Navy Pier, Stained Glass Museum (Miko enters)

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Youko's sapphire eyes open in a haze, with a soft ringing sound in her ears. There’s a sense of nausea that is … mostly easily shaken off as some kind of nerves. The girl's last memories are her own, but her location does not match those memories at all…

Looking around, the 5'7 tall girl found herself surrounded on all sides by a vast rainbow of light. On all sides, light streams in from stained glass windows, and as the grogginess begins to clear, she could faintly smell the sea. All is silent as the ringing finally clears, as she focused, she could barely hear some white noise once she started to get used to her surroundings.

She seemed to be in a museum of some kind. Snow swirling outside, while the museum itself is silent and still… and dark… obviously past opening hours- but how in the world did she get there?

The last she remembered was being in NY in the middle of July, and she had been following a silver tail before blacking out and waking up here.

The girl's thoughts sworled with tons of questions that seemed to have no answers... at least at this time.... like... How'd she got there, inside some weird building? Taking stock of her person, she realized that she seemed unharmed, that was a plus. She still had her backpack filled with food for the homeless (cans of food, some bread and a few of the more durable veggies) as well as her flashlight and camera that had been a gift from Master Hiko) and her spare sneakers (gift from a homeless guy). As well as some change/money that she earned from Busking.

There was only one thing really out of place.... well 2 to be exact. But that was the strange black business card with white writing which read “751 N. State Street, Chicago”.... Chicago?... How the heck does she get to Chicago? Let alone, why would she go there, just because of some card that she probably picked up somewhere.

Looking around more, Youko notices that sitting on a bench, not far from her is a small pile of winter clothing, roughly her size, including gloves and galoshes, big enough to put over her sneakers. The clothes were obviously “second hand…” in fact, they still smell a bit like their former owner, a musky male scent… and for those who have finely tuned senses- blood. Not a lot of blood, but just the faint hint that they were .. Procured.. in less than noble means.

Speaking quietly the young girl speaks up "Hello? Anyone there?"

Standing slowly the girl looks around with her flashlight to see if there was anyone or anything out of the ordinary lurking. Was it strange that she wasn't scared? Was it stranger yet that she was excited? Sure Inari seemed nowhere in sight, but he liked to play games with her so maybe this was one of them.... that HAD to be it. Sooo a game she would play. "

"Inari-sensei?"

With a shrug the girl put on the winter clothes. Flanel shirt and jacket over the top of her thinner blousy one, and winter pants under her skirt (which she was barely able to fasten due to her hips). After changing her shoes into her hidious orange and blue sneakers, Youko put on the galoshes. As she dressed, a map fell out of the clothes pile, knowing her tenancy to get sidetracked, the girl dressed before opening the map to take a look.

Ooookkkkkk?

The map had a path traced in red-brown (again, for the finely tuned, that’s blood.. others may mistake it for a marker of some kind..)marker *strange color for a marker* leading safely out of the museum. There is a single finger print in the corner of the paper, in that same oddly colored “ink.”

Putting her backpack back on, as well as the offered gloves, (put on over the top of her normal white ones), the girl follows the map out. Using her flashlight to keep from tripping over strange objects like dead bodies, or knocking over artifacts.

Once you get outside, the snow is falling in light, but heavy flakes. The ground is covered in snow and Lake Michigan, off to the east, is dark and forbidding in the midnight hour. In the distance the sound of clock bells rings the hour, confirming the time….

YAY "SNOW!!!!!!"  Grinning HUGE the now giggling girl goes and grabs a handful for a snowball, after putting her flashlight away first. Snowball made (never know when you'll need or simply want one for an impromptu snowball fight) Youko's bright blue eyes look around at her surroundings.

YEP, confirmed.... she had NO Idea where she was. Well off to find someone that could tell her.  So that's what she did, started walking.

Her skirts sliding across the snow, mostly covering her tracks (not intentionally, her skirts are long, and layered so they drag). Shivering, she pulled the scarf around her neck to cover the bottom half of her face, and pulled her new hood up, blonde streaming down around the sides of her face.  Seeing a newspaper stand she wiped the glass to peak in..... Chicago Tribune.... well that's odd.... date.... 1985 1989.... nope not odd at all.... wow Inari went to a LOT of trouble for this prank.... this really was far to elaborate for him to pull on her.... it was around this time that the girl started to panic, looking around for people walking down the street, or businesses that were open, anything to achieve her answers.

