Her fragmented reflection glanced back at her through the many ornate mirrors the vendor had proudly put on display. She squinted as the sun reflected off her Divinitas and then into her eyes. Not much had changed, but even the small alterations in her features coerced her gaze to linger. She regretted the seemingly vain pause she took, instantly, when she noticed the stall owner's grey-green eyes peering at her from behind one of the frames. It didn't take him long to shower her with compliments and force her into a conversation when caught her staring. No doubt, he hoped that she'd fall prey to his praise and make a purchase to further indulge her apparent vanity.

When he had her hooked, he proceeded to shift focus to his wares. In great elaborations, which Akira found exceedingly cumbersome to listen to, he explained the qualities of his mirrors. Some had enchantments, some had precious gems embedded into their frames... With a sigh, Akira pointed towards one lying at the very back, in a box that looked discarded. He looked rather disappointed with her choice and implored her to reconsider. The more he insisted the more adamantly she stuck by the worn looking object she'd picked. She asked him to keep it aside for her and that she'd return for it later.

As she strolled on, her idle fingers caressed the fabrics of the clothes hung out by some of the stalls, ever so often she'd stop by to offer some garments a more thorough evaluation, she knew she was on the lookout for something very specific, she just couldn't put it into words, but it had to be special and perfect. Spoiled by choices, making one felt exhausting. Her digits ran through her tresses, assessing the sleek, silky strands as she sighed and decided to give up on her imprecise mission for the time being. A tidbit of a conversation had piqued her interest, it was particular the mention of the Knights that begged for her attention.

Now that she had distanced herself from the organisation temporarily, they seemed to have earned the favor of the people. This just had to be her luck. She chuckled mirthlessly and found herself drawing closer to the stall that sold the potatoes. Her gaze rested on the Knight being addressed by the vendor, with child-like curiosity, she cocked her head and assessed the pink haired woman. Those brightly colored strands had to be the most intriguing feature. Akira would've remembered that color had they run into each other before... Her eyebrows knitted closer as she concentrated, wondering how she'd missed such a woman. Maybe if she didn't know her, there was a chance that the opposite was true too. It was wishful thinking, considering that the young girl longed for a stranger's company. A fresh start, without judgement and without the plague of the past or the burden of the future.

The Joyan chewed on her lips she was left flummoxed when the lady decided to pocket the pendant that identified her as a Knight, especially after it had just earned her a free snack. Akira didn't have her own pendant on display, considering her operation, but with the orb floating above her head, she was already quite the beacon. A fair few folks, knew her already, or thought they did. Some believed things about her that weren't exactly true and some truly knew her more than she'd like. As the two scanned the surroundings, their gazes locked. Words weren't necessary, the Shimada conveyed her intrigue by simply not breaking eye contact. She unabashedly stared into those emerald orbs, pinning the woman with an unusually penetrative gaze.

There was something so sharp and yet so soft about the features of the woman who had piqued the Shimada's interest. Quite taken by that shade of hair and the depth of those ocean coloured eyes, the young Joyan found herself smirking when she was sized up in turn. Cocking her head slightly, she stood rather still, amidst the blur and bustle of movement around her and allowed for this counter gauge. As their scanning gazes locked, Akir was reminded of a time when a prying gaze like this would have left her paranoid and anxious. Now, she mocked herself for being so easily flustered back then. The training with Adragna sure had its advantages and it had helped her overcome quite a few of her self-made mental hurdles.

There was a time that Akira would have felt the stab of jealousy at the effortless splendour of the woman she'd locked eyes with, but the petite Joyan had long since learned to find comfort in her own skin. The Shimada was amused to read the hint of confusion flit across the woman's face. While its source was a mystery, it was a sight to behold nonetheless. Like many other expressions, no doubt, this one too, had etched itself flamboyantly. It was only when she noticed the woman boldly stride towards her, that her confidence dwindled, like a tall tree sways in a strong gust of wind. She teetered, a foot stepping backwards, in a slightly guarded stance. Little did she know the woman wasn't the looming threat, but the greedy souls who had their eyes on all the valuable gold objects they had spotted on the Shimada.

Those fools could hardly be deemed a threat either, with her growing power, she had enough tools to punish them for their indiscretions, almost instantly. So she warily watched the approaching Knight instead. Her relationship with her allegedly former employers had been forced to go through a fairly public upheaval recently, she was not expecting any serious repercussions, but was prepared for them nonetheless. The sceptic in her mind coloured the moment with that tired wariness. Yet, oddly, it didn't succeed in wiping the slightly shy smirk that had fixed itself across her rosebud lips. She waited with an impatience that she didn't betray.

For just the briefest of moments, as the woman neared the Joyan, the crowd swallowed her potential companion whole. The Shimada was surprised to feel a strange flutter when their eye contact was forced to break, it was a rather unpleasant sensation. It was as though she'd had a taste of something exotic and before she had a chance to sink her teeth into it, it'd been snatched from her. A slight decrease in width of her smirk followed, as her gaze searched for the bright shade that suddenly felt like an anchor in the sea of people.  

