Everyday Heroes

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie couldn’t believe she was getting a no from her parents. Sure, they’d said they had had some unexpected bills come up and that made things a bit harder since her father had less carpentry work to do right now, but still… she was their princess last she’d checked, and she desperately needed money so she could afford to keep her dorm in Fairy Hills. Rent was coming up soon, and her sister Sonya and her other guild mates would know for sure that she wasn’t ready to be out on her own. She’d already had to promise not to take any jobs over D-rank until someone more experienced let her tag along to see how well she did… and that left her with the bottom of the barrel jobs, since Sonya had refused to give her the money as well. She should so be above jobs like this… she could create fireballs out of nothing…

So now she sat at a table, about 60% listening to an old blond woman.  She seemed old to Kensie because she was nearly twice the teenager’s age. Presently, the blond was begging her to take care of an old woman. “Please,” the woman who had introduced herself stuffily as Ms. Walters was saying, “She’s a harmless old woman, even if she is crabby… and no one outside of your guild is willing to do it…”

Kensie looked attentive, but right now she was thinking how misleading the phrase on the poster had been. She thought that it was at the very least some minor adventure she was getting into, like digging up fossils… instead of taking care of one.

“I’ll even pay you a full two thousand jewels!” she told Kensie as she took the young teenager’s hand in hers and pleaded. That got her attention. Well, the jewels more so. “You’re the only chance I have left to go to my sister’s wedding since Mrs. Crone can’t be left alone right now!” Kensie did feel sorry for Mrs. Walters, but every time she heard Mrs. Crone’s name she had to struggle not to laugh. Who kept last names like that? She must have had a cruel husband if he hadn’t been desperate to take his wife's name instead.

Kensie sighed, more a disappointed sigh than anything. She wanted so badly to not be treated like a kid and to get to go on a proper mission. But… for now she would settle for enough money for two months’ rent and some extra for candy.  She glanced up into Ms. Walters’ blue eyes with her copper ones and nodded her head, giving her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, Ms. Walters! For money like that I’ll do anything right now. Except give her a sponge bath or something… I don’t think I’d wash an old person for a million jewels…” she added as she made a disgusted face that made Ms. Walters grin an amused grin that soon turned into a relieved laugh.

“Very well then, Miss Kensie,” she told the girl, suddenly seeming more friendly than desperate. She shook the hand Kensie had nearly forgotten she was holding. “You start tomorrow morning at eight. Don’t be late please,” she told her. “You have no idea just how thankful I am that a nice girl like you came along.” Sure... Kensie was from Magnolia. She'd heard a lot about Mrs. Crone. Truthfully... she wasn't sure two thousand jewels was enough from what she'd heard...

579/500

[Ava Brooks]

Ava had finally gotten the experience and the adventures under her belt to find another key. This one had been spotted in a small shop in Magnolia. Ava so desperately did not want to be identified. The amount she wanted to be spotted was approximately as much as she wanted to go home, tell her parents she’d been wrong all this time, and move back in. Not, even, remotely.

Unfortunately, Ava had to go to Magnolia, whether she liked it or not. Sometimes she would have to face unpleasant situations, like going back to her home town. Maybe, if she was really lucky, she might run into Rolland. No… she doubted that. She was going to visit him on his day off, at the fair. It would be delightful, but his days off were rare. Why did her parents keep him working so much? He’d been her personal butler, and she was gone. She knew they wouldn’t just fire him, but it almost seemed personal. Were they keeping him on to remind them of Ava? Or were they working him hard so he couldn’t visit their wayward daughter? Ava didn’t have too many sinister ideas about her parents, if any, but this might just be one. At least it was a thought.

Since Ava knew there was a lovely new key to be purchased, she needed some extra money to purchase it. She had enough in her wallet, but being in Magnolia made her miss the times in which she had money to actual buy things. Shopping for dolls or dresses. Okay, so it was less shopping, more being provide with them. Oh well. She found herself walking around Magnolia thinking about things she would do with money, and how she should earn money. Tomorrow was the fair, and she would have a lovely time with Rolland, which was distracting enough. She sat down on a bench in town and watched people walk by. She was in one of her full, lace, yellow and white dresses. She had a large satchel with her necessary items in it, and was resting. Too much strain could make her pass out, so she wasn’t looking to over exert herself. Ava wore her single key around her neck as a necklace for the moment.

[380/500]

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie had woken up waaaaay too early this morning... and she wasn't happy about it at all. That old hag was the most grumpy person she had ever met. They'd only met briefly, though. She'd nearly forgotten about it until she'd been given the address. About four years ago she'd gotten in trouble for getting too close to Mrs. Crone's lawn and had gotten chewed out for a solid half hour for putting one foot into her grass. She'd gone home crying that night, but no one had done anything about it. She was older now though, and she was sure she could handle the old woman.

The real problem was... she didn't want to do it alone, but she didn't know any guildmates that would join her. Most of them were entirely too restless to watch an old person... just like Kensie. The difference was that she needed money within the next week, and everything more desirable was either taken... or she didn't have clearance to take it herself.

