Aleksi had left excessively early for his appointment with Noah, and as he made his way into town, he was glad for it. He’d wandered along the outskirts in his fur, always with his back to the woods, so that he could make an easy escape if necessary. But it was an entirely different experience walking along with sidewalk in the light of day, his hands in his pockets as he tried to take in as much as possible. The concrete, the buildings, the people - it was so different from what he’d gotten used to at the Carnival, and yet so similar to what he’d known for most of his life. The dissonance was giving him a little bit of trouble, and he couldn’t focus, torn between memories and the present. More than once he caught himself looking over his shoulder, the ghosts of his past haunting him here in his new, entirely unexpected future. He’d been so distracted he’d missed the turn off Main Street, and had to double-back around again.
Thankfully, the ice cream shop made finding the address easier, and Aleksi cautiously followed the scent of cheeseburgers up the stairs and to a slightly-open door. He leaned in very slightly, drawing in a deep breath that smelt mostly of meat and grease and salt. Knocking on the door frame of the entrance - he wasn’t about to enter someone else’s den without explicit permission - Aleksi called out, “Noah?”