Dyss hadn't necessarily been trying to eavesdrop... At least not on Izumi in particular. It was just something he'd heard, and something that struck him as unfair... She seemed to be using Izumi... That wasn't right...

He didn't push things, though. Izumi definitely didn't need to think about it while she was working so hard. And, for that matter, he was "hungry" again... This world was so inconvenient sometimes. At this rate, he'd spend his entire life hungry...

"That sounds good..."

It was an odd feeling, having no idea who may be watching or listening in the crowd around him in the diner. Like being in the center of a storm, and having no idea which way the storm was going next...

"Okay, well, um . . . this is actually a made-to-order diner. The cooks prepare the orders to the very best of their ability and if they don't know how to make it someone goes out to the market and finds out and files it away so they'll always know how, or if we need certain ingredients someone can go to the market and get those, too--you can get almost anything there."

Izumi could still ramble on despite how worn out she was after a half a day of work. A lunch break was going to be greatly appreciated.

"So, um, would you like anything in parti--" she started, until remembering that Dyss barely even knew what food was or how to eat it, let alone any particulars. "Oh, um, h-how about I just put in an order for something light on the stomach? So you can digest it easier."

And with that, she was gone--but not for long. Izumi was only gone for a few seconds, just long enough to share dialog with another employee. Dyss would have been able to pick out voics, but not necessarily the words; too muffled, too indistinct, but only because of the numerous other conversations going on around them.

"Okay, there. I put in a couple of orders for us--should be out in the next ten minutes . . . ummmm, s-so, umm, how has your morning been?"

Dyss would have been completely clueless on what to order, as Izumi had expected. He wasn't even sure what the difference between a light meal and a heavy meal was. The only thing he really knew was that for some reason, the "chicken" he'd had the night before didn't seem quite right. Not that it tasted bad or made him sick, it just made him feel bad, somehow...

When Izumi returned, Dyss was glad to have someone to talk to again. It was strange, to feel so lonely when there were so many people around. He wasn't of this world, though. Yet...

"Very... Quiet. Well... Not quiet, but I didn't have anyone to talk to. You sound so tired..."

"O-oh--um, I-I'm sorry," Izumi sighed.

She had promised that she'd come by and talk to him every so often, after all. Izumi felt that she had every reason to apologize, even if she had wound up doing double the work and all that jazz. That was just an unfortunate circumstance--no excuse whatsoever!

"Yeah . . . nhh, well, um, I am working two shifts," she continued, "Not like, you know, a sixteen hour day--that's what a double shift usually is and I've worked a couple of those and then some, one time even a twenty hour shift, and I still had to work the next day, so I wound up getting three hours of sleep before waking up for a ten, and--umm, oh! S-sorry! Anyways! It's, um, it's that I'm doing the work for two people. Hostessing and waitressing. Kayla is a waitress and I'm a hostess--that's, um, well, basically, I greet customers at the door and figure out where to sit them and lead them there, then the waitress takes over by collecting orders and putting them in, getting them, bringing them out, and all of that. Doing both in the same shift, well, um, it has me rushing back and forth like a chicken with its head cut off . . ."

It was perfect, really. Izumi could talk forever, and Dyss had no idea what she was talking about--that said, he was learning all the while. An education that literally had nothing to do with his life, but he was learning nonetheless!

"But why...?"

Dyss didn't understand everything Izumi had said, or much of it at all, really. Work hadn't ever been an issue in Purgatory. It was just done. And everyone did their own share of the work without any prompting...

"Can't you just tell her no?"

"What do you mean?" Izumi asked, a bit surprised.

She didn't like the idea of turning someone down--or disappointing, or anything of the sort. Izumi didn't give that much thought, though. She was silent for a moment, but only because she was thinking of what to say.

"Ummm, well . . . I-I . . . I could've, yes," she trailed off.

Another female voice spoke up from the close vicinity, somewhere to the right. "Hey, Na-chan, I've got your orders."

"Oh! Thank you, Helena!" exclaimed Izumi.

Two plates were placed upon the table, one before Izumi, the other before Dyss. They were both different, with what sat before Izumi having a completely different scent than what was before Dyss.

"It's, um, tomato soup and grilled cheese," Izumi remarked, "It's really light on the stomach, but, um, it looks like they made a lot more than I thought . . ."

Dyss could smell the food before it arrived, his hands in contact with the table and his ears utilized to get an idea of where the food arrived. He wasn't sure what the food was, but he had an idea of what it was- something light, like last time. Something he could eat with his hands...

"It's okay. I'm really... Hungry."

Dyss would immediately reach forward with his right hand, failing to pick up the grilled cheese. Rather, he would stick his hand in the bowl of soup, biting his lip to avoid yelling out as he quickly withdrew the extremity, rubbing it on the side of his shirt to try to get the hot liquid off. He'd guessed at the wrong plate...

"Ouch..."

Dyss felt almost more embarrassed than anything at the way his hand was both red-stained and bright red beneath the soup itself...

"A-ah!" Izumi hushed her explanation to the best of her ability, "D-Dyss, that's not . . ."

She hushed herself even more, though, reducing her tone to a whisper. Izumi didn't want to draw attention to themselves. Dyss couldn't see it, even if there were all eyes on them, but if she was discreet about it, maybe he wouldn't feel self conscious about the possibility . . .

"Here, um, give me your hand . . ." Izumi set her right hand upon Dyss's wrist, coaxing him to bring his hand towards her.

Once there, she started to gently wipe his fingers off with some sort of towel. It wasn't a rough towel, nor did it feel like it had much absorbent capabilities, but it was still cleaning him off. She could get the burning pain to go away, but she could at least clean him up a bit. From there, Izumi guided his hand to the right of his plate, where familiar utensils were resting. When she spoke next, she whispered in a calming tone of voice--trying to keep him from getting too self conscious while also trying to inform him.

