Predicaments (x2)
The outside world was not something she desired. It was not something worth exploring, it was content with being dangerous and completely unjust. Kikumi had come to this conclusion many years ago when she stripped it bare. In doing this, she frequently stumbled upon cruelty, and when goodness seemed to prevail, she found small slivers of darkness creeping into the light of it. She was witness to the universe's biggest mistake, and although her outlook on life was strictly optimistic, she couldn't help but fall into a small cavity of pessimism when it came to the world. And what she had done to the world stripped it bare did the exact same to her. Her teeth chattered, her knuckles grew white as her fingers clung to the small box of cleaning supplies she had received as a gift. Kikumi felt exposed, something besides the moon was watching her. This was a feeling she had never succeeded at evading.
After a long while of walking through the dark outskirts of the city, shivers came and her hands grew clammy. She put the box down out of fear that it would fall from her grasp, and huffed out a few breaths. You know someone's going to try and murder you, don't you understand that, Kikumi? Of course, she thought, and I am well equipped at doing the same. But don't you know that they'll do it when you're alone, when you're vulnerable and without a weapon? I have a weapon! She huffed out again and folded her arms. Kikumi talked to her inner monologue while walking at a pace that was much too quick for someone who wasn't nervous about the position they found themselves in. I'm fine, I'm going home with all my new things. No one's going to hurt me, I've got my gun. It's in my box the box that you just set down? She stopped dead in her tracks, looked around. There were masses of people, many of which shuffled around her. Had she wandered onto a street near the alleyways? No, there was no time to think of that. Her gun was no longer with her, sitting in a opened up cardboard box on a dank alley
She turned to make a run for it, but there was someone who had not quite understood sidewalk etiquette and had done more than just bumped into her. "Please, please excuse me," She said, talking to a chest, staring at a dog tag. A.... Dog tag? "I'm so very sorry, you must believe me." Her eyes barely flickered up at the man. Someone had given her a rundown of his features days ago, but it was the dog tag, if all fails the dog tag will be the indicator. Oh God, no, oh please God. "I'm so scared." Tears were welding in her eyes, she forced them to fall. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry," She bit her lip as her arms wrapped around the man's torso. "I'm scared, you wouldn't believe how scared I am. I have to walk through the alleys to get to my house, please walk me there. It'd be so kind if you could walk me there."