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Conscripts
PapaOso
CitrusArms
princess
Vixere
SausagePat
Zygfryt
Rodiak
ReusableSwordXavier & Yuka
Time: Morning
Location: Near Roshmi Square → Hanami Designs -> Tavern
Interactions:@Helo Orias & @CitrusArms Aiko
Xavier’s Equipment: His sword, and outfit
Daybreak shone over the black-haired man as his head laid against the stone wall. Xavier was hidden in an alleyway, his arms crossed and his body in an awkward position. He had struggled for comfort all night, but he could not go back out into the square where those strange people would see him again. He had been hiding here for hours even before he had finally fallen asleep.
He was sitting up against the wall, slumped over, looking as if he’d been prepared earlier to defend himself. His sword was laying across his body and was within hand’s reach. He had pulled his cape over himself as a makeshift blanket. He was quiet and asleep. However the sunlight and the city's noise soon began to bother him and he started to stir. He hoped when he’d wake up, that he’d be back home, and it was all a terrible dream. However as he opened his eyes, instead of his comfortable, luxurious bed and the love of his life now next to him, he was greeted with the dark and uncomfortable alleyway.
Xavier grunted as he opened his eyes and closed them in denial. He was still dreaming, and he was not being carted off to the asylum to join Grace, losing his knighthood and Jessamine. His rumbling stomach interrupted his sleep and so did the birds chirping. Frustrated, he opened his eyes and looked around once more at the dreaded scenery, only to see a pair of magenta-colored eyes blinking in front of him. He soon found that a girl’s face was hanging upside down in front of him, her blonde hair falling to the floor. Looking upward, he’d find she had her boots locked around a pipe.
“Wow! You’re really still here!”
Xavier inhaled and jumped up. He scrambled to his feet and moved away with wide eyes. ”What -” He could barely reply as he began taking in the woman’s appearance. She was one of those strange people with animal ears. ”What are you?”
She jumped down gracefully and hopped to her feet, her eyes sparkling with amusement. Tilting her head, she looked him up and down before moving up to him slowly and gently moved his hair to look at his ear. ”Oooh… So I see.” Yuka took a step back and returned his space, ”I am Yuka. You are a human that has been summoned to fight a war for elves. They probably won’t send you back if they find you though if that’s what you’re hoping for.”
Xavier studied the girl in front of him warily. He held a hand near his sword, though he didn’t enjoy the idea of hurting a female. She was beautiful, he noticed, but it wasn’t enough to sway his decision to be apprehensive. He took a step forward when the stranger moved up to him. He was about to push her away when she moved back and started speaking. War? Elves? Summoned? What was she talking about? He was certain he was dreaming now but couldn’t wake up from this nightmare. None of this was real, he was convinced.
”Do you know what elves are?”
Xavier scowled as he moved away a safe distance and kept a hand near his sword, ready to pull it out of its sheath. ”No. I don’t care. Find someone to return me home or wake me up from whatever this strange world is.”
”Well at least you understand you’re not in your world anymore… Did they tell you anything when they brought you here? Guessing not!” Yuka glanced over her shoulder as she spoke. Soon, the square would populate with the townsfolk and possibly even dark elven patrol.
”No, they did not; I didn’t stay with them. I ran as soon as I could and ended up in this… place.” He remained scowling as he considered her. Xavier bit his lip and then suddenly froze. Had Rose or Jessamine ended up here too? He hadn’t seen them, but what if they were? Then he suddenly relaxed as he remembered only he’d walked through his door into that blinding light. But then he recalled promising Rose he’d teach her how to ride his horse after proposing to Jessamine the next day. Heaviness in his chest unrelated to his battle armor began to crush him. He frowned as he considered perhaps he’d never see her again - but they had sent him here, they could put him back, right? They had too; his heart began hammering as he angrily put his head in his hand then moved them away so he could keep this strange cat-woman thing in his sight. Grace… he’d promised to visit her… His heart ached even more.
Yuka could tell he was drifting off in his thoughts, but time was of the essence. She wasn’t sure how cooperative this guy was going to be. Well dressed, handsome and with an attitude, she knew she was meeting her match here. If he was anything like her, then he liked getting his way just as much as she did. Her eyes followed his every movement like a hawk. He was stressed and possibly more malleable at the moment. ”Come. I will take you somewhere safe so we can talk and I can disguise you better.”
”I suppose I don’t have a choice.” He mumbled to himself more than to her as he sighed. ”Fine then.” He moved his hand away from the sword as he scrutinized her. She didn’t appear malicious, and he did need help.
Yuka offered her hand out to him and smiled. ”Bet you hold a lot of girl’s hands. Might make you feel more at home!”
Xavier stared at her warily and rolled his eyes. He looked at her hand and stuffed his hands in his pant pocket instead. ”Whether or not I have is not your business and it won’t make me feel more at home.” He bit his lip as he thought more of Jessamine. Would she be safe without him? What if the kingdom was attacked? He scowled as he pushed it out of his mind’s eye.
She gasped and giggled. ”But I’m so cute! Well stay close, okay? Things are kind of tense here today.”