That was when Kensie spotted another girl about her age. She thought she might have seen her before, but she couldn't be sure. She spent most of her time around her family or the people she knew she had influence over. The other girl looked like she had some money. People with money usually weren't as busy as people who needed it as far as she could tell. Maybe she could con this girl into helping her so that she wouldn't have to spend the whole day alone with an old woman.

Kensie ran over to the blond girl and stopped a few feet away. It was a respectful enough distance, but certainly close enough to show that Kensie wasn't afraid of a little bit of social interaction. "Excuse me!" Kensie started politely, putting on her best 'sweet' voice and her best innocent expression. She found that was the best general strategy to try. "My name is Kensie, and I know this is sudden... but I could really use some help with something important," she told her, looking wide-eyed and antsy. Not worried or anything, she wasn't trying to mislead the girl. She just looked nervous, which was more of an exaggeration of what she actually was.

949/500

[Ava Brooks]

Ava had woken up pretty early, but it wasn’t way too early for her. She tended to wake up early and have breakfast. She didn’t like doing menial labor, of course, but if she woke up early she was less likely to have to. Kade was an early riser and he enjoyed cooking. She needed to wake up early enough to get some of the food he made, and late enough he was done with his preliminary gardening. On top of that, he’d gotten into the habit of making tea, in expectance of her showing up, which she loved.

Well, she had eaten a small meal on the train to get here, so today wasn’t going quite as ideally as some days. That was fine, she was learning not to complain, so she would not sit and complain in her own head. Some girl came over to her, and Ava resisted the unladylike urge to arch an eyebrow at her. She simply sat there, hands in her lap, and watched to see what the woman was going to say.

She said she needed help with something important and Ava looked interested, “Hello Kensie. What is it that you need help with?” Ava asked politely. She sounded dignified, despite being no longer within her same social standing as she had once been. She supposed if she were to associate with her family again she would retain that social standing, but she was not going to do that.

626/500

[Kensie Barnett]

Well, so far so good. She was asking what Kensie needed help with.  She fidgeted slightly again. The funny thing about the way Kensie got what she wanted was that she didn’t actually have to lie to do it. She just exaggerated what she already felt, even if she had to work herself into that feeling a bit. In this case, she didn’t have to. “I um… kind of really needed money, so… do you know Mrs. Crone?”  She didn’t really feel like chuckling at the name at the moment. She reeeeeally didn’t want to do this job alone even if it was easy. The memory of four years ago made her a bit more nervous. She really didn’t want to end up crying again and looking even more like a child. She barely looked like a teenager as-is according to most people.

She rubbed the back of her head, her two hair ribbons blowing in the breeze a bit. She had two black and white hair ribbons that matched her slightly shortish black dress and detached sleeve/glove things. It was her favorite outfit. Her Fairy Tail tattoo was easily seen when she wore it, because it was attached around her neck and left her shoulders exposed. It was nice for warm days like this since she insisted on wearing black. “Well… I agreed to be her caretaker for a day because her normal one begged me… and I really don’t want to go alone and I can’t get anyone else to help me. I know it’s weird to ask.”

1209/500

[Ava Brooks]

It wasn’t like Kensie was being deceptive. Manipulative, perhaps, but that didn’t mean Ava wouldn’t just go along with it. She was willing to help, it was part of being a guild wizard after all, right? She was going to be a grown up and help people, while practicing with her magic. Most of all, her parents weren’t going to have any say in how Ava lived her life.

“Mrs. Crone?” Ava asked. “I’m from Magnolia, but I don’t live here anymore… and I don’t know the name, I’m sorry,” Ava informed her. Perhaps her parents might, but… probably not. If it was someone important, Ava would know their name. If it was someone less important, her parents would not know their name. Ava noticed the guild tattoo and said, “I take it you are with Fairy Tail?” She could have been in that guild… if she’d listed to her parents. She didn’t think she had the right personality for it, but oh well.

The explanation continued. Caretaker for a woman for a day. Ava didn’t have anything she had to do today, “Well… I am free for the day. I suppose if the woman doesn’t mind… I can come help.” Menial tasks still weren’t Ava’s thing, but she would help. She could talk to Rolland about it the next day! He would be proud of her for sure. Oh, that would be lovely. She didn’t look down on him for his job, and he’d taken care of her for years. Yes… she could get behind this task for sure.

886/500

[Kensie Barnett]

Oh, this woman would mind. She would mind a lot. She would mind that Kensie was within a mile of her house, as far as Kensie could tell. “Yeeeeeah,” Kensie fidgeted, seeming instantly happier at Ava’agreement to help. “She’s not a very nice old lady. Probably because she has such a bad sounding name or she misses the dinosaurs or something,” the teenager with raven hair hypothesized, “I don’t even think she’ll like me being there…” she admitted, kicking her shoe in the dirt slightly. “But that’s one of the reasons I need help!” Kensie insisted, her tone going from relieved to desperate again to drive home the hope that Ava wouldn’t change her mind. “I don’t want to be alone or I might start crying and not do a good job or get paid and then I’ll have to move back in with Mom and Daddy!”

