The Empress Can't Communicate: Chapter 8

The Bay of Rutt

When he went out to explore, Eon didn't expect much out of it. Maybe he'd find some interesting sights, try out some of the local cuisine, and perhaps have a chat or two with the friendly locals; The typical tourist experience.

Instead, he was met with scorn and regarded with suspicion everywhere he went. It seems that the sight of his ears alone was enough to sour the mood of even the greediest of merchants as he would find as soon as he entered a shop.

"What do you want," the cook manning the counter grunted as he eyed him suspiciously, "And do you think I don't know of your kind's foul ways!" Grabbing at the pendant hanging from his neck, he warned him, "So don't think of doing anything funny!"

Raising his hands appeasingly, he gestured towards the slab of layered meat rotating behind him. "I just want two of those on the go. Nothing more," He assured the man as he briefly glanced at the amulet.

He wasn't sure who this teacher was, but the man was clearly a quack of sorts. The thing didn't even have a speck of presence in the warp, but not wanting to cost any more trouble, he held his tongue on the matter. Let the man have his faith for all he asked was for some tasty shawarma.

As an awkward silence descended between them and seeing the visible confusion on the man's face, he sighed. "Look, I just want some food." Was that too much to ask? He was hungry and this was one of the few stands whose smell didn't offend his sensitive nose.

Just the sight of the fat glistening off the spiced meat made his stomach rumble. Weeks of living off nothing but ration had taken its toll and he wanted something different. It also didn't smell of pork which was good. Perhaps some goat analog?

Thankfully, the man at least had some sense to serve him as the cook nodded before he pulled out his knife. Honing its edge, the man grunted, "That would cost you two coins."

Nodding back, Eon reached for his pocket before pausing. "Wait," He thought to himself as he patted his pockets before reaching inside his bag, "Did I ask Rem for some money?" His confusion quickly gave way to panic as his cheeks reddened, something that the cook quickly picked up on.

"No money?" The man asked with a raised brow. At his reluctant nod, his demeanor soured once more as his brow furrowed. "No money, no food!" The man hissed as he pointed at the sign which read, "No Beggars."

"Now hold on just a minute," He replied as he raised his hands appeasingly, "I'm sure we can work something out here." Reaching for his bag, he was about to pull out a strand of wraithbone, before he paused as memories of Rem's frown came to mind.

"Damn it, I almost forgot," He winced as he considered his options. He can't really give these away as convenient and easy as it would be for barter, so perhaps some other option?

Pulling his hands and clasping them together, he offered, "You see, I'm a travelling blacksmith and mechanics of sorts and I was wondering if there's anything that needs fixing?" Giving the tables a quick glance, he added, "I also do woodcarving and other crafts."

This, however, only made the shopkeep's frown deepen as he pointed at the door, "Out. Now."

"Can you at least reconsider?" He offered, "I could wash the dishes!" As low as this was, he was getting tired of eating rations. They weren't even the good rations, just the stuff they probably give to prisoners or soldiers with how tasteless it was even for his sensitive tongue!"

Without a second thought, he swatted his hand against the air as a loud crack echoed out in the air and a head high spot on the wall outside smoldered with heat. Staring at the scorched mark behind his hand and up at the surprised, but fuming, cook, he cursed out, "Crap!"

Follow up shots quickly followed as Eon made a break for it. "Do you think I am so cheap as to not maintain my own store!" The man shouted as Eon jumped over several more shots. "I will have your head, you hear me!"

Eon fled, easily out running the man and giving him the slip as he sneaked inside a narrow alley. Holding still and with his mind emptied of thought, he watched as the man ran past him, their thoughts fading into the background until he was left to himself.

"That… that was close," He breathed out in relief as he slumped against the wall. "Damn xenophobic assholes," he muttered, "So what if I didn't have money? I'm not a beggar…" In fact, he was rich beyond their earthly measure!

It was just that all his cash and wealth that weren't in his stache were locked away in banks that may or may not be even around right now. Shoulders sagging, he groaned out, "God damn it." Some cash would really be nice right now.

Stomach rumbling, he walked away, heading deeper into the alley. "And I was looking forward to some Shawarma right now," He sighed forlornly. Last he checked, it's been several thousand years since he ate some and that wasn't accounting for his early years growing up in the hinterlands of the Aeldari Empire.

