Wrong Turn [Open]

[orestes]

Well, this certainly was... different. This city made it seem like the Marshes were in an entirely different universe. And yet, the city life doesn't look like all it's cracked up to be. At least in this one, it didn’t. The town looked... ugly. Most of the buildings looked old, and like they were falling apart. Granted, this wasn't where he even wanted to be in the first place.

Glaz let out a bit of a sigh. What was this called again? Cor-Something… Corvistowne! He thought, as he passed another sign. Well, this was certainly not the capital city. Seems he made a bit of a wrong turn on his trip here from the Marsh. Inwardly he cursed his fathers for not even having a damned map in their home. In addition to the rest of the things he ended up cursing them for. Not only was he a Club, but a mutant on top of that! And the people walking about made it painfully obvious that he stood out. Not only was his coloration very, very different from the strangely-colored Corvies, but he had one more thing that drew eyes to him. His own eye! Which wasn’t strange, some people simply had eyes that just drew people’s attention. However, this eye was on Glaz’s shoulder. He tried to pay no mind to the stares, using his bipedal form as a means to somewhat look superior to the many animal Corvies scurrying about. And at times he even had the eye on his shoulder stare back, while the ones on his head looked ahead, the Golfam hoping he unnerved one or two of them.

He had to say, as far as he could tell, he didn't like the Corvies. But as a native of Golfam Marsh, he didn't like much of anyone. In Glaz's own special case however, he didn't even like the people form Golfam! Thanks in no small part to his fathers. But even so, he tried to maintain an open mind. He had to put on a tolerant exterior in order to move on up in the world after all, not wanting to be a backwater Golfam his whole life, not one bit. However... right now, he didn't know where to go! This was all so alien to him, whoever designed the layout of this place must have been a madman! Even the Marshes are easier to navigate, in Glaz's humble opinion. He supposed he'd have to… talk to someone here, as much as the thought displeased him.

First priority was finding out the way to the Capital City from here. And second… some food would be ideal. Glaz certainly was curious about what sort of grub they had down here. Hopefully it beat the stuff he had to live on back home. Besides, if he had to go on another long trip to the capital, he couldn’t go on an empty stomach. He’d also have to procure a map from somewhere. More and more thoughts clouded the bipedal Golfam’s head as he kept on walking.

[Kari Muffin]

It was a wonderful day to be alive. Why? Because he finally had enough money to buy the parts he needed for his project. Of course he had to pick something that was so complicated it cost a fortune to do even little things. Making ends meet was sometimes painful.

But at least a good deal of people appreciated music boxes and other trinkets he was capable of putting together. Next time he saw Dad he would have to thank him for that little song book.

Parsley weaved his way through the streets, humming a rather cheerful tune. Nothing could go wrong today, as long as he could get to the shop and put in his order. He turned the corner a bright smile on his face as he saw the shop in the distance.

And then he saw the yellow and green. He paused for a long moment, his ears twitching as he squinted at the bipedal figure. That wasn't a Corvie and he was walking in this general direction. And it was a curious realm to be in Corvistowne. Why not take advantage of this rare opportunity?

Without another bit of hesitation the squirrel weaved his way through the crowd and made his presence known. "You look pretty lost, looking for someone or something in particular sir?"

[orestes]

There was a voice. All three of his eyes blinked when he registered what just happened. He was spoken to by an outsider! Well sure, he had been seeing them all day. He was in a town full of them, after all! However, none of them felt the need to speak to him, except for this little.. squirrel? He looked down for a moment, wondering what posessed this one to speak to him. No matter! It offered Glaz help. No, he offered Glaz help. Outsiders are people too. He had to remember that. Backwater Golfam mindsets die hard, he supposed!

"Uh.. Well..", he started to speak to the squirrel, but he was never really the social type, and choked up at first. He shook his head and cleared his throat, straightening up in order to look important, "I am lost.", he said frowning a bit, before trying his best to confide in the squirrel. From how low he was, he couldn't tell his rank, but he didn't take chances offending him, city folk are usually important after all.

"My... name is Glaz. I'm from Golfam Marsh. I... actually wasn't s'posed to come to this city in the first place, but y'see.." He squatted down so he could be a little quieter. "I don't actually know my way around anywhere outside o' the Marsh. So I saw the first town I came across and assumed it was the Capital."

He seemed a little embarrassed of that fact. "So.. I was thinking I'd maybe look around here and find some sort o' map. But I hadn't had anythin' to eat in a few days as well, ran out o' food on m'way here."

He scratched his head, not really one to ask for help, but one had to take drastic measures for survival, even request the help of an outsider. "So.. ah.. You couldn't.. point me in the direction o' either o' them things, couldja?" He's done it, he went and asked. He had to be on his guard now. Back at the Marsh, outsiders who asked for help were almost always tricked out of their money and belongings, or worse! He had to be wary now, who knows what this Corvie would do to him.

[Kari Muffin]

The squirrel blinked a few times. It wasn't every day he met someone who was trying to go to the Capital City and ended up in Corvistowne. Of course not everyone had a wonderful sense of direction, but this man must have been completely lost.

Glaz. That was an interesting name and oddly fitting. The squirrel tilted his head to one side as he listened to the man's hushed voice. None of the other Corvies passing by seemed to care about what was going on--there were far too busy with their own projects to bother.

For a moment the squirrel hesitated. He had absolutely no obligation to help the man. But once upon a time when he was fresh out of the Wood, someone had knocked him down several pegs and had left him stranded. Fine. He would be good and help the strange man.... with three eyes. That was actually fairly interesting.

