Shop Keeper of Knowledge

"It's so very nice to meet you! My name is Rong Hao, and I am a servant who resides in the palace of the Emperor. I've come to find her..." [[Independent FMA:B rp blog]]

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Daiyu blinked as she watched the two young girls station themselves outside of the door for protective purposes, then realized that some of the bodyguards in her family were probably even younger. Not phased or surprised by their dedication to their master, she shrugged it off and moved over to her own bed, only sitting upright on it with her legs Indian-style.

"Can I at least ask you what it is you do back in Xing? I’d like to get to know the man who’s rooming with me until he finds the one he’s looking for." This wasn’t exactly a way to pry information out of him, but just a kind way of trying to get to know him and start a conversation. The least she could do for him was talk him to sleep, if that would help anything.

[elderlywise-blog]

"I am just a loyal servant who serves one of the heir's family tea." Hao chuckled while removing his shoes and his glasses, placing them on the bedside table and beginning to curl up underneath the blanket. "Sometimes I cook and clean, but they mostly use me for my secretive recipes." He chuckled again, only this time it was a bit sad. He loved the family he served, but they were holding him back from so much. In fact, he didn't find out about the bounty on his daughter's head until a year after it all happened, and it wasn't as if he could ask his ex lover about it. "I suppose you can say it's quite laid back and simple, which is good for an old geezer like me."

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

He didn’t think she was ready? Saying that told her absolutely everything- he wasn’t fooled by her ruse, and he knew she was the one he’d been searching for; however, now she wanted to hear the story all the more, but was tragically disappointed in being rejected yet again. The flames of determination burned ever more brightly now.

Pretending to sigh as if she were defeated, Daiyu shook her head and finished her meal before placing her bowl next to his own. “Alright, alright. I won’t ask again, okay? You can’t blame a woman for trying.”

After flashing him a devious smile, she made the two assistants help her take all of the dishes back to the kitchen and give them a rinse. Upon coming back, Daiyu refilled everyone’s glasses of water and took a look out of the window. “It seems we had a late lunch; the sun’s already starting to go down. Aren’t you tired? My bed is the one on the right.”

[elderlywise-blog]

"Hnn..." Hao scrutinized the look on Amara's face, only to find her expression shrouded in mystery. Something was up, and he knew it all too well-- he wasn't stupid, but he was willing to admit that this woman was rather cunning. She was planning something and he could feel it. Turning his head to look out of the window with her, he noticed that the sun's blazing self was steadily sauntering downwards and it actually elicited a yawn. Indeed he was tired, seeing as it took them a week to travel through the rough, hot desert.

Pulling his glasses off to rub at his eyes, he took his stand and ordered the two girls to join them for bed. Both of them shook their heads and took a post on either side of the door. "Do forgive them; you see, they're rather tough for their age. You said this bed, correct?" Hao moved between the two, picking the one on the right and sitting on the edge. For an Inn, they were quite comfortable. "Do you sleep in this one while he's away, or in his? Sometimes it could ease your loneliness."

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Daiyu took in a deep breath, and as she let it out it was shaken and quite loud. She felt Hao’s hand overlap hers and gave him a reassuring smile that she was alright now, and took her bowl back into her lap and continued to eat. “Yes, you’re right. It’s just that sometimes it gets so lonely here. All of the others I’ve befriended are busy with important work and hardly have any time to come see me, and I isolate myself to this room and do my own studying to help Shirong.”

Strangely enough, his monotone comforting had a calming affect in some odd way. Still finding it a bit disturbing that she felt so close to this man, she tried to push any negative thoughts away. Now, she needed to focus on prying the truth out of him. “Look, I know you told me not to bug you about it, but… I really want to know how Princess Liang is your daughter. That wouldn’t make her an heir, in fact she would have been living a lie. It’s just suspicious to me, that’s all.” She sighed, spooning more Oryaku into her mouth. Her words, muffled. “I mean, that’s just so weird to me, you know? Claiming to be the father of an heir when clearly it should be the Emperor.”

