[OPEN]

[lethechained]

Who: Naminé lethechained and OPEN.
When: 7/5.
Where: All over the city.
What: Now that things have calmed down a little, Naminé’s finally taking the opportunity to do some proper exploration of the area.
Rating/Warning: Vague mentions of Pleasure District, otherwise N/A.

---

[ A. Anywhere ]

[ The look of a tourist, albeit a somewhat reserved kind, is strong with this one. Her eyes are curious and lingering and she looks up at the buildings and advertisements and whatever happens to come across her path with great focus. The unfortunate thing about that attention is that it leads to her not focusing on other things – which means an unpleasantly high probability of her bumping into someone. If that someone happens to be you, well… she looks suitably apologetic, at least. ]

Oh— I’m sorry…!


[ B. CERES Game Center ]

[ For someone in a place dedicated to gaming, Naminé sure doesn’t seem to be doing a lot of it. In fact, whatever the reason, she seems to be having a staring match with one of the tamer looking ViViD games, but isn’t making any move to actually go over and try to play it. Someone should probably break her concentration, because at this rate she’s going to stare a hole into the thing. ]


[ C. CERES Gardens ]

[ It’s a bit difficult for Naminé not to have some… mixed feelings about plants, given her experiences. That might be why, while she has elected to explore this area, she can be found keeping her distance from the actual flowers. In fact, she seems far more interested in the water; she’s leaning just over the rim with uncharacteristic distraction, peering intently at the surface. What is she looking at? Well, whatever it is, there’s a sketch book sitting on the rim next to her and a couple of pencils that look dangerously likely to roll into the water if she makes any sudden moves, so maybe it’s best not to startle her. ]


[ D. Between the Entertainment and Pleasure Districts]

[ So this may not be the greatest part of town. That tiny blonde girl over there probably doesn’t know that, if the way that she’s wandering through all by herself without paying any noticeable mind to ruffians, smugglers, thugs, or other unsavory characters that might be around is any indication. Someone should really tell her, preferably before the pretty trees over that direction lure her in. Seriously though, somebody send the poor thing home. ]


[ E. Wildcard!]

Comments

D.

[beaconed]

[ It's true that this part of town features some of the more unsavory characters, as evidenced by a ruffian walking past Jaune, who is working diligently as a street sweeper. As the man walks past Jaune, he halfheartedly discards an empty beercan, which happens to hit Jaune in the head. ]

Aw, c'mon!! The trash can was right here, why is this so hard for everyone?! Are you blind?! Just 'cause this is my jo--

[ The man stops to turn around glare at Jaune, who quickly cowers and picks up the empty can himself. ]

--I-I mean, have a nice day... sir! Don't get mugged, or... mug someone else....

[ Jaune sighs in relief as the man continues on in his way.



Good thing nobody saw that. ]

[lethechained]

[ Yeah. Nobody saw that. ]

[ Except Naminé, who is Nobody with a capital N not hidden by sentence structure this time, and unfortunately for him, she does not have the inclination to pretend like she didn't see that and save him some of his pride. ]

Jaune...?

[ She sort of appears at his elbow, having wandered up behind him as all that was going on. She hadn't actually been watching him at first and thus hadn't realized it was him, but the commotion certainly caught her attention and from there recognizing him was easy enough. The look she's giving him is one of mild concern. Sorry Jaune, hope you weren't planning on keeping your dignity today. ]

Are you alright?

1/2

[beaconed]

[ Goodbye dignity. ]

O-Oh, Namine, hi! Sorry you had to see that, heh. T-This doesn't usually h--

2/2

[beaconed]

--w-wait, what're you doing here?!

[ HERE of all places. ]

b

[unswerved]

[ yata spends A Lot of time in the game center mostly because GAMES and also because he works there. he can't help but be curious of this girl, mostly because she's blocking the way from him grabbing one of the helmets from the shelves.

yata, though, sucks at talking to women, so while namine is staring a hole into one of the consoles, yata is staring a hole right at her.

... sorry. ]

[lethechained]

[ Naminé Does Not spend a lot of time in the game center - which might be ironic considering her origin - and it probably shows. She's clearly got some serious ability to concentrate, though, because she flat out fails to notice him at all for some time, so intent is she upon staring this video game into submission. ]

[ But eventually she does either realize someone's looking at her or finally give up trying to melt things with her gaze, because at long last she turns-- ]

[ -- Sees him and stops short, blinking wide blue eyes at him. ]

[ Which does not, however, prompt her to actually say anything. She only stares back, brows subtly raised in curiosity. Like staring at a stranger is totally not weird at all. ]

[ These guys need help. ]

[unswerved]

[ they need help so badly... yata even moreso, because when namine turns to face him, he practically jumps and begins stammering. ]

I- I- I- [ YATA, USE YOUR WORDS. ]

Hi!

