Entropy

[Rakaan Horne]

​

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN, 'THE UNDERGROUND'

​

The Galactic Underworld was a harsh and unforgiving place. It thrived on unlawful worlds, often under the control of the Hutt Cartel- anything goes unless you bother the slugs upstairs. And then? Well, you probably wouldn't want to know. Catch a bullet, a knife, a mean alien, or even a lethal overdose at every corner. It was always best to keep your eyes open no matter where you went.

'The Underground' was a relatively infamous arena in which almost anything goes. No professionals required, if you want to fight, you can fight. If you want to bet, you can bet. The odds are never in your favour, though. The one thing to keep in mind.

It was a dimly lit warehouse, or so it seemed. Neon encompassed the room in varying degrees of red. It was loud and crowded, an alien of every species was present, a place like this didn't truly discriminate. The amplified impact of fists, feet, and heads colliding with their opponent triumphed over the cheering.

Kole sat in one of the elevated areas in which sat the employees. Ranging from weapons dealers, spice smugglers, and paid fighters. A rather vacant expression rest upon his face, surveying the crowd for any choice individuals. Harper found himself in the spice trade, and buyers were a plenty. Getting a capable individual in the ring, though... that brought a hefty reward.

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

Sortz had to duck to enter the place, but that was normal. Fortunately the ceiling was high enough that once she was inside she could stand up fully. A full head taller than the next tallest sentient in the crowd, blue eyes scanned the room, wondering just what she was doing here.

Oh, she knew. This was the first stop in a series of places she had narrowed down in her hunt. It wasn't much to go on.

The question was just if this was the right place.

Somewhere she'd been before.

Her hand strayed up to the back of her head, to the spot right behind her ear. The jack. The run of a scar where a data vault had been inserted. Maybe it held the secrets, maybe it was the cause of her memory loss. She didn't know and the one time she'd tried to access it, she'd fried [member="Daro Tarsi"]'s personal slicing rig. With a grimace, her hand dropped back to her side, snaking into her pocket. Fingers traced a small scrap of paper, but she didn't pull it out. There wasn't a lot written on it and what there was she had memorized anyway.

People made way for her as she moved through the crowd, looking for someone she could talk to. She stopped a couple of times, voice quiet, softer than someone her size had any right to be, but was mostly greeted with shrugs.

Starting to get frustrated, she approached a zabrak. A brief conversation, and he pointed her toward the upraised platform. With a nod and a 'thank you' she made her way in that direction- only to get stopped by a burly near human.

"Look, I just want to talk to someone who might be able to answer some questions," she said, tone starting to get exasperated.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN, 'THE UNDERGROUND'

Kole had since moved on over towards the railing, staring down into the fighting pit itself. His forearms supporting him as his back arched and ankle crossed over the other. There was something sadistically entertaining with watching another man beat the life out of another, perhaps not quite literally- but one understood the meaning. A Zabrak and a Devaronian hurled a flurry of fists at one another; both species quite known for their physical resilience. It might take a while. Harper had hoped on that much, but Kole put credits on the Devaronian.

Been a while since his fall from grace. Betrayal at the hands of Jin Shao, but as far as he knew Shao was just doing his job. The truth was far worse. Now? Now Harper dealt in spice, fought in a ring, and occasionally 'dealt' with people who got in the way of business. It wasn't what he wanted, but everyone had to get to ends meet. If this is how then so be it.

The near human smirked, admiring her moxie. A stare lingered for a moment, perhaps two- then stepping aside. She could probably take him, and this sort of business didn't pay health insurance. "Kole." He addressed the HRD, twitching his head towards Sortz. Turns out Kole is the guy to answer questions these days.

He pressed off of the railing with his forearms, standing upright and sauntering over towards her. Harper stared upwards at her expectantly with his eyebrows raised, expecting her to be another customer. Might explain how she got so big. "Hmm?"

