The following post is a collaboration between [@The Savant] and myself.[hr]
The morning was nothing spectacular as the older man pushed what felt like a stuck or locked door open. Leaving the dripping leaks of the ancient sewer way. Going into the dry and settled air, Pilka closed the door behind him and locked it, so no one could follow him in. The only reason he was outside of his little secretive home was to get a few things to eat and breakfast along with a few more items. Nothing special. Just regular everyday items that one might need — a toothbrush, some toothpaste, fabrics to patch and make more clothes, and some other things. 

Flicking the lights on, everything paused for a moment before the sound of electricity buzzed up the walls and the lights struggled to come on because of the old wiring. A few of them flashed off and on before settling at a dimer light. Others started dimly before they brightened up. Leaving uneven shadows throughout the whole area while he moved over to press a button on a standard remote and a screen flashed on. Instantly showing the Crystalline Council’s insignia and he wondered what was happening once again.

The T.V. was somewhat static-ridden and not the clearest picture especially to him. He had to rely more on his hearing than focus on the T.V. which hurt his eyes more than anything else. Sometimes he wondered why he even turned it on but the sound of it was better than the loudness of nothing. Slowly going around and organizing all his items that he brought into his hideaway, Pilka wandered around before he sat down on the cot-like bed. It was comfortable. Better than being in some cave somewhere plus he had the last twenty-ish years to make this place his which he has done.

Listening to the broadcasting only left him thinking of how bad of a state Dominion was in. Looking up towards the ceiling, he thought about what was on the surface. When he was younger, he tried a few times to open the ancient, vaulted doors but nothing happened, and long ago he decided that it was a lost cause to continue attempting to get to the surface. Maybe it was ruined and dangerous. Who would know? Probably no one. Those vaulted doors wouldn’t budge, no matter what you would do, and plenty of others tried to open them and failed.

Then a curiosity came over him, he wanted to know, [i]how[/i] badly Dominion was now. Was it similar to the outrage that happened decades ago when they were kicking burrowers and dwellers out of the city. Plenty of people died due to those events – dwellers, burrowers, and regulars alike.
[hr]“[color=yellow][i]I’m sorry![/i][/color]” hearing those words while being jostled forward was a surprise to him. It knocked off the old shades that he found around his place and his eyes and skin were revealed even more. At least the hood stayed up to hide his presence though he felt a pang of anxiety go through him as he heard a crunch. His hand reacted way too slow to even grab those shades as he stared at them for a few seconds. 

That was when Pilka stood up tall and turned around, knowing he had to interact with whoever was behind him, and he was hoping they would freeze from his appearance instead of calling the authorities or even lashing out at him. “[color=C8A2C8]No, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have been standing there,[/color]” came out naturally since he knew he shouldn’t be in the cities of Dominion at all though he found himself so curious about seeing the state of things for himself. It would help him understand the situation and where the other burrowers, dwellers, and regulars who lived outside of the cities could possibly find themselves. 

Pilka was standing tall and his blind-like eyes were looking right at Kara. He looked blind but any keen eye would notice how his eyes moved — he could see perfectly fine or at least as fine as he possibly could. Seeing Kara in front of him, she was gray for the most part, but her core was red before it faded outwards to orange to show how warm she was.
  
However, he appeared to be an older man in his forties, though his skin was similar to the color of the cave walls. It was very apparent by the silver-translucency of his hair as well that he was a burrower or dweller. His voice was deeper and somewhat raspy though that might be from his times in the mines and how that affected his lungs and their development. 

[color=yellow]“Please, it’s all on...me.”[/color] 

Kara was not expecting a dweller/burrower to turn around. His height alone was slightly intimidating, but his posture was not threatening. It was rude to stare, though she couldn’t not look at his features. The gray skin, the white hair, and his eyes... They were haunting, but not in that sense per se. No, those eyes immediately told her he’d endured a past of hardship and pain. And boy, did she continue to stare.

But moments later she finally snapped out of it. [color=yellow]“You shouldn’t be here."[/color]

It might have been a subtle shift though it said more than words. His whole body seemed to tense under such a statement — defensively. Not threateningly. It almost appeared as if he was considering his escape routes and where to go from there. His eyes gently tried to act like they were not moving around to find the best route away from her or the others around him. A natural response to possible danger. 

Her statement wasn’t accusatory in nature. On the contrary, her voice was laced with concern, surprising herself even. [color=yellow]"Do you know what’s beyond those doors? If an officer catches you here, you'll be detained for a list of things. The security detail is too close,"[/color] Kara motioned to the uniformed men and women standing above the crowd scanning the wave of people for any potential threats.  

