Ari ran her fingers through her hair absentmindedly, looking out the window of the light rail. Her bags rested alongside her, full of her clothes, money, laptop, books, and other items. She had brought as much as she could carry-considering she wouldn't be home for a while. Her reflection in the window stared back at her, revealing the dark circles under her eyes and the overall exhaustion that plagued her face under her army patterned cap. She had fitted herself in comfortable jeans, while a black tank top formed snugly around her slender torso. Her arms were spotted with several small dark bruises, the darkest ones around her wrists. She didn't see the point of trying to cover them up.

"Mom, mommy, look!" a kid on the light rail tugged at his mother's skirt, pointing at her. Ari stared at him, knowing the reason for his staring.

"That girl has purple hair!"

Yes. Ever since birth, she had somehow managed to grow a headful of deep purple hair. She kind of liked it, actually. It wasn't neon bright or so dark it made her look sickly pale. It was just the perfect shade to fit her.

However, the rest of the world didn't seem to think so.

"Haku, quit staring!" The woman scolded. Sighing, Ari took off her hat, gathered up her hair, wrapped a band from her wrist around her hair, and shoved it up to the top of her head, replacing her hat. She used the window to tuck the remaining strands under the hat as well. It was just easier this way. She didn't want to be known as the new freak in her new neighborhood any earlier than needed. With any luck, no one would notice that her eyebrows weren't black, but a very dark shade of purple.

"Ma'am? Ma'am? Can you see me?"

Oh. That.

"Leave me alone." Ari muttered under her breath towards the transparent figure floating near her head. She didn't look, only felt its presence. She didn't particularly enjoy the forms these 'ghosts' appeared to her in. They were nearly ALWAYS gored in some way, and yet talked like civilized people, which in her opinion…was just creepy.

"So you CAN see me. Thank god. I'm new at this being dead stuff, can you point me in the right direction?"

Ari suppressed a groan. She cast a quick glance at the screen at the front of the car. Garu street was the next stop. She restrained herself from banging her head against the window. Six more stops until hers. This Karakura town was a large place. And unfortunately, knowing how stubborn spirits were, this one would probably be bugging her until she left….maybe even longer.

Even so. She slid off her backpack and unzipped a sidepocket, searching for a snack. She felt the ghost slide into the empty spot beside her.

"Ma'am? What's your name?"

Great. The gentle tone of the ghost's voice made it seem too rude to ignore her longer. She raised her head, and looked at the ghost, allowing a blank expression to drift across her face, as if she was spacing out.

"Ari." She said softly under the murmur of the other passengers. The ghost was that of a child, eleven, maybe twelve years of age. The girl, with blood spilling down from a nasty head wound, looked up at her with wonder. Then unexpectedly, the child latched onto her arm and started bawling.

"I was so scared! Waahhh! Mom and dad disappeared! I couldn't find them! No one I went to responded to me! They can't see me! They can't even HEAR me! Wahh!"

Despite herself, Ari's eyes softened. She grabbed her cell phone and reached around the ghost, making it seem as though she was looking at her phone, rather than embracing thin air. That's what it felt like, anyways. None of these 'ghosts' were ever substantial.

"Shh. You'll see them again soon enough." Ari mumbled, trying to comfort the bloody child. Brown eyes looked up at her, sniffling.

"You think so?"

"Yes. I'm sure of it." Ari reassured, trying not to look away at the sight of the child's horrific wounds. The child paused, seeming to contemplate something. Shyly the child met her eyes again.

"Can I stay with you until they come to get me?"

Oh boy. Ari reached up and tried to run her fingers through her hair, out of habit, only to meet her baseball cap. Who knew when the kid's parents were going to come back, or if they ever were going to? It would definitely get in the way of her trying to be normal, with a ghost kid following her around and asking her questions. Still. She couldn't very well leave the kid alone.

"Fine. But on one condition."

The girl's expression changed to cautious, and slightly anxious.

"What?" the innocent voice rang.

"You tell me your name."

Instantly the girl's expression changed, her face breaking into a child's crooked grin.

"Chihiro."