[elderlywise-blog]

Feeling a little guilty that he was glad that small episode was over, Hao inwardly gave a sigh of relief and resided back to his side of the couch. At least she was making friends here; being cooped up in an Inn room with nothing but books would have driven him absolutely mad! Although, she did tell him that she hardly saw them, so it must still be so difficult for her. A lover on the other side of the country that she hadn't seen in a year, and friends that he could tell she loved dearly, too busy with their own lives to even come visit her just for a simple 'hello.' Hao only had one friend, but he definitely had a lot of company serving one of the heirs' families.

He was just about to take his final bite of Oryaku before he heard her request, yet again, to speak to her about exactly why he was the father of Daiyu. A little disgruntled by the fact that she was so stubborn, and the fact that it reminded him so much of Bao Yu, he removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You refuse to give this up, don't you?" Hao sighed, replacing his glasses and sliding the yet-to-be-empty bowl away. Now his voice was quiet and husky, as if he weren't enjoying telling her this. "I told you, I am not ready to speak of such things. I can still feel the distrust between us, and to be perfectly honest with you, I don't think you're ready. No one would be." If someone told him this story, it would break his heart as well, not to mention he now knew for a fact that this woman was Princess Liang. It was a matter of getting her to admit it now.

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Her cheeks involuntarily flushed at his compliment and she automatically cursed at herself further for being so indefinitely rude to him earlier. Splashing water on the poor guy’s face… Spoonful after spoonful went into her mouth, savoring the flavor as she listened to him speak. His next question caused a bit of a different reaction; she placed the spoon into her bowl and set it aside, then stared at her feet. It made her heart skip a beat and the ache ensued, soon to be followed by anxiety causing a lump to clog her throat. Lately Shirong had been quite the sore subject, especially with how long he had been gone for. “He-he’s…. doing research in another city somewhere. I don’t know why he’s been gone for as long as he has, but I’m sure it’s necessary, I mean he-” Tears began to swell up in the corners of her eyes and too embarrassed to let herself cry in front of this what-seemed-to-be stranger, she shoved her face into her hand and chuckled.

The tears stung, and she needed to hold them back. She couldn’t cry over this, she knew Shirong was doing what was best for him, even if it meant her loneliness. “I apologize. It’s just that he’s always so busy, but I do love him. More than anything in the world.”

[elderlywise-blog]

Amara's (who she is to him at this point) reactions went unnoticed, that was until he heard her voice crack which was caused by something he was quite familiar with-- anxiety. Why was her lover such a touchy subject...? She should have been happy to talk about it, even due to the circumstances of the question he had asked.

Seeing the tears in her eyes and the fact that she was undoubtedly hurt by it all, he felt his heart sink and immediately felt the insatiable urge to put his arms around her and comfort her. However, they were still trying to pretend that they were a stranger to one another. Gulping down his desire to hold the woman who resembled his daughter so much, he merely placed his bowl onto the table and patted her shoulder. "There there," he said, wincing at himself for it sounded so monotone. "You'll see him soon, young lady. I know you will, just have faith and keep doing what you do for him."

What was he going to do? He was wrapped with guilt and he so much wanted to explain his situation to her, but he just couldn't risk it... not yet. For now, they would continue to pretend that she was a woman named Amara who came to Amestris merely for research, and he was just a man looking for someone he claimed to be his daughter.

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Unfortunately the kitchen was rather busy this afternoon, seeing as people were either making lunch before going off to work, or just getting home to eat from a long morning of it. Having to share the potatoes and carrots always irritated her, but it was the rule of the Inn. The good thing about it was that the faster she made it, the more time she could spend with Hao, and the more information she could get out of him (if she could even convince him to tell her about the ‘father’ portion).

The Oryaku, made with rice, potatoes, carrots, celery, and thickened chicken broth, was placed in a pot and brought to their room. “Tada!” she exclaimed, placing the large kitchen utensil in the middle of the coffee table. “Oryaku is my specialty. In fact, I researched a lot of Xingese foods, since I’m not a very good cook at all. Others did the cooking for m-” No, stop! What are you doing, he’s going to suspect something! “I mean, well, my mother did all of the cooking even after I turned 18. I hope you enjoy it!”

