Xingese Cuisine

[Guest]

The food was absolutely exquisite. He recalled it from his last visit to the Xingese empire. He shoveled forkful after forkful of noodles and meat into his mouth, looking out from the dimly lit restaurant up to the beautiful palace where the Emperor resided. He was seated at the edge of the restaurant - one of Xi'an's finest, visible from the adornments on display at the windows, beautiful, antique lamps, fine works of craftsmanship, and the windows fashioned from stained glass themselves - and sat on a small table, an empty seat opposite him as he gazed out at the setting sun.

It was getting late. Ayden, however, didn't seem to care. He would continue his celebration of yet another successful contract until he saw fit to - after all, he was paying more than enough for this fine cuisine - or until everyone else vacated themselves from the restaurant.

Returning to his half-full bowl, he took a sip of the 'Special Xingese Green Tea', one of the most expensive warm beverages on the menu, and smiled as he realised why it was priced so high; it was certainly worth it, the taste was just... excellent. Of course, most would drink this throughout the day; green tea during at this hour wasn't exactly usual practice, anywhere in the world.

He took another look around the restaurant, admiring the hand-woven rugs, the freshly waxed teak floorboards, and the stone pillars, from which a carved lion's face spouted forth a funnel of water into the absolutely brilliant fountain below. It had, for five years, been his number one favourite place to eat in the entire world. He shoveled another forkful of noodles and pork into his mouth and smiled, bringing a napkin to his mouth to mop up some of the stray juices.

He really should have visited Xing more often.

[Guest]

Spoiler:

"I'm glad it's all resolved now. You are more than welcome, take care." Jeu-Hee spoke in perfect Aerugese, tapping the end call button with a stretch of her slim arms. Ahh.... yet another job well done. She was really lucky to have gotten this position, it fit her like a glove! Rising from the bench, she was rather glad to have gone with a relaxed set of clothes for the day, a small breeze buffeting her scarf gently.

Her green eyes raised to the setting sun, the pinks and oranges bringing a smile to her lips with its serenity. The park where she was held little to no noise, everyone either on their way to work or else off to enjoy the festivities of the evening. It was of no consequence to her. Sliding her phone into her jeans pocket, the young ambassador hummed brightly to herself as she began to walk down the path towards where she now resided. The Palace. It was still sort of a dream that she was there, no longer in a facility, or the army. But the palace itself!! It gave her such a giddy feeling every time she walked inside! It was so... surreal.

Grrrrrrrrrrgh-aaaaooooww---

Blushing at her stomach's rumbling, a hand touched her belly and she breathed a sigh of relief at the lack of people around. "Hmm, guess it means it's time for food~!" Giggling to herself, it was now a matter of where to go.... Ah! Of course! She knew just the place for it wasn't too far in the least bit. It was expensive, but it was worth every penny. And well... they didn't have an issue with her ordering so many chasu-bao's! Mmm chasu-bao.... Licking her lips, she skipped down the street towards the elegant building before her, waving to the men that bowed and allowed her inside. That was also something she wasn't used to, being bowed to like that. Sure she was Saeji's foreign ambassador, but she didn't really deserve bows, did she?

Meh, it didn't matter. FOOD! Bounding up the steps, she soon was greeted by the beautiful decor, the soft sound of water falling, and the best of all.... the delicious food. A somewhat startled waiter tried to cover up this fact as he bowed his head to her, "Good evening Miss Han. You're usual table?" He asked her, gesturing with an arm to one of the settings by the window. "Yes, please." She answered brightly, beginning to hum softly to herself once more. Her footsteps didn't make a sound upon touching the shiny floors, her long hair tied back in a ponytail this evening.

The waiter pulled the chair out for her to allow her to sit, also pushing it in once she was in her chair. Yep, she was never going to get used to the way that she was treated now. Just keep up the good karma. Jeu-Hee told herself as she ordered what she usually got, folding the napkin in her lap. Casting her eyes about the room, she noticed a rather unique man sitting off on his own. What caught her eye the most was the way that the sun's fading rays hit his silver hair, the shimmer rather lovely. Lowering her gaze before she ended up staring, she wondered where the man hailed from since she didn't recognize him immediately. And she knew those who frequented this place. In fact.... she hadn't really seen him around at all. He had an air about him that she couldn't quite put her finger on.... No, it didn't matter. Shrugging off her coat, she let it hang off of her chair along with her scarf, the two tank tops she wore complimenting each other with their colors. He was clearly enjoying his meal which was enough to make her smile. Now to simply wait for her own food!

[Guest]

A woman entered. Ayden's eyes flicked to her. She was getting some sort of special treatment from the waiter; 'usual table'? The entire place was full to the brim with unnecessary formality, but she was being treated like royalty - perhaps she was. But as she turned, and he caught view of her full face, he realised who she was.

Jeu-Hee Han. The Foreign Ambassador of Xing. Of course. One of the most important people in the country, and arguably the most when it came to diplomatic relations with others. With a smirk, he returned to his meal as she took her seat across the room. It was a surprise, but a welcome one nonetheless.

Then he realised something. Despite Amestris and Xing's state of peace at the current time, in a single moment, from the touch of the button, a single word, that could all change. And the most important person in diplomacy with other countries would suddenly become incompetent to her own, and a target for the opposing forces, to stop Xing from garnering allies.

When this came into mind, combined with Ayden also realising he'd caught a glance from the young Ambassador, he chuckled, scraped around the bowl for the last of his noodles, and patted his mouth with a napkin once more, before gently pushing his chair back, getting to his feet, and moving towards Jeu-Hee, brushing his hair over his sharp blue irises. In a moment, the alchemist had given himself a mysterious, almost mystical air.

With a grin, the taste of pork and noodles still on his lips, a smile crept onto the corners of his face, all too pleasant, as he approached the young lady, smiling fondly down at her. He began in Xingese. "Excuse me, I couldn't help but notice," He said, chuckling in imitation of nervousness. "You're... Jeu-Hee Han, right? I mean, all apologies if I'm wrong. I was always a sucker for politics, and I have to say, you truly weave some amazing magic with the relationships of this country to others." He grinned mentally, fashioning a series of convoluted compliments in his head. The more praise he could give her, hopefully, the more willing she'd be to share details with him.

Details, details, dirty little details. They were absolutely essential in his line of work. They meant the difference, be it in quality or quantity, between a successful contract... and a failed one.

Ayden gestured to the empty seat opposite the young ambassador. "May I?"

[Guest]

A rather specific melody was running through her mind, her body bouncing from side to side in her chair as she hummed it softly to herself. Kimi wa my Beautiful~ Hangover. Hangover~ yeah! Smiling softly to herself, it was such a lovely foreign song, part of her mind debating if she wanted to tackle learning that language next. Or maybe she should actually solidify her Ishvallan.... Ooo! There was also Rouenian too. Oh but the records for that were so scarce....

Jeu-Hee was snapped from her thoughts as she detected movement in her peripheral vision, noting that it was the man in the corner. She continued as she was, at least stopping in her bouncy since it wasn't very.... formal? Was that the right word? Oh but she hated to be so stuffy, it was so forced. There were expectations that needed to be met she supposed, but still.... Looking up to the silver-haired man as he stood before her, her emerald eyes met his, now pinpointing the aura that he held. Or well... part of it. Maybe? Death. Death lingered upon him. She didn't need to turn into her fox form to sense that. Hrm.... this could possibly go ill.... Merely observe for now.

