Kenneth drove until the game eventually decided they'd been on the road long enough to cut the journey. Things faded briefly as he heard the tires continue to crunch over gravel. The sound changed to that of tires on grass and his vision returned as they were pulling slowly down the side of a grassy road. A camp stretched ahead of them and he glanced over. 

David sat up in Byrd's lap, his eyes widening twice their size as he leaned over the dashboard of the car and put his hands to the window. "That's my home!" he exclaimed, looking back. A ruddy tinge had come into his cheeks as he grinned and bounced on his knees. "That's my home!"

The camp was huge. Kenneth eased off the gas and began to put on the brakes as they rolled into the entrance of it. People milled around with visible and invisible grafted body parts, eyes, arms, legs, hair. They looked like they could be robots, but there was almost more humanity to their eyes. They watched the truck come to a stop and Kenneth parked it, making sure to turn the key before he opened the door and stepped down. His feet touched the ground and he hesitated. Wait. What are these people going to think if I walk out? I'm a full-blooded a human...and we're driving a--his eyes trailed back up to the truck which was rather obviously armored and not a civilian vehicle.

The wide-eyed stares made a lot more sense now. Kenneth swallowed guiltily and closed the door slowly, putting his palms up. He heard another door close, though, and a squeal of joy that had to be David. Seconds later he saw the boy dart away from the truck towards a young woman in the crowd, throwing himself into her arms with a grin.

"Sissy, I'm home!" 

The stunned young girls eyes were glued on Kenneth now, but she grabbed David up and held him close before shifting back a step. Kenneth's shoulders hunched a little as he retreated a step. He bumped into Byrd and turned, seeing her standing there beside him. He rubbed his shoulder.

"Sorry," he murmured. What were these people thinking? Did they know...they were all NPC's. Did they have a programmed response to them at all? He gazed back up at the crowd continuing to grow around the truck.

"You know they won't hurt us," Byrd said and stepped forward. She gestured him forward as well and began walking up to the crowd. Kenneth slowly followed after her, but lingered back a few steps. His chest was sore. He put a hand to rest over where his heart was and took a deep breath. Byrd wouldn't lead him somewhere he'd get hurt. They were NPC's anyway.

The young girl emerged from the crowd, a happy David clinging to her and peering back up at them with wide hazel eyes. He smiled to see Byrd and leaned his head on his sister's shoulder.

"You brought him home..." the NPC girl's voice cracked and she looked down. Kenneth watched the virtual tears slip from her eyes and he felt a pang in his chest. His fingers tightened into his shirt. Home. He wanted a home. Swallowing, he looked down at the grass. 

"He told us how to get here. We're sorry about..."

"It's okay," the girl was curt. "You brought him home. Thank you." Her voice quavered but stayed strong this time. She shifted forward some. "Please, who are you?"

Looking up, Kenneth moved closer to Byrd's side. He couldn't look the girl in the eyes yet, but he straightened up and glanced across the open field.

"I'm Byrd, and this is Kenneth," she gestured to him at her side. "We were taken in with your mother and brother." 

The girl nodded. "Thank you, again," she murmured. "Please, stay here for tonight. You have to be exhausted."

Kenneth hesitated and looked back at her. They were total strangers and she was offering to let them stay? Was this normal? He shifted from one foot to the other and glanced at Byrd. She smiled and nodded.

"Thank you, we'd love to stay. Is there somewhere we can...sleep?" She giggled a little and rubbed at the back of her neck. Did she know how sweet that made her seem? Kenneth's worried frown quirked into a bit of a smile.

She's so sweet. I guess this is normal after all, he thought and nodded. "We'd love to, thank you."

"Of course! You can stay with me and David. I'm Amanda, by the way." She hugged David and then put him down and told him to go find someone who's name Kenneth didn't catch. David nodded but then hesitated and turned around. He grabbed Kenneth's leg in a brief hug and then let go and did the same to Byrd before shying back and waving. 

"Thank you!"

Byrd waved back and grinned. Kenneth offered a small wave back. 

"Welcome," Byrd called and then leaned her head to one side with a grin. "He's adorable."

Kenneth chuckled a little and stuck his hands in his pockets. He looked up at Amanda. She was staring after David before turning around and brushing back her long black hair. She shifted back into one hip and sighed, rubbing the last few tears from her eyes. 

