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It was raining outside, water drops trickling down outside of her window. She lived on the third floor of the building in a little rundown room with a closed off bathroom. It was considered a studio apartment and came considerably cheaper than anything else. She didn't have much more than her bed, an older drawer set and a bookshelf of books. She was constantly reading when she was home as she tried to finish up her college credits so she could get a better job and climb up the career ladder. For now, she worked at a bookstore up the street. She loved being surrounded by the paper-filled spines and the story they carried within themselves.

Her life was boring and impersonal aside from a plant she watered everyday; this plant sitting inside her window next to her as she lay on the bed and stared out at the foggy street. She didn't have any family, that she knew of, an orphan who was never adopted because of how she looked. Her hair and skin, both white, looked sickly and intimidated potential parents when they came around the orphanage. When she became 18, the military would not accept her. A part of her was grateful as she knew she was not capable of completing the training. She was lucky that someone was willing to hire her- but that was simply because she knew them growing up. That bookstore that she works at was the same place she went to every chance she had to visit the city. She always went inside and read books. Always.

Bright blue eyes blinked behind large, rounded glasses. She rolled away from the plant and sat up, going over to the little kitchen area and fixing herself a glass of water. It was early morning, almost 6 am, and she still had an hour or so before she had to go to open up the store.

Jett would awaken to the sounds of rain... of course it was a familiar setting for him... he would awaken in an alley he'd slept in the night before. The cuts and scraps from the last fight were getting worse... He'd lost a significant amount of blood in the last fight... though considering how outnumbered he was he was going to be fine. Jett would stumble to his feet and listen to the rain as he looked up into the very early morning sky. "Good morning." he'd say knowing no one was listening... where would he go from here...

The night before Jett had been at a nearby bar drinking, as was his custom to do so in a new city, he began to drink when he heard their foot steps... It was definitely an agent... one sent to kill him... Luckily he'd been able to tear them to shreds and get away with his skin... a little less of it admittedly, but his skin none the less. This would be the point where he'd find a drug store so that he could patch himself up, then grab a hotel for a few hours to change and shower... Jettikai wasn't broke, but living that life was the only way to survive... and even then it wasn't enough to stay off the radar... "Those bastards should be off my tail for a while, I didn't hear the agent call for any back up." The worst part is that he had to kill them... he didn't like killing anything... no matter to survive or to protect... but he would if he needed to... and last night he needed to... the blood on his hands had not washed away... "That idiot just wouldn't give in... and I only had the one choice..." Jett was weakened by the recent fight and brawl, but now he could get to a drug store and fix himself... other methods wouldn't work right now...

She downed about half of the water in the glass and poured the rest into her plant. It was a small plant with long, pointed leaves that had a bit of bounce to them. It was simply but elegant and she liked it. She moved back into the kitchen and put the glass on the counter before going into the bathroom and washing up for the day. It didn't take her long despite the long, thick hair hanging from the pores in her head. Without a word, after she had cleaned herself and dried up, she put on some clothes for the day; a white blouse with short, poofy sleeves and a short panel of material that flared up over her small bust. Her shorts were simple, as were he flat sneakers. She pulled on a grey sweater, her attire completely neutral, and grabbed her book bag to take with her to work.

A plastic poncho hung on the inside of her door and she pulled it down, pulled it on over herself and pulled the hood over her head to keep her braided, white locks dry as she traveled through the city. Her door shut and locked and she left her building without so much as a sound. Once outside, she looked up at the grey sky and wondered when the rain would stop. Probably not soon but, either way, she liked it. With a subtle smile, she started up the street, passing a few small restaurants, a convenient store and on her way to pass a little pharmacy.

Jett would tighten up his clothes, pick up his pack and make his way down the store looking for a pharmacy or drug store. Passing people in drenched ponchos and raincoats... He would walk with a forceful, but light foot... he found a small pharmacy and made his way into the store to buy an adequate first aid kit. He would review the contents to make sure he could cure his basic wounds with it. He would make his way to the counter and pull out a few soggy dollars and pay for it. "Thank you." he would say as he would turn to leave the store... Now he would look for a hotel to find and use for a bit... He would proceed in the same direction he was going when he found the pharmacy, passing a restaurant, a coffee shop, a book store, and a hair salon. He would walk down the street hoping to find something suitable...

After walking up and down the streets he would stop in front of a book store and realize that he'd need to ask someone and it seemed less likely that they would trace him here... he would walk in, wipe his feet and begin browsing for a few minutes, he hadn't sat down to read a book in a while... years at least... "The Great Gatsby" he would say as he browsed over the classic section.

