Something wasn't right that morning. To Evangeline, it seemed like a normal morning. What she didn't know was that her world was going to go sideways. And it all started when the strange girl walked into town.
Evangeline was walking along the streets of Greylynd, pausing momentarily to look at things that caught her interest, before continuing to stroll. She was from an average family, with two daughters, her being the younger, and with a family-run business. A bakery.
"Mornin' 'Vangeline," one of the shopkeeps called out, and Evangeline grinned back a greeting, waving as she walked along. At one point, she picked up an apple for 50 cenz – quite the bargain. And Evangeline believed life to be normal that fateful morning.
)-o-0-o-(
Evangeline sighed as she plopped down onto her bench in the park. Walking around had been nice, and now she was going to sit in the sun and relax. Well, she thought she was.
"Uhm… Excuse me?" a foreign voice asked, and Evangeline looked up in annoyance, spotting a tall girl in a nondescript coat carrying a long, thin, metallic staff.
"What," Evangeline asked annoyed, not liking her daily routine to be interfered with.
"Do you know where the train station is? I went exploring earlier, and have a train to catch in-" here she paused, glancing at a wristwatch – what girl has a wristwatch? – "fifteen minutes. Would you mind helping me out?" she asked, and Evangeline sighed.
"Main street, third right, building right in front of you," Evangeline replied, and the girl smiled.
"Thanks!" she exclaimed, beginning to walk off, before pausing.
"Uh… Actually, I'm not that good with directions. You mind walking me there?" the girl asked, and Evangeline groaned.
"What girl isn't good with directions?" Evangeline muttered to herself, slowly getting up off the park bench, the skirt she wore swirling at her ankles.
"Fine," Evangeline ground out, stalking ahead of the girl, who seemed to be unaware of her less-than-subtle hints at leave-me-alone.
"So, what's your name?" she asked peppily, and yet again, Evangeline groaned.
"Evangeline Carter," she responded stiffly, and the girl smiled.
"Rhiannon Broussard, pleasure," the girl – Rhiannon – informed her. And as Evangeline slowly walked along – her pace having been slowed by the chatty girl – Rhiannon babbled. She learned many a thing, from her birthday – October 11th, 1899 – to why she was passing through, right as they reached the station.
"Oh, I'm only passing through here to get to East City. Taking the State Alchemist Exam!" Rhiannon exclaimed cheerfully, before walking away with a bounce in her step, humming. Evangeline looked at Rhiannon – apparently an alchemist, and one of exceptional caliber if she was taking the State Alchemist Exam at… Eleven?! How?!
As Rhiannon half skipped to her train, Evangeline could only watch in awe of the elder girl – she was only eight, after all – and resolved that she would meet this Rhiannon Broussard sometime again before she died.