musing through memories, losing my grip in the gray

[nmc0204]

♥ Who: Ryoko and anyone who feels like helping out a grouchy teen
♥ Where: Generally around the city
♥ When: Beginning of December
♥ What: Ryoko's just arrived in the city and she's not in the mood for all these festivities, which is inevitably going to end up being everyone else's problem
♥ Rating: Ryoko's coming into the game fresh of uh shooting her shitbag teacher, so please be mindful of potential mentions of murder and manipulation at the hands of an authority figure (a teacher). My opt out with more details is here if you need it.

havenwell

[ To Ryoko, it feels like it happens in the space between one blink and the next. Her emotions fraying away and coming unravelled and the burn of the phaser against her palms and the black hole of something like satisfaction and horror in her heart as she realizes she's done something that can't be taken back. The feelings exist for one, two heartbeats before being swept away in a warm, wooly feeling and the science classroom goes with them.

When she comes to next, the first feeling that surfaces is panic, rising like sick in her throat. But before it can fully breech, a wash of some strange, gentle calm sweeps through her – a kind of calm that Ryoko hasn't felt in a long, long time. Logically, in the back of her head, she knows she should be reacting to all this more strongly but that feeling of safety and security cushions her enough that she can hold onto her composure until the robots release her out into Havenwell.

Stood there in the winter chill so different from the hazy spring heat she'd left behind, that dim warmth is gradually replaced by a cold, flat sort of alarm. Her breath comes rushing out in a cloud of white that fogs her vision and she almost loses the fragile grip she'd regained over her composure. The how can come later, but what has Ryoko reeling right now is the why of it all. Why her, of all people? She's a terribly awkward girl and the idea of getting cozy with strangers makes her shudder. And– and if they truly wanted someone for that, why bring her here now when she's just–

A spike of pain drills into her forehead, splitting the thought off before it can go any further. She squeezes her eyes shut and forces herself to stay calm. She knows what to do in emergencies. None of what happened before she woke up here matters right now. Box it up, put it to one side, let it gather dust and focus on getting herself out of this new mess. She's somewhere new that she doesn't know, so she needs to understand where she is and find herself somewhere to settle. She's got this.

So.

Once she's composed herself a little, Ryoko approaches the first not-a-robot person she sees and speaks up with a businesslike; ] Excuse me.

[ Assuming you're polite or bored enough to stop what you're doing and respond, you'll be greeted by the sight of Ryoko, dressed in a school uniform absolutely not made for December weather. Even so, she's holding herself tall, even if the way she's dithering in the cold (and frankly, looks kind of ill in general) kind of undercuts her no-nonsense vibe. ]

I've just arrived, and I'm not dressed for the weather. [ AS YOU CAN SEE... ] Where should I go to buy clothes and get out of the cold?

shopping district(s)

[ Having presumably been directed over here, once Ryoko makes it to the shopping district, her first stop is somewhere she can get some winter clothes. Nothing fancy – just a sweater, a coat, some thick tights and a pair of gloves. Despite how basic a getup this is, Ryoko's squinting suspiciously at price tags the whole time she browses and she has an expression on her face as she's lining up to pay that can only be called mutinous. She's half-expecting to be tossed out on her ear or have something or other go wrong, but when the transaction goes through without any fanfare, she looks a little flummoxed. ]

... It's really that easy?

[ She's got her nose wrinkled up like she doesn't believe it for a moment.

Winter clothes thus obtained, Ryoko finds her way to a coffee shop – she doesn't have any appetite for snacks right now and she knows through experience that caffeine makes her headaches worse. Though, that's something to note – there's a headache nipping at her heels like always, but it's not as terrible as she's used to them being. Not that she's going to test her luck.

She buys something inoffensive, a decaf tea she barely even tastes even as she sips away at it and lets it warm her up. She's not really here for food or drink, anyway.

She looks out around the cafe, gauging just who it might be worth approaching. Once she's settled on who's going to be the unfortunate recipient of what is rapidly becoming a planned interrogation, she makes her way over. ]

Is this seat taken? [ She doesn't even wait for a response before setting herself down opposite next to her poor target and fixes them with a sharp gaze. ] You're one of the people not native to this world?

[ at least she's not beating around the bush, I guess... ]

Comments

coffee time

[scourgingstars]

I am. [And just her luck, she sat down at the table of a man wo gave her a pleasant smile, wearing comfortable off-white clothes and long violet hair tied back into a ponytail. Because where there is an Affurgato, there is probably an Ardyn.]

Was there something you needed help with?

[nmc0204]

[ Appropriately enough for the setting, the look Ryoko gives him really just imbues this whole encounter with the energy of a small angry cat squaring off with a large and gently befuddled dog. ]

You could say that. How long have you been here?

[scourgingstars]

[A largely oblivious one, too. Ardyn looked thoughtful, tilting his head slightly.]

