The Nine Outside

Once the threat was safely behind them, Renzer slowed down significantly to avoid attracting more unwanted attention. The car was holding up remarkably well, despite the damage and unconventional usage over the last few minutes. Checking the rear view mirror one last time, he took a moment to peek over at Danry, who was showing early signs of shock and PTSD.

"Put your seatbelt on, for God's sake. I don't want you flying through the windshield if something happens." Though the statement was rather assertive, Renzer kept his tone somewhat light, trying to distract the woman from all that had transpired only a few minutes before. But after a long sigh, he decided to open up a bit about what she'd witnessed. She had a right to know what was happening. The trick would be introducing it slowly, rather than turning on the firehose on full blast and soaking her with information.

"We call them oarrocks, but people know them more commonly as devil dogs. Horrible things with a short fuses, nasty dispositions, and ravenous appetites. Normally people can't see them because their brains don't know what to make of them so it chooses to ignore them or change them into something more mundane. Your brain, however, is trained from birth to recognize arcane and supernatural occurrences."

The description might have been considered an overload to a normal human, but for a being such as himself it was a very rudimentary explanation. The world behind the world was a huge realm, full of unexpected and exciting things, many of which were extremely dangerous. "For the most part they leave people alone, for obvious reasons. They tend to cause a lot of damage in very obvious ways, so they're only used in desperate situations. Whomever is looking for you is very persistent."

"S-sorry.." Danry fumbled with her seat belt, struggling to buckle it; her shaking was making it difficult to lock it into place. Once it was secute, however, she turned and glanced out the back window again, sighing deeply when she didn't see the demon dogs, or whatever he'd called them.

Again she tried to rationalize the situation, but what could have happened, logically, for her to allow a stranger to drive her car while she cowered in the backseat? But then he said something strange. Whoever wanted her was being persistent. Whoever wanted her? What the hell did that mean? Before she fully realized it, Danry had spoken. "What the hell are you talking about? Who wants me? Why?"

There was nothing she had done in her life to warrant such an attack. When she was five she stole a dollar ring at the local grocery store, but had returned it within the hour because she'd been found out. That was literally her biggest crime. Ever. Towards anyone. What could she have possibly done in her lifetime to deserve such brutal treatment? It didn't make any sense. Danry could not fathom that she was being targeted for any reason. And what had he meant when he said her brain had been trained since birth to see weird shit?

Nothing he said was making sense.

In his head, Renzer was already working out the next 72 hours. They couldn't go back to her place just yet, for that was the logical place for a frightened woman to go, somewhere familiar. His home would not have been suitable for her either, as freaked out as she was. Somewhere public, where she might feel safer being surrounded by people who could see her. Even the police might have been an improvement, but given their most recent actions together that might not have been an ideal location. With that in mind, Renzer headed toward a nearby shopping mall.

"It's a lot to take in. Trust me, do it in small doses."

The mall was clear across town in the tourist district. Everything from street vendors to large chain stores had a place in the open-air mall, and hundreds if not thousands of people were crowding in, for it was Chalk on the Walk day. Artists had gathered from all over the country to display their chalky talents. Parking wasn't a big issue; thankfully there was a place relatively close to the front that Renzer was able to snag before someone else took it.

"I don't know all the answers, anyway. I'm just as in-the-dark as you are on a lot of things. What I can tell you is that you are extremely important, and that someone wants you to disappear. I'm here to make sure that doesn't happen." Renzer opened his door and slid out, closing it before pulling on the handle for Danry's door.

Shaking Danry undid her seat belt sliding out of the vehicle. She quickly glanced around, almost afraid of what may be lurking around the other cars. Questions arose in her mind, but she refrained from asking. He just said he didn't really know anything himself, but it made her wonder if he was actually telling the truth. What reason would he have to lie to her, though?

"You knew, though, didn't you?" She turned back to him, frowning. He had approached her right before those things had shown up. He had commented on her necklace, wanting it, just before it began to heat up and pulse in her hand like a warning. "How do I know you're not one of the... people that wants me gone? You knew right before it happened. You didn't want my necklace.. you wanted me.."

A chill rolled down her spince, and the hair on her arms and neck stood up from the sensation. How could she trust him? 'He got you away from those things. He protected you.' her mind reasoned. Even still. He knew more than he was letting on. About her and about the stone she'd just bought. But how? Who was he?

So many questions, and so few answers.