”Fine.” He replied shortly as he glanced around with uncertainty. This world was strange, but he was talking to a female with cat ears so what more could he say? She was cute though and he tried to ignore it.
She moved out of the alleyway and quickly out of the square into the smaller streets. She led him for a few blocks as the buildings started to become nicer and larger in quality. The people nearby became more well dressed as well. They stopped in front of a quaint shop named “Hanami Designs.”
Xavier followed Yuka, keeping his head down and his jacket up over his ears. He’d noticed his type wasn't common. He marveled at the grand architecture before him. It was something out of a book he’d read to Rose. He glanced at the shop and the name of it and shrugged as he entered. He hoped this wasn't some kind of sick trap.
She opened the door and leaned in, balancing on one foot as she called, ”Auntie! I’m home!” Looking back, she beckoned the man with her head, ”What’s your name?” Yuka asked as she moved into the well-lit space. Clothes were neatly hung everywhere, but no customers were present. The shop was clearly not open for business yet. The decor and ambience was luxurious. A woman with a tight bun of blonde hair and small feline ears came down the marble stairs gracefully. She was dressed conservatively yet elegantly. She paused and stared at the two of them.
”Yuka! It’s been days…Where have you been?” She approached the two, going on sternly,”You knew business would be slow with all this political nonsense occurring… Wait, who is this?”
Xavier followed Yuka into the shop with hesitation. He stared around the store with interest. Everything looked so neat and orderly. Then he jumped as she called for her ‘auntie’ and then addressed him. ”Xavier.” He replied as he moved into the shop more and watched as the ‘auntie’ came into view. He remained quiet as they spoke and studied them both. Political nonsense, war, tension. He furrowed his brows and crossed his arms and glanced at Yuka. ”Xavier.” He repeated again dryly.
”Oh Aunt Hina…You know how I can be! You have plenty of girls who come to work for you. You don’t need little ol me!” Yuka said in an attempt to smooth her over and even ran up and hugged her.
The woman scowled and did not return the hug. ”Yuka, your behavior is so tiresome.
It must cease. Settle down with a husband and stop acting like a-” She broke off and focused again on Xavier. ”Oh he looks like he’s quite wealthy? Is this what you’ve been up to?”
Xavier’s scowl began to dissipate as he considered their conversation. It seemed as though this girl was wild. He watched as she tried to smooth things over unsuccessfully. With a raised eyebrow, he managed to chuckle and roll his eyes.
”Yes auntie. I am picking out my handsome lover a new cloak. You know the noble elven family that lives down the street. This is Eula’s son Xavier. He’s so head over the heels for me and treats me like a princess!” Yuka told her with excitement. She pointed at the necklace. ”He gave me this beautiful necklace that must have cost him so much, so I wanted to return the favor and give him something from our shop.”
Hina moved over to eye the necklace and then glanced back at him. ”That is quite beautiful… Yuka I’m…” She looked up at Yuka and smiled after a moment. ”Yuka I’m so happy to see you spending your time meaningfully. Any son of Eula is welcome here. Please, take what you need Xavier.”
Yuka smirked at Xavier as she moved over to look through the cloaks. Her aunt moved after her, whispering in her ear. ”His ears… They’re so short for an elf?”
”Oh he doesn’t like to talk about that. Tragic birth defect. It’s why Eula had to move here from the Sun Elf Kingdom. Remember she’d never say why and you’d never ask… Well that’s one of the reasons why. They didn’t accept him..” Yuka whispered back.
”Oh dear…”
Xavier did a double take mentally, but decided to go with it and nodded. He shot her a quick glare out of Hina’s eyesight but remained inconspicuous. Stunned didn’t begin to explain how he felt. Lying was against the code he followed. However he kept quiet and let the scene play out, seeing as it benefitted him staying alive. When the word ‘birth defect’ came up, he bit down hard on his lip. Though he knew she meant well, he was quite agitated and now frustrated by the events. ”Yes, it’s quite sad to think about. Thank you for understanding.” He decided to keep it short so as not to give away this annoyance. This Yuka irl was quite cunning and quick on her feet. He noted it in the back of his mind.
Yuka came over and wrapped a hooded black cloak around him. ”There you go my darling.” She kissed his cheek gently and turned to Hina, ”Auntie! Doesn’t he look so dashing in it! I am going to go change my clothes and I’ll be back down.” She moved up the stairs, confident that chivalrous. Hina had bought it and Xavier could hold his own for a moment.
Xavier remained still as she approached him although his mind wanted him to run. He gave her another quick glare and then smiled as she wrapped it around him. He adjusted the cloak around himself more comfortably and stared with surprise as she kissed him. He reacted quick enough to pat her head gently. His eyes widened as she announced her quick departure and glanced at Hina. He smiled charmingly for her and swallowed. How would one act like an elf? What was an elf anyway?
He decided to remain quiet so as not to say anything that might mess up their ruse or reveal his frustration. He allowed himself to gaze over the clothes and marvel at their unique and stunning designs. Silently he prayed that Yuka would return quickly and this “auntie” would not ask about his homelife. His stomach rumbled and he managed a weak smile. ”My apologies, ma’am.” He then added reluctantly, ”your shop is quite beautiful.”
