Chapter 3:Troubles and Old Friends
Night came all too soon for Milly. She watched as the workers began to file into the tavern, they seemed cheerful, no doubt they figured Milly had a plan. Which of course she didn't, she was at a complete loss. They couldn't dig any farther, not without risking a sink hole that would swallow the town in a matter of minutes. Once again she found herself wishing Vash was here.
As the last worker seated himself, Milly cleared her throat, and waited for the talking to die down. She didn't have to wait long, soon all the workers were giving her there full attention. Milly put a smile on her face, and began the meeting. "So does anyone have any ideas?" she asked the men. No one said a word, many began shuffling their feet, and others had suddenly grown a great interest in the tops of their tables.
Milly pressed on, "Come on don't be shy now, no idea is too silly." Once again the silence pursued. Milly's smile fell and she too began to study the floor. Finally one of the workers broke the steadily growing silence.
"Ms. Milly, I think I speak for all the workers here when I say that, we no idea on what to do. We can't keep digging, and we can't blast the main open, so where does that leave us?" He stated sadly. Milly raised her head and looked at the sad and dishearten faces of her men. Milly knew feeling sorry for herself was just wasting time, and if they didn't do something fast, this town would become just another abandoned post.
"Now, now that's no way to talk. We have to stay positive! The water is there, we just have to figure out how to get it," Milly encouraged, her smile returning. It seemed to do the trick though, several of the workers were now looking up at her, and a few even had small smiles on their worn faces. "We can't give up hope. Tomorrow night we'll go back down there and see if we missed anything. Then we'll go from there okay. Now all of you go back home to your families, and get some sleep. We have a long night ahead of us!" Now every face in the tavern was smiling. They saluted her, and began filing out of the tavern noisily.
"That was really something Milly."
Milly turned to see Meryle standing by her side, looking at her with a huge smile. "I just figured that feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to help things go any faster. Besides, they needed some encouragement, and if we lose hope, then we've already lost more than we know." Milly answered.
"Milly I think you are a natural born leader, you always know just what to say when someone's feeling down," Meryle sighed. Milly just blushed, and smiled all the more.
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Vash was up and moving long before dawn. He was only a few days journey from the mining town and he wanted to get there as soon as possible. He needed to stop at the nearest barber too. His hair was longer than when he was a kid on the ship, and he was in desperate need of a shave. Vash grinned as he began to imagine his appearance. "I probably look like a scruffy hobo," he thought aloud with a laugh.
It felt good to laugh, he hadn't done it in a long time. Vash continued on at a steady pace, and soon he could see the outline of Augusta. Most of it was still in shambles he noticed, though part of the town had begun to rebuild itself. Vash gave a sad smile, he was happy that the people were thriving once again, but if it hadn't been for him, they wouldn't have to be rebuilding at all.
Vash entered the town and his heart lifted a bit, the people weren't only thriving, they were happy. Children filled the streets, playing and laughing. Adults laughed and talked in front of the cozy little shops and diners. Vash smiled as he spotted a group of children playing with a red ball. Had he the time, he would have stopped to join them, but his thoughts kept straying to Meryle. He had a feeling something had gone wrong in the town.
After strolling the streets for awhile, Vash asked a kind looking man where the nearest barber was. The man was all to happy to oblige him, commenting with a smile that Vash could sure use a good cut and shave. Vash smiled back, and began to follow the man's directions, until he came to the barber shop. As he walked inside he was greeted by the warm talk of men, and the smell of aftershave.
The barber, a large, bald man of around 30 years of age, greeted Vash warmly and told him to take a seat anywhere. Vash decided on a seat closest to the window, where he could sit and watch the people go about their business. Time passed swiftly, and it was nearly noon before the barber called Vash for his turn. When Vash turned he was surprised to see he was the only person there, save for the barber.
"So how's the Humanoid Typhoon doing today?" the barber asked with a rumbling voice.
"Shhh…not so loud Vince, I don't want the towns people to panic again!" Vash cried as he jumped up to hush his long time friend.
"All right my apologies, nice to see your still as jumpy as always," Vince rumbled with laughter.
"Well can't let my guard down now can I? Got to keep up the disguise and all," Vash returned.
"I guess so, but that doesn't mean you have let yourself go entirely lad. I have never seen your hair this long," Vince shot back as Vash took his place in the chair.
"I know, but I've been traveling on the back roads, and haven't come across a town in almost 3 months." Vash replied.
"Well nothing good old Vince can't fix. So what do you want, the usual, or something a little different?" Vince asked as he began his work.
"The usual, I've worn it that way so long I don't know if I could get used to anything else," Vash answered.
"Okay, I still think it looks like a broom, but it's your hair." Vince grumbled as he cut.
Vash laughed, and let himself drift into a peaceful daze, lulled by the sounds of scissors, and the bustle of people outside. Soon he would be back with Meryle, and all of this cloak and dagger stuff, would be but a thing of the past.
