Of Brick and Stone (open)

"How about you give us a tour around here? This is going to be the last time I'm ever here, I'd like it to be worth it," Halo said as he dumped the dishes in the sink and began washing them. To be honest, Halo had wanted a proper tour of the district since being on the roof. When he was little he was told some pretty crazy stories about what went on in the Rebel District. Now that he was here, he might as well see how much of it was true. "By the way is Martha around? I want to thank her for her hospitality."
 
Aaly raised her eyebrow "A tour? Eh.. Sure if you would like to" She tilted her head a little to the side, and then she thought they would prefer to stay away from District 2 streets until they could finally leave that place. "Ah, she's upstairs getting her baby boy to sleep"
 
(I just overloaded the front page with characters I need but idk if I can handle them all, so people who left come back! Or more people join ^0^)


"Is it okay if I say thanks?" Halo said pointing his thumb behind him.


Crisis had zoned out of the conversation to look through her cell. After getting board of looking at different gowns, she decided to get more information on District 6. Crisis liked to stay on top of government affairs and the state of the union. Her friends thought she was geeky for doing it, but she loved government, politics, and history.
 
She thought about it for a moment and shrugged "If you would like to" She answered simply. She glanced at at Crisis with her cell and suppressed a frown... Where the heck was her old cell anyway? She wondered to herself.
 
"Did you know that the first ever king of District 6 helped create the New World Order?" Crisis said out of nowhere. "That's so cool, I wonder why he didn't sign it." Crisis took a pause as she continued scanning through her cell. "The district remained neutral even though the king didn't agree with a section of The Order... but it doesn't say which one. And get this! The newest king of District 6, the one who just signed The Order yesterday, he's not related to the first king by blood. It says here that he was an adviser to the last king, an old friend. I didn't even know that could happen," Crisis said, her eyes bright with excitement. She loved finding out new things about the past history.


Halo raised an eyebrow. "Where are you finding out this information?" he had never heard of any of this before. And it didn't sound like anything they would teach in school. Halo stood over Crisis's shoulder and peered over her shoulder. "What is that?"


"The Archives," Crisis said like it was nothing.


Halo straightened. The Archives were off limits to those without clearance. It contained a lot of the pre-war history, and a few things post-war as well. Things the government did not see fit for the public. It was impossible to get into without the right d0t code, but sometimes Crisis would sneak into her parents study and steel theirs. And if she was lucky, the code wouldn't have changed before she could use it.


"Do you really think it's smart to be going there on your cell?" Halo grinned. "You remember what happened last time."


"We were never to speak of that," Crisis hissed, her eyes narrow.


Crisis may be a good hacker, but her cell wasn't nearly as protected as her computer. The 'last time' he spoke of was when Crisis thought it was safe to hack into the school computer using her cell to change a friend's grade. She had been discovered and was sent to re-education for two weeks. That was the first, and last, time she ever got caught. But that wasn't the only dangerous part of using your cell to hack into a system. Not only could you be discovered more easily, but it was much easier for others to hack into your proxy network and use it to see what you saw.


"Shut down the network," Halo told Crisis.


"Fine," she sighed, doing as she was told.


He then turned on his heel heading for upstairs. "I'll be right back, then we can leave."


Once upstairs, Halo stopped in the door frame of the room Marthe was in with her baby boy. He lightly knocked on the wood to get her attention, but not wake the baby. "I just wanted to thank you for the food and shelter. I know you didn't have to do any of it," his mother had drilled manners into his head from a young age. So Halo would feel wired with just leaving without showing his gratitude.
 
Aaly looked at them with a kinda amused look on her face, they did say they were not a couple but... They sure seemed like one. She gave a slight nod as Halo spoke before going upstairs.


Marthe was still rocking the cradle back and forth as she gazed at her son with the ever tender eyes of a mother's love. When she heard Halo knocking on the wood she raised her head and smiled at him gently as she nodded "Not at all, it was my pleasure. Have a good trip back home, young man"
 
(spirited away! <<<3)


Once outside, Halo looked right, and then he looked left. No one seemed to be paying then any mind. Halo didn't know if it was because they blended in with the people of this district, or because of something else. Glancing at Crisis, he noticed that she had taken off all of her jewelry and her hair was tied in a simple pony tail. If he didn't know her she could have easily been mistaken for a girl of District 2. Well, maybe the bag hung on her shoulder and that pouty look in her face gave her away. Halo turned in attention to Aaly.


