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[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex couldn't help but look over the inside of the airport in every which way, save for the one she was walking in. She nodded a bit, listening to Erin as the other girl elaborated on the nature of Pokemon stores. Alex had never been big on the series, she went through a phase when she was younger, though not much of it stuck. Still, she was eager to see anything Japan had to offer that wasn't in the States and maybe she could find something with Charmander on it that caught her attention. She figured it was probably about time she started embracing her mutant nature. "Oh, stop it." Alex laughed and playfully batted at Erin. "So what if I am a tourist?" She countered, flashing a smile in Erin's direction before going back to her people watching.

"Really?" Alex stood, hand in hand with Erin, and looked out over the crowd as Erin's father went to retrieve their luggage. She still had that wide-eyed look of innocence on her face as she peered out at the sea of people around her. At that moment she suddenly felt very, very small. She gave Erin's hand another squeeze, this time for her own benefit, and turned her attention back to the other girl. "I can't wait!" A low giggle escaped as she did a little dance in place, her feet moving in time to a song no one else could hear. "I don't even know what I'm doing right now." She admitted, closing the distance and leaning to the side so her head came to rest on Erin's arm. "You're the best, you know?"

[Erin Hackett]

Erin wondered if she had been like this when she had gone to American for the first time in years after spending most of her life here in Japan. Nope. She had not cared about the fact that she was going to the states because what was there to look forward to? She was not really the kind of person that liked to go off and explore and see the sites. Even now she still didn't and it was mostly for Alex's sake and not wanting to have to girl be stuck in the hotel the whole trip like Erin tended to do. She was always just happy staying inside with the internet and her computer, that was all she needed.

So no, she never looked around the world like a tourist but Alex was now making her wonder what it was like to actually care and wondered about the real world around them. Erin could not help but to chuckle at Alex telling her to stop and the playful bat. That was her first time being playfully batted by someone. It was so cute! Damn, why did straight girls have to be such a tease to the lesbians that so had a crush on them? It was evil. "People like to snatch tourist up or give them a bad deal. So you have to be careful." Erin pointed out as she watched her dad for a moment before looking at Alex at the question to which she just nodded her head yes several times.

Another hand squeeze, this one feeling a little bit different but Erin didn't know what to say or do besides just keep a hold of that hand. The hand that felt so warm and just...it was another living being right there. "I think you are dancing with excitement, or you have to pee." Erin responded back, teasing Alex a little when the girl spoke of not knowing what she was doing as she moved all around. This was actually nice, she was not even freaking out as she teased the other girl. It was fun. "What about me? Am I the best?" Erin's dad asked as he came over with the bag, handing the girl's their own and then leading the way outside to get their ride.

[Alexandra Lawson]

"Oh." Alex said and frowned. She hadn't meant to stick out like a sore thumb. She'd heard all those stories about tourists getting lured into traps and end up robbed, kidnapped or worse but didn't really know how much truth there were to the urban legends. She sobered up quickly, though, going rigid and putting on a serious looking mask. "That really happens?" She asked curiously, tilting her head slightly as she looked up to Erin. The last thing Alex wanted to do was make any of them a target just because she couldn't keep herself from looking around at everything like a slack-jawed tourist even if that's exactly what she was.

"Eh. Kinda both, now that you mention it." She admitted with a sheepish shrug. They had just spent god knows how many hours asleep on a plane after all. The detour to the nearest restroom was quick with Alex being hurried by those waiting on her. After washing and drying her hands, she trotted back to where Erin and her father were standing and offered a faintly apologetic smile before taking her bag back. "You are. Totally are." Alex insisted, glancing up to Erin's father. Absently, she reached out to take hold of Erin's hand once more. She found a great deal of comfort in Erin's touch. The taller girl had far more experience navigating such places and it was easy for Alex to feel lost when out of her comfort zone.

[Erin Hackett]

Erin didn't mean to make the girl upset, but she just thought that people were aware that it did actually happen. Then again, people who tended to be victims were those in their age group and younger so perhaps the news didn't do its best at making people understand how dangerous it was. She could say that schools needed to teach it, but it was not like everyone ever left the country; hell some people never left their state. "Yeah, usually more so if you are walking the streets alone but if someone thinks they can get you without getting caught them will do it. Not that you have to worry about it! You are totally safe with us. My dad knows how to fight despite his geeky looks and I'm here too. I can make us vanish in a second if you don't feel comfortable. No one can hurt you if they can't see you, right." Erin said, and then quickly went into a full speed talking when she caught that she probably was not helping matters.

