When he wakes up, it's still dark - dark, but light enough that the stars aren't quite visible anymore. Nevertheless, he takes a moment, still prone on the ground, eyes open, searching the pale-dawn-sky for
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Jasper can't sleep, these days. Not well, anyway. He's almost used to it, so fuck it; when he wakes up and the sun is nowhere in sight, he just stretches his arms up a little and calls it morning.
Not like there's much to look forward to.
He wanders kind of aimlessly, trying to shake the stiffness out of his leg. No one else should be awake yet
Except, huh. That guy is. And he's going through his stuff like he's throwing half of it away.
"All right, all right," Jasper laughs softly. "Stupid question."
He takes a few still cautious steps closer, sitting down near enough to talk to the man without waking everyone up, but far enough away that he's not totally infringing on his space. As if he wasn't interrupting already.
Just a shrug, this time, without looking up. He's not sure where he's headed. South. East. He just wants to be away, away from sickened Red Cross camps with their mud and their hopelessness. Better to be alone, where it's quiet.
He realizes that he's paused, in packing up his bag. There's no reason to do that.
Jasper notices the pause. Hey, almost had a conversation going, there. Sort of.
He looks over as the guy starts packing again. "You still not talking?" he asks, a little blunt, but not unkind. "Only, it's easier to talk with somebody when they actually, y'know, say things."
"Didn't think so," Jasper chuckles, a little ruefully.
He takes a breath, because this is going out on a limb. "All right, look, can I just call you 'Guy'? Because weird as it seems, you're kind of the closest thing to a friend I've got right now, and it doesn't seem right to think of you as 'that dude over there.' I mean, I feel like we're kind of past that."
He shakes his head, realizing he's rambled a bit, and looks up at the man.
"Would that be okay? Like, it wouldn't offend you, right?"
Jasper grins for the first time in what feels like forever. "Yeah? Really?"
He takes a brief look around at the camp. The sun hasn't come up yet, even though it's starting to get lighter with that grey sort of pre-sun glow; and all Jasper can see are the bodies (sleeping, just sleeping) and the mud.
"Yeah," Jasper nods, agreeing. Actually looking forward to something. "Fuck yeah, Guy, let's get out of here."
Guy leads them through the winding paths, between the tents - some shopkeepers already awake, already eyeing the duo with caution and suspicion. The world hasn't settled down yet; people haven't figured out that capitalism isn't a luxury, it's the simplest and best method of trade.
Up by the gate, Royal and his guards are in the process of opening for the day.
Guy has already guessed that Royal must have trounced Jasper - something about the kid makes Guy think that he would have mouthed off, and with Royal's type, that's never a good thing.
In order to halt any hesitation, he touches a hand to the back of Jasper's shoulder, firmly, pushing Jasper so he's walking ahead.
Jasper's not nervous, though he probably should be, up and leaving just to follow a stranger to nowhere in particular. He trusts Guy. He's not sure why, but he does, and the guy caught him when he fell, so... That counts for a lot.
Royal and the guards are out by the gate already, and Jasper can feel himself starting to tense up. Yeah, he brought that beating on himself, because he never can tell when to shut the fuck up; but that doesn't mean Jasper's eager for a repeat performance.
And even now, Guy's catching him again, shoving his shoulder enough to push him in front; to keep his feet moving.
"I'm going, all right?" hisses Jasper, not wanting to draw undue attention. "Though I have to say, me leading? Not the best idea." He cranes his neck back to look at Guy. "I'm not gonna stop, okay? I'm with you."
Guy gives him a brisk pat on the shoulder, a little amused at Jasper's timidity. It doesn't much matter to him whether Jasper's coming with him or not.
It doesn't.
Royal turns to stare at them, as they approach. Spits in the dirt. "What do you want?" he challenges.
Guy nods at the outside world, beyond the gate. Specific enough. But if Royal wants them more specific, Jasper's going to have to do the talking.
Jasper almost smiles at the pat to his shoulder. He gets that he's being laughed at, kind of, but it's reassuring all the same. Maybe there's hope in this whole friendship thing, after all.
