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Maeli walked to the crest of the hill, and gazed upon a sight which his eyes had never beheld before. The sprawling city of Midgar, a center of industry and progress within the known world, now before him, a lonely Ronso of Gagazet. The city was circular in shape, and elevated from the surface of the barren plains around it like some kind of alien utopia. Search-lights shot through the blackened skies above, though it never occured to Maeli as to why the sky was balck in the first place. He was far too busy marvelling at the spectacle of the city. But by far the most noticeable feature was the single spire rising from the center of Midgar like a commanding sentinel. The young Ronso was so overwhelmed with excitement that he couldn't wait to get inside. As he marched through the barren waste outside the walls, he wondered idly as to why there were no plants or animals around the outskirts. In fact, nothing existed out here, no settlements or small villages of any kind...
Oh, well, he thought, things will definitely be better inside, anyway.
As he reached the entrance to some place called 'Sector 6' (he supposed that meant the names of the villages, though why they didn't just name them real names was beyond him), he noticed the definitive lack of traffic to the gateway. In fact, there didn't seem to be anyone there at all. Funny, he speculated, I had imagined there to be quite a bit of trade and commerce into the city. After all, it's known as an industrial center to the world, so where are its clients?
He reached the gate, and with some disappointment realized that it was bolted shut. But Maeli looked upward and saw an opening over the walls. He looked at the surface of the blockade, and didn't think twice before he started to climb over. After all, such walls were child's play compared to the slopes of Gagazet.
Within a few minutes, the young Ronso warrior had leaped over the wall and started exploring. The first thing he noticed was a structure similar to the Temples of Yevon back in Spira. It displayed great, spiralling architecture, and a profound sense of calm which permeated the area around it. Maeli's keen sense of smell thought that he detected flowers growing within the walls. He had to be sure to revisit such a soothing place on his way out. For now, he wanted to see more of the city.
Before he got any further, however, he noticed three men wearing what he assumed were uniforms, having oversized helmets over their eyes and rifles slung over their shoulders. Maeli's ears picked up the sounds of grumbling and discontent from the men, and he thought that maybe what they needed was something to do. Maeli smiled a little as he thought about asking them to show him around the city a little. It would certainly relieve the tedium from their patrol, and it would cut down on the time Maeli would have to spend finding out every little fact about Midgar for himself.
So, without a second thought, the young Ronso walked over to the three men, and waved a large hand in their direction. He had expected for there to be some surprise for the men, after seeing someone in this part of the city.
What he hadn't expected was for the soldiers to answer him with the business end of their rifles.
He was indeed fortunate that the first bullet to hit him only went through the right shoulder, otherwise he probably would have been gunned down without mercy. But the instincts of his warrior training came to him and Maeli managed to bring up Pleiades, his giant shield, to soak up the rest of the deadly barrage from the other surprised guards. Maeli noticed that the guards were still a little stunned, so he used that window of opportunity to make his escape deeper into Midgar. The soldiers noticed him fleeing, and fired wildly in his direction. One lucky bullet entered through Maeli's side, causing the young Ronso to wince from the incredible pain.
Maeli had no idea how long he kept running for. He supposed that the soldiers would call up some form of pursuit, and they would comb through the city to try and find him. And it wasn't as if he were the most incunspicuous creature, being seven feet tall and having deep blue fur. So, he mostly kept to the back alleys and side streets, to avoid detection.
The wound in his side was bleeding profusely. If he didn't get it sealed up, he would die. While resting from an extended run, Maeli watched as a starving dog limped up to him and sniffed his shoulder. He then knew what he had to do to survive. Carefully, he used both arms to pick up the dog, who tried to bolt, and held it steady, despite it starting to tear at him. With a quick prayer to the elder Ronso gods, he steadied his single horn, and ran it straight through the dog's chest, invoking his innate racial ability of Lancet. Maeli felt the life force of the starving creature drain into him, knitting up flesh and sinew and reconnecting cut vessels and nerves. When the deed was complete, the young Ronso removed the carcass of the dog from his single horn, which was coated with the it's blood, and gently set it down upon the rubble-strewn ground.
