Cinders of Revolution - Town Hall

A slight smile came to Abey's features at what Kieran had remarked. He reminded her so much at times of the generals she had come to know. There was more awareness of things then sometimes Abey had or could manage to express. She had never been a leader, and while she was usually well mannered she was still sometimes thinking the best solution was just her pickaxe in a skull. She wasnf a rabid mut though she'd go there if they knew could get away with it but wouldn't jump to such a resolution. As a soldier she knew how to behave, that level of thinking though from Kieran was just beyond her own skill set.

Attention was on Emma but she caught the words from Saoirse as well. "Week nights with yourself, weekends for the bar maybe? I'm not expecting payment Saoirse just help feeding a wolf. Having something to do at night will help keep the mind busy." A look some over the shoulder to be facing the bartender before then returning to Emma. She figured if the bar would ever need a bouncer it'd be nights that could get rougher. Drunken days off seemed more likely to maybe use her then just the local Tuesday night drunk.

"Good luck with that. I could never, me as a teacher or staying home, that'd be the wrong guy." Maybe she could see it for Emma. Abey saw a better person there, same with most the town. She'd probably loose her mind attempting such a livlihood. Noticing the slight flush of cheeks Abey did the slightest shuffle of position. A move to help block a pack leader from catching such vulnerability. Her loyalty may lean his way but that didn't prevent backing up another friend.
 
Kiaran sighed, then shrugged. Emma wasn't wrong about everyone being stressed, but he didn't see how not being stressed would make the situation any better.

"Words matter." Words could matter a great deal, in fact. The difference between being heard saying something like I will teach you how to remove yourself from a fight and I will teach you how to fight was a very real one. Kiaran wasn't immortal, and unlike some of the people in the town, he was well aware of it. He didn't want to end up being killed for saying the wrong thing any more than anyone else did - and if he did get killed, who would be there to keep an eye on things? He would hope that someone would step up - Saoirse, maybe, she seemed the type - but she had enough on her plate as it was, maybe too many things on her plate. He was well aware how many jobs she was already trying to juggle.

"There's nothing wrong with being a teacher. Or with staying home." There wasn't anything wrong with choosing another path, either. Still, Kiaran had always thought that being a teacher was... respectable, somehow. Dubhcarrick had never had more than one at a time, the current one being an older widow who taught letters and numbers and knitting, because that was what she knew, and it was good for the children to be able to learn at least a little something before they started working. It was good for them to know how to read, at least, and do their sums. The company had a way of hiding things in numbers, sometimes, or posting signs and hoping no one could read them.

He remembered when the teacher had been just a little girl, too. Times changed. Her husband had been one of his miners, for a time, and then she'd been left with babies at home and in need of money, so people had started sending their children by for 'lessons' with a few turnips or an 'extra' bit of bread, and at some point she had simply become the teacher and probably would be until she couldn't do it any longer, and then they'd find someone else who knew a few things and needed a job. The town looked after their own. Someone ought to, after all.

"Nor anything else." Every job had value. "Saoirse, have you heard any rumors lately?" She was often one of the first to hear things, when travelers came through. She'd hear more of them with fuller bottles leading to looser tongues, but he couldn't help her with that at the moment. Sometimes a rumor was the start of something more, though, so it was always worth hearing.

Emma sometimes heard them too, he knew. She didn't tend to get the number of tidbits that Saoirse would, but he was well aware that there were people out there who'd tell their entire life story and all their plans to a pretty lady in return for a smile. He supposed she could probably find things out, if she were inclined to, but he didn't know if she was of the mind to chase things down rather than letting things happen.

Sometimes, down in the mines, one could be the last to find out about things, and Kiaran couldn't dare let that happen to him. He had to know what was happening, usually before it happened. That was the only way to keep things going smoothly.
 
Her face felt so very red and she was grateful when Abey shifted between her and Kieran. That would help until she got a hold of herself, which seemed to be harder than she imagined. Huffing lightly, Emma mentally chastised herself even as Abey and Saorise spoke among each other. It wasn’t long before her face was no longer pink and she smiled gratefully at Abey. Her fingers ran through her soft hair and she once again found herself thinking about having a life with someone like Kieran. Could she stay home and be the mother of his children? Or could she do something like being a school teacher if he asked her to? She wasn’t so sure.

“Mmm… I guess we all do what we’re good at, Abey. Nothing wrong with that though. I am too afraid to try anything else though in case I am terrible at it. What if I can’t teach correctly? What if some of the town wouldn’t want someone like me teaching their children.” Emma’s voice was soft and she looked down at her hands, which were clasped in front of her body.

