Spreading the Word. (open)

[Anonymous]

Ghost smiled cheerfully at him and then looked over at the red outfit. The color really was eye popping and quite beautiful. Honestly she'd never really considered wearing a color other than white. Since everyone she could remember called her Ghost she figured she'd go with the whole ghost personage. Perhaps it was time for a change? She walked over to it and picked it off of the rack. The design was quite attractive, modest but would still be cool in the heat.

"Hm. It is quite fetching. Let me go try it on and then tell me what you think." She said to Hysaeda and then found a changing room. Quickly she got dressed and then walked out to see what her new found friend thought of the outfit. "Well, what do you think? Does it look okay?" She asked a bit nervously.

[Lion]

Hysaeda nodded in response and waited while she found the changing room.  In the meantime, he looked around the shop and glanced at a few of the robes that were folded neatly on the shelves.  They were quaintly made and each outfit had a distinctly feminine touch to them.  This was no doubt a woman's clothing shop and suddenly that thought made it heat rise in his cheeks and even moreso when he found the clerk at the counter gazing at him.

But he turned his attention back to Ghost as she emerged from the dressing room, clad in the red outfit.  The cloth really set against her skin and he was taken aback by what he saw.  "Wow!" was all he was able to mutter.

[Anonymous]

Ghost was very pleased with his response. It wasn't often that she made a guy basically speechless. Of course his reaction also made her blush from her toes to her head. Though she was already comfortable with Hysaeda, she suddenly felt very shy around him. "Thanks." She said, brushing her white hair out of her face. She wanted to see what it looked like for herself.

She walked up to the lady behind the counter and asked if there was a mirror. The lady pointed to a big stand-up one in the corner. "I want to see." She said to Hysaeda, dragging him behind her by the arm. In front of the mirror she studied herself. She did like the red outfit and the way it made her white skin and hair stand out. Surprisingly it also made her violet eyes stand out as well. "Think I should go with this one or should I try out more?" She asked him.

[Lion]

Hysaeda, though speechless, didn't feel heat rise from his face as he might have been wont to do in this kind of situation.  He wasn't one to lie much and so was often blindingly honest whenever he spoke to people, no matter who he was talking to.  And Ghost would be no different.  Honestly he did like the dress and felt that it was only the proper response to say so, even if the response was a little awkward sounding as it escaped his mouth.

He was still a little stunned as she moved away, talked to the clerk, then walked back to move him away from blocking the mirror.  Obeying her motions like a puppet, he chose to stand behind her as she studied her own image.  His eyes went over her form and he nodded in approval.  "Yes, this one is very nice.  But if you would to try another one, don't let me stop  you."  A smile stretched across his face in expression of his visual delight.  Shopping had never been so much fun before.

[Anonymous]

Ghost was having a good time. Much better than earlier. Of course anything was better than almost being beaten by a crowd of angry people. She all of a sudden wanted to try on all the outfits she thought was pretty. "All right then. Let me pick out another." She said, a wide grin on her face. She went back to the rack the red outfit had been on and she searched for another toga to try on. This time she found a lavender colored dress. It was halter style and the middle of it was made out of a more sheer material. It was also floor length with a bit of a slit running up the side.

She went back to the changing room and quickly took off the red outfit and put on the purple one. Then she stepped out and went back to the mirror and Hysaeda. "What about this one?" She asked him as she posed in front of the year. Ghost really liked the way this outfit matched her eyes and how it made her body look. The sheer material made it just a bit more on the sexy side, but it was still a very modest outfit.

[Lion]

He couldn't help but smile in the face of her excitement really.  It was nice to see that he wasn't the only one enjoying himself.  Though he wasn't getting anything or trying on any outfits it was always nice to see joy on another's face, even if he wasn't the cause of it.  It didn't really matter what caused her glee right now but whatever the case, it made him feel good to see her excited about something.  It sure was a lot better than the instance of seeing her on the verge of being beaten by an angry mob.