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

More relieved than anything, Sortz mounted the half flight of steps up (two at a time at her natural gait).

Of course, once she got there, staring down at the human, for a moment she realized just how ridiculous the questions she was going to ask sounded.

"Uh."

Great. Nice job Sortz.

She cleared her throat and tried not to fidget.

"I'm looking for information," she said, voice low but gruff. "About someone who may have fought here..... sometime back. Not really sure when, at least six months ago, probably more. That something you could help me with? Or can you point me to someone who can?"

Because the idea of asking 'so, have you seen me here before?' straight off the bat seemed weird upon any sort of reflection.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN, 'THE UNDERGROUND'

Kole's head slowly turned to face a nearby Weequay that stood idly, watching the two. A singular word escaped his mouth in Huttese whilst flicking his head in the direction of one of the rooms, and the Weequay began to walk away- moving towards one of the isolated areas. Whether Sortz knew Huttese or not, Harper didn't know, but if she did it'd be known that Kole uttered, "Ledger." It was a way to keep track of who fought, and when. Sometimes debts were owed, and you couldn't afford to let someone slip away.

A blank face only continued to stare up towards Sortz for an extended period of time, and it was most definitely one that created an air of discomfort between them. Ultimately, however, he motioned to the ring. "Fight for it." His gaze unwavering. "Get the ledger if you win a fight." Seemed fair, at least in his eyes.

She was a big girl, she could handle herself.

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

Sortz blinked, head coming back slightly in surprise.

She hadn't understood the single word, and she shouldn't have been surprised- someone looking like her in a place like this- but it was clear that she was a little taken aback by the answer. It was her least favorite part of working for [member="Daro Tarsi"]. The part where, sometimes, he needed her to hurt people. Oh, she could do it. She was even good at it. And when the chips were down, Sortz didn't hesitate.

But this was different.

Wasn't it?

She glanced over at the ring. It was different, but not for the reasons she was initially thinking. Not really. Everyone in there wanted to fight. That's what they were there for. Did Sortz want to? Nah. Not even a little. But everyone here had signed up for it. She wouldn't be hurting anyone who wasn't ready to be hurt.

Why didn't that make her feel any less worried?

She wasn't worried about herself.

Sortz nodded. The last fight had just ended, and a whispered word from one of the attendants cleared the way, setting aside one of the two who was originally going to fight with a nod from someone important enough to make that call. Her attention on the ring, she subconsciously reached up behind her, tying her black hair into a knot. It was reflexive and she barely even noticed she was doing it.

Stepping up, she paused just inside the ring. The rest of the place had been dim, but there were several lights focused on this space and she took a moment to adjust, squinting.

And squinted harder when she saw who stepped into the ring opposite.

"You can't possibly expect me to fight him," she said over her shoulder.

The bothan was thin, wiry. A number of scars criss crossed his torso, pink beneath the white fur. He was less than half her height, and it was clear to anyone that the Tro'zet could literally break him across her knee and use him as a toothpick.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN, 'THE UNDERGROUND'

Bright lights shown down upon the arena itself, illuminating Sortz and her Bothan opponent in their entirety. All details, no matter how small were going to be on display today- whether it be a singular drop of sweat, the leaking of blood, or perhaps a broken bone that came with dismemberment in one way or another. You entered the arena at your own risk, of course, and Harper didn't pity the Bothan who was sure to get thrown about the ring like a Gamorrean in a Rancor Pit. The Bothan was a regular, and that explains the damage carved into his fur, but sometimes being quick and skilled just didn't match up to brawn. Might have to stick around and see, though, at least everyone else was going to.

A rather burly Twi'lek adorned in clothing that best suited a mercenary approached Kole on the stands, his voice matching his appearance, "Hey, kid." It was apparent Kole was definitely younger than him. "Ya' done good with this one. She'll cause a stir, I'm sure of it." He continued, outstretching his arm towards Kole with a small case of credits. You always got paid for bringing in someone new, but someone like Sortz? They were rare, and deserved compensation. Harper offered a brief nod of his head, a tinge of a grin and somewhat raised eyebrows as he leaned over to grab it. Couldn't be too pleased, it was dirty money in the end.

