Floating Cities Are All The Rage (OxO//Closed//Dystopian)

Juniper smiled at the rising sun. But she was secretly worried. It would get hot. Did they have water?

She turned to look at Astrid, sighing softly. Her eyes flickered to Jesse. These two had to be cared for. She had no time to worry.

"So, where's our first stop?" Astrid chimed, raising her eyes up in curiosity. The beaming smile on her face communicated a new kind of courage, and it infected Jesse, too.
The two lived looking behind their backs for so long, and for once they didn't feel paranoid.

“Middle of the fields to the east.” She said, pointing towards their general direction. “Safest place to rest. It’s rather comfortable in the hole I made too.” She admitted.

Juniper had to admit, she was excited too. The whole idea of not traveling alone made her feel good. She was wanted and needed.

Astrid's eyes sparkled when listening to Juniper speak. She turned to Jesse excitedly.
"Do you think we'll see Roger on the way there?" She exclaimed, shaking Jesse's arm. Jesse merely shrugged, unable to answer confidently.

The small female sighed softly, pulling the bag closer to her and watching a few ships flu slowly by. The bigger ships never moved very fast.

She listened in on the siblings’s conversation, frowning at the words. She hoped they’d find the missing brother.

As the sun took it's place in the sky, the people started to fill the area. Jesse fell into the crowd, a little behind Juniper and Astrid. Astrid noticed a few guards circulating the area, and could tell from Jesse's nervous expression he could see them too. Astrid sighed and tried to pretend not to look suspicious.
"How many times have you been around here?"

Juniper ignored the guards, humming softly as she blended easily into the crowd. “Me? More times than I can count.” She said softly, looking for Jesse and stopping. “Come on you scaredy-cat.” She teased gesturing for him.

“Do you want to come hold my hand so you’re not scared?” She asked teasingly, offering her hand to him.

Jesse smiled shyly at Juniper, nodding and reaching a hand toward Juniper, when something held him back, causing him to jerk backwards. Confused and worried, Jesse turned his head to see a tall, muscular man gripping Jesse's other wrist tightly, lifting it into the air. It was a guardsman.
"Those are some sticky fingers you've got there, bud." The guardsman's scolding voice rises above the whole crowd. In Jesse's hand was an unknown wallet, the ID on the outside with a photo of a man that looked nothing like Jesse.

Juniper immediately went to the rescue, she tapped the man and smiled softly. “Excuse me sir, could you let go of my friend? We saw a man drop his wallet and we’re trying to return it. But I’m afraid if you hold us back we won’t be able to get it to him.” She replied sweetly, kindly. She gently took Jesse’s hand and kissed his cheek. “Show us some compassion please…”

Astrid took her place next to Juniper and Jesse, curious and anxious at what was about to happen. The guardsman stooped to Juniper's height, squinting his eyes at her.
"You think I'm fucking stupid?" He muttered in her face before straightening back up and turning into the busy crowd, gesturing to someone.
"02! C'mere!" He called, causing another man to make his way through the crowd. The other man's face burst through the people, causing Jesse and Astrid to gasp.
The other guardsman's body was, on his right side, filled with mechanical parts and pieces. His face, half caramel colored and half metallic, lacked any emotion in them, but his right eye glowed red. The other was a normal, green eye.
Astrid's throat tightened as she struggled to whisper the words, "Roger…"
Her words were quickly drowned out by the first guardsman.
"This kid was tryna steal. You know what happens to thieves, right?"

Juniper felt her heart shatter into a million pieces when she heard Astrid whisper. She stared at the first guard, her eyes going dark.

Something brewed behind her eyes. Something dark and malicious. She carefully flicked a knife out, scowling at the human. “What the hell did you do to this kid!?” She spat, suddenly attacking the male. The half robotic Roger was left alone, but Juniper wasn’t going to give the othet guardsman mercy.

(NOOOOOOO)

(THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I'M THINKING GOOD LUCK)

"We kill thieves." Roger mutters coldly, his voice a complete monotone. Jesse, frozen and petrified, watched in disbelief as Juniper launched herself at the other guardsman, yelling. The other guardsman was much too strong, and barely flinched at Juniper.
"Shoot him, then." The other guardsman ordered.
Astrid's realization kicked in and she jumped in front of Jesse, her eyes widening.
"NO! Roger, it's us!! Jesse and Astrid, it's your brother and sister!"
Roger turns to gaze at the two, but his face remained unreadable. He lifted his hand and pointed it at Jesse, but he didn't shoot.
In fact, he visibly hesitated.
The other guardsman glared at Roger, still trying to hold Juniper down.
"What's wrong with you, bolts? Shoot him."

Juniper swung the knife, trying desperately to do damage. But her small, malnourished frame didn’t help in this situation. She was soon exhausted, and now tried to free herself. “Let me go!” She hissed and spar, trying to get to Astrid.

