Bento stood on the roof of a two story combined general store and apartment located across the street from the Bitches Brew club. He rather liked roofs. They gave you a good sense of the surrounding area, and let you scope out potential exits and escape routes. They also let someone like him make exceptionally good time, jumping and running across rooftops with ease. But the best part was that despite the various dangers of the Dust, and especially a city like this one, nobody ever thinks to look up… By this time however, tactics were the last thing on Bento’s mind. His flask was nearly empty, and though the opiates were nearly out of his system by now, the combination had left him a little looser than he probably should have been, walking into a den of thieves. Then again, he was also too loose to stop himself either.

He quickly drew his revolver and checked to make sure everything was working properly, an old habit from his days as a scout. When he was finished, the Immortal dropped down into an empty alley, softening his fall with a quick gust of wind. As he walked out into the street, Bento put his gun back in its holster and straightened up his vest and shirt as he made his way towards the door. 

Stepping in from the harsh streets of Russell City, Bento nearly lost his cool, coming to a full stop just inside the door. As he looked around, the club felt like it was from another world, the floors literally paved with gold. He was nearly swept away for a moment before catching himself, realizing what the club really was. The club wasn’t selling food and liquor or drugs and whores; the club was selling hope. It sold the illusion of luxury, a word most believed had been lost in the fires that had ravaged the earth long ago. The decorations were designed to make you forget the fact that you were paying for piss with a handful of bullets. He doubted a girl like Lucania understood the lie, having had it sold to her since the day she was born, but Leoluca… He had been in the city long enough to see the truth. Bento waved down the bartender and found a small table in the corner, where he was provided with his very own glass of piss. He tossed the drink back in one go and paid for two. If they were selling the dreams of another world, the Immortal would swallow them gladly. The Lord only knew, he hadn’t slept in a long, long time…

[center]~~~[/center]

"[b]Shots![/b]" A shrill voice yelled, "[b]Three of 'em! Move your ass![/b]" She slammed her hands against the table to make a point.

"Miss Castalia..." replied a sobering voice from a bar jerk, "Are you sure that's the--"

"[b]Ohhh...[/b]" Lucy stood from her seat, barely maintaining her balance, "[b]OHHH![/b] Are you denying me service, [i]fica[/i]!?" She  pointed a lazy finger at the worker, "[b]You[/b] work for [b]me[/b], if you fuckin' forgot! Or what?" she slurred, "Do you want me to stop my sis's make-out sesh to tell her you didn't get me a fuckin' drink?" 

In an instant, the waitresses was gone, preparing drinks for her life. As Lucy sunk back into her seat, giggles came from across the table.

"What the fuck are you laughing at, Diane?"

"Just..." She snorted, blowing out the cannabis smoke, "Ah mean, she's right. Maybe ya should slow down."

"Fuck all that!" Lucy removed a vial of a white powdery substance from her purse, "Tonight we fuckin' [i]party[/i]!"

Diane tilted her head, stifling her laughter she managed to ask, "What's that?"

"Gaen [i]fuckin'[/i] blow! The best of the best..." She eyed the vial, before looking over to Diane, a mischievous gleam in her eyes, "...And you're gonna do it with me!"

Diane shrugged in between her giggles, "Nah."

"And why not, bitch?" Lucy pouted, "You've already smoked enough green to put down a desert-beast..."

Diane coughed, "Weed ain't a drug." She extinguished the roach in an ashtray, immediately after lighting up another blunt, "'Sides, Ah gotta least pretend like Ahm a responsible adult here..."

"Ugh!" Lucy exaggerated her sigh, "Well I'm not doing it all alone this time..." She scanned the room, looking for potential partners, her eyes erratically shifting from table to table, her body was already shivering from the various chemicals she'd already forced into her body, "Hey you!" She had found her match. A rugged, long haired man sat alone a few tables away, he looked like he could use a stimulant. 

"[b]Hey![/b]" Lucy practically ran through the room to the table, with a red-eyed Diane following slowly behind, "Hey--" She came to a stop, addressing the windswept man, "It's your lucky day stranger! I have [i]waaaaaaaay[/i] too much for just one person," Lucy dangled the vial of white between them, "Wanna get high?"