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It took her a while of wandering to get into a more populated area of chicago. Downtown sprawled before her and even for chicago the streets were rather.. uncrowded.. A few people still made their way through the streets, but they were few and far between. Displays showed christmas in all it's bright colored splendor on display.

One man however stood out like a sore thumb. He had long black hair tied into a pony tail at the base of his neck and one golden eye open looking at a display. What made him stick out wasn't the fact one eye was squinting like a not unpopular popeye the sailor man squint... but the fact that he was wearing sandles, a loud hawaiian shirt and loose yoga-like pants... in the middle of winter. Now he did have a styrofoam cup of something steaming hot, but he was in the middle of all the white wintery.. stuff..

Looking like he just came off a beach.

Everyone on the street gave him a wide berth but no one confronted him about his strange gear- in deed it was as if he had the crazy plague and just by asking if they could help him find a shelter, or clothes, or SOMETHING, they'd catch it too.

He scratched his head absently as he stared at the display and took another sip of his Hot Chocolate... Unknowing he totally looked like another Hiko that lived in New York and was a Priest... Should he be pounced he'd go down like a stack of books.

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The blonde was starting to get depressed as she started to feel alone, and scared like a lost child. Then again, that's exactly what she was..... lost.

Then came that ray of light in the form of a familiar face, "Hiko-sensei!!" Was the only warning the man would get.

No words could describe the joy and elation she felt at that moment, as she had never been so happy to see him as she did right now. YEP as of this moment, he was her knight in shining armor. And with that she couldn't help but run towards the man and flying GLOMP him, expecting his martial arts instincts to kick in and keep them both from falling.....

Unfortunately for them, that's not what happened. Oh the Flying Tackle/GLOMP happened, sure, but the catch did not, so down they went into the snow. His coco sent flying out of his hands. "MASTER HIKO!!!!"

Sure, everyone had stopped to stare at the bundled street rat that clung to the older man, but maybe he had been waiting for her? So they continued on their merry way, as the girl sobbed uncontrollably. Laying on top of him, hugging him.

It took her several minutes to recompose herself enough to look up at him with her sapphire blue eyes thru hood and scarf. Unless he pushed her off of him or spoke. At this point the girl had started hiccuping and sniffing, which caused her to sit up and finally wipe her eyes, now sitting on top of the man.

In Japanese "Master Hiko. Iwassoscared. Hic(I was so scared.) IthinkI'mlostandInari-senseiisnowheretobefound...hic...(I think I'm lost and Inari-sensei is nowhere to be found."
"Butyou'rehere,whichmeanseverythingwillbeok....hic..." (translation: But you're here, which means everything will be ok.) Yep and with that the girl starts crying again, fear gone from her eyes, only joy remaining, causing them to shine brightly/happily down at him, even as she continued to hiccup.

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His name. He started to turn when he heard it. What other poor soul was trapped in this reality wi..THUD.

The thought was never completed as he's hauled off his feat and straight inot the ground- thank Kami-sama for snow or that'd of left more than just a little bruise. As it was he'd be stiff in the morning. You know, provided he didn't freeze to death. The worst however, was the fact his coco was now a steaming, wet... luke warm... puddle a good five feet from him... Ah well.. At least he had a cute japa... wait... Huh?

He blinked as the blond babbled on and over his thoughts in japanese. If he wasn't a doctor, he'd never of understood the flow of words combining sounds together in wonderful and new ways. He fumbled for a moment and gently patted her cheeks with the handkerchief... He even manfully ignored the cold seeping through his shirt and pants with the warm little street rat ontop of him...

"Slow down, Ne?" He soothed her in some what rusty japanese. "I think you may have me confused for someone else. I'm a doctor, not a priest. That's my grandfather..." He carefully sat up when she did.. This was just a little.. er.. awkward.. and thank goodness for the cold or it'd even be MORE awkward. "My name is James." He switched to English. "And... you are?"

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The thoughtfulness of his wiping her tears caused her to smile as brightly as the sun itself, unfortunately it also caused the tears (which had managed to slow to a near stop a moment earlier) to start back up again. At least for a few more minutes, as the girl started breathing again to try to get the hiccups under control.