Renzer stared daggers into the back of Danry's head. It was understandable not to trust him, but to question his intentions when his very existence predicated on keeping the girl safe was flat-out offensive. He did forgive her, however, giving her a break for her lack of understanding in the situation.

"Yes, I knew. That's why I stepped in. If I didn't, they would have caught you before you got to the car, killed you, and taken the token you wear around your neck." Renzer felt impatient as they walked through the crowds, surrounded by shoppers too lost in their own worlds to pay attention to anything happening around them.

He paused at one point, catching the sight of a simple kiosk in the middle of the walkway, a peddler with salty foods permeating the air around him. Renzer made a b-line to the kiosk, pulling out his wallet and gripping several bills from one of the folds. "Two bags of kettle corn and a large sausage, please." He dropped the money on the counter, exactly enough to cover the cost.

"Back again, huh? Man you're gonna put mah kids through college if ya keep this up!" Behind the counter was an aging dark-skinned man, with white in his beard and a jolly smile. Renzer responded by chuckling, then waiving politely once he received his goods.

Turning back to the conversation, Renzer slowed up so he could walk side-by-side with Danry. "If I was one of them, I would have just killed you at the farmer's market, or in your car on your way home. But I have been entrusted with keeping you safe. That's my purpose."

Danry felt her world begin to tilt and sway, a nauseating feeling suddenly washing over her. Her breaths came out in short, staggered gasps, trying to wrap her mind around what she'd just been told. He was following her. He followed her from the farmers market to her home, oh God, he knew where she lived! Then from her home to Applebee's, had watched her with Decker-- Decker!

Her boyfriend immediately came to mind, and she hastily reached for her phone, but before she was able to type a single letter, she stopped. Decker was working, he wouldn't have his phone on him. And what kind of message would she send to him even if he did? He would never have believed her, not even seeing the damage to her car.

Sliding her phone back into her pocket, Danry felt her mind drifting once again, the sick feeling coming back stronger than before. "I need to sit down," Danry gasped, "I think I'm gonna be sick.." The poor girl was in panic mode, her chest tightening, fear pickling up her spine, it's dark tendrils winding through her, threatening to consume her. If she hadn't been the center of attention for whatever wanted her, she would have loved to sit back at watch the paranormal happenings unfold, but since she was dead center, the whole situation was causing her massive discomfort.

Exasperated, Renzer put his arm around Danry's back and held her firmly until they reached a nearby bench. "So dramatic. Just breath," he said as he sat her down. He stood in front of her, his shadow engulfing her completely, with his hands atop his head. "Look, I know it's easier to just run away from a problem and pretend it doesn't exist, but this isn't something you can run away from. It's going to keep coming back until it takes you, so you have two options: You can either sit here like a lost child and cry until they find you, or you can follow me and hope to save your skin."

Without much thought, Renzer opened the bag of kettle corn and took a mouthful in, chewing... almost happily. He then tilted the bag toward Danry and offered her some. Remarkably, there was not a scratch or scrape on him, even after tangling with the hell hounds.

However, after a moment, Renzer's chewing slowed significantly as the light bulb suddenly lit up above his head. He had given her quite a bit of information, unbelievable stuff that only one's imagination could conjure. "Look, I know it's a a lot, but you have to start thinking about survival. Your life isn't going to go back to normal. You're not going to wake up next to your.... 'boyfriend'... and cry about the nightmare you had. This is happening, and I will help you."

The concept of a boyfriend or girlfriend was alien to Renzer. While he understood that most humans picked a mate around her age, they stayed together long after the time of procreation had come and gone. What was the point of mating with one person if the chances to bear children no longer existed? What other purpose did he serve? Renzer made a note to ask her these things at a later date.

A long moment of silence fell after Renzer spoke, Danry saying nothing, her face shielded by her hair. Taking a slow, long deep breath, she turned her gaze up to his, the look on her face dark, and serious. "I'm not going to cry, and I'm not running away. You obviously don't know me if you think something like this will make me cry."

What he would learn about that particular girl, is that when things got hectic, or emotionally compromising, or mentally straining, she had the ability to turn off her feelings. Completely disconnect with any human emotions, and just process information and situations logically and without care. It was something only close friends and family knew, or witnessed. Even Decker didn't know she was capable of doing such a thing. It was a skill she developed when she was a child, and she found that in her adult life, as well, it aided her ability to cope with things.

