278/Convenience Store Livin'

Convenience Store Livin'
Date of Scene:	10 August 2015
Location:	Uminari City - Abandoned Convenience Store
Synopsis:	The Guardian Knights talk about things, and talk about thier Princess. Solomon walks out to most likely punch a mugger as hard as he can, as Hino leave with Raine to SHOP!
Cast of Characters:	Gaofele Doiru, Hinote Kagari, Raine Delacroix, Solomon Novak

---

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote had slept over in the store tonight. This wasn't a particularly rare sight. All that mattered was that he beat the living tar out on Tuxedo Kamen and FireSword Girl he didn't get the name of, and was able to finally add some energy to the collection. He now had more empty gems to fill. He woke up and began taking care of things. Trying to clean the place up some more. Looking a little less chipper than he does. But being beatup while beating others up tends to make one look they're not particularly happy about things.

He accidently sweeps Mistpaw with the broom. Who mewps! in surprise and goes running across the room.

"Ah...whoops. Sorry kitty." he says with a sigh.

He put the broom back in the corner as he began checking supplies. He'd have to go out and refill the cabinets to account for two extra people. He wasn't particularly worried about this. There's enough there for now.

"I need to make a shopping list...." he says idly to no one else specific in the room.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    It is not as if Solomon has a problem with the lack of comforts of living in a magical castle. Ok, so it IS pretty uncomfortable, but his concerns are mostly practical. Things like privacy and water are important for a variety of reasons. Especially given the current mix of inhabitants. Solomon wakes up this morning as he does most of them: unhappily and practically defiantly, as if sleep itself were a foe to be vanquished. Like most days, the number of crucial tasks to be done threatens to overwhelm him.

    "We need to find her a better place to stay," comes Solomon's flat, disaproving voice shortly after Hinote mentions shopping.

Gaofele Doiru has posed:
Gaofele Doiru sits next to a wall, taking a moment to rest. His nighttime explorations haven't turned up much, but they have required that he take mor naps. He opens an eye when Mistpaw mewps, then he reaches out a hand and pets her as she runs past. Mistpaw meows, then curls up near the wall and watches Hinote, while Gao opens his other eye.

"We're trying to keep a low profile," Gao remarks to Solomon. "We already get some odd looks when we trade silver for yen; how much attention would we attract if we traded enough for an apartment?"

Raine Delacroix has posed:
If Raine really grasped the idea that they were living in an abandoned Seven-Eleven in the way that someone from modern times really understood that, she'd likely be infinitely both more miserable and more of a headache to deal with. Even without that understanding, she's still rather sour about it, though she has been trying to quell it. It's only been a week or two, after all.

It helps that she's largely been distracted by trying to learn about this new world and what they need to be doing. Currently, the purple-haired teen is moving out of the shop's restroom with a lit candle in hand. A lady doesn't get dressed where others can see her! The candle gets blown out and set on a shelf near the bed she claimed for herself. No way is she sleeping on a futon.

"Who's going shopping!" The older teen calls suddenly from over where near 'her' things are arrayed, turning to peer in the direction of Hinote and then the other boys. Solomon's comment gets a headbob of approval, quickly followed by an audible sigh when Gao shuts the idea down. "There must be something better than..this. This is not fitting at all." Pause. And then quickly after, "For the Princess, I mean! It's not proper."

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari hears a voice. It's Sol. He frowns. "The princess seems content to stay here. No one comes looking here or bothering us here like at Hot-----" Hotel? No. He doesn't feel like describing what a Hotel is to off worlders right now. "Lika an Inn." he says.

Hinote grabs a notebook and begins making a checklist of food and supplies. It's keeping his mind off things. "I have a home here. But I stay with you guys when I can get away with it. I don't think it's particularly fair for me to sleep in a proper bed everynight while you all can't." he says. "Friends share hardships." he says.

He does give a short chuckle when Raine mentions shopping. "I am soon. I need to restock food and all that." he says.

He sighs. "Sorry if I sound a little grumpy. I got into two fights yesterday, and only one of them panned out in energy gathering. Fire sword weilding girl manages to slice open my armor. So I shot her with a fire dragon and she ran away." he insists.

"Hey Gao. How good on we are on Catfood?" he asks.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    Solomon doesn't actually ignore Mistpaw, but there's no way he's gonna pet the cat while the others can see it, especially when it is perfectly able to receive affection from people better suited to dispensing it. A glance over at Hinote's aborted explanation turns into an even deeper frown and look of mild suspicion. What is a 'hote?' He'll have to look into that later.

    "There must be other ways to obtain housing besides paying large amounts of currency." A wince of annoyance at Raine's shout before he continues his reply to the ranger. "Are there not unclaimed locations? Or perhaps buildings housing criminals we could evict and claim for ourselves."

    Hinote's story surprises him and manages to earn the native boy a bit more respect. That and his remark about sharing hardships. "Or even a place in the forest?" he adds, trying one last time with a final look at Gao.

