Something cooed at the edge of Kore's hearing.

She turned away from the water, light ripples still parting from the place where she'd just pulled her hand. The little fishes that had been coming around darted away quickly, flashes of quicksilver in the clear water. Tiny drops rolled down Kore's hand and then dripped from her fingertips, creating more, smaller ripples as they hit the surface of the water and broke it momentarily of its serene beauty. Gradually though, the ripples faded and the mirror was back in perfect condition.

Meanwhile, Kore was looking at a medium-sized, feathered creature with pink toed feet, blue-green tail feathers, a paler main body and then darker ornamentation from its neck up to its head where it faded again to a pretty blue-green, albeit a bit darker. It was strutting back and forth, its neck moving easily and in a very proud manner, as it pecked at the grass with its pale white-yellow beak. Following it was a horde of little pigeons, varying in color, although most with the blue-green tint and pink toes.

Kore smiled slightly and then held her hands out to the pigeons, cooing slightly, her voice a soft imitation of the pigeons.

They looked at her - a look of blank coolness - and there was a small spark in her - it was almost a feeling of recognition but not for the pigeons, for something whiter, something purer, something rarer than the commonplace birds.

For a moment they stood there, locked eyes, and then with a war cry, the pigeon flew into the air and flapped up, disappearing into the treetops. It created a chain reaction that soon sent the rest of the pigeons after it, the air suddenly filled with loud caws, as if an army of crows had invaded the space.

Mildly disappointed - though she wasn't sure why - Kore turned back to the small lake and looked into it again. The fishes were coming back, although they seemed slightly scared by the shadow that her figure made over the water. She smiled down at them and then focused on the water itself. It was very pure, and at the angle of the sun - it was early afternoon now - it created a substance that reflected Kore's image back at her, revealing an oval face with a sharp chin, wavy brown hair, pale skin with a few light spots dotting across her nose, and large eyes that glowed with a faint golden air. If she leaned further, it showed the creamy, layered robe that draped itself comfortably over her skin.

Time trickled by as Kore looked at the water, the words Who am I? running through her head.

Her name was Kore - she knew that - but - what else? Why couldn't she remember anything past waking up on the streets and than getting chased by a large man dressed in a strange black outfit with white labels - he'd called himself a 'police officer', though she didn't know what that was either. She'd run here and then - almost as soon as she'd gotten in - the man had vanished, and she had felt incredibly safe. Nothing could hurt her within the confines of the green leaves.

A rustle made her look up and stand up. It was that time of day. Soon young men and women would swarm into her green haven, and though they hardly ever noticed her, Kore always decided to hide at this time of day. If the 'police officer' was any sign, it was best for her to not interact with the people around here.

Kore started for a part of the place with deeper foliage and waited for the noise to fade slightly before she made her way over to a wooden thing with two legs on either end. She sat down on it and then gazed up at the brilliant sky.

Who am I?

"And I expect your assignments first thing Monday morning," Conor's teacher instructed before adding cheerily, "Have a nice weekend!"

Conor felt his blood boil. Mr Graveton was one of the only people that could really rile him. Conor liked to think of himself as a pretty cool guy; not really irritated by much. But, Mr Graveton was one of those people who just annoyed you a little bit more everyday eventually you just hated him.

Conor reached under his desk to retrieve his bag and hauled it onto his lap. He pushed his pens and books deep into his bag and pulled the zip across. It wasn't long before he was out of the classroom and striding down the halls of his high school. He was certain he must break the world record for 'speed of exit from a classroom' almost on a day to day basis. Thankfully it was a Friday, meaning as soon as he left school he had two days of totally unoccupied time to do whatever he wanted. Though, he already knew what he'd spend his weekend doing; painting. He'd had a talent since he was little and one day he hoped to make a career out of it, much to the dismay of his parents, teachers and elder brother. He'd been told it was a pointless, penniless endeavour, but Conor was determined not to give up on his dream so quickly.

He stepped out of the school grounds onto the street, preparing to make his way home by bus. It wasn't a cold evening but it wasn't warm either. But the sky was very clear and the sun shone down brilliantly on him. As the bus pulled up, Conor decided at the last minute to walk. It wasn't so far to his house, besides, he loved to walk through the park and it was a Friday so he had plenty of time.

He began walking in the direction of his house through the streets of New York. It was only a twenty minute walk, if that and he felt his mind begin to drift away as he followed the familiar route. Despite trying to force his mind to think of happy things, it came to rest upon his younger sister, Jessica. Last night he'd heard her sneak in at about four am, stumbling and out of it. He knew full well his mother was perfectly aware of the situation in hand but chose to simply turn a blind eye, even covering up for Jess so she could keep up the perfect facade for their father that she was coping faultlessly as a mother to his children. But, to be honest, Conor was worried about Jessica. He'd always felt protective of her, after all; she was his little sister, he was supposed to. As a child, he'd always stood up for her, no matter what. And as she grew up, he'd acted as a shoulder for her to cry on over her latest high school drama as their father and brother were both cold and detached and his mother far too self obsessed to care for her over emotional teenaged daughter. But, now, Jessica was gradually slipping away from him too and he wondered how long it would be before everyone in that big house had completely lost themselves but him.

As he reached the park he withdrew himself from his thoughts to enjoy his favourite part of the city. Looking around him, everything seemed as it was last Friday when he had last walked through. He swapped directions to follow a slightly more enclosed path that would still bring him out the same way. It was there that he saw the girl.

