[center][h3]Forging Bonds I[/h3]
[color=BFBFBF]Zenkichi[/color], Sandalphon's [@Lugubrious]
[b]Word Count:[/b] 3,843 words (+4) [/center]


Zenkichi blinked a few times after Sandalphon approached, then gave her a little smile. Though they’d just spoken the previous night, it certainly felt like a lot of time had passed. Dealing with Arahabaki and everything that happened below the surface, then defeating the Guardian and Consul C after dealing with Y, all just in the morning. 

Akane, on the other hand, was a bit more intimidated. Her father was a fairly tall man, but this lady had a good few inches on him. She almost rolled her eyes when Sandalphon knelt to meet her eyes, but when the woman spoke, part of her was glad she didn’t. There was an undertone of sincerity in Sandalphon’s voice that gave her pause, then she nodded. “Yeah, it’s…been a lot. First dad comes back from work and tells me we have to go, drags me to a place with some weird secret agents, one of them stabs me with a key and makes me realize we’re in some weirdo alternate reality, and then after a couple days hiding out there, apparently there’s a civil war or something, then his friend shows up [i]on TV[/i] and says the city’s about to collapse and she’s gonna lead a new one?”

Her tensed shoulders dropped, and Akane let out a sigh. “I could use a little peace.”

Zenkichi just shrugged, chuckling a bit. [color=BFBFBF]”Yeah, I don’t mind. And don’t worry, Akane, Sandalphon’s pretty cool.”[/color] Smiling at his daughter and giving her a reassuring nod, Zenkichi’s face dropped when he recognized the look on her face. [i]Oh no.[/i]

“You just think she’s pretty, dad, I’m not stupid.” The moderately acerbic comment left a grimace on her father’s face, but Akane just shrugged. “At least she looks old enough for you.” At that, he actually groaned a little, running his hand down his face. 

[color=BFBFBF]”Oh, come on, Akane, at least cut me a little slack…”[/color] He whined, hanging his shoulders slightly.

For a brief moment, Sandalphon’s pupils became star-shaped sparkles, and though they quickly snapped back to their typical power symbols, a faint shadow of amusement remained on her angelic features. “It’s heartening to see you two so close.” She could only assume that this sort of ribbing, uncommon among strangers, spoke to the strength of their familiar bond despite circumstances that could have easily strained it. “After so much clamor and upheaval in the big city, I can certainly use some peace and quiet myself. Come,” she gestured toward Port Meridian. “Let us go together and sample a simpler walk of life.”

The three set off at a leisurely pace, Sandalphon walking on one side of Akane and Zenkichi on the other. So far, very few of the Seekers had seen the archangel not holding something, be it a staff for healing, a gun for harming, or a gunstaff for both. Still, she conducted herself with the same serene grace, though the way she clasped her hands behind her back gave her a slight air of stiff formality. She soaked in the sights, sounds, and smells with wide-eyed curiosity, from the storefronts to the waterfront, sometimes pausing to observe that the others might consider quite ordinary as they breathed deep of the gloriously fresh air.

“I realize that I’ve sorely missed scenery like this,” she remarked. “Last night, I mentioned Grams. It’s also a big city, though smaller in Midgar, and I’ve learned that the world I hail from would be considered medieval by most standards.” Sandalphon paused to peer into a [url=https://i.imgur.com/Y2M096e.png]lamp shop[/url], where masterpieces of metal and glass either stood or dangled in all shapes and sizes, aglow with warmth and fragrant with burning incense. Then she stared up in mild bemusement at a [url=https://i.imgur.com/mU41z1o.png]retailer[/url] that evidently specialized in lawn gnomes, her expression blank but her pupils turned to triple question marks. The next moment, the sight of an [url=https://i.imgur.com/xcthrB8.jpeg]absolutely filthy Pomeranian[/url] distracted her as it raced by, yapping loudly and leaving a trail of mud in its wake. “It had its fair share of problems, but around Grams lay a beautiful pastoral landscape. On days of rest I would often stray out through the fields, entreating the local beekeepers for fresh honey. There really is no greater delicacy.”

