A while ago, a time that seemed so distant now Aspen wasn't sure how she even remembered. A memory she thought had dissapeared with most from the beginning, a page from a book she thought long ago burned. She remembered sitting at the rail station, watching as people arrived and departed. The hustle and bustle as everyone just walked past her. All she wanted then was to be invisible, to evaporate into the space she felt like she wasted. Or maybe it was just that she wanted to feel something other than the lull of a life she was forced to live. Was it so different now? She was one of them this time, stepping off onto the platform just trying to get where she needed to go. This time she had somewhere to be, someone who wanted her there, people who noticed.
Even if it was only a day ago that she graduated Aspen found herself sorting through so many scenerios just like how she felt at the rail station. It was a sense of freedom, a sense of not being bound by her parents or the ATC's expectations anymore. She could feel the change within herself now more than ever as she looked at the view from the hotel balcony. There was no fear of what people thought of her anymore. When this change happened Aspen didn't want to admit. If asked she would say the ATC got it out of her and in a sense that was a partial truth. The real truth though lay in her hands, clutched like the lifeline that Aspen had made it into. Vaughan's music player, Aspen's fingers carefully grazing each button as she stared off into what was Adstreia. Even if she didn't know him all that well she knew she had to remember him... she would always remember what they did to him.
A soft buzz before Aspen reached into her pocket, pulling out the new Com she had been issued.
"From Pilot Echo Brookes: - WHERE ARE YOU AND WHY DIDN'T YOU COME TO MY APARTMENT!?!?!?!?!?!?!? ARE YOU OKAY!!!!!!!?
?"Rolling her eyes at this point had become almost impulsive. Havanah's overbearing nature was beginning to become too much. It wasn't that Aspen didn't love her sister, or that she didn't want to see her. It was more that Aspen wanted her week of freedom, not only from the ATC and her new assingment, but also her sister. Leaving without even telling her she had graduated was the only option she had, every runaway needs a headstart.
"Death is iminent. The benches in Margad got me too soon. It was a short life... you can have my toothbrush." Sent.
It would be a lie to say her own response didn't cause a flash of a smile to cross her lips, so short lived by the several buzzes that followed it. There was no time to argue with Havanah now and so Aspen set her Com on the ledge, watching it illuminate with each message and missed call she would read another time. With knees pulled into her stomach, the neck of her sweater covering her nose, she had somehow managed to make herself quite comfortable in the little metal chair. Aspen was sure if it were possible get the hotel bed out onto the tiny balcony she would try. Then again something about being balled up like this had always been comforting to her in the past, and it seemed that it still was now.
Another thought crossed Aspen's mind as she readjusted, releiving the pressure of the metal chair in some places. She was curious how Viktor and Soleas felt being free like this. Did they do the same thing? Did they feel what she was feeling now? Aspen gripped the music player again, narrowing her eyes at the idea. Vaughan never got the chance to feel like this.
Hours passed as Aspen continued to hold the music player, her thoughts running back and forth as she tried to sort out how she felt about all of this. There was however one question she was determined to find the answer to...
Did anyone deliver pizza this late?