Nox wasn’t really sure where you took an elf princess to "hang out" in a perfectly normal, functioning city district.
’Okay, what’s sothing that isn’t completely boring and might be vaguely interesting to soone from another world?’ he thought. He rembered an arcade a few blocks over. It was usually busy on weekends. Better than just wandering aimlessly.
"Co on," he said, already heading in that direction. "I know a place. Might be a bit loud though."
Serian followed, still keeping that little bit of distance, her eyes scanning the normal, bustling street. People walked by, cars drove past. It was all very ordinary, which probably made it even weirder for her. ’Loud? What manner of establishnt is this?’ she wondered.
They got to the arcade. Music and ga sounds spilled out onto the sidewalk. Inside, it was bright and noisy, full of teenagers and a few adults. Rows of machines blinked and beeped.
Nox walked over to an old racing ga. The screen was on, showing so kind of demo loop. "Ever seen one of these?" he asked Serian.
She looked at the machine, her head tilted. The vibrant graphics and loud noises were a stark contrast to anything in back in her world.
"It displays moving images with great intensity. So form of... entertainnt device?"
He almost snorted. ’Entertainnt device? Close enough.’ "Nah, it’s a ga," he said. "You pretend to drive a car. Race other people." He pointed at the steering wheel and pedals. "Here, try it."
She looked hesitant. "I am not familiar with these... ’cars’. They move with such unnatural speed."
"It’s easy," he said, digging a coin from his pocket and dropping it into the slot. The ga roared to life with an actual start-up sound. "Just steer, push this to go, this to stop. Try not to crash." He gestured at the controls.
She reluctantly sat down, her posture still stiff. He stood next to her, watching. Her first attempt was a disaster. She was jerking the wheel around, crashing into walls almost imdiately. The ga made a loud crashing sound, and a nearby kid laughed.
’Okay, maybe not so easy for a princess from another world,’ he thought. He found himself actually explaining, surprisingly patiently. "Less jerky movents. Smooth. Like you’re guiding it, not fighting it."
She tried again. This ti, she was a little better. She still hit a few things, but she managed to finish a lap without completely totaling the car. He saw the corner of her mouth twitch.
’Was that... almost a smile?’ he wondered.
"Not bad for a beginner," he said. He actually felt a little bit of amusent. He hadn’t expected to. He was just trying to get her to loosen up.
They played a few more rounds. She got better quickly, her movents becoming more precise. She even started leaning into the turns, her earlier stiffness fading slightly.
"This simulated contest," she said, her eyes fixed on the screen as she narrowly avoided another car, "it is... surprisingly engaging."
’Engaging, huh?’ He thought. ’She’s actually getting into it.’ He found himself watching her play, not really thinking about missions or monsters for a minute. It was... different. Not bad different.
After a while, she finally stepped away from the machine. "That was... an interesting diversion, Human Nox." Her cheeks were a little flushed.
"Yeah, well, can’t fight monsters all the ti," he said, shrugging. He actually felt a bit more relaxed himself.
’Huh, this hanging out thing isn’t the worst.’
Next, he figured they needed so actual supplies. His clothes were still torn and bloodstained, and who knew what the princess needed for a trip north. He led her to a departnt store that was bustling with shoppers.
"Need to grab so new clothes," he said, heading for the n’s section. "This whole monster-guts-and-blood look isn’t really working for ."
Serian followed him, looking around at the bright displays and rows of clothes with a curious expression. "Your people possess such a vast and varied array of garnts. In Lifewoods, our attire is more... functional, dictated by station and purpose."
He grabbed a plain shirt and so jeans. "Yeah, well, here you can pretty much wear whatever you want." He glanced at her. "You need anything? They probably don’t have elf battle-dresses, but you might find sothing more comfortable than that armor, or whatever it is, for traveling."
She touched the material of a simple cotton shirt hanging on a rack. "This fabric... it is soft. And less restrictive than my current apparel." She actually picked it up, examining the stitching with a critical eye.
’She’s acting almost normal,’ he thought. ’Not like so high-and-mighty royal who thinks cotton is beneath her.’
He found a changing room and changed quickly. The new clothes felt good. When he ca out, Serian was still looking at so won’s outdoor wear.
"Find anything you like?" he asked.
She held up a simple, dark-colored, waterproof jacket and so sturdy-looking pants. "These... ’jacket’ and ’pants’. They seem practical for a long journey, and for the variable climate of this world."
"Go try them on if you want," he said. "No one’s gonna care."
She disappeared into a changing room and ca out a few minutes later. The new clothes were a lot less conspicuous than her elven gear. She looked like a regular person, albeit a very pretty one who still carried herself like she owned the place.
"They are... surprisingly comfortable and allow for ease of movent," she admitted, moving her arms and bending her knees.
’See? Not so bad, human stuff,’ he thought. He was starting to think this whole "hang out" idea wasn’t just for her benefit. He wasn’t bored, and he wasn’t constantly on edge. It was a change.
They wandered through a few more aisles. Serian picked up random items, asking him what they were. A plastic water bottle. A tube of sunscreen. A compass. He explained them as best he could. So of his explanations were probably terrible, but she listened intently.
"Your world is filled with... ingenious, if sotis peculiar, contrivances, Human Nox," she said, turning a small, powerful flashlight over in her hands.
"Yeah, we got a lot of junk," he said. He actually cracked a small smile then. He caught himself doing it and quickly wiped it off his face, but Serian saw it.
She looked at him, and for the first ti, her expression wasn’t wary or formal. It was just... curious. Maybe even a little bit amused by his assessnt of his own world’s technology.
’He smiled,’ she thought. ’A genuine smile. Perhaps this human is not entirely the crude warrior he first appeared to be.’ Her own shoulders felt a little less tense. This wasn’t the trap she’d half-expected. It was... almost pleasant.
They left the store with Nox’s new clothes, Serian’s new practical outfit, and a backpack he had bought, stuffed with bottled water, packaged snacks, the flashlight, and a first-aid kit.
As they walked down the busy street, it was getting later in the day. He noticed Serian wasn’t walking quite as stiffly as before. She even pointed at a brightly lit movie theater marquee.
"What is that grand depiction?" she asked, gesturing to the colorful poster advertising so blockbuster.
He looked. It was so big superhero movie. "That’s a movie poster," he said. "It’s like... a play, but they record it and show it on a giant screen with lots of noise."
"Fascinating," she said. "We have bards who recount epic tales, and illusionists who craft fleeting images, but this... ’movie’... it sounds like a different experience entirely."
’She’s asking questions about normal stuff now,’ he thought. ’Not about who’s trying to kill her or how magic works. That’s... progress, I guess.’
He found himself actually talking to her, not just giving one-word answers. He told her a bit about movies, about different kinds of music from street perforrs they passed, about so of the dumber things people did for fun. He didn’t talk about himself, not really, but he talked.
And she listened. She didn’t always understand the cultural references, but she listened.
’This is weird,’ he thought, as they walked towards a park where people were relaxing and kids were playing. ’I’m actually... just talking to soone. And it’s not awful.’ He glanced at Serian. She was watching a dog chase a frisbee, her head tilted in that curious way again.
Maybe this whole thing had been a good idea after all. For both of them. He wasn’t even thinking about EXP or missions. He was just... relaxing.
But trouble always finds him it seems.
’Found you, little miss princess.’ A woman in cloak said.
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