by Uncle Pervy » Thu Jan 08, 2004 5:30 am
For the next hour, they dance. Fiore turns out to be more skilled than he had let on, showing Choko a few new steps here and there. She stumbles a bit occasionally, but not so badly that she accidently steps on his foot. Despite her missteps, despite the glances of people passing by, and despite occasionally brushing a bit too close to other dancers; it is the happiest time Choko has had in as long as she can remember. For a brief time, things don't seem as out of place. Life feels normal; what could be more normal than a festival dance with someone special?
Once in awhile, they catch a glimpse of Pure working her way through the pavillion, looking for Sindal. Choko ponders from time to time where the forester might be. Pure would be crushed if they didn't even get to dance. One, she swear that she sees Pure dragging Ryoko out of the pavillion. She pays this no mind; she has to be imagining things. After all, Ryoko wouldn't wear a revealing swimsuit to something this public, right? Even if she were trying to impress Jaeko, she wouldn't do that. Even Ryoko has to have some standards. Perhaps Fiore would know, but she see no need to ruin the moment by bringing it up.
After an hour, though, Fiore quietly urges Choko that it's time to go elsewhere. At first, she refuses, but the phoenix insists that he has one last surprise in store for the evening. It's hard to leave, but the giantess can't help but wonder what Fiore has planned. He leads her away from the pavillion, then away from from the main festival. They leave the crowds and the occasional sound of clinking coins behind, going through broad yet empty streets lit by the soft glow of festival lanterns. Aside from the occasional patrolman, it is as though the city were deserted.
Soon, though, the activity begins to pick up a little. A few well-dressed people can be seen milling about here and there, talking and laughing among themselves as they walk they travel the streets. They are better dressed than most of the people at the festival, some even of noble quality. Some of them may well be noblity, so far as the giantess can see. They all glance her way, and a few stares linger. But, it's not so bad when only a few look. Curious, Choko stoops down a little and quietly says, "What's going on?"
"Well, not everyone goes to the festival," Says Fiore as he walks along, his hand in Choko's. "Not every has a taste for revelling and street vendors. The nobles especially, they like to have parties in their own villas."
"We're going to visit a noble?" Choko says, a bit of worry seeping into her voice, "I'm not dressed for that! I don't really even know how to act around nobles; I don't think the ones here are like Griff with being polite..."
"We're not visiting any nobles, Choko," he says, patting her hand with his unheld one. "I'm not quite that well established, I'm afraid. We might catch one or two of them slumming, though."
"Slumming?"
"Mixing with the lower classes on a lark. Think of it like going to the poor part of Doma to see how the people there get by."
The giantess raises an eyebrow. "I don't get it."
"It's one part curiosity, I expect," Fiore says as they round a corner. Glancing down at the street sign just below her chest as they pass by, Choko notes they are on Cecile Lane. "I imagine it's seeing something different from the usual splendor that makes it interesting for them. Something like how seeing things outside of Arzas is interesting for you."
"I see," Says the giantess. "Kinda like travel, only without going so far."
"Not far in terms of distance, anyways. But in terms of surrounding and way of life, it's like visiting another town or a whole different country."
That made sense. If some common people liked ot travel and see new things, it makes sense that there are nobles who like to do it, too. And being able to do it without leaving the comfort of home would make it that much easier than real traveling. Resolving to keep that in mind for the next time she meets Griff, Choko looks around and asks, "Where are we going, anyways?"
"We're very nearly there," he says. "Have a look to down the way."
One place in particular catches the giantess' attention. It stands at the end of the street near the banks of the main river running through Gwrton, a sprawling place made of stone. A wrought iron fence runs around it, just low enough that Choko could step over it if she wanted. Past that fence are a number of tables, each covered with a fine white tablecloth. Large windows offer peeks inside, where she can see well-dressed people sitting at tbles like the ones outside. Dark green awnings hang over the windows, blending in nicely with the creeping ivy that clings to the walls here and there. At least two dozen lanterns hang from the place, bathing it in a soft glow all the way around. A humble wooden sign by the door reads 'Rosemary's Place'.
"We're going there?"
"It's quite a nice place," says Fiore. "I got us reservations earlier today, so things should be rather pleasant for us."
After unconsciously biting down on her lower lip for a moment, she says, "Are we allowed here? I don't think Thernians like the nobles and the commoners together in places like that. After all, it's one thing to go slumming, but are they going to like it when the slums come to them?"
"I hardly think we should be classified with the slums, Choko."