“I just don’t know.” She repeated and glanced at Kieran with an unreadable face, trying to keep her emotions from being read, especially at his words. It seemed like she couldn’t say anything right in his eyes. Emma shifted her gaze back down to her hands, merely shrugging at him, not so sure he was right. Not everyone believes that every job has value, but she wasn’t going to say anything in response to that. Instead, as he started to ask Saorise about rumors, she slowly started to inch away.

Keep your pride while you can. Leave before you ruin everything with your useless notions.
 
Saorise snorted. "'ave I 'eard any rumors? 'as a bear shat in the woods?" She grinned. She started rambling about various different rumors. Between scandals of who's wife was caught in bed with what man, what local cryptid was seen again in the back ally this week as there was always some spook bumping the night. Old Henry says that the winter was going to be particularly hard because he could feel it in the third wart on his right foot.

"There's also been some talk of thefts." She sighed. "Not on our side, mind. On the newer side of town. Someone's been goin' and 'ittin' them 'ouses on on Doneal Street lately. Got folks all sorts of riled up. 'As a few of them thinkin' it 'as to be one of us shifters. They sneak in while everyone's snoozin', and sneak out with whatever they 'ave as valuable. Mostly lady's jewelry. Leaves a callin' card though. Literally, just a spade ace playin' card."

She shrugged slightly. "No one 'as a clue who it could be though." She looked at Emma as she tiptoed away. "Oi, you 'ear anythin'?"

The cloaked figure moved off the boxes and started down the street he'd been pointed down to find the inn slowly, walking past Saorise and the gang. Saorise's brows narrowed as she stared off at him. "Huh." She muttered.
 
"The town needs all types," Kiaran said, gently. "You give people a little bit of happiness, Emma. Maybe it doesn't feel like much to you, but there's precious little of it to go around." It was a small town, or it always had been. Dubhcarrick had pride, and sometimes it didn't have much else. Some times were all right. Some times were tough.

Some times, things were really tough. A bad collapse could mean injuries, deaths - that sort of thing left a mark, on both the survivors and the ones who'd seen it happen. Kiaran knew there were quite a few people who went to girls like Emma to forget - just like there were just as many who went to remember. He wasn't one to stop people from finding what joy they could, when they needed it.

Saoirse took the conversation away before it could get too awkward, thankfully, turning the subject to what rumors she'd heard lately. Kiaran listened, as always not entirely sure which ones to believe, if any. That was the way it was, with rumors, though. He thought theft, though... seemed likely. Too many people coming in, and too many of them coming in with nothing. He'd seen it happen, they'd come in expecting to find work and pay and finding neither, or not much of either - or they'd find a job, but wouldn't get their pay for a few weeks, and if they had mouths to feed at home... it happened. It didn't make it right, though, and it didn't make it any easier on the people they were stealing from.

Jewelry theft, though... that was something a little different. What were they going to do with it? Were there enough people to sell it to someone who didn't know whose it had been for the last five generations? Or were they taking it off somewhere else?

"Let me know if you hear any rumors about jewelry turning up again," he commented, "Might be interesting to know where it's going." Kiaran followed Saoirse's gaze, noting the same figure.

"You know him?" The question included Emma as well - the two of them were both fairly likely to make first acquaintances with newcomers. Maybe one of them knew something. Maybe they didn't. Awfully large figure, though - someone would remember, if they'd seen him.
 
Letting Kieran’s words sink into her, Emma wasn’t so sure she believed him. Or maybe she did and she realized that her happiness wasn’t meant for him and he was just being nice to her. He cared about her as a fellow townsperson, but that was as far as the kindness went. Exhaling deeply, she glanced at the ground and rubbed her shoe against it, trying to decide whether to keep going or not. She was smart enough to be a teacher, but who would want her to teach their kids? Someone like her wasn’t good enough, right? Right.

Before she got far though, Emma heard Saorise asking her directly if she had heard anything. So much for slipping away before she said anything else stupid in front of Kieran. Damn it all to hell. Turning around to face the group, she crossed her arms against her chest, letting the other female tell what rumors she had heard, a slight grin appearing on her face at some of what was being said. Old Henry always thought his third wart was a weather barometer. It was right some of the time though, so maybe he did have a point. Sweeping her hair out of her eyes, she found herself frowning at the mention of the thefts.

“Yeah, I’ve heard about the thefts too. Like Saorise said, they’re blaming us shifters, and even in my job, the outsiders are more cautious even around me. Like I’d bother taking anything and chance being strung up or worse. I’m not stupid, yenno. My thoughts on the matter are that someone, perhaps even someone from The Company is doing the thievin’ and blaming us in an attempt to get us shifters run out of the town.” Shrugging, Emma dropped her hands down to her side, fingers squeezing into fists off and on in an attempt to keep herself grounded and calm. Her entire body tensed up the moment the stranger in the cloak moved by them and she immediately moved closer to Kieran, for safety.

