A Chance Meeting [Closed][Zander/Khrysoar]

The city of Reim; one of the most bustling cultures of the entire world. Although countries like Magnostadt might be more impressive due to its magic, Reim was infinitely more beautiful. Whilst Heliohapt might be more of an architectural marvel, Reim did more with the little that it got. It was one of the best places for people to live in this world, and that was something that the residents new every day of their lives. It was peaceful, pleasant, and safer than any of them could really hope for in any other city. It was one of the few truly safe places for the Fanalis people. 

Few people appreciated that fact quite as well as Zander, even if he didn't think about it very often. He had been forced around countries that were nowhere near as good, he had been made to live in some of the worst places in the world, been forced to do things that most people wouldn't want to live through. So, when he had managed to find a place here, a place where the city itself seemed beautiful, he was amazingly happy. He was free, he had friends, and he had a wonderful city to live in. There really shouldn't have been much left on his list of wants afterwards. Of course, that was not how it had turned out.  

Now that he was back in Reim for the first time in months, having finished tracking down the fifth slave-master of his, the one that had forced him down the diamonds mine in the Great desert, he was able to come back to the city that he had made his new home. He had lived out of makeshift camps, raided abandoned homes at the edge of cities in an attempt to find somewhere out of the public's eye, he'd had to avoid major cities apart from when following a lead because he knew just how eager people would become to get some quick money by slapping him back in irons. 

Thus, it wasn't exactly hard to see why he was so glad that he was able to be back here after so long away. Most people would have come up with some sort of major celebration for being able to come back to this place, this make-do home of his, but he didn't think about that. Instead, what he thought about was how he was going to get the sixth one. How he was going to continue his hunt for the few that remained out of the ten. But, for now, he could get something to eat. His stomach's rumbling made it very clear that he shouldn't go two days without eating again. 

So, stepping inside one of the Thermopolia of the city, one that he knew for a fact did a rather wonderful selection of meats, he just hoped he could get a nice meal with a bit of silence for once. Everyone in this city ran around way too much for his taste, it was like they always had somewhere pressing to be. If he could just sit down, have some peace, and refuel from his journey, then he would be able to get out of here happier, healthier and more contented than he had come in here with. Plus, it gave him time to formulate a plan.

The city of Reim, a highly industrialized city in the middle of a barren wasteland. While most people would be appalled by the surrounding area, once one was inside the city, it was quite easy to forget the outside.

The bustle of the city was extremely prevelant here, but could also be viewed in all other major capitals; the civilians and residents running around for some seemingly important task which could have just been going to the post office, or meeting a friend for lunch. Everywhere there were people, and while he did not mind it too much, Kris preferred to stay outside the walls of the main part of the city.

The quiet and peacefulness, let alone to lack of people in the area appealed to him the most, but there were just some times when he needed to get into the city and infuse his being with the noise and bustle. Today happened to be one of those days, and he was also in the city for another reason. That reason would be meat. Nothing else, he just needed to get his daily intake of protien and Kris absolutely refused to go hunting for more venison a fourth day this week.

He wanted beef, he wanted pork, he wanted to eat all different kinds of meat that he did not have to hunt and kill. And so, Kris was brought to this specific restaurant, one near the center of Reim, and that he knew had decent business and good meat. That was mostly due to the location of the restaurant, as it sat on one of the main intersections within Reim. As Kris walked into the store, he acknowledged that the location was an extremely good business move, as the smells of meat and sauces filled the entire intersection and practically dragged the customers in by their nostrils.

Stepping up to the counter, and paying the fee for the buffet, Kris was immediately assualted with the ever holy and glorious smells of steak grilling, ribs cooking, and much more. The sound of bacon sizzling away in the back and the smell of garlic on the large and circular flat top in the center of the room practically had him drooling by the time he reached an empty table. Since he had come near the end of the lunch rush, he decided to sit back and wait for the area to clear out a bit.

As he waited, Kris did see a slightly unusual sight, but only slightly Fanalis were a commonplace thing in Reim, but one did not normally find a Fanalis in a restaurant in the middle of the day. Normally they would be training, or eating up in the higher residential areas with banquets and more. Slightly intrigued, Kris kept his eye on the young man as he continued waiting for the crowd to die out and disperse slowly.

