A New Job ( Mult. "Chapters")

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

Away Serori flew from her old home, a place currently of devastation. Over many islands she soared, past dinosaurs that roared at her, and monkeys that screamed. Everything was so pretty, and Serori felt at peace for the first time in her life. She felt that everything had changed now, everything was going to be different.

'And what about Komatsuna?' This thought was the most prevalent in her mind. Komatsuna had come to Earth after the last time Serori had seen him, and she actually hoped he was doing well. After all, she never hated him, and didn't actually dislike the man. She just didn't want to grow too attached to anything, lest it should turn out for the worst.

Serori was enjoying the beautiful million shades of green and hues of brown, the ocean's different blues, waving at her from below. She was quite enjoying herself, and was slightly disappointed at how quickly Metropolis Island appeared. It felt like only seconds ago she had left Wonder Island, and now the scenery was gone.

Touching down in the middle of an empty street, the long brown haired Saiyan girl did not attract any attention. To further the effect of this, Serori wrapped her tail around her waist, and hid it under her shirt in such a way that the bulge just looked like the way the shirt fell. This wasn't the ideal place to search for dragonballs for her Lord Suki, hallowed be his name. But it was a start, and she might be able to make some Zeni while in the area. But first, she would need to get a job.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Serori walked out of the tailor store, heavily satisfied. The interview had been simple enough, and she had been hired on the spot. In a city filled with science, people were all too worried about getting a smart job, something to work hands-on with, to advance engineering and other careers of that type of field. Nobody wanted to work in a tailor store here. But, Serori saw the job opportunity and took it before some waiting civilian pounced on it. And now it was time to search for that dragon ball. Maybe if she found one, Suki would hold her in higher regards, maybe start to notice her...Oh, how fanciful would that be! Serori's smile was large, and she walked shyly forward, into the world of unknown.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

Serori had found what looked like a "quaint" little pub, although any reputable bar being described by the word "quaint" was probably not the kind of bar most people would go into. Serori was, however, not most people, and decided to go in. It was called "The Dragon's Balls." Serori took note of this, and only went inside because it was as good a place as any to trawl for rumors.

Walking up to the bar, she asked the tender for a beer.

"New here, are ya?" The bartender had what could only be described as a British-Irish Shepherd's accent. Serori gave him a queer look, and he laughed. "We-hell, you see, most people here don't be drinkin' no beer, me lass, oh-ho no." Here he winked to the other patrons, who Serori would later be known to describe as "Scallywags". "No, what you want here, miss, is a little something we like to call scumble." He pulled out a stone thimble, and began to pour drops in of something that didn't froth, and smelled very rank. He then took a tiny pewter spoon, filled it with sugar, and, making sure to keep eye contact with Serori, put the spoon in, and stirred.

It came out as a shriveled mess. "What's in it?" Serori looked at the stone thimble shrewdly. Anything strong enough to deteriorate a pewter spoon was definitely cause enough to push away. The bartender just laughed again, and once more turned to his patrons.

"What's in Scumble, boys?" There was a chorus of 'APPLES!!' and they all raised there own pints and took a drink. The bartender chuckled to himself. "Well, mostly apples, anyway. Go on ahead, and take a drink! After all, its harmless, and ye only have yerself a thimble-full. Hardly a swallow, and hardly a cause for alarm." He filled himself a stone-made mug of the stuff, and drank it all in less than five seconds. Sighing he wiped his mouth with his shirt sleeve, and motioned for Serori to do the same with her thimble.

The man had made a good point. It was only a thimble-full, and the other patrons were drinking it by pints, and it seemed to be doing no harm to the others. But she thought too soon, for one of the patrons had actually fallen out of his seat, passed out. 'Well, most of the others. And what harm can it do me, its hardly a mouthful.' She picked it up, and immediately had the entire bar's attention. Lifting it to her mouth, she made sure not to breath in before dumping it on her tongue, and swallowing. There was a collective intake of breaths, and she set down the thimble with a tiny 'clink'.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

The clink was the only sound made for several minutes. The patrons were watching, almost expecting something to happen, and it was affecting Serori. She was almost expecting something to happen, and when it didn't, she turned back to the bartender.

"It wasn't that bad...I think I might like some more."

His jaw dropped. "you, you want m-more?" Serori nodded, and the bartender filled a new, clean-ish looking stone mug with scumble, looking like he wasn't even thinking about it. Placing it in front of Serori, he and his patrons alike were all gaping at the Saiyan woman, who chugged it down. When she set the mug down, once more nothing happened, and there were whispers among the crowd, then cheering. Serori wasn't quite sure what she had accomplished, but she felt strangely proud. After all, never before had she been cheered at this loud, or just ever, for that matter.