"I suppose I should show you to where you're staying," Amanda said. "Here, follow me this way. You're also welcome to eat with us if you want. We should be serving lunch soon." 

"Lunch sounds really good," Byrd said. She glanced back at Kenneth. "Shall we?"

He smiled and nodded. "Yeah, lunch sounds good."

Amanda grinned wide. Her smile matched David's enthusiastic grin. "Right then. This way."

They wandered through the camp towards the inner ring. At first, it had looked like a collection of tents, but the further in they got, Kenneth noticed some old structures that had been converted into large living spaces and something akin to a dining hall. It looked right out of a dystopian novel from the early 21st century. Kenneth rubbed his thumbs over the outside of his pockets and tried to wonder what it was like to live here all the time. Reminded him of the homeless shelter almost. The attitude of people here was kinder, more accepting. Like they expected little of whoever came, only that you did your part. 

It was exactly like the homeless shelter. He swallowed and looked down at the grass, afraid he'd start seeing old faces. Norma, Aaron, Masaki, the people who had helped me when he'd had nothing else. The people who were why he was in the hospital instead of dying on some street corner. 

He'd left them behind, though. Or had they left him? He hadn't seen any of them since coming to the hospital. A shiver travelled down his skin and he shook briefly, inhaling sharply.

"You okay?" Byrd asked. 

Kenneth's head bobbed up and he nodded quickly, swallowing back the tinge of fear that came from her interruption. "Yeah," he whispered. "Just a little cold."

She laughed and her face lit up again. Kenneth's own lips turned up a little as she grinned at him. "You can't be cold in here, it's a game," she said. "Then again...I suppose you could be? I wonder how that would work?" she started to muse to herself. Kenneth listened to her and his smile slowly grew. The faces of the past faded as they stepped past the buildings and towards a little collection of buildings and tents populated with a small group of children playing with sticks. They were constructing something. Kenneth wasn't sure what, but it looked a bit flimsy. One of the older kids was gathering stones to support the base as the littlest ones wove in and out threatening to topple it before it was done.

They're so innocent and oblivious. Probably don't even know there's so much tension going on around them. Kenneth looked for David, but he wasn't with the bunch. He'd probably disappeared off to talk to whoever Amanda had directed him to.

Byrd stopped ahead of them and Amanda stepped out. Kenneth caught himself before he bumped into them and slowly leaned back onto one leg as he peered over Byrd's shoulder at the little wooden hut that appeared to be the home they were visiting.

"I know it's kinda humble, but here we are," Amanda said and bowed her head as she pointed to the doorway. "If you'd rather somewhere nicer I can always talk to--"

"It's fine," Byrd cut in. She put her hand on the girl's shoulder and smiled assuringly. "Thank you, so much."

Amanda's face broke out in a sheepish smile. "No problem. We don't have a lot of space, but I'm sure we can all sort it out tonight. Anyway..." she turned back around. "Lunch. The dining hall is back the way we came." She pointed back over to the long squat building in the middle. "I don't know what they're serving, but you're welcome to it." She smiled, then walked inside.

Turning around, Byrd set her eyes in that direction, then she glanced at Kenneth. He looked over at her and lifted his eyebrows. 

"I'm hungry," she admitted. "In the game, at least. It's saying I haven't eaten anything in a while in my little stat bar."

Kenneth's eyes trailed to the side and he furrowed his brow. "Oh yeah, we have that stat." He bit his lip. He was down in the red. Was that why his movements felt sluggish or was that real-life bleeding through again? 

"C'mon." Byrd headed off to the dining hall, skipping every few feet and humming. Kenneth ambled after her and grinned to himself. Turning his face up a little, he let the sunlight hit his skin. He smiled and hoped the glow would stay, like hers.

Byrd stopped short as they reached the entrance and paused to ask someone outside the etiquette of eating inside. Kenneth stayed back beside her and just listened in. There wasn't anything weird, just your typical buffet-style meal. His stomach turned a little and he thought he felt it grumble outside the game. 

He hadn't been out to eat in ages. Years. Physical years. Would he get to do that after his lungs were fixed? Maybe someone else's parents would've taken him out to get something afterward. He frowned. His mother would never. He'd rather not endure that anyway, even if she had half the heart enough to suggest it.