Leave it to Erin to always end up saying too much and probably making Alex worry like she was in danger or putting them in danger. Really, she had nothing to worry about. So long as she stuck with them and didn't go off wondering alone somewhere she would be. In simplest terms, all she and to do was be smart and use the buddy system and there was not too much to worry about when traveling to other countries...well so long as you picked the right ones to go to. Japan was one of the good ones. Her eyes widen a little when Alex pointed out that it was kind of a mix of both and then Alex was already gone.

Erin almost freaked out on that alone, but Alex didn't take too long and she had seen her safely make it into the bathroom so she calmed down. "Thank you Miss Alex. You really are a sweet heart." Erin's dad said with a small smile before he lead the way for them to get out of the airport and to the ride that was waiting to pick them up. "Don't creep her out dad." Erin muttered but it was less that she was worried about her dad creepy Alex out and more she was a little jealous of anyone other than her getting Alex's attention at the moment. I invited her. Should be all about me...and well her. Okay now I'm the one being creepy. Erin thought to herself as she let out a sigh, feeling down until she felt that hand in hers again.

"Do you have to go to any meetings tonight, dad?" Erin asked her dad as she helped him load up their bags into the vehicle once it pulled up for them. She and her dad then had a quick little chat as they all got into the car before Erin's attention was back on Alex. "Looks like it will be mostly us doing things on our own today." Erin responded since he dad did have a few things he did need to take care of but promise they would all eat out together tomorrow.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex smiled at Erin's continued reassurances that she was safe. It was easy to forget the small, shy girl was capable of wielding as destructive force as fire, though Alex usually gave as little thought as possible to her power. She'd come a long way since she was a sophomore in high school first stepping foot onto the Academy campus but she was still terrified of herself in many ways. "I'll burn their eyebrows off and then you hide us and we can run away." Alex said with a stern nod. It seemed a fitting plan should the two girls ended up in a less than savory situation, though even Alex didn't look too convinced that would ever happen.

Falling silent as Erin and her father conversed, Alex busied herself with gazing out the window as the vehicle headed toward the hotel. The wide-eyed wonder had returned in full force now that they were away from the prying eyes of the public. Everything just looked and felt different. She couldn't place, exactly, what it was, though she was fascinated. She tried to take in everything she could during the ride, only snapping out of it once Erin's attention had returned. "Huh?" Alex asked, her head whipping around to look at Erin. She blinked a few times and furrowed her brow. "Oh." She thought a moment before her eyes lit up again. "Oh! That's awesome!" She said after being given the plan for the day. It still didn't register that it was so early. "I don't know anything about Japan so I'm just going to tag along with whatever you want to do."

[Erin Hackett]

Erin chuckled at that, like actually almost laugh at Alex's plan for what they would do if they ran into trouble. They were both mutants and while Erin's ability was more of a defensive one, Alex could be an offensive one if she really wanted to use it. Granted, with how the girl talked of her power before and just how she reacted to whoever she used it, Erin could hardly see Alex being able to actually try and hurt someone with her power on purpose. It made her still want to see if Alex would be willing to show off a little bit with possibly lighting candle or something small like that to get her comfortable with what she could do.

Then again, perhaps it was not her place, but it was a thought the lingered there for a moment. The drive itself would take some time, there were a lot of people in Tokyo, especially this specific area but they would managed. Not like any of them were driving and all they had to do was sit and wait until they got there. Alex had been apparently lost in through, making Erin slightly worried if there was something wrong with her and if she was possibly hiding any discomfort. She hoped Alex would tell her if something was wrong, even if she was worried about it messing anything up for Erin because it would not. She really would have been fine staying in the hotel the whole time, she just figured Alex would want to get out there and see it all.

