[IC] - Fantasia

[Kilelicus]

Maker's Rise Square | Central District | 8:00 AM

---

Dahlia slowly opened her eyes. She had no idea what had just happened to her, but she knew that she was alive, and that was good enough for her. She sat up lethargically and looked around. It appeared to her that she was somewhere in some sort of city... but it was dark. The not just the atmosphere but the city itself... the buildings she observed were largely blackened and twisted, almost looking... evil. Dahlia rubbed her eyes and pressed her fingers against her throat.

"......... Yep... still alive... Where the hell am I?" Dahlia groaned. As she analyzed the streets around her, she realized that they were strangely empty. It didn't LOOK like the city was abandoned. The streets were relatively well maintained where she was, all things considered. So why did it seem so abandoned? And then she some something, just barely out of the corner of her eye. Something lurking in the shadows, stalking her. She looked to where the movement had caught her eye but saw nothing.

Then came the pounding footsteps behind her...

[Miniking1]

Alleyways | Scrapyard District | 8:02

"Come on Val, hurry and wake up."

Valerie opened her eyes almost on cue as her brother urged her to wake up. She slowly sat up.

"What is it Tony? How long were you up?" Valerie questioned.

"An hour or so, but that's not important. You totally misse-"

"Is our stuff alright?" Valerie interrupted lazily and began searching the alley.

"No, but there were these-"

"What!?" Valerie stood up quickly. "They were stolen?"

"Yeah. Some guys came up and asked me if I wanted any trouble. I said no, then they told me to stay put and not to follow them. Then they took our stuff and went away."

"Great." Valerie sighed. There weren't much things valuable in there. But they were planning on taking it to the library with them.

"That wasn't all that happened though. A little while after our stuff was stolen, there were these two kids- well, they weren't kids, but they were running from big guys. I didn't see it, but they turned after running past us and then they were running on the roofs! It was like um... Oh, parkour! Val, we've gotta do that!" Anthony shifted restlessly.

"Maybe we'll practice stuff like that another day, but we still need to reach the library Tony."

"Well, I also found some other stuff lying around." Anthony pointed to one of the walls which had a bunch of random trash rested on it.

"Do you have a bag to stuff this in so we can take it with us?" Valerie asked, as she examined the various tools and coins.

Anthony stood up and shrugged. "I couldn't find any big empty ones."

"Then we'll just have to go without them." Valerie picked a few of the coins up and stuffed them in a small bag near where she slept. She grabbed the bag, manifested her chains, and tied the bag's string to them. "Come on, let's keep going."

The two headed back into the streets and picked a new direction.

[Tewi_Inaba]

Fantasia | Hidden Bunker

Deep underground in a hidden part of the city. There sat a cruel being with a dark ambition. Resting on a throne of skull and bones she sat in her dark attire and waited. Her eyes remained closed and her body lifelessly still. The only disturbance within her room was the ticking of the clock as seconds turned into minutes. But wat exactly was she waiting for? Tis deep meditation was eventually broken by a deep male voice.

"The time is nearing. "

"How much longer?" she asked the voice.

"Be patient child"

"I've waited long enough!"

"Go now and all your waiting will have been for nothing. The one we're after will be here shortly."

Begrudgingly the girl turned in her chair, propping her legs up on one of the arm rests and leaning into the back of the chair as though she were going to sleep. "You had better be right." She said as her eye lids slowly shut themselves again. Within mear moments she had falen asleep. wether she was truely tired or just bored beyond belief was a mystery even toher. She could never tell the difference. The clock tics away as the girl waits in her slumber. Resting until the one she's waiting for arrives

[Lunasa Prismriver]

Abandoned Warehouse | Scrapyard District | 8:05AM

After checking several of their hidden stashes of supplies and gear, Joel and Avi finally arrived at their intended destination, an abandoned warehouse that was currently being used as a base of operations for a bandit group called Umbrae Lucem. As they entered, they found that there was a lot of movement going on inside: crates being transported, vehicles getting loaded, people running to and fro. Joel and Avi made their way through the chaos and climbed a ladder to get to the second floor, where a gray-haired man stood, overseeing the entire operation. He smiled warmly upon seeing the two teens approach him.

