Chapter 5: Jobs
Author's Note: I AM SO, SO SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING! I had a stress related breakdown, homework, life, and died. My teacher's drowned me with homework. IT WAS MURDER! THEY DID IT ON PURPOSE! I always knew my math teacher didn't like me… Anyways! Thanks to takumisa foreva for favoriting and following! Thank you also Arkxy-chan for favoriting! To akira-chan101, thank you for reviewing and for the encouraging words! I'm sorry I didn't meet your request to keep writing… T.T Also to PaperHandy453 for following and reviewing! You're right… way to much Shakespeare… Tandrele and Melissabear also have joined the band of followers! (Sorry, had to vent melodrama… I should lay off the poetry…) I thank you all! It mans so much! I LOVE YOU! *Sniff* On to the story!
Disclaimer: I tried to talk Truth into giving me ownership after I died… But he made me finish my homework (which killed me) instead. Sob.
Brann's POV
The day after we arrived in Amestris, Danni and me started to look for work. Honest work that is, I wanted a fallback so that we wouldn't have to resort to theft as often. Niki was working on our new home. I was a little worried, she has the tendency to go a bit crazy, but I decided that the worst she could do would to build a secret bunker in bat-cave style, and even NIKI wouldn't do that. I think. I had a tendency to be wrong about that kind of stuff.
Danni and me split up temporarily in order to cover more ground, agreeing to meet up around two at a café near where Niki said she'd be. I went all over the place; I couldn't help gawping a bit either. I was on the verge of Fan girl mode, but I repressed it. I was in the middle of CENTRAL, had met EDWARD ELRIC and was an ALCHEMIST. I really didn't need to add 'got dragged to asylum for shrieking and hyperventilating for no reason in middle of Public Street' to that list. Not a lot of places seemed to want to hire me, I was still wearing my punk clothes, so they must have thought I was bad news. I sighed, I really wish I had a change of clothes; that would make this SO much easier. Despite what people say, they DO judge by your dress. It was one of the reasons I dressed the way I did, I wanted to break stereotypes and rebel. However, when trying to get a job that may or may not be your ONLY source of legal income, it's best to look respectable. I'd wandered out of the stores and much of Central, I'd already inquired in most of these 'respectable' businesses. I was now in the industrial area, factories and such. I spotted a 'help wanted' sign. Shrugging, I wandered over; it was worth a shot.
"Hello?" I called into the door of what seemed to be the office building, "I'm here about the job?" A slightly pudgy man with an squinty glare waddled over.
"Come in already." He snarled, "I don't have all day." I decided I didn't like him immediately, but put on my smiling mask and walked in.
"Hello sir. I wanted to know about the job. I saw the help wanted sign and came to apply." He looked at me balefully,
"Look missy, I'll put this plain. You look like you can take care of yourself, but this ain't no place for a girl." I sighed internally; everyone judges. I'd said what, two sentences? And he already thought he knew everything there was to know about me. My gaze was slightly steely as I looked at him,
"I am strong, a willing worker and know several forms of martial arts and self defense. I may be female, but I am intelligent and practical. I can think and act for myself, but also am very responsible. I can deal with long hours and hard labor. I'm also known for my physical strength. At least give me a chance before writing me off." My tone was rather cold, I HATE sexism. It's one of my pet peeves. He looked at me, as if he was reevaluating my worth. I met his eyes steadily, not willing to give an inch.
"The work is hard." He told me.
"I can do it."
"Long hours for $8 an hour."
"I'll prove myself worthy of a raise."
"Lots of strong, unsavory guys."
"Me against gang of fifteen, six-foot, gorilla type brutes. 15 min. I win."
"Lot of heavy lifting."
"I could use the exercise."
"Gotta buy your own meals or eat prison slop."
"Stomach of steel."
"I'm not gonna protect or coddle you. You're on your own."
"That's the way I like it." His face broke into a grin,
"I like you," he told me, "Come in tomorrow, six o' clock a.m. Sharp. You'll be done at ten thirty p.m. Half hour lunch break at noon. Paid at the end of the day. Work is three days a week, Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Tuesday and Thursday are overtime pay. Weekends off, unless you volunteer for half overtime pay. Overtime is half the rate of regular hours. You skip out, you're late, you leave early without clearance, and you're gone. Don't make me tell you twice. Now beat it." I stood, smiling.
"Yes sir," I told him, "I'll be here tomorrow." He grunted, then added,
"Check in with me by six. I'll tell you who to report to and where." I nodded and left. I met up with Danni at the café. She was wheeling herself in a wheelchair Niki had whipped up.
How? I don't know.
"How'd it go?" I asked. She made a face,
"I'm working at a clothing store, $12 an hour, five hour days. Hate the owner, he's a jerk. It probably won't last long, but hey, work with what I've got, right?" I nodded,
"Factory, I begin tomorrow. $8 an hour, sixteen-hour days. At first I thought the owner was a prick, but he doesn't seem to bad now. Stingy and blunt, but not bad." Danni looked impressed and worried.
"That's over $100 dollars a day, but a LOT of work. Sixteen hours? And a FACTORY? Are you sure you can do this?" I nodded confidently,
"It's only three days a week unless I go in for overtime. I'll be fine. You know me!" She nodded, a little warily, but conceded.
"Let's go see what Niki's done." Danni suggested. I groaned,
"Why did we give her free reign again?" Danni just chuckled. We made our way over to where we had left Niki, but there was nothing there. I raised an eyebrow. This was not like Niki. Usually she was flamboyant enough that a blind man would stop and stare.
Then a hatch popped open at our feet.
"Come in!" floated out Niki's voice. I shrugged and entered. My eye twitched; there was an underground bunker full of tubes and wires, very sci-fi and VERY bat-cave like. Three skin-tight, black costumes that greatly resembled the Catwoman costumes from the new Batman movie were in glass tubes against the opposite wall.
How had she done this? We'd only been out a few hours!
"One of these days," I told Danni, sighing, "I'm going to stop underestimating her." Niki popped up in front of us, looking rather disheveled but beaming happily, grease smeared across one cheek and her hair tied back.
"Guess what?" she told us, then without waiting for an answer, "I think I saw Envy in a café!"
Well? What do YOU think?
Little Miss Actress: I kick ass that's what! Thanks for putting me in this story!
No problem.
Envy: You're all insane.
Little miss Actress: Insane's the new normal!
Me: You're insufferable
L.M.A: Its one of my charms
Me: Unfortunately true
Okay… Please just review.