Lost in a New City

[leekspin]

Characters: Orihime Inoue, OPEN!
When: March 11, 2012
Where: ??????
Rating: PG
Summary: Orihime arrives...and has no idea what to do about that.

Comments

[mysteriouswhite]

As Orihime walks down the barren streets, she might be able to catch a flash of white, as if someone is dressed completely in the color. It appears every few buildings, always on the same side of the street, as if she were being indirectly followed.

And watched. She was definitely being watched.

[leekspin]

Orihime stiffened slightly, but she kept her pace the same. White. She used to like that color an awful lot, but after spending so much time in Hueco Mundo, it was no longer a pleasant association in these kinds of circumstances. Could it be an Arrancar, or even an Espada? Here?

And where was here, anyway? She didn't want to think that it could possibly be her hometown, and the ghostly shadow of a ferris wheel out on the horizon reassured her as much. Karakura Town might have been fairly good-sized for one of Tokyo's suburbs, but there had never been any fairgrounds established. Not in the middle of winter, anyway!

She pretended not to notice, forcing her shoulders to relax, while keeping her eyes and spiritual senses open. Whatever was out there didn't really feel like an Arrancar, but she knew they had ways of disguising their reiatsu.

[mysteriouswhite]

The white form started to get closer, almost as if hesitating in approaching Orihime. Once there was only a building between them, it seems, did the form start to giggle.

Light and childish, but there was also..something underneath that giggle, like it wasn't as innocent as it sounded.

Ominous.

Then, after a moment, humming started. Whoever it was was definitely a child.

[leekspin]

Orihime shivered a little. She couldn't help it! The situation felt just like one of those horror movies she used to watch with her best friend. All it needed now was the plunking of an out-of-tune piano.

She had no idea what she was supposed to do about this. Was she to run? Fight? Keep feigning ignorance? All of the above somehow?!

Resisting the urge to smooth down the goosebumps prickled on her arms, Orihime kept walking, and after swallowing the dryness in her throat, she started to hum too. Why not? Maybe it would help.

[alma_karma]

Alma picked his way through the deserted streets, swinging the sleeves of his overly large sweater absently as he walked. It was starting to get a little warmer outside (not much warmer, really, but even just a little was better than nothing), and cabin fever drove the boy outside fairly often. Usually he would limit himself to the areas nearest to the apartment building (mostly for Yu's peace of mind), but today he'd taken his widening circles further than usual.

He rounded a corner, turning to blink slowly when he caught a flash of movement in his peripheral vision.

Making assumptions, ho ho ho!

[leekspin]

Orihime was still a little unnerved...shaken, even...by her previous encounter with the child in white. She hugged her arms tightly as she walked, her brow drawn in quiet consternation. It seemed like she'd just escaped one prison to be tossed into another one. And this time, she didn't think her friends could help.

She knew she ought to have more faith in them, but really...really...

Another flash of movement caught her eye. She whirled around, clenching her hands into fists and frowning. She didn't like being made to feel helpless, and if she was going to be haunted again by another eerie child, then she would just have to muster up the lecture of a lifetime!

...Except this one actually looked like a little kid. His reiatsu was far more human, too. Orihime's furrowed brow jumped upward in surprise, her hands and posture immediately relaxing.

"Anou...hello...?" she ventured.

no worries~

[alma_karma]

Alma started a little, sure that the person he was seeing was just one of the many ghosts and figments that frequented Credinta, but the ghosts never spoke. Whispered, yes, hissed around dark corners, but they didn't really speak.

Not usually, anyway.

He took a few steps closer, watching the newcomer curiously.

"... Hi. You're not a ghost, right?"

[leekspin]

Vast relief swept through Orihime, and she practically doubled over as she slumped with a heaved sigh. Thank goodness, his voice sounded normal!

"No! Definitely...definitely not!" she laughed, patting herself vigorously to show just how corporeal she was. If that made any difference at all. "I thought there were others like me here, I'm so relieved! Ah...can I come over?" She didn't want to zoom straight for him and scare off the first normal person she'd met.