Darkness in the Twilight
~*~*~*~*~*~*~
By Psycho Ferret and LunarCrystal
Fun With Capitalism
Once they were alone, he looked to the younger man on the couch. He sat on the coffee table in front of him. "Your leg will be okay. It was bleeding like a son of a bitch yesterday, but I stitched that up and cleaned it. I have to apologize, though. We were going to take you to the hospital but - based on the problem about documents and records - we couldn't risk it. I hope you understand." he said apologetically.
"The hospital? I assume that's like a more advanced and better equipped medical station." Allen smiled a bit, but shook his head. "It's quite alright. I can understand your concerns with it, that would provide a bit of a problem. Ah, and before we go any further... I'll have to apologize on Celena's part. She was raised as a lady," which was... not entirely the whole truth, but he didn't want to go into that, "among the aristocracy. She's... a bit picky and I'm sorry to say much of that is my own doing."
Chris smiled, "Aristocrats, huh? Well, that explains you having such a high rank in your military. As far as I know, nobles were required to serve the crown for a set amount of years, no matter who they were. In Britain anyway. They're one of the few existing monarchies we have left in this world." He cocked his head to the side, "I suppose that's the sort of government that's found in your world?"
"It is. Millerna is the queen of Asturia at the moment. Well, more so my high rank is attributed to my being knighted. And that was all with many thanks to the man who honed my sword skills. And changed me into who I am today." Allen smiled slightly, inclining his head.
A faint humming and chirping was heard, and Chris quickly reached into his pocket to pull out his cell phone. Ignoring the startled look on Allen's face, he flipped up the top and spoke into the receiver panel, "Yeah? Oh, Nikki – yeah, and? Nothing there?" A few moments pass by, Chris nodding mostly to himself, "Okay, behind the bushes?" he asked, very faintly, Nikki's voice could be heard coming from the phone, muffled high pitched – electronic. "Are you *sure*? . . . Well, okay. What? Celena's what? . . . um, sure, okay . . ." Chris quirked a grin, hearing the phone being exchanged on the other end, and Celena's yelling into the phone. "Whoa! Talk normally, I can hear you. Yes – it's called a phone. . . I guess it is kind of amazing for . . . Oh, . . . oh, sure, hang on."
Chris looked up from his phone and said to Allen, "She wants to talk to you. . ."
Allen looked utterly confused, reaching out and taking the phone in hand. "Uh... forgive me for being so ignorant of it, but... how do I use this?" Allen pursed his lips slightly, holding the phone lightly in his hand, arching a brow.
"Here," said Chris, guiding Allen's hand to place the speaker to his ear.
"Allen!!" came Celena's loud and excited voice from the other end, giggling and full of childish glee.
The blonde started a bit, eyes widening slightly. He turned his head towards Chris, still looking confused. "...That's Celena. But she's not here..."
"Allen!!" Celena yelled happily, "It's - called - a - phone!"
"Quiet down," he murmured, blinking a bit. Wow... "A... a phone? How does it work?"
"It's a communication device! I don't know how it works but it's -- Hey, Nikki, what's that word again? -- Oh, yeah. . . It's so *cool*." The word just sounded so completely foreign coming from the noble girl.
"Cool? Like... the weather? Celena, I don't understand what you're talking about. It's rather warm, actually..."
Chris was nearly on the floor, laughing and holding his stomach. "She means - she really likes it." he laughed, not being able to help himself, and finally he *did* fall to the floor laughing. "Oh, geez, it's just so classic."
"Allen, Allen . . . can you still hear me?" said Celena, sounding way too happy to be concerned.
"Yes, yes, of course I can." Allen arched a brow slightly. "Since when has 'cool' meant something's liked?"
"It's an expression..." Celena explained between giggles. Nikki started saying something to her, and the girl quickly sobered, though she was still smirking as she held the phone to her ear. "Nikki says that they can't find anything where they found us. How is that pillar of light created, anyway?"
