[Tokkii+Badfool]

[badfool]

Perry, the older of the two, took a long, dry drag of the cigarette held pinched between his thumb and knuckles. He found himself smoking more often than not, shrouded in a musky cloud that became his second air. Today, he looked more tired and miserable than usual, seeping of smoke with raw eyes. He was in the middle of a rant as usual, pausing to ring up a lady customer of her soaps and candies and whatever else she happened to place down, scooped up the money she'd left on the counter with a less than genuine smile. It wasn't until a chime of the bell above the door sounded her exit did he continue. Perry was a man in his thirties that looked well beyond that what with how he smoked himself dry, with short brown hair often frazzled by his own frustrated hands and stubble to match. He met Marcus when the blond was seventeen, who made swindling and conning into an art and swore like a sailor fresh from sea. Marcus wasn't even sure if Perry was his first name or his last, but somehow it stuck.

"Cops. They come late and snoop around. Rifle through my shit." Another suck of his tobacco and he was at it again, griping, "We move and they'll come find us like pests. They'll start night patrolling, I know it, we need to watch out... I had to build a new clientele because of this. I lost good money."

Marcus stood setting straight the shelves of the shop, pushing packages back into their places and eyeballing their inventory and what needed restocking. A corner pharmacy by day and bar at night left one juggling what needed prioritizing, but if one tanked then so quickly would the other. Perry usually dealt with the money, Marcus made sure to keep it afloat.

"It's not perfect. But they'll come one way or another. That's what matters to you, doesn't it?" Marcus kept his voice quiet like the final exhale of a sigh. He didn't have to look at Perry to know that he was rolling his eyes already, but the man's fit would end as soon as it had started. He focused himself on actually earning money than losing it by scaring off customers that filtered in and out throughout the day. They weren't on the best side of town and the space was less than desirable, but kept in good condition and it was bound to attract business both before and after dark.

Perry scoffed. He shoved himself from the counter and extinguished his cigarette on a worn notepad just as Marcus had opened the door to ventilate the shop. The blond mentioned something about collecting more stamps stocked in the basement below, then patiently left the man to brood head-down on the counter in aching from an unmistakable hangover. A few customers filed in and browsed, but Perry didn't display the energy to mind.

 

[Tokkii]

How many days has it been? Ever since he got of that boat his curiosity has been decreasing each day. Such a foreign place this was. The people looked, talked, and acted differently. Aedan, eight year old boy watched all these people walk the streets. His sadness matched with the cold wind as no one seemed interested in trying to talk to him. He just wanted his mother to hold him right now. Aedan wouldn't even mind hearing his father scold him. It was frightening actually. Since everyone here sounded differently and he was hearing it constantly, he started to forget how people sounded back home. He walked about the streets that looked the same to him to find another place to rest for the night, but his stomach was giving bim a different motive. The young boy was so hungry that he was certain he couldn't ignore his stomach aches while he tried to sleep. It was hard to read what was to eat or not as he could not read. Aedan really wished he had a friend to talk to and have help him. Well, like the other nights, either take money ir food from the buildings. He was certain it isn't the right thing to do, but how else was he going to survive if no one was interested in helping him. So far he hasn't gotten caught by any of the adults plus it was like they couldn't even see him.

After what seemed like hours of walking, he noticed a small shoddy place. It looked a bit misleading as Aedan figured it was abandoned, but it couldn't hurt to try. He carefully walked over to the shoddy little building as he tried to take quick peak to make sure no one was inside. It was hard to look inside from a distance, but he could see light peak through. This gave him a bit of hope as he looked for a way in and surprisingly things were just getting easier; the door was open!

The younger carefully walked into the building as if he could get hurt. What kind of store was this? Maybe it was those business like places? The people who wore those black coats along the street possibly work here? Aedan gave himself a tour as his curiosity peaked for once since coming to this strange country. He noticed tables with a few people in them, so maybe this was a place that sold food. If he could at least find money then he can leave if there isn't any food present here. Some of the people in here didn't pay much attention to him and it was a good thing some were leaving. If Aedan was going to do this, he didn't need an audience.

As he moved closer to the counter, he noticed a man with his head laid down on the counter. This caused Aedan to pause as he wasn't sure if he was asleep or not. He had to do this or else he'll starve. He was doing this to help himself...that wasn't being selfish right? Mum said people who steal were selfish and heartless people. He wondered if mum would hate him if she were to witness this. He shook that thought out as he snuck go behind the counter and make his way behind the older man. He watched him carefully to make sure he wouldn't wake up and searched about. They had to keep something of value that Aedan could use. He shufflled through the boxes as quietly as he could so he wouldn't disturb the man. Everything was weird and it was hard to tell if this stuff was good or bad.