Return to the Earth, Brother, Maeli intoned silently.
He continued running, his wounds partially healed. But Maeli realized that he only bought himself a little time. The hole would open up again, and he would bleed to death or perish from infection, unless he got to help. Plus, his stamina was reaching the end of its limits. He couldn't go on like this. Maeli needed to find help.
At last, he reached a particular section of the city, which read, "Sector Seven". Maeli desperately hoped that he would find aid here, because his wound had reopened during his run, and he wouldn't be able to take much more punishment. Gathering the little energy he had left, he soldiered onward, into a lowly slum-like place. The young Ronso assumed that it was nighttime, for there was no one around. No lights gleamed from the windows. Except one.
A building down the street, which had the fadin sign "7th Heaven" above the door, seemed to still be open this night. Hope rebounding within the fading Ronso's chest, he half-ran, half-stumbled to the doorway, where he promptly fell into the mud. Using the stregth still left in his arms, Maeli crawled up to the doors. Grunting and heaving, he had just enough stamina to give a loud knock at the entrance. Then, he fell into unconsciousness.
OOC: If any admins read this, please tell me if I am overstepping anything. If I am, I will try to correct it. Also, if someone could ask Tifa or any other likewise person to post, I would appreciate it. Thank you.
Last Edit: Sept 12, 2009 16:04:49 GMT by maelironso
Post by Tifa Lockhart on Sept 25, 2009 22:09:04 GMT
Tifa was busy cleaning the bar up and was almost finished. There wasn't a lot to do, it had been a pretty slow evening with only a few of her regulars showing up. It happened sometimes though and Tifa didn't mind the break. Sometimes the place was so full Tifa had to stay up really late cleaning everything up. Today was a nice reprieve from that work because with few customers came little mess.Tifa should be able to get a good nights rest tonight and that was always a welcome thing. Catching up on sleep was always a prized reward when you single-handedly ran a bar in the middle of the slums. Pretty much everyone down here lead very difficult and stressful lives and liked to have a drink after a hard day to relax. It was why Tifa tried so hard to make this place a friendly, relaxing place to be. Too many bars in the slums just didn't care enough. So long as you drank something then whatever. Tifa preferred to cheer people up as best she could.
As always, the bar was left open while Tifa worked. She didn't close during cleanup because she saw no point in turning away potential customers when she was still here working. There were never any crowds at this time so it wasn't like she'd end up never sleeping and if she finished cleaning she did let anyone there know it was time to leave so she could get some sleep. And if they refused she, as politely as she could, threw them out. It happened sometimes, but not usually twice with the same person. They tended to learn their lesson the first time and behaved their second chance. Tifa had rules in her bar and if you didn't follow them you got thrown out. She'd give you another chance, but if you kept it up, then you'd be out. This was a place to relax and Tifa didn't tolerate people being disruptive and disturbing her other customers. The people were meant to enjoy themselves here and Tifa intended to make sure they would.
She had had such an event fairly recently, though it had been Shinra and that mysterious foreigner that had stopped the chaos. Of course, Shinra had started it too, so she wasn't about to thank them for it. They had picked a fight with someone named Sarutobi, a man more skilled then they were and he had almost brought Shinra's wrath down on the sector. Luckily, one of the people with them, a foreigner, had intervened and took out Sarutobi and took him away. Shinra didn't hold it against the sector, which was lucky. Tifa had half expected to see more troops walking around the place since then and that would have caused problems. It would have made life even worse down here then it already was, and made AVALANCHE's work that much harder to accomplish, especially because the incident had happened just outside Tifa's bar, which was the headquarters of the group.