While saying this, her gaze edged toward the port town’s farmers’ market. Though she clearly didn’t intend to steer her acquaintances anywhere in particular, her body language made her desire quite plain.

[color=BFBFBF]”Wanna check out that farmers’ market?”[/color] Zenkichi asked, having easily caught the angel’s side-eye of the stalls. She definitely seemed a bit more expressive, though that just might be him getting used to having to catch the quick flashes of her pupils whenever they changed. It was [i]very[/i] cute to watch her reactions to things that were, to him, fairly mundane. 

Sandalphon bowed her head in a formal nod, her appreciation unspoken.

[color=BFBFBF]”Where we came from was definitely more like Midgar than your world sounds like. We also don’t really have anything that could be described as magic, or dragons or even androids. There are pretty basic robots, but they’re never really more than a simple learning program or remote controlled thing stuffed behind a metal shell. Nothing sentient, at least.”[/color] Akane nodded, looking over the different stalls to see if there was anything she was interested in. 

“Yeah, but we [i]do[/i] have the coolest superheroes in the world, the Phantom Thieves!” The girl cheered. “I am their [i]biggest[/i] fan! I even do a livestream dedicated to them! The Phantom Phreaks! Hehehhehe!” Akane giggled happily, remembering their return and their takedowns of some seriously high-profile targets before everything changed. “Dad…do you know what’s gonna happen? Are…we gonna get to go home?” 

Zenkichi sighed, frowning. [color=BFBFBF]”It’s…pretty complicated. We don’t know what’s gonna happen if we stop Galeem, that…thing, that caused all this. There’s a group of people working towards the same goal as us, but…we don’t know how much we can trust their intentions, either. Or what’ll happen if we win. But if we don’t…we’re trying to figure out what to do from there. I think Sakura and Karin are trying to hedge their bets in making that new city.”[/color]

Akane’s enthusiastic hubbub about the Phantom Thieves brought to mind something Sandalphon had heard just minutes ago, and steering the conversation back toward lighter matters than the worlds’ fate felt prudent. “I believe that Midna just mentioned these heroes of yours,” she mentioned to Akane as the three headed toward the market. “It would seem that the Phantom Thieves have been an immense help to the campaign against Galeem, but are currently operating elsewhere. Once I establish contact with them, I promise that you will be the first to know. Perhaps you could even meet them face to face.” She paused for a moment, an idea occurring to her that might benefit them both. “It sounds like you’re very knowledge about the Phantom Thieves. Since I myself wish to know more, please feel free to tell me all about them. There is no such thing as too much detail.”

By then, the trio had reached the marketplace. Rather than a massive, jostling, noisy throng of hawkers and hagglers like the bazaar of Al Mamoon, this long row of open-air stalls reflected the more humble, communal, and relaxed nature of Everdream Valley itself. As the chief place for the Valley’s many producers to offload their choicest or surplus commodities, the market boasted an incredible variety of goods on sale. Though eager to sample the local honey, Sandalphon saw no reason to rush past all the market’s offerings, and happily browsed the stalls while Akane regaled her with her near-encyclopedic Phantom Thief knowledge.

“And nobody [i]really[/i] knows exactly how they do it, but they call it ‘Stealing Desires’, and apparently they’re not the only ones who figured it out, because after they stopped being active for a while, [i]other[/i] people started stealing desires, too, but from regular people! And they were manipulating them into buying their merch, or watching their show, or voting for them! But the Phantom Thieves realized what was going on and came back to make them stop! But what I really love the most about them is that they don’t just fight people abusing power. They inspire others to be stronger, too!” As Akane continued telling Sandalphon all about her favorite heroes, Zenkichi listened with a smile. Knowing what he did about Joker and the other Thieves, it really wasn’t a surprise that Akane looked up to them. They were good kids. He just hoped they were doing alright.