Blinking at his hesitance, she smiled softly and nodded once, aiming to put him at ease. "Indeed I am. Don't worry about it sir." She giggled a little, again having to try to reign in her cheerfulness. Not overbearing. Not. Overbearing. Right, she could do that. She fell quiet as a faint blush rose to her cheeks, wondering if he was just being friendly or if there was another motive. Observe. You were trained for this.

Glancing as he asked to join her, she cocked her head slightly, but nodded once more. The fact he knew Xingese so well meant he had either been here before, or he was a person of languages like herself. Ooo, that would be really cool if it was the latter.... "Of course. Thank you for the compliment, it is always a relief to hear I'm not throwing the country into turmoil or some such." Her chuckle reflected this relief she felt, whether or not it was false praise. Folding her hands, she was about to speak when some of her food came out, the jook being the first thing. Mmmm jook.... SO GOOD. "I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage my good sir. What be your name since you clearly know mine?" As she spoke, she mixed in some bits of chasu, some soy sauce... and BAM. Mixing it all together with her spoon, she began to sip at the rice porridge with utter delight. She couldn't help it, she bounced from side to side in happiness to the taste. One of her favorite dishes by far. Right, potential danger. Focus. Her green eyes surveyed the man before her with a childlike curiosity, but in her mind she was wary. Very very wary.

[Guest]

Ayden chuckled lightly as she began to eat, and he slid into the chair. He was already full, so passed up the offer from the waiter, and watched as Jeu-Hee ate, and waited until she spoke once more. "Of course not. You're a very able ambassador, and at such a young age..."

When she asked him for his name, he responded immediately, not even having to think on it. He'd already prepared his spiel. "Ayden Derocha. I'm an artist, based out of what remains of Amestris. You may have heard of me; after all, I'm guilty of being an alchemist, too..." He spoke softly, before trailing off, snapping back to reality a moment later, and continuing.

"And, please, no formality, Miss Han. Simply address me as Ayden; unlike yourself, I haven't yet earned a title to be addressed by." Ugh. So pleasant. It was... sickening. It was if the psychopath inside him began to fight twice as strong now he'd taken up this facade, and it was truly hard to push the real Ayden back.

"As for my business in your country... I've traveled here a few times before, but I had a particular... buyer... here, interested in one of my more expensive pieces." He drummed the table with his fingers. "I made the sale, too, so I came here to celebrate. After leaving, I reckon I'll find somewhere to stay for the night, then, in the morning, find the old woman who runs the tattoo parlor I used to frequent, get an... update, and then, I shall promptly be leaving." He chuckled.

"Sorry, I do tend to blather a bit much, Miss Han," He said. Even as he uttered her name, he felt a pang of guilt in his gut. He was betraying his own true nature. He was being so nice, so sycophantic, it was... genuinely painful. He continued, hoping to find out whether she'd made a mistake in her diplomatic dealings of the day, perhaps aiming to pick a few holes in them, hoping that some other world power would pick up on them so he could sate his bloodlust once more.

"Anyway, if I may ask, what have you been doing with your time recently, Miss Han? There hasn't been too much news of you back west, but I assume you're plenty busy." He paused. "Although, in reality, Amestris is still recovering from everything..."

[Guest]

A very faint blush rose to her pale cheeks, reminded once more of how some doubted her because of her age. No! They didn't matter, bad karma go away! Obviously Saeji saw something in her, and she was proving him right. She had to. She paused in her consumption of the food to sip at her tea, cleansing her palette with its exquisite taste. Mmm... if she wasn't careful she'd become spoiled by this. Her eyebrows raised at his reply to her question, an artist hm? She wondered what sort since he wasn't very specific. Musician, painter, some other section of the Arts.... She blinked twice, and an alchemist? Had she heard of him? Hrm... She may want to look up the name later just to be extra safe.

Placing down her cup gently, she lowered her gaze out of embarrassment, right... titles... A smile still bloomed upon her lips, it would no matter what without fail. "Very well Ayden if you insist." She would have been more than happy to call him Mr. Derocha, but since he had specified otherwise she wouldn't. She could feel a slightly mischievous voice whisper that she should do it once and see what happened, but she seriously doubted the result would be as entertaining as imagined. No.. it never was....

Wow... he did ramble didn't he? It wasn't like she mind, a conversation over dinner was always better than none at all she found. She just took the time to finish off her jook rather quickly even though it appeared like she was taking her time. After all, just then the chasu-bao appeared and made her giggle with happiness. Periodically as he spoke she would look at him since it was polite to, taking in all the information he was giving her. Part of it was truth, she could sense that. Not all of it though. Or maybe it was just because she could feel that aura of death that she discounted part of his words as truth..... Aiya it was getting all convoluted in her head!

She was holding one of those pork filled rice buns when he apologized, blinking twice like a squirrel might as it paused mid meal. Her cheeks were puffed out since they were filled with the food, the scene rather comical if you appreciated it as such. Shaking her head, she quickly finished chewing and swallowed, lowering the bun to her plate. "It's quite alright Ayden, I don't really mind. I'm sort of used to it to be honest." She shrugged with a bright smile to him, a hand coming up to brush some loose hairs from her face. "After all, I listen to many people on any given day. And I like stories!"

Jeu-Hee was about to bite into the chasu-bao she had been eating when she heard his question, pausing to look up to him with a small tilt of her head. True, he had said based out of the remains of Amestris... Why hadn't he just moved with everyone else? Or had he? No matter, refocus! "Well," she sat up a little straighter and dabbed at her lips as she thought over her answer. "Before the war started I was in East City for business. And during I remained mostly here in Xing. Right now I'm waiting for my next assignment while aiding with any diplomatic issues amongst the people that are here. Of course I can't talk about any specifics, I'm sure you understand." She gave him her signature sweet smile, in her mind completely on her guard. He wanted information. She wasn't going to give it. Not if she could help it. She could still be pleasant thought, after all, it was her specialty.

[Guest]

Ayden shook his hands, brushing the issue away whilst cursing mentally. Knowledge was power, after all. "Oh, yes, of course, of course. National secrets, and all that. You never know who might be listening." He chuckled, and watched as she scarfed down some more food, before commenting. "My, you're certainly hungry. Although, you can't really go wrong with Xingese cuisine."

He chuckled, and took a sip of a nearby complimentary glass of water set out for Jeu-Hee's once non-existent guess, savouring the cold feeling as it trickled down his throat, before he set the glass back down. "But, that's enough talk of work and such." He chuckled, before continuing.

"I know it sounds a little odd, but... whereabouts in Xing do you live? I've been around Xi'an a lot, and, I mean..." He smiled up at her, beams of light refracting off his eyes and hair, causing the former to twinkle and the latter to shimmer as its glossy form rolled around in the luminescence of the nearby lamp. "...for an artist, it's kind of nice to put the pieces together, you know? Just look at a place, and have something to associate to. Especially helps if I'm looking for inspiration for a piece or two," He trailed off, stringing into a dry chuckle.

In reality, this was the most valuable piece of information. So long as he knew her current habitat, should a contract be brought out on her - which was, over the next couple of years, more than likely - he would know instantly where to go. And, getting the information from her was even better. No alarm would be raised, no rumours running around of a stranger wishing to know of the foreign ambassador's location.

Plus, the irony was thick in the air. Little did she know she could possibly be assisting her own undoing. The very thought was rich, and caused the sociopath hidden under Ayden's rather thin deceptively sycophantic skin to stir and chuckle, sating him somewhat.

