Brand New Day (Open)

[Elodie]

Latonia. Radix. Were these actual dimensions? Everything use to be a dream for Elodie, Now she has gotten use to it. She forgot her purpose in this dimension and why she and her puppy Finn were there. She stared at the tv which was playing a some wacky game show which involved people of various species and races. The demigod still didn't get used to the different creatures that lived in the beautiful city of Radix, it really made the demigod uncomfortable when she came to a local diner and an alien-looking woman was her waitress. She knew she was being judgemental but she has only been here for a month and she usually saw creatures like these as monsters that chased after her in Japan, she was taught that she had to fight these monsters but living with them... Was there really a manual for that? She was confused as to why the gods would send her somewhere where monsters lived in harmony.. When it came to demigods, where did their loyalties actually lie?

Finn jumped off the couch and barked when the television was showing a whole bunch of funny-looking animals appeared on the screen, the demigod grabbed the remote and switched the tv off. She decided it was time to take her dog for a walk, the worst part of the day. The time when she HAD to see people and people HAD to see her. She grabbed her glasses and slipped into her coat and ran to the closet to retrieve Finn's leash. She had been in Radix for a month and hadn't learned anything yet, she hasn't socialized, went to parties, made friends, to be honest the only time she went outside was to buy pet supplies and walk Finn. Secretly, she earned to talk to anyone that wasn't a dog.

The girl clipped the leash on Finn's collar and took a deep breath and opened her door, it was very chilly outside and everyone had their coats on. People were running to work, going shopping, and kids were walking to school. There was one thing that she was happy about: She didn't have to go to school. As Finn walked forward, Elodie followed; She was glad that no one was paying attention to her.. Suddenly she was in deep thought, What if she made new friends and never wanted to leave? Hah, that's a joke! She thought as she didn't notice that Finn jerked forward and ran into a nearby ally.

Elodie snapped out of it and tried to chase after her dog, Oh what was she going to do about Finn? He has never ran away from her before. A few minutes later, she lost Finn. The teenage girl was on the edge of tears, she had to find her dog! She decided to ask around, the thought of asking around had the girl sweating in her clothes she usually did things herself but talking to these creatures... After a few minutes of inhaling and exhaling she walked toward a street full of bakery shops and boutiques and frantically asked around. "HAVE Y-OU SEEN MY DOG!? M'AM, HAVE YOU SEEN MY DOG!?!, EXCUSE ME SIR HAVE YOU SEEN MY DOG!?!" She was asking about everyone in a panic..Hopefully a stranger in the crowd has seen Finn...

[Riley Oran]

Alexander had nearly finished moving out of the apartment. When arriving in Radix the first time, he had been given a home almost immediately and a time limit. Two years to find a job and another apartment, two years free living courtesy of Radix. Alexander wasn't ungrateful, he just thought it might be better for Yudi if, when she wakes up, she had a place that would be stable and constant for her. Not to mention it was right beside where Alexander worked. If something went wrong, the sitters could get a hold of him much, much easier, and it also limited the length of the commute. So far, it had taken over an hour or more to walk there, and a little longer to walk back depending on if the elevator was up or down.

He still had a few things left to get. Yudi was already safely tucked away in their new home under Lee's watchful eye. He wasn't worried at all- the man had proved himself nothing short of patient, kind, and reliable. This comforted Alexander as he navigated through Latonia's streets away from his old complex, bag of non-perishables behind him. The past week had seen him enlisting help to relocate his furniture to the new place- his new source of income had made this fairly easy to do. It wasn't a lot, but it provided the boon necessary to grease gears and get his bearings. The book Lee had loaned him had helped, too.

It was a guide to Radix, the things within it,a dn the places to be. It directed Alexander's daily activities a fair bit now by providing him with helpful tips to get through his day and navigate the massive mega-city. Apparently there was more to Radix than Latonia and the sky-city he had gone to (which he discovered was called Caelum). Rustici was a massive farming area, Crucis was under water... there was an underground city apparently, but he hadn't actually reached that chapter yet. He was still picking through it a page at a time, and had only been searching for more relevant material.

