Lune was in such a pleasant mood. The best she had been in since a long while. She felt so free and at ease. Though at the words and appearance of the white haired girl, Lune tensed slightly and frowned a bit. Those things the girl said couldn't be true. Lune knew that her own family was just using her, but that was for the good of the whole family, right? It wasn't because they didn't care about Lune at all, and Leon was so nice to her even though they'd just met. Certainly it wasn't an act or a trick. People weren't so cruel as to trick someone into believing they cared about them..Were they? Of course they weren't. There was no time for a response though.

She squealed lightly at the sound of the explosion and when the ground shook, wide eyes suddenly looking around. She felt some hot air, and then Leon grabbed her rather quickly and her eyes got even wider. Things were happening so fast, she dropped her parasol when Leon had grabbed her so suddenly and pulled her against him. A deep blush colored her cheeks the instant he held her against his body, and then a force sent them moving. Her eyes closed tightly, and her hands gripped him hard. He had shielded her from the power of the blast, and then kept her from hitting the ground.

Her entire body was trembling, her hands were tangled tightly in his shirt and her face was pressed against his chest. When they stopped sliding and she looked up at his face, there were tears slipping down her cheeks. Her heart was pounding so hard in her chest she thought it might burst through. Though at the edge of all that fear was nothing but concern and worry as she looked at his face. He had said something..asked if she was alright.

Lune nodded slightly, and very slowly, very uncertainly began to disentangle herself from him. "..I...I.." She was so shaky, and didn't seem particularly articulate at the moment. She looked away, inhaled deeply to try and calm her nerves as best she could and then looked at him again. "I am alright..A bit shaken. Are you injured, should I call someone?" She could hear sirens, and frowned. "The firefighters.." There were more tears in her eyes at the thought of others being hurt or killed by the explosion. Still, Leon took precedent over the others, because he was the one she was there with at the very moment. She wasn't with any of those others and rescue teams already seemed on the way judging by the sirens.

Her eyes were on him. Full of worry for him, her body still trembled a bit. Waiting for him to, hopefully, confirm that he was alright, but surely he was a bit bruised from the way he had protected her.

He sat up more, as she pulled back a bit. His body already beigining to register the ordeal it had just gone through, but he pushed it from his mind. He gave her a slight reasuring smile, hoping to ease her a bit. "I'm fine, not the worst I've been through" probrably not the most comforting thing if one thought about it, but it was to late to take it back now. He stood, taking her hand and helped her to her feet. He glanced back at the site of the fire. His second instinct now that she was ok, was to go back and see if he could help. But now the cops and such arriving, that would not be to good of an idea. At the same time, he could not just leave Lune there all alone. He noticed her dropped parasol not far away, walking over to it. There were slight burn holes in it, and it was dirty now.

He sighed turning back to her, if this was an intentional fire...whoever had set it was probrably hoping something like this would happen. The cost of people's lives... His hand clenched on the parasol, before he handed it back to her. He saw the shaking and the tears, so before he knew it, he was wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close again. "It's alright...it's over and your safe..they will help the others" he said, recalling her mention of the firefighters who had been on scene. He truly did not know if any of them were alive, but if they were, they would get help now with the arrival of the cops. He turned his attention back to the white haired girl from before, and the other one. It seemed the guy had vanished from sight. He stepped a bit closer to them "are you two alrigh?" he asked.

Her movements were almost mechanical as she nodded slightly as he reassured her that he was alright, and then he took her hand and helped her to her feet. Lune blinked a few times when Leon walked over to her parasol and retrieved it for her. Moments after he had handed it to her, he was pulling her close again. A blush crept across her cheeks as the action seemed to bring her out of the shock she had fallen in to. Lune relaxed against Leon as he reassured her.

She was fine, and he was fine. At least he seemed to be, though perhaps she would keep a close eye on him for a little while to make sure he was alright. When he stepped over towards the other two girls, Lune stared at her parasol for a moment. It was dirty and there were some burn holes in it, but that didn't really matter. She had more, a lot more, and it was just an object after all. Lune did hug it to her chest as she followed a bit behind Leon towards the others. Genuine concern written all over her face as she peered around Leon at them. He had already asked them if they were alright so there was no need for her to ask that as well.

She was still rather shaky, but the tears were beginning to dry.

