OPAL on the town [Closed]

((This thread is a continuation of This thread and take place the same day))

Steele continued to walk forward through the rather rough neighborhood. The group was certainly attracting stares from people sitting on their porches or staring at the group through windows. Steele's eyes darted around keeping track of all the people in his field of view but despite this "twitch" he appeared to be and was rather calm. "Not much farther" he called out to his teammates in the same monotone he had been using the rest of the day.

Liseran darted here and there, not used to the crowd of people she saw. She was more concerned about the fact that people were looking at the group.

At least I'm wearing something more normal than they are, she thought, ignoring the fact she was lugging around a huge suitcase she would later fill with books. She looked at the stalls here and there, searching for what she wanted but then took the team into consideration.

"Wh-where would you like to go first, everyone?" she squeaked.

Ambrose walked with some space between him and his teammates. He kept his head down trying to avoid the gaze of others. His music was abnormally loud due to his anxiety, yet he somehow managed to hear Liseran. "A record store would be nice." Or someplace with fewer people.

Naoto walked at a leisurely pace behind and to the right of Steele, looking up and admiring the buildings of Vale. "I don't have any personal preference when it comes to shopping so I am fine wherever we go, though I recommend we go to where Lise wants to go last." He said, gesturing to the girl's suitcase. "I assume you want to fill that with something and that would be... inconvenient if that were full while we were still going around."

"Y-yes, of course," Liseran said bashfully as she fixed her glasses. "I don't mind, really...Was that a record store Ambrose said?"

Steele gave a small sigh as he turned the final street and the half-ruined houses an buildings have way to a lively downtown area with shops for nearly anything a person might want on the trip. "Goddamn...did everyone decide to go here today?" He complained out loud before giving a larger sigh than before. "A record store you said? There is one within one hundred meters from here if that is where you want to go." He pointed lazily in the general direction of the shop and waited for Ambrose to confirm.

Ambrose's only reply to Steele was a slight nod of the head. He started to walk towards the area Steele had pointed to, but quickly retreated back to his team, sticking closely to them. You can do this. It's only a crowd. Nothing too bad, right? he quietly thought in an attempt to reassure himself. "Right, Steele. Lead the way," he timidly added.

While they headed to the music store, Liseran was busy typing in her scroll the list of books she was going to look for. So far, she had listed down 24 titles. She looked at her teammates and felt a nervous blush come over her face.

Please, please, you have to get used to this! Liseran said. You're spending the rest of your Beacon years with them.

She was about to speak, but her nervousness made her swallow her words. She ended up stepping backwards forcefully on Naoto's foot.

"Eep!" she yelped. "S-sorry!"

At the sudden pressure on his foot, Naoto stops in his tracks, looking down to find Lise's heel on his left foot, his tail jutting out rigidly behind him. "I-it is fine, Lise. I have thick shoes." He was lying, the one inch heel probably bruising it but he didn't want to make her any more nervous than the girl already was. "I barely felt it." He said, trying to mask the pained look on his face. "No need to apologize."

Despite Naoto's words, Liseran began bowing her head repeatedly in apology.

"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I promise it won't happen again!" she said in complete panic. There were nervous tears in her eyes and when she could stop bowing over and over again, she hid her face behind her book.

"P-perhaps I'll wait here outside," Liseran then said. "I have nothing to do inside the music store."

And I don't want to screw things up... she thought.

"Liseran, please. Calm down."He said, putting a firm, reassuring hand or her shoulder. "I am not hurt, therefore you have no need to apologize. No harm, no foul as one would say." Raising his leg, he kicks it against the curb, pain speeding up his leg but he kept it in check, his tail staying relaxed and swaying softly. "See? Perfectly fine."

Liseran looked at Naoto, her eyes a tiny bit watery because of her small blunder. She did, however, smile slightly to see that Naoto was fine.

"If...if you say so..." Liseran muttered, tightly clutching her cardigan's sleeves from the inside. As she looked towards the inside of the store, she sighed. "I don't really know that much about music, so I don't think anything will interest me inside. I only like classical pieces. Anything you particularly favor?"

"Personally, I have a preference for relaxing pieces and instrumentals. Music while sitting in a tree is simply divine." He said, walking to the door and opening it as he stepped to the side. "Please, after you." He said, gesturing in the shop to his teammates.

Liseran still felt hesitant as to going inside, but it would be rude if she stayed out while the others "bonded". She went inside first, apparently, and gave everyone a glance to follow. Inside were a certain amount of people and there were stacks of CDs on each wall.