Three bells sounded off, echoing over the sound of a outrageous crowd. The fight was certainly on, and no matter how bad things got these people just wouldn't be able to look away. Violence was fun.

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

They very, very clearly did expect that.

The bells rang, and Sortz was left with a choice. Get it done quickly and as easily as she could, or walk away.

She figured she'd opt for the first option.

Of course, she wasn't counting on the Bothan.

Before the third peal of the bell, he was darting in faster than Sortz could have believed. His foot snaked out, snapping a kick that was probably meant to buckle her ankle.

Instead, she just looked at him.

Reaching down, she pushed him back- it wasn't even close to with her full strength, but he went rolling backward, arse over teakettle as if she'd thrown him. Sortz made a face. He was so smol. She didn't want to hurt him, but of course he popped right back up. He sized her up, darting in again.

This time Sortz hit back. She aimed for his shoulder rather than his head- the open palmed blow dropping him to the floor again. She could feel his shoulder dislocate under the blow and she winced a little. But at least that would be the end of it-

He popped back up.

"Seriously?"

It went like this. He landed several hits of his own, to very little obvious effect. Sortz slowly escalating. It was clear to anyone watching just how carefully she was tempering her blows. Even with that, by the time it was a closed fist meeting the Bothan, he was limping, right arm essentially useless- his face was a swollen mess, blood dripped to the floor. But he kept. Getting. Up.

The last one dropped him like a stone, the blood on her knuckles his. She just stared as he struggled to stand again. Slowly, she crouched down, head tilting slightly as she reached out to put a hand on his good shoulder.

"Please," she whispered. "Just stay down. I don't want to keep-"

He bit her.

Reflexive, she smapped him, hand flinging. Without the care she'd been so conscious of.

He went flying, slamming into the half wall around the ring. He crumbled there at the base of it.

And this time.... this time he didn't get up.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN, 'THE UNDERGROUND'

Harper remained leaning over the guard-rail that protected those in the elevated area from falling into the chaotic crowd below. His forearms resting upon it as it supported his weight, a credit case resting at his feet whilst his left ankle crossed over his right. Nobody was going to steal that, it was his bonus, and a hefty one at that. It meant a lot to men like Kole. It was a commission based work environment, and not much else. It's why most leaked into other industries, often murder, thievery and so on. One can't put a finger on all the criminal activities people often found themselves in amidst the Galactic Underworld.

The HRD's blue eyes were fixated upon the arena. Mostly Sortz as she threw around the Bothan, but it came as no surprise. Kole received his fair share of congratulations, pats on the back, and even the question, "Where'd you find her?" Kole didn't reply, didn't even address the one who asked it. The truth was far less interesting than any story he could come up with off the top of his head.

By the time it was all over? The ledger loosely held in his grip, eyeing off Sortz and softly waving it if her eyes wandered towards him. She won fair and square, and now she got her prize.

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

Nothing about that felt fair to Sortz.

She hadn't even bruised her knuckles.

She frowned, turning her head to glance in the human's direction. With one more glance over at the Bothan, being picked up by two burly sentients, she sucked at her lower teeth for a moment, swaying once with indecision- and then turned and lumbered over toward Harper.

Stepping out of the rink, her face was closed off, brow furrowed.

That hadn't been even remotely the right thing to do. If she'd known she might have declined....

Would she have though?

Really Sortz?

She could have stepped back out of the ring at any time. Could have turned away. Could have forfeit just so that she stopped hurting him. While there hadn't been a single point where she'd gotten any pleasure out of it, it obviously hadn't been bad enough to make it worth giving up maybe finding answers.

Even if there's nothing in that ledger, Sortz thought sourly to herself, at least I know now that I am the kind of person who would hurt someone else just to help myself.