She was staring off into space, at the smoke and inflamed debris littered around when someone grabbed her, moving her to lean against a wall. There was someone in her face now, talking. Ivory blinked, it was that black and white haired man. She frowned and jerked her wrist away.

"I'm perfectly fine," she snapped, Australian accent heavy. He was already leaving. The girl he'd been talking to was excited about something now, but Ivory didn't pay any attention. She pushed herself to her feet and dusted herself off. She might have a little bruising down her left side, but she might not. She felt fine, just dazed.

She glanced back at the billowing smoke. This wasn't the first time something like this had happened to her. She always found herself at fires like these. She was drawn to them. Some people liked water, rain swimming, oceans... Ivory liked fire, flames, embers, heat...

Someone was talking to her again, asking her if she and the other girl were ok. Ivory turned her head to see the firey haired boy, who's hair she stared at for a moment, somewhat dazed again. The girl was right behind him. "We look just fine don't we? All our limbs are still attached and we aren't on fire are we?"

She tossed a glance to the other girl. "She's hopping around excited about something." Ivory looked at the red haired one again. "I think it's obvious we're fine." Pft. People could ask some stupid questions. She looked past him to the girl. "I think your friend's fancy umbrella got the worst of it," she almost mocked.

Ivory turned her head to look at the fire again. The second round of firetrucks and police cars had arrived and people were scurrying around all over the place. "Or the firefighters," she said, Australian accent finally hinting at some sort of soul or feelings under that tough outer shell she'd grown.

Glimmer frowned and stomped her foot. "Ooh. The nerve of that guy! He must have something to do with it, or he wouldn't have run off. I knew there was something off about him." she trailed off. She crossed her arms again and pouted. She shot a look at the white haired girl. "Hopping around? That guy was suspicious!" she complained. She looked to the red haired boy, ignoring the girl's mean comments.

"I'm fine. But I should be going." Grandmother would be worried, and Glimmer was already late. She sighed, giving a quick wave to the red haired boy and parasol girl. "Thanks for the concern. It's been a weird day." She walked away from the fire, knowing that if the paramedics or firemen saw she was anywhere near the blast, they would want to take her to the hospital. She knew how they were careful of things like being sued. Not like Glimmer would do anything like that anyway. She quickened her pace, wanting to get home soon and forget it ever happened.

But it annoyed her. Just how did that strange boy know what was going to happen? Mysterious. She rubbed her ears. She hadn't gotten hurt, other than the blast making her ears ring. The ringing went away after she rubbed them. She saw her house up ahead and nearly ran the rest of the way.

He looks from one girl to the other, glad that they were both alright. Even if the one was still very...opinionated. He took a bit of a breath, looking at the one female that seemed keen on simply walking away. She seemed to be less than phased about what had just happened. His eyes moved back to Lune behind him, she still seemed worried and upset. He moved back to her, gently taking her hand with a warm smile. He turned his eyes then to the scene of the fire. He hoped that they would be alright, that there would not be as bad of casualties as it would appear. There was no way to say for sure though, but that was how it was. The fire was still going on though, and they were in danger now. "We should move on...at least a bit away for now" he says to Lune and the other female. The police were moving about, warning people already that the area was not safe.

Lune stood quietly there, trembling and frowning a bit. She said nothing to the other females, though Lune was glad they both seemed to be quite alright. When the Australian remarked about her parasol, Lune glanced down at it, as if she had momentarily forgotten she was holding it, then shrugged the slightest bit. It was just a thing, certainly not more important than a human life. Though looking down at the parasol in her hands, she noticed herself that she was shaking. Trembling like a leaf in the wind. Lune took half a step back, she should probably just go back to the safety of the dome. Things like that certainly didn't happen there. As far as she knew at least.

When Leon took her hand, Lune blushed lightly and blinked as she looked up at him. Those eyes turned towards the other girls, only now she realized one of them was leaving. It wasn't a bad idea, they should probably all just go home and be thankful they were alive. Even Leon voiced the idea of moving on, or moving further away from the area. She nodded slightly, her other hand gripping her parasol tightly. Her stomach felt like it was in knots, and she certainly wasn't hungry anymore. "...Perhaps...Perhaps we could go have a cup of warm tea, to steady our nerves?" The words were spoke quietly, a bit uncertainly, but it was spoken to both Leon and the Australian girl.

