Mallside 10

[Lord Magtok]

Mallside Thanksmas Shopping

[Mallside Thanksmas Shopping]

"That's about it, sir. And make sure to clean out their tanks on a weekly basis. Replace about a quarter of the water with new water. That'll keep the ammonia levels down," Mark explains. "Would you like me to pack up the tanks for you? We've got some Styrofoam inserts to make sure they don't break the on the trip back to your... umm... cave?"

Okay cool.

It sounds like the NPCs here at Mallside are assuming Yuletok is the Scout wearing a hideous sweater.

Why wouldn't they?

There has only been one Magtok here in the Nexus for a while now. Why would that change all of a sudden?

And Zee?

Zee is over there making faces at a large salamander. The salamander watches her, completely impassive. Or maybe it's just staring at the wall behind her. It's hard to tell with salamanders.

"Yes, my Cave. Where I'm definitely dropping off these aquariums, as opposed to some other secret lair which obviously doesn't exist because I only have one," Yuletok nods, before pausing to raise an eyebrow at Zee over there, making faces at a salamander. Hmm. Zee's been awfully helpful today, allowing us to get all this shopping done onscreen. If not for her, this whole portion of the shopping spree would be reduced to a brief mention of aquariums in a paragraph of superfluous scenery description a few months from now, and what a shame that would be, huh? Magtok quietly mimes out grabbing the amphibian and placing it on Zee's head, and passes Mark an extra folded up hundred dollar bill, which has nothing to do with the tip Mark will be getting later and it's also nothing Zee should be worrying about right now.

[Rebonack]

[Mallside Thanksmas Shopping]

Mark quirks an eyebrow at Magtok's request. While he DOES like money, he also likes not getting fired for placing pets on unsuspecting customers. Oddly enough, Zee seems completely oblivious to Magtok's intent. Or at least she doesn't react to it at all. Maybe Magtok did something that rendered it invisible to Zee's weird senses? Or maybe she totally knows and just isn't showing her hand?

Regardless of the answer, Zee buys a betta setup herself and stows the whole thing away in that hat of hers.

That seems like an absolutely terrible idea.

Why would you put a fish in a hat?

But that's probably not even in the top 100 list of weird things Zee has done, so who cares right?

"Okay, I think I've got everything I'm going to need," Zee muses. "Aside from the totally off-screen Fluxmart stuff, but that should be okay. I'll see you at the party Magtok!"

And then?

She'll tromp off around the corner from the pet store. Should Magtok peruse he'll find her wholly vanished.

[Lord Magtok]

Mallside Thanksmas Shopping

Drat, some other time, then. Still...you haven't seen the last of us, Yezekiel! We'll have some sort of amphibian or lizard dropped on your head yet! You hear me? We will have our revenge! Well, maybe not revenge since you didn't actually do anything us, but...shut up, you will know our wrath, dammit! Some day soon, it will happen!

Yuletok finishes his purchases, hands Mark a ridiculous tip, and heads off on his way.

[5a Violista]

[Clothes Shopping]

Fun fact: two of my characters need to go shopping for new clothes. Of course, it's for entirely different reasons.

First, Holly the Half-Elf ^TM has found that most of her clothes have been covered in splinters and torn thanks to some jerk throwing a dresser.
The rest, mysteriously, have become a little tight recently. Why not just shapeshift herself skinnier, you ask. The reason's simple: there's already a handful of people on the lookout for her, and she doesn't want to ruin her last two or three good personas just because she's been eating a little too much high-energy food while looking for a new place to live.


Meanwhile,
Marin, a catgirl, is here as well. She's got a date coming up this Saturday and only has three outfits.

Not three outfits that would work.

Just three clean outfits.
Wait, no, she's wearing one of them.
Make that two.

[Reinholdt]

[Clothes Shopping]

Two more people are going shopping. Or rather one person is going shopping while escorting the younger, smaller one around and trying to keep her from touching everything. The adult catgirl has blue hair and pink eyes. Not solid pink like Rein's, but the exact same colour. In fact, everything about them is very similar now that you mention it and you did mention it. That just comes with being a genderbent, slightly modified clone of Reinholdt.

Reina is holding the hand of a six year old that appears human. Despite some physical similarities to Reina, the young girl has red hair and blue eyes and lacks the appropriate ears and tail to make her a real catgirl.

Incidentally, the thing the young girl tries to grab the most is her mom's tail.

[5a Violista]

[Clothes Shopping]

Marin has been having a hard time finding good clothes: she doesn't really go shopping often. Even discounting her purple hair, her clothes rarely match, and she always wears turtlenecks and skirts. Usually used from thrift stores or yard sales, so they don't exactly...fit the best. As a result, she has no idea which stores cater to catgirls' particular clothing differences.