Bright colors, flowing mists, and intriguing spells brought the eye toward one popular attraction immediately, the Liquid Miracles potions store. It enchanted customers with intricately decorated bottles of all shapes and sizes, the mixtures within aglow with sorcery. Perhaps most remarkable of all was the shop’s [url=https://i.imgur.com/AtKowTf.jpeg]proprietor[/url], a bronze construct with distinctive swirly cheeks whose glass belly full of bubbling brew made him look like a magic potion himself. His stall even included a DIY station, where customers could mix together different premade ingredients themselves to see what magical effects they could cook up under the supervision of a [url=https://i.imgur.com/LQssBqq.png]strict-looking owl[/url]. As Sandalphon watched, a young man tried his potion and immediately shrank to half his size, much to his friends’ amusement.

Next up, a [url=https://i.imgur.com/8vZa8Dw.png]blocky stall[/url] run by a curious, large nosed fellow -every bit as angular as his shop- offered all sorts of fruits and vegetables in flat pixel form. The villager’s wares included carrots, potatoes, beetroots, pumpkins, apples, and berries. Despite their bizarre, minimalist appearance, they seemed to act and taste just like the real deal. Unfortunately, he didn’t have what Sandalphon was looking for, and her attention soon wandered to a stall that specialized in ‘plorts’. It offered an array of the strange polyhedrons via its expansive [url=https://i.imgur.com/AjjVeo0.png]market board[/url], each boasting uniquely useful material properties. These plorts seemed to come from slimes, and there were even a few of the [url=https://i.imgur.com/QeB5jBf.png]sludgy critters[/url] for sale for the right price. And that was just the beginning; there were pals for sale, either as pets or labor, handmade goods like woven baskets and knitted sweaters, and even a stall with a live [url=https://i.imgur.com/AsBQzYO.png]Woolipop[/url] where customers could get a cone of its ultra-sweet wool, carefully spun out to the airy consistency of cotton candy.

Akane’s eyes caught the stall with the Pals in it, locking onto a particularly fluffy and adorable pal: A Cremis. “Dad, it’s so cute!” She cooed, looking at the vulpine pal with figurative hearts in her eyes. “It’s a shame we couldn’t have any pets before…” Slumping her shoulders a little, Akane shrugged. “But we didn’t have one in Japan either, sooo I guess it’s whatever.” 

Zenkichi was not fooled. He was dedicated to being more attentive given this third chance to be a good father as well, so he tapped Akane’s shoulder and gestured to the stall, turning his head to Sandalphon. [color=BFBFBF]”Gonna check this out real quick. Shouldn’t take long if you just wanna look around or something.”[/color] Walking casually up to the stall, he looked over the different pals they showcased, but his eyes kept darting back to the Cremis Akane was cooing over before he turned to the proprietor. [color=BFBFBF]”So, how much for the fluffy little guy?”[/color] He asked, gesturing to the two. 

“The Cremis? 680 Zenny. I’ll take Kins, too, assumin’ you’re from Midgar. Comes with some food and a Pal Sphere to keep it in when you don’t want it runnin’ around, too. They ain’t tough, but they ain’t high-maintenance either, so they’re jus’ fine for a pet.” Checking his balance, Zenkichi frowned when the pretty pitiful sum showed itself: he’d been having a rough couple of weeks when the Seekers showed up, and was pretty sure he’d been fired by now, if HR was still running. He did, however, have a couple thousand in Yen in his wallet, and inquired if that would work.

“Uhhh, lemme just take a quick look.” Checking the paper money and opening up a small notebook to examine, the shopkeeper nodded with satisfaction and opened up his register to get Zenkichi his change. “One-to-one exchange rate with Zenny. I’ll give ya back your Yens directly, but your change is gonna be in Zenny. Just try not to get it too mixed up, though most places’ll take a buncha different kindsa money.” 

Thanking the shopkeeper, Zenkichi went over to Akane and her newfound friend with a smile, dropping his hand on her head. [color=BFBFBF]”Surprise, Akane.”[/color] He preened as the shopkeeper got a bag of food for them, as well as a Pal Sphere which he used to ‘capture’ the Cremis. 