Gaofele Doiru has posed:
"This place is reasonably secure, and doesn't appear to be under watch by anyone," Gao shrugs. "It's much closer than the forest, and it was already constructed." A small smile plays around his face. "While I /can/ make shelter in the woods, it wouldn't be as solid as this place is -- and it would probably be just as 'improper' as here."

He thinks for a few moments. "We're low enough that having more on hand wouldn't be a bad idea, but we still have enough that it could be put off for a bit if needed," he replies to Hinote. The forester gently wiggles a finger towards Mistpaw, who watches for a moment before walking over and rubbing against Gao's hand.

"As for evicting criminals... the people that we'd be able to tell are villains are also the ones best equipped to try taking their place back," he points out. "And at that point they'd know where we'd be located, which defeats the point of hiding."

Raine Delacroix has posed:
"Oh, only for food?" Raine laments with a faint sigh while idly straightening her violet dress that she's been wearing for a few days now. She only brought two others with her, after all. "We should go clothes shopping," the teen suggests suddenly with a brilliant smile. "Yes! If Runealy wants us to blend in and draw less attention, shouldn't we adapt our fashion to that of the locals?" The girl claps her gloved hands together a few times in celebration of the idea.

"No, no, no," the grey-eyed teen quickly voices her dislike of Solomon's suggestion about the woods, shooting a disapproving look at the grumpy Knight. Thankfully, not even Gao is interested in that move. Whew. Raine's head cocks to the side at Hinote's mention of fights, "Fire sword? How interesting. Thank you for your valiant efforts, Hinote Kagari, I'm sure the Princess was most happy to hear about more energy being collected."

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari blinks, buildings with criminals!? "No, I'd rather not mess with some Yakuza because that is an entirely different can of worms I don't want to get into." he says. "You have to pay for housing. Besides. I don't think we'll have to worry about it in a few good months anyways, as we'd all need to go back to Waldia at that point." he says.

He looks to Gao. "Yeah. We're trying to keep a low profile. It's worked pretty well so far.

He looks at Raine, and smiles. "Yes. Please do that Raine. PLEASE Take Runealy out somewhere nice. I.. I walked in last night to just find her crying in the dark. There's only so much I can do... and say. There's so much I don't understand." he says a bit sadly. "You should be able to get her mind off things for a day, better than I could at least." he says.

He looks to Gao. "Alright. So Cat food." he writes down on the notebook.

"Yeah. Fire Sword. My longsword is also a fire sword. So. It was intresting at least. Her sword could change shape though. It turned into a whip at one point." he says. "That's what caught me off guard for a moment." he asides.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    Gaofele's logic is undefeatable, souring Sol's mood further, though not drawing any genuine ire for being the voice of reason. A soft grunt of annoyance can still be heard, and Raine's disaproval is met by most vigorous apathy before the Guardian Knight realizes he should have spent more time studying how to shelter Waldian royalty in a foreign and hostile land - such an obvious blunder in hindsight.

    What Hinote says next nearly floors the grumpy knight, and the surprise of the revelation opens a very brief and rare window into his feelings, the shock and pain felt upon learning just how bad their Princess was doing. He holds his hands behind his back even as they involuntarily squeeze into fists - in another moment he has regained control of his expression. The housing is abruptly no longer a concern.

    "Hinote is right, Raine. Runealy cares for us all," which Solomon still finds hard to believe, considering that he is among that group so dear to the Princess, "but you are probably the closest to her." He begins walking towards the exit to the building, his face darkening.

Gaofele Doiru has posed:
Gaofele Doiru quietly keeps petting Mistpaw. Having the other Waldians here is not only helping Rune, but helping him as well. For Rune, he can be strong so she has a spot of stability she can take refuge with... but trying to keep that strength up leads to an exhaustion of its own. The more people that can reassure Rune, the less strain any one person has to withstand. That's the strength of a circle of friends.

Raine Delacroix has posed:
"That's not exactly.." Raine begins to respond to Hinote's suggestion, but pauses when he continues speaking. The teen's expression turns crestfallen at the mention of their Princess sitting in the dark and weeping. A gloved hand reaches up to idly brush against the silver and amethyst choker about her throat, the girl's Guardian artifact. She glances to Solomon, "She cares for all of us, for all of Waldia. And I am certain we all care for her, and she must know that. She will know it. We're here to support her, to help carry the burden that's fallen on her shoulders. None of us should ever need to cry alone, least of all Runealy."

Sighing aloud, the purple-haired girl moves away from her section of the abandoned store, towards the central space, looking to Hinote again, "While I would love to go shopping with her, I would have no idea where to begin in this place, or what to pick! I was hoping you might be able to help all of us acquire clothes that might draw less attention. If the Princess is genuinely worried about people looking for us, standing out like a rose amidst weeds probably isn't helping." She idly looks down at her quite clearly out of time and out of place dress, jewelry, and riding boots.

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari watches Sol talk. He closes his eyes a moment. "Sol. Where are you going?" he asks as he watches him make for an exit. "If.. you need to know where something is. Just ask. I'd be happy to show you later." he says. Really. Sol seems... intense. All the time. He has a feeling this isn't on purpose, but---

He just shakes his head for these thoughts, opening his eyes. He looks down at his notebook. He closes the book and slides it into his breast pocket.

