Ask Gold Laces

[Keena Zuli]

Of all the times to hit rock bottom, this was the worst.

First of all, Mr. Flickers barfed all over her primary uniform; she had to borrow Kaga's shirt and pants, and the Devaronian was easily three sizes bigger than her. Then, she tripped and fell as she was leaving the local shuttle to work, and scraped her palms. Don't want to think about how many germs were involved in that. And then, some angry Kaahren threw their grande, frappuccino, four espresso, and three pumps vanilla extract *sugar-free* latte all over her because she 'forgot to add fat-free Bantha milk, and it wasn't even organic.' But a latte wasn't a frappuccino! However, the words stuck in her throat, and she could feel her throat close with the panic of wanting to say something, but not even managing a squeak.

On top of that, she had to dip into her emergency savings again to pay for rent because Amalo forgot to pay again, and the thought of confronting him was freaking terrifying.

So she was sitting in the back alleyway, having a small pity party with a vanilla and lavender latte, which Kaga said was like her. Tepid and soothing?

She curled tighter into herself and squeezed her eyes shut. She wanted one moment, just one moment.

@Nefieslab

 

[Braclin Grello]

Trouble didn't begin to describe what Brac found himself getting deep into today but it was a good start. He had decided what ship he wanted to begin his new career as a self-employed smuggler and it was a good choice if he did say so himself. The ship was sleek, she was sexy, she had room in her trunk and best of all?

She was tied down to an ugly old man who didn't appreciate her the right way.

The trouble came in the fact that the ugly old man was watching the ship like a hawk-bat and Brac needed to just get five minutes alone with the ship to actually get it all his. Honestly, he hadn't thought that it would be so hard - the man owned a starship dealership after all. But the man had been sticking to him like glue when he pretended to wander around the lot looking for a ship to buy.

In the end he had made an excuse about needing to bring his girlfriend back to the lot with him just so he could be sure she was happy with the ship as well. It was the only thing that had gotten the old man to back the fuck off - which meant he now needed some patsy named Patsy to come and pretend to be his girlfriend.

Luckily for him, he spotted a Zeltron hanging out in an alleyway.

So, naturally, he assumed her profession and walked up to her with half a handful of credits.

"How much for the 'Girlfriend Experience'?" he asked her, "Need you to do some lying for me - and not the kind that involves your back."

@Killa Ree

 

[Keena Zuli]

It got worse.

Somehow, some way, some entity decided that it wasn't raining, it was outright just pissing on her parade today. Still, she couldn't help the startled flinch when footsteps approached. Wide magenta eyes stared up at the stranger luminously, confusion warring with fear, and for a few tense moments, she merely stared at him with an open mouth as she still gripped her mug.

She was still in her work clothes, albeit she had to swap out the shirt so she didn't reek of the thrown frappuccino. Still, she had no idea what was in his hand; from her angle, she couldn't see. Staring at it like it was some sort of a bug, she curled up a little more, her voice almost a squeak as it finally managed past her lips.

"I. Uh..." she swallowed, then blinked confusedly. Sweat began to bead along the back of her neck, and she could feel her stomach tense. What was a 'girlfriend experience'? Was he asking for her to be a girlfriend? But what would being friends have to do with being on her back...? "I don't have a girlfriend...?"

Only when his words registered in her brain, that the reaction was almost comical. Her eyes went huge, and she could feel a flush so bright it probably could have lit the dingy streets, and she began to scrabble up, dropping the mug and jumping when it cracked into the duracrete.

"Ah! Oh! Uh... girlfriend, um... me?" she pointed at herself. She wanted so desperately to sink into the ground or run away from the stranger, but... "I mean, sure, but...Why?"

It was her break, so it didn't really matter, but it was kind of odd that the guy would approach her of all people. She could feel the hormones brushing off of her, but she rubbed her hands on her arms as though to dissipate them before things could be any more awkward.

@Nefieslab

 

[Braclin Grello]

Brac didn't finish school but he wasn't an idiot - and he was big enough to realize he had probably just fucked up a bit.

Assumptions and all that had led him here, to standing in front of a Zeltron woman he had assumed to be a working girl, only to find out she was, instead, some kind of nervous mess. It had only been a few seconds and already she was beginning to look like a stiff breeze would not only knock her over but probably cause her to pass out. He blinked once when she said that she didn't have a girlfriend.

Did she really not get what he had implied?