Kensie hadn’t realized exactly how accurately she was portraying her own emotions in this case. She didn’t mind. It was never her goal to hide her emotions… only to show off the ones that were the most helpful when she could. When she was angry or especially upset though, it tended to fall apart just a bit. It also obviously didn’t work if she wasn’t concerned with it. She always wanted something and she was always working towards some sort of goal, but she wasn’t always manipulating. It was just her favorite tool because it worked so often. "Also... I don't want my sister to know because then she'll never take me on a real job..."

1472/500

[Ava Brooks]

It wasn’t as if Ava was an unfair person. She was entitled, spoiled, and judgemental, sure, but those things were improving. She wanted to be classy, but mature. Being so close to Rolland helped with that. She didn’t just want to grow up for herself, and to prove her parents wrong, she wanted to grow up for his approval. Unlike her parents, she didn’t feel that a sense of entitlement was acceptable as long as you were above everyone else… but she still felt entitled. Ava listened quietly as this girl said some rather less polite things about this unknown woman. She missed the dinosaurs? Oh come now, if she felt like being insulting, she could at least come up with something inventive, yes? “What is the arrangement for you being hired then?” Ava asked her calmly. If the woman didn’t want Kensie there, why exactly was she going there? Ava didn’t fully believe in helping people who did not want to be helped. She wasn’t that kind. If someone rejected aid, then it was simply not her responsibility to baby them.

Now came the desperation again, and it was in full force. She might start crying? And how much was she getting paid? And…. Her parents? “I suggest you remain calm, crying on a job won’t help anything. You always want to appear dignified. If you don’t carry yourself with self-respect, no one else will respect you,” she said seriously. She was neither lecturing, nor sounded condescending, she was simply explaining. She didn’t know how old this girl was, or what exactly the deal was with her parents, but Ava knew she would absolutely not want to be reduced to rejoining her parents. She would give the girl her attention and help if she could.

“Is your sister older, I take it?” Ava asked. She wouldn’t want her sisters involved in her work, but they were younger than her. “In any case, that will be fine, I can help you. Also, my name is Ava Brooks, it’s a pleasure to meet you.” She hadn’t given her name yet, although Kensie had given hers. If the girl was actually from this town, she had a good chance of knowing Ava’s last name. It wasn’t as if the massive house, the extreme wealth, and the extensive social power went unnoticed. However, it wasn’t important if the girl knew or not. Ava was going to make a name for herself, she didn’t need people knowing her parent’s name to achieve that.

1305/500

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie hadn’t actually mentioned dinosaurs to be insulting, despite what it obviously sounded like. Kensie was just young and short-sighted, seeing anyone older than twenty as old at this stage of her life. While she didn’t think the old woman had been around to see the dinosaurs… she certainly seemed like she was very old. “The lady put up a poster asking someone to watch her for a day… and she was desperate so she offered a whole two thousand Jewels!” she told Ava, still seeming a mix of excited and worried. It was a lot to Kensie. It wasn’t a ton of money, but it was plenty to ensure she would be okay for awhile.

The blond girl told her she should remain calm and dignified so people would respect her. Was that what she was missing? Somehow Kensie doubted it. She wasn’t really a calm person, and she wasn’t dignified in the slightest. Her dress didn’t even reach her knees, and she was about as collected and refined as a hyper badger. So why did she doubt it? It was mostly because she liked being who she was for now, even if she honestly did need to grow up. She hadn’t been forced to see this yet, after all.

Kensie did manage to calm herself down a bit again, regaining her more intelligent, though still energetic nature she normally had. She shook her head slightly as she realized how worried she’d been. Kensie had been a little girl last time she saw this woman! She was all grown up now and would be fine. Especially if Ava was there to help. Plus, if Kensie managed to take care of her own problems using help she recruited herself, it would mean she was intelligent enough to plan things out, the way she reasoned things anyway.

“Thanks!” Kensie said, curtsying cutely at Ava. She nodded her confirmation. “Sonya is my big sissy,” she said, using a term mostly smaller girls used. It worked for a girl like Kensie, her natural disposition making it seem more cute than childish to most people. “She’s in Fairy Tail too, and really strong. I want to show her I’m getting stronger too,” she told Ava honestly. “But for now, I have to prove I can do stuff by myself when I need to, even if it’s boring.” She paused, realizing Ava had introduced herself. “Nice to meet you too, Ava!” she said, giving her one more quick curtsy. Bows didn’t work as well in a dress, especially not outside in the wind like this. She didn’t recognize her last name. Mostly because she rarely paid attention to things that didn’t affect her.


