place: The Bowery Terrace
date: Mid-August
partner: @camelliafairchild
Crickets chirping in the moonlight; branches swaying in the breeze. Jasper couldn’t hear either, but if he closed his eyes tight enough, he could imagine it: the ever-present stream of traffic fading away, distant honking becoming bird calls, summer heat giving way to fall’s crisp breeze.
Up above, clouds of smog smothered all but the brightest stars. He couldn’t help but recall a simpler time long ago, when he was first coming of age, when the stars were visible in every direction. That time took on an almost mythical quality now, so implausible did it seem. He’d pinch himself if he didn’t know it factually to be his own life.
Eyes cast skyward, the worries that had plagued his sleep that night seemed to melt away, trickling in viscous rivulets down his brainstem. They had that effect. Looking up at those impossibly far pinpoints high above his head, his troubles seemed so small and insignificant. What did Cassiopeia care for the loss of a life? How could Hydra know the scent of burnt flesh? Tracing constellations with a languid gaze, he couldn’t help but wonder what unknown planets might spin round their shores, what untold marvels they clutched to their starry chests like precious pearls. Jasper would give anything to glimpse them, knew he never would.
The trickles remained. Try as he might to ignore them, horrified faces darted in and out of his periphery, dancing at the edges of his consciousness: unable to be viewed directly, possessing a weight that dogged his steps and labored his breaths. Even the stars could not help him tonight.
His gaze traveled westward, flitting over Libra basking in the moon’s light, then to Virgo, whose bright-shining Spica dared defy the glittering city lights. On, then, to lonesome Jupiter, with its quiet kindness. That pale yellow had always reminded him of Camellia, the warm welcome of her smile, the soft flaxen waves of her hair. She should be here to see this—it was not his to view alone.
Jupiter shines brightly for you tonight, he typed in their many-storied text thread. He glanced at the brick he’d propped between the door and its hinge, knew the thwack of metal hitting clay wouldn’t be far behind.