Lost in thought, I didn’t notice someone approaching from behind.

“Hello, is this your first time in town?”

I jumped and looked behind me. The person was a Girl, probably in her early 20’s. She was an eastern elf with soft Pink skin and wavy hair the color of blood dark red. Her glossy eyes almost looked red but had a pinkish hue, and she had brown horns that resembled those of a deer. 

“Wow with that cloak, you could be my mother, and I wouldn’t recognize you. Your face is practically invisible!”

I remember her pausing after this statement and considering her words. This is likely because she couldn’t remember what her mother looked like.

Then she added with a suspicious tone, “What are you hiding?” The girl started squinting, trying to see past the impenetrable shadow that hid my face. Startled by someone approaching me, I replied bluntly,

“My identity.”

The girl folded her arms and frowned at me, annoyed. “But that was obvious.”

“Did you really expect me to tell you much?” I said with a shrug. 

“I suppose not.” She sighed, brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face, then looked over at the bounty board.

”You wouldn’t happen to be one of the people over on that board, would you?” She glanced at me teasingly.

“Oh, you got me. It is I, the dreaded Captain Fang,” I said, feigning surprise sarcastically. “Please just take me away and end my miserable existence,” I added with dramatic flair.

The girl laughed. “No, I don't think so. No offense, but you aren’t nearly tall enough.” 

“What?! But I’m-” Then I remembered the enchanted cloak. “I’m not that short…” I said, sounding a little more grumpy than I had intended.

The girl laughed at the tone in my voice. “You’re funny.” She added, “I doubt you’re tall enough to be any of these people, actually.” I almost felt offended by how disappointed she sounded.

“Well, not all of them,” I said. “This guy here is pretty vertically challenged.” I tapped on a poster of a man whose face resembled a crab. The name under his picture said: “Captain Claw.” It almost sounded like a rip-off of my captain, Fang. She looked back at me suspiciously. “Before you ask, no, I am not that Claw guy. Although, I believe he comes to this town around this time of year often.” 

“Well, how can I know for sure? Show me your face.” She demanded.

“No,” I replied, stolidly.

“Please?”

“Why are you interested in bounties anyway?” I continued, changing the subject. Now it was the girl’s turn to look uncomfortable.

”I’m a bounty hunter… Sort of…” 

”Oh? What do you mean, ‘sort of?’”

”It would have been much easier to explain if you had said, ‘Girls like you shouldn’t be involved in that kind of work.’ Like everyone else I’ve ever met…” She looked at the ground, not with sadness, but regret. “They aren’t wrong though. The only reason I’m still doing it is because it’s the whole reason I came here...”

”What's your name?” I asked. Startled, she looked up.

“Uhh, why do you ask..?”

“I just thought I should know your name if you were going to go into your backstory or something.” I’m not sure why I had started to care about this random girl. Maybe it was because she started talking to me without any need or reason, other than wanting to talk to me. People always wanted something from me.

“Oh no, I wasn’t planning to bore you with that. It’s Sabrina. What’s yours?” 

I thought for a moment, then decided I would use my real name. “Chester,” I said.

”That's a nice name. Well, Chester, tell me if you see anyone on the board. I ought to be going now.”

I said almost automatically, “Oh, right. I will.” I watched her walk away and disappear into the crowd.