Lost in the Living Realm [CalaxArianda]

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Cala's first foray into the human world as an Arrancar was even more off-putting than the vague recollections they sometimes got of their first days in Hueco Mundo. One could almost say they had become accustomed to the endless nothingness, bleak atmosphere and constant danger. That was, as near as Cala could describe, their home. Thus when their first time setting foot back in the human world since originally becoming a Hollow brought them to a bright sky, a bustling city, the gentle lapping of the ocan-waves upon a non-endless expanse of sand.... Cala was entirely befuddled. Wide, lavender-hued eyes taking in the shimmer amber buildings like a child in a candy store. Each and every sight and sound mesmerizing and enthralling their senses, if not putting them a little on edge, as they fiddled softly with the skull-shaped hairpin atop their head.

It wasn't long, however, until Cala's tummy gave a rather loud, insisting rumble. The already-thin Arrancar patting their belly and looking around intently. Amid all the wondrous glamour and bustling activity the city presented Cala squinted with near-suspicion at the people all around. Well, not quite at the PEOPLE themselves, so much as Cala's perception of them. Not all too long ego Cala would have hungered for spiritual energy from them but now.... now Cala was utterly lost on what would satiate their hunger.

Blindly wandering the streets of Minatumi City Cala eventually came across... a smell. A smell that instinctively made their tummy rumble all over again and almost had Cala salivating on the spot. Following the heavenly, thick smell of food to a nearby restaurant, which Cala barely caught sight of the name of as they entered, before walking inside. Biting their lip Cala continued to let their senses carry them toward the heavenly aroma. Step by step, curious sniff after curious sniff, Cala did not even take the slightest notice of the ladies in uniform attempting to greet them and offer them a place to sit.

Instead Cala walked directly into the restaurant, past the employees at the front counter, and straight into the buffet area. Now while this would only raise an eyebrow or two from those who saw Cala completely ignore the staff, when Cala idly picked up a piece of chicken from the buffet in their hands and began to nibble on it while standing in the middle of the buffet.... that garnered quite a bit more attention.

It wasn't long before the waitresses had relayed work back to the manager about the customer who had wandered right into the buffet and, in the middle of nibbling on their third piece of chicken, Cala would be confronted by a rather rotund man in a suit that looked as if it were too tight in almost every place imaginable. The man stood there, beside Cala, for a silent moment. His arms crossed and tapping his foot, waiting for Cala to acknowledge their wrongdoing and speak to him. Cala, meanwhile, simply picked up another piece of food and continued to nibble away, completely oblivious.

This seemed to aggravate the man as he loudly cleared his throat and raised a questioning eyebrow at Cala. Who, blinking cluelessly, turned to see him and gasped softly. "Oh. I am sorry. Were you wanting some?" Cala, without waiting for the man to respond, take a couple of tiny steps to the side to give him room. This only made the large man's eye twitch. "Listen kid, you DO know you can't just do that? Right? Look at everyone else in the place, then look at yourself, see if you can tell me what's wrong."

Cala, blinking wide eyes at the man, glanced about at all the people chatting and eating their food, with their plates and silverware, seated at a table, and turned back to the man. A soft, pink flush gracing their pale cheeks as they nodded sheepishly. "Oh.... I am sorry." For a brief moment the man gave a not-at-all-happy smile, and nodded, only for Cala to pick up a plate and begin to put food on it. "I wasn't using this food holder...." The man, to his credit, facepalmed rather calmly before his voice rose a gruff growl as he hissed "No! Not the bloody, fucking plate!"

Cala winced at the man's rough tone, dropping the food they had been holding and raised their plate almost like an impromptu shield between them and the man as he fumed. His face growing red and sweaty, his eyes glaring down at Cala before he began to reach for the Arrancar's slim wrist. "Alright, that's it, I'm going to have to ask you to leave..."

Cala had just happened to peek around the plate held in front of them when a girl, rather short even compared to Cala, all but appeared from thin air to put their hand on the man's shoulder. Just a split second before his large, pudgy hand clasped down on Cala's wrist. The man was, to put it mildly, much more surprised by this than Cala was. Though both of them could definitely be called 'shocked' without it being untrue. To say that they were the same kind of shocked, however, was entirely untrue. Cala, on one hand, was trying to figure out what this 'pay' term was supposed to mean while the manager, a Mr. Oudon if his name-tag meant anything, began to sweat even more profusely as he stared down at the slight girl.

Blubbering for a brief moment or two, trying to scrounge up something to say as a retort to what was not even a thinly-veiled threat to his job, Mr. Oudon struggled to think straight before he swallowed thickly. Pulling a thick, embroidered kerchief from his pocket he feverishly dabbed at this forehead with it before retracting his hand back from Cala. Who blinked in surprise. When Mr. Oudon spoke his voice was hoarse and faltering with worry "U-Ulv-..... No no that won't be necessary Miss..." With that eloquent sentence said the rotund man would scurry away like a scolded dog trying to maintain it's pride while Cala would stare at Ari in wonder. Fumbling along behind the short woman with shuffling, uncertain steps as she seemed to want Cala to follow her.

