The Scientist

The Store 2

Skizz pov

From my perspective, it was a bit of a mystery why I had agreed to come shopping with them in the first place. Maybe it was curiosity—wondering how these guys would react to such mundane tasks. Or maybe it was just the chaos they brought with them, a kind of energetic, unpredictable fun that made every moment... interesting.

What I really didn’t understand was why I thought driving was a good idea, especially with both vexes—Cub and Scar—who could phase through walls and were constantly up to some kind of mischief. I was honestly amazed we hadn't been kicked out yet. They were sneaky, I’ll give them that. Subtle chaos, but chaos nonetheless. And they were having the time of their lives.

Meanwhile, I tried to focus on my mission—getting actual food. Meals. Y’know, breakfast, lunch, dinner-type stuff. Not that I didn’t enjoy snacks as much as the next guy, but someone had to be responsible, right?

My wings shifted behind me as I stood there, caught up in the ridiculous dilemma of which type of pasta to get. The options were all pretty standard, but I couldn't help but glance back at the cart now and then, which was currently filled with snack foods courtesy of my chaotic shopping companions.

“Angel hair? Bowtie? Fettuccine?” I muttered to myself, rubbing my chin. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cub floating just above the ground, phasing through the shelves with a mischievous grin, while Scar was quietly rearranging a stack of canned goods in a way that was definitely going to confuse someone later.

I let out a quiet sigh but couldn’t help the small smile that crept across my face. Despite the mischief, there was something about watching them enjoy themselves that made the trip worth it. Even if it meant I had to be the responsible one.

"Alright, let's just grab the bowtie pasta," I finally decided, tossing it into the cart and moving on, keeping one eye on the two vexes while silently hoping they wouldn't phase through any walls too soon.

I was still debating whether or not to add another type of pasta when I finally noticed Cub and Scar getting a little too carried away. Cub was practically bouncing through the shelves, phasing in and out, and Scar—well, he’d gotten into the shopping cart. At first, I thought he was just resting, but it quickly became clear he was just waiting for something to catch his interest. Nothing did. He just sat there, looking bored, which probably wasn't a good sign.

"Alright, guys," I called out, trying to rein them in, "focus up. Let’s finish getting the snacks, then we can get out of here."

Cub floated back over, holding some kind of bright-colored candy, and tossed it in the cart. "Snacks, check. Now, what else are we missing?"

I sighed. "Something besides sugar, maybe?"

Scar lazily flopped back in the cart, stretching his arms out dramatically. "Boooring," he groaned. "There’s nothing here that’s exciting!"

I nudged the cart along, trying to keep things moving. "We’ve got plenty of snacks now. Just help me figure out if we need any drinks or anything."

Before I could get another word out, though, a lady—someone who had clearly noticed the chaos we were causing—walked up to us. She didn’t say a word to me. She didn’t ask if we needed help. She just started pulling things out of the cart. First a bag of chips, then a box of cookies, like she was the snack police or something.

"Hey, hey! What’re you doing?" I asked, stepping forward. The vexes’ playful demeanor shifted immediately, and I could feel the tension rising. Cub floated closer, eyes narrowing, and Scar—still in the cart—suddenly seemed a lot more alert.

The woman didn’t acknowledge me at all. Instead, she reached into the cart and, to my horror, picked up Scar. Now, Scar had decided to shift into his vex form earlier—a fluffy little creature with translucent wings and tiny horns. And apparently, she thought he was some kind of plush toy.