Well he was going to walk that one to the base and not say anything about dodging that particular blaster bolt. Instead he just did his best to turn up the Charm. Smiling in that roguish way that he had perfected over the years, Brac put the credits back in his pocket and leaned up against one of the walls of the alleyway.

"Oh well, you know, I need someone to come and pretend to be my girlfriend for a bit. Get me a better price on a starship, you see."

100% off actually.

"I'd be willing to pay you for your time - I didn't mean to interrupt your day, you know?"

He couldn't care less about her day but he was beginning to feel a little bit... itchy. Like there was something that he couldn't put his finger on that made him want to be in motion. As well, she seemed to be, well, more attractive than he had first thought. Had he really not noticed how cute her dimples in the cheeks were?

... wait, had they always been cute? Ah crap. Zeltron.

@Killa Ree

 

[Keena Zuli]

Well, at least he didn't give her the 'look'. She knew she was a little odd to most beings' standards, but the AMS pandemic had warped her senses of reality so much, that nothing seemed safe. But this guy stuck around. When he suddenly smiled and leaned, it took all of her willpower not to immediately bolt into the door. Somehow, facing that Kaahren again seemed less intimidating than that look.

However, her ears perked at the mention of being paid. Mr. Flickers needed some decent food, and if it was enough, maybe she could save up more again, and be one step closer to saving her old boss!

Swallowing hard, she rubbed her arms again. Still, so long as he wasn't overly handsy, she could get a bigger bottle of antimicrobial scrub when she got back to her flat.

"Okay. Yeah. Sure."

She flashed him an uncertain smile, blinking when she noticed a weird look on his face. Dawning horror flickered in her eyes, and she waved a hand in the air, feigning it into a way to wave him ahead of her and trying to figure what downwind of him would be. "I can help, yeah."

Crap. Should she apologize? Would getting close be a mistake? Still, credits were on the line, and she wanted to eat noodles tonight!

@Nefieslab

 

[Braclin Grello]

Oh wow she was like some kind of frightened kitten or something right now. He leaned against a wall and suddenly she looked like she was either tied down to the spot or about to bolt any given second - probably both at the same time. Hence why she just kind of swayed ever so slightly and remained firmly in place. Probably a shitty thing to do, to crowd her like this, but Brac didn't really have time to care.

If he didn't get back to the lot soon with a 'girlfriend' then the ugly old man with the sweet ride was going to get leery and he would need to find another way to nab the ship.

The way she just... accepted the offer actually caused him to slip slightly against the wall. He had been expecting more of a challenge given her nerves but the mention of credits was enough motivation? Well he could work with that. He quickly recovered his footing and grinned.

"Alright then! Lets get to it - its just a starship sale yard up back here." he gestured for her to follow him and spun on his heel to start walking, "The seller is a bit of an ass but just smile and nod and we should be fine. Hundred credits when the 'job' is done, alright?"

He could afford it if this went off without a hitch.

"Oh and keep pumping out the gas, yeah? Might get him a bit lightheaded and help with the sale."

Getting the dirty old man kind of horny over the innocent young woman was definitely crossing some lines, but, he was so close to getting what he wanted. And that was what actually mattered. Once he had what he needed he'd make sure to get her away from the creep before he could do anything other than drool in her general direction.

"You ready to mingle, 'honey'?" he joked before adding, "Oh yeah - call me Brac."

@Killa Ree

 

[Keena Zuli]

Thankfully, he didn't touch her. So many people would approach her, trying to touch her all the time, to the point that even the thought of touching someone else in any way made her physically ill. Still, at least he didn't seem to catch on; she knew Zeltrons had a rep, but maybe he didn't get the memo?

The combination of the words 'hundred credits' and referring to her hormones had her stumble, skin flushing a deep red at the inference. "You noticed?" she half-whispered, horrified. "Force, I'm so sorry, I can't help it--" Still, when he called her honey, her stomach twisted oddly. She couldn't help it; she had a bad feeling about this.

"Yep. Sure. Brac. I'm, ah... Keena." Arms crossing beneath her bust, she offered him a weak smile. "I'll do my best with the... gas?" Still, it sounded so wrong.

Mentally kicking herself, she realized that maybe this wasn't to be so bad after all. Play the part, let the guy get his ship, he would go her way and she would buy her cat kibble and maybe splurge on spicy noodles and season seventy of Emperor in Paradise. Still, if the lot owner got handsy, she could book it and just hide for a day.

Everything was gonna be all right.

Right.

