Chrona didn't deal with crowds, or people, well.
He'd usually stay in his 'room' most of the time to keep away said terrifying things, but once in awhile when he did leave Shibusen, which only happened if Maka asked him outright, because he couldn't say no to Maka, he'd stay in corners or out of the bustle as much as possible. Even during school, he'd wait till the very last second, then sprint to class to avoid all of the other students.
Which is probably the reason why the hair on the back of his neck was standing up uncomfortably right now and he'd irrevocably decided that he did not like markets. The entire thing looked, from his position behind a lamppost, like a deathtrap that beckoned people in with ten-percent off signs as bait. Why did he ever decide to come here?
A sudden weight settled roughly on his head, as if to answer his unspoken question, before a familiar squeaky voice shouted.
"Oi, what're you standing around for! I'm fuckin' starving!" Oh yeah, his partner. Chrona gulped, but, at another forceful prompt from Raganarok, crept slowly out of his hiding place, earning some odd looks from several women standing around.
His heart started thumping faster as he edged further into open space and his hand instantly went to grip on arm defensively. It was all Raganarok's fault. Why did he need a snack now in the one period of time that the cafeteria at Shibusen was closed? His fingers turned pale around the pouch nestled in his palm. It was the only thing he'd brought and the only thing he really owned in the world. Plus it was filled with half of his technical 'life savings'.
Chrona didn't even know if he knew how to deal with money, or buying things, because he'd never done anything like that before. When the zombie-man had come to give him the 'allowance' for the first time, he'd gone into Mr. Corner for an hour before he got up the courage to just throw the envelope in his desk drawer, and now he had to actually spend it. Chrona gulped, then let out a squeak as the automatic doors glided open in front of him.
"Get candy!" Raganarok shouted suddenly, frightening a passersby, then snickered as she ran away.
"I-I don't think they sell the type you want here." Chrona answered mournfully and grabbed a bright red plastic basket, quickly being overwhelmed by the pure mass of items for sale and the elevator music that serenaded them all. He got a snarl and a bump on the head in response.
"Then get something spicy!"
"Okay… Don't poke me there…" The boy lightly protested as Raganarok slung an arm around his neck and nudged his nose with one pudgy fist, blocking the many stares they were getting and causing Chrona to wobble a little as he moved through the isles. "Stop!"
"Oh ho!" The black-blood thing cackled before pulling back abruptly back. "I want those!"
Chrona nearly toppled over as his partner lunged to snatch a bag of some jalapeno chips, then had to whine a bit so that Raganarok wouldn't eat them right then. "We have to pay first, that's the rule."
"Stupid, don't tell me what to do!" The bay winced as his head was once again abused by a tiny fist, but got the bag settled into the basket without a really big commotion. "I want juice too!"
Chrona sighed, he really just wanted to get out and away, but obligingly head back to where a sign declared 'Juice, Eggs, and Dairy.' A process almost exactly like the first was repeated when Raganarok spotted the kind he wanted, but this time the boy was ready for it and managed not to lose his stable footing.
"Now go pay for it, bitch!" Chrona nodded and took one step toward the front, but stopped when he heard a particularly loud whisper behind him.
"Oh my gosh, Rachel! Is that a boy or a girl!" A chill ran up his spine at the girlish giggles that followed the comment. Raganarok's grip tightened on his hair, almost imperceptibly and a faint growl ran out as another high-pitched voice answered.
"Holy- I can't tell!" More laughing. Chrona watched his knuckles whiten on the basket's handle and willed his legs to move again. "You should go ask! It'll be funny!"
'No…' Chrona shut his eyes and prepared for the inevitable. This had happened before, in the halls of Shibusen and out in other places. Every time was just as horrible as the last, but he too much of a coward to run away now…
"Oi bitch!" Suddenly a completely different voice broke in, stopping the giggles abruptly, and Chrona snapped his eyes open and let out a whimper of surprise as a small arm hooked around his head protectively. "We don't fuckin' have to tell you fuckers nothing! And I fucking dare you to ask!"
At this point, a horrible snarl echoed in Chrona's ear and he barely heard the girls' squeals of fear and there footsteps quickly fade away. Raganarok panted once then moved his arms back so that they were resting in their usual places. Surprisingly, Chrona missed the touch, which was new to him in respects to Raganarok.
"You alright?" Chrona blinked in shock this time and wondered in Raganarok might be sick, then wondered if he was sick too because his face suddenly felt really warm.
"Y-yeah."
"Good, now go pay 'cause I'm still starving!"
The little hug the boy received, instead of his usual whap on the head, just seemed to make his sudden 'illness' worse.
Have you ever been asked whether you were a boy or a girl before? No? It's horrible, shaming, embarrassing, and just plain humiliating. Don't ever ask someone that, just be confused and live with it.