1 Finding a meal. [Private][No Kill][Nanashi] Tue Apr 11, 2017 6:26 pm
Ume
D-rank
Iwagakure no Sato.
The village was a strange place. The air was crisp and the wind blew hard, sending a chill through her body. It was unnatural to her, it almost felt like she didn't belong. As she walked through the streets of the village, she wondered how she came to be there. She had only one goal in her mind, and that was to find the last bit of hope she had. That was the stranger. Only a few weeks ago, she was in the Hi no Kuni, wandering between the minor villages finding shelter where she could. Food was a different story. There was more to feeding yourself than finding a leaky roof to hide under. Most merchants refused her, not knowing the situation she was in and only thinking she was another street urchin. The only real thing she had to bargain with was her mother's sword, which she had no intentions to let go of. After finding nothing in Hi no Kuni and not having a hint of where she was in the world, she started to follow merchants and their carts, hoping that they lead her to a better place.
And after days of being a follower, she arrived in the mountainous village. She wasn't used to places like this. Her natural habitat involved flat grasslands with huts made out of wood and straw, with the air hot and humid. Now, she was surrounded by countless buildings made from stone, some seeming like they were once solid boulders that had their insides carved out. However, with no food or shelter, her situation wasn't any better than it was before. With no place to go and nothing to really do, she simply made her through the crowds and explored her new surroundings, looking for something that might help her.
Suddenly, her surroundings changed. It was like she walked into a whole other world. The crowd grew denser, the senseless muttering grew loud, and several signs adorned the sides of buildings, signifying countless shops. The aroma that hit her was surreal, it was like meat, burning coals, flowers, and many other things blended into one. During her travels, she's never ventured anywhere that compared to where she was now. Whatever this place was called was a mystery to her, but from what she could tell, it was filled with trade of all types.
As she surveyed the area, a particular scent suddenly hit her, one that she could easily pick out from others. It smelled familiar, like something she hasn't had in a long time. The hunger that's been building up in her suddenly let loose, letting her urges follow her nose. After pushing her way through the dense crowd, she arrived at a dumpling stand manned by a grumpy looking old man. She slowly peered over the counter like a child in a candy store. She eyed the skewered dumplings with desperate eyes, letting out a simple phrase. "Can I have one? Please?" The old man instantly looked towards her with his judgmental eyes, as if he were scanning her for information. "Sorry, kid, we don't serve peasants like you here. Go try and beg somewhere else." The old man's response caught immediately caught her off guard. She didn't expect a response like that, she wasn't a peasant. No one knew the story about how she came to be what she was now. No one ever cared, they all treated her as if she was below them. Despite that, did she really expect to be handed food for free? No, she didn't. "But... I'm not a peasant" Her voice was growing weak and desperate, like she was wishing for change. "Really? You're telling me you're not a peasant? Look at yourself once and awhile. Now get out of here, I have other customers. Weth that, Ume looked herself over, and what the old man said was true. Her black kimono was covered in dirt, and was starting to fall apart. Her white sash and socked were stained with dust, and her hair was a greasy mess. Even her mother's once beautiful katana started to lose its glamour. She looked pathetic. She took a wobbly step back and stood out of the way, looking as if she'd been beat into the ground. The hope she once had was gone, and she was defeated. She kept standing there, wishing for the pain she knew so well to finally go away.
The village was a strange place. The air was crisp and the wind blew hard, sending a chill through her body. It was unnatural to her, it almost felt like she didn't belong. As she walked through the streets of the village, she wondered how she came to be there. She had only one goal in her mind, and that was to find the last bit of hope she had. That was the stranger. Only a few weeks ago, she was in the Hi no Kuni, wandering between the minor villages finding shelter where she could. Food was a different story. There was more to feeding yourself than finding a leaky roof to hide under. Most merchants refused her, not knowing the situation she was in and only thinking she was another street urchin. The only real thing she had to bargain with was her mother's sword, which she had no intentions to let go of. After finding nothing in Hi no Kuni and not having a hint of where she was in the world, she started to follow merchants and their carts, hoping that they lead her to a better place.
And after days of being a follower, she arrived in the mountainous village. She wasn't used to places like this. Her natural habitat involved flat grasslands with huts made out of wood and straw, with the air hot and humid. Now, she was surrounded by countless buildings made from stone, some seeming like they were once solid boulders that had their insides carved out. However, with no food or shelter, her situation wasn't any better than it was before. With no place to go and nothing to really do, she simply made her through the crowds and explored her new surroundings, looking for something that might help her.
Suddenly, her surroundings changed. It was like she walked into a whole other world. The crowd grew denser, the senseless muttering grew loud, and several signs adorned the sides of buildings, signifying countless shops. The aroma that hit her was surreal, it was like meat, burning coals, flowers, and many other things blended into one. During her travels, she's never ventured anywhere that compared to where she was now. Whatever this place was called was a mystery to her, but from what she could tell, it was filled with trade of all types.
As she surveyed the area, a particular scent suddenly hit her, one that she could easily pick out from others. It smelled familiar, like something she hasn't had in a long time. The hunger that's been building up in her suddenly let loose, letting her urges follow her nose. After pushing her way through the dense crowd, she arrived at a dumpling stand manned by a grumpy looking old man. She slowly peered over the counter like a child in a candy store. She eyed the skewered dumplings with desperate eyes, letting out a simple phrase. "Can I have one? Please?" The old man instantly looked towards her with his judgmental eyes, as if he were scanning her for information. "Sorry, kid, we don't serve peasants like you here. Go try and beg somewhere else." The old man's response caught immediately caught her off guard. She didn't expect a response like that, she wasn't a peasant. No one knew the story about how she came to be what she was now. No one ever cared, they all treated her as if she was below them. Despite that, did she really expect to be handed food for free? No, she didn't. "But... I'm not a peasant" Her voice was growing weak and desperate, like she was wishing for change. "Really? You're telling me you're not a peasant? Look at yourself once and awhile. Now get out of here, I have other customers. Weth that, Ume looked herself over, and what the old man said was true. Her black kimono was covered in dirt, and was starting to fall apart. Her white sash and socked were stained with dust, and her hair was a greasy mess. Even her mother's once beautiful katana started to lose its glamour. She looked pathetic. She took a wobbly step back and stood out of the way, looking as if she'd been beat into the ground. The hope she once had was gone, and she was defeated. She kept standing there, wishing for the pain she knew so well to finally go away.