They hadn't done much lately. Because of the war that was going on, everyone was on their guard and it was risky to move in on Shinra when they were on such a high alert. AVALANCHE was just five people after all. Barret, their leader, Biggs, Wedge, Jesse, and Tifa was it. They could sneak around well enough, being such a small group, but they certainly couldn't take on an army. This whole war had them confused too. Having Shinra get their rear ends handed to them was all well and good, and sounded like a good idea, but what would Midgar be left with? Galbadia was run by a sorceress and the rumors about her weren't pleasant. It would most definitely not be a good thing if Shinra was defeated only to be replaced by something worse. However, they were also just rumors, so they might not be true. It was very possible that Shinra was simply spreading anti-Galbadia propaganda and that's what they had heard. It was difficult to know for sure though.
Currently, Barret, Marlene, and the other members of AVALANCHE were sleeping. Or at least they went to bed, Tifa wondered how much sleep anyone got these days. Life was pretty hectic at the moment. She hoped they were though, they all needed it. The future was a mystery and currently in the hands of other people. They would need all the strength they could get in case, whoever won this war, they would need to defend themselves against the victor. In either case, whether Shinra prevails or the sorceress, the mako reactors needed to be destroyed. They were killing the planet and needed to be removed no matter what happened. That was what AVALANCHE was about and that was the goal they needed to follow.
Tifa let out a sigh as she straightened up and looked down at the now clean table before her. One thing she was really worried about during this war was Cloud. She didn't know where he was and SOLDIER was think in the heat of this battle. Tifa had been following the news reports hoping to see him somewhere, or catch some mention of him, but there was nothing. Sephiroth was the one who was usually talked about on the news, though she had hoped to see Cloud attached to him somewhere. Sephiroth had been his idle and she thought he might be somewhere near him. But nothing. And in this case, no news wasn't good news. He could already be dead and she missed it somewhere or something. She had come here to find him and she wasn't even close. It was extremely frustrating to her. Sometimes it felt like she would never see him again, but she always clung to the hope she might one day. She wasn't ready to give up on him yet. Tifa walked around the bar and caught her reflection in the polished surface of the wood. Her face held a sad reflection, as it must always, she figured, when she thought about Cloud.
A sudden loud knock on the door startled Tifa and she jumped a bit a spun around. Her fists went up slightly out of reaction and she stood ready to defend herself. Of course, she now realized it had only been a knock at the door, and suddenly felt a little foolish for her reaction to it. She felt herself blush a bit and was glad no one was around to see that. She really did need to catch up on her sleep. Still, it was a bit odd someone had knocked instead of came right in. The open sign was still there and people usually just walked in. It was slightly suspicious, though Tifa was beginning to wonder if her lack of sleep was making her paranoid. Probably, but she may as well not risk it. Reaching down behind the bar, Tifa grabbed a pair of leather gloves and attached them to the back of her belt. She then walked around the bar and headed to the door. She opened it slowly and peered around it cautiously.
"Hello?" she said to the darkness outside. But there was no one there. However, some blue caught her eye and she looked down to see a rather large beast-man of sorts. "Oh my god." she gasped. She had never seen anything like it before and wondered if it was a monster of sorts. But why would a monster knock? It seemed unconscious now and Tifa noticed a rather bad looking gunshot wound. All things considered, it seemed like, whatever this creature was, it was friendly. Only friendly things knocked. Therefore, Tifa dropped down and grabbed the large creature around the armpits and attempted to drag him into the bar. It wasn't easy, the beast-man was a big one. It was a good thing Tifa was stronger then she looked and was trained to utilize untapped strength within her, otherwise she probably wouldn't have been able to move it. She eventually managed to pull it inside and close the door, at least it was inside but now what? Tifa wasn't exactly a doctor and she didn't know if the thing could last long enough to get one. Or if they would even see something like this, he wasn't exactly human. She did know some first-aid herself, hopefully it would be enough to help.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Tifa pulled a green orb out of her pocket and held it in her hand. The orb glowed for a moment an elaborately designed circle that looked like a clock appeared at her feet. She quickly put the orb back in her pocket and took off into the back room at a super speed. Tifa was already incredibly fast, but the haste spell would help in all aspects of what she needed to do. She grabbed her first-aid kit and headed back into the main room. She kneeled down beside the beast-man and began to do the best she could to fix him up. She put on some rubber gloves and used her hands to check the wound. It didn't look like the bullet was still in there, but it would need to be better checked again later. She pressed a cloth against the wound with one hand and applied pressure to help with the bleeding. Her other hand went for a needle and thread. So much for getting some rest tonight...
