Ivan stalked through the streets, his sharp dark brown eyes on the lookout for the infected. A small shotgun was attached to his belt by a leather holster, right by his side in case he needed it.
Humming an old tune his father used to sing him when he was even smaller than he was now, he walked into what appeared to be a video store, thinking it likely to be abandoned. In times like these, who would need films and records? Ivan, who hadn't been around this town long, thought this would be a good place to start looting.
Boy, was he wrong.
He found himself staring at what appeared to be a standoff between a boy with a large bird on his shoulder and a paleish sort of girl wielding a sniper rifle.
Fumbling for his own gun, he took a step back, prepared to do whatever it took to get out of this situation in one piece. He had a few options, he knew. These people likely wouldn't take it very well if he did what he was inclined to do, which was threaten them until they let him back off safely. The first problem with that plan was that he didn't speak very much English, so being verbally persuasive would likely prove difficult. The second problem was that the girl had a sniper rifle. His sawed off shotgun looked absolutely pathetic by comparison. And lastly, the falcon was creeping him out.

"Christ" Charles muttered to himself as two adults, supposedly the girls parents, entered the room, also with guns cocked and aimed at him. When he first entered the store and saw the pretty young girl he thought that they would have a pleasant exchange, and that he would not go empty handed with either food or knowledge where to find some to leave with. Alas it was unfortunate that it was not to be, Charles thought regretfully as he stared down the barrels of three guns. Swallowing his pride, Charles lowered the gun from the girls face. "Very well then you insubordinate bastards, have it your way. But mark my words, I WILL have your heads on a pike one day. That I can promise you" he said as he looked at the girl for a final time and backed his way out of the store. Martel cawed, in either relief or another mockery of Charles's wounded pride, he ignored the bird.

But as he began to leave the store another challenger entered the ring, a young boy of around ten with a gun that was also far to big for him had entered the store. Charles began to back into another corner of the store in an attempt to have enough room to point at all four. "You might want to leave child. These sods dont take kindly to others."

@Nikki Moonlight@Oliver

Ivan stayed frozen in place as the boy with the bird tried to back out. He didn't know if he could leave also, though he very much wanted to. He didn't respond to the comment made in his direction. He held his shotgun tightly in his left hand, but didn't raise it for fear the girl or the adults would shoot. Coming in here was a mistake, he knew that much very well.
He ransacked his mind, trying to remember how to ask for one's life to be spared in English. "P-please... do not kill me!" He choked out in his thick Russian accent. Being only eleven years old, his voice was rather high pitched still and nonthreatening. He knew this was not a good situation to be in, and was deeply regretting walking into the store with every ounce of his remaining sanity.

@Vortex

sarah growled, "I have no issues with the kid, it's you we have an issue with, prick!" There was a wild look in her rose colored eyes. "And I know for damn sure most others you try to steal from will shoot you once they catch you. We're more lenient than most. Consider this your only warning. Because next time we shoot to kill."

@Oliver

Sarah barely looked at the young boy. Her attention was on the much more threatening person at the moment.

Charles responded to her snarl with one of his own "Dont call me a prick you bitch! Everything in this shithole is already mine, I merely require the means to obtain it! And that goes for everything else in this godforsaken hellhole, it is mine by right and by God I will one day take all of it." Charles then looked at the young boy, not sure what to make of him, perhaps he could be of some assistance to him after they got out of this predicament

@Nikki Moonlight@Oliver

"Cześć, I am Kubiak. May I have some..." he glanced at the pickle jar, reading it. He didn't bother to learn very much English when his mother was still alive, his Polish accent not helping very much either.

"Pick-less? Any kind of not spleśniały food? I am very hungry, sirs. Willing to trade, yes?" American grammar was not his specialty. He was trying to play off as the confused tourist, which wouldn't be difficult, considering that was almost what he was. Gabriel motioned to the frames.

"They are belonging to different peoples. I am able to make new ones. Trade, yes?" he kept pushing trade, hoping they would see his intentions were not violent.

@DriveEMOut @MissCapnCrunch

Ivan found himself looking back and forth between the girl and the boy with the eagle, not really understanding most of the conversation. He assumed most of the pale girl's words were threats and insults aimed at the boy, and what little he could gather of what they were saying told him that the boy had stolen from the girl... or at least attempted to. So far neither of them had paid him much mind, but out of fear of getting shot he didn't run just yet. He decided that he'd leave only as soon as someone told him he could, or if the two older children started to fire at each other, which would give him the distraction he would need to escape without being noticed.

