Akane1313: You've Got to be Kidding Me
I'm really starting to think that I should start looking for a job. I mean, what with food being a concern and all. I'm out of bread that's not stale and I think I'd like to have spaghetti for dinner. I'd go to the grocery store but somehow, I can't imagine that 10 gold would be enough to get everything on my list (if anything at all). I'll go out job hunting tomorrow then. Janet said she could probably help me with that. I feel so awkward here. I suppose it might have something to do with having nothing but beach clothes to wear. People don't have to stare though. Running around shoeless in a tank top and Daisy Dukes is fine on an island but step into Durem and everyone thinks you're lost. Oh well. I'll just have to suffer the stares until I can afford to blend in. Probably doesn't help that I bleached my hair.
Either way, it's better than hanging around wondering what Gambino'll do next to get us killed. Anything is safer than being too close to the Matchstick Mansion, right?
Matchstick Mansion: If it's rubble more often than it's a building, something's obviously wrong.
Akane stepped out of her tiny apartment and walked out into the busy streets of Durem. It was bright and sunny for a big city. She wasn't about to make any complaints today. She brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear and wondered if she should've put it up into a bun or ponytail to look a little more professional. After looking down at her top and shorts she decided that no hairstyle in the world would help her pull off professional. Maybe Moira would take pity on her depressingly inadequate wardrobe and give her the job. She set off down the street toward Durem Depot trying to ignore the stares she was quickly becoming accustomed to getting every time she stepped out her door. You'd think they'd be used to it by now. As she was walking by a boutique, she stopped to look at the clothes and noticed something moving behind her in the window reflection. It was really big and dark and it was coming from the direction of Gambino Island. Akane slowly turned around hoping that she was just seeing things but when she looked up, there it was. An enormous tower coming straight for her. For a second, she just stood there in disbelief.
"Being killed (directly or indirectly) by Gambino," she said quietly to herself. The screams around her seemed far away. "Clearly my fate is inescapable." Then, as quickly as she had left it, she snapped back to reality. I'm not gonna get crushed by someone else's ambition! She took off running as fast as she could. Her life had just really started and she wasn't about to let it go without a fight. The tower was falling fast. She realized that it would be smarter to run toward its right of left rather than try to outrun its height. As she reached an area of safety, her first thought was that she would never again take adrenaline for granted. However, that was followed by a sudden realization: Janet lives in that area. She knew full well that it was a stupid idea and impossible to accomplish but logic was the furthest thing from her mind as she did a 180 and raced back in the direction of the falling tower. She was close when it hit the ground. The shock sent her sprawling backward. Glass and cement were flying everywhere. She tried to get up but upon trying to stand, a sharp pain shot up her leg and she fell right back down. Not like she could have seen where she was going if she had been able to walk. Dust and debris clouded the air. She suddenly found it becoming increasingly difficult to breathe and she covered her face with her shirt and curled up to wait for everything to settle.
