I've really been struggling with motivation lately so that's why I'm making a new story to keep things light and to pursue something I'm more interested in. This story follows canon as closely as possible, taking inspiration and clues from music, theories, and voice lines from the show to create a possibility of how Roman and Neo met. I wanted to put a twist on things and do something semi-unique so here I am. Let me know if there's any mistakes, I am here to learn and improve as well as create a worthwhile story.
I see this continuing into a possibly novel-length size if I enjoy the concept enough as I continue it. I've never written a villain as a protagonist before but let me tell you I am LOVING it.
Above all: sit back, relax, and enjoy yourself!
"What are you doing?!" The shopkeeper asked as he stormed over towards the newcomer at his convenience store.
There were racks full of food, snacks, and several other little objects that anyone in a hurry may need. A short-hooded figure had walked in only a few moments ago and had walked over behind a couple of the isles out of sight.
Being intrigued and suspicious, the shopkeeper had followed them and turned the corner in time to see a hand reach out of the dark cloak and grab a nutrition bar and bring it into their cloak.
The shopkeeper stormed over, his feet stamping along the ground in the empty store until he was directly in front of the shocked figure. He shoved the hood back to see the frightened eyes of a woman who looked rather young, in her early twenties at the least. Her hair was matted and sticking to itself with what looked like mud and dirt that she likely didn't have time to wash out. Her face was spotted with dirt and dry, cracked lips.
The burly man felt no remorse as he held out his hand demanding, "you give that back right now and get the hell out of here."
The woman looked down shamefully, her eyes shaking on the brink of tears as her stomach growled. She opened her cloak to reveal tattered and torn clothing that barely covered her skin, showing through in patches over her stomach and hips. She held one arm regretfully across her body as she held the bar out in the other.
The man snatched it out of her hand, causing her to flinch as he slammed it back onto the display. He ignored the scared look in her eyes as he looked down at her.
"Explain yourself or I'll call the police this instant."
The woman looked down in shame. She looked back up slowly to him and pointed at her slightly open mouth while shaking her head.
The man squinted his eyes, "no wonder you're so ragged, you're practically useless. Get the hell out of here and never come back."
He was about to put a hand on her shoulder to start pushing her out of his store but stopped when he saw that her right arm wasn't clutched across her body in fright or self-consciousness; it was holding onto a black umbrella tight enough to turn her bruised knuckles white. He decided that she was potentially dangerous and had nothing to lose and thus kept his distance.
Instead, he pointed to the door and nodded his head to it. With his other hand, he pulled out his scroll with the telephone keypad open. "Leave or you'll finally have a home in prison."
The woman put the hood of her cloak back over her head as she clutched it back together tightly. She hung her head, not wanting to make eye contact with the man as she shuffled her way towards the exit she'd only entered through just seconds ago.
In reality, she was going to purchase the bar. She'd just barely enough money to buy it after saving up for a few days. For once she wouldn't have to steal but she was forced out before she could even bring it to the counter.
She couldn't explain her situation though and his words cut through to her heart, words that she's heard so often before from those closest to her.
She didn't say anything as the bell in the shop dinged as she opened the door. She looked back and only received a reprimanding glare as the man stayed where he was, his thumb hovering above his scroll.
The broken woman turned away not so much to get away but more so to hide the tears that threatened to escape her. She wasn't strong enough to keep her semblance active at all times to hide her clothing; the best she could do was to fully hide her naturally pink iris to match her opposite brown one.
As she thought of this, she walked the streets aimlessly. She's done this again and again before and no matter how long she walked, she knew exactly where in the city she was. She's been on the streets for over a year at the least, assuming her counting has been accurate.
Vale was a hard city to thrive in yet alone even get started. She could defend herself but that didn't help her earn any money or even feed herself. She spent most days scrounging for food or begging for the mercy of others where she only received disgust. She lived in fear of infections from the dumpsters she had to dig through which quickly ruined any clothing she found. What she currently wore barely even fit her as it was all one size too big.
Luckily, she had found some twine and strung it at the sleeves and around her waist to keep it clung to her body, but it became painful after walking for a while. She was grateful for the cloak, her only saving grace as it helped hide at least a portion of her pain as she wandered the streets, her hands cupped out in front of her in hopes of a stray coin. Her eyes scanned the ground for any dropped scraps or anything of use. One time she had found a nearly empty lighter and managed to create a fire from newspapers and bark she peeled off a tree within a nearby park.
