Took a Wrong Turn (Tomomi/Isabella)

The sharp clicks of heels on pavement seemed to bounce off the walls of the dreary back alley as the trenchcoat clad woman walked through it. In one hand she held an umbrella to ward off the minor drizzle that had start a few minutes ago, while in the other she had a smartphone that seemed to be demanding her full attention. it should be... just around this corner. Isabella spoke to herself in a low voice just as she was rounding a corner.

Only the alley she'd been expecting to find was instead a wall with hwaht was probably a backdoor into one of the houses. "Okay... Maybe it was the next..." The blonde muttered again, her gaze dropping from the wall back to the phone, just in time to see a big, red empty battery icon flash twice before the screen went dark. "What? No. No!" She had time to cry out aloud in protest, but the smart device could not be sustained by words alone.

She held in the urge to curse, before slipping the phone into her pocket. Now what? Probably best she start retracing her steps... her attention was drawn to something, someone... A figure, further down the alley. Picking trash? Maybe they could help. "Excuse me." She called out to the figure, and began to approach.

Another day, another job, another persons rubbish to pick up. This time, Vista square, his first time working in this area. Because of this, the boy was thankful for the tour given by the Brittie person. Not that it did Tomomi much good now... The rain coming down, and the boy completely without any form of water proof clothing or umbrella. Instead, in one hand he held a litter picking stick, while in the other, he held a couple of black bags. Covering his mouth and nose was a hygiene mask, and over his hands were latex gloves. His hair, soaked from the rain, gave him the appearance of a mop, and in turn made it hard for the poor boy to see.

Good little Tomomi was working once more.

As he was leaning down to pick up a broken and left behind scrap of metal, Tomomi shivered, the cold pelting of the rain striking against his relatively thin white shirt. Still, he could always get worse luck- Like right now. The calling out wasn't loud by any means, but for someone whose vision was reduced due to black hair and was currently in an alley, any sudden noise was enough to set him off. Off his feet and careening to the side, landing with a dramatic splash and a loud exclamation of "Ah!"

Her approach wasn't fast, but Isabella was quick to notice the other, a young man, was bereft of a raincoat, and by the looks, any other kind of rainproof garments. Who works outside in the rain, this late in the year, without something waterproof? Her thoughts to this injustice were quickly dashed as the person suddenly fell over. This seemed to set something off in her, as the grasp upon her umbrella was relinquished.

She could hear a brief whirring in her left ear as she rushed forward. A dash that was taking her toward the fallen man as her umbrella clattered to the ground where she had just stood. The blonde dropped down as soon as she'd gotten to his side, water streaking down her trench coat. "Are's you alright?" She asked him ,leaning slightly forward. That faint whirring in her ear continued.

The clatter and the pitter patter of rushing feet to his side caused the boy to look up at the stranger that leaned down towards him. The whole thing was so sudden... Where was he again? Oh right. Working. Or, at this moment, technically on the ground in a puddle when he should be working instead. Bah, he could think of that later. Instead, he took a proper look at the woman looking down at him, tilting his head until he realised she'd asked if he was alright while he was there, internally monologuing to himself.

Quickly sitting upright, but staying in the puddle, the odd boy nodded quickly, voice muffled by the wet mask and the hair over his face. "Y-yeah! I'm fine! Fine fine! Just tripped, sorry!" As he finished, Tomomi realised that he was still on the floor. So, with a scramble he picked up his stuff again, and stood up. "Thank you though! Very sorry!"

The whirring in her ear slowly began to die down as the young man ensured her that he was fine. She would straighten back out, ignoring the wet splotches on her trench coat where she'd dropped down onto her knees. "I apologize for my... Frantic response. LEt us just say that some old habits die hard." She spoke, her tone mathcing the apologetic nature of her words. And as Isabella spoke, she offered him her left hand to help the other stand. He might notice how strangely warm the hand was to the touch, at least given the weather.

The blonde would then clear her throat, before resuming. "But ummm... Yes. I'll be blunt. I'm a bit lost, my phone just died on me, and I was wondering if you could possibly give me some directions?" Her tone had a hint of embarrassment to it, at admitting being lost, but her expression remained neutraal, with just the faintest hint of a smile upon hr face.

As he was preparing to get up, Tomomi accepted the hand up, not really thinking much of the warmth and just associating the unnatural temperature to the fact he was wearing latex gloves. That made most sense, right? Probably. So, he got to his feet, smiling awkwardly beneath his mask. "Thanks!"