"I see you two are alive and well, have you the medallion?"

"Yep, I have it right here Pops." Joel pulled the tiny pouch from his pocket and placed it in the man's waiting hands.

Pops immediately pulled the string loose and peered inside, sighing in relief that the medallion was there. He fished a faded silver medallion from the bag and fastened it to the string around his neck. "I can't thank ya' enough for getting this back. It's a heirloom that has been in th' family for generations, I don't know how I would be able to'live with myself if I couldn't get such a precious thing back. Here, a little cash for yer troubles." The old man pulled a small stack of bills from his pocket and split it, giving one half to Joel.

"Wow, thanks Pops, this'll keep us floating for a while."

"Pops, sir. These jobs that you've been giving Joel are worrying me a bit. Could you maybe give us some safer jobs?

The old man looked at Avi for a bit before bursting out laughing. "Sorry lass, ya just remind me of my wife, that lady always worries about me and tells me t' stay safe before I leave home every day. Anyway, I can find ya some safe jobs, nothin' dangerous unless someone decides to attack ya. Now lemme think." Pops stroked his beard idly as he stared off into the distance. "That's right, so there's this this nice girl named Pio in th' scrapyard district. She's done so much for my boys and I think it's about time t' pay her back. I've got a backpack downstairs o' supplies like bandages and herbs and whatnot that th' boys pulled together t' make as thanks, it's not much but it's something. Bring it to her and make sure she gets how much we appreciate her work. One other thing, she'll probably reject it, but I want ya t' insist that she keeps it no matter what, y' hear?"

"You got it, boss. I'll get to it right now." Joel saluted Pops before jumping down the ladder.

"Thank you, sir." Avi bowed then followed Joel outside with the bag of supplies.

Pops waved to them from a window as they exited the warehouse and began walking down the cluttered side street. "Good kids, almost remind me o' myself when I was younger."

[Miniking1]

Scrapyard District | 8:07 AM

Anthony Groaned. "Ugh. Val, is there even a library in such a place as this?"

"Does that answer your question?" Valerie pointed at a small, 2 story building where someone had just walked out with a book.

"Let's find out already." Anthony said impatiently, as they entered the building.

The interior of the building was...not the greatest. There was rubble in a few areas and the walls looked worn out. There was a staircase leading upwards on the opposite wall. Although the whole building looked run down, the duo saw what they searched for. Rows of books across from them, separated by the stairs. Although there weren't many, there was more than enough information. As they locked on to the books a man had walked up to them with a smile on his face.

"Welcome." He greeted them. "Thank you for coming here and not judging our library by it's...cover." The man chuckled a bit. He seemed like the kind of guy that would let a neighbor borrow something and tell them not to worry if they lost it.

"This is a small library." Anthony said what was on his and his sister's minds.

"Well, it's the only library for a while. There's a few others around here too, but you've picked the best one~"

"Do you have books on the history of this world? And is there a place near here we can stay?" Valerie got to the point of what they needed.

"Yes and yes. We offer hospitality here as well as knowledge. There's a few empty rooms upstairs since nearly everyone found a place to stay around here already."

"How much does all of this cost?" Valerie felt a business-y feel from the situation.

"Nothing really." The man said, startling the duo. "I'd just appreciate donations or help cleaning up every so often. And please return the books when you're finished with them.

There was a pause of silence between the cheery man and the confused duo.

"Do you have any ga-"

"Can we just go upstairs now?" Anthony stopped his question when he realized him and Valerie spoke at the same time.

"Sure you can. Feel free to grab a book or two when you do. Only a couple though, others want to read too." The man's continuous smile seemed to brighten the room.

Anthony grabbed 3 books and followed his sister. They headed upstairs and settled in one of the empty rooms.

"This is perfect." Valerie fell backwards onto the bed. The room was tidy. There were just a few cracks in the walls and slightly broken furniture, but it was in a nice condition.

