"Of course not," Cormac said cheerfully. "I'll just take the two thousand for the daggers then." Once the transaction was finished Cormac left the shop. He figured that the butcher would want a long term employee as well. "I guess I'm scrubbing floors." He went to one of the other inns within the town and inquired about any work they could have.
(Funny thought. What if Cormac doesn't tell Astien what he's up to so when Cormac comes to the room every night with sore knees he thinks Cormac is selling himself? XD)
(Actually, Astien's going around selling his services as a healer. They both go back home at night and they think the other is working as a prostitute. Oh gawd.)
"Well, here's your two grand." The blacksmith said, handing the coinpurse to Cormac. "Grocer needs an errand boy last I heard. Butcher too."
(What if Cormac gets a job as a pole dancer. Not a prostitute just a dancer. Oh god)
(Yes. Perfect.)
As it turned out, the "inn" he had stepped into was actually a dance club. "Um, excuse me," he said. "I'm looking for work."
(HOLY SHIT I DIDN'T THINK YOU'D ACTUALLY GO ALONG WITH THAT THIS IS MAGNIFICENT)
A man behind the counter looked at Cormac. "Whatchu want, kid?"
Meanwhile, outside it had started snowing. Astien pulled his cloak tightly and cradled his swollen womb. The cloak was all Astien had to protect himself from the cold. He hoped that his baby was warm inside him at the very least. He came to an address on the side of the town and stepped inside. He was to heal an old man of his pneumonia. He only hoped he wouldn't break down and charge too little after feeling bad for his client.
"Just work," Cormac said. "I'm pretty handy and I'm willing to take anything you have."
"Hmmm... Oh yes, I think I can find a use for you." He pointed to a room behind him. "Go talk to Thorne. Tell him you're a new employee. He can help you get started."
Thorne was a man who did not dress modestly. His top was some sort of odd black vest, beneath which one could see his nipples. His bottom was a long loincloth, his hairless legs revealed to the world. And his boots went up past his knees. "I though I told Den not to open yet! What do you want, kid?"
"I'm a new employee," Cormac said simply as he was not bothered by Thorne's attire. He'd seen much more and worse when his mother was still alive.
"Ah, I see. Well, first thing's first. Lets get you an outfit." He pulled Cormac into a dressing room and fit him into a suitably skimpy outfit. "Not that you'll be wearing that for long once you go onstage." He casually said. He looked over Cormac. "Come with me." He laid Cormac onto a table, and left the room. When he came back, he had some strips of paper, a flat stick, and a small burner with a pot of hot wax in it. "That leg hair's got to go."
Cormac nodded. The experience wasn't pleasant, but he had to get the money somehow and fast. He and Astien couldn't stay for too long. Once his legs were finished Thorne walked him through some basic moves before pushing him on stage. It wasn't horrible, but with what he earned in those few hours made it worth the effort. "What time should I come in tomorrow?" He asked as he got back into his street clothes and put his earnings in his bag.
Thorne shrugged. "I dunno. Sometime after 6? An hour or two to get ready, then go on? Honestly, if someone wants to go onstage around here, they can just walk in, talk to Den and dance. They're not picky, if you can't tell. Let me walk you back to your place, kid. Red lantern district ain't safe at this time." As Thorne walked out of the building, Cormac noticed his attire. Apparently, his stage clothes were his regular clothes.
"I believe proper introductions are in order." He bowed. "Blackwell Thorne, the Inappropriately Dressed but Undeniably Sexy Mage."
"Cormac," Cormac said with a bow. "I'm pretty sure I can handle getting back. Besides, it's snowing." He stepped out of the building and let out a yawn before making his way back to the inn. He climbed the steps to his and Astien's room and flopped into the chair and fell sleep in his clothes.
Astien came back late. He'd had a lot of clients today. Apparently, the local healer was a jackass that nobody wanted to deal with, not if they could help it. When was cold and wet, and happy to be indoors. When he saw Cormac asleep in the chair, he felt bad. He must have been up quite a while waiting for him to simply fall asleep like that. He took the young man and undressed his sleeping form. He put him into his bed and tucked him in gingerly. Then he undressed himself and crawled into his own bed.
Cormac woke up early to bathe, eat and do some odd jobs around the inn. Most of which required him to scrub either dishes, floors, or bedding. Once the sun started to set he headed back to the dance club and performed late into the night. The routine continued for many nights, but the money was piling up quickly as was Cormac's exhaustion.
