Sigil, Day 3, Afternoon
The afternoon found Missy out shopping again, though without the escort of Lady Mirikixen and her daughter. Or, if she thought about it a bit, the mother she wished she had and her other self. An errant thought about how Dennis would react to two of her had her chuckling.
"Something amusing, I assume?" her companion asked.
Missy was not out alone. Her companion was Vespa, the head maid, a situation that had taken Vista discovering the complete lack of household appliances to understand. Vespa was female in form, but her body was an elegant assembly of clockwork gears and polished brass and copper. Eyes that should have been cold gems sparkled with life, and her face was articulate enough that she could smile. Her hair was formed out of delicate wires. She wore something that would be recognized across thousands of worlds, the somber uniform of a maid.
"Was thinking about how one of my friends would react to two of me in the same room with him," Missy answered.
Vespa shook her head, her wire-hair making a not quite scraping sound against her body. "Lady Mirikixen has explained some of your circumstances to me, so I can imagine your thoughts. More to our current plans, as you were out shopping for a gift for your mother, and I have business in the Bazaar, she thought it wise for you to accompany me."
"And I appreciate it," Missy replied. "I'd get lost real quick, otherwise."
"Perhaps," the maid allowed. "Perhaps not. You still don't grasp the significance of your medallion, but that isn't a topic for public discussion. Still, we do have some business to take care of. Perhaps, if you tell me about your mother, I can direct you to the appropriate merchants."
"My mother isn't anything like Lady Mirikixen," Missy explained. There was an edge to her voice, the one people get when they're starting to get upset. "She and my father fight constantly, and there have been other problems at home, too." She didn't go on to explain that her parents' constant fighting had caused her to Trigger, still a very sore spot. "I wish they'd decide one way or another to get a divorce or try and make things work."
"That doesn't tell me about the person," Vespa chided gently, "only the problems you have at home."
"Mom likes her dogs," Missy said after thinking a bit. "They're okay, if a bit spoiled." Personally, she'd liked the big, goofy great Dane they'd had, but sadly, Clifford didn't have a long life. "I try not to spend too much time at home, since they fight constantly, so I guess I really don't know too much about my parents."
"That's rather sad," Vespa said.
"I guess," Vista answered.
"Since I doubt you'd be allowed to take a couple of dogs back with you," Vespa continued, "let's try another tack. What limits do you have to work within? And describe your mother to me."
Missy pulled out her phone, and selected a picture of her mother. "This is my mom, Ellen." She wasn't a tall woman, but was well-proportioned for her size. It was obvious to see that they were related, the maid could see the similarity in their faces. The relative aesthetic called beauty was still a little beyond the warforged's skills to judge.
"You look like your mother," Vespa commented.
"Thanks, I guess," Missy answered half-heartedly. "I love my parents, but sometimes it's awfully hard to like them."
"I am probably the last person to talk to about issues with parents," Vespa chuckled. "I was built, I came into the world pretty much as you see, but with much less experience. I never knew who made me, only those who were my masters. Some were good people, some very unpleasant. And then I found myself here, and I could choose what I wanted to do.
"But we're not talking about my problems, and how terrifying freedom can be. We're talking about you and your parents." Vespa tapped her chin with a finger, making a quiet, metallic tapping sound. "I suppose the obvious question is have you sat down and talked with them?"
"I've tried," Missy admitted. "It doesn't last long before they start yelling at each other, and about all I can do to stay in the room. After a while, they've both forgotten I'm there, and it ends with me sitting alone in the room after they've left."
"Since honest discussion and open communication appear to not be working, perhaps a slightly more devious method should be attempted," Vespa suggested. "Anyway, time to concentrate on more important and lighthearted matters – gift shopping."
They were back in front of the Beckmann's look-alike. This time, she could read the sign hanging over the door. "Robinson's," she muttered. "The universe is trying to play a joke on me, but I'm not getting it."
= - = - = - = - = - =
Unlike most girls, Missy didn't take any particular joy in going shopping. Most of the time it felt like a necessary chore, though there had been a few times with mother that had been almost pleasant. It was therefore a relief to her that upon entering she found it filled with various curios and knick-knacks from all over
everywhere. There were even a few little sculptures that appeared to move and twist while stationary that Missy found fascinating.
"May I help you?" The voice came from a small figure standing in front of Missy that she'd almost mistaken for more merchandise. He was shorter than she was, and looked much, much older than anyone she'd seen so far.