Aedan was growing impatient and his anxiety was making him want to quit. He would glance more at the man than his actual main objective. He stood and noticed a stange looking machine and figured that maybe this where all the valuables were. He messed around with the buttons having no idea what he was doing, at least it was fun playing with the buttons for a while. When it opened it made a faint like ding and he looked back to make sure it wasn't loud enough to wake the man next to him. Whatever it was this man does there was a lot of money that the people used here. He wouldn't take all of it...just some for food. He carefully took a few bills into his small hands and a few turned into a bit more. He could actually get away with this.

 

[badfool]

The pharmacy wasn't nearly comparable to Perry's old club. The joint had been shut down last year and before he could bother keeping up with the lease it had already been snatched away from him. For a patient man, Marcus didn't think he could go on another day with hearing his incessant grumbling and fits about it and he hadn't seen him get as wasted since... well, ever. For a Dry Law, Perry nearly bathed in liquor up until he found his bearings to continue his work in discretion. The place was still new, not even a year old, and keeping the entire thing under wraps was about as difficult as keeping the daytime portion of it running. It wasn't favorable to transform the place nearly each night once closing time hit, but Marcus kept to his work and didn't slip a word of complaint come sundown. They still had a few good hours left and the day waged on lazy and slow. Or, at least that's how Perry made it out to be. He always was more personable and charismatic when the sun had set.

But now he just seemed a tired mess, face tucked into his arms and hardly stirring unless it happened to be a customer. Some came and went while Marcus found work below, occasionally surfacing the main floor to survey. So long as the place wasn't burning down and no one barreled off with their goods while the man dozed Marcus couldn't be bothered to worry. He cleaned, packed, organized like a working machine, in and out and up and down the place like a bee to its hive, noiseless and precise. There was a strange comfort to working in the quiet of the afternoon when the air was lazy and still, when few people filed along the roads. A sense of peace that came before the wild storm of the night that came alive in the later hours. He was used to the clamber of the bar guests carousing with their friends, sharp clinking of glass and the boom of low voices and gruff laughter that filled the upstairs as soon as the booze bottles had been popped open.. But a quiet man took fondly to stillness easily, to think and exist for a moment alone. Or so he thought, until a very familiar voice barked out in a series of foul swears and Marcus was pretty certain that something had been broken in his fit. The blond didn't even blink in surprise when he heard the outburst and scuffle above, simply drawing in a preparatory breath and a long exhale before he took up the stairs again.

When Marcus made it to the top he took in the sight before him. Perry had his hands locked around two small shoulders, shaking Aedan in a furious rage as if to toss the very life out of him. It didn't take much to put the puzzle of the situation together; at some point Perry had woken from his restless nap and caught the child sneaking money right out from under him. A few slaps here and shouts of sour words there and Marcus was blessed that the three of them happened to be the only occupants of the shop lest Perry embarrass himself by his fury alone. The man kept an iron grip around the top of his forearm by now, whirling him around as if to display him to Marcus once he was noticed. It wasn't the first time a youngster had been caught stealing, nor did Marcus suppose it would be the last, but he'd never seen a thief as young as Aeden. Usually the case surrounded rowdy adolescents too brave for their own good until the older was able to get a good swing at them before darting out, but a boy as small as Aedan didn't stand much of a chance against a sober Perry. Sober, aching, and absolutely furious. Waking him was about the most unwise thing to have done.

"Little shit. Trying to pull one over me? Huh?" he snarled, snatching Aedan's chin with a vice grip, white-knuckled against his small jaw. Marcus stood some small distance away, watching and waiting until Perry's slapping fit simmered into simple unintelligible yelling. Finally, as if on cue, he'd stepped away to secure the main door shut and locked like it had been any other task on his agenda. Perry looked like a raging lunatic in every sense– bloodshot eyes, smoke on his breath and a good beating with the flat of his palm was likely to traumatize anyone so young. "I ought 'ta skin you right here-!"

"You'll have cops here in a minute flat if you don't quiet down." Marcus chided, turning from the door and cast two sharp eyes on the small boy as if he were the one being scolded. He didn't scowl like Perry had, but he didn't wear a pleasant expression either. By then it was difficult to even distinguish who was being chastised throughout the commotion. "For God's sake. This only happens when I'm gone."