Lune didn't even know if this part of the city had cafes or restaurants that would serve warm tea. She shifted slightly on her feet. It certainly seemed as if Lune's nerves were in need of a whole lot of steadying. Her fingers tightened around Leon's hand a bit.

It was a beautiful, warm day that found the young male walking along. He liked coming around that part of the park, because sometimes he would run into Her. Todd Hunter, the hot-blooded Irish immigrant, had a slight crush on her. The object of his affection was named Calla, and she ran a pet store/training business nearby. That day, he had gone on a walk just because it was nice out. He certainly didn't expect to run into the woman herself, walking along with her three dogs. But, so distracted by the nice weather was he, that run into her was exactly what he did. Literally. He bumped into her, took a step back, and blushed furiously. "Oh, crap, I'm so sorry! I wasn't looking where I was going! I hope I didn't hurt you!" He apologized, his lilting Irish accent becoming more pronounced in his embarrassment.

Calla wasn't paying much attention to where she had been walking either. Being both hungry and tired after a long run, she was walking lazily and watching her dogs still full of energy running around her. Her three dogs then suddenly paused and barked in alarm as their owner walked right into some stranger. The sudden bump took the breath out of her momentarily and almost caused her to lose balance.

"Oh..Ow." Calla rubbed her ribs where she was certain an elbow must have hit. Then realizing there was someone talking to her she glanced up and her cheeks immediately grew warm. It took her a second to realize the man was apologizing to her. "Oh, I'm fine. Really it's o-" Before she was able to finish that sentence, three large and over protective dogs took her side, hackles raised, and a low growl escaping their throats. "Oh, hush! Stop it, you guys! No need to get all protective over me. I'm fine. He didn't hurt me." As if understanding her, they immediately backed down, all giving her the "if you say so" look.

Glancing back at the stranger, Calla could feel her cheeks warming even more as the light pink color began spreading over them. His Irish accent caught her off guard. It was the type of accent she had always liked and thought was adorable. "Anyway, sorry about the dogs. They are a bit overprotective of me. I hope you're okay as well! I wasn't paying attention... I'm.. Calla, by the way."

Calla had always been well at ease with animals. Every type of animal. She was even at ease with bugs and spiders. But humans were a different story. She had always been shy, but was forced to overcome the shyness in order to run her business. And she was never any good at talking to the opposite sex. And now here she was in the park after a long day of running.. "Oh...no. I must look awful." The thought blistered in her mind as she realized she must have been sweaty still from running.

The first girl was already running off, and the firey hair was suggesting leaving to the two who were left. Miss parasol was suggesting tea. The Aussie frowned. What were they up to? Strangers didn't just walk around picking up stray friends and taking them for tea. She scoffed. "What do I look like? A lost puppy? I can stay here if I want." Not that she did actually want to.

She glanced at Lune. "I'm not your mate. I'm not just going to skip down to the tea parla hand in hand." She was shaking her head in disbelief of the pair. "What do you think I am? Some kind of idiot?" She was looking between them both. "I'm out of here." And with that, she turned on the heel of her converse and disappeared around the corner, ducking into an alleyway quickly, in case anyone had the idea to follow her.

Ivory zigzagged and weaved through the city's streets and alleys until she came to her own side of the tracks. The street lights would be coming on around Junne City any time now. But not here on the East side. While some would, many had been shot out, or just unrepaired after burning out.

She walked down a narrow black-topped street, littered with peice of junk cars, couches, children who should have been indoors already, and little groups of thugs, up to no good. Ivory passed by a trio of hooded strangers. Smoke rose up out of one's hood. One held a can of spray paint.

It was then that Ivory noticed the huge letters down the side of the vehicle that she was sure wasn't theirs. They turned towards her as she passed, one whistling, another more forwardly calling to her, "Hey baby, wanna party with us tonight?" Ivory stopped only long enough to respond. "Rack off losa," she said with a heavy accent, flipping the trio the bird.

She carried on, and the hoons, as they called a bunch of hooligans back in Oz, continued on with their vandalizing, mumbling things about her as she went on her way. A few old and rundown houses later, Ivory stood in the street, looking up at a tiny two story, one bedroom house. The brick and wood on the outside of the place was chipped and faded, even peeling.