"Honestly, I don't know the exact way. But it has something to do with the pendant. I assume it's because it's a link between Gaia and... Earth." He had to pause to refrain from calling it the Mystic Moon. It was Earth now.
"Oh," said Celena, "Okay, we're coming back now. . ." and right at that moment, Celena ran through the door, being careful not to trip into the coffee table as she launched herself to the couch. The other two trailed behind, just in time to watch the noble girl land on the cushions next to Allen. "Isn't this device amazing?!" she asked.
Nikki smirked, going up to her with her hand held out, "Can I have my phone back now?" Reluctantly, Celena gave it to her.
Allen shook his head slightly, an amused smile on his lips. "It is... it honestly is. There is nothing like this in our land. It's incredible." Allen held out the phone to Chris, turning his head towards the doorway as Ethan meandered inside.
"Yeah, they're a big thing nowadays."
"We *need* to get one!" Celena insisted immediately, "Please, Allen, please please please?"
"Celena... with what? Hitomi's currency was utterly different from anything we have."
"Oh . . ." she said, suddenly very dismayed, her head drooping, "We don't have money here . . ."
"It's okay. If you're going to stay here, you need papers. Chris'll get those for you. He got Ethan and I fake I.D.s when we were younger too." Nikki said.
Ethan grinned sheepishly, nodding and sitting down. "They're pretty useful, too. So once we get you some papers and stuff, then you can get jobs and raise money for one."
After that was said, the three Terrans helped Allen up their stairs, with quite a struggle as the knight's leg was still freshly wounded from just the day before. Eventually, they settled him on Ethan's bed in his room and Chris insisted that the knight take some sort of rest before he got up again. He also went on to explains something about healing quicker in an alpha state - but that just made Celena look confused again.
The trio left Allen and Celena in the bedroom alone after that, declaring that they would be mucking about their home if either of them needed anything. So very accomodating here, thought Celena, glad that her brother was finally able to lie down in a bed and not a stiff couch. She stroked his hair, as she was so prone to do - she loved his hair, just like his mother loved it and encouraged him to keep it long.
"Should I stay with you?" she asked softly.
"I believe I'd like that. In such... unfamiliar territory, after all." Allen smiled softly, his eyes closed. The girl stroking his hair was comforting, relaxing. It was nice. outside, he could hear the other three inhabitants shuffling about the house, doing whatever it was they were doing. Even the beds seemed differetn here. Everything did.
"Now I know what Hitomi felt..."
~
As requested, Celena *did* stay with her brother, watching him fall asleep. She lay beside him quietly, touching his cheek, giving him intimate kisses - but oh, how those marvels plagued her curiosity. After a while, the twitch in her body would not leave until she got up to seek more wonders. So she quietly left his side when she felt it was safe, torn but grinning at the same time. After sneaking out into the small hallway off the humble abode, she managed to snag Ethan.
"Can you show me more of your world?" she whispered, begging, her eyes wide and hopeful.
Ethan blinked, glancing over at her. He had a towel draped over his head, his hair damp, the pants lowslung. He obviously just got out of the shower. Or a bath, really, to them. "Ah? Oh, sure." Ethan grinned, nodding. "Just... let me finish getting dressed. What do you want me to show you?"
"Show me your city!" she said excitedly, practically jumping as she said it and following him into his room, unawares.
The boy laughed a little, shaking his head, rummaging around in his drawers for a bit. "Well, it's rather spacious, there's a lot to see." He smiled over his shoulder at her.
"Ooh, I can't wait! What's out there? Wait, wait, no! Don't tell me, I want to see for myself." she couldn't stop giggling, letting out smirks of glee and clapping her hands, "Oh, I can't wait!"
Ethan glanced over at her, smiling a little... then grinned sheepishly. "Could you, um... I'll meet you in the livingroom, okay?"
