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    Village Ellen

     

    Topping off the oil in the lamps was just one of her tasks… and Ellen was getting much better at these little chores. It was still only late afternoon, some time before nightfall, and she was already done with the basic chores around the tavern.

    “You’re getting really good at that,” Tobias said from behind her, where he was placing some chairs down. “Not just the oil thing, but taking care of the place. Are you sure you’re an adventurer?”

    Ellen turned and smiled at the innkeeper, giving him a polite, playful curtsy. “Well, as you’ve noticed, my sister is the one who really gets into it. If I can stay here and support her, that’s fine with me. I like it here.”

    She now knew more about the warm welcome… and why there was a dress roughly her size. The aging couple had no children now, but they did at one time. Even if it was just for a little while, the pair enjoyed having someone younger around to remind them of better days. The days before the Wasting had taken their original daughter.

    In a painfully ironic twist, Ellen had learned that their daughter’s name had been Ellen as well. Now the adoption of the Bea and Trisha aliases was even more awkward.

    She’d really have to make it up to them somehow. Some day.

    “Have you considered a Class change into something more domestic?”

    The question from Tobias jolted through Ellen, and she gave him a strained smile. “Well… I have considered it, yes.”

    She couldn’t help but mentally bring up her Status when she thought about that.

     

    ATTRIBUTES
    Strength: 8
    Agility: 8
    Endurance: 8
    Willpower: 8
    Affinity: 8
    Perception: 9

    SKILL ENHANCERS

    STAMINA: 80/80

    MANA: 80/80

    CLASS: Tender 6

    EXPERIENCE: 5430/8000 (4,380 Banked)

    PERKS
    Presentable

    ABILITIES

     

     

    She wasn’t advancing as fast as some of the other Ellens, but even with most of her time there in the inn it had still let her surge right past the first five levels and into choosing a Class. She was definitely headed right for some kind of domestic line… and she wasn’t sure she disliked that idea.

    There was something comfortable and warm about just being a person with no expectations. No great family to live up to… or avoid living up to.

    “You’ve got that look on your face again,” Tobias noted. “Getting homesick?”

    Ellen shook her head quickly, giving a more genuinely warm smile to the innkeeper. “Oh, no sir. Actually I was thinking of home, and how funny it is. My parents probably wanted me to do something just like this, and I fought them every step of the way. I think it’s more comforting now that it’s my choice, you know?”

    Immediately, Ellen regretted saying that. A brief expression of pain passed over the older man’s face, but his smile returned an instant later. He nodded to her and leaned on the table.

    “We all want what we think is best for our kids, but it’s hard for some to realize that they aren’t just smaller versions of us. Glad you’re finding your own way.”

    Relieved that she hadn’t upset the man, Ellen gave him a light smile back. “Yeah, maybe I just needed a chance to figure it out for myself.” She shuffled over to the back to empty the excess oil back into the oil jar. “I think my sister has other ideas though.”

    Tobias laughed. “Yes, even twins can’t be exactly alike, can they?”

    Ellen bit her lip, but didn’t argue with that. “Right.”

    She was rescued from the slightly uncomfortable moment by the sound of voices outside, and the thumping of travelers cleaning their boots on the boot scraper. The inn had an awning to keep the area just outside reasonably dry, and the cleanup would often give a pretty good warning of incoming guests. It was only drizzling outside, but that would still lead to some cold, wet travelers wanting some warmth and company.


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    Lauren, who had walked in while Ellen was chatting with Tobias, shooed her off toward the front. “Go greet the guests, dear. You have a knack for it.”

    Flashing a quick smile to the kind woman, Ellen hurried forward to greet the incoming guests. She was really getting a lot of use out of her Presentable Perk. She hadn’t been sure about taking it, at first, but it was doing a lot of work. Even the subtle effects it had—resisting dirt, smoothing wrinkles in clothing, keeping her complexion clear—generally gave her better tips than she’d earned before picking it.

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