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Slum 67
Jan 22, 2011 21:18:41 GMT -5
Post by NµKe on Jan 22, 2011 21:18:41 GMT -5
Jedd grinned. His odds of taking this fight were quite strong. The kid had a gun, but Jedd knew his blocks and knew his sword was strong, sharp, and swift. The teenage "referee" of the duel made eye contact with both participants then announced:
"Fight!"
Jedd moved quickly; he had to close that distance between them. Twenty feet was not far, but it was still a good 16 feet too far... Two shots were fired. 'Lame' Jedd muttered to himself as he easily parried them. He moved to the right quickly and slid behind a group of trash cans. He rose enough to pull the top off of one of them and chucked it at his partner. The partner attempted to fire a shot off before ducking. The delay caused him to have to move more drastically, and by the time that he stood back and took aim again, Jedd was gone. He turned around and aimed behind him, watching the second floors and third floors around him. He heard a chuckle and spun around again. No one. A rock hit him on the back of his head. He cursed and spun around again.
"You're an idiot, Jedd!" He spat.
"I'm not the one spinning like a retarded top..." Jedd stated confidently.
Suddenly a clanging noise came from one of the nearby buildings and the opponent dropped to one knee and took steady aim. The cold blade slide down his neck, blunt side in, to simply let him know that he'd lost. He didn't try to turn and fight, he simply lowered his hands and sighed.
"Well done... þ250?"
"Yup. That's right."
The opponent reached into his pocket and pulled out a few coins... two þ100 coins and one þ50... and dropped them into Jedd's hand. Jedd backed up, as everyone was clapping, and took a bow, then helped his opponent up. They shook hands and walked off to the nearby drink stand.
"I'm buying!" Jedd said to his defeated partner.
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Slum 67
Jan 22, 2011 21:19:16 GMT -5
Post by NµKe on Jan 22, 2011 21:19:16 GMT -5
Remus wiped his the froth from his mouth and slammed his mug down on the table. He chuckled, then burped. He tossed the last þ50 to Kenny, who ran the ale-house and got up to walk out. He nodded to Kenny who told him to have a good night. He grinned to himself as he walked out the door. He stretched.
"A good night... right." he said to himself. He finished his stretch and began to walk, sticking his tired hands into his pockets. He walked through the narrow passageway from Slum 63 to 62. As he finished walking through he noticed the presence of someone to his right. He looked over his shoulder and saw a shadowy figure who was visibly shaking.
"Money, now, and you don't get hurt." The creature said... and showed their dagger in the evening light.
Remus looked down at the shoes, analyzed his height, and the dagger...
"Dan. Stop drinking and get a job. You can do better than that."
Dan obviously wasn't completely convinced. He started to walk towards Remus faster and seemed to have malicious intent. Remus grunted and started towards Dan, indicating that he was ready if the need was there. Dan stopped. He seemed to check himself. He shrugged, then pulled back his hood.
"You're the freakin' fourth person that's recognized me today. What the heck is it?!"
"Shoes."
Dan cursed. He rolled his eyes then began to walk with Remus.
"Was hoping to get at least þ250 today. The ol' lady wants a new food processor. There's this new type that takes the nasty Normals that we get and flavors 'em. Flavors 'em, Remus! That's nifty. She doesn't expect it, of course, but I wanted to get it for her. I guess it'll have to wait."
"How much do you still need?"
"þ200... Ha ha ha..."
"Done. Take it. And promise not to lurk in dark corners and try to mug people anymore, Dan, okay? I don't want you getting hurt..."
"Nope. No charity, Reem, I don't roll that way. I've got standards and principles, ya know!"
"...Dan... you were going to rob me."
"...heh... oh yeah. Fine, screw it. Thanks, Remus, I owe ya like... 7 now. Come over for dinner sometime and you can taste the new flavored normal! We might even start a restaurant!"
"I'll take you up on it."
Remus smiled as he climbed the stairs of one of the four publicly-acknowledged-abandoned buildings. He got to the roof and rolled out his bed mat and punched his pillow a few times. He then said his prayers and went to bed.
