Oh The People You Meet (Blue!!!)

[Nix]

Keagan held Arius' hand tightly as they walked around one of the Cancer's shopping areas, this one set up more like a market place with few actual store fronts and mainly stands and carts set up out in the corridors. There were lots of deals to be found in this area but it was really shady and Keagan hated taking Arius with her there, usually she would bug her neighbor (who was more than trust worthy with Arius) to watch the little tyke if she was planning on going shopping here, but he wasn't around today and she really needed more supplies. "Arius do not let go of my hand, got it?" She said sternly looking down at the little rabbit eared cutie.

"Okaaay Auntie~!" Arius said happily she was simply awed by all the pretty things in the market place, everything was exciting! She started swaying her little hand so that Aunty's hand swayed too. The people selling things looked a bit scary, but all the stuff was super cool looking! She didn't know what half of it was though... except one stand they passed with little puppies and kitties in cages. She stopped dead in her tracks, refusing to move. "Aunty, Aunty! Look!!! Can we get one??? Please? I'll be good and I'll take care of it and love it and feed it and everything!!! Pleaaaaaase~???"

Ughhh seriously? "No Arius, come on." Keagan had to actually drag the little girl behind her.

"B-But Aunty~!!!"

And there came the tears. Arius' little bunny ears flopped down and she made a sad face that made the caged puppies and kittens happy looking in comparison. But Keagan was not caving. "Absolutely not Arius... maybe we can talk about getting you a pet if we move, but we aren't having one on the Cancer. Now stop crying and be a big girl ok?"

Ok. There was the cart with fabric. Keagan pressed on through the crowd of people and reached the cart when she realized there was no pouting and whining behind her, no resistance in her grip. She turned around and her heart practically stopped for a second. Her worst fear was realized. Arius was gone.

[Blue]

Operation grocery shopping was a go! He loved domestic chores like this~ Sure it was kind of lame having to go by himself, but the ladies all had other things to do to get the Mimi-Tan ready for another voyage out into space. And anyway, he did a lot of the cooking, so he knew what he needed to replenish! If nothing else, getting to wander about amidst so many people was a fun and not oft enjoyed treat for him. Canvas bag slung over one shoulder, half-laden with various canned goods and cured meats, his honey-brown eyes flicked around the bright overflowing crowd eagerly. Had he a tail, it’d be wagging…then again, even when he did have a tail, it was more like his entire butt shook - stubby tails do that, apparently.

Clad in his usual leather pants, black boots meeting the metal floor grates with muted thumps, he wasn’t actually too much out of the ordinary. Sure his hair was shaved on either side, just leaving the top that was currently pulled back into a rusty ponytail, which also left his cropped human ears visible. But really, his grey pilot-esque jacket covered most of his upper half, left unzipped in the front to display what was a lime green fishnet shirt as well as a fairly large dose of his dusty skin and plethora of freckles.
Poking around the stalls, he was oblivious to the plight of a specific woman and her rabbit-eared charge.
But that was about to change.

[Nix]

Arius was terrified. She had turned back to look at the puppies and kitties one more time and suddenly Aunty was gone. It took her a moment to realize that Aunty Keagan wasn't right there. She looked around but couldn't see the older lady anywhere! Tears welled up in Arius' eyes and all the scary people were looking at her...

She backed up nervously and bumped into someone, a boy with freckles and rusty colored hair. There was something cute about him and Arius immediately felt he was trust worthy enough, without any basis for the feeling, and clung to his leg crying. Her bunny ears lay flat on the sides of her head and she held onto the boy. "I-I'm lost!!!"

[Blue]

The bump wasn’t anything unusual - it was basically impossible not to brush against others in this throng of people while attempting to get from point A to point B.
The abrupt clinging and tears though? Nooooot so much.
Blinking rapidly, Gigi jerked his head down to the source of the sobbing and cute little kid voice. O-Oh…he appeared to have collected a tiny cling-on!

The tears though…those put him into instant ‘MUST MAKE THEM FEEL BETTER’ mode.

