656/Canines and Charas

Canines and Charas
Date of Scene:	02 December 2015
Location:	Pikarigaoka - Clover Street - South
Synopsis:	Su and a dog, both lost in Tokyo, encounter Ikiko, who helps them find their respective people... with some mischievous help from Ikuto.
Cast of Characters:	Ikiko Hisakata, Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Amu Hinamori

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Amu Hinamori has posed:
It's December, and all around Tokyo, families are decorating trees in preparation for Christmas. At least, they are if they've fallen to commercialism! Amu Hinamori's family is no exception to the commercial Christmas spirit. Her little sister, Ami, begged her to decorate the tree, last night, and so Amu went with her Guardian Characters to buy special decorations that they could decorate with.

Then it all went wrong.

It's morning, several hours before school, and on a grassy gnoll, a fluffy white dog is just rousing from his sleep. Cuddled up in the dog's warm fur, a small green-dressed Guardian is far from her home and bearer. Su stretches as she wakes up, then stifles a yawn. "Ahhh, you are very warm, little doggie," Su says as she comes to. She hugs the dog around the neck, then blinks down at the sidewalk.

A wallet has fallen to the ground, nearby.

Su flies over and tries to heft the wallet up, but it's so much larger than she is. "Hmm, what is this?" Su asks in her small voice. Flipping the wallet open, she inspects the license within, then flips it closed again. She once more tries to heft it, but the wallet is too heavy.

The dog stands and shakes itself clear of dew and chill, then trots over to join Su. "Whuff," he says softly, then leans down to pick the wallet up in his mouth.

Su's eyes widen largely, and she hugs the dog again. "That is a good idea!" she says to the dog. "We should take it to the police station. I think it was ..." she turns uproad, then downroad, then uproad again, then manifests a little tiny whisk. She balances the whisk with one finger, then lets it drop. It points downroad! "That way!" Su says. The whisk vanishes, and she flies back up to land on the dog's head, between his ears, and the pair start off in that direction.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Even on days when she's not feeding the stray dogs in one of Tokyo's districts, Ikiko still enjoys paying them a visit. It's a good way of staying in touch, and with the arrival of Christmas decorations, wandering around town is an enjoyable experience in and of itself.

As she walks down a road, she happens across a fluffy white dog walking the other way. "Is that something in its mouth?" she murmurs to herself. From a distance, it's hard to tell; better to get closer for a better view, so she can both tell what it is and politely say hello.

When she gets close enough, Ikiko spots a bit of green on the dog's head. A dab of paint? No, it looks more like fabric; in fact, as she gets closer, it looks like there's a small doll up there... but the tiny figure looks too alive to be a mere doll.

...wait, is that a Guardian Character?!

Ikiko glances around quickly. No other humans in sight; no need to be overly secretive about what she can do, then! "Hello there, you two!" she smiles, waving to the dog and the tiny rider. "Hello to you and your small friend," she adds in caninespeech to the dog.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Su panics a little when she is addressed by Ikiko directly, and hastily hides in the dog's hair. But then she realises that Ikiko can't possibly see her; she can't sense a Guardian Character or egg at all! Su looks around, trying to figure out who she's talking to.

Meanwhile, the dog lets out a low woof of greeting around the wallet, his tail wagging back and forth as he alters course to greet Ikiko. "Hello, friend!."

Su realises very quickly that this girl s not normal, anyways, and flies up from her perch atop the dog to greet Ikiko at face-level. "Can you see me? Does this mean you are a magical girl? Or are you just too young to have your heart egg, yet? You do not look that much younger than Amu-chan." She seems very perplexed.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata smiles and skritches the dog between the ears. "Yes, I'm a magical girl," she nods to Su. "My name's Ikiko Hisakata, and I'm a fifth-grader at Seishou; pleased to meet you!"

She kneels to get a better view of what the dog is carrying around in its mouth -- is that a wallet? "If I may ask, where did you find that wallet, and where are you taking it?" she inquires, making no move to take the wallet at this time.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
The dog shakes his fluffy ears a little, then sits down in front of Ikiko. Su floats back down to sit on his head. "It is very nice to meet you!" she intones quietly to Ikiko with only a tiny hint of a lisp. "My name is Su. Do you know why you can see me?"

