"I'm not sure if we'll be all that helpful to Lu with so little stamina," said Ruby. The day's games were over, and Mia had been tucked in. Rosy and Mia had spent a tiny bit of time playing together that evening, so Mia was thoroughly tired out. But the girls needed a minute to rest before heading out to do more work. Ruby had given up a lot of her stamina healing her friends. It was probably going to be a rough night for all of the rebels.
"She'll at least want to know that we're alive. I think we should still head over there. But let's just relax for a little bit," whispered Ivy. Her arms and legs were still aching from the day's adventures. Ruby closed her eyes and leaned back.
"Are you okay?" asked Ivy.
"Yeah."
"Are you worried?"
"Well, now I am. I was just thinking about home."
"Do you mean your human home?" Ivy asked.
"Yeah." Now Ruby's voice had become a faint whisper. Ivy could hear the sadness in her voice. But it was still so hard for Ivy to understand. How could Ruby be so happy living with humans? They had never done anything but hurt the dolls. "I-I just really miss Robert," Ruby admitted. "The games keep me distracted most of the time. But when it's quiet and calm like this... I-I can't help but remember him." Her shoulders slumped.
"What was Robert like? You said that he was very interested in this city, right?" asked Ivy. A smile slowly spread across Ruby's face.
"Yeah, but art was always his real passion." Art? Ivy had heard that word before. Was that like painting and drawing? "He spent hours and hours working on his art. Nothing made him happier than creating something." Ruby's eyes were distant but full of joy. It was as if her mind had wandered off to some faraway place. Art had always been a strange concept to Ivy. It honestly sounded like a complete waste of time. Who would want to spend hours doodling on a piece of paper? Didn't humans have more important things to do? Or did they just spend all of their time relaxing and doing stupid pointless things?
"What did he draw?" Ivy asked.
"Lots of things. But faces were his favorite thing to draw. He drew a lot of portraits for people. Robert always said that a single hand-drawn picture was worth more than a thousand photos," said Ruby.
"Why?"
"He said that art was able to capture feelings in a way that a photo couldn't. That was why he liked drawing faces so much. It was a way to capture the feel of a person whom you cared about," Ruby said. She laughed. "Don't worry, I don't understand it either," she admitted. Ivy also laughed.
"Well, that's good to know. I was trying really hard to follow what you were saying. I think that's just the kind of thing I won't be able to understand until I see the outside world," said Ivy.
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"I think a lot of humans thought that Robert was strange too. He never minded what they said about him. For the most part, he was just happy to focus on his projects." Ruby let out a deep sigh and turned away. Ivy slipped her arm around Ruby's shoulder.
"Well, I'm glad that he took care of you. I'm sorry that he's gone, but at least you knew him," Ivy said gently.
"Have you lost friends during the games?" Ruby asked softly.
"Yeah, after a while you get used to it. The pain becomes numb once they're gone. I fear losing friends, but the moment I know they're gone, I'm able to move on," said Ivy.
"I don't want to move on. I don't want to go numb. Pain is a natural response to losing people," Ruby whispered. This was just one of those things that Ruby was going to have to learn sooner or later. Grief could only pull you down. You couldn't let it control you. Sometimes being numb was better, even if it felt less natural. This whole thing really must be like a nightmare for Ruby. After all, it sounded like she had lived a really safe and sheltered life. It was going to be hard for her to let go of her past.
"We should get going before too much longer," Ivy gently suggested.
"Okay." The two of them walked through the dark streets, hand in hand. They both remained silent for the most part. Ivy slowed her pace as they approached Lu's apartment.
"Ruby," she whispered.
"Yeah?"
"A bit of advice. Focus on what you haven't yet lost, not what is gone. That will give you the drive to keep pushing forward," said Ivy. Ruby smiled.
"I'll try. After all, I have made friends here. That's not nothing. It's just so easy to miss things." That was something that Ivy couldn't really argue with. The halls of Lu's apartment were very quiet. There were only a few dolls moving through the halls. For a moment, Ivy's fear got the best of her, and she began to suspect the worst. But Lu soon appeared at the edge of the hall to greet them. She seemed to melt out of the shadows. There was pain on her face. Ivy had never seen anyone look so tired. But at least Lu was alive.
"Glad to see you two are still standing," Lu said softly. "Don't push yourselves too hard. Work in the tunnels is always slow during the games. Besides, you'll be working in the dark," Lu added. "We lost Belle." A jolt of sadness shot through Ivy. She hadn't expected the news to hurt so much. She had hardly even known Belle. Belle had just seemed like such a sweet soul. Why did things have to be this way? That was a dumb question with an obvious answer. The humans were to blame for this. Ruby looked as if she couldn't understand what Lu had just said. Her large brown eyes were filled with shock.
"I'm sorry." Ivy's voice sounded extremely faint and unnaturally small.
"She was one of many tunnel workers who were lost. But... she said..." Lu trailed off.
"What is it?" Ruby demanded.
"She said we could use her remains to learn more about magic. We've been examining her shattered core, and we are learning," Lu said. Was that a good thing? It was, right? They needed answers. Ruby looked as if she wanted to throw up. This was too much for Ivy to fully process. She needed a distraction.
"I think we should get to work," Ivy whispered. She took hold of Ruby's hand and dragged her stunned friend down the hall. Backbreaking work was the greatest distraction to ever exist.
Level
8
XP
66
Strength
30/100
Stamina
100/250
Health
250/250
Skill/Powers
Forti