No Man's Land (Private)

[WolfumsTheGreat]

It didn't take long for Sera to move on to the next vendor and in no time, she had collected her items from five vendors when before, she had gotten all her things at one. Perhaps Lizzie would be happy with this, instead of let down that Sera had left some of her favorite things.
The thought of Lizzie made Sera sigh once more. They had to go to work early in the morning. Sera's hand instinctively touched her shoulder where she knew her tattoo was, right on the back of her blade. She had spelled out her name in MoonText and she had liked it then, but now she couldn't wear revealing clothes without someone seeing it and ridiculing her for having it and working where she worked. She wished she could take it back. She also wished that she could have protected Lizzie from getting the obvious mark on her face that the others had talked her into.

Sera stopped a moment in front of a bakery. It had already closed, but she was thinking to herself as she looked at the day old pastries in the window and her reflection that seemed entangled together. Creatures and people walked behind her, but she didn't pay them to much attention.
Maybe Lizzie really would be happy with one of the 'looser' coworkers. She'd have a talk with Lizzie on the way to work. Although Lizzie would probably try and spare her feelings, Sera would be able to see through the guise.

[Muffinsquire]

While Danny was looking around he spotted someone nearby, peering into one of the windows of a bakery. The food inside looked rather appetizing, but like the office it was closed. This woman seemed polite enough, though, and also he realized, almost immediately that he had seen her earlier walking away from one of the vendors. So he approached her while Bowen was still grumbling about the office being closed, politely making his way through the thinned, nighttime crowd. Once he reached her, he tapped the girl on the shoulder before speaking.
"Excuse me, miss," he said. "I was wonderin' if you could tell me and my friend here where we might find a decent inn to stay at that might serve us a good meal. We've been travelin' a while and are in need of a proper place to stay."
He watched her a moment, glancing in at the pastries now and then while he patiently awaited her answer. His mother had always taught him that patience was a virtue, so he wouldn't rush her answer.

[WolfumsTheGreat]

Sera had actually jumped whenever she was touched. She didn't like for anyone for touch her and sometimes even moved away when Lizzie did so. She studied the man that she was forced to confront. She didn't like when men singled her out of a crowd and this man seemed... very manly at that.
"All the inns are closed for the night," Sera answered as she took a step back from him and placed a hand on her hip, not wanting him so close. "They stopped taking people in about two hours ago."
But this man seemed to be in a dilemma and normally, men that just wanted to hit on her didn't do so in such a polite fashion.
She stopped to consider this a moment.
"How far are you from home?" she finally asked him. "If you're really far," which he seemed to be since he was looking for an inn, "my landlord has a few spare rooms for the same price as an inn. You just have to be cleanly and soft-spoken," she remarked to him, still waiting for some kind of loop-hole to come along with his nice attitude.

She did notice how odd this fellow looked, for he obviously wasn't from around here. She had seen some like him though whenever the ships were there during crop season to load up and sell to the land across the sea. But with the war starting up, she hadn't seen many of them since they really didn't have anyone to sell to anymore.

[Muffinsquire]

Immediately noticing how uncomfortable this woman seemed to be around him, Danny also took a step back to give her a little space and raised a brow. He hadn't meant to be so overpowering and now by this time, Bowen had noticed what he was doing. However his companion didn't come near, supposing they shouldn't crowd the woman either. Brigit stood loyally by his side still, unconcerned with the other man. She tilted her head curiously at the woman being spoken to before looking up at her master and whining for a little attention. Danny took a moment to scratch at her head so she would be appeased and not worry the woman either.
"Shoot...really," he inquired, rather distressed by the news. Inns in most of the small villages he had been through never closed, but he supposed that here in the city things were different. "I come from the country land," he explained and my friend here is from the next city inland, much farther than me. If your landlord really has an extra room, then I'd be willing to pay. We would just like a place out of the elements for a while. If you wouldn't mind taking us there, I would be willing to offer a few coins for your help." He then fished around in his pocket for some money and protracted a few, thin metal coins, not a spectacular amount, but it wasn't anything to be ignored either for such a simple request.