Celena stopped, looking around her and realizing where she was - a *boy's* room. . . She squeaked, a profuse blush of deep pink staining her cheeks and her hand covering her mouth. "Oh! Oh, dear, I'm so - so sorry, I'll just. . ." she turned and hit the wall, backing up and flashing an extremely nervous grin to Ethan . . . "Just go - downstairs. . . " And she ran out the door, making her way swiftly down the steps.
Ethan blushed a little, quietly shutting the door behind her. Well, that was certainly an odd experience. He set about finishing drying off his hair and dressing, then stepped out in more wide-legged jeans, with chains and a whole variety of things on. Bangles at his wrists, combat boots, his hair drawn up into a high ponytail, with the shorter, feathered locks up front falling forward. He'd tugged on a vinyl-like black t-shirt over a fishnet shirt. When everything was complete, he turned, padding downstairs and walking over to her. "You ready?"
Celena's eyes widened, "Does everyone on the Mystic Moon dress like you do?"
"Ah?" Ethan paused, then grinned, shaking his head. "No, no... no, it's kind of odd for here too, I guess. I catch some flack for it, but... I don't know, I like it."
Slowly, Celena's grin widened on her face until it was a full smile. She had to look down at her own Terran attire - the lace top with bell sleeves showed her midriff, and she automatically kept trying to cover it with her arm. Her dress looked completely torn and shredded along the bottom hem. All of it was black, and the boots were the only things that were familiar to her, that style being so similar.
She nodded, and stood from the couch to go over to him and take his arm. "I like it too." It was strange, unusual dress - and so naturally, Celena loved it.
Ethan smiled a bit, yelling out to Chris that he and Celena were going out, then turned, walking out, padding outside, stretching a bit.
"Do we take horses here? Or do we ride around in those . . . melefs on wheels," Celena asked tentatively once they were outside in the sunshine.
"Well, I usually walk around. But if we need to go someplace kinda far, we drive."
"Is the place we're going to far then?" she asked.
"Not too far. Plus, it's prettier when you walk. You get to stop and look at things closer that way."
"Okay!" she agreed, and the began to walk down the streets of his city. She could not stop asking questions, as anyone from another world might do when they saw so many moving vehicles, lamposts that were taller than any in the city where Celena came from. The roads were paved so oddly, as if it were stone but at the same time it wasn't. And there was more of the stone streets and building then there was of wildlife, trees, plants - or so she noticed.
The entered a high populated downtown area, lit up by the afternoon sun. People on skateboards and roller blades rolling by, motorcycles intrigued Celena, as did the various street performers and jugglers. Ethan was kind enough to offer some coffee at one of the numerous coffee shops, and Celena agreed happily, as coffee was yet another thing her country was known for. Inside the noisy cafe is where they sat, enjoying the cool air. Celena's head was practically whirling, wanting to ask more questions as her coffee cooled.
"So, cool means you like something, and hot means you like something too? And you use awesome as expression to mean that you greatly approve? Why is it so cold in here when it's warm outside?"
"Oh, that's because of the air conditioner. There's a machine that regulates the temperature of a room. They're really great. As far as the wording... 'cool' refers to thinking something's neat. Liking it that way. But 'hot' a lot of times refers to the way a person looks. Like, say someone found you attractive. They'd refer to you as being 'hot.'"
Celena grinned, "So am I - hot?" She fumbled for the word.
"I'd think of you more as 'pretty.'" Ethan smiled softly, nodding to her.
"Oh," she smiled pleasantly, trying not to sound hurt as she slightly was, "well, that's good. I would have sworn I looked strange here."
"You? No. You blend right in with the people here." Ethan grinned a bit, looking over at her.
"I'm glad," she said. She tested her cappuccino, smiling slightly as it had finally cooled to just the right temperature and drinking in the cinnamon flavored coffee. "There are many people in this city. Is it usually so crowded?"
"Always. In the summer it's even worse because you have a lot of tourists that come down around here for vacation."
"Ah, they have summer homes then?" she asked, thinking like an aristocrat.