She didn't like how she felt about that.

One large green hand reached out, holding out palm up for what he'd promised her.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN, 'THE UNDERGROUND'

You weren't always what you believed yourself to be. You were often something much, much worse.

That was Kole's experience, and now Sortz's. Volatile, and violent. Dissociated, and in despair. A shell of his former self, truly. Once an Officer of the Law, and now a Criminal that evaded it. In a way, the law left him. Abandoned him to his own devices whilst seeking retribution on a man that was accused for a crime he didn't commit, and may never forget. Self-pity isn't something Harper was capable of feeling, but he often looked back on what was, and what could of been.

Now, in this ludicrously loud warehouse did Kole stand with a ledger in hand. Eyes of the viewers tracked Sortz on her way back up, parting like the sea to the woman who could surely kill them. The book left his grip as he placed it over Sortz's hand, allowing it to return by his side, resting on his belt, as did his other- uttering a line that begged the question on whether or not he was so bad after all,

"I hope you find what you're looking for."

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

She accepted the ledger, but didn't open it immediately. Her attention fell away from the man entirely as she looked over the item in her hands. Undersized and ridiculous that such a thing might hold the answers she was looking for. Or at least, the beginning of the answers. It was too much to hope, really, and [member="Daro Tarsi"] had specifically told her that she probably wouldn't find anything, not like this. But it was the only lead she'd gotten so far and it was impossible not to hope. Even knowing, even telling herself that she shouldn't, there was that tension of anticipation in the lines of he shoulders as she opened the ledger.

Sortz scanned quickly, used to reading scrolling code instead of static words. There were certain short hand notations that she couldn't decipher, but she didn't really need to. All she needed to do was pick out a single word. If it was there, she could ask about any of the weird acronyms around it then.

Sortz.

It was written on that small tag she'd woken up with. It had resonated in a way that she recognized. It was her name, not just something given to her after the fact, she knew it in her core.

Even as another fight took the place behind them, she flipped through the pages at a rapid pace, eyes flicking back and forth.

It wasn't until she turned the last one that the hope died. It wasn't a slow realization, because up until that point it could have always been the next page. But her fingers found the first blank sheets, turning into a couple of them to make sure the page hadn't simply accidentally been skipped. Her shoulders fell.

As open as the book in her hands, there was no mistaking the disappointment on the Tro'zet's face.

Closing it slowly, she handed it back to him with a curt nod.

"Thanks. Uh. Yeah, thanks."

She'd beaten the stuffing out of that Bothan for nothing.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN, 'THE UNDERGROUND'

A twinge of pity ran down his artificial spine, and his head twitched to the right as a result.

When she first walked in Harper figured her as a buyer, but no buyer wanted information. His mind leapt to enforcer, hitman, or even bounty hunter- but something about her didn't fit just right with that line of work, maybe it was her seemingly skittish disposition. Something along those lines. Now, he knew she was nothing more than a wayward soul. Searching for somebody lost in the vast empty. It was always going to prove more difficult to find someone who had no reason to be found. It's what made bounty hunting a simplistic job. People with prices on their heads earned them for a reason.

The HRD extended a hand, taking the ledger that fit nicely in his palm before off-loading it to the same Weequay from before that then disappeared into the 'offices', if you could even call them that.

"Who're you looking for?" Not even Kole knew whether or not he wanted to help her. Right now it was sheer curiosity, but, maybe he could. Might find that redemption he seeks, prove to himself that he's not such a bad man despite the volatile violence. Earn back his humanity, which oddly enough he never had to begin with. Most Androids might ask themselves what it means to be human, and if it can be obtained. Kole didn't. Never had to for one very obvious reason.

