The following is Part 2 of a collaboration between [@The Savant] and myself.[hr] After a rather adventurous journey, they finally arrived at Pilka's home. Once let in, Kara was pleasantly surprised, being proven wrong. She had assumed his place would be disorganized and somewhat grimy, but it was the opposite. Yes, he had quite the collection of random items, but it was all clean, and that she appreciated. That, and the fact that she could see once more. [color=yellow]"It's cozy"[/color] Kara smiled, walking around the room. [color=yellow]"Honestly better than what I was expecting give your status as an outcast."[/color] She realized she sounded condescending, and immediately regretted her choice of words. [color=yellow]"I mean, not in a bad way, but you guys on this side have extremely limited resources unless you sneak back into the city—"[/color] Kara stopped herself, knowing she was only making it worse. [color=yellow]"Sorry, you can tell I've never been this far outside..."[/color] Kara was being sincere, staring at Pilka as she apologized. He would be lying if he said he didn’t find discomfort in this situation though he stared at the woman in his home. There was a subtle impression that begged her to stop with an annoyance that spoke volumes — [i]Are you done yet?[/i] — That look was on his face in a less rude way or at least he was trying to keep his face fixed, however the eyes always spoke as well. There was a heavier silence when he drew his eyes away from her to think. Thinking about what she said, he understood, since they lived in completely different worlds though he wanted her to realize that the people out here were not uncivilized heathens.“[color=C8A2C8]Most citizens do not seem to venture outside of the walls unless they were scientists, officials, or have some form of clearance by what I have noticed.[/color]” Moving over to a back doorway, he opened another vaulted door, and he exposed his actual [url=https://i.pinimg.com/736x/43/86/92/438692ba65992db13cae189adb737196.jpg]room[/url] where he lived. It looked big enough to comfortably host three or four people in the room at a time, but he didn’t have guests over that often nor did he plan on really having anyone over. The room was as clean as it possibly could be with a little bit of a chaotic mess on the table, looked like he was working on creating something, and there were a few dirty dishes from breakfast or whenever he ate last, and everything else resembled the circumstances of a lower class citizen's home. It would have smelt fresher than the bigger room, “[color=C8A2C8]And I am not an outcast, Kara,[/color]” he added. “[color=C8A2C8]They do not use that term. At least not when they kicked all of us out. They referred to someone like me as subhuman, someone who isn’t supposed to be apart of society, which —[/color]” he paused as if he had to think of his words carefully or to put emphasize, he walked into the rectangular room, and went to the small kitchenette to prep something. “[color=C8A2C8] — I don’t blame them. I’m one of the friendlier… or more human looking ones,[/color]” he glanced at Kara from the darkness and realized that he didn’t turn the light on. He usually didn’t have to and that’s when he reached up and pulled a cord in the middle of the room. A dim light came on almost instantly which gave a clearer picture to his living situation. Foundationally poor but not uncomfortable. "Subhuman." Kara hated that term. Years ago, to be exact, was when she'd first heard it being used in a derogatory manner. [i]"Ha! You seen that? Knocked him right on his ass!" Tobias, one of her classmates, was showing a group from their class how his older brother had gotten into a confrontation with a dweller and had beaten him within inches of his life. His brother had provoked the fight, looking to get that same exact outcome. Some of her classmates from the group remained silent, while some chuckled. Tobias was beaming with pride though as if he were the one throwing punches. Since they sat together, Kara tensed up when Tobias turned to her and basically shoved his device in her face. "Do you enjoy watching how this subhuman waste gets laid out? It's wild!" Tobias was being obnoxious at that point, beyond the level he usually was. Kara assumed their teacher was running late because it was a few minutes past 9 and the class was running wild with laughter and chatter. From that day on, she barely uttered a word to Tobias, and all he got from her for the majority of his questions was a "Yep" or a "Nope".[/i] [color=yellow]"I'm sorry, I just hate that term. Subhuman..."[/color] she shook her head, trying to shake the memories still fresh in her mind. [color=yellow]"You're more human than some people I know."[/color] She was referring to Tobias, whom she'd last heard was on the verge of homelessness and had fallen into a nasty habit of beating his girlfriends and getting drunk on a daily basis. [color=yellow]"I'd rather have you as a neighbor,"[/color] she joked. There was a silence that spoke between them and he knew he said something that didn’t sit right with the woman, however he did not interrupt her thoughts. He continued to do what he was doing. Opening up a cupboard to grab some things out of it – a strange looking [url=https://i.pinimg.com/736x/63/88/29/6388292c53db5a6cb41c43f430eb3df8.jpg]fruit[/url] — and he peeled the outer layer off from the fruit before giving it a quick wash. Then he grabbed a clean knife before slicing it in half. “[color=C8A2C8]Mhm?