The walk to Crimson's apartment is actually not as long as Skylar thought it would be. It's kind of a weird way to look at it, but he sees it as the universe giving him somewhat of a break. He was expecting to have to walk for hours, but instead, it was only about 45 minutes from the point where he finally recognized where he was. So... maybe an hour total. He sees it as a win.

Unfortunately, ten minutes after Skylar reaches the building, is when his manager decides to give him a call.

"Shit," Skylar mumbles, having been in the middle of scaling the wall. He swings himself over a ledge and onto a balcony of one of the apartments, which thankfully appears to be unoccupied. Skylar unceremoniously lands on the ground, before pulling out his phone and answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Sky? I got your text." His manager, Jeremy, says right after he answers. His voice doesn't sound mad, thankfully. He mostly just seems curious.

"Hey, yeah, what's up?" Skylar says, going back to his climbing. He swings himself back over the railing, going back to placing his feet on familiar ledges and loose bricks as he slowly ascends the wall. He's done this many times, but it's been a while. Usually he prefers to steal from Crimson's cars. Way less of a hassle.

"You're wanting to work full time now? This is kind of unexpected, you haven't been the most punctual—"

"Yeah, I know, I'm sorry. Uh... personal stuff, yanno, I got kicked out and my car was stolen."

"Jesus."

Skylar puts his phone in his mouth when he reaches a portion of the wall that he won't be able to climb one handed. His voice is barely understandable when he speaks again, since... well... he has a phone in his mouth.

Skylar knows that stuff specifically isn't really why he was so bad about going to work for a while there, it was almost entirely due to Wes's stunts and his injuries keeping him from moving around very well. However, he'll take any excuse he can. He can't afford to not have a job after all that.

"Yeah, sho I nee money." Skylar says through his phone, unable to pronounce certain consonants properly due to the barrier.

"Alright, well... I mean, you've been off the schedule for a while, so it'll take a minute to work you in. Are you going to have reliable transportation?"

Skylar finally reaches Crimson's balcony, and pulls himself over the railing. He lands on a table with an ashtray on it, which is kind of gross. His phone falls out of his mouth and onto the concrete in the process, but he's just glad he didn't drop it off the actual balcony itself.

Skylar stands up and brushes himself off, before grabbing his phone off the floor. It's kind of wet because of his saliva, but he has other things to worry about right now.

"Uh... I mean, I can walk." Skylar tells him, slightly out of breath. Jeremy seems as though he wants to ask Skylar what the hell he's doing right now, but probably knows better. Any answer Skylar could give would just raise more questions, and Jeremy has known him long enough to be well aware of that.

"Well, where are you living now?" Jeremy asks. Skylar is beginning to get the sense he should not have divulged that much information.

Ugh. Skylar does not want to answer that.

"...with Ashton," Skylar replies reluctantly. Jeremy hums in response, and Skylar takes his bag off his shoulder. He begins rooting through it for his lock picking kit.

Skylar was given five minutes to pack, when he was kicked out of his house. He spent those five minutes grabbing himself four shirts, four pairs of underwear, and four pairs of pants. He also grabbed some basic hygiene supplies. Aside from that, he ensured that he had his lock picking kit, his first aid kit, his piggy bank (which he still needs to cash in), and the basic supplies he needs to store and use his cytozine properly.

Priorities.

"Okay, I'll only schedule you with him then."

Skylar swears under his breath, dropping the tool he'd been using and wincing at the loud noise it makes when it clatters to the ground. Skylar is immediately trying to find reasons, or any excuse, that wouldn't work for him.

"Uh, but he only works like twice a week. I really want to be full time, so—"

"I'm sorry, Skylar. Until you have reliable transportation, that's what I'll have to do. I need to keep the business in mind too, you know?"

Skylar sighs, picking up what he dropped and getting back to work. As much as he hates to admit it, that does make the most sense. He should also be way more thankful that they're willing to put him back on the schedule at all, since he's skipped enough shifts that it wouldn't be unreasonable to fire him.