Word Count: 1626
Total Count: 1626
(OOC: Friendly reminder to track your word count in the thread so you know how much experience you'll get after
(OOC: Thanks for the reminder, Tifa. And might I say how exquisite your writing style is? It was like reading an actual novel! You’ve got talent!)
The first feeling Maeli felt since his fall into blackness was cold. Familiar. His vision swam as he stared out into the colossal expanse of whirling snow and jutting peaks that was Mount Gagazet, the ancestral home of the Ronso Tribe. But something was different. The edges to his sight were… bleary, as if having a dream-like quality. As the cold breeze ruffled his deep-blue fur and buffeted his long white braids, his eyes focused on a single other form, on the rock ledge adjacent to his. The figure sat cross-legged, and despite being partially hidden in the shadow of the mountain, the build definitely suggested a Ronso taller and more heavily built than any Maeli had ever seen before.
So, you survive yet, Youngling.
The voice that Maeli heard didn’t sound like it came from any mouth, but from the air itself, from everywhere and nowhere at the same time. The dark figure continued to look in Maeli’s direction impassively, as if made from stone.
“W-who are you, Stranger?” Maeli asked, startled at the suddenness of the words, and unsettled at their supposed lack of origin.
Name, of no importance now, Youngling.
Fair enough, Maeli thought, but did not speak. Still, he was curious enough to ask, “What do you want, No-name?”
A great rebounding chuckle echoed across the empty peaks of stone and ice, reflecting a cold mirth from the disembodied voice. When it had seemed to recover, it continued, Simple. I want world to survive.
At Maeli’s confused glance, the voice continued, Now, evil men loose in Gaia. These men driven by powerful greed. And with their greed, will come end of Gaia, and everything living on it.
Maeli’s eyes widened with surprise. What trickery was this? He knew of the threat of Sin, but the entity was only there to destroy what humans already built. And Spira had always lived with Sin. It was impossible to think of such a thing destroying the world when its purpose was suffering. But… this? Men destroying the world out of sheer greed? It was unthinkable and cruel! There was no purpose to it! None at all.
Yes, the voice continued, and now you have choice, Maeli. Men who assaulted you are group of such greedy souls. You fight them? Or you simply… die?
Death…nothing more than escape from pain, escape from reality, Maeli. Is cowardly. You are warrior of Ronso, not coward! Only coward accepts death!
Maeli’s eyes widened with indignation. First this disembodied spirit tells him of a great threat to the world, that will kill it because of other men’s vices, and now it would call him a coward, insulting his Ronso lineage and warrior blood? Maeli roared at the dark figure, a fearsome sound that rebounded off the mountain walls. He bared his pointed teeth fiercely; his amber eyes glowed like two fiery orbs alight with pride and strength. “Maeli… no coward,” he growled.
The voice gave a grunt of satisfaction, and replied, Then… Maeli must fight.
Suddenly, a harsh, biting wind kicked up, sending a flurry of snow across the young Ronso’s vision, blocking out his surroundings in a curtain of pure white. All he could see was an immaculate veil, all he could hear was the howling of the mountain wind, and then, it all faded to black… and silence.
