A Stickly Introduction (Ribbon)

After a brief pit stop for some food, Callie had found her way back in her favourite district of Endymion, East Eden. There was no denying that it was her favourite place by a long shot, the grasslands, farms and wooded areas just felt so much more natural and peaceful to her than the dense city life that made up the majority of the rest of the city. Not only was it peaceful, but the views were nice, the smells were interesting and didn't just reek of pollution and best of all, if you were lucky you'd get to spot some kind of animal enjoying life too!

That was the hope anyway, for the moment Callie was simply enjoying her walk through a lightly wooded area of East Eden, listening to the birds sing their songs above and arguing with the shadow in her head about important matters.

"You can't seriously think that, you're just messing with me right?" Callie mentally replied confused to Terra's last comment.

"I'm being completely serious! What's wrong with that as my choice? Everyone's allowed their own opinion on these things, neheh."

"Yeah, but... It's such an important decision to make in life, I'm just a little shocked that's what you'd pick... I dunno what to think anymore."

"Well what about you then? If it's such a dilemma of great importance, care to share your opinions on it?"

"Do I really need to, you surely know my answer by now! How long have we been together?"

"Hey, hey, you didn't know my answer sport, so you can't use that card on me! Neheheh! Though, whilst yes I know, I want you to explain yourself!"

"W-well... Whilst yes all ice cream is good, why just have the great taste of ice cream when you can also have the great taste of cookies at the same time!? Cookie-dough ice cream is just amazing and I love it! All flavours are good flavours, but it's just the best of both worlds ya know? Unlike your choice..."

"What are you talking about!? Mint is an actual thing outside of ice cream too they both are the same with that reasoning!"

"Yeah but mint is gross!"

To say the least, the hood wearing girl was lightly distracted by her mental argument about very important matters, so she wasn't fully paying attention when a sudden out sprung twig decided to welcome itself to her face. "O-ow!" She'd call out loud before rubbing her face with one hand and ensuring her hood hadn't fallen off with the other.

Another day, another job. Well, another day on the job, Tomomi having just finished up a route of collecting bin bags from bins in East Eden, and dropping them off at drop off points nearby. A monotonous routine that the Japanese boy had grown used to. So, it was time for the long, long slog back to Little Tokyo, or the nearest bus station - most likely just a walk however. Still, as he made his way back, something caught Tomomi's eye. A blonde haired girl smacked in the face by a branch.

Worried and taking out some disinfectant wipes from his pocket that he kept for work just in case, Tomomi walked over, waving his spare hand and calling out. "U-um excuse me! Um, miss person with the hood! Um, a-are you okay? T-that looked like, well, l-like it hurt! So um, yeah, a-are you okay?"

"Nehehe, serves you right."

After continuing to rub her cheek, Callie pulled her hand away from her face to stare at it for a moment as if she expected to see something there that wasn't. Huh. Shaking her head off, the young vixen was about to continue down her path without a second thought when one of her ears slightly perked up at the sound of an unexpected voice. Instinctively she'd turn to stare at whoever it was that had called out, tilting her head lightly as they stumbled over their words and called her something strange.

"Miss person?" Callie began in a confused tone, using a hand to play with her bottom lip as she got momentarily lost in thought. "I don't think anyone's ever called me that before! At least not that I can remember, sounds funny! Totally doesn't fit me though. Miss is the sort of thing you'd say to adults! Hehe." She continued, seemingly completely forgetting what the original inquiry was about or even that it had just happened but a moment ago until she thought about it some more and glared around at the branch that had whacked her. "OH! That stupid branch, that's the third time this week I've ran into that one. It's kinda pointy but its not too bad, or at least it doesn't hurt anymore. More just the initial shock of it ya know~!"

