Escape [PSL]

[wicked_west]

Elphie had been asleep without Ford or the Chistery. Once she'd disappeared from him that one day, she stayed away. But today of all days, he was banging on her door. Him and the monkey. And he was hollering something about a ship and if she wasn't the witch anymore to follow him.

Elphie threw on the nearest dress... her flowered one... and grabbed all her scarves. She left the broom behind.

"What do you mean a ship?" the former witch asked as she opened the door.

Comments

[wicked_west]

"Right." Because she'd be a big help with that. "And the fish thing? Is there one of those here?" At the moment, all she heard was a lot of gibberish. And someone was just at this moment asking her a question that she couldn't answer.

[got_his_towel]

"Well, yes. They're pretty widely available. I used to carry a spare in my satchel, but it disappeared at the hotel." He looked around. "We'll find one after lunch." He waved off the man trying to ask Elphie a question with a annoyed "No, she does NOT want to pose for you."

[wicked_west]

"Pose for him? Is he an artist? But I'm just a witch. A human. A... thing. I'm green. Where's the damn fish?"

She's slightly overwhelmed and hungry. And there are too many languages she doesn't know.

[got_his_towel]

"The shops are at the other end of the Promenade," Ford said calmly, pointing far across the crowded spaceport. "Right over there."

[wicked_west]

It was a long walk. Through more of the crowds. She whistled for Chistery to fly back down to her. "Then that seems the logical first step. I need to understand. Otherwise I'm useless."

[got_his_towel]

"Okay. If you insist." He glanced over at her. "But I don't think you're useless," he pointed out before heading towards the shops with more purpose.

[wicked_west]

Elphie paused, a little stunned at his words, before smiling to herself and following. Chistery settled on her shoulder for a moment before flying up again. There were too many things to look at.

"I don't mean useless useless. I just mean I'm not helpful if I don't understand what people are saying."

Another thought crossed her mind almost as quickly.
"Do we have money to pay for a fish?"

[got_his_towel]

"Define 'pay for'," Ford said, starting to hum a jaunty space tune as they moved through the crowd. He certainly had missed this life. Crowded places, distractions, adventures.

[wicked_west]

"Compensation. Money or service or something... Or do they just give the fish away?"

[got_his_towel]

Ford shrugged, adjusting his satchel over his shoulder. "Depends on how you ask," he said airily.

[wicked_west]

"... Right. OK."

Elphie had mixed feelings about taking things without paying. Of course it was fine when you were taking from those who were rich and made other people suffer. Not so much from those already poor.

"And you're good at asking then?"

[got_his_towel]

"Oh, yes." He grinned. "I'm one of the people who writes the book on it."

[wicked_west]

It was hard not to grin when he grinned like that. Elphie smiled back and tried to trust him. Only that was so hard when he was... Ford. Yes things did work out. Just, chaotically and loudly. She wouldn't have minded a quieter profile. Still.

"Then a fish it is. With your powerful asking skills."

[got_his_towel]

"Yes." He paused as they neared the shop. "Um, maybe you and the monkey should stay out here," he suggested, pointing down at the ground where they were standing with both hands. "This sort of thing requires a degree of... finesse."

And he dashed off into the shop before she could answer.

[wicked_west]

"No Ford don't...!" But it was too late. The alien was already gone and she was left standing in a crowded walkway, unable to understand a thing.

After the third creature asked her a question she didn't understand, Elphie tied one of her scarves around her head and melted into the background. She kept watch on the door Ford went into, but otherwise she was fairly difficult to find. That was until Chistery stole someone's hat...

[got_his_towel]

Ford returned a short time later with a bulge in his jacket, skulking through the crowd until he spotted the commotion. He looked up with a frown.

And then laughed.

Hey, monkeys are funny, okay?

[wicked_west]

No... no... monkeys were not funny. Monkeys were obnoxious creatures that really were just waiting to have their wings pulled off after causing massive amounts of trouble.

"Chistery, give the... thing back its hat. That's not yours. Don't... Ford! You call the monkey down. Maybe he'll listen to you!"

[got_his_towel]

Monkeys were hilarious.

"Hey, monkey!" Ford called. "This woman wants her hat back. You can steal Elphie's!"

[wicked_west]

Chistery looked from Elphie to Ford to the woman and finally dropped the hat on the strange woman's head before flying over to Ford. He was going to avoid mistress. She seemed angry.

"Hat, hit, hut?" he asked

[got_his_towel]

"Exactly!" Ford said, then quickly slid a fish into the monkey's ear. He gestured for Elphaba to come over to him quickly.

[wicked_west]

Chistery grabbed at his ear and shrieked as the fish made its way to the ideal spot in the monkey brain.

Elphie walked over a little more cautiously. "It goes in the ear... will it hurt?"

[got_his_towel]

"What? No. It's made for this." He frowned. "You've been asking for this fish for the last half an hour. Put it in your ear already."

[wicked_west]

Just because she'd been asking about it for the last half hour didn't mean Elphie was exactly excited about sticking a fish in her ear. Fish lived in water... the very same water that was fickle about whether it wanted to kill her or not. But she snapped her mouth shut and took the fish from him, slipping it into her ear and pursing her lips at the sensation of the thing finding the right spot.

And then all the sounds made sense. Elphie clapped her hands to her ears as she looked around her in wonder.

[got_his_towel]

"Did it get stuck sideways?" Ford asked, misinterpreting her reaction. "Just shake your head."

[wicked_west]

So many people talking about so many things. After another moment, a grin slowly spread across her face. "Oh Ford! It's wonderful." Uncharacteristically, she gave him a very sweet kiss before turning back to the crowd and absorbing what she could.