[elderlywise-blog]

Hao had been so immersed in his thoughts that he did not hear the door open; however, when the pot was set on the table and he heard Daiyu's exclamation, he quickly snapped to and leaned over the something that smelled absolutely delicious. "It looks wonderful, Miss Amara. Here, I'll serve it." Gingerly taking the china and placing it accordingly on the table, he spooned even portions into the bowls and handed them to each of the girls. Upon hearing her correction, while she wasn't paying attention, the elder shot her a suspicious glance with narrowed eyes over the rims of his glasses. Others did the cooking for me. More evidence. The pile was getting bigger and bigger that it could just burst through the skies! Hao wanted to be patient and let it come to him, but anxiety was starting to get the best of him.

"It tastes as good as it looks, and I'm not surprised. Normally Xingese women are naturally good cooks, and this comes as no surprise to me." Lack of chop sticks was bothering him but he couldn't show it. He was too prideful when it came to trying something new, and wanted to make it seem like he were all for it. "So where is your lover, might I ask? And why has it been almost a year since you've seen him? Shouldn't he be here to take care of his princess?"

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

"Hao. Yes, it is nice to meet you as well." It doesn’t necessarily sound like he believed it. In fact it’s starting to seem like… l-like he thinks I’m-

Groaning, Daiyu led him back to the Inn room, where she allowed he and the two younger ones to take a seat. Being the gracious hostess that she was (dammit), she poured them each a glass of water and placed them neatly onto the coffee table. While she was pouring the third glass, his question caused her to jump slightly, spilling a bit of the liquid onto the table. Pulling out a handkerchief, she quickly wiped it up and handed the third girl her glass.

Trying to think of something more cryptic than a lie, Daiyu smiled over at him and brushed some of her hair off of her shoulders. “My boyfriend and I just decided to study alchemy here. That’s all.” It wasn’t a lie at all, in fact Daiyu had been studying hard to the point of isolation before she met Hao. Taking this gap in their conversation as an opportunity to split, she did just that and headed to the Inn’s kitchen to make the Oryaku.

[elderlywise-blog]

Her answer wasn't cryptic, but he did sense truth behind it; but weren't Xingese people happy with alkahestry? It was a form of medicinal alchemy, not to mention less dangerous. Equivalent exchange didn't seem to suit him very well, considering lots of people wanted to take but not give, especially in their country. Satisfied with what she had to say, he took his glass of water and sat back, gently nursing on it as his eyes focused on the coffee table.

"I'm starting to wonder," he began, "if she'll ever tell me the truth or not. Who knows, we may go for months without finally hearing it." But, patience was a virtue, and did he have lots of it.

[elderlywise-blog]

[cassandra I need to think of a good reply for a bit I'm s tuck I'm so sorry ;w;]

[elderlywise-blog]

[fallapartironheart started following you]

"You seem like you would know some information that's quite valuable to me. I'm looking for someone."

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Still feeling as if something were wrong, Daiyu did the best she could to shake it off and lead the strange man back to the place where he had just run away from, despite the two objecting assistants. Yes, lunch definitely sounded good, especially to her; Oryaku sounded quite nice right about now.

When he didn’t finish his sentence, she could only guess that he was trying to catch her name. Oh no! I-I have to think of a different name. Let’s see… maybe something that sounds Amestrian. Um, ummm… “Amara! My name is Amara.” YES! Good job, way to go! Brilliant. “And, what of your name? You know, we’ve been through so much together already, I’d only like to think I get to know it.”

[elderlywise-blog]

Amara? That sounded completely foreign to him. In fact, it sounded like she had adopted a name that was Amestrian. But why? If she were proud of the fact that she were Xingese, she couldn't have done so, therefore it only added more to the evidence. I hope she doesn't think I'm that foolish. "Amara, it is very nice, I suppose, to finally meet you properly. My name is Rong Hao, though I'd prefer it if you'd just call me Hao." Feeling his stomach tightening with hunger, he searched around and noticed that they were finally coming up to the hotel. Ordering Sage and Suji to take seats on either side of him on the couch, he gently sat and kept himself in a very erect position, his hands in his lap.