Her stomach tore her from her thoughts as it growled again. She could almost feel it screaming at her, begging for a mote of sustenance. Her mouth was dry and lacked saliva as she looked around for anywhere she might be able to go into.
Across the street, she spotted a restaurant. It was classy, but it also wasn't too classy where she would be likely to be denied entry at the door. She licked her lips, which felt particularly uncomfortable with how dry her tongue was, as she made her way towards her salvation. Maybe she'd be able to strengthen her semblance just for a few minutes, enough to eat part of a meal at the least.
The wooden sign creaked in the breeze as she stood in the door, looking around warily. She looked around for anyone that might be alone or maybe someone going to a secluded area. She'd done this tactic several times to the point of near perfection as she strode inside warily. She knew this was a place where you would seat yourself and wait for a server so she took her time 'looking' for a seat.
As she scanned the people, she noticed one man at the far end of the restaurant stand up politely. He looked over the two men who accompanied him and excused himself from the table, walking over to where the bathrooms were clearly marked. Even from this distance, the cloaked figure could see that the man's plate was only half-eaten with plenty of food just left lying there.
The restaurant was fairly crowded and the close-knit tables let the woman slip into the crowd and pass through relatively unnoticed. She kept the man in her sights as she followed him, memorizing where he'd come from and his original table.
She took a moment to study him. She memorized his gait and the way he took his strides with confidence and purpose. He stood with his back tall and his chin high as he ignored those closest to him. He walked with a cane but he didn't rely on it for movement so it must be some kind of weapon covered up as a medical device.
That's as much as she had gotten to see before he disappeared into the men's washroom. Thankfully she noticed that the urinals were all empty and she doubted the stalls would be in use. She strode up to the door with a glance back to see if anyone was watching her. She waited before entering, pulling one hand out of her cloak to check an imaginary watch on her left wrist to make the intentional pause look more natural.
Then she pushed open the door lightly and slipped in. As the door swiftly fell back into its resting spot, the noise of the busy crowd all faded away. She watched as the white-coated man strode towards the furthest urinal, not fully arrived at it yet. She froze as he paused for a moment, turning to the right to check his hair. She studied his face for a split second, noticing the addition of eyeliner on his eyes. She memorized his jawline and cheekbones as well as the shape of his jowl within the split second she saw him.
Luckily he didn't turn enough to see her as he began walking away again. He turned to the right and placed his cane against the wall and was about to unzip his pants as he suddenly heard a quickened pace beside him. He looked over in surprise as a small cloaked figure grabbed his cane and began looking it over.
He stood there dumbstruck at the bluntness of the man beside him. He cleared his throat, "you'll put that back if you know what's good for you."
He looked down further as he scanned who this figure was. He was about to look back up when his eyes centered on the hooded figure's shoes. His eyes squinted as he realized they were boots with heels that were partially broken. He suddenly realized it was a woman in front of him as he turned to her, his hand outstretched to grab his cane forcibly as his suspicion grew.
The woman's head snapped up to him fast enough that her hood fell off her face, revealing her scared yet intent eyes. Her curious expression changed to determination as she glared at the bright-haired man. He was still coming to terms of why a woman had followed him in here let alone the expression of the ill-intent set on him.
His hand flinched in surprise as he saw her eyes and battered face. He noted the minute bruises and specks of dirt and grease as he was close enough to smell how much she reeked. Before he could even realize what was happening, the woman moved closer to him.
She grabbed his outstretched right hand and pulled it downwards and forwards, pushing it in a circle until it was behind him. She raised it, pressuring his shoulder as he bent over slightly instinctively. She slammed her right foot on his own, digging her heel in as much as possible as he bent forward further in pain. As he curled, she shoved her body into his own and towards the urinal. As he took a step, still realizing who this was attacking him, she let go and placed both her hands on the back of his head.
She pushed as hard as possible, using her body weight to weigh in him as she shoved his head into the hard porcelain of the urinal. She heard a crack as he collided with it and let out a sound of pain mixed with shock. She flinched as she saw a ripple of energy along his body. He has an aura? She shook the thought out of her head as he fell backward and onto the floor, holding his head in pain.
The man couldn't hear anything as his ears rung from his possible concussion. Thankfully his aura had protected him from any serious damage, but he was disoriented and his senses assaulted. He opened his eyes just long enough to see the woman holding his cane and scanning him from top to bottom before closing her eyes for a second.
