| Episode 6.5: Welcome to Xing! The Ice Princess; In which princesses are definitely not escorts | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Feb 23 2017, 04:48 AM (12 Views) | |
| Talonheart | Feb 23 2017, 04:48 AM Post #1 |
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The Wild Vine alchemist walked down the old dirt roads of the Xing city, admiring the unique architecture of the buildings as he passed. The streets were filled with people, and every time he looked up to admire something he found himself nearly running into someone. “Ah! Sorry!” he said, dipping into an apologetic bow after running into an old man. The old man just glared at him, spouting off some insults he didn’t understand before continuing on his way. Sherman sighed with frustration as he continued on his own way, looking around for any familiar signs. Or signs at all, for that matter. Everything written on road signs and shops was in xingese, and while Sherman had a rudimentary understanding of the language he was still a long way from being able to read and speak it. He continued on like that for well over twenty minutes, taking various twists and turns along the various city alleyways and curbs. He was beginning to feel uneasy now as every eye felt like they were on him, a random stranger from Amestris who somehow ended up on a Xingese street. Even a town like this one rarely saw Amestrians outside the train station, and for the last few months the trains from Amestris had shut down entirely. Sherman had tried to stop and ask for directions several times since he left, but to no avail. All at once Sherman stopped, letting out a frustrated sigh as he looked up at the xingese sky. “I have nooo idea where I’m going.” He finally confessed to himself, closing his eyes as he tried to think of what to do. Not too far behind, a young Xingese woman watched the Amestrian with curiosity. Clad in a modest, if not slightly loose pink dress with wide sleeves and a simple blue sash, she looked fairly common and hard to pick out of a crowd. This had certainly benefited her, in that nobody had paid her any mind as she followed the westerner. Not that she had been doing so for long, of course. She was certainly not stalking the pale stranger, after all. That would be creepy! Upon seeing him pause and admit defeat to the few clouds dotting the sky, she couldn't help but cover her mouth to stifle giggle. Amestrians are so dramatic! Rolling her eyes, the eastern woman took a deep breath and straightened out her clothing. Glancing quickly into the alleyway beside her, as though there was a well of confidence hidden within its depths, she nodded to herself and made her way towards the Alchemist. "Ah... hello!" She called, praying that he could understand her through what she was sure was a thick accent. Sherman stood there, stoic as ever as he stared up at the clouds, trying to recall how he got here so he could get home. Suddenly he heard a word. Just a simple greeting, but one he could understand. Surprise took hold as he whirled around to see a lovely young woman in a plain pink dress. “Oh! H-hello! So. You speak Amestrian?” He asked, looking down at the young xingese girl. “You wouldn’t happen to know where we are, would you?” Small brown eyes studied the strange-looking man's face as the woman's face scrunched in concentration. She stayed silent as she stared the man down, almost looking as if she were trying to decide the best way to lure him somewhere and bake him into a pie. After the moment has passed, the woman's expression returns to the meek smile she'd worn before. "Ah! I... speak some, yes!" The young lady gave a petite, light giggle as she covered her mouth with one sleeve. With a quick glance around the area, she nodded as her expression swiftly morphed into a subtle frown. "This is Cha street, where the best tea shop in the region is. Why do you ask?" Looking the Alchemist over once more, she nodded to herself silently. "Are you lost? It is not safe to wander off the main streets alone... there are dangerous people here," the woman's voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper as she said this. As she spoke, her eyes darted about as if she were looking for someone. "Do you need me to lead you back ? Or somewhere else? I have time, if you need help." Sherman stared at the strange woman as her face contorted in concentration. He glanced around awkwardly during the silence, unsure of what to do. Maybe she doesn’t understand amestrian after all… He thought, waiting for some kind of response. When she finally smiled he returned in kind, an awkward smile as he tried his best not to offend the woman. “Oh! So you do speak amestrian.” He said, visually relieved to hear it. After she was done explaining the street he relaxed, only to grow tense again as she whispered about the dangers of the city streets. His dark brown eyes darting from dark corner to dark corner. Were there really people hiding in the dark alleyways ready to assault him? “Ah, well…” He started, unsure of how to response. Finally shaking off the temporary nervousness he turned his full attention back to the young woman. She was attractive, he noticed, even if she seemed to be a bit random. “I was trying to find my way to the police station. Then I was going to pick up some groceries… If you aren’t busy, could you maybe be my escort?” He asked with a hopeful smile. Being lead around the city by such a cute girl was certainly more enjoyable than getting lost and possibly mugged because he took a bad turn. |
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| Talonheart | Feb 23 2017, 04:50 AM Post #2 |
