[img]http://i.imgur.com/QRij9MW.jpg[/img] [b]The house was on fire.[/b] Dropping his briefcase to the floor he rushed through the already broken door, when he surveyed the scene -what he saw made his heart sink. Everything, [b]EVERYTHING[/b] he had built was on fire. The suffocating smoke stung his senses but he could not look away, this was the last time he was going to see it ... [i]Laurella![/i] His gaze immediately shot to the stairs. The last time he saw the girl she was packing up after a long shift. Flames licked the steps, jealously guarding them and the boards creaked within the fire, it didn't look like it would take any weight. But the thought of her still being in here, somewhere, bit him. So he covered his nose with the back of his sleeve, held his breath and just leapt as far as he could up the stairs. He tried holding the railings but the hair on his hands singed before he even touched them! True enough, as his last step landed, the wood behind them crumbled with a hearth wreching roil. [b]"Loll-*cough* ..ch-olla!! Are you in there!?"[/b] His fists pounded on the shut door. [i]No response.[/i] [b]"ARE Y-"[/b] His voice started showing panic. He quickly shook his head, this was futile, and stepped back from the door. Steelling himself before barging in shoulder first. When the smoke cleared. There, he saw the form of a slender elven woman on a bed, still in her night gown. [b]"Lolla!"[/b] He rushed to her side, shaking her. Her body was warm, positively feverish, and she held a gun in her hand. But her eyes were closed. At least she still breathed. He scopped her up in his arms ... But the stairs were gone. They would fall on to the sharp, broken furniture if he tried the other way. The only route was out her window, ...but they were two storeys high. He would break his legs and probably hers, trying. [i]However, he could...[/i] He popped his head out the window and looked for signs of people. The street directly below was empty, he glanced past the car wrecks but did not dare look further, worried he might spend a moment too long if he noticed what was in there. Then once again, his gaze fell onto the snow white face of Laurella in his arms. His thoughts slunk into the darker recesses of his mind ... [i]They burnt his shop! His life's work! [b]His HOME![/b][/i] Anger gripped him in his chest, heart pounding painfully as he felt it swell through his throat. "mRRRrrR...." "Murr....My--[b]RR-RFAMILY!![/b]" It escaped in a growl that followed. Sleeves became too small and the tie snapped into two. The world became a monotone of grey and white, yet somehow louder than ever. Something leapt from the windowsill, blunt hard claws dug into and slid down the lampost as it bent forwards yielding under some enormous weight. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Her eyes fluttered open, she found herself in the streets. A somewhat farmiliar face stood over her, looking on with concern. "Ricardo ...-" She mummured, remembering it's name. "-What the hel are you doing?" As joyous as usual. Her onlooker stared at her for a long moment, unamused. "...Your face." [b]"What."[/b] What was wrong with his face? No, it couldn't be. He felt his heart clench and skip a beat. Panic washed over his features. He quickly stopped her curious hand before it reached him, his breathing halted. Ready to drop her, ".......It's cut." Tense shoulders immediately slumped upon hearing her words, then a moment later, Laurella felt hands callously slip out from under her. "Ow!!"