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Orihime stared blankly at the little box on her knees. The key was new, but most everything else she'd seen before. Her head felt thick, packed with cotton, and she was wildly disoriented. She'd been in this bay before. She knew what it was called. It was dark this time, with cool breezes sweeping into the cavern -- a marked contrast to the summer sunlight reflected blindingly from the shallow water.

She gave her head a shake and her eyes a good hard blink, then finally settled for just jumping feet-first from her cocoon perch and into the Bay, dipping her hand in the water to splash it on her face.

"Ah!" Cold! But it seemed to snap her senses more firmly into place. Genessia! That was the name of this place, she remembered! Granted she hadn't been here all that long, but she remembered trying to find dragons in Fayren (and failing), and doing a lot of baking for the Lady Maribelle.

...Baking...

...

"AHHHHH! I overslept! I'm late for work!!" The panic was even more effective at shaking off the brain fog of sleep, and the thought of Maribelle's fury filled her with energy. She dashed noisily through the bay water that soaked the hem of her skirt and shoes, darted past Weiss's hologram as it began to flicker to life, and into the streets of the city beyond.

Maribelle would never accept excuses, and Orihime had none to give. What was she supposed to say? 'Sorry I'm late, I think I was in a coma or something ha ha!' Why had she appeared back in the Bay? It didn't make sense.

She scarcely noticed the rain as she pelted through puddles and beneath dripping streetlamps, frantic to reach her destination. She was harried by her frantic thoughts. What should she say? How would she explain it when she knew so little herself?

Nearly skidding around the last street corner, she came to a breathless stop before the Tea Time Cafe. It was dark inside, the patio furniture withdrawn, the 'CLOSED' sign leaning against the inside of the window. She was too late for work, and had missed the entire day. The whole day, just gone! "Ahhhhhhh I'm so sorry..." Orihime breathed to no one at all present. Her forehead came to rest against the wall of the building with a pathetic, guilty thump. What should she do now? She could use the device, she supposed, to call her employer and let her know about the unusual circumstances she found herself in.

Raising her head, she glanced at the sign, then furrowed her brow.

It didn't say 'CLOSED' like she'd initially assumed.

It said 'FOR LEASE.'

"What...?"

Her fingers lightly brushed over the cool pane of glass as she stared at the sign. How could the cafe be vacant? Shut down? She cupped her hands against her temples to peer through the window into the dark shop interior. The entire store was completely empty -- no chairs, no hanging menu board, not even the refrigerated case that was meant to house Orihime's pastries and cakes. How could it have been cleared out so soon? Unless...

Unless...

The white box dropped to the ground at Orihime's feet as she fumbled for the communicator, turned it on, and delivered a frantic message.

HOW LONG HAVE I BEEN GONE?!

[Geez, hello to you too, Orihime. Her face is flushed, brow furrowed in distress, and her breathing is slightly labored. She's not in the Bay; instead she seems to be standing outside a vacant building in Genessia City. The rain is slowly soaking her blouse and her long chestnut hair, the spatters growing in size.]

I went to work and it was closed! The cafe was closed! Did it really happen that suddenly? I know it was summer but the night was supposed to be warmer than this, unless it's just cool because it's raining...!

[Orihime withdraws a fraction of an inch, taking a brief moment to just breathe. When she speaks again, she doesn't seem quite so frantic.]

I-I guess I'm a little out of sorts, ha ha...! My name is Orihime. Maribelle-sama, if you're there, please don't be too angry! I didn't mean to go into a coma, I promise!

Well. That was that, she supposed. She closed the communicator with a light snap and tipped her head back, taking in one deep breath as she closed her eyes. All she could do now was wait for some helpful (or lonely, chat-inclined) individuals to respond... She parted her lashes to gaze at the sky.

Rain plopped immediately into her eyes and she staggered back, blinking rapidly. Right, she should probably...do something...about being outside, in the dark, getting soaked to the bone. She'd had an apartment before, but that was probably closed up and rented out to someone else too if the cafe was shut down. Awkwardly she rubbed the back of her head, then stooped to pick up the things she'd dropped in her haste. Item by item, she replaced everything in the box, then took out the necklace and unfastened it. This item was particularly important, she remembered, so it was best to put it on right away. Her fingers were getting numb with the cold, and after several failed attempts to get her fingers to work the clasp, she gave up on the jewelry with a sigh and put it in her skirt pocket instead.

Hugging the box to her stomach, Orihime rose to her feet and walked briskly back the way she'd came, looking left and right. There was probably a late-night diner open around here somewhere. It would do her some good to find a place that offered hot tea or cocoa so she could warm up her hands, dry off a bit, and figure out what in the world she was supposed to do next. Right now? She didn't have the foggiest idea.

[OOC: Feel free to run into her at any old cafe/diner, bump into her in the temporary apartment building, or even get mowed down while she's darting around town getting her bearings!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[She nods once. Iwatodai isn't a city she's heard of before, but it sounds Japanese, and there's no way a single person could know EVERY town and city in their humble country.]

Karakura Town! It's one of the smaller suburbs of Tokyo.

[And he's one of the few who won't balk at or question the use of formalities, so that's kind of a relief! Not that she minds, but still, she's glad she can keep her habits with him.]

I've never been to Iwatodai before, though. Most of my travels in Japan itself are kind of limited!

