District Thirteen
bisexual
Sexuality
Airron won't leave me alone
Relationship Status
District 13 Military Commander
Occupation
|
Angel
Offline
Virginia time
Tag me @jasminforte
|
|
Post by Jasmin Forte on Feb 16, 2015 0:52:20 GMT
It was a cold night by District 4 standards, the blithering 45° - practically everyone was locked behind doors, even the soldiers. Not Jasmin, though. She'd become accustomed to the up-and-down climate from her past trips to the more wooded Districts. Somebody had to patrol at night, even if it was the Commander. Her pride wasn't an issue. She didn't mind doing basic patrols, as it passed the time, giving her room to be alone.
She didn't have that freedom much anymore.
Tapping her gun against her thick, thermal leggings, she trekked down the sandy shore, her beaten-up leather work boots invulnerable to the ocean's icy embrace. They were laced up tightly, but she didn't plan on doing much running that night, considering the time (it was nearing midnight) and the blustering wind speed. She stuck her gun back into it's holster as a round of wind blew, whipping into her face painfully. She zipped up her navy green windbreaker, hissing four-letter profanities under her breath. The sound of something close by jerked her to attention.
A masculine frame several feet ahead swam into her view, and she kicked off into a jog, her thin, muscular legs carrying her slow in response to the wind, forcing her back in the other direction. "Civilian," She barked, but not unkindly, "do you know what time it is?" Of course he does. It's fucking black outside. It didn't matter how late it was - it was standard procedure to inform the citizens of the potential trouble they were in.
For such a tiny girl, she had a glower in her eyes that intimidated almost anyone and a permanently skeptical, quirked brow. She'd learned to see the humor in things since she'd seen the tragedy of losing her family. That was recovery; laughing at funny things, sleeping nine hours, mourning death...responding normally to day-to-day occurances.
She skid to a halt, dutch braided hair whipping back, the settling at her neck, tickling the skin as the wind settled. Her face was bare of any evident make-up, and her nose tinged pink with the frosty cold. She couldn't be any older than 20, but the pin at her chest read: "Commander J.Forte."
She didn't make any moves for her weapon. She was usually optimistic about offenders. Using excessive force wasn't her style. Hell, she'd barely touched her taser since the war'd broke out. It was a funny thing, how confident a young girl was, alone at night with a potentially aggressive stranger feet away.
|
|
Offline
May 17, 2024 11:45:15 GMT
Tag me @Deleted
|
Deleted
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 3:15:32 GMT
Jonah was walking along the beach at a leisurely pace, his burly figure protecting him from the cold, if it could even be called that. He was from a district that was far more temperate than the ocean side district. Winter temperatures dropped down below negative in district 11, his home.
He was here in Four for reasons of his own. His twin brother Noah had abandoned him and their family to join the Capitol. So he'd gone off on his own to do whatever the hell he wanted really. His plan had been to join the rebel army but he'd never really been good with taking orders from people. He walked down the beach, large and rough hands shoved deep into the pockets of his leather jacket. He was just contemplating what he was supposed to do when a voice sounded from behind him.
He turned, not concerned by the small voice of authority that barked at him. He was surprised to find a small but fierce looking woman glaring up at him. He raised an eyebrow, ice blue eyes looking out at her from a face covered in sandy blonde scruff. She reminded him vaguely of one of those small dogs that thought they were much bigger than they were.
"Yeah, I do." He said in his deep and gruff voice. There was nothing mean to the way he spoke, just a general shortness to all his words.
|
|
District Thirteen
bisexual
Sexuality
Airron won't leave me alone
Relationship Status
District 13 Military Commander
Occupation
|
Angel
Offline
Virginia time
Tag me @jasminforte
|
|
Post by Jasmin Forte on Feb 16, 2015 3:37:36 GMT
Great. A stoic. Jasmin internally rolled her eyes. "I'll give you one chance to high-tail it back into a shelter before I call this in. Save us both the trouble." Jay had taught her to be firm but fair, and it was a skill she'd constantly been looking to improve. Although, some people didn't deserve fairness. She didn't peg the scruffy bulk of a man as the violent type. He just appeared... lost.