@Nefieslab

 

[Braclin Grello]

Was she... was she being serious right now?

Oh for the love of every scrapped ship and credit in the karking Galaxy, she was! She seriously wasn't even using her pheromones on purpose and already he was beginning to feel like he had gone days without physically touching anyone in any capacity. Hell, right now he was beginning to yearn for a touch of a hand with his own, like some kind of sappy romantic fop.

This was going to be an issue.

"Well unless you're going to try and call it perfume." he joked sarcastically, "Yeah, I can tell. Might as well have a neon sign or something... whatever, doesn't matter."

It would help and that was what really mattered.

"Alright Kees, the lot is up ahead, you see it?" he pointed to the lot and strode on slightly ahead of her, "Keep up - time to go and see our friendly seller. Ah! There you are! My girlfriend and I have been looking all over the lot for you!"

The ugly son of a bitch currently holding Brac's future ship hostage by his 'lawful ownership' was a sickening display of a human being - as should be expected of someone standing between a man and his destined starship! Said seller was a large Corellian man with a lot of stubble but not quite a beard. The man blinked a few times as he took in the sight of Keena standing awkwardly behind Braclin.

"So you're back kid... lovely to meet you Miss. Name's Killian - you got a name as pretty as you?"

Fantastic!

Already the older man was ignoring Brac in favour of leering at Kees - he could keep that up for a little while longer as far as he was concerned. Brac made a show of checking out the ship just slightly to the side of the seller but began to slowly edge around the back of the man. The idiot kept his keys to the ship in his back pocket... all he needed to do was grab them, make some excuses and then quickly lift off before the fat bastard could realize he'd been robbed.

@Killa Ree

 

[Keena Zuli]

His sarcasm might have been taken in jest by others, but for her, it stung a little. Shrinking into herself slightly, she merely nodded along, struggling to keep pace with his longer-legged gait. Sometimes, she wished she knew how to control her pheromones, but Force, it wasn't like she could at will! Only sometimes, and afterward, she always felt slimy and...

Cheap.

Still, when they came up to the lot owner, the urge to bolt and run was strong. Fiddling with the hem of her shirt, she offered her best sultry smile, but it only came out a little weak as she offered an awkward finger wave.

"Heyyy there," she managed out, propping a hand on her hip. Force, she knew she was practically flooding pheromones now; the man's eyes were practically dilating. Not good, not good. She could kinda see what Brac was doing, but not really. What was she supposed to do? Flirt? That was her sister's strength, not hers. Still, she'd give it her best shot.

Running a hand through her hair, she let out a nervous giggle. "Oh stop, I bet you say that to all the girls." It seemed to be working! Somehow! The man took a step closer, and she swallowed. His eyes were not focused on hers. Her hands began to tremble, and the sick feeling grew. She almost regretted having that latte earlier.

He reached out a hand, and she froze. She was visibly trembling now, sweat beading down her back. "Very pretty... what's your name again?" he spoke to her, and she gave an anxious laugh, trying to step back, but her feet wouldn't move. Not good, not good.

"K-keena," she squeaked out, flinching when his hand almost brushed her arm, visibly trembling and fighting the urge not to run and be sick. Was Brac gonna get that deal or not? What the hell was he up to?

Not good, not good, NOT GOOD--

@Nefieslab

Spoiler: roll results!

Linky

 

[Braclin Grello]

Brac didn't know if this chick he'd picked up was for real.

Half the time she acted like she had never known anything outside of her own little bubble but right now? Right now he couldn't have asked for a better patsy. She was buttering up the dumbass ship owner like she had been training to distract a mark for her entire life. Probably had something to do with her "Pay attention to me" smell that Zeltrons had but whatever.

She was using it masterfully and Brac was being entirely ignored.

Giving her a thumbs up as he slipped behind the starship dealer under the pretence of checking out the ship that they were stood beside. As he was doing so, he reached down with one of his hands and quickly began the processing of detaching the starship dealer's keychain from his belt.

Key fobs for over two dozen different starships... and they were all his now.

Hiding them away in his pocket, he grinned to himself and considered just peacing out right then and there. The patsy, Kees, had played her part well enough but he didn't really need her. Of course it was hard to fly most good smuggler ships with just one person... hmm.

Alright so maybe she had another use.

He clapped the starship dealer on the shoulder and grinned. It was a rather unfriendly look and he accompanied it with a strong squeeze to the man's shoulder.

