made in heaven.

did the barista really have to insist on giving claire two cups of coffee? she doesn't seem that out of it, right? well, yes, but having both hands full is more of an additional inconvenience than anything. who can she pass it off onto...?

...bingo! there's a guy that looks in need of an energy boost. "hey! sorry to bother you."

"LOOK OUT!"

you'd think motorists would pay attention to crosswalks, of all things! thank god for claire's reflexes -- she kicks it into high gear, latching onto the blue-haired stranger's wrist right as a motorcycle whizzes past, close enough for its slipstream to blast them smack-dab in the face.

"watch where you're going next time, asshole!" she's definitely wasting her breath; there's no way the rider hears her yelling down the road at that speed.

seriously, what's the point of giving away smartphones without internet? it could just be a front for monitoring citizens, being high-tech and all. at least it doesn't look capable of infecting anyone with anything, although...

BONK!!

"shoot-- sorry! too focused on this thing to watch where i was going," she waves the handheld distraction in question, smile apologetic. he's a big guy (like walking into a brick wall), but not threatening, claire figures -- just a bit of an RBF going on. she should leave him be... or, now that she's got his attention...

in theory, claire knows exactly what to do: investigate, confront her kidnappers, then find a way out! it should be routine, but exploring's only left her more stumped; compared to what she'd expected, life here is so normal! shops, restaurants, and weirdest of all: no threats.

funny. that guy up ahead even looks a lot like...

"leon!?" she rushes toward him with a bemused laugh, motioning vaguely to their surroundings, "figures we'd both get mixed up in whatever the hell this is." was he taken, too? sent on a government mission, maybe? either way, with all they've been through together, she seriously couldn't ask for better backup than her kick-ass best friend (awful quips included). it's a huge relief.

there's just one teensy little thing...

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