She's already checked out six or seven different stores, but none of them she really felt comfortable in.

But!

It seems fate has sent an angel her way: she sees another catgirl. And one who appears to know what she's doing!

Marin quickly walks to Reina. "E-excuse me," she calls out, still approaching. "Hi. Um...this is my first time shopping here. Do you...do you know which stores are best for..." um "people with tails? I haven't found a good one that's in my price range yet."

[Reinholdt]

[Clothes Shopping]

Reina turns towards Marin upon her speaking up and smiles softly, opening her mouth to answer before closing it again in a frown. She knew a few good stores... for those with no budgetary concerns at all. Though there was one or two she's been using lately that were cheaper given how quickly her kids grew out of their clothes. "Well All about Anything's got some good prices. And, umm..." Kids clothes were different from adult clothes and she only bought the fancy stuff or had it tailored. "Discount Steve's?"

There's a reason people avoided Discount Steve's.

"Sorry. I usually buy from the Needle and Thread in Inside for myself. I'm shopping for this one today." Reina goes to put her hand on the child's head but the child's already ducked shyly behind Reina. Though the kid is peering out at Marin, with a smile on her face. Like she were playing with Marin rather than hiding from her.

[5a Violista]

[Clothes Shopping]

Marin nods. "Okay. Um, thanks," she says. Based on the way she said it, All About Anything should be the first one to check out before Discount Steve's.

She looks down at the kid. Marin smiles back, and then crouches down to get closer to eye-level.

She looks back up at Reina: "I'll try to find All About Anything first," she says.

Marin looks at the kid - but appears to have lost her. Like, she disappeared? At least, she's acting that way, like she can't seem to find where the kid is. But then she appears to have spotted the girl, smiles, and mouths 'oh hi'.

Now, back at Reina again: "She's pretty cute; she's your...?" She trails off, asking the question of how these two are here together. Like, maybe related? But Marin's not entirely sure how and feels guessing could go bad.

[Reinholdt]

[Clothes Shopping]

"We were headed there anyways if you wanted to join us," Reina offers in the event Marin doesn't know how to get there. "I'm Reina, by the way." She performs a flourish that is very much trademarked, then looks embarrassed because it was just habit, not intentional.

The kid is old enough to not fall for Marin's petty parlour tricks! But she finds Marin's antics amusing all the same and giggles.

"This is Atry. She's my... niece." That's the best they could figure how it all works.

Atry seems extremely displeased with what just transpired and tugs on Reina's winter jacket, looking up at her willfully. "Noooo! You have to do it right!" Atry whines.

Reina sighs. "Sorry. This is Atropos Ivy Terenti Solomon the Third." Atry steps forward and curtsies as she's introduced.

[5a Violista]

[Clothes Shopping]

Coincidentally, Marin doesn't know where it is, but she was expecting to just go over to one of those mall-maps to find it.

"I'll join you," she says. As long as they're headed there, might as well come along, right? Save the frustration looking through those mall maps.

"Nice to meet you both," she says. "I'm Marin Ixchel," and she doesn't have any flourishes or fancy names.

[Reinholdt]

[Clothes Shopping]

"Hi Marin Ixchel," Atry says, before rushing away from a surprised Reina and around Marin. She steps well within an arm's reach of the catgirl's tail, but stops and looks up at her. "Can I touch it?"

Reina ends up shaking her head apologetically. "At least she asked this time."

[5a Violista]

[Clothes Shopping]

Honestly, Marin doesn't like it when people grab her tail.

She thinks for a moment about what she should say, and a way to gently let her down.

But, then, she glances at Reina. If she says no, she'll just go grab her aunt's tail. Feeling a little sympathy, she changes her mind and says, "Y-you have to promise to be gentle, okay?" she says.

She turns her head, waiting for Atry to reach out...and at the last moment, feeling an impulse of not wanting it touched, she swishes her tail away.
But...she only does that once, and holds it as still as possible afterwards because she's afraid she'll grab too hard if she has to chase after it.

"So...your niece does this a lot?" Must have inherited regular human stuff from her in-laws and have an absent parent or something, so there's nobody in the home who has tails. That would explain why she's so interested in them.

[Reinholdt]

[Clothes Shopping]

Atry nods her promise. Is that sufficient when dealing with a young child though?

She's very close to chasing the tail as it momentarily escapes her grasp. Fortunately Marin has the foresight to still herself. Atry gets ahold of Marin's tail! She just lightly holds it at first until she's certain it won't get away. Then while holding it with one hand, she starts very softly petting it with the other hand, as if afraid to break it if she pets it too hard. "Good Kitty..." Atry says directly to the tail, like that one particular appendage was a cat.

