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Riri was pretty sure she was being followed, it was the only plausible explanation. Running into the same person at four separate location all on the very same day you met for the first time couldn't be coincidental. She had managed to never interact with this individual in the entire year she'd been at uni and now it seemed she couldn't get away from her if she tried.
The first interaction was at the local coffee shop, Riri had walked in and ordered her usual. She paid and then received her drink and began heading out. She was about to walk through the door when a girl stumbled in, yelling curses at someone outside. In the girl's disoriented state she didn't see Riri and would have run into her, if Riri wasn't paying attention. Riri quickly shot our her arm, stopping the girl and the collision. She offered an apology which Riri hummed and nodded to before exiting the establishment.
It was only a couple hours later when they would meet again. Riri had taken her seat at the edge of the middle row. That was her preferred location to sit in her psych class, it was close enough that she could clearly hear the professor while being an acceptable distance away, the position also allowed her quick access to the steps right beside where she sat that led out of the room. The position also seemed to ever carry a crowd. She knew that was more to do with her weeping angel demeanor and appearance more than where sat but it definitely helped. Just like previous classes, she had empty seats directly in front of and behind her, as well as two empty seats beside her. They were empty until one was quickly occupied just as the professor came in. She looked up to see who had taken the seat then saw that it was the same girl from the coffee shop.
"We meet again" the girl chuckled. Riri gave a curt nod in response and turned to face the professor. She had never seen the girl in this class before and she would know, idly scanning every room she was in was one of her favorite pass times.
A couple of hours later, they met again, in the restroom this time. Riri had just finished washing her hands and was about to leave the restroom when she was ran into by someone. Despite her own slight disorientation, she was able to stop the person from subsequently falling after the collision. A soft "are you okay?" escaped her lips.
"Yeah, thanks" it was her, again. The girl seemed to come to the same realization at the same time as her, because a sly grin appeared on her face as she righted herself and faced Riri.
"She speaks" the girl smiled, "You knowz we really gotta stop meeting like this"
"That we do" Riri responded before leaving the restroom.
At that point, Riri tried to convince herself she was being paranoid. Arkadi was somewhere hiding, on the run because of the active investigation into him and his dealings. He couldn't reach her or Kira, they were safe, they had gotten out. It was hard not to think this was another ploy of Arkadi's, after all he had done something similar twice before. He had previously orchestrated an informant to watch over her in both middle school and high school, although on both of those occasions it had been school staff and not a student but a student would be the best cover for college.
She was probably just overthinking things though, this is college. You run into random people multiple times, it happens. It doesn't mean, your evil sadistic father had sent someone to follow you in order to exact revenge for your role in helping take down his criminal empire. At least that's what Kira has said when Riri had called her to complain about her plight. Riri had to believe that Kira was right, eventually she would have to stop fearing that he was coming back and that started with believing that this random girl was just that a random girl. That became infinitely harder to believe however when said girl walked and sat at the same table she was currently located at in the library.
Twice was a coincidence, three times an anomaly, four times however was coordinated.
"Are you following me?" She questioned as the girl laid out her things on the table.
"I could ask you the same thing" the girl chuckled
"Given that you have always arrived second to every location, I'd say I alone has the right to ask that question"
"Chill winter soldier, I'm not following you"
"It can't just be a coincidence we've interacted four times today despite never meeting prior"
"It is weird but maybe it's fate, I'm not complaining as long as I get to see those pretty eyes"
Riri was stunned silent at the compliment, a blush creeping up her cheeks — she had never been more grateful to be wearing her mask— her eyes immediately losing all the interrogative intensity that had just held to look anywhere but at the beautiful girl sat in front of her.
"Don't get shy on me now" the girl teased, "how about a proper introduction, hi I'm Mary" Mary extended her hand
"I'm Riri" she shook her hand.
"A pretty name for a pretty girl" Mary smirked, and if Riri wasn't blushing before she sure was now.
They sat in silence for a while after that, occasionally stealing glances at each other, pretending that they didn't notice the other person looking before Mary broke the silence. She asked Riri about the psych class and the material for it, that then spawned into conversations about other classes and school. Before she knew it, a couple of hours had passed, books had been abandoned for flirty and fun conversations and all her fears of Mary being a spy for Arkadi had been allayed. Riri also got a chance to look at Mary as they talked, actually look at her. She noticed the perfectly done braids styled in twin ponytails, beautiful dark brown eyes —she figured it was fair game, since Mary had boldly states she stared at hers— the way she bit her whenever she made a flirty comment, they way her eyes shifted from Riri to the table on the rare occasions Riri made one in return. Maybe Mary was right, maybe it was fate, Riri had never believed in the supernatural or metaphysical but the ease with which conversation flowed between the two of them, the way she was naturally enthralled by everything Mary did like she was meant to be in Riri's life, like they were destined to know each other. Riri had never been the most sociable person, she had issues connecting with people, even with the friends she had now, they had stuttured and stumbled before getting to the relationships they had now but none of that was the case with Mary. A couple of hours ago, she was a random girl she had run into and now she felt like she had known her forever.
A call from Kira asking when she was coming home finally put an end to their conversation.
"This was fun"
"Yeah? Not bad for a stalker" Mary teased
"You are never going to let that go are you?"
"Probably not"
"I'll see you next week at psych class?" Riri gathered her things
"How about before then?"
"We don't have psych class till next week"
"I know silly, I mean how about we meet up before then. Say Saturday at the Coffee House, the place we first met"
"Ohkay, I'd like that" Riri tried and probably failed to hide her excitement.
"It's a date" Mary headed for the door. Riri watched in admiration and infatuation as she did, Mary had just left when she realized she didn't get her number. She was about to go after her when she saw the piece of paper on Mary's side of the table with her number on it. She put it in her pocket and left, a huge smile under her mask as she walked home. There was still a small possibility that Mary was a spy for Arkadi, but Riri really couldn't bring herself to care.
She's got a date.