recognized, and eventually grew so distracted that she lost her sense of direction.
Juniper burst into a fit of laughter, shaking her head. “Have you never seen this side of Sire?” She asked through her giggles, standing. “What’s a familiar building for you? A landmark?” She asked, stretching out her arms with a grimace. “I can help you get back.”
Astrid relaxed more comfortably and stands up to take a look outside of the alley. The streets had died down a bit after the rations ran out, but that didn't mean that half-alive people still crawled and slept on the dirty, staining gravel that just might be half bones. Her gaze fell upward as she points to one of the floating cities in the distance.
"That one, I see that in the morning when I go on my walk."
She whispered, looking back to Juniper.
"You're pretty far out aren't you?" Juniper asked, her eyes settling on the city. A few ships passed between it and the city just above them. Often times, the sun would be blocked by the cities but no one ever complained. The rays of the sun had become deadly. "Follow me." She said simply, dusting off her ripped jeans before beginning to climb up the fire escape of a building. "Roof tops are easier to walk on. Less people."
Astrid glanced back at the cities, sort of getting lost in them as she studies them closely, almost leaning forward as if that would help her get a better look at them. She thought about her morning walks and how the bleak colors were a little bit bearable in the morning, because the air felt slightly more fresh, and the morning dew justified the bland colors. She wondered which path Juniper would ta-
"Roof tops?"
Astrid whipped around to watch Juniper climbing up the ladder, which creaked with each slight movement. A sinking feeling welled up in Astrid's gut.
"Isn't that…" She paused, again, unable to finish her sentence, as she swallowed the gulp in her throat and followed Juniper.
Juniper was already halfway to the top, a bright look of adventure in her eyes. This girl was an adrenaline junkie. "It's safe. I've done it before." She replied. "It's a lot safer than walking these streets, Astrid. Over on this side of town, you can get stabbed for looking at someone. I'd rather keep you safe. I'm sure your brother wouldn't like me too much if I brought you back half alive."
She pulled herself atop the roof, looking around with a soft sigh. From up here, one could feel the hot waves of the Sinatanium core working above. Those cores kept the cities up in the sky. She didn't want to think what could happen if one were to fall. The city looked huge even though it was miles above them.
Looking out over the buildings gave her the same sinking feeling. This city was a dump. Few of these buildings were actually inhabited, too toxic or worn to live in. "Ain't that a sight?" She murmured, stepping to a board that had been laid across two buildings. It looked as if this was a well-used method to travel.
Astrid felt a little dizzy when she reached the top, so she sat down for a moment as Juniper examined the sight. As much as Astrid wanted to enjoy the scene as well, she'd also prefer the bread she had to stay in her stomach, so she tried her best to avoid looking down.
"How often do you use the roof tops?" She uttered, holding her arms out to keep her balance as she shakily walked across the same board that Juniper had no problem strolling across.
"Has anyone ever fallen?"
Juniper bit her lip in thought. "Nearly every time I come here. They're easier to use than walking. And I don't get mugged as often. No people up here to take my things." She replied, puffing up her cheeks as she walked. She glanced back to the other female, tilting her head. "Never on their own. But pushed? Plenty have been pushed off." Her eyes traveled back to the sight of the city.
"Do you not like heights? You look uncomfortable."
Astrid froze, looking up at Juniper's hoodie as she huffs.
"I guess you know another reason why I don't want to live up in the flying cities."
She mutters as she takes a few more excessively cautious steps, reaching the next roof and sighing in relief as she climbs off the board.
"Do people steal from you that often?"
She utters, breathing heavily but attempting to slow her breathing to avoid getting too stressed. She could feel the tightness in her chest welling up, so she straightened her posture and breathed in, closing her eyes and counting to seven, before breathing out again.
Juniper was silent for a bit. She nodded slowly, waiting patiently for the other to relax. "I only want to live up there to escape this." She murmured, nodding at the streets below. A few voices echoed from the main road, blending in with the hum of ships and HoverBikes. "Yes. You can't let anyone even bump you in the streets or you'll come up missing all of your saving. It's easy to pickpocket around here if you pick out the ones who aren't guarded twenty-four seven." She pulled a small bag of coins from her pocket, tossing it to Astrid. "For you and your brother. Got it off a rich dolt thinking he was better than everyone." She replied with a sly grin. "It's the only way to survive here. Steal and you're pretty much set."
Astrid picks up the bag from her lap, staring at it in shock. Her eyes widened as she opened the bag and gazed at the coins that would have shimmered in the sun if the sun was visible.
"Thank you.." She whispers, awe coating her voice as her head hangs lower in her attempt to stare at the coins closer.
She shoots her head back up to look up at Juniper's hoodie.
"Can you teach me how to pickpocket?"
She blurts out, a hint of a glowing determination in her eyes as she scrambles to stand up and stuff the bag into her jacket pocket.
Despite the small size of the bag, the total of the coins inside would last someone months in Sire. Juniper didn't need that much. There was only one of her. She had enough to get by anyways. The necklace in her pocket would make sure of that. "No problem." She replied softly, rubbing her arm. It was starting to hurt badly.
Astrid's outburst alarmed her. The blue-haired girl turned her head to stare at the curly-haired one. "Sure… why not." She mumbled, running her fingers through what little hair she had. "You can practice on your brother."
Astrid nearly dropped herself as she chuckles at the last comment.
"Jesse doesn't want me to steal anymore. He said it's too dangerous for me."
Her green eyes glistened as she walks closer to Juniper.
"But…I guess if I do a good job, he'll never know, right?"
"Exactly. He'll never know. It's only dangerous if you get caught. And even if you get caught, it's easy to get out of." She grinned at the thought. More oft than not she saved herself from the worst of punishments with some sob story or some snarky remark.
Juniper gestured for Astrid to follow as she moved across yet another few buildings. "Lets hurry back before it gets too late." She murmured, pulling the bag closer to her as she moved. It was precious cargo. "No one likes to be out here after dark." That's when the creatures came by. They didn't even have names yet, just creatures that liked to feast on the bodies left out to rot.
Astrid wondered about the creatures a lot, and thought about them as she followed Juniper, the nerves dying down with each building. She knew her brother went out at night sometimes, but she was too nervous to ask him why. All she knew was that Jesse didn't have a job, but still managed to keep her and himself under a roof, even if the house itself was barely holding itself up.
"Have you seen any of the creatures?"
Juniper bit her lip at the questions. She had a few run in’s with a few. “Yes… I’ve killed a few.” She mumbled, shivering. “They’re scary. I don’t like them. It’s the reason I have this.” She tapped her bandaged arm. “They almost killed me before I got to them.” She admitted.
As much as Juniper hated to admit it, she was weak. Her only skills were in sneaking and pickpocketing. The only reason she lived was because of another person coming to her rescue.