Disclaimer - I don't own Noel Fielding's Luxury Comedy, The Mighty Boosh or any characters involved. Copyright to Noel Fielding/Julian Barratt.
Sorry this is so short, but there's some angst here so that's good, right? Fun fun times~
Chapter 25
Noel took a step back, his gaze fixed on the shop in front of him.
He'd never been here.
He'd always been here.
The Nabootique.
"Ooh, are you scared, mister?" the little fox quipped, "What's wrong? This is your home," he grinned, "Vincey Princey."
Noel shook his head, his eyes still stuck on the sign above him, his mouth opening and closing but nothing coming out. The Crack Fox laughed again and Noel took another step back.
"N-no…"
"No what?" the fox tilted his head, "You don't wanna go home? Ya gotta go home sometime, Fancy Man."
But that wasn't it. That wasn't the problem…
As the fox's laughter turned cruel, his voice deep and gruff, Noel turned and ran.
He didn't stop until he was home. His home. Not Vince's. This was home.
Painted Hawaii was home.
Wasn't it?
… Do you even really need to do anything?
No. No, he didn't.
He didn't need to do anything.
Nothing.
This was his home.
He fell asleep telling himself that.
The only thing on his mind the following morning was talking to Dolly. As soon as she arrived at Luxury Comedy he was beside her, and she could tell from his expression he needed to get something out. With a glance over her shoulder to make sure Smooth and Andy weren't listening in, she leant forward across the counter.
"I got Dondylion out."
She blinked, shocked.
"How?"
"I had some help from… one of the… old characters."
"Who? Bryan? Gregg?"
"No…"
"Then who?"
"The… the fox."
Dolly's eyes widened.
"That th- Did you… follow it, then?"
"… Yeah…"
"Where to?" her voice dropped a little, "Was it… Vince's home? I mean, that drawing thing said you had to follow the fox home, right?"
He wouldn't meet her eyes.
"Yeah. Yeah, it mas m- Vince's old home."
He went quiet, looking down. Dolly waited patiently for him to continue. When he lifted his head again and locked eyes with her, he looked almost scared.
"It's just that… when I saw it, when I saw that place, I felt…"
"Nostalgic?"
"Not just nostalgic. Dolly, I felt homesick. Not… not as Vince, as me, I felt homesick for that place. It was… it was frightening," Dolly couldn't find the words to say, "He was right, I am Vince, our minds are all melded together now and I don't know whether I want this or not. I don't know whether I want to be there or not."
She didn't know what to say to him.
She knew she couldn't hold him back, she couldn't force him to stay somewhere if he didn't belong there anymore.
But she didn't want him to leave.