Giggle At A Funeral

[Adrian Bennett]

It had become so tiresome lately - the city was filled with people. And not any kind of people either. To Adrian, it seemed as if everyone who lacked a moral compass had gathered in the same place. His brown eyes darted over the crowd and he tightened his jaw - looking anything but pleased. He knew that they needed to have some fun - good lord, they needed it. But that didn't mean he agreed that this was a rational thing to spend their time doing.

Oliver had managed to talk him into going down to the club district, and considering how it was late evening - when both of them should have been home, safe and sound, Adrian was anything but pleased.

The streets were filled with club goers, hookers, idiots and every menacing looking person in the city. He kept his hands close to himself, feeling awkward and out of place as they pushed their way through the crowd. He could feel something, or someone brush against his butt, which only made his already tense body stiff up some more.

"Look man, I don't think this is--" He was cut off by a rather grotesque woman stepped in front of him. She hadn't reached the last stage of the Rot yet, but she sure as hell looked as if there was something terribly wrong with her. Her entire face was covered in makeup - or what appeared as makeup anyways. Maybe she wasn't even infected. Adrian didn't know. But the way she kept staring at him and smiling made his skin crawl. And before the golden haired boy could do much, she'd grabbed his face, her long fingernails raking against his skin, making a shiver run down his spin.

And then she moved in for the kill, her lips parting in front of him and he could feel the nausea grow - and then he squeaked (yeah yeah, real manly), incapable of saying anything else and took a step back. His skin turned crimson red and his brown eyes darted towards the ground. He could hear the woman giggle, saying something along the lines of how much she loved them innocent. His cheeks were burning and he wanted nothing more than to turn around, run and hide somewhere far, far away.

[Oliver H. Basille]

Adrian was so worrisome. Oliver this isn't going to go well. Oliver maybe we should be back home. Oliver it's dark. Oliver this, Oliver that[/img] and Ollie was just ignoring all of the tiny things that Adrian would point out. The club district didn't bother Oliver because Oliver was a bad ass obviously. In all honestly though, Ollie just ignored all of the creeps that they passed down there. He had talked Adrian into doing this for a reason. Oliver had been coming down to the club district, through the city looking for any sign of his twin sister for three years.

He wasn't going to find her in the day time, his only chance was at night. And he wouldn't find her if they didn't get out and look. Of course there were times Ollie just wanted out and about to explore, which was often the excuse that he gave his best friend. Nyx was a best kept secret for Oliver, one he didn't intend on sharing with much of anyone. It wasn't as if Adrian would be able to help spot her anyway, Ollie didn't have a picture and for all he knew, Nyx could have chopped off all her hair. It wouldn't be shocking, she was a wow factor of a person usually.

Adrian was just about to worry again when a large woman stepped out in front of them. Ollie's eyes widened and he stepped back before she could grab hold of him. Which led to her grabbing hold of Adrian. Oliver wasn't the most intimidating person, and he sure as hell wasn't a fighter, so he didn't think of doing anything as she grasped his best friend's face. With her nails raking across Adrian's cheeks, the boy beside Ollie squeaked which set Oliver off into a fit of laughter. "Masculine, man. Reeeeaaal masculine," Oliver snorted and nudged the older boy.

He doubled over as he laughed harder and started coughing uncontrollably.

[Adrian Bennett]

Adrian knew there was more to the story than what he saw. He wasn't stupid, after all. He didn't necessarily understand the reasoning, but that didn't change the fact that he understood that for some reason, this was important. It couldn't be helped, though. Had their roles been reversed, Adrian would have done the same and he would have pulled Oliver with him with the same amount of force - or words. Whatever, it didn't matter. Just because he understood, it didn't mean he wanted to be here.

He just hoped that whatever said reason was, it was hella important.

Immediately as he heard Oliver laugh, his brown eyes snapped towards him, glaring. "Shut up," he muttered under his breath. He looked towards where the woman had been to make sure she'd moved off to prey on another poor soul. Thankfully, she had and Adrian could turn his attention back to his friend, which was still laughing. What a surprise. Shaking his head, Adrian let out a slow breath and huffed. "It wasn't even that funny," he attempted, sounding annoyed. It really hadn't been.