"Well, Miss Amara, before you run off to cook for us, might I inquire as to why you're here in this country?" Hao wondered exactly who she would answer, considering she was lying about her identity. Xingese people loved their country, and one such as Amestris was not in their interest, especially with all of the governmental issues these days.

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Letting herself be manhandled considering he were being gentle, once Daiyu was planted on the ground she stood up as well and dusted her own person off. A black silk dress does not make a good canvas for grass stains.

"Y-you’re the one who ran away from me suddenly," she grumbled, embarrassed and feeling a little guilty for tackling an older man. With her hips jutting out to one side, she folded her hands behind her back and noticed that he was scrutinizing her every detail. She felt very uncomfortable, and soon the air felt strange. Does he… know? There was no possible way, unless he knew her mother. Still, what with him claiming to be her father, nothing was making sense anymore.

Hearing his request, she groaned and shook her head; however, in the back of her mind she kept the desire to get to know more about this. “Fine, alright. I won’t ask you anymore, but… if you’re going to keep looking for her, it’s safe if you room with me. My boyfriend has been gone for almost a year on a trip, and I’m not sure when he’ll come back but… you can have my bed and I’ll sleep in his. I don’t want anything happening to you, because you’ll end up getting thrown in jail until someone with a passport comes and gets you.” Not even bothering for a confirmation, she moved to his back and began to push him, ushering him back to the Inn along with the two girls.

"I’ll make us some lunch. I’m sure you’re starving."

[elderlywise-blog]

"Oh?" With a scoff, he did the gentlemanly thing and reached over to help her dust herself off. Feeling the fabric of her dress, he couldn't help but inwardly smile; this was because Bao Yu used to love silk and wear it in every wardrobe. However, this thought made his lips straighten out: it was more evidence toward the assumption that this young woman was the one he had been searching for. Why on earth she would be pretending to be someone else, he had no clue, but after getting a good look at her and hearing her "sassy" tone that reminded him of his ex lover, there was no doubt in his mind.

It was safe to assume that perhaps neither of them were yet comfortable with each other, and she was obviously not comfortable telling the truth about herself just yet. Give it time old boy, he told himself. It'll come to you.

He didn't mind being ushered, seeing as going to jail wasn't necessarily in the plan of coming here. Hearing that lunch would be made, his stomach suddenly churned and growled and he couldn't stop himself from covering it with his arm. "L-lunch sounds... good. You're very charitable, Miss--....?" He wondered what she would call herself.

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

I don’t even know where to start looking. I guess just keep going straight; usually people who are lost in this city just run in a straight line. Keeping that hopeful thought in her head, Daiyu continued to trudge onward all the while looking through every window of every shop, business building, etc. to find the strange man who had just taken off out of her Inn room. She walked around for a while to no avail, and at some point planted herself in her favorite park. Muttering incoherent curse words under her breath, she traced her fingers over the top of the table, writing names of friends and drawing random shapes.

She leaned her head backward as she looked up to the sky, her eyes fixed on one cloud that kind of reminded her of the pattern on Ling’s shirt. After a few moments of closing her eyes, a familiar voice caught her ears (surprisingly, considering how far off they were).

"YOU," she hissed, jumping up from the table with her eyes frantically darting around to find the source of the sound. When she saw him and the two younger girls, she pushed herself forward and ran as fast as she could-

right until she smacked into him, hopefully enough so that she could knock him down! “Why’d you run like that?! I wasn’t going to hurt you or anything! I just want answers, jeez!”

[elderlywise-blog]

His hopes were still high as he and the other two began to take off out of the park, when suddenly he heard a hiss in the distance. YOU. "Oh no!" he said hushed, trying to reach out for Sage and Suji to make a quick book for it. That was, until he felt all of someone's weight ram into him.