Anthony peered out one of the windows. The streets were populated, but there definitely wasn't as much as a city.

"Pass me a book Tony." Valerie said, as she sat up on the bed.

Anthon tossed a book onto the bed. "Do you think we'll make friends here Val?"

"We still need to figure out this world. This place is decent, but I'd like someplace better for something like that." Valerie opened a book titled: 'Civilization Fantasia'. It seemed the same as a book on earth itself. "I know we'll find others like me though. And you're sure to get your powers one day as well."

After a few minutes of reading in silence, Valerie read one of the sentences in the second page. "'Those who possess godlike abilities are Deis. These people are as rare as a clear blue sky." Valerie looked outside for a second, then sighed. "Maybe a few years..."

[Kilelicus]

(I'm about to basically copy and paste half of the intro. Yes, it was planned to be this way.)

Maker's Rise Square | Central District | 8:30 AM

---

Dahlia panted heavily as her body carried itself up the stairs within the building that stood in the center of the square. Something was chasing her and tearing up the building as it followed. She had no clue what it was or what it wanted, but her body screamed to flee. Flee for her life, lest whatever is hunting her catches her. So she obliges. Her footsteps echo throughout the empty corridors of the rise, and her eyes endlessly scan the dark halls for her next exit. She rounds a corner and instinctively slams a door behind her. She turns around and heads up another flight of stairs, a routine she feels she's been repeating for an eternity now. She pauses at the next landing for a moment to try and catch her breath; her throat feels as dry as a desert, and her heart has been beating against her ribs for what seemed to her like hours.

*CRASH*

Dahlia hastens to the railing to look down. A blob, blacker than night, formless as melted wax, bursts through the wall on the floor below her. Fear revisits her face as she turns and retreats through the next door, not bothering to close it this time. For the eternity that she had been running, it felt as though she was slowing, because the creature was gaining on her. But she had to be nearing the top, she just had to be. She continues her endless marathon, perpetually ascending, hoping that salvation awaits atop the tower.

For a moment though, she pauses mentally. Her body continues pressing on, but her mind takes a moment to process what is happening. She's done this before. She's done this many times before. So many times that it didn't even occur to her until just now: the events she was experiencing were almost perfect replications of the dreams she had been having for the past few weeks. What did this mean? Was she simply dreaming again? Did her bullies beat her so badly that it triggered one of these visions? Somehow, though, she felt uneasy. Like this was all far more real than the dreams that haunted her. She wasn't about to stop and find out. She hoped she might be saved by the time she reached the top.

Seconds turn to minutes. Minutes turn to Hours. Her body becomes exhausted, but her legs yet carry her, ever upwards to the summit of the spire. Eventually, she sees it. A light, breaking through a doorway! She bursts through as quickly as she can...

Only to be met with nothing. She takes a few steps out and glances around. The salvation her body had strived so painstakingly toward did not await her. In fact, it became frighteningly clear that the only one now on the roof with her, was her pursuer. She turned to face the thing that chased her so vehemently as it rose high above her. She took several steps back, the towers atop the building being swallowed up by the ever-growing darkness before her. Her expression of fear changed to desperation and terror. She was going to die here and she knew it. She looked back as she stepped, catching a view of the dark and otherworldly city below her. One more thing catches her eye, however. A young man, slightly pale, with jet black hair and shining blue eyes stood behind her, his hand reached out for her to grab onto. He didn't say anything. In the instant that their eyes met, he was silent. She couldn't even read him. He wore no expression. He simply stared at her, waiting for her to accept his gesture.

'This is different. Normally it's a shadow... now it's a fully detailed man.... No time to decide..' Dahlia thought. She did not hesitate. She ran toward him and reached out for the man's hand, grasping it firmly. He immediately pulled her into a sort of embrace and threw both of them off of the tower. As they fell, Dahlia stared at the ground quickly approaching them. She did not know who this man was, but she was not distraught in his arms. She closed her eyes and buried her face in his chest in uncertainty, not wanting to know when the end was supposed to come...