"Can we just go?" he asked, almost pleading. He didn't want to be here in the first place, let alone being molested by some hooker who was at least twice his age. Besides, standing still made him feel edgy and vulnerable. It was best to keep moving. It was harder to get caught that way. Without waiting for a response, Adrian continued onward, his eyes moving left and right, making sure he didn't get ambushed again.

[Oliver H. Basille]

"DUDE, it was so great, you should have seen your face, man! Oh my LAWD, can I watch it in slow motion again? Maybe she'll rub her boobs up against your face next," Ollie snickered and ruffled Adrian's hair. It may not have been as funny as Oliver was making it out to be, but in a living style like theirs, any kind of humor was welcome. Which would explain the comedic relief Oliver often offered to everyone just by being present. He was practically comedic relief personafied which only made him want to laugh at everything more. If he could laugh with someone, at someone, or coax a laugh from someone, he felt as if he was doing a great service to the world.

Adrian's pleads sobered Oliver up a bit and with a few escaped giggles, mostly to lighten the mood, Ollie shrugged, "I suppose so. Wanna find ya another one? Maybe a pimp would be better suited to your kind." Ollie tapped his lower lip and smirked at his best friend, casting a sideways glance at him. "I'm just messing Adrian, jeez. Get your panties out of a bunch. You know the more awkward you act around here the easier a target you are? Think about that while you stand their all blushy blushy because someone touched your face with the gentle caress of long ass dracula nails."

Ollie shrugged again and glanced around, scanning the crowd vaguely, yet focusing on certain areas that would lure Nyx in. Oliver knew she'd been around this area, if not recently, at least when they split up. She loved exploring and she loved the idea of a place like this. Filled with uncanny weirdos that scared everyone else away. Nyx was highly amazed by some of the strangest things from what Ollie could remember, and yet, he couldn't say he knew anymore. Three years changes a person when they're away from their family and everyone they love. Nyx was a loner, he couldn't imagine her being part of anything more.

"C'mon Squeakers, I wanna check to see if this place has any other supplies to ransack." A lie, a total lie. They had ransacked the place hundreds of times by now, yet Oliver always had a sense of his sister being so close. Signs he saw reminded him of her. Little things that she'd leave behind that only he would pick up. But most of the time, he always felt stupid for believing a thing like that, and he came up empty-handed.

[Adrian Bennett]

Adrian's glare only intensified at his best friend's words and when he ruffled his hair, Adrian swatted Oliver's hand away. "Ha ha, very funny. You've gotten your laugh, now shut the fuck up," he growled. He wasn't really that mad, and Oliver knew it. He was only annoyed because he'd gotten so openly embarrassed. Adrian didn't enjoy people touching him. He was a very personal person who enjoyed his personal space. It was okay when Oliver touched him, because they were friends. But a stranger? No way.

"Oh shut your trap," he sighed, his head shaking. He knew Oliver was right, but he didn't want to admit it. He wasn't going to. No way. Rolling his eyes, the golden haired boy huffed once more. "Yeah, yeah, whatever," he muttered as he slid his hands into his pockets. Well, at least a hooker was better than a Doomed.

They fell into something of a silence as Oliver scanned the crowd. Adrian did the same, although he was constantly looking for potential threats. Pushing his mind away from what had just happened, he readied himself for anything - you never really knew around these parts. Sometimes a drunkard looking for a fight could be worse than running into any of the Doomed.

Adrian furrowed his brows at Oliver's statement, but said nothing. He knew they weren't here for that, but if Oliver didn't want to tell him, Adrian wasn't going to ask. "Anything for you, dearest Ollikinz," he teased, his smile returning.

[Oliver H. Basille]

After the jabs and harmless picking, Oliver felt weight press down on him. It always happened this way, he'd push out any kind of his old ways out forcefully, just to make things seem normal, and then he'd be reminded that this wasn't the place for a person like him. Least of all when he didn't have his other half. He'd grown up into this person, the one who laughs at inappropriate times and makes jokes to lighten people up because of his sister. Because they were very much the same, though she was deeper than him. She had a philosophical look out at the world, and although she loved to laugh and joke, she could flip a switch and be serious and wondering again.

