Visiting an Old Friend

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Luke's silver gaze fell upon the horizon as he sat on his balcony. A month had passed since the last house call, and for the past week Luke had felt his heart sink as it neared this day. He'd kept it private, sealed it away, and simply told Mike and Soren that he was visiting an old friend for his birthday. Even bought him his favorite drink; spitfire rum. 

    The boy didn't like alcohol, but this wasn't for him. It didn't matter what he did or didn't like. 

    As the morning sun continued to crest over the hills, rising higher and higher, bit by bit, the young man let out a sigh and climbed up to his feet. No use wasting time. It's a long journey ahead. Luke turned from the view and returned inside, grabbing up a pre-prepared pack and the bottle of rum, still in its bag. 
    
    He wasn't taking any jobs today. Didn't plan on talking to anyone either. In fact, he didn't even bring his ResLink, just left it sitting on the counter as he headed out of his apartment. The lock clicked softly as he twisted and pulled the key back. Wonder how long it's been since I've seen him? There's a lot of shit I need to fill him in on. He'll probably be upset that he's missed so much. Hopefully the rum makes up for it. 

    Who knows. He's always been forgiving. 

    Luke slung the pack over one shoulder and made his way down the stairs. Outside horse drawn carriage awaited. Well, less of a carriage, more like just a small wooden cart. Just like what they rode in last time, just with less people and more brooding. 
    
    The techy climbed up and took his spot in the right corner, stretching out and using the pack as a pillow. The initial idea was to just sleep the whole way there. Unfortunately life had different plans. Bitchy plans. Instead life deemed it proper to douse his brain with the type of thoughts that would make you think he took shots of bleach on a daily basis. Shit like; I wonder if he still cares about me? or Would I make him proud? Stuff that did nothing more than make him feel a bit hollow inside. 
    
    Thanks life, thanks brain, you conspiratous dickheads. 

    Eventually Luke was able to get his brain on track, ditching that lame shit and allowing him to actually sleep. And, for the most part, it was a good sleep. Sure, the air was a bit chilly, being autumn and all, but once the sun was up, it warmed him nicely. 

    At one point during his trip, he was awoken by the sound of an engine going overhead, watching as a flying machine darted overhead. Luke blinked slowly, letting it register before thinking Huh, neat. And drifting back off into his sleep. When noon came round, his stomach would rouse him out of his slumber. The young techy dug out a few apples, biting into one and offering the other to the driver, who accepted it graciously. 

    For the last hour of the ride, Luke watched the world go by, listening to the rhythmic clip-clopping of the horse's hooves. The sky slowly but surely shifted from blue to a softer gray as they came closer and closer to the outer area of Blackmarsh. When the wagon stopped, they were still far enough out that large patches of blue could still pierce through the rolling ocean of flat, sickly gray. Further in the distance, where the towering structures of skyscrapers could be seen, the smog was so thick, the gray tone practically bordered on black. 

    Luke could see various specs of light twinkling along the buildings mixed in-between the solid pinpricks. Neon signs and other lights battling against the softer apartment lights coming from the windows. Luke didn't blame anyone for having their lights on like that. 

    "Yer not goin' in there, are ya?" The man asked as Luke vaulted over the side of the carriage. The boy would pause and shift a silver glance between the driver and The City. 

    "Nah, I've had enough of that place. This is as close as I'll be going." The techy turned and grabbed the bag out, slinging it lazily as he headed towards the woods. The driver seemed relieved he didn't have to get anywhere near The City. 

    I wouldn't do that to anyone. Luke thought as he stopped by a large tree. His fingertips danced along the rough bark. I wouldn't even do that to myself. 

    The tech-head drifted through the woods, following an unseen path. The sky shifted, more blue peaking through the orange tree-tops. The path led him away from the city. Not too far, but far enough. The wind whispered through the woods, peacefully unaware of the festering pit of sin close by. It was the peaceful air that he and the lost boys looked for when they picked out the spot. 

    The tree line broke away into a small clearing, the blue filling the open sky above, sunlight filtering down onto the gold and orange colored ground. Beneath the biggest, sturdiest looking tree, was a large, shapely rock. Luke stopped at the path's end and wandered to the right, towards a small metal locker that leaned haphazardly against an old dead log. It was rusty and battered, but it could still be opened. 

