One Rainy Day (open)

[Needmorefood]

Although it was bad for "business," Nonie actually loved the rain.

Sure, it forced her to seek out shelter underneath a playground and prevented her from getting to a spot to beg. It also left her trapped there, unless she was willing to get utterly soaked in this downpour. Still, there was something she loved about the rain that she just couldn't explain. Maybe it was the smell, or how it made everyone scramble just to get inside. Whatever it was, she had no idea.

Nonie contemplated this while she huddled underneath the small jungle-gym. It was cramped, but kept out most of the rain. It also kept her hidden from view pretty well, but she doubted anyone would be out in his weather willingly, much less be looking for a homeless girl squatting underneath a children's playground. So she was safe, if a bit cold. Thinking of that made her curl up a little tighter, trying to keep her body heat it. If there was one thing she didn't like about the rain, that was it. She had gotten wet before finding her hiding spot. Not terribly soaked (thank god she was a pretty fast runner), but enough the chill her.

Nonie glanced down at her clothes. She really needed to find a new jacket. This one was so old and starting to wear n' tear. It was depressing though. This was her favorite one! And a lucky find really. It had lasted her a long time. Longer than any of her other clothes for sure. Still, she had to face the facts. Also, it was probably going to smell after this. Sighing, Nonie glanced outside, trying to see through the sheet of water. Well, getting a new jacket now was out of the question anyways. Maybe she'd get lucky again and find another? She doubted it, but there was still hope. Or forgetful and/or privileged people who threw away good clothes. That always worked too.

[alpha]

(May I join??)
Brett stood inside of a convenience store were she had been working for the passed few months. The convenience store is small but carries almost everything and it smells of sweet marshmallows. The manager is an awkward man, he is tall but hunches over to look smaller, he doesn't make eye contact when talking to anyone and is really picky about who he hires. It's weird but he hires the worse people, other than Brett who really needs this job and works her a** off, he hired a boy named Austin and a girl who refuses to talk to Brett at all. To sum Austin up he is a f***-boy, and loves to harass the female workers and customers. Brett had already had a full day of behind the register work but the girl called off work today and Brett took the chance for more money.

The rain started, it was really calming at first but then became thick and made the outside disappear. Brett worried about Trigger, "My poor cat." Brett rested her head on the counter in front of her, already tired from her morning and afternoon shifts. Brett stared out at the playground across the street and squinted her eyes trying to it out, the wind carried the wind just enough for Brett to see someone huddled down at the playground. "Austin watch the register for a moment." Brett grabbed an used umbrella from the store, worried it might be a kid trapped out there and opened it and headed across the street.

[Needmorefood]

Nonie watched the rain fall, oddly content. If she were a poet she could make some sort of poem about this. Although, a poem about squatting under a children's playground in the rain didn't sound so good. Maybe she should just stick to observation and internal commentary.

Speaking of internal commentary, was that a person in the rain? Heading towards her? Nonie squirted, trying to make out the approaching dark form. Who would be out in this? And coming here? Was it a mother? Nonie blinked and looked around. There weren't any kids trapped under here too, were there? Nonie didn't see any when she took cover. So who was that? A curious (and/or crazy) citizen? A gang member? A figment of Nonie's imagination? Nonetheless, Nonie decided to sink back further into her hiding spot, watching the growing figure warily while pulling her hood low

[alpha]

Brett runs quickly across the road checking for headlights before stepping onto the slippery black concrete, getting hit by a car is not the way she pictures dying. Brett slows her run to a walk as she nears the playground, the rain pounds on the red umbrella she is borrowing from the store, making it difficult to see. The wind sends rain smacking against her bare legs. Brett stops in the center of the playground and scans the area. "I swear someone was here." Brett utters to herself. Angry for getting her new shoes soaked Brett kicks the black shredded rubber bits that cover the ground. She knows shes not crazy and has amazing eye sight, Brett could spot a bird in a bushy tree from down the road and a great sale from almost three blocks away.

Brett holds on tight as the wind picks up and tries to carry her umbrella away, "Come on!" Brett yells at the wind. "Is anyone here?" Brett shouts over the storm. A loud crash from thunder rings in Brett's ears then another flash of lightning. She is becoming crazy for standing out in this rain, could this just be her needing to help someone, is her mind playing tricks, 'what is going on?' Brett starts to search under everything, then the wind picks up once again and rips the umbrella from her hands, "NO! That's 8.50 give it back!" Brett yelps and throws her hands to her sides. Brett only has the small jungle gym left to look under and decided to peek down, something moves. Brett jumps back almost peeing herself in fear, then she realizes its a person. "Give me your hand!" She howls over the wind and pelting rain.