When he laughed, he missed her. He missed her laugh, the inside jokes they'd made, the comfort he found in her presence alone. Nyx was literally like another part of him and he'd felt discombobulated ever since he got separated from her. Finding Adrian had helped, sure, because in some ways, like the nickname he'd been called, Adrian reminded Ollie of Nyx. And he knew that Nyx would think Adrian was like a long lost brother of some kind. She'd adore him. Ollie so wanted to tell Adrian about her, but talking about her made him sick and he shut off before he let himself reach that point.

"Line crossed, dude. No one, I repeat, NO ONE calls me Olliekinz. Not even if we were gay lovers man, not even then," Oliver narrowed his eyes at Adrian, but his smile played at his lips regardless of how serious he actually was. Olliekinz had never sat well with Oliver. And the only one who thus far had insisted upon calling him that and only that was Nyx. It had started back when they were first learning to speak. She went from Ol-Lol to Ollie to Olliekinz. Only the middle one stuck with him long enough to become his actual nickname among most people who knew him or had known him once.

Oliver led on, peaking into one of the musty windows that had been boarded up prior to the first time they'd explored it. "Alright, Princess, you're going in first this time. With the stench of that hooker, I don't think the Doomed will find you all that appetizing, so you should be fine."

[Adrian Bennett]

Shrugging, Adrian offered the other boy a lighthearted smile. "Sorry, mate," he began, his smile growing. "It was just too adorable to resist." Adrian wasn't one for nicknames. Not really. But Oliver had pretty much asked for it. And although he was curious as to why the boy hated it so much (apart from the obvious reasons; it was a terrible nickname), he wasn't about to ask. It was none of his business and he enjoyed his own personal space so much he knew not to barge in on other's.

Sighing loudly, Adrian moved towards the window and leaned up at the tips of his toes to peek inside. As much as he hated going in blindly he had to agree with Oliver. It was far better for Adrian to go in first. He might not look the part, but he was stronger than most people thought he was. "Funny," he drawled as he pressed the palms of his hands against the window tilt and hoisted himself up. "See you on the other side, babe."

And with that, he was gone. He went in with his feet first and landed on the floor underneath with a light thud. He remained perfectly still, his eyes scanning the darkness within. He moved his hand and knocked his knuckles against the wall and then he waited. The seconds passed and he didn't hear a single sound, so he stepped further inside, feeling the area in front of him with his feet. "It's clear!" he called over his shoulder as he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness.

[Oliver H. Basille]

Oliver rolled his eyes dramatically and threw his head back, "Well then you can't get snarky with me when I use dumb nicknames on you, Buttercup." He stuck his tongue out at his best friend in an attempt to push all of the anxiety he felt towards that nickname out of his mind and out of his body. He didn't need to be feeling homesick while he was out in a place like this. The Club District was dangerous, and he needed to keep as clear a head as he was capable. Thinking about Nyx was one thing, being reminded of the way she had always called him 'Olliekinz' was a totally different thing. It was bad enough that Adrian reminded him of his sister, he didn't need anymore help.

Glancing around to make sure everything was still clear, he waited for Adrian to shimmy his little butt through the window. After he hoisted himself up and through, Oliver leaned in so he could hear better. The thud of feet gave him a reassuring feeling, but he still felt uneasy while he waited for Adrian to check around. The Doomed were practically everywhere. And it was not the easiest to fend them off one on one in Ollie's experience. Besides, older as he was, Adrian was a little bit frailer than Ollie.

With the signal from his best friend, Oliver pulled himself up and through the window after him. He landed a little unsteady and nearly fell right on his ass, but caught himself on the wall. "Oi, maybe we need to find some glowsticks or something and find a way to light this sucker when we come through for supply runs. It's dark as shit in here," Oliver said as he waited for his pupils to adjust. He took a step forward, accidentally bumping Adrian, "Oops. So hey, what kind of things did we need on this run?" Besides finding Nyx, hopefully.

[Adrian Bennett]

"Buttercup?" Adrian chewed on that for a few seconds before shrugging. "You couldn't come up with something worse?" Like, say, Adrianna? Oh well. He supposed he'd simply have to take what he could get. In a way, Adrian had a tendency not to care about being teased - but now, now that he'd gotten so openly embarrassed? It made it so much easier to get under his skin. He hated feeling or even being vulnerable. He didn't want to be weak. He knew what happened to weak people.

