Hortence was waiting patiently for Akira to return to the room, when she did she took Hortence a bit by surprise. The outfit Akira had found was simply adorable, and Hortence suddenly felt a strong urge to help her out of it again...<br/><br/>Perhaps luckily her train of thought was interrupted by Akira's question. Hortence couldn't help but snicker "are you a criminal..?" she repeated, finding the whole thing pretty funny. "no hun, I'm one of them types that break into a house an' knocks the light out the housekeeper, who's not a bleedin' criminal." she shook her head and looked at Akira, then took a deep breath, she started leading Akira out the house, no point in lingering more than they should. Hortence started leading Akira through less crowded streets, sometimes through houses and establishments, some people clearly knew her and greeted her friendily, some houses they snuck through. As they walked Hortence spoke, "listen hun, I don' know how things are like where you're from. But here the rules are mostly in place for sake of keepin' the rich sittin' on shitters of pure gold and the poor scrapin' on to live.<br/>It's gotten worse lately, addition of new tech has made the strain much greater, only the rich can afford any tech, and they hoard it over the poor. It's worst with how the rich always carry guns nowadays. They pollute our districts, they steal our children and they kill us in the streets if they don' like the looks of us."<br/>Hortence sighed deeply and stopped, looking Akira in the eye and putting a hand on her shoulder, "I am a criminal, but don't be daft an' think that the rules are in place to make sure we are all "good". Don't give in to the idea that what's legal is what's good and what's illegal is not. It's all just gray, and what I'm doing is trying to do good, to save people and to make sure that... That this is not the future of my city, and my world."<br/><br/>Hortence opened a door leading out to Misttown, she and Akira stood atop a small building, allowing them to overlook the huge area.<br/><br/>Misttown was named for it's factories, spreading huge white vapors which the citizens only wished was steam. In the worst parts it could be impossible to see your own hand in front of you, and worse, impossible to breathe the vapors without coughing, getting sick or passing out.<br/>The first thing one saw overlooking the district was the huge factories with numerious chimneys, not all of them directly above the buildings, some blowing vapour directly into the streets for some reason.<br/><br/>looking over the city Akira could see thoussands of people walking around, it was a sad image of poverty, dissease and death.<br/><br/>Hortence produced a kind of air filter to Akira, the device had a collar to be fastened around the neck to support the weight, and a mouthpiece. the whole thing weighed almost a kg, so it was pretty uncomfortable to wear for longer durations.<br/><br/>Hortence asked Akira to put it on, and as she did Hortence looked at her with a sad expression "I've been arrested only once, as a little girl. That there, my airmask, was my very first real invention, I made as many as I could and started giving them out to people so they wouldn't die from the vapours. I was arrested for it, because distributing of any such technology is allowed only through the kings legal traderoutes. I wasn't selling them, I was just trying to save lives, but I was almost hanged for it.<br/>Instead they offered me apprenticeship, putting my skills to work on something important rather than the charity I'd mistakenly thought was worthwhile.<br/><br/>I stayed with my teacher for a few years, let him have his way with me in exchange for the knowledge and resources I needed to better myself, and to further my cause.<br/>In the end when there was nothing left to learn and slit his throat in his sleep and returned here."<br/><br/>Hortence looked at Akira with a very serious expression "I'm a criminal, and a murderer, but I do not kill willy nilly and I don't just do what I want. I want to offer you protection and knowledge, and you are willing to leave at anytime. It's your decision to make wether you follow me here, but I suggest you do."<br/>Hortence put the glasspiece of her helmet back on, allowing her to breathe as well, then looked expectantly at Akira, hoping that the girl saw it her way, she wasn't usually this nervious about such things...