1912/500

[Ava Brooks]

Kensie probably didn’t realize how the things she said sounded all the time. For however manipulative she was, she was still a child. Ava was a child, but Ava was more self-aware than Kensie, apparently. It made sense, based on how Ava was raised, that she would be self-aware, but she didn’t know anything about how Kensie had been raised. “Ah, so it’s a job request…” Ava said thoughtfully. “Are you planning to give me a cut of this money for my participation?” she asked. It wasn’t polite to discuss money, no, but this was business. If it was a guild job, Ava was entitled to ask. She didn’t need most of the money, sure, but at least something should be offered.

Kensie being as out of control as a hyper badger was a problem. It really proved Ava’s point, as far as she was concerned. The fact that she didn’t listen also proved her point. She wasn’t mature enough, apparently. Ava wasn’t convinced Kensie was all grown up, but she didn’t voice any of that.

The girl thanked Ava and curtseyed. Ava was sitting down, otherwise she would have returned the gesture. She certainly spoke like a young girl. “Well that’s good for her,” Ava said casually. Being in Fairy Tail… she wondered if this girl was as hyper active as her younger sister. “That’s understandable,” Ava agreed. She did want to help the girl prove herself. There was no harm in that, surely. “We ought to go to this woman’s house in any case. I suspect you know the way. I can just follow your lead,” she said, standing and brushing off her dress slightly to make sure it was looking as perfect as it should. She would have to change clothes before she saw Rolland the next day, but it was a hassle. She missed having a large wardrobe and help getting into her complicated outfits. It was unfortunate, but she wasn’t going to dwell on it now.

1636/500

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie wilted slightly when Ava thought to ask her about a cut of money from the job. Animated as she was, the hesitation was probably decently telling, but she didn’t lose her tone from being excited to have Ava along. “Well, I guess,” she said, obviously not having thought of compensating Ava before she mentioned it. The ebon-haired girl with ribbons in her hair stopped fidgeting for a moment. “H-how much do you want? I… guess I could give you half?”  she asked hesitantly, wanting to keep as much as possible for now.  She doubted Ava would want less. No one ever took less than half unless she had them under her ‘spell.’ Those people specifically fell under family. Ava didn’t, and Kensie knew it.

Kensie wasn’t really out of control. She was close. She got to do almost anything she wanted with very few bad repercussions, so it lent to her being spoiled and bratty at times, but she knew what hard work was at the same time, and she worked hard to gain control over her magic and the condition that went with it. Literally no one knew that side of Kensie though. She was childish, she was irresponsible. It wasn’t a mask, but she was almost two different people at times. She was responsible when she had to be, and with the things she consistently had to be, she didn’t want anyone to know just how pathetic she felt compared to those whom she idolized.

“Okay,” she nodded to Ava when she was asked to lead the way. She smoothed out her dress and danced around to where she was facing the same way as Ava before twisting around and giving her a friendly grin. Kensie liked getting to meet girls her age. She was pretty sure Ava was close. She was probably older. She acted older. She just hardly ever got to meet anyone since she spent so much time following Sonya around. It was her fault, but Kensie didn’t really think about it. "Um, so... I don't know how to talk to other girls my age... tell me about you I guess," Kensie said, sounding unsure of herself for once.

2250

[Ava Brooks]

Apparently this girl absolutely did not want to share her money. Ava could understand that, but she also tried to be less invested in her money, and more invested in people. She didn’t know this girl. They’d just met, and although the girl gave off a selfish and immature impression, Ava was giving her a pretty big benefit of the doubt. She had agreed to help her, after all, and she was giving her advice. When Ava asked about money the expressive young lady became crestfallen. “Well, it is your guild’s job… you can have sixty percent, I’ll take forty.” It wasn’t a massive difference, but since the girl had found the job, and simply asked Ava for help, Ava felt it was right to at least give her a bigger cut. Maybe it would cheer her up.

Ava could grow to respect Kensie, if she acted in a way that would earn respect. Thus far she simply had manners, and she would treat the girl properly due to them. They actually had some things in common, but they wouldn’t discuss them. While Kensie seemed secretive with her hard work, Ava was proud of it. She was proud of her key, and she was proud of herself for what she accomplished. Working hard meant that she should be proud of herself.

The girl bounced around for a moment before smiling at Ava. They were going to walk to the woman’s house, but of course it was important to first…. Stare at Ava? She blinked slowly as she watched the girl speak. “What people, pray tell, do you know how to talk to?” she asked. It seemed like a fair question. She had to be comfortable talking to some age group, yes? Well, Ava could think of a contradictory example, but still, “In any case… about myself, I grew up in Magnolia. I learned many good things from my parents, and my butler,” she said, her tone probably softened when she mentioned him, “I am going to visit him tomorrow… but back on topic. I have three younger sisters, who still live at home. I decided to pursue a magical education of sorts, and I moved to Lamia Scale to do so,” she felt as if that was a pretty good explanation of her life. “What about you?”