    Luke dropped the bags and popped the door open, pulling out the rake that was kept safe within. He cringed as a rather... large looking spider scampered out, but as long as it kept away from him, he could ignore it. 

    It was peaceful. Calm. As Luke brushed aside the thin layer of leaves, pushing them back towards the tree line, soft grass and green moss began to poked out. Luke was thankful for the cooler air, but even then he couldn't help breaking a sweat as he worked. When the job was done, the locker clanked closed again, and Luke brought the bags towards the smooth white stone. 

    He brushed away the few leaves that rested upon it and dug around in the pack. Moss had grown on it since the last time he'd been there, so of course he had to clean it all off. Wash the stone, tend to the grassy area around it and keep it free of weeds. The Lost Boys' did their job and kept the grass trimmed, leaving Luke one less thing to worry about. 

    When it was all clean, Luke stepped back and sat down, a smile cracking on his features. 

    "Hey Io. It's been a while." The young man sighed and combed his fingers through his messy black hair. "I still talk to everyone from time to time, and they're doing well. You know, hanging in there. Zack and Aaron are still together, their relationship is better than ever, I hear. They even wanted to invite me to their wedding. I had to decline though, they don't want me there. Not really."

    "Ty is still aloof as always. He messages me from time to time but he's busy, I'm busy, you know the deal. Clyde got himself a motorcycle and I heard he crashed it not even a week later, but he's ok. The idiot never did learn how to resist trying to do cool stunts." Luke nodded his head. It'd been a while since he'd talked to all these people, genuinely talked to them. Every so often they'd pop in with a few updates, and then they'd leave. As long as he knew they were still around he didn't mind. "I haven't talked to Luna in a while though. Everyone says she's doing ok though, so you don't have to worry about her."    
    
    "Oh, I brought your favorite. Don't think I'd ever forget, I mean, I still gotta water your ass once a year, don't I?" Luke chuckled and dug out the spitfire rum, popping the cap off and leaning forwards. The liquid poured out onto the ground with soft glugging sounds, forming a small puddle before soaking into the dirt. He stopped when half of the bottle was gone and re-capped it, setting it down alongside the stone. An assortment of other old bottles remained there as well. Some older than others, the labels long since weathered away. 

    Most were filled halfway, just like the one Luke just set down. The ones with normal corks, however, were a bit more full, their contents diluted by water. The corks themselves were hard and cracked, their jobs well and over. Luke sighed and nodded, returning to the stone and brushing away a few more leaves as they fell. On it's surface, the name 'IO' was chiseled sloppily into its surface. 

    "I miss you, bro. I don't think that will go away honestly. If... if I were stronger... if I were faster... maybe you'd still be here, with us, and not... not in the fucking ground rotting away..." Luke sucked in a breath and let it out, stopping himself. "I know, I know... I... I can't change the past. I can't bring you back. Doesn't mean I can't stop myself from dreaming though."

    The young man pressed his palms to his eyes, rubbing until he saw stars. 

    "Oh, uh, so... I met a few new guys." His hands fell back into his lap as he started talking again. "They're pretty chill. One's a bit of an airhead, definitely seems like he's too much of a goody-two-shoes to be hanging around with me, but I'm not gonna stop him. The other's a bit too much like me. Maybe worse. Who knows."

    The young man looked away, silver eyes staring at nothing. "I don't know how long they'll be around. You know how I am, the way I trust. At the very least, I might keep the first guy around. The second guy not so much. With him, I just, you know, can't figure it out yet. Io... you know how hard it is for me, to let people in. I'm not the one who makes the first move. This guy seems like he's the same way. The way I see it, we're just going to get stuck in a stalemate. Best case, we'll stay acquaintances and nothing more. Worst case... at least I'll still have the goody-goody."

    "You probably have mixed feelings about all that. I know you. On one hand, you're probably proud I'm talking to people again, even considering being friends with one of them. On the other, you're probably itching to scold me about keeping my distance. That's just something you could never iron out of me. You never got the chance to keep trying. But, I'll try for you. I won't make promises, and if I don't stick with him, I don't stick with him, and you'll have to take comfort in me at least making one new friend. Hell, not like you can argue much. Heh... maybe one day I'll introduce you to 'em..." Luke's eyes were shimmering. He was fighting the rock that was forming in his throat. The boy reached out... touching the stone and lowering his gaze. "I miss you big bro..."

