Based off of "Repo: The Genetic Opera"
by Lionsgate
If unfamiliar with movie, some themes may bewilder you.
Once upon a time, in the not-too-distant future, The Genetic Opera had just ended. It ended with a huge finale- heart wrenching death and pain. Shilo walked forward, head up, shoulders back, ready. Her father lay dead behind her, along with Mag- her God mom. And Rotti Largo, the man who ended so much in her life: her innocence of the world, her trust in people, effectively killing her entire family…She had no one left she knew. Except one. But she couldn't find him. No way. Not today. Not ever. Not like this.
Amber Sweet sat sobbing in the dressing room. Her father, dead. Her image, ruined. Her face, god awful. Now what? She slowly gathered herself together. Mopping her face with a tissue, she clutched her dress, fixed her face, and went to make some calls. It was time to step into her role as GeneCo's spokeswomen. It was time to face her punishment for being so spoiled all those years.
Shilo paced the darkened alleys of the world and hastened back to her place to grasp a bit of reality. She would have gone anywhere else, but she didn't know where to go. Were people looking for her? Was she going to be killed? She only knew one person in her tiny world…where was he? Could she even run to him? She hurried through the graveyard, nearly running when someone's cool hand ran along her arm. Shrieking, she whipped around, eyes flashing, ready to defend herself.
"Oh!" She slowly exhaled, heart pounding, fear effectively giving way to relief. "Graverobber!" A smile shined in her eyes.
"Hey Kid. Thought that was you." His heart gave a squeeze, having just seen the opera projected in the town square, watching every horrifying moment. He'd be damned if he would admit he ran looking for her through the streets like a madman, the best person in town getting her whole world ripped away in a single fluid act of a show. "I…saw. You know. The opera." He watched her face fall. Tears welled in her eyes. "Oh geez…Kid." And he was hugging her small form, covered in blood and tears.
Pavi still sat onstage, in the darkened theatre after the Opera. His whole life he had only desired beauty, perfection, just like his brother and sister. His whole life was about giving himself the ultimate happiness, the perfect face. But deep down inside, he knew. He knew he only wanted his fathers' approval. His fathers love. And now he only had one thing left of his father. The last face he paid for- Ambers. He would get it. He would get it… The last thing his dad approved.
Shilo and Graverobber sat in her living room, and she was having a surreal feeling, never having imagined Graverobber would ever see her house. Her small Victorian house. Her fathers house. Her childhood. Where she snuck around, lived secretly, underground, the real her hidden from her father.
"Kid?" Graverobber broke into her thoughts, rousing her from the dreamlike state she was in.
"Yes?" She shook herself, no time to dawdle now. Before listening to his question, her fears poured out. "Will they find me? Will they kill me? Am I safe? Here, in this house?"
Graverobber's long dormant heart stirred with compassion, for this seventeen year old orphan. He scooted closer to her, until he could feel her arm pressing against his, reassuring and soft. "Yes." He said firmly, "no one messes with Graverobber and Co." He cracked a wan smile. "Why do think we never get killed? I bet that with GeneCo's leader dead, his empire left an in upheaval, they're not worried about little old you. Besides, I can talk to Amber. She owes me. Big time for the last I got her out of a jam."
He felt her relax, the tenseness in her body fading away. She leaned into him, resting her head on his arm.
"I don't know how on earth to thank you."
And the words were out of his mouth before he thought through them.
"Need a roommate?"
Amber sat behind her father's desk, her heart aching. Her legacy, her years of training, all for this. She had shirked this duty for so many years, and now it came down to this, her life. Taking charge. Paying for her spoiled attitude, she knew she deserved this, to be left alone without a father. She was Daddy's little girl. And now? Well now she just felt like a lost little girl. She shrank back from the desk, folding into herself. Now what?
Her whole life she had been primed to take over the busness. Her older brother had been the sensible coice, but with his temper and lack of attention span, her father had for years made it clear who was to take over, by putting Amber as the face of GeneCO. Posters, zydrate hotline, the official face of GeneCO, while that wretched Mag was the voice…the voice? Well, Amber had a voice too. And now she was going to use it.
