Unpredictability wins again.
Characters: Brady and Kasper Setting: The Farm, midday
Kasper wiggled her nose after the strong smell of laundry soap dissipated. A whole load for one shirt... at least she wasn’t footing the bill. Even though she did say she would take care of it, she definitely was not waiting around to watch the rattling of the washer in a hypnotic state. That definitely would have had her dozing off pretty fast. The day was young still anyway and there was much to do and see here that she hadn’t already.
With that in mind, Kasper washed her soapy hands from the presoak and then took the elevator back up to the first floor. Out of that dank cave she went, stuffing her hands into the ripped up jeans’ pockets and wandered through the cafeteria. Where she headed... well that was as much of a mystery to Kasper as it was anyone else. As she thought about her direction, she remembered hearing that there was an entire second block to the place and figured it would be a good time to check it out.
Upon entering block B, Kasper was rather intrigued by the vast farm that had been created. She smiled with a hint of curiousness and immediately marched through the bushes of berries. With a quick look to both sides, Kasper crouched down and poked through a strawberry bush in the middle of the patch, becoming hidden as she reached for a big, fat, juicy one. It was definitely not the first time she had ever stolen off a farm. Though, was it really stealing from a communal farm that belonged to everyone? She wasn’t quite sure and definitely made sure to keep quiet about it.
After Jae had left him in the music room, Brady had spent a while longer just relaxing, picking out songs on the guitar, some better than others, some he was relieved no one else had to hear. Well, except for whoever might be watching them, but he wasn’t going to stress about whoever was watching since he had absolutely zero control over that. Eventually though, he set the guitar aside and left the room, walking around the courtyard a little aimlessly before heading into the orchard portion of the little farm area. He snagged an apple right from a tree, biting into it. Pretty good. He ate as he continued wandering, checking out the different plants they’d provided. He was going through the berry bushes when he noticed the woman reaching into the strawberries.
“Those any good?” he asked, though he wished right after that he’d just gone on his way. Maybe his talk with Jae had put him in a sociable mood. Who’d have thought it was possible?
Though she had heard the approach, it was definitely too late for her to prevent becoming taken by surprise. “Jesus fucking christ, man!” she yelped out, leaping from her crouched position and taking a hand full of now squished strawberry and leaves with her.
She only caught a flash of a glimpse of the guy before her attention turned to her now gooey hand. With a grimace, Kasper held her hand out still as though caught red handed. A short escaped breath protested as she drew in the hand, giving it a brief once over before whipping her hand towards the ground to get the contents off. She shot him another glance while waving the hand in front of her. “Should you be sneaking up on people like that?” she half berated, “Shit! Saw a man get stabbed for less, you know!” Not that she was threatening him or anything, but it was definitely good advice.
Brady hadn’t exactly been stealthy in his approach, so he was a little surprised by the over-the-top surprise this chick was displaying. He shrugged at her words. “Didn’t think I was sneaking. What the fuck do you expect, people to whistle or talk to themselves as they’re walking so others know to expect them?” And it wasn’t like he’d come right up on her or anything. He was a couple rows of bushes away.
“Fuck,” Kasper whispered. This guy was a barrel full of laughs. She was always used to being ready to bolt and the change in scenery left her fumbling over her own reactions. Of course it startled her. “Tough guy’s got some bite,” she simply replied, lowering her hand, “I’ll be sure to creep around every time you’re in the area too. See how you like a nice surprise.”
Without waiting on him, Kasper bent over and snatched a couple new strawberries out of the bush below.
Sarcasm, nice. He could deal with sarcasm, he understood it well. “Just call it like I see it,” he said, shrugging. He took another bite of his apple, chewing it as he considered her ‘threat’. “Go for it,” he finally said after swallowing the bite. “Don’t be surprised if you get hurt in the process, though.”
Oh, now he definitely lost his strawberry privilege. Both of those were now hers, and she was definitely not playing nice anymore. Kasper crammed the first strawberry in her mouth, biting it near the top and tossing the green part on the ground. It would decompose eventually. “Yeah? You gonna get off on hurting me, tough guy?” she asked, her mouth half full of strawberry.
