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Marisa hummed a tune to herself as she scouted out a path over the rubble.  “Nice ‘a them Reds to have used chemicals on the smaller cities,” she said, climbing over a broken slab of what used to be an apartment building.  She stopped to kick a broken doll down the hill of concrete.  “Gives us something to loot.”

Alice stopped to pick it up.  “Why would they use chemicals?”

“Leave something behind for them to conquer,” Marisa smiled, lighting a cigarette.  “Did the same thing to most their other neighbors too.  ‘Merica and most of Europe are more or less completely wiped out, though.”

Alice put what was left of the doll into her bag.  “If they didn’t use regular missiles, why are so many buildings destroyed?”

“Never went outside your shelter til you absolutely had to, dincha?”

-

Opening a can of peaches, Alice pulled a fork from her bag and handed Shanghai and Hourai one each.  Marisa turned her down and used the campfire to light a new cigarette.  Where she kept getting them was anybody’s guess.  Looking out into the street, Alice took a sip of the juice and handed the can off.

“Wait!” She grabbed the can back.  “There aren’t any chemicals still floating around, are there?”

“We’re still alive, aren’t we?” Marisa shot back, starting to look around behind the reception desk.  “Want a pair of earrings?  They’re diamond.”

“We should have brought masks,” Alice muttered, sniffing the peaches.

“Ooh,” Marisa oohed, digging around behind the desk.  “A purse.”

“Is this alright?” Alice asked, giving the rest of the can to her sisters.

Marisa opened the clasp and read each credit, debit, and library card before tossing them in her bag.  “What?.”

“Looting like this,” Alice muttered, looking over.  “Just taking it straight off the bodies.”

“Not like they’re using it,” Marisa answered.  “Anything to stay alive, hun.”  She emptied out the pockets and added the assorted notes to her wad of bills.

“Credit cards aren’t worth anything anymore,” Alice noted.

“Neither are broken dolls.”
-

“You didn’t even know anything about her,” Alice whispered, making sure Shanghai and Hourai had gone to sleep.  “And you took her things anyway.”

“Sure do,” Marisa answered, not bothering to lower her voice.  “Kobayashi Yuiko.  Female, black hair, brown eyes, 153 centimeters, 51.4 kilograms, and judging by this picture, either had a boyfriend, or a very good relationship with her brother.”

“That doesn’t mean anything,” Alice muttered.  “Did you have to take her clothes too?”

“With a bit of thread, you can make blankets out of them,” she answered, flicking her cigarette into the lobby.  “Lemme show ya.”

Alice gently slipped out from under Shanghai’s head and pulled a spool of thread and needle from her bag before using it to replace her lap.  Pulling a pair of scissors from her apron, Marisa began cutting Yuiko’s slacks down the seams.

“Scissors?” Alice smiled, sitting down next to her.  “I thought you’d use a knife for that.”

“I can be gentle if need be,” Marisa answered.  Threading the needle, she took Alice’s hand and guided it to the fabric.  “You can double the surface area if you lay the halves out like this.”

Marisa kept guiding Alice’s hands long after she would have learned the motions herself.  Neither of them said anything.

“Is this alright?” Alice asked as they worked their way through.

“You’re doing great,” Marisa answered.