un: sieglindesullivan / video

[grunehexe]

[If you've ever seen an illegal cam recording from the back row of a theater, you are familiar with the style of this broadcast.

Observe, (as best you can), the players upon the stage. The stage being the cave in which many of them have taken shelter from the storm outside, specifically a large, flat rock, at which two fine male specimens you may recognize as Achilles, son of Peleus, and a certain McCree, locked in the midst of a fierce... arm wrestling battle.

Bare arm muscles flexing, beads of sweat dripping, jaws gritting, knuckles white and shaking, eyes narrowed in concentration and competition, testosterone veritably sparking in the air... as two very fit grown men have it out in a no holds barred thirst-fanning battle of the bulges. Arm muscle bulges.

You might catch glimpse of the lovely referee, (blond, very appropriately serious about judging this contest, thanks, Riza), and hear snatches of people rooting for a particular candidate, (the broadcaster herself seems to favor Achilles, if "steel yourself for victory, Achilles!" is any indication), but mostly this is about enjoying a good man on man test of strength.

Until, that is, a voice can be heard.]

- Are you recording that?

[The video sadly? and promptly goes black as the magitek jewelry is clutched to a bosom in scandalous retort.]

Is it not a sight worth sharing? For posterity, you see-

[And apparently she thought it best to post... for posterty. What? Any lady or inclined fella unfortunate enough to not see it go down surely wouldn't want to miss the show... ?]

Comments

[whatshimadayou]

He is capable of that much, somehow.

[grunehexe]

[Also...]

If he is a "cowboy", what are you?

[whatshimadayou]

There are many terms for me. I suppose the closest is "ninja".

It seems as if you are unfamiliar with these terms?

SPITTAKE

[grunehexe]

["Ninja"...

She shakes her head, sending the long hair not tied up in her headdress swishing about.]

No. We do not have such things in... "Germany".

[That's what she'd been told her village belonged to, anyway.]

You are... Oriental?

fingerguns at

[whatshimadayou]

[He holds his tongue. She is simply German? Of course Germans should know what he means.

But he cannot assume, obviously, that everyone is from the same world as he is, considering the company he keeps now. And he also cannot assume they are from the same time period.

Hanzo snorts. Oriental.]

I am from Japan.

A ninja is a way of saying that I have been trained in stealth and fighting. That is very simplified, but the easiest way to explain to you what I am.

[grunehexe]

[It's a long story...

AND SORRY, HANZO, IT'S STILL COOL TO SAY "ORIENTAL" IN HER TIME PERIOD...]

Japan- the island?

[whatshimadayou]

Yes, the island. Though likely a variation of it that you would not be familiar with.

[grunehexe]

The chance is high, yes- many of us seem to come from "Earth", but not all those "Earths" are the same...

[It was confusing, to say the least, but.]

But your world has "Germany"?

[whatshimadayou]

[Hanzo makes a small noise, almost like a laugh.]

Yes. It does.

[grunehexe]

[Is that... funny?]

Have you ever been there?

[whatshimadayou]

Yes, on more than one occasion. I traveled much of the world.

Germany is fairly calm in comparison to most other places I'd been.

[grunehexe]

[Now it's her turn to make a small noise almost like a laugh...]

Is it... ?

[It's sort of ironic.]

Is it nice, then? A nice place to live?

[whatshimadayou]

I do not know. Everywhere is going to have something difficult or awful about it. But there is beauty in most places as well.

But I would visit again. Perhaps not even for work.

[grunehexe]

I see...

[She turns her gaze back to the arm wrestling, but she isn't really watching it, not any longer.]

- I apologize. That was a strange question.

[whatshimadayou]

It is fine. An understandable question when you are curious what your home country is like in another place and time.

I would ask you about Japan, but it does not sound as if you know much.

[grunehexe]

[In another time and place... it would be awkward to say she was curious about it in her own. Too much to explain- that she hadn't even known the country was called Germany until recently.]

I am afraid not- my library was focused more upon the European sphere.

[whatshimadayou]

Then there is no concern for not knowing. Your library can only supply so much.

Should you have any questions, I will do what I can to answer.

[grunehexe]

I do need to learn about Japan. I might go there.

[If ALASTAIR would cooperate, anyway...]

Do you know about "Warring States"?

[whatshimadayou]

The Sengoku period? Yes, a little. What are you looking to learn?

[grunehexe]

Is it terribly far from your own time?

[whatshimadayou]

[Hanzo snorts, like it's a stifled laugh.]

Very far, I am afraid.

[grunehexe]

... How far is "very far"?

[whatshimadayou]

Several centuries of a time difference, I am afraid. What I know is out of what I was educated on, not because I experienced it.

[grunehexe]

[Hmm...

Well, there's one way to test if the worlds are similar.]

Does the name "Date Masamune" ring a bell?

[whatshimadayou]

[Hanzo now lets out a quiet laugh, like a low rumble of thunder.]

My father would rise from the grave to strike me for forgetting such a name.