The Grey Rose | A RQ AU

Chapter 1: A Guiding Hand

"Oh, I know who you are..." The figure said, surprised. "You're the Catalyst. What... are you doing all the way out here?"

Sabre stayed silent for a moment.

"Y-You're not going to attack me...?" He asked quietly.

"World Beyond, no! Why would I do that?"

The figure slowly lowered his lantern and sat down, careful not to startle him.

"Did... did someone else attack you?"

Sabre hesitated, then nodded.

"Why?"

"...They think I'm still infected. But I'm not... a-at least, I don't think so..."

Sabre carefully touched a hand to the large gash on the side of his neck. The stranger noticed.

"Oh my- That wound is barely healing over! Are you okay? Don't touch it please, you'll get something in it. Here..."

Sabre watched as the stranger reached into a small bag, and pulled out a few bandages. He holds them out to him carefully.

"You probably don't want me touching you, so..." The figure shrugged.

Hesitantly, Sabre took the bandages. As he carefully placed them over the wound, the stranger continued talking.

"That's probably going to scar, based off how it seems like it hasn't been treated. How'd that even happen? If you don't mind me asking, of course."

Sabre stayed quiet. He didn't know how much he could trust the stranger, even if he was helping. The stranger waited for a bit.

"That's alright. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." He said. "Do you have a name, Catalyst?"

"...S-Sabre." He replied hesitantly. "What's yours...?"

The stranger fumbles his words for a bit.

"That's uh- well- I can't really say. It's kind of- I can't really share my identity without risk."

"Oh... That's fair."

Sabre shuffled and turned inside the small space.

"...That wasn't about you, in case that's how you took it. It's a 'in general' thing." The stranger says after a while. "A rule I have to follow while I'm out here."

Sabre turned his head, looking at the stranger again. They stared for a bit.

"...So are you gonna crawl out of the bookshelves, or-"

"No."

"Alright then."

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"Why do you keep coming back...?" Sabre asked from inside his shelter.

While the stranger was gone, he had moved a few bookshelves and things to make a small space inside a mass of broken wood. It wasn't very safe, given how the pointy edges of the broken wooden furnishings were everywhere, but it was safer than being exposed.

"Simple. I want to check on you. Why'd you hide in a bunch of wrecked furniture?"

"It's safer."

"Safer? That thing is like hiding in a thorn bush."

"And nobody would want to try to get me in here."