"You know what I mean."
"Fair enough. But I doubt that will be the case here. This restaurant caters to merchants and such, the middle class. They've been coming alone nicely since the civil wars ended, I suspect they'll cause quite a mess in the coming years, what with having money to rival the noblity but not having the bloodlines." He makes a dismissing motion with his free hand. "Hardly important to our purposes, though. For us, it means there's somewhere other than a tavern we where we can have a meal."
Reaching the doors, Fiore opens one. "After you."
The door is a bit more than seven feet high. Not quite enough to duck under. Surpressing a sigh, the giantess kneels down, and hitches up her skirt enough that she can crawl though the door without tearing the cloth. At least, she reflects, it's wide enough that I won't get stuck. After a moment, she stands again, and nearly hits her head on the ceiling. Now she does sigh, finding that she stands about two feet too tall to stand up properly. So she she has a seat near the door, smoothing over her dress as she looks around.
The inside is rather nice, if nothing else. The floors are covered with a nice carpet, a faded blue gray color. There is a desk and a sign in book at the end of the entry hall. Archways to the left and right lead to the dining rooms. Standing behind the desk, a woman in a uniform looks at Choko a bit oddly. She then smiles encouragingly. The giantess returns the gesture, feeling her face warm up with embarassment at the whole situation. "I presume you're with the Sonelle Party?" the woman asks.
"That would be us," Fiore says as he walks inside. "Do you have our table ready?"
"Yes," says the woman with a nod, as she steps around the desk. "Right this way, Sir and Madam."
The ceiling is too low for her to stand straight, but she is able to duck down and walk. While hardly dignified, it is better than crawling. Following Fiore and the waitress through the right doorway, they come ot a large dining room. Tables with white tablecloths and bouquets are spread everwhere in an orderly diagonal pattern. Booths line the wall; far too tight a fit for Choko to even think of using. A part of the dining room is raised, with a wooden wall topped by a brass rail seperating it.
She follows the waitress to the raised part of the dining room, were her eyes are quickly drawn to the windows, offering a a view of the river outside. The lights of hundereds of lanterns on the opposite bank reflect off the darkened waters. "This way, please," says the waitress, drawing Choko's attention away from window. A table catches her eye, a larger one by the window with a several pillows in place of a seat.
Placing menus on the table, the waitress says, "We'll have someone get to you very soon."
"Right then," Fiore says, as he takes the chair opposite of the pillows.
With much grace as she can, Choko rests down on the pillows; trying to make as little of a scene as possible. There were enough people looking at them all as it was. She wanted to thank Fiore for arranging someplace to sit, but it feels rather silly to say, especially here. So she takes the menu in hand, and has a look at it. After a moment of this, she quietly says, "I don't think they gave me a menu in common."
"It is in common," Fiore says, "But it's not quite easy to read, I agree. But I'll try and make sense of it for you. Basically, they like to start us off with some kind of soup. Next, usually, is some kind of salad or appetizer. The main course follows, and dessert tends to be after that."
"Never made much of a fuss about that at the Jade Dragon," says the Giantess, as she tries to puzzle out what half the names mean; something tells her that Asparagus Zambione isn't nealy as interesting as it sounds. "So, um, what's what?"
"Well...The Collique Ambrosia are saute'ed scallops," Fiore says, scanning down his menu. "Moules Mariniere' are saute'ed mussels. And Escargot Bourguignon are snails in a red wine sauce." He glances up at Choko, a grin on his face, as he reads the last one.
"Wait," Choko says, "You mean...people on Gaera eat those? I thought that was some other world you were talking about!"
"Well, I did tell you so," Says Fiore. "Hard to believe, I suppose, but true. If nothing else, look like at it like this. The chefs here have likely never eaten an opossum."
"Still don't see what's so weird about that," the Giantess says, setting the menu aside and deciding to try and translate it later. "I mean, if you aren't able to trap anything else in the winter, you're not gonna ask questions about it."
"It was likely the same for the snails. They aren't that bad, really."
"Oh be quiet and help me figure out what a poulet au champagne is."
****
It takes the couple a bit of time to decide what they want to order. For Choko, it's hard to guess what is worth having. Half of the food, even when explained in plain Common, don't sound all that appetizing. Others dishes, however, sound very tasty indeed. In the end, she chooses the rack of lamb. The price is atrocious, but Fiore insists that they are going to be getting it at a discount. The giantess feels a bit uneasy about it when the she puts the order in, but the phoenix insists that there is no problem with it.