She continued on until she found the store, unaware of the hulk of a man who passed by the windows after her and seemed to continue on, going back and forth for some time. After removing the poncho and giving it a light shake outside of the doorway, she pulled it inside and locked up before trailing off and hanging the poncho in a room in the back. She dropped her book bag onto the desk and put on her little lanyard with her name "Acacia" labeling it. It took her about twenty minutes to prep the store and she finally unlocked the front door, flipping the sign to say "OPEN" to everyone inside. It was rarely busy here so she took a book from her bag and studied while sitting behind a county.

The bell hanging from the front door dinged and she looked up to see a large man covered in what looked like the contents of a first aid kit; mostly bandages. She gave him a smile and a wave but he didn't seem to notice her. She wasn't bothered by this and left a bookmark for the page she was on, shifted off of the chair and quietly trailed down the aisles of books to find him. Finally, him say something on the other side of a bookshelf. He was looking for a specific book and she knew where it was. Without saying anything and keeping up her natural silence, she walked down the aisle and took out a book, then pushed the book on the other side so it would stick out and he could see it. It was the one he was looking for; The Great Gatsby.

"That's a good book." he would say realizing that someone had placed it outside it's filing system, of course he'd been listening to her follow him for a little bit. "Do you make a habit of reading people's minds?" he would say... it was a joke of course. "It's not polite you know, you should at least ask." he would give a chuckle to the cute white haired girl. She was much smaller than him and he would have to nearly bend over to look at her. "Have you read it?" he would hold up the book. "It's one of my favorites."

She blinked, confused, when he accused her of reading his mind. How could she have done that when she heard him say the name of the book? Or, at least, she thought she did. Acacia stepped around the aisle so she could see him and vice versa. He was a rather colossal man; probably more than twice her height but she wasn't sure. She gave a nervous smile and nodded to his question. She had read the book 3 times, mostly for school but also because it was rather good. It was in the classic section, after all.


Acacia knelt down by the shelves and grabbed another book, removing it from the shelf and holding it up to him. It was titled "This Side of Paradise". It was another book about greed and social statuses in the setting of World War I. She thought he might like it as well, thus, she was recommending it.

"Ah yes, another good book, I believe I've read this one, but it was a while ago..." he was intrigued that she was interested in helping him find a book. He did need to get to a hotel though. "I appreciate the help ma'am, but I'm afraid I must decline, I'm actually hoping you can help me with some basic directions. Do you know of a nearby hotel?" he felt bad for taking her away from her book, he noticed the bookmark and the freshly laid book at the desk, as well he'd heard her close it, "I tell you what, before you answer, I'll buy a book if you'll give me the directions?" he was willing to bargain with her, after all she was being very kind to him, something he was not accustomed to in his travels. Typically people are afraid or intimidated by him due to his size and demeanor... "What do you say?"

She was ready to answer his question when he gave her a deal. She smiled up at him and nodded. Acacia pointed at the front of the store before slowly signing some words to him incase he knew sign language. They started out in Chinese, then shifted to Thai and her digits fidgeted as they tried to adjust to a English. Finally, they picked up the proper language and told him "pick out a book and I'll get a map for you. I'll be waiting at the front. Feel free to take your time."

If not, she pointed at the front again and wandered over to the counter, stepping behind it and rummaging through a box on the floor. Her hands found a map and she hopped into her seat, taking out a red pen and circling the few hotels that were near by. There was one a few streets over and another two on the other side of town. There was a fourth one two streets over, closer to China Town. It would be cheapest there, though a bit run down. It had all of the basic needs; a bed and a bathroom with running water. Whenever he was ready to check out, she would be waiting for him, flipping a page in her book and jotting down a note or two as she read down the pages.

He was familiar with a few of the signs, and he got the most of it. He would sign to her that he would purchase a copy of The Great Gatsby. He would then grab the book and head to the counter. He would then sign to her that he could tell she wasn't def... but that he was humoring her... He would put more than enough for the book down. Then patiently waited for a map.

Acacia was surprised that he understood sign language and averted her gaze when he told her he knew she wasn't deaf. That wasn't her problem and everyone knew she could hear. She didn't want to divulge to him the truth, not yet. He was kind, but he was still a stranger to her world. She gave him a smile anyway and rang up the price for the book, wrapping it in a protective plastic and then stuffing it into a bag for him to carry. She finished labeling the map and held it out to him, nodding and signing a "Have a nice day" to him once the transaction was complete. New people made her nervous, especially when they brought up hints, clues or the truth about her condition. This was obvious as she seemed to be avoiding him now, keeping her gaze down and staring at the lines in her book.

"You too, thank you." he would turn and leave the store, looking at the map briefly before exiting completely. He would have a last glance at her through the window thinking, "She's pretty cute." before heading down the street in the direction of the hotel.

Once at the hotel he would pay for a night's stay, enter the room, shower, dress the wounds again, clean his clothes, tidy the room, and then leave. He would do this over the span of about two hours. He wouldn't leave any trace behind.

