Wandering around mall, I have been looking around some of the stores to see if I can find a job. Many of the places weren't hiring, and the very few that were said that I needed to go online and apply on their website. I hate this, so damn much. Why does everything need to be online? What happened to paper applications, where's all that go?
It's been a good few weeks since Kitsuno and I left the factory. Things have not gotten better for the three of us. Finding a job these days are becoming tedious and offputting. Here, we recommend these jobs to you right here... then you check the actual application online, which is stupid half the time, and then it asks for skills you don't have. What a great way to not get a job.
Kitsuno is at least trying a bit harder than me, I'll give her that. She's being a bit more persistent with some jobs and attempting to get to them. But then there are some that are asking for her to travel to a different city. We would have to relocate where we live, let alone get a new vehicle. Plus, some of them sounded sketchy. Especially the modeling job she found.
She got the job very easily on that one with no other credentials. We all agreed that it was fishy sounded and ghosted them. She has found a data entry job close by to us and she has an interview coming up soon. If she gets it then that would help a little bit. Melissa and I will need to double down more to find something as well.
Melissa now has returned to stealing stuff here and there. To say we haven't been in enough trouble as is, is an understatement. Simple thievery is common in the area and some people have gotten wiser on attempts. And with how well Melissa was back up north when she first met me... she tries at least. Sad to say though to where I had to help with some bruises and such was more than enough where I had to tag along with her everywhere when she planned on doing something. Let's just say that a repeated run in from someone she got beat by ended up much less favorable for them.
Right now, we both are looking here in the mall for whatever we can do possibly. The problem besides what I had already said was that, there was very little in this place. Sure there are some antique shops and a bunch of fashion clothing stores, not to mention the occasional food stand here and there. But that was it. Whatever else we saw was closing down or empty.
My eyes focus a bit as I saw the red headed mouse walk around a corner from the store she was just in. Something seemed off as her shirt seemed a little thicker to me. I then realized that she had snagged something and we needed to book it somewhere else. I slowly started walking away from the store as she made her way out the entrance and we walked a good several stores down before walking into a shop that sold antique signs.
My eyes dart upwards to see if there were any cameras present and manage to find a corner where the camera in the shop couldn't see. The owner wasn't paying much attention and I looked at Melissa as she saunters up to me with an innocent smile. I lean into her, "Alright, what did you get?" She giggles a bit before pulling her gray shirt out a bit to show that she was wearing a clean looking red blouse underneath. "Really Mel? You could have asked me on this you know."
"I know Shade, but money is tight. Plus, I needed some new stuff for an upcoming interview." I blink a moment before looking at her closer and lowering my eyes. Quickly I move my hands down and adjust her old blue jeans to cover up the new ones she was wearing underneath as part of it was showing. "Might need to get you a belt girl, these seem to be getting looser for you." She took the hint before helping in readjusting her pants, "I know, I think the last wash wore something out. And I lost my belt last week."
My eyes peer over a bit as the owner of the shop was still somewhat there, but not fully paying attention. She looked bored out of her mind a bit as she was deep into a book at the counter. Though, it was hard to tell how well she was paying attention as she was staring at the book, but I haven't seen her turn the page yet.
Melissa then pokes me in my chest and I bring my attention back to her. "Now that that is situated, what do you say we head over to the library next? I wanna see if that book your brother mentioned is there." I wait a bit before letting the message sink in on how she phrased that as there was some others in the store too. I nod in response and we both made our way out and started walking further into the mall.
We stayed close together to make sure no one gets any wise ideas to feel her up or she does something dumb on our way to the next spot. We passed by a kiosk that had a bunch of rings sitting out and about and I had to restrain her from grabbing some because, while we could pass it off as actual rings somewhere else, there was a freaking cop walking right past us as I felt her tail move. I had to slap her on the ass in quick response before she noticed the cop and her tail quickly wrapped around my waist to cover it up.
Once we were past that kiosk and away from the cop, I shake my head a bit before looking over at the "mystic" emporium we were passing by. I freeze up a bit and stopped as a few things caught my attention. One, was the numerous statues of dragons and other mystic like creatures like the chimera, or the bane of my existence. Mimics.
The other thing that caught my attention was some of the gemstones they had sitting out. Aside from bottle caps, I am a sucker for shiny stuff that catches my eye. Gemstones being one of them for obvious reasons. Though, this gave me an idea.
One place that people keep trying to kidnap and sell me to is the mages guild because of my near infinite mana generation. Surely they can use some gemstones for whatever the hell they use it for in their wands or staves. My eyes look over some of the stones and the idea forms well.
Melissa and I walk around the shop a bit to pay no attention to anything in particular. Mainly just so we don't gather the attention of the shopkeeper as they looked very eccentric. The owner was an armadillo and he was polishing away at some rings on the desk he was stationed at. The way he dressed was a bit unusual too. Almost like he was a gypsy.
