Fragments [Private, Lexia]

There was barely any view of the sunset within the inner parts of the urban city. Streets were very dense with the number of high rising buildings. So much so that lights had to be kept on when they overshadowed the roads. To him, it was like eternal night within the heart. Fluorescent lights flared on, advertising a variety of things that took very little interest from him. Car horns and mindless chatter filled his ears, as the people that walked by him were like nothing but faceless shadows. All with a single mind and purpose. Otherwise they would not be out here. Oh how he missed the basking radiance of the sun, the gentle breeze on his cheek and the distant song of birds and psalms of the wind. Of course, this world was nothing short of this place. He had walked by a travel agency, but the prices were far too expensive for his liking. Perhaps one day he would move out of here and into a more peaceful town.

It had been a plan in his mind for a long time. Among other things. His mind kept going back to the past world, where he was from. The burning in his chest, the sweat from his hair, and the dryness of his throat from all the yelling he had done. How long ago was that? He could barely remember anything, losing from his mind the specific details of all his companions, or even his adversary. Just a general shape, faceless, frantically getting up and fighting the roaring mass that crashed onto them. There was light. There were animals. And then, he was here. Was it all just a long dream?

The very thought made his heart sink with dread and worry. And he was just saved by the blaring light of one of the restaurants hidden in the small corner of the street, just next to an alleyway where he could barely make up anything from it. He huffed a sigh, before pulling apart the flaps. Immediately the cooks shouted a greeting in a foreign language. Without really looking at the waitress, he took the menu with a small smirk and sat at his usual spot. One of the bench tables close to the street. This place only had a single fan trying to cool an entire busy ramen shop, and he rather not cook himself sitting on one of the stools around the counter.

He requested water again, and ordered the same ramen. Not that he could go for any variety right now, being alone in this world and only rich with foreign currency that nowhere in the world would accept. To make ends meet, he had been picking up odd jobs. At least, until he could regain his bearings and decide on what he was going to do. He brandished his timepiece and clicked it open. The device still worked, but something felt off. The spirits within them were there, but... slumbering. And no matter how hard he tried to focus, he was just like a fly to them to flick off. Another possibility was he was just insane, and that everything in that world was perhaps just a dream.

He closed the device again, the holographic gears and symbols fading away and placed his head against the eye of the device. No. He had to keep it together. What would Horus think of him if he were suffering like this? Sly took a sip of water, just before a shadow loomed over him.

"Hey! You are in my spot," a man spoke. A quick look immediately told Sly that he was in his mid twenties perhaps. Still experiencing the world as an adult, he thought. Or maybe that was just wishful thinking, and the man was just a foolish daredevil who would leap between buildings drunk for fun. "Move it!"

Lexia sighed, her feet almost dragging across the ground as she walked. No matter how much she talked, no matter how far she pushed at all, no matter what she did. . . To her, everything seemed in vain. Nothing made sense, and she was just living for the sake of living. However, she refused to let that stop her as she continued to walk, further forward, further towards tomorrow. Raising her hand to the door, she pushed it open with ease. The wooden door opened with a quiet groan, the inside flooding her nostrils with the intense smell of food. It was a rather weird delicacy and creation which they ate here, or more accurately, it was just a weird food in general.

However, the moment that she stepped in, something seemed off. The atmosphere seemed tense and she cast her gaze around the restaurant as the door swung shut behind her. A frown tugged at her face. Just what was going on here? Especially with the the duo seated near a corner by a window, letting through the filtered light. The man over the younger almost towered over him, dwarfing the small white haired man. Not one to leave it alone, she quickly moved towards them, her eyes set on the target before her. He had gone to move his hand to strike against the silver haired one, someone who she didn't exactly know.

But for some reason, she was compelled to do something. There was a hint of recognition in her eyes as she made herself known as she gently clasped the angry mans hand, stopping him from striking the younger. "I'm sorry, my friend was just reserving the table for us both... Would it be alright if we could have the seat this time?" Lexia asked gently, Skylar's personality brushing off on her a little, a small smile on her face. The guy looked at her with disdain, turning their nose up at her. "Tch. Fine." He said to Lexia, and then turned his angry gaze towards Sly; "But next time, your little friend won't stop me from dishing it out to you." With an angry huff, he turned and left, the onlookers quickly going back to their conversation as a lively buzz returned to the atmosphere.

With a sheepish smile, Lexia looked down to the seated man.

"Are you alright? I.. honestly cannot recall your name, but we met dog sitting, do you remember?"

Sly sighed a little. Naturally, he would have been able to remain calm and either piss this guy off or make him leave. If only he could use his timepiece again. He did not come here with a weapon, and seeing how capable gangsters were at vandalism, he would rather avoid conflict altogether. It was why he stiffened and just stared rather uncomfortably at the man, but put on a calm facade. The restaurant was quiet, with many eyes looking towards them. But little did the man cared like he was acting a scene for a movie. Sly was tempted to make something sassy comment about how the man failed to piss on this seat to mark it as his. But he knew better than to wake up in a hospital a few seconds later not to say anything of that sort.

He was just about ready to stand and apologise, when the man just rose his fist. Just as he realised, another hand grabbed the man's wrist. A woman this time, claiming the seat was already reserved. There was a pause, and Sly took the moment to look at her. She looked awfully familiar, the black hair and blue robes. It had been a long time and he had interacted with thousands of people during his run with the odd jobs here and there. And he was sure that he passed by familiar faces without his mind caring for who they were. But this one was different.

