Well, she'd just left school and was walking home, then there had been that ... incident? Incident, right, with Ulquiorra crying about kids, which had been strange, but Ichigo would say she really wasn't one to make that kind of comment. Then again, just this once, he might agree with her. Who knew?
Then there had been that wierd portal-type thing that had just opened up underneath her, and that was when she stopped hearing Ulquiorra crying about kids, and found herself sitting on top of a coffin in what looked like someone else's house. She wasn't really all that good with the shinigami stuff yet, she was getting better, but she knew, somehow, that she was more of a sidelines person - as in, the person watching from them, fretting, and providing support when she was allowed to. Or maybe that was wrong. She often was, apparently.
Well, she could probably check the place out and see if there were any lingering souls she could send on to Soul Society anyway. She'd mostly gotten the hang of that.
"Hello?" she called. "Any wandering souls that want to pass on?"
Okay, so she wasn't a master of it yet!
"Very much," came an answer from beneath her. "But as I am still somehow alive, I think I shall have to pass on that generous offer."
Orihime jumped off the coffin and pried the lid open. "Ooh," she said. "If you're not dead, then you really shouldn't be in a coffin," the girl pointed out. "If you're alive, then you should be out there living!"
"I have nothing to live for," the dark-haired man answered, his eyes not opening.
"How's about you actually get out of there and go find something then?" she suggested. "I know I was really down after my brother died, but I go out and smile every day now, so that I can tell him I led a fulfilling life when I eventually join him."
"Hm," the man said. "The idea has some merit," he allowed, then opened his eyes. They were red. "My name is Vincent Valentine. Who are you?"
"Orihime! Orihime Inoue! Now come on! I'm sure there's a big wide world out there with someone who's just waiting to meet you!" After all, Ulquiorra had been waiting to meet her, for some time it seemed, and was starting to get odd to the point where she'd probably have to agree to go on a date with him simply because he was being so sweet and funny.
"Er, hello?" another, gruffer voice called out. "Damn this place is creepy. Can't believe Cloud convinced me to look in here. Is there anybody in here?"
Orihime smiled at Vincent. "See? They even got sick of waiting and decided to come to you!"
The owner of this new voice walked into the room then. He was blonde, wore aviator goggles and jacket, and appeared to be smoking.
"Er..."
Another portal opened beneath Orhime and she, once more, fell through. "Go on Vincent!" she called as she disappeared.
The red-eyed man smiled faintly.
"Cid Highwind," the blonde said by way of introduction. "Feel like an adventure?" he offered weakly.
"Sure," Vincent answered.
Ulquiorra blinked, rubbed his eyes, then blinked again. Orhime had just vanished from in front of him. A few moment later, he heard the improbability of her voice above him, and he looked up. She was falling. Towards him. He held out his arms and caught her.
"Kids?" he asked.
Orhime laughed. "Date first," she answered with a smile.