Within only a heartbeat, her appearance began to change. It looked like ripples of glass moving from her boots and up along her body. He recognized his own shoes, then pants and jacket. He groaned as his head pulsated in pain as he struggled to see her through tears. Nonetheless, he could see what she's done; the woman had some kind of semblance that allowed her to replicate his appearance. He blinked his eyes, recognizing his bright hair and eyes looking back down at him with a scared but desperate expression. He opened his mouth, "lady you don't-"
He didn't get any further as the woman raised one foot and slammed it down onto his chest, her heel pinpointing the force as she shoved the air out of his lungs. His eyes closed in pain as his body flinched upwards. He opened his mouth, gasping for air as he watched his attacker turn and quickly run to the door. She stopped for a moment to calm herself and, without looking back, exited the bathroom leaving her target helpless on the floor.
The woman moved quickly, she knew she didn't have much time before he would regain his breath. There are so many elements to take into account-maybe someone had heard his sounds of pain or they'd enter the bathroom and help him. There was also the fact that he was much taller than she'd expected, being at least six feet tall. She was only able to change her height to a max of five foot five with a bit of luck. So she did manage to look like him accurately despite her height not being exactly the same as she strode towards the table she'd seen him rise from.
The disguised figure remembered how he'd walked, assuming a confident pose as she held her chin high. She'd never even pretended to have confidence before and it felt so fake and unknown to her as she made her way to his dinner.
She tread lightly as to mask the sound of her heels, although the crowd did that enough for her anyway. As she got close to the table, she studied the two men sitting there opposite of where her victim had sat. They were both wearing black suit and jackets. Their shoulders were broad and they spoke carelessly without any regard for those around them. They seemed like regular street thugs to her but just dressed fancier.
She strode as fast as possible, not just to hide her height but more so due to hunger, sliding into his seat in the booth before anyone said anything. One of the men turned to her in surprise, "that was quick, didn't take a few minutes to check your eyeliner this time?"
He chuckled and the other man laughed jokingly. The woman didn't say anything, just rolling her eyes as she picked up his glass of water, downing the entirety within seconds.
The man to her side looked at her questioningly, "that was qui-"
The disguised figure simply held up a flat palmed hand vertically to the man, ordering him into silence as she used her other to scoop a spoonful of mashed potatoes into her mouth. Her eyes widened in joy as she dug in, cutting into the juicy medium-rare steak. She was shoveling as much food into her mouth as possible, barely remembering to chew as both men looked at her in surprise.
"And I thought you would be on a diet, Roman."
She simply ignored the man as she forced herself to chew. It took a couple of seconds, but she swallowed the mouthful and put both her hands around the bowl of wonton soup of the man in front of her, ignoring his cry of rejection. He watched in confusion as she held it up to her lips and began gulping down intently, "what the hell, Roman?! Get your own!"
The woman froze and lowered the bowl slightly as she heard a door slam open further down the restaurant. She saw a flash of orange hair and a mass of shouting from nearby guests. She blinked her eyes in surprise at how fast he'd recovered. She handed the bowl back to the annoyed henchman as she stood up from the wooden table, holding up a finger to signal them both to wait. They looked over at what she'd seen in confusion, expecting trouble. However, all they saw was their real boss Roman push through a couple of people and into plain sight. He stumbled slightly as he pointed at the slightly shorter version of himself across the restaurant, "get her!"
The two black-clad henchmen looked to the Roman beside them in confusion. They studied her and suddenly realized the height difference. They'd never heard her talk so far but an imposter would explain the suddenly ravenous attitude he displayed. The closest one, acting quickly, reached forward and grabbed the cane she was holding. The woman panicked, letting go of her stolen merchandise as she pushed through the crowds to get away.
Unfortunately, they parted for her as she ran towards the entrance, denying her the chance to drop her disguise whilst breaking the line of sight from her pursuers.
She ran to the door as patrons pushed to get out of her way in case she was dangerous. These people weren't used to violence in such a high end of town and their noses wrinkled as her scent passed them.
The woman shoved the door open desperately as she looked around in fear. She'd never been caught so quickly like this, never had her victims take such initiative. To be honest, she never attempted this often, only when she needed food to keep herself from starving.
