A Chance Meeting! [Social]

A cliche or a fated meeting? It didn't matter, really. Whether it was the universes' doing to unite two disconnected souls or just happenstance, another confused youth was wandering the streets of Magnolia. She didn't have a map or anything, and she wasn't really heading anywhere in particular, though. The petite girl with the horns was simply traveling the peaceful-- at least by comparison to her home country of Sin-- cities and towns of Fiore with great interest. The culture and language were so different that those two things alone made it difficult.

And here she thought it would've been her horns.

"HEY! YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE THAT!" a gruff man called, addressing Kanna though she wasn't aware of it. There wasn't a money system in Sin. They bartered and traded for what very little resources there were amongst the ruined dirt and steamy caves, but it wasn't uncommon for there to be root vegetables sitting out for people to take and eat on the go. That's what she thought those potatoes on the market table were when she snagged one while walking by, crunching into it raw and being pleasantly surprised by the lack of bitterness. She hadn't meant to steal, but the farmer didn't know that.

The second "HEY!" was much closer, and that one startled her out of her blissful ignorance. She turned just in time to see the man reaching for her, and like any reasonable alarmed person, she squeaked and ran. It was all a misunderstanding, of course, but she saw it as outrunning a mugger and he saw it as a criminal escaping, all of which led her to blindly run into the bespectacled man standing in the middle of the street and staring into the sky.

As she bonked into him and tumbled to the ground, she also started reaching out to the poor young man, trying to get his help. Would he know that? Maybe not, because she was spouting quiet but terrified Dravni as she begged him to get the man away. Kanna could speak Fioran, just not under duress. Not yet.

[wc: 351]

Color for Farmer: #ccffff
WC: 413

Calming somewhat now that she had some ‘help’, her Fiorian returned to her, though it was thoroughly colored with her Dravni tongue. “I… I didn’t mean to steal!” she assured them both, anxious orange eyes peering down at the half-eaten tuber in her hand. The man was right, if this was something he meant to sell for currency, it was worthless now, and for that she felt very guilty. “W-Where I am from, foodstuffs such as this sit out for us to eat whenever we are hungry…”

By this point, tears were starting to bubble up on her thick lower lashes, partially out of remorse, but also increasing panic, which was about to be revealed. “I would gladly pay what I owe, but… I am new here. I have no… jewels?” Kanna looked to their mediator for confirmation on this nation’s money. Whether he answered or not, she’d continue. defaulting back into her former way of life. Bartering. “B-But! I can offer… uhm… my shoes? They are very well made. Oh! Or p-perhaps my ribbon?” she offered, gesturing to various things on her person with increasing stress.

In the end, perhaps out of spite or wanting this circus to be over, or a combination of both, the farmer agreed to a trade. One potato for her authentic, hand-made Sinnite shoes. It was very unfortunate, and though she’d made the agreement, it was clear she was very sorry to part with them as she was using Sojiro as a point of balance while she slipped them off. How could she travel without shoes…?

[wc: 262]

WC: 334

Kanna paused mid-unshoeing when the poor roped-in bystander stopped her. After a hopeful but confused blink, she obeyed and put her foot down, releasing him.

Was this what people called a hero? Her hands clasped together in front of her as she watched this spectacled man handle the issue. The pang of guilt she felt when he produced money on her behalf was so palpable that her shoulders caved inward a little and she cringed. What a mess she'd made. Life outside of Sin, while only improvements thus far, was very strange. It was like playing a new game but the rules had been left out of the box.

Appeased by earning several times over what the singular potato was worth, the smug farmer meandered off back toward his stall, where urchins had undoubtedly burgled more potatoes than twenty jewels could remedy in his absence.