2023/500

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie did, in fact, brighten a bit at the idea of getting to keep even a little bit more of the money. She hadn’t yet learned to appreciate or manage money all that well, and knew that more meant less worrying later. “Okay!” she agreed with a grin. Ava had an interesting question when the ebon-haired girl admitted to not really knowing how to talk to Ava. “I spend a lot of time with my big sissy and her friends,” she told Ava as she scratched the back of her head with a sheepish grin and a slight embarrassed blush. “There aren’t many girls my age in Fairy Tail… everyone’s at least a few years older.” A year or two was a huge difference to someone around Kensie’s age. People changed and grew over the course of a year, after all.

At least Ava was willing to play along and talk about herself. She mentioned having a butler, whom Ava’s voice noticeably changed when she mentioned. Kensie blinked in surprise at finding out Ava had a butler. That meant she was rich or something. “Wait? You’re rich?” she asked, more out of curiosity than anything, regardless of what it sounded like. She spun around to face Ava properly, stopping the walk momentarily. "That’s so cool!” she nodded as her voice changed to a squeal, revealing that she was jealous. “And you have a butler? I wish I had a butler…” Kensie turned and kept walking, but was obviously paying complete attention to Ava.

“I’m Kensie, but I told you that already. I just have my parents and my older sister. I um… have a problem that makes my family worry when I use magic too much,” she admitted, not sure how to explain. “But I want to be a great wizard like my Sissy and be strong,” she told Ava, feeling strangely like she wanted to tell Ava what she kept a secret from everyone she was able to. "Wait...," Kensie said, looking over at Ava as a thought crossed her mind. "Why did your voice change when you mentioned your butler?"

2568

[Ava Brooks]

Money was a complicated thing. It wasn’t something that a lot of people truly understood. Some people thought they did, but it was rarely true. Was money a friend or an enemy? Neither. It was amoral, and it was a tool. Ava understood that much. Class was not something earned with wealth, but those with wealth could worry more about class. Character was also not something earned with wealth. That could come from anywhere, and it was not more common in the upper class people, she knew that much. So many of her fellow guild members were from poor upbringings, or at least had little to no money now. They had good character. Rolland had amazing character, and class, and he’d never had a large sum of money behind him to make everything easier. This girl wasn’t doing anything wrong though, she was happy to have a bit of a bigger cut, so Ava supposed that was good. Making other people happy, over good things, couldn’t be bad, right?

“How old is she? Your sister,” Ava asked of Kensie’s sister, she didn’t want to use the word “sissy” I was odd. She’d never been quite that inarticulate. Her mother would have been very upset if she had been. “Well, I don’t know very much about the people in Fairy Tail, but I am not sixteen just yet, so I suppose I am one of the younger people in my guild.” She was the youngest she could think of, actually. Still, Ava wasn’t going to give out that bit of information, it was implied enough already.

Kensie, rudely, asked if Ava was rich. Oh, was she going to say she didn’t need the money now? That would be highly unpleasant. Apparently that was not rhe case. She spun around and stared, insisting in a squeal that it was cool. “I had a butler… I do not any more. Also, I am not rich, my parents are rich. I do not live with them anymore, so their money really doesn’t help me.” She could go get handouts from them, but she was not a child. She refused to do that. The girl introduced herself again, and mentioned her family. “… a problem?” Ava asked slowly. What kind of a problem. She didn’t jump to the conclusion that it was really all that bad, but she did get curious. Now she was being asked about Rolland. Ava blinked quickly. “He, um… he’s my friend. My best friend. I don’t get to see him very often.” That was her explanation. She forced herself not to blush or look away. It was bad manners. Besides, she wasn’t going to let on anything more. Ugh, why did she have to ask that?

2479/500

[Kensie Barnett]

“My sissy’s eighteen,” Kensie told Ava, not bothering with sounding as classy as the slightly older girl. She was a little bit excited to hear how close in age Ava was to her, to be honest. “I’m probably the youngest wizard at Fairy Tail,” she informed Ava, nodding in agreement and looking slightly calmer for the moment.  “I know I’m the only one who has to stay nice and safe in Magnolia without a babysitter…” she noted slightly bitterly.  Ava’s vocabulary was obviously superior to Kensie’s, though Kensie wasn’t intimidated by it. She didn’t even think about it.

Ava took the time to tell Kensie that she wasn’t rich anymore, which Kensie thought sounded a bit disappointing. Kensie had no direct love for money though, so it wasn’t the lack of money so much as it meant Ava had to work harder and that meant less fun. She decided against commenting on that part despite wanting to. Ava seemed… almost proud of doing things on her own. Kensie understood. She was lazy and spoiled… but she was proud of the things she learned by herself as well.

Then Ava asked about Kensie’s ‘problem.’ “I dunno. It’s hard to explain, but people with magic that could read my magical aura thingy said that when I use magic it sometimes… gets weird  and tires me out faster. Like… I dunno. It’s complicated. I don’t actually like telling people… It makes them extra protective.”

Kensie hadn’t caught on to the fact that she was contradictory in the way she hung onto her childish desire to be taken care of and yet she wanted to be trusted and independent when she wanted to be. In essence, she wasn’t helping to not hold herself back, but she had never really thought about it.

