Chapter 12 #2
But that brief feeling of disappointment faded when they came into the small area that was segregated from the working part of the station. Small shops, food stalls, business fronts filled the space and, for the first time, she got to walk among them instead of slinking around them in the shadows.
Vytln took care of business first. He got a hover cart – a simple metal cart that had an optional cover – and went through getting everything they needed.
He started with the extra bags of nutrition powder, then the replacement parts.
He ordered the cleaning mist fluid, but the vendor would be bringing that directly to the ship to fill the tanks, so there was nothing for them to carry.
Haven was having fun just going along, following after, looking at everything.
It was a different experience just to have someone nearby so she could constantly ask what things were and what they were for.
She fully expected Vytln to get annoyed with her.
He seemed like the grumpy type who would quickly become aggravated with someone’s constant questions.
Which would be a problem between them, because Haven had never been without a question in her life.
To her surprise and delight, however, he didn’t get annoyed or frustrated with her.
He didn’t snap or roll his eyes or sigh as her questions went on and on.
He just answered them. Sometimes without looking up from what he was doing, sometimes without even glancing at whatever had caught her curiosity, but he always answered in that same monotone voice.
She was a bit confused when they went to a what appeared to be a futuristically run down pawn shop, and even more confused when Vytln pulled a big ass yellow gemstone from one of the pockets of his pants. It was the size of her fist and already cut and polished to a sparkling shine.
“What is that being?” She asked, looking over his arm as he passed it to the male behind the counter – someone who had looked bored a moment ago but now seemed very interested.
She might not recognize whatever furry species he came from, but that gleam of greed in his eye transcended such things as species.
“Payment for a job,” Vytln said, like it was nothing, as he dropped it into the other male’s greedy paws – quite literally paws. “I just never traded it in before.”
“Who was being so rich they paid in gemstones?”
“Just some tool,” he grunted as the buyer eagerly began looking the gem over with what looked like a fancy monocle, practically drooling.
The two of them debated prices for a bit before settling on a figure that seemed like a lot – though, admittedly, she had no frame of reference for such things having not a single cred to her name. But it was still a big number.
“Did Tanin not giving you enough money?” She asked when they left the shop, his new credz loaded into his account.
“He gave me money for the ship supplies. This is personal. Now,” he turned and looked at her. Literally scanning her up and down, head to toe and back again, like he was examining something. “What do you need?”
“Huh?” She cocked her head, confused.
“I got your bag out of the wall when I fixed that pipe, and you don’t have nearly enough in there. Not compared to Garnet and the others. I know human females need more than that. So, what do you need? We’ll try to find it here.”
“Oh, I’m being fine. Promising.”
“I’m not wasting time arguing with you. Tell me what you need, female.”
“I’m really fine!” She laughed.
His eyes narrowed before he grabbed her hand and began tugging her down the street, grumbling the whole way. “Females and their tests. I swear…”
“Is not being a test! I’m fine,” she tried to insist. Maybe it was because she was still laughing, amused by his aggravation, but he clearly didn’t believe her.
“This is why I don’t want a mate. I have no patience for these foolish games. Here. This looks like a good spot. I don’t know how to take care of the hair things on your head or skin as thin as yours. So, find whatever you need in here.”
He brought her to a beauty shop. Well, that was probably a bit too generous for the store.
It was more like a toiletry shop. It had everything from beard care to scale polish to fur grooming kits to claw files and even more besides.
It was all neatly lined up on shelves, stacked and ordered by no sort of filing system she could immediately discern.
Vytln took her past what appeared to be horn care, past feather cleaners, to an aisle that seemed to be dedicated to hair and fur.
And she really tried to insist that she didn’t need anything.
She made do with the stuff she’d gathered and collected through the years.
But then a jar of detangling cream caught her eye.
She couldn’t read the label, but the little picture of a person with long hair smoothing the cream through told her what it must be, and she hesitated.
Maybe there was a moisturizer? Or some kind of leave-in conditioner?
Or maybe even something better and alien to care for her locs.
Her interest did not go unnoticed and Vytln grabbed the jar off the shelf before she could do more than make a sound of protest as he held it up out of her reach.
“This?” He asked, frowning at it. “Fine. What else?”
“No, I don’t…” She hesitated. She really could use some kind of moisturizer or oil or something. She hated to ask, but maybe just one thing wouldn’t hurt. And she really did want to know what was in that jar. And in that bottle. Oh, and why that brush was shaped like that?!