"Okay...well other than the Pokémon store and seeing a few sites that we will pass on the subway, I didn't have anything planned other than order room services." Erin informed the other girl as she started to mess with the end of her shirt. Erin was likely going to remain silent for the rest of the ride then, unless Alex spoke up. Eventually the car came to a stop, bags were unloaded, and they were walking into the Park Hotel Tokyo. "This one is different than the last time." Erin pointed out to her dad who explained that they went with this one because the business meeting was being held here so it just made sense.

The elevator ride was pretty quick as well, even if they were going pretty high up to their rooms. Erin's dad handed Alex and her a key to their room, telling them that his was right next door if they needed anything and to go ahead and get settled in. However; when the door to their room was opened, Erin froze. The room was nice but...there was only one bed where there was supposed to be two.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex, once again, allowed her attention to drift toward the scenery outside the car window. Her eyes darted here and there, touching on everything they could as the city of Tokyo passed by. Where she was had started to sink in and it rendered her speechless. For a teenage girl who'd never been further East than Montana in the United States, to be sitting in a car driving through the streets of Tokyo on what equated to an all expenses paid trip was mind boggling. "Room service sounds great." Alex admitted with a bit of a sheepish smile. While she may have been more vocal and definitely louder than Erin, the two girls shared a deep rooted love for isolation and the comfort that came with it.


'Oh my god!!" Came the exclamation the moment the door to the hotel room was opened. Alex pulled her bag into the room and shrugged the backpack from her shoulders, dropping both to the floor near the bed as she darted across the room to the window. Her hands pressed against the glass as she peered out to the city below them. To a seasoned traveler, it was nothing special. To Alex, she may as well have been viewing one of the seven wonders of the world. "This is crazy." She gushed, leaning forward a bit, her nose coming to squish into the window as well. She hadn't noticed the bed, or lack thereof, the only thing she could focus on was the view.

[Erin Hackett]

"It is pretty spot on and you know the sushi here is legit." Erin said with an approving nod. Yes, she certainty missed the food here in Japan a lot more then she realized. Sure the food in the states was pretty good and a lot of it was over here but there was just something perfect about having the real deal right at home. She was getting all kinds of homesick now, wondering if their old place was still there, if anyone was living in it, and if she would ever be able to go back there. She was fine with traveling here on trips with her father for meetings and the occasional fun just to remember the good times here but she still wondered if they would ever come back and stay.

However; now that she made actually friends back at BA, she was not sure if she could just leave them behind as easily as she thought she could. Alex didn't even seem bothered by the bed; she probably didn’t even notice it. Erin didn't have a problem with the room overall, it was just that she was pretty sure she had asked for two beds. While Alex was busy enjoying the view of the city, Erin went to talk to her dad really quick about the room. Sure they could ask for a room change but less of a guarantee they would get one next to one another and with the specific things they had asked to be in it.

Erin figured it was best to check in with Alex first, who she could not help but to chuckle a little at how the girl seemed like a kid in the candy store with how she was taking in all there was to the view. "Wait until you see it at night. When its dark outside but everything it lit up because of the lights." Erin pointed out as she walked over to look out the window as well. She hesitated for a moment, not sure how to ask her question. "So uh...they ended up giving us one bed instead of two so I can go sleep on the couch in my dad’s room or set up something on the floor if you don't want to be alone in the room when we go to sleep." Erin said, going for suggesting an idea over just having to struggle for a room change.

[Alexandra Lawson]

With a low, contented sigh Alex pulled away from the window and dropped her hands to her sides. The smile on her face remained unwavering even as she turned to find Erin and scurried off. Everything felt so surreal, as if it was all happening in some sort of dream she would wake up from at any moment. She sat on the edge of the bed and only just now started looking over the details of the room. Her head shook as she took in the place they would be staying for the weekend. She wasn't too familiar with hotels or the like so she didn't know if her being impressed by it was warranted or not. Nonetheless, it met and surpassed any hotel she'd ever been in, so it was something.

By the time Erin stepped back into the room, Alex had kicked off her sneakers and was laying on the bed, phone in her outstretched hands. She was scrolling through her phone's web browser when the door opened. She smiled and tilted her head toward Erin. She went to speak but was cut off by her phone slipping through her fingers and bapping her in the side of her face. She let out a surprised squeak and rolled off the bed, a hand coming up to cheek while he eyed the phone sitting on the bed as if it would attack her.

