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[radioclub_jp]

WHO: Paprika, her housemates, and some other people (like you!)
WHERE: Heropa #031 and elsewhere
WHEN: 6 April and onwards
WHAT: April catch-all for the waking world
WARNINGS: None known

a. heropa #031, 6 april

The ride from Cape Canaveral brought Paprika directly to the house she'd been assigned, but she'd still had plenty of time to read over her file and the obligatory pamphlet ask a bunch of questions to which she'd gotten unclear and conflicting answers, plus a bunch of "that's classifieds."

It was odd, she thought, crossing the yard to the front steps, that she wasn't more upset about all this. She was needed somewhere else, after all. Atsuko needed her. And yet... supposedly, time would stand still back home, right? Like pausing one movie to watch another, just for a little while. In that case, it couldn't hurt to look around, could it?

At the front door, she stopped. She had a key, but this was shared housing, and it'd be rude just to barge in if somebody else was already here, so instead she rang the doorbell and waited.

(Or maybe someone came across her a little later that evening, while she settled in. She didn't exactly have anything to unpack, but there was an extra pair of bright red sneakers lined up by the door, and in the living room a young woman could be found chilling on the sofa, exploring the network and checking out all the features on her fancy new phone. (Her last phone was a candybar and this is pretty sweet, okay?))

b. porter cities, day or night

For the next few days of her stay, exploration was the name of the game. Paprika loved big cities. The lights, the music, the life... Her new writing job, it turned out, had flexible hours and not much of an office, so she was equally likely to be out and about town before or after sunset.

During the day, she often (but not always) stuck to Heropa, looking for all the world like a normal person as she tried out new cafes, or window-shopped, or people-watched. During the night, anywhere was fair game, but she especially wanted to check out some of the nightlife - it had been years since she and Atsuko had really gone out on the town, and her sudden lack of obligations made it a very attractive option.

But in all cases, there was a little bit of an unearthly quality to her, if you were looking. Did gravity have a little lighter grip on her than on other people? Did her reflection just turn around and wink? Did her outfit just change while you weren't looking? It's hard to say.

Catch her watching you? Interrupt her writing? Buy her a drink? Shamelessly hit on her? Go for it.

Comments

for Six

[radioclub_jp]

[continued from le test drive]

I can't imagine why. You seem like a nice enough guy to me.

B. Heropa - Right before dark

[skyhiiigh]

Given he was on his way home, with his golden retriever John it was too tempting not to stop for some lemonade when it had been a rather warm day and he'd just completed his nightly run for the evening. As he gently tied up John and offered him some water he told him he'd return shortly. The bar was thankfully open, which is why he could slip up and order what he wanted without too much issue.

Except it would seem that the other stools were taken, and there was a young woman by herself at the bar.

"Oh. Please pardon me, Miss. Do you mind if I sit here?" Keith asked politely, his bomber's jacket marking him perhaps as someone who was a pilot, or at least gave him the look of one. In truth, that wasn't exactly far off. At least, where his life as a Hero was concerned.

HEROPA 031

[monster_san]

The ring at the doorbell caught Fuu's attention as she was working on her newest mystery-puzzle game, and after a moment wondering if she ought to let someone else get it--they tended to have more regular visitors--decided to go down herself. No point in not making herself acquainted with the people around her house.

But she didn't recognize the young woman at all when she opened the door. Fuu put on a friendly smile and bowed politely. "Good day! Are you looking for Mrs. Hendrix or Miss Johnson?"