Graverobber moved the last of his junk into the house. It took three trips to the graveyard and back, but they managed. Between them they dragged in a lifetime's accumulation of stuff. Random clothes stored in broken into crypts now serving as Graverobbers personal weird walk in closet, zydrate tubes, endless armfuls of empty zydrate tubes, guns, and accessories. Mannequins, pictures, clown noses, something called a noose, endless books, boxes and boxes of books. An old television. A multi colored umbrella, bird feeders, three empty flower pots, and a chipped salad bowl. But it was all stored neatly in the small Victorian house, him sleeping in her fathers old room, neatly tucked with all his things.
"Thanks for letting me move in." Graverobber said sheepishly.
"Thanks for moving in." Shilo simply stated, and walked away to start dinner. With all her spare time in the past years, she learned six languages, gourmet cooking, every type of bug, schooling done for years now. Moving through college textbooks at lightning speed, she was halfway through what would have been a normal sophomore in college girl's math book.
Seventeen and going strong. Piano, flute, cello, and singing were all she had at times to pass the days. And now her whole life flipped full three sixty in the space of three days. Had it really only been three days? How could it have been? So many dead… so many… her daddy, oh, her daddy was dead… her poor daddy. Mag…her mother… Rotti… why?
Shilo sagged against the wall, her blood pressure cuff shrilly screaming warnings to whomever was around. Her head felt light, like a balloon attached to her neck. She couldn't feel her legs, she was sure her legs were gone, gone with the rest of her, loose and floppy. Shilo's vision became pinpointed, fading to black, and the last thing she saw was a tall figure running towards the sounds of her medical cuff screaming.
Shilo awoke slowly, feeling like she was swimming through heavy dark water to break the surface. She slowly moved to sit up. A movement to her left caught her eye, and she turned her aching head, to see Graverobber sitting by the head of her bed peering anxiously into her face.
"Kid?" He sounded stressed
At once Shilo's face flamed, embarrassed to have caused such a scene to this guy she hardly knew, causing issues on the first day of their arrangement.
"I am so sorry," she whispered, turning her head away. Graverobbers breath caught. Poor kid.
"Nothing to be sorry for." He handed her some water, and she sipped gratefully, "here. For you. to make you feel a little better." He handed her a real, live daisy. They hadn't been around in years. The flowers went extinct, and now fake one were the only ones sold.
"Oh! I… I… where did you get this? Oh! Graverobber! Thank you!" She threw her arms around him, hugging him, careful not to squish the petal of the pretty flower.
Shilo pulled back, stroking a finger of the silky soft petals, so bright, so yellow, so pretty… 'it's perfect." She grinned up at him, delighted.
Graverobbers long extinct heart had been doing more of its fair share of emotion lately, especially now, at the sight of her pretty little smiling face. More than anything he wanted to grab onto her, check she was okay, hug her, rock her like a baby, and keep her with him forever.
"Kid?"
"Yeah?"
"I'm… glad you're ok. You scared me." He grinned a little, before ducking his head and smoothing her bedspread.
Shilo stroked his hand with her own, "I'm sorry."
"Come on. Let's watch some television."
Graverobber would not let her do much of anything the next day, in addition to her being stuck in bed the night before. It was adorable he cared but…she was bored. She was finally allowed out, and that night, he left, refilling his zydrate supply. Shilo was frightened he would never come back, and she stayed up all night until he came in at daybreak, a haunted look in her eyes and a shaky smile, while he felt a rush homecoming and security. And she followed into his room, a shudder going down her spine at the sight of his things among her fathers old room. She sat down at the end of his bed while he changed and washed up in his bathroom. He came out, and a slightly surprised look skittered over his fetures when he saw her perched on the end of his bed.
"Kid? You ok?" he sat down next to her, where she was tucked up by the footboard. Instinctively, he shifted close enough to her to feel her heartbeat through her skin.
"Yes."
"ok."
"Graverobber?"
"Yes?"
"How… thank you for finding me."
He turned to look at her.
"Anytime." The sincerity in his tone made her rest her head on his arm, reassured. Safe.
Amber Sweet, now Amber Largo once again, stood in front of the flashing cameras. The auction was over, the proceeds going to the zydrate control center. Pavi won, and Luigi had killed three of the bidders in the chaos. Pavi stroked his new face, thrilled, a pang in his heart wishing his father was there screaming at him, paying any attention to him at all. Instead, he was in the Largo Crypt… Pavi's smile slipped from his face, and he numbly walked away from the crowds into the Largo tower.