”Oh Xavier you must be hungry. Please help yourself to some cooked meat buns I made.” Hina moved out of the room and came back with a plate of steaming buns.
Xavier took the food and cautiously examined it. Deciding it would be rude and unwise to linger on it, he took a small bite. The flavor of it was unlike anything he’d ever tried, and soon found himself eating more. He was hungry and this was rather delicious so he wasn’t sure what to think or say. He quickly glanced at “auntie” Hina and smiled after swallowing his food. ”Thank you. This is delicious.” He kept the surprise out of his tone.
Yuka soon returned in different clothes and took a bun for herself, munching into it happily. ”I love meat!” Yuka hopped up and sat on the counter to give her full attention to her food. She seemingly blocked out the existence of everything as she ate. Once she was finished she glanced up while licking her lips. ”Okay. Xavier. When you’re ready, I think that cloak should do the trick and we can go to meet my companions.”
Xavier watched Yuka return and forgot for a moment he didn’t know her. She had a way of acting like they had known each other all their life. She was quicker on her feet than a fox and sharper than an ax. He quickly looked away and watched as she ignored everything to eat. How peculiar but he didn’t blame her since the food was good but strange. Her friends? How many more people would he meet now? Dreading this, however, he kept a smile on his face and pulled his cloak up over his face. ”Sure m’lady.” He gave a quick bow and extended his arm to her as he would Jessamine. ”Let me get the door for you.” He opened the door and held it open for her.
Yuka squealed as she hopped to her feet,”Oh my gosh! Such a gentleman!” She moved to the door and gracefully danced into the street outside. Hina sighed from inside the shop.
Xavier bit his lip to stop himself from commenting and shut the door behind himself quickly. He watched with amusement however as she danced into the street. He sighed and quickly followed her. ”Lead the way and if these.. If more creatures talk to us, please don’t engage in more conversation. Lying is against my code.” He told her quietly once out of earshot as he frowned. He hoped these “friends” were moral people.
”Is lying bad if it’s for a good reason?” Yuka challenged as she shut the shop door. ”Don’t you think the ends justify the means?” She smirked and began walking back down towards where they came.
”Lying is wrong no matter what. You can get through life by being honest and chivalrous. Please do not make me lie again, m’lady.” He looked away with a sigh and wiped his scowl off his face to give a more friendly expression for the townsfolk.
”Chival-wha…? What a big word!” Yuka put her hands to her cheeks as she considered it, ”What’s it mean… I bet it means… BORING!” She laughed and skipped over to his side, ”Come on Xavvy! Be real. Being honest and nice just gets you taken advantage of.”
Xaveir turned to her as the peaceful air was now shattered by her rudeness. He narrowed his gaze at her and halted, wounded and affronted and not afraid of showing it. ”I think,” he began in a low voice as these strange animal-people passed by, ”that we have two very different views of the world and morality and decency. Take me to your friends and I can hopefully find more like minded people, or people to send me home.” He sighed, his frustration now rising, but not daring to be rude to her.
”I am taking you to my friends, but wait! I am super moral and cute. I can be moral and shivering… For example… It was really nice of me to give you that cloak.” Yuka gestured to the cloak and waved her arms as if she was showing off, ”Taadaaa!”
Xavier looked down at her with the same coldness. ”It’s chivalrous, not shivering, and yes you were kind enough to help me with this cloak. But I am not a fool, Yuka, and can see that you’re as cunning as a fox and sharper than my sword. “ He gestured for her to continue leading him and stuffed his hands back in his jacket. ”I think your ‘auntie’ had a point in there, m’lady. I am not going to lie. Please accept it as it is.”
”I know, I know. I’m very kind. I’m very smart. It’s all very intimidating to take in sometimes, but hey! Maybe you can give me some morality lessons. If you can think of a way to get out of a situation like that without lying, be my guest. “ Yuka stopped in front of the tavern and opened the door for him this time with a cheeky smile,”Look! I’m chivalrous!”
Xavier sighed as he rubbed his temples and resisted burying his head in his hands. He took several deep breaths. It was not worth their time to argue over the point. He looked at the tavern with interest and then looked back down at her. He managed a snort and laugh mixed together. ”Good start. I’ll tell you more about it later.” He then lowered his voice so only she could hear. ”Do you have a church here so I can pray for patience?”
Yuka held in a laugh, her cheeks blowing up with the force of air. He definitely wasn’t going to like it in the tavern. It was not the most moral place to take him at all. ”Uh yeah. Think so. I’d think you can pray anywhere though right?”She moved in and glanced around, quickly catching sight of Orias, ”Oh hi!” She led Xavier over to him. ”Look Koldar. I made a friend!”
Xavier sighed heavily and shook his head. ”No. We pray in churches at home. It’s the house of God.” He followed her into the tavern and glanced around with uncertainty. His gut feeling told him he would not like this one bit. What kind of friend hung out at a tavern in the morning? Good lord. He kept his comments to himself and followed Yuka reluctantly. He stared at the elf and nodded to him. ”Hello.” He glanced at Yuka then back to the elf “Orias” while analyzing him and his every move.