At this point more than a few of the other patrons stared at the two, and Cala couldn't help but hunch their shoulders at the deluge of attention. Something about it making them feel highly uncomfortable. After sitting down more than a little sheepishly across from Ari Cala would give her a smile, blink at her extended hand, and stare at it in confusion before answering in a tone somewhere between vacant, confused and sheepish. "My name i-is umm... Cala." Even as they spoke Cala would continue to stare at Ari's outstretched hand before looking from the woman's silver eyes, to her hand, and back. Completely confused as to what to do, the only thing that Cala could think was that Ari was demanding some of Cala's food since she helped. Thus Cala blushed a soft, pink hue in embarrassment, ducked their head slightly and timidly picked up a chicken wing before placing it in Ari's waiting palm.

Cala was incredibly embarrassed as Ari handed back the chicken, feeling rather foolish for thinking what they had. Thankfully Ari gave a kind, beautiful smile, and Cala's nerves were put a lot more at ease. Though they did raise the chicken in front of their face to almost hide behind it and nibble at it. Cala was a bit surprised when Ari asked them why they were... well.... where they were. To be entirely honest Cala had not really thought about it themselves. So that is simply what they said. "W-Well umm.... actually I don't... really know. There was a... portal... opening that appeared in Hueco Mundo. It felt familiar. I was the only Hollow nearby when it opened so... I decided to investigate and.. I wound up here."

Cala would glance around briefly, as if once again taking in their surroundings for the very first time all over again. Then looked back at Ari, their food all but forgotten as they seemed to all but stare through her. "This is... I-I guess... where I was born?" Cala would shiver then look down, their slender hands tensing together softly before they gave a meek little shrug. "Maybe a part of me just wanted to see it again.... I dunno...." Cala then sighed and looked up at Ari before trying to be kind in return, a small smile not quite reaching Cala's eyes as they reassured Ari. "B-But you are the sweetest person I've met s-so far!"

Cala almost nodded in response to Ari's confirmed words before they tensed as Ari's hand came up to their cheek. Caressing it softly. The skin impeccably smooth and soft under her hand and Cala simply stared at Ari. Unmoving and unsure of how to react as Ari spoke to them in a calm voice. Telling Cala about smiles and eyes, sincerity and joy. As Ari gave her own beaming smile it was all Cala could do to give a tiny hiccup of embarrassment. Their features flushed and their cheek tingling softly where Ari's hand had been. Without so much as a conscious thought Cala brought their own hand up to touch the spot Ari had placed their hand, seeming very confused for a moment. Though Ari's words quickly snapped them out of their confusion.

Giving a tiny jump of surprise, being lost in their thoughts as they were, Cala nodded to Ari's words without really processing them. All Cala could really focus on was the odd, fluttery feeling in the pit of their tummy. Some sort of weird tingling that matched the feeling in their cheek. It was warm, but stinging, like a thousand tiny hot needles peppered into their gut. But somehow.... it was also nice. It radiated that warmth out to Cala's ribs, above and below, and Cala clutched at their stomach softly. Completely perplexed by this newfound emotion.

Slowly pushing their plate away Cala glanced up at Ari, having been staring at their food for a good few seconds, before they nodded quickly. "I-I'm okay. I'm... I'm ready to look around some...." Cala couldn't help but give Ari a small, confused pout. H-Had.... Had Ari's eyes always been so... bright? Warm? Cala shook their head, biting their lip as that warm feeling in their stomach only spread further and Cala softly rubbed their thighs together as the sensation traveled down their thin legs.

Cala looked to and fro before standing and following Ari sheepishly through the restaurant, only to shuffle so that Ari was between themselves and the manager as Cala spotted the rotund man. Who still seemeed to watch them with no small amount of suspicion in his beady eyes. Cala ducked their head, watching Ari pay for their lunch with confusion written plainly on their features. While Cala understood the transaction in principle... well.... being told something once by someone you hardly knew was a far cry from living and breathing a lifestyle for their entire existence like Cala had.

As they left the restaurant Cala paused as Ari stopped, extended their hand, and explained their reasoning for offering it to begin with. Cala blinked, then nodded, and gently took Ari's hand. Cala's skin was.... well... not cold... but not warm either. Their skin, even their palms which were universally rougher than the rest of someone's hand, were just as impeccably smooth as the rest of their skin. It was... unnatural but, likely, not entirely unpleasant. Compared to Cala, no doubt, Ari would feel very, very warm. Which was... pleasant. As for as Minatumi was concerned Cala was..... all but overwhelmed with the hustle and bustle of Minatumi. It was so... so different from Hueco-Mundo!

Casting their gaze about furtively, Cala would begin to numbly walks through the streets of the city. Lavender eyes sparkling with childish delight and wonder at some of the more extravagant sights before they gasped. Spying a very large, very sparkly, very FLASHY arcade. Blinking at the extravagant display Cala would turn to Ari and ask softly. "W-What umm... What is that place? Is... Is that where everyone fights? It looks like an arena of some sort...."