[WolfumsTheGreat]

"Wh-what? Oh, um, no... no... I don't need your money," Sera remarked. She was still having a little trouble believing she was actually talking to this man. Every now and then her sights would glance down at the dog to make sure it was staying in its place. She never had really been around animals much either, so they made her just about as uncomfortable as men did.
"But um.. yeah, she'd be happy to have a few more customers for a little while," Sera answered Danny. She lifted her head, supposing that was the friend he spoke of that looked after the two of them talking. This made her feel slightly surrounded, but she kept her place, unwavering or going anywhere else.

"This way," she remarked as she turned about and started her way back home. She had already been about half-way whenever she let her mind wander in the window of the bakery. She wasn't so sure about having these men so close to her living quarters, but locks were made for a reason, and she wouldn't have them just prowling around on the streets at night. People like that gave her a sick feeling in her stomach and the image flashed in her head like a germaphobe video of e-coli. It made her skin crawl, but Sera tried to overlook it. Every now and then she would glance over her shoulder in case the man said something to her. Either way, she needed to get back to Lizzie.

[Muffinsquire]

Danny was glad when he learned they would have a place to stay indoors at least, even if they didn't get the meal they wanted. He realized though, that the woman still didn't seem too keen on them even being around her, so he made sure to keep a reasonable distance while they walked the dark streets. When she had said that she wouldn't take the money he only shrugged and slipped it back into his pocket. Bowen followed close behind and Brigit flanked their right side.
"How are we supposed to get a room," Bowen inquired while they walked. "I have no money. Those bandits stole everything but my blueprints."
"Don't worry yourself, Bowen," Danny assured him. "I have it covered. An' for future reference, you should always be sure that all your money isn't kept in one spot. Makes it easier for thieves teh take it."
Bowen only rolled his eyes. He didn't want a lecture, but he did appreciate, and was even surprised at the fact that Danny would pay for both of them. He wondered how the boy even had the money, though, suspecting a country farm hand might as well be dirt poor.
While they walked, Danny still didnt' want to seem room so he only thought it proper to introduce himself.
"My name is Daniel by the way...but you can call me Danny," he began. "And this is my friend Bowen. Thank you again for your help."

[WolfumsTheGreat]

"I shouldn't leave you on the street," Sera replied. She didn't answer with a 'no problem' or 'it's my pleasure' or even state her name. She just knew that leaving people out on the street at dark time wasn't a smart idea.
She didn't speak anymore, but continued to walk, feeling the lace of her skirt flirt with her leather-skinned boots down by her calves. It didn't take too much walking until they came to one of the large shanty-towns. After going up the stairs, which most shanty-towns had plenty of, Sera came to a little room and knocked on the door. After stepping back and taking a deep breath, she could hear rustling coming from inside.
Finally, a very small little woman with a 'trunk-like' nose answered the door. Her spectacles were probably about two inches thick and she eyed Sera a moment before announcing her name in glee and hugging her.
"Sera!" she remarked happily. "It's so nice to see you, and not on rent-day! Do you have a problem my girl?" she asked, stepping back as her snow-white curls bounced at her shoulders.
Sera directed her to the young men that came up a little ways behind her on the many winding stairs.
"I think I found you two more boarders, at least for a little while," Sera remarked to the old lady with a smile, something very rarely seen.
"Two new boarders?" the old lady asked, scuttling over to get a good look at the men, then noticed the dog and suddenly leapt back, her little squished body seeming to come off the ground as she looked at the beast. "I don't accept animals," she remarked sternly.
"I'll pay for the animal. I'm sure it won't be any trouble," Sera told her. The lady eyed Sera for a moment.
"Well, if you're willing to pay for it, then I know that it should be trustworthy."
The lady mused for a few more moments, thinking on this to herself.
"Alright then," she finally agreed as she struck out her hand to shake the men's, although she was about a fourth of their size. "My name's Lady Trena," she smiled with her toothless grin.