"You bothering my girl?" he asked with a dangerous look in his eyes, "No? Then how about you run and get us all a cup of caf so we can considering buying."

The potential of getting paid was enough to temporarily snap the man out of it and he muttered something under his breath as he marched off to get caf. Brac turned to the Zeltron.

"Alright then Kees, lets go for a walk. What kind of freighter do you like the look of huh? Lets see if you know anything about ships."

OOC: Pickpocket attempt 17/20

@Killa Ree

 

[Keena Zuli]

She kept her eyes closed, flinching back when the guy was about to touch her. Her heart was thudding painfully in her chest, and she felt as though she would faint or get sick if his grubby hands even so much as brushed her. When Brac spoke up, she stood there, eyes squeezed shut until Brac's voice broke the tense atmosphere. She peeked when the man began to turn away, then let out a wheeze, almost folding in on herself and taking big gulps of air.

"Force, what a creep!" she wheezed, pressing a hand over her chest. She couldn't catch what the owner muttered, but it didn't sound nice.

But Brac was already moving, asking her about ships. She took a moment to settle her thumping heart, but she couldn't deny that her hands were still trembling and she felt like she was going to just crumble away. Focus. Ships. He asked about ships.

Her old boss knew about many ships. He had her memorize catalogs, for a 'business expense' he called it, if she recalled correctly. But he worked with the Banking Clan, or so she thought. The Sector Rangers called it 'credit laundering', which she still found hilarious. Who would launder credits? They didn't do well in washers.

Still, he asked about ships. Clearing her throat to rid the tight ball of anxiety crowding it, she nodded to one pair. "TL-1200s and 1800s are decent, but their maneuvering isn't so well, and their firepower is decent. Light freighters are usually best for most jaunts, but not great for warding off pirates."

She took a breath, then sniffed once. "But they're Suwantek, a small company. Warranty sucks." Dismissing both with a flick of her head, she took in a third, pressing her lips together. "A Class VI. A beast to fly. You'd need a crew. And it's slow, not worth the cargo space."

She continued on, but cut her eyes across the lot. Three rested, and she settled her hands on her hips. "Corellian. Decent stuff. CCM's decent speed and some good cargo space, she can carry a few additional humanoids. XS-800's slower, but she can move some. Got lots of room. And..." her eyes trailed over the last one especially long. "HWK-290. I've heard they've got deflector screens, and it's on the faster end of things." She exhaled, then shrugged. "Depends on your needs tho, I guess. Sorry, I know rambling is boring," she flushed, then began to pick at her hem again. "Used to be called Chatty Kee." But who knows, maybe being so forward and talkative would earn her a small bonus for her work? She glanced back up at him, and shifted from one foot to another, waiting.

@Nefieslab

 

[Braclin Grello]

Well pinkie wasn't going to be sticking around the creep so he was doing a community service as far as he was concerned. He was basically rescuing her from the social equivalent of a torture session so, naturally, he was a hero and he deserved to be treated as such! Or whatever.

Probably be too much hassle to convince the zeltron of that for too little reward.

Of course then he decided to engage her in conversation more actively and, good fucking gods, she didn't just start up and stat chatting. No. No, chatting was too soft a word for this. This? This was a fucking deluge - a word he had seen on a word of the day calendar a month ago - and there was no sign of stopping.

He watched her over his shoulder as they walked and she talked at him in a way that kind of captured the attention. Not so much about the pheromones so much as it was just darkly interesting. After all, he hadn't actually seen her take a breath since she started on her own rant.

The only reason he didn't stop her mid-flow with a slap or something?

She was actually chatting good shit!

"A Class VI Bulk Freighter? Old piece of shit but I get what you mean." he agreed, pointing to her, "But you? You know your shit when it comes to ships."

What did he want from a ship?

"The HWK-290 would work cus, I need it to be fast - fast enough to evade the law." he grinned a little bit, "Speeding tickets and all that, you know? So... I see a HWK-290 over there. Wanna poke around inside?"

@Killa Ree

 

[Keena Zuli]

She beamed at the praise, feeling her cheeks turn a deeper pink. "Thanks! At my old job, I was challenged to memorize--" but he was already moving on. Stopping herself, she hadn't realized she was walking in step with him, like she had with her old boss. It was natural, almost.

Still, when he asked if she wanted to poke around, she paused. She wasn't sure if she wanted to poke around something that was probably covered in germs, but he was likely gonna do it anyway. And she had to stick with him to make sure he paid her.

