Also on the Wrong Side of Town [FINISHED]

[seraaches]

In many ways, it was strange living on Rainbow Unicorn Fart Avenue, or whatever the snot it was called, in a building filled with as much pink as anything else. Especially when the only female was little half-ghost girl whom, Vic often wondered, really didn't even live there even though she acted like she did. Zeev had gone out of his way to make Vic at least semi-welcome; enough so that now Vic wasn't setting lace on fire when he walked through the house.

But then Iphis began to show. And, well, not just showed. It was like he had been frozen in the moment a tea-bomb had literally exploded in his stomach. Vic was afraid to walk too closely.

So when the fairy man had called him over and sent him off on an errand to fetch some cloth that was waiting somewhere, Vicious was only too happy to comply. Until he realized he had no idea where he was going. Snot.

He whistled for Julia to catch up, the shambling bird skeleton helping to keep quite a few Cards at bay and Vic took that moment to glance down at the scribbled map yet again. He had yet to see and happy, singing trees, or convenient bubbly hearts to ask directions of. He was beginning to suspect that Iphis might not be the best map drawer.

[Dark]

Minh had set out from the apartment with a specific goal in mind--it had been a very important goal, too--but somewhere along the way to carrying out this very important goal, she had entirely forgot what she was doing. This happened on occasion, and while it could be rather vexing at times, Minh had learned to live with it.

At the moment, she was walking down a street she didn't recognize, not entirely sure how she had ended up there, but she was enjoying herself regardless. Even after so many years living in the Capital, there were always new dark alleys and shadowy alcoves waiting to be discovered; it kept life interesting.

She was a bit startled to notice that she had company--bright company, with flames, and a nagging sense of familiarity--and while she didn't normally go out of her way to engage strangers--unless she wanted to lure them back to the apartment for a game of mad scientist--she decided to call out a greeting. He had an interesting companion, besides.

"Are you lost?"

[seraaches]

Vicious jumped, head snapping to the side to inspect the human who had called out to him. His heart was pounding, though he tried to be nonchalant. You never wanted to let them see your fear; that was a lesson Uncle Elias had long since pounded into his head. He tightened the paper in the grip of his hand and turned to face the woman more squarely.

He opened his mouth to answer, then paused, arrested by a sudden nagging sense of deja vu. She looked really familiar. Actually, not even just really familiar, she looked really familiar, like he'd seen her around in another form and recently. Man. That was super trippy.

He hated to admit that he was lost, he really did, but he also didn't want to run around this area any more. She looked. . . well, semi-normal-- for a Corvie-- and, worst come to worst, he could set Julia on her and try to run.

"Not lost," he countered. "But I am having a little trouble finding this shop."

[Dark]

Minh hummed, slightly distracted by skeleton bird; it was always fascinating seeing things animated and tottering about that wouldn't under normal circumstances be doing so. It almost made her wish she'd spent more time investigated that sort of thing, but in the end her work with mutations was of more interest and importance.

"And what shop are you looking for, exactly?" If you couldn't locate a specific building, did that qualify as being lost? You certainly weren't where you meant to be; but perhaps you knew where you were. Minh thought this was a deeply philosophical question, perhaps best left for pondering at a later date--or by people who liked to think deep, introspective thoughts. Minh did not, particularly, fall into that category.

"This isn't a particularly shop-like area," she said, taking note for the first time where they actually were. There were underground affairs in the general area, but she didn't suppose that was what he had in mind; but maybe so.

[seraaches]

Vicious glanced around curiously. Oh, she was right. He glanced down at the paper again and sighed. Maybe he was going the wrong way entirely. "Well, it sells cloth," he said thoughtfully. He stared for a long moment. There was a lot of squiggles up in the corner. He narrowed his eyes. "Oh, that's writing." Blast it all.

"I think that says. . . Comforting Cloths? That's a stupid name." He wasn't certain if that was really what it said, actually. "Maybe it says. . . Oh, I don't know." He was irritated and his sigh was rife with the sound. "Do you know of any overly girly cloth stores? I bet that's the one I need to go to." Okay, wait, now he sounded lost.

Julia stared towards the Corvie without expression; well, beyond the glowing eyes and the shambling skeleton that caused low-ranked Cards to run in fear.

[Dark]

Definitely lost, then, and as that was the case, Minh was pleased her wanderings had allowed her to come to the rescue. She glanced at his map while he rambled. It was no wonder he'd gotten lost: it was written in cursive, and some of the most overly ornate she'd ever laid eyes on. It burned her retina with its cheerful swoops; was that a smiling face instead of an O? And a flower? Ugh.

"Comforting Clothes?" Wasn't that her nephew's favorite vendor of over-priced fabric and lace and other such nonsense? Iphis was a dear, truly, but sometimes she worried about him. "As your luck would have it, I know exactly where that is." Mostly.

Minh took a moment to gather her bearings, "Would you like me to show you the way? It's back in the shopping district, and it is a bit hard to find. Tucked away in a corner and all." And oh, gods, the lace.

She started walking in that direction, comforted that she wouldn't have to actually enter such a den of femininity; she felt sorry for the poor kid, but at least it wasn't her.

[seraaches]

Vic sighed at the map. He twisted the map so she could see it and his brow furrowed as some of the scribbles seemed to resolve themselves into a real world. "Rainbowsprinkle?" He shook his head and tried to push it from his mind.

His ears pricked towards the woman and he tried to keep the relief from showing on his face. She was a stranger-- probably even a strange stranger-- but it was worth it if she could show him how to get to this stupid little shop. "All right," he answered. "It'd be very helpful, if you don't mind going out of your way."

He paused, then remembered the rest of his manners. "Thank you, by the way. I'm Vic." No point in using his full name, since that had a tendency to put people off. "Is it far from here?" he asked curiously as they began walking.

[Dark]

"It's not very far." Relatively speaking, and the journey was even shorter if they took a few shortcuts; she avoided some of the less savory ones, however, lest he think she was luring him to an unmarked grave or some other such nonsense. "I'm Minh, by the by."

She glanced at him surreptitiously as they walked, trying to riddle out just why he looked so familiar. It was like the colors were all wrong, an inverse, or something; she squinted, but she couldn't for the life of her make the connection. Fascinating mutation, though; you would think she would be able to remember something like that. It was very frustrating.

Minh glanced up from her pondering to realize they had arrived. "Ah. Here we are, Vic," Minh gestured to the corner shop, fit to bursting with ribbons and lace and many other frothy pink things. She inwardly cringed.

[seraaches]

"Nice to meet you, Minh," the Nine replied politely. His Daddy had taught him to be polite, after all, no matter who he talked to. Daddy Aderlass was, after all, a very popular The Queen, something Papa Rai mentioned on occasion with differing strengths of acerbity. Vicious didn't really understand it when Papa was very sarcastic and angry, especially since he thought the Court of Clubs was doing pretty well. But then, when Papa went on his rants, he didn't sound like he was talking about the Court of Clubs at all, sometimes. Ah, well.

He caught the woman looking at him peculiarly from time to time, but, well, she probably saw him doing the same. Why she would look so familiar was beyond him and he eventually just gave up trying to think of who she might look like.

He blinked as they reached the place. "Oh, thank you, Minh." He didn't notice her grimace since he was busy cringing at the sight of the place. Knowing his luck, he'd set half the store on fire. He sighed and waved at the woman. "Thank you again. Uhm. . . Good luck in your research?" Is that what one said to a Corvie? In any case, he bolstered his will with another deep breath, and then went in to brave the horrors of a cloth store.