Raven and Gifteds random 1x1s

[Gifted]

Olivia was chatting with a customer when Ben came down. "Would you like to try a free sample of our new red velvet cupcakes?" She offered.
"Sure!" The customer took one. "Mmm, these are really good!"
"We've just started making them. They're $8.99 for a box of a dozen..."
"Well of course, nobody bakes a cupcake like Maria!" The two laughed.
"Thank you." Olivia replied, and she continued going over prices with the customer.

[Raven]

"I'm going out, Maria," Ben said. It felt wrong in his mouth. "I should be back by tonight." He left the shop, and started trying to figure out where he was.

[Gifted]

"Bye!" She waved.
Ben was still in the same town, actually far closer to the hotel than he'd been in the store front. He found it again after about twenty minutes of wandering.

[Raven]

Ben went to the counter. "I heard Miss Wenkeling was staying here?" he asked, quietly.

[Gifted]

"Oh yes, sir, but she checked out two hours ago." The man at the front desk replied. "She said she and her friend had to get home. My apologies."

[Raven]

"Oh, it's no problem. I just wanted to thank her. I couldn't come before now," Ben said, sounding genuinely disappointed. That creep had gone home with Joan? Now what?

[Gifted]

"Well, I'm sorry you weren't able too. Have a nice day, sir."

[Raven]

"You too," Ben said, and left. He'd have to get back there somehow. Maybe he could get a map somewhere... He'd have to do everything himself. No one would believe the truth, not any part of it. He started looking through town for a police station.

[Gifted]

There was in face a police station right on the edge of town, closest to the forest. But it was small and understaffed. There were only two officers inside when Ben arrived.

[Raven]

"Ah, do you know where I could get a map of the area?" Ben asked.

[Gifted]

"Oh, yeah any of the little tourist shops will have them."
"Hang on I think I might have one." The other officer said
"Why do you have a map?"
"It was to give to my grandmother, but they're easy enough to find, I can pick up a new one." The officer gave Ben the map. It was of the whole city as well as the trails in the nearby forest. "Planning on hiking?"

[Raven]

"Yeah, I'm thinking about it," Ben answered. "Thank you." He couldn't help but wonder how far into the woods Isobel's cabin was. Was it similar to theirs in his world?

[Gifted]

"Well, be safe. There's been a lot of wildlife on the trails recently." The police officer told him.

[Raven]

"I'll keep that in mind," Ben said. Hopefully anything he found he could deter without hurting too badly. "Thank you again." Ben left the station, looking the map over. Joan had pointed him in the general direction of Isobel's home, but he wasn't sure the path there would be on the maps, since they probably wouldn't be entirely public. He wandered back to that area.

[Gifted]

The forest was alive with the noise of creatures. It was a very peaceful walk down the trail, but the deeper in one got the harder it was to tell which way you'd come from. There were so many branching-off pathways, not t mention some that looked like someone had dug them out rather than being taken care of by whoever takes care of the trails in these parks.