Spice and Delights [Aiko/Ryo]

To many, the shift from summer's heat to autumn's chill air was a welcome change of pace. So, crowds gathered in Karakura Park to celebrate the seasonal change with games, food, drinks, and other activities to keep each other company.

In a quieter section of the park, a tall-gothic-looking woman sat on a crimson blanket, guzzling down a cup of pumpkin spice latte and some sugar cookies. While lost in the moment, she hummed to herself as a mellow smile crept across her lips. But then, the sounds of leaves crunching made the woman freeze. Eyes moving in a hurry to find the person making such noises, the grip on her cup tightened as she spoke out in an alerted voice:

"Sorry, did I disturb you?"

Aiko took a few curious glances at Ryo before smiling and speaking softly:

"Yeah, it's pretty busy out today. So you are gonna bump into a bunch of people, hehe~."

After a nervous giggle escaped her lips, Aiko soon started to loosen her shoulders, sit back down, and look back at some of the crowds. For a moment, her hands started to twiddle before her blood gaze set itself back on Ryo.

"I take it you came for the festival to?"

With her head tilted to the side, the woman's eyes shimmered with intrigue as she figured she might as well kick back, relax, and maybe try to converse with her since she did need to practice her social skills.

Aiko gave Ryo a lingering look of concern and intrigue when she mentioned her desire to venture out here alone. Loner, huh? Well, Aiko understood the need to be alone at times. Thinking back to her separation from her ex-boyfriend, there was a definite period where she wanted not much to do with people or the world until her mentality was ready to deal with things.

So, after a brief moment of contemplation, Aiko looked back at the crowd and then back at Ryo with a warm smile.

"Well, sometimes people can suck or be dangerous. And being in crowds, especially when they get rowdy, can be uncomfortable. So I don't fault you for that."

After rubbing the back of her head, Aiko then chuckled.

"But, as someone who goes to a lot of metal concerts, you get used to crowds, and you learn to clear them after being a moshpit or two."

Pleasant memories danced in the mind of Aiko as she reflected on many of the concerts she visited. She wasn't on the edge of the ceremonies because of an uneasiness with crowds. The woman kept looking back and wanted to cherish the calm air, to see the happy people, and to take in that energy for herself. So, Aiko's eyes relaxed as she let her tensions go.

"And maybe I'm misjudging you, but you look like someone who can clear a crowd."

With a cherry nod of her head, she continued.

"Well, it seems as if you have a lot on your mind, at least. Am I right or wrong on that?"

Aiko's eyes lingered on Ryo as if they were thinking about something. And given the words which the redhead uttered, how could they not? There were conflicting emotions that seemed to bubble over in the woman's tone and the way her eyes gazed at the events taking place around them.

"It's not that. Sometimes, it's nice to slow down, take in the air, and observe things. It might sound dumb, but looking at everyone in the crowd, smelling the fall air, and being out around others can clear your head, y'know?"

Those spoke-spoken remarks caused a welcoming smile to come across Aiko's face as she held a friendly gaze on Ryo. Maybe it was just her instinct, but it seemed like Ryo could use a friend. Hell, Aiko could herself. So, she decided to take the initiative and push her awkward feelings aside to befriend a stranger.

"I was actually about to start checking out the park some more because the trees look beautiful when the leaves are changing color and falling. Would you like to come with me? No pressure, of course. It's just that sometimes it's more fun to explore these things with someone else."

Aiko had a rich smile across her lips as the other girl seemed to lighten up in her aura and mood. It was nice to see she was feeling better, as sometimes having someone around to cheer you up is worthwhile in her mind, even if it is a stranger.

"You bet~"

After taking Ryo's hand, Aiko quickly raised her tall self as the height contrast between the two women would be much more apparent now. After looking around for a moment, Aiko's scarlet eyes set themselves on a trail nearby. If Ryo followed, she would find a path of orange, yellow, and brown leaves scattering about in the wind and falling to the ground as the autumn foliage was breathtaking.

Down the path of this trail, there were two options for them to venture forth. One path could lead to further aimless walking in the fall winds, while the other had food stalls with caramel apples, funnel cakes, and other seasonal treats. With a smile, she pointed at the fork in the road and looked at Ryo.

"Which way do you want to go? We can grab a bite to eat n' talk, or we can keep walking and talking. It's up to you~"