| Episode 6: Welcome to Xing! A Quiet Evening; In which the evening isn't actually very quiet | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 23 2017, 04:41 AM (6 Views) | |
| Talonheart | Feb 23 2017, 04:41 AM Post #1 |
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It was another several hours before the four soldiers of Amestris made it to the Xing border, a largely grassy land where the green fields met the desert. Only a small wall stood erect along the borders of Xing, more to keep out illegal immigrants than to stop an invasion. After all, what fool would dare to cross the desert of Xerxes? The walls weren’t well manned, only having a single small guard outpost every few hundred feet along the wall, each one manned by two guards. It didn’t take the guards of Xing’s border to notice the group, tired, sandy, and nearly dead on their feet as they were. The group was stopped by the guards, taken in and provided with food and water as Sherman explained the situation, that they were here in the pursuit of dangerous fugitives of the Amestrian military that they had reason to believe may have come to Xing. Luckily their passports had been delivered by Kirk from Central, allowing them to validate their purpose. A short phone call later and they were on the road again, escorted this time by the local police force to a hotel where they could stay until everything was sorted out. They would be working hand in hand with the local law enforcement, and every action they made had to be reported directly to them. This wasn’t Amestris after all, and they had to respect the local laws. The town itself was large, filled with oriental buildings and people swarming the streets. A few buildings rose up two, sometimes three stories high in some parts of the city, while other parts were reduced to smaller houses and shops along the old dirt roads. But in every corner of the city, all day long, the streets were always busy. The hotel wasn’t bad either, a simple two story building with a dozen rooms on each floor. The room they were given was on the second story, complete with a window overlooking the street. The living area wasn’t large, but it had a simple couch and a coffee table in the center, with a small kitchen area in the back. There were two bedrooms, both with two single person beds each to accommodate the group, and a single bathroom with only one toilet and one shower. The group took turns using the shower. Sherman let the girls go first in whatever order they decided on, while he and Zach would take their turns after, and Yumi last. Sadly the kitchen wasn’t stocked, and they were in dire need of groceries. Sherman stepped out of the shower, having gone last, with a towel around his waist and his body moistened by the water and steam. While normally he’d be a bit embarrassed to be seen shirtless in front of female co-workers, at this point the was just too tired to care. His body may have felt like it was breaking down, but he still had the body of a man with a good diet and who exercised regularly. “Alright everyone, I’ll be heading out soon.” he announced to the group, making his way for the room he and Zach shared. His whole body was stiff and tired from what felt like an endless hike already, but he knew he’d have to take care of a lot of the more personal exchanges between the amestrian soldiers and xingese police. Liz lounged on the living room couch, her legs stretched out in front of her with her ankles crossed on the floor. Her head was tilted all the way back on the couch and her arms were spread wide across its back. This was likely the first time either of her companions had seen her dressed in plain clothes; she wore a tailored pink button-up shirt and black pencil skirt, her damp hair loose around her shoulders and her feet bare. The room's temperature was pleasant, and the wooden floors of the inn felt especially comforting after a week of nothing but hot sand to walk on. She heard the bathroom door open and her ears perked up, although she didn't bother moving. Hearing Sherman say he was going on, she hoisted her head up and immediately quirked an eyebrow. "Major, I know it's a different country, but I think it's still customary to wear pants when you go out..." She managed a smile, though it felt like it was taking every muscle in her face to make it happen. The shower earlier had helped, but she probably wouldn't feel herself until after a good night's rest. While the rest of the crew were staying in the living room, there was somewhat noisy sound coming from the girls room. Avory had fallen asleep almost as soon as their small party had arrived to the hotel. Now sleeping soundly with Yumi curled up next to her, they both watched sweet dreams from better days. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Zach, however, stood at the back of the living room, staring lazily out from the window, down to the busy streets of the city. His usual red wine colored shirt was unbottoned and his pure, white hair was still wet from the shower not too many moments ago. In addition, he wore his trademark black straight jeans. As the man stared outside, his bare feet could hardly feel the wood under it. The cigarette between his lips was halfly burned already, but this didn't seem to bother the man either. His crimson eyes did not reveal any kind of emotion or expression even when Sherman announced his leave. Maybe as a reflexive response, or just to prove he was still alive, the frail looking alchemist slightly waved the steaming cup of coffee to the side as a wave for "have a nice trip" to his fellow Major. Now that Comwell's upper body was partly revealed, even if faced to the window, one with keen sense to details could see his naturally built up muscles that reacted to the man's every breath. It was not a body of a trained soldier, but more of an animal that had survived this long only because of its insticts. Usually covered by loose shirts and his coat, Zach appeared a lot more frail then he actually was, giving the impression of something totally different. Now as the man stood in silence, he seemed somewhat relaxed. For some reason, the man appeared to be in peace after a long, long time. Sherman rolled his eyes at Kirk’s remark, closing the door to the boy’s room behind him. After a few minutes he stepped back out wearing dark blue pants with a light blue button-up shirt with short sleeves, complete with his dark green alchemy satchel at his side. His hair was unusually tidy for the doctor, carefully combed and his once straggly beard freshly trimmed. “Ahhh, I feel I’m ten years younger!” Sherman announced happily, raising his arms high in the air in a stretch. His back and his legs were still sore from the hike, but without all that sand and that infernal military coat he felt lighter than air, and the cold shower had done wonders to wake him up from being dead on his feet. “Alright. I’m going to go stop by the Xing police station and check in with them. Then I’ll be back with groceries.” He said, walking to the door to get his shoes. “Who knows, maybe I’ll take in some of the sights while I’m out there eh?” A smile came to his lips as he slipped his shoes on one foot at a time. “Maybe I’ll meet a cute girl while I’m out~” He said with an odd chime in his voice. While he was on business he had no intention to pass up the chance to enjoy his visit, and even if he knew it was unlikely he’d fall in love on this trip, there was no harm in being hopeful. "Hmm..." While Kirk wasn't inclined to be particularly cheerful after the long, arduous trip, it was good to see Greyhound in a good mood and optimistic. It was uncharacteristic, but refreshing. "Well, then, good luck, Major. Although you might have a little more luck in the red light district, if you catch my drift." Still sprawled across the couch, Kirk gave Sherman a lazy salute on his way off. Opening one eye, she glanced over Zach's way. "Oy, Major Comwell... Mind tossing one of those cigarettes my way..? It's a special occassion, so I think a little celebration is in order." |
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| Talonheart | Feb 23 2017, 04:43 AM Post #2 |
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Zach didn't react at first. After some minutes, the man looked over his shoulder and nodded towards the black trench coat that was lying on one of the chairs. ¨They are in the left side pocket.¨ Now fully turning around, the man walked next to the couch and boldly dropped himself to a lazy, sitting position. Taking a last, long drag from the cigarette, the man dumped it on the ash tray on the table. Now switching the cup of coffee to his other hand and taking a sip, the young Major dug out a lighter, offering it to Kirk's way. ¨You might need this.¨ Sherman straightened up at Kirk’s comment, furrowing a brow as he turned back to the pair. “I don’t mean like THAT Kirk. Get your mind out of the gutter!“ He replied, crossing his arms defensively with his chin held high. “A man of my caliber simply shouldn’t lower himself to wasting his time on petty harlots. No, clearly only the best would do.” He finished, nodding his head sagely as he stroked his beard. “Preferably one in a pretty dress and a soft, graceful laugh.” After his brief moment of day dreaming Sherman slipped back into reality, his attention drifting to the pair of military officers by the couch. “Welp. Since I’ll be gone I’ll have to leave someone in charge.” He said, walking over to the couch as he looked between them, tapping his chin deep in thought. “This decision will be important, and possibly impact the future of not one but two countries. It will take all of my profound wisdom and infinite knowledge to come to the correct conclusion.” Holding up a finger he pointed at Kirk, then at Zach, then Kirk again, all the while chanting a phrase that had many a time helped him make important decisions. “Eeny meeny minie…” He paused, twirling his finger in the air before poking Kirk lightly on the head. “Moe.” He offered a soft smile as he lifted both hands in a golf clap. “Congratulations Second Lieutenant Kirk. You’ve just won all the authority and power that I wield for as long as I’m away.” Liz glanced over at Zach's trench coat. It was in the same room, but so far away. She made a face as she tried to convince her muscles that it was worth to effort to get up and move. As she was still arguing with her body, Zach sat beside her and offered his lighter. "Thanks," she mumbled, taking hold of it. She was still trying to