[But she's gone to the equivalent of heaven and purgatory, so she can't really say she's never been anywhere.]

Well, I haven't been to Karakura Town, so we're even.

[ Hadn't heard of it either, but like Orihime, he figured he just hadn't heard of the smaller place. ]

... Actually, I haven't really traveled much. Before gettin kidnapped to this place, anyway.

Ha ha! That's true.

[Her grin is wry as she hitches her shoulders slightly, as if to indicate they've had a fairly similar experience.]

It's pretty expensive ordinarily! Especially for high school students, ne? At least it's pretty easy to go to all kinds of places here and feel well-traveled. I'm looking forward to that part.

[Especially if Nova City has some sort of space station or moon that people can go visit. That would be the dream!]

Hn.

[ The noise Shinjiro makes is mostly of agreement. He doesn't want to get into a lot of detail, after all, about his own lack of funds. Or lack of high-school education. Or, really, anything about his past with this very cheerful person. ]

If you don't mind goin to the same five places, I guess.

Though they are pretty different.

[They're both secret sadsacks. It's okay.]

I don't mind at all! Five cities are better than just one, if you judge by variety and quantity. There's still nothing like home, of course, but I'm going to do my best not to get homesick. I'll make sure I'm way too busy for that!

[She clenches a fist of determination. ...And honestly she feels a little childish, like she's trying to force optimism just so he won't be obligated to keep trying to cheer her up.]

I guess the only one that seemed a little bland was Attleton. They don't seem to have any tourist attractions from what I read in the brochure. Have you been there yet?

Variety is one thing this place definitely's got.

[ ... Could you get homesick if you knew you couldn't get back? He carefully doesn't say anything on that note. ]

Eh, I sorta took a brief look? It seems to attract weirdness, I guess. There's a radio show about it now.

Really? Hm...

[That piques her curiosity enough. She makes a mental note to tune in and listen for herself, rather than plaguing him with questions she can probably learn the answer to with a little observation.]

I guess I'll have to visit for sure! Everglade will be important to visit, too. The last time I was here, I heard it was pretty dangerous for humans who lived there.

[ ... What is it with defenseless-looking people wandering into trouble anyway. ]

Should you be considerin a visit, if it's so dangerous?

[Orihime stares at Shinjiro for a moment, perplexed. Oh! Right. She didn't mention her abilities to him, did she?]

It's fine, it's fine! It's not supposed to be that bad until night time anyway, and I have a little experience fighting supernatural creatures.

[But boy, she sure doesn't look the part.]

It sounds like they might need some help, and I guess I have a lot of time on my hands right now. I should go where I'm needed the most, ne?

[ Shinjiro takes a moment to remind himself of Fuuka - kind, quiet, timid Fuuka, who wouldn't hurt a fly - had a Persona. A Persona with no offensive capabilities, but allowed her to sneak around Shadows undetected, and keep her hidden in Tartarus.

Looks were definitely very deceiving. He sighed, and tried to tell himself it was dumb to worry. ]

... You should still be careful. Goin in alone probably isn't the best idea, especially if you're intendin on fightin stuff.

That's true!

[Orihime won't argue with him about that, especially after she's already been warned. Certainly she'll take every precaution, but she's not so prideful or foolish that she would absolutely insist on wandering around alone. Not until she has a better idea of what she'll be dealing with in any case.]

I've made a couple of friends here, I'll see if one of them is interested in going with me. So you don't have to worry, I won't do anything crazy!

[ He has no idea whether he can take her word for it. Frowns. ]

Better take a few. Better going in over-prepared then ending up dead, right?

That's true. But there's also a risk in bringing too many, especially if the supernatural denizens there can sense our potential. It might seem like we're seeking a fight, so I don't think I should bring more than two at the very most.

[It's a little difficult to explain her position, and she chews on her words thoughtfully for a long moment.]

I want to make sure I stay neutral until I know the situation for myself and see it with my own eyes.

[The topic's getting a little heavy, isn't it? She quickly fixes her smile back in place.]

But most of the dangerous citizens will probably be in bed if I go early enough, so it shouldn't be anything to worry about!

No, that ... actually makes a lotta sense.

[ His estimation of Orihime's definitely gone up a few notches, that's for sure. ]

You definitely don't wanna end up fightin the wrong guy, or get drawn into somethin before you realize what's goin on.

[ ... But he realizes she's uncomfortable with the serious topic, and shrugs. ]

Guess if they're in daylight it'll make 'em easier to handle.

[There's a mix of relief and appreciation reflected on her countenance at his response. It seems like he understands her just fine, even without long and detailed explanations. She's grateful for that.]

Right! I'm glad you think so too.

[But she's probably talked his ear off quite enough for one night. Best not to make him get sick of her too soon, ha ha!]

I'd better see about the apartment they reserved for me and get settled. But thank you for all of your help! I hope we run into each other again soon, Aragaki-san.

[ Oh, she wasn't half as bad as some people on here ~~Ted~~. ]

Just Shinjiro is fine.

You take care of yourself.

[~~Ha ha! Poor Ted!~~ Orihime noticeably perks at his permission to address him by his first name. That seldom happens with non-Westerners! And she's honestly kind of happy about it, grinning as she clasps a hand to the side of her neck.]

Okay. Shinjiro-san.

[Just to try it out and make sure she says it right. She bows her head.]

You too! See you!

[A wave, and she's gone.]

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