Reina shakes her head. "Only after she's seen her cousins." All of which have tails. After a few moments she moves and puts her hand on Atry's shoulder. "Alright, that's enough." Atry behaves this time and lets go of Marin, stepping back beside Reina who pats her on the head for being a good girl. "Thank you," Atropos adds, looking up at Marin with a smile.

"Come along then. It's this way," Reina turns and starts walking them to the store.

[5a Violista]

[Clothes Shopping]

Marin does her best to avoid showing on her face what she's feeling, but she definitely is holding her breath. She's thankful that she is very gentle, but calling her tail 'kitty' is seriously creeping her out...or, rather, reminding her of past experiences that she found creepy.

She bites her lower lip. It's definitely because of the experiences she's had and the world she comes from and catgirls and other people from other worlds - or even just here from the Nexus - have completely different experiences.

It's when Atry lets go that Marin lets herself breathe again. "Y-yeah." She smiles at Atropos when she goes back, to show her that yeah she did a good job being so gentle. "No problem."

She follows Reina towards the store. "Again, thanks for showing me where it is."

[Reinholdt]

[Clothes Shopping]

Reina frowns, suspecting Marin holding back how she really feels. Reina's a bit more used to it with kids of her own, but Marin must not have any. Or really doesn't like being touched. Far too late to do anything about it except sympathetically and silently apologize, mouthing the word.

"Don't worry about it," Reina assures her. "So what do you do Mrs. Ixchel?"

A few minutes later and they're there!
"The specialty clothes should be aisle nine."

[5a Violista]

[Clothes Shopping]

She already said there was 'no problem' so why bother apologizing?

Besides, Atry is too short and too young to really trigger flashbacks and instead just brings back unpleasant memories so it's not really that bad. She picks back up pretty quickly, too, so that's good.

"I'm a repairwoman," she says, "and a mechanic, I guess. I work at a MagMart...well, I guess it's one of the last MagMarts left? Over in Riverside. It's entirely run by robots, and I recently got a potential offer for another job so if that ever gets more concrete I'm putting in my two-weeks' notice." She goes on to answer the other polite questions that always follow 'what do you do' and, then...

they're there!
"Aisle nine." Good. She commits that to memory, and looks around for that aisle.
...
Reina's shopping for the kid, who probably doesn't need specialty clothes, so..."Um...thanks. Bye," she says. And then with a smile and a wave, she also says 'bye' to the child.
She then walks towards aisle nine.

[Reinholdt]

[Clothes Shopping]

Reina had almost started heading towards Aisle Nine herself, used to buying clothes for her own tailed children, before recognizing her mistake. "Ah yes. Well, err, goodbye."

"Bye bye!" Atropos says far more enthusiastically. Or perhaps simply less awkwardly as she opens and closes her hand in a 'wave' goodbye before getting dragged off to get clothes.

[5a Violista]

Carlie Hopps, bunnygirl, finally decides she can't put it off any longer and gets to Mallside to go maternity shopping - her clothes are a little too tight so she really needs a change.

She's come here nearly directly from Trog's Tavern.

[Purple Eagle]

[Maternity Shopping]

Annaliese Schmidt, vampire Sheriff that looks like a German schoolgirl, walks the streets of Mallside trying to explore the Nexus in this form. Sure, there are daywalking vampires, but to better look the part, she has a big black umbrella that she carries around. The blue-eyed and fanged blonde is dressed in a white long-sleeved top, knee-length red skirt, knee-high socks and simple black dress shoes. There's a Sheriff's badge pinned to her shirt, and she carries a gun.

Spotting the pregnant woman, she plays the part of the public servant and rushes to the lady's aid. "Need any help, Fraulein?" She asks in a heavy German accent, her voice high-pitched and lilting.

[5a Violista]

Carlie doesn't speak German. Even less than she speaks French.

She pauses. "Um...froy-what?" she wonders. "S-sorry, I don't speak Elvish." As evidenced by the fact that she's a bunnygirl, not a half-elf.

Carlie was asked a question, however, and she did understand that part. "I'm not buying that much and I already saw at the directory which stores I need."

[Purple Eagle]

The slightly-scowling teen vampire clears her throat. "Ma'am." She explains in one word. "I see... but you're pregnant, und it vould be unbecoming of a public servant such as I to not help in some vay. Vhich store are you heading to next? Ve shall go together. I can even help carry ze extra load back to your home."

[5a Violista]

Carlie keeps on walking in the way she was initially going. "Jurga's," she says, answering where she's going.

If the vampire follows her, she keeps on talking: "Thank you, but I can carry things on my own; I don't need any help." Being dependent on somebody is the sort of thing that just doesn't really fit with her personality, so even if a doctor had recommended she not carry things, she would have said the same thing anyway.

