Outcast Villiage

Ranger knocked on the door gently and Citlali mumbled at the noise, rolling over onto her front as if hiding.

Alex answered the door. "Inopportune moment Ranger."

"I brought someone to help."

The woman giggled at hearing Alex, free hand over her mouth. "Little Citlali has herself a beau, hmm? Bet you aren't happy about that, Ranger." She lifted her hand to where she heard Alex. "Can I have a look of you?"

"Knock yourself out love."

She reached out at first and patted his shoulder to find him, before sliding her hand up to the side of his face.

He watched her.

"How tall is that...just shy of six foot? I can't tell..." she mumbled absently before patting his cheek and leaning back down.

"6 foor 2."

"My, you're a tall one then. Pretty face to boot. Now what are you doing in my nieces bedroom?"

"Sure Ranger hasn't told you that already?"

The woman twisted to smack Ranger on the shoulder. "What haven't you told me Ricardo?"

Ranger winced at his name before muttering, "Citlali's engaged, Sylvie."

Alex just about stopped himself laughing at Ranger's name.

"She's engaged? And you didn't see fit to tell me why...?"

"We've been busy. I haven't - ow, stop that!" Sylvie had slapped him again before she turned away from him.

"If you keep such news from me again, I have no brother." Sylvie reached a hand to Alex. "Be a dear and show me Citlali. We can leave this degenerate in the hallway."

"Sylvie!"

"Sorry, I still don't trust you."

"I've known her seven more years than you have. If I was going to hurt her, it would have been before now. I'm just here to wake her up."

He let her in.

Sylvie used the wall to make her way to the bed, almost walking into furniture every so often.

Alex helped her to the bed. "Ok, you can sit down now."

Sylvie perched on the bed, reaching out to find Citlali's hand and holding it gently. "She's quite cold. Her base temperature is supposed to be higher than this because of her metabolism with running."

Alex went to sit in the chair by the window.

Sylvie exhaled slowly and then went unnaturally still.

Alex watched them.

After a few moments of Sylvie's stillness, Citlali started moving to sit up, hand gripping onto Sylvie's.

"Don't panic," Ranger advised. "But it isn't Citlali in there at the moment."

"I'm fine."

Citlali blinked a few times, looking around the room. She spoke slowly when she faced Ranger, "What made her lapse?"

"There was a raid. Some were taken."

"Mm." Citlali's eyelids flickered and then she propped herself against the headboard. "I've closed it."