Paper Bags

Paper Bags 15

Llama Town was... something.

The place was almost deserted but a few people with Bags on their heads, walking in and out of buildings that almost touched the skies. Each architecture were covered with long, rectangular windows and glasses; reflecting the sunlight and casting a glare at certain angles. The roads were made out of grey concrete and there were distinct pavements of white cement on either side, people occasionally exiting a building and disappearing into the next building wearing suits and business like clothing.

This was the town that was supposed to be dangerous?

Haru blinked once before he said, "This doesn't look like the Llama town we heard so much about."

Adam snorted under his breath, his hands in his hoodie pockets. He was at the front of the group, almost acting like a leader. While it would have once irritated him, for now, he was grateful that it was someone else doing the leading because he had no idea what he was looking at. It was odd... the image the city made. And it was a city. It wasn't a town.

Not by a long shot, especially with skyscrapers just at the distance, blocked by clouds at the very top and looking misty almost.

"Yeah," Rain said, her voice was soft but one look at her was enough to know she was confused, with her eyebrows furrowed and lips tugged downwards. "Where's the criminals and thugs?"

"Rude," Adam said, turning around to finally face them. He stopped walking, halting the gang. Haru raised an eyebrow when he caught his eyes, receiving an amused smirk in response. Familiar irritation bubbled in him at that. There he went again, trying to ruin Haru's day as per usual. It didn't matter that they had a truce, he supposed they would always have such a dynamic. Adam clapped his hands once, mirroring a teacher trying to get his students' attention. "Welcome to Llama Town."

"Like we said," Rain spoke, her voice droning with lack of enthusiasm dripping from her tone. She waved a hand around. "This doesn't look like Llama Town."

"How did you think the town would look like, babe?" Adam grinned when she huffed and flicked a middle finger at him. "What? It's a genuine question."

Fatima hummed for a second, eyes darting everywhere. "I suppose... less clean? Less... futuristic. How did they even get that much glass to work with?"

"They mine for sand and limestones," Adam said, catching Haru's attention with that bit of information.

Jason, in a similar fashion as Rain did, waved his hand around. "This place isn't anywhere close to the sands. At least, from Fatima's map."

Adam stared at the shorter man and then nodded, a controlled movement of his head up and down once. He jabbed a thumb over his shoulders but Haru couldn't discern what he was technically pointing at. There was nothing behind him besides more pavement and occasional people walking by.

"This is just the topside of the town," Adam said. He shoved his hands back in his hoodie pockets and rocked himself back and forth on his heels. "The real business happens underground."

"Underground?" Haru said, confusion whirling inside of him at that. There was an underground to this place? He supposed that made sense because that reputation had to come from somewhere, right? "Like how our town is? In a bunker of some sorts."

"Not quite." Adam turned around then, waving a hand for the friends to follow.

Jason nudged Haru's arm as they walked, meeting his gaze with an eyebrow-raised. Haru simply shook his head, smiling back at the unanswered question if he was alright. There was no reason for his friend... or whatever he was to him now to ask such a thing, but he must've shown his confusion a bit too blatantly on his face.