Suzume had always loved the portals. Sometimes the cruelty and struggles encountered in those worlds brought her spirit down. It was the same struggle across worlds. People being feared and locked away. People being oppressed and exploited. The naivity of her visions for her own world had been dampened. They were less hopeful. They were less trusting. That didn't mean they had crumbled and toppled over. She still believed in change but she couldn't just leave it to others.
Thankfully, this world wasn't breaking apart from a struggle. Simple lives were lived in what she hoped was contentment. Zu had watched the market life pass by. The Alltongue translated everything around her and helped her buy a simple meal which she now enjoyed. Stew. Bread. The taste different to what she knew. The lack of spices pronounced in its blandness. Yet, she enjoyed the taste. It was a piece of the culture and she had grown up on much worse.
One person on the market place however stood out. Just like she herself stood out. Despite the clothes from this time, her Japanese features marked her as a foreigner. The young woman, on the other hand seemed to struggle. She asked the same question over and over in a different languages. Slight variations here and there while both parties seemed to get more and more frustrated. She handed back the bowl and walked over to the market stand.
"Hey, can I help you?" she asked the young woman in English.