"Okay, yeah, fine."

"Alright." Jeremy says, sounding more relaxed. Skylar can't help but to grin when the latch on the balcony door clicks out of place, signaling the fact that he has successfully unlocked it.

"Good to have you back. Bye."

Jeremy doesn't wait for an answer, hanging up right after that. Skylar just sighs, putting his phone back in his pocket and slowly sliding the door open.

Crimson lives in a pretty nice apartment, though he is almost never home. Skylar is pretty sure he only uses this place to sleep, and even then, Skylar is not 100% sure Crimson even sleeps to begin with. That guy is fucked up.

Skylar learned his lesson from the car incident. He locks the balcony door behind himself, grabbing his bag and putting his kit back inside and everything. He then scans the area, finding himself in the kitchen. All the lights are off, so Skylar reaches in the side pocket of his bag and grabs a flashlight. He has to hit it a few times for it to work, but pretty soon it's lighting up the room.

Okay. So good so far. Now to steal a bunch of cytozine and get the fuck out of here.

Skylar walks over to where Crimson usually keeps his stash. As he walks over there, however, he hears a faint noise that he deems as odd. It's a light scratching noise, one that he's heard when he's been here before, but this time it sounds strange. It's louder than it's been in the past, which doesn't really make sense for a naturally occurring noise.

Skylar decides to just mind his business, reaching the coffee table in the center of the room. It's one of those coffee tables with storage in it, and Skylar lifts up the top. Crimson keeps a bunch of blankets and shit on top, so Skylar just grabs and moves them out of his way. As predicted, underneath there are several toolboxes.

Under the toolboxes he finds stacks of cash, but he's not touching that because it's a little too far for him. Skylar focuses on the boxes themselves instead, opening each of them swiftly. The first two he tries are not the drug he's looking for. Sorry, but Skylar is only after cytozine.

Cyto is a very special drug. It does not negatively affect your appearance in any way, no matter how much you use it. It's also basically impossible to have a negative experience with it, while using. It tends to make you really happy, and causes light hallucinations sometimes. It makes all negativity go away, it's basically impossible to feel stressed or angry while on it. For Skylar, at least, it also makes him do weird things. Things like staring at a lava lamp for four hours or painting all his school supplies blue.

However, with those serious upsides, come some even more serious and catastrophic downsides.

For one, it is the most addictive drug. Period. It is almost impossible to stop using once you've started. Withdrawal entails serious irritability, headaches, and—in extreme cases,—insanity. A complete mind break. There are few rehabilitation centers that can do anything for cyto addicts, and the ones that can give any semblance of the help needed are so expensive that most people, let alone addicts, can't afford it anyway. Not to mention that there's no guarantee it will work.

Also, it's dangerous. A minor overdose will just make the user sick, which Skylar has experienced several times. However, any more than that has an almost 100% fatality rate. Even a little more than too much, and you're done for.

That said, there is no replacement. Nothing to take the edge off. Skylar wants nothing but cytozine specifically, and that goes for anyone addicted to this substance. It's called a life ruiner for a reason. A few years ago, Skylar would never consider stealing from someone at all. Let alone someone so powerful. However, this addiction has gotten him to the point where he doesn't care anymore. It's also why he couldn't even blame his father when the man found out and didn't even try to help him. Skylar is practically a lost cause.

When Skylar finally lays his eyes on the pill bottles and vials full of the yellow, slightly luminescent substance, he smiles. He's immediately grabbing a way larger amount than he usually does, which has something to do with the anger and spite he's feeling about his car. Seriously, this shit is fucking paid for. He may have been exaggerating with the life supply thing, especially since his addiction is only getting worse, but still. He will take as much as he can fit in his bag, fuck this guy.

When Skylar has a good and very noticeable amount, he zips up his bag and throws it over his shoulder. He then turns around and begins to walk back towards the balcony door. However, he stops in his tracks when he hears the same noise he did earlier. It's louder, and followed by a light thud.