force herself into action when Sherman mentioned leaving someone in charge. Comwell outranked her by a fair margin, so of course she didn't expect to be in the running. Suddenly the familiar children's rhyme worked its way into her ears and she found herself being poked in the forehead. She closed one eye against the non-existent pain and then rubbed the spot with her free hand. "Ah... Huh..?!" Kirk's eyes went wide and she sat up sharply. "Wait... Really? You're serious?!" Suddenly her body felt light as air. "No take-backs, Major." She jumped to her feet, punching the air with her lighter-laden fist. "Alright!! That means it's time to have some fun around here!!" Exuding confidence, she strode over and nabbed one of Zach's cigarettes, lighting up and tossing his lighter back. "Major Comwell!" She pointed an authoritative finger at him. "As your commanding officer, I order you... To have a drinking contest with me!" Liz's grin was reckless and crooked, her lit cig barely hanging in her mouth. "Loser pays for all the booze!" Zach raised a brow as Sherman made his little game happen. ¨hm, figures I guess...¨ Leaning forward on the couch, the man puts down his cup of coffee while standing up. His eyes caught the flying lighter which he catched in one simultanous move before picking up his back up pack of cigarettes from his pocket. Lighting a vast one, Zach watched, still with quirked brow as Kirk suddenly bursted into life with her newly attained authority. Hearing the command, the blade alchemist smirked lightly while closening the gap between himself and Kirk. Stepping in the boundries of personal space, he stopped himself only half a meter away from the woman. Suddenly slamming his hand, that was still holding his cigarette, against the wall, past Kirk's head and bringing his face near to hers, the man revealed his "fangs" while staring deep into the girls eyes with his own. The sharp, crimson colored eyes stared down for a few seconds before the man spoke. ¨Now that... Is an order I can comply to, koneko-chan.¨ Keeping this posture for few more seconds so that both of them could feel each others breathing. The space between them was only few centimeters now. Comwell straightened up and sank the cig between his lips. ¨Now then, I'll be back in a bit. We need something to start with afterall.¨ Taking hold of the coat and throwing it over his shoulder after finally buttoning up his short, the white haired alchemist made his wa to the door. ¨See ya.¨ Following Sherman's footsteps, Comwell made his way downstairs. Liking his reaction and sudden fighting spirit, Kirk widened her reckless grin, clamping her cigarette between her teeth as she crossed her arms, staring straight back. "Heh... Now that's what I like to hear, Major," she replied, her eyes as hard as ice. She let the staring contest go on as long as Zach liked, enjoying the adrenaline boost the spark of competition provided. Finally he backed off, and the air around them cooled considerably. She heard his plan, and approved with a casual thumbs up. "Make sure you get the good stuff, Comwell," she commanded, flopping back down on the couch and crossing her legs, her new-found authority boosting her confidence levels through the roof. |
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| Talonheart | Feb 23 2017, 04:45 AM Post #3 |
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Sherman slumped over as Kirk leapt to her feet and proclaimed her first order as acting commander of the household. With a deadpan expression Sherman stared at her before finally speaking in a low, even tone. “Oh boy… You’ve been in charge for less than thirty seconds and you’ve already gone mad with power.” After a while examination of the situation Sherman stood up straight again, shrugging his large shoulders as he turned around on his heels. “Oh well. Not my problem anymore.” He said as he started for the door. Kirk’s first order however made him stop in his tracks. “And the first thing you two can think to do is drink…” He said with a sigh. “Alright. Just remember Lieutenant Williams is still underage.” he said with a wave of his hand. “Seeya both later.” With that he made his way for the door, accompanied by Zach. Once outside he started down the streets in the opposite direction Zach was heading, down to the police station to talk to the local authorities about the mission. “Meanwhile they’ll be back here having a party… Oh well. Maybe I’ll get lucky and something fun will happen while I’m out.” With that he faded away into the crowded streets full of people. As soon as Zach arrived to the busy streets from the motel lobby, he stopped to his tracks with his hands tucked deep in the pockets of his coat. Switching from side to side, the man watched the astonishing view around him. The atmosphere was just what he had expected. Busy and lively all together. After briefly standing his ground, Comwell proceeded through the crowd, searching for the nearest store that would provide him with the needed goods. Finally stopping in front of a shady looking building, Zach took a wild guess and entered. The room he ended up in seemed like it had not been cleaned for some time now. The shelves were half empty, but at least one section seemed have what the short alchemist was looking for. Not wanting to spend any more time in the dark grey store, Zacharty quickly gathered random bottles, some familiar, some not so. Even taking few exotic looking ones, the man started searching for the counter. ¨Great...