((The prequel to this thread can be found HERE))

The walk home wasn't spent idly. A few days ago, against his better judgment, Graverobber had opened his home to a wandering sparrow. As a result, resources were starting to dwindle. So it was time to add a new stop in his circuitous route back to his hallow in the west end for groceries.

He really couldn't complain about the new shortage of food though, since apparently his guest was fond of cooking" and he had to admit, he was fond of home cooked food.

With groceries in hand and a set of fresh needles for his Z gun procured at the local bodegas, he thankfully crossed the threshold into his home. Setting the bags on the table he found the note she left him.

Graverobber

I went out for a little while. I promise everything is alright and I'll be back soon.

::The word love was written then thoroughly scratched out::

Shilo

He replaced the note with a fleeting worry for that girl, and then quickly pushed it aside, "She wouldn't have said everything's alright unless she had no intention of getting into trouble" he tried to tell himself. He then busied himself to work putting the groceries away. With a satisfied pile of food stacked up appetizingly, he set off to his room.

Lifting his mattress in the sectioned off area that he called his room he knifed a floorboard open revealing his coffers of unneeded coin, and tossed in today's spoils. He much more preferred making his own way from leftovers and pillaged goods. Aside from quality food and drink of course, Graverobber hadn't found much use for money since living in this place.

After fitting the board and his mattress back in place he parted the hanging blankets that separated his bedroom from the rest of the flat and made way back to the table. Then opening his satchel to put away the new needles he had procured he was utterly caught by surprise.

"What the f*ck?.."

"You're seriously demanding a free hit"!"

His icy glare would have frozen her to the spot if she wasn't a fire pixie. None the less it stole the smile from that self satisfied face of hers.

"You sneak in my bag, stow away to my home, and try to STEAL from me". AND you have the gall to actually try to warm me not to say no"! Are you an extra stupid nymph' or whatever the F**K you are, or is it a racial trait for your kind to be suicidal"! Possibly you think that growing from three inches to just above three feet is going to intimidate me so much that I'd fall to my knees and give you whatever you asked for?"

"Tell me, do nymphs like you occasionally jump in front of traffic for fun" Because that's about as dangerous as trying to f**king steal from me."

He stomped over to the door and opened it for her "Ok Tiny, unless you have any OBJECTIONS" it's time for your *ss to leave" He wasn't the type to hurt a woman, but he sure as hell didn't have to tell her that. For a moment he was quite satisfied that he had scared the Pixie enough for her to run, fly or whatever she does out his door at top speed. Instead, when he turned to look at her, he was surprised to find that she wasn't moving. She was just sitting there, staring at him wearing that cocky little smile on her lips again.

Now he was pissed, he made his way over to her, knocking over a chair in his wake and put his hands to her sides in order to pick her up and hoist her out that door. "Here little one, let me help you to the door."

For the last few days, Shilo had busied herself with cooking, cleaning, even a bit of renovating, anything to keep her mind of the painfully obvious facts. She was living with a boy. Correction, a man. A man who peddled a very powerful drug in exchange for money, valuables, and other....currency. A man who seemed not terribly keen on wearing a shirt! Thankfully, he'd moved his sales to the market place and whenever he went out, she tried to change at least one thing about his home....their home....that made it feel, well....more like a home.

Gone were the broken doors he used as counters, now replaced with actual tables with actual tableclothes, a nice shelf that served to hold her treasured books and also doubled as a room divider, even a slip cover for a couch that made it look almost new. Her next goal was to get rid of some of the ratty bed sheets he had hung as partitions and in their stead, place actual partitions with beautiful silk screens.

She was still recovering from the headache that was the result of their latest argument regarding just that! She'd made some very good points about always seeming to catch each other, especially him, in various stages of undress, and he managed to infuriate her by simply shrugging. She didn't even bother bringing up her next inkling for a project. Finding a decent frame for the mattress on the floor he called a bed. Or perhaps she should instead look for a decent mattress!