“Don’t hurt them! Kill me! Kill me! I stole it for him! It was me! You can even check my pockets! I have many stolen items in my jacket!” She cried out, nearly sobbing at this point. “I stole it so don’t punish him. He thought we were returning it… we weren’t… I was going to sell it.”

Juniper’s true self came out then. She was, in fact, a sniveling, groveling thief with no real talent other than pickpocketing. She was weak… it was a wonder she hadn’t been killed yet.

(Makes me saaadd T^T)

(I apologieze,,, im,,soryr,,,)

"Shoot him!" The guardsman yelled, a deranged look in his eyes. Astrid doubted that it was about thievery anymore.
"Roger! Roger!" Astrid called, tears forming in her eyes.
Roger blinked his eyes, lowering his hand slightly, the concentration breaking in him as he breaks eye contact with Jesse.
"He's a fucking thief!" The guardsman yelled, "Kill him!" Roger shook his head, raising his hand back, pointed at Jesse and stiffening, but he started breathing heavily, a tear forming in his eye. He couldn't do it, something about Jesse's face and Astrid's voice was stopping him. That once vacant gaze in his eyes now flooding with memories. Roger's face broke, the human half of his face showing emotions, but too many at once. Roger heaved, his breath growing quicker and quicker as he doubled over, tilting his head to look at his siblings.
"Jesse," He whispered, practically panting as he stared at Jesse in recognition, a faint smile spreading across his face.
"Christ's sake, *I'll do it." The guardsman muttered, shoving Juniper into Astrid, causing Astrid to fall back. The guardsman pulled out a small handgun and pointed it directly at Jesse, pulling the trigger.
The sound of the gun firing was loud, but the sound of Astrid's scream was louder. The crowd broke at the gun and formed an empty circle around the five of them, Jesse's body lying next to a panicked Roger and a crying Astrid.

Juniper was broken. She had no tears to give, no nothing. She scrambled to Jesse’s side, throwing herself over him. “J-Jesse! Get up! Jesse!”

She knew it was all too good to be true… she’d never be allowed a family. Never. The fates had cursed her from the day she was born.

What use was there in trying to keep a family when everyone around you just kept dying…?

She looked up at the policeman, standing and gritting her teeth. She spat into the soil at his feet. “This is your mercy!?” she screamed, finally at her breaking point. It had been far too long. “If this is your law, then I don’t want a part of it!”

The man towered over Juniper, Astrid, and Jesse, crossing his arms authoritatively as he barely even flinched.
"The law answers to no heart. He should have thought of that when he-"
The man was interrupted by the sound of an explosive blast compacted into a small compartment. The blast sent the man several yards backward, and as Astrid looked up in tears, she saw Roger's robotic hand pointed where the guardsman used to stand, a bit of smoke emanating from it.
Immediately, Roger dropped to his knees, bending over Jesse and holding Jesse's face. The blood stained Roger's hands, but he didn't care.
"Jesse, I remembered your name, please wake up." His voice was broken, full of emotion and fear.

Juniper was just about to lunge again when the man was shot away. She looked to the robotic Roger and blinked before her eyes fell to Jesse again. Her heart ached.

It hurt. Everything hurt. She hadn’t felt this kind of emotional and physical pain before. It felt as if every part of her soul had been torn apart. She couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I-Is… is he…?” She asked softly, slowly, afraid to finish the question. She dropped to her knees and hugged Astrid close, breaking down into tears.

“He’s gone… he’s gone and I could have helped…” she cried out.

Roger's eyes fixated on Jesse. Jesse's dark eyes gazed into the sky, his mouth slightly open and his freckles dotting his face. Everything about his face filled Roger's heart with guilt, pain, and numbness.
"No," Roger muttered, his hardened voice held a slight mechanic tilt in it that Astrid didn't notice at first. "It's my fault."
Astrid reached over and gently closed Jesse's eyes, her heart pounding, but her movements slow.
Roger stood up to his feet, his head hanging low. His once robotic and stiff demeanor had so quickly changed to that of a broken man.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Roger repeated, his voice losing sound, but his lips still continued.

(NO I LIKED JESSE)

Juniper sat there, like one of the many bodies piled around her. She couldn’t take it anymore. Why couldn’t she be happy? Why did this have to happen… “I-I don’t understand.” Her voice cracked as she choked on it. “N-No, he’s not… he’s srill here… he can’t be…” a few tears dribbled down her face and mixed into the dirt below her. Her eyes suddenly went dark.

“I hate this world… I want to destroy those cities up there… I’lol burn them to the ground.” She hissed, moving to grab the gun the officer had dropped. She stared at it, her mind buzzing.

The emotions subsided for only a moment, but in Astrid they were only building up again. She shook, trying to rub her hands, to fidget, to rock back and forth in order to calm herself down, but Jesse, who had learned to calm her after years of trying his best, wasn't able to help her. Astrid started breathing heavily and quickly, the breaths were loud and everyone around her could tell the emotional attack that she was going through. The horrified look in her eyes as Jesse still didn't move, and the full realization and comprehension settled into Astrid's bones.
The emotions overflowed, she couldn't define reality from dizzy hallucinations. The pressure in her head grew too heavy, and she felt everything all at once.
Astrid let out a terrible scream, clutching her head in her hands and closing her eyes tightly.
Roger, confused and not knowing what to do, knelt to her level and wrapped his arms around her as she fell into his grasp, barely conscious from the dizziness, shock, and pressure.