She was sat alone on a bench, set aside from the path, glancing around in wide eyed wonder. Her chestnut brown hair fell in loose curls down her back and her brown eyes were neatly in proportion with the rest of her pale face. Conor had to admit, she was beautiful. But she looked so confused an out of place, gazing around in her dated cream wrapped robe.

Instinctively, Conor felt his body move towards her to try and offer assistance, but he hesitated. Maybe he should just keep himself to himself instead. She looked lost enough as it was without him scaring her. But as soon as he thought he had made the decision to leave her alone, another glance at those wide, lost eyes was all it took to convince him otherwise, once again.

He approached her slowly and cautiously, as not to startle or scare her.

"You look lost," he said gently, taking a seat next to her on the bench, "Are you okay?"

The light of the day was suddenly broken by a deep, warm voice. Kore flinched and turned, drawing her arms into herself and moving away from the bench as a young man sat down next to her. Her eyes went down his body and then back up, taking in muscular lines, a mild tan, warm black hair and deep brown eyes. A feeling of heat touched Kore, and she wondered what it was. The feeling seemed familiar, but she couldn't quite pin it down, couldn't comprehend it. She did know, though, that the feeling was good.

His question slowly penetrated her mind.

"I -" She said, her voice wavering and breaking. Kore shook her head and tried again, "I...I don't know." It was an intriguing phrase but a true one. Nothing was working at the moment. Nothing at all. Everything was dark, and when she tried to pull into memories that she felt that she should have, they just slipped away - slipped far away. She shivered, despite the warmth of the day and murmured, softly, quietly, "I don't know what's going on. I don't know what this is - I don't -"

She broke off and shook her head, falling silent. There was really nothing to say. Nothing at all. Nothing there.

Kore bowed her head, looking at the ground, at the dirt. It was dry, brown, healthy enough, but a bit eaten away by being so often used and because of being in the sunlight for so long. She had a flash in the back of her mind - black dirt, fresh, mildly moist, and seeds, small, white, sprouting into gigantic shoots - beautiful things, truly beautiful, all happening in less than a moment.

Strange, she thought. Because the trees around here haven't really grown that much at all, from what I've seen.

An ache in the back of her head - Kore dropped in head into her lap, cradling it in her arms.

"I don't know," She whispered.

Conor watched as the girl stammered through a few lost, hesitant sentences. The fear and total confusion was evident in everything about her. Her expression, her body language, her tone of voice; everything about her screamed lost and alone. She looked frightened, her whole body tense and her face buried in her lap.

There was no arguing what so ever, even though she'd barely made it through a sentence so far, that she was putting this on. Most days, he would have walked on by this girl, passing her off as another homeless drunk he was forbidden from speaking to by his parents. But there was something odd about the girl, some otherworldly beauty she possessed that Conor found strangely magnetic.

He tried to stop his concern showing on his face. A worried expression would only confirm whatever it was the girl was so afraid of and scare her more. Instead, he smiled gently at her, trying to reassure her. He edged a little closer and sat down on the bench beside her, but not too close. His movements were slow and fluid, as not alarm her.

"Okay..." he said slowly, "How about we start with something simpler? What's your name?"

Conor had always been the kind of person that would help people when they needed it. He had been the kind of child that brought in the bird with the broken wing to nurse it back to health. He'd find the homeless dog and bring it home to look after, hiding it in his house for days until one of his parents or staff discovered it and threw it out again. With his little sister he'd always been incredibly protective. When she’d begun to go off the rails he had spent days trying to help her, even if his attempts had proved futile in the end. But he knew the rules, they were set in stone; you didn't just talk to random strangers in New York. He knew he shouldn't have got talking to the girl. He had no idea what he was doing and she didn't need his pathetic attempts at working out what the matter was. She clearly didn't have a clue what was going on. He should have simply passed her off as crazy and taken her straight to the police or a hospital. But something was stopping him. He wasn’t sure if it was curiosity, boredom or just genuine concern. But, no matter how hard he tried not to, he couldn't help but care about the bewildered, lost girl.

Warmth grew on Kore's left side - the young man was moving closer to her. She slowly raised her eyes to his - they were warm, comforting - concerned.

"Okay...How about we start with something simpler? What's your name?"

Name, Kore thought, her eyes lighting immediately. It was like throwing a bone to a hungry dog. It was the only question that she actually knew the answer to.

"Kore!" She blurted out and then blushed, though she wasn't sure why, smoothing out her kyten. It was useless activity - the robe seemed to have been made especially with unsmoothable ripples. "My name is Kore. I -" She didn't know what to say next. Was there something that she could say in a situation like this? What kind of a situation was this even? She couldn't even figure out that part of it.

Kore wanted quiet. She wanted something warm and hot and comforting. She didn't want to think, didn't want to try to remember. She -

Her stomach growled.

Instantly, redness darted across her cheeks, although again, she wasn't quite sure why. The feeling had been building up dramatically over the days and had gotten especially insistent in the past few hours, when even walking around and talking to and touching the trees and flowers weren't enough to quell it. She couldn't remember ever feeling this particular emotion or want before, but instinctively, in the core of her bones, she knew what it was and what it meant.

Hunger.

She was hungry.

Kore looked up into the brown eyes of the young man. They seemed to sparkle a bit in the sun.

"I'm hungry."

His question caused a response like someone had told her all her Christmases had come at once. Light spread across her face and she practically tripped over herself to give him an answer. 