Ducking under the archway, he started inside and followed after Byrd as they gathered food. He picked through and found what looked good but left most of it. Their meal wasn't long and consisted mostly of silence. Byrd seemed to content to be outside. It was like her natural habitat. Kenneth just watched her in silent wonder until eventually, she got up to clear her things away. Turning to him, she reached a hand out.

"Your plate?"

"Hm?" Kenneth looked up. He reached to his plate but wasn't sure what she wanted with it. There wasn't really any food left on it, and anyway, they weren't that close.

She knelt and picked it up off the ground. "You are done, right? I'll clear up." 

"Oh." Kenneth watched her walk off and tilted his head to one side. Why? He thought quietly. I could've cleared it on my own, but I suppose...it was nice. He rubbed at his arm some. What had he done to deserve her being so nice?

Byrd came back and sat down beside him on the little grassy patch. She smiled. 

"Thank you," Kenneth said. "I could've gotten it, but thanks anyway."

She shrugged. "No problem." A sigh escaped her lips and she leaned back into the grass. Her fingertips brushed over some of both large daisies growing there and then she sat up. "Hey, they're not sunflowers, but can I make something for you?" She turned around, peering up into his eyes with a childish grin.

Kenneth glanced at the daisies. "Um," he rubbed at his arm a little more and shrugged. "Sure? What is it?"

"You'll see!" she turned around and began to pick some of the daisies from the ground, piling them into her lap. Twisting away from him, she hid her project from his sight. Kenneth sat up a little more, trying to see over her shoulder, but she shot him a smiling glare and hunched over to protect her secret gift. 

"You're not allowed to peek at it, that's not how it works," she scolded.

Kenneth shrugged, his chin sinking into his shoulders. "I just wanted to know..."

"You'll see," she sang quietly and began to hum. Kenneth settled back on his elbows and stretched out his legs on the grass. It was nice to be outside, even if it wasn't the real outside. It was still a beautiful day. Is this what it looks like outside the hospital, or is it all grey? He exhaled, allowing his lungs to deflate and release with them the tension in his shoulders. There was no need to fear her here, not where she couldn't reach him or affect his world. This was his world, and he would make it what he wanted. Kenneth closed his eyes and let the warmth of the sunlight seep into his skin and bones. Not just his world. His and Byrd's world. 

Something light settled over his head and Kenneth jumped. He sat up some as his eyes popped open. Byrd giggled, sitting in front of him now. 

"I'm done," she said and gestured to his head.

Kenneth tried to look up to no avail and then reached up, touching his hair. Flowers. He carefully found the stem of one and lifted it enough to take the braided crown of flowers off his head for examination. The white daisies were a little more limp than when they'd been on the ground, but they still sat in perfect beauty around the circle she'd made. He smiled and then settled the flower crown back on his head.

"Thank you, I suppose," he laughed and sat forward, squinting in the sunlight.

"Course! They look good on you, though I agree, sunflowers would be better."

Kenneth shook his head and laughed. "Maybe another time." He touched the petals on his head and tried not to start chuckling again. It was quirky, but it was her. That much should never change. 

"You look like one of those vogue dudes off fashion week or something," she commented and stood up, brushing off the excess stems and petals. "Flower boy or something."

"Hm, well, thank you?" Kenneth said. He didn't know how to respond to that. Her tone suggested it was a compliment, but how did you reciprocate something so kind? He just grinned and shrugged a little bit. 

"Always welcome," she grinned back and turned, putting her hands on her hips. "Say, I'm sure there's stuff to do around here, wanna wander around and see what small quests or just general help we can find to do? Maybe David will show up again."

Kenneth stretched his arms and then slowly pulled himself to his feet. He stared across the camp and yawned. "Sure."

"Perfect. C'mon, Flower boy." Byrd skipped ahead, heading for the nearest collection of tents.

Kenneth hesitated, then started after her with a grimacing smile. "My name's, Kenneth!" 

"You're falling behind, Flower boy!"

Kenneth stuck his tongue out after her but picked up the pace, jogging to keep up. He made sure to keep a slow pace, though, feeling the flowers bounce against his head and hair. He reached up and made sure the flower crown didn't fall off until he'd slowed back down beside her. Byrd just flashed a cheesy grin.

Kenneth crossed his arms and rolled his eyes a little, looking the other way. 

"Flower Boy," she whispered with a giggle.

His lips quirked into a smile as he huffed a little to hide his amusement. Maybe it's not such a bad nickname, he thought, I could grow to love it.