Staring into the bottom of his glass, Bento examined the golden liquid, studying it intensely as if attempting to learn its secrets. His concentration was so completely focused on watching the refractions caused by the drink he failed to catch the scene going on at the bar. All that mattered was peering through the distorted image and learning the true nature of the glass. If only God’s illusions were as easy to decipher as those of mere men. The exercise was pointless, of course. Picking up the glass, Bento swirled the sweet nectar with an easy motion of the wrist before taking another sip. Warmth filled his body as he started to notice his movements becoming looser, a sense of ease washing over him. He could feel his muscles finally relaxing as the tension of a life lived hard slowly began to recede, even if just for a time.

Suddenly he heard a voice calling out, and saw for the first time the beautiful woman-or girl rather-nearly charging him from the other side of the room. Reflex took over as his hand dropped to his thigh with practiced ease, the gun cocked and halfway out of its holster before he could even register she was unarmed. By the time she had reached the table Bento let out a sigh of relief as he eased the hammer back down and let the gun rest in its holster once more. Though the rapid hit of adrenaline was still fighting back the effects of the booze, the Immortal remained characteristically unshaken. 

[color=662d91][b]“Do I want to get high?”[/b][/color] He repeated, half stalling and half seriously asking himself. Who was this girl? Was she a whore? No, the dress was far too nice. For the same reason he doubted she was trying to steal his stuff, after all, she looked like she had enough money to feed the whole slum district. Besides, from the looks of things he had at least 7-8 inches on her, and probably about 100 pounds. He was confident that he could handle whatever she threw at him. [color=662d91][b]“Sure... Maybe I’ll even show you how to fly...”[/b][/color]

He agreed! Lucy's face lit up like a dog being given a treat. She almost didn't know how to respond to someone actually agreeing to a thing--[i]anything[/i] she had said. Her psyche was one entirely accustomed to being shot down. She turned to Diane, an expectant child to a helpless mother; Diane gave a dazed-shrug, looking around herself, completely unsure of what protocol she was supposed to be taking in this situation. 

Lucy's nights out were both legendary and too numerous to count, typically; they consisted of heavy substance abuse, Lucy's fruitless search for companionship, more substance abuse, and usually ended in a fight. Unless it ever got heated to the point of shots being fired, Lucy was typically more than capable of taking care of herself. But still, each night, she was assigned a protector by her sister. Although they were always instructed step in to take a bullet if the situation ever called for it. The situation never did. It never would. Lucy's 'protectors' were nothing more than reminders. A misguided message from an overprotective sister to those who would try to harm her little sister Lucina. The message?

Something like; [i]'The Don's bloody sleeved enforcer is watching.'[/i]

Lucy took a seat across from the man, still beaming like an idiot. [i]New city, new rules, apparently.[/i] People here didn't fear Lucia like they did in Serenity-- for Lucy, this was something of a new start, and an absolute first. She actually felt a bit nervous. 

Luckily for them all, the waitress managed to find their table with the windswept stranger as Diane slouched into another seat at the table.

"Show me how to fly, huh?" She downed a shot, "Like-- volare? I'd like to see that, old timer" She swallowed the two remaining shots, spilling a good bit of them. She found it easy to ignore the pain, the taste, and just focus on the warmth that seemed to spread in her body because of them. Slamming down the last glass on the table, she squinted to get a better view of the man across the table from her, "Whoa!" She slurred, "You're like, one of those Immortal guys! Like Lucia, right?"

Bento raised an amused eyebrow as the girl looked back at the woman who was obviously her keeper, as if asking for permission. The older woman acquiesced with a simple shrug of the shoulders. That was a new one… Bento knew there was something he was still missing, but in his inebriated state he struggled to connect the various oddities. As the girl sat down across the table he couldn’t help but notice the strange combination of excitement and unfamiliarity that she wore across her face. In that moment she looked not unlike a puppy being shown a new environment. Bento only hoped that she wouldn’t piss herself, either figuratively or-God forbid-literally.

It was hard to imagine why, watching the girl throwing back three shots in quick succession, carrying a vial fully of cocaine, but all the old Immortal could see was innocence, bleeding from her eyes. She wasn’t like the other patrons of the bar, broken souls burying themselves in vice, cowering in fear of a harsh, brutal world. She was naïve, lost and alone in the empty space between the world she understood, and the world she inhabited. Much- “Like Lucia, right?”

