Lonely Road (Open)

Fancy us meeting like this~?

A walk in the park on a nice summer’s day; it had seemed like the best idea at first, and for a long while after that really. The bright and brilliant ball in the sky seeming to provide both warmth and a feeling of wonder in the air, Chloe Crawford had slipped into a white delight of a dress and easy-going but elegant footwear as she sought to enjoy it, in a place that was sure to provide her with plenty of peace and simple serenity by the name of Tokyo park. And it had been going so well, she even had a nice cornet of ice cream in her hand which was flooded with sweet and refreshing minty flavour, but unfortunately all that enjoyment had seemed to have been stifled when she saw him.

It makes me feel so sad… By chance happening to catch sight of a handsome figure who looked to be a few years older than her sitting on a bench with such a look of discontent clear on his face, though Miss Crawford had only been a face among many that drifted past him and was unlikely to be seen given the deep manner in which he seemed to be in thought she couldn’t help but notice him, and it was in that observation that emerald eyed enchantress empathized with what he felt, or at least what she assumed he was experiencing. Unable to really guess the specifics of the matter that seemed to afflict this stranger but his unhappiness seeming like it was infectious, even though she strolled along with her treat in hand the usually bubbly brit couldn’t but feel rather unhappy to see him like that, and after taking a few steps away from him elected to turn on her heel and approach him, cautiously but kindly.

“T-Then its good you’re here today then, isn’t it~?” Moving up to the mysterious man from just behind him by the time that she had wheeled around in a manner that was probably meant to seem cool and nonchalant but getting there in time to hear the prediction that he gave off, though it was a little intimidating speaking so daringly to someone she didn’t know, Chloe raised her voice and offered a few words of optimism in the hopes of counteracting the obvious negativity that seemed to suffuse this stranger.
“So you can enjoy a day before the rain?” The first words she chose perhaps a little lacking for confidence but the assurance of the breezy beauty seeming to grow when she took one step and then another nearer to him, though she was risking being told to keep her big nose out of the problems of this finely featured foreigner the green eyed girl offered her warmest smile and titled herself to the side a little as she followed up on her opening, her eyes looking upward for a moment before focusing on him again, but she found herself getting distracted all too quickly.

“Oh goodness, have you hurt yourself there?” That patch of redness that stained his finger all too alarmingly coloured for an amateur practitioner of the medical arts like Miss Crawford to miss for too long and its presence something that worried her greatly, the emeralds that acted as her eyes glistened in the brightness but also shining with worry as well, as she looked at what she assumed was a damaged digit the airy angel pouted and felt rather panicked by what she saw, and immediately began to root around in the pure she had brought with her because of it.
“I-I'm sure have a bandaid here, and some tissues, tucked away in here… Somewhere….?” Knowing that any well-prepared woman like herself would be carrying a first aid kit however and eager to help this stricken soul out if she could, the brunette hummed as she pulled her attention to the bag that hung beneath her arm and rooted around in it hastily, and was so consumed by her task that she did not even notice the way her sweet treat slipped from the fingers of her free hand as she did so and plummeted toward a grim fate on the ground next to her…

@tag | Word Count: ### | Summer Simplicity | Slopey Sandals

Fancy us meeting like this~?

“O-Oh goodness! I didn’t even…” Gasping as the swift motion of the stranger seemed to startle her for a second, Miss Crawford gaped as she saw her very own iced treat tumble through the air and felt no shortage of relief when a speedy grip seemed to snatch it before it landed on the ground, among other things.
Gosh, he has fast hands, doesn’t he~? Really rather impressed by the rapid reflexes that this strange figure possessed as he plucked the item with both the quickness needed to catch it and the delicacy to stop it spilling in any way, the green eyed girl gaped a little for a moment and then found her cheeks reddening as he handed her sweet treat back to her and she found their fingers touching for a moment, because of this and other qualities about him that she didn’t entirely dislike.

And… Nice eyes too? The vision of the vixen running up from his able hand and to his face as she offered a polite smile in response to her rescue of her minty ice cream, Chloe couldn’t help but let her emerald eyes linger on a set of irises with which she seemed to share a colour, and felt just that little bit more flustered as she did so.
“Thank you…” This fellow quickly reminding her of a certain waiter she had met back in York for some reason and that making her pulse pound that bit quicker because of such a fact, for a moment the british brunette found herself robbed of her bubbliness because of how intimidated she felt by the way this affected her, but quickly found a distraction to focus herself on in order to not derail the moment more than she had.

