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Gabby had run over, pushed past, and generally pissed off so many carnival goers in his attempt to catch up with what ended up being a very slippery little undead, that he was sure he'd just left a trail of hate behind him. This was nothing new to the boil, at least - he wasn't trying to win any popularity contests.

He never managed to catch her, and only caught up with her when she had stopped to hide inside of a wall, and exposed her presence via wailing loudly. He slowed down and eventually found the hole, bending down to stare into it.

"Shine." Gabby scolded. "You made me run all this way. I told you not to run away from me, and I don't appreciate when people don't listen to me." He was trying to be forceful, but his voice was soft with pity and remorse. He reached in, and tried to wrench her out of the hole into his arms. "Stop this now. I order you."

By the sound of it, it wasn't an order; it was a desperate request.

She didn't seem to fight him when he pulled her out of the hole, and flopped down on the ground so that he could pull the ball of ghoul into his lap. She was a wreck, which seemed so unnecessary considering the fact that he was the one who'd just been kissed without desiring it. His hand awkwardly petted her hair, as he held her and just let her cry.

"There, there." He was awful at comforting. "I don't know why you're so upset, but you have no reason to be. I was at fault. But if you need to cry, then get it all out now, I will wait."

Tears weren't so terrible. If his outfit wasn't in a constant state of being frosty, he might have minded her tears on it - but as it was, he really didn't care.

She couldn't see him, but Gabby was rolling his eyes so hard.

"Fine. If it's your fault, then explain to me how it can be. Before you do, however, let me explain to you why it is my fault. You see, I am very beautiful, Shine. And I should have known better than to get anywhere near a young man like that. There's really no one to blame but nature for making me this way." He ducked his head in, genuine hope on his face. "Can't you see? It's really no one's fault, but if there is blame to be placed, it's on me."

He sighed sharply, and rocked her in his arms. "I suppose you think it's your fault because you are the one who told me he was your special friend, but that simply isn't true. You see, Nahm was already getting his hands all over you, and I probably would have reacted the same no matter what. After all, I am more special." He pursed his lips brattily. "I am."

It made Gabby smile, even in this terrible moment, to hear that she agreed with him. It wasn't surprise - just appreciation. Shine understood the weight he bore on his shoulders, and she was clever enough to ease his burden with her unceasing friendship. He squished her against him in a tight hug, and gave her a sage nod.

"Then you understand why it is not your fault. Don't you? And why it couldn't be helped."

She was still crying so very much, and Gabby was so very terrible with ghouls and crying. He had more experience with it ever since being friends with Sibyl, and he thanked her silently for that. Because it seemed like Shine needed more comforting than was typical in this situation, and he had already promised he wasn't leaving until she stopped.

"Did I ever tell you how much I liked your name?" This was a powerful strategy, he surmised. Distraction. "I feel like I have mentioned it, but I can't recall for sure."

Got her. "Yes, really. It's one of my favorite words. Shine. It's what gems do. And crystal, and ice of course. They shine. See? Very good word." He slowly grinned, very proud of himself for finding an effective way to stop her from crying, and even managing to capture her attention.

"Where do you remember it from? Did someone say it to you when you woke up, or is it from before that?" He had no memory of his life before he'd woken up; and suddenly wondered if that was normal for their kind, or if something of his past should have remained.

"Or was something shining at you? That could be it. These are brilliant ideas, you know. One of them must be true. Quick, tell me which one."

"Jack, Shine, relax." He chuckled out, bumping her head with his. "Your head is fine. So somebody said shine before you died, and that's the only thing you remember. Sounds legitimate to me - I don't even remember anything about how I died. I just remember waking up in that cave, alone, and leaving. That's my first memory."

His face screwed up with concentration. "Now that I think about it, I don't know exactly where my name came from. It was just there. Like a rock. Just there."

Shine had stopped crying, and her eyes had calmed down. Gabby was the most successful comforter in the world. "How about we go back to the carnival, and you help me close my booth? I've got a lot of things I need to carry back to my place from it. I could use a hand."

Gabby let out a long, ridiculous groan.

"You're not going to ruin anything. We're closing, what does it even matter? Come on, you're going to help me now. No choice."

He carefully removed her from his lap, and then stood up, taking his time to straighten every edge of his sharp coat, flatten any wrinkles that had cropped up, and then brush his fingers through his hair. This took, like, at least 2 minutes.

Finally, he held his hands out, both of them, for her to take. "Get up." He commanded. "I need your help."