[/color]” he glanced over to her and looked at her like she didn’t know what she was talking about. Handing her the other half of the fruit, the fruit was made up of a bunch of arils, “[color=C8A2C8]You eat those fleshy bits,[/color]” he tapped his finger on the slightly squishy arils before taking a bite of his own half. “[color=C8A2C8]How could you say you would like me as a neighbor when you don’t know me?[/color]” Pilka found it odd that she would say such a thing. He knew she was trying to be nice and make up for what she said only moments ago. “[color=C8A2C8]Plus, I think you would hate it. I would annoy you,[/color]” he chuckled a little before taking another bite of the fruit. “[color=C8A2C8]You would get sick of me being your neighbor because if I had any, I would bother them constantly. Ask them how they are doing. If they need anything. Always checking in,[/color]” Pilka shrugged his shoulders at his words. The fruit itself was not something that was sold in the walls of Dominion or grown at all. It was a cave flora that only did well in steamingly hot and moisture filled areas along with growing out of the cracks of stone. It grew in rough conditions, in a sense, though the taste of it was sweetly tart. There was some hesitation at first, given the appearance of the oddly-shaped fruit, but Kara shrugged her shoulders and thought nothing more of it, especially when Pilka took a bite. [color=yellow]"Mm,"[/color] she nodded her head in approval once the burst of flavor flooded her mouth. Kara had never tasted anything like it, much less seen a fruit nearly as exotic as this one. The thought of making Pilka save her a couple for the future crossed her mind, but that'd mean sneaking around even more and she couldn't chance those risks. Once her mouth was empty again, Kara addressed him. [color=yellow]"You'd make a great neighbor! Think about it, you helped me evade capture and then you welcomed me into your home just to be safe. Me, a total stranger and a nobody to you. I don't know what someone else's opinion might be, but that was very neighborly of you."[/color] Kara took another quick bite, using the back of the hand holding the fruit to cover her mouth. [color=yellow]"I can't count the number of times I've gotten into trouble back home because someone lied their way out of blame. And it's even sadder when one of those people was one of my closest friends, or whom I considered my closest friend."[/color] An amused chuckle came from him as he finished his fruit and threw it into a bin that had trash in it. “[color=C8A2C8]I will take your word for it,[/color]” It made him think of what life could have been like if the Dominion Government didn’t ostracize certain people out of their walls. He would have most likely lived in Khia or possibly a lower class community in Qona and he would have most likely stayed a miner. Then that truly hit him, he was better off being kicked out of the city for plenty of reasons, and he found an odd comfort in such a thought — it was better to not live in Dominion. Walking up to her, he placed his hand on her shoulder, “[color=C8A2C8]I am truly sorry to hear about one of your closest friends betraying you in such a way. I would offer a cup of tea or coffee, though I think it would be better for us to get going. The longer you are away, the more they will snoop around most likely,[/color]” Pilka explained while leading Kara out of the little home, turning the lights off, and closing the door. Before he left this time, he grabbed a backpack and a metal rope that had something like a grappling hook look to it — a weapon possibly? Then he led her into the bigger room and out through the main door before closing that one. Taking a minute or two to make the door somewhat hidden again. It was probably a twenty minute journey from where Pilka’s main living area was to the outer entrance of Esille. There were plenty of areas to snoop around, squeezing in and out of the buildings, or going up to the gates where government workers such as scientists would pass to do their job. “[color=C8A2C8]We have two options, we can sneak you back into the city or you can go up to that gate and talk to the guards,[/color]” he explained with a gesture to each option. Pilka looked at her before looking back at the entrances of the city of Dominion then breathed heavily, almost a sigh, “[color=C8A2C8]Are you ready? I really do not want to punch you but you look like you’ve been in such a struggle from us wandering around,[/color]” he found humor with a puff of a laugh before frowning a little and looking into Kara’s eyes. They have been between buildings and stone, they were in old sewer pipes, and they had to cross waterways where the water would surely soak into your socks and up your pants if you didn’t have high enough boots or waterproof ones, and there was mud, moss, and a lot of other things that had surely stained her clothes if she brushed up against them. “[color=C8A2C8]I’ll try not to hit you too hard, okay?[/color]” She looked to be in somewhat of a rough state already. Earlier that morning, she'd gotten ready for the day by putting on a navy blue blouse with a white collar, white pants, and flat, pointed-toe shoes with a simple strap around the ankle. But now, her clothes were ruined and she had a few bumps and scratches on her. [color=yellow]"I think it's best if you sneak me back into the city,"[/color] Kara responded, [color=yellow]"It'll make it seem as if I were running away from something, or [i]someone[/i] and I was desperate enough to find whatever way back inside."[/color] At that point, Kara didn't say anything further. She instead looked at Pilka for what seemed like an eternity, her heartbeat just about to burst through her chest. But she might as well get it over with. [color=yellow]"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."