(Me tooo tbh haha)
Juniper had no idea what caused her to change her mind so quickly. Something about this brother and sister drew her in. Maybe it was because they were a family, or maybe just because they offered shealter. Or maybe it was the fact that Juniper did not want to be alone anymore. She couldn’t handle it. She needed someone to talk to and confide in, to help her heal her wounds and give her small smiles and laughs. She needed human contact.
“It’s a good thing I’m female then.” She said with a laugh, winking. She watched Astrid with an air of slight joy, taking the water from her and gulping it down. She hadn’t had fresh water in so long. It felt so good to drink it up. “Thank you…” She murmured. “Mm, I don’t blame him. I not only look like a wreck, I’m also a stranger he’s never seen before.”
Astrid found herself lost in thought as she went back in the transcript of Juniper's conversation. Something stuck out in her mind, and the curiosity to learn more scratched at Astrid's skin.
"For the record, I don't think you're a monster."
Something in Astrid pushed her to look further up at Juniper. Nerves and shyness darted through her body, making her blushing evident, but Astrid forced herself anyways, as her eyes reached Juniper's, and Astrid gave a sheepish smile, almost immediately breaking eye contact before she melted.
(Yeah, I'm gonna sign off for tonight. Talk to ya tomorrow then! Goodnight )
(Ahaha I fell asleep. But have a late good night.)
Juniper glanced up at Astrid at her words, curiosity lining her face. “You don’t? Why not?” She murmured, her eyes suddenly narrowing. Her expression softened when Astrid made eye contact, leaving her feeling rather relaxed. “Do you see me as a street rat then? A theif?” The words were not harsh nor rude. In fact, they sounded almost curious in the good way.
“Am I a stranger with a good sense of luck?”
(Ahaha you're fine:) )
Astrid shook her head at Juniper's suggestions. She didn't like the way Juniper saw herself, it reminded her of how Jesse thought of himself. Maybe that's why Jesse closed off his heart to Juniper initially; he saw himself in her.
"You're fighting for your most basic right; to live. When all the odds are stacked against you, you hold on for dear life and you do what you can to live. The real street rats are the ones who have deprived the neighborhoods from their right to live. The thieves are the people who have taken our basic needs to live and used it to fill their gluttony."
Astrid sighed as she took another sip of the water, sitting down at the small round table that only had two chairs.
"You're not a monster. You're a warrior."
Juniper sighed softly as she listened. This girl was hopeful. She admired that in her. “There is truth in those words.” She mumbled, shifting her weight slightly. “I don’t want to believe I’m a monster but I just can’t help it.” She murmured.
Her hands shook slightly as she lifted the cup. “Could I get more? I don’t want to run you dry so I don’t mind if you say no.” She murmured.
"Of course you can," Astrid chimed, filling her cup with more water as she returns to the table. As she handed the cup, Jesse opened and walked through the door. He paused to look at Juniper and Astrid for a second, but he quickly returned to taking off his jacket, setting down his bloodied and worn-down bat, and approach the table with a sack of mysterious contents.
Juniper eyed the bat, a soft look of concern flashing across her face. She growled under her breath and took the water offered her. It too was gulped down quickly. “Jesse, right?” She asked softly, offering him a smile. “Juniper Dale.” She stuck her hand out for him to shake, sleeve pulled back so as to not alarm him.
( ah sorry for the late response! tryna do homework and am getting so off track lol )
Jesse turns to Juniper, eyeing her vaguely, but relaxing his stiff body language for a moment to shake her hand.
"How'd you meet Astrid?"
He murmurs, pulling random bits of junk- other than the occasional valuable item- from the bag and setting them on the table as Astrid picks them up and examines them. First she picked up a dirty shirt, probably big enough to fit Jesse. Then she picked up a half-empty matchbox.
(Ahaha It’s ok. I had a class.)
Juniper flashed him a small smile. “She bumped into me while they were handing out supplies and food. I took a liking to her and she to me.” She laughed softly, glancing at the items on the table. She eyed the matchbox, nodding towards it. “I will be staying all three nights she offered. I won’t steal anything but I do ask if you are willing to give up those matches.” Her eyes flickered to his face, taking in his features.
Jesse glanced at the matchbox in Astrid's hands, as if he himself forgot he had them. Hesitant, he turned back to Juniper.
"What do you need em for?"
Astrid set down the box and reached into the bag, pulling out other various things and fidgeting with them, this whole series of events practically a daily occurrence for her, seeing as how comfortable and relaxed she had become.
“To light fires.” He said as almost as if it were common sense. “I travel town to town. Fire keeps the creatures away.” She murmured, shivering. “Less chance of me dying.” She watched Astrid with a small smile. “I’ll visit every now and then, bring back stuff for you two “
Astrid smiled weakly, not daring to lock eyes with her again as she looks over at Jesse, who seemed to grow a bit flustered.
"Promise me you'll stay a warrior and won't become a real street rat."
She whispered, earning a confused glance from Jesse, but he tried to brush it off as he left down the hall.
"I'm going to bed, goodnight Astrid, stay safe."
Juniper grinned. “Of course I will. I won’t become like the others.” She told the girl with a large smile upon her face.
