Auburn hair, neatly tied up in a ponytail. Clothes, cleaner and stylish, with a white top and loose, brown pants. She wore the same chemically-treated gloves and tall, metal-toed boots as them for protection. Well, mostly the same, because one of her gloves had only four fingers.
Comparatively, the two of them looked grungy. Their clothes were faded and worn, and much of the dye had been stripped from repeated exposure.
Jade's glare also held relief as she approached Lucky, starting to extend her arms.
"Ah, no hugs. I got sprayed," Lucky said, motioning for her to stop. "A geyser hit the underside and almost flipped us."
She stopped and stared at him for a moment. He shifted nervously before she slowly turned to Noland. She locked eyes with him silently before stepping in to hug him.
Noland's arms went wide and his body stiffened.
'Is she hugging me?!' Noland mouthed to Lucky with a panicked expression. 'Why is she hugging me?!'
Lucky shrugged, equally baffled and twirling a finger next to his temple, but all of the silent shenanigans stopped when she pulled away. Jade smiled innocently before sucker punching Noland in the gut.
Noland wheezed, collapsing to one knee before she finally, emotionally, spoke.
"You're supposed to be back before sun hits the pier, right?!"
"Yep, yep," Noland wheezed.
"What's Fenrik's rule on being late?"
"One punch for every minute late, or whack. I prefer the whack- OW!" A slap clipped him across the head.
"Why were you late?!"
"We were checking out a new location and went a little beyond the last collection site," Lucky answered meekly.
"Damn it, Lucky- OW!"
"You're late and going on adventures without me?!"
Jade gave Noland's shoulder one last punch as he rose back to his feet.
"Ow! Hey, it was spur of the moment!" Noland complained, rubbing his arm.
"Yeah?" Jade said, upset painting her tone.
"You're with us plenty! Plus you volunteered to stay this time, remember? To look after Fenrik? How's he doing?"
Jade sniffed, crossing her arms. "Same as when you left. Not better, not worse."
Noland glared at Lucky before motioning at him. "Not going to hit him for being late too?"
"He's covered in chemicals," Jade replied dismissively.
"Lucky!" Lucky piped.
"What? So you get some on your gloves! How's that any different from- okay, okay."
She raised her fist threateningly, silencing Noland. Her glare lingered on him, her weight shifting side-to-side awkwardly before hugging him again.
It was brief before she stepped past toward the boat. Lucky and Noland exchanged nervous glances again.
"There's quite a bit in here. It'll take some time to clean it out... Where are the canisters?"
"What?"
She groaned, leaning against the boat. "The canisters aren't here..."
"No! It should be tied down in the back? Fuck."
"Fuck."
Their expressions turned grim. The spot where they tied the canisters down was empty except for loose straps.
"We almost had enough for Fenrik's treatment," Jade's voice cracked. "We can't afford to spend it on new canisters... And food, that's going to hit what we've been saving too!"
"We've been saving up?" Lucky says, confused.
"Since when?" Noland added.
"Since the day we found out he has bubbled lungs, idiots!" Jade shouted. "Remember? I told you!"
"Oh, yeah. I remember now."
Noland frowned, barely remembering the brief moment where she said, 'I'll be taking a coin out of every trip to save for Fenrik's treatment.'
Glancing at Lucky, he paused when Lucky shifted his pouch with the pill bottles inside. They looked at each other and nodded in silent agreement. Both of them scanned the empty pier next to their home out of caution.
"What?" Jade asked, nervously rising and looking around worriedly.
"We're in luck."
"Lucky!"
Noland sighed.
---------------------
The pristine, unmarked pill bottles were placed on the table next to the thin, unmarked book. The book didn't have designs or anything fancy. It was just brownish-grey.
"We can hide a few of these, that won't be a problem. The problem will be the frequent visits from officers after we report it. They won't believe us even if we did hand it all over."
While she talked, she was sprinkling white powder onto their clothes, gloves, and boots. Lucky was sitting in nothing but his undies and a thin, holey shirt. Noland, spared the spray in their race home, only had to take off his boots and gloves. It was required before entering their home, regardless.
"I don't want them around for any reason," Jade added. "They'll tear up the place every time."
"At least decipher the book," Noland persuaded. "The city library has ancient texts. I'm sure one of them will match up."
"Great idea! So I go up there, show my face a bunch to the officers and then we turn these in? You don't questions will be asked?"
Her voice went higher for the mock question, "Why was Jade at the library, so frequently, trying to read ancient texts right right before turning in some ancient pills with an ancient book?"
"Curiosity! There isn't a ban against learning so long as we turn it in!" Noland argued. "We might even get a few extra coins if you create a translated copy!"
"That's not going to happen. They will want to verify it themselves. And again, I don't want officers or inspectors snooping around while Fenrik's sick. What if they figure out we've been hiding some? Execution, banishment. Let's just turn it all in, take the coin, and give Fenrik his medicine."
