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[Action] -> [Video] -> [MOAR ACTION!]
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 It was dark inside, the patio furniture withdrawn, the 'CLOSED' sign leaning against the inside of the window.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!]
no subject
For a long while.
... It was actually kind of funny.
Some day, she'd have to tell her about the megadeii in Paradigm. Today, however, was not that day. The walk to the Commons wasn't that long.
Flatly, she simply answered, "No."
no subject
And that was a crying shame. Their communicators should at least be able to produce a warning laser to jolt would-be attackers in the case of attempted muggings.
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She replied, "I don't really want any of those things."
And then, as the continued to walk to the Commons, decided to throw her a bit of a bone. She didn't have to tell her everything just yet. They were already planning on meeting again. They'd might as well have ... "fun" ... things to talk about.
"There are robots, from my world, which did have those."
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"Did you ever get to pilot one? Are they sentient, or are they more like cars in this world?"
Subconsciously she walked a little slower, as if she didn't want to end the conversation too quickly once they reached her destination.
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Hesitating, the android finally said, "It's ... complicated."
She wondered where to even begin.
"There are some giant robots which were built during the last forty years. You could say they are like cars."
"Others ..." and she trailed off, hesitant.
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"What about the others?" It seemed like the moment of levity had passed for now, so she sobered herself. Giant robots were great on TV, but if one of them had stepped on Dorothy's friend, then it would have been very insensitive to sing their praises.
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Only a little, though. It wasn't just stepping on a civilian - it wasn't even just the property damage. Many of the buildings outside of the domes were abandoned, anyway. It was the collateral damage from all of those weapons that risked people. It was the terrible aims of the people piloting the megadei, or the madness of those megadei themselves.
But how did one explain a megadeus, when even she - who seemed to be built to -
She didn't pause for long, as she already decided simpler explanations were best, at least at the start.
"They aren't like me," she answered, "Or most androids. But they are much more than cars. They can operate on their own, but they are ... difficult to communicate with or understand."
The android was attempting to capture the central idea to them, without getting into all of the history of Paradigm, or the politics, or the battles she had experienced.
"They can be incredibly gentle, and kind. Or they can go insane, and then become ..." there was only one real word for it, "terrifying."
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"I really wish I could meet one," she sighed happily. "It sounds like they're not too different from you and me in the end. I hope I didn't sound too callous earlier!" she grinned, rubbing the back of her neck. "The only exposure I've had was due to television shows, they're very popular where I'm from. People dress in costumes and stage fantastic battles in fake cities made of styrofoam. Sometimes they're powerful weapons summoned by a hero with a secret identity, sometimes they're aliens that can change their forms to blend in on Earth. They've been the focus of a lot of programs and movies for over fifty years," she explained, hoping that might provide some background to her own enthusiasm.
"But it's more complex for your world. I'll try not to be insensitive," she promised. "Just let me know if I'm putting my foot in my mouth so I can apologize."
no subject
Others? Would she call the Big O a friend? The answer came to her quickly - she would. Of course she would.
It sounded like a silly manner of entertainment. But then again, a lot of entertainment had the opportunity to be silly. That was neither a good or a bad thing. The important thing was, Orihime had no real context to understand such things, before. Just as Dorothy didn't really understand the ghosts and reapers that Orihime spoke of.
"Don't worry about it," she reassured her. "I often don't say the right thing, either. Without context, it's even more difficult than usual."
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Her chin lifted slightly as she smiled. "But I want to learn as much as I can. It's an opportunity I'll never have again after we're sent home, so it's important to meet as many people as I can, and get to know them. Ha ha, my friends will never believe me if I tell them I was stuck in a place where Dracula existed."
Not even after all of their weird adventures. Orihime had a knack for telling her stories with such simplicity and excitement that it would likely sound like a joke or a produce of her wild imagination. But maybe that was for the best -- she could keep her own little secret.
She bobbed a little bow of gratitude. "Thank you for being so patient and understanding. I feel much more comfortable asking things now!"
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Dorothy lowered her chin - it was kind of like a nod. "Likewise. I know I can ask you many questions, and you will not find me strange."
For example. "... What is Dracula?"
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But there were definitely stranger people than her, both here and in her home world.
"A Dracula is a vampire," she explained helpfully. "He featured prominently in a classic book from back home. They drink blood from people and either kill them or turn them into vampire slaves. Eeto, what are the rules..." She pursed her lips thoughtfully. "They don't like daylight, a wooden stake to the heart is one of the only ways to kill them, they sleep in coffins, and they have sharp fangs. But they look pretty much human! There's more, but I don't really remember it all," she admitted. "There's a lot of vampire stories too, but the rules might change."
Especially since Castlevania's Dracula was not the same as Bram Stoker's character.
"I guess if you ever had to fight him, you'd be at an advantage since you don't have to worry about them drinking your blood, right?"
no subject
It was nothing she'd ever encountered in Paradigm, though there were some very faint Memories regarding such monsters. Nothing concrete enough, however, for her to know the amount that Orihime seemed to.
She mentioned, "You would think so. But I look mostly human, and like a small human, at that. I will be attacked anyway."
Dorothy would be able to easily deal with that kind of thing, she thought, but it would be irritating.
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She also wondered if vampires attacked based on sight alone, rather than chasing after the smell of blood like angry sharks on legs. She didn't want to assure Dorothy that she'd be just fine only to be wrong and wind up with a mangled friend.
"I hope that doesn't happen anyway," she admitted with a sheepish grin. "I can at least sense any ghosts that might be close by, or anything with a strong supernatural presence, so that will at least give me some warning. If you decide to go in the future, you can invite me to go with you so you're not on your own."
no subject
However, she allowed, "I wouldn't mind the company, next time."
If nothing else, she was a little curious on how Orihime's powers actually worked. If she could sense and see ghosts, would this be something which would allow Dorothy to see them as well? Though, it was also possible such things operated here much differently than in Orihime's world.
no subject
No exceptions.
At long last they reached The Commons, where Orihime stared up through the umbrella at the building. So this was it. Though she hated to say goodbye, she had plenty of things to look forward to in the future that prevented the separation from being bitter. "This looks like my stop! Thank you for escorting me, Dorothy-chan." Holding her box in front of her, she turned and bowed. "I can't wait until we meet again!"
no subject
She also looked up at the Commons. She had barely seen the building before she had begun to explore, when she'd arrived. And, of course, she'd been offered a place to live elsewhere, shortly afterward. What would have it been like, living here?
At least, she now knows she wouldn't have been alone.
Dwelling on the past never did anyone good. She looked to Orihime again.
"Have a good afternoon," she said. "Let me know if you need anything."
no subject
Dorothy had certainly improved Orihime's mood since her panicked and disappointing awakening. Perhaps, this time, she could really find her way in this world.