"Soup is always liquid, so, um, you always have to eat it with a spoon. The sandwich is right here, though," she guided his hand accordingly, "And a lot of people like to dip grilled cheese sandwiches in tomato soup. It's pretty good, you should give it a try--but lean forward, you know, over your plate and all, when you do. Tomato soup can stain really bad on clothes . . ."

Dyss would let Izumi guide his hands, gripping the bowl with his right hand, and the plate with his left, leaning forward over the food. The utensils weren't really going to work for a while. They were just too foreign, and he risked cutting or stabbing himself, as he had no feedback from his eyes...

"Thanks... What color does it stain?"

Dyss was curious about the possible consequences of the food on his clothes, though it didn't really bother him. It still felt strange, having to depend on Izumi to manage his life for him. That would change, though. He'd get used to it, and when everyone else showed up... Well, it would still be different...

"It stains red," she replied, "Umm . . . n-not like blood red or anything, but, um, more like . . . orange-red. Yeah! It's more of an orange-red than anything."

Assuming he didn't remember what tomato soup looked like, or, for that matter, he had never seen it before in his life, she didn't want to give him the wrong idea about it. Izumi didn't know if he was squeamish about blood or anything of the like. She was, though, and if she was blind and someone said "it stains red" in such an ominous way, she'd have flipped out just a bit, even if it was just in her mind.

"Don't worry, though. You didn't get any on you," and then, for something completely different: "Oh! Hey, do you want to go through the market for some new clothes after I'm done working?"

I'll be tired, but . . .

"I mean, um, I mean--if I'm going to help you get a bath tonight, you should at least have some clothes on hand, right?" Izumi asked rhetorically, "And with the tips I'm getting today, I should totally be able to afford it!"

Red didn't necessarily bother Dyss. Color had been rare in Purgatory, as evidenced by his gray clothes. He certainly wouldn't have immediately jumped to assuming it was blood colored... He didn't care if things got on his clothes, certainly.

"Yeah, I would. I wouldn't know what to get, though..."

Dyss couldn't see whatever he might be wearing, and certainly didn't worry too much about style. However, his sense of smell was better than ever, and even if it wasn't bothering people around him, his own clothes were bothering him. As Izumi mentioned the bath, his face turned red as he focused his attention on slowly dipping and eating his sandwich. He wanted to get cleaned up, but there were certain problems involved, particularly since he needed help...

"Don't worry, I'll pick something nice out for you," Izumi replied reassuringly.

She didn't think he was going to care much about what he wore, anyways--just that he was wearing something. Of course, he'd also probably not like it if people were laughing at him for wearing something completely ridiculous. As she ate, Izumi thought about that, and then about what sort of style of clothing Dyss should wear. If it was too off the wall, he'd just get odd stares, and maybe some ridicule, while they were outside. If all went well, she'd be able to afford buying him a couple of outfits without putting herself out of food for the next week. She'd already a good idea of what to buy him, too.

The girl finished her lunch with Dyss and collected their plates. She promised that she'd return to him once she was done working, and that in the future, she wouldn't be working this hard, so she'd be able to come by and talk to him more often than just during her lunch break.

As tiring as it was, it was pretty fruitful. She made the higher wage as a hostess and still collected tips. By the end of the day, she couldn't complain. She might have even be able to afford some for herself.

Izumi, as promised, had returned to collect Dyss once she was done. "All right! Well--if I sit down now, I'm not getting back up, so, um, would you like to go through the market with me? I have the perfect idea of what to buy for you, if the stall is still there~."

"I'm ready!"

Dyss was eager to go anywhere, really. It was nice to get out, but hours and hours of sitting in one place was driving him insane. He couldn't stand the inactivity. It was nicer than staying in bed all day, because he got to hear things, but he was so anxious to do anything, or try anything...

"Anything is fine..."

Dyss felt bad about needing Izumi to buy clothes for him, but he was a bit excited about the idea, too. Once he had changed clothes, there was so little about him that had come from Purgatory... He'd be closer to living in the real world. And closer to getting ready for the others to come...

"All righty! Well, um, let's go, then~" Izumi declared cheerily.

Izumi took Dyss's hand flat out and started off--quickly at first, with a skip in her step (despite how tired she was), but slowed down soon after the fresh outside air was in their faces.

As they walked, with Dyss having no idea where the hell he was going, there was a point when Dyss would feel a bit . . . crowded. It was as if he was back in the small hallway in Izumi's house, except it was moving, and wasn't a hallway at all--but other people, conversing and walking along, just like Dyss and Izumi. As soon as they started to bump shoulders with others, Izumi stopped walking.

"Okay, um, h-hold onto me tight, okay?" Izumi asked shakily, "There are a whole bunch of people here. There usually is around this time of day. It's going to get super crowded, and, um, if we're separated, we might have a tough time finding each other again. So, um, because you can't, um, well, you know--you should hold onto me and make sure you don't let go."

She didn't go into the "crowd" just yet, just waiting for Dyss to get more comfortable with being close to her, and holding onto her in whatever way he thought would be best in order to avoid losing each other. Well, whatever way happened to be in reason. She'd have definitely not been all right with his hands a bit too north.

The presence of so many people started to make Dyss nervous, as he couldn't see anything to avoid it. In fact, Dyss would start to frequently trip on feet and legs of the people around him, eventually causing him to fall towards Izumi, wrapping his arm around her back and stomach to keep from falling.

"Um... Sure..."

Dyss was a bit embarrassed still at needing so much help, but he wouldn't move his arm away, leaving his hand to sit flat against Izumi's diaphragm. His other arm was curled around him somewhat to protect him from bumping into other people.