Night came all too soon for Milly. She watched as the workers began to file into the tavern, they seemed cheerful, no doubt they figured Milly had a plan. Which of course she didn't, she was at a complete loss. They couldn't dig any farther, not without risking a sink hole that would swallow the town in a matter of minutes. Once again she found herself wishing Vash was here.
As the last worker seated himself, Milly cleared her throat, and waited for the talking to die down. She didn't have to wait long, soon all the workers were giving her there full attention. Milly put a smile on her face, and began the meeting. "So does anyone have any ideas?" she asked the men. No one said a word, many began shuffling their feet, and others had suddenly grown a great interest in the tops of their tables.
Milly pressed on, "Come on don't be shy now, no idea is too silly." Once again the silence pursued. Milly's smile fell and she too began to study the floor. Finally one of the workers broke the steadily growing silence.
"Ms. Milly, I think I speak for all the workers here when I say that, we no idea on what to do. We can't keep digging, and we can't blast the main open, so where does that leave us?" He stated sadly. Milly raised her head and looked at the sad and dishearten faces of her men. Milly knew feeling sorry for herself was just wasting time, and if they didn't do something fast, this town would become just another abandoned post.
"Now, now that's no way to talk. We have to stay positive! The water is there, we just have to figure out how to get it," Milly encouraged, her smile returning. It seemed to do the trick though, several of the workers were now looking up at her, and a few even had small smiles on their worn faces. "We can't give up hope. Tomorrow night we'll go back down there and see if we missed anything. Then we'll go from there okay. Now all of you go back home to your families, and get some sleep. We have a long night ahead of us!" Now every face in the tavern was smiling. They saluted her, and began filing out of the tavern noisily.
"That was really something Milly."
Milly turned to see Meryle standing by her side, looking at her with a huge smile. "I just figured that feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to help things go any faster. Besides, they needed some encouragement, and if we lose hope, then we've already lost more than we know." Milly answered.
"Milly I think you are a natural born leader, you always know just what to say when someone's feeling down," Meryle sighed. Milly just blushed, and smiled all the more.
******************************************************
Vash was up and moving long before dawn. He was only a few days journey from the mining town and he wanted to get there as soon as possible. He needed to stop at the nearest barber too. His hair was longer than when he was a kid on the ship, and he was in desperate need of a shave. Vash grinned as he began to imagine his appearance. "I probably look like a scruffy hobo," he thought aloud with a laugh.
It felt good to laugh, he hadn't done it in a long time. Vash continued on at a steady pace, and soon he could see the outline of Augusta. Most of it was still in shambles he noticed, though part of the town had begun to rebuild itself. Vash gave a sad smile, he was happy that the people were thriving once again, but if it hadn't been for him, they wouldn't have to be rebuilding at all.
Vash entered the town and his heart lifted a bit, the people weren't only thriving, they were happy. Children filled the streets, playing and laughing. Adults laughed and talked in front of the cozy little shops and diners. Vash smiled as he spotted a group of children playing with a red ball. Had he the time, he would have stopped to join them, but his thoughts kept straying to Meryle. He had a feeling something had gone wrong in the town.
After strolling the streets for awhile, Vash asked a kind looking man where the nearest barber was. The man was all to happy to oblige him, commenting with a smile that Vash could sure use a good cut and shave. Vash smiled back, and began to follow the man's directions, until he came to the barber shop. As he walked inside he was greeted by the warm talk of men, and the smell of aftershave.
The barber, a large, bald man of around 30 years of age, greeted Vash warmly and told him to take a seat anywhere. Vash decided on a seat closest to the window, where he could sit and watch the people go about their business. Time passed swiftly, and it was nearly noon before the barber called Vash for his turn. When Vash turned he was surprised to see he was the only person there, save for the barber.
"So how's the Humanoid Typhoon doing today?" the barber asked with a rumbling voice.
"Shhh…not so loud Vince, I don't want the towns people to panic again!" Vash cried as he jumped up to hush his long time friend.
"All right my apologies, nice to see your still as jumpy as always," Vince rumbled with laughter.
"Well can't let my guard down now can I? Got to keep up the disguise and all," Vash returned.
"I guess so, but that doesn't mean you have let yourself go entirely lad. I have never seen your hair this long," Vince shot back as Vash took his place in the chair.
"I know, but I've been traveling on the back roads, and haven't come across a town in almost 3 months." Vash replied.
"Well nothing good old Vince can't fix. So what do you want, the usual, or something a little different?" Vince asked as he began his work.
"The usual, I've worn it that way so long I don't know if I could get used to anything else," Vash answered.
"Okay, I still think it looks like a broom, but it's your hair." Vince grumbled as he cut.
Vash laughed, and let himself drift into a peaceful daze, lulled by the sounds of scissors, and the bustle of people outside. Soon he would be back with Meryle, and all of this cloak and dagger stuff, would be but a thing of the past.