"Tell me how exactly you can protect me, and why I should let you. I don't know you, you don't know me, and I have a life I can't just leave. I have a job. I have bills to pay. I can't, no, I refuse to abandon it all just because some.. whatever they were... want me dead and to steal my mecklace. So unless you have a reasonable solution to this new problem, you and I are going to have conflicting interests."

"You're right. I don't know you very well. I only met you today." Said matter-of-factly, Renzer didn't mean it to be sarcastic or... emotive at all. It was just a fact. He didn't know her very well, as he was not following her for so very long, but the crystal she wore around her neck. It called to him, broadcasting its message in waves, a message only he could receive.

That was the case... until she put it on. Then, like a lighthouse on a cliff, it functioned as a beacon to anyone who was sensitive to magic. Until they learned how to mask the signal, attacks would happen regularly. No where was safe for long.

"I get that you had all those things. But you need to understand that you don't have them anymore. You don't have a job. You don't have a life. You don't have family or friends. Until this is over, you have the stone, and you have me, and you have yourself. That's all." Perhaps more harsh than it could have been, Renzer felt a little bit of remorse. It was a very plain and dreary way to explain her situation.

Lowering his voice, Renzer sat down next to the girl, speaking more intimately to her to avoid anyone who might be eavesdropping.

"I'm sorry. But this is the reality of it all. I know it's a lot to take in, and I know you have a million questions and you'll have a million more soon enough. You don't have any reason to trust me other than the fact that I just saved your life. If you want proof, I can show you."

A place suddenly popped into Renzer's mind, a place of great darkness and evil. What rested in those halls, though not automatically dangerous, could turn the heart of any mortal to ice. But Danry wasn't mortal. Not anymore.

"I know this isn't what you want to hear, but it's the truth. I'm sorry."

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. How many times am I going to hear that before I die? Before whatever wants this," Danry pointed harshly at her necklace, which, despite everything, she had not thought about removing, "gets it, kills me, or both?" She didn't want to hear sorry. She didnt want her whole life to be turned upside down and spun around so she no longer knew which was up or down. Her brow was furrowed, obvious irritation written across her features.

"If I survive this, when it's over, what am I going to do, hm?" Danry sighed. "I will have lost my home, my job.. everything. You know what? It doesn't matter. I don't know why they want me, or even what I'm up against if what you say is true. I'll probably end up dead so I guess I shouldn't worry about it." She did not speak as a pessimist, but as a realist. It wasn't as if she was being hunted by a human serial killer, or stalked by an ex human lover. She was, apparently, being hunted by the supernatural, and if what she saw earlier was just the beginning, she had very little confidence she would survive.

"It's called empathy," Renzer replied, feeling somewhat indignant over her venting. He understood more than she the implications of what was happening, and for his efforts to keep her unharmed, the treatment she gave him was something more akin to abuse than appreciation. "I get that you're stressed out about all this, but i'm trying to help you."

Renzer stood and turned away, sighing deeply. His frustration was not going to get them anywhere either. What he needed to do was think. He needed a place of silence and stillness where he could just melt down into a puddle and figure out what they needed to do. The street market was crowded and shrouded their presence quite well, but it wouldn't work forever. A plan needed to be formed. They had the stone. What came after?

"What we need is a crowded place, with lots of people, but is still quiet. Hospital or a school... something that would mask your aura in the crowd but still be quiet enough to hear ourselves think. Once we find that, we can work on getting your possessions from your old home. For now, it wouldn't be wise to contact anyone you care about. The less they know, the better."

'You are not being very kind. Danrys inner voice chided her. 'He's trying to help you, there's no need to act this way.' While her inner self was right, that didn't make her feel any better. He was suggesting she uproot her entire life, leave everything and everyone behind and for what? Because he believed she was some sort of target? That wasn't going to work for her. Not then, anyway. What happened earlier could have been a grave misunderatanding. The stranger had implied that she had been trained since birth to see things like that, it could have been just because of that she had been targeted. There was no way her buying a stone, and putting it on, had caused this mess.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I get that you want to help me, but do you have any idea how ludicrous this sounds? Put yourself in my position for a minute. Would you believe the shit that's coming out of your mouth?" She sighed and leaned forward, resting her elbows on her knees, her face in her hands. Danry couldn't leave Decker. Not like that. She couldn't just vanish with no explanation, and expect him to wait for her with open arms if she returned to him. Decker meant a lot to her, so much so, that the thought of leaving him nearly caused her airways to close up.