As the days went by, Astien treated more and more people. Walking all over town day in and day out was exhausting, and murder on his feet, but he was helping people and making money at the same time. He was feeling very ragged, though. He was eating less from always being out, and he ha yet to buy appropriate winter wear, exposing himself to the cold. He was sleeping less, too. He had been growing pale, and he was sure he had a cold, but there was work to be done, same as ever. He hadn't seen much of Cormac lately, and every night when he went back to the inn, he found Cormac passed out on some random piece of furniture. He felt so bad keeping him so worried.
"Hey Cormac." Thorne called. "You look a lot like someone I used to know. Was your mother's name Moira, by any chance?"
"Uh, yeah," Cormac said stiffing a yawn after a long turn on the stage, but this was his last night at the club. He had more than enough money for the carriage, horse, some proper clothes, and provisions. "How do you know my mum?"
Thorne laughed. "I used to work with her! Oh, we uses to go on stage together. Her on one pole for the men, me on the other for the ladies. How is that fabulous skank doing?"
Astien made his way back to the inn, wiping his nose with a hankie. Finally, he would be able to catch Cormac before he passes out on the sofa again. Except Cormac wasn't there. Astien found this odd, but felt tired and sluggish, so he desist much think of it. He was chilled to the very bone, and started a nice warm bath for himself. As he undressed and waited for the water to fill the tub, he places his hands on his belly. It felt ice cold, which worried Astien. He didn't like the idea that his baby was cold, even in his womb. He couldn't deny he hasn't taken proper care of himself lately, hell, he'd gotten sick as a result, but he didn't think it was this bad.
(Sleepy time, good night.)
"Um...Well, she died a while ago. She got really sick," Cormac said awkwardly. "I've been traveling since then. I'm traveling with a healer right now. We ran into some trouble and we lost our carriage and one of our horses."
After a decent chat with Thorne, Cormac returned to the inn and passed out on his bed without even realizing Astien was back from his rounds. His body ached, mostly his knees from the morning floor scrubbings he did though the dancing probably aggravated them. He wrapped himself in a cocoon of blankets, still in his clothes, and dozed off. Once morning arrived Cormac rose with the sun and changed his clothes and rebraided his hair for the day. Astien was still fast asleep and he made no motion to wake him as the man seemed to be in much need of rest. While they hadn't seen much of each other in the past few days, he noticed the man was paler then normal.
Cormac gathered his earnings and left the room. The first stop was to the counter to have hot chicken soup and tea sent up to the room for Astien. After that he went to the market and bought the carriage and the one other horse that they needed. He told the centaur that he would return for them once he had finished the rest of his errands which consisted of buying winter clothes for both Astien and himself and getting various other supplies. Ranging from cookware to food. Once this was finished it was nearly noon and Cormac returned to the inn with the clothes and food in his arms.
Astien groggily woke up shortly after Cormac left. His body demanded more rest, but there was work to do. His baby didn't like its mother ignoring his body's needs, and kicked angrily, telling him to return to sleep. Astien rubbed his belly and ignored his child's demands. He was pleasantly surprised to find someone had brought soup and tea to him while he had slept. Probably Cormac. He ate quickly, and got dressed in a hurry. His clothes were still somewhat damp from trudging through the snow yesterday, but he put them on anyway. Ill-fitting and inappropriate for the weather a they were, Astien sighed to himself. He REALLY needed to remember to buy new clothes. As he got dressed though, he heard a voice from the window.
"Heloooo, Cormac, you here buddy?" At the window was Thorne, dressed in his usual inappropriate garb. He liked at a very confused Astien. "Oh. Hi. You must be Astien. Where's Cormac?"
Astien couldn't think of anything to say. Why was there a scantily clad man asking for Cormac? "No..." Was all he could muster.
"Damn. Well, I guess I'll try again later." Thorne said, and he disappeared from the windowsill.
Astien was dumbstruck. But, he quickly shook it off and departed the inn, though he made a note to question Cormac the next time he saw him. He pulled his cloak tightly around himself in the cold, snowy air. As much as he liked healing and helping, he hoped he would be done walking out in the cold, all across town all day and every day soon.
Cormac was confused when Astien wasn't in his bed once he came back. He was happy to see that he had eaten the soup and drank the tea. Once he finished dropping off the supplies he headed out again. This time he took the horse with him to pick up the carriage.
Astien was now on his way to a little house just off the west side, quite a ways from the affluent neighborhood he had just left. His feet and back were aching, but he tried to ignore it, as he tried to ignore his angry little one. He had his arms wrapped around his belly, trying to keep it warm. He had forgotten about trying to keep his cloak closed as it flapped in the wind behind him.