As she cleared her throat and spoke, Tomomi nodded, listening quietly as he took in her request, before nodding and giving her two thumbs up; forgetting that the act of doing so would cause his litter picking gear to fall once more, Tomomi hurriedly catching them before they fell back into the puddle. "Bah! Sorry, sorry! Uh, yeah, I can help! I was actually given a tour of this place quite recently, so, I should be able to help! Where do you need to go?" The boy declared with a more safe thumbs up, now holding both the picker and the bag in the same hand.

Well this youth certainly was an... Interesting one. All too happy to help with her problem and showing that willingness, even if it meant almost dropping his trash collecting gear. Was he perhaps uncomfortable in her presence? Not something Isabella felt right asking. Her smile gained some curvature. That's very generous of you. I'm looking for the employee entrance to the SMILE News studios. I usually go a different route, and thought I'd found a shortcut. I guess I was wrong."

With that said, Isabella seemed to finally become aware that she'd dropped her umbrella a moment ago. "Oh wait, please excuse me just a moment, before I forget this." The older woman excused herself, before backtracking to where she'd dropped the umbrella, picking it up before heading back to where the young man was.

Tomomi couldn't help but let his eyes widen at the mention of the SMILE News studios. Was this person unaware that it'd recently been closed to the public? Or, wait, employee entrance... Was she a member of the SMILE News studios business? That was crazy, maybe she had some insider know how on what happened?

Still, before he could ask, the woman walked backwards to pick up her umbrella from the ground, before Tomomi nodded at her return. "Uhh, right... Um, well, anyways, it's just over this way, but um, are you sure you want to go there? I mean, the place is closed off to the public isn't it? I don't know the reason, but, I remember hearing rumours that the place is shut off now, so, um... Unless as an employee you get to keep going anyways? But, that in mind, I don't know if I'd been allowed near since it's off limits? Bah, uh... Sorry for rambling! Yeah, anyways, this way! You can tell me on the way, oh, uh, if you want to. You don't have to tell if it's like, super secret work or government stuff. I'd rather not get arrested for knowing too much." The boy declared with a seemingly insecure nod.

"I know it's closed. I'm just kinda hoping maybe they didn't lock the back door or something." The woman began, before pausing to pull out her wallet, from which she produced a business card, which she then offered to the young man. it had her name, Isabella Krstiansen, and her position of a reporter at SMILE News. "I'm just a lowly reporter, but I'd left some folders at the studio the evening prior to that strange broadcast. And well, my editor..." She'd pause to again cear her throat, a whirring once again beginning to wind up in her left ear. "My editor is somehow still expecting me to write the story based on the info in those folders, even though I've let them know the folders are still at the studio."

"I'm not even asking you to come with me, even if you could just point me in the right direction, I'd much appreciate it." She went on to explain.

As she handed him the card, Tomomi adjusted his grip on his tools once more to take hold of it, staring down at the piece of paper while moving his head to block it from the rain. Isabella Kristiansen? That was... A name that he'd only try to say the first part of. Even more so, it seemed she worked there? But didn't know what was going on?... Did it have to do with the Playhouses broadcast? If so, then... Was there something about it the government were trying so hard to cover up, that they wouldn't even tell their reporters? Or did this reporter lady know something but kept quiet?

Bah, it was too wet and cold to think about anxiety provoking thoughts like that.

"Um... I'm not the best at wording directions... Since, well, uh... English isn't my first language... So, um, I can show you the way! Although, I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to show you the employee entrance... Also, um, a couple things... One, I really don't think they'd have left the door unlocked, and two, wouldn't it be dangerous and illegal to sneak in? I know you work there, but uh... N-never mind. Um, follow me, just this way.." As he trailed off, Tomomi nodded and began walking down the alley, the way the woman had just come from ironically, as he shoved the card into his pocket, and readjusted his grip on his stuff, occasionally stopping to pick up rubbish.

English wasn't his first language? Interesting, he seemed quite fluent, but Isabella understood. And he seemed hesitant. He was right, the door probably wasn't unlocked, but she could hope. The other thing he said though... Seemed strange. But she would follow him, as he asked. "Illegal, yes, probably. Though what is a good journalist if you're not willing to stick you nose in places where it doesn't belong?" She said, in a relatively neutral tone. "But dangerous? I'm not sure I follow. I know those terrorists made that strange transmission, but you don't actually believe there's demons at the station, do you?" She followed up, her tone more inquisitive, more sharp. Was it her unwillingness to believe that the place where she worked would be some propaganda machine, or just common sense trying to deny the sheer ludicrousness of the claims?