[ okay, at least he managed to greet her. ]

B

[niceguypose]

[Rock Lee has just arrived in the arcade for a regular ViViD session, but he is quickly distracted when he spots Namine looking at one of the games. He's quickly concerned and decides to check in with her. But he is a little more distant than he usually is as he tries to get his attention. He's been more apprehensive lately, as he does not know all of the people who could have met with one of his robots when things went haywire.]

Namine-san? ...Are you alright?

[lethechained]

[ It might be a good sign that, though it does take a moment to get her attention (it's her name that does it), when she turns to look at him, there's nothing displeased about her reaction. ]

Oh-- Rock. Hello...!

[ A bit bemused, maybe, but she doesn't seem unhappy to see him. She isn't particularly effusive, either, since something does appear to be on her mind, but her tone is comfortable enough with just a hint of gladness. ]

Yes, I'm alright. I was just... [ Her eyes drift briefly toward the machine again, then come back. 'Having a staring match with a video game' is probably how she should actually finish that. ] ... thinking. [ More importantly, ] What are you doing here?

[niceguypose]

[She does at least not seem to be too troubled... and she greeted him normally. Feeling a little more comfortable, Lee hesitantly steps closer to her.]

It is good to see you again, Namine-san! [He speaks with a light smile.] I came here to find a new ViViD game to try out! ...Are you doing the same?

A.

[iseaghosts]

[ More than likely, she had spoken out of habit and surprise, and said sorry rather than "omg". Because she passes right through Sirena, a cold and wet feeling surrounding her when she does. ]

Huh? Oh, its boo!

[lethechained]

[ That is, in fact, exactly what happened - it was force of habit to apologize even though it immediately followed a startled little squeak as she tried to right herself after that thoroughly bizarre experience. What in the worlds did she just--? ]

[ And then she looks up to see who she's bumped into - through - and it all makes sense. ]

-- Sirena?

[ Thank goodness. For all that that nearly made her jump out of her skin, she's clearly relieved to see who it is. ]

I... yes, it's me. You remember me?

[iseaghosts]

[ She nods, and doesn't seem bothered at all that she just floated right through this pretty girl. ]

Yes. We're going on a date.

c!!!

[sortileges]

[ Well the pencils shouldn't be a problem, as long as she doesn't roll into the water. He doesn't hide the fact that he's stepping over, at least, after recognising her from back at the festival that time. He had said he'd let her know about things but after other things happened... admittedly, it's slipped his mind. Besides, she did have enough to be getting on with that day, anyway. ]

You do know there are things in there that bite, right?

[ He stops when he's next to her though, tilting himself to look at her face to check she isn't weirdly hypnotized or something. Really, you never know with CERES. ]

[lethechained]

[ Understandably, there's been plenty on a lot of people's minds, lately. Robot doubles do tend to make a mess of things. And stealthy approach or not, she doesn't quite seem to realize there's anyone else there, at first - not until he speaks up and she turns abruptly at the sound, her start fortunately not enough to send anything into the water. One of the pencils rolls frighteningly close to the edge, but doesn't quite make it. ]

There's-- what?

[ Reflexively, she straightens, weight tipping back off of her arms and hands quickly withdrawing from the edge of the water to clasp each other instead, somewhere between guilty and surprised. ... Until she remembers that one incident when they met, and her head tilts suddenly, a hint of incredulity sneaking into her expression. ]

Really...?

[ You're not messing with her, are you, Merlin? ]

[sortileges]

[ Robots and posts about having to make choices (screw you, mr robot) that no one is ready to make. As soon as the pencil starts rolling forward though it stops. Thankfully the chance of it rolling is is slim to none. No worries there. ]

Someone told me there's a monster that lives in the pond. [ He gives he shrug. ] I haven't seen it, but I haven't been close enough to provoke it.

[ So no, not messing with her. ]

a.

[meouch]

[ adrien is completely used to being bumped into, considering he's friends with marinette and his life as chat noir consists of acting like a human springboard about half the time.

... that's still his soda going down the wrong pipe in surprise, though, so. he and naminé had their tree first meeting (not that she knows, he was superhero'd) and now they can have an adrien-coughing-hysterically not-quite-first meeting as he tries to collect himself, covering his mouth with a fist.

this is going well! ]

[lethechained]

[ This is going so well. So much so, in fact, that Naminé presses both of her own hands over her mouth, too! Only in her case it's out of absolute horror, because she bumped into a guy and now he's coughing and it's all her fault and--! ]

I'm so sorry--! [ Is the next thing that comes out of her mouth (again) once she realizes what's happened, even though she already said it, because the first one was a reflex and it probably goes double for a situation like this anyway. (Or one and a half times, because this one's muffled by her hands?) ] Are you okay--?

[ Please tell her he's not choking. She doesn't know how to deal with choking, she hasn't had health classes. ]

[meouch]

[ that day, naminé became a murderer.