[i]Dear God. She’s a Castalia…[/i] Inside, the realization hit him hard, like a punch to the face; his expression however, remained unchanged. What had he gotten himself into, he wondered? It was too late now, he would have to make the best of the situation. Besides, for the first time in a long time he actually pitied the poor girl. [color=662d91][b]“Yes, very much like your sister, Lucia. But I would be careful who you talk about Immortality with… Talk like that can get you killed around here.”[/b][/color] He answered, throwing the rest of his drink back and slowly lowering his glasses before removing them altogether and placing them down on the table. He revealed tendrils of grey traveled across his eyes in intricate patterns. [color=662d91][b]“Tell me, do your sister’s eyes look like this?”[/b][/color] He asked, the deep baritone softening as his voice lowered.

Lucy leaned on her arm as she stretched, half-way in her seat, half-way out, across the table to view the man's eyes. Entirely due to her inebriation, she hadn't been able to really to get a good look at the man before that moment. He was older, that much had been obvious, but he hadn't just experienced life, she could see it in the scars and blemished on his face. He was a calloused man, obviously shaped and scarred by the world around him, he didn't just survive, he actively fought life to claim some control of his own. His eyes, like gray swirling sandstorms, only told one chapter in a book detailing a story of a lifetime of struggles she would probably never even comprehend. 

He was here though; the bar, with the silver spoon junkie, willing to further pollute his mind with strong and silent demeanor. 

[i]Whoa.[/i]

That was the longest Lucy had managed to focus on any single thought train the entire evening-- the moment quickly ended as her arm wobbled, gave, and she fell face first onto the table. Diane giggled, several seconds after the fact.

"Shut the fuck up, Diane..." She half-responded, falling back in her seat, she looked back to the rugged man rekindling her excitement, "Nope!" She waved her hand in the air, dismissing the notion, "Lucania's eyes are mostly normal, they just like... change. With whatever she's feeling, y'know? She's fuckin' garbage at poker. Nah, Your eyes are waaaayy cooler."

"[b]Anyway![/b]" She uncorked the vial, carefully pouring the powder onto the table with a practiced precision, "I'd, like, wanna know the name of the guy who's gonna teach me to fuckin' fly!"

Ignoring the girl’s small trouble with the table, Bento took note of her description of Lucania’s eyes. In his experiences with Immortals it seemed like the changes that their eyes typically underwent tended to reflect their powers in some way. Perhaps she had some sort of appearance shifting power, he guessed. Regardless, it was valuable information that the color of her eyes could indicate her feelings. Still, he wasn’t dealing with Lucania at the moment; he was dealing with her younger sister.

[color=662d91][b]“Cullen.”[/b][/color] He lied, pulling a huge knife from its sheath behind him and expertly scooped up a line of coke with the it. [color=662d91][b]“And yours?”[/b][/color] He asked offhandedly, as he raised the coke to his face and snorted the line down the edge of the blade. [color=662d91][b]“God, how the hell does a kid get coke like this?!”[/b][/color] He said, tossing his head to reset his focus as the drug’s effects started to kick in almost immediately.

"Lucy!" She shot back at Cullen, associating name with face. He had no reservations in taking his own share of the white horse, and seemed rather practiced in using it. Lucy was impressed, Cullen took a hard line from the edge of the knife, as if the action was reflex. She wondered if it was some kind of muscle memory.

[i]Was she like that?[/i]

"Fuckin' Gaens," She answered the question, "We got 'em getting it from the plant or whatever. It's purer than the street stuff' all I know.."focusing on her razor and the perfect line that rested on the table before her. 

The world froze and her left nostril felt a fire, but only for the second before the blow hit her system. She shot up, flinging her head back, as if the chemicals had physically assaulted her. Her body tingled with warmth, and her pupils stretched to consume her irises. Her worries felt like sand in the wind, and the sun shone nothing but pleasantries upon her body. Her smile widened.

"[b]Whoooo!!![/b]" She clasped her hands, meeting Cullen's high, but still world-weary gaze with her own young, heavily dilated eyes. "Yeah!! [b]Waaaaaaayyy purer![/b] That [i]is[/i] good shit!" Her hands came together again, as if applauding the drug's creating, "[b]You go fuckin' Gaens!!![/b]"

The looseness from the alcohol completely disappeared, replaced with a sharp focus and incredible power. He had no reservations about anything, willing to take on anything, especially more alcohol. It wasn’t hard to get his hands on any, as the bartender had already been paying close attention to the duo. Meeting her gaze, Bento found Lucy’s youthful excitement was strangely endearing. Her innocence in the face of such a terrible, terrible world reminded him of a sunset which cast it’s soft orange glow into the mouth a cave he would never leave. But then again, what was left for a sun, but to burn out and die.