"Sure!" She piped up, fighting the urge to grab the tiny packet of antibacterial wipes from her pocket. It was then a thought occurred to her. He hadn't once touched at her, despite the fact she was apparently putting on the 'gas' at a fast rate. For a moment, she blinked, processing that. Only her boss seemed to be the only other humanoid that could resist the pheromones...

...perhaps he wasn't that bad of a guy. Besides, what harm could poking around do?

@Nefieslab

Rolled a 6 on her perceptive skills!

 

[Braclin Grello]

Well she knew well enough that if she didn't keep up he was liable to leave her behind - she needed to keep up. Seriously. Instead of getting annoyed, he made a conscious decision to not let her shitty manners bring him down. He was in a seriously good mood, after all, and he was going to enjoy that good mood!

No bad vibes allowed.

Thankfully, she didn't seem to have picked up on the fact that he 100% intended to get inside the ship and, well, fuck off. He had the keys because he'd stolen them but he knew that the old geezer who ran the place would be able to quickly change the locks on any ship he didn't fly away with right now. So the other keys on the ring were useless.

If he had some accomplices he might have been able to but, well, Kees was hardly an accomplice. Maybe a patsy or something but he didn't know - he'd never bothered to research the proper names for these things. He just went around doing what felt like it was a good idea to get him to where he wanted to be.

Grinning, he opened the ship in question and gestured for Kees.

"Ladies first and all that." he offered her, noting her speed before rolling his eyes, "While we're young though, yeah?"

Once she was in, he would close the ship up behind them with a grin.

"Wooooooo-yeah! Would you look at this baby? You ever been inside one?" he grinned wider, "Kees, trust me. When you've been inside something of this quality? Everything else feels a lot less fun... do me a favour and start up the engine's pre-flight processes? I want to see how it's looking under the hood you know?"

Totally reasonable... totally not looking to gun the engines and fly off... come on pinky, don't suddenly grow some common sense about bad guys... he thought to himself as he sat down heavily in the pilot's chair.

@Killa Ree

 

[Keena Zuli]

-Theme-

She kept up with Brac, but when his snarky tone caught her ears she flushed a deep red and she picked up the pace, long legs pacing quickly. Like he said, it was a nice one. But she couldn't help the feeling of dread crawling up her throat when he seemed too eager.

Nope, she didn't want to think of the implications.

"Yeah, it's... nice," she managed a thin grin, taking care not to directly touch surfaces. Still, she didn't waste time. Fast-paced, she jogged towards the cockpit. However, she did swipe things down quickly with a wipe from her pocket, and began keying in a pre-flight sequence. The ship hummed to life, and began to take off. Just a test warm-up, that made sense It wasn't like she was flying away with it. Still, the feeling of danger wasn't fading, and it took everything in her power not to bolt from the ship.

No. She needed that payment, both for herself, and Mr. Flickers. She needed extra credits to just have her own life a little more put together. She had to think of her old boss. But as she looked out the view...

Her face went from a magenta hue to a very, very pale pink.

"Oh, shit," she wheezed, and Brac would soon see what she did. The owner was coming back... but he was waving a blaster. When he saw them, his eyes narrowed, and his hand slapped on what seemed like an alarm of some kind.

And worse, three private, armed droid ships were coming their way. Her hands shook, and she suddenly felt a shuddering as one of the ships let loose a wild shot. Obviously not to damage the ship, but to spook them.

"CIVILIANS. STAND DOWN OR WE SHALL---"

"KYAAAA!"

She screeched as the loud voice blasted out at them. It wasn't an aimed shot. It wasn't even a close one. But it was enough to snap her already frayed nerves. She slapped a hand down, and the ship shuddered, then lurched forwards. "Fuck, fuck, fuck!" She wasn't thinking really, but hit the acceleration hard, and it forced the two ships that would have otherwise merely stunned the ship to roll out of her way. But at the sound of more blaster fire, she glanced down, and the owner waved his blaster, aiming a shot.

She gasped, and gunned again.

His voice then blared, overriding the comms, his voice barking through as klaxons wailed and she began powering up, away, out from the lot at acceleration. All she could think on was escaping, but his voice continued to shriek through the comms.

"--Bring me back my fobs, you assholes! Just wait, I'm gonna skin you alive!--"

Heart pounding, hands shaking, she had no idea in hell what he was talking about, but all she knew was she had to get out, and she had to get out fast.