Then, she adds, "Besides, I live several hours away from here. Only came to this city because it has a better selection." And also because she was feeling a little cooped up and bored.

[Purple Eagle]

"I insist, Miss...?" Annaliese trails off, obviously expecting Carlie to respond with her name. "Between ze skin-valkers und possible shapeshifting AMEN scum, how can I let an unarmed pregnant voman shop alone. Safe as it may seem, if you entered into danger vith full hands, vho vould protect you? At least, let me help vhile in Mallside."

[5a Violista]

"Carlie," she says, saying her name.

The bunnygirl rolls her eyes: so many people are so obsessed with AMEN. Sure, there's a shapeshifter in it now but that's completely irrelevant to being pregnant. "It's okay, a skinwalker's not going to get me." And, besides, technically Mallside is pretty safe.

...

"But, fine. If you want to keep me company, you can."

[Purple Eagle]

"Carlie... Call me Annaliese." Is the vampire's response. At the eyeroll, her facial expression doesn't change, but at the back of his mind, Shuyoru can't help but think of Harley. 'Wonder what she is up to' he wonders, not making the connection... although, what are the odds that a woman with a similar-sounding name... nah. Besides, considering what there is to lose if he's wrong, it's best not to pursue that thought further.

Unless he were to mention things only he and Harley could know.

Back to the present, Annaliese nods all professionally. "If you vant to see it zat vay. Lead on, Miss Carlie." After a short pause, she has to ask. "Your surname wouldn't happen to rhyme vith Zorzo, vould it?"

[5a Violista]

Carlie sighs a little. "No." And here's confirmation that this is just another person obsessed with AMEN. Carlie curses her luck that seems to always draw these sorts of people to her.
"What would even rhyme with Zorzo, anyway?" Diazo? Chorizo? Da Pozzo? In her accent these all sound similar enough. "It's Hopps, not Da Pozzo."

She heads into the store - Jurga's Bargain Hut - grabs a basket, and then stops to look for the right sections.

Also, no laughing at the pun in her name. It's not like people get to choose their own names, right?

[Purple Eagle]

Annaliese catches the sigh and observes Carlie as she gives her surname. What are the odds of a bunny girl called Hopps? This is the Nexus, however, where punny names abound. The pun causes Annaliese to smile for the first time since their meeting, though it doesn't last long.

Following Carlie as she browses the store, she speaks. "No... zat is not vho you remind me of... you remind me of a friend of mine, vhom I haven't seen in months. Last ve saw, ve got some smooth stew." If it's Harley in there, she can start to connect the dots. If it isn't, then it's just Annaliese reminiscing about her friend.

[5a Violista]

What are the odds of a bunnygirl named Hopps?
...
Pretty high odds, actually. Everyone knows bunnygirls have to be named after puns. It's the only option.

Over there! Carlie finds the right section to look at first. She heads in that direction and begins looking through clothes, occasionally pulling it from the rack to measure it up against herself.

"Smooth stew?" she asks, remembering it. "That's alcoholic, isn't it? Not really a fan of that kind of stuff." And as a pregnant woman, she shouldn't get any of that.

[Purple Eagle]

"You can request for a non-alcoholic version, Miss Carlie. A virgin smooth stew, as my friend called it." Annaliese explains, joining her in looking through clothes. Given what they are, lots of clothes are needed, even if you're so good at your power you can shapeshift clothes you're wearing to some degree, as well. "Ze only place I know to get it is Skyside, und a pregnant voman shouldn't valk there unguarded. I vould ask my friend, but I can't find her. Perhaps I should ask around in HALO. Or, maybe you know my friend? Shirley Da Pozzo." She says, and whilst pronouncing the name, stressing the pronunciations that make it sound like Harley Zorzo.

[5a Violista]

To get a better look at the clothes she's holding up, Carlie closes her right eye because its inability to see visible light is really messing up how she sees it. "Hm..." Deciding that the color doesn't match her, she puts it back and grabs another one.

"If pregnant people don't walk around Skyside, why are there so many orphanages there?" she asks. "Besides, I was just there not that long ago. It was cold. Wasn't much of a problem with me being there." She'd prefer warm weather.

Whether or not she puts two and two together, she doesn't talk about it.

She puts the clothes in her basket to try on once she gets enough, and looks for more. "There isn't anybody in HALO who goes by that name," she states, matter-of-factly. Carlie should know; she just moved into HALO. "There is a Holly there on the records, however. She's also elvish like you, so maybe you'll know her."
Since, of course, she called German 'Elvish' earlier.
She puts it back and moves to the next rack. "Well, half-elvish."