[Action, Closed]

[xlvii]

Who: 47 and Orihime Inoue
Where: Genessia Commonspace
When: Today?
What: 47 wants to give away a stuffed animal he has no use for.
Warnings: Don't accept stuffed animals from strange older men, kids. (But really, I can't think of any. Will add any if they come up.)

---

Almost hitting someone with a door isn't the greatest first impression; that's what 47 gets for not checking the other side with Instinct first. Luckily he catches the door in time, meaning that the only result of his carelessness is a minor scare, not an actual impact.

The way he's dressed now, 47 looks a bit less intimidating than the day he arrived. His suit is traded for a sky blue dress shirt (that complements his eyes and skin tone -- the man really knows how to dress himself) and black slacks, with his hands bare and his tattoo covered with makeup. Okay, so he's a little paranoid about someone from his world showing up and recognizing him.

"Oh, sorry." He pauses to look the girl over and make sure she's not injured. "Are you alright?"

Comments

[leekspins]

Orihime stayed stiff and frozen in place, hands half-raised to prevent the impact that never happened. She was surprised to say the least, but even more surprised to find that she hadn't rammed her head into the door.

A blink. A breath. And then a sigh of relief.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine, thank you!" she beamed with a sheepish little laugh. She supposed there was no need to ask if he was new here. If he was staying in these apartments, then he couldn't have been placed in Genessia all that long.

"I was just heading out to get some groceries. Do you live on this floor?" she pointed back the way she'd came. If so, why, they might even be neighbors! "Are you all right?"

[xlvii]

He steps out fully into the hallway, gently shutting the door behind him. With his other hand, he points over his shoulder at the door with his thumb, answering her first question with an affirmative hum. That's his apartment he just came out of, so that would be a yes, he does live on this floor.

"I'm fine." A good long moment of silence passes; he's not trying to be his usual dismissive self, he's just... not used to socializing without a disguise to hide behind. Just when it seems like he's not going to say anything else....

"I haven't seen you before." He's... trying.

[leekspins]

There there. One of Orihime's best friends was skilled in using as few words as possible too, his reticence didn't bother her in the slightest. "Oh, I see! Well, welcome!" Even if he probably arrived before she did, she figured the sentiment wouldn't cause offense if that were the case.

She paused at his question, then smiled, quietly recognizing the effort he was making to be kind. "I just arrived not too long ago, actually. And I've been spending a lot of my time in Attleton, so I guess that's why we haven't run into each other until now."

Orihime bowed at the waist, clasping her hands together in front of her. "I'm Orihime Inoue. Pleased to meet you!"

[xlvii]

He nods at her explanations -- and when she introduces herself, he responds with a similar bow. A bit odd, perhaps, for the gesture to look as natural as it does for a man who looks as European as he does.

"David Ford." He's a little grateful, actually, that she doesn't seem to want to shake hands.

Those are the only words he offers, but he continues to gaze at Orihime with a thoughtful expression, fingers curled in front of his lip. It looks like he's considering something.

[leekspins]

Definitely a Westerner, she'd assume, based on his appearance. But because it did look so natural, it made her wonder if he were perhaps an international businessman or diplomat who had spent a lot of time in Japan.

But that was assuming they both hailed from the same world in the first place, which never truly seemed to be the case.

"Where are you headed, Ford-san? If we're going the same way, maybe we can go together for a little while!" she suggested, just so they didn't have to stand in the hallways and look awkwardly at one another. Lots of people found it easier to talk when they were in motion, after all, it was why so many people paced when they spoke over the phone.

[xlvii]

"I'm on my way to get dinner." (Or... whatever meal is appropriate for whatever time of day it is.) There's only so much one can cook with a microwave and fridge, after all; a lot of things that go in the microwave need to be frozen. He's been having a lot of sandwiches.

He steps forward a little, until he's even with her. "I don't mind." Walking together, that is.

[leekspins]

That did make preparing meals fairly difficult! She'd figured out how to cook rice and vegetables in the microwave, and could make some weird unique noodle dishes too. But it definitely wasn't the same as having an oven and a stovetop to prepare meals.

"Great!" she beamed, sincerely happy for the company. "So you're getting groceries too? Or are you going to eat out?" Orihime seldom did the latter unless she was with a friend -- thus, her plans were flexible if he didn't mind having a teenager tag along at his heels.

"Where are you from?"

[xlvii]

He shakes his head gently. "No, I have enough groceries. I'm going out to eat." He doesn't mind her tagging along, though. She seems friendly but without forcing herself into his business, unlike some others he's met in Genessia.

"Europe." He doesn't go into any more detail than that, but after a moment's thought, he adds to his answer. "Earth." She seems Japanese, from her name and mannerisms, but she also might be from another world altogether and not know what Europe is.

[leekspins]

"Perfect," Orihime clapped her hands together. "Now I have all the justification I need to eat out, bwah ha ha..."

It was the most harmless evil laugh in all the world.

Since he seemed at ease in her company, Orihime's mood was relaxed and sunny. Certainly he was older, but she was prone to making friends with soul reapers whose ages could range into the hundreds. She kept her steps quick so she could match his longer-legged pace.