Two glasses arrived and Bento pulled out a bag of pills and shook two out on the table. Taking up his knife again, the Immortal expertly chopped one up into quarters before using the bottom of the handle to crush them further. Just as easily as he had scooped up the cocaine, he used the knife to lift the crushed powder and dump it into his drink, using the blade to stir it in. [color=662d91][b]“The best part about coke is that you can get fucked up twice.”[/b][/color] He said, a slight smile escaping onto his face as he prepared the second drink. [color=662d91][b]“No need to worry, it’s just oxy… Now how about you tell me what it’s like to be a Castalia kid?”[/b][/color] He added, lifting the drink closer to him in preparation to clink glasses with one of the wealthiest people in the Dust.

"This how you fly?" Lucy's expression was piquant, but observant. She noted the easy manner in which he made the oxycontin cocktails, even in the high, she could tell when she had things to learn from a person. More or less, Cullen certainly seemed like he knew his shit. Her thoughts bounced around in her head, and as her focus revolved and shifted, all she really cared about was trying the drink. If it could take her further away, then it was worth a shot.

"Castalia kid?" Despite herself, her left eye twitched as he asked his question, "Honestly I couldn't fuckin' tell you..." She touched her glass to his before taking a swig, "Only part of me that's Castalia is the ammo they give me!"

Bento took a long drink, letting out an amused, yet somewhat annoyed grunt. She hadn’t answered the question he asked. He wasn’t interested in her daddy issues, but perhaps she wasn’t aware of the divide that existed between them. Perhaps she didn’t even know what it meant to be a Castalia kid herself. Bento wasn’t going to press it any further though, if she felt like opening up then she would, otherwise he wasn’t going to ruin the high forcibly squeezing a revelation out of her. [color=662d91][b]“This ain’t flying, kid. This is the counter to the coke; it’ll bring your heart rate back down and get rid of that nasty tension. In a little bit you’ll start to feel the fluidity and the euphoria, but the coke will keep you from getting sleepy.”[/b][/color] He explained, tipping back the rest of the drink like water.

[color=662d91][b]“Now we just have to decide if we’re going to go to another world, or tear this one up.”[/b][/color] The higher he got, the easier it became to consume more. He was still in control at the moment, but by the end of the night he was hoping to change that.

Lucy could raise a glass to that!

"Tear it up!" she took a swig of her drink, letting the chemical cocktail of drugs wash over her. The glass sloshed with the liquid in her hand as it left her mouth, for a single sober moment, she began, "Y'know..." she chugged the rest of the of, despite the burn, "You prolly think I'm a spoiled rich bitch, huh!?" She slurred, "I agree if you do!" She slammed the empty glass on the table, hard, "Now let's [b]TEAR IT UP![/b]"

[i]You’re not spoiled, you’re sheltered. You’re unlike any other person in this bar in that you’ve never stared death-and I mean real death-straight in the face and survived.[/i] He felt like saying, but ultimately he decided to hold back. [color=662d91][b]“It doesn’t matter where you come from. There’s nothing in this world that can’t be destroyed.”[/b][/color] Bento stood up, a bit shaky on his feet, but quickly regained control of his body, [color=662d91][b]“I’m going to get a bottle. Either ditch the escort or whatever you want, just get ready to fucking fly…”[/b][/color]

"You got it, boss man!" Lucy giggled. She turned to Diane, only to find that her 'guardian' had fallen asleep. Comically, with a still burning blunt hanging out of the side of a snoring mouth. Lucy exaggerated her rolling eyes, taking the joint a way, she extinguished it in a nearby ashtray, seeing the purple-gray wisps die out as she subbed it out with the piles of others. "She's fucking [i]out[/i], man." she stated, with a dry laugh. Looking now, at Bento, her expression became cheeky, but skeptical, "Now, when the fuck are you gonna show [b][i]volare[/i][/b]-- I wanna fuckin' [i][b]SOAR[/b][/i]!"

