Treia !P0dSPtgivA 2012/02/17 (Fri) 16:25 No. 153516 ▼ File 132949591175.jpg - (601.20KB, 800x787 , ee0efb49c640ba5c1c9a70b4d9bdeccb.jpg)
[X] Sure, I'll show you.
Uh, okay. Mouse girl. Right. No need to be impolite about it. You're sure this is a perfectly normal occurrence around here.
"Sure, I'll show you."
She nods her head and mumbles thanks under her breath. That's as good as any indication to lead on, so you look around and try to orient yourself towards the shop you just stumbled away from. Despite your blinded and dazzled state, it seems you didn't get that far as Mokou's breath assaulted you, and you quickly identify the way back. You notice the girl shifting the basket she's carrying between hands, as if she were nervous.
"This way.
You say, motioning for her to follow. She steps in right behind you, practically nipping at your heels. It grates on you at first, but given her timidity, you simply ignore it for the moment. Regardless, you make a mental note not to stop too quickly, lest she ram into you.
It takes but a minute to get back to the shop, and you step out of the way and present it with a small flourish. She nods eagerly and thanks you repeatedly before turning her attention to the shopkeep. You could probably leave now, but you decide to stick around for just a second out of curiosity. Now, you may be completely wrong, but you don't think Mice are carnivores. Which just raises the question of why exactly a mouse, or mouse girl, would be purchasing any quantity of meat.
Maybe she wants a different kind of meat. That's a disgusting thought. It is quickly exiled to the back of your brain for later ?review?.
"Excuse me?"
The shopkeeper turns to her, wiping down one of the plates you used earlier.
"Need somethin??"
"Could I, uhm?"
"Speak up, girl."
"A cut of meat, please?"
He rolls his eyes.
"Size? Type? You care for avian?"
"Y-Yes?"
He stops completely, setting down the plate and washcloth. He leans in sternly, stopping halfway over the counter.
"Listen, I ain't got all day. Yes to which?"
The girl freezes, biting her lip. It'd be an amusing scene if it wasn't so tragic. She seems to be completely lost. Before you can even step in, she starts repeating from memory, like running down a list.
"Rib. Fifteen pounds! Avian? avian is fine."
The shopkeep nods his head, finally getting down to business.
"Got a whole turkey back here, let me see what I can get for you."
He steps away and the girl visibly relaxes, breathing a sigh of relief. She fidgets slightly before the man comes back with a string of cuts, tied into a cord at least 3 feet long, he holds them above so she can clearly see them and make sure it's all right. He proudly boasts as he waits for her to inspect them.
"Caught it myself last week. Just smoked it."
"Ah, smoked?"
She questions with curiosity, evidently ignorant of the term.
"Yeah, preserved.?
"Oh?"
"Is that going to be a problem?"
She opens her mouth to say something, but closes it just as quick. She very quickly becomes visibly nervous, shuffling and avoiding the shopkeeper's eyes. Now you can step in.
"Ah, but weren't there cattle coming through the village earlier?"
You interject, grabbing the girl's attention.
"Eh, cattle in this village? Where would you even keep them?"
That's a good question. You look for an answer, but just shrug your shoulders.
"Guess it's an open question."
She nods.
"Please show me where you saw them."
Before you can answer, the shopkeeper interject.
"Look kids, my arm's getting tired. Are you looking to buy something?"
The girl quickly and curtly replies, declining.
"No thank you."
The shopkeep looks a bit annoyed, but doesn't show it, putting the cuts back and idling behind the counter. The girl continues to engage you.
"Please show me where you saw the cattle."
Somewhat of an odd request. Maybe she wants to chase one down and butcher it. Do mice do that? Do mice girls do that?
"It was kind of a while ago, I think they've moved on."
A squeaking arises from her basket as two mice poke their heads out, squeaking incessantly as if trying to communicate. But they can't. Because they're mice.
The girl pats the basket, partially as a show of pride and partially to quiet them down, and they do.
"These two can find them. Please show me."
Well? if she insists, you guess you can. it's not like you had anything better to do. You agree and set off again. This time she keeps healthy distance behind you, much to your heels? relief.
?
?
?
With a bit of difficulty, you navigate back to the house you met the Gardener and her Lady at. Surprisingly, a crowd seems to have formed around it, with very loud gossiping going on. Given your luck, it's probably your fault. Hell, maybe both of them were found murdered. Hell, maybe it turns out they were a cult. You just know someone around here is part of a cult. Fucking cults, man. Not the Colts, though. They do, however, suck on the unrelated charge of being bad at football.
You stop on the opposite side of the dirt road, and appraise the mouse girl of the situation and your general unwillingness to get too close to the possible scene of the crime. Although what, if any, crimes is beyond you.
"That's fine. They'll start here."
The two mice go back to their squeaking as they jump out of the basket, pausing in the road before shooting off in the direction the cattle were headed earlier. You look at the girl, and she smiles, her upper mouse ears flapping slightly. The two of you take off after them, quickly encroaching upon the huge wall that surrounds the village.
it's only after they jump back into the basket suddenly at the gate to the outside that you realize just what you've wandered into. it's the same small community of farmers that you traipsed through earlier with Sanae, who seem not at all pleased to see you. However, the cattle are here. they're spread out to graze across the grass that covers the area from the wall to the boundary of the forest.