"I wonder if there's an ATM somewhere," He jested as he stepped out of the alley and into the packed streets once more. Having some credits on hand would have made things less complicated. "And I probably wouldn't have been shot." He snorted as he wandered around aimlessly, unsure where to go.

"Maybe the few extra pounds would have been worth it just for bartering," He sighed. His camel could have taken it, but he decided against it just so he could travel just a bit lighter. "Hindsights twenty twenty."

Without money or anything to trade with, he was limited to what he could do around this settlement and it was a shame as he was surrounded with all sorts of interesting knick knacks, something which the tiny gremlin in the shape of Iyanna kept bothering him with. "Ohhhhh, shiny."

Snorting, he shook his head. "Iyanna would have definitely picked up something nice," He mused. The girl just had a knack for finding interesting things and a maze-like settlement was certainly up her alley. "Speaking off," he whispered to himself as he stopped before a store and took a moment to appreciate their wares.

Hidden behind thick panes of glass and protected by a shimmering field were an array of fine jewelry. Though they were just made of gold and of simple make, they looked pretty enough. "I wonder what that pendant would look like around Rem's neck," he absentmindedly wondered before he shook his head. "He'd probably slap you or something."

"It's not like you could buy that right now," He muttered as he walked away. Money was going to be a problem for him, wasn't it? Just the thought of having to beg Rem had him grimacing. He could already imagine the frown she'd sport and that look of disgust.

Shaking his head, he swore, "Nope, bad idea." Getting some cash from her would probably be like pulling a tooth. Besides, it's not like she was the only source of money. "I could just earn myself some!" He grinned.

There should be some odd jobs or errands that need to be done around this city, right? Heck, he could even just sell statues of Rem around. Grabbing a loose brick off the wall, he hummed as he shaped it like putty in his hands. "But that would only earn me pocket money," He mumbled as he stared at the armored figure in his hands.

Crushing it with a thought, he went back to the drawing board. "What's something that everyone wanted?" He asked before he paused as he saw some of the passerby who shied away from his casual display of power holding on to their various trinkets and amulets.

"Maybe he could have offered to bless the guy's amulet," He whispered as he tilted his head. He had some godly powers after all, even if hadn't tapped it fully. There should be something about warding off evil somewhere deep inside, but even if there were, he doubted that would help

"They'd probably lynch me," He shrugged. His gods were tied to the warp after all and their powers would probably be nothing more than sorcery in the eyes of the people of the city. The fact that people hadn't already was surprising enough, but that doesn't mean some didn't try.

Glaring back at those whose thoughts strayed too close to reporting to the guards was more than enough to shut them up. He would rather not deal with an angry mob right now. He liked his peace and quite thank you very much!

"Still," He whispered, "What the hell am I supposed to do?" He wasn't asking much. Anything would do, but it's not like the answer to his problem was going to appear in front of him. "Yeah, like that'd happen," He snorted as he rounded a corner only to pause as he came upon a strange scene.

There, in the middle of a road was a mechanical beast of burden flailing around and causing quite the scene. "Assistance Required! Assistance Required!" The robotic creature blared out in monotone as people kept their distance and who could blame them?

The thing was huge, blocking much of the road with its bulk. Just lifting it alone would have easily taken a dozen men and that wasn't even accounting for the massive pack it carried. Coupled with how the ground rumbled from a stray kick, no one would be getting near this thing anytime soon.

What he didn't understand was the strangely simmering anger from the crowd. "Probably because the asshole who overburdened it left it right in the middle of the road," He mumbled as he pushed through the crowd, " Who the hell thought that was a great idea? Sure it was built to take a lot of weight, but not when the pack was easily thrice the damn thing's size. When he finds whoever owned this thing, he swore he'd give them a piece of his mind.

That would have to wait for now, however, as somebody needed to fix this. "Easy there," He whispered as he restrained it with a gesture, cutting off power and stopping its limbs. "You definitely took a beating, huh," He noted, admiring how well it held up after so long despite how beat up it was.

From minute cracks all over its internal frames, to more egregious ones like its worn servos and parts of core having shorted from rust. The fact that thing was still chugging along despite being just a few centuries younger than he was was a miracle all on its own, something he had to give humans credit for. For all their crudeness, they made things to last with only the slaves of the Yngir surpassing them in that regard.

Digging in a little deeper, he even finally found the root cause of the problem, a huge pile up of error inside its very core along with the very reason why it tipped over in the first place, "Oh huh, no wonder your gyroscope broke. No one owns you."