As Bento returned with an open bottle in his hand, he suddenly noticed that he couldn’t remember how he had acquired it. To make matters worse, there was already a substantial amount of the liquor that was already gone. He raised the bottle to his lips and turned it up to the sky, sucking down another sizable helping of the alcohol before offering it to Lucy. [color=662d91][b]“You want to fucking fly? Then we gotta get on the roof!”[/b][/color]

The next thing he knew, they were standing on the roof, the winds softly tossing pieces of paper and cigarette butts around them. It had gotten darker since he had first arrived, but there was still enough light to see each other well enough. [color=662d91][b]“Tell me, Lucy, can your sister do this?”[/b][/color] He shouted, throwing his hands into the air, sending the winds into a frenzy, whirling all around the odd duo.

"[b]DUUUUUUUUUUUDE![/b]" Lucy was yelling above the miniature sand storm that surrounded them... Except it didn't even have any sand! For lack of a better term, she referred to the swirling winds as a 'trash storm' in her mind. The excitement in her system only increased as Cullen showed his powers to her, but she was sober enough to recognize that he probably wouldn't want his ability to do things she had never seen the wind do before 'trash.'

"[b]HELL NO!![/b]" She was filled with awe at it all, "[b]ALL SHE DOES IS YELL AT STUFF!!! SHIT, YOU REALLY FUCKING [i]CAN[/i] FLY, CAN'T YOU?[/b]"

[b][color=92278f]“This is how you tear the world apart!”[/color][/b] Bento roared, throwing his hands to his sides, flinging all the trash and debris off the roof. [b][color=92278f]“Nature bends to the Immortal’s command, and we too are bent by its will! The winds will happily lift a man to play amongst the stars…”[/color][/b] He smiled, power rushing through his veins, the intoxicating mixture of invincibility and euphoric perfection taking control of his body. [b][color=92278f]“So are you ready to fly, Lucy? Or are you too scared to touch the sky?"[/color][/b]

"[b]Christ...[/b]" Lucy still found herself struggling to speak above the tempest around her, she wasn't aware winds could be this intense-- and she didn't really [i]care[/i] how it happened. She wasn't a motherfucking scientist! She kept a hand on her head to keep her hat from flying off into the swirling windy night whilst yelling a response to Cullen, "[b]I got more drugs in me right now than I got blood, [i]of course[/i] I want to fucking fly![/b]" Moving closer to the man in the eye of the storm, she reached to grab his hand.

[b][color=92278f]“You’re going to need to hold on tighter than that.”[/color][/b] Bento said, reaching an arm around her back, and sweeping her off her feet with the other. He had only done this once before with another person, but Lucy was considerably lighter so he was confident he could handle it. Whether that was the drugs talking or sound reasoning was of no consequence. The winds concentrated around his feet as he bent his knees and without warning, leapt straight up into the air as they were propelled high into the sky. At the top of their climb the winds began whirling around them in a tight ball.

Bento nosedived and brought them level just over the city, soaring low over the inner districts of the city, lit up by elegant streetlights. They flew over the slums, dirty and downtrodden, as Bento suddenly noticed his heart was absolutely pounding in his chest, and it wasn’t the coke… He didn’t care though, he would push it to the edge, [b][color=92278f]“LETS SEE HOW HIGH WE CAN GO!”[/color][/b] He shouted, pulling up and dropping the ball around them in favor of a powerful blast beneath his feet, sending them rocketing upwards. The pair rose high into the sky, watching the city shrink below them. Bento’s vision was going in and out but he kept pushing until the winds gave way underneath them. Bento blacked out momentarily as they began to fall through the sky, spiraling down towards the dirt.

His consciousness was restored roughly 30 seconds before they hit the ground, and reacted almost instantly. Without thinking he shot a hand out and pushed back against the earth with all of his power, slowing their descent near to a crawl just as they hit the ground. He felt his back take the brunt of the hit, while Lucy fell on top of him, knocking the wind out of him, though thankfully only figuratively this time. For the first time in weeks Bento couldn’t stop himself from laughing…

Lucy didn't have time respond before Cullen managed to literally sweep her off her feet. She found herself held in his more-than-capable arms, in the same manner a man would hold his newlywed wife-- except [i]this time[/i] with the added bonus of being high out of her mind and in the middle of a fucking windstorm! The pair rose, and Lucy screamed. Not out of fear, but out of an appreciation for the need to release all the excitement she felt in the moment. Her mind wouldn't let her wonder about the type of man that did drugs with complete strangers and then took them flying, she was enjoying the [i]now[/i], and the now was [i]fucking awesome[/i].