“Heheheh, but it won’t do to have blood all over your hands, will it?” That sweet treat grasped in her hand but the presence of that red presence still seeming to bother her, after taking a moment to steady her nerves the foreign femme focused on the task of finding something to help this lonely looking soul and plucked from her purse that which she had sought earlier on; the assistance of the mighty pack of tissues.
“What happened, did you have an accident?” Even going so far as to look a little bit less ladylike when she had done so by pulling the pack open with her teeth due to the occupied state of her hands, once she had torn the plastic that protected the pack Miss Crawford offered as many from it as this tall, dark and admittedly handsome stranger might desire to clean himself up a bit better, and felt a strong surge of assurance because of what she did. It helped her feel good to do some good.

“Oh, well, it was a nice day and it seemed a good idea to visit the park?” Grinning once she had done so and then licking her ice cream a moment later in a manner that looked a little bit girlish, as she was asked why she was here the young woman beamed at the boy on the bench with the sun caught her vivid emerald gaze rather resplendently, and twisted around to answer him in a fashion that felt light and as breezy as possible as she played up her cute charm to the max. After all, it was the only discipline of allure she had managed any sort of mastery over thus far in her life.
“What about you, sir? Are you also taking in the sun today~?” Still never forgetting the worry that had drawn her over however, while her tone remained respectful Chloe couldn’t help but intrude into the business of the unknown soul in the hopes of finding out what might be bothering him, and she would likely prove difficult to shake off until she was satisfied that he was feeling better about himself. After all, empathy was her strong point…

@tag | Word Count: ### | Summer Simplicity | Slopey Sandals

Fancy us meeting like this~?

Si…? Is he Spanish? Distracted by the foreign flair that the fellow flaunted to her, Chloe’s mind for language sparked up as she caught the Latinate lingo and she seemed to totally miss the manner in which the man seemed to look toward the weapon in his pocket, and instead felt only excitement and a stronger sense of curiosity about him because of this intriguing reveal.
“¿Habla español~?” Beaming rather broadly as she was presented with the opportunity to impress this stranger with her own skills, the green eyed girl grinned as she showed her own fluency with the tongue which was so prevalent in western Europe and much of the Americas as well, and loved the chance really. She hadn’t had many chances to indulge this particular passion for some time, after all.

“The air certainly is nice, isn’t it~?” Sighing softly at the stranger’s reason for be out and about and seeming to take it at face value, while the face he had been wearing only a matter of moments ago made Miis Crawford suspect that this mysterious man might be keeping something from her she chose not to poke at the issue too much for the time being, and instead looked around herself with a serene smile as she enjoyed the fresh warmth that suffused their forms.
“It would certainly be a shame to be cooped up on a day like this, wouldn’t it? Like a waste of something wonderful? The sun in the sky smiling so happily, and then that fresh breeze making sure that he doesn’t become overbearing? It’s like a match made in heaven~” Perhaps it natural that a woman who could manipulate the gaseous particles around her had something of a fondness for enjoying the air around her, the bubbly brunette couldn’t help but roll her shoulders a little and spread her arms as she let that pleasant feeling wrap around her body, before smiling at the figure before her and brushing some of her brown bangs behind her ear as she did so.

“Oh no, not at all, I’m at something of a loose end in truth~?” Lifting her hands and shaking her head when the fine-looking fellow seemed to show a bit of concern for the time she had today, our lovely lady lead had to admit that she was in no way busy today, and happy to indulge a bit of her chronological freedom in order to promote a new friendship and maybe even help to ease the ills she sensed in this soul as well.
“By the way, my name is Chloe~ Would you mind if I joined you on the bench here~?” Offering up what felt like a long overdue introduction because of that spirited desire, once she did so the dainty dish in the dress hummed and tiptoed around the boy on the bench with a smile and gestured to the spot next to him as she did so, hoping he might indulge her desire for company so that she might subtly work on fixing the bad mood that had caught her attention earlier on…

@tag | Word Count: ### | Summer Simplicity | Slopey Sandals

Fancy us meeting like this~?

“Heheehehe, si~” Clapping her hands together happily and smiling, the emerald eyed enchantress found herself even more excited when the stranger before confirmed the linguistic proficiency that they seemed to share and found herself even more drawn to him because of it, because it felt like the first little fact between them that they seemed to have in common.
“Aprendi en lá escuela~?” Confessing her own method through which she knew the latin-born language and smiling as she remembered her lessons and praise from teachers back at both the Hightower and Valiant academies as she had mastered this particular tongue, even though she had been more focused on other aspects of her education since starting at UA none of her proficiency seemed to have been diminished, and as she basked in their common knowledge Chloe couldn’t help but wonder if this young man had learned in much the same manner as she had or if his understanding was more innate and naturalized due to his origin. He looked like he had that Mediterranean charm in his good looks, after all.