At the girl's reaction to what he said, Tomomi awkwardly smiled and rubbed at the back of his neck, shoving the wipes back away. "A-ah, sorry, um, force of habit I guess?" Then, that said, Tomomi waited. And waited. In awkward silence waiting for the stranger who seemed to be in a world of her own. Then it seemed like it twigged, pun out of characterly intended. And hearing what she said, Tomomi's first thought was 'phew'.

"A-ah, well, I'm uh... I'm glad it's not anything serious? Although um... H-how do you know you've hit the exact same branch three times? And um... H-how do you hit it three times, when you recognise it enough that, well, um... Y-you know, that you can say that you've hit it with that much... Um... Is it curtainly? Certainly? Certainty? I'm uh... Not sure the proper word, but, um, something like that... Oh, n-n-not that I'm judging! Promise! I just, um, guess I'm curious? S-sorry! A-anyways, are you sure you're okay? B-because, um, wounds like that can be pretty painful or lead to l-later infections if it c-causes even a slight cut, or maybe a s-splinter..."

The young girl would give off a warm and overly friendly smile as she watched the guy still stumble about his words. "Don't worry about it. It's hard sometimes to know what to call someone if you don't know what they want to be called. Everyone's different after all~!" There was no way you could tell what someone was and wasn't comfortable with in terms of, well, those random names that were given out when you didn't know someones actual name. Like his use of Miss, or Young Lady, or Stranger, or Shortie... She didn't like shortie. "My name's Callie though, so that you know what to call me!" The young vixen would offer an outstretched hand. "By what do you wish me to call you? Hehe."

Not able to help herself, Callie would giggle at the guys inability to go a single sentence without tripping over a word here and there. Not that she was trying to be rude or anything, she just found it mildly amusing. "Well, I walk down this path quite a lot, it's on the way to my favourite place in the whoolleee world! So I've kinda gotten used to what each place looks like and that branch always out smarts me. Or well, more so by the time I get this far I'm always lost in thought and just not paying attention." She'd admit, she just went on such auto pilot when lost in thought that she must end up doing the exact same thing every single time regardless of if she knows not to or not. "I thought about getting rid of the branch so it doesn't happen again... But I don't want to hurt the tree like that when I don't really need to. Ya know?"

With a light happy sigh, the hooded girl would shake her head. "Naw, I'm sure it's fine. Doesn't hurt at all and I've had way worse, though splinters are sooo annoying. They're the little pieces of wood that can get stuck under your skin right? They end up getting real itchy but then itching them, uh, scratching them, whatever, ends up making them hurt way more and... Well, not really hurt, I dunno if that'd be the right word for a splinter because there's something that's annoying and then something that hurts, ya know? Splinters are more like little annoyances, though I still dislike them because of how long they linger about! Especially the ones that you can't claw out right away! Though... I don't think I've ever got an infection from one before, whatever that means, though I'm sure if I did Kay would notice back home. Pretty sure she does some sort of med-aid-first... Thing?"

At the strangers introduction, Tomomi waved his hand with a grin. "I'm Tomomi. Nice to, um, meet you!"

Still, as she explained what caused her to walk into the stick, Tomomi nodded and listened. And she talked a bit more, going on about it in a way that made Tomomi almost catch on with her enthusiasm. Especially so at her point about not wanting to hurt the tree, Tomomi nodding with a grin. "I agree! A-although, less because of the tree itself, b-b-but more because the tree will be used by a b-bunch of life for resources to s-survive, so, um, it's really useful to keep as much of it around unless it needs um, p-pollarding for safety reasons like if it would damage the tree or nearby environment."

As she quickly went on to talk about splinters and infections, Tomomi began to get a bit lost trying to keep up. There was a lot there, and Tomomi just found himself giggling a bit to himself to try and keep up with it all, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck. "W-well, um, I'm uh... G-glad you've never got an infection? B-but, um, you know, keep an eye out and always make sure to be safe rather than risk it, so, um, wash your hands regularly, don't eat things you don't know the origin of, and um... G-general stuff like that I guess?"