"[b]Yesss!! Volare!![/b]" She managed to squeak out in between the loud pulses of gale and her own adrenaline, she raised her arms in a cheer, still held in the windcaller's arms, she screamed again, with more drug/risk fueled excitement, a genuine wide, slightly frothing smile on her face. "[b]I can see fucking everything![/b]" She wasn't lying, the windcaller Cullen had taken them high enough to see far more than the poor and rich sectors of Russel City--  

She could see the wild fires of Tas burning in the distance. Other gems filled the dark desert, too; Parkland, Harlem, Laguna, each a slightly different glow, all large. As they continued to gain altitude Lucy's screaming became a silent, if not shaky, appreciation of the view she was being give. Behind them was the bright, wasteful glow of Serenity... it looked like it was a million miles away. When they had first risen she could see the lights of vehicles burning their midnight oil to make runs, even the ant-like silhouettes of some people.

Her lips parted slightly, Lucy was struck in a silent awe. She could literally see [i]all[/i] of Dust. Had anyone ever done that before? The sight was one of absolute beauty, only increased by the mysterious air the night gave it all. Perhaps it was the drugs, but it was all so overwhelming she wanted to cry. She wished more people could see this.

She looked above into the almighty void. She reached a shaky hand out to the nearest star possible, that ever-present twinkle to the north, it was so close, but so impossibly far away. She leaned out of his arms slightly, not noticing an end to the wind. If only she could reach just... a little... further...... Just......... Wait?

"Cullen?" Lucy said, a panic growing in her voice. They were [i]falling[/i]. She looked back at the man, the fear in her eyes was met with the sleep that had overcome his own. 

He had gone an passed out!

"[b]God dammit Cullen, wake up![/b]" She screamed, more fear than excitement now. They were falling [i]fast[/i]. She slapped the man, "[b]Fuck! You old motherfucker, if you don't wake up we're both gonna fucking die![/b]" So much for the beauty of it all, it looked like this was going to be the last thing Lucy saw before she died.

She gave Cullen several more slaps.

"[b]FUCK![/b]" She clenched onto him as they fell, faster and faster toward the rapidly growing Russel City Slums. The worst part of this kind of death, Lucy realized, was that you had to resign to the fact that it was going to happen no matter what you did, and that no amount of struggling would help. She was going to go splat on the roof of some bum's shack. [i]Fuck--Cazzo.[/i]

Maybe... this is what she wanted, though? 

She noted that she had stopped screaming. Maybe this was alright? Maybe she wanted death? It wasn't like she was doing anything with her life anyway? She was just some unwanted cunt who sat around and spent other people's money. She was only alive because killing herself directly would be too much effort. Wind rushed harshly past, Lucy sighed with bloodshot eyes.

[i]No pain... Just let it happen.[/i]

"[b]Fuck[/b], fine whatever. Let's just do it. At least I ain't going out like no bitch..." She muttered. With that, Lucy closed her eyes, and awaited death's sweet release, still cradled in Cullen's arms...

A release that wouldn't come, at least not at that time, it seemed. Cullen had come to mid-fallen and drastically slowed their descent just enough to make the final 'thud' result in Lucy receive nothing more than a mild bruising. She was alive. [i]She was alive![/i] The adrenaline was beginning to run her brain ragged as it worked against the other chemicals, but she knew being alive was a good thing. She could hear Cullen laughing, and as she opened her eyes, she could see mirth directly-- her face was only inches above his-- she had fallen right on top of him. Without thinking, Lucy slowly joined in, and eventually tossed her arms around the older man.

"You're a fucking bastard... you know that?" She said, squeezing all she could out of the surprise hug, "I mean, I thought we were [i]literally[/i] gonna bite the Dust!"

[i]Twice I’ve cheated death today.[/i] The crushed opiates had overpowered the coke by this point and Bento felt himself swimming through a perfect world; one where a shattered soul could be whole again, if only for a fleeting moment. Lucy threw her arms around him. The laughter slowly faded from his lips.

[i]A tear stricken face buried in his chest. A hand running through long blond hair. ”Don’t ever leave me.” The phantom whispered, “Please don’t leave.”[/i]

Lucy held him tighter, reigning in Bento’s wandering mind, laying it to rest safely in the arms of a child. He raised a calloused hand and placed it softly on the girl’s hip, mustering all of what little tenderness he had left in his weary heart. [b][color=92278f]“Feel alive yet?”[/color][/b] He smiled weakly.

[center]--End Day One--[/center]