"You know when you said we'd get 'professional help', I didn't think you meant Rocco."

♦ ♦ ♦

Mingi felt like he was being watched.

It was understandable in the Grimm Market, he had to endure the watchful eyes peeping through the windows of the dull alleyways - but this unsettling feeling started even when he was leaving the suite. It was already a miracle that his mother hadn't forced him to use a chaperone to have brunch with his mates, another lie she had believed. Maybe it was because of all these years away, she wanted her son to do whatever he wished as long as he was happy.

But Mingi could never be happy, not until he settled what needed to be done.

The first time he had visited the Grimm Market, he wasn't sure about the legitimacy of the info given by that fairy girl in the club. He stood in front of the entrace of a wet market, wedged between abandoned buildings just as instructed by the blue-skinned girl. He was about to leave when she appeared, grinning smugly before beckoning him to follow her. The further they walked in, the more things Mingi started to realize where shifting. The wet market had dissolved from view, replaced by musty, black soot-covered shophouses, some raged in loud voices as if someone had lost a gamble, while others came in and out speaking in hushed tones whilst carrying highly suspicious parcels. Mingi half wondered if he was on an acid trip episode of Narcos. 

"And what would an ordinary human like you be looking for in the Grimm Market?" the girl had asked, clearly much more sober than she had been before. 

Mingi grunted, "It's none of your concern,"

The girl made a face, "It isn't, but letting a pretty face like you die in someone's basement here would be such a waste," she clicked her tongue, her skin somehow looking even more bluish from where they stood. "Everyone comes to the Grimm Market for reasons unfathomable, so tell me, what is it you are looking for? A curse? A vex or perhaps some exotic creature-"

"I need to find someone who can talk to ghosts."

"Ahh..." the girl had said before doing as he requested. The place she had took him, the very place he was heading to now was tucked into the alley on the left, the three shrunken heads of what looked like goblins could be spotted from miles away. 'Carnivale Crafts' carved roughly on a plank of old wood hung in front of the place, and as per usual the old crone who sat in her rocking chair stared hostily as Mingi went in the shop.

"Back so soon?" Masouf, the owner of the shop greeted Mingi as soon as he saw him. One of the few ordinary looking people there, his fingers decorated with a variety of rings that oddly resembled bones. "And what brings my favourite customer here today?" 

"You know what I'm here for, Masouf," Mingi answered, holding up the bag of cash he had brought along. Masouf's eyes glinted in delight, his hands clasped together. "So I think you can do your part of our deal now?"

Masouf flashed a smile, "Of course, Mr. Song. You pay me so well, it's only appropriate that I do as you wish," he said as he counted the green cash. "This...friend of yours that you wish to communicate with, I can only do so if I have access to his possessions. Summoning the dead is tedious business, I'm afraid,"

Mingi sighed, "You told me before I know I'm working on that," the problem was he didn't have any of Yunho's possessions, and the only way for him to find something like that was to go back to the Jeong Manor which he hadn't had a reason to and he didn't like the idea of meeting anyone in that house again. He had to take more risks. Mingi glanced at Masouf, still fawning over the cash. He cleared his throat, "If you've counted correctly, you would notice that's more than you charged for,"

Masouf paused, the corners of his lips curled upwards. "Is there something else you would like me to assist you with, Mr Song?"

"You know when you said we'd get 'professional help', I didn't think you meant Rocco."

Ara and Jongho stood inside Rocco's flat, like two out-of-place pigeons in a field of tulips. A field of tulips was an understatement, Rocco's outlandish interior design somehow made his small living space look bigger than it was, located on the second floor of a charms shop below - Ara suspected magic played a part in this. Velvet carpets were spread across the floorboards, exotic potted plants placed in odd areas of the room and the pet Lynx cat fast asleep at the corner in its basket, there was even Lady Gaga music playing in the background.

Jongho eyed the Lynx cat cautiously, "He owes me for fixing his sink last week," he murmured. "And he's a nice guy."

"I am flattered you think highly of me," entered Rocco, dressed in a batik bathrobe. His black curls tousled as if he had gotten out of bed, his pointy ears that distinguished his fey heritage. He slumped onto his bean bag, next to the Lynx cat. "Well to what do I owe the pleasure of you two rascals in my humble home on a fine day like this?" he asked, his expression bemused.