Personally, Liseran didn't even use CDs. She didn't even have a music player. The only music she ever heard were the hymns and matins at home and the instrumental music on the speakers in the mess hall. Vaguely, she recalled her father liking jazz, but she didn't know if that even existed anymore. She casually went through the cds uninterested while she waited for her teammates to follow suit.

Ambrose livened up as he entered the store. Moving quickly, he made his way over to the electronics section. "I-I won't be long," he stammered out as he ran off. As he reached the CDs he began to sift through them with shocking speed. It almost appeared as if he wasn't reading them at all. In actuality, he was sifting through looking for a few in particular. Once he had found the music he was looking for, he grabbed them and made his way towards the checkout.

Without saying a word Steele had followed Ambrose into the record shop and silently walked through the store grabbing a single metal CD and standing in line behind Ambrose while checking his wallet for funds and hoping he had enough Lien. After a moment he tapped Ambrose on the shoulder "So you like music eh?" he asked awkwardly hoping to make conversation.

Ambrose jumped a bit as Steele tapped his shoulder, nearly dropping his CDs. "Uh, yes. I actually listen to music a lot," he responded without turning to face Steele. Ah, you are so pathetic! At least try to hold a conversation for once. Ambrose turned around to face Steele. "If you want, maybe I--"

"Sir? Sir!" The cashier interrupted Ambrose before he could finish his sentence. Ambrose blushed, even though no one could see his face. Silently, he handed over his items to the cashier. "Will that be all?" she asked bluntly. Ambrose replied with a small nod and handed her the appropriate amount of lien. "Have a good day." Although her words were kind, the cashier's voice was cold and monotone. Grabbing his new purchases, Ambrose hurried away to the exit in embarrassment.

Naoto followed the team inside, not really interested in the music on display. Absentmindedly browsing the shelves, he picks a few cds up and looks at the covers before putting them down, finding nothing that piquing his attention. Suddenly, Ambrose runs, Naoto's head snapping to watch him go out the door. "Hmmm...." He said, slowly sliding the cd back into place. "I believe that that is our cue to go."

Liseran watched as Ambrose darted out and she meekly followed, not having seen anything of interest to her.

I wonder why he was in such a hurry... Liseran thought to herself.

She dragged her stroller bag behind her, still very light and very empty. She turned over to the others, waiting for the next place to go, eager to reach the bookshop.

Steele soon reappeared with the rest of the team carrying his CD inside his jacket pocket. His expression would often change between sleepy and bored to somewhat interested at random times. "Where next? I dont mind where we go but Lis over there seems pretty excited to get some books" he gestured toward his teammate.

Liseran's head darted at Steele's mention of her name, and it made her jolt a bit.

"H-huh, what?" she said. And then, absorbing Steele's first remarks, she fixed her glasses promptly. "O-oh, are you sure? I mean, there must be other places you want to go, surely. Though if the books can come first, I don't mind. I'm used to carrying a trolly of books..."

She laughed nervously and cast a sideways glance.

"Is...is it alright if we go to the bookstore first?"

"You seem very eager, Liseran." Naoto said, "It would be rude to deny you that. If you manage to fill that case though, please do not hesitate to let one of us take it, if you would allow." Personally, Naoto didn't know that it was possible to read that many books in one sitting but he wasn't that much an avid reader, only buying a few books or two that caught his interest every once in awhile. Still, Lise's enthusiasm amused him, a smile spreading across his face."I have no other agenda then to spend time with you." He said, bowing slightly to the team.

Liseran flinched at Naoto's remark and she felt her face turn red from embarrassment.

"R-right! Right!" Liseran said in panic as she zoomed ahead of them. "Uh, the bookstore's this way, so I'll be quick as possible!"

She ran up ahead came to a small shop with walls of bookshelves. She looked back at her teammates, still flustered and very nervous.

"A-are you guys going in, too??" she said.

Steele raises his gloved hand slightly to indicate that he was going to join her in the book store. "I hope they have some good horror reads...or at least something to pass the time". He wouldn't be being untruthful if he were to say that he loved horror books or horror movies. He moved to stand beside Lise to follow her into the store.

"Of course. It would be rude not to." Naoto said, smiling as he nodded politely. "I too am curious though. Perhaps there would be a foreign import selection inside. I have not been able to find any books from in Vale and if I do here, I might become a regular customer."