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

She'd been starting to turn away when he asked, mind already starting to work on the next option. This had only been the first, right? She shouldn't be too disappointed, chances had been good that she wouldn't manage it on her first try. She knew that, logically, but there was still that deep fear that this would be every avenue. That every corner turned in this search would find her someplace like this, learning nothing. She didn't know if it was straight up pessimism, or something her sub-conscious knew but couldn't tell her any other way, but there it was.

The large Tro'zet paused, looking over at him. For a moment, she weighed.

The risks versus the chance that if he knew, he might have something else. Why would she hope that? It wasn't as though he, or anyone else here, had acted like they recognized her. That combined with the lack of information in the ledger told her everything she needed to know, didn't it? That this was not a place she had been before.

After all, Sortz kind of stuck out.

It would be ridiculous to hope for anything else.

And yet.

She did.

"Myself," she admitted, astonishingly sheepishly for someone that size. She reached up, running a hand absently back through her hair, small horns visible for a moment before it settled again.

"Trying to find out where I was before...." she made a gesture that could have meant a lot of things but in this case it meant none of them. "Just, before. But. I'm not in there, and no one recognized me. So. Uh. Thanks. You know, for helping."

She wasn't being sarcastic. He had helped her, as far as she was concerned.

To be fair, the bar was set pretty low in general.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN, 'THE UNDERGROUND'

Kole found himself vacantly staring at Sortz. He saw beyond the exterior of a tough, tall, monster of an individual to her problem at it's core. Harper didn't quite consider himself a good man, not anymore, there were too many things that were done that found himself wandering the wrong side of the law and morality itself. Maybe, though, just maybe he found redemption. Might be small, but it was a start.

"Anywhere else in mind?" He asked, his head tilted to the right, fiddling with an obscure object in his grip. "I know some people." It was vague, and more so than he intended.

This Criminal lifestyle wasn't what he wanted in the first place, reluctantly working alongside those he despises. It was no life, just a monotonous existence. Harper was a firm believer that living and existing were two different things, and so far he had only ever existed. May be a chance at something more, something great, the chance to be something special.

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

She blinked, clearly surprised (and maybe a little wary). But there was also a certain hope there. It was the hope that won out.

"There's another fighting ring.... uh, I don't know how you all differentiate them. The one run by the Hutts," she said, shifting slightly from one foot to the other.

"This one seemed the safer place to start."

Here? Safe?

Safer than a fighting ring run by the hutts, that was for sure.

"I, uh, did a lot of cross referencing. There's not a lot of places that...." she trailed off, then went with, "my kind go under the radar. Can't find any records in official stuff," in this case, she meant legal, "so this seemed like the next step."

Honestly, the whole thing was confusing. Sortz was a slicer. It and her name were about the only two things she was sure of, in the depths of her soul. But when she went looking, she couldn't find any trace of herself on.... anywhere. Nothing official, nothing on the dark net. But she knew where to go, how to do it, she was herself and she knew what traces of herself she ought to look for but there was.... nothing.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA
SHADOW TOWN, 'THE ARENA'

It was as if a remote aimed at Kole pressed pause for the individual remained entirely still, all bar his eyes that occasionally shifted within their respective sockets. Ultimately, however, his head perked up to lock eyes with Sortz.

His brow raised in question, picking up on the trail off and desiring a conclusion. It may not be particularly useful, may even be an incomplete thought, but Kole figured that the more questions (if you can even call it that) he asks the more of her subconscious appears. Might lead into helping the woman, who knows.

Harper turned once more, leaning against the railing he had previously with his gaze shifting towards the pit in thought. "I know the one." He continued, nodding his head a few times. His pretty-boy face shifting back in the direction of Sortz, "Whenever you are ready."

In truth, Kole couldn't wait to desert this dump.

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

When he turned back to the rail, she thought that was probably it. Which was fine, he'd already been helpful and Sortz didn't expect much from folks. And what she did expect, well....

It wasn't this.

