A Chance to Meet (Open.)

[Jun Matsumoto]

"He's my older brother. Our father died when I was young and he joined the army shortly after. He came back to visit but that's when the zombie outbreak happened. Our mother was killed, but he managed to save me. He said he had something he had to do and I haven't seen him since."

Jun widened his eyes at her story of loss, and felt a pang of sorrow tug at his heart for the girl. She'd lost everyone. Her father had died. Her mother had died. Her brother had gone. How on earth was she still alive herself? How was she still functioning? Jun's mind went to his own mother, and in a quick flash of memory, he thought how pointless his existence would be if he was on his own, how useless he'd feel if he didn't have her.

“Crap...that must really suck. You miss 'em huh?” For the first time in the entire conversation, Jun sounded sincere, not self assured like he had done. What she'd said had touched something within him, and despite his want to seem carefree, he found it hard not to be sombre when he thought of someone living in a world where they quite literally had nothing and no-one.

His responses to Yumi's following questions were similarly lack lustre, as if all the life he'd had had been sucked from him, and he seemed only a shadow of his formerly boyish self. To any looking at him, he would have both gained and lost years, looking more like a young child than he had before, but a child who had seen to much, things they shouldn't have and could never forget.

“Yeah my my Mom worries about me. All the time. She's always telling me to stay home, not to risk running out into a warzone where I could die. But...I dunno. I feel like I have to. It gives my life some meaning y'know? I know out there I'm helping someone, using what little bit of skill I have to actually make Mom's life better.”

He smiled at her comment about zombies though, even if it were only a small one. “I don't think martial arts are that good against 'em. That involves punching them n shit. And trust me, you don't want to get your skin that close to 'em. They bite”

He thought about how best to describe the outside world, how best to tell her that everything that used to exist didn't any more. Buildings had gone. Parks had been burned. Skyscrapers had been destroyed. It was a ghost town, nothing but a sickening caricature of it former self. Then an idea came to him, albeit a risky one.

“Hey...yknow. I'm no good at describing stuff, so why don't I like, go take you to have a look at the city? And we could look for your brother or something, while we're out there. Just check around the places close to us see if he's holed up. Whaddya think? Not that I can promise anythin'.”

[Yumi Sakamoto]

“Crap...that must really suck. You miss 'em huh?” Jun sounded sincere. Yumi nodded looking at him. "Yeah. But the first thing I'm gonna do when I see him is deck him in the face for leaving me. She folded her arms. She really missed him, but he made her so mad leaving her alone for 3 years without even sending a postcard to say Hey, I'm alive and well.

“I don't think martial arts are that good against 'em. That involves punching them n shit. And trust me, you don't want to get your skin that close to 'em. They bite” He smiled. Yeah, maybe when she finally did go out Yumi would invest in a gun or something. She had learned her martial arts before the zombie out break in case she needed to defend herself from another human, not the undead. She laughed at the thought. She would probably be too afraid to even touch them.

What Jun said next made her heart jump. “Hey...yknow. I'm no good at describing stuff, so why don't I like, go take you to have a look at the city? And we could look for your brother or something, while we're out there. Just check around the places close to us see if he's holed up. Whaddya think? Not that I can promise anythin'.” Did he just volunteer to take her out? Yumi felt so happy. She was finally getting a chance to find that idiot brother of hers. It was a small chance but a chance none-the-less. She had to take it. A big smile spread across her face. "You would really take me? OK!"

[Jun Matsumoto]

Jun grinned when Yumi said she wanted to punch her brother in the face for his leaving her. Despite all she'd been through, and the fact she wasn't exactly a 'big' person, she still had a lot of character. She was feisty, and that was a trait Jun admired in anyone he met. He liked people that could stand up for themselves. For a moment, he tried to put himself in the girls position, tried to imagine how he'd feel if, after losing most of his family, his mother randomly left him. It only took a moment for him to think he'd do something similar, though he'd not punch her, because Jun would never punch his mom. “Yeah,” he managed “I think I'd do somethin' similar.”

He was quite surprised when, moments later, Yumi let a huge smile cross her face. He'd not expected her to like the idea quite so much as she seemed to. Did she really want to go out into the real world? Was she insane? The dangers she'd face were uncountable, and he didn't think she looked all that ready to stand against hordes of zombies. Then...he probably didn't look all that ready himself.

He gave her a quick look up and down, eyes scanning her slim figure, as he wondered if taking her out there was the right thing to do. Then he shrugged, and inclined his head to one of the great walls lining the far side of the safe zone. “Alright then. I'll take you. But there's a few things I gotta get straight before we get out there.”

Jun raised a hand, three long fingers extended, and he slowly began to count them down, speaking a 'rule' with each as he did so. “First rule; when we are out there, you do what I say. You don't run off. You listen to me so you come back alive.” . First finger. “Out there, there ain't no heroics. If you see a zombie eatin' some poor guys face, you let the zombie eat his face. You don't risk me or my life, and you don't risk yours.” Second finger. “Finally, you see something good, like, metal, or money, or a gun, or ammunition...or something I can sell...you give it to me. That's the price of me being your guide.”

