"Oh meat," Logan ripped the food apart, "Food! How long until you think it's drained?"
"Never drained anything that big," Victor shrugged, "Fur should be clean soon, then at least we'll have a pretty comfy bed."
"What made you walk out there?" Jimmy paused his onslaught to look to his older brother.
"Investigating some noises," he smiled.
The younger raised a brow, "Are you hiding something, Victor?"
He smiled a bit more, "Yes."
Logan just shook his head, "You're weird."
The man smiled and continued eating his stew, "Wish I could garden."
"I wish you could too. We'd save money," Logan sipped some water, "Why are you being weird?"
X
Logan grumbled as his brother sat up, "Stop moving so much! I'm trying to sleep, something you should be doing!"
"Quit shouting," he turned, pulling his brother onto his shoulder and the bear cub on both their stomachs, "Now go to sleep."
The younger just grumbled, snuggled against his brother's arm and trying to sleep while the creature sucked loudly at the bottle.
x
Logan rubbed his sleepy eyes as he tossed the boxes. Ugh, his brother! If he wasn't doing something secretive he was doing something weird. Of all things to adopt it had to be a bear! A bear! Yeah, Ok, he did love animals and really enjoyed when they had those wolves, but a bear.
"Something on your mind?" A man asked when he noticed his worker seeming mildly irate.
"Yeah, just tired," he went to grab another box.
"Seems more than a little tired," he shrugged and continued placing them on one of the cart.
"My brother is being stupid." he rolled his eyes, ecstatic when lunch time finally came.
x
Derrik looked to the mutant as he ate his food. He couldn't help but chuckle noticing him staring into, "A book? Trying to become a teacher or something?"
"My brother wants me to learn how to read," he grumbled.
"What for?" he scoffed and sat next to him, "Reading isn't going to get you a much better job than this. Thirty-three cents an hour."
"I've tried explaining that to him," he bit into his chocolate bar and glared at the book's pictures more than the actual words.
"Can he read or write?"
"Yeah, he can read pretty well. I don't know if he can write all that well," he would have to ask him when he saw him.
"And where does he work?"
"Railroad."
"Making how much?"
He shrugged, "He tells me not to tell people how much he makes, or how much I make."
"He tells you? How old are you?" he laughed, "Your brother this, your brother that. Are you your own man or his child? I don't know how to read and I have a great job. And you're letting him tell you reading is important. He probably doesn't make more money than you."
Logan looked to him with a hint of surprise and quietly went back to eating his meal.
X
Victor stirred the food as his baby bear rolled around, chewing on a duck Victor had caught him to eat. He wasn't evil as to make the cub eat it's own mother like they were.
Logan stared at the book then back to his brother's head before closing it.
"Whats wrong? You only read one sentence. Finish the page."
"How much money do you make?"
"Is that your business?"
"Yes it is."
The elder laughed, "Ha! No it's not."
"Why not? I tell you mine!"
"Since when do you care how much I make?"
"I want to know so I know!"
"No you don't," he shook his head.
"What?"
"You want to know so you can tell someone," he turned, "Have you told someone how much you make?"
"Do you make more or less than me?" Logan dodged the question.
"I don't have to answer that," Victor shrugged, "Read."
"If reading doesn't help me make more money why should I be bothered learning to do it?"
"So you don't lose the money you have for one."
"I know how much I make and I know how to work, so I doubt I'd lose it."
"How would you find the bank? You can't read the sign that says 'bank'. What if your job sends you to a building? You won't know which one it is if you can't read."
"I'll just asked someone where these places are," the younger said smugly.
"Yes, and then let them know you have money and risk them wanting to jump and rob you." he glanced over his shoulder, "Where is the sudden hostility towards reading coming from?"
"You're the only person I know who knows how to read and it hasn't helped you so why should I be bothered? Everyone else makes their money and living without it," he crossed his arms, "Can you even write?"
He raised a brow to him and walked over, dragging his claw on the ground, "V-I-C-T-O-R C-R-E-E-D. My knowing how to read is the reason we have different meals instead of the same thing everyday."
"I still don't want to read!"
"Stop moaning and read the page," he scoffed, checking the food. Logan growled and tossed the book, nailing his brother in the head. Vic grabbed the spot where the corner made impact and pierced through his brother with angry grey eyes. It was at this moment that Logan knew, he messed up.