[Muffinsquire]

Danny politely shook hands with the tiny woman, glad that she accepted them and also made a mental note of the girl's name since he didn't recall her stating it earlier.
"Danny," he introduced himself. "Pleasure to meet you." Then he spoke out of concern for his pet. "And I assure you Brigit is quiet and clean, ma'am. She won't cause no trouble. An' I can pay any extra cost you need for her."
The Bowen stepped up, shaking hands and introducing himself as well, although he wasn't quite as enthusiastic as Danny. He thought Danny's enthusiasm a little much actually, but he wasn't at all used to the light and airy attitudes of Rawhides.
"We can't tell you exactly how long we'll be here, Lady Trena," Danny explained. "It may be a day, it may be a month, possibly a year, but we'll pay what you like."

[WolfumsTheGreat]

"Just pay whenever you're around. The rent is due once a month and if you leave any sooner, I'll expect pay on your way out. We'll sit down and discuss prices tomorrow, for it's far too late to do such a thing," Lady Trena smiled brightly to the boys.
"And if the dog's as good as you say, then you don't have to pay anything extra for her. I just don't want barks at long hours of the nights or things dripping from the ceiling of the under apartment," she mused to herself.
Lady Trena then looked to Sera.
"You sure are out awefully late. Hopefully no problems?" she asked Sera.
"Nothing that I can't handle, thank you," Sera remarked to her. "I need to go check on Lizzie."
Trena nodded and then showed the two boys to their room after Sera went on to her own to check up on Lizzie.
"Do you need two rooms or just one? This one is a suite with a kitchen, living room, and a bathroom, but holds two bedrooms."
Trena showed them the room beside Sera's which caused Sera to groan whenever she heard voices.

[Muffinsquire]

"This will be fine if it has two bedrooms," Danny replied with a nod and a smile.
As they had come around the corner he noticed Sera going into the room nearby, but only thought it a coincedence. No point in making a big deal out of nothing. They stepped inside and looked around the suite for a moment, satisfied, thinking it rather decent for a shanty town apartment.
"Thank you again," he told Lady Terena. "And I'll get back to you tomorrow about pay."

[WolfumsTheGreat]

Lady Trena was more than pleased.
"Alright then, you two boys make yourself at home. If you get hungry, Sera is normally the one to do housewarming things and I'm more than certain she'd make a big pot of stew for you boys."
Lady Trena saw them off once more and then went on back to her room, waddling on down the way until she came to her door, which was a few stairs down.
Sera checked on Lizzie, and once she noticed that she was still asleep did she go into the kitchen and begin to make herself something to eat. Sera was famished and normally spent all her time feeding Lizzie instead of herself. Because Lizzie was still a minor, she didn't get paid for her work yet. Perhaps whenever she turned around fifteen or so would they even look at paying her under the table. Now, she was just volunteer, or learning help for the future.
It was hard enough for Sera to feed herself sometimes, especially whenever it wasn't trading season. Now, since Sera had to feed herself and a growing kid during the cut off harbors because of the war, she really didn't know how much longer she could manage.
Maybe, if Lizzie did leave, although it would truly break Sera's heart, it would be easier on Sera to make rent and feed herself. She had always wanted some type of pet, like a snail, or a slot, y'know just something that sat there and stared at you all day? Rambunctious animals frightened her, so she knew she'd never get anything like a cat or dog, or even a frog. Frogs scared her out of her mind.

[Muffinsquire]

Danny thanked Lady Terena again, but decided he wouldn't bother Sera anymore for the night, especially since she seemed so uncomfortable around himself and Bowen. He didn't want to scare her anymore and felt it best to keep to himself. Of course, none of the pantries were stocked, so there was nothing fresh to eat in the kitchen. And Sera hadn't said anything about any of the restaurants being open at the moment. They probably weren't.
So it seemed all they had to eat was just some left over bread and jerky that Danny had packed, which they both consumed ravenously, although it wasn't enough to fill their empty stomachs.
"Before we go in to register," Danny said while they stood around the bar of the kitchen while Danny refilled his canteen and drank his fill before filling it once more and offering it to Bowen. "We'll go out and get ourselves a good breakfast. Right now, we'll just focus on our sleep."
"Well, at least I can say I've gotten used to going to bed hungry," Bowen shrugged with a sigh. "I'll be fine. You know I really appreciate all you've done for me, Daniel. I really sort of forced myself on you, but you didn't seem to mind. Next thing I know you're feeding me and paying for all my expenses."
"It's no problem really," Danny replied.
"Well I'll repay you either way, when I sell off my inventions," Bowen nodded with confidence.

