[Duce]

((I REALLY needed a place to stash this. DX ))


Today just wasn't a good day. Hell, it wasn't the worst sort of day either. But saying it was different from any other day on the planet would be telling something- because let's face it, it wasn't. Where was the sky today? Probably behind the dusty clouds it was always behind. Why had it disappeared? Well, he said, she said, they said, and then the bombs exploded. Wasn't that always how it was? It was like that for years now. Had been, had always been, will always be. It was just life. Things happened, shit hit the fan, and the people who were least involved were the ones who got to suffer. Aaah but that was being cruel. It wasn't that bad.

A lot of people said when the world ended, it would end utterly. Power would fail. People would become ravenous. OH NO THE INTERNET WAS GONE! Aah, but that wasn't a big deal. People found a reason to be friends with neighbors. People stuck together. Sure there were rogues, people running amok when they really should have been just getting along. But there was nothing to do about that now- the world was how it was, and honestly..it was a little better this way.

There were of course parts of the world which hadn't had anything major happen to them. So power was scarce, still. World went on. Markets formed, people planted their own veggies, and little country farm boys stayed little country farm boys. Well, and they got rich. trading was the name of the game, and if you had something worth having, chances were; someone else had something you thought was worth having more- for the price of your little treasure. so it was only sense to have a little...collection going. Right? Right. There was plenty to have. Porn. Porn was a major thing. People didn't have a lot of time to actually be dirty anymore. Strip clubs still existed- but with money falling out of circulation, it was a little hard to actually work it out. Not that people didn't try- but with everyone deciding their own prices, money was practically useless. one guy said "I don't have that, but I have this-" And waved a chicken at someone; and bartering was born. The dollar died. And people got healthier, actually. Somehow, it was like the world had to end. Aahhhh but forget that.

New York...maybe not the best bet. Maybe not the best choice. But then, he'd always liked a challenge. What was the point in doing something if you didn't have to work for it just a little bit? Rem never had felt he had done anything the lazy way. Except maybe cards. And just that once! Or twice..maybe three times. But he'd never cheated anyone who didn't already owe him anyways! It was all fair in the big scheme of things. It was perfectly reasonable. so what if he got a black eye, and a broken finger every once in a while? Fun was had! Money was earned! People were beaten and he was the better man. Yeah~

Here he was, sitting in the penthouse apartment of some snazzy hotel that'd fallen to ruin. Nobody wanted to live in a building half falling down, no water, no electricity. Besides which, New York was supposed to still be irradiated. But he wasn't sick. He was perfectly fine! So who was going to prove him wrong in this one here? Nobody. He was fine. Damn right. He sat looking around the room with a cig perched between his lips, a bottle of liqor in his hand, and a grin on his face. He stood, hand going through his green tinted hair as be walked his way to the icebox. Of course he had a nice genny in the basement working her wonders keeping the electricity going- don't tell anyone. So there his fridge stood in her chrome glory, humming like she loved him; and ooh she did. The ladies always loved him. He smirked, pulling open the fridge with a swagger and a grin before frowning into the shinning glow of the cooled interior. ...No food. When HAD he gone out for more ...groceries...last? He frowned deeper, shelving the bottle of amber liquid before pushing the door closed with a cock of one hip- reaching up to light the cig between his lips with cupped hands. Practice practice practice. There wasn't any wind, but you learned to do it automatically if you didn't want some random ass gust to steal your last bit of nic for the next few days.

Sighing he looked around, then grinned to himself- no sense moping when he knew just where to go. He walked across the room with purpose, stealing up his rucksack to toss on his back, half finger leather gloves tugged over his knuckles as he wriggled his toes in his boots; still laced tight enough for scrounging. He could have lived in a better town. Hell, could have moved to some sweet ass small town that still functioned like nobody's business. But what would be the fun in that? Hopping his way down the steps, he kicked a trashcan for fun, watching the thing spill butts and refuse all along the hall on his way past. One quick trip to the basement to shut off the genny and he was outside for a nice little walk to the local...'store'. He smirked to himself. New York was a free town. And that meant 'free so long as I can take it'. It hadn't been that long since one country or another decided they hated someone else, and that someone else thought it was a totally unrelated party, and blew them to hell. Well- they'd screwed up. And thank GOD there was still food laying around. Of course, that was 'cause most of the people in new york had died- and nobody wanted to be a crazy mutant like the radios kept pitching. Screw them. More food for him. He grinned, rounding a corner before turning one direction then the other with a little hop and a skip. Nah, he'd go the long way this time. No sense going to the same place- someone might notice. Who? Eh, who knew.

It didn't take more than ten minutes to get there; and hey! No rush hour traffic or crowded sidewalks. Course you had to walk around crispy critter corpses sometimes, but that added to the fun. He grinned, shouldering his way through debris to a grocery store that looked like it was more than willing to cave in on him. Smiling he snatched an overturned cart and cornered his cig with a smirk. "Juss gon' 'ave me a look around gents, don' mind the pockets- I won' need 'em." He quipped, patting a rather jerky-flavor looking body on the head before giving the office chair he- it? Sat in a good shove; watching it skid across the floor. Yes, fun where it came. If it weren't all fun, he'd probably have died of morbid depression by now. Smiling he started his way along the isles, tossing candy into the cart before he hit the drink isle- yanking bottles off the shelves with a guffaw that echoed across the whole place; and ended in a sudden crash at the other side of the store. Immediately he whipped out the knife he had stashed down his side, leaving the cart as he switched the cig to the other side of his mouth before taking it out- putting it out on a shelf of macaroni as he passed it. Shit, SHIT! He'd thought there wasn't anyone left on this end of town. Hadn't shit blown up around here? Hell, his hotel was on the outskirts of a huge damn crater. Who the hell was here? Well, they knew he was here. That was fucked up. He hated being the last to know. Head of the class! He was always a model student. Okay so that wasn't as funny as he'd thought it would be. He pursed his lips together, sneaking along the isles and behind displays. THERE! Was that a- A stack of cans went suddenly skittering to the floor and there was a rapid scuffling as someone scooted across the floor. SHIT they were fast. He grunted quietly to himself, rounding a corner right where he'd just heard shuffles. Whoever it was, they sure as hell weren't being quiet. Trying to be, but failing- that much he could tell. With his luck, the guy was probably ill. Hungry and scared- yeah! Guy was stick thin, and he'd try a front attack, probably loaded with screaming.

