[open] A walk through the (water)park

[Iris]

The fucking thing ate my quarter. IT FUCKING ATE MY QUARTER! Her eyes widened and then narrowed maliciously at the machine before her. It was times like these, that Iris despised her luck. Her hands grasped at the sides and she shook it wildly a moment, before noticing the sign that boldly told her not to. Well. FINE! She had then stopped her shaking of it and roughly kicked it in the dead center. Naturally it just wobbled, lights still flashing. Well, there went that teddy bear she had wanted. Of course she had to check and see if anyone had been watching her. It would kind of look bad if she was beating up a machine for a teddy bear. No matter how bad she wanted it, it wasn't worth looking like a seventeen year old. Her eyes closed and she shifted her scarf over her mouth. No matter if it was hot as Hell in South City, she always had a fashionable scarf to linger on her neck. This one was light weight, as to not aid heatstroke. After all, what would be the point of having heavy, warm wear on a hot and sweaty day? It seemed kind of pointless to her. Despite the fact it was also DANGEROUS. Nevertheless, she felt rather comfortable with her light vest over a patterned t-shirt. Her pants were softly decorated flares, sprayed with lighter colors to give a glimmer look. One her feet were her black shoes with high-top designs and white soles. The shine of her nail-polish was its usual cyan with crimson alchemy circles designed atop, beneath coats of clear.

The sun was blaring rather angrily down upon her face. A certain shine that glimmered and glowed at the woman's soft skin. It was an average day, the ground shifting beneath her every step. She could hear the running engines and the loose sound of shutting trunks. People passed by with bags and giggles as Iris slipped out of an arcade. So what if it wasn't the most professional thing to do? Everyone had an outlet and once in a while Iris wanted to play a video game just like everyone else. The only problem was the fine line between video game and crane game. What did it matter? It wasn't like anyone had seen her shameful tact and HAD they, she would deny it. To. Her. Grave. That was always the best answer when things didn't go right.

She found no purpose in her trip to South City. Originally it was to check the water park out, but she decided against it at last second. It wasn't really the time of year for water rides and it was never fun to go alone. It seemed like just taking a scenery vacation was in order. Now and then people just needed a breath of new air. Her pink eyes closed and softly, she inhaled what she wasn't used to. Warmth filled her lungs. It was delightful fresh air. Sometimes, the simplest things were the best. Her bag weighed heavy on her hip. If she didn't carry so much crap, she wouldn't have to haul it around like some sort of mule. Then again, it was more of a hassle to walk back to get it if she needed it. It was always easier to reach back and grab her pad and pen, then begin her sketching without hesitated haste. Back and forth, she browsed, bored ad looking for something to do.

[Marcelina H. de León]

People. They never failed to amuse her. Sometimes the simplest things could cause the most joy... or the most frustration. That's why being at the arcade never ceased to make Marcelina laugh. Sometimes she spent her time there. She wasn't entirely fond of the games, but she did enjoy watching other people play them. And the poor girl in with the pink hair... the crane game had taken another victim. She had even SHAKEN the machine. That had caused Marcelina to laugh, but she'd been forced to duck behind the Mario Kart machine, lest the girl see her. Laughter faded away quickly, a little guilt gnawing at her. She had been just the same, when she was a little girl, rejected by the crane. But when two little brothers clung for toys... one learned fast.

Marcelina reached into the pocket of her short-breeches, pulling out some change. Adjusting the belt around her hips, which was far lighter without Parley, she moved to the crane machine. She easily spotted the teddy bear the girl had been trying to grab at and she popped the coins into the machine. It came to life and when Marcelina felt she had assessed the situation enough, she hit the start button. The seconds began to tick away, but she expertly grabbed at the bear and had it over the drop before the clock hit zero. She watched with a satisfied smirk when the bear dropped down, out of the little chute at her feet. She swooped down and picked it up, moving out of the arcade. The pink hair wasn't difficult to lose and boots clacking, she managed to catch up easily enough. “Hey!” She called with a small smile, and once the girl turned, she gently tossed the bear in her direction. “Catch!” She must've looked odd, with her white shirt, red vest and white-cravat. But maybe not so intimidating without her sword. Just a pirate, doing the good deed for the day!