The next dress she picked out was as equally astonishing as the last, though he wouldn't say as conservative.  It was a wonderful lavender color, possibly made of a combination of muslin and other fabrics.  He had little time to think or say anything before she bounded off to try on the toga-like dress.  He was equally impressed with her presentation when she returned and almost automatically said, "Amazing!  You fill out quite nicely.  I think you should go with this one instead of the red one.  Makes you look more...beautiful.  For lack of a better word, I suppose."  He shrugged and grinned sheepishly.

[Anonymous]

Ghost blushed at his very kind words. "Thank you Hysaeda. I don't think anyone's ever called me beautiful before. Means a lot." She told him and gently squeezed his hand. "I will buy this one then. Since you think it is the best." She went back into the changing room and put on her old white outfit. Then she took the purple outfit up to the owner of the shop to pay for it. Once done she went back over to Hysaeda. "Well, what now my friend?" She asked. She hoped that he didn't want to part ways so soon. It had been way too long since she had enjoyed somebody's company so much.

[Lion]

Hysaeda couldn't help but blush a little at her comment.  Of course he only meant what he said in the most genuine and innocent of ways.  He usually always meant what he said and there weren't many occasions where he was deliberately dishonest.  He squeezed her hand in kind and nodded in response to her words.  She left and he wandered back to the door in wait while she paid for the item.

When she returned and asked him her question, he suddenly was forced to shrug, embarrassed that he was now at a loss.  "Uh, well," he began, uncertain.  He was tempted to part ways with her but he didn't think it would be very wise to do so.  Say there was a chance she intended to preach again and he wasn't there to stop an angry mob from tearing her to pieces?  That thought alone was enough to send a cold chill into the pit of his stomach, though he didn't want to know why.

He cleared his throat and opened the door as he said with a smile, "Would you care to go for a simple walk around the plaza?"  He laughed shyly as he strode out the door when suddenly he felt himself bump into something hard.  Knocking him back into the door frame, Hysaeda dizzily shook his head and looked up to see a large man towering over him.

He had a grimace on his face and a snarl on his lips.  Angrily he reached down and picked up the Umbraeon and said, "Well, well, well.  What do we have here?  Don't you know savages like you aren't welcome here?!"

[Anonymous]

Ghost met him at the door. She could tell that he was at a loss and her heart sank a little. Then much to her delight he suggested a nice walk around the plaza. "That sounds quite wonderful indeed my friend." She answered. She was following him out of the door when all of a sudden Hysaeda was knocked to the ground. Next thing she knew he was picked up by a very large, bulk of a man.

"Well, well, well. What do we have here? Don't you know savages like you aren't welcome here?!" The large man said in a very menacing way to Hysaeda. Ghost gasp and was unsure of what to do. She didn't want her new friend to get hurt, by what obviously was a bully. Automatically she said a short prayer to Anaisyn for strength and guidance.

"Excuse me sir. We're just passing through. Please let my friend go." She said to the large man with as much courage as she could.

[Lion]

Hysaeda rushed away from the dregs of dizziness and pushed against the hands of the large man, eventually succeeding in tearing away his sausage fingers.  He looked dirty and exhausted.  And no doubt in no mood to deal with a couple of travelers passing through.  Nonetheless, Hysaeda watched the other man snarl viciously as he moved out of the way for them to pass through at Ghost's insistence.

He skirted down the steps, tugging the Cleric after him, keeping his eyes warily on the man.

The man, it seemed, was content in letting them pass when suddenly he called out to them, "Hey, don't run into me again, black savage.  Your kind don't belong here and if I catch you again, I'll rip your goddamn head off."  Then he looked at Ghost and smirked lasciviously.

Hysaeda gave him nothing more than a nod of understanding before nudging Ghost's arm and said, "Let's go..."  As he walked away, his face was placid.  Though that did nothing to convey the tumultuous flames that burned on the inside.

[I think it might be interesting to throw a racist in there.  He'll probably show up later just to cook up some trouble, if you don't mind.]

