Kyer looked out the window as they finally managed to find a decent
parking space and headed for the store.  So far, she had managed to avoid direct
eye contact with either of her faction mates:  Jenieve, Kezia, LaCountess,
Lisa, and Diane---not an easy thing to do since there were six of them crammed
into Jenieve's automobile.   Or was that six?  Had Nicole decided to tag
along too?  They were so packed into the vehicle it was hard to tell.

Togetherness was not a wonderful thing.

Jenieve had agreed to drive since neither of the older ladies could
legally attempt that task, nobody else felt up to it (and nobody trusted Diane not
to get them hopelessly lost).  The 19-year old, Jenieve would also
function as Kezia's portable calculator as she was adept at mental math.

'Well, feeling like a sardine has done nothing for my sweet personality',
Kyer thought as she pried herself out of the mass of bodies, slammed the
door shut and stalked across the parking lot.  She was in a foul mood and
having to step foot in a WallyWorld (a competitor to her own place of
employment) was not making her feel any better about life in general.
However, Kezia was determined to find some sort of yarn and had heard that
WallyWorld was *the* place for such things.  Kyer had decided to come
along on a whim as it was either helping Kez in this endeavor or staying home
and sulking over having lost her chance at buying that Wizardmon figurine at
ebay.  Maybe they carried a decent Digimon collection here.  At the very
least at WallyWorld she'd maybe garner some jollies in sneering at the
stupid happy face logos.

"Everyone try to stick together.  Remember, we're in foreign territory
here. God knows what we might run into."

"For goodness sake, Kyer," Diane smirked, "quit being so fearful.  It's
just a department store.  What can happen to us here?"

"Weird things," the Paranoid Knightie muttered in a hushed, conspiratorial
tone. "Department stores are like psychic channels for mayhem.  Why do you
think so many people go nuts in these places during Christmas time?  It's
the spirit world's influence!  We gotta be careful.  You don't want to get
possessed---'specially by the 'Buy Barney the Dinosaur' one.  It's
insidious."

Her companions gave her a little extra space.

They walked into the store, Kyer pasting on a fake smile for the greeter
while thinking sourly to herself, 'Yeah, yeah.  Get a real job why don't
ya?'
 

As soon as they were inside, they headed off for the Craft Supplies
section, Diane and LaCountess slipping away to points unknown before their Leader
could object.

"Oh, that's just dandy," Kyer sighed.  "If they get influenced to max out
their credit cards, see if I offer to help carry their stuff into the
Cottage!"

"Hey, Jenieve!," Kezia called out.  She held two skeins in both hands both
hands besides the other five tucked securely against her sides by both
elbows.  "These are 3 for $...... but these 2 are 5 for $.....  Which is
the better bargain?"

"The chartreuse ones," Jenieve said even before Kezia had the whole
question out, "they're a prettier color."

"Thanks."

Meanwhile, Kyer was trying her darndest not to look as bored as she felt.
Not even letting her Dark side making silent, snide remarks to the happy
logos could help derail her mind from the fact that she was in the fabric
and needlecraft section of a discount store listening to comparison prices
being made on colored fibers.  Grimacing, she picked up a neon-dyed baby
yarn skein and sighed as it's outrageous orange color contrasted sharply
with the wool of her charcoal-grey poncho.  '100% Polyester' stated the
label.  Tossing the roll back, she glanced around at the various
selections to be had.  It wasn't like any of this stuff was made from Peruvian
alpaca, the Squirette sniffed disdainfully.  How good could it be?  God, this was
boring.  Boring, boring, boring.  Yessiree... time to make tracks to save
her sanity.

Maybe Diane was right and nothing would happen.  Dark was acting up, sure,
but her Light personality would surely keep the other in line.  She had
the presence of all these smiling faces from the Seventies to back her up.

And if she didn't get out of here quick, she'd probably slip into a coma.

"Er.  I'll... be over in either the Toy department or the videos section.
Later!"

(After finding a semi-alive employee for directions.)

"Action figures. action figures... where do they keep the---ewww!"  Baby
dolls.  Not on your life was she going down *that* aisle.

She backed away from the sickening sight of electronic tots and preborns
with various sound and action effect abilities best left to the
imagination.

"And bro thinks Spawn is the grossest thing in Toys..."

Turning into the safety of the Die-Cast Cars aisle, Kyer almost missed
seeing the small group walking about the Pharmacy section.

Uh, oh... weren't they----egads!  Nunkies Anonymous!

The Squirette's eyes narrowed in suspicion.  Certain members of the NA had
been thorns in her side since almost day one of joining the select group
of those who cared for and cherished the vampires of Toronto.  They had
taunted her with being a closet 'Nunkies' lover.  As if!  Even the mild mannered
Light side of her nature took umbrage at that insult.  It was one of the
few areas where her twin schisms of Knightie leanings were in agreement:
Mortal or Vampire, Nicholas was the bestest vampire of the dynamic duo!

Light argued with Dark on whether to sneak back to Kezia and Jenieve or
stand pat and see what happened.  Already being in a bad mood, Dark
naturally won despite the presence of all the signing's happy logos that
littered the place.

(Darn it!  One of these days, she was going to have to see Dr. Vanderwal
about having that personality either leashed or excorcized altogether.
But all of her was curious now.)

What were these 'NA' up to?

Crossing her arms under the poncho and tilting her head down so that the
brim of her hat almost covered her eyes; Kyer watched and hoped that they
would not notice her watching them.

TBC~~