Chapter Text
The sleepless nights had stacked up, and Vinestaff could feel herself on the edge of passing out. But she couldn't sleep. There was no comfortable position. Not with her arm the way it was.
She laid face up on her bed, staring at the ceiling and trying to will herself to be comfortable. She was so tired her eyes wouldn't stay focused, doubling the glowing stars Shuri had helped her put on her ceiling. They were arranged to be constellations, but Viney couldn't find any. She screamed mentally at her stupid curse. All it had ever done was hurt her. Except for...
The memory came through a haze of brain fog, but hadn't the woman from the Church said she could help her? And she'd called her arm a blessing too. Vinestaff couldn't remember a time when her arm *hadn't* been a negative. Maybe she really did just need a different perspective...
She got out of bed.
The Church of the True Eye wore mostly teal and blue right? She was pretty sure. Viney didn't have many clothes that weren't pink, but she put every green, blue and teal thing she had into a suitcase, alongside some extra stuff in case she was on her own for longer than she expected. Shuri and Sling would be worried, but they were the ones who'd made her hate her curse, so maybe they should be. Vinestaff was surprised at the malice behind the thought. She forced herself to write them a note. An unconvincing lie about visiting a healer in Thieve's Den, but it'd keep them busy long enough for her to throw them off her trail. If they knew about this there was no doubt they'd try to stop her. After all, the same woman who had offered the help she was now seeking had also said Vinestaff's horns would look good on her wall.
But she had to try.
The house was empty as she left it. Slingshot was doing something with Skateboard, and she had no idea where Shuri was. He almost always left at night. She probably should've asked more questions about that.
Her emotions were on overdrive as she stepped out into Crossroads, and she was already having regrets, but this was something she had to do.
The daily chaotic knock on Katana's door came earlier today, and he was immediately worried. He expected to see Shuriken in need of healing that Vinestaff didn't know how to provide yet, or maybe Vinestaff looking for help finding her brother.
What he did not expect, however, was to see Shuriken and Slingshot at his door looking terrified. He glanced around.
"Where's your sister?" Shuriken fidgeted under Katana's intense gaze.
"We don't know," Slingshot answered for him, "me and Shuri were both out last night and when we got back-"
"She'd disappeared." Shuriken's breathing was heavy and his voice broke as he spoke.
"She- she left a note about coming to see a healer in Thieve's- Thieves Den but she usually tells me before she does that and she didn't this time and I'm really worried about her."
Katana crouched down and put his hand on Shuriken's shoulder. As much as he hated it, he still had some skills left over from the church. He knew how to track people.
"We'll find her." He promised.
The Church of the True Eye was impossible to find. At least, if you were looking to catch them. But there were fronts. Buildings and people who you could speak to. And then they'd decide if they trusted you.
Scythe sat in one of those fake buildings, twirling a knife. Someone had to be on guard in these places after all, and she didn't trust most of her employees with the job. Even Broker was a bit too... spacey for it. The door opened, the hot wind blowing inside. Scythe smiled at the young woman in the doorway.
She recognized Vinestaff immediately from the Phights. Though she looked a little different in the traditional color of the church, much to Scythe's delight.
"Can I help ya?" She asked with a dangerous smile as Vinestaff made her way inside.
"You... you offered me 'external assistance' for my arm during a Phight one time. I'm here to take you up on that." Scythe laughed.
"And how do I know I can trust ya? If I remember correctly ya didn't seem too eager about my offer."
Her breathing was heavy. Scythe was right. She had no reason to trust Vinestaff. But she needed this. Desperately. She needed an escape from being babied and fussed over because of her arm. Maybe she'd even have a church member cut it off, and get a mechanical arm like Scythe's.
"Well?" Vinestaff gathered her courage. The church appreciated violence right? She'd just play into that.
"I'm tired of being treated like a fragile fucking child in Thieve's Den. Everyone acts like I'm falling apart because *one fucking arm* has something going on. But you called it a blessing. No one's ever done that before." Once again, Vinestaff surprised herself with just how angry she was about the way she was treated because of her arm. Had she always felt like this? Or had it only started when she'd been exposed to the idea of another perspective? Either way, it'd been building up for a while.
Scythe smiled.
Perhaps Vinestaff's speech hadn't been all that convincing, but Scythe must've heard the sincerity behind it.
"Well then, we'd be honored ta have ya."
The cafe was closed that day. Slingshot tried not to feel too guilty about it, he had bigger things to focus on after all, but he still hated to let down his customers. Sk8s and Boombox had offered to take over for the day, but as much as he loved those two he didn't really trust anyone with his cafe. Anyone except Katana, Shuriken, and Vinestaff. Two of whom were busy with Slingshot looking for the missing one.
Slingshot suggested going to the police. Katana had been hesitant but eventually agreed to let Sling and Shuri talk to Banhammer. Shuri didn't look too happy about it.
"Are you sure this is a good idea? I mean what if Banhammer can't find her?"
Sling shrugged.
"Then we'll work more on our own. But it's still worth a shot."
"I don't know..."
"C'mon Shuri. Can you think of a better plan?"
"No, I guess not."
"Exactly."