Finally, it was a bag of potatoes that re-emerged from the swarm first, followed by the miraculously pristine form of the woman... and she was a lot closer to Akira now. The gentle thrust of the plate in her direction, was followed by a verbal offer, so unassuming, so devoid of anything complicated. There seemed to be no ulterior motives or insidious intentions layering the simple interaction, and that made it feel like a fresh breeze that Aki didn't even know she was craving.

She returned a grin before extending her hands to accept the offer brazenly. But just then, she felt a sudden shove and her hand overshot, spilling the delectable potatoes. Seething, she wheeled around to find the culprit, but he or she was already lost in the mob. She instantly checked for her weapon, which luckily was still fastened to the inside of her garb... but a small sack full of her Jewels had just gone missing. Her eyes widened and a ferocity marred her face. 'I think I've just been robbed... the bloody audacity.' she hissed. Then steeling herself against the injustice, she realised it wasn't worth it to waste the precious resource of time on a handful of jewels. However, she was curious to see whether this piqued the fellow Knight's sense of justice or not. Sheepishly and slightly apologetically, she peeked back at the woman. 'I'd offer to replace that, but I don't have any money on me anymore.'

The contrast between her bristling, brief rage and the softened shyness was probably not the best reflection of her otherwise stable moods. When the woman in front chose to initially focus on the latter, Akira scoffed softly. 'I have to be.' she responded softly. The Shimada was going to supplement this with reasons, but she politely waited for further inquiry first. She was usually a girl of few words after all, that was hardly going to change this soon. The Shimada had to admit though, that something about the woman in front of her, made words dance and linger on the tip of her tongue, leashed only by habit. Akira focused instead on the lost fried potatoes, they had been the object that broke the ice between them after all.

Although, to call whatever hung between them ice, was rather cold and perhaps inaccurate. It was more like a buzz of lightening, something quick, something spontaneous and something powerful. Now a static remained, pulling the two of them mentally closer, at minor risk to them both. 'I noticed.' the Shimada mumbled, when the pink-haired woman admitted that the snacks were a gift. At least the woman had the honor to not expect a replacement for something she'd received without cost. The Joyan was unsure of why she thought it necessary to reveal that she'd been watching Xandra for a bit. But, somehow the admission made her act feel less like one a stalker would indulge in. Now, her watchful gaze was less subversive in nature.

'No. I'll end up destroying the entire marketplace, hardly worth it for a handful of coins, don't you think?' the Shimada mused, reveling in the nature of her newfound power, while also betraying her guilt about its overwhelming capability to destroy. She did have the compelling tug to deliver justice, but Akira had long since learned to pick her battles and this one would be irresponsible and beneath her. 'Unless you have another way...' the Shimada mused, whispering now, unsure if her words even reached their target amidst the bustle. Regardless, Akira didn't really care about the money, she did want to curb this thieving entity though. However, with so many graver evils, the delivery of such petty justice had the luxury to take a back seat. Meanwhile the woman reassured her about the snacks and then went onto unabashedly reveal that the intrigue that Akira had shown in her was reflected.

The Shimada would've much preferred that introductions did not plague the interaction. Once she revealed her name, the thrill of anonymity would be snatched from her. It wasn't everyday that she met a Rune Knight who didn't know who she was. She wished to keep it that way for just a little longer. But at the same time, she didn't want to squander an honest moment with fabrication. As expected, the conversation took a turn towards that exchange. The name Xandra instantly rang a bell. Although the woman who had attacked Phantom Lord by the same moniker had been so different than the one who stood before her now... Perhaps a different Xandra? the Shimada wondered.

When her relation with the Rune Knights had been less tenuous, she used to be the sort who kept note of all the worthy, rising Knights. Now that her access was limited to covet meetings, she hardly had the chance to maintain the thorough survey through the ranks. It was the moment of truth. Maybe she was less infamous amidst the Knights than she assumed. Either that, or this woman was feigning her lack of knowledge. The Shimada was skeptical by nature and the latter wasn't implausible. Perhaps, she'd become inconvenient enough for the Rune Knights, to earn a proper target on her back and it wouldn't be the first time they'd sent someone after her. She quelled the rising paranoia and ensured that her face merely grew impassive, but not anxious.

Unfortunately, given the sensitivity of her mission, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't afford to take this risk. Rendezvous with fellow Knights wasn't beneficial to her but more often than not, it could pose a severe problem for the other. Tsuru was a prime example, she didn't want to hamper another Rune Knight's progress by here mere presence. The Knights posed the biggest threat to her, in some ways. She smiled poignantly. 'Nice, to meet you, Xandra. You'll come to find out who I am soon enough... If you truly don't know already.' she responded and took the offer hand in a firm grip, which was still shy of being painful. The squeeze was almost reassuring, it was hopeful, it was a promise that some day she wished to meet this lady with bubblegum-pink hair, under better circumstances. She turned with the intent to disappear into the crowd.  'I'm really am sorry... about the fries.'