"Kore!" she almost shouted. Her cheeks reddened almost instantly and she glanced down at her strange creamy colored dress, fiddling with the material.

My name is Kore," she said, slower and more controlled this time. "I.." she hesitated, as of unsure of what to say next.

Conor watched her for a couple of seconds, waiting for her to finish the sentence. But she never did. She simply stayed silent. The same confused expression she had worn before he had asked her her name returned to her features.

He was silent too, unsure what exactly to say to the girl. He knew he should simply walk on but he couldn't. Suddenly her stomach growled loudly and she looked directly up into Conor's eyes. Her golden brown orbs were filled with fear, confusion and a flicker of recognition.

"I'm hungry," she finally managed to finish.

Without missing a beat, Conor replied conclusively with a smile, "Well we'd better get you something to eat then."

He knew it was probably incredibly reckless, taking a strange, confused girl he'd only met less than a minute before in a dress that was already earning stares from passers by for something to eat. But, what was there to lose? If he went home he'd only be ignored by his parents and spend the evening trying to persuade Jessica that actually The Prowler's Club or in the bed of some man ten years older than her was not where she wanted to spend her Friday night, never to any avail. All of a sudden, his shiny black American express card was burning a hole in his pocket. It wasn't like he didn't have the money and his parents probably wouldn't even notice if he never actually came home.

"What do you fancy to eat?" he said, his voice smooth and warm.

A smile.

Kore wasn't quite sure how to respond to the expression, but she felt her lips curving up in a smile of her own, her eyes crinkling slightly. There was an air of something - bad - around the young man, but it didn't seem to be something wrong with the boy himself. She felt vaguely like she should be able to understand the feeling, understand what the young man was going through, but every time she tried to read the expression in his eyes, the thoughts just slipped away. There was nothing there. Just emptiness.

"What do you fancy to eat?"

The question made Kore blink in surprise and then again. What did she fancy to eat? It seemed like a strange question to her, and she felt as if the young man should already know what she liked - didn't everyone? After all, she'd been -

A shock of pain ran through her head, and the memory, having drawn too close to the surface, bubbled under again, disappearing under layers of fog and darkness.

She shook her head, trying to clear it of the painful mist, but - nothing.

After a moment, Kore shrugged and looked back up at the young man and said, softly, "Anything." Something red flashed in her mind, cut in two, the inside white with dark round drops that contained seeds. Instinctively, she flinched away from the image. "Except pomegranates."

Again, she shook her head and then looked back at the young man.

"What's your name?"

Kore stared at him blankly. An unreadable expression flashed across her face but vanished almost instantly. A second later another expression appeared; pain this time. She shook her head as if she was trying to clear it. He considered asking her if she was okay but decided it was best not to baffle her with questions and just let her answer this one. 

Finally she answered, her voice thick with confusion, "Anything..." Another pause, followed more confidently this time by, "Except pomegranate..."

"Well, I'm sure that can be arranged," he laughed. 

She was strange; that he couldn't argue with. But she was strange in a nice way. She was different. Everyone in his life was either so boring and straight laced that you couldn't bare to be around them; his father and elder brother and friends were prime examples of this. And his more characterful sister and mother were so messed up there was no point trying to spend time with them. But this girl was... Quirky. She was different and interesting. And, for some reason, he was having more fun talking to her than he had done in a while. 

"What's your name?" she asked suddenly, out of the blue.

For a second, he hesitated. Up until that moment he could have just simply walked away. He still could have just left. But if he gave her his name it was like crossing a line. There was no turning back. Everything he'd ever been told, warning against this kind of thing rung in his head. He'd been told these people were not the type he was to associate with. Low class, beneath him and his perfect rich family.  But it didn't take more than a second for him make up his mind. He was an adult. He didn't care for the money or  what kind of person he was supposed to be. For as long as he could remember he'd been told what to do by other people. But not today.

"I'm Conor," he answered with a smile. He stood up slowly, stretching out a hand to help Kore up, "Come on then, let's get you something to eat. Is pizza okay? There's a Pizza Hut a couple of blocks from here."

He seemed to hesitate before giving her a response, and Kore wondered about that. Why the hesitation? An image in her mind - she was taking some white, bread-like substance from a counter and walking away from it and someone standing behind the counter noticed. They'd told her to stop. Stop right away. That she was stealing. She hadn't realized, at first, that the man had been talking to her, and she didn't realize until he caught her arm a block away and muttered something about calling the cops and how he didn't need this shit in his life right now.

She'd asked him what was going on in his life - and he had hesitated.

Just like now.

Why?

An image of double gates slowly opening and the whispered words, It's hard to let someone into your life.

But then the hesitation was gone, replaced by a smile and, "I'm Conor."

'Conor'...

The name didn't ring any bells in Kore's head, and she was fairly sure, even without most of her memories, that she'd never heard the name ever before. But still, the name seemed important to her, life-changing almost. It seemed very simple, very down to earth, and the sound of it suited the young, handsome man in front of her. He seemed rather plain, dressed in very comfortable looking clothes - ones that were completely different from hers, but ones that seemed nice nevertheless.

They crinkled and then straightened as he stood up and held out a hand to her. "Come on then, let's get you something to eat. Is pizza okay? There's a Pizza Hut a couple of blocks from here."

"Yes. Thank you." Kore paid very little attention to his actual words besides a brief What's pizza?, as his motions had piqued her interest. She looked at the hand, feeling that the gesture was very unusual. Whoever she was, she was not someone who was very easily or very often touched by others - strangers - but then, she thought, everything is strange to me now.

