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Enter the Badlands (messeduprp x Skeith Takahata II)

Rosaline sat down on the edge of the bed and squeezed Sybil's hand. "I'll take you back to Jasper's in the morning and talk to him about what happened, we'll have you back home and taking clients as usual by tomorrow evening. After that, I'm going to look into what the hell happened tonight, I want you to be careful... Tomorrow I'm going to show you how to shoot."
 
Sybil looked down at where their hands met, smiling softly. She couldn't help but feel like it was possible Rosaline wanted more out of this friendship. With Sybil's employment as it was, could she ever truly enjoy a proper romance? She looked back up at her as she spoke nodding quickly. "Alright. I'll learn. I only have the one small gun though." She squeezed Rosaline's hand in return. "I want you to be careful, you hear me? Those things are dangerous."
 
Rosaline nodded and kayed down with Sybil in the bed, pulling her close. "I will be Sybil... I will be, and don't you worry. By tomorrow night you'll be back in Jasper's bar taking your clients as usual and you won't have to worry about nothing." She smiled softly at her and blew out the lantern. She may have said that there was nothing to be afraid of, but she still had a chair propped under the door handle and one hand gripping her revolver as she slept.
 
Sybil didn't sleep well at all. Between the pain of her new injuries and the nightmares brought on by the strange attack, she found herself waking often. After verifying the chair was holding the door shut and Rosaline was still beside her, she would try to lay back down. When morning came, she was haggard and sore. She slowly sat up with a groan, holding her head to try to suppress a headache. "R-Rosaline?" She asked aloud before looking beside her. Her lips spread in a small smile as she saw her sleeping beside her.
 
The moment Rosaline heard her name she sat up in bed and aimed her gun at the door. Relaxing when she saw Sybil. "Sorry Sybil, I was having nightmares all night long." What she failed to mention was how the nightmares weren't about the creature or the attack. "Sybil, are you sure you want to work tonight? I'm sure Jasper would be willing to give you that night off. He cares more about your safety than he does some debt.
 
Sybil winced a little as she tried to stand. Her hand rubbed her leg gingerly. "I feel better than yesterday." She looked back to Rosaline, smiling faintly, despite her soreness and headache. "I know he cares about me and my safety, but I can't hide forever. And a girl needs to eat." She slowly started redressing. Once clothed she sat back down, starting to remove the bandage from her hand to exchange for a fresh one. "Besides, after you teach me how to shoot, what do I have to fear?" She asked, glancing back at Rosaline with a faint smirk.
 
Rosaline smiled and took her leg. Removing the bandage and beginning to dress the wound. Another gentle cleaning before applying new salve and bandage to it. "It's healing very well Sybil... I think you should be back to normal Inna few days time." She helped her friend to stand and led her out. Breaking into the sunlight reinvigorated Rosaline. Her smile widening as she led Sybil out. "Lovely day isn't it Sybil?"
 
Sybil followed her new friend out into the morning sun. She raised her hand to shield her eyes from the brightness for a moment before returning Rosaline's smile. "Quite lovely." She gave a small nod. Despite the small limp in her step she had donned her usual persona for the public eye. As being flirtatious and promiscuous. "Though perhaps not quite so lovely as the nights." Her eyes moved to where the altercation had occurred the night before. Noticing the creature's body was nowhere to be found. She looked up from the ground towards the hills. She swallowed nervously before turning back to Rosaline, linking arms with her. "How would you like to spend so lovely a morning?"
 
Rosaline smiled at Sybil, glancing back to the spot and tensing as her mind replayed the image of that creature again, all she had seen. She relaxed and smiled at Sybil. "I'm a bit curious about those hills. Tell me a bit more about that legend that they're haunted while we walk." She led Sybil away. Walking away from the hills.

Something was happening and Rosaline couldn't let Sybil get hurt. She may not have in own her long but Rosaline was tired of hurting others.
 
Sybil's smile fell some as she mentioned the hills and the legend of their haunting. "I... I don't know it in great detail. I never had a proper schoolin'. Some people talk about the founding of the town and the native tribes that were driven out. Others talk about mines just beyond them, and the workers caught when a lamp fell and caught fire. The mines are still burning to this day. Most think it superstition that bandits simply take advantage of. I'm not normally one for superstition, but after the last couple nights..." She shuddered some. "It's hard to dismiss them."
 
Rosaline nodded softly, "well... Is there anything else nice outside of town? Maybe a pond or a creek. Somewhere pretty to see. A sight if you will." She was trying her best to distract Sybil from what she had seen but it was getting hard. Her mind was shaken awake at the sound of someone nailing boards.

Across the street, a man was nailing in bars over his windows, looking around suspiciously as he did. "What's gotten into him."
 
