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The next thing she's going to do, she thinks, is buy a new messenger bag.
Rachel Conway is standing at one end of a trail of her personal belongings, on a sidewalk in the middle of Grant Park. She was walking home, shifted her bag on her shoulder, and the next thing she knows the clank of metal and the thump of non-metal on concrete is heralding ( Read more... )
Rachel Conway is standing at one end of a trail of her personal belongings, on a sidewalk in the middle of Grant Park. She was walking home, shifted her bag on her shoulder, and the next thing she knows the clank of metal and the thump of non-metal on concrete is heralding ( Read more... )
She catches Rachel out of the corner of her eye and raises a brow for a moment before setting aside her birdseed and getting to her feet and rushing over.
"Oh Honey," she says quickly helping her gather up some of her things. "You all right? Nothin' but the bag hurt?" She knows Rachel didn't fall or anything but it never hurts to check. You never know when some random object might fall on your foot or something.
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She bends her left arm and cradles a few wrenches against herself, freeing up her right hand. "This is terribly nice of you," she says, and she manages to hold back the surprise that might otherwise creep into that statement. This city isn't always known for kindness, especially to strangers. "I really appreciate it."
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She considers something for a moment, though she still keeps gathering stuff. "Hey,, do you need another bag? I got some free time and it seems like maybe you could use somethin' good. At least let me get you a cup of coffee or somethin', if not a bag."
Millie is probably one of the friendliest, most giving people you will ever meet. One day it's going to bite her in the ass but the narration doubts she'd actually learn from the experience.
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--couldn't possibly. The protest is ready at her lips but she bites it back; it's rude on her part, a kind offer on this lady's, and in a city where kindness isn't always the rule she really shouldn't argue.
She lets out a breath and nods, giving in. "That'd be really nice. Thank you. My name's Rachel."
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She means it too. She loves meeting new people, even under slightly unusual circumstances and it's not like this has been the worst way she's mete a person anyway.
"You don't gotta say yes, by the way," she adds quickly. "We can get the rest of this stuff together and you can go on your way if you'd like. Just seems like you could use a little help, is all and I like helpin' folks."
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"It's nice to meet you, too. And... thanks. I suppose I could use a little help, after all."
It's hard to argue you've got everything under control, after all, when a good deal of what you own is strewn about and/or being held by someone else.
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She smiles brightly whens he finds that her offer is actually going to be expected and would be clapping her hands if she could manage it. "Great! I promise,I'll be fun."
She knows she's kind of taking advantage of the situation but she's doing it for all the good reasons! She really just wants to help her out a little bit.
"See that cart over there," she points to her coffee cart. "That's mine. "I've got some plastic bags that we can get this stuff in until you get something better. Is that all right?"
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"Plastic bags are just fine," she says gratefully, letting herself settle into the situation. "Just so we can get the stuff off the sidewalk before someone comes through and trips and faceplants or something. I can't have that."
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"Don't you worry" she says with a bright smile as she packs away more things. "We'll get this all sorted out and you'll get yourself a real nice bag outta it, I promise." She smiles brightly.
"Oh!" She laughs, holding out a hand. "I'm Millie, by the way, it's nice to meet you."
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She drops the rest of her things into the bags, relieved. She wasn't sure how she was going to salvage this situation or get her things home. Millie's a lifesaver right now.
"So do you work here?" she asks. "In the park."
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She laughs, looking around. "Kinda. I work here when I want to and I work other places when I want to. That's the beauty of walkin' around for your job, you can walk wherever you'd like."
And on that note, she starts pushing her cart along the sidewalk, heading towards the shops. "What do you do? If y'do anything at all?"
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She laughs a bit at the question. She knows traditional gender roles shouldn't be clung to but she knows they're still alive and well. Which is why she's never surprised by the disbelief with which she's met when she says, "I'm a car mechanic."
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"Really?" Millie sounds impressed. "Well look at you! I didn't pick up workin'; on cars for ages. I didn't much care for 'em though. Preferred walkin' myself. I got around to learnin' the basics after a while though. Much easier to know what you're doin' then havin' to depend on other folks to get you by."
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She laughs, with a self-deprecating shake of her head. "I wish I could say I worked at learning all of it, but I have the Rift to thank for that talent. I was a book editor before. Dunno what about me made the Rift go 'that one should be a mechanic' but here I am."
That probably at least explains the assortment of tools that clattered to the sidewalk when her bag broke.
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"Well," she says with a laugh. "It could be worse. THe Rift's been known to do all sorts of things. You got off kinda lucky, I'd say. It's useful and don't mess with you too much."
It does! Which also takes away a question she was saving for later but that';s okay.
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The wisdom of viewing their situation as an adversarial relationship with winner and loser is arguable, but it's what works for Rachel.
"And yeah. I got really lucky. Some people got stuck with really terrible things. I hope you're not one of them."
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