1st Shell - Open like a lemonade stand in summer

[whereibelong]

Who: Xion and open to errybody
Where: Xion's room/hallway, then around Pisces and Virgo wards
Summary: Xion arrives in Hinoto-Ri and engages in standard new arrival procedures, by which we mean gaining her bearings and getting supplies. And then derps about puppies.
Warnings: Probably nothing. Except puppies.

Xion stood before the door to the room she'd been assigned, holding her key and... just thinking. The only other place she'd had a room of her own was Disney Castle, and now this. She hasn't seen any sign of her friends thus far, though she isn't sure if it's too much to expect they'd come here. It was all strange and happening so fast and while a part of her was saying it was the right thing to do she still felt... buffeted around, moved faster than she was ready for.

There was just something so... permanent about getting a room of her own. She can leave if she wants but she still... It's ridiculous. She should just go in already. She's been standing there long enough it probably looks strange to people nearby. And yet still she's hesitating.

---

Later, Xion took to the streets, keeping a wary eye all around. She's not... actively hiding. She doesn't even have her coat on, since it would probably stick out. But she's still being careful. It sounded like this city was the kind of place where you would want to be anyway.

In the Virgo ward, she headed to a grocery store her way through food, and those who are more experienced might note that what she's collecting are foods that require little to no cooking. She also stopped at a more general convenience store, looking for other supplies she might need. It's strange for her, shopping like this - she's used to getting all of their supplies from a Moogle, usually, and it was still no more than they would really need for camping for a few days. How did one shop for furniture, or that sort of thing, given how bare her apartment was?

As she was walking back towards Pisces, though, she spotted something that made her stop, walk over and almost press her nose against the glass - it was a pet store, with some of their adoptable dogs in a display in the window.

It's probably the first time she's smiled since she arrived, but she can't help it. They're so cute-!

Comments

No one can resist the cuteness of PUPPIES.

[destinedwaters]

[...Xion wasn't the only one who was looking at the puppies. Though, this blue-haired woman definitely was from a distance. Aw, they're all so cute...

No. No, self. You can't adopt one, yet. You need to finish settling in this town first-

But puppies.

... Don't mind them getting a little closer so she can get a better look. At least, before noticing who is standing there. ...Does she remember her, though? Or is she like Neku?]

They're kind of cute, aren't they?

[May as well stick with the neutral, right?

NOPE NOBODY

[whereibelong]

[Xion turned abruptly at the sound of someone speaking behind her, though her posture eased and she smiled a little sheepishly at the question. It was a harmless enough one.]

Yeah... I-

[And then she did a bit of a double take, looking at the person who'd addressed her. Namine had showed them all a picture, and it wasn't exactly like blue hair of all things was that common, even with all the worlds she'd gone to, but... It couldn't be that... simple? coincidental?

She turned back towards the window]

I really like dogs. Back home, there's a dog at the place I'm staying. He's really friendly.

ALL THE CUTE~ ;3;

[destinedwaters]

[Sometimes life's crossroads are just that silly, and who knows who you would run into on them? Still, she took that as a sign that maybe she was familiar, but she has no idea what she knows or remembers. Asking outright? Kind of rude.]

Mm, same. Though I used to have a kitten...

[She was starting to miss the little guy. :(]

Puppys and kittens and keybitties

[whereibelong]

[Xion turns back, her face a little worried at that "used to." She's momentarily distracted from the current tenseness of "do I know you or are you who I think you are I'm not sure"]

What happened to it? [Wait. Xion. Remember why you're here and what you were told] Or... is it back home?

[Poor kitty. ;n;]

this doth seem legit

[destinedwaters]

[Oh... oh, she knew that look. Aqua automatically shakes her head, trying to show that no, she has no idea, and no, it wasn't back home. Because sob, poor kitty. ;n;]

Mm... I had to give him to a friend when I returned back home somewhere else.

[She made sure he had a good home! poor thing doesn't know that dream world is gone...]