He cocks his head at Royal's questioning, defiant and sarcastic like he hadn't had the shit beaten out of him not too long ago for it. "Just thought we'd take a walk, y'know, enjoy the fresh morning air."
Not like there's much to look forward to.
He wanders kind of aimlessly, trying to shake the stiffness out of his leg. No one else should be awake yet
Except, huh. That guy is. And he's going through his stuff like he's throwing half of it away.
"You going somewhere?" Jasper whispers, curious.
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He discards the remnant of the bait he used to catch the fish, the ones he traded in town. He can find that fresh.
Ah.
It's - Jasper?
He glances up, to Jasper, briefly. Is he going somewhere? That should be obvious.
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He takes a few still cautious steps closer, sitting down near enough to talk to the man without waking everyone up, but far enough away that he's not totally infringing on his space. As if he wasn't interrupting already.
"Where you headed?"
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He realizes that he's paused, in packing up his bag. There's no reason to do that.
So he continues.
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He looks over as the guy starts packing again. "You still not talking?" he asks, a little blunt, but not unkind. "Only, it's easier to talk with somebody when they actually, y'know, say things."
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And they are having a conversation, of sorts.
Besides, Jasper talks enough for two anyhow.
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He studies the man's face for a long moment. What the hell happened to this guy? And that's another thing...
Jasper smiles, not too hopeful, but he has to ask: "You gonna tell me your name, at least?"
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Which isn't really an answer at all.
He doesn't shake his head, doesn't nod. Just seals the backpack up, on his knees in the dirt.
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He takes a breath, because this is going out on a limb. "All right, look, can I just call you 'Guy'? Because weird as it seems, you're kind of the closest thing to a friend I've got right now, and it doesn't seem right to think of you as 'that dude over there.' I mean, I feel like we're kind of past that."
He shakes his head, realizing he's rambled a bit, and looks up at the man.
"Would that be okay? Like, it wouldn't offend you, right?"
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It's as good as any other name, he supposes. Better, because it's - undistinguished.
Guy slides the pack onto his back and inclines his head, indicating for Jasper to come with him. A question, a request. An acceptance.
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He takes a brief look around at the camp. The sun hasn't come up yet, even though it's starting to get lighter with that grey sort of pre-sun glow; and all Jasper can see are the bodies (sleeping, just sleeping) and the mud.
"Yeah," Jasper nods, agreeing. Actually looking forward to something. "Fuck yeah, Guy, let's get out of here."
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Up by the gate, Royal and his guards are in the process of opening for the day.
Guy has already guessed that Royal must have trounced Jasper - something about the kid makes Guy think that he would have mouthed off, and with Royal's type, that's never a good thing.
In order to halt any hesitation, he touches a hand to the back of Jasper's shoulder, firmly, pushing Jasper so he's walking ahead.
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Royal and the guards are out by the gate already, and Jasper can feel himself starting to tense up. Yeah, he brought that beating on himself, because he never can tell when to shut the fuck up; but that doesn't mean Jasper's eager for a repeat performance.
And even now, Guy's catching him again, shoving his shoulder enough to push him in front; to keep his feet moving.
"I'm going, all right?" hisses Jasper, not wanting to draw undue attention. "Though I have to say, me leading? Not the best idea." He cranes his neck back to look at Guy. "I'm not gonna stop, okay? I'm with you."
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It doesn't.
Royal turns to stare at them, as they approach. Spits in the dirt. "What do you want?" he challenges.
Guy nods at the outside world, beyond the gate. Specific enough. But if Royal wants them more specific, Jasper's going to have to do the talking.
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He cocks his head at Royal's questioning, defiant and sarcastic like he hadn't had the shit beaten out of him not too long ago for it. "Just thought we'd take a walk, y'know, enjoy the fresh morning air."
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"Get the fuck out," says Royal. "So that someone else can waste a bullet taking you out of the gene pool."
Once they're clear of the gate, Guy gives Jasper a smack, on the back of the head. Idiot.
A quick check of the directions available - up the road, and down the road.
Neither look appealing.
Guy hops over the ditch by the side of the road and heads into the forest.
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