[/color] Her voice was low and somewhat shaky. [color=yellow]"Don't warn me, I'll just close my eyes and you do what you gotta do,"[/color] there was a slight, subconscious nod to fully convince herself this needed to be done. She knew that, but a small fraction of her was against the idea altogether. After inhaling and exhaling slowly, she closed her eyes and waited, her hands on either side of her trembling. Pilka hadn’t done anything yet and he was already feeling terrible about it. Seeing the girl shut her eyes caused him to stay for such a long time while thoughts raced through his mind like a tornado. His thumb rubbed against his fingers with a bit of anxiety — [color=C8A2C8][i]I usually help people… I don’t do this…[/i][/color] — though he knew it was for the better. If she looked more hurt, scared, and everything else. She would be in less trouble and there would be a tag on his head for sure. That didn’t matter, he wasn’t a part of society anyways, but he would have to be more careful when sneaking around the city. Cocking back his arm, he stared at her, and then proceeded to hit her with a decent punch. Not more than one. Not with all of his might. Something that would sting and surely cause a black eye within the next half hour but nothing too serious. However, he grabbed her during the commotion, and forced her head into his chest. “[color=C8A2C8]I’m sorry,[/color]” Pilka knew that it was going to hurt and he honestly couldn’t look at her for the moment after it happened because he felt so guilty. His fingers gently rubbing the back of her head to try and sooth her — or maybe himself. The blow caught her off-guard, and Kara stood unmoving with her head still to the side. That’s when she placed a trembling hand on her eye as her vision had darkened momentarily. Shallow breaths from the initial shock preventing her from communicating for that brief moment, though she felt Pilka pull her in for a close embrace and in an odd way, it was comforting. An involuntary tear streamed down her face as the stinging pain intensified, and that part of her face began to grow rather hot. [color=yellow]”I’m okay, I’m okay.”[/color] Kara said, simultaneously reassuring the both of them. ”[color=C8A2C8]That’s a lie,[/color]” he was quick with his words when he loosened up so Kara could separate from him slightly if she wanted to. He was trying to look down and see her face and what he could see from it, she looked bothered, and uncontrolled though she was trying so hard to control her reaction by the looks of it. “[color=C8A2C8]You just got punched in the face. That isn't okay,[/color]” he added with a bit of guilt in his voice. He hated doing it but she was right, it would make whatever story she had in mind more believable, and the authorities might actually believe it. A sigh was let out before he separated from the woman, “[color=C8A2C8]Come on, let me get you back into the city,[/color]” Pilka gestured for the woman to follow him. She sniffed, nodding silently. [color=yellow]"I know, but I'll be okay,"[/color] Kara looked at him for a moment once they separated. He looked worse than she imagined, having to go ahead and do something so against his nature. Kara felt slightly guilty for pushing him to do it, as necessary of an evil as it was. She wiped the tears from her cheeks and took a deep breath to calm herself. Something to look forward to now...getting back into the city and having to put on a show for whomever would be questioning her. But she felt confident in her ability to sell her lies. A thought then came to mind. [color=yellow]"Pilka, how do I find you once I'm back?"[/color] The question came out of the blue, but she couldn't forget about him. The council would place a hit on him and if he were to be captured, then who knew what punishment they would dish out. Kara needed to know he was okay. Those words caused the man to stop walking as if he was shocked into place, “[color=C8A2C8]What?[/color]” He heard what she had said though it wasn’t processed at first. “[color=C8A2C8]Why?[/color]” Came the second question. The older man had no idea why she would want to be able to find him. Rubbing at his face, he wave of stress came over him, and he huffed out a breath, “[color=C8A2C8]Kara —[/color]” he looked at her, “ [color=C8A2C8]— You shouldn’t be trying to keep in contact with me. It’ll only put you in danger. Be that with the government or whatever is lurking outside of the city. [i][b]No.[/b][/i] You just need to go back home,[/color]” Pilka let a hand stroke through his hair as if he was trying to fully process that question as if he was having a hard time believing that she wanted to see him again even if it was to make sure he was alright or whatever. “[color=C8A2C8]Let’s just focus on getting you back home, okay?[/color]” Pilka knew that he shouldn’t answer her question even if he would enjoy the company and possible visits of someone else. He had people outside that he talked to constantly, it wasn't like he was lonely, but there was an excitement to meeting someone who wasn’t horrible and scared from the inside of Dominion. He gestured for her to follow and kept going down a pathway in the stone. [color=yellow]"At the very least you'll be on a list, and it is very possible they'll hunt you down if they feel like it. Please—"[/color] she pleaded to him, her voice urgent with anxiety.[color=yellow]"Do you think I'd be able to live with myself if something happened to you knowing I was fully responsible? Knowing that I gave them a confession of nothing but lies which incriminated you?"