Smirking, the green haired man scooted along a row of sauces and jars before rounding the last corner- suddenly bumping into a tiny ragged figure that wailed and turned to run; he barely glimpsed a HUGE froth of honey colored curls and blue eyes before the thing disappeared; and his first thought was 'they're building starving guys smaller and smaller these days.' "OI! C'mere!" He shouted when his brain caught up to his limbs, and took off after the figure, holstering the damn knife. Shit, that'd been a kid, hadn't it?

"STAY AWAY FROM ME!" ..Damnit, it had been a kid. And young- super young from the sound of it. Maybe a girl, but he couldn't tell. Thing was running like a jackrabbit; and now that he was chasing, it was damned wily and freaking agile. Why did kids always get better balance when they were running from shit? What the hell..He chased the little being across the store and out a hole in the back, racing through a pile of rubble and debris that took him damn near back the way he had come, his mind screaming that he should just go back and get the food, forget the thing- but something else called him a fucking dick, and said he needed to get the kid. Who the hell lets their kid run out in this shit? Oh damnit..what if the kid didn't have anyone? What if-

"STOP FOLLOWING ME!" A shrill cry blasted out at him as they hit a clear stretch of street- Rem running out of a broken building; and it was like time slowed down. Just for a moment. He looked up, running, heart beating, and the thing in front of him seemed to almost float away from him. Honey hair streamed behind her; and it was a girl- he could tell as a tiny face turned back toward him- anger rather than fright screaming from pale and dirty cheeks, tattered dress framing a well fed frame as blue eyes cast daggers and warnings at him, and all he could think was 'Good lass.' as a grin spread across his face- and suddenly baby cheeks turned away and time caught up again; he stumbled and looked up just in time to see her dashing into a broken down theater, body taking the corner like a motorcycle as she put a hand on the ground and practically did an about face to dash through the door. Fast little shit. He beamed, somehow- it was fun again.

The theater creaked as they dashed through the doors and corridors, the plush carpeting looking crumbled and melted in patches; but those were hardly important as he followed this tiny figure who bounced around and changed directions like a freaking jackrabbit. She dashed into a broken down room marked 'rated-r' next to melted titles he couldn't recognize; her body slipping through the doors before his body crashed through them, one swinging off the hinges and flying after him before he moved on; he heard her scampering up and through the chairs before he followed; the sound of crunching echoing from above him as he looked up with a whip of his head; she'd climbed up a pile of crap and through the projector window, dirty new little shoes disappearing through the window. He raced up after her, all silence from the tiny beast as she shuffled and shoved things. He managed to get up and through, wriggling past broken glass before standing up to look around. Where....? He heard something, couldn't see anything. What was- AH! THERE! A hole in the wall, low, but he could make it. It took some wriggling and grunting, but he got through; and was amazed to see what looked like a punk-rock castle puked all over a cave. Shit hung here, stuff shoved in corners- if rats could grow bigger and get greedy about girly shit, this'd be it.

He stood there, head down a little; was he in the walls? This HAD to be in the walls. didn't look like a real room. Looked..like she'd dug into a crawlspace and decorated it with whatever she could get her hands on. And he could smell the soft dusty scent. HAD to be in the walls. He stood for a moment, an appreciative look on his face as he looked over it all. Wow..just..

Something fell on the opposite side of the space, and he whirled around, moved toward it with single-minded determination; reaching into a pile of collected junk- pillows, blankets, clothes; soft shit. And hit a bony feeling length. GOD he hoped this was an arm. ...And her's. He pulled; gently and firmly, and was surprised to see he had grabbed a leg; hauling the thing up and out, his arm out before a foot flew at his face, catching it with his other hand. "LEMMIE GO" He heard the little voice holler, and she couldn't have been more than eight. This tiny thing, struggling and trying to claw at his knees was tough as nails, and utterly pissed about his manhandling her.

"OI now! Let off, will ye? Got'cher all backwards an worried about nofink." He chuckled, her body writhing about- and her dress fell around her shoulders. He was delighted to know she wore shorts underneath, turning his head away a little bit. "Calm down an-"

"LET GO 'A ME You JERK! I'M GONNA RIP YOUR EARS OFF~!" She shrieked, squirming so much she started swinging and he lifted her a little bit higher, grinning down at the little thing. Strong. That was good.

"C'mon now, let's 'ave just a little talk, yea? Me name's Rem. What's yers?" he started, smiling until a dull thud sounded through the air, and a distinct sensation like the earth exploding resonated between his legs. And he had just enough time to think 'good girl' before his body fell, and her head hit the floor with a thunk- And the world dissolved into painful darkness for both of them.

First impressions were always the greatest.

[Kalei]

Haha, I laughed at the end there. You have a good story going, it makes me wish there was more.