Grocery shopping? Excellent. :|b

[linefacingforever]

[Yu had just started his shift, working on cleaning up the alse, when he caught sight of the little girl walking around collecting food. He had to bite back a sigh; Philemon? Why were you bringing all these kids in?]

[He waited a moment, taking in the fact that she was buying easy stuff to cook, before approaching her.]

Do you need help with anything?

[whereibelong]

[SHE IS NOT LITTLE SHE IS 16 THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

Okay actually no she is two but hush you can't tell anyway.

She turns to see the person approaching her. Oh... one of the staff.]

O-oh um... [She hesitates for a moment before relenting. Might as well] I... just got into the area. Is there anything else I should maybe get?

[linefacingforever]

May I?

[He motioned to her cart, waiting for the okay to rife through what she picked out before actually doing do. Hmm...]

...you should probably pick up some toiletries. Not much is included with the apartment; only about a week's worth.

[whereibelong]

[She lets him, though she watches him with a bit of a perplexed expression on her face. Was this normal?]

Oh. Right.

[Actually she. Wouldn't have realized that probably, if he hadn't pointed it out. Usually when she wasn't at Disney Castle - where the broom servants took care of that sort of thing anyway - they were either in inns or hotels (or whatever was appropriate for that world), or they were camping out. Besides they never show KH characters worry about that kind of thing anyway]

Thanks. Is there anything else?

Pisces Hallway

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Are you lost?

[Meetra had happened to be walking downstairs when she saw a young girl in what looked like a robe just staring at an apartment door. Being a Jedi, naturally, she had to stop and at least investigate.]

[whereibelong]

[Xion turned quickly towards the speaker and... actually reached a hand up to rub the back of her neck sheepisly.]

Oh. No I'm fine. I think this is my room. I just haven't gone in yet.

[It's probably really obvious she just got here isn't it...]

[echo_of_a_jedi]

Have to get prepared for a new place, first?

[She smiled slightly at the awkward gesture. This had probably been a bad time to interrupt.]

[whereibelong]

Sort of.

[It's fine really. Xion is just an awkward person in general.]

Back home my friends and I... we move around a lot. I'm not used to staying in the same place for a while. [And it looks like she - they? - might be, now...

Not to mention she misses said friends, already.]

~hello neighbor~

[guidemethroughit]

[...How strange. A Persona user she hadn't felt before was staying in the room in front of her. She had made it a point to introduce herself to the rest of her floormates - as any one of them could serve as a blossoming bond! - but this was -- different.

It's enough to pique her curiosity and push aside the beads that have replaced her door (you really don't want to know what she did with the door to her room). For once, her music is low - as she's finally figured out she cannot concentrate on talking to Thanatos when there is too much noise in her room - but it still drifts out in high, wooden notes.

(Today is a wooden xylophone day, or so she's decided.)

When she sees Xion, she smiles. Talking to her should be sufficient enough to get her attention, yes?]

Are you new? [She knows the answer, but it's best to ask anyway.] Perhaps I could be of some aid.

Hallo!

[whereibelong]

[The rustling of the beads gets is enough of an alert on its own, and Xion turns to see who it was. Maybe it was silly to keep on such high alert all the time here, but it was what she was used to, in places that weren't Disney Castle]

Oh... yeah, I am. I just got here.

[She pauses, a little unsure what to say.]

Thanks. I can probably figure it out, but... I don't mind.

[Help, that is.]

[guidemethroughit]

Then allow me to be your guide, of sorts. I have been here a full two months, and I have been through some of the more... unsettling events.

[Well. "Unsettling" in normal human kind of way. Elizabeth herself is never particularly unsettled with anything concerning Personas, although the circumstances of the city don't particularly sit well with her.]

My name is Elizabeth, and I reside in the abode just in front of you. Quite obviously, I suppose.

[whereibelong]

Yeah. I'm Xion.

[This is sort of awkward. She's still not used to interacting with people who aren't Kairi or Riku or any of the residents of Disney Castle (or Roxas and Axel of course).]

I guess I'm not sure what questions to ask yet.