There was just one quick stop she had to make before she went to the market place. There was a mausoleum she wanted to visit. Afraid he'd think her silly, she didn't mention it to Graverobber. She thought it was silly, herself! She knew it wasn't the same mausoleum that held her mother. That one was worlds away. There was just something comforting about the look of it. It seemed peaceful. Quiet. And maybe, just maybe, it would help quiet the voices in her head. The ones that whispered in the dead of night and refused to let her forget things about her past she could well do without.

Before she knew it, she stood at the entrance of the dusty old crypt, hardly a memory of how she actually got there. She paused a moment. Not out of hesitation, but out of respect for whomever this resting place actually belonged. When she stepped in, she took a deep breath. It didn't smell of rot or decay as most people might think. It actually reminded her of her father's library. Old, and somewhat comforting. This room held precious secrets and someone's life story. And it was so comforting. She let her satchel fall gently to the floor with a soft thump and she tucked herself neatly into a corner, her knees drawn to her chest. Her eyes slid closed as she let the peaceful quiet and serenity wash over her.

"Shut up! For one thing, the one free hit is a shot from this gun here"

Nina flinched and stopped talking when she felt the cold metal touch the skin on the back of her neck; it took everything that she had to hold back the fire that wanted to burn him for touching her, for threatening her. It took so much concentration that she barely felt the gun slide around her neck and along her collar bone, everything in her body screamed 'danger!" but she fought it back, she wanted that gun to work on her, she wanted the pretty blue stuff, she wouldn't let herself mess this up. "What you were trying to make off with is a vile of zydrate, but whats free comes from " here," He continued.

She jumped as the gun went off, injecting the cold blue liquid into her artery, her concentration broke, but by then the danger was gone and no flames appeared. She felt the spread of the z through her body, it left behind numbness and" cold! She had never felt cold, the heat inside of her always prevented this, it was a strange feeling, she looked at her hands wonderingly, "could this be how everyone else felt?? she thought to herself, but no, the numbness couldn't be how everyone else felt, otherwise they would kill themselves without even knowing it.

Her mind swirled with thoughts, and delighted in the cold feeling, she felt light, like she could float away without even using her wings! She danced around the room, well she felt like she was dancing, what really happened was she stumbled around the room, randomly running into furniture as she went. A table toppled here, a set of shelves there revealing a sleeping place of sorts, but still no fire came from her, the coolness of the glowing blue stuff had settled it for the moment. Her laugh was one of pure bliss; she was free from the flames that kept her apart from everyone else, free from the fight of controlling the heat so that she did not set the world on fire around her, just free.

"Hey little one, don't break anything!" said Graverobber, startling Nina out of her blue hazed bliss, the blue haze was still there, and the bliss, so more just startling her. "Come over here, and let me show you what the blue is really good for." She perked up at this" "There is more?" she could feel her mouth pulling up into a large happy grin. She began to walk, or was she floating" She couldn't tell the difference anymore, toward him, the strange infuriating man seemed to have changed tactics on how to deal with her, though now that she had gotten her pretty blue stuff she was less demanding and petulant.

As she moved her hand came into her view, it looked like it was turning blue-ish 'what is that about' Does this stuff change the way that you look"' She wasn't sure what was going one, but this was pretty neat! She tried to skip as she moved across the room, but all that she succeeded in was tripping over her own feet and falling, she caught herself on Graverobber's arm and pulled herself back to a standing position, a little closer to him than she had meant to be.

She looked up into his rugged face, and could help but notice that he smelled....musty! "He needs a bath? the thought was followed by a giggle.

Something had changed in the grumpy man's eyes again as he looked down at her holding herself up on his arm, but Nina was too far gone in the pure bliss of not feeling, or feeling cold, whichever it was, to notice. "I think it's time you got out of here....if you still want a vial later, meet me at the market tomorrow and bring some money."