    "I'm sorry." 

[Luna]

[Refs]

    

"It's good the hear the others are doing well. But Luke! You gotta get out there and make connections better than that!" A voice that sounded like it was pretending to be more masculine appeared. "Or he'd something along the lines of that, I think." Legs dropped from overhead, a girl with white hair and black clothes was sitting on a branch. her legs were covered in striped stockings, her legs swinging freely in the air. Her deep violet eyes stared down at the boy.

"Glad to see I'm not the only one still visiting him after all this time.", she said, swinging back and flipping off the branch, landing neatly behind the headstone. She rested a hand on her hip, still staring at the boy. "Good to hear you're learning to make friends again."

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    The young man sucked in his breath and let it out, regaining his composure as the storm clogging his thoughts began to drift. Luke would pause though, tensing ever so slightly when he heard a feminine voice. It wasn't one he'd heard in a while, and the familiarity was something that caught him off guard. I know that voice... It was one that had stuck by his side for a good portion of his young life, one he'd... never actually thought he'd hear again.

    Luke cast his silver gaze up towards the tree, meeting the girls violet eyes. They were the same ones from his youth, like crystals polished and given life. The same ones that had been filled with both compassion and mischief, anger and grief. 

    The young techy blinked in surprise, too stunned to really say anything as the girl droned on. It's been years since we last spoke, pick your words carefully Luke. Don't fuck it up, you've had all this time, all this preparation, all this training, and the opportunity is right here before you again. Don't mess it up.

    Rising up to his feet, the boy calmly brushed his pants off and shot a glance towards the silver haired girl as she landed. After a moments pause, he folded his arms across his chest... and quirked a brow as he spoke. "You know, you really should be careful hanging around up their in your attire. You never know when someone could spot something... covered in cats."

    A Cheshire grin graced his features. You absolute fucking mad lad, there you go, there you fucking go! The opportunity presented itself, and you took it! You didn't stutter, you didn't fuck up, ah man I'm so proud of you, me. Hell yeah. Luke's shoulders jumped briefly as he gave a quick chuckle, turning back towards the gravestone. In all seriousness, he didn't know how to process this. It'd been... so long since he'd talked to Luna, let alone saw the girl in person. When he looked at her, it felt as though all his regrets just came rushing back. Mounting him and pulling him down like the chains of a prisoner. 

    But he'd never let that show. 

    "I visit every year." The young man's voice was calm, quieted as he shifted his hands away from his arms and into the pockets of his jacket. "You must have missed me." 

    It was always down to him to clean up Io's grave, to keep it tended to. To keep the leaves from collection, the moss from growing. To keep his old mentors final resting place clean. "It's not like I can ever forget the day he died."

    "So how have you been?" Luke turned to young woman as he spoke. There was so much left unsaid between them, he didn't know where to begin. Or if he even could at this point. It'd just been too long. His stomach churned every time he looked at her, even though he knew he had to. It just... didn't feel right of him to do this. He'd left her. Left everyone. He could feel it every time any of his old friends tried to get a hold of him. This... invisible barrier. Their connection had long since faded, and it was Luke's fault it couldn't be rekindled. "How're the Lost Boys? Are they still kicking around the old hangout?"  

[Luna]

    That little! "If we weren't at such a special place as Io's resting grounds, I would have punched you so hard you'd need to build yourself a new face." Luna stepped around the grave, missing the slight rising in the grass that outlined the grave and stepping closer to Luke.

"After you left, shit got worse. We all figured out a way to get out of that hell. I mean after all, Zach and Aaron getting married should have hinted you about that. Like fuck those luminous assholes would let those two have such a beautiful wedding. Shame you didn't go, everyone would have felt right with a proper reunion." She crossed her arms and stared at him with an angry glare. "Where the FUCK were you during then anyways?"

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "I knew Zack, Aaron, and Ty got out. Ty left before I did, of course. I just didn't know if you got out or not. Clyde just said you dropped off the radar, vanished. I was worried... worried that you might have died there..." He sighed and turned his head from her when she asked where he'd been. He should have seen that question coming. Even if no one else asked (which they didn't), the techy should have expected her of all people to be the one. "I was building a new life."