"Some of them. But most people don't. Most people rent out condos or such things."
Celena shrugged helplessly again, at a loss for words. So she just smiled, and sipped her coffee again, enjoying the rich taste of it. Almost as good as home. "Are women allowed in your libraries?" Someone had to hand it to Celena for random questions . . .
"Women aren't really prejudiced against. There are women in the military and women who are doctors... they can do just about anything."
The noble girl gaffawed, nearly knocking the coffee off of the table in her surprise. "Military? There are *women* in the military here? By Jechia . . . and I just fancied being a knight like Allen was - I never thought . . . that's amazing." She looked at Ethan sternly, however. "Ethan, will you please take me to your library?"
Ethan arched a brow a bit, nodding. "Of course. It won't be open for much longer, probably, but yeah." Ethan blinked a bit, looking at her. She had considered the military?
"Wonderful. We should hurry then!" She stood, taking her coffee and eagerly awaiting the new surprises that await her in the city library. . .
~
Nikki was talking to her brother - well, more like nagging. While Chris was trying to arrange to meet someone for false documents, Nikki was going on about where to keep the two outsiders. It had been arranged for now that they both stay in Chris' room. But oh how she loved to remind them about their *own* current financial state. Of course, it always ended with Chris patiently telling his sister off, by which she would reply stomping up the stairs, slamming her door, and cranking up Linkin Park to eleven.
Ethan grinned, nodding and heading out with her. Hey, this day was turning out to be fun!
Allen jerked awake at the noise, groaning a little as the movement stung at hsi shoulder. Well, that was comfortable, indeed. He sat up silently, listening for the breathing of his sister past the loud music. Loud obnoxious music. He pursed his lips, frowning a little. "Celena...?"
Not a sound but the insane volume of the music came to his ears, screeching and yelling of a -- human being? Such noise accompanying such music was overwhelming. There was no one in the room with Allen. Beyond the door, someone stomped past to bang on a neighboring door. It was Chris's voice that rose up above the insidious noise.
"For gods sake, Nicole! Turn it down!" he screamed.
Her reply was barely audible but none the less vulgar, "Fuck you!"
Allen leaned forward a little, worry drawing near. What if the pillar of light took her back...? "Celena...?" Panic fluttered in his chest.
Chris growled, slowly opening the door to his room to check on his guest. "Ah, she woke you up, I see." He entered, closing the door behind him. "I'm sorry about Nikki. I'll try to get her to turn down the music."
"Ah... do you, by chance, know where Celena is?" He wanted to panic, he wanted to throttle the boy until he told him, but he stayed where he was.
"She went out with Ethan," Chris answered simply.
"Oh... oh, alright." Allen smiled sheepishly. "She was here when I drifted off to sleep, so it surprised me when she wasnt' still here."
"Right. Well, I imagine she wanted to go see the city, since we have a lot of stuff you guys probably don't. In any case, just stay here and try to rest, okay?" With that, he was already gone, banging again on his sisters door and yelling at her to turn the music down . . .
Allen sighed softly, running a hand through his hair. He'd definitely have to find something to do.
~
Celena thought she had seen all the interesting things there were to see just on the streets of this strange, booming city. But she was pleasantly surprised when they'd reached the library. More so was she amazed that the language she was speaking with these Mystic Moon people she could also read in their books, recognized the letters even though she'd never seen them before. It was as if some part of her brain were replaced - upgraded. Maybe it happened when they got sent here, she thought.
Ethan smiled a bit, sitting down across from her at a table, looking at her. He kept thinking about earlier, when she was so excited about the cell phone, when she'd wanted one. They didn't have any money... not that Ethan and the others had an overabundance, either. The boy sighed, resting his chin on his crossed arms lightly, watching her. So, she really was from another world--or crazy.
"Hey, Celena...? Do you have any money of any kind? Something you could trade in for money?"