He wasn't wrong, in the man's defense. The Fanalis were a very paranoid people, and who wouldn't be after they were trapped and enslaved by everyone who could get them to trust them long enough to let their guards down? The ones that weren't too paranoid or busy to avoid the main city belonged to the Fanalis corps, and would thus live around the higher residential districts since they were under the direct command of the Emperor. Alek was one of the high-ranked members of the Fanalis corps, having trained and served in it for over seven years all in all. Even if he hadn't been on an active mission for it in over two years, he knew that he would be welcomed back with open arms. 

So, why was he here rather than there? Well, he wanted peace and quiet, and with how infamous his journeys to kill his old slave masters had become among the other members of the corps, he knew that he would be asked for tales of his "conquests" until he was sore in the mouth. Thus, going somewhere he was unlikely to be recognized as anything but a Fanalis was actually a better option right now. The corps had enough respect among the general populace that nobody within the city would try anything, so it didn't really matter where he went as long as there were plenty of witnesses. 

Coming up to the front of the buffet, he grabbed a plate and piled it higher than he probably should have with meat of all kinds. Pork, beef, chicken, snake, alligator, rat, hell, he even put some pigeon on there. Pigeon wasn't his favorite type of meat,  it was too gamy for his taste, but it was food and that was all that mattered. After all, the way this place worked was that they'd charge you in the amount of plates you took. Most people couldn't actually carry the amount of food that he had put on his plate without fear of tripping over, but as someone who had to fight for a living, he was about as elegant as a ballet dancer and thus had nothing to be concerned about in that matter. 

What he did, however, have a lot to worry about was the fact that someone was constantly staring at him. It was some red-haired guy with the body of a soldier. Not an active soldier, but he was certainly toned enough that his job had to keep him in shape. Plus, there was just something about the way that he was in a place like this that made him sure that he was rich enough to buy good food but was poor enough not to be in the higher residential districts. Considering the higher quality of food, company and the fact that you weren't actually likely to get robbed there, very few people would go down here rather than there. Zander was, admittedly, one of the exceptions. 

So, why was the boy looking at him? Was it out of pure curiosity that he was a Fanalis? That was racist, couldn't people be wherever they wanted to be no matter what race they were? How dare he openly look at him in a public place like this like he had no right to be here... he was going to ahve to confront him.

Moving over to the man's table, he smiled innocuously, as if trying to not be noticed by everyone standing around them. Starting, his voice not as deep nor as threatening as the average Fanalis warrior, he decided to be blunt about it. 

"Look, do I have something on my face? You've been watching me since I got in here, and I doubt it's because of my charm and good looks. Have you got a problem with Fanalis? Because, if you do, I will willingly solve your problem for you." 

The way that he said those last words, how he would "solve the problem", were worded innocently enough, but there was an edge to them, like he would not be above knocking this guy out for looking at him funny.

"Look, do I have something on my face? You've been watching me since I got in here, and I doubt it's because of my charm and good looks. Have you got a problem with Fanalis? Because, if you do, I will willingly solve your problem for you."

Kris raised his eyebrow at the tone and inflection of speech the young Fanalis was speakign to him with. It was, almost insulting and accusatory, and for the bloody heavens, this was Reim were mostly slavery was outlawed.

Kris of course knew the the reaosning behind the tone, anyone who knew the history of the Fanalis did, but most of those assumptions were null and void when dealing with anyone who was, or had served in the Legion. The last person who had voiced a comment in a deragatory manner towards a Fanalis, or any other race in general, had gotten his ass kicked so hard that the pain had probably finally wore off today. And this event happened over a month and half ago.

"Y'know, you are right. I totally have a problem with Fanalis. Wanna know what that problem is? Your hair is glossier than mine, and the shade is just a bit deeper than my hair color. That is my problem with you Fanalis. Your hair is better than mine," Kris replied, sarcasm dripping from his every word.

" I am watching you because it is not very often that a bloody Fanalis walks into a lower class joint like this. Most of these people have not recieved Legion training, so the racism and discrimination is still here, and in abundance. If you had walked in about twenty minutes earlier, I may have had to actually drag you out before you killed someone under the authority of the Legion and Octavius. And I am almost positive you do not want to deal with that bullshit."

