Lost

      It was raining, in fact some might even say it was chucking it down. As if someone from above was heaving bucket after bucket of water onto the ground. It was bliss, well it was sort of bliss. Many people who traveled to the planet of Trillia went there looking for temperate weather, not whatever they were finding here today. 

           Walking through the cobbled streets, people bustling in and around the stands, sellers and all the plants, in order to get out of the rain. And even though she was moving quickly part of her mind was dedicated to appreciating the wildlife around her. Even though Trillia was a place of business, it was still relatively new. And therefore, looked like it was a pop-up shop in the middle of a planet wide rainforest. But, the things here were cheap. And cheap talked, no questions asked. 

           As the figure wove between this and that, someone else was making their way to the center of town as well. And while one was here for safety, the other was on a mission of a very different kind. 

           Loof was, well, for lack of better term she wasn't really anything at all. You see, her species didn't really leave their own planet, so to say she was weird would be fair but to herself she was as normal as they come. And it wasn't her appearance that gave her away but more so, everything else about her. Her pale blue skin was normal for a Pelo but she didn't have the horns the Pelo people bared. Her floating hair (which was held down by her wet hood at the moment) matched the Dark green colour and actions of someone from the region of planets known as the Glay System, but she wasnt from there either. And the intricate markings all over her didn't match anything at all. So Loof kept mostly to herself. 

           The building was brand new, but made of reused materials so it didn't exactly look great. But cheap is cheap and it was standing well so it doesn't really matter. The expressway had everything you needed. But what Cleo needed right now was something to eat, and even if it was not really up to par, it would do. So, she settles herself into a chair in the middle of the small eatery, letting her coat and pack dry while she eats a portion of something resembling stew. The next flight off of this rock is leaving, and the entire building shakes as it does. Then it's empty again. Everyone has run off to where they need to be. 

           “You want anything else?” The elderly Krakatoan asks, letting his dark, rocky arms collect her dish. 

           “I’ll have to pass.” She replies, looking around, taking in the area better now that she's not starving. 

           “You in a rush?” he’s just making conversation now, polite of him, but conversation isn't Cleo’s forte.

           “Sure.” She says not exactly being rude but not exactly being nice either. 

“For work or fun?” He puts all four of his hands in his pockets having moved the dish to the bar end of the diner. She gets up, following him over, maybe this guy could give her a hand.

“Spending money isn't what I do for fun.” she shrugs, leaning on the counter. He starts heading back to place the dishes away and clean up. Now that she isn't talking face to face Cleo lightens up a bit. “Hey, you wouldn't know anywhere looking for a worker would ya?” the more she talks the more he catches her accent, soft and like she’s kind of chewing a rice grain when she speaks. 

“Depends on what you're looking for.” he says. “There’s jobs all over the place, but only people on their deathbed want.” Cleo chuckles, oh if only he knew. The door chimes as it's opened, and the clutter from outside comes inside briefly as it swings open. 

“Peaceful greetings Yarp.” Loof says as she enters his domain. She goes to put her hood down but stops when she sees the other woman in the eatery. 

“Heya Loof, did ya find that thingy you went lookin’ for?” He asks, knowing that even if he tried to remember it he couldn't. 

“Oh yes, it was right where it was.” She says with a smile. Yarp nods and smiles, used to her strange words by now. She heads behind somewhere to place her bag down and dry off a tad. 

“Well I should be off.” Cleo says before standing and nodding to Yarp. and as she reaches the door, shoulding her pack again she hears the woman speak again.

“Your bag there is hungry,” Loof says a sad look in her eyes, hood deflating as her hair resembles her concern. 

“Loof, leave the young lady to her business.” Yarp says, but she doesn't move an inch at his words. 

“It doesn't seem to like you too much either.” Loof says tilting her head to the side. Cleo doesnt turn around, 

“There is nothing alive in my bag,” she remarks. 

“I did not claim there was.” Loof is moving now, her long legs gliding across the floor. “Is it yours? Or Did it originally belong to someone else?” 

“Loof.” Yarp says dragging her name in frustration. 

“I aint a thief.” Cleo says looking down at the person now infront of her. Becoming perplexed by her attributes. 

“No, no, you are not. I meant no harm with my words. Just curious is all. May I see it?” her hands reach out but retract quickly as the old door is yanked open by Cleo. And without another word she steps out into the rain. Without thinking Loof goes after her, but even with her long legs, Cleo is much faster. 