Technically somebody used to own this thing; Used too, being the keyword. "Still doing the same old task huh?" He chuckled, admiring the tenacious little thing.

Somehow, not only did this thing survive the great war, but it lived untouched, doing the exact same thing it had been doing for all this time; to deliver and pick up things from one point even when the factories and warehouses it used to visit are nothing more than empty husks.

"It'd be a shame if your story ended here little buddy," He whispered as he closed his eyes and hummed a tune, letting memories flow through him. The master of the forge knew many secrets and the science of Terran technology was no different.

With a touch, he forced the searing heat forge spread through its frame, mending both metal and silicone alike. Dents disappeared and cracks mended. Even the faded colors of its chassis soon took it the vibrants hues as it slowly rose back to its feet, eliciting gasps from the crowd around him.

"There, good as new," He nodded as he took a moment to admire his work. It almost felt like he was working with Wraithbone, just a little more malleable and stickier. Taking a step back, he watched as a series of lights flashed across its "eye"

As the lights returned to a solid white, it turned to him, giving him a scan before it blurted, "Thank you kind Alien for rendering assistance!" Giving him a quick bow, it walked closer before a small card slipped out of its "mouth"."As a token of appreciation, here are some credits!" A quick jingle after, it added, "This message was brought to you by Zaycons. If it's music on the go that you need. We got you covered!"

This had him nearly howling as he bit his lips. It wasn't like the thing would realize he was laughing at it, but it was the principal of things. As he calmed down, he bowed back, taking the offered card with grace, "Thank you."

"You're welcome!" The robot cheered back before it waved and went on its merry way to continue its age old task. Given how it was good as brand new, it'd probably last till the Crusade or even beyond it, assuming that it'd survive unmolested.

Shaking his head, he stared down at the chip he now had. He honestly didn't expect to be paid when he helped, but it was a welcome surprise, one that brought a smile to his lips. He now had money and he was about to get more.

Grinning, he turned to the crowd before clapping his hands to catch their attention. "Anyone here who needs their stuff fixed?" Waving the chit, he offered, "I could do it for cheap!"

-x-x-x-

He would spend much of the afternoon fixing up whatever junk they tossed his way. From simple tools to something as complicated as the pack mule he fixed earlier, there was no shortage of things to fix and people were all too willing to pay him. He almost felt bad taking their money as the credits piled up, that was until he decided to take a break and use his well earned cash.

Face burning, I marched out the establishment as people roared in laughter behind him. "Fucking assholes," He gritted as he felt the heavy of his topped up chip in his pockets, "I should have known that the Credit was worthless right now." He even took the time to load it all up in his old account!

"Look on the bright side," He snorted as a wry grin graced his lips, "We did find an ATM and our bank accounts are a whole prettier now…" That, however, did little to soothe his bruised ego. Shoulder sagging, he sighed, "Oh who am I kidding? I screwed myself over"

"At least some folks gave me some real money so that's something," He muttered as he reached for his pockets and pulled out some stray coins. Plenty enough for him to spend on some street food, but that's about it. "Heh, at least I could at least get a Shawarma now."

With his spirit somewhat lifted, he turned to the alley as he let his nose lead him around. That earlier shop was probably a no go so he had to find a new one. His little search, however, would get interrupted as he felt people stir around him.

Pausing, he turned around and found a young kid barely up his waist holding a gun of all things; A Laspistol at that. "Hey mister," The young pink haired street rat was joined by other kids, all sporting various weapons, "Nice shoes you got there. Mind if I have a look?"

Taking a deep breath, he counted down from ten before he groaned, "Really?" Did these kids not notice the massive ears and how he towered over everyone in the streets or was it the gun making them cocky? Seeing the gun pointed at him, he leaned on the latter.

"Yeah, really," the pinkette grinned before her finger rested on the trigger. "Now fork over everything you have and we'll let you go~"

As he stared at the girl in disbelief, he heard one of them whisper, "Hey sis, I don't think this is a good idea…"

"Shut up!" She hissed in a hushed whisper as she shot the kid a harsh glare.

"...You know I have big ears right?" He pointed out, doing his best to make it painfully obvious. Heck, even the other kids knew what he was given the look of terror in their eyes, but the girl remained painfully cocky.

"Then you better heard what I said cause my finger's slipping!" The girl hissed in warning as she pressed lightly, making the Laspitol purr out as its capacitor started charging up, ready to unleash merry hell.