    "New home, new rig, I had to cement myself as a go-to. Put my name out there. I was- I have been- fighting hard to try and make something of myself. I don't want to end up back there. Not after coming so far. Besides... it just... it didn't feel right. Not to me. I was dealing with a lot of heavy shit back when they contacted me. After Io. After Aila. I just... had a lot I needed to sort out. And by that point it'd been so long since we've all spoken. I'm just some outsider now. I don't belong." The young man rubbed the back of his neck, keeping his head down and eyes closed. There was still a lot storming around in his head. He knew he hurt her. He knew she probably hated him. 

    And he didn't blame her. 

    The weight just kept getting heavier, more piling onto him. Luke opened his eyes after a moment and turned to Luna, hesitating briefly, before approaching her and wrapping his arms around her in a warm embrace. "I'm happy you got out though."

    There was so much that he wanted to say, to apologize for. The boy let go and took a step back, fully expecting Luna to punch him, slap him, kick him, or just... do something. Lash out in some way. Take out whatever anger she still had pent up deep inside. He deserved whatever she threw at him. 

     I deserve this. They were my family. And I left them. Luke's stomach continued to churn. It didn't matter what his reasons were, in his mind he betrayed them, he betrayed Luna. She had every right to be furious with him. To want to hurt him or want him dead. This was his punishment for failing them. For running away instead of staying. Instead of fighting. Instead of dying back in Blackmarsh where he belonged. 

    "I'm... I'm sorry for leaving. I should have at least said goodbye. You were my best friend and I left you behind. I don't blame you for being angry with me. I deserve to be hated." Luke sighed and moved away from the makeshift headstone, taking a seat on the fallen log. This was just bad luck. Running right into his past while at the grave of the man who helped shape it. 
    
    It had to be some sort of divine karma.

[Luna]

[Refs]

    

"Even after all this time, your dumb ass still hasn't changed.", she said, raising her hand as if she was going to slap him and instead just gently bapping his forehead. "As long as you're not hooking up with stupid bitches, and keeping in touch with the others, it's chill. 'Sides I got whatever anger I had out ages ago." She wouldn't say why though. Luke could probably fish a guess out.

"As for falling off the radar... S'what I do best. I mean, One moment I'm here, and the next I'm not." It became easier after all the practice she had there. "They never saw me at the wedding.", she said, lowering herself so she was sitting now. Her fingers brushed over the grass. "Didn't want them seeing me and still think I wasn't strong enough to fend for myself but it also just didn't feel right. I was there, don't get me wrong. But I kept to the shadows. They didn't notice a damn thing."

She looked up at him. "You're still one of us. Went through that fucked up childhood with us. Fought with us. Even after that stupid thot you hooked up with, you're still one of the Lost Boys."

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "You know that's not me. I've only just started making acquaintances... there's no way I would have found any girl I'd trust enough. Especially in Hurricane Keep." Luke leaned forwards, keeping his elbows on his knees and his fingers laced. "The place is nice, real nice. Clean air, good people. Only, I haven't met anyone that fits with me. You know how I am. How I trust and shit." 

    "Psh, also, ain't it hypocritical of you to bitch at me for not comin' when you can only barely say you went on a technicality. Just stalking them without being spotted ain't the same thing as just plain going." Luke went quiet when Luna mentioned Aila. Out of everything, that wound was still the freshest. "She was one of us, too, once. Just like Axton was. Just because they were one of us doesn't mean they couldn't fall into the same traps as the rest of the people in that gods forsaken city."

    "Aila was the straw that broke the camels back. I trusted her, I loved her. And she betrayed my ass like it was nothing. She's not even an outlier in that city, either." Luke straightened up, casting his gaze through the treeline, towards the thick, smog flooded skies beyond. "Not only did I lose Io, but then she pulled that as well. After everything I went through in that city, I was just done. I couldn't handle it anymore. I refuse to go back there and die."

    "I wasn't a Lost Boy... I was just plain lost." Luke shook his head. After a moment's pause he let out a sigh, casting a smile towards the young woman. "But hey, you're out, fucking bangarang man. I'm glad we're both doing well now. You look great, and you're free of that shit show."

