[CENTER][h1][color=EB054D][b]RICO[/b][/color][/h1][/center][hr]“Feels better, don’t it?”

Rico looked about the lower section of city, still quiet in the early morning. They were out of the more industrial zones of Sunstrider, where buildings were somewhat sparser.

[COLOR=EB054D]“Yeah, it’s less crowded, I like it!”[/color]

Wicc nodded. “And the air is more free of the smoke you get from this island’s furnaces. If you only live in bad places you only get bad thoughts. The world around you has so much to offer.” Rico stopped, looking around a bit. “You’re looking far ahead and moving fast with the Pirate King thing at all, but that can’t be everything, right?”

Rico smiled, but his face fell. [COLOR=EB054D]“How are we gonna get money this way though?”[/color]

Wicc laughed. “We’ve been walking and talking all night: you need some food and sleep! You’ve gotta take care of yourself first before you can do anything big or grand.”

[COLOR=EB054D]“That’s a good point’a’roonie.”[/color]

The two arrived at an abandoned abode, shuffling to the side where an apple tree reigned above a few wooden planks. Shuffling through the curtain, Rico joined Wicc in his abode. Reaching up, he took down an apple hanging from a branch that stuck it’s way in. “This should tide you over for a little while, we’ll figure the rest out after some rest. It’ll be nice and cool here until afternoon. Tha’s when we’ll get to work.”

[COLOR=EB054D]“Hell yeah!”[/color] Rico cried out, eating the apple whole before plopping down. He started snoring immediately.

Wicc gawked, before shaking his head. “You don’t quite know how to take it slow, huh boyo?” he chortled, before heading out, work to be done yet.[hr][COLOR=EB054D]“This sucks.”[/color] Rico and Wicc sat on the side of a road with a fair number of pedestrians going by. Each of them had a sign, Wicc’s reading ‘Anything helps’, where Rico’s said “I’m hungry” (the third iteration of his sign, a halfway point of compromise).

“Well you could have made a better sign, people who give are gonna have some sympathy,” Wicc offered his upturned hat more bountiful than Rico’s tin can.

[COLOR=EB054D]“I just don’t like begging at all! I feel like I’m doing something wrong.”[/color]

Wicc sighed. “You’re normally so shameless…”

[COLOR=EB054D]“Yeah but I want to be the guy who does something! I wanna be active! Pirates don’t ask they take what they want!”[/color]

“You’re gonna steal?”

[COLOR=EB054D]“Well, no, but if I beat an enemy pirate and he has a bunch of gold I wouldn’t not take it.”[/color]

“Any pirates around?”

Rico’s head swiveled from side to side. [COLOR=EB054D]“That guy kinda looks like a pirate!”[/color] The two watched as a man in a bandanna picked some litter off the ground and threw it away, before turning the corner out of sight.

“Well?”

[COLOR=EB054D]“Don’t feel like it right this second.”[/color]

“Sounds like you’re just picking between which thing you’re dependent on.” Rico pouted.

A voice called. “You’re hungry?” Rico looked up to see a guy with some Spicy Firebird Popcorn Chicken in hand. Sparkles of hope came to his eyes. “Bitch, me too!” the man popped some chicken into his mouth and cackled as he headed off, leaving Rico sour.

He snapped his head in Wicc’s direction [COLOR=EB054D]“Don’t you laugh.”[/color]

“It was kinda funny.”

[COLOR=EB054D]“I mean you’re right but also don’t.”[/color]

There was a rush of movement as a man in a leather jacket ran by, scooping up Wicc’s money filled cap and dashing off. [COLOR=EB054D]“Hey!”[/color] Rico shot to his feet. Whistles of heat ad fire erupted as he bounced off, the street going silent from the noise. Rico honed in on the thief, one arm grabbing for the hat after the other latched around the guy’s neck.

“What the hell!? Get offa me!”

[COLOR=EB054D]“Not before you give that back, that wasn’t given to you!”[/color] Rico crumpled that hat into his hand, keeping most of the money intact. Once he wrested it free, be planted a foot against the man’s back and leapt off with another burst of firework flame, the mugger crashing to the stone ground. Glancing around, he started scooping up some of the dropped bills and coins. A number of people around had begun to applaud, apparently impressed.

The mugger scrambled to his feet, blood running down his face. But he laughed. “Whew, what a rush, the pain just makes me feel alive!” He slapped the sides of his face, smile forced and frantic. “All good, always another chance. Morale’s all good here?” Rico didn’t spare him much second thought as he ran off, only muttering, [COLOR=EB054D]“Friggin’ weirdo.”[/color]

Glancing over, he saw the Popcorn Chicken heckler, his jaw dropped. He handed his remaining food over to Rico. [COLOR=EB054D]“Oh sweet, thanks buddy!”[/color] With one hand he poured all the chicken into his face, horfing it down like a beast as he went back to Wicc. Rico put the hat back down as he took a seat. [COLOR=EB054D]“I should rethink my sign.”[/color]

“Not hungry anymore?” Wicc asked, struck.

[COLOR=EB054D]“I mean, I [i]could[/i] eat but...”[/color] Wicc had been laughing a lot since he met this silly guy.