Cautiously, Kore extended her hand, placing it in Conor's. Her hand looked even paler against his, as she allowed herself to be helped up. As she did, her robe slid from the bench and pooled around her legs, swishing slightly once or twice against Conor's jeans before settling over her bare feet. They looked odd, a young woman and man standing next to each other, one in a ripply robe with no shoes, the other dressed in jeans, a button-up shirt and sneakers.

"Yes. Thank you," she replied. Conor smiled reassuringly at her again, hoping to stop her feeling so scared and confused. 

After a moment she placed her delicate fingers in his outstretched hands and got to her feet. As she did he noticed how out of place she looked. It was no outfit to wear in the thick of winter in busy New York City. Was she crazy? People were already beginning to stare at her in her odd dress. Could he even take her out dressed like that? People might simply laugh at them and refuse to even serve them. She did look exceptionally odd. It was then that he noticed her feet were also totally bare. There was no chance people would let her in anywhere without shoes. They'd simply assume she was a homeless person and refuse her service. After all, if you looked at her properly she did look like someone from the streets. No, he concluded, she was going to have to get some new clothes.

It was then that he was faced with a new dilemma. How did you tell a girl that her outfit made her look a borderline crazy, homeless person and she needed to change? And more to the point, how did you do it without offending her?

"Um..." he began, slightly uncertainly, "Isn't your outfit very cold for a February afternoon? And... Doesn't the ground hurt your feet? Do you want me to buy you something... Better suited to your surrounding for you to wear before we eat?"

Kore blinked at the young man and then looked down at herself. What she was wearing certainly didn't seem very odd to her - in fact, it felt normal, felt comfortable - although it was rather different from what he was wearing. 'Better suited'? She wondered. Cold?

The air around her was very chilly, but Kore hadn't really noticed it. She'd been in the park for at least a few days now and had never noticed the bite of the air until now. A breeze ran through the trees, stirring the folds of her dress, but Kore didn't shiver. For some reason, the cold didn't really affect her, except to make her mildly sleepy. She suppressed a yawn and then looked at the young man again. Certainly, his clothes were not at all like hers - she couldn't remember seeing anyone dressed as he was ever, and despite the fact that Kore knew that she technically couldn't remember anything at the moment, the garments still looked strange and unfamiliar. He looked almost clown-like to her eyes - and he didn't have a cloak.

"I'm not cold," She said, but then hesitated. She had seen other people pass by the trees and plants - they had mostly been dressed as he had been, that blue, striated material and the color black being the most common. Are they all in mourning? She had wondered.

"But...I wouldn't mind...changing my outfit." She looked at him again, taking in his clothes one more time and then asked, "Would it be to one like yours?"

She blinked in total confusion, glancing down at her outfit. Then she lifted her eyes to run them over him. Conor wasn’t entirely sure what she was thinking but didn’t speak, allowing her to think.

Eventually, she replied, “I'm not cold.”

Then she paused before saying hesitantly, “But, I wouldn’t mind changing my outfit. Would it be to one like yours?”

He looked at her for a moment, confused, “Well, um… Similar…” he paused. She didn’t seem offended by his proposal, she simply looked perplexed. With most girls, if you even suggested they change what they were wearing, they would immediately assume you didn’t like their outfit. This girl seemed more open to opinion, but not out of choice. She just didn’t seem to understand. She didn’t seem to get that what she was wearing was earning her stares from passers-by. And how wasn’t she cold? It was a bitter February afternoon and the wind wafted through the trees, bringing a chilling breeze.

He struggled with how to explain to Kore why she needed to change and exactly what into. He’d never been good with words. English was always his worse subject at school. He’d never known how turn all those vibrant, animated thoughts that just felt too much to become simple, plain black and white words. That’s why he’d always liked art best. Painting and drawing; replicating life in a way that truly captured it. Which is how he came to the conclusion that really, he might as well just show her what he meant.

“Come on, I’ll show you,” said with a smile. A glimmer flickered in his eye, he was really genuinely enjoying talking to the cute, but slightly crazy girl.

He glanced behind him and motioned for Kore to follow him as he started towards the shops.

Conor seemed confused by her words, and his answer, when it came, was hesitant and not very sure sounding. He was watching her again, his eyes crinkled a bit in - concern - confusion? She wasn't quite sure. They stood in silence for several moments, the feeling in the air not exactly comfortable, but then, not uncomfortable either. It was just silence. Just quiet.

And then, just as Kore started to look at Conor's clothes again, wondering how they would look on her - a bit of vanity was still piquing against her mind - Conor smiled and turned towards an exit out of the trees, saying, "Come on, I'll show you."

Obediently, Kore trotted after him. When she touched the dry, grainy, white ground outside the trees, she shivered slightly, the cold of that surface seeping up through her bones. She could feel a bit of her energy seeping away as she stepped from the trees. It was not a nice feeling, and Kore had a wish to run back to them, a feeling that was countered almost equally by the desire to eat something. She wondered what there would be to eat - the pastry that she had stolen last time had seemed...dry - very well-made, very good work - but not as intense as the foods that Kore felt that she normally ate.

As she aligned with Conor, she looked up at him and asked, "Why do I need to change clothes? Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing? Why are you wearing that? You look...strange. And -"

Someone - a businesswoman in a black suit and pencil skirt with large feels - pushed past Kore, knocking Kore onto the street as they did so. Kore's feet hit blacktop, gravel, and she winced in pain, hopping back onto the pavement and kneeling down to look at her feet. They were scored with tiny cuts.