It had been three weeks since Graverobber and Shilo became roommates. She stayed up all night, until he crept back in from collecting zydrate. He learned not to stay out that late, and instead get it done as fast as possible, since the time he was a few hours late, and walked into Shilo silently crying on the stairs, waiting for him, knees to her chest and anxiously watching for him. When he walking in the door, a sob clawed its way out of her throat, and she flew into him, nearly knocking him over, her punching his chest again and again while crying.
"I thought you were dead!" another feeble punch, "I thought you were gone! I thought you left me!" then she just as swiftly threw her arms around him and nuzzled her head into his chest, pulling him tight.
Shocked, Graverobber had stood there in silence, until it finally occurred to him to hug her back. He stroked the top of her head, and they went and watched television after safely storing his zydrate in Nathan's old workroom.
Now Graverobber made it a point not to stay out later than intended, always getting back well before fear gripped Shilo. It was weird, factoring another person into his life, thinking of not only his feelings, but including hers as well, considering them before making decisions.
Shilo made dinner every night, delicious cuisine, and kept the house clean, and laundry going, and Graverobber always laughing. She teased him endlessly about his mildewy wardrobe, but knew that if he ever changed his style she would lose something in him. So she worked at the fabrics until they finally came clean, and she presented to them pleased. He was forever surprised by her concern fr the little things, and thanked her with little gifts he found on his excursions. A delicate gold necklace. A bit of lace. A small hand drawn picture of a bird.
One night, sitting in the parlor of the cozy house, Shilo and Graverobber were unwinding on the couch, reading their books and quietly turning pages. Each was comforted by the sounds of the others breathing, the tick of the clock, and hum of the refrigerator, the low static from the muted television. A thought occurred to Graverobber,
"Hey, Kid?"
She looked up, startled out of her book. "Yeah?"
"Why did you trust me that night in the Graveyard?"
Shilo paused, biting her thumbnail, before replying. "Because…I was just never frightened of you. other people around you, maybe. But not you. I knew you wouldn't hurt me. Even though you did get me in trouble." She said this with a playful smile in her voice and eyes.
"Trouble, huh?" His hand itched closer to her. "I'll show you trouble!"
And with that, he knocked her only the couch backwards, tickling her and mussing up her hair. She tried to swat away his hands, and when he was unsuspecting, launched herself into his stomach, effectively rolling them both onto the thick carpeting. He caught her head from knocking onto the ground, and yanked his shirt back into place before picking up a pillow and throwing it at her face. Shilo laughingly ducked, poked his arm, and Graverobber was suddenly inches from her face. Shilo's heartbeat quickened, and her breathing slowed, but she stayed quiet and curious.
"Hey Kid?"
"Yeah?"
"Are you still not afraid of me?"
"No. Never."
"Good." And with that, he slowly got closer to her before kissing her right on the mouth. After a few moments, he pulled back, picked her up, and tossed her back onto the couch. And with that, he settled into the couch, tucked her up beside him, and started reading his book again.
Shilo was tired of reading, and instead laid her head in his lap and just looked at his facial expressions caused by the novel. The joy in her heart was overwhelming, and it had to be shared. This fuzzy feeling, like being dunked in warm water after sitting in the cold for so long, enveloped her heart and made her talkative.
"Hey."
He glanced down. "Hey?"
"I think I love you."
A shocked look spread over his face, which quickly switched to delight. "I think I love you too, Kid. Actually, I know so." And Graverobber leaned down, and kissed her again, ending the conversation.
Amber Largo sat down with her brothers in their formal dining room. They all picked at their food, quiet, still in their worlds of hurt at losing their only parent.
"You know what?"
They both looked up, startled, almost shocked that they were speaking for the first time since the Genetic Opera.
"What?" Pavi and Luigi replied.
"I think we're gonna be ok. I think we will be." And with that, Amber rose from her seat, and sauntered away, kissing each brother on the top of their heads on her way out. She disappeared, leaving two bewildered but uplifted brothers behind her.
The Genetic Opera changed a lot of lives that night. Took two fathers, and a god mom. The children had to deal with the hurt, and learn to love again. The price of love is loss. But still we pay, we love anyway. Give me clouds, and rain and gray, give them pain if that's what's real. That's the price we pay to feel. We hurt. We get crushed. We get uplifted with love. We flourish. We learn. We move on. We stumble, we fall, we cry. But then we get up, and we smile, and we find the will to find our way. Though right now the darkest skies, when the long night is done, there will be light. When we open up our eyes, sons and daughters, mother father, and we fight that fight of life, there will be light.