“No,” he answered right away, tone firm and honest. “The opposite actually. Just wanted it out there that it’s a possibility if you sneak up on me.” He was doing pretty good at ignoring the fact that she was rudely talking with food in her mouth. At least he’d been polite enough to swallow his food first.
“Oh yeah, you and fuckin’ soldier boy both, I bet,” she replied before cocking an eyebrow. “Wait,” she thought about it really hard for a solid moment that seemed to almost break her mind and then laughed a tad. “Soldier boy?” she questioned him in name. Oh this was just classic. Of all the people she would run into, it had to be him. No wonder he was a buzz kill.
Brady had a moment when that stirred something in the back of his mind. She wasn’t the first to call him soldier boy, and he doubted she’d be the last, but it was the way she’d said it. His eyes narrowed when she seemed to think it through as well, and when she questioned it in quite that way, he snorted, shaking his head. “Christ, can’t catch a goddamn break, can I? Fuck off,” he added more for effect than actually telling her to, lips curving up on one corner in a smirk.
Kasper was half tempted to just piss him off and call him Jarhead again. See how far that went. That was too easy, and she wasn’t in the mood to simply piss someone off for no reason. Generally, she always felt inclined to piss someone off with some sort of self justified reason. Instead, she shook her head, popping the second strawberry in her mouth. “Aren’t you something else?” she stated, her mouth now even fuller, as she neglected to swallow what was already there. “I mean, fuck man, don’t you ever get tired of all the self pity? Just looking at you now it’s like all you want to do is feel sorry for yourself. Oh, but big soldier boy might hurt me if I scare him. Does it work if I piss you off enough to?”
Something about him really got under her skin. While she was often looking at giant buttons labeled do not press this button with every inclination to do so, Kasper didn’t often jump right in to unpredictable waters without her own fury enveloping her.
Brady just stared at her, shaking his head slightly and eating his apple, appearing unbothered. It made him think of the chick last night at the pool, the one who got off on violence. It made him pretty sick to think about. “You really wanna try?” he asked rather than answering any of her questions. “Why the fuck do you care, anyway?” If he wanted to wallow in a fucking pity party, that was his goddamn business. And it wasn’t like he was even actually wallowing at that moment.
“Man, come on,” Kasper started, finally swallowing her chewed up strawberries, “I fucking slapped two and two together like it was nobody’s business. You’re so easy to figure out. Sucking the goddamn energy outta this place.” Kasper hated her fun being taken away from her and both times they had interacted, it was almost depressing. “Jesus I can’t even imagine anyone wanting to be around you, shit bet if you ever even had a girlfriend they didn’t stick around long, did they?”
“You think I give two shits about whether or not I’m easy to figure out? You don’t like me, you don’t have to stick around me, so get the fuck over yourself.” It was stupid for her to bitch about his attitude. She didn’t like it, no one said she had to be around him. Brady’s expression turned dark at her next words, though. “Sure they did,” he answered with a calmness he did not feel in that moment. She was getting dangerously close to insulting Brenna, to his way of thinking, and he wasn’t about to stand for that.
“Of course they did!” Kasper shouted, “Chick grew a pair and realized you were sucking away her soul!” What she really couldn’t understand was why he even thought Kasper wanted to be around him at all. He was the one who approached her. Telling her to get over herself? “Didn’t ask for your company anyway, jackass!”
She was off her fucking hinges. Brady didn’t know why she was shouting at him now, but he really wasn’t about to stand there and take it. He was even doing her a favor by ignoring that jab at Brenna. “Good point,” he said simply, turning on his heel and walking away, heading toward the workshop. He’d wanted to check it out, he’d just got sidetracked by the fruit.
He was just going to walk away from her now? Kasper licked the front of her upper teeth, trying to cool down, but it definitely didn’t help. Not one bit. Eyeing his slowly smalling figure and the trees nearby, she quickly put one foot in front of the other, her mind slipping out of tune with her actions. She went forward to the tree and picked her own apple off it, almost unaware of what she was doing and with all the strength she had, she threw it directly at him with a “Fuck you, asshole!”
