[b]4:32pm[/b]

Ivan grumbled, peering down the muddied alleyway to see a pair of dirt caked boots up against a wall, a familiar plastic flower adorning the side of each. Ivan had come here after having run out of options, unable to find any other dealers out on the street no doubt due to the sky water. Unfortunately this left him with 'Lily' as she liked to call herself, the only dealer in Russell who Ivan personally knew. Knowing her, Ivan had been right to guess that she'd be stubborn enough to be outside still trying to sell in this weather. 

She sold Mary J., and her boss, Noah, was the sole provider of it in Russell City since it was hard for anyone to grow the stuff outside of Gaen territory. While Lily herself wasn't that bad a person she was very loyal to her boss, Noah, and Noah wasn't too fond of Ivan considering what had happened last time he'd been in Russell. It had been a stupid set of circumstances, and it had ended with Ivan being practically robbed; left without bullets or herb. Not to be made a fool of, Ivan managed to find the bastard's home and blow a hole in one of his walls. Then he'd simply stolen what he believed he was entitled to, and disappeared from Russell for a few years. While the idea of his bullets eventually going into Noah's pocket made him regret needing to buy from here, Ivan wanted to have something other than that fungus he'd picked up in Isolone for the purpose of mixing things up. It had also been a long while since he'd had the herb, and seeing Lily again would be a bit of a bonus.

"[color=a36209]Oy, Lily[/color]," Ivan called out, walking down the alley towards the pair of boots. Silently he prayed it was her, and not some random person who was hanging out in the same alley she'd always occupied.

"[color=ec008c]Rag-man?[/color]" was the response Ivan got back, the still familiar but now older voice sounding somewhat startled as Ivan watched her boots shift slightly.

[i][color=a36209]So it is her,[/color][/i] Ivan thought to himself, recalling the nickname she'd given him the first time they'd met. "[color=a36209]Yeah, it's me[/color]," Ivan replied, drawing closer to find she was standing underneath some sort of overhang to keep dry. Feeling somewhat nostalgic, Ivan gave an amused huff as he let himself fall into the side of the building, leaning only a short distance away from Lily. Now that he was closer, Ivan could see that her clothing still had a fair amount of dust and dirt on it indicating that she was relatively dry, though her head was completely invisible meaning she'd either gotten better at keeping clean, or she'd been caught out in the sky water for long enough to wash away what was on her face. She was still fairly young, and though now was probably in her early twenties she hadn't visibly grown or changed much. She was incredibly thin, almost unhealthily so, and hardly had any curves which she always tried to cover up with baggier clothing. Sure she was a bit taller now, but that wasn't saying much considering Ivan still had to look down a fair bit to meet where he assumed her face was. 

"[color=ec008c]Rag-man, s'been too long[/color]," Lily laughed, the faint outline of her arm lifting up so that Ivan could meet her with a fist bump. "[color=ec008c]Man, last I 'eard of you Noah was screamin' 'is 'ead off 'bout wannin' ta put 'is boot up yer ass- that was years ago, I 'aven't 'eard from ya since. Yu just up an' disappeared[/color]," she then went on to say, near the end sounding like she was trying to scold Ivan almost as if he were a misbehaved child. The two of them were what you could have called friends, one of few Ivan held in this world, but their friendship was almost wholly centered on getting too high to speak which made things a little hollow.

"[color=a36209]It's nice to see you too Lily[/color]," Ivan replied, chuckling a little before continuing. "[color=a36209]And yeah, I know Noah is probably still mad but one of his boy practically mugged me- I wasn't gonna take that. He probably just told you I robbed 'im though[/color]," he then remarked, sounding somewhat grim. 

"[color=ec008c]Rings a bell[/color]," Lily told him, sounding somewhat thoughtful as the two of them were left in a somewhat awkward silence.

Clearing his throat, Ivan broke the quiet before he reached into the pocket on his vest to retrieve all the bullets he had left. "[color=a36209]Hey, uh, how much will this get me?[/color]" he asked, holding out the fistful of bullets towards Lily. There were only three of them left, each one a different size with the largest belonging to what must have been a fairly heavy caliber gun. How much they were worth Ivan didn't really know, but he trusted Lily enough to give him a fair deal.

