Ashen

Part Nine

"Comfort Curtain" Cartoon from USNA News, 2237 Sep. Issue

This oft-quoted political cartoon ran in the USNA news as a response to the following announcement:

"Wrathfell City- the first city in the United States of North America planned with the differences of the Ashen and human races in mind- will have a barrier between the east and west sides, for the comfort of all citizens."

~~~

The week following their night shift, October and Jasper nestled into a routine- one filled with poor jokes, heart-hammering smiles, and longing side-glances. Such comfort also brought, oddly, less questioning of any romantic intentions between them. They just were. And there they were, just before noon, leaning against cruiser number four as they waited for the clean-up crew to take away the latest Diseased body.

October spoke through the easy peace between them. "We should order food for lunch."

"Oh yeah?" Jasper peered down at her adorably determined face.

"Aren't you getting tired of ham strips every day?"

"Meat is meat." He shrugged, leading his partner to fire a look of disappointed pity.

"If you think that, you've never been to Kev's."

"Kev's?"

Any pretend haughtiness shattered by excitement, October intwined her hands, bouncing closer to her partner. "You have to go with me. Seriously, it will make you fall in love." After he raised an eyebrow at her phrasing, she leaned away, flustered. "With beef!" She collected herself quickly, explaining. "Kev's has the best raw beef on the entire west side. It'll change your life."

"Alright." Not one to turn down life changing food, Jasper agreed, much to the woman's happiness.

"Sweet!"

"Sighting by the corner of Kennedy and Oakland." The radio's crackle could be heard from their position, spurring October into gear.

"Looks like lunch will have to wait." She popped open the driver's side door, then noticed that her partner hadn't shifted an inch. "Are you okay?" Forcing himself to keep moving, he confessed through blank features.

"That's my old neighborhood."

Jasper's neighborhood was on the northern outskirts of Wrathfell, bordering the wall. It was the outskirts that seemed to receive the least care from the city of 11 million. From the looks of it- the man noted, as they drew farther from civilization- the years he was gone had not been kind.

Mabel's, the diner he used go to with Gramps on Sundays for root-beer-floats and card game secrets, had been turned into a tattoo parlor, then closed down a year later. The corner store- where he'd knick the occasional pack of gum when money was tight, or save up his nickels to buy trinkets to make up the profits he had cost the old mom-and-pop- had half burned down, and was plastered with signs that said 'keep out' and 'condemned'. Everywhere he turned, some relic of his childhood had been destroyed: as if entropy, tragedy, and change had signed a pact just to fuck over Jasper Drolden.

Along they drove while October tried not to stare too much at her partner- who had regressed to his statuesque state that he donned whenever negative emotions threatened to break free- as she nursed a stone of concern in her gut. It took eight minutes to reach Kennedy and Oakland, eight minutes of dead silence. Gently, she pulled to the curb, as if scared to break the man of unmovable glass.

Jasper, though, exited the car with a new determination to let go. Relax. Entropy was inevitable, tragedy was survivable, and change was necessary for all things- bad and good. So, he focused on the good, and the one solidly good thing around was his deadly little partner with the orange-blossom perfume and disarming smile.