“I could help you!” She calls out. But the sound of the streets and rain are her only answer. Disappointed she trudges back into the eatery. Yarp says nothing, he can tell she's upset, her hair is flat against her head and all the way down her back. He sees the moment she takes her wet hood down. 

“The galaxy confuses me Yarp, everything is so easy at home.” She tells him, he places a hand on her shoulder and smiles a tad. 

“You could go back, if you wanted.” He tells her. 

“But then what would I do? I was given a task and I feel I must stick with it.” she nods firmly to herself. “But first I shall find the thing in her bag.”

The door into the eatery makes a sharp sound as it shuts again, a troop of men just arrived, by any guess they’re on Trillia looking for someone to bring in, the symbols of ‘The Democracy’ gleam on their armour. 

There’s five of them, and Loof can feel the frustration in the air, it sets her nerves alight and cautiously the green strands curl around her face.

“What can I grab you?” Yarp asks gruffly. This is unlike him she thinks, getting more and more nervous by the second.    

“Whatevers quickest.” One of them grunts, and Yarp disappears to go and heat up leftover stew. Even though they are unmasked, Loof feels like she cannot really see their faces. And as they shuffle into the bar stools she slips around the connecting door from the cooking area to the rest of the eatery. She can see their emotions better from the wider seating area. People have a habit of hiding their emotions, but only in areas they think you can see. And while these men show calm, cool and collected in their faces, the curve of their spines and shoulders say something else. Grief. 

“You are missing someone.” She states, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. All five pull laser guns on her, but all she does is squint in confusion. As they see her, they lower their guns. 

“How did you know?” The youngest of them asks, angry, very angry. 

“You are in mourning.” She steps towards them, trying to break through their group facade.

“We do not mourn the dead.” The one of the far left chirps in, glaring at the young one next to him. 

“Yes.” Loof says, leaving no room to argue. “You do in fact mourn the dead,” the room goes silent, one of the men, their leader, she suspects, still has his hand resting on his gun. “Fear not” she continues, moving behind the bar again. “I shall mourn with you.” No one can deny that Loof somehow has a calming aura around her, so when she reaches out for the hand of the youngest soldier, he stiffens but doesn't move. 

“What are you doing.” He panics slightly. 

“I am as you say ‘mourning the dead’. It is something I've struggled to learn over the years but I believe I am getting the hang of it.” She hums softly, a tune no one reconizes, her hair floating in concentration not too high, just enough not to rest on her shoulders anymore. 

“Oh for the Norns!!!” Yarp yells, and everyone jumps back slightly. “What have I told you about doing your weird trickery in my place!” He rushes over to Loof and slams the pot of stew down before taking her hands in his. 

“I am sorry for upsetting you.” She tells him, looking down. 

“Hey, hey calm down sir she wasn't-” The boy starts, but Yarp cuts in. 

“For the hundredth time, it is not safe.” And those are the trigger words, every man is up with their gun pointed at her. 

“What do you mean not safe?” The leader all but hisses out at them. Loof takes her hands out of Yarps and the men take a step backwards. 

“Oh it is perfectly safe for you, Calmers don’t have an effect on people.” The more the men don't understand, the angier they become. She can see it happening. Somewhere Yarp facepalms. 

‘Explain yourself.” It’s not a question. 

“For me I can see how you're feeling and I can see how I am feeling, and I can switch them with relative ease. It's one of my people's defining qualities.” 

“So you were going to steal Sam’s emotions?” All eyes shift to the man in question, and he himself looks rather offended. 

“Of course not!” She says flabbergasted by the idea. “I was going to trade my calmness for his feeling of grief.” she reaches her hands out to him again and the arms that went slack become rigid again, aggressively pointing weapons at her. She stops. Somewhere Yarp sighs. 

“Listen fellas.” he starts, “how about you all sit down nice and calm and eat the stew. Loof didn't mean to harm anyone, she just forgets etiquie sometimes.” Loof stands wide eyed and lips pierced shut, nodding along. 

The door jingles open again. And a very furious looking Cleo stops through it. All the guns point to her. And she, well, she points to Loof. 