I'm not one with an excellent grasp on time, but I believe it's been a little over two years now.

[nmc0204]

[ Two years.

It's impossible to miss the look of alarm that flits across her face upon hearing that, even if she's quick to compose herself. ]

That's... longer than I expected you to say. [ Then again... if he's been here this long, then maybe that means he knows what Ryoko needs to hear.

She squares her shoulder. ]

Fine. What is it they're not telling us?

[scourgingstars]

I'm...not quite sure I understand your meaning.

coffee time

[shroudedsecrets]

[ Usually when people come in to order at the Affurgato, Honerva would make a point of greeting them initially if she was able to, but of course she is one person and she can't be everywhere at once, should other customers or cats have her attention. It's usually how it works out, but if she has an opportunity she does check back in on people later.

Still, when she notices the unfamiliar face present, she takes note to approach her after her previous target had vacated their seat. That and, she could tell that she hadn't asked for too much in regard to her order, but new arrivals usually were given a free meal on their first visit due to their lack of funds. ]

... Greetings. Did you have anything else you wished to order, or are you fine for now?

[nmc0204]

[ It's difficult to pull off 'brooding' when you're surrounded by purring cats but Ryoko is, somehow, managing it regardless. She's so deep in thought as she stares down into her drink that she doesn't notice Honerva's approach until the woman speaks up. Ryoko's head snaps up in turn and she blinks, looking a little surprised. ]

I–

[ Her near-immediate instinct is to decline, a response born out of caution (and realistically, pure stubbornness) but a moment later, she reminds herself that she's in an unknown place and she's going to be looking after herself. It won't do her any good to starve herself out of pure contrariness.

So finally, she dips her head in a brief nod. ]

... Yes, I think I'll order something to eat. Is there a menu that I can read?

[shroudedsecrets]

[ She does tend to have a quiet approach, and the cats are doing their best to try and get some attention from the teenager. It's a little familiar; she's hardly a stranger to those who need to brood for any circumstance. ]

Certainly. I can oblige you in a moment.

[ That saying, she retrieves from her serving apron a large tablet that has the standard menu available. ]

Are there any kinds of ingredients you need to avoid?

[nmc0204]

I'm fine. The only thing I'm avoiding is caffeine.

[ One of the cats butts their head against Ryoko's side as she takes the tablet but she staunchly ignores it – for all she's making a show of being unmoved, though, the fact that she's tolerating its presence to the degree she is makes it clear she's not quite as immune to cat as she'd like to pretend.

She manages to avoid wrinkling her nose as she takes in the menu. It's all pretty... gimmicky, but at least it's actual food. It takes her a moment to whizz through the options then to hold out the tablet for Honerva for take back. ]

I'll have the tomato and egg stir fry. [ she is NOT saying the word 'purr-fry'. ] And... another drink, please.

[ So she IS capable of being polite when she feels like it, huh. ]

havenwell

[vamptired]

[She looks like she could use warm clothes, a warm place to sit, and a cup of warm cocoa to top it off.

One might argue that Louis could use an extra layer of clothing himself, considering his fairly casual attire with both sleeves rolled up to his elbows, but the cold doesn't bother him much—certainly not as much as it seems to be ailing Ryoko. Rather than comment on this, though, he lifts his head to answer her question first and foremost.]

There are cafes and places you can go inside in the shopping district nearby. You should be able to get yourself some clothes there, too.

[nmc0204]

The shopping district... [ She repeats it to herself, as if to better commit it to memory and then nods. ] I see. Thank you.

[ It's a pretty stiff 'thank you', given out of habit rather than genuine gratitude, but given how hurriedly she turns and makes to head off, that might just be a matter of impatience. It's chilly, after all.

Of course, she doesn't get more than three steps away before having a very important realization and letting out another one of those cloudy sighs. Then she turns back to Louis. ]

Where should I be heading to get there?

[vamptired]

[He can't blame her for being in a hurry. If he had something warm on his person, he'd part with it for her sake, but that's not an option. And it would weigh on his mind if he let her go at a foreign city by herself, so he readily takes a step in the direction of the shopping district when she turns back around.]

Come on. I'll take you there. Where do you want to go first?

[nmc0204]

[ I'm fine by myself, she almost snaps before logic reminds her that she is most certainly not going to be fine by herself. There's no point in wandering up and down the streets like a fool if there's help at hand, no matter how badly she wants to cut off her nose to spite her face.

So she huffs, more to herself than Louis, and surrenders herself to the mortifying ordeal of, you know, asking for help when she clearly needs it. ]

I need something to wear first of all. There's no point in warming myself up if I'm going straight back into the cold.

shopping district

[5thchild]

[ kaworu doesn't come to coffee shops for coffee or food, and rather he comes for... well, people watching. It may sound creepy to some, but he is the type of person interested in others so he can learn from them, and even though most of the time he watches the native robots, sometimes his eyes catch other people who have been brought here as well.