[Anonymous]

Ghost was fairly good at hiding what she was feeling, so on the outside she looked a bit disturbed, but in actuality on the inside she was terrified. She grabbed a hold of Hysaeda as he lead them down the stairs away from the very angry racist man. She was very relieved that the big man had let them pass by without harm. "That was a bit scary." She said softly. "People like that make me sad. Some can be so...uncivalized. Let's not let us ruin our time. Shall we head on to the plaza?"

[Lion]

Despite Hysaeda's stony face, inside he was burning with embarrassment.  He'd heard of people like him, other mortals that were of such a small mind that they made the rest of their race look bad.  True there were even those of his own kind that didn't have a care for other cultures or races but they were few and far between.  He didn't think that encountering one could make him feel so...inferior.

Never in his life had he been so ashamed to be Umbraeon in a single second of encountering another person.  But he was relieved for a moment when he let them pass without incident.  He cringed inwardly at the thought of what the man might've done had he changed his mind.

"Uh, yes."  Hysaeda nodded to Ghost and smiled faintly.  "They are most regrettable.  But I'd rather not waste time.  Let us continue."

[Anonymous]

"Sounds good to me." She said as she quickly followed Hysaeda out of the area. They walked on towards the plaza, the encounter with the hateful man drifted further and further from her mind the more distance they put between them. By the time they reached the plaza area she had almost all but forgotten the ugly situation. The plaza wasn't full of people, but there were enough running here and there. A small group of children kicked around a ball next to the large fountain that stood in the center of the plaza. "This is a really pretty place. I'm surprised I didn't find it earlier." Ghost stated looking around.

[Lion]

True, getting away from the area that caused Hysaeda a great deal of mental anguish was good for his psyche and mentality.  He didn't know what he would know if he had to stay in that area any longer.  It was rather funny how a place that once gave him pleasure while shopping with Ghost, suddenly made him feel sick to his stomach.  And it was all thanks to that bastard.  But he didn't want to think on him.  Such a person was just unfortunate in his eyes.

"It is.  Oh, it's been such a long time since I last been to Essryn.  I may not like the desert but I've always thought there was something beautiful about the city.  What do you like most about cities?"

[Anonymous]

Ghost thought a moment about his question before she answered. "Honestly there's more than just one thing I like about cities. The architecture, the shops, the culture, the resturaunts, the people. Well, sometimes the people. I can't say I'm that fond of the people here. There's a lot of things to appreciate about a city. Though I must say I think I'm a bigger fan of nature. It's much simpler."

"How about yourself? Do you like cities or would you prefer to stay away from them?" She asked.

[Lion]

"Simplicity is usually something most people look for when it comes to things they like.  Nature is, to an extent, incredibly simple...if you're looking in the from the outside.  People have told me once, 'What's so special about rocks and trees?'  And such a question was difficult to answer, even for someone like me who lives there."  Hysaeda grew solemn for a moment as he pondered on the subject of cities.  He didn't get out much when it came to wandering 'civilization' but he liked Essryn, despite the heat.  It was rare, for him at least, to find a city that was a little more 'in tune' with its surroundings as opposed to some who pushed away from nature.

"I suppose I like what you like.  The structure and creation of such magnificent pieces of architecture.  I get amazed that such things can be created in such a short amount of time here in cities as opposed to the quiet patience of nature.  Here everything is rushed...I prefer serenity over being busy.  I wonder why people like living in cities..."

[Anonymous]

"The convenience I suppose is the best reason. Being close to everything you would ever think to need or want. Being close to other people, though that's not always a good thing." Ghost replied.

Over near the fountain was a small cart selling fresh breads that smelled simply delicious. "Mmm. That looks good. Let's get some. It'll be my treat." She said, pulling Hysaeda over that way. The vendor was an older man who didn't seem to be able to see very well. Ghost picked out two hot flat pieces of bread and then got the spread the older gentleman suggested. "Here you go." She said, handing Hysaeda his bread after she had paid the vendor. Then she took a bite for herself. The spread was some kind of refreshing fruit and tasted divine on the fresh, soft bread.