With the warmer nights arriving Victoria wanted to venture out into the city again. She loved the mansion, but she was still curious and wanted to explore places. Discovering new things delighted her especially if there was beauty associated with the findings. Some places she liked were picture framing stores as they carried posters of varying sizes with some amazing images. She would smile as she flipped through them. Colorful scenery, beautiful flowers and even different images of art always caught her eye. Other places such as a couple clothing stores and a movie theater brought smiles to her lips, but her favorite place was a music store. It was a place much like her mother’s music studio. They sold different musical instruments as well as gave beginning classes for people who wished to start playing music. This had become Victoria’s favorite hangout.

The store was named Key Notes and was ran by a very cheerful older man named Ned. When Victoria first discovered the store Ned saw her eyes widen with joy and amazement and so the man approached her and they talked music for hours while he let her play different instruments. The girl would treat the man to a song or two while playing a beautiful black grand piano as a thank you for his hospitality and kindness. Each time she played passersby would walk in out of curiosity. The people were drawn in by Victoria’s beautiful voice, and sometimes her voice would help boost sales as the people would look around the store and find something for themselves to buy or learn to play. It turned into a good arrangement as time went on. The man would even host special music nights where Victoria and others would play and sing.

It had been a while since Carrick last sang in front of people. It might have been before puberty and the voice change. On occasion he’d sing to himself as he flew over the city in the night. On a night like tonight in fact. His voice cracked when he hit the higher notes or at least tried to but that didn’t really matter when he was by himself, if he was with other people however that would be an issue not a big one but more his attention grabbing tactics would be more comical than serious.

Flying low over the city low enough to see the top of heads and the occasional traffic jam Carrick shifted his wings deciding to walk. It wasn’t often that he chose to walk but every now and then and when something shiny caught his attention he’d chose to walk. This shiny item tonight happened to be a gold money clip. One that was placed in the back of a pocket after paying a cap driver. Maybe it wasn’t gold but it was still shiny enough to catch hold of Carrick’s short attention.

Wings folded up behind him Carrick kept quite as he walked alone at night following a man in a nice coat. The man had no idea what was going on and right before Carrick was about to pick the guys pocket for the money and clip he stopped his attention wander yet again. This time he focused on a guitar in a window. Now Carrick new he couldn’t play but that still didn’t stop him from walking into the store with his tail swaying behind him and his wings tucked behind him. His blue and green eye shifted from one instrument to another. It seemed he walking into a music store.

That sure was a strange sight to see.

Not only had he straight out landed in the middle of the city, but he didn't seemed to mind the staring eyes and horrified gasps that took place as he walked carelessly through the crowds, wings and tail and all.

The nerve of some folks! parading themselves around like some cheap carnival trick! That was just rude.

Pretty damn impressive, but still rude.

And it wasn't because of the "impressive" part of it or nothing, she just decided to tag along for a while because she didn't know anyone else in the city. Granted, she didn't know this particular individual either, but at least she knew what kin of guy he was. One like her. Not normal.

She really should be focusing on scoring some cash before the hunger got to her head, but this was much more interesting.

Rebeca nearly bumped into him when he suddenly stopped to look at some stupid store. Man, that would have been awkward, just bumping into winged people in the middle of the street for no reason whatsoever, geez, what an idiot! She should provably just go back to minding her own damn business, and that's exactly what she was gonna do!

...as soon as she figured out what the hell was this creep was doing getting inside a music store. Plus you know, music store. Ain't nothing ever wrong with a music store.

It was kind of crowded, but beautiful non the less.Crowded in a good way, with instruments, not people. God how she hated big crowds of people. Always pushing her around and shoving her into tight spots. Sometimes she just wished she could return to Idaho, to the woods, not ridiculously crowded New York.

There was a nice tune playing, and somebody singing somewhere between the jungle of windpipes and drums that inhabited the small, cozy store. That was a really nice voice actually, hell of a lot nicer than hers anyways, and she got distracted for a minute, forgetting all about that free willed spirit that she followed into the store in the first place.

She browsed around for a little while, delighted with the bright colors of all the trumpets and what not. She'd always hopped she had learned to play the trumpet, or one of those little brass instruments they always bring out during parades and football matches, but she once heard a rumor that they make you have this huge hamster cheeks so that was a turn off.

Then she saw her, on the other side of the store, The cute little blond girl singing like an angel.

Victoria loved music and to see people who shared her passion was a delight indeed. So much so that she had introduced Ned to her parents through emails and phone calls. It was more specifically directed to her mother since she also a music store. Ned and Marcela (Victoria’s mom) bartered each other for instruments, pieces for instruments and of course music. Things had become better for Ned since he’d met Victoria, and she was all too happy to help him.

One night the store wasn’t quite as full of people, but there were still plenty of them to keep Ned busy. Asking questions about different instruments, some were looking for new sheet music and others were paying little tunes of their own. The whole sight made Victoria smile.

Grabbing a small stool and an acoustic guitar the girl with the golden hair began to sing various songs. Some she sang with her mother and others were her own variation of more common classic rock songs that she enjoyed. As people walked by her she would give them a friendly nod. She even saw a girl with pretty blue hair and a boy with wings and, a tail? Now that was cool! Victoria gave the blue haired girl a friendly smile and nod.

People of all types love music.

"She nodded at me!" Rebeca thought, her heart racing like a bull.

"So what. She probably nods at everybody"

There was no point in getting her hopes up for nothing.

What was she doing here again? Oh right, the winged guy, that was much more interesting than the golden girl with the golden voice, but was it much more normal?

She should probably keep a low profile while in the city. After all, she didn't know how the fine people of New York usually reacted towards mutants, and the last thing she needed right now was an angry mob chasing her out of town.

So, she decided to trust her gut and go with the golden girl instead. Maybe she worked here. Maybe she could chat her up!

Either way, she would much rather not spend another night out in the open, and there was nothing cozier than an empty music store in the dead of the night.

Rebeca swallowed hard, made a fist with her hand to avoid fidgeting, and made her move.

"Hi..."

With her attention moving around from person to person, Victoria did her best to make everyone feel welcome in the store. Most responded kindly though a few just passed her by in order to get to the reason they had come to the store in the first place. All of which were fine with the girl because it was all about music.

She had momentarily lost track of the blue haired girl until she approached with a greeting. Changing to just playing a tune without words made it easier to talk to people. “Hello! How are you? Do you like music also?”