Korat'ska's stall was one of the first ones they encountered when entering the wood-based goods section. It was an unassuming stall, blending right in with the others. There were no bright splashes of color along the fabric covering the top or along the walls of the stall, like many others. It did not cry out for attention or attracted anyone's gaze like the other stalls tried to do.

Maybe that was why Vok'Rul liked it. He adored shiny things, sure, but most of his house was decorated plainly. Minimalistic.

"Korat'ska!" Vok'Rul called out cheerfully. The alien running the stall turned around. He was older, having lost much of the vibrancy that Vol'Rul or Thruul still held. He was a pale red, almost pink. He was extremely short.

"Ah, little Rulshkka," Korat'ska returned. "I have not seen you since the last festival. How have you been? Have you found a mate, yet? Where is your sister?"

"I am not little, Korat'ska, and I haven't been for 200 years," Vok'Rul muttered fondly, voice thick with embarrassment. His voice was light, though. Happy. "I am well. Rukka is with her mate and hatchling." Viktor noticed he avoided the question about a mate. He suppressed a cheeky smile. He wished he could see Thruul's face, right about now.

Korat'ska hummed, gesturing something that had no meaning to Viktor but did for Vok'Rul because he leaned closer to the stall. Viktor leaned away as far as he could. The movement attracted the alien's attention.

"Oh," Korat'ska said, blinking at him owlishly. Viktor eyed him back warily. "Who is this?"

"This," Vok'Rul said, almost proudly, and lifted Viktor a little higher in his arms, "is Kohgrash. Haven't you watched the holos? I have been told he is frequently on there."

Korat'ska made a grumpy noise, "Holos!" he scoffed. "You know I don't watch that nonsense. I have better things to do. Where did you get him?" Korat'ska was inspecting him intensely. He held none of the greedy, malicious intent that the ringmaster had looked at him with, though. Instead, he was simply... observing. He followed Viktor's every movement. Which wasn't very much. Viktor held himself as still as a statue.

"Well," Vok'Rul started. "It's been a little over a year since we had taken them from their dying planet." Viktor could hear some of the guilt in Vok'Rul's voice. Carefully, watching Korat'ska, he patted the alien's arm comfortingly. Korat'ska watched him back. "You might have seen some last year?"

Korat'ska hmphed. "Yes, I saw them. And throughout the year. My neighbor has one, you know."

Oh great, Viktor thought. Another alien who thought humans were nothing but vermin. Already his face was falling into a self-righteously angry scowl, brows furrowing. Vok'Rul didn't seem to mind his friend's harsh tone, though, taking it entirely in stride. Unlike speaking with his mother, Vok'Rul's expression didn't even flicker to annoyance when speaking to this alien. It made Viktor wonder just who this Korat'ska was to him.

Vok'Rul nodded. "Kohgrash was illegally stolen and trafficked to the Ring of Wonders." He paused here, and Viktor saw Korat'ska wince, face growing sympathetic. He felt something similar to anger swirl in his gut. He didn't need anyone's pity! "Surely, you heard that we finally took it down four months ago?"

Korat'ska gave a nod of affirmation, saying, "Yes, and was I glad to hear it! That place was nothing but rotten. I cannot believe that Krrkh of all Vokkrus ran it. He had been such a moral businessman, that one. What happened to him?"

As a rule, Viktor tried not to think about the ringmaster or his time in the arena. Sure, some things reminded him of it and he had brief, terrifying thoughts about it. Ironic, impossible things, like what if he randomly got stuck in it again? Would he be able to defend himself well enough to survive? Was he off his game after living in luxury for so long? He loathed to call his life now luxury; he lived like everyone else on this planet. He had a bed, some blankets, food, and water. No hands or leashes were raised with the intention to strike him anymore.

Generally, though, the only time he really thought about how the first nine months of his time here went was at night, when the only thing occupying him were his thoughts.

But he didn't care about the ringmaster. He didn't want to know his name. He didn't want to know that he had been 'a promising Vokkrus,' because all he knew was his beady eyes boring into him with that aura of greedy, malicious detachment. All he knew was that whenever the ringmaster turned his attention onto Viktor, what would occur afterward was pain.