He sighed deeply, and then moved his shoulders in a shrug again. “You got that?”

[Yumi Sakamoto]

“Alright then. I'll take you. But there's a few things I gotta get straight before we get out there.” Jun raised three fingers and began to count them down. “First rule; when we are out there, you do what I say. You don't run off. You listen to me so you come back alive. Out there, there ain't no heroics. If you see a zombie eatin' some poor guys face, you let the zombie eat his face. You don't risk me or my life, and you don't risk yours Finally, you see something good, like, metal, or money, or a gun, or ammunition...or something I can sell...you give it to me. That's the price of me being your guide. You got that?” It seemed simple enough. Though Yumi disagreed with the 'no hero' part. But she couldn't fight a zombie and that wouldn't have been fair for him to. He was taking a chance at letting her tag along. She would have to follow his rules.

Yumi nodded her head to show she understood. The big smile was still on her face. She picked up Aya again and held her in both arms. The white cat purred. She knew she would have to stay with her master for a while. Whether that meant in her arms or on her shoulder. "So when do we leave?" Yumi asked. Jun had activated Yumi's adventure side, whether he knew it or not. She was now determined and a little reckless. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly and neither one would end up hurt. Yumi would feel bad if she got Jun hurt for her foolish desire to see the world outside.

[Jun Matsumoto]

Jun watched Yumi carefully as she nodded, agreeing to his terms of service. There was something slightly hesitant about the action, but he had already known there would be a few things holding her back. There always were when he told people his sets of rules, and no one agreed without careful thought. It tended to be his strict 'no saving others' policy that got to most people. They thought he was being mean, thought he was being selfish. But they didn't get the outside world like he did. They hadn't lived life on the edge. They hadn't lived among the undead. No matter who it was for, and no matter how much he was paid, Jun would not try and save someone’s life if they were a lost cause, especially if he didn't know them. It was smart really.

“Okay!” he said, clapping his hands together and rubbing them a little. He grinned, somewhat mischievously, and then gave a shrug as if to say he was ready. “So when do we leave?”[/b] Nodding at her, liking her 'get up and go attitude', he gestured to the outer walls. “I hope you got everything you need, because we are leaving right about now. No time like the present eh?” And with that, he batted his coat down, making sure he had all his essentials, and then with a wry smile, he turned on his heel and lead the way towards the exit, more motivated than he had been all day, happy he was leaving the boredom of the safe zone behind.

What with the spring in his step, he moved more quickly than before, and his young athleticism was shown. Casting a glance back over his shoulder, his hair now wild thanks to the gusts of wind blowing it about his face, he looked like caged animal, trapped away from their natural habitat. “Come on! What's taking you so long? Keep it up!”

[Yumi Sakamoto]

“Okay!” Jun smiled mischievously. “I hope you got everything you need, because we are leaving right about now. No time like the present eh? Come on! What's taking you so long? Keep it up!” He took off toward the gates, calling over his shoulder to her. Yumi giggled. Looks like she wasn't the only one with a thing for adventure. "Coming!" She called chasing after him. She tried her best to keep her skirt down and the blonde strands out of her bright blue eyes. Was it smart to go out into a zombie infested land wearing your school uniform? Oh well. It can't be helped now. The three of them were off.

She was finally going out. Yumi was a little nervous. What was the world like now? Would she recognize it? Her heart started to beat in her ears. She was excited and terrified at the same time. It was a strange feeling. Aya ran at her heels.

Yumi caught up to Jun and slowed down from her run to match his pace. He was fairly quick. That didn't bother her. The quicker they walked the faster they would get out. A huge smile was on her face. With any luck they could find that stupid brother of hers. The thought made her face brighten even more.

[Jun Matsumoto]

As Jun reached the wall, he looked both left and right, eyes narrowed, darting about him. Everything looked quiet. The last thing he needed was for one of the boarder guards to see him sneaking out again. They'd kick up a fuss and make his world a living hell, increase their vigilance and become remarkably difficult to bypass in the future. For a scavenger who needed to get out into the outside world a lot, that just wouldn't do.

Looking back over his shoulder, he gestured quickly for the girl to approach, and cast a disdainful look at the cat. Why was it coming? He wouldn't save it if it was a matter of life and death, that was for sure. And if she was stupid enough to run after it, he sure as hell wouldn't save her either. Feeling the need to make this clear, he pointed to the fluffy demon-thing. “If that thing runs off, it's lost. We don't follow it. We don't risk ourselves for it. If it wants to purr around Mr Zombie's foot, you don't rush in and grab it. Clear?!” Hopefully that got his point across.

That said, he went back to the wall, the thick mesh wires that surrounded the safe zone, and bent low. He reached forward, grasped a loose bit of wiring, and pulled it back hard, revealing a small crawl space, just large enough for someone of their size to get through. Pointing at the hole, he nodded firmly. “Down there. You crawl until you reach the other side. Capiche?”