Lily let out a short puff of air from her nose, something she always did when cracking a smile, before she grabbed the bullets from Ivan's palm and examined each before putting them in her pocket. "[color=ec008c]'S'at the real reason ye came ta see me?[/color]" she asked, her words sounding heavier compared to before. 

"[color=a36209]When it eventually crossed my mind, I'd have come by to say hello regardless. You're the only person out in this weather still selling shit though so it's a two birds, one stone kinda thing[/color]," Ivan explained, trying to sound as sincere as he could. While it was for the most part true, he'd all but forgotten Lily up until he'd remembered her as his last option. She didn't say anything, being silent as she reached inside her jacket and pulled out a somewhat dirty clump of plastic that no doubt contained a gram or two of weed. Ivan sighed, not yet accepting the little package as he crossed his arms somewhat sternly. "[color=a36209]Lily, I know you're not lookin' at me. I can't see yer head right now but I know you ain't lookin'.  I want you to know that at any other time, this would have been a better reunion but believe it or not for once I have somewhere I have to go[/color]," Ivan stated, his voice having adopted a far more serious tone. This caused Lily to stir, her body shifting to better face Ivan indicating that'd he had her attention. 

"[color=a36209]I know what happened to make the sky cry like it is- I saw it, and I know the man who said he knows where the person responsible is. Things get a bit complicated, and I'm not sure I want to get mixed up into it but it has to do with the immortals. I need to know more; I feel like it's a responsibility I need to take care of, ya know?[/color]" Ivan explained, his words very stern as he felt almost like he were giving a lecture. 

Lily laughed, it sounding genuine enough even though it still carried a dampened undertone. "[color=ec008c]Jus' take yer weed 'nd go, Rag-man. The desert's callin' yer name[/color]," she sighed, clenching the clump of plastic in her hand so she could give Ivan a light punch in the arm. When her fist connected she opened her palm, and Ivan unfolded his arms to catch the little nugget before it could hit the ground. 

"[color=a36209]If we're both still alive, I'll see you in another time. Stay safe[/color]," Ivan told Lily, lifting a muddied arm to give her a quick pat on the shoulder before removing his backpack so he could put away his newest ray of sunshine. It felt even more unpleasant than normal now that he was wet, and Ivan shuddered as he put his pack back on. Unhappily he rolled his shoulders a few times, trying to rid of the sensation that removing his pack always brought about.

"[color=a36209]Enjoy the sky water[/color]," Ivan huffed, breathing deeply as he turned away with one final wave of his hand. As he left the alleyway, Ivan took another look around the street he'd emerged onto before retrieving his compass again. After having direction once more, the lone man began trudging through the muddied streets towards the southern exit of the city. On his way, Ivan began to notice the streets beginning to become more active: people shouting, throwing bottles, and a few times Ivan had needed to rush off the street to avoid an oncoming vehicle. There was an air of panic in the voices he heard, and Ivan muttered a short prayer in hopes that whatever was happening people would be alright.

Eventually, Ivan reached the outskirts of the city and pocketed his compass, standing tall as he felt the water begin working it's chill into his bones. "[color=a36209]I better get somewhere dry before nightfall[/color]," he breathed, speaking to himself as he slowly raised his arms. Ivan began walking, the mud around him bubbling in protest as it began to get dragged along behind him. Slowly Ivan picked up his pace, lifting his arms further as the ground beneath him shifted and began to try climbing up his legs each time they touched the ground. Then, with the built up momentum Ivan gave a short leap, snapping his arms upward as a surge of mud rose up to envelope his lower body. His legs completely encased, Ivan leaned forward as the rolling mound carried him away from Russell city. Underneath his hood Ivan gave a smirk, feeling quite proud of himself as his focused his efforts on keeping a steady pace. Traveling like this in no way hid his immortal status, but it was far faster than walking or gliding and Ivan had enough practice that he could keep it up all night if he had to. Once more, Ivan retrieved his compass, adjusting his course to a more South-west direction as he referenced the map he held in his head. "[color=a36209]Isolone[/color]," he huffed, a smirk on his face as once more his focus fell on the shifting earth beneath him.