    "Honestly, I wondered for so long about what I'd say to you if I ever saw you again. But now that the time's come, my mind's just blank man..." The boy shifted his gaze towards the grass, then back to Luna. "You should come to Hurricane keep. I can show you around, introduce you to the nerdlings I've met, you can check out my new apartment and everything."

    "Maybe... I dunno... if you're ok with it... we could be friends again. Maybe not like old times, but at least we can make new memories, have new shenanigans, new adventures. You know...? If you've got a boyfriend now, invite him along. I know more than a few spots you could take the guy."

    Luke was surprised at what was coming out of his mouth.  But it made sense. She was the one he was closest to in Blackmarsh, and he missed his friend. If she hated him... she hated him, but he had to at least try. Io had always said that to him as a kid. No better time to put that advice into action than now. 

[Luna]

Well, at least Luna can keep things simple and short, right? Luke was probably smart enough to put two and two together, right? "If she was one of us, she wouldn't have done what she did. After you left, I made sure she paid. And she paid in blood." Luna smacked her fist into her palm, making sure Luke got the message. "Be mad and bitch at me for it all you want, but that snake fucking deserved what she got.", Luna said, pushing herself off the ground and back onto her feet. "And another thing.", she said with a sigh, grabbing the back of Luke's neck to pull him down further to run her knuckles into his head in a hard nuggie. "You're lost and you're still a boy. You're a Lost Boy." She let go of him and stepped to the side.

"I couldn't leave until I trained myself up to just hide in the shadows and run outside the city limits. Away from them. Away from their lights." She cast a glance at Luke that spelled 'seriously' in capital letters and bold font. I'm not talking just that but something like

'SERIOUSLY?!'

y'know what I'm sayin'? If you don't, cool. Whatever. "Me? A boyfriend? You're fucking nuts right? There is absolutely n-no boy in Avalon t-that I would e-ever be interested in!", she said, her face blushing and starting to stutter as a result about thinking about the actual one she did still think about.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Luke understood what the girl was trying to convey almost instantly. And it didn't exactly make him feel... good. The young man's expression switched between upset, to angry, back to upset, before settling on a muddled, hollow gaze that conveyed more emotional confusion than hostility. In truth, he felt mixed up inside about Aila. But Luke didn't lash out, he didn't bitch, he didn't say much of... anything really. He wished he could say it was because he was a changed man and he had full control over his anger but...

    That was obviously a lie. 

    When it first happened, Luke had told himself he hated her, and that there was no where left inside of him that could hold any love for the girl anymore. In that moment, his white hot rage had burned up all semblance of compassion towards the girl he once cared for as though it had been doused in napalm. But time passed. His anger calmed. In it's place, all that was left was a hollow, empty feeling of longing. As the boy laid alone in bed, he found himself missing the girl he had fallen for. Her long, raven black hair. Her piercing, golden gaze. Her soft skin and gentle touch. The sway of her hips, the sound of her voice. As much as he tried to convince himself otherwise, deep down, there was still a part of the young techy's heart that belonged to her. 

    "Ack!" Luke would find himself frantically pulled out of his thoughts as Luna made her move, digging her knuckles into his head while he thrashed about, shoving his palm into her cheek in a futile attempt to shake her off. But to no avail. The white haired woman would finish up her assault, freeing him only when she saw fit and leaving him to (metaphorically) lick his wounds 

    "Good to see at least something hasn't changed." Luke gave a scolding glare at the violet eyed girl. It was odd to him that she was swearing so much. When they were younger, the girl wasn't much for swearing, at least not to the  same degree as the young techy did in his aggressive heyday.  It made him wonder if it was because Luna was angry with him (reasonable), or just plain upset. Although, he did wonder how much time the girl spent with Clyde and Daren after he took his leave. He helped raise those two, he passed on his unrivaled ability to corrupt the innocent.

    Luke shuddered to think of what they might have done to the girl. 

    Now, that wasn't to say Luna never swore in their youth, and when the girl was upset she could swear like a sailor (hence his hypothesis... es... ese? He'll check a dictionary when he got home), but it just felt different right now. Maybe I'm just being a prude. I haven't seen her in an eternity. Of course some things are going to be different. At least that's what the boy told himself. But he'd be lying if he said he didn't miss the way things were.

    Nostalgia was a powerful feeling.