[Iris]

In her grim irritation, Iris couldn't hear much of anything going around. So when she heard the word , Hey, she didn't take it as a call to her. The word 'catch' caught her curiosity and she stopped, turning. Pink eyes finding something flying directly for her face. Her hands instinctively defended herself, catching it and the pink moved down to see an familiar face peering up at her so calmly. The same expression sat on it, as if it weren't just hurled at a girl, through the air. Her initial reaction was to blush. A sort of instinctive reaction, that brought the rolling red into her cheeks briefly. What was that feeling? A perk of joy, happiness and even excitement that mingled and gave her stomach a pleasant lurch. Her heart hopped giddily like the child that always sat inside of her chest. An eagerness always had a place nestled in her stomach.

Shortly after, Iris brought her eyes to the person whom had thrown the animal. She felt like such a child, holding it to her chest, while giving curious looks at the woman before her. "I- thank you." Her voice was a startled tone on the air. Her hand moved absentmindedly, to brush bangs out of her face. Why had this woman gone out of her way to get a stuffed toy for some strange teenager she didn't know? It was an odd phenomena. "Why- you.." Words were dumb lapses of failed sentences. Take two. "I'm Iris." Indeed, her intelligent statement had begun with an introduction. At least it was better than the weather. How she hoped that wouldn't be the next statement falling from her lips. Her expression was of pure bewilderment.

[Marcelina H. de León]

"I- thank you. Why- you.." Marcelina chuckled. She had not quite intended to catch the girl off guard, but it seemed she had done just that. Maybe it was a new tactic she could incorporate into swordplay... throwing things into people's faces. Not quite the gentlemanly way to go about things, but pirates weren't always supposed to behave, now were they? "I'm Iris." Marcelina gave a small bow in greeting, wishing wistfully for her hat so she could wave it off in a stylish flourish. “Marcelina,” she responded, the “r” rolling as it always did. She smiled politely. “I have two younger brothers.” She gestured to the bear. “Those games were once the key to becoming the greatest sister in the world.”

She moved slowly closer, not wanting to seem alarming by any means. But it was nice to meet a new face, even if it was in a rather unorthodox manner. She was wearing a scarf, which was a little strange, in the heat of South City. Maybe she was cold-blooded and chilly everywhere she went? Well, it definitely wasn't Marcelina's place to pry into Iris' clothing choices. “What brings you to South City?” There we go. A nice, polite question to start off a potential friendship.

[Iris]

“Marcelina, I have two younger brothers. Those games were once the key to becoming the greatest sister in the world.” Esparian. Iris pegged it quickly just by the way the woman rolled her 'r'. It wasn't a bad thing, it was just one of those things that Iris noticed right away. She was pretty enough, as well. Her dark hair really highlighted her features. Iris couldn't help but laugh a bit at her words. The days when her older sister would do things like that were long gone. Her and her sister were at a crack now. They didn't talk much, after all she was married with kids and Iris, well Iris was still just a kid. That was all she ever was to her older sister, a kid. Iris shrugged her shoulders. It didn't matter anymore. The past was the past and there it would stay as long as she could keep it. “What brings you to South City?"

That was a good question and a reasonable one at that. Iris pulled her lips into a smile. Apparently, the choice of scarf DID start a good conversation, however it still seemed kind of cliche. The question was old as 'how's the weather', but it worked just as well as when it started. "I decided to visit." Her shoulders shrugged with a soft grin remaining. No need to be cold or upset. Genuine curiosity was not to be attacked worth sarcasm or rudeness. The only time Iris had a mean bone was when people got on her nerves and this woman had by far not done that. A hand slipped the teddy bear into her bag, still a bit red from her being caught, but not as visible as before. "What about you. You're not from around here, are you??" A quick judgement to make, but she thought it was reasonable. There was no reason to avoid the elephant in the room.