[Needmorefood]

Nonie yelps as well when Brett peeks under, but her figure is so soaked she can't make out who it is. At seeing the outstretched hand, Nonie blinks. She had come out here to get Nonie? Out in this downpour? She could refuse now. Not if someone did something so crazy just for her own sake. Grasping the stranger's hand, she gulped before hurrying out into the rain with her. "Where to?" She yelled over the noise, a streak of lightening briefly flashing above. Thunder quickly followed. Nonie glanced up at the sky nervously. This was extremely dangerous!

[alpha]

"The store!" Brett yells back hoping not to seem like she is yelling at the hoodies stranger. Brett can't see that it is the girl she gave clothes to a while back. Brett takes Nonie by the hand and ran towards the road stopping before crossing. Brett checks for headlights and then continues. The rain is almost blinding Brett as she moves quickly holding tight to the hand and making sure she doesn't slip on the wet pavement. "Sidewalk!" Brett warns Nonie as she steps up onto the side walk almost tripping. Brett then pulls Nonie into the store where Austin is behind the counter staring at the two in disbelief. Brett almost told Austin she had lost the umbrella but she figures she will only pay the store back if he brings it up.

Brett squeezes water out of her hair and looks back at the girl, only then realizing it is Nonie. "Nonie!" Brett's eyes are wide and she smiles. Brett thanked god in her head that her friend is safe and she had gone out there.

[Needmorefood]

Nonie blinks once she notices her surroundings. Say, hasn't she been here before? Then, at the exclaim action of her name, she looks over at Brett and blinks. Her utter shock is replaced by a smile and Nonie lets out a tiny laugh. "Brett! Hey!" She greets, going to instinctively hug her but then freezing. She didn't know Brett that well still, even though the girl seemed really nice. And besides, they were both soaked to the bone. Nonie hesitantly dropped her arms back to her sides and just smiled. "T-thanks for getting me out of the rain, but you didn't need to get soaked just for me! I was ok out there." She mumbled, shuffling slightly and glancing at her feet. Then she realized she was making her own miniature pool. She glanced up, looking embarrassed. "Oh... S-sorry. I'm kinda... Leaking."

[alpha]

"It's fine, I'll get the mop and honestly I didn't know it was you, just thought I could help someone out." Brett shot a warning glance at Austin who began to open his mouth but stop, "We have a bathroom you can dry off in and don't talk to this kid." Brett warned Nonie but figured it was her decision so ended her warning short. Brett headed to the back of the store to get a mop and clean up the water. 'Of all the people... Nonie?' Brett thought looking back at Nonie standing by the door soaked.

[Needmorefood]

Nonie blinked but then headed for the bathroom. She felt bad tracking water in, but she really didn't have a choice. Once inside, she took off her jacket and squeezed the water out into the sink. The. She realized something. How was she supposed to dry off? One quick glance around and she found a hand blow dryer. It was the only time Nonie had been glad to see one. She held her jacket up underneath the thing, holding it there while it slowly dried. This might take a while...

[alpha]

(Can I make someone try to rob the store or something super exciting??)

[Needmorefood]

Sure!))

[alpha]

(sorry its taking me so long!)
Brett finishes mopping the flood and carries her tools back into the back room. The girl who works with them isn't in the back room as she usually is and the back door is wide open. The girl's cigarettes are on her chair. Brett closes the wide open door and locks it, 'if she wants to get back in she can walk around to the front door... In the rain... But i'm covering her shift.' Brett leaves it locked. Brett walked out from the back room and walked around the corner, "Austin did you-" A bullet hit right next to Brett and she dropped down on the floor and hid behind the shelves.

Austin sits behind the register reading his sports magazine, 'Why would Brett run out there for a homeless person?' Austin thought to himself. The door bell rang as the door opened, "Welc-" Austin stopped mid-sentence as he moved his magazine down, a gun aimed right at his face. Austin saw Brett moving and his eyes widened when the gun turned towards her. Brett hit the man and he missed his shot. Austin jumped over the counter and slide behind some shelves.

[Needmorefood]

Oh no, it's fine!))

Nonie jolted when she heard the gunshot. Her eyes widened as she clutched her jacket. Was it a robbery? A gang attack? But why attack a convenience store of all things? But then Nonie realized something. Brett and the others would be in trouble! A sudden protectiveness washed over Nonie and before she knew it, she was crouching low and sneaking out of the bathroom, hiding between the shelves. Some times she hated her big sister complex. It got her into some dangerous situations. Like this one for instance. Fighting a gunner in a store during a terrible store. Was this secretly an action movie or something?

