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Things were not, perhaps, as uneventful in Ilusia as she thought they would be. The storm a few nights ago was certainly strange enough, though it was good that not too much was damaged. It didn't seem like the foul weather was here to stay, so it seemed like a good time to go out and take another shot at exploring Ilusia. Maybe one day soon, she'd go up to Volos, or out to Meridell. Though she should probably try and get a better feel for the protocol surrounding that.

For now, skirting the edges of the forest would simply have to do. It was becoming something of a habit on her days off, but she had never really gotten out to the forest back in Romuda. Now that she was in a place where greenery was so nearby, it had become a great place to get out and stretch her legs, read some books, and generally get some solitude. She did like meeting new people, but it was a shock to go from her relatively cloistered home to a dorm, and a little true privacy went a long way. And, besides, quiet aside, the library had proven to be a good place to meet people.

It had been long enough for Junko to make a fairly good mental map of the general area, and she wasn't too worried about getting lost in the fairly well-traveled forest. Still, she couldn't help but wonder if she had strayed too far in. If her mental map was right, she should be approaching the outskirts of Meridell, but with all of these trees... the worry that she had gotten herself had begun to set in. Changing direction might make matters worse, so Junko paid close attention to the position of the sun, and kept going in the same direction. If she saw Meridell, she could just turn on her heel and retrace her steps, and be back on the right track. Thankfully, there was still a fair bit of daylight to burn.

It came as something of a surprise to see someone else out this far, though it was actually a wlcome sight. A person usually meant that she wasn't too far from civilization, or, at least, not far off the beaten track. Especially since the person looked less like a rugged explorer, and more like her; someone out for a stroll before the weather turned foul again, and before winter set in.

"Ah, hello." Better to speak up than to watch in creepy silence. "Ano... Are we near Meridell? I am worried that I might be lost." She smiled, a little unsure, hoping she wasn't intruding too much.

Relief was immediate on Junko's face, and she released a breath that she didn't know she was holding.
"Oh, no, that is alright." Junko waved her hand before her face, politely refusing. "I was just worried that I had become lost." At this rate, she would be getting back to the dorm in the late evening, at best. Still somewhat worrying, but not anything too horrible. Just a lesson for another day. At the least, she had found someone polite and apparently quite friendly. Being this far out... Cassandra was probably an elf or faerie. That in itself was fairly interesting. Out of habit, she made a short bow, and smiled genuinely. "I am Junko Ishibashi. A pleasure to meet you, Cassandra." She did hope that her presence was not unwelcome, as the idea of hiking all the way back to Asgard was not overly appealing, at the moment.

A moment passed, and Junko's hand came up to tug at her hair. There was always that moment of unsure fear whenever she met someone new and unfamiliar, but it wasn't something that had stopped Junko. Just another obstacle to come to terms with. "Do you want something to eat? I think I will sit down to have some food, so..." Bringing along some extra food had always proven to be a good idea in the past, and a shared meal was a good way to break the ice. Junko hoped that her smile and cheerful expression would convey the invitation in a non-hostile manner, but her understanding of Ilusian culture was still lacking, to say nothing of her lack of knowledge about Meridell.

"I don't have much, but you are welcome." It was more a meal for one, but there was enough to share, at least. A somewhat clear patch was chosen, and a box retrieved from her bag. It was nothing extravagant, and rice with a small selection of vegetables and seafood would not be to everyone's tastes. But it was what Junko knew how to cook, and it was cheaper than eating out all the time. She should try to learn how to make a few Ilusian dishes, though. There must be someone willing to teach her.

A spare set of chopsticks was offered to Cassandra, and Junko hesitated. "I'm sorry. I did not bring a fork or spoon. Is this alright?" For people used to stabbing and scooping up their food with metal utensils, learning how to use chopsticks could be something of a challenge, she thought. She had grown up with the things, so their use was effortless, but the same could not be said of most Ilusians.

If she couldn't work them out, she supposed her fingers were really the only viable option. There wasn't really much Junko could do about that. Regardless, Junko herself was hungry, and, after clasping her hands together and murmuring the traditional word in Romudan, she took a sample of the rice and fish. At least the food had turned out. Maybe not fantastically, but it still tasted good, to her mind.

"Ah, yes." Knowledge of Romuda did not seem to be overly common on Adonea, so Junko was a little surprise. And to know how to use chopsticks... there was a feeling that Cassandra was quite well learned, or at least cultured. "I don't know how to cook Adonean food, so I tend to make dishes like this." It felt weird not having rice for every meal, and it was nice to have something familiar every now and again. Something to stave off the homesickness, if nothing else. "I grew up on dishes like these. Fish and rice are both plentiful in Romuda. Thankfully, such things are not too uncommon here." It was a little bit of a shock to the system to have the amount of meat in her diet vastly increase, but she would adapt. One of the many things she was forced to get used to.

