4b.) On the Street

"Hey! Rollover D.J.! If you don't miiiind!*Crsshh*" the small cheap plastic radio-alarm was swiftly crushed, and swiftly after followed by a long groan. -What time is it?...- the young man wondered as he raised up from bed. -That was some party last night...How long did I sleep in?- he wondered as he looked at the alarmclock, the face busted and completely useless. -Well, that's not gonna help me any...Good thing those things are only a couple bucks or I'd be in debt thanks to these...- he thought to himself as he slid it in to the wastebucket at his bed side. He then stood, revealing that he was wearing an undershirt and boxers, and retrieved another, placing it on the stand.

He then continued on with his 'mourning' routine...If it was mourning at all. He showered, grabbed a quick meal of a couple toasted poptarts while he dressed, and managed to remember to slip on his 'watch'. He had actually only gotten it a couple days ago, and had only gotten around to making his DaCre yesterday. Now he just needed to actually use it...Which he hoped to do sometime today as he walked out the door. "Welp, let's find a nice little place to figure this thing out..." he said with a slight Texan accent, although watered down from living away from there for so long, to himself mostly, as he headed out the door.

"You're lost, aren't you?" Dunmer grumbled.

"Of course not!" Seth denied enthusiastically, "I've gone through this place at least a hundred times! There's not way I'd get lost!"

"Then how come we're back at 'Hyogama's Fish Shop' for about the tenth time?"

"Because!"

"Because what?"

"Just...because! Because..."

"You're lost?"

"I'm lost."

A wooden fence encircled the front area of the fish shop. One of the posts beside the open gate of the fence had a remarkably realistic painted fox atop it. It was obviously carved, due to the fact that it hadn't moved a millimeter since the pair had last seen it, and the fact that it wasn't blinking. Besides, why would a fox be on a wooden post?

A young man, apparently out to breakfast during a morning run, exited the fish shop. He paused by Dunmer and Seth, hearing a snatch of conversation.

"Lost, are you?" he asked, smiling slightly. The man apparently thought he knew the area pretty well, and had a slightly helpful expression on his face.

Dunmer might have a slight tingling sensation as he waited by the fish shop, but his residual anger and irritation might distract him from it.

"Um...not-not really." Seth allowed his head to seemingly sink into his shoulders, "Just a bit turned around is all. Do you know where the nearest pawn shop is?"

Aman was indeed, irritated. The two had been walking for quite some time, and with no sign of success. He was growing rather tired of this seemingly fruitless search, and only slightly noticed the tingling.

He really paid no attention at first. However, it soon sank in once more, exactly where he was now. The DaCre still seemed no less impatient, but he was slightly wary. It seemed terribly early in the day for anyone to be up without 'special' reasons. Aman cursed himself for not thinking of this earlier.

"Hmm, Baker's Street(lol, nice choice)." reaching deep into his pocket, Seth felt around for a second until he managed to find his Hardwire. Pulling the device out, he opened it up, and accessed a few windows. No doubt maps, the youth ran his finger along a few lines until he found Baker's street. He then traced out the rest of the directions before snapping the case shut, "Ah, thanks. Well, that'll do, thanks for the help. C'mon Dun- er...I mean, Aman, let's get going."

"Hm?!" startled from deep thought, Aman jerked his head in Seth's direction, "Oh, yes of course. Coming." walking after Seth, Aman's eyes strayed back to the still fox perched on the post. He eyed it for several moments, before finally stopping.

"Hey, Aman! C'mon!"

~That can't be a carving.~ Aman glared suspiciously at the fox for several moments.

Running up to the man, Seth pulled on the DaCre's arm, but it did little to budge him, "Ugh...s-sorry about this. He can be a little stubborn at times. We'll be leaving in juuuuust a second." Seth grunted as he tried once more to pull away the DaCre futilely.

The young man smiled, looking at "Aman" strangely. He seemed to be acting a little strangely, and seemed a little too interested in the fence post...

As "Aman" looked at the fox, it winked, almost tauntingly. There were few people around at the moment, given the early hour, and none of them had been paying any attention to the fox. Even Seth had been focusing more on "Aman" than the background, so wouldn't have seen it. Nevertheless, it happened.

Logan was sitting in a small cafe near the college, there were quite a few people playing DaCre, so he figured that it was as good a place as any. He got set up, and prepared for battle. He soon took down his very first DeCare, and grinned slightly as he looked at his exp. His eyeballs nearly popped out of his head...-Holy crap! 7:17 EXP!?...Wait...That's the time...So then where's the exp?...Aha! Hear it is! I got...0 exp!? What the hell!?- he thought as he went to the combat log. He soon realized his mistake...No wonder it had gone down so easily. Another DaCre had been fighting it and had taken down most of its exp...

And suddenly one of the guys next to him chuckled and said "Look at this *******! He just gave me free exp!" showing it to one of his friends, not realizing that was Logan. -Grrrr...I should throw him out the window...- he thought, seriously considering it for a few moments before he realized he didn't want to go to jail on assault charged. -Ok, time to find someone else...- he thought as he turned his attention back to the online world.

"Okay, here's the junction of Elm and Wipherd, just like the guy said." Seth lifted his finger, and began turning in circles, until his eyes managed to pick out the pawn shop. He smiled for a brief moment, until his face fell like a stone into a horrified expression.

'Danger, Keep Out. This Structure is Condemned.'

"W-w-what?! After we came all this way to...aaugh! Dammit!"

---

"Jeez, it's so boring today." Max sighed heavily, running a hand through his stiff blond hair, "I mean, sure it's only like...eight in the morning, but you'd think there'd be a bit more action going on, what with the tournament and... Oh wait...heh, that's not until two weeks anyways. Woops, got my calender mixed up."

Perched at the very top of an old pizza palace, Max lay on his stomach, watching the sparse crowds below, and keeping an eye out for anything of interest. Of course, so far, this search had proved rather fruitless.

"It's...no longer operable?" Aman asked with a shocked expression, "It's...it's...ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" launching his arm back, Aman built up power into his arm. Allowing it to reach a stop, the elastic arm seemed frozen for a split second before it snapped forward.

"Wait!" but it was too little too late as the arm soared forward.

The fist collided with the wall, a massive hole exploding open as it collided.

Aman inhaled deeply as he retracted his arm, "...ah, I needed that."

"ARE YOU INSANE?!"

"No, which is why we're now leaving." Aman grunted, "Is there a nearby exit of sorts?"

"Ah, I swear, you're gonna get me arrested." Seth growled, flipping open his Hardwire, "It's a good thing that it was condemned. Seriously, a bit of self restraint please?! Now...uhhh...there's a...an old subway station nearby. But then again we could-"

"Fine, let's go." Aman nodded, grabbing Seth by the arm, and pulling him towards the station.

"Ugh...I hate dark places..."