Disclaimer: See 1st Chapter.
Two.
Visit to the Magical and Magnificent Doctor Ho's Little Workshop In the Middle of Friggin' Nowhere.
Yzak lifted his sunglasses and looked in front of him, and then to his sides. In front was an alleyway, and to his sides were white plaster walls which he thought a little too clean considering the state of the neighbourhood. But then he remembered that he lived in a place where animals had been genetically modified to only conduct their regular activities away from urban areas, and where the people were born with… something which made them abstain from littering and vandalism. The downside of living in such a place was that, well, everything looked the same.
He knew it – he was lost.
Unfolding a crumpled piece of paper, he began to trace back his path on the map Dearkka had drawn from him. He remembered making correct turns here and there, and became a little doubtful of his twelfth turn a half-hour ago. Finally he decided to back up his car and try a different turning, growling to himself as he did.
That cock-wad, he thought. When I get back I'm going to sign him on for that stupid map-reading and -making module again.
While his mind plotted his sweet revenge, his hands and feet went into an inevitable state of stupid, and before long his hind bumper knocked down an innocent trash which, to his misfortune, was full to the brim with trash. Yzak let loose a great exclamation of contempt and got out to inspect the damage. A vivid scratch greeted him behind the car.
"Fuck!" he cried.Those insurance pussies are never going to buy this.
He whipped out his mobile phone and dialed for Dearkka, tapping his foot vigorously as it beeped until finally the person on the other side picked up, only it wasn't Dearkka as he expected, but a recorded message expressing its regret for not being able to reach Dearkka for reasons like him not having his phone on. Yzak cussed for the third time, this time making sure he could be heard. Little did he know that the person who heard him was a charm.
"Hello?" said a small, shy sounding voice. "Are you okay over there?"
Yzak growled as he turned around, saying, "If you had heard me scream, you'd probably realise… wah!" The owner of the shy voice wasn't a girl as he (and agreeably, most of us) expected, but a towering man with arms of steel and an iron chest you could pretty much use as a table. The catch: he was wearing a skirt and blouse, so 'he' could be a 'she' as well. Yzak's jaw slacked as he stared at the man, too shocked to mention another word.
"Hey, I was only trying to help." The she-man stepped closer to Yzak. "Cuties like you shouldn't be screaming like that. It gives out vibes of… excitement." She grinned.
Yzak's knees froze at the mention of the word 'cutie'. His legs wouldn't move as the she-man's fingers began to touch his shoulder, and he sweated as if he was sitting by an electric fire in a hearth at the apex of summer. "You know, dear, I know these parts pretty well. If you have a question, I'd be happy to answer," she said, though her eyes were looking downwards, at where Yzak dared not think.
"I'm looking for… for Doctor Ho's 'magic workshop' which sho-… should be around here somewhere I… I think!"
The She-man's hands withdrew immediately, returning to her chest and then embracing in a clasp typical of anime girls. "Why dear, you're already here! Didn't whoever recommended you tell you we don't have a signboard as well?"
Dearkka's smug face and trademark thumbs-up appeared in Yzak's mind. He gave the image a mental punch in the face. "No."
"We have to to keep the paparazzi away. Lots of 'them' are regular customers of ours, if you get what I mean," she said with a wink. "Now come along. It isn't too far off."
They walked some way and up two flights of building-side stairs before reaching the door of what appeared to be a regular white apartment building. The windows at the side had curtains with white orchids drawn together. Yzak's guide tapped once on the door, waited awhile and then rapped it three times. "That's the knocking code to get in," she said. "You should remember it for the next time you come."
"Wait. Next time?"
"Well yeah," she said looking surprised. "Almost all of Doctor Ho's work requires maintenance. That's why we call it a 'workshop' and not a 'clinic', see?"
Yzak gulped at thought of having to return. He repeated the knock in his mind.
A feminine voice behind it answered, "Coming!" Yzak could hear the footsteps of a person wearing clogs behind the door. He shut his eyes and braced himself for the onslaught.
"Look what I found, Alex! A customer!"
Alex, Yzak thought. That means…
"Sir, are you okay?"
Yzak opened one of his eyes. Surprisingly, the sight of the person who was looking at him wasn't at all what he expected. She was someone… normal. A normal girl! "Yeah, I'm fine," he muttered. "May I come in?"
Alex giggled. "Why of course! How will we be able to service you if you don't?" She directed him to a couch by the side of the room with her hand. "Please, make yourself at home."
Yzak walked in and removed his sunglasses, folding them and than hanging them upon the neckline of his shirt. "Here, I'll take your coat!" Alex yelled. Before he could say a word, Alex's hands were already on his jacket, and with no concern for the man it clothed, yanked it off with a hard pull.
"Hey!" Yzak barked. "What was that for?" Instead of an apology, Yzak found Alex and the she-man looked at him dumbfounded. It was only after a few seconds that he realised that there were only women in the room. Literally. And that included him now that he was in it. "Er… I'll hang it myself if that's okay with you." He stretched out his hands towards Alex, demanding back his black jacket sheepishly.
Unfortunately, he realised he might have gotten the wrong impression of Alex as the bespectacled girl withdrew the jacket and pouted at him instead. "No!"
An awkward silence ensued as both parties stared at each other. Dot, dot, dot. "I… er…" Yzak tried to say, but he could find no words to remedy the situation. "You know what? Please hang it for me." At this Alex's pout took a hundred-and-eighty degree turn into a grin, and then she skipped her way to the cloth hanger, tossing the jacket over one of the wooden hooks and then praising herself for a job well done.
"Forgive her," the she-man who had mysteriously appeared by Yzak's side whispered. "She's not much of a Coordinator, if you get what I mean." Yzak could only nod. "Oh, I almost forgot. We haven't introduced ourselves properly yet. I'm Beatrix," Beatrix (the she-man) showed her hand to Yzak.
"Yuri," Yzak said and they shook hands. He could not help but notice the pink nail polish on Beatrix's fingers and sighed in his mind. What thefuck have I gotten myself into?