Burnt Rain (Private RPG)

[RachaelRosen]

Ellen stared at the android fingers for a moment, then adopted a casual air and followed the other woman down the dim hallway. She couldn't pretend to herself, though, that she wasn't on edge, alert, in this strange environment, tired as she was. But - no cops to worry about, a night spent someplace nice and warm . . . and if Stryker had wanted to take what little Ellen had, she could have done it easily by force, of course.

"Nice place," said Ellen, to fill the silence, her fingers balled in her coat's capacious pockets, out of cold, tension, and as a reminder to herself not to steal anything - well, not right now, anyway.

[Midnight Embers]

"Mm." Came the reply, half brushing-off the comment.

In all truth, it could not have been further from reality. Because of the rain, the entire crumbling entryway smelled thickly of mold. Each step they made elicited a creak of protest from beneath them. Pieces of the walls seperating rooms had crumbled off and lay in pebbly heaps upon the floorboards. Although scarce, furniture rose like shadows out of the ground, deeply darkened with time.

But it wasn't like she could complain. It had a roof, and a floor, and walls. All the necessary comforts, right there.

One hand slid up the decrepit railing as she led the other up the stairs, habitually jumping the places in which the beam had rotted or broken away. "Only one room is really safe. Floors in the others are falling through." She told her, pushing open a door. The hinges let out a low moan, revealing the "bedroom" within. The room was barren except for a half-made cot shoved against one wall, and a few broken or breaking wooden chairs.

"Home sweet home."

[RachaelRosen]

It seemed safe enough, better than most places Ellen had slept. She looked over the room territorially, analytically, aware of the unmoving figure in the corner of her eye. She still couldn't quite understand Tori's motivation for allowing her to stay in her home, but, as she tried to think, she could already feel her weary frame relaxing in the knowledge that, just for tonight, she wouldn't have to worry about a policeman's boot in the small of her back.

She should probably make sure that anything valuable she had was safe, in case this Tori tried to pick her pocket, but . . . she didn't really have anything valuable, she thought. Almost automatically, she stepped into the center of the floor, took off her large, baggy coat, and, curling up on the somewhat damp floorboards, pulled it over her like a blanket.

"Don't want to waste electricity," she said softly, her eyes already closing. She could feel Tori's stare on her, saying that there were no lights on, but it was just a phrase that had bubbled up in her mind from her past. She tried to stay awake, pretending she was asleep, in case the other woman tried anything, but in moments the exhausted and grimy girl was sleeping for real.

[Midnight Embers]

Tori paused at the statement, watching the other quizically for a few moments, then shrugged it off, turning. She had heard far stranger. A small push shut the door behind her, and she slipped into the next room.

The room was as the rest of the house. Rotting. Barren. She liked to think of it as "having character". There was a large hole to the lower floor in the center of the room, and she stepped around it to make her way to the pile of blankets at the other side. Sinking into them, she curled slightly, and although she lay still, her sleep took its sweet time in coming.

[RachaelRosen]

It was still dark when Ellen found herself suddenly awake. W as that a siren outside the window? Perhaps that was what had woken her up. Or perhaps she just wasn't used to sleeping for long periods of time. Too unsafe.

She opened her eyes almost lazily, and lay for a moment in thought, her toes curled in the folds of her coat, considering her next move. It had certainly been a lucky break getting this place for the night. Still, she would, perhaps, be better leaving before the other woman woke up.

She made her way down the stairs, careful of the rotting wood, and making little sound for the rapidity of her descent. Once again shoving her hands in her pockets, she paused for a moment before the door. Hearing her stomach rumble, and feeling the grinding emptiness within it, she turned. Surely this Tori person had to have a kitchen somewhere.

[Midnight Embers]

Years of street life had tuned her to movement in nearly-sickening detail. At the first few steps of the girl, she had awakened. Now, in careful, calculated movements, she followed her, watching silently. Would she merely leave? Or did she have other intents?

[RachaelRosen]

Ellen looked in through partly-opened or half-rotten doors, but found only half-flooded rooms or rooms filled with cardboard boxes and rats. Finally, at the end of the dark and musty hallway, she found a room with peeling linoleum floors that seemed to be what she was looking for. It didn't have appliances - only rusted squares on the lino that indicated places where a stove or refrigerator had once been - but, looking in the cupboards, Ellen did see food. She peeled open the plastic containers, shaking off cockroaches on occasion. "Synth foods, synth foods," she muttered. It was all the same, dried packets that contained all the nutrients a person needed, but none of the flavor.

Disgusted, Ellen put them back, trying other cupboards. Finally she found an old package of hard, dried cheese. At least it was real food, she thought, taking a hearty bite of the pungent yellow cheese, and depositing it in her pocket for later. "Beggars can't be choosers," she said in explanation to the bugs on the countertops.

She turned to leave once again - and then something silver and mechanical caught her eye. What was that? It looked expensive.

[Midnight Embers]

Her mouth formed a thin line as she watched the girl silently, body coiling. She would wait for her to come out instead of barging in. It was quicker, safer. But her resistance wavered slightly as she followed the girl's gaze to the part on the table. Oh no, she had put up <i>far</i> too much effort for that part for the girl to just slip it off the table. Besides, it would enhance the arm she favoured for her gun, making it even more worth her while.

<i>She hasn't touched it yet.</i> She reasoned with herself. <i>I'll stop her if she does.</i>

[RachaelRosen]

Was that some kind of android part? Ellen's eyes grew huge as she imagined all it could buy her on the streets. Food, clothing, a place to stay. Tori had helped her, though . . .

Well, it was kill-or-be-killed in her life, Ellen thought, reaching for the object on the countertop.

[Midnight Embers]

Nearly instantly, cold android fingers snapped around the girl's thin wrist. The grip was firm, leaving no room for questions. With a quick twist, she had pinned the girl face-forward against the wall.

"No ethics among theives, mm?" The question had no specific tone to it, but instead a deep impassion that smacked of practice and policy.

[RachaelRosen]

"Hey!" Ellen protested, the words muffled by the cold and gritty wall against her jaw. "I was just looking! Jeez, are you paranoid or what?"

The android fingers clenched unrelentingly around her wrist, and she tried to stifle any utterance of pain, but couldn't help the wobble in her voice as she said, "I thought we were friends, man."

[Midnight Embers]

"I didn't say we weren't. But that doesn't imply at all that we're not thieves enough, does it?" She spoke softly, but not without steadiness behind it, "The food was enough, wasn't it? I doubt you'd need a hand on anything else."

Although she didn't press the girl and further, she held firm the position of restraint in which she kept her. It wouldn't be an easy half-grin escape, she knew better than that.