Making Money

[nicolee]

Nicolee sighed as she checked her small stash of money and food. She was running severely low on both, a problem that had to be quickly fixed or she'd be reduced to stealing, something that she had gotten quite good at in the past few months. But not something she really liked to do, despite the thrill it gave her.

Nicolee bit her lip as she looked around, it was rather busy, a large crowd, she wouldnt beg, but if she provided entertainment maybe? She sighed before scrounghing through her bag for people to throw a coin or two in and produced her hat, setting it on the ground before her, infront of her bag. Her hair went up in a bow to keep it out of her face before starting.

First was the handstand, walking backwards, then a quick flip backwards. She grinned as she got back into the rhythm that she and her grandmother would practice, a combination of dancing and gymnastics.

[inkbottle]

Brae swept her brow clear of sweat as she rushed out of her patient's house. The poor woman had a severe cardiac problem which caused painful contraction of the muscles near her heart. She had been roused from her sleep at an extremely unmerciful hour to tend to the woman--brewing medicine and trying to calm the panicking patient down. It had exhausted her.

Now that it was noon, she could go and replenish her stomach with lots of delicious food! She looked merrily to her right and the sight of flailing arms and legs caught her attention. A couple of people had stopped by in their tracks to watch whatever was going on, and she figured this might be worth seeing. Despite her weariness, she rushed over to see what was going on.

It turned out to be some performance, which included an interesting mix of dancing and gymnastics. Brae was fascinated by the grace and flexibility of the girl. Why, her muscles ached just watching the act! All thoughts of getting herself some food had gone from her mind as she settled to watch the performance.

[nicolee]

Even though she was concentrated on finishing the tricks without hurting herself she could still hear the clink of a coin hitting another in the hat. A smile graced her face as she finished a back flip and started walking on her hands, making sure she was watching where she was going at the same time.

The muscles she hadnt used in almost two years were beginning to ache and she knew better than to push herself any further. She did one more flip before stopping and bowing to her audience and sitting down, pulling her bag toward her, wanting to leave the hat out a few more moments.


Her muscles were aching, mostly her back and arms and she slowly began to massage her legs, uncaring of the eyes that were watchign her with either slight amazement or curiosity.

[inkbottle]

Brae continued to watch in awed fascination as the girl perfomed one spectacular trick after another. She was particularly pleased when the girl started walking on her hands! What co-ordination that must take! The crowd watched in nervous anticipation as the performer moved around with her hands as if it was no big deal. She clapped along with everyone else when the show finished with a flip. So much did she enjoy the show that she hastened to draw a few coins out of her bag before the other could leave. Her hand fished out two coins and tossed it into the hat. Around her, most people were doing the same thing.

She lingered a while as some began to depart and carry on with their day. It had been a while since she talked to anyone, and this girl looked around her age. Brae wasn't usually one to initiate conversations with random strangers, but she wanted to make friends so badly. It did get lonely every once in a while, being a Lycan and an object of most people's fears. She stood there as others began to go up to the pretty red haired girl and chatted with her, still trying to muster enough courage to speak with the stranger.

[nicolee]

Nicolee sighed as slowly her legs stopped burning and turned into a dull ache. She was smiling at someone as she told them that she had learned the moves from her grandmother and no she wasnt that great of a teacher, too impatient to be one.

She sighed as most of the crowd dispersed and began massaging her wrists. She was glad she didnt do this for a total living, she'd have terrible problems when she got older.

[inkbottle]

If I don't talk to her now, I never will be able to! Brae told herself as she willed herself forward along with a small amount of people. She listened as the red haired girl informed someone that she was too impatient to be a teacher--which was too bad, because Brae thought it would be so much fun if she could walk around on her hands and do all those funny flips in her spare time. Boredom would never touch her again!

That last thought prompted the shy girl to blurt out, "Your performance was really amazing! How long have you been doing this for? I wish I could do something like that--it looks really fun."

[nicolee]

Nicolee had a slight blush as she was complimented so brightly. "Uh, just about since I could walk? My Grandmother was a preformer who always looked around for new students and she got me." She grinned up at the other girl, trying to push the memory of her grandmother into the back of her mind. "And it is fun, once you learn it, thats the least fun part, the learning I mean, beacuse you're always falling down and stuff."

[inkbottle]

"Wow," she said, "but it must hurt so much! Isn't it easy to break an arm or something of that sort? I would never have been able to keep at it," she commented.

To Brae, this was really something. She had never been on the graceful side, and could not imagine doing something like that as a mere child. Besides, the thought of breaking every bone in her body was a little too much. Her envious gray eyes surveyed the performer, selfishly wishing her parents had been something more interesting like this girl's grandmother had been.

