Encounter of Two Leaders [Private: Genesis]

Sure, resorts were nice as was the classy atmosphere of many buildings, but the Rusty Hearts Guild Master was beginning to miss the rustic environment of the tavern in Clover Town. She had been there for the past week on matters of personal business. As she wandered through Rose Garden, the town of one of the light guilds, her mind flickered back to why she was there. Victoria had received word that one of her well-paying clientele was ill but had a rather important mission they needed completed soon. She could’ve easily chosen not to go, but she was feeling nice a week ago when she left. Upon arrival, she was greeted by the sick man with coughs - not in her face, of course. He wasn’t that rude. They had sat and talked a bit, him wanting an A-Rank task done. He offered a hefty sum as well as gave her some time to relax since she had to come all this way. Out of gratitude, he paid for a fancy room in one of the finer resorts for a week - just for her.

This would be her last day in the town, should things go as planned. She’d be returning to her guild the next morning via train. She figured it’d save a bit of energy and any run-ins with stubborn birds. Until then, of course, she had some time to kill. What she would do, she had no idea. She simply just walked beneath the shade of her umbrella to find something to spend time on. She passed by various spas and shops, though none of them caught her eye. ‘Oh? What do we have here?’ At least, they didn’t until she passed by a window of books. ‘A bookstore, by the looks of it. Well, this certainly is a pleasant surprise.’ She stopped in her tracks, recalling that she had finished the book she had brought with her on the train ride over. She gazed into the glass for a moment, looking over the covers of those she could see. She'd prefer at least two books before leaving - one for the journey back and the other so she’d have something more to add to her personal library.

Victoria stepped back from the window, blinking her curious pink gaze to a normal brown and moved closer to the door. She brushed off her coat, making sure she looked decent - as she had before leaving the resort - before setting a hand on the handle. The sound of people passing by her was soon accompanied the the bell signalling the open door.

It was almost funny how much the name of this location contradicted itself. The land was neither fully a garden nor did it held many roses. Instead it was something less natural although not entirely in the bad sense. It was a resort town. Genesis had traversed there in hopes she could see some plant life, hence the name. However to her distraught she learned that the area was in fact a resort rather than an actual garden. Disappointment had flowed into her when she arrived and learned that fact. However she did not want to go back to the guild. She wanted an extended vacation from the boring tedious tasks she had to deal with every day. This location was a perfect excuse to keep her going back.

She did not want any attention so she decided to sneak into a store nobody in a million years would dream she would be found in, a bookstore. Genesis never had much experience reading. It was a skill she considered useless for most of her life. However recently she had been learning how to read again considering as her duty as guildmaster of Sabertooth she had to read and sign what sometimes can turn out to be entire stacks of paperwork. Her literate skills weren't high enough for her to be reading novels however it was advanced enough to allow her to read chapter books, however that day Genesis was feeling quite cocky. It was time for her to expand her library after all.

Looking through rows of colorful books with their equally flashy title, she could not decide which one to choose. Genesis then decided it would be a great idea to simply just grab a random book to read rather than just sit there and waste her time. The book in her hand was quite thick and the words were slightly small, not to mention the format seemed quite odd. Upon reading a few lines she could not understand a word it was saying since the language was so odd. She flipped the book backwards to give a brief scan of the summary, which revealed the book was something called a tragedy and rather a play instead of a book. However Genesis was too exhausted to go pick another book so rather than simply snatching one from the shelf she rather just went to pay for the book, after all it would be nice to have this book in the future for once her literate skills have increased she could potentially enjoy this currently advance book.

After paying a a small fee of 3,200 jewels Genesis held the thick book under her arm. A strange urge ran through the girl to simply just transport the book via her mouth. However she knew it was the primitive, animal part of her that was telling herself to do this feat. She had to resist the urge and carry on her duty, after all she could not ruin quite an expensive book. As she approached the exit a girl with strangely color hair was in front of her. She was marveled by the strange sight. Sure it wasn't uncommon to see people with brightly colored hair in Fiore, which also included Genesis with her purple hued fur however it had some reason mystified here. "I like your hair." She commented giving a polite smile.

Upon opening the door, the bell signaling her arrival to the clerk behind the counter as she stepped in. She payed them no mind at first. Her attention was instead caught by the atmosphere of the building's interior. It was one of knowledge and wisdom, tales and adventures unread to her. The smell of new books flooded her senses. She was surprisingly comfortable.

At least, she was until she noticed a child blocking her path. Looking to be around a foot shorter than Victoria's height if your were to take away her heels, the small girl possessed many traits that would make her stick out in a crowd. Most prominately, a set of wolf ears sat atop her head. Bright purple hair that matched the color of her ears as well as the wolf tail that hung behind her. It was certainly an odd sight to see.

Okay, well, not really. All sorts of stuff could be seen in Fiore, from demons to fish people. And each had different perks, characteristics that set them apart from the rest of the world. So perhaps the sight wasn't very odd at all.

The child had spoke first of the two, not that Victoria was planning on saying anything but "Excuse me" and stepping to the side to let her exit. However, it wasn't what she had expected. She figured the same would come from the girl's mouth followed by the polite sidestep. No, instead it was a simple comment on her hair and a smile. Kind words, the will to start a conversation. Or perhaps just an abstract thought thy the child wanted to mention. Nevertheless, the guild master returned the smile.

"Thank you, miss," Victoria replied. "You have nice hair, yourself. A pretty purple; it matches well with your ears."

Her gaze shifted down to the book in the child's hands. It looked a bit thick, not nearly like an encyclopedia but similar to those she herself was reading as a teen. But what was this kid, who looked no older than eight or nine, doing with a book that great in volume. Was she that advanced in reading?

Maybe it was for a relative?

Whatever the reason for her having it, Victoria shifted to a more polite approach as opposed to assumptions. Young children were usually more talkative and could possibly let slip why in any case. And besides, the contents of the book peeked her interest, making her wonder if it was one she had already read. "I see you have a neat little book there. Can I ask what it's about?"