The porch, while in good standing, appeared otherwise. There were no lights on in the home, and no car in the port. Ivory's dad was still missing. The feeling always sat in the pit of her stomach wrong. It reminded her of her mother's disappearance. Her dad hadn't been gone this long before.

After a long moment, Ivory peeled her light grey eyes away from the house. There was nothing keeping her here. He dad was gone, the fridge empty. She sighed and turned around, walking down the street the way she'd come. She hated it here. Maybe she'd leave now, and never return. She'd head back to the city, maybe walk all the way to the ocean. Either way, she didn't look back.

Todd, if possible, turned even redder, putting his own hair to shame. "It's fine, really. Strange, though, dogs usually like me. But I can understand that they're protective. Er...I'm Todd." He said awkwardly, not wanting to tell her that he already knew her name. It wasn't like he stalked her, he just happened to know because of the pet store. Sure, he had a crush, but that was just coincidence. Of course. "So, um...you're on a walk then?" He asked, feeling like the dumbest ass on the planet. Honestly, small talk! As if it weren't bad enough that he ran smack into her, now he was making small talk!

"Oh, nice to meet you..Todd." Calla twirled her fingers through her ponytail as she stammered over her words,"And.. yes. I am on a walk. I just finished running actually.. and I am now heading home." She flushed and glanced nervously down at her dogs who decided that the newly met guy was okay. They bounded around him happily. The large, black wolfdog nudged one of his hands hoping for some attention and the other two quickly closed in. Tails wagging and tongues hanging from their mouths, they shoved one another to get a good smell of the man before them.

"Oh, I'm sorry! They usually aren't so enthusiastic about people they don't know. They must really like you. Guess that is a good sign though." Calla giggled lightly, pleased that her dogs were being extra friendly with Todd. "What are you planning on doing..like..right now? You can walk with me if you'd like." Suddenly Calla turned bright red as she realized what she had just said, "Oh, I mean.. I..I'm sorry! I didn't mean to be so forward! Of course you probably are too busy to walk with me..or are meeting someone. I must sound so rude!"

He listened to the suggestion of tea, giving a slight nod. Personally, he did not drink much of the stuff, but he did not feel right leaving her be at the moment. When the one he did not know the name of spoke up however, once more his temper flared. He was tempted to say something, he had plenty of choice words he could say that would certainly cause something. But in the end it was not worth it, and the female was leaving seconds later. He clenched his jaw, nearly biting his tongue to stop the words. Looking to Lune, he placed a lighter expression into place. "Ignore her...some people are just bluntly ignorant, while thinking they know people" he shook his head.

"Tea sounds nice, it should help calm the nerves as well" he glanced down at himself, his white shirt now covered in brown and black from the dirt and remnants of the explosion. "I do not think anyplace would let us in looking like this though...my place isn't to far from here if you like.. You can clean up and relax there, then I will take you home when you're ready" he says, not wishing to make her uncomfortable or uncertain. "Or..we can go wherever you like?" the words came soon after, to give her peace of mind that it was in the end her desicion. He did not wish to frighten her any more than she already seemed to be. For not having gotten out much, this was sure one hell of a first impression for the world to make on a girl.

Todd laughed as the three dogs surrounded him in greeting. This was how animals usually acted around him. "Hey there, guys! Nice to meet you, too." He said, then looked back up at Calla. "Oh, no, I'm not...I mean...you d-didn't sound rude at all...a-and I wasn't busy, and I'm not meeting anyone." He cleared his throat, blushing still. "I'm not really busy at all, so I would be happy to walk with you, Calla. Thank you for asking." He said, finally regaining some control over his voice and pushing down his blush.

Lune was staring wide eyed after the Australian, uncertainty in her eyes. Rather confused at the girl's reaction to a simple offer of tea and company. Though the girl had been rude earlier too right before the explosion, Lune just didn't understand how someone could be so rude. There were polite ways to decline invitations or polite ways to get your point across the rudeness was completely unnecessary. "...Such a rude girl.." A proper young lady would never behave in such a manner anyway, it was clear to Lune that the Australian was not a proper young lady. What kind of upbringing could that girl have had to make her so..so brutish?

