It's a Faithy Business (Updated-Part 2!)

[AprilJuice]

Claire turned back towards the city with her famous cunning smile. She opened the coin purse and began to count out her newly acquired fortune. ?Ten thousand??? She mused. ?That guard must have been paid well?? She closed up the coin purse and placed it in her pack with the rest of the stolen merchandise.

?Move it, Lady!? A child bellowed from behind her. Claire stopped in place and turned towards the voice. She watched in horror as a young boy launched out from the alleyway and ran face first into her. She cried out as she was knocked from her feet and thrown to the ground. The boy?s momentum caused him to fall forward, and with his balance lost he toppled on top of her.

?Watch where you?re going, kid?? Claire scolded in a drawn out whine. He nodded his head and pulled himself off of her and rolled onto the ground next to her.

?Are you hurt?? He asked in a concerned tone. He glanced over at her to make sure she wasn?t harmed and started to blush profusely.

?Knowing my luck,? she groaned while holding her forehead.

?Whoa.?

?What?!? Claire barked.

?You?re kinda cute?? He blurted. Claire groaned in annoyance and sat up. She placed her free hand onto her lower back and stretched, then stood and glared down at the boy.

?I don?t have time for this,? Claire barked. She brushed away the dirt and dust from her dress then started to walk towards the town centre.

?Wa-wait!? He yelled after her. ?I?m Willy?er, William!? The boy called out.

?That?s nice?? Claire replied. After she made some distance between them she raised her arm and waved sarcastically.??William kicked out his foot and mumbled incoherently. He then noticed in the corner of his eye a coin purse sitting on the ground where Claire had fallen.

?What?s this?? He bent down and picked up the small coin purse, with a large grin he opened it to find the sum of money she had stolen from Sid. ?Jackpot?!? He quickly hid the coin purse in his pocket and darted off in opposite direction as Claire. ?When she realizes she lost this she?ll come looking for me, and when she does, she?ll be begging to be my girlfriend! It?s fool proof!?

?Damn kids?? Claire rubbed her spine as she continued into the town centre. ?I guess I?ll head to the tavern and try to fill my purse, Harry better be there?? she paused and quickly ripped her pack from her shoulders and examined its contents. She found her empty coin purse, the trinkets and other merchandise she had saved throughout the winter, but not Sid?s coin purse. She sighed deeply and turned back towards where she and William had collided, he was nowhere in sight. ?That little bugger? She grumbled. ?Reminds me of me when I was his age, amateur.? Claire shrugged her shoulders and continued forward.

?Daddy!? A little girl exclaimed with in a sing song tone. Claire saw the young girl with a purple ribbon in her brown hair rushing up to a large man. With a leap in her step she launched herself into his open arms. Claire couldn?t help but smile a little as her eyes lit up; it reminded her of the past.??

?Get a grip on it,? Claire cringed. Her eyes returned to their cold state. ?The past only gets you killed.? She continued to the shady tavern beyond the Prontera fountain. She opened the old wooden door and stepped inside. The air was filled with laughter and high spirits, alcohol was being passed around like water to the thirsty.

?Claire!? An elderly man exclaimed loudly. He held his mug up high in the air and shook it side to side to gain her attention. ?Come, sit with an old man!?
?Of course!? She exclaimed in a gleeful, sickly sweet tone much unlike her natural voice. ?You old pervert?? she muttered under her breath. She walked over to the table and sat next to him. She removed her pack and placed it onto the table.

?It?s been awhile, you?ve grown. I?d say you?re almost my type,? the old man mused.

?Will I ever be blessed on that day, Harry,? she sarcastically replied. Claire opened the pack and started to place individual items onto the table in front of him. ?Do you see anything you like?? Claire asked already knowing his answer.

?Do I ever,? he examined her up and down and smiled.

?I meant out of my merchandise,? she answered with a forced giggle.

?I?ll take all of it...You give an old man reason to live through the winter, the usual price?? He asked without even examining the trinkets and gems.

?Indeed, eighty-thousand zeny,? she requested. Harry smiled and produced the eight coins which each represented ten thousand each. He placed them on the table and gathered the materials he had just been sold. Claire leaned in to kiss his cheek, as he always requested after a trade.

?You?re closer to my type than I thought,? Harry replied as his eyes traveled to Claire?s chest. Claire swallowed her pride and smiled.

?It?s been a pleasure doing business with you.? Claire gathered her coin and empty pack then walked over to the door. ?The nerve of that man,? she grumbled. As she reached for the door a large hand grabbed her upper arm and turned her around.

?I?ll be, I thought you?d gone and died along with the money you owed me.?

?Duke!? Claire squealed. She examined the large man standing before her. His head almost reached the roof and he was dressed in steel armour from head to toe. ?I heard you moved to Morroc!?

?And I er? that you were dead, wer? even? Duke pushed her against the wall and held her there. The entire room for a moment stopped what they were doing and watched. ?Where?s my Zen?s??

?He-here!? Claire?s hands shivered as she produced two ten thousand zeny coins. ?Take it!?

?Dat?s not enough!? Duke bellowed. ?You owe me one hundred thousand? call et a return from da? dead fee!?

?I don?t have that kind of Zeny!? She frantically replied. Duke drew back his fist and pushed her into the wall harder with the hard gripped around her arm.

?You just made a sale, gimmie da Zeny!?

?Okay!? Claire handed him the rest of the coins. Duke took several seconds to count the coins. He paused and restarted twice.

?There are only eight coins here!? He barked. ?Where da rest??

?Give me till the end of the day!? Claire begged.

?Ell? alright,? Duke released her arm and counted the coin again. ?I be lookin? for ya, no funny business!?

?Of course not, I have a twerp to find.?