The dog lets out another soft noise of approval at Ikiko, then notes, "A human left it on the ground. We are taking it to people who will help give it back."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata gives Su a shrug. "I know that Guardian Characters come from the greatest dream of a person's heart, but I don't know much more than that, sorry," she apologizes. "I know that without some form of magic, a person can't see Guardian Characters at all, but I don't know why that is."

She gives the dog a nod of approval. "That is a great idea," she agrees. "The human who left it behind will undoubtedly be happy that it was found." Standing up, she swaps back to Japanese, adding "Shall we continue on our way, then?"

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Su beams at Ikiko. "This means that you have magic of some kind, is that right?" she asks. Su is a little slow working through things sometimes, but at least she's very sweet and cheerful. "It is very nice to meet you, Ikiko Hisakata-san," she says.

"Wuff," agrees the dog. He stands back up, and Su bobs a little as he stabilizes once more. The dog then continues onward down the road, keeping easy pace with Ikiko.

"Oh, we are going again?" Su asks the dog curiously. She earns only a soft wuff of approval in reply.

"After we have delivered the wallet to the police station, we need to find your home, little dog," Su says to her mount. "I am certain it cannot be far from here. And then after that, I need to find Amu-chan. She is probably very worried about me. Just like your owner is probably very worried about you."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"I'll do what I can to help him find his way home," Ikiko promises, smiling at Su. The green-clad Guardian character might not be the brightest out, but her kindness and upbeat attitude does make her endearing.

"My magic is related to canines," Ikiko explains as they travel along. "Dogs and wolves and--" She can't bring herself to say 'foxes'. "--and such. It's why I was able to talk with the dog that you're riding; in a way, I'm part canine." A quick giggle escapes her lips. "A very, very, small part."

Well, it is accurate, even if it's not the full story. And it does sound better than stating that she's a diluted werewolf -- both in terms of avoiding fright and being easier to explain!

Amu Hinamori has posed:
"Oh," Su says, and for several moments the guardian stays silent. Then, she smiles and says, "That is very neat. I like dogs a lot. They are so cuddly and warm and cheerful. I wish Amu-chan had a dog, but I do not think her parents would let her have one."

Soon enough, the police station comes into view; somehow, Su managed to discern its direction from a whisk dousing. Don't ask. Su cheers up and flies ahead of the pair, then beams and flies right back. "Will you take the wallet inside for us?" Su asks Ikiko curiously. "It will raise fewer questions."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"It's why I often feed the strays around Tokyo," Ikiko agrees. "It's a way for me to help and hang out with my canine friends." And like Amu, her family is opposed to having a pet dog... but in Ikiko's case, it's partially due to concern about the family's curse!

She watches the whisk dowsing with an interested expression, but doesn't say anything about it -- it's magic, it apparently works; what more do you need? "Sure," she agrees, kneeling to receive the wallet from the dog, then taking it into the police station.

She mentions finding the wallet on one of the nearby roads, mentioning the name of the one she met Su and the dog on. The police officers take the wallet, promising to return the wallet to its owner, then Ikiko walks out and back over to Su and the dog. "Well, that's done," she smiles. "Now then... where do you live, helpful one?" she asks, changing languages mid-sentence.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
While Ikiko heads inside, the dog takes a seat, and Su proceeds with scratching him behind the ears. "You are a good doggie," she tells him pleasantly. "I hope that your owner will not be too upset that you were missing, but I'm sure as soon as we find your way home, they will be very happy to see you."

When Ikiko returns, Su brightens up again, then looks down at the little dog. She doesn't quite understand what's being said, but that's okay.

Meanwhile, the dog lets out a little wuffing noise. "I live with my boy," the dog says to Ikiko happily, thumping his tail as he speaks of his master. "His name is Seiichiro. He is very young, but he is my friend."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"Sounds like he's a very good person to be friends with such a helpful dog," Ikiko smiles at the dog, then looks at Su. "If we retrace your path, it might help us find Seiichiro, his person," she explains to the Guardian Character. "And maybe we'll find Amu, too!"