She was frowning deeply and it took a few moments to realize that Leon was speaking to her. Still blushing a bit from earlier she looked up at him. "..A proper lady should never act so rudely.." She spoke the words quietly shaking her head the slightest bit. Her shaking seemed to have calmed some, but it hadn't gone completely away. Lune nodded a bit when he offered to take her to his place and then home. "I think that would be alright." There was only a hint of hesitation in her response, and she wondered how her parents would react if they knew she was going home with a strange boy. Lune bit her bottom lip slightly, it would be fine, this young man was a fine gentleman, at least he seemed to be. "Your place should be fine." There was no hesitation that time, the words spoken as if to assure him that she was quite content with her decision and his offer to go to his place.

With a friendly smile, Calla began to walk again in the general direction of her home. She always walked everywhere. Walking was a great way to keep in shape and she just enjoyed getting fresh air. She loved being outside and he knew her companions always had to. They went nearly everywhere with her, even to work. Socializing them with other people and animals was very important in her line of work. Not to mention she was able to show others that large canines aren't mean and scary like most like to believe. Especially ones with a more wild side, like her Kunai. He looked identical to a large black wolf and strangers are generally scared around him. He is eighty percent wolf and twenty percent German Shepherd. It was a nice change to see that this new guy, Todd, wasn't afraid of him like most are at first. "You seem to be able to handle yourself great around the dogs. They don't make you nervous at all?"

Calla surprised herself with how open she was being with Todd. Strangers made her nervous and shy, but upon seeing how taken her dogs had been with him, she let her guard down and even invited him to walk with her. It was a nice change for once and her canine companions were all about him. Perhaps a friend could be a positive change for her. She never spent too much time with people anymore except for the children at the park and the customers that came into the shop. The majority of the conversations there were always focused on pet care and costs and teaching people about the animals there. She still couldn't help the feeling that lingered in the back of her mind. She just didn't understand why she wanted to open up and be social with this guy she just met. But then again she knew that if her companions trusted him, so did she. Her dogs were never wrong.

Enjoying the warm sun on his skin, Todd stretched his arms up and linked them behind his head as he walked. He loved to walk, and really saw no point in any other modes of transportation. Sure, he knew how to drive, but that was just in case. He didn't own a car, never took the bus or train. He did like using his bicycle sometimes, though. Hearing Calla ask him a question, he turned to her with a bright smile. "No, not at all. I've been around animals my whole life, and I've always loved them, and they've always loved me back. Even some of the more wild ones. I once made friends with an injured wolf pup near my parent's home. I patched him up, and when his mother came looking for him she even licked my hand, almost like saying thanks. They treat me like I'm one of them, sometimes." He answered, clearly proud of that face. Todd had always understood animals better than people, so it was nice to talk to someone else who understood his passion for them.

Listening to Todd a sense of familiarity crossed her mind. "Well, that was certainly nice of you to help the pup out. I would have done the same in a heart beat." She smiled in his direction. "You know, you seem familiar. I believe I've seen you before in my shop, actually." Calla tilted her head like a dog would and glanced over at him, "Do you own any pets?"

Kunai, Sapphire, and Willow sauntered ahead. Checking out the different scents as well as making sure the way ahead was safe enough for their owner. They all wore bright colored collars with name tags, a number, and the street address from which they live. Calla made sure that if they ever were lost, they would be returned if who ever found them were decent enough to do so. Even the local wildlife control knew to look the other way when the dogs were on the loose. Her three canines were well known in this part of the city. They had been there in numerous cases to help victims of accidents and even warn others of impending danger. Calla recalled a time when Willow, the husky, barked at someone who was not paying any attention when trying to cross the street. Her warning bark stopped the person right as they took their first step off making them turn their head to see what was going on. If that person had taken another step they would have been killed by a trucker going over the speed limit. Calla was definitely proud of her dogs.

Leon nodded, turning away from the scene, putting it behind him for now. Not releasing her hand, he led her away from the comotion and away from the memory of what had happened for the moment. It was not far to his home as he had said, a neighborhood stood with one, two and even three story houses. His own was a two story, but a large one. It was perfectly white, with a perfect lawn, and perfect white picket fence. Like one would see in the movies. Leon hated it, though he would never say that. His father was probrably still at the office, he had left earlier after events at home. As for his mom, she had probrably gotten called in after the explosion, so she was most likely not here as well. He pulled out his keys, unlocking the door, stepping aside so his company could enter the home before him.

