Something had happened to Carley recently that didn't normally happen to her; she broke down.

It's a cycle many people often succumbed to, brushing off the small things, pretending to not be bothered by this or that. But this or that just kept falling on her shoulders to wear her down more and more and more....until she finally snapped. Lucky for her though, Glenn was there to help pick up the pieces and put them back together. She felt better. She was a lot better.

At least until she got a letter stating that the First Inter-Realm Bank of Rhydin was robbed. And not just any quarters, no, it had to be the eastern market location she had recently decided to keep her funds. It was terrible luck to be sure.

So then came the trip to the bank. Then came the unbearably long wait in line. Then came the news that due to some fine print in a contract or two she signed, she'd be losing 10% of her savings in order to 'offset damages brought to the bank by natural causes', not that she thought poor security and being robbed counted as a natural cause...

"Ten percent!" That's my !@#$ing money!" Still bruised and her lip split, Carley glowered to the portly woman across the counter. "Ya can't do that! I don't remember seein' that on the contract!"

The woman snorted at the elf, before rifling through some files and paperwork. "I can assure you ma'am, that it is in fact stated in the contract. I can pull up a copy for yo-"

"No!" Voice growing louder and people now watching, the little blonde elf stamped her foot then pointed rudely at the woman. "No more !@#$ing paperwork. I want all my money." Now tapping the top of the counter with her finger. "Right. Now."

"You do realize that withdrawing all your money at once and your service will come at another ten percent penalty fee, yes?"

Bright blues widened a moment before they were narrowed again to small slits. Teeth were bared to the woman. "Another ten percent' Ya gotta be kiddin'! No....you know what? I don't care. Charge it. I just want my money. I knew I shouldn't have put my money in here...can't trust banks...always tryin' to rip people off."

"I can assure you that-"

Carley held up a hand to stop the woman. "Just save us both some time and get my @#$% money, alright?"

Letting out an exasperated sigh, the woman nodded. "Very well. Just give me a moment." Standing up, the woman turned to waddle off into some back room, leaving the little elf there to slump against the counter, muttering a few uncouth things to herself. Losing twenty percent of her entire savings in one fell swoop like that was a hard blow for her to take. It's a fact she wouldn't concentrate on now, but would most certainly lament later.

"Here."

The crash of coin on counter jolted Carley back up. There lied her savings in two burlap sacks in front of her, each sack marked with....a money symbol"

"I don't wanna walk around with these....everyone'll know what I'm carryin' around with the signs on them!" Carley huffed. "The least you could have done is turned the bags inside out."

The look from the woman to the elf was almost smug. "It's printed on both sides."

The grumbling Carley shot the woman one last dirty look before snatching up her bags, one in each hand. Without another word she turned around to stalk her way out of the bank and rampage down the street, coins jingling at her side. She huffed and puffed, cheeks growing red with fury. The nerve of the woman! And the bank...bah! What stupid policies. Now she was losing money as well as losing friends....what else could go wrong now?

It was then the little elf took note of the fact she was now walking in a dimly lit alley.

Carley was certain her eyes were deceiving her, but there couldn't be mistaking it! The form and physique, the crimson gear, the lightning bolt emblem on his chest that matched her golden earrings....it was him! But they weren't alone, she couldn't forget that- particularly when she spotted one of the shady men swinging a heavy chain out towards the superhero.

Pointing, she called out to warn him of the attack, "Look out Crim!"

Fwoop!

It looked absolutely effortless how easily Crim had evaded the metal that swung his way. A perfectly executed side step in the nick of time saved him as he caught the chain in mid air and jerked it back to send the assailant towards the concrete.

Boosh!

Yet another man went down at the hands of a swing so quick it went unseen aside from the blur that lasted even less than a second. But it seemed that for every man that went down two showed up to take his place. If it kept up not even Crim could hold them off...could he? No, it wasn't a risk Carley was willing to take. She had to help! Fist balling up at her side she charged into the fray, swinging at every jaw she could reach.

Snap! Crackle! Pop!

Even one so small as her knew how to throw a punch, so with every connection a man went down. Next, the lid of a garbage pail was snatched up and thrown like a frisbee to one in the distance.

Ker-thunk!

Bullseye! ...not the thrown lid unfortunately, but a punch sent Carley's way. Right in the gut! Doubling over, the little elf cried out as she fell to her knees. Cringing at the sight of a blade, she leaned and fell back on her bum and started scooting back out of the way in an effort to escape.

Swipe!

The knife wielding seedy guy was hoisted up into the air and tossed some distance away into a couple garbage cans- by none other than the do-gooder himself. With one fast as he was it was easy to lay a good pounding on most of the men, so those who weren't down and out were definitely getting out of there leaving both superhero and elf alone for the time being.

Mouth agape, Carley had no words for the person she gazed at. Mask she had just pulled off of him slipped from her fingers and fell to the ground.

"Carley?"

His eyes had caught her attention more than anything else- a soft, warm shade of dark green that emitted a sort of kindness that very, very few people offered to her. He wasn't very masculine looking at all with the way his nose was shaped, somewhat small in comparison to his full lips- but he was still obviously male. She ran a hand over the sharp features of his face, still unable to say anything.

"Is something wrong?"

Still no response, even as her fingers sifted through his unkempt brown locks and towards his ears. Pointed ears.

But that was impossible...

"Carley, what?s wrong" ...are you disappointed?"

Finally the concern and sadness in his voice broke through to her. "Nothing's wrong..." Her response was quiet, solemn almost. "And I'm not....not disappointed at all."

Trace of a smile started to surface as she ran her fingertips over his not so chiseled chin and jawline, lingering as she kept her eyes just about locked on his. He regarded Carley in the most curious manner, but she didn't address the questioning look. Chuckling some to herself as the surreality of the situation hadn't quite settled in, she leaned forward and closed her eyes as she pressed a kiss to his lips.

His very, very dry, rough lips.

Scrunching her face in confusion Carley reopened her eyes only to find herself face to face with concrete, lips pursed against the gravel. Sputtering a few loose pieces of rock off of her mouth she shot up, glancing down to the two burlap sacks of coins she held in her arms.

Looking around the little blonde was mortified to see she was only a few mere feet from the fountain at the market and had acquired herself quite a few onlookers. But....that obviously wasn't where she was just moments ago. She was in the alley. In slums, there were guys and....no, they were all gone now. But how was that possible" Did everything that just happened really not happen"

...Why did her knee bleed then"

Finally, Carley groaned a bit as pointed ears drooped. "I'm finally goin' crazy here..." Maybe it was just a matter of time" Nevertheless, she wasn't as upset about it all as she could have been (likely because she was doing her best to not think about it). Something decidedly distasteful was spewed out in elvish to the people who had gathered to watch her before she started stalking her way farther from the fountain- this time sticking to the main path back home, rather than attempting any shortcuts through alleys or other roads.