Ikiko can walk alongside Su and the dog until the point the magical girl met the other two, but if they haven't found anything by then, she'll let them take the lead from there.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
"Ohh, I do not think we will find Amu," Su replies a little unhappily. "Ah! But I know the name Seiichiro," she says helpfully. "He goes to Amu-chan's school," she notes helpfully. "I do not recall our steps. I think that we came from that way," she points back the way they came. "But I am not certain. Also, I spent a lot of time in a box attached to a motor, and that is how I got lost in the first place."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata gives a headtilt of acknowledgement. "Well, here's a good as place as any to start searching," she remarks, looking around at the neighborhood before turning to the dog. "If anything looks or smells familiar, let us know, okay?" she asks before leading the other two on a wandering search, spiraling out from where they were.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
The dog and su accompany Ikiko for a short while, and then the dog seems to catch a scent. He barks once, "Boy!" and then starts to lope along at his own pace.

Ahead, a small boy in glasses is busy moping at his own doorstep, holding a leash in his hands and wiping at his eyes. He looks maybe eight or nine, at best.

The dog barks again, "Boy Boy Boy!" and the boy looks up.

"COOL!" Seiichiro calls, and rushes out to greet his dog. Su flies off of the dog's head and smiles as boy and dog are reunited. Turns out the collar broke sometime yesteerday.

Su beams and flies back to Ikiko, then lands on the girl's shoulder. "Isn't that so nice?" she asks quietly.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"Yep," Ikiko murmurs back with a nod. "Always nice to see a happy pair of friends." She slips away from the area before Seiichiro can finish being overjoyed from the reunion, then pauses on a nearby sidestreet.

"Now to help you," she muses, looking at Su. "Walking around looking probably won't help us find Amu, especially since you don't know how you got here from where you were when you last saw her."

She thinks about it for a while, then snaps her fingers. "Wait, what if we try looking for her at her school?" Ikiko suggests. "At the very least, it'd be easier to wait for her there, even if it takes a while."

Amu Hinamori has posed:
"Ohhh, that is a good idea," Su agrees with Ikiko, and flies up into the air for a moment. And then she stops and turns around to face Ikiko. "Only, I do not know how to get to Amu-chan's school." She looks despondent for a few moments, then considers, "I suppose I could follow Seiichiro. But what if he does not go to school today? Then I will be stuck with a boy all day, and that does not seem appropriate."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata does her best to stifle a giggle. "As long as you know the name of the school, then I should be able to find it," she points out. "For example, I know that Seiyou is nearby, while Seishou is on the other end of town."

Come to think of it, didn't the hosts of Seiyou's Halloween party have Guardian Characters? And she can't recall ever seeing Guardian Characters around the students at Seishou -- the closest that she knows of are Reiko's koi, and those are something different than Guardian Characters.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
"Seiyou Public!" Su agrees with Ikiko excitedly, flying back dwn to land on her shoulder. "Amu-chan goes to Seiyou Public! "Ah," she pauses, "but school is already out for the day." Su frowns at this thought, then says, "I suppose I can wait there until until tomorrow. There are always cakes and leftovers in the garden."

Meanwhile, at a park not far away, Amu Hinamori and two of her guardian characters are frantically looking hither and yon for signs of Su. "Where could she be!?" Amu asks her Charas. She is still dressed in her school clothes, a little chilly with the december weather, but determined to find her missing Guardian Character.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Fun's one thing. But this is too far. It had taken Yoru several hours to final admit that he had messed up bad at some point the previous evening, and now Su was lost somewhere in the city! It was just a prank, the cat Character said. He had no idea things would happen LIKE THAT!

Noseflick. That was Yoru's punishment.