But then, why wasn't it? [member="Daro Tarsi"] had helped her. Sure, she had also destroyed his rig and was now working it off, but whatever his gruff exterior was, he was kind to her at least. [member="Zef Halo"] hadn't hesitated to treat her well, at least on Daro's behalf. And [member="Samson"] was.... a friend, right?

That didn't erase the low sense of unease when it came to meeting new people. The feeling of waiting for the other shoe to drop. Of knowing that most people looked at her and saw a big, stupid lout, or worse. Some of it was experience since the point her memory picked up, some of it was just a deep seated knowing. Like her name or how to handle computers.

So she couldn't help but be surprised again, as he looked back at her and seemed to offer to come along.

Blue eyes blinked at him, and then she nodded.

"Oh. Uh. Yeah." She glanced out at the ring, a frown tugging at her tusks. There wasn't anything else for her here, and she didn't want to be reminded. Of course, she wouldn't be forgetting any time soon either.

The pair headed out, a number of people giving the man nods or some other indication. Some surprised he was leaving so early, some not. Most of them giving a curious look to who he was leaving with.

The night outside wasn't clear or pleasant. But that was Nar Shaddaa. Still, the air was more open, a bit less weighted than inside. Glancing over at her unexpected companion, she waiting until they were clear of the door.

"Uh, he called you Kole," she said, a bit awkwardly. "I'm Sortz."

They hadn't actually introduced themselves. But that wasn't surprising, considering the nature of their meeting.

[member="Kole Harper"]

 

[Rakaan Horne]

NAR SHADDAA

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SHADOW TOWN STREETS

Harper often kept to himself, especially on the streets of Nar Shaddaa. It was a dangerous place, no doubt. If you kept your head down, you didn't bother anyone, nobody bothered you. That wasn't always the case, though. Sometimes people received the bad end of the stick. Kole hoped to leave this life behind before he ran out of luck.

The Android strode alongside the hulking Sortz, knowing full well he was relatively safe with her at his side. Not many were brave enough, or stupid enough to pick a fight with someone her stature.

He offered a bland grin that tugged at the corner of his mouth, looking up to Sortz after she spoke. "What are you hoping to find?" Kole asked, somewhat ignoring the greet with an attempt to sate his curiosity. She certainly had his attention with this expedition.

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[member="Sortz"]

 

[Sortz]

He didn't say that wasn't his name, so while maybe it wasn't, she figured it was good enough as something to call him. The lack of a response was a little disconcerting, but she let it go. Sortz was, or tried to be at least, polite-like. Maybe it was to make up for the fact that most people took one look at her and assumed she'd try to eat their first born. But from the beginning, Sortz had been prone to soft spoken, careful in her actions, and always, as polite as a situation allowed.

They moved through the streets easily. While she didn't use it to her advantage on purpose, crowds tended to part for the plodding figure. She didn't move quickly, but then if she had with legs that long it would have been a bit of a push to keep up anyway. Instead she moved along easily through the moderately busy streets, heading in the direction of the Hutt fighting ring.

"Er."

Now that was a question.

She mulled it over carefully for a minute before answering.

"Well," she said finally, "Kinda anything." Her tone was a little sheepish, shoulders hunching up a touch.

"If I was there.... maybe someone there knew me. If not, maybe they know someone who did....."

She trailed off, something off in her voice when she said that.

In truth, she wasn't sure how she felt about potentially finding someone who had known her before. No one had come looking for her. There were no reports of missing persons that even closely matched her. If there were people who knew her before, well.

Sortz already knew it was probably likely that either they were the kind of people who didn't care....

Or else she had been the kind of person who wouldn't be cared about.

She didn't say any of that, keeping it quiet and to herself. She'd spent enough time mulling it over to be sure without explaining it to a total stranger. A nice enough one- a pleasant surprise- but a stranger nonetheless.

Blue eyes cast over at him for a moment.

"Uh, I'm sorry if this is rude.... but.... why are you helping me? I appreciate it. A lot. But...... why?"

[member="Kole Harper"]