The hero turned back toward her and spoke to her again, and she gave him her undivided attention. She didn't know what to feel, so the color of her eyes swirled through the rainbow as she looked up at him. A meal? The horned girl glanced at her half-eaten potato. Given what she'd just learned, would that not cost more jewels? Why would he willingly do such a thing? With how that man reacted, jewels must be very valuable, so her first instinct was to turn him down. Then her stomach audibly complained and she blushed. "Uhm, thank you very much, Sojiro Sakura," she accepted quietly, bowing deeply to him to show her gratitude.

When she straightened back up, she matched his brilliant smile with a pleasant one of her own, then peered curiously at his extended hand. What was he doing? The hand was empty, so he wasn't giving her something. Was he asking for something instead? Did he want her potato? No, that didn't seem right, since they were about to go get something to eat... cautiously, she extended her own hand and placed it in his, though she didn't shake it (why would she? she didn't know the greeting custom) or even grip too hard to hold it. It just sat there as she looked back up at him and tilted her head.

[wc: 371 || total: 2065]

WC: 288

Oh! Her eyes widened, settling on a deep, rosy pink hue at last, which was her default 'pleasant' emotion. Despite being so culturally shocked, Kanna did have a nice, deeply ridged brain beneath those horns. So when greeting each other, Fioreans shook hands. Odd, but really nice! Much better than the aggressive glaring and grumpy grunts of dominance back home. It had thrown her off so much that she'd forgotten to return the favor and provide her own name, which made her feel very silly when Sojiro had to ask for it.

Turning to walk with him down the bustling town's street, her cheeks warmed in embarrassment. "Oh, sorry. I'm Kanna... er, I don't have a 'last name' to go with it," the half-breed answered, puzzling over the subject of surnames. She was pretty sure she didn't have one, at least. If she did, no one ever told her, and she didn't know anyone else's in her tribe or even in nearby tribes. Did she need to get one outside of Sin? How did one go about acquiring a last name? Add that to the growing list of things to worry about later.

Moving on to the subject of food, Kanna started to visibly relax a little more and clasped her hands behind her back as she walked. "No allergies," she assured him, at least, not that she knew of, "but no pickles, please," Kanna added quickly, disgust wrinkling her petite nose. Vile vegetables ruined by soaking in a salty, bitter water were her least favorite flavor, so she might has well pretend she was allergic. Even the smell of them might make her gag if too potent.

The girl knew what she didn't want, but pinpointing what she did was much more difficult. She thought about it for a good, long time. Replying with 'I don't know' wasn't really her style, even if she also wasn't the assertive type. If Sojiro was polite enough to treat her to a meal, the least she could do was answer his question. Her eyes lit up as she finally thought of something. "The animals that goes mooo... Uhm, what are they called..." She struggled to remember the stories she'd heard of a creature she'd never actually seen. The few Sinnites that had traveled and returned seemed to be very fond of the red meat. "...Oh! C-Cow! Cow, right? What does it taste like? Is it easy to get, Sojiro?"

[wc: 408 || total: 2761]

WC: 467
TWC: 3,228

Ah, so cows were the animal while alive, but beef was what it was called when it was dead and ready to eat. That was an important distinction, and as such, she filed it away as new knowledge that she was sure would be useful going forward. How weird she'd sound walking into a place to eat and asking for cow! Even though he was understanding and helpful, the horned girl still flushed with embarrassment.

Inevitably, her place of origin came up. It didn't bother her, though she sincerely wished she could seem as normal and belonging as Sojiro did, even though he wasn't from here either. Her differences were much more pronounced no matter what she did. Kanna had opened her mouth to answer when their arrival at an eatery distracted her. Her magenta hues eyed the title while she translated it. Of course, without context for what these things were, all she got was that something called a 'burger' was mentally-ill.

As they were seated at a lovely table outside amongst all the market excitement, the half-breed smiled up at the umbrella that blocked the more annoying qualities of the sun. Neat. Then she turned to the menu, which would take her some time to decipher, so it was good that Sojiro was already on top of the drinks. She liked lemons, so whatever lemonade was, it was probably delicious.

