We Must Get Away [Open/Xenon]

[Momo]

It felt like someone was taking a hammer to his skull, trying to scramble his brain. The feeling wasn’t a new one, he was actually well accustomed to the pounding sensation, but that didn’t make it any more pleasant. In fact, it was like having a truly annoying friend that just won’t get the hint and go away, although Geronimo wouldn’t know this because he didn’t have any friends. It was only he and his half-sister, and they were doing their best to get as far away from Hell as possible.

His stomach growled, twisted with hunger, and he scowled. This rummaging business was a lot harder than he had expected. For some reason, he had expected food to be plentiful – or at least, not invisible – outside the prison they had escaped from a few days ago. Since then, they had eaten only what they could find…and that wasn’t much. Still, anything was better than staying trapped in that place. The mixed breed shivered just thinking about it, and the person who had tortured them: their Father. He was half expecting Him to be waiting around every bend, waiting to trap them again, do horrible, terrible things to them again.

No, don’t think that. Stop. He had to brave, for his sake and for Shoshanna’s. He was her brother after all, and he had to protect her, even if he hardly had the energy to hunt through the garbage. They were all each other had and the only other person they could trust. Everyone else were unknown strangers, monsters. Stay away. Neither of them needed any more nightmares.

His front paws ripped open a bag, and he gave a little mew of happy surprise. Three copper coins lay smiling up at him, and a more wonderful sight the youngster couldn’t imagine.

“Sho-shan-na!” He called out, knowing that she wouldn’t go far; they never strayed too far from one another. “I found something!” Gone for a moment was all the anger, the mistrust. He was pleased.

[carcinoGeneticist]

There was a certain knack to dumpster-diving that the young girl just didn't quite have a hold of yet. She was learning, to be sure, but it had never been something to think about, no matter how awful her life at home had been.

One of the first lessons, for example, was that you never wanted to pick through the garbage behind Medical Corvie's labs. Those were the dumpsters that had terrible things in them, things that had actually given her nightmares once. It had taken a while before she'd really felt comfortable with combing through the trash again. That lesson had stuck. There were others she'd learned, but most had been temporary, judgements that involved a weighing of good and bad. Like whenever she found moldy or otherwise off food. It sometimes tasted bad, and it sometimes made her and her brother sick, but for a little while, their bellies would be full.

Right now, Shoshanna was picking through a mound of rubbish, on the other end of the alley from her brother. She didn't really like being so far from his side (what if someone stumbled upon them?), but it meant they could cover more ground. Not that it mattered. She wasn't having any luck, and Geronimo hadn't made any noise, which probably meant they'd need to go somewhere else and start searching there soon.

When he called her name, there was a moment when the skunk almost thought she'd had a heart attack. A few deep breaths and Geronimo's next statement calmed her hugely, and she quickly trotted to his side. "What ith it?" she asked, excitement making the words tumble out, her slur manifesting a bit stronger than it might normally.

[Momo]

Geronimo licked his lips, thinking of the meal they’d be able to afford with his prize. Of course, maybe it would be better if they rationed the money so that once they reached the Capital City they wouldn’t be completely destitute. Then again…he was really hungry. Maybe – and he had a feeling he wasn’t exaggerating – maybe they were even starving. His expression took on its usual cross look; the young child did not like being indecisive. A plan of action was required.

Well, he’d just ask his sister what she’d rather do. He turned his head the moment he heard her lisping voice, a proud glint to his eyes. He hadn’t been able to help her when He was around, ruining them and their mothers, but he would try his best to defend her now. “See?” He said, voice free of its usual cold, sharp tone. The coins lay lovingly under one of his paws, but he shoved them towards her. “What do you think? Should be spend it all and fill our bellies, or should we save some?” Geronimo asked kindly, glancing behind her towards the opening of the alley for any intruders. Never could be too careful.

“Whatever we decide, I think it’d be best to get out of here as soon as possible. We’re not too far from the city and I’d much rather be there,” he added with a small note of authority. It was true though, he hated Corvistowne and the terrible memories that clung to it.

[carcinoGeneticist]

There was the curiosity, the questions that plagued her mind, and it showed on her face. Shoshanna's orange eyes widened a little as she leaned over, trying to get a better view of whatever it was that her brother had managed to find for them this time. It would be something good, of that she was certain. She was the one who got excited over dumb things, only to realize after she'd rushed them to Geronimo how utterly useless they really were.

This time he was excited, and in a moment, she knew why.

Money. Of all the things that they could potentially find in the trash, money was by far the best. They didn't have to pawn it off on someone else, or scrape off the moldy bits before eating it. Money could just be used, and they could get a nice meal.

It almost made the girl start to shake with excitement. Of course, her brother brought her attention to another issue - what would they do with it this time? She was hungry, yes, but really... She wasn't that hungry. "I think we thould leave," Shoshanna murmured, glancing at the ground. "I'm not that hungry right now. I can go a little while. An' there might be other food on the way to the thity."

The girl wanted out of Corvistowne, but she didn't need to tell Geronimo that. He knew, as well as she did. They just couldn't stay here. Even if she'd still be on the street, even if nothing else changed...

Leaving this place would still change everything.

[Momo]

Oh, Geronimo was so happy with himself, so much so that he couldn’t help but wiggling his back end with excitement. Moments of happiness came all too rarely for the siblings, so it was best to milk it for all its worth, as it probably wouldn’t last all that long. His smile grew as his sister bounded over to him.

Immediately following Shoshanna’s input, the mixed breed nodded and became his usual thoughtful self. “Okay,” he began, the gears in his mind spinning. “We should go that way,” he decided, tilted his head towards the east. “That’s the direction He went, when He wanted to reach the capital,” Geronimo said. Luckily he was too young to understand the irony of the situation: that they were using their captor’s directions to finally escape.

“Sos, les ges going, osay?” He asked, voice slurred because of the coins in his mouth, and began to walk towards the opening of the alleyway. They’d have to move quickly through the larger, busier streets, which meant ignoring his headache and their hunger, but the two had lived through worse.

[carcinoGeneticist]

Some part of Shoshanna's mind couldn't believe it. They'd finally scrounged up money on a good day, a day when hunger wasn't the most important thing in their minds. They were finally going to get out of here, away from the fear of being picked up to be used in someone's experiments, away from the memories of that Man and the pain he'd caused them and their mothers. She would sleep soundly, because it also meant that should he come back to look for them, he wouldn't find them.

He'd never touch them again. She reached up, gingerly touching her scars. If she could see him now, she would laugh.

At least, she liked to think that. It was easy to be brave when you were on top of the world, when you had nothing to fear. The skunk brushed against her brother, giving him a bright smile, her eyes shining. "We're finally gonna be free," she said, her tail flicking, ears panned forward. When he started to walk, she followed him, a skip in her step before she settled into a more regular walk. She had no idea how far the Capital was, only that she should be careful to conserve her energy.

"What do you think it'th gonna be like?" the girl asked after a moment, unable to keep her excitement internalized.