Indeed, this did cause the elder to fall over, the girl going down with him and his two assistants trying to catch him only to fail in the end. The nerve of some women! What kind of woman-- "Why on earth would you tackle an old man outside? I'll repeat: what is wrong with you?" Gently taking the unknown female by her arms, he pried her off of him and sat up, rubbing his lower back with a wince. The pain was unbearable! Shouldn't people in their fifties be feeling this bad? He wasn't that old, was he?

Still gritting his teeth and clutching at the ground to make a stand, he was actually a bit relieved to hear she didn't want to hurt him. After all, an accusation of calling the Emperor's daughter his own could be a big crime and he could have gotten himself killed if she were an assassin spy. "Listen to me," he began again, catching his breath and trying to dust the grass stains off of his pants, "I do not feel comfortable telling you just yet. I wish you would respect your elders and understand that." For just that one moment, he finally got a good look at the young woman. Why did it feel like he was staring down a teenage Bao Yu? And her eyes... those deep brown eyes, it was like staring at his own in the mirror. But she wasn't Daiyu, was she? She certainly was the spitting image of Daiyu's mother.

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Daiyu was expecting an answer to her question, but became very disappointed when instead he stood up and headed for the door. “H-hey, wait a se——” And before she knew it, he had taken the two young girls and took off, and from her point of view as fast as he damn could.

Her upper lip was twitching now, the anger rising once more. Oh, it was so painful. She hadn’t been this angry since Greed thought he was God of the world! “HEY! Get the hell back here!" Realizing it was no use to scream at him, she stood up and ran out of the door after him. Considering the streets were still filled, it was harder and harder to keep her eyes on the back of his head, and she’d be damned when she accidentally ran into a soldier, knocking her on her bottom. She had lost him- she lost him right in front of Central Headquarters, too. How ironic… Ignoring the soldier’s apology, she moved around him, only to find him nowhere in sight, not to mention her anger continued to rise. Who the hell was that man? Why did he call her his daughter? And why did he run away?! Taking it slow this time and cutting her run off into a walk, Daiyu continued to walk the streets toward the direction the man was going. If she was going to get answers, she couldn’t give up.

[elderlywise-blog]

After what seemed to be an eternity of running, Hao and both of the girls looked over their shoulder to find that the young woman was no longer following them. With a sigh of relief, he patted each of their shoulders and continued to walk on, suddenly feeling the exhaustion slipping back. "I'm too old for this," he muttered under his breath, shaking his head. Too old to be chasing after a woman who probably hated him for never being a part of her life. Too old to be crossing a desert for a week. Just too damn old for anything. Finding a small park with an outside dining area, he took a seat at one of the tables and burrowed his head into his arms. "I think we need to rethink this," he said, his words muffled by the fabric of his sleeve. The two girls gave a pity sigh and took their seats on either side of him.

"I think we just need to go back to that girl, Master Hao," spoke Suji.

"Mhm, I agree. She knows where Daiyu is, and I don't think she's some kind of government spy. She's way too mean and doesn't even dress properly!" shouted Sage.

Hao chuckled and lifted his head, overlapping his hands in his lap with just a tiny hint of a smile on his lips. "If we cross paths again, I'll consider it. For now, we need to find another lead!" Instead of letting the former events get him down, he replaced his aggressive disappointment with new hope, and stood up from the table. "Perhaps if we ask some of these military men, they'd know something."

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

She felt her eye instantly twitch at the sudden change in this man, and the fact that he was trying to intimidate her by standing over her with a dirty look completely pissed her off. Shocked yet livid, she remained quiet and gave his words a good listening. Instead of going off, it was better to be a good listener. Who knew? This man may have upset her all of a sudden, but she couldn’t know how to help him if she didn’t pay attention. Her arms slowly moved upward to fold over her chest per word slipping, until she heard the very end. ‘My daughter-’ His daughter? Her arms dropped just as soon as they folded, her face relaxing from it’s angered position only to take on a new expression: surprise, fear, and a bit of suspicion. Why was he calling her his daughter? The Emperor was her father, she was the fifth heir to Xing.

