Notice

[russet_goddess]

Zara has been eating a little more regularly lately. It takes effort, since she has neither the inclination nor the stomach for it, but she's been, and because her body is so hungry it's gone right to her bones and she looks astonishingly less gaunt. Still skinny, skinny enough to make you worry, but her hair, which is still growing in, in a little

Comments

[greying_raven]

"What are you doing?"

[russet_goddess]

"Go away." Her jaw tightens.

[greying_raven]

"Zara," the unnecessary being now necessary, his old sun-darkened face grave.

[russet_goddess]

"Luther," she says, mocking. "Get away."

[edgar_huntly]

Edgar is just barely able to read her sign, thanks in large part to the late-1700s-American laxity of spelling with which he is familiar. He pauses, rereads, hopes desperately that she has lost an S somewhere, and ventures hopefully, "Madam? Are you ... selling a horse?"

[russet_goddess]

Zara laughs shortly. "I'm selling me."

[edgar_huntly]

He coughs, awkwardly. "May I ask why?"

[russet_goddess]

"The hell sort of question is that?"

[fangs_gray]

She looks on impartially. "That's not the way to do it, you know. Although I'll admit it's novel."

[russet_goddess]

"How'd you do it, then?" irritably.

[fangs_gray]

"I usually wait for them to come to me, but that won't work if you're just starting out." Not condescending, just matter of fact.

"For a starter, I'd suggest getting rid of the table and notice, makes it too business-like, most men are easily intimidated and that will just scare them off."

[russet_goddess]

She doesn't answer, just watches her without giving any sign whether she's listening to take it to heart or not.

[yourmaryanne]

"Let me know if y'get any business," Sweet Alice says dryly. "I never do." He looks at her with something like pity. If Alice, with his glossy black curls and pretty mouth and impossible lashes can't find customers, he doubts Zara will.

[russet_goddess]

"Don't matter much," she says, with a rough little shrug.

[yourmaryanne]

A nod. "'s true. Not like y'have to work to eat around here." He tilts his head to one side, giving her a curious look. "So why are you?"

[russet_goddess]

"'Cause I been doing it without the sign half the last year anyway."

[moderatelymad]

Congratulations, Zara. If you wanted attention, you've got it.

Unlike Luther, he doesn't bother asking. He takes in the notice in a glance, crumples it in one hand and drops it to the floor, his pale eyes glittering like ice.

[russet_goddess]

This time she doesn't say anything, or react in any particular way. She just looks at him, standing quietly by the table, no particular expression.

[moderatelymad]

Florian turns that look on her. "Well?"

[russet_goddess]

"Well?"