Celena looked up from the book she'd been reading, something called Little Women -- she only got it because the title seemed odd to her, and she'd wondered as to its contents. "Trade? No, we don't have money, but - we came here with nothing but the clothes on our backs. Nothing to trade."
"How about that?" Ethan reached out, tapping the ring softly, smiling up at her. "I don't know anything about trading, but I bet it'd get you some."
"This?" she asked, looking down at the ring he had indicated on her right hand. She smiled gently, "It was my mother's. But it's just moonstone and platinum. Nothing of worth to anyone but me and Allen."
"I think it'll get you some money here. Like I said, I don't know much about trading... but if you were willing," he smiled, shrugging a little bit.
"If - if it would mean our independence in this world," she began, her face becoming thoughtful, her tone quiet, "Then maybe my mother won't mind . . . if it's to help us."
Ethan smiled a bit, nodding. "I'm sure she wouldn't. Mothers are like that, you know? Or... I guess they are." Ethan smiled a little sheepishly. "I don't remember mine."
"What happened to your mother?" she asked, concerned.
He smiled softly, shaking his head. "I'm the youngest out of the three of us there back home. Um... when mom went into labor, there was something wrong. She was sick, I think. And... the doctors said that she couldn't have me, you know? But... she insisted. And dad said that she just smiled up at him... and.. well, I don't remember mom at all because she died a few months afterwards.
His story was indeed sad, and her eyes misted at the thought of her own mother, not being able to know her after she died. "I'm sorry, Ethan." she said softly, reaching for his hand. "I lost my mother too."
Ethan smiled softly, shaking his head, holding her hand for a moment. "It's okay... she made the decision after all." The boy cocked his head to the side slightly, looking at her. "I'm sorry..."
Celena smiled grimly, "I guess we're sorry for each other . . . but that probably won't accomplish much." She sniffed, wiping her nose with the back of her hand in a most uncouth manner. "Now, I need you to show me how blind people read. I would like to bring a book home to my brother."
"Oh, well... it'll be more difficult than just setting it down in front of him. He'll have to learn the Braille alphabet first."
"Well, how does one learn it?" she asked, starting to become impatient. She needed to start thinking of her brother more anyway. "If it is an alphabet, is it not the same one that I had been reading? Come to think of it - how *does* Braille work?"
"They're raised bumps that form the alphabets. I don't know that much about it, but he'd probably need a tutor of some sort."
Celena blanched, "I'm sure he'll be thrilled getting a tutor . . . but he so hates feeling helpless. Reading and writing were taken from him too, the day he was blinded." She shook her head, "I hardly knew what to do when he was so depressed. . . ."
"Well... I'm sure we can find a tutor for him somehow. But... you'll have to trade that ring in for money before that."
She sighed, looking down at her mother's precious ring. She sighed and relented, "Where do I sell it?"
"Ah, there's probably a place to trade in currency around here somewhere. It'd be better to ask Chris or Nikki, they pay more attention than I do."
All Celena could do was nod. She'd spent a little more time in the library before she and Ethan were eventually kicked out - not empty handed. Celena had badgered the boy into using his library card so that she could borrow a stack of books. Happy as a lamb, she slowly made her way up the front steps of the townhouse and went inside to tell of everything she'd seen.
"Allen!" she said, bursting in through the door with an armful of books, "You're never guess the things that I've seen, Allen!"
Ethan followed quietly behind, smiling a bit. It had been fun, really. He slipped inside, stretching a bit, a faint grin on his lips. He toyed with the twin tongue piercings, wandering into the kitchen idly.
Allen lifted his head slightly, startled awake from his near state of sleep. "Hm...? What?" He cocked his head to the side a little, quirking a brow.
Dropping the pile of books on a spot on the floor, she went to his bedside and lay down to hug him as she spoke of all the wonders - of cars and their numbers, streetlamps and traffic signals, air conditioning, and the amount of people that were in downtown. Cool means you like something, and hot means your attractive . . . "And brought you a book in Braille. But Ethan told me you won't be able to read it until you learn Braille. It's neat, Allen. Little raised bumps . . . So many wonders." she finished with an exhausted sigh.
