A few months back, Maini was walking down the pipeline until she hit a heavy flow of water. It wasn't bad enough to drag her down, so she jumps in and hurries to the other side. The water quickly started to rise and soon it became too much. She swept by a few man holes until she finally reached for one. Once she grabbed it, she uses all her strength to hold on and call out to the world for help.
Gen: Why are you shouting?
Maini:..... ?! H-help! Please! Please help us!! We're going to die down here!! I don't want that! I don't wanna die! Please!
Gen: .... How? I can't lift the railing with you on it. If i break it you'll rush off with the tide.
Maini: You'll help?! Will you?!
Gen: If you tell me how.
Maini: at the end of the Ridge just outside the area, there's a plug! Next to it on the wall is a place for the valve lever! Just pull that and it should open it!
Gen: .... I know that place. The leaver is broken. I can't open it that way.
Maini: What?! .... No... no! No!! Please there has to be! Please! I beg you, help!! I'll do anything I swear my life on it!!
Gen: .... Stay there a while longer.
Maini: what?! No! Where are you going?! Please! Please!..
Hours pass. The water continues to pull at Maini as she hold on for dear life cold and numb. Her legs are badly damaged from the water pressure. She suddenly feels herself dropping fast. The water was draining. But now she can't let go because she was too high off the ground. She's soar all over. A hand reaches down and grabs her arm.
Gen: Let go now. I'm going to break it.
Maini:....
She's too cold and scared to respond, but she let's go and hangs there. Soon after, the bars of the manhole shatter to pieces. Another hand reaches for her other arm and pulls her up.
Gen: I decided to break the valve door instead. Nothing can hold the water again.
She can't respond to him. Her vision blurs in and out as she fights to stay alert.
Gen: Do you still need more help?
She nods sullenly. Finally she passes out.
In the dark room she looks at John with a gentle smile.
Maini: That's when I first met Gen. we've been meeting in the same place I saw you for half a year now. He'd often go down to meet the others and help them, but he never really spoke that much after that. And sometimes he'd come here to rest.
John: well. That was ... Actually more romantic than I expected. So your friend, Gen, is more of an anti-hero kind of guy.
Maini: told you it was all for a good cause. The whole place is in ruin because of those highers.
John: I can only imagine he's been doing better than me. So, where exactly should I be resting if not in the inn?
Maini: well you can stay here. I mean, its not much.
John: thanks.
Maini: hey we outcasts need to lookout for each other, right?
John smiles bashfully.
John: So I guess I'll have to stay out of sight for a while.
Maini: sorry.
John: hey, I got a roof over my head for free, along with someone willing to actually help me. I'm happy.
Maini: well good. I'm going to check on the others down below. You stay up here. I'll be back in a bit, so don't go anywhere.
John: not a lot of options to go to anyway. Be careful, miss Maini.
Maini:... Well... found a way to know who is who. Gen doesn't call me miss.
John: *giggle*
Maini goes into a small opening in the wall to another room and disappears in its darkness. John stands and looks at the map in front of him. There were a lot of changes made to it.
John: to think so much could happen in the little time he was here.
Rexar appears on John's shoulder.
Rexar: quite a development. A whole six months. And all you did was save a kingdom from extinction before getting cased out like the rogue this guy is. Where is the sense in that exactly?
John: I don't know. You tell me.
Rexar: should I check the place out? See what I can find and tell you?
John:... Yeah. If you don't mind. I want to know about this Gen person. I feel like he might be our next target.
Rexar: instincts. I like that. I'll come back once I pick up something interesting.
John: please do. I don't think I can go anywhere but here and the back alleys. I'll probably go look at the gang base later.
Rexar leaves john in the room to study the map.
John: (thinking) I don't know if i should risk meditating, but I'll never know anything if I don't try. Gawd! What am I saying!? I don't want to know anything! I don't even want to be here! I want my own little place in the middle of nowhere where no one can find me or bug me, but no! I gotta find these damn rocks and try not to get killed!
John sits back and sighs.
John: I'm way out of my league here. Way~ out.