"One more, all around, on the house!" The bartender shouted, to even more cheering. Once drinks had been passed around, he turned again to Serori. "You, ma'am, are a fine woman, a fine woman indeed. A man would be proud to have you as a wife." Serori wasn't sure how to respond, and smiled instead. "So, anything else I can do for ya? Bed, breakfast in the morning, anything?"

"Actually, there was a reason I came in here. I was wondering about the dragon balls. I'd like to learn more about them."

The bartender looked anxiously around the bar, in case anybody had heard Serori, and whispered "Did you ask about, the dragon balls?"

"Yes, the dragon b-"

The short stubby man shhed her, and beckoned she come into the room behind the bar. She did so, and he closed the door behind her. "Aye, I can tell you about the dragon balls. But not in front of them. You see, they're technological folk, and don't believe in that type of thing. They say its scientifically impossible, a dragon living in seven balls located around the world. And to grant a wish? They'd say its rubbish. But I believe." He winked conspiratorially at Serori before continuing. "Aye. I've grown up with all the tales, passed down in my family, about how the dragon balls use to be used all the time for a group of people about the 'Z Warriors,' who saved the Earth many a time, back in the day. But now, nothing has been seen nor heard of them. Least ways, not in these parts." He finished quickly.

"Well, my Lord Su...my employer, he's looking for them. Its really important he finds them, before somebody else does. I was wondering if you had any leads."

The bartender looked at the door, as if checking to see if anybody was eavesdropping, before dropping to an even softer whisper. "Meet me in the alleyway at midnight tonight, and there I can tell you everything I know." He looked up at Serori, to find a slightly glowing-blue hand pointed at his heart.

"Or, you can tell me now." He gulped, trying to press as far away back as he could, but the room was not at all big. All he managed to do was make his fat spread across the wall.

"I heard, I only heard, madam, that, that there was one in the forest, somebody had tried to pick it up, but got distracted, then couldn't find it again, honest, ma'am, I speaks only the truth!"

Serori let the energy leave her hand, without firing the attack. "Thank you. Now, I believe I owe you money for the drinks..." The bartender hurriedly shook his head.

"No, ma'am, its on the house, you don't owe me nuffin', if you'd just leave my bar, ma'am, I'm an honest man, and I don't mean nobody no harm."

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

The clothing store owner was a widowed old woman whom had been more than happy to offer Serori one of the spare rooms she had above the store as a place to stay. Serori was much more than happy to retire there after the day was done. She collapsed onto the bed with a content sigh. How long had it been since the WTO had arrived at Earth? A week? Serori had only slept in a bed two days of this week. the old mattress felt like a cloud of heaven.

When she awoke the next morning, she heard the usual activity going on downstairs that came with the early suit shoppers. She stretched, turned to the mirror, brushed out the knots and tangles, walked down the stairs to the main shop room.

Everything was not how it was supposed to be. instead of the bustle of activity from customers like she had expected, instead she found the owner of the store tied to a chair, bound and gagged, and a group of what appeared to be men wearing all black and ski masks. When Serori stepped into the room, one of the men pointed his gun at her.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

"Don't move, or I'll shoot!"

'How cliche,' Serori thought, taking a step forward. The man pulled the trigger, unshaken. He had obvously killed before.

Serori caught the bullet right in front of her face.

"No! Bad human!" She flicked the bullet towards him, and it slammed into his chest, knocking the man down.

The other men started open firing on her, which she countered with her machine gun ki blast. Shooting down the flying bullets, she then turned the renzoku energy dan on the men, making sure not to kill them. Serori walked over to the shop owner and untied her.

"Thak you so much young ma'am. I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come down stairs."

Serori checked the pockets and bags of the felled men. "Its no problem, madam. You hired me and the least I can do is help when and where I can." Serori dumped the findings of her looting on the shop counter. "I believe all this belongs to you." The woman pushed her spectacles up the bridge of her nose.

"Let's see..." Sorting through the pile, she seperated it into two different groups. "Now this is mine," she pointed to the left, "and this is not. You can have that." Serori pocketed the money and took everything else up to her room. When she walked down again, she asked the woman her name.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

"Miranda. And you are...Serori, right?" Serori nodded. "Well, Serori, for helping me and my shop, here your next three weeks pay in advance." Serori accepted the zeni with a friendly smile.

"Ms. Miranda, may I ask you something else?"

"Shoot."

"Do you recieve any clothes shipments from Vegeta?"

Miranda put her hand up to her wrinkled face. "Well, Vegetean clothes havent been in style for a few years...but I think I have some in the closet up stairs left over. Some clothes, armor, just random junk. Feel free to take anything you want, I dont mind."

"No, madam, I couldn't. I will pay for what i take."

(Finished zeni please)

[Jorlaxl]

900 Zeni awarded, according to me.

[Serori Yakedo-Satsumaimo]

could an Admin please check Jor's grading?

[Gray Callahan]

I would have awarded slightly higher, but not by much. 1300 or so. Split the difference and we get 1100. so that'll be rewarded.