Don't own..yaddya yaddya blah blah blah
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Risa backed deeper into the archways as fat rain drops began to fall. She had never seen rain anywhere but here. All the bright neon lights usually gave off so much heat that the water evaporated before ever hitting the ground. There were no neon lights here though. Only a few softly glowing lamps. She didn't rightly know why, but the Mausoleum was always dark and quiet. For some reason, twenty feet away, the bustling city stopped. She knew better than to ask her mother anything, but whenever she asked anyone else they avoiding answering, giving some shifty answer before leaving. The census among the kids was that a mecha lived here, like some lurking monster and that, to keep itself running, it fed on human flesh.
Until about half a year ago, she would have said the same. The place felt foreign next to the city surrounding it's ancient walls. It was clear to anyone that something was here. On her eighth birthday though, at least that's how old she guessed she was based on what her mom yelled at her about the pain of birthing she had gone through that morning, the kids had set up a party for her. They had smuggled all sorts of sweets and holed up in one of the Immaculate Lady churches. No one ever went in there, not even the priests usually, so they were sure to be able to have all sorts of fun without being yelled at. It was great, but after they all tumbled out of the white doors of the church to go move their games elsewhere, Risa had been waved down by one of the guys her mom would shack up with periodically. Unlike Joe, these were real 'men'. She had never liked them. Whenever one caught a glance of her they gave her this weird smile like she was food or something. Regardless of her misgivings, she walked over to see what he wanted. It wasn't too bad, seems he was looking for her mom as company and thought he could get back into her good graces by bribing her daughter with some pretty trinket. Obviously he was incredibly dense to think that tactic would work, but who turns down a free toy?
It was a used supertoy. All of her friends clustered around as she searched for the button to turn it on. When she found it, the ornate, if more than a bit bedraggled, doll began to dance on the tips of its' toes. It was lovely. Risa had never seen anything like it. For a few minutes after the dance ended, everyone was spellbound.
Then the fighting started. Who was to play with it first? Who would be allowed to take it home? The doll moved back and forth, pulled roughly from child to child as voices raised higher and higher. Risa screamed and went to grab at her beloved present, but by that time the older kids had it and there was no prying it from them. With a shrill cry of frustration and anger, she dug her nails into the nearest kid's, Toby's, arm. She didn't get her toy back, but she did get punched in the jaw. It was hard enough to make her dizzy for a few minutes. By then, she had had enough and surrendered the toy, choosing instead to run.
All that running had brought her here. To this quiet bit of streets that no one talked about. The silence and shadows were a welcome change to her now pounding head. That's how she met the Curator. Wandering around, crying and rubbing her sore head, she had bumped into a person. Instead of a sharp retort like she expected, the stranger smiled at her and bent down, pulling her hands away from her face before clucking at the large bruise.
Ever since then, she had clamored down here periodically, her curiousity peeked by the various things she would find outside the Mausoleum. She smiled as she remembered the time she had found a small group of flowers the Curator had called row-ces.
"Risa, is there something interesting about the rain?" The soft, masculine voice behind her made her jump before she turned around. There was Joe, leaning against one of the deteriorating pillars of the archways, holding out his hand. Her mom had once told her that when Joe came to visit he almost made her believe he was Orga instead of Mech. Risa knew she'd never make that mistake. No Orga had ever smiled at her like Joe had. Smiling back at him, she slipped her small hand into his and led him through the archways towards the dark building before them.