Skylar frowns, turning and shining his flashlight on the room he's pretty sure the noise is coming from. He's starting to grow on edge, wondering if someone else is actually in here with him. That would not be good, he has no weapons to defend himself with.

Skylar slowly makes his way towards the door, fully aware he should probably just leave and pretend he never heard anything. However, his interest is piqued because he's heard this noise several times in the past, when he's come here before. He just never thought anything of it, but it sounds different this time.

Skylar finally reaches the door, and grabs the handle. He's nervous, scared he's about to find a dead body or something. That wouldn't really make sense, though.

Skylar sighs, before biting the bullet and turning the handle. He pulls the door open, slowly, and is met with the sight of a pitch black room. At first glance, it appears to be entirely empty. It smells absolutely horrible, but he can't tell why. He just shines the light around and tries to figure out what made that noise.

It doesn't take long.

Skylar has to take a few steps into the room for him to see, but that's only because the animal is right beside the door. Well, not right beside, since it's actually a couple feet left of the doorframe, in the corner. He finds a lot of scratch marks on said doorframe, which would explain the first noise, as well as all the others he's heard his past times coming here. However, the thud doesn't make sense until the actual health condition of said animal processes in Skylar's mind.

It's starving. No, it's dying.

Neglect.

Skylar is moving before he ever gets the chance to think.

Skylar puts the flashlight in his mouth, running back to the coffee table and throwing open the top of it. He grabs a blanket and sprints back, then picks up the animal, which at first he can't identify. He knows she's shaking, knows she's fluffy, but her fur and the room is so dark he can't tell. Soon he has her completely swaddled in said blanket. He cradles her to his chest, before exiting the room.

Skylar doesn't even try to scale the side of the building, despite knowing that Crimson's neighbors are pretty much all involved in crime as well and will go right to him about suspicious activity. He doesn't give a fuck, unlocking and opening the front door. When he does, and sunlight enters the room, he's finally able to identify the animal.

It's a cat.

The light also makes it very clear that she needs professional help. However, he has no money for a veterinary bill. Perhaps he could get away with just bringing her home and trying to nurse her back to health? No, that's out of the question.

For some reason, Skylar is unwilling to take the shortcuts with this cat that he usually does with himself.

Yeah, he's not fucking around with this, right now the health of this cat matters more to him than anything. He's unsure why, but maybe it's because a part of him feels guilty. She's been scratching at that door as long as he's come around, but he never thought to check it out. What is wrong with him?

Skylar is about to exit the room, when a thought comes back to him. Well, more like a memory. The memory of what else Crimson keeps in his coffee table.

Skylar doesn't even hesitate, turning around and walking back to the coffee table. Its blankets are all over the floor, toolboxes of drugs in full view, but Skylar doesn't care. He reaches under the toolboxes and grabs a stack of money, several 20 dollar bills that are banded together, and then he's on his way.

Skylar doesn't even bother shutting Crimson's front door when he exits, because he doesn't care anymore. Honestly, the guy already wants to kill him, so who gives a shit? He deserves it, anyway. He's the one who neglected his pet to the point of her being in critical condition, so he also gets to fucking pay for it out of pocket.

Skylar is able to find a nearby animal urgent care, only about a ten minute run—because yes, he is booking it the whole way—from Crimson's apartment. He bursts through the doors of the establishment in a panic, and there are immediately several veterinary assistants coming towards him. They all look concerned for the cat, and take her from him with no hesitation.

He gets questioned a bit, and is allowed back with her to an extent, but pretty soon he's just being made to sit in a waiting room.

It's so strange. Skylar has never felt a sense of purpose like this before. He's never been faced with a situation even remotely similar to that in his entire life. Is that how his family feels? When he gets injured so badly? The fear he's feeling now, is that what he's put them through? Is that what Ashton has been trying to tell him, this entire time?

Skylar doesn't know. The only thing he's sure of in that moment, is that he wants Crimson's cat to be okay.