Kore looked over her shoulder.

The woman was gone, disappeared in the crowd of busy, busy people.

Kore began to follow him, out of the trees and onto the pavement. She fell into step beside him, her bare feet in line with his covered ones. It was a strange sight; a modern, normal looking boy walking beside a bare footed, strangely clothed, yet undeniably beautiful girl.

She looked up at him, "Why do I need to change clothes? Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing? Why are you wearing that? You look...strange."

Conor nearly laughed at that, if he hadn't been worrying about how to explain to her what exactly was wrong with what she was wearing. Now, Conor had never exactly considered himself much of an expert in fashion but he'd always kept pretty mainstream in his tastes. And so, never before had he been told he had looked strange. He wasn't totally sure how to reply. He also didn't have a clue how to explain to the girl why she couldn't walk round New York in her current attire if she wanted to avoid the more unpleasant side of the city. But, he didn't end up having to answer her question in the end.

She continued, "And -" but didn't get very far. At that moment, a businesswoman barged past her, knocking her into the street. Conor watched powerlessly as bare feet hit the tarmac and she winced as the little bits of loose gravel cut into her soft feet. She quickly leapt back to the pavement before Conor had chance to react and dropped to her knees, looking at her cut feet.

"Watch where you're going!" he shouted angrily after the quickly retreating woman. Conor was usually a pretty calm person, but he felt strangely protective of this girl. Like, she was his personal responsibility and if anything were done to her, it was done to him too.

He knelt down to Kore. The crowds moved around them, muttering angrily under their breaths but none daring to address them personally.

"Are you okay?" he said, concern filling his chocolate colored eyes.

Happy that she wasn't badly injured, he gave her a small smile, "And this is why you need shoes."

He glanced at her bare arms, they were littered with little goosebumps and she was shivering slightly, "You look cold. Here, take this." He wrapped his jacket round her delicate, pale shoulders. He stood up and offered her a hand to help her up.

Conor's voice, loud and strong drew Kore's gaze to him. She blinked at him as he glared after the woman who was already far gone and then dropped down next to her. Her eyes followed us, and she blinked into his dark eyes. There was something warm and gentle there - concern for her - concern, but - why? It was not as if she was terribly hurt. There were just some small cuts on her foot - small cuts and just a bit of pain. A bit of pain magnified by the feeling that she didn't normally get hurt -

"Are you okay?"

Kore nodded. "I'm - fine." Do I look hurt? She wondered, glancing at her arms briefly before returning her gaze to him.

He smiled slightly, almost relaxing a bit in relief. "And this is why you need shoes."

That made Kore's eyes widen.

Need?

She examined her feet as Conor removed his jacket from around his frame and draped it over hers. It fell over her shoulders and would probably have reached to mid-thigh had she been standing, making it a good coat for warmth. She looked at it briefly and then, her attention was diverted again as Conor lifted himself back to a standing position and then extended a hand to her, an offer of help.

Kore looked at it and then returned her gaze to her feet.

The tiny cuts had closed, leaving smooth, unbroken skin, pale and soft.

As she took Conor's hand and pulled herself to her feet, Kore lifted one of her feet, balancing carefully, and then showed the white bottom to Conor for a moment before looking up at him.

"Do I...really need shoes?"

Conor felt her slip her hand into his. It was thin and delicate, like it could be snapped so easily. They were smooth and soft, like she hadn't had to do a day of work in her life. Her pale skin against his tanned, almost poetic. And it felt weirdly right. But he was instantly drawn from his thoughts by something else.

Using his hand for balance, she used her free hand to lift a foot to show him. For a second he looked puzzled, what was he supposed to be looking at? All his thoughts about her hand had drawn him away from the conversation and it took her speaking for him to realise.

"Do I... Really need shoes?" she asked innocently.

It was then that it clicked. Her previously cut feet had returned to their original smooth, soft, pale and totally undamaged state.

"Wh- What?" he said, totally in awe.

He looked into her brown eyes. They looked wide and innocent. Almost puzzled by his reaction. She, apparently, didn't seem to recognise this miracle healing as anything out of the ordinary. In fact, she seemed to be looking at him more like he was the strange one, rather than him.

"Whoa..." he said softly. "That's... That's impossible."

He blinked a couple of times to check he wasn't imagining what he saw, but when he looked again nothing had changed, they were still perfect and clear of any marks at all. He was certain they'd been there before, he'd seen them. And now they were gone, just like that...

"No, no way. How the hell, what the hell, that couldn't just, no!" he stumbled over his words, totally baffled by it.

He waited a couple of seconds. took a deep breath, to steady his tone, "Kore, does this usually happen?"

Is...something weird? Kore wondered. He was staring at her feet intently, seemingly amazed by what he saw but - it was just skin. He lifted his head to meet her eyes, staring at her in something like astonishment and then dropped his gaze back to her feet, murmuring something, seemingly to himself, because they went by too lightly under the noise - people talking, shoes clacking, something honking, like ducks - around them for Kore to actually hear and comprehend.

"No, no way. How the hell, what the hell, that couldn't just, no!"

Eyes widening slightly, Kore stepped back, putting her foot back down. It was hard for her to retreat too much since her hand was still in his and the crowd was still rushing about them. There were grumbles about the crazy pair that stood in the middle of the street, but nobody cared enough to say something directly to them.