Keeping his eyes and ears focused on the dark room, Adrian nodded slowly, even if Oliver couldn't see it. "What we can't see in the dark, can't see us either," he replied matter of factly. He knew Oliver was right though, but carrying around light put you at a disadvantage. As horrible as stumbling around blind was, it was better than being a beacon of light. Taking a few steps forward, he felt the tip of his boots hit against a can and he immediately knelt down to pick it up. Sadly, it was empty.

Sighing, Adrian got back on his feet and shook his head just as he felt Oliver bump against him and he immediately whirled around. He could feel his entire body tensing. Man, he was out of it. "I don't think we're gonna find much in here," he said. "This place's probably been raided to hell an' back." He turned again, his eyes finally starting to adjust somewhat. Although, it wasn't enough. "Food, mostly. Maybe something we can trade for."

[Oliver H. Basille]

Oliver shrugged, he hadn't exactly tried to get a horrible nickname for his best friend. Enjoy it as he may, picking on someone had its limits. If he wanted to be mean just to be mean, he would have thought more carefully about his insulting nickname, but Ollie just wasn't like that. So he left it at buttercup which was something he'd picked up from his parents before they died. Whenever Ollie or Nyx complained, they'd always say 'Suck it up, buttercup,' and it just sort of stuck with him through the years he'd faced without them.

With the darkness engulfing them, Oliver couldn't quite see all of the ridiculous flailing Adrian was doing, but he could hear it. Sort of. "Dude, would you calm your shit down? I swear I can hear the gusts of wind coming from your flailing arms. The hooker is outside, she ain't fitting her ass through that window." He shook his head and attempted to place his hand on Adrian's shoulder, missed and 'accidentally' smacked Adrian upside the head, Oliver's hand resting loosely over the other boy's face. Ah, perfect.

"Welp, we can still look. Who knows what the bums outside use this place for, maybe they stock it with random shit they find, wouldn't that be lucky?" Oliver put a little pep in his step as he headed forward. His eyes had finally adjusted and he was able to vaguely make out his surroundings. Better yet, his sister could have taken up shelter in this place, waiting for him to come back. What if she knew he always came back to the same places, thinking that she'd show up one day? Oliver frowned in the darkness and bit his lip, he really just wanted to find her. Alive. Not Doomed. Without infection.

[Adrian Bennett]

Opening his mouth to reply, Adrian quickly shut it again and let out a heavy sigh. There was no point for him to get agitated. Not in this kind of situation. It wouldn't do any of them any favors and if there was anything lurking in the shadows, it would hear them if he did. Instead, Adrian shook his head. "Whatev--" he began, but was interrupted as he felt Oliver's hand smack him upside the head, and Adrian let out a light 'ooof'.

Swatting the hand away, Adrian grimaced. "Maybe," he said thoughtfully. "Divide and conquer or stick together?" Dividing would make things go much faster, but sticking together was safer. Both had important factors with them. Although, Oliver was right. There could be valuable things here - all depending on who said things were valuable to. Books, food, water, alcohol, general supplies, electronics -- there were so many things that could be important as long as you knew the right people.

Adrian took a few steps to the side, his eyes glued to the floor behind him. He could see the mattresses even before he reached them. Someone had used this room for sleeping, and from the smell, they probably still did. Wrinkling his nose, Adrian looked over his shoulder. "Oliver," he said calmly. "We just stepped into someone's bedroom."

[Oliver H. Basille]

Oliver snickered, he quite enjoyed irritating and even annoying his best friend. It wasn't all that difficult because Oliver was kind of a spaz that ran his mouth a lot and never knew quite when to stop. And then he did things like smack people in the face and then cover it with his hand just because he knew it was going to get some kind of reaction out of Adrian. More often than not, he was pleased with the outcome, Adrian getting all huffy and swatty with his hands. It was quite comical.

"Div-" He stopped when he took another look around. Adrian confirmed what he had just put together and Ollie's blood ran a little cold. As a Wanderer, it was important to distance yourself from the communities just in case you crossed someone that wasn't the nicest and wanted to use you as bait just to kill a stupid Doomed. Oliver had only experienced it once, but the guy that had been so brutal wasn't really part of any group. He was sort of like them, except he didn't have morals. He didn't have laws. Furrina from what Oliver had guessed. Even as a Wanderer, they all had their own rules and laws to live by. Morals, humanity. Ollie didn't want to see it happen again, but his curiosity always got the better of him.