"I'm Parsley, it's nice to meet you," he bowed his head slightly in greet. "You're... pretty lost all right. I have no idea how you managed to get here of all places and bypass the City. But anyway, food is pretty easy and I have a map back at my workshop. I actually grew up in another region, myself."

He turned around motioning for the bipedal to follow him. "There's a nice little restaurant around the corner."

[orestes]

"Yeah, well I ain't never been out o' the Marshes before, and m'dads didn't have anything that would be able to help with traveling. So I just went and ended up here."

He shrugged. "But anyways..." What was he supposed to say again? The first word starts with an N, he knew that. Right! "Nice to meetcha, Parsley." he said proudly, more for the fact that he was happy to remember what to say rather than because he was genuinely happy upon meeting the squirrel, but of course he kept that to himself.

However, as far as this restaurant business went, he wasn't sure if he trusted this squirrel. After all, he never heard of such a place before! Nothing of the sort in the Marshes, could even be a trap. And he'd be damned if he was caught with his pants down! Golfams trick people, not the other way around. He decided he'd get more information out of the squirrel first.

"Thanks for all your help an' all, but uh.. This restaurant thing. What is it?" he asked bluntly. "That's where you city folk go to catch your food?" He scratched the back of his head a little. Of course he'd say yes, especially if this Parsley fellow was trying to trick Glaz! But the ferret had to keep his cool, couldn't let the squirrel know that he was onto him. Golfams invented trickery! Or so he was led to believe. You can't trick one in turn!

[Kari Muffin]

Oh.

Oh boy.

Parsley paused in walks to look at the man properly. When he said he was from Golfram, he must have meant in the middle of "godforsaken backwater" Golfram. For Parsley's part, despite growing up in the Wood, he had been educated on the ways of the outside world by his father. Of course, not everyone was educated about the outside world when it came down to it. Apparently Glaz was one of these people, and of course he would end up in a highly educated place.

"We... tend not to catch their meals," Parsley began, feeling completely awkward. "We have people do it for us, and those people end up cooking meals. In exchange we give the people who catch and fix the meals money. That way we get easily prepared meals without the hassle of finding something, killing it, and then fixing it."

He really hoped he didn't sound like an idiot explaining things like this.

[orestes]

He listened intently, as if the squirrel that was with him was divulging the very secrets of the universe. It was amazing. These folk just.. got food like that? In exchange for this money stuff. Awfully convenient, but he'd heard that city folk go everything very easy. It was fascinating!

"So.. that's it, then? Lemme get what you told me straight. You just walk in this place, give someone money, and he gives you food?"

All of his eyes blinked once more in partial disbelief.

" 'Fraid I'll have to see such a thing for myself to believe it, Mister Parsley." he said, nodding. Maybe city life wasn't so bad after all. You got food for nothing! All you have to do is give up a couple of shinies and that was the end of it. He could live like this, for sure. All he needed was a steady supply of this money stuff. He knew of it, but there wasn't much use for it back in the Marsh. After all, there was barely any shops, and his own house was far from any real villages in there.

"Well, lead on, Mister Parsley!" he said, following him, hoping it wasn't a trap now. Since the more they talked of food, the hungrier he got as he followed the squirrel.

[Kari Muffin]

Parsley could feel a part of his brain breaking as he watched the man. Well, at least... he understood what he had meant. Was the concept of money foreign to him though? Even the Wood used money rather than trade to get things done. That's how Dad had managed to get the house after all. Gold and Silver always spoke volumes.

But backwater Golfram... well his sister had told him stories about the place. And now he understood perfectly what she meant. Maybe Rosemary told the truth most of the time?

The squirrel simply nodded and slowly lead the way to the nearest restaurant It looked just like all the other dilapidated exteriors, the only difference was the brightly painted sign that read "Vector's Grill." Without hesitation the squirrel headed in. "Here we go, nothing all that impressive but they have decent food."

The interior was well put together, several people sat at the tables. Parsley went to his usual spot, motioning for the man to follow him. It was a casual establishment that allowed people to seat themselves, and normally the waitress was fairly quick to take orders.

[orestes]

Strange! Very strange! He kind of caught on how this worked when he walked inside the establishment, but tried not to ask too many questions. He was sure he seemed stupid enough to the squirrel already.

People.. sit at tables. And then they get food. Right? But when does the money come in? Very very strange. Nonetheless, he followed the squirrel to the table he led them to, waiting for Parsley before sitting down, examining his seat beforehand. Just in case. After he was seated, he spent time sniffing the air, trying to catch a whiff of whatever food was being served in this place.

"So. Now what? They just bring us food?" he tilted his head a little in confusion. "But how would they know what we want to eat? I don't even know what they have here!" he seemed a little confounded. "But uh. Nonetheless, it smells nice." He tried to look relaxed after that, in order to not draw much attention to himself, still somewhat wary, but less so now that he knows that there was actually food here.

[Kari Muffin]

Parsley shifted in his seat as he looked at the three eyed man. This was like talking to a wall in some respects. He brushed it off though. There was no point in getting frustrated when the man didn't know any better.

"We get a menu," He said, "And you order from that... you can read right?"

That was probably the strangest question he had ever asked a person. Was it even a legitimate worry? But then again the man didn't know what a restaurant was, he had also missed Capital City and ended up here. Not being able to read wasn't exactly a huge stretch of disbelief.

The squirrel was about to say something else when the happy waitress appeared with their menus. She handed one to each of them and pulled out a pen and pencil from her apron. "Would you like your usual drink Mr. Parsley?"

The squirrel shook his head. "No, I want some black coffee."

The woman's eyebrow quirked upwards but she wrote the request down anyway. She looked to the Golfram with an expectant smile.