She let him ponder in silence, her arms held firmly at her sides. She couldn't risk crossing them, leaving herself exposed and vulnerable to attack. On the off chance he did turn violent, she had to keep her hands free to quickly grasp her weapon.
So much for having time alone to think. Wallowing in her thoughts didn't seem like the brightest idea, though. She craved a cigarette to warm her, but her smoking was less of a habit and more than a treat now. Tobacco prices had skyrocketed, so she'd cut down to a carton a month. She didn't often have a hankering for sweet smoke in her lungs. It wasn't the panacea she'd thought it'd been. It was a dirty habit.
She squinted at him, unable to make out his features well. She didn't like being under the pressure of somebody's gaze, especially when they were scrutinizing her, matching her as the girl from the television: the girl that'd killed a dozen and freed several prisoners of war. She was old news, though. The Capitol had washed their hands of that story. Instead, they'd taken to torturing her with images of her ex, singing and grinning like his life was the perfect image.
Little did they know that she hadn't turned on a television set in months. She was immune. With every jab at her people, she grew stronger. More driven. She fed off misfortune. She was built from the fire that'd destroyed her life.
|
|
Offline
May 17, 2024 11:45:15 GMT
Tag me @Deleted
|
Deleted
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 21:29:13 GMT
Jonah shrugged his broad shoulders, not necessarily in answer so much as just a general show of indifference. What was this little girl gonna do to him? His twin brother may have recognized the woman that had once been plastered on every television screen but not Jonah. He'd been knee deep in the earth, working in the orchard with their father. He was an interesting mix of indifferent bad boy and hard working care giver. Their father had been ill and aging so Jonah had taken over all the work that needed to be done, which was a lot. When finally they could afford it, thanks to the funds his brother Noah had sent home, he hired enough help to run the orchard while his aging parents could sit at leisure in their family home and he left.
Noah was an all together different kind of animal than Jonah was. Where one was sleek and suave the other was rough and gruff, one slick and the other honest, one charismatic and the other silent. They also disagreed on just about everything. Noah had run away to the Capitol and was working with the government there while Jonah couldn't even be bothered to join the rebel army because he was such a rebel that an army just seemed far too organized for him. Despite their overwhelming differences, Jonah loved his brother. And despite his lack of moral compass, Noah loved him too. They were all a bit surprised when they had received the first letter full of money from him with a little note just for Jonah. "So you can live a life too." It was the most touching thing his brother had ever done for him.
And that was how he'd ended up here on the beaches of Four, gazing down at the slight figure of a woman in front of him. Despite the fierce aura that surrounded her, Jonah still felt he could pick her up and snap her in half on accident. Her features were subtly delicate. Although he had the impression she would not be so easily broken.
"I'm not going anywhere, miss. No disrespect but I don't really give a damn about whatever operations you think you are running here but, me, I'm a free man. I'll go where I want and do as I please, thank you." He rumbled in his rich voice, the most words he'd uttered consecutively since leaving his home. He'd always been the strong silent type, just standing quietly behind his brother while the slicker twin drew in whatever audience he'd attracted.
|
|
District Thirteen
bisexual
Sexuality
Airron won't leave me alone
Relationship Status
District 13 Military Commander
Occupation
|
Angel
Offline
Virginia time
Tag me @jasminforte
|
|
Post by Jasmin Forte on Feb 16, 2015 21:42:56 GMT
"Nobody is above the law," the Commander responded tersely, "I don't know where you came from that made you believe you can walk around with a target on your back, but this - this land here is hostile territory. So I suggest you head into cover with me before I send reinforcements. And believe me when I say, they're not gonna' be happy to trek out into this shit storm." She'd never been much of a talker herself - only when it came to giving orders.
Her voice was low and steady, but full of tired static. "I can direct you to a safe house, sir. I'll allow you one more chance. I'm not an unreasonable woman." She gasped suddenly, words dissipating into the air as a gust of wind blew into her face, lashing her cheek. The sparsely wooded area several feet away, fenced off from the public, shushed and creaked. She heard a tree groan, and then crash.