He was pushing through the crowd at a pretty good clip, making better time around the city than he ever did a month ago. The main roads were pretty far away from him, and this area was purely foot traffic. It wasn't that long ago that Alexander was nervous in crowds, maybe even paralyzed by them. Probably when he had arrived he was always on guard, always expecting a shot in the back or a monster to emerge and claim him. Yet despite the oddities and the obviously inhuman creatures that now surrounded him in his new everyday life, he was at ease. He felt more comfortable knowing that he wasn't the only thing that wasn't human anymore.

He could smell bakeries hard at work on this street, their cakes and muffins infecting the air with exotic aromas. A lot of the pastries were from worlds and done in styles that Alexander had never heard of. It all seemed so... alien. Yet, it more of a home than he had ever expected to have again. But not even these wondrous scents distracted him from the sound of somebody shouting in the crowd. He ignored it at first as just a potential fight brewing, a passing effect of crowded city life. That is, until it drew closer and became more clear in the crowd. A young woman somewhere shouting, clamoring for her dog.

Alexander's eyes immediately settled down, looking for something on the ground as his eyes traced feet and streets for something akin to a trampled dog form, expecting the worst. He shook this expectation away and started to scan the allies for some kind of canine form, when he realized that he'd only seen one dog since her'd arrived. That girl he'd first met... no, not likely. It was a massive mega city full of people, and the odds of that were not good if even there in the first place. He didn't see the dog, despite his neon eye fiercely overexerting itself as it peered about.

Instead, he started to look for the source of the voice, heading towards it as fast and quickly as he could. He pressed through the crowd with a slightly heightened sense of urgency, breaking through the people and seeing exactly who was calling for her pup. No way... it definitely was her.

[Elodie]

"Anyone... Oh, anyone, please..." Elodie pleaded to the citizens, Some people shook their heads in her direction while some looked on the ground scanning for Finn. Others pushed past and ignored her, Elodie felt a surge of relief when the inhuman creatures were trying to help her find her companion. After awhile, she decided to go into a pastry shop to buy some bread or maybe a small cake. Finn does like cake... She thought as she pushed through the glass doors and looked around the gingerbread house- inspired shop. It was cute for a little bakery in Radix, the walls were actually made with edible real chocolate that didn't even melt. The walls also had big gumdrops pasted all over, a few kids scooped chocolate off the wall and tasted it with goofy grins. The floor was made of lumpy cookie dough (Which the children also tried to eat) and it was hard to walk over to the cashier.

As Elodie walked up to the cashier, she crouched down to look in the display case. Chocolate cakes, different kinds of cookies, decorated gingerbread houses, gingerbread men, More and more cakes, cheesecakes, cinnamon rolls, pumpkin pies, apple pies, blueberry pies, peach pies, brownies, and fresh-out of the oven cookies. What to decide.... Finn couldn't eat chocolate so Elodie decided to buy two gingerbread-men cookies with the leftover money she was given by the same people that offered her an ID and an apartment. She would smile and look down at the cookie dough floor, embarrassed to look at the man with orange skin who gave her the two gingerbread men. This man was an Ava for sure, she knew that from a booklet the 'Newcomer committee' gave her but of course she only read half of the booklet and tossed it in the trash since she knew that she wasn't going to communicate with any of the creatures that lived in Radix. As she hurried to a small table in the corner, she saw that the bakery was hiring but she pretended not to look at the 'Were Hiring' sign due to self doubt and not wanting to leave her cramped apartment for a job and she didn't want to leave Finn unattended to either, she had no friends to look after him after all.

Elodie sat in the chair and placed two of the gingerbread men on the round sugar cookie table, she placed her hands over her eyes as tears fell down her cheeks she made a failed attempt to hide her tears but the demigod didn't care.. She just wanted Finn back...

[Riley Oran]

The second Alexander saw the girl and froze, he waited only a moment before realizing that she didn't actually see him. At least, she didn't recognize him anyway. Her eyes must have traced over him in their frantic search but she had to have been too distraught to give the faces and shapes anything more than a first thought. Alexander then sunk back into the mass of people, only for a little bit, and initially had decided to leave her to her problems. A little voice in his head rang loud and clear, It's not your problem, let it be. He largely agreed with this voice and was about to move on when doubt crept upon him in the form of a much smaller, much more silent voice.

What if you lost Yudi like this?