Except... The end never came.

[Lunasa Prismriver]

Pio's Apothecary and Clinic | Scrapyard District | 8:21 AM

After a long and mostly uneventful walk, Joel and Avi finally found their way to Pio's apothecary. As they made their way inside, they found Pio tending to a newly administered patient who seemed to be worse for wear.

Joel found himself an empty table and dropped the backpack full of supplies on it. He pulled up a stool and began checking through it as Avi attempted to catch Pio's attention.

Avi kneeled next to Pio and addressed her in a gentle voice so she wouldn't startle the girl. "Excuse me, Miss Pio? We have some supplies for you from the Umbrae Lucem. They're giving it to you as thanks for all your service."

[Miniking1]

Rundown Library | Scrapyard District | 8:17

Valerie lay on the bed, her face in the book. Anthony silently watched the outside from the window as people occasionally crossed the building. The room was redecorated. The bed, which was large enough to 2 adults, was separated from the wall with the window by a stand. A dim lamp rested on the stand. The other side of the room was nearly empty, save for rubble in the corners and occasional stacks of it. There was also a small table and a couple of chairs resting on the wall, along with a few chairs with broken legs. Although the room was small, it was large enough for the two to live in comfortably.

Knock* Knock* Knock*

Valerie kept to her book and Anthony looked upon the streets below.

"Hey, uh...... Oh, I don't even know your names. Anyways, I wanna get off on good terms." The owners voice could be heard through the door.

"Come on in old man." Anthony said, as he turned to the door.

The owner opened the door. "I'm not old. I'm in my 20's" He complained. "I'd like to know your names, since you're staying for a while"

"I'm Anthony, and that's my older sister, Valerie." Anthony pointed to
Valerie, whom was glued to the book.

"What did you want again?" Valerie looked up and asked the owner.

"Oh, I was going to ask you two if you wanted the room that was just occupied since it's bigger and the residents just left, but you seem to be comfortable here."

"Hey, where's all the information on Deis?" Valerie asked.

"Well, it's not like Deis just head to this little book place everyday or anything." The owner's smile didn't break, as he just laughed it off. "I'll tell you when we finally get one though, and I'll tell them you wanted to meet them."

"Could we stay here longer?" Valerie asked uncertainly.

"Like live here? Definitely. It's kind of lonely being here alone." The owner's smile diminished for a split second, but it came back just as quickly. "Don't worry, I won't bother you two anymore." The man waved them goodbye as he closed their door and left.

"Once again, I say this is perfect~" Valerie said. "The only thing we need now is information on Deis and we're set."

"When will a Deus come to this place though. Ya know, besides you." Anthony asked.

"Probably never, which means we might have to look for an actual one, or find an even better library. Seeing this world, I don't think the second one's an option. I'm gonna memorize this area so we can find it if we leave and try to come back." Valerie set her book down and headed for the door.

"I'm coming too." Anthony said, as he grabbed paper and a pen from the stand and followed her down the stairs and out the door, intending to draw the area.

[WriggleRid3r]

Pio's Apothecary and Clinic | Scrapyard District | 8:21 AM

---

Pio took a glance to see who was calling for her to find Avi bringing news of supplies. Supply donations like this was essentially what kept her shop rolling; otherwise she would've had to close shop and do something less favorable.

"Ah, thank you so much! You can place them over my counter." Pio thanked Avi and Joel. Her eyes were fixated on trying to treat the patient; 100% of her attention to necessary for higher chance for the man to live. "Would you two like to purchase anything today?"

[Alayosho]

Pio's Apothecary and Clinic | Scrapyard District | 8:22 AM

The merchant left Yosho laying there, following Pio out to the front. He shook his head and said softly "I'll go see if I can find the boy's family...."

He made his way toward the door, nodding to Joel and Avi, whom he vaguely recognized.

Intermission | The True Prison | Time has no Meaning...

"I don't know...it's like...Its like I can hear them, and us right now, all at once." Yosho tried to explain the strange sensation to Cataminei as she happily listened. "Both at once...like I can hear them, and me talking from other there..."