The joke flew a little over her heard, though. "B-But, uhm, what if I want to try too many things?" she asked worriedly, glancing up at him with a stressed frown. While she wasn't the airhead she sometimes came off as, there was nuance here that she didn't quite get. Kanna didn't know the customs and niceties of this land and what the rules were for when people are 'treating' you to something. She was genuinely afraid she'd really offend him and startled her into frantic studying of the menu for anything she might like.

In the meantime, her mind did manage to come back around to her earlier question that she hadn't had the chance to answer. "I'm from Sin. That's probably why I am so strange to you," she answered simply, her even tone not betraying her nervousness and shame in the admission. It was common knowledge that no one had a positive opinion of her harsh and isolated homeland filled with violent people and hellish beasts. However, Kanna was honest almost to a fault, so deceiving folks would be wrong. "How about you. You said you aren't from here. Did you mean Magnolia or Fiore?" Kanna wanted to know, all the while keeping track of things she wished to try, like the Buckin' Broiled Burger that had beef in the description, and something called Vulcan Fries.

[wc: 461 || total: 3689]

WC: 520
TWC: 4,209

"Oh!?"

The noise, though indicative of both shock and keen interest, was quiet as ever. It was her facial expression that was loudest, with her raised brows and widened eyes and soft oval mouth. Her jaw didn't gape long, though, before it formed into an excited smile. She decidedly did not think he was crazy! Another planet? There were other planets that people lived on? Hands clasping in front of her and against her chest, it was like she was forcefully holding in the torrent of questions she had for him about his home. Was there violence? Was it peaceful? Were people as nice and open as he was? Were there wars and places like Sin? Oh, she'd very much like to travel to a new planet and escape the terrifying circumstances of Ishgar and Earthland as a whole. On a new planet, she wouldn't have to worry about her mother's killer finding her and visiting her with the same fate.

However, though she was strange and foreign, she wasn't a woman without restraint. In fact, one could say her entire life was nothing but careful restraint, as if she was constantly keeping her worries inside while traversing a minefield. Perhaps she'd ask him later. For now, he wanted to know about her home, if it could be called that.

"Uhm, Sin is-- she trailed off, eyes and hands momentarily moving like she was envisioning a mental map "--far west from here, and a little south. On the same continent but with one... two large countries between us if you traveled there in a straight line. It's covered on three sides by water and only connected to the largest and scariest country, Pergrande, though we're separated by a giant wall. The Great Wall of Sin is to keep us and our monsters out."

So far, all she had said were objective facts about it, but it was clear by the puckering of her eyebrows that further explanation was more personal. Subconsciously, she reached up to touch one of her horns. "It is a harsh and unforgiving place filled with demons and monsters and alphas. Our history says that once our lands flourished and were capable of nurturing both its people and bountiful farms, but for centuries it has been nothing but scorched ground and acrid air from volcanoes and lava rivers. Because of some sort of portal, I think. Food is scarce. My people are few, but they are violent, unfriendly, and closed-minded, even to each other. Violence is both currency and primary solutions. It is not advised to visit if you wish to leave unscathed... if you can leave at all. We are so isolated, I didn't even know there was a war happening." None of this was concerning her personal story, of course, because she didn't want to burden him with such a thing. Kanna was careful about oversharing, and she couldn't imagine Sojiro would like to hear about her unfortunate birth circumstances and her mother's murder while sipping lemonade.

Kanna fell quiet for another moment, searching for something good to say. Life in Sin had been little more than traumatic, but she always looked for the good and redeemable. Finally, she settled on something. "But we are resilient and tough to survive and endure such adverse conditions without any help for so long. We are strong and determined. Does your planet have a place or people like this, Sojiro?"

[wc: 572 || total: 4781]

WC: 642
TWC: 5,423

She ended up ordering two questionably monikered burgers and some loaded fries, though she was hardly interested in consuming the cow anymore. This talk of another planet had her intrigued far beyond a rumbling belly.