With a little bit of effort the girl switched to english. "I'm not confused. You're Master Hiko of the Shinto Temple on Long Island..... unless you're a clone or a twin...." The girl blinked a few times as a blush started forming on her already cold, wet and red cheeks. "Oh my goodness. Do you have a twin brother? Or maybe it's one of those.... everyone has a twin somewhere in the world, sort of situation...."

After a moment the girl stood up embarrassed and offered her gloved hand to... James.... he really didn't look like a James, he looked like a Hiko-sensei..... and he was currently sitting in the cold snow, and not dressed for snow weather... "I'm sooo sorry for the mistake. Gomen Nasai!" She offered to help him up out of the snow.

"My name is Youko. It's nice to meet you Hik.... er... James-sempai." With a bright smile the girl bowed formally after he stood. "And I think I'm a long way from home. What about you? Are you from around here?"

As she continued to watch him merrily, and curiously, her thoughts swirled around in that blonde head of hers. Before ever saying anything else and giving him a chance to speak, gloved hands removed the scarf and wrapped it around his neck. "I'm sooo sorry about the glomp, and your drink. Won't you let me buy you another one? It's the least I could do."

By now he could see her face fully. Definitely cute, young, very blonde with black streaks, bright blue eyes, delicate pale skin that was touched pink by the cold weather.... or by her embarrassment,although both were likely at this point.

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He gave her a smile and patted her head before he made his way out of hte snow bank. "No, it's not a problem. This is a strange place, ne? The last thing I remember was this wonderful vacation in Maui.... and yet.. here I am. He flicked his hand to encompass the area. "I am confused, with a touch of the flu, perhaps... except that I do not think that most deillusions survive pinching or falls by glomping- even if it is done by a kawaii girl." He gave her a wink. "You may call me Hiko-sempai if it is what you prefer, Youko-chan." He bowed, somewhat formally toward her. "I hope you can take good care of me." He said this last bit in japanese, a small formal tie to a mutual homeland perhaps.

Then he straightened and smiled toward her again. "Maa Maa... There is no need for such worry, Youko-chan, for I am young enough yet that a romp in the snow only invigoriates the senses. Indeed, this is no time, or weather, for a young woman to be out by herself." He glanced around. "I can only assume you are also, new to these parts?" He fumbled a moment and pulled out a card. His was red with purple writing. "This says but an address. Perhaps we would find you a warm place to rest while we discover answers? Unless you have another idea in which to discover information? I fear my wallet, at least, was left back in Maui. I did not... expect to take such a journey."

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Youko listened intently, nodding from time to time to show that she was indeed listening. With the complement and a wink a rather obvious blush formed on her cheeks. Not sure what the proper reaction should be she simply smiles brightly up at him before speaking again.

"I'm glad you're ok. And nope I don't think I'm a delusion. Then again, isn't that what a delusion would say?" A rather sheepish grin formed on her lips.

"Hiko-sempai it is." YEP this day was getting better. YAY she had her HIKO back..... ok so he wasn't Master Hiko but she'd get to the bottom of that later. With his bow, her smile brightened again. YAY TRADITIONS!!!! At least this Hiko-sempai knew of some of them, that was definitely a bonus in her favor. Did he always make her doki doki like this? It made her wonder.

Taking her mind off of herself for a few, sapphire eyes look around at the bleakness of the area. "Maui sounds good right about now actually." Her voice becoming a bit more somber as thoughts swirled around in her head before looking up at him again.

"Actually, I'm a Miko from the Shinto temple on Long Island. The date I remember last was July 4th, 2014. But the newspapers say that we're in December 24th 1989."

Leaning over she looked at the card and pulled out her own to show him. "I wonder if there's a reason for the different colors...." she said more to herself than to him. With the addresses the same, the girl nodded. "Seems we need to head here. I have a few dollars on me, but if the date is correct I don't know if they'll take them. Perhaps for now, we should get directions?"

She looked up at him worried, and expectantly. If he nodded, then she'd smile brightly and accost the next person walking by with her warm energy, and sun bright smile.

