#// pardon this update being quite late- it seems the teller of the tale was quite wrapped up! Perhaps in some spider webs- ahaha

[feastofcadavers]

Water would arrive sooner than later, with Sandwich being as swift and excitable without a moment to spare for anything to get her down. The slicer and the scientist began exchanging words with one another, yet... There was next to nothing that would pass through the violinist's mind. Consider him still frazzled, even whilst his meal- which thankfully his mind was too out of it to consider gruesome at the moment- was being eaten away upon. And past eating, he still stared down upon the plate that would behold nothing but crumbs. He blinked slowly, head devoid of possible thoughts...

"Are you finished with your meal?" The scientist spoke slower than their usual tone as if taking caution. Mint's gaze was slow to rise to the other, and despite how he didn't exactly hear the whole question in his head, he was able to give a silent nod and barely raise a smile. "Understood. We are going to be leaving soon if you are ready, so I suggest you close your eyes and hold on so you do not have to see..." Aloe's voice trailed for just a moment, gaze pointing towards the door, "...that room again." There was a chill over the violinist at the mere acknowledgment of what had sent him into this state, but... He closed his eyes and made a motion for Aloe to come and hold his hand.

Despite being without sight, he could almost visualize where the two in the space he and Aloe traversed through. It wasn't the best thing to seek sight of, but it wasn't as if his mind was going to be working with him for a while. Not until they left this accursedly friendly building, at least... Which thankfully would be sooner than later. Though before the two of them would be in the public eye, Mint would nudge the researcher. "Hmm?" Wordlessly, the musician would offer their overcoat back... Which was accepted. "Right... How foolish of me to almost forget..." Without it, their wings could have possibly been seen. With that catch over, the two would continue.

"You may open your eyes now..." And thus he would, adjusting to the light of the sandwich shop. When his eyes would come to, they'd land upon the happy-as-ever owner of the establishment. Or, at least, he assumed she was the owner. Perhaps he shouldn't be making assumptions... Though it was not as if this little one was going to matter, considering they were going to be on their way out sooner than later. Sandwich grinned at the both of them, happily handing over a typical brown paper bag and a slip of folded paper to the taller of the duo. "That's all you need! The instructions to get to Truffie are on the lil slip of paper, so try not to lose it!" There was a laugh from Sammy, one that would at least bring the violinist slightly back to being 'here'. "I'm sure she'll love your company, since she's always happy to see me and Spinny!" She chirped, and for a brief moment, Mint could almost swear that smile of hers had infected Aloe. Though it very well could have just been him...

...Yea, it was probably just him. Aloe would never smile so easily, from what he knows of them.

"We thank you for your services. If we have the chance, perhaps we will return." "Oh, I sure hope so! You two were delights to have!" "Mhm."

And thus, squeezing Mint's hand just a smidge tighter, Aloe would quietly guide him out of the shop. Ah. It was warmer than before... Or was that just because the inside of the shop was cooler? Mint couldn't exactly tell at the moment, but perhaps this walk could put his mind into a bit more focus. "Um..." His voice was barely above a whisper, "Which way are we heading? I'm good with directions if you, ah, need me to help..." The researcher felt a small twinge of sympathy, seeing the shorter peer up at them. It almost reminded them of what Co was like when- Ugh, they need to stop with the reminders, hope or not. They fumbled with the piece of paper in their hands, pulling it up and scanning over it with their various eyes. "I should be able to read the directions just fine. We're making a right here, and continuing onward until we pass by the music shop, then we take a left... So on and so forth."

"So, um, you can still read despite the whole..." Mint made a half-hearted motion towards his own eyes, to which he earned a small scoff from Aloe. "They have been like this for longer than the stay I had at that damned mansion... I have adjusted accordingly." And as curious as Mint was, he held back just in case prying into this was something that would accidentally irritate the other. "Now, let us get going... It would be best for us to arrive before dark. I am unsure how soon it will arrive, so the sooner we make it to that 'Truffle' individual's place, the better." There was a quiet 'mhm' from the musician that would follow, and... Quiet footsteps would trail away from the store as another round of traveling would take place.

A rather uneventful round of traveling, that is. The only thing that dared to stick out to Mint was the aforementioned music store. The duo at the shop, the white-haired one and the one that appeared to be a biker of some kind, were still with one another. Seems like the pale-haired fellow was a guitar player of sorts... He played decently well, too. Mint wished he could stop and listen to more, but Aloe's pace seemed too intent to try and stop for some silly musical session. Even so, it lightened his mood, if just a little.

...

Though it took some time, and Mint's legs were beginning to grow sore, he and the scientist would finally arrive at what they were led to. With a stone path leading up to it, the mansion seemed to seep with the aura of a place of danger. It was nowhere near as welcoming as the mansion that Rouguefort led, with trees with dried and dead bark reaching high into the sky, the tombstones that held a surprising lack of dust upon it, and... Well, the mysterious wind didn't match what the weather felt to be at all. There was not a single cloud in the sky and the sun was only now beginning to make its way down towards the horizon line.

Mint examined the place with an expression of both curiosity and cautious incredulousness. "This place looks like some type of horror movie location..." He'd murmur, to which the scientist couldn't help but agree. "Even without nightfall, it seems this place is the resting place for many... Either this, or the woman who lives here enjoys the Hallowed Month far more than the average individual. But even so, we were told to come here for a delivery, and it would be rude to simply leave the request unanswered after being given a free meal."

"Since when did you begin caring about being courteous to tho- Ah-?!"

In the blink of an eye, and with some crackling and fleeting light in the air left by something that moved too fast for either to catch, a sudden rush of something- someone, mayhaps- went past the both of them. Mint practically latched onto Aloe, though uh... Once the sudden situation had passed as fast as it arrived, the violinist was quick to clear his throat and move away, even letting go of the other's hand.

"...It seems we just lost the delivery." Mint blinked at those words, gaze darting to Aloe's hands to find that they were, unfortunately, empty. "So... Someone just decided to steal a sandwich? A morbid one, too? That's... A strange thing to steal... Who- or what- would even do that?" The question would be contemplated between the two, though... Footsteps of heels against pavement interrupted the two. Blinking, Mint raised his gaze, with Aloe following suit, to the figure that stood upon the mansion's open porch.

The voice that spoke was raspy, yet sweet. It was reminiscent of a caretaker that would reach out to aid a town rather than just its kin. "Are you two lost?" The figure would ask, hands held at her front in a rather polite manner. "Whether or not you are, you both seem like troubled souls... Perhaps you two should come in? I have tea already prepared, and wouldn't mind sharing with some dear guests..."

"Is... Is that Truffle?" Mint whispered, a hand cupped over his mouth to ensure only Aloe would hear. It was obvious that he was whispering by this motion, but the woman before the both of them only seemed to smile. "It seems so," the researcher murmured back, "though even if that foodie found her fine... We should take caution... While still accepting her offer." From there, Aloe would turn to the one that stood above them both, giving a minor bow towards her.

"We will gladly accept your offering. Please, do lead us inside... We were guided by a woman by the name of Sandwich."

"Oh, Sammy, you say? Then come in, come in! Any dear friend of her is a dearest friend of mine."