Their gazes shifted to Fenrik laid out on his bed, listening silently. His hairs had gone gray and skin pale and sickly. Breaths came short and raspy, but his eyes still held a spark while he listened to the conversation.
"They'll be investigating whether we hide it or not," Lucky said. "I agree with Noland. What if those pills end up being really awesome or something?"
"Or something," she snorted, dunking a bucket into a barrel of water which was nearly empty and setting it on the floor. She threw the clothes into it and sighed, placing her hands on her hips. "Fenrik's sick, Lucky could've been hurt, and you both almost died. Now this? Are you serious?"
"Do it."
A weak, raspy and crackly voice, laced with a wet bubbly noise, emerged from Fenrik.
"The doctor said not to speak," Jade replied sharply, becoming more agitated and upset. It was also the look of someone who was very hesitant and skeptical trying to make a decision.
Fenrik smirked and pointed at the bucket filled with water and their clothes. "Outside."
Jade's mouth fell open and gestured at the items on the table.
"Outside," Fenrik said again, firmly despite the state of his voice.
She sighed and, despite it being very heavy, lifted the metal bucket and awkwardly carried it outside. Lucky tried to help her in the past but was kindly and threateningly told "Hands off."
When she stepped back inside, she said, "Fine. I'll see if I can figure out which text this belongs to."
"Woo-hoo!"
"Fuck yeah!"
Even Fenrik was grinning from his bed as he eyed the two boys. She rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Hey, and if these pills end up being something good, this might be our ticket to the mid-city!" Noland added enthusiastically. Jade paused at this, studying him carefully before nodding to his wide grin.
Later, as evening approached, Noland returned with a sealed sack containing their food. The Chemical Sea was bubbling away meters below, threatening a painful death if he were to slip.
He took off his boots before stepping back inside. Everything was already set up for the evening. The valves were opened so that they could cook and drink, Lucky's clothes were hanging in front of the exhaust fan, and drapes were closed separating the mens' side from Jade's.
They knew they were adopted and not related. Chores, cleaning, help Fenrik, and then go play with other kids closer to the mid-city.
The mid-city was the prized goal everyone on the pier sought. The further away you were, the more popular you were. This meant playing kiss-up or brown nosing, which eventually they figured out was pointless and stupid. None of those richer kids could actually do anything, nor did they care to. They were just taking advantage of whomever they could.
By the time this was finally figured out and they started to work more closely with Fenrik, the physical changes growing into adulthood had started. Fenrik wasn't resentful or pushy either, he was getting a ration card. Noland doubted Fenrik cared much until they turned fifteen and it expired.
Once fifteen hit, Fenrik's attitude changed and they were joining his scavenging trips from then on out.
"The days of eating without working for you little brats are done. It's time to learn how to scavenge," Fenrik said.
And now here they were, over eighteen, and in shockingly good condition compared to others their age.
It often made Noland wonder, when he saw their scarred and deformed bodies, if they were lucky in this part of the Chemical Sea. As he was lost in thought, thinking about the past and what-ifs, Jade had taken the sack of food and dumped it into the pots and pans.
Each of them took a hard pill out of a bottle that came with the sack. Thirty minutes later, they were eating. Ground meat and blanched vegetables flavored only with salt, and a roach the size of a fist for each of them.
The ground meat and blanched vegetables might've seemed fine, but they weren't. The vegetables often had a chemical taste, turning to powder in their mouths, and the ground meat was just that. It became old very quickly.
"Do you think our stomachs will explode if we don't take these pills?" Noland asked as he eyed the roach with disgust.
"Fenrik said several of his buds died when they tested it," Lucky said and Fenrik nodded, slowly sitting up to eat.
"Several?"
"I don't know either."
Jade didn't seem to care. Without hesitation, the first thing she reached for was the roach, biting its head off with pearly white teeth. A rare sight in the city. She munched on it as if it was an ordinary snack, goo dribbling from her lips which she quickly wiped away.
"That's disgusting," Noland eyed her with disgust.
"It's delicious. I don't know why you tough guys don't like it."
"What part of any of this is delicious? I can't stand the vegetables let alone the roach!"
"The crunch with the soft insides feels amazing! You really don't think it's good?"
"No!"
Shrugging, Jade took another bite out of its midsection. "Well if you don't want yours, I'll take it."
"No," Noland sighed dejectly before taking a bite out of his and swallowing immediately.
His method? One bite, swallow. Don't taste.
Lucky adopted the same method. Together they had become a form of entertainment for Jade. Noland was certain that she took pleasure in watching them try to eat it.
'She's sick in the head,' Noland thought while she snickered from her chair.
"Eat up or you won't grow big and strong!" Jade teased.
"Eugh."