Hell.

Something in Kore's mind rang at the sound. It wasn't quite the word that she was looking for, but it was something so close that it almost hooked memories from the abyss of darkness and headaches. Hell. She knew that word. Hell was a place for the dead - the kingdom of the dead. But there was something not quite right about the connotation of Hell. It seemed negative, cold, dark - bad. And that wasn't what Hell was. Hell was not good, not bad, just - just a place for the dead to reside.

And maybe get punished. But then, those who were punished always deserved it.

There's no point in fighting death, Kore thought, slowly, the words falling into place with any effort on her part. It will come to everyone. It is something preordained by -

Conor's voice shook her out of her trance. She looked back up at him, only realizing then that her gaze had dropped to the pavement and the feet stomping on it without regard.

"Kore, does this usually happen?"

'This'...? Confusion twisted Kore's face. What was Conor talking about - and then it clicked. She looked down at the pavement again, more specifically at her feet and the skin that was unbroken - there was no trace at all that she had ever slipped and been hurt. Usually, she thought... Usually. The word didn't mean much to her, since her present situation on expanded to a few days back.

"Um," She said finally. "It -" And then was interrupted by another growl from her stomach and a more insistent feeling that Kore was slowly beginning to identify as intense hunger. She was sure now - it was a feeling that she had never before experienced in her life - and she was fairly sure that she didn't like it. Everything else seemed to fade out of importance as the hunger swarmed over her mind. She pulled her hand from Conor's and adjusted the jacket around her so that it looked like she was just wearing a jacket over a nice dress. She looked back up at Conor, obstinacy in her eyes.

"Can we get food?"

Conor didn't think he'd ever seen anyone look more confused in his life. The puzzled expression spread across her face. He might as well have been speaking another language for all she seemed to understand. Then it seemed to click. She looked less confused. Though that didn't really seem to help as she stammered the start of a reply. 

"Um... It..." she replied. She clearly had no idea what she was going to say next. Either, she was trying, albeit badly, to hide something from him. Or, she knew as little as him, maybe less. Either way, he didn't seem to be getting anything from her. 

Then her stomach began to rumble again and she quickly lifted her eyes to meet his, adjusting his jacket so she looked mildly more normal, "Can we get food?"

She sounded stubborn, almost as if it was more of a statement than a question. He sighed. On the one hand, he had a girl who may or may not be crazy asking him to buy her food and refusing to tell him pretty much anything. Any normal person would have simply walked away. But on the other hand, it was clear this girl was special. Cuts that would have usually taken at least a few days to heal, but most likely a week, had vanished in a matter of seconds. She was strange and crazy and maybe a little bit rude, but she was special. She was exciting and interesting. And, more to the point, she was alone. She was scared, alone, confused and starving hungry in a big city. No matter what she was, she needed his help. He had always been the kind of person to offer the help, and today would be no exemption, no matter the circumstances. And, besides, he though, more time in a more relaxed setting when she wasn't starving would give him more time to work out what exactly was going on.

"Right, fine. Come with me," he said, beginning to walk.

It only took a few minutes to reach Pizza Hut and they'd managed it pretty much unscathed. There hadn't been as many weird looks as Conor had been expecting and thankfully he hadn't seen anyone he knew...

"Two, please," he said to the waiter, "I want one by the window, at the edge, away from all the busyness. And I need quick service," he finished, slipping him a few dollar bills.

He'd learnt fast from his needy, fussy, choosy mother that the way to get something done was to show them money. And it wasn't exactly like he had another use for it...

The waiter immediately gave them a table, "Can I take your order now so we can be sure to give you the fastest possible service?"

"Kore?" Conor said to her, handing her a menu.

As Conor began to walk, Kore stepped after him, staying close to avoid being lost in the crowd. She kept her eyes lowered for the most part, following Conor's sneakers through the crowd - it kept her from walking too fast or too slow and either running into him or losing him. People walked by her in a blur of shades, but the feet - much larger than her own - stayed constant, a decent pace that carried them through the people and landed them in front of a diner with a large sign on top that was emblazoned with the words 'Pizza Hut'.

Conor stepped in first, Kore close behind him. She watched, interested as he handed green paper - money - over to the waiter, who glanced at it, took the money and then quickly stuffed it away before leading them to a table, near the back of the store. It was right next to signs that led to bathroom, with a couch seat and a window at the back. After a moment's hesitation, she slid behind the table to the couch, leaning back against the interesting leather material used on the back. It was squishy, comfortable, but not very luxurious.

As soon as the two had situated themselves comfortably, the waiter whipped out a notepad and a pen and asked, "Can I take your order now so we can be sure to give you the fastest possible service?"

"Kore?" Conor handed her a menu.

Kore ran her eyes down the words - most of the seemed unfamiliar, but the pictures looked nice enough. She pointed at one of them - one that had words scrawled near the bottom in a type that was supposed to look like handwritten text. "This one."

The waiter glanced over her shoulder. "The Tuscani Meaty Marinara?"

Kore nodded.

"Alright, and to drink?"

Shaking her head, Kore flipped through the menu, glancing at the words that looked barely comprehensible to her and asked, "Water?"

"Of course. And you sir?"

Kore's eyes swept over the words and she pointed at one. Confusion was still written across her face and Conor was still unsure if she actually knew what she was doing. Let alone what she was ordering.

"Alright, and to drink?" the waiter asked Kore politely. 

