Shielded

        Mariposa didn’t often have the time or money to relax in a restaurant. He got paid big this time; it was a veritable fountain of gil for the simple task of infiltrating some top execs home and… well, borrowing his plans for developing a sparkly new Mako Reactor. It made today a treat; he bit into the fresh chocolate lava cake the cute waitress place before him and his mouth gleefully exploded into sweet bliss.

This was good, great even.

He scraped his fork across the desert tray and turned his gaze to the rest of his food. Being an adult there was no reason not to eat his desert first. He was happy to eat something that wasn’t scavenged from a rich man’s trashcan, honestly. Another big bite of food was quick to be shoveled into his waiting mouth, but this time it did not come uninterrupted. 

One green eye trailed upwards, fixing on the earnest face of a clear warrior. She looked tough, but there was a hint of softness to those eyes. Maybe he was imagining it, after all this was a complete stranger and he couldn’t afford to make assumptions about the habits of someone who could quickly beat him to death in a bar fight gone horribly wrong.

Mariposa would take his chances and assume he just shouldn’t fuck with anyone in general.

“Yeah, knock yourself out,” He wiped his mouth free of remnants of chocolate and rice, suddenly very aware that he had become some sort of greedy goblinoid creature when presented a hot meal. “I’ll move my sword.” He reached over with a deft hand and slid the belt over his chest, securing the familiar blade to his back. “Sorry ‘bout that.”

“Don’t worry about it” She assured quietly.

Demetra smiled a little half smile and carefully pulled out a stool. She slid her shield in front of her, hoping it wasn’t too much of a nuisance. She didn’t have the money for much. Maybe one item off the menu, maybe a drink. But she probably shouldn’t have a drink. She picked up the menu and began to look through it. 

To be honest nothing looked as good as the chocolate lava cake the gentleman next to her was digging into. Damn did that look delicious. She looked into her money pouch at the meager amount of gil she had to last her until she was able to find more work. 

Should she ask him what he had. Mmm probably not. You don’t really mess with people when they’re eating right?

But it smelled so good. She turned slightly and debated with herself for another moment, before her stomach grumbled once more sealing her decision.

Demetra was used to living alone. She was used to it, and she was good at it. Didn’t have anyone else to deal with and there wasn’t any need to worry about another person when you lived alone. Well apparently that’s not how things worked around here, as she just found out she would have a roommate. Not just any roommate but a complete stranger.

So she was great at living alone. She wasn’t so great at meeting new people.

She moved in all her stuff as quickly and as inconspicuously as she could. Maybe just maybe she could put off meeting this stranger for as long as possible. Not forever obviously, that would just be ridiculous. But hey, a girl could dream.

She unpacked the last of her things in the solitude of her room, nearing the end of a long day, the sun long since set. Demetra pulled out her set of roller skates and set them aside, maybe she would take them for a spin tomorrow. Get her out of the house. She ran her hand through her hair and admired her work. It wasn’t much by the way of decoration, she wasn’t that sentimental, but it looked nice, and clean. And honestly that’s all that anyone could really ask for.

That’s when her stomach began to grumble. She looked at her long shut door contemplating whether it was worth braving the kitchen for whatever food she could find and possibly, maybe, meeting her roommate, or if it was better to just stick it out in her room and fall asleep.

Demetra spent a good deal of her time at the Leaf House. Letting thee kids practice their swords, wooden sticks bouncing off the metal shield on her arm. It was a good way to spend her day. Their little faces lighting up, feeling like their moving towards something important. She couldn’t deny their eyes knew and understood more about the world than they always let on. Demetra spent her days giving piggy back rides and being a pull up bar for the extra strong kiddos. 

It was a good way to spend her time.

But the sun was setting and it was time to return home. She had created a good home in the Sector 5 Slums, it was comfortable and held all of her things. There was always something missing from it however. Demetra didn’t like to dwell on what wasn’t there, only what is. 

Her stomach growled.