"He faced the Mirror," Vok'Rul said, oblivious to Viktor's internal discordance.

"Stop talking about him," Viktor snapped angrily. Vok'Rul rumbled apologetically, tactfully changing the subject.

"I adopted him four months ago. He is a sweet thing." Viktor wanted to protest about being called sweet of all things. He was not sweet!

"He looks rather frail," was Korat'ska's charming comment.

"You look like you're one breath of wind from blowing over yourself, Grandpa," Viktor snarked back.

"Be nice, Kohgrash. Korat'ska is a friend," Vok'Rul said soothingly. Viktor just rolled his eyes.

They moved on from him, then, much to Viktor's relief. He didn't want to talk about his appearance (he was still putting on weight, okay? But that wasn't his fault!), and he definitely didn't want to talk about the ringmaster. Or hear about him. Ever.

Unfortunately, they started talking about more boring things. Like whatever the hell Korat'ska made throughout the year. Something about wood. Viktor peered at the booth. Wood carvings littered the shelves sticking from the booth.

Okay, Viktor thought, realizing that he needed to re-evaluate his opinion about the carvings as soon as he took a closer look. These were pretty cool.

Some were much larger than he'd expect out of a small, unassuming booth. They were of different things; some were flora-related. Flowers that Viktor had seen in the gardens behind the mansion, wiggly trees, and short and stocky bushes just to name a few. Busts of unfamiliar aliens stared out at him impassively, made with excruciating detail. Viktor could see each horn, blemish, and even the crease of its skin, all carved meticulously into the wood. There were smaller, hand-sized carvings. Like a flower bud or an engraving of a design.

Korat'ska gestured to Vok'Rul again, and the alien obediently leaned closer to the shorter one. "Look here, Rulshkka," Korat'ska said, holding up a small, unassuming block of wood. "I will carve something special for you, little one. What would you like?"

Vok'Rul looked gleeful, just like Nohkka had at the toy booth. Man, he really loved this guy's carvings.

Viktor squirmed out of his grasp, pleased when the alien let him go. He stuck close to the stall, unwilling to leave Vok'Rul behind just to alleviate his boredom. At least he wasn't the only one suffering. Thruul was standing by the cart, which still had the pillows on it, idly looking around. His claws were thrumming along the handle of the car in a familiar pattern. He thought he'd heard Vok'Rul humming the tune once or twice.

"Hello, Thruul," he said, translator crackling his voice through as he spoke their language. Thruul looked surprised that Viktor had come over willingly.

"Hello, Kohgrash! Do you need something? Food? Water?"

Food and water would be nice. His head still hurt from the constant use of the translator. Not to mention, his ear was starting to get a little sore from holding the heavy thing. Viktor glanced over his shoulder to Vok'Rul, who was gesturing and speaking enthusiastically to Korat'ska. The shorter alien nodded along occasionally, humoring Vok'Rul. He had a little knife in his hands, chipping away at the block of wood with precision and speed. Already, Viktor could see a shape forming. It was pretty impressive.

Getting some food and water would mean leaving the stall, and Viktor couldn't help the squirm of worry in his gut at the thought of leaving him by himself.

"No," Viktor replied, looking back at Thruul. "Kohgrash stay with Vok'Rul."

"Still on that, huh?" Thruul said with amusement, leaning down to pet Viktor's hair. "You're one loyal mammal. Smart, too."

"Thanks, I think," Viktor grinned, tilting his head a little bit. Thruul wasn't so bad. After he got past the looks, the alien was as far from the ringmaster as the sun was from the moon. Complete opposites.

"Hello?" a voice from behind him had Viktor turning around quickly. He spun on his heel so fast that he brought up dirt with it. At least he wasn't wearing only socks anymore. These shoes, even poorly made, were pretty good.

A young human stood in front of him. They had fluffy, dark hair that framed wide, fearful eyes. They were older than Viktor, but probably only by a few years or so. They looked lost.