The man finally let everything go with a warning. Sly huffed a sigh, leaning his back to the bench and releasing the glass cup from his hand. At least he would not have to risk cutting his hand if things went sour. I... I am fine, he responded to her. Then she reminded him where they last met, and it all came back to him. He almost let out a long 'Ooh', but kept his mouth shut. Instead, he smiled and nodded to her, acknowledging that he remembered. It is great to see you again Lex. Name's Sly. The waitress walked over and, rather nervously, handed Lex the menu.

So... how have you been? He asked rather nervously. Who was he kidding to try and ask her anything about the previous world. Well, he could test her, hoping to reawaken any familiar memories that she may have had. But she barely even recognised him the first time they met when they looked after a dog. Maybe he could try and take it slowly this time.

With a shrug, Lexia slowly took the seat opposing Sly, a bit of a twinkle of amusement in them. He seemed a little stunned that she remembered him at all. Upon the waitress handing her the menu, she quickly shook her head and slowly placed it down against the table as the waitress left to go tend to another few people. She crossed her arms in front of him, leaning lightly against the table. She'd look at the menu later. Upon being asked his question, Lexia could only shrug. "If I'm honest, I've been rather well so far. I've met a few people who were also from another plane. They had a similar story, but a bit more terrifying than mine." She said honestly, moving a hand to take a glass as it was placed down for her.

Complimentary water was always something positive.

"Although, it makes me wonder, just how many people are here that came from other places." She mumbled quietly to herself, before she slightly flushed, realizing that she was rambling a fair bit once more. Chuckling, she moved away, leaning back into her chair as she looked away from him, her cheeks becoming even more crimson. S-Sorry about that, but umm, if you don't mind me asking, did you grow up here? We didn't... Really have much time to chat earlier. That dog was a bit of a handful in the end!"

As she spoke, her eyes flickered past Sly's shoulders, looking to the man who still seemed to be a little worked up. Sure, she was able to get him away for a few moments, maybe a half an hour, but he would be wanting his spot back as soon as the pair had eaten. Calling over the waitress, she ordered an alcoholic drink. It was in this moment that not remembering certain things would be. . . Rather unfortunate, to say the least. Although the waitress hadn't left yet, having turned to Sly and awaiting him to respond with a beverage or meal which he would want.

Different people from across different realms. He gapped his mouth but quickly shut it, pretending to yawn into his hand. Arguing with her about where they were from would be pointless. All he had was some petty semantics. The waitress would come back, asking if he wanted to order anything. He had to give it to her, that the place was almost always packed, so he could forgive her if her memory of her customers was stretched. Sly told her he already ordered and was fine with just table water.

Yeah, Sly said, taking another sip. I came across a number of them who spoke about places that didn't exist on the map. A strange wonder how they could easily have fit in to a different world. He noted that Lexia had ordered an alcoholic beverage. The Lexia he knew did just that as well, but the look in her eyes told him that she did not notice anything strange. Instead, it was like routine. Again, he could try and push it, but reminding her of how much she liked to drink on gloomy days was, perhaps, not the best memory to recover first. Perhaps his timepiece would do. Me? Well, let's just say we are from the same plane. That was assuming that she either knew where she was from or that she was still caught deep in the delusion of being from this world. Either way, he would not suffer any consequences.

Sly looked up with partial annoyance and amusement. Good times. Actually, there is another job that is sort of like that? But it is a lost cat. If you want, we can take the job if you like. But you are probably too busy for petty work like that. He slowly settled the timepiece down and removed his hand from it, giving her full view of the device's blue eye without looking suspicious.

At his statement about being from the same plane, her brow pulled slightly into a frown. The meaning and connotation behind those words didn't miss her ears, nor her mind. For a few moments, she looked into his eyes, her blue eyes piercing a little. She moved her robotic hand, tapping the table a little as she continued to think. But really, his silvery white hair was familiar, but why, she just couldn't put her finger on it. In reality, there was two reasons as to why she could see it, why she could remember it, but not recall it. She sighed, releasing the memories as she wasn't able to clasp onto them firmly, feeling them slip from her like sand through her fingers and into water.

"I suppose that you're probably right, althoug- oh never mind..." Her voice trailed off, her eyes catching Sly's moving hand. The silver watch left on the table. For a few moments, she ignored it, returning to answer Sly's question as she gave a small bark of laughter. "I have nothing to do, no real commitments, so sure, why not? Don't think I'm that boring!" She said with a laugh, but her eyes flickered back to that infernal device on the table. Why was that there? Why did he leave it there?

"Shouldn't... You keep the Timepiece on your person?"

The words just blurted out from her mouth before she could stop them, but the single word thrust three memories towards the surface of her mind. A manic green eyed monster, trapped behind walls, and the dragon, that infernal dragon that spilled forth from th- No! She shuddered a little, moving her normal hand to her mouth, her breath hitching a little. It took a few moments for her held breath to return to her. Since she'd been there, since she just rocked up, Lexia had never had those three memories thrown at her in such quick succession. Slowly, she exhaled, a controlled release as she moved the hand back to the table to give a nervous smile to Sly.

"I don't... know where that came from, sorry.."