He reached for a bottle of nasty smelling stuff and began to drink, apparently forgetting about her all together, lost in his own thoughts. She opened her mouth to say something, gesturing with her hands as she did so, but the look of her skin through the blue haze once again distracted her, "blue" seriously' I look like the pretty blue stuff!" she thought to herself, untruthfully as she was the only one seeing through the haze and her skin had not changed color in the least.

She ignored the man who was caught up in his bottle and began to dance around the room, she loved the strange feeling of not feeling, it was so different!

As she danced stories from when she was young began to run through her head, even as a pixie she had enjoyed fairy tales when she was little, still did in fact, one of them struck her fancy and made her giggle with delight.

She stumbled her way to stand before the sad man, stood up on her tippy toes with her arms spread wide, "I am the blue fairy!" she announced with glee.

Then she lost her balance and began to fall, she stumbled trying to catch her balance, but she was clumsy on a normal day, and there was no hope for her now. She tripped over her own feet while trying to save herself from falling, and tumbled head first into the book lined shelves.

"Damn my luck? was her last thought as the fire which she no longer felt, and therefore no longer controlled, burst out from her tiny body, creating a fireball which grew in size around her before exploding leaving nothing but flames where she had been, the room around her that had not been destroyed in the small explosion was all on fire, but there was nothing that she could do about it, she was the fire that raged, consuming everything with an insatiable hunger.

The Grave Robber was knocked backwards with the force of the explosion, and lay unmoving, his belongings burning around him. The bottle that he clung to so tightly spilled its liquid onto the floor adding more for the fires to burn. And they happily obliged.

He wasn't in the burning building he had made for himself out of ramshackled parts, lifted objects, and blankets. no. Graverobber was far far away in a Dysenthropic world that was ruined by plague and saved by vultures.

With the world burning around him, the man slept. Seems fitting almost, seeing as his world has always been burning down around him. Ever since that day, that the one where they took Emma, the one when he truly lost everything.



"Emma Get away from the window!" said sharply toward his 10 year old sister "You know that if they see us here.....Just get away from the window and come eat." "Fine" she said with a reluctant voice. She took one last look at the billboard playing snippits of Mag's last concert then walked to handsome dinner table to join her brother. She knew what was for dinner anyway, same thing they've been eating for the past few days. "Can we get something....anything other than MRE's tomorrow?"

He simply just smiled. Pulled the cord on two self heating wrappers infront of him. "You want lasagna or meatloaf?" She cringed at the thought, "lasagna, please god anything but meatloaf."

They had been staying in a newly orphaned house, left behind by some poor bastard who missed a payment on his heart transplant. The house had become property of Gene-Co as do all property of the recently deceased and ill-funded. So while waiting for the wrecking ball Gabriel did what any man would do in their situation, get his little sister out of the cold. As long as they weren't caught everything would be fine for the week or so it takes for such houses to be resold or demolished. However toward the end of their meal, they realized that the hopes of another quiet warm night was a pipe dream as they heard the distant click of other despondants coming through the front door.



Graverobber's dreams swayed at the point, what happens next to the duo....a memory he avoided, even his subconscious mind was unwilling to tread in that memory. His body stirred momentarily, eyes opening enough to glimpse the building burning around him, he was vaguely aware of the fact that his whole body radiated pain, the pulsing agony that only burns can produce. The world was burning around him alright, quite literally threatening to engulf him in the flames.

A man's life tends to flash before his eyes in moments like this. Not Graverobber's, no it was all of his mistakes, specifically all of his regrets, all of his failures. As the rafters started to turn to pitch and fall around him he had only one thought.....

Just let me sleep, let me die. Emma, I hope you don't hate me, because I'm coming to find you. It was with that last thought he returned to his dreams, fully expecting and hoping to never wake again. All the while, the world around him went up in smoke.

Daddy, please! No!

Shilo stirred in the shadows.

Please! Please, no!

Dust and secrets and darkness enveloped her. As the memory resurfaced, ripping open old wounds.