    Then she started reacting to his comment about her having a boyfriend, and he knew she  was the same annoying girl as always. For the first time in the whole interaction, Luke started to laugh. Everything about her was so outrageous. Such a cutesy girl getting up in arms over one thing, then flustered over another. 

    "Gods I missed you Luna." The young techy wiped away a few tears that had formed in the corners of his eyes during his laughing fit. In their youth, she  had always made up for how emotionally stunted Luke was, bringing warmth when he was frigid. Luke missed that warmth. He missed her sweet voice, her outlandish humor. It reminded him why he...

    The young man shook his head. Best not to get caught in those thoughts. 

    "Anyways, the guy I hired to take me here is still waiting to take me back. You comin' with me or what?" Luke jerked a thumb back in the direction he'd come from. His offer to show the girl around Hurricane keep (or at least his usual hangouts), and introduce her to his new acquaintances still stood. Boyfriend or no. 

[Luna]

[Refs]

    

"You... did?", she asked with a hesitant tone, although he tail started to wag slowly. I mean, sure they were friends, like really good friends. Like, I mean, they'd probably say they were besties or something, right? Luna thought they were at one point before that unhappy accident. In all fairness, she missed him too. But her mind went to a dark place since he left her and the Lost Boys. That dark place said that he didn't give a fuck about them, and that he moved on and was too busy doing whatever and not thinking about them. Guess that was wrong, but what can you do with your doubts and nothing to combat it other than what feels like denial against its dark 'truths', eh?

She paused and blinked at him. What, this tech junkie didn't just build his own ride? "You're making someone wait all day to taxi you back to wherever you wandered off to!? I hope he gets paid a tip... And doesn't ask any weird questions." Weird questions, you know, like 'oh hey where did that girl come from?' or something.

'You know, on second thought, I could maybe just hitch a ride in the shadows.', boy how badly she wanted to say that. However, Luna didn't know how far exactly Luke lived and if she would have the stamina to keep into the shadows before popping out and Luke's ride leaving her in the dirt, literally. And she may have had animalistic features, but her sense of smell wasn't keen enough to follow a trail days away like the actual animals could. She was only slightly better than human.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Of course I did, dummy. You're the only one who never messaged me or anything like that." Though, Luke supposed that might have been for the best. There was a lot of unresolved feelings lingering around when it came to Luna. If anything, it might have been a poor idea for Luna and him to have kept in touch. 

    Luke paused and listened to Luna spout off weird concerns about being ferried about. It seemed like such an inane thing to get uppity over, but then again, Luna was pretty... excitable. Luke sighed as he stood up, approaching Luna and placing a hand on her head. 

    "Who are you to judge someone's profession? A lot of guys make their money using their carts to ferry people from point to point, that's just how it is." Seeing as he had the prime positioning on her, Luke playfully moved her head side to side. "Get it? And besides, I haven't even been gone for ten minutes. All things considered, this is probably the easiest job this guy's had to run... though to be fair I'll probably have to pay him extra for the second person."

    Luke lifted his other hand to scratch his chin as he thought. "Eh... not much of a dent in my funds though." 

    The young techy seemed to lose himself in his thoughts for a moment, just following a random train until he caught sight of Luna's ears. Suddenly a new idea popped into his head and his cheshire grin reappeared.

    "By the way..." Luke said, words slow as he decided to act upon his plan, snatching at her ears quick as lightning to wiggle her head side to side. "You still haven't gotten a boyfriend!? You giant fucking hermit, I can't believe you! Oooh my poor Luna!"

    Luke made fake weeping noises. "She'll be forever cursed to die a virgin! My poor, sweet, innocent Luna!" 
    
    When he was done he would release her ears and let his arms fall, instead just... gently hugging her. "Gods... I fuckin' missed this type of shit we used to do, Luna. I'm glad you're not still living in Blackmarsh." 

    "Ehem- so." After a moment, realization hit and Luke awkwardly cleared his throat and pulled away. A very, very, very slight tinge of pink coloring his cheeks in embarrassment. "You never answered my question." 

[Luna]

[Refs]

    

By the great shadows if she didn't promise to suplex Luke or even twist his arm so far back he'd have to cry uncle in front of Io's grave, she'd have done it. Though, it wasn't like she didn't like this kind of contact.

"It's not like I really have anywhere else to go to...", she mumbled, crossing her arms and avoiding eye contact."Besides, I might as well check out your new 'chums' and see how they fit on the mass-idiot scale."