[Guest]

Her smile only seemed to somehow widen at his confirmation of that fact, sitting up a little straighter as she took one last bite of the chasu-bao. Her cheeks flushed as her brows furrowed, wanting to make a retort but her mouth was full. Chewing quickly, she swallowed and exhaled slowly. Her features relaxed as she realized the comedy of the previous situation, sighing as she leaned back in her chair to take a slight break, picking up her cup of tea to sip it. "I have a rather large appetite heh. Nope! Can't go wrong at all." Grinning, she placed her now empty glass down, counting off how many chasu-bao were left. Hmm.... She'd certainly have leftovers which was fine by her.

He really was a strange man. She kept doubting her read on him. Yes, she sensed death on him. Yes, he was being very pleasant. Yes, some of what he was asking was... odd. Either he really was just that pleasant, or he was a spy, or... In her mind, her lips tightened. Or an assassin. She was too slow on realizing this, far too slow. She took in her mistake, but didn't dwell upon it, remaining ever bubbly as always. "Now that is an odd question." Her eyes locked onto his, ignoring the pretty light show that was caused by the light. No, she was focused.

Folding her hands underneath her chin, she rested her head upon them, pulling on her jacket and scarf as the a/c began to kick in rather harshly. "Are you implying that I'd be a model sir?" She giggled at the prospect, soon forming into a laugh as she signaled to the waiter. He merely nodded even though all she had done was hold up her hand. But it was a signal that said she was ready to go. The waiter came and got her plates, knowing what to pack up and what to not. "Well, I do reside in this city this is true. But a girl can't give away all her secrets on a first date hm?" Laughing, the sound tinkled like bells as she placed her napkin on the table. "You are a curious man Ayden Derocha." She murmured, her body relaxing as she leaned back in her chair, her boxed food soon arriving back out onto the table. "So where do you reside in Amestris now that it is mostly destroyed? Did you go to the South like so many did? Or do you truly remain amongst the rubble left by the bombs?" She turned the question back upon him, knowing full well his answer might be a lie.

[Guest]

"Possibly," He said, chuckling, teasing a little. Hopefully she'd give in, crack, and tell him what he needed to-

Dammit. No. 'A girl can't reveal all her secrets on the first date.' Just excellent. Ayden's inner being flared up in anger, as if something large and particularly heavy had just stepped on his foot, and the man struggled to keep it suppressed, a tiny bead of sweat forming on his brow. He chuckled, and laid back slightly, mopping it discreetly and taking another sip.

"Then, Miss Han, I guess I'll just have to continue to take you out to meals and the like until I can uncover this so-called 'secret' of your living place," He said, chuckling. "You could possibly be a reason for me journeying to Xing a little more frequently, eh?"

He chuckled. "I'm joking. You're more than within your rights to keep that information from me, and, as a true gentleman, I must submit first, and answer your question," His hearty laugh trailed off ever-so-dryly and he began to respond, this defeat only pushing Ayden further into a desire, an unquenchable lust for knowledge. Perhaps he didn't want this simply for ease of access in the future. Perhaps he was genuinely interested in the girl. It was rare, but it had happened before, fleeting discussions with others every now and then.

"I move around a lot, but I have a small place in the Northwest where I'm based out of, although my job takes me everywhere, be it ruined or not," He chuckled. "I've actually been meaning to visit the Xerxian ruins for a long time,"

This was no lie. Ayden had always wondered what it would be like, fighting an enemy, clutching a gun in either hand, ducking under falling pillars and leaping through ruined temples as a sandstorm kicked up around them. As per usual, delusions of grandeur.

"What of you, Miss Han? Anywhere you'd like to visit you haven't yet on what must be an..." Ayden took a sip once more, having cooled the flames seething within him ever so slightly. "...exotic job, if nothing more?" He arched an eyebrow in accordance with the end of his question.

[Guest]

Jeu-Hee couldn't help but laugh a little at the proposition of her being a model. She wasn't near tall enough, not at all. Least not in her mind. Besides, it was a lie anyways, so it really didn't matter in the least bit. On to more serious things!!!

She watched him very carefully, noting how he moved, the fact he sipped his drink. If she were in her fox form, she may have smelled his sweat, but since she wasn't in that form she didn't. She was right on the money with her suspicions, and she could play this game. Ooohhh yes she could. It was fun! Like a puzzle. Giggling at his initial response, she wasn't sure if she liked the fact that she blushed faintly at it. Now now, just because his hair shone pretty in the sun was hardly a reason to react as such! He might get a contract to kill her. Ambassadors were popular targets of such things after all. Not to mention he was most likely---

"I'm joking." And there you had it. Well, at least he wasn't going to press the issue which was a bit of weight off of her shoulders. Her expression softened as she chuckled at his words, folding her hands in her lap. She thought about rushing out the door, but that was a fools way to go. No, she'd speak with him some more and be extra watchful of how she returned home. The last thing she needed was for him to follow her. It was a good thing she had plotted out a few paths just in case such a thing happened. Worst comes to worst, she'd have to act. She doubted the guards or police would really do much good against him.

Well that was a surprise. An interesting surprise nonetheless. Maybe she should visit the ruined Amestris just so she could see it. Absorb the scene rather than just see the pictures that flew across the television. They held none of the vividness that seeing it live had. None at all... Xerxian ruins? Her mind snapped back upon that, an eyebrow raising as her smile grew slightly. Well well, the assassin was also curious about places and things. This was good to know. It didn't matter what he was curious of, the simple fact that it laid within him was enough. It wasn't like she was sure what sort of assassin he was anyways. Some were merely there for the killing. Some were like her and did it for the puzzle aspect or because they were ordered to. It was one of the reasons she had become what she was. Some had to bury their sense of everything to just get that dough. So many varieties....

Blinking, she had been caught up in her ponderings, almost completely missing his question entirely. Biting her lower lip, she touched her index fingers to her lips as her hands clasped together, leaning back in her chair. "Oh it's not so exotic I assure you." She murmured with a small giggle, her brows furrowing in thought. Where did she want to go? "How strange... When I was younger I could immediately tell you everywhere I ever wanted to go." She tilted her head in her puzzlement, almost like a dog might at a strange sound. Ah! There was one. "The Rouenian Ruins. I know the Esparian government won't let anyone close ever, but I'd be curious to see them if it were possible." She admitted to him, telling him a truth since he had given her one. It was only fair right? Equivalent exchange.

[Guest]

He chuckled as he saw her reaction, and in his mind, the confusion gave him the upper hand. A grin crept onto his face and he scratched the barely-visible area of his right wrist poking out from underneath his jacket, before pulling his glove further back, and smiling up at her. The beast inside was sated.

He took another sip of water, before deciding instead to down the entire thing, and doing so, then finally placing the glass down on the table, content. He smiled, and simply looked up at her for a moment, before deciding he was legitimately interested. This girl was... interesting, if anything. "Well, those are more than enough questions from me, and I'd like to think I've piqued your curiosity somewhat, so, I tell you what..."

He chuckled and clapped his hands together all of a sudden. "Ask me about anything you want. And I promise I'll give you an honest, straightforward answer. No games, no dodging the question, nothing. For the next ten minutes, I exist only to sate your curiosity, Miss Han. Just this once, on the house." His irises glistened once more and he didn't hesitate once for a good fifteen seconds to break eye contact, before swerving away.

