[RL with Alize -shopping for Halloween in N.Y]

[clockmaster]

Hakuba stopped in front Alize and Dyme's apartment, with the magic broom of Elphaba on his hands. It was a good thing that the broom was started to be used to him because it wasn't easy to ride. Hakuba couldn't understand how Akako liked that type of objects too. It would be a witch's things, he thought and shrugged, ringing the bell.

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[dressedinmelody]

"Are you sure?" Alize glanced at him, surprised, as they turned down the sidewalk. "They're ritzy. Although I guess they wouldn't have Halloween costumes anyway, so it's probably still a good idea to check there last."

She kicked up some fallen leaves as they went, watching the colours scatter across the pavement. "It's a bit of a walk," she admitted. "Do you want to take the bus?"

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure. you been really nice to me, so I want to do something for you." Hakuba took out his pocket watch, the one that Akako gave him for his birthday. "We have time. We can look for the costume and then for some clothes for you. Or go to lunch, I want to try the hot dogs."

Hakuba nodded, looking around with curiosity. "I can see a bus stop at the end of the street, you know the rute?"

[dressedinmelody]

Alize blushed modestly at the compliment. She wasn't used to people calling her 'nice'. 'Stubborn', or 'fun', or 'talented', maybe, but not nice. "I was just being normal, that's all," she mumbled, then brightened. "Lunch, definitely. I've got enough clothes."

Alize glanced up the road at traffic and then at her watch. "Yup, we need to catch the 7 going south. It should be here any-- "

She was interrupted by the loud and tell-tale hiss of bus brakes nearby. With a small yelp, she dashed for the bus stop, waving the driver down so he'd know they wanted to get on.

Every single time, she thought irritably to herself. She'd never gotten used to the bus system in this city.

"Sorry about that," she apologized to Hakuba as they got on. She dropped in enough change to cover both their fares, and handed the detective his transfer as the bus pulled away from the stop. "I think the buses are only on time when you don't want them to be."

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

"Normal is a rare thing around me." Hakuba grinned, but was interrupted by the arriving the bus.

"It's ok. Used to run after kid, a bus is less strange." As they traveled, Hakuba looked at the crowed streets and wondered if all the people on this city always took the time to stop and look up to the sky.

"Sad thing, I hate not being on time." No wonder Kuroba called him a time freak, he was in fact a bit obsessed. "How long you been living here?"

[dressedinmelody]

"A little over half a year," Alize answered, looked away from the window. The bus to Times Square was usually pretty crowded, especially on the weekend, so they were left with standing room only. "I came here in the winter. I wanted to make sure Dyme was okay and wound up staying."

Well, it was half a lie. She'd always intended on staying in New York -- the situation with Eyguebelle back in Widow's Kiss had passed the tolerable point, and she wanted to live somewhere where she wouldn't be considered the sole 'ward' of the Maisterzingers. Somewhere where her history wasn't known and people wouldn't look at her with pity almost everywhere she went. But she hadn't been sure Dyme would let her live with him specifically. She'd been prepared to eke out her own apartment in the city, even though she knew it would be incredibly hard.

Luckily for her, Dyme had caved and allowed her to share rent with him before it had come to that.

[clockmaster.livejournal.com]

Hakuba just nodded, he knew how hard was the situation with Dyme for Alize. The boy caressed her arm comforting and studied the city until the bus stopped and they got down.

"Where we go now?" he smiled at Alize.

[dressedinmelody]

"This way," Alize instructed, grabbing Hakuba's wrist and dragging him in the direction of Fifth Avenue and the world-renowned Rockefeller Center. "The concourse is underneath," she explained as they entered the Center's plaza, where the famous ice rink was situated, sunken a floor beneath the main street. It wasn't cold enough for the rink to be frozen over yet, and the paved area was covered with tents and awnings belonging to the concourse shops beneath.

Alize passed by the restaurants on their level, and headed for one of the elevators at the ends of the rink so that they could go down. "You should come visit at Christmas," she mused as they waited for the elevator. "There's a huge tree, and everything's all lit up. I heard it's really beautiful."