He had long noticed her looking to his direction when he talked about the two being from the same realm. It seemed to trigger something in her. He sat up straight a little, knowing that she did not completely lost her memories. Most likely amnesia. His heart sunk a little at the whirring of her robotic arm. Slowly he clenched his fist, looking down, the all too familiar gunshot sounding from within the shadows of his memories. The man that stood on the alleyway, his gun to Lexia on the ground. She did survive that. But losing an arm was like losing a piece of oneself. Dread took hold of him when he thought if Lexia remembered what happened to her arm. Whether she did or not, he would be better off avoiding any talk about her arm.

As for the timepiece, it did nothing to her at first. He looked at his timepiece, then slowly decided to take it in both hands. Good point. This thing was an antique from my dearly departed master. He stiffened when her eyes seemed to space out, then there was a sense of dread in her. All of that coming from seeing his timepiece. It was why he decided to conceal the eye. Understandable. It is rather hot in here, Sly said, biting the bottom of his lip. Sure, he got something out of her, but he would rather not push it now. Especially if it was just bringing bad memories. The blue eye. Of course. How could he be so stupid?

Before he could say anything, the waitress came back to their table. This time with a tray carrying a steaming bowl. Sly took this brief moment to recollect his thoughts. For now, he was content with knowing that Lexia did not forget. If he could just slowly give her the missing pieces, perhaps she would remember. Though he could feel his chest tearing apart, trying to rush him further. To be with her again within the world of wolves. Now that he thought about, he could not tell if he was wanting to be with her because she was his dearly beloved. Or because he was scared and defenceless like a pup. Even when the waitress was long gone after giving Lexia her drink, he did not touch his chopsticks for a while.

Her drink was set there for quite some time, Lexia's mind trailing down countless possibilities. But all would lead to the same conclusion, that she truly didn't know what she was doing. With a small sigh, she raised the liquid poison to her lips for a small sip. However, this mans mention of some form of master lingered in her mind. Setting the glass aside, she gave a small smile. "He must have been dear to you..." Lexia said honestly, before her eyes were cast down to the table once more. The memories of whatever she had been chasing were dashed away, as if her mind had decided that they were unimportant. He was quiet, this man opposing her. Very quiet. But what was she to think or assume based on how much the man talked? He didn't say much and, truth be told, he seemed to be withdrawn, taking cautious steps as if he were standing on egg shells.

Robotic fingers resumed a meaningless tapping against the table top. Frustration caused her to take the glass and down the rest of the poison as a sigh left her lips.

"So, what's... This job you have?" Lexia asked, but the memories that had lingered in her mind were fading, as if they weren't important anymore. Her eyes gave that away, no longer clouded, but seemingly crystal clear with the knowledge and surety they had, not faltering or turning away from her focus. A nearby waitress walked passed, and Lexia subtly flagged them down once more, quietly requesting the drink. But one thing didn't escape her which Sly had done. "If you don't mind me asking, what has seemed to put you off your food? You're not exactly eating much of it." Lexia asked a little nervously, knowing that the previous person she asked these sorts of questions had rejected her completely. Or almost completely...

He remembered only a fraction too late the moment she put the alcohol to her lips. Her liver was shot too many times with the amount she had drank, and frankly, he did not know how much she drank before meeting him. Or, if they were lucky, if her poor liver was carried over to the new world as well. He nodded to her comment about his master, not wishing to pursue that any further. What good would that bring anyways? The only memory she had of Master Horus was when they fought him. And not to mention that they encountered Nithya in the ruins as well. Wait a minute...

The ruins.

When they first met at an inn, the two were there. Sly remembered being drunk. But... that was all he could remember before he was carried up to his room. And there Lexia offered to be his guide. Perhaps this was a better starting memory to attempt to refresh. But how? His timepiece proved to be a nightmare instead. Perhaps he was carrying something with him that would remind them of their time. Oh but what was he kidding? He did not bring anything with him. His attention went back to her when she asked him about not eating, and he shook his mind off it all. Oh! Uhm... sorry. Phased out for a moment there. He dipped both chopsticks in and scooped the noodles into his mouth. Salty and full of seasoning. It was great, but he knew a better cook was sitting before him right now.

Anyways, he started after swallowing. I figured I should be out looking for some bartending work. Oh if only the income and working hours would be more stable. It seemed all I can rely on is these bits of odd-but-paid work floating around here and there. So I came across this cat poster. He pulled out a rolled up sheet of paper and passed it forward to her. If she opened it, it would be a missing poster of a cat. Of course, he wanted to focus on more important matters, but he felt she had enough of a shock within five minutes of meeting him. Anymore pushing and she would be suspicious of him.

Sly slid the small poster across the table. Instantly Lexia swiped it up, her eyes glued to the paper as she proceeded to read the information. There was some there, but all which was certain was the picture of the the tabby, its fluff something which she was jealous of. With a small nod, she carefully pushed the paper away from her and back towards Sly. "That seems easy enough to do, I suppose." She responded with, before a small frown tugged onto her face, her abdomen becoming a little pained. Ignoring it for now, she leaned back in her chair, fingers gently tapping the table. A silence came over the pair, aside from the faint tapping of her fingers against the table.

Maybe she should have just let that guy knock Sly out... It'd be less awkward than what it was now.