“Your best friend?” Kensie had her sister, not a best friend. She wasn’t actually sure if there was a difference. She’d always clung to her family like they were the only people in the world that mattered, being nice to others and having fun with them… but never half as much. She thought for a second, wondering how similar that was. She loved her sister though, even though she was jealous. “Okay,” Kensie nodded energetically with a grin. “I wish I had a best friend besides my Sissy,” she said, not quite putting two and two together as she said the sentence.

Then her eyes opened wider. Kensie had never found anyone she liked, but she was a smart, crafty girl and figuring stuff out when people talked was something she was good at. “Is he the special kind of friend?” she asked Ava. She was actually very curious, and that was obvious on her face the moment the sentence came out of her mouth.

3035

[Ava Brooks]

Why would it be so exciting to have someone close in age? Many people close to Ava’s age were rambunctious and immature. Annoyingly immature. Many people lacked the class and taste to entertain important conversations, mind you, not all important conversations, just some of them. Age and maturity increased the odds of those interactions being possible. Then again, some people looked down on Ava for being too young, and treated her as such. They also thought she acted more entitled because she was young and that self-assured. She wasn’t going to hold age against Kensie, hopefully, but she also wasn’t going to view it as a perk.

“Says who?” Ava balked. “That’s ludicrous. The idea of a guilded wizard needing a babysitter? Its insulting. As if you are not a competent mage or some such nonsense. If they let you into their guild, they are endorsing you. And putting you on a leash like a pet, only allowed out with supervision….” was she shaking? She was tense with irritation, not intending to be so very blunt, but overcome with outrage. “It’s ridiculous,” she added, quieter, willing the topic to change quickly.

Kensie talked about the problem with her magic. It reminded Ava of her blood pressure issue. “Well, if you learn your limits, that should not be as problematic. If people are extra protective of you, its up to you to prove yourself, and not worry about them if they refuse to learn.” Giving Kensie advice from Ava’s own life seemed practical. She wasn’t one who usually did this, but if it made sense, why not?

Oh goodness, did they need to talk about Rolland right now? She nodded slowly when her wording was repeated back. “At least you have someone you are close to, that is something to be thankful for in it of itself,” Ava reasoned. Was he the special kind of friend? What on earth?! Ava twitched very slightly, then willed herself to look completely stoic. “He is my friend, there is no need to attach extra descriptions to that,” she assured the girl. “So, should we take care of this job yet?”


2835/500

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie was a bit surprised at how angry Ava got on the fourteen year-old’s behalf. She blushed in embarrassment slightly, which was a bit uncharacteristic of her, but she was used to being a child and following orders as best she could stand. Plus, this was a request by her big sister, whom she respected above anyone else. “Says… says my Sissy…” she stammered slightly, poking her two index fingers together as they walked towards the old woman’s house. She didn’t want Ava to hate Sonya, but she did like that Ava believed in her. “I think it’s because of my magic,” she said slightly defensively, not really explaining.

“I am learning though!” she insisted. “By myself when no one’s paying attention! I want to surprise my Sissy when I get the chance,” she told Ava enthusiastically. Kensie trained late some nights or early some mornings before other people got up, and usually got cleaned up before anyone noticed what she was up to. Most people just assumed she was a really cleanly and lazy person, truth be told. Part of her found that fun, because she couldn’t wait to blow people away with how strong she thought she was getting.

Ava had deflected the question about her special friend, and Kensie only grinned, leaving it alone. Ava wasn’t going to play along or gossip with her, even though she wanted to know. She thought it was cute that Ava might like this boy though, and stifled a pleased chuckle. “Oh, we’re here now,” she said, pointing at the next house down just as the woman she had met last night came out to meet them.

3308

[Ava Brooks]

It was just unacceptable to treat people like that. To treat children like children was one thing. You should treat even children with respect. Do not speak to them as if they cannot comprehend you. Do not tell a baby horrible things in a sweet voice because they have yet to learn vocabulary. It was not common courtesy, it was a standard that Ava held human beings to. Those who fell short, more commonly than those who achieved actual human respect… she did not respect those people. Still, she would treat them with respect, because she was not like them. She frowned deeply when the girl said that it was her sister who apparently leashed her like a pet and had zero trust for the girl or respect. That was Ava’s perception of the situation, and Ava did not say any of this, she just stared. It was because of her magic, supposedly. “Very well,” Ava said shortly. There was no use to carrying on like this.

Apparently continuing the conversation was necessary. It was a different branch of the conversation, as if they should forget the negatives and be blissfully unaware of mistreatment. Ava allowed her body to relax, having gotten tense in her comments. She was training for herself, or she was training to prove herself to someone. To someone who, if they were that close, should have already believed in her. Oh well, it wasn’t a bad cause at least. “That sounds smart. I wish you well,” Ava told her, having calmed down considerably. The girl was now very enthusiastic, which made Ava smile a bit. She was odd.

Kensie had all sorts of ideas about Ava and Rolland, apparently. Well Ava was not fueling that fire. It didn’t matter anyway. Ava knew how she felt. She and Rolland were close, and that was all that she needed to know. Right? Anyway. They were apparently just in front of the house. A woman came over to greet them. Ava had just been accosted for this job, so she waited to see what would happen.

