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 Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:12 am
Grocery shopping is always a difficult chore for Melody, especially alone. Though she's able to count, differentiate between coins, and read numbers, everything else is foreign to her.
Yet another reason why she should learn to read. But at this point, now that she's an adult and about to be somebody's mother, she simply can't handle the embarrassment of asking a complete stranger to teach her how to read. Perhaps she could borrow some of her father's books...
Thankfully, most of the items in the grocery store have pictures on them, and those that don't have familiar enough packaging that she can pick them out easily.
But some of the newer things she's been advised to take due to her pregnancy... Baby vitamins, ginger gum... How on earth is she going to find that? Why didn't she ask Auntie Luna to come with her?
So there she stands in the pharmacy department, looking distinctly like she stepped into an alternate universe, waves of unease rolling off of her.
She'll have to ask for help.
"Um..." Just ask, Melody. That's what the people behind the counter with the glass wall are for. "Where is... baby vitamin?" Though her voice still retains its melodic quality, it sounds, unsurprisingly, like she is a scared child singing in front of an audience for the first time.
And as she's directed to a specific aisle but not told what to LOOK FOR... she realizes she's in way, way, way over her head.
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:25 am
Not far from where Melody puzzled over the pharmaceuticals, Hitsuga was in a similar state of disorientation as he held a brightly-colored box he'd discovered on the end-aisle of the one Melody had been directed to, staring at it in hopeless confusion.
The front displayed a bird-creature that was decidedly insane. And beside it was a bowl of dark brown pellets that a white liquid was being poured over. It had been his experience that packaging was rather accurate in what it contained or what the contents did ....so what, in the name of the gods was this box trying to say, exactly?
That what was inside (presumably the pellets in question) would make whoever ate them insane as well? He'd been doing fine in the fruits/vegetables section, he'd managed through the preserves aisle. But it seemed the further he gravitated to the other end of this shop, things made less and less sense.
Setting the box of Cocoa Puffs back where he'd found them, Hitsuga sighed. He was never going to get his bearings in this new world...
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:37 am
It seems Melody lucks out this time; one of the boxes of vitamins shows an obviously pregnant woman. She'll have to make certain, of course, by asking Auntie Luna, Aunt June, or Boyue, but she's 75% certain she's got the right thing.
She finds herself momentarily distracted by the cereal aisle. Not only does she have a WICKED craving for Count Chocula, but is that a Porcelain in the aisle?
From what she understands, new Porcelain are beginning to trickle into Gaia (and not just Great-Grandpa Setsushi!). And they must be new and confused, right? Or at least looking for new friends? Maybe?
Either way, Melody has decided it's her duty to introduce herself.
Besides, he's standing between her and chocolatey goodness.
Hellooooooo? 4laugh
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:48 am
Hitsuga starts instantly as the friendly, but unfamiliar, projection reaches him. Who? What?!
His eyes, at last, settle on the woman near the mouth of the aisleway. Another Porcelain? The young man blinks, affixing a smile to try and hide the flustered mess she'd caught him in.
Quelling his agitation, he projects a warm greeting in return, bowing his head slightly and readjusting the grip on the basket he holds.
Hello. He hopes today finds her well 3nodding
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 12:57 am
It's funny, Melody thinks to herself, how easy it is to tell which Porcelain are new and which are longtime residents of Gaia not only by whether or not she recognizes them, but also their mindspeech. She almost feels like she should be more formal around them, but how long would she be able to keep THAT up?
Silly little Melody, the silly little uncultured Gaia Porcelain.
At that thought, she finds herself gripping her cart more tightly, awkwardly rubbing the back of one bare ankle with the front of the other.
Ummmm... so... he likes cereal too, huh? (What a great ice-breaker! Melody will have to remember that one. Not.)
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 1:07 am
At her question, Hitsuga cocks his head questioningly. Cereal...? His eyes flick back to the box he's just put away. The orange, insane bird stares back impassively.
.....IS that cereal? sweatdrop He gives a small chuff of awkward laughter. They had a very odd way of saying so...he apologizes, but he's still attempting to figure things out in this world.
Her mannerisms, slight as they are thus far, already set her apart from others he is familiar with, he notes privately, wondering to himself how long -she- has been here...?
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 1:13 am
Oh, she knows those! Those are coo-coo-for-cocoa-puffs! Very tasty, but she wants Count Chocula today.
She finally steps out from behind the cart, her craving winning out over her awkwardness.
Ah... by the way, what is his name?
"Melody," she proudly states (sings?), gesturing to herself.
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 1:28 am
Coo-coo for---Count Choc...whuh....?
Hitsuga, thankfully, is not given much time to linger on this as she steps out from behind the pushcart and offers him her name.