"Oh, me too! From Earth, I mean," she pointed at herself, delighted to have something in common. "Japan, specifically!" And now that she had a point of reference to work with, she could be a little more free with her compliments. She pressed her fingertips together in front of her. "Your formal bow was smooth and elegant. I thought you might be a classy executive that did a lot of international travel it was so good!"

[xlvii]

At her attempt at an evil laugh, 47 glances aside at her, raising his eyebrows. He doesn't look annoyed or upset, though; the outer corners of his eyes move upward, with a slight squint. It's almost like... a smile? The lower half of his face is as stoic as ever, though.

"I thought so." At her assumption, he makes a slight nod. Well, she's right about the traveling part.

"Thank you. I have been to Japan a few times before. I'm not a businessman, though. I just dress like one." To 47, that last comment is what passes for a joke.

[leekspins]

"It's a very sophisticated style," she nodded approvingly. "It's lucky that you were able to wake up in a nice suit instead of your pajamas, or a discount outfit that you could easily buy anywhere."

It was almost as if she thought he'd dressed that way expecting he would be picked up by this city.

"What kind of work did you do?" she asked, tucking her hands behind her back. Of course she wouldn't have asked if she knew it was supposed to be a secret, or at least discreet. The question seemed normal enough to her!

[xlvii]

"Thank you." But to be honest, he dresses like this pretty much all the time.

Thankfully, he has a cover story ready to go when she asks him about his work -- though it's less 'cover story' and more 'telling the truth in a very vague manner'.

"I was an international contractor. My clients and contracts took me all over the world." Hence the visits to Japan.

[leekspins]

"Oh, like a hitman!" she laughed. Ha ha, a funny joke!

...ha...

If she only knew that her pitiful attempt at comedy was actually incredibly true. Or maybe she did know and was just completely at ease about it, given how her steps hadn't faltered in the slightest.

"It sounds like a fun job, being able to travel to all kinds of exotic locations not only for free, but getting paid for it too! I'm a little jealous," Orihime beamed.

Even though she'd traveled to the Japanese equivalents of purgatory and heaven, she still didn't feel all that well-versed in traveling.

"Did you have space travel in your world, or superheroes, or anything unusual like that?"

[xlvii]

It's a good thing she's not touching him, or she might notice the way his muscles tense at the word 'hitman'. Why would that be the first thing her mind jumps to?

"...Maybe something a little less illegal." Ha ha funny jokes yes? Maybe if he gets her to focus on the other topics of conversation he can get her to forget about that -- so he doesn't mention that he's usually too busy working to really go touristing.

"Some. There are humans in orbit and robots on Mars." But then again.... "I don't know if you would consider that unusual. It would depend on what year you're from." Orihime seems pretty modern to him, but there's no way to really know (unless she tells him).

[leekspins]

One day, someone would figure out just why Orihime's brain worked the way it did. But that day was not today.

"Wow, Martian robots?! That sounds awesome!" she exclaimed, clapping her palms together. "It sounds like you're probably a couple more years into the future than my version of Earth is."

Of course, if he was only talking about the probes, she'd be pretty disappointed to have her dreams shattered of walking talking robot natives just hanging out on a big red planet.

"Are you going to work the same kind of job here?"

[xlvii]

"No. I didn't like the work I was doing." He's comfortable enough to tell her that much, at least.

He stops for a moment on the sidewalk, before gesturing at the pizza place they've come near. "This is where I was headed. Is pizza alright?"

[leekspins]

"You didn't?" That seemed to sober her, and her gaze fell thoughtfully to her feet for a moment. "Sorry. And after I praised your job so thoroughly, too. I wouldn't have done that if I'd known you weren't happy with it."

She offered a faint and apologetic smile. "I guess...you could think of this place as a vacation then, ne?"

When he came to a stop, Orihime did as well. American-style pizza was delicious, and not something she got to eat very often. "You don't mind?" she grinned hopefully, rubbing the back of her neck. "I'd like that, very much!"

[xlvii]

"It's okay. This place is my chance to start over." And he does seem a little happy about that, even if he doesn't smile. It's all in the eyes and tension (or lack thereof) in his face.

As they approach the building, 47 goes to open the door for Orihime. (Since there are likely two sets of doors, she can open the next one if she wants.) "I can pay for both of us. Consider it my apology for almost hitting you." Just don't order the most expensive thing on the menu.

[leekspins]

There were so many gentlemen in this city! She really didn't know how to handle it. Just holding the door open for her earned a sheepish little smile before she bobbed a bow of thanks and rushed through to get the next one.

...She really didn't know how to handle it.

"Are you sure? I eat a lot..." Orihime probably didn't look like that was the case. She was small, her arms and legs were pretty thin despite her curves. But she wasn't kidding, she could absolutely put food away in some sort of inner extra dimension. "Then...how about I pay for the sodas?" she offered.

[xlvii]

Fast metabolism, huh? 47 can understand that. He needs a lot of calories himself, but given his size and body type, it's a little more obvious where it's going with him.

"It's fine, one bill will be easier anyway." He steps inside, and greets the employee waiting at the podium. He flashes two fingers as they talk, indicating himself and Orihime, before scanning the room; upon finding an empty booth in the corner, he points at it and asks about it.