C'mon. Don't keep me here all night.
Jasmin rubbed her hands together to warm them, eyeing the stranger coldly. She didn't feel like being so professional now. She wanted to knock him out with the butt of her gun and drag him to safety.
|
|
Offline
May 17, 2024 11:45:15 GMT
Tag me @Deleted
|
Deleted
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 22:08:39 GMT
Jonah didn't feel like arguing with the woman but he didn't feel like falling into step beside her like a good little solider either. Arguing took up valuable words and time, but it went against his whole nature to concede to her so easily. He chuckled, a deep and rumbling sound, glancing around the beach as if to look for danger, of which he found none.
He looked back to the woman, one hand briefly scratching at his thick, blonde, beard. He was obviously not bothered at all by the cold. If this was a shit storm to her, she should try getting caught in the blizzards that tore through his district every winter. "Look ma'am. I'm not going anywhere with you. So why don't you turn the other way and we can go our separate ways and you can find someone else to annoy with your laws. Deal?" He asked, his face still not betraying any emotions. The only sign that he had any at all was the arching of his brow although it didn't seem to necessarily point to any one emotion so much as to say, "Understood?"
|
|
District Thirteen
bisexual
Sexuality
Airron won't leave me alone
Relationship Status
District 13 Military Commander
Occupation
|
Angel
Offline
Virginia time
Tag me @jasminforte
|
|
Post by Jasmin Forte on Feb 16, 2015 22:36:36 GMT
He didn't concede, and by the chuckle that lifted his scraggly features, he was amused by her act. He appeared supercilious. It wasn't an ego she saw in him, but something deeper. Pride. She inched her hand behind her back, and before she could get a clear aim, she unholstered her taser and fired without much thought - long-distance tasers weren't so particular. They'd zap anything they could grab: an arm, a thigh, and for Jonah, his shoulder.
The weapon vibrated in her fingertips, warming up her hands. She didn't feel remorse. She never did. She swung her hand into her right jacket pocket, snapping out a pair of rusty metal cuffs. They were old and worn, but they served their purpose. She knelt beside him, snapping a cuff around his left wrist, her knee knocking the frigid ground, sending an icy pain up her leg. Something was... something was-
A bird screamed toward the horizon, just as a rancid, acidic smell burnt her nose. She hacked a cough, chest heaving. She grasped the limbless cuff to keep him at her side, her head inclining toward the beach. A glowing, rotten green fog skulked over the beach sky. She watched the bird from earlier spiral toward the ocean, beak first. She grabbed Jonah's arm, struggling to help lift him.
"Get up. We need to go!" She rushed. Even in the smoldering black twilight, the fog was bright. Neon. Fragrant.
And dragging closer by the second.
|
|
Offline
May 17, 2024 11:45:15 GMT
Tag me @Deleted
|
Deleted
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 22:56:58 GMT
Jonah hadn't noticed her hand inching its way to grasp something. He wasn't a trained solider, he wasn't a killer, he didn't notice every little detail about what a person was doing. He was a scrapper, sure, but he wasn't a warrior, yet anyway. If only he knew how the coming months and the little woman in front of him would shape him into a new person. He might have turned away then, he couldn't be sure.
But instead, his body was brought jerking down to the ground in spasms of pain. "What-" Were the only words he grumped out, electricity running through his whole body before he collapsed on the ground. It took a moment before his muscles would even listen to him again but by that time, she'd had one of his wrists locked into handcuffs. He didn't even have time to feel angry before a burning, acidic, smell reached his sensitive nose. He wasn't used to the powerful scents of Four and the ocean but he knew that whatever that was, it wasn't natural.