Alexander heart sunk a little bit, a surge of empathy coursing through his body despite his best efforts to suppress it. The voice that told him "not my problem" was soon echoing what the little one had to say loud and clear. He sighed tracing his feet with a stare before looking back up at the girl. "Damn it," he muttered under his breath to spite himself. He still was wary of approaching her at the moment, though he could feel the emotions that after off of her and flowed into him. Clearly there was no threat here, but considering the circumstances of how they had met were pretty terrible he decided it would be better to err on the side of caution.

He followed her around for a few minutes, attempting to find an opportunity to provoke conversation. He wasn't having an easy time of it, either- this was a much simpler endeavor in his head. His job had helped him be a little more social, but usually people were speaking to him about non-personal issues. And most obviously, they were speaking to him, not he to them. Of course he conversed with them, but never started the conversation. It was all reactionary on his part, and because of that, easy. Now before him was a person that he needed to speak to first, but wasn't finding the words to do so.

She went in and out of a bakery, which confused Alexander somewhat. Was she not still looking for her dog? When she left the store he had his answer. Briefly did she look at the "we're hiring" sign in the shop window before ignoring it and pressing towards a table, but Alexander didn't read into this more than he needed to. She seemed distracted right now, and nothing proved this more so than when she began to cry at the table, her two cookies in front of her. Another sigh escaped the Dissident's lips. "Damn it," he cursed himself again. He was having a bit of a flashback to person he used to know and care for, and he shook his head. Not the same person, he reminded himself. They're two different people.

Of course they were. Alexander didn't need to tell himself, but now Alexander truly shared that sadness. Empathy had a choke-hold on him and he moved towards the girl swiftly. Without mmuch sound he pulled a chair out and sat across from her and began rifling through his pack, a rustling noise coming from within that the girl could easily hear. A second or two passed before Alexander withdrew a box of tissue paper, only slightly used. He yanked a piece of paper from the package and in a voice that was honeyed with false sincerity offered, "A tissue, for your nose," and he pulled out another, "this one is for your eyes." He sat the box down on the table between the two of them, observing her silently.

[Kate]

Finally awaking from her slumber Yudi adjusted herself with her current surroundings. She was surrounded by blankets inside a room full of all sorts of unfamiliar things. What was familiar was the scent of her parent. It was very thick in this area so Yudi recognized it as home. Getting up on all fours Yudi gave a good look at everything around her. The only thing in the room breathing besides herself was some bunny person not that she knew what a bunny was. It didn't seem to have noticed she had woken up. She was after all very small. What she didn't know about the bunny person was its scent was not familiar and was intruding upon her territory. Her parent didn't seem to be around either which sent all sorts of warning bells off in Yudi's head. It was going to eat her while her parent was away and she was defenseless. 

Jumping out of the comfortable pile of blankets Yudi began running around looking for a way out. This no doubt quickly drew the attention of the bunny person and it wasn't hard to tell she was panicking. Obviously the best choice was to grab her before she got herself hurt which in the end was going to happen weather he tried to grab her or not. 

Her small size let Yudi fit into tiny areas and avoid capture if she needed to. In the end the only way out she could fine was an open window with nothing but a thin screen full of teeny tiny little holes blocking her from escape. Ripping it open with her dangerous claws Yudi leaped out of the window. The window wasn't too far above the ground and most of her fall happened to be broken by a very large squish man who happened to be resting below from a jog. At first the man was angry and thought someone had threw something at him, but quickly noticed the strange little creature he'd never seen before. He was concerned for the thing and tried to pick it up but naturally Yudi darted off.

Navigating the giants walking around Yudi tried to track down the scent of her parent which was no easy task. All the noises and smells burned her insanely sensitive hearing and sense of smell. Just walking straight was a struggle in itself. Through sheer dumb luck or intervention from an unknown source Yudi happened to stumble into the door of the very building Alex was in.

Yudi was super tired and her head was throbbing. Unable to go any further Yudi rested. One of the people looking for Elodie's dog picked the strange looking creature up and brought it inside. After all this could be some strange breed of dog right. Didn't hurt to check. Yudi tried to escape as soon as she saw the stranger reach for her but ended up getting grabbed by the scruff of her neck anyways. Instinct forced her to go limp. "Excuse me miss but is this what you are searching for?" The stranger asked Elodie with uncertainty.

