[Canada Day 2014] [Zodiac and Alexandrea]

[Alexandrea]

Even with the lights back on, the haunted house was a lot darker than Alexandrea cared for. It wasn't that she was frightened of getting spooked by any of the touristy scares that the carnival was catering to, it was be fear of her own two feet. If she was dancing or fighting or breaking into a high security gallery, she was moved with easy grace and was as sure on her feet as a cat. Walking however, was another story.

She narrowly averted walking face first into a coffin that was standing upright and open, the hall was so dark. Alex stopped short, turning around almost standing inside the prop, which gave the Gypsy behind her a chance to catch up. She thought about playing stupid and acting like she didn't know what the Mystic was talking about but Zodiac was her friend and Alexandrea owed her better than that.

"I'd point out your reaction to my little jokes about costumes but that would be too much like ducking the subject." The blonde said with a rueful chuckle and took Zo's phone as it was held out to her as she continued to walk with her friend around the next bend in the hall.

"I see you have an opening tomorrow at 1am? I'll take that time slot, if I may. The sooner I get my head on straight and that man out of my heart the better."

"Yes, let's blow this ghost town and go get a good spot for the fireworks!" Alex agreed with a warm smile at the Gypsy, after being reminded yet again of the time. "Let me work my wiles on the attendant at the Ferris Wheel, see if we can arrange to get to be on the ride for the show!"

[Zodiac]

She took her phone back and entered the appointment, then sent it to her computer at the shop so it would flag in the schedule sheet. "Heads aren't so bad to fix. Hearts are another matter." Zodiac softly tutted. If she had learned anything in her experiences being a councilor, the two were often interwoven. You could fill a head with all the reason and common sense it could hold, but if the heart wasn't willing the effort was often wasted. She could not mock people for being like this. Her own heart had its own ideas at times that caused some of her ideas to go wonky. She did not press the point now. Too many distractions in settings like this to gain any solid clues. Best just to enjoy the rest of the evening as best as possible.

A door, slightly offset from the normal path of the tour held the sign EMPLOYEES ONLY Zodiac tried the door and felt the rush of outside air greet her. They were on the far side of the house and a well made platform and stairs (designed to look decrepit) ran down to the first floor.

"I am sure by now the word has spread through the place about us," she grinned, "So it should not be a problem for you to pop back in the front door and get your stuff." she began hop skipping down the steps balancing the cat on her shoulder. Over on the Midway she saw the people gathering to watch the show. A clear sky held the darkness above and not a rain cloud in sight. "I will wait by the gate while you get your things. That outfit does suit you though," she teased.

As Alex went to get her things, the mystic walked across the small lot and waited by the employee gate. She leaned against the rail and took in the sight of it all.

"Excuse me?"

Zodiac turned to see the 'Velma' clone standing behind her. She stepped away from the gate to allow the woman to pass, but the woman glared at the gypsy. "Was you messing with me with all of this? It wasn't funny!" Zodiac shook her head no in reply.

"What? You can't speak now? I heard you talking when I first saw you upstairs."

'Oh hell,' Inwardly she sighed. She had forgot about that. In the dark and dim lights she could play it off but not here. She snapped her head up to look in the cosplayer's eyes and stared deeply.

"You did not hear me speak." she ordered and repeated it before blinking. She waited till 'Velma' snapped out of it. Zodiac waited calmly till the woman began to rant again, then held up a finger. She pointed out her button on her blouse that declared I can hear you just fine. I just can't answer you. and began to write away in her notebook.

The job offer was real. Go put an app in and we can see. I can always use daytime help. It was not a joke. Only thing I did joke about was dressing up like Velma to come to the interview, cause she was always my fave on the cartoon.

The woman read and the gypsy saw her attitude change. "Sorry. I just get a ton of jokes over this. Like yeah, I grew up thinking 'I want to play Velma in a looser haunted house to support myself and my kid'." Zodiac patted the girl's shoulder in sympathy. "So....you run three places. Which one do I go to?"

Zodiac took her pen and put a checkmark by Pandora's. "Thanks. Well, its my lunch break. Sorry for snapping at you like that." She removed the glasses and the wig and fluffed her own hair a bit. "I'll be seeing ya."

The gypsy gave two thumbs up and watched the girl leave the area as she waited for Alex. The idea of possibly watching the sky show from a top the Ferris Wheel made her bounce with excitement.

[Alexandrea]

Sighing softly to herself, Alex nodded as Zodiac spoke into her mind. *I need to start with my head first. A girl's got to start somewhere.* The Allurist replied to the Mystic with a wink. *I know Kira found a way to completely forget that Gambat even existed but I don't want to take things that far, I don't want to completely stop caring about Odin. I just want to stop hurting and get on with my life already.*

The two wandered out of the house together and soon split up again, this time intentionally and with plans to re-meet. Going back to the front meant dealing with the attendants again, so Alex just went in the way they had that they had just exited from. She made her way pretty quickly, it really only took the thief one walk through any building to memorize the layout, and had her pillow back in her clutches in now time. This time she left from the entrance and put on a bit of a show on the way out, fanning herself with wide eyes and look of terror on her face.

"Wait! before you take your children in! Be warned, this is the most horrifying haunted house I have ever been to! Hide the virgins!"

She did her best with a touch of walking nightmare here and there to cause a small panic just for the hell of it, then went to look for Zodiac. It didn't take long to catch up to the Gypsy, and Alex held out her pillow. "Would you mind? I want to adjust how I look before we go tease whomever might be running the Ferris Wheel. The gal I traded clothes with had already left. That's okay though, she had liked the outfit so much I had said she could keep it. I can always make another one."

Alex reached down with razor claws to rip the skirt of the dress, letting the edge be jagged as she exposed her long legs and the removing the sleeves as well. After tossing her hair around and using her phone to touch up the war paint, Alexandrea adjusted her twins and turned around in a small circle in front of her friend. "Well, what do you think? Better as a blonde or brunette? I still have the wig."

[Zodiac]

When Alex showed up and began to dismantle her dress, the mystic giggled. "Are you sure now? Some of your left hip is still covered up by the dress?" she laughed while holding the pillow. Zodiac snatched the Elvira wig from Alex and looked it over. "Sorry, doll. Black is not your hair color." she took the wig and squeezed it onto the head of the stuff cat she had been carrying around.

"Now there we go. Some of us wear it well." she fluffed her own locks a bit, then laughed more. Once Alex was done with her alterations, the pair made their way back to the Midway. The gypsy just stood back as the allurist turned on the charms and soon had the operator of the Ferris Wheel ready to do anything she asked. Zodiac just shook her head at the scene, but followed Alex and sat next to her. 'Does she ever run into someone that trick doesn't work on?' she wondered in silence as the ride went into motion. A few test fireworks had already drew the attentions of the crowd and neither of them were disappointed with the view they enjoyed as the event began to pick up speed. Every so often they were parked at the top of the wheel with nothing but the night and the explosions of color filling their views. Tomorrow would be a time for serious things, but for now two wide eyed children squealed with delight.

to be continued in another thread-