"Wait." She said, her attention span just not catching up to what Erin had said. Alex's gaze lifted to regard Erin curiously. "Is that a problem?" She asked shrugging as she rubbed lightly at her cheek. "The bed's big enough for both of us." She flashed a sterling smile. "I don't take up a lot of space."

[Erin Hackett]

It was nice to see that Alex was making herself at home, that at least meant that she was in fact comfortable around Erin and her dad to do so. Or at the very least that she trusted them and this hotel enough to be able to lay back and just soak in all that was this room and where they were. Erin was tempted to just lay down and pass out right there. Yet, she knew if she wanted to at least adjust to the different time zones she was going to have to work a little harder to stay awake for at least a little longer.

It was always odd that even if you slept a long time on the plane your body was still used to falling asleep at a set time and would practically make you go to sleep when that time came around not matter where in the world you were. Erin flinched a little when the phone fell on Alex's face. It was cute, but that had to not feel so good. Erin at least didn't feel so bad since she had done it a ton of times and thought it was just her being a failure or slippery fingers. There was a question, Alex not seeing the problem with it which had Erin standing there for a moment as a small amount of blush took over her face.

Oh yeah, totes no problem. You know, its no big deal to lie in the same bed with a girl you have a crush on who makes you feel all hot and bothered just from being around you sometimes. That is so not going to be a problem at all if she rolls over and curls up next to you. So not going to be fantasizing things turning out like they do in the movies. Erin thought to herself, biting her lip in the silence for a moment. Alex did have a point that the big was big enough for the both of them, but that was still not the problem. "I mean...if you are okay with it...I guess. I just uh...never shared a bed with a girl before...or anyone for that matter." Erin said, muttering the last bit as she started to play with the end of her shirt.

[Alexandra Lawson]

Alex, sadly, was no stranger to putting herself in situations that often ended up with her hurt in some way. From barreling down the halls of the Academy and running into people, to the way she way she became uncoordinated and clumsy when she was flustered (something that happened all too easily, Alex always seemed to be bumping into things or tripping over herself. A phone to the face was nothing. Still, she eyed the offending device for a moment before scooping it off the bed and tucking it into her sweater pocket.

"It's not so bad." Alex said with warm smile. She had, in truth, always enjoyed sleeping with another person. While it didn't happen often, Alex relished when it did. She felt safe and comforted by the presence of another. That she also happened to be what many people called 'touchy-feely' didn't hurt. Even though she wished to maintain control of when it happened, Alex was very much a fan of physical contact. It showed in the way she had a habit of jumping on people she missed, her love of piggy back rides and her generous distribution of hugs. "Just don't be mad if I drool on you at night." She said with a frown that made it seem as though she wasn't totally joking.

[Erin Hackett]

Alex said that it was not so bad, which had to be a clear indication that she, did it before. Erin didn't know why she suddenly had mixed feelings about knowing that know. After all, she was very much aware that Alex was in fact straight. She was also aware that Alex had a boyfriend, so she should not have been surprised that Alex might have slept in the same bed with him. She was not going to think if they did the action or not but she was the kind of girl who did like to cuddle from what Erin had witnessed firsthand. She just gave a small nod before figuring she should say something to show she was alright with that.

"Okay." Erin said, it was pretty much the best she could do. She did chuckle a little at Alex's comment about drool but was not sure how she would react if a girl drooled on her. Would it be cute? Would she like it? Or would she want to run away? Don't me mad if I nibble on your ear at night. Erin thought to herself, it almost coming out of her mouth because she opened it but was thankful she was able to swallow that back down before it dared slip out. Alright, they needed to get out of the room so she could stop thinking about Alex and her sharing the bed. It would so be innocent, they were friends, and Erin could do this.

"Let’s head out to that Pokémon Store. If we stay in here too long I'm going to get comfy and end up falling asleep." Erin said, making an excuse which was half true. She was already ready to go since all she did was drop her stuff off. She sent a quick text to her dad, even if they had already talked about what she had planned for her and Alex before they had gotten here. Funny how she told her dad everything but not the person she planned to drag around. Then again, it was easy to talk to her dad and it was still an up and down when it came to Alex.