She turned left, running down the sidewalk scanning around frantically. She heard a crash behind her as the two henchmen broke out of the door at a sprint followed by the man she assumed to be Roman.
The street was almost deserted and she needed to get out of sight. She saw an alleyway on her left and quickly turned into it, tears welling into her eyes as she imagined going to jail simply because she needed a way to eat. She couldn't imagine going through all her troubles and tribulations just to wind up in prison-only make her suffering worse.
Desperation turned into horror as she realized the alleyway was a dead end with tall stone walls on three sides. There were bags of trash at the end and a couple of metal bins as she tried to slow down. Her feet skid against the ground, her broken and fractured heels on her boots catching on the pavement and tripping her before she could stop. Her hands hit the ground as she slid forward, her body slamming into the piles of bags that compressed and crinkled underneath her.
The shattering of glass was heard as her disguise broke from the contact with the ground. The pavement scraped and cut her hands as her aura could barely repel the simple fall. She groaned in pain and terror as the sound of running footsteps came closer. She groggily pushed herself up, her hands sinking into the ripped bags which had grease seeping out onto her. She stood up in disgust, shaking her head to clear her vision as she looked up.
No, not again, please! She looked up to see the two burly henchmen slow calmly to a walk as they turned the corner, seeing her trapped. Roman followed after them, his cane clicking on the ground within his stride. She pulled her cloak closed and held it shut as tight as possible as her eyes shook.
Roman spoke as they approached slowly, only about forty meters away by this point, "so, this is what you look like? Can't help but say I was expecting more."
He came to a stop within twenty meters and tapped his cane to the ground in front of him. He stood with a wide stance and both hands on his cane as he peered at her curiously. He saw her shaking eyes and the deep-rooted fear which only increased his intrigue. A shockwave from his headache hit him and he threw out all remorse as he glanced at his henchman.
Roman nodded towards his attacker, "I've hired you two for a reason haven't I? Don't disappoint."
The two men smiled and began stalking towards the scared woman as she took a step back. Her shining pink eye and mundane brown shifted between them quickly as she backpedaled. They cracked their knuckles, wanting to enjoy the beating they would gift to her.
Not again, I've prepared. I'm ready, I'll show them! The woman suddenly stopped holding her ground as her right hand shifted over, gripping the handle of an umbrella she'd stolen weeks ago.
Suddenly, the beggar jumped back, opening her cloak and pulling out a tattered and stained black umbrella. One of the wires was bent and it didn't fully close on one side as she held it out threateningly to the two men. She didn't know who to point it towards as she switched targets, her grip loosening and tightening nervously.
The two men both stopped and looked at each other with raised eyebrows; then they couldn't do anything other than laugh. After a couple of seconds of what they saw only as a joke, they silenced themselves and looked back to her.
They watched the woman's eyes dim a little more as they both pulled out pocket knives and opened them towards her. Roman stood behind, not approaching, as he assessed the situation and studied both parties in play.
Both men took a step forward, one of them extending his knife hand towards her threateningly.
The woman moved first out of desperation; however, no one had expected her to move so swiftly nor with such fluidity.
She held out the umbrella to the man on her right, swinging the tip in a light circle around his hand and tracing his wrist. As soon as her umbrella touched his knife, she pointed it upwards and his hand jerked suddenly in the same direction. The man yelped in pain, falling to his knees in an attempt to save his wrist, grabbing what was most likely a sprain.
The other man took advantage of her attacking his friend as he lunged forward, aiming to plunge his knife into her throat. He didn't expect her to lean backwards onto her hands, her back arching further than he thought was even possible as his knife passed into blank air above her stomach. He looked to the right as her rising leg collided with his temple as she continued to lean backward. Her motion resembled a back handspring but she was fluid enough and light enough to execute the same motions without any spring onto nor off the ground. Her right foot landed on the first henchman's neck whose wrist she had almost broken whilst her left landed atop his already injured wrist.
Her heel dug into the back of his neck as he let out a cry of pain from his wrist again.
The woman wasted barely a second as she propelled herself with her right foot, shoving the downed man's neck to the ground with more force than he'd expected. His head cracked against the ground as she stepped forward. The woman shoved the umbrella forward and jabbed it painfully twice into the standing henchman's ribs before his vision had even cleared from her previous strike.
He swung blindly through the pain, hoping to stop the assault but felt his strike swing through the air yet again. He didn't even hear the woman jump until she had landed with her feet solidly on his shoulders, her sharp broken heels making it even more painful as she teetered.
