It was raining still, and was likely to continue. Not a downpour, necessarily, but the drizzle was soggy and annoying. Annie kept the collar of her trenchcoat turned up against the cold and her hat pulled low against the wet as she made her way towards the Kingsway Market. That idea the twins had planted in her brain had overgrown its bounds until she couldn't wait any longer. Taking what bit of coin she had (which wasn't very much at all--two shills and a tallie), she walked quickly to the place Sidzara and Tomeia had mentioned.

She reached the street corner and slowed to a stop, scanning the people carefully. She didn't see anybody looking like a newscryer, but then again she wasn't entirely sure as to whom she was seeking. Annie put her hands in her pockets, and waited.

The Kingsway Market was damp, and not too full. Its busy hours varied, but most people had to work right now. A few women were shopping around, looking for bargains, and the seventen were milling about as usual. All was peaceful. Robin was bored to tears. About one person had asked her what the news was in town. And they'd given her two lousy tallies.

How the hell was she supposed to live on two tallies? Robin scowled and adjusted her goggles.

There was a girl in goggles. She seemed to be just about the only person not an old woman or Seventen. Annie watched her out of the corner of her eye for a few minutes, took a breath and casually made her way to stand beside the girl.

She paused a moment before asking conversationally, "How're ye ears feelin' t'day, missy?"

'ere goes nothin'.

Robin glanced at Annie and stretched.

"Good enough. Ye want some news or wot? It'll cost ye more than two clockin' tallies, that's wot I'm warnin' yez of." She said, sniffing snootily and rubbing her hands together. They were starting to get numb. She really needed a heavier overcoat.

Annie took a moment to consider the girl's statement. "Aye, I'll have a bit o' news, but I'll ask ye a quest'un first. Did ye happen t'read an article the other day, mayhaps'd been passed 'round, or ye'd seen it tacked to a wall somewhere's in town? I'm intersted t'know wot ye think about all o' it."

"Oh that? Yeh well didn't tell me naught that I di'nt know. I s'pect a few authorities are gonna be miffed you're sayin' the 'atcher killer is a human. I were lucky I managed to catch one of 'em. Saw some seventen pullin' em down th'day after and inquirin' after who put 'em up." Robin scratched her nose, and sneezed.

"I don't got all day, lady."

Annie smirked. So I got to 'em a bit. That's makin' life better.

"Lissen, I'll cut t'th'chase. Ye're doin' now wot I been doin' fer years, ye chen? I worked at the Post, sweated blood an' tears fer deadlines an' articles, an' now they've gone an' shut the whole thing down." Annie sidestepped in front of Robin and looked her in the eye. "Reportin's wot I do, an' it's wot I'm good at. I ent never found a story I couldn' get more on, an' I ent never met a lead I couldn' follow to death's door an' back." She pulled the two shills and the tally out of her pocket. "It ent much, but if'n ye'll take me to yer source, I'm willin' t'bet I'd be the one t'find 'nough o' the good stuff that'll buy ye food fer a month."

The reporter cocked her head to the side and eyed the girl. "Wot say ye, then? Deal?"

Robin stared at the girl incredulously. "Source? Whatcher on about? I jest cry th'news, witch. Gets my gossip from different people and read up on th'papers what are still runnin'. An' the post's still runnin', just not where everyone can get t'it. That's wot I'm 'ere for."

(( Whoooaaaaaaaa I forgot!!! Wow, I'm lame. Hur. ))

Annie eyed the other girl for a moment. "Aye, an' ye gotta know where t'get th'papers from, righ'? An' who t'listen to so's t'hear what news needs cryin', aye? That's what I'm after! I been gone from town, livin' outside o' the gates wit' me fami, ent heard a word 'til I comes back an' the place's been boarded an' closed. I need t'know who ye talk to, where ye go, an' more import'nly, where the paper's runnin' now."

Annie held out the coins in her hands. "Ye gonna help er wot, chip?"

"Risk me life for two clockin' shills? How 'bout you raise the amount a mite." Robin said, folding her arms and looking incredibly stubborn.

"'Sall I got! What ye want me t'do, bleed?! Hells, gimme a knife! If'n it's blood ye want, I kin cut m'self fer ye plennyfine!" Annie glared at the girl.

"Alls I'm askin' fer is an angle. A shove in th'right direction. Hells, I'll even take a point an' a name. Anythin', jus' so long as it gets me t'wheres I'm wantin' t'get, ye chen?"

Robin didn't look too impressed but she snatched the coins out of Annie's hands and scratched at them with a little dagger. Once satisfied she put them away into her coat. Annie heard the audible clink of coins as they struck each other.

"Talk ter Tilly. She's usually wanderin' in th'Soot District, near th'Basin. She's old. Got a lotta cats with 'er. She'll try ter swindle ye, and she looks a bit nutty but I get th'papers from 'er, and she's a sharper tack than y'might think."

Annie tilted her head and smiled at the girl. "Ye see? That weren't too hard, now were it? Tilly, ye say? I'll find 'er. Thankee kin'ly fer th'elp an' infermation." Annie touched her hatbrim at Robin as a sign of farewell before walking away. She'd not spent much time in the Soot District before, despite the number of years she'd lived in Vienda. Lookin' fer this infermation is turnin' inter quite an adventure, I gotta say, Annie thought. It's been a while since I done this much walkin' about, an' that's solid truth!

Annie jammed her hands into her pockets, scrunching her coat as tight around her as she could against the cold. "Doubtful this Tilly chip'll be able t'swindle anythin' from me," Annie mumbled to herself as she walked. "I already been swindled outta all the ging I had, ent nothin' left t'get stole."