This chapter was a little more than I thought it would be. Graverobber has made the decision to disappear? Damn. Amber is possibly in love with him? Double damn.
I own nothing from Repo [though I wish I did].
Sunlight had broken through the smog of the morning. It irritated Shilo's eyelids open. She didn't know when she fell asleep last night, but she remembered falling asleep with ideas on what she may want to change about herself. In the end, she couldn't think of anything. Sure, Shilo was still a teenage girl who wasn't always satisfied with her appearance sometimes, but she believed changing her body was only a way to run away from the problem instead of facing it. With a yawn, she slowly sat up from under her quilt. She lifted the quilt off of her and noticed her shoes were off. She didn't remember taking them off when she lay down last night.
"Good morning Shilo," Graverobber said from the windowsill. Shilo yelped and automatically reached to throw something at him. Her fingers closed around a pillow that she chucked at him.
"Do you always greet a friend like that?" He asked, another cheeky grin on his face as he caught the pillow. Shilo growled at him and stood from her bed.
"We're friends? When did this happen?"
Graverobber frowned this time. The frown was so out of place on his face that Shilo had to blink a few seconds.
"I would like to pretend so for now," he said, the smile slowly forming again. Shilo let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. "Amber's on her way," Graverobber continued. "I heard from an inside source that she's also bringing Pavi and one of his ornaments. He insisted on coming this time and had a huge fit in front of some of the other employees."
Shilo rubbed her temples gingerly. Pavi freaked her out. She would never say so to his face, but he caused her to shiver and retreat. Graverobber caught her frowning and flicked her forehead gently.
"Don't worry. I told you he also had an ornament with him."
Shilo snorted. "I just get a little freaked out is all." She walked steadily to her closet and went to pick out a pink and black dress. There was pink lacy trim along all of the edges and a bright pink bow on one shoulder. That bow also had a pocket hidden underneath. When she thought Graverobber wasn't looking, she reached for the small blade she bought a couple days right after the Final Opera for protection. She slid it in the hidden pocket and settled the dress over her shoulder.
"Get out so I can change," Shilo said, turning to see Graverobber had already disappeared.
With a huff of breath, Shilo reached into her dresser to pull out a pair of black stockings with a pink, intricate design in lace. She dressed in clean clothes for the day and checked the time in the clock on her wall. It was almost ten in the morning. The sun was already starting to fade behind the smog of such an industrial town.
Shilo zipped up the back of her dress and reached for her wig out of habit. Last second, she caught her reflection in the mirror and the light brown curls on her head. She grinned and left the wig. She opened the door and ran into Graverobber... literally.
Both of them stumbled and landed on the ground. Graverobber blinked and stared up at the ceiling. "Geez you need to eat more," he muttered in Shilo's ear. Shilo giggled and slowly sat up.
"Thanks for breaking my fall," she said as she stood and tugged Graverobber up with her. While he still had her hand, he put her in another head lock for a dutch rub. Shilo growled and bit his arm, tasting something strange on his jacket. Still... the smell was familiar.
He let her go while Shilo racked her memory for the old smell. "Why do you smell like sulfur?" she asked. "Isn't sulfur, I don't know, illegal?" Graverobber simply grinned and started down the stares as the door knocked.
Sulfur was outlawed twenty years ago when a group of extremists made a concoction combing an illegal drug with it. When you boiled the mixture in any random place, a gas would form immediately and suffocate whoever was within twenty yards of the mixture. Since sulfur was already running in short supply, they simply made it illegal and contained as much as they could on a hidden island... or so some believed. There were those who thought there were still some other hiding places for the hidden sulfur.
Shilo simply sighed and started down the stairs after him. Of course, he was nowhere to be seen after that. There was another knock at the door, this one a bit more aggressive.
"One moment!" she called, making sure her stockings were straight and her dress was smooth. The skirt was a little ruffled, but she always thought that made it look a little more relaxed. She reached the door and opened it. Amber smiled.
"Hello Shilo," she said. Shilo stepped aside and let her in. Pavi and a curvy red-head clinging to his arm followed in after her. Pavi's voice rang through the halls.
"Why, it's like I've seen a ghost! How have you been Shilo? You look so... different." Amber touched one of Shilo's curls hesitantly.
"I didn't realize you could grow hair," Amber murmured.
Shilo shrugged. "I think my hair started to grow after I stopped taking the poison."
Pavi laughed and the red-head giggled with him. "Have you met my friend Marissa?" he asked, gesturing to the red-head. "I heard about Amber's little project and thought you would never become a partner in business with her."
Shilo was a little shocked that Pavi would be observant enough. Not only did Shilo know nothing about business, but running it with Amber would be like running a shadow that would black her out. She couldn't handle looking at the people who were once apart of something so... bloody. Even if they didn't know their parts, it still unnerved her. Then again, Pavi may just be trying to persuade her away from taking the position so he could have it himself.
"...She even styled Blind Mag once!"