... just kidding. adrien's been flung off buildings and hit by arrows and punched in the face. this is fine. as soon as the coughing settles somewhat, embarrassing teenage boy straightens up and raises a hand slightly, indicating that things are fine! he's fine! ]

Y-yeah, I— [ wait, let him cough some more. ] —okay. [ ahem ] I'm okay. The pop just went...

[ a gesture towards his throat, indicating how things went wrong, as he turns to look at his almost-killer.

... and he seems to pause (to cough again, too), the way he does when he meets people he met as chat again as adrien, awkwardness abound. he remembers, then, he's adrien. so: ]

... You know, drank it weird. Are you okay?

[ bumping into people is a two-way street, after all. ]

d

[drinkscola]

[ jesus, does she stick out like a sore thumb. not just in appearance, either, but manner-wise as well— most people in the area had some sort of purpose being here. previous experience tells marco that people who look misplaced were just that. he wonders, briefly, if she's lost, but he doesn't want to make too many assumptions based on appearance.

he hesitates. really hesitates. should he get involved? he watches her wander for a few more moments. ... and against his better judgment, marco approaches: ]

Hey. [ ... ] Looking for someone?

[lethechained]

[ It's true - she looks positively aimless by comparison. Aside from that, the rest of her body language is also horrendously out of place; she's all delicate, reserved movements and excellent posture, a far cry from the skulking of a proper scoundrel. The white dress probably doesn't help matters, either. ]

[ She does not, in fact, even seem to realize he's approaching her until he actually speaks up and she turns to look at him with genuine surprise on her face. Her eyes start to move away like she might glance around, just to be sure it's really her he's trying to communicate with, but she seems to think better of it. The girl has at least the sense to be a bit wary of being addressed, though her voice is more puzzled than anything else when she responds. ]

Me? ... No. [ Her brows start to draw together, matching the tone of her words, but she's polite enough. ] Why do you ask?

D

[queenofminiskirts]

--didn't I already tell you to leave me alone!?

[Kaoru was just here to buy her porn. Otherwise she didn't normally hang out in this side of town.

So she has a plastic bag in hand (with books that she asked to be wrapped up because she can't be seen with these! What would people think of her?) as she throws her free hand out and the thug who had tried to grope her found himself flung against the wall by an invisible force hard enough he made a crater shaped just like him.

She hmphs and throws her red hair over her shoulder (she may or may not have done that just to look cool).]]

When a girl says no, she means it!

[She probably shouldn't have used her powers since she was trying to keep them a secret, but hey, what are the chances that someone saw that?]

[lethechained]

[ What are the chances that someone saw that? ]

[ Pretty high, apparently, because if Kaoru happens to turn any time soon, she might find that this young lady has come to a dead stop not too far away, mouth open and eyes round as she stares. Her surprise is nevertheless less pronounced than it could be and she recovers in good time, but that doesn't keep her eyes from flicking a few times between the other girl and the man who so offended her. (Or the crater version of him, anyway.) ]

[ Well. Good thing Kaoru went in for the hair flip? ]

... Um.

[ -- NO WHY DID SHE UM, she probably shouldn't have said anything. She should have just kept walking, or-- turned around and left the way she came, or something. But it was hard not to feel bad about just standing there and not admitting to her presence while unintentionally snooping in someone else's curbstomping business, and... there's no taking it back now, is there? ]

[ (What even qualifies as the polite response in this situation? She really has no idea.) ]

C

[covenantal]

[ He has memories in the gardens.

Memories he connects with a boy. He's not sure why he lets himself come back here alone - not when the time limit has only just passed two days ago for confirmation of that boy's disappearance. He tells himself it's just to think. His heart knows it is, in some part, because he's aching and wants to be alone.

Alone isn't what he gets, however. He spots a slim form sitting by the pond they so often used to meet by, and Yu slows in his steps, his expression shifting into curiosity. Then he picks up walking again, a faint smile slipping onto his face. ]

Namine?

[ He doesn't want to surprise her. She seems so focused. ]

You know, if you want to see your reflection, you can use the CereVice.

[ ... is that-- yeah, he's joking. ]

[lethechained]

[ 'Focused' is a good word for it. Her body is leaned completely into the task, her legs curled beneath her and hands supporting her upper body. She doesn't even seem to realize she has company until the sound of her name rouses her from her investigation and she turns, blinking as though shaken out of a stupor. ]

[ Was that a joke? It takes her a moment of staring at him to register what he said and another moment after that to ascertain that yes, that did probably have some comedic value. The wait pays off in the end with her ducked head and gasp of a laugh, the upturn that it puts on her lips taking root and blossoming into a bright smile that lingers as she straightens. ]

Do I really seem that vain...?

[ It's said lightly, without the slightest trace of offense. It's probably meant as a joke in return by way of greeting; the look on her face is far too delighted for it to be anything else. ]

Or should I be accusing you of that?

[ Since he's the one who apparently looks at himself in his CereVice. ]