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[Kensie Barnett]

Ms. Walters greeted the two girls, a curious look spreading across her face as she noticed Kensie had brought a friend. She chuckled lightly, not seeming to mind. “I suppose you brought backup then,” she told Kensie jokingly. Kensie nodded and got her hair tussled as a reward. “Well, you’re just in time. Mrs. Crone is just finishing her breakfast. If you could clean up a bit and do a few of her chores and things that would be lovely. Just don’t leave her alone until I get back this evening, okay?” she reminded them .

“Yes, Ma’am,” Kensie responded. Adults got treated with extra respect most of the time with Kensie. People under eighteen… well they were subject to Kensie’s mood and what she wanted from them. But adults always got treated well, even if it was because she was trying to ‘cute’ her way into something. “We’ll do our best, Ms. Walters.” She nodded as she assured the woman and smoothed out her pretty black dress.

“Good,” Miss Walters told them, sounding satisfied. She didn’t seem to mind that they were a few minutes late. Not that Ava knew that. “I have to go now. Good luck, girls.” And with that, she took her leave, walking off down the street towards the train station.

Kensie turned to look at Ava, gulping a bit and giving her a bit of a forced reassuring smile. She was nervous, obviously, though she hadn’t shown it to her employer. “Let’s go in I guess…” she decided, wishing so much she could just not and say she did. Walking up to the door, she creaked it open and stuck her head in, only to have a newspaper bounce off the door next to her face.

“I told her I didn’t need a babysitter! Why can’t that fool woman ever listen?!” Mrs. Crone demanded from across the room. “I especially don’t need some kids to look after me! Adults look after children, not the other way around!” Well… This was going to be even more ‘fun’ than Kensie thought….

[Ava Brooks]

The young woman who greeted them seemed to be nice enough. Ava gave her a small curtsy as she spoke. Hypothetically Ava was now backup. Could it possibly be that bad? She noticed Kensie getting her hair tossled and was glad not to have been the one actually hired. She didn’t like to be manhandled like that by almost anyone. Er… anyone.

When given instructions on how to tend to Mrs. Crone, both girls responded with a polite “Yes Ma’am.” Menial labor was still not something Ava preferred, but she supposed she could humble herself. They were taking care of an elder, and they had already agreed to the work. It would be just fine. Kensie did all the talking, and soon the woman left.

The two girls entered the house, but not without being attacked. A newspaper nearly hit Kensie, and Ava’s eyes grew wide. Was the woman throwing things at them!? She calmed herself, expecting things to be even worse. The woman started her barrage of complains, and Ava said nothing for a moment. She stepped past Kensie to make sure she got inside. She also made sure that she was not hit with anyone. “… Good day Ma’am,” she said, not really concerned with if the woman thought it was a good day or not. She would be polite, and the woman would just do as she pleased.

[Kensie Barnett]

Kensie decided to try and be calm like Ava, though Mrs. Crone certainly wasn’t slowing down. At least she didn’t seem to have anything else she wanted to throw. She nodded, giving Mrs. Crone a small curtsy as well. It was probably obvious that she was afraid of Mrs. Crone, but she was trying not to act on the fear. “W-what kinds of chores need done, madam?” she asked, trying to shift the focus from taking care of Mrs. Crone to taking care of her household chores. Maybe if they seemed more like house maids than babysitters, she would calm down. Or at least that was what Kensie hoped.

Mrs. Crone stopped her tirade long enough to point at her living room, which looked like an amateur hoarder had started a collection in there. “I need to organize my things.” She told them, obviously starting with one of the harder jobs. Maybe it was to chase them away? Kensie certainly was tempted. It looked like so much work… “Perhaps you children would be ‘kind’ enough to take care of it and leave me alone.”

Kensie certainly wouldn’t mind that. Though she doubted the old harpy would take her own advice. She seemed to want to torment them after the slight of trying to be nice to her. She looked at Ava, scooting over to the living room and making a face that only Ava could see. “She did this on purpose…” She decided in a whiny voice as she bent over and picked up what looked like some stupid junk she hadn’t wanted to throw away. She started looking it over, trying to decide what to do with the strange piece of junk.

[Ava Brooks]

It was funny to think Mrs. Crone needed to slow down. She was an old woman after all. A really angry and bitter old lady. No, no, Ava would remain respectful. She didn’t need any extra drama with her, she just wanted to help the woman and show herself she could be mature. One day she would be an adult and she would deserve the same respect her parents deserved. This woman deserved some respect, despite being awful.

Poor nervous child that she was, Kensie asked what she needed done, stuttering in the question. Ava watched the display and felt badly for her. The answer to what needed to be done was a point. Oh, because they weren’t deserving of words? Ava was taking this personally. The woman needed to grow up, how childish could a lady be at her age? Things needed to be organized? Goodness gracious, had Ava ever even owned that much stuff? Junk? Was it even valuable? Sentimentally or monetarily, she didn’t care which. She sighed, expecting this was just one more task. They would all be this daunting, she imagined. Lovely. “We would love to be so kind as to help you out, Ma’am,” Ava said with her best polite tone. She was not dressed for working, but screw it, she would be more mature than this woman.