Choko watches the lights on the river, while waiting on the order. There is some soft talking in the dining room, but not enough to really break the mood. It is interesting to look at all the well-dressed rich people every now and again. But the lights on the river are a lot prettier.
Soon, the soups arrive. Choko's is a simple tomato soup served in a full-sized soup bowl; Fiore's own cream soup comes in a much smaller cup. She is pleased to note they gave her a large serving spoon, which is scaled well to her size. As the two start on it, Fiore speaks up, "Hey, Choko, something I've been pondering a while, if you don't mind me asking."
"What's that?"
"Where are we going to go from here?" He takes a spoonful of the soup. "From Therney, I mean. Are we going to go back to Doma? Will we be visiting another country?"
"I'm not sure, actually," says the giantess after swallowing a little of her own soup. It was good, alright. Perhaps not good enough to charge fifteen gil, but it is very tasty. "I guess we'll have to talk with the others."
"Well...who said that they had to come with us?" Fiore grins a bit. "It could be just you and I."
That did sound rather nice. But at the same time, traveling without Pure, Ryoko, and the rest just doesn't feel right. "I'd have to think about it," says Choko after a moment. "If nothing else, we do have to go tell Dad about us someday. Don't know how pretty that's gonna be."
"I'm certain your Father won't hate me for being something other than human, Choko."
The giantess shakes her head a little. "No, he'll not like you because you're not normal. That means he isn't going to like us being together."
Fiore sighs. "You know him better than I do, I suppose. But, I think he'll understand in the end. I'll just have to try to avoid a case of head trauma from him in the meantime."
"Yeah, really," says Choko. "I've watched Dad belt Dmitri a good one every now and again, when he mouthed off too much."
Fiore nods. Choko knows that the phoenix met both her father and her brother. It should be obvious to him that much more need not be said. "So," says the Giantess, "What's your's taste like?"
"It's a tad thicker than I like," Fiore says as he lifts a spoon to his mouth. "But, the flavor is excellent. Are you sure that you don't like brocolli?"
"Hate the stuff. Mom used to make it sometimes, and I usually ended up giving most of mine to the chocobos." She chuckles a little. Those birds always did love to see her come around on brocolli day. "Mine's pretty good. They spiced it just right."
The phoenix nods, as he sips away at his soup. Having little else to say, Choko devotes herself to the her own appetizer. She hoped that Fiore never expected her to make anything like that for him. If things went her way, their garden won't even have that vile weed in it.
This leads her to wonder: where are they going to settle down? Going back home to Arzas would be nice, but that's probably too quiet for him. Maybe they could start a farm near Doma City? The land probably wouldn't be cheap, though. And, Fiore is going to get the wandering bug every now and again. But that's alright, traveling isn't so bad.
"It seems there is no way I can escape you, is there?"
That voice causes Choko's thoughts come to a sudden halt, as an uneasy feeling grows in her stomach. Dispassionate and coldly intellectual, she would recognize it anywhere. Why is he here of all places? Slowly, she turns to look behind her, where the voice originated from.
Standing there is a man in with straight black hair, his exotic almond shaped eyes and yellowish skin hinting at origins in distant Chuushima. His clothing, blue trousers and a gray tunic, are finely made but unadorned; far better quality than what he wore the last time that the giantess saw him. A gray cloak rests on his shoulders, while a sabre adorned with a few jewels rests at his hip. He stands just far enough away to encompass both Choko and Fiore in his gaze; giving them a look of distaste.
"What do you want, Enachi," Fiore says, his voice low and dangerous.
"I ask you the same, elemental," Enachi says. "It seems everywhere I go, I find one of your little party there. Watching me, following me, working with those who have decided to make things difficult for me."
"Working with organized crime is a noble thing, of course" says Fiore as soon as Enachi finishes the sentence.
"So's flooding a village," Choko says, thinking back to a halfling village on the Forbidden Plains where they had stayed. "Calling down a thunderstorm on them was a real nice thing to do."
"Means to an end," says the Chuushima. "Nothing more. If they had dug the canals properly, it wouldn't have been a problem for them."
"So why are you here?" says Fiore, "Somehow I doubt you stalk us personally, not after hiring your goons to take shots at our backs."
"Don't overestimate your worth, elemental," Enachi says, a look of distaste growing across his face. "I am here to enjoy a meal. My thanks for having the decency not to ruin it."