[Marcelina H. de León]

"I decided to visit." Marcelina nodded her head sagely. A reasonable explanation to come to South City. Polite, and definitely vague. But still, Iris and Marcelina had literally just met. She hardly expected Iris to share her life's story with her at this very second. It would be far too strange. "What about you. You're not from around here, are you??" Marcelina chuckled and shook her head. “No, not originally. But this is my home now.” She gestured casually, as if indicating the entire city and beyond. “Originally, I lived further north when I first came to Amestris. But adventure called here. And when adventure calls, I must follow.” She laughed again. She decided to avoid the “pirate” thing for a moment, because she didn't want any kind of fight on her hand. The pirates were still casually a security group of sorts, but that didn't mean that visitors wouldn't quite get the idea. She began moving slowly down the way, assuming Iris would walk along. No use in standing idlly when there could be movement!



[Sorry this post is incredibly short. T__T]

[Iris]

“No, not originally. But this is my home now. Originally, I lived further north when I first came to Amestris. But adventure called here. And when adventure calls, I must follow.” The woman had said. Well, that was definitely odd. She sounded almost not from around Amestris, but then again, she WASN'T from Amestris, so that solved that problem almost instantly. Okay, so this woman was a bit different, but that was what made her unique. It was unique in a good way, luckily. Iris turned her lips into a soft smile, liking this woman already. So she was an adventurer? There weren't many of those anymore. At least, Iris barely saw any about, pursuing new areas, new lands or just new ideas. Everything was pretty stagnant, but this woman seemed to lead an exciting life. Iris wondered if it was more exciting than her own life. Militant lives could become pretty redundant after some time. Mainly they had to do paperwork and a lot of the same kinds of paperwork. This resulted in doodles and the like on her paper most times.

"I see," Iris stated. Her arms crossed with one finger tapping on her chin. "Well, South City has to be a nice home." She laughed a bit, finding an odd sense of amusement of a snowman living in the desert. "However, it is FAR too hot for my tastes. I prefer the cold, it gives me reason to bundle up." With a shrug of her shoulders, she looked at the woman with a kindness. "It's not often that adventurers come around, Marcelina. I have to say you're the first I met." God's honest truth.

[Marcelina H. de León]

Marcelina nodded in response to Iris. South was a nice home. Not quite as hot as Esparia or not quite the same landscape. But it was beautiful and unique and most importantly, she liked living there. “However, it is FAR too hot for my tastes. I prefer the cold, it gives me reason to bundle up.” Marcelina gave a short bark of laughter. “You must be from North City, then. Terribly cold up there.” She shook her head with a smile. “It was a challenging environment to adjust to. I must say, I'm happier down here.”

“It's not often that adventurers come around, Marcelina. I have to say you're the first I met.” Marcelina shrugged her shoulders, although her eyes sparkled with appreciation. Iris would probably be surprised to learn that Marcelina was a pirate to boot! What a good day this had turned out to be so far. She gestured to Iris. “Come along, then. If you want to visit South, standing in one place won't get you very far.” Once Iris had moved to walk with her. “Being adventurous isn't too difficult. Have you ever wanted to go on an adventure?” Marcelina had a scheme in mind. What better way to introduce Iris to South than by going on a little adventure?

[Iris]

“Come along, then. If you want to visit South, standing in one place won't get you very far. Being adventurous isn't too difficult. Have you ever wanted to go on an adventure?” Well yes, yes she had. The stranger had asked her and it seemed Iris had already made a new friend. Marvelous! For once she wasn't sarcastic, as Iris found her feet shuffling into position behind Marcelina. An adventure promised new sights and sounds. She enjoyed venturing into the unknown, this seemed like one of those times. She followed closely behind the woman. One hand pressed gently to the bear in her bag. The ear still poked out, Rubbing it between her fingers, she couldn't help but enjoy the fir. Was she strange? Cute things still held a passage to her heart and they always would.