While he was still eating, Lexia called over a waitress. She was kind enough, and Lexia requested a second glass of alcohol. Something which she'd had before that tasted similar to a beer. They nodded and made a note of it, before leaving again. And then the awkwardness was beginning to bloom again. Clearing her throat a little, she sat up a little straighter in her chair. "So... You said we're from the same plane... So, if that's right, why don't I remember you?" And why do I remember that infernal timepiece? Although, Lexia didn't say that last thought out loud, instead, letting it sink into her mind. It wasn't something that was going to be answered anytime soon she didn't think.

"And while you're at it, do you even remember how or what sent you here? I talked to someone previously and they spoke about facing utter death or a rather unusual portal. She was a traveller from another realm you see, and they used them to go through to different places... And yea, she just decided to go through the unusual one instead of staying to die really." Lexia tried to explain, as if it gave her reason to actually ask that question... Or at least, she thought it did. Maybe it didn't, but if not... Oh well.

Conversation was conversation, and she really was beginning to feel awkward around him.

He finished the ramen rather quickly and, after cleaning himself up, slid the bowl off to the edge of the table for the waitress to collect. He noted Lexia ordering yet another drink. It was beginning to draw concern, but then again, what if she drank the same amount at some time in the past while he was absent? Nonetheless, he ensured he was ready to jump to her aid. But now what? He could only push for her to remember something if he had nothing else to talk about. The two only met once before, and he was not prepared to be out on a date of some sort after all. Already he could feel the eyes of the previous man beaming at his back. Perhaps he could talk about where she was from.

But before he could say anything, Lexia, surprisingly, was the one who started about where they were from. It got his heart perked up a bit, but in the same time, cautious. And he made sure to hide it behind a rather curious expression. Sure, she was inviting him to talk freely, but there was a limit to how much she would take. Well, did you experience any deja vu since we sat down here? Of course she had. He saw it in her eyes and expression. Far too much of a coincidence for her to dread something harmless and brilliant as the timepiece. Let me be honest with you. What you said before is true, many of us came from different worlds. Us included. Have you ever wondered why we have no childhood memories of this world?

She then asked about how they got here, and he winced a little. His mind flashed back to that moment, standing on a bright arena, a large silhouette towering above them, the beast launching itself towards them. They collided. And then it was all dark. How could he answer her question? He was not sure if they died or not. Perhaps a portal showed itself upon the collision, and it dragged the two inside? It would make more sense than dying, especially with the story of the traveller which she described, he chose life over death. Even if it meant being dragged into this realm with no way back. Well, I would say we were dragged here by a portal. I mean, it makes sense does it not? If we are dead, we are dead. But both of us are still alive. He huffed a small sigh, before leaning a bit closer to the table, falling to a whisper. I can tell you what happened, but you may not like it... if you still want to hear it, I will tell you everything I know. Of our world. Take it however you will, you will at the very least have a descent bed time story.

"I suppose it depends on what you mean by deja vu." Lexia said slowly and honestly, a small sigh leaving her. "But yes, I do suppose that I have - in a way." There was no way that she was going to go into the details of what she had remembered, what things had decided to play out in her mind. No. They were wrong, horrible, the green eyes. The blue. Both of their angry looks, the flashes of orange and blue. A hand rose to her head, and she leaned it lightly against it, as if to try and calm down the thoughts which tore through her mind and soul. It terrified her, the manic green eyes spooked her, and she didn't realise it, but a small tear rolled down her cheek.

She laughed bitterly.

"My solid, my stable memory goes back as far as being alone here. Wandering streets which I didn't recognise. Seeing people I didn't know. Eating noodles with someone as well..." Her voice trailed off, slowly shaking her head as she gave a shuddered sigh. It hurt. It really hurt not to remember anything, nothing aside from the horrible eyes. Goodness those eyes - Both the blue and green... They haunted her, a crippling haunt, not a placid one. One that would cause her to wake in a cold sweat, shivering at night in terror. Ones that made her scream in horror during the night.

The saliva dripping down its fangs a moment before it tore a child in half.

Almost sensing her own fear, her erratic heartbeat, her metallic hand clenched, as did her jaw. However her fingers gouged deep ruts through the wood as she looked to Sly. He claimed to know why she was here? He claimed to know her? He claimed that they were from the same place?

Emotion drained from her eyes.

"I don't want the details... I just want things to make sense. Why am I here. Why do I not remember ANYTHING?" Lexia said firmly, her voice raising with every sentence. It caused a few people to glance over at her, and she gave a partial hiss in pain, feeling the skin at her shoulder burn as the flames had nowhere to go but deeper into her skin as they tried to form, flames threatening to ignite at her fingertips to hurl at someone from her frustration.

Her response said all he needed to know. She really did have amnesia, her earliest memories telling him that she just appeared in this world. Much like he did. Except he managed to retain his memories by some miracle. His mind searched for an explanation, going back to the last few seconds before they drifted into another reality. Destruction. In its battle against Creation, it did not possess a body of its own. Not like Creation who could just make a temporary body for himself. Perhaps having Destruction extracted from her also took away her memories. At least he did not have to worry about it anymore. Neither did he have to worry about Creation that haunted his timepiece to begin with. But he was no closer to recovering her memories.