“All yours, kid. Take good care of her.” The man said, offering the sphere with a smile. 

“...Wait, what?” Akane looked between the two, confusion and disbelief on her face. “You’re…you’re serious?” 

Zenkichi just nodded with a small smile. [color=BFBFBF]”Yeah. I just…it looks like things are gonna get weird for a while, until we find a place to settle in. Figured you could use a friend who isn’t gonna be running off constantly and getting into fights every day, ya know? I know it doesn’t make up for…everything, but…gotta start somewhere, right?”[/color]

Akane just stared down at the Pal Sphere in her hand, biting her lip as she tried to process what just happened. After enough time that Zenkichi started to worry a bit, she turned around and gave him a quick hug, before backing off like he was radioactive and releasing the Cremis from its Sphere to fuss over it. “Oh my goodness you are [i]so cute![/i] And we get to be friends from now on! Oooh I gotta come up with a name for you!!!” 

[i]Love ya too, Akane.[/i] Zenkichi just though, smiling lovingly at his daughter. Given how things had been between them…that hug was a lot. And even if neither of them would say it, they both knew it well.

While the two went about their acquisition of a brand new pal, Sandalphon lingered nearby rather than going off on her own. Though she pretended to be browsing nearby stalls, her rather paltry efforts made her curious observation of father and daughter all the more conspicuous. The archangel paid special attention to their shared interactions, noting the way they looked at and treated one another. Neither expressed their affection out loud, but their bond seemed endearingly clear in the way Zenkichi cared for his daughter; he expressed his love with a gift, expending a chunk out of his seemingly limited funds to satisfy Akane’s unspoken wish. [i]Such trust, appreciation, and understanding…surely that must be the very picture of love.[/i] In Sandalphon’s entire life, she had achieved something like that with just two people: her sister Metatron, and Regina, her pactbound human among the Apostles. By now, it felt like they’d been gone forever, and the archangel found herself wistful with longing.

When Zenkichi and Akane were ready to move on, Sandalphon conveniently happened to be right there. “Oh, hello again.” She knelt down in front of Akane’s Cremis, and though the fluffy little critter shied away at first, it edged forward to sniff Sandalphon’s fingertips before consenting to a caress. The archangel’s pupils became hearts. “Very affectionate. Did you come up with a name?”

Smiling happily as Sandalphon pet her new Pal, Akane nodded thoughtfully. “Yes. I’m going to call her Maru.”

Zenkichi couldn’t help but let out a little chuckle. [color=BFBFBF]”Round, huh? Yeah, I guess that fits.”[/color] The thing was basically a big ball of fur, after all.

“An excellent name,” Sandalphon decreed.

It wasn’t long, of course, before the three found exactly what the archangel wanted: a beekeeper’s stall, run by a [url=https://i.imgur.com/tyZ09M3.png]bearded man[/url] who bore a surprising resemblance to Goldlewis. “If you want honey, you came to the right place!” He offered the archangel a jar of viscous liquid that shone with a faint pinkish-orange light, the gentle, dreamlike hues of a sunset sky. “This here’s honey from Beegardes, made usin’ Saffronia flowers. The blossoms glow at night, just beautiful, and lemme tell ya, the honey tastes just as good. A lovely treat for a lovely lady, eh?”

As Zenkichi and Akanae stood by, they gradually became aware of a familiar, tantalizing smell. Not far away stood the source: a Japanese-style [url=https://i.imgur.com/sdJdUrS.png]ramen stall[/url] with an open kitchen, run by a squat, mustached, red-faced man who crafted his dishes on the spot with the aid of supplementary robot arms. The stall featured a short line and a tantalizing menu, each piping-hot, aromatic bowl more mouth-watering than the last.