The young Ronso warrior’s amber eyes snapped open immediately, slitted pupils shrinking, adapting to the change of light. They roamed around the new environment, which had changed to a small, comfortable room. The walls seemed made from planks of wood, as was the flooring. On the ceiling hung a short lamp, which emitted a feeble light, enough for Maeli to see everything clearly. He was on a smaller, downy bed, a short quilt covering his seven-foot frame with little success. Over on one side was a mirror and desk, the white paint peeling off in places, and a door left ajar into a closet, where several articles of clothing were hung from racks and hooks. And on the other side was another door, this one closed.
Maeli propped himself up by his elbows, but immediately ceased because of the immense pain that rippled across his mid-section. His eyes screwed shut, he looked down, to find the bullet wound he had sustained covered in bandages. The wounds he sustained on his shoulder and elsewhere on his body had likewise been dressed quite well.
Of course, all this brought quite a bit of confusion onto the poor Ronso. What kind stranger had done this for him? Where were they now? Was he still in danger, or had it passed for now?
His ruminations ceased as his acute sense of smell picked up a wafting scent coming from the doorway leading out of the room. Maeli then remembered exactly how hungry he was. After all, he hadn’t eaten since before entering Midgar. His ears also picked up a distinct sound, like… humming. The voice seemed higher pitched, so Maeli deduced that it was a woman. Of course, he thought, the only true way to know for sure was to actually go and find out.
With that, he attempted to maneuver himself out of the bed. The pain flared across his chest again, but he was ready this time, and he locked it away with sheer willpower. His mind no longer occupied with the pain, he lowered his padded feet onto the wooden floor, and took a couple of experimental steps forward. He nearly tripped and fell flat on his face, but caught himself with the wall, accidentally gouging the plank surface with claw marks.
His amber eyes widened with shock. Oh, dear, he thought alarmingly, I’ll have to apologize for that later! I hope they won’t be too angry…
Finally, he had regained enough strength to steady himself on his own too feet, though still a little wobbly. Tentatively, he proceeded out the door and through a hallway lined with framed pictures. Maeli couldn’t help but look at them, even though he felt a little like he was intruding on another person’s life. But what he saw certainly was worth the gamble. Most of the photos were situated in a small community surrounded by spiked mountains, and almost all depicted a young girl with long, dark brown hair and a cheerful smile on her face. Sometimes she was with certain people, like a tall, strong man in pleated overalls, graying hair, and a square jaw, but the older ones showed a woman, mirroring many of the girl’s qualities. They young Ronso deduced that the two adults must be the girl’s parents.
But it was strange. Because as the girl became progressively older, there were no longer any pictures involving her mother, and that, in turn, caused a small fleck of sorrow to be forever ingrained into the girl’s eyes. The young Ronso tilted his head in vexation at this fact, and then made a mental note to ask his patron, if it was appropriate, what had happened.
After more shuffling steps down the hall, and a near-fatal episode on the stairs, Maeli found himself on what he hoped was the ground floor of the complex, and the smell was coming through another doorway to his right. He opened the door cautiously, and peeked inside.
The next room was a kitchen, and the cleanest example of one Maeli had ever seen in his life. It wasn’t fancy, by any account, but tidiness was certainly a staple within this room. His amber gaze finally fell on the figure of a smaller woman within the room, partially turned away from him, and he knew that this was the girl he had seen in the photos upstairs. She had grown taller and slimmer, her chocolate hair swaying like an undulating river down her back, and her skin held a slight, healthy bronze complexion. She might have been considered attractive, but to Maeli, Ronso standards were a bit different from human ones, so he wasn’t exactly an accurate judge on such a thing.
She was stirring something that smelled delightfully robust in a pan on the oven, still humming in a lyrical voice. He hated to interrupt her, but the young Ronso also considered it rude to be in another’s home without announcing one’s self, even if the situation was dire, like his previous debacle.
So, gathering up his courage, he cleared his throat and began in his halting, heavily accented voice, “Um, pardon, miss, but… where is this place?”