It fell when the brother spoke. She still hadn’t got an answer to her question. “Mm, you wouldn’t mind if I take the matchbox would you?” Juniper turned to Astrid, the question directed at her. “Or I’ll take a few matches from it and leave you with the rest. I can strike them on other things.”
Juniper was getting a little too comfortable here. She knew she would be in for it when she caught platonic feelings. But for now, she’d stay. And she would return, like a cat bringing presents so she could stay for other nights.
Astrid grinned and nudged the box of matches toward her on the table.
"Actually, you can take whatever you need from this bag. Jesse goes out every night and snatches what he can find, but only he goes out at night because it's too dangerous for me. I'm sure he's already forgotten what he grabbed so anything you take he won't notice."
Astrid leaned back in her chair, the sleepiness starting to rise in her.
Juniper sighed softly. She snatched the matchbox and pushed it into her pocket, sighing softly. “Thank you.” Im not so sure he finds these things… She bit her lip.
“Well, I’m off to bed. If I’m gone don’t worry about me. I have a few things to do in the morning.”
Astrid shimmered with sleepy happiness as she nodded.
"Goodnight, Juniper." She whispered, standing up and walking down the hall to her bedroom.
She opened the door, squeaky enough as it is, and tip-toed to the half-functioning twin sized mattress, slowly peeling the oversized jacket off of her and setting it down on the floor next to her, falling onto the mattress and quickly falling asleep.
Juniper only nodded before she returned to her corner, sighing softly as she laid down. Her joints were sore. She hadn’t gotten much sleep recently.
The blankets were soft, warm. They stirred some long forgotten memories from the back of her mind. Juniper fell asleep to soft memories of laughter and love.
The next morning she woke rather roughly, groaning in pain as she sat up. Her wound had reopened, blood soaking through the bandages. A low growl left her throat.
Astrid used to rely on her clock's alarm to wake her up, helping her live each day by a comforting schedule, but now she can't hear the alarm; the loud noises stresses her out. Instead, Jesse wakes her up before he returns back to sleep himself.
Astrid crawled out of bed as Jesse furrowed a brow at her.
"You slept in your clothes from yesterday?"
Astrid, still waking up, looked down at herself to see what Jesse was talking about.
"Oh," She shrugged her shoulders absentmindedly, "I guess I did."
Confusion and shock filled Jesse's face as he tries to remain calm.
"Astrid…did you-"
"It's okay, Juniper helped me out of it."
Jesse's face was nearly unreadable as Astrid ran a hand through her even messier curls, the freckles on her face glistening in the sun's rising rays. Astrid sludged out of her bedroom and into the main room. It was still early, but bright enough that the sun could shine. Jesse returned to his bedroom to sleep in more.
"How'd you sleep?" Astrid inquired, noticing Juniper sitting up from where she laid.
Juniper glanced up, smiling weakly. “The best I ever have.” She mumbled, shaking her head as she pulled the bandage from her arm and discarded to to the side of her. She was still wrapped up in the blankets, looking comfy.
“Thank you for letting me stay…” she said suddenly, studying her bloody arm. “I needed this.”
Astrid noticed Juniper's arm and flinched slightly.
"Has that not healed at all? Didn't Jesse patch it up?"
Astrid knew Jesse wasn't the best at making friends, but he could at least help an injury. His hesitation to trust Juniper was mutual, so he was going to have to make an effort to gain trust, rather than letting the other person earn his trust.
Astrid opened a cabinet in the kitchen, revealing a loaf of uncovered bread. It still looked edible, though, so she broke off a good two pieces, sitting next to Juniper and handing a piece to her.
Juniper looked up, shaking her head. “It’s getting worse if anything. He didn’t patch it up, mostly because I didn’t let him.” She replied sheepishly. “He doesn’t trust me. I’m afraid he’ll do something to the wound and it’ll make it worse.”
She didn’t mean to be so untrusting and worried around people. She hadn’t been shown much kindness. Which was one of the reasons she felt so drawn to Astrid’s home with her brother.
Juniper took the bread with a soft nod of thanks, tearing into it and sighing. She shifted the blankets to avoid getting blood on them, instead letting herself bleed onto her pant leg.
Astrid raised an eyebrow at Juniper, confused, but trying to understand.
"Jesse goes out at night and has to deal with those creatures all the time. He's seen that kind of wound before because he's had it before."
Astrid stood up, walking to the bag that Jesse left on the table from last night, and dug through it. Luckily, she pulled out a handful of bandage cloths, and she returned to Juniper.
"May I? I can at least stop the bleeding until Jesse fixes it. Which he will, I'll make sure of it."
She nodded slowly, a little ashamed of her untrusting nature. Her eyes dropped to the floor as she nibbled on her bread. “They’re awful creatures.” She said simply.
Juniper’s eyes lifted to watch the other female. As she made her way over, Juniper shifted again. “Oh… yeah. Sure.” She held her arm out gingerly for the other to take.
(I'm so sorry I'm trying to cram homework bc I've been procrastinating all week lol)
Astrid carefully placed the bandage cloth onto the girl's arm, trying her best not to become too grossed out by the wound, as she wrapped the piece around to tighten it's grip. She pushed slightly on the wound, but couldn't bring herself to press any harder, in fear that she'd hurt Juniper.
"Hold it above your heart, that'll slow the bleeding."
She whispers, somehow remaining calm.