With that Kris stodd up from his table, the crowd having finally died down enough to where he felt comfortable going and getting his food. Motioning towards the seat across from where he was sitting, he turned back towards the Fanalis.

"Take a seat spunky, Im sure we have something to talk about. Plus it is no fun to eat on your own, especially when there is someone to appreciate the glories of meat with you."

Heading over to the buffet and loading his plate just as his new tablemate had, but with more emphasis on steak and bacon, Kris returned to the table quickly, a few slabs of bacon and strips of steak hanging from his mouth. From the way his cheek bones were moving, one could easily see that he was eating while picking food out and walking back to the table, which signalled a complete lack of manners, but Kris was honestly too hungry to care at the moment.

"So partner, lets start over. My name is Khrysaor, or Kris for short. What is your name?"

There are times when someone feels like an asshole. There are times when someone wants to take their words back and just apologize for everything. However, despite what happened in this situation, this was not what happened to Zander. He merely sat there listening to the boy for a few seconds... before he laughed. 

No, that wasn't quite right, he didn't laugh, he chuckled. A quick "heh heh" that seemed to acknowledge that he couldn't quite believe this situation. Well, not that. He could completely understand why someone would be confused about his place here, even if it was slightly racist that he'd have to deal with this, but it was better than the rest of the people. But, first thing's first. 

"My hair is pink. My hair is Appolinus-damned pink, kid. The shade doesn't really matter considering the fact that I look like a walking, talking gay-pride icon." A warmer grin than earlier flashed on his face. 

This guy knew a lot about Alexius and the Fanalis corps, which had to suggest that he knew a lot about the Fanalis. Plus, he had misjudged that this guy was actively against him rather than simply confused about his presence here. Sure, that was racist and he'd have to deal with that at well, but it was much better than the alternative; the alternative that this guy assumed that he was going to start throwing shit at people just because he was a "mindless barbarian".

"But, don't ever think that you're capable of taking me out of a bar if I want to be in a bar knocking skulls together. I might not be a pure-bred human, but my dad was a scholar from Heliohapt. I'm part human, even if my body doesn't show it. So, I'm not just not going to go into an area just because people are racist idiots.... No offense, ma'am" he said, flashing a slightly embarrassed smile at the woman who was sitting two tables away from him who had been listening into this entire conversation with apparent interest. He could not, to be fair, blame her. There were two people who were having what seemed like an argument in the middle of public. Hard to avoid becoming interested in.

Taking the seat, even though the offer seemed slightly sarcastic, just because he got the feeling that the boy didn't actually want him to, he waited patiently for the boy to come back from filling his plate. In the mean-time, he dug in, ripping the skin and well-cooked meat off of the chicken leg. 

It was juicy, and had apparently not been bled properly, since he tasted the familiar, heavy-iron taste of blood filling his mouth from a single bite. there wasn't a lot of it, but he wondered if he could get a discount price from pointing out that they were selling what could be considered as low-quality food here. they wouldn't want that hanging over their head, he was willing to bet.

Now that introductions were coming his way, he supposed he'd have to give his own. Forcing a smile, one that showed a little too much of his teeth as if he still didn't quite trust this guy. 

"The name's Alekzander. Alekzander Vasilias, adopted son of Commander Kay Vasilias. But, since we're going to be on friendly terms, you can call me Alek, Zander, or Vas. Just... don't call me Ally." The smile dropped instantly, turning into an unreadable expression to make it extremely hard to see if he was kidding or not. 

"No, seriously. Don't call me Ally. I broke the leg of the last idiot who called me that. I've already got hot pink hair, I don't need a girl's name on top of that."

Kris chuckled as he listened to Alek talk. The one thing, the only taboo rule when dealing with Kris however, was do not tell him to not do something, as it would just make him want to do it more.

"Y'know, I'm one of those people where the more you tell me to not do something, the more I want to do it, right? The urge to call you Ally is so prevalent I actually need to fit a whole tenderloin in my mouth to keep me from saying it," Kris responded, alternating between the steaks and bacon, with the occasional alligator and calamari mixed in.