So, for the better part of an hour or so, Ikuto Tsukiyomi has been searching the city. His Chara Change's ears and tail are clearly visible by the magical folks as he leaps across buildings and lands lightly atop light poles. Ikuto's a Chara Bearer, yes, but he can still get cold. So over his usual black shirt and pants, he's wearing a thick leather jacket with the collar pulled up around his neck to keep him warm.

Earmuffs would do absolutely nothing thanks to his ears being on the top of his head now, but he does have a pair of gloves on. Yoru is with him, and his fur appears to be protection enough against the cold as he flies alongside Ikuto's right shoulder.

The whoosh above Amu, Ran, and Miki might be audible. And if it is, guess who Amu's going to see? It's CAT! Yoru's directions were vague, and it was hours later, but by some coincidence, he's heading in the right direction. Though he can't quite see that yet...

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata gives Su an encouraging smile. "At least it's shelter, and it'll be easier to find her, right?" she remarks, getting her bearings. "Let's see... we're here, and the street that I know is there..."

It seems that while Ikiko knows a way to Seiyou, she's not familiar enough with the neighborhood to navigate directly there. Finding her way to a route that she does know won't be hard, but it will take a few minutes.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu reaches up to old her hair in place as Ikuto flies overhead, grimacing against the chill the wind of his passage brings. She looks up, then blinks in surprise when she spots him. "CAT!" she yells at him. "What did you do with Su!"

She runs after him, shaking her first in frustration.

Su beams at Ikiko and huddles into her hair, hiding herself against the chilly winds. "This is true," she agrees thoughtfully. "And I think there might be a stray cat who lives there who would keep me company."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
It's unmistakeable. That word, that voice, that tone.

"CAT!"

Ikuto pauses atop a light pole, looking back at Amu. "Aw man," Yoru complains. "I hoped we'd find her before running into Amu-nya..."

"Considering it's your fault she's missing?" Ikuto points out quietly, and Yoru's ears flatten out to the sides in chagrin. But... this might play into his plan too. There's no way Amu could have heard him. He just needs to spin it a certain way and...

He smirks, and calls down, "Follow me if you want to find out!" And then he leaps away again. He's hoping he can get Amu to Chara Change, because he's seen her do exactly what he's doing while in that state. She'll cover more ground.

Speaking of stray cats, though... Ikiko might notice that there's a sound approaching. Whooshes, like something swinging through the air. And Su might start getting the unmistakeable feeling of another Chara close by. But it's not Ran or Miki, or Kiseki...

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"Cats do tend to know good hiding places," Ikiko muses as she walks along, Su hiding in her hair. "And I'm sure that a kind cat would enjoy your company, and would be happy to keep you warm."

At this point she knows where she's going, so her pace picks up... but then she slows back down. "What's making that whooshing sound?" she says, stepping to the side of the road and cautiously turning to look towards the source of the approaching noise.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Su glances around curiously, peering out from behind Ikiko's ponytail uncertainly. "I do not know," she says confusedly, then looks up and shrieks a little. "Ack! It's a cat!"

Amu grits her teeth and glances to Ran. "Ran, chara change," she says to her friend.

"Hop, step, jump!" Ran declares, and Amu grows a pair of fluffy wings at her wrists and ankles, then leaps for the sky! She's soon chasing after Ikutoo, angry as she chases him down. But he's moving much faster, and she's limited to jumping. As ever, he keeps well and truly ahead of her.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto spares a glance back at Amu, smirking. Good. She'll be more apt to cover ground if she's properly 'motivated', won't she? Yoru's eyes suddenly widen. "Ikuto! I can sense a Guardian Chara-nya!" the cat Chara says excitedly.

The larger of the two catboys nods. "Show me," he says quietly. And they're definitely heading towards Ikiko and Su.

Whoosh! Whoosh! The source of the sound appears to the wolfgirl and maid Chara quickly. Faster than a human should be able to move. It's that catboy, the one who's always pestering Amu. Or Reiko. Or Tadase. Or... well, pestering someone! That seems to be his only real joy in life, doesn't it? Pestering people, that is.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata looks up at Su's shriek. "More like a catboy, but that's still a good reaction," she murmurs, turning herself to try keeping Su hidden from Ikuto. She's not sure what he's up to, and she's not in shape to protect a lost Guardian Character if the catboy is here to maraud.