"Excuse me sir(or madam), would you happen to know how I can get to this address?" She'd hold out the card for them to see. "You see I'm lost and was told that this would be a safe place for me to go for answers. I'd really appreciate the help."  And that's when the person would get the puppy dog eyes of DOOM. Those eyes spoke of her fear barely being held in check, of a child lost and on the verge of panic, yet trying to remain calm and adult, among adults.

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Hiko smiled wistfully after the young miko. She was ... encourgable wasn't she? Then she practically glomps some other stranger for directions. He waited as the poor person pointed out the direction and gave some directions (you know, left, right, blah blah.). Hiko thanked him, politely. He scooped up Youko's arm and tucked it through his own arm. "Come Youko-chan, let's go see what awaits us hmm?"

He lead her away from the puzzled man. One golden eye watched the area wearily, but he wasn't so concerned that he changed the nonchalant stride or posture. Nope, for all intents and purposes they might have looked like two lovers strolling through the light snow... of course.. one of them was dressed-however oddly- for the weather and one.. clearly was not. Hiko gave a sneeze just as the chapel's stone towers came in sight. "Anno... A church?" He crinkled his nose and looked up toward the building then shrugged. He didn't wait for a light to change, just a break in the very light traffic. It wasn't but a moment to scoop Youko in his arms and bolt across the street to the front of the Cathedral. Just as they reached the doorstep the bells rang out the turning of the hour- one o'clock.

Hiko set Youko back down to her feet, and pushed open the door without so much of a knock. Indeed, the poor man was a little desperate for a warm drink and a blanket. He resisted the urge to look to Youko. "Excuse me!" He called as he ushered Youko before him. "Huh." He looked around then shrugged. No one was obviously visible. "Odd..." He shook a foot out to ditch some of the snow and, now, mostly water leaking off his yoga pants. He sniffed the air. "Mm... Cookies..." He looked to Youko. "Do we stay here until we're discovered or try to locate Cookies?"

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Once given directions the small girl smiled brightly at the stranger, "Thank you very much. I hope you have a Merry Christmas!!" The girl waved happily to the stranger as Hiko-sama....er....sempai, led her away.

Youko may have been naive about a LOT of things but Hiko-sempai's current condition wasn't one of those things, she was very VERY aware of the man and his current state. Only natural since it WAS her fault that he was wet and freezing cold, her thoughts swirled about the things he would need once they found shelter.... like a warm bath and warm clothes..... definitely warm clothes.

As they walked she walked as close to the taller man as she dared, to offer as much warmth as she could, yet still not get underfoot or accidentally trip him. One arm was thru his, while her other gloved hand held (almost clung) to that same arm occasionally rubbing it to keep blood flow and add as much warmth as possible. Yep, her brain had turned off, except for the looping thoughts, get him to shelter and get him warm.

If the man ever looked down at her as they walked he would find a concerned look upon her face, where if caught glancing at him, that concern would turn into a warm smile so as to not worry him with her own worry.

Yep that sneeze made her cringe and her body tense ever so slightly before they came across the church.... a Church? The girl's mood lightened as if her prayers had been answered, it would only be fitting that they'd be sent to a church. "Apparently..." Yep, her first miracle, the Gods were smiling on her today.... at least a little bit.

"Eeeepp" Was the only response the girl could get out of her mouth before she was scooped up and carried across the street, her face bright red at the gesture.... there it was again.... that doki doki thing a girl's heart does.... was she ill? She wasn't sure, but this would definitely require research at a later time.

Regaining her composure after he sat her back down and opened the door for them, the girl patted her skirt (mostly to avoid looking at him at this particular moment, using her hair to hide her face) and kicked the snow from her shoes before she was ushered in by a rather gentle hand.....

*1am from the looks of the outside and the bells....mmmmm cookies?* The blush immediately faded as her sun bright smile reappeared..... cookies.... she nearly drooled at the thought. Looking up at Hiko-sempai she nodded. "Cookies mean warmth and hopefully coco."

The girl walked forward, unintentionally leading the way as she followed her nose towards cookies. Getting too warm, she removed her backpack, resisting the urge to just drop bits of clothing on the floor as they walked, she stuffed the jacket under her arm, and then removed the flanel shirt stuffing it into her backpack.  To a casual observer it looked as if the girl was stripping, to her, she was simply shedding that which was no longer needed. Except for the pants under her skirts, those currently stayed.

