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Imogen had never been ‘tied to her mother’s apron strings’ in the history of Imogen – even as a young child, she’d been encouraged to go be independent, go play and explore out from under Sarah Farrago’s feet because mommy was busy. So it wasn’t that odd that after an emotional day of crying and coming home and crying some more she’d let Imo go out. What was a very odd experience for Imogen was to have a curfew to be back by and her mother’s mobile to text Sarah every hour but it was kind of understandable given her mother had just got her back after a year of thinking she was dead. Imo was alright with texting and stuff to make her mother happy of course; she’d not missed her really because she couldn’t remember much about being away but she hated to see her cry. It was just sort of weird.

And so, bemused but happy, the redhead had set out after a quick call to Sue to meet her at a pretty good pizza place that was roughly midway between her mother’s apartment and his hotel. There was much she could have been sad or gloomy about. Dead and missing students, lost memories for the latter half the year, all that old s**t. She’d thought about those things in hospital a lot though, she'd cried for people she'd known, she'd given herself headaches trying to remember past her cutoff date of memories. So instead she was going to focus on being out of said hospital, back in a skirt that flared when she danced, back reclaiming her life and herself…and getting pizza with Sue.

Now she just needed to collect the guy and get a good table.

“Rephrase it to ‘how determined are you to not eat here?’ and the answer is very.”

All she’d needed was to see the crowdedness and hear the horrible din from inside to change her mind about this place. The flyer she’d found when digging through takeaway menus in the drawer at home had sounded so promising too. How disappointing! No way were they going into that cacophonous muddle of people when they had other options. And other options that weren’t sitting outside and watching the cheese freeze on their pizza at that. Dining outside tonight was similarly unappealing. Unless Sue had wanted to stay, she'd have suggested leaving herself, he'd just beaten her to it.

“Need an alternate plan of action. Any idea where we could head for? Pizza is preferred but I'm not fussy.” She dismissed the people inside and turned to look at Sue, smiling ruefully. Coming here had not been a good pick on her part.

Imogen, when it came down to it, didn’t know Sue very well at all. She did however think pretty highly of him considering. He probably thought she was completely insane mind. Overly energetic, overly emotional stranger girl who can’t remember crap all about the last year but smiled at him like they were great friends? Oh yeah. He probably thought she was stark raving!

“It’s fun to wander anyway – I’ve discovered so many new places doing that.” Imogen agreed, looking pleased at the turn of events. If there was one thing she liked doing best besides dancing simply going out and trying to find new things to do or try had to be it. Kept life interesting and kept her active.

“My mother and me, we’d not long been moved to this city before Barren Hell happened, so I still have a lot of exploring to do.”

On impulse and without warning she turned so she was walking backwards. For a few beats of her internal soundtrack, a step or so ahead of him after that little move she studied Sue’s face trying to remember. It sort of helped, made it easier to dredge up what was forgotten.

This was the hazard of being out with Imo. She was prone to doing the odd random thing like walking backwards and waving her hands when she was happy, that some people found embarrassing even in private. She turned would again to walk beside him as if she hadn’t stopped and pronounced -

“Cats. Something to do with cats. I remember seeing you with them a lot, wasn't you talent something to do with them?” She bit her lip, thinking. She could just about remember Sue. Not because of the memory wipe of the latter half of her year at Barren Hell but because they'd just never really crossed paths. Different houses, rooms on different floors, different classes, different clubs, different friends...but she could remember seeing him with his four legged friends a lot even if she couldn't remember him with people so much.

“We didn’t really know each other then, did we? Back in Barren Hell I mean.”

Imo rolled her eyes and limply waved her hand dismissively towards the other couple. She wasn’t stupid enough to walk backwards when there was stuff in front of her to walk into. She’d not been anywhere near ‘em, the drama-whores. Nice of Sue to glare for her though.

She raised her eyebrows at how happy Sue sounded. Had he ever sounded that happy since they’d met in the hospital the first time? She pouted playfully, obviously not really upset. She was in much too good a mood to be brought down by speculation though she was curious now why he seemed so happy they’d been strangers – missing the old days or pleased they knew each other now? Either way, Imo just joked as they continued along the street.

“Must have been terrible.” Her gaze followed his finger as he pointed out Mezzaluna and dropped the hurt act, brightening at the prospect of warmth and food and trying a new place. “Looks good enough to me, let’s go.”

Hopefully this place’d be nicer inside than the last restaurant.

"Bit too...well, this is the kind of place you go on a date date to." Amused, she cast a sideways glance at Sue. Nice guy yes but her 'type' was usually curvier and lacked a Y-chromosome. She had a feeling he'd be as uncomfortable here as she'd perched on some weirdly shaped chair at a too small table that forced them too close together. Besides, having a glance at the people who were already seated and had food in front of them, they'd have to eat over priced posh pizza that didn't have enough toppings on.

"I feel like I'd need a wardrobe change into something more trendy just to get a glass of water." Between that and the look on Sue's face, she giggled and turned for the door. "Third time lucky maybe?"

The Mezzaluna had failed to impress.

"I was thinking Meadowview, Aggie is going there and it's not pricey but my mother is obsessed with getting me in at Crystal on a scholarship if we can. Partly because it'll look good - though not sure to who - and partly because she thinks it'll be safer somehow." Imogen didn't feel like she needed to explain just why her mother would be particular about her safety. Kind of went without saying that she was all shook up after the whole back from the dead and in hospital thing.

"Crystal is good for dance though. And hey, anywhere is better than Barren Hell. Where're you going?"

With the Mezzaluna behind them, there were a few more places along this street. Mostly retail, a small bookshop, a charity place, a gimmicky expensive Cornish pasty hatch, a clothes place...they'd have to try the next street for real food.

In the back of her head something told her something was weird but hey, the sign said pizza and that was what they were looking for! So the redhead pushed open the door, stepping inside, looking back towards the outside as she held the door open for Sue. There was another door after that, the kind that made sure to keep the cold air from outside out and the heat in and she opened that and stepped through.

Then Imo stopped in her tracks, mouth opening in surprise and her wide eyes even wider than usual. With her pale skin and her blush was not subtle at all.

'Pizza Specials' here were NOT what they were looking for.

The server at this place looked far far more annoyed than the ones at Mezzalune ever had and probably would be over in a second to deny that the pair of teenagers produce ID that showed that they were old enough - or that they get out. Swiftly.