When noise had began to grow around them, Gary finally woke up. He could hear the chattering of the people around as well as the very quiet whispering of the pirates hiding in the wagon.
Sitting up, Gary stretched, thankful for the very much needed short nap. He checked in the horse, brushing his hand over Tim as he jumped off the wagon, mentally listing the things he had to do in the Capital before finally leaving.
Crowds were walking the streets and Gary was right to assume that it wasn't as many people as usual since they were near the Capital- which only meant that the population was far too big here.
He examined the tall buildings and how some workers were trying to make them even higher, it made Gary nauseous to think how high they were planning on building them- were those things even stable?
While he had been distracted by the "New World" plans, which were really just Lord Commander's work to make America the most futuristic part of Earth, he noticed a flier on a wall of a shop
"What's this?" He sang curiously as he walked closer to it, leaving the wagon behind. Gary spent days inside a barrel, they can handle being hidden in a wagon for a while
"You don't know?" The lady of the shop asked, she had just opened and was still cleaning up "it's only the biggest festival here"
"A festival?" Gary asked intrigued, festivals were just easy targets for his little thief hands who want to party
"Right" the lady laughed "it celebrates our new leader! Lord Commander!"
"Oh!" Gary forced a smile, unsure if he liked the guy who still allowed slavery but...a party is a party!
"By the way..." the blond leaned against the wall with a lopsided smile "Do you know any traders close by? Or a bank" he asked, shrugging at the last part
"There's a trader just down that street" the lady came closer, holding her broom close as she pointed towards a tight downhill "he ain't very famous but he makes really good deals" she nodded
"You speak from experience?" Gary stood properly with a chuckle
"That I do" the lady nodded with a short laugh
"Alright, thanks a ton!" Gary waved a wide smile as he made his way towards said direction, taking the jacket he stole from the marines more from his wagon before continuing ahead.
The street was more like an alley way, it was tight and there were houses on either side- Gary could tell from the ropes above him with clothes hanging from them to dry.
One of the houses was different though, it was a green color with clear doors, indicating it to be a shop. The outside had a bell and golden like lettering saying "Jack"
Unsure, the human still hade his way in, opening the door as slowly as possible to avoid the unavoidable sound of the bell.
As the bell rang and the door closed behind him, Gary was hit with the smell of pinetree and...well...money.
Inside there was a balcony, some seats made of wood, a door labeled "Deal room" and some stairs that lead upstairs.
There were skittering footsteps before a short figure popped up on the wooden balcony. It appeared to be some sort of spider-like alien with many arms and big round eyes
"Welcome" they greeted, two hands rubbing against eachother "I am jack of all trades- how may I be of service?"
"Jack of all trades?" Gary repeated
"Jack of all trades. How may I be of service?" Jack repeated
"Oh! Huuh- well I-- I want to trade a few things" Gary finally made his way to the balcony
"What would you like to trade and what do you want to trade it for?" The alien asked, his other arms wiggling their fingers greedily
"What?" Gary blinked in surprise
"What would you like to trade and what do you wa--"
"No I heard you but...Money. I want to trade for money- what else is there?"
"We have many objects and many things, with and without emotional value" Jack answered "do the items you want to trade today have emotional value"
".....yes" Gary nodded, assuming he'd get more money
"May I have a look?"
"Of course-- first" Gary pulled out the jacket with a sniff, placing it on the balcony as gently as possible
"What emotional value does this item carry?" Jack asks, pulling out some glasses to look at each button, finding one missing and writing it down on a paper. He swiped his finger on the fabric before taking a taste, nodding to himself he began sniffing the coat.
"Uuuuh..." Gary watched the process, trying not to be weirded out, he inhaled before dramatically beginning "it was a cold afternoon..."
"How much longer do we have to stay here?" Ash groaned
"Ash! Be more quiet!" Fox whispered loudly with worry
"Ugh! Fox! You're squishing me!" Little Cato tried to push the other
"Guys! Stop fighting!" Evra tried to calm them
"Easy for you to say- you can turn small!" Biskit rolled his eyes
"You're not that big yourself" Clarance huffed as if he was any bigger than the other
The whole crew was growing more and more cranky, spending far too long laying down hidden beneath the itchy covers.
Bartolomew layes as still as a rock, even his serious expression barely moved - if it weren't for his eye twitching in annoyance once in a while.
He briefly wondered in the human was doing this on purpose, taking his time or even forgetting about them. Who knows? Maybe he is booking himself an hotel room while they are forced to be hidden under the itchiness of annoyance this wagon is.
The town around them had grown more louder and his nose was picking up the different scents of the foods around them.
"Oops" Kevin muttered as his stomach growled which led everyone to complain about how hungry they were
Everyone went quiet when the horse neighed and Gary's faint voice was heard just before the wagon began to move again. There was the smell of warm fresh bread creeping through and everyone was right to assume that the human had gotten himself food.
"Jerk" Ash pouted
"Who's a jerk?" Gary asked, glancing under the fabric to see everyone cramped up "Bartolomew?" He answered his own question with a shit-eating-grin before he carefully placed two bags of warm bread inside for them to share.
"Woah! How'd you get this?" Little Cato asked as his father sighed, passing out a bread each
"I sold the marine uniform and my pocket watch" the blond replied
"Your watch? But...wasn't it important to you?" The boy's ears fell with guilt
"Well yeah- but no worries" Gary shrugged from outside, stopping the wagon as he looked around. He jumped off and pulled the covers away to reveal them
"I stole it back of course" he grinned widely, throwing them piles of clothes
"What's this?" Fox asked as he took a dress in hand
"disguises duh" Gary sat down on the edge of the wagon "get dressed quickly, before anyone sees us"
"I call dibs on this one!" Little Cato grabbed a tunic, taking off his shirt and belt before putting it on over the rest of his clothes before putting his belt back on over it. He opened his arms as if to ask others opinions, earning a laugh from Gary
"Great fashion sense Spidercat" the blond nodded
"Then I'll take this?" Evra sounded unsure "or this!" She pulled another piece of clothing "oooor this one!" And so on
Everyone else began to pick their own clothes, turning away to get changed (unlike clarance who got butt naked for no reason).
However, Bartolomew only stared awkwardly at the pile of clothes, picking up a shirt with uncertainty
"May I suggest this?" Gary grinned as he held up a dress that was far too small for the man anyway "I think it'd suit you" he batted his lashes
"Shut it" Avocato hissed, removing his heavy jacket and vest- deciding he didn't need to wear the obviously stolen clothes
"Think you'll have to lose the eyepatch and hat, Captain" Gary leaned back, scratching his stomach "pretty much screams 'Arrr! I'm a pirate!' You know?"
Bartolomew scrunched up his nose in distaste but he knew the human was right. Taking of his hat before hesitating on his eyepatch.
"Would you stop staring?" The Captain huffed, turning to see not only Gary but the whole crew watching with big eyes
"Woah! You actually have a head full of fur!" Ash said playfully
"Ash!" Evra snickered, elbowing her
Pinching the bridge of his snout, Avocato finally removed his eyepatch, revealing his other eye. There was a scar down the previously hidden side of his face, cutting through his eyebrow and eye which was blinded now- cleae from the fact that it was pure yellow and misty.
"Woah" Gary stared in awe "I though you only wore the eyepatch cuz you were a pirate"