Given that it was his first time talking to a journalist, Tomomi had no idea what to expect. Now? Now he felt almost out of his league in a simple conversation, as she declared she'd break the law for the sake of a story. Beyond that though, the poor boy that only wanted to help with directions now felt as if he was in a police interrogation, taken completely off guard by the sudden question. Demons? He had never even thought of that.

"U-um... I wasn't actually referring to demons... I more mean like, well, um... What if you go in, and the police think you're a terrorist, or, someone trying to break in to steal stuff in the chaos? I mean, you could be shot! Or attacked by cadets if there were any nearby, which would, I mean... I guess be the same as getting shot? So uh... Never mind, that point is probably redundant... B-but anyways, what I mean is, there doesn't need to be a super natural spooky scary danger for there to be danger at all. People ourselves can be plenty nasty, you learn that first hand on the streets, so, um... Never mind, I'm guessing you're going in no matter what, right?"

Coughing, the boy took a left at the end of the alley, before tilting his head. "I'm guessing you saw that broadcast too right? It was crazy that it happened... I have no idea what to think of it all... Oh, but uh, don't tell anyone I said that please. It's not that I d-doubt the queen or anything, I just find the whole thing so confusing!" At this, the boy quickly rubbed at the back of his neck awkwardly. Why did journalists have to be so scary. Were they all this scary? "A-anyways, um, at this next alley there's a lot of junctions off from it, so, to get to the main area where the building is, we need to take the third right... So um... Just keep following me..."

Wow, the boy just kept on talking, didn't he. Too many crime novels, she had to guess. "I appreciate the concern, but if there's something I've learned in the past, it's that people usually won't hurt you unless given some reason to do so. I'm unarmed, and even if there was someone there, I'm sure it could be sorted out by talking." Isabella gave in response, choosing not to touch upon the subject of the Cadets. The cadets were heroes, right? Fighting the terrorist threat to protect the citizens. Like peacekeepers.

And then the broadcast came up. She followed him as she listened. "No worries. I share your uncertainty, if perhaps in a different way. I took up my job to spread the truth, so people might know what they need and want to know. And perhaps in spreading that truth, find some about myself." She paused, her pace slowing down so she fell a few steps behind. "I... I don't know what to believe. What I want to believe... No... No, I know what I want to believe... But-" The blonde would cut her words off with a sigh as she stopped walking, merely shaking her head, gaze cast down.

As Isabella spoke, Tomomi fell silent. Yikes, he should really not have brought up the broadcast, as it seemed to throw the woman through a loop. Evidently, partaking in gossip was not something that the boy was skilled at. Shaking his head, he tried to focus a bit on his job before breaking the silence, shoving an empty Cringles pot into the bin bag before speaking up. "Ah, um... S-sorry about that... J-just thought I'd give a bit of conversation, but, um... Y-yeah, never mind. I mean, it was just a... Ah, um, never mind, let's uhh... M-move on from that topic..."

Coughing, he shook his head once more, before pointing ahead of him. "We're uh, nearly there anyways... Although you won't be able to get very close, even if you want to sneak in, since, well... Uh... Pretty sure the police are surrounding it quite a bit, you know... Probably to stop people from, you know, getting in, or something... So, um... If you want to get in, either talk to the police about getting in, maybe with an escort or something? Or um, you know... Just, don't go in and explain to your boss, because um... Yeah..."

"No, no, it's fine." She said in a low voice, trying to sound convincing. The reminder of the broadcast, particularly delving further into it, had stirred up doubt within her heart. "Some of the parts on the broadcast... Just hit a sensitive spot." Isabella shook her head again, before resuming following the young man. As much as she didn't like it broadcast being brought up, it would just be unprofessional to let him wait.

He would point ahead of the two. That way then. "I'm grateful that you showed me the way thus far. You can turn back here. If it's as dangerous as you say, I don't want to put you in harm's way." She continued walking, until she'd passed him, when she stopped. "Actually, one more thing, before I go." Isabella turned around, offering forward the hand with which she was holding her umbrella. "I think you'll get more use out of this than me. All I'd ask in return is if you told me your name." She said, smiling at him, even with a slight sadness in her eyes. Droplets of water ran down the trench coat, though didn't seem to be getting soaked up.