Allen smiled a bit, nodding slightly. "Thank you for your consideration..." He ran his fingers through her hair softly, that small smile lingering. They'd really done so much for Celena and himself, it was wonderful. But now he did understand what it was like for Hitomi and he understood why she always got so emotional over it.
He listened to his sister go on, rather interested in the world he couldn't see.
Celena began to yawn a bit as she continued with the last of her discoveries, " . . . a box that shows moving pictures called a television - because it let's you see things that are happening from far away. I thought there were people in the little box behind the glass. A radio plays music and things you can hear like people talking and telling stories . . . oh, Allen! There's a beach nearby. Ethan said that if we get jobs and make a little money, there are dwellings near the beach that we would be able to afford perhaps. Apparently they don't cost very much to hire . . . I thought you might like the beach nearby if - if we had to live here."
"I think it would be nice... of course, we'd have to get the money, first." Allen nodded slightly, running a hand through his hair. To think that they might be stuck there...t hat they couldn't get back. It was frightening, really. Of course, the fact that he couldn't see this new world, he had no idea what it was like... that, in itself, frightened him immensely. A soft sigh lingered on his lips, unseeing eyes closed.
"Money . . ." she said softly, looking down at her hand. Her eyes sparkled with unshed tears, her breath catching as her heart constricted with the thought of parting with the ring on her hand. She took off her mother's ring, and pressed it into Allen's palm. "We could sell this." she said sadly.
Allen cocked his head to the side slightly. "A ring? Is that... the one mother passed down?" The blonde frowned a little. He didn't much like the idea of it, but if they had to, if they needed the money that bad, he was sure she'd understand.
Celena sniffed. "Yes. I don't want to part with it, Allen, I don't. You gave that ring as a gift after you'd found me - and I had never taken it off since then. But . . . if it means our survival, what choice do we have?"
"I was thinking the same thing. Celena, it is simply a material possession... what is that to our necessities? It would be good to keep it, but we can't live like this... they, if we keep this up, will spend money on us and we have to be able to pay that back."
"Yes, of course. I will speak to Chris about it tonight and perhaps we may be able to gather the funds tomorrow morning." She leaned into him again, letting him turn the ring around in his deft seeing fingers, and kissed him gently, "We can marry here . . ." she whispered.
Allen smiled softly, inclining his head. "Let us focus on one thing at a time here, Celena." He slipped an arm about her, handing her back the ring gently. He was glad she was here... he was also rather glad they'd gotten out when they did. He hadn't wanted to die, really. But he had resigned to the fact that he was going to.
Celena nuzzled him one last time and stayed there.
~
It would be a couple weeks before Allen was healed enough to even walk about the home of the three siblings. During that time, while Allen was resting and/or musing over the raised bumps on the pages of a Braille book that he couldn't read or understand, Celena was amusing herself with all the little fascinations that surrounded her. So many things to pore over, and attempt, experiment with. She couldn't keep her eyes from the TV most of the time, and Ethan and Chris had shown her video games.
Of course, she was terrible at those, since she didn't really understand how her hands pressing little buttons could manipulate the incredible warriors on the screen of the TV. The radio was her second favorite thing, and she would put her hands on the speakers to feel the vibrations of the music that was played. The music, Nikki explained, were different bands and their sounds had been recorded onto discs. The excited young 19 year old quickly grew to like whatever noise it was they were playing. . . it was loud, rhythmic and highly unusual.
Nikki had also gotten excited, with Celena around. She claimed it was like having a little sister, what with the girl dressing in Nikki's clothes. But Nikki being who she is, got a bit of an evil streak in her and coaxed Celena to let her do her makeup. She actually wasn't bad, both Chris and Ethan fearing that Nikki would do something horrendous to Celena's pretty face - when really, it was tastefully punk, or so Chris described it. Celena wouldn't stop staring at herself in the mirror, her lips were painted dark auburn, her cheeks were only rosy blushed though, and her eyes were lined in black - not as heavily or strangely as Nikki's. She looked . . . good, that way.