“Shhh, it’s ok little lovely!”
He stroked her head and sad flattened bunny ears gently a few times before gently dislodging her so that he could kneel down in front of her, easily bringing them on the same level. Without an ounce of reluctance, he leaned forward and licked up her tears in two brisk motions (hey, sometimes dog won out over human okay?). Encircling her gently with his arms, he grinned brightly at her, his big expressive eyes having the exact same overabundance of friendly innocence as any real live puppy’s.
Then again that wasn’t far off…
“What’s the matter little lovely, who did you lose? Can I help you find them? I have a good nose you know!”

[Nix]

Arius threw her arms around the other's neck as soon as he bent down to hug her. She felt a little better now that this nice boy was petting her hair and ears. She didn't even flinch when he licked her tears up, she just sniffled some. His eyes were big and gentle. She hugged him tighter and calmed down enough to listen to what he had to say.

"I... I lost my Aunty!" She sniffled and hugged him tighter. She didn't need a reason for trusting him, she just did. He was nice, she knew it. "W-Will you help me find her Mister?" He had a good nose... m-maybe... "She made me this dress... maybe it still smells like her some?"

[Blue]

Alright boys and girls, it was time for Operation Find Aunty! He was determined now! The others wouldn’t mind him taking a few extra minutes for such a good cause, he was sure of it! He might even get belly rubs for doing such a good deed…
…mmm, belly rubbins.

ANYWAY.

Still smiling reassuringly, Gigi simply stood and took the little bunny girl with him, now cradling her easily against his chest.
“Ok little lovely, I’ll track her right down! And you can call me Gigi, kay?”
He gave her a few cute exaggerated sniffs, adjusted the bag on his shoulder, and then marched off into the crowd on booted feet. There were a lot of people here, a lot of smells, but he was no ordinary dog! This little cutie had a unique scent, and he was gonna follow it right back to that Aunty, wherever she was!

Ooo, idea!
“Hey, you wanna get up high so you can look for her?? You can ride on my shoulders! We’ll be an Aunty finding team!”

[Nix]

Arius cuddled against Gigi's chest when he lifted her up. "Ok Mister Gigi." She said softly.

He sniffed her and then started walking around, she looked around too hoping to spot Aunty in the crowd, but she was also half hiding from the scary looking people. When Gigi asked if she wanted to ride on his shoulders she nodded. Being part of a team seemed awesome and made the scary people less scary seeming. She climbed up on his shoulders and her bunny ears perked up as she looked around for Aunty Keagan.

Keagan was frantic, calling for Arius and scouring the crowd looking for her, pushing through people and looking low to make sure she hadn't been knocked down and trampled on, though the tot was short anyway. "ARIUS!!!! Arius where are you?! Arius!!!!!!"

From up so high the little girl's bunny ears picked up Aunty calling for her, but... well she still couldn't see the lady anywhere! "I heard Aunty call me!" She said looking down at Gigi. "Ummm... I think it came from over there!" Arius said pointing off in a north-westerly direction.

[Blue]

He made extra sure she made it onto his shoulders safely - he wasn’t about to let her fall! Holding onto her tiny ankles gently just in case she did lose her balance, Gigi continued to search the crowd for the scent of the little bunny girl. He wasn’t usually all that aware of his abilities, but his synthetic creation had gifted him with an exceptional nose and the ability to single out scents well beyond any natural born creature. Already he was traveling along roughly the same path Arius had taken to get to him, even passing by the crated animals a few moments later.

The little girl’s bunny ears worked as well as they looked, and Gigi blinked as she pointed off to where she thought the shouting had come from. Though his cropped ears were currently human, just like his nose, he had heightened senses. Unfortunately, he didn’t know which voice out of all the others he was supposed to be listening to - he’d have to rely on the little girl on his shoulders to help him out! Between her ears and his nose, they were bound to find this Aunty!
Moving in the direction she pointed, and still tracking down the scent, he figured it couldn’t hurt to try and help things along.
“We should shout too so she can find us easier, right? AUNTY! AUNTY!! ”