Still, you did say you'd show her. You strongly consider declaring your task done, turning around, and getting the fuck out, but it seems she still needs a bit of propping up. She slows down behind you, dragging your speed down with her. Every time you slow to keep from outpacing her, she just slows down more. You figure she'll probably work inversely, so you pick up the pace and she reluctantly stays with you, following you all the way up to the intersection of their dank homes and buildings.
You look around for someone to speak to on the matter, but they simply stare back at you, unmoving. Most of them have stopped where they were, content to stare the two of you down. You look back at her, and she seems to be shaking slightly, staring at the ground. Poor thing. You'd best deflect some attention off her.
You step forward and pose an open question to anyone who's interested in listening, being sure to phrase it in such a way so that it offends the maximum amount of people.
"So uh, yeah! Looking for some fresh cuts of meat? Raw? Unprepared? "Cause you guys got the cattle, yeah? Uh?"
Nobody seems to answer until one of the farmers steps forward from the stairs of his home, a pair of shears in his hands.
"Is she with you?"
You look back at her, still staring at her shoes and unable to answer for herself. You quickly determine the best answer would be yes, so you go with that.
"Yeah, yeah? uh yes. She's with me."
The farmer drops the shears to his side, only holding it with one hand. His other hand appears to have balled into a fist.
"We don't serve her kind here."
Her kind? You're not quite sure what her kind is, but they don't seem too pleased. They wake up from their frozen stares, falling in around you and the girl. Farming implements in hand, they don't seem particularly happy about your persistence. This is quickly becoming a bad situation, and you try your best to get through it with all your limbs.
"I'm with the Myouren temple?"
The girl's plea goes unheard as she whispers it, not making a dent in the growing encirclement. You hurry your own point, eager to disperse the crowd.
"Aha, very, uh, very funny? Heh, heh? You know, what is her kind? Women? That's kinda sexist, you know!"
You choke through trying to deflect their anger, hoping to make it funny. they're not laughing.
?Youkai.?
One of them mutters under his breath, barely a whisper. The entire crowd around you shuffles, looking like they're out for blood.
ROAR
The congregation is disturbed by the sound of a ferocious roar coming from the village. All heads turn to look, and you can clearly see a Tiger making its way towards the group from further along the wall. Behind it trots a gaily dressed woman, carrying a spear in her left hand and a cloth circle around her shoulders. Her dress is a smattering of colors, noticeably a tiger pattern stripe around her waist.
They close the distance in no time, the tiger opting to wait at the edge of the buildings, and the woman barging straight through the crowd to the two of you. She
"Hey, Naz. Got the meat yet? Toramaru's hungry, you know!"
The girl perks up, ceasing to stare at her feet and motioning with her hands excitedly. Still, she doesn't have a perfect answer.
"Ah, I'm sorry! Not yet, Shou. We were just negotiating."
Shou, the newly arrived woman, seems displeased, a scowl forming across her face. She rubs her chin for a second with her right hand before suddenly pointing at the farmer that did most of the talking.
"Hey, you! You're in charge, right? I can tell by the way you carry yourself. Now listen, I'm not really for all this subtle negotiation crap where we just try to rip each other off, so I'll offer ya a thousand flat, per pound."
The farmers seem confused, looking at each other and to their apparent leader.
"Well, come on? 15 pounds!"
Shou loudly interjects, interrupting their debating. She'd have none of their delaying. One of the younger farmers, barely 20 in appearance, steps out of the field and files silently past their leader. He returns but a few minutes later with the required meat wrapped in a paper cover, lugging it laboriously. Shou easily takes it and throws it over her shoulder. She lightly nudges her friend with the blunt end of her spear, signaling for her to complete the transaction. After a small bit of nervous delay, she produces the required amount from her dress and hands it over, the leader looking none too happy about it.
Shou quickly surveys to make sure her friend is okay and the food is the right weight, doing a small up and down squat. Satisfied everything is in order, she turns and nods at ?Naz?, noticing you.
"Friend of yours, Naz?"
"Ah he? he helped me."
Shou nods, breaking out into a smile.
"Thanks buddy. Sorry ?bout her, first time she's been out on her own. You come by the Myouren temple sometime and we'll welcome you to a meal."
She pats her head in an outlandish show of respect, then places her right hand on her friend's shoulder. They start to exit the dissipating circle of farmers, and you are left aware just how alone you are. You meet the glances of a few farmers, and they seem quite miffed about the ordeal. it's not like any of them have disarmed, either. Shears could take your arm off. A hoe could crack your skull open. A hundred to two is bad. A hundred to one is worse.
[ ] Excuse yourself, tag along with the pair for protection and company, at least until you're out of there.
[ ] Excuse yourself, beeline for the village and find something to do. (Write-in)
[ ] Stick around for a while, take in the farmer lifestyle .