The woman was yanking on him now and he stumbled to his feet, motions still jerky thanks to her taser. He wasn't one to waste words and he didn't stop to watch the acid fog that was springing up seemingly from the ocean, growing to form a wall, crawling and inching till it block out both sea and sky. And her certainly didn't stop to question the woman about what it was. He doubted she knew. His face betrayed his alarm, showing emotion for the first real time, but he just turned and ran along side her, the fog slowly enveloping them on all sides. It was closing in, growing much faster than they could ever hope to run. If they didn't find shelter soon, they were both going to end up like that bird. The only problem was, the fog had herded them far from the beach and the village. In fact, he could see the metal of the fence that surrounded the district shinning in the moonlight just up ahead of them. It seemed that they were had no hope when something snagged Jonah's leg, slamming him forcefully into the ground... except it was the ground. It was metal. He didn't even have time to groan in pain, scrambling in the dark to pull back the layer of plant life that had grown over whatever he'd tripped on, realizing that it was a hatch.
"Hey!" He called to Jasmin, who had been neck and neck with him until he'd gone down. She was up ahead of him now. "Hurry! I found something!" His tone held a sense of urgency as he called to her, scrambling back to turn and then roughly pull open the hatch. He didn't know if it'd keep them safe but he really didn't have any other choice. It was either this or choke out in the fog, exposed.
|
|
District Thirteen
bisexual
Sexuality
Airron won't leave me alone
Relationship Status
District 13 Military Commander
Occupation
|
Angel
Offline
Virginia time
Tag me @jasminforte
|
|
Post by Jasmin Forte on Feb 16, 2015 23:12:53 GMT
Jasmin heaved a shaky, low sigh of relief when she saw his legs were steadying quickly. She released his arm once he stood and got some momentum going. And she ran. She ran, and she ran, and she ran with no destination. No hope of escaping the choking smog. She wanted to quit, to stop and heave up her last meal. The stink around her burnt her eyes and invaded her nose, burning her retinas and igniting her nose.
She heard him falter, but she didn't slow, just whipped her head around to check on him. I can't let him die. She tore it back toward him, even before he spoke, yelling to grasp her attention. She could just see the opening of the bunker through her watery eyes. She didn't think it through or consider it dangerous.
Especially when they were staring death in the face. She gripped the edges of the hatch and hoisted herself over, feet catching a lower rung of the ladder. She didn't diddle around with the flimsy ladder, just dropped her whole body in. She landed on her feet, staggered, and then caught herself, teeth slamming together. The pain echoed in her jaw.
"Hurry!" She spit up at him, gazing up at him with anxiously perked features. She backpedaled to give him room to land.
In all her years of living in the Districts, she'd heard of 'underground bunkers,' but had been convinced they were all urban legends. And here she was, in the frosty, dry underground.
A blow-up mattress resided snugly in a corner, and candles upon candles sat around the perimeter of the roomy space. A heap of blankets were draped over the flimsy mattress.
Somebody must've lived here. She made the sudden realization.
|
|
Offline
May 17, 2024 11:45:15 GMT
Tag me @Deleted
|
Deleted
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 16, 2015 23:29:05 GMT
Jonah didn't say anything more as she finally made it to him, holding his breath as the beginning of the fog was starting to envelope them. She jumped in, not exactly delicately and he moved to follow her. His lungs burned and his eyes watered profusely, blurring his vision. At this point, his nose burned so badly that he started to breath out it, trying to clear the way of whatever was burning it, feeling a warm trickle of blood slide down to his lip. Whatever the unnatural fog was, he needed to get out of it and quick.
He'd waited till she had moved out of his way but he'd waited too long, a tendril of the neon fog grabbing onto his foot, snaking up his leg. It burned everywhere it touched and he nearly lost himself, only just able to cut off a scream. He grasped the top of the bunker with one large hand and griped the edge of the hole with the other, pulling himself into it, dropping down even less delicately than the woman had. He landed shakily on his legs, refusing to drop down until he'd screwed the hatch securely closed again, efficiently locking them safely inside the bunker and the black darkness it offered. And then he collapsed, his leg spasming and refusing to hold his weight any longer.
A groan escaped his lips, as he fell backwards, catching himself against the rusty and cold wall. He couldn't see anything but he could feel and it felt like his leg was on fire still from his knee down to his foot. He wiped at his nose, his hand coming away wet. The acid fog had given him a bloody nose and he had no idea what was going on with his leg. He was almost too afraid to find out.
