We're back with Todd, Wildfall and Mary.

Reunited and it feels so good! Get ready for more of the magic!

 
The sun shone bright over Market Square, located right off of the main entryway of Seaside Town. Though it was a lazy day, shoppers were still starting to fill up the square, gathering around the large fountain, moving from store to store. The town had reopened however many weeks ago with more stores and spaces for stores than ever, and new entrepreneurs quickly moved in to take advantage of it.

Having just entered Seaside Town, Jarlsboris Wildfall and Mary Katherine quickly made their way towards the Market Square, where the stores were found. The two found themselves laughing as they traded stories, as they had been doing for most of their walk through Nearby Plains. Along the walk to town, Wildfall had found himself holding her hand, smiling. That was probably a good thing, right?

Then again, they weren't holding hands anymore as they crossed the gate into town.

Wildfall glanced around, swinging one of his travelling sacks over his shoulder. "So where do you wanna head first?"

Mary grabbed Wildfall by the hand and pulled him toward the fruit stands. “Mum wants me to pick up some fruit and and a few veggies to go with the meat for supper tonight. I also need to get herbs for my healing potions.”

Wildfall rushed to keep up with her. "Sure, fruit's starting to get in season, so there should be a few stands open. I got no clue where you find anything for potions of any sort. Just, ya know, don't try to eat the meat in my bag. It's good for spending but it's way too spoiled to eat."

"I still can’t get used to the idea of spending meat.“

"You think you're weirded out, you should talk to one of the kitties." Todd smiled, leaning up against a nearby wall as if he had expected them.

Wildfall glanced around and then drew attention to that fact. "Hm.. don't see any guards around, so you're either behaving or you're improving, Todd."

"Just got here, I don't work THAT fast!" Todd chuckled.

Wildfall turned to Mary. "Yeah, I'm still getting used to this 'spending meat' thing, MK."

“I agree, Wildfall, meat should be eaten not spent,” said Mary.

"Yup!" Wildfall said. "So what're you up to, Todd? More importantly, how'd you find us that quick?"

"Are you following us or did you take a shortcut to get ahead of us?” asked Mary with a scared look on her face.

"Don't get me wrong, ba, er, Mary," Wildfall caught himself. "Todd's safe. He's cool. But I'm a lil curious how he got ahead of us, myself."

Todd laughed, tail wagging. "You know I could make up some yarn about how I tracked you down using only my wits and my keen Vulpin senses. But c'mon you two! You guys are heading into town and you're NOT gonna go shopping?"

“I guess that does make sense, Todd, but it still is a little freaky to me,” admitted Mary.

Wildfall chuckled. "Ya get used to it."

“There is a lot of things I have to get used to,” said Mary as she looked down at Wildfall again holding her hand. Wildfall smiled and just nodded in response. Todd just chuckled.

"And they say we Vulpins move fast…"

Wildfall blushed and rolled his eyes.

“Who is moving fast, Todd, we are old friends. Don’t your old friends hold hands?" asked Mary innocently.

"Love, my oldest friends' worked in the cathouse I grew up in. Hands were low on the list for holding…"

Hearing that, Wildfall pretended to cover her ears up, but not really. "Poor Mary's innocent ears!"

Todd just rolled his eyes. "Said nothin' wrong, mate. Cece's was a class joint!"

“Todd do you mean you grew up in a house full of cats?” Mary asked quizzically.

Wildfall smirked. "That's one of the things it means. Sorry, go on, Todd."

"Actually, mate, in Cece's case it meant both. Feline bordello. Best p- umm…" Todd paused, although his face had shown he was speaking with love and pride. How do you explain to people who just don't know?

All of a sudden the realization of what Todd was saying dawned on Mary and her face turned beet red, “Oh dear, Todd, I had no idea someone would 'grow-up' in a place like that,” said Mary.

Todd's fur bristled a bit. "And just where should I have grown up, missy? Out on the streets, until some lout stopped me growin at all?"

Wildfall tried to interject. "You know she didn't mean it like that, Todd. C'mon, be fair here."

“I am sorry, Todd, that was wrong of me to say that but it just surprised me that children would be in a place like that. I thought only bad women and cheating men when to places like that,” said Mary with tears in her eyes.