[Elodie]

A few minutes of crying didn't really do anything to improve the demigod's mood. She kept pinking through her hands to see if any of the strangers in the bakery were staring at her. She sniffed with relief when no one paid attention to her and covered her face again. Hopefully, no one would ask her what was wrong because all of these civilians were... monsters. Monsters Elodie was suppose to defeat not befriend or commune with.

There was a screeching sound right in front of her which mad her slowly place her wet hands on the table. The stranger didn't look like any of the creatures that were on the streets or in the small bakery, he looked quite human but with a.... metal arm? Elodie has met this man before on the first day she arrived in Latonia. He was carrying a small dragon with him and she thought it was a monster in disguise trying to eat him or something.. On that day, Elodie wanted to display a hero persona and 'save' the man but she really made herself look like an idiot when it was his pet or something. He wasn't as dirty as before, he was quite clean and looked as if he was on a shopping trip.

The man took out a box of tissue paper and handed her two tissues, she slowly took it out of his hand and blew her nose on the tissue. She wouldn't do anything like that in a public place filled with people, she decided not to look around to see if anyone was staring at her. She took off her glasses and softly dabbed both of her eyes with the other tissue, The demigod was being careful with those soft dabs because tissue can smear and she didn't want any wet tissue on her face, especially when she washed her face four times today.

Elodie crumpled the tissues and put it on the edge of the table, far away from her gingerbreadmen cookies. "D-Do you know where my p-puppy Finn might be?" She asked, well, Who was he again? She blinked the dry tears trying to remember his name. "Yudi, is it?" Yudi didn't really sound like a masculine name, she did remember a 'Yudi' though.

A stranger walked up to the table, carrying a baby dragon asking her if it was her dog. Elodie shook her head repeatedly, She wished she didn't ask any of the strangers for help and now they were walking up to her and wanting to start small talk! "No, that isn't Finn," She told him, examining the creature he was holding. The thing looked familiar but it definitely wasn't her pet.

[Riley Oran]

Alexander released the grip on his tissues as the young girl took each of them in sequence, reclining a little farther back from her in an effort to make her a little more comfortable unconsciously.  It wasn't any of his business, and people weren't really his expertise, but judging by her movements and her fidgeting she wasn't very comfortable with something. It could have been any number of things, but Alexander felt that maybe crying in a public place wasn't helping her very much. Alexander's brave front he put up needed to do the trick. Do not be uncertain, he repeated to himself in his head. Don't sound uncertain, instead sound like you can take charge.

And that is exactly what he did. Through her crying Alexander almost seemed to puff out his chest. As embarrassing as it was to admit, the negativity she generated fed him a little bit. While he wasn't even hungry, the negativity made him feel good. Maybe even fantastic, like a rush of endorphins was now surging through his system. Alexander shook his head to the young lady's question, but followed up quickly with, "I'm willing to help you look for him. I can be a great help to you," he assured. Alexxander wasn't actually certain what he'd be able to do exactly, but  he did know that he was at least somewhat of a predator. Predators track, right? He could feel all the different souls around him, he could read the very biology of the creatures walking past the two, seeing the failings of their anatomy in great detail... certainly he could find the puppy in Radix. He must be capable of such, surely.

He was about to offer his name extend his human hand to the girl in a handshake, when a voice from behind him spoke with solution. His heart lightened and he wanted to congratulate the man, but instead turned to see the sagging, limp form of his ward. His eyes widened in surprise, and then fear. "Y-yudi?" Alexander's voice shook in a strange flurry of emotions, mostly anxiety before he seized the small form from the man's hand with a snap of his body, moving in a kind of lightning gesture. For a moment his world dissolved into just the small dragon in his arms as he looked up at the man trying to read him. All he could ascertain was confusion. Alexander felt anger rise up within him but knew better. He stuffed it down, swallowing the misplaced and inappropriate rage. "Thanks..." was all he managed to say.

He turned back towards Elodie, dragon still in his arms as he struggled and succeeded in addressing the task at hand. "Now, your puppy..." Alexander nodded at her fiercly. With Yudi back in his arms he felt a familiar parental instinct well up inside his breast, and the desire to reunite this girl and her companion became stronger than it was previous. "I don't need to know his name, but it'll help if you tell me."