 

[Tokkii]

Aedan knew better than to take all the money, but he just couldn't stop. There was a lot in here and this should make him be set for awhile. He stopped when he realized his small and couldn't take too much. He closed the strange machine and turned to try and put what he could in his pockets until he froze and noticed the older man was awake and staring down at him angerily. He wasn't sure what he should say. He hadn't been caught before and from fear he dropped the money and was going to try to explain himself but his shoulders were grabbed harshly as he was yelled at. Aedan felt the slaps and it stung badly. Even when mum would hit him, it didn't hurt like this. He wanted to push the other and he tried to push the older away from him as he thrashed about. The older was too big and he could barely understand what the man was saying; so incoherent. The man had ba heavy scent on him, it was hard to describe but Aedan want to scrunch his nose badly. The younger boy started to shout in hopes that someone would hear and take him away from this mad man. He was sure that he hasn't seen someone get so mad before. He's seen his father get mad at him but not this much. He winced when the man grabbed his forearm to whirl him to come face to face with another man. There was two of them?

The young foreigner looked at the other almost pleading him to save him from this crazy person, but to no avail as he only stood and stared at him. A lot of the people here do that; stare. He felt his chin get lifted as he tried to fight back a bit with the older but that did nothing as the man didn't even flinch. The tears were making its way down his face without his permission and he wanted to wipe them away, but he was being hit again and he could feel the burning on his faces. He wanted to move away from the other, but the other just wouldn't let him go. What more did he want from him. He wouldn't even let him talk. Before he didn't want the two to see him cry, but his face hurt so bad and he was beyond terrified as the tears just started pouring and he wailed. Right now, Aedan most definitely wanted his mum to be here. When the man finally stopped he still wailed and choked on his tears. The older still didn't let him go and he was ready to run away. The man in front of him was just as horrible just standing there and staring at him getting hit. " 'm sorry.." He whined to the man who held onto him. He could barely see him with tear filled eyes. "...so h-hungry...took m-money," He choked out his unfinished sentence. He didn't think the two would understand him since the people here spoke differently. Aedan just wanted the man to stop yelling and hitting him.

Aedan glanced from the two and he didn't think he was going to get out of this. This wouldn't be like a time out, he was in serious trouble. He shouldn't of tried to steal from these two. His parents were right when it came to talking about how thieves will always get punished for their crimes. He honestly didn't mean it. He was just tried of sleeping with an empty stomach. But, this wasn't helping settling his uncontrollable crying. He's never cried this much and his head and stomach were really starting to hurt. It felt like he wasn't making himself breath. It was actually making him a bit dizzy. Thus, it was the only thing that made him stop struggling and use his free hand to attempt to stop his flowing tears, although he was still gaping for air.

Did these people think that he was going to tell? Maybe that's why they kept holding onto him like this. No one barely looked or spoke to him, so the was no point. He had nothing anyhow that he would tell on them. Aedan was no tattle tale. He just wanted to go home. "Home...please." He said subconsciously, thigh he forgot he had no home to return to. Anywhere was better than here right now. Plus, he dropped almost all of the money he picked up so they couldn't be mad at him for that anymore, right?

The young boy looked up at the man in front of him as he was taking to the one hitting him and he was took busy wailing crying so hard that he could barely understand what they were saying to one another. It really scared him that he had no clue as to what they were going to do to him. When the other older man closed the door it only made more tears spill no maater how hard he was wiping at his eyes and face.

 

[badfool]

"Finished?" Marcus asked. The scene surrounding them was an impossible mess. Money littered the floor, broken glass from what once had been a mason jar of display candies shattered and somehow the shelves beside them seemed a disarray from the scuffle. Perry had most likely shoved the child into them at some point, but by now he was still holding onto his forearms with a frothing rage. Finally, though, he pushed Aedan away on one final note before he chose to do something he'd regret. Besides, he was a child and if Perry went too far he'd have the cops there by the time evening rolled around.

But Aedan spoke differently than the children of America. He curved his words thickly as opposed to the flat and monotonous or the twang of the southwest. As Aeden stammered on for words, it didn't take long before Marcus had realized he was an Irish, followed by Perry soon after. Perry stepped back as if to examing him, his gruff face twisting up and conflicted. The man wasn't sure if he should laugh or yell some more; surely this boy came from the lowest tier and it was only practical that he behaved like a common, little thug.