“You little lurking thief!” she yells. Loof looks in the direction she's pointing, but sees nothing behind her. One look to Yarp tells her Cleo means Loof herself. Her hair is starting to get uncontrollable as she picks up on everything around. 

“I have taken nothing of what you own.” She states. 

“The thing in my bag you wanted, it's gone.” Cleo snarls, stepping closer. 

“Mam I have to ask you to stop there.” The leader of the group says. “We don't exactly know what this thing is capable of.” 

“I was just trying to help.” Loof whispers. 

“Loof how did you even get the thing out of her bag?” Yarp asks, trying to diffuse the situation. 

“I did not take the thing, the thing found me.” she says, “I can go and get the thing for you, it is much healthier now.” Loof turns towards the back room where her coat hangs. 

“Get it.” the leader says, “but slowly, real slowly.” Loof pitter patters behind the counter, her hair jumping every so often as the floor creaks and spooks her. 

“Hello little one” she coos into the coat-fort she’d crafted, as one very scaly talon grips onto her finger. Bright white and muddy, the rest of the creature emerges, patches of coarse fur line it’s back and head. Huge, angry looking eyes blink up at her, and drool is already falling onto her sleeve. An angry barbed tail swings behind it, flicking like a cat, fleeing the area around it. The creature, which looks like a manifestation of every nightmare ever, crawls up Loof’s arm and wraps around her neck and shoulder. Behind her, Yarp drops his ladle. 

“Do not move.” The soldiers all murmur out, some more angry than others. 

“Loof, do you even know what that is?” Yarp splutters out. Before turning to Cleo “What kind of maniac carries that around in their bag?” Somehow he’s whispering and yelling at the same time. Cleo has taken a protective stance, one leg and a bent knee behind her and arms up in front of her stomach.

“It was dead before your witch got a hold of it!” She protests.

“It seems you were mistaken.” Yarp counters. 

“It was dead.” It's the youngest soldier again, his eyes carrying a mix of hatred, fear, curiosity, grief and something loof can’t quite make out. “It killed and ate our companion, we shot it down while it feasted. Left it to decompose outside of the city.” Lowly the creature growls. 

“She doesn't mean any harm.” Loof smiles. “Just a little perturbed is all.” Her hair is swirling in curls around her in contentment. 

“Doesn't mean any harm?” The leader of the men shouts. “It devoured our friend!” Loof hums in thought, staring at the creature that's watching her hair float around.  

“This is the way of the universe, no?” she asks no one in particular. “Things must eat to survive, so yes she did consume your colleague but not with your described motives.” Loof smile grows as the creature growls at her, almost as if to say ‘thanks for sticking up for me’ 

“I don't care what it did, that thing is worth a lot of money to me.” Cleo interrupts, angrily stomping over to Loof. The creature screeches when she rips it off of its perch and stuffs it into a thick leather bag. Loofs hair spikes towards the roof in distress. 

“Please stop, you’re upsetting her greatly.” She panics, following Cleo towards the door.  

“Do you require that thing to be alive?” The soldier asks, pushing Loof aside and onto the floor. 

“Not at all,” Cleo says, handing him the bag. The screeching continues. 

“Yarp!” Loof calls as she scrambles up again, hair darting up, down and side to side as her heart breaks. He goes to her side and pulls her close into his big arms and scratchy hair. 

“It’s best if you don’t look.” he mumbles, watching the men and Cleo open the door with a jingle and head out into the rain. The wind carrying the screeching away. Loof manages to wiggle free, sprinting out the doors. 

Yarp hears her screaming, begging them to stop. And he cringes inwardly, thinking about her species enhanced magical empathy. He heads to the back of the store and tells himself he cant hear the shot over the sound of the rain.  

Somewhere, out in the big old universe, a star shines brightly for every life that's ever lived. And somewhere within those stars, travels a girl. Her species long dead, taken advantage of long ago and their numbers reduced to a rare few. Her pointed ears rang with the words from her greatest friend ‘it is those who care the most, that lose the most.’ She walks to beaches of Galin and climbs the mountains of Folush. She never finds another creature that matches the one from that fateful day. And the universe tells the story, froom planet to planet, house to house, of the girl whose hair once floated and eyes that lost their glow. Parents tell their children about the hero that once was, all she did for all those she met. But mostly they tell them of the day she disappeared. On a rainy planet in an old expressway, the hero was lost.