Last of Us(Equinoxsol)

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The girl's eyes softened slightly in sympathy as Mari recounted what happened, this not being something unusual to hear but still saddening to the Japanese girl.

"I'm sorry. It must have been hard." After a moment of silence she offered up a smile, folding her hands in front of her. "I'm Komeko by the way. It's nice to meet you. Mind if I ask your name?"
 
"I'm Marinda. But I go by Mari, most of the time." She smiled pleasantly, her mind automatically storjng information on the girl and her partner. Who knew when she might need it?."It is nice to meet you as well." Brushing her dark brown hair from her eyes, which she had cut short herself just two weeks prior, she added, "Hopefully you can knock some sense into that one." She nodded at the boy, her green eyes laughing at him.
 
Faulklin growled in disapproval and narrowed his eye at the girl that introduced herself as Miranda. "Keep it up and I'll do more than knock some sense into you," he threatened in a low, menacing tone.

Komeko frowned slightly and turned a look of disapproval of her own at him, though it wasn't nearly as intimidating as his by any stretch of the imagination. "Otouto...ii kamo yo."

Whatever she had said was met with another frown on his part but it was noticeably lacking the same hostility as he had when scowling at Miranda, looking more like that of a petulant child than a threatening teenager, the tone betraying a more tame reluctance even if the words were foreign. "Demo...shitakunai..."

"Otouto."

The teen grumped and leaned his back against the wall, crossing his arms and casting one last glare of dislike at Miranda before averting his gaze elsewhere, once again his tone holding begrudging reluctance. "Hai..."

Seeming to have won some sort of argument, she smiled and looked back to Miranda. "Sorry, don't mind him. He's just not very good with people yet, but he's not really all that bad," she defended, ignoring another unhappy grunt from Faulklin at the comment. "His name's Faulklin."
 
Listening to the two silently, Mari decided that she and her group should have learned or invented a different language. It seemed quite useful, especially among strangers, and might have helped in the end. Nodding as the girl introduced her partner, she asked, "What language were you speaking? I've never really been in a quarantine zone, so I barely know my own language, but that one you were just speaking sounded pretty." Marinda smiled slightly, ignoring the looks from Faulklin.
 
Komeko smiled softly. "It's Japanese. That's where I was born, during the early years of when the infection started, but compared to someone who lived there their entire lives, my knowledge of it is pretty limited. My family left it before I can even remember, and lived in a Quarantine Zone here since then." Her expression changed to look troubled as she added in a quiet voice, "At least...we did until recently."
 
Mari's eyebrows rose slightly. "Wow," she said softly. "I've never lived anywhere but around here. That's...really cool that you were born outside of here..." She smiled, just liking being able to have a decent conversation with someone, rather than argue or haggle or negotiate over a life. This was like aa vacation to her, being able to learn about other people and where they came from. If only her conversations could go this well all the time...
 
"Yeah, I guess it is. I don't remember any of it, really. I guess I was too young." Komeko shrugged, smiling again. "And anyway, from what I've heard, it's not a place to want to be anymore anyway. Compared to a lot of people these days, I've had it pretty good so far, I think," she hummed thoughtfully, friendly and relaxed, though the same couldn't be said for Faulklin who was still watching Mari with a wary and suspicous scowl no less hostile than when he'd first brandished his sword at her. "So I can't really complain about it either way."
 
Smiling at Komeko, Mari asked, "So, do you know any good places to hide out in overnight? My last place was overrun a few days ago, so I'm kinda missing out of sleep..." She chuckled, embarrassed, and as she tilted her head slightly, it was easy to see how exhausted she was and his much she needed a good night's rest.
 
Faulklin scoffed and narrowed his single eye at her contemptably in distrust. "And even if we do, what makes you think you're welcome?"

Komeko frowned and offered up a small growl of disapproval as she looked at Faulklin again. "Otouto! Yamete."

"Nani? Boku wa kanojo o shin you shite inai..." Once again Faulklin bore a petulant pout and seemed to deflate somewhat.

"Anata fushin minna. Nii-san wa kanojo o tasukerudeshou yo."

Once again it seemed that whatever argument transpired between the two, Faulklin had lost as he averted his gaze to the ground and almost seemed to slump and retreat between his shoulders in defeat, not looking terribly happy but not further replying.

Smiling back at Mari once more, she returned to her english again. "Nevermind him, of course you're welcome to stay with us. We found a place on the very edge of town, a house that was almost fully in tact, and not many infected around, so it'll be safe. Maybe even so far as to say cozy."

"That's assuming you survive long enough to reach it." Faulklin muttered under his breath.

"Otouto..."

"What? I'm just being honest. It's not exactly close to where we are. The place is almost fully across town, it could take us all day, and she could always just end up getting us killed by a pack of infected, making too much noise or just flat out being stupid, or even leaving us behind somewhere as bait for them while she escapes herself. We don't know her and we don't owe her anything either." He pushed himself off the wall and came to stand not to far, glaring her down. "For all we know she could even already be bit and turn into one of those things while we sleep."
 
Glaring up at him, Mari got to her feet. 'I swear, if this assured says one more thing, I'm knocking his teeth out,' she thought, before turning her gaze to Komeko and smiling pleasantly. "Oh, that's alright. I don't want to intrude, and I can find my own place...besides..." she glanced at Faulklin, her tone turning harsh. "I'd rather still be alive come tomorrow."
 