As he spoke, the demonic girl took care to envision everything his home might be like, to the best of her abilities, anyway. There wasn't much in the way of this 'science' in Sin. She'd barely learned what a car was, and now she was to imagine them flying? Diseases were nearly eradicated? There was no war. Other than the people sounding similar in nature to the good and bad of Ishgar, it sounded incredible.

If only she could visit. Even if there weren't people like her, she wished she could somehow solve the problem and go with him for a peek. However, if that were possible, Sojiro would have returned home by now. He was trapped and very sad about it.

Empathetic as she was, Kanna had a hard time watching people cry. Whether it was just her nature or the unfamiliarity with seeing others cry, since it was so rare in Sin, Kanna's own eyes filled with tears. They rolled down her cheeks without much restraint. It took her a moment or two to notice them, but once she did, she didn't do much to stop them. Sporadically, she'd wipe them away, embarrassed and flushed but accepting. Though she still felt shame over it, she'd come to view expressions of softer emotions as a freedom, one not afforded her people without consequence. It was a blessing to be able to cry without fear.

"You really miss your home," she sniffled after a few moments, dabbing her nose before she became a mess. "I'd love to hear more from your friend, but you talk very well, I think. Are you both working to find a way back?"

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WC: 317

It took her longer to stop her crying than him. She made note that he seemed very restrained and had so much control that he could wipe all feeling from his face if he chose to and return to baseline. She'd always struggled with that, but in that way, perhaps the two were more similar than she thought.

Once more, she listened to him explain with great interest. So for about a year, Sojiro had searched for a way home, with and without the aid of his friend. It seemed impossible with all the magic in Earthland that there wasn't something that could send them back. People summoned other people and creatures and things from other realms all the time. Why not his? Was it blocked off for some reason?

"If the magic existed to bring you and your friend here, then it exists to send you both back," she reasoned, hoping to stoke some hope within the man buying her dinner. And though she was an optimistic person, she could set aside her idealism and be realistic. Flexibility was important. "But it could either take a long time to find or elude you forever, since this world is so big and mysterious. It's good to also live in the present and take things how they are and build from there. You can both search and build a life here, and either outcome will be a good one."

Kanna was dabbing the last of her tears off of her cheeks and smiling by the time the waitress returned with their substantial order. Though she seemed concerned about the displays of emotion by her patrons, she didn't pry and merely left the food with little to no chatter. Kanna was grateful for both that and the food.

"Oh, it smells delicious!" she gasped, wasting no time raising one of the gigantic burgers and taking a huge bite. "Mmm!!"

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Kanna didn't notice how different their eating habits were until she'd already the Buckin' Broiled Burger in its entirety. Even though hers was also stacked high and covered in BBQ sauce, bacon, fried onions, and cheese-- all of which were rather new to her and taught to her by the menu-- she consumed it quickly, pausing only to brutally remove a much hated pickle. Her bites were small and delicate, but very fast. The eating habits of someone who had to quickly devour sustenance before someone else could come along and steal it. She also ate remarkably cleanly, as if both the burger and the Vulcan fries weren't absolutely dripping with sauce and chopped bits. Not even a stray smear graced her cheek somehow.

She was three bites into and puzzling over the spiciness of the Gravedigger Burger when Sojiro spoke again. He had one burger he'd only eaten half of. After a moment of hesitation, she put her burger down and resolved to perhaps take it with her for later, if that was a thing. Kanna was a little self-conscious.

"O-oh, I'm finished now. An explanation would be great, so I don't make any awful mistakes like earlier," she said, her cheeks flushing at the mere memory. Though people in Sin were scary, that man had been the scariest person she'd run into outside of her challenging homeland. If it wasn't for Sojiro, she'd be walking around in bare feet...

[wc: 241 || total: 6894]

WC: 318/7,212