"That's not entirely unnatural. Similar things can be simulated using magic from Statia without the need for interdenominational travel." Cataminei moved some hair from her face, which fell right back into place. The Perfection of an angel keeping her hair perfectly out of place.

"It's weird, though. I'm sitting there, but I can't breathe, or anything. I know I can't breathe, but I can feel my body..." Yosho shook his head and finally sat down after trying to explain his confusion to Cataminei.

"Perhaps you're sleeping?" Cataminei mused.

"But without breathing?" Yosho frowned.

"Very soundly. Have you not seen yourself sleeping? Haven't you told me before that others tell you you sleep like a dead person?" She said whimsically.

It was true, Yosho slept very soundly. So soundly that his body became completely still. The demon he knew said it was like that moment before you pounce on something, where you hold your breathe and stay still to avoid being noticed. Only with Yosho it just never stopped. It was unhealthy, for sure. Yosho's body was tense, instead of relaxed. But he always woke up. Now it was like he wasn't going to wake up, or was waiting for something to wake him up. But what?

"What usually wakes you up? Or Excites you?" Cataminei probed Yosho's thoughts.

"I...don't know. I guess fighting?" Yosho shruged. He had been practicing and training since arriving in Grey's Mark. He was leading a battalion to Grey's Mark before that. Did he need war? Fighting? The thought of his existence being dependent on someone else getting hurt worried him....

Pio's Apothecary and Clinic | Scrapyard District

Yosho's body remained still and semi-lifeless, in a trance-like state. It was indeed waiting for violence. Rather, it needed it. Yosho died from Fantasia when he wasn't ready. Now Yosho's mind and heart were on standby for the "bridge" between the dead body and Yosho's living soul. Statia's universal laws demanded that an exchange take place, and for that exchange, the definition between the two Yoshos had to become blurred for a moment, to the point where there was no difference between the two.

Careful examination would reveal that Yosho was indeed in a coma, but to the general onlooker Yosho would appear dead.

[Lunasa Prismriver]

Pio's Apothecary and Clinic | Scrapyard District | 8:22 AM

"Purchase something? Perhaps..." Avi turned around to address Joel, who was waving to the merchant that passed through the door. "Joel, do we need anything?"

"Nah, we should be good. Where'd you say you wanted this? On this counter, right?" Joel carried the bag to the counter and as he was closing the zipper, he slipped in a bit of money that Pops had given him earlier.

"Thank you for all your hard work, Pio. We'll be going now. Avi stood and began to follow Joel out the door but stopped halfway to say one last thing to Pio. "Please take care of yourself."

[Kilelicus]

(Btw, since I haven't had any interactions with anyone yet, I'm just gonna say all this stuff went down the day before everything else that's going on. That way, I can timeskip with this post instead of waiting on everyone else to catch up.)

??? | Fantasia | 8:15AM - The Next Day
BGM: Yuk-Cheung Chun - I Hate To Tell You
https://youtu.be/IjDbbxvol24?t=28m33s

---

Dahlia woke slowly. Her head throbbed with a dull ache that seemed to sit in the back of her skull. Almost like she had... hit her head... Her eyes widened to an almost pitch dark room with no windows that she could see. The only trace of light that could be found was a rather dim beam that shined through the cracks between a door and its frame off in the corner of the room. Besides that, she couldn't make out any details. She could, however, smell something that smelled an awful lot like breakfast to her... Bacon... Eggs... Toast. Was she back home? Was she actually just having another dream? Was it too early for the dawn's light to illuminate her bedroom? She instinctively rubbed her eyes and sat up from the bed that she laid in. She felt a little cold, but it WAS winter, so she ignored it and opened the door to the room.