"The bookstore." Danry sighed in resignation. "It's always crowded, but the employees maintain an almost deadly silence there. It's across the plaza. Should be busy now." He wanted a quiet, crowded place? That was the closest she could think of. Well, the hospital would have been just fine, but she had an aversion to hospitals. They made her feel off, like Death was right around the corner, waiting for her to turn her back for just a second, and then it would have her. It was childish, she knew that, but she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that place gave her. So the bookstore was the only other, close, option.

"That'll do," Renzer said softly. A book store would suffice, he hoped, though he did not consider anywhere to be completely safe. Using the devil dogs was an incredibly ballsy move; whomever it was that looked for her was not afraid of making a public scene, something that was considered off limits even by those who would use their will to inflict pain rather than render aid.

Turning back toward Danry, he looked over her head at something random taking place across the street. "I understand that it sounds crazy. I wouldn't believe it if I hadn't just seen it. But you saw those things. They weren't right. Sure you could try to explain it away, but somewhere deep down you know i'm telling you the truth."

A slight breeze began to pick up just as the sky began to darken. A rainstorm was coming; Renzer could smell the rain falling not far away. There didn't seem to be anything unnatural about it. There wasn't even any thunder or lightning. Still, he understood that most people did not enjoy being stranded in the middle of a rain storm with no shelter.

"We should get moving. It's going to rain soon. Can you lead the way?"

"Sure." Danry pushed herself up, and began to lead the way across the plaza to the book store. She was only half paying attention to the world around her. As the wind picked up, it whipped her hair around her head, but she didn't attempt to brush the silky strands from her eyes. What was the point? There was a dark, depressing feeling pushing through her body, dragging her mood down drastically. How could so much have changed in such a short amount of time? It was only a few hours earlier she had been so happy, nothing could have dragged her down. 'I wish I was still in bed..' She thought, dejectedly.

Reaching the quiet shop, she pushed the door open, then turned to look at her apparent protector. "I'm going to look around. I still have the luxury of reading, right?" Without waiting for a reply, she turned and disappeared between the shelves, heading in the direction of the horror section. Maybe some H.P. Lovecraft, or Stephen King could cheer her up. Their stories always seemed to pull her in and calm her, even though they were horror. Two of her favorite authors. They would always stick by her side, and never abandon her, even if she had to leave her life behind.

"You won't leave me, right?" Danry murmured, letting her fingers trail along the spines of the books, sighing sadly.

Deciding that Danry needed her space, Renzer rubbed his eyes and took a seat in the cafe area. He had grown rather fond of strong coffee, so he ordered the darkest roast the book store carried and glanced at the nearby book. "Coffee Table books," he mumbled to himself as he took one from the shelf and started to flip through it. They weren't terribly stimulating, really, meant only to pass the time with some light reading rather than invoke serious intellectual thought.

The guardian could not help but chuckle as he breezed through the synopsis, finding it to be even more rudimentary than he originally expected. After several seconds he placed the book back on the shelf for dust to claim once more, then sat back in his chair to consider the current situation.

The Wearer was not in the right frame of mind for the destiny that had been placed around her neck, but what choice was there? Once the stone chose, only death would allow it to choose another. Even if she wanted to give up the mantle of Wearer the fates would not simply allow her to walk away, nor would her pursuers. They were extremely determined if they were willing to send the demon dogs to collect her.

She was about to give up everything for something that she did not even believe in or know about. Who in their right mind would do that? Renzer took a long sip from the hot liquid still steaming inside the cup, the heat barely registering.

His stakeout proved to be helpful, as a familiar face pushed his way through the doors, one from a very long time ago. A sensation of dread began to pass through him. "No... not here. Not now," he murmured before he pushed away from the table and stealthily made his way back to Danry.

"We have to go..."

Completely absorbed in the book she had chosen, Danry sat hidden in the corner of the shop, huddled against the shelves. She was so into the world that the author had created, she nearly missed Renzer coming up and speaking to her.

"Wha.. I thought you wanted a place to think? I'm not even done with me book, yet." She sighed and stared up at him, a frown on her face. She would have resisted more, or protested more loudly, if not for the look on his face. Something was wrong.