"Good luck with that," Faulklin scoffed sarcastically, earning an elbow to the side and a look of warning from Komeko, the temperamental teen rubbing his side with a dirty look and grunt of annoyance but falling silent. At least for the moment, since it seemed he had yet to run out of snippy things to say despite previous attempts at getting him to shut up.

"It's really no trouble. Besides, we'll probably be better off helping each other out anyway, and you seem nice enough. I imagine you couldn't have survived on your own here for so long if you didn't have some idea about what you're doing." Komeko offered up with the same kind smile as before. "Who knows, maybe we can even be friends and stick together if you want."
 
"Who knows..." Mari echoed. A new group to call her own would be nice. She could actually get some decent rest, and would have someone to watch her back when she needed it. Well, one someone. There was no way she was letting Faulklin watch her back: she'd probably end up dead with a knife stuck in it.

Glancing out the window, she said, "I think they're gone now...wanna leave or stay here for a bit longer?"
 
Faulklin's single eye flicked to the window and he took a few steps towards it, poking his head out to look and listen for a moment. "If they're gone, we should get moving. No telling how long it'll last before either infected or other people come around." he muttered. Komeko simply nodded and stepped up to the window, glass crunching underfoot as Faulklin moved to allow her to climb out the window.

Before he himself followed, he turned to face Mari, still wearing the same perpetual scowl. "Now before we go, let's get one thing straight. You lag behind at all, slow us down, or get caught and I'll leave you behind without a second thought." He narrowed his eye dangerously. "And if you get bitten or turn on either of us, I will kill you myself. Your life doesn't mean one damn thing to me, and it never will, so don't expect anything, especially not for me to put mine or her life on the line for yours. If I had my way, you'd already be dead, but I can still make that a reality if you cross me."

By this point he sheathed the sword in hand to climb out the window himself, boots lightly clapping the old, creaking wood of the house's porch. He briefly glanced to Komeko and jerked his head in the direction he was headed, taking the lead. "Ikimashou."

"Hai, Otouto." She fell in step behind him a little more slowly, glancing back and seeming to wait a little for Mari to catch pace.
 
"'S if yours means anything to me," Mari said, rolling her eyes. "You become an endangerment to my safety and I'll kill you quicker than it takes me to think it. I don't care how intelligent or quick or strong you think you are. Chances are, I'm smarter, quicker, and stronger. So fuck off before I lose my patience."

As he exited through the window, she followed, careful not to cut herself on the glass. Once outside, she caught up quickly, her black boots crunching on glass as she checked she had everything, quickly catching up with Komeko.
 
Faulklin scoffed and stopped in his steps, turning to face her with a narrowed eye, hand twitching around the handle of his sheathed sword.

"You really want to test that theory, princess? If you think I'll go down that easy then just try it."
 
Mari glared at him, deciding whether or not it was worth risking everyone's safety to prove a point. Instead of letting herself react in an explosive manner to his comment, she simply growled, "Call me 'princess', and I cut.your dick off." Deciding that it was a suitable answer, she continued walking, her hand now in the handle of her knife, entirely prepared to make good on her threat. She wouldn't take anything from anyone, least of all him.
 
The corner of his single eye twitched and he visibly bristled at the blatant threat, his expression flashing dangerously, drawing the blade out in one swift movement. "You...kutabare!"

He went to leap forward but Komeko was quicker to grab onto him around the waist and keep him from leaping forward, if only just barely, the smaller male struggling to get free and follow through with his attack.

"Otouto! Yamete!"

"Hanase! Hanase, boku wa baka busu o korosu! Kanojo o...korosu..."
 
Mari spun around, her own knife already out, grey eyes sharp and calculating as she watched Komeko restrain Faulklin from attacking her. Once Imit wwas apparent that he wasn't going to do anything, she said to Komeko, "I don't think that this'll work out...I think I'll be safer on my own." Nodding appreciatively towards her, she walked in the opposite direction, keeping her ears keen for the sound of pursuit.
 
Faulklin growled low in his throat as Mari spun around to walk off, practically screaming at her back, "Yeah? Good riddence!" His fighting against Komeko stopped and he jerked out of her hold when it slackened, still bristling but made no moves to go after Mari as he re-sheathed his sword. "Baka ama."

"Otouto, stop it! You're being rude!" Komeko huffed, stomping a foot at him.

"Tch, I don't care! We're better off anyway. We don't even know that person. I don't like her and I don't trust her."

"You don't trust anyone," Komeko pointed out, grabbing him by the arm and going to push him down to sit. "I'm going to go talk to her and at least apologize. You stay here."

"The Hell I'm going to stay here! You're not going anywhere without me!" Faulklin snarled, moving to get up only to have her push him back down again, giving him a stern look.

"Otouto, tomaru!" The male growled again in irritation and fell silent for some moments, offering up a glare before slouching somewhat in reluctant but tense defeat.

"Two minutes...that's as long as I'll give you alone, but then I'm coming after you. ...'t's not safe." he muttered. Komeko smiled and nodded, whirling around to go after Mari and disappeared around the side of a house, looking about carefully for any signs of infected and Mari. When she spotted the girl she took off after her to catch up.

"Matte! Please wait up!"
 
Mari began running as soon as she was out of sight, but that didn't stop Komeko from catching up. Turning to her when she heard her call, she answered, "Yes?" before adding, "If this is to try and make me go back, then I won't make you waste your time. I'm not going back. That guy's a maniac, and I won't feel safe anywhere near me. So I'll have to say no. As long as he keeps acting crazy around me, it'll always be no. Sorry." Mari made a move to turn and leave, feeling her pockets for her possessions.
 
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