"Uh, hi?" Viktor said slowly. "You okay?"

They blew out an explosive breath, one filled with exasperation and worry. "Not really," they said, wringing their hands. "I lost my alien. You're the first person I've seen! I'm really worried about him. He's old, and he can't get around that well, anymore. He must have stopped at a stall or something, because one moment he's there, and the next, gone!"

They looked ready to burst into tears, and Viktor hurriedly held up his hands, awkwardly hovering over their shoulders. "Hey! It's okay! We'll find him. What's he look like?"

They explained. Their alien was a pale orange with a long, sloping tail. He was missing three fingers on his right hand and used a cane in his other. Apparently, he was littered with scars, too. Viktor nodded, holding out his hand for the other to take.

"I'm Viktor. I'll go ask my alien," he gestured to the device in his ear. "This is a translator."

"Really?" they asked, looking hopeful. "I'm Jamie."

"Hello there," Thruul said gently, crouching to get a better look at Jamie. "Are you a new friend of Kohgrash's? How nice to meet you!"

"Ignore this guy," Viktor told the other. They gave Thruul a shaky smile, which he returned wholeheartedly. He tugged on their hand, pulling them over to Korat'ska's stall. "Hey, Vok'Rul!"

Vok'Rul, still enraptured with watching Korat'ska carve whatever it was he was carving, hummed, tilting his head in Viktor's direction but not looking at him. "What is it, my little Kohgrash?"

"This human is lost," Viktor returned, tugging on the alien's hand insistently. It got his attention because he turned to them with a frown.

"Lost?" he repeated, like the concept was incomprehensible.

"Have you got wood shavings in your ears, now?" Viktor huffed. "Yes, lost. We should help them. They need it."

Vok'Rul nodded, eyes alight with the prospect of helping a human for the sake of it. He was really into showing his species they could be kind, huh? Well, whatever made him happy.

"Sorry, Korat'ska, I will return shortly," Vok'Rul told the older alien. Korat'ska scoffed.

"Yes, you go off and do Vokkra things. Or whatever it is you get up to, nowadays. I will see you later, little one. This will be waiting for you when you come back."

Vok'Rul beamed. "Excellent! Come, Kohgrash, Thruul. Kohgrash, what's your friend's name?"

Jamie was hard for the alien to pronounce, but he thought that they appreciated the attempt nonetheless. They told Viktor that their alien called them Torrato, which translated into pepper. At least, he thought it meant pepper. The device crackled loud enough in his ear that he thought he might go deaf.

Finding Jamie's alien wasn't too difficult, especially with everyone aware of Vok'Rul's presence. While none of the Vokkrus would put themselves into anyone's debt by asking for help, everyone was quick to answer Vok'Rul's questions about a certain alien. Viktor liked to think he helped by looking menacing. It might've, considering the wary looks he got.

They found the old alien eventually, wandering around the stalls - extremely slowly, just like Jamie had said - and calling for them. Viktor privately wondered what could have happened to the elderly alien to make him lose three fingers and become so riddled with scar tissue.

Jamie ran up to him, latching onto the alien's leg and exclaiming loudly, "Jeez, Cain!" Viktor supposed it could also be Cane. "Don't wander off like that!"

Cain said the same thing to Jamie, more or less. "Torrato, there you are! Where did you run off to?" His claws patted the human's fluffy hair reverently. He looked up to Vok'Rul with a small bit of surprise. "Ah, young Vokkra! Was it you who found my runaway mammal? Well, I thank you." He bowed low, having to grip onto his cane with both hands in order to keep his balance.

"It is my pleasure," Vok'Rul returned easily. He waved to Jamie, who waved back with a happily confused expression on their face, before scooping up Viktor in his arms and departing. "Now, where is Thruul, Kohgrash? Did we lose him, too?"

"I'm right here, my lord," Thruul startled them both by coming around a stall. Though, Vok'Rul's arms just tightened fractionally around Viktor. Viktor was the one who jumped out of his skin. "And look! I brought company."