Setting the book aside, Danry stood up, and began to scan her surroundings, fear beginning to well up inside her. What was it this time? More demon dogs? Maybe it was something worse. Her imagination began to run wild, and with nothing to go on, no information to grasp on to, she looked up at her new protector with wide eyes, terror reflected in her hues. She was looking to him for some sort of guidence, or plan, something for her to focus on. Why did he look like that? Why did they suddenly have to leave?

Again the overwhelming urge to run and hide overcame her, and she stepped back, trying to tuck herself in between the shelves as if they would save her.

"I did want to think, but right now we have to do." Renzer took a quick glance around, then pulled the girl down low. "When I say go, you're going to run for the front entrance. Don't sprint, just look like you're in a hurry." A few tense seconds passed. Renzer's eyes were closed as he focused on the energy of the one that had sent a terrible shudder down his spine. Of all the places he could have looked, why did he look in the book store? How did he know to go there?

Above and behind the pair was a shelf of random knicknacks and baubles, items that one might find in a tourist shop. Lifting a snow globe off the shelf, Renzer took a peak around, then hucked the thing toward the back of the store, crashing into an unstable row of freestanding bookshelves. The crash made a terrible noise and caused quite a commotion. All attention turned to the back of the building, giving him the perfect opportunity to set a few pages of a book on fire. The smoke traveled upward, triggering the smoke detectors.

Alerts blared loudly overhead, the shrill pitch sending everyone into a panic. Some fled for the emergency exit in the back while others flocked to the front.
The commotion was as good a distraction as they were going to get, so Renzer wasted no time in prodding Danry to move.

"Go! Go now!"

With a final look, Renzer moved behind the girl, toward the exit, keeping his eyes down all the while. Thankfully their pursuer did not see them slip out, but the guardian was not about to relax. Once they were out on the street, he put his arms over her shoulders and bent her down slightly, the water from the sprinklers overhead pouring over them as they crossed the threshold.

"Don't fight. This is for appearances," he whispered, trying to make their escape seem authentic compared to the rest of the patrons fleeing the store.

Danry felt like her heart might explode. Worry and fear and uncertainty were weighing her down and she didn't know what to do. Following Renzers orders to the letter, she exited the building with him, keeping her head low, and face out of sight. What was he so worried about, though? Why had he suddenly wanted them to leave? He had to have seen something, and his silence about it was unnerving, and making her uncomfortable.

Once a good distance away from the bookshop, she looked up at him, nervously shewing on her lip, damp hair hanging in her face. "What was that? Why... I don't understand?" The thing that made her anxious the most, however, was the fact that the entire time they were escaping, and even when they were in the building, her necklace had not quivered. Not once did it beat like it had before with the demon dogs. It did not pulse, or heat up, or anything. It just remained against her skin like an ordinary piece of jewelry.

If something truly bad had been there, or had intentions of putting her in danger, wouldn't the stone have reacted in some way to warn her? Or was all of this some big joke, Danry had managed to get sucked in to? So many questions kept arising, and while she wanted to believe that it was some joke Decker had gotten his friends to play (which if he had, she'd beat his ass), the look on her companions face was not joking. So either he was a great actor seeing how long he could drag her around, or she was in danger and whatever had found them in the bookstore was more dangerous than the dogs that had assaulted them earlier.

Renzer's mind raced as he tried to process all that had happened. Twice they had been stationary for a little while, and twice was she attacked. Something had to be giving away their position. If it was the stone leading all manner of beasts and men to their location, there was nothing that could be done except to keep moving.

"That wasn't a 'what'. It was a 'who'. His name is Henry, and he is not a nice person." Renzer's eyes darted back and forth until he found what he was looking for. A small clothing store, little more than a whole-in-the-wall, was his target, the neon 'open' sign catching his eye. He encouraged Danry to move in that direction by placing his hand on the small of her back and urging her to cross the street once it was safe.

"Henry is a collector of old things. Book, jewels, weapons, armor, clay pots... anything he can get his hands on. That stone has held his attention for two centuries, and he'll do anything to possess it. You must not let him have it, under any circumstances." Renzer intentionally left out the part where he would torture Danry for the rest of her life, which he would extend, as punishment for taking the stone in the first place. There was no sense to alarm her unnecessarily.

Unless, of course, it became necessary.

Henry didn't sound too terrifying, but the way Renzer spoke about him gave her a chill. She hadn't seen anyone so she wasn't sure what the man looked like. How was she supposed to watch out for him, and never give him the stone if she didn't even know what he looked like?