She hopped for a second, only gaining an inch of air as the man winced painfully. She clapped her feet onto the sides of his head over his ears, sending them ringing again as she tucked her arms in and her torso forward.
The man leaned forward in confusion and his feet left the ground with the force she pulled him down at. The small woman turned quickly, letting go of the man mid twirl. She somersaulted neatly directly downwards the ground as the man tumbled over her without touching her as his head followed her feet. He landed on his back on top of his injured friend before he could have risen.
The woman landed cleanly with her right knee touching the ground and her left foot planted with her torso curled towards the ground. She stood up slowly, assessing the two henchmen. She let out a sigh as she realized they wouldn't be getting up for a minute or two.
Wait! She turned to her left instinctively as she heard a shuffling. Roman had raised his cane towards her. She saw a cap on the end of it flick upwards with a small reticle. He closed one eye and she suddenly realized it must fire some type of projectile.
She knew there was no hope of finding cover in this small alleyway and her fear only invigorated her panic. She raised her umbrella and opened it towards him with her eyes shut as tight as possible.
She heard what sounded like a flare followed by an impact on her umbrella. Her hands jerked upwards and it flew out of her grip as the explosion lifted her off her feet. The terror-filled woman was flung back several feet, landing only inches away from the trash she'd initially fell into. She skidded along the ground which only served to wind her. She opened her eyes and sat up painfully holding her side. She watched as her flaming umbrella fell to the ground in front of her, the wires charred and fabric incinerated rendering it completely useless.
Tears grew in the corners of her eyes as she heard the confident stride of Roman as he casually walked towards her. He stopped as he stepped on her umbrella, the metal snapping underneath his foot as he rubbed it into the ground. She tore her eyes away from it and up to his one visible eye.
"Although that was entertaining, you'd better surrender before you lose the next round," Roman spoke confidently as he pointed his closed cane towards her.
The woman looked down shamefully and let her hands fall to her lap disgracefully.
"Good. Now tell me who you are."
The woman's head only shrunk further down as she could barely see through tears.
Roman crouched down and put his cane under her chin. He lifted her head and saw the destroyed expression of her face. He asked a different question, "who paid you to do this? Was it Clancy? He's always had it out for me." Roman saw no reaction from her so continued, "was it the police? Maybe we've got a huntress in training with that little semblance of yours; I've always found those rather annoying."
He tilted his head as she shook hers, the tears sprinkling from her differently colored eyes. Roman sighed as he let his cane fall to the ground. He looked over at his henchman who both rose up to their feet in pain. He looked back to her asking, "then what's in this for you?"
The woman shrugged her shoulders and waved her hands in front of her helplessly. She waved a hand over her mouth and then pointed at it, her hands shaking wildly from terror as she did so.
Roman stood up, "interesting. You just wanted the food I assume? Or are you telling me that you can't speak?"
The huddled crying figure held her hands in front of her helplessly, not knowing how to communicate with the man who had her life in his hands. All she could think of was her instincts as she signed the word 'both' in front of her.
She was surprised to see Roman nod curiously before crouching back down, "so you're a mute then? That explains a lot but that doesn't explain why you went for me. Did I just happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time?"
His captive shrunk downwards with a nod of her head.
To her surprise, Roman smiled.
He waved a hand at her saying, "come on kid, get up."
She looked at him, expecting a trap but having no choice in the matter, slowly pushed herself upwards. She rose slowly to her feet as he studied her tattered and torn clothing. He forced himself from gagging at her scent as she stood shamefully in front of him.
One of the henchmen who was holding his wrist spoke angrily, "I say we break her legs and leave her to walk home."
Roman turned to him with a swift backhand. His hand connected and the man's head snapped to the side in surprise. The woman flinched, her irises turning white as she blinked. Her hands pressed into her chest as she looked fearfully at the man. She forced herself to breathe and blinked again, her eyes returning to their regular color.
The injured man rubbed his cheek as he looked back with a shocked expression to his boss.
Roman turned to the other man and pointed his finger at him, "you're fired," he turned to the man he'd just struck, "and you're definitely fired."
All three people looked at Roman in surprise and shocked expressions. Even the wind seemed to die down as it listened in on the sudden development. Roman pointed to the end of the alley commanding, "now leave and be lucky I'm letting you keep your lives after such incompetence."