"Where do we go?!" she looked to her partner, eyes huge, then looked back at traffic, ducking and weaving past annoyed hovercars and even one speeder, who honked and gave an incredibly rude gesture. She could fly, but she had no idea where they could go. They weren't out of harm's way yet, but it seemed her evasive maneuvers earned them some time. But her arms shook, and her breathing began to wheeze as panic set in. He knew what he looked like, her name. Could she go back? Pick up her cat, and escape? Would she be trying to pay off her own debt on some prison world?

Hell no. It was too late for that. But shit, Brac was gonna be mad, she just stole his ship and he didn't even pay for it yet--

@Nefieslab
Rolled a 19 for Keena shenanigans and noticing big bad trouble.​

 

[Braclin Grello]

Well she was getting nervous but Brac was more than happy to chalk that up to the fact that the day ended in a Y and this chick seemed to be a mixture of anxieties and energy wrapped up way too tightly under a thin layer of protection. Like a balloon full of fizzing champagne or something - he wasn't good with metaphors and he didn't like to pretend he was, even to himself. It made sense to him and that was all he needed to know. Instead of thinking about what Kees was similar to, he busied himself with his half of the pre-flight checks.

Namely the ones that disengaged the fuel supply hose that was connected to the base of the ship and readying the landing gear to retract. He also made sure to flick the switch that locked the loading bay doors closed and kept the other exits locked down as well. He began to raise the ship slowly, loving the feeling as the engines purred.

"Oh Kees - this ship is purring for us!"

Still, he also spotted the owner but rather than being upset like Kees - he laughed and flipped the old man the bird with one hand while getting the shields up with the other. With nothing but a blaster, the old windbag could shoot at this ship all day and it wouldn't make a damn bit of difference. Of course that was when things went to shit FAST as the fat fuck activated droid ships to act as security.

"Fuck yourself you fat fucking piece of utter shit!" he barked in the general direction of the owner, "See that I don't come down there and waste your ass!"

Then Kees flapped... like flapped and panicked so hard she hit the gas.

Quickly grabbing hold of the controls with both hands, Brac cursed loudly and spun to avoid slamming the ship into anything, ships or scenery, at speeds enough to turn them into scrap metal. The adrenaline began to pump through his veins and his lips peeled back into an insane grin. He slapped Kees on the back and whooped for joy as he piloted them around a taxi that beeped loudly at them.

"Kees I didn't know you had it in you girl! You just buzzed past the robo-cops and stole a fucking ship!" he laughed and held up a hand, "Give me a high-fucking-five girl!"

He breathed out slowly and relaxed slightly even as he continued to break speed limits as he weaved between buildings.

"Ah this is the best feeling in the Galaxy Kees - you feel it?!" he reached over and pressed a palm over her heart, "Do you feel your heart racing?! Do you hear it in your ears, feel it putting your teeth on edge? THAT! That is what it feels like to be fucking ALIVE! You wanna keep feeling it Kees? Or do you want to go back to the coffee shop?! Where every day, every motion, is the same. No flavour. No pulse. No heart!"

@Killa Ree

 

[Keena Zuli]

Keena kept her head low for many reasons.

It's what they told her to do if she wanted her boss to prove his innocence. She should have known better. Should have known that this was what Brac wanted. And she fell for all of it, hook, line, and sinker. Hell, he probably didn't even have a hundred spare credits on him, let alone ten. All these thoughts and more were running through her head while he whooped and hollered, feeling her ears grow numb and her arms trembled.

When his hand pressed over her chest, she flinched, but let out a nervous laugh, sliding away. She didn't want him to feel the scars.

She liked her old job. She liked the coffeeshop... sometimes. She liked the silence it gave her, and the peace to stock and restock. To make art. Sure, she lived a small life, but it was hers. She had Mr. Flickers, a bedroom, and a washroom with her toothbrush in a small glass cup. Now someone was probably gonna take that away.

She didn't like being touched. Felt her stomach roil at the close contact, but managed to let out some affirmative to his words. It was fun and all, but... was there something wrong with loving peace and quiet?

Soon, Brac was weaving them back and forth, and she let out a shaky breath, giving him her best customer-service smile. "So, where to, boss?" She wasn't sure if this was a choice or even the right choice. Her heart was still hammering in her throat, and she felt weak and sick from being touched, from touching things that hadn't been properly cleaned. She wanted to go home. She wanted today to be erased, but it was too late. This was living, but, it was exactly the kind of living that got her in this bind in the first place.

@Nefieslab