Ripe for the Picking [Derek + Open]
Jun 28, 2010 3:52:38 GMT -5
Post by Naoki Yoshida on Jun 28, 2010 3:52:38 GMT -5
Outfit here.
District 1 people made Naoki feel a combination of things, none of which were all that good. On the occasions when he did dare to wander into that rather well-to-do place, he never failed to find himself both disgusted and surprised that so much money actually existed in the world. Or maybe it was that all that money was concentrated on this one place, when other parts of the current world were suffering.
Money.
Perks of living so close to the Capitol, he supposed.
Naoki had never been even remotely rich. There had been a time when life had been pretty comfy for him and his family, but that had only been possible through many hours of hard work laboring on a farm in District 11. Looking at the clean-kept, rather happy-looking folk of District 1, Naoki got the impression some of them had never worked a day in their lives.
Naoki and his current family (a small group of people of whom only one he was actually related to by blood) were sort of extreme wanderers. They lived in an abandoned warehouse that they had discovered together, and they made their living in a perhaps not-quite-so Robin Hood kind of way. The eldest in their group, Katsuo, formerly lived in one of the Upper Districts, and though he'd found a way to the furthest reaches of the known world to get away from that place, in the end, he'd had to come back. Naoki and the others couldn't really even attempt to live out their current lifestyle stealing from the people in the Districts that didn't have enough money to begin with. Nor did they want to.
So here Naoki was, looking eagerly for some unsuspecting target. He'd put on some of his best clothes, which--considering his living situation--were actually pretty nice. He'd seen a lot of girls he probably very easily could have mugged, but he'd made a promise with himself some time ago that if he could get a daily reaping from someone other than a female, then he would. He still held much respect for his long-since deceased mother, who he was sure wouldn't agree with what he was doing, and for pettier reasons....well, he just really liked girls. Even the rich, snobby ones.
In many ways, what Naoki was doing now was much better than the "night ventures" he and the other guys in his group pursued. But it wasn't all that moral either, and he knew that. Still...........
Then Naoki saw him.
The guy looked around his age, and he looked pretty happy too. Naoki saw him doing what appeared to be some innocent window-shopping in front of a fancy shmancy knick knack shop, then go inside.
Naoki grinned to himself. As long as he was careful, he wouldn't get caught, and if he was even more careful, he could reap quite a bit out of this venture. The supplies back at the warehouse had been running a bit low, so he knew that if he could score big with this trip, not only would he be able to restock for the rest of his "family", but he might even be able to pick up a little something else for himself too.
Looking around to ensure the coast was at least a little clear, Naoki gave himself the okay and stepped out from the alleyway he'd settled in some time before. A nice, dark, cozy corner he could spy on the world from. A place he was very well accustomed to.
Naoki slipped into the knick knack shop behind his target, then carefully shut the door behind them. The shop appeared rather empty at first glance. It was pretty large, covered in rows and rows of expensive-looking trinkets and gifts, and Naoki would have considered mugging someone here out of the question if there were one person less in the place. The most unnerving part was the quiet.
It's like these people think they're in a museum--do District 1 people not talk? Naoki pondered the idea and scratched his head, confused. He remembered what he was there for and started weaving slowly in between the shelves until he saw his target again. He couldn't tell what the other guy was doing from this angle, but it didn't seem to matter. Naoki checked quickly to see if he was out of the way of cameras and other shoppers, then leaned forward just enough to send one of the shop shelves crashing down on the boy he'd been following. At the same time, he slipped a few of the trinkets into the pockets on the inside of his jacket. He certainly wouldn't pass up a chance to give Nozomi a nice thing or two for their warehouse home.
Naoki quickly ducked around the other side of the shelf, covering his head with his hands, as if to make it look like he'd also been a victim of the freak accident, then yelled, "What happen, what happen!?"
There was nothing quite like playing the dumb foreigner to make one's self look more like a victim. He waited for his target's reaction, because what he earned from today's reaping depended on what the other boy would do.
District 1 people made Naoki feel a combination of things, none of which were all that good. On the occasions when he did dare to wander into that rather well-to-do place, he never failed to find himself both disgusted and surprised that so much money actually existed in the world. Or maybe it was that all that money was concentrated on this one place, when other parts of the current world were suffering.
Money.
Perks of living so close to the Capitol, he supposed.
Naoki had never been even remotely rich. There had been a time when life had been pretty comfy for him and his family, but that had only been possible through many hours of hard work laboring on a farm in District 11. Looking at the clean-kept, rather happy-looking folk of District 1, Naoki got the impression some of them had never worked a day in their lives.
Naoki and his current family (a small group of people of whom only one he was actually related to by blood) were sort of extreme wanderers. They lived in an abandoned warehouse that they had discovered together, and they made their living in a perhaps not-quite-so Robin Hood kind of way. The eldest in their group, Katsuo, formerly lived in one of the Upper Districts, and though he'd found a way to the furthest reaches of the known world to get away from that place, in the end, he'd had to come back. Naoki and the others couldn't really even attempt to live out their current lifestyle stealing from the people in the Districts that didn't have enough money to begin with. Nor did they want to.
So here Naoki was, looking eagerly for some unsuspecting target. He'd put on some of his best clothes, which--considering his living situation--were actually pretty nice. He'd seen a lot of girls he probably very easily could have mugged, but he'd made a promise with himself some time ago that if he could get a daily reaping from someone other than a female, then he would. He still held much respect for his long-since deceased mother, who he was sure wouldn't agree with what he was doing, and for pettier reasons....well, he just really liked girls. Even the rich, snobby ones.
In many ways, what Naoki was doing now was much better than the "night ventures" he and the other guys in his group pursued. But it wasn't all that moral either, and he knew that. Still...........
Then Naoki saw him.
The guy looked around his age, and he looked pretty happy too. Naoki saw him doing what appeared to be some innocent window-shopping in front of a fancy shmancy knick knack shop, then go inside.
Naoki grinned to himself. As long as he was careful, he wouldn't get caught, and if he was even more careful, he could reap quite a bit out of this venture. The supplies back at the warehouse had been running a bit low, so he knew that if he could score big with this trip, not only would he be able to restock for the rest of his "family", but he might even be able to pick up a little something else for himself too.
Looking around to ensure the coast was at least a little clear, Naoki gave himself the okay and stepped out from the alleyway he'd settled in some time before. A nice, dark, cozy corner he could spy on the world from. A place he was very well accustomed to.
Naoki slipped into the knick knack shop behind his target, then carefully shut the door behind them. The shop appeared rather empty at first glance. It was pretty large, covered in rows and rows of expensive-looking trinkets and gifts, and Naoki would have considered mugging someone here out of the question if there were one person less in the place. The most unnerving part was the quiet.
It's like these people think they're in a museum--do District 1 people not talk? Naoki pondered the idea and scratched his head, confused. He remembered what he was there for and started weaving slowly in between the shelves until he saw his target again. He couldn't tell what the other guy was doing from this angle, but it didn't seem to matter. Naoki checked quickly to see if he was out of the way of cameras and other shoppers, then leaned forward just enough to send one of the shop shelves crashing down on the boy he'd been following. At the same time, he slipped a few of the trinkets into the pockets on the inside of his jacket. He certainly wouldn't pass up a chance to give Nozomi a nice thing or two for their warehouse home.
Naoki quickly ducked around the other side of the shelf, covering his head with his hands, as if to make it look like he'd also been a victim of the freak accident, then yelled, "What happen, what happen!?"
There was nothing quite like playing the dumb foreigner to make one's self look more like a victim. He waited for his target's reaction, because what he earned from today's reaping depended on what the other boy would do.