"Try to stay hidden," she whispers to Su, then she focuses on Ikuto, watching him with warily narrowed eyes. "Of all the people I thought I'd see today, I wasn't expecting you two," she calls towards the catboys with a half-sigh -- where the bigger catboy is, the smaller one is likely nearby as well. "If you're looking for canaries, they've all headed south for the winter."

Amu Hinamori has posed:
"You do not have to tell Su twice," Su says as she hides back under Ikiko's pointail once again. The little chara doesn't really peak out at all; but she is watching as best she can from her place of concealment.

Amu isn't that far behind Ikuto. She bounds off a building, over a temple, and then lands on another building, panting just a little. "I really think I'm starting to hate that cat," she mumbles, and Ran makes a noise of agreement.

Miki, however, is all starry-eyes for Ikuto and Yoru, "But he's so romantic! He brought you candy, Amu-chan!"

"And then pervertedly stared at me through the window while I was mostly undressed!" Amu counters, as she makes another leap. But then she hears another voice, and she stops once again. Peering down at the street, Amu tries to figure out who the brown-haired girl is, and why she's attracted Ikuto's attention.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto hears Ikiko's shout and smirks. He heads in her direction, and then pauses atop a low building, crouching on the edge of the roof. Yoru clings to his right shoulder, so it looks like Ikiko was right about that. He gives a smirk. "I was looking for something slightly frillier than a canary, actually..." he drawls. "Frilly and green." Yoru had told him what this maid Chara looked like; they needed to know what she looked like to find her, after all. "You seen anything like that?"

He looks up as Amu arrives, thinking quickly. "Well, well. Looks like you have an ally, Amu." No honorific is waaaaay too familiar. It's almost like he's trying to get on her nerves! Which. He kind of is. But that's neither here nor there. "I was going to do an experiment-- I wonder what would happen if a hatched Chara was filled with all that 'Muri' energy...?" He'd never do that. Not to anybody. But neither Amu nor Ikiko needs to know that.

Ikuto stands straight. "It looks like she's protecting your little green friend, though," he notes. "I hope you appreciate all she's going through to keep her safe, Amu." Actually he doesn't even know if Su's around. But between assumptions and pulling out the villainous lines, it's a good enough story.

He's good at hiding his feelings. But to Ikiko? If she knows animals other than dogs, she might pick something up. The sort of malicious amusement that's sort of halfassed on his face is not reflected in either animal feature. Rather than resting lazily on his head, Ikuto's cat-ears are twitching to the sides with sounds; his tail twitches almost nervously.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata narrows her eyes. She really isn't trusting Ikuto right now... but she's seen him in fights, and those feline features of his aren't displaying signs of combativeness right now. That's good...

...although she still isn't trusting him.

She glances over at the arriving girl, recognizing her from the fracas with Phantom at the Halloween party. And Ikuto said that her name was Amu? And with those comments about 'frilly and green', that makes it likely that...

Ikiko sidesteps over to Amu, keeping a wary eye on Ikuto. "Would you happen to be missing a Guardian Character?" she murmurs to Amu, glancing over at the other girl. "I happened to find one riding a dog; is she yours?"

A glance at Ran and Miki. "One of yours?" she corrects herself.

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu's whole face goes red with mingled embarassment and anger. "Stupid perverted cosplayer!" she yells at him. "It is unacceptably rude for you to call me like that!" She's just about ready to pick a fight, when Ikiko sidles up to her.

"Hnh?" Amu starts to ask, confused by the words. What would this girl know about--

"Amu-chi!" comes Su's voice from Ikiko's hair. The green-dressed Chara flies out towards Amu, excited and relieved. Amu herself looks equally relieved, and all of her rage is suddenly stolen by the sight of her missing chara.

"Su!" she says. "Where have you been? We've been worried!"