“Oh, then it’s certainly nice to meet you, Antonio~” All too eagerly accepting the hand that was offered when the fine looking figure returned her introduction and smiling as she did so, Miss Crawford showed perhaps her girlish sense of excitement as she snatched up that paw with both of her own and shook it enthusiastically, all whilst the colour in her cheeks once again shone a little pinker. However, through practice and the advice of a certain blonde whose company she shared so often the breezy beauty was steadily seeming to pick up on the warmth that seemed to flood her cheeks, and realize what it could mean more readily.
“Thank you so much~” Quickly following up by sitting alongside the figure with whom she was steadily becoming more familiar and beaming as she did so, the bubbly brunette gave a soft him as she settled herself on the bench next to the boy and smiled happily in response should he look her way once she was down, but once this matter was down found herself in a sudden and unexpected quandary.

I wonder what I should talk about? The act of claiming the seat next to him securing a position nearby but also seeming to curb the flow of their conversation as well for a moment, Chloe was left nibbling softly on her minty treat for a moment as she contemplated the manner in which she might continue her connection with the mysterious man at her side, and felt slightly intimidated by the option in all honesty. It really rather a strange turn of events to observe, even though she usually had little issue chatting with people she didn’t know the foreign fox couldn’t help but feel a little bit flustered in his company which was probably natural given the fact that she had only recently began to discover the world of attraction, and honestly had only really dipped her toe into the realm of romance as a result.

“S-So, are you from around here, Antonio~?” Ultimately having to rely on her small talk skills and asking a rather simple question, even though in her mind she wanted to come off as light and breezy but also with a note of captivation about what she said, as her mind went blank and she could only think of something that sounded impersonal and sort of intrusive and because of that she couldn’t help but feel disappointed. She wasn’t going to give up however, not yet at least, because she sensed right now that regardless of her own awkwardness this cool figure might just have been in need of a friend.

@tag | Word Count: ### | Summer Simplicity | Slopey Sandals

Fancy us meeting like this~?

“¿De veras te parece?” Smiling and showing a little more colour in her cheeks as she found her command of the Spanish language seeming to be complimented by her companion, whilst Chloe was happy to have her skill commended by a handsome stranger who sounded like he had his own level of talent with the language, she accepted the praise with grace and humility. In her mind it not doing herself much of a service to be big headed or braggy about these things, while it was perhaps partly her aim not to look arrogant there was also an element of the emerald eyed enchantress’ attempt that was probably fishing for a little bit more celebration of her skill, which was perhaps natural given her age and generally unassuming bearing.

“O-Oh, I mean are you from Tokyo, or even Japan?” All too quickly finding herself to be feeling flustered when she tried to create a little bit of casual conversation between the two, though maybe she was reading a little bit too much into the expression and bluntness of Antonio’s words as he pulled himself from his phone, but Miss Crawford couldn’t help but suddenly feel like she was being an annoyance to him.
“You don’t look um, Japanese?” Because of that left rambling as she tried to explain her interest in the subject that she had broached, all too quickly the green eyed girl couldn’t help but feel like she was a silly little child for doing what she had done, and yet felt trapped in the situation she was in at the same time.

“A-And I ask just to make conversation?” Sitting down because of the silent worry that she felt toward someone who had been looking so full of woe such a short stretch of time ago, Chloe glanced between the man next to her and the treat that sat in her hands, feeling suddenly a little too ashamed and awkward to look properly into his eyes as she fiddled with her minty cone of cream.
“I-It felt weird to sit here, next to each other, in silence…?” Not sure exactly of what she should say and so offering her best, most heartfelt explanation for why she had decided to try to engage him in conversation, but still felt rather embarrassed and immature as she did so. She had probably been an idiot for getting involved in this, hadn’t she?

@tag | Word Count: ### | Summer Simplicity | Slopey Sandals

Fancy us meeting like this~?

“Heheheheh, you are? I suppose that explains your expertise in Español rather easily, doesn’t it~?” Nodding softly and then chuckling as Antonio admitted the area from which he came, so much about him seemed to make sense when this handsome semi-stranger explained the land he came from, including his lingual ability and perhaps his bearing and good looks as well.
And he thinks I'm good at Spanish too? I must be… To have impressed him, right? Miss Crawford for certain hearing of the latter from her mother as she told her little tales of her time touring the world as a young archaeologist, while Kitty had never been anything less than perfectly graceful in her descriptions they had still had her daughter blush, and now that she had a specimen from such stories in front of her she couldn’t help but feel her cheeks warming again. Either as a result of those tales, or the simple effect he might have on her.