Seeing the guy instead chose to wave back, Callie quickly turned her outstretched hand into a wave of her own to keep things from getting unnecessarily awkward. "Tomomi...?" She'd almost echo the word in her usual fashion to be sure that she heard the name right. "Well, it's nice to meet 'cha too!"

"Hmm... I suppose those are more reasons not to do it! Though I still would feel bad for the tree regardless if those other, uh, things, weren't... Things." She'd reply, seemingly confused or stuck over figuring out what word she wanted to use to end that sentence with. However she was quickly distracted by being confused at yet another thing. "Pollarding? What's a pollarding?" That was certainly a word she'd never heard anyone use before, with the way that he said it she could kinda get an idea of what it could of meant in the context of what he said. Though it was better to be safe than sorry!

Chuckling to herself, Callie was clearly still amused by the way the guy talked. At first she thought maybe he was just shy, though they'd properly introduced each other now so there was no need to be shy! Unless they were like suuuper shy like how Zavie used to act sometimes. Or perhaps there was another reason why that she simply wasn't thinking of? "Eww..." The girl muttered lightly under her breath when she heard the guy talk about washing her hands. She hated water, always had, she wasn't really fully sure as to the reason why but the feeling of being wet in anyway was just horrible to the girl. Though instead of continuing with that thought, something more pressing came about.

"That... Doesn't sound like the best advice if I'm honest with you... U-uh, not trying to be rude or anything. It just doesn't really make a lot of sense to me. Like, I know that the origin of food found in the forest is found... In the forest! But some of the stuff in the forest you can eat can be bad for you, whereas food that you find say, at a fast food place, that stuff could be from anywhere! Just because you buy it from them, where'd they get the stuff for it in the first place? It could be anything! J's always going on about how they put all kinds of gross parts of animals in the food at those places, not that it really makes a difference as long as it still tastes good to me. If you never ate anything you didn't know the origin of, well then you'd have a very small selection of things to choose from!"

"A-ah, pollarding is the a-act of, um, pruning trees by removing the branches, usually the top most ones, to keep them from growing out of hand while also providing resources for people. I-in conservation, it's usually the former, but h-historically it's the latter... S-so, um, yeah. That's pollarding."

At her reply regarding Tomomi's food comment, the boy paused for a moment, scratching his head in thought. Yeah, she had a point. Kind of. Although evidently, Tomomi was probably being foolish or at the very least, terrible in expressing his thoughts properly. So, for a moment he just scratched his head, trying to think where the misinformation started, before speaking up. "A-ah, um, when I said knowing the origin, I guess I mean, um, not knowing exactly what it is? Or at the very least, not knowing where to learn what it is. L-like, um, berries in the forest. You know what it is, and where it's from, but you d-don't know if it's a poisonous one like you said. A-as for fast food stuff, um... F-fast food's kind of bad for you, b-but, one thing is you can track the origin of it, and find out what it's made of and what it can do to you. W-while stuff in the wild you can't. A-a-also, my point was actually in re-reference to food like crisps or biscuits found on the ground. I-I know that sounds like a c-common sense thing, but, while I was working the other day I actually m-met someone who just... J-just picked a crisp off the ground and ate it! L-like it was nothing!"

At this, the boy seemed to physically grow distressed as a shiver went down his spine. "Um, s-sorry if I worded some of that wrong. E-english isn't my first language, so, I'm still finding things... Difficult to say... Um... Is it eloquively? Equotely? Um... F-fancily! Yeah!" At this, Tomomi gave a giggle to himself to try cover up his awkward speech failings.

The girl would nod along to the guys explanation of the word that had confused her, even if in the process he said another word that she didn't understand the meaning of either. Pruning? Although, he did then go on to basically say what it meant anyway so it wasn't something she'd worry about asking, yet at least.