He knew there was a good chance she'd ask of his profession - his actual profession. However, he thought that... perhaps she'd already figured it out, and this gave her a chance to learn a slight bit more about a stranger than usual. With a grin, he pondered what question she'd pose. After all, the possibilities were endless.

The smile curling downwards from his face, with a content expression, he looked out to the sunset as the moon began to appear, covering the space that, not hours ago, her brother had taken up, and watched as, in the distance, thousands of light years away from their planet, stars that burned hotter than any human could ever dream of, came into view, slowly, one-by-one, to their naked eye.

He turned back to Jeu-Hee, somewhat excited for what she'd ask, trying to push it along, spur it on a little more quickly. "Well, then, you've had enough time to think, more than enough, even," He looked up at her and locked her gaze. "What'll it be... Miss Han?"

[Guest]

This was a very dangerous game she was playing, staying with this man for so long. It was good to know ones potential enemy, but you also risked them suddenly killing you during that time, or learning just as much about you. But it wasn't like he had a contract on her head at the moment. She'd just have to make a mental note about him was all.

As more of her hair fell free of her ponytail, she just removed it entirely which was a little tricky considering just how LONG her hair was. She could legitimately sit upon it. She began to braid it as she began to notice that he was looking at her. Again, she wasn't sure how she felt about that. A rather innocent, and actually innocent, smile was upon her lips, giving her a rather naive appearance which suited her just fine. It usually threw people off since then they didn't expect her intelligence to shine through especially because of how young she was. Oh? Now this puzzle just went up a level. Where in the world would this lead? What would be the trick to completing this level? Might as well test the grounds right?

"Well this is unexpected. Very well Ayden, I accept your proposition!" Giggling to herself, she grinned and turned her chair to face him completely, staring at him rather intently. She held his gaze for as long as he held her own, instead observing his entire body once he broke it. Guns, black, transmutation circles on his fingertips... Jeez, if he didn't look shady, she wasn't sure what did! I'm really a bai-chi for not catching on sooner... Inwardly sighing to herself, she squinted her eyes a little, pondering what she wanted to ask first. Profession was not necessary, he already told her where she was from, and she could tell he enjoyed learning in some respect. So what to ask.....

Losing interest in maintaining the rather silly position she was sitting in, she leaned back and glanced back as the waiter brought them a fresh glass of green tea each, a soft word of gratitude slipping past her lips. Picking up the hot drink, she sipped at it carefully, a few idea's coming to mind rather slowly. Why did it feel like it mattered so much what she asked? She was spontaneous! Bubbly! Hrm de hrm......

Jeu-Hee's attention was drawn into focus upon him as he spoke his excitement, making her giggle. So, he was that interested hm? Placing her tea down, her eyes locked upon his, uncrossing her legs as she tapped the tops of her thighs. "Oh fine!" Chuckling, even though she appeared more serious, she never quite lost that optimistic energy that surrounded her, nor that small, sweet smile. "Alright Mr. Professional, if you could be any animal, what would you choose? And only one animal that isn't fictional. Also, give me a reason why." She wasn't really sure why she started with that, but it felt.... correct somehow.

[Guest]

Ayden smiled, and sipped the tea. Excellent. Just... excellent. And then, her question. Animals? This was... odd. Different. She didn't want to know of his line of work? Then either she was intelligent, downright stupid, or... or she was playing with him, which was... unacceptable.

Either way, he had his answer ready. "Tell me, Miss Han, are you familiar with the black spitting cobra? It frequents the Great Desert just west of here." He chuckled. "Not like a man at all to pick a fighter, eh?" He paused, before delving into explanation, too, somewhat. "Nature's a cruel mistress. Survival of the fittest is the law of the land for all but us humans. Diplomacy matters nothing when a tiger circles a gazelle for his evening meal. It's... so primal, yet... so brilliant, don't you think? Primitive, animalistic urges at their base..."

He laughed quietly, taking another small mouthful of the tea. "I'm sorry. I'm going on again. But, aye, the black spitting cobra. It has a venom gland from which it can actually shoot globs of corrosive and highly toxic venom, meaning it can blind even a human with a single spit. The same applies for close range; it has a venomous bite, as well. Beautiful, deadly at a distance, and just as lethal at close range."

He smiled, and flicked his eyes up to meet Jeu-Hee's. It appeared he could let out the real Ayden a little more than he'd expected. "Perfection, in my eyes. Lethality and beauty coupled together in a singular, stretching form, intertwined, one with the desert, a long, sleek, black body pressed against the sand as the cobra creeps up on its foe...." He chuckled. "I apologise. You can't give me free reign to speak for too long, haha."

Whilst silence hung in the air, he raised his napkin and pressed it against his lips to mop up any tea that had escaped his mouth, before setting it down gently, the sunlight dimming as the moon came into full view in a clear, cloudless night sky, stars growing in frequency with every second. Ayden turned back to Jeu-Hee.

"But what of you, Miss Han? If you could transfer your soul into a body of an animal, what would it be?" Inside, he smirked. He knew the girl was something special. He knew she wasn't just your usual Xingese diplomat. So young. She must have had a trump card, something the others didn't. Alongside her beauty of course.

With a mental chuckle, a smile made its way onto the assassin's face. She was almost... fox-like.

((Sorry, couldn't resist the pun at the end. Really couldn't. XD))

[Guest]

His answer she was genuinely curious to hear for he was a strange strange man. But an interesting strange strange man! Tee hee. She wasn't sure if he was perplexed at the fact she didn't ask about his profession or not, but she could suspect that that was the case. He seemed like the type to feel the need to be on top of everything. Hehehe... Relax relax! Always should be relaxed~ Aiya, her bounciness was returning.

A black spitting cobra..... Aye, that was rather fitting to how he seemed, what with all the black clothes... Nooooo, she also had to consider personality! Personality was far more important than appearance. She nodded slowly as she pondered his explanation, quick, quiet, deadly..... Yup yup! Assassin all the way! Careful she must be. Heh, now she was sounding like Yoda. "Do or do not! There is no try." Picking up her tea, she held it with both hands and swung her feet rather childishly, almost looking like some sort of anime character with how cutsey she was being. But she couldn't help it, that was just how she was!! Honest...

Giggling, she shook her head at his apology. He really didn't understand that she didn't care about his rambling, did he? She had to listen to politicians and CEO's and various other leaders in meetings all the time. After all, it was her job to. Listen to the issue, find a compromise, solve said issue, and everyone goes home happy! Or at least resolved. Hehe... Still, his choice made perfect sense for him, and she respected that. Yet it was remained an unexpected choice as well. She wasn't positive what he would choose.

Her eyebrows raised as her eyes widened slightly, blinking as their gazes locked once more. "Ayden, it's my job to listen to people talk a lot. It's ok I promise." She giggled, rocking slightly in her chair before picking up her tea to sip it. Mmm, delicious~ Hmm... she was wondering if she should get some ice cream.... Sweetness was required soon. She too was drawn to the darkness that fell over the city, watching as the bright lights came on to shine, inviting and a shout out to the people. Yes, their brilliant city with it's many districts and streets. Maybe she should just take a night out on the town. Ooo!! She could go to a club! No... security risks... She knew that security would hate her for it... And she'd probably be treated strange again.... Bugger.

