Action

[therewerefifty]

[Makie has had the facts of this place explained to her already, by a gentleman in a... fairly awkward situation.

It doesn't prepare her for the reality of a village with occupants like none she's ever seen before. Some of you aren't even human, Luceti. The hell. She wanders the path of the village from Community Building #1 down toward the plaza still in her New Feather dress, just like a gawking tourist, and spends some time staring at the fountain and plaza itself. Uh.

...right. Okay. Time to begin glancing through various shops in her attempts to find the places she was told her things would be. She finds her clothes with a measure of relief, and her shamisen at the item store-- and after she picks it up, she frowns. It's too light. She doesn't need to open it to know she's missing something.

Eventually, she'll find her way into the forge to pick up the last of her things, pays a visit to the Welcome Centre-- and then finally fetches up at the tea shop, which is the most familiar-looking thing here.

...sort of. Never really loses that dazed and confused look.]

Comments

[therewerefifty]

Perhaps someone new has taken over? [Her gaze follows his movement, and Makie stills a moment, clearly recognising the bladed staff on the end of that rack.]

That rack ... those weapons belong to new arrivals, don't they? None of them are made by the smiths here?

[originaljackass]

That's where I found my own little bladed killer. So I think you're right. Anything look familiar?

[therewerefifty]

[...that makes it difficult. She can't very well lift a knife off the rack and pretend it's her own if it belongs to someone else. On the other hand... her gaze flicks to his curiously.]

...bladed killer?

[originaljackass]

Sword. A little fancy weapon that I've seen the wrong business end of before. So I keep it nice and secure these days. [He'd show her, but he left the briefcase locked at home.] I prefer something more practical.

[He holds out his jacket where he's got a pistol tucked away. Since half the town is packing, it seemed a good idea for him to do the same.]

[therewerefifty]

[Makie is vaguely familiar with the concept of guns-- though the pistol he shows her looks nothing like a matchlock, it's at least the same concept. She tilts her head as she glances at it.] It's much smaller than I'd have expected. I thought it would be longer.

[This can't be taken terribly in any way.]

[originaljackass]

[The innuendo was not lost on him. He frowned.]

... my other one is bigger.

[therewerefifty]

[The innuendo is almost lost on Makie-- she's still too deep in culture shock-- but she does come from a place where sword jokes are made on a semi-regular basis. One corner of her mouth twitches up.]

Regardless, I'm sure it's not the size of your weapon that counts, Mr Horner.

[originaljackass]

Right. Right. It's how you use it.

[And I'm an expert. His thought was accompanied by raised eyebrows and a knowing smirk.

Then he remembered why they were there.]

Do you see your knife?

[therewerefifty]

No. [...and no choice. Unless she wants to leave it here for later. Which might be a problem on its own.]

But my other weapon is here.

[She lifts the three-section pike off the rack.]

[originaljackass]

And that was the moment Jack Horner was surprised, because he had entirely read the woman wrong. She wasn't just a banjo player.

"That's yours?"

[therewerefifty]

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

Though it's true she doesn't look much like she can wield it. Less flattering men have described her arms as frail in the past. She folds it in on itself in a Z-shape and crosses back to the nearest available flat surface, resting her shamisen on it gently, and avoiding Jack's gaze.

[originaljackass]

It took all of two seconds to reconcile the idea that his woman was some kind of tiny badass. Once he had, here was no longer any issue.

"I hope you know how to use it, babe. There's a war on in this world, so knowing a little ass kicking will come in handy."

[therewerefifty]

Makie glances up at that, startled, then flicks a glance toward the door and the world outside. "A war? This village looks so peaceful."

[originaljackass]

"Well not in the village, obviously. Outside the barrier. Big and brutal, with buzzard men for us to kill."

[therewerefifty]

"...I see." That's not a comforting thought. She takes the top casing off her shamisen gently, folding the pike inside it. "So people are taken... outside the barrier to fight, I assume."

[originaljackass]

"That's right." However, Jack found himself intrigued by what she was doing. "So do you actually play that thing or do you just really dig the secret weapon thing?"

[therewerefifty]

She smiles at that. "I play the shamisen." Digging the secret weapon, indeed. "It... raises too many questions of the wrong kind for a woman to travel openly with a weapon, where I come from. This is easier. And... it was a gift."

[originaljackass]

"Well, babe. Here? It ain't gonna be a problem. Men and women alike partake in the shared cultural expression of kicking asses. You won't need to keep that secret long."

[therewerefifty]

She can't help but be amused at the way he puts that. Not to mention... a little relieved. Guardedly so, but: "I'm beginning to see that. I suppose it's to be expected when we're all from such different places."

[originaljackass]

"It all averages out to be more modern in these parts. Women are actually treated like people most of the time. Crazy, isn't it?"

[therewerefifty]

There's a marked stillness in response, a faint breath caught and held.

And released. "Crazy," she agrees softly, collecting her shamisen from the counter, and she wraps her shawl around it for protection. It's too warm here to wear it anyway. "What an interesting place this is."

[originaljackass]

"Give it a month, babe. You'll be bored out of your skull. So, anywhere else you fancy seeing? I could show you the Dome."

[therewerefifty]

"What's the Dome?" She eyes him curiously.

[originaljackass]

"It's a place to vacation or to fight until you fall down. Depends on the person. I prefer the former, personally."

[therewerefifty]

"An...arena of sorts?" Still, she looks baffled. How can such a place be used for both?