We're not so different (Tag: Anya)

Anya knew that if she was going to live here again, she needed to find some kind of job, and soon.  She couldn't spend her whole life living at an inn.  Besides, she barely had any money to start off with.  She was going to run out unless something changed.  So, her main goal while going to the town square today was see if any of the shops were hiring.  She wrapped her thin coat around herself, hoping that Wendy was staying indoors today.  It was cold, and it wasn't about to get any warmer anytime soon.  So far, she hadn't had any luck in finding a shop that needed an extra pair of hands.  Just when she was starting to make her way towards another one, she spotted a woman.  She didn't stand out too much, except for the fact that she was a bit shabbier than anyone else was.  Sure, Anya was poor, but at least she had shoes and a coat.  This woman didn't have either.  Which was why, when Anya spotted her pick pocketing, she gave a shake of her head.  She wasn't going to report her.  She just couldn't.  Although, as soon as there weren't any guards around, Anya approached the woman.  "You know, nimble fingers like that should really be put to better use," she said.

"Well, at least we've got that in common," Anya said.  "It's been a long time since I've been here.  I don't really know anyone either."  It was certainly going to make finding a job a bit more difficult.  But Anya wasn't the type to give up easily.  She would find something she could do.  But, the woman soon asked her why Anya hadn't reported her to the authorities.  "I've picked my own fair share of pockets, trust me," she said as she wiggled her fingers.  "When I first left this kingdom, I didn't have anything.  Had to do some dishonest things before I got back on my feet."  She glanced at the woman before continuing.  "I suggest not pushing your luck, though.  From what I've heard, this place has been cracking down on crime everywhere, supernatural or not."  Security was a lot more tight here than when Anya had lived here before.  She knew she had to watch her back and make sure she didn't slip up.

The woman seemed to relax a little more, which Anya considered a good thing.  She didn't seem like a bad person, she was just caught in a bad situation.  And if Anya was familiar with anything, it was bad situations.  However, the woman soon changed the subject, and Anya was willing to roll with that.  Talking about her pickpocketing habits probably wasn't the best thing anyway.  Who knew who might be eavesdropping.  "I was born here, but I had to go away for a while," she replied.  "Personal reasons.  But, I decided to come back."  She gave a little laugh.  "I guess it seems a little silly, with all the extra security and stuff.  But I had to."  The need to protect Wendy was just too great.  Although, even she had to admit that her daughter seemed pretty well off.  She had a decent job, and had made a few friends too.  Granted, only one of them knew her secret, but at least people liked her.  Her daughter was blossoming, and Anya couldn't be prouder.

Anya bit her lip in worry.  If Miriam hadn't found a job after living here for four years, did that mean Anya didn't stand a chance at getting one herself?  Would she have to resort to pickpocketing again?  No, there had to be some kind of honest work around here.  If her daughter could get a job, she could too.  Part of her felt like she couldn't go back to pickpocketing, even if she could.  Wendy would be so disappointed if she found out.  Miriam seemed to look on the bright side though, and mentioned that she at least had a few good things in her life.  Anya hoped that maybe she could increase that.  "Well, if I ever find myself a job around here, maybe I can get you hooked up," she said.  'I mean, I'm sure they wouldn't mind hiring both of us, right?"  She gave a little smile.

A girl like her?  Anya felt like the woman was implying there was something vastly different about the two of them.  Anya felt like they were a bit alike.  They were both on their own, in a way.  They were both on hard times at the moment, although the woman was a bit worse off than Anya was.  But they both had kindness in their hearts.  Anything they had gone through hadn't gotten rid of that.  The woman introduced herself as Miriam, and Anya felt like it was a very pretty name.  "I'm Anya," she said as she shook Miriam's hand.  "Your name is pretty.  I like it."

"I think he chose well," Anya said with a smile.  Miriam seemed to be warming up a little more to her now that they had taken the time to chat a little bit.  Anya was happy about that.  Maybe, if things went well, she could help Miriam get on her feet and find a decent-paying job.  Everybody deserved at least that much, right?  "Permanent, hopefully," she replied.  "I guess it depends if I can get a foot-hold here."  It also depended if anyone found out she was a supernatural, or if Derek discovered she was here.  She knew she would have to leave at the first moment of discovery, painful as it may be.  She couldn't risk putting Wendy in danger.  She knew a sane person would have stayed outside this kingdom, but Anya just couldn't bare staying away when her daughter might be in danger here.  

Anya looked up.  Miriam was acting...weird.  She seemed awfully nervous.  Had Anya said something that made her anxious?  She couldn't think of what.  "Hey, are you okay?" she asked.  "You seem a little...worried."  Of course, that was putting it mildly, but Anya wanted to tread carefully here.  People were always reluctant to talk about their problems, and Miriam was probably no exception.  If she was hiding something, it was going to take some careful maneuvering to find out what.