"Shit.. Any chance you have a flashlight, Commander?" He rumbled after a moment, head leaning back against the wall with a heavy sigh, pain burning through him.
|
|
District Thirteen
bisexual
Sexuality
Airron won't leave me alone
Relationship Status
District 13 Military Commander
Occupation
|
Angel
Offline
Virginia time
Tag me @jasminforte
|
|
Post by Jasmin Forte on Feb 16, 2015 23:51:40 GMT
"I can one-up that. I have a lighter too," For such a scare they'd just had, her voice wasn't too shaky. She undid her utility belt and slapped it down, her fingers prying her extra-florescent flashlight. She flicked it on, instinctively drawing the thin beam toward his figure. "Tip your head forward. Let the blood drain out." She twitched the light source down toward her belt, so she could scavenge for her lighter.
She picked it out from her mild assault weapons: a baton, pepper spray, and her trusty walkie talkie. Her thumb flicked the switch, igniting a thick flame. It stung her finger on impact, but she kept a hold on it. She waved it over the wicks of any candles at arms length, enveloping the room in a warm glow - lit brightly enough for her to see the wicked, blistering burns below his knee.
She poked the side of her cheek with her tongue, stomach turning at the sight. She was used to gore, but none quite like this. Never chemical burns.
Jasmin stood, eyes scanning the shelves for a container of water. Her hand brushed over the various knick-knacks, all old-timey and rare for the times. Markers. Old magazines depicting ordinarily dressed, big-lipped women. She looked spooked by the sight of it. This was all from another time, another era.
Water. Right. Her mind snapped back like an elastic band. She picked up a heavy jug of water, no more than a few gallons. She pulled at the lid, the imprint stinging and tearing into her hand. Even in the glum light, the ridges of old scars edged around her palms, snaking down her wrists. Thanks to Kestrel, though, they appeared several months to years old.
But the scars in her mind were fresh.
She sloshed the water out against his leg. "I'll get you a blanket. I'd recommend you rest your leg, but I'm not much of a doctor." She was still entirely professional, ans she didn't want to break her code of conduct. She continued dousing his leg with water, watching the rivulets dribble into the tattered creases between his pants, soaking the blisters on his leg.
She tilted her head back, forcing her fly aways out of her eyes. Her hair had tumbled loose out from her braid. It was full of insane waves and feathered, split ends. Even so, she was beautiful in a rough, unconventional way. She was definitely once beautiful outwardly, but she'd been broken down over time.
|
|
Offline
May 17, 2024 11:45:15 GMT
Tag me @Deleted
|
Deleted
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2015 0:33:29 GMT
Jonah watched in silence as she produced a lighter, red light flaring to life in her hand. She lit the candles and they cast an eery light over everything, his face falling into shadows as he watched her scour the shelves of the small bunker. There was a bed, he saw, and it looked like someone must have lived down here. Maybe this is where they survived the legends of the battles that happened before Panem was Panem. It was an eery thing to be thrown back decades so suddenly. He felt almost like he belonged more here than out there. He was an old soul, a confusing mixture of personalities that shouldn't go together but there he was.
He leaned his head forward, watching blood drip from his nose to land against the dusty ground of the bunker. Eventually, the blood stopped flowing from his nose and he leaned back again, watching the small figure of a woman. She emerged from the shelves with a jug of water and he watched her wearily, having pulled up the cloth of his leg to let the wounds breath, he had avoided looking at them til now.
Angry red blisters and puffy white skin covered his leg from just below his knee to his foot. Apparently pants and work boots were no protection against the fog, or whatever that was. He wasn't watching when she poured the water over his leg, jaw and hands clenching, a slight hiss of pain escaping from him. His leg would be scarred with those burns forever, he knew, if he lived through them. He had no idea what side effects the fog might have. He could be dead by morning.