Then her second statement was what seemed to get him to focus on the doors. “[color=C8A2C8]I wasn’t planning on going through those doors,[/color]” his tone was even and honest. He had no plans to go through those doors and he was somewhat on the outside of the roaring crowd. His moonlit eyes looked back to her, “[color=C8A2C8]I just wanted to see how badly the riots were. If they compared to when people like I were cast out from Dominion’s walls,[/color]” he sounded civil for the most part. Most people that held an education had all gone through a course about burrowers and dwellers — those videos only showing the native tongues that they speak in. Not that they can talk in the common tongue like Kara and Pilka were doing with each other at the moment. 

[color=yellow]"I wasn't implying that..."[/color] she shook her head slightly, feeling the need to clarify herself. [color=yellow]"This is a heavily guarded location, and now with these riots, they're acting more cautious than before."[/color] The idea that an individual like him was shunned and made to fend for himself was disheartening. Yes, Kara had gone over the history, and she had looked at the images but this was the first time she'd come across someone like him, someone who didn't fully fit the mold of a burrower. In that moment, she felt she owed him something. What that was exactly, she didn't know, but the fact that he showed more humanity than some people she knew in these few seconds they'd been interacting said a lot about them. 

Pilka decided that he had overstayed his welcome at the moment and he began to move. It wasn’t quick movements but he began walking away from the crowd. He didn’t have his sunglasses on anymore so people would notice his eyes and skin coloration easier. The disguise was not perfect but most of the time when you had something covering your mouth, eyes, and a hood. Most people read it as shadows were misplacing the details of a person so that allowed him to go through Dominion at times especially into the Gray Market to get stuff.

As he began to walk away, she noticed the broken glasses that lay on the ground where he used to stand. It didn't take long for her to put two and two together. His skin was easier to hide underneath the layers of clothes but his eyes...there was practically nothing to hide that. Kara took a step forward and reached down to pick them up, seeing the damage the frame had sustained. The bridge was nearly cracked all the way, but at least they were salvageable. [color=yellow]"Hey, wait! I can fix these for you if you'd like."[/color] Kara rushed to his side, meeting his pace. 

Hearing someone come up next to him caused his eyes to glance, it was the woman, and he was a little surprised that she was doing whatever she was doing. Pilka shook his head lightly in the negative, “[color=C8A2C8]They are not that big of a deal,[/color]” he reached out and grabbed the broken glasses. “[color=C8A2C8]I appreciate the offer but I found them up in the tunnels when scavenging. There are probably a hundred or more pairs to find up there,[/color]” he chuckled lightly at the thought but it was true. All of the ancient and current day items that were discarded and moved around by flood waters and everything else could be found in the upper tunnels or all over the caverns. 

The logic was there. Of course he knew to have a pair of shades in hand or at least know where to find them. Given the sight of dwellers and burrowers evolved over time, she can only imagine how uncomfortable it must feel to be in a well-lit place. That, and they also helped conceal his features, which was a most if he wandered into town. Kara then wondered how often he visited, or whether he had any legitimate business here. 

“[color=C8A2C8]Also, aren’t you supposed to be calling the authorities by now? Isn’t that the law currently or has that changed?[/color]” This was more of an external question to himself because he remembered how heavy handed the authorities were with burrowers and dwellers in Dominion — decades after ostracizing them. People might have not been reminded of the heavier and punishable laws they had against them entering the city plus the majority of individuals that were in their twenties or younger probably have never seen a burrower or dweller, not even on film. 

[color=yellow]"Yes, technically, I should have called it in. But..."[/color] Kara shrugged her shoulders, thinking on that for a moment. [color=yellow]"You're not causing a disturbance, and had it not been for my inability to watch my step, I would have been none the wiser as to your presence."[/color] Her face grew slightly concerned. If she happened to be caught interacting with him, and there weren't reports on record, then she would get into trouble, and very possibly face termination from her job. 

Examining the glasses in his hand, he folded them up which had a crunchy sound to it, and he put it into his coat pocket. There was no reason to waste the young girl’s time when he could find another pair though he didn’t assume he would be coming into the city anytime soon. “[color=C8A2C8]And you don’t seem very fearful of me either.[/color]” 

[color=yellow]"Oddly enough, I'm more scared of them than I am of you."[/color] The statement was more a thought of hers that happened to be said out loud. The whispers, the rumors... Secrets that were discussed in extreme privacy that made her question certain things. But the lack of proof kept her grounded. She still went to work, enjoyed actually doing her job, and went home. Beyond that, Kara didn't know anything else. [color=yellow]"Well, that's to an extent,"[/color] she attempted to backtrack. [color=yellow]"I like to judge an individual based on their actions alone, not on the actions of the whole, if that makes sense."[/color]

His eyes glanced towards the woman as she spoke and a crack in his armor happened, a gentle smile, but he knew he had to be careful. Being in the city and around people who were deemed “normal” could still be dangerous even if they were being nice. For some reason, he felt like he wasn’t in any danger with the woman beside him, but he could detect the cameras all around them. 

