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Sometimes, when someone locks you in a part of the mine abandoned for good reason, having figured out you were the one who reported them after all, someone else catches on in time. Sometimes she can contact Mia, or Jewel, or an emergency number. Sometimes they come and get you out again.
And sometimes you die.
Today she dies.
And then she is somewhere else.
Street stalls are mostly not a thing, but semi-enclosed cafeteria type places are popular! Locals walk along a row of food displays and ask for that, that, and the other thing, and pay at the end, and sit down and eat. Doesn't seem like too bad a deal.
"Had a man come in today wanting metal rope. Do I look like a forgeworks to you? We make rope rope. Completely different."
"I mean, I can see the reasoning. If they don't work, uh, in an actual industry, were they a bureaucrat or something?"
"Dressed like a sailor. So, no."
"Well, sailors. There you go."
"Don't know why he doesn't just marry her already. She'd say yes. They're good for each other."
"I saw her with that gaudy necklace, isn't she a-"
"No. She's not. She just dresses like one. She has a job in the upper districts."
"Her family is, then?"
"My boy wouldn't fall in with a lower city rat. She's not one, she just dresses that way."
"If you say so..."
"-Just another re-run of the same old movie. You'd think they could make new ones once in a while."
"That sounds expensive. And people keep watching the old ones."
"Still. I might quit going if they don't bring out something new."
"Maybe you should make your own."
"How would I afford my own camera? They cost, like, tens of thousands."
"Exactly."
"Oh, shut up."
"They closed the line by my apartment again. 'Maintenance issues.' It's always maintenance issues. Are the trolleys even safe?"
"They're, like, halfway to Lost Technology, you know?"
"What, really?"
"Yeah. Well, they use electricity, anyway. So it's probably tricky to find replacement parts. I'm sure it's safe."
"Well, maybe..."
The first pair are dressed in work clothes. Tighter, greyer, and more practical than most.
"But seriously. Metal rope."
"Hey, you asked Jerome if he could make a tea-pot once. It's not always obvious what a craftsperson can do."
"I suppose so..."
The second pair, dressed much more fancily, have started complaining about their husbands to each other.
The third pair is trying to emulate the rich fashions but looks poor. The one who wants to make a movie is rambling about plot points while her friend nods along knowingly.
The last pair also look kind of rich. "You should have been an engineer, man. You've got the mind for it. You're always talking about tech and stuff."
"No way. That shit's hard."
"Come on, you're brilliant. Being an accountant is just... Wasted potential."
"I'd screw up engineering, I know it. It's a different mode of thinking."
"I bet you'd be happier that way. Look at me, I quit the restaurant and started my pottery store and I'm peachy."
"Well, more school would be expensive. And nobody's hiring engineers."
"That can't be true."
Complaining about what about their husbands?
That does seem odd, if no one is hiring engineers. Is there a response? (Also, they will need to try to find out how school works here.)
Complaining about annoying habits their husbands have, like leaving the doors open.
There's no explanation for why nobody is hiring engineers forthcoming.
That is relieving.
And that is a natural consequence of gathering information by eavesdropping.
Which they should likely not do for much longer or they will be noticeable.
How might they look for work here?
They could probably ask people who's hiring?
They will try seeing if any places have job ads posted first, whether for themselves or if there is some more central location.
A few places want waitresses or laborers and advertise such. There are occasional bulletin boards where people post shop sales, want ads, upcoming events like parties or auctions, and so on - there are some jobs listed there, like 'Wanted: a person skilled in the manufacture of Furniture, pay per piece' or 'Work tending the gardens and animals & cleaning & other chores at 13 Rose Ct. #3, level 4.'
Sounds like landscaping and stockroom type work, in terms of laborers. A couple of low-light farms too - it's kind of dim here, but some food is still being grown. No jobs for guards are posted, at least on the first two bulletin boards they check.
If they do not find any cleaning work, she'll take a stockroom laborer one.
They'll keep looking for guard openings.
Cleaning work is available if you look hard enough. Nobody seems to be advertising for guards, but they could ask banks or factories or other places that look like they could use one? Or the local police force?
They look. Can she apply for some cleaning work?
Those sound more likely to not want new unknown people. Anything by the docks maybe?
...A couple of bars could use bouncers?
They can always use more cleaners. It's not great-paying work but it's simple and available.
Well, she looks tough enough, but no spooky tech-hunter stuff while on duty. Just fists and a nightstick, you hear? And you get paid half for your provisional first night.
When do they respectively start? Will the cleaning job mind if she has Jewel along, as long as she still does her work?
"Now" and "Eight in the evening to 2 A.M." (which is most of the day away), respectively.
Xeyr's new boss is skeptical of this request. It's a weird request. Why would she want someone else along? They're not casing the places they're cleaning or anything, are they?
They are not doing that.
They don't know enough yet to know how people here would react to answers involving caretaking concepts. Better not to risk it, without need especially. She doesn't push it.
She can get to work now.
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