"Does xiii control every inch of this district?" he asked tracing the red xiii that was spay-painted on the sidewalk with his foot. "What happened to the monarchy?"
 
(I know! >//<)


Aaly raised her eyebrow at his question as she looked around "Actually, I'm not sure about it. Haven't heard much about it and I have not ask about it either. Since my arrival to District 2 it kinda has always been like that now that I think about it" She too had been curious about that in the beginning.. Now, actually it was pretty normal to her.
 
"Hmm," Crisis muttered tapping her bottom lip with her forefinger."Now I'm curious to know."


"So Aaly," Halo said though a yawn. "Show us around this place. What do you do to kill time?"
 
Aaly crossed her arms behind her neck as she thought about it "Usually I train... Or just hang out or walk around... I think? Ah I go to the woods as well" She stopped as she looked back at them "Well at least I can say that I welcome you the central square of this side of the District" It was actually a pretty normal place. Kids playing and running here and there. People selling stuff on stands, some on stores. A huge TV on the north side of the square which was in fact broadcasting all the thing about the ball and the treaty. Some people stopped by to look at it but would keep walking short after, as if none of those things were they business, as if none of those things actually affected them at all.
 
"Nice," Halo said looking around. To tell the truth, this place wasn't as bad as he heard. Well, if you ignored the hyper hounds that came out every night and the fact that he almost got jumped his first day he arrived.


"Look what I got," Crisis said holding up her wrist to show off a bracelet made out of different colored beads.


Halo raised a brow, he didn't notice she had stepped away. "Where did you get that?"


Crisis pointed to a vender with more of the bracelets on her stand. "It was so cheep! But I spent the last of my paper money. Give me some of yours."


"No," Halo said. "Don't wonder off."


"Look, I brought one for you too," Crisis said dangling another bracelet in front of Aaly. "You know, to add a little femininity to your wardrobe."
 
Aaly tilted her head as she looked at the bracelet "Add a little femininity?" She asked and then she looked down at her clothes. Well it was kind of truth, even more now that she was actually a mess. She thought about her old self there for a moment and chuckled, what would she think about her now? She looked over at Crisis with a amused look on her face "Well thanks"
 
"No problem," Crisis said. "I love going buying stuff from different districts. Of course I have to do it all on line, but i go to admit, shopping first hand is way more fun. Even if it is from District 2."


"By the way," Halo started. "I realized that you never explained just how we will be getting out of here. Without out a hovercar, it wont be easy. I mean, it not like we can just walk there."
 
Aaly unfolded her arms from behind her neck and shrugged lightly "And just exactly who told you it would be without a hovercar?" She said as she tilted her head. However, she did lean a bit forward as she glanced around "You'll see that later, just don't talk about it over here, 'kay?" She said in a low voice, only meant to be heard by him and Crisis
 
"Sure thing," Halo muttered. He hated not know what he was getting himself into. Even more, he hated not being in control of it.


Crisis had stopped to watch the feeds coming from the big TV. She waited for the reported to stop talking about the treaty and how great it would be for the world before she spoke. "Why do you guys have the new feeds playing if you hate the higher districts?" she asked.
 
Aaly looked up at the TV and just gave a light shrug "Doesn't mean that some people don't like to know what's happening outside District 2, you know? Though well.. Actually most of them do not care" She admitted to herself as she sighed. They just left everything on xiii's hands.. Which kinda vexed her at the beginning. Now she knew most of them hated the New Order and kind of life that had to lead but were not brave enough to go against it.
 
Crisis turned her attention back to the TV as a report about the ball started. Her eyes lit up and she turned to Halo. "how exciting," she cheered. "A royal ball hosting six of the nine districts. The last time that many royals were in the same place was the last fifty year Summit."
 
Aaly diverted her attention from them to look around. Crisis was happy about the ball, she got that. But actually, Aaly was not happy at all. Tydus had told her it was a 'good chance' for them. Good chance for what? She didn't know. She hated it though, going again to District 1, that is. She let out a soft sigh, but what could she do about it? She stuffed her hands on her pockets and out of habit let her sight dart around the square. Usually, she would do that to see if there was someone she knew or something interesting to do, but right now she didn't really looked for something or someone and so for her it was just a random thing to do which she didn't really payed any attention at all.
 
"What are you looking at?" a young man asked looking over Aaly's shoulder.


