Limited SUPERmarket

[Fang]

Thanksgiving wasn’t exactly a tradition at the Amagiri household. With his father usually abroad and his grandfather more interested in the celebrations of his youth Nat had never really enjoyed the classic dinner spread so iconic in American culture. He had eaten leftovers from his friends, though, and found himself typically looking forward not to the holiday itself but the following days.



This year, to Nat’s surprise, his grandfather had made plans to celebrate. Nat’s dad was still in another country, that would be no different, but out of the blue Nat’s grandfather had informed him of his intentions and sent him off to retrieve the groceries in due order. It was odd, but in a pleasant way that elicited a palpable excitement in the teen. The Amagiri family had people who could have done the shopping instead, but it felt more genuine for Nat to do it himself.



He found himself standing between aisles, list of ingredients clutched in his hand as he searched for somewhere to begin. It was evident from the ingredients that Nat wouldn’t be having a traditional Thanksgiving dinner, but from the sheer quantity he was sure that he and his grandfather would overeat. The market was crowded, certain aisles packed with people searching for the same staples of the holiday.



Nat turned down the nearest empty row, unsurprised that it seemed mostly untouched by the feasting masses.

 

[Katpride]

The store is so crowded today! Adelyn barely resists the urge to flex frills that she doesn’t have as another person steps between her and the aisle she’s aiming for, claws prickling at the fingertips of her gloves, and she finally gives up and goes to the next aisle instead.

This one seems quieter than the others, and she wonders at that - something to do with its selection? What’s the difference between ‘Cultural Foods’ and all the other aisles, anyways? It’s a welcome reprieve, regardless of the reason, and she sighs as she scans the shelves.

She… doesn’t recognize any of the things in here. Blinking behind her sunglasses, she steps closer to a shelf filled with rows and rows of glass jars, all of them holding some kind of red sauce. Salsa, the labels seem to agree, though each set of jars seems to boast of its own unique additions.

Movement in the corner of her eye catches her attention before she can investigate further, and she turns, mindful of the (mostly empty) shopping basket looped around her arm. She recognizes the person, she thinks, though it takes her a moment to place where she knows him from.

Halloween, she finally remembers, and she becomes aware all over again of the way her scales shift against her clothes. She’s layered in a tank and a long-sleeve shirt and a sweater under her coat, with leggings and pants to boot, but she still has to pull at her gloves and visually check that none of her scales are showing before she can find her words.

Should she even say anything? It would be weird not to at least say hi, right? She clears her throat and waves before she can think better of it, taking a half-step closer. “Hi! Your name is Nat, right?”

She’s pretty sure that’s what Sam and Todd called him, anyways. Belatedly, she realizes that she might not be at her most recognizable, wrapped in as many layers as she is and with sunglasses and contacts obscuring her eyes. “It’s me, Adelyn. From the… Halloween thing?”

She isn’t really sure what to call it, and her mouth twists like she’s eaten something sour as she stumbles over the words. Gah. Well, it’s out there now. She recovers quickly, a sympathetic smile flitting across her face. “Have you been holding up alright, since then?”