Shilo looked up and blinked. She hadn't realized she wasn't paying attention to Pavi's ramblings. Amber had already made herself comfortable on the couch, and Pavi sat opposite from them in a chair with Marissa on his lap. Marissa wiggled her fingers at Shilo and smiled.
"I'm an expert at fashion design and trend setting," she said, flashing a bright smile that looked a little forced. Shilo nodded and sat next to Amber.
"Yes, about the offers... I would love to help GeneCo., but the idea of changing myself or becoming a part of something I know nothing about is... rough," Shilo said. She looked down at her hands that had folded themselves in her lap.
"I figured as much," Amber said. "That's why the discovery of your new hair was such good timing. You could always be the spokesperson for a hair product meant to speed up hair growth and make it healthier. It's one of the older products, but that will also help persuade people away from unnecessary surgery and keep them out of debt."
Shilo nodded. "I like how that would work out. What would I have to do?"
"What!" Pavi yelped. "You don't want a surgery at all?"
Marissa looked a little shocked too, but she also held herself a little better than disbelief that some people are actually a little happier with their appearance. Her eyes looked steady as she nodded and flashed another smile.
"No. I don't need to fix anything about myself. It would be a little nice to have longer hair, but anything drastic would be against who I am." Shilo smiled and turned back to Amber. "What do I need to do?"
Amber smirked at Pavi before adjusting the edge of her short leather skirt. "It's simple," she said. "I'll start out with setting up a commercial to put on the GeneCo. board. It's a simple before and after shoot for now. I'll take a picture of you before I leave and send you some shampoo to wash your hair with. The instructions on how to use it appropriately are on the back. I'll also include a hairlength chart standard with any hair growth tonic from GeneCo." Shilo nodded.
"Is there any risk of rashes or... hair loss?" Shilo asked. She didn't want to loose her hair after having it for such a short time.
"If you don't follow the instructions appropriately, then both are likely. Just do as it says, and you should be fine."
Shilo grinned. Pavi frowned behind his mask. It still covered his face even after her bought Amber's old one. He barely wore it these days. Marissa whispered something in his ear.
"Remember, Amber, Marissa has her appointment with Gallate soon."
Gallate Wells was an up can coming opera star meant to be GeneCo.'s new voice. Blind Mag was dead after all. Shilo sighed and stood.
"I won't keep you guys, then." Amber stood up and still for a moment. She hesitated before reaching forward and hugging Shilo gently. She then stepped back and nodded. Shilo blushed and felt a little shocked.
"You won't be disappointed, Shilo," Amber murmured. Pavi laughed and was out the door while Amber slowly trailed after him. Before she left, she took a smiling picture of Shilo for the commercial.
Shilo did some research after everyone had left. One of her father's old medical books was out in front of her as well as several notes from her mother's illness. Her mother also had several symptoms that Shilo now had, but her's were more severe. Both thought that she simply needed to drink broth and light foods, but it turned out she just kept getting sicker. Shilo decided to take Amber's advise and start at a hundred calories.
She opened a clean notebook and started to scribble down the few notes on Hypoglycemia should could record. Her father's handwriting was starting to fade off the notes, and the textbooks held very little. It was almost like a dying disease. She did find that most patients would normally start on a two thousand calorie diet, but Shilo also counted in the fact that she didn't eat a lot in the first place and she only feinted once in a while.
She started to open the fridge in her kitchen and organize food so she knew exactly what she needed to eat through out the days. It also soothed her to organize and control herself more. She doesn't meant to forget meals. She was used to her father bringing them to her, though.
She reached for the jug of purified water and hoisted it to the table.
"Need a glass?" Graverobber asked.
Shilo, out of her new, wonderful habit, yelped and reached for something to throw. Graverobber caught her hand and set it down gently on the table.
"Not this time," he said, grinning deviously. "I saw Amber leave, though. What did you decide?"
Shilo snorted. "What am I? You favorite source for submarket gossip?"
"Of course, kid," he said, a teasing edge to his voice. He tugged a curl gently. Shilo smacked his hand and reached for a glass in a tall cabinet. She stood on her tip-toes to get a firm grip – she didn't want to drop it - before setting it on the counter. Graverobber poured from the jug himself.
"Aside from the fact that the world looks at you like some prophet, you hold a lot of respect as a person in general. When people look at you, they see someone who held their morals despite the fact people tried scaring her away from them." Graverobber grinned and shrugged. "Could be worse."
Shilo nodded and sipped her water. She knew that. Graverobber wandered to her table and sat on top of it, examining the books there closely.
"These are ancient," he commented. "What's Hypoglycemia? Looks pretty bad from this angle, but your handwriting is as bad as... his." Graverobber never said her father's name. He barely spoke about him with Shilo, which was comforting and confusing.
Shilo never talked about Nathan, and she was always frustrated when people tried to pump her for some dirty secret on her own dad. Still, no one would think of that except him. What makes him understand? she wondered?
