Always keep walking

It was safe to say that Allen was terribly, hopelessly, mindbogglingly lost. Well, perhaps not mindbogglingly, rather expected really. To think he had assured his stupid guardian he wouldn’t need to show him around their new town. Though, he supposed it was more his new town rather than their new town, it wasn’t like Cross was going to spend much time here. Not that Allen begrudged him for it. He didn’t care if that alcoholic jerk were here, honest. Really. He’s not just saying that.

Anyways, the point was Allen had decided to try to find his way to the new university he would be attending soon on his own. It would be important to know the route he would need to take every day so he could avoid being late for class if he could help it. Before leaving the too large home Cross had somehow managed to buy them, and Allen certainly hoped it hadn’t been bought with more loans he would have to pay back, the teen had tried to recall the directions he had found on the university website earlier.

The foresight had been all well and good, but when you had a sense of direction like he did...

Well, it hadn’t done much. He had ended up choosing a random street without much thought, hoping for once his notoriously bad sense of direction would not leave him meandering helplessly for hours as it usually did. This was why he wished he had Timcanpy with him at least, the little creature always seemed to know which way to go when Allen didn’t. That being-- all the time.

Looking around, the boy found himself standing before a large expensive looking building. Curious, silver eyes wandered up to read the sign. “Crescent Condominiums”, was it? From the look of it, the place seemed like it would charge him for even taking a step inside.

That said, he hadn’t seen much of anyone outside by this point, the streets mostly empty by this time of day in a nicer area like this. If he wanted directions from someone, he would have to work harder to seek them out. Steeling himself, the silver-haired male gave a slight nod of decision and stepped through the doors. Surely someone in here could tell him, even if it were just someone at the front desk?

Apprehensive eyes gazed around, searching for anyone he could possibly approach. Luckily enough, he happened upon a young man with long light-colored hair. Gaze lightening, he rushed over, bowing politely with a smile.

Before him stood a precipice. Metaphorically, of course. The towering door to the cooking club room stood tall and proud, blocking the boy’s entrance inside. It had taken him a while to find it give his usual sense of direction, chances were there was no one left inside by now. Once again he seemed to have sabotaged himself somehow. Really, there had to be some cure to his downright ghastly directional capabilities. Perhaps he should bite the bullet and just carry a map around?

That said, it was still worth a shot seeing if anyone was inside. With eyes set in determination, he reached out his right hand and opened the door, taking a step inside.

It was certainly much less intimidating inside than it had been standing before it. Glancing around the room, the teen searched for anyone who may have stuck around for one reason or another.  After a moment, he spotted the other, a smile quickly forming over his face.

Approaching, he spoke lightly, an apology on his lips, “I’m sorry if I’m distracting you from anything in any way, but I was wondering if you were a member of the cooking club?”

This was, Allen decided, perhaps one of the worst situations the male could have found himself in. One moment he had been on a clear route to the cafeteria, the next he was standing in the middle of a hallway with no food in sight. He had been so certain he knew where he was going thirty minutes ago, almost positive he could make it somewhere on his own for once.

He should probably stop having faith in himself when it came to these sorts of things.

His stomach, ever crying out for food, made a loud sound in protest at his lack of success. Wrapping his arms around his midsection, his left arm more loosely than his right, the teen gave a sigh. Now would be the perfect time for another friendly student with a better sense of direction to pop-up. Please? He was getting desperate here. How had he not happened upon a single person so far in his journey?

Perhaps everyone was already in the cafeteria eating lunch...

Lunch...

Ah, he was so hungry it hurt. With a sigh, the teen was almost ready to throw in the towel and just sit on the floor there and then when he suddenly noticed another student walking down the hall towards him. Immediately perking up, he waved to the other in an attempt to get his attention. Please don’t let his stomach growl again while this stranger could hear it...

“Excuse me, do you happen to know where the cafeteria is?”

On a beautiful day like this, Allen decided, it was a crime to stay inside by oneself. The sun was shining, birds were singing-- what more could beckon one beyond the recesses of the indoors than this? Okay, perhaps warmer weather would make it more enticing, he could concede, but nevertheless. He had just gotten out of class and had free time to explore the campus a bit more, enjoying the nicer weather as he did.

The university was larger than the boy had expected, though he didn’t have much experience when it came to schools to make a sound judgement. To think they had not only a cafeteria and a convenience store, but even an observatory? The school was almost like its own mini town.

Pulled from his musings, the white-haired teen took notice of the young girl sitting by herself on one of the nearby benches outside the dormitories. She seemed to be lost in her own thoughts, sitting peacefully without a single soul around. Well, aside Allen now, that is.

He had been hoping to make friends here, perhaps this was his chance? He wouldn’t want to bother her though, but it could be worth a shot. If it seemed like he were bothering her, he could just give a quick farewell and be on his way as soon as possible. Reading others was one of the few skills he could say he was proud of, it certainly came in handy at times like this.

Walking over slowly as to not startle her, he stopped with a friendly smile and queried, “Would it be alright if I joined you sitting here? I’m afraid I’m new here and don’t know the campus very well, I’ve been walking around for a time and could use a bit of a break.”

The only thing keeping Allen from running through the halls was the knowledge he had nothing left on his official schedule for the day. He had been wandering now for perhaps twenty or so minutes in an attempt to find his way out of the main building, head swiveling this way and that, taking in the sights. It was his first time in a real school, having not gone to school for the majority of his childhood and then subsequently home-schooled by Mana and, afterwards, Cross. Truly it was a miracle he had been able to even make it into a university.

He hadn’t been in this new town very long, much less this country, having only arrived this very week. His guardian had immediately dumped him in their new home and went off to who-knows-where, leaving the eighteen year old to familiarize himself with the town by himself. It had been a miracle he had even been able to make it to the university in the first place.

Given he now had free time, the British boy couldn’t help but wonder what exactly there was to do in this town. He often hadn’t had free time growing up, running this way and that wherever his current guardian had taken him. That hadn’t particularly changed after Mana, he had just minded less. With Cross, more. Much more.

No, best not to think of it. He would do to try and make some new friends here and get to know people, it was always nice to interact with others in the new countries he was dragged off to; if he were to be here for a while, it would do well to try and get along with his new classmates and fellow citizens. Who knows, perhaps he would end up meeting someone who could help show him around town.

So lost in his thoughts was he that Allen didn’t realize he was about to walk into someone until it was too late. Flustered by his negligence, he quickly took a step back and bowed his head in apology.