Retire? But he looks so young, doesn't he? That admiration of the image that her buddy on the bench carried seeming to leave her confused when the Mediterranean man mentioned his aim of settling down in the country, whilst he definitely looked a few years older than the green eyed girl was she certainly wouldn’t have guessed that he was the sort of age that would contemplate retirement, and that only made her more intrigued by him.
Is he rich or something…? He seems pretty well dressed, I suppose, so he could be? The first assumption that she could make to explain such discrepancy seeming to be one of simple finance, Chloe supposed that one could consider retirement no matter what their age was if they were wealthy enough and she had to guess that this seemed the most likely case really. It seemed far more likely than him being an old soul in a young body, that was for sure.

“Oh yes, I’m actually from England~?” Quickly finding herself rather delighted when next her companion seemed to show interest in talking with her and ever more so turning the conversation toward the matter that was Miss Crawford, the emerald eyes of the enchantress lit up a little as his attention seemed to make her feel a bit special and important, and all too quickly she was smiling again and confessing the country that she herself came from.
“And the south too, so… We kind of have that in common, I suppose?” Even going so far as to admit her home with a little more accuracy and that little act seeming to provide her with results that thrilled her even more, the bubbly brit beamed at the face of the fellow nearby as she found and immediately pointed out a silly little detail that they seemed to share, and did not linger too much on the fact that given the difference in countries it probably amounted to nothing really.

“Heeheeheehee~! It's interesting…” Instead just happy to have something that felt like it connected her to such an enigmatic and enticing stranger, Chloe pulled her bangs behind her ear and smiled at the man beside her happily as she felt like she was bonding with him, and perhaps reflected her own inexperience and innocence as she did so.
“We’re both southern folk in a strange and distant land, aren't we~?” In no way able to guess who he really was and only able to take him at face value, she couldn’t help but feel a little bit smitten by someone attractive and with an air of authority, even if that was a fact she wasn’t entirely aware of…

@tag | Word Count: ### | Summer Simplicity | Slopey Sandals

Fancy us meeting like this~?

“O-Oh, yes, my studies~?” Not entirely sure why she wasn’t too specific with the fact that she attended UA High School but if one had to guess it an effort of the emerald eyed enchantress not to seem too young and childish in the eyes of someone who was clearly older and more mature than her, as Antonio asked Miss Crawford about her reason for being here and her education she seemed to skirt around the subject a little bit, not being too specific on anything because she didn’t want him to think less of her or something.
“Heheheh, I’m a transfer student~?” Nodding as she confirmed the fact that she was studying abroad because that was definitely a nice nugget of truth that she could offer, though the bubbly brit felt a bit guilty for misleading him she also felt that a man like this might consider her frivolous or something if he realized she was just a high school student and continued to omit the particulars as she conversed with him, all the while feeling she needed to seek his approval without really knowing why that was.

“I’m not entirely sure why I decided to change, I guess it seemed interesting, and…” Fiddling with the steadily melting sweetness in her fingers and looking out into the distance as she explained her decision for going half way around the world to pursue her education even without her bench buddy needing to ask, a little pinkness hung in the cheeks of the young woman as she confessed things that made her feel a bit childish, and hoped he would be understanding of them.
“Well, my mother was kind of a globetrotter when she was younger?” In her own mind not knowing with any strong sense of certainty why she had jumped on the chance to study in Japan but something seeming to tell her it had to do with her magnificent matriarch, she guessed that all those stories of her mother’s travels in her twenties and thirties had only added to a sense of adventure that she had inherited from the woman, and for some reason she felt like this older figure might feel more impressed due to her connection to such a strong and impressive woman.

“She’s an archaeologist, if you can believe it~? Been all over the world…?” Bragging a little bit as she explained the career of Kitty Crawford and wondered if that occupation might leave Antonio feeling stunned, as she thought of the woman who raised her she couldn’t help but speculate about the cool and confident manner that her lovely mum might have dealt with someone like the sullen soul that sat with her, and felt suddenly rather inferior compared to her as she did.
“And um, I guess I wanted to emulate her a bit? When I was little I was home schooled a lot, and I wanted to get out of there and see what the world had to offer, like she did?” That a fact that she never expected, that she might be jealous of someone who showered her with such affection throughout her life, the blushing brunette found her cheeks glowing a bit more as she found herself envious of her matriarchs effortless charm, and wondering if that was something she could show she had inherited if she was given the chance…?

@tag | Word Count: ### | Summer Simplicity | Slopey Sandals