Thus made over and quickly following into the footsteps of a true punkish Terran, Celena was given - as sort of gift of initiation. Flabbergasted and flattered - though all three of them assured her that the portable CD player wasn't that expensive - she went straight to her and Allen's temporary room to show him her gift.
"Look what Nikki and Chris and Ethan gave me!" she said, holding up the CD player, jumping and holding back her excited giggles.
He'd forced himself to get able to walk, really. Stubborn, as usual. The more he got closer to being able to do so, the more Ethan was getting excited. He'd promised to take Allen shopping for clothes. Allen, himself, was a little excited at that prospect. The clothes he wore now w ere more comfortable, really, once he'd gotten used to the odd fabrics.
The blonde glanced up, blinking a bit from where he'd stood, bracing himself on the wall. "Ah... what is it?" It was a little frustrating, but he kept it pushed down. She kept talking about all these new things, all these marvels... but he couldn't look at them. He couldn't see them. Though he was intrigued nonetheless by the odd technology.
"Here, let me show you," she said, all to happy to be doing so as she walked up to him. Taking the earphones, she gently placed them in Allen's ears. "Don't flinch . . ."
Allen arched a brow slightly, staying still as she put them on him. "Er....?"
Selecting her favorite song on the discus that they had given her, she pressed play and grinned wickedly. There was a subtle whine and hiss of the CD player working, starting up and spinning. Then the music came on, loud enough for Celena herself to hear from her brother's ears.
Allen started a bit, pulling them off. He blinked a little, handing the headphones to her. "Far.... far too loud." He shook his head slightly. "But... interesting nonetheless..."
"Yeah!" she said, still grinning, "Isn't it cool?"
"It's... interesting." Allen arched a brow, shaking his head slightly.
Celena giggled again, taking his arm and pulling him toward the door. "Come on, sleepy head. We have things to do today!" she said, "First stop is to sell mother's ring. Then with that money, we should buy ourselves some new clothes. We need to get you a cane. And I was thinking some shirts like the kind Chris wear - you would look good in those. Ethan's coming with us!"
"Ah?"
Ethan grinned, glancing over. "Oh, no, no... this is a guys' outing. That way we get to surprise you." Ethan chuckled a bit, smiling. This was going to be fun as hell. Jazz and Kurt and I are going to go with him. He'll be... well taken care of."
Allen stumbled a little as he was tugged out, sighing and withdrawing his arm from hers. He still couldn't walk too fast, and it was just easier for him to move on his own.
"Oh, Ethan!" pouted Celena as Allen was pulled from her grasp, "Come on . . ." she sighed, "Well, please take care of him. Just remember that he can't see, okay. Don't forget the cane - whether he likes it or not, he needs one." She maliciously poked Allen in the small of his back, which she knew was a renown ticklish spot for him.
Allen batted her hands away, frowning a little. "Celena, I'm not a child." She certainly seemed to think him unable to take care of himself. It was... rather irritating. He'd lived with his blindness for a long while now, and it wasn't like he was alone out there. With a sigh, he and Ethan walked out, the blonde bracing himself on Ethan's shoulder.
They met up with Jazz and Kurt quickly at the coffee shop nearby, then headed off to find Allen some clothes, trade in the ring... and finally snag the knight a cane. It had a removable piece that slipped out with a blade in the center of it. Yeah, they knew were to shop. Allen had simply murmured something about feeling naked weaponless... and that decided it, he'd decided.
They were gone for hours, really, just having a bit of fun. Kurt and Jazz meandered off later, making Ethan promise to have a practice tomorrow evening. Ethan took his time showing Allen around, explaining things as he went. It really was rather fun.