She was now wearing a rather gauzy white poets' blouse (Renaissance style), a simple boddice/belt, and a couple of long, burgundy, Renfair-esk skirts. As they walked down the hall, Youko would hop to a stop from time to time to remove her galoshes, which had decided that her shoes were tasty and kept... so now she was left to her little white socks which padded down the corridor. There were two odd things about her tho, one was the rather cute, fluffy, black fox/cat ears (tipped white)on her head, and a matching fluffy black/white tail dangling from under her belt in the back. Both of which were obviously not real.

"Hellooooo? Anyone Home?" Seeing the door marked office, the girl decided to knock just in case. "Hello?"




( i659.photobucket.com/albums/uu319/KawaiiXCookiesXinc/Blonde-2.jpg )

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Hiko chuckled softly as he followed her, a hand balancing here and there ot make sure she didn't fall over in her hurry to shed layers. So he put a hand on her hip, on her waist, at the elbow... and once, very briefly on that luscious little backside. Then the moment was gone when he saw, not the office, but the nurses station. "Oh thank the ever loved Kami" He left Youko, moving swiftly to the nurses office where he began to almost expertly putter around. Soon enough a kettle was on the small stove used mainly for the purpose of boiling water. While it began to get hot, Hiko pulled off his very wet shirt- that tumble in the snow earlier- and tossed it toward a laundry basket.

He puttered around the room in nothing more then his yoga pants and flipflops, long black ponytail swishing behind him as he opened cupboards and explored the contents. He finally found a blanket and tucked it around his waist, and lost the wet yoga pants- after he was fully covered. He might be a pervert, but there were lines, damnit. By the time he remembered Youko, she probably had followed him into the room. He made them both two coffee-mugs of hot water and tea- though the tea was generic earl gray and probably a bit watery since didn't wait very long for it to seep. Nope, he wanted warmth and wanted warmth NOW.

"I love medical offices... don't you? Give me just a few minutes to warm up and we'll see if we can't find out of this place has a laundry room or some spare priest clothes." He didn't seem to be at all worried about using the facilities.. but then, he also had this desire to keep his toes, fingers and other bits not frost bitten.

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Hiko-sempai was a really great guy, he'd already been so patient with her after their tumble, not to mention really sweet. This had become a simple fact as he had helped steady her as she stripped while walking. Strangely enough, she hadn't noticed the hand on her backside until it was too late, the blush seemed to have come as an after thought. It was a good thing he was distracted right then otherwise he would have seen the most epic of blushes upon her face which she was now trying to hide with her bangs as she waited for an answer from the office door.

Once out of sight, the girl forced herself to remember to breathe and try to relax. A couple of minutes passed with no response, so she went looking for Hiko-sempai, and found him.... shirtless and pants-less..... at least he was wearing a towel.... which did little to help the full blown blush that she was trying to shyly hide under her hair again.

Bright blue eyes kept looking away from him until he offered her tea. YEP this was one guy that could shock her into silence.... YAY? Removing her 2 layers of gloves, and carefully dropping her backpack by the door, small pale hands reached for the hot tea. Grateful for the warmth she sat on the medical bed shyly avoiding eye contact.

Clearing her throat to make sure her voice still worked, she simply nodded. Occasionally stealing glances at him when he seemed he wasn't looking. YEP, this sheltered girl had become painfully aware of his presence and every move. Whether out of self preservation or not, had yet to be determined.

Forcing herself to speak after a few sips of tea, "That's right.... you said you're a doctor.... I'm a healer too.... but I'm not a doctor. Come to think of it, I don't spend much time in Doctor's offices. Only the hospitals themselves...." She smiled at him brightly, her eyes closing as she did (which was natural for her). Another sip helped her relax, tea was tea, sure there was no ceremony, but it was still relaxing.

When he wasn't looking the girl removed the pants from under her skirts and tossed them into the hamper as well. She still had 2 skirts to keep her warm, since only the top one was slightly wet. Sitting and sipping the tea again she watched him curiously, eyes occasionally lingering on his feet and long fingers, still concerned about hypothermia and the potential for digit loss, as he moved skillfully around the room.