Staring deep into her eyes, he saw her intent. She was desperate for money and this was the first time they were going to rob someone. They thought it out quite well, having backups and escape routes in case things went south. It was just their luck that he was the one they ran into. He honestly felt bad for them.

Taking a deep breath, he sighed, "You know what, fine." Tossing over the coins, he grunted, "That's about all the money I have." Fighting them was just not worth it, and they probably needed it more than he had. Pulling out his chip, he added, "I also have this, but these are worthless so you can have it?"

This, however, only served to enraged the kid as she stomped on the coins. "A few lousy copper coins!?" Grinding the coins beneath her boots, she screamed, "Aren't you a sky monster! You guys are supposed to be loaded!"

"So you do know what I am," He replied, raising his brow. This girl was willing to go through this plan knowing all that. He definitely had to give credit where it's due cause this girl was just utterly fearless. Too bad that she had to do something stupid.

Teeth barred, she hissed, "Toss the bag. Now!" Eyeing his pack, she shouted, "You're definitely hiding some valuable stuff there so hand it over!"

Frowning, he looked around, taking stock on the kids surrounding him before he replied, "No." He pitied her, but he wasn't just going to let her fuck around and find out. "In fact, you're going to lower that gun or walk and never do this again."

Glaring back, the girl faltered before a dangerous glint flash across her eyes. Lowering her aim, she squeezed down and fired, scoring a hit on his side.

"Oh huh, nice shot," He praised, staring at the smoking hole on his shirt before he frowned, "But I liked this shirt." Slowly, he turned back at them as they swallowed thickly.

"Oh crap," The girl said as she took a shaky step back before she screamed, "Run!" With fear overwhelming her senses, she along with the rest of the kids bolted.

Scattering, they tried to make their escape but Eon was quick to act. With a snap of his fingers, the very ground shook as it rose up blocking every entrance. Even the wooden ladders that were in place rose up, curling onto themselves and trapping them in the alley.

"And this is why you don't rob an Aeldari," He deadpanned as the kids scrambled at the wall in panic. It was a dick move scaring kids, but they had to learn this now or learn it the hard way later. "Honestly, you'd probably have better luck pickpocketing." Why they resort to drastic measures was beyond him.

Approaching the leader of the pack, he crossed his arms before giving her a harsh glare. "Do you realize just how badly this could have turned out not just for you, but for your friends?" He scolded as the girl flinched.

Cowering, she got to her knees and begged, "Please don't hurt us!" Sniffling and desperately trying to stem back her tears, she cried out, "W-were sorry!"

He had to admit, he nearly let them go right there and then, but he kept his glare. Despite her words, her soul never lied. Her cries were nothing more than a desperate attempt to worm her way out of the consequence of her action and he was not having that.

Slowly, as the silence stretched on, what bravado and cunning she had slowly melted away as the reality of the situation sunk in; That she fucked up and she dragged her friends along with her. With tears now flowing, she choked out, "It's all my idea! I swear!"

Wiping away her tears, she admitted, "I was the one that planned this! I'm the one who stole the gun." Putting herself between him and the others, she cried out, "So if you're going to punish someone then it should be me!" Sniffling, she begged him, "Just please let my siblings go."

Satisfied, he reached out, making her flinch before his hands patted him on the head. "Just never do this again, ok?" He sighed as he ruffled the girl's hair.

There was no danger of them ever hurting him so punishing them would just be cruel. Scaring the living daylight out of them was already enough in his eyes. As the girl sighed out and relief flooded the alley, he grinned, "But that doesn't mean that I'm done with you just yet!~"

Gulping, she wrapped her arms around herself before asking, "W-what d-do you want!?"

"Since you're from around here, you know the place like the back of your hands, yes?" He grinned evil, making them nod hastily. "Good," he hummed happily, "Cause I need your help finding places that need a handy man."

Staring back at him in disbelief, she choked out, "What?"

-x-x-x-

A few rounds of explanation later, Eon found himself with a ragtag gang that were all too happy to help. There was some hesitation at first, but that quickly went away as he gave them a piece of their commission. This was all the motivation they needed and they worked hard.

With their charm in play, money quickly started pouring in and soon, he had enough that he could comfortably stay for a month on his own if needed. For how terribly his day started, this more than made up for it and the attempted robbery was quickly forgotten as he threw them a celebration.