Sybil turned quickly to the sound of the hammering. She watched him curiously, especially how he glanced around. "Is it possible he heard the gunshots last night?" She began walking over curiously. "Hello there." She greeted in a friendly tone, waving politely. "Is something the matter? Bandits haven't ridden through in some time, why bar your windows?"
 
He shook his head, looking back down at her. "You wouldn't believe me... Nobody does... Some weird thing, creature that I've never seen was roaming around last night and it tried to attack me. I fended it off until it ran away, but I'm not taking any chances." He returned to his hammering, moving down his ladder to add a lower nail.
 
Sybil extended her hand to rest on the man's shoulder. "I believe you." She looked back to Rosaline. "One attacked us last night." She reached for Rosaline's hand, thankful at least that others had seen it. "Stay safe sir." She pleaded as she looked up at him. She walked away, looking up at Rosaline with pleading eyes. "What are we supposed to do? I'm scared." She pressed her head against Rosaline's chest.
 
The man seemed shocked at the revelation that other people had seen the creatures as well. Slowly he returned to his work, Rosaline held Sybil close. "We'll figure this out Sybil... I swear we will." She looked up and saw someone. "What the hell is he up to." Standing on the corner was the preacher she had met yesterday, staring at the man as he nailed up his bars.
 
Sybil was clutching tightly to Rosaline, unsure of what she was saying until she caught sight of the preacher. "You don't think he knows something, do you? I mean... I've never been a god-fearing woman but those creatures sure do resemble some kind of demon or something don't they?" She asked, looking up at Rosaline. "Sh-should we visit the church?"
 
Rosaline shook her head. "No... I Think I might be paying the friendly pastor a visit some time soon however... How about you show me around the area around town... Excluding the hills that is." She smiled softly at Sybil, she didn't want her friend getting in the middle of something that might get her killed. But she had basically been dropped into it from the start.
 
Sybil gave a small nod. "There isn't much to see, but I'll show you." She took her hand, her own still shaking some from uncertainty and fear as they walked towards the edge of town. "The graveyard is technically beyond the city limits, but it's owned by the church. We have some farmland to the north where we get most of our produce. The trading post has a few outposts where hunters away from town can stop to camp or resupply in all directions, save the hills. Those outposts were abandoned a long time ago." She continued walking, towards the edge of town, pausing near the perimeter. The old wagon trails are occasionally hit by bandits, so it's best to avoid them at night." She turned to face Rosaline, smiling softly. "Other than that, there's a few native tribes to the east that make for good trade as well. They've given me some lovely jewelry when they come through in exchange for my company."
 
Rosaline nodded, "that reminds me. How much to spend the whole night with you?" She took Rosaline by the hand and squeezed it. "I'm worried about you Sybil. After that man cut you, jist tell me how much you normally make in a night and I'll pay you that and a half."
 
Sybil turned to face Rosaline when she took her hand. "I already said I wouldn't charge you, silly." She stared at her in wide eyed surprise as she spoke. "Rosaline, what are you saying? You only just moved here. You can hardly afford to support yourself, much less both of us. Moreover, I wouldn't feel right by it." She looked down at her other hand, still wrapped in bandages. "Occasionally clients get rough, sometimes I get hurt. But those are the risks. That's just how my life is. Don't got the schoolin' or the skills for much else."
 
"Sybil don't worry about me. I've been handling myself for over twenty years. The money isn't a problem... I don't want you to be hurt like that, and I'm paying whether you like it or not. We've known each other for only a few days but I care about you Sybil and I don't want any thing to happen to you."
 
Sybil smiled a little, at Rosaline's interest in protecting her. "Rosaline. A girl has to make her own way. I really can't just live off of your coin. Whether its monsters or rowdy clients, you can't just lock me up to keep me safe." Rosaline's behavior was increasingly bizarre and it was hard for her to pin quite why she was so interested in her safety. "$20 usually pays for a couple hours." Twenty dollars, of course, being worth much more in this economy than it would be one day. "Flesh is a high paying trade when demand is high." She looked at her feet, almost resigned after Rosaline's insistence.
 
Rosaline sighed and took both of Sybil's hands in her own. "I'm sorry for getting like this Sybil... Just... You're my friend And well... Something happened before. Somethg that made me give up that old life. I don't want it to happen to you too."

She Hugged Sybil. "I'll try and stop doing that, but you need to promise me you'll be careful with the clients alright?"
 
Sybil looked down to where her hands her resting in Rosaline's own. She looked up at her as she spoke. Her smile fell away as her gaze grew sorrowful. "Rosaline..." She returned the hug, resting her head against her chest for a moment. "I'll be careful. You have my word." She pulled away from the hug, smiling up at her softly.
 
Rosaline gave her a weary smile, turning away and walking with Sybil back towards the heart of town. "So um... What are your hourly rates again? I'm.seriously contemplating buying some of your time." She chuckled awkwardly and looked back towars the edge of town. "I'd like to see what's out here one of these days."
 
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