“I haven’t seen anyone with new or different jewelry though, so whoever is doing it is probably looking to sell or even move it out of the town. I’m not sure how we’ll be able to find them as we’re not exactly detectives, but I will keep my eyes and ears open and see if I can get anyone to slip up. Never know what might be said when I’m working my way on my clients.” Oh god, that sounded terrible. Frowning deeply, she looked away with a bright red face, thankful for Kieran’s question and subject change.

“No… don’t know him.” She managed to answer, still looking away from the rest of the group, eyes locked on the back of the cloaked figure until it drifted down to the ground again.
 
"Could teach better than me." Abey remarked trying to help the woman bounce back some. Abey wasn't thr best at communicating but she liked to think herself good at reading people. It helped her in her past life and as a soldier. And when sensing someone was down she was one to try and lift them up. Side effect of the world's she had come to know. Her tribe gone, seeing soldiers fall, it made her want to hang onto what she could. Abey was never going to be a leader of a pack in her eyes, she did always try to be a motherly or sisterly figure though.

They talked and she listened. A smile at the mentions of the rumors, especially when superstition set in. A drunken stumble a questionable Jat and someone was a cryptic. Or maybe it was true, there were plenty of shifter types out there. Who was to say a weremoth was impossible? Her hand moved a little to her hatchet though when she thought of rumors of unfaithful. Idea of such people ate at her sensibilities. Abey was hardly going to get hostile over talking rumors but it was clear such thoughts did get to her. Even now with her ex gone, she held onto her wedding ring.

She considered the topics some. She knew it might be reaching to far but being protective of the town was well rooted into who Abey was. "We could go sniff around. Could let Mari if want to stay under cover." How helpful authorities would be was debatable. Most shifters though had a good sense of smell. She didn't see a reason not to sniff around. Or maybe all the budget cuts and politics were just making Abey want an excuse.
 
Kiaran frowned at Emma's words. Her theory that the Company might be behind the thefts made him unhappy - not because it was poorly thought out, but rather because it wasn't. He didn't like where that trail of though led, but he couldn't exactly refute it outright.

"I appreciate it, Emma." He pretended not to notice the blush, giving her a chance to unfluster herself. "There's enough trouble to worry about already. Anything you see or hear... it's better to know than be surprised by something. If we know ahead of time, we can at least plan to do something. I need to keep an eye on my people down in the mines. I wish I had more time to keep an eye on people up here, but I'll have to trust you all for that."

Abey, much like the rest of them, was watching the odd newcomer. He hadn't introduced himself, and while there wasn't exactly a reason for him to introduce himself to them specifically, Kiaran didn't know that he'd introduced himself to anyone.

"Mm. Do check into it," he decided, "But, quietly. I don't want you stirring up trouble. It's possible there's nothing to him any more than there is with anyone else, but he's too conspicuous. Someone's going to be watching him somewhere, and I imagine we better do the same. Don't take on too much, though." She had already signed herself up for several things just in the space of this conversation. "Take care of yourself."

He looked around the plaza one more time, where the crowd was starting to thin out as people made their ways home. He should probably do the same, and make sure his people got home safely as well.

"Anything else?"
 
Smiling over at Abey at her remark, Emma knew what the female was trying to do. She swept her fingers through her hair, listening to the rest of them while they finished up their conversations. Her gaze drifted toward each of them before she looked around at anyone who remained who wasn’t part of their little group. Not many left and she was thankful when her face finally felt normal again. Stupid emotions! What was she thinking anyway? It’s not like Kieran liked her or would ever go with someone like her. No, she was destined to die alone and at this rate, probably sooner than later.

“You’re sweet, Abey. You might be right, but since we have a teacher already, I guess we’ll never know.” Her voice was soft and Emma smiled at Abey for a second time. She quickly added something to make sure the female was safe if she went snooping. “Be sure to be safe if you and Mari do decide to go looking around. The world is a dangerous place after all.” Her gaze shifted back to Kiaran and she just nodded at his thanks.

“We all should remain safe and trust only each other, mm?” Emma once again ran her fingers through her hair, knowing at this rate she was going to have to redo it before going back to work in a few hours.

“Right, I’m going to get going. I have a few things to do before I need to work. You all take care, okay?” With that, Emma strode away from the group, heading to her place of residence in order to get ready for hopefully a good business night. She wondered about the strange cloaked male even as she walked, her gaze shifting around from person to person to ensure she didn’t accidentally walk into anyone. It didn’t take her long to get home and she stepped inside in order to fix up her hair and makeup, and of course change into what she generally wore for work.
 
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