The are around her blurred together as they walked. Each of her steps were shadows to the new friend of hers. She reminded her of the old pirate movies she watched. The woman with nice dress, though a bit odd for modern Amestris. Was it odd or was it just different to Iris, because she had a style all her own. The fashion she wore was not for everyone, so who was she to call the outfit the woman wore odd? This WAS south which meant their clothes were different than those of North or even central. The style may be similar but the look would never be the same. "I've never really had time to adventure." Iris stated almost randomly and incredibly delayed. "I'm almost always working, but I do tour other countries when I get the time and I love it." Her head nodded slowly and a smile played at her lips. "I get excited for the new environments and the people I meet along the way."

[Marcelina H. de León]

"I've never really had time to adventure. I'm almost always working, but I do tour other countries when I get the time and I love it. I get excited for the new environments and the people I meet along the way." Marcelina nodded sagely. That was somewhat unfortunate, having to work all the time. But Marcelina knew from her younger days that work was somewhat all-consuming. Being a pirate had serious bonuses. She was getting great pay by playing security in South City, plus free room. She couldn't complain about that at all. Marcelina mused for a moment about an adventure. She didn't really want to get into anything illegal, as it seemed wrong for security to break rules they usually kept set. So... what was there? A large smiled crawled across her face.

“Well, Iris. I have an adventurous proposition for you. Have you ever wanted to see what it was like to be a pirate?” She paused in her step to look back at Iris, a sparkle in her eye. The only way to get onto Pirate Island was by invitation. Iris would be the talk of her office, talking about seeing a pirate ship and learning to swordplay. The options were endless, and it was definitely an adventure!

[Iris]

The beautiful woman stopped and looked at Iris. Her own steps had halted so as to not fall into the woman. Her eyes rose to catch the opposing pair. A stare and Iris could swear a hint of challenge flickered in the woman's eyes. What was on her mind, she wondered. Iris tilted her head only a slight and found that her questions were swiftly answered. “Well, Iris. I have an adventurous proposition for you. Have you ever wanted to see what it was like to be a pirate?” Naturally one answered question had to be replaced with another. This time, Iris had to speak and continue the conversation.

A pirate? Did those still exist? The pink-haired militant blinked a couple times as she debated upon the options. She was without a true home.. her love, Fort Briggs had fallen and left her without anywhere to go, honestly, but could she find new loyalties? The questions that plagued her, asked all the same question: Could she leave the loss behind her? Her heart stopped as the memories replayed and she could feel her own joy dwindle away to nothing. How long would it hurt? The answer wasn't an immediate yes or no. She couldn't do that, there was too much on her mind. So, instead, Iris looked at the woman before her and took a slightly heavy breath. "As exciting as that seems.. I need a little time before I just whisk myself off to an adventure." She looked distantly a moment. Her eyes turned away and then closed briefly. "Is it okay if I think it over a bit first?"

[Marcelina H. de León]

"As exciting as that seems.. I need a little time before I just whisk myself off to an adventure." Marcelina nodded her head a little. She needed the adventure, but she didn't yet want the adventure. And that was the key difference. "Is it okay if I think it over a bit first?" As Iris turned back and opened her eyes, Marcelina smiled brightly at her. “Of course!” She clicked her tongue, looking side to side at the various shops. “Be right back!” Marcelina dashed into a small music shop, one that she often frequented. Waving at the owner, she grabbed a piece of paper from behind the register and a pen. She scribbled down a short message and with another wave, returned to Iris. Her eyes sparkling with amusement, she handed over the piece of paper. “Don't lose that. Take it down to the docks of the lake when you're ready and give it to the owner of the boat rental shop.” Marcelina heard the chimes of a large clock in the bazaar, reminding her of the time. She swore for a moment before bowing slightly to Iris. “I've got to be going right now, but I suspect we'll see each other again. It was good to meet you, Iris.” Without leaving much of a chance to say goodbye, Marcelina disappeared into the crowd. Iris was left alone with a piece of paper where written in a flourishing script was:

Iris is cordially invited to travel to Pirate Island, as the guest of Marcelina Henriquez de León, pirate extraordinaire.

[END THREAD]

[Sponsored content]