Spoiler: rough sketch of apartment layout

Only to be greeted with a completely alien environment. "Where... am I?" she muttered to herself. She carefully stepped out, hearing the familiar sound of sizzling bacon grease on a frying pan. To her left was a darkened room that resembled a living room. To her right was a set of empty hallways, a door wide open at one end, but the room within pitch dark. Then she saw the source of the light that cracked through her door. Through a hallway that passed directly by the room she was just in, there was a light shining through. She peeked her head around the corner, following the light and breakfasty scent. It seemed a benign enough situation. She began stepping towards the room that looked rather like a kitchen from where she stood and poked her head through the doorway to see, manning the stove was... the man from... her... dream...

---

BGM: Quiet Nights of Quiet Stars
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qhBkViAPF0I

---

"Um..." she spoke up, her head still peaking through the doorway. Without turning his head, he spoke to her in a rather upbeat voice.

"Oh, hey, you're awake! I was beginning to worry you might never wake up!" He said with a slight chuckle, "Figured the smell of breakfast might rouse you from your slumber. Looks like I was right! Come on in, I just finished cooking. I bet you're hungry." he finished, throwing a strip of bacon into his mouth.

As he finished his sentence, Dahlia could feel her stomach grumbling slightly and stepped into the kitchen hesitantly. She observed the man before her for a moment, as he fetched a glass of what appeared to be orange juice.

'He certainly doesn't look like he's some kind of killer...' she thought.

"Who are you? Where am I?"

"Well, you're in the wonderful land of Fantasia!" the man said with a slightly dramatic gesture, "Which is basically the collective human imagination."

"So does that mean you're... a figment of my imagination?" Dahlia asked, confused.

"Nope. I'm as human as you are." Deus responded with a smile on his face.

"So who are you and why am I here?"

"You're here because you've lost touch with reality. For good reason, too. Terrible creatures, humans. Am I right? Poor girl..." He said, sounding sincerely sympathetic of her, "As for why you're in my home... well... I rescued you from that big, scary, blob! Remember?"

"Yeah... I... guess I remember. But... I thought that was all a dream. You still haven't told me who you are, either!"

"Oh, right, sorry. My name is... er... I can't remember my name. Been here a loooooooooooong time. But the people of this world call me "Deus" so I guess that will suffice! And your name is?"

She stared at the man, still confused as to what was going on, but responded slowly. "....Dahlia..."

"Well, Dahlia, welcome to my humble abode. Stairs are right over there if you'd like to... OH CRAP, I FORGOT TO SWITCH YOUR CLOTHES OVER TO THE DRYER LAST NIGHT!" Deus cut himself off before running down the hallway that led into his kitchen. He entered the bathroom and opened his Washing machine to inspect Dahlia's clothing, which had been drenched in sweat, blood and tears from the day before and desperately needed to be cleaned. He deemed it necessary to run them through the wash once more, they had been sitting in the washer for too long.

"My... clothes?"

Dahlia looked down as she responded, only to find that... she had been stripped bare in her sleep. "Wait... that means..." It dawned on her that she had just stood in front of a man and put her entire body on display for him without even realizing it. Her first reaction was to scream as loud as she possibly could.

[Miniking1]

Rundown Library | Scrapyard District | 8:27

Valerie and Anthony had finished memorizing the area as best as they could. Going in each direction a few blocks to remember the buildings and their sizes. There were balled up pieces of paper along the way, due to Anthony giving up on his drawing attempts. When they returned to the book place, the owner greeted them as usual, before they headed back to their room.

"So, this world is basically a world of imagination right?" Anthony asked her sister. He was standing near the window as before.

"I guess. That's what the books say." Valerie replied from a chair opposite of Anthony. "Definitely doesn't look the part."

"So that means you can create stuff, like in your imagination right?"

"Yes." Valerie showed her chains as she answered him.

"How come you don't create other stuff then?"

Valerie thought about it for awhile. If this world was one of imagination, it was like a lucid dream right? So she thought of what she always would in lucid dreams; a white flag, a sign of the dream surrendering to her. Before she knew it, she held a tiny palm sized white flag. She waved it awhile before Anthony commented.

"So we can make anything!?"

"No no no." Valerie quickly denied "I'm sure I couldn't do stuff like live people, or buildings and large things."

"We don't know until we try."