"I think I need to make sure you and Raine get cellphones soon, if Gao or Rune didn't take you out already." he says.

He looks at Raine and frowns. "No. I know she cares a great deal. Everyday she says I am 'Amazing'." he says. There's still glumness to his voice.

"Yes. We'll need to get you some clothes to.. blend in. I can show you were most of the better shops are in Tokyo, but a little later. I still need to restock the needed things first. Food. All that. I've been taking care of that. It's the first thing I did when I met Rune and Gao here." he says. "If anyone asks about your clothes in the meantime. Just say you're from Europe." he insists.

"It tends to stop questions about it then. Usually." he says.

He does smile. "I'll make sure /you/ know where the better places are so you can take Runealy out for a proper girls night out." he insists.

Solomon Novak has posed:
    The intense young boy pauses only to interact as much as absolutely required at that point, coming across as even more distant than usual. "They have training dummies," he points out to Raine. "In the clothing stores." He's not sure how that works exactly, but it seems an obvious resource to use when learning about clothing. "If that doesn't work, just copy the popular people." After Sol passes on the distillation of life lessons he has learned as an anti-social recluse he actually turns his head to directly face Hinote, responding to the question. "I don't know yet. I'll know it when I see it though." The rather ambiguous answer is delivered with perhaps a surprising amount of solemnity and even respect. That said, the topic of cellphones and any further questions are left alone for now. He's got to do Something, and whatever that is, he knows it can't be done inside the abandoned store.

Raine Delacroix has posed:
Mention of cellphone gets an odd look from Raine. It takes her a minute to try and place what that is exactly, amidst all the crazy things she's heard about here. "Oh! The talking boxes! Yes, that would be wonderful." And then she can bug Runealy and all the other Knights at any time of day, regardless of where they are. Her head bobs in a nod at Hinote's explanation about saying she's from 'Europe'. He's the expert on Tokyo, after all, he knows what he's talking about.

"Be careful out there," the girl calls brightly after the departing Solomon before turning a smile on Hinote, "Thank you. That would work as well, yes." Looking towards the exit, she wonders aloud, "Do you think he's going to get into trouble? Solomon can be a bit, ah, brash."

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari frowns a little. "No. No, I think he's smarter than that. I trust him." he says. He's only known him for a few days at this point. But he can understand how-- and why-- people can get that like. Acting means studying people's characters, afterall! But he of course, doesn't know the full story. He can only assume.

He smiles at Raine. "So Raine." he says. "How are you and the Princess friends. I know Gao's family tends the forest around the... barrier shrine? Was it?" he asks peering at Gao for confirmation if he's remembering correctly. "And that's how he knows Rune. I'm just curious, is all." he laughs.

"I met Rune and Gao because. Well. This was my practice spot when I study for a performance." he says. "I came in one day to find a bunch of furniture here, and then those two came in. Started to try to drive me off at first. But.. well."

"I don't really leave easily when people need help." he says.

Gaofele Doiru has posed:
Gaofele Doiru nods, still petting Mistpaw. "Still glad that we met you, Hinote," he says. "Between your knowledge and your help, things have gone better than they would have."

Raine Delacroix has posed:
Raine's head bobs in another nod at Hinote's comment about Solomon staying out of trouble. Worst case scenario, they're wrong and...Well, let's not think about what sort of trouble an out of place and out of time grumpy teenage boy could get into. "Oh!" She begins at the question from the foreign-Knight. "I have lived in the capital since I was born, and my parents both have close ties to the King and Queen." Blinking and smile fading, she pauses there briefly, gloved hands clasping together as she thinks about the fact that the Queen is gone.

Smiling again, the older teen continues, "I had seen Runealy here and there on occasion as we both were growing up, but we weren't really friends until a handful of years ago. Starting with a nudge from my parents about how I should really get to know our princess better and one of the Capital's balls. I've loved such things since I was old enough to attend, and I never had the responsibility that Rune does occupying my time, so I've always spent a lot of it focused on such things."

Moving toward the center of the shop, Raine idly adjusts the skirt of her dress while pondering how to sum up her friendship with the Princess, "As we got older, I did my best to get her more involved with fun social things, and distractions. We'd go shopping together, I'd drag her to attend parties and share the latest gossip or fashions."

Hinote Kagari has posed:
Hinote Kagari nods. "Oh.....!" he says. "That sounds kinda like stuff I attend with my dad and parents sometimes. I mean. My Dad's a famous theater actor, and my Mom's a decorated Police Woman." he pauses. "Police are like a 'City Guard'." he clarifies.

"So I have to get into fancy clothes and hang around with a bunch of people. I mean. It doesn't bother me. But a lot of the kids my age who attend those things are. Well. Stuck up. I'm not like that, so I just put on a smile and just nod a lot." he turns to the door. "Come along with me. I'm going to go get the shopping done. Along the way, I'll show you were all the things you'd probably be intrested in are." he asks with a smile. "We'll be back soon, Gao~" he says to the forester knight.