[hider=Menu][list][*]Vegetable Noodles (V) — Vegetable Broth, Bok Choy, Shitake Mushrooms, Fried Egg; green onions
[*]Mushroom Noodles (V) — Vegetable Broth with Mushroom Medley (Chanterelle, White Button, Black Shitake), Tofu, Onsen Egg; cilantro
[*]Pumpkin Soup Noodles — Creamy Kabocha Soup (winter squash), Jujube (red date), Pumpkin chunks; goji berries & basil sprig
[*]Red Chili Meat Noodles (🔥) — Spicy Tonkotsu Broth, Sliced Pork Belly, Ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg), Red Chiles, Nori; green onions
[*]Red Chili Chicken Noodles (🔥) — Spicy Chicken Broth, Sliced Chicken (skin on), Red Thai Chiles, Ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg), Nori; green onions & cilantro
[*]Green Pepper Meat Noodles (🔥) — Tonkotsu Broth, Sliced Pork Belly, Ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg), Nori, Green Thai Chiles; lime slices, green onions & pickled ginger
[*]Green Pepper Chicken Noodles (🔥) — Chicken Broth, Sliced Chicken (skin on), Ajitama (soft-boiled egg), Nori, Green Thai Chiles; limes, green onions, cilantro & pickled ginger
[*]Cold Noodles — Chilled Noodles in Sesame Miso Broth, Smoked Ham, julienned Cucumber & Carrots, Tomato, Daikon Radish, Ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg); lime slices & cilantro
[*]Seafood Noodles — Shoyu Soy Broth, Steamed Mussels, Head-on Shrimp, Broccoli, Ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg), Nori
[*]Fresh Iced Noodles (*) — Shio fish-bone broth, Otoro (Bluefin Fatty Tuna), Head-on Shrimp, Sliced Salmon, Ikura (salmon roe), Nori, Sliced Lotus Roots; cilantro
[*]Fried BBQ Noodles — Tonkotsu Pork Broth, lightly-fried Chashu (Braised Pork Belly), Ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg), Nori; green onions & pickled ginger
[*]Smoked BBQ Noodles — Tonkotsu Pork Broth, Smoked Red BBQ Pork, Ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg), Nori; cilantro & pickled ginger
[*]Bone Broth Noodles — Clarified Beef Bone Broth, Beef Skewers, Ajitama (seasoned soft-boiled egg), sliced Carrots; cilantro & green onions[/list][/hider]

Without realizing, Zenkichi and Akane had begun to gravitate towards the ramen stall, the smells of home pulling them away from their angelic companion. Looking over the menu, Zenkichi let out a long breath. [color=BFBFBF]”Oh, man, I could go for a ramen bowl for sure . How about you, Akane?”[/color] 

Her new friend back in its Sphere, owing to her propensity to wander a bit, Akane nodded as she stared at the ramen stall’s menu, looking over the different options. “The green pepper chicken sounds good.” 

[color=BFBFBF]”I was looking at the Smoked BBQ noodles, myself. Let me get us some. Oh, one sec actually.”[/color] Turning to look back at Sandalphon, he waved and called over to her. [color=BFBFBF]”Sandalphon! Wanna get some noodles? My treat!”[/color]

In the end, the archangel vacillated very little before heeding the beekeeper’s recommendation, even if the special Saffronia honey came at an inflated price. After her hard-fought victory in Midgar, not just over the Guardian but over her stagnant, ignorant life in Galeem’s shadow, Sandalphon supposed she could indulge herself just once. The vendor was wrapping up her purchase in brown paper and twine when Zenkichi’s call reached her, bidding her look in his direction. “Noodles…?” 

After accepting her parcel in a little bag, she headed over to the ramen stall that so captivated the others. Though not at all familiar with this kind of cuisine, she could tell at a glance that they all appeared to be savory pasta dishes immersed in broth, flavored with various ingredients. Sandalphon generally preferred sweet things, and she genuinely believed that eating honey exclusively was the most efficient diet, but not for one nanosecond did the archangel actually consider turning Zenkichi down. He was offering her noodles out of the kindness of his heart, and they were free, meaning that this life-sustaining meal was a gift–an expression of how he felt toward her. For a brief moment, though longer than last time, her pupils became sparkles again. “You’re too kind,” she told him. “I would be honored to partake of your generosity. I hope you’ll allow me to return the favor in the future.”