But she had to focus, or her life would be in danger, not to mention the others still in the store. Nonie creeped around, trying to find out where the gun man was without being spotted. She held her jacket up and made sure she didn't make a sound as she peeked

[alpha]

Taking deep breaths Brett grabs Austin's arm when he slowly made his way to her. The urge to peek out tugging at her but she manage just to stare back towards the bathroom at Nonie. Looking around furiously Brett forms a plan in her head, she has always been a quick thinking and loved to solve problems but this was real like the time she ran into that rival gan- "It's a gang member." Brett looked at Austin, who slowly shook his head no. Then the man's voice was the only thing Brett could focus on. "KIDS GET THE HELL OVER HERE AND OPEN THIS OR I WILL-!" The man stopped short as the bathroom door lousily shut. Brett looked back at Nonie again, fear gripped her throat, 'what do i do?' Brett screamed to herself, then moved. "Austin go to the backroom, leave there and get the police." Brett picked up a snow globe, oh how she hated them and threw it at the window to cause a distraction. Austin almost argued but moved quickly and dodge another bullet as it sloppy shot at him. Brett's breaths became smoother once she saw he was out of the building but the man began to move towards Nonie.

[Needmorefood]

Nonie saw him coming. With a yelp, she dodged out of the way as a bullet zipped towards her this time. Crap! Oh what to do?! Nonie scrambled frantically, accidentally bumping into some of the shelves as she moved. One tettered dangerously as she did, and that gave her an idea. She scrambled away again, dodging into the next row from where the man was at. She acted swiftly, throwing all her weight onto the shelf. Please oh please let this work! The shelf tettered on it's side, resisting Nonie as she pushed. Holy jeez this thing was heavy! But then it gave out, just as another gun shot rang out. The bullet struck through the shelf, but it was already in motion and crashing down. Right on top of the baddie. Nonie just hoped this worked!

[alpha]

Brett still sat behind the now over self and stared wide-eyed. She was frozen, it was fear again! Brett grabbed at her own stomach and tried to get a hold of herself. 'MOVE!' she yelled to herself but her body locked up, she begged herself to move. Brett's mind raced, to her father's murder then her mothers and she saw them. Brett saw the police photos that she was forced to look at, the photos she burned after stealing them... she couldn't be like them. "Move!" Brett yelled half to herself, half to Nonie. Brett was given control of her body again and took advantage of it running towards the back room.

Austin bursted through the back door, a bullet grazed his arm but he ignored it. Running through the ran Austin spun around for a payphone then he remembered his cellphone. Austin leaned against a building and dialed '911'. The police were on their way.

[Needmorefood]

Nonie, on the other hand, was now fleeing a very pissed off shooter. Her plan had worked... For a few seconds. Then the man had crawled out from under the shelf and kept shooting. She hurried around another shelf as a bullet barely missed her. Yikes! He was getting closer! Panicking slightly, Nonie picked up the nearest item (she thought it was shampoo or something) and threw it at the shooter. He dodged it, but Nonie had moved to another row. Now it became almost comical, with Nonie throwing whatever she could find at the moment, weaving around. Thank god she was fast.

[alpha]

Brett stared in horror as she peeked out from the back room to see Nonie is danger. 'Come on!' Brett looked around the back room then she saw it in all it's glory and grabbed it. Brett watched Nonie slide by then she ran out and duck behind the shelves. Brett took deep breaths before jumping out and firing the fire extinguisher at the shooter, he panicked and shot his last few bullets before falling over and choking on the foam. Brett continued until it was empty and then smacked the shooter in the face with it. Brett looked back at Nonie then she looked down, 'How? I didn't even feel it?' Blood covered her left leg as it poured out of a bullet hole in her leg. Then pain waved over her body, Brett cringed and limped towards the back room then stopped. "Nonie!" Brett looked down at her friend, "Are you okay?" Brett asked.

Austin ran back towards the store and the back door sirens blared outside as four police cars drove up to the front entrance. Austin swallowed the lump in his throat and peeked in the bullets were fired again and it sounded like someone using a fire extinguisher. 

[Needmorefood]

Nonie glanced out from the shelf she was currently hiding behind and nodded. But then her eyes went straight to Brett's wound and they widened. "Brett!" She exclaimed, stumbling over and dropping the hedge clippers she was going to throw. "Brett you're hurt! We need to get you clean or something!" She quickly took off her jacket (which was still semi wet from the rain) and halted Brett. She wasn't a doctor, but she had learned that it was important to staunch the blood flow from experience. She tied the jacket around Brett's leg tightly.

[alpha]

Brett laughed, "I'm sure it's fine. You should know something, I used to box so this only hu- Ow!" Brett yelped as Nonie tied her jacket around Brett's leg. Brett looked down at Nonie, "Thanks." Brett imagined how it must have felt for her father and her own pain slowly disappeared. Two police officers busted in through the door, yelling but quickly went silent and handcuffed the unconscious man. Brett's manager stood outside the window staring at his store and crying. Brett felt bad but she ignored him.

Austin ran into the store, officers were taking away the shooter, his manager was now on his knees outside crying and Brett was- "Brett! You got shot!" Austin stared at Brett then looked down at Nonie, Brett motioned to his arm where he was shot. "It's nothing" Austin lied, it hurt a lot and when a paramedic was poking at it he began to cry.