Pilka glanced around with the nod of his head as if he made a decision internally, “[color=C8A2C8]Then you must be aware that there are technologies all over Dominion recording us at the moment,[/color]” It was a good thing that his hood was up and that he had gloves on though he knew the devices had most likely caught bits and pieces of him. He continued to walk. 

A slight nod of acceptance. She was a citizen of Dominion, but that didn’t mean there weren’t setbacks. The constant surveillance was something she wasn’t thrilled about when first learning about it, but right now, there were multiple riots happening simultaneously, and surely the Council diverted most of its resources to properly handle the situation. Or that’s what she assumed at least. 

“[color=C8A2C8]And you have a right to be scared of [i]them[/i] though I don’t want them hearing you say that. You’ll get in trouble and I am no one to get in trouble over,[/color]” he chuckled lightly. “[color=C8A2C8]They aren’t any better than what they were decades ago,[/color]” he sighed. A stranger opening up so quickly like this exposed to him that the people who ran Dominion might be worse than what they were twenty or thirty years ago. Then he heard a noise and glanced over his shoulder — they left right in time. 

Pilka was standing by Kara and they were about four hundred feet away from the rioting crowd when the noise caught his attention — safety and peace officers were using their batons, shields, and even tasers to stop whatever was happening. That was when a few other officers were beginning to walk up to people who were around the crowd and one looked to be heading towards them. He looked back at Kara,”[color=C8A2C8]I would say this is where we depart though I don’t think you would enjoy speaking to that officer heading towards us, would you?[/color]” He wondered while glancing around for immediate areas to escape in. “[color=C8A2C8]Ah, there we go, follow me,[/color]” Pilka didn’t wait as he hurried to two buildings and began moving through a narrow passage between them. One where you have to move sideways through it instead of walking down it like a hallway. 

That was when the safety and peace officer looked confused, “[i]Halt there![/i]” He called after Pilka who was already sliding in between the buildings with too much ease as if he had done it before even though he didn’t look like he would totally fit — meaning it was even easier for Kara to fit into such a space. 

She followed his gaze, and her eyes widened upon realizing what was happening. Kara’s pulse began to race, and she turned to him for a moment, though she wasn’t really listening as he spoke. Instead, she had flashes of what would occur to her once caught, from the initial apprehension all the way to lock-up, or worse... But then the man took off, and she snapped out of it. Kara looked back at the officers gaining on her, and in a split-second decision, she rushed to follow him. 

The buildings left barely any space between them, but Kara went in sideways and tried to move as efficiently as she possibly could, and that’s when she heard it... [I]”Deploying taser!"[/I]

There was no time to react. The prongs caught her shoulder blade and instantly delivered jolts of electricity. Kara cried out, her body tensing from the shock as she lost all control and fell forward. However, the walls on either side of her being so close together prevented her from hitting the ground. She was stuck, those five seconds feeling like a lifetime. But then it was over, and it was as if nothing happened. No pain, nothing. Kara worked herself upright before any more damage was inflicted on her.

When he heard the officers yell out deploying taser, he glanced back, and watched as Kara seemed to be in pain. He had never been hit by a taser but he doubted it was any fun which is why he started climbing — not to leave Kara — though to get over her. Easily maneuvering up the wall, one of the guards tried reaching out for the girl and the bottom of his shoe pressed right onto their head and primarily on their face before a weighty kick caused them to fall back into the other officer. 

The officer that fell back and caught his comrade looked horrified, “[i]Oh god! What is that!?[/i]” it was a younger officer that seemed terrified and looked at Pilka like he was a monster. From the movements, his hood was down, and his facial characteristics were exposed. This seemed to freeze the officers from getting back up. Shocked and surprised. 

Pilka climbed through the buildings before realizing there was a ledge and bending down to pick up Kara like she was a feather. Using the back of her shirt to hoist her up without a struggle, “[color=C8A2C8]Up you go,[/color]” he stated while getting her to where she could grab the edge and climb onto the safe area. Off the ground. Away from potential officers.

A shadow gliding over her, as swift as a river current. She turned around to witness her acquaintance outmaneuver the officers, their faces mostly surprised, but slightly terrified too. He then began ascending up the walls, and before Kara could have a chance to brace herself, she was being pulled up off the ground. [color=yellow]”Hey!"[/color] 

He got onto the edge and looked around, “[color=C8A2C8]Come on,[/color]” Pilka began to move in the dimmed area and heading towards darkness like he could see perfectly. 

Once Kara had her footing, she looked down below. [I]”Two suspects—one male and one female. The male...[/I]  He was on the move again, asking her to follow him. And as Kara did just that, the voice below faded.

She breathed a sigh of relief, which was much welcomed after such close encounter. She did however have to slow down as the farther away she got from the danger, the more strained her vision grew. Goodness only knew where he was leading her.