Focus!! She had to focus on the not shiny things. Straightening up, she realized that once she asked him that question, he'd ask her the same thing. May as well speak the truth and throw hesitancy out the window. "A fox. Soft coats, intelligence, a bit mischievous, fiercely protective of their young...." She drifted off as she thought of other features that she loved of the animal. "Sly and fiesty, whats not to love?" Giggling, she tilted her head, licking her lips since they felt dry. "And I love the variety amongst the species. White coats, red coats, black coats..... Yet all are foxes!! Yipping with their poofy tails." She rocked from side to side happily as she recalled a time when she pet a fox before her alteration. Yes, she had petted her own tail more than once. She couldn't help it. "They are my favorite animal by far. I almost asked my parents for a pet fox once. Dad laughed at the idea and mom just shook her head." Laughing softly to herself, her gaze had drifted out the window, debating if she should visit her parents soon. "Ayden, if you were a planet, which would you be?" Off the wall question, but her mind just worked that way. Yay ADD~~ Made everything fun! And she could say that without any sarcasm at all.

[Guest]

"A fox, eh?" He chuckled, not particularly surprised. It seemed she lined up with his prediction absolutely perfectly. Sly indeed, suited her perfectly for diplomacy. Then came the question about the planets. He blinked. This was... odd. She was, as a whole, quite odd. "Which planet?"

He looked up into the sky, glancing from star to star. From what he'd studied of astrology and space physics, he knew there were thousands of planets in the galaxy, let alone the entire universe, so he couldn't put her down for not having enough choice. He smiled, eyes flickering to the faint burnt brick-red hue of Mars in the sky amidst a clump of stars. He knew that each and every one of the stellar objects was at least a good thousand light years from each other, it was simply thanks to Earth's orbit that they were this close.

Still... it was an odd question indeed. A younger, less sophisticated Ayden would have once simply answered with 'Uranus' and spent the next few minutes cackling to himself, but... he'd grown up since then, and, plus, he was with Jeu-Hee, a woman of diplomacy and sophistication, if somewhat... hyperactive. He finished off the last of his tea and turned back to her, answer readied.

"Mars. Back west, many legends and myth tell of his personification as a tyrannical warrior and yet a brilliant leader at the same time, the man that the planet was named after, anyway." Ayden hadn't studied too deeply into classical civilization, but he knew that the Xerxians had established separate personalities for each planet in the solar system. It was odd. "Plus... Mars has a... vivid colour. It's beautiful, that faint crimson amidst the other stars in the sky." He turned back to her once more, and chuckled.

"I apologise. I never meant to bore you with mythology. I don't even know that much about it, so there's a chance I may have been mistaken somewhere... but the planet looks beautiful, even from just a glance." It was true. Well, somewhat. Red, be it crimson or burnt brick, was always a favourite colour of his. Once more, it appealed to the sociopath aching inside him, scratching at the fleshy bars of his cage, wishing to become unleashed at full force, having never been allowed to take full control of Ayden's mortal shell, despite easing into some synergy between the pair during contracts.

But, the colour? Why did it appease Ayden's artistic sense so much?

Red was the colour of blood, of course.

[Guest]

He hardly sounded surprised. Meh, she knew that her personality reflected her animal rather perfectly which was both a good thing and a bad thing. At least everyone didn't immediately pick up on it. Yay for her! It made her smile on the inside, sipping at her tea as she riffled through her leftovers and bit into another chasu-bao. Mmmm, by far her favorite food ever~

She nodded in confirmation to her question for him, after all he had said an honest answer for ten minutes! She probably should be asking deeper questions, but somehow that just didn't feel quite... right. Wait! That whole, don't get too much info because he'll look for the same... Yes, that was a reason. Other than that it just seemed so personal. She never really liked to ask such questions of anyone. Invasion of space. Heh, spaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaace! Aiya she was getting distractable again....

Jeu-Hee observed her newfound assassin friend, curious to hear his answer for this particular question. After all, the heavens had so many mythologies attached. Would he choose any of them? If he did, which ones? Greek or Roman were certainly the most popular, but the one she held close could hardly be called surprising. Yay nationality! Anyways, back to Ayden. She was becoming really distractable... Maybe she didn't need sugar after all. Nibbling on her chasu-bao, she blinked and tilted her head slightly as he began to speak, once again appearing like a squirrel as she nibbled so.

Ahhhh Mars..... "God of war. Very nice!" She murmured once he paused in his speaking, only solidifying what she had guessed about him. Her smile softened to a rather peaceful feature, leaning back in her chair, resisting the urge in the back of her mind to change into her chimerae form. No, that was only for emergencies, and this was not one of them. Not at all. If there was any point NOT to do it, now was it. The last thing she needed was an assassin knowing that secret about her. She chuckled at his noting of the color of mars, finishing up her tea with a light sigh.

Oh pfft again with his apologies!! He was never going to learn!  "Oh posh. I love hearing of other things, other cultures, other thoughts. Call it a point of fascination!" She grinned and sat forward, leaning her elbows upon her knees as her green eyes met his. Laughter glittered in her eyes, but also a great warmth. The pleasant aura that clung to her never faded, not even when she wasn't feeling her best. "The reason I know so many languages is because I love linguistics, and understanding a culture in the context of what it speaks. Mythology is a part of cultures, an important part. So don't worry about it ok? Seriously, relax. Or don't, whichever you are more comfortable with." She laughed brightly, finishing off the chasu-bao in her hand. So she'd have fewer ones to take home, not a problem. "Is the truthy time over?" She blinked and cocked her head, glancing out the window to the night life that was arising below.

[Guest]

He smiled, and poured himself another glass of water from a rather ornate nearby jug, admiring how the liquid fell, the entire scene almost becoming isolated from the rest of the restaurant, Ayden blocking everything out as the clear torrent moved into slow motion, and almost took on the appearance of a man-made water.

Such trivial things could be so beautiful. An 'artist' of his caliber had noticed this more than once. With every kill, every execution, he attempted to make them as stylish and effective as possible. The blood spray, the way the bone of the cranium shattered and flew out of the exit wound, the way the flesh of the jugular tore as a .38 caliber bullet sheared through it, carving a bloody trail behind it... beauty, in its purest form, to Ayden, at least.

And then there were women. Women had a certain beauty, a certain air of presence, that none of those things could replicate. They released a different chemical, a toxin into the body which only had one cure. To fulfill the most primal and carnal of urges. Simply put, engaging in some sort of sexual activity.

But the beauty wasn't simply aesthetic. To him, intelligence, in a way, was beauty. His perception of the matter was odd, but it became apparent that the assassin had a soft spot for certain personality types, too. He smiled up at Jeu-Hee, blazing with rage inside, unable to believe that a reconnaissance mission had turned into something as perplexing as this.

But, now, he realised he should reply. "One for me, also. I spend a lot of time abroad, although I've been meaning to visit Aerugo, and Creta, a land of my heritage, also." With a smirk, he waited and listened intently to Jeu-Hee, before hearing her continue into linguistics, genuinely enthralled. It was... spectacular. Any other human being could speak of this, and she was possibly the only one that he'd stay interested in, the rest of the others having to have blood spray from several holes in their head to actively entertain him.

"I think I'll choose the former," He laughed along with her, trying to match the tone. Now for the real cracker of a question, the make-or-break to see if she was a possibility, for the pair of them to indulge in each others' urges; undoubtedly, she had some, too. "Tell me, Jeu-Hee, do you have a partner at the moment? You know, that one special man in your life, or some crap like that?" He chuckled, trailing off, seemingly an eternity between the question and the response.

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. He was making all the mistakes, slipping up, getting sloppy. An assassin... an assassin always had to have the upper hand. His first rule, the most important of his tenets. He re-aligned his posture, and tried to subliminally assert his height over her, suddenly becoming very uncomfortable.