She chose the Pumpkin Soup Noodles, figuring that it would be wise to ease into consuming salty, fatty foods. The moment the cook received the trio’s order, he got straight to work. His robotic arms moved with uncanny speed and dexterity, working in perfect tandem with his real arms to process ingredients and assemble dishes with astonishing precision, a dance of culinary mastery. Even Sandalphon, so perceptive that her eyes could track his every move, fully believed the chef to be employing some sort of magic. In mere moments, he set down bowls of [url=https://i.imgur.com/DQkOtgh.png]Smoked BBQ Noodles[/url] for Zenkichi, [url=https://i.imgur.com/OOEkW72.png]Pumpkin Soup Noodles[/url] for Sandalphon, and [url=https://i.imgur.com/Q5UEWqJ.png]Green Pepper Chicken Noodles[/url] for Akane with theatrical aplomb, his mechanical arms clapped together over his head as if blessing the food for his customers. 

The three couldn’t get to a nearby bench fast enough. [color=BFBFBF]”Itadakimasu!”[/color] “Itadakimasu!” The Japanese pair chorused, smiles on their face at the taste of home, barely taking a moment to pause before digging in. After shoveling some noodles and pork into his mouth, Zenkichi paused and turned to Sandalphon. [color=BFBFBF]”Back in our world, we say that in our country. It’s a way of showing our respect to the people who made our food.”[/color] With that slight bit of exposition about their culture, he dug back in. 

Sandalphon nodded sagaciously. “Ita…itadakimoss.” Then she helped herself, albeit with considerable more restraint than the others. Her worrying overconsumption of hot coffee had numbed her to the broth’s warmth, but most of these flavors were an all-new experience.

A bit of the way through their meal, Akane slowed her eating to a stop, turning to the angelic woman with her and her father. “So, uh, Sandalphon. You mentioned the…world…you came from was rather medieval? Compared to Midgar, at least. What was it like?” While he didn’t stop eating, Zenkichi notably slowed down and turned his attention towards Sandalphon’s answer.

After covering her mouth with one hand in order to maintain some small semblance of decorum as she slurped up some noodles, Sandalphon swallowed and dabbed at her lips with a handkerchief. “My homeland, Grastaea, is a world defined by the relationship of humans and dragons. Long ago, the dragons who ruled over nature warred with humans over the course that the world would take. However, a threat emerged that forced both sides to work together, leading to the first pact between human and dragon, a bond of trust between Ilia and the Holyworm Elysium that came to be called ‘Dragalia’. Thus, human and dragon brought about an age of peace and cooperation. Until more recently, but that is in and of itself a long story, and am sorely lacking in detail.” She paused for a moment as she chewed on a red date, relishing its sweetness. “More to the point, I suppose, Grastaea is a beautiful realm of trackless fields, ancient forests, towering mountains, and glorious kingdoms, filled with magic, danger, and mystery.” She glanced at Maru, who patiently sat at her owner’s feet and silently begged for food, then up at Akane. “Does that answer your question?”

Akane nodded, gently rubbing Maru’s head and looking around before grabbing a piece of egg and holding it over the Cremis’s mouth, dropping it in with a smile. “Yes, I think that does. Japan…where we come from, can be like that. We have a lot of mountains, and forests, but we also have a lot of big cities and land that people use. We don’t have anything like the weird psychic stuff Midgar had, or some of the more really high-tech stuff, but you can get almost anywhere in the world within a couple of days. If you have the money.”

After that, the conversation subsided somewhat as the girls realized that their ramen would soon cool off. By now, Sandalphon felt more comfortable around the other two, and them around her as well, so rather than feeling the need to fill an uncomfortable silence with small talk, the trio could enjoy the tasty food, seaside breeze, and overall lovely day. Trying to let go of her tension, the archangel relaxed on the bench, her legs crossed and her halo glowing softly as she savored her noodles one mouthful at a time. For now, shadows of the past and worries for the future seemed as far away as Midgar itself.