Dad, please get up! Please! Get up....Please...

Her eyebrows knit and a frown marred her porcelain skin as she sunk deeper into her nightmare. The nightmare she had somehow lived through. The mausoleum faded and was replaced with...

Blood. Everywhere she looked, there was blood. Thick, menacing. It coated her back and clung to her fingertips. It trickled out of the gunshot would in Nathan Wallace's chest. Hot tears spilled from Shilo's eyes, mingling with blood and make-up, as she stared at her dying father. He was fading fast and there was nothing she could do.

Out in the theater, the audience sat speechless. Motionless. Her eyes implored them through choked sobs. Nobody was doing anything. Why wasn't anybody doing anything? She wanted to scream at them. How could they just sit there and watch' What was wrong with them' As they continued to stare, their faces began to change. They contorted into horrible masks with gaping mouths and sunken eyes. She tried to run, but the blood was getting thicker and thicker. It surrounded her and she began to sink into it like it was tar.

She desperately tried to escape, all the while pulling her father's lifeless body with her. It sank like a stone. Somehow, she managed to keep a firm grasp on his hand and, much to her surprise, was able to pull him out. Faster and faster he rose from the thickening liquid, but instead of her father's face, the cold, menacing mask of the repo man emerged. Gone were the familiar spectacles. They were replaced by cold, calculating eyes that glared hungrily at her through the visor.

With a strangled cry, she released his hand only to be caught by it in turn. Between the assassin's vice-like grip and the overwhelming flow of blood, she quickly sank into a panic. She could not break free. Just when she thought it was all over, she heard a familiar voice...

'Looks like you're in a mighty fine predicament....kid.'

Shilo whirled around, her wide eyes a mix of panic and hope. When her gaze fell on the pale face that belonged to Graverobber, she reached for him, her cold, delicate fingers straining. She could almost reach him. She could almost feel her fingers close around his. She could feel...

Nothing. Shilo awoke to darkness and a small hand grasping at dust and shadows. It took a few moments for realization to set in. She had fallen asleep in her borrowed sanctuary and, because it was so dark and quiet, she had absolutely no idea how long she had been asleep or even what time it was. Scrambling to her feet, she put all thoughts of going to the marketplace on hold, at least until she did some damage control.

Before she knew it, she was just a few blocks from home. She kept going over in her head what she would say to Graverobber. How she would calm him and explain why and how she managed to stay out until dawn. Until she remembered that the sun does not, in fact, rise in the west. The soft glow she saw in the distance was not sunrise. It was a fire, and with it came black, billowy plumes of smoke.

Wouldn't surprise me if that was Graverobber. I leave for a few hours and he manages to set the building on fire... She thought, with a wry, inward chuckle.

But as she drew closer, it seemed as if it really was coming from their home. She quickened her pace and when she finally turned the corner, her heart sank. It was their home. It was their home and the horrible, lead feeling in the pit of her stomach told her that was not the worst of it. A trick of the light at her peripheral vision drew her to a rumpled heap in the middle of the street. For a moment, she thought she had seen....she brushed any thought aside when she finally recognized the rumpled heap.

It was Graverobber.

Too large, dark brown eyes went even wider as she scrambled to his side. She could feel panic rising. And, suddenly, it disappeared. She became calm and almost calculating. She assessed his appearance, his injuries, their proximity to the still raging fire....and sprung into action. She somehow managed to coax his lanky form to drape over her petite one and began dragging him to the safest place she could think of. The inn.

They fell more than a few times, each time taking the brunt of both their weight onto herself, resulting in both her thin, bony knees getting scraped and bruised beyond recognition. Soon, her elbows matched. With each fall, her strength waned, but her determination increased. It seemed like she had been dragging him for hours and they were still a ways off from the inn. Once or twice, after a particularly rough jostle, Graverobber would grunt and mumble something just this side of coherent. And each time, she'd gently shush him, desperate not to call any more attention to themselves. She didn't want to think about who or what they might attract in their vulnerable state.

