Training Day (Open to One)

Shaking her head as she listened to Anis talk, Meninas would embarrassingly try and figure out the best way of trying to get her point across. The Sternritter wasn’t sure if she’d met anyone quite like the blonde Quincy before, who seemed to have her own unique view of the world as a whole, beating to the sound of her own drum. In a way, Meninas found it quite familiar, as other people had often said the same about her but it was a little difficult for the awkward Quincy to get her words out.

”That’s not what I meant.” She finally managed to say, her cheeks getting darker as time went on. ”I meant to ask whether you actually want to shower with me, someone who you’ve only just met? You don’t find that awkward or embarrassing? I’d never have the guts to ask that of someone I was still getting to know. To be honest, I’ve…not showered with another girl before."

She looked as sheepish as she felt but it was the truth. Meninas had never had any female friends back home, not had many friends at all. Her father had been her whole world and now he was gone.

Embarrassing, huh? Anis had forgotten that was an emotion other people had. The physical scars were long since gone, but those on her soul remained in perpetuity.

"Ahh, I get you now. I guess it is moving a bit quick for normal people" Anis would reply, nodding softly. Her Blut finally faded away, and she was able to focus on the present situation.

"I'm kind of..not, one who really does awkward and embarrassing anymore. T...hings, happened, and it's just not something that occurs to me anymore. I can, not if you prefer. I'll have to defer to you on all that, so please do be sure to make hesitating the bottom thing on your list of things you do when thinking about talking to me"

Her cadence and choice of words sort of fell apart towards the end, but there was a serious determination behind the crack-filled gaze of her visage.

She didn’t do embarrassing or awkward? Meninas was rather bemused by that and wondered for a moment about just what could have happened in order for Anis to have that occur to her. Whatever it was, it must have been a life changing experience and when she thought about it further, it must have been incredibly painful too. A part of her wanted to ask but the Sternritter thought that perhaps it was too soon for her to try and bring up something like that. She had no idea how Anis would respond to her prying and Meninas didn’t want to upset her new friend so soon.

”I’ll do my best to remember that and I suppose I’m the opposite if I’m honest. I’ve always been awkward around people, especially people I don’t know. There are times where I just don’t know what to say or I worry about saying something stupid or out of place. Too much time by myself as a kid, I guess.” Meninas wasn’t quite sure why she blurted that out but after hearing Anis be so honest, the Sternritter felt that it was all right for her to do the same. They were friends now, right? She should be honest.

"Ha. I am assured I will say something stupid or out of place eventually, so I don't worry about it anymore" Anis would reply, nodding her head and then brushng off a bit more loose brick dust.

"But, now I gotta go meet Doctor Quinn! She's the director of Albedochiffren! I go see her about check ups and also about when I destroy things that need fixing. Do you want to come with me?" Anis would ask, her grin a broad and enthusiastic one as she all but bounced on the spot.

Hearing Anis speak so casually about her own problems did so much to help Meninas relax, helping her to come out of her shell a little more. She’d never met someone as open and honest as the blonde Quincy before but now that Meninas understood why Anis was like it, the pink haired woman couldn’t help but continue to ponder what had happened. It must have been rough, whatever it was but the six footer believed that it was a story that Anis should tell when she was ready rather than Meninas push for it. She’d been tempted to ask just now, of course but after further thought, was happy to let it drop.

”I’ve been to the medical division a few times already after overexerting myself so I reckon they know me already.” Meninas replied, a smile growing across her face and a chuckle escaping her. ”I’d love to go with you and keep you company, it’d be such a shame to part so soon.”

She was surprisingly comfortable in Anis’s presence at that point, seeming to have come to understand how the blonde Quincy worked or at least a little. Meninas would admit that she was still a little jealous of her friend's ability to just say what she wished, without the worry of embarrassment or anxiety holding her back. Maybe if the Sternritter hung around with her enough, maybe it would rub off on her a touch too?

Anis would grin happily, and then thrust herself forward. Nothing happened for a few seconds, but it seemed like Anis was expecting that outcome.

"Still doesn't work" she commented, mostly to herself. And then set off walking normally with her new friend. "You've a great accent, by the way!" Anis would exclaim, looking to Meni. It could be a point of jealousy if Anis was of that mind anymore, given that her own accent was some soup-ladened mess without distinct features. "It sounds like it would be great to be angry with!"

The Sternritter had to chuckle at Anis’s comment, understanding exactly where she was coming from about her accent. “Yeah, it’s a cool one to have when you want to intimidate someone and I’ve scared a few people by accident before with it. Guess being a giant helps with that too. Some people find my accent kind of hard to understand but luckily I haven’t had that problem here.” She supposed it could've been worse, the pink haired woman might’ve had an Irish one, which was even harder to decipher.

“You’ve got quite the accent yourself. I’ve never heard one quite like it before.” Meninas added after a little thought. It was definitely not a lie, Anis had a unique one for sure.

"It's a mess!" Anis would exclaim, a bit too proudly considering the subject matter. "I was born in Germany, and then spent some...time...elsewhere" she'd trail off for a second, before getting a handle on things. "And now I live here. So it's sorta iconic of me, you know?"

Anis' grin even in this situation was beginning to take a turn into the deranged. Maybe she wasn't so much confident in herself, as she was a hysterical mess that practically could not feel proper feelings like others...

If had been earlier on in the meeting, Meninas might’ve felt rather anxious regarding the almost manic smile that was crossing the face of the blonde Quincy. As it was now, she didn’t actually feel that way, having come to terms with the fact that, like herself, her fellow Quincy was just a little different. It wasn’t a negative trait and the pink haired Sternritter was finally starting to understand that. Being wired differently wasn’t the curse she’d thought it was.

She couldn’t help but notice the moment or two where Anis seemed to trail off though and it concerned Meninas just a touch. Was there perhaps an unpleasant past there that the blonde didn’t mention? She tossed the thought aside after a moment or two but Meninas couldn’t help but find that thought returning to her nonetheless. “Yeah, it suits you for sure. I was born more North than you but on the same continent at least.” Kind of. The UK was weird to put it mildly and Meninas would be the first to admit that.

"Kind of! The UK is...weird. It's got mad assimilation powers, so it's never been fully integrated like the other Island Nations have. Even if the other person wins, UK sorta just...takes over and the other guys become them. It's wild" Anis would nod, heading towards the Doctor's place while talking to her friend.

"France, Denmark, Rome, Scotland sorta technically if you push the definition. Anglo Saxons weren't an invasion but still a culture that got assimilated, so they also count. A lot of people have invaded, now that I think about it. Wonder if that was why they were so keen on invading others for that period of history?" Anis would ponder that for a moment as they walked.