"Hiii Uncle Rul!!" Nohkka's muffled voice came from below them. When Viktor looked down, though, she was nowhere to be seen.

"What the -" Viktor started when Nohkka suddenly burst out from under all the pillows Thruul had piled onto the cart. She laughed with glee.

"Wow, Thruul! What a life-like pillow you've found." Vok'Rul praised, picking up Nohkka by the scruff of her clothing easily. Viktor was in his other arm. "Looks exactly like Nohkka!"

"It is me, Uncle! You are losing the screws in your head," Nohkka told him. Viktor grinned widely. It was funny how expressions were translated.

"And the pillow talks!" Vok'Rul exclaimed in fake wonder. "Thruul, you are a marvel to this planet. What an excellent find!" Viktor looked over to Thruul, who looked sickeningly fond. "That reminds me..." Vok'Rul said mischievously, hooking his arm around Nohkka's middle so he was carrying her like a sack of potatoes. "We should find Nohkka. Korat'ska no doubt has something special for her."

"I'm right here!!" Nohkka squealed, offended. She struggled to get down, but Vok'Rul didn't budge. "I wanna see Grandpa!"

"Oh hush," Vok'Rul murmured to her, giving up the act of pretending. He sounded a little wistful. "He's not your grandfather, little one."

"Mother says so," Nohkka defended. "She says you and Mama were prak-tick-ly raised by him. And that means he's Grandpa!"

Vok'Rul made a grumpy little noise in the back of his throat. Viktor patted his shoulder consolingly. "Where are your parents?" he asked his niece instead. She was easily distracted.

"They stop at stupid stalls," she pouted. "So I left!"

"Nohkka," Vok'Rul started, voice growing icily stern. "Did you run off? You know how dangerous that can be!"

"I saw Thruul!" she protested pleadingly.

Thruul spoke up then, "My lord, her parents are just around the corner. She ran up to me when I was catching up to you and Kohgrash. There was no danger."

Vok'Rul's expression flickered. Worried, concerned, irritated, fearful. They all flitted across his face like switching channels on a TV. Viktor couldn't blame him; he loved Nohkka a lot. Fearing for her safety was normal. But, he thought the alien was just a little paranoid.

"She's okay, now, Vok'Rul. She wasn't even out of anyone's sight," Viktor reasoned.

Vok'Rul was unhappy, that much was obvious, but he let it go. Nohkka, oblivious to the tension, demanded that they go see Korat'ska. Her uncle relented, but only on the condition that they grab her mothers, first. Nohkka wilted then; obviously aware that they likely wouldn't be happy with her for running off.

They weren't.

Vok'Rul, Thruul, and he watched in awkward silence as Kac berated Nohkka for disappearing. When Kac ran out of breath, Rukka took over. They were a rather formidable team.

"Jesus," Viktor muttered after it had been five minutes straight of lecturing. "I think she's learned her lesson."

Vok'Rul rumbled unhappily. "She is always like this. She stays next to us for most of the year, but when it is imperative she stays close, she's gone," he grumbled under his breath.

"Keeps things exciting, huh?" His joke fell flat. Viktor doesn't have kids. He couldn't imagine the fear that would go through him if his kids went missing. But he imagined it wasn't pleasant. "She should be put on a leash. Leashing kids is common on Earth, y'know."

Vok'Rul breathed a bewildered laugh. "Your planet is so odd, my little Kohgrash."

"Hey, I'm the one with the harness on, right now. Your planet is weird. Humans as pets," Viktor scoffed disbelievingly, even though he was literally living it, right now.

"You're a cute pet," Vok'Rul snarked at him. He crowded the human's personal space with his face, pressing his cheek onto the top of Viktor's skull."Maybe I'd invade your planet a million times if it meant meeting you."

"You're such a sap," Viktor said fondly, pushing his face away. He dramatically flung himself backward to get away when the alien wouldn't budge, leaning over Vok'Rul's arm. His view of the world was suddenly upside down. The alien shook him slightly.