Word Count: 1500
Word Total: 2650
Last Edit: Sept 26, 2009 19:56:44 GMT by maelironso
What a night. It was lucky Tifa hadn't had very much work to do in the bar, otherwise she wouldn't have gotten any sleep at all. It took forever to tend to the strange blue creature's wounds and then to bring him up stairs, it wasn't exactly a small thing. Tifa had then deposited him in her bed to let him rest and then had to go back to cleaning the bar and get the blood cleaned up before it set in. That had taken awhile. Then she had an uncomfortable sleep on the couch down in the AVALANCHE hideout. All and all, not the best night ever, but Tifa wasn't complaining. Despite it all she was actually in pretty good spirits today and the events of last night didn't bother her. That animal-man was probably going to be alright now, which was good. Tifa just worried that it might not be a friendly creature, she had certainly never seen anything like it before that was friendly. She wasn't going to not help it on a maybe though, so she didn't regret her choice. She would just have to make sure she took care of it if it did turn out to be a monster before it did any damage.
Tifa wasn't worried about that at the moment though, the blue animal-man probably wouldn't be awake for some time now. Instead, Tifa was focusing on breakfast and her morning chores that she would have to do after she ate. She was making Miso soup and rice and was almost done with it. As she worked she hummed a little tune she used to play on the piano when she was younger. She didn't have much work to do after breakfast, just the more through cleaning and straightening up of the place and replacing any stock that needed it. She didn't need to clean any ash trays because she didn't allow smoking in the bar. Tifa was a healthy person and second hand smoke was a health risk, not to mention there was a child living here and who went into the bar and helped with things when Tifa went out. So she didn't have to worry about cleaning anything like that, but the dusting the place was a must.
Tifa was busy in her thoughts as she was preparing the food, when a sudden voice spoke from behind her. She spun around a little startled and found the large blue animal-man standing there. She had been so lost in thought that she hadn't even heard him walk down the stairs! Tifa stood looking at him feeling a little apprehensive about the whole situation. He had spoken to her in a friendly tone, so it didn't seem like he was a threat. Rabid animal-monster was out of the question at least, which was a relief. She opted to talk with him (she was guessing him, but who knew really) and find out some more about him.
"Um, well you're in a place called 'Seventh Heaven' in the sector seven slums." she told him. "You collapsed on my door step with a bullet wound and were bleeding pretty badly. I actually didn't think you'd be up so early." Tifa had thought that he would have been in bed for a few days, the animal-man must be pretty tough if he was already walking around. "Are you feeling alright?"
Word Count: 609
Total Count: 2235
((OOC: Thanks! ^_^ Sorry this one isn't as good, it's all I got at the moment >.<))
Note: For any who didn't see the link on the word 'tune' because links apparently show as the same colour as text here (Could just be my browser or something though ), here's the link - www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Wk3CtAW-KE
The young Ronso noticed the girl's face for the first time when she spun around, and couldn't argue the similarities that she shared with her mother in the photographs. He then saw her eyes, and percieved the same shade of melancholy within them, almost unnoticeable to the casual observer, but still there. She was carrying a burden of sorrow within her. Maeli couldn't understand that; in the Ronso culture, life was very simple and straightforward, only what one had to do to survive and care for one's family, whether it be hunting food or braving the snows of the mountain to get medicine from the nearest village for your sick youngling. And when someone passed from your life, whether in death or in some other case, you dealt with it on your own terms, by facing the pain early on, and gaining mastery over it. So that you will never in your entire life be haunted by it again, won't be weakened by it again. Maeli was lucky, he supposed, to never have felt loss. His parents were slain by fiends when he was barely more than a cub, unable to remember them at all. So, never knowing them, he dealt with their loss well.
But, Maeli saw something else within those brown eyes. A twinge of fear, but more so than that, worry. This human woman was... worried for him? Quite a turn of events, the young warrior mused. While some humans were trying to kill him with their stinging machina contraptions, others were stitching him up and inquiring as to his health. What a topsy-turvy world he had walked into. Maybe, on reflection, leaving the simplicity of the mountain wasn't such a good idea, after all.