"Hypoglycemia is the blood disease I have. I need to eat so many calories a day because my blood works through the food faster I guess. These textbooks are sketchy since they're from twenty years ago. My dad's notes aren't much better since he and my mother had always thought that food would make it worse. I'm sort of compiling my own stuff now so I can manage it better."
Graverobber winked at her. "Aren't you resourceful?"
Shilo shrugged. "I'm not doing a surgery." Graverobber blinked and grinned.
"Unexpected. That's a nice change. You're becoming a business partner then?"
Shilo giggled. "Nope. I'm going to be a spokesperson for a hair product. Amber came up with the idea this morning when she found out I now have hair. It's a before and after commercial, so I'll have to use the product first. She took a picture before she left."
Graverobber nodded thoughtfully and stood. He stretched his arms up. "I'm leaving town soon," he finally said after a few short moments of silence. Shilo gasped and nearly dropped her glass of whater.
"For God's sake why!" she asked, feeling a sharp pang. Graverobber was one of the comforting constants in her life that wasn't trying to exploit her past. It hurt her to think of him leaving like that.
"Because, kid, I've got some ghosts here too. Not too many friends either. You and Amber are nice, but you wouldn't hold up to what's going to be slung at me soon." Shilo blinked at his explanation. He noticed it and cleared his throat. "I've stopped selling street Zydrate. Not only do I have no money or want for a job, but now I have some very angry people who always depend on me for their addictions. The only other option is the Love Market." Both of them shuddered.
A few weeks after the Final Opera, the Love Market lost many valuable members. Most of them were big supporters of the former GeneCo. who were frustrated with the changes. Rumor was they were going underground to work with other rebellious people who thought GeneCo. should go back to the way it was. They had started attacking the company's credit afterward, and they were also attacking Shilo. They were very extreme sometimes, but they never hurt anyone outright... yet.
Graverobber was once part of the Love Market. It was a street made for prostitution. Still, he hated it. He had all but given up on love after that. It was something he never talked about, but it was the only clear story on him that everyone could tell. Shilo nodded.
"I would need a clean start," he said. "I'm thinking of Rockton. It's a short distance from here..." Shilo shook her head and grimaced.
"Don't even think about it. The organ failures there are more frequent because of pollution alone." Shilo took a sip of water and glared at the floor.
"Then where do I go, kid? No one's gonna hire me here. Why would they? I'm a former submarket professional who has a nasty history with the Love Market and many underhanded ways."
"Stay here," she said. "My dad's room is empty now." She stated it plainly and finished her water. Graverobber shook his head.
"Kid..." He noticed the solid look in her eye and stopped. He started again. "Shilo, I can't. If I do, it would make you look bad. It would bring down the shiny reputation you have. It would also make Amber look a little bad... I've helped her knock Zydrate after all."
Shilo paused in cleaning up the papers on the table to give that some thought. "Who has to know? Who could know? You could just stay in the house and be bored all day. Beyond that, since when did I care about how I look to people. I don't know about Amber, but she's been talked about for years. She probably doesn't care either. I can always talk to her and"-
Graverobber covered her mouth with his hand to stop her. "No," he said simply. "I can't. I won't do that to you and Amber." Shilo bit his hand to get him to remove it from her mouth.
"If you don't stay here... I'll... I'll..." You'll what? she thought. Never forgive him? If he's trying to be noble, he wouldn't care so long as we were okay.
Graverobber sighed and rubbed her head. "Calm down, kid. You act like I can't take care of myself." He grinned and started toward the door. "I've done it for at least fifteen years now. My mom and dad both died of organ failures when I was five, so I would consider fifteen years good practice." Shilo ran to catch up and tug on his arm.
"I don't care! Stay for the night, at least. Take my dad's room. When Amber comes to drop off the product tomorrow, we can ask her. Maybe she can help..." Graverobber gently pulled her arms off of him and set them at her sides.
"Shilo," he said. His smile was gone now. He looked so serious that Shilo found herself unable to speak. "No. If it makes you feel better, I'll say good-bye. I won't take advantage of the only friends I have, though." He left her standing there, feeling upset. She ran to her room.
Tears started to sting her eyes. She reached for her comlink and called Amber.
"Hello?" came a crackly greeting.
"He's leaving!" Shilo wailed.
"What? Shilo? Hang on. I'm in a crowd." There were loud noises coming through the link. Sudden silence caused Shilo to try and calm herself. "Who's leaving? Shilo, what's wrong?" Amber's voice was clearer now.
"Graverobber is leaving. I tried getting him to stay but he just... left." She sobbed again. There was a moment of Shilo just sobbing and Amber's hitched breathing.
"I'll... I'll... Give me a minute. I'll be there in a minute. Bye." The line went dead. Shilo collapsed into her pillow and sobbed herself into sleep. She didn't even noticed when Amber crawled into bed next to her, whimpering herself into sleep as well.
Graverobber, Amber thought. Why are you leaving, love?
