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"How should I your true love know
From another one?
By his cockle hat and staff,
And his sandal shoon.
He is dead and gone, lady,
He is dead and gone;
At his head a grass-green turf,
At his heels a stone."

Her song was one from an old play. Something she had read once and never forgotten. Words slipping almost silently through her lips, she muttered on, her song awkward but never failing. Even when the words escaped her memory, she just continued on with words of her own invention or from a place she better knew the original lyrics.

"Larded with sweet flowers
Which bewept to the grave did go
With true-love showers."

Carefully, she got to her feet, dropping an old noodle cup she had been using as a mic in the process. Just a piece of trash she had picked up off the floor that hadn't been hers to begin with, but suited her purposes in the moment. The song still ran from her lips, her body starting to twirl with the tune of her strange melody, whose volume increased as the dancing began. Delighted by her own motions, her dance picked up in pace quickly, starting to shift up and down the bank. It even started to head towards the freezing river waters.

The odd blue Temeo continued to dance, voice going in and out at random times while she swayed about in a mindless fashion. There was absolutely no reason to her dance. All she needed to do was keep swaying about while the strange words relentless left her mouth.

Slowly, she came to a stop, her arms, shoulders, wings, ears, and tails all dropping as she stared out towards the waters without warning. Like something amazing had completely captured her attention. Deep red eyes observed the rushing river, feet moving before her eyes seemed to notice. Staring blankly now at nothing, the Temeo drew into the water in some kind of trance. She did seem to have any idea of what she was doing.

Or if she did she was completely at peace with it.

Even as she got herself waist-deep in the water, struggling to stand from the strong current, she didn't so much as blink to show recognition of what she was doing. Before long, the water knocked her over, sending her under its surface and possibly down along with its current.

She was finally at her long awaited wedding, the room a beautiful church with long rows of filled seats and white flowers all over the place. There was a lovely organ in the background, though it wasn't being used. Her favorite song was playing from a grand piano, which wasn't anywhere to be seen. The walls of the church couldn't actually be seen, everything washed in a white glow. Like being in some large open space of nothingness. Beautiful, and limitless.

Waiting for her was an ebony clad Temeo, rows of people looking back at her as she slowly made her way down the center aisle. All the people she had come to love in her previous life. Her husband's father and mother. His father's brother, her knew uncle, sitting right beside them. Her brother, goofy smile and all, sitting on the other side of the church with the rest of her family. Her father, pushy but charming, holding onto her arm, leading her towards her soon-to-be husband. Beside him stood two men, his best buddies and, naturally, the two he had decided to pick to be his best man. Or men.

Or Temeo, really.

She was in a beautiful white dress, everyone in awe of just how glorious she looked. Including her doting male, watching her fondly with glowing green eyes. Within them was nothing but love. Facing each other, she moved in for the kiss, closing her eyes and pressing her lips gently against his. For a moment, everything stopped. Joy consumed her and everything was perfect.

Then she coughed up a lungful of water.

Opening her eyes, the strange female noted there was something hovering over her. Something that seemed to really enjoy talking. Blinking, she sat up, pushing the large male out of her way as she did so. A smile worked its way over her pretty features as she looked about, red eyes once more coming to rest on the waters.

"To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day,
All in the morning betime,
And I a maid at your window,
To be your Valentine.
Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes,
And dupp'd the chamber-door;
Let in the maid, that out a maid
Never departed more."

She started to sing again, her words as normal (for her) as they had been before. Like she wasn't even aware that she had very nearly drowned in the river. Or that there was a male sitting next to her. The thoughts had escaped. Whatever was on her mind now it had nothing to do with anything that had just happened. Happily, abruptly, she looked at the bewildered male at her side, taking a piece of trash from the ground and placing it carefully in his hand. She held onto his hand with both of hers, cupping them over his finger to make sure he took hold of the garbage she had to graciously given to him.

"Keep it with you," she said softly, "it's a lovely gift. Maybe it will even bring you luck later on in life."

She responded by pointing towards the bridge, directing the male to look under it. There, against the stone, was her home. Nothing more than a tattered bed of discarded cloth, a pile of trash sitting beside it and a small fire that had burned out long ago. She was quite happy to show him this crabby place, getting to her feet and taking hold of both his hands.

Pulling him to his feet, he released one hand, guiding her away by it to the "house."

"Isn't it wonderful?" she hummed lightly, letting him go and moving over to her disgusting bed. Sitting down on it, she turned her head back towards Darcy, bright eyes resting on his frame. "You know, you're a little strange," she commented absently, "why is it you're wearing such strange clothes? You should be wearing a t-shirt and jeans, not a toga!"

She laughed at the comment, amused by herself. Wiggling her feet, she got back up, too hyper now to stay in one place. But she was weakened by her time in the water, stumbling to one side towards the bemused white Temeo male.

"Oh no!" protested the female quickly, pulling free from the embrace of the anthro male, "I couldn't be parted with my treasures! This is my home, and I won't let you tame me from it!"

She seemed suddenly wild, scooting away from Darcy and leaping towards his bed. She crawled around in circles on top of it like some kind of an animal getting ready for a nap. Hissing softly, she lied herself down on the shambled mat, eyes pinned to Darcy with cat-like concentration. She was making sure not to be stolen away from her dear home. The place she had come to know as her only safety in such a horrible world.

To her, it wasn't a mound of crap she had collected with no reason. Each piece of garbage was a treasure special to her. Each had a story and a reason for being in the collection.

Even if she didn't quite remember every one.

"I won't go," she said again, "you can't make me!"