She took another equally confused moment to look at the menu before looking up and replying, "Water?" It was said more like a question than a statement. The waiter acknowledged her order and took a note of it before turning to Conor. 

"And you Sir?" he said. 

Conor was an old pro at this. His mum had never cooked for them, she said it wasn't really her think. Sure there was the house cook but Conor found everything she cooked so boring, he'd often eat out just to avoid eating at home. 

So when the waiter asked him what he would like Conor felt his eyes instinctively scanning the menu before replying smoothly without a hint of hesitation, "And a small pepperoni pizza for me. And a glass of water too."

The waiter nodded. "We'll be sure to have them with you very soon, Sir," he said before he vanished off to give their order to the kitchen, no doubt.

He looked over at Kore and said with a smile, "So are you going to tell me how the little foot trick worker or are you going to leave me in the dark forever?"

On the way to Pizza Hut Conor had concluded the healing must have just been a trick. It must have been some kind of magic trick to get his attention. There was no way she could have just healed, was there?

His movements were very smooth - almost practiced - as he ordered his food, and that combined with the money slippage from earlier almost made Kore wonder. She looked at him intensely as the waiter nodded and then hurried off, then tried to soften her gaze as he looked at her. There was something in her that was starting to wonder just what kind of a person Conor was - he certainly seemed nice enough but - the way that he threw money around - the way that he could deal with people like they were things to be used almost... it was a bit unnerving - and also, just a bit familiar.

Conor smiled at her - it didn't seem like he had noticed her intense gaze. He was rather handsome, Kore realized. She felt a twinge of guilt in her hand, but she wasn't quite sure why.

"So are you going to tell me how the little foot trick worked or are you going to leave me in the dark forever?"

Trick? Kore wondered. She blinked up at him, confused, the other thoughts fading. For a moment she wasn't sure what to say so she finally asked, hesitantly, "Trick?" She paused and then said, slowly, "There wasn't any trick." She looked down at her feet, which were still bare. No one had been looking down when she'd come in, and the store wasn't all that busy yet, although young men and women - all looking around Conor's age - were beginning to pile in. They hadn't been noticed yet, however, and no one seemed to have realized that Kore wasn't wearing any shoes or that she was dressed in an outfit that was much less modern than many of the outfits being flaunted around.

Carefully, Kore lifted her foot and held her hand over the pure, white skin. There weren't even calluses on the bottom of her feet, something very unusual considering she had spent the last three days walking around a park littered with twigs, bugs, and little pebbles.

When she was done re-examining her feet, she looked back up at Conor and shook her head. "There's no trick," She repeated. "I don't get hurt. I -" She shrugged and then looked rather curiously at him. "Do you not do that? Do you not heal automatically?"

The people were starting to settle at tables, placing orders, laughing. Some of the sounds were beautiful - some of the others not so much, but most of them just milled together into a cacophony of noise. A few people had noticed the two of them sitting in the corner, away from the rest of the crowd. The servers were doing their best to keep people away from them - most likely due to Conor's request, but the restaurant was filling up fast and places to sit were quickly becoming extinct, and a long line was still waiting to be seated. Some of the people who had already finished getting settled and placing their orders had spotted them and were talking quietly, their eyes and voices flicking over every few minutes.

Again, Kore looked at him, confused. He was starting to wonder if actually, confused was her standard facial expression.

"Trick?" She paused before finishing, "There wasn't any trick."

She then lifted her foot once more and took her time, examining in. But still, she seemed to find nothing amiss.

She looked up at him again and shook her head, "There is no trick. I don't get hurt. I -"

She broke off with a shrug and simply looked at him. However, her expression was no longer confused. In fact, she was now wearing the same expression he had for the past half an hour. She was looking at him like he was the strange one, not her. She evidently didn't think anything of her feet just healing. And what did she mean by 'I don't get hurt'? Of course she got hurt. Everyone get's hurt. How was it possible that she just 'didn't get hurt'? She must be messing him about. There must be a trick in there somewhere.

"Do you not do that? Do you not heal automatically?" she asked. Her tone was curious. There was no uncertainty surrounding herself in it, only him. She sounded so convinced that it even made Conor wonder for a second if there was actually something wrong with him, if he was actually supposed to heal like she did. But that was crazy. No. No way. Sure, they had all this kind of stuff in sci-fi movies, but not in real life.

"Um... Not exactly..." he replied slowly.

Conor thought for a moment. Okay, let's say, by some miracle, this girl wasn't lying and there is no trick. What if really does always happen to her and she just heals instantly? What does that make her? She's certainly not normal, and probably not human; no human he'd ever met could do that. Okay, so saying he was going to go with this crazy thesis and that this girl he had met, sitting alone in the park in a strange outfit was actually not human, what exactly did that make her? He considered just coming straight out and asking her what it was that she actually was. But, when he thought the words over in his head they sounded kind of rude. So, he decided to stick to the safer path and work it out himself.

"So, is there... Anything else you can... Do?" he asked curiously.

Kore tilted her to the side and stared at Conor. He'd gone silent after the 'not exactly' and now seemed to be deep in thought, considering what she had said. She wasn't quite sure why, although she did have a faint feeling that she and Conor were fundamentally different. Something about being...what was the word?

She couldn't remember.

Finally, Conor seemed to come out of his trance and asked her, curiously, "So, is there... Anything else you can... Do?"