Some chicken later, and Kris managed to get everything that had been stuffed in his mouth down, mostly due to a long swig of water. The amount of food that had been stuck in his throat almost made drinking hurt, but after a second it made everything better.

"I had the same problem in my division of the Legion when I first joined. The amount of Kristie or Krissy I got was unfathomable. Then one dude lost his eye, and I haven't heard it much anymore. It still floats around when they are drunk, but you can't really attack a drunk person for calling you a name in the Legion. Itll just cause too much drama and paperwork, and suspension, and everything else that no one wants to deal with."

Shrugging and tearing off another chunk of steak from the bone, Kris continued to eat until everything on his plate was pretty much straight bone. While it wasn't enough to completely make him full, it was enough to sate his hunger for the day.

"So, what are your plans for the future, or the next few days. There are probably a couple jobs up at the Legion we could run through if you're interested. The Huang is decent too," Kris offered, downing another glass of water.

[ooc: It is really hard to post when you are trying to avoid being put in a food coma.]

Evidently, telling him not to call him Ally was going to have the opposite effect. Unfortunately for Kris, it was actually true that Zander had broken the last guy to call him Ally's leg. Admittedly, the last guy to call him Ally was actually one of his slave-masters, and he was breaking the guy's leg to stop him from running. So, for now, it seemed like Kris would be safe from any true repercussions from his stupid actions. He wouldn't be able to avoid getting his ass handed to him on a silver platter if he continued acting like this, but he had another chance. Another few moments where he could go on without having any broken bones. 

Though, as he spoke about the legion, Alek couldn't help but snicker. The Fanalis were a lot more disciplined than those foolish oafs in the every day legion, it was the way they had to be if they wanted to keep in the good books of the people who gave them their freedom, but he had never quite heard about it from this angle before.

 A lot of people in the legion, although they weren't willing to act against their prejudice, were fine with not acting due to their prejudices. If someone within the legion were to insult a Fanalis, they would get their ass kicked by the other men in their platoon, but if a Fanalis was seen to be getting taken as a slave before their very eyes, a full one third of the soldiers for the legion wouldn't step out of their way to do a damned thing about it. It was even easier not having to talk to them.

"You legion boys always were animals." Alek said, smiling slightly at the thought "I've heard a few nasty things about your inauguration ceremonies. and then there's all those rumors about the most effeminate boy in the squad being turned into... well, when men are away from women for so long, they get urges." Taking the glass next to him into his hand, he quaffed from it. Unfortunately, it was just plain water so it didn't quite have the same effect as if it had been wine. Still, the meaning was there all the same. It wasn't so much an insult as a taunt, something that made him glad for the gloves that covered his arms. 

However, what interested him was the plans for the future talk. He was already asking about what he planned to do? They barely knew each other for two minutes... was that the way people did things in this city? Not that he was going to complain of course, the pay was good and he could use a bit of Huang to finance his next trip. 

"Well, actually, I was going to go back to the corps for a couple of days. I have a girl I don't want to miss me too much.. you know how Fanalis women are. If you promise them you'll see them, you either keep the promise, or you lose your teeth. As the commander's daughter, I don't think I'm allowed to hit back. But, after that and a few other little errands are done with, I think I'll be free. Why, are you asking me out on a date?" The question came out almost more of a purr than anything else, grinning sadistically. 

"Why, Krissie, I know you legion boys were informal, but if you're trying to court me, you'd better be paying for my dinner."

It was moments like these that made Zander honestly believe that there was some sort of truth in the ancient complaint that "whatever can go wrong will go wrong". This guy seemed interesting, and he would have loved to know more, but at that moment a group of Fanalis that had apparently been looking for him for a little whilst stormed into the pub, approaching the table like a gigantic wave of ginger death. They were truly worrisome, not just in size but in concept. They were probably able to break someone like a twig if they truly wanted to, and they were clearly scaring the people around them. 

"Captain Vasilias? You're needed." A groan came from Alek's mouth as he picked up another steak and began to gnaw at it, clearly trying to recharge his strength. 
"Can it wait for five minutes? I've got to eat too, you know." 
"I'm sorry sir, but its orders straight from the emperor himself... he's asking us to send in the Fanalis corps to acquire a piece of land that other countries are about to bicker over like dogs over a steak."
"What's so special about this land?"