He saw the same fear in her eyes, except this time her eyes glistened. And a tear streaked across her cheek. She did not seem to notice when she looked up to him. Sly tensed a little from how her fingers bit into the table, but he tried not to look directly at it. And just as he dreaded, she asked him the same question that he had been pondering earlier. The restuarant suddenly became silent, if for a moment, as every pair of eyes stared in their direction. Last thing Sly wanted right now was someone to walk towards them, ask if Lexia was alright, and immediately patronise him like he was the abusive bad guy.

By sheer instinct, he gripped his timepiece, attempting to form a mental link with it to command a time dome to be placed over them. But as anyone could have guessed, nothing happened. He wanted to steal a brief moment with Lexia, to tell her to meet him somewhere more quiet. Who knows if the patrons here were born here, and if they were one of those discriminating others who came from another realm. Sly immediately backed against his chair, hands out towards her like he was surprised. Okay, okay, fine. We split 60-40 and you get 60. Deal? It would hardly matter how Lexia would take his bluff, but after a few more seconds, everyone finally went about their business, and the senseless murmurs in the air returned to muffle their conversation.

Listen, he said, leaning closer to her. We were from the world in the Beyond. Met in town just outside the Temporal ruins in Cormere. I dented my water flask, but still you kept insisting I keep it. I still have it here, but it's in my room. As for we were sent here, my guess is... well... Sly looked down a little, clenching his teeth. I suppose you know what their eyes were like. They fought. You were a host of one them. The other created their own body. And... well... in a sense, we clashed. The next thing I know, I was here. And so were you. I don't know why your memories were erased. Mayhap it was to do with De-... the one that lived in you departing from your body once we are here. In hindsight, it made more sense in his mind. Saying it out loud, he feared he either gave her too much to absorb or just confuse her further. But he did not know how else to sugar coat it if it invoked so much despair in her...

The waitress had placed the alcohol at her table, and she nodded to them as they left again. Instantly her hand went to it, the alcohol burning her lips as she drank a little more before setting it aside. Sly's covering caught Lexia off guard for a few moments. However, shortly afterwards, she noticed the sheer amount of people that were staring at the pair of them. Jumping straight into a mocking show, she pulled a face and crossed her arms in front of her. But the sudden movements against her abdomen, causing her frown to deepen a little due to sudden pains through it. Whatever that was, she tried to ignore it. "I guess I can accept that. But no less than that." She practically demanded, but in a quieter voice, something which would signal to others that the issue was solved. Afterwards, people seemingly satisfied, they would cast their gazes back to one another, delving into their own conversations further and further, soon to lose any strings which they had to what they overheard.

The other man leaned forward, beginning his explanation. Little of it made sense to her, but the mention of their eyes burned into her. "You could say that I might know them... Sickly green eyes, sewn and laced with manic insanity? And the other... Who's very look could send shivers coursing through your body." She said slowly, before her metallic hand clenched against her side. How could she ever forget that insane monster, the very words it use to say to her causing even more shivers to arc down her back. It wasn't a pleasant thing to have experienced, and it certainly wasn't something that she ever wanted to remember. But she didn't have a choice with it. To remember everything else, she had to go through them again.

Although while Lexia was listening and her vague memories offering up faint images of what she could remember, one statement stood out among them all.

"Yes... But if Destruction and Creation fought... then they would have acted to protect me, and you, from their outbursts... And due to that, to prevent me from remembering the terrors Destruction took the memories away from me..? But not just a few, all of them?" She said quietly, but something felt off. Her eyes closed, what Sly was saying was making sense, it truly was, but at the same time, something was niggling at her. Something that she knew was important, but was having difficulties remembering at all. Her mind offered unhelpful views of a mechanical wolf, a cold river, a dragon... but none of them were what she was after. It was meant to be cold, it was like the river, but something more important. Something vital. Something she had to avoid maybe? At that, her mind offered something up to her as her abdomen almost stabbed her, her form doubling over slightly as the metal arm pressed against it. Her face was visibly pale.

"And they made me forget my inability to handle alcohol..." She said almost silently, her face paling even further. "I need to go, do you have a room somewhere nearby?" She asked, her mind racing as she moved, trying to push away from the table- almost to stumble instantly against the leg of the chair.

He was thankful that she decided to play along with the charade, at least until everyone went back to their usual business. The waitress brought another alcohol in a small vase, designed to hold a slightly larger cupful. He watched rather helplessly as she took in the entire contents, and he knew she was already starting to feel uncomfortable from the inside. That would be her last drink. Especially to order in a place like this, their sake was extremely strong. He was already just about to jump and escort her away if something bad were to happen, but he did his best to hide his concern. Instead, he took to intrigue how she remembered Destruction, but almost little about Creation. He snorted a little, looking slightly down to his timepiece. Yeah, the other is a rather... imposing figure.

Sly could see her attempting to recollect something. Something about Destruction? Perhaps their inner conversation with it? Even so, he would not know how they were like. His only memories of the beast was how it managed to destroy a quarter of a major city, and how it seemed to possess her during their expedition through the other parts of the ruins. Judging her expressions, it was not something she would want to remember it seemed. Neither would he want to remind her of Creation. But it looked like she remembered the two anyways.