The question took Kore by surprise. It wasn't one that she was expecting to hear, and she didn't know how to respond to it. Was there anything else that she could do? Well, she could breathe and walk and talk - but he had already seen all of that. She obviously healed faster than he did - there was a possibility that she digested faster as well, but that had yet to be confirmed. She glanced at the kitchen absently, before returning to the question at hand. What else could she do? That was actually a good question - she wasn't even sure what the right answer was. If there was a right answer.

After a moment, Kore shrugged helplessly and opened her mouth to say, "I'm not sure what you mean - I mean - I breathe - air? But I don't think I have to. I can make plants move. They listen to me. I can make them grow faster, too. I -"

"Conor ~ Hey, Conor ~"

Distracted by the call, Kore broke off in the middle of her sentence and glanced away from Conor's eyes and turned to face the rest of the diner. A brunette with blond streaks in her chocolately locks was waving over at them. She had on light, glitter eyeshadow and mascara and looked as if they doubled the length of her eyelashes. It was a pretty effect, and Kore admired it, although it was a bit distracting. The girl seemed to be with a few friends, to whom she said a few words and then patted one guy on the back before making her way over to Conor and Kore's table.

She slid into the seat next to Conor and smiled at him warmly. "Hey, Conor. How're you doing? If you were going to just come to Pizza Hut, you should have just come with us." Her eyes flicked to Kore and she cocked her head to the side and smiled. "Or is this a date~?"

Kore stared at him, as if she was slightly stunned by his question. Conor almost laughed. She was stunned by his question yet she thought it was totally normal to heal almost instantly. She glanced over in the direction of the kitchen, contemplating his question before turning back to him and shrugging.

"I'm not sure what you mean. - I mean - I breathe - air? But I don't think I have to. I can make plants move. They listen to me. I can make them grow faster, too. I -" she was cut off.

"Conor ~ Hey, Conor ~" a voice from across the restaurant called his name. He spun his head instantly to locate the source of the sound. He immediately recognised the brunette girl with blonde streaks dyed through her hair as Chloe from school. They’d done a stint as a couple a year ago but they’d managed to end it fairly amicably and they stayed friends. Although this wasn’t the group he’d usually hang around with, he was still good friends with most of them and knew them quite well. She gave him a huge beaming smile, waving at them. Behind her, a few others who he recognised as Ella, Jacob, Danielle, Max, Braden and another girl he couldn’t quite remember the name of were sat at a table. Danielle and the girl he couldn’t remember the name of were sharing one; Ella was sat on Braden’s lap; Max was sat on the corner of the table and Jacob and Chloe, up until a moment or two ago, had been sat together on the sofa, Jacob’s arm slung casually round her shoulder. They all held drinks but there was no food yet. She said something to Ella and Braden and patted Jacob on the back before turning her attention back to Conor and Kore. She crossed the room to meet them and slipped into a seat next to Conor.

She flashed him another smile and spoke to him in a friendly tone, "Hey, Conor. How're you doing? If you were going to just come to Pizza Hut, you should have just come with us."
Conor’s eye’s darted from her to Kore to the table and back again. His mind began to whirr, trying to come up with an answer to her unhelpful question. Turns out, that was the least of his worries. She hardly even paused for breath before asking an even more uncomfortable question.

Her eyes flicked towards Kore and she asked slowly, "Or is this a date~?"

“Uh…” Conor stammered. He’d never been a great liar so he hoped this came out sounding natural, “No, it’s not a date. This is Kore. She’s a… Um… Friend of my Mom’s daughter. I was asked to take her out and get her something to eat.”
He shot Kore a hard stare which he hoped read something along the lines of, ‘shut up and go with it’.

The expression on Conor's face was either one of complete discomfort and embarrassment or one of irritation - Kore wasn't quite sure which it was, although the former did seem to make more sense considering Conor's stammering. Kore turned her head to look back and forth between him and the girl who had come up to them, slightly confused at the situation. The question hadn't seemed all that threatening, so she didn't know why Conor was suddenly so nervous-looking.

So, Kore listened to Conor's ranting intently, and about halfway through had to cover her mouth to keep anyone from seeing the smile on her face.

'Friend of my Mom's daughter'? Given his state, Kore was fairly sure that Conor didn't realize what he had just said. If the words had been 'daughter of my Mom's friend', that would have made a lot more sense, but the order they were in currently - 'friend of my Mom's daughter' - wouldn't that just be your sister's friend? Kore wondered, still smiling. And though she couldn't remember any interpersonal relationships of her own, she was fairly certain that sisters didn't ask their brothers to take their friends out to get something unless they were setting them up.

And underneath the amusement was a bit of confusion - why was Conor lying? Was there something wrong with being with her?

Before she could ask Conor this, his eyes flicked to hers, and they were very, very dark. It was only for a moment, but it was scary enough that Kore closed her mouth and didn't ask anything. She looked down, her amusement fading quickly.

"Oh," The girl said - she either hadn't noticed Conor's slip-up and his glare or she was pretending that she hadn't. She gave Conor a light hug and Kore a brief smile. "I see. Parental duties" Her right eyelid dipped in what might have been a wink as she slid to her feet again. "Then I'll just leave the two of you alone." She waved at Conor. "Bye Conor ~" And then gave Kore another, much more obvious wink, "Bye Miss ~" before walking back to her table and joining the rest of her friends.

Kore blinked at her for a moment and then looked at Conor, the memory of the glare from a few seconds ago fading already. "She's pretty," Kore remarked absently. And then silence - she didn't know what to say, and it seemed better to let the silence stew.