"I'm looking for a gift for my mother," Missy replied, trying to be very polite. "Even though I've got this," and she tapped the medallion she wore, "I'd like to keep the price reasonable, and not upset Her."
The gnome took one look at the medallion and nodded to himself, with a thoughtful look. "You've come to the right place, then, young lady," he answered with a small bow. "My name is Grigori Robinson, the proprietor of this establishment, and we have a wide selection of gifts from across time and space! I shall show you some of our collections of unique but affordable gifts in the hopes that something will tickle your fancy…"
With that, he led them off into the depths of the store.
The first thing Missy noticed was that there were spatial shenanigans going on. They walked much farther back into the store than it was deep. It had departments for nearly everything. Missy almost gave in to the impulse to purchase herself a beautifully-made knife from the weapons and armor department. She'd seen rings, necklaces, and bracelets in hundreds of styles, from airy and delicate to something that could be used to beat Lung to death. She'd seen gadgets that Ron Popeil would be envious of, and things that could only be described as magical, like the golem that would, on command, perform a set number of household tasks.
"Nothing like me," Vespa said. "The little one lacks… I guess the best way to describe it is a spark of life."
"And nothing truly dangerous," Mr. Robinson explained. "People come here for things for their home, not for something to use for clearing out old tombs in the Twilight Quarter. That's at Olly and Morden's over in the Armory.
"And here we have something you may be interested in," the gnome continued. He held up a small statue made of onyx that looked vaguely dog-like. "Many dog owners like this one; if you concentrate, it takes on the shape of the dog you are thinking of. If you don't, it gradually takes the form of a pet you remember. Sadly, it only works for canines. It also falls within your constraints of being relatively inexpensive, and something that looks like it was made from materials that exist in your world."
At Missy's expression, Grigori smiled. "We have some passing familiarity with worlds quite similar to yours," he explained, "though we don't get many visitors. That von Doom fellow, once he was schooled, was nice enough, and that Potter chap wanted to stay on and learn. They, and a few other examples, have given me a fair idea of what could pass as a local material on your Earth." It took Missy seeing Vespa's look of incomprehension to realize that Grigori was speaking English – British English, not American English, with a slight accent. But it was perfectly good English.
"You know what," Missy said, smiling. "I'll take it. And one of those puzzle things from the display at the entrance."
"Excellent!" And with that, Missy and Mr. Robinson shook on the deal.
= - = - = - = - =
Missy and Vespa were walking back down the street, heading towards a street corner where they could catch a carriage which would take them back to the Lady's Quarter, where the Mirikixen Manor was located. Missy suppressed a chuckle as she had noted that the carriages were, like the buses back home, probably the safest place to be on the streets, save perhaps the watch precincts.
Then again, given what had happened during Missy's tenure as a Ward -- several police precincts had been stormed by the various gangs, resulting in a lot of death and demolished buildings -- maybe the buses and carriages were
safer.
Vespa leaned over to whisper into Missy's ear. "I don't know if you noticed, but we're being followed."
Missy didn't say anything and simply nodded.
"I suspect they're common cutpurses, and they've decided a little girl and her hired help are easy marks. If you have any tricks, I'd get them ready."
Missy nodded, a grin appearing on her face that boded ill for the would-be thieves.
The pair had more than simple theft on their minds, as the first thing they attempted was clubbing Vespa over the head. Which wasn't a bad tactic normally, but went about as well as one would expect with a space warper as an opponent. Instead of impacting Vespa's head, the attacker hit his partner's. The more slightly-built man dropped like a marionette with its strings cut.
Vespa hadn't wasted any time; a slot opened up just above her wrist, and a long, slim blade telescoped out and latched in place. With a deft maneuver, the larger man was suddenly without his outerwear. Thankfully, for Missy's sanity, the underwear were still intact, but the man's pants were around his feet.
With a smooth motion, Vespa reached down with her other hand and pulled the belt tight around his feet. He soon succumbed to physics as his center of gravity was now outside his support, and gravity took over from there. Missy adjusted his fall slightly so he wouldn't injure his partner any more than he had. With a quick adjustment to their local space, she made it so they couldn't go anywhere.
Of course, because she was occupied with this, she didn't see what happened next. Things invariably became more complicated with a flash of light and heat...
To Be Continued...