"Okay, but... how did he find me? It can't be because I put it on, can it?" A sudden fear crept up on her, and she couldn't help the trembling. How was she supposed to live if she couldn't even sit still for two minutes? How was she going to sleep, or eat, or shower? In a few hours everything changed, everything was ruined, tossed into the air and destroyed. What was she supposed to do?

The creeping depression began to coil inside her, and she couldn't help feeling overwhelmed. Was it ever going to end? The thought from earlier began again, and she wondered if she would ever make it out alive. Would it stop if she gave up the stone? 'I can't... The thought of giving it up, or discarding it caused her to feel physically ill. There was no way that stone was getting away from her.

"He's been pursuing it for a long time. But after this escape, which he will certainly determine that you didn't do it alone, he will believe you've skipped town. We'll lay low for a couple days, let things calm down. I'll set you a hotel. You'll be fine." In all honesty, Renzer didn't know for sure that she would. She was not a fighter, at least not in that way. She may be scrappy, but it was like taking toilet paper to a gun fight. She needed time to unlock the secrets of the stone, but until then, she was vulnerable.

While Danry was still in shock, Renzer was roaming around the small store, finding clothes that he thought would look good on her without being too 'stand-outish'. He picked a few tops, some tank and some t-shirt, a couple pairs of jeans, a long dress, and a short skirt, the bottom of which was light and flowy.

"Here," he said quickly. "Try these on."

The clothes being pushed into her hands drew Danry out a sort of daze. She blinked rapidly, turning her eyes up to him, an eyebrow raised. "What? Why? I don't need new clothes.." But even as she protested she did as instructed, dipping into a changing room and pulling the items on one by one. Begrudgingly she had to admit that the items he picked out for her looked remarkably well, and she found herself liking what she saw in the mirror.

It helped that they were all exactly her size too. As she stood in front of the mirror, the short skirt coupled with one of the tank tops he chose, she wondered how long he had been watching her. Had it only been since that morning when she got the stone? Or did he, perhaps, know who she was and that she was the one 'destined' for it? The thought of someone watching her while she was clueless made a shudder roll down her spine. Danry couldn't outright ask him. He could lie.

'He could tell the truth.'

That annoying logical voice was back, and she sighed, pulling the clothes off, only to try on the dress next. Who cared if he lied, or told the truth. Danry had to base her knowledge on the facts that were presented to her, and the fact was that something had attacked her in the Applebees parking lot. Something inhumane. Something otherworldly. Another fact was nothing of significance had ever happened to her before, no life event that would suddenly trigger such a horrendous thing to happen to her.

Nothing but buying a new, beautiful, platinum wrapped stone.

Renzer browsed the store's selection of men's clothing, which was not nearly as extensive as the female's section, so he did not find much that looked interesting. He kept a sharp eye out the windows, already paranoid that their stop would bring yet another disaster their direction, but up to that point, the coast had been clear. Who knew when the next attack would happen? He could only hope that they would have some time. Enough attempts on Danry's life had already taken place that day.

Moving back to the dressing room, he knocked on the door, knowing how much humans appreciated their privacy, even if his patience was starting to wear down. "How's it going in there? Something wrong?" Of course he figured nothing was wrong, but again, humans also liked to be reassured. At least, the humans he met had appreciated it. Some didn't, and that was their hangup.

Just as Renzer appeared and knocked on her dressing room door, she cracked it open, and stepped out, the clothes in her hands. "I'm fine, nothings wrong. Didn't you know girls take forever to change their clothes?" Danry rolled her eyes with a shrug and walked towards the front of the store, assuming there was a reason she had to purchase new clothes. Probably because he wouldn't allow her back at her home. Which sucked. She had liked it there.

It was something she supposed she just had to suck up and get over, much like the rest of the shitty situation she had been thrust into. While she had been in the dressing room, she had decided that there was nothing she could do about her current situation and, for the time being, accepted the shit hand she had been dealt. Life had never been easy for Danry, always getting the worst things at the worst time, and she hadn't quit then, she wouldn't quit now.

"So, where to after this? I suppose we can't keep taking my car.. it's pretty beat up, and this Henry guy, if he's as terrible as you say, already has eyes on it." The girl glanced at her companion with a raised eyebrow, then suddenly realized something. "I... don't even know your name..."