Relaxation, I assume. (Kenji)

The Pansa

Having wrapped up his daily training, Kenji had decided that some fresh air was in order. Thus he found himself in the park, hands shoved into his pockets and eyes taking in the sights of (city-regulated) nature. He took a whiff of the crisp air as the wind brought pleasant scents to his nostrils, helping to clear and relax his mind. While the easterner always had a degree of personal guard and awareness up, he thoroughly enjoyed moments like this where all was at peace, enabling him to enjoy all within and without his reach.

Kenji happened to glance along the side of the pathway, pausing when he spotted a curious sight. A girl within his age range, wearing what from this distance he deduced was either a pair of cat ears or a cleverly-crafted bow, observing the sky. From her obvious ethnicity as well as the way she held herself, he was certain that they were of the same country as opposed to her being an American-born Japanese. Not that such people were an issue to him, but there was a certain difference between them.

Pulling his hands out and clasping them behind his back, Kenji stepped off the path and stopped within earshot of the stranger, offering a smile. "It's impressive, isn't it? I mean the sky today."

"It's true that we don't need any real reason," Kenji agreed as he met the stranger's gaze, glancing up at the sky to observe the intriguing phenomenon of a cloud wrapping around another, as if one were a snake, and the other were prey. Or perhaps it's closer to one wrapping a blanket around themselves. He didn't think too much on that comparison, instead looking back down to the young girl.

"If I had to have a reason, I'm here because I'm getting some fresh air and a reprieve after my workout of sorts." Kenji paused, pondering for a second. Was this girl a student as well, or a visitor? He might find out before this conversation was over. "What about you, miss?"

"A job, huh," Kenji repeated. He hadn't really thought about getting a proper job over in the states, since he planned to leave for his homeland once his stint at 552 was done, and there was enough money both sitting in his account and to be acquired from odd jobs in the meantime, so it generally wasn't an issue. Perhaps this girl planned to hang around for a longer term.

Letting his arms drop from behind his back, Kenji hooked his thumbs in the corners of his front pockets, glancing over at the birds in the bath. How peaceful, he thought. "Well, if you go that route, good luck. I know a handful of places that're hiring, but I've heard it can be pretty rough getting a job in the US, though it's apparently not as hard now as it used to be." He shrugged, then smiled, looking back to his soon-to-be acquaintance. "My name's Kenji, Miyamoto Kenji. I'm... Well, I guess you could say I'm stranded here. What about you, what's your name?"

Pansa, huh? Kenji pondered, but did not pry as to whether that was her real name or an alias. He didn't have the right to do that, and if their yet-nonexistent relationship went further than this conversation and she decided to offer her real name, then that would be her choice. Till then, Kenji would go with Pansa, and nodded. "Nice to meet you, Pansa."

Letting his smile fade comfortably, he took another look toward the bird bath. One of the birds had taken off and been replaced with a vibrant blue one. How rare, and rather unique. Though he was tempted to snap a picture with his phone, it would both be rude to his new acquaintance and to the bird. So he resolved to return his gaze to Pansa, inquiring, "By any chance are you also a student of 552? I seem to have a habit of running into other students, and you look about high school age, so..." Kenji let the statement trail off, his curiosity implied well enough.

"Yeah, I have the fortune - or lack thereof - to be stuck in 552 as well," Kenji remarked, chuckling to himself. Though he did not regret the reason that brought him stateside, he certainly would've liked to be elsewhere instead of in 552. Not that he hadn't met his fair share of decent and interesting folk here, anyway...

When Pansa moved for a bench, Kenji followed along, gesturing to silently ask if he may join her, and would sit if given the go-ahead. "If you're wondering, I won't ask your circumstance if you're not comfortable telling that to a stranger. I'm not one to pry into things like that if I can help it."

A brief silence fell between the two, and though the oddly-named Pansa said nothing, Kenji surmised that she was wondering either about him or his statement. Such was his guess, anyway. He wondered if it would be appropriate to tell his circumstances to a stranger.

Then again, it wouldn't be the first time he'd done that.

Drumming his fingers gently and contentedly on his leg, Kenji looked up at the sky. "I don't look like someone who belongs in 552, do I?" The question was half-rhetorical, as at a glance, he certainly didn't look the part. The other half was asking his newfound acquaintance her thoughts on the subject, and to see if she'd inquire.

If Kenji hadn't been looking to the sky, he might've caught Pansa's brow twitching, but alas, he did not. Instead, he chuckled, not so much in a jovial manner, but more of a dry laugh as he reflected on his past.

"To keep a somewhat long story short, I spent a few years back home on musha shugyō - a warrior's quest," Kenji clarified out of habit, although if his acquaintance was also born and raised Japanese, she might not have needed the translation. "Fought a lot of people, some actual fighters or in training, some punks. A few of the latter took it to heart; they thought kidnapping a couple of my younger sisters and threatening blood would be good payback."

Glancing down at the grass, the ronin gave Pansa a few moments to ponder what might've happened next. During that time, he visualized the scene second for second in his head, remembering in vivid detail. "I met them in a public place, led them into a false sense of superiority by feigning surrender, and when they thought my submission genuine, I cut off the ringleaders' heads. My sisters went free, and I took a guilty plea to avoid prison time. Now I'm stuck here until I finish my education."