Sly huffed a sigh, frowning a little to the side. Well, not both of them. One of them wanted us dead. The other- he stopped when she was just about doubling over, and commented about her alcohol intolerance. Immediately he jumped out of her seat and grasped her arm, pulling her up so as to not hit her head on the sake. Or the floor. Alright alright, that's enough for tonight. Let's get you home, he said just as the waitress passed by. Sly dropped money onto the table, enough to pay for the food and alcohol. Rather curious himself, he took the rest of Lexia's sake and wolfed it down himself. The bitter drink immediately burned the back of his throat, and the taste of alcohol made him grimace a little.

Pardon me, Sly said, pushing himself past the crowd before going into a powerwalk. It was getting dark soon, the lights flickering on and guiding him to his own apartment. The journey at least was uneventful, and taking the elevator up, he pushed open his room door and dropped her onto the couch. He dropped the timepiece on the coffee table before her, and frantically went to the kitchen, grabbed a few herbs and grinded them together, mixed it in with a fizzy drink, before pouring it into a glass. Here, drink this.

The moment that she stood, she could feel Sly's arms around her, stopping her from falling any further forward. She groaned quietly, the taste of bile building up in her throat mixed with the taste of the warm alcohol causing her to want to make her throw up there and then. Subconsciously she leaned against him, the faint tapping of the coins against the wooden table barely registering in her mind. However, she felt like she'd been in this situation before. Just. . . Reversed?

Maybe...

Although Sly was covering the pair of them, she didn't dare utter another word, inwardly wanting to groan and heave the contents of her stomach over the ground as the pair slowly made her push against the man next to her a little as he guided them forward. Instead of really tracking where the two were going, her mind was clouded, concentrating purely on ensuring that the alcohol stayed down. Or at least, until they got to the apartment. He set her down on one of his chairs, and she leaned forward over her own knees, heart hammering erratically in her chest. She felt sick - horribly sick. But she did her best to ignore the evil eye seeing death bringing watch.

At his command, she slowly sat herself upright, cautiously taking the glass from him. However, just after the liquid met her lips and she only managed to take a few sips, her face paled further.

She knew she couldn't keep it down any longer.

"B-bathr...oom?" Was the only thing she could manage before she was on her feet again, eyes wildly looking around to try and find it.

The potion he just made for her - if anyone could call it that - was mixed with a few herbs and such that he discovered from foreign medicine stores. They were perhaps one of the most suspicious shops to ever go into, selling overpriced dried roots of common plants that would do nothing they said, and selling it at high prices. However, Sly knew what he was doing and what he was buying, even if some were expensive. The concoction, after a few sips, would numb her pain and help her liver recover. Though he heard her wanting to go to the bathroom next.

Sly nodded. He took her arm again and slowly helped her up, and slowly took her to the bathroom. He could tell from her expression that she was about to vomit at any time, and he tried to hurry as much as he could. After around thirty or so seconds, he flickered the lights open. The plainness of the apartment went downhill from the bathroom. It was small, with the sink to the left and toilet further on and to the right. The whole room was lit by a single light, and the tiled walls looked like they were made forty years ago. Cracks appeared here and there, mould between tiles, and a few had partially broken off. The light was just a single globe dangling on a wire from the ceiling, waving a little as Sly passed by and let her rest right in front of the toilet.

He closed the door behind him, letting her do her business however she needed. He sat beside the door, leaning against the wall, and waited. It was a lot to absorb, both for him and her. To know that Lexia was not completely lost to him, and had came upon this world with him. He just needed to deal with the amnesia, and so far, he had made some progress. Or at least he assumed. In his hands, he was still holding the drink, half full. Next thing he could do was show her the dented flask, hoping it would do something.

Are you alright in there? Sly asked if there were no noises from inside for a while. Sorry about... whatever place this is. Just staying here for a while until I can settle in this world.

Instantly Sly was by her side again, using his arm to lead her through the darker areas of his apartment. Normally, she would have spent more time looking at her surroundings, but there was only one things which was on her mind. And that was to get rid of what she'd had to drink. The seconds Sly lead her forward seemed to go on for an eternity, stepping through the dark hallways and closer towards the bathroom. The dull light flickered on after a few moments, gently swaying from side to side and causing an array of different shadows to be cast on the tiles.

As soon as Sly left her and shut the door, Lexia could feel herself unable to hold it down any longer. Over the wretched lip of the toilet, she felt herself reel and vomit the burning alcohol back up. Stomach acid mixed with the terrible brew, and had a small trace of blood sewn through it. She didn't care, as she felt her stomach heave again, bitter tears rolling down her cheeks as she choked and cried from its burning sensation through her throat.

This would serve her right for having alcohol again.

Several long minutes passed before she eventually trusted herself to stand, her head a little faint, but otherwise, it want too horrid. However, the faint feeling was growing worse every few seconds. After clearing herself up, she heard Sly's response, a cold sweat beginning to break out across her forehead. While she was leaning against the sink, she gulped a little. Previous experiences told her that generally wasn't a good sign, she leaned against the wall, her voice softly and croakily calling out his name, asking for help.

Lexia didn't even know if he'd heard her as her vision slowly began to fail her.