Moving closer to a collection of the stones, I reach forward and pick up a neatly polished red and black stone. Rubbing my fingers on it slid the stone around in my palm before my eyes look around the rest of the display. There were several stones of varying smoothness and colors, but a lot of them were small. This was proving to be an issue cause if they are too small, then they wouldn't be worth salvaging into a magical item.
As I was about to move my hand closer to me to pocket away the stone, I felt Melissa's tail creep around mine and tug away at me. This was a signal to stop what I was doing. "Put that one back. I think you might like this one." Mel moves a hand over to one of the shelves higher then the one I picked from the bottom, but I followed where her finger was and looked past it to see a small camera looking at us.
I ended up putting the stone back in its shelf place and took one she point out to pass off on seeing how it would feel in my hand between my fingers. After a little bit in hoping it passes off as that, I put it back and we both look around the shop some more. Sadly, those were the only things I say were worth trying to steal.
Not buying or snagging anything, we made our way out and wander outside the shop til we stopped at the doors of a closed down shop. No one was nearby and I let out a sigh of defeat. Melissa looks at me and pats my shoulder. "Let me guess, mages guild?" I nod as I knelt down to adjust my shoes a bit as they were starting to wobble between my toes again. "I wonder if it is because of people doing this before?" I shrug a bit as I keep fiddling with my shoes as the straps were looking well worn. Melissa stares at me as I keep messing with it and she starts looking around to the other stores.
Next thing I know is her hands tugging at my shirt and making me stand up. She grabbed my hand and dragged me to a nearby shop that specialized in shoes and there was a fine collection inside. The area didn't look busy enough and I know what she had in mind. "Mel, I know what you want to do sweetie, and the thought is nice." I turn my head to her as I take a look of the surrounding area to see about a means of escape. Which is not easy. "But how the hell are we gonna get out of here? The moment we grab some shoes, we need to get out of here fast before we get caught."
She then looks over at some of the shoes inside the store. "All we need to do is get in there, grab a pair you like and would wear, I shove it in my shirt around my gut, and we make our way out of here. Plain and simple." I facepalm from the idea. "How about we don't do that."
"But Shade... I don't want you to feel left out on this. Besides, who's gonna notice a pair of shoes missing in a large selection like this?" Sighing, I shake my head before we walked on in. My eyes only caught two cameras in the building the problem was that I saw was that they were in two corners of the room. And it would catch everything.
Melissa is so far in the zone to where I can't really talk her out of it unless I force her like I did back then. But I don't think people would like seeing me plow her roughly. I mean, some might, but I will get in trouble for it.
Casually we made our way to a shelf where while one camera had eyes on us, I looked at the display on top to see if I can act like a shield for Melissa. I tried not to squirm as I felt her hands wiggle underneath my right foot as I bet she was trying to see what size I was. Though immediately I stomped my foot down as the owner came up to me. "Finding everything you are looking for ma'am?" I looked at her and nodded. "Yes I am. Lots of choices to choose." She smiles a bit before the rabbit girl walks over and sees Melissa on the floor trying not to yelp as I was technically crushing her fingers.
She blinks a bit before her eyes shift over to her left as she had other customers in the room. She then kneels down to Melissa and whispers in her ear for a little bit before she gets up with a cheery smile and walks away to greet the other customers. I lessen up pressure on my foot and Mel scrambles her hand out from underneath it before standing up. "Let's go." Somewhat confused, I follow her as she already started retreating out of the shop and walked a far distance away from it.
We ended up in the corridor next to the library and shop that sells board games. Melissa had a pale look on her face as she seemed to have realized how overzealous she was getting. I poke at her chest a bit to get her attention. "So, what did she say?" The mouse girl shudders before looking back, "She said that mice feet will become the new lucky foot if she noticed some were missing. She knows where we live in the complex!"
Yikes... one of our neighbors, and sounds like she does not screw around. I'll have to see where that rabbit lives to avoid getting anywhere near her.
Melissa sighs a bit before backing up against the wall and slumps down. "Shade, can we go home now? I want to call it quits now." Following suit, I get down on the ground and sit next to her as I wrap an arm over her shoulder. Given that she was just threatened by one of our neighbors makes her feel uneasy, I can see how she instantly flipped scripts. "I tried to warn you. We were gonna get caught one way or another." Giving her a good squeeze, I moved her head closer to me and rest her on my shoulder. "Don't worry too much about her. If she dares come anywhere near our apartment to harm any of us, she's gonna regret it."
She stayed silent for a while. While she knows I mean well on that, she's still gonna be lingering on the threat for a little while. We sat there for a few minutes watching people pass by, then I got up and grabbed her hand to force her onto her feet. "Come on, before security bugs us for lingering. Let's get out of here and head home. I think it's been enough for today." Melissa nods and stays close to me as we left the mall.