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    "Bangarang. And don't worry, it shouldn't cost a whole lot to get a ride back to where you live whenever you wanna head home. Unless you're halfway around the world. In which case, sorry, I'm not shellin' out that much money for your ass." Luke waved his hand, motioning for her to follow him as he started heading down the path back to the trail. "Oh, and don't worry about their idiot-scale rating- neither of them will dethrone you."
    
    One of the things Luke teased Luna about the most when they were kids was how much of a doof she was. When it came to brains, he was the clear victor. Though she always tried to argue the reverse, the techy would find ways to prove his point. Stumping her with questions that were easy for Luke but difficult for her, give Luna massive lectures about certain topics, or just generally trick the girl into making a fool of herself. 

    Luke was particularly good at the last part. 

    The trail seemed a lot brighter now than when Luke was first heading towards the clearing. Maybe the sky had cleared some? During the walk back, Luke would tell of his meeting with Nike and how he'd hit her with Dabby Boi, of his less than stellar client, of The ∇ri∆ngle and The Bartender, as well as a flying machine he'd spotted overhead on the trip here. There was a lot that the girl missed out on, and Luke wasn't afraid to give her the deets on it all. 

    When they returned to the cart, Luke would explain the situation and pay for Luna to be brought back with them. Given this was the man's business, the extra gold was more than welcomed. As Luke leapt over the side of the cart, he would mutter a soft 'bangarang' under his breath, before getting comfortable. 

    "Yeah, Hurricane Keep has been good to me. Although, it was pretty hard to adjust when I first got there." Luke continued, waving his hand in circles about his head. "Then this old mechanic from Automata came by. Really just blind luck that he recently settled a shop there before I came. I asked if I could help around the shop, you know, make a genuine living instead of stealing and reselling shit like I did back with you  The Lost Boys."

    Luke placed his hands behind his head and laid back.

    "Guy didn't believe I could make the cut, because not many people deal in tech outside of Automata. but when I gave him a demonstration I was hired on the spot. Made good money there. Our rates were lower than the only other shop in the city, so pretty soon we became the go-to guys. Not everyone has tech in Hurricane Keep, but for the ones that did, we were saints." 

    "Once I was able to get a place, I shipped off on my own. I had a good enough reputation with our previous clients, and it allowed word to get around. Unlike the shop, I take requests from everywhere. And because the Old Man still likes me, whenever there's a job he can't do, he either brings me in to help for half the pay, or he simply ships the clients my way. Bartender also helps get me jobs, spreads my name to those who need it." Silver eyes followed the clouds, watching as the shifted and flowed. "Livin's good. While I can't say I'm completely free of old habits, I don't depend on them to live."

    Shifting away from the sky, his gaze fell onto Luna, meeting the girl's violet eyes. "So... yeah, I think that's all you missed in the years I've been gone. I... don't exactly do a whole lot. Just a lot of the same. Tinkering. Scavenging. Et cetera. Only recently met new people. How 'bout you? Make any new friends? You know, what kinda shit have you been getting up to since I left?"  

[Luna]

[Refs]

    

Luna waited for them to be away from Io's grave enough to where they couldn't see anything but shrubbery. Luna jogged up to be behind Luke, which could easily have been her just catching up with him. She reached out in front of her, hands poking out of Luke's sides. But of course, by the time her saw her hands, he was too late. Almost like a bobbit worm or some spooky shit, her arms snapped around his waist and immediately he was hoisted into the air and would watch his world flip upside down with a sudden landing to his face. "I'm sorry, what was that about me on the idiot scale?", she said, a smile through her teeth. 

She let go of him, continuing down the path towards the main road, since it was fairly obvious where it was now. Luna would listen to Luke's autobiography, some interest at some parts, less interest at others. She's clamber onto the cart, settling in a corner while Luke jabbered on. She leaned on the side of the cart, watching trees pass by until he started asking into her life. 