When Ryoko's eyes meet Kaworu's, he smiles back at her, and doesn't seem all that bothered that she approaches him ] Hello. [ he greets her with a smile that doesn't leave, and does not bother to answer her first question. kaworu absolutely doesn't mind bluntness. ]

I'm not, no.

[nmc0204]

[ Something about that breezy seeming smile rings familiar in the back of her head – it takes her a few moments to place it, but she's certain she's seen Shu Amiguchi wearing a similarly cheery one around school. Of course, Amiguchi is the second to last person she wants to be thinking about right now and she forces herself to shut down that train of thought as quick as she can.

Deal with the problem right in front of her. Then she can start thinking about dealing with the ones she may have left behind. ]

How long have you been here, exactly? You're not new, are you?

[5thchild]

[ Kaworu watches her before he nods softly ]

I have been here twice. Once for five months, and then I was returned six months ago. [ so... almost a year in total ] Did you just arrive? [ he doesn't remember ever seeing her ]

[nmc0204]

So it's possible to return home, however briefly... I see.

[ She nods, more to herself than Kaworu. That's information to store away to herself for later. ]

I arrived myself earlier today. [ She looks, uh... bitter about it! ] For the time being, I'm doing what I can to see what's actually going on here.

havenwell

[pinkxeno]

[ Mina is certainly polite, but never bored enough. When she hears a girl's voice, she turns around to meet Ryoko, blinking a couple of times; she has never seen this person before, which means it's a new arrival.

Another young girl at that!

OH BOY!

Mina grins wide, ready to introduce herself with so much enthusiasm, but she allows the other girl to speak first at least ] Oh mi gosh, you are probably freezing!!

Come one, come on, I will take you to a boutique!! [ and without further ado, Mina is ready to reach for Ryoko's hand to gently tug her - naturally the other can pull away before that happens, it's not like the pink girl is that fast ]

[nmc0204]

[ Oh, Ryoko can already tell she's made a mistake asking this girl. She's usually good at spotting the high-energy ones from a distance but... well, maybe all the pink threw her off this time. She's quick enough to yank her hand back before Mina can grab it at least. ]

Don't. [ It comes out a little sharper than she means it to, not helped by the way her perpetual scowl intensifies a touch. ] I'm not a child. You don't need to pull me along.

[pinkxeno]

[ Mina doesn't mind if she yanks back the hand. Honestly, the gods could make a better decision on who to bring to this place, because it seems like everyone hates touches around here, geee.

Still, she shrugs ] I didn't treat ya like a child, just like a normal person [ they are all so testy too ]

Anyway, do you wanna go or not? 

[nmc0204]

If it means not freezing to death, then yes. You can just lead the way and I'll follow.

[ The quicker they get there, the quicker she can make an excuse to detach herself from this girl. ]

havenwell

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah's similarly fresh to the city-- and similarly ill-dressed for the weather. She doesn't seem to notice, though, and stops mid-jog to stop and chat with Ryoko.

Her voice is bored, but she can't hide her bright smile, especially as she eyes Ryoko's school uniform. It reminds her of someone...]

You shouldn't change, those things are so fuckin' cute. [It's a compliment. Farrah crosses her own arms, as if she's suddenly become aware of the chill--]

And if you keep moving, you can't even tell how cold it is!

[nmc0204]

Cute?

[ She sounds somewhere between baffled and exasperated by the response – it's not the one she was expecting, but then Farrah goes and barrels on before she can put much thought to it.

Right. The weather. ]

Well. I don't know about you, but I'm not planning to spend all my down running up and down this city just to try and keep warm.

[brokeforgood]

[Farrah shrugs in response, though the corners of her lips twitch into the slightest frown at the tone. She's gotta keep up the act of not caring, and she's used to that kind of tone from strangers, but-- it's been a while.]

I was going to be running all over the city anyway. Gotta see everything. Find out whose here-- what's actually going on, what's to see and do-- [She remembers the jacket tied around her waist, now, and hesitates. She considers offering it to the other girl for the time being-- she seems colder than Farrah, after all-- then it's a decided hell no. She unties the jacket and puts it onto herself instead.

She's instantly more self-assured.]

I guess I could help you look, since I'm lookin' all over anyway. I'm sure there's a good place to steal one.

[nmc0204]

[ Something about her words makes Ryoko perk up a bit in interest – the aura of prickliness doesn't quite go away but with something else to target all her annoyance at, it's not pointed quite so sharply at Farrah. ]

It's good to know that someone's actually putting some thought into all this. [ She huffs out a breath in a plume of white. ] Everyone I've spoken to so far just seems ready to take it all at face value. But there has to be something strange happening here.

[ You'll notice her total lack of concern at the idea of stealing, incidentally. ]