[Guest]

Dancing, dancing.... Why did she suddenly want to dance? Really badly. Maybe she should go out somewhere tonight. She didn't know, things were weird. Why were things so weird now? Her green eyes drifted from the window to the man before her, the childishness dissipating from her for a brief moment. The faint but sweet smile remained, but that naivete was gone. Ayden would probably be contracted to kill her. Ayden was also being very friendly right now. He was different, very very different. Curiouser and curiouser.. Heehee, that was from a book. Or maybe it was a movie? Both. She concluded it was from both. Yes, movie quotes dancing about all the time~~

She sighed lightly to herself, the focus was vanishing from her mind as she regained that youthful energy she always had. She was weighing herself down!! This wouldn't do in the least. Positive karmic energy. Feed the world that, and it will return to you. Her hands began to busy themselves with the bell sleeves of her coat, looking up when she felt his eyes upon her. In fact, she could tell many others were looking at them as well and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. His gaze she met, the smile that he held tickling her in a rather strange fashion. It wasn't in the 'tee-hee-thats-so-funny' sort of way, and not even in the fashion that it seemed foreign with his persona. It was some... inbetween sort of sensation that ebbed and flowed in its own crazy way. Crazy crazy dancey time! Focus. She told herself firmly, his speaking aiding in that immensely.

Well well well, that was one of her suspicions confirmed. And it made her happy. Yay knowledge!! Giggling mostly to herself, her smile brightened with the fuel of their mutual passion, an eyebrow raising at this new information about him. Oh? So he was also Cretan? So he was mixed! Mix, mix, the mixing pot... Aiya!! Focusing was so hard! Aerugo is beautiful in the early spring. I've only been there a couple of times, but I do recommend it. Visit everywhere at least once! See things at different points in the year because they all change with the season. Least they seem to in my eyes." Shrugging, it was a personal observation. Maybe he had noticed it as well when he traveled somewhere? Maybe... He seemed like he would take notice in that. Or maybe she was wrong. Neh, it was just good to know she wasn't alone with the loves that fueled her. Besides her mother and father of course, tee hee. Parents didn't count!!

"Yay relaxing!!" She threw her hands up into the air, careful not to smack anything or anyone in the process of her excitement. Bursts of energy were awesome~! He had a good laugh, she liked his laugh too. He sensed of death, his smile was curious, she liked his laugh, he might be contracted to kill her at some point, he enjoyed knowledge like she did, he liked power, grace and beauty with battle.... Such a strange man. So his question REALLY caught her off-guard. Her eyes widened as she blinked rather rapidly for a couple of seconds, a rosey flush blooming upon her pale cheeks. A-a-a-a partner? Her gaze immediately shot to her lap out of embarrassment, clicking her heels together as her fingers clasped at the others in a nervous fashion. Movement... movement helped. Distraction! Look at him. Look at him. Polite, facade, SOMETHING. Do it!

So her emerald orbs raised to gaze upon him, realizing that he wasn't looking at her either. Nervous? He was nervous? Well, duh. He had just asked such a seemingly out-of-the-blue question! Derp. Exhaling her breath slowly, but softly, her expression relaxed and almost seemed.. motherly? Yes, that may be a good word for it. It was certainly filled with warmth! "No, I do not. I... Huh." She scratched the back of her head, sensing him straighten up. "I'll admit, I never gave such things a ton of thought due to the fact of work. I mean, idea's, maybe hopes, but um... Yeah." Her laugh was light, but clearly she was nervous. She wasn't making any sort of sense was she? "Um... I'm guessing that you don't either? Due to... circumstances?" She asked carefully, wondering if he would understand what she meant by circumstances. It was a way to tell him she knew what he did for a living without actually saying it.... right? That made sense right? Now it was just a matter if he'd pick up on that.

[Guest]

Another awkward smile. A moment of nervous silence as things got more and more distant, Ayden staring out onto the moonlit horizon. Then, the question reflected straight back at him. Hm, it seemed she'd figured out his profession already. Smart. And unpredictable, too. "Hm. I guess you're right. I travel a lot - I guess it's to be expected. I mean... not that I don't like what I do, it's certainly... different, but there's a part of me that likes to be in a familiar environment."

What was he saying!? That was a lie, it wasn't him, it wasn't him at all. He loved to drive idly from country to country, gunning down marks as he did so, doing everything he did in the spirit of the hunt. He didn't have anything tying him down, any weights, any responsibilities in a single place in the world. Was that all going to change?

The fire inside him began to burn ever stronger. Fighting against a set of strained boundaries, pressing, pushing, harder with every beat of his heart, like a drum in his ears, the pressure raising, it was getting hot, oh so hot-

Snap.

Everything dulled. And for a moment, what Ayden presumed was the last of his rationality began to run processes over and over in his head. He would probably kill her, and wipe out the rest of the restaurant, too. A shame, really. It was a nice place. She was a nice gir-

Hang on.

Whenever he'd snapped before, he never had this much free thought, his sanity, his knowledge of desires, and the foresight of the swath of destruction he'd carve through his area... all pushed into the furthest corners of his mind as his real inner beast stretched his body to the maximum, almost like possession.

What was this? There was no way it was pure emotion manifesting and wrestling control of him. It was almost as if the symptoms had been false. Everything leading up to this had been a fake warning. He calmed down and let his pallor clear, eager to let the night's events continue now the debacle was over and done with.

"Sorry about that," He coughed. "I think some of the tea must've gone down bad." He paused, smiling up at her, gaze locked against her shimmering green eyes, telling himself how stupidly romantic he was being. Certainly not aligning with his usual nature whatsoever.

"Well, perhaps you could give me a visit the next time you're in Amestris, or I in Xing. I'll admit, you certainly have me enchanted, Miss Han. A learned lady, with such a status, at your age... it's intriguing. One must assume you've got your little secrets on how you've ascended through the ranks of Xing's most important so quickly, eh?" He chuckled quietly, his voice as suave as it had possibly ever been. He sipped from the new glass of water and waited for a response.

[Guest]

Ohhhh he was most certainly fighting with himself. If she was the sort of assassin that she thought he was, then he definitely was taking issue with something right now. She could be wrong though, but she didn't believe that was the case. Jeu-Hee's smile steadily became more and more mischievous as his answer revealed that she was correct in her guesses so far. Well, now he knew that she knew what he did! Oh... She didn't think of how he'd react if he found out that she used to also assassinate people... Was it strange she didn't really think about it? Entirely possible there was something wrong there, buuuuuut.... Too late now! Heehee! "Familiar environment is always more comfortable to some extent, even if its tiny. Seemingly insignificant. But it remains. Just happens. As much as I love to see other places, and believe me I do, I always love to come home to Xing."

She seemed rather oblivious to the sudden change within him until she noticed how quiet he had become. That.... wasn't a good thing, was it? More people were filing into the room, laughing as they went to their tables completely unaware of the two potential killing machines in the room. One, it was his profession. The other, could do it if she so chose to. If she had to protect everyone else that was there, she would do her damndest to. She owed it to her country. Was her sense of helpfulness a little strange? Yes, but she didn't care. She always wanted to help without expecting anything in return, and she was actually perfectly ok with that. She had never gotten upset about anything in that way, just... never. It was a strange thing since she had seen others with that same desire to aid who broke down after a while, or wore out. So far, she was going strong. Very very strong, despite the changes that had happened in her life time.