While Astrid broke, Junioer moved to the body of the officer, firing two more shots into his head. She made sure he was dead before taking all of his weapons and ammo from him. She stood, turning to look at the crowd. “Get out of here! I’ll kill every one of ya too. I’m sick and tired of this government! They do nothing to help except pick us off one by one. Now get before I return the favor.”

The girl looked wild. Something had snapped inside her head, something had made her break beyond repair. She would never grow attached to another human. She would never grow attached to anything. Every human in this world deserved to die and rot. The world was dying for a reason. That reason was to eradicate the human race.

(I JUST SAW UR MESSAGE I LOVED HIM TOO AAAAAAAAAAA)

Roger bumbled up to Juniper, holding a knocked out Astrid in his arms. Panic, confusion, fear, guilt, every emotion clouded his face, but he managed to choke out the words.
"Can you take us to the house?"

Juniper glared at the half robotic male. But her face softened upon seeing Astrid and the emotions on his face. She moved to carefully pick Jesse up. She wasn’t going to leave his body for scavengers to pick at. She wanted a proper burial for him.

“Yes… I can… follow me.” She said softly, walking but not really thinking as she did so. She was in a daze, in a horrible daze. She couldn’t wipe the thought that all of the human race had to be killed. There was no other way to save anything.

Roger followed at a slow pace so as to stay next to Juniper. The walk was silent and solemn, but once Roger manages to regain his composure, he breaks the silence.
"What's your name?" He inquires with a stutter, "I'm sorry if I don't remember you, my memories are still blurry."

She glanced over at him and frowned when he spoke. “Juniper. I just barely came into these two’s life. I was about to… to…” she broke down again, burying her face in Jesse’s now cooling neck. She sobbed, holding him close and running her fingers through his hair. “We were going to go out and look for you… it’s my fault he’s dead.” She bawled. “I should have avoided the main square.” Her shoulder shook and she dropped to her knees right there, rocking the body of Jesse. “I can’t being him back. I can’t trade places with him… I want him to live, Roger. I want him to live…”

Roger remained still, watching Juniper in painful solidarity. He was afraid of reacting the wrong way, considering he just recently regained emotions after years of lacking any, and he wasn't sure how to put together his emotion-filled thoughts. His eyes fell upon Juniper on the ground, his eyebrows turned upward in pained mercy.
"I…" Everything that Roger wanted to say, everything that Roger held back from saying while he was under the guardsman, everything that Roger didn't know he'd always wanted to say, was finally available for him, but every word escaped him. Instead, he carefully set Astrid down, leaning her against a tree, before kneeling in front of Juniper, cautiously embracing her into a hug. He didn't know Juniper very well, and Juniper didn't know him very well, but he knew he couldn't just let her cry alone. He lost Jesse, too.

“Astrid is all alone now…” she sobbed, collapsing into Roger’s chest. “What if something happens to her?! I can’t lose another family. I can’t do it…”

The girl cried for what seemed like centuries but was only a few minutes. As she calmed down she slowly let go of Jesse and hugged Roger back, sniffling. “We were going to find you…”

Again, Roger didn't know how to react. He was glad that they found him and brought him home, but he's nervous that he might be in trouble for what he did to the guardsman. Additionally, he felt guilty that as soon as he returned to his family, he started to lose them, but he felt secure that Juniper was a genuine and sincere person, and he'd much rather Astrid stay in Juniper's arms than his; Roger couldn't help but worry that Astrid hated Roger now. Maybe he's better off isolating himself so as to avoid becoming the monster they made him into.
Roger needed to calm himself down, trying to tie down his emotions and control himself. Anger was the only emotion they allowed Roger to express, but he knew that was the one emotion he shouldn't express in the moment.
He closed his eyes tightly as his head sunk.
"You did more than find me, and I could never thank you enough." He whispered.

She breathed out a long whine, taking in a shaky breath before she got the confidence back to speak rationally. “What did they do to you?” She asked softly, slowly. She carefully pulled back and cupped his face so she could study the metallic parts. “Who did this to you?”

Her thumb rubbed over the metal and onto skin. She gasped softly. “I hate those who did this.”

Roger shuddered, forcing his mind to play back the scenes-or at least the ones he could still remember.
"They tricked me." He utters with a cold voice. "They said they could help me. They trapped me and they-" He paused, his voice cracking at the last word.
He shook his head, growing too overloaded with emotions.
"Can we talk about it later? I…I'm scared of what I might do if I get too angry."
Roger's eyes fell, his glowing red eye had dimmed slightly, and his human, green eye filled with tears.