He might not like to party much, but eating out was an indulgence, especially when he had plenty to share around. "Maybe I should let myself get robbed more often," He snorted as he lounged on his plush seat, watching over the kids as they devoured an entire spread all to themselves.

"And here I thought you were the responsible adult who taught my wards a valuable lesson," The hostess tending to him purred as she leaned closer, eyes playful. To think that these kids would bring him over to the bordello tended to by the guardian.

Still, he wasn't complaining as her charm brought a smile on his lips. "I did teach them a lesson," He chuckled, "But I never said I was responsible."

Shaking her head, the hostess purred, "Dangerous and charming, no wonder they took a shine on you." Pouring him a drink, she added as her eyes glinting in playful warning, "But I do hope you don't plan to corrupt them any further~"

Chuckling, he replied, "Believe me, I had more than enough share of having to wrangle kids for the entire century." Just making sure that they don't get themselves run over was already a nightmare enough. Speaking off, he scolded, "Don't talk while your mouth's full!"

The kids merely laughed as they blew raspberries at him. "See?" He sighed dramatically, "Having children sounds like a pain."

"So you say," The hostess replied as a wistful smile graced her lips, "But then you find yourself with them and you can't stop worrying about them…"

"Yeah," He nodded as he took a sip. For all the pain they brought him, these kids had grown on him. They were loud and obnoxious, but they were also charming and a riot. Maybe he'd have some kids, but not anytime soon, not until when he was barely holding on as is…

As he took a sip from his goblet, savoring the fine vintage, she whispered, "Thank you for bringing them back unharmed." Watching over her kids, she added, "Some would call them a burden without their families, but they mean the world to me so thank you."

"It's nothing," He replied as he glanced at the children with their eyes lighting up in delight, "If there's anything you need, I'd see what I could do."

"Oh no," The hostess replied, now flustered, "You already did far more than enough, fixing our plumbing and the generator." Cheeks flushing, she replied, "In fact, I owe you" Batting her eye, she whispered, "How about I repay you, kind sir?"

Cheeks taking in a rosy hint, he gently rebuffed him, "I appreciate the offer, but I'm already seeing someone." Now don't get him wrong, she was quite fetching on her own with her mother figure and the mature air she carried herself, but his mind was far too distracted right now. "And then there's my companion."

Grinning, he jested, "She wouldn't hesitate to drag me away if it's time to leave, privacy be damned." She probably wouldn't but it's hard to say.

"My my" The hostess gasped, sporting a scandalized smile as she fanned at herself, "I knew you Aeldari were promiscuous lovers, but I could have never guessed that such kind young man would have two lovers"

Turning red, he replied, "Oh it's nothing like that… errr, well at least on the latter.'" Flushing deeply, he mumbled, "My current companion and I are just… friends." That was what they were, nothing more. "She'd probably stab me again if I asked her out."

Covering her lips, she replied, "She certainly sounds quite the firebrand. I'm almost jealous you're keeping him to yourself."

"You can certainly try for yourself," Eon snorted before he glanced outside, watching as the shield shimmered in the night sky. It was quite pretty, almost akin to fireworks as sparks lit up if not for the fact that it meant something was hitting the city. Given how the woman didn't seem to react at all, he took it as a normal occurrence which was concerning all on its own.

Glancing back he asked, "If it's not too much to ask, do you know where the kids get their pistol?" Wherever there was conflict, hardship was close to follow.

This must have been quite the sensitive topic as he saw the woman's smile drop. Just as he raised his hands to wave it off, she replied, "It's… mine." With her head hanging in shame, she admitted, "I thought they wouldn't find it hidden in my room, but found it."

Shoulders sagging and face weary, she whispered, "I'm sorry if they cause you trouble and believe me, they're good kids. It's just that times are tougher right now and every bit of money helps…" Holding herself, she whispered, "I just never thought they'd take it this far…"

Frowning, he asked, "Higher taxes?" From the surprised face he got, it seems that he hit the nail on the head. "Don't be surprised," He replied, gesturing at that shield outside, "That thing must have cost a fortune to keep up all the time."

"The question now is, why?" He mused. Whoever was attacking must be making them in the most inopportune moments, forcing the city to keep it up even if it meant bleeding out its people.

"It's because we've been under attack for months now," She answered, confirming his suspicion. "It might not look like it, but raids have gotten more frequent." Grimacing, she whispered, "From raiders to even some of your kind, no offense."