Callie would tilt her head as the conversation about food continued. "Well, yes, but places could be lying. Not that I'd know why they would, I just heard Kay shout about it before. Though for wild food, I know I don't know anything about them, or at least not about all of them, there are a few I know for a fact are safe and I do, uh, sometimes eat a few when I see them... BUT! Isn't that what that... Internet thing is for? You can find out basically anything there! As long as you know how to type to find it..." The vixen would sigh lightly, computers were confusing and boring though they definitely seemed helpful from time to time. Though at Tomomi's last point, the girl would giggle softly and look off to one side. "Well, I mean... Five second rule, right? No point wasting good food! Hehe."

"Ohhhh! That's why, I, uh, guess that makes sense! I wouldn't have a clue how to speak in another language, this one is confusing enough. So many long and complicated words that mean really simple things, like why bother having such a long word for something so simple! Like sure if a word meant an entire sentence as a single word then sure it can be long, but if it means something basic that a small word would mean the same thing what's the point in it!?" The girl would rant, seemingly more so to herself in an attempt to make sense of the confusing way the world did things. "But, uh, what other language do you speak? I doubt I'll know it at all, but it must be interesting to be able to speak in multiple languages! You could like, use a language most people don't know to talk to a person who does understand it as if you're using a secret code no one else can hope to understand if they were trying to listen in when you didn't want them to!"

The dreaded five second rule. Tomomi tried to avoid letting the sheer horror at the phrase from showing on his face. There was so much wrong with that rule, and Tomomi was always terrified when he saw people follow it, or worse, breaking it and going for food that had been even longer. It was like a nightmarish abomination to witness. But, he bit his tongue, and said nothing. She was too young and unaware to really get the whole germs, bacteria, diseases, and dangers aspect of it, and Tomomi didn't want to derail her enthusiasm.

"Fair point about the fancy word thing, I just like to try using them because, well... Um... It sort of makes me sound smarter I guess? Which, I know is a really, um, insecure thing to say, but, well, um, yeah! It just makes me feel smart? I um... I don't know. Um, s-sorry about that being confusing!" The boy declared with an awkward laugh. Then, at the innocent question and suggestion regarding language, he scratched his head with a light hum in thought, adjusting his shoulder to make sure his jacket didn't fall off his shoulder.

"Well... I suppose not everyone knows how to speak it, but, my primary language is Japanese, so, it's not a rare language... And um... With the whole secret code, wouldn't people figure out I was using a code if I suddenly started talking in a way they couldn't understand? I mean, I'm not too good with the whole spy thing but um... I'm like... A fair bit sure that would go against the whole secret thing? Maybe? B-but I like the idea! I also know some basic aspects for a few other languages, but not really enough to hold full conversations as fluen... Fluen... Um... As smoothly as English and Japanese. So um... Y-yeah! I like the thought though!"

With an amused giggle, the young Vixen would spend a moment trying to think about what people she knew that also seemed to use a lot of long words. J definitely did, he'd always go on about his sciency stuff with a bunch of what sounded like made up words. Though if he was just doing that to sound smarter, that would make a whole lot of sense. He was definitely the sort of guy who wanted to try and be the smartest man in the room at all times, it was kinda funny when he tried but clearly did something wrong and pretend he meant the mistake. "I guess that's one reason for it. Personally I wouldn't want people to think I'm any smarter, or well, any different from who I actually am by using long words or anything else I could do to make myself seem different. I'm me and if ya don't like that, it's your bad~!" The girl would twirl, a bright warm smile plastered on her face as she continued to listen to Tomomi.

"Well yeaaahhhh. But it doesn't matter if someone knows you're using a secret code in some cases. Like, just because they know you're being secret, doesn't mean they suddenly can understand what your code is! Hehe, me and my brother sometimes use this silly code we made up. It drives Kay insane not knowing what we're talking about. Though the code is kinda, well, simple and not much too it yet. It's a work in progress!"