He would check out, the manager of the hotel, who checked him in, would give him back some of his money out of kindness, "Thank you." he'd say as he took the money and left it as a tip in her tip jar. He would turn, put his jacket back on and head out the door. "Now I should look for a way out of town in an inconspicuous manner." He thought for a moment and then began to walk down the road, casually passing by the book store, not thinking about it.

She watched him leave, walking away from the glass and heading down the road, then turned back down to her book. Time went by as it always did; slowly but in a way that she would not notice. A book or two sold, which was usual, and when it came closer to lunch time. Acacia moved into the backroom and took a small box out of her bag, then returned to the counter. She opened it up and took a grape, tossing it into her mouth and chewing it up. The container was filled with a few fruits and a lot of broccoli. The door to the store had been left open since the rain stopped pouring. She heard his large shoed feet stepping through the puddles and looked up, watching him pass by the store. It looked like he might have been sight seeing or maybe he was lost again. She didn't want to bother him and even went far enough to cover her face with her book as if doing so would hide her incase he had more personal questions to ask her.

Jett would consider getting a ticket on a bus and leaving town, it seemed to make the most sense, he could use cash, wouldn't need a real name, as well he could be out of the region in a day or so... but it seemed too easy... maybe they would station agents at the station... maybe they would review the tickets... How would he get out of town...

He was pissed that he couldn't think of a viable solution... and another fight might not go as well as the last. He discovered he was near the book store where the interesting girl had been. He decided he would see if there was a reading area in the store, after all he hadn't read the book in a while... could help him think of a way out. He would walk back into the store, with the door open it was likely he could walk in more quietly than last time, but not to the point he was sneaking. He always hated being a big loud guy, he wished his boots didn't make such a loud CLUMP every time he took a step.

He would walk up to the young woman at the counter, he would sign to her, "Is there somewhere I can read this? I don't really have anywhere I could read this otherwise." He was more reasonably dressed this time, clean, and had his brand of deodorant on, with a combination of musk. "If not that is fine." He would also sign.

She heard his steps get quieter and started to lower her book, her eyes shifting up to see him standing over her. Her lips curved into a nervous smile and she nodded, setting down her book and lifting her hands to sign to him: "There are some chairs on the other side of the store, over there," She pointed infront of her but to the wall on the other side, "You can read as long as you would like". Acacia flipped the page of her book and ate another grape as her toes fidgeted against each other inside of her shoes. It took a few breaths for her to realize how nice he smelled. He must have left to clean up for the day and put on some cologne.

"Thank you." he would sign and walk over to find the chairs. He couldn't see her from a sitting position in the chair he'd chosen, why that mattered he didn't know. He would begin to read his book, then his stomach would growl very loudly... he would think... "Oh... I haven't eaten since yesterday... maybe I should do something about that..." he would make a decision to go get some food as soon as the sun would go down. Easier that way to stay concealed... his favorite place to eat was in a movie theater, he did this because it was dark, typically the places weren't raided, and there were always a lot of people around, all good places to stay safe. He would take a deep breath and move past his hunger, reading the book line by line and enjoying the thrilling nature of the corruption in society. It was terribly relate-able to his own life, but only because the company he worked for took a turn for the worst.

The hours went on and the sun eventually threatened to set. Neither the girl nor the man seemed to have moved, both enthralled by their reading material. When the light from outside was not enough to sustain her vision, she flipped a switch and started to pack her things. With her bag hanging from one shoulder and her poncho wrapped up over her arm, she glanced over the store. It was clean and rarely needing tidying up. It was now that she realized that man was still here. Acacia walked to the back and waved at him then tapped the top of her wrist before signing to him, "I need to lock up the store." She was trying not to be rude but people weren't allowed to stay in the store past closing time, even if she decided to stay late.

He would sign to her, "That's fine, thank you for letting me stay this long." he would get up put his jacket back on and close the book and place it in his bag. "Would you like to go see a movie?" he would sign, "My treat." He would walk out of the building assuming she was going to leave soon as well.

Her features lit up. She'd just been thinking earlier about wishing that the new "The Great Gatsby" movie were out already so she could see it. However, she knew it would not be out for years. But, going to the movies was still considered a treat to her. How could she deny it. Acacia nodded and signed frantically to him, thanking him more than once and hurrying off to make sure the store was ok before turning off the lights and going to the front door to wait for him.

Jett would laugh at her excitement. He wasn't familiar with any movies coming out, he was going to rely on her for this. He would sign, "Do we need to go see one with subtitles or are you going to actually use your ears?" he would laugh. He would walk towards a movie theater he passed on the way to the hotel, he would sign to her, "What movie do you want to see?"