The day before, at the Basin was unprofitable. And Mel could feel herself wasting away.

The cramps in her stomach were much much to hard to bare. She was in an alley in the Dives, pacing. The pacing helped her from thinking about the stomach pain. As she walked, she concentrated on the soft steps her bare feet made. She was thinking of other things, but the notion of food couldn't escape her mind. She rustled through her pockets, for any sign of any coin. She found two forts. Maybe enough for a scrap.

Mel looked sadly at the two little coins her hand. They were dirty, covered in soot like the rest of the goddamn place. She sighed, coughed a little and choked back tears and she clutched the two little coins to her chest. It was all too hard, all too scary for Mel. She didn't want to die, but as far as she could see, Hell must be better than the Dives. She could die right now, and she probably wouldn't care. This was the worst it had ever been. Mel had never felt so weak.

The rain started to softly beat on Mels shoulders. She sniffed; her cold getting worse. The rains were easing, slowly. But, Mel became overwhelmed, her mind horribly twisted in the folds of depression. She crumpled up and cried, her stomach protesting loudly. She crouched in the middle of the alley, her tears mixing with the rain. She still clutched those two little coins to her chest. Her thin body shivered in the cold and the tears.

Alex had been wandering through the various ally ways and passages in the Dives, rather pleased with himself at the sheer amount of food he had managed to collect in the day. Tonight he was sure he would feast. Then it started to rain. Alex hated the rain, with a passion. Rain ruined books, rain ruined Journals if he didn't keep them water tight and most of all rain ruined food. He sighed and put as much of the food as he could into his kknapsack with his precious journals. Hopefully not all of them would get ruined. He began to jog slightly looking for cover. Praying for cover. Journals were hard to steal, and he didn't clockin' want to have to do it again.

He kept running, stomach growling and turning at the thought of his food. Suddenly in one ally way he spotted a small figure, a girl, and she was crying. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her. She was small, very small, and he couldn't aptly guess her age, but she was poor, homeless maybe, just like him. Most of all, she had the most striking auburn hair, at least in the opinion of Alex. He could only wonder if she was hurt, if she needed help. He strode over to her and got on one knee and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" his voice was anxious and shaky.
To him, that was a first.

Mel felt a hand on her shoulder, and a kind masculine voice asking her if she was okay. She lifted her head quickly, her limp damp hair hanging in front of her face. She looked at the man who had approached her in surprise. He was genuinely concerned. He was blonde haired, blue eyed and had delicate features. And, he looked older than Mel, but it was hard to tell due to his skinny body. She was surprised at his asking. He looked homeless, just like her. He had a knapsack on. That was more than what Mel could ask for. But she looked at the man with amazed curiosity. Why would he ask if he had nothing to give? Kind gestures were few and far between in the Dives

Mel started to gesture to her throat. She had to do this every time she was approached by somebody. I have no voice. It was sad gestures and he hoped the man would understand. Mel tried to smile weakly at the man, her nearly non existent field quivering again. She lowered her head and bit her lip. It was a petty existence to Mel. Stupid and inescapable. Why should she ask this stranger for food? Instead, she sadly shook her head and sighed yet again.

Mel shifted her position on the ground, and sat, hugging her knees to her chest. She looked up at the darkening sky. Dark with clouds, dark with the curtain of the night. She tucked a piece of loose hair behind her ears and looked at the stars poking out the clouds. Stars never changed. Unlike her. Mel rested her head sideways on her knees at looked at the man with curiosity. Then, she clutched her stomach as is grumbled loudly.