Fifth Astral Moon, Day 22
It was odd seeing her dressed as a commoner. She was a lethal soldier and member of the Garlean empire and yet, today, she was dressed as one of the rabble we often spied in the camps and outposts throughout Thanalan. The loose-fitting clothing in drab colors consisting of hues of brown and gray masked the cold and deadly woman underneath. The same woman who would slice another's throat for a sip of water, but looking as she did now, others would make the fatal error of assuming she was no more than a harmless beggar. The only thing that stood out....
"You need to dirty yourself up a bit," I said flatly, as I sat in the tent as she slipped on her boots.
"Excuse me?!" She looked surprised and hostile, presuming (I think) I had meant this in some backward innuendo way, which was not the case at all. She started to stand and I probably had seconds before she decided my comment was not appropriate and killed me where I sat.
"Your face! It's too clean!" I said quickly, lifting my hands in some pitiful half defensive move to shield my face. Had she moved, those hands would be pointless. She paused and with narrowed eyes, here red bangs creeping out from her bandana hanging just over her eyes, and stared into what must have been right through me. "Explain, fool."
I stammered a bit, still holding my hands up in a futile manner, "Y-you're face is too clean. Washed, I mean. Many of these people....th-they are dirty from working and the sun bearing down on them." She was silent, still staring, so I continued, "Your clothing is spot on....but your face sabotages the deception. It needs....dust or something..." I trailed off, afraid my words were lost on her.
At that moment, a young sodier burst into the tent, shouting, "Where's the Comman-?" That was as much as he was able to get out of his mouth before Melodia's lightning fast arm snapped out and siezed, clutching the boy's throat as he buckled and fell to his knees. She stood over him, still choking his life from him, her mouth caught in a ferocious snarl and rageful eyes, "How DARE you, enter that way?!" As he gasped for air, arms flailing wildly at his sides and trying to grasp at her arm (which seemed made of stone at this point), she leaned in and through gritted teeth said, "We were having a conversation....get. OUT!" She shouted this last right into the man's face and released her grip. He began coughing and quickly scrambled out of the tent half running, half crawling. She then snapped her head back in my direction, that bloodlust still in her eyes meaning I was nowhere near out of danger.
"You were saying?" She asked.
I coughed and continued, "I just....uhm, I feel that for you to properly blend in and avoid suspicion, you need to make your face less...clean." She stood silent and then nodded slowly. She then knelt and rubbed her hands on the dusty floor and then stood, wiping her cheeks and spreading the dust to appear more natural. And she looked perfect, as though she was one of these folks. "So?" she asked, gesturing at herself.
I nodded and said, "You look perfect. We shouldn't have a problem -" Shecut me off with a raised hand, telling me without a word that she didn't want to hear any more. She walked over to the bed, picked up her satchel and slung it over her shoulder, looking back at me as I did the same for my gear. We were to be away two days; two days that hadn't even started yet and already she had nearly killed someone. How would we remain undercover for that long without it blowing up in our faces? (NOTE: remove this later).
Before we stepped out she stopped and leaned in very close to me, her lips lmost touching my cheek and whispered, "If you ever make a comment like that again and if I half a hint that it's related to sex, I will scatter pieces of you throughout the land. So you don't forget." She smiled softly at the last and laid a soft kiss on my cheek before turning to walk out. My skin had gone pale and I could feel gooseflesh as I followed, sure that I wouldn't survive the trip.
It was odd seeing her dressed as a commoner. She was a lethal soldier and member of the Garlean empire and yet, today, she was dressed as one of the rabble we often spied in the camps and outposts throughout Thanalan. The loose-fitting clothing in drab colors consisting of hues of brown and gray masked the cold and deadly woman underneath. The same woman who would slice another's throat for a sip of water, but looking as she did now, others would make the fatal error of assuming she was no more than a harmless beggar. The only thing that stood out....
"You need to dirty yourself up a bit," I said flatly, as I sat in the tent as she slipped on her boots.
"Excuse me?!" She looked surprised and hostile, presuming (I think) I had meant this in some backward innuendo way, which was not the case at all. She started to stand and I probably had seconds before she decided my comment was not appropriate and killed me where I sat.
"Your face! It's too clean!" I said quickly, lifting my hands in some pitiful half defensive move to shield my face. Had she moved, those hands would be pointless. She paused and with narrowed eyes, here red bangs creeping out from her bandana hanging just over her eyes, and stared into what must have been right through me. "Explain, fool."
I stammered a bit, still holding my hands up in a futile manner, "Y-you're face is too clean. Washed, I mean. Many of these people....th-they are dirty from working and the sun bearing down on them." She was silent, still staring, so I continued, "Your clothing is spot on....but your face sabotages the deception. It needs....dust or something..." I trailed off, afraid my words were lost on her.
At that moment, a young sodier burst into the tent, shouting, "Where's the Comman-?" That was as much as he was able to get out of his mouth before Melodia's lightning fast arm snapped out and siezed, clutching the boy's throat as he buckled and fell to his knees. She stood over him, still choking his life from him, her mouth caught in a ferocious snarl and rageful eyes, "How DARE you, enter that way?!" As he gasped for air, arms flailing wildly at his sides and trying to grasp at her arm (which seemed made of stone at this point), she leaned in and through gritted teeth said, "We were having a conversation....get. OUT!" She shouted this last right into the man's face and released her grip. He began coughing and quickly scrambled out of the tent half running, half crawling. She then snapped her head back in my direction, that bloodlust still in her eyes meaning I was nowhere near out of danger.
"You were saying?" She asked.
I coughed and continued, "I just....uhm, I feel that for you to properly blend in and avoid suspicion, you need to make your face less...clean." She stood silent and then nodded slowly. She then knelt and rubbed her hands on the dusty floor and then stood, wiping her cheeks and spreading the dust to appear more natural. And she looked perfect, as though she was one of these folks. "So?" she asked, gesturing at herself.
I nodded and said, "You look perfect. We shouldn't have a problem -" Shecut me off with a raised hand, telling me without a word that she didn't want to hear any more. She walked over to the bed, picked up her satchel and slung it over her shoulder, looking back at me as I did the same for my gear. We were to be away two days; two days that hadn't even started yet and already she had nearly killed someone. How would we remain undercover for that long without it blowing up in our faces? (NOTE: remove this later).
Before we stepped out she stopped and leaned in very close to me, her lips lmost touching my cheek and whispered, "If you ever make a comment like that again and if I half a hint that it's related to sex, I will scatter pieces of you throughout the land. So you don't forget." She smiled softly at the last and laid a soft kiss on my cheek before turning to walk out. My skin had gone pale and I could feel gooseflesh as I followed, sure that I wouldn't survive the trip.