"Irish – he's one of those grubby little micks. That explains it!" Perry made an effort to display his disdain. The Irish were a working class, and if they weren't working or in search of work then they were bumbling drunk fools or little thieves just like Aedan this very instance. Or so the man would always rave about when an Irishman had so much as given him the trouble of being bumped into. Marcus would listen against most of his will whenever it started up, sit in the small armchair in the apartment above the shop with one leg crossed over his knee and his eyes failing to focus on the paper in his lap. He never seemed to get much reading don whenever Perry was up and around. It was never worth it to get the older loon worked up, and Marcus didn't ever want to get the man started on the Chinese working class unless he wanted a night of his ear being talked off.

"He certainly is," Marcus affirmed with the slightest hint of sarcasm that Perry would fail to detect. "You did a fine job of scaring the soul out of him. And you-- Stop crying." He moved, rummaging around the drawers behind the counter until he returned with a thin paper tissue in hand and had pressed it firm against the child's tear-soiled face. He was beginning to look an absolute wreck from his sobbing and Marcus wasn't going to stand looking at a tear-filled, snotty child in the eyes while they sorted all of this out. He took Aeden by the jaw, only unlike Perry in a much different way. It wasn't soothing by any means, but compared to his earlier handling it wasn't cruel either. He continued as he finished wiping his face free, "– Made a mess right after I cleaned, boy. What have you got to say for yourself? Stealing? Your father ought to be the one beating you. Where is he?"

"Off drunk somewhere, I take it." Perry chided in. His wiry arms crossed over themselves and he looked to be staring down an insect rather than a child. Marcus, however, pressed for an answer.

 

[Tokkii]

Aedan was so relieved to be released. That harsh grip on his forearm instantly soothed from the pressure. Although, it didn't do much to cease his uncontrollable crying. He barely understood what the mam, whom had had just been hitting him, was saying something and gave him this look of disgust. Right now, he focused on wiping his face, but the tears and wailing just wouldn't stop. They still weren't going to let him go. He didn't take the money, even though he would of walked off with it if he didn't get caught. But the point was he didn't steal the money. What more could they want from someone like him? It only upset him more when he realized that no one was coming over here to rescue him. He would learn his lesson to never steal again if this is all that would take to scare him. He only stole twice since coming here, he wasn't a thief.

The young boy hiccupp and didn't cry as hard as the other told him to stop crying. He did try, hopefully the other could notice that as he was trying to wipe away his tears as that didn't seem to help with much. He sniffed and he could feel the tightening in his chest go down and his stomach didn't ache as much. He did cough a bit to calm himself and at the effect of finally seizing his crying. Aedan supposed that the other man was trying to help him out, well maybe. He was just about on the same level as the other man who was hitting him; scary. He looked at the older with his tearful eyes that still read fear even though he was trying to be a bit brave.

Aedan had flicnched when his chin was grabbed once again, but this time his face was being wiped. This was something mum would do to clean his face. As much as he hated it, he let it be for this moment. He still sniffed a bit, but the tears were starting to stop completely now despite still being scared. He didn't like the way the man that had hit him looked at him, but he had to choose to ignore for now. He cringed to himself as he thought about his father. It was sort of true. If dad found out he would surely give him a beating. Dad wasn't one to deal with disrespect or foolishness. He was the stern one of the family while mum was more gentle but firm. Aedan would rather get a scolding from her than anyone else. "Dad is home with mum..." He answered slowly as he wondered if that were true. He wasn't home and it was depressing knowing that he could of been there right now instead of here. He wanted to start crying again, but the man sternly told him to stop. He would at least listen to that request.

"They are suppose to come and get me..." He told. This really wasn't something he wanted to talk about with these two, butb maybe they could help him get home? The thought just entered his head as he perked the slightest. "...on a boat, that's how I came and now it's mum and dad's turn." He explained from what he knew. It was true as to what he was saying. Mum told him to wait once he got here, but it's taking so long for them to get here. It was scary being in a place he didn't know and he had no one to talk to. These two are they only two that were actually talking to him.

"Can you take me back?" He asked with small hope. After trying to take money and escape he wasn't certain these two would let him go. He was only a kid, so they couldn't do much harm to them. He still gave a hopeful look with somewhat tearful eyes.