@Vortex

Sarah's adoptive father said, slightly angrily, "Don't insult my daughter, son. She has a hard time knowing how to deal with most folk. Now please leave peacefully before I teach you how to treat a woman." There was a veiled threat in his voice, but he was being civilized about it.

@Nikki Moonlight

"Teach me? Perhaps you should be a better father and teacher your daughter how to respect her betters instead" Charles retorted as he sneered at all three of them, the girl especially. "You there, boy!" he said pointing at the youngest member of the showdown "Do you know where the local market is?"

@Oliver

@LordofthePies
"Alright, I know you took the vent covers. Just give them to me." He stuck out his hand. "Aaron Berr. And was that your fake name for your act?" He said, chuckling. "I have to admit, you're a good actor. Oh, this is my sister Audrey. And if you want, you can stay here with us. We've got plenty of food to spare, and we could use some more company."

"No, I did not seen no 'local markets'..." Ivan stammered, dropping his shotgun. He wasn't actually sure whether or not he had. He wasn't sure what 'local' meant, so he wasn't sure what kind of market the boy was looking for. Maybe he was looking for food.... in that case Ivan couldn't help at all. He was starving himself.
@Vortex

@Vortex

Sarah kept her head high, not showing any emotion but a cool smile. She was used to insults. Especially from people who were supposed to be noblemen. Hell, she had been a noblewoman at one point, her father was a nobleman before she killed him. She retorted, "Betters? I don't see anyone who are known as betters. All I see is a spoiled jerk who never worked for his food a day in his life. You try being a noble who was forced to work or you never got food. Never get anything that you need or want. Then see how you feel." She hated telling her story but this idiot needed to hear it.

@Oliver @Nikki Moonlight

Charles sighed at the disappointing news "That is... most unfortunate. But I thank you for your help regardless lad, you've been more help than these three combined".

He then turned to the girl a little confused "Work? You misunderstand girl, nobles dont work, people work FOR them. Im sure the idea is too wild for you but you see it is in the nobles natural rights for others to be subservient to them" he said to her with a slight chuckle at the girls apparent ignorance

He then gave a bow to the group to signal his departure. "Well I suppose I'll be leaving then. Farewell and pray that I dont ever find you again" he said to the family as a goodbye while Martel gave a squawk for his as they both left the store.

"Glad to help." Responded Ivan, grinning nervously. He was missing at least four teeth, and the ones he had left were in less than perfect condition. Living alone on the streets, he didn't have the means to be the healthiest or the cleanest person alive. He turned back to the girl, his brown eyes wide and fearful. "I leave now?" He asked tentatively, reaching down to pick up the shotgun he'd dropped.

@Nikki Moonlight @Vortex

@Oliver

"yes, you can go." she responded after she had told Charles off.

Gabriel lessened his accent, his facade clearly noticed.

"I really am from Poland. Thank you for not ending my life over some pick-less." he mispronounced pickles again, showing that he did have some language problems. He picked the frames off of the ground and handed them to Aaron.

"I would enjoy being a part of your little market grupa. I apologize if I mispronounce things or end up switching to Polish." Gabriel grabbed another pickle jar and began looking it over once again.

@DriveEMOut @MissCapnCrunch

"Спасибо!" Said Ivan, nodding gratefully and running out the door after Charles. Here he was again, back on the street and empty handed. His empty stomach growled pathetically, mostly drowned out by the low wind that howled through the barren streets. "ну, здесь мы идем снова" He said to himself, sighing heavily.

@LordofthePies
"I can tell that. And those are pronounced pickles." He took the frames. "I'll need your help fixing the vents before nightfall." He guided the boy to the vents, thankfully all of them were very close together. He took a screwdriver and started to work on fixing them, very efficiently. "Hey, so your name is what exactly?"

"Pickles," he tasted the word, enjoying the new knowledge. Gabriel followed Aaron, bring the pickles with.

"Gabriel Kubiak," he set down the pickle jar and began putting in the new filters after Aaron unscrewed them and pulled them out.

"What will be my job here? I do not want to be bezużyteczny. The one thing worse than an ignorant man is one who will not work."

@DriveEMOut @MissCapnCrunch

@LordofthePies@MissCapnCrunch
"Tell you what. Are you good at cooking?" He said, still deeply concentrated on fixing the vent. "We take turns guarding. Audrey takes inventory of food and finds ways for us to stay hygienic. We don't really have someone who can cook." He ends up finishing the vents. "Wow, you didn't damage these much at all. Hey, do you want something to eat?"