Su scuffs at the air like she's embarassed and admits, "I first fell into a dark box by accident," she doesn't mention Yoru, "and then I did not know where I was, and then there was a doggy, and then this nice girl found me and helped me find you. I am very sorry, Amu-chi."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Is that a look of sheepishness on Yoru's face? It sure looks like it. But neither he nor Ikuto comment. The boy just stands there, looking smug, Yoru floating over his right shoulder, as Ikiko sidles up to Amu. Su explains the situation and where she went, and Ikuto turns to Yoru, to raising a brow inquisitively. Yoru nods once, his ears flattening against his head. Not in anger, but in dismay.

And then Ikuto pipes up, "So... I don't suppose you'd consider parting with one of them?" This is to Amu. "After all, three Charas is a lot. I don't know anyone else that has three. I bet it's aggravating, trying to keep up with all their demands..."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata smiles at the happiness of Su and Amu being reunited. "Glad I was able to help," she says gently. "And Su found a wallet that somebody lost, so she and the dog were taking it to the police when I met them."

She gives Ikuto an annoyed look. "Probably less aggravating than you are," Ikiko snorts. "And more likely to be helpful, too!"

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu shakes her head at Su. "It's not your fault," she forgives the Chara, then smiles at Ikiko. "Thank you so much," she says. "I owe you big time, but first ..." she trails off, then turns to point at Ikuto sternly.

"If you ever lay so much as a finger on my Charas," she warns him, "I will never, ever forgive you! And I won't hesitate to kick your butt, Cat! Go away before I come do it now!"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto smirks at Ikiko's statement to him. "I could say the same about you," he notes. "Both of you, in fact. You've gotten in my way a lot." To Amu in particular, "You especially." Then to both of them again, "But I'll let you both off this time. Don't feel like fighting you both today." He turns his back. "Be careful though. There's only so much leeway I'm willing to give. And be careful when I give you enough rope, that you don't get tangled up in it."

He talks a good game, but it's probably less 'he doesn't feel like it' and more 'he knows he'd get his butt kicked'! But, that said, he smirks at the two girls, trying to look evil. His ears and tail still don't tell the same story, though. They're still nervously twitching. And then Ikuto leaps up to the roof of a building. Yoru pauses just long enoguh to execute an akanbe, and the follows.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata relaxes slightly when Ikuto turns to leave (and sticks out her tongue in retort to Yoru), but doesn't fully relax until the two catboys are out of sight. "Well, that was... interesting," she muses, shaking her head slightly.

With the potential threat gone, Ikiko turns to the other magical girl. "Hi! We saw each other at Seiyou's Halloween party, but we didn't get to introduce ourselves before Phantom crashed it," she grins. "I'm Ikiko Hisakata, 5th grader at Seishou, and also the magical girl Cute Wolf Tsukiko; pleased to meet you!"

Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu and Ikiko manage the akanbe response at exactly the same time. Eleven-year-olds; what're you gonna do? Once they're both out of sight, though, she takes a deep breath, then turns to Ikiko and smiles. "Yeah, I remember ... mostly. I'm Amu Hinamori," she introduces herself. "Also fifth grade, at Seiyou. And ... I guess Amulet Heart, Amulet Spade, and Amulet Clover, depending on which one I transform with. It's a pleasure to meet you, Hisakata-san."

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko Hisakata nods. From what she understands of Guardian Characters, they influence what their Bearer can become; having multiple Characters would mean multiple transformations. "I'm glad that he wasn't in the mood for a fight," she admits. "I kinda got energy drained last week, and while I'm feeling better than I was, I wouldn't want to have to rely on transforming right now."

Amu Hinamori has posed:
"Huh," Amu replies, considering Ikiko thoughtfully. "Well, I really do owe you," she says, "so ... how do you feel about sandwiches and ice cream? I mean I know it's cold, but I ike ice cream anyways. My treat," she offers.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
"Sounds great!" Ikiko smiles. "It's always nice to meet another magical girl outside of protecting the city -- especially one my age!"

She looks around, the hint of a thoughtful frown on her face. "I'm not that familiar with the food shops in this part of town," she admits. "Know any good ones nearby?"