No, he thought determinedly. He did what he did because it was the right thing to do. The stifling religion of Yevon was suffocating him and the backward ways and traditions of his people were preventing him from seeing everything he had ever wanted to see in the world. He did right, Maeli affirmed. Besides, it wasn't as if he could go back now. He was considered an outcast, banished from the tribe for... he didn't know how long until he could go back. Maybe never. But, he would live, or die, by his choice.
Now, the woman was asking if he was feeling alright. Maeli almost let out a chuckle. Suck paltry bits of metal were nothing compared to the unforgiving environment of Gagazet on which he had trained his entire life. But, he simply said, "Yes, Maeli is... fine."
He then noticed the expression of confusion on the human's face. This was also odd. It was the same kind of expression that the guards he encountered wore, as well. Almost like treating him as something... alien. What was wrong with them? Have they never seen a Ronso before?
It took Maeli a moment to discover the validity of that question. Indeed, the humans never did react very comfortably around Ronso-kind, even in Spira. There was always that barrier around other species. It was all about looks to them, only what they could see at face-value. This upset Maeli more than anything. What was wrong with being a little different from other beings? They were all a part of the same planet, the same Mother Gaia, weren't they? He guessed that humans must have forgotten such a notion, and have grown to see themselves as the norm, rather than a part of something much greater.
But, his host and savior was still confused. So, the warrior would do his best to try and explain. He brought up a large, paw-like hand, pointed it to his chest, and stated, "Maeli Ronso... of Ronso tribe. Live on Mount Gagazet, in Spira Continent." His amber eyes gazed unblinkingly at the woman, watching for her reaction.
He was fine. Well, that was good at least. He really was a tough species (whatever that species was), that's for sure. Plus, he not only seemed nice, but perfectly civil. That was a huge relief off of Tifa's mind, to know she hadn't brought an animal in here. She let out a burden lifting sigh. Just a man of an unknown race who happened to look beast-like. He told her he was part of a 'Ronso' tribe. So he was a tribal race. It was a little fascinating, Tifa hadn't had much (or any really) experience with races like this. She was pretty curious as to how he had managed to travel all the way from another continent to Midgar. Not to mention why. Midgar wasn't exactly the most welcoming place to go.
"Spira continent, eh?" Tifa replied, "I don't really know anything about continents outside of this one, except for the Cetra continent. Wasn't much for geography." she told him with a wry smile. When you lived in a small town like Nibelheim, you tended to not hear too much about the 'outside world'. Tifa had heard things from Zangan about what it was like past the mountains of Nibel, but he only had stories to tell about their own continent and this one. She had never really given much thought to those places. Weird how it took a bloodied up, half dead, giant blue beast man on your door step to make you think about other places of the world.
"Well, it's nice to meet you, Maeli. I'm Tifa. Tifa Lockheart." She halted her work on the food and wiped off her hands on a towel. "I should probably take a look at that though. "she told him, indicating his wound and taking a step toward him. She didn't want to jump right in, now that he was conscious she didn't want to touch him without permission. After all, she wasn't a doctor and he may want to wait until he could get to a real one.
"I don't suppose you'd like to share how you managed to get yourself shot?" she asked, attempting to make conversation and wanting to get him talking to distract him if she was going to look at it. Just to get him focused on talking instead of the pain.
Indeed, his host definitely seemed very friendly. This put a great deal of worry off of the young Ronso's mind, although he never showed it on his face. Typically, Ronso expressions were far harder to read than human ones, seeing as all one could tell from a Ronso's face was resolute stoicism. Maeli was glad and thankful for her aid, but he did wonder as to the whereabouts of his shield, which seemed to have oddly disappeared and wasn't near him when he woke up. Generally, in the culture of the mountain-dwelling peoples, a warrior must never be seen without his or her weapon. To do so would be considered an act of weakness or lack or preperation, something that could mean death on the snowy slopes of Gagazet. So, when he spotted his gigantic round shield, Pleiades, laying propped against a wall in the kitchen, the young warrior gave an audible sigh and his shoulders slumped slightly.