She noticed how his eyes zoned out and dimmed, sitting up straighter in her chair as she readied herself to leap to attention. Glancing quickly from his fingertips to his face, she realized that she had no idea his alchemy. If it came to it, she'd just.... do something. Words did not leave her mouth for she knew that it might not help at all. It could send him into a frenzy, or bring him back. That was the impasse she was at. And she had no idea what to do. Crap. Crappity crap crap. She really hoped she wouldn't have to change forms here, she could only imagine what that might do for her image to the people. Oh hell.... or her coworkers.. her leader? Inwardly she gasped, would they send her away? Would they treat her differently? What if they demoted her? What would happen with her parents? What if.....

Calm.... She must be calm....

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly, trying to appear as calm as possible. She was passive, yet impassive with her expression, unreadable or at least very difficult. She had to be ready to face all consequences, sacrifice everything if she had to, take those risks!! Oh. Was that really all? As their eyes locked again, she noticed a slight tickling in her stomach, but disregarded out of worry if that was truly all. She was quiet for one more moment before she returned his smile and allowed herself to relax fully. "Well, glad that its passed." She spoke softly, realizing that she didn't worry about her cheerfulness at all in those past few moments. Wow. Improvement yay!!!

Her blush returned with a fury, pressing her lips together as she swung from side to side in her chair, casting her eyes towards the ground for a brief moment. Lord she wasn't used to this sort of thing! It was so new! So fresh! And and..and.... such a bad idea. The ending to his statement allowed her to snap back into focus, brushing a few stray hairs from her face. "I should like that I think." She paused as she thought of how to phrase the rest of her answer to him, her fingers folding together. "Well, my brief time in the military and my linguistic abilities make me ideal for the position that I now find myself in. If there is anything beyond that, then I wouldn't be sure." Yes... no info for him. She wouldn't fall for a potential trick like that, even if it wasn't meant that way at all.

[Guest]

Still somewhat shocked from his apparent inability to go all-out batshit insane at the moment, Ayden smiled as she responded to him, slowly finishing the rest of his water... coolly satisfying. A welcome refreshment indeed. "Well, that's good to hear. I'd certainly like to see you again."

A pause. Ayden laid back, stretching his arms and twisting his neck from side to side, sighing. This was certainly the life. Beautiful foreign women, and the odd kill here and there... wait, who was Ayden kidding? More like a bloody swath through the bodies of those he'd been hired to 'dispose of' and everyone around them at the time. Why, efficiency and a lack of witnesses was his number one priority!

He sighed once more. It was odd. He wasn't used to falling for anyone, whether they were worth it or not. If anything, he had playful flings and one-night stands where he so passionately indulged his urges and then was gone the next morning. It was the way he lived his life. Yet, for the first time, he'd actually almost found some value in a human being. In intelligence. He didn't know why. It was odd. Something so coincidental had turned out so well and yet so badly.

Ayden was angry at himself and over the moon both at the same time. He smiled and rubbed his forehead. He guessed, if ever, now was the time to start indulging in a little... liquid confidence. "Tell me, Miss Han... do you drink?" It was as simple as that. Perhaps he could solicit some more information with her, or maybe the consequences could end up being far more rewarding. It was a sly game the man was playing, indeed.

Hm. Perhaps he could get those new tattoos tonight, as well. Xingese body art was... beautiful. His hand went to the base of his neck, where he had his other existing tattoo, symbolic as opposed to alchemic. He wondered if just any old tattoo artist would be willing to help with his studies, however... that old woman could still be around the streets of Xi'an...

After all, he'd been meaning to experiment with a new style of transmutation to hopefully branch out his alchemy. Two, in truth. Both still body-related. One could dismember foes in moments, the other could cause agonising pain or feelings of sheer ecstasy with a click of his fingers. He chuckled, hoping he never got the two mixed up at the wrong time.

Ah well. It wasn't exactly at the front of his mind at the moment.

[Guest]

The atmosphere of the restaurant was becoming more and more alive with the nightlife of Xi'an, soft music soon heard in the background besides the voices of the other patrons. It drew Jeu-Hee's attention away from her new friend before her, turning her chair back so that it faced the table once more. She waved to a couple of people, a bright smile upon her face, chuckling softly to herself. Some of these people were here due to their station, or they liked it here. Some were sincere, some wore a pretty face to hide behind. His words caused her features to sort of soften, or maybe a better word was calm. Yes, a bad idea indeed.

The waiter came over and placed a bowl of ice cream in front of her, a grin immediately popping up. He knew! How did they always know... Thanking the man, she picked up her spoon with the enthusiasm of a child and dug in. Of course she was very, very aware of the possibility of a head freeze but-but-but... ICE CREAM!!! Mm, coconut... She loved coconut! It made her wonder if she should visit Esparia at some point to try their coconuts first hand. Mmm, but her business rarely brought her there. She'd have to change that she believed.

Quiet... It had grown quiet between them. Glistening leaves of her eyes looked up to her friend made of darkness, cocking her head so slightly to the side. A sigh. Had she done something wrong? Or was he fighting with himself still? She really hoped it wasn't the first of those options. Slowing in her nibbling of her ice cream, she glanced down to her sweet to his pretty face once more, blinking twice. She guessed that he was at least a couple of years older than her if not more, and with those years had there been experiences that she didn't know? Most definitely for everyone was different, but maybe it was one of these things that haunted his thoughts so? Just because she had been raised for several years in a facility where she had done many things many would have hated, she didn't see anything as inherently evil. Experiences were both good and bad. Mostly good. After all you grow with each you have right?

He was rather tricky to read, at least more than the average person, and... she wasn't sure how he was doing. She felt like as the resident of Xing, she was somehow failing as a host. At least until he spoke. Blinking once more, she was in mid-nom of her spoon with its delicious ice cream upon it, sliding it off as she shook her head. Swallowing, her gaze met his. "Nope! Even though I could, I haven't really. I don't have anyone I would drink with, aaaaaand not much reason to honestly." She shrugged as she reached the mid-point of her answer, sliding her ice cream bowl slightly towards him in an offer for him in case he wanted any. "It's coconut."

Checking her cell for the time, she wondered just how late she should stay out this night since she didn't doubt that she'd have some kind of work tomorrow. Maybe she should end this pleasant encounter soon. Right! She also had to take one of those ways back.... She still didn't want for Ayden to know where she lived exactly. If he did get a contract on her head, she had no idea if he would take it or not. She hoped he wouldn't, but work was work no matter what. Better safe than sorry.

[Guest]

Seeing her offer the ice cream to him, his eyes widened as far open as they possibly could. He loved ice cream. Adored it, in fact. But he'd not had it for years. Possibly a decade, since he still spoke to his father. It conjured up old memories. Bad memories. Horrific memories. He thought of the scars on his arms and touched his temple in thought.

But why not make it a toast to new starts? New beginnings? New relationships, and new knowledge. He decided he'd go along with impulse today. He had, so far, after all, and it had paid off. Plus... the smell of coconut... wafting into his nostrils... it was too tempting. His brain ran spirals with nostalgia until dizzy. His saliva glands pumped themselves raw.

"Perhaps... just a little bit. Coconut is my favourite flavour, after all." With that, he smiled nervously, grasped a nearby - clean - spoon, and dove in, digging out a lump almost the size of his fist, and popping the entire thing into his mouth, just smearing milky-white stains across the inside, most sensitive parts of his lips. Looking down at her, feeling guilty as all hell - a first - he chuckled nervously once more. "I'b sowwy. I weally love coconut!"