"You seem awfully young to be a doctor.... may I ask how long you've been practicing?" Yes Youko, keep your eyes from the neck up.... you can do it, distract yourself with the shine-ies...... Ooo shine-ies, room FILLED with shine-ies.... She really was tempted to ask him what everything was for, but there'd be enough time for that later. Her heart was racing.... but was it for the shine-ies or for the guy was beyond her comprehension so the blush remained, and so did her shy yet apparent focus on the tea.

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There was a bit of male pride in the fact she blushed... Not so unfeeling little Miko hmm? Hiko finished his tea and put it down near the sink. "Ah, I was practicing at a school for mutants. Or rather, I was going to start. My Uncle Walter was going to take me in while I found a place to let a mutant work. Then his boss called him and got me a place at a school for Mutants. After my vacation in Maui, a reward for surviving medical school. I did my residency in Brazil where a family friend owned a hospital." He rinsed out his cup as he spoke. When he was done he set it to one side.

He paused when he heard footsteps. "oh? Someone?" He moved to the door and grinned at the man coming. "Oh so this place isn't abandoned! Good Evening Sir!" 

"Good Evening!  I see you have found the nurses of...Oh dear, my son, you seem to have misplaced your clothing." The priest who approached them gave them a small smile and motioned his hands. "Shall I take you to find some appropriate clothes? I do believe we set up a place with various articles of clothing in the dormintory, one more building over." 

"Ah, that would be heavenly. Thank you. I am Doctor James Hiko... and I'm afraid I'm not alone in assuming your hospitality." Hiko stepped out of the way of the door frame and the good father's face peeked in and blinked at the blushing young lady. 

"Oh my son... You tread a fine line on proper behavior. Come." He motioned to the young woman. "Come with me, my dear, and we shall have you settled with another woman while I take this young scamp to find some cloths fitting the presence of young women." 

Hiko gave him a small smirk. "Sorry Sir, I personally enjoy my bits and pieces attached and not frozen off. I wasn't dressed for a sudden trip into snowy climates." He winked toward the blushing Miko. "Come on Youko-chan, let's go find out what smells so good."

"And Clothes." Father George was blushing too, the pink staining his fair cheeks.. and he was bald, there was no hair to cover his tainted cheeks.

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Finishing her tea with trembling hands the little Miko listened intently to Hiko-sempai's story, when she'd look up thru her bangs, they stayed on his eyes or the back of his head..... or at least she attempted to. Quietly she spoke, unlike when he first met her. "So you're a mutant?" Sapphire blue eyes met his with curiosity, as her head tilted to one side.

Ahhh another person... THANK THE KAMI I"M SAVED!!!! Still blushing the girl slid from the medical bed and went to rinse her cup, putting it next to Hiko-sempai's cup while the two men chatted.

Quietly the girl waited behind Hiko-sempai to be introduced, or at least to have her presence acknowledged, blush still firmly in place as there was a rather bare and broad back in her way of the Father and herself.

Once acknowledged Youko clasped her hands together to bow to the Father. Rising she offers him a warm smile. Once the Father motioned for her to follow him she looked at Hiko-sempai to make sure it was ok, first. 

YEP there it was, the wink... causing a brighter blush than before, with a nod she slowly stepped forward. Again causing her to hide her face from BOTH men, with her bangs. Getting closer to the door pale hands picked up her backpack and rested it upon her back. Well.... at least Hiko-sempai seemed to be in good spirits, and had warmed up, that was a plus.

There it was again, the mention of food, and with that her tummy rumbled rather loudly, voicing it's angry concern for her lack of nummies in it. Fingers tugged on her bangs lightly, as her other hand smoothed her skirts as they walked. Her white tipped, black fluffy tail swinging slowly behind her, as alert matching ears sat atop her head.

"Ummmm perhaps Hiko-sempai should dress before meeting others?" Said the rather meek voice coming from under the bangs. NOPE she wasn't jealous of the idea of being around other women and the rather undressed man behind her. It's just that his state of undress was a bit.... awkward.... and .....improper.... sure.... but they came here to get warm... yes...warmth... OH GOD HIS TOES ARE BARE.

"Imeanthatheshouldprobablygetclothessoonerratherthanlatersohedoesn't endupwithpnemonia..." Yep she simply blurted that out in one epic breath.  Concerned eyes looked up at the father almost pleadingly now. Taking a breath this time, "I mean.... I can find my way towards whatever smells tasty if that's where the other woman is, while you take Hiko-sempai to get dressed?"