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Slum 67
Jan 29, 2011 15:57:44 GMT -5
Post by NµKe on Jan 29, 2011 15:57:44 GMT -5
Pite smiled as his adrenaline began to start up. He could feel the moment arriving. He leaned up against the cold wall next to him and his eye winced only slightly as the freezing temperature shocked the skin on his bare shoulder. The skin would acclimate quickly, but the initial shock was always colder than expected. Nevertheless, his smile didn't fade. He knew who was coming down his street tonight. He had watched him for weeks and finally he'd have his chance tonight. Dr. Swain had worked in Slum 69 for a while now "helping" out some of the homeless shelters.
"Bull." was what Pite had labeled what he was doing. Pite knew that no self-respecting doctor would come down to the Slums simply out of charity or good-natured kindness. Swain had an ulterior motive. He was probably attempting to seduce some unwitting victim into coming to his own 'hospital'. "Sick freak" thought Pite. "He'll deserve what's coming to him..."
He heard the footsteps. They were quick footsteps. Whoever owned the footsteps was not taking their time, enjoying the scenery of Slum 69. They had a purpose. It was time to move. Pite stepped out of the small side alleyway between two buildings. He moved onto the very dimly lit sidewalk. The man was approaching. It was definitely Dr. Swain. Pite checked the dagger at his hip simply to reassure himself that he hadn't forgotten it, even though he had already checked it a good thirty times since he left headquarters.
Swain didn't slow his steps when he saw the kid. 'Another lost soul' he thought to himself. Nevertheless, the Doctor moved his hand in his left pocket to his small handgun. Lost souls were to be pitied and helped if possible, but they were not to be trusted foolishly. It was night, and the most confused and lost souls owned this time. As he neared the kid, he saw the kid begin to get more and more tense. Swain held his gun tightly in his pocket and kept moving, not slowing a step. The kid turned with rage written all over his face. He had a dagger and he was pointing it at Swain's face. Swain stopped.
There was about four feet between them.
Swain's heart dropped. He had prepared for moments like these. He was completely ready. His small pistol held fourteen rounds and his aim was sure. He wasn't confident enough to attempt to shoot the dagger from the kid's hand, but he knew he could hit him enough to stop any action the kid would take.
Pite forced a smile on his sweat-covered face. He would not show how afraid he was. He was not afraid. He knew what was coming, he knew what had to happen. He was willing.
"Money, now." he spat.
"Do you know who I am? Swain's voice was calm and collected. He was obviously trying to pacify the child with not only his tone of voice and speed of speech, but also the fact that he was there to help.
"Swain. Fake doctor. You're sick. Who is it you are going after in there? Mary? Stef? Vicky?" Pite felt a slight surge of power as he saw Swain's face change from peaceful to nervous. 'He's shocked because I've found him out... Yeah, that's right you pervert, I know what you're after...'
'The boy thinks I'm going after the women...' thought Swain. 'Of all the distorted, twisted...'
"You idiot. I'm not going after them. I'm here to help them."
"Bull."
"Go and ask them yourself!"
"You threatened them as well?! You are even sicker than I thought!"
"...I don't have time for this. Get out of my way, boy." Swain said, hoping that his air of confidence would dissuade the boy from any action.
The boy moved forward a step.
"Money or life... and that 'or' is about to become an 'and' if you waste any more of my time."
"...how much do you want?" Swain said eventually.
"All of it, you moron." Pite spat, getting louder. A light came on two floors up, Pite saw it and his urgency increased.
"Calm down. It's okay. Relax. Here, take it." Swain said, again in his calm voice.
Swain pulled out his wallet from his back left pocket slowly, thus removing his hand from his gun. He held it in front of him for a second, showing it to the boy, then he tossed it over into the alleyway where Pite had been standing before. Pite flinched at the toss, but stayed where he was.
"Never. Come. Back. Here. Again." Pite said every word as if it where almost a death-sentance. He finished with yelling... "YOU HEAR ME?!"
Swain simply looked at the boy, then he moved down off the sidewalk onto the street and began to walk forward again towards the train station where he always arrived at and departed from. Pite knew that he'd be going back to the Fourth Tier where he lived. As Swain stepped down onto the road, Pite moved off to the alleyway, grabbed the wallet and took off running down the alleyway back to Headquarters.
