"Come on Caelum, tell us a story," Abbey feigned a childish tone, unlike the one Cass had seen Rebecca when she wanted something.

"Oh alright, you asked for it. It was a cold day, fellas, and the monsters were creeping close. Then an old man popped out of the bushes from nowhere and outstretched his grapey looking arm." He stopped to take a puff out of his cigarette. "Offered me a place to stay if I did his deeds for him."
"What deeds?" Abbey asked in her fully attentive expression, unlike a child looking at the chocolate bar in golden foil.

"Well there are young children here if you hadn't noticed," he snapped, what looked to be truth.

"Oh right, sorry," She threw her hands up. "Arrest me cop."

Caelum looked at her another moment with slitted eyes. His snake-like glare faded eventually, and fell into the soil. "Anyway, this old man wanted to tend his turnips for him. So I told him, "you're promising a stoned teen like me to tend your vegetables in exchange for food and water?" And the crazed old hag nodded. I became awfully curious, so I went. I sniffed something fishy at the end of the tunnel, and it wouldn't hurt to find out."

"Of course, the infamous Red Wolves leader tending turnips. I've heard that many times before back at the cartel."

"Shut the hell up before I plug this paper in your mouth ah yours, eh?" Caelum said, waving his smoke around as if it were an arrow. Cass shivered.

"Anyway, the old man put through with his promise. Made me sit at dinner every night, and I tended his turnips. I had no idea why he continued to help me, even after I nudge him to give some his dough for grass. I even pulled a knife on him one time. Hell, I was so stoned and drunk from the bitch Cara dumping me I pulled a goddamn knife on him. He was like, Boy, you ask for money everyday from me and bring you hospitality and this is how you repay me? Half-assed turnips and a knife at his neck? Well the turnip crop was especially awful this year 'cause most of 'em grew mold farms of their own, heard so from the surrounding farmers.  Yet after the knife incident he kept giving me food and water and dough. I sure as hell didn't understand the old hag. But I started going to dinners more often, not skipping out to get high with the rest of the Wolves. Ugh, he really melted me. Suppose that was his goal. Melt an iron soul. He had a breath of fire. Blew on my heart everyday, and then it just melted like freaking ice."

"So you've got some heart. That's understandable. When do you kill the old man and take his money?" Cass wanted to punch Abbey right in the stomach now. Whatever was crawling up her back needed to be squashed. Didn't she understand the meaning of forgiveness?

"Dammit Abbey, maybe you should visit the old man. You just turn every action of compassion into your bitchiness and let it ruin everybody's day. You're a dumb bitch, you know that? Nobody will love you with that attitude, ever. Yeah I might be part of a stupid cartel but I still believe in heart. Heart made us strong, and not some pansies getting drunk and high at some random club."

That really shot a bullet through her heart. Abbey's face flushed paler than she was. "B-But..." She tried to protest but something was clearly blocking her throat. Cass felt the urgent need to comfort her like Abbey always did, but her arms wouldn't budge. They stood there as if nothing special was happening. They held onto the coiled embrace to her heart, beating faster by the second. Her breathing accelerated, watching Abbey's careful movements, growing frantic now. What was a simple toe tap became stomping. Her ribs billowed now like a fully deployed sail.

"His home is 45 Fortitude Drive, Durple City. Maybe he'll teach you a thing or two."