Vertebrates: Reptiles, fish, mammals, birds, amphibians"

Shilo recited in her head for what had to be the thousandth time.

Invertebrates: Molluscs, flatworms, protazoa, annelid worms, echinoderms, coelenterates" Arthropods" crustaceans, insects, arachnids" arachnids"

"Dammit." She whispered. She always got stuck on the last arthropod. And Graverobber was slipping again. They couldn't afford another fall. She was beyond exhausted and she was sure, if they fell, she would never be able to get them both back up. She tried not to think of him falling to the ground, filth and grit working themselves into every scrape, cut, and burn on his battered body. Just when the images were getting a little too vivid, she found a small surge of energy and shifted his weight back onto her center of gravity.

"Myriapods!? She whispered loudly in triumph. Suddenly, the inn seemed to have materialized before her. It was all she could do not to dissolve into hysterical, relieved laughter.

She reached for the railing on the porch as though it were best friend and hoisted them both up the steps, sending them staggering toward the door. She mentally apologized to Graverobber before using his heft to nudge the door open. Once inside, she felt relief wash over her like a much needed bath. It was short lived, however, when she realized they still had to make it upstairs. This late at night, the inn was empty. Perhaps it was for the best. People meant having to talk. Talking meant questions. Questions meant having to come up with answers she simply did not have at the moment.

Instead, she took a deep breath, shifted the dying man in her tiny grip, and set out for the stairs. She took full advantage of the rail, making every muscle in her arms and back scream with the strain. It was an arduous task made that much more difficult knowing that even after all the effort, he still might not make it. She shuddered at the thought and tried to force it from her mind.

Just when she thought she had lost all hope of ever getting to the top, she was there. They had made it. She moved toward the first door and turned the knob, not caring if it were occupied or not. She'd kick whoever it was out if she had to. In what had to be the grandest stroke of luck, not only was the door unlocked, but it seemed it was in transition from the last inhabitant. It was not occupied, but neither was it pristine and ready for a new boarder. That didn't matter. All that mattered was that they had made it to a safe place and she could begin assessing his injuries.

As gingerly as she could, Shilo set Graverobber down on the bed and, not even taking a moment to breathe, set to work.

Shilo refused to let her emotions take over. Graverobber needed her. She would just push them deep down for now and ignore the pressure building in her chest. Or was it under her chest. No, it was definitely' around? On. It was on her chest.

Her eyes snapped open and she peeked from behind her hands to find Graverobber's good arm extended toward her. As she followed it, her eyes grew wider and wider as she finally realized he was groping at her chest! With a small squeak, she gently batted his hand away.

Shilo lowered herself to the floor, plopping onto her narrow behind, and pulled her knees to her chest. Her shredded, throbbing knees. Hot tears finally won over and spilled over soot streaked cheeks, leaving twin trails down her face.

Typical Graverobber! She thought. Our home is on fire, he's probably dying, and what does he do' Cop a feel! I can't even get mad at him because he's unconscious! What does he expect me to do' I can't fix this, not by myself! He just thinks he can pass out and die and someone else will worry about everything" I hate him. I hate him for getting hurt. I hate him for possibly dying. I hate him for making me feel safe when he's around and now I might lose him and I'll have nothing left!

In that moment, her frustration and fear and extreme exhaustion took over and she was able to feel angry. Maybe even a little indignant, if only for a second. Just one tiny fraction of a second. That was all it took. Feeling emboldened, she was able to mentally shake herself out of this spiralling pity party.

Come on, Shilo. Think. You have the answer somewhere, you just have to think!

A vague memory crept into her weary brain. She willed it into clarity. It had been a few weeks prior, but it was terribly important. Graverobber had just returned around dawn after a full night of 'work.' Shilo was lying awake in bed, contemplating what she would do that day. Likely thinking her still asleep, he quietly tiptoed to a spot in the corner of the room, lifted a floorboard with a blade, and deposited something.