Trying to pick her words carefully, Daiyu began to speak again, starting off very slow. “So… what you mean to say is, this Princess Liang is your daughter? Isn’t that a wild accusation, considering if she’s a princess, she’d be the Emperor’s daughter?” Everything that was making sense now did not, and her anger was replaced with an indifference.

[elderlywise-blog]

For some reason, her suspicion sent off an internal alert, and Hao quickly stood up from his seat and headed to the door. Knowing that he had already spoken too much, he couldn't turn it around so what was the next thing he could do? Run. Run as fast as he could and hope to God he would never see this woman again. She was the only lead he had to Daiyu, but he wasn't willing to risk it. For all he knew, she was a Xingese government spy here to keep tabs on the Amestrian State Alchemists, considering her very demanding demeanor.

Without a second thought he pried the door open, seeing his two assistants in shock to see him. "We have no time. We must go, and go as far as we can. We can't stay in Central." Grabbing both of them by their arms, he pulled them out of the Inn and ran into the streets, hoping the shock of the sudden situation would give her a few minutes to come after them.

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

It did not take long for guilt to wrap itself around her neck and give it a tight squeeze. Feeling the wind being knocked out of her as if someone had punched her in the chest, she gripped at one of her dress straps and looked away from the elder. What did she just do? Someone was legitimately worried about her, and she filled his head with lies to the point where she felt completely guilty over it. Now, this wasn’t like her at all, and she knew exactly who she reminded herself of. Taking a deep and shaken breath, she stood up from beside the man and sat on the coffee table in front of him.

"I can’t tell you that. You may have good intentions, but unfortunately I still don’t trust you. I- I mean, she’s in a bad state right now and the last thing she needs is some marvelously acting assassin going after her." A finger moved upward, twisting some of her brown locks around it.

"You should just go home," she sighed. "I know you traveled a long way, and I am sorry; however, I can’t risk it."

[elderlywise-blog]

You should just go home. He didn't have a clue as to why, but those words angered him further. For the first time in 20 years, Hao lost his temper and stood up, rounding on the girl and leaning over her as to intimidate her. He was going to get information, one way or the other...

With a start, he clenched his jaw before he spoke. "Now you listen here, young lady! You can be as sweet as you want to now, and try to turn me around, but I'm afraid it's just not going to happen! The fact of the matter is, my daughter is here in this God forsaken country with a bounty on her head, and I'd like to know that she's well, and see it for myself." Suddenly backing away, Hao replaced himself on the couch and hid his face in his hands. He literally just gave away too much information himself-- if anyone knew that Daiyu was his daughter, he could be hanged even if it were 20 years ago. This girl seemed as if she made Amestris her home, although she could still be completely loyal to their Emperor. What if she-- shaking the thought from his head, he sighed heavily and rested his arms on his knees, slumped over.

"So now you know. I would like it if you'd just please tell me where my daughter is, young lady."

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Daiyu watched incredulously as his entire demeanor changed upon hearing her lies. What did she just do to this poor old man? In fact why did he care so much about her well being? It didn’t feel like something was bad, but it also felt off. Why did this man seem so familiar to her?

"H-hey…" Should she trust him? If he were lying, he was a brilliant actor. The fact that the news clearly upset him was saddening her in return; although, no assassin would think to get information this way. It was too… "emotional." Assassins were always detached. "Cheer up! Maybe she’s not dead, who knows? S-so, um…" At a loss for words, Daiyu groaned and ran her fingers through her hair.

"She’s not dead. I lied," she admitted in a very flat tone of voice. "I-I… er, yeah. She’s just hiding, that’s all."

[elderlywise-blog]

"You mean. . . she's not dead." Hao had never felt such a surge of anger in all of his years! This woman had basically lied to him, told him that his reason for crossing a horrifically hot and dry desert was for naught, and had the audacity to treat him so rudely on top of it all?! Feeling his fingers tremble due to trying to control himself, he spoke again and surprisingly kept his voice well rounded. However, he was clearly angered by her lies.