"Thank you." He grumbled softly once she was finished, sighing and leaning his head back against the wall again. "I'm Jonah Hale."
|
|
District Thirteen
bisexual
Sexuality
Airron won't leave me alone
Relationship Status
District 13 Military Commander
Occupation
|
Angel
Offline
Virginia time
Tag me @jasminforte
|
|
Post by Jasmin Forte on Feb 17, 2015 0:54:37 GMT
Jasmin dropped the mostly-empty jug of water without much care. She tilted her gaze toward him, surprised to hear gratitude coming from between his lips. "Consider it my apology for tasing you, if you want. But I'm not really sorry," She was lightening up now; her tone was less stern and more friendly, "and my name 's Jasmin. Jasmin Forte."
She lifted a blanket with one hand - and much to her obvious dismay - it was singular. The supposed bundle of blankets was just a thick throw full of mottled colors. She swung it out, draping it over Jonah's shoulders. It was lined on the inside with shearling, or something equally soft. She was careful to keep the fabric away from his demolished leg.
After it was thrown over him, she decided to take the time to check in with base. Unraveling her walkie-talkie from her belt, she hit the call button, static buzzing through. "This is Commander Forte to base. Make sure all soldiers are accounted for. Remain indoors until I give you the affirmative to leave camp. There's been an attack on this portion of the District - a lethal fog of some sort. Report to other bases ASAP. I repeat, ASAP," She spelt out the acronym, "over." She lowered the mouthpiece from her lips.
She wanted every last person accounted for, every beating heart. She chewed on her thumb nail, pacing the floor; avoiding looking anywhere close to Jonah. She was still a child, leading a band of soldiers. Even though she didn't look or act like one, there was an essence of the years she'd lost. She'd never been given the chance to be a kid. She massaged her calloused, rough hands together as she walked from one end to the other. She didn't like small spaces. It reminded her too much of District 13.
|
|
Offline
May 17, 2024 11:45:15 GMT
Tag me @Deleted
|
Deleted
Deleted
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 17, 2015 1:06:54 GMT
Jonah let out a soft chuckle at her 'not really sorry' comment, although he didn't say anything else. He'd forgotten that she'd even tasered him in the midst of all that had just happened. He had questions about the fog but asking them out loud wouldn't be helpful at all. It wasn't like the girl knew what the fog was or could answer any of the questions. So he sat there, quietly pondering on what had just happened.
What the hell was that? Where did it come from? How long will it last? How long will we be stuck her? Do we have enough provisions? What if my leg gets worse? He couldn't answer a single of the questions he asked himself and he let out a lofty sigh, the only sign that he was even still conscious. His ice blue eyes slowly opened once more and he took in the girl once more.
He could see the sense of responsibility weighing her down, aging her. For the first time, he was realizing she was not old enough to be in the position she was, not old enough to have all that responsibility. He watched as she placed a blanket over his shoulders, giving her a slight nod of thanks. He had already said it once and didn't think he would need to again. She went back to pacing around the room, anxiety coming off her in waves. He was good at observing people, watching and learning from them. It came from being the silent twin. He was intuitive in ways Noah couldn't even understand.
"Hey, come sit over here, Jasmin. Wearing yourself out won't do either of us any good." His eyes tended to say what his words didn't. She'd need her strength if they were going to get out of here anytime soon. "How old are you?" The question was brief and seemingly out of nowhere.
|
|
District Thirteen
bisexual
Sexuality
Airron won't leave me alone
Relationship Status
District 13 Military Commander
Occupation
|
Angel
Offline
Virginia time
Tag me @jasminforte
|
|
Post by Jasmin Forte on Feb 17, 2015 1:29:00 GMT
Jasmin slowed her pacing, legs growing tired and sore from her constant movement throughout that day. She only finally stopped when Jonah's soft rasp of a voice dragged her back into the present. There was something reassuring about the bulk of a man. She knelt beside him, not quite sitting, but surely in a more comfortable position.
But when he spoke, the answer left her tongue without second thought, without hesitation. "I turned seventeen a few months ago. But the military knows no age, no gender," She was back to speaking like a robot - like everything she said was from a manual.
She offered her hand to him for a sideways handshake. "Now I figure you wanna hear my life story. And that's not gonna happen unless I have a few drinks first." She smiled thinly.
|
|