The door led into a huge open style livingroom, with wood floors. To the left, was a bay window, and a few steps from it, a staircase that spiraled up to the second level. Further in, stood a large glossy black piano, a fireplace, and a couch as well as a loveseat, and his father's black leather recliner. A large flat screen TV hung over the mantle, where pictures stood against the white brick. A victorian rug on the floor, and a table behind the couch, where a bowl sat between two vases of roses. He tossed his keys in the bowl upon entering, looking back at Lune. "Make yourself at home" he says. Everything was crisp, clean and in its place. It looked more in a sense like a hotel lobby to Leon than a living room, but that was his opinion.

"You could have been hurt." Glimmer's grandmother was baking some kind of pie. She wasn't sure what kind it was, since her grandmother was putting on the crust. Glimmer grabbed an apple from the middle of the table and tossed it in the air, grabbing it behind her back. "Oh, I wasn't in any serious trouble. I mean, that weird guy..." she trailed off, thinking about the possible mental guy who had pushed her out of the way.

"Weird guy?" her grandmother asked. "Yeah, some guy who pushed me out of the blast zone right before the explosion. It was weird." She took another bite. "But even if I was hurt," she continued with the apple still in her mouth, "you know that I'd be fine." Her grandmother sighed while putting the pie in the oven. "How long 'til it's done?" Glimmer asked while hopping onto the kitchen island. "Get off there. And it doesn't matter, since you're not having any. It's for my choir group."

Glimmer groaned and hopped off the small table. "Well, then I'm getting ice cream." she stated bluntly. "Be careful." her grandmother called after her. She closed the door behind her and went back the way she had come earlier, which made her pass the explosion site again. There were cop cars and firetrucks everywhere, including an ambulance or two. "Woah..." she whispered as she kept walking.

Todd tilted his head and nodded, his smile still in place. "Yeah, you got me. I've come into the shop a couple times before." He said. The first time had been a fluke: he'd been wandering aimlessly and found the shop by accident, and decided to check it out. After that he came back a few times both for the animals he so loved, and to see Calla. "I don't have any pets, though I wish I did. Can't afford to keep one, unfortunately, and I don't want to be one of those people who adopts a pet and then has to give it up because they can't care for it. If I have a pet, I want to be able to care for it fully." He said with conviction, though his expression was a bit wistful. It was hard for him, not having any pets or other animals around, since he'd always had them growing up. "Your pups are lovely, and so well behaved. What are their names again?" He asked, turning his attention towards thee three dogs with amusement.

Listening to Todd, a sad smile played on her lips. Calla couldn't imagine her life without her pets. A life without animals living in her home with her. "Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. It is great that you are being responsible about it though." Her voice held a hint of sadness as she continued to speak, "I really couldn't imagine a life without my pets.. They are my whole world." As Todd complimented her canines, Calla's happier smile returned, "Thank you. They naturally listen and respect me as their owner. It's how all dogs are with me. Lucky, I guess." She grinned, "Oh and their names. Lets see.. the big black one, his name is Kunai. He's part wolf. The husky rolling around in...oh...gosh....that mud puddle, that is Willow...who is getting a bath when she gets home. And Sapphire is the white German Shepherd. She got her name from her blue eyes." Talking about her dogs, Calla lit up, her voice warm and soft and full of love. "Their my family, my little pack."

As if know they were being talked about, the three canines strolled over to be next to their owner. Willow promptly covered in mud, grinned at Calla, her head sideways and her tongue rolled out, "My goodness dog, you are a mess. Definitely getting a b-a-t-h when we get home." With that, Willow barked as if amused and rubbed up against Calla, getting mud all over her bare leg. "Hey! You little... grr. I'll get you back for that you know!" She play yelled at her muddy companion, forgetting she was once again in the company of someone. Willow simply barked again as if laughing and trotted ahead with the others. "I..uh..I talk to my dogs alot if you havent noticed by now...

Lune was quiet as Leon took her to his home, blushing all the while due to his hand still holding hers. Though she did hold to his hand rather tightly, as if afraid he might just up and vanish. Still, his presence and the physical contact helped to calm her a great deal, and by the time they reached his home, even though it wasn't far away, Lune's body had nearly stopped trembling. Nearly. The outside of his house was perfectly quaint and Lune loved it immediately, the perfect lawn, especially that pretty little white fence.