Swain entered the train heading home. The train car he was in was deserted. He first pulled out his gun and checked the ammo cartridge and sighed. It was full. He was glad that it was. He praised his deity every time he returned from the slums with a full cartridge. He then reached into his back right pocket and lifted the hidden flap to reveal his real wallet. Pulling it out, he thumbed through his cash and checked his cards. Still good to go. A few nights ago he had had a dream where he accidentally pulled out his real wallet to give to a thug who was attempting to mug him instead of his fake one. He chuckled to himself.
"Good choice." he muttered to himself. 'Good choice.'
Meanwhile, Pite was counting the bills in the very nice wallet. He smiled. þ1,250! It was a good day.
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Slum 67
Jan 31, 2011 22:28:52 GMT -5
Post by NµKe on Jan 31, 2011 22:28:52 GMT -5
Jedd awoke and groggily put his feet on the floor. He yawned. It was a bit of a late night with the friends and his head hurt slightly. He attempted to open his eyes against the mid-morning light that was filtering into his room from the slight crack in the shades covering his relatively small window. Slowly he let his eyelids slide open. He rose to his feet as he heard his mother scurrying about through the hall. Frank must have delivered to the wrong entrance again. 'Stupid delivery-man should learn to drink only on the weekends and not every, single, freaking, morning...' Jedd thought to himself.
He got up and walked outside his room, pulling on his work shirt. His Mom rushed past him and said two things...
"Morning. Pants."
Jedd looked down at his underwear. He chuckled to himself then walked back into his room, pulled on his normal brown trousers and walked back outside, down the hallway, and out into the shop. He shook his head a bit to get the blood flowing and then walked behind the second 'pen' register. He yawned as he accepted the first payment for fourteen normals. He quickly and easily calculated the change and passed the money back.
The next customer stepped up and greeted Jedd. "Mornin' Jedd." She said. Jedd had been looking down but he immediately looked up. Alexis smiled at him. Jedd did this sort of chuckle thing which turned into a cough. He also colored slightly and the color was definitely red.
"Could I have ten normals, please?" She asked in her melodiously angelic tone. Jedd grinned and nodded his head in his goofy way. He grabbed eleven normals, he didn't notice, he wasn't counting... However Alexis noticed.
"Oh, that's one too many, Jedd. Thanks though."
"Keep it, 'Lexis. From me."
It was Alexis' turn to go slightly red. She smiled and curtsied a quick, little curtsy then turned and left.
Mr. Rillian leaned over and said...
"That's þ120, friend. A nice gift though."
Jedd rolled his eyes and pulled out his þ120 and tossed in the register.
"Not even for your own son..." he muttered.
"I'm teaching you character and sacrifice, Lovebird."
Mr. Rillian let out a hearty laugh and soon enough Jedd joined in with his goofy chuckle. The atmosphere in the store was happy, as usual, and the people continued to go about their business.
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Slum 67
Feb 4, 2011 22:37:01 GMT -5
Post by NµKe on Feb 4, 2011 22:37:01 GMT -5
Remus walked into the Rillian's store and nodded at Jedd behind the counter. He smiled at the random outbursts of laughter scattered amongst the store. People were happy here. Remus noted that these people were not rich, and they were not well-dressed, but they were happy. They enjoyed one another's company and they enjoyed the beauty of a simple day going shopping for simple life necessities. Life was good.
Remus picked up his Normal for the day and held it in his left hand as he simply waited in line. The person to the left of him, in the second line looked over at him and said...
"You from around here, son?"
Remus chuckled. "From over in 62, but I've been here a few times. Met Jedd in the 'Fifth' and Jedd saved my butt a couple weeks back in a... uhm... disagreement, and so I told him I'd buy from him for the next year or more."
Both Remus and the man chuckled. The man nodded. "Yup, had my share of disagreements, I understand. You hear about the new Tax Proposal from the fancies?"
"No. Sup?"
"Supposedly they are debating as to whether they can levy a tax on shops like this here one and demand a good 5% of all profit simply for themselves..."
The man uttered a pretty serious curse in regards to the fancies and Remus' eyes went up, half shocked by the language and half shocked by the tax proposal.
"Stupid greedy spurious fools."
The man nodded, and cursed them again. By this time they were both at the registers. Remus smiled at Jedd who said...
"Tonight?" Remus nodded. "Where at?" Remus looked over to the right through the window at Jaxson's old place. "Jax. Ten."
"See you there."
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