"Sure did a good job returning the favor." says Choko. She tries to force a brave tone, but she fears it betrays her unease. Something about this man bothers her. More than than how he seems to not care what the floods he caused did to that village. Maybe it's the way that he never seems to be put off or intimidated by her size. Most people give her at least a bit of respect for it. But this man...it is as though he doesn't notice. Or, that he doesn't see it as something to note. Choko still isn't sure whether or not Enachi is a wizard, or if he used some artifact to conjure the storms that flooded Reevyn.
"Bold words," Enachi says, "given that you seem to be deadset on stalking me to the ends of the continent. What is it you hope to accomplish by following me?"
"I'd like to see something done about your habit of randomly deciding to ruin towns and burglarize people, myself," says Fiore, as he sits back and gives something of a non-commital shrug. "But I suppose that doesn't mean much to you, does it now?"
"Less than nothing," Enachi says, as he turns away to leave. "I give you my last warning. You will not meddle in my affairs. Our next meeting will not be so civil, elemental." He glances over his shoulder at Choko. For a brief moment, their eyes meet. Looking in them, she can't quite read anything but disgust in their brown depths. Then he turns and walks away. "Consider it for the sake of your loved ones, as much as your own."
As he walks away, the giantess hears a low growl from Fiore. "Gods, I hate that man!" he says, his voice low but impassioned. "Who does he think he is, threatening us like that! It's a very good thing for him that I didn't want to draw the attention of the local guard to myself."
Choko puts her hand on his arm. Fiore's never been like this before. This is what Dad might do, but he's always upset over something. But Fiore...he's not supposed to be angry. "Just calm down, okay?" she says, "Don't worry about that horse's ass. I'll bet thirty gald that's all big talk and nothing else. Don't let him get to you..."
Fiore shakes his head, his lips tensed. Then he sighs and reachs for his water, saying "I'm sorry, Choko."
"Don't worry about it," she says, running her hand along his arm gently while he drinks. "Just calm down, you're making me jumpy."
Putting the water down, he sighs again. "Gods damn him, Choko. I hate when the people I love get threatened. And I saw the way he was looking at you before he did it."
The giantess nods. He was talking about me, threatening me. She has to suppress a shudder. Even if he was just a swordsman, something tells her that he could carry out that threat if he wanted to. "Look, he's full of hot air. So let's just try to calm down, okay? I'm not about to let that bastard ruin our night, no matter how much he wants to."
Choko truly wished that she could be a brave about this as she was sounding. It was going to be hard to look at those shadows in the stable tonight...
****
The moon rides low in the western horizon as Choko and Fiore return to their inn. The noise of the festival been fading away, as the streets empty of the causal revellers. Even though the following day will leave all but the inns, taverns, and restaurants closed, many do not wish to tempted fate. Within the Rose and Weasel, Choko can hear a musician's handiwork over riotous laughter and clinking plates. However, the quieter depths of the stables call to her, as she stifles a yawn.
"Well, home again," she says. "Close enough for me, anyways."
"It was a good evening, I think," Fiore says. "The lamb was good."
The giantess smiles. It may have cost more than she cares to think about, but she can't deny the phoenix's words. If they could make something like lamb taste that good, maybe it wasn't insane to think that they could make snails fit to eat? "I think I'm going to bed. Gotta be up early to see what Therney does tomorrow." She kneels down and givesn Fiore a gentle hug. Then, on a whim, a light kiss as well. It was a beautiful evening after all. Letting him go and standing again, she softly says "Good night, Fiore."
"I want to come with you, Choko" he says simply.
For a moment, she is speechless. What in the world is he thinking? She loved him, but it certainly wasn't time for anything like that! Maybe with Ryoko, but certainly not with her! "W-what?" she manages to says, looking down at him with disbelief.
"I don't trust that lunatic, Choko," he says. "So I want to be sure that you're going to be okay for tonight."
For a moment, the giantess has to hold back the urge to kick herself. But looking at the stables again, she couldn't help but wonder if Enachi was in there, or if he had done something to the place. She had almost managed to put that out of mind, too. "Alright," she says, "I guess that wouldn't hurt."
"Thank you, Choko," says Fiore as they start for the stables together. "I wouldn't be able to sleep tonight if I didn't do this."
"I know, I know. But you're sleeping inside the stall beside mine."
"Fair enough, I suppose." <p>------------------
Greetings, large black person. Let us not forget to form a team up together and go into the country to inflict the pain of our karate feets on some ass of the giant lizard person.
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