Something was wrong. He could hear something when he called her name, but her voice was weak. Rather hoarse, understandable with her vomiting. He immediately swung the bathroom door open, and stiffened. The drink slipped from his hand, the glass shattering on the floor. He leapt over the shards, lucky enough to have his boots still on and Lex still having her shoes as well. Lex! Sly called, catching her on the shoulders and letting her lean on the wall which the toilet was facing. He gritted his teeth, ensuring she was sitting most comfortably. He cursed between his teeth, his heart starting to race. Or he thought it was. The sake was starting to get to him a little. Wait here, he said, jumping over the glass shards to reach his phone. He immediately called for the ambulance, telling the operator that someone in his apartment had just collapsed and ordering them to hurry to his address.

He slammed the phone down and quickly rushed to his bedroom wardrobe, where he collected a few towels. They were slightly aromatic, scented with a few flowers which he did not know. But he could tell the scent was rather artificial. They would have to do. He quickly went back to Lexia and draped the towels over her, and sat beside her, letting her lean on his shoulder if needed. I'm here, he said. Did you drink that much before we met? He slowly rubbed her shoulders, trying to comfort her. Even if he had his first aid, there was almost nothing he could do for her liver. It had to be one strong pain if not even the medicine could relieve her of it. He bit the bottom of his lip, frantically searching in his mind for something. Anything. But all he could think of right now was to sit here and wait, just to be there for her until the paramedics arrive. I've called a hospital. They will arrive here in a few minutes, just hang on.

The sounds of shattering glass made Lexia flinch a little, her eyes hazily making out his form. His hand came up to her shoulder, before slowly forcing her to slide down the wall into a somewhat hunched seating position. But she didn't really care at that, a small groan leaving her. Her. Wait there. What else was she going to do, roll over and steal a piece of glass..? Regardless, she would do as she was told, slowly dragging her knees up against her chest. Her head fell forward a little, resting against her knees for a few moments.

She would have slipped into an unconscious realm if Sly hadn't come back just then, towels being dropped over her form. Her head raised a little, taking the towels around her and holding it against her form. At his question, she slowly nodded. She'd had a few glasses here and there, but nothing came back to haunt her like this one had. But that was when he mentioned the hospital. Memories of her own screams of agony came to her, them tearing her flesh away, clearing it and cleaning it off to be able to attach this metallic one. Her hand tightened, before she moved her arm to wrap around his back. She leaned against him, unable to help the feeling that that was just... right. but she was trying, struggling, to get her words out. "N-no hospitals..." She practically breathed, her arm weakly tightening around him.

"It was hard... Enough last time when they gav...e...." She took a shuddering breath, trying to recollect herself. "Me this hand.. T-t-this arm... " Goodness it was hard to form complete sentences without pausing for rests. "Y-you know... Exactly what they d-do to people like you and me... P-please, call them off... Don't leave me again, don't let them take me away." Lexia could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks, staining his white shirt. "Not again.."

Not after everything they had been through, not when she would rather be here with someone she trusted over some strangers who had no idea what she needed...

It did not occur to him that she would have such fear of going to the hospital. Nothing in his memories would tell him why. Only the vague expressions of pain and fear in her look the moment he mentioned it. She held him close, clinging to him like a scared child. It did make him feel concern for her, but in the same time, rather warm. He had missed the light and warm touch against his skin, the feeling almost immediately soothing his heart from the tightness and flare that suffocated him. Still, what could he do now? Only the hospital could help her, but she refused to go. Sly could barely do anything, not to mention he had money problems himself and could not afford a variety of herbs to make her proper medicine. Even then, it was too late to call off the ambulance. They were already making their way here.

We better move, Sly said, slowly pulling her up. Their shoes crushed the glass beneath them, and Sly slowed, in case anyone of them slipped. He moved her to his bedroom this time, and let her rest over the slightly stiff bed. At least it was better than the bathroom wall. After pushing the pillow under her head, he went off to lock the door. An idea came to his mind when his eyes glazed past the dented water flask. Maybe water would help her. He quickly unscrewed the cap, his hand feeling a little awkward at just how irregular this thing had become, and quickly poured fresh water into it. It probably would not hold as much volume since the day he bought it due to just how much it had been through, but to both Sly and Lex, it had become a priceless memento.

He then returned to the bedroom and gave her the flask, loosening the cap a little. Here, this should help. I promise I won't drop it again. Sly would then close the bedroom door, and there, they would wait until the paramedics give up knocking and just pass along. He say on the chair beside her. A wooden one near the window. He stiffened a little, then a smile etched to his face, hands fiddling with his device. Funny. This is like the moment when we first met. Except we switched places.

Her words seemed to break through and into Slys mind. She gave a small nod as he pulled her up, not exactly appreciating the movement, but at the same time, what was she going to do? The sounds of crushed glass beneath their feet didn't make it to her mind, still faint and all around, feeling horrendous. Every step they took was almost agony, and another eternity later, and he placed her on the bed. Despite it being stiff, it was probably better than anything else that she had slept on for the past several nights. "Don't worry, I can... Just need to find someone... They can help with this." Lexia said slowly, before resting her head against the pillow a little more.

He passed the steel flask to her, before she nodded a little. Forcing herself to half sit up was a task and a half in itself, but regardless, she did her best and forced herself to it. Despite her swimming vision, she picked it up and rested it against her lips before carefully tipping some of the rich water down. But the flask, it... Again, it seemed familiar. She pulled it away, handing it back to Sly. "I... Think you might be right with... That but... At the same time you weren't this bad... Just made me give up my necklace." Lexia recalled, giving him a little bit of a look. Although, normally she wasn't happy with her metal arm, for once, she was okay with it. It took next to no effort on her part to actively move the arm to point towards the locked door. Something was on her mind, but yet... It took her several long moments to remember.

