[ Chihiro freezes where she stands, eyes wide, staring at the unfamiliar face with unfamiliar features. She knows how new arrivals simply appear, little rhyme or reason; she can remember how disoriented she was on her own arrival. For all her heart skips at the initial surprise, she makes herself breathe in, hands curling into loose fists at her sides.

She forces her hands flat, doing her best to be calm. That initial spike of mild fear fades, the acrid scent of it in the air only briefly; her heart takes longer to settle down. ]

It's okay. You don't have to be scared, it's disorienting for most all of us when we're new. You're new, aren't you?

[ Chihiro keeps her tone of voice calmer, a lulling cadence by merit of not wanting to speak too loudly. ]

I haven't walked into the um... into the walls like that, yet, but I've slid and fell into them. It kind of happens, especially if you're dodging cats.

[ There are like fifty cats down here. She dodges so many cats. ]