If the Father agreed, then she'd look to Hiko-sempai and smiled at him awkwardly. "I'd feel bad if you became sick because of me.... I'll be ok on my own I'm sure." The smaller girl tried to give a reassuring smile as both hands held her tummy as if to make a point.... or perhaps to stop the rumbling.

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(OOC: joining with permission; also colored text of green is Internal)

Milton Lee Olive Park

Your eyes open in a haze, with a soft ringing sound in your ears. There’s a sense of nausea that is … mostly easily shaken off as some kind of nerves. Your last memories are your own, but your location does not match those memories at all… You find yourself rather inundated with Crows. The black birds are using you like a convenient roost, and do not seem particularly bothered with the fact you have woken up. One of the crows even rubs your hand affectionately. The crow begins to tug on something in your hand.. A warm, slender card. On further inspection, it is revealed to be a White card. On the back, there is an address, 751 N. State Street, Chicago printed in rainbow colors. 

Somewhere in the distance a clock is chiming the hour, midnight. Soft flurries of light snow swirl around the dim light of the various park streetlamps.. The crows, as one, take flight with the last toll of the bell and, after a moment, manifest into a small child with dark black hair and deep brown eyes. She smiles softly at you and then motions, without words toward the path that will lead out of the park. Without another word, she vanishes, and a murder of crows takes flight once more, no doubt to seek somewhere warmer.

As you leave the park, either by path or by wandering around, you can’t help but think… is someone watching you?

As Vladimir woke he let his eyes focus and tried to shoo the birds off of his body; he was cold as his thin black clothes were not much for being out in the snow. Why did I have to go to the bar dressed like this? But it was as the bird that went at his hand that the young man shifted his attention to the card. It took a moment for the man to recognize the language the card was in; but once he did; he understood it as an address. Where is this place?

Then the clock chimed and Vladimir was relieved that the birds left his body. And as he tried to get up Vlad saw the crows merge into the form of a child. This was definitely strange to Vladimir; but then again he wasn't the definition of “normal” was he? So the Russian got up and was about to walk to the girl until she disappeared once more. “Okay now that is rude. Up and ditching me.”

It was as Vladimir began to leave the park through the pathways that the man began to really look at his surroundings. Nothing looked like the town he lived in; or any of the surrounding towns. And so Vladimir began to run down the street; he was looking for anything that may be able to help him; if only there was a pay phone or something. But then again would any of his money even work in the phones here? So this little worry and the worry of how he may have gone across the planet that pushed the thoughts of being watched out of his head.

Come an hour later Vladimir had begun to look at the street signs and found himself at a church with the address that was labeled on his card. Okay this has to be something to mess with me. Not only am I stuck in America. But now I must go into a ‘house of lies’. And with that Vladimir pushed open the church doors and began to walk through the main chamber and into the halls as he began to whistle an old tune. After all he did want to find someone and he wasn't going to talk to himself.

[Deleted]

Hiko had been saved by the somewhat wonderful timing of Father George from having to answer Youko-chan’s question. Inquisitives girl, but in his world it hadn’t been something you announced. Let alone took pride in. Hiko tightened the towel, giving an amused glance to both Father George and toward Youko. “I assure you the Towel isn’t going anywhere. If you give me directions, father, I will go see about some clothes and you can take Youko someplace to feed her rumbly tummy.”

Father George smiled and shook his head. “Miss Youko can come with me while we go to Maeve. You go find clothes.” He gave quick directions to a staircase that didn’t involve waltzing past Maeve and anyone else in the main room and to the room with clothes.

“Come along then, Miss Youko.” Father George turned to talk to her when he heard the whistling tune. “Ah… It seems we have another… would you like to come with me to greet him?” He waited for her nod then the two of them started down the hall to “bump” into Vlad.

Father George ( 6 something, lanky, bald, priest gear, blue eyes) smiled to the young man. “Ah… Welcome to the Holy Name Cathedral. We were just on our way to get a bite to eat. Would you like to join us?”

Hiko meanwhile.. took the time to step back inot the shadows and reappear in the general direction of clothes getting...