Act 1: From the streets.

Rats and Rags

"Dearie, Dearie, wake up Dearie, granny has broth for you…" Emily woke up with a start, looking around. For a moment she could almost pretend that she was back in her room at the tower, and that the woman at her bedside was her mother. But she had fled from her home, and was laid on some destroyed mattress in a dark, dingy room. She had killed her mother, and the woman at her bedside was… something else.

She shrank away from the crooked old lady with shrunken, damaged eyes looming over her. "Wha- Who are you, where am I?"

The lady cackled. "Oh, everyone knows Granny Rags Dearie. You were out with the rats, trying to see everything, but you were tired, so granny took you here. Your frock was filthy, no good for a party, but granny has her ways, oh yes dearie, and your pretty little white clothes won't get dirty anymore, no…"

Emily shook her head and tried to think. She had fled to the streets, and fallen asleep. Then she had woken up, paranoid, constantly using her void gaze to see if anyone was coming for her. Yet it tired her out, not in the same way as exercise tired her out, but it got to the point where she could only hold the vision for a minute or so before having to wait. Then she had slept again… and was here.

"Drink up, Dearie; you need your strength…" Granny Rags was pushing a bowl of something towards her. Of course she didn't trust it, but she was really hungry. She took a sip from the bowl and gagged. It was horrible. "What's, *cough, cough* what's in… this…" strangely, it seemed to help that strange tiredness using her powers caused. Ignoring the taste, she began to drink heartily. "Good little girl, Dearie, eating your broth without whinging and whining. If you follow me, now, I have a present for you…" Emily looked up perplexed as Granny Rags proceeded to walk towards a door and unlock it, walking out into… a garden? Why was it glowing purple?"
._.

Straightening out her dress, Emily followed the old woman. The place was lit by purple lanterns, strange fungus growing from cracks in the walls. And there was a shrine. She muttered "peekaboo!" to herself and put her hands over her eyes, the world warping as she viewed it through her special eyes. The shrine seemed to glow fiercely, and the thing on it, which looked like a bone with a rune etched into it…was it exuding some sort of aura? She looked at Granny Rags, who gestured encouragingly, so she picked up the rune.

"My my… two days outside my suggestions and you find Granny Rags. That is surprising."

Emily stumbled backwards as the Outsider appeared before her, before shyly replying. "I… I spent most of it asleep."

"That doesn't surprise me. What you just picked up is a rune. It and the bone charms like it will bolster your powers, and allow you to unlock more."

Emily's eyes widened. "I can get more powers?"

The Outsider nodded. "And Granny Rags can help you to do so. But I would advise moving fast. Time is not on your side, and neither are the guards who once protected you."

He vanished, leaving Emily to Granny's giggling. "He likes you, Dearie. The black eyed one likes you, he branded you, didn't he?"

Emily took a deep breath. Should I be doing this? No, don't think too much, otherwise you might think about-

"I. Would like. To find more runes." She said carefully, mentally congratulating herself on being proactive for the first time since…well…huh. Had she ever really…?

"Of course Dearie, Granny knows how to make them, oh yes she does, but Granny needs ingredients if she is to cook."

Emily blanched a little at that, what does she want? "What… ingredients?"

"Bones from the rich and bones from the poor, Dearie, the doctor's uptown mansion and the Bottle Street brewery. Both have a rune there, but both have something else special, oh yes, special, bring both to me and I will make you a lovely new present…"

Emily gulped, but nodded. I can climb, Corvo taught me to climb, but how do I sneak? How do I steal? If only Thomas was here… wait.

"Excuse me, Mrs, uh, Rags? Did you say Bottle Street brewery?"

"Oh yes, Dearie, full of horrible men, no manners, not like they used to be…" But Emily was no longer listening. Grinning, she ran out of the garden, thinking back to information she had been given only a few weeks ago.

._.

"The thin, tall building on Bottle Street, I told her where I live- oh screw it, there's no way she'd come here!" Thomas sighed flopping onto his makeshift bed. He lived in the top room of the building, which had been evicted after the plague took his father (not something he enjoyed thinking about) his far older brother taking all the rest. He could hear him now, wandering around the room in a drunken stupor. She'd visit some posh-tot family like the Boyles, or the Pendletons. But wait, they all think she's some kinda witch don't they? Hmph. Thomas sighed and wandered over to the balcony, remembering the girl picking daisies in the garden. Yeah right. If Emily's consorting with the Outsider, I'll call my brother the drunken whaler-

As though on cue, a blue tentacle shot out and gripped the balcony rail, and even as he recoiled, it began to contract and a white blur shot up and elegantly pulled itself over the ledge. It didn't take him long to recognise it. "Emily!?" She looked at him for a moment before rushing at him and enveloping him in a hug. They just stood there for a moment, two children meeting in insane circumstances, before they broke apart and Thomas grabbed Emily by the shoulders. "Emily, what happened? I saw some people on the rooftops before I got outta there, then the announcer's saying you're a witch, and, wait how did you-?"

She giggled nervously and held up her hand, the symbol on it barely visible in the night air. "Well, they're right about that I suppose."

He gaped at it for a moment, before looking at her with eyes wide "Cool! So what can you do? The tentacle thingy?"

She nodded. "And I can see, well, differently. Through walls, and in the dark. I think I can learn more, but I just found out how to do this much."

He let out a breath, and began jumping on the spot, adrenaline pumping hard. "Oh, this is so cool! So what are you doing here?"

Her face turned serious. "Well, I was talking to Granny Rags-"

"The crazy old bat at the bottom of the street? Ha! I knew she was a witch!"

"-And she says that to get more powerful I need to steal some stuff from this rich doctor nearby, and you always said you were great at sneaking, so…"

He held up a finger. "Wait. You want me to help the empress' dishonoured daughter break into a rich guy's house so you can get more superpowers?"

She nodded, eyes hopeful. "Do you not want to do it? I mean-"

"Heck yeah I wanna do it!" He interrupted. "How often does a street rat get to do something this exciting? Are you ready now?"

"I guess."

"Great! Hold on one moment." He grabbed a backpack, walked to the room door, opened it, and yelled downstairs. "OI! ROGER! YOU'RE THE DRUNKEN WHALER!" He slammed the door and turned to her. "Right, let's go. Uh, quickly please?"

Here the main story beggins. Right now, Emily doesn't want to think long term, and is simply trying to survive and figure out what the heck is going on. Please review with thoughts and ideas, and i will see y'all next week for the next update.