Coping. (Post Prophecy)

"Yes, taking on a normal human life can be quite bugging at times," Bart answered, "You can't get a job yet, that much is true. Hmm.. How much did the Guild give you?" Bart asked, hoping for a positive answer.

"I usually got half of what the Guild was paid to take out that person. The usual amount was in the fifty thousands, usually more if they requested that I took on the job." Shadow said, looking down at the table.

Fifty thousands?!
"Fifty freakin' thousands?!?" Bart stood up straight, his eyes seemingly getting smaller. He gaped. Fifty thousands...
"That'll make you able to pay for electricity and water for quite a long time." Bart thought a moment. He was alone too. His replica had taken his place. For quite a long time, too. Months. And he could redo one. I wonder...
"If you want, I could participate too, but I only have small amount of money."

"As long as you don't mind living with Wraith, you're welcome to stay." Shadow said, looking up at Bart. "I think I might start taking on a few missions, making sure they bend to my rules this time, not the other way round."

"I don't mind," Bart answered, smiling, "I've always wanted, a..." Bart looked down at Wraith. The canine had a human sense, he knew it. He tried thinking of using another word. "An animal with a sense of human." Bart pulled his lip to one side, eyes mid-closed. (l:L)

"Well, at least I didn't have to house train her," Shadow said, giving a half smile and reaching down to scratch the wolf behind her ears.

Bart laughed silently. He then smiled. "Well," Bart said, looking down at Shadow, still smiling, "Care to show me that residence of yours, if I may ask?" Bart's foot began tapping the ground silently.

Shadow nodded, standing up. She left a couple of euros on the table, and whistled softly to Wraith. The wolf immediately jumped up, ears pricked, although she looked very annoyed when Shadow clipped a lead onto the collar half hidden by the black fur.
"It's about five minutes walk from here. I had it before, not long after Archangel and Onyx were born, so there's still a lot of clearing out to be done."

"Okay, I'll help you with that," Bart answered, starting to let go of the table, and walking away. He kept at the same pace as Shadow. As Shadow seemed younger now, people might just think they were brother and sister or something. At least, Bart hoped.

Shadow walked alongside Bart, Wraith trotting beside her. She took a bunch of keys out of the pocket of her cut-off jeans, opening the first door. She let Wraith off the lead, watching the wolf bound up the stairs before following at a slower pace. On the third floor, she let herself into one of the flats.
The hallway had one wall lined with boxes, one still open with a half chewed teddy bear hanging out of it.
"Excuse the mess," Shadow said apologetically, heading though an archway to the right, into the living room.

Bart gulped. he hadn't seen a room in such disorder since his last visit to his room. He looked around, finding diverse objects and various things, each one with a different use. He blinked multiple times.
"Excuses accepted," he finally said, after going into the living room, "At least you have rooms tidied up like if you really were fifteen years old," Bart said, with a laugh.

"I'm just trying to move all of Archangel and Onyx's old stuff out of here," Shadow explained, gesturing around the rather tidy living room (because she'd already been through that room and finally got rid of the slippers that Onyx had chewed before she got the hang of her wolf form).

Bart smiled. He wandered over the objects, up to Shadow, looking up at her.
"What kind of rooms are there here? Like, if I don't seem to rude, could you please tell me where would I sleep?"
Not that I do much...

"Yeah, hang on," Shadow said, walking back into the hallway, opening a door a few metres down. She flicked on the light as the shutters were still closed, showing a room with a desk and bunk beds.
"This was the twins' old room," She explained. "I don't think you'd want to sleep in a basket..."

"And your thoughts are correct," Bart answered, going into the room. He turned off the light, and opened the shutters. "No need to waste electricity, thus money, right now, do we?" he asked, looking back at Shadow. He smiled slightly. "I'll like this place," he said, with a big smile on his face. He looked around the room, looked in croners. He nodded to Shadow.

Shadow nodded slightly.
"And just so you know, I nearly never use the lights. I use magic, but I've got the restrictors." She said. "Ok, I'm going to move those boxes out of here. Get a bit more space." Shadow nodded once and left, taking the restrictors off her arms as she did.

"Alright," Bart answered simply, standing up. He looked around the room once more. He cracked his knuckles. Okay, time to get to work.
Bart shuffled through the diverse items that presented themselves to him. He stacked them up in groups, at the side of the room, leaving the big objects such as the bunkbed in the ordinary place.

Shadow, summoning an orb of magic to give off light, opened a portal, starting to shift the boxes in the hallway through it with her magic. The strain was edivent on her face after a few moments, with her eyes narrowed and hands trembling.

Bart went out of the twins' room, noticing Shadow. He noticed that she was trying hard to use her magic, as her hands were trembling. He calmly put one hand on Shadow's shoulder. He looked at her in the eyes. "Looks like we'll have to act as true humans for a while." he said, not taking his stare off Shadow.

Shadow released the magic, dropping to one knee to get her breath back.
"I just need to work on my endurance again. It shouldn't be this hard..."

"Seems like it is. Don't strain yourself," Bart said, as the few floating boxes fell to the ground with a louder or slighter thump, depending on the size of the object. Bart stretched out one hand, to help Shadow up.

Wraith, who had been sitting in a cornerlicked Shadow's hand gently as she took Bart's hand, standing up. She took a couple of deep breaths before concentrating herself, summoning the portal once more, and starting to shift the heavier boxes through.

Bart noticing Shadow still using her magic, got dlightly worried.
"Shadow.." he said, but then stopped in mid-sentence. No, it's her choice. I shall not try to stop her, especially since she got me a place to sleep. She does what she wants.
But, then again...

Shadow finished off the task, releasing the magic again and doubled over, leaning her hands on her knees while she panted, trying to get her breath back.
"That's that done..." She said a few moment's later.

Bart helped Shadow up.
"Yes, but I guess we could've used the action that took more time but took less suffering, no?" he said, putting his hands on his waist after letting Shadow up.