Because what if who was staying in this place...was his sister? What if Nyx had made her home in the City hidden by the stench and the crowd of people outside, she could have definitely made it here. There were enough supplies for one person to live unaffected. "Let's have a look-see shall we?" Oliver threw over his shoulder at Adrian as he took a few steps forward toward the mattresses. Their mother had given Nyx a quilt that was somehow passed down through each generation, despite the loss they suffered. If Ollie found that quilt, he found Nyx. He looked around the mattress, kicked a few things out of the way and frowned. It had to be her. She had to be here.

[Adrian Bennett]

Adrian had actually expected that Oliver treated this with more caution. That he'd actually treat this like the serious situation it was. Instead, it seemed as if something had spurred his friend on and for a moment, Adrian stood completely still, almost dumbfounded as he watched the dark haired boy move through the darkness. His lips curled back and he wanted to hiss, but knew that Oliver was far too stubborn. No, Adrian was better off if he caved in and spent his energy scanning the darkness for movements and sounds.

Adrian followed, carefully, in silence. He didn't like this situation at all. Now more than ever, he wanted to ask Oliver what on earth had gotten into him. From the sound and the little he could see in the darkness, Oliver had moved towards the mattress and was... He wasn't entirely sure what the younger boy was doing, to be fair.

"Hurry up," he said between clenched teeth. "I'd rather not be here whenever the person who owns this stuff comes back." He had a feeling this person wouldn't be particularly pleased having two boys running through their stuff. Adrian surely wouldn't have been had the roles been reversed. "Oliver!" he hissed. "What the shite is wrong with you? Get your ass moving you moron." Reaching his arm out, he meant to grab Oliver by the arm, but quickly froze mid-air as he heard the sound of movement coming from somewhere across the room.

[Oliver H. Basille]

Ollie disregarded what Adrian had said to him. If it was Nyx, he wanted to be here when she came back. He needed to be here, he needed to find her. That was all that played in his mind, the reunion with his sister. She was the only thing that was keeping him from quitting at life and letting whatever happen to him happen. Of course he had this new family, but he'd stuck with them in hopes of surviving long enough to find Nyx. If he didn't, things would definitely change. He would leave and he would give himself over to the Doomed or starvation because if Nyx was no longer in this world, he didn't want to be either. It was plain and simple, but it was buried within him. No one knew how he felt. No one knew that his sister was his only lifeline.

Oliver shook his head at Adrian's overreacting and sighed, "Would you calm down, Jesus." But the sound of rustling from the opposite side of the room had even Ollie freezing. Okay, if it was Nyx, he'd have known by now. There was no quilt, no signs of anything that Nyx loved and he knew that if she saw him, she would have popped out already and ran at him to tackle hug him to the ground. Because that's how they were. And nothing had changed that in those three years. He knew it.

"Uh, okay, maybe we shouldn't be here," Ollie whispered and stepped back towards Adrian, whether it was protectively or in fear, he couldn't quite comprehend at the moment. All he knew was that neither of them needed to get killed tonight and this was not where he was going to find Nyx. Period. He reached out to grab hold of some part of Adrian, aiming for his arm. One of them was going to be dragging the other out of here, he just didn't know which would be doing what.

[Adrian Bennett]

Adrian wasted no time. The moment Oliver stepped back, he yanked his arm and started dragging him as silently as he could towards the window. From the sound, it didn't seem as if whatever was out there had heard them, but then again, in this kind of world, you kind of never knew. You always had to be on the tip of your toes and pay extra close attention.

This happened to be one of those moments.

Adrian positioned himself behind Oliver, pushing him towards the window. Despite the dangerous situation, Adrian's loved ones would always come first. They'd always be the first ones to get out of a dangerous situation, whatever it'd end up costing Adrian. Besides, Oliver could take care of Adrian's sister just fine, right?

The two of them reached the window and Adrian ushered for Oliver to climb through. He could hear footsteps draw closer - trying at first, then quicker. Adrian felt his heart hammer in his chest and he could only hope that whatever, or whoever was there hadn't heard him. Although, he quickly realized he was wrong as he felt something wet and warm smudge across his hand and he practically jumped against his friend, pressing the other boy against the wall next to the window. The same sensation brushed against his arm again and he furrowed his brows. "It feel like fur," he said, dumbfounded.