"Can't say I really did much of anything. Didn't accomplish as much as you did." Luna shrugged. "After I left, I went into hiding. The shadows were my home and it worked pretty well. Still stole stuff to live, stayed in the wilds so I wasn't ever caught. Can't say nature was cruel to me, really learned a lot outside of there." Luna went on to talk about how she really just ventured out there, see what the world outside was like. She recollected seeing some grand moving city that glimmered in light, but the light it reflected wasn't harmful. Luna went to tell about how she'd seen various cities from a glimpse, how it was easy to tell what god they followed. But she never really seemed to go into any of them, just observed from the outside. Luna remained to be incredibly shy. Shy enough to not go out and try to make a living. "What money I do have is stuff I found on dead bodies scattered about. A lot of the bodies I found had these large gashes in it from like a giant fuckoff sword or something. But whoever went on a rampage left behind some good ass loot. Those bodies were long dead too.", she said, stretching afterwards.

[Sparky]

[Refs]

    Luke's immediate thought when he saw the girl's hands could be summarized by a single word; Hug? Only for that thought to be forcibly removed from his head on impact. Alongside a few... other thoughts. Like how he WASN'T going to kill her in her sleep, and how he totally was happy she wasn't dead! Unfortunately, he would be left working that pain off as they headed back to the cart, though it was obvious from the death glares and tone in his voice that he was none too keen on the sudden assault. His response to her 'idiot scale' question would be a swift and steadfast doubling down on what he'd already stated- that she was the bottom rung. With some... flavor sprinkled in. 
    
    Though he couldn't say he was surprised. You could poke the bear only so much before it bit you. 

    Remarkably, they'd somehow make it back without him dying, which was a miracle in its own right. Despite any... lingering irritation, Luke would listen earnestly, excited to hear of Luna's adventures. Though, any real hope would be swiftly ended as the young woman gave him the reality of it all. She looked good for someone who lived in the wilderness, and her skills were something to be proud of. But he'd hoped for more for her. Luke always wanted more for her. 

    Most of their old groups were living better lives, with their own homes. And even the ones still stuck in The City were getting by without any real trouble. But Luna was, well, even if she wasn't the brightest, Luke still considered her the best out of all of them. The girl was more well-adjusted than Luke, tougher than Zach, and knew how to be polite and civil when it counted. Hell, when she wasn't body slamming him into the fucking ground (dick), Luke would say she was more normal than anyone in Blackmarsh could ever dream of being. 

    Luke had thought and hoped that... hell, maybe one day she'd have her own bussiness, and she'd be this hot shot CEO, making all the calls and getting shit done. Or... or maybe she would be in the guard, going out and helping people like... like she did with him. Or at least she'd have a nice home, a warm bed, and someone there who loved her and knew how to treat her. Luke just... hoped she would be happy. 

    The young techy had always thought that, in the end, he'd end up back on the streets with the rest of the scum where he belonged. But at least Luna would be somewhere better, doing far better than he was. It was almost cruel that it was the opposite. Her in the wilds, him in a warm bed. It took Luke a while to notice how tightly his fists had been clenched. As he relaxed them, he hoped that the white haired girl hadn't noticed. 

    "We're gonna change that shit. I got some good contacts, we can find you a good job. Until you can get a place of your own, you can crash at mine. Hell, I rarely ever use my bed, I'll just crash on the couch or in my work room, and you can sleep in the bedroom." That was a partial lie. While it was true that Luke pulled a lot of all-nighters, the time he spent in his bed wasn't zero. But Luna deserved to sleep in a real bed. The young man refused to have her just stay on the couch. Especially after so long just living in the wilderness. 

    "I'm glad you're still looking good after all the time in the woods." Luke flinched. Bad word choice, FUCK. You fucking moron. Luke internally hit himself while he immediately backpeddaled. "I mean, you're still looking healthy, not ragged or starving or anything like that. Living in the city for so long, you'd think it'd be harder to live in the woods. What, with all the monsters and bandits and storms and yadda yadda yadda. I don't mean, like- you know what sounds good right now? Me shutting up, I'm gonna do that." 

    Hey Luke, how'd you get so stupid? Were you born that way or did you practice slamming your head into a wall? Luke thought bitterly. Well you see, Luke, It's a mixture of both, and apparently huffing so many fumes while working that all my brain cells decided suicide was a viable option. He replied. There was an obvious embarrassment to how the techy fumbled his words, and it showed through a small, red tinge on his usually pale cheeks. Starting the trip off with a fuck-up.
    
    After a moment he would quietly mutter towards the girl. "I'm... glad though. That you've stayed safe."