Shilo couldn't see what it was and so had put it out of her mind since. But now, in this dire situation, she finally remembered one tiny detail that would change everything. It was a sound. A very tiny sound. It was a jangle" No....a clatter? No. A clink. Small, but unmistakable. The clink of a coin falling gently on top of another.

Shilo quickly dried her eyes and stood with unequivocal resolve. She would raid his stash, every last cent, and use it to find help. If she found any zydrate, she'd use half of it to help Graverobber and the rest she'd sell. In her world, there were back alley surgeons that would slice and dice at the mere promise of a dalliance. Surely, in this world, she could find a doctor or apothocary or SOMEone that would help her for coin.

Shoulders back, head up, back straight. She took a deep breath, and with a small nod, she started for the door. As her small, icy hand neared the door knob, she paused, letting her fingers hover for a moment. Despite her resolve not to hesitate or second guess herself, she moved back to the bedside. Gently, she placed a cold hand on the one spot on his forehead clear of major injury.

"I'm coming back....okay' Please be alive when I do. Please." She whispered in his ear.

Lifting her hand, she replaced it with a soft, tender peck. When she stood, she surveyed the room, really seeing it for the first time, and quirked a brow. It took less than a split second of thought for her to decide to grab a few things before she left.

Just when all seemed lost, she was abruptly and forcefully sprayed with the outer fan of a high pressure stream of water. She sputtered and coughed, coaxing a grunt of surprise from the man on the other side of water's source. The fire brigade had miraculously showed up. Here. In their cheap, scrubby little hole in the West End.

Shilo was the first to recover. She had, after all, a very important mission. She knew if she stayed, they would want to see to her wounds and ask questions. Always with the damned questions. Thinking quickly, she reached into her satchel and pulled out the small bottle of the Inn's complimentary cologne.

Certain she could toss it far enough away so no one would be injured, but close enough to draw attention, she tossed the little glass bottle at one of the few remaining walls, shattering it. A roaring burst of flame shot up, effectively distracting the man in front of her. Seeing her only chance at escape. she leapt to her feet and sprinted past him and two other similarly suited people.

Echoes of 'Who was that?!' and 'Hey, stop, kid!' barely registered as Shilo, soaking wet, burned, bruised, and exhausted, ran back to the inn as fast as her skinny little legs would carry her.

As her wristcomm media recorder powered off, she lowered her left wrist and steeled herself for what she had to do next. She had been kneeling in front of the unoccupied bed to record her thoughts and the feeling had long since gone from her feet. She rose slowly, wincing as the feeling of pins and needles surged throughout her legs. Carefully, she made her way over to the unconscious Graverobber and sat gently on the edge of the bed.

"I" I'm here Graverobber. I'm back. I made it back. We're going to be okay' okay?? Of course she knew he wouldn't answer. She was trying to bolster her own confidence more than anything. And, even if he were on the brink of death and in all probability completely unaware she was even nearby, it was still comforting to talk to him.

After watching his labored breath for a moment, she unstoppered the small vial and reached to tip his head back. He didn't even groan in pain and that worried her. She took her time and poured the liquid down his throat at a painstakingly slow trickle. She dared not spill a drop and, if it seemed any bit would go wayward, she would pause, collect the errant drop with the vial, and resume her meticulous task.

When the vial was finally empty, something she made sure of by holding the vial completely upended over his lips long after the last drop disappeared, she re-stoppered it and let out an exhausted sigh. Her reprieve was short lived, however, as another coughing fit overtook her. It was strong enough to throw her off balance and she slid off the bed and onto the floor with a soft thud.

As she coughed and coughed, her eyes began to bulge and what little intake of breath she managed was gasping and high pitched. When she finally stopped, she simply lay on the floor broken, completely overwhelmed, and crying. She sobbed softly until she passed out from sheer exhaustion, her arm draped protectively over her face.