Welcome to Gaia! ::

Just then, Iden and Toby were headed down the street in the early evening dark, Iden with her backpack slung over her shoulder and thumbs hooked in the hem of her short, pleated black skirt. Running a hand back through her hair when they came at last to the shop, the vampire pulled open the door. Maybe they'd get lucky and someone might actually be around night.

Toby trotted along beside her to keep up with her booted strides, snugly kept safe from the cold by his red cloak, as well as his own fur beneath that. He wore boots too, though they were much simpler, shorter, and less...dramatic...than his caretaker's knee-high ones. As they approached the shop, he drew his hand from his pockets, letting one rest on the hilt of the wooden sword at his side; he'd finally gotten a proper practice one, thanks to Vlad.

"I spend a lot of nights thinking the same thing," she said with a grin, letting the door swing shut behind her before she introduced herself, "I'm Iden."

Toby, tail wagging underneath his cloak, stopped beside his mother and executed a polite little bow, tipping his hat at the same time. "Hello, miss!"

The other Velvet didn't entirely escape his notice, but...it was ladies first, after all.

"Pleased to meet you." Iden nodded, before shaking her head lightly in response to Kanth's question. "Aah, thanks for the offer, but I'm afraid I have to decline."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Kanth." Toby then found himself with a bit of a dilemna; he liked tea, especially when it was being offered by a nice lady, but well...it just so happened that he still drank like any other dog. He couldn't help it, but it didn't look or sound too great. But she'd forgive him, right? "Oh, yes please!"

And then Erae showed himself, and Toby's eyes widened just a little at the sight of the skunk's sword. How cool!! But even that couldn't make the pink puffball that accompanied him escape notice -- it was pink, after all. What was it, he wondered?

"I'm Toby," he answered the older Velvet cheerfully, as he shed his cloak and handed it quietly up to Iden for the vampire to put in her backpack for the time being.

Letting slip a fanged grin, Iden slipped her backpack over her head and off, unzipping it to throw Toby's cloak in before setting it on the floor. That done, she settled herself on the couch and eyed Kanth's dragon teapot. How it was in the other woman's pouch..and full of hot water...she ahd no idea.

In the meantime, a thick beak poked out from the unzipped bag, followed by a feathered yellow head. Iden had a hitchiking little chocobo, it seemed.

"Thank you, Miss Kanth," Toby expressed his gratitude with a nod before letting his attention focus on Erae and his shy companion. The canine Velvet's nose twitched curiously. Smelled like a Velvet, this pink fluffball, even though it was a sort of creature he wasn't familar with.

"Hello, Arden," he offered, "It's nice to meet you both."

"Interesting teapot you have there," Iden ventured, unable to stifle her curiosity. The glowy-eye thing had done her in. She frowned slightly at the stowaway's appearance, then shrugged it off. Nothing new.

The half-foot-tall chocobo stalked forward, tilting his head jerkily and giving Arden a curious look. "Kweeh?"

"Oh, that's Xander. He was probably in there eating something and mom didn't notice," Toby explained, then grinned brightly. "Oh yeah, every day! What about you?"