 

[badfool]

Not only was the boy Irish but he was also an immigrant. One of the many that came in waves and fresh off the boat looking for new opportunities. They overpopulated the ghettos and the slums of the city. A working class, a class which was knocked to one of the lowest tier in American society. Little had much sympathy for the Irish, and Marcus could only bet that as soon as the boy's parents docked they would be in a world of utter disappointment. And to send a child first? Into a country that was dry of kindness and empathy? Aedan had about as good as a chance if he truly were a bug, and even then he doubted he'd be spared by men like Perry.

"You think you're going to get help by stealing from us and expect us to help you find your no-good, narrow-back mother and father?" Perry rattled on, and already he was beginning to draw out another cigarette from the pack stored in his pocket. He never was good under stress, which seemed to be the only thing running through his thin blood these years. Yet he wasn't always so tense, Marcus could remember, being more charismatic and easier to get on his good side when his own financial luck weighed in more. Not that they weren't struggling, in fact their newfound business managed to attract a decent crowd. Then again, Perry never was satisfied with the mediocre. He missed his club, his hot connections and being the bigshot that he once was in the public eye. He mingled with some of the most notorious, upscale gangsters, businessmen and the occasional celebrity from the earliest of cinema talkies. He served them with gusto and smiles until he schmoozed his way to the top of the food chain. Now, he had to make ends meet in a shoddy drugstore with the local drunkards as his business. Now, he was nothing. Marcus had been there thick and thin, through his waves of good fortune and his recent plights, reluctantly setting him back on course.

As soon as his cigarette had been lit, a burst of smoke around his head once more, he waved his hand around in gesture to the small boy. "-Why in the hell would we help a little pest like you? What would I get out of the trouble? Nothing. You couldn't even rack up a decent reward if they had the money. I'd do better selling you than I would wasting my time returning you to the bastards that made you."

And then, a flicker of an idea shone in Perry's eyes, one that Marcus knew all to well. He had an idea and it wasn't a good one, that was for sure. It was only a matter of time until he put a plan into action. His brows raised just in the slightest, dark eyes flickering off in thought before returning to Aedan, calculating.

"And just how old are you?" Marcus asked, avoiding whatever hair-brained scheme Perry was going to put him through this time.

 

[Tokkii]

Aedan drew his attention away from the yellowed hair, or maybe golden, hair and looked back up to his abuser. He glared up at the man as it sounded like he was talking bad about his mum. He wasn't sure what he said, but he still glared at him with his still tear filled eyes. Only a stray tear was brave enough to run down his cheeks. "Don't talk about mum like that!" He shouted at the angry man. He did regret yelling at him because he didn't want to get hit again, but no one would get away with talking about his mother like that. What was it that made this man so angry? He had said sorry for stealing. Mum said saying sorry was the best thing to do to make people forgive you. This guy didn't understand that rule. At least both of them weren't yelling at him. Just from one person he's heard so much yelling from. Whatever it was he can't puffing out could be the source of his anger. Dad used that same stick once he came back from work and he yelled at Aedan once because he was messing around with it. It was then he declared he didn't like them because they made dad yell.

His father also drank and he figured that it was what the older standing drank as well. He could smell something weird coming from the man's breath. It smelled like dad. Mum said drinking was for idiots who are only killing themselves, but Aedan wouldn't say that. That would be the end of his life now. He already hated this man and it's only been a few minutes of him just standing there. All he has been doing is yelling at him. He'd rather have a conversation with the one in front of him. He was 'nicer' and Aedan was certain that he was also upset at him for trying to steal, but he had to understand. He was a hungry, lonely kid in this big foreign country.

Aedan perked when the other asked him a question. He gave him his attention and then looked to his fingers as he counted to make sure he was doing it right. "Mm...m' eight," He stated as he even showed the man eight fingers with pride. At least he had something to make him feel accomplished. If the atmosphere wasn't so thick he would talk with the other for awhile. It's been so long since the younger could talk to someone. No one wanted to talk to him hear. He had said one word to a woman once, but she gave him a look almost simliar to the man standing next to him and then she just left. It was weird, but Aedan had given up on speaking to anyone else.

"...Are you going to take me home?" He questioned again. Maybe if he went back home then he could come back here with both mum and dad. It would mean that he isn't near these two anymore and while the meany wasn't yelling at him, the other one could help him get home. He couldn't stay in this place any longer. He missed his parents so much and right now, he was so scared being with these people right now and if his mum was here then she would of consoled him and shushed. Then again, he wouldn't have done this.

Aedan fiddled with hands as he played with his fingers. He was still afraid of these two, but some persuading and guilt would make them have a change of heart. Maybe?