Maddie as she was known by the other girls, was tasked to pick up food that day. She had been given a little money to buy it and now had a couple of baskets worth of food. One good thing about her was being frugal. If the newer girls didn't like potatoes they could go find fancier work. Speaking of a fancy piece of work.

" 'Ey, Sonia. Didn't think they let you fragile things out in the sun. Figure ye'd wither away like a fancy orchid or somethin. Why you outta yer ivory tower?" She furrowed her brow as she looked at the woman. That place had the most beautiful and least tarnished by the street life. She couldn't understand why someone who had so much potential would end up in the business anyway. Certainly wasn't her top choice if she'd had one.

Sonia looked confused as she normally did. The poor kid'd had a rough go in life thus far, and was hampered somewhat but by no means stupid from the brain injury that had wiped away her memory. It took her several long moments to recognize the older woman and she straightened up, dropping the gaudy bauble she had no intentions on buying for herself but rather, for someone who liked gaudy costume jewelry. Her maid, that was.

"I am not a prisoner there, you know?" she said in her dulcet voice. She was such a sweet girl that it often confused people as to why she ended up in her profession. "Only to the profession," she murmured. "Why do you always have to bring up my gilded cage anyway?"

Maddie rolled her eyes and folded her arms even if it looked almost comical the way the baskets jutted out so. "It in't lit'ral. I was just sayin 'ow yer kind never leave. Eith'r cause yer scared of the real world on your own or yer kept there like porcel'n dolls. " She shook her head wondering if they were all just pretty with nothing inside. 

" 'Ow oft'n do I ment'n it? Yer the one actually call'n it a catch. Besides. You ignored my question. Why you out and about?"

"I know what you meant. I may be slow to catch on, but I am certainly not stupid." In fact, she was pretty smart all things considered. "I came to look for a birthday gift for my maid. She told me it was... weeks ago... I also needed to get fitted for the new gowns I had to order." She sighed as if depressed about the thought... then again, this was someone used to wearing castoffs. Her guardian had worked very hard to have her taught to be a lady and speak properly despite her being an orphan. She had not told her story to the older woman yet, but maybe she should.

"I am not used to all of the fancy things, all these pretty new gowns. Never had a new gown to my name until I..."

"Fer Heaven's sake! " She began to pose with a hip stuck out to the side and her head dramatically leaning back and a arm draped over her for head as she spoke mockingly.

"Oh woe' s me! I'm so pretty 'n I get ta live at the fancy place where boys pay me so much. I don' even know wha' to do with i' all, but look at me shoppin' for a poor common'r at the market instead o' orderin somethin from Fraaahnce..  aren't I so kind ta the normal people?"

She fixed her pose and looked at the girl. "That's what you sound like to me. For everyone listenin' it's at best annoyin' 'n at worse , they wanna rob ya of everythin' he have 'n leave ya cryin 'n the street. Me included."

Sonia's expression darkened, and she said softly, "Nobody will touch me, for one." She gestured her head toward the figure several paces away, her guard. "Secondly, I'm not doing this for the stupid gowns, I am doing this to find out who killed my guardian!" And then her cheeks went red and she turned away. "But you... go ahead and stand on your pedestal just because of your stupid jealousy over trivial things that don't even matter. See if that makes you happy. You sound like a bitter old harpy yelling at me because I happen to spread my damn legs in the fancier part of town. Maybe if you put your mouth to better use than screeching, you would make more money!" And she didn't even feel guilty for being a bitch right back.

Madeline barely glanced at the guard, he didn't look so tough. She looked back at the girl and laughed. "'ow is this 'elpin you with tha? And what will ya do if you fin' em? Hm? Lots of fold lose their par'nts 'n nev'r even get a guardi'n. If ye were really smart ye'd be spending yer money to 'ire help instead of spendin' it on gowns! And don't worry about me. I 'aven't ev'n raised my voice. Yer just not used ta insults. I do just fine with wha' God's giv'n me. Yer the one wastin yerself. Per'aps if'n ye knew real struggle ye'd be more humble too. But I doubt it." She shook her head.

"First off, you're the one who wants explanations like you think I owe you, so I am going to give them to you... You don't know anything. Period. You are far from humble, you're a bitter old shrew and your wrinkles are dragging your face down. Secondly, the gowns are required to work at a fancier establishment and it has to come out of my money. I also... you know... pay rent for my room... and, goodness, responsibilities. I am a courtesan, I wear ballgowns of the highest taste and dance with rich men and don't always have to fuck them. But it's still work. I work for all I have." Her guard came closer upon hearing the girl grumbling, and it turned out that he was well over six feet and armed to the teeth.

She continued, "You, on the other hand," she slipped into Italian, "Stronza, are old and washed up. I'm not taking away anything from you, you are simply too worried about what I am wearing and doing for you to pay attention to your own needs. I know just the thing for you. I could simply nudge your bony ass over so your face hits the horse shit pile over there... I hear manure is rich in nutrients, it might perk up an old piece of grass like you." She gave a hair flip.

"Lastly, I never knew my parents. My guardian was a man who saved me from death when I was a child. He thought my own mother is the one who tried to kill me, left me for dead. I grew up on cast offs and sleeping on the floor. After he died, I would have starved to death had it not been for the servants at the Diamond Pony. You know nothing of what I went through and what I am still going through, and you don't care. So stop asking unless you actually do care."

Madeline looked up after she finished talking and nudged her ear with her finger as if cleaning it. "Sorry I wasn't listen'n. It just sound'd like more whinin about 'ow you 'ave it so 'ard, poor lil bird. No one und'rstands ya. You work so 'ard, I feel bad for yer servants who 'ave ta listen to this prob'bly regul'rly. "

She then grinned at her. "But 'ey, say what ye like. Give it like.. " She turned her head side to side. "Three years? Ye'll be too old for the men. Maybe they'll keep you on as a cook? Well ya don' look like you 'ave a single useful skill.. maybe ye'll be kicked out and 'ave ta go to a regular place. Not mine o' course, girls would eat ya alive. But anythin's better than the street, not that you'd know."

She finally had enough and simply hauled her arm back, but stopped herself from landing a blow. "I didn't approach you. You approached me. For someone who acts like they don't give a shit, you certainly have your nose buried where it doesn't belong, and you certainly have opinions. I never did anything to you." And then she started to walk away. She was shaking with rage and her head was starting to hurt very badly where she had been hit when she was a child. The girl would have shouldered passed the mean older woman, but her vision blurred and blood dribbled from a nostril. She stood there looking blank for a long time, and then shook her head. She wiped the blood from her face when she felt the moisture, her guard was trying to help her and she looked around in bewilderment.

Any argument that was just had was completely forgotten about... Literally wiped from her mind. "What was...? Oh... A locket for..."