The men muttered under their breathes but both acquiesced and limped to the end of the alleyway. Roman watched them until they'd turned the corner and disappeared before he turned back.
He looked down upon the scared yet curious girl as her eyes scanned him despite her shaking. Her shoulders visibly shook as she fought back tears, terrified of any harm that may befall her from this fate. Her hands clasped in front of her chest, too scared to reach out to grab her cloak.
Roman sighed saying, "look, kid-"
He stopped as the woman grew angry for a second, a scowl appearing as she signed the numbers two and then one sequentially after another.
Roman's eyebrows raised in surprise, she definitely didn't look twenty-one but at the same time, he wasn't surprised. He looked to her as she quickly relapsed and drew her hands back to her.
He took a deep breath and took a step back. He stood casually with his cane to his side and his other hand on his hip. He purposely showed her that he was leaving his defenses open to show the lack of threat. He knew she would be able to read body language well as that's the only thing she could communicate with. He was right as she scanned him up and down, her breathing slowing ever so slightly.
He rubbed his eyes saying, "I can't say that I've… enjoyed… our meeting like this." He squinted at her, "catching me in the bathroom like that… I like your style."
She looked up in surprise as he smiled. She watched as he took out a cigar, lighting it and then placing it onto his lips. He took a long drag and blew the smoke directly upwards and nowhere near her face. He held it as he leaned forward slightly, "I'm going to give you a job offer since a new position has recently opened."
She flinched from surprise. Why would he want to help me after what I've done to him? She let her eyes meet his own as he said, "I'm not going to hurt you."
He saw the question in her eyes and continued, "I've seen your resume and let me say," he rubbed his temple painfully, "it's impressed me."
He cleared his throat and took another drag of his cigar. He spoke clearly and purposefully to her. "Here's the deal: I want you to work beside me and help me with any operations I may have a part in. My line of work is less than legal but I doubt you have a problem with that. You'll stick with me by my side at all times unless otherwise told. You'll keep me safe and in turn, I'll keep you safe."
He studied the woman as she rubbed her hands nervously, not knowing what she was getting into. He rubbed his shoulder, "if you say no, I'll turn my back right now and we'll never see each other again. You'll get back to whatever life it is you have and I'll go back to my abode with a half-full stomach. Thank you for that dine and dash, by the way, you have no idea how much that bill would have been."
The woman giggled for a second but silenced herself, looking up fearfully to him. Roman didn't move as she relaxed slightly. He motioned to her asking, "before you choose, what's your name?"
The cloaked figure's hand shook but she promptly signed the name Iris letter by letter.
Roman nodded along, "Iris, huh? I like it-matches your eye."
Iris flinched and quickly used her semblance to change her pink eye back to brown to match her other and her dirt-encrusted hair.
Roman raised an eyebrow saying, "too bad, I liked the pink."
Iris looked at him curiously as she slowly dispelled her semblance, letting the pink slowly return with a cautionary glance to Roman. He nodded his agreement as he stared at her.
"So, what's the verdict? You'll have a nice paycheck to go along with it; crime tends to have large price tags. All I ask if that you stay a week to try it out and after that you can leave at any time, no strings attached. I may be a criminal but I'm no wild animal."
Iris looked up and tapped her right fingers against her lips in thought.
Roman slipped in, "also did I mention that you'll get three meals a day with a warm single bedroom to sleep in?"
As soon as he said that, Iris had made up her mind. She smirked for one of the first times in a long time as she decided that this would be the best for her. She'd have a place to stay with warm food and an actual source of income rather than a couple of coins a day if even that. She'd fought for so long to survive on scraps and she knew she wouldn't get much further on fumes. Even though she was terrified of what she might be getting into, she simply couldn't throw away this opportunity.
Iris' smirk grew as she held out her right hand for him to shake and she set her eyes on his ow unwavering.
Roman looked surprised at the sudden resolve and determination in her eyes as she settled on his deal. He grinned similar to her as he stepped to clasp her hand.
He hesitated and drew his hand away from hers after seeing how greasy and grime-covered her hand was. He spoke awkwardly, "we can shake on it another time."
Iris looked down embarrassed but glanced at him as he took a step away.
She bounded after him curiously, not wanting to lose the opportunity she had as he spoke, "although I love the I live in the sewers aesthetic, you really need to get cleaned up before we go out anywhere."