. B O N E S . S H A T T E R . ;; Cryssie

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Phoenix Holiday pulled her blonde hair back into a high ponytail, making sure that it was all pulled away from her face. She was getting ready to meet with Leo and go over a few different security details, but she felt a sense of uncertainty settle in her stomach. Her and Leo were still at odds about her friend Romeo and Phoenix really didn't know what to think. She understood why Leo was mistrustful, but she liked Romeo and at least wanted to give him a chance.

She sighed and locked her door behind her, slipping the key into her pocket. Heading down the street, Phoenix rubbed her hands together. They'd been feeling a little warm and she knew that she needed to spend a little more time trying to harness her fire powers, but she hadn't had time lately. Just another thing to make her nervous.

She stopped by Leo's house and knocked on the front door, stepping back and hiding her hands behind her back.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Leo was in a... rumpled state when he opened the door. Messy blond hair, sweatpants, shirtless, and barefoot. He blinked when he saw her. "Phoenix? Uh..." He glanced down, seeming to realize for the first time how he looked. He looked back up and cleared his throat. "What are you doing here?"

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Phoenix wrinkled her nose- not that she cared what he was wearing, but he looked way too casual for a meeting with her, "You were supposed to be going over some security details with me. Did you forget?" she asked, raising her eyebrows. It wasn't like Leo to forget anything.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Leo stared at her for a second before their conversation came back to him. "Shit," he said under his breath. "Uh... Come in. I'm going to go... Get dressed." He stepped away from the door and headed o his bedroom, muttering under his breath to himself.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Phoenix's expression morphed into amusement as she stepped inside and closed the door behind her, "Okay, take your time," she called to him, chuckling quietly.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Leo closed his door behind him and rushed to his dresser. He pulled a shirt on over his head, and then swapped his sweatpants out for a pair of jeans. He ran his fingers through his unkempt hair in an attempt to tidy it, and then returned to the front door.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

"Hello again," Phoenix smiled, her light eyes full of teasing light, "You look a lot more out together now, I must say."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

He gave a sheepish smile. "Sorry. I completely forgot you were coming today. It's been... A hard week."

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Phoenix shrugged and waved her hand, hoping that she could still control her powers, "Don't worry about it. I understand."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Leo ran his fingers through his hair again. "I guess we should get down to business," he said.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Phoenix walked over to him, nodding. First, she laid a warm hand on his arm, "Are you alright, Leo? You seem..frazzled."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

He looked down at the hand on his arm. He wasn't sure what to do with it. He couldn't bring himself to rest his hand over hers, even though he wanted to. "I haven't been sleeping much," he said. "There's been a murder in the Refuge."

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Phoenix's fingers tightened slightly, "A murder?" she asked, eyes growing wide. A heavy weight settled in the pit of her stomach. The Refuge was supposed to be a safe place.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

"We don't know if it was one of ours, or an intruder. We still think there's a spy inside the Refuge. And we need to find him before anything else bad happens." He paused and looked into her eyes. "I can't let anyone else get hurt," he said softly.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

"Definitely not," Phoenix replied, her gaze concerned as she looked at him, "I'll help out in any way that I can, Leo."

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Leo gazed at her. He wanted to keep her out of harms way, wanted to keep her safe, but he knew she'd never stand for that. She'd want to help, and so he was going to let her. And he would do everything in his power to make sure her kind heart didn't get her killed. "I want you to help me investigate the murder," he said.

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

Phoenix nodded, "Alright, who was it? Did we know them?"

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Leo grew somber. "I did. You didn't." Really, he knew almost everyone in the Refuge. "She... she was an old friend."

[нαℓƒ~мσση]

"I'm sorry," Phoenix's voice was sincere. Even if she didn't know the woman, death was sad no matter what. Especially murder.

[ᴄʀʏsᴛᴀʟғʀᴏsᴛ]

Leo shook himself mentally. "Let me put some shoes on, and I'll take you to the crime scene." He pursed his lips. 'Crime scene' wasn't something he'd ever had to say before. Now there had been a crime in the Refuge, the first one ever. And he couldn't help but blame himself, even though he knew it wasn't his fault.