You can be addicted to a certain kind of sadness

[leekspin]

WHO: Orihime Inoue, OPEN
WHAT: FOREVER ALONE
WHEN: January 4, 2013 - Dusk
WHERE: Genessia - Garden Park Apartments - Roof

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[frozenrosedrops]

The snow around the building slowly got thicker, so much so that it would be hard to notice, especially if someone was sitting outside the building, just watching it come down. Gradual and soft, it got colder for just a moment or two as the moon poked through the clouds, shining a little light on the roof and the town.

In front of Orihime, something flapped suddenly, a flurry of feathers covered in snow. But it appeared again, gliding this time, coming to rest in front of her, not a snow-covered bird, but a snow falcon, of white feathers and intelligent eyes, coming to a stop in front of her, cocking its head to the side. It made a small warbling noise, as if making sure it had her attention.

[frozenrosedrops]

"A wicked queen, long thought dead, several hundred years ago

[leekspin]

It didn't take long for Orihime to realize what was going on, once she saw the faces of those children. She just couldn't believe it, because to her, it didn't make sense. If they were failures, why were they being retained?

"Hold on!" she shouted after the queen, dashing after her. The bars of ice halted her in her steps.

"I said wait! There's got to be another solution!" If Orihime's powers didn't work, there was possibly someone else with a gift for curse-breaking in the city. And if not, they could try hunting down the evil queen, and then shaking her really hard and yelling at her until she took the curse back.

There were options!

[frozenrosedrops]

The queen stopped for just a moment, looking slightly over her shoulder, "Oh Orihime. If there are other solutions, do you think I have not tried them? This is the only way. Enjoy your stay."

Maltese found her shoulder again and the Snow Queen disappeared, leaving Orihime alone with the children. One of them came forward, tugging on her cloak gently, looking up at her with sad eyes.

"Don't...she gets mad if you bother her. And then she'll take you away."

[leekspin]

'But I've already been taken away,' Orihime thought to point out. She didn't, though. Instead she looked down at the child, then at the others.

How were they supposed to go to the bathroom?

That probably wasn't important right now. Instead she knelt down and smiled. "All right. I'll stay calm for now, okay? We'll find a way out of here much faster if we think carefully and watch for opportunities."

[frozenrosedrops]

One of the other children shook his head, an older child, wrapped in his cloak.

"She doesn't come back unless she has someone else to put here. The food just appears a few times a day. There's a bathroom behind the little door there, but no window or way out."

He pointed at a small door, half hidden behind one of the tapestries on the wall. Shaking his head again, he frowned and crossed his arms. "And the grown ups that try? She doesn't want them being a worry. So they just disappear."

[leekspin]

Orihime glanced around her, realizing that she was the oldest person in the room. Non-children were probably at greater risk, but still... She intended on becoming a worry, if it meant finding a way to return these kids to their parents. She couldn't imagine how sick with worry those mothers and fathers must have been.

"I see," she replied quietly, and looked again to the bars. There had to be some sort of way out. She just didn't know what it could possibly be.