Employment Wanted

As much as Maria was concerned about getting home, she had to keep in my that getting home could take weeks or months. If she wanted to return home the ability to feed herself was fairly important, not to mention shelter or safety provided by a home.

She poked her head into the large tent that the sign indicated, the inside of the tent was surprisingly clean. Instead of the large stands she initially expected for a circus she was greeted with a small dimly lit interior, a large stage extending from a cart with the fabric of the tent pulled over it leaving only the entrance visible, to one side was a bar that was clearly the interior of a wagon within which shimmered liquids of every hue. Tables and chairs had been established in the interior, further back sat long benches, presumably for lower paying customers.

Maria did another sweeping glance of the room, perhaps she'd misjudged and it was a theatrical troupe rather than a circus, though it mattered little to her either way. After a moment she opened her mouth to speak, "Anyone here?"

A deep snort came from nearby, and a well dressed man in his early 40s (though he certainly wasn't human) appeared. Dark hair had been well combed, and swept back under a rather tall dark hat, he carried with him a simplistic cane with a brass orb for a head, and was dressed much the same as one might expect a Victorian gentleman, or a circus ringmaster to be dressed, save the dark colors of his clothing which were largely monotone in color. His skin however was a pale snow white, and his sclera were almost pitch black, with two green orbs shining from within. He offered a charming smile as he rubbed a hand over his stubble and down to his chin, "Sorry, we don't open for a bit friend."

"Well, um, actually I'm here about the job? You said you needed someone to clean up and move stuff around?"

The man's face shifted in surprise, "I apologize then. Yes. I suppose we do. The pay isn't much but we'll be covering your travel and food as well, though given the peculiar beauty of your form I had assumed you were going to sign up for a job on the stage instead."

Maria almost choked on air, letting out a little coughing laugh, before stammering, "Uh, no, I'm, well the stage isn't for me I don't think."

"Well perhaps we'll see, after all I've traveled all over Lustvale and I've never seen anyone exactly like you before. You'll have to be willing to work most of the shows to serve drinks and between 'em to clean up, but once we've set up you'll be free most of the day unless any specific errands need to be run. Just don't go too far from where we've set up and you should be good. Pay's only 2 moons and a coil for each working day, though servin' drinks might earn you a couple more coils. Plus two meals a day, regardless of whether or not we're workin'."

Maria took note of the facts in her mind, uncertain what coils or moons were, but given the context guessed they were money. Her mind also noted the name of the continent, or perhaps world she'd arrived in. She gave a nod before opening her mouth once more, "Is there a place to sleep or do I go find that on my own?"

"Some of our wagons might have a free bed, we got some smaller tents and some furs for sleepin' if they don't, or if it's your preference you can find a bed with someone else to make the mornings easier."

Maria attempted to mask her confusion with a nod, "I'll go see if one of the wagons has a free bed, if that's okay."

"Sure, happy to have you here. I'm Flint by the way."

"Maria."

Flint's eyes followed her as she pushed out from the tent through the flaps into the open air of the market square and the handful of neatly arranged circus wagons.