"And we can't try until we know how it feels." Valerie quickly responded. "That's one reason we need to find another person like me. If they know how it feels to create something detailed or a living being, then maybe I can learn how to from them."

"Then you'll teach me how to do it right?" Anthony questioned.

"Yeah, then we can live however we want to. Let's hurry and find one then." Valerie got out of her seat and grabbed her small coin bag.

"Wait, we're leaving? We just got here less than an hour ago."

"Yes we are. We're not going to be found by anyone staying in a place like this. It's better to move around a lot."

"Well, if we find someone can we come back here?" Anthony asked.

"Sure, if they're willing to stay for a while. Maybe we can create a little group like you wanted."

The two headed down the stairs, where the owner confronted them.

"You guys are leaving again?"

"We're going to try and find a Deus ourselves and see if they'll come back here with us." Valerie answered the man.

"That would be fantastic. I could finally make a book about Deis." The man joyfully opened the door for them. "Be safe."

The duo left. Just like that, they were back on the streets searching for miracles. At least they had a place to come back to now.

[WriggleRid3r]

Pio's Apothecary and Clinic | Scrapyard District | 8:22 AM

---

"You're welcome!" Pio bid farewell as Avi and Joel left the shop, leaving her alone with Yosho, whom she turned her attention back to. His life looked like it already ebbed away from him, although careful observation has made Pio deduce his status as a coma-induced unconsciousness. Unconsciousness is best treated by warm environment, Pio learned from before, but the heater hasn't been working for days now and she really didn't have time to fix it nor have enough money to ask someone to repair it for her...

Pio left Yosho to rest on the makeshift bed as she climbed back to the counter and inspected the goods inside. Fresh herbs and medicinal ingredients to make potions with, as well as some coins. The herbs Pio expected; for they were constantly being supplied from various spots, but money was hard to come by, which was handy. Pio can finally go and get some food after days of starving. As a figment, Pio can't die due to hunger or thirst, but the anguish was still there.

Pio stopped to look at her patient. He was dead silent, laying on the bundle of sheets. His wounds were all bandaged up, pressured to stop the bleeding. They will have to be replaced a bit later, but until an hour passes, Pio can step out and purchase some essential things she needs with the money given by the two generous benefactors. Flipping the OPEN sign to CLOSED, Pio stepped out to the dangerous Scrapyard District.

[Miniking1]

Scrapyard District | 8:29 AM

Valerie and Anthony came across a building where many people came and went. It seemed like a well kept building, standing out from the rest in the area. The siblings concluded this to be a popular area, which was just what they needed. They sat near the walls opposite of the building and inspected those who left and entered.

"Think we'll find a deus here?" Anthony asked his sister.

"I'm not sure." Valerie answered. "There's a bunch of people here and I doubt anyone would just shout it out or anything. Our best choice is to wait here and hope we find one."

"I thought you said we couldn't find anyone standing around?"

"That was for a place like the library." Valerie corrected him. "There's much more people here."

"Why don't we go in and ask people then?" Anthony suggested.

"NO!" Valerie shouted quickly and loudly. Surprised onlookers gave her confused looks, before returning to their business. Valerie shrunk into a quick whisper and looked around. "We'd attract unwanted attention and be judged and then-." Valerie paused before increasing her volume to a normal level and turning to her brother. "Ahem. I'm sure we'd get nowhere asking personal things like that. That's like walking up to a stranger and asking what their favorite show is."

"We don't know until we try." Anthony said.

"And we can't tr-" Valerie thought of her usual response before realizing it wouldn't work in this situation. Anthony smiled at this. "I guess we could try. It's not like there's any big consequences or anything. And even if there were, we could just flee again."

Anthony jumped up. "Then let's start asking."

"I don't want to... You go ahead, but stay in my sight." Valerie said.

Valerie watched as Anthony went up to many people outside the building, outright asking if they were deis then continuing to the next person when they said no. She watched their expressions. Most of them were confused by him. A few apologized that they weren't. Valerie sighed. "This'll take forever..."