The following morning, Lily had brought an entire shopping cart of dirty laundry in hampers down a few streets away to a more spaced out part of town. Shopping carts were just something everyone had or could just find and use for whatever. It wasn't like they had chains or locking mechanisms on them and they were in almost indefinite supply, with more being made and old ones getting fixed every day it seemed.

"Shopping carts, one of mankind's greatest inventions!" Lily still had an ache in her heart about what happened last night, but every day brings a renewed feeling of bubbly optimism for her.

She brings the laundry to an empty lot with a mobile laundromat on a truck. A service to those less fortunate that offers free washer and dryer use. The line for it is long and full of dirty looking people, but so long as it was free, few complaints came their way.

"Lily! Little Miss Sunshine, hello!" said the clerk at a nearby table. "Doing your laundry with us again?"

"If that's okay, of course!"

“Well, you have helped us out a lot this past year. It's the least we can do, but for formality's sake, can you give me your membership card?"

By the time her laundry was done, the sun was already setting. A lot of others had their laundry done before her, and there were plenty more to go. Lily thought to herself, "Maybe there's time to hit up the Molly-Wood and see if there's work." And just as she finished her thought she spots a familiar face sitting nearby smoking a cigarette. They lock eyes for a moment and the man shoots up to his feet. Lily slowly and with fear approaches the man.

"You're not going to rob me now, are you?"

The man sits back down and scoffs. "Of course not. Too many witnesses. Are you going to turn me in?"

Lily gave it some thought, "I'm not sure I could even if I wanted to. I don't have proof."

"Then just get lost, I have my own crap to worry about."

"Is your laundry done? I can get you a good hot meal if you meet me at the Molly-Wood in about an hour."

The man gives her a look of confusion, "You'd offer a hot meal to a man who tried to rob you and could have shot you?"

All Lily could do was beam a bright smile for the man.

"You are a piece of work, little girl. If it's free food, I'll see you there."

Lily went home, put away her laundry, gave a kiss goodnight to her sister, and dashed back into the streets. It was exactly one hour by the time she reached The Molly-Wood Theater. She saw the robber squatting next to the door. 

"No need to squat here sir! You're going to be dining fancy tonight!”

“Why are you helping someone who pointed a gun at you?”

“Well… you just seemed sad to me, not to mention hungry.”

“Whatever, just get me some grub.”

They entered the velvet colored, fully air conditioned theater together, which came with a view of the kitchen and bar to the right, dining tables in the middle, and in front of the stage was theater-like seating and more seating up above in the walls as balcony seats.

Lily approached her boss at the bar, "Hey! Marty! Let's have one of your specials! On the house!"

"Sunshine, you know well that we don't do 'on the house' anymore. You wanna eat, you need to pay for it.”

"It's not for me. It's for-"

"I don't care who it's for, either pay up or get out."

Lily pouted, "When did you get so grumpy?"

"When did you get so freeloader-y."

"Humph, fine, do you have any work for me?"

"Is this your friend here? I'll let them scrub pots and pans if he wants to eat. As for you, help Shelly get ready for tonight's show.

“I thought you said this was a free meal?" 

"I'm sorry, I tried…"

"Then I'm out of here."

"Marty, did you know that this guy tried to rob me and-"

"Okay! Okay! Okay! I'll do it!"

The night proceeded swimmingly that night, Lily's new friend begrudgingly washed dishes in the kitchen, and Lily helped the performers for the night with their dressing, makeup, and prep exercises. The Molly-Wood was one of the top places in the whole region for food and entertainment, with no shortage of singers, dancers, and fire eaters looking to be graced in its halls. Lily, even though they might be very well competition for work, helped whoever she could give the best performance in their field.

By the night's end, patrons were full, tipsy, and handing out tips to whoever they felt deemed worthy. The staff cleaned up, washed the place from top to bottom, and vacuumed out every nook and cranny as they did every night. Lastly the chefs got everyone their employee meals, a benefit for working in such an upscale environment. 

“Great work as always, Little Miss Sunshine. Even backstage you're a natural!”

“Hehehe! I try!” 

“I gotta say, you friend here, while grumpy as sin, did more than his share of dishes. Here I got you twenty bucks in cash along with your meal.”

“Well, I'll be dipped… Got permanent work for a guy like me?”

"Well…" Marty was interrupted by the shattering of a plate. And then another plate. Then a whole bunch more. Marty and Lily dash to the kitchen.

"You owe me my $189.67! Where the hell is it?!”

"Lady, easy on the shouting, you're scaring people." Said one of the managers, clearly panicked and fearful.

"I don't give a damn about them anymore! I want my last paycheck! This place is a shithole and I want out!"

"I'm sorry, Lady," Marty interjected, “but the check might have bounced. Just come back in a week and I'll-"

"Screw that and screw you, Marty! You're a piece of garbage who can't even pay his employees right! Gimme your wallet! Let's see how much you're paying yourself, pig!"

Lily joined in, "I'm sorry your check bounced, Lady, I know this is frustrating, but yelling and threatening people won't make that check come any sooner."

"Stay out of this! You'll all pay! You'll all cough up for me!" She conjures a bolt of lightning into her hands, and throws it out the kitchen service window and into the theater, where it strikes a hanging tapestry, lighting the bottom on fire slightly.

"Please calm down!" Marty yelled in fear, right before he got hit with a second bolt from Lady, sending him flying out the kitchen window and onto the bar.

“War magic…” Lily whispered to herself. She knew even her magic couldn't have a hope of someone with such powerful attacking magic. Regardless, if she didn't do something, she might destroy the whole Molly-Wood and everyone in it. Before she could, her friend she invited bursts into the room and spots the source of all the commotion. Lily's friend then grabs the angry woman's arm, making her lightning bolt spell miss and go out a window. The initial shock she suffered from locking eyes with the man, clearly angry and firm, gave time for the rest of the staff to get the jump on her, take her down, and tie up her hands with a bunch of towels as the police were called.

"Are you okay Marty?" Lily asked as she helped him up to his feet.

"Just my pride, although I might need an aspirin."

"I know healing spells!" Lily yelled.

"Maybe later, sunshine." He turns to the man who stopped the crazed woman and saved the building. "Wow, not many non-magic users would stand against someone using war magic."

"What can I say… once an army vet, always an army vet."

"Well since you did us a favor, how would you like a job as one of our bouncers?"

"What's the pay? From what that lady said, you might be handing out bouncing paychecks."

“I'll admit, I run a tight ship with a few holes in it, but didn't you say earlier you needed a job?

"I know beggars can't be choosers, but…"

Lily took his hand in hers and looked deeply into his eyes with her tearful, blue, puppy dog eyes. "At least consider it sir, pretty please!"

After a minute of looking at Lily's precious face, he sighed. "Well… as long as you don't call me sir, the name's Bill."