“Of course she did,” Ava said quietly. She was calm, or appeared it. She was fairly angry inside, indignant and truly offended. It wasn’t that she was doing work, it was that this woman’s attitude was worse than entitled. She wasn’t entitled, she was self-righteous. Yes, Ava was going to be good, and she was going to begrudge it all day. The guilt peaked through. Rolland would hate that attitude. She must have hard to deal with on some days. He was a saint to her… she had to be good. “It will be fine. We’re doing something good, don’t worry about her attitude.” With that she picked up a few books. She looked for a book shelf and headed over to sort them. Should she re-organize these? No, she didn’t want to mess up an order that might exist. She simply put them in and tidied it up. She returned to gathering other objects.

[Kensie Barnett]

“That goes on the other end, Missy!” Mrs. Crone called from her position in her wheelchair as Ava replaced her book.  She was just being mean, Kensie was sure of it. There was no order to those books. She should know. Sonya was a neat freak and organized everything. And even if there was, this book had no reason to be moved again and make everything take longer. Kensie sighed. She suddenly felt bad for dragging poor Ava into this mess.

“I’ve got it,” she told the formerly rich girl as she moved over to change the book. Mrs. Crone protested that Ava should be the one to fix it since she messed it up, as if she were amazing with teaching teenage girls a lesson or something. She had to keep working so she would get paid. She had to pay her part of  the rent so she wouldn’t have to go home and live with her mom and dad again. She wasn’t going to explode all over the mean old hag and then go hide and leave Ava to take care of it.

Kensie kept cleaning as best she could. She wasn’t very good at cleaning; her own side of her dorm was a mess at all times. She spent entirely too much time looking over the things she picked up, mostly trying to ignore the constant nagging of Mrs. Crone.

[Ava Brooks]

Ava was just find being mature for someone. She was fine being responsible and trying… trying to humble herself. However if she was listening to some brat telling her she should do something herself because she messed up some arbitrary thing?! Oh, that was rich. Ava should fix her “mistakes” because some old woman decided that she wanted something in a different location because she just felt like being nasty. Ava was physically tense but Kensie was nice enough to grab the book and change its location on her own.

“Thank you,” Ava said in a polite tone. It might have been done had she simply done it herself. If Mrs. Crone hadn’t gotten on her soap box to say how Ava had “messed it up” then Ava wouldn’t be ready to lash out. She didn’t have a temper, she had very good self-control. She was calm, and she wasn’t going to tell some old woman how infantile she was being.

Ava kept her own space very clean. She was orderly and liked things in their proper place. Her roommate was a bit of a tornado, sure, but they worked on things. Right, right, Astra. She’d learned how to interact with her, when their first interaction had been difficult. She could learn to tolerate this situation. If nothing else, it proved she had the patience of a saint. Deep breath. She continued organizing things. She didn’t just stack them, she organized. That way she wouldn’t have to do it again. “So… Ma’am, you like books?” Ava said. The woman could throw it back in her face. Obviously she had books, and what did Ava care? Oh well, she made the comment, she’d deal with it.

[Kensie Barnett]

“Of course I like books!” Mrs. Crone replied in an almost yell as she wheeled her way further into the room. Kensie was currently holding onto another book she’d discovered under a pile of junk. It had a signature on it. This book meant something to the woman. Why had she put it in the pile of garbage she’d been sorting through? She passed it to Ava before Mrs. Crone noticed, turning on the crafty part of her brain. She was going to get Mrs. Crone to stop laying into Ava if she could help it. At least for now. Even if she wasn’t brave enough to tell the old woman to just shut up.

“What’s that?” she asked Ava as if Ava had been the one to dig out the book. She scooted over and looked over Ava’s shoulder, leaving plenty of room for Mrs. Crone to see the book itself. Mrs. Crone wheeled even closer, as if afraid they were about to pocket a treasure. That might have been a possibility if Kensie had pockets in her short dress. She just had her pouch around her waist with the few jewels she had on her.

“Oh! I thought that was lost!” Mrs. Crone admitted, wheeling up to the girls. She was more concerned with the book than with them. The cover said “To my greatest fan,” and was signed by a signature Kensie couldn’t read, but supposed it probably matched the name on the book. She gently reached out and took the book like it was made of flash paper and she was trying to avoid a fire, taking it and wheeling away. She might have mumbled a thank you to Ava and Kensie. Kensie wasn’t quite sure. Had that really worked? That was a lucky find, if so. At the very least it had bought them a few seconds of peace.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to get you in trouble. I probably shouldn’t have brought you here at all. Mrs. Crone scares me a lot though. I’m usually pretty brave, but… well you’ve seen her,” Kensie told the slightly older girl as she scooted a step or two away.

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