Melody. He mulls it over on his mind's tongue. An interesting name. And one he can't immediately place an origin on. No matter.
It is a pleasure to meet Lady Melody!
"Hitsuga." he replied aloud, meeting her verbal greeting, his smile resituating itself....
.....only to notice the swell of her belly. He blinks in mild surprise. ...And he thought -he'd- been unfortunate to arrive in Gaia as he did. He could only imagine how such things must have been on an expecting mother.
He keeps that hidden, however, betrayed only by a slight flush of self-admonishing. Nothing like having things put into perspective for onesself...
Would...ah....would Lady Melody like some help with her shopping?
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 1:35 am
Melody also glances down (oh, right!), and can't help but giggle nervously at Hitsuga's offer. She honestly can't remember a time she felt this shy and awkward around another Porcelain, but perhaps her earlier trouble at the pharmacy has something to do with it.
No, no, no, she assures him. She comes here all the time! Usually not by herself, of course, but it's about time for her to start going out all by herself so she can take care of her family when the time comes!
She can feel the shyness dissipating as she goes on.
But for now, Melody has herself to take care of. And her chibi! And her husband! And, to a lesser extent, her Daddy and nieces, but they're good at taking care of each other, so she's not too worried.
With that, she plucks a box of the aforementioned Count Chocula off the shelf. See? That man right there on the box is Count Chocula! Melody doesn't really understand his story, but she thinks this cereal tastes better than Boo Berry.
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 1:56 am
Hitsuga sees. .....he thinks. sweatdrop Even with the box being shown to him and explained, he still can't see what crazy birds or pointed-looking men in brown suits have to do with food...
As she rattles off her family, his brows arch in surprise. Does that mean, then, that all of Melody's family was brought here together?
....he apologizes greatly if it is none of his business, of course...
He was ordinarily not so forward with people he had just met, but Melody has an odd presence to her temperament. Something very...not what he's used to seeing in women. As such, intrigue has, for the moment, stepped in the way of his nerves.
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:02 am
Brought here...?
Melody thinks very hard on this.
Well, she was born here! 4laugh She and her brother both were born on Gaia. And now that she thinks about it, she thinks that might make them the first Porcelain born on Gaia...
But her mother and Daddy were both brought to Gaia by Great-Grandfather Tsukiba, and so were her husband and his brother...
As for her three nieces, they're not Porcelain, nor are they her brother's daughters. They came from stone cores that were in Daddy's possession, and they call him Grandpa, and her Auntie!
She turns her attention back to the cereals, gesturing to the cartoon characters on the boxes. Since most cereals are really sweet, children like to eat them. So the silly characters are to catch the attention of children so they bother their parents until they buy the cereal. Sometimes, they even offer toys with the cereal!
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:39 am
Hitsuga feels his jaw clench reflexively as he absorbs her explanation. Taking into account itself that she had grown up in this world was staggering enough. Taking into account, also, that her parents had been brought here, and the perfumer wonders, exactly, how long this displacement has been going on.
Something to ask Lady Rika when next he sees her, maybe...?
As Melody explains the cereals to him next, understanding seems to dawn. Ah, they were meant for -children-. That makes a bit more sense. 3nodding Nothing spoke to a child quite like colorful pictures, after all.
He thanks Lady Melody for her insight on the matter. He believes for now, though, he'll stick to what he knows until he figures out what he can and can't handle. He is not eager for another 'ice cream incident'. confused
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:40 am
Ice Cream incident? Melody tilts her head.
Does Hitsuga not like ice cream?
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:43 am
A flutter of embarrassment emanates from him as he shakes his head. It isn't so much that he doesn't like ice cream. It is moreso that ice cream doesn't seem to like him.
At all.
He spares her the details of the night of sickness that had followed.
...but maybe that is only him? Is Melody able to eat it, he wonders?
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Posted: Wed May 06, 2009 2:49 am
Eheh, nooooo.... not really, sweatdrop Melody admits a bit sheepishly. Well, she can have a LITTLE BIT, which is good because ice cream is so good, but more than a few spoonfuls and she starts to feel really, really yucky!
But they make medicines for that! You can take a pill and it'll help make you not get sick from ice cream! Even so, though, Melody just saves ice cream for a very extra special treat.
Maybe, just maybe, if Hitsuga likes the idea of cold, sweet treats but doesn't want ice cream, he can try sno-cones! They make ice and chop it all up so it's tiny-tiny and they can pack it into a paper cone (At this, she uses hand gestures to illustrate ice being scooped and packed), and then they'll squirt flavored syrup all over it and flavor it!
Daddy and Melody's favorite is strawberry! 4laugh
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