"What in Buddha's name is wrong with you?" Despite his words, he still sounded relatively calm. "A 40 year old man travels through the desert with two young ones for a specific reason, only to be told that this person he is seeking is dead, and it turns out to be a lie?" The elder man shook his head in disgust. Of all people, he didn't think a Xingese brethren would do something like this!

"If she is hiding, I'd like to know where she is. It is important that I find out!"

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Completely disturbed by his reaction, Daiyu folded her arms over her chest and narrowed deep brown eyes at the elder man. Who didn’t come out of something like that cussing and raving? The fact that he remained so calm and soft spoken reminded her of Shirong. The thought made her heart ache painfully.

"So you did come for her? Well you’re too late. I have no idea what the Xinese authorities are thinking, still sending assassins over here to find her! If you ask me, you all should just stay home and take care of he Emperor. You’re not wanted, nor are you needed, here anymore." Hopefully she could pass this story off as believable, but who knew? Xingese assassins were trained to be more clever than that. When the tone of his voice softened, she sighed and took a seat next to him. "Just rest up and then go home."

[elderlywise-blog]

He was utterly in shock upon hearing the word 'assassination!' So his secret informant was correct. Bao Yu really did set a KOS on her own daughter. And he used to love that wretched woman. Suddenly feeling sick to his stomach, his lips twisted into a frown and he finally replaced his pair of glasses back onto his nose, pushing them up with his thumb.

"You have it all wrong," he slowly started, his voice broken. He could feel the knot in his throat worsening. "I would never think to kill Princess Liang. I've only come to make sure she's still well and alive. I heard about the bounty on her head and was merely worried!" With his eyebrows furrowing upward and his heart throbbing quickly in his chest, he didn't even bother to ask this woman about herself. The entire reason he had come-- she was already dead. The only link he had left to his family, the one who shared his blood, the one he could finally get to know now that she was out of Bao Yu's clutches. She was dead.

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

elderlywise || The Truth

[thefirstlittlerunaway-blog]

Daiyu cold hear the hiss escaping as she watched the man suddenly fall to the ground. At least he had those two young ladies to catch him; however, now he had made himself quite the spectacle. Staring him down while trying to rush into the scene, she took note of his elderly appearance, not to mention he was dressed in… servant clothes?!

Before the soldiers could snag him up and take him to prison for being an illegal alien (she could tell he had no idea how to navigate this city), she swooped in and quickly took him by the arm. “U-um, th-this is my uncle!” she stammered. “S-sorry about that, I’ll get him home. He’s sick you see, a-and he… he doesn’t know what he’s doing!” Wow, you sounded like a total moron. Whatever, I just need to get him back to the room.

Uncaring of how the two girls would react, the Xingese princess practically carried the old man over her shoulder and to the Inn, where she shooed off a surprised Inn keeper and locked the door behind her. She gingerly placed the fellow on the couch next to her large pile of books, then grabbed a cup of water and threw it right in his face.

"Why the hell’d you come here?! If you’re looking for Princess Liang, forget it, she’s dead."

[elderlywise-blog]

It all happened so fast. The heat was overtaking his senses and all he could feel was hot wire pressed all over his entire body. A throbbing headache, searing skin- S P L A S H. The water hitting his face instantly brought him back to reality, albeit pissed off. Fortunately for this young woman, Hao had his wits about him at all times and never blew up at anyone, regardless of what they did. That didn't mean he spouted infinite curse words at her in his head, though.

Using his sleeve to wipe some of the water off of his face, he blinked several times before his vision kicked in to take a look at the one already spouting questions in such a rude tone. With a huff while pulling his glasses off to clean them, he merely ordered his two assistants to go outside the door and began to wipe away.

The fact that this girl already mentioned the name 'Liang' caused a serious bout of suspicion. She too was Xingese- he could see it in her face although she was sporting an Amestrian dress. "I came here for that specific reason, yes," he spoke calmly although there was no dullness in his tone. He was clearly a kind man, if you couldn't tell by the soothing waves of his voice. When he heard the 'she's dead' portion of the sentence, he inwardly cringed. "So I'm too late," Hao muttered softly, not even bothering to replace his glasses. He continued to wipe at them.