"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN YOU CAN'T FIND HIM?!"
Aven screams, his voice bouncing off the old schoolhouse walls. Something shatters against the stone as he throws it at someone.
"THAT FUCKER MAKES ALL OUR WEAPONS YOU CROSS BRED GOOD FOR NOTHING LITTLE SHITS!
He screams at the gang of people, picking up another thing to throw, it breaks against the wall leaving thousands of useless shards on the floor under it. The smell of freshly broken ceramic and wood thick in the air. Avens speech halts, his eyes catching a glint in the glittering gold embroidery and silky white fabric of the vest he'd taken off of that screechy skeleton. Aven shoves them all out of the way, pulling at the fabric. A small metal disk falls out, clinking against the hardwood countertop.
"This is a neat trinket, hope its worth YOUR FUCKING HEADS! FIND HIM!"
Aven yells out throwing a nearby chair, the wood breaking sadly, it probably wasn't gonna stand if someone sat on it anyway.
"For crying out loud ruby! If you don't eat something, I'm gonna kick you out!"
Salem yells scooping a bowl of bland porridge for ruby.
"Out of the building you squat in? Ha! No to both of your offers, Salem."
Ruby retorts, pushing the bowl aside, her controlled shakes sewing a seam. The tremoring making the thread go askew.
"Now rubes, momma told me to never hit a lady but the way you're both going at each other i think it's just fine today."
Horace scoops himself a bowl of porridge adding a bit of sundrop spice.
"Horace, I will not hesitate to undo the threads in your pants."
Ruby says holding up a seam ripper for dramatic effect.
"Ruby, I'll snap your spine like the twig you are, don't threaten him."
Salem glares at ruby.
"Thank you for calling me thin, also I would very much like to see you try, you can barely reach my knees."
Ruby snaps back at Salem. Horace sits fidgeting with his fingers uncomfortably. Shrinking inwards.
"You don't even need to eat a full bowl! But it's painful to hear your stomach growling like a rabid beast!"
Salem yells at ruby pushing a near empty bowl at her.
"I said no! Absolutely not!"
Ruby yells at Salem, pushing the bowl away again. Horaces eyes start to gloss over, his fists balling up.
"Fucks sake! It's the same fight every meal! I'm the smallest here and I act less like a baby!"
Horace yells, picking up the half empty bowl of porridge and putting it in front of Ruby.
"You'll eat at least a few spoons!"
Horace turns to Salem.
"And you'll stop trying to feed her! Have you ever fed the very hungry?! They're like babies!"
Horace yells, throwing his wooden bowl in the sink. Heading to the door putting on his shoes.
"I'll see you both tonight when you start acting like grownups! I'm going to market."
The wooden door slams loudly. The two girls sit in stunned silence, eventually ruby sets down her sewing picking up the bowl. Its contents couldn't have been more than 3 spoonfuls. Her hands tremble lifting the wooden cutlery, the porridge thin and watery. Lifting the spoon to her small sharp lips. She closes her eyes putting the spoon in her mouth. She swallows it quickly, it hits her empty stomach hard and fast. She ravenously finishes off the rest of the bowl. Salem watches stunned, changing the topic.
"Where the hell does he keep finding doors? First this table then an actual door?"
Salem asks, pointing a short finger at the front door.
"I do not tend to question what benefits me."
Ruby says picking up the old red silk.
"That's incredibly stupid you know? There's always a catch."
Salem speaks fiddling with a fraying hem on her shirt, ruby notices.
"Give it."
Ruby says reaching out her hands, Salem stares stunned.
"Your shirt, give it to me. I will not have you looking poor. I will teach you to sew later."
Ruby speaks bluntly, her fingers motion for the shirt.
"Uh, no."
Salem says, taken aback by Ruby's bluntness.
"Then I will hem it with you inside, but I will not have anyone under my roof look like a harlot."
Ruby moves towards Salem, the short woman is stunned as Ruby swiftly works her way along the bottom hem of the shirt. Salem had torn it off to help restrict blood loss of…
"Tell me, why do you wear ill-fitting men's clothing? Did your mother not teach you to sew at all?"
Ruby asks, keeping Salem still. Her needle going in and out the fabric like weaving grass in a basket.
"No, I didn't have a mom. Been fending for myself since I was young."
Salem says keeping herself perfectly still.
"I never asked, how many years have you?"
"I don't know, I never knew."
Salem speaks, her tone flat and uninterested.
"How long have you been living alone?"
Ruby asks, her knuckles grazing Salem's wide hips. Salem's breath falters, through the silence ruby hears tears hitting the floor.
Salem chokes out trying to hold back the sobs. Ruby cuts the thread finished with the shirt and stands up, her long thin fingers grabbing a handkerchief.
"Stop that dreadful noise, crying is for those who are unoccupied. Get me that sheet of fabric, you are making yourself a proper fitting item of clothing."
Ruby returns to the red silk dress, the skirt was shortened and narrowed leaving ruby with the old scraps.
"And when you are done we will get to work finding you a proper corset, we both need new ones. no woman in my circle will be seen looking like an old spinster."
Salem laughs, ruby looks at her with a sly smile and she smiles back.
Horace walks through the market, his small purse had a few coins in them. He'd never gone shopping in that part of town before, it was by no means the nice side of town. The air hung thick with the smell of stale bodies and old food, the stalls all sold nothing of particular value. It felt like everyone there was just standing. But that didn't matter, he wasn't looking for anything. He just wanted to breathe some different air. His eyes spot a glint of silver, he turns to see a pincushion with several brand new needles poked inside. He walks up to the merchant.
"How much?"
Horace points at the pincushion, the lavender cotton dull and faded.
"Oh, buying for your mother? Oh sweet child, for you, it's only 15 vrorse."
The woman speaks, her voice cheery and bright, it didn't match her surroundings one bit.
"Yes, my mothers needles have gone dull and I wanted to give her something, I'd wait for the next rain parade but…"
Horace trails off, his round goggles misting up, his voice cracking and dry.
"Oh sweet child, what's the matter?"
The sweet sounding woman cooed at Horace, it's been years since he pulled a stunt like this, he was glad it still worked.
"No it's ok miss, it's not your work to deal with, let me pay."
Horace reaches for his coin purse pulling it out of his belt with shaky hands. He pulls out 3 pristine silver colored coins, counting them slowly.
"I'm sorry miss, but could I buy just the needles? I only got 9 vrorse…"
He says his voice cracking giving his coins over to the smiling woman.
"Nonsense child, here take it anyways"
She pushes the pincushion towards him, the light purple fabric dragging streaks of dust with it.
"It's ok, miss, I can just take the needles."
Horace says slowly plucking a needle out of the pincushion.
"I won't be hearing none of that, you take the lot, or none of it!"
She practically throws the pincushion at him, he smiles walking away waving violently. He was giddy that it still worked. He starts skipping towards the small hole in the wall that he had recently found himself living in. a pair of hands reach out and grab him, the brand new pincushion, small wrench, and extra coins he had in his pocket laying on the ground where he once stood.