Chapter Text
“Wait, seriously?”
‘Seriously, where the heck am I?’ I wondered more so to myself now instead of letting it out in frustration to seemingly no one out loud. I seem to be completely and utterly lost, but it's to be expected when you're venturing into new and exciting realms you were never otherwise told about. The fog is dense, the air even more so, but it's nothing I didn't already expect. What I did however hope to see already was any kind of charity looking shop around here, but it seems like my search efforts have been fruitless. I'm taking multiple turns to no end, having passed multiple food stalls, and a bar, but nowhere that I think would accept the items I'm wanting to give out.
I'm speed walking now, powering down a newly discovered path until my eyes linger on a window with a softly lit interior with multiple merchandise decorating its lines of shelving's. Bingo!
I softly open the door, awkwardly manoeuvring with my hefty backpack hitting the door as I come in and close it behind me. The shop owner's eyes immediately take note of my unintentionally messy entrance.
He glances up and down at me, seemingly taking in my one, dishevelled, and two, bizarrely well-dressed get-up. It was nothing too fancy but clearly, it turned heads - I guess the dark cloak to hide most of my figure, and backpack embroidered with my initials in gold is a telling enough sign.
“What brings you to The Undercity? Or, if we’re talking about specifics, why my shop?” He questions quickly, raising his arms to rest on the counter.
“Well, do you accept items here?”
The question asked back to his own one seemed to have caught him by surprise as he eyes me suspiciously when I rummage around in my backpack.
I pull out two teddy bears, a pile of freshly washed clothes, and a dozen of children books that makes the ache on my shoulders finally freed up.
“It’s not much, but they’re not getting any use or getting any love in Topside, so I thought what would be the harm in parting ways with them for someone to take enjoyment from them here?” ...Silence.
“I hope I'm not offending you, but I’ve been stumped on who to give them to and would like them to serve a good purpose for others. I have no idea how trading works or anything of the sort and just wanted to-”
“You don’t have to explain yourself.” He spoke over me, still analysing the items in question that were clutched in my hands.
I was doing the exact same thing, contemplating how I can finally let this go. Maybe I’ll feel less guilty now that I’ve given them up or... No, I can’t doubt myself now, this is the right thing to do.
I look timidly back up to the man’s questioning gaze now that his attention has fallen onto my own expression. I can already tell that I must look unsure about the very act I’m committing to. I wonder how I’m coming across, maybe I should just leave it and apologise for the intrusion.
“I’m sorry for the disturbance, I’ll be off now. You can take them or bin them.”
As I attempted to swiftly excuse myself, having already turned on my heel and pulling the backpack back on my shoulders, his voice quickly stops my preceding steps heading towards the front door.
“Wait, Miss.”
I slightly turn, trying not to catch sight of the belongings I’ve finally parted with as he now holds the two bears in his grip.
“Thanks, they’ll be sure to go to an appreciative home.” He smiles.
That’s even more than I needed to hear, as I am caught off guard by my own emotions getting the best of me - fretting to boil over.
Excusing myself rather quickly, I’m finally out of the door and turning the immediate corner as I crouch against the wall.
My futile attempt at calming down my anxiety is cut short as I take shallow breaths, and it is shattered all too quickly when-
“Hey, lady!”
A rambunctious voice shrieks to my direct left back where the path is, and I come face to face with a rather spiky haired and adorable child.
“Hi!” He repeats, looking frantically at my facial expression that must be on the verge of tearing up any second now.
Breathing a quick sigh to keep my emotions in order, I whisper a greeting back that somehow brings out an even bigger smile on the kid’s face.
With his eyes sparkling from my vocal recognition of him, he extends a hand.
I appreciatively take it just to somehow project the fact that I’m okay, since I’m assuming he’s concerned why I’m slumped down against a wall and curled up?
“Your backpack!”
Or maybe not.
“Do you have anything else in it?”
Well, he seems to be quite inquisitive, or maybe just excitable? I guess it goes without saying that despite toning down my getup for exploring the Undercity, my one and only backpack must still be too expensive looking to bypass prying eyes. But that’s understandable. I came down here to better acquaint myself with those who have to live their lives on the daily in these conditions, it didn’t matter how I came across unless it meant that I couldn’t go by without being judged and grilled about it.
“Do I have anything else in it?” I asked back, wondering why he phrased it like that. I don’t suppose he saw what I brought out in the shop, did he?
“Yeah, I saw those teddy bears and clothes you gave to Benzo! What else you got?”
His eyes sparkled with the endless possibilities of what could potentially be in the bag, and it immediately made me flustered. His expression was unbelievably cute, on top of looking so endearingly hopeful. I don’t want to let him down. So I brought out my most priced possession.
I handed him a small device from my pocket – a circular, tiny screen with three buttons on it.
“What’s that?” He queried, getting closer and closer to my hands that currently enclosed said device.
“It’s a virtual pet.”
“A virtual pet?”
“Yep! You don’t have to have the responsibility of taking care of real animals this way, it saves a lot of hassle! Do you want to have a look at him?”
“Yes!” He quickly answered, swiftly swiping the little device of a game, and cautiously but curiously tapping at the buttons as a small and fluffy icon that resembled a tiny owl walked across the screen and squealed.
“He’s hungry.” I said simply, pointing to the right button to bring up a menu and direct the boy to selecting a piece of meat to feed the baby hatchling. The creature makes another noise in a far happier pitch, deriving a massive grin on the face of the child in response.
I break into a smile upon seeing it, and softly say “He’s all yours now, just make sure you’re feeding him throughout the day to keep him happy and healthy.”
The boy turns fully towards me, “You’re just going to leave it with me?”
“Sure, why not?” I smile once more, and the kid shows his thanks by knocking into my body with a hug.
And just like that, he dashes back round the corner and into the shop I had just come out from. I shuffle to the window to locate the boy, and see him shoving the little guy I just gave up for adoption to the shop owner, who I can safely assume is called Benzo. He smiles back at him, and begins to turn his head towards my direction.
Not wanting to linger for any longer in a place I’m completely unfamiliar with and imposing in on, I quickly turn my head to backtrack the way I came from. The only problem it would seem is hitting my face squarely into someone.
Feeling totally and completely flushed enough for a single day now, I pick my sore butt right off the floor and head for the opposite direction immediately, sensing a pair of lingering eyes remaining trained on me throughout the whole ordeal.