Another mouthful was taken, and Junko offered a small smile. "You seem to know about Romuda. Have you ever been there?" It was as good a way as any to start off a conversation. If she had, it would be nice to find someone who at least could identify with some of the same things she did, even if the visit had only been brief, or a long time ago. "I've not met another Romudan, or someone who has been there, in my time in Ilusia." It was true that Romudans were, typically, a fairly isolated people in an isolated nation. So that wasn't surprising.

Well, at least she could say this about Ilusia. She was meeting new people, which was a good thing. Maybe the novelties the land offered would wear off in time, but, for now, it was exciting to step out of her comfort zone.

"I have not been here long. I came to Asgard to finish my schooling." As ever, it was an excuse, but Junko was learning quite a bit. Certainly different things than she would be learning back home, but it worked. "I learned most of my Common in Romuda, but I have to study here as well. It is not a very easy language. I think I have an understanding of it." Junko may speak slowly, and rather carefully, and the accent was near-impossible to miss, but at least that care and attention meant that she didn't make too many mistakes, of late. She had heard the same of Romudan, but at least the grammar made sense to her. Common was... well, incredibly different.

"I think you should visit Romuda, if you have the chance. Visiting a country is a lot different than simply reading about it, or even speaking to a native." There were some things that one simply had to see and experience for themselves, and a full understanding of a foreign land could not be extracted out of a book, or stories. Junko offered a small smile with that, hoping that she would at least consider it. While she was no nationalist, Junko was still proud of her nation, and proud to be Romudan. Even if she wound up permanently emigrating from there, that would not change. "I will be finishing my education this year, but I am not entirely certain that I will return to live." That was all she could say. Ilusia had been a good place to be, but would she want to live here? It was a question she could not yet answer, but one that was worth considering.

Junko paused, idly biting the end of her chopsticks. She wanted to word this carefully, and the care showed itself in her mannerisms and plodding pace of words. "Ano sa... You live in Meridell, right? Are you a faerie?" Hopefully, the care and fidgeting would show that she wasn't asking to be rude. She had heard that Meridell was mostly populated by elves and faeries, and she didn't see any pointed ears, so...

An apologetic smile was offered, but Junko did not attempt to change the subject.

Junko shook her head.
"I am just finishing my general education. Though I do enjoy studying literature." It was a long process for her to read a book, longer than reading a Romudan piece, at least. Still, books and the stories they contained could always catch and hold Junko's attention. "Of course, I have to study grammar and the like more than my classmates."

At least she hadn't made a fool of herself, or inadvertently caused insult. Best to be careful while still learning the ropes of Ilusian manners and expectations. Having mostly dealt with humans up to this point, it was a little bit jarring to suddenly be surrounded by beastmen, elves, and more. Not bad, but jarring.

"Not in particular... I was just, well, curious. I have never met a faerie before." Not to her knowledge, anyway, but if they could hide their wings, and looked relatively human, how would she really know? A somewhat uneasy smile was offered, and Junko returned to eating for a moment. "What is Meridell, like? Is it much different from the rest of Ilusia?"

"Oh, um, sorry, I just assumed you were from Meridell." She had asked the question, and, in her defense, the answer given had been fairly vague. Her mistake or no, Junko still felt quite justified in it. "Ilusia seems to be a quiet and peaceful place. Outside of Meridell also. It is hard to believe it was invaded so recently." It would likely a be a touchy subject with many of the older locals, but if Cassandra was new to the country, it seemed unlikely that she'd take much offense at it. Even if she did, it was easy enough to offer yet another apology.

At least she was good at that. "It is certainly a more... ah..." Junko bit her lip, the gap between her listening and speaking ability coming to the fore. Her brow furrowed as she paused, clearly working something out. "Soli...tary than Romuda." A bit awkward, the questioning tone the statement took on not helping matters anyway. "But that is probably because of how I lived in Romuda. My father is a merchant, so there was always business to take care of." Even if his father was the merchant, there were always clients, trading partners and old friends that came with it. That, combined with a habit of meeting traveling merchants, domestic and international alike. "A slower pace is good. It is something I could become used to." Junko nodded in agreement with herself, and finished her half of the meal. "If you are not from Meridell... are you from Avalon, Cassandra?" She tilted her head slightly, managing not to sound overly timid, as she did before.