[Kate]

Yudi was equally as shocked to see her parent. Though the emotions that ran through her were much different from those that ran through Alex. Yudi was infinitely happy and relieved especially after all that she had just gone through. Yudi made certain to memorize every aspect of Alex's scent so she could find him in even the stinkiest of places.

Yudi yelped in surprise and fear as her image of the world was suddenly distorted and her body suddenly snatched. As soon as she realized she was in the strong arms of her parent though, she began purring happily, Yudi payed no mind to the female Alex was conversing with. Due to Yudi's unfavorable circumstances when they first encountered, she remembered nothing of the girl. Even if Yudi had she still would have focused all her attention on Alex.

[Elodie]

It seemed as if Alexander had reacted to the animal that the stranger was holding, he took the animal out of the strangers arms and cradled it with such immense care. Elodie was astonished, even monsters showed cared.. Not that he was a monster, it was just his metallic arm that separated him from being human. She found herself smiling at the scene and quickly closed her mouth when she realized it. Even though the man seemed quite friendly, she still didn't trust him especially on their first encounter when he threatened her..

The most dangerous thing in your presence is me, girl. You'd do well to make yourself aware of that fact.

She forced herself not to cringe at those words, Finn came first she might have to deal with this man later. When he asked her what Finn's name was, she took a deep breath and sat up straighter trying to show her non-existent self confidence. "Finn, his name is Finn," She said without stuttering, mentally giving herself a pat on the back. "He's a little black dog with pointy ears and a curled up tail." She would look at the little dragon he called 'Yudi' in his arms, she didn't know why, but looking at him cradling Yudi in his arms gave her confidence.

[Riley Oran]

Alexander nodded, a fierce resolve in his eyes. "Finn," he repeated the name like he was getting a taste for it, then inhaled as though taking in a scent, He exhaled deeply as he stood up, still holding the dragon within his arms. He scooted the chair in with his foot, leaving it a little crooked. He pressed it an again, laying it flush against the table as he nodded towards her. "If you would like, you can come with me." He was offering the stranger to chance to look for her companion alongside him. "If he sees you, he could return to us much easier than if it were just myself. Plus, if I do find him and he doesn't want me to pick him up, I don't have to run all the way back here to tell you."

It seemed to make sense in his head, but either way he would give the girl a soft smile and did not wait for an answer. He spun on his heel and headed on, then suddenly stopped. "Oh, one more thing!" He turned back around towards her. "Where did you last see him? Could you tell me, if you can recall?" The crowd of people was still thick, and while Alexander could potentially track the small creature he didn't have X-ray vision... technically... He wouldn't be able to examine the entire crowd all at once, but if just an idea the creature was headed he could look at the streets for something that could help.

[Kate]

[OOC: your can skip me]

[Leo]

OOC: Mind if I join in?

[Kate]

[OOC: I totally don't mind.]

[Riley Oran]

[Go for it]

[Elodie]

As Alexander told Elodie that she could follow him, she stood up without hesitation. She didn't trust him alone with Finn, she didn't trust anyone with Finn especially after the Goddess Otohime set Finn out alone in the city to 'test' Elodie on her abilities. The demigod pushed her chair in, she didn't like to look at things so unorganized and messy. She folded her gingerbread cookies in the napkin and held them delicately in her hands as if they were little baby doves hoping she wouldn't get any crumbs on the floor.

Elodie ran to the man's chair and pushed it in with her other hand as soon as he turned around and asked her when was the last time she had seen him. She turned to look at him and gave him a default expression, despite the soft smile he had given her. "W-we were walking and he just... got off of the leash and just ran in a different direction.." She would walk past the man and his dragon and opened the glass door, she pointed in the left direction of the alleyway she came from when he ran off. She placed her hand on the handle, not wanting to smear the door or get any filth from it. The girl wished she could control her OCD, she had had enough with her mental disorders ruining her life..

(Go ahead, the more the merrier )

[Riley Oran]

The moment the girl pointed in a direction, Alexander's eye began to search the area. He offered her a hand and beckoned her to follow him, determined that despite his initial opinion of the girl... hell, despite his opinion on anybody, this was something worth helping with. It was equivalent to somebody losing a child. If Alexander had lost Yudi then he would tear the city into shreds trying to find her. He really wasn't sure why. If he wasn't aware of his immunity to magic, he'd assume she'd cast a spell on him. Maybe in a way, she did. Honestly, he couldn't help but look down at the little creature for but a moment and gift it with a smile.