Hearing the girl so enthusiastic and seeing so many smiles was definitely a pleasant feeling, and he found himself smiling as if it were contagious. At her enthusiasm and joy regarding the concept of secret code, Tomomi just nodded along. There were things that were flawed in her suggestion of using Japanese for secret code, but, Tomomi wasn't going to bring that up and spoil her fun. That just wouldn't be kind or fair.

Instead, he laughed and spoke, voice gentle and full of the infectious joy he'd got from her. "Haha! Well, I'm glad one of us has had examples of using code well! I'd, um, ask for more details! But um... Pretty sure if I asked for anything more, then it'd stop being code!"

With a giggle, the boy moved his hands over his lips as if he were closing a zip. "So! I will, um, not ask for more info, and leave you and your brothers code a super duplex secret!" He declared, grinning and completely aware that duplex and duper were not the same words.

"It's a lot of fun! Though as I said it's kinda simple at the moment, so there's only really like... Four proper things we can say to one another, sometimes we just repeat the same things over and over to annoy Kay. Other times we just start making stuff up that doesn't even make sense to us but it makes us laugh!" They kept saying to each other that they'd make up more of the code sometime, though just never really got round to it. It was quite hard to think of something that sounded both unique and, well, that you'd actually remember what it meant too! Though, she appreciated that this guy wasn't trying to pry details of this super important secret code out of her "Then a secret it will stay! Hehe."

Though there was one thing she'd yet to find out, partially as she never asked but still. Taking a moment to look up and down the path, unsure of what exactly she was looking out for but just to be safe, she'd decide to change the subject. "So what were you walking through here for? You heading anywhere in particular or just out for a nice stroll~? I don't want to keep you too long if you've got places to be! Like that one time I made someone an hour late for work by accident..." She'd whisper that last part under her breath before chuckling lightly.

Tomomi grinned in return at the girl's enthusiasm, frankly feeling a breath of fresh air at the fact that there was someone that was actually happy and enjoying life, contrary to everyone that, well, didn't. He had no idea who this Kay person was, but, he wasn't going to ask - keep the secret secrets a big secret, or words to that effect. Still, he was surprised at the question, as if seemingly recalling what he was actually doing. Then, at her saying she didn't want to keep him long, the boy just shook his head, not really hearing what that last bit was, but not wanting to press the point as he replied.

"Ah! Um, you don't need to worry about anything like that, but, um, thanks for being nice about it! I actually finished working not too long ago, so, was just on my way home." He declared, nodding slightly. It made him curious why she decided to look around, but once more, he didn't wish to pry. Not directly. But, perhaps she herself was busy, and this was her attempt at hinting it? Not sure, and deciding to ask just in case... "Ah! But, um, if you're busy yourself and need to get going, don't let me hold you up! I'd hate to be an inconvenience at all with stuff like that!"

"Cool! I'm not making another person late for something~!" The girl declared as if proud of the statement, a wide unwavering grin plastered on her face. "You probably wouldn't believe how many times I've done that by accident, hehe." It did seem like a common trend that she'd run into people, end up in some strange conversation about something that she'll end up forgetting how they even reached that topic and before you know it, poof! Loads of time had gone past and then the person she was talking to had to suddenly dash off as they realized the time. It would probably be best for her to get into the habit of asking that question nearer the beginning of conversations from now on... If she remembered to that is.

The young vixen would softly shake her head. "Naw, I'm not really busy. Well, I was heading somewhere, but it's not like a thing I have to get to right away or it'll suddenly stop being there kinda thing. As long as, ya know, it's not dark by the time I get there it'll be fine and I doubt that much time will pass unknowingly~!" If it did that must've ended up being a super interesting conversation. What in the world could end up being that interesting? Like, if aliens suddenly invaded, maybe? Or maybe they found a family of friendly bunnies to fuss over! "I mean, actually I need to be home before dark so I guess I'd have to be there before it was dark to actually spend time there and still get back before it was dark? Uh, hm... B-but yeah I'm in no real rush!"