But she almost expected a barkeeper to come pounding on it. She swallowed nervously from the thought. Maybe, just maybe, Sly was actually telling the truth about them. But the thoughts were gone in a few moments, before remembering what it was she wanted to point out. "Your timepiece... It's not here... Coffee table, you.. should, no need... To get it."

Sly smiled a little more, easy on himself that she could finally recall when they first met. But still, it looked like she was staring blankly on some parts, like it was all she could clearly remember. The necklace. He did not mention anything about her giving up the necklace. Actually, he had partially forgotten about it. He remembered it was an heirloom of sorts. Very expensive, and she used it to pay for the damages he had caused. The thought tightened his heart a little, and he decided to throw it into a pile of piling bad memories he did not want her to remember. As for the flask, her mind did went distant at its sight, and he could tell she could remember something from it. But it looked like it was no different than mere words he had spouted back at the restuarant. He bit the bottom of his lip. If even something as precious as the flask could not do much, it would certainly take all day for him to help her recover.

You know someone who could help you? Should I give them a call? He asked, almost about to get up. Well, he was going to, as she reminded him he left his timepiece at the lounge room. She should be safe here in his room. Decides, he had a shelf of a number of things he had with him when he was from the old realm. Mayhap she would give them a glance over and find something that will help her remember. But what little he had that was related to her. Aside from books and vials that he got from Master Horus, there was a framed picture of both him and Lex, when they looked a lot different and slightly younger. And there was a sketchbook as well, inside being sketches of all their old members of their guild, including themselves. Nithya... the hourglass and the stone... Master Horus... Creation... Des...

As Sly walked out to the lounge room, his heart froze at the thought of her opening that book. Then, his attention went to the knock on the door. "Hello? This is the ambulance!" They called out. Sly quietly slipped back into the room and closed the door behind him gently.

"No, you can't call them, they're someone which I have to find. Skylar... Skylar knew how, but at the same time... She said that I'd have to track down the trouble to be able to find them, which... not ideal." Lexia wanted to stop with the words, but they were the only things which she could make Sly understand where she was coming from. However, he realised what he'd forgotten and quickly stood up and left the room. Lexia was thankful for that, as just after he left, she could feel the tears rolling down her cheeks. She wouldn't let him know, but she'd seen the image, the framed picture of the two of them.

Back when she was whole, when she didn't have this forsaken arm. Back when she was happy. Her metallic hand tightened it grip on itself, causing dents to actually appear in the metal from the sheer force behind it. Dammit all. She wanted nothing more than to remove that darn image from her sight. Now, she was ugly, this metal tainting her frame, and Sly...

He looked virtually the same, just a little older.

She was the horror.

She could barely reach it, but her fingers caught the edge of a book partially hanging from the shelf. Slowly, she flicked it open, before her teeth dug into her lower lip. Her heart skipped several beats as she stared down at the pages, her fingers turning through it. Not from sorrow, but... These images which he'd done, they...

Were gorgeous. She opened past a few pages, images of a clockwork wolf passing by, images of her and Sly, of others... But one small image slipped out. A photo. She snatched it from the air and brought it to her own eyes, narrowing them a little. It was old, greyed with age but... Wasn't that Sly's place he was before... That son wanted his head?

Lexia could hear Sly's footsteps returning, and she closed her eyes, moving her hand to cover her face. Was this really what she had become? A quivering wimp just waiting for the day death came, or waiting for meaning to return to her? What was she? Destruction had taken with it the memories she use to have... But now...

Lexia swallowed hard, sliding the photo back into the pages, pain from her own issues arcing through her, but at the same time, agony from what she'd seen. She moved, sliding the book back before Sly came into the room. But she couldn't help thinking it.

What was she?

"Lock...?" Was the only thing that Lexia could let leave her mouth, her hands covering the tears that trailed down her face.

What the hell had she become?

After closing the door to the muffled calls from the other side, he returned his attention to Lexia, about to tell her that everything would be fine in a few moments. Though he did not forget that she mentioned another name that did not ring any bells for him. One named Skylar. And she was the only one Lexia would call for help? And there was no way of contacting her, excepting tracking some form of trouble. It was far too cryptic for him to decipher within grabbing his device and back. He almost stiffened just as he gently closed the door behind him, Lexia having found his sketchbook. Looking at it, she was at the sketches of both him and Lexia together. If that were so, mayhap she already seen those images that he did not want her to see. But there was hardly any pain in her eyes. Just more confusion.

In her hand, he noticed, was an old picture. He could tell it was that of a mansion, one which he served as a butler to the late master. Sly sat beside her, letting her continue flipping through the sketchbook. There are more photos in there if you want to see them, he said, leaning down to pick up a few of them that had escaped her notice perhaps. One of them was the family photo of everyone in Horus' mansion, Sly himself included. His mind went back to those times, a strong tug hooking and piercing his heart. He did not acquire enough money to retake the mansion. The bastard of a son still stained the corridors with his pungent presence, and now here he was, having to restart his life anew.

He shook his mind off it. Now was not the time to be wallowing in the past. If she found anything new, she would probably have asked him. This girl you called Skylar. What trouble did she requested you to find?