Of course, there was a rather nasty side-effect from this. First, Ayden's teeth began to feel fuzzy, and odd, as if the roots had been... frozen solid. It was painful, to say the least. Next, he began to make great big mammoth bites into the frosted ball. Being an ice-cream novice, having not eaten it for years, he didn't realise how much of a schoolboy error this was. The consequences.

"Ow ow ow ow ow ow!" Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of unending pain, he managed to get his gullet to reluctantly accept the horrific ball of sub-zero terror, and he pouted at Jeu-Hee. "Brainfreeze."

After padding his lips with a napkin a couple of times and waiting for the rather horrible numbing sensation to subside, he continued quietly, his ego still very much damaged and ashamed of the ice-cream debacle. He rubbed his nose and began to speak. "Well, there's no real place to start, but you probably should at some point. Just don't go overboard. I mean, I'm sure you can hold your own on spirits and all..."

He moved his head back and scanned her, up and down, once more.

"Nah, scratch that. You probably shouldn't drink yet, but it's your call." He said as he called for a waiter, ready to order probably another mug of green tea alongside a shot of the finest Xingese whiskey they had available. The stuff would probably be... well... foreign. Amestrian whiskey - especially matured - was hard to top.

"Last chance," He said as the waiter strutted over, twiddling his little pencil-thin moustache and staring at the pair of them. "Just another tea, or you want something a little... harder?"

He kicked himself, mentally, a thousand times, as he realised just how bad the sexual connotations of that were if Jeu-Hee took it as if it were an innuendo.

[Guest]

Her own eyes widened with surprise and well, happiness. Yay he didn't push it away!! This was just hard, cold proof that it didn't matter what a person looked like or did for a living, they will throw you for a loop anyways. And... it was really REALLY adorable. Like, she just had to squee on the inside a little bit. Just a little! Her smile reflected this as she licked lingering residues of the coconut on her spoon while she watched him. "Mine tooooooo! Go for it!" Giggling merrily, she paid no mind to his nerves. He had accepted~~ That was the biggest success for her right now.

Wow... he really was just being super-- HOLY CRAP THAT WAS A LARGE BIT OF ICE CREAM!! Her eyes had grown as wide as saucers, seeming rather fascinated/at a loss from the sheer amount he had grabbed and fit into his mouth. Wow...he was either a pro or very foolish.... Either way, it just struck at that adorable core aaand she squeed aloud. Just a little bit. It was sort of like a little 'eep' that had come from her. His guilty expression did not help at all. So he was an interesting and adorable assassin! Her laugh shimmered through the air as she shook her head with the slight violence of youth. "Mmm-umm, it's so good! Tis why I love it so~"

Yep yep, she always had~ It threw the facility people for a bit of a loop. Aww... now she wanted a chocolate coconut cheesecake slice... No! No more sweets! Too much hyper would ensue! She was already demonstrating the signs and and and noooooooo. It might make Ayden explode! And that would be very bad bad terribly bad.

Speaking of Ayden.... Jeu-Hee's eyes snapped back into focus upon her friend to see he was suffering from a massive brainfreeze. She winced as she knew that feeling all too well, another spoonful of ice cream in her mouth. Her spoon still protruded from between her lips as she leaned forward and patted him gently upon the head with a knowing sort of expression mixed with sympathy. "Touch the top of your mouth with your tongue, it'll help get rid of the brainfreeze faster." She told him softly, her hand coming to rest back in her lap as the other pulled the spoon from her mouth, her signature small, but sweet smile rising to her lips. It was simply so cute!

mm... his hair was really soft... She kind of wanted to pet it more.. No, she wasn't sure if she had overstepped the personal space boundary by patting his head! Best to wait and see, that would be wiser. Yes yes, much much wiser yes! She pouted too to see him in such a state, only relaxing until she saw he was fine again. Brainfreezes were so so evil! Twisty twisty evil... They just wanted a lot of ice cream at once! Meh! She was distracted from her inner rant as he shifted subjects back to that of booze, causing her to blink and tilt her head more to the side. Spirits? She couldn't grasp spirits, they were..... Oooohhhhhhh, thats right! Spirits also meant liquor.... Right! She knew that! She really did!

She sat up straighter as she watched him look her over, a faint blush starting to rise to her cheeks since... well... She didn't know!! It made her embarrassed? Yes yes, that was it.

"Mreowr?" She murmured, now slightly confused. She could, or she couldn't grasp the spirits? Waaaait for it.... RIGHT! A persons body weight did determine to a point how much they could drink. Knowledge, she did have it, really she did. Biting her lower lip, what should she do? What should she do?! "I-um.. I.. I..Alloftheabove!" The words rushed out of her as she was caught at an impasse in her head, returning to biting her lip again. She felt pressure to try to drink, but at the same time she was hesitant to. Very hesitant. Bad idea was bad!! "I mean..." her eyes lowered to her lap as her flustered state brought another blush to her cheeks, her head now bowed. "I mean... um... cold sake please?" She almost mumbled the words, remaining as she was, some loose strands of hair falling in front of her face. This was such a terrible idea... Though it did raise the question, what sort of drunk was she going to-- OH NO. What if she shifted forms?!?!?!? She had eaten a lot, that would slow things down... and she would drink water. Right right, you stayed sober if you spaced it out with these things... Nothing bad would happen.... right? Oooohhhhh she should be doing this with someone she didn't have to worry about trying to extract secrets from her! Like her parents. Or someone. Not an interesting-adorable-assassin.

Her braid slid in front of her shoulder, her hands undoing it in their nervousness. She didn't look at anything except for her lap, now feeling quite foolish.

[Guest]

Ayden rubbed the back of his head nervously, before he felt Jeu-Hee's hand touch his head, staring back up at her with a complete deadpan look upon his face. It was one thing for her to make that rather annoying yet incredibly cute sound when he stuffed too much icecream into his mouth, but... "I hope you do realise that you're the only person that's going to get away with that."

He paused for just a single moment, before finishing off. "Ever." With a chuckle, he dropped his hand back to the table and began drumming it, hoping he hadn't offended her or anything. He wasn't quite sure what to do. Dammit, he was an assassin, not a goddamn psychologist. What would he be expected to do? What was socially acceptable? The entire thing had gone from flawless to overtly awkward in a split-second.

He hoped that if he just continued the pair could laugh it off. Infact, some of her laughter to shatter the awkward illusion he'd managed to conjure up would be the perfect drug at the moment. Not that he needed anything else to help make things slide along more easily. Just over this hurdle, and it should all go smooth.

Perfectly smoooooth.

...he was acting like a fifteen year old, wasn't he?

Shaking the issue away, he chuckled nervously and nodded. He looked up to the waiter, and in the most sophisticated voice possible, he muttered a few quick, sharp words; yet somehow almost amazingly suave at the same time. Dominance yet romance. It showed... well, he didn't exactly know what it showed. "Double measure of your finest whiskey for me," He said, scratching the back of his neck, the slight red tinge to his cheeks having dissipated long ago.

And then, the final part of the order. "and some cold sake for the lady." He paused, and turned back to her, grinning. "Trust me. It's nice. You should like it. It's an acquired taste, a little fiery, pretty sharp, and it'll probably hurt your throat a little, but when it gets down there in your stomach... it feels great."

Oh god.

He just realised how much of a dirty double entendre that could come across as. A really, really bad one.

Twice in a row? Really, Ayden?

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