"Oh, are you playing dead? Is that a self-defense mechanism you do?" Vok'Rul asked. Viktor couldn't tell if he was being serious or not.

"No, we do not play dead for self-defense. Jeez, you'd think you of all people would've seen me doing that by now."

"Oh. You're right. You just get all loud and bare your teeth. Your nose scrunches rather cutely when you do that, you know."

Viktor felt his face burn, but he blamed it on the blood rushing to his head. "Shut up, Vok'Rul."

Viktor felt Vok'Rul's arm get nudged by Thruul, and finally, finally, Kac and Rukka were done scolding Nohkka, who looked pretty upset and repentant. Maybe she'd stick close to them now, though. With that finished, they all made their way back to Korat'ska's stall.

Well, they certainly tried. They never did make it back to Korat'ska's stall, because Viktor - and Nohkka, once she got out of her sulk - got distracted by the very cool knickknacks littered along the stalls they passed. It seemed that they were in some sort of homemade goods section of the festival. There was a lot of junk. Very cool junk.

"You there!" someone waved Rukka down. They made a noise of fearful chagrin when she shot them a look, but true to the alien's mettle, they turned their attention to Kac instead. "I see you have a little one about with you. Would she perhaps be interested in one of these?" The alien held up a spherical glass globe. The globe was large enough that he'd need two hands to hold it securely. Inside the globe was a small, domed building. Viktor recognized it as a miniature version of the capitol building.

"We are heading somewhere specific -" Vok'Rul interrupted, stepping toward the vendor before Nohkka could turn around and see the enticing globe.

"Oh, Your Majesty! My, and you've brought Kohgrash with you! Mammals are quite smitten with this. Here, let me demonstrate," the alien started before holding out the sphere and shaking it violently.

"Jesus, that better not fly out of his hand and hit me - Whoa!" Viktor yelled in surprise as the globe started fizzing and sparkling. Little fireworks flew up from the bottom of the globe and exploded above the building. "That's so cool!"

"By the Spirits," he heard Rukka mutter as he leaned forward and held out his hands eagerly. The alien dropped it into his hands with a cheerful, "be careful!" Vok'Rul made a noise of shock at his willingness to be so close to an unknown alien. The exciting prospect of an alien snow globe stomped on the usual wariness.

"A snow globe!" Viktor beamed, shaking the globe and watching the fireworks light off again. "How the hell does this thing work?"

The alien, pleased to have charmed Vok'Rul's pet, showed Viktor his other wares. Vok'Rul, unwilling to step away when Viktor was having a good time, reluctantly stayed put.

The globes came in such a startling variety that Viktor would be hard-pressed to even call all of them snow globes. They were so different from the usual Christmas-themed ones he had seen in gift shops and scattered around Walmarts when it was that time of year. There were cube-shaped ones, pyramid-shaped ones, one he thought was called a dodecahedron, a few simple cylinder ones, and even a curved m-shaped one. Really, the only thing they had in common was when they were shaken, stuff would start flying out around the enclosed glass.

And man, the sheer variety in what that stuff was nearly blew Viktor's mind.

There was a globe, this one a simple pyramid, that had a small arrangement of flowers peeking up from the ground. When he shook it, the globe dropped little petals. They were pink. Another globe had an odd-looking bird suspended in it. Instead of dropping anything, though, this bird actually moved. It was only for a short period of time, but it would fly in place in the globe, looking so realistic that Viktor had to ask if they didn't come this tiny in the first place. One of the curved globes was more like a wacky lava lamp. Multiple colors and dyes ebbed through the viscous material, creating a kaleidoscope of colors.

Viktor probably spent twenty minutes shaking one of the simpler, spherical globes. It was one of a forest. Whenever he shook it, the trees fell over with a loud whoosh of simulated wind. They snapped back into place after a few seconds, creaking and groaning.

"You were not joking when you said that mammals were quite enraptured by these," Vok'Rul said, having come to terms with the fact that they wouldn't be making a hasty exit to Korat'ska's stall. Viktor felt a bit bad, but every time he was close to saying that he was done looking, he'd catch a glance of something else he wanted to see.