Todd calmed down seeing Mary upset, but he still felt a need to defend his friends. "It's okay, MK. You don't know what it was like. And, actually, what drew me to Cece's in the first place wasn't the girls, sexy as they might have been. I mean, I was barely old enough to stop thinking about 'em as feed bags, y'know?"

Wildfall smirked. "I don't think anyone uses the term 'feed bags' anymore, though, Todd."

"If I said 'milk jugs' you'd cover her ears again."

Wildfall jokingly covered his own ears and stuck out his tongue.

“Milk jugs... feed bags... is that what you guys call breasts? How crude is that?” asked Mary.

Wildfall turned to Mary and chuckled. "Waitasec, didn't we used to call them 'milkers' when we were young, Mary?"

Todd shook his head. "That's what they were at that age. The time between 'feed bags' and 'fun bags' you might say. Well, maybe not you."

"I might," Wildfall started. "You mean her. Oops."

“Todd, what drew you to the cathouses?” asked Mary as she turned to Wildfall. “Wildfall, why don’t you go find the shop we need to buy the stuff for our hunting supplies? I'll buy the fruits while Todd and I get to know each other.”

Wildfall nodded. "Sure thing, Mary. Mind taking care of her for a bit, Todd? I won't be long."

Todd looked a bit wistful and seemed not to hear Wildfall. He then shook himself back to reality and grinned. "Sure, man. I'll take good care of her."

“What is this? I am not a baby and I do not need anyone to take care of me,” Mary snapped.

"I already changed her diaper and her bottle is.. OWW!" Wildfall jumped back as she swatted at him. "I'm kidding, stop hitting me!"

“Then stop treating me like a child, silly.” Mary laughed as she pretended to be mad at them both. "Why don’t you go get your chore done, Wildfall, while Todd and I finish our conversation?” Mary said to Wildfall as she turned to Todd and asked, "What were you saying, Todd?"

"Sure thing, boss. Have fun, you two!" Wildfall said as he walked off to shop.

Todd indicated a bench and they both sat down. This was going to take some explaining. "I never knew my folks. My first memories were of the streets, of struggling to stay alive doin' anything I had to to eat and have something over me at night. That was until one night in Aldara- that's the name of our port town.

"Like I said, when I first was drawn into Cece's it wasn't the girls. It was the music. Cee had this old dog fox bard who could make an instrument… well, some said he could make them...um… y'know before the girls even touched 'em."

He smiled, turning his mind again to those times and people. "I followed my ears, and snuck in to listen. Shadow, she was Cece's bouncer and a beauty to boot, wanted to bounce me because of my age but the bard saw something in me, and Cece agreed to give me a room as long as I apprenticed under him. And I was eager to do both, of course. Safety and learning to do such magic as that old fox? I knew that the Vixen had finally delivered me!"

Todd blushed just a little knowing that this last was more to MK's image of things but.. "Cece and all the girls acted as mothers to me while I grew up. Yeah, they might have taught me lessons of their own, but that was only when I was ready to learn. I loved every one of them, and I don't just mean the way you think!"

He said the last bit quietly, uncharacteristically so. "They saved my soul from Hey Deze, then and today."

“How is that, Todd?” Mary asked, intrigued by his story.

Todd sat quietly for a moment that was long enough to grow uncomfortable. "The… the first was saving me from the streets. The second… is a bit of a strange story."

He then went on to regale MK with his recent adventures in Hey Deze attempting to rescue Catrina, as well as his recent… personal relationship with the Vixen.

“Wow, Todd, what an amazing story and thank you very much for sharing it with me,” said Mary. “I hate to rush off, but I really need to get to shopping and... I hope to see you around again.”

Todd shook himself again, putting in his best smile and offering his hand. "Nonsense! Wildy said for me to take care of you, so let's get goin!"

Things the voter liked about this one: The rational for Todd tracking them down (knowing they'd be shopping) and the conflict in this one, which he wishes would have gone on longer. "It wasn't all happy talk," in his words. It's also more insight into Todd's history and into Mary's as well. And I always enjoy rereading the playful banter between Wildfall and Todd. I enjoyed seeing just Mary Kate and Todd for a while, without Wildfall around.

Even with all the Mary Kate/ Wildfall and Sassy solos in this one, there's still plenty of other characters who were on the boards, thankfully. Next up are a couple of solos from them - Blackeagle and then Becky Joy!