Ara fumbled for the ring, "We wanted to ask you about this ring we found,"

"We?" Jongho and Rocco asked at the same time, but there was more confusion coming from Jongho.

"Yes, we," Ara repeated nonetheless. "We think it's no simple ring, so maybe you know more about it?"

Rocco raised his brows but took the ring anyway, "I would like to ask you the same, as to where you two found such a thing?" his gaze went from Ara to Jongho. 

"Someone dropped it off at the thrift store," Ara answered swiftly. "I was going through the bundles and saw it, had a weird feeling about it,"

Rocco blinked in amusment, "You had a weird feeling about it?"

"I was there," Jongho added, much to Ara's surprise. "Something felt off about it, I don't know," he shrugged.

Rocco didn't seem to question further, or maybe he didn't want to question further, "Hmm, interesting. Well you're not wrong about finding it odd that a fairy ring being stashed together with a bundle of second-hand clothes,"

"That's a fairy ring?" Ara was the one to speak. 

Rocco nodded, still looking at it. "There's no mistaking it, only fairy craftsmanship could produce something this delicate - though I can't be sure whether this is from the Seelie or the Unseelie Court as I'm not well-versed in fey court trademarks. You should know who to ask for that information, Jongho." Rocco smirked.

Jongho made a sound that reminded Ara of a chicken. Ara wanted to move on, "Are fairy rings considered valuable? If not, how did it end up at a thrift store?"

Rocco shrugged, "For fey it should have no real significance unless it has a symbol distinguishing it apart as a monarch's, which this one doesn't. As the saying goes, 'the fey like pretty things'," he chuckled at that. "But there is some level of significance when it comes to humans, as all magical items do, fairy rings are no exception. It could have been gifted to a human centuries ago, turned into a blessed family heirloom and eventually forgotten, or it could have been the opposite."

Ara perked up, "Like?"

"Nothing you should know of," Rocco replied curtly. "It's never safe to dabble with fairy magic of any kind, the less you know the better."

"But Rocco-"

"And I personally find it suspicious why you, a benevolent human girl would be so keen on knowing about such things - from me, when you could have asked your friend next to you," he gave Jongho a knowing look. 

"Oh please," Ara scoffed. "If it were that easy, too bad this guy here doesn't bother to know much about his heritage."

"Really? And why is that when you seem friendly with me,"

Jongho sighed, "That's because you're different, you're not one of -"

"-them?" Rocco finished, his face unreadable. "Although I no longer involve myself in what goes on in faerie land, I don't quite appreciate the slander against the fey - let alone from someone who shares that heritage as I do."

Ara could tell this was about something she wasn't involved in, and thus had no right to comment on. She glanced at Jongho, who was looking at the Lynx cat, just to avoid eye contact with the other two people in the room. "Er anyway, thanks for the heads up Rocco. We should get going."

"Of course, but I would like a moment with Jongho," Rocco said, reverting back to his chill composure. "And that don't worry I won't skin him alive, he'll come back in one piece."

Finally Jongho agreed as well. "It's fine, I'll call you later."

"If you say so." Ara left the two alone for their 'talk', whatever that meant, pocketing the ring again. Once she was out the building, she had her plan mapped out. Now she knew where the ring came from and that was another piece in the puzzle, but there was still much left to do - she needed more recent information. And with a wild thought, she googled a certain address while walking towards the central of Aurora Square.

In fact she was so focused she didn't even realize Ghost Boy had found her first. "Watch where you're going!" he exclaimed dramatically.

"Hey!" she stopped herself from snapping when she saw who it was. "Ghost Boy!"

He waved merrily, "You seem to be in a hurry, what is it?"

Then she winked, "How about you join me on a mission?"

He was taken aback, "Er not sure if I can be of any help but sure, why not?"

"That's the spirit! Come, we have lots to do," she her heel and was already walking away then realized something else. "Oh by the way, was there something you wanted to tell me? Sorry for cutting you off."

Even if there was, he seemed to brush it off and shook his head. "Nah it's fine, I'll get to that later."