The girl had admitted that she was unfamiliar with the world's geography, with a sly grin to indicate... what was that emotion?... irony? Ronso generally refrained from using emotions that didn't describe their race to a "T": stoicism, steadfastness, companionship, and in some cases, anger. In the heat of battle, one's bloodlust could be seen as an unbeatable ally. This sense of simplicity was drilled into every youngling's head at birth, the Sartan-like existence of the Ronso tribe. Thus, the only response he had to offer her smirk was an uncomfortable grunt. But he knew that human emotions extended to humor, and after all, it would be rude to feel uncomfort around the person that had saved his life. So, given the circumstances, he bowed slightly.
She then introduced herself as Tifa Lockhart, and began to move closer, seeming to want to inspect his wound more. Maeli took this time to observe her movements with his swift amber eyes, the slitted pupils studying her intently. She moved from foot to foot with seemingly trained dexterity, like a crane balancing in the water, hunting for carp. Her hands moved fluidly and with purpose, precise, direct, never second-guessing. And even the way she held herself when she walked towards him, the entirety of her body walked forward with a steady grace and form. There was no doubt. She was a warrior. She possesed the traits of a seasoned fighter. Immediately, his respect for her went from polite formality to accepted camraderie. Inside, he was ecstatic. She was a warrior! Like him! And yet, she hesitiated, as if she were fearful of causing him pain during her inspection. The might and bearing of a fighter, but the calm and caring disposition of a mother bear to her cubs. Truly, this human woman was an oddity in any way Maeli looked at her.
But, it wasn't his place to question her nature. So, he nodded his head once to signify that she could inspect the wound, bracing himself internally. As her soft, yet weathered, hands began their search, small jets of pain began to crawl up from the wound. Maeli gave no outward sign. His breathing was steady, his muscles relaxed, his heartbeat was unchanged from its usual rhythmic thumping. If anything, he was responding as if nothing was going on. But, to save her the awkwardness, he would answer her questions.
"Maeli came to Midgar, a moonfall past. Surprised to find that gates were locked, no one come in, no one out. Masses of warriors outside, but they were blind as bats in darkness. Maeli trained to see through mirk of night, so passed by clumsy humans unfound.
"Climbed gates. Found self in filth, squallor. Why? Midgar said to be prosperous city. Was Maeli decieved? Maeli suspects so... but kept going. Three men in uniforms were up ahead. Maeli stopped them for directions and answers. They drew first blood with accursed machina weapons. Maeli felt sting of iron through flesh, but escaped deeper into city.
"For rest of the sun's stay in heaven, even into nightfall, Maeli kept running. Pursued heavily, but always beat them back and ran harder, faster. Machina did its job, however. Bleeding outward, would be dead soon. So Maeli found self at entrance to... this place, and did the only thing possible: knocked. Then, blkackness took me."
Maeli considered telling her about the aged Ronso in his subconscious dream, but perhaps that was something best saved to himself. Even though she had proven his worth by saving his life, when she could have very well left him to die and forgotten all about him, she was still human, and therefore he was unaware as to how she would react. But then he asked her, "Maeli must ask, Tifa Lockhart, why? Why do such men with guns roam street and try to kill Maeli?"
Word Count: 818 x2: 1636 Word Total: 4943
Last Edit: Nov 26, 2009 13:31:24 GMT by maelironso
Post by Tifa Lockhart on Feb 20, 2010 22:46:35 GMT
Tifa continued her conversation with the Ronso as she tended to his wounds. She offered him food, too, and she told him about Shinra and their evilness. In return, he told her more about him and the Ronsos. It was very interesting to learn about, Tifa had never even heard about them before. It was fun to sit there and listen about a whole new race and Tifa enjoyed it very much.
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