Pulling the wire back a little further, he managed to hook it over a piece of nearby fencing, locking it temporarily in place so he could follow after her. He did a quick body check, making sure he had his knife and cigarettes in case of an emergency, and then signalled for her to go. “What are you waiting for? If your brother is out there, he ain't gonna wait forever! Move!” Jun's irritation began to show. He hated to be kept waiting.

[Yumi Sakamoto]

“If that thing runs off, it's lost. We don't follow it. We don't risk ourselves for it. If it wants to purr around Mr Zombie's foot, you don't rush in and grab it. Clear?!” Jun pointed to Aya. His voice a little annoyed. Yumi looked at the white cat. She mewed. "Oh. Aya wouldn't wander off. She knows better than that." Yumi smiled to the feline.

She followed him to the wall. This was the first time she would have snuck out or in to anything thing. Jun pulled back some of the fence to reveal a small hole for them to go through. “Down there. You crawl until you reach the other side. Capiche? What are you waiting for? If your brother is out there, he ain't gonna wait forever! Move!”
Jun had changed a little in his personality. He was more demanding and firm. But they were going out into trouble, he had to be if he wanted to survive out here.

Yumi nodded and knelt down to climb in. It was a small hole but she fit in it fair enough. Aya followed after. When she got to the other side, she climbed to her feet. Yumi looked around. The world was very vacant looking. She wondered what had become of the city. She knew she would soon find out.

[Jun Matsumoto]

Jun watched the girl carefully as she knelt down to his escape hole, and raised an eyebrow as she began to drag herself through it, pulling her small frame forward at quite some rate. He wasn't sure if she'd done anything of the sort before, but she looked to have at least some idea as to what she was doing. As soon as she had disappeared from view, her cat followed after her, the thing mewling as it went. The young scavenger had to resist the urge to give it a firm kick up its backside. Why on earth he was taking a cat into the outside world, potentially risking his life with its incessant and annoying mewling was beyond him, but it seemed to follow wherever that girl went.

He gave her a few minutes, thinking that she should have time to view the landscape as soon as she'd pulled herself free. It would be quiet a shock, especially if she had known the area they were in well. Nothing looked the same, everything was unrecognisable. Not that Jun was all that sentimental. To be fair, it had benefited him rather than anything else, and he was richer and better off now than he ever had been. The life of a scavenger had brought him riches and adventures, and if he had one wish, it would be that people didn't have to die or kill each other in order for him to retain his current status. But it was a wish for a reason; it wasn't likely to come true.

Finally, thinking he'd given her enough time, he dropped to his own knees, and wiggled his way into the crawl space beneath the fence. It was dusty, and he had to stifle the urge to cough, something that he'd done profusely the first few times he had used the escape. He pulled himself forward using his arms, elbows propping his body up so that his face was not in the dirt, using his knees to propel himself in his chosen direction of travel. It didn't take him long at the speed he moved, and he was adept to the pathway he'd chosen.

Only moments later he emerged into somewhat fresh air (the freshest he'd get anyway), eyes instantly met by the sight of the ruined landscape before him. He'd remembered he'd been awestruck at first, now it just seemed natural. Hundreds of broken buildings and skyscrapers, fallen towers and broken houses. Civilization as most people had known it was destroyed, well and truly. Standing slowly, dusting down his jeans and his jacket, he turned to glance at Yumi.
“Quite a sight, huh?” his tone was sarcastic, but he felt as though he needed to say something, just something to take the sting off the hopelessness the wastelands caused.

He continued after a short pause, gesticulation in a wide arc as he did so, as if signalling to a number of cunningly hidden things. “So...erm...which way? I dunno what your brother was like, but...I guess if you knew him you knew where he'd hang out. If you do, then I can at least guide us the right way. Start searching in the places he liked right?” He had accidentally used the past tense when referring to her brother, though he though he made no move to go back and correct himself. Being honest, any one living out in these lands alone for a long period of time without sending word to their family...probably dead already.

[Yumi Sakamoto]

“Quite a sight, huh?” Came a familiar voice from behind Yumi. She turned around to see Jun had come through the wall. Her eyes showed a little sadness at finding the once beautiful land now in ruin. It looked like no one had been out here in a few hundred years. Jun continued, “So...erm...which way? I dunno what your brother was like, but...I guess if you knew him you knew where he'd hang out. If you do, then I can at least guide us the right way. Start searching in the places he liked right?” Yumi gave him a slightly aggravated look. He had used the past tense for her brother like he was dead. Sure she hadn't heard from him in years. But she didn't hear from him when he was working for the northern army either till he came home. He couldn't be dead. Besides he was with his friend Zack, wasn't he?

"I don't really know. He didn't really have a place to hang out at when we were growing up. He just stayed home." Yumi thought hard. She held her hand up to mouth and tapped the top of her foot into the dirt. "I do know he signed up for the Northern army before the city was attacked, but I don't know if he is still there. He said he had something important to do when he left me." Yumi sighed. It was just like Daisuke to not tell her anything. He always kept important information to himself.

She moved her hand through the long blonde hair on her head, as bright blue eyes scanned the area. "What's left of the city? Maybe he went there to get something." Her voice was hopeful. She was finally out here, doing what she always planned to do. Except, she had no idea what to do now.