So, I thought I'd update since I was up anyways. so here it is :D.
Vince frowned at the man in front of him, finding himself wishing he hadn't started the conversation. He was hoping that Howard might be able to make sense of it, but when he turned to look for him, the older man was pacing about the clearing, and looking up at the over-sized hut balancing precariously in a tree.
He had to admit, mental as the man might be, he liked his hood. It reminded him of the hood of his mirror-ball suit- the one he had to cut off because he simply couldn't stand to have his hair compressed for long periods of time, and it just didn't look right with the hood just dangling there.
"I'm sorry- why do you want to infiltrate McDonald's?" he asked, forcing himself back to the matter in hand. Although he couldn't help but mentally admire his gold trousers. In fact, he was sure he had a pair of those somewhere. And those boots looked pretty familiar.
Wow. He was crazy, but the man had taste.
He sighed impatiently, jerking Vince back to the conversation yet again. "To search for the Spangly Nugget of True Taste."
"What's that?" Vince asked, actually quite intrigued.
"It is the most delectable morsel of all the chicken family!" the man repeated grandly, and Vince got the distinct impression that it was well-rehearsed. Maybe he wasn't mental. Maybe he just liked attention. Or maybe he was rehearsing for an acting role. A couple of his mates were method actors, and they seemed to be a different person every few weeks. It was kind of creepy.
"Why don't you just buy a Happy Meal?" Vince suggested innocently. The man just stared, looking fairly annoyed by his question. Luckily, Howard called him away. "Got to go, mate. Good luck with your sparkly nuggets, yeah?"
"It is not sparkly!" the man yelled after him indignantly as Vince retreated towards his jazzy friend. "The nugget is spangly! The Spangly Nugget of True Taste!"
Vince didn't reply, joining Howard at the base of the tree.
"Do you think this is where we're meant to be staying?" he asked.
"Hard to tell," Howard replied. "How do we get up there?"
Vince cast about, and then he had an idea, looking up at the large manta-ray in the tank below the hut. He jogged backward a few paces, and waved his arms at the sea creature.
"Hello? Excuse me?" he called. The manta-ray looked down at him.
"Yes? Can I help?"
"Yeah, is this 'Noel's hut'?" He made quotation marks with his fingers as he spoke.
"Yes, that's right."
"Alright, cheers."
Vince hesitated.
"Uh... is there a door or something?"
All of a sudden, a loud voice filled the clearing.
"Use the ladder!"
Vince looked about, searching for the source of the sound. Then he spotted the ladder and followed it upward. For the first time, he actually looked inside the hut and saw a man crouched at the edge.
"Thanks, mate!" Vince called up to him. Then he joined Howard again. "Well go on then- you heard him."
"Are you sure? It doesn't look that safe..."
"Just get your jazzy arse up there," Vince moaned, giving his friend a push.
"Alright, don't touch me! I'm going."
Vince rolled his eyes and followed Howard to the base of the ladder. The older man mounted it hesitantly and began to climb. Halfway up, he glanced down and froze. Vince stopped beneath him, looking up to see what was wrong.
"Get moving then," he prompted.
"We're a bit high up..."
"Oh for God's sake. I thought you were a 'man of action'?" When there was no reply, Vince sighed. "The quicker you climb, the quicker we'll get up there, yeah?"
Howard nodded his agreement and continued, although much slower. As Vince followed suit, he found himself wondering, for what must have been the ten-billionth time in the last year alone, why on Earth he had chosen Howard, out of everyone else in the world, to be his best mate.
Finally, they reached the hut. The first thing Howard did was step right away from the edge. But Vince was too caught up in admiring the décor to worry about falling.
"Nice place you've got here," he complimented to the man who was now sat behind a large white desk- and the Lego zebra upon it. "You see, Howard? If you'd just let me redesign the flat..."
"I let you choose the sofa, didn't I? And besides, Naboo would never let you."
"Naboo's a shaman- they don't know what style is. I bet he'd be well happy to let me redecorate."
"I doubt it."
"Uh... Hello?" came a voice from behind the desk. Vince could kind of see the top of the man's head from over the sculpture, just enough to note the brilliant hat he was wearing.
"Sorry," Howard apologised. "Good morning. I'm Howard Moon and this is Vince Noir."
"Call me Vince, yeah? I like your hat. A winged helmet- genius!"
"I know right?" the man agreed enthusiastically. "I thought 'how do I make a statement?', and then it hit me- Viking chic! I'm Noel, by the way."
Vince found himself already liking this Noel. He had taste, at least, and he knew what he was talking about.
That was until Noel stood and held out his hand over the top of the zebra. The two men's eyes locked, and Howard had to grab the back of Vince's shirt to stop him from flying over the desk and socking him.
"Easy, Vince!"
"He's stolen my face!"
To Vince, this was true. Underneath the his face paint, Noel was identical, right down to the blue eyes peering out from the gold design around them.
It was easy to break Howard's grip, since his anger was so great, and he lurched forward, knocking the Lego statue off balance. Noel's hands flew out to steady it just as Howard managed to yank Vince back, but he took the sculpture with him, grabbing at it in an attempt to keep from careening backward.
It dropped to the floor and smashed into pieces as Vince collided into Howard, almost sending them both tumbling from the hut.
"That took me ages!" Noel cried angrily, leaning over the desk and surveying the mess.
"What a shame," Vince shot back, turning away and folding his arms. "Should've thought about that before you stole my face."
"It's not my fault, is it?" Noel moaned. "I was born like this!"
"Oh really?"
"I'm sorry about this, Mr...?" Howard paused, waiting for Noel to clarify his surname.
"It's just Noel," he sighed.
"Well I apologise, Noel. Maybe we should just... go to our room, yeah?"
"Yeah," Noel agreed. "Take a right down the hall, the first left, and the guest rooms are the third and fourth doors on the right."
Howard nodded to Noel and took Vince's arm, dragging him from the room. Vince pulled away from Howard's grip, still fuming.
"I can walk on my own, you know."
The older man didn't bother to answer, just tutting as Vince trailed behind him. As they left, Vince glanced back to see the man who could be his twin taking a seat once more and burying his head in his hands.
Good. Let him be upset.
The face-stealing bastard.
So, a massive CHEERS to BatsNotDogs for reviewing :D.
There will be Roy Circles in... chapter four, I think, 'cause that's where I'm at with writing :D. Just for you ;).
Remember- review, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please, please? :D. Just lemme know if you want any characters specifically or anything, yeah? Because I'll definitely put them in. And there will be Naboo and Bollo! I have decided ;).
Until next time! :D.