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At the mention of the police station, the pink-clad woman's eyes widen in interest. The police...? He doesn't look like he's been attacked... A curious look filled her eyes as she pursed her lips. "Ah... the police station? Did something happen?" The thought that maybe the poor Amestrian had been duped crossed her mind, but she shook it away quickly as her mind latched onto a different subject. "E-escort?!" Her calm, if not slightly off demeanor suddenly seemed to melt away into something more tense and awkward. A light blush could be seen rising to her face from under her light makeup. "I-I would be happy to show you around, but I am not that kind of woman, sir! I-I'm a simple farm girl, nothing more!" Off in the shadows of the alleyway, tucked into the shadows behind the trashcans, sat a young woman clothed entirely in black. A mask covered her mouth and nose, and a hood covered her head. Only a pair of sharp brown eyes peered out, illuminated by only a sliver of light between the trashcans, and a single strand of black hair that escaped the hood. Of course, none of this was in any way distinguishing as most of the Xingese populace had black hair and brown eyes. She sat completely still at her post, her breath slowed and controlled to the point where the fabric of her ninja suit wouldn't so much as rustle. Suddenly she felt something rub against her. Reacting faster than she could think, she reached for her short sword and whipped her head around. "Mrrow?" The ninja woman closed her eyes and breathed an inner sigh of relief. It was just a cat. Ignoring it and allowing it to continue rubbing her elbow, she turned her attention back to the streets. Narrowing her eyes, she watched the scene before her. A young woman much like her was talking to a foreigner-- Amestrian, if she was reading the language on their lips right. Suddenly her eyes widened and her hand returned to her sword, startling the cat that was trying to make friends with her. If she was reading this conversation right, The foreigner was asking for an escort! Her Amestrian was rusty, but she was fairly certain that was an alternative word for 'prostitute'! How dare this stranger waltz into a strange country and assume such things of the high class ladies who were kind enough to offer their innocent assistance. And that winning smile..! She hoped the young woman knew better than to fall for it... Nervously, she flexed her hand over the grip of her sword, watching for the reply. Reading it, she settled down some. Maybe she wouldn't be so foolish to go off with a stranger after all. “Did something happen..? Oh! No. Nothing like that, don’t worry.” He replied calmly, still sporting a soft smile on his face. “I just have business there.” He would’ve liked to tell her more about what he had to do there, but he knew the mission’s specifics were on a strictly need to no basis while they were out here. After all, one alerted citizen could become two, and grow out of control very quickly. The girl’s change in demeanor confused him at first. He didn’t see how what he had said could make her blush. What did I say? I only asked if she’d be my escort. He thought to himself, seeming disappointed at her refusal. “Oh… Are you sure? You could probably show me a good time! And who knows? Maybe you’d enjoy it too.” He said, offering his smile again. He wasn’t sure what she meant by not being that kind of woman, but he assumed it had something to do with being seen walking around with a strange amestrian. "Sh-sh-show you a good time?!" The blush on her face darkened significantly, becoming almost nuclear pink. Several unintelligible noises escaped the woman as she stumbled backwards away from the apparently very crude man. Her expression had become a grimace. "H-how dare you, sir?!" The strange woman's voice reached a squeaky high pitch as she all but shouted at the foreigner. "I a-approach you to help a-and you ask me to be your e-escort?! Is this what Amestrians truly think of of our poor, delicate women?! Th-that we are merely s-sex toys for your foreign whims?!" Despite her stuttering, the woman who was obviously not a prostitute steadied herself, having straightened herself out. She now stood tall, trying to stare the rude man in the eyes, though the height difference made that difficult. Brow furrowed, she had her fists clenched in a display of what she hoped was dominance and anger. "You looked like such a nice man, who I would like to get to know! How could you be such a disgusting pig?!" With that, she unclenched one hand, flattening it as she raised the appendage up, and swiped it across the bearded man's face in a surprisingly forceful slap, considering her petite size. "P-pervert!" At the sound of her yelling, several of the other sparse few people walking the street paused to watch the commotion. Most only stared for a a brief moment, taking in the sight of the tiny native going against the behemoth westerner before hurrying along to their destinations. As far as they were concerned, the girl had dug her own grave by approaching the stranger. One man sporting a rather glorious fu manchu yelled several obscenities at the alleged pervert, while a rather adorable young girl cheered as the woman slapped the man, before her mother grabbed her hand and dragged her away in embarrassment and fear. Sherman blinked in surprise as the young girl’s demeanor grew more offended, blushing so hard her face looked ready to explode. “How dare I? But I just-” Her angry tirade cut him short of explaining himself. “But I-” He was stopped again, taking a step back with his hands held up defensively, like she was a tiny bomb about to go off in his face. His eyes widened at the mention of her being used as a sex toy, suddenly realizing the problem. “Wait! You don’t understand-” He was cut short once more by her speech, wincing at being called a disgusting pig. “I didn’t mean-” Her hand struck him across the cheek, sending the amestrian doctor reeling back. Stars exploding around him as everything went dizzy, the sound of her hand slapping against his cheek echoing through his mind as the world stood still. He turned back to her, rubbing his reddened cheek sourly. “I didn’t mean escort like that!” he finally got out, his cheerful disposition replaced by one of both apology and frustration. “I was asking you to show me around town! Not to-” He couldn’t bring himself to say it out loud, looking away clearly embarrassed by the crowd now gathering in the streets. He let out a long, frustrated sigh. “Forget it… I’ll just find my own way around.” He moved to turn around, but was met with more angry stares than ever before. Every person on the streets seemed liable to ambush him the moment he stepped into the crowd. “On second thought maybe I’ll just go dig a hole and bury myself. Save everyone the time.” |
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10:24 AM Jul 11