Both Crisis and Halo turned their attention to the man and he straightened looking them over. His light brown hair was lazily swept upwards and on his face he wore reflective sunglasses. "So, this is the two outsiders who are causing all this trouble," he shoved his hand in his pocket and tilted his head to look at Halo, who was slightly taller then he. Then his eyes fell on Crisis. "Can't see why."


"And you are?" Halo asked.


The man grinned. "Shotgun."


Crisis gave him a sideways look. "Your mother named you Shotgun?"


"No, it's a name I acquired because of how good I am with a gun."


"I'm Halo," Halo said before Crisis could say anything else. "That's Crisis."


"Wait. You're name is Crisis... and you're making fun of my name?"


Crisis narrowed her eyes and scoffed. "I was named after-- look I didn't pick it." she folded her arms over her chest.


Shotgun turned back to Aaly. "You sure have gotten yourself into something. Tydus is not happy."
 
Aaly had turned her head to the side to look back over her shoulder to the guy that had suddenly showed up behind her. She had not yet felt him coming so close, maybe because she was really not paying attention, and his voice had startled her enough for her to practically throw her hand inside her pocket to get something to defend herself. She did, however, relaxed when she recognize him as Federico.. Or well Shotgun, and her stiffen posture gradually loosened as she dropped her hand out of her pocket. She had smiled amused by his comment on Crisis' name as she herself had thought the same thing and after being done with the introductions and being told about Tydus mood towards her she made a face.


"Ugh.. I know it without you reminding me of that. Even more, Trent practically wants to kill me" She said with a resigned tone of voice "Hey.. And whatcha doing here anyway?" She said as she crossed her arms over her chest.
 
Shotgun shrugged. "Thought you might want some company while babysitting the outsiders. It can't be fun being stuck with them till Monday."


"We're literally standing right next to you," Crisis huffed.


"Oh you know what I mean," Shotgun said with a wave of his hand. "So, what have you three been up to?"
 
"Nothing much. We had an awesome night with hounds and such" She rubbed her temple at the memory but then smirked soon after "Yeah right, I bet you were just curious and wanted to see them with your own eyes. That or you were bored" She took an apple from the stand and paid for it with some coins she'd still got on her pocket "They want me to show them around. Had any good places to take them to?" She rubbed the apple softly against the clean side of her sweater and took a bite of it.
 
"Yeah those hounds will scare you straight," laughed at Aaly's comment. "Aw you know me too well," He said making a square with both of his forefingers and thumbs. He moved the square around and closed one eye as if looking through a screen. "When they said you two were from District 5, I was expecting fur coats and gold shoes. But you two look pretty normal." His hands must have gotten too close to Crisis face because she knocked it away with the back of her hand. Shotgun scoffed and gave Aaly a 'the f*ck' look. "feisty." When asked if he had a good place to take them too, Shotgun paused to think. Then he grinned. "Why not take them to the Pink Room?"
 
Aaly gave him a light shrug as Crisis swat his hands away, the girl was like that, nothing they could do about it. She raised her eyebrow at his suggestion and thought about it for a moment "Yeah, why not? You lead the way then"
 
Shotgun nodded and started to walk, Aaly beside him and Crisis and Halo taking up the rear.


"What's the Pink Room?" Crisis asked.


Shotgun opened his mouth to answer, but Halo beat him to the punch.


"It's pretty much a building with very dim lighting where you pay a small fee and then you can stay their as long as you want and take as much drugs as your body can handle. Some people just stay there for hours, days, weeks. It's pretty lame."


Shotgun tossed a look over his shoulder to Halo. "How do you know that?"


"They have one in District 8," he said simply.


"Huh. I was under the impression that both of you were born in District 5."


"Who would want to waist their life away in one room?" Crisis asked confused by the appeal.


"People who hate their life," Shotgun said bitterly, but then he changed the tone of his voice to a cheerier one. "Pink Room's can only be found in the poor districts. It's said it's that way so that the people can find a moment of bliss in their hard lives. But I'm sure it's because they want all of us to be weak and docile. It's much easier to take over a place when the people are to addicted to fight back." This time Shotgun was unable to keep the hate from his voice. He truly did hate the higher districts.


"If it's so bad, then why are we going?" Crisis asked.


"Because there's a fun little hangout in the basement where you can relax" Shotgun explained. Then he added. "Drug free."
 
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