¨ Diving between the shelves, he finally arrived in front of something sort of a table, even tho there seemed to be no staff whatsoever. Spotting a small bell on top of surface of the desk, Comwell gave it a few taps, causing small series of sounds that echoed throughout the store. Waiting for a few moments, the Blade Alchemist repeated his action, but with no results. ¨Just great... Now I'm stuck with a ghost dungeon with bags full of booze on me. If I didn't know better, I'd say this is the first step to insanity...¨ Shrugging, Zach put one of the bags down and pulled out his wallet, throwing a random sum of money to the counter. Quickly making his way out from the store, the crimson eyed alchemist went back towards the hotel, following almost the same footsteps he had used not too long ago. The street was still busy as ever as Zach pushed through with his "groceries". Finally seeing the familiar building, the man hastened his steps and entered the hotel. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Pushing the room door open with his shoulder after unlocking it, Zach entered to room while holding the bags in front of him. ¨Honey, I'm ho~me.¨ His merry mood had already returned even after getting it dampened at the store. What a stroke of luck! Kirk thought to herself. Left in charge by a children's rhyme... I can't believe Major Greyhound would do that! She lay on the couch, basking in her self-satisfaction for long moments as the feeling slowly faded away. Somehow, without someone to lord it over, the power wasn't quite as intoxicating. She debating going to wake Avory up, but that wasn't fair; the girl was tired, and wouldn't be able to join her and Zach's Grown Up Fun Time Alcohol Binge Party, anyway. Liz sighed and sat up, frowning. She had nothing to do while waiting for Zach, so her first thought was to scrounge up some snacks. Then, of course, she remembered that Sherman had left to replenish their pantry. So that was one idea down. She thought some more. If only she had something to do to amuse herself, like maybe a deck of cards or something... The idea struck her like lightning. She did have a deck of cards! Doing her best not to wake Avory, she crept into their shared room and picked through her bag until she found the small tin of cards. Grinning cattily, she went back to her spot on the couch, opening the tin and taking the deck out to shuffle it. She had just started bridging the cards when she heard the door open and Zach called out his greeting. "Yo," she gave a casual half-salute and stood, placing the deck back on the table. "How did your hunt go?" Liz's eyes wandered straight to Zach's bundle, her curiosity peaking as she tried to get a look inside. Zach happily lifted up the bags he was holding. ¨Very well actually. Although I feel like I just visited the most gloomy store in this whole city.¨ Closing the door behind him by using his leg, as his hands were occupied, the frail looking alchemist entered to the inner room. Putting down the bags, the man quickly took off his coat with one swift move and threw it on the chair before starting to pile up bottles of different size and shape on the table. ¨Let's see here. We have some familiar goodies as well as some new acquintances. Say hello to Brandy¨ Zach flashed a grin while lifting up the bottle. Unbuttoning the upper part of his shirt, Zach put the bottle back to the table while fetching a pair of glasses. ¨Now then. How about we start off with something... edgy?¨ First pouring some labeled whiskey in to his own glass, the man took hold of the empty one while making an eye contact with Kirk. ¨M'lady?¨ Only now Zach noticed the deck of cards that the girl was holding. A small twinkle escaped from his eyes as he realized the possibilities. Liz's grin slowly grew as Zach pulled bottle after bottle from his bag of treasures. "Oh, my, you did have a fine hunt..." Listening to Zach, she picked up a few bottles, nodding with approval at the familiar labels and puzzling at the ones with foreign Xingese characters splashed over the label. She paused the longest over a particularly pretty bottle, with dark green glass that appeared to be embellished with gold foil. She was curious to try it, if only because it seemed like real classy stuff. She set the bottle back as Zach returned with glasses. Liz grinned at his inquiry, liking his humor. "But of course, sir," she replied, giving a mocking half-bow as she watched Zach fill the glass with the honey-colored whiskey. "If it's alright with you, I thought we could make the evening... Interesting. If you're game, I thought maybe a few rounds of Poker would set the mood right." She flashed him another playful grin before accepting the drink from him, waiting for his reply. "Well, then..." She lifted her beverage, feeling they were in need of a toast of some sort. "To not dying a horrible death at the hands of hijackers or succumbing to to peril in the desert. Cheers?" |
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10:24 AM Jul 11