The thought of her parents made her heart bleed. Her thoughts turned back to that day...the day when her life changed forever. She had run away because she didn't want to be a burden....she wondered if her parents blamed her for abandoning them so. For a moment, grief took her breath away.

[nicolee]

Nicolee nodded to the girls question. "I broke my arm in five differnt places once." She said, pointing to the specific arm, her left. "The healer fixed me up good though and I got right back to practicing."

Nicolee bit her lip. Sometimes she had been mad at her Grandmother for making her preform, but it was times like this when she was glad for the talent. It had been the only thing her Grandmother could do for her and it had helped her in time. But she had always wanted to meet her father, maybe he would take her back?

[inkbottle]

The girl's words brought her back to the present times. She quickly chided herself for falling back into the insignificant past. Besides, why did she suddenly choose this time to reminise? Didn't she have any sense?

Brae turned her attention to the arm the girl was referring to and saw that the healer had done a decent job at fixing it, considered it was broken five times in five different places. It was a wonder she was still living and breathing. She felt a sudden curiousity towards the red-haired girl. It was an unexplained interest, but Brae felt a strange bond with the girl--almost like she could relate to the other. She wasn't sure if she was imagining it, but at times, she thought she might have caught a subtle hint of familiar sadness radiating from the girl

She glanced around, the crowd had all dispersed by now, leaving Brae and the girl there. Suddenly, she realized with a jolt that she had not even introduced herself. Chiding herself again for her foolishness, she quickly said, "Oh, my name is Brae, by the way."

[nicolee]

Nicolee began to ease her self up, wondering if there was any hot spring or spa or something like that around her. Her back muscles still were aching, she might have even pulled one from the feel of things. Reaching for the sky as she stretched and winced in slight pain, yep, one atleast was torn for sure. Next time she had to remember to stretch before hand, a stupid mistake that she wouldnt make again for a while.

She drew her attention back to her new friend as she spoke and gave her a smile. "I'm Nicolee."

[inkbottle]

Brae caught the pained expression on the girl's face as she stretched and realized all those back flips and dance moves must have taken quite a toll on her body. She smiled to herself and began digging her brain through the collection of herbs that she may offer the girl to soothe her muscles.

"I'm Nicolee." the performer said.

"You know, I have some herbs that might relax your aching back, if you want, I can go and prepare a bath for you at my house," Brae offered.

[nicolee]

Nicolee's face lit up at the prospect of warm water against her sore muscles. She knew she would like this girl, and that offer of a bath just proved it. "Really?" Nicolee asked as she pulled the hat with the few coins in it to dump into her bag. "You'd do that for me?" Nicolee settled the bag on her back before standing and placing the hat on her head "That's rather kind of you."

[Ash]

Tristan walked by Brae and Nicolee pinning his injured arm to his side. Looking around at the buildings, Tristan scanned for a healer's practice. Realizing that he passed up two non-smirking and kind looking people a few feet back. He tried to shut out the rambling of Silvering and turned around to ask them for help.

"Excuse me, but do either of you know where a healer's home is? Please, I'm in need," said Tristan fighting the urge of fainting onto the ground. He looked between each of them.

[inkbottle]

[[OOC: oh my god THANK YOU! Now maybe I can come up with something to write about XD]]

Brae smiled, "Of course," she said, "it's my job, after all. I live near the outskirts of this city, so it might be a bit of a long walk, if you don't mind."

She started walking, but not too quickly, in case Nicolee's sore muscles prevented her from moving as quickly as the girl would like. The afternoon sun shone on the pair and beat its rays on them savagely. Brae winced at the thought of sunburn as she felt the heat engulf her.

Everyone around seemed as irritated by the heat as she did, for most of the inhabitants' usual smiles were replaced by annoyed mumblings under their breath or subtle scowls as they wiped the sweat off their forehead. An individual, accompanied by a dragon, who seemed to be walking quite awkwardly bypassed her, but she thought nothing of it until a voice stopped her in her tracks.

"Excuse me, but do either of you know where a healer's home is? Please, I'm in need,"

Brae turned around and looked into the face of a young man who seemed unusually exhausted and weak. One practised eye looked over his posture and his face told her that he wasn't going to be able to hold on to consciousness much longer. She quickly rushed over to his side in case he really did fall over, "I'm a healer, but my home is some ways away from the city's centre," she said, wishing her supply of herbs weren't in short supply, or she might be able to help the young man right then and there, "do you think you will be able to hang on until then?"