Something hit him square on the back right as her words processed in his head. It smarted a bit, but it didn’t phase him beyond pissing him the fuck off. He turned, eyes dark and furious. “You really wanna play these fucking games? You don’t wanna be around me, I don’t wanna be around you. I solved the goddamn problem, so what the fuck is your problem?”
Fuck you, she could only think, quickly reaching up for another apple and throwing it at him once more.
Brady’s quick reflexes had him catching the apple before it hit him this time, and he dropped it, hands curling into fists as he tried to think past the thick red fog of rage that was clouding his mind now. It lasted all of three seconds before he was closing the distance between them. He stopped just short of her, glaring down at her. “What the fuck do you think’s gonna happen now, bitch?” he asked, voice cold and emotionless.
What did she think? Well, as much of a fog he was in, Kasper had landed her self right smack dab in her own thick haze. She answered him with a rather weak, but full swing of her fist towards his face. “Come on!” she screamed out.
He wasn’t so far gone that he’d lost his reflexes, and as her fist came toward him, Brady’s hand caught it, squeezing hard around her fingers as he shoved her arm back, stepping completely into her personal space now. “Back down. Now,” he growled.
“Fuck you,” Kasper replied. Though she was in no way a match for his strength, she still knew where it hurt. Her hand felt a sharp pang, but her mind raced elsewhere. She threw her arm back in preparation for another swing at him, but instead of delivering, she thrust her knee up between his legs.
Brady had been prepared for her fist, he hadn’t anticipated her knee. It was such a fucking bitch move, and not one he’d really had to worry about in prison. It hurt, it really fucking hurt, but it could have been worse. She could have managed to land the blow straight on. He was in too much of a rage for the pain to process completely in his mind just yet anyway. Before he even made the conscious choice to do it, his hand whipped up, grabbing her by the throat and pressing her against the tree. He was furious, his rage robbing him of good reasoning, and his fingers squeezed around her throat.
While she was taken by a surprise in the sudden force of his hand, Kasper was hardly foolish enough not to think it might come to this. She was still angry, full of adrenaline and to the brim with an animosity. A small sound of reacted protest came out of her mouth as she hit the tree, her back scratching against the bark. At first, she struggled, placing both her hands on his wrist but quickly let go, “Kill me, motherfucker, kill me!” she screamed out, her throat struggling to make sound.
That sound, though muffled with the way his hand was cutting off her throat, was still enough to break through the rage. His grip loosened minutely as her hands went to his wrists, but it was her words, words that he shouldn’t have been able to make out, that had him dropping her abruptly, stumbling back a few steps. “You wanna kill yourself, don’t try to get me to do it for you,” he said sharply, voice far from steady, hands shaking. It hit too fucking close to home.
Kasper’s blanket of white had begun to shake into another vision of her son. A sense of relief had started to engulf her, but as quickly as the charade began, it ended. She fell to the ground knees first, and then forward onto her hands. Whatever Brady had said came through like a white noise, only filling her with an enormous rage that consumed her head like a sharp, high pitched whistle. With her eyes focusing on the ground below, she dug her fingertips into the dirt hard. Breathing heavily and her eyes watery, she let out the loudest, bellowing scream of frustration she could before lifting one arm and turning the hand into a fist and punching the earth below.
That reaction wasn’t really what he’d expected, and Brady took a couple more steps back as he just stared at her. “Fuck,” he breathed, hand lifting to run through his short hair. She was fucking crazy, but he knew what it was like to get to a place where you’d try to push someone into offing you to save yourself the trouble, so he wasn’t completely compassionless about that scream of frustration, or the way she punched the ground. He just didn’t know what the hell to do now. He was in no way equipped to help. “Get some fucking help. I hear there’s a doc around here,” he advised her, shaking his head before turning on his heel and walking away.
Kasper had from the beginning used him. She used him without a single tug at her conscious and in that very moment she hated him more than anything else... except herself. He took her away from Jamie but in the end she blamed herself more. She never had the balls to do the job right, even when utilizing someone else’s unpredictability. Even so, Kasper never even thought she still had such a death wish.
“Piss off,” she replied in a much darker, stern tone. Fuck him and fuck his advice.