the shopping bag ladies

[honestyandpluck]

WHO: Lucy Westenra and Yasuho Hirose
WHERE: Undertown
WHEN: some nebulous point in April!
WHAT: the girls are tracking down a cursed bag for a side quest. this will surely go well.
WARNINGS: probably none! will edit if this changes.

[How hard could it be, Lucy had reasoned when she’d taken on this job, to find a cursed, sentient bag somewhere in Undertown?

She should not have jinxed them like that, she realizes this now. Luckily, they don’t have to find all the cursed bags, just one. Unluckily, tracking it down is trying even Lucy’s patience, and by the time they get to Corvus’s TechBoi Empire she looks up at the sign and lets out just the biggest sigh.]

Must we go in there? [The look on her face as she listens on her borrowed cat-ear headphones says she already knows they will.]

Comments

[youwouldntdownloada]

[Yasuho has an almost identical look on her face, looking up from her phone to the sign of the store itself. Beeping through both their headphones unfortunately, is Paisley's insisting GPS warning; their destination is just ahead, apparently.]

She's pretty sure it's in there, unfortunately...and since it took this long to even locate one, we probably can't pass this up, [Yasuho adds with a wince.] Even if it's...here.

[They're going to be surrounded on all sides. This is truly going to be the most difficult mission of all time.]

[honestyandpluck]

It could be worse! [Despite Lucy’s peppy words, there’s a forced quality to her tone that says she absolutely hates the idea of going in there. Unfortunately, they promised they’d find the bag, so she lets out a sigh and pinches the bridge of her nose.]

Just…let me talk to these people. I’m somewhat known, they’ll be marginally nicer. [Beat.] Marginally.

[She adjusts the cuffs of her jacket and tucks a few stray strands of blonde hair behind her ear.]

Let’s get this over with. A cursed handbag ought to be easy enough to track down, in the midst of all this technology.

[youwouldntdownloada]

The floor is all yours, [she assures, tapping her foot to her shadow.] Worst case, if you can buy enough time, I can probably have Paisley grab the bag. She's about as strong as I am, but it's not like the bags have super strength right..?

[Well, enough of the plans though. In they go- possibly at the exact same time, because neither are likely to stomach the idea of forcing the other to go first. Eugh, Techbois...]

Show me a good supply store any day, I can already see overpriced hardware... [Yasuho finds herself muttering on reflex. Hopefully no one but Lucy heard that.]

[honestyandpluck]

Let's hope not, or we'll be in for a very bad time.

[Lucy steps inside at the same time as Yasuho does, with a look of sheer consternation on her face as she does so that she quickly smooths over with a neutral, calm smile. It would be almost scary how fast she's switched over to it to anyone who has never had to work in customer service.

Whispering back:] I will take you to a supply store later. Please keep quiet for now. Oh, hello, sir! [This she says to a rapidly approaching tech bro.] I'm quite sorry for the trouble, but we're looking for a bag—it's rather unique, perhaps you've seen it around here?

[youwouldntdownloada]

Ugh....tell me about it, now that I can swing a sword I keep wishing more problems could be fixed that way...

[Alas, this is the modern world where that gets you arrested instead of acting as a successful way to chase problems away! While Lucy puts on her Customer Service Face, Yasuho hangs a little farther back after giving a wince and nodding.

She'll just scoot behind an aisle and let her shadow melt out so that Paisley can keep tabs on things.]

'Oh shit, the feds! Save me Toby!!'

[Well the good news is, they found the bag! ...REALLY FAST. It's literally on this dude's person!

The bad news-]

Ah-MN! AHm-hmm..! Oh, man, left my buds on max, that's super embarrassing...You were saying, cutie~?

[THEY'RE WORKING TOGETHER!? ....also, gross!]

[honestyandpluck]

[In the very back of Lucy's mind, the demon purrs, Why don't we show him how cute we are?

Lucy, an old hat at being possessed by now, ignores it, and continues smiling in a vaguely pleasant yet distant way.]

The bag you have, it's quite unique. [In that it's really fucking cursed.] It's also already owned by someone who would really like it back.

'I ain't going back 'till I've got me that avatar!'

Oh, sweetheart, you saying I'd steal this bag? Ol' Corvus here came to me, so I'm sorry, but I can't give him up, even to you pretty things. [The tech bro pauses, and squints at Lucy a second, before he says,] Hey, aren't you...?

Yes, I'm Lucy from the radio. Can my friend and I see this avatar that you're so excited about?

[youwouldntdownloada]

[Yasuho has so many thoughts. First- You named the bag after the 'store'?!

Second- How do you BUY an avatar in a store!?!

Third- Oh god, that's what they were looking at.

And it is at that point that Yasuho steps around the corner to stare directly at the Super Cool Avatar on display, while Paisley slowly creeps up to try and get a better angle at the bag.

While the pink being's eye narrows at zipper-mouths, Yasuho just.

Stares.]

...I think I already found it...it's....very expensive...

And worth every penny! Lookatit- it's the latest! The greatest!

It's a mark of prestige, it's hard to understand I know, but this? It's one of a kind, and it'll only be ours!

[Yasuho just. Keeps staring.]

...It's a picture of...a cat on a napkin?

That no one else will have.

The fame! The clout!

[honestyandpluck]

[There's a beat.]

I'm not sure it ought to be worth so much money.

Hey, radio lady, you just don't understand the kind of prestige having this one-of-a-kind cat could bring you!

Relax, man, she's a radio host, you can't expect her to know these things. [Lucy's fingers twitch briefly, sparks coming off her fingers, but she breathes in, then out, getting a hold of herself.]

Well. There could be a problem with that. [She gives both the bag and the tech bro her most innocent look, before she says:] It's on display, right? Anyone could take a picture of it, and make a copy. If the value lies in its being one of a kind, I don't believe it will be so valuable tomorrow. Right, Yasuho?

[youwouldntdownloada]

[Yasuho admittedly jumps a bit, straightening up from where she was definitely trying to scope out if she could just figure out how to undo the straps on that backpack to run off with it.

As much as her hands tuck behind her back though, Paisley is in full view with the phone in her hands.]

It's true, I'm doing it right now.

[Paisley beeps.

And snaps the picture.]

A quick run through photoshop, and no one would realize it's not the original...

WH- But you can-

[The man is speechless.

...And...so is the bag? That's-]

Toby!!! Toby, don't turn me away man, I need to see that again- Toby!!

Woah...so pink...and she's covered in maps...

[Paisley's beeping takes a distinctively uncertain tone to it.]

Toby, turn me around, I gotta see the beauty!!

[Yasuho meanwhile just feels like she's having her privacy invaded somehow. That's. That's her soul!!! Hey!]