[Alexandra Lawson]

It did seem like Erin had to go through far more deliberation and internal contemplation before accepting the sleeping arrangements would be acceptable. That caught Alex's attention, though she didn't know what to make of it. Wasn't as if she would blame Erin for not being the type that jumped into bed with people at random, although, Alex was hardly like that either. "Look, it's no problem, okay?" She rounded the bed, drawing closer to Erin and looking up at her, eyes bright. "You'll barely realize I'm there. Promise." She said, reached out and gently touching Erin's forearm.

Soon, talk of the day's plans came out and Alex nodded. She was eager to get on with the day and see more of the city she was positive she'd never get the chance to visit again. Moving back to the edge of the bed, Alex tugged her sneakers back on and hopped up. She paused, brow furrowing as her hands patted around to make sure she had her phone, wallet and keys. There was no need for keys, of course, but that she didn't have them gave her pause. She turned, looked to her bag, silently contemplated something in her mind nodded once. "Okay." She said finally. "I'm ready."

[Erin Hackett]

Erin could not help but to pout slightly as Alex pointed out that it was no problem. There was still a problem, but she was going to have to deal with it. Alex didn't seem to get what the problem was but Erin should have expected that. She had to keep reminding herself that while Alex was all touchy-feely, held her hand, and stayed close to her didn't mean anything. She was just being nice, nice and just behaving like she would with anyone else that was her friend. They were friends, simple as that. No matter how much Erin kept imaging it, that didn't change anything and she just needed both her mind and body to agree to it and get out of the day dreams.

"That’s not...okay." Erin responded with a slow now. She wanted to point out that the problem was not that she didn't want to notice that Alex was there. She wanted to. Or perhaps it was because she wanted to that was why it was a problem. What even was the problem other than the temptation? Erin already knew she could only be so bold without a computer or something to help bring out that true bold side to herself. There was a gentle touch along with a promise that just had Erin nodding her head yes again. She waited then, watching Alex seemed to double check to make sure she had everything and then giving the go. Erin gave a small smile and moved to lead the way back to the elevator and back onto the streets of Tokyo.

By now it was a habit for her to offer out her hand to the other girl so they would not get separated with the always moving crowd. Erin knew this area pretty well; having no trouble at all leading them to the subway they needed to take to get to the area of the Pokémon store. Then they just had to take a monorail; which would give them a lot of nice views of the area and it would take them right to the plaza where the store was. "This trip is on me, so I'll handle any money related things. Stick close and move fast because these doors and these people don't wait for anyone." Erin informed Alex, feeling a little bold since she was taking charge and getting them where they needed to go.

[Alexandra Lawson]

That look of wide-eyed wonder returned the moment Alex stepped foot out onto the streets of Tokyo. She couldn't help but look everywhere, her attention snapping from one thing to the next. It was all so overwhelming. "This place is nothing like San Francisco." She commented in awe as she took in the sights, sounds and smells of the huge city. The pearl of the Bay Area in California was the only major city she'd done more than pass through once or twice and it, even being considered an iconic hub of culture and industry, paled in comparison to the sheer size of Tokyo.

Before long, Alex had settled and, with the added comfort of walking hand in hand with Erin, managed to calm herself to a more suitable level. "I know it's just because I've never been around big cities like this before, but I can't imagine what it would be like to live here." She commented, glancing up to Erin. "I mean, Redding is big... ish..." She frowned a little as she spoke of her hometown. "Well, it's big for the area. You'd have to go to Sac, or the Bay to find a bigger city." At this point she was mostly rambling as he highly doubted Erin to have much knowledge of the small cities that dotted the Northern California landscape. "You did say you used to live here, right?" Once again her eyes shifted to look out at the streets around them. "What was it like?

Taking cues from Erin, Alex did her best to dart through the crowd of people and slip through the doors to the monorail car. She was adept at using her size to her advantage and, when calm and collected, was remarkably light on her feet. It came from many years of cheerleading and having to keep from being stepped on. Still, the relatively simple feat of getting onto a monorail car was met with a certain feeling of accomplishment. Even as the crowd flooded the car, pushing everyone to the edges as it filled up, Alex clung tightly to Erin's hand. She suddenly felt claustrophobic and closed in. She glanced up to Erin, worry beginning to build behind her eyes. There were just so many people.