[WolfumsTheGreat]

Sera ended up going to bed after she had made the stew. She let it simmer overnight on a low setting, knowing that it would be fine. She slept very restlessly though, unable to find a good sleep. Then, as soon as the sun rose, which was only a few hours later, Sera was up making breakfast for Lizzie. She didn't have enough to make breakfast for herself, so just made up an excuse that she already ate breakfast.
Lizzie was groggy, as she was every morning.
"What's that?" Lizzie asked as she pointed to the medium-sized pot that hovered a few inches above the stove top.
"That's lunch," Sera smiled, rather proud of herself that she was able to buy everything for a good stew.
"Lunch?" Lizzie asked with a raised brow.
"Yeah, it's stew. It's got all kinds of things in it."
"Stew?" Lizzie asked and stuck out her tongue, for she didn't really like stew, it tasted funny and had too many vegetables.
Sera frowned for a moment, for she was very prideful over her stew.
"It'll be good, I promise," Sera added after her smile had faded once she went over and filled the stew into a carrying container that could fit around one's shoulder, sort of like a canteen, but a little larger and it was self-heating, so it would stay hot until lunch. The container normally fed Lizzie and herself with a little left over, so they'd probably eat stew for supper as well.
"Well, ready to go?" Sera asked after Lizzie finished eating. Lizzie always dressed and was ready for the day before she came to the table.
Lizzie nodded her head and the two started out, Sera locking the door behind them.

[Muffinsquire]

Danny and Bowen awoke early the next door, feeling slightly more rested than usual now that they had gotten to actually sleep in a bed to themselves. They were up and out to find themselves a good breakfast before most of the tenants were stirring. Of course, no pets were allowed inside the restaurants which greatly concerned Danny, not wanting to leave Brigit by herself.
"Why did you bring that dog with you anyway," Bowen asked as they sat down beside a window where Danny could see Brigit and she could see him.
Danny could hear her whining outside the thin glass and sighed lightly, taking pity on her. "Well, I didn' mean to bring her with me," he explained. "I had locked her up, knowing she'd follow me if I didn't, but I guess she got out and found me in the end anyway." He shrugged. "She's been with me ever since I was little. She's almost like another sybling to me.
Bowen raised a brow, thinking Danny's explanation was very strange. Of course, Bowen had never really had a pet before, his parents having never allowed him to have an animal in the house.
"What happened to her leg," he asked.
"She lost it in...a rather gruesome accident, honestly, so I'll spare you the details," Danny said with a grin. "We thought we were gonna hafta put her down, but my brother's a pretty good mechanic, into all that robotic stuff like you, only he's never really invented anything. He built her a new one and she was right as rain."

[WolfumsTheGreat]

Sera went off to her place in the dye vats under the city as Lizzie went to her's as well. It was already hot as blazes under the city and Sera sometimes wondered why the city above never baked itself with their work under the ground.
Sera saw Lizzie off, making sure she was where she needed to be before going to her post.
Sera had one of the harder jobs, which was to balance on the side of the large, boiling vats and stir the clothes that were thrown in, then fish them out. They had five different colors and today she was working the black.
She used the large spatula, which was a long spear with a crescent shaped metal blade at the end. One side was sharp, used to cut material that was too large, while the other side was blunt in order to fish the clothes out.
Sera had to be very careful with the delicate material, but after working at just the vats for the last two years, she had become very skilled at it. She didn't exactly like her job, but it paid the bills sometimes and put food in her mouth... sometimes.
She did want to look for a new job, but wasn't up for searching, or trying to meet new people. Sera wasn't a people person, especially whenever it came to men. Knowing her luck, she'd get a man boss. Which, she was under a man boss at the moment. But her father had hooked her up with the job before he left for good, so she had never needed to deal with the boss. The boss was merely an overseer that came around once a year to make sure things were moving smoothly. A very angry looking woman was actually who looked over Sera. Sera would rather have the angry woman rather than a delightful man any day.