[/color] As they continued walking, her eyes frantically darted from side to side trying to find the right words to convince him to once again agree with her. But that thought alone made her realize she was behaving selfishly. And he was right, not only would that endanger her, but him as well. [color=yellow]"I'm being selfish... I'm sorry. I shouldn't put neither of us in that position, especially you."[/color] Kara sighed, admittedly feeling a little defeated at that point. Pilka stopped in his tracks again and stayed quiet — thinking and thinking — and he was beginning to realize that he might have to be harsh and stern with her. Taking his hand and combing it through his hair, he huffed out in thought, and looked around the cavern walls. This was difficult for anyone to understand, especially someone who has been so sheltered to everything compared to forty years ago or the outside. Life was not fair. “[color=C8A2C8]Kara,[/color]” he turned towards her and she continued to ramble and he listened. “[color=C8A2C8]You haven’t incriminated me even if you tell them lies. I’m already a criminal in the eyes of the government of Dominion. I have been for the last thirty years or so. Everyone that is like me, has the same laws over their heads, and we are not protected. If you didn’t lie about me, I would still be a criminal,[/color]” he explained to her evenly. He wanted her to understand that he was already seen as something that shouldn’t be a part of society to the point where it was criminal for him to be in the walls of Dominion. It made him feel guilty for even coming in and checking out the protests, if he decided to stay home… none of this would have happened. Nodding his head, “[color=C8A2C8]I’m sorry that I put you into this position,[/color]” it was all of his fault and he knew that. “[color=C8A2C8]And it's okay to be selfish. Everyone is selfish to some extent,[/color]” Pilka didn't know how to comfort her in this situation because he didn’t feel like she completely understood that he was a criminal by birth. Things were different when he was a child but too many dangerous and awful situations happened with burrowers being in society that they were casted out. “[color=C8A2C8]I’ll make sure you know that I am okay even if you don’t get to see me, okay?[/color]” Was that a good promise to make? Maybe not. However, he felt like it might comfort her enough. He shrugged at the thought, “[color=C8A2C8]You know how to get to my house but I rather you not sneak out of the city. There are too many dangers. Scavengers, people from Khia, beasts, and the Cult of Darkness. If you ran into the Cult trying to see me, they would surely make you a sacrifice.[/color]” He was bringing this up to scare her because he knew she knew the way back to his home or at least roughly how to get there. Maybe talking about the Cult of Darkness would prevent her from ever wanting to come out of the city as well. It would be safer that way. [color=yellow]"I know what you're doing, I've heard the horror stories,"[/color] she smirked, looking at him briefly. [color=yellow]"Don't worry, I value my life enough to not walk right into the wolves' den."[/color] And he was right, she knew where he lived. Or at least, she had a pretty good idea as to the location of his home. It was only a matter of making it there safely. Pilka had a slight curl to his lips when she confronted him as if he knew he was guilty. “[color=C8A2C8]I expect you to continue valuing your life,[/color]” he really did not want to see her turn up to his side of the wall anytime soon for anything unless it was running away from death itself. They walked the remaining of the short trip in silence, but it wasn’t an awkward silence, and Pilka had to occasionally help her get over an obstacle or two as they went. Before long they eventually arrived at the threshold where they would part ways. [color=yellow]”I guess this is it,"[/color] Kara looked up at him, her eye swollen and red with a pain that has since dulled. She stared at his own eyes, something she couldn't help but do, rude as it appeared. But this time, she also took notice of some of his scars, the number of them higher than that of an average citizen. That in itself was sad, his fate sealed the moment he was born. [color=yellow]"Do me a favor please and don't go back into the city, at least for a while."[/color] Kara looked past him momentarily, analyzing her thoughts. [color=yellow]"Whatever you do, just stay safe."[/color] The man looked at her when they got to the final area where he had just explained that she just needed to go through this cavern to the otherside where they could see the light. It was a short but somewhat shallow alleyway into the city. His eyes scanned her face before he nodded, “[color=C8A2C8]I always try,[/color]” he wasn’t going to falsely reassure her that everything would be alright and he would be safe. That was not a promise he could make and he wasn’t going to make a promise he knew could break within the next fifteen minutes. “[color=C8A2C8]Do whatever you can to paint me as the bad guy so you don’t get in trouble,[/color]” Pilka patted her shoulder. “[color=C8A2C8]Za-veth ul drek-ta, zulvek,[/color]” he spoke in the language that he grew to know while on the outside. The translation in the common tongue would have been – [i]this is not the last time, be safe.[/i] Though the actual translation was in a different structure. Then he watched as Kara made her way into the city and he disappeared back into the wild.