When the door was opened for her, she stepped inside the house slowly, almost carefully. The dirty parasol with it's new holes she propped against the wall next to the door. So she wouldn't forget it on the way out, and it was silly to carry the thing around inside. It wasn't exactly the kind of house she was used to, but it seemed better than her own somehow. Lune moved around the living space, looking at this and that. "Oh, this is such a lovely house!" She had turned her head to look at him with a smile when she spoke those words. Sincere and polite. It was clean and well kept and though it was a big house, it wasn't as big as she was used to. That made it more intimate in a way, easier to be close with family, or so Lune assumed.

Thinking about family brought a question to mind as she moved around the room. Looking at things but not touching anything. "Are your parents not home?" In a house by herself with a strange boy, completely unchaperoned. It certainly was not proper, though at the moment Lune couldn't find herself to really care about rules and what was or wasn't proper. Leon was her friend, so it shouldn't really matter if they were chaperoned or in public or locked in a closet together or anything. Nothing improper was going to happen. Lune was blushing again.

Todd laughed, a deep musical sound that made other people want to laugh along. "I see that. It's okay, lot's of people talk to their pets. Especially when the pets are more like family. As far as their names, I think they're great. Kunai is an interesting name, very unique." He said, still smiling at the antics of the three dogs. "I take it they don't like b-a-t-h-s? I'll help out if you want." He offered, seeing just how dirty Willow had gotten.

((Sorry for the massive post guys. This play wasn't meant for so much work. Just got bored!))

The sun was on the decline, and it seemed to be declining quickly. The street lights had all come on now that their sensors gaged too little daylight, even though there were still various colors splayed across the West horizon. Ivory looked over her shoulder in the direction from which she had come. Darkness surrounded it. It was fitting, for the bad side of town, for her life there.

She frowned and faced forward again. She'd told herself she wasn't going to look back. She always looked back. And she always went back. Ivory sighed and her frown disappeared. She thought over the people she'd come in contact with today. She'd been so rude to them all. She had to be. That's how it'd started. She was rude to people on purpose, so that they wouldn't like her and would stay away from her. But now, she didn't know how to be any other way.

Ivory longed for someone who would understand her. Someone she could be herself around. Someone she could learn to be happy with and around. It would never happen though. Ivory wouldn't really allow it. If there was ever a person like that, she'd just have to push them away twice as hard. And besides, no one ever matched Ivory.

People tended to think being overly nice and 'helpful' was the way to get to Ivory. But that never worked. Most people just avoided her, the weird girl. It would take a lot more than someone holding a door open for Ivory to break down her massive walls. Someone with a head as hard as hers. Besides, she could open her own damn doors, she had hands.

She walked for hours, days maybe, or was it minutes? Ivory always lost track of time while lost in thoughts in her own mind. The sky looked the same, so it was safe to assume she hadn't walked to China. She found herself standing at the bus stop. A dirty and graffitied bench with a small awning over it and a flickering light sat before her, but it didn't matter. Ivory heard the squeaking of the city bus breaks as it rounded the corner and headed towards her.

When the bus stopped, the doors opened, light pouring out over her. She stood there for a moment, staring inside, thinking of all the places a bus could take her. Places far away. "You gettin' on or what?" the woman bus driver croaked. Her voice sounded like she was one cigarette away from an artificial voice box. Her skin looked like old leather, and her uniform was three sizes too big. Her hair was wirey and pulled back into a pony tail, and for another moment, Ivory only stared blankly at the woman.

Yes, she would get on the bus. Where was it going? She didn't know, she hadn't looked at the sign. It didn't matter. Ivory made the decision, she was going. This time she wouldn't go back. She stepped onto the first step of the bus, hesitantly. "Come ooonn," the bus driver croaked impatiently. Ivory frowned, "Keep your trousas on hm?" she snapped, continuing up the stairs and dropping some change into the coin slot.

Ivory moved to an empty area of the bus, sliding into a seat and against a window where she would watch the city lights dance by. With the dim lights on the bus never shutting off, Ivory could see a faint reflection of herself in the window. It didn't look angry, like she wanted people to see it. It looked lonely, lost, maybe sad. She looked through it though.

From time to time, the bus would stop, but Ivory remained. She was riding it to the end, and then she'd hop onto another, and ride it to the end. She'd do it until she was as far away from this place as she could be.