"None taken," He replied, gesturing for her to continue.

"It seems everyone is taking a shot," She frowned, "But the worst of the attacks come from the slave automatons sent by those monsters." Shuddering, she whispered, "Automatons have use, but Abominable Intelligence? Why did our forefathers curse us with such twisted beings?"

"An Abominable Intelligence, huh," He whispered. That would certainly explain why they were paranoid enough to keep the shields running. There's nothing for the AI to exploit if there's no lapse in protection, unless forcing them into this state was its intent.

"Do you know where it's holed up?" He asked. If it was sending enough automatons to threaten a city, it was either big enough to have a factory inside itself or that it controlled a facility and he had a feeling it was the latter.

Before the woman could reply however, the pinkette piped out, "Are you guys talking about the iron forest?" Grinning, she added, "The best stuff to sell comes from there… err, not that I know off."

"Nicole!" The woman gasped in horror.

"It's not that bad," The girl pouted, "Sure they're scary, but they're not that smart."

"That's because you haven't met the Overseer," The woman hissed as she got up and grabbed the girl by the scruff of her collar, much to the girls' protest. "I'm sorry, but it seems that my ward and I have some discussion to do."

As he nodded, he froze up, feeling a familiar presence suddenly arrive at the door. "Eon, we need to…" Rem called out as she slammed the door open before pausing and looking around. Slowly, her gaze landed on the hostess before it landed back onto him.

"Your lover?" The hostess asked, her brow raised.

"No," The Empress muttered as she gave him the flattest, least impressed look he had ever laid his eyes upon, "He's merely my responsibility."

Flustered, he shouted back, "It's not what this looks like!" It really wasn't! Sure he was celebrating inside a brothel, but there was no hanky panky going on especially with the kids around.

Snorting, the Empress nodded before she declared, "Come. I found us transports better suited for our journey."

"Wait, you actually got us better rides?" He replied as his expression lit up. "Does that mean we don't have to ride those camels anymore?"

"Indeed," She replied as a rare smile graced her lips. Marching over and grabbing him by the arm, she hauled him up and dragged him behind her. "After we fix her, she shall cut the time of our journey tenfold."

"That's great news!" He cheered as he stumbled along. Waving at the kids, he called out, "Continue without me!"

"Can we come!" The pinkette shouted as she skipped behind him with the kids cheering about the ride and what it would look like. "Prettty please with sugar on top!" She pleaded and from the exasperated look the hostess had, this wasn't the first time this happened.

Giving Rem a quick look, she shrugged. He'd take that as a yes then. "Well kids, looks like it's your lucky day cause Auntie Rem is feeling generous." This was met with much celebration from the kids and an exasperated sigh from Rem.

As they slipped out of the bordello and towards the outskirts of the city, he wondered what kind of ride Rem bought for them?

-x-x-x-

Eon trusted Rem. He trusted her well enough that he'd bet his life on her, but there were times where that trust was tested and these were one of those times. "You bought a boat," said Eon as he stared at the Empress

"Yes," she answered, sporting an all too pleased smile as she stared at the boat before them. It was a pretty boat, sporting proud mast sporting sails glimmering under the sun and a pair of engines that would have carried it aloft as it sailed across the desert. It does have some problems.

"It's beat up," he pointed out. It looked like it had been out in the desert sun for ages, sporting large swathes of striped paint, dents and even a few bullet holes.

This did little to dissuade her as she countered, "I can fix it"

"It also has no power source," He added, staring at the beached boat. As fine of a ship she was, what use was she if she couldn't get off the ground. Heck, there was a body of water from miles despite the settlement being named the Bay of Rutt.

Still, she remained stubborn. "Someone has to power it," Rem pointed out and Eon had a feeling that she wasn't going to be the one to do so.

"And all of this for the price of two perfectly good camels…" Eon deadpanned at the final nail in the coffin. He honestly wouldn't have minded her spending cash on a vanity purchase. Heck, he thought about buying jewelry, but this? This was a bit too much.

"It's a fine purchase," She smiled, making him groan out. She was hopeless.

"Lady," One of the street rats that tagged along voice out, "I think you got ripped off."

A/N:

And that's the final chapter for now. Sorry it took this long, but it just kept growing. At least its done so on to the polls. Hopefully I could post it before I crash. Really need to get more sleep. As for Lawman, hmm... probably have to move it to Oct and just cross out Uchiha for a month. Sorry about that.