Self Respecting New Yorkers Don't Go Here

Chocolate... If there was ever a time when Spot needed it, it was right then.

Things had been getting more than a little stressful back at home. Her mother insisted on her trying to actually be more ladylike, and it was difficult for her to really see why. Spot just... Wasn't that sort of girl. She wanted to be free of that sort of thing, and the closest she could get to that was in Time Square. Shopping wasn't usually Spot's biggest priority, but today she wanted to treat herself. The best way to do that was to go to the Hershey Store and stock up on chocolate. Who cared if ladies were meant to eat chocolate in small quantities? Spot just wanted to stuff her face with the stuff and say 'fuck you' to the world. No one could tell her what to do.

The smell of chocolate hit Spot like a truck as soon as she entered the store, and a goofy grin formed on the short-haired girl's face. This was where she wanted to be. She had entered a bit after Two-Tone had, and her eyes were on the Hershey Kisses. She wanted as many bags of those as she could carry. Spot was about to head over to them, but as she maneuvered over to that general direction she felt someone bumping her with their bag as they moved by. A startled little yelp escaped the awkward girl, and she heard the apology from Two-Tone a moment later.

"Oh... Oh, uh... Th-That's okay," Spot managed to say. "I d-didn't see you. No problems. I was just going to get some of these Hershey Kisses, and... Well, here we are." Smooth start, Spot. She silently reprimanded herself for this much, but maybe Two-Tone wouldn't go out of her way to poke fun at her. She didn't even know who this other girl was. She looked about her age, but still...

"I guess you've been doing a lot of shopping today?"

"Sweet mother of monkey milk, what is this place?!"

And why did she feel like she was back where she belonged?

Eyes round as buttons, Vanellope could do little more than just stare around at everything. The little homeless girl was not a regular visitor to the candy store; in fact, she'd never set foot inside it in her entire life. Even today hadn't been strictly intentional - Vanellope had just been wandering about the streets when she'd caught sight of one of the girls who she knew loved to torment her, and had dived into the nearest shop before she could be seen.

Yet, oddly, she felt almost like she'd come home. Being surrounded by what looked, to a girl so small, like miles and miles of candy seemed like the most natural thing in the world to the street kid; even if she was having trouble taking it all in right now.

She had to take some of this away with her. Even if she had no money to her name at all... well, Vanellope was used to havin' to steal to get by, anyway? Why would this be any different, except that it was probably gonna be less healthy for her in the long run? She could stuff her hoodie pockets when no-one was looking, make a break for it; the one advantage of being small was that she could disappear in amongst the crowd outside pretty easily.

For now, though, she was just inclined to look around. Take it all in. It was so far removed from her usual environment that Vanellope doubted that even anyone who knew her would recognise her here, so she didn't have to try too hard to keep a low profile. Rather, Vanellope began scampering around the store, just wanting to see everything.

The tiny child had wandered in circles around the store a good few times before she finally came to a stop. While Vanellope didn't feel like she really stood out in here, she rather thought the store clerk was giving her a rather odd look, probably just because she'd wandered past him so many times. Deciding not to draw any further attention to herself, Vanellope paused to inspect a display of various candies, wandering idly which ones were the best.

It didn't escape her notice that she was loitering near a couple of older girls, but Vanellope didn't give them much thought. They wouldn't have time for a little thing like her, so why worry about them? Instead, she mused aloud as she looked at the selection before her.

"Okay, so here's what I'm thinkin'; those big chocolate bars look too good to pass up. Some of the others sound weird--" what even were kisses, as far as candy went? "--but I bet ya can't go wrong with chocolate. And then..."

She trailed off, casting her eyes around for a few moments. What else looked suitably delicious to take a closer look at?

If you were an actor in New York, you either forced yourself to get used to Times Square, or you stopped acting. And while Genie still wasn't quite accustom to the hustle and bustle of this circus of a city, it was slowly growing on him. It reminded him of Agrabah, really; though the Arabian marketplaces were never this crowded, even on a good day. Still, it was comforting, in a way. It was familiar enough for him to enjoy -- especially when he had the time to do so.

He had just purchased lunch -- a bag containing a Mediterranean salad and a bottle of juice dangled off of his arm as he perused his selections. But his sweet tooth was calling, and one of the biggest advantages of getting to perform at the Longacre Theatre was that the Hershey store was, in fact, right down the street. It was almost too easy to stop in and grab a chocolate bar or two to go with his midday meal. Yes, the store was swamped -- was it ever a good idea to come here at the peak of tourist season? -- but he was managing  just fine. 

He surveyed his options, and quickly found himself stuck between wanting to purchase a full bar of chocolate or some peanut butter cups. Both were fantastic choices, and in the long run, it wouldn't really matter, considering he'd be burning it all off during that evening's show. His process of decision making was interrupted by the voices of nearby children, however. And these weren't just any kids -- they were voices that he knew. 

Turning his head, Genie caught sight of a slowly congregating group. Two adolescents, one young child, and one college-aged girl. And all of them -- every single one of those kids -- had the glow. A warm green halo around their bodies that there was no mistaking. He didn't quite know who they were, but he did know that they, too, were trapped here. And sooner or later, he'd have to get them alone to talk. But for now, he needed to gain their trust.

"Chocolate and gummies are both a classic; now that, I gotta agree with," he replied with a warm rumble of a chuckle. "Sugar may not be too good for you, but it's great for a pick-me-up every now and again."