[She's... only just got here, there are so many of them.]

Who can resist puppies, right?

[quakega]

[... Xion, you're not the only one looking at that pet shop. Though Terra's across the street, and he was clearly only passing through.

... but... a shop. With puppies in the window. Puppies that probably needed a good home--

No, Terra, don't get one, you can't afford to take care of a dog right now. It looked like the girl peering into the glass wanted nothing more than to take one of those puppies home herself--

He blinks, and then smiles slightly. That's a Light he recognizes.

Approaching, and -- oh, hell, they're even more adorable up-close. He's going to just look at them and ignore the 'take one home' urge in favor of addressing Xion.] It must suck, being stuck behind that window for everyone to see.

[... this isn't helping with the desire to take one home.]

Absolutely nobody, it seems. At least no keyderps.

[whereibelong]

[Xion jumps a little in surprise and turns, surprised to see someone approaching her. What's more... there's something oddly familiar about the person she's looking at, and her mind flashed back to the picture Namine had drawn But they'd known even less about where Terra was than Aqua and Ven...

Regardless, puppies was something she could bond over. She half-turned back to the window]

Yeah... [...] I wonder if they'd let us go in and pet them...

[But her arms are still full of groceries and supplies though... Decisions decisions...]

What can we say? We're suckers for innocent things that need protecting

[quakega]

[Terra's a little relieved by that hint of recognition from Xion. So... it was possible she remembered? There was no telling unless he either asked her or talked with her a little longer.

... hm.... Looking a little thoughtful as his own gaze returns to the window.] ... I don't see why they wouldn't.

[This really isn't helping matters. Though he has the distinct impression that Master would be shaking his head and smiling in amusement at this.]

Sounds legit to me.

[whereibelong]

[This is going against her better judgement too, though thankfully it's staving off any "are you who I think you are" awkward.]

... All right.

[It only takes a moments' deliberation before Xion stands upright, shuffles over to the door and - after a bit of maneuvering, manages to get a hand free from her load of groceries to reach out and pull the door open and hurry inside, using her foot to try to hold the door open long enough for Terra to follow, if he wants]

[maybe_a_king]

Arturia had been heading out of the pet store, a shopping bag of kitten food in one hand, when she saw Xion. Life in Hinoto-Ri had been unexpectedly easy to slide into, possibly because trying to set herself up kept her well-distracted from several issues she knew would need to be addressed soon enough.

For now, she stepped up to the window beside the black-haired girl and glanced inward at the puppies trying to claw up the glass and loping over one another to get attention. The pair could even hear the little high pitched barks of excitement at the sight of new people to lavish them with love.

"You look ready to adopt one, Miss," Arturia said with a smile. She couldn't help it. The way the girl was looking at them was kind of cute.

[whereibelong]

Xion glanced up, to see who'd been speaking. Oh, one of the people from in the shop.

She ducked her head and shook it, "I can't, really. I only just got here."

She'd put her hand on the glass, and one of the puppies reached up and scrabbled at it with its paws.

"Maybe later, though." If there was time. She had no idea how long she'd be here, and a part of her felt bad at the idea of getting too comfortable here, when she would be needed home, when things were said and done.

[maybe_a_king]

"Many of us have only just gotten here," Arturia pointed out, "But I can see your point. It's always best to have the means to care for an animal before you get one."

Then again, she'd taken in her cats before knowing if she could care for them simply because they needed help. Admittedly, the situation was much different than a bunch of dogs in a window that were clearly already well cared for, but that was beside the point.

"Ah, forgive me. My name's Arturia. I arrived here a few weeks ago."

[whereibelong]

"Yeah..." Her voice was wistful though. Maybe she could go inside and visit some of the dogs later... that would be nice.

At the introduction though, Xion stood up, nodding a little shyly. "I'm Xion. And... I just got here today." Thus why it felt much too soon to be adopting pets or anything. Xion didn't even know for sure how long she would be here, how long helping this world might take.

"It's... nice to meet you," she's a little hesitant - she's still... not used to a lot of this.