But now onto matters at hand. His eye let him shoot through the crowd, searching for something in the crowd. There were small beings in to crowd, something like dwarves or gnomes...? Weird, but no dogs yet. He moved ahead and attempted to lead Elodie through the mass of people. Pushing through somewhat easily. By this point Alexander was already capable of pressing through them with a great amount of sin energy inhabiting his form, and he had to be careful. If he moved too fast, he could incidentally hurt somebody. Yudi's glee was lessening his power, but not fast enough to remove him as an accidental threat. His gaze ripped through the legs and bodies of the people on the ground, searching furiously for the small animal. He didn't have to sleep, he didn't have to eat, and he would find this girl's dog.

[Elodie]

Elodie followed right behind the man, she looked around and examined her surroundings. She was afraid, but there was really nothing to be afraid of. There were gnomes and dwarves on 'bakery' street now and they were small smaller than Elodie even though she was barely five feet. She hugged herself and picked up the pace, eventually walking beside Alexander, "That way," She said as she pointed at an alleyway corner, before he could say anything she ran to the alleyway, pushing past the creatures.

[Riley Oran]

Alexander noted the girl beside him hugging herself from the corner of his eyes, looking forward through the crowd for any kind of clue to the small animal's whereabouts. It didn't take Elodie's confidence very long to rebound- or for her concern to get the better of her. She was off like a rocket and Alexander was close behind, still cradling Yudi as he bounced through the crowd with great speed and force. He managed to catch up to her fairly easily, stopping in the alley and looking around. Almost immediately he had a sensation set off red flags in his mind, the feeling of utter sickness creeping down his spine.

There was another in the alley with them. Alexander hesitated to call it a "he" because he frankly couldn't tell, but it reclined against the wall with some scales evident and feathers covering most of it's body. It wore clothing, of course, but only on the lower half of its body. It's face was beaked like that of a hawk, it's eyes sharp and predatory. It didn't move much, maintaining a cool demeanor as it's eyes fell upon the trio. It then let its beady eyes settle upon Yudi, and if it could have smirked, might have.

"Well," its voice was a deep, screeching squawk that rubbed in Alexander's ears, irritating him a little further with each second that this creature spoke more. "I came here to find that dog that I'd heard about... they're so delicious, you see." It clearly didn't seem to see anything wrong with what he had just said, and to be honest Alexander could understand why. That beak? Those eyes? Its feet too- no shoes could fit or be made for those talons. Sharp and ready, this creature was a rather large bird of prey.

"But instead I find two pluts and a dinner course," he clicked his beak as he eyed Yudi hungrily. "So how about you guys give me the little lizard-thing and scram?" Alexander made no noise or movement initially, instead staring the creature over. "Too easy," he muttered to himself as he called out to Elodie. "Come on. He clearly doesn't have Finn." Alexander was aware that this man was trying to be intimidating, and had frankly gone from a good, confident mood to a bad one all at once. He looked down to Yudi, and shook his head. "Some people," he said to her.

[Leo]

What was this place?  How had he arrived here?  What year was this? So many questions werer currently flooding Leonidas' mind as he wondered through the vast expanse of winding roads...more questions came with every curve of the cobblestone pathways.  Hordes of citizens were making their way to and fro on the bustling streets...their eyes were focused on their individual journies, not concerned about their surroundings, yet ever starring off into the distance that lay out before them.


Leonidas rubbed the sides of his head as he felt the tinge of pain surfacing once again.  He had become prone to minor headaches as of late.  They were especially common when he was in a state of confusion as he currently found himself to be in.  

He wasn't one for crowds...he avoided them whenever possible and now he was right in the midst of thousands of people.  He made his way to the far right side of the pathway, eventually finding an alley to duck into for the mean time.  (The very same alleyway the other group had turned down in search for the missing pooch.)

Leo took in a deep breath as he was approximately one hundred yards down the alley.  He leaned against the side of the brick wall of one of the buildings as he exhaled.  He leaned down, placing his hands on his knees.  His mouth felt dry as his head began to pound a bit harder than before.  He felt as though the walls were closing in on him.  It wasn't long before he slid down the wall, now sitting on the cold ground with his head against his knees.

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