"Oh, no, Your Majesty. I would never lie to you," the alien chuckled, a bit hastily. "I've got my own mammal at home. She really loves these things. She, uhh, actually came up with most of these ideas," he spoke slowly as if worried that Vok'Rul would laugh at the mere prospect that humans could come up with anything clever.

"Mammals are very smart!" Vok'Rul beamed, looking down to see Viktor shaking a globe. It was of the starry sky and when shaken, a supernova exploded, lighting the entire thing up with a bright flash of light. It delighted him to no end. "How did she come up with them?"

"I gave her some paper once when I noticed that she had been watching me write in my notebooks. Eventually, I realized that my pens were going missing and found her stash of papers under her bed. They all had marvelous drawings on them, along with odd little scribbles. I was shocked, Your Majesty! They really are intelligent. Sometimes, I wonder..." the alien trailed off sheepishly, throwing up his arms a bit too quickly for Viktor's taste. He dropped the globe he was holding onto the table top as he flinched. "Oh! Sorry there, Kohgrash."

"Gimme that one," he pointed to a globe behind the vendor. The alien obliged.

"Has yours tried speaking our language?" Vok'Rul asked after taking a half step back from the stall and from the alien. Viktor's shoulders dropped.

"Certainly!" the alien said excitedly. "She knows plenty of words, and I really believe she knows what they mean. If that's not too silly to say."

"Not at all," Vok'Rul reassured the vendor. The two of them chatted for a while longer before Viktor finally stopped himself from picking up another snow globe.

"Okay, we better go before I start stealing this guy's entire stock," Viktor piped up. Vok'Rul rumbled something nonsensical.

"I will buy the ones he touched," Vok'Rul said casually.

"Whoa! Vok'Rul, it's fine, you don't gotta do that. You already bought me that pillow," Viktor reasoned, distressed at the thought. He had touched a lot of globes. Vok'Rul shushed him. Viktor tried not to punch him.

"Ahh, does yours have issues about accepting things? There was one time I had given my mammal a new bed. It was a little on the extravagant side, I can admit, but she deserved it for being so sweet! Anyway, I kept finding the damn thing pushed against the door. It took about a month before she started using it. No idea what she was thinking! My mate and I had taken her to the vet, too, worried that she had caught something that made her act that way. But no," the alien chuckled blithely, carefully packaging the globes in padded bags despite Viktor's dying protests, "All the vet told us was that she didn't like change. Dramatic little things, they are."

"I wouldn't change them for anything in the world," Vok'Rul said quietly, squeezing Viktor slightly.

"Sap," Viktor repeated.

After packing the bags into the cart, they started back on their journey to Korat'ska. Vok'Rul was less hopeful they'd make it back this time, though, which was fair. Nohkka had enjoyed the snow globes too - she had begged her parents to get her one that reminded Viktor of a rain stick; when she shook it, it would make water noises - and had gotten the pep back into her step. She pulled her parents to every stall she thought was interesting. Unfortunately for Vok'Rul, most of them were interesting for Viktor, too.

"Cheer up, my lord," Thruul said after stopping at the third stall that had some fancy plates on display, patting Vok'Rul on the shoulder. "Korat'ska won't leave the festival until he sees you again."

Vok'Rul threw him a grateful look. "I suppose you are right, my friend. I am glad Kohgrash is having some fun, too. I was a little worried this morning."

"You were more than that, my lord," Thruul said with false cheer. "You were about ready to storm the veterinary clinic."

"No," Vok'Rul protested weakly.

"I'm fine," Viktor interrupted, looking away from a bowl that had some hypnotizing swirls painted on the inside. "It's just a little headache, Vok'Rul. No worries."

"Hmph," Vok'Rul said